Words: Wolfgang Windmann, PhD

INTRODUCTION

Shilajit must be one of the most interesting natural remedies to come from Central Asia. It is certainly by far one of the least well known. That it has attracted so little attention does not reflect the enormous therapeutic potential of this pure, natural substance. Its profile has grown in the last few years, even in its homelands, as is evident in the increasing number of scientific studies being published. India, Pakistan, and Iran have all seen an increase in scientific efforts to explore the secrets of the effects of Shilajit. Attempts have been made through cutting-edge scientific methodology to pinpoint the healing powers attributed to it, but this natural substance is slow to surrender its secrets. Shilajit has had a somewhat mythical reputation for many years; it was difficult to obtain and problematic to deal with, given its somewhat idiosyncratic properties. The lack of standards in terms of identity, purity, and content (which persist to this day), coupled with the commercial interests of previous generations and political systems, resulted in many fakes and less effective, poor-quality products appearing on the market, which ultimately undermined buyers’ faith in its healing power over the long term. We first learned about Shilajit in Western Europe in the 1990s as it made its way here via two routes: the great wave of immigration from the states of the former Soviet Union at the start of that decade, followed by the popularization of Ayurvedic alternative therapy treatments at the end of the 1990s. Shilajit comes

treatments at the end of the 1990s. Shilajit comes from the Sanskrit and means “rock-overpowering,” while translated literally, Mumijo means “protecting the body from diseases,” and in Old Persian mum meant wax. The linguistic similarity of Mumijo to the word “mummy” has led to much confusion in Western Europe in particular.It has nothing to do with the infamous mumia vera aegyptiaca,1, 2, 3 a powder made from the ground, desiccated body parts of Egyptian mummies preserved with resin, asphalt, and extracts of cedar wood, used in traditional medicine to stop bleeding. Mumijo/Shilajit goes by different names in different linguistic regions, but most are descriptive, pointing to its outward appearance. It is described lit- erally as a kind of “sweat of the mountains.” In India it is known as Shilajit or silajatu, and in Ayurvedic medicine 4, 5 it has acquired the status of a Rasayana, an “elixir of life.”

According to Ayurvedic teaching, it energizes the vital juices, maintains youth, and revitalizes, featuring as an ingredi- ent in remedies for boosting vitality and physical condition by helping to maintain the delicate balance between the body’s various systems. In Myanmar it is known as kao-tun, the equivalent of “blood of the moun- tain,” and in the Altai Mountains of southern Siberia as barachgschin, or “oil of the mountains,” Tibet, Mongolia, and the Transbaikal region call it brogschaun, or “mountain juice,” while Iran and Iraq have various names, including arakul dshibal, which translates as “mountain sweat.” It is called Mumijo in Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and most of the Commonwealth of Independence States (CIS). In addition to Mumijo and Shilajit, the terms mineral pitch, bitumen, and asphalt are also widely used, with bitumen and asphalt having a secondary meaning as the petroleum products of the same name. In China and Tibet it is known as zha-xun.In the countries of Central Asia, ancient lore tells of Shilajit’s effective, if sometimes apparently mystical, healing power. Study of the scientific literature and ancient sources reveals that it was frequently combined with honey as a treatment, for both practical and therapeutic reasons. Honey is an effective way of masking its somewhat penetrating and aromatic flavor, and the therapeutic effects of honey itself are already well documented. This, of course, presumes that the finest quality honey is used, one that has not been heat-treated and is as natural as possible. The results for its use in combination with manuka honey, which is well known for its therapeutic properties, are particularly promising.

APPLICATION

Shilajit can be used to treat all kinds of ailments including:

• allergies
• broken bones
• bronchial disease
• colds
• gastritis and enteritis
• hemorrhoids
• immunodeficiency
• impotence, infertility
• metabolizing mineral deficiency, especially iron, selenium, magnesium, zinc, iodine, potassium, calcium, sulfur, manganese, molybdenum, and copper
• osteoporosis
• periodontitis
• poor wound healing
• phlebitis

We describe here Shilajit’s use for Osteoporosis. Please note that the doses indicated have been taken from the relevant publications cited in each case and their effectiveness has not been checked by the author.

The table on page below lists the amounts of calcium that people in each age group should take to ensure their body has sufficient levels. Advice for preventing osteoporosis has changed considerably since the 2010s. Whereas taking calcium supplements on their own was previously advised, we now know much more about the vital role played by vitamin D3, which ensures that calcium is absorbed by the bones rather than being deposited in the body’s tissue and vessels as excess. Of course, a calcium pill can be taken daily with food and is often recommended, particularly for those with a poor diet. Make sure that it is the right kind of calcium that the body can process—not everything labeled “calcium” actually is calcium. Calcium supplements bought from discount stores are often calcium carbonate, only 20 percent or so of which can be absorbed by the body, with the balance having to be excreted unused. On the other hand, some 90 percent of the calcium in calcium gluconate (from pharmacies) is easily absorbed by the body, for example. These tablets can be a little more expensive, but the calcium is considerably more accessible for the body, generally making it a better choice. Before opting to take a course of calcium gluconate, ask your doctor or pharmacist for up-to-date information, and particularly if you have a special condition/illness or if you are pregnant. Taking calcium alone, however, is not sufficient, as the calcium must be absorbed to optimal effect, as indicated above. Vitamin D3 performs this role, therefore it is important to keep an eye on the levels of this vitamin as well.

HOW CAN SHILAJIT HELP?

Shilajit’s use in traditional folk medicine to prevent osteoporosis is based on the same principle as its use to help heal fractures. Like vitamin D3, it helps with the deposition of calcium in bones. Except for mineral deposits of strontium, Shilajit is the only natural substance we know of with appreciable levels of strontium. To help prevent osteoporosis, a dose of 0.2–0.5g Shilajit taken twice a day is recommended. The zinc present in Shilajit also has a valuable role to play in maintaining bone health. Zinc is an essential constituent of bone growth6, 7 and zinc levels in bone decrease with age and postmenopause. Zinc has a wide range of properties, affecting such functions as the formation and mineralization of osteoblastic bones by promoting the differentiation of cells into osteoblastic (bone-forming) cells and inhibiting oesteoclastic (bone-resorption) function.

Calcium content of foods

Excerpted from ‘Shilajit: The Ayurvedic Adaptogen for Anti-aging and Immune Power’

REFERENCES

1. Benno R. Meyer-Hicken. Über die Herkunft der “Mumia” genannten Substanzen und ihre Anwendung als Heilmittel. Doctoral thesis, Kiel 1978.
2. Various authors. Merck Index. 3rd edition, 1910, 341.
3. Der Apothekerpraktikant. 2nd edition, 1939, 662.
4. Gupta, S.H., Stapelfeld, E. Ayurveda Medizin. 3rd edition, Thieme, 2019.
5. Zoller, A., Nordwig, H. Heilpflanzen der ayurvedischen Medizin. Haug, Heidelberg.
6. 90 Yamaguchi, M. Role of nutritional zinc in the prevention of osteoporosis. Mol Cell Biochem. 2010 May;338(1–2):241–54. doi: 10.1007/s11010-009-0358- 0. Epub 2009 Dec 25. PMID: 20035439.
7. 91 Jiménez, M., Abradelo, C., San Román, J., Rojo, L. Bibliographic review on the state of the art of strontium and zinc based regenerative therapies. Recent devel- opments and clinical applications. J Mater Chem B. 2019 Mar 28; 7(12):1974– 1985. doi: 10.1039/c8tb02738b. Epub 2019 Feb 27. PMID: 32254801.

Wolfgang Windmann, Ph.D., holds a degree in pharmacy and a doctorate in natural sciences from the University of Würzburg. He has been working with Shilajit since 1994 and has twice traveled to Central Asia to study its formation and extraction. He runs a pharmaceutical company with a focus on natural products and lives near Leer in East Frisia, Germany.

The post SHILAJIT first appeared on Yoga Magazine.

Words: Inna Sega

Within our ancestral lineage, there can often be unresolved issues and energetic imprints that continue to influence our lives. These generational patterns, stored within our subtle bodies, affect our mental, emotional, and energetic well-being. However, when one person in the family chooses to confront and heal these deepseated patterns, it has the potential to create a transformative ripple effect that benefits not only themselves but the entire family.

Unearthing the Past: A Grandfather’s Story

Many years ago, I had the privilege of hearing my grandfather’s harrowing tale of survival in a Siberian work camp from the age of 14 to 24. Despite enduring unimaginable hardships, his intuitive abilities and unwavering courage were nothing short of extraordinary. However, as he approached the age of 70, the weight of his past began to manifest in his demeanour. He became increasingly depressed, critical, and negative, making it challenging to connect with him on a meaningful level. One day, as he shared the intricate details of his story , the profound emotional impact triggered a surge of empathy and understanding within me. I cried, which made him uncomfortable. So I decided that the best thing to do was to leave, allowing myself the time and the space to explore my feelings. When I got home I didn’t feel like talking to anyone, so I locked myself in the bathroom and decided to have a shower. Standing under the soothing water of the shower, I began to cry. But these were not just my tears. It was as if I had tapped into a deep reservoir of the pain and suppressed emotions that my grandfather had carried silently within him and was feeling what he had never allowed himself to feel.

Healing for Ourselves and Future Generations

The experience with my grandfather taught me a valuable lesson about the interconnectedness of our familial energies. We are not isolated individuals; rather, we are part of an intricate tapestry woven by the lives that came before us. The unresolved wounds and unexpressed emotions of our ancestors have the potential to reverberate through the generations, affecting our own mental, emotional, and energetic well-being. To break free from this cycle, we must have the courage to face and feel what our ancestors could not. By understanding, acknowledging and learning from the experiences they were unable to process, as well as discovering the wisdom of our own feelings we create an opportunity for profound healing and transformation. The energy that was once suppressed and confined finds release and restoration, allowing us to not only rewrite the narrative of our lives but to become the co-creators of new and empowering possibilities. When we confront and heal these generational patterns, we not only liberate ourselves from the burden of unresolved ancestral pain but also contribute to the healing of our lineage as a whole. In particular lightening the burden for our children who can then focus on living their own lives fully without carrying heavy burdens from the past they may know little about.

Why it’s Important Not to Push Away Family Patterns

It is important to recognise that these generational energies cannot be pushed away or suppressed indefinitely. If left unaddressed, they will find alternative ways to manifest in our lives, often leading to repetitive patterns of behaviour, emotional challenges, and even physical ailments. By choosing to confront these energies head-on, we create space for profound growth and transformation. Acknowledging the pain and emotions that our ancestors were unable to express requires tremendous courage. It may involve revisiting painful memories, delving into unresolved traumas, and allowing ourselves to truly feel the depths of our own emotions in order to discover greater wisdom and to gain deeper levels of compassion. This process can be challenging and may require the support of therapists, healers, or trusted confidants who can provide a safe space for exploration. As we engage in this healing journey, it is essential to approach ourselves and our ancestors with kindness and a desire to understand what they have been through. We must release any judgments or expectations and instead hold space for the emotions that arise. This compassionate approach allows us to create a bridge between past and present, facilitating the integration and release of ancestral pain. So let us embrace the opportunity to transform ourselves and our ancestral imprints, creating a legacy of healing, resilience, and love for generations to come.

Inna Segal is a bestselling, award winning author of several books and cards on wellness and healing. Her new book is called ‘Understanding Modern Spirituality.’ For more info about her work and free masterclasses please visit innasegal.com

The post HEALING FAMILY PATTERNS first appeared on Yoga Magazine.

Words: Rola Tassabehji

The yoga industry is now considered a worldwide phenomenon, with more than 300 million yogis around the world fueling a multibillion dollar industry that includes studios, retreats clothing, mats, blocks, and other accessories. Yet, beyond the statistics and social media-driven yoga culture, a quieter, different kind of yoga is taking place in communities traumatised by war and conflict.

Brave individuals from places across the world — including inner city New York, Iran, Columbia, and Kenya, to name a few — are experimenting with the therapeutic aspects of yoga to help heal individuals and communities affected by violence and conflict. These people often operate in non-profit organisations serving the forgotten and marginalised communities, their voices largely absent from the influencer-led yoga news pervading in the West.

As a Lebanese-born yoga instructor living in Europe, I have often wondered about the place of yoga in these communities — its potential not only in personal transformation but also in helping bridge the gap between polarised groups in regions like the Middle East, notorious for political and social instability as well as multigenerational conflict. My findings, though far from comprehensive or conclusive, offer hope and a reminder of one of the ancient definitions of yoga as a practice to still the mind.

“Evidence regarding the benefits of yoga for treating distress among
traumatised individuals is becoming widely recognised.”

RESEARCH ON YOGA AND TRAUMA HEALING

Evidence regarding the benefits of yoga for treating distress among traumatised individuals is becoming widely recognised. According to a recent academic review exploring the role of yoga in healing psychological trauma, yoga is proven to help through “an increased sense of self-compassion; feeling more centred; developing coping skills; having a better mind– body relationship; and improving relationships with others.”

The same study cites one of the key enablers is the “feeling of safety generated in the trauma-informed yoga classes,” concluding that yoga offers “great potential in the field of trauma recovery,” although more high-quality research is called for to allow this nascent field to advance.

On the ground, in war-torn Beirut, Lebanon and occupied Ramallah, Palestine, the evidence is real.

CREATING A “SAFE SPACE” IN BEIRUT

Sandy Boutros is the founder of Koun (“to be” in Arabic), an NGO making yoga accessible to Lebanon’s marginalised communities. For 33-year-old Boutros, Lebanon, whose brutal civil war started in 1975, was always a place of war and conflict, where every day seems a battle.

She began practicing yoga when she was 21 years old, focusing mostly on meditation, to help with growing anxiety and depression. At the same time, Boutros developed an interest in psychology and how the mind works. She recalls, “I started looking for meditation experts, and by chance found an uncle of a friend who was a yoga teacher. Working with him, I began to observe how my mind changed, and emotions I was unaware of started surfacing.”

In 2015, after attending some yoga training by visiting swamis from the Bihar School of Yoga, Boutros decided to leave her job in advertising and go to India for a five-month training course. “The process of applying was not straightforward, I used to call every day and was finally accepted. I traveled for five months and later for additional development training.”

Upon her return to Beirut, she chose to focus her yoga on volunteer opportunities to those less privileged, such as migrant workers, sharing tools of meditation and yoga nidra. “I never planned to set up any organisation, but I began to notice that classes were leaving a big impact on the community.”

In 2018, Boutros officially started the registration process and by 2020, set up Koun, primarily serving marginalised groups, stateless children, migrant workers and LGBT communities. With an initial donor grant, she set up a Safe Space yoga studio in Downtown Beirut. “Technically I am the only full timer, but we have a team of more than ten teachers working on project basis,” adds Boutros. “We mainly target children and women. Often, when women in these communities get married, they lose their individuality and identity. We give them the opportunity to reconnect with their bodies and gradually that builds greater self-esteem and effects the entire. family.”

Her vision is to create more Safe Spaces outside Beirut so she can the wider, more remote population in need. “I dream of having more inclusive ashram retreat centres for workshops, spaces where people can reconnect in nature,” Boutros says. “I believe whenever there is a crisis, it is the marginalised groups thar are most affected. With countless crises gripping the country, the need is there.”

FARASHE YOGA RAMALLAH: A HAVEN FOR HEALING

Maha El-Sheikh co-founded Farashe (meaning butterfly in Arabic) Yoga Centre in Ramallah in 2010. Since then, it has grown into a thriving community yoga centre in the West Bank, holding daily yoga and meditation classes, workshops and “space for the community to come together to breathe, heal, play, and connect.

El-Sheikh grew up in the U.S. and moved to Palestine while working on International Development. “I had my own yoga practice sustaining me to try to make sense of and cope with it all (realities of life under Israeli occupation). So when a group of us were feeling very disappointed with the whole situation, we decided to create a space for people to breathe,” says El-Sheikh. “In Palestine, there is a strong culture of volunteering and awn, mutual aid in Arabic. That was important for us to preserve and develop while combining it with concept of seva (selfless service).

She adds, “We opened within six-months after a friend donated the yoga centre space. People from all over came through word of mouth, many, just wanting refuge. We quickly realised we needed more than two teachers.”

One of the teacher volunteers, who also came from the U.S. where she grew up, is Sarab Atway, also founder of Straps by Sarab, a Fair Trade business creating opportunities in marginalised communities and empowering women to use their skills to preserve traditional Palestinian crafts.

“Living under occupation can be really tough for Palestinians, both physically and mentally. It creates a lot of stress and anxiety in their daily lives. But Farashe has always been a safe space for them to escape from their reality and find inner peace through yoga,” says Atway. “Coming from the States, I didn’t think yoga would exist in Palestine so I was pleased to not only find Farashe but a growing yoga community eager to learn more about the practice.”

“Coming from the States, I didn’t think yoga would exist in Palestine so I was pleased to not only find Farashe but a growing yoga community eager to learn more about the practice.”

For Diana Salqan, a recent graduate of the teaching training program, Farashe has been a transformative experience. “I grew up here, living though all the turmoil and demonstrations. I never realised the toll, the effect, it has had on my body and mind, including fragmentation — not actually feeling my body,” she says. “Through my yoga journey, I met my body and felt sensations that had been buried. Yoga also helped me own my time and find regularity; both rare commodities in this part of the world.”

Today, Farashe has built a close community of hundreds of Palestinian yoga enthusiasts from all walks of life, offering retreats, teacher training, as well as implementing special projects, including teaching yoga for child prisoners. To reach more people, Farashe also organises yoga in other public places like Palestinian museums as well as villages under demolition, helping relieve pain and raise awareness of the plight of these communities.

Atway adds, “What I love most about what we do is how empowering this work is. Simply through breathing and mindful movement, we provide an opportunity for people to express themselves freely on the mat.”

LESSONS FOR THOSE ASPIRING TO SERVE

• CREATE SAFETY: For Boutros, opening her Safe Space studio marked a turning point. “It is different than practicing yoga with all the noise and smells of often found in impoverished communities. I realised early the importance of prioritising the right space. It was expensive but worth it.” Similarly, with the Farashe team, some people spend hours traveling and going through checkpoints to reach the studio, in an external environment where there is little by way of public parks and safe recreational space because of the political situation.

• DON’T RELY ON DONATIONS: Boutros, who initially used donor money to set up the Safe Space studio, is committed to staying independent and grow organically, utilising the studio rental to generate more income. “It is important not be donor-dependent, as there is a lot of bureaucracy, and a lot of restrictions are often involved.” Farashe team also want to remain independent, and community based, leveraging the interest from volunteers from all over the world offering their services.

• TRAIN TEACHERS: Training women from the community to train others is was key to make Koun scalable and self-sustaining. “In Shatila (Palestinian refugee) camps, we taught three teachers who are now teaching hundreds. Also, when a trans class is run by a trans women, its closer to them, they can relate more easily,” says Boutros.
  Farashe has also focused on training Palestinian teachers throughout Palestine in order to insure the accessibility of yoga to all. With the support of Palestinian and international yoga teachers, they have trained about 60 Palestinian women and men from nine cities and villages in Palestine, and developed their own 200-hour yoga wellness teacher training program in Arabic.

• SPEAK THEIR LANGUAGE: “With Koun I never faced any backlash from conservative communities, and we work with some pretty religious communities,” said Boutros. “We keep it simple. We speak their language”. In Farashe the training in Arabic was important to contextualise yoga and make it more relevant.
• TRAUMA-INFORMED, FOR THE REAL WORLD: Both organisations provide traumainformed classes, ensuring yoga is more than purely physical exercise class once a week, but provides tools for the real world. “From beginning, we felt it was important to introduce yoga not as something you go to but something you can integrate into life, whether it be at home, in the classroom, or at health clinics, youth clubs or associations,” adds El-Sheikh.

“I never planned to set up any organisation, but I began to notice that classes were leaving a big impact on the community.”

YOGA FOR CONFLICT RESOLUTION?

In the end, it would be an oversimplification to conclude that yoga necessarily offers some kind of reconciliation in conflict zones. Or that it has the power to prevent the escalation of future disputes, especially when one is confronted with so much intergenerational and deeply rooted conflict.

With so much tension on various fronts, several tools are required. But perhaps yoga can best be considered as an opportunity, an opening, for individuals to pause, breathe and address inner conflict, while helping build self-compassion and compassion for the other side — eventually leading to better communication and understanding.

As these passionate and brave yoga teachers lead the way, focusing on yoga’s core principles such as ahimsa (nonviolence) and seva (selfless service), more can be done to support them and other non-profit yoga organisations operating in conflicttorn countries, offering a step towards individual and social healing.

Rola Tassabehji is a journalist and content marketing specialist with a background in global brand management at Unilever and higher education at INSEAD. As an advanced yoga instructor and yoga therapist, she has pivoted her career to writing about yoga and wellness, while continuing to interview business leaders from around the world for YPO.org.

The post YOGA IN CONFLICT ZONES first appeared on Yoga Magazine.

As I’ve talked about the relaxation response and the downregulated state, you may have been thinking something like “Sounds like vegging out on the couch while binge-watching The Great British Baking Show.” I’m sorry to say it, but that is not the kind of relaxation I’m talking about.

I know that many people like to unwind and “escape” by drinking, taking medications, scrolling through Instagram, watching television, or reading a book, but these activities do not provide true relaxation. Alcohol and drugs are chemicals that interact with your biochemistry to rapidly produce an unnatural effect. Similarly, books and TV seem to quiet the mind and minimize extraneous thoughts, but in reality the mind has entered a state of concentration on this particular visual stream. Your brain is still working hard to process the input.2 It’s not relaxing.

Meditation and healing movement arts have been with humans for millennia. Many tried-and-true practices exist that require no tech support or ingestion of substances to produce profound relaxation. It is possible to induce tranquil states that don’t require a prescription pad or alcohol. Training yourself to consciously relax is the key.

Conscious relaxation coaxes you into calm with deep focus yet minimal effort. Normally, efforting involves giving it your best and pushing through to the end. With conscious relaxation, the strain of effort is unnecessary. In any of the book’s exercises, focus into what you’re doing but attempt to use less muscular energy. Keep reducing your efforts by half and allow this new pace to sustain you in each moment. This can be liberating if you’re used to pushing yourself to do all the things in your life. Try softer, not harder.

The relaxation response comprises many diverse physiological factors. That seems rather heady, but they are all within your body’s reach. You have the power to arouse your parasympathetic nervous system to quiet your sympathetic responses and help yourself properly recover. You can help yourself plummet into tranquility and deliberately turn ON your OFF switch.

You can trigger this relaxation response with the breath, of course, but there are additional conditions that will compound it and make it transformational and long-lasting. I call these The 5 Ps for parasympathetic dominance. They are a short list of five essential elements that will hasten relaxation in your body. I give a full explanation in Chapter 9, but in the meantime, here’s a brief description:

• PLACE: Immerse yourself in quiet and dim light. You don’t have to build a special sanctuary, but maybe put on an eye mask and earplugs.

• PERSPECTIVE: Tend to your mindset and self- suggest a phrase that will allow you to relax—for example, “I allow myself to relax completely.”

• POSITION: Recline on the ground or accelerate your relaxation by partially inverting. Once you recline, place an object or block under your pelvis. Your pelvis should be higher than your heart and brain. This turns on your parasympathetic system and dampens the sympathetic outflow.

• PACE OF BREATH: Exhale longer than you inhale.

• PALPATION: Self-massage initiates a whole-body relaxation response when applied with tender intention.

When I say turn ON your OFF switch, I’m implying that you have the volitional ability to manipulate your physiology. When you notice that stress is running rampant in your body, you can do something about it immediately to serve your longevity. To flip your stress switch, dial down a hyperaroused sympathetic stress state by deploying tactics to stimulate your parasympathetics and the vagus nerve, which turns OFF your ON switch. When you turn ON your OFF switch, you ignite your relaxation response.

Don’t push any of this; rather, it’s time to allow. You are following the impulse to heal. When you untangle the connections between stress and your breath, you can expect relief in a range of areas, including acid reflux, anxiety, back pain, constipation, hip pain, impaired sexual pleasure, menstrual cramps, migraines, neck pain, reliance on alcohol to take the edge off, and sacral pain.

Incorporating these exercises into your daily routine—even as little as three minutes—has long-lasting and wide-ranging effects. Think of it as a complement to or an alternative to a meditation practice.

When you have pushed yourself past the breaking point and cannot find the fuel to keep going, the sustainable answer isn’t to crash and burn because your body can’t keep running on empty without consequences. Instead, you need to compassionately add to your tank by stimulating your relaxation response.

Excerpted from ‘Body by Breath: The Science and Practice of Physical and Emotional Resilience’ by Jill Miller. Published by Victory Belt Publishing

REFERENCES

1. Mackenzie, B., A. Galpin, and P. White, Unplugged: Evolve from Technology to Upgrade Your Fitness, Performance & Consciousness (Las Vegas, NV: Victory Belt Publishing, 2017), 98.
2. See note 1 above

The post THE RECIPE FOR CONSCIOUS RELAXATION first appeared on Yoga Magazine.

As we navigate the ups and downs of life, it’s important to cultivate resilience – your ability to bounce back from setbacks – and well-being. While many practices can support us in this endeavour, here are five holistic and transformative approaches that have been shown to be particularly effective. Think of them as an extension of integrating your yoga consciousness into your daily life.

1. Monk Morning
Mornings often begin with a tooearly alarm clock, fielding emails and text messages, checking the calendar to assess the breakneck schedule for the day ahead, gulping coffee while glued to the news, going for a run or squeezing in some morning yoga, grabbing breakfast, getting to work, or shuttling kids off to school. It’s not a very peaceful start to the day, is it?

Actually, it’s the antithesis of the rest and recovery our bodies need when we’re stressed out, burnt out, rundown, or ill.

Enter Monk Morning. Social media influencers extol the virtues of their Monk Morning routines, but there’s no one-size-fits-all formula. What’s best is a personalised morning routine to ease you into your day with a sense of balance, focus, and calm. And that’s significant because, as Annie Dillard wisely said, “How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives.”

Let’s create a personalised Monk Morning for your unique needs, challenges, abilities, lifestyle, and passions.

Hopefully, you can carve out at least ten minutes a day for Monk Morning — or Monk Evening if that suits you better. The greater your time investment in this sacred practice, the bigger the dividends of resilience and well-being.

We begin by asking the right questions to ascertain what resonates with you:

• Before you jump out of bed and face the day, is there anything you feel called to do or explore? Writing down and analysing your dreams? Time for a gratitude practice? Prayers? Stretching? Reiki? Yoga Nidra?
• Ritual focuses on the mind. Consider beginning your day with a ritual to help signal the opening of a sacred space: Ringing a bell or Tibetan singing bowl? A drumbeat? Candles?Essential oils? Incense? Sage? Palo santo? A favourite religious ritual? A mindful cup of tea?
• Perhaps you’d like to include music or sound healing in your Monk Morning ritual. Sonic scientists tell us that healing occurs when we listen to music we love. What creates a positive vibe and sets the tone for your day? Listening to Native American flute? Instrumental music? Chanting? New age music? Classical? Benedictine monks? A sound bath recording? Does stillness make you feel good and balance your energy? Seek out quiet meditation, prayer, or visualisation (see below). Read a page or two from a book that sets an inspiring, contemplative, or prayerful tone. Then connect with your heart and set your intention for the day.
• If you prefer movement, consider a hike in nature, a walking meditation, Qigong, Tai Chi, gardening, yoga (or chair yoga if you’re physically compromised), shamanic journeying, or freeform dance. In fact, research recognises dance’s health-promoting benefits for the mind, body, emotions, and spirit.
• Perhaps you’d prefer to block out time to channel creative ideas through journaling, art, music, or poetry?

Experiment and have fun curating your personalised Monk Morning consisting of one or more of these activities. Block out time on your calendar. One day it will become your practice, and you won’t recall how you got by without it.

2 Practicing peace

A critically important key to navigating the roller coaster of life – and especially your healing journey, if you are sick or injured – is finding deep peace within. Peace assuages our feelings of loss, suffering, rootlessness, and deep sorrow. Yet peace can be quite elusive in our busy, superstressful, overstimulated world.

Just as a stone thrown into a pond creates concentric circles reaching out further and further, so too our peace ripples out into this world, touching the lives of others.

Our personal peace is a state of mind that permeates the torus of energy around our bodies, expanding out into the world. Just as a stone thrown into a pond creates concentric circles reaching out further and further, so too our peace ripples out into this world, touching the lives of others.

We can find inner peace in more natural antidotes than tranquilisers:

• Controlling our reaction to stressors is all we truly can control in life, and it can bring great peace and better health. We can manage our response by shifting focus: try taking an aerial view of your life or a particular challenge. A year from now, will it have been worth the stress response?
• Navigate away from the landmines that trigger your stress response (be they people, situations, work projects, or deadlines).
• Live mindfully in the present moment.
• Use calming essential oils, supplements, and teas.
• Create a tranquil sacred space in your home, backyard, and workplace.
• Infuse your day with mantras and meditations, worry beads/stones, Guatemalan worry dolls, crystals, calming music, etc. They’ve been used for centuries to promote inner peace and are found worldwide today.

3 Breathwork, body scan, and grounding & centring

Your mind is immensely powerful. Your mind can help you heal, visualise a new dream for your life, and take you to a better place when you’re experiencing something painful or traumatic. Your mind is your medicine.

Research demonstrates that guided imagery and visualisation can have a profoundly beneficial effect on our health. Visualisations and meditations are not quick-fix pills. Clear intention, belief, and regular practice are key to making these tools work for you.

Prior to discussing visualisation and meditation below, let’s talk about three important building blocks: breathwork, body scan, and grounding and centring.

BREATHWORK. Before you meditate or do a visualisation, begin with a simple yet powerful, healing breath practice:

• Get comfortable, relax your body, and steady your breathing.
• Set an intention, for example, that your breaths will bring you to balance, energy, and healing.
• Exhale fully. This is key because you cannot inhale fully unless you first fully exhale.
• Breathe slowly and steadily, filling your lungs deeply by allowing your belly to expand with each breath.
• Visualise white or golden light entering every cell of your body through the breath.
• Gently hold your breath for three seconds, visualising the light-filled oxygen flowing through your entire body, circulating around any tense, ill, or injured parts.
• Release the breath slowly and fully, visualising the exhaled breath – for instance, as grey fog carrying away stress, disease, or discomfort.
• Between breaths, feel your aliveness in this present moment. Enjoy the now. Smile. If thoughts of the future or past enter your mind, simply observe them and return to the breath.
• Repeat this inhale/exhale several times: inhale peace, love, and joy, envisioning them permeating your body. Then exhale peace, love, and joy to every sentient being. On the last exhale, give thanks for the healing.

Repeat this inhale/exhale several times: inhale peace, love, and joy, envisioning them permeating your body. Then exhale peace, love, and joy to every sentient being. On the last exhale, give thanks for the healing.

BODY SCAN. The body scan is simply mindfully tuning in to your body and noticing tension and/or discomfort. While it has numerous benefits in itself, from relaxation to sleep, it’s also an excellent prelude to meditation. Here’s how:

• Take three deep cleansing breaths. With each breath, relax your face, eyes, eyebrows, scalp, ears, neck, and shoulders. Let a wave of relaxation ripple down your entire body, inch by inch.
• Focus on each point in your body — from feet to head (if you wish toraise your energy), or from head to feet (for grounding) — mindful of each muscle, each body part. For example, focus on your feet; breathe golden or white light into them. Visualise this light growing stronger and brighter through every cell in your body up to your head. See it illuminate any unwell parts.
• Where is the tension? Pain? Where do you feel energy depleted? Breathe into that place.
• Exhale, envisioning the grey fog carrying away any fatigue, illness, pain, infection, loss, injury, or grief.
• Now focus on body parts that are not experiencing discomfort and notice what it feels like to be in perfect health. Say thank you to each pain-free, disease-free area. Turn to the place(s) where you’re experiencing a health challenge. This may be a single point or a vast area enduring a storm of pain, tension, or extreme fatigue. Imagine a current of golden healing light pouring in from above and aggregating in the affected areas. If you suffer from fatigue, send energy through your entire being. Draw in this energy simply by breathing. Exhale any pain, infection, fatigue, or disease. Do this for as long as you need.
• When you’re ready to come back to your awareness, imagine a cocoon of healing light or a bubble of protection surrounding you, radiating peaceful well-being.
• Give thanks for the healing. When you’re ready, open your eyes.

How do you feel? If this was helpful, you might wish to incorporate it into your daily activities or Monk Morning. If this particular body scan didn’t work for you, many free resources are available online.

GROUNDING AND CENTRING

Whether you’ve just woken up from a nightmare or are having difficulty falling asleep, when you’re awake but feeling spacey and unable to focus, or if you’re having trouble coming back down to earth following a meditation, visualisation, or daydream – grounding and centring brings you back to the present moment. It can calm you before a speech or social encounter, during/after an argument, or when you’re feeling weak, vulnerable, stressed, or unsafe. It’s also important to ground and centre before visualisation or meditation.

First, get comfortable in your chair and plant both feet flat. Take a few cleansing breaths, fill your lungs and abdomen, relax your body from your scalp to your toes, and feel your body settle in and get heavier as you relax into your chair, yoga mat, or bed.

Now imagine gentle little roots sprouting within your abdomen and spreading downward with each breath, down through your root chakra, down your legs, out through the soles of your feet, and down through the floor to the ground. Put your roots deep into the soft, warm earth, where they commune with tree roots, crystals, boulders, and underground rivers.

Feel the earth’s radiant energy travel up through your “roots” into your body, slowly spreading through every cell, all the way up to the top of your head. From your crown chakra, visualise the energy sprinkling up and out like a fountain, falling all around you to form a bubble of energy, before returning back to Earth. You are grounded and centred, remembering that Mother Earth always supports you.

4 Visualisation

Now that you have the basic tools of breathwork, body scan, and grounding and centring under your belt, let’s discuss visualisation.

Also, personalise your visualisations. For example, a friend imagines the iconic Pac-Man character (from the old video game) eating away cancer cells in her body. Recently she was told her cancer is in remission, without chemo or radiation.

Ancient wisdom tells us that what we imagine, we can manifest. Modern-day athletes visualise their success before the actual event, where they score a win or earn a medal. Visualisation is that powerful and can help us create a new life, better health, stronger relationships, and reach new goals.

To achieve the best results from your visualisation, use all your senses – and deeply feel what it would be like the moment your visualised intent becomes real life. In other words, match the vibration of that which you seek.

Also, personalise your visualisations. For example, a friend imagines the iconic Pac-Man character (from the old video game) eating away cancer cells in her body. Recently she was told her cancer is in remission, without chemo or radiation.

What do you wish to create in your life? (See below for how to get your free “Unlimited Possibilities” visualisation.)

5 Meditation

According to the Mayo Clinic, “Research has found that meditation may help reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression. When combined with conventional medicine, meditation may improve physical health. For example, some research suggests meditation can help manage symptoms of conditions such as chronic pain, asthma, cancer, heart disease, high blood pressure, sleep problems, and digestive problems.”

Yet many people share that they “fail” at meditation because they’re unable to empty their minds of chatter. There are many ways to meditate besides trying to empty your mind of thought. Experiment to find what works for you. For example, simply notice with mindful awareness the thoughts or worries that stream through your mind. Pay attention to how your mind works — even fifteen minutes a day is valuable. Another way is to follow a guided imagery meditation. Or focus mindfully on the breath, finding stillness in the place between inhaling and exhaling. Or explore walking meditation. Or forest bathing. Find a meditation practice that works for you and enjoy the benefits.

Through meditation, we shift to a higher consciousness of mindful awareness, inner peace, resilience, and well-being. Meditation enables us to find a place of limitless potential. We are not merely our ageing or ailing earthly bodies but infinite spirits of light who can live in peace and joy despite life’s setbacks or health crises.

By integrating these five transformative practices into your daily routine, you’ll be on your way to building resilience and well-being, which will help you navigate your way through – and bounce back from – life’s inevitable challenges.

Kathy Harmon-Luber is a certified Sound Therapy & Sound Healing practitioner, Reiki Master, classically trained flutist, and award-winning fine art photographer. She is an inspiring author and wellness guide whose passion is helping people navigate the challenging terrain of the healing journey. Last year Kathy launched a best-selling book, “Suffering to Thriving: Your Toolkit for Navigating Your Healing Journey ~ How to Live a More Healthy, Peaceful, Joyful Life,” which is full of wisdom gleaned from decades of healing from her own debilitating health crises. Kathy helps others find their compass and chart a course for navigating illness, injury, and loss – learning how to not only cope but to become more resilient, joyful, and thriving.

Connect with her at https://sufferingtothriving.com/, where you can download her “Infinite Possibilities” visualisation.

The post 5 TRANSFORMATIVE HOLISTIC PRACTICES THAT CAN HELP YOU BUILD RESILIENCE & WELL-BEING first appeared on Yoga Magazine.

Words: Sujata Din

At some point, most of us have found cooking to be a chore, something we must do, to feed ourselves and our families. Given our fast-paced lives, we are rushing to put a meal together, on auto pilot, not even realising what we are doing, as we get distracted by our active minds and thoughts. And then we get frustrated when it takes longer, or things don’t go to plan.

It doesn’t need to be this way. In this article I’m going to share how you can make cooking fun and relaxing, by doing it mindfully, which basically means being present as you prepare your meals.

When meditating, we use our breath as the anchor to keep us present in the here and now.

So, when cooking mindfully, I will share how you can use what you are doing and your senses of hearing, taste, sight, smell, and touch to keep you in the present moment.

It helps to first start with shopping mindfully, which was what I wrote about in my previous article. And if you haven’t read that, please do read it.

HERE ARE SOME TIPS TO BEGIN COOKING MINDFULLY

Set your intentions

If your intention is just to cook quickly and get it over and done with, you are rushing from one task to another, doing it mechanically.

Instead, just by changing your intention to “enjoy cooking”, you give yourself the time and space needed to slow down. You can become creative in the kitchen, experimenting wit different ingredients and are aware of what you are doing, when you are doing it. Even the mundane tasks whether it’s chopping, stirring, or cleaning don’t seem tedious when you approach these with the right intentions.

Give gratitude

Think of the origin of the food, where it has come from and was grown, and all the people involved during the different processes it’s gone through to get from farm to supermarket to your kitchen. Give gratitude to everyone who helped in bringing this to you so you can prepare it.

Patience

When cooking mindfully, don’t rush the recipe. So, bring in patience at each step of what you do, even if it is something you in the past you didn’t enjoy. With a different perspective you become positive.

Some recipes require longer time, and just won’t taste the same when rushed, for instance, when you cook a stew on high heat rather than allowing it to simmer on low, it doesn’t allow the flavours to blend.

The post COOKING MINDFULLY first appeared on Yoga Magazine.

My name is Kheethachanok, but everybody calls me Fon. I come from Thailand, where I’ve spent most of my adult life working with Veterinary Charities. Looking after stray animals, witnessing their suffering and caring for them is very rewarding, but can put a serious emotional burden over you. I always tried to engage in sports and physical activity to unload some of this stress. For several years, I’ve practiced Muay Thai (and even did some amateur fights on stage!); that was great for the body, but there was something missing. I initially started Yoga just for fun – to try something new. I had no idea of the change that would have represented for my life! Before meeting my Thai Teacher, I didn’t know much about the dozen different types of yoga. Like many others, I used to look online for some “30 minutes yoga sequence” or similar, and practice along, without concentrating much on breathing, proper alignment, etc. Meeting Kru Dutchi for the first time lead to a big change of perspective. In a way, it felt like I had to start all over again and like a new-born baby learn how to take the first steps. The training began with learning the Ujjayi breathing. This technique, also known as “Ocean breath”, brought a whole new dimension to my practice. In a way, it felt like I never fully “took a breath” before! During meditation we were normally asked to observe and be aware of our breathing, but with Ujjayi we try one step forward, to control our breathing and channel it where it is most needed. Starting from the breathing was also a way to reset myself and what I thought I knew about Yoga. Even before starting the 200 hours Teacher Course I spent many hours at “Dutchi Yoga” studio, in Chiang Mai, and started following Dutchi around Thailand for other workshops and short courses. It was amazing to feel part of a group, and not to be alone in this journey. Since 2022, I’ve moved to England (I’m still very new!) and I’ve been taking part in classes with various teachers to continue exploring the variety of Yoga disciplines. “The road goes ever on” and I feel like Yoga offers us an immense variety of styles and possibilities. I hope to find new companions here in England to share with me some new experience.

WHAT IS ANUSARANGA?

Like the name suggests, Anusaranga combines two “masters”: Anusara, the “master of alignment”, could be translated as “flowing with grace” and it can be considered a modern branch of Hatha Yoga. Ashtanga, the “master of mindfulness and prana”, focuses more on the mental and spiritual side. I first came in contact with Anusaranga when I met my teacher, Kru Dutchi, in the North-West part of Thailand. According to her, she developed this style in order to combine the different experiences she had during her journey as a Yoga Teacher and synthesise them in an active and intense flow.

I first came in contact with Anusaranga when I met my teacher, Kru Dutchi, in the North-West part of Thailand. According to her, she developed this style in order to combine the different experiences she had during her journey as a Yoga Teacher and synthesise them in an active and intense flow.

The three principles of Anusaranga

1. Foundations The foundations are our main point of contact with the ground; the very base of any Asana (pose) that we might practice during our flow. Depending on the asana, your foundations might be your feet (like in Tadasana – Mountain pose) or your hands during Kakasana (Crow pose), or your low abdomen in Dhanurasana (Bow pose). Being mindful of our foundations will allow us to stay in the asana with more awareness and comfort.

2. Bhandhas (Locks): Mula Bhanda – perineum lock (involving pelvic floor and the genital area), Uddhinya Bhanda – abdominal lock (involves abdomen and diaphragm and stimulates the solar plexus), Jalandhara Bhanda – chin lock (neck and chin), and Maha Bhanda which combines all the previous three in one. A regular practice of Bhandas will lead to more stability, and new possibilities in exploring more advanced asanas.

3. Prana which we control with Ujjayi breathing. Feeling the “pranic flow”, channelling it into the asana and harnessing this endless energy is something unique that doesn’t end with the practice itself but carries on with our daily life.

We try to stay in each asana for 3 breaths, trying to “send the breath” down to the joint/muscle we’re working with, before moving to the next pose.

The typical Anusaranga flow will start by opening of the major joints (shoulders and hips) and stretchingexpanding muscles and tendons. Back bending, hip opening postures and arm balance will become gradually easier and more familiar.

Since I’ve started Anusaranga, I was able to perform asanas that I initially considered unthinkable! For example, I never thought I could be able to do head-stand, or other inversion poses, but then step-by-step, with regular practice, I’ve managed to get there!

We may all start at a different level. Hence, we shouldn’t focus on the end result, but appreciate every step of the process by being kind to our body all the time. It is an ongoing study of our own possibilities and limitations; trying to step out of our comfort zone to explore something new, that we used to consider out of our reach should be approached gradually.

The ultimate goal of this practice is to achieve a synchronicity between the breath and the movement, allowing you to tap into an inner energy source, reminding us that body and mind are not two separate entities, but a unique and whole wonderful thing.

WHY ANUSARANGA?

Like I said before, I didn’t know what Anusaranga was before meeting my teacher. I understand that for somebody new to Yoga it must be difficult to choose which style would be best for them. In my personal and limited experience, I was struck first by the person, then by the technique. Kru Dutchi had such a strong personality and extensive knowledge built over many years of practicing that my mind sub-consciously decided to fully trust her; something that I didn’t really absorb at the time. The training with her didn’t stop with the Yoga practice. We undertook several meditation retreats of many days in various Temples, and participated in different seminars and workshops in which other teachers and practitioners would take the lead, allowing me to be exposed to new Yoga styles and to begin a process of selfknowledgethat continues to this day.

SO, WHY SHOULD SOMEBODY TRY ANUSARANGA?

“Why not?” Will be my immediate answer! It takes parts of different Yoga styles and combines them into a dynamic, intense and whole experience. It will help you build up your core, make you stronger, gain more flexibility, improve your selfawareness and perhaps make new friends and challenge yourself. Anusaranga is a very active practice. So if you’re looking for a good workout, you should find it, but if you’re mainly interested in relaxation and unwinding… it might not be the best! I’d like to close this little article with a final though: “writing about music is like dancing about architecture” said Frank Zappa, and I used to be quite intimidated by the yoga jargon. Yoga is practice, is flow, is fun! I really hope not to have written something too heavy or contorted but, perhaps, to have kindled a bit of curiosity for this Yoga practice. From the beginner level to the more advanced ones, there are plenty of physical and mental benefits to be gained. So, why not giving it a try?!

For more information about Fon’s classes in Eastbourne, LONDON, feel free to contact info@fonyoga.co.uk or visit www.fonyoga.co.u

The post MY JOURNEY INTO ANUSARANGA first appeared on Yoga Magazine.

The energy of spring is all about potential! Now’s the time to move out into the world with a fresh new perspective as we embrace the return of longer and sunnier days. The practices in this section will help you tap into the power of this
season.

Watch the intentions you set in winter begin to unfold and manifest in your life.The yoga practices, meditations, breathing exercises, affirmations, and lunar rituals will support you on this journey in spring.

THEME: TAKE ACTION

WORDS: play, begin, intuit, risk, plan, energy, act, balance, clarity, courage, renewal, new adventures
FEELINGS: JOY, OPTIMISM, PLAYFULNESS

BEST TIME TO: Take concrete action. Plan your next steps, start over, and launch. Try something new—maybe begin a new routine or take a risk. Acknowledge inner resistance and face your shadow. Confront old patterns and negative beliefs.

MORNING PRACTICE
ENERGY BOOSTING FLOW
LEVEL: All Levels
PROPS REQUIRED: Block (optional)

This season’s morning practice focuses primarily on spinal rotation and lateral flexion, also known as twists and side bends. This combination of poses is a wonderful way to activate your digestive system and get a boost of energy.

1. SEATED SIDE BEND POSE (PARSVA SUKHASANA)

Sit comfortably in a cross-legged position with your spine tall and your shoulders down. Inhale to reach your right arm up and over into a side bend. Relax your neck and stay here for five breaths before switching to the other side.

2. THREAD THE NEEDLE POSE (PARSVA BALASANA)

Come to a Table Top position on all fours. Reach your right arm underneath you toward the left side of your mat with your palm facing up. Lower your right shoulder and ear to the mat and extend your left arm up overhead. Push your right arm and your left hand into the floor. Hold for five breaths before switching sides.

We are shaking off the stagnant energy of winter and waking up from within, ready to embrace the day ahead! As you move through this sequence, emphasize the easy flow of your breath. You might choose to use ujjayi pranayama throughout to focus your awareness. Use your time on the mat to set your intention for the day ahead.

3. DOWNWARD-FACING DOG POSE (ADHO MUKHA SVANASANA)

From Table Top pose, walk your hands a few inches past your shoulders. Tuck your toes under and lift your hips up and back. Bend your knees if needed. Reach your chest toward your thighs and relax your neck. Hold for ten breaths.

4. THREE-LEGGED DOWNWARD- FACING DOG POSE (EKA PADA ADHO MUKHA SVANASANA)

Lift your right leg up toward the sky, keeping both hips at the same height and parallel to the ground. Flex your right foot and push into your left heel, holding for five breaths.

5. LOW LUNGE TWIST POSE (PARIVRTTA ANJANEYASANA)

Step that right foot through in between your palms, align- ing your knee over your ankle. Lower your back knee to the earth. Bring your hands together in prayer and place your left elbow on your right thigh to initiate the twist. Hold for five breaths.

6. VINYASA

Release the Low Lunge Twist and place both palms down to step your feet back into Plank pose. Flow from Plank to Four-Limbed Staff pose to Upward-Facing Dog and back to Downward-Facing Dog. Repeat Three-Legged Downward-Facing Dog and Low Lunge Twist poses on the second side. Follow with a vinyasa.

7. EASY TWIST POSE (PARIVRTTA SUKHASANA)

Come to a cross-legged sitting position. Place your right hand on your left knee and your left hand behind you for support. Lengthen your spine as you inhale and twist over to the left as you exhale, gazing over your left shoulder. Hold for five breaths before switching sides.

8. EASY POSE (SUKHASANA)

Finish this practice by sitting cross-legged on the floor or elevated on a block, resting your hands on your thighs. Close your eyes, focus on the steady rhythm of your breath, and choose your intention for the day. Take ten breaths here. Bring your palms together at your heart (anjali mudra), inhale through your nose, and chant om (aum) as you exhale.

Bring your palms together at your heart (anjali mudra), inhale through your nose, and chant om (aum) as you exhale.

EXCERPTED FROM ‘YEAR OF YOGA’

Ottawa-based Yin and Vinyasa Yoga Instructor, YouTuber, author, and the face behind Yoga with Kassandra, Kassandra Reinhardt, is on a mission to help others feel great with yoga. As one of the first yoga instructors to embrace online teaching, her Yoga with Kassandra (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCX32D3gKXENrhOXdZjWWtMA) YouTube channel has grown to more than 2.1 million subscribers and has over 230 million views. With over 2.3 million people in her online community, Kassandra has truly provided accessibility to yoga and she is expanding her expertise further, with the recent release of her guided yoga journal, My Yoga Journey: A Guided Journal (https://bit.ly/ywkyogajournal), and her daily affirmation card deck, I Radiate Joy (https://bit.ly/affirmationdeck). Kassandra and her channel have been featured in CBC (https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/youtube- yogi-pandemic-life-on-youtube-ottawa-1.5916230), Bustle (https://www.bustle.com/wellness/yoga-with-kassandra-morning-flows), PopSugar (https://www.popsugar.com/fitness/5-minute guided-meditation-with-positive-affirmations-48247292), Well+Good (https://www.wellandgood.com/best-youtube-yoga/)and Elle Australia (https://www.elle.com.au/health-fitness/best-yoga-teachers-youtube-23506).

Published by Mandala
Publishing, Copyright © 2022
by Kassandra Reinhardt
Photo copyright © 2022 by
Jessica Hodgson

The post ENERGY BOOSTING YOGA FLOW FOR SPRING first appeared on Yoga Magazine.

The term “monkey mind” is mentioned in a vast array of traditions, from Buddhism, yoga, and therapy settings to 12 step self-help programmes. A monkey mind is one that is filled with racing thoughts in response to our internal stress level. It may feel like there are many active monkeys clamouring around in the head, all causing distraction and vying for attention at the same time. They may be happy, loud, bossy, adversarial, demanding, or seemingly quiet with occasional outbursts for no apparent reason. Everyone has monkeys running around in the mind to some degree! The ego drives the monkey’s chatter in its desire to be in control. Feelings of fear, inadequacy, insecurity, and doubt, to name a few, serve as fuel for the monkeys. Willpower and applied thought alone are not usually enough to tame the monkey mind. There are yogic solutions that may be applied to create calm and inner-peace through using breath, movement, and meditation practiced intentionally to shift from the head to the heart.

Our true spirit – who we really are – resides in the heart centre. The heart centre may also be referred to as the meditative, or neutral, mind. This heart-centred mind is developed and strengthened through yoga and meditation. Did you know that the actual aim of yoga is to direct the wavelengths of the mind? In Kundalini yoga, we speak of the mind being a full-body phenomenon, not just what takes place in the brain. The monkey mind, which permeates our being, throws up detours and distractions in an attempt to block connection to the heart centre, maintain the illusion of control, and keep the merry-goround spinning. Gaining a basic understanding of the cycle of addiction and how it applies to our ordinary, undisciplined thought process may help in identifying self-destructive patterns so that the mental clutter may be cleared to open the path to the heart.

The cycle of addiction was initially introduced to counselling and treatment practitioners in 1986 by Allen D. Flock. An adapted oversimplification is that the cycle moves through a loop of obsession, compulsion, and emotional and/or spiritual bankruptcy. The obsession is the thought process, the craving, the planning, and the justification of the using or drinking. The compulsion is the actual behaviour. In the addiction cycle this would be the actual use of the drug or the addictive behaviour. The emotional and spiritual bottom is experienced when intolerable feelings arise after the using, drinking, or addictive behaviour wears off. These may be described as guilt, shame, despair, regret, remorse, low selfworth, and more. The bankruptcy stage is a very uncomfortable place to be, so the mind jumps right back into obsession, planning how to relieve the emotional pain. It is a vicious cycle with no set time frame.

The monkey mind parallels the cycle of addiction. Once it attaches to a thought or feeling, projects into the future, or ruminates over the past, it can get stuck in an ongoing circle of obsession, compulsion, and emotion. Sometimes this circle loops and insight is gained, change is inserted and the cycle is released. More often the monkeys obsess and debate about what could have been done or said differently, and the scene plays out taking on a life of its own, creating the momentum and repetition of a vortex. The monkey mind feeds off attachment, very much like an addict when using, attempting to set limits for behaviour and then crossing the previously set boundaries. The cycle of attachment may manifest in many ways.

It is important to note that there are natural consequences to all actions. Consequences may be perceived as good or bad, positive or negative, but they are simply learning experiences. To some extent, life choices may be made in a way that engineers desired consequences and feelings. The monkey mind tends to target the unwanted consequences and screams louder in a highly charged emotional state. Some situations can be released with ease and others burrow in deep.

The monkey mind activates in attempt to try to manage stress, worry, anxiety, and resentment, whether real or perceived. The monkeys also spark the ego’s desire to be in control. For example, being consumed with trying to avoid anxiety can make worse the initial anxiety. The addictive cycle for anxiety would play out something along the lines of the obsession showing up as being worried about feeling anxious and thinking of ways to avoid and eliminate anxiety. The behaviour would manifest as implementing plans in hopes of not triggering anxiety. This behaviour may look like declining social invitations, not driving on busy roads, or refusing to confront a problem. Each failed attempt to control the internal or external experience of anxiety is accompanied by feelings of defeat.

The monkey mind resists any discomfort, and sooner or later returns to the internal chatter, initiating the cycle of obsession, compulsion, and emotional defeat. Substitute any personal struggles in place of the anxiety example and observe the ordinary reaction. Do you ever find your mind caught in the loop? Even binge-watching TV, instead of getting needed sleep, can be a cycle that is hard to break. The good news is that there is hope for change and opportunity to build new healthy habits. A small gap can be found between emotion and obsession, or feeling and thought, wherein the pattern may be interrupted.

The best place to crack the cycle is in emotional or spiritual bankruptcy, prior to jumping back into the heat of obsession. This little window provides a glimpse of clarity, an opening to the heart. Apply simple yoga techniques and tools to break unwanted patterns of thought, behaviour, and feeling.

In yoga, one of the tools available to all is the breath. The rate and rhythm of the breath is an accurate indicator of a person’s current emotional state. In Kundalini yoga, it is said that the mind follows the breath and the body follows the mind. Maintaining command of the breath can better direct the mind and the body. The application of breath techniques can be used in the moment to disrupt the cycle of the monkey mind and help to support new patterns. The intentional use of breath is like hitting the pause button to allow space for a reset in thought and action

THREE KUNDALAINI YOGA BREATH TECHNIQUES

Here are three recommended Kundalini yoga breath techniques to help tame the monkey mind. The first two come directly from the book ‘Yoga for Addiction Recovery, 8 Limbs, 10 Bodies, 12 Steps.’

Four Breaths Per Minute

By consciously slowing down the rate of breath, positive changes happen in the body and mind. For example, by slowing the breath rate down to eight cycles per minute, there is an increase in healing, stress relief, relaxation, and mental awareness. Slowing the breath down to four cycles per minute also increases mental function and sensitivity. The cycle of four breaths per minute can be performed by inhaling for five seconds, suspending the breath for five seconds, and exhaling for five seconds. Each breath should be complete and done with ease, moving between the nose and the navel. Begin with three minutes and slowly build up to eleven minutes.

Anti-Stress Breathing

In a seated meditation posture, press the tips of the thumbs and little fingers together. The other fingers touch each other on the same hand, but do not touch the opposite fingers, and are extended straight out between the navel and the heart centre with the arms comfortably relaxed at the sides. Eyes focus at the tip of the nose.

Inhale through the mouth with a long, deep, and powerful breath, and exhale through the nose. Then inhale through the nose and exhale through the mouth. Continue this cycle for up to eleven minutes. It is recommended to do this breath meditation for ninety days. It balances the pituitary gland so that every little bit of information is not received and it calms inner tension.

Exercise to Clear and Build the Magnetic Field of the Heart Center

Sit in Easy Pose and interlace the fingers together at the heart centre with the palms facing down and thumb tips touching. The hands, lower arms, and elbows stay parallel to the ground. Begin sweeping the arms up to the third eye with a powerful inhale through the nose, and exhale powerfully through the nose bringing the arms down to the navel centre. Move the arms in front of the body between the brow point and the navel centre rapidly, with powerful breath through the nose, for one to three minutes. To end, inhale deeply with the hands at the level of the heart. Release the posture and relax the breath.

Yoga derives from philosophy and principles that support a happy, healthy, balanced lifestyle. In its many forms and styles, yoga provides a full scope of practices that can be applied to calm the body and mind in a way that is heart centred, practical, and personal. Keep in mind the techniques above are a starting point, a practice requiring repetition, not a quick fix. Try these yoga techniques to see what works best to tame your monkey mind.

The post TAMING THE MONKEY MIND first appeared on Yoga Magazine.

Words: Anji Gopal

The COVID-19 pandemic prompted a collective shift to working from home. Two years on, 30% of the UK workforce are still working remotely at least once a week, with lingering concerns of overcrowded transport and offices. While many enjoy the benefits of zero-commute and extra cuddle time with pets and partners, there’s a potential downside: new or worsening back and neck pain.

Even prior to the pandemic, low back pain was the leading cause of workplace absence, affecting some 20-40% of adults. Now, with the NHS under pressure, osteopaths and other manual therapists are noticing a steady stream of home-workers seeking help with their low back and neck pain.

As an Osteopath, yoga teacher and back care course module leader for the British Wheel of Yoga, I’ve spent years studying and working with patients who have back pain. From an evolutionary perspective, our bodies are made to work and bear weight. The spine is inherently strong and can withstand a whole range of physical movement, the demands of modern life included. But, the spine is not designed for stasis.

SITTING IS A MODERN PHENOMENON

The change to home-working means that many people are sitting for hours at a time and moving relatively little. My patients report that after hours spent in front of a screen, they then ‘unwind’ by sitting on the sofa. It’s no wonder that the static tissues are complaining!
Muscles, joints and bones need blood to flow, so movement is essential in keeping them strong and flexible. While the spine as a structure is inherently strong, sitting and slumping brings the weight into the joints at the base of the spine. Compression of these joints can often be the cause of discomfort.

STRESS EXACERBATES PAIN

Stress impacts our spinal health. The last three years have been hugely challenging at many levels, from our personal stories to national and international events. The world feels less safe today – and this has a knock- on effect on all aspects of our health. I’m seeing many more patients with clenched jaws, a key contributor to neck pain, and patients who are having trouble sleeping, which reduces the amount of healing rest their bodies get.

COVID CAN CONTRIBUTE TO BACK PAIN

As we now know, Covid-19 is not just a respiratory disease. Some of the Omicron symptoms include myalgia and arthralgia (https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphys.2022.813924/full#B90). Coughing can put strain on the neck and low back and being bed bound weakens the muscles.

YOGA AS A THERAPEUTIC TOOL FOR SPINAL SUPPORT

The good news is that yoga-based practices can be helpful. I run an evidence-informed Yoga-based programme in healthcare that brings simple & powerful practices to people with low back pain and starts to unwind some of these issues.

My patients and students see great benefits from yoga, with many reporting improvements in pain, increased mobility and less stress as a result of their practice. The research evidence for Yoga as a therapeutic tool is continually building.

Stretching, strengthening, moving gently, as well as improving breathwork and relaxation techniques can all help. Rather than using yoga as a performance of acrobatic asana, yoga when used therapeutically, can really support your spine.

There is a lot of strength in simplicity and it is often the smaller movements that have a deeper impact and it is more likely that we will do them!

Here are my top five tips. No yoga mat is required, and I recommend that all of the practices are performed in a pain-free range. Please see your GP or qualified medical practitioner if you have back or neck pain that isn’t resolving, or if you are unsure of starting new exercises.

MAKE A STAND AGAINST SITTING
The average adult sits for nine hours a day. Sitting in one position for a long time stops muscles from working in the way they were designed to as they need movement!

Did you know that there is no ‘perfect posture’? In my experience, the best posture is one that MOVES. So, sit, stand and walk around whilst conducting your business. Set a timer for the last five minutes of each hour and just GET UP. Dance, jog on the spot, go for a loo break, walk downstairs and check the post. Just move!

If you are sitting for a long time, I recommend putting a folded towel or yoga block under your bottom – try sitting with the bottom higher than the knees. Does it help ?

SHOULDER ROLLS – MOVE THE MUSCLES THAT SUPPORT YOUR NECK

Shoulder rolls loosen up tight muscles in the neck and upper back, two areas most often associated with poor head posture and neck ache.

• Stand (or sit, if you must!) comfortably and roll your right shoulder up towards your right ear and then roll it down your back.
• Then do the same with the left shoulder. Alternate between the two.
• Go SLOWLY & don’t hold your breath! Imagine you are trying to scrape something sticky off your earlobe and you can’t use your hands.
• Make sure you are rolling backwards not forwards and repeat 5 times each side.
• Finish with a shake of the arms and enjoy your relaxed shoulders.

ALL FOURS TO CHILD’S POSE – BALASANA

This dynamic sequence releases pressure along the spine, increases spinal flexibility and abdominal strength. It helps to loosen the joints and muscles in the back.

• Hop off your chair, get on the floor on all fours and find a neutral spine position – engage your belly towards the spine very slightly.
• Inhale and as you exhale, take your bottom towards your heels. As you inhale, return forward to all fours.
• Continue to travel forward and back, inhaling and exhaling as you move. Feel a gentle stretch through the sides and in your lower back, deepening each time
• Repeat 5-10 times, finishing with the bottom on the heels for 3 breaths then come up slowly.

CHAIR LUNGE – ANJANEASANA

This simple lunge – think moving forward not collapsing down – this stretches the hip flexors and releases tension from too much sitting. Strengthening these sleepy and tight muscles helps surrounding tissues of the low back.

• Stand facing a chair – a dining chair or sofa will work. Only use your desk chair if it DOESN’T have wheels!
• Place your hands on your hips and step your right foot onto the middle of the chair seat.
• Breathe in and as you breathe out, move forward into your hips until you feel a stretch through the front of your left thigh. Keep pressing your left heel down. Hold the posture for 3 breaths.
• Keep your belly back towards the spine and breathe deep. Resist the temptation to sink down and collapse.
• Step out slowly – use the chair back to hold onto if needed. Then repeat with the left foot on the chair.
• IF the chair seat is too high pop your foot on a couple of blocks or the lowest stair.

DESK DOWNWARD DOG – ARDHA UTTANASANA

Helps ease and stretch the tight back muscles and hamstrings that can cause low back discomfort by lengthening and decompressing the entire spine. It is great if you don’t have time to unroll a mat!

• Stand facing your desk or table with your feet hip-width apart
• Sweep your arms up alongside your ears, then bend forward at your waist with bent knees
• Place your hands lightly on the tabletop and stretch your hips back, keeping your knees bent so your spine can lengthen
• Keep your belly drawing up to the spine and don’t let your head and neck drop down
• Enjoy 5 breaths here, not pushing or pulling but lengthening the spine gently in two directions
• Walk forward to come out and stand tall with your feet planted for a few breaths.

To finish the practice, you can do a few more shoulder rolls and shake your hands and feet a few times before going back to your work.

Anji Gopal, Osteopath, Yoga Teacher and Yoga Teacher Trainer for the British Wheel of Yoga.

Anji Gopal is a London-based Osteopath, Yoga Teacher and expert in using Yoga as an evidenced- informed intervention to help with back pain. Over the last 15 years, she has built an area of clinical expertise in Yoga for BackCare and in 2016 established and has been running an innovative yoga-based programme for back pain patients in a London hospital. She is also a yoga teacher trainer who runs the BackCare training module for the British Wheel of Yoga – equipping Yoga teachers to share this work and help everyone with back pain.
www.bwy.org.uk

The post WHY HOMEWORKING CAN BE A REAL PAIN IN THE NECK & BACK first appeared on Yoga Magazine.