Peace of Mind For Super-Consciousness (Samadhi)

Peace of mind is a way of zoning in during zen!  After rest put bliss to the test with zest.  Wage peace while celebrating life; tuning in and turning on!  

According to The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali written over 2500 years ago and translated by Sri Swami Satchidananda, "Yogas citta vrtti nirodah”, yoga is the ending of mindless chatter, or peace of mind!  Classic Yoga also known as Astanga or Raja Yoga has eight ways or steps for cultivating peace of mind known as the eight limbs of yoga.  Peace of mind is super consciousness; absorbing (samadhi) beneficial effects! 

The eight “limbs” or steps include, 1.) Ethic (Yama), 2.) Moral (Niyams) 3.) Pose (Asana), 4.) Breath (Pranayama), 5.) Relaxation (Pratiyahara) 6.) Focus (Dhyarna), 7.) Meditation (Dhyana) and 8.) Absorption or Super-Consciousness (Samadhi)!  According to some styles the eight limbs do not have to be followed in any particular order; the first two limbs, one and two, are ways of leading a principled life the next two limbs, three and four, prepare us for, five and six, further development and the seventh limb culminates the eighth, a reward.  The reward of super-consciousness from practice, on the mat, into our daily lives and vice versa!

The ten responsibilities of the yamas and niyamas, or principles mentioned in Patanjali's Sutras are:  1.) not harming 2.) honesty 3.) not taking 4.) not addicted (resisting) 5.) not possessive 6.) clean 7.) content 8.) disciplined 9.) studious and 10.) faithful!  Preparing ourselves with 1.) standing, 2.) prone, 3.) hand/forearm-balancing, 4.) sitting, 5.) supine/inverted poses (asana) for strength, balance, and flexibility.  Asanas are correlated with breaths (pranayama) for 1.) strength, balance, flexibility, relaxation (pratyahara) and focus (dharana).  Development of relaxation eases us towards greater focus of mind, body, and spirit.  Culminating as one from the eight limbs of yoga practice meditation (dhyana) is perfecting super-consciousness, absorbing (samadhi) the effects!

Samadhi can be a state of bliss (anandamayakosha), our most core, inner True Self (Atman)!  The whole package includes physical (annamaya), energetic (pranamya), mental (manomaya) and intellectual (vijnamaya) as well as blissful protections (koshas).  Samadhi, heaven on Earth, may be comparable to Nirvana; simple consciousness, being present in the moment is a gift of Love (God), for inner peace and harmony!

Reuse, Refurbish and Recycle

Go green by reusing, refurbish and recycle; tread lightly and be environmentally consciousness!  A smaller footprint with less impact is compassionately caring for the Earth.  Many things can be recycled, reused and refurbished let your imagination run and creativity flow in finding and fixing items!

I am often handed clothing from friends and family! I feel excited to have something 'new to me'.  Regifting is another way to go green and be a giver!

Make another person’s trash your treasure!  Shop for bargains, antiques and one of a kind items when giving to second hand stores.  Go the environmental way and visit and or prepare for a garage/lawn sale today!

The Miracle is You - Kute Blackson (OFFICIAL Music Video)

Longevity

At a party a new acquaintance mentioned she is pre-diabetic.  Confused by the diagnosis, she claims she was never told by her Doctor that she is obese.  Obesity is a precursor of Type II Diabetes.

Later, when having the chance to speak with an MD friend I told her about the surprise diagnosis.  My friend, the MD claimed, people know when they're obese and said it has to do with carbohydrate loading.  I knew through my experience with Alternative Healing as an E-RYT that people may not know they're obese, mistaking themselves to be overweight and a healthy balance of proteins, fats and carbohydrates is key to feeling at home in your body (temple) along with healthy food choices (fresh is best), portions (less loading) and daily movement (intensity inclusive).

The MD stated any BMI over 30 is considered obese.  A BMI is a person's weight to height ratio when multiplying weight times 703/height.  For example a BMI of 18 is found by w(703/h)/h = 115 lbs x 703/5'7"(5x12+7)/67.  Furthermore, research indicates the less a person weighs, in their healthy range, the greater the person's longevity (healthy life expectancy)!

Kids!

Kids yoga is a fun and interesting way to learn yoga; adults who try often giggle about with intermittent bursts of laughter.  Kid Group Sessions are conducive to social expression and can bring a smile to someone shy.  Poses (asana) from nature, specifically animal poses, are of great interest.

Children naturally feel good about themselves and enjoy sharing with one another.  Learning (svadhyaya) about our bodies through yoga develops strength, balance, flexibility and relaxation.  Being a yogin, person who practices yoga, has benefits off the mat and into society.

Conscious practitioners like learning, and having fun helps children's (and adult's) awareness towards caring, compass and kindness.  "Kid" poses remind us to be respectful of our animal friends, nature and interconnection.  The benefits of practicing Kids Yoga are bountiful!

Bandhas, Feeling Yoga Hugs From the Inside

Generally speaking Yoga is mind/body connection. Specifically, Feeling strong, balanced, flexible and relaxed is the purpose of practising yoga. There are five major areas to feel through our bodies for strength, balance and flexibility which provide poise; relaxed movement.

The five feeling areas are called locks (bandhas). When we squeeze or feel deeply these areas hug from the inside. The bandhas are located at the feet, pelvis, core (back/abs), neck and hands.

Let's begin with our feet. Feeling the pads of the heals, outer edges, balls and toes while separating the toes wide helps the feet suction. This is known as Pada Bandha.
 
Mula Bandha occurs at the pubococcygeus with the pelvic floor muscles. By gripping, feeling suction and lengthening here a person's energy begins to rise (kundalini). The strength, balance and flexibility of the body reverberates up.
 
The abdominals sink back. The torso lifts. The spine lengthens. Udyana Bandha (hold), strengthens the body's core. 

Continue feeling dynamism by lengthening the neck. Contract the front (anterior) muscles of the neck (sternocleidomastoid). Ensure shoulders are relaxed back and down by gently squeezing the muscles (rhomboids) which connect the shoulder blades (scapula), lift the chest, align ears over shoulders - lead with the heart not the head. Jalandhara bandha is obtained by holding this alignment, even while hinging or extending forward. 

Hasta Bandha occurs during hand supported poses, energy can be felt at the palms of the hands. Fingers splay wide; imagine hands with a suction cup, starfish or geco grip. The weight of the body is felt to the tips of the fingers relieving wrist pressure. 

Bandha practice with breathes (pranayma) enforces body holds with ease when grip, lift, length and suction improve our body's strength, balance, flexibility and relaxation (pratyahara).  Feeling sensations our deepest sense of postural (asana) awareness is known (samadhi) through empowered (dhyana) focus (dharna)!

For more information visit www.yogatrainingtouch.com 

Water, The Elixer of Life!

Recently I listened to the Big Sky Unitarian Universalist President speak about the “Human Right To Water”. I found her comments intriguing especially the ways we can connect to Water Justice; she included four ways to help. Our rationale and intellect can enter into discussions and questions about natural resources, especially water. Service and doing by turning the tap on and off rather than letting it run. Feeling love and emotions by watching a documentary about water. Finally through transcendence and spirit by practicing mindfulness and/or writing a poem.

Practicing this yoga sequence is a microcosmic way to tap into your inner fluidity; in some way it may help the macrocosmic flow of water. Begin knowing that water is a second energy center (Svadisthana Chakra) association. The subtle energy of this power center is located around the sacral plexus where the spine is connected to the back of the hip bones (ilium) and is associated with the upper legs and knees. Bring awareness to the body associations, in particularly the hips. Think of the hips as a bowl of fresh water tinted with the color orange by a flower, fruit or vegetable because that is the Svadisthana's color association.

Drink fresh water, feel throughout the hips and body let the water lubricate. Roll the hips for comfort and feel synovial fluid lubricate the joints. Imagine water pouring out of the hip girdle (bowl) in back of the body by tucking the tailbone under for a posterior pelvic tilt. Then, imagine water pouring out the front of the pelvic bowl; doing an anterior pelvic tilt. Next, move the hips from side-side and imagine water running out the sides of the pelvic bowl or sacral plexus with each “hip bump”.

Focus on squeezing the torso muscles for a strong core. Contract front (abdominus rectus), back (latissimus dorsi) and sides (obliques), while stretching the opposing muscle groups. Roll hips counter clockwise and clockwise.

Utilize the Svadisthana chakra associations of creativity and commitment by going deeper into the movements. Try standing Cat/Cow Pose by placing hands just above the knees while tucking the tailbone, squeezing abdominals and bring the chin towards the chest while gazing down. Next, gaze up, arch the head and back while lifting the tailbone up, squeezing the low back muscles and lifting the chest. Feel tension releasing. Cat/Cow Pose can also be done on All Fours.

Continue stretching the hips. This time, gaze over the shoulders to find the hips in Puppy Dog/Fox Tail Pose simultaneously contracting and releasing the obliques. Feel the body as a harmonious whole – physically, emotionally/energetically, intellectually and joyfully healthy. Imagine the Earth's water supply flowing freely to all people - Bliss out!

To see a video containing Hip Bumps and Standing Cat/Cow check out the blog at this site titled "Yoga Style Hip-Hop".