Category: Healthy Living

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Healthy Activities Healthy Living Yoga

Playing with words…synonyms, antonyms…images come alive:

Movement vs. Stillness
Vibration, gyration, fluctuations, oscillation vs. calmness
Dynamic vs. Static
Surge, Swell, Waves vs. Ripples
Pouring, soaking vs. dripping… oozing…
Jumping, skipping, Stopping vs. Flowing
Splitting, pounding, stabbing, splintering, separating into parts vs. combining, folding, melding, merging into wholeness
Agitation vs Peace
Shaking, tremors, rolling, swaying vs. centering, grounding, settling…
Hardness, Toughness, tightness vs. Softness, tenderness…
Resilient vs. Delicate and Mellow…or the ideal would be resilient ANDdelicate and mellow probably…
Roughness rockiness vs. Smoothness…

Sharp vs. …. soft, cuddly, squishy…
Solid, firm & steady vs. Flexible, Fluid and …Foolish? no, no, Flowing:)

Which will you choose? No, no, that is the wrong question. It’s not about making a choice – its about striking a balance.

… Going from one extreme to the other? Or stuck in the extreme? Find the equilibrium, the balance of all the forces that whirls around you.

We are programmed to go into heightened “Flight & Fright” mode instantly – it’s a matter of seconds when we respond and that electric responsiveness, while meant to be a lifesaver in the pre-historic times may not be as beneficial when it leads to chronic stress, chronic tension, chronic fatigue, heart disease, anxieties and that general feeling of … un-wellness. We are wired to respond with alarm at a speed of light as our defensive mechanism is instinctive. After all, its developed since the primitive caveman’s time to protect ourselves from predators and other possible disasters where, without our alertness and quick responsiveness, we would have perished. We are the survivors – just the fact that we are here today, we are the by-products of chosen strains of DNAs after repeated tests of survival of the fittest…so we are already experts at sympathetic nerve system aiding us in times of crisis…or not.

On the other hand, to truly feel relaxed and comfortable … to feel fully safe, we normally take upwards of 20 minutes (or more for some Vatta and Pitta personalities) or so. Such “rest and digest” mode is needed for our body to nourish all its cells, repair some of its cells, renew all its cells so that we can once again be who we are – luminous light, our true nature to warm our heart and soul. Physiological part, we learned from Roger Cole, PhD. To get to para-sympathetic nervous system dominance, today, that usually means that we are getting our nervous system into balance as there’s a general deficit on the para-sympathetic nervous system. Most of the time, we have a tendency to dip more into the sympathetic nervous system dominance – that’s our modern life style with the constant barrage of stimuli coming at you. It’s hard not to respond, especially given the fine sensitively we have developed to hear, feel and heed our body.

It is interesting to note though, that harder the exterior shell, softer the interior flesh… and that exterior shell, that skin of our’s is also … an organ. The largest organ … all its pores opening and closing… breathing rhythmically. The rise and the fall…

May we feel the Source.

May we feel the Light.

May we feel GOOD.

May we find joy, ease and comfort. Namaste.

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Healthy Living

Benefits of Meditation

It is known that in most cultures, the sun is considered male and the moon, female. BUT surprisingly, in Japanese mythology it is the reverse, and it is the same apparently in the belief system of Vajrayana. Here, the sun stands for Wisdom (prajna) portrayed as a female deity, and the moon is Method (upaya, “skillful means.”) Sun and Moon celestials symbols are associated with the Indian gods, Shiva and Parvati. So the round sun sitting in the curve of the new moon, a motif often seen atop stupa (tower – kind of like steeple), conveys that tantric meaning which concerns the one-ness or union of Method and Wisdom. Both celestials appear at the top of many tangkas, Buddhist artwork — the moon is to the main deity’s right and the sun to its left. Confusing as that androgynous quality we actually all have?

We can take this analogy in our understanding about the Left vs. Right brain; Left vs. Right nostrils in our breath… as we balance Yin and Yang… it’s a practice.

Back to the practical …as much as I like the mythical fantasies to make things more interesting, coming back from the celestial vastness down to earth, grounding taking place so that I can again, take off once recharged and re-fueld – it’s a tune-up time:)

We are called human beings, not human doings, and a lot of the time I don’t think we’re actually cultivating or even recognizing that. So we can go for days, weeks, months, and virtually years conditioned to run on automatic pilot as if on a treadmill, trying to get where we need to be, trying to push away what we don’t want. Much of this is focused on attaining particular states of goals at some future time or being obsessed with things that have happened in th past.

If you start to pay attention to what’s on your mind, you’ll notice that the present -which is the only time any of us are ever alive in- kind of gets short shrift. It gets a little squeezed. So part of the virtue and the power of meditation is to reclaim the present moment, in the long term, meditation is not about sitting in the lotus position or like a statue at the museum, meditation is about your entire life. The real practice in meditation is living your life as if it really mattered moment by moment.

– Jon Kabat-Zinn

“In one study involving brain imaging technology and EEG readings of brain electrical activity, researchers found that regular practice of mindfulness meditation (which involves remaining aware of bodily sensations and thoughts, without passing judgement on them) significanly increased activvity in the LEFT side of the brain’s frontal area… Plus, they showed enhanced immunity, producing more antibodies in respose to a flue shot than did non-meditators.

In another study, researchers measured the brain activity of eight Buddhist monks … The monks had higher levels of gamma waves – high-frequency brain activity involved in attention, memory, and learning – before they began meditation, and this difference increased during meditation.”

– Andrew Weil, MD

“Such evidence and research in gamma-band oscillations may explain the heightened sense of consciousness, bliss, and intellectual acuity subsequent to meditation. Notably, meditation is known to have a number of health benefits: stress reduction, mood elevation, and increased life expectancy of the mind and its cognitive functions. The current Dalai Lama meditates for four hours each morning, and he says that it is hard work.”
– excerpt from Wikipedia

(Dr. Weil gives words of caution for the few, if meditating brings up any strong or disturbing emotions perhaps repressed over the years, consider seeking professional help.)

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Beautiful People Beautiful Places Beautiful Rituals Healthy Activities Healthy Living Yoga

Wanderlust!

At the Highest Place as a volunteer, I observed the following classes and for Jes’s class, recruited by her for the partner poses – so fun!

Hatha In Depth taught by Jason Wiley
Oxygen Cocktail Bar: Breathing Techniques taught by Jes Rosenberg
Great Big Heart, taught by Martin Scott

The location of these classes – atop Squaw Valley at 8600ft. is just… breath-taking. Jason taught basically Bikram yoga in a non-heated environment and since I used to do Bikram yoga, the progression brought me back memories of my old practice. Jason really has ways with words – very articulate – such mastery of detailed instructions. He might have been talking non-stop for 90 minutes… Marty’s class was Dharma Mittra flow-ish and he also brought his charm…and a playlist:) I especially enjoyed Jes Rosenberg’s class – Her class is essentially vinyasa flow served like a “cocktail” – no, no, not that kind of cocktail – just very very lovely. It’s not your sweaty workout but plenty sweaty in a euphoric way – but at the same time, tranquil …and soooo fun!Her enthusiasm, her quick wit and quirky sense of humor in addition to a very blended style that draws from multiple styles, traditions and teachings appealed to me greatly. I would love to take her class again (next time on a mat!) – too bad she’s from Minnesota. I will just have to re-create it with my own blend and a twist – and serve up my fruity version of a “cocktail”!

So all of the above-teachers were new in that it was their first time ever teaching at Wanderlust and for that, it was so refreshing to encounter them. This is in stark contrast to the kind of teachers I learned from last year – Last year, I took Tantric Yoga from Rod Stryker; Vinyasa Flow from Sean Corne; then another Vinyasa Flow with MC Yogi. As they are “celebrity” instructors, the classes were packed, maybe 300-500 large. That kind of class is of course so amazing but I also enjoyed this year’s more low key, smaller classes with teachers with little name recognition. Unlike the rockstars from last year, Jes kept on exclaiming how thrilled she was to be teaching us, so thrilled to be there at a most beautiful place – she exuded gratitude & electric excitement – and she was so genuine. Just such a lovable and lovely yogini with an infectious energy – she is brilliant.

This year, I took classes from the following Three:

Live with Love Yinyasa (vinyasa flow paired with yin) taught by Bashi Saunders
Becoming Like Angels – Experiencing the Kindness in you, taught by Gurmukh … goosebumps, yes, Gurmukh!
Kula Flow: Sweetened with Honey taught by Schuyler Grant

I loved Gurmukh’s class – there’s so much wisdom she imparts as probably the oldest yoga teacher there, at age 70, she was glowing with aura… you literally can feel the vibe as you step into her presence. Her fills the void and brings the gift of sacred space and community – her teachings to a packed adoring audience – so many in their 20’s and 30’s, hearing the words of the legendary teacher. She must be one of the few remaining Flower Child from the 60’s still teaching – I mean, who can talk about Woodstock and Hippies with the authenticity that she has. She’s lived it.

I took her class on Saturday but apparently, her Thursday class had cancelled because of the thunderstorm brewing – she said something like (not with conceit but with humility and humor) – “you know, it seems every place I go, I seem to bring the place down with rain” – then guess, what?! There was an exclamation among students who were not under the tent because… yes, it started raining… Those students in the periphery of the crowded tent weren’t trying to stay dry in seeking refuge under the tent – they sort of dashed out onto the green lawn and really, and we under the cover of this huge tent were witnesses to some impromptu rain dance:) Perhaps many of us, at that point became convinced that she’s indeed a rainmaker:) What California needs!

Towards the end of the session, my belly was in stitches laughing – I couldn’t stop the ripples of laughter from taking over – when we realized how ridiculous we must look doing some of her “poses” – she really makes us “feel” what “relief” from pain and suffering is all about. In the end we were all rolling on and off the mat and just laughing! Her class is pure “LOVE FEST”! Pure Joy! Sat Nam!