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Some Buddhist teachers insist that believing in rebirth is necessary for living an ethical life. Their concern is that if there is no fear of karmic repercussions in future lifetimes, what keeps hospice patients, for example, from overcharging their credit cards? I find this argument as sad as the argument that without a belief in God people would likewise be unethical.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi.
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Some Buddhist teachers insist that believing in rebirth is necessary for living an ethical life. Their concern is that if there is no fear of karmic repercussions in future lifetimes, what keeps hospice patients, for example, from overcharging their credit cards? I find this argument as sad as the argument that without a belief in God people would likewise be unethical.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi.
Sed ut perspiciatis, unde omnis iste natus error sit voluptatem accusantium doloremque laudantium, totam rem aperiam eaque ipsa, quae ab illo inventore veritatis et quasi architecto beatae vitae dicta sunt, explicabo. nemo enim ipsam voluptatem, quia voluptas sit, aspernatur aut odit aut fugit, sed quia consequuntur magni dolores eos, qui ratione voluptatem sequi nesciunt, neque porro quisquam est, qui dolorem ipsum, quia dolor sit, amet, consectetur, adipisci velit, sed quia non numquam eius modi tempora incidunt, ut labore et dolore magnam aliquam quaerat voluptatem. ut enim ad minima veniam, quis nostrum exercitationem ullam corporis suscipit laboriosam, nisi ut aliquid ex ea commodi consequatur? quis autem vel eum iure reprehenderit, qui in ea voluptate velit esse, quam nihil molestiae consequatur, vel illum, qui dolorem eum fugiat, quo voluptas nulla pariatur.
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- Supta Matsyendrasana: if you can only do one pose in your day, do a twist. A properly aligned spinal twist will lengthen, relax and realign the spine; stretch the back and glute muscles; massage the back, hips and abdominal organs; and strengthen the abdominal muscles. Allow your breath to help deepen you into the pose. A great practice is finding an equal breathing pattern, try breathing in for 4 seconds, retaining for 4 seconds, exhaling for 4 and if you feel comfortable to retain for 4 seconds. if not just repeat that breathing rhythm. This begins to lead you into the level of the facia in the body.
- CHANGE YOUR MENTAL TAPE
- CELEBRATE YOUR BODY IN CLOTHING
- GET A MASSAGE
- TUNE INTO PHYSICAL SENSATION
- PLAY!
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Can you guess what the three most common reasons people visit their doctor are? Not colds, not influenza or heart problems. Skin disorders, joint pain and back problems. Yes, in a 2013 study conducted by the Mayo Clinic, back problems represented 23.9% of all visits to physicians in the United States. Back pain is the most common indicator that something is going wrong and anyone with tightness or stiffness of the back or neck will agree for sure, it reduces the quality of daily life, sometimes drastically.
You may have heard the expression “you’re only as old as your spine” in a yoga class and it’s what Joseph Pilates believed. I have to agree. Pilates’ exact words were “If your spine is inflexibly stiff at 30, you are old. If it is completely flexible at 60, you are young.”
What causes a tight and stiff spine? There may be contributing factors but it always comes down to posture. Let’s dispel one myth… posture has nothing to do with fitness. You can be an Olympic athlete, yet with a poor posture, still suffer from back problems, issues of the body and decreased sporting performance.
Where does poor posture come from? Can’t we just sit upright? Not easily because over time we have conditioned our bodies into bad habits and under the law of use, if you don’t use it, you lose it. I’m talking about the postural muscles that have the job of holding our body upright and in good alignment.
They are like the suspending cables of a suspension bridge that hold the pillars upright. If the cables slacken, the bridge will begin to buckle under its own weight. The same happens with our spine when we do not exercise our postural muscles. So we need to retrain our bodies to know what good posture feels like and work the muscles to do their best for our health.
Three top yoga poses for increasing spine health*
2.Bhujangasana: A good back bend will help correct our modern day office posture. Think of opening your chest and heart rather than ‘bending back’ by drawing your shoulder blades together. This pose is great for stretching the shoulder, chest and abdominal muscles; decreasing stiffness and increasing flexibility of the lower back; and elevating your mood.
3.Balasana: Bring your toes together and keep your knees shoulder width apart. So simple yet effective at releasing tension of the back, chest and shoulders; lengthens the spine; gently stretches the hips, thighs and ankles.
*Be cautious of performing any back bend if you have back pain or degenerative disc disease. We recommend practising under the guidance of an experienced and knowledgeable instructor.
We all have unique stories about our bodies, but unfortunately many of us are prevented from loving ourselves fully because of our poor body image. We’ve heard it all before–how the media perpetuates unhealthy physical standards and the pressure to be “thin” is everywhere, but the truth is this body-hate comes from a fundamental lack of self-love. It comes from a place of lacking altogether–of feeling broken, wrong, and uncomfortable in your own skin. It comes from feeling out of sync with ideals and concepts that belong only in la-la land.
I get it, I used to suffer and occasionally still do, from poor body image. I agonized for years over the shape and structure of my body. Dieting, binging, excessively exercising, and restricting- it’s all in my past, but I’ve done it. It was a dark and shadowy time in my life when I didn’t know how to love myself enough to treat my mind and body with compassion and respect.
Yoga introduced me to self-care and self-love in a truly powerful way a few years ago, and I’ve never looked back. If you’re in the thick of it right now, though, feeling intense disgust, frustration or hate towards your body, or you occasionally become fixated on body parts you dislike, there are some amazing ways to kick the behaviour to the curb! Below are my top 5 ways to boost body image!
What messages do you have on repeat in your head? If you’re constantly putting yourself down it may be time to look at changing your mental tape. Don’t judge yourself for the way you’ve been talking to yourself, but commit to catching these thoughts in your head and flipping the message. For example, if you always hear yourself thinking ‘I hate my thighs,’ flip the message to say ‘I love my strong and powerful legs.’ Inject self-love into your bloodstream right from the brain.
Wear clothing that fits your body as it is right now! Ditch the get-up from university that makes you feel uncomfortable and all squeezed in like toothpaste in a tube. In fact, do yourself a favour and either donate (or burn) the no-longer-fitting items you have and keep your closet full of clothing that you feel good in as you are, and that compliments your body as it is. I know the temptation is strong to make sweats your staple when you’re feeling down about your body, but don’t make your confidence dive lower by hiding it with shame in baggy, messy clothing.
I’m sure some of you are cringing at the thought of this right now, but just know that physical touch is very healing. Think of it this way, the massage therapist has seen all different kinds of bodies and they’re looking at yours in a technical, anatomical way to see how they can make you feel better physically. Plus, physical touch releases powerful hormones like oxytocin, which makes you feel happy, safe and comfortable in your own skin.
Notice how your body feels, and not how it looks. Get away from obsessive mirror-checking and naval-gazing and step into sensation and body awareness. I love yoga for this reason, for its ability to take me out of my head and into my body. When I’m on my mat I connect with my physical sensations and push my body to new places I didn’t know I was capable of reaching. You can also apply this body sensation technique to your everyday life. When you’re having a shower, feel the softness and moistness of your skin in the water. Next time you’re at the beach, feel the sunshine warming up your body from the inside out. Tune into physical sensation to tune out of body obsession.
Lastly, move your body and have fun with it! It’s important to workout and keep your body in good standing, but it’s just as important to unleash your inner child and get goofy. Drop the seriousness and your fear of looking bad and hit the playground to do some cartwheels, kick around a soccer ball with your little cousin, or go jump around on a trampoline. The possibilities are endless! Plus, if you drop your serious attitude towards your body during ‘playtime’ you’re more likely to develop a more fun loving, accepting attitude towards it all time. Have fun and move your body!
Some Buddhist teachers insist that believing in rebirth is necessary for living an ethical life. Their concern is that if there is no fear of karmic repercussions in future lifetimes, what keeps hospice patients, for example, from overcharging their credit cards? I find this argument as sad as the argument that without a belief in God people would likewise be unethical.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi.
Sed ut perspiciatis, unde omnis iste natus error sit voluptatem accusantium doloremque laudantium, totam rem aperiam eaque ipsa, quae ab illo inventore veritatis et quasi architecto beatae vitae dicta sunt, explicabo. nemo enim ipsam voluptatem, quia voluptas sit, aspernatur aut odit aut fugit, sed quia consequuntur magni dolores eos, qui ratione voluptatem sequi nesciunt, neque porro quisquam est, qui dolorem ipsum, quia dolor sit, amet, consectetur, adipisci velit, sed quia non numquam eius modi tempora incidunt, ut labore et dolore magnam aliquam quaerat voluptatem. ut enim ad minima veniam, quis nostrum exercitationem ullam corporis suscipit laboriosam, nisi ut aliquid ex ea commodi consequatur? quis autem vel eum iure reprehenderit, qui in ea voluptate velit esse, quam nihil molestiae consequatur, vel illum, qui dolorem eum fugiat, quo voluptas nulla pariatur.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi.
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Some Buddhist teachers insist that believing in rebirth is necessary for living an ethical life. Their concern is that if there is no fear of karmic repercussions in future lifetimes, what keeps hospice patients, for example, from overcharging their credit cards? I find this argument as sad as the argument that without a belief in God people would likewise be unethical.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi.
Sed ut perspiciatis, unde omnis iste natus error sit voluptatem accusantium doloremque laudantium, totam rem aperiam eaque ipsa, quae ab illo inventore veritatis et quasi architecto beatae vitae dicta sunt, explicabo. nemo enim ipsam voluptatem, quia voluptas sit, aspernatur aut odit aut fugit, sed quia consequuntur magni dolores eos, qui ratione voluptatem sequi nesciunt, neque porro quisquam est, qui dolorem ipsum, quia dolor sit, amet, consectetur, adipisci velit, sed quia non numquam eius modi tempora incidunt, ut labore et dolore magnam aliquam quaerat voluptatem. ut enim ad minima veniam, quis nostrum exercitationem ullam corporis suscipit laboriosam, nisi ut aliquid ex ea commodi consequatur? quis autem vel eum iure reprehenderit, qui in ea voluptate velit esse, quam nihil molestiae consequatur, vel illum, qui dolorem eum fugiat, quo voluptas nulla pariatur.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi.
Sed ut perspiciatis, unde omnis iste natus error sit voluptatem accusantium doloremque laudantium, totam rem aperiam eaque ipsa, quae ab illo inventore veritatis et quasi architecto beatae vitae dicta sunt, explicabo. nemo enim ipsam voluptatem, quia voluptas sit, aspernatur aut odit aut fugit, sed quia consequuntur magni dolores eos, qui ratione voluptatem sequi nesciunt, neque porro quisquam est, qui dolorem ipsum, quia dolor sit, amet, consectetur, adipisci velit, sed quia non numquam eius modi tempora incidunt, ut labore et dolore magnam aliquam quaerat voluptatem.
ut enim ad minima veniam, quis nostrum exercitationem ullam corporis suscipit laboriosam, nisi ut aliquid ex ea commodi consequatur? quis autem vel eum iure reprehenderit, qui in ea voluptate velit esse, quam nihil molestiae consequatur, vel illum, qui dolorem eum fugiat, quo voluptas nulla pariatur?
Some Buddhist teachers insist that believing in rebirth is necessary for living an ethical life. Their concern is that if there is no fear of karmic repercussions in future lifetimes, what keeps hospice patients, for example, from overcharging their credit cards? I find this argument as sad as the argument that without a belief in God people would likewise be unethical.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi.
Sed ut perspiciatis, unde omnis iste natus error sit voluptatem accusantium doloremque laudantium, totam rem aperiam eaque ipsa, quae ab illo inventore veritatis et quasi architecto beatae vitae dicta sunt, explicabo. nemo enim ipsam voluptatem, quia voluptas sit, aspernatur aut odit aut fugit, sed quia consequuntur magni dolores eos, qui ratione voluptatem sequi nesciunt, neque porro quisquam est, qui dolorem ipsum, quia dolor sit, amet, consectetur, adipisci velit, sed quia non numquam eius modi tempora incidunt, ut labore et dolore magnam aliquam quaerat voluptatem. ut enim ad minima veniam, quis nostrum exercitationem ullam corporis suscipit laboriosam, nisi ut aliquid ex ea commodi consequatur? quis autem vel eum iure reprehenderit, qui in ea voluptate velit esse, quam nihil molestiae consequatur, vel illum, qui dolorem eum fugiat, quo voluptas nulla pariatur.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi.
Sed ut perspiciatis, unde omnis iste natus error sit voluptatem accusantium doloremque laudantium, totam rem aperiam eaque ipsa, quae ab illo inventore veritatis et quasi architecto beatae vitae dicta sunt, explicabo. nemo enim ipsam voluptatem, quia voluptas sit, aspernatur aut odit aut fugit, sed quia consequuntur magni dolores eos, qui ratione voluptatem sequi nesciunt, neque porro quisquam est, qui dolorem ipsum, quia dolor sit, amet, consectetur, adipisci velit, sed quia non numquam eius modi tempora incidunt, ut labore et dolore magnam aliquam quaerat voluptatem.
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- Start by selecting something to place your attention on. It can be anything – a sensation, a thought, or an emotion. For example, a feeling of heaviness somewhere in your body. Go ahead and do that right now to practice.
- Now turn your attention to something that is an approximate opposite to your first experience. If you started by turning your attention to a sensation, pick another sensation that is the approximate opposite. For example, a feeling of lightness somewhere in your body. Locate a feeling of lightness in your own body right now to continue practicing.
- Next, rotate your attention back and forth between these two, seemingly opposite, experiences. For example, spend a few moments with the heavy feeling in your body, then switch your attention for a few moments to the light feeling, then turn back to the heavy feeling… over and over, back and forth between the opposites, each time shortening the time spent with each experience. In doing so, any mental grip that you may experience towards either experience starts to loosen. It becomes easier to let each one go as attention turns to its alternative.
- Eventually, after a few rotations of attention, attempt to watch both experiences at the exact same time. You may find that your attention still wants to jump from one experience to the other. If you find this happening, it is totally natural – keep practicing, attempting to experience the opposites at the exact same time. To practice using the provided example, notice both the heavy and light feelings in your body in this moment. Once you land on both sensations at the exact same time, see if you can keep your attention there for a few more moments.
- Repeat. Whenever you remember to, practice. Increase the difficulty gradually to support success. The sensations utilized within the above example are quite neutral for many people. To amplify the difficulty level of your personal practice essentially means that you choose something you crave for or are averse to as one side of your pair of opposites and find its approximate opposite for the other side. The more convinced we are of our craving or aversion, the more challenging this often becomes – even simply to locate one side of the pairing! For example, if you are experiencing a great level of ongoing anxiety and you choose that experience to contemplate, it may prove challenging to locate an approximate opposite for it, especially if you cannot remember the last time you felt at ease, relaxed, and peaceful. It is always there though if you search long enough for it – you may first find it in simply recognizing it in someone else, then by recalling a childhood memory or by realizing that some part of your body – even if it’s just the tip of your nose or a fingernail – is currently at ease.
- Supta Matsyendrasana: if you can only do one pose in your day, do a twist. A properly aligned spinal twist will lengthen, relax and realign the spine; stretch the back and glute muscles; massage the back, hips and abdominal organs; and strengthen the abdominal muscles. Allow your breath to help deepen you into the pose. A great practice is finding an equal breathing pattern, try breathing in for 4 seconds, retaining for 4 seconds, exhaling for 4 and if you feel comfortable to retain for 4 seconds. if not just repeat that breathing rhythm. This begins to lead you into the level of the facia in the body.
- CHANGE YOUR MENTAL TAPE
- CELEBRATE YOUR BODY IN CLOTHING
- GET A MASSAGE
- TUNE INTO PHYSICAL SENSATION
- PLAY!
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The Sanskrit word chakras translate as “wheel”. Chakras are spiritual energy centers located within the body, which closely reflects our state of health, psychic abilities, spiritual growth and consciousness. They take form of various vibrating vortexes that spin in from the front and out to the back of the body. There are 7 or 9 major chakras, (depending what tradition you reference, we will reference seven) and many minor chakras in the body. The Yoga kundalini Upanishad (an ancient yogic book written 4000 or 5000 B.C.) Discussing various subjects of self-relationship also describe the chakras. Its is something the ancient wisdom included in self-enquire.
Similar to how our body functions automatically the chakra also operate automatically. They are not physically seen yet they can be felt. When we feel another person’s energy, we may describe them as having a “good or bad vibration”, this has a direct link to the energy in our chakras, thoughts and emotions. The chakras are interdependent on each other for harmony and balance.
Location
The seven major chakras are located; at the base of the spine, the reproductive center, the solar plexus, the heart, the throat, the eyebrow center and finally at the crown of the head.
The chakras centers also represent the body’s major systems: excretion, reproduction, digestion, circulation, respiration and the complex functions of cognition. The seventh chakra is sometimes referred to as the center of consciousness. The seven ductless glands that makeup the endocrine system, which governs our hormones, are also connected to one of these major chakras in the body. They also connect to different glands and nerve plexus in the body.
Most of the major chakras are closely situated near the spine. In yoga the spine is also known as the highway of consciousness. The mind and body are in constant communication through the highway of the spine, from energy of thoughts, and communicating hormones. The Ancient philosophers of the East relates the functions or malfunctions in our chakras related to the changes of our own inner tattvas, the five basic elements held also within each body, of earth, water, fire, air and akasha ( ether).
These elements are constantly rising and falling like the waves in the ocean with our emotional state and our own circadian rhythms.
The chakras are able to process the energy received and convert it into chemical, hormonal and nervous information via the nadis and the spine so that the body can respond at the physical level. The chakras are therefore responsible for the cellular activity within the body through this conversion of energy into matter.
Each chakra is associated with a specific color, physical functions, an aspect of consciousness, an element, and other distinguishing characteristics.
Each chakra is connected to our being on all levels, physical, emotional, mental and spiritual . When a chakra is out of balance it can mean it’s either depleted or excessive. When its out of sync its usually felt on a mental and emotional or physical level. Western medicine and schools are not taught about chakras and they disregard the emotional body, opposite to how the ancient medicine practices of the east incorporates mind, body and spirit integrating the emotional bodies, are included in Chinese, Ayurveda, Korean, Tibetan medicine.
Balanced chakras
Spiritually and mentally when the chakras are balanced and energy is flowing freely, we feel more connected to not only ourselves but to all.
Blocked chakras
There are many things that can cause blocked chakras. This can happen through an emotional upset, such as conflict, loss, or accident. Fear, trauma, anxiety and stress are common causes of chakra malfunction. Usually it’s created from a charged suppressed emotion held within the bodies that needs to be transformed. As energy cannot be destroyed only transformed.
When blocks accumulate in the energy center, a disruption in the flow of energy through the chakras result, it is these blocks that disrupt the harmony in the field and eventually are the cause of disease, as well as, emotional and mental disorders in the physical body. The emotions cannot move and stay stuck within the bodies.
Scientific proof
Medical science has proven that toxins and other impurities, which include negative thoughts, chemical enhancements in our food and other poor environmental factors, influence our body. Constant forms of “pollution” can cause chakra imbalances to manifest, which may eventually affect us on a physical level. If there is a disturbance on any level, this shows in a chakra’s vitality level, and each of the seven main chakras has its own innate intelligence and function. It is up to each individual to improve his or her health conditions, because of our innate wisdom; we should consider that we our best health advocate by just tuning in to our intuition.
Begin within
Understanding the chakra system is more about how you can help improve your own state of health, mentally, emotionally, physically and spiritually. If you want to go into a serious practice of each chakra please contact us as we will be hosting a chakra course in the future.
Who isn’t? Seriously. Humans have apparently been on this quest for millennia… that is, after they realized they were suffering and that they had been avoiding this obvious matter in one way or another for a long, long time. Suffering can be a tricky thing to weed out after all – we humans appear to be both quick to divert our gaze from dis-ease and not so ready to admit that pleasurable experiences are a source of suffering as well. It’s easy to conclude that pain and displeasure are suffering but what about those touching moments in life? And those yummy sensual moments? All of those moments of elation, happiness, and wonder in mind and body? Come on.
Ultimately, they’re all conditional experiences. Every single one of them a transient phenomenon. And, as the Buddha noted a few years ago, any craving for or aversion to any experience, regardless of whether it is painful or pleasurable, is a source of suffering. The more devastating point that he made after a whole lot of austere personal investigation is that a person’s life is a seemingly endless array of cravings and aversions – both consciously and unconsciously. Therefore, every single person, at some point in his or her life, will come to know suffering. Intimately.
It’s one of those gnawing, biting, disconcerting facts that we, the human race, continually attempt to deny and push away. Yet here are the facts of life: according to the World Health Organization (WHO) one in four people will, in their lifetime, be impacted by a diagnosable mental health disorder and, at any given moment in time, approximately 450 million people worldwide are suffering from such disorders. In Canada and the U.S., mental health disorders have become the number one cause of disability. Staggering numbers yet this is just the dramatic tip of the iceberg, so to speak. Below the water’s surface lies the remainder – the average, everyday suffering of all human beings composed of the heartaches and heartbreaks, angers and sorrows, worries and fears, and the guilts and the shames associated with our aversions and the endless cravings for their pleasurable substitutes. We find ourselves reactively saying “no” or “yes” in binary-like simplicity to Life’s endless spectrum of experience while slowly and steadily losing our sense of harmony, balance, and flow amidst ill-conceived attempts to play God.
So how do we find our way out of this seemingly labyrinthine “mess”? Is it even possible?
There are innumerable teachings, many with proposed solutions, available to the person that begins to seek a solution to human suffering. No big surprise there; humans have been working on this dilemma for thousands of years. One potential resolution hinted at by some of our ancient teachers revolves around the notion that if we are able to rest, aware of and non-attached to both negative and positive experiences we may slip and fall effortlessly in-between both; the judgments and expectations dissolve, the shoulds and should nots discharge, and we recognize that which is prior to any thing – that which is the very ground of Being. It is a resolution that ultimately lies beyond the confines of the original problem. For the Buddha, it was the “Middle Way.” Rumi poetically pointed to it within his writing:
“Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing there is a field. I’ll meet you there. When the soul lies down in that grass, the world is too full to talk about ideas, language, even the phrase each other doesn’t make any sense.”
Patanjali, one of Yoga’s most influential wisdom-keepers, spoke to it suggesting the contemplation of opposites as a means for dealing with the unsettling fluctuations of mind. Some versions of the ancient practice of Yoga Nidra make extensive, explicit use of this practice.
It’s a deceptively simple practice to take on. Give it a try. It only takes a few moments and you may be delighted by the results. It’s easy to apply pretty much anywhere, anytime. Well, maybe avoid practicing it while driving, operating heavy machinery, or working at any task that requires your utmost attention, at least at first.
Here are some steps to get you started:
The Contemplation of Opposites
An interesting aspect of this practice to keep in mind is that the intention is not actually to get rid of any particular experience. Rather, it is an open invitation for that experience to exist alongside with its opposite. All of it – every aspect of this magical, mysterious human experience – is welcome here.
A warning: Successfully bi-locating your attention on opposites, whatever those opposites may be, may lead to sudden, subtle, delightful changes. Object-oriented awareness – the type of awareness that is at the heart of craving and aversion – may fall away exposing that which was always already present: bare-naked awareness. If only for a moment the very source of suffering has fallen away. And, could it ever truly be for more than a moment?
Interested in exploring this more? Come join us for some of our online meditation practices, retreats or coaching sessions.
Enjoy eternity. It’s not going anywhere.
Can you guess what the three most common reasons people visit their doctor are? Not colds, not influenza or heart problems. Skin disorders, joint pain and back problems. Yes, in a 2013 study conducted by the Mayo Clinic, back problems represented 23.9% of all visits to physicians in the United States. Back pain is the most common indicator that something is going wrong and anyone with tightness or stiffness of the back or neck will agree for sure, it reduces the quality of daily life, sometimes drastically.
You may have heard the expression “you’re only as old as your spine” in a yoga class and it’s what Joseph Pilates believed. I have to agree. Pilates’ exact words were “If your spine is inflexibly stiff at 30, you are old. If it is completely flexible at 60, you are young.”
What causes a tight and stiff spine? There may be contributing factors but it always comes down to posture. Let’s dispel one myth… posture has nothing to do with fitness. You can be an Olympic athlete, yet with a poor posture, still suffer from back problems, issues of the body and decreased sporting performance.
Where does poor posture come from? Can’t we just sit upright? Not easily because over time we have conditioned our bodies into bad habits and under the law of use, if you don’t use it, you lose it. I’m talking about the postural muscles that have the job of holding our body upright and in good alignment.
They are like the suspending cables of a suspension bridge that hold the pillars upright. If the cables slacken, the bridge will begin to buckle under its own weight. The same happens with our spine wh
Three top yoga poses for increasing spine health*
2.Bhujangasana: A good back bend will help correct our modern day office posture. Think of opening your chest and heart rather than ‘bending back’ by drawing your shoulder blades together. This pose is great for stretching the shoulder, chest and abdominal muscles; decreasing stiffness and increasing flexibility of the lower back; and elevating your mood.
3.Balasana: Bring your toes together and keep your knees shoulder width apart. So simple yet effective at releasing tension of the back, chest and shoulders; lengthens the spine; gently stretches the hips, thighs and ankles.
*Be cautious of performing any back bend if you have back pain or degenerative disc disease. We recommend practising under the guidance of an experienced and knowledgeable instructor.
We all have unique stories about our bodies, but unfortunately many of us are prevented from loving ourselves fully because of our poor body image. We’ve heard it all before–how the media perpetuates unhealthy physical standards and the pressure to be “thin” is everywhere, but the truth is this body-hate comes from a fundamental lack of self-love. It comes from a place of lacking altogether–of feeling broken, wrong, and uncomfortable in your own skin. It comes from feeling out of sync with ideals and concepts that belong only in la-la land.
I get it, I used to suffer and occasionally still do, from poor body image. I agonized for years over the shape and structure of my body. Dieting, binging, excessively exercising, and restricting- it’s all in my past, but I’ve done it. It was a dark and shadowy time in my life when I didn’t know how to love myself enough to treat my mind and body with compassion and respect.
Yoga introduced me to self-care and self-love in a truly powerful way a few years ago, and I’ve never looked back. If you’re in the thick of it right now, though, feeling intense disgust, frustration or hate towards your body, or you occasionally become fixated on body parts you dislike, there are some amazing ways to kick the behaviour to the curb! Below are my top 5 ways to boost body image!
What messages do you have on repeat in your head? If you’re constantly putting yourself down it may be time to look at changing your mental tape. Don’t judge yourself for the way you’ve been talking to yourself, but commit to catching these thoughts in your head and flipping the message. For example, if you always hear yourself thinking ‘I hate my thighs,’ flip the message to say ‘I love my strong and powerful legs.’ Inject self-love into your bloodstream right from the brain.
Wear clothing that fits your body as it is right now! Ditch the get-up from university that makes you feel uncomfortable and all squeezed in like toothpaste in a tube. In fact, do yourself a favour and either donate (or burn) the no-longer-fitting items you have and keep your closet full of clothing that you feel good in as you are, and that compliments your body as it is. I know the temptation is strong to make sweats your staple when you’re feeling down about your body, but don’t make your confidence dive lower by hiding it with shame in baggy, messy clothing.
I’m sure some of you are cringing at the thought of this right now, but just know that physical touch is very healing. Think of it this way, the massage therapist has seen all different kinds of bodies and they’re looking at yours in a technical, anatomical way to see how they can make you feel better physically. Plus, physical touch releases powerful hormones like oxytocin, which makes you feel happy, safe and comfortable in your own skin.
Notice how your body feels, and not how it looks. Get away from obsessive mirror-checking and naval-gazing and step into sensation and body awareness. I love yoga for this reason, for its ability to take me out of my head and into my body. When I’m on my mat I connect with my physical sensations and push my body to new places I didn’t know I was capable of reaching. You can also apply this body sensation technique to your everyday life. When you’re having a shower, feel the softness and moistness of your skin in the water. Next time you’re at the beach, feel the sunshine warming up your body from the inside out. Tune into physical sensation to tune out of body obsession.
Lastly, move your body and have fun with it! It’s important to workout and keep your body in good standing, but it’s just as important to unleash your inner child and get goofy. Drop the seriousness and your fear of looking bad and hit the playground to do some cartwheels, kick around a soccer ball with your little cousin, or go jump around on a trampoline. The possibilities are endless! Plus, if you drop your serious attitude towards your body during ‘playtime’ you’re more likely to develop a more fun loving, accepting attitude towards it all time. Have fun and move your body!
Some Buddhist teachers insist that believing in rebirth is necessary for living an ethical life. Their concern is that if there is no fear of karmic repercussions in future lifetimes, what keeps hospice patients, for example, from overcharging their credit cards? I find this argument as sad as the argument that without a belief in God people would likewise be unethical.
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