Tune Into The Wisdom Within!

21 May 2014 by Carmen Burby

Our body is intelligently equipped with everything it requires to serve us efficiently and effectively during the journey that is our physical existence. 

Recall

We need to recall times in which we felt wonderfully in tune with ourselves, when we felt at ease with our environment at home, at work, or with friends and so forth.  For example, it could be a simple walk in nature on a sunny day, a sunset or sunrise, your favourite place, sharing a meal with friends, sitting in a garden bathed in warm sunshine, watching a child at play, a successful meeting with a client, a party you attended looking beautiful and radiant or just remembering the look of people on a sunny day.  Hold that memory and feel it, sense it, savour it, smell it, touch it, see it and embrace the recollection of that beautiful experience.  Would you agree with me that we feel and look more relaxed, happier and friendlier when we recall happy moments?

Spring Cleaning 

             Our Subconscious / Conscious Mind 

                       (In The Broad Sense)

•  Subconscious Mind

It would be good if from time to time we try to do some mental spring cleaning, decluterring our minds as it were, disposing of unwanted material that does not serve us anymore.  It could be said that since our early formative years we have been storing memories in a generally random and indiscriminate manner. 

We stored everything, both good and bad events.  This is the work of the Subconscious Mind, which acts like a sponge.  Cannot reason, receives impressions and simple absorbs and works as it were on autopilot.  It does not actively filter or discriminate between the negative and positive impressions it receives.  It is like a bin in which you put anything.  It is the reservoir of all that we experience in life.  It accepts whatever is thrown into it!

• Conscious Mind or The Intellect

As we develop we start to reason and challenge certain beliefs and principles that do not serve us anymore.  This is the work of our Conscious Mind, which reasons, discriminates, takes action and does not work on autopilot like a machine, but it is fallible and prone to make mistakes.  In taking action we make mistakes.  We did not perform as well as we hoped, we failed and felt disappointed but we can and will do better with perseverance, and we can correct a mistake.  However, if we do nothing at all we do not have anything to correct.  Therefore, we must draw our own personal conclusions on what changes we need to make and what needs to be done in order to effect those changes!  Thus, we need to adjust, and make the necessary corrections and in this way we start to grow.  Mistakes may seem like obstacles to success, but they can propel us towards our ultimate goal if we choose to learn from them.

• Would I be right in saying that at this stage you are thinking that I know these two concepts already, but how can I start cleansing my subconscious of the unwanted material which is no longer beneficial to me?

To answer this question, I will base my reply on Swami Visnu-devananda’s book The Complete Illustrated Book of Yoga.  At page 267 he says that “instead of guiding and giving proper suggestions with the developed intellect, man interferes with the natural work of the subconscious through wrong suggestions and thus adds miseries to his life.  However, with the help of the subconscious mind, we can change vicious nature by cultivating healthy, virtuous qualities that are opposed to undesirable ones.  If we want to overcome fear, we must concentrate on the opposite quality, courage.  The positive always overcomes the negative.  Even distasteful tasks and duties can be changed by cultivating a desire and taste for them.  All actions, pleasures, and experiences leave subtle impressions on the subconscious mind”.

In this way, by depositing opposite positive impressions in our subconscious mind we are burning as it were the negative impressions, which are impeding our development and causing us misery.  So, in this way the more spring-cleaning we do the more room we make for more positive impressions. 

Conclusion

In our daily lives, when we experience some daunting and trying times, no matter how busy we might be, we can just close our eyes for a few seconds to bring inner awareness and tune into ourselves with our active conscious mind to access the positive deposits we made in our subconscious mind. 

Hold a memory and feel it, sense it, savour it, smell it, touch it, see it and embrace the reminiscence of that beautiful experience.  Would you agree with me in saying that we feel and look more relaxed, happier and friendlier when we recall happy moments?

NB:

This blog is based on the teachings of Swami Visnu-devananda as outlined in his book The Complete Illustrated Book of Yoga and of Swami Jyotirmayananda, who is the Director of the Sivananda Yoga Centre in London who recently led a workshop on Yoga and Stress management.  The workshop was like a beacon, which enlightened me and inspired me to write a few lines on this subject, but in reality I am only skimming the surface of the theme.

© 2014 Carmen Burby.   htpp://www.energysprings.blogspot.com

Health Is Wealth

15 May 2014 by Carmen Burby

"Health Is Wealth
        Peace Of Mind is Happiness
             Yoga Shows The Way"                                                                                                             Swami Sivananda

        "La Salud Es Riqueza
            Tranquilidad De La Mente Es Felicidad
                        Yoga Te Muestra El Camino"                                                                                                     Swami Sivananda
http://www.energysprings.blogspot.com
© 2014 Carmen Burby.

A Thought. Thinking Of You!

A Thought - Thinking of You 

13 May 2014 by Carmen Burby

“The intuitive mind is a sacred gift and the rational mind is a faithful servant. We have created a society that honours the servant and has forgotten the gift.  We will not solve the problems of the world from the same level of thinking we were at when we created them.  More than anything else, this new century demands new thinking:  We must change our materially based analyses of the world around us to include broader, more multidimensional perspectives.”  

Albert Einstein

http://www.energysprings.blogspot.com

Yoga At Home - Ten Steps

10 Steps of Yoga at Home

8 May 2014 by Carmen Burby

          It is an understatement to say that time is our most precious commodity.  There are times when we literally try to manage it more efficiently by eliminating certain activities that we believe are less fundamental to our regimented life style.  We tend to give priority to our immediate, most pressing external responsibilities, thus neglecting ourselves, sometimes reaching the inevitably point of exhaustion. 

With this in mind, the Ten Steps of Yoga at Home was created to assist you in your personal journey of discovery towards a healthier and happier way of life. 

1.	Choose A Space For Your Practice.  Arrange a small area in your home where you can place your mat and that allows you to lay your arms alongside your body, above your head and stretched out on the floor at 90 degrees to your body.  Nearby obstacles should be avoided to allow total freedom of movement.
2.	Purchase a CD or DVD If you are a beginner an instructional CD or DVD or MP3 / MP4 will guide through your initial practice.  However, if you are an experienced yogi you may like to create your own practice.  You can choose your media depending on what you would like to achieve from your class.  Maybe you would like to have a dynamic class, which will include fast paced exercises, or maybe you would prefer to have a relaxing class with gentle, meditative and therapeutic exercises.  So, choose the appropriate accompaniment for your personal journey.
3.	Establish A Regular Daily Routine Choose a time, which you can devote entirely to yourself without external interruptions.  If you have limited time available you may allow yourself between 15 – 30 minutes, with the ultimate aim of maintaining a full two-hour session.  This time, solely dedicated to yourself, will nurture you and promote your well being by creating a more relaxed, peaceful and energised person.
4.	Create An Intention Decide what your intention is for the day’s practice.  What do I want to achieve?  To attain a balanced mind?  To manage daily stress? To stay relaxed so I am able to handle anything in a calm manner? To develop compassion?  To empower myself to change my life style?  To heal? Or do I want to dedicate my practice to a friend who is in need?  Throughout your practice try to focus on your intention.
5.	Concentrate On A Mantra Start your practice by chanting your preferred mantra or your own mantra if you have one, or you may simply repeat the universal mantra OM three times.  The focus on the mantra prepares us mentally and spiritually for the class.
6.	Breathing Exercise I believe it is a good practice to perform a breathing exercise at the beginning of your practice as it prepares you for your session by helping the body eliminate large quantities of carbon dioxide and other impurities.  This permits the red blood cells to absorb more oxygen, increasing the richness of the blood as Swami Sivananda mentions in his new book of yoga.  Thus, you will feel alert and inspired for the practice to come.
7.	The Practice Depending on how much time you have allowed for your day’s practice, start by focusing on your intention, then your mantra, the breathing exercise and Sun Salutation followed by the main postures (asanas).  If your time is very limited try doing the Sun Salutation, which consists of 12 bending and stretching postures (asanas).  It is aimed at warming up, adding flexibility to the spine and toning the entire body and its performance assists greatly in the subsequent execution of the asanas.  Always conclude with the final relaxation.
8.	Final Relaxation The session ends with the final relaxation.  Lying down in Savasana (corpse pose) for at least 10 minutes to relax every part of your body.  Swami Sivananda says “It is vital that you integrate this relaxation time into your asana session right from the start.  Otherwise the mind may find an excuse to leave it out and you will not absorb the full effects of the asanas”  (The New Book of Yoga – The Sivananda Yoga Centre).
9.	Patience Is A Virtue Be consistent in your practice and avoid self-criticism.  At whatever stage you are at in your practice try to concentrate on your own experience.  There are a number of magazines, which depict experienced practitioners in advanced postures and on seeing them one may think I will never be able to achieve these postures.  Be patient with yourself, your practice is a personal journey.
10.	Closing Your Practice / Gratitude Feel grateful for having given yourself the opportunity to have this new experience and acknowledge the benefits you are accumulating within. Close your practice by chanting OM 3 times. Om Namah Sivaya (I salute the divine within you)
Addendum
	I hope you will be consistent in your practice to give yourself the opportunity to fully understand and feel the benefits of this beautiful practice.  Approach every class with curiosity.   The guidance outlined above is just a template on which to build your practice.
	Wishing you an enlightened journey along the road to discovering the richness of Yoga! © 2014 Carmen Burby.   htpp://www.energysprings.blogspot.com

Proper Body Alignment - National Osteoporosis Foundation

Knowing how to move, sit and stand properly can help you stay active and prevent broken bones and disability. Proper posture can also help to limit the amount of kyphosis, or forward curve of the upper back, that can result from broken bones in the spine.

One of the most important things about body mechanics and posture is alignment. Alignment refers to how the head, shoulders, spine, hips, knees and ankles relate and line up with each other. Proper alignment of the body puts less stress on the spine and helps you have good posture.

To keep proper alignment, avoid the following positions or movements:

• Having a slumped, head-forward posture
• Bending forward from the waist
• Twisting of the spine to a point of strain
• Twisting the trunk and bending forward when doing activities such as coughing, sneezing, vacuuming or lifting
• Anything that requires you to reach far. An example is reaching up for an item on a high shelf, which also could cause you to lose your balance and fall.

Some exercises can do more harm than good. If you have osteoporosis or have had broken bones in the spine, you should avoid exercises that involve bending over from the waist. Some examples include:

• Sit-ups
• Abdominal crunches (also referred to as stomach crunches)
• Toe-touches

Many exercises and activities such as yoga, Pilates, tennis and golf may need to be avoided or modified because they often involve twisting and bending motions. Bending forward during routine activities also puts stress on the spine and can increase the chance of breaking a bone in the spine. While bending forward puts strain on the spine, it is usually safer if you’re able to keep your back flat.

• When sitting in a chair, try to keep your hips and knees at the same level. Place your feet flat on the floor. Keep a comfortable posture. You should have a natural inward curve to your lower back and a tall, upright upper back.
• When sitting in bucket seats or soft couches or chairs, use a rolled up towel or pillow to support your lower back.
• When standing up from a chair, move your hips forward to the front of the chair, and use your leg muscles to lift yourself up.
• When driving, use the head rest.
• When tying your shoes or drying your feet, sit in a chair. Place one foot on a footstool, box or on your other leg. Lean forward at the hips to tie or dry. Do not bend over or slouch through your upper back. Keep the natural curve of your lower back and a straight upper back.
• When reading, do not lean or slump over. Set your reading material on a desk, table or on pillows on your lap.
• When sitting at a desk, prop up a clipboard so it slants toward you, like a drafting table.
• Use a footstool or footrest when seated for long periods of time.
• For relief after sitting for a while, do some of the Bone Healthy Exercises

Standing

• Keep your head high, chin in and shoulder blades slightly pinched together.
• Maintain the natural arch of your lower back as you flatten your abdomen by gently pulling it in.
• Point your feet straight ahead with your knees facing forward.
• While standing in one place for more than a few minutes, put one foot up on a stool or in an open cabinet (if you are in the kitchen). Switch to the other foot every so often. You’ll find this much less tiring for your back and legs.

Climbing Stairs 

• Use the stairs for exercise and to help with your bone density, but only if your healthcare provider says it’s safe for you. Build up gradually with this exercise.
• Keep your head high, chin in, shoulder blades slightly pinched together and abdomen gently pulled in.
• Keep your feet pointed straight ahead, not to one side. Your knees should face forward. Keep your knees slightly bent.
• Instead of putting one foot directly in front of the other, keep your feet a few inches apart, lined up under the hip on the same side.
• For safety, hold the rail while going up and down but try to avoid pulling yourself up by the railing.
• Be especially cautious going downstairs. A fall down the stairs could cause severe injuries.

Bending and Turning 

• Keep your feet flat and about shoulder-width apart from one another.
• Let both upper arms touch your ribs on the sides, unless you’re using one hand for support.
• As you bend, keep your back upright and straight and your shoulder blades pinched together.
• Bend only at the knees and hips. Do not bend over at the waist since this will put your upper back into a rounded position which can cause broken bones in the spine.
• Even when standing to brush your teeth or to wash the dishes, try not to bend over at the waist. Instead, bend at the knees and hips while keeping your back straight.
• When changing the direction you’re facing, move your feet with your body. Do not twist the spine. Pivot on your heels or toes with your knees slightly bent. Keep nose, knees, and toes pointing in the same direction.

Lifting and Carrying

• Don’t lift or carry objects, packages or babies weighing more than 10 pounds. If you are unsure about how much you can lift, check with your healthcare provider, especially a physical therapist.
• If you do pick up a heavy object, never bend way over so that your back is parallel to the ground. This places a great deal of strain on your back.
• To lift an object off the floor, first kneel on one knee. Place one hand on a table or stable chair for support if you need it.
• Bring the object close to your body at waist level. Gently pull your abdomen in to support your back and breathe out when you are lifting an object or straightening up. Do not hold your breath. Stand using your leg and thigh muscles.
• When carrying groceries, ask to have your bags packed lightly. Divide heavy items into separate bags. Always hold bags close to your body. Try to balance the load by carrying the same amount in each hand.
• When unpacking, place bags on a chair or table rather than on a high counter or floor. This prevents unnecessary lifting and twisting of the spine.
• Instead of carrying a heavy pocketbook or purse, consider wearing a fanny pack.

Pushing and Pulling 

• When you vacuum, rake, sweep or mop, keep your feet apart with one foot in front of the other. Always face your work directly to keep from twisting your back.
• Shift your weight from foot-to-foot in a rocking movement. With knees bent and shoulder blades pinched, move forward and back, or from side to side rhythmically.
• Do not bend forward from the waist.

Coughing and Sneezing 

• Develop the habit of supporting your back with one hand whenever you cough or sneeze.
• Place your hand behind your back or on your thigh. This protects the spine from injury caused by a sudden bend forward.

http://nof.org/articles/549
Source:  http://nof.org/articles/549

http://www.energysprings.blogspot.com

Mindfulness Meditation May Ease Anxiety, Mental Stress

Image Posted on 28 April 2014 by Carmen Burby

Julie Corliss, Executive Editor, Harvard Heart Letter

Posted January 08, 2014

My mom began meditating decades ago, long before the mind-calming practice had entered the wider public consciousness. Today, at age 81, she still goes to a weekly meditation group and quotes Thich Nhat Hanh, a Zen Buddhist monk known for his practice of mindfulness, or “present-focused awareness.”

Although meditation still isn’t exactly mainstream, many people practice it, hoping to stave off stress and stress-related health problems. Mindfulness meditation, in particular, has become more popular in recent years. The practice involves sitting comfortably, focusing on your breathing, and then bringing your mind’s attention to the present without drifting into concerns about the past or future. (Or, as my mom would say, “Don’t rehearse tragedies. Don’t borrow trouble.”)

But, as is true for a number of other alternative therapies, much of the evidence to support meditation’s effectiveness in promoting mental or physical health isn’t quite up to snuff. Why? First, many studies don’t include a good control treatment to compare with meditation. Second, the people most likely to volunteer for a meditation study are often already sold on meditation’s benefits and so are more likely to report positive effects.

But when researchers from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, MD sifted through nearly 19,000 meditation studies, they found 47 trials that addressed those issues and met their criteria for well-designed studies. Their findings, published in this week’s JAMA Internal Medicine, suggest that mindfulness meditation can help ease psychological stresses like anxiety, depression, and pain.

Dr. Elizabeth Hoge, a psychiatrist at the Center for Anxiety and Traumatic Stress Disorders at Massachusetts General Hospital and an assistant professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, says that mindfulness meditation makes perfect sense for treating anxiety. “People with anxiety have a problem dealing with distracting thoughts that have too much power,” she explains. “They can’t distinguish between a problem-solving thought and a nagging worry that has no benefit.”

“If you have unproductive worries,” says Dr. Hoge, you can train yourself to experience those thoughts completely differently. “You might think ‘I’m late, I might lose my job if I don’t get there on time, and it will be a disaster!’ Mindfulness teaches you to recognize, ‘Oh, there’s that thought again. I’ve been here before. But it’s just that—a thought, and not a part of my core self,’” says Dr. Hoge.

One of her recent studies (which was included in the JAMA Internal Medicine review) found that a mindfulness-based stress reduction program helped quell anxiety symptoms in people with generalized anxiety disorder, a condition marked by hard-to-control worries, poor sleep, and irritability. People in the control group—who also improved, but not as much as those in the meditation group—were taught general stress management techniques. All the participants received similar amounts of time, attention, and group interaction.

To get a sense of mindfulness meditation, you can try one of the guided recordings by Dr. Ronald Siegel, an assistant clinical professor of psychology at Harvard Medical School. They are available for free at www.mindfulness-solution.com.

Some people find that learning mindfulness techniques and practicing them with a group is especially helpful, says Dr. Hoge. Mindfulness-based stress reduction training, developed by Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn at the University of Massachusetts Medical School in Worcester, MA, is now widely available in cities throughout the United States.

http://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/mindfulness-meditation-may-ease-anxiety-mental-stress-201401086967

http://www.energysprings.blogspot.com

The five points of Yoga according to Swami Visnudevananada

1. Proper exercise (Asanas) The asanas (postures) work systematically on all parts of the body, lubricating the whole bodily system by stimulating the circulation and increasing flexibility. Asana means a steady posture done slowly and with awareness and promote not only physical well-being, but increase mental capacities for concentration and meditation. Yoga asanas work first and foremost on the health of the spine. The spinal column contains the central nervous system, the communication system of the body, supporting the health of the whole body. If the flexibility and strength of the spine is maintained with proper exercise, circulation is intensified, the nerves are assured of a supply of nutrients and oxygen, and the body retains its youthful condition. Moreover, asanas activate pressure points which when stimulated, increase the flow of prana (life force or vital energy) in the body. They massage the internal organs resulting in improved functioning. Since yoga asanas are always practised in conjunction with deep breathing, relaxation and concentration, they help to develop mental concentration. The restless mind is withdrawn from the outward distractions and turns inward and is stilled.

2. Proper Breathing (Pranayama) Pranayama or proper breathing connects the body with its battery, the solar plexus, where enormous reserves of energy can be stored and retrieved. Through the breathing techniques of pranayama this energy is released. When we consciously regulate our breath, we are able to store and access a greater amount of vital life energy or prana. Most people use only a fraction of the lung capacity for breathing. They breathe superficially resulting in tension accumulating in the upper back and neck due to lack of oxygen. Deep yogic abdominal breathing can release deep seated toxins and tensions and even depression. A person who possesses an abundance of prana radiates vitality and strength and works with efficiency , calmness and concentration. Pranayama ( breathing exercises) not only increase prana but also how to control it. There is a subtle connection between prana and the mind , by controlling and regulating the prana we control the mind. All diseases of the body can be destroyed at the root by regulating the prana which is the secret of healing. Acupuncture, shiatsu, spiritual healing etc. are all examples of the conscious or unconscious control of prana.

3. Proper Relaxation (Savasana) Proper relaxation is a vital part of keeping the body and mind healthy and a tonic for the whole being, which when practised properly releases vast resources of energy. Proper relaxation cools down the system, like the cooling system of a car. When the body is relaxed, nature recharges the body more efficiently. When the body and mind are constantly overworked, they overheat and we feel 'burnt-out'. The stresses and challenges of the modern life make it difficult for a person to relax. We waste a large amount of energy on unnecessary physical and mental tension. During the course of a day our body produces all the substances and energy needed for the following day but very often this is dissipated within a few minutes by emotional outbursts of negativity such as anger, grief , jealousy etc. During deep relaxation only a small amount of prana is used to maintain the most important metabolic activities. Even a few minutes of deep relaxation can recharge us more effectively than hours of restless sleep.

4. Proper Diet (Vegetarian) The yogic diet is essentially a lacto-vegetarian one, consisting of pure and natural foods cooked with fresh organic vegetables. A yogic diet nourishes both the body and mind and is best suited for the practice of yoga and meditation. A simple yogic diet is a balanced diet free from chemicals, unprocessed and ensures a better supply of nutrients. The yogic attitude to food is that we eat to live, not live to eat, taking foodstuffs which have the most positive effect on body and mind, and the least negative consequences to the environment and to other creatures.

5. Positive Thinking and Meditation (Vedanta and Dhyana) Positive thinking and meditation are an important key to achieving peace of mind. Meditation is the art of slowing down and focusing the mind. Regular practice enhances mental, physical and spiritual well-being. In order to meditate, we need first to still the mind through concentration techniques and positive thinking. A mind full of negative emotion and thoughts cannot be stilled. Through concentration techniques, negative thought waves are replaced by positive images and autosuggestion leads the mind to a state of calm and peace.

Source:
http://www.sivananda.org/orleans/en/five_points.htm


http://wwww.energysprings.blogspot.com