Tag Archives: mindfulness

Satya = truthfulness

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Word of the day: Satya = truthfulness

the respect for truth encompasses different forms of communication (words, gestures, writing); “to thine own self be true”

and is defined in the Mahabharata (according to Bernard Bouanchaud in The Essence of Yoga) as “Truth should be told when agreeable, should be said agreeably, and truth should not be said that does harm; however, never lie to give pleasure”

I think taking some of the speed out of some aspect of your yoga practice and (in general) the day, keeps us honest, less impatient, less inclined to hurt ourselves or others.. Above all else, living mindfully keep us living in truthfulness as we cultivate a symbiosis between thoughts and actions.

To practice this, you may enjoy:  5 Minute Mindfulness Retreat and join me on Facebook and Twitter with #liveyouryoga

SATYA - truth

Using Your Yoga Practice To Move From Spirit

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Using Your Yoga Practice To Move From Spirit  is seeing practice as meditation in motion, mindful movement. Sometimes life is full of challenges, and we have to call upon some inner grace to get through it. Relaxation is the antidote to stress, it will help you find that grace..

The lotus flower grows from the bottom of streams and muddy ponds to rise above the water and bloom. At night, it closes and sinks below the water, just to resurface again, untouched the next day, Fully grounded in earth, yet aspiring towards the divine, the lotus flower lives in the muddy water, yet remains unsoiled.

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Time on the yoga mat is meditation in motion, mindful movement.

The “P” in practice can either be “push push push” or “patience patience patience”. Generally I like to tell students to go gradually and navigate a pose, considering where they are at in the present moment, what the cues from their breathing indicate, and what the general physical feedback is telling them. There is a skill to using yoga props that not only makes the asana approachable and possible but also, increases the benefits and your ability to learn how to be peaceful in a challenging situation because you aren’t fighting so hard to maintain alignment etc. If you have never tried Restorative Yoga therapy wow, here too is a most intelligent and awesome way to cultivate safe flexibility and the rest and digest attitude that the nervous system so needs

 

On your yoga mat – where does your attention go?

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Are you a fidgeter? I think it is important to navigate each yoga pose by breathing and sensing, so you may not get into it without little adjustments or the help of strategically placed yoga props. These can be your own, or where skillful attention and purposeful instruction come into play. I have seen it many times when I teach private yoga classes, that most people benefit from the teacher’s eye, and that finding comfort in the body, the mind will follow. After that though, if you still can’t stay still, it can be a question of focus. Learning how to breathe for mindfulness may help…

adjustment in asana

Breathing Techniques For Mindfulness

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Breathing Techniques For Mindfulness:

If you are thinking stressful thoughts the body will hold onto them and create knots in the muscles, this post gives breathing techniques for mindfulness. “Whatever you are FOCUSING upon is TRAINING you into a habit of thought” ~ Abraham Hicks

So what would happen if you focused on your breath? It would not change the situation, but it would alter your perception. I just experimented with this at the dentist. First focused on my breath, then the drilling (OWWW) then back to my breath. Drilling still there, I was calmer though. My heartbeat wasn’t pounding. So … taking this to another situation seems like a good stress management plan.

mindfulness

mindfulness

This is a great reminder. The breath is the link between mind and body. If you are thinking stressful thoughts the body will hold onto them and create knots in the muscles (etc). This is why learning to use your breathing in a conscious (mindful) way will help you in all kinds of ways by triggering the parasympathetic response (relaxation response) in the nervous system. Like anything it takes practice, and the good news is I am available here in Jersey City for private yoga lessons or to give a workshop at your studio 🙂

“If you want to conquer the anxiety of the moment, live in the breath” ~ Amit Ray. Anxiety can be very loud, and this noise can cloud judgemtn. What would happen if we could just be, in silence?

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inner listening through mindfulnness

Focusing on the essential natural breath ( a practice from my YOGA MIND cd) is easy to use and learn, because it basically requires you to cultivate awareness more than “technique”, and can be done even 5 minutes a day – anywhere: car, subway, bus, walking, at your desk…

Mindfulness

Mindfulness

Meanwhile this is one of many breathing techniques for mindfulness – you simply repeat to yourself when you breathe in, breathing in relaxation and when you breathe out, you focus on breathing out tension. It just takes a few moments to breathe mindfully so give it a whirl

breathing in and out

Recycling The Past

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Has anyone made mistakes? Do you find you dwell on the past or learn from it? This is a great piece of art from MOMA  and a common expression when you are on the yoga mat and begin a pose, you are tight, need to adjust, OOF….. you never want to do that again! So what do you do? It’s interesting to see what our styles are when encountering resistance or when taking a decision that isn’t right for us. So what can you do?

OOF

Using mindfulness to bring yourself into the present moment, have some objectivity about what you did, how you could do it better, then let it go as you are now prepared for what lies ahead. This is the gift of savasana in our practice, it helps us to integrate and assimilate and then see the gift of the new moment we are in

mistakes as portals

 

 

 

Yoga and Optimism – It’s in the mind

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Trying to force positivity may not work, but consistent yoga practice can certainly make you more resilient and prone to looking for the silver lining. Yoga is a mindfulness practice in itself, which science shows, changes brain chemistry…Try my 5 minute mindfulness retreat exercise and test it out!

looking up

 

“After eight hours of mindfulness practice, the meditators showed a range of genetic and molecular differences, including altered levels of gene-regulating machinery and reduced levels of pro-inflammatory genes, which in turn correlated with faster physical recovery from a stressful situation. ( Read on )”


Yoga Practice For Patience

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Now that I have relocated from Montreal to Jersey City, I am seeing just how fast-paced everything is!! Even Yoga.

All I know is that when impatience shows up on your mat, injury can prevail, and mindfulness can flounder.  There is something to be said, and this is why I love a Yapana® Yoga practice, to practicing skills to improve the way your body navigates the postures, from warm ups (vinyasa) to static/strength building and restorative/flexibility inducing ones.

Practicing patience is hard! We want outcomes. For my top 3 tips click HERE and let us today just add a slight pause here and there between breaths, during poses, activities ~ and affirm to yourself that all will be revealed
patience

Setting Your Intention

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Intention provides direction. Helpful to be clear about what that intention is. A few minutes of mindful breathing can help clear the mind for this process.

In 20 years, I have heard many reasons why people practice yoga, and they are all valid. One of the things that I find useful whether you are building a home practice or at a yoga class, is to set an intention and check in with it periodically, mindfully.

For example, if, at the beginning of your practice you notice that you are really stiff in the neck, guide yourself to bring balance…watch that you are not tightening the shoulders or clenching your teeth in your poses. If you have a very stiff lower back, perhaps try more restorative poses that provide traction, instead of over doing strong backbends.

If you are setting goals for your day, your career, relationships, check that your actions bring balance and that you are moving in the direction of your intention. I am available for private yoga classes to help you with the process. When your practices are meaningful to you and do move you towards your state of equipoise, then you are using your yoga practice therapeutically 

setting your intention

Mindful Shopping

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Mindful Shopping

my latest post on the Lole Love Blog

by from in Health Monday, November 4, 2013
My Yoga practice sheds light on so many different areas, like a sunbeam….

Since it is autumn, so many of us are contemplating more than our navels. We want to see what we will wear and how we will wear it. Shop until we drop, in other words. So how do we modern yogi(ni)s who are steeped in spirituality pack up our purses and head out into the material jungle?

Mindfully, of course!

 

It seems like no matter what we are ‘shopping for’ we come face to face with our habits. I am reminded of a quote by Gary Kraftsow, well-known Yoga Teacher; “In order to rise above our conditioning, free ourselves from suffering, improve our relationships, or find a deeper meaning and purpose in life, we must ‘go within ourselves’.” It helps to know what your tendencies are. Is your self talk critical, judgmental or affirmative? Do you listen to your instincts or do you let the voice of another over-ride them?

 

To be able to listen inwardly comes from setting aside time for silence. Cultivating what I like to refer to as ‘Yoga Mind’ gives you a better chance to experience a truer sense of who you are in the present moment. If a store is noisy and the staff is pressuring you, you will need to access this calm in order to make the best choices. At the same time, your own calm may lead you to shop in more pleasant stores ! Training your personality has deeper ramifications, as you shed the layers, coming into more direct contact with Being and Contentment, versus needing, wanting, trying, and all the other ‘ings’ you were shopping for.

 

I think the times I can look back on purchases that I did not need, and may have a tinge of regret for, are times when I was not ‘in-yoga’. They were moments when I heard but did not listen to myself or I caved into desires that had nothing to do with what I truly needed at that moment.

 

Truth be told, there are wonderful mindfulness messages in retail shopping. Here are a few tips on how you can bring the ancient practice of yogic mindfulness into the marketplace with you.

 

*Start with calm. Meditate for a few minutes before heading out. Inward listening under pressure! AUMMMM.

 

*Set an intention or goal for your trip and check in with it; did you really need a blouse but you are buying pants instead?

 

*Set a budget if applicable.

 

The Art of Mindful Shopping

 

*Ask yourself honestly in the present moment; is this a buy now/regret later?

 

*Is the purchase a want or a need? If you were focusing on the needs, re-focus.

 

*Is it a JUST GO FOR IT day? Can you treat yourself?

 

*Are you able to look in the mirror and love what you see, or is it all negative self- talk?

 

*Is the sales staff pleasant and helpful or pushy?

 

*Are you comfortable with how you feel, from the inside to the decision you are making ?

 

*Remember that at any moment, you can breathe in and out, take a walk, take your time, and circle back.

 

The beauty of the Yoga approach to shopping is that it turns us into confident, strong people who make nourishing and positive choices. Life, in this way, whatever you are doing, becomes an art form.

Buyer Be(a)ware…Enjoy!

 

Rana Waxman

Rana is a Yoga Therapist with over 20 years of experience. Her passion for making sense of the ancient teachings of Yoga in today’s fast-paced world has given her the nickname, the “modern Yogini”..Visit www.ranawaxman.com for details. Follow her on Twitter @yoginiqueen and like her Facebook page, RANAWAXMAN.YOGA, to stay connected.