Monday, August 18, 2008
EFT on the mat - combining EFT with asana
Sometimes it does happen that one’s personal yoga practice can drag along like a chore. One gets on that yoga mat and does a lifeless practice just for the sake of getting it done. I’ve been there many times. Yoga, alas doesn’t work that way. One has to throw oneself into it body and soul if one wants anything out one’s practice.
So the next time all you yoga doers out there want to put that zing back into your practice, consider this:
Get into your favorite asana. My personal favorite at this point is head-stand. And sometimes I find myself struggling to stay in that position for more than a few seconds. However, I have discovered that combining emotional release with asana or gaining stability that is not merely physical can help tremendously. The practice of asana just by itself can touch us emotionally and spiritually. It can be a release, not just from the muscular stretching and nerve toning point of view, but from a deeply emotional point of view as well. The key lies in holding the posture for more than just a few seconds and relaxing every muscle thereof. From this position of deep muscular relaxation comes an even deeper feeling of mental release. When you stretch the neck and shoulders, you massage some of the spinal nerves, for example and when the spinal nerves are getting toned, they relax and their fight/flight response is minimized. So stretching, in that sense has a truly relaxing effect.
Holding the asana is important too. Now what happens typically on a dull yoga day is that you are simply unable to get into some of your favorite postures, let alone hold them for long enough to feel anything. This is where you can introduce EFT. Two things are possible. Before you actually start your yoga practice, you spend five minutes on EFT. “Even though I have no motivation or inspiration to practice, I love and accept myself without judgement.” “Even though I don’t really want to practice now even though I know its important for me to do, I love and accept myself……..”
Use the reminder phrase “this lack of motivation, this lack of inspiration” and go through the entire EFT protocol for three rounds. Start you yoga practice.
Now each time you run into an asana where your body is stiff and inflexible,
Repeat “even though I am stiff and inflexible and unable to get into this asana comfortably, I love my body without judgement”.
Just saying this is very liberating. You can visualize every one of the EFT points being infused with white light, to replace the physical tapping. This type of visualization is very effective.
The second possibility is that you start your yoga anyway, irrespective of how you feel, but each time you get into a posture, you quickly EFT for a few seconds and feel your body relax completely as a result. You may even feel your body easing into the asana. You are supposed to relax on the mat. How often we forget this. Your body should be completely at ease in every asana. Even in headstand, or should I say especially in headstand. The more difficult the asana appears to be, the more you need to relax. When you perform the asana easily, you gain more out of it. So when I am standing on my head and start feeling the pressure on my neck, I quietly start EFT-ing. “Even though I feel the pressure on my neck and I am afraid of hurting myself, I love and accept my body without analysis” “even though I feel strange in this asana at this moment, I still choose to remain in it, loving and accepting my body through it”
Use EFT on your yoga mat as per your personal needs from time to time. Be creative in how you use it because such creativity invariably brings many more things to your awareness. You start peeling layers off especially because the asana and EFT are working in combination. You can make your practice a truly therapeutic one if you want to by combining techniques such as EFT with asana. If you are doing asana for diabetes or high blood pressure, then obviously, yoga is therapy and its effects can be augmented by simultaneously tapping on the problem…..
Tap for the ailment and for the effectiveness of the asana practice on your physical problem.
Use EFT on the mat so you can release much more than just a muscle…….
So the next time all you yoga doers out there want to put that zing back into your practice, consider this:
Get into your favorite asana. My personal favorite at this point is head-stand. And sometimes I find myself struggling to stay in that position for more than a few seconds. However, I have discovered that combining emotional release with asana or gaining stability that is not merely physical can help tremendously. The practice of asana just by itself can touch us emotionally and spiritually. It can be a release, not just from the muscular stretching and nerve toning point of view, but from a deeply emotional point of view as well. The key lies in holding the posture for more than just a few seconds and relaxing every muscle thereof. From this position of deep muscular relaxation comes an even deeper feeling of mental release. When you stretch the neck and shoulders, you massage some of the spinal nerves, for example and when the spinal nerves are getting toned, they relax and their fight/flight response is minimized. So stretching, in that sense has a truly relaxing effect.
Holding the asana is important too. Now what happens typically on a dull yoga day is that you are simply unable to get into some of your favorite postures, let alone hold them for long enough to feel anything. This is where you can introduce EFT. Two things are possible. Before you actually start your yoga practice, you spend five minutes on EFT. “Even though I have no motivation or inspiration to practice, I love and accept myself without judgement.” “Even though I don’t really want to practice now even though I know its important for me to do, I love and accept myself……..”
Use the reminder phrase “this lack of motivation, this lack of inspiration” and go through the entire EFT protocol for three rounds. Start you yoga practice.
Now each time you run into an asana where your body is stiff and inflexible,
Repeat “even though I am stiff and inflexible and unable to get into this asana comfortably, I love my body without judgement”.
Just saying this is very liberating. You can visualize every one of the EFT points being infused with white light, to replace the physical tapping. This type of visualization is very effective.
The second possibility is that you start your yoga anyway, irrespective of how you feel, but each time you get into a posture, you quickly EFT for a few seconds and feel your body relax completely as a result. You may even feel your body easing into the asana. You are supposed to relax on the mat. How often we forget this. Your body should be completely at ease in every asana. Even in headstand, or should I say especially in headstand. The more difficult the asana appears to be, the more you need to relax. When you perform the asana easily, you gain more out of it. So when I am standing on my head and start feeling the pressure on my neck, I quietly start EFT-ing. “Even though I feel the pressure on my neck and I am afraid of hurting myself, I love and accept my body without analysis” “even though I feel strange in this asana at this moment, I still choose to remain in it, loving and accepting my body through it”
Use EFT on your yoga mat as per your personal needs from time to time. Be creative in how you use it because such creativity invariably brings many more things to your awareness. You start peeling layers off especially because the asana and EFT are working in combination. You can make your practice a truly therapeutic one if you want to by combining techniques such as EFT with asana. If you are doing asana for diabetes or high blood pressure, then obviously, yoga is therapy and its effects can be augmented by simultaneously tapping on the problem…..
Tap for the ailment and for the effectiveness of the asana practice on your physical problem.
Use EFT on the mat so you can release much more than just a muscle…….
Labels: asana, EFT, emotional health, emotional release, light, postnatal yoga, relaxation, visualize, wellness, Yoga therapy
Friday, August 15, 2008
EFT Simplified
Part I
This is a one-of-a-kind healing technique that I came across quite by accident. Since I started practicing it, it has changed the way I think, feel and even how I interact with life and the outside world in general. Hence I am eager to share what I have learnt through a series of articles…..I will also attempt to share it on a scientific level where I hope to discuss how exactly the body stores information and how our cells are receptors and agents for storing this information…and how we can ultimately reprogram our bodies and minds so that we can work our way to freedom from disease, pain, chaos and catastrophe.
As the name itself suggests, this wellness technique frees the practitioner from negative emotions and memories held by the body for too long. Stuff that you really don’t need but keep anyway, out of ignorance, can be cleared out of your system forever.
Basically, this system works on the premise that when there is a build of negative energy, it upsets the body’s natural state of equilibrium and creates dis-ease. When we experience an intense sadness, for example, and we don’t deal with it right away, then it accumulates within the body and causes physical pain. The Yogis always knew there was a correlation between thoughts and physical feelings. That is to say, every thought has a corresponding sensation on the body. These can be broadly classified as pleasant and unpleasant. However, when there is a burst of negative emotion triggered by traumatic memories, for example, there is also an intense negative sensation on the body. Therefore, the reverse is also equally true. Sometimes, we feel the pain before we remember the event. That is why when we go through intense physical pain and eventually heal, we feel a sense of relief emotionally. It cuts both ways, I guess.
So what exactly is EFT? I quote
“EFT is based on a new discovery regarding the body's subtle energies. Simply stated, it is an emotional version of acupuncture, except needles aren't necessary. Instead, you stimulate well established energy meridian points on your body by tapping on them with your fingertips. The process is easy to memorize and is portable so you can do it anywhere. It launches off the EFT Discovery Statement which says...
"The cause of all negative emotions is a disruption in the body's energy system."
Gary Craig www.emofree.com
It is my understanding that EFT helps us reprogram the mind and body by cleaning out unwanted memories and feelings so that energy can flow freely and you feel well and happy. It is freedom in the true sense, because you are no more the captive of your negative thoughts and feelings. The technique will slowly help you change the way you think, feel and look at life. Your relationships will improve as will your health, both physical and mental. You can use EFT to kick old habits or deal with addictions that have a limiting effect on you.
EFT works with the body’s acupressure meridians and points by tapping on them and simultaneously inserting affirmations and positive feedback to the self. It has the power to change the way you think and feel about yourself. Your affirmations include total acceptance of the problem, emotion, feeling or pain and working from there on, to releasing and letting go of the issue on hand. From self-acceptance to complete freedom, you can walk the road to wellness and experience deep and lasting joy.
In future postings I will talk more about the technique itself and its applications in many different situations from trauma healing or dealing with illness, old memories that debilitate us or patterns that prevent us from getting what we want out of life, to simple every day issues. I look forward to sharing this amazing method with all of you.
EFT simplified – Part II
Dealing with pain
Please remember that none of these articles are meant to teach you this technique without a teacher being physically present. They are simply meant to assist you in finding techniques that might be the one for your healing work. Also, It is meant to provide insights into how the method is meant to be used, how it can work. I hope you enjoy reading it and find it helpful in your own healing journeys…… But above all, it is meant as a sharing because of how much it has inspired me…..remember also that all this sharing is from someone who is relatively new to the technique, but has, nonetheless had tremendous success using it…
please refer www.emofree.com
As I have already discussed previously, pain can sometimes be a factor of our own emotional baggage. We have to first acknowledge the pain, accept what we are experiencing and work from there. The question that has be asked many times, however, is whether EFT work for emotional healing only and thereby fix the physical and mental pain related to the emotion factor or will it simply fix physical aches and pains as well, whether or not there is an emotional component involved? This question is complex and has no definitive two-plus-two-equals-four answer. However, EFT tapping has tremendous benefits anyway you look at it. One thing is if you practice diligently, then it becomes a mechanism to align your energy on a regular basis and this naturally builds the body’s immunity. If you are picking it up for a particular pain that you have suffered for a long time (like chronic joint pain) its effectiveness will vary, but regularity certain will help thaw whatever is behind those aching bones. It takes patience, dedication and the belief that healing is occurring, slowly, but surely. Then there is pain associated with infections, bacterial or virus and that is when we will have to augment the healing from medicines by using EFT.
Practicing EFT is a multi-dimensional approach to healing. Firstly it involves acceptance of the problem. Once you accept that you have a particular pain, you work on accepting the body and self with the pain – “Even though I have this pain, I completely love and accept myself…….” This is good enough to start with. There are a multitude of phrases that can be used which you will either spontaneously discover as you practice or it will be brought to your attention by other practitioners.
The entire process involves tapping on a set of acupressure points to release any blocks in the flow of energy that is causing disease, pain or an excess of emotion, for example and by inserting affirmations, simultaneously into your body. These affirmations actually come alive when used in combination with tapping (I will go into the biology of thought vibrations and affirmations in my future postings). Remember that accepting yourself and speaking the language of love to your body and mind, is a very liberating practice in itself. Add to this the healing power of affirmations - the effect cannot be discussed, it can only be felt.
After a few rounds of this exercise (I have not attempted to instruct step by step as that is not the aim of this article – it is more an attempt to give you a brief insight into EFT), you will get a hint as to which way you are headed with your healing. Your body will direct you to either stop or to proceed. The body’s intelligence is your best guide in your healing path, so allow yourself to be led by it (it doesn’t matter what method of healing you are following). Do as many rounds as you think you need to and then stop when you feel you have had enough.
Remember that you are clearing out layers of encrusted negative energy and emotion - it often peels off gradually. Give yourself time, work at an even pace and consistently. Now sit with your eyes closed for a few seconds and experience the effects of your practice. Notice your breath, even be with it for a bit. This practice of breath awareness makes you more sensitive to your own thoughts, feelings and physical sensations. The breath is a bridge between your body and mind. Traverse that bridge as frequently as possible so that you get very familiar with the workings of your mind and its manifestations on your body. The breath is key – (http://bindumandalayoga.blogspot.com/2008/07/breathe-your-negative-emotions-away.html). Gradually, as you practice, you will find yourself opening up to the healing and EFT will start to reveal itself to you. Patience is the key. But then, so is persistence.
I have noticed that during any healing therapy that we follow, keeping a journal helps tremendously. It helps uncover many more layers of hidden angst or pain. You can use your dairy as a tool to help yourself become more aware of your own life story that is embedded in your body.
Drink plenty of water. That always helps remove physical toxins that invariably get loosened during healing. The emotional toxins can continuously be eliminated with more EFT and awareness of both breath and the emotion itself, when you are not using EFT.
This is a one-of-a-kind healing technique that I came across quite by accident. Since I started practicing it, it has changed the way I think, feel and even how I interact with life and the outside world in general. Hence I am eager to share what I have learnt through a series of articles…..I will also attempt to share it on a scientific level where I hope to discuss how exactly the body stores information and how our cells are receptors and agents for storing this information…and how we can ultimately reprogram our bodies and minds so that we can work our way to freedom from disease, pain, chaos and catastrophe.
As the name itself suggests, this wellness technique frees the practitioner from negative emotions and memories held by the body for too long. Stuff that you really don’t need but keep anyway, out of ignorance, can be cleared out of your system forever.
Basically, this system works on the premise that when there is a build of negative energy, it upsets the body’s natural state of equilibrium and creates dis-ease. When we experience an intense sadness, for example, and we don’t deal with it right away, then it accumulates within the body and causes physical pain. The Yogis always knew there was a correlation between thoughts and physical feelings. That is to say, every thought has a corresponding sensation on the body. These can be broadly classified as pleasant and unpleasant. However, when there is a burst of negative emotion triggered by traumatic memories, for example, there is also an intense negative sensation on the body. Therefore, the reverse is also equally true. Sometimes, we feel the pain before we remember the event. That is why when we go through intense physical pain and eventually heal, we feel a sense of relief emotionally. It cuts both ways, I guess.
So what exactly is EFT? I quote
“EFT is based on a new discovery regarding the body's subtle energies. Simply stated, it is an emotional version of acupuncture, except needles aren't necessary. Instead, you stimulate well established energy meridian points on your body by tapping on them with your fingertips. The process is easy to memorize and is portable so you can do it anywhere. It launches off the EFT Discovery Statement which says...
"The cause of all negative emotions is a disruption in the body's energy system."
Gary Craig www.emofree.com
It is my understanding that EFT helps us reprogram the mind and body by cleaning out unwanted memories and feelings so that energy can flow freely and you feel well and happy. It is freedom in the true sense, because you are no more the captive of your negative thoughts and feelings. The technique will slowly help you change the way you think, feel and look at life. Your relationships will improve as will your health, both physical and mental. You can use EFT to kick old habits or deal with addictions that have a limiting effect on you.
EFT works with the body’s acupressure meridians and points by tapping on them and simultaneously inserting affirmations and positive feedback to the self. It has the power to change the way you think and feel about yourself. Your affirmations include total acceptance of the problem, emotion, feeling or pain and working from there on, to releasing and letting go of the issue on hand. From self-acceptance to complete freedom, you can walk the road to wellness and experience deep and lasting joy.
In future postings I will talk more about the technique itself and its applications in many different situations from trauma healing or dealing with illness, old memories that debilitate us or patterns that prevent us from getting what we want out of life, to simple every day issues. I look forward to sharing this amazing method with all of you.
EFT simplified – Part II
Dealing with pain
Please remember that none of these articles are meant to teach you this technique without a teacher being physically present. They are simply meant to assist you in finding techniques that might be the one for your healing work. Also, It is meant to provide insights into how the method is meant to be used, how it can work. I hope you enjoy reading it and find it helpful in your own healing journeys…… But above all, it is meant as a sharing because of how much it has inspired me…..remember also that all this sharing is from someone who is relatively new to the technique, but has, nonetheless had tremendous success using it…
please refer www.emofree.com
As I have already discussed previously, pain can sometimes be a factor of our own emotional baggage. We have to first acknowledge the pain, accept what we are experiencing and work from there. The question that has be asked many times, however, is whether EFT work for emotional healing only and thereby fix the physical and mental pain related to the emotion factor or will it simply fix physical aches and pains as well, whether or not there is an emotional component involved? This question is complex and has no definitive two-plus-two-equals-four answer. However, EFT tapping has tremendous benefits anyway you look at it. One thing is if you practice diligently, then it becomes a mechanism to align your energy on a regular basis and this naturally builds the body’s immunity. If you are picking it up for a particular pain that you have suffered for a long time (like chronic joint pain) its effectiveness will vary, but regularity certain will help thaw whatever is behind those aching bones. It takes patience, dedication and the belief that healing is occurring, slowly, but surely. Then there is pain associated with infections, bacterial or virus and that is when we will have to augment the healing from medicines by using EFT.
Practicing EFT is a multi-dimensional approach to healing. Firstly it involves acceptance of the problem. Once you accept that you have a particular pain, you work on accepting the body and self with the pain – “Even though I have this pain, I completely love and accept myself…….” This is good enough to start with. There are a multitude of phrases that can be used which you will either spontaneously discover as you practice or it will be brought to your attention by other practitioners.
The entire process involves tapping on a set of acupressure points to release any blocks in the flow of energy that is causing disease, pain or an excess of emotion, for example and by inserting affirmations, simultaneously into your body. These affirmations actually come alive when used in combination with tapping (I will go into the biology of thought vibrations and affirmations in my future postings). Remember that accepting yourself and speaking the language of love to your body and mind, is a very liberating practice in itself. Add to this the healing power of affirmations - the effect cannot be discussed, it can only be felt.
After a few rounds of this exercise (I have not attempted to instruct step by step as that is not the aim of this article – it is more an attempt to give you a brief insight into EFT), you will get a hint as to which way you are headed with your healing. Your body will direct you to either stop or to proceed. The body’s intelligence is your best guide in your healing path, so allow yourself to be led by it (it doesn’t matter what method of healing you are following). Do as many rounds as you think you need to and then stop when you feel you have had enough.
Remember that you are clearing out layers of encrusted negative energy and emotion - it often peels off gradually. Give yourself time, work at an even pace and consistently. Now sit with your eyes closed for a few seconds and experience the effects of your practice. Notice your breath, even be with it for a bit. This practice of breath awareness makes you more sensitive to your own thoughts, feelings and physical sensations. The breath is a bridge between your body and mind. Traverse that bridge as frequently as possible so that you get very familiar with the workings of your mind and its manifestations on your body. The breath is key – (http://bindumandalayoga.blogspot.com/2008/07/breathe-your-negative-emotions-away.html). Gradually, as you practice, you will find yourself opening up to the healing and EFT will start to reveal itself to you. Patience is the key. But then, so is persistence.
I have noticed that during any healing therapy that we follow, keeping a journal helps tremendously. It helps uncover many more layers of hidden angst or pain. You can use your dairy as a tool to help yourself become more aware of your own life story that is embedded in your body.
Drink plenty of water. That always helps remove physical toxins that invariably get loosened during healing. The emotional toxins can continuously be eliminated with more EFT and awareness of both breath and the emotion itself, when you are not using EFT.
Labels: alternative therapies, cleansing, EFT, emotional healing, healing, pain, therapy, toxins, wellness
The yoga of walking your child to school
Every weekday morning is utterly chaotic as I try to get my daughter ready for school. We seem to have a million things going on. It’s a mad rush to make it to school on time. But once we have stepped out of the door, into the madness that is London, is when, ironically enough, we experience a little respite.
My daughter sighed happily this morning, at the prospect of another walk with me, talking about everything and nothing as we made our way through traffic and people.
We seem to get along like a house on fire during our morning walk to school. She sings and chats and has plenty of observations to share, but is not necessarily demanding of my attention. So even though we walk together and enjoy each other’s company, we could very much be on our own as well. And so it was, as we were walking together one morning, it suddenly occurred to me that I could actually use this time to meditate, introspect or even simply observe my thoughts and feelings as they arise.
I started off by looking outward at all that was going on around me. I looked at everybody who passed by and even everything that passed by, as far as possible. It was interesting to note how many things I was seeing for the first time. It made the path to school a remarkable one. It’s a jostling, madding crowd on a weekday morning, and walking through droves of people takes more than just a little awareness. You don’t want to go bumping into strangers, nor do you want any unexpected incidents. So you turn on your radar (also known as awareness) and keep moving ahead.
Trying to stay centered in such a situation was an exhilarating challenge for me. I simply loved the feeling of trying to be aware of my body and mind when everything around me seemed to be going crazy. It was like sitting in the eye of the storm, trying to meditate. On one such occasion, I remember thinking how nice it would be if I could go away to a retreat and practice yoga and meditation, but then I was quick to drag my mind back to the present, saying that the best retreat in any case was inside my own body and mind.
To be present in chaos is a very intimidating challenge, but one that can liberate just as well as a quiet introspection on the mountains can.
It is very hard for me to always remember, but I do try.
And even as I sit at my computer right now, I am trying to breathe with awareness, write with my heart and listen to all the sounds around me at the same time. This is what is called “being centered”, I guess. I am trying to stretch from my centre and go back to it without disturbing the equilibrium that I experienced on my morning walk.
The walk to school is definitely my teacher. It is where I put into practice some of what I have learnt through years as a yoga practitioner. What is important is that I learn slowly to apply it in every situation. If only every circumstance in life were like a walk to school……..
My daughter sighed happily this morning, at the prospect of another walk with me, talking about everything and nothing as we made our way through traffic and people.
We seem to get along like a house on fire during our morning walk to school. She sings and chats and has plenty of observations to share, but is not necessarily demanding of my attention. So even though we walk together and enjoy each other’s company, we could very much be on our own as well. And so it was, as we were walking together one morning, it suddenly occurred to me that I could actually use this time to meditate, introspect or even simply observe my thoughts and feelings as they arise.
I started off by looking outward at all that was going on around me. I looked at everybody who passed by and even everything that passed by, as far as possible. It was interesting to note how many things I was seeing for the first time. It made the path to school a remarkable one. It’s a jostling, madding crowd on a weekday morning, and walking through droves of people takes more than just a little awareness. You don’t want to go bumping into strangers, nor do you want any unexpected incidents. So you turn on your radar (also known as awareness) and keep moving ahead.
Trying to stay centered in such a situation was an exhilarating challenge for me. I simply loved the feeling of trying to be aware of my body and mind when everything around me seemed to be going crazy. It was like sitting in the eye of the storm, trying to meditate. On one such occasion, I remember thinking how nice it would be if I could go away to a retreat and practice yoga and meditation, but then I was quick to drag my mind back to the present, saying that the best retreat in any case was inside my own body and mind.
To be present in chaos is a very intimidating challenge, but one that can liberate just as well as a quiet introspection on the mountains can.
It is very hard for me to always remember, but I do try.
And even as I sit at my computer right now, I am trying to breathe with awareness, write with my heart and listen to all the sounds around me at the same time. This is what is called “being centered”, I guess. I am trying to stretch from my centre and go back to it without disturbing the equilibrium that I experienced on my morning walk.
The walk to school is definitely my teacher. It is where I put into practice some of what I have learnt through years as a yoga practitioner. What is important is that I learn slowly to apply it in every situation. If only every circumstance in life were like a walk to school……..
Labels: breath awareness, chaos, school, yoga
Be here, now!
In the last couple of posts I have been discussing awareness through breath and visualization. Today I want to talk about the awareness that comes from being in the moment and how your breath is your ally in trying to do so.
This morning I had attended the sports day at my daughter’s school. All the five and six year olds were in their sports gear, not to mention, in full swing and very excited about the games and fun to follow.
I was watching in amazement as the teachers got them organized into their respective groups, giving instructions on how the games would be played and so on. There was a buzz in the air that was hard to miss and the children’s enthusiasm was infectious.
The games began and one thing was of particular interest to me – that the kids were completely absorbed in their play. They were fully present and engaged in the moment and their excitement was spontaneous. They played their games with gay abandon, falling to the ground freely or running the relay race more for the thrill of it than for winning. There was an air of mild competition, but that only added to the gaiety.
This got me thinking – children have a very important lesson for us – they seem to loose themselves in the moment. As one of my favorite teachers, Deepak Chopra, says, “The past is history, the future is a mystery, the moment is a gift, that is why it is called the present”. This profound statement is exemplified by children, as they effortlessly become one with what is before them. They don’t have to try.
Every time I “try” to be aware or come to the present, I want to remember the free-wheeling approach that children have to things. They are unabashed about being themselves and don’t fear their own openness to the world. They really do live in the present because they forget so much of what happened through the day.
How do we practice being in the moment? Much of the spontaneity that we all had as children, we lose as we grow, or in other words, as we start to become more aware of the external world we become less aware of ourselves. As a result we have to depend on techniques if we want to experience that innocence, freedom and spontaneity (the three pillars of being present) once again. But thankfully, we do have our dear friend, the breath to take us back to our primordial nature and with enough practice, we can even do so at will.
The importance of breathing right and breathing with awareness can never be overstated. I have said that before and risk saying it again at the cost of sounding repetitive. But your breath is your best friend. Hug it tight and let it guide you through each moment. Your present will be completely transformed. And your future will shape itself beautifully.
Spend five minutes every morning watching your breath. These five minutes of pure awareness have the potential to transform many more minutes through the day. Being present is no easy joke. It is an effort to take your wandering mind, and harness it to the moment. The rope you use to harness it can be your breath.
Gift yourself five minutes every morning and take a journey along with your breath to places hitherto unexplored……….you will soon see for yourself why you need to do this.
Breathe well and be happy.
This morning I had attended the sports day at my daughter’s school. All the five and six year olds were in their sports gear, not to mention, in full swing and very excited about the games and fun to follow.
I was watching in amazement as the teachers got them organized into their respective groups, giving instructions on how the games would be played and so on. There was a buzz in the air that was hard to miss and the children’s enthusiasm was infectious.
The games began and one thing was of particular interest to me – that the kids were completely absorbed in their play. They were fully present and engaged in the moment and their excitement was spontaneous. They played their games with gay abandon, falling to the ground freely or running the relay race more for the thrill of it than for winning. There was an air of mild competition, but that only added to the gaiety.
This got me thinking – children have a very important lesson for us – they seem to loose themselves in the moment. As one of my favorite teachers, Deepak Chopra, says, “The past is history, the future is a mystery, the moment is a gift, that is why it is called the present”. This profound statement is exemplified by children, as they effortlessly become one with what is before them. They don’t have to try.
Every time I “try” to be aware or come to the present, I want to remember the free-wheeling approach that children have to things. They are unabashed about being themselves and don’t fear their own openness to the world. They really do live in the present because they forget so much of what happened through the day.
How do we practice being in the moment? Much of the spontaneity that we all had as children, we lose as we grow, or in other words, as we start to become more aware of the external world we become less aware of ourselves. As a result we have to depend on techniques if we want to experience that innocence, freedom and spontaneity (the three pillars of being present) once again. But thankfully, we do have our dear friend, the breath to take us back to our primordial nature and with enough practice, we can even do so at will.
The importance of breathing right and breathing with awareness can never be overstated. I have said that before and risk saying it again at the cost of sounding repetitive. But your breath is your best friend. Hug it tight and let it guide you through each moment. Your present will be completely transformed. And your future will shape itself beautifully.
Spend five minutes every morning watching your breath. These five minutes of pure awareness have the potential to transform many more minutes through the day. Being present is no easy joke. It is an effort to take your wandering mind, and harness it to the moment. The rope you use to harness it can be your breath.
Gift yourself five minutes every morning and take a journey along with your breath to places hitherto unexplored……….you will soon see for yourself why you need to do this.
Breathe well and be happy.
Labels: body awareness, breath awareness, breathe, breathing, future, transform, visualizations
Breathe your negative emotions away
Negative emotions have a way of taking over your mind. They creep up on you and control you. They completely debilitate your mind and cause so much damage to your body as well. Most of the crises we face with our body from time to time is said to be a result of negative emotions that we store up, or in many cases, don’t even know they exist. A good place to start is by acknowledging that we all experience negative emotions on a daily basis. Take today for example – what negative emotions did you feel? Did you feel angry, upset, disappointed…….? The list is endless. Take a moment to feel the feeling, I mean, really feel it. Now if you have identified the feeling, accept it without making judgments about it. “Yes, I did feel angry this morning when……… and it is okay that I felt that way, I accept myself in light of that emotion” this acceptance in itself will bring about a huge sense of relief. Most of the time we deny ever having felt bad or negative about things.
During my years as a yoga trainee, I was always reminded by my mentor, that my breath is my best friend. So I have depended, and quite successfully too, on my breath for managing my emotions, especially the disruptive ones or even to fall asleep, on occasion. Say for example, when I am getting ready to sleep at night, I lay down and go through the events of the day, sometimes consciously and often, unconsciously. There will suddenly be a surge of emotion and if I trace it back to the thought that led to it, I will realize that there were incidents during the day that made me feel bad. And since I did not deal with them right away, they stayed with me for the rest of the day and came out of hiding in the night. All at once, I am confronted with the memory of the incident, the emotion attached to it and the feeling in some part of my body, maybe gut, that is unpleasant, to say nothing of being unable to fall asleep. This is a wonderful opportunity presented to my by my body and mind, to resolve emotions that I had left unattended.
I first accept the feeling, knowing full well that the incident does not exist anymore. Whatever it was that happened, is now only a few fragments of images held together by my own anger or sadness. I begin to breathe with awareness. Breathing in, breathing out, I slowly let the energy of my breath sink into the feeling. I let the energy of my breath go into my gut and release the physical discomfort that I am holding there. I do this for a few rounds. I can feel the emotion dissolving, and I am drifting into and out of my waking state. The breath awareness has taken me into the alpha state of brain waves, and I am sinking into a deep relaxed sleep. But what is important here is that I have resolved a conflict or an issue from today, and fallen asleep without carrying it over into the next day. I have let go of baggage that I did not need to carry into tomorrow.
This is a simple infuse-your-emotions-with-your-breathe technique that helps you lighten your load before you sleep and makes your body feel lighter as well. Gradually you will reach a point when you will start to become aware of your negative emotions, as they arise, not many hours or days later. That is the gift of awareness, the promise of a good and regular practice of conscious breathing. Your breath is indeed your best friend. Keep it close to you and be happy. Happy breathing!
During my years as a yoga trainee, I was always reminded by my mentor, that my breath is my best friend. So I have depended, and quite successfully too, on my breath for managing my emotions, especially the disruptive ones or even to fall asleep, on occasion. Say for example, when I am getting ready to sleep at night, I lay down and go through the events of the day, sometimes consciously and often, unconsciously. There will suddenly be a surge of emotion and if I trace it back to the thought that led to it, I will realize that there were incidents during the day that made me feel bad. And since I did not deal with them right away, they stayed with me for the rest of the day and came out of hiding in the night. All at once, I am confronted with the memory of the incident, the emotion attached to it and the feeling in some part of my body, maybe gut, that is unpleasant, to say nothing of being unable to fall asleep. This is a wonderful opportunity presented to my by my body and mind, to resolve emotions that I had left unattended.
I first accept the feeling, knowing full well that the incident does not exist anymore. Whatever it was that happened, is now only a few fragments of images held together by my own anger or sadness. I begin to breathe with awareness. Breathing in, breathing out, I slowly let the energy of my breath sink into the feeling. I let the energy of my breath go into my gut and release the physical discomfort that I am holding there. I do this for a few rounds. I can feel the emotion dissolving, and I am drifting into and out of my waking state. The breath awareness has taken me into the alpha state of brain waves, and I am sinking into a deep relaxed sleep. But what is important here is that I have resolved a conflict or an issue from today, and fallen asleep without carrying it over into the next day. I have let go of baggage that I did not need to carry into tomorrow.
This is a simple infuse-your-emotions-with-your-breathe technique that helps you lighten your load before you sleep and makes your body feel lighter as well. Gradually you will reach a point when you will start to become aware of your negative emotions, as they arise, not many hours or days later. That is the gift of awareness, the promise of a good and regular practice of conscious breathing. Your breath is indeed your best friend. Keep it close to you and be happy. Happy breathing!
Labels: alpha brain waves, body awareness, breath awareness, breathe, negative emotions, relaxed sleep
The gift of creative visualization
I was laying down this afternoon, trying to rest and keep an eye on my son (mothers will know this is a contradiction in terms!). My roving eye (when I rest with my eyes open, I try and observe my environment in a casual way) fell upon a painting on the wall. It was a white rose with a long stem, very simply painted, but quite beautiful. I had never thought much of it until this moment. But all of a sudden, my mind fixated on this rose for a few minutes and I truly appreciated its beauty. Shortly thereafter, I closed my eyes for what seemed like a split second, trying to visualize the very same rose.
This visualization was so amazing.
Firstly, it came in my mind’s eye and stayed there for a bit. Then, the picture spontaneously expanded into blue skies, white clouds and this rose simply floating, bouncing off the clouds lightly. Lovely! I felt so soothed by this picture. The colors were also incredibly warm and comforting. Sky blue, lily white and a kind of pale yellow mixed with green. It provided a space for me to go into in order to get away from the trying realities of motherhood! Those few seconds of visualization, spontaneous and creative (I guess “spontaneous” and “creative” are really two sides of the same coin) rejuvenated me beyond belief. It is quite another matter that I woke up to find my son meddling through some papers and that was the end of all relaxation. However, those few moments had transformed my state of mind, because such deliberate visualization tends to kick off alpha rhythms in the brain. This is a sign of relaxation. Creative visualization therefore is a perfect antidote to stress and emotions that arise out of stress. It only takes a few minutes. You can implement on the bus, during tea breaks or even while trying to get your children to sleep. Your brain wave patterns will affect theirs, they will relax and fall into a beautiful sleep.
In life, we each have our troubles and it is up to each of us to create our own little haven of healing and comfort. It is there inside you, you don’t need to go hunting through the countryside for a little respite. It is not even possible to do so at will. So create your oasis in your mind and go there whenever you need to. It maybe a white rose today and a meadow or a temple tomorrow. That doesn’t matter. Go to wherever makes you feel good, relaxed and refreshed. And the best part is you can do it all in your mind, with your own creativity, observations and awareness. Not just that, you can do it anytime you feel like. Two minutes with your eyes closed and you will be well on your way to inner lightness.
All you have to do now is take a deep breath, and visualize.
This visualization was so amazing.
Firstly, it came in my mind’s eye and stayed there for a bit. Then, the picture spontaneously expanded into blue skies, white clouds and this rose simply floating, bouncing off the clouds lightly. Lovely! I felt so soothed by this picture. The colors were also incredibly warm and comforting. Sky blue, lily white and a kind of pale yellow mixed with green. It provided a space for me to go into in order to get away from the trying realities of motherhood! Those few seconds of visualization, spontaneous and creative (I guess “spontaneous” and “creative” are really two sides of the same coin) rejuvenated me beyond belief. It is quite another matter that I woke up to find my son meddling through some papers and that was the end of all relaxation. However, those few moments had transformed my state of mind, because such deliberate visualization tends to kick off alpha rhythms in the brain. This is a sign of relaxation. Creative visualization therefore is a perfect antidote to stress and emotions that arise out of stress. It only takes a few minutes. You can implement on the bus, during tea breaks or even while trying to get your children to sleep. Your brain wave patterns will affect theirs, they will relax and fall into a beautiful sleep.
In life, we each have our troubles and it is up to each of us to create our own little haven of healing and comfort. It is there inside you, you don’t need to go hunting through the countryside for a little respite. It is not even possible to do so at will. So create your oasis in your mind and go there whenever you need to. It maybe a white rose today and a meadow or a temple tomorrow. That doesn’t matter. Go to wherever makes you feel good, relaxed and refreshed. And the best part is you can do it all in your mind, with your own creativity, observations and awareness. Not just that, you can do it anytime you feel like. Two minutes with your eyes closed and you will be well on your way to inner lightness.
All you have to do now is take a deep breath, and visualize.
Labels: alpha brain waves, breath awareness, breathe, breathing, creative visualization, creativity, inner lightness, visualizations
Yoga tutorials
As part of the body awareness series, I am offering yoga tutorials to people who have the inclination but not the time. I am trying to make it simple, yet effective for people to practice. They are not intended to replace a teacher or a regular practice. They are merely tips to help improve your day from one with no yoga or stretching to one with a little bit to go on….
They have been specifically designed to assist the individual interested in finding alternatives to a long practice on a busy day.
Early morning pranayama:
Pranayama they say is best done in the morning. However, it is not always possible to do so. Therefore, whatever time you wake up, take a minute or two before you leave the bed and turn your attention to your body first. We tend to stretch before getting up. That process of stretching can be done with complete awareness and it will make stretching more pleasurable. It will only take you five minutes to do all of what has been suggested here. This will probably be the best five-minutes of your day – an investment into your health, with the promise of results imminent.
Now turn your awareness to your breath at the nostrils. Stay there for a few seconds. Keep your awareness on your breath and simultaneously become aware of the movement of your abdomen in tune with your breath. Stay with that for the next few seconds. Still focus on your breath and take your awareness to the movement of your chest in tune with your breath. Now feel the abdomen and chest at the same time. Your breath is creating a wave-like formation where your abdomen and chest rise as you inhale and drop when you exhale. Remain aware of this for the next few seconds. This is a very good start to pranayama. It is called yogic breathing and can be done laying down flat on the back or lying on your back with knees bent, and feet flat on the ground.
This pre-cursor to pranayama is also called the yogic tranquilizer and with good reason too, because it completely relaxes the practitioner. When you become familiar with this technique, you can add a small visualization. As you keep your awareness on the breath and the bodily movement, you can visualize yourself to be a lotus floating on water. Visualizations are very relaxing for the mind and tend to relax the nervous system as well.
Like I mentioned earlier, do it after you wake up but before you get off the bed. It’s a very effective awareness technique. Don’t be misled by how simple it is. Try it for a week, uninterrupted before you expect any results. If you are doing it just for the extra zing of energy, then u will definitely start to see signs of that. If you are doing it because you want to feel more energetic and lively, but also more well at a deeper level of your being, then I would say, give it a fortnight at the least. When you do this regularly then you will begin to benefit in ways that you did not really expect.
After a point, the healing becomes very personalized. It is not a one-size-fits-all formula. Of course, the technique is the same no matter who practices it, however, the results will vary on the need of the person doing it. The energy with which you approach your practice will also make a big difference. Expect it to work. It will.
They have been specifically designed to assist the individual interested in finding alternatives to a long practice on a busy day.
Early morning pranayama:
Pranayama they say is best done in the morning. However, it is not always possible to do so. Therefore, whatever time you wake up, take a minute or two before you leave the bed and turn your attention to your body first. We tend to stretch before getting up. That process of stretching can be done with complete awareness and it will make stretching more pleasurable. It will only take you five minutes to do all of what has been suggested here. This will probably be the best five-minutes of your day – an investment into your health, with the promise of results imminent.
Now turn your awareness to your breath at the nostrils. Stay there for a few seconds. Keep your awareness on your breath and simultaneously become aware of the movement of your abdomen in tune with your breath. Stay with that for the next few seconds. Still focus on your breath and take your awareness to the movement of your chest in tune with your breath. Now feel the abdomen and chest at the same time. Your breath is creating a wave-like formation where your abdomen and chest rise as you inhale and drop when you exhale. Remain aware of this for the next few seconds. This is a very good start to pranayama. It is called yogic breathing and can be done laying down flat on the back or lying on your back with knees bent, and feet flat on the ground.
This pre-cursor to pranayama is also called the yogic tranquilizer and with good reason too, because it completely relaxes the practitioner. When you become familiar with this technique, you can add a small visualization. As you keep your awareness on the breath and the bodily movement, you can visualize yourself to be a lotus floating on water. Visualizations are very relaxing for the mind and tend to relax the nervous system as well.
Like I mentioned earlier, do it after you wake up but before you get off the bed. It’s a very effective awareness technique. Don’t be misled by how simple it is. Try it for a week, uninterrupted before you expect any results. If you are doing it just for the extra zing of energy, then u will definitely start to see signs of that. If you are doing it because you want to feel more energetic and lively, but also more well at a deeper level of your being, then I would say, give it a fortnight at the least. When you do this regularly then you will begin to benefit in ways that you did not really expect.
After a point, the healing becomes very personalized. It is not a one-size-fits-all formula. Of course, the technique is the same no matter who practices it, however, the results will vary on the need of the person doing it. The energy with which you approach your practice will also make a big difference. Expect it to work. It will.
Labels: asana, body awareness, breath awareness, breathing, healing, pranayama, visualizations, visualize, yoga
Getting to know your feet
I was running up a flight of stairs this afternoon and I remember looking down at my feet and uttering a silent prayer of gratitude. Thank god I have good feet. How often do we remember our feet and sincerely say thank you? We are so used to having feet that we hardly ever notice them. We literally live on our feet; put all our weight on them but alas, never look at them other than perhaps when we wear our shoes.
Part of cultivating body awareness involves noticing the different parts of one’s own body and coming into great intimacy with each part. Knowing oneself is not exclusively a metaphysical experience. It starts off by being utterly physical. When The Buddha said “know thyself”, I don't suppose he just meant look inside your mind. He meant (and this is my interpretation) that how you feel (physically) and how attuned you are to your sensory self therefore, is one way to know yourself; the mind after all manifests itself as sensations and feelings all over the body. The body, that means, is the true mirror of the mind. Then awareness and observation are instrumental in finding the objective Truth and the body is the sub-stratum that makes this Truth a manifest reality.
Let alone all this philosophy. You may say it all means nothing and you may just as well be right. So coming back to what I was initially saying……body awareness can start with acknowledging your feet. Start by looking at them everyday and then graduate to really noticing them.
One good way to notice and acknowledge our feet is by spending a few minutes during or after yoga practice, for example, directing our awareness towards them. If you are doing say,Tadasana (the palm tree pose where you stretch your hands as far above your head as it will go, while standing on your toes), then you can pause for a few seconds after five rounds or so and quietly observe your feet with your eyes closed.
How does one observe one’s feet? One way to do it is by trying to feel the sensations that your feet are going through at that point and simply going with the flow of feelings and sensations by not really reacting mentally or physically. Another way to do it is by visualizing sparks of light entering your feet from the earth as you inhale and the same sparks of light leaving your body through your feet, going back into the earth as you exhale.
This visualization can be done for around 5 to ten breaths. Yet another way to access your feet and truly get to know them is by dipping them in water for a few seconds. You will feel all kinds of sensations. Try it once when you bathe. See what the water element does to your feet. How do they feel? How do they react? Do you feel them opening up to the water? Does warm or even hot water on your feet do anything special for you mentally or emotionally? Explore yourself through your feet. You will be surprised at how much information is stored there and how much you get to know about yourself.
At this point, I am reminded of a Dr. Seuss rhyme
“Left foot, left foot
Right foot, right
Feet in the day, feet in the night….”
Whenever my daughter and I read this rhyme together, we end up discussing our feet. The last time we talked about it was significant – she said that her feet were special because they helped her walk and run.
I remember thinking that it was such a simple observation, yet such a profound one……and it made me want to get back in touch with my feet again…
Coming back to the bit about breathing through various body parts, it has a very special significance – it means that you are acknowledging that each part is a whole in itself, a breathing, feeling entity that you must be aware of, love and accept. It means that you take no part of your body for granted. It means that you know and understand that the whole is indeed greater than the sum of its parts and every part of your body is there for a reason.
It means that you can completely love and accept who you are because every piece of your flesh and bones is a reflection of who you are. You can learn the way to complete love and peaceful self-acceptance by starting to know your feet.
Part of cultivating body awareness involves noticing the different parts of one’s own body and coming into great intimacy with each part. Knowing oneself is not exclusively a metaphysical experience. It starts off by being utterly physical. When The Buddha said “know thyself”, I don't suppose he just meant look inside your mind. He meant (and this is my interpretation) that how you feel (physically) and how attuned you are to your sensory self therefore, is one way to know yourself; the mind after all manifests itself as sensations and feelings all over the body. The body, that means, is the true mirror of the mind. Then awareness and observation are instrumental in finding the objective Truth and the body is the sub-stratum that makes this Truth a manifest reality.
Let alone all this philosophy. You may say it all means nothing and you may just as well be right. So coming back to what I was initially saying……body awareness can start with acknowledging your feet. Start by looking at them everyday and then graduate to really noticing them.
One good way to notice and acknowledge our feet is by spending a few minutes during or after yoga practice, for example, directing our awareness towards them. If you are doing say,Tadasana (the palm tree pose where you stretch your hands as far above your head as it will go, while standing on your toes), then you can pause for a few seconds after five rounds or so and quietly observe your feet with your eyes closed.
How does one observe one’s feet? One way to do it is by trying to feel the sensations that your feet are going through at that point and simply going with the flow of feelings and sensations by not really reacting mentally or physically. Another way to do it is by visualizing sparks of light entering your feet from the earth as you inhale and the same sparks of light leaving your body through your feet, going back into the earth as you exhale.
This visualization can be done for around 5 to ten breaths. Yet another way to access your feet and truly get to know them is by dipping them in water for a few seconds. You will feel all kinds of sensations. Try it once when you bathe. See what the water element does to your feet. How do they feel? How do they react? Do you feel them opening up to the water? Does warm or even hot water on your feet do anything special for you mentally or emotionally? Explore yourself through your feet. You will be surprised at how much information is stored there and how much you get to know about yourself.
At this point, I am reminded of a Dr. Seuss rhyme
“Left foot, left foot
Right foot, right
Feet in the day, feet in the night….”
Whenever my daughter and I read this rhyme together, we end up discussing our feet. The last time we talked about it was significant – she said that her feet were special because they helped her walk and run.
I remember thinking that it was such a simple observation, yet such a profound one……and it made me want to get back in touch with my feet again…
Coming back to the bit about breathing through various body parts, it has a very special significance – it means that you are acknowledging that each part is a whole in itself, a breathing, feeling entity that you must be aware of, love and accept. It means that you take no part of your body for granted. It means that you know and understand that the whole is indeed greater than the sum of its parts and every part of your body is there for a reason.
It means that you can completely love and accept who you are because every piece of your flesh and bones is a reflection of who you are. You can learn the way to complete love and peaceful self-acceptance by starting to know your feet.
Labels: asana, body awareness, feet, palm tree pose, sensations, tadasana, visualizations
Feel your heart
Awareness techniques and meditations are a dime a dozen. We each have to find one that suite us best. As part of this body awareness series, heart meditation is something I want to explore mainly because the heart is at the centre of our being; and together with the solar plexus, it forms a power centre that holds the key to our well being, both emotional and physical as well as to our creative potential. For example, the heart helps us manifest our desires and the solar plexus provides the energy required for such manifestation.
The area in and around the sternum holds the physical heart and the heart space, where the heart chakra (anahata) is also located. Although all charkas are located in the spine, their field of action (kshetram) is in the anterior part of the body. The solar plexus is placed just below the ribs and what is called “core” in fitness parlance is located right there, extending downward to the area of the abdomen, just behind the naval. This is the space where the manipura chakra is located. These two charkas are very important in maintaining a certain bodily and mental equilibrium. Working on them with and through awareness is one of the best ways of ensuring that their potential is optimized at all times.
(Read "Chakras uncovered" at www.bindumandalayoga.blogspot.com for more information on chakras)
Firstly all charkas are connected by location to glands and/or organs in the body with important functions. If our organs are affected then the charkas are disturbed and vice versa. All charkas have exercises and practices that keep them in good shape and our organs, likewise, can be toned and maintained with the regular practice of asana and pranayama. There are groups of asana that target these specific areas, both from the point of view of the chakra and their physical counterparts; these asana not only activate and strengthen these areas, they also specifically make us aware of them. However, there is one significant practice that generates wellness and an overall feeling of rejuvenation, charkas, organs and all. This is the awareness meditation itself done on the heart and the solar plexus.
Lie down or sit in a relaxed and comfortable position, yet keep the spine elongated and shoulders drawn back. Make sure that no part of the body is holding any tension. Once comfortable, take your awareness to your heart, hear the gentle heartbeat and keep your focus on that alone. After few minutes, integrate some breath awareness into the meditation. Try this for starters. Repeat the same exercise with awareness on the naval center. The awareness of psychic centers (charkas are psychic dimensions, not physical) has a very positive effect on the nervous system. It stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system, which, if done regularly, will limit a person’s reaction to stress. So the importance of this kind of awareness training can never be overstated.
They say the heart knows everything. Ask your heart when in doubt or when confused at life’s cross roads. In order to be able to comprehend what it says to you then, you will have to work for it now by directing your awareness to your heart everyday. Just for five minutes. Listen to your heartbeat and feel your heart pumping out love and compassion. Now let your creativity flow; and enjoy the gifts of your comaraderie with your heart.
The area in and around the sternum holds the physical heart and the heart space, where the heart chakra (anahata) is also located. Although all charkas are located in the spine, their field of action (kshetram) is in the anterior part of the body. The solar plexus is placed just below the ribs and what is called “core” in fitness parlance is located right there, extending downward to the area of the abdomen, just behind the naval. This is the space where the manipura chakra is located. These two charkas are very important in maintaining a certain bodily and mental equilibrium. Working on them with and through awareness is one of the best ways of ensuring that their potential is optimized at all times.
(Read "Chakras uncovered" at www.bindumandalayoga.blogspot.com for more information on chakras)
Firstly all charkas are connected by location to glands and/or organs in the body with important functions. If our organs are affected then the charkas are disturbed and vice versa. All charkas have exercises and practices that keep them in good shape and our organs, likewise, can be toned and maintained with the regular practice of asana and pranayama. There are groups of asana that target these specific areas, both from the point of view of the chakra and their physical counterparts; these asana not only activate and strengthen these areas, they also specifically make us aware of them. However, there is one significant practice that generates wellness and an overall feeling of rejuvenation, charkas, organs and all. This is the awareness meditation itself done on the heart and the solar plexus.
Lie down or sit in a relaxed and comfortable position, yet keep the spine elongated and shoulders drawn back. Make sure that no part of the body is holding any tension. Once comfortable, take your awareness to your heart, hear the gentle heartbeat and keep your focus on that alone. After few minutes, integrate some breath awareness into the meditation. Try this for starters. Repeat the same exercise with awareness on the naval center. The awareness of psychic centers (charkas are psychic dimensions, not physical) has a very positive effect on the nervous system. It stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system, which, if done regularly, will limit a person’s reaction to stress. So the importance of this kind of awareness training can never be overstated.
They say the heart knows everything. Ask your heart when in doubt or when confused at life’s cross roads. In order to be able to comprehend what it says to you then, you will have to work for it now by directing your awareness to your heart everyday. Just for five minutes. Listen to your heartbeat and feel your heart pumping out love and compassion. Now let your creativity flow; and enjoy the gifts of your comaraderie with your heart.
Labels: body awareness, heart chakra, heart meditation, mental equilibrium, solar plexus
Shavasana - The corpse pose
“Practice being a corpse for five minutes everyday.” – if someone were to tell you that, what would your reaction be? My teacher was one of those people who could not stop extolling the virtues of this often misunderstood, if slightly underutilized asana – the corpse pose. It has many benefits, some obvious and some not so obvious ones. As part of the body awareness series, I will explore shavasana in great detail with the hope that it will inspire people to seriously integrate this simple yet essential asana into their practice.
Something we were always taught in yoga class was the fact that breath is 50% of what yoga is. Breath is all-important, because it forms a metaphoric link between the body and mind. Shavasana, therefore, is the quintessential connect between the mind and body because it integrates breathing and body awareness in a very unique way. It is done exclusively for relaxation and rejuvenation. It uses the breath like no other asana does and weaves in body awareness in a way also like no other asana does.
So visualize this: you have come to the end of your asana practice. You want to relax. What happens during the practice of asana is that muscles get stretched and flexed and squeezed. At the end of the asana practice is when these muscles have to be relaxed and urged to unwind. So that is what actually happens during shavasana. The muscles unwind and let go and this is done completely with the help of awareness. My teacher used to say that the best way to relax any tight or strained part of the body is by directing awareness to that part. So awareness is the key. I hope I haven’t said that too many times, but then, I can’t say that enough times either! However, this is not to say that your asana practice is a strain on your muscles. Quite the opposite in fact. Asana has the dual purpose (if done correctly) of flexing and relaxing the muscle all at once. For that matter, asana practiced with awareness on the body is the practice of meditation in motion.
So coming back to shavasana, this is how it should be done:
Lie down in the supine position with legs outstretched and slightly apart with feet flopping to the sides. Keep your arms a few inches away from your body, palms facing upwards and fingers curled naturally. At this point, a body trip is introduced whereby a detailed tour of the body’s major parts is given. Soon after, breath awareness is initiated and the practitioner treads the bridge that keeps the body and mind connected. The practitioner comes full circle when she comes back to awareness of her body. Shavasana is done completely still – like a corpse. The body is resting, but the mind is aware. This is a pre-cursor to yoga nidra where the principle of a sleeping body and an aware mind is put to the test. You ease out of shavasana with complete awareness. Wake your body up slowly and gently and sit up only after a good stretch.
What does shavasana stand for? Relaxation is the obvious answer. But if you dig a little deeper, you will see that it is a allegory for death itself. According to the yogis, yoga (and meditation) is the art of living. But more than that, they say it is the art of dying. What does that mean? The moment of death, they say is a very critical one because that is the moment when life culminates and eases into another dimension. That according to the yogis means only one thing – the mind that you die with is the mind that you will be born with. So how we die and what we think about at the moment of death is crucial. Awareness on the body is the same as meditating on the Truth, they say. Therefore, it can be safely concluded that body awareness, a la shavasana is a very beautiful and real way to get in touch with your spiritual self.
But since I am no yoga master and certainly no yogi, I will refrain from theorizing too much about such things as death and the art of passing on. I will simply say that shavasana is the crux of your practice. Never leave your mat without examining the benefits of your yoga practice. If you do, then that will make your practice incomplete. Always examine your body after your yoga. You will learn things about yourself and feel your self in a new way each time. That is a gift to yourself, body, mind and all – somewhat like saying thank you.
May your every yoga session be one of real learning, healing and self-love. May you so enjoy your practice that observing your body thereafter is a meditation all unto itself, opening the doorway to the Truth and to the simple truths about your own beautiful body.
Something we were always taught in yoga class was the fact that breath is 50% of what yoga is. Breath is all-important, because it forms a metaphoric link between the body and mind. Shavasana, therefore, is the quintessential connect between the mind and body because it integrates breathing and body awareness in a very unique way. It is done exclusively for relaxation and rejuvenation. It uses the breath like no other asana does and weaves in body awareness in a way also like no other asana does.
So visualize this: you have come to the end of your asana practice. You want to relax. What happens during the practice of asana is that muscles get stretched and flexed and squeezed. At the end of the asana practice is when these muscles have to be relaxed and urged to unwind. So that is what actually happens during shavasana. The muscles unwind and let go and this is done completely with the help of awareness. My teacher used to say that the best way to relax any tight or strained part of the body is by directing awareness to that part. So awareness is the key. I hope I haven’t said that too many times, but then, I can’t say that enough times either! However, this is not to say that your asana practice is a strain on your muscles. Quite the opposite in fact. Asana has the dual purpose (if done correctly) of flexing and relaxing the muscle all at once. For that matter, asana practiced with awareness on the body is the practice of meditation in motion.
So coming back to shavasana, this is how it should be done:
Lie down in the supine position with legs outstretched and slightly apart with feet flopping to the sides. Keep your arms a few inches away from your body, palms facing upwards and fingers curled naturally. At this point, a body trip is introduced whereby a detailed tour of the body’s major parts is given. Soon after, breath awareness is initiated and the practitioner treads the bridge that keeps the body and mind connected. The practitioner comes full circle when she comes back to awareness of her body. Shavasana is done completely still – like a corpse. The body is resting, but the mind is aware. This is a pre-cursor to yoga nidra where the principle of a sleeping body and an aware mind is put to the test. You ease out of shavasana with complete awareness. Wake your body up slowly and gently and sit up only after a good stretch.
What does shavasana stand for? Relaxation is the obvious answer. But if you dig a little deeper, you will see that it is a allegory for death itself. According to the yogis, yoga (and meditation) is the art of living. But more than that, they say it is the art of dying. What does that mean? The moment of death, they say is a very critical one because that is the moment when life culminates and eases into another dimension. That according to the yogis means only one thing – the mind that you die with is the mind that you will be born with. So how we die and what we think about at the moment of death is crucial. Awareness on the body is the same as meditating on the Truth, they say. Therefore, it can be safely concluded that body awareness, a la shavasana is a very beautiful and real way to get in touch with your spiritual self.
But since I am no yoga master and certainly no yogi, I will refrain from theorizing too much about such things as death and the art of passing on. I will simply say that shavasana is the crux of your practice. Never leave your mat without examining the benefits of your yoga practice. If you do, then that will make your practice incomplete. Always examine your body after your yoga. You will learn things about yourself and feel your self in a new way each time. That is a gift to yourself, body, mind and all – somewhat like saying thank you.
May your every yoga session be one of real learning, healing and self-love. May you so enjoy your practice that observing your body thereafter is a meditation all unto itself, opening the doorway to the Truth and to the simple truths about your own beautiful body.
Labels: asana, body awareness, death, relaxation, shavasana, spiritual, truth, yoga, yoganidra
Discover your body through asana
Practicing asana on a regular basis gives you much more than a body in good shape. It gives you body awareness. What exactly is body awareness? It is the knowledge of the self at a very basic, physical level. It is a spiritual understanding of the vehicle of your soul.
Body awareness is an awareness of the self that connects different layers of the body and mind and helps the psyche evolve on the spiritual path. It enables a feeling of wellness from the inside out, where the body is in proper alignment with the mind. The skeletal, muscular and nervous systems are functioning optimally to make living a positive experience. Body awareness gives one the feeling of wellness, which is the basis of health and even fitness. This is quite contrary to the belief that fitness leads to wellness. When we are aware of our body, even while resting or relaxing, as much as while working or exercising, then we are making it conducive for the body to unlock its own healing potential.
Body awareness can be cultivated. It is very rarely innate, but it can be made an integral part of who we are or how we function by consciously trying to work with the body rather than have a mechanical relationship with it. One way to integrate awareness into one’s daily functioning is by practicing asana. It is a sure way to get intimate with one’s own body. When asana is practiced with complete awareness, it creates space in the body for energy to flow freely. This means bones get aligned, space is created around joints, the breath is freed, movement becomes fluid and graceful and the physical body in general starts to create positive patterns, which will in turn affect one’s emotions and intellect.
For instance, how a person carries their body is a very good insight into the state of their emotional and mental health. Mere exercise, for example, will not help elevate the state of the mind on a more permanent basis. Whereas, exercise and movement done with awareness will have an uplifting effect on the muscles, tissues and ultimately even the cells. Similarly, when one becomes aware of one’s emotions and feelings, one naturally has more control over one’s body and so, one’s posture as well. Likewise, a good posture can induce a sense of confidence and optimism in the person.
How does asana help in this process?
Asana helps one to acknowledge different parts of the body. It brings one to an awareness of muscles one did not even know existed. A steady and consistent practice of asana with complete awareness of the body will give us tremendous poise and self-awareness. How does this happen? Every time one practices an asana (remember consistency is the key) the awareness shifts (or should shift) to those parts of the body that are most affected by the asana.
Take Naukasana or the stationary boat pose for example - lie down, extend your legs in front of you and bring your palms to your thighs. Then you take a deep breath in, hold and raise your head, upper back and legs of the ground to an angle of 45 degrees. Stay there for as long as you can hold your breath. When you can’t hold any longer, you exhale and let go of the pose. Relax for a few breaths (time is measured in terms of breath – more on that in a future posting). Repeat. This can be done for about three to five rounds in the initial stages of practice. Now, the things to remember while practicing this asana are– 1. Don’t strain your lower back while holding the posture – you come into the asana by sucking in your abdominal muscles and subsequently relying on them to help you hold the pose.
2. Keep your breath held in for as long as possible while in the asana. This inward retention of breath helps tone muscles and nervous, has a very relaxing effect on the nervous system and simultaneously relaxes the mind. (Hold your breath in for a few seconds and see what it does to your mind – but please do this ONLY when you are practicing yoga and are fully into your practice).
3. Relax even when holding the pose. Asana teaches us to relax – less pain, more gain. I am reminded of a Buddhist saying “don’t just do something, sit there!” When applied in the context of asana, to me this means – don’t “do” the asana. Just ease into it and relax thereafter.
Now, here’s what you need to notice each time you release the asana
1. Which parts of my body did it affect and how?
2. Where do I feel the most effect?
(Specific muscle groups and more examples of the how asana targets particular areas of the body while at once affecting the whole will be discussed in the next few articles in this series.)
This examination will lead you to a deeper understanding of your own body and as well of the asana. Both are important discoveries. Slowly you will see your own body blossoming like a lotus and you will enjoy every little thing that you see or experience as a result. This inquiry into your body through the vehicle of asana is an invaluable step in your journey of self- discovery. As you unearth more and delve deeper into your body, you will be delighted to know more about who you are and why you are that person.
Here begins a tremendous journey of self-discovery and self-acceptance.
Om.
Body awareness is an awareness of the self that connects different layers of the body and mind and helps the psyche evolve on the spiritual path. It enables a feeling of wellness from the inside out, where the body is in proper alignment with the mind. The skeletal, muscular and nervous systems are functioning optimally to make living a positive experience. Body awareness gives one the feeling of wellness, which is the basis of health and even fitness. This is quite contrary to the belief that fitness leads to wellness. When we are aware of our body, even while resting or relaxing, as much as while working or exercising, then we are making it conducive for the body to unlock its own healing potential.
Body awareness can be cultivated. It is very rarely innate, but it can be made an integral part of who we are or how we function by consciously trying to work with the body rather than have a mechanical relationship with it. One way to integrate awareness into one’s daily functioning is by practicing asana. It is a sure way to get intimate with one’s own body. When asana is practiced with complete awareness, it creates space in the body for energy to flow freely. This means bones get aligned, space is created around joints, the breath is freed, movement becomes fluid and graceful and the physical body in general starts to create positive patterns, which will in turn affect one’s emotions and intellect.
For instance, how a person carries their body is a very good insight into the state of their emotional and mental health. Mere exercise, for example, will not help elevate the state of the mind on a more permanent basis. Whereas, exercise and movement done with awareness will have an uplifting effect on the muscles, tissues and ultimately even the cells. Similarly, when one becomes aware of one’s emotions and feelings, one naturally has more control over one’s body and so, one’s posture as well. Likewise, a good posture can induce a sense of confidence and optimism in the person.
How does asana help in this process?
Asana helps one to acknowledge different parts of the body. It brings one to an awareness of muscles one did not even know existed. A steady and consistent practice of asana with complete awareness of the body will give us tremendous poise and self-awareness. How does this happen? Every time one practices an asana (remember consistency is the key) the awareness shifts (or should shift) to those parts of the body that are most affected by the asana.
Take Naukasana or the stationary boat pose for example - lie down, extend your legs in front of you and bring your palms to your thighs. Then you take a deep breath in, hold and raise your head, upper back and legs of the ground to an angle of 45 degrees. Stay there for as long as you can hold your breath. When you can’t hold any longer, you exhale and let go of the pose. Relax for a few breaths (time is measured in terms of breath – more on that in a future posting). Repeat. This can be done for about three to five rounds in the initial stages of practice. Now, the things to remember while practicing this asana are– 1. Don’t strain your lower back while holding the posture – you come into the asana by sucking in your abdominal muscles and subsequently relying on them to help you hold the pose.
2. Keep your breath held in for as long as possible while in the asana. This inward retention of breath helps tone muscles and nervous, has a very relaxing effect on the nervous system and simultaneously relaxes the mind. (Hold your breath in for a few seconds and see what it does to your mind – but please do this ONLY when you are practicing yoga and are fully into your practice).
3. Relax even when holding the pose. Asana teaches us to relax – less pain, more gain. I am reminded of a Buddhist saying “don’t just do something, sit there!” When applied in the context of asana, to me this means – don’t “do” the asana. Just ease into it and relax thereafter.
Now, here’s what you need to notice each time you release the asana
1. Which parts of my body did it affect and how?
2. Where do I feel the most effect?
(Specific muscle groups and more examples of the how asana targets particular areas of the body while at once affecting the whole will be discussed in the next few articles in this series.)
This examination will lead you to a deeper understanding of your own body and as well of the asana. Both are important discoveries. Slowly you will see your own body blossoming like a lotus and you will enjoy every little thing that you see or experience as a result. This inquiry into your body through the vehicle of asana is an invaluable step in your journey of self- discovery. As you unearth more and delve deeper into your body, you will be delighted to know more about who you are and why you are that person.
Here begins a tremendous journey of self-discovery and self-acceptance.
Om.
Labels: asana, body awareness, emotional health, mental health, muscular system, nervous system, postnatal yoga