Reconditioning The Mind To Think Positive...

It is said that fight or flight response is a response given to us in order to warn and protect us from life threatening danger.  We still need this presently, but most of the time we are protected.

We tend to have the same stress response during other forms of disappointment.   Today it's the horrible boss, the bills pilling up, the negative in-law, the person who just cut you off in traffic, the partner that cheated, the energy vampire, the bounced check, the video game that got erased. The list goes on and on.  If we experience trauma or loss, for ex: mental, physical, violent, emotional, verbal abuse, bullying, a traumatic accident, or death of a loved one, we tend to repeat the traumas in our  heads.  This re-creates the stress or emotion as if it were happening now.  If we do not speak up for ourselves or set the proper boundaries, the only other choice is to let it go.  Holding  onto stress and worry can spin in our heads like a broken record. Spinning keeps you “stuck” on the couch starring into space.  You lose sleep, while those who may have triggered the stress sleep like a baby.   You feel exhausted, which leads to possibly guilt and shame.  Suffering will eventually lead to physical illness or “awakening”. 

   I spent the majority of my childhood plotting out revenge on those who were harming me.  I just needed someone to reach out to me and take me away from the abuse.  I wanted someone to confirm that it was wrong and I deserved better.  That never happened, and there are millions of similar cases.  The reason being fear.   Being a child and having to stuff all levels of abuse was confusing.  I carried revenge, hatred, self blame, and rage into my adult life. On the surface, I faked happiness to the best of my ability.  Just below my surface, was my inner child smothered in depression, anxiety, and loss of hope. There comes a time in childhood where the actual abuse ends, but because we do not know how to let go, we repeat the abuse in our heads. Being attached to the emotion leads you to the same feelings as if it were happening now. This is self abuse.  Luckily, I had enough self love to reach out for help.  Psychotherapy and medications lead to Yoga and Meditation.  Long story short, I have not taken medications since 2004.  I no longer suffer. I work very compassionately with myself, guiding myself to remain in the Present Moment.  All human beings have the ability to do the same.

What causes suffering and how do we heal?  In yoga, there are five afflictions or obstacles (Klesas) that are believed to cause stress or suffering.  Lack of knowledge, the ego, attachment or desire, like or dislike, and fear of death. 

   Lack of knowledge is your lack of taking time to look it up,  or experience it to understand. It took me giving birth to another life to finally awaken to life’s big questions.  Who am I? and what is my purpose?  I had a huge dislike of reading, so i was grateful for Google and podcasts.  Immediately, I found information that opened my eyes and heart.  Listening to podcasts and researching the web turned into reading books.   Researching and experiencing is what we will do for the rest of our lives.  Assumption is also another form of suffering.

“You are what you think”.  The “Ego” is a mind made sense of self.  We all have one.  If we do not recognize it, the ego can take over.  We mistake the labels we give as our identity.  For ex: “I am a yogi”, ”I am a teacher”,  or  “I am a mother”.  It can get destructive, for ex: “I am stupid”, “I don’t deserve”, “I am bad”, or “I am weak”.  Make a list of your labels.  How do you or others around you identify you?  Interesting.  Is it not? Can you recognize the illusion?  When you can separate yourself from “the illusion”, your true self automatically begins to surface.  Eckhart Tolle’s A New Earth (Awakening to Your Life’s Purpose), explains the ego well and how to free yourself from it (audio version available). 

With the way the world is creating today, we seem to have a hard time keeping up with the latest “must haves”.   Desire is healthy, but can create suffering if attachment forms. Do you have anything that would cause major suffering if it were taken away or destroyed?  If we can not attain it, we stress out.  If we break it or lose it, we suffer horribly. Detaching does not mean drive a crappy car and have no desires.  It is recognizing you have no control and everything is impermanent.  Whether it is a partner, a friend, an object, a food, or a pet, if it creates suffering in you, it has become an affliction.  It is healthy to take time and look over what you have.  Pass it on if it no longer serves you.  Plus, it is a wonderful way to give back.  Giving brings happiness to the surface. 

Like or dislike (judgement) definitely causes suffering.  “One we like because it seems to bring us happiness; the other we dislike because it seems to bring unhappiness”.  We all want to be happy.  The aversion is looking for it outside ourselves.  Happiness is inside.  That is why we suffer with disappointment when we can’t achieve it through our partners, kids, pets, or shopping sprees.  We can spread our happiness onto others.  When we are sad, it becomes challenging because we can unconsciously steal good energy from others. 

Fear of aging or death can be a challenge to overcome.  At birth, we are soft and supple.  At our death, stiff and hard.  We have no memory of before or after, but it happens to all of us.  All I can express on fear of death, is it will lessen as you choose to experience life NOW. 

Reconditioning your mind to spin less and think positive will reward you with a better quality of life.   How do we do this?  It takes assistance in the beginning.  May it be attending a yoga class, downloading the latest yoga podcast, or committing to a relaxation practice. Your mind and body will recondition over time.  You will have less stress.  You will notice that life doesn't “affect you” anymore.   

As a Yogi, I am Not completely free of my obstacles.  I use them as teachers or lessons to keep me moving forward in the present moment because the “Present Moment” is all that we truly have.

Breathing For Healing...

We are always seeking what will help us live longer and healthier.  Have you ever taken the time to think about why you breathe?  Take a deep breath In and release it.  Did that feel good? Have you ever tried to see how long you could hold your breath? Take a deep breath in and hold it for a moment then release. How did that feel? Did you feel pressure build up?

Logically we breathe in order to absorb Oxygen and breathe out to release what is toxic to us, Carbon Dioxide.  We do not have to think about it most of the time because it is automatic.    Food and water is a form of energy we need to live, but our breath is our "vital life force energy".

 Usually we take about 15 to 20 breaths per minute.  When we feel threatened, which does not take much these days,  our breath increases and becomes shallow.  The heart rate and blood pressure rises quickly.  Long term exposure to stress leads to high blood pressure (and subsequently heart disease), immune disorders, damage to mental health to say the least.

The benefits of the breathing was the first thing I noticed early in my yoga practices.  I am one of those people that has to see or experience in order to believe.  Breathing exercises  in Yoga instantly showed me I was on the right path to healing myself.  That is what gave me the motivation to keep practicing.  Through my practice, I lost over 55 lbs of baby weight twice, healed postpartum depression, anxiety, post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and ended my need for medications of any kind since 2004.

There are several breathing techniques used in Yoga, Ujjayi Breathing (Ocean Breath) being the primary exercise practiced along with the postures (Asanas).  To practice this breath, sit up in a relaxed simple cross leg position (you may also sit in a chair).  Take a slow deep breath into your nose, let it resonate down the back of your throat into your lungs to your diaphragm (located below your belly button).  As you exhale with a half closed glottis (just behind the larynx), make a “HA” sound  as if you are fogging up a mirror.  When you are comfortable with this, close the mouth and breath in through the nose and out through the nose.  Some teachers will use Darth Vader or ocean waves as a reference to the sound your breath makes.  As you inhale, pull the air into the lower belly, rise to the lower rib cage, then the upper chest and throat.  The length and speed of the breath is controlled by the diaphragm.  Try to balance the length of your inhale with the length of your exhale, gently pushing it out.   A beginner may breathe in to the count of 4 or 6 and out to the same count.  This will increase over time. The length of each breathing session will depend on your discipline.  You may start with just 2 or 3 minutes.  That will advance to 30+ as you grow.

Ujjayi Pranayama is used primarily during yoga asana (postures) practice. Using the style of breath enables the body to build internal body heat.  This strengthens the lungs and allows for a healthy flow of "life force energy" or Prana.  This breathing technique also calms the mind and allows the body to focus throughout the practice, while releasing toxins.  Mary Irby E-RYT and founder of White Crow Yoga states "hearing the sound of our breath helps prevent our minds from straying from outside distractions and thoughts (our worries, what were doing after class, what is going on at work, etc.). Without the mind-body connection, Yoga is just another form of exercise".

Yogic breathing stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system, slowing down your heart rate, lowering your blood pressure, and calming the mind-body.

You gain clarity of the mind, weight loss, stress reduction, lower blood pressure, physical well-being, ease anxiety and depression, increase energy, flexibility, balanced immune function, and much more.  The sweetness of it all is that the breath is FREE!  Yes. There is no charge to breathe.  Knowing this, maybe it will motivate you to try it once a day.

If you have chronic conditions, such as low/high blood pressure or asthma, ask your doctor before trying any breathing techniques.

What Is Yoga?

There are many misconceptions when it comes to defining Yoga because it is a way of life you need to experience to understand.
 The word Yoga means to join. The practice of Yoga is joining your mind, body, and breath. With this practice, you learn how to live fully aware in the present moment.
 Yoga began its journey west in the late 1800's. Swami Rama amazed researchers at the prestigious Menninger foundation in 1970 when test showed he could control his autonomic nervous system functions including heartbeat, pulse, and skin temperature. Www.yogaJournal.com/article/history of yoga/yogas-trip–America/
 Yoga on the Mat is… Breathing (Pranayama is the sanskrit word for breathing in Yoga) and Postures (Asanas). Breathing is the very foundation of the Yoga practice. Have you ever thought about your breathing? How do you normally breathe? Most of us only breathe shallowly into our chest. “You can go without food and water for days, but you can only go without your breath for a few minutes” is an anonymous comment I read years ago. It makes a lot of sense if you think about it.
 The postures begin with baby steps. You do not have to bend like a pretzel. You begin learning simple postures like Mountain Pose, which is just standing on your own two feet. Standing tall with good posture in connection with your breath is not an easy task. It will become very easy, in fact natural over time.
 There are many styles to yoga. If you are not sure where to begin, please call your local studio. They are usually eager to get you off to the appropriate class. Remember, we are all in this together. Yoga is new to the west.
 Yoga off the mat is checking in with yourself regularly. Asking yourself how you feel. Are you breathing? Are you spinning on your thoughts? Are you listening or thinking?
 Yoga is not a religion. We confuse a way of life as a religion because in Yoga, there is a “code of conduct” (8 limbs) that you have to commit to in order to live life in peace and harmony.
 I was baptized at 16 in a small church in Kingston Springs. I attended church, but did not gain true knowledge of Christ until I began my Yoga practice. It took Yoga to slow me down and discipline my mind to listen. Because of my practice, my religious practices are stronger. Religion and Spirituality work hand in hand. You can have one without the other.
 What does Yoga do for you? Yoga slowly transforms your self to the way you are supposed to “be”. Yoga shows you how to appreciate life and how to experience every moment without the desire to be somewhere else. Yoga teaches you to love yourself, to put yourself first.
I asked yogis of local Dickson County why they practice Yoga. They responded as follows:
“Yoga gets my attention unlike going to the gym.” JL
 “My Yoga Practice makes me a nicer person.” LC
 “I love the stretching.” V
 “It is a wonderful exercise for me. It helps me focus.” CA
 “Yoga saved my life”. RH
 “Yoga got me from not being able to move, to attending a regular Hatha Yoga Class”. RE
 “It brings me back into balance. It makes me feel relaxed and at peace”. TW
 “Yoga has taught me how to not react. To breathe before I take action under some of the most chaotic of situations.” AT
For more information:).

Breathe and Listen...

When you prepare for your yoga practice and meditation, it is good to set up your sacred place and to get it warm and cozy. This will allow for your body to warm up easily. Next is to prepare yourself By cleansing the hands and feet the face the mouth. Make sure that your stomach is empty. Make sure your mind is not competitive. Once you are prepared, it is time to get on the mat. Spend anywhere from 20 minutes to an hour practicing Pranayama and Asana (it will depend on where you are in your own personal practice as to how long you will need to practice prior to meditation). Once you have finished your Asana practice, it is important that you spend a good amount of time in Savasana (corpse pose) to allow for your body to settle. Now you are ready to find a comfortable upright position where you can be nice and alert. You don't need to set a timer for yourself, all you need to do is breathe and listen...

Styles of Hatha Yoga

Hatha Yoga is the most common practice of yoga used in the West. Hatha Yoga is the science of physical and mental self-control through the practice of postures (asanas), breathing exercises (pranayama) and meditation.

In hatha yoga, you do not have to change your spiritual beliefs or learn to chant in ancient languages. However, some people are still anxious about what they will encounter in their first yoga class.

There are several forms of Hatha Yoga which is still evolving. Iyengar is a very precise form of hatha yoga, repeating precise movements within each physical posture and breathing exercise. The postures are held for longer periods of time and each part of the body has a precise placement for each posture. Bikram Yoga (hot yoga) is performed in a heated room (around 105 degrees fahrenheit). The purpose for practicing in a hot room is to keep the muscles warm and to detox and flush out the toxins in your body through sweating. This style is not recommended for children, elderly people, pregnant women or those with medical conditions of course. Vinyasa/Flow is a style of yoga where you flow from one posture to the next. Some postures are held for additional breaths, but many of the exercises consist of one movement for one breath. Ashtanga/Power Yoga is a physically challenging style of hatha yoga that focuses on developing strength and power through yoga practices that generate heat in the body. Deep breathing is practiced throughout each session. The breathing, along with many strengthening postures warm the muscles, which are then stretched deeply near the end of the practice. Anusara Yoga was created by John Friend in 1997. This form of hatha yoga is based on universal principles of alignment, which underlie all postures, "heart opening" postures and the spiritual/meditative benefits of hatha yoga. Joy in practice and in everyday life is an important underlying philosophy of this school.

The style of Hatha Yoga i connect with the most in the present moment is Vinyasa/Flow. I love moving with the breath. Creating different sequences by linking the poses together is fun for me. I love to hold the postures, but i also enjoy moving more frequently allowing my heart rate and body temperature to rise getting more of a cardiovascular work out at the same time. I also teach a slower version of Vinyasa class called Breathe/Stretch/Flow. In this form of yoga, the poses are linked together to create a flow. We hold the postures longer and each sequence ends with a good resting pose that deeply stretches the muscles.

My advice for anyone new to Yoga, is to try different forms. Take a few different classes and see what fits you best. Every instructor has a unique style. Decide for yourself what you would like to gain from taking a class, check out the different styles, and go for it! No matter what form of yoga you choose, you will get the full benefits of gaining focus, strength, stamina, and flexibility. Most of all renewing your mind, body, and spirit.

Resources: Yoga Education Institute

Downward-Facing Dog Pose (Adho Mukha Svanasana)

Downward-Facing Dog is considered one of the most fundamental of all yoga postures. It is often used between other postures as a transitional posture to keep the flow of the practice. It is also considered a "resting pose".

There are many benefits to Downward Dog. This posture stretches the palms, chest, back, hamstrings, calves and feet. It relieves low back discomfort and improves digestion. Strengthening the arms, wrists, legs and torso, down dog also energizes the body. Most of all it improves focus and stimulates the mind.

Instructions for getting into Down Dog are as follows: Come to all fours, placing hands directly under shoulders, knees and feet hip width apart. Spread your fingers wide. Inhale, curl your toes under and draw your shoulder blades back. Exhale, lift your hips and press back through your heels, drop your head. Press your tailbone high and open your chest, pressing your chest towards your feet. Keep your arms straight, press down through your whole hand (including thumb and index finger). Look towards your feet, shake your head side to side to loosen shoulders and neck. Pedal your heels toward the floor one at a time to get more stretch in your calves. Breathe deeply into your back body.

Align your ankles, your knees, and your hip joints so that the weight of your body is carried evenly through your legs. Move your pelvis, torso, and arms, feeling their skeletal alignment, and place them as best you can in one direct line from sits bones to fingertips. Center your ribs, waist long. Close your eyes if you need to and feel the pose. The closer you get to alignment, the more even your hands and feet will be on the mat.

Some people may have problems with their wrists and find it hard to place weight on them. By placing the forearms on the floor instead of hands is beneficial. Also, bending the knees can be beneficial to those who tend to round their back in the pose. It is better to have bent knees than a rounded back.

Once you have the pose, hold it for several breaths feeling the pose making adjustments as needed. When you are ready to come out of the pose, walk your feet between your hands and come into a forward bend. Slowly roll up to standing. Breathe in Mountain Pose (Tadasana).

Book Recommendation

I chose Meditation and Its Practice by Swami Rama as a recommended reading. I felt meditation is the area I needed to focus on in the present moment. I have been practicing meditation for some time now and this book really clarified a lot of questions i had regarding the practice

I will admit, several years ago no one could convince me to meditate. Coming from a religious background, I too considered it foreign and for other religions. I was afraid of the concept. My religion made me fearful, but my inner self knew there was more out there than just dogma and set principles. I did not experience or try meditation until I found Yoga. I saw an advertisement and decided to give it a whirl. It completely changed my life from the first practice.

The book was not very lengthy, but flowing with information that was extremely helpful for me. Swami Rama defines the word meditation and the confusions of its practice. He stresses well on how you are not focused on the outer world during meditation. He discusses clearly how most of society teaches us mainly about the external world for survival. I agree with this statement because I knew no one during my adolescence and young adulthood who knew how to connect with their inner body. Meditation is the way to connect with our inner self.

“Meditation is a practice”, Swami writes in the book. Swami goes on to explain that it takes time and patience to quiet the mind chatter: “Meditation is simply a quiet, effortless, one-pointed focus of attention and awareness.” Simple, but not easy, it is a practice.

It was wonderful to know that in meditation, it is impossible to empty the mind. I think a lot of people get discouraged thinking that we do have to empty the mind. Swami Rama teaches that by focusing attention inwardly, we can slow down the mind chatter (worrying, planning, thinking, and reasoning). Swami writes, “Only meditation teaches us to fully experience the now, which is our link with the eternal.” I believe that is for certain. An acquaintance once said to me, “I feel prayer is speaking to the divine and meditation is listening to the divine.”

Swami Rama gives a solid definition of what meditation is not. Meditation is not contemplating or thinking, hypnosis or autosuggestion, and definitely not a religion. After explaining what meditation is not, Swami continues with what you will need to learn to meditate. This all seems encouraging coming from the reading. How to prepare for meditation was discussed as most important. The first step was to cleanse the body, then to stretch, relax, and calm the mind and nervous system, and finally to sit in meditation. I believe a lot of people would think they had no time to prepare for this. Sometimes, I only have a small block of time to meditate and only prepare by washing my hands and sitting comfortably. I have wonderful experiences when I do a short preparation and when the preparation is lengthier. Other factors influencing meditation seemed to be right on: “Urges for food, sex, sleep, and self-preservation have to be skillfully managed to progress in meditation.”

It was encouraging to read about how the seated positions were not mandatory. Knowing that a simple cross-legged position is perfect makes the meditation process easier.

I use mantras on occasion, but for the most part, I use breathing exercises and focus on the breath. Swami Rama discusses the essentials of the breath awareness as well. I noticed from practicing yoga regularly, the balance between the mind, body, and spirit. Swami writes, “The breath is a bridge between the body and mind.” The breath can show us the defects in its flow, mentioned in the reading as: shallowness, jerkiness, noise, and extended pause between inhalation and exhalation. As meditation practice progresses, these “defects” slowly lessen. Swami teaches many breathing techniques in the book. I plan to try them all at some point.

One fascinating thing I learned was regarding our nostrils and the fact that they were not both so active at the same time. I have practiced Alternate Nostril breathing not really realizing why. I rarely did it for that reason. Realizing the purpose is ”to develop the skill to voluntarily control the breathing process and to create a joyful, deep state of mind that is conductive to meditation by learning to open the nostrils simultaneously” was pleasing to me. I plan to begin practicing the technique very soon.

Swami briefly describes the four distinct functions of the mind: manas, buddhi, ahamkara, and chitta. We should take care of these functions and study them well. He also speaks about " taking care of your external behaviors, so that you may not acquire the diseases transmitted through unhealthy food, sex, or imbalanced ways of living."

Swami writes, “Human emotion is an immense power, which usually operates below the surface of the lake of mind, like a shark swimming under water. If that emotion is not guided, it can contaminate the whole lake.” I realize I cannot remain content or satisfied without cleansing, yoga, or meditation. I truly believe that “Meditation creates fearlessness.” And as Swami instructs, “The final step in meditation is to remain in silence. This silence can not be described; it is inexplicable. This silence opens the door to intuitive knowledge, and then the past, present, and future are revealed to the student."

Namaste.