Mind Body Messenger
Issue#35, May 2006

Keeping Up With Heather…

Hello Friends,
This month’s Messenger comes with news of upcoming programs, ideas to help you achieve your ultimate wellness success, and some thoughts on the importance of relieving tension in your life. But first, a reminder of a few upcoming programs:

Yoga Teacher Training Australia

Our second offering of the one-month residential Yoga Teacher Training Program in Australia will be held from July 8-August 6, 2006 in Mullimbimby, tucked away under the peak of Mount Warning, and overlooking beautiful Byron Bay. Our online journaling portion of the program has already begun, but there are still spaces still available for you to join us in this “full immersion” program!

This one-month intensive gives you the opportunity to dive into your yoga practice to expand, explore, inspire and transform yourself while being guided and supported to become a Registered Yoga Instructor. The course includes teaching and adjusting Hatha yoga postures, guided relaxation, meditation, the foundations of yoga philosophy, anatomy & physiology of yoga, chanting, breathwork, the yogic lifestyle, yoga philosophy and more.

• Date: July 8 to August 6, 2006
• Venue: Funkey Forest Retreat Centre
• Location: Mullumbimby, (near Byron Bay)
• Cost: $3240 includes course, accommodation, delicious vegetarian meals, Trinity Hatha Yoga Workbook.
• Pre-requisites: regular Yoga and meditation practice. Study and practice materials are available in advance of the program.
• For more information on the program, please write to heather@yogatrinity.com
Yoga Teacher Training Canada

Our plans are shifting and changing for our Canadian program offerings, and we will keep you posted. If you are intending to join us for the program in Ontario this Autumn, please do express your interest by emailing heather@yogatrinity.com

Yoga Lifestyle Retreat Moruya

There are just 2 spaces left in our Yoga Lifestyle Retreat in Moruya, NSW May 5-7. Enjoy a weekend of discovery as we explore the Yogic Lifestyle, including yoga classes, chanting, breathwork, meditation, the yogic diet and more. Spend your weekend with like-minded people relaxing, rejuvenating, learning, and enjoying the natural and peaceful environment all for just $290 inclusive! To register call Heather 0406 784 878.

Thoughts On…

I received this story first as an email, and then it was repeated to me at a recent satsang with Amma (the hugging saint). It has a wonderful message about the importance of regularly relieving yourself of the burdens of tension and stress.

The Weight of Water

A lecturer, when explaining stress management to an audience, raised a glass of water and asked, "How heavy is this glass of water?"

Answers called out ranged from 20g to 500g. The lecturer replied, "The absolute weight doesn't matter. It depends on how long you try to hold it. If I hold it for a minute, that's not a problem. If I hold it for an hour, I'll have an ache in my right arm. If I hold it for a day, you'll have to call an ambulance. In each case, it's the same weight, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes.

He continued, "And that's the way it is with stress management. If we carry our burdens all the time, sooner or later, as the burden becomes increasingly heavy, we won't be able to carry on."

"As with the glass of water, you have to put it down for a while and rest before holding it again. When we're refreshed, we can carry on with the burden. So, before you return home tonight, put the burden of work down. Don't carry it home. You can pick it up tomorrow. Whatever burdens you're carrying now, let them down for a moment if you can. Relax; pick them up later after you've rested. Life is short. Enjoy it!"

Check It Out!

Check out the Spring issue of GLOW Magazine Canada for my column outlining an outdoor fitness program that will help you get fit, distress, and enjoy the beautiful sunshine and fresh breezes that the coming spring promises.

Success Through Dreaming

Why do we do it? Why do we get up before the sun to go for a run? Why do we drag our work-worn bodies off to the gym after a long day at the office? Why do we spend our lunch hour on a yoga mat coaxing length out of our stiff muscles instead of enjoying a real meal? If you’ve forgotten why, the likelihood is that you aren’t getting up early for a run, hitting the gym after work, or taking in a regular yoga class. How do I know that? Because as soon as we forget why we are working out, the work-outs tend to get worked right out of our busy schedules. We “throw in the towel” as they say and make room for more pressing matters like a PTA meeting, an early conference call, or the lure of the latest CSI episode.

So, if you’ve fallen off the wellness wagon lately, ask yourself why? Is it really your busy schedule? Or is it simply because you forgot the reasons why you want to include exercise in your life? Now, you’ll note that I said “want” instead of “should”. Of course we “should” exercise, and you don’t have to be an exercise scientist to know that we need regular exercise to maintain the human machine. But, is this knowledge enough motivation to put the miles on the treadmill? Is it enough to make us “want” to push out another push up or stretch that little bit further to reach our toes? I suggest that it is not. If the “shoulds” of good health were enough of a motivation for us to do the right thing, then the tobacco and snack food industries would have expired long ago. Unfortunately, this is not the case. So, are there more powerful motivators that you can tap into that can assist you in creating the “want” that will help you to achieve and maintain the motivation and momentum you need to improve your health and fitness? The answer lies within you and with what we call your “future self”.

Your past experiences with exercise, meditation and good eating habits say a lot about where you are at today. However, it is your future self that can be the key to getting on and staying on the fitness bandwagon. For example, say you want to become a doctor. How much does your past experience with the health care system affect you? A little, perhaps, but it is your desire to become a doctor that will influence you most. Think about it. The last time you really wanted to achieve something and you were successful, didn’t you spend time each day dreaming of your success…even before it even seemed possible in the real world? In your imagination you stepped into the role you were creating for yourself, you put in the hard yards to achieving the goal and then as though by magic one day you were there. You can use this same skill, one that you already have, to generate the powerful motivation to become the fit, healthy and energized person that you really want to be.

So, how does this future self lend you a hand? Well, first you have to cultivate a relationship with your future self. You have to reach out to find that self that is all the things that you want to be, and then spend time with that self in order to bring it into reality. This could mean that you wake up in the morning and take 5 minutes before you get out of bed to imagine yourself achieving your peak fitness performance, or imagining zipping up that smaller size pant, or imagining the feeling of strong and supple muscles, lean and toned abs, a calm and relaxed mind. If your nutrition habits hold you back, you could imagine yourself eating the foods that will get you where you want to go. This may sound like kids stuff, but playing mental movies like this will connect you with the power behind your actions; your subconscious mind. And, through this powerful connection you can truly create the future self that you are dreaming of becoming.

Ask yourself, why is it that some people can get up one day and decide to create a different life, and others just seem to struggle on, wishing for something better but never making it happen? The difference is that successful people naturally visualize, creating that future self that can draw them like a magnet to success. So, if you really want to achieve success for yourself, follow these key steps and you will find yourself creating the life, the health, and the body of your dreams!

Practice every day. Consistency is the key here, and taking a day off can lead to two days, then a week, then suddenly it’s a year later and you are still stuck in a rut. Make a commitment to practice daily and your success will be assured.
It is better to be relaxed when visualizing. Before getting out of bed, right before sleep, or after performing a “brief relaxation” or meditation are the best times to practice.
Play your movies as though you are “in” your body. Use all of your senses to see, feel, taste, touch and smell your success.

Work through any recurring resistance that makes itself known. You may find the keys to your success hidden in the limiting ideas that lurk in your mind.
Journal your thoughts and ideas, your challenges and your progress. A record of your experience will help you to see your way out of any trouble spots, and will help you to make your visualization time a routine.

Create an “inspiration board” where you can post photos, quotes, or inspirational thoughts that will keep you imagining the best.
Finally, to learn more about the power of visualization, and how to create your future self, check out the following resources:

• What the Bleep Do We Know? Available worldwide on DVD.
• The Power of Your Subconscious Mind; a CD by Andrew Matthews
• The Power of Intention; by Wayne Dyer available in Book or CD
You are who you are, not because of who you have been, but who you are becoming, and you are becoming more of who you are every day.

Yoga For Mind and Body

Part of an ongoing series 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 and techniques 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

Sethu Bandhasana – Bridge Pose printer friendly version

Also considered a beneficial backward bend, Sethu Bandhasana is also an inversion of the lower body, helping to strengthen and lengthen muscles of the lower body, activate and balance the lower chakras, and stimulate the endocrine system.

To Begin: From Corpse Pose (lying on the back) bend the knees and place the feet close to the buttocks sit bone-width apart. Second toe should face forward and outer line of the foot aligned with the long edge of the mat. Stretch the arms alongside the body and draw the shoulder blades towards one another to open the chest and bring strength into shoulders and arms.

The Pose: Exhale and draw the belly into the spine to support the lower back, then inhale and press into the feet to roll up one vertebrae at a time to create a straight line from the shoulders through the hips to the knees.

To Intensify: Continue to lift through hips and extend the front of the body to raise hips above the navel. Keep knees from straying apart by activating inner thigh muscles and/or placing a block between the knees. Think of lengthening both the front and back of the body simultaneously to avoid over-arching the back. Arms can remain at the sides reaching strongly into the ground, or interlock fingers to take chest stretch position for more intensity.

To Modify: Place knees wider apart for lower back or knee pain. Place wedges under the heels for tight calves/hamstrings. Do not place a support under the head in this pose, and do ensure that you do not put weight or strain on the neck. Breathing: Hold for 5 deep breaths, encouraging the breath into the front and back of the heart.

Focus: Gaze down the line of the body to release tension from the neck. Benefits: Strengthens thighs and buttocks, lengthens hip flexors, opens the front of the spine and stimulates the reproductive system and the endocrine system-particularly the elements in the lower body.