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Yoga Nidra for Stress Relief book ~~ On the Way!

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Here’s how it all happened ~~ thanks to my lucky stars!

Last February, while I was teaching at Sivananda/Bahamas, I had my Vedic astrology chart read by Krishna Das. This was a fiThumbs Up!rst for me.

After describing me better than my own Mother could, he went on to say that the stars and planets and moon were lining up in May exactly as it was when I was born as well as at the age of 30. He said it was going to be a very productive time for me and would bring with it writing, teaching, learning, traveling and such.

I questioned him about the areas that I might concentrate on and gave him a list of things I’m interested in.

Right away, he said that yoga nidra would fit in perfectly with my chart. Next, I asked if I should pursue opportunities and he replied that would not be needed since opportunities would find me.

Can you only imagine the look on my face when I got an email “out of the blue” in May from New Harbinger Publications asking me if I would like to write a book for them on … Yoga Nidra for Stress Relief!  Yoga Nidra is the totally relaxing and deeply healing aspect of yoga.

After checking them out and doing some discernment and soul-searching, I agreed. Next, they wanted a book summary, outline, authors bio, and a couple sample chapters. That took me a few months.  The contract has now been finalized!

Could you please help me?  Something that will really help the book come alive are stories.   Would you be willing to share what Yoga Nidra feels like for you?  Do you have a Yoga Nidra story about how it has helped you in some way?  If so, please send them to me. 

Why wait until the book and the new audios are released (it takes a long time).  To celebrate, my Real Relaxation: Yoga Nidra CD is on sale for $5 off.  This special offer is valid during December 2013.

Here is a (pdf) FAQ sheet on Yoga Nidra on

1) What is Yoga Nidra?

2) Is it different than meditation and hypnosis?

3)  How it is done.  How often.

4) Benefits

5) Resources.

ENJOY!

 

 

My meeting with the Dalai Lama

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My notes from hearing the Dalai Lama on May 14, 2010 – Indianapolis, IN

The Dalai Lama was in Indianapolis to speak on Facing Challenges with Wisdom and Compassion.

It was at the Conseco basketball arena. Just like a basketball, the sound bounced around making it hard to hear clearly.  It reminded me of the acoustics when we heard Thich Nhat Hanh in Chicago.  Too much echo.

Still, I picked up a lot and I’d like to share it with you with the understanding that any misconceptions are on my part, and not on the part of the Dalai Lama.

All people want to achieve, and have the right to happiness and inner peace.

Should there be more Buddhism in America? No.  He said Americans already have the answers for finding true happiness and inner peace by way of the religions we already practice.  Practicing common sense is another viable path.

Different religions rely on different qualities and pathways  to achieve happiness and inner peace.  Some rely on faith, others promote surrender, while compassion is the path for others.  All these qualities, and religions, have the potential to take us to true happiness and inner peace.  We should do our best to respect the different religious paths and know that each has its own benefits that reach out to various cultures, temperaments, and times.   It’s about having respect for all religions.

All humans, no matter the color, culture, sex, or age, have a common connection to compassion that is biological and instinctual. The love of a mother and the instinct of protecting the child are good examples.  Even a mother bird may sacrifice her life for the sake of her baby.  Compassion is instinctual, however, it gets covered up and overruled by the thinking mind.

  • Rely on common sense.
  • Respect and have compassion toward all.
  • We all want and deserve true happiness and inner peace.
  • Rely on truth, trust, love, and compassion to lead to inner strength, peace and happiness.
  • Practice unbiased compassion – this is compassion that can even reach our enemies.
  • A negative mind causes suffering for the self and others.
  • Fear and hate interferes with health.
  • Compassion has actually been shown to lower blood pressure and stress.  Wounds heal quicker.  For example, a wound on a rat heals faster when it is affectionately licked by another rat.
  • The minds ‘intelligence’ can overrule our compassionate, instinctual, intrinsic nature.
  • Look for new opportunities and changes that come from things that anger us.
  • Have a global interest.  To have global disarmament, we have to start with inner, personal disarmament.  To have global peace, we must have inner peace first.  Go with truth, love, trust, unbiased compassion and inner beauty.  This is lasting.
  • He said that everything is/or can be good, very good.  This includes such things as money, technology, and divorce.  It’s the motivation and intent and how these things are used that makes the difference.  Are they used with compassion, openness, acceptance or not?
  • Money, objects, technology can be good – very good – if they are used with right motivation and intention and put to good use.
  • Put your affections where affections can be returned .
  • Don’t put affections toward objects as these things cannot return affection.
  • When we are affectionate toward objects, it leads to jealousy and greed for objects.  Objects cannot return affection.
  • Inner beauty is higher than outer beauty as it lasts. Rely on truth, trust, love, and unbiased compassion to bring inner peace and happiness.

‘Twas the Night Before Christmas Yoga poem

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‘Twas the time at the Yuletide,
and in the yoga place,
not a muscle was moving, it was filled with grace.
The mats were lined up, on the floor with care,
in hopes that sweet relaxation would soon be there.

The students relaxed, all snug on their mats,
while life hurried by, like crazy cats.
Everybody began moving, this way and that.

“Now Tadasana! Now Chandrasana! Virabhadrasana & Bridge!
On Cobra! On Bow! On Locust and Fish!
To the top of your head! And the bottom of your heart!
Now breathe away! Breathe away!
And please don’t fart!”

When up in my brain there arose such a clatter,
I fell out of my posture, to worsen the matter,
When what to my wandering mind should appear,
but a big plate of chocolate, and a six-pack of cheer!

[Read more…]

Give Yourself Some Space

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Out for a walk the other night, I was stunned to see how groups of people were all looking at their phones instead of talking with each other, let alone noticing the brilliant sunset.  Even the bikers were glued to their devices while riding their bikes.  I was surprised that people weren’t crashing into one another. More folks were glued to their screens at the restaurant too.  We all know that too many people text while driving – another recipe for disaster.

Living in a fast-paced 24/7 world, it’s easy to get overwhelmed.  We’re pushed to work harder, take care of our family, and keep up with current events along with a constant social media stream. clockExpectations are high all the way around.

Pico Iyer, a lifelong travel writer says ““In an age of acceleration, nothing can be more exhilarating than going slow. And in an age of distraction, nothing is so luxurious as paying attention. And in an age of constant movement, nothing is so urgent as sitting still.”

His Ted Talk video is well worth watching.  It will inspire you with ways to take back your time in ways that will replenish your body, mind and soul.

https://www.ted.com/talks/pico_iyer_the_art_of_stillness?utm_source=tedcomshare&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=tedspread

Why not take a few moments out right now?  Here’s how …

  1.  Turn your phone, TV, radio and other electronic devices off for a while.
  2.  Focus your attention on the moment by breathing fully and mindfully.  It is calming and refreshing for your nerves and it will light up your energy.  Try out yoga’s ocean-sounding breath (ujjaya breath).
  3. Blink your eyes a bunch of times till they water.  The moisture will help your vision.
  4. Yawn.  It cools the brain, gives you a burst of oxygen, and refreshes your eyesight and hearing.  If you’re lucky, you’ll catch some flies.
  5. Take a “2-hour nap in less than 1o minutes.“
  6. Give “The Inner Eye of Awareness Meditation” a shot.
  7. Add your own ___________________________.
  8. Bone up on mindfulness.  It’s easy with this “Stop ~~ Look ~~ Listen”  meditation.
  9. You guessed it, practice yoga nidra – yogic sleep. It’s totally replenishing. Experience yoga nidra at a virtual class with Julie Lusk, author of Yoga Nidra Meditations and 5 more books and dozens of recordings.

Stress Relief

DARE to Relax ©

Transform daily stress into the energy needed to enjoy life.

Going through life’s adjustments and changes can add unwanted stress causing unhappiness, sickness, poor relationships and lack of energy. Improve your ability to handle stress by practicing the following effective ways to cope with stress.

♥♥♥♥♥  DARE to Relax is featured in the Mind-Body Mastery eBook.  Instant Download! ♥♥♥♥♥

Quantity:  

DARE to Relax includes: D = Diet; A = Attitude and Awareness; R = Rest, Relaxation and Relationships; E = Exercise.

DIET: Don’t deprive yourself of essential nutrients, vitamins and minerals that can help you reduce the effects of daily stress.  Stress uses up your supply of vitamins A, B and C that can lead to feeling irritable and tired.  Calcium is essential for your central nervous system to function normally.  Without enough, your nerves become frayed.  If you consistently eat well-balanced meals, you can fortify your system giving you the nourishment to guard against the harmful effects of stress.

  • Eat a nutritious breakfast
  • Choose fresh fruit, vegetables and whole grains
  • Choose baked or broiled food instead of fried
  • Cut down on too much fat, salt, sugar, caffeine, alcohol, additives and preservatives
  • Maintain a healthy weight

ATTITUDE AND AWARENESS: Research shows that as much as 75% of illnesses are the result of experiencing too much stress.  Not being able to handle stress properly can decrease the effectiveness of your immune system.  Become more aware of how you respond to tension and stress in your life and begin to make adjustments.  Are you responding appropriately?  Could you be over-reacting?  Is it possible to avoid or change a situation that causes you anxiety?  By improving your awareness and improving how you react to stress, it might be possible to avoid some of your headaches, stomachaches and other problems.  Try laughing.  Laughter is like internal jogging.  It aids digestion and improves alertness and productivity by sending blood and oxygen to your brain and increases the production of the body’s catecholamines.

 

  • Learn to accept situations you can’t change; give in once in a while
  • Learn to communicate with others; talk your worries out
  • Take one thing at a time; don’t take on too many changes at once
  • Manage your time more effectively; don’t procrastinate
  • Be positive and realistic
  • Express your feelings in healthy ways
  • Create variety in your work; do old things new ways

REST AND RELAXATION: It is much easier to handle stress if you are rested and know how to remain calm.  Getting 7 to 8 hours of sleep every night is essential.  Although recreation and being diverted from stress is helpful (playing tennis, watching a movie) true relaxation is different.  It involves giving yourself an honest break from activity and excess stimulation.  Breathing deeply, smoothly, slowly and from the diaphragm is relaxing since it too sends a fresh supply of blood to the brain and throughout the body.  It oxygenates your system and even slows down the heartbeat.

  • Plan leisure time; take breaks
  • Spend time on a hobby; seek new interests
  • Schedule some quiet time alone every day; meditate; pray
  • Have fun, play and laugh
  • Cut down on noise levels at home and work; turn the radio or TV off

EXERCISE: When under stress, there is an increase of adrenalin in the system as part of the flight or fight response, which can drain you of energy if not effectively released.  Exercise regularly to work stresses off positively.  This can improve your productivity and increase your energy.  Be sure to choose physical activity that you enjoy.

Learning to cope with the stressors of daily living is crucial to health, happiness and well-being.  It is estimated that 60 to 90 percent of medical conditions are stress-induced or worsened by stress.  This is costly in terms of medical bills, absenteeism, and loss of productivity.  An obvious remedy is to learn self-care techniques that both reduce stress and help one cope with the effects of stress.

DARE to Relax © is a wellness-based relaxation training and stress management program that is practical and well rounded.  The format includes a balance of factual information and experiential activities.  Participants will:

  1. Understand the dynamics of stress and it’s causes
  2. Understand the positive and negative effects of stress
  3. Learn how to reduce stress using the self-care principles of DARE to Relax ©

→ Julie Lusk, M.Ed. is available to speak about DARE to Relax ® and a variety of wellness and mind/body topics at your special event.

→ DARE to Relax is featured in

Stress Solutions Now - Instant PDF Download!
Stress Solutions Now - Instant PDF Download!
Improve your mind, body, and spirit with this amazing manual. This instant download gives you stress relieving solutions that work every time. First, you get quick, easy ways to identify sources and symptoms of stress. Next, you'll learn simple techniques for getting genuine stress relief. Finally, you'll benefit from 6 wellness strategies for living a worthwhile life, 8 practical solutions to handle stress with ease, and find out how to make remarkable improvements at work and home.
Price: $5.00
Quantity:  



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