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[post_content] => According to Ayurvedic medicine, Mother Nature is the true healer of all ailments. It is said that a skilled physician will merely distract the patient, using the various methods of medicine and health care, which allows for Nature to quietly come in and restore balance.
It is believed that everything we take into our beings will have either a balancing, neutral, or upsetting affect on us. This includes all foods, drinks, sounds, smells, tastes, visions, and so on. Everything leaves an impression upon us in some way, and depending on one’s makeup of doshas and gunas (see the previous two articles in TheYogicWay Magazine), each of us will react to our environments and experiences in very different ways. For truly, one man’s medicine is another man’s poison.
Once we know our general makeup (Vikruti) according to Ayurvedic medicine, we can begin to understand which impressions and substances we take in will leave what kind of effects upon us. Knowing whether we are primarily Vata, Pitta, Kapha, or a combination of two or three, is very important if we are truly aiming to restore balance and achieve perfect health.
Vata
Vata people are highly changeable. They adore movement and travel, and change their minds and locations easily. They are usually of thin build, with thin hair and skin, and have prominent joints and uneven features. They have a tendency to become anxious, fearful, and confused when under pressure. They can be at the same time very introverted and extroverted, and tend to spend so much energy that they can find themselves exhausted at the end of the day. They may suffer from insomnia, constipation, dry skin, anxiety, addictions, and arthritis.
Vata people should seek to balance their constitution by applying the opposite qualities that are of their general makeup. They should eat warm, mushy, soft foods, never drink cold beverages, include mostly sweet, sour and salty tastes into their diet, always sit down to eat, and eat at regular times. They should try not to snack or eat on the run, but actually prepare a quality meal and enjoy it, at least once a day. People who are primarily Vata will benefit from establishing some kind of regular routine into their daily lives. This doesn’t have to be rigid or strict, as Vatas usually abhor any kind of routine (even the word!), but something that is self nurturing and pleasant. For example, a Vata person might discipline themselves into going for a brisk walk in the morning (Vatas love movement), and then grounding themselves by applying warm sesame oil all over their body before having a soak in a hot bath before starting their day. This simple routine could do a wonder of good to bring and keep Vata dosha into balance with Nature.
Vata dosha people should especially try to keep all sensory impressions of a calm and pleasing nature. Anything fearful, upsetting, or violent should be minimized. They should surround themselves with sweet smells, soft lighting, warm clothing, calm music and peaceful colours and pictures. Because Vatas often suffer from fear and confusion, it is important not to enhance this quality, but to balance it out with opposite qualities. If stressed, a Vata person would be wise to practice savasana, alternate nostril breathing (nadi shadoni), forward bends, and other restorative yoga poses.
In general, Vata people should be sweet and kind to themselves. They need to allow extra time for doing nothing! They must learn to slow down and get enough sleep, nurture themselves and enjoy life’s little moments. They must keep their creative passions flowing and healthy, but not to the extent that they ignore their body’s needs for rest and rejuvenation. Of all qualities to apply to Vata dosha, that of warm, soft, oily, stable, slow, and heavy will be the most influential.
Pitta
People of Pitta dosha are characterized by their intensity. They adore all physical and mental challenges, and usually seize any opportunity to compete or share their highly developed intellect. They are usually of firm and fair build, with good muscle development and tone, and are often graceful and controlled in their movements. They may tend towards light, pale, or reddish skin tone, often with light hair and eyes, sometimes with streaks of red or freckles on their face. They can often become irritated, angry, judgmental and critical, although inside they are highly sensitive beings with fragile emotions and a lot of self-doubt. They tend towards ailments such as inflammation, rashes, acidity, fever, stress, anger/rage, and burnout. They have strong appetites and need constant stimulation. They love to take in impressions more than any other dosha, because of their fiery nature which constantly craves something to “digest”, whether food or otherwise. Pitta people are highly functional and organized, and value the intellect and challenging opportunities more than anything else.
Pitta people need to seek balance in all things that antidote their intense and serious nature. They will find support in foods that are cooling and sweet, such as green vegetables and spices such as cumin, parsley, coriander, and cilantro. The Pitta gut can usually digest just about any food, however they should still be conscious to avoid tastes that are overly sour, pungent (spicy) and salty. The bitter taste is especially helpful to calm inflammations and itchiness (physical and emotionally based). A Pitta appetite will do well to avoid overeating and eating after dark. Usually Pitta people will become hungry around 10pm, and often find themselves enjoying a midnight meal as they continue working on whatever project or occupation currently has them under wraps. However, it is best for Pitta people to try and be in bed by 10pm, to ensure a good night’s rest and rejuvenation for their constantly active minds and bodies.
Pitta people will find balance by incorporating all sensory impressions that are soothing, mellow, relaxed, and patient. They will benefit from visiting a source of Nature that is green, watery, calming, and peaceful as often as they can. While a Pitta soul would rather race up the mountain wearing their heart rate monitor and weights around their ankles for added challenge, it would be wise for them to balance their fire by (once in awhile!) walking slowly up the mountain, pausing to feel the breath and the coolness of the air, and listen to the sounds of Nature and not only the slew of plans and ideas marching in their minds.
A Pitta person would be wise to make friends with people who are calming and gentle. Because Pitta will delight in all arguments, debates, and intellectual conflicts, it is a good idea for them to balance out this tendency by visiting people who have a quieter and more passive disposition. A Pitta person can learn from these people how to share and be more accepting of others’ opinions. He or she may find calm and inspiration from spending time with elderly people, babies, and soft, fuzzy animals! In times of stress, a Pitta person would find support in a slow walk by the ocean or a lake, a holistic hatha yoga routine, long deep breaths, and quieting the mind with meditation, singing, dancing, or laughing.
In general, Pitta people must learn patience and gratitude. They must remember that all of life is not a competition or something to “get done” on one of their many lists of projects. They must find sources of cooling and calming activities, and take the time their bodies and minds need to rest and digest.
Kapha
People of Kapha dosha are known for their stability. They are usually the calmest and most gentle people, who have a love for life’s luxuries. They enjoy sleeping, eating, and being relaxed. They prefer not to move too quickly, and can often be prone to laziness and stagnation. A Kapha person delights in sensual pleasures and nurturing, and make wonderful parents, healers, and homemakers. They usually have a larger body frame and a strong immune system, as well as flawless memories and a general attitude of harmony and compassion. They can be prone to ailments such as overweight/ obesity, congestion, allergies, and seasonal colds/flu. Kapha people tend to be very emotional and may suffer from depression. They can find themselves stuck in habitual patterns and thought processes, and require change and stimulation to help them grow and evolve. They often find it extremely difficult to initiate change, though once they begin they are the most likely to follow through.
They should avoid overly sweet, sour and salty tastes, and indulge in foods that are stimulating and awakening to their systems. This would include the bitter, astringent, and pungent spices, such as raw vegetables, spicy, light soups, and spices such as ginger, turmeric, black pepper, and bay leaf. Kapha people should especially avoid overeating and eating for emotional reasons. Fasting or light meals will help to keep their digestive fires strong and break the routine of habitually eating for pleasure.
Kapha people must find activities that balance their tendency towards stagnation and routine. They should try to vary their days so that they experience a variety of situations and experiences. They do best with regular, vigorous exercise, such as aerobics, jogging, biking, or flow/power yoga routines. They should make sure to try new things that push them beyond their comfort levels, and challenge themselves to adventures they wouldn’t normally do. A Kapha person would benefit from making friends with a Pitta person, who naturally indulges in excitement and stimulation, as well as a Vata person, who would inspire them to change and break their established routines.
Emotionally, Kapha people are usually very kind and docile, and are sometimes quite shy. Making a point to be socially active will benefit Kapha, and taking on an activity such as social dancing, group exercising, or competitive sports would benefit both their body and soul.
In general, Kapha dosha finds balance and better health when adopting a more “get up and go” attitude. They must seek out change and stimulation, and move their bodies everyday in order to avoid congestion and lethargy.
To Learn More
To learn more about your Prakruti and ways to find balance in body, mind, and spirit, a suggested read is “Prakruti” by Dr. Robert Svoboda.
This article was originally published in the April – June 2008 issue of The Yogic Way® Magazine.
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[post_content] => In Ayurvedic medicine, the understanding of one’s Prakruti and Vikruti is the most important tool for achieving balance and perfect health. One’s Prakruti is fixed at the time of conception and does not change during one’s life. It is the ratio of the three doshas, Vata, Pitta, and Kapha, which will influence, maintain, and shape one’s entire life physically, mentally, and emotionally. One’s Vikruti, on the other hand, is the current state of doshic balance or imbalance.
An individual can have a Prakruti of Vata-Pitta (meaning they are primarily Vata and secondarily Pitta), yet still suffer from seasonal illness of cold, congestion, and lethargy, all Kapha qualities. Vikruti can and does change constantly, and it is only when one’s Prakruti and Vikruti are in perfect harmony that true health can be found.
Starting Early
In India, many people go to Ayurvedic physicians early in life to have their Prakruti determined. It is essential to know which doshas are most dominant in our bodies and minds, because only then can we know which choices will bring balance to our health, and which choices will bring imbalance or disease.
The goal of Ayurveda is not only to treat illness and restore health, but to educate each individual about his or her unique constitution, so that healing becomes a personal, daily, lifestyle choice. It is only when we know who we are that we can truly look after ourselves.
The Gunas
Ayurveda maintains that “like increases like”. This is simple enough to understand if you think of eating hot spicy food, under the sun at noon, in a hot environment like South India. If you do this, your body becomes warm or even hot from this experience.
Here, “hot” is an example of a guna. The guna, or quality, of hot is increasing the hot quality already within you. This is not good or bad in theory, though it is vital to the practice of Ayurvedic medicine when we then combine the understanding of gunas/qualities, with the understanding of one’s Prakruti.
Each dosha is composed of gunas, as are all substances, experiences, and even thoughts. Therefore, everything we take into our bodies, minds, or emotions is made of qualities. Depending on the ratio of those qualities already within us (our doshas), what we consume will increase, decrease, or have a neutral effect on our being.
By studying the chart below, we can gain more and more insight into our Prakruti and unique ratio of doshas. For example, a person who is primarily Vata will notice in their body, mind, and spirit, a particular tendency towards the qualities of Vata. They may tend to be more light (light body weight, light sleeper, light headedness), dry (dry skin, constipation), mobile (muscle twitching, constantly moving about, wandering mind), or cold (cold skin, cold hands and feet). Likewise, someone who is primarily Pitta will notice the qualities of Pitta more dominant in their body, mind, and spirit. They may experience hot (hot body temperature, hot headed, quick to anger), oily (oily skin, loose stools, flexible bodies), or spreading (pain/heat that spreads, rashes, intense drive for name and fame!). By understanding the gunas of the doshas, we can gain much more clarity into our bodymind- spirit make-up and make the right choices towards good health.
A "Good" Choice
What is considered a “good” choice? According to Ayurveda, it is simply to choose the things that agree with our Prakruti, and to remember the concept of “like increases like”. If our dominant dosha is Kapha, we pay attention to the qualities of Kapha and understand that by consuming similar qualities, either in the form of food, medicine, visual impressions, thoughts or words, we will be increasing those qualities within us. Simply stated, a Kapha individual may, in the quest for good health, choose not to eat ice cream (cool/sticky/heavy/oily) in the winter (cool/heavy) while experiencing a bad cold (all Kapha qualities) before going to bed (heavy/dull/stable/soft)! All of these qualities of Kapha would only serve to increase the qualities of Kapha in the individual, thus creating increase of dosha and imbalance (Vikruti).
Instead, this person may choose to eat hot spicy soup (hot/liquid/sharp), which has qualities directly opposite, in order to create more balance.
Learning what our Prakruti is only the very first step in creating health in Ayurveda. We must then become very familiar with the gunas/qualities of the doshas that make up our Prakruti. From there, we realize that everything we ingest, whether physical, mental, emotional or spiritual, is also made of qualities, and that “like increases like”. Certain substances will increase the qualities within us, and others will bring balance.
Building Awareness
A simple exercise to begin to bring awareness to which gunas you are ingesting and how they may be affecting you is to write down a list of the foods you eat each day. Notice if they tend to have similar qualities to the doshas (see above chart), and if they tend to be similar in quality to your dominant dosha.
Notice if you crave foods that increase your dominant dosha. If you are primarily Vata, do you love to eat raw salads, popcorn, crunchy crackers, dry toast, carbonated drinks, or simply skip meals altogether? It is very common to crave the very foods that drive us into more imbalance. The key here is to apply the correct antidote, which will balance the qualities, so that “like increases like” -- just a little bit less!
Stay tuned for the next issue of The Yogic Way, where we will discuss which foods, activities, and lifestyle choices are best suited for Vata, Pitta, and Kapha constitutions, and learn a few simple antidotes to common food choices in order to make them more suitable for your dosha.
This article was originally published in the January – March 2008 issue of The Yogic Way® Magazine.
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[post_content] => Ayurveda is a system of medicine that originated in India thousands of years ago. Its main objective as a medical system is to bring the individual into balance of body, mind, and spirit. What is distinct and consistent about Ayurveda is its maintenance that every person is a unique individual with their very own makeup of strengths and weaknesses, likes and dislikes, aspirations and beliefs.
Ayurvedic medicine differs from modern Allopathic medicine in that it does not treat diseases based on the research of statistics or commonalities. Instead, Ayurveda maintains that for every person, illness and disease will manifest differently, in ways that are particular to one’s body type, mental state, personal history, and belief systems. Thus, healing from disease and restoring health and balance will vary according to the individual.
The Natural Order of Things
Ayurveda has always believed that by paying attention to the intelligence and order of the Natural world, by observing the rhythms of nature, and by attuning oneself to these balanced systems, one can achieve health and happiness. We all know that the moon waxes and wanes, the sun rises and sets, seasons change, and nature takes care of herself with these ebbs and flows. The tides of life wash in and out, and Ayurveda recognizes that every person fits into these particular rhythms in their own unique way.
Just as the Earth knows exactly how to rotate and the sun knows exactly how to create light and heat, so too do our bodies and minds know exactly how to function and thrive when given the proper environment, foods, and activities.
Ayurveda sees illness as a confusion of this innate intelligence of the body, and works to remove the cause of this confusion. In removing the cause, we restore the conditions of health.
The Three Doshas
One of the most fundamental concepts of Ayurveda is that of the Three Doshas. Understanding the nature of the Three Doshas is an essential part of discovering one’s unique makeup of physical, mental, and emotional tendencies. Through understanding the functions of these life-maintaining elements at play within and around us, we can learn how to use these tendencies to our advantage.
A Dosha is a force within us that strives to maintain health and bodily organization. The Three Doshas work together to support the many systems of the body, assuring that everything is flowing in its proper way, in the correct amount and with the right timing, according to the unique individual. A Dosha will act as a buffer between the constantly changing external environment and our internal environment. It allows our bodies and minds to remain relatively stable and functional as we move about the ever-changing world. A Dosha will be the first bodily process to get vitiated, should imbalance occur, in an attempt to protect the deeper tissues and organs. This is why we usually experience a subtle awareness of “not feeling right” before we get sick. Our Doshas are asking us to pay attention.
The Three Doshas express themselves as Vata (wind), Pitta (fire) and Kapha (water). Each Dosha has specific and vital roles to maintain within us, and we need a good balance of each one in order to be healthy.
Vata
Vata is comprised of the elements Air and Ether. It is responsible for all kinetic energy in the body, and controls all bodily movements. All that moves in the body, including the entire nervous, digestive, and reproductive systems, are maintained by Vata.
Pitta
Pitta is comprised of the elements Fire and Water. It is responsible for all transformational processes in the body. The functions of transforming food into energy, thought into understanding, and desire into action are all controlled by Pitta.
Kapha
Kapha is comprised of the elements Water and Earth. It is responsible for the body’s stability and lubrication. The strength of our muscles, the stability of our bones, the regularity of our systems, and the softness of our hearts and minds are all nurtured by Kapha.
A Unique Ratio Called Prakruti
Every individual has a unique ratio of these Three Doshas, called Prakruti. Understanding one’s Prakruti, or constitution, is the fundamental first step to achieving health. One’s personal constitution was established at conception and cannot be changed. It is the way one’s entire being expresses itself, through preference in taste and activity; mental and emotional strengths and challenges; habits, and proneness to certain disease and illness.
Coming back to one’s Prakruti, that unique place of harmony, is the goal of Ayurveda. By learning which Dosha(s) influence us the most, we can begin to make purposeful choices in diet, lifestyle, herbs, and other life activities that will enhance our constitution. We can also learn which life choices will throw us off balance, and how to apply healing antidotes to the parts of our lives that are not balancing for us.
One’s Prakruti is determined by examining the tendencies in one’s body, mind, and spirit. A qualified Ayurvedic physician would take note of the size and shape of the body, the proneness to certain ailments, the quality of mind, preferences in taste and environment, the way one speaks, looks, moves, and thinks, as well as reading their pulse.
To begin to gain an understanding of your Dosha, complete the quiz below, checking off the options that apply to you. Make sure to think about yourself from the perspective of your entire life, not just what you may be experiencing now. Be as honest with yourself as possible. Sometimes it is helpful to do this with a friend, who may be able to determine some of your traits more objectively.
In our next post, we will delve deeper into working with your Prakruti.
PRAKRUTI QUIZ:
FRAME
- Slim and light without heavy muscular development
- Medium build, good muscular development
- Large, rounded build with good muscular development
WEIGHT
- Tends to be low, difficult to gain.
- Moderate. Easy to lose and/or gain.
- Easy to gain, slow to lose.
SKIN
Dry, rough, and cool
Oily, smooth, reddish, warm
Smooth, well lubricated, moist, clammy
EYES
- Small, active, dry, dark, or grey
- Sharp, focused, bright blue or green
- Large, brown or blue, bright
JOINTS
- Small and protruding, often crack
- Loose and flexible
- Large and smooth
SLEEP
- Tends towards insomnia, light, interrupted sleep
- Moderately sound sleeper, enjoys reading to sleep
- Loves to sleep, able to sleep anywhere, anytime
BODY TEMPERATURE
- Cool or cold, prefers warm or hot weather
- Warm, hot, sweaty, prefers cool weather
- Cool, enjoys all climates
APPETITE
- Light, irregular
- Steady, strong
- Steady, tends towards emotional eating
ELIMINATION
- Irregular. Stools are dry, hard, small. Often constipated.
- Regular, soft, loose, oily
- Regular, though slow
EMOTIONS
- Hyper, ecstatic, anxiety, fear, nervous
- Driven, intense, aggressive, assertive, anger, jealousy
- Loving, calm, compassionate, depressive, greedy
MEMORY
- Quick to learn, quick to forget
- Sharp, correct
- Slow to learn, does not forget
DREAMS
- Flying, falling, traveling, fearful
- Fiery, violence, completing tasks
- Romantic, water, daily life
SPEECH
- Talkative, fast
- Organized, assertive, strong voice
- Slow, soft, pleasant singer
MIND
- Active, restless, confusion, indecisive
- Goal-oriented, focused, logical
- Tranquil, organized, can be lethargic or stubborn
LIFESTYLE
- Erratic, fast-paced, lots of change and movement
- Focused, busy, studious, successful
- Slow-paced, relaxed
HOBBIES
- Creativity, art, expression, travel
- Sports, reading/writing, games
- Cooking, relaxing, socializing
* In each section, the first description is Vata, the second description is Pitta, and the third description is Kapha. Add up the number of check marks that correspond to each of those Doshas and put the number below next to the V (Vata), P (Pitta), and K (Kapha).
What is your Prakruti balance?
V=
P=
K=
This article was originally published in the November – December 2007 issue of The Yogic Way® Magazine.
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[post_content] => To understand Mindful Living one must first ask, “What is mindfulness?"
Mindfulness is often translated to simply mean “awareness”. But this is an oversimplification which loses the true essence of mind-fulness, and as such is not only inadequate, but misleading as well.
A more accurate description of mindfulness would be: “the ATTENTIVE awareness of any given moment.”
There is a very fundamental difference between the two definitions above as this example illustrates: I am aware, on some level, that I am breathing, but I may not be consciously and attentively aware of my breath moving in and out of my body. If I were truly mindful of my breathing, I would consciously feel the sensations of the body as it expands and contracts. I would be aware of the coolness of my breath entering my body and the warmth of my breath as it leaves. I would notice the smell of the air as I breathe it in, along with a host of other experienced details.
To delve deeper into the true meaning of mindfulness, one must add to the above description. For in the state of mindfulness, one acts as a witness or observer to thoughts, beliefs, emotional states, and sensory experiences. Therefore, mindfulness is a state in which one experientially recognizes that one is not the mind nor the brain nor the body.
A State Without Bias
Mindfulness is a state without bias. It is a state in which one accepts all possibilities. There is no censorship of the moment, for the observer does not evaluate, judge, or intentionally seek to change the moment. And as one attentively watches the moment without judgement, the moment is reflected back without distortion, clearly and simply.
In the state of mindfulness, the observer does not reach into the past for comparisons to the moment, nor does it reach forward into the future seeking possible consequences or meaning to the moment. The past and the future are aspects of the mind and do not exist. The mindful observer sees only what exists, this moment, as if it were the first and only moment.
The Beginning of Mindfulness
The idea of mindfulness is introduced to most as a meditative exercise. Seated on a cushion watching the flow of breath, or purposefully walking while observing the inner and outer world, Mindfulness Meditation is a powerful tool meant to help release mental concepts and judgements. It helps to reveal life in its true form, without a preconceived and limiting framework.
A New Awareness
The consistent practice of mindfulness meditation changes one’s answer to the fundamental question of “Who am I?” Practice in the state of the observer shows one, through experience, that one is not the mind, the emotional states, or the sensory experiences.
This new awareness of who or what one is not, frees one to stand outside the push and pull of these very changeable aspects of consciousness. Grounded in the state of the observer, one is more able to make grounded and conscious choices. The experience of this can be likened to sitting in the eye of a storm: very much aware of the churning of the storm, yet calmly unaffected by it’s turmoil.
From Meditation to Mindful Living
Once introduced to mindfulness in its formal meditative form, Mindful Living then becomes the goal. Here, one works to move attentive awareness into ordinary daily activities such as eating, bathing, listening to music, etc.
Mindful Living introduces a heightened sense of being alive as the practitioner becomes more consciously aware of sensory experiences and passing emotional states. Sounds, sights, smells, and tastes become crisper and more striking as the dust of habitual living falls away.
Mindful Living, one could say, is the art of truly being alive.
This article was originally published in the November – December 2007 issue of The Yogic Way® Magazine.
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[post_content] => The act of listening begins with the awareness that we have not been listening. Many of us arrive at the practice of yoga from the place of having a physical injury or health issue that leads us to the mat. This can stem from an absence of listening to the signals our bodies try to send us. A recurring running injury was the final call for me to start to listen.
In the beginning, I did not want to listen, I did not want to be still – I wanted to be "fixed" so I could get back to running. I practiced with that goal in mind, and when I thought I was "fixed" I headed back out to run only to immediately be injured again. I chuckle now at my stubbornness, but at the time it was a painful exit from a world I enjoyed and had success in, and a social circle that meant a lot to me.
Week after week I returned to my mat. Like a good friend, it listened as my body released its tightness and restriction, my heart through change and loss and my desire to run (away from myself perhaps) diminished. At the same time, my desire to be still, to listen and be taught began to grow.
Physically I listened as well. Soften your knee, lengthen your spine, calm your breath, and quiet your mind. I began to hear my inner teacher speak to me through my body, through my breath, through my emotions and state of mind. At first, I struggled to master poses while watching others handle them with ease, and still do, though now I can accept that may always be the way. There were times I was asked by my teacher to practice balancing poses in the dark, where the harder I tried, the worse it got. Stories of failure, anger and frustration came to meet me in the room and on my mat, and still I continued. The desire to learn, the willingness to be taught, was an inner call that grew as I continued to listen.
Now I cultivate stillness. I enter stillness like I would enter any place of learning or the studio where I practice. Stilling myself, listening to that which emerges. The act of listening has presented me a teacher – I meet her in the silence, I meet her in my breath, I meet her in the experiences of my life – I meet her when I'm still. Willing to be taught by my life .... I listen.
[post_title] => Can the act of listening be your teacher?
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[post_content] => We’ve all had those times in our lives when we’ve felt like the rug has been pulled out from under our feet, when an unexpected change suddenly turns our life upside down. Sometimes we are happy with these surprising events as we know they’ll work out well for us despite the initial mixed emotions. However, at other times, when we can’t initially see how the circumstance could possibly be good for us, they can create worry, anxiety, dread, anger, fear... all those wonderfully uncomfortable feelings. Either way, sudden change can be an emotional rollercoaster. Questions of, “What now? Where do I go from here? How did this happen? Who’s responsible for this?” start whirring through our thoughts.
Prior to starting my personal Yoga practice, such events would send me into a complete panic mode, with ensuing health issues, which was totally counterproductive. I felt powerless as if I had no control over anything (closet control freak). Yoga taught me that there are things which are within my power (at least partially); control of the breath, the witnessing of thoughts, feelings, emotions, my responses to them, how I speak to myself and others, etc. Over the years, my reactivity to external situations has gradually declined with practicing what is learnt on the mat, and off the mat. However, I’m aware of the occasions, when I’m tired or not present. At these times the reactivity can still creep in and I revert to the emotional intelligence of a toddler once more. That too can have its benefits though.
However, when that sudden change involves someone or something that you love, the stress involved is often multiplied as the stakes feel higher. Such change requires us to let go of our attachments and of who we think we are before we can receive the new growth and awareness that is waiting for us. We have often become comfortable in our old life or way of being and, because of a common aversion to change, there is a tendency to want to stay where we are. This leads to potential stagnation rather than moving with the flow of life. Problems arise when we cling to the old way, believing that somehow that was better because we weren’t being challenged to expand our consciousness, Expanding our consciousness can admittedly be uncomfortable initially until it is fully embraced. However, in wanting to go back to how things were in the past, we are merely making a choice to suffer.
Instead, we can make a conscious decision to trust that whatever happens is for our highest good and that all will become clear in time. It’s about acknowledging and trusting in our own/higher power and having confidence that, with this connection, we can handle whatever comes our way. We practice connecting with this power each time we step on the mat, not knowing what will happen in our practice but learning to accept it all, doing our best but letting go of our attachment to results. Remembering that we are
just practicing, our reactions to such situations do not need to be perfectly “textbook,” frees us from self-judgement and enables us to practice Ishvara Pranidhana or self-surrender which then helps us to find the gifts of peace and freedom in our own lives no matter what our external situation is.
When that rug gets pulled out again, pause, breathe, trust and repeat.
[post_title] => Pause; Breathe; Trust; Repeat
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WARRIOR 3
For video instructions of this pose, please see here.
Pronunciation in Sanskrit
veera-b-hah-DRAHS-anna
Benefits
- Strengthens the ankles, legs, shoulders and muscles of the back
- Tones the abdomen
- Improves balance and posture
Step by Step
- From Mountain Pose, shift your left hip out to the side, bringing your pubis to stack over the middle of your left foot. Step your right foot back while keeping your weight evenly upon the heels and balls of the left foot.
- Inhale your arms up above your head, shoulders wide, and palms facing in. Engage your bandhas. Exhale and hinge over the ball of the left hip. Press back through your right lotus foot as you extend forward through your arms, drawing your shoulders wide and down. Keep hips level and squared.
- Hold for 30 seconds to 3 minutes.
- To come up, inhale as you press into the earth and hinge up into Mountain pose.
- Switch sides.
Cautions
- Students with high blood pressure should keep hands upon their hips, head above the heart
- Students with shoulder problems should keep their raised arms parallel or wider, or down at the hips
Preparatory Poses
Supta Padangustasana
Vrksasana
Eka Pada Rajakapotasana
Hanumanasana
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Thanks to the spread of news and social media, we are continually aware of the presence of injustice in the world, of deep divides between groups of people, and of the way these divides and injustices sometimes play out as violence and suffering. How can we best help? What does yoga offer us when the weight of the world seems overwhelming?
It is easier than ever in our modern world to feel like it is all just too much. With the touch of a finger, we are suddenly transported to distant lands and hearts, and we hear of suffering all over the world. Our first instinct is to help. But how can we make choices about who and how to help? What happens when we hear of grief that touches very close to our lives? How can we stay present, and helpful, without becoming paralyzed by emotion and indecision, or even just the staggering depth of suffering present in the world?
In the
Bhagavad Gita, perhaps the most famous and beloved section in India’s national epic, the
Mahabharata, even the great warrior Arjuna comes to a place of feeling paralyzed, and unable to act. He pauses in the middle of an epic battle, and time is suspended. He lowers his weapons and is overcome with grief, not knowing whether the better choice is to continue to fight, or to lay down his weapons. Arjuna asks for guidance, and it is his conversation with Krishna that reveals to us how yoga can inform our actions, and how it offers us peace.
As Krishna says to Arjuna, “You have a right to your actions, but never to your actions’ fruits. Act for the action’s sake. And do not be attached to inaction” (2.47) For many of us, reading this is unsettling. We want to do exactly the right thing—the idea of the fruits of our actions being anything other than what we intend can be very uncomfortable. It is tempting and perhaps common to choose inaction as a path of least resistance. We can convince ourselves that we will make mistakes if we act, and so instead we decide to remain neutral, or completely inert. However, Krishna tells Arjuna that inaction is impossible to maintain. Our existence as sentient beings is inextricably linked to action. “No one” Krishna says, "not even for an instant, can exist without acting; all beings are compelled [to act]” (3.5) Since we must, by our very nature, choose some action, how can we choose wisely? How can we be effective and truly contribute to peace in the world?
It may seem paradoxical to turn our attention inwards first, when there is so much to attend to around us. Yet we can be wiser in our actions if we are acting from a place of clarity. In the
Bhagavad Gita, we read that yoga is “skill in action” (2.50). In order to act with this skill, we must cultivate a mental state of balance and calm. It is from this place that we can make choices about our actions that are unhindered by habitual patterns, attachments, and aversions.
Our actions can then be formed with clarity of thought and with deep consideration.
Cultivating a mental state that is free from attachments and aversions is part of the practice of yoga—and it is through the practice of yoga that we can become the person of yoga, the “wise man” so often referenced in the
Bhagavad Gita. (3.26) Our action in the face of feeling overwhelmed by the world might then be to simply return to our breath. We may choose to meditate, to practice asana, to nourish our bodies mindfully with food and rest. We can study ourselves to understand our fluctuating mental states with the hope of overcoming them. Our aim behind these practices is to create peace in our minds so that we are not overwhelmed by witnessing suffering, and so that we may initiate action that comes from our clarity rather than our panic. These practices might be the skilled actions needed to create the crucial changes we need for peace in our world. We must align our efforts in our yoga practice with these goals, without certainty that they are attainable—we cannot know the full picture of how we might affect the world. As Krishna says to Arjuna, “The wise man does not unsettle the minds of the ignorant; quietly acting in the spirit of yoga, he inspires them to do the same” (3.26)
Clarissa Pinkola-Estes echoes the words of the
Bhagavad Gita in her 2008 essay
You Were Made for This, “Ours is not the task of fixing the entire world all at once, but of stretching out to mend the part of the world that is within our reach. Any small, calm thing that one soul can do to help another soul, to assist some portion of this poor suffering world, will help immensely. It is not given to us to know which acts or by whom, will cause the critical mass to tip toward an enduring good.”
In the face of unknowing, directing our actions with wise consideration, from an equanimous place, is perhaps our best chance at easing suffering in the world. If we can inspire the same in others, our wise actions combined can be undertaken with the goal of peace—perhaps this can someday be the shift that tips the balance. To reach this equanimous place from which we can act with clarity, we practice yoga.
________
About the Author
Alysia is a certified as a 200-hour yoga teacher through the Red Door Yoga School on Vancouver Island. She completed her Bachelor of Arts degree in Liberal Studies at Vancouver Island University. Alysia lives with her husband and two children in a little house with a growing garden. She likes knitting, ginger, coffee, and cooking slowly.
[post_title] => The Spirit of Yoga: Wise Practice for Peace
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[post_content] => I don’t think of myself as the type of person that easily senses energy - other than perhaps the charge of emotional energy in a room or the feeling of peace in certain sacred or natural spaces. However, my inherent ability to sense energy is immaterial. The yogic tradition teaches us that there
is a source energy that fuels life. It is called Prana. I am enlivened by this energy which courses through my body. How magical and mysterious it seems! As a dedicated student of yoga, I am curious to understand more about Prana. While contemporary yogic teachings often describe Prana as breath or life force, it is more than a fuel for our biological systems.
In a previous
Yogic Way® article, (January - March 2016)
Kavita Maharaj explained that our true nature is Purusha or fully realized consciousness. Purusha is one's true self, regarded as eternal and unaffected by external happenings. It is called by many names: such as God, Brahman, Chi, Prana, and the Force. Kavita also explained that ‘the entirety of the yogic path is focused on transcending the illusion of the ego and experiencing Purusha.
I imagine Prana manifesting in an energy continuum from a potentially more tangible form, such as the impulses of sensation within my body, to a refined and subtle energy that has the qualities of awareness and intelligence.
Yogic traditions teach us that there are five layers, or sheaths, to our bodies called ‘koshas’ - and Prana runs through all of them. From the subtlest layer of spirit, to the grossest layer of our physical body – Prana is a connecting link between all aspects of our being. Yogic sages defined one of the koshas, called the Pranamaya Kosha, as a matrix of energy pathways that run within and beyond our bodies.
Can you close your eyes and imagine for a moment that you are a galaxy of interconnected pathways of light? That what you sense as ‘self’ is energy in ultimate alignment?
Prana moves within my own energy network, and although thousands of channels exist, there are three primary energy channels within me (Sushumna, Pingala and Ida), and seven energy centres (the Chakras).
Our most elementary science has taught us that energy moves and empowers. I’ve come to realize that the Eight Limbs as defined in the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali prepare me to realize Prana moving through me as essential energy. The Eight Limbs give me tools to strengthen my systems and clear physical, mental and emotional blockages so that I might become a more refined vessel for Consciousness.
Within Ashtanga and all yoga traditions, the tenants of the Yamas and Niyamas guide me towards living in such a way that I process and release emotional and psychological baggage. They offer tools for an ethical life. By striving to live by these tenants, I learn to make choices that cultivate inner clarity, peace and presence. A consistent asana practice strengthens and opens my physical body. The practices of pranayama use the breath to direct the flow of Prana. With my physical, emotional and mental systems, healthier and more balanced, I have begun the process of refinement and transcendence the Eight Limbs set out.
Pratayahara invites me to turn inward. With a relaxed body and calm mind, I am enabled to be fully present. Dharana teaches me to focus on an object of concentration (such as breath or mantra). Through the complement of these practices I continue to remove blockages to the movement of Prana. I am becoming stronger, lighter, more attenuated. Dharana opens me to an experience of single-pointed awareness – and from this I may more readily come into the flow-state of connection or meditation called Dhyana. The final limb of this path is Samadi - which is absorption into Oneness. By consistent practice I become purified, and the culmination of all the Limbs is the potential to be absorbed into Prana itself.
Additionally, I have found that Yin Yoga allows me to become so still that my ability to perceive energy is heightened. Yin postures, coupled with breathwork allow a meditative focus to dawn. I begin to feel pulsations, vibrations and other movements of energy within my body. I am now able to drop into my internal place of stillness where awareness rests below sensations, below emotions, below thought. I am now able to connect to a grounded, peaceful center, which seems spacious and fully alive.
Post-practice, I’m coming to understand that the resulting felt-experience of aliveness and of peace is due to my connection with Prana. It is subtle, and it is real.
As Kavita wrote in the Yogic Way®, Prana is everywhere and in everything. Stephen Cope, author and Kripalu Yoga teacher, suggests that Prana is available to us through the air, and also through the gifts of fresh foods and water, through being in nature, through the love of others, and possibly through the beauty of art, music and inspiring words. I have felt the peace, wonder and connection from such experiences too. So perhaps I have had more experience with Prana than I’ve realized! Prana fuels and sustains me. It is the interconnecting web of life. It is peace, awareness, creation. It is a mystery still – but I’ve touched it. And with consistent practice, perhaps my encounters with Prana will deepen.
Namaste.
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LOW LUNGE
For video instructions of this pose, please see here.
Pronunciation in Sanskrit
AH-Swah San-CHA-La-Nasana
Benefits
- Opens your groins and hips.
- Stretches and tones your legs, especially thighs.
- Strengthens your knees, ankles and core.
- Stimulates the abdominals organs.
- Increases overall stamina and lung capacity.
- Lengthens the spine
- Stretches the chest.
- Therapeutic for indigestion, constipation, and sciatica
Step by Step
- Start in Table (all fours). Step your right foot forward next to the inside of your right hand, knee stacked on top of your heel.
- Reach your left knee as far back as you are able while maintaining the stacking of the front knee on top of the heel.
- Draw the below bellybutton (uddhiyana bandha) in and up to support the lower back.
- Inhale as your lift your torso, placing your forearms upon your front thigh for support.
- If this is comfortable, inhale and lift the arms up and overhead.
- Lift your breastbone and look up towards the hands, keeping the back of your neck long.
- Roll your shoulders into your armpits and draw your shoulder blades down towards your hips.
- Keep uddhiyana bandha engaged as you breathe deeply into your ribcage.
- Hold for 30 seconds to 3 minutes.
- Inhale, then as you exhale lower your arms back to the earth on either side of your front foot. Slide your hips back and step back into table. Perform Child’s Pose (Balasana) if needed. Then perform Ashwa Sanchalasana on the second side.
Caution
- Those with knee injuries should avoid this pose or take extra caution to stack the front knee on top of the ankle
- Those with neck issues should chose to look down at the floor instead of up or straight ahead
- Those in the later stages of pregnancy should place both hands upon the floor to the inside of the front foot for support.
Preparatory Poses
Table
Fierce
Warrior I
Warrior II
Downward Dog
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[post_content] => Throughout my life's journey I have read several books on Yogic Philosophy that talk about uncovering the True Self. Truthfully, this has always seemed a somewhat nebulous concept to me. I have been a student of Yogic Philosophy and a practicing Yogi for seven years now and was beginning to get bewildered by what I considered to be unconscious barriers blocking me from connecting with my ‘True Self.’
No matter how hard I tried to get in touch with my ‘True Self’ through meditation, the more elusive it would seem. I would often find myself feeling frustrated, thinking that I was failing in my practice. Through a recent flash of insight, I came to see that ‘True Self’ is closely related to what psychologists refer to as ‘authenticity,’ which is defined as 'the degree to which one is true to one's own personality, spirit or character despite external pressures'. Personally, I feel that it means living with respect for our intuition, rather than for our intellect alone. It means listening to the 'inner voice' which speaks the truth.
Staying connected to my True Self, no matter how that is conceived, has always been a challenge for me, as I have always prized intellectual pursuits and prided myself on being a well-read student of various disciplines. But I've come to realize that spending too much time in the intellectual domain can create imbalance and become a breeding ground for the ego's controlling tendencies.
Imbalance and ego-dominance can manifest in a variety of ways often leading to suffering, as we move further away from the vulnerable state required to connect with our true selves and our authentic voices. This intuitive insight came to me after a meditation session and I had uncovered my answer.
The root cause of the struggle, which was blocking me from moving deeper into my practice, was related to control. Understanding this, I began using meditation and extended Savasanas as a means of addressing the issue. Consequently, Savasana holds a much deeper meaning for me now. Instead of simply being a relaxation pose, it has come to represent 'conscious surrender', which previously was not even a phrase that I had in my vocabulary.
The quote by Bronnie Ware from her book,
The Top Five Regrets of the Dying became somewhat of a mantra to me. It goes like this: "Surrender is not giving up and it takes an enormous amount of courage. Often we are only capable of doing so when the pain of trying to control the outcome becomes too much to bear". Our egos want so much to be in control of situations, people and especially outcomes. But this hyper-focus on control blocks us from staying present, vulnerable and connected to ourselves, which is essential for creating the life we all want - a balanced life with purpose, healthy relationships and joyful self-expression.
A wise person in my life once told me that 'You can direct your life, but you can't completely control it." I have just recently come to appreciate the meaning of those words.
So how do we let go of this strong desire to control and micromanage our lives? How do we remain vulnerable and connected to our True Selves? Perhaps the first step is to cultivate the awareness that there
is a ‘True Self’ behind the veil of control or other impediment. Once we realize this, we can begin to work with loving compassion and gently tame that tiger, creating space and safety for a more authentic life aligned with our True Self.
Namaste.
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“The causes of suffering are not seeing things as they are, the sense of "I", attachment, aversion and clinging to life.” – the Yoga Sutras
Understanding the causes of suffering offers us a pathway to peace. Awareness, acceptance and letting go of attachments and aversions are the important stepping stones on this pathway.
In my own understanding of yoga philosophy, life gives you whatever experience is most helpful for the evolution of your consciousness. It is perhaps the very reason that we are here.
With this as the basis for our existence, consider then for a moment, that any given situation or experience is not the cause of our personal suffering. Rather, every experience is in itself neutral and it is only our attachment or aversion to the experience that causes suffering. Staying attached to a belief or perspective is what keeps a person from a state of "peace" or non-suffering - not the particular experience or situation that we have convinced ourselves is at fault. We then perpetuate our suffering by keeping the story alive and reinforcing that perspective creating more and more form to that story until we come to believe it as the truth. We then defend that truth, stand up for that truth, fight for that truth, hate another for that truth and sometimes die for that truth. We have neglected to consider that perhaps that truth may be impermanent in its nature and therefore untrue or illusion.
How does suffering lead to non-suffering?
In the beginning we suffer while not actually realizing that we are suffering. This suffering begins to wake us up. Awareness occurs. This awareness leads us deeper into our suffering until the desire to relieve ourselves from this state motivates us to become teachable. The teacher is our life. In fact, our greatest teacher may indeed be the life we have chosen for ourselves. We decide to accept our life, the experiences we are having, and change our perspective in order to find a place of peace. We find connection, we begin to see glimpses of what is really happening. Our suffering lessens.
In Stephen Cope's "The Wisdom of Yoga" he states that according to The Law of Karma, all effects have a cause and all causes have an effect. All actions are interrelated and interdependent (
Pantanjali). We create our world through our actions. Every act has the power to change the entire field of mind and matter.
If indeed every act has the power to change the entire field of mind and matter and we are in fact all interrelated and interdependent then whatever I do to minimize my own suffering I do to lessen the suffering of the world.
_______________________________________________________________________________
Roberta Carr, Owner, Nanaimo Elements Holistic Centre, Yoga Instructor, Perpetual Student
She has operated her own business since she was 20 years old, and has spent her life in the search for peace and understanding. Studying yoga is the latest mile in her journey – spirituality and its interplay with one's physical self has been her theme song.
mommadel@shaw.ca
(250) 585-0894
[post_title] => Some Thoughts on Suffering
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This quick chutney can easily be stirred into rice or yogurt for instant flavour.
V = Reduces Vata P = Reduces Pitta K = Reduces Kapha Tri = Tri-Doshic
WHAT’S IN IT?
3 Tbsp unsweetened coconut (P, V)
1 Tbsp cumin seeds (Tri)
2 tsp fennel seeds (Tri)
1 tsp dried chile flakes (K)
1 Tbsp coriander seeds (Tri)
1 tsp fenugreek seeds (V)
¼ cup black sesame seeds (V)
½ tsp salt
HOW IS IT MADE?
In a dry pan over medium heat, toast the coconut, stirring continually.
Add the cumin, fennel, chile flakes, fenugreek. Toast until just fragrant.
Add sesame seeds and toast until they just begin to pop.
Cool slightly and then add the salt.
Store in airtight container up to one month.
[post_title] => Dry Sesame Chutney
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[post_content] => 7 (human) years ago, in the 2009 Oct-Dec issue of YWM I wrote an article about the lessons my ‘SPCA special’ Great-Dane-Shepherd-Lab-everything-else crossbreed and faithful sidekick Daisy, had taught me about life.
As you can imagine, a few things have changed since penning (typing?) that article. For example, both of Daisy’s ears now stand perfectly erect with only the slightest hint of the puppy-flop that used to affect the left side. Her sleek black coat isn’t as rich as it once was (neither is mine), and her once break-neck greyhound-like speed is now more Basset Hound (stops to smell more than she runs) than anything. Yet many of the yogic lessons she taught me then are true today. However, with age comes wisdom and change, and as such, some of the things she has taught me have taken on new meaning.
To read the original article
click here.
- Do Down Dog and do it often! Daisy’s Down-dog, albeit not as deep as it once was, is still pretty darned perfect and I’d argue, is still better than most humans, but the point is she still does it. EVERY DAY. It’s still her response to her favourite words like “park” and “dinner” (this has replaced “run”), and it is still how she greets the start of each day. I truly believe that Daisy’s ability to stay as agile even at her advanced age is partially the result of her daily practice of Down-Dog. Sun Salutations for longevity anyone? You better believe it.
- Follow Down Dog with Up Dog. Daisy’s Up Dog isn’t as great as it used to be, but then again, neither is mine. We both have low back and hip issues that prevent full extension for a ‘perfect’ up-dog, but the intention isn’t perfection is it? That’s what Daisy has taught me. Even though you can’t do the full move, modify it to suit your body. Honour where you are, but make the attempt to balance each posture with it’s opposite.
- Meditate. Daisy still has this incredible ability to focus on anything that captures her interest. As was the case 7 years ago, even today virtually nothing can break her ‘meditative state’. Such focus is still something I yearn for when trying to meditate, or even when just sitting quietly. The lesson is one I’m working on. Be engaged, and empty your mind of all things except for that which you seek.
- Play: Do it! Just maybe don’t do it for as long, or as hard as you once did. Daisy still loves to chase a Frisbee, ball, stick, squirrel, whatever, but just for not as long as she once did. Don’t let age stop you from having fun! Play is mentally and physically stimulating and an essential part to aging “gracefully”. Do something every day that brings you joy, and moves your body. Smile, laugh and pant, err, um, breathe.
- Drink Water: lots, and lots of it and don’t worry if you’re a slobbering mess afterwards. Water tastes SO GOOD! Sometimes it’s hard to not get it everywhere. Water is essential to good health and an aging body. It not only helps to lubricate joints and keep skin and other body tissue hydrated, it’s also important for healthy digestion. Daisy drinks A LOT of water, always has and despite the more frequent trips to the lawn (bathroom), it really does a body good.
- Have regular bowel movements and observe them: I know, it still sounds gross, right? But it’s true. Observation around shape, consistency and frequency can alert you to more serious health problems. As the body ages, bowel problems such as constipation can become bigger issues for some people (dogs too). To help keep your bowels healthy, it’s important to have regular daily bowel movements. Daisy recommends doing things like “Down-dog”, “play” and “drinking water” as part of an overall plan to keep your bowels happy (of course eating fresh greens helps too).
- Listen. When your ears start to fail you, listen with your eyes. When your eyes start to fail you, listen with your hands (paws). When they all start to fail you, listen with your heart. This seems complicated, but it’s something I see Daisy do every day. Although I’ll swear she can still see squirrel running up a tree down the block, or hear her favourite person’s car coming down the road, she’s not as alert as she once was, and on uneven ground, trusts her body less. Yet her ability to communicate love with the world around her hasn’t diminished. It is inevitable that our senses become less acute as we age, but how we choose to let that affect us comes from a deeper place. The lesson: if we return to our centre (heart) and allow a deeper place of connection to help guide us, we will never be out of touch with our surroundings.
- Know your limits… and ask for direction. Daisy still tries to run, jump, and play like she did when she was a puppy, but it’s up to me now to place limits upon her so she doesn’t injure herself. She looks to me more frequently than she used to for direction too. When she’s unsure of which fork to take on trails, or which way to go at a street corner, instead of just barrelling in any direction, she looks to me for guidance. Oh, how times have changed. I used to trust her to tell me when too much exercise was enough, or which fork in the trail was the ‘right’ way. But my guru taught me well. Her lesson? TRUST in others and be open to the notion that they may have a better solution than you do, especially when you’re not sure of yourself.
- Eat fresh green food. The lesson here is the same as it was 7 years ago with a slight variation. According to TCM theory, as the body ages, it’s original ‘fire’ or yang diminishes. To help conserve the body’s yang, trade the raw cold foods for more easily digestible options like roasted root vegetables or steamed greens. Your qi and digestive system will thank you.
- Rest. Daisy has really perfected this one. She sleeps much more than she used to as a young pup, but really, she’s pushing 90 in human years (large breeds go by a 8 year to 1 human year rule), and the fact that she still is up and ready to play each and every day means she needs rest to replenish her qi. Perhaps she has lived as long as she has because she followed the all-important rest to play ratio. I too get more rest than I used to, although those who know me would shake their heads in disbelief. It’s true. We all need to learn from this one.
- Be thankful and appreciate everything in your life. The average life expectancy of most dogs is about 10 years and in human lives, that’s not a whole lot of time. As Daisy’s 12th birthday approaches in March, I am more acutely aware of the time that has passed, and wonder how much we may have left. This ‘knowing’ makes me more thankful and appreciative of every moment I get to spend with her, and this is perhaps Daisy’s greatest lesson of all. For 4197.5 days (give or take a few), she has consistently met each one of them and every person in her world with the same enthusiasm and joy as she did when she was a pup, and it strikes me more often than not as to why we as humans have such a hard time doing the same. Perhaps if we had a firmer grasp on the concept that our time together is limited, as it is with our pets, we would make better efforts.
Thank you Daisy. I couldn’t have asked more a more patient and gentle Guru to help guide me through these years.
Namaste.
[post_title] => Lessons from Daisy: The Senior Edition (Part 2)
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Daisy came into my life as a pup four years ago from the SPCA, three weeks after losing my mixed-breed chow-chow to cancer. I had not planned on getting a puppy, but as we all know, things rarely work out how we first envision them to. Over the past four years we have been on many crazy adventures together. And Daisy, like any good teacher, never ceases to amaze, motivate, and challenge me. Even though I am sometimes a bit of a slow learner, Daisy is more patient with me than I tend to be with her, and this perhaps is her greatest lesson of all to me.
Many of the things I try to teach my students about Yoga beyond the poses, I see so easily taught by my Guru Daisy. If you’ve read the article “The Irreverent Yogi” in the January to March, 2009 issue of The Yogic Way® Magazine, you will already know that Daisy performs Down-Dog better than any ‘human’ student I have. And that even though my students turn to me for direction and answers, I freely admit that I too am a student, learning as they are. I encourage my students to look for answers in all that surrounds them and remind them that teachers are everywhere (the idea behind “Namaste”). And yes, these teachers may even be in animal form.
I often share Daisy’s wisdom with my students, and for anything they have learnt through Daisy’s sharing with me, and my with them, I am grateful. Now I will share with you some of the lessons I have learnt from my dog Daisy.
Lesson Number 1: Do Down-Dog and do it often!
I have observed and learned that Down-Dog is as much a great stretch, as it is a friendly greeting or salutation, or as it is a way of physically reveling in joy. It is how Daisy greets the day, it is her response to her favorite words such as “park” or “run”, and it is how she finds her length again after a long curled up nap. The central inclusion of Down-Dog in the Salutation sequence makes so much sense to me now.
Lesson Number 2: Follow Down-Dog with Up-Dog!
Yes, Daisy's perfect Down-Dog is usually followed by a wonderful Up-Dog as well. The lesson here? Balance.
Lesson Number 3: Meditate
Daisy has the amazing ability to tune out anything and everything when completely focused on say, a squirrel,
bird, mosquito, or whatever else it may be. Virtually nothing can break her ‘meditative state’. Such focus is something I yearn for when trying to meditate, or even when just sitting quietly. The lesson? Be engaged, and empty your mind of all things except for that which you seek.
Lesson Number 4: Play
Daisy has chased a ball, stick, mosquito, or whatever it is that moves and catches her fancy, thousands of times, but never seems to take it for granted. Every time is as exciting as the first to her. I believe she truly appreciates the opportunity to play, exercise, breathe deeply, and have fun. Take time every day to enjoy yourself. Greet the people you meet with genuine love and appreciation. Play with the kind of enthusiasm you felt the first time you ever participated in the activity. You will be surprised at how much more enjoyable it is.
Lesson Number 5: Drink water
First thing in the morning and throughout the day. Especially after ‘play’, ‘meditation’, and ‘Down-Dog-Up-Dog’ vinyasas. Don’t worry if it spills all down your face or dribbles across the floor in long spindles from your lips when you walk away from your bowl...I mean sink. Didn’t it taste amazing?
Lesson Number 6: Have regular bowel movements and observe them
Sounds gross right? But being on a regular schedule (also called “being regular”) and having some awareness around shape, consistency and smell are important indicators of your overall health. Dog owners KNOW when their companions are ill because they are ‘up close and personal’ with their faeces on a daily basis. The same should apply to you!
Lesson Number 7: Listen
To the world and people around you. Hang on their every word like they are going to tell you something incredible (like ‘do you want to go to the park?’). You’ll be amazed at how much more engaged and alive you are in the world. Try however to keep your head from tilting to one side or the other when the person talking says a word you are unfamiliar with. Actually, on second thought, DO IT!
Lesson Number 8: Know your limits
Work on releasing the ego and clearly know what you are able or unable to do. Daisy never goes beyond her abilities in exercise or within pack dynamics. Most call that instinct, but I see it as Yogic grace. I try to be vigilant in my own actions when we are out exercising together to be sure that my ego is not pushing us both beyond what we should be doing. There have been times when Daisy has looked at me like “c’mon, you’ve got to be kidding”, and I’ve looked back at her with “do I look like I’m kidding?”....then got injured. Silly student.
Lesson Number 9: Eat fresh green foods
I don’t know what grass tastes like, but I’m seriously thinking about trying it. Every spring, all dogs, including Daisy, graze on the fresh new young grass. In Chinese medicine, spring time in particular is associated with the liver energy and green foods. And as animals are more connected to the natural world than we tend to be, I say, ‘salad anyone?'
Lesson Number 10: Rest
Possibly the hardest of all of Daisy’s lessons for me to learn. Rest is essential to repair and rejuvenate the body, mind, and spirit. How will you have the energy to truly appreciate and enjoy everything all over again tomorrow without it? The errand list can wait. Have a nap and re-evaluate in a few hours.
NAMASTE.
This article was originally published in the October - December 2009 issue of The Yogic Way® Magazine and is a prequel to Dr. Kim Graham's upcoming article "Lessons from Daisy (Part 2)".
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[post_content] => It seems that when one is presented with an opportunity, it is often met with resistance. A dozen reasons may immediately volunteer themselves as to why one couldn’t or shouldn’t undertake the task.
Okay, let me rephrase and ‘own’ that observation. Why is it that when I am presented with an opportunity, I often balk at it before I even try? The specific situation I am referring to is having been presented with the opportunity to write an article for The Yogic Way Magazine. I had felt that there must be some mistake, even though the heading of the email was “this email is specifically meant for you, so please read”.
Then when I accepted that it wasn’t a mistake, that the email really was sent to me and on purpose, came “OMG, no, there is no way, no possible way I can do that.” It was as if the email speed dialled my ego, which was set on protecting myself from being ‘found out’ regarding the following:
- I am not a writer.
- I don’t know how to write an article.
- It will be stupid.
- I’m bad at English; I only have a high school education and that was many, many years ago.
- I don’t have anything to say.
And, furthermore, risking that:
- Neither my commitment to writing the article nor the time I invested were sufficient.
- My article will ‘suck.’
- People will read it and realize that I know nothing.
- I will embarrass myself.
- No one will read it, anyway.
I am sure I could go on, but you get the point.
So I did what self-doubt often does, I invited procrastination to join the party. So that is what I did for the past two months. I procrastinated. Seen in a more positive light, I was simply taking the time needed to process the invitation and to allow what felt right to emerge.
If I have learned anything both during my years of yoga practice and in teacher training, it is stop and breathe. So that is what I did, simply stopped and breathed until I was ready to begin. (Maybe others can relate to the practice of just avoiding things and putting them off ‘until there is no tomorrow!’)
While I have had a steady physical practice of yoga for quite a while now, when it comes to a steady consistent spiritual practice, I fall a bit short. It’s not that I don’t want to establish a more regular spiritual practice, it’s just that it is a daunting task. I fear that by doing so I will undoubtedly come face to face with my ego which will cause me to have to deal with all those above questions and more.
Nonetheless, dismissing ego with all the appropriate expletives, I have sat down today to trust myself, and have found courage in this opportunity. I have ripped off the band aid, put pen to paper and fingers to keyboard (because I really don’t know what I am doing and need to try both ways).
Hitting the send button as I submit the article, I find the water I have jumped into is deep.
Perhaps this experience will allow me to move forward, and I will uncover some truths about myself and be able to develop a more consistent spiritual practice….. or maybe it will just ‘suck.’ It’s worth giving it a try. Whatever the outcome, I will stop and breathe.
[post_title] => Trusting Oneself and Finding Courage in Opportunity
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[post_content] => Here on the west coast of Canada, most people would probably agree that much of this summer felt like fall. Constantly changing weather led many to feel ungrounded, anxious and just “a little off.” We generally accept that our lives are constantly changing and yet many of us still get uncomfortable with the uncertainty that brings. Check in with your body. Do you feel relaxed or tense when you read the word “change”?
When I was a child, my grandmother would say to me, “Everything you need to know, you will learn by watching the garden.” Of course, at the time, I just thought she was a wonderful, crazy lady with an obsession for plants. I didn't know what she meant. It is only in recent years having discovered my passions for both yoga and gardening that it did start to make sense.
The garden is essentially a yoga mat. Every single time we step into a garden or onto our mats, it is a new and different experience. Observing a garden at each of the four seasons will offer a dramatic example of change. However, looking deeper at the garden on a daily basis, perhaps several times a day, truly paying attention to even the minutia of the garden and how it transitions, will provide tremendous insight. To those of us who feel uncomfortable with change it offers valuable grounding.
It is not only a garden that may provide the benefit of insight gained through observation. Your yoga mat, a local park, woods, a tree outside on the street or even houseplants allow for the absorption of grounding energy. Just as we connect with the earth when we come onto our yoga mat, we can find that connection by placing our hands in or on the earth, kneeling, squatting or standing (preferably barefoot) on the grass or bare earth. Such actions allow the element of earth to be transferred into our energetic systems to counterbalance the air element which is prevalent during fall-like conditions. Placing your hands on a tree, and even hugging it if you so desire, will give you access to the depths of its root system, bringing you “back down to earth” once more.
As we move deeper into fall, the Vata Dosha (air or ether element) becomes increasingly apparent. The imparting of this grounding energy becomes more important in order to keep ourselves healthy and more readily equipped to handle changes, big or small. Observing Vata at play in the garden or in nature bestows copious opportunity for self-study and reflection, as it is responsible for movement and the breaking down of many of the plants and the shedding of the leaves. First watching the vibrant fall colours, indicating the recent peak of their summer (or above ground) growth, then the shedding of all that will no longer serve them as they turn their attention to their roots and growing beneath the surface for fall/winter. Watching the plants as they return to the ground, saving resources to come up anew in the Spring and often with greater growth is a reflection of our own yoga practice.
As we are intricately connected with the cycles of nature, observing and respecting what is taking place around us means that we are better able to honour our natural state of balance by flowing with nature rather than against it.
“Ecology and spirituality are fundamentally connected, because deep ecological awareness, ultimately, is spiritual awareness.” (Fritjov Capra)
[post_title] => A Garden of Knowledge
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Headaches are the most common health complaint. Almost everyone will experience a headache at some point during his or her life.
A headache is a pain sensed by the nerves and muscles along the head and neck area, as well as the tissue surrounding the brain and spinal cord. This pain is usually characterized as continuous pain in various parts of the head. The brain itself cannot sense pain, so headaches actually have nothing to do with the brain hurting. There are three major types of headaches: tension, inflammation and vascular headaches.
TYPES AND CAUSES OF HEADACHES
Tension headaches are usually caused by the tensing and tightening of facial or neck muscles. This type of headache accounts for 90 percent of all headaches and affects people at any age, from children to adults. Pain from a tension headache usually feels like a tight band or vice squeezing the head. The pain is usually dull and covers most of the head. There are many causes of tension headaches, but the most common are physical stress, emotional stress, bad posture, eyestrain, head injury and caffeine.
Inflammation headaches are caused by sinus infections, allergies, meningitis, stroke or other medical conditions. It is also characterized by a dull pain all over head. This type of headache is also a common side effect of many prescribed medications.
Vascular headaches are caused by disturbances in blood flow to the brain. Blood vessels in the head can dilate or contract, causing increased or decreased blood flow to the brain. The two most common types of vascular headaches are migraines and cluster headaches.
Migraine sufferers typically have severe pain in one side of head and are accompanied by nausea, visual disturbances such as flashing lights, auras, blurriness and sometimes a fever. Many migraine sufferers are also sensitive to light. The most common triggers of migraines are perfume, alcohol, eye strain, food allergies, seasonal allergies, menstruation, weather, stress, depression, sugar and sugar alternatives, cigarette smoke and improper sleep.
Cluster headaches occur repeatedly over a period of days, weeks or even months. They usually occur on one side of the head and centered near the eyes. The cause of this type of headache is unknown but experts suspect it’s related to blood flow.
COMMON TREATMENTS FOR HEADACHES
The most common treatment for headaches is over-the-counter pain medications. People who suffer from migraine, cluster or chronic headaches will most likely be prescribed medication for better pain control.
NATURAL TREATMENTS AND PREVENTATIVES
Some natural headache treatments include changing your diet, acupuncture and massage therapy. Food allergies are a common trigger for headaches. There are many foods known to trigger headaches, such as gluten, refined sugar, artificial sugar, soy and dairy. Just changing your everyday diet can decrease the frequency and intensity of headaches.
YOGA
Yoga postures and breathing techniques are also very useful tools that can be used to prevent and treat headaches. The posture sequence below encourages body alignment while releasing tension in the spine, shoulders, neck and upper back. This sequence should take roughly 30 to 45 minutes. Take the time to allow your body to relax in each posture before moving to the next.
YOGA SEQUENCE TO RELIEVE AND PREVENT HEADACHES
Easy Pose
Neck Rolls
Cat and Cow
Downward Dog
Standing Forward Bend
Standing Wide Leg Forward Bend
Seated Head to Knee (Left and Right)
Seated Forward Bend
Shoulder Stand (Legs Up Wall)
Fish
Head Stand
Child's Pose
Seated Eagle
Bound Angle
Spinal Twist
Upward Dog
Bridge
Spinal Twist – Laying Down
Corpse
Your breath should be calm and slow during the entire sequence. If you find your breath speeding up in certain postures, stay in that posture until your breath slows again. Try to keep the three-part yogic breath in mind. Inhale to fill your belly, chest and throat then exhale throat, chest and belly.
[post_title] => Healing Headaches with Yoga & Food
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[post_content] => In yogic philosophy the ego is referred to as the Ahamkara. Ahamkara translates directly as “I”-ness. It is the sense of separateness or individuality that we tend towards once we begin the process of taking physical form. As pervasive as this “I”-ness is, however, it is not real, and it blocks us from experiencing our true nature as consciousness (Purusha).
According to yogic philosophy, Purusha is the universal energy that is also called God, or “Brahman”. This energy flows within me, and is the same as the energy within you, within the tree, the dog, the earth. It is the energy called “Chi”, “Prana”, “The Force”. It is everywhere and in everything.
The entirety of the yogic path is focused upon transcending the illusion of this Ahamkara, and moving into the experience of Purusha; that which we truly are. This journey is called moving towards enlightenment – a journey towards the discovery of our own God nature. But because of the pervasiveness of this Ahamkara in our journey towards oneness, the illusion of separateness and therefore hierarchy easily occurs. There is a somewhat humorous story that my yogic father once related to me in order to illustrate the blinding and destructive nature of ego, and I now relate it to you.
The Story: There was once a yogi who knew well the philosophies of yoga. But still he had a great ego. And as such, he walked around beating his chest exclaiming, “I am Brahman! I am Brahman!” for all to hear.
One day, as the yogi walked out of a temple, there was a great commotion in the street. As it happened, an elephant, with its mahout (driver) atop, was stampeding along the street. The mahout had lost control of the elephant, and unable to stop it, was crying for everyone to get out of the way. People were fleeing in every direction, but the yogi stood his ground.
“I am Brahman!” the yogi exclaimed. “Why should I get out of the way? Let the elephant go around me! I am Brahman!”
The mahout continued to shout for the yogi to get out off the way, but he would not. And so the elephant trampled the yogi and continued stampeding on.
A vagrant who had been nearby when this all happened walked over to the yogi, who now lay trampled in the middle of the street. Looking upon the yogi, the vagrant in his wisdom and deeper understanding of the yogic way said, “Yes, you are Brahman. But wasn’t the elephant also Brahman? And wasn’t the mahout also Brahman? Then why didn’t you listen to Brahman when He told you to get out of the way?”
The story illustrates what yogic philosophy teaches: We must strive to see the divinity in all beings. There is no hierarchy; no one is of greater or lesser importance. What blinds us from this shared divinity and commonality is our pervasive sense of ego. To serve the ego, we separate ourselves from all others, and in the end, we suffer for it.
[post_title] => I am Brahman ... and so are You
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[post_content] => In November 2015, the topic of Yoga and cultural appropriation in the West come into high consciousness in Yoga classes across Canada as news spread that
free Yoga classes at the University of Ottawa were cancelled due to 'cultural issues'. At the Red Door Yoga studio alone earnest discussions arose in Teacher-Training courses. Clipped articles were also left with notes from students asking for my thoughts, at times with their opinions attached. This question of Yoga and cultural appropriation in the West has been very disconcerting for some, particularly those who deeply value Yoga as a practice and a path, but are now unsure that they are welcomed to it.
As a result of this rise in the collective 'media-conscious', I was asked recently by a teacher-in-training about my thoughts on "western culture appropriating yoga, which has deep religious and cultural roots in India." At this point, I thought it might be helpful for me to share my answer: When Yoga is taught with a thorough understanding and focus upon its philosophical purpose (enlightenment, or the experience of one's state of Union with all reality), there is no appropriation, no matter the culture from which you come.
Appropriation takes place when one takes the name of yoga while teaching without this underst
anding and focus. An excellent example of appropriation can be seen in the recent “Rage Yoga” classes. This is a great example of appropriation because the cultivation in this practice is that of the practitioners’ egos ("Ahamkara" or sense of individuality/separated self). This practice moves directly against the yamas and the niyamas outlined in yoga philosophy (non-violence, moderation, self-surrender, contentment, etc.), thereby leading to a stirred-up mind, not to union. There appears to be little to no understanding of yoga philosophy in this practice.
It should be understood therefore that appropriation of Yoga can occur not only in the West, but in the East as well. This is part of the reason that I teach as much Yoga philosophy as I do in the Red Door Yoga Teacher Training program and in my classes. It matters not that I am of East Indian descent or that I come from a lineage of traditionally practicing yogis, it matters only that when I practice and teach this path, I do it from a place that is deeply and consistently rooted in Yoga philosophy.
[post_title] => The Cultural Appropriation of Yoga
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[post_content] => According to Ayurvedic medicine, Mother Nature is the true healer of all ailments. It is said that a skilled physician will merely distract the patient, using the various methods of medicine and health care, which allows for Nature to quietly come in and restore balance.
It is believed that everything we take into our beings will have either a balancing, neutral, or upsetting affect on us. This includes all foods, drinks, sounds, smells, tastes, visions, and so on. Everything leaves an impression upon us in some way, and depending on one’s makeup of doshas and gunas (see the previous two articles in TheYogicWay Magazine), each of us will react to our environments and experiences in very different ways. For truly, one man’s medicine is another man’s poison.
Once we know our general makeup (Vikruti) according to Ayurvedic medicine, we can begin to understand which impressions and substances we take in will leave what kind of effects upon us. Knowing whether we are primarily Vata, Pitta, Kapha, or a combination of two or three, is very important if we are truly aiming to restore balance and achieve perfect health.
Vata
Vata people are highly changeable. They adore movement and travel, and change their minds and locations easily. They are usually of thin build, with thin hair and skin, and have prominent joints and uneven features. They have a tendency to become anxious, fearful, and confused when under pressure. They can be at the same time very introverted and extroverted, and tend to spend so much energy that they can find themselves exhausted at the end of the day. They may suffer from insomnia, constipation, dry skin, anxiety, addictions, and arthritis.
Vata people should seek to balance their constitution by applying the opposite qualities that are of their general makeup. They should eat warm, mushy, soft foods, never drink cold beverages, include mostly sweet, sour and salty tastes into their diet, always sit down to eat, and eat at regular times. They should try not to snack or eat on the run, but actually prepare a quality meal and enjoy it, at least once a day. People who are primarily Vata will benefit from establishing some kind of regular routine into their daily lives. This doesn’t have to be rigid or strict, as Vatas usually abhor any kind of routine (even the word!), but something that is self nurturing and pleasant. For example, a Vata person might discipline themselves into going for a brisk walk in the morning (Vatas love movement), and then grounding themselves by applying warm sesame oil all over their body before having a soak in a hot bath before starting their day. This simple routine could do a wonder of good to bring and keep Vata dosha into balance with Nature.
Vata dosha people should especially try to keep all sensory impressions of a calm and pleasing nature. Anything fearful, upsetting, or violent should be minimized. They should surround themselves with sweet smells, soft lighting, warm clothing, calm music and peaceful colours and pictures. Because Vatas often suffer from fear and confusion, it is important not to enhance this quality, but to balance it out with opposite qualities. If stressed, a Vata person would be wise to practice savasana, alternate nostril breathing (nadi shadoni), forward bends, and other restorative yoga poses.
In general, Vata people should be sweet and kind to themselves. They need to allow extra time for doing nothing! They must learn to slow down and get enough sleep, nurture themselves and enjoy life’s little moments. They must keep their creative passions flowing and healthy, but not to the extent that they ignore their body’s needs for rest and rejuvenation. Of all qualities to apply to Vata dosha, that of warm, soft, oily, stable, slow, and heavy will be the most influential.
Pitta
People of Pitta dosha are characterized by their intensity. They adore all physical and mental challenges, and usually seize any opportunity to compete or share their highly developed intellect. They are usually of firm and fair build, with good muscle development and tone, and are often graceful and controlled in their movements. They may tend towards light, pale, or reddish skin tone, often with light hair and eyes, sometimes with streaks of red or freckles on their face. They can often become irritated, angry, judgmental and critical, although inside they are highly sensitive beings with fragile emotions and a lot of self-doubt. They tend towards ailments such as inflammation, rashes, acidity, fever, stress, anger/rage, and burnout. They have strong appetites and need constant stimulation. They love to take in impressions more than any other dosha, because of their fiery nature which constantly craves something to “digest”, whether food or otherwise. Pitta people are highly functional and organized, and value the intellect and challenging opportunities more than anything else.
Pitta people need to seek balance in all things that antidote their intense and serious nature. They will find support in foods that are cooling and sweet, such as green vegetables and spices such as cumin, parsley, coriander, and cilantro. The Pitta gut can usually digest just about any food, however they should still be conscious to avoid tastes that are overly sour, pungent (spicy) and salty. The bitter taste is especially helpful to calm inflammations and itchiness (physical and emotionally based). A Pitta appetite will do well to avoid overeating and eating after dark. Usually Pitta people will become hungry around 10pm, and often find themselves enjoying a midnight meal as they continue working on whatever project or occupation currently has them under wraps. However, it is best for Pitta people to try and be in bed by 10pm, to ensure a good night’s rest and rejuvenation for their constantly active minds and bodies.
Pitta people will find balance by incorporating all sensory impressions that are soothing, mellow, relaxed, and patient. They will benefit from visiting a source of Nature that is green, watery, calming, and peaceful as often as they can. While a Pitta soul would rather race up the mountain wearing their heart rate monitor and weights around their ankles for added challenge, it would be wise for them to balance their fire by (once in awhile!) walking slowly up the mountain, pausing to feel the breath and the coolness of the air, and listen to the sounds of Nature and not only the slew of plans and ideas marching in their minds.
A Pitta person would be wise to make friends with people who are calming and gentle. Because Pitta will delight in all arguments, debates, and intellectual conflicts, it is a good idea for them to balance out this tendency by visiting people who have a quieter and more passive disposition. A Pitta person can learn from these people how to share and be more accepting of others’ opinions. He or she may find calm and inspiration from spending time with elderly people, babies, and soft, fuzzy animals! In times of stress, a Pitta person would find support in a slow walk by the ocean or a lake, a holistic hatha yoga routine, long deep breaths, and quieting the mind with meditation, singing, dancing, or laughing.
In general, Pitta people must learn patience and gratitude. They must remember that all of life is not a competition or something to “get done” on one of their many lists of projects. They must find sources of cooling and calming activities, and take the time their bodies and minds need to rest and digest.
Kapha
People of Kapha dosha are known for their stability. They are usually the calmest and most gentle people, who have a love for life’s luxuries. They enjoy sleeping, eating, and being relaxed. They prefer not to move too quickly, and can often be prone to laziness and stagnation. A Kapha person delights in sensual pleasures and nurturing, and make wonderful parents, healers, and homemakers. They usually have a larger body frame and a strong immune system, as well as flawless memories and a general attitude of harmony and compassion. They can be prone to ailments such as overweight/ obesity, congestion, allergies, and seasonal colds/flu. Kapha people tend to be very emotional and may suffer from depression. They can find themselves stuck in habitual patterns and thought processes, and require change and stimulation to help them grow and evolve. They often find it extremely difficult to initiate change, though once they begin they are the most likely to follow through.
They should avoid overly sweet, sour and salty tastes, and indulge in foods that are stimulating and awakening to their systems. This would include the bitter, astringent, and pungent spices, such as raw vegetables, spicy, light soups, and spices such as ginger, turmeric, black pepper, and bay leaf. Kapha people should especially avoid overeating and eating for emotional reasons. Fasting or light meals will help to keep their digestive fires strong and break the routine of habitually eating for pleasure.
Kapha people must find activities that balance their tendency towards stagnation and routine. They should try to vary their days so that they experience a variety of situations and experiences. They do best with regular, vigorous exercise, such as aerobics, jogging, biking, or flow/power yoga routines. They should make sure to try new things that push them beyond their comfort levels, and challenge themselves to adventures they wouldn’t normally do. A Kapha person would benefit from making friends with a Pitta person, who naturally indulges in excitement and stimulation, as well as a Vata person, who would inspire them to change and break their established routines.
Emotionally, Kapha people are usually very kind and docile, and are sometimes quite shy. Making a point to be socially active will benefit Kapha, and taking on an activity such as social dancing, group exercising, or competitive sports would benefit both their body and soul.
In general, Kapha dosha finds balance and better health when adopting a more “get up and go” attitude. They must seek out change and stimulation, and move their bodies everyday in order to avoid congestion and lethargy.
To Learn More
To learn more about your Prakruti and ways to find balance in body, mind, and spirit, a suggested read is “Prakruti” by Dr. Robert Svoboda.
This article was originally published in the April – June 2008 issue of The Yogic Way® Magazine.
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