Never Give Up – How Yoga Transforms

Please watch this video of Arthur, a disabled  Gulf War veteran, who had given up on walking unassisted ever again- until he started practicing yoga.

This is one of the most motivating stories I’ve seen.  Watch how his life transformed once he started practicing yoga with determination and perseverance.

He inspires me to never give up and to keep trying – and to encourage you to do the same.

Yoga Salutation to the CAT

When the student is ready – the teacher arrives -  meowing

What is mindfulness and why does it matter

Let me share with you the best definition of mindfulness and its benefits that I’ve come across.   Diane Poole-Heller shared it with us at the recent NICABM conference.

Mindfulness is the moment to moment awareness of present time, inner and outer experience, with a non-judgmental and non-evaluative stance.

Research has shown that a mindfulness practice helps develop all 9 functions of the Pre-Frontal Cortex.

1. ANS Regulation – Sympathetic and Parasympathetic Balance
2. Attuned Communication – felt sense of other’s experience
3. Regulation of emotions
4. Response flexibility
5. Empathy
6. Insight – self awareness
7. Fear extinction – GABA fibers to amygdala
8. Intuition – deep knowing
9. Morality.

Good to the Core: Yoga to strengthen & flatten abdominals, tone back, legs, hips, and more.

This yoga sequence helps with abdominal core strength and tones the back while also lengthening the psoas muscles.

The psoas, deep and large,  runs from the lumbar spine, stretches over the hip joint and under the abs, and attaches to inner thigh bone.

Traditional leg lifts, “crunches” and sit-ups are often done to strengthen and flatten the abdominal muscles.  The problem is that they also tighten and shorten the psoas tipping the pelvis forward, pushing your belly out (yuk) and misalignment of the back.

A tight psoas contributes to back, hip and knee problems, indigestion, dysfunctional breathing, instability, and other problems.

This particular yoga sequence activates the psoas muscle in a progressive manner:  first facing forward, to the side, and then turning.

Other beneficial yoga postures are the forearm plank and side plank (creates core stability and strength with a neutral psoas) and pigeon (stretches and releases the   psoas).

Consult a qualified yoga professional for instructions and contraindications.  As with all exercise, practice for your own benefits and at your own risk.

 Click here for your complete pdf handout on  ” Good to the Core:  Yoga to strengthen & flatten abdominals, tone back, legs, hips, and more” from Julie Lusk

How to do Shitali Breathing – The Yoga Cooling Breath

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What are the Benefits of Shitali Breathing – The Cooling Breath

Shitali breathing is great for when you are hot under the collar.  Furthermore, it will literally cool you off on a hot day.  Along with all the benefits of diaphragmatic breathing, this technique is thought to be particularly good for the eyes, ears, and throat and has a detoxifying effect. It also curbs the appetite.  Use caution if you have arthritis since it cools the body.

How to Do Shitali Breathing – The Cooling Breath

Form a small opening with your lips by rolling the sides of your tongue together to create a tube.  Stick your tongue out and inhale through the round opening, making a hissing sound.  Breathe in as if you are drinking cool refreshing water in through a straw.  Bring the tongue back inside the mouth.  Breathe the warm air out through your nose slowly and evenly.

If your tongue does not roll, simply separate your teeth and lips slightly while breathing in over a flat tongue.

Continue until you have cooled down.

How to do the Breath of Fire: Kapalabhati Breathing

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Kapalabhati is pronounced KAH-pah-lah-BAH-tee.

The Breath of Fire is a powerful yoga breathing technique that emphasizes a pattern of quick exhalations followed by passive inhalations.

Benefits of the Breath of Fire – Kapalabhati Breathing

It cleans and purifies the respiratory system, invigorates the vital organs of digestion, and strengthens the nervous system. Due to the swift and sharp exhalations, a shift in pressure occurs in the cerebral spinal fluid. This causes a massaging effect on the brain, enlivening every cell, and creating an “aura’ of light and vitality around the skull. According to yogis, it has a positive influence on both the third and sixth chakras.

How to do the Breath of Fire – Kapalabhati Breathing

The breath of fire is best practiced on an empty stomach and is not to be practiced if you are pregnant, menstruating or have high blood pressure, recent abdominal surgery, heart disease, severe lung disease, hiatal hernia, or glaucoma. Do not use too much force and be cautious if you have digestive or respiratory problems.  If you have questions, please consult a qualified teacher.

Practice three rounds daily.

Come into a comfortable seated position with your spine erect. Take a few deep breaths and relax.

Exhale quickly and completely through the nostrils by contracting (snapping) the abdominal muscles toward the spine. Follow this with a passive inhalation. Repeat this several times slowly. The secret is in the rapid pumping of air out from the lower lobes of the lungs, followed by a passive inhalation that occurs naturally and automatically. The exhalation is active and the inhalation is passive.

To learn the proper amount of effort needed for each exhalation, pretend as if you are blowing a candle out. As you practice blowing out through your mouth, notice how your abdomen contracts and how your breath is short and quickly releases. In the breath of fire however, your nose is used instead of your mouth.

In the beginning practice the breath of fire by placing your hands over your naval center. As you exhale, notice how your abdomen quickly moves in toward your spine, and as you inhale it will relax as your diaphragm expands with the incoming breath. Keep your shoulders stationary, relaxed and your chest passive.

Once you feel comfortable with coordinating the rapid exhalation, the movement of the abdomen, and the passive inhalation, gradually pick up the pace until you find your own preferred rhythm. Start with ten to fifteen expulsions at first, followed by breathing fully and deeply for three to five complete dirgha breaths. Practice two more sets of ten to fifteen repetitions for a total of three rounds. If you feel dizzy, out of breath or uncomfortable in any other way, immediately stop and breath normally until you feel stable again. Progressively increase the number of repetitions per round until you can comfortably do fifty expulsions. There is no need to rush the process. Expect to take several months of daily practice to build up to three rounds of fifty.

Further refinements can be made after you feel comfortable with the breath of fire. When you feel at ease with the mechanics of the breath, focus your attention on the middle of your forehead just above your eyebrows, also called the third eye or sixth chakra.

Another refinement is to add a brief period of breath retention between the rounds. To do so, exhale completely on the last exhalation of each round and the hold your breath out briefly. When you need to, inhale until your lungs are approximately three-fourths full and hold the breath in briefly. Exhale when ready and allow your breath to return to a normal rate.

Reprinted with permission:  Yoga Meditations: Timeless Mind-Body Practices by Julie Lusk

How to Make your own Lavender Water

Lavender water is so refreshing and it lasts forever.  It can be used to freshen up the air or try spraying it on your yoga mat or bed sheets.  It can even be used  to spritz your clothes while ironing.  I like to keep a small bottle in my car for cooling off on hot days.  Lavender water is for external use only.

Lavender oil has a calming and soothing effect and can relieve tension.  It can be effective for headaches and insomnia too.  Did you know it also has antibacterial qualities?

Here’s how to make lavender water …

Mix 2 cups of distilled water
10- 20 drops of lavender essential oil
1/3 cup vodka

That’s it.  So why the vodka?  It disperses the oil and water and acts as a preservative.

Simply keep it in a spray bottle and enjoy!

PS.  Feel free to substitute another essential oil if you prefer.

The Sa Ta Na Ma Meditation CD is here.

It’s been so rewarding to see so many of you getting excited about practicing the Sa Ta Na Ma meditation technique for memory improvement, mental focus, cognition and more.

However, everybody always asked how to keep track of the timing.  After all, there is a specific method to follow as described here.

Finally, we have a CD that will easily keep track of the timing for you!  Just follow along with this beautiful chorus of voices.

Sa Ta Na Ma Meditation CD

Sa Ta Na Ma is a powerful mantra. Scientific studies have shown this 12-minute meditation will increase memory, concentration, cognition & more. This is accomplished when the mantra is specifically said daily for 2-minutes out loud; whispered for 2-minutes; repeated silently for 4-minutes; whispered for 2-minutes; and out loud for 2-minutes. Special finger movements, called mudras, are also done throughout. The intro to this CD describes all you need to know to get started. The meditation track keeps track of the time for you with a beautiful chorus of voices.

More Resources…

• Good info on the 12 minute meditation to improve memory – sa ta na ma meditation.  Features a cool video.
  
  
• Go here for written instructions on exactly how to do the Sa Ta Na Ma meditation for improving memory.
• Go here for relevant research from UCLA and University of Pennsylvania on the Sa Ta Na Ma meditation for improving memory as reported in 2010 in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease and the Journal of Nuclear Medicine.

Research Studies on Sa Ta Na Ma Meditation and Memory

I just love synchronicity, don’t you? Right when I was looking for research on the Sa Ta Na Ma meditation (Kirtan Kryia meditation), Amy Weintraub sent me a copy of her newsletter, LifeForce Yoga.  My eyes popped out of my head with delight because she had compiled an excellent review of the literature on this meditation technique that improves memory.  She generously said that I could share what’s below with you.  I highly recommend Amy Weintraub – be sure to check our her website at LifeForce Yoga:  Manage Your Mood. You will also benefit from and enjoy registering for her newsletter and going to any and all of her workshops.

RESEARCH:  Kirtan Kriya Effects Cognitive Function, Memory and Stress

In three separate studies published this year and in one that is on-going, Kirtan Kriya, as taught by the Kundalini master Yogi Bhajan, was shown to increase short term memory, cognitive function and to reduce stress.  In separate studies at the University of Pennsylvania, and one continuing at the University of California (UCLA), researchers measured cerebral blood flow in the brain (rCBF) using single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) to determine which areas are more active and which are less during the practice.  One study compared long-term meditators to non-meditators.  Another study compared those practicing the meditation with those who listened to a Mozart violin concerto.  A third study compared the more active meditation to a relaxation exercise.

Kirtan Kriya is a 12-minute active meditation that include mudra (hand gesture), mantra (out loud, whispered and repeated silently), and visual imagery,

In the on-going study at UCLA, those practicing 12-minutes of Kirtan Kriya meditation are being compared with those using a 25-minute relaxation tape.  Preliminary results from the 39 caregivers who have already completed the study (23 practiced Kirtan Kriya, 16 listened to a relaxation audio tape) indicate:

• Both groups demonstrated improvement in depression and anxiety, resilience and perceived burden.
• The meditation group improved significantly more compared to the relaxation group on measures of perceived support, physical suffering, energy, emotional and well-being, as well as in cognitive tests of memory and executive function.
• A subgroup of the meditation group also showed marked improvement in the reduction of inflammation This groundbreaking work also reveals that Kirtan Kriya increases telomerase, an exquisite marker of health and longevity, in only 12 minutes a day.

In a study at the University of Pennsylvania, published in 2010 in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease that compared Kirtan Kriya meditation to listening to Mozart, findings show:

• CBF was increased in the Kirtan Kriya group in the frontal lobe regions and the right superior parietal lobe
• In contrast, a non-significant increase in cerebral blood flow was seen in the music group in the amygdala and precuneus areas of the brain
• The Kirtan Kriya group had statistically significant improvements in a neuro-psychological test which measures cognition by asking subjects to name as many animals as they can in one minute
• Improvements were also seen in the Kirtan Kriya group in three other cognitive tests that measured general memory, attention and cognition
• There were no statistically significant improvements in cognition in the music group
• Participants found the meditation to be enjoyable and beneficial and perceived their cognitive function to be improved

In the study published in the Journal of Nuclear Medicine in 2010, researchers found an activation of rCBF on the posterior cingulate, which is associated with memory.  This corroborates other studies that show cognitive improvement in memory after the practice.

For Links to these findings online:

Meditation Effects on Cognitive Function and Cerebral Blood Flow In Subjects with Memory Loss: A Preliminary Study

Cerebral blood flow changes during chanting meditation

Cerebral blood flow differences between long-term meditators and non-meditators

Meditation Use to Reduce Stress Response and Improve Cognitive Functioning in Older Family Dementia Caregivers Methods

For more information on Kirtan Kriya and the Alzheimer’s Research and Prevention Foundation which has partially underwritten these studies, please visit

www.alzheimersprevention.org/research.htm.

More Resources…

• Good info on the 12 minute meditation to improve memory – sa ta na ma meditation.  Features a cool video.
  
  
• Go here for written instructions on exactly how to do the Sa Ta Na Ma meditation for improving memory.
• Go here for relevant research from UCLA and University of Pennsylvania on the Sa Ta Na Ma meditation for improving memory as reported in 2010 in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease and the Journal of Nuclear Medicine.

• Get a recording that will help you practice the Sa Ta Na Ma meditation with the correct timing.
  

Sa Ta Na Ma Meditation CD

Sa Ta Na Ma is a powerful mantra. Scientific studies have shown this 12-minute meditation will increase memory, concentration, cognition & more. This is accomplished when the mantra is specifically said daily for 2-minutes out loud; whispered for 2-minutes; repeated silently for 4-minutes; whispered for 2-minutes; and out loud for 2-minutes. Special finger movements, called mudras, are also done throughout. The intro to this CD describes all you need to know to get started. The meditation track keeps track of the time for you with a beautiful chorus of voices.

How to do the Sa Ta Na Ma Meditation to Improve Memory

Use these finger movements while doing the Sa Ta Na Ma meditation.  Use both hands.

Sa - touch the thumb to the index finger

Ta – touch the thumbs to the middle finger

Na - touch the thumb to the ring finger

Ma – touch the thumb to the little finger

Instructions:

• Sit with a straight spine.
• Mentally focus to the brow point.
• Repeat Sa Ta Na Ma as follows
  • 2 minutes —  OUT LOUD
  • 2 minutes  –  WHISPER audibly
  • 4 minutes  –  SILENTLY.  Keep the hands moving
  • 2 minutes  —  WHISPER audibly
  • 2 minutes —  OUT LOUD
• 30 seconds or longer: Instead of the finger movements, softly touch the thumbs to the index finger and rest your hands on your lap.  Sit quietly and listen inside.  Hear the mantra and experience energy flowing in from the top of your head (crown chakra) and out through your brow (third eye chakra).
• 30 seconds: inhale deeply, raise the arms up in the air and vigorously shake the arms and fingers, involving the whole body and spine. Exhale.  Repeat 1 or 2 more time if you desire. This important part of the meditation helps move and release energy in the body.
• Relax for a few minutes, sitting or lying down, before going about your day.  If it’s bed time, go to sleep.

Notes:

Why are mantras done out loud, whispering and silently and how does it help? When a mantra is spoken out loud, it primarily benefits the physical body.  When it’s whispered, it benefits our mental/emotional nature.  Our spiritual nature benefits from silent repetition.

If you experience memories of the past or thoughts about the future coming up in your mind. Simply notice them and release them with the mantra. This helps cleanse  the subconscious mind.

If emotions come up, you can also incorporate them in the chanting, i.e. if you feel frustration, then chant out the frustration.  Whatever you experience is okay. Don’t try to avoid, resist or control your experiences. Just notice what is happening and go through it. This is all part of the process.

The beautiful thing is that this meditation really works. All you have to do is do it

More Resources…

• Good info on the 12 minute meditation to improve memory – sa ta na ma meditation.  Features a cool video.
  
  
• Go here for written instructions on exactly how to do the Sa Ta Na Ma meditation for improving memory. 

• Go here for relevant research from UCLA and University of Pennsylvania on the Sa Ta Na Ma meditation for improving memory as reported in 2010 in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease and the Journal of Nuclear Medicine.

• Get a recording that will help you practice the Sa Ta Na Ma meditation with the correct timing.
• 

  Sa Ta Na Ma Meditation CD

  Sa Ta Na Ma is a powerful mantra. Scientific studies have shown this 12-minute meditation will increase memory, concentration, cognition & more. This is accomplished when the mantra is specifically said daily for 2-minutes out loud; whispered for 2-minutes; repeated silently for 4-minutes; whispered for 2-minutes; and out loud for 2-minutes. Special finger movements, called mudras, are also done throughout. The intro to this CD describes all you need to know to get started. The meditation track keeps track of the time for you with a beautiful chorus of voices.
  Price: $12.99

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