Tag Archives: yoga

harmony

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the present moment

the present moment

harmony is created by practicing present moment awareness…

we continue to focus on the present moment as the week of posts continues…Yesterday we used some quotations from the above author, Eckhart Tolle, and today we resume, and add on other insightful reading

“Take the past, for example. We think of it as something, but it is really nothing. Go looking for it, and you will never find it. We all think of ourselves as being shaped by the past, and many of us think we are limited by it. The truth is, you and I both have a past. It’s powerful and often painful and has shaped us in ways past knowing. Having said that, I invite you to forget it. The past is, quite literally, irrelevant. It has power over us only if we give it the power each moment. You give it power by the moves you make in each moment. Each day you and I are offered the opportunity to recreate the past or to create a brand new future. Take your mind off the past and the future, and focus instead on the moments that are occuring constantly. If you do this, I guarantee you will not regret it.” From Conscious Living, by Gay Hendricks.

harmony

cultivating presence

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Cultivating presence through yoga is a multi faceted process. I mentioned mindfulness the other day and suggested an exercise on my Yoga Mind Cd to help you along on the journey.

Eckhart Tolle is a wonderfully inspired and inspiring author on the subject of presence and the present moment; “Emotion in itself is not unhappiness. Only emotion plus an unhappy story is unhappiness”

presence

presence

Alertness, awareness, mindfulness are all words that require us to be with – be present with- experience. If you can be quiet enough inside to recognize what is happening (whether in your head, your body, your environment) you can react less and respond more. “Awareness is the greatest agent of change” (Eckhart Tolle, A NEW EARTH)

It is, of course, way more common to have a scattered mind, where, although the brain is active, it is unfocused typically, and just basically follows one thought after another. This creates stories and layers of confusion in the mind, as well as doubts and fears. On the other hand, the calm state, or sattvic state (you may have felt in touch with this after deep relaxation) will foster seeds of awareness, discrimination, positivity and an equilibrium which is less inclined to react and more inclined to respond (from clarity).

 

mindfulness matters

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mindfulness matters on and off the yoga mat

mindfulness matters

mindfulness matters

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“The mind is the vital link between the body and consciousness. The individual can live with awareness, discrimination, and confidence only once the mind is calm and focused, Yoga is the alchemy that generates this equilibrium”

“When the mind is fully absorbed by objects seen, heard, smelled, felt or tasted, this leads to stress, fatigue, and unhappiness. The mind can be a secret enemy and a treacherous friend,. It influences our behavior before we have time to consider causes and consequences.” BKS Iyengar

The way yoga practice works is that it trains your mind to stay still instead of jumping around so much, therefore taming and quieting impulsivity and reactivity. Discrimination and evaluation faculties improve as well so that the objects and situations we “see” do not have such a powerful hold on us. The mature and practiced mind builds awareness and thus can target bad habits, improve mood, and take note of repetitive behaviours that are not so good for us and replace them with nourishing thoughts and actions.

I have an easy to practice 5 minute mindfulness of breath practice on my YOGA MIND cd. Keep in mind that this is a journey, and practice is cumulative.

yoga and addiction recovery

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yoga and addiction recovery

If you are wondering what is addiction, one definition is that “Addiction is a disease of “lack.” At the core level, we feel something is missing and we set out to try to fill the void through a set of behaviors that leave us further depleted. We damage the systems of our body and sap ourselves of “life force.” Our endocrine system gets taxed. Our nervous system is overworked. We live in nearly constant fight or flight, bringing on the horrible consequences of stress.” (source here)

There is a fantastic video blog here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=50elMAdtI3E which describes the disease and other things you need to know to understand the “what”

How does yoga help?

yoga for addiction recovery

yoga for addiction recovery

“The use of yoga to help break addiction patterns is growing. Body centred treatments such as yoga, acupuncture and massage; along with traditional therapy are on the increase and are being used in many treatment centres. Yoga cultivates bodily awareness in a kind, nurturing way. It allows students to start connecting with the body and breath and learn to sit and look within.Compassion for oneself arises and with it, a new ability to deal with stressful situations, leading to positive change. New coping strategies and changing patterns start to emerge, bringing about change both on and off the mat.” (source here) Also “Many people with addiction problems find it very difficult to be present and will commonly ‘act out’ or use their substance of choice in order to change the way they feel.” (source here)

One of the things to keep in mind is that yoga is a toolbox, and you definitely need tools when trying to re-pattern; understandably, yoga can be a valuable part of an addiction recovery strategy because it very powerfully reinforces being in the present moment

 

 

Yoga and stress relief

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yoga is a powerful way tool for stress relief

stress relief

This is a great infograph. Some of the take aways are subjects you have already seen here. It is a great reminder of how we can certainly, throughout our day, make choices to ensure that we give ourself a window of calm.

If you are looking for mini-breaks, just know this is what I created the YOGA MIND CD for (visualizations, breathing, mindfulness, relaxations). I think, I know, when you are in touch with yourself, you will be able to add to the above list, or choose which of them make no sense to you. I am not a gum chewer, so even sugarless gum would not be on my list!

Stress relief is very much about balance too. Being able to balance all your activity with rest, or with activities that cultivate the rest and digest mechanisms. You have heard me talk about restorative yoga, which is definitely something I would add to the above picture…!

BKS Iyengar wrote “the practice of asanas and pranayama is the most powerful natural thera[y for stress. Practicing asanas with props builds your stamina and allows you to benefit from the posture without unnecessary strain”

cultivating strength

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cultivating strength through yoga: “strength doesn’t come from what you can do. it comes from overcoming the things you once thought you couldn’t”

Great quote to reflect on as you take time to practice yoga today, in whatever way this is…whether restorative, active, both, meditative, self-reflective…

Feeling strong has different components, and yoga has different ways to cultivate endurance. People sometimes equate pushing themselves too far with building strength, whereas this just creates strain.

“When done right, nearly all poses build core strength in the deep abdominal muscles.” source 

“Beginning a yoga practice early in life – twenties, teens, and even younger will help the bones strengthen at a time when conditions are maximal” (Dr. Loren Fishman)

I spoke with someone recently who is new to yoga but not to sports. This person was surprised at how weak they felt in yoga class. There is definitely something to be said for the presence of attention, spreading awareness throughout your body, breathing with purpose, at the same time as recruiting muscular effort. You may have to wake up dormant areas and relax some overworked ones to build up your endurance.

“The deeper the alignment of your pose is, the less effort you will need. And the more you refine your alignment around center, the closer you come to true balance” (Rodney Yee)

cultivating strength

Therapeutic effects of yoga

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Therapeutic effects of yoga include enhanced immune system functioning

Therapeutic effects of yoga

Restorative yoga

“stress has a negative impact on the immune system and prolonged exposure increases susceptibility to disease and leads to physical and mental health problems such as anxiety and depression. Practicing yoga and meditation as a means to manage and relieve both acute and chronic stress helps individuals overcome other co-morbidities associated with diseases and leads to increased quality of life” STUDY

The immune system is a miracle to me. In case you are wondering what that is, “the immune system is a system of biological structures and processes within an organism that protects against disease” (SOURCE) Restorative yoga poses are highly effective at reducing stress and therefore in creating a healthy immune system. The supported poses decrease the chasing aspect which is sometimes present when students “stretch” because these asanas (poses) are done with the strategic support and placement of yoga props which thus nurtures the body and induces the “relaxation response” while reducing the “stress response”. Together, these two effects protect and help to strengthen the immune system. Once your system is compromised, the practice changes, so the best tip is to be preventive with your health. I meet students who specifically do not do this type of practice yet will readily agree they are not able to relax. The number one reason they give to avoid the practice is they think it will be too easy. HMMMM. It’s definitely not the same as jumping around, but it is also quite challenging in its own way. Perhaps your misconceptions are keeping you from optimum health!!

yoga for better posture

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yoga for better posture

yoga for better posture

yoga can be used as therapy for the forward head posture; as you can see (and maybe this is you or someone you know) the dropped head can create strain that radiates throughout the body, not just the torso. We have become a society of rounded shoulders, whether as an emotional bracing mechanism or as a result of driving, sitting at a computer, hunching up against the cold weather…

Some symptoms of forward head posture include:
  • Forward head position.
  • Rounded shoulders.
  • Chronic pain (neck, shoulders, upper, lower and middle back)
  • Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) dysfunction.
  • Teeth clenching.
  • Fatigue.
  • Arthritis.
  • Pinched nerves

“Forward head posture leads to long term muscle strain, disc herniations, arthritis and pinched nerves”. There is also a kind of dual thing going on in yoga classes (some) where we as teachers, want you to feel like you are “perfect as you are” however, big however, if you take this forward head posture with you into asana, it is NOT beneficial to you. In many ways, a therapeutic application of yoga can undo this posture so that, going forward (not with the head, but in practice!) you can actually benefit from what you are “doing”. I have seen many students change their postural setpoint but it does take patience and persistence, and also, private yoga lessons do wonders. 

Check out previous helpful tips come to class, schedule a private

 

yoga art of balance

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yoga – art of balance “life is a balance of holding on and letting go”

yoga : art of balance

yoga : art of balance

Even as a physical practice, yoga is an art of balancing the active and the receptive sides, the doing and the being. Some of the quieter poses like forward bends, offer the practitioner the opportunity to calm the nervous system and promote the ‘rest and digest’ mechanisms, and help with fatigue. Within that, forward bends can be active or restorative depending on what your intention is. If you are chasing a stretch, using arms to pull yourself forward, or stretching the wrong place (insertion of the muscle) then your forward bends will not have these qualities. In a restorative forward bend, in order to have these effects on the central nervous system, you will have to use props in such a way as to support safe alignment and comfort in the pose. As well, you would support the head as this will promote relaxation 

BKS Iyengar wrote “Actions mirror a man’s personality better than his words” – this statement is reflected in our physical practice. Movement with intention will differ from movement without it. Sometimes you have to give something up to get something else. Think of balance, and yoga, as an organic art form.

Daily Inspiration

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inspiration

inspiration

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Daily inspiration…Don’t worry about anything, instead pray about everything

“Deep breathing and yoga previously haven’t been taken seriously as healing cures, but a new medical study found tangible benefits to the practice of meditation, leading to fewer sick days and reduced anxiety. So why aren’t doctors prescribing it?” (exerpt from Time)

Of course I have written about this subject before, with a catchy byline about being a peaceful warrior instead of a nervous worrier. The bottom line is how you use your energy will define how you cope, how you perceive, how you perform. All styles of yoga are intended to bring about the sattvic, calm mind, what I call the YOGA MIND and a key component to all practices is mindfulness. (try my 5 minute mindfulness retreat)

And, guess what ?  Mindfulness has tons of rewards. “A new study from the University of Utah shows that individuals who describe themselves as being more mindful have more stable emotions and perceive themselves to have better control over their mood and behavior throughout the day. Higher mindful people also describe less cognitive and physiological activation before bedtime, suggesting that greater emotional stability during the day might even translate into better sleep. The study results will be presented later this month at the annual meeting of the American Psychosomatic Society”