Mind Body Messenger
Issue #21, February 2005

Keeping Up with Heather…

Standing in the shower this morning shaving my legs (is this column getting too personal?), I got a flash of insight into some of the commercials I’ve seen on television the past few years. Ads depicting women fed up with trying to balance on one leg shaving their legs; infomercials portraying a woman who insists that the first time she used a spinning brush she actually cried because she could finally say goodbye to the arm-cramping that plagued her enjoyment of hair styling, and commercials insisting that their web service is the fastest-eliminating the horrors of waiting a few seconds for web-pages to download. Well, save your money, I say, instead of all these gadgets (costly for you, and for our Earth), practice Yoga.

Yes folks, that’s right, yoga can help you save money, improve your health and vitality, and eliminate the need for endless gadgets, gizmos and technical enhancements. And if you pay with your credit card today, you can get all these benefits for the low price of…just kidding!

But on a much more serious note, it is essential that with all the technologies developed to streamline our lives (remote controls, food processors, drive thru’s) that we make an extra effort maintain an active daily life. It would be easy to let technology take over tasks like shifting gears, walking into the bank, chopping food, and changing channels on the TV. But, the results of these advances include stiff joints, excess body fat, poor balance, lowered metabolic rate, and diminished vitality. Just switching from a manual transmission to an automatic can result in a weight gain of 1 pound a year! So, to maintain a healthy body and mind, and remain active for life, it is essential to find an exercise program that works for you. Of course, I recommend Yoga as a part of a comprehensive fitness plan.

One of the best things about Yoga is that it is so accessible. You can find classes in almost every community. There are great books on every style of Yoga, and new DVD’s are released daily to help you with your home practice. And, it is your home practice where you begin to see the greatest benefits. You see, when you practice yoga, daily active living becomes easier. Holding your arms overhead styling your hair or hanging a shower curtain is no challenge for your defined deltoids. Balancing like a stork while navigating the curve of your knee with a razor is effortless. And, the prospect of having to wait in traffic, wait for a download, or wait for water to boil no longer has you boiling over.

Through the practice of yoga, you can cultivate a lean, strong, and healthy body that has more than enough strength and endurance to tackle everyday tasks. Through the conscious application of yogic techniques your patience is enhanced, emotions are controlled, and the little hiccups of everyday life no longer get under your skin. Through the practice of meditation, visualization and intention, you can even learn to create a different reality, if not free from disappointment, at least a life that allows you to deal with disappointment and frustration more effectively.

A wonder drug? No way. Yoga is no magic pill (although I assure you, there is much magic to be found in Yoga). Yoga must be practiced regularly, in the studio, in a traffic jam, at the next PTA meeting. But, you don’t have to move into the yoga studio to benefit. I’ve outlined a few simple techniques so you can skip the gadgets and gizmos, and keep your body healthy enough to maintain and even enhance your daily activities. (For poses visit www.mind-body-mastery.com) For weak and tired shoulders: Instead of buying muscle-saving devices like mechanical brushes and hair-dryer stands, practice Downward Dog, Powerful Pose, and Dolphins to build strong, defined shoulders that will support your body in all it’s daily movements. For tight neck muscles: Instead of forking out for mechanical massage tools, practice a progressive relaxation daily to release the tension that builds up in the body. Then, splurge occasionally on a luxurious massage. For better balance: Instead of trying every new shaving/hair removal product on the market, practice Tree, Balancing Stick, and Hand to Big Toe poses. You will benefit on all levels from these focussed balancing poses. For patience: Instead of getting frazzled in traffic jams, in front of a slow computer, or while waiting in line, use the time to practice conscious breathing. A watched pot never boils, as the ‘old wives’ say, so take your mind away from anticipation, and use the time wisely.

Namaste , Heather.

Enhancing Visualization

Mystics, elite athletes, and artists all agree that one of the most powerful tools we have at our disposal is our imagination. Through your imagination and visualization powers you can enhance your creativity at work, improve your sports performance, understand the workings of your mind, and learn to tap your own inner powers of creation, intuition, perception, and conception.

To enhance your imagination and visualization powers, use this simple technique daily as part of your meditation practice. Once you’ve got the hang of it, you can create your own series of sensory experiences. When you begin, stick to this series until you can experience each sense fully.

To begin, lie down in a comfortable position and follow your regular relaxation process. This may be counting down, relaxing each part of the body systematically, focussing on the breath, or some other relaxation technique.

Once your body and mind are relaxed, set your intention to draw in all your creative powers to explore each object of your visualization. Use all your inner senses to feel, taste, hear, smell and see each image. Hold the visualization for a few seconds, and then move on.

A brilliant sunrise
A beautiful red rose
A fresh, juicy orange
Lying on the fresh, green grass
A cool glass of water
Sitting in a rocking chair
Walking in the sand
A golden sunset
A night sky

After going through your sequence of images, rest for a few more moments, and then return to your daily activities. Take note of how you are feeling, observing any changes in your awareness, your mood, or your perspective.

Practicing this technique regularly will help you to learn the skills of mental concentration, visualization, and imagination. As well, this technique helps you to become more sensitive to the subtleties of each sense, making you more awake and aware of all the beauty and aliveness in your world.

Enjoy, Heather!

A Zen Tale

“Is there anything I can do to make myself enlightened?”
As little as you can do to make the sun rise in the morning.”
Then of what use are the spiritual exercises you prescribe?”
To make sure you are not asleep when the sun begins to rise.”
An excerpt from Mother Tongue by Demetria Martinez

Surfing the Net

These websites are some of our favourites, as they are a terrific resource for knowledge, inspiration, entertainment, and personal service. If you have a website to recommend, please send it along to heather@yogatrinity.com and we will gladly peruse your site in advance of our next column.

www3.sympatico.ca/peter.karstenskov/

The home of our own web designer Pete Karstenskov, who has designed and recently updated www.mind-body-mastery. Pete may be living in El Dorado, Ontario, but his services are accessible even from way down here in Australia. If you are in need of a site, or some computer expertise, we highly recommend Pete’s services.

www.joyfulliving.info

A new website from an old friend, Lori Beardmore’s Feng Shui website offers editorials and suggestions for understanding and benefiting from this ancient art.

www.dreamchanneler.com

Ever wonder what your dreams really mean? Jeff Round’s site offers a dream dictionary, a dream forum, and you can even send in your dreams and have them interpreted for free. A great site with heaps to browse, you might find yourself surfing his site long after you should be dreaming…

www.amorc.org

As members of the Ancient Order of the Rose Croix (the Rosicrucian Order), we are always happy to recommend their site for anyone interested in studying mysticism, the laws of nature, and the connection between science and the mystical. It’s no secret - you can find them on the web!

www.thedailyguru.com

This site offers a free daily inspirational quote or mystical message sent to your email…a great way to stay inspired!

www.seashell.com.au

We’ve mentioned Andrew Matthews’ site before, but it’s updated with some great stuff, including a free 7 day email course, and a new site with inspirational messages: www.inspirational-quotes.org

For Yoga enthusiasts, the following sites are a fantastic resource for study, inspiration and enlightenment:

www.yogajournal.com

www.yogabasics.com

www.sivananda.org

www.yogananda-srf.org

Yoga For Mind and Body

The twelfth in 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. Do check with your health care practitioner before beginning a yoga practice. Many postures are not suitable for pregnant women, people with joint replacements, those with hypertension or other medical conditions. If you have a posture that you would like to see in this column, I welcome your suggestions. Namaste, H!

Eka Padasana: One Foot Pose or
The Balancing Stick Pose... printer friendly version

To Begin: Stand with feet together, Raise arms overhead and interlock all fingers but the index fingers. Ensure that your body is aligned (ear, shoulder, hip and ankle), and abdominal muscles are engaged to keep the rib cage from lifting.

The Pose:

To Intensify: Instead of interlocking hands, place palms flat against one another with only the thumbs crossed.

Breathing: Hold the pose for five deep breaths.

To Modify: Hold the back of a chair to give the body extra support. Remember, the abdominal muscles are the glue that holds this pose together.

Focus: Keep the gaze focussed forward on the ground ahead of your mat. All balancing poses require ‘single mindedness of thought’, so keep your mind fully in the present, on the body, on the breath, and on the visual focus.

Cautions: Do not allow your supporting knee to hyperextend (bend backwards). Keep your supporting thigh strong, lifting the kneecap up into the thigh. The most common problem in this pose is not finding the parallel alignment; so use a mirror to guide your body into a straight line; lower back flat, hips square to the ground, arms beside ears and extended leg straight.

Benefits: Strengthens the body, builds stamina, and improves balance and mental focus.