Month: July 2015

Categories
Healthy Living

Not Lost in Translation

ahh, realized it’s a nice translation, that is:

Samskaras = Neuroplasticity

Translation takes place so that Eastern ideas are better understood by Westerners … there’s a buy-in only when explained in medical or scientific terms by someone with initials behind their names …and that’s alright. (which reminded me of the post “Never Give Up” – click here and watch the inspiring video:)

littleprnice From “Little Prince”:) where a wise guru wearing a traditional ethnic tunic is not taken seriously but when he wears Western formal wear, he’s taken seriously by the educated in the West… luckily the time has changed and today, the seekers in the West will gladly dress in the tunics find these gurus if they don’t come to us. Or maybe the guru will show up wearing a t-shirt on Uber? We lay out our own unique path to get to the same destination and that destination is not what it’s about but what’s along the path we get to experience:) Yoga practice allows for that experiences to integrate into your being so you can really feel them, appreciate them, appreciate … life given – oxox

IMG_7906_smallFrom recent Ayurvedic Health course by Jyoti Jain from Art of Living Foundation… A bit of a review from the 200 hrs. TT but something I needed to do as I hope to “cook” these wonderful dishes she shared with us.

Categories
Yoga

Unlearn “Pain”

IMG_8125_small a prayer wheel in California? Love it. (more on this location at a later date…)

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The following is an excerpt from an article shared by one of my lovely students … thank you, thank you… seemingly like “nothing” from a dynamic movement oriented practice perspective, there’s a lot going on under the surface as in the surface of a lake … what’s under water is … anyone’s guess. Sometimes, less is more:

Why does past pain make you more sensitive to future pain? You can thank one of the great wonders of our nervous system: its ability to learn in response to experience. This ability is called neuroplasticity. Through the repeated experience of pain, the nervous system gets better at detecting threat and producing the protective pain response. So unfortunately, in the case of chronic pain, learning from experience and getting “better” at pain paradoxically means more pain, not less.

Both modern science and yoga share this idea: present pain and suffering have their roots in past pain, trauma, stress, loss, and illness. Modern science uses words like neuroplasticity to describe the process of learning from past experiences; yoga uses the word samskara. Samskaras are the memories of the body and mind that influence how we experience the present moment. Samskaras keep you stuck, feeling the same emotions, thinking the same thoughts, and even experiencing the same pain.

Samskaras do not always lead to suffering—they also lead to positive change. Just as trauma, illness, pain, and stress leave traces on the body and mind, so do positive experiences. What you practice, you become.

Learning is lifelong, and none of the changes you’ve learned have to be permanent. Neuroplasticity can be harnessed for healing. Your mind and body have learned how to “do” chronic pain, and your job is to teach it something new.

– Kelly McGonigal, PhD, excerpt from an article in Yoga International
“Restorative Yoga for Chronic Pain” dtd 6/10/2013

YES.
“What you practice, you become.”

Categories
Healthy Activities Healthy Living Yoga

Heart Attack

IMG_8124_small

This past week, I had 2 messages about someone’s parent suffering from a cardiac arrest and she/he has to drop everything to rush to the hospital ER; with such need , they cancel everything to fly to be with their parent of course… thus unfortunate emergency plea for a sub teacher or a need to cancel a class arises…it’s regretful.

We all know the importance of aerobics exercise to get the heart rate up and up and work out our muscles – we do need to do that, min. 30 minutes a day (walking dogs count!); but did you know that we also need to do the exact opposite? There you will say – well, I sleep and lounge and relax for that. It’s not the same.

In true deep relaxation prompted by restorative yoga, your heart rate can drop to as low as 28 beats per minute according to a study shared by Roger Cole, PhD, a guest speaker/professor at Judith’s teacher training. So what? In this near death state (just kidding), your heart really really has a chance to REST (but not stop!) and be nourished … your blood pressure is eased up and when you come out of that state, you have a chance to take stock of your other heart – the emotional heart.

When you come out, the refreshing renewed feel you get is not quite the same as you first wake up in the morning after a fitful (for some) or not so restful sleep. A true deep relaxation, even for just 20 minutes a day, can literally change someone’s personality for the better. For heart health, a mix of yoga that gets the heat up and heart rate up and up – that more sweaty detox goal oriented morning practice – contrast to the opposite, the cooling, calming, relaxing and quieting practice – that full spectrum – would be a lovely weekly journey… sort of what I am trying for even though the yoga practice late last night – done at 10pm (only time I had and so very exhausted…) was more like a morning practice … and made me stay up well past 1am. Not good as 10pm to 2am hours are the Golden hours of best sleep…Really enjoy the late schedule and the nice teacher but must modify to fit my needs for a more effervescent floating in clouds feel I crave at night… why do we have to work so intensely after a full day? Call me idle and lazy, I don’t care. It’s ingrained in our mindset that we are worthless unless we are doing something and is busy or intensely “doing”. Hope your heart keeps up to all that doing. It may rebel someday if you don’t have the “heart” to listen to Self.

Praying for everyone’s heart health … both physical and emotional, as we welcome the New Moon phase …planting seeds of good habit and good intentions.