It starts with you.....

It starts with you.....

Governments cannot change the world, neither can churches, society nor any other authority.  Nobody can be forced to show compassion, tolerance, respect and nobody can be forced to change.

Gandhi said “be the change you want to see in the world”.

The world will only be more peaceful, compassionate, tolerant and safe if we each individually commit, every day, to being the best we can be; to show respect, to be compassionate, to help others, to choose how we react to challenges and differences, to show by example that there is a better way.

Can you imagine the revolution that would occur across the whole planet if each and every person on the planet, on this very day chose compassion instead of selfishness, chose generosity instead of greed, chose to think of us all being interconnected and sharing resources and knowledge in a fair way instead of the protecting the needs and greed of individual countries, religions & cultures, chose to give without thought of receiving, chose to be tolerant and respectful of others' differences in ideas, beliefs, colour and culture instead of prejudiced and intolerant, chose forgiveness over anger and hate?

Peace in a bubble by John Taylor 

(http://fineartamerica.com/featured/peace-in-a-bubble-john-davis.html)

It can happen, but we must stop expecting someone else to do it for us, we have to do this ourselves. So why are we waiting for something or someone else to save the human race, to save our world?

Begin today; be the best you can be; allow your tranquility, compassion and generosity to be the example to everyone you meet. Choose to react and think differently today, see the change it brings about within your own heart, your own well-being; allow the change to spread from you like a bubble, show others how things can be different; if your change in attitude makes just one person feel a bit more positive or a bit happier, wouldn’t it have been worth it??

And if you slip up and make a mistake, don’t beat yourself up, we all make mistakes and we all have bad days; show yourself compassion and forgiveness and begin again…never give up…always “be the change you want to see in the world.”

Let’s start the revolution together….

Emotional pain, acceptance & Yoga

I was mooching around the internet last week, just generally looking at yoga stuff and I saw a picture of a yoga pose; one of those yoga pictures with a perfectly formed, young, attractive body in an advanced posture, and when I clicked onto the site it had come from I was taken to the blog of an anorexic lady, with lots of posts expressing self hate, self loathing and even a few about self harming. I felt a huge amount of compassion towards this person who appears to be in a very dark place, and I do really hope that she does get to a yoga and/or meditation class with an experienced yoga teacher who can help her on the path to self acceptance and in time maybe even a place where she can learn to understand that she does deserve love and is beautiful.

What occurred to me after (and I looked at a lot more links from pictures of these beautiful, advanced yoga postures with young, attractive, slim people) was how many people out there are striving to be the image the media and modern western culture is holding up as perfection, and how far this representation is of what yoga really means. I saw images of yoga postures with slogans attached to them about striving to be the best, to be slim, to be more competitive, to be more than you are today; it was represented as a fitness practice -  something people do to make themselves something else....and I felt sad. Why??

For me, yoga is totally not about being competitive; it is about self acceptance, a feeling of being connected and alive, being completely joined with the present, enjoying the here and now, experiencing this moment totally....whatever it is presenting to me. For me yoga is not something that I do, it is something that I am......it is my breath, my body, my feelings, my total experience (whether it be happy, sad, painful, pleasurable, etc) in this moment and so much more.

Yes; it also helps me to move beyond my current limitations, but with patience and with compassion for myself, without the feeling that I am not good enough now and need to be something else - something more; instead just with the ongoing experience of being with my body and breath I move beyond my past limitations and, yes, there are days when things are different in my body, but with a connection with yoga I see them now only as "different", and I can see things as they are instead of judging my body, things, people, experiences as "worse" or "better".

I have been in some dark places during my own life and I know intimately some of these feelings of self loathing, feelings of lack of self worth, grief, pain, separation and sorrow that I saw reflected in many people's blogs and websites and I hope, with all my heart, that anyone out there who feels inadequate, ashamed, hurt and unloved will find a way to know that they can be happy, they can experience peace, stability and love. And to anyone who is reading this and feels in a dark place right now: please try yoga and/or a meditation, preferably with an experienced teacher who can demonstrate and guide you beyond just the physical exercises, it may not be an overnight fix, but with the right guidance it really can change your experience of life for the better.

Namaste

Beginners guide to Yoga

Yoga is an ancient practice, developed in India, and is thought to have it’s roots in a civilization called the Harappan. Yoga has been recorded in texts called “Vedas” dating back 4 to 5 thousand years ago. It has roots in Hinduism and Brahmanism, however it’s practices can be used to enhance any spiritual belief or it can be used as a purely physical practice to enhance physical and mental health and wellbeing.

Yoga has many different forms of practice and is traditionally a way of life and not just the physical postures that we associate it with in the West. The practice of yoga is dedicated to creating union between body, mind and spirit. In fact, the Sanskrit word yoga has the literal meaning of "yoke", from a root yuj meaning to join or to unite. Its objective is to assist the practitioner in using the breath and body to foster an awareness of ourselves as individual beings intimately connected to the whole of creation.

In approximately 200 AD Patanjali wrote down the guide to living a yogic lifestyle in a text called The Yoga Sutra of Patanjali. This sacred text describes the inner workings of the mind and sets out an 8 point guide for controlling the restlessness of the mind enabling us to enjoy a meaningful and peaceful life and, ultimately, attain enlightenment.

The eight-fold path of Yoga begins with the preliminary practices of yama, niyama, asana, pranayama, and pratyahara which build the foundation of spiritual life and deal with the health and control of the physical and emotional body. The last three practices of dharana, dhyana and Samadhi, which are not possible to achieve without the previous practices, deal with reconditioning and training of the mind and working towards attaining enlightenment.

1.       Yama

Yama refers to social behaviour and moral principles, how we treat others and the world around us. There are five yamas:

• Ahimsa - Nonviolence & compassion for all living things. The word ahimsa means to not injure or behave cruelly to any creature or any person. However, Ahimsa is more than just lack of violence; it means kindness, friendliness, and showing consideration to other people and things. It also refers to our duties and responsibilities; Ahimsa implies that in every situation we should adopt a compassionate attitude and do no harm.
• Satya - Commitment to being truthful and honest. Satya means to speak the truth, however it is not always desirable to speak the truth because it could cause harm to someone unnecessarily. We also have to consider Ahimsa in what we say and how we say it. If speaking the truth has negative consequences for another, then it may be better to say nothing. Satya should never come into conflict ahimsa. This principle is based on the understanding that honest communication and action form the foundations of healthy relationships, communities and governments, and that lying, dishonesty, exaggerations, and mistruths harm others and ultimately ourselves.
• Asteya – Not stealing . Steya means to steal; asteya means to take nothing that does not belong to us. Non-stealing includes not only taking what belongs to another without permission, but also using something for a different purpose to what was intended, or beyond the boundaries it was offered by its owner.  The practice of asteya refers to not taking anything that has not been freely given. This includes having consideration for how we seek another’s time or attention; when we demand time or attention that is not freely given it is, in effect, stealing.
• Brahmacharya - Sense control. Brahmacharya indicates that we should form relationships that foster our understanding of spiritual truth. The person who practices brahmacharya avoids meaningless, harmful or abusive sexual encounters and uses their sexual energy to regenerate the connection to the spiritual self.
• Aparigraha - Controlling the desire to acquire and hoard wealth. Aparigraha suggests we take only what is necessary, and we do not to take advantage of a situation or behave greedily. Do you really need more shoes, another car, or to be the centre of the conversation when you see your friends? Aparigraha also encourages releasing our attachments to things and an understanding that change is the only certainty in life.

2.       Niyama

Niyama refers to self-discipline and responsibility, how we treat ourselves. There are five niyamas:

• Shauca – Purity and cleanliness. Purity refers to keeping yourself, your clothing, and your surroundings clean. Eating fresh and healthy food. Shauce also refers to the cleansing of the mind of its negative and disturbing emotions like hatred, passion, anger, lust, greed, delusion and pride.
• Santosha – Contentment and gratitude. Santosha refers to the cultivation of contentment and tranquility by finding happiness with what you have and who you are, rather than focusing on what you don’t have or what you would rather be. To be at peace and content with our lifestyle even while experiencing life’s challenges and difficulties becomes a process of personal and spiritual growth.
• Tapas – Austerity and self-control. Tapas refers to showing discipline of body, speech, and mind. The purpose of developing self-discipline is to control and overcome the short term distractions and desires, in order to stay focused and direct the mind and body for spiritual growth and purpose.
• Svadhyaya – Self-reflection and study.  This refers to the study of sacred texts, which are whatever books are relevant to your spiritual practice and inspire and guide you on your spiritual path. It also refers to any activity that cultivates self-reflection and to intentionally develop self-awareness in all our activities and practices, to respect and accept our limitations and to recognise our less positive traits with a view to compassionately and patiently working to grow beyond them.
• Ishvara-Pranidhana - Celebration of the Spiritual. The final Niyama refers to the recognition that the spiritual or Divine suffuses everything and through our awareness of this we can embrace our role as part of the Divine energy.

3.       Asana

The postures of yoga are used to prepare the body for meditation. In the West we often consider the practice of asana or postures as an exercise regimen or a way to stay fit, however, in order to sit for any period of time in meditation, it requires a supple and healthy body. If you are free of physical distractions it is easier to control the mind and internalise the senses for the advanced practices of meditation.

4.       Pranayama

Prana refers to the life force or energy that exists everywhere and flows through each of us and is generally best understood through the breath. Pranayama is the control and extension of breath and prana within the body. The practices of pranayama purify the body and removes distractions from the mind making it easier to concentrate and meditate. 

5.       Pratyahara

Pratyahara refers to the withdrawal of the senses from conscious awareness. Pratyahara can occur during meditation, pranayama, or when performing yoga asana; any time when you are focusing your attention inward.  

6.       Dharana

Dharana means concentration or one-pointedness of mind and is often practiced with a focus such as a candle flame. In dharana, concentration is effortless; you know the mind is concentrating when there is no sense of time passing.  

7.       Dhyana

Concentration without an object is called dhyana, this leads to the state of meditation. The practice of meditation is not unconsciousness or lack of awareness, but rather is a state of heightened awareness and a feeling of connection with the universe. The calm achieved in meditation spreads to all aspects of your life.   

8.       Samadhi

The ultimate goal of yoga is Samadhi or absolute bliss. This is superconsciousness, in which you and the Divine become one. Those who have achieved samadhi have attained enlightenment.

There are many different styles and approaches to yoga and although all of the styles are based on the same physical postures each has a particular emphasis; this can be baffling to a beginner to yoga, however it does mean that people of all personalities and abilities should be able to find a style that suits them. 

Types of Yoga:

Hatha – Yoga postures, breathing, cleansing practices and relaxation

Raja - Meditation

Bhakti - Devotion

Karma – Selfless service

Jnana - Study

Japa - Mantra

Major styles of yoga:

Traditional Styles developed by Indian Gurus

Hatha - slow-paced and gentle and provide a good introduction to the basic yoga poses, pranayama and meditation.

Integral – gentle, accessible and non competitive style of practice incorporating physical, spiritual, intellectual and interpersonal relationships.

Iyengar – strong focus on alignment and balance in the postures, often with use of props with postures held for longer durations.

Ashtanga – vigorous, athletic and flowing style of practice

Kundalini – one of the more spiritual types of yoga with an emphasis on breathing, meditation, mudras, kriyas and chanting

Sivananda – Slow and gentle practice with a focus on 12 key postures.

Viniyoga – adaptable and usually gentle practice which includes postures, chanting, breathing and meditation

Kripalu – Gentle and individualised practice with an emphasis on meditation and spiritual transformation

Contemporary styles developed in the West

Bikram – vigorous yoga postures in a heated room between 95-100 degrees.

Anusara – light-hearted, flowing style practice with the use of props.

Forrest – strong physical and emotional practice with an emphasis on healing and transformation

Jivamukti – vigorous flowing practice with themes on philosophy and chanting at each class

Restorative – very relaxing practice with the use of props to open the body through passive stretching with postures held for up to 20 minutes at a time

Yin – postures are held for extended periods of time to stretch the connective tissues like tendons and ligaments.

Straw breathing Pranayama

• Sit comfortably with your back straight to allow your lungs to expand fully and without restriction. Have a straw close to hand for the practice.
• Bring your awareness to your natural breath, use a clock or stopwatch to time yourself and count how many times you breathe in a minute. Make a mental note of the number.
• Now inhale fully through your nostrils and then exhale fully and slowly through the straw. Make sure you exhale fully, be gentle; do not force the breath out. Inhale through your nostrils again, then exhale through the straw; continue with this practice for about 5 minutes.
• Try to breath down into your abdomen, feel the rising movement of your abdomen as you inhale and the abdomen lower as you exhale.
• Try to pause slightly after the exhalation to allow the inhalation to start naturally, do not force it or strain, just wait for the  feeling of the inhalation to come spontaneously.
•  If you start to feel uncomfortable or anxious, release the practice and breathe normally for a few breaths and then, when you feel ready, start the practice again. This can happen as the body and mind are not accustomed to this type of breathing, you may think that by lengthening the exhalation you will not get enough air, this is not the case and it is a practice well worth your perseverance.
• You may start to become aware of the natural pause between the breath, allow your mind to become still in this pause, feel the sensation of calm and profound stillness in these pauses.
•  After you have finished the practice, repeat the timing of your breaths for a minute. Make some observations: How  much has your breathing slowed down? Are you feeling calmer? What is your experience following this practice?

Benefits

Straw breathing can help you to regain a feeling of calm and slow and regulate your heart rate, this can be a very useful tool for anxiety attacks. When you are stressed, angry or panicked, you tend to take short, shallow breaths, which can cause a lack of oxygen that restricts blood flow,  leads the muscles to tense and can lead to light headedness or fainting. This practice not only slows your heart rate, it also lowers blood pressure.

The destructive effects of chronic stress put people at greater risk of chronic disease. The development of deep, slow breathing through regular Pranayama practice also has the effect of stimulating the Parasympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for the restful state and this reduces the effects of the sympathetic nervous system which is responsible for the “fight or flight” response to stress in the body. Short term stimulation of the sympathetic nervous system, is normally harmless and can be extremely useful. However, chronic or long term exposure to the chemicals produced by the sympathetic nervous system is often associated with conditions such as hypertension, headaches and migraines, suppression the immune system, impaired digestion, and weakened endocrine function. Our modern, hectic pace of life can keep us in a state of heightened stress for extensive periods of time without reprieve; a regular Pranayama practice can help your body to regain its natural balance and reduce our biological reaction to the stress we encounter in our lives.

Get the most out of your practice

Do not do anything that doesn’t feel right in the present moment, if the posture is not working for you for any reason, modify it so it feels right for your body, mind and soul or relax out of it and rest. Your body, mind and emotions are constantly changing, what feels right one day may not feel the same way the next day, listen to your experience as it is happening now, be guided by your inner intuition. Never do anything that hurts, listen to your breathing, it is a good indicator for understanding your limits, if it is becoming irregular or difficult, rest and wait for your body to be ready before starting again.

Do not worry about what other people think, or what other people are doing, experience YOUR practice fully and with complete awareness, without being distracted by external influences or by internal dialogue or internal judgements about yourself or others.

Enjoy your strengths, but do not neglect your weaknesses, do not be ashamed of the things that you find difficult or challenging. Your weaknesses and the areas of the practice that you enjoy less are opportunities for learning and growing. These are the experiences that we tend to avoid or reject, and these are often the experiences from which we can learn the most, try staying with the postures you tend to avoid, see if you can find a way of liking them, or at least try to breathe and stay with the experience for a while.

Wear clothes that fit and are comfortable for you, that suit how you feel and suit your personality and make you feel good about yourself and allow you to give your attention fully to your practice without the need to adjust your clothing, wear clothes that do not hinder your movements or emotional freedom to explore your experience of your yoga practice.

Whether in class or at home, follow your intuition in a posture; listen, feel, adjust, listen again. Enjoy your practice!

Ardha Chandrasana – Crescent Moon Pose

Start on your hands and knees, and step forward with your right leg between the hands. Exhale and lean the hips forward and down. The left leg stretched behind; the left knee resting on the ground. Inhale and arch the back and bend the head backwards. You can rest the fingertips on the floor for support or for the final position raise your hands above your head keeping the elbows straight. You can hold the position for 3 to 8 breaths.

Your physical awareness should be on the curving of the spine and the stretch in the hips, chest and throat areas.

Your spiritual awareness should be on swadhisthana and vishuddhi chakras.

This posture is a revitalizing pose, it loosens and strengthens the skeletal structure, particularly the spine and can help to relieve sciatica, it enhances blood circulation, relieves respiratory problems, sore throat and colds through the stretching of the chest and neck and can also be beneficial for disorders related to the ovaries, uterus and urinary tract through the stimulation to the abdominal area and increased blood flow to the region.

Yoga....not interested?

I have heard it said: “yoga doesn’t interest me” and “yoga is a specialised practice” or “yoga is not really exercise” .  I totally respect that everyone has their own thoughts, opinions, likes and dislikes and I would be the last person to take that away from anyone, what I am not sure of, and maybe you can help me out through your comments, is what people think yoga is when they make these sweeping statements and why they think it is not a practice for them. When I mention I am a yoga teacher the response most of the time is pretty much the same; people think it is for relaxing or a form of meditation, lots of people mutter “om” at me or strike a meditational expression. Now yoga can be both of these things, but it is also so much more.

Obviously the relaxation benefits and spiritual aspects of yoga are what most people seem to associate most readily with when we mention yoga, so if you are not interested in relaxation or spirituality, meditation and chanting, why should you try yoga?

Physical health & fitness

Yoga asana (postures) work on the whole body; massaging internal organs, releasing toxins,  increasing flexibility in muscles, ligaments, tendons and joints, strengthening and toning muscles, balancing the nervous system and improving circulation and blood pressure. The asana can be physically demanding and challenging, however they are adapted by the teacher to suit people of all ages and flexibility to make it a fitness practice that is available to everyone. If you are an active athlete in another sport, then the stretching and stamina building aspects of Yoga can help you become a better overall athlete, yoga can be a perfect complement to other sports and activities. Yoga’s holistic health benefits can help to prevent injuries, health conditions and disease and can also help to improve existing conditions.

Just one more thing about starting yoga classes in a physical sense here; the teacher and many of the other students have probably had a lot more practice than you if you are a beginner, they also have a totally different body than yours, don’t think that you can go to your first lesson and be able to do any of the postures with any sort of ease, grace or coordination! The teacher is demonstrating the final posture, and talking about how the breathing should be done, this is what you are working towards and how you should breathe when you have understood what the body is doing....not what you should be achieving now! Don’t approach this with a competitive or a self critical mind, don’t compare yourself to the teacher or anyone else in the room, patience and compassion towards your body is what is required when you practice yoga, this is your experience not the experience of the person stood next to you.

Mental health

Psychologists know that moderate exercise, such as yoga, is good for depression and anxiety. Yoga practice concentrates your mind on the physical sensations of the body and breathing which can work as a helpful tonic people suffering with anxious and obsessive behaviour. Yoga can be a distraction from worry and anxiety as it encourages your mind to focus on the body and the breathing; on your direct experience of the moment. Yoga is a very effective stress reduction and relaxation tool, the various postures require the tensing or stretching and then relaxing of muscle groups and joints, which produces relaxation in much the same way as a massage. Yoga practice draws your attention to the breath, which produces a meditative and soothing state of mind. Yoga also has a physical effect on the nervous system and can also reduce blood pressure. Yoga for stress reduction is generally cheaper than other professional treatments, free of side effects, and more empowering in comparison to medication alternatives and yoga can be used in conjunction with other treatments without any negative impact.

Pain relief & healing

Whether you are experiencing pains, aches or discomfort, yoga may be able to help. When yoga is combined with meditation, it has been shown to have therapeutic benefits for pain control for a variety of health conditions. The increased body awareness, concentration and balance that you develop through regular yoga practice can alter your perception and experience of pain and can also help you to change and release habits, posture, improve alignment and ways of moving to reduce the causes of your pain.

The increased flexibility and strength, the gentle nature of the exercises and increased self awareness that you get from a regular Yoga practice can help you heal old injuries and can even help you prevent new ones. Many people that suffer from pain caused by old injuries and have difficulty finding exercises that they can do comfortably find that Yoga is something they can do without pain or discomfort. 

It is important to tell your teacher what injuries you have or have had so they can adjust your practice to suit your individual needs and make sure you have a teacher who is competent and experienced enough to deal with your injuries.

Some other thoughts about trying yoga...

Try different styles of yoga and different teachers, one style does not suit all, many teachers offer a free trial lesson so it doesn’t have to cost you anything to get a taste of the different styles and teachers, and remember that one teacher may be dramatically different to another, even within the same style of yoga. However, when you find one that suits you, stick to it, there will be times when you think you want to stop or change teachers, this may be because you are close to an emotional or physical blockage and subconsciously you want to avoid it....persevere and you will reap the benefits. Having said that, if you continue to feel you have outgrown what your teacher can offer, move on!

Combine yoga with other sports or activities, if you feel you want or need other physical or mental activity; do it. Yoga is not exclusive, because you do yoga does not mean you cannot also do something else which satisfies your competitive nature or your desire for more aerobic sports or activities or external mental stimulation, it doesn’t have to be one or the other.

Many people comment that yoga is too slow, they cannot stay still, they get irritated because there is not enough going on, their mind wanders, etc.  Our modern lifestyles and perceptions often dictate that we “need to be doing something”, “need to be achieving”, “need to be active”, “need to be successful”, “need more”, “can’t just sit around doing nothing”....and if we are not doing something then we think “we are failing”, “something bad will happen”, “it is impossible  for me to be still”, “I have an active mind”, “I could be getting so much more done somewhere else”. Sound familiar? Stress, lack of self worth, peer pressure, mental health problems are becoming the norm in our modern societies, most of us not even aware we are suffering from these conditions and living in a state of “fight or flight”  response for the majority of our waking moments. 

Inability to be still and be quiet in our mind can be a symptom of something else, and practicing yoga or combining yoga with meditation can help to address the stress that we are being subjected to on a daily basis and to bring our nervous system, which deals with the physical reactions to stress, back into balance, thereby reducing the risk of stress related diseases and help our mind become more calm, focused and improve our ability to concentrate and learn and improve our memory too. And before you say it, no, I am not saying that because you don’t like yoga you must be mentally ill; I (most likely) don’t know you and have no right, no desire and no qualifications to make any form of judgement about you! All I am saying is ask yourself why you feel you cannot be still and be quiet, if you can give yourself an honest answer and it doesn’t involve stress or other emotional turmoil, then that is great, and what I am talking about does not apply to you, but if maybe there is a little bit of truth in what I am saying, why not try it, what is the worst that can happen if you allow yourself to be still for once?

So whether you like yoga or not, if you have any thoughts, feelings, arguments, etc, please comment, I really would love to hear about your reasons for not being interested in or not liking Yoga or how you used to dislike yoga and what changed your mind.....