the Living Practice

Welcome to the Living Practice - October 2001

Autobiography in Five Chapters, excerpt from The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying

A Personal Reflection on Yoga and Retribution by Sam Dworkis, MS, LMT

Website Review by Dr. Kev

How 6 minutes can change your life … forever! by Arun Goel

Thich Nhat Hanh submitted by the Heart of Kirtan

For Optima Breathing submitted by Fidyl

Yoga Sequence at a Time of Crisis delivered through NYYTA

The Prayer of St Francis submitted from the Heart of Kirtan

Six Tips for Reducing Stress by Sandra Thebaud, Ph.D.

Practicing Yoga Outside by Megan Lurie McCarver and Mickey

A Note From Yogaeverywhere

Yoga eVents

Past Issues of the Living Practice

Dear Lovely Readers,

Please forgive the tardiness in launching October’s eNewsletter due to technical server problems. Times are challenging and it has taken great thought to write to you, my yogaeverywhere friends and family. Words can not express the feelings of lose, sorrow and fear that I have encountered since the September 11^th attack. I know many are still struggling and suffering from the terrorist attack on the United States.

We must remember to be very patient with our healing process as well as with others. I invite you to take special care of yourself and loved ones during this ongoing crisis. Treat all your relationships with great kindness and respect. Fear and terror cause great walls to be built around our soft forgiving hearts. Our practice is to soften the edges around the walls and continue to love.

For many people in life threatening conditions, emotions begin to control actions. Slow down and become clear of your actions. Let your emotions surface, label them with one word (anxious, scared, relieved, satisfied…) and breathe. Like a meditation, watching your emotions surface allows them to transform into another emotion or release. Of course, they may come back, that is normal too. Let them flow, come and go and allow you to feel you now.

As we soften into this practice, acknowledging our emotions, and detaching from any “time” expectation of our healing process, we can then begin to cultivate moments of feeing safe and secure. With the heart open, unconditional love will heal at her/his timeless pace. We need to put energy back into our system. Be kind, help a stranger, reach out, hold a hand and be slow to judge yourself and others. Take walks in nature observing the grace of her natural beauty. Play with children and laugh. Watch an old movie and cry. Call an old friend and spend time with your dear ones. I encourage you, now, to move into the present moment as often as possible, to facilitate peace of mind during this ongoing crisis. This takes courage, guidance and practice. Reach out and do not let go of hope.

With compassion,

Megan

Autobiography in Five Chapters

1) I walk down the street.

There is a deep hole in the sidewalk

I fall in.

I am lost … I am hopeless.

It isn’t my fault.

It takes forever to find a way out.

2) I walk down the same street.

There is a hole in the sidewalk.

I pretend I don’t see it.

I fall in again.

I can’t believe I am in the same place.

But it isn’t my fault.

It still takes a long time to get out.

3) I walk down the same street.

There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.

I see it there.

I still fall in … it’s a habit

My eyes are open

I know where I am

It is my fault.

I get out immediately.

4) I walk down the same street.

There is a deep hole in the sidewalk

I walk around it.

5) I walk down another street.

- Excerpt from The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying, Sogyal Rinpoche

A Personal Reflection on Yoga and Retribution by Sam Dworkis, MS, LMT

As a yoga practitioner for 27 years, I find myself curiously conflicted during these trying times. On one hand, my years of yoga training have taught me to explore aspects of spiritual and physical harmony, tranquility, and good will toward all living things.

Yet since September 11th, I find myself wanting those responsible for such heinous acts of violence to be strongly and decisively punished. If it were true that violence begets more violence, would it be inconsistent, or even wrong of me as a yoga exponent, to want retribution?

Over time and through trial and error, my practice of yoga is teaching me how to seek balance of body, mind, and spirit; and to create an awareness of, and a movement toward, Nature. It’s interesting to note that biologically speaking, nature when left to its own devises will always seek “homeostasis;” that is, “a movement toward stability when activated by negative stimulus.” Said another way, my practice of yoga is helping me to understand and to move toward homeostasis.

Which brings me back to September 11th. Terrorists attacked not just America, but democracy itself. Their position appears clear: Terrorists view the world as imbalanced and have begun a campaign to destabilize democratic society in order to swing the world’s economic and social pendulum toward “their” direction.

I am not a student of politics nor economics yet simplistically, it appears to me that within limits, a “flexible” democratic population that allows its citizens to live their lives as they see fit is far more yogic than one that is highly punitive and clearly restrictive. International terrorists with their fundamentalist views are causing extensive physical and economic distress and have set in motion events which are designed to upset world balance as I know it.

In order for "nature to seek homeostasis," I therefore have come to believe that it is not only "yogic" for a democratic society to use force in combating terrorism; it is essential.

But to be clear, just as with my yoga, I feel a democratic society must use force with discretion. I have learned from my yoga practice that an aggressive practice using unrestrained force dangerously increases my potential for injury and imbalance. However, when I practice assertively with the intention of developing strength and flexibility; when I practice with judicious awareness tempered with appropriate sensitivity, I consistently find that my health and well being increases as my potential for injury and imbalance decreases.

Although I have little direct control over the worldwide political and economic conflicts that are certain to come, my contribution toward understanding aggression and peace begins with my personal yoga practice; and from it, I hope to mitigate my fear; to go forth with appropriate emotional and physical strength, flexibility, and endurance; to do the right thing; and to fairly judge those who trespass against democratic societies everywhere, my country, my fellow citizens and me.

Sam Dworkis, MA, LMT, is author of ExTension (Simon & Schuster, 1994) and Recovery Yoga (Random House, 1997). He may be reached through his educational website: www.extensionyoga.com.

How 6 Minutes Can Change Your Life … forever! by Arun Goel

We at Health and Yoga pray for the welfare of all your readers in the face of this tragedy and look forward to them coming out stronger. I hope that my article can contribute in some small measure to help relieve the stress in these trying times.

Blessings, Arun.

In this issue, I'm going to tell you about a single technique that has helped thousands get over their blues and stress.

It’s 2:00 pm, you are in the middle of work - well, chill out for 6 minutes. The 3-step routine that follows will dramatically improve your life!! Sit erect but comfortably in your chair. Do it best by pushing your hips right up till the backrest so that there is no slouching. Rest your arms comfortably.

Step 1: Stimulate relaxation (2 minutes)
Begin by rotating shoulders clockwise and then anticlockwise, 5 times each. Do it while your arms rest on the side. Bend your head so as to try touching the shoulder. Do it on each side

(5 times each). Bend your head forward and backwards alternately. In the forward bend, press your chin against the neck. Note: At all times, keep the neck erect. People with cervical problems should avoid these neck exercises. How this step works: These exercises ease the pressure on the bunch of capillaries around the neck. This helps to ease the blood flow into and out of the brain and stimulates relaxation.

Step 2: Breath observation (2 minutes)
Close your eyes and "unburden" your mind. Just "observe" your breath. As you breathe normally, become aware of the inhalation and the exhalation process. Breath awareness works at a subconscious level where one is made aware that all that exists is really breath – nothing more and nothing less. This has a remarkable de-stressing effect.

Step 3: Pranayama or Yogic breathing (2 minutes)
Close your eyes. Take gentle but deep breaths. While inhaling, feel the air filling in - from the bottom (stomach) and gradually upwards till the top of the lungs. Then, exhale the same way letting the air get out, first from the top and then towards the bottom. Repeat 10 times. Better done when standing. Important: While inhaling feel that you are drinking in fresh oxygen, happiness and light. While exhaling, feel that you are letting out the negative emotions, toxins and waste.

This technique called autosuggestion is one of the most powerful, yet little known method of yoga. When done as told, it uses "self suggestion" to dramatically change the outlook to life. Pessimism is replaced with optimism. Stress is replaced with an inexplicable calmness.
The feeling can only be experienced! And it works.

Arun Goel is the founder of "Health and Yoga" A popular website that helps you find natural
solutions for complete health and detoxification. http://www.healthandyoga.com
Discover health and beauty... naturally!

Submitted by the Heart of Kirtan

Promise me,
promise me this day,
promise me now,
while the sun is overhead
exactly at the zenith,
promise me:

Even as they
strike you down
with a mountain of hatred & violence;
even as they step on you & crush you
like a worm,
even as they dismember & disembowel you,
remember, brother,
remember:
man is not our enemy.

The only thing worthy of you is compassion -
invincible, limitless, and unconditional.
Hatred will never let you face
the beast in man.

One day, when you face this beast alone,
with your courage intact, your eyes kind,
untroubled
(even as no one sees them),
out of your smile
will bloom a flower.

And those who love you
will behold you
across ten thousand worlds of birth & dying.

Alone again,
I will go on with bent head,
knowing that love has become eternal.
On the long, rough road,
the sun & the moon
will continue to shine.
- Thich Nhat Hanh.

Yoga Sequence at a Time of Crisis delivered through NYYTA

“Please note that Guruji refers to B.K.S. Iyengar to whom we are grateful for this asana sequence. Please also note that Yoga Rahasya is a quarterly publication of the Ramamani Iyengar Memorial Yoga Institute.

It has been passed by Bobby Clennell, who was communicating with Rajvi Mehta, who edits Yoga Rahasya , and asked her what she had been given by Guruji (Mr. Iyengar) to teach the earthquake victims in India. Guruji has given his permission for Rajvi's e-mail to be circulated, so I am passing it on in the hope that it may be of some help.”

(For teachers and conscious students.)

1. The emotional strength in these students needs to be built up and that is what we need to work at.
2. No standing poses. No backbends.
3. All poses should be done with eyes open (including Shavasana). They can focus their eyes at any point in front or on the ceiling.
4. Ask the students to imagine as if their eyes are located at the temples and ask them to "open" these eyes.
5. Do not insist on a perfect pose in the current situation.
6. While breathing in any asana (especially supine) -- ask them to breath in such a manner that the breath touches the lateral side of the chest during inhalation.

Here is the sequence:
Shavasana
Supta Baddhakonasana
Supta Virasana
Prasaritta Padotanasana (with head support)
Uttanasana (with head support and legs spread apart)
Adhomukhasvanasana (with head support)
Viparitadandasana Chair (with head support)
Sirsasana - Viparitakarani
Setubandha Sarvangasana
Sarvangasana - Viparitakarani
Pranayama - Antara kumbhaka with a very short kumbaka on the inhalation

”I really do not know how the situation is there, or how receptive people are to yoga as a means of emotional rehabilitation. You are the best judge having gone through it yourself. But I would suggest that you not only teach the regular yoga students but if possible also teach all others who are interested as part of the rehabilitation process.

I have been teaching for several years but the experience of teaching the earthquake victims was most satisfying despite the tough situation we were in. To see a smile on the face of these people was most rewarding.”

The Prayer of St Francis submitted from the Heart of Kirtan
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.
Where there is hatred . . . let me sow love.
Where there is injury . . . pardon.
Where there is doubt . . . faith.
Where there is despair . . . hope.
Where there is darkness . . . light.
Where there is sadness . . . joy.
Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek.
To be consoled . . . as to console.
To be understood . . . as to understand.
To be loved . . . as to love.
For it is in giving . . . that we receive,
It is in pardoning, that we are pardoned,
It is in dying . . . that we are born to eternal life.

Six Tips for Reducing Stress by Sandra Thebaud, Ph.D.
Negative stress can be experienced in many different ways. One of those ways is physical. Physical signs of negative stress can be experienced as headaches, neck pain, back pain, stomachaches, and fatigue.

Tip #1: Exhale longer and slower than inhaling. The stimulation of your stress response causes increases in your heart rate, breathing rate, and muscle tension. By consciously controlling your breathing rate, you then have control over your heart rate and muscle tension.

Tip #2: Inhale, hold your breath, tense your muscles, then exhale and release all tension. Consciously relaxing all of your muscles, rather than just the ones that feel tense, is another way to stimulate the Parasympathetic Nervous System to send
messages to all of your organs to return to homeostasis.

Negative stress can also be experienced mentally and emotionally. Some signs of mental and emotional stress include irritability, frustration, feeling overwhelmed, forgetfulness, and difficulty concentrating.

Tip #3: Do only one thing at a time. Doing too many things at the same time taxes your
mental resources and is more likely to lead you to feeling overwhelmed and time limited. By focusing all of your mental resources on one thing at a time, you'll do a better job at it and finish it more quickly.

Tip #4: Think about a funny memory. The cavemen days are over. You can't always choose fleeing or fighting anymore. And when you're feeling overwhelmed and angry, you don't always make the best choices. So when you don't have the option of quitting or arguing, think about a funny memory. It will push those judgment-limiting emotions out of the way and give you a chance to find a better way to deal with your situation.

Everyone has ways of dealing with stress. If you didn't, you wouldn't get out of bed and face the world everyday. However, some of our ways of dealing with stress are not always the healthiest. Take eating for example. Sure chocolate makes you feel better. Ten pounds later, it'll start to make you feel worse. Same thing with smoking and too much alcohol.

Tip #5: Get enough sleep, nutrition and fun. As we all know, lack of sleep, hunger, and boredom only serve to increase negative stress. If you happen to have a lot of negative stress in your life, making sure you get enough sleep, adequate nutrition, and some fun in your life can make a big difference.

Tip #6: Walk slower, talk slower, eat slower. Time management is part of stress management. But the first step to time management is perception. If you perceive that there is not enough time to do everything you want to do, then no matter how you manage your time to get everything done, you'll continue to perceive time as a challenge. Challenges stimulate the stress response. If this challenge makes you excited, that's great. But if it doesn't, it's probably causing you negative stress. So take the first step in time management - stop rushing towards the end of your life.

Sandra Thebaud, Ph.D. is a Health Psychologist and stress management specialist who has helped hundreds of people understand stress and the mind-body connection and improve their overall wellness, productivity and quality of life. She continues to educate people about stress as Founder and CEO of Wellness Possibilities.
Copyright © 2001 Wellness Possibilities. All rights reserved.

Practicing Yoga Outside by Megan Lurie McCarver and Mickey

All one needs for a yoga practice is oneself and the yoga teachings. Sure, props can be very useful but they are not necessary. That is also true for a yoga room. Hard wood floors and a quiet space is helpful, however yoga can truly be practiced anywhere. I find yoga outside to be most awesome. Since yoga is centered on breath or often called prana, nothing beats Mother Nature. One of my favorite students captured the concept so simply below.

“Saturday yoga at the beach, what a wonderful way to end a busy workweek and begin a weekend. Being literally grounded by Mother Earth. Looking at the horizon, the beautiful Pacific Ocean that merges with the blue sky. It gives me a religious and peaceful feeling I haven’t found anywhere else.

The poses become easier, I feel more harmonious with my surroundings, and I learn the a different feeling than when I am surrounded by walls (doing yoga inside.)

I thank you Megan for this wonderful opportunity to be able to participate in this experience. You have such a soft loving way, which makes yoga a pleasure and not something forced. I am so grateful I found you and truly cherish my time with you.”

Love,

Mickey