Tag-Archive for » meditate «

Dec
06

Breakfast… And Yoga. The Keys to Success

We’ve all known for ever the importance of a healthy breakfast to children’s learning, but one British primary school is also recognizing the benefits of incorporating yoga and meditation into education.

Riverside Primary in Rotherhithe

Riverside Primary in Rotherhithe

According to a recent article in The London Evening Standard, the children of Riverside Primary in Rotherhithe were provided with not only a proper breakfast heading into their primary SAT’s but also,  under the guidance of a local yoga instructor, exercises in breathing and yoga.

The results astounded as the school, serving an area of considerable social disadvantage, found themselves ranked top of the Evening Standard’s league tables today, helping pupils soar more than a year ahead of their peers between the ages of seven and 11.

While the school made a concerted effort not to merely teach to the controversial tests, contributing to the remarkable results, the additional support in the form of healthy breakfast and relaxation exercises without doubt paid off this year.

Category: health, Kids, Meditation, Spirit, yoga  2 Comments
Nov
30

The Balancing Series… Love on One Foot. Part 3: Dekasana… Airplane!

airplane Back from Thanksgiving and, Idon’t know about you, but I’m finding the need for balance, in diet- navigating my way from abundant meat and cheese (until Christmas, creamy fondue and Calabrese salami!) and back to hot rice cereal, greens and lean protien…    and practice!  Whew! Moving on in the series we find ourselves moving from grasping our toe as though for dear life long, extended and upright, into Dekasana, or Airplane Pose… I’m guessing (cuz I don’t really know) a modern, 20th century evolution of Virabhadrasana III, or Warrior III.  Regardless, a welcome relief from the intensity of Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana, or Extended Hand-to-Toe! From the extended leg, hand-to- toe, the leg is brought forward briefly yet again where the toe is released, controlled of course, not dropped… the hands grasp the hips and that extended leg is lightly, strongly extended forward from the hip.  Alternatively, that leg can be supported by the hands, fingers intertwined below the hamstring- my preference, in fact. more »

Category: health, Postures, Spirit, strength, surrender  Leave a Comment
Nov
17

The Balancing Series… Love on One Foot. Part 2: Utthita Hasta Padangustasana or Grab Your Toe and Don’t Forget to Breathe!

bal-legraise-sketchJust when you thought all was well with the world… you’ve successfully unwound yourself out of Eagle and with a long, delightful exhale are ready to take it down a notch.

Well, nope.

The series continues, long and extended, as we head into a remarkably high energy posture, Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana, or Extended Hand-to-Toe, requiring strength along with steadiness and focus. The good news is that for beginners, or if the day- and the joints- say, “let’s just not” there is a lovely modification that still fosters knowledge and understanding on one leg, but offers a little break in the intensity.
To modify, rather than grasping the big toe and extending the leg, merely keep the knee bent.  Keep the hands on the hips and hold the knee forward for five breaths, foot flexed and supporting foot grounded into the floor to maintain the stable foundation.

After five breaths, keeping the knee bent, move the knee to the side of the body and hold.  If you’d like to intensify this a little, challenging the balance, turn the head to settle the gaze on the opposite wall to the bent leg.  After five breaths bring the bent leg back to the front, with hands still on hips, hips square, extend the leg forward and hold at whichever height your leg and hip allow for a breath or two before releasing to the floor to switch sides.

If you’d like a little more challenge, actually working towards extending the leg and maintaining that extension, consider using a chair on which to support that leg for the five breaths.  Props are always strongly encouraged!

As with all of the balancing postures, this provides wonderful strengthening and lengthening in the supporting leg, and certainly that which is extended should you take it in that direction. As always, here’s a little more info…

Lovely.  Lovely.  Lovely.

Category: Postures, Spirit, strength, surrender, weight loss  One Comment
Nov
16

The Farmer’s Luck… Maybe. Words to Live By

zenshortsI’ve raved written in the past about this wonderful book of stories before.

In Jon M. Muth’s Zen Shorts, Stillwater, the serene and friendly Giant Panda of a neighbour to three children, siblings Karl, Michael and Addy, offers his own brand of Zen guidance and advice.

Through ancient stories infused with traditional Buddhist teachings, Stillwater provides solutions to the childen’s various individual conflicts.

These stories provide such tangible messages through simple yet engaging narrative along with wonderful artwork, moving between the full colour drawings of Stillwater and the children, and black & white sketches of the various ancient tales.

And while, yes, this is another plug gentle encouragement to give this book to your child, or your neighbour’s child, or your sister’s husband’s mother’s child… or yourself for that matter, it’s really one of the stories I’d like to specifically address here.

It’s the tale of an old farmer and his son.  In short, and without infringing on copyright(!), the story has the farmer’s son buying a horse (good luck?), horse running away (bad luck?), horse returning with two other wild horses (good luck?), boy attempts to ride one of them and is thrown, breaking his leg (bad luck?), shortly thereafter visited by military recruiters who won’t accept him due to his injury (good luck?)….

And so it is.  With each new circumstance the ever-sympathetic neighbours qualify it with either judgement, “such good luck”  or conversely, “such bad luck”, to which the wise old farmer consistently and simply replies, “maybe’.

The message, as summed up by young Michael to the gentle Stillwater, “Maybe good luck and bad luck are all mixed up.  You never know what will happen next.”

Hmmmmmm.  Wonderful messages and a certain must read for any child… or adult….

Category: Kids, maybe, reading, Spirit, surrender  4 Comments
Nov
10

The Balancing Series… Love on One Foot. Part 1: Garudasana or Eagle Pose

bal-eagleMaybe it’s autumn, maybe it’s my current serene state of mind, fair & balanced, but I’m all about incorporating the Balancing Series into my practice these days.

So, if you’re looking to cultivate strength, balance and open-ness… look no further!  The Balancing Series provides you with a well-rounded and challenging set of postures to help you achieve all three!

It’s a personal favourite of mine, and one that I look forward to as I’m sweating through the warrior series in anticipation of the sweet serenity and focused stillness of standing on one foot.

I know it may not be everybody’s cup of tea.  Balancing postures, while providing a beautiful payoff, require a heck of a lot in return.  Passive it ain’t.  You will work… your. butt. off!  Heh heh.

But, truly, the balancing postures embody the foundations of yoga and are so worth getting to know better despite the degree of  physical endurance.  The rewards extend, literally, from head to toe and I encourage you to incorporate it, in part or in full, regularly into any practice.

more »

Category: health, Postures, Practice, strength  Leave a Comment
May
27

Downward Dog-gin’ It!

Adho Mukha SvanasanaWould I be in danger of being stoned… or possibly flayed… right here on my yoga mat if I admitted I don’t like Downward Facing Dog?

Occasionally, in the heat of Sun Salutations, I find some solace in taking the posture… sighing into it… but then, remembering my form, back to work.

Unlike Savasana, where the work is largely mental, with a hint of the spiritual, for me, Downward Dog requires considerable effort on all fronts: the mental, spiritual and just downright physical.

More often than not, the sigh- upon recalling there is proper form involved- is replaced by an “Ugh!”, uttered through the exhausted heave of my exhale… followed by shallow, inadequate breaths… until, finally- yes, finally- I embrace my last inhale and take my steps, depending on my level of energy, my hop forward to the exalted release of forward bend.

But, here’s the thing:  Downward Dog is supposed to be a posture of rejuvenation… of healing and renewal!  If this is the case… then why, why, WHY do I dislike it so?!

more »

Category: Meditation, strength, surrender, Trends  Leave a Comment
May
05

Guest Post…. Diets In Review

I was recently asked to contribute over at the diet blog, Diets In Review.  I was honoured as there is heaps of information and it was a pleasure offering a little insight on the power of meditation, a subject near and dear to my heart.  I take on the power of meditation in battling stress as well as weight loss, so check it out!

Take a read, and while you’re over there be sure to peruse some of the other information on health and fitness.

Category: Blog, Meditation, Spirit  2 Comments
Apr
15

Looking for a Therapist? Try Yoga!

Living out in the sticks as I do, the choices are few and far between for yoga instruction, so retreats offer me the face to face guidance and feedback, not to mention valuable adjustments that are just not possible in my own living room, regardless who I’ve got playing on my TV screen.

However, as much as I love the retreats, inevitably the physical is inextricably combined with the mental, a fact I am never quite fully prepared for.   The yoga is often intense.  The body is challenged, stretched, nudged and eased into deeper representations of the postures.  But as the body opens, lengthens and surrenders… well, a whole lotta other stuff tends to emerge as well. Call me repressed… uptight, perhaps… even hung up.  As a reserved Canadian, I’ll accept each of them, because the fact is, while I wasn’t yet prepared or ready to see my growth on the mat translate to growth in other areas of my life, most of the other attendees were eager and ready to let it happen.

In amongst the fresh insights and perspectives, there were also tears, sobs and outright wails.  As one of only a few other repressed, uptight and hung up participants, I was without doubt, uncomfortable.  But, it was a real eye opener to observe how yoga could prove itself such an effective facilitator in profound awareness and change.

Whether it’s a retreat, a program geared to target not only the physical aspects of a practice but also the mental and spiritual, or simply a class, folks are finding healing on the mat in its many forms.  And, if you read on, you’ll find not surprisingly, that an entirely new brand of psychotherapy is finding legs because of it.

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Mar
30

A Meditation in Walking

meditation in walking
Contrary to popular belief, meditation doesn’t have to happen alone in a room, in full lotus, body silent and still.

No, in fact sometimes the most satisfying meditations happen on your feet, outdoors and covering ground.  Certainly, by now, we are all aware of the benefits of walking.  It has been the foundation to many a weight loss program as it’s inexpensive, outside of a good pair of shoes, it can be done anywhere and anyone can do it.  But can we truly achieve a meditative state by doing it?

Many of us already enjoy walking for some meditative benefits already.  Communing with nature, enjoying fresh air and clearing one’s head, all wonderful aspects to a low-intensity, heart pumping activity that can be done right outside your door.

Up until about two years ago, I walked as I run, not to the beat of my heart or to the sounds of the surrounding outdoors, but to the ear-splitting tunes filling my head.  I will likely always need music to help move and motivate me through a run, but it only took one walk without my earbuds to convert me to the centring, perspective gathering benefits of a brisk walk in peace and quiet rather than a brisk walk, thoughts and mind overwhelmed by the intense beat of drums and base.

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Category: Meditation, Spirit  Leave a Comment
Mar
12

Spend Some Time in The Gap… Meditate!

meditate_001-sm1

The Gap.  It’s not just at the mall… no, it’s also the place that is the silence between your thoughts… a place few, if any, of us even know exists, let alone visit.

But it doesn’t have to be that way.

Meditation can be the path that allows us a way in which to access this space.  It is a space of compassion, surrender and peace.  Consider your thoughts.  They are of the past and of the future.  Active, energetic, and largely unaware.  It is in the space between those thoughts where the present- awareness- lies and as long as we remain disconnected from that space, we exist disconnected from the present… and ultimately, true contentment.

Learning to meditate, and making it a regular part of one’s day, allows you to practice presence- awareness.  However, it’s not merely a function of sitting in quiet.  It’s more than that… more work, to be honest!  To simply sit in quiet often invites the monkeys to come to play… say, the Wickersham brothers on ‘roids, where you are sure to wish each of them a pleasant, ‘good day’, perhaps take an occasional do-si-do, as they pass through (some days, seemingly on loop)… ummm… OK, maybe that’s just me!

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Category: Meditation, Spirit  Leave a Comment
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