YogaTalk

Practical reminders for ordinary splendour

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LOVE

 

I like to think I’m a resilient individual. Coping with life, working hard – but doing the things I enjoy, getting on with my daily tasks without much of a thought, automatically going through the motions without too much challenge.

It’s only now and then I stop to think how lucky I am. I move with ease, I speak and people understand me, I listen to music and the many sounds around me, I jump in my car and zip off to anywhere I wish.

In themselves, these tasks serve a purpose. They fill my days, allow me to choose how to live my life. But what’s the real purpose? Certainly some of this is pure selfish satisfaction for my own pleasure.

If I venture a little deeper into myself I realise the superficial flitting about and being busy is more the sugar coating on the underlying substance of why I am who I am, and how I have come to be in the place I exist – materially and spiritually.

I could remove the belongings and pretty stuff from my home – It would still be home (maybe not as colourful). I could take the car out of the equation – I would still be able to get around (maybe with a little inconvenience). I could take the family and friends out of my life…… I would be lost in a world of despair!!!

I’ve come to realise that it’s the love and companionship of those close to us that contributes so massively to who we are and gives us purpose and reason for being in this world. Those we care for and those who care for us. That makes me feel like the luckiest person alive. Even when the foundations are rocked and the doubt and anger creep in when we feel we have been unjustly treated, it’s the loved ones around us who help us to pull ourselves together, and the strength from within that puts us back on an even keel.

All of that coupled with that delicious and most worthwhile time spent on the yoga mat. Looking inward, asking questions of ourselves and listening to the genuine responses of the mind and body.

The knowledge of having someone who loves us gives us confidence and reassurance. When they can’t be around us, it’s the love we have for ourselves that keeps us safe and secure. It seems the latter is harder to achieve.

Love and acceptance for ourselves can be just as vital and is just as important as the love we give to others and receive back. It allows us the freedom to be who we are without judgement or recrimination………THE SIMPLICITY OF BEING LOVED!

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BLOG

BROKEN

Everything I do these days seems to involve doing it better, making it bigger, finishing it faster! Everyday turning into a race to the finish line. I’ve even started to compete with myself. I do something, then beat myself up for not doing it sooner / better / quicker.

Good grief!   (In the words of Charlie Brown).

We are encouraged to live better, eat healthier, exercise more and so on and so on….

These are all very commendable goals, but the constant underlying message is “I’m not good enough… I need to do better”

The message is reinforced through various media over and over. If I didn’t know better I’d be thinking I was broken!

I’m not perfect, striving to be so plays into the hands of negativity. Perfection is unachievable. I will however strive to be the best I can be at whatever I do. Beyond that I will accept what I am and my capabilities – or lack of them – and be happy with that. Safe in the knowledge that I am not broken and don’t need fixing!!!

Accepting our limitations doesn’t make us lazy or poor at setting goals to aim for. It means we can be joyous about the things we can do. The confidence this brings can only encourage us to choose our own goals. It’s within our own gift to ourselves to dream as big as we want.

That doesn’t sound broken to me!

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PRACTICE

UPON WAKING

A powerful tool for improving mental state, this practice helps nip things in the bud before the day gets going.

Cultivating the skill of watching how we waken helps us gauge our mood more easily. It’s like a reset button to help improve how we respond during the coming day, whatever happens.

Being able to step back from knee-jerk over-reactions is liberating.

Feeling we have room to move helps us see that we have choices.

Feeling we have room to breathe helps keep our centre calm to help weather life’s storms.

Notes on practice

This is a practice done in bed before rising. It’s a useful habit to cultivate.

It can be easily adapted to last only moments or be extended into minutes.

Like other practices, it’s simple, but not easy to apply. It’s easy to wander off in thought or daydream, or in this case to fall back into sleep!

The practice makes a number of suggestions – just take up whatever’s useful and make it your own

The Practice

Become aware of being awake.

Resist the urge to move just yet. Let the eyes stay closed.

Allow yourself this pause to mark the moments when sleep is ending and consciousness begins.

Note the position of your body as it wakens.

Become aware of having hands and limbs. Softly gaze into the backs of your eyelids.

Slowly roll over onto the back if you’re not like that already. If the back likes it, bend the legs at the knees.

Following these first stirrings of your day, settle again and let the hands rest.

Become aware of the body breathing. Sense its movement as you breathe.

Have the tongue on the roof of the mouth. Letting it lift at the back helps the mouth stay closed.

Sense air at the nostrils; follow it moving out, and then in.

Let the exhales soften and the inhales lengthen.

Recall any significant dreams. Take them in so you can revisit them later.

Notice how thoughts and feelings arrive.

Rest the hands on the belly if that feels ok. Let the exhales be calm so they steady the breathing.

Allow the belly to relax. Enjoy the movement of the breathing.

Become aware of facial expression. Let your eyes stay closed, but imagine them smiling, whatever your mood.

Notice the manner and rhythm of the breath. Let the inhales deepen.

Breathe into every nook and cranny. Feel the entire body being breathed.

Imagine the breath as a healing white light. Draw it deeply in. Let it soak into tissues, cells, molecules.

Your body of light is energised, more than enough for the day… and this energy will not drain away through contact with people and the world.

Consider the day and the date and whether it’s significant in any way.

Imagine yourself in the places today where you expect to be. Picture yourself interacting well and feeling at ease.

Picture yourself being perceptive, responding wisely, taking interest in others… making good decisions.

Call to mind anyone for whom this day is significant. Imagine them bathed in their healing white light.

Call to mind in turn any of your best-beloved. Picture them where you think they might be – also bathed in their healing light-energy.

Call to mind anyone causing you problems, or from whom you’re estranged. Send them some light. Feel any anger or resentment melt from your belly. Imagine yourself not the least bit defensive the next time you meet.

Return to the breath at your nostrils. Inhale a sense of physical and mental space – space to move with comfort and ease; breathing space; lots of room to think clearly.

Inhale what could serve you well, such as courage, joy, vitality.

If your heart feels heavy, imagine it lighter.

Exhale any feelings of nervous apprehension about the day ahead.

Feel ready to be a good receiver.

When it’s time to move, enliven your senses. Hear any sounds around… those close by, then those further away.

Feel a surge of energy as you open your eyes. You’re now ready to rise and get to grips with the day!

Click here to read RAISE YOUR DAY blog

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RAISE YOUR DAY

Begin your day well with one of our practices, such as the one that’s called “UPON WAKING ” – which you do without even getting out of bed!

“Music will raise your day”, I once heard a radio presenter say.

“What a lark! What a plunge!”… exclaims one of my favourite characters, Virginia Woolf’s youthful Mrs Dalloway, as she throws open the French windows and plunges into the morning.

Sometimes these two expressions are my first waking thoughts.

Sometimes I wake up with a real sense of responsibility… literally. But it’s not such a bad awakening, in fact I’m grateful for the reminder – that whatever the day brings, what really counts is my own response.

We are not in control of our destiny or of other people. The only person I can endeavour to manage is me. And so my yoga practices and a sense of humour continually come to my rescue. They show me how to better manage myself… from the very start of each fresh new day. I like to think this way. Even when life feels daunting, it still seems exciting. My day can go either way – raised or ruined – depending on what I think, do and say.

Joy says there’s not enough silliness in the world, and I agree. I like trying to lighten my heart whatever is happening. I like to try and raise my days, then maybe if I’m lucky, to help others raise theirs along the way.

It’s easy to get out of bed the wrong way and proceed like that through the course of a day. Doing a practice upon waking helps nip things in the bud before the day gets going – especially if we wake up apprehensive and nervous, with the feeling that storm clouds are looming.

It’s helpful to be light-hearted, whatever is happening around us.

It can be helpful not to take ourselves too seriously – even if this takes conscious practice. This helps us see ourselves more clearly – so we can better manage our responses, allowing us choices.

It’s so very easy to be miserable – a positive choice can make the difference between a raised or ruined day.

Click here to read UPON WAKING practice

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BLOG

CLOUD GAZING

This week has been a fabulous week for the beautiful weather here in the North West. We’ve been able to enjoy clear blue skies and sunshine – what a treat!

It never lasts for too long though. On the bright side, every cloud……… and all that.

Clouds can be spectacular. Playing out in the garden, dreamily staring up into the clouds takes me back to childhood. I would often lay staring at the sky watching the clouds form animal shapes, only to then see them floating away and forming something else in its place.

The shapes are long forgotten and those summer days long gone. What remains is the feeling of elation and fun when I repeat this childish act and see a new cloud animal forming in the sky. I am that child again!

What a special and treasured feeling. It reminds me that I need not take myself so seriously all the time.

Today the clouds are moving so swiftly I hardly have time to see things before they are blown away into oblivion…….I’m off, can’t stop in case I miss something wonderful in that big old sky of ours!!

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BLOG

LESS IS MORE

I have been practicing yoga for 42 years and am still amazed by the moves I can get my body into – or not! Throughout the journey of learning and experimenting I have come to realise that the more advanced yoga is how little I need to do for the benefit it can bring.

I often tell my students, ‘Do less – it’s more advanced’ but I’m not sure they believe me. Let’s be honest, why would they. The media is full of ‘extreme yoga’ – shapes to put the body into, asanas to impress. Yoga isn’t about that. For me it’s self-enquiry, introspective inspection, intentional movement and the binding of the movement with the breath – the very stuff of life.

One of my favourite quotes from Housman, ‘The stuff of life to knit me blew hither, here I am’ One clever dude! He was right. We are a product of our environment, experiences, influences and activities. They make us what we are. Let’s recognise it and take pleasure from the knowledge. The self-enquiry from this gives us the insight to enjoy or make changes to the here and now – whether on the mat or observing ourselves as we go about our daily business.

David Beckham sings the praises of Shona virtue, superstar yoga teacher and his personal trainer. I agree with her view that the high intensity training and sweaty gym sessions do more to stress the body than improve the well-being of the mind or body – both are inextricably linked. One really won’t improve without the other. We need to increase our dopamine and serotonin levels and decrease our cortisol levels. In our speak – feel better and less stressed. The best yoga teachers allow you to find the right moves to help you to balance these neurotransmitters and hormones in your own body rather than impress you with the shapes they can get themselves into. I’m not sure that’s even yoga at all!

For me, yoga is a lifestyle. We are deluding ourselves if we think that an hour a week at the local class will transform our body and our lives, however it’s a start and if we treat our bodies with the respect they deserve by eating well and living well, we can at least contribute to the well-being we would like to achieve.

It takes me back to my eternal message of ‘let’s enjoy the journey’ – forget the goals and the end game and take each moment for what it give us and enjoy that ordinary splendour. It’s what it’s all about.

 

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CHANGE

I’m on my annual summer holiday, sitting by the pool and observing how me and my family respond to change of environment and how we react negatively or positively to it. Personally I have been smiling and laughing at all the new things I have witnessed and experienced, such as different food, wine and surroundings – but the two men in my life, Simon, my husband and Henry, my son, have been grumpy and I think a little distressed by the changes. What was expected I wonder? New country, new food, new surroundings!! Was it a shock to the system or just the reluctance to accept anything new? I’m guessing both. Looking for things to be unhappy about , like the air con. not working – it is now after less than 24 hours of being here and being offered alternative accommodation for the first night to compensate – all perfectly reasonable and acceptable!!

So here we are by the pool and I am reflecting happily that the plane didn’t crash and I am enjoying the company of the local feline population after giving them all of Henry’s pork – on the strength that they need it more than he does!

I’ve just read an article in the Telegragh by Jim Khalili where he states that ‘all TV documentary makers are obsessed with journeys’. Well, sorry Jim, so am I. Who cares about the end game / the destination? The journey takes as long as it takes, leads us to our conclusions, feeds our desires and let’s face it, we can’t get there without the journey. It reminds me of a conversation with my son last week, an academic genius (biased mum view of course) unsure about his future. He looked shocked when I said ‘forget the end game and worry about enjoying the journey as that’s most certainly the best bit’. The inadvertent message all his life has been – we expect you to do well because you’re clever – such pressure! In truth, it doesn’t matter what he does as long as it fulfils his needs, puts food on his table, pays his rent and most importantly, he can enjoy the lifestyle he has chosen for himself. In my view he is lucky to have the choice. He has travelled the world to date with his most recent employment and is now looking to fulfil other needs in his life.

Do we seek the pleasure or task… or does it choose us? I don’t know. I do know however, that acceptance of change or lack of it makes a difference to how we view the world and our lives. Our positive experiences allow us the ability to accept and embrace change for what it is so we can enjoy the journey and all it brings. Or we don’t accept and let the negativity get the better of us, causing us to withdraw and maybe feel a little disappointed or afraid. The small shift in perspective allows us some discernment and power to choose what we do along the way.

Our goals and expectations can mislead and distract us from the pleasure of everyday, taking those everyday splendours of the small things in life, or rejecting the very small pleasures that make the journey of life worth living. Visit the lifestyle website of our friend Sarah who explores the extraordinary chaos of everyday family life and enjoys every moment it has to offer.

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BLOG

BED YOGA !

It’s summer! It’s morning! I’m refreshed after a good night’s sleep. I was soon off last night with the fresh air of the wide open window and a session of yoga nidra and relaxation yesterday evening – my eyes were already heavy when my head hit the pillow.

This morning they opened lazily as the breeze stroked my face and the birds were entertaining with their usual dawn chorus. My body wanted to move but it felt too soon to get up and on with the day. Yoga was on my mind so I began shuffling around under the covers.

The shuffling morphed into lengthening, the lengthening morphed into curling, the breath turned softer and longer as the movement became fluid as the body reacted to each subtle change.

It became a morning practice on the bed which was so softly supportive.

I hit the day for real with a renewed calm disposition which stayed with me for the rest of the day.

Have a go next time you wake early and feel it’s too soon for the day to start.

Happy bed yoga-ing!!!!   Is that a word…….?

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OUR ARTICLES

ON WALKING

Our bodies are made for movement, which benefits all the physical systems; if lacking, we suffer greatly by its absence.

Not having to walk everywhere, especially when laden, is a labour-saving luxury of modern living – and too easily taken for granted. The benefit can also be a deprivation, robbing us of the free joy of walking as part of everyday life. This is an especial pleasure when hands-free, comfortably shod and without the pressure of rushing. Walking in fresh country air is a tonic, but an urban walk can still help blow the cobwebs away, if the air quality is half decent.

We can tell a lot by someone’s way of walking, it advertises their condition and frame of mind. What we were born like, what’s happened to us since, and how we are now, are all distilled into our present gait; and this in turn is setting patterns for how easily we will be moving in the future.

Mind-set is a major influence on a person’s ease of movement and bearing; affecting their whole self – how they breathe, how they hold muscular tension, their attitude and interactions with the world around them, and how they feel about themselves.

Conversely, as mental state influences manner of movement, so does that moving affect mental state – for better or for worse. So we all have the ability to influence how we feel by the way that we move, and vice versa.

A spring in the step helps improve the mood, whereas nothing positive will come of shuffling about in a state of collapse.

Awareness, attitude and lifestyle reflect on how we move. It’s unfortunately too common now for a person’s variety of movement to become more restricted with age. Consider the effect of taking very little exercise and sitting around too much – basically moving from bed to car to office to car to sofa and back to bed again for too many years.

If a body no longer moves in diverse ways it will soon forget how to, will no longer be able to. Then, tragically, the rich joy of free movement may remain at best a vague and elusive childhood memory.

Observation of many yoga practitioners confirms that the older person can move with the flourish and vitality of a child. Thankfully, subliminal lost movement can be restored, through conscious practice, till once again it becomes intuitive.

Mental state affects wellness. A positive person with physical restrictions can be more comfortable in their skin than one at peak fitness but with a gloomy state of mind.

One becomes as one repeatedly does. Habits, better or worse, can be easier to spot in others than in our own self. The gait speaks volumes. A mincing one may be consciously cultivated to present a character to the world, as may be the jaunty, athletic one, giving the impression of someone who takes life in their stride. The heaviness of a footfall is also revealing; so too is the pattern of wear on someone’s shoes.

A more attuned awareness helps us see the direction we, and others, are heading in. Many do have mobility problems by early adulthood; all the more tragic when earlier recognition could have helped prevent serious health issues.

Many people don’t actually like their feet, and many do unwittingly wear shoes which are too small, so the feet become accustomed to their discomfort. Footwear is obviously a brilliant invention which has had a massive positive impact on our success as a species; but apparently our modern feet are too dependent on our shoes. It seems that human feet are generally becoming more mobile but not as strong; we no longer have the bounce and find it harder to do without our shoes. Lack of variety in the surfaces we walk on also doesn’t help – floors, pavements, too much time in heels and too little time spent barefoot.

It‘s easy to blame the feet, rather than the way we are using them. What we do with one part always influences the function of the whole – a problem toe may cause us to walk badly which puts pressure on the leg and hurts the knee, our lopsided gait leads to a problem hip which causes back pain, then having to leave a job we love, depression sets in and things are not looking good – all because of one problem toe!

Appreciating the importance of how we walk is power in our hands. Positive change may take some time, or come to us in an instant.

A walk may be a mindless rush, with the major focus on getting somewhere. But we do have a choice, and this can determine our condition upon arrival.

 

Kit Hartley. Lidgett. May 2017

SEE A WALKING PRACTICE

 

 

 

 

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OUR ARTICLES

ON PAUSING

Life without pause is not a life worth living.

To pause is such a simple thing – regularly done it becomes apparent that pausing is an integral part of harmonious human living.

Pausing before action is the basis of awareness. A split-second pause might be enough to inspire life-saving reaction, to let simple easy solutions spring up suddenly as if from nowhere.

A pause could stop a person in their tracks – before they say or do something later regretted.

To be able to dash about enjoying a busy life is a wonderful thing, not to be taken for granted. But being busy does not make a life more meaningful.

Busy-ness is not the same as fulfilment or accomplishment.

Compulsive repetition of unnecessary tasks does indeed become an obsession for some people; even moderate habits can grow into problems.

A pause can lend more skill to thought and action, so that more of our choices serve us well.

Does keeping busy make people feel more useful?

Perhaps fear of seeing too clearly can make us steer us away from opportunities for solitary reflection.

Encountering our thoughts can sometimes be a frightening thing – the unfortunate, mind-numbing remedy being to deny ourselves the space to stop and think.

It’s very easy to preoccupy our minds with many things clutter. We can miss many fleeting present moments dwelling on the future or the past, or occupied in thoughtless tasks.

A pause is a space to rest and evaluate, to slow us down or rouse us from a slothful state. A sense of inertia can keep us moving steadily, unthinkingly on, in the same unwise direction… or it can stop us getting up to move altogether.

Our pauses are as natural as breathing, but like proper breathing are easily sacrificed to the unwelcome pressures of daily life. Lack of pause not only compromises perceptive awareness of what is happening around us – it robs us of opportunities to absorb the daily wonder which surrounds us and links us to the living world.

This is such an exciting time to live! Fast changes in technology keep us all on our toes and tenterhooks; tech devices are now so much part of daily action that we can hardly imagine life without them. We can access things rapidly by the click of a key. Data tracks us and seems to know our preferences. Huge effort is made by manufacturers and service providers to make their products seem irresistible – thus keeping us hooked.

We can access vast amounts of digital information, but nothing is quite the same as the mentorship of human contact. Too much time and energy spent on devices reduces our ability to form meaningful relationships – it’s just plain common sense to see that this is the case. If we are not selective in using technology we risk becoming disconnected from ourselves as well as each other.

Problems with short and poor quality attention span can be offset by simply stopping to notice what is happening, allowing time enough to restfully sit and focus on nothing very much. Pauses and daydreams are a welcome default mode for the brain. Lulls or short rests give us time to absorb or reflect. They can provide insight and lend greater ease to everyday tasks. If the lack of pause starts to show then we need to expose ourselves to the chance of it, until it becomes an intuitive part of daily life.

The more I teach yoga, the more apparent it becomes that too many of us are frazzled!

A healthy level of stress is a natural part of life, it gets us up and moving to satisfy urges such as hunger –but prolonged periods in a stressful state are damaging. Sadly this is far too common, and it makes people ill. Chronic stress can too easily become a familiar companion, so that we grow into our tempers, stoops and frowns.

Conscious and regular pause helps us become more self-attuned. Taking better notice helps us respond to the multiple stresses that we face on a daily basis. We can grow stronger, flexing rather than snapping under strain.

Why be afraid to pause, to step back, to see a brighter, bigger picture?

For this can only help us to make wiser decisions, to choose paths which serve us better. And it allows space for our less fearful, more impartial, more benevolent self to emerge, positively influencing behaviour and showing ourselves and others in a more kindly and compassionate light.

 

Kit Hartley.   Lidgett. May 2017

 

SEE PAUSE, CONSIDER, ENJOY

 

 

 

 

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PRACTICE

A BREATHING PRACTICE

A practice for breath awareness:

Find a comfy warm spot.

Lay on the mat in Savasana (flat on the floor) – you may prefer to sit – you may prefer to try this lying in bed.

Begin by taking the attention to the breath and the heartbeat.

Take a moment to arrive in the space you are in.

This action – or lack of it – may be enough to aid your calming and relaxation process. If that’s the case, don’t search for more. Be happy that you are in a good place in the mind and body.

Become more aware of the breath and inhale gently and softly through the nose. Allow the outbreath to be equally as long as the inhale – or maybe a little longer if that feels comfortable for you.

It can be useful to breathe in to the count of 3 and out to the count of 3. This helps to focus the mind on the breath and away from external distractions. If you become uncomfortable, return to your free and normal breath at any time.

Next notice where you are breathing – in the chest – the belly?

Try directing it consciously first to the belly then the chest. Notice how the belly expands, and how the movement creates subtle movements of the hips in their sockets, or the gentle tilt of the pelvis. If you are holding tension in these areas the movements may not be happening.

Take the awareness and focus to these areas and try to relax as you exhale. With a little patience and practice these movements will become apparent as you tune in to the body.

Notice when the chest expands how the ribs lift and widen and how the shoulders are able to move in the joints.

This is the body’s natural way of creating space and movement in the joints and is perfectly normal. Observe a young child or baby as they are sleeping – young enough not to have learned the sensation of holding tension or subconscious restricting habits.   You may be able to recreate this special free breath in your own practice.

When you feel comfortable with this gentle breathing you will be able to do it anywhere and use it for your own wellbeing and relaxation. 5 or 10 minutes every day will have you doing this without having to think about it.

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PRACTICE

A 10 MINUTE REST

 

 

This is also a podcast.  (To listen, click on the arrow above). Read it through a few times imagining you are at rest – it will help the suggestions soak in.

Use the practice as a prelude to sleep or to help quell anxiety if you’re having difficulty sleeping.

Also try the practice as an energiser during the day by permitting yourself time out, even just a few minutes, to take a rest.

Unless you’re already in bed, an easy chair with leg support is fine; or lie on the back, feet apart, palms uppermost. If the lower back complains – put a pillow under the knees.

The practice:

If tense once in position, stretch and yawn.

Let eyes relax and close; begin to settle.

Softly gaze into the back of your eyelids – notice what you see.

Become aware of your hands, keep noticing them.

Let the mouth softly close.

Place the tongue in the roof of the mouth. Let it lift at the back – it will help you keep the mouth closed and breathe through the nose.

Sense the breath at the nostrils, follow the air moving out… moving in.

Imagine more space for the air… in the chest, in the throat, and the bridge of your nose, for the lungs to breathe.

Notice the manner and rhythm of your breathing.

Allow the out-breaths to soften; feel them lengthen as they soften. Let the inhales and exhales be of similar length.

Take a few big… deep… breaths.

Open the mouth and sigh out the exhales. Do a few more of these, and imagine any worries or muscular tensions melting away along with those out-breaths.

Have the mouth softly close again, and breathe through your nose.

Now let go of your breath to notice other things.

Become aware of the expression on your face – imagine that your eyes are smiling.

Give yourself permission to be light-hearted and do nothing except lie there relaxing.

Feel face muscles releasing – no frown or hard line between the lips.

Let any tightness in the back of the neck melt away.

Allow the shoulders to let go of the arms.

Remind any tightness in the legs to release.

Feel your pelvis settle heavily; imagine it widening, as if to make more room inside for your abdomen.

With every out-breath let any hardness soften.

Sense your weight releasing down and enjoy the ground rising up to support it.

Be a good receiver of that ground underneath, and feel the weight of your body melt into it.

When thoughts come, just notice what they are – like clouds drifting across your mental sky.

When thoughts come… imagine them flying off like a flock of birds.

When thoughts come… imagine saving them for later.

Simply lie there and feel your body breathing and relaxing.

Imagine yourself being bathed in kindly white light.

When distractions come notice your hands and what you see with your eyes closed, and the softness of your breathing.

Focus on these simple things so that all the other stuff of life can melt away for a while.

And now allow your breath to softly deepen.

Feel that you can inhale whatever serves you well now – such as joy, peace, health, vitality… and let go with your exhales of negative things.

Breathe a feeling of more physical and mental space – space to think clearly and move with vitality when you get up, or the space to fall asleep and let go.

Listen to the 10 minute guided resting practice by pressing the arrow below.

 

 

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PRACTICE

A STANDING PRACTICE

We can occasionally find opportunity to do nothing but stand empty-handed.

We can make the best of a waiting or queueing situation.

Length will vary, with each occasion different. 15 minutes is a long stand, but 2 is still useful. Take advantage of such moments throughout the day. Let what begins as conscious effort become intuitive, until it no longer feels like practice.

Don’t expect every practice to be interesting or enjoyable. Even when we’re not waiting for something, restlessness and agitation can still be a challenge.

Obvious influencing factors are footwear, clothing, environment and circumstance – pleasant or otherwise.

Recognise inconspicuous opportunities in public or in private – especially when barefoot.

Wherever we are, however we feel, a practice can be beneficial to mind state and comfort in standing.

Why not try it now, let’s begin…

Sense the freedom of a pause from action, and interaction.

Put down bags, be empty-handed.

Become aware of breathing.

Let yourself settle, grow and widen.

Release the jaw, gaze at nothing in particular, eyes relaxed or closed.

If in public, be inconspicuous and pause from interaction.

Stand on both feet equally; let surroundings fade into background.

Notice the feet. Feel their floor contact, and their comfort or discomfort. Allow the toes to wriggle if possible.

Rock on the feet slightly: forward, back, all round. Imagine them even springier and stronger.

Let the heels lift slightly by pressing the balls of the feet down, and then settle, no longer moving but relaxing.

Focus from the waist downwards. Are the buttocks clenching too tightly? Are you holding-on too much in the belly?

Try not to let overtight leg muscles push the knees back.

Relax the legs as much as possible but keep the feet springy.

Loosen the hands, and allow the shoulders to let go of the arms.

Play with how weight distributes around your feet. Can you relax more and resist standing stiffly?

Optimise muscular action, in the buttocks, the abdomen, and the muscles around the waist. Rather, let them collaborate in more effortless standing.

Bringing your attention to the ribcage; sense its volume. Feel it move with the breathing. Allow the back to widen.

Notice armpits. Bend the arms slightly, then relax them.

Permit the head to lightly nod, rotate, then settle, with chin level.

Feel the head float up – imagine it weightless. Let jaws, lips and face relax. Back of neck soft. Imagine the eyes themselves softly smiling.

All below the waist is anchored by gravity, whilst all above can release up, like a plant toward sunlight.

Resist trying. Can you enjoy the energy and vitality of effortless standing?

When you sense the time to stop, let the breath deepen.

Let ears listen and eyes look. Take in surroundings. Then, till the next time, move on.

See OUR ARTICLES ON STANDING

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PRACTICE

A PAUSING PRACTICE

We can only feel the benefits of a practice by remembering to do it on a regular basis.

Resolve to allow yourself pauses throughout the day, until it becomes part of what you unconsciously do. The challenge is largely remembering to do it.

It’s too easy to not make room for these practices, by feeling we can’t spare the time – even though they’re enjoyable and beneficial, helping us to function so much better. We actually save time in the long run.

(Like other practices, this will soon also be available as a podcast.) 

The Practice

Recognise a natural pause, a short break from action.

If upright, stand still; if tired sit down.

If clutching something, put it down. Be empty-handed and open-hearted, and welcome this space.

Notice the breath, which reflects how you are feeling. If you are stressed or have been rushing, allow the out-breath to soften; this will help reduce the heart rate.

Sigh a few deeper breaths out through the mouth, as if exhaling for now the cares of the day.

Remove any glasses to give your eyes a break. If the face feels tight, yawn and stretch it, then relax.

Allow the shoulders to drop and release the weight of the arms. Relax the hands. Let the head float up, jaw releasing, back of neck softening.

Take a moment to attune your senses. Feel your body breathing. Notice sounds, smells, temperature, and the contact of clothing on skin.

With relaxed gaze, take in your surroundings. If outdoors, notice wind and weather.

It is possible to become entirely absorbed in these moments, a central calm in the maelstrom of a changing day.

From what are you pausing? What kind of thoughts have you been thinking? Have they been a good influence on your behaviour so far today? Notice thoughts which come whilst you pause.

Imagine inhaling everything you need right now, to help improve and make the best of your day.  Breath in what’s helpful, breath out what isn’t.

Move on when ready, restored by this pause… until the next opportunity.

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BEST FOOT FORWARD

Let’s get straight to the point. What I’m thinking is… throw the shoes to the back of the cupboard!! ‘Have I lost my senses?’   Maybe I have, or maybe I’ve just gone to sleep. Let me explain…

Consider what it feels like when you cover your ears, they don’t work properly, the sound is muffled. In other words the sense of hearing is dulled and the sensitivity is lost.

Imagine the same scenario with your feet. Put on a lovely comfortable pair of supportive shoes. The result is the feet are so cosy they go to sleep. They have nothing to do, no ground to feel, no heat or cold sensation. In other words, they’ve stopped having to bother. We may even work harder to search for sensation by stamping or hitting the ground harder in order to compensate. This can have the knock-on effect of creating tension or damage in the joints.

SET THEM FREE!

Kick off the shoes and socks, walk along that lovely shag pile that cost a fortune. Let the wool tickle the toes. As the feet feel what is beneath them, enquire where the weight is. Feel the toes spread as the weight shifts to the front of the feet. Feel how much they are able to bend when there are no shoes to stop them.

Take it to the beach for the wow factor or walk on the early morning dewy grass before breakfast. This will wake up the feet and let them feel again.

Clearly it would be poor advice to say no to footwear completely. It’s obviously not a good look with the interview outfit or at the busy shopping centre. We need to be aware of the hidden dangers of walking on unsuitable surfaces or being hurt by sharp objects. Let’s do it when we can. There’s nothing like the feeling of the ground beneath the feet or feeling the earth rise up to meet us as we walk. So feel your feet on the ground and let the floor be your friend.

 

(Inspired by my deliciously very touchy feely feet and an article I listened to by Leslie Kaminof)

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OUR ARTICLES

ON STANDING

In a volatile world the successful species are those who can evolve fast enough to continue thriving in a changing environment.

Beside the long age of earth our own species is still very young. The human primate has evolved in a short space of time, through the merit of adaptability, to become the planet’s most creative and most destructive inhabitant.

We now stand erect on hind legs, balancing our large-brained heads, able to manually grip by virtue of long, opposing thumbs.

At peak, we humans are astounding. But looking around at each other now…

How well is our species? Are we thriving?

The protection lent by footwear and clothing has revolutionised what humans can do.

But not being barefoot, and over-reliance on the support of shoes, has robbed the feet of their natural spring-power and strength.

Too much walking on hard, flat, urban floors has left us less able to cope with mixed outdoor terrain.

Gravity keeps us rooted to the fast-spinning planet. Its force pulls us down whilst we then spring upwards like plants into sunlight. But this beneficial, grounding force does not always seem good; the head may feel a heavy burden for the upright spine, the body a weight to be dragged around. And with too much chronic strain life is not lived so well.

At such times, how one thinks, breathes and moves simply gets in the way of the natural well self.

Living bones are light, but when rightly used can have the strength of reinforced concrete.

One’s weight is easily borne when fit and well.

Bones do not just resist vertical pressure well – they actually benefit from it.

Shock-absorbing discs between spinal vertebrae help counter compression.

We are tallest in the mornings after a night’s rest, becoming shorter through the day.

Moisture loss from discs over the course of the day shortens the spine. A night’s rest gives time for thirsty discs to reabsorb this moisture.

Splendid rich movement in the course of the day gives additional restoration, plumping the discs up again.

Variety of movement and adequate rest reflect the ease or unease we then have in standing for any length of time.

A well, able-bodied person can easily balance, with effortless poise, the head’s weight on the top of the spine.

The spine’s curves are a spring for bouncing back – but with too much hardship in life these curves can develop too much or too little to give adequate support.

Without the spring in our step we are no longer able to absorb the shock of anything more than restricted basic movements.

How well we are becomes apparent when just standing still.

Our phenomenal body-mind can feel vibrant and vital, grounded but weightless, flexible and strong.

The spine is our tower of strength. When it isn’t, our freedom has gone.

 

SEE STANDING PRACTICE

 

 

Kit Hartley.   Lidgett.   May 2017

 

 

 

 

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PRACTICE

A WALKING PRACTICE

This is a practical reminder, to help you notice how the way you walk affects the way you feel. We aim to also shortly make it available as a podcast.

As this practice is written and we can’t read whilst walking, please read it a few times beforehand, and imagine you are walking, so that the suggestions soak in.

The more we practise, the more benefits we feel. So consider even a short walk as an opportunity; the benefits will gradually soak in until it no longer feels like a practice.

If possible be unburdened, except perhaps for a moderate backpack.

For the first few times, alone is best.

Switch off or leave behind mobile devices.

Be in comfortable footwear.

Be outdoors, hopefully in clean air – though large indoor spaces are also suitable.

Remember to appreciate the ability, and the liberty, to walk.

The Practice

Recognise small opportunities to practise.

Look around as you walk and take in your surroundings.

Pay attention to walking safely, so as to avoid collisions and trips.

Set a moderate pace which allows easy breathing through the nose. Let the mouth softly close.

Stretch the hands as if newly released from tight gloves – then let them relax.

Allow the shoulders to soften, and let go of your arms.

Feel the head releasing upwards as though weightless; let the neck be free of tension.

Let your powerful feet press down; allow their spring to push you forward.

Sense the length of your legs as you enjoy their movement. Resist any habit of tightening the ankles, or of walking from the knees.

Become aware of your breathing. Let your exhales soften.

Feel the breath in your back; follow it out, follow it in.

Imagine the whole of your body being breathed.

Stay aware of your surroundings whilst walking alone. (!) Let ears listen whilst relaxed eyes scan.

Notice the expression on your face – if it’s tight, let it relax.

Can the line between your lips feel soft? Imagine your eyes smiling. Let any frown or furrowed brow melt away.

If the shoulders and neck tighten up, let them go again.

If unwanted tightness or thoughts creep in, imagine them dissolving with your out-breaths.

When walking uphill, put more spring into your step, and push down with your feet. Then imagine your head leading you up and forward.

If outdoors, take in signs of the season, the quality of the light, particular smells and sounds.

Notice your reaction to changes in the weather or to sudden noise – do you tend to over-react, or to hunch up against the cold?

Counter heaviness or lack of energy by feeling more purposeful.

Try quickening your pace, perhaps varying the length of your steps. Discover what you can do to feel more at ease.

Be playful, lighten your heart, be glad not to take life too seriously. So that’s why children skip! Try it yourself, or break into a run.

Remember, this awareness in walking affects how you think and feel. It can change you! Make a positive choice to enjoy and use this power.

From time to time, stop… allow yourself pause. Do nothing. Notice how you feel. Look up at the sky!

Returning to your normal stride, with an easy breath, set a comfortable pace and rhythm.

Avoid rushing, and the urge to simply arrive.

Be open to the idea of receiving the things which come along for free!

When you encounter others, see them in a kindly light, knowing that how they have sat, stood or moved will affect how well they think and feel.

Remember that it costs nothing to smile at strangers.

Continue to focus on these simple things; welcome this breathing space that allows less helpful thoughts to slip away.

Notice how you feel as the practice winds down, and you arrive somewhere. Hopefully you will want to hone these skills by repetition in the future.

And, last but not least, appreciate your fortune that you are able and free to walk.

 

SEE ARTICLE ON WALKING

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PAUSE, CONSIDER, ENJOY !

Pause, Consider, Enjoy!

We are all living in an increasingly busier world. We want to get where we’re going more quickly. We want to make more out of the day. We want to achieve something meaningful before our heads fall onto the pillow every evening.

If you’re like me you can forget to pause for a moment and simply enjoy what you are doing. That may even mean enjoying doing nothing at all. So many of us consider this to be a waste of our precious time.

More and more I am learning to stop and consider how precious is life really – if I’m filling the day with tasks that ‘need’ completing or doing something else that I consider urgent or must be achieved before my next supposed vitally important appointment!

I ask myself – ‘What would happen if that job just didn’t get done?’ In truth the answer is ‘Very little’… nobody would die, the world wouldn’t stop turning.

Realistically we all have to get on with the daily chores of working and living, but making the time to pause for a moment can mean the difference between a life well lived or a life rushed by without attention to all of our needs.

Jumping off the rat race isn’t a treat. It’s what we all need to maintain that all important work-life balance. Having a little pleasure every day means we don’t crave the costly and special indulgences at the weekend.

Even better, it doesn’t have to cost a penny. Take a break in the day to enjoy the spring sunshine as you walk down the high street or in the park (if you’re lucky enough to be close to the new sprouting greenery of a spring day). Take pleasure from the blue sky and the warmth of the sun’s rays as they fall on the face. Enjoy the movement of the legs and feet as you place them on the ground one foot in front of the other. Marvel at the body’s ability to breath in the energy of the new day before us. Relish the pleasure of simply being able to do all of these things without issue or conscience.

Not all of us are lucky enough to be able to do everything we want to, but let’s look at what we are able to do and take thanks and pleasure in doing them.

We can then attack the rest of the day with renewed vigour and vitality. We may even achieve more than we hoped for.

SEE ARTICLE ON PAUSING

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OUR ARTICLES

ON RESTING

Rest is a lull from action – a period of some minutes sitting or lying in comfort, free from mental clamour or thoughts which disturb the mind.

Resting helps us thrive. The lack of it will make us restless and unwell. The full regenerative power of proper relaxation is often overlooked or undervalued as a vital part of health, despite its positive effect on everything we do.

When our life is out of balance it is also common to feel restless, and the things we eat or drink or do to help us relax might be making things much worse. We are naturally pleasure-seeking creatures, and can too easily do what does not serve us best!

When feeling under pressure and short of time, it is easy not to make the room for decent rest –even though a break will help us feel and function so much better that it saves time and energy in the long run.

Lack of proper rest is a major source of human suffering. Conscious repose is therefore a basic Hatha Yoga practice.

During rest, the mind has moments free from conscious thought. Organs function at their optimum rate. With the heart and breathing steady, the nervous system calmed and soothed, then the mind is quieter.

Such quality repose gives respite, where we can restore strength and renew vigour. It improves the mental state so we are less over-reactive at other times.

By taking care we become more aware of how things can drain our energy and make us vulnerable to malaise.

Holding unnecessary and habitually unconscious muscular tension can indeed wear us out. The mind and body are part of each other; where there is muscular tension there is also mental. It is a vital part of human make-up. But in chronic excess it is a common bane of life, much more than people realise.

Many do not know that holding on to tension causes hurt, not just to themselves but to others. A tightening reaction to a situation influences our response, over-reaction being a common cause of conflict. Hence the aim to be free of this is a worthy part of daily life.

Rest is distinct from sleep. But while resting, there may well be pleasant moments drifting between wakefulness and slumber. An optimum nightly period of deep sleep helps keep us well. But it is possible to be restless and asleep. It is possible to sleep in pain. It is possible to sleep with such tension that teeth are ground away. Holding tightness during sleep means waking up exhausted.

A simple focus for attention at the beginning of rest will aid relaxation. Bringing the mind to settle on just one or two things reduces mental fluctuation.

Stirring up emotion is un-restful, so this focus should be neutral, such as the breath, the hands, or some non-evocative sound. A visualisation needs careful choosing, so that it does not set off a train of thought.

How much quiet is needed for rest can depend on the frame of mind and the individual. What is background sound to one could be distraction to another. Sounds heard should not stir us by the listening. Eyes tend to close, but softly gazing into the back of closed lids can help focus attention.

Thoughts may come and go while resting. Observing thought waves can be a conscious practice. At rest, one can be aware of thoughts, of their frequency and intensity, without being spurred by them into more thinking. In skilful rest one is not roused by, or attached to, the kind of thought one has; they remain as mental fluctuations, like clouds drifting across our mental sky.

Prolonged minutes of wakeful rest, with thought waves pleasantly absent, may be regarded as meditation. This can happen with the eyes open but not looking. A lowered gaze helps keep the mind from distraction. And any aural or visual input needs to be non-evocative.

Slipping into the rapture of meditation does not come from trying not to think. It is a mental state, inherent from early age, which can happen spontaneously – if we allow space for it to happen.

At such times one is unaware of breath or body unless they demand attention.

Minutes of meditation can compensate for hours of lost deep sleep.

Daydream, rest and meditation are a welcome default setting for the brain. Such wakeful disengagement from daily action can foster insight and creative thinking. It can produce effortless inspiration. And, out of this void, solutions to weighty problems can appear without bidding.

 

Kit Hartley.   Lidgett.   May 2017

 

 

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The power of rest

 

Nervous energy keeping you awake…   insomnia…   high anxiety…  

Sound familiar? Wouldn’t you like to wave them goodbye, and say hello to well-balanced harmony, and proper sleep?

Please do check out our related Yogatalk articles and practices, on recovering sleep and rest.

You might think that me being a yoga teacher makes me forever bright-eyed, bushy-tailed and superfit…   Wrong!!

Quite honestly, I have a string of health issues and a history of addictive tendencies and anxiety.

I really don’t mind admitting this, because when people see me well and happy they must then conclude that yoga actually works – saving me from myself!

Joy and I teach yoga so we can share with people these simple ways to keep fit and well. This website is our way to try and cast the net a little further.

Lack of rest and sleep is a growing malady for the world; its proportions are endemic, especially it seems for the young. Too many teenage brains are in a constant device-checking default mode, even throughout the night!

So these poor frazzled brains have acquired minimal attention spans; they’ve forgotten how to rest and even how to sleep… and they’ve still got adulthood to come!

Alarmingly, we can grow accustomed to this compromised state, and regard it as normal.

Yoga’s focus on vitality and energy, which I love, makes modern science fascinating to me.

I read in the New Scientist (a kind friend gives me her old ones – I read them and pass them on to others) that our present age is being called the Anthropocene, viewed as the period when human activity is having a significant impact upon our planet, and all its occupants.

Scientific data confirms that more and more of us are living in the realm of the walking unwell. Modern neuroscience has raised awareness (useful but alarming) of the link between lack of rest and poor health.

Lack of sleep and rest really is torture.

There’s a growing interest in how the 24-hour cycle (or the circadian rhythm) affects health, and a growing consensus that we tick along to not one, but thousands of body clocks. Understanding this can improve lives.

It’s now no longer trendy to burn the candle at both ends – hurrah!

And we should now be encouraging our exhausted teens to stay up late, and to rise late… this suits them better, apparently.

Modern science is finally catching up with yoga teachings as a route to health. If we know what to do, and feel inspired to do it, we all have the power within to keep well. Yoga is joyful, not austere, and inspires us to practise. 

As I said, I’m no stranger to anxiety. I was an anxious child, but I developed numerous strategies in order to cope.

Years later, in my first ever yoga class, I was reminded of some of these nuggets, and I thought, ‘So it’s called yoga – seems familiar!’ The point being that I could have avoided years of anxiety, just by remembering – or by taking up yoga sooner.

Feel free to check out ‘A resting practice’, which my childhood experiences helped to formulate.

A practice can help positive overcome negative. It can help quell that anxiety of being wide awake at 3 when the alarm is set for 6.

Once free from fretting and mental clamour, we can just savour the peace of a new dawn. We can slip back into lovely sleep, or just happily rest and listen to the blackbirds.

Ps the practical reminder ‘A resting practice’ will soon also be available as a podcast, along with others… so watch this space!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

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