YogaTalk

Practical reminders for ordinary splendour

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PLANET WONDER

I don’t mind sounding corny – some things just can’t be said enough:

Our home planet is unique…

Close enough to our sun to be warmed, but far enough away not to be scorched…

Half-days basked in light and half-days cooled in shade…

So much potential for life – this earth could be heaven. How lucky we are. 

Here are some personal thoughts on how experiences of everyday wonder can help lift us from the swamping rigmaroles of personal life. I think of it as giving things a yogaturn. Because…

Because, it’s just so easy to get wrapped up in our own little world.

I got bogged down this summer. A health crisis was consuming too much energy; I could manage to teach well enough but had no creative urge to write. Small things got to me. I could get anxious about the least thing and, in the continuing rainless weeks of baking heat, I did not thrive.

One day, we couldn’t bear the screeches of our neighbours’ grandchildren on their trampoline, swings and slide. With no quiet indoors we went out to escape the noise.

On the market, two blokes stood smoking as they faced into the hatch of the little snack bar. They seemed oblivious of our efforts to get served, as we manoeuvred forwards and back to avoid their clouds of smoke.

We headed for the clean air of the hills, escaping with the curlews on the hot scorched moors.

Soothed but hot and thirsty, we then took refuge in the coolness of a favourite pub in trendy right-on Hebden Bridge. The place was busier than we’d ever seen it. People with drinks wandered uncomfortably from room to room looking for seats. Two ladies eating pickled eggs and drinking wine were comfortably sprawled across all the bench seating for three tables at one side of the room. I managed to squeeze up next to a guy’s big rucksack which he did not move from the seat; he and his stuff were monopolising a space which could have seated five or six. He looked the sensitive type but clearly wasn’t!  I couldn’t help noticing that the book he sat reading was called “Higher Consciousness”.

How come people seemed so uncaring and oblivious to each other’s needs?

I like to people-watch. I learn a lot. Normally I’m upbeat in observation with a light-hearted yogaturn overview – but not that day. I longed for planet simple, where social interchange was always easy, caring and thoughtful.

I often head off to the hills in my heart and mind – it helps me see a bigger picture which is more compassionate and kind. But not that day. I just felt annoyed. Husband said I needed to get on the yoga mat, and he was right. Getting on the mat does always seem to sweeten life and set things right. I had been unwittingly sinking into my own realm of the unwell, yogaturns somehow slipping away in my preoccupation with personal affairs and health.

These yogaturns are for any time, whatever our situation and however we’re feeling – we just sometimes need reminding.

Selfish and defensive behaviour are often rooted in uncertainty, ignorance and fear.

Remembering this is in itself a yogaturn, which helps us feel compassion toward the inconsiderate or unkind, at times saving us from our own knee-jerk reactions.

Yoga helps us raise a more attuned self-awareness which is not self-obsessed.

Remembering this is another yogaturn, so we don’t take ourselves too seriously and can have a light-hearted default mode, even if we’re not in a good place at the time.

I like to lie down on my back on the yoga mat, semi-supine, open-handed, arms out wide. Eyes closed, I imagine a starry sky on a clear moonlit night. Having seen such skies and felt sublime I can invoke those feelings once again, purely through memory.

Letting such wonder be part of the ordinary everyday is yet another yogaturn. It uplifts and enriches life.

When I remember to gaze up at the heavens , I’m overwhelmed with wonder at this vast display of space and time.

Such feelings bring a shrinking sense of self without denting self-esteem. We can be reminded of our own short transient life without fearing its end.

Gobsmacked by starlight, I know that I am but one of similar billions, with each of us a tiny part of this boundless ever-changing universe. Such feelings humble me, helping me feel more connected to others and our world.

Perhaps the word ‘awe’ is overused today – but not felt enough.

Feelings of wonder, awe and the sublime are not so rare – they can just easily be missed or overlooked.

It’s not necessary to visit exotic locations, have bucket lists with bungee jumps, be an astronaut, blow our mind on drugs… to be uplifted by a transformative experience.

Such feelings come at different levels, take varied forms and induce a range of emotions. But all will help steer us away from self-preoccupation.

Shared experiences of awe and wonder can help people bond, to have more respect and love for our home planet and for each other.

Soaking up all the small wonders of our daily life adds up to an awful lot of awe… Reminding myself and others of this is the reason for this blog.

“It is one of the greatest glories of this universe that the common and inconspicuous life of ordinary men contains a thousand daily opportunities for spiritual splendour.”

From Seven Schools of Yoga. By Ernest Wood, 1931 

Here are some suggestions for wonder-triggers:

  • Look at an insect up close.
  • Don’t miss a chance to get out in the natural world.
  • Visit a cathedral or some similar awesome building or engineering project.
  • Expose yourself to be blown away by someone’s creative talent, music or art, from the past or the present.
  • Close your eyes and conjure up memories of awe and wonder, evoking similar feelings just by remembering them.
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SILLINESS

After a couple of very serious blogs, I found myself thinking I need to bring a little silliness into my day. Not tricky for me. I love a little silliness. I may have mentioned before, and often say this in the yoga class when faced with many serious and sombre faces looking back at me, “There is just not enough silliness in this world”.

I believe we have become too grown up and forgotten the freedom of our childish and innocent ways.

I love a little humour, in fact, I love a lot of humour. Within most of my daily tasks I inject some witty comments or ridicule (usually of myself) and laughter.

I love a giggly yoga class. I can find myself giving the instruction to lift the corners of the mouth – the reaction of my students never fails to amuse me as it dawns on them that I am asking them to smile. It always creates a chuckle or two. The joyous reaction of having a good old roll around in happy baby (Ananda Balasana) can lift the mood on a rainy day. We can take ourselves too seriously can’t we? Laughter is great therapy.

I attended a meditation session recently. It was all very reverent, lots of delightful chanting and serious nodding of approval. The last chant got underway – all very lovely – but the tune seemed to be turning a little ‘country and western’!!! When it was over, choosing her words carefully, my friend kindly pointed out that it was more like a rendition of ‘ You picked a fine time to leave me Lucille’. The place enjoyed minutes of uproarious laughter and fun. The session ended with lots of love and smiles all round.

If you haven’t already, go and create a little silliness in your day…. Then smile and be joyous that you did.

Love and silliness – Joy 🙂

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RESISTANCE

Have you ever wondered why, when someone asks something of you, you say no when really you wanted to say yes but just couldn’t bring yourself to do it? Or you find yourself doing something you really didn’t want to do because you just couldn’t say no?

It happens to everyone at some time or another!

Are we resisting or pushing back because we feel we have no option, by agreeing to do something we have no desire to do – or are we resisting what we need for ourselves. Do we even know the difference?

Our busy lifestyles these days give us no room for thought. Our minds are full of information, things to remember, jobs that mustn’t be forgotten. Kit and I often call it the ‘monkey chatter’ In yogic terms the ‘Vritti’ when the brain won’t stop working overtime and the list gets longer but there’s no space to make sense of it all. We become overwhelmed and anxious, not knowing what to do first, our sleep is affected which makes us tired and inefficient. So the downward spiral continues.

How do we make it stop?

I would say this wouldn’t I but one answer is to get down on the yoga mat, taking the focus away from the chatter. Focus on the gentle soft breathing, relaxing the mind and the body. If the body refuses to stay still, try a walking meditation or a soft and slow yoga practice. As the mind wanders, acknowledge the thought, then park it and bring the attention back to the breath. This can be a real challenge for many of us when the chatter is so loud it drowns out the clearest logic. Don’t give up on yourself.

Resistance can be both the ying and the yang. We can inadvertently resist the things that are good for us, or control it and use that gift to help us bring some positive change to our behaviour patterns.

Yoga off the mat can be just as valuable as yoga on the mat. Finding the balance is the tricky bit. We don’t always have to be physically still to enjoy the practice of stillness and meditation. Take a moment here and there to offer the mind a little space. Sometimes resisting the urge to carry on with the immediate task – taking a moment from time to time to adjust, to enjoy, to breathe, to notice the everyday splendour in the smallest of things. For me, it gives a sense of purpose for our very existence.

 

 

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JUDGEMENT

Why do we do it? There’s no denying it! We judge ourselves for our actions, we judge our partners and friends for theirs, we even judge those who we don’t even know. We say they’re too fat, too thin, too brown, too silly, and so on and so on…..

As discerning human beings with opinions and intellect we constantly make decisions and choices. It’s part of who we are. Decisions are an important part of everyday living. We live better lives because of them….or do we?

Sometimes our inner decision-making skills are off kilter, for all sorts of reasons. We forget to ask ourselves why we feel something is better for us. We find ourselves caught up in wanting to make decisions and choices for others because it’s our own preference, not theirs. We justify it by saying “It’s for their own good” or, “I know what’s best for them”. Effectively taking away the power to make decisions for themselves. I pose the question – Should we do this?

No doubt, there are times to look after our children or loved ones that are in need of care. But being lost to the capability of keeping themselves safe enables us to take on the role of ‘keeper’ or ‘parent’. When we notice changes occur and they are stronger and more capable, we can choose to back off from our temporary role.

As the receiver of this kindness we may begin to rely on others to take care of all our decisions, becoming less responsible for our own actions and happy to pass on this mantle to anyone who will accept it for us.

As the giver do we feel comfortable to continue to fulfil a desire in us that makes us feel needed, unaware that we are taking someone’s independence away from them – albeit with their blessing and consent, even their gratitude.

It can become obvious in the yoga class. A regular cue of mine is to take things easy, not doing anything that doesn’t feel appropriate or backing off when the body decides it has had enough. In truth, few people are aware of their bodies and what they need or feel. They are mostly happy to push through a degree of pain in order to achieve what the teacher is asking of them. In other words, ‘Let the teacher decide what’s good for me’ – opting out of taking the decision to be responsible for themselves.

There is no better reward as a teacher to see a dozen different students doing a dozen different things from the same instructions – all of them independently aware that their bodies are requiring something slightly different at that moment in time – without competition or enquiry. Not so much on other occasions.

The yoga class is the perfect environment to get in touch with the responses and reactions of the body and mind. To be aware that the mind and all its chatter can be so bossy it takes over and doesn’t always allow us to feel what’s best for us. It makes us compete with ourselves and others. It makes a poor judgement call, feeding the ego rather than the soul. We can use the term ‘Ahimsa’ (Sanskrit for non-harming or non-violence) to bring our awareness back to the relevance of the here and now, empowering us to make the best judgment call for ourselves. To know that judging others or making judgment calls for them is not always the kindest thing to do. In practicing Ahimsa and awareness we can be in a more informed place to decide what’s best for us. By example, help those close to us to be responsible for their own decisions, supporting their choices to encourage confidence and personal growth.

The reward may not be as instant but over time it’s a win/win. We then have confident and well-adjusted family and friends around us to support us to make our own choices when we face challenges, rather than make poor decisions for us.

I hope this blog has been as thought provoking for you as it has for me. Giving ourselves space for thought before we rush in and inadvertently force our judgment on others may be one of the kindest ways of practicing our yoga off the mat.

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TICKETTYBOO!

Here are some thoughts about feeling fine with our here and now… which as it happens, is the yogic concept of santosha. What does this mean, and how can it be useful?

Santosha/samtosa/santosh/santosa is something of a pause… a way of taking in how we are, so we can then respond well to whatever’s happening at the time.

Sanskrit words don’t always seem to have obvious English equivalents, which can cause misunderstanding.

‘Santosha’ comes from san meaning completely or entirely, and tosha meaning acceptance or contentment. The concept is not however about resignation or passive fatalism. Santosha is a practical means for positive change.

Santosha concerns noticing the interplay between our present moments, thoughts and feelings: and how they then influence our subsequent responses and decisions.

It helps us see ourselves and our circumstances more clearly, free from misapprehension and self-deception. This allows us to make wiser choices about the direction we take – knowing how and where we are gives us a clear starting point.

The clarity which santosha brings comes from letting go of fears, which cloud our judgement.

Yoga considers that human nature is essentially happy, but irrational fears can sap this joy, commonly leading to suffering.

Fears can root us to the spot, making us hold on too tightly. They can make us defensive. They can make us want to flee. They can fuel an urge to try and control things. But the only thing I can really control is… me.

But when anxious, we’re hardly going to self-manage well!

Santosha helps ground us in the present moment, reducing anxiety about future situations – which may or may not materialise. We’re then more likely to make wiser decisions, with positive outcomes. Then, the future will seem brighter and we’re less likely to cause pain – to us or others.

Through santosha I feel at ease with myself, more fearless and clear-sighted, less wrapped up in my own needs – more likely to manage myself both unselfishly and well.

It feels like a relief to me, very much a physical sensation… a soft exhale through the mouth, a letting go of any struggles, as if making room to breathe more wisdom in…

The smell of gorse or juniper; the sound of boots crunching on sparkly snow; lying on the grass admiring passing clouds; the scent of lilac and the colour of the flowers; the roar of Tarn Beck on a hot day before plunging in; sitting in timeless meditation.

A sense of peace, and release… not having to bother trying to control the uncontrollable.

Life comes in waves of change. Highs and lows, joys and sorrows, all are part of living. Nothing ever stays the same.

Santosha helps us to embrace life, to handle change, reducing the desire to escape, or to keep things the same. Less wishing we were in a different time or place. Less yearning for sensory pleasures. Less thinking, ‘I’ll be happy when…’

As I get older I notice more how the Fridays seem to come round ever quicker.

Awareness of time passing, the faculty of memory, knowing that there is a future: all are part of being human. I think of santosha as a friend… who offers timely reminders if I’m missing too many precious present moments by dwelling in the past or wishing my life away.

If I know how to restore my equilibrium, I’m not so troubled when I notice my mind ‘doing its thing’: chattering away about what will happen tomorrow or what happened yesterday!

As santosha has come to feel more familiar, I’m able to cultivate it consciously when it doesn’t come unbidden.

And so, like many other yoga concepts, it’s a simple, useful, practical and powerful tool.

Why not take a few minutes now to sense it yourself…

Rest your hands

Let go of any tensions

Exhale softly and deeply through the mouth

Imagine yourself stepping back, to see the bigger picture, to notice your feelings about the here now.

Picture yourself feeling peaceful and fearless.

Breathe in endless possibilities and positive change.

Close your eyes and settle into the moment

On these pleasant spring mornings I often breakfast very early, on the swing bench at the back of the garden. Sometimes santosha creeps up on me, and I hear the birds sing to me: ‘Enjoy!’ ‘Enjoy!’ ‘Enjoy!’

So I do!

 

 

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NEW BEGINNINGS

Here are some thoughts about habits, followed by a few simple ideas for how to make more good ones… and break the bad.

Chatting before class recently I remarked that we can make yoga practices out of many everyday things, and someone said…“Then I’m going to make a practice out of drinking gin!”

And yes, I suppose we could do such a thing, if only to appreciate it more and to better notice how much we’re actually drinking.

Whilst it made us laugh it also reminds me how sticky it is to navigate a course through life… when even overdoing the healthy things can ultimately cause harm!

This is when our yoga helps us recover an even keel and strike a better balance: for strength and flexibility both physically and mentally, being able to flex and not snap under strain, to think more clearly… and do things differently.

Our habits are as wide-ranging and individual as our nervous tics. It’s useful to be made more aware of them. Are they helpful? What influences these things we do so regularly that they’ve unconsciously ‘set in’, and we seem unable to manage without them?

Our brain is continuously making decisions on all kinds of levels. Don’t they say that conscious awareness is just 5% of the brain’s activity? Meaning that the other 95% is happening below our radar!

We can function easily on autopilot. It’s one reason for our species’ success – this ability to do one thing whilst consciously thinking about something else!

Being spared conscious involvement in mundane tasks frees up our brain for other things.

But freedom goes and troubles come when we’re unable to self-manage well. We can easily become confined by unhelpful habits and the old routines, living too much on auto – at the expense of self-awareness.

Making practices out of regular daily actions helps keep us fresh and wide-awake to our experience of living. Why not help restore the curiosity of our childlike self, unafraid to question everything? I mean not just our individual habits, but those which societies cultivate collectively.

Long-standing routines and religious or cultural traditions can certainly bring comfort and reassurance. Doing familiar things can sometimes steady us, making structure from life’s uncertainty and chaos. But we also benefit from nurturing our more attuned awareness.

Our life is such a sensory experience. We’re definitely pleasure seekers – beyond doubt! It’s just that some things are so enticing… and when caught up by moments of temptation we tend to forget that short-term gratification can lead to long-term pain.

Yes, we all have internal tussles. And with pleasure as a catalyst, trouble can easily brew.

I was reminded recently of something I too easily overlook… that emotion, not rational thought, is what drives even our unconscious decisions.

Humanity is beset by addiction, and with so many enticing things out there the problem seems to be growing.

But where once most addictions were for some food, drink or substances, now they are more likely to be behaviours; timeless ones like obsessive hoarding, cleaning, gambling, checking… and now with the additional modern examples such as: online gaming, binge viewing, social media, using mobile devices, checking texts and emails, or online ‘likes’.

It’s easy to see how people get stuck in their debilitating habits and behaviours. Maybe we hold on too tight because we fear change or letting go? Maybe we’re stagnating through inertia, apathy even, unable to think differently and move on? Imagine the false comfort of using a walking stick, long after a leg has healed.

But on a positive note: whilst it’s easy to drag ourselves down, we can also drag ourselves back up again – by knowing how to give things a ‘yoga-turn’. This means being unafraid and even amused to see all we do in a clearer, more kindly light. It takes all kinds to make our rich and diverse world.

Knowing how to self-help in a positive way is a purpose and cornerstone of yoga practice. We’re already acutely self-aware-emotive creatures. Yoga is about nurturing an awareness which is benign, beneficial, powerful and positive.

We’re each unique. Is there really such a thing as ‘normal’? What I regularly do is my ‘normal’, but to someone else… it may be just ‘weird’???

HERE ARE SOME HINTS ON HABITS:

Self-observe

Cultivate a skill in self-observation. Simply notice personal routines and habits, so we can distinguish between the benign, useless, harmful and helpful.

Try to spot influences and associations concerning particular habits, such as people, places, situations, moods and mind-frame.

Some ill-serving habits are less consequential, but some can cause great suffering for a person and those around them.

Decide

Recognise what change is needed. Are you breaking a bad habit? Making a new and positive routine? All of this? Choose your path and make a plan.

Set realistic goals and manageable timelines… half a day of doing this, three hours of not doing that… until the hours extend to days.

 

Visualise

Picture the future you. Imagine your life and how you will be with this new routine or when free of that particular habit. Bring this picture to your mind’s eye on a regular basis, especially when temptation is strong – until it passes. It will pass… everything passes.

 

Clarity

Aim to be free of self-deception. Have courage and be fearless in having definite goals. Are you adopting something new? Managing something? Giving something up completely?

Use tactics

Seek out situations which consolidate a new and positive routine. Avoid people or places you associate with bad habits. Schedule in new well-serving habits. Tag them onto existing routines – like going swimming on the way to work.

Keep trying

Long-standing bad habits are very difficult to shift; they’re persistent. Don’t give up when you slip up. Just start again.

Willpower gets depleted more easily at times of stress and strain. Resting helps renew it; like a muscle it gets stronger with regular exercise, which starts to seem easier.

Procrastination

While it’s true that good timing can help make or break a habit, it’s also true that the best time to start afresh is sometimes… NOW.

It’s your call to recognise which is the wiser deed – don’t delay or put off taking action when you know you’re falling back on excuses.

Accept support

Be unafraid to share your journey with those you trust. Be a good receiver of support. Be prepared to seek medical help. A burden is lighter when shared.

Patience and kindness

Practise self-compassion. Change can’t always happen overnight; adjusting behaviour patterns is rarely instant. If a stiff body has been sitting slumped for years, even the greatest will in the world can’t make it sit instantly upright.

Look after yourself

Value yourself. Focus on the healthy-living you. Incentivise yourself – give yourself credit and treat yourself well. Get plenty of rest – the world can seem a better place after a good night’s sleep.

Each moment that passes adopts the sense of a new beginning if we choose it to be so. For most of us the absence of awareness allows the mundane and habitual process to creep in, eventually setting the tone of our daily existence to the detriment of pleasure and freedom of thought and action. A balance of security and safety of everyday stuff coupled with excitement and autonomy to make alternative choices is surely one of the gifts of human intelligence. Having the confidence to delight in our very existence and ‘ring the changes’ can significantly enrich our lives…. If only we could recognise these choices are ours to make!!

 

 

 

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PRACTICE

SOUNDSCAPE

Most of us are blessed to hear the unique sounds of our daily living; but being used to it makes it easier to miss it.

We can make a practice of listening to sounds which happen to be around at the time. Stopping to do this on a regular basis can help make us feel connected to our surroundings, more at ease and embodied in the world.

Anytime can be a good time. Why not try it now?

Drop your shoulders and allow the breath to soften.

Relax the eyes, then close them.

Feel happy to pause from action, resting for a few minutes just to listen.

Let your other senses begin to take a back seat, as you tune-in to any sounds or apparent silence…

Let your ears be open to listening without trying, soaking up sounds in general, but nothing in particular.

Imagine your ears and eyes are smiling, with any tension in your neck or face just melting.

Become immersed in all these sounds together. Notice layers of volume, frequency, rhythm and texture.

But can you listen in a neutral way? Is it possible to simply not be bothered by any sounds which feel intrusive?

If you hear people talking close by, make a game of not homing in to conversation content. Listen as if it were an unfamiliar language; notice rather the manner of their talking, the level of friendliness in their interaction.

Then, focus on just one sound in particular. And give this your full attention, remain this way for some moments, just listening…

If there are other sounds, then pick out a different one… as if hearing it for the first time.

Continue this for as long as you like, hopping from sound… to… sound.

When you feel it’s nearing time to close the practice… breathe deeply.

Feeling firmly planted in the landscape.

Hear once again the general mix which is your soundscape, and let all your senses come into play. Open the eyes and smell your surroundings.

Smile if you like, and when ready begin to move… at ease in your environment.

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PRACTICE

TASTE

Too many humans, all needing food, in a volatile, ever-changing world, which they don’t look after…?

Not really a good recipe for peaceful eating!

When such creatures, full of desire and emotion brew alcohol…

Well it doesn’t seem to make for moderate drinking either! 

Food and drink can be such a pleasure, but going by the present state of the nation which I love …

It seems our consumption is doing more harm than good. 

Enough said. Rant over. This website is not about preaching, and likes to focus on the fun and the positive.

So here are some light-hearted reminders of things we can do which make for happy eating, pleasant drinking and good digestion. 

As usual it’s about making a practice out of everyday behaviour. It’s a way of replacing bad habits with good ones using awareness and repetition.

We may not always remember, so it’s best to be more amused than self-critical when we don’t always manage it. The way I think about such things is: I’ll give it a yoga-turn:

STOP TO EAT

Practice not doing anything else while you eat, especially if that’s not the norm.

Turn off the TV. Put down devices. Let any music be quiet and unobtrusive. Let yourself sit peacefully with no distractions.

SIT TO EAT

Be upright and imagine your head floating upwards. Notice any slumping (as if trying to get closer to the food!)

If on a chair, try not leaning on the back of it (especially if it’s shaped like a bucket!) Try not to cross your legs, but have both feet on the floor and if the chair’s too high, put something under the feet.

DON’T RUSH

If you’re a habitual fast eater or drinker this one can be a real challenge… you’ll probably keep forgetting!

Chew the food completely. Put cutlery down between mouthfuls.

TASTE IT

Let the food or drink move around in the mouth before swallowing. If it tastes good, savour it.

A FAVOURABLE SETTING

Try to eat and drink in pleasant and friendly places, and if not alone then in congenial company.

THANKFULNESS

Pause in gratitude before eating and drinking. Thank the cook or provider if possible. Show appreciation.

MOOD

Try to avoid eating and drinking when upset or angry: it can influence our choices and hamper digestion. Notice thoughts as you eat and cultivate pleasant ones.

SNACKING

It’s easy to deceive ourselves about what we consume, and the quantity. “All I’ve had is a cracker…” Yes, but what about the half-inch slice of cheese on it and half a jar of pickle!

Whether through greed or need, some people eat too much, some too little.

If you’re lucky enough to have plenty of food, then it’s just a case of noticing what and when you eat between meals, or during preparation.

TABLE MANNERS

Notice the way you eat, especially when alone. Are you a lazy or messy eater? Eat mindfully, as if in company.

CHOICE

Obviously, some people’s diet is restricted through medical issues.

If we are fortunate enough to select what we consume, then remember to appreciate this freedom.

Why not pause to notice if what we’re about to swallow will nourish or harm us?

There’s always a moral and ethical aspect to food and drink. It’s worth considering what the environmental, human and animal costs are, and how much we value that.

It’s wonderful to be able to enjoy our food and drink. And what fun to be able to treat ourselves and be a bit naughty when it causes no harm!

A personal afterword about my own relations with alcohol:

So far (touch wood!) I’ve managed to avoid the devastation of long-term addiction… because in this area I know I could easily have had problems.

I’m obviously a huge fan of yoga, and it’s for a very good reason. Without wishing to sound dramatic, I do feel that yoga continually saves me.

At some point I realised that yoga’s benign and practical influence was percolating into all aspects of my everyday life, helping me manage myself better, leading to wiser choices. I really do feel that it saves me from a more impetuous self.  KX

 

 

 

 

 

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WAKEY WAKEY


There are times when life seems to take on certain flavours, often evoked by particular sights, sounds, tastes, smells and touch…

Here’s a blog about the senses… our unique senses, through which we experience the world.

These senses are a powerful stimulus for thoughts, feelings, and how we respond to whatever’s happening at the time.

With their help we humans have evolved to be the most dominant, creative, volatile and destructive creatures on the planet – after a few million years!

Our brain lives in its dark closed shell. Signals from the senses are its gateway to beyond. These signals, translated into the common currency of electro-chemical impulses, then permit us to adopt our own individual slant on the world.

Our senses collaborate:

Vision is a whole-body experience.

Touch influences how we see.

Sight informs what we hear, taste and smell.

When trying to remember something, some people reach for their glasses… in fact, I admit, I’ve done it myself! It’s that feeling that somehow seeing more clearly helps us think more clearly.

And whilst I am grateful for my glasses, I do resent having something stuck on my face!

I encourage people to manage without them on the yoga mat… to enjoy a more carefree experience. Make friends with that blurry, fuzzy world!

At home on bright days I like to go spec-less. Or go walking! Otherwise all the bits that need cleaning and dusting are far too apparent in the sunlight…

But my light-hearted way of putting off housework unfortunately mirrors what may in some become a problem – namely, dulling the senses in order to bypass pain, or closing our eyes and ears to things which don’t reinforce our opinions. We thus cheat ourselves of our natural vibrant awareness and impartiality.

Yoga practices can help us appreciate and evolve connections. For example, the way we breathe reflects the way we think and feel… and vice versa.

It’s good to be reminded that what affects one aspect of us will always influence the function of our whole self.

The way we practise on the yoga mat is a good pointer to how we are in general.

And sometimes in classes people wisely close their eyes. Why? To better savour their own experience, rather than be made hungry by what the eye sees – thus avoiding the urge to achieve the shapes that other bodies are making!

We can too easily believe our eyes, even if they tell us that white is black and black is white.

Our senses can drive us to unwise and illogical behaviours, make us susceptible to strange beliefs and superstitions. We humans are prone to bias, to adopting moral stances then bending facts around them.

First impressions don’t always serve us well in the long term, if based solely on how someone looks or sounds that day.

Our senses can trick us when in highly charged or emotional states of mind; when asked to recall situations imagination can easily replace fact.

In yoga misapprehension is called avidya. And a purpose of practice is to see ourselves and others more clearly – to remove the veils of illusion, which yoga names maya.

How easily our senses can deceive!

We sense things as solid, including us, yet all is space and energetic particles.

We sense we are still, yet we’re hurtling through space on a fast-spinning planet.

We sense that the world is flat, just because we can’t see past our noses!

Our collective senses lend us our perception of the world, from which emerges our own unique, individual reality… it’s a miracle!

Yet, like all else in the world, our senses are ever-changing; their quality comes in tides.

As surely as the moon draws the ocean, they will be affected by ill health, negative emotion, fatigue.

Yoga helps us to take care of ourselves, knowing that how we behave will affect the world around us.

Clarity makes us better managers of ourselves… so that our senses can serve, and not enslave us. X

 

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BLOG

SELF-HEAL

Are you already a yoga convert? Have you ‘soaked up’ enough to feel some benefit… but still wonder what it’s all about?

I hope this blog will help to clarify a few things for all of us.

As a teacher, I’m able to observe how people respond in class, and how their experience of yoga influences their lives. I’ve been doing this for many years.

People seem to get the most from yoga when it’s clear and simple – when complicated, it doesn’t seem to help that much.

Being bendy and clever is irrelevant – it’s just not necessary to understand all the ins and outs, or to be able to touch your toes.

We come to know what yoga is and does when we start to personally feel its healing help.

We all appreciate that yoga is a very very old thing, and for many, from a distant culture. But basically it all boils down to simple personal experiences.

For most, the journey starts on a yoga mat. Irrespective of the style of yoga, it’s often on the mat that we start to appreciate its practical help in everyday life.

Yoga is commonly seen as one of the six major philosophies from the Hindu tradition… Hindu in its broad sense, meaning originating from a culture around the ancient Indus valley (hence the name India).

It has evolved from a rich and colourful tradition where lines are blurred between science, medicine and spirituality.

The words ‘whole’, ‘hale’, ‘heal’ and ‘holy’ all share a root with the Sanskrit word ‘yoga’, which implies to yoke, or to harness together.

The Sanskrit word ‘hatha’ can be interpreted as the breath of the sun (ha) and of the moon (tha) or any similar opposite polarities, such as male/female, light/dark, hot/cold, hard/soft.

Hatha yoga then, is the integration into a well and balanced whole.

Hatha yoga is a physical and sensory practice, because we live in the material world. And we can soak up its benefits from experience, without having to know all the history and background.

Am I wrong to think that whatever our roots, we’re all essentially pilgrims…? all searching for a way to live our transient human lives in a volatile world?

Yoga is a wonderful multi-tool and medicine box to help guide our experiences, to better manage ourselves.

Yoga helps keep me more joyously connected to the world – and less frightened of it! Teaching is just sharing this healing help. Yoga is an aid towards complete well-ness, because what happens within a person affects their function as a whole, and their behaviour affects those around them… and that influence then continues to ripple out into the wider world.

An National Health Service media unit came to film a yoga class in a club where I teach. Their aim was to promote health through self-reliance. Of course we were all pleased to be of help. Here it is… have a look yourself. X

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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PRACTICE

THE COMPLETE BREATH

 

There’s a practice in yoga known as the Complete Breath. It’s simple and utterly delightful. It aids the body systems, can calm, yet also invigorate to empower action, or be a soothing prelude to sleep.

Just a few are beneficial, but five minutes of complete breathing goes a long way in reducing mental clamour and disquiet. So let’s begin… Listen to the podcast above or read the practice below.

Make yourself comfortable. Take a few minutes’ rest.

Close your eyes. Let the mouth gently close and the back of neck soften.

Notice the nostrils, imagine them softly flaring.

Follow the breath as it flows in and out at the nose.

Let the exhales be softer, let the inhales be a similar length.

Allow the face to relax, the jaw to release… the shoulders to let go.

Imagine your eyes are wide, extending out towards the temples.

Let your brow be smooth and free of frown.

Notice what you see with your eyes closed.

Feel the passages at the bridge of nose, down the throat into the lungs, to be clear and spacious, with plenty room for the breath to move in and out.

Let the belly expand out with each inhale, and enjoy the steady rhythm of your breathing.

And now let your in-breaths gradually deepen.

Feel the chest widen as each inhale fills the vault of your ribcage.

Feel the belly draw back with the exhales, as your ribcage remains big… deep… and wide.

Immerse yourself in the movement and waves of your breathing, and soak up this power into every nook and cranny.

Mark with short pauses where the in-breaths turn into out-breaths.

Don’t labour. Make each breath as comfortable as possible.

Remind the face to relax and the back of neck to soften.

Allow yourself this time to create feelings of physical and mental space.

Settle into the rhythm of your breathing…

Imagine any unwanted cares being released with the exhales.

Imagine drawing in clarity, energy and joy with the inhales.

Presently… when ready… let go of controlling the breathing, allow your breaths to become softer and softer.

Then…when you’re ready… end the practice as you began it… calmly and gradually.

 

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BLOG

FRUITS

Hello everyone!   And thank you once again for all your wonderful comments. We are both overjoyed and overwhelmed by the number we are getting. Apologies for not being able to respond to each one… there are just so many! They are very very helpful, so please do keep them coming, because they help keep us going in the right direction.

And Happy New Year! It feels so good to get back on that yoga mat after a few weeks break! Hope you can also begin the year by doing the same.

It’s also good to see the snowdrops… to be reminded, on dull winter days, of the coming spring; to remember that we too are part of nature, and that our own quickening endeavours can also ripen into fruits.

It’s obviously of benefit to have some spark and vigour, to feel light-hearted and in natural rhythm with ourselves. Feeling such benefit is certainly a motivation to take up yoga practices. Some benefits are instant, others creep up over time…

Perhaps one day we notice that some once-familiar ache has faded.

Perhaps our general mood is upbeat and we are not so easily dragged down.

Perhaps we feel more buoyant, less anxious, better able to counter daily knocks and scrapes without being thrown off balance.

Benefits can be numerous, coming in fits and starts, and not always apparent;

We might start with tiny steps, but, who knows?… these could become giant leaps! Why not THINK BIG!?

Be optimistic and stretch upwards like the snowdrop – from the cold earth into sunshine, out of darkness into light.

Yes, the benefits can be numerous – it’s better just to suggest a few.

Fruits of practice might make us more…

ACCEPTING… that whilst we may have little control over events, we can still have authority over the self.

Aware that, though our self-determination may be limited, how we react in an encounter will affect the outcome.

ADAPTABLE… better equipped to handle inevitable change – flexing, not snapping under strain.

Better able to weather storms, knowing when to cut losses by pausing mid-stream and changing tack.

Less inclined to let ill-serving ways set in with age.

APPRECIATIVE… and grateful for our unique world and life.

Not taking anyone or anything for granted – knowing that even seemingly mundane things can be most missed when absent.

ATTENTIVE… and mentally present in more of our moments.

Able to focus and become absorbed at will.

Recognising when and why short and poor attention span becomes a problem.

ATTUNED… more able to read and gauge the frame of mind of those around us.

Less likely to over-react. More skilled in how we respond, interact and intersect with the world.

Better at undertaking and completing tasks.

AWARE… wide-awake to experiences – making life seem longer because we spend less time in mental torpor.

Able to optimise and enjoy varying mental states such as absorption, daydream and meditation.

BALANCED… centred.

Better able to navigate a course between conflicting aspects of life; to reconcile what can feel like a wilful battle of thought versus feeling.

Freer of the urge to accumulate, less enslaved by desire or affected by strong emotion, able to let go.

Knowing what helps return us to an even keel when out of kilter – and doing it.

CLEAR-SIGHTED… unafraid to see all, including ourself, in the harsh light of day.

Impartial, less caught up in greedy self-interest.

Able to gauge when our pleasures will lead to pain in the long run.

COMFORTABLE… in our skin, able to make the best of our condition.

Knowing how to help free ourselves from muscular and mental tensions.

Able to think, feel and move with more grace and poise.

COMPASSIONATE… and helpful. Tolerant of others’ shortcomings, because we know how hard it is to recognise and address them in ourselves.

Knowing that if we sometimes find it hard being human, then so might others.

Unafraid to feel the inevitable contrasts that come with being human – and thus acutely aware… pleasure/pain, joy/sorrow, ups/downs.

CONFIDENT… but free from self-righteous arrogance and hubris.

Self-contained, less troubled by how others regard us.

Feeling entirely equal to, but no better or worse than anybody else.

Having less anxiety and doubt, less fear of failure and more courage in endeavour.

CONNECTED… within ourself and to the world.

Realising that what happens to one part of a living system affects its whole function; our actions will influence those around us, the effect spreading like ripples in water.

Able to link thoughts and feelings with consequent behaviour, and vice versa.

COURAGEOUS… able to face our fears, take responsibility in situations and rise to occasions.

Less prone to social pressure to conform, but living in a way that reflects our own values.

ENERGISED…vigorous.

In rhythm with natural cycles.

Able to optimise, direct and conserve energy, with less time spent in fruitless worry, and less holding on to tensions which can lead to ill health.

More buoyant, less drained by negativity when feeling under par.

FITTER… as healthy as we can be, because we feel inclined to desire and do what helps keep us fit and well.

FREE… whatever our situation, enjoying a sense of liberty that comes from being a more well-managed person.

Free of self-deception.

Able to make the best of what we are born with and into.

Having free will to react and respond wisely to daily challenges, hardships, harshness and critical situations.

FULFILLED… by how we live from day to day.

Living in a manner that suits our nature.

Able to distil maximum pleasure from everyday occurrences – making the most of life.

Living more in the present, yearning less for the future, dwelling less in the past.

GENEROUS… by default!

Having less self-interest, which frees us from the urge to control and accumulate.

More impartial, freeing us from jealousy and bitterness.

Able to share resources, even when limited.

Interested in the lives and welfare of others.

HAPPY… as a naturally regained default setting.

Able to enjoy sensory and sexual pleasures without doing harm.

Content to live by what will nourish us and help us to thrive.

Steadier – free from excessive moods and self-destructive tendencies which debilitate and drain.

Finding pleasure in others’ joys and fortunes.

More optimistic in general outlook.

HARMONIOUS…with less internal conflict, more sense of personal space.

Easily regaining a state of mental equilibrium.

A benign influence and a greater force for good in the world.

HUMBLE… modest.

At ease feeling simply one of many.

Comfortable knowing that life is transient.

Free of the self-righteous belief that ‘our way’ is right and others are wrong.

INSPIRED… creative, imaginative, deductive.

Inspiring others by example.

Finding that good ideas come unbidden into the mind, as if from nowhere.

Undertaking and completing tasks with more ease and less effort.

INTUITIVE… with emotional intelligence, better able to gauge and read ourselves and others.

Interpreting situations more wisely, better able to anticipate outcomes.

Having a feel for what is good and right.

KIND… feeling less fear and anxiety, leading to a kindlier life. Tender and never knowingly cruel.

LIGHT-HEARTED… inclined to take oneself less seriously.

Easily made to laugh or smile.

Having a lightness of spirit that uplifts us and helps others through darker times.

OPEN-MINDED… and open-hearted.

Not closed to wonder, new ideas, transformative experiences.

Believing that all kinds make our rich and diverse world – that mono-systems, without interaction, unaccepting of change, lead to a world which cannot thrive.

PERCEPTIVE… skilful in daily living – more judicious, fair, discerning and considered.

REFRESHED… benefitting from proper rest; busy, but with less frantic haste and stress.

Enjoying restorative habits.

Allowing oneself the time and space for plenty of pauses in daily action… stopping to breathe, to take stock, to notice life.

Viewing each day as a new opportunity.

RESPONSIBLE… accountable for our actions.

Self-reliant – but a good receiver.

Seeing when troubles are of our own making – not blaming others when a fault is ours.

Able to link thoughts and feelings with consequent behaviour, so we act more responsibly.

WISER… learning from daily experience.

Making choices which lead to better outcomes.

Less likely to repeat the same mistakes over and over.

More focussed on the greater rather than the personal good.

More inclined to be well-managed, happy, benevolent.

Enjoying a sense of ease in the self, with room to breathe and think and move, making space for our natural wiser self to emerge.

 

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BREATHE

STOP. CLOSE YOUR EYES AND TRY HOLDING YOUR BREATH…

How long? Probably…   not… that… long.

That was just to remind us how breath is fundamental to life – when denied it we die, yet we can so easy undervalue it.

Our brain controls respiration automatically. The body breathes itself without us doing anything.  We don’t have to think about it, so we get on with life – which is obviously extremely useful!

So because we don’t need to remember to breathe it’s very easy to overlook it.

Yet how we are breathing from moment to moment directly affects our health and well-being. It affects how we think, feel and function.  This puts a lot of power in our control, so it is very foolish to overlook it… I hope this writing is a reminder for us all not to do this.

How well we are at that time is reflected in our manner of breathing.

An ideal respiration perfectly suits whatever we are doing. Some actions require more oxygen than others.

When feeling short of breath we might breathe through the mouth for a faster intake of oxygen, but generally we are designed to breathe through the nose.

The nose warms and filters the breath. The nostrils take turns to be dominant.

Certain physical factors can lead to mouth breathing, but it is also commonly a result of habit.

I am a habitual mouth breather, and sometimes to breathe through the nose can feel very claustrophobic!

Fortunately, better breathing patterns can be reclaimed with benevolent patience. I do try and notice, but at times such as during sleep I too easily slip back into my habit.

A person may be unaware how they are compromising their breathing by falling into such a habit. Or maybe they do know what harm they’re causing through a habit like smoking – but the urge to smoke has greater power than the desire to stop.

We can easily adapt to the unnaturalness of things like smoking.

Unnatural things can come to feel like normal. Addiction always has a price.

Adaptability is a positive human quality, but we can adapt to bad routines as well as good ones.

Quality and rhythm of breath affect mental state. An erratic breath can unsteady; a full deep breath can empower; a soft and long exhalation can calm the nervous system and help quieten the mind.

It is empowering to be aware of this, recognise when there’s a need for it, and put it into practice.

Poor breathing habits can creep up on us gradually. Then when muscles and fascia of belly and ribcage become stiff and resistant, the poor lungs will simply forget what a full deep breath feels like, because it just feels like normal, and the new normal is rubbish.

Better habits are easily rediscovered, with patience, with practice and a dollop of good humour to help make them stick.

The soft belly has associations with instinct and emotion – in other words, gut feelings.

We may tighten the abdomen whilst managing a stressful situation, then when the crisis has passed forget to let go of it.

Letting go of the belly during restful inhalation massages abdominal organs, exercises the diaphragm, and soothes and helps calm us – if we remember to do it!

Restoration can be rapid, but be prepared for the potential surge of strong emotion upon such unfamiliar releases of tension. Do not underestimate the power of the breath.

Fast and shallow breathing may be perfect for a quick response in urgent action, but continued for more than a short period it causes strain and malaise.

Breathing as if under stress long after stress has gone, will manifest in most unfortunate ways.

Living under chronic stress will kill us in the end.

Tragically, many of us do have poor and stressful patterns of breathing. I know this from personal experience and from teaching yoga.  It seems even more tragic when it’s avoidable.

One could spend a lifetime paying the breath little attention, unaware of the force we have within us.

Optimum respiration is much more than an efficient processing of gases; it is a key to health and happiness. All we have to do is appreciate and notice.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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BLOG

SPLENDID REMINDER

Right now, Spring seems a long way off. The winter has made itself known. We’ve had snow, ice, rainy days and many early morning frosts. As I write this I am berating myself for being so ‘narrow minded’ for not noticing these gorgeous scenes. We have some of the most beautiful sun rises. The crisp and fresh days walking in the park is a sheer delight. The berries on the trees are at their best.

There’s no doubt that when the spring arrives it will be very welcome. However, I’m giving myself a nudge to remind myself of the splendour of all the ordinary things that are all around us here in this present moment. I don’t want to wish the days away, I want to notice what’s good in the here and now. In fact it’s the only thing that is a real certainty. A moveable feast of splendid moments – If we choose to recognise them as such.

The image used for this blog illustrates the point perfectly. Taken by my lovely friend Anne, looking through the window at the dark, winter evening of busy traffic. Just notice the colours, the contrast, the energy, and the cosiness of being in the warm and dry on the other side of the window.

We see things like this every day and let them pass by without a thought. No point in wondering what I’ve missed today – there will be so much more to see tomorrow.

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BLOG

SCREAM SHOUT LET IT ALL OUT

If you were to ask me if I felt happy, my usual reaction would be to say yes. However, there is a subconscious thing that happens to me that I must be aware of. Often, if I stop to think, I can gauge my level of happiness by how much noise I make. Is this odd? Is it just me? I realised some time ago that a true sign of my happiness is indicated by me tending to sing out loud. I was inspired to write this because I was caught unawares today, singing out loud in the car park.

I was on the way to a yoga class – normal Tuesday evening activity, slightly buoyed up by the closeness of Christmas holidays looming and the infectious chit chat of festivities and parties.

Strangely I hadn’t even noticed that I was singing until a fellow enthusiast commented how cheerful I sounded. (In truth, my tone is questionable, so maybe he was quietly amused by my cringe-worthy squeaks).

I laughed it off saying there was a party happening in my head and I was just joining in! This is often the case if I’m honest.   BUT! It got me thinking…….

The action of making noise and hearing noise can really change the mood. I suppose it’s obvious if we think about it. We purposely listen to our favourite tunes and artists – the ones who really can sing – They lift our spirits, relax our brains, set us up for the lively night out or just tick along in the background offering some form of comfort or company.

If you’re like me you’ll often find yourself humming along quietly and before long, belting out the decibels as if we were on ‘Top of the Pops’. How good does that feel? Seriously good eh?

It’s brought back fond memories to me of when my brother and I used to drive along with the car windows down singing to the Eagles at the top of our voices. Wherever we went, we always arrived with a smile on our faces.

It’s not just the chemical reactions and release of feel good endorphins, but maybe the ability to express ourselves without inhibition, or even the change in tempo of our breathing. It’s kind of like exercising the vocals.

Whatever the combination of reactions in the body or brain, it certainly feels good.

Next time you’re tempted to let it all out, take a moment to notice how fabulous and free it feels. Take it to the mic and karaoke to your hearts content. It will make you smile…..and probably make everyone around you smile too.

La-de-da!!

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SEASON’S GREETINGS

Well it’s been quite a season. So busy ! Full of work, yoga, website stuff….. and life – getting along with things has been both challenging and rewarding in equal measure.

Respect and love to all of you who have read and commented on our blogs. Your responses have meant so much to us and are so appreciated. Those of you who have English as a second language deserve special thanks for your efforts.

Some of your comments may not be visible to you at the moment. If you can’t see yours, please be patient. There are so many that it’s going to take time to get to them all. We will get there eventually.   Massive apologies for not replying to each of you individually but there aren’t enough hours in each day. Please be assured, they are all read. We just can’t tell you how much your input and support means to us.

For those of you who celebrate Christmas – Merry Christmas to you. For those who don’t, we hope you have a wonderful winter festive season. Stay safe and warm with your families and friends and share your love and kindness with all those who deserve it – and maybe those who don’t!

Kit and I live in an area of in the North West of England where there is a huge diversity of cultures, all of which enrich our lives and create a better place for us to live in and give us a greater understanding of the world outside our little ‘Burnley Bubble’.  Our tolerance and acceptance of differences can only help to make the world a better place to be in.

Much love and best wishes for a prosperous, peaceful and happy new year.

For the locals, we will be starting a new weekly yoga class on the 18th January at The Exchange Project (St Johns in Colne) 6 pm. Come and join us if you can. We would love to see you and share a little yoga. All are welcome.

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PRACTICE

59-POINT RELAXATION

This practice is a way to restore equilibrium in a matter of a few minutes.  It helps balance body systems and free us from muscular/mental tensions.  This releases energy for use on other tasks.

In addition to these general benefits, this particular practice sharpens our attention span.  It trains a chattering or sluggish mind to focus, meaning we have the potential alert engagement of our five-year-old self – minus the distractions!

The practice can also be used as an aid to sleep… meaning that it may not be completed because sleep intervenes.

This is wonderful if it’s our intention, but yoga offers more than that.  If you do tend to doze off inadvertently, then try it at times when you’re more likely to stay awake.

People sometimes say they have no time to stop and practice, not realising how much their wellbeing benefits from doing exactly that, not appreciating how their function and energy is improved – saving time in the long run.

Notes on practice 

The relaxation is written and also a podcast. You can listen by clicking the arrow above.

Grab opportunities in your day to practice; just a few minutes to lie down comfortably, uninterrupted, devices turned off. 

The podcast lasts just over six minutes, but you can also learn the sequence, for practice without guidance. 

Varying the method and times of practice will help keep the mind engaged; try different speeds, and varying the starting point between left and right. 

The best position for this practice is savasana (the corpse pose), resting on the back, legs out, feet comfortably apart, hands palm-up and away from the sides. 

If the lower back complains, put a pillow under the knees. If the neck prefers, rest the head on a thin pillow or roll something up for under the neck. 

Covering the eyes will help to still the mind. 

Be aware of body symmetry; lie face-up, for even a slight head-turn can lead us into doze or daydream. 

If you find this a challenging practice, don’t be put off – you probably could do with its benefits, so it’s worth persevering. Be light-hearted and as you lie there, always imagine that your eyes are smiling. 

Familiarise yourself with the exact areas of the body mentioned: 

Forehead centre is just above the bridge of the nose. 

When thumbs and fingers are mentioned, think of their tips. 

The solar plexus is the centre of the upper abdomen. 

The navel centre is just below the navel. 

The pelvic floor is the saddle of muscle supporting the abdomen. 

The hip is the hip joint, adjacent to the groin. 

And if you deviate from our script it doesn’t matter, there are other ways to navigate around the body – you could make up your own!

The practice

Once in position, close the eyes.

Stretch the thumbs and fingers, then let them go.

Move the feet and wiggle the toes, then let them go too.

Relax the back of the neck and if the face is tight, yawn.

Begin to settle.

Gaze softly into the back of your eyelids; imagine that your eyes are smiling.

Let the mouth be closed, with no hardness in the lips, but the glimmer of a smile.

Notice your hands.

Now notice the breath, and let your exhales soften.

Allow yourself this time and space to totally settle.

Imagine any tightness melts away with each out-breath.

Your attention is now going to focus around parts of the body.

Notice the forehead centre; this is the start…

  1.  Forehead centre
  2.  Throat centre
  3.  Heart centre
  4.  Right shoulder
  5.  Inside elbow
  6.  Wrist centre
  7.  Right thumb
  8.  First finger
  9.  Second finger
  10.  Third finger
  11.  Fourth finger
  12. Wrist centre
  13. Inside elbow
  14. Shoulder
  15. Heart centre
  16. Left shoulder
  17. Inside elbow
  18. Wrist centre
  19. Left thumb
  20. First finger
  21. Second finger
  22. Third finger
  23. Fourth finger
  24. Wrist centre
  25. Inside elbow
  26. Shoulder
  27. Heart centre
  28. Solar plexus
  29. Navel centre
  30. Pelvic floor
  31. Right hip
  32. Right knee
  33. Right ankle
  34. Big toe
  35. Second toe
  36. Third toe
  37. Fourth toe
  38. Fifth toe
  39. Ankle
  40. Knee
  41. Hip
  42. Pelvic floor
  43. Left hip
  44. Left knee
  45. Left ankle
  46. Big toe
  47. Second toe
  48. Third toe
  49. Fourth toe
  50. Fifth toe
  51. Ankle
  52. Knee
  53. Hip
  54. Pelvic floor
  55. Navel centre
  56. Solar plexus
  57. Heart centre
  58. Throat centre
  59. Forehead centre

Let the awareness stay resting at the forehead centre. 

Now notice your hands. 

Become aware of your breathing. 

Follow the breath as it flow out and in. 

Begin to let your awareness pan out… 

Take in any sounds… close up, then far away. 

Notice the temperature of the air, the feeling of cloth against skin, the ground beneath you. 

Breathe more deeply. 

Stretch the fingers and the thumbs. 

Now start to make bigger moves… perhaps hug in your knees or have a big stretchy yawn. 

Open your eyes, and when you’re ready, get up and move on.

 

 

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SNORES AND SNOOZZZ….ES IN THE YOGA CLASS!

Oh, what heavenly ease, sliding between wakefulness and sleep… at least until we hear the sound of snoring and think, “Uh-oh, that’s me!”

If you often fall asleep in yoga relaxations, I hope this blog will inspire you to also try such practices at those times when you’re more likely to remain awake.

Momentary brainwave shifts between waking and sleeping states are part of savasana relaxations: a form of meditation, but with greater chance of falling asleep, simply because we’re lying down.

Now, yoga is a light-hearted business, where we hope to take ourselves less seriously. And whilst there will be occasions when we completely fall asleep, our aim is actually to remain awake… sometimes easier said than done!

And sleeping is not the only obstacle to relaxation practice… savasana can be a challenging pose in other ways until we’re used to it.

In a class situation it’s a position that requires trust, especially for those who feel vulnerable. Some will find it hard to settle, lying eyes-closed, open-handed and on their backs.

A benefit of not drifting off is that we’ll feel more alert and energised afterwards.

Why? Because such practices help relieve us of draining nervous tensions, freeing up energy for other tasks.

I’m in a privileged position when teaching yoga.

If I’m perceptive enough I can gauge people’s mental stress.

If I’m skilful enough I can show them how to help themselves feel both engaged in their practice and at ease.

Many of us are, unfortunately, chronically knackered, frazzled and unable to relax unaided.

So it’s really no surprise that hard-pressed people fall asleep easily, once they drop the effort of holding on and begin to let go.

Releasing tension is always a step in the right direction.

Lack of rest is a common cause of suffering. It denies us an opportunity to recharge and heal.

Our nervous system has evolved to be primed for switching quickly into fight-or-flight when needed. But it’s slower to shift back to a restorative state. Nobody thrives in emergency mode, or with one foot always on the pedal.

Yoga helps restore homeostasis to a beleaguered nervous system.

The right practice will bring equilibrium and balance body systems, relieving nervous tensions, general ailments and malaise.

Sometimes we need reminding to exercise, literally, our patience, compassion and sense of humour in practice.

And hopefully, having felt the energising benefits, we’ll be inspired to keep practising… and wonder how we ever got by without it!

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VARIETY IS THE SPICE OF LIFE

Here are some thoughts on being stuck in ruts, and some ideas for getting out of them.

It’s easy to get stuck in ruts. They can creep up slowly like frowns and bad tempers, unnoticed until they feel like part of us (they aren’t!)

When the rut is deep as a ditch and our mind set has narrowed…

Maybe we’ll resign to it because it’s been suggested that, “we’ve made our bed and now we must lie in it.”

Maybe we’ll grow to like it because it feels safe and familiar.Or maybe we don’t know we’re in it because we can’t see beyond it.

Our brains have cognitive bias, say the scientists.

Good for survival, but it makes us prone to prejudices. We look for evidence (I told you so!) to support and validate our beliefs.

If we like being told we’re correct (who doesn’t?) we’ll tend to read, watch and listen to what tells us we’re right. It reinforces our conviction.

We might even prefer to be right than to be kind.

Lack of awareness certainly makes for a view which is limited and narrow. And this is reflected in all aspects of us: in what we think, feel and eat, in how we breathe and move, and in what we then say and do.

I like practical tasks like digging. I used to love running until neck and knee problems put paid to that…

So dodgy knees took me off to my first yoga class (age at least 31) and I’ve never looked back.

Oooh… it was so nice to be moving like that again, with such variety. Again! (yes, again!) It was both new and familiar, like some distant childhood experience freshly restored.

I think children do stuff (call it yoga if you like) to help themselves, but the travails of life tend to come to the fore, and it becomes obscured.

Without awareness in ageing, we can easily become set in our ways.

I was really quite shocked as a yoga-class newbie to find how limited my body had become.

Yet I was hooked… I got a mat and started home practice.

Years have passed, but I’m still as keen (even more so!) I’ve stuck with yoga because the methods work, plain and simple.

Yoga refreshes me. It reassures me that whatever’s happening I always have options, and this stops me being defensive or feeling backed into a corner.

I went to yoga to soothe my knees, but I gained a way of life.

I feel spacious and stronger both physically and mentally – more likely to flex in the wind than to snap under strain.

What I did on the yoga mat started to percolate into my everyday life – as if being on the mat was practice for being off it.

I was literally discovering how to exercise compassion.

It affected my whole function.

Fears, especially about the future, can easily creep up on us. We humans have developed the capacity for self-awareness. It’s a price we pay for being the planet’s most dominant (destructive too) and bossiest occupant.

We’re mortal and we know it, and this is a common cause of trouble within and between us.

We’re emotional creatures (not knocking it!) living in a messy world where change is constant.

Uncertainty can riddle us with behavioural biases which we build into walls, because it seems rational at the time (they’ve all got it in for me!)

Blinkered vision and fortress mentality mean loss of equilibrium: a mind-set gone belly-up.

Yoga helps remove skewed views and misapprehensions. It’s like physical and mental decompression for times of pressure.

When we’re skewed, all the wonderful stuff we can do on automatic – helpful habits, happy routines, positive coping strategies – can vanish, or worse, morph into hindrances.

Sometimes life just feels too complicated.

Carefreeness has melted away and we just feel like scarpering!

I’ve heard people call our present digital age a post-truth era, because we’re awash with fake news and misinformation.

Our computerised lives are increasingly ruled by algorithms. And if we’re not discerning this can compromise our freedom.

And where we do feel we have choice, decisions can be difficult, as it’s so hard to tell fact from fiction, and truth from lies.

Joy and I see more and more people coming to yoga classes because they’re frazzled.

It’s no surprise that people are distracted, lose keys, lose tempers, get defensive, behave badly, get stuck in ruts, put themselves under pressure… or blame others for their troubles when the fault lies with them.

Don’t forget that yoga (and any tradition concerned with restoring harmony in our wonderful but troubled world) comes from the experiences of people seeking a bit of peace for themselves, often under hardship and in violent times.

History has a habit of repeating itself.

Many do seek peace but find it hard to live in peace.

Harmony can only endure between us when we have some measure of peace within us.

And yoga is a helpful means to restore this.

Isn’t it brilliant to find a means to help us feel spacious? To find breathing space, with more room for thinking and moving? To realise that we’re more likely to explode with laughter than with rage?

Yoga methods shed light on our options so we can then make better choices.

Open-mindedness helps us see more clearly, further, and from different viewpoints. We can then imagine how it feels to walk in someone else’s shoes.

It takes all kinds to make our wonderfully rich and diverse world.

In nature, monoculture struggles where diversity thrives. (We are nature!)

Variety is most definitely a spice of life.

Try these simple and light-hearted ways to help you counter ruttishness:

  • Drink from a different mug
  • Go barefoot when possible
  • Listen to a different radio channel
  • Wear more of your clothes
  • Use the other hand when cleaning your teeth
  • Eat different foods
  • Use the other ear when on the phone
  • Change a routine
  • Use a different locker (if applicable)
  • Break a bad habit – or just notice that you do it
  • Sit in a different chair, or on the floor
  • Smile at people more
  • Take more interest in people’s lives
  • Stand on one leg now and again
  • Practice yoga… and next time you’re in your yoga class, try placing your mat somewhere different!
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OUR ARTICLES

THE SAVITRI GAYITRI MANTRA

 

Mantra yoga is the yoga of sound. Chanting helps to quieten the mind and soothe the nervous system, it is therefore used as a meditative aid; it’s a very peaceful practice and has nothing to do with inducing trance-like states!

The Savitri Gayatri comes from the Rig Veda, which was composed between roughly 1700-1100 BCE, making it one of the world’s oldest spiritual texts. This mantra is also cited widely in Vedic and post-Vedic texts. Gayatri is the name of the Vedic metre in which it was written. The metre comprises of 3 lines of 8 syllables. The Savitri is the most universally known Gayatri from a family of mantras.

It is a petition to Savitr the solar deity, or wherever we personally feel our life-giving energy comes from. It is a call from the heart for the benefit of all humanity. The first line of om bhur bhuvah swah is considered a preamble, an invocation which is not strictly part of the mantra itself.

This is my own take on the Gayatri – please do look into other interpretations as well. I am no physicist (obviously!), but I love to sense this in terms of vibration, light, wavelength and solar energy – a powerful directed surge to waken up the attuned awareness of a single person, community, city or whole nation – all the growing billions of us even. It drums quietly through my head quite regularly – especially during challenging times. I often find myself chanting it out loud in private – when I’m walking along or driving. Even though I have others in mind when chanting the Gayatri, I do find it really helps to both calm and inspire me, especially when the chant is repeated audibly for a few minutes. It’s especially delightful to chant with other people – quite a force:

 

om bhur bhuvah swah / tat savitur varenyam / bhargo devasya dhimahi / dhiyo yo nah prachodayat

We meditate upon our source of light and life so all may be enlightened

 

OM – Universal energy, primordial vibration

BHUR – earth, also the physical plane

BHUVA – sky, also the energetic plane

SWAH – heavens, also mental plane

TAT – that, also our greater underlying awareness and intelligence.

SAVITUR – the sun, the creative force, our source of life, all wavelengths of energy, even those signals beyond the light spectrum which we humans don’t pick up such as gamma and infra- red rays; also it refers to attuned awareness and perception.

VARENYAM – magnificent

BHARGO – inner light, wisdom

DEVASYA – divine, radiance

DHIMAHI – we meditate upon, may we attain

DHIYO – understanding the mental faculty which permits the flow of intuitive perception

YO – which, who         NAH – our

PRACHODAYAT – enlighten, awaken.

Listen to the mantra by pressing the arrow below

     

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PRACTICE

A RED DOT STOP PRACTICE TO LOOK AROUND

For an introduction to the STOP PRACTICES see Kit’s blog-STARTING TO STOP.

This is a practical reminder to stop and notice what’s happening around us at the time. It helps bring us into the moment and improves the quality of our attention.

To effect these stops, the practice uses the Red Dot method: 

Put a dot on the palm of your hand with indelible ink. Whenever you notice the dot, pause for a few breaths. 

The dot could be on either palm… try it both ways. Seeing one palm too frequently may not help the practice – it’s for you to decide. 

The dot can be any colour; I use red because of its association with traffic lights. 

The red dot is mostly used for short stops, whereas this practice is a good one when we have time for longer pauses. 

The practice

When you notice the dot, if time allows, stop to pause for up to one minute. Sit down somewhere if this helps you feel more discreet.

Take your attention inwards.

Drop the shoulders. Relax the face and back of neck.

Let the out-breaths soften and the in-breaths deepen.

Move your attention outwards. Look directly ahead. Notice what you see.

After some moments, allow your head to turn and look around.

Allow your gaze to discreetly take in any people or animals who are about.

Observe their movements and their manner, without judgement and with compassion. If you can, do this without them noticing.

Do they seem comfortable and at ease with themselves? Do they seem skilful in how they stand, sit, lie or move around?

Now shift your attention to any wider landscape – inside or outside, urban or rural, natural or man-made, day or night.

Experience these surroundings as if for the very first time.

If you can see the sky, observe any drifting clouds.

Vary your field of vision, between close up and far away.

Take in the quality of colours, of light and dark, and then begin to notice sounds.

Move your head to receive individual sounds, both close up and far away.

Now, along with sight and sound, begin to take in smells.

Let all your senses collaborate in a heightened experience of time and place.

Feel the smallness of self amid the vastness of space.

Sense the shortness of these moments in the long long age of earth.

Allow yourself to marvel at our unique and ever-changing world.

And when you’re ready, resume action and move on.

OTHER RED DOT STOP PRACTICES

A red dot stop practice to improve present state of mind

A red dot stop practice to think of someone

 

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PRACTICE

A RED DOT STOP PRACTICE TO THINK OF SOMEONE

For an introduction to STOP PRACTICES see Kit’s blog-STARTING TO STOP.

This practical reminder helps us to stop being wrapped up in our own needs and desires.

It’s an exercise in unselfishness: since, like our bodies, such things improve by regular use.

It involves stopping to call someone to mind.

It could be more than one person; perhaps a family, household, establishment, community or town. It could even be a whole nation or race. 

It could be a person or people you’re feeling estranged from. Someone you have difficulty liking or getting along with. Someone perhaps who is causing you problems.

The practice can change how you feel about them, and help how you respond the next time you meet. 

It could be a person or people for whom the day is significant. Perhaps a day of celebration or particular challenge. Perhaps they’re sick or just having a hard time. 

To effect these stops, the practice uses the Red Dot method: 

Put a dot on the palm of your hand with indelible ink. Whenever you notice the dot, pause for a few breaths. 

The dot could be on either palm… try it both ways. Seeing one palm too frequently may not help the practice – it’s for you to decide. 

The dot can be any colour; I use red because of its association with traffic lights. 

It’s helpful to decide the subject/subjects of your practice beforehand.

This allows you to proceed without too much extra thinking. 

Read the practice through a few times, perhaps before sleeping and again in the morning, with a view to practising it over the coming day.

Soak up what you remember and make it your own.

The Practice

When you notice the dot, pause from action for a few breaths.

Drop the shoulders. Relax the face and back of neck.

Notice your breath. Let your exhales soften and your inhales deepen.

Call an image of your subject/subjects to your mind’s eye. Imagine looking down upon them from the sky.

You might even picture them clearly in a particular location if you know what they’re doing at that time.

Say their name in your head or voice it softly.

Take some deep and easy breaths.

Imagine a white healing light all around you.

As with love and compassion, the light is inexhaustible… not like some commodity which when used up is then unavailable. It existed before humanity and will remain afterwards. If we’re lucky we can have it and use it.

Draw in the light through your breath and your skin.

Feel it soak into every space, molecule and atom.

Feel that the light is enlivening you.

Now direct it to them.

Imagine them healed by the light. Imagine it guiding and helping their day.

Along with the light, send well wishes and good intentions.

You too have experienced this healing power of light.

Become aware of your surroundings. Feel yourself firmly rooted in your landscape.

Look around. Notice sounds.

And when you’re ready, resume action and move on.

OTHER STOP PRACTICES

A red dot stop practice to improve present state of mind

A red dot stop practice to look around

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PRACTICE

A RED DOT STOP PRACTICE TO IMPROVE PRESENT STATE OF MIND

For an introduction to the STOP PRACTICES read Kit’s blog-STARTING TO STOP.

This practical reminder uses breath awareness to restore equilibrium. It helps how we respond to ourselves, and to whatever’s happening around us.

It can prove an effective and immediate balm, even for an anxious frame of mind. 

To effect these stops, the practice uses the Red Dot method:  

Put a dot on the palm of your hand with indelible ink. Whenever you notice the dot, pause for a few breaths. 

The dot could be on either palm… try it both ways. Seeing one palm too frequently may not help the practice – it’s for you to decide. 

The dot can be any colour; I use red because of its association with traffic lights. 

How we are breathing is a reflection of our condition. This means we can consciously influence our immediate physical/mental state through our manner of breathing, ie; A softer exhale tells the vagus nerve to slow the heartbeat.

Consequently, this is an effective tool for more skilful and attuned self-management. It is first-hand experience of the intimate links between thought, feeling, muscular/mental tension and breath. 

Read the practice through a few times, perhaps before sleeping and again in the morning, with a view to practising it over the coming day.

We suggest below several visualisations; choose just one for each single pause.

Soak up what you remember and make it your own.

The practice

When you notice the dot, pause from action for a few breaths. Each breath is an opportunity for inspiration.

Drop the shoulders. Relax the face and back of neck.

Notice your breath. Let your exhales soften and your inhales deepen.

Breathe yourself into here and now. Let your breathing keep you in these moments.

Focus on today. Let go of yesterdays and tomorrows.

The breath is solar energy. Breathe it. Absorb it through your skin.

Our solar cycle both gives us vigour and helps us to rest.

Inhale vitality right down into your fingers and toes.

Draw power into every molecule and atom.

The breath is a quickening wind to clear away self-deception.

Be unafraid to breathe it deeply. Inhale into your head; let it brighten eyes with which to see yourself more clearly.

Have it blow away cobwebs from your mind.

The breath is a light of understanding, bringing wisdom to your daily thoughts and actions. Let it enlighten today’s decisions.

Bathe in the light and let it guide your choices.

The breath is perception to show what lies behind our own and others’ actions.

Soak up insight with your inhales.

Let it help your interactions with yourself and with the world.

The breath is a friend who gives us courage to face challenge.

Inhale the resolve to try and do what’s right, even when others think us wrong.

Let this help you live a virtuous and good life – of being true to yourself.

The breath is compassion, even when times are hard and life unkind.

Inhale into your heart the love that melts away negative emotions.

Accept that a life less anxious is indeed a life more kind.

The breath is forgiveness. It helps heal our wounds.

Inhale generosity of spirit.

Be reminded that it can be hard to live a humane life.

The breath is dynamic and cheerful, helping us to be less serious.

Let inhales lift your spirit and lighten any heaviness of heart.

Remember that even the happiest will know some sadness – joys and sorrows are just part of life.

Breath is revelation: that our fears can root us to the spot or send us fleeing for refuge… why not let the exhales dissolve anxieties, which hold you back and stop you enjoying this splendid life?

The breath is harmony. Why not be comfortable in your skin and at ease within?

Inhale peace. Be at peace.

Feel connected, be connected, stay connected… this is your world.

Do you feel refreshed?

When you’re ready, resume action and move on.

OTHER STOP PRACTICES

A red dot stop practice to think of someone

A red dot stop practice to look around

 

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BLOG

STARTING TO STOP

Here are some personal musings on my ‘stop’ practices – how they came about, and how they still help to save me from my sometimes reckless self.

There are some in our practice suggestions, they’re extremely helpful; try some yourself?

My natural enthusiasm can make me excitable, sometimes impetuous. This has landed me in the soup more than once!

And yet some of my best decisions have been spontaneous. Perhaps they were made by a more perceptive, more attuned self.

What I now call my ‘stop’ practices have been gradually forming over years. They are my own attempts to restore equilibrium and tap into this right-minded self.

I think of these ‘stops’ as conscious pause from action: breathing space to reflect on something specific or nothing very much, which can take only moments.

A pause is as natural as breath, but unlike breathing we can forget to do it. A pause can ‘reset’ an overwrought brain back to a restorative default mode, like a pleasant daydream.

At times, life may seem too busy to stop… so we don’t, which is a shame. When not-stopping becomes the norm, a habit is formed.

When we start to feel the benefits of a regular pause, it seems crazy that we haven’t done it more. But then we’re human – complex and, yes, a bit crazy!

Sometimes we need to consciously practice something we’ve neglected, until it’s part of our life again.

Regular stops can make us more skilled at improving our mind-state. This skill is especially handy when the mind is anxious and we lack mental equilibrium.

Sometimes a short pause is all that’s needed to produce better immediate responses.

It creates mental space for a wiser choice – as against a knee-jerk reaction, which may be later regretted. A mental space to step into, helping us to do or say the right thing; a chance to step back and see the bigger picture, or even to turn and choose another direction. Of course ‘think before you act’ is a wise maxim, but when we’re not in the best state, responding in a wise and measured way isn’t that easy.

I find my stops so useful that I pass the method on whenever I can… call it yoga – or plain common sense!

In hindsight I can see how it all started. My stops began to form in early childhood. I can see my teenage self – chewing sixteen times, pausing, then swallowing, because (and guess what, it still happens!) she bolts her food like a gannet. She snacks whilst she’s waiting for a snack. When eating one meal she’s thinking about the next. And she’s quite capable of finishing the whole packet – bang, it’s gone! What was that about a pause?

Our past colours our present; our present colours our future.

The river of instant sensory gratification runs right through me, and it can easily break its banks.

Childhood compulsions can grow into habits, leading to needy, addicted adults.

So, managing desire is obviously a big part of yoga.

Small personal challenges are part of being human – but the scale can vary a bit!

The child breaks a toy, the adult crashes a car. The child has a tantrum, the adult commits murder. The children have a gang fight, the adults wage war.

Aiming for a more attuned self-awareness will help our self-management, making better citizens and a more harmonious world.

Some stop practices come from my early childhood. STOPPING TO THINK ABOUT SOMEONE is a personal favourite and stems from my catholic upbringing, where stops for reflection and prayer featured much.

I never liked the religious tendency to mark anniversaries of deaths, but I love my mother’s version, which focuses on the living: think of someone for whom this day is important, and say a wee prayer.

The prayer seems more potent if you say it at the exact time of a situation – (marriage, starting a new job, a medical procedure, imminent birth, imminent death… the list is long.)

I still like it and I still use it.

Children tend to adopt the behaviour of the adults they mix with.

As a child I learned from my mother the joy of ordinary daily splendour.

But, (like her in fact) I was much preoccupied by anticipation of future gratifications – birthdays, holidays, Christmas, or just some sweets. That’s why I now dislike the expression, ‘something to look forward to’.

Much of my personal yoga is about countering any yearnings and dissatisfaction with present situations.

Dissatisfaction is big, big business. Advertisers and media thrive on it… convincing us that we’re somehow broken, so must need fixing, that we need a makeover, that our job is boring, our home is inadequate and in the wrong place, that we won’t be happy till we escape to the country!

Yoga helps toward a clearer, less skewed picture of ourselves and the world we occupy. And one way of starting this is by stopping.

STOP PRACTICES

A red dot stop practice to improve present state of mind

A red dot stop practice to think of someone

A red dot stop practice to look around

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