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Beautiful Rituals Beautiful Things Healthy Living

Top Priority – How to boost the immune system?

Above all, managing and minimizing stress and anxieties. Finding that centered calm self in midst of the chaos, the turmoil, the confusion, the worries … the known and what’s worse … the unknown. Do not give into irrational fears and rumors – really study the facts and listen to expert’s recommendations.

For Self:

Find a place of purity – it might be a wind swept hillside, at the base of your favorite tree; maybe it’s a quiet spot in a garden; park or a hiking trail; an ocean side bench or that beach where you walk your dog … it’s where there’s space to breath deeply. I personally head to the forests … to feel fully oxygenated. While a purification ritual ideally takes place in nature – it’s our ultimate go-to. Yet we can’t always get there with work/school/life, so … a well ventilated and clean air yoga studio counts as a place of Self-Purification. Or an alter you set up in the clean and orderly corner of your home. All good.

Eat well balanced nourishing foods with rainbow colors of vegetables and fruits, nuts, healthy* proteins; and whole grains. No sugar; No processed foods if you can help it. (*healthy ? proteins? much to be learned…)

Drink lots of mineral rich water and hot green tea. This, throughout the day before 7pm. Flush out the system as much as possible before bedtime.

Choose some spices and herbs known to promote good digestion and other medicinal properties (more later) in food preparations. Eat fermented foods to maximize the gut flora to maximize the power of digestion and elimination.

Exercise – awaken and perk up ! strengthen the muscles and bones.

Stretch – Feel GOOD:) for better circulation, fascia hydration, flexibility and as a result, more effective exercise. We are not mindlessly bending and stretching our body into yoga poses – each posses specific medicinal benefit and that is realized incrementally and gradually and …over a stretch of time. There is no over-night miracle although we tend to feel lighter and more open after a good practice. Banish stiffness.

Adopt mindfulness practice and/or meditation practice for even 10 minutes a day at the start and end of day. I usually weave it into the yoga practice for the multiplier effect.

Rest deeply “regularly” every night – min. 7 hours every night. Sleep deficit cannot be offset by weekend binge sleeping.

Relax and Smile – release tension, tightness and knots daily

Laugh more – think of what makes you laugh – have sense of humor and loosen enough to find life as parody … and it’s so bad it’s can only be seen as a comedy at times.

Hugs for Oxytocin & prayers for release of Cortisol – YES! It’s human instinct … feel joy !

Think, envision, imagine beautiful thoughts – any beautiful images that makes you happy are all … so GOOD:) Think good thoughts that makes you smile.

Minimize contact with negative energy – that includes negative people who complain a lot or is angry a lot – the so-called “haters” who have no respect for self nor others; avoid them; but what about sad people? Reach out, empathize and find compassion within to share – be kind. Help others when able. What’s positive you put out in the world, like a boomerang, comes back to you. Helping each other elevates us all.

Same as above, but needs, repeating – Avoid negative and toxic people, places and things. (unless you are well trained in neutralizing those negativity – therapists, counselors, religious and social workers – the trained professionals – still watch out for empathy fatigue and vicarious trauma). They suck out your energy and diminishes your aura.

Perfect sanitation and hygiene without being a_ _ l.

Do not touch your face with your hands until after your perfected your hand washing ritual.

What we can each do For Others:

Do not socialize or attend public events if you are not feeling 100% and suspect you might be coming down with “something” such any symptoms of colds such as nasal congestion, sore throats, headaches. Call in sick – use sick days – if possible for work, telecommute, if not, just stay home until you are completely well. Remember, you must be free of fevers for 24 hours before heading back to school/work.

Know that there are boundaries in human-relationships and we need to respect them. For example, you don’t have to shake hands in business settings; you don’t have to rub elbows, so to speak. Read body language and cues to know what’s comfortable and safe. Being sensitive to someone’s personal space and boundaries is key to establishing trust and mutual respect …

Perhaps see an allergist to determine if really a cold or … an allergy. Treat it accordingly. Allergy sufferers need to find relief while not being mistaken as being infected for example in today’s nervous public dealings.

Now, with the current virus scare, with any of the above symptoms, one may even have to choose to “soft” self-quarantine for 2 weeks. Just to make others feel safe, if that’s an option, try to stay home more and avoid unnecessarily coming into contact especially with the more fragile population (the elderly, those going through cancer and other medical treatments, common sense please.)

Please do not cough or sneeze out in open into shared air pocket; use etiquette and do those things if you cannot help it into an elbow; into a handkerchief, tissues or paper towels but not into open air we share. Maybe excuse yourself from that common space temporarily. Alleviate other people’s fears by being considerate. Just be polite.

Wash hands as per CDC guidelines each time you come back from the “outside” or any place that poses a risk of exposure- that could be classrooms, crowded areas such as stores, gatherings with strangers.

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In the end, there’s only so much one can do. It’s not about giving up or giving in – but merely about strengthening your own immune system as much as possible. Yeah, you can wash your hands neurotically practically like Lady Macbeth and spray disinfectant spray all over and wipe with alcohol wipes all you want all surfaces but if you are petrified, terrified, stressed and freaked out over all the news, then … fear will overtake you and … you will compromise your immune system. So it’s one thing to be well informed and well prepared, it’s another to go overboard. SO …

No Hoarding. Just purchase what you need but don’t go over the top with this hyper-stocking of stuff – sure there’s supply chain blah blah and the stock market index yeah yeah and on and on … sure, but it’s a self-fulfilling scarcity because obviously if more people act the same, with so little courtesy, of course, you have just created your own scarcity. Your action based on raw fear contributed to the scarcity. Please be considerate. Beautiful Heart; Abundance; Generosity; Kindness; Gratitude … for the heroes among us (health workers !), more important than ever. Those are the qualities, I think, that’s going to save us; not some extra rolls of toilet paper, hand-wipes and face masks of panicked people.

Reviewing and re-studying my yoga therapy notes on … Yoga for Immune System, taught by Baxter Bell, MD – a great teacher who sees both the Eastern & Western views on healing. Gratitude for great teachers I had the opportunity to learn from. If you happen to be in the East Bay, Berkeley area, see if he’s teaching. Drop-in; if you are lucky, be serenaded ,,, maybe he will play his violin during Savasana.

By Kay T. Ananda

Yoga brings Joy!
Joy to your body, heart, soul and allows your mind to settle all the debris to the bottom of the lake, ripples gently subsides so that like that shining water, your lake in your mind is still and crystal clear. Only then, you can find your truth... when your mind clears and all distractions are gone, leaving you - stillness and clarity. Peace.
Dog is doing yoga all the time and brings you laughs!
Anger is borne out of fear; how do we find that fearless path of inner peace?
Why Bark when you can Wag to express your JOY Joy joy !!!???
無心でしっぽをふる喜びを表すあの子犬のようなJOYを糧に無理ない、各自のコンデイションに寄り添いながらもチャレンジ精神をとりかえす…そんなヨーガを:)
全米ヨガアライアンス公認ヨガ講師養成コース修了、リストラティブヨガ指導者認定登録、アメリカRYT500登録インストラクター、800hrsヨガセラピーIAYT今現在一瞬ThisMoment&NOWをCELEBRATEするカリフォルニア*ライフ!

帰国子女としてニューヨーク、テヘラン、カリフォルニアと転々、いずれ東京に帰る意識で日本語高等部卒大卒後シリコンバレーにとどまる。ヨガはカリフォルニア州立、バークレー大学時代、ストレス解消に効くと教授に教わり試してみるが... 合わずジャズサイズ、ウェイトトレーニング、エアロビックスのクラスに移転の20代、30代、産後、過労で体調を崩し大病も治癒。死ぬかと思った~大病後、久しぶりに足を踏み入れたヨガスタジオのヨガが大学時代のスローでポーズごと器械体操ごとく、つまらなーいヨガとはまったく違い進化していた。流れる踊りの振り付け的なヨガに魅せられる。数々の流派があることを習い、数種類のスタイルを試す。ビクラム、ホット、アイヤンガー、ヴィンヤサ、アシュタンガ・パワー、などなど。数年前サンフランシスコにて、ヨガアライアンス認定インストラクター養成を経て、インストラクター証書習得。同じ年にキッズヨガインストラクター証書ゲット。リストラテイブヨガ、インストラクター認定、陰ヨガのインターン、アシスト後、陰とヴィンヤサ、レギュラーハタクラスを教える。又プライベート、セミプライベートレッスンをクライアントのニーズの合わせ、ヨガセラピストとしてセラピー集中ヨガ提供。その為に2年間のアドバンスコースに挑みc-IAYT証書習得!ヨガ療法士としてIAYT(国際ヨガセラピスト協会)認定のヨガセラピスト、C-IAYT(Certified-IAYT) 10年以上、ベイクラブ、ヨガスタジオ、シリコンバレー社などで子育て中週4-5回レギュラーレッスンの講師を務める。3月2020にあの頃は最後とは知らずの週2教えていたスタジオにてのインパーソンヨガクラスを後に…遠方介護ニーズとコロナ禍を機に当分はパブリッククラスリードからはリタイア。
自分自身が心と体の調和で得た平穏…日常の小ちゃな事に見出す喜びをヨガ愛好者のどなたとでもと共有できたらと願うばかり。ジョイを共有し、ジョイフルライフを。そう、もし犬に例えるのであれば、恐れや威嚇で吠えまくる犬ではなく、シッポふりふり笑顔で愛と喜びに満ちた心持をヨガを通しシャア。恥じる気持ち等恐れず誰でもできる自身ジョイフルヨガを肝に銘じりたい。LOVE LOVE LOVE:)Shanti Shanti Shanti:)