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YogaTalk

Practical reminders for ordinary splendour

PRACTICE

TASTE

March 24, 2018

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

 

 

 

 

 

by admin 
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BLOG

SCREAM SHOUT LET IT ALL OUT

January 4, 2018

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!!

by admin 
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PRACTICE

59-POINT RELAXATION

December 4, 2017

http://yogatalk.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/A-59-point-Relaxation.m4a

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.

 

 

by admin 
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PRACTICE

A 10 MINUTE REST

May 31, 2017

 

http://yogatalk.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/A-10-minute-Resting-Practice.m4a

 

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.

 

 

by admin 
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OUR ARTICLES

ON RESTING

May 16, 2017

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

 

 

by admin 
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