Mind Body Messenger
issue#10 February 2004

Keeping Up with Heather
“All you need is love”

When John Lennon sang these words, many people believed that he was a starry eyed idealist, caught up in a romance and blind to the harshness of the material world. A nice idea, but how practical when I have to get up every morning, commute to work, put in my 8-10 hours of slave labour, then hump it back home in gridlock to prepare meals, taxi children, try to commit to the gym, and then fall into bed, only to repeat the pattern tomorrow, and the next day, and the next day. But, maybe, just maybe, Lennon was onto something.

I’d like to share a story with you that will shed some light on this topic. The story of the Sinagua people was originally told to me by my teacher Gita Masiques, while on retreat in Arizona. As Gita tells it, there was once a tribe of indigenous people called the Sinagua people (Spanish for ‘without water’). The Sinagua were perpetually struggling against drought. They celebrated the years when water was plentiful enough to raise crops and feed their scant livestock, and prayed desperately in the years when water was scarce. The Sinagua people, like most indigenous tribes, were musical. They used music and dance to express, to heighten awareness, to pray, to celebrate and to entertain. The songs of the Sinagua people had a familiar theme, water. They sang songs that celebrated the gifts of water. They pleaded with the Gods to bring them water. They sang of years when water filled their rivers and nourished their families. Water was the common theme in their music. Gita then asked us, what is the common theme in our music today, in our tribe or culture? We all answered the same-it’s love. Our musicians from pop and rock to country and folk, rap and R&B are all signing about the same thing, love. The sound is different, but the theme is the same…I loved her and she left me...I will love him forever…Our love will live forever…Love at first sight…Love is pain…Love is all we need. We sing these themes over and over again, and perhaps for the same reason that the Sinagua people sing about water. It is the thing that we are lacking, or at least, it is the feeling that we think we are lacking. We sometimes feel it in plenty…and other times we seem to be in drought. When feel love we see our world as green and glistening, pure and beautiful. When we fall out of love, our world feels like a barren wasteland filled with the thorns of treachery and the deserts of loneliness.

Perhaps we are missing something. Perhaps our definition of love needs updating. As the Canadian musician Greg Hoskins sings, “There should be as many words for love, as the Inuit have for snow”.

And, what more appropriate time could there be than the Valentine’s season to examine our concept of love. How many kinds of love can you count? There is the love of a child. How you love your parents, your siblings, and your friends. How about the love you feel for your partner? And, slightly more complicated, but no less important, the love you feel for past partners. The love you feel for animals (as individuals and as a species) is unique. The love you feel for nature, the environment, the planet, is distinctive. The special feelings you share with characters in a book or film…does that count? How about the love you feel for your family home, your country of birth, your favourite hockey team, is that love? I don’t have any answers about our society’s obsession with, dependence on, and struggle for love. But it sure is nice to think about it. I think that the older I get, the more kinds of love I discover. And, perhaps each time we lose a pet or endure a relationship break-up or care for a dying friend, our hearts don’t break, but they grow. And, like all growing things there are times when they are vulnerable and raw. But, over time they become stronger, more capable, and they will have more space for even more varieties and deeper levels of love.

So, this Valentine’s Day, whether you are enjoying a romantic dinner for two, spending the evening with friends, or perusing the grocery store ready for another night alone, take a moment to consider all the other areas of your life where cupids arrow may have struck, but you didn’t know it. And, on that note, I will sign off to you all this month, clients and friends, subscribers and on-line readers,

with all my love,
Heather!

Great Surfing…

I just received a referral to this terrific site, and I had to share it with you. Christine DeLeroy’s site, www.numerology.freesoul.com is a fantastic reference for those wanting to understand numerology, and explore how this science can be helpful in making sense of the energies we are working with in this lifetime.

I suggest that you first read the Introduction. It offers a quick study of the science of numerology, and offers some amazing insights into this magical time in human history. Then, you can find your Destiny Number, your Challenge Number, and your current Yearly Cycle. You can also look at your monthly and weekly forecasts to understand what patterns you are working with. But, keep in mind in all of this interesting research that, as Christine states, the pattern exists, but we not only have the opportunity to experience and learn from these patterns, but through the use of our free will, we can transcend these patterns. She quotes Jawaharial Nehru on this point:

”Life is like a game of cards. The hand that is dealt you represents determinism; the way you play it is Free Will.”

I hope that you enjoy this website. I certainly did. And, I plan to order the authors new book, “Life Cycles”, to further my study. I will be sure to offer a review once I’ve worked with it.

In the meantime…happy surfing. H!

The second a series of columns offering yoga postures for men, women, and children to practice at home, school, on the road or in the office. With special thanks to Ross Pottinger of Wink Photo Design in Brisbane, Australia for the photos and the support in this project. And many thanks to Louisa Dick for taking part in the project. If you have a posture that you would like to see in this column, I welcome your suggestions. Namaste, H!

Preparatory Movements to Strengthen the Core; enjoy these simple strengthening movements 2-3 times a week to build strong abs, arms, and low back muscles, reduce low back pain, increase your metabolism, and prepare your body for more interesting and demanding yoga postures.

Note: please see your health care practitioner before beginning a new exercise program. If you experience pain during or after performing any exercise, please discontinue and visit your health care provider.

Preparatory/Strengthening Movements ... printer friendly version

Exercise 1: Shoulder Stand Prep

Lie on your back with hand tucked under your hips, engage your abdominal muscles to bring your belly into your spine. Focus on using the strength of your abdomen as you inhale and stretch your right leg out and up as high as you can lift it keeping both knees straight. Exhale and slowly stretch the right leg out and down. Repeat on the left. If your lower back lifts off the ground, refocus on drawing your belly into your spine. If it continues to lift, work with a bent leg until your core is strong enough to lift a straight leg.

• Beginner: single leg lifts 20-30 repetitions with hands under hips.
• Intermediate: double leg lift 20 repetitions with hands under hips or at sides.
• Advanced: double leg lift stopping for 20 seconds at 30, 60, and 90 degrees

Exercise 2: The Boat

Begin by sitting on the floor with hands by your sides. Bring your heels to your buttocks, and slowly lean back onto the back of your buttocks. Inhale and engage abdominal muscles to support your back and keep your spine long. On the exhalation, lift your feet off the ground to balance on your buttocks. Hold, breathing deeply, for 5 breaths.

• Beginner: Hold with hands on the ground for support for 1 repetition.
• Intermediate: Hold with hands reaching to toes for 2 repetitions.
• Advanced: Hold with legs extended straight, arms reaching forward for 3 repetitions.

Exercise 3: The Dolphin

To prepare for this exercise rest on your knees and elbows, and catch your elbows in your hands, then clasp your hands together. Keep your abdominal muscles engaged by drawing your belly into your spine, keep your shoulders away from your ears, and your eyes looking slightly ahead of the posture.

From your knees, lift up onto your toes, bringing your hips up into the air, this is your start position. As you inhale, slowly stretch your body down towards the ground until you are parallel to the ground. Exhale and slowly push back to the start position.

Repeat.

• Beginner: Repeat 2 sets of 10 repetitions.
• Intermediate: Repeat 2-3 sets of 20 repetitions.
• Advanced: Repeat 2-3 sets of 20 repetitions alternately lifting one foot off the ground at a time.