Wiiling to receive

We have to relax, we have to relax in our bodies to receive all the help around us. -
Reginald Ray

It all is going on in our bodies...  we have to quieten down enough, make room for what has been hidden to come up. And all this is in in the body. We normally understand meditation as a way to quieten our mind. But what after that?
The letting go of our ideas, conceptes, expectations allows us to relax. AND this happens in the body not just our minds. We have to bring in our body as a whole into this meditation practise only then can we really relate to who we are.

Intelligence in every cell

Recently at a family constellation workshop, the facilitator was explaining the psycho somatic understanding of our selves. A participant was complaining of body aches and headaches, to which he expressed that these can happen due to processing from deep work worked on the previous day. At that moment it struck me that most of us see pain and aches as something to correct  and change, something we do not like and to get rid off.

This way of looking at pains and aches just add another layer to what is going on. This is resistance to the current moment expressions of our self. There is this intelligence in every cell, in every part of our being that is completely true. It is the best of us expressing itself. In body pains we find a communication, a message for our understanding. Here is some part of us telling us , showing us something which needs to be acknowledged and known by another part of our own self. This very ache is part of our process of being aware of our larger self.  The ache is something coming up just now for us to pay attention to it and listen to the message. At times, we can get assistance from therapies like massage and treatments. This may help us to quieten down, open our perceptions to see what is going on within.

Yoga is about being in a steady way - quietly aware of what is going on at any moment and being able to attend to what is needed - in every moment. Listening to the flow of our own life , to do what is needed. The listening is as much needed as is the doing. Some call it the "being" -  the presence to all of our life. This attitude can give us a new respect for all the calls we receive from our bodies, to listen and respond in an appropriate way.

Asanas help to be inward, open and in a listening and very much being with the body aches. Relaxation poses like shavasana or legs up resting on a wall will calm down the nervous system. Allow the breath to slow down and widen. Listening to the ache, you might feel an invitation to move in a certain posture or asana. A simpler , slower version is much helpful. Always listening and moving only to what comes up from that particular ache. Wait and patiently respond.

Again, like the the facilitator said - pulling the golden thread from behind. Following and going to new information that shows up. Its really a very humbling and grounding experience to see the message, the intelligence that our body shows through the aches and pains. Enjoy this too!

The mind can rest in the body

Our entire being is one and yet we seem to be have often a friction within ourself between our thoughts and the way we feel within the body. I am in the  midst of a seemingly major upheaval , lots of confusion , grief, feeling sorry for myself, anger at myself...  the full works of misery.
However, as days go by this is turning out to be an opportunity to really be within myself, close to me. I see that in this very challenging situation, my mind is doing its job of trying to figure out the best ways to keep me safe. All energies are looking for solutions.
 And it's very very frustrating,  tiring. However, in the body there continues to be a certain rhythm,  a flow of okay ness.  Things upset yet things go on. I find that there is tremendous sadness , i cry for no apparent reason , yet I laugh, I can see beauty around me. I can also sense others suffering and empathy flows. My current despair makes me very vulnerable and also open, softening of ego.
Its easier to be myself.

When I notice all this , the mind rests jn the body. It seems to me that that's what the mind needs most-a place to rest. And it happens in the body. I am not meditating or doing asanas but in the true sense yoga-the union of my entire being- is happening. Life caring for itself through the body and as seen, sensed in the body. Its the untrue thought that I am alone, that all is lost,  these thoughts are creating misery. But the true emotions and feelings in the body always have an okay ness to them. Even sadness is rich and very comforting when sensed in the body.

I can trust the body to take care of my mind, so I listen to all my senses and let things pass through me as they are. 

Finding love - ways shared by Rumi and Pema

Your task is not to seek for love,
but merely to seek  and

find
all the barriers within yourself
that you have built against it.”

~ Rumi

“The only reason we don’t open our hearts and minds to other people is that they trigger confusion in us that we don’t feel brave enough or sane enough to deal with. To the degree that we look clearly and compassionately at ourselves, we feel confident and fearless about looking into someone else’s eyes. ”

And…

“When you open yourself to the continually changing, impermanent, dynamic nature of your own being and of reality, you increase your capacity to love and care about other people and your capacity to not be afraid. You’re able to keep your eyes open, your heart open, and your mind open. And you notice when you get caught up in prejudice, bias, and aggression. You develop an enthusiasm for no longer watering those negative seeds, from now until the day you die. And, you begin to think of your life as offering endless opportunities to start to do things differently.”

Pema Chodron

 

 

Office Yoga - Pranayama

Pranayama

Keep your eyes closed, focusing on the breath

1. Abdominal breathing
Place right palm on navel. Become aware of the way the abdomen rises on inhalation & falls on exhalation.
Start counting. Equalise your breath. Inhale for 4 seconds, exhale for 4 seconds
Do 10 rounds.

2. Anuloma Viloma
1. Ready fingers for closing nostrils, thumb for right, forefinger or last finger for left.
2. Close left nostril, inhale from right for 3 seconds.
3. Close right nostril, exhale from left for 3 seconds.
4. Inhale from left for 3 seconds.
5. Close left, exhale from right for 3 seconds.
This is 1 round. Do 10 rounds.

Benefits:
1. Clears the nasal passages
2. Harmonises both the brain hemispheres
3. Creates mental equlibrium, calming the mind & induces tranquility

Yoga asana for sciatica

This seems to be such a common urban condition, so here is the link to my article

http://completewellbeing.com/article/yogasanas-to-soothe-sciatica/

Konasana, trikonasana - is such a wonderful pose. It doesnt have to be done strenuously, just a basic side bend with feet wider than the hip. Make sure your not leaning forward or back. The way to know when your doing it correctly is that you feel a stretch from the hip along the side of your body all the way to the armpit. Another thing to ensure is your breath. It has to be normal, we tend to hold it in this pose. Try staying here for atleast 5 normal breaths. Relax after you do both sides, see where the rush of blood is. Enjoy.

Allowing yourself to relax - Meditation practise

Yoga asanas are designed so that we can see how far we can open ourself to the posture. This means how much we can open up or allow our bodies to relax in someway which isnt normal in our daily life. A simple twist can be done with a lot of effort and resistance from the body or it can be done with the breath flow, observing the body and moving when the body relaxes into the posture. The thing is that you have to give it time and patience. Allow the body to respond, listen quietly. You will be amazed how much you can stretch further if you only listen carefully.

For each day just select a few asanas and spend sometime in each one. You will observe that its easier to do other asanas with ease because the body is willing and enjoying rather than pushed to do something. also, this time spend in one pose brings great awareness of your inner silence and stillness. Its so close to the surface, a simple meditative practise.

Try this in the simple lying down spinal twist.

Technique:
1. Lie down on your back, arms stretched out to shoulder level.
2. Bend knees, feet on the floor, knees together.
3. Drop both the knees on to the right side keeping feet together, on each other.
4. Turn the face to left side, twisting the spine. 
5. Allow your self to relax the shoulders to the floor and try to bring the upper back as close to the floor as possible. stay for 2 minutes
6. Bring knees to start position.
7. repeat on left side.

What is meditation

The mind is a great servant but a terrible master - Dr Jaydeva Yogendra


I have struggled to figure this one out. Years ago when I really needed to sort myself out, I thought of meditation. Naturally, books were bought & read. Yet this didnt clear my understanding. The variety of methods of meditation - breath purifying, divine light, chakra, mantra, yantra, mala, soham ... endless!! It just confused me. I just get caught up in all this mumbo jumbo & there was np meditation being done. It was more like a struggle, a fight with the mind.

Confused & disheartened, i scrapped meditation from my practise, sticking to asana, pranayama & breath awareness. Little did i kno that this simple method is the most effective base for meditation. Breath awareness -just observing the natural way the breath comes in & goes out- is such a calming, relaxing practise. Its what comes most naturally, if you remain in a relaxed way. Thats meditation - simply keeping your mind on one thing. The key here is to remain an observer. If any emotion arises, watch it, dont get caught up in it. Let it pass & return to keeping mind on your chosen object. If other thoughts come, which they do, dont indulge them, dont talk to them, let them pass.

Meditation is moment to moment awareness of what the mind id doing. Your actually telling the mind to observe the breath & then you are watching the mind. If other thoughts come, you are aware that this or that thought has come. If emotions arise, acknowledge them. But do not dwell on them. Return to your task of watching the breath. Do all this without any tension. If the mind gets tense, confused or tired be aware that my mind is getting tired, relax with a slow long breath & resume breath awareness. You will be amazed how light your body will feel afterwards. Also, a sense of joy will arise. The body may tire if your not used to sitting straight. Plod on, your body learns real fast. like everything in life, train the body to sit upright for 10 minutes at a stretch. Daily asana practise works wonders - opens up the body making it supple & flexible.

All this easier said than done. Ask any practitioner, they all struggle to hold the mind in one spot. In yoga this is dhyana - the 7th step of Ashtanga Yoga. What can be done is create an area of focus. Like, if your watching the breath - observe the way the breath enters the nostril, how it feels, the pace, the tempreture, the areas within the nose, throat that the air touches. All this awareness takes us inward & focusses the mind, creating a roaming space for our mind. We have managed to limit the area the mind flutters around. This is dharana - 6th step of Ashtanga Yoga. This too requires a lot of discipling & training. The key is how often you practise. If youe serious about gaining control over your mind & your life, start with short spells - 10 m inutes of focussing. do it twice, thrice a day.Fix time where you parctise daily and do not miss it. The mind will gradually come around. Then, perhaps after couple of months,extend the time to 15 minutes. In this way, the mind will be disciplined. All the best , cheers!!

Sleeping woes……. Zzzzzz ???

Insomnia.
At times just the mention of this word is enough to traumatize people who have grappled with this condition. Sleep related issues seem to go hand in hand with our urban curry, hurry, worry lifestyle. Infact, it certainly is a condition created by our city life. Wrong dietary habits, lack of exercise, absence of a sleep routine & stress all contribute to sleep disorders. But at the root lies our thinking – the lack of faith.

Last night as I lay awake in bed, listening to the family gossip, I wondered for the nth time why cant I sleep. I lead a what seems to be healthy lifestyle. Eating sensibly, exercise regularly, work comfortably and enjoy a abundant life. Yet, here I am – AWAKE!! Infact, just thinking that I do all the “right things” yet “suffer” just makes it worse. Finally, I did drift off, thanks to some abdominal breathing, only to awaken at 3 am!!

Now, just so that u know, ive had insomnia couple of years back for almost a year. Thinking, thinking … useless, mundane thoughts over & over. It was frustrating & so very very tiring. I have feared it & hating myself to let a condition create such havoc in my life. What really got me was the question WHY. I had tried all traditional methods – warm baths, soothing music, chamomile teas, sleeping pills, pranayamas –though relieved symptom for a while, nothing restored sleep regularity. I was quite a mess. Went for counseling to experienced professional, yet remained clueless.

One early morning as I lay awake in bed, too tired to think it, something said don’t worry, everythings gonna be alright. It felt right, I just listened to that voice & that was it. Ive slept better that night & it did get better after a while. Nowadays I enjoy undisturbed, restoring sleep.

Then there was last night. So, I lay there wondering what am I worrying abt. The inside me said that, ok, look here buddy I had to make this wake up call coz u weren’t listening to me. You forced me to wake you to get your attention. You haven’t been thinking straight, going back to your old ways of distructive behavior. Be clear what you want & it will come to you. Your doing what seems right by others but is it really what you want?? Your trying to fit in, rather than creating you world.

As usual, this inside me was right. My new years resolution was to listen to me first. Just 18 days and I had slipped up. Well, for the first time I was happy for this unearthly hour wake up call!!

We, as makers of our lives, our destiny, think that we need to organize, think, plan everything. Actually we just need to be listening to ourself & everything will fall in plan. Now, this does need an abundance of unwavering faith which I must confess I have not maintained recently. I let doubting thoughts & feelings in. Like weeds they take roots so easily.

Awareness, as usual, is the key.