A Zen Master was chased by a tiger. He jumped over a cliff to escape and found himself hanging from a vine. He looked up and saw the tiger waiting patiently. He looked down and saw a second tiger waiting below. Two mice began gnawing through the vine. Just then the Zen Master saw a strawberry growing wild on the cliff. He picked it. How sweet it tastes!
The Sixth limb of Raja Yoga is called Dharana. Dharana is the practice of Concentration. Most minds lack Dharana to a greater or lesser degree and thus are scattered, agitated, distracted, foolish, dull, and/or stupid. Without the ability to concentrate and focus, nothing can be mastered.
Once Dharana has been learned, the mind becomes closely attentive and the mental faculties are focussed upon a single point. Such a person has superior mental powers, and knows his desires. The ability to know one's desire, and to marshall all aspects of body and mind in the pursuit of said desire can be dangerous. Such a person cuts through society like a hot knife through butter. There is a tendency to pursue the desired object with out regard to the cost to others, and thus to generate great misery. This power can also serve to inflate the ego and thus lead the student off of the path of Raja Yoga. For this reason, Dharana is attempted only After the senses (and thus desires) have been brought under control through the practice of Pratyahara.
For a person who has mastered Dharana it is not enough to avoid the trap of pursuing Desires, for this still leaves them adrift in life without direction. The seventh limb of Raja Yoga, Dhyana (contemplation), provides that direction. Once Dharana has been mastered and the mind has been focussed to a single point, that point is placed squarely and unwaveringly upon God.
How does one learn the practice of Dharana? There are many, many different techniques for mastering Dharana. In fact, Life can be viewed as nothing more than an ongoing series of opportunities to practice Dharana. Washing dishes can be approached as an act of worship. Through the perfection of the washing of dishes you can experience Zen. Walking is a great opportunity for Dharana. Walk without destination... slowly, reverently, with great attention to walking. Eyes focussed upon nothing, mind focussed upon nothing. Driving a car is a wonderful opportunity to merge with the car, the traffic, the ebb and flow of life. The two most reliable techniques for achieving Dharana is concentration upon the symbol AUM, and upon the breath using the optional silent mantra of So-Han with each breath.
Two things destroy concentration... boredom and fear.
Fear is always a result of your goals being set too high in relation to your abilities. For example, if someone holds a gun to your head and you experience fear, it is a direct result of your goals being set to high. You want to live, and this is no longer within your ability to control, and so you experience fear. If you can let go of the goal to live, and choose a new goal, in keeping with your abilities in the present situation you can again acheive focus. Perhaps your new goal could be to understand the person holding the gun. What is interesting is that once you choose an appropriate goal and regain your powers of concentration, you are able to maneuver more skillfully and outcomes improve.
Boredom is always the result of setting your goals too low with respect to your abilities. Choose goals that challenge with out intimidating and you will live a life with more flow, more concentration and less boredom and fear.
The state of deep concentration - Dharana - is what we all are looking for in our lives. At work, on dates, in our hobbies, we are all trying to avoid boredom and fear, we are all seeking flow or peak performance, or what we call inYoga... Dharana.
The story I opened this lecture with has grown to be one of my favorites. While camping on the Olympic Peninsula in late October I took a hike up into the virgin-rain forest covered mountains. I set off cross country and alone, with a hand drawn map and a heavy coat looking for an adventure. After several hours I found the creek that drained from 'Mink Lake' and set off to follow it up stream to the lake. This plan was soon abandoned as I faced a series of vertical waterfalls that spilled over 20-60 foot sheer walls. Now I started cutting up the side of the valley keeping the stream to my left. I climbed higher and higher and the terrain became more and more impassable. I drove myself relentlessly through the rain.
By three o'clock I decided to cut straight up the side of the mountain, the shortest route to the hike trail. The slopes ranged from 70` to 90` in places and I found myself climbing now. Still no trail. By four o’clock, the very real possibility of spending the night on the mountain encouraged me to abandon my search for the path. I started cutting diagonally down the side of the mountain towards the campsite. At one point I saw a lake far, far beneath me and I redoubled my descent, thinking I had somehow stumbled onto 'Mink Lake', but as I at last drew near, the lake dissolved into clouds and I found myself descending through heavy fog.
Time and again I found myself trapped by cliffs dropping away on three sides, and was forced to backtrack up and over, only to come to the top of another dizzying drop. As daylight faded I was overcome by waves of panic... I did not think I could find a way down the mountain before the dark set in, and my chances of surviving in my present condition through the night did not rate favorably. This resulted in my taking chances over and over again, and I could feel my luck running out.
When I found myself on level ground for the first time in hours, I broke into a run to try and make up for lost time - pushing through heavy, rain-soaked foliage. In a matter of minutes the bushes had done what 7 hours of rain had not. My coat was water logged and I was wet. I knew that I was losing energy due to dropping temperatures, lack of food, water and the most strenuous challenge of my entire life.
It was at this point that I noticed that the bushes were wild blueberry bushes, and that they were covered with ripe berries. I remembered the story of the Zen master and followed his example, eating berries, drinking water from the leaves and laughing at and to myself as the daylight drained from the sky. Renewed, refreshed, and calm, I set off again, more slowly and in the dark, felt with my feet, the faint difference in texture that betrayed a path. Had I been moving quickly, I would have crossed the path with out noticing it, and plunged on into the night. As it was, I found the path and followed it back to my camp site, where I soaked in hot springs while rain fell softly and mist drifted between the trunks of old growth trees.
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Friday, May 23, 2008
Mahavatar Babaji - The Deathless Master
The northern Himalayan crags near Badrinarayan are still blessed by the living presence of Babaji, guru of Lahiri Mahasaya. The secluded master has retained his physical form for centuries, perhaps for millenniums. The deathless Babaji is an avatara. This Sanskrit word means "descent"; its roots are ava, "down," and tri, "to pass." In the Hindu scriptures, avatara signifies the descent of Divinity into flesh.
Krishna, Rama, Buddha, and Patanjali were among the ancient Indian avatars. A considerable poetic literature in Tamil has grown up around Agastya, a South Indian avatar. He worked many miracles during the centuries preceding and following the Christian era, and is credited with retaining his physical form even to this day.
Babaji's mission in India has been to assist prophets in carrying out their special dispensations. He thus qualifies for the scriptural classification of Mahavatar (Great Avatar). He has stated that he gave yoga initiation to Shankara, ancient founder of the Swami Order, and to Kabir, famous medieval saint. His chief nineteenth-century disciple was, as we know, Lahiri Mahasaya, revivalist of the lost Kriya art.
The Mahavatar is in constant communion with Christ; together they send out vibrations of redemption, and have planned the spiritual technique of salvation for this age. The work of these two fully-illumined masters—one with the body, and one without it—is to inspire the nations to forsake suicidal wars, race hatreds, religious sectarianism, and the boomerang-evils of materialism. Babaji is well aware of the trend of modern times, especially of the influence and complexities of Western civilization, and realizes the necessity of spreading the self-liberations of yoga equally in the West and in the East.
That there is no historical reference to Babaji need not surprise us. The great guru has never openly appeared in any century; the misinterpreting glare of publicity has no place in his millennial plans. Like the Creator, the sole but silent Power, Babaji works in a humble obscurity.
The deathless guru bears no marks of age on his body; he appears to be no more than a youth of twenty-five. Fair-skinned, of medium build and height, Babaji's beautiful, strong body radiates a perceptible glow. His eyes are dark, calm, and tender; his long, lustrous hair is copper-colored. A very strange fact is that Babaji bears an extraordinarily exact resemblance to his disciple Lahiri Mahasaya. The similarity is so striking that, in his later years, Lahiri Mahasaya might have passed as the father of the youthful-looking Babaji.
Swami Kebalananda, my saintly Sanskrit tutor, spent some time with Babaji in the Himalayas.
"The peerless master moves with his group from place to place in the mountains," Kebalananda told me. "His small band contains two highly advanced American disciples. After Babaji has been in one locality for some time, he says: 'Dera danda uthao.' ('Let us lift our camp and staff.') He carries a symbolic danda (bamboo staff). His words are the signal for moving with his group instantaneously to another place. He does not always employ this method of astral travel; sometimes he goes on foot from peak to peak.
"Babaji can be seen or recognized by others only when he so desires. He is known to have appeared in many slightly different forms to various devotees—sometimes without beard and moustache, and sometimes with them. As his undecaying body requires no food, the master seldom eats. As a social courtesy to visiting disciples, he occasionally accepts fruits, or rice cooked in milk and clarified butter.
"Two amazing incidents of Babaji's life are known to me," Kebalananda went on. "His disciples were sitting one night around a huge fire which was blazing for a sacred Vedic ceremony. The master suddenly seized a burning log and lightly struck the bare shoulder of a chela who was close to the fire.
"'Sir, how cruel!' Lahiri Mahasaya, who was present, made this remonstrance.
"'Would you rather have seen him burned to ashes before your eyes, according to the decree of his past karma?'
"With these words Babaji placed his healing hand on the chela's disfigured shoulder. 'I have freed you tonight from painful death. The karmic law has been satisfied through your slight suffering by fire.'
"On another occasion Babaji's sacred circle was disturbed by the arrival of a stranger. He had climbed with astonishing skill to the nearly inaccessible ledge near the camp of the master.
"'Sir, you must be the great Babaji.' The man's face was lit with inexpressible reverence. 'For months I have pursued a ceaseless search for you among these forbidding crags. I implore you to accept me as a disciple.'
"When the great guru made no response, the man pointed to the rocky chasm at his feet.
"'If you refuse me, I will jump from this mountain. Life has no further value if I cannot win your guidance to the Divine.'
"'Jump then,' Babaji said unemotionally. 'I cannot accept you in your present state of development.'
"The man immediately hurled himself over the cliff. Babaji instructed the shocked disciples to fetch the stranger's body. When they returned with the mangled form, the master placed his divine hand on the dead man. Lo! he opened his eyes and prostrated himself humbly before the omnipotent one.
"'You are now ready for discipleship.' Babaji beamed lovingly on his resurrected chela. 'You have courageously passed a difficult test. Death shall not touch you again; now you are one of our immortal flock.' Then he spoke his usual words of departure, 'Dera danda uthao'; the whole group vanished from the mountain."
*Note : Text is taken from the book "Autobiography of a Yogi" By Paramahansa Yogananda.
"Babaji's spiritual state is beyond human comprehension," Sri Yukteswar explained to me. "The dwarfed vision of men cannot pierce to his transcendental star. One attempts in vain even to picture the avatar's attainment. It is inconceivable."
The Upanishads have minutely classified every stage of spiritual advancement. A siddha ("perfected being") has progressed from the state of a jivanmukta ("freed while living") to that of a paramukta ("supremely free"—full power over death); the latter has completely escaped from the mayic thralldom and its reincarnational round. The paramukta therefore seldom returns to a physical body; if he does, he is an avatar, a divinely appointed medium of supernal blessings on the world.
An avatar is unsubject to the universal economy; his pure body, visible as a light image, is free from any debt to nature. The casual gaze may see nothing extraordinary in an avatar's form but it casts no shadow nor makes any footprint on the ground. These are outward symbolic proofs of an inward lack of darkness and material bondage. Such a God-man alone knows the Truth behind the relativities of life and death. Omar Khayyam, so grossly misunderstood, sang of this liberated man in his immortal scripture, the Rubaiyat:
"Ah, Moon of my Delight who know'st no wane,
The Moon of Heav'n is rising once again;
How oft hereafter rising shall she look
Through this same Garden after me—in vain!"
The "Moon of Delight" is God, eternal Polaris, anachronous never. The "Moon of Heav'n" is the outward cosmos, fettered to the law of periodic recurrence. Its chains had been dissolved forever by the Persian seer through his self-realization. "How oft hereafter rising shall she look . . . after me—in vain!" What frustration of search by a frantic universe for an absolute omission!
Krishna, Rama, Buddha, and Patanjali were among the ancient Indian avatars. A considerable poetic literature in Tamil has grown up around Agastya, a South Indian avatar. He worked many miracles during the centuries preceding and following the Christian era, and is credited with retaining his physical form even to this day.
Babaji's mission in India has been to assist prophets in carrying out their special dispensations. He thus qualifies for the scriptural classification of Mahavatar (Great Avatar). He has stated that he gave yoga initiation to Shankara, ancient founder of the Swami Order, and to Kabir, famous medieval saint. His chief nineteenth-century disciple was, as we know, Lahiri Mahasaya, revivalist of the lost Kriya art.
The Mahavatar is in constant communion with Christ; together they send out vibrations of redemption, and have planned the spiritual technique of salvation for this age. The work of these two fully-illumined masters—one with the body, and one without it—is to inspire the nations to forsake suicidal wars, race hatreds, religious sectarianism, and the boomerang-evils of materialism. Babaji is well aware of the trend of modern times, especially of the influence and complexities of Western civilization, and realizes the necessity of spreading the self-liberations of yoga equally in the West and in the East.
That there is no historical reference to Babaji need not surprise us. The great guru has never openly appeared in any century; the misinterpreting glare of publicity has no place in his millennial plans. Like the Creator, the sole but silent Power, Babaji works in a humble obscurity.
The deathless guru bears no marks of age on his body; he appears to be no more than a youth of twenty-five. Fair-skinned, of medium build and height, Babaji's beautiful, strong body radiates a perceptible glow. His eyes are dark, calm, and tender; his long, lustrous hair is copper-colored. A very strange fact is that Babaji bears an extraordinarily exact resemblance to his disciple Lahiri Mahasaya. The similarity is so striking that, in his later years, Lahiri Mahasaya might have passed as the father of the youthful-looking Babaji.
Swami Kebalananda, my saintly Sanskrit tutor, spent some time with Babaji in the Himalayas.
"The peerless master moves with his group from place to place in the mountains," Kebalananda told me. "His small band contains two highly advanced American disciples. After Babaji has been in one locality for some time, he says: 'Dera danda uthao.' ('Let us lift our camp and staff.') He carries a symbolic danda (bamboo staff). His words are the signal for moving with his group instantaneously to another place. He does not always employ this method of astral travel; sometimes he goes on foot from peak to peak.
"Babaji can be seen or recognized by others only when he so desires. He is known to have appeared in many slightly different forms to various devotees—sometimes without beard and moustache, and sometimes with them. As his undecaying body requires no food, the master seldom eats. As a social courtesy to visiting disciples, he occasionally accepts fruits, or rice cooked in milk and clarified butter.
"Two amazing incidents of Babaji's life are known to me," Kebalananda went on. "His disciples were sitting one night around a huge fire which was blazing for a sacred Vedic ceremony. The master suddenly seized a burning log and lightly struck the bare shoulder of a chela who was close to the fire.
"'Sir, how cruel!' Lahiri Mahasaya, who was present, made this remonstrance.
"'Would you rather have seen him burned to ashes before your eyes, according to the decree of his past karma?'
"With these words Babaji placed his healing hand on the chela's disfigured shoulder. 'I have freed you tonight from painful death. The karmic law has been satisfied through your slight suffering by fire.'
"On another occasion Babaji's sacred circle was disturbed by the arrival of a stranger. He had climbed with astonishing skill to the nearly inaccessible ledge near the camp of the master.
"'Sir, you must be the great Babaji.' The man's face was lit with inexpressible reverence. 'For months I have pursued a ceaseless search for you among these forbidding crags. I implore you to accept me as a disciple.'
"When the great guru made no response, the man pointed to the rocky chasm at his feet.
"'If you refuse me, I will jump from this mountain. Life has no further value if I cannot win your guidance to the Divine.'
"'Jump then,' Babaji said unemotionally. 'I cannot accept you in your present state of development.'
"The man immediately hurled himself over the cliff. Babaji instructed the shocked disciples to fetch the stranger's body. When they returned with the mangled form, the master placed his divine hand on the dead man. Lo! he opened his eyes and prostrated himself humbly before the omnipotent one.
"'You are now ready for discipleship.' Babaji beamed lovingly on his resurrected chela. 'You have courageously passed a difficult test. Death shall not touch you again; now you are one of our immortal flock.' Then he spoke his usual words of departure, 'Dera danda uthao'; the whole group vanished from the mountain."
*Note : Text is taken from the book "Autobiography of a Yogi" By Paramahansa Yogananda.
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Yoga for Anger Management
Almost all of us experience anger at some point or the other. Rather than get into a monologue of why anger occurs, I will try to touch upon why we should overcome it and how it can be done.
Why should anger be overcome?
Anger destroys the peace of mind: One constantly undergoes mental turmoil, uneasiness and frustration when anger is experienced. This disturbed mind is akin to a rudderless boat in a stormy ocean, being tossed around from place to place without it being able to focus on the task or destination ahead.
Anger is terrible for health: Besides symptoms of high blood pressure, ulceration etc., anger is invariably accompanied by stress, which is often referred to as the silent killer. The medical community is also coming around to the view that stress forms the basis of about 90% of all health disorders.
Anger causes hurt: Besides hurting the person whom it is targeted at (emotionally or physically), anger can boomerang causing an even deeper and longer lasting self-hurt in the form of repentance and remorse. Moreover, acts of anger invariably result in resentment and portray you as a highly egoistic person.
There may be many more 'incentives' to overcome anger but the above are enough to make you give a serious shot at tackling the problem.
Conventional remedies
Commonly preached remedies focus on the following ways of 'curing' anger
Suppression: Quick-fix ways like "take a deep breath unto the count of 10" etc. come under this category. These, only provide a temporary respite (if at all). Honestly, these methods actually undermine our intelligence. As if to say, our mind is going to be taken in by some kind of breath control gimmick!
Expression: I was told that, in Japan, there is a concept of 'stress bars' where you can take out your anger, frustration and stress by throwing objects and redeeming your frustration through these physical acts. These 'pseudo' expressive techniques can seldom be successful, as they do not take into account the complexity of the mind.
Diversion: Involving yourself in an activity that keeps you away from the source of anger is often suggested as a way out. However, more likely than not, the 'ignored' anger will return with a greater vengeance in due course.
In fact, suppression and diversion can be compared to the indiscriminate filling of your grocery bag (the mind) with objects. Up to a point, it is fine; however, there will come a point, where the bag can hold no more and will 'snap' destroying the bag completely as well as everything around. Similarly, these are dangerous techniques that can result in irreparable damage to your brain.
The way out
Various spiritual leaders and faiths such as Buddhism, show us a way out. Significantly, yoga teachings provide similar solutions and also show the way to make these solutions a part of our personality.
The first step at anger management is - do not resist and do not ignore the cause of anger. Experience it fully.
What do we mean? It implies that one should develop an attitude of an observer or a witness. Learn to change your role from being the subject to becoming a bystander. See how the anger is operating. See what it is doing to your mind and how. When faced by an anger causing action, immediately get into the mode of exploring and rationalizing:
* Why am I getting irritated?
* What kind of thought pattern is forming in my mind as a consequence of this action?
* Why is it that I am feeling like this?
Continue to go deeper and deeper with the "whys" and "more whys".
When you start doing this, two things start happening:
You start seeing the deeper 'subconscious' elements that form the foundation of your conscious mind. It is these elements that shape your personality without you even realizing it. Just like you can see the bottom of the pond in all its beauty only when the waters are still, similarly, you start seeing the deeper elements in your mind and understanding them better.
Once you reach these elements, you resolve the deepest of neuroses and complexities of the mind. These automatically remove the cause of anger. You will be pleasantly surprised to see how you are no longer provoked by the automatic triggers of the past.
Without fighting your anger, you start training your mind to develop a witness-like attitude. This observer attitude results in the anger dissipating.
You start seeing some wonderful perspectives. You start appreciating that it is not necessarily the desire of the person to hurt you - getting angry is YOUR response. You realize that a person is seeing the situation from his point of view to the best of his intellectual and emotional capability - he may not be quite 'capable enough' to appreciate your point of view. This is only natural - because individuals are built in different ways. After all, aren't you showing similar traits when you are getting angry!
Developing this observer attitude is NOT difficult. Yoga also has some very powerful tools in the form of "antar mouna" meditation techniques that help you cultivate this attitude. Moreover, as you start reaping the wonderful fruits of such an attitude, such a behavioral pattern only gets reinforced.
Over time, with such an attitude, you will see that not only do you get angry less often, but also each brush with an unpleasant situation provides a remarkable opportunity to know your subconscious mind in a better way. Every such insight brings you one step closer to the supreme goal - that is, Enlightenment (perpetual Bliss).
Source : HealthandYoga.com
Meditation and Yoga for Depression and Bipolar
By John McManamy Source : http://www.mcmanweb.com/
You know those cartoons where the character goes flying around the room like a balloon with the air rushing out? That's sort of what happened to my mind in 1987-88. Like an idiot I refused to seek help and nearly paid in full measure for my stupidity.
Eventually, my entire psychic being deflated on its own account and I was able to regain some control of my brain. A good deal of the credit must go to yoga and meditation, though I would never be able to prove it in court. I managed to establish a successful daily practice for three or four years before backsliding to my bad old ways. I won't say that my failure to stick to my routine brought on my latest round of depressions. But I will tell you this: I'm back on my feet again devoting a part of my day to sitting.
Meditation is a highly personal affair, and it will probably take a process of trial and error to find what works for you. My mind, for one, is like a Circuit City showroom, with TVs and VCRs and home sound systems blaring all at once from all sides, and K-mart blue light specials and beepers and police radios going off against a truckload of gongs clattering down marble steps. Filtering out even the top layer of all this racket would have been an exercise in extreme futility, so I hit upon a preliminary yoga warm-up routine, much like an athlete limbering up before attempting some really heavy lifting. Make no mistake - any exercise devoted to bringing the mind under control constitutes heavy lifting of the most extreme kind.
My Meditation-Yoga Routine
But first a little incense to set the mood, sandalwood and patchouli being my favorites. Please bear in mind that what has worked for me may not work for you.
I start off from a sitting position with some leg stretches, touching the toes - or the kneecaps, whatever - extending to whatever position is comfortable to hold for a minute or more, one leg, then the other, and back again. On the second go, my arms grow a lot longer and the toes considerably closer, and one day I'll write a masters thesis on why this is so. By now my mind is slowing just a bit and my breathing establishes a new pattern, as if I am inhaling from the seat of my pants right up through my spinal column and out the top of my head.
Then I take one foot and move it past my other knee and look the other way as the vertebrae from my neck to my tailbone pop like firecrackers, and hold the position until the ash from my incense drops to the carpet. Then I reverse body parts. By now I feel my entire thoracic cavity opening up as I literally suck up all the air in the room and expel it in one great gust.
I do a couple of spinal flexes from my stomach - with a few optional stretchers thrown in for good measure - then it's nose down and tail up for the grand finale - the head stand. The exercise is a two-way street: I am compelled to be still. At the same time, the effort stills me. Gradually, a few of the TVs and VCRs in my mind click off and go silent, and after three minutes, I'm ready for my next round of prelims.
Now, for the first time, the seat of my pants meets the seat of my floor cushion. I bend my legs into a semi-lotus position, but my back sags under the strain. But then come my breathers.
Warning: It is not advisable to begin breathing exercises without instruction or supervision.
I start - eyes closed - by forcing air out my nostrils then allow my diaphragm to expand on the intake. As I work up a good speed, my back becomes ramrod straight as if being pulled up by an invisible string from the ceiling. Then, to settle down, I breathe in through one nostril, hold my breath for a few seconds, and breathe out the other. With the open nostril I breathe back in and continue the cycle. Finally I take twenty slow breaths in and out.
I might also take in a bit of chakras and visualizations and mantras, but this is strictly optional.
Having accomplished all this, I have now achieved the benefits of an excellent workout, a sure stress-buster, and a positive deterrent to depression and mania. But I am not about to miss the big payoff, especially so close to my goal. Who knows? Just around the corner could be nothing less than the big E - enlightenment, the Boddhi tree spectacular, the Fourth of July in my head I keep hoping for, when all those TVs and VCRs and blue light specials resolve into one glorious chord that puts me in harmony with Christ and Buddha and all creation.
But I am willing to settle for much less.
Now comes what is simultaneously the simplest and most difficult activity ever devised by a living being: I attempt to shut out all other thoughts as I follow my breath in and out my nose. The ideal, according to the Buddhist monks, is to concentrate all thinking on the tip of the nose, but I am quite content to keep my thoughts confined to the immediate planet.
Fortunately, the monks have come up with a fall-back meditation: As you sit quietly you simply watch your thoughts in a detached manner, refusing to be drawn into any dialogue your mind's many TVs and VCRs may want to engage you in. When you find yourself "thinking", you simply let the thought go and resume your meditation.
Like Seinfeld, we are talking about a show about nothing. But there is far more to nothing than meets the eye. No self, no other. Who can truly say what lies beyond?
A Personal Experience
What you take away from the experience is for you and you alone. You may be content with five minutes in a chair or you may set aside a whole hour. It could be ten minutes of torture or the first time you find yourself experiencing real peace of mind. "If you're feeling better at the end, you are probably doing it right," says Roger Thomson, PhD, a Chicago psychologist and Zen meditator on mediation, quoted in an article in Psychology Today.
According to Suite101.com's Buddhism editor, Patricia Swain, describing her meditation retreats:
"For me, these peaceful days irregular and infrequent as they are, have started a process within me that, once started, takes on a life of its own and grows like a tree rooted in the cracks of a sidewalk. It's as though the meditation process is still going on in whatever I do; that the quiet noting of thoughts and distractions, the awareness of body and the roots of defilements is a constant within me, like a heartbeat.
"It is a knowing, a calm, an ability to tap into a seemingly endless source without strain. My teacher describes it as embodiment."
Meditation for Depression (and Bipolar Disorder)
But is it effective against depression? According to natural health guru Andrew Weil MD:
"[Buddhist psychology's] basic prescription is for the daily practice of meditation, and I am inclined to agree that this is the best way to get at the root of depression and change it. That requires a long-term commitment, however, since meditation does not produce fast results."
Now if you don't like the eastern flavor of meditation you can change its focus to reflect your own cultural beliefs. You can meditate on Jesus or Moses or Allah. In place of a Sanskrit mantra, you can repeat over and over: "Our Father who art in Heaven... " or "Hear, oh Israel, ...the Lord is one ...," or "There is no God but God ... "
But the beauty of yoga and meditation is that you can practice it without any of its religious trappings, whatsoever. We are talking about a show about nothing, remember? No self, no other ...
... and perhaps - no depression or mania.
Yoga for Depression
Back in 1985, Amy Weintraub’s therapist told her that, psychically, she would always have empty pockets. "And I visualized myself, like Virginia Woolf," she wrote, "filling those empty pockets with stones and stepping into the river." Instead, through yoga practice, she filled them with fresh air and divine light, and slowly pulled her way out of her chronic depression, an accomplishment that transformed her and changed her life.
Books on yoga and meditation offer us age-old insights into the nature of suffering, together with time-tested techniques to alleviate that suffering. Depression and self-help books provide a more contemporary focus. Amy’s new book, "Yoga for Depression: A Compassionate Guide to Relieve Suffering Through Yoga," proves the twain of Patanjali and psychology can meet. Amy is a Kripalu-trained senior yoga instructor and writer who has thoroughly researched depression.
"Living in this mortal body," she quotes the Buddha, "is like living in a house on fire." We suffer. "Depression," says psychologist and yogi Stephen Cope, "is the common cold of the deluded human being." Don’t take this personally - we’re all deluded, including your psychiatrist and therapist. But we’re also all divine, or at least we’re connected to the divine. Yoga is about establishing this sense of oneness. It is probably fair to say a good many people take up yoga simply as a proven stress-buster or alternative to Richard Simmons, but they may also find themselves reaping unexpected rewards, such as beatific inner calm or heightened awareness. Some also find it helps their depression.
In a UCLA study published in March 2004, 28 mildly-depressed young adults attended two one-hour yoga classes twice a week for five weeks. Midway into the course, subjects "demonstrated significant decreases in self-reported symptoms of depression and trait anxiety," which they maintained to the end. Subjects also reported decreased negative mood and fatigue following class.
What is going on in the body, says Amy, is muscular relaxation, restored natural diaphragm breathing, improved oxygen absorption and carbon monoxide elimination, and increased alpha wave activity.
Yoga is an eight-limbed path which uses postures, breathing, and meditation as both a means and an end. Back bends, which open up the chest and increase lung capacity, are especially useful for depression. So are inversions such as headstands and shoulder stands, which stimulate the brain (but which should not be attempted without the guidance of a qualified yoga instructor). Some positions are meant to be calming and others energizing. Anxious types are advised to employ calming positions while energetic positions are de rigor for those who find it hard to get out of bed. (Since reading this book, I find myself doing a short energizing routine in the early afternoon to get me through the rest of the day and a longer calming routine ending in a short meditation at night.)
Breathing exercises follow the same energizing/calming dichotomy. One reason so much emphasis is placed on the breath is that most of us have forgotten how to breathe. Instead of using the diaphragm, we use the chest, which is not as efficient since the lower portions of the lungs are not exposed to air. The yogis imbue the air we breathe with a spiritual quality called Prana (with a capital P). "When we restrict the breath," writes Amy, "we are diminishing the spirit. When we relearn to breathe fully and deeply, we are enlarging the spirit and reconnecting with the Self." She cites an Indian study that found reduced violence and disciplinary infractions in a juvenile prison population that had been practicing a specific breathing technique for eight weeks.
What may be going on, speculates Amy, is the release of the anterior pituitary ("feel good") hormones, including oxytocin, prolactin, and vasopressin.
If posture can take us into breathing, breathing can take us into meditation, which, says, Amy, "can create a calm, healing state in body and mind." Pain doesn’t go away with meditation, she advises, but through the practice of mindfulness we learn not to identify with the pain. For people with major depression, she cautions, meditation may be counter-productive at first, as depressed people tend to be stuck in their negative thoughts. Since meditation may also bring up flashbacks and bad memories, learning under a skilled instructor is strongly encouraged.
Amy’s breakthrough came in a yoga class while holding the bridge pose, suppine with pelvis and chest thrust upwards She released the posture ten minutes later to a flood of sensations and a "time-out for the rational mind, a few moments of deep rest, a glimpse of samadhi [cosmic consciousness]."
What if, she asks, that intelligent awareness of bliss is not an altered state but your natural state? "Eventually, through practice," she informs us, "those moments of samadhi expand until they are firmly established in your mind and you are living with your eyes wide open."
There goes that pesky common cold.
You know those cartoons where the character goes flying around the room like a balloon with the air rushing out? That's sort of what happened to my mind in 1987-88. Like an idiot I refused to seek help and nearly paid in full measure for my stupidity.
Eventually, my entire psychic being deflated on its own account and I was able to regain some control of my brain. A good deal of the credit must go to yoga and meditation, though I would never be able to prove it in court. I managed to establish a successful daily practice for three or four years before backsliding to my bad old ways. I won't say that my failure to stick to my routine brought on my latest round of depressions. But I will tell you this: I'm back on my feet again devoting a part of my day to sitting.
Meditation is a highly personal affair, and it will probably take a process of trial and error to find what works for you. My mind, for one, is like a Circuit City showroom, with TVs and VCRs and home sound systems blaring all at once from all sides, and K-mart blue light specials and beepers and police radios going off against a truckload of gongs clattering down marble steps. Filtering out even the top layer of all this racket would have been an exercise in extreme futility, so I hit upon a preliminary yoga warm-up routine, much like an athlete limbering up before attempting some really heavy lifting. Make no mistake - any exercise devoted to bringing the mind under control constitutes heavy lifting of the most extreme kind.
My Meditation-Yoga Routine
But first a little incense to set the mood, sandalwood and patchouli being my favorites. Please bear in mind that what has worked for me may not work for you.
I start off from a sitting position with some leg stretches, touching the toes - or the kneecaps, whatever - extending to whatever position is comfortable to hold for a minute or more, one leg, then the other, and back again. On the second go, my arms grow a lot longer and the toes considerably closer, and one day I'll write a masters thesis on why this is so. By now my mind is slowing just a bit and my breathing establishes a new pattern, as if I am inhaling from the seat of my pants right up through my spinal column and out the top of my head.
Then I take one foot and move it past my other knee and look the other way as the vertebrae from my neck to my tailbone pop like firecrackers, and hold the position until the ash from my incense drops to the carpet. Then I reverse body parts. By now I feel my entire thoracic cavity opening up as I literally suck up all the air in the room and expel it in one great gust.
I do a couple of spinal flexes from my stomach - with a few optional stretchers thrown in for good measure - then it's nose down and tail up for the grand finale - the head stand. The exercise is a two-way street: I am compelled to be still. At the same time, the effort stills me. Gradually, a few of the TVs and VCRs in my mind click off and go silent, and after three minutes, I'm ready for my next round of prelims.
Now, for the first time, the seat of my pants meets the seat of my floor cushion. I bend my legs into a semi-lotus position, but my back sags under the strain. But then come my breathers.
Warning: It is not advisable to begin breathing exercises without instruction or supervision.
I start - eyes closed - by forcing air out my nostrils then allow my diaphragm to expand on the intake. As I work up a good speed, my back becomes ramrod straight as if being pulled up by an invisible string from the ceiling. Then, to settle down, I breathe in through one nostril, hold my breath for a few seconds, and breathe out the other. With the open nostril I breathe back in and continue the cycle. Finally I take twenty slow breaths in and out.
I might also take in a bit of chakras and visualizations and mantras, but this is strictly optional.
Having accomplished all this, I have now achieved the benefits of an excellent workout, a sure stress-buster, and a positive deterrent to depression and mania. But I am not about to miss the big payoff, especially so close to my goal. Who knows? Just around the corner could be nothing less than the big E - enlightenment, the Boddhi tree spectacular, the Fourth of July in my head I keep hoping for, when all those TVs and VCRs and blue light specials resolve into one glorious chord that puts me in harmony with Christ and Buddha and all creation.
But I am willing to settle for much less.
Now comes what is simultaneously the simplest and most difficult activity ever devised by a living being: I attempt to shut out all other thoughts as I follow my breath in and out my nose. The ideal, according to the Buddhist monks, is to concentrate all thinking on the tip of the nose, but I am quite content to keep my thoughts confined to the immediate planet.
Fortunately, the monks have come up with a fall-back meditation: As you sit quietly you simply watch your thoughts in a detached manner, refusing to be drawn into any dialogue your mind's many TVs and VCRs may want to engage you in. When you find yourself "thinking", you simply let the thought go and resume your meditation.
Like Seinfeld, we are talking about a show about nothing. But there is far more to nothing than meets the eye. No self, no other. Who can truly say what lies beyond?
A Personal Experience
What you take away from the experience is for you and you alone. You may be content with five minutes in a chair or you may set aside a whole hour. It could be ten minutes of torture or the first time you find yourself experiencing real peace of mind. "If you're feeling better at the end, you are probably doing it right," says Roger Thomson, PhD, a Chicago psychologist and Zen meditator on mediation, quoted in an article in Psychology Today.
According to Suite101.com's Buddhism editor, Patricia Swain, describing her meditation retreats:
"For me, these peaceful days irregular and infrequent as they are, have started a process within me that, once started, takes on a life of its own and grows like a tree rooted in the cracks of a sidewalk. It's as though the meditation process is still going on in whatever I do; that the quiet noting of thoughts and distractions, the awareness of body and the roots of defilements is a constant within me, like a heartbeat.
"It is a knowing, a calm, an ability to tap into a seemingly endless source without strain. My teacher describes it as embodiment."
Meditation for Depression (and Bipolar Disorder)
But is it effective against depression? According to natural health guru Andrew Weil MD:
"[Buddhist psychology's] basic prescription is for the daily practice of meditation, and I am inclined to agree that this is the best way to get at the root of depression and change it. That requires a long-term commitment, however, since meditation does not produce fast results."
Now if you don't like the eastern flavor of meditation you can change its focus to reflect your own cultural beliefs. You can meditate on Jesus or Moses or Allah. In place of a Sanskrit mantra, you can repeat over and over: "Our Father who art in Heaven... " or "Hear, oh Israel, ...the Lord is one ...," or "There is no God but God ... "
But the beauty of yoga and meditation is that you can practice it without any of its religious trappings, whatsoever. We are talking about a show about nothing, remember? No self, no other ...
... and perhaps - no depression or mania.
Yoga for Depression
Back in 1985, Amy Weintraub’s therapist told her that, psychically, she would always have empty pockets. "And I visualized myself, like Virginia Woolf," she wrote, "filling those empty pockets with stones and stepping into the river." Instead, through yoga practice, she filled them with fresh air and divine light, and slowly pulled her way out of her chronic depression, an accomplishment that transformed her and changed her life.
Books on yoga and meditation offer us age-old insights into the nature of suffering, together with time-tested techniques to alleviate that suffering. Depression and self-help books provide a more contemporary focus. Amy’s new book, "Yoga for Depression: A Compassionate Guide to Relieve Suffering Through Yoga," proves the twain of Patanjali and psychology can meet. Amy is a Kripalu-trained senior yoga instructor and writer who has thoroughly researched depression.
"Living in this mortal body," she quotes the Buddha, "is like living in a house on fire." We suffer. "Depression," says psychologist and yogi Stephen Cope, "is the common cold of the deluded human being." Don’t take this personally - we’re all deluded, including your psychiatrist and therapist. But we’re also all divine, or at least we’re connected to the divine. Yoga is about establishing this sense of oneness. It is probably fair to say a good many people take up yoga simply as a proven stress-buster or alternative to Richard Simmons, but they may also find themselves reaping unexpected rewards, such as beatific inner calm or heightened awareness. Some also find it helps their depression.
In a UCLA study published in March 2004, 28 mildly-depressed young adults attended two one-hour yoga classes twice a week for five weeks. Midway into the course, subjects "demonstrated significant decreases in self-reported symptoms of depression and trait anxiety," which they maintained to the end. Subjects also reported decreased negative mood and fatigue following class.
What is going on in the body, says Amy, is muscular relaxation, restored natural diaphragm breathing, improved oxygen absorption and carbon monoxide elimination, and increased alpha wave activity.
Yoga is an eight-limbed path which uses postures, breathing, and meditation as both a means and an end. Back bends, which open up the chest and increase lung capacity, are especially useful for depression. So are inversions such as headstands and shoulder stands, which stimulate the brain (but which should not be attempted without the guidance of a qualified yoga instructor). Some positions are meant to be calming and others energizing. Anxious types are advised to employ calming positions while energetic positions are de rigor for those who find it hard to get out of bed. (Since reading this book, I find myself doing a short energizing routine in the early afternoon to get me through the rest of the day and a longer calming routine ending in a short meditation at night.)
Breathing exercises follow the same energizing/calming dichotomy. One reason so much emphasis is placed on the breath is that most of us have forgotten how to breathe. Instead of using the diaphragm, we use the chest, which is not as efficient since the lower portions of the lungs are not exposed to air. The yogis imbue the air we breathe with a spiritual quality called Prana (with a capital P). "When we restrict the breath," writes Amy, "we are diminishing the spirit. When we relearn to breathe fully and deeply, we are enlarging the spirit and reconnecting with the Self." She cites an Indian study that found reduced violence and disciplinary infractions in a juvenile prison population that had been practicing a specific breathing technique for eight weeks.
What may be going on, speculates Amy, is the release of the anterior pituitary ("feel good") hormones, including oxytocin, prolactin, and vasopressin.
If posture can take us into breathing, breathing can take us into meditation, which, says, Amy, "can create a calm, healing state in body and mind." Pain doesn’t go away with meditation, she advises, but through the practice of mindfulness we learn not to identify with the pain. For people with major depression, she cautions, meditation may be counter-productive at first, as depressed people tend to be stuck in their negative thoughts. Since meditation may also bring up flashbacks and bad memories, learning under a skilled instructor is strongly encouraged.
Amy’s breakthrough came in a yoga class while holding the bridge pose, suppine with pelvis and chest thrust upwards She released the posture ten minutes later to a flood of sensations and a "time-out for the rational mind, a few moments of deep rest, a glimpse of samadhi [cosmic consciousness]."
What if, she asks, that intelligent awareness of bliss is not an altered state but your natural state? "Eventually, through practice," she informs us, "those moments of samadhi expand until they are firmly established in your mind and you are living with your eyes wide open."
There goes that pesky common cold.
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Visualization & Meditation on Overcoming Stress
• View Streaming Video Excerpt 
, 14 minutes
First, we need to relax our body and mind. Sit on a cushion or a straight-backed chair. Keep your chin parallel with the floor and your spine erect and away from the back of the chair. Now we'll practice a technique to relax subconscious tensions. Inhale and tense your whole body until it vibrates. Throw the breath out and relax completely. The inhalation should be through the nostrils and the exhalation through both the nose and the mouth. Let's do that twice more: Inhale and tense, … exhale and relax. Now, once again; inhale and tense. Throw the breath out and relax.
Now we'll do a technique of yoga called, "regular breathing," which helps calm the mind. Inhale slowly through the nose to a count of eight. Hold your breath and concentrate your attention at the point between the eyebrows for a count of eight. Now exhale slowly through the nostrils for a count of eight. Let's do that again. Inhale … concentrate and hold … exhale. Now, one last time, but this time use a count of twelve. Inhale for a count of twelve. Hold the same length of time. Exhale for a count of twelve. When you practice this on your own, you can use any length of count that is comfortable for you, but be sure the inhalation, holding, and exhalation are equal.
Now let's relax the whole body as completely as possible. Become aware of your feet and let go of all tension there. You can think of space or light in that area. Now relax your calves … your upper legs, and behind your knees. Relax your hips and abdomen. Many people hold tension in the abdomen, so concentrate on relaxing completely in that area. Now relax your hands and forearms … your upper arms … and now your chest and shoulders. When you relax your shoulders, feel that you're letting go of all burdens that you might be carrying. Now relax your neck … your jaw … tongue … and lips. Relax completely, feeling all tension in your face melt away. Relax your eyes, … eyelids … and forehead. Now gently focus your mind at the point between the eyebrows, the seat of higher consciousness.
The following visualization will help accept life with calmness and enjoyment. Visualize yourself floating near the shore in a beautiful blue sea. The sea is calm, the sun is shining, and the wind is blowing gently over the water. Gradually, the waves begin to increase in strength. … Now, they are tossing you about. At first you find this annoying and wish they would stop. But now you realize that you can't control the sea. As you relax, you begin to accept the waves and enjoy the ride they are giving you. You see that they are playing with you. Stay in this state of enjoyment for a while. … Now feel that your vision is floating up above the level of the sea and looking down on your little body. As you look down from this height, you see that the waves aren't really big at all. From this higher viewpoint, the sea actually looks quite calm. And it is beautiful, blues and greens, and little whitecaps. All is incredibly beautiful. You see that the ocean of life is your friend and your supporter. You gaze out toward the horizon endless miles away. The line where the sea meets the sky never changes. Concentrate on this line and try to feel that underneath the waves of events you never change. You are always peaceful, always calm, always joyful. Release all attachments, all desires, all regrets. Float now in this vast ocean of bliss. When you are ready, let your mind come back to a point of concentration at the spiritual eye, between the eyebrows.
Continue concentrating here as we prepare for deep meditation. Check to see that you are still completely relaxed. Now become aware of the breath as it flows in and out of the nostrils. Feel the movement of air and mentally observe it flowing in and out. Don't try to control the breath, just watch it. If your mind wanders, gently bring it back to watching the breath. If you would like, you can mentally say "hong" as the breath flow in and "sau" as it flow out again. These words are an ancient mantra that helps calm and concentrate the mind. Gradually feel the breath higher and higher in the nostrils, until you are observing it at the point between the eyebrows. We'll continue to silently watch the breath in this manner for some time. … Concentrating at this point will help lift the mind toward superconsciousness.
Now exhale completely and concentrate your energy and attention at the point between the eyebrows. If you see light there, just observe it. Let go of all thoughts, all anxiety, all plans and feel completely at peace. Hold this state of silent meditation and try to deepen it. Go as deeply as you can into the silence. The deeper and longer you can hold this state, the faster will be your progress.
Now, once again return to body consciousness. We will end our meditation with an affirmation. Concentrate deeply on the words and the meaning behind the words. Send this message to your subconscious mind. We'll repeat it several times:
I am grateful for my life exactly as it is.
I am thankful for this day,
I welcome every hour.
Thank you God.
Thank you God.
You can repeat this affirmation as often as you would like. It is especially effective just after waking up in the morning, or just before sleep at night.
, 14 minutesFirst, we need to relax our body and mind. Sit on a cushion or a straight-backed chair. Keep your chin parallel with the floor and your spine erect and away from the back of the chair. Now we'll practice a technique to relax subconscious tensions. Inhale and tense your whole body until it vibrates. Throw the breath out and relax completely. The inhalation should be through the nostrils and the exhalation through both the nose and the mouth. Let's do that twice more: Inhale and tense, … exhale and relax. Now, once again; inhale and tense. Throw the breath out and relax.
Now we'll do a technique of yoga called, "regular breathing," which helps calm the mind. Inhale slowly through the nose to a count of eight. Hold your breath and concentrate your attention at the point between the eyebrows for a count of eight. Now exhale slowly through the nostrils for a count of eight. Let's do that again. Inhale … concentrate and hold … exhale. Now, one last time, but this time use a count of twelve. Inhale for a count of twelve. Hold the same length of time. Exhale for a count of twelve. When you practice this on your own, you can use any length of count that is comfortable for you, but be sure the inhalation, holding, and exhalation are equal.
Now let's relax the whole body as completely as possible. Become aware of your feet and let go of all tension there. You can think of space or light in that area. Now relax your calves … your upper legs, and behind your knees. Relax your hips and abdomen. Many people hold tension in the abdomen, so concentrate on relaxing completely in that area. Now relax your hands and forearms … your upper arms … and now your chest and shoulders. When you relax your shoulders, feel that you're letting go of all burdens that you might be carrying. Now relax your neck … your jaw … tongue … and lips. Relax completely, feeling all tension in your face melt away. Relax your eyes, … eyelids … and forehead. Now gently focus your mind at the point between the eyebrows, the seat of higher consciousness.
The following visualization will help accept life with calmness and enjoyment. Visualize yourself floating near the shore in a beautiful blue sea. The sea is calm, the sun is shining, and the wind is blowing gently over the water. Gradually, the waves begin to increase in strength. … Now, they are tossing you about. At first you find this annoying and wish they would stop. But now you realize that you can't control the sea. As you relax, you begin to accept the waves and enjoy the ride they are giving you. You see that they are playing with you. Stay in this state of enjoyment for a while. … Now feel that your vision is floating up above the level of the sea and looking down on your little body. As you look down from this height, you see that the waves aren't really big at all. From this higher viewpoint, the sea actually looks quite calm. And it is beautiful, blues and greens, and little whitecaps. All is incredibly beautiful. You see that the ocean of life is your friend and your supporter. You gaze out toward the horizon endless miles away. The line where the sea meets the sky never changes. Concentrate on this line and try to feel that underneath the waves of events you never change. You are always peaceful, always calm, always joyful. Release all attachments, all desires, all regrets. Float now in this vast ocean of bliss. When you are ready, let your mind come back to a point of concentration at the spiritual eye, between the eyebrows.
Continue concentrating here as we prepare for deep meditation. Check to see that you are still completely relaxed. Now become aware of the breath as it flows in and out of the nostrils. Feel the movement of air and mentally observe it flowing in and out. Don't try to control the breath, just watch it. If your mind wanders, gently bring it back to watching the breath. If you would like, you can mentally say "hong" as the breath flow in and "sau" as it flow out again. These words are an ancient mantra that helps calm and concentrate the mind. Gradually feel the breath higher and higher in the nostrils, until you are observing it at the point between the eyebrows. We'll continue to silently watch the breath in this manner for some time. … Concentrating at this point will help lift the mind toward superconsciousness.
Now exhale completely and concentrate your energy and attention at the point between the eyebrows. If you see light there, just observe it. Let go of all thoughts, all anxiety, all plans and feel completely at peace. Hold this state of silent meditation and try to deepen it. Go as deeply as you can into the silence. The deeper and longer you can hold this state, the faster will be your progress.
Now, once again return to body consciousness. We will end our meditation with an affirmation. Concentrate deeply on the words and the meaning behind the words. Send this message to your subconscious mind. We'll repeat it several times:
I am grateful for my life exactly as it is.
I am thankful for this day,
I welcome every hour.
Thank you God.
Thank you God.
You can repeat this affirmation as often as you would like. It is especially effective just after waking up in the morning, or just before sleep at night.
Mountain Meditation Technique
I Am the Mountain
The purpose of yoga is to withdraw the consciousness from the body and center it in the spine. The following exercise, I Am the Mountain, will help you become more aware of your spine. It is an excellent practice for internalizing your awareness and learning to relate to life intuitively.
The I Am the Mountain meditation can be practiced alone or with another person. To begin, look for a place outdoors where it is beautiful; if this isn't possible revisit such a place in your mind and use your imagination. Then meditate a few minutes to become calm and interiorized.
How the exercise works when done alone:
Quietly repeat the words I Am. After each time you say I Am, look for something in nature that captivates you—perhaps a cloud sailing across the sky or the wind playing music in the forest. Whatever it is, feel its living reality inside of you, in your spine. Enjoy it there for a few moments, and then quietly whisper a simple word or phrase that describes your experience of what you were observing. For example, it may go like this:
I Am……..the drifting cloud……..I Am……..the waving branches……I Am……..the exhilaration of the wind racing across the lake
Feel a sense of communion with everything you see. Be also aware of the energy in your spine. Sensitively feel, for example, how sensing a tall tree in your spine, stimulates your energy.
Repeat I Am, I Love and/or I Receive for five minutes, then relax and enjoy the serenity of nature within and all around you.
How to share I Am the Mountain with a friend:
Choose one of you to be the prompter, who says "I Am," and the other one to be the responder. The prompter sits behind to allow the responder an unobstructed view. Having one partner repeat I Am (or I Love, I Receive) keeps the other one focused and in the present moment. Doing I Am the Mountain with a friend creates a shared sense of communion with nature and with each other.
Switch roles when desired.
The purpose of yoga is to withdraw the consciousness from the body and center it in the spine. The following exercise, I Am the Mountain, will help you become more aware of your spine. It is an excellent practice for internalizing your awareness and learning to relate to life intuitively.
The I Am the Mountain meditation can be practiced alone or with another person. To begin, look for a place outdoors where it is beautiful; if this isn't possible revisit such a place in your mind and use your imagination. Then meditate a few minutes to become calm and interiorized.
How the exercise works when done alone:
Quietly repeat the words I Am. After each time you say I Am, look for something in nature that captivates you—perhaps a cloud sailing across the sky or the wind playing music in the forest. Whatever it is, feel its living reality inside of you, in your spine. Enjoy it there for a few moments, and then quietly whisper a simple word or phrase that describes your experience of what you were observing. For example, it may go like this:
I Am……..the drifting cloud……..I Am……..the waving branches……I Am……..the exhilaration of the wind racing across the lake
Feel a sense of communion with everything you see. Be also aware of the energy in your spine. Sensitively feel, for example, how sensing a tall tree in your spine, stimulates your energy.
Repeat I Am, I Love and/or I Receive for five minutes, then relax and enjoy the serenity of nature within and all around you.
How to share I Am the Mountain with a friend:
Choose one of you to be the prompter, who says "I Am," and the other one to be the responder. The prompter sits behind to allow the responder an unobstructed view. Having one partner repeat I Am (or I Love, I Receive) keeps the other one focused and in the present moment. Doing I Am the Mountain with a friend creates a shared sense of communion with nature and with each other.
Switch roles when desired.
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
5 Yoga Poses for Depression
I have been trying to find some nice poses for depression and here are 5 simple Yoga Poses that you can do to help yourself with depression . Alternative medicines like Yoga has less side effects unlike drugs which can have a long term dependency on and other side effects . If the poses help you please do let me know .
The Lion Pose (Simhasana)
Contraindications: Knee pain or injury
This is a wonderful pose for gaining courage and lightening your emotional load; the facial expressions involved are guaranteed to boost your mood, especially if you perform this pose in front of a mirror.
Kneel on the floor; keep your knees about shoulder-width apart.
Sit back on your heels; your calves should be flat on the floor.
Spread the knees apart a little further; only move them as far as is comfortable.
Straighten and lengthen the back and shoulders; sit up tall.
Without rounding the shoulders, place your hands loosely on your knees.
Inhale and lean forward slightly without compromising your straight spine.
(Here’s the fun part) While leaning forward, stretch your mouth and jaw open as wide as possible. Extend your tongue and cross your eyes by looking at the tip of your nose; also tense and straighten your fingers out from their resting place on the knees.
Hold this position for one breath and then relax; lean back and let your fingers drop back to your knees. Close the mouth and eyes.
Repeat this posture at least three times with a short break in between each repetition.
Benefits: It seems very silly, but this is a legitimate yoga asana. The Lion is a great pose for loosening up the muscles of a clenched or tight jaw. All the muscles of the face are used; each repetition causes tension to melt away. For a little variation, if you’re alone or not easily embarrassed, try roaring or yelling as you contort the facial muscles.
The Fish Pose (Matsyasana)
Contraindications: Back pain, injuries to neck or shoulder
Releases tension and is also good for deep breathing and relaxation.
Lie flat on your back, either on a mat or on a carpeted floor. Keep your knees straight and keep your feet together with toes pointed to the ceiling.
Slide your hands under your thighs and buttocks. This motion should cause your chest to bow upward slightly.
Bend the elbows and push them into the floor; use the bend of the elbows and arms to raise the chest higher, keeping the chest arched upward.
When the chest is arched as high as possible, drop your head and rest the very top of your head on the floor. Your chin should point to the ceiling.
While in this posture, breathe deeply and really enjoy the chest expansion. Hold this position for as long as is comfortable.
Benefits: This is a great chest-opener; many people who have depression coupled with anxiety often have feelings of tightness or pressure in the chest—this pose can help ease the pressure. The Fish is also very beneficial for a tense neck, shoulders and lower back.
The Child’s Pose (Balasana)
Contraindications: Back injury
A good, relaxing counter-pose if performed after the Fish pose.
Kneel on the floor, and then sit directly onto your heels.
Shift your knees until they are a little more than hip-width apart.
Bend forward at the hip; bring your chest to rest between your thighs.
Keep your buttocks in contact with your heels and rest your forehead on the floor. If this is uncomfortable, rest your forehead on a cushion or folded blanket—make sure it is high enough for you to be comfortable.
Stretch your arms out in front of you on either side of your head. Lengthen the muscles as far as you can, really give a good stretch! Then slide your arms back to your sides, palms up and relax.
Remain in this pose for as long as possible. Breathe deeply and relax into the posture.
Benefits: Child’s pose is a comforting, peaceful asana. Staying in this position is not only relaxing, but also promotes a feeling of safety and security. The stretch involved to the lower back and arms also feels wonderful!
Warrior I (Virabhadrasana I)
Contraindications: Leg or shoulder injury.
Warrior I is a great confidence booster; anytime you feel unsure of yourself or uneasy, try this posture.
Stand tall with good posture and plant your feet about shoulder-width apart.
With your right foot, take a large step forward into a lunge; keep the left foot firmly planted. Do not turn or rotate the hips.
Your right knee should be bent and you should keep the knee located directly above the ankle. You should feel a good stretch in the calf muscle of the left leg. If not, slide the left foot back an inch or so.
After achieving a good strong lunge, raise the arms above your head. Really stretch them to the ceiling; feel that stretch all the way to your fingertips. Relax a bit, keeping the arms up, and turn the palms facing each other.
To deepen the stretch, carefully arch the back and look at the ceiling.
Repeat this posture at least once using the left leg for the lunge.
Benefits: This is a very easy asana, but also a very powerful one. Warrior I can help you feel more grounded. You can gain equilibrium with this pose, both mentally and physically!
Corpse Pose (Savasana)
Contraindications: None
There’s just no better way to end a yoga session than with the ultimate relaxation pose.
Lie on your back on the floor (or on a mat). Spread the arms out to a 45 degree angle from your sides. Let your legs drop open. There should be no tension in trying to hold this position, don’t try to keep the toes pointed. Keep your head resting comfortably.
Close your eyes and breathe deeply. Each breath should expand both the chest and belly. Allow your entire body to feel heavy and soft; literally try to relax into the floor.
Mentally look for places where your body is tense. Should you find tension, focus on that part of the body, tense it and then release. Wiggle your fingers and toes to remove any pressure or stress.
Try to clear your mind. Continue to breathe deeply and enjoy yourself.
Do not fall asleep; that isn’t the goal here. Enjoy a conscious state of deep relaxation.
Benefits: The benefits of this pose are truly endless. Nothing beats a good bit of relaxation. Use this pose anytime you feel upset or blue. If it’s hard to get out of bed in the morning to face the day, use this posture to give you a little better perspective. If you suffer from insomnia, this is a perfect way to end the day.
The Lion Pose (Simhasana)
Contraindications: Knee pain or injury
This is a wonderful pose for gaining courage and lightening your emotional load; the facial expressions involved are guaranteed to boost your mood, especially if you perform this pose in front of a mirror.
Kneel on the floor; keep your knees about shoulder-width apart.
Sit back on your heels; your calves should be flat on the floor.
Spread the knees apart a little further; only move them as far as is comfortable.
Straighten and lengthen the back and shoulders; sit up tall.
Without rounding the shoulders, place your hands loosely on your knees.
Inhale and lean forward slightly without compromising your straight spine.
(Here’s the fun part) While leaning forward, stretch your mouth and jaw open as wide as possible. Extend your tongue and cross your eyes by looking at the tip of your nose; also tense and straighten your fingers out from their resting place on the knees.
Hold this position for one breath and then relax; lean back and let your fingers drop back to your knees. Close the mouth and eyes.
Repeat this posture at least three times with a short break in between each repetition.
Benefits: It seems very silly, but this is a legitimate yoga asana. The Lion is a great pose for loosening up the muscles of a clenched or tight jaw. All the muscles of the face are used; each repetition causes tension to melt away. For a little variation, if you’re alone or not easily embarrassed, try roaring or yelling as you contort the facial muscles.
The Fish Pose (Matsyasana)
Contraindications: Back pain, injuries to neck or shoulder
Releases tension and is also good for deep breathing and relaxation.
Lie flat on your back, either on a mat or on a carpeted floor. Keep your knees straight and keep your feet together with toes pointed to the ceiling.
Slide your hands under your thighs and buttocks. This motion should cause your chest to bow upward slightly.
Bend the elbows and push them into the floor; use the bend of the elbows and arms to raise the chest higher, keeping the chest arched upward.
When the chest is arched as high as possible, drop your head and rest the very top of your head on the floor. Your chin should point to the ceiling.
While in this posture, breathe deeply and really enjoy the chest expansion. Hold this position for as long as is comfortable.
Benefits: This is a great chest-opener; many people who have depression coupled with anxiety often have feelings of tightness or pressure in the chest—this pose can help ease the pressure. The Fish is also very beneficial for a tense neck, shoulders and lower back.
The Child’s Pose (Balasana)
Contraindications: Back injury
A good, relaxing counter-pose if performed after the Fish pose.
Kneel on the floor, and then sit directly onto your heels.
Shift your knees until they are a little more than hip-width apart.
Bend forward at the hip; bring your chest to rest between your thighs.
Keep your buttocks in contact with your heels and rest your forehead on the floor. If this is uncomfortable, rest your forehead on a cushion or folded blanket—make sure it is high enough for you to be comfortable.
Stretch your arms out in front of you on either side of your head. Lengthen the muscles as far as you can, really give a good stretch! Then slide your arms back to your sides, palms up and relax.
Remain in this pose for as long as possible. Breathe deeply and relax into the posture.
Benefits: Child’s pose is a comforting, peaceful asana. Staying in this position is not only relaxing, but also promotes a feeling of safety and security. The stretch involved to the lower back and arms also feels wonderful!
Warrior I (Virabhadrasana I)
Contraindications: Leg or shoulder injury.
Warrior I is a great confidence booster; anytime you feel unsure of yourself or uneasy, try this posture.
Stand tall with good posture and plant your feet about shoulder-width apart.
With your right foot, take a large step forward into a lunge; keep the left foot firmly planted. Do not turn or rotate the hips.
Your right knee should be bent and you should keep the knee located directly above the ankle. You should feel a good stretch in the calf muscle of the left leg. If not, slide the left foot back an inch or so.
After achieving a good strong lunge, raise the arms above your head. Really stretch them to the ceiling; feel that stretch all the way to your fingertips. Relax a bit, keeping the arms up, and turn the palms facing each other.
To deepen the stretch, carefully arch the back and look at the ceiling.
Repeat this posture at least once using the left leg for the lunge.
Benefits: This is a very easy asana, but also a very powerful one. Warrior I can help you feel more grounded. You can gain equilibrium with this pose, both mentally and physically!
Corpse Pose (Savasana)
Contraindications: None
There’s just no better way to end a yoga session than with the ultimate relaxation pose.
Lie on your back on the floor (or on a mat). Spread the arms out to a 45 degree angle from your sides. Let your legs drop open. There should be no tension in trying to hold this position, don’t try to keep the toes pointed. Keep your head resting comfortably.
Close your eyes and breathe deeply. Each breath should expand both the chest and belly. Allow your entire body to feel heavy and soft; literally try to relax into the floor.
Mentally look for places where your body is tense. Should you find tension, focus on that part of the body, tense it and then release. Wiggle your fingers and toes to remove any pressure or stress.
Try to clear your mind. Continue to breathe deeply and enjoy yourself.
Do not fall asleep; that isn’t the goal here. Enjoy a conscious state of deep relaxation.
Benefits: The benefits of this pose are truly endless. Nothing beats a good bit of relaxation. Use this pose anytime you feel upset or blue. If it’s hard to get out of bed in the morning to face the day, use this posture to give you a little better perspective. If you suffer from insomnia, this is a perfect way to end the day.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)