“The Ancient
Yoga Secret To
Washing Your Dishes...”
Most people think of meditation
in yoga as something you do on a mat in a special yoga session.
But one of the greatest secrets to yoga is that every part of
your everyday life becomes your yoga practice.
Listen to the free audio below to learn more about how you can apply a
simple yoga meditation technique to your everyday activities to relieve
stress and enhance your health...
Yoga
Meditation Technique
FREE Ancient Yoga Secrets Audio # 2
From Pamela McDowell
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the play button below to listen in me explaining
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Most
people think of yoga as a series of exercises you do on a mat in
special class but every part of your daily routine can become your
yoga practice.
The great yoga secret is not necessarily that
the activities you pursue from day to day change (although they
might) but that you change the attention and awareness you bring to
those activities.
The fundamental core of Yoga really is all
about controlling your attention and your awareness.
Paying
attention to your breath and all your physical actions gives you a
“place to put your mind.”
This helps keep it from running
around on autopilot – filling your head with worries and intrusive
thoughts concerned with the past and the future that serve no really
useful purpose in the present moment.
Calming your mind helps
calm your system and keeps you focused on what you're doing.
Calming
your mind may also help keep you healthy.
A whole range of
published studies show meditation can help reduce stress and anxiety
and lower blood pressure.
Studies also suggest meditation
could help decrease the symptoms of breast cancer, prostate cancer,
depression, heart disease and lower back pain.
So practicing
focused awareness in everything you do in your day to day life is a
scientfically validated ancient yoga secret that can boost your
physical, mental, emotional and spiritual wellbeing.
You
can turn something as simple as washing dishes into yoga if you do it
with the level of attention you want to bring to your
practice.
There's an old saying “before enlightenment chop
wood, carry water – after enlightenment chop wood carry water.”
We
could change that to “before enlightenment run water, wash dishes –
after enlightenment run water, wash dishes.”
So how do you
apply the ancient yoga secret of washing dishes?
Remember
every second of washing the dishes is your yoga practice so stay
focused and observe the finest details.
Notice the feel of the
tap as you turn on the water.
What does the water sound like
as it hits the sink? How does the sound change as the sink
fills?
Feel the detergent bottle as you squeeze. Watch the
bubbles as they rise in the water.
Consciously pause and
become aware of your whole body before picking up your first plate or
cup.
Then very slowly with full awareness move your hands to
pick that piece of crockery.
Be aware of your breath as you
move your hands.
Watch as you wash the plate with
care.
Listen to the sound of the bubbles as they slide off the
plate and hit the water.
Feel the warm water and the suds on
your hands.
Be constantly aware of all your
senses – sight, smell, taste, touch, hearing.
Also be aware
of all your movements.
Once you've applied the
yoga secret to washing your dishes you can expand it to create
“awareness triggers” in your every day activities.
If you
work at a desk you can bring conscious awareness to your body every
time you pick up a pen.
Pause for half a second or even a
second or two before you pick up your pen.
This reminds you
that the only time you have is the present – there is no need to
rush through life to the next moment.
Slowly
move your hand to pick up the pen as you breathe in deeply.
Be
aware of how the pen feels in your hand and how that feeling changes
as you start writing on the paper.
See the fine detail of the
writing you're creating on the page and listen to the sound the pen
makes as it moves.
Anything you do can be turned into
a yoga exercise.
Here are a few more guidelines for your yoga
practice with everyday activities.
Be patient with
yourself.
Don't get upset with yourself when you find you
haven't been aware or paying attention.
Accept that you were
unaware.
Your objective is to be an conscious observer not a
judge.
As you practice awareness in your day to day life your
attention and awareness will improve.
Pay attention to
different aspects of your movement, breath, and your spine.
Pay
attention to parts of your breath – inhale, exhale, the spaces in
between, where the breath is going in your body, the sound your
breath makes – all the different dimensions.
Most important
of all have fun with it.
You can now turn tasks that seemed
mundane into a fantastic adventure into yoga practice.
Really
enjoy the liberation of living in the present moment and staying
constantly and wholly aware of the wonders of life.
Remember
“Before enlightenment, run water, wash dishes. After enlightenment
run water, wash dishes.”
For your own Viniyoga video designed to help you practice on your own safely and effectively, gradually building up
strength, flexibility, balance, breath capacity, and focus click on the link below... Beginner Yoga Video
For
more FREE audio clips on how you can use simple, practical Viniyoga
techniques to improve your health enter your name and primary email
address below...