Yoga With Pamela McDowell

Think back to a time you were feeling upset, frustrated, angry or confused…

Pick the first situation that comes to mind and think about it briefly.

Notice for a moment your body’s response to that memory…

…Notice the rate and depth of your breathing, how much much muscle tension you feel, how clear your mind is and any other bodily sensations.

Now, think back to the a time you were feeling relaxed and peaceful.

How does your body respond to that memory?

Once again, notice
the rate and depth of your breathing,
how much much muscle tension you feel,
how clear your mind is
and any other bodily sensations.

I’m betting you noticed a difference.

Perhaps you noticed some muscle contraction, restricted or shortened breath, uncomfortable feelings in your stomach or throat, or mental fog as you remembered being upset.

And when remembering being relaxed you may have felt easier breathing, less muscle tension and more mental clarity. A little more… spacious.

Now which of these states do you prefer? Which one do you think allows you to be at your best – mentally, physically, emotionally?

I’m hoping you picked the more relaxed state. (If not, please comment below – I’d like to hear your response.)

In the more relaxed state, you may find it easier to choose how you respond to the world around you.

In your “stressed out” state your responses are often conditioned and programmed. Sometimes those programs are not how we’d like to behave (how many times have you regretted saying something once it left your mouth).

In the “relaxed” state you have more opportunity to choose your action… to be kind instead of critical, to be friendly instead of insensitive… to really interact with the world.

Wouldn’t it be nice to feel calm, relaxed and peaceful whenever you want?

The blessing (and the curse) is that situations and events don’t stress us out, our reactions to those situations and events – and even our reactions to our thoughts.

One of the first steps is to bring awareness to your feelings…

Start by noticing throughout the day if you are feeling stressed out, angry, anxious, worried, confused, frustrated or if you are feeling calm, relaxed, peaceful, loving, or joyous.

Notice without judgment… just observe.

Notice how how your emotional feelings make you feel physically.

Also notice if your response to some event or mental activity put you in that frame of mind.

And notice how you are responding to the world around you.

That’s it for now… just notice.

In a later post I’ll explore some ideas for cultivating those empowering, peaceful states.

A little relaxation could improve your brain chemistry:
How to Benefit from the Yoga-GABA Study

Trading the stock market for yoga:
Stock Market Yoga

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Tags: Health Tips, Yoga Philosophy, Yoga Practice Tips // Add Comment »

I did it again.

I fell into some of my annoying patterns around Christmas.

(Happily I’m doing better than some previous years, but I’m still doing it.)

I was feeling irritated.

And quite frankly I’ve probably been a bit of a pill at times. (Sorry, guys)

It’s just that this whole gift thing drives me nuts. And I feel pretty silly that I still let it get to me instead of just enjoying spending time with my friends and family.

The litmus test of the holidays tells me I still have plenty work to do on my emotions and how I relate to others…

But all of that is coming to a close for the year. (Sigh) Soon all the insanity around giving and receiving copious holiday gifts will fade into memory.

But before it does, you may enjoy this brilliant rendition of this holiday song about giving gifts – The 12 Days of Christmas.

Now time to read something useful about yoga:
How to Benefit from the Yoga-GABA Study
Your Yoga Journal

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When you look at a book, what do you see?

Perhaps you see a stack of rectangular sheets of paper glued together. But what else?

What do you see that isn’t there?

Do the words and the pictures on the cover bring back any memories?

Does the mere thought of books bring up recollections of long nights studying? Of lazy days at the beach? Of historical libraries?

So many times we take along our life’s baggage to observe a person, place or thing.

Our memories and ideas keep us from seeing clearly.

That’s not entirely bad – imagine looking at each and every STOP sign and seeing the sign for just for what it is instead of what it means. That would make for some exciting driving.

On the other hand, it helps to be aware that our memories prejudices influence what we perceive…

…to realize that we rarely see a book, a lake, a sunset or a person for what they actually are.

We rarely experience a physical sensation without some interpretation of what it means.

But sometimes we get a glimpse those expansive moments where we just perceive, without our memories and expectations crowding out the experience.

For most of those, those experiences are rare. But they point toward something Patanjali mentions in his yoga sutras (one of the major teachings on yoga).

He talks about normal perception being a mix of what is actually there and what is coming from your mind. This perception is usually unfocused and distracted.

Patanjali also talks about moving toward being able to truly perceive clearly and with your full attention – in essence, being in the state of yoga.

Gradually, with preparation, we can move toward seeing life, the universe and everything for what it actually is.

How do you do that?

The practices of yoga are ultimately intended to help us reach that state of clear perception.

Two simple exercises can help you with these lofty yoga aspirations… (no yoga mat or meditation cushion required)

1) Notice how your mood, memories and expectations shape what you see, hear, smell, feel, and taste

2) Notice when you get distracted

Oh…one other thing…

Just notice and observe 1 and 2 without judging them as right or wrong.

Practice the art of awareness:
A Benefit of Relaxation
Stock Market Yoga

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Tags: Patanjali's Yoga Sutras, Yoga Philosophy, Yoga Practice Tips // Add Comment »

What have socks got to do with yoga, aside from keeping your feet warm?

This morning I realized I was wearing something very interesting.

After years of trusty service, a pair of wool-blend socks are wearing through in bottom.

And now that winter weather has arrived, it’s getting harder to ignore the thin spots (especially while teaching on an unheated floor in stocking feet).

This may be the first time I ever got to observe this particular wear pattern… my other socks usually loose their shape or break down in some other way before a hole develops in the bottom.

And the holes weren’t what I expected..

Since these socks (like most normal socks) don’t have a specific right or left foot, both socks would have been worn about the same number of times on each foot.

So the pattern of thinning should be more or less symmetric on each sock, as it collects wear from both feet over time.

That was not the case for these socks. The wear pattern is not symmetric. It looks as though each sock has been worn on only one foot.

Perhaps that’s true, but not likely. I’m just not that organized.

Instead, these socks seem to be revealing some asymmetry in my movement patterns, weight distribution, and the shape of my feet.

And sure enough, when I paid careful attention to my walking, I started to notice how I may have worn lopsided holes in my socks.

It turns out that I put a little extra weight on the right sides of my feet.

Does this mean I have something to fix? Not necessarily.

Observing… seeing what is there objectively as possible is one of the practices of yoga.

These socks give me one more way to observe my behavior in a pretty objective way… Who’s gonna argue with a pair of socks?

It even pays to be more observant:
The Yoga of a Parking Ticket

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The ancient Indian sage Patanjali, in his yoga sutras, named a number of obstacles to clear perception.

One of them is illness.

How do you act when you’re feeling down?

A recent minor finger injury got me asking myself just this question.

So many things I do during the day involve my finger – washing dishes, locking a door, typing this entry on a computer keyboard…

So many times through the day to be reminded of a minor discomfort.

Which got me thinking about illness and injuries in my past. Even a relatively minor cold can affect nearly every part of the day.

It can be darn near impossible to forget you’re sick or injured.

And it can be very easy to be a bit of a pill when you aren’t feeling well.

But fortunately, we have a choice. While we may not always have control over what happens, we do have the power to choose how we react.

Sometimes it helps to look to role models. My grandpa comes to mind.

Grandpa’s birthday is coming up. He would have been in his early 80’s but died in 2001 of cancer.

While the few months leading up to his death were very distressing for me, I look back now and realize those months were also a gift.

In spite his discomfort from having lung cancer on top of arthritic pain (his wrists were “bone-on-bone” from years of carpentry), Grandpa was a pretty pleasant guy till the end.

He wasn’t without his faults, mind you, but he was fun to visit, he enjoyed life and he was interested in other people. He was interested in what others were doing and thinking, and he spent time visiting with people.

He left the house regularly until he was no longer able to. He walked daily as long as he could. He kept living.

He showed me how you can be terribly ill and still behave in a way that makes people happy to be around you.

No matter how we feel, we still have a choice as to how we behave.

Happy birthday, Gramps.

More yoga wisdom of the ages:
What do You See in Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras?
Grandma’s Yoga Secrets

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Tags: Health Tips, Patanjali's Yoga Sutras, Yoga Philosophy // Add Comment »

In an earlier post I wrote about the importance of washing your hands in order to ward off the viruses that carry colds and flu and the bacteria that can cause various maladies such as salmonella infection.

The US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommends soaping up for at least 20 seconds before rinsing with warm water.

Since writing that post, I started paying more attention to how much time I spend washing my hands.

Out in public, were it is almost certain that I’ve been exposed to some virus, I’m actually pretty careful about washing my hands for at least 20 seconds.

Around the house, though, I noticed not always being so thorough.

So I started wondering how I could make my hand washing long enough to be effective.

The obvious one to me was to turn it into a breathing exercise – a sort of sudsy pranayama…

Simply count and breathe…

Inhale: 1, 2, 3, 4
Exhale: 5, 6, 7, 8
and so on until reaching 20.

Then rinse thoroughly with running water.

Simple enough…

Then I started wondering if I could make it a bit more soothing, too. How about a short meditation?

While lathering up your hands, inhale, then exhale and imagine worries draining from your head to your left hand and into the soap.

Inhale, then exhale and imagine worries draining from your head to your right hand and into the soap.

Now inhale, then exhale and imagine tension draining from your neck and shoulders to your left hand and into the lather.

And repeat, this time during exhale imagine the tension traveling down the right arm into the soapy bubbles.

Now rinse away the tensions and worries while you rinse the soap from your hands.

Making yoga your routine:
Yoga in Your Everyday Activities
Chocolate Meditation
Your Yoga Journal

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After seeing many of my extended family come down with the sniffles over the Turkey-Day holiday (aka Thanksgiving), I realized it might be time to share some of what I’ve learned about keeping well.

The first key is hygiene.

While you may think that viruses fly through the air and attack you, they often have an easer route… the finger tip express.

When you touch a virus-contaminated surface with your hands and later touch your face with those same hands, you’re giving the viruses a free ride to your body.

Your nose and eyes are an easy path to your sinuses, where viruses can multiply and possibly make you sick.

Fortunately, there are some easy ways to defend yourself.

Most importantly, wash your hands frequently with natural soap.

Antibacterial soaps won’t kill viruses and may contribute to antibiotic resistance. They can also be damaging to your skin.

So your best bet is to use natural soaps and wash thoroughly. The CDC recommends washing for at least 20 seconds at a time.

Use warm water, plenty of friction, and remember to clean under and round your nails (viruses and bacteria love to hide under your nails).

Rinse well with running water.

Use an air dryer or clean towel to dry your hands (paper towels are best), and avoid re-contaminating your hands by using a paper towel to turn off the faucet (especially in public restrooms).

In a pinch, alcohol based hand sanitizers help but aren’t as effective as thoroughly washing your hands.

And remember to keep your fingers out of your eyes and nose.

Next, clean your sinuses

By cleaning out your sinuses you can reduce the amount of bacteria and viruses in your sinuses and make it easier for your immune system to keep you in top health.

My favorite approach is using a facial dip, plunging my face in a bowl of clean, warm, salty water and blowing bubbles.

Ok, I draw in the water then blow it out.

It works really well and also helps with seasonal allergies.

There is the added benefit of washing out my eyes at the start before the water gets mucky.

Some other alternatives are neti pots and sinus washing kits.

For general maintenance, you can clean your sinuses once or twice daily.

If you’re sick, experiencing allergies, or have been around sick people, clean your sinuses more often.

Finally, clean the objects you touch frequently – especially if someone you live or work with is sick.

That means towels (especially handtowels), doornobs, light switches, and so on.

Even yoga mats.

If you attend a yoga class, bring your own mat unless you know that the mats are cleaned between uses. This is particularly important if anyone using the mats is ill.

In a pinch, you can use one of the studio mats and place a clean towel between your face and the mat, and wash your hands thoroughly after practice.

These simple hygiene techniques will go a long way toward keeping you healthy this season.

Other ways to improve your health with yoga:
How to Benefit from the Yoga-GABA Study
The Ancient Yoga Secret to Washing Your Hands

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Tags: Health Tips, Yoga Practice Tips // 1 Comment »

Thanksgiving is this coming Thursday in the United States. Here that marks the official start of the holiday season. Already some have their Christmas decorations up and I’ve even seen one Salvation Army bell ringer out in front of a store.

During this season of festivities, many of us drop the practices that have helped keep us in good health the rest of the year. Perhaps we don’t intend to, but there is just so much else to do!

Parties, shopping, cooking… finishing end of the year projects… families, friends…

With all the added activities, there just isn’t time for yoga (or exercise, or eating healthy, or resting).

But with all the increased activity, yoga and other healthy habits couldn’t be more important.

It is when we are most stressed that we need the support of our nurturing habits.

With yoga, rest, exercise, and healthy eating we cultivate the energy to partake in the fun, but sometimes stressful events of the season. We cultivate the awareness so that we can be more present. peaceful and loving with our friends and family.

Sometimes it requires a little creativity to fit these practices into a jam-packed schedule.

Take a quiet minute to breathe while your computer starts up at the beginning of a workday
Fix some extra ready-to-eat healthy snacks while you prepare dinner
Park a little further from the door to get some extra walking in
Relax your body while you wait in line at the store
Listen to an uplifting audio while you drive your car

And remember, the best yoga practice is the one you actually do.

So much better to practice 3 minutes a day than to keep putting off a longer practice. Pick a movement and do it along with an easy, relaxed breath.

Use that practice to bring a little more love, peace and joy to the season.

What do you need to get motivated?
Your Yoga Journal
Keep Healthy During the Holidays (or Anytime)l

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Tags: Yoga Motivation, Yoga Practice Tips, Yoga Techniques // Add Comment »

I’m still a little worn out as I write this.

This afternoon I was taking great pity on myself.

Yes, it’s that time of month. And my body was sending clear signals to let me know in case I hadn’t noticed.

My discomfort was quite a bit more noticeable than in recent months. Perhaps it is because of the changing weather. It could have something to do with my dedicated indulgence in Dagoba’s 87% chocolate the last few days.

What ever the cause, I was in pain.

Relieved to be finished teaching classes for the day, I returned home and tried just about every natural approach I could think of.

I had a healthy snack and an extra dose of fish oil…

Took a homeopathic remedy…

Practiced some gentle movement and breathwork. And lots of EFT, looking for some emotional component to the ordeal.

But, the pain was relentless. It wouldn’t budge.

So I walked to the grocery store – about 1 mile round trip to get some easy exercise and some produce.

My plan for this afternoon had been to make some business calls and then go visit Grandma.

I put off the calls and entertained the idea of waiting another day to visit the nursing home.

Then it occurred to me. If I can’t feel better, at least I can help someone else feel better.

Grandma so enjoys having people visit. And I don’t do it nearly enough.

The truth is, I don’t always enjoy visiting. Grandma likes for people to stay once they arrive, and often she is not wearing her hearing aid making conversation tough.

Another trip, this time to see Grandma.

And an hour later I returned home, pain free.

I hadn’t noticed when the pain left. I had my mind on other things – visiting with my grandma.

Yoga Health Secrets:
The Ancient Yoga Secret to Washing Your Hands
Stay Healthy With Yoga in Any Season

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Tags: Yoga Philosophy // Add Comment »

Smokers have mastered something many of us are striving to attain – a regular daily practice.

Mind you, many of them have decided the practice of smoking no longer serves them.

But for those who continue to smoke, you can capitalize on the practice.

And nonsmokers, never fear, there is something for you in here too. (And no, I’m not going to suggest you take up smoking.)

This goes back to my client mentioned in a previous post…

Yoga in Your Everyday Activities

She was upset about not practicing enough, and we identified a few things she did daily that she could turn into a sort of yoga practice.

One of those was smoking.

This client doesn’t take much quiet time, but she is very consistent with her smoke breaks – going outside for sunshine, fresh air, and a smoke.

She also tends not to pay much attention to her breathing in her day-to-day activities, and often finds herself holding her breath.

But each of these smoke breaks is an opportunity for her to pay attention to her breath – simply noticing the inhale and exhale with each puff of a cigarette.

Perhaps even paying special attention to the feel of the cigarette, the process of lighting it, and in the end putting it out.

…And possibly even bringing those smoke breaks to a gradual halt, transforming them to simple breaks to relax and breathe without the nicotine.

Nonsmokers: Have you ever noticed that serious smokers are pretty regular about their breaks?

Are you?

If not, why? Is it because you think you’ll be more productive if you skip your breaks?

Or if you’re a computer worker, do you spend your breaks online or playing computer games, sitting in much the same way you do during your work time?

Take a cue from the smokers and get up, move a little, and look outside. If you’re adventurous, go outside.

Notice your breathing, stretch, do some yoga or EFT. Relax and enjoy for a while.

And like a smoker, take your breaks regularly.

Other ways to put the breaks on:
Chocolate Meditation
Rest for a Moment
Are You Rushing Through Your Yoga Practice?

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Tags: Yoga Motivation, Yoga Practice Tips, Yoga Techniques // Add Comment »