Crazy Sexy Life » Yoga

Ain’t No Mountain High Enough

Guest Blogger — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 09:00:05 +0000

When I was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis seven years ago, at the age of 28, it felt like my life was sent spinning downhill. My fear of how this disease would weigh on me, drag me down into inevitable disability, was echoed by the concerned family and friends who cautioned me to be careful, not to take risks, to take drugs, to abandon my dream of having children. How would I cope with one day being in a wheelchair and not being able to work? Who would take care of me?

At the time, I was a longtime heavy smoker, in a toxic relationship, and my feeble attempts at exercise consisted of the occasional yoga class or visit to the gym where I’d putter around on the machines, uninspired and ignorant of how my body actually worked.

The MS diagnosis was a lightning bolt, propelling me into instant action. Leaving the doctor’s office that day, I made a decision to change my life, to embrace a path of healing and empowerment. I quit smoking on the spot (and have never smoked since). I radically changed my diet to eat more organic foods, visited acupuncturists and massage therapists, chiropractors and colonists; I got a personal trainer and went to the gym regularly and started running. The next evolution of my newfound body awareness was to take my growing yoga practice to the next level, and I attended a year-long yoga training program and became a certified Kundalini yoga teacher. Sat Nam!

Yet something was missing. I still thought of myself as a victim, a sick person, at best just slowing down the disease train that was going to smack me into submission, someday.

Then, after a long meditation one day, I got an inspiration, asking myself: What does a strong, fit, powerful healthy person do? Who did I believe I could be, in my wildest dreams? At the top of my brainstorm list was “climb Mount Everest!” Well, I was sane enough to know that wasn’t a short-term option, so instead I decided on a modified plan – I would spend a month trekking in the Himalayas in Nepal, to get myself to the basecamp of the tallest mountain on Earth. That certainly didn’t seem like something a “sick person” would do!

Soon after, I found myself climbing steadily uphill, rising every day, step by step, toward “Chomolungma,” the sacred mountain the Nepalese call “Mother Goddess of the World.” At 15,500 feet above sea level, life takes on a different perspective. The oxygen levels were 40 percent lower, yet every breath was deep and pure, as I appreciated the pristine mountain air. After three weeks of hiking from dawn to dusk every day, I felt blessed by a new awareness and appreciation of my body, the rhythm of my own power to move my life, upwards, higher and higher, into what seemed like heaven on earth. One morning, I woke at sunrise and watched the daylight fan across the top of Mount Everest, and I knew I was connected to a light that would rise for me every day if I woke to greet it.

After that journey, I realized the healing power that I was seeking could be found in immersing myself in nature. I began to explore the wilderness in my own backyard, in Canada. I began to hike regularly and practice yoga outdoors, in the mountains, on the beach, in remote fields of wildflowers. I paddled canoes along backcountry lakes and swam nude in secluded rivers under the moonlight. I felt healthier and more vibrant than I ever had in my entire life! So much so, that I decided to dedicate my energy to helping other women discover their wild side and natural vitality, changing my job from an urban office worker to becoming the director of Wild Women Expeditions, an outdoor adventure travel company, and moving from the city to living on the edge of a National Park surrounded by forest, mountains and ocean.

The medicine I needed more than anything was to fall (rise!) in love with life again. To love my body and trust its infinite resilience. To love and cherish the land and the water, and let it hold me and wash over me, like a nurturing mother. Synchronicity would have it that the love of my life, who is now my husband, is a holistic life coach and personal fitness trainer at Holistic Fitness Guru, as well as a wilderness guide. We are now getting ready to welcome our first child into the world!

There have been so many lessons in the adventure of moving through the healing path, and in every way I am more alive because of the disease I chose to make a tool, not an obstacle. I have found that living more naturally is about deeply engaging in the world around you, connecting with the land and the lifecycles that bring us nourishment, daring to get our hands dirty and our feet wet.

Many scientific studies have been conducted to validate that physically and psychologically, getting outdoors and being active in nature is beneficial for our health. And intuitively, we know this to be true. Spend an afternoon walking in the woods, swim bare breasted under a waterfall, push yourself through waves in the ocean or sing your heart out around a campfire. Feel yourself wild and powerful and a precious part of the life that grows all around you.

I am continually inspired and reinforced by the words of the poet Mary Oliver, who wrote the compelling challenge to us all: “What is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?”

Jennifer Haddow is the director of Wild Women Expeditions, Canada’s Outdoor Adventure Company for Women. She is a certified yoga teacher and believes strongly in the rejuvenating powers of nature and that wilderness immersion is essential to good health, life balance and human happiness.

My Journey With Yoga

Guest Blogger — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 09:00:22 +0000

From an outside perspective, one could be forgiven for wondering if I took my cues from Goldilocks when it comes to practicing yoga: trying all of the styles, repeatedly, only to find one “too hot,” the next “too hard,” etc. … quickly moving on to the next, except that I never found one that was just right. It certainly wasn’t for a lack of trying.

When I say I tried every kind of yoga, I mean every kind, including pre-natal and laughter. I barely made it in the door of the pre-natal class when my pregnant friend outed my lack of fetus for all to hear: “She’s not really pregnant, you know.” From then on, the class was largely made up of, “Now girls, focus on your babies … and Sara you can …” Though I was humbled and in awe of the ease with which several of these heavily pregnant women maneuvered their way through the poses. It was, in hindsight, one of the worst yoga experiences I’ve had simply for the fact that it only managed to enhance my lack of connection with the practice, the instructor and my fellow classmates.

Laughter yoga, though deceptively simple in theory, is anything but. First, one must consider the fact that if you manage to convince a friend to come to class with you, though highly unlikely, they will quite possibly never speak to you again. Second, keep in mind that the term yoga is used loosely to describe a room of adults engaging in embarrassing and sometimes ridiculous behavior in an effort to incite laughter in themselves and each other. The “Pretend you’re in an elevator and someone just farted” exercise is about as far from savasana as one can get.

The commonality that ran through all the classes, from yin to vinyasa, from the opening “om” to the final corpse pose, was my inability to get beyond the frustration I felt over the absence and lack in my practice. Sure I was reaping the physical benefits like a tighter tush, but I wanted that proverbial spiritual carrot that I felt was being dangled in front of me every time I stepped into a studio. I wanted enlightenment and well-being. Devotees far and wide claim that it “changed their lives.” Who wouldn’t want some of that? I certainly did.

Thinking slow might be the way to go, I tried Hatha. Nothing. Faster. I tried Flow. Faster. Faster. Don’t stop. I tried Ashtanga. Still nothing. Maybe Bikram’s. It’s sweaty. Maybe Anusara. It’s Tantric-based. Nope. Nada. Maybe it was the instructor. I tried a man. I tried a woman. It became overwhelmingly clear that my g-spot did not seem to lie between my y-o and a-spot.

Instead of writing into Cosmo as one tends to do with this sort of dissatisfaction with an unfulfilling long term relationship, I ended up signing up for a yoga retreat in Tulum. At this point, I’d written yoga off deciding we’d be friends, but that there would be no torrid love affair. It simply wasn’t in the cards. But that didn’t mean we couldn’t have fun.

Except that fun was not in the cards on day one. It was, instead, an exercise in pseudo frustration, first in meditation then in power yoga (pseudo because one can only be so frustrated in paradise). Meditation had been an epic battle between me and my busy brain. “Is this right?” “How should I feel?” “My leg’s itchy.” “Am I calm enough?” “Am I peaceful?” “Breathe.” I spent the entire time obsessing about how I thought I ought to feel and what was the right way to meditate. Yoga was essentially a sequel with: “Is my foot in the right place?” and a “Will I ever look like Seane Corn?” thrown in for good measure.

After class, wanting to put as much distance between me and the classroom I headed for the labyrinth on the edge of the resort’s property. I’d read about it the night before while checking in. It said, “Labyrinths are an ancient form of walking meditation typically used for contemplation, centering, becoming fully present in the moment or tuning into universal wisdom…” Yes, please. Who wouldn’t want a helping of universal wisdom with a side of insight?

I stood at the opening, took a few deep breaths and tried to feel “spiritual.” I walked slowly. Immediately, as if on cue, my mind started up: “Am I walking slow enough?” “Should I look up or down?” “Do I feel relaxed?” “Am I meditating?” “Do I feel enlightened?” As I turned the first corner, completely caught up in my mental morass, I managed to stub my toe quite hard on one of the huge pieces of coral that made up the labyrinth. After I worried about the ramifications of swearing in a sacred place, it dawned on me that that was a wake up call. “Pay attention! You’re missing the point. You’re missing everything.” There I was on the edge of the ocean in paradise, but I was so caught up in my thoughts and expectations that I was missing it all and robbing myself of a potentially a-maze-ing experience. This message rang true with me in terms of meditation, yoga, and life as a whole. I kept letting the how get in the way of the why. The final words from the description of the labyrinth rang truest: “There is no ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ way to walk a labyrinth, simply slow down, breathe, and follow your spirit.”

This isn’t a fairytale with a happily ever after. I still struggle on the mat and in life, as we all do. But whenever I feel my busy brain grasping frantically for the hows instead of the whys, I think of the moral of the coral.

Sara Kinninmont is a writer living in Vancouver, Canada. When not feverishly collecting frequent flyer miles or lavishing attention of her French Bulldog, Pork Chop, she channels the Eager Beaver and lives like she gives a damn!

Photo credit: bikeracer

Take Your Om Outside

Guest Blogger — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 09:00:24 +0000

The world’s best yoga studio has no walls, an uneven surface and is void of stinky gym people. You don’t have to worry about fighting for good mat space and there is never a shortage of inspiration. Without question the best yoga studio offers a mind-body connection like no other. And most importantly, it is available to everyone on this planet. It is the great outdoors.

Yes, I know. Rain, wind and cold weather can all be distracting, to say the least. As a resident of Wisconsin I understand that it doesn’t quite work to practice outside every day. And yet dare I say that sometimes even less then desirable conditions motivate the practitioner to be even more focused and more present.

This morning I practiced outdoors on Madeline Island’s beachfront. The smell of the beachfront brushes and the sounds of the waves hitting the dock was my backdrop. There was no need to search for spiritual energy or tap into a deeper presence. It just unfolded before me.

Top five reasons to take your Om outside:

1. You can root into the earth. Not just metaphorically but really feel the surface beneath your feet. Even with a yoga mat between you and the ground cover, the concept of growing tall like a tree from the soles of your feet extending up through your spine makes so much more sense when you are barefoot outside.

2. It is OK to be less than perfect. Upon moving my hand down to the ground, my index finger rested upon an acorn resulting in a loss of balance and a step back. At home in the studio I would have cursed the distraction. There is a natural acceptance of living in harmony with the outside if you practice in it. This also aids us in letting go of our expectations. Nature is constantly changing things up on us. There is no guarantee that the surface that worked for Ardha Chandrasana (half-moon) on Friday will make itself available on Saturday. A light rain can change everything.

3. It’s memorable. I’ve done Natarajasana (dancer) in snow boots, balanced in crane on a tree trunk, done headstand on the shores of Lake Superior and meditated in the forest. I remember each of those unique moments. More than a hundred headstands in my life and I have no direct connection to the ones done against a studio wall. The one where I created a groove in the sand with the imprint of my skull is the one I remember. Why is that? Nature provides a mind-body connection like no other. For example, a drishti (gaze), which includes the twist of bark on a tree, reminds you to be present as well as focused vs. a small smudge on the mirror of a studio that honestly for me would create the desire to clean it.

4. No germ warfare. How many times have you shrunk on your mat as the practitioner to your left broke into a controllable coughing spasm during the cold and flu season? Perhaps she wanted to move toxins out of her body through yoga but it always left me feeling slightly resentful (not to mention grossed out) to follow behind her in handstand potentially placing our hands on the same surface. I feel not only more alive in my outside practice but much less vulnerable.

5. Hello stress relief. I can’t explain the magic but what yoga does for me in a studio is magnified 100 times outside. Perhaps it is the fact that breathing outdoor air just feels more natural, or maybe it’s the sounds of nature as my background music. Whatever. All I know is that after a few poses on the beach and I can feel the release of tension. It seems to be genetic trait too. I often take cues from my children who innocently follow their instinct without the manifestation of the fear we learn as adults. My daughters were playing on the beach and one flipped into a headstand. Moments later another settled herself at the water’s edge and folded into lotus (or crisscross applesauce). Simply being in that moment, surrounded by nature, following their heart.

Amy Annis, a crazy sexy cancer survivor, is a believer of the healing power of yoga. After teaching for over a decade she launched her yoga retreat business on beautiful Madeline Island, Wi for all levels of yoginis and adventurers.

Photo credit: Andrew Kalat

Vairagya: The Practice of Letting Go

Guest Blogger — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 09:00:24 +0000

“Vairagya” is the term in yoga philosophy that describes non-attachment. The term “yoga” itself comes from the verb “to yoke,” to be steadfast with something. This is different from clinging to things out of fear. Vairagya refers to our ability to let go of things, to leave them be, as well as to go for a challenge while renouncing the fruits of our labor. We need both action and inaction in our lives to remain balanced, and the practice of vairagya has us abstain from getting too attached. To play it cool, as it were.

Clinging to thought patterns, people or things, is the closest to what could be considered a sin in yoga philosophy. Basically, it shows lack of faith in that we are eternally provided for. “How is that?” you ask. There is no proof that a heavenly handout will materialize as soon as we let go of our attachments. But that is the definition of faith, isn’t it – the fact that we must believe without any assurance of desired outcome?

We can all agree that being flexible and having an ability to let go of an issue, a regret or an obsession, is a good thing. We are so much happier when we don’t stare ourselves blind over something we want, or a problem we can’t immediately solve. What I’d like to do here is explore a little further the lesser discussed virtue of vairagya, which is what it does to us as people.

Loosening your grip on things makes you a less fearful person. Letting go reminds you that life is temporal and that being able to hold on to anything is an illusion. Enjoyment of the moment is all you have until that moment is gone – so that you may enjoy the next one. Non-attachment lets you love people without glomming on to them, expecting them to love you in return. In this mental place, fear loosens its grip on you because you enter situations without either anticipation of what will happen or bracing yourself for the worst. Your actions become a true expression of who you are, over being directed by your thoughts of what those actions will give you.

Sometimes I have trouble sleeping. Attaching myself to the idea that I should sleep only makes it worse. I’m attached to my sleep (as well as attached to the beauty that will surely vanish quickly if I don’t get my sleep …). Below are the practices I do to open up and change my perspective in those moments, and I find that they can be applied to anything that I am attached to. Feel free to try this self-talk – I hope it will work for you too.

First, use your breath to help you. Say “let go” to yourself. “Let” on the inhale, and “go” on the “exhale.” If you, like me, use it for sleep, know that it’s also OK just to be resting and not sleeping. When you are tired enough, you will sleep (and maybe you are just someone who has a lot of energy, and that’s why you are still up).
Second, there is a gift housed in each situation where you think you are about to lose something. The gift differs depending on the situation, but the gift of learning is universal to most of them. Ask yourself, “What am I learning now?”
Lastly, clinging prevents you from expanding. Holding on so tightly to what you already have or hope to gain, blinds you to what else is available to you.
Say to yourself, “Although uncomfortable, I’m expanding now.”

In conclusion, I quote the great Swami Muktananda when he said, “Don’t be addicted to anything, but if you have to be addicted to something, be addicted to yoga.” Perhaps in our glorious humanity, we will always have to fight our urge to control circumstances. Muktananda’s advice to cling to the yogic way of non-attachment may be our best bet in directing our fear and letting go. Either way, when you feel clingy, vairagya will free you up any time you are willing to practice it.

Johanna Sawalha is a private and executive coach with 18 years of experience in the field, coaching high-powered individuals in their businesses and lives.

Photo credit: Shenghung Lin

The Neti Pot

Guest Blogger — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 09:00:45 +0000

Getting to Know the Nose

Before we go into the details of the nasal wash, let’s begin with a science lesson. The nostrils are the interface between your body and the atmosphere—they filter, clean, heat, and moisten the air you inhale. This is why yogis advocate breathing through the nose instead of the mouth.

The sensitive lining of the nostrils secretes mucus, which effectively traps dust, dirt, and other particles when it is moist. The mucus also contains antibodies, which help protect the body from infection or irritation by foreign materials or organisms. This is important because you inhale 18,000 to 20,000 times daily. All day the moist, sticky mucus collects dirty particles from the air you breathe and keeps it from entering the lungs. If you don’t clean this matter out of the nostrils, it will end up in your stomach, because the mucus lining of the nostrils slowly moves everything backwards until it is swallowed. What’s more, when the mucus becomes dry or laden with dust, it loses its protective function. The nasal wash dissolves and clears away dried mucus and stimulates the nasal linings to secrete fresh, moist mucus, which will help keep your nose—and the rest of your system—healthy.

How It Works

You can use the neti pot to rinse away pollen, dust, germs, and other airborne contaminants; to remove excess mucus when you’re congested; to moisturize the nasal membrane after spending time in planes or in heated or air-conditioned rooms; and to open the nostrils as you prepare for meditation.

The anatomy is simple. As holistic expert Carrie Demers, MD, explains: “Your nose is divided into two passages, and there’s a septum in between. You pour the water in one nostril, it goes around the back of the septum, and gravity helps it flow out the other side.”

The nasal wash, she says, can also prevent or treat sinus infections. “Your sinuses drain into your nasal passages through little openings called meatuses. It’s when these openings get blocked that mucus accumulates and causes pressure and infection. The neti water washes over the meatuses, keeping them open and the mucus inside the sinus cavities flowing out—the water doesn’t actually go into your sinuses.”

The Practice

If you’re wincing at the memory of getting water up your nose while swimming as a kid, don’t worry—jala neti uses a warm saline solution that’s the same temperature and salt concentration as your bodily fluids and is soothing to the sinuses. Neti pots vary in shape and size, so here’s a basic recipe: Mix one-half heaping teaspoon of pure noniodized salt with two cups of warm water until the salt dissolves completely. Adjust the mixture to your own salinity—it should taste like warm tears.

Fill your neti pot and lean over a sink, face downward. Keeping your nose slightly higher than your lips, twist your head to the left. As you breathe through the mouth, insert the spout into the upper nostril until it forms a tight (but comfortable) seal. Raise the handle of the neti pot and let the water flow through the nose and out the lower nostril. When you’ve emptied the pot, exhale through both nostrils into the sink or a tissue. (Do not close off one nostril while blowing, because this could force the water back into the ear.) Then repeat on the other side.

To clear loose mucus and water from the nose after the practice, exhale forcefully into the sink 5 to 10 times with both nostrils open and the face relaxed. Next, do a simple forward bend, turning the head from side to side as you do another round of vigorous exhalations. Remember, one of the goals of the nasal wash is to reduce excess mucus—so don’t be squeamish about blowing it out. You’ll feel better if you do.

The yogis have numerous variations of jala neti. In addition to the beginner’s nostril-to-nostril version described above, you can also learn how to pull water from your nose into your mouth, or push it from your mouth to your nose—which is especially useful if you’re away from home without your neti pot. To try the mouth-to-nose practice, fill your mouth three-quarters full with warm saline solution. Lean over the sink, facedown. To expel the water, tuck your chin toward your neck and press your entire tongue against the roof of the mouth, forcefully exhaling the saline into the sink. Keep the throat relaxed through the entire process. Repeat several times. This nasal wash reverses the natural motion of the cilia and cleans them in a different way. It also reduces postnasal drip.

The Neti Pot Challenge

For those of you who are new to the nasal wash, try spending three to six days learning how to do it. Then use the neti pot every morning for a month to observe its overall effect.

Next, figure out how often you need to do it and what time of day works best for you. To check whether you would benefit from the nasal wash at any given moment, breathe deeply through both nostrils together, then through each nostril separately; if you feel any blockage, you will find the nasal wash helpful and soothing.

Here are a few more suggestions: Use the neti pot before your asana or meditation practice. Try rinsing your nose after exposure to dusty, smoky, or sooty environments and notice the relief you get from it. Anticipate allergy seasons by getting started on a regular schedule of two or more daily washes. Generally, use the pot before meals, instead of afterward, to stay in harmony with the body’s natural mucus-producing schedule.

Meet You at the Sink?

So there it is: nasal irrigation is both comical and practical. It cleanses and protects the nasal passages, counteracting the effects of environmental pollution and treating colds, allergies, and sinus problems naturally and effectively. It improves the quality of your breathing, and hence, your yoga and meditation practices. Now, that’s a pretty convincing argument, isn’t it?

Written by Shannon Sexton, Yoga+’s Editor-at-Large

Originally published in Natural Health Magazine.

Originally published on September 4, 2009.

Benefits of Yoga and Mindfulness for People with Cancer

Dr. Keith Block — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 09:00:33 +0000

Many people facing a diagnosis of cancer are looking for ways to release stress and tension. Yoga and mindfulness training that is, practices intended to cultivate present-moment awareness and relaxation are two of the best-studied options in this regard. But can such practices really help people with cancer?To answer this question, in this blog, I examine some of the most recent research findings concerning the potential benefits of yoga and mindfulness after a cancer diagnosis.

First off, there is little doubt that yoga can play a key role in helping you relax and enjoy a better quality of life, as indicated by a meta-analysis published online ahead-of-print in the March 9, 2011 issue of “Evidence-Based Complementary & Alternative Medicine.” This analysis included a total of 10 studies in which cancer patients practicing yoga were compared to those not practicing yoga or receiving nothing more than “supportive therapy.” Based on comprehensive psychological assessments and pooling the findings from all ten studies, the yoga groups showed statistically significant lower levels of anxiety, emotional distress, depression and overall stress, when compared to the cancer patients in the control group.

Yoga incorporates a blend of elements: relaxation, meditation, imagery, controlled breathing, stretching and movement. Of my patients who practice yoga and/or mindfulness training on a regular basis, most report a greater sense of calm and improved sleep. Also, yoga can help with recovery from cancer treatments. For example, breast cancer patients may experience limited arm motion due to scarring from surgery and radiotherapy; yoga can increase flexibility as well as range of motion in the affected arm.

I mentioned above that better sleep is among the frequently reported benefits of practicing yoga. Exercise and sleep do seem to go hand in hand. Over the years, I have met many people who swear by this interrelationship: the better their exercise habits, the deeper and more satisfying their sleep tends to be. And because cancer patients frequently have problems with sleep, there is good reason to consider sleep as one of the worthwhile benefits of an integrative physical care program that includes yoga and possibly mindfulness training as well.

Researchers at the M. D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas, recently conducted a randomized trial of cancer patients practicing Tibetan yoga, which involves a combination of movement and meditation. Reporting in a 2004 issue of the journal “Cancer,” Lorenzo Cohen, Ph.D., and his M.D. Anderson colleagues found that those patients who practiced Tibetan yoga for seven weeks had better overall sleep quality compared with lymphoma patients who did not practice yoga. The yoga-practicing patients went to sleep faster, slept longer and used less sleep medication than their non-practicing counterparts.

All of the patients in the yoga group reported that they found the program was beneficial, and more than half the group said they practiced at least twice a week during the follow-up period. While there was a trend toward improvement in such factors as fatigue, depression and anxiety, the only statistically significant difference between the two groups was sleep quality. As might be expected, patients practicing Tibetan yoga also had better energy levels and less daytime sleepiness.

Developed over thousands of years, the movements of Tibetan yoga are gentle and subtle. The two forms used in the intervention group, called Tsa lung and Trul khor, involve controlled breathing, visual imagery, and maintaining awareness of the present moment. Dr. Cohen hypothesized that Tibetan yoga might serve as a stress-reduction practice for people with cancer ? much like going to the gym is for many people who sit behind a desk all day. Based on the study’s outcome, he concluded that Tibetan yoga is particularly useful for people receiving and recovering from chemotherapy. In addition, one of the key findings in studying cancer patients who practice Tibetan yoga is that they also have more favorable cortisol profiles. This is very important, as cortisol is a stress hormone associated with chronic anxiety, depression, poor immune function and a worsening prognosis for breast cancer patients.

A recent study of the effects of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) found that these practices led to statistically significant reductions in blood pressure, heart rate and respiratory rate, along with a more relaxed, present-moment awareness. The MBSR training also led to a statistically significant effect on the morning cortisol level, as reported online ahead-of-print in the October 2010 issue of “Western Journal of Nursing Research.”

More research is needed to determine whether the favorable effects of yoga and mindfulness training on cortisol levels hold true. However, if other studies find such an effect, it could very well be that such practices would help extend survival in people with cancer. My belief is that any practice that improves the quality of life and overall functioning of a person is worth pursuing, not only because quality of life itself is a worthwhile goal, but it has, in fact, been associated with improved survival.

For more information on how to optimize your health, visit lifeovercancer.com

Photo credit: MyNeChimKi

A Magical Weekend of Tapping for Pain Relief, Food Cravings, and Much More …

Nick Ortner — Tue, 02 Aug 2011 09:00:48 +0000

Last weekend, I had the honor of spending the weekend at Omega, in beautiful Rhinebeck, NY, with my friends Kris Carr and Elena Brower. You might know Kris from her film, “Crazy Sexy Cancer” and best-selling books, the last one being a New York Times best seller, “Crazy Sexy Diet.”

The weekend was scheduled to be an interesting combination for participants, mixing emotional freedom technique (EFT) with cutting-edge nutrition information with rejuvenating yoga. It was all that was promised and more!

Borrowing from my friend Kevin Gianni, here are 7 things I learned/experienced/thought about this weekend that you might find helpful.

1. I don’t get tired of seeing amazing results with pain relief. When I work with people in pain, especially up on stage in front of a live audience, I joke with them that they don’t have to say, “the pain is gone” just to make me happy! And the reason I say this is because I continue to be astonished each and every time, when the pain just … goes …

Sometimes it’s quick, a matter of minutes; sometimes it takes deeper work, and sometimes there’s a reduction in the pain, and it doesn’t all go away (and remember this is usually only 20-30 minutes of working on it!).

But even just a reduction in pain, from doing this weird tapping on your face and saying stuff process, is startling! Why doesn’t everyone know about this? And why isn’t everyone using it? I’m not proposing it’s the answer to all pain, all the time, but it sure is extremely effective a lot of the time, with no side effects and that needs to be talked about more.

The thing about pain is … it sucks. I know, what a deep insight. But seriously, pain takes up so much energy, so much life force; it robs us of our ability to be in the world, to be in our body, to be with friends and family and to create. It just plain old sucks. But there are solutions, and EFT is one of the best ones out there.

If you’ve seen our film, “The Tapping Solution,” you’ll remember that perhaps the three most startling cases of results dealt with physical pain. John, a Vietnam veteran with 30 years of chronic back pain (gone by the second day!); Jodi, diagnosed with fibromyalgia for 15 years (pain reduction within minutes of tapping and pain free by the second day); and Patricia, who had fractured her L-1 and was in significant pain (pain free, off meds, doing yoga!). By the way, if you haven’t seen the film yet, you can get it here.

Just amazing stuff … and life changing on so many levels. So, what does this mean for you? Well, if you’re in pain, you have to dig deep and give Tapping a real shot at handling it. To help you do so, we’re putting on something very special this fall, which we’ll be announcing in about a month. It’s free and revolutionary, so stay tuned for it. And start thinking about who you know who is in pain, you’re going to want to share this with them.

TIP: Remember, the easiest way to get started with pain relief is to tap specifically on what’s going on. “Even though I have this back pain, I deeply and completely accept myself.” Tap through the points a couple of times, and pay close attention to not only any reduction in the pain, but more importantly, what’s happening with your body and your thoughts. Does an image of your boss come up as you tap? Maybe that’s the next place to go. Do you remember something that happened to you 20 years ago? Tap on that. Tapping is peeling away the layers of an onion to get to the specific root cause of the pain, of the emotion, of the block. Start with the general (unless you know the specific event right off the bat) and then keep digging deeper.

Most importantly – don’t give up! Two rounds of tapping is not enough to say, “I tried that for my pain.” Sometimes I find it helps to set a timer, or look at a clock and say, “I’m tapping for at least 20 minutes” or even 10 minutes if that’s all you have. Don’t stop until you’ve hit that goal!

2. Working with people on stage with food cravings is always fun and it’s also sad. What do I mean by this? Well, when I bring out the Kit Kats, the Hershey’s, the chocolate chip cookies, the salty chips and other “treats,” it gets a good laugh as people jump up for them, smell them, ask to eat them, and have what is often an amusing emotional reaction to these “treats.”

Then as people come up on stage to work specifically on their cravings, the humor melts away as we find out that what’s really behind it all are feelings of sadness, emptiness, loneliness, boredom, fear and more. The experience this past weekend was especially interesting because I had three guys come up on stage, which is rare!

But hey, us guys can crave sweets too!

One particular compelling story was from John (name changed to maintain privacy), who struggled with a need to have chocolate ice cream every night. Digging deeper we found he was recovering from substance addictions, and the ice cream was the closest replacement he could find to fill that emptiness he felt, especially at night. John is a remarkable, courageous man who has made great progress and ice cream is a much better solution than his previous choices. But he still wanted to be free, and needing the ice cream wasn’t freedom.

We began tapping on the craving itself initially (as in pain relief, it’s easy to start with what’s present for you at that moment, what’s most obvious and then dig deeper). After some of the craving itself released, we dug deeper to the feelings he was burying by eating the ice cream.

TIP: If you have a food craving, and you want to release the underlying cause, try this short exercise for clarity. Close your eyes and take a few deep breaths. Visualize a time when you’ve had a craving, or visualize in the future when you might have a craving. Feel that in your body. Feel deeply into the craving and when you’re connected to that feeling, dig a little deeper and ask yourself, “Instead of this chocolate/candy/ice cream, what am I really craving?” Ask it a couple of times if you don’t get an answer right away. Once you have your answer, whether it be: “I’m craving more peace, more love, less stress (whatever comes to you is perfect),” then do a couple of rounds of tapping on it.

Example:

“Even though I’m craving more love from my husband, I deeply and completely accept myself.” “Even though I’m craving more love from myself, I choose to relax now.”

Keep tapping until the craving and the feeling clears.

3. The participants this weekend were BRAVE. I don’t know if they really knew what they were getting into, how deep we would go, how much we would uncover, but they were present, loving and honest. It truly touched me to see so many people committed to change, committed to having more in their life.

TIP: Be brave. Go there. Deal with it. Tap on it. You can do it. You can. Believe in yourself. Believe in the tools that are out there to make this work so much easier, and dive in.

Be brave! Do it now.

4. The universe brings us more magic than miracles. I know miracles happen. I believe in them, expect them, hope for them. But miracles can be a heavy word, especially if you’re dealing with something serious, and it seems like only a miracle can help. If you’re dealing with cancer, or another life-threatening illness, I know you’re hoping for a miracle.

But if it feels like that’s too much, like it’s unlikely to happen, then start looking for “magic.” Not Harry Potter magic, the magic of this earth. The synchronistic events, the little signs, the gut feeling to turn left, to turn right, to tap.

Follow the magic, and then all the magic adds up into a miracle.

Tip: Look out for magic today.

5. We never really lose anybody (and magic reminds us of that). Towards the end of the weekend, we were all really in the flow. I personally felt fantastic, a bit tired from lack of sleep, but so juiced about the transformations that were taking place. On the morning of the last day, as we did every morning, we each picked a “card” from a big basket of 5-6 card decks that Kris had put together. Some were angel cards, some were cards with sayings on them, some were cards of inspiration, all sorts of fun stuff.

I was up on stage, about to speak, when Kris came over with the basket, and I picked a card.

When I looked at it, my jaw dropped.

Staring at me from the card was an exact drawing of my cat, Pythagoras, (we called him Py) who I lost 2 years ago.

I mean EXACT.

It’s a long story, but I moved houses two years ago, and Py, who was a very happy indoor/outdoor cat, left one day and never came back. (I spent about a month looking for him, but that’s not relevant to the story!)

What is relevant is that when I saw that card, his message, or the universe’s message, was clear as can be. Losing Py set off a chain of events that have brought me to where I am today, and it’s been beyond perfect.

When it happened, it was one of the toughest things that’s ever happened to me, but looking back, I get it.

TIP: I know it’s cliché, but things are working out in perfect order. If you’re going through a tough time, if you’ve recently lost someone, something, or are lost yourself, take a deep breath and know it’s all working out (and tap on it of course to make it all easier!).

6. It’s about balance. One of the reasons the weekend was so amazing was because we covered so many topics, EFT, nutrition and yoga, and they are all vitally important to living a healthy, happy, fulfilled life.

I’m sorry, but you can tap until you are blue in the face, but if you’re eating McDonald’s cheeseburgers for lunch, you’re just not going to be healthy.

If you never go to the gym, do yoga, or some sort of exercise, your body is not going to be fit, strong and full of energy.

I’m a huge fan of the Abraham-Hicks material, and follow it on so many levels, and at the same time, we’re very physical beings on a very physical earth. We need to breathe, move and get great nutrition into our bodies.

TIP: Check out Kris’ site (http:/www.crazysexylife.com) to learn more on nutrition and check of Elena’s site (especially if you’re in NYC) for yoga info: http://virayoga.com/ By the way, Kris and I are coming out with something together later in the year to help you become even healthier, easily. So stay tuned for that.

7. They inspired me. Spending time with Kris and Elena inspired me. I’ve been finding myself eating better, adding some things in that Kris mentioned, some new stuff, some reminders of old stuff. Elena’s voice has been ringing through my head, “Just 15 minutes of yoga! If that’s all you can do, do that!” And I’ve been listening, and have been feeling great because of it.

Right now, I’m writing from Arizona, where the Transformational Leadership Council, led by Jack Canfield, is meeting. I’ve just had the privilege to join in the past year, and the people here are so inspiring. Jack Canfield, John Gray, Hale Dwoskin, Lynne McTaggart, Arielle Ford, Claire Zammit, Janet Atwood, Cynthia Kersey, just to name a few of the people that are here. so inspiring to be around them.

TIP: Surround yourself with people that inspire you and help you grow. Now, I can hear what you’re saying already, “You’re so lucky to be around those people. I’m not friends with them, can’t spend time with them, etc.”

Here’s the reality: For a good 10 years, I spent a huge amount of time listening to all these same people. I would read their books. I would listen to their audio programs. My roommate right after college joked that my headphones were permanently glued to my ears.

And guess what?

After I listened to them enough, after I read enough of their books, attended enough of their seminars, slowly, but surely, I climbed the ladder of my life, my possibilities, my dreams, and now have the pleasure to call these same mentors, my friends and colleagues.

You can do the same thing.

Well, I hope you’ve enjoyed my 7 thoughts. Thanks again to my bud (we went to elementary, middle and high school together) Kevin Gianni, for the idea to share “7 things.” You can check out his 7 weekly thoughts on nutrition, health and more here: http://www.renegadehealth.com

So let me know if you found this helpful, what insights you might have had from them, something you tapped on and cleared from it, and whatever else comes to mind.

Until next time …

Keep Tapping!

Nick

For more information on how to optimize your health with EFT, visit http://www.thetappingsolution.com/.

Turn Those Kids Upside Down for Fun, Focus, Confidence and Calm

Guest Blogger — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 09:00:37 +0000

There was a time in the not-so-distant past when kids used to run out of the house after breakfast, then scoot home when the street lights came on in the evening. I know, because I lived that time. Activity-filled days for kids have been replaced by hours of watching videos and playing computer games. And when summer comes, that’s where the majority of the day is spent – staring at a screen. But there are ways to get your kids to be active and healthy this summer, even when the computer is calling out to them. I found one way with yoga.

Not just any old yoga. We’re talking fun stuff here. Did you know that some of the things kids naturally love to do, like handstands and headstands, can be part of a quick and invigorating yoga sequence? It turns out that these “inversions,” which is any pose in which your head is below your heart, have fantastic health benefits. They build upper-body muscle, increase focus, reduce stress and increase calm. They enhance confidence as you move outside the natural boundaries we have built in standing upright.

The reluctance most people have with yoga is the time and money commitment. Many of us don’t have the time to participate in 60- to 90-minute classes, and that’s not including commute time! And if you want your kids to participate with you, they’ll roll their eyes at the thought of a class of that length. It’s like being back at school. Even when you can find economical classes, paying for yourself and your kids adds up.

So what to do? I created a 10-minute yoga sequence that can be done anytime, and almost anywhere. You really don’t even need a yoga mat. The poses are specifically sequenced to grab the majority of the benefits yoga has to offer, like increased flexibility and strength, as well as lessening stress and increasing calm. And just try to stop the kids from joining you in this fun little sequence. What kid can resist a handstand?

But that doesn’t mean you have to do a handstand, unless you want to. Let me share my beginner-level 10-minute yoga sequence so you can see how easy, how calming and how fun this is to do with your kids this summer.

10-Minute Beginner Yoga Sequence

We begin in Tadasana (Mountain Pose). Tell your kids you want to become as still and strong as a mountain. Challenge them to do it and remain still for a few breaths. Here’s how: Bring your big toes together, heels slightly apart. Lift through the crown of your head as you reach your hands toward the floor. Take a few deep breaths here, inhaling and exhaling evenly through the nose.

Next, come to your hands and knees, with your hands directly under your shoulders and your knees hip-width apart. We call this “Table Top.” For the kids, the most fun part of Table Top is to try to make your back as flat as a table. Hold for a moment.

On an exhale, sink your hips to your heels, reach your arms out in front of you, and come into Utthita Balasana (Extended Child’s Pose). Really reach your hands out and get a strong stretch through the back. Hold for five longs breaths. This feels really good.

On an inhale, reach the buttocks up and back, and straighten the legs, coming into Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward-Facing Dog Pose). Tell the kids this is their preparation for going upside down, which will come in a minute. Hold for five breaths.

On an exhale, bring the knees back to the floor, sink the hips to the heels, and reach out with the arms, coming back into Extended Child’s Pose. On an inhale, reach the buttocks up and back, and straighten the legs, coming back into Downward-Facing Dog Pose. As an option, instead of coming back into Downward-Facing Dog, kick up into Handstand. Here’s how:

Move near a wall. Start in Downward-Facing Dog Pose with your hands about 6 inches away from the wall. Walk your feet forward until your shoulders are right over your wrists. Bend one leg under your chest in a lunge position, and raise the other leg to hip level. Now kick up with the bent leg as you swing the other leg up. Reach both heels to the wall, coming into Adho Mukha Vrksasana (Handstand). Tell the kids to try to hold Handstand as long as they can, aiming for at least five deep breaths, if not more. (This is a powerful strength builder and calming tool. It helps kids focus and builds confidence!)

When you are ready to come down from Handstand, come down, step back from the wall and fold forward at the waist into an easy forward fold to rest and catch your breath. Repeat this sequence four times, moving from Extended Child’s Pose to Downward-Facing Dog, or moving from Downward-Facing Dog to Handstand. This will tucker them out.

We’re done with inversions, and now we’ll move into the backbend. In yoga, backbends are any pose that arches your spine back. Backbends are chest openers as well, which are invigorating and mood elevating – especially good for grumpy kids who have been hunched over a computer screen.

Let’s start. Lie flat on your stomach with your legs together and toes pointed behind you. Bend your elbows, placing your palms flat on the floor next to your ribs. Press down through your palms, raising your head and chest, and spiral up the spine like a snake, coiling into Bhujangasana (Cobra Pose). Remain here for five breaths, then lower yourself for a rest. Repeat two more times.

Next, turn over and lie flat on your back, face up. It’s time to do our twists, the bent knee

variation of Jathara Parivartanasana (Reclined Twist). Bring the arms out to each

side at shoulder level, in a T position, palms up. Draw the knees to the chest, keeping

your back flat on the ground. On an exhale, gently roll your knees to your right side, allowing

them to rest on the floor. Twists soothe the spine after the backbends, and “wring out” emotion, creating a calmer kid. Take five long, deep breaths. Repeat to the left.

We’re going to finish the sequence by coming into Savasana (Corpse Pose). This is where the kids are challenged to become as still as a lifeless body. Can they do it? Lie on your back, extend your legs, and allow your feet to roll open. Extend your arms near your body, with your palms up. Close your eyes and breathe naturally. Completely let go and unwind, releasing any muscular tension. Savasana allows us to absorb all the benefits of the sequence we just did.

You can remain in Savasana as long as you like. And don’t be surprised if the kids fall asleep.

Holly Mosier is the author of “Stress Less, Weigh Less” and the creator of “10-Minute Yoga with Holly Mosier,” which contains this and other 10-minute sequences that will keep your kids busy and focused.

Photo credit: a4gpa

Where is Your Attention?

Elena Brower — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 09:00:30 +0000

Do you ever feel that you deserve more love? Or that the people close to you should do a better job of showing you love? We expect everyone – our teachers, our partners, our parents, even our kids – to give us love, to help open our hearts. For me this expectation of love was debilitating, and I was making myself into a victim. To tap into real love – from my family, my beloved, my child, my friends – I needed (and still need) to take the drama out. Once I read this sentence it was clear.

“If you want to know about love, forget all about love, and look for direction.” – G.I. Gurdjieff

Direction, in this phrasing, refers to your attention, your direction in your work, your behavior, your mind, your heart. Where there is direction, there is consistency, clarity and consciousness. And where there is consistency, clarity and consciousness, all forms of love (respect, caring, listening) emanate naturally. Direction can be the simplest boundary: a bedtime for yourself so you can stick to your plan of action the following day, a rule for yourself around being on time. Start small. All we need is a way to be proud of ourselves and all sorts of positivity follows.

We interesting humans mostly see ourselves as having clear direction, yet in most of our biggest choices in life there is an egregious element of happenstance, and a concurrent lack of that feeling of love. So I have two seemingly opposing proposals for all humans: read poetry, and get a life coach. Here’s why.

As a public school student in high school, landing freshman year at Cornell University in a roundtable-style poetry section limited to 10 students was a major privilege. I was one of 10 instead of one of 30, and each voice was instrumental to the conversation. Ever since, poetry holds me tight and will never let me go.

When e.e. cummings asks “since feeling is first/ who pays any attention to the syntax of things,” my mind and heart open, every time. When A.R. Ammons says that “… everything is magnificent with glory/ nothing is diminished/ nothing is diminished for me,” I’m reminded of that level of magnificence in everything I’m doing. Pia Tafdrup reminds me to “… open my eyes/ and consider the world: Mysteriously near, and crystal sharp.” Agi Mishol speaks for our silence, “You won’t be able to escape me/ I am the quiet in the disquiet of your bodies … I am the attentiveness found everywhere/ I rise out of you/ now.” And so I begin listening and locating my silence – again.

Reading poetry that’s tuned to that universal resonance is magical. Regardless of time or space, those sentiments plow directly into your heart and are etched as pivotal sensations. So when I began teaching yoga around 1998 (and since I had little understanding or trust in my teaching voice), I incorporated poetry into my teaching. For a long time I could only offer the heart, the history and the height of the yoga via the poetry. Immersed in Anusara yoga since 2000, poetry initially helped me create sacred space and articulate the heart via the postures, in ways that were relevant off the mat.

Recently when I was asked to teach a yoga class wherein I’d invite renowned poets to read to us at pivotal points during class, this circle was completed for me. I remembered how I’d needed to forget about trying to spread love and expect love as a teacher and instead look for direction to give my students through the alignment and the poetry. For a long time, that seemed enough.

Poetry held me aloft in times of certain self-sabotage; it gave voice to my states of being and pointed me toward my heart again and again. Poetry granted me a sense of universally connective direction early in my teaching, and still lives in my heart and my voice. The words led me toward a friendship with myself that is only now coming truly to fruition, 10 years later. But what I needed to fully manifest that friendship, and find my voice as it is now, was an actual map. Poetry opened the door to my heart, but just behind that door was another one, the one that had me keeping all sorts of secrets that I thought were protecting myself and others, and I had no way in.

Finding the work of the Handel Group gave me the keys to that door, by holding up a mirror on the fears that led to the secrets. Those past secrets (from little ones like smoking to big ones like cheating and lying), once unraveled in the process of coaching, have taught me how to tell the truth directly through my most intense and impeding fears. Confessing what I’ve hidden has led to healing, magical conversations with family and friends that I’d never dreamed of having, and revealed a sensation of love that I’ve never known.

To have the privilege of truly designing my life, by writing out my dreams and then bravely living into them, detail by detail, requires a quality of heightened but practical momentum. We have to practice having the craziest conversations and tell on ourselves all the time to have our most loving life, to be simultaneously receptive and proactive with elegance.

“To gain anything real, long practice is necessary. Try to accomplish very small things first.” – G.I. Gurdjieff

Photo credit: kiwikeith

Detoxification Through Yoga

Guest Blogger — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 09:00:35 +0000

Yoga is a powerful system that can be applied in many different ways to produce various health-enhancing effects. As a yoga teacher and lifestyle expert, I have traveled the world for almost a decade studying and teaching these profoundly simple and effective techniques that can heal the body, restoring it to its natural state of radiance and vibrant health.

One key to creating radiant skin and health is sweating, which purifies the cells, eliminating toxins from the body and rejuvenating the entire circulatory system. When we sweat, in combination with specific yoga poses, we can further enhance our experience and rapidly increase the process of detoxification.

Why would we need to detoxify ourselves?

In the modern world, we accumulate toxins from just about everywhere. From the air we breathe, the food we eat, the water we drink and everything in between. We also create our own toxins through stress and tension we carry in our body. This stress converts healthy fluids and cells into toxic waste inside of us. Our muscles tighten up and hold toxins stored in the knots, stuck tissue, fascia (soft tissue that lies on top of the muscle) and fat. This is often seen most visibly as cellulite, which is toxins trapped in fat over the top layer of our fascia.

To reveal the radiant skin and health that is your birthright, it is essential to detoxify your body. I suggest at least once a month, but if you can do it more often, you will be ever so grateful. The more you make this a habit, the more likely you will start to see the effects and, as a side benefit, you can also begin to look and feel many years younger! That’s right; yoga and detoxification have been proven effective for anti-aging. This occurs when we release the toxins and blocked energy flow from our system, allowing natural health, vitality and vibrancy to flow freely and radiate.

In this article, I will mention a few essential elements to detoxification yoga practices, and just want to encourage you to begin somewhere. The key is to start. Then you can gain the tangible experience and take it to the next level as you are ready.

Five Essentials to Detoxification

1. Drink at least eight glasses of water per day. Twelve or more is ideal, and when detoxing you may benefit from 16 or more. This will flush the toxins from your system and you will feel rejuvenated and nourished.

2. Sweat. This can be done in various ways (dancing, running, hot yoga, detox yoga flow and cardio exercise). Since skin is the largest elimination organ in the body, this is a key to the detox process.

3. Eat clean, alkalinizing foods. These can include many veggies, fruits and some whole grains. While detoxing, steer clear of all processed foods, cooked meats, dairy and sugars. As we store toxins in fat and mucus, it is key to not consume dairy during this process.

4. Get plenty of rest. Sleep at least 8-9 hours per night to give your body time to heal and regenerate. Detoxing is taxing on the system, as it processes toxins through the organs rapidly.

5. Get massages and other healing sessions to enhance the experience and speed up the efficacy.

Specific Yoga Poses for Detoxification

1. In the detox yoga sequencing, we always work in a pattern that is very conducive for this process. We begin with poses that lengthen the spine, creating space for the organs to move around freely and preparing them to be wrung out like a sponge.

*Extended forward bend

*Crescent lunge

*Chair pose

*Downward facing dog

*Bow pose (and rocking bow to massage the organs)

2. Next we always compress the organs, so we can squeeze the toxins out of the cells.

*Forward bend

*Rabbit pose

*Lunge and warrior poses with abdomen resting on the front thigh for compression

*Child’s pose

3. Last we wring out the organs with twisting poses.

*Lunge with prayer twist

*Seated spinal twist

*Supine (lying down) spinal twist

I typically end each detox yoga session with a gentle self stomach massage to get things moving even more and help the elimination process along.

Be sure to drink plenty of water and get lots of rest.

This can be a very powerful practice, but must be approached with caution and respect. The power and efficacy can also cause one to need extra rest to aid in the process.

I wish you a life of great health and incredible happiness.

Dashama, is an internationally known yoga teacher and lifestyle expert. She is the creator of Pranashama Yoga Institute, 30-Day Yoga Challenge and Perfect 10 Lifestyle. She is also the author of “Journey to Joyful” and 12 instructional yoga DVDs. She leads yoga teacher trainings and retreats in Bali, United States, Europe, Mexico, Hawaii and Costa Rica.

Photo credit: Amir Magal