moving on with vim and vigour
August 13, 2007 at 10:04 pm | Posted in aging, daily practices, personal growth, relaxation, taking care, yoga | Leave a commentI believe i have come to the end of my obsession with relaxation – life is becoming full and it seems i now need to integrate relaxation into my being.
Maybe this is the testing phase – thinking i have got something pretty well accomplished yet the reality that it is integrated is yet to come.
I am in the midst of starting a new business, taking courses, and teaching yoga. Also a friend and I have committed to losing a few pounds and getting fit. We have objectives, goals and baseline measures for the body and the weight. Look forward to my ‘last’ chance at a great body in the latter half of my 40′s before the unrelenting aging process causes me grief.
How to be relaxed in the flow of life as it happens – the next phase.
The centre of me is in the relaxed part – ahhhh to remember and reconnect often.
For now i am finding more fun with uploading pictures and a new ‘header’.
Maybe now it all gets ‘real’. Thanks goodness for the ‘categories’ about which i blog – great reminders.
Free Relaxation downloads – Free
July 29, 2007 at 6:10 pm | Posted in breathing, daily practices, free, meditation, relaxation | Leave a commentHere is a link to free audio relaxation downloads.
Morning routine – yoga and relaxation
July 24, 2007 at 12:40 pm | Posted in aging, book referral, breathing, daily practices, meditation, relaxation, taking care, yoga | 3 CommentsI have recently read the book ” A Spiritual Response to Stress”. As we all know stress is an everyday feature of life. In addition to being aware how we create our stress we can prepare ourselves to start the day from a solid and grounded place so we can respond to ‘stressors’ with less energy.
This book talks about practicing a regular morning routine. This helps me to connect with myself and know my inner place of relaxation before the day gets going. The routine can be a combination of some yoga and/or stretching follwed by a brief quiet time. The author suggests that he really wishes he had discovered this routine much earlier in life. In the few days since i have started I get a felt sense of starting the day from a very different place. he suggests that the routine effects cumulate over time as the body and mind know that this is the way the day is going to start.
My routine starts before i get out of bed -
1. I pull up one knee at a time and hold it close to my chest ( or as close as it goes;). I take 3 breaths while holding each knee. The breath is not one of effort it is one of awareness – so focus on the breath just gently coming and out. With each exhale the knee can drop a little closer to the chest. I then hold both knees and slowly rock side to side still focusing on my gentle breath for five breaths.
2. Then slowly, rolling all the way to one side I rest and then gently bring my feet and legs over the side of the bed and raise my self to an upright position with the top arm helping to push me up slowly. With feet on the floor I place one hand on the opposite knee and slowly look around to that side of me ( a gentle twist). I hold this gentle twist for 3 breaths on each side.
3. Then i push myself up to standing. With arms overhead I reach for the ceiling on an inbreath and stretch fully upwards. Then raise one hand over head and reach towards the ceiling to stretch out each side. Hold this position for 3 breaths on each side allowng each exhale to open that stretched side a little further.
4. Slowly with feet hipwidth apart, a flat back and abdominals engaged i bend forward holding onto either elbow. Let the head drop naturally – stay in this positon for 5 breaths ( forward bends are very relaxing). With each exhale allow your front body to come closer to your thighs. Slowly come back up with abdominals engaged to protect your lower back.
5. Standing upright raise your shoulders to your ears on the in breath and let them down with a heavy sigh on the exhale. Repeat 5 times. Slowly roll your shoulders forwards then backwards 3 times – feel the shoulder muscles relax and the shoulder blades rest comfortably down the the back.
6. With hands on the waist slowly rotate the hips in a circle – one way then the other 5 times. With toes on the floor and heel lifted rotate the ankle of each foot slowly 5 times, one way then the other. Focus on your breath that probably will get deeper the further into the routine you progress.
7. Stand still with arms draped by your sides and palms out and focus on your breath and scan your body for tensions. Breath into that area and consciously suggest relaxation to the tension. This can be for 10 to 15 breaths.
8. Thank your body for its ability to allow you out of bed and the movement it has provided.
9. Now it is time for a short meditation – sit comfortably, relax your facial muscles, unfocus the eyes and allow them drop nto the back of you head (imagination is a great tool for relaxation).Focus only on your breath for a few minutes – hopefully 5 and maybe 10 or fifteen. If thoughts enter allow them to leave.
10. When you are naturally complete with the process wiggle your fingers and toes stretch your arms overhead. Greet the day with appreciation for another opportunity to be here.
This routine can take 20 to30 minutes to complete and any gentle moves can be incorporated depending on how your body is feeling – listen intently to your body and appreciate the opportunity to move into the day feeling grounded and relaxed.
Any day is good to practice, everyday and your body will love the routine and attention.
Good morning:)
Relaxing for sleep
July 12, 2007 at 9:17 pm | Posted in breathing, daily practices, relaxation, sleep better | Leave a commentThis week I’ve been at school and it has required me to ‘couch surf’ at friends houses. Now I am very appreciative for a bed instead of a couch yet being away from home has its own challenges for sleeping. As well I started the week fatigued as I was awake too early on Monday morning as I had to catch a 6am ferry to start the week.
So my strategy to fall asleep – stay with my pattern as at home camomile tea about 9pm and slower speaking and less invigorating topics. Then go to bed at a reasonable time as school starts at 8 am.
Once i went to bed i focused on breath – really focused – in and out – belly rise, belly fall. After a while i focused on my body parts from the toes upwards and sent my energy to relax and let go of each one – the toes, the balls of the feet, the arches, the ankles - detailing many parts sequentially in a slow rhythem that was attuned to my rate of slow breathing.
Remember your internal organs, and your heart, collarbone and throat. Finally relax the face – the cheeks, mouth, chin, jaw, tongue, nose and eyes, brows and forehead.
Just writing this i am getting relaxed – good thing as i am at home (to teach a yoga class tonight) and will be taking the 6 am ferry for another day at school.
Sweet dreams
Relaxing – after San Juan Island
July 3, 2007 at 7:38 pm | Posted in daily practices, health, personal growth, relaxation, taking care | Leave a commentWe are finally getting summer here on the ‘wet coast’ and the heat is on.
We are lucky to have a backyard that is shady and perfect for relaxing and cooling down. (I’ll get some photos here soon of the picturesque place). .. and just ‘hanging out’. I had a lot of reading to do today as I started a course at UBC. Being ‘task’ oriented usually I focus on ‘getting it done’. But the backyard was calling. I had been in transit a lot of the day, living a ferry ride away, and so hadn’t really soaked up time in the out of doors and cool shade in the quiet ….So reading time outside totally comfortable, surrounded by nature!!!
I pulled out the chaise lounge and made myself a refreshing beverage and brought out the book. So although it was a ‘task’ I managed to integrate it into a relaxing context. My resentment at having to read 120 pages before tomorrow on this lovely day and travel 4. 5 hours for the course seemingly dissapated. This allowed me to feel taken care of which ‘begat’ more good intentions - went onto to do an hour of yoga in the backyard and then an hour of grocery shopping and dinner prep… all proceeded calmly.
Can you integrate a relaxing context into your daily to do’s?
Am I relaxed?
June 22, 2007 at 11:11 am | Posted in book referral, daily practices, personal growth, relaxation, Uncategorized | Leave a commentFollowing up on a previous post I wanted to report back on my commitment to increased awareness of my being- the physical, emotional, mental and spiritual. So I have been checking with myself at least once a day – connecting, reviewing and understanding how I am. It brings me back to myself and increases my awareness of how I am in the moment. Often I am caught up with external experiences and have no idea what is going inside me.
Bottom line – it takes some level of relaxation to connect with the various levels of myself.
Almost always i can know how i am physically and mentally – invariably I require some time, concentration and reflection to connect with how i am emotionally. My assessment of this phenomenon is a ‘hidden’ emotional being that needs some attention and healing. I am still working on my awareness of my spiritual being.
Thus I decided to concentrate on my emotional being to increase my awareness of my patterns and habitual responses. I have bought a book that is a ‘self-help’ art therapy book. It has many excercises which are often completed with the ‘non-dominant hand’ to access emotions that may have decided from much earlier experiences to hide out in the sub-conscious. The book is entitled The Art of Emotional Healing, by Lucia Capacchinone, PhD.
I know my being is more relaxed from this conscious attention and awareness. If all parts of me are being attended to there is no reason for me to become anxious on any level from being ‘left behind’ or out of awareness.
This would seem to be rather circular – it takes a level of relaxation to access how I am on all levels and with this greater attention to my ‘self’ i experience a greater level of relaxation.
Listening to Relax
June 11, 2007 at 3:44 pm | Posted in breathing, daily practices, relaxation, Uncategorized | Leave a commentRecently I have enjoyed some CD’s from the library. A couple on meditation and another two were books. My favourite was about being the moment. Interestingly the concept is developed void of a spiritual context. As is later explained there invariably is misinterpretations of ‘spirituality’ and he believes in the practice for its own sake.
Being in the moment is helped with mindfulness and Cabot Zinns book, “Wherever you go , there you are.”
I listened to this on my iPod. Commuting to the ‘city’ is a great time to listen to the borrowed the CD from the library.
Reading is great and then there is the work of just doing it – putting it into practice in my life. mmmmmmm…………………….
Relax – connection
June 11, 2007 at 3:43 pm | Posted in breathing, daily practices, exercise, meditation, Uncategorized | Leave a commentTouching base after I last wrote I have remembered to check in with myself before getting out of bed – once. And i have practiced the excercise during the day – i am really helpde by stopping and doing this connecting with myself. Several times i was not really aware of how i was and connecting took a few minutes.
The result of this excercise was surprisingly consistent. Perhaps i became the observer of the moment. I do know i that i invariably took a breath and settled inside my self.
This to me is more relaxed – when i settle into my true self.
Relaxation and Memory
June 7, 2007 at 11:01 am | Posted in breathing, daily practices, meditation, personal growth, relaxation | Leave a commentThrough my own experience I believe that the more relaxed state I maintain the better my memory.
Yesterday I emphasized the more relaxed state I maintain the more I am in touch with myself. This morning I proved it.
This morning I was involved in the priorities of others and forgot my own schedule. It seems that I didn’t take the time to connect with myself and my own priorities and thus missed an appointment where others were relying on me to show up.
Tomorrow will be different.
I now commit to a morning wake-up routine – consciously breathe deeply for a few breaths THEN connect with my physical body ( how does my body feel through a brief scan), my emotional body (go inside and reflect for a few minutes), my intellectual body ( how is my mind, my mental capacities, and my motivation to pursue intellectual tasks) and finally connect with my spiritual body (my inner compass and guide).
Through actively connecting with my being I will be more connected to my authentic self and thus settled into my own space begin the day. Through this connection I will signal to my ‘being’ there is no reason to suspect that I will forget myself (hopefully eliminating unconscious stress) and my personal priorities – then I can go on and consider what I can do for others relative to my own priorities. This routine is intended to promote inner clarity and stability.
I believe this practice will allow my whole to relax at the beginning of the day and know that my own needs will be well taken care of as a first step in the day. This will take less than 5 minutes before I get out of bed.
I will report back as to the value of this daily routine to first connect to myself before I am caught up in others agendas.
Relaxing Routines – Yoga in the morning
June 6, 2007 at 5:15 pm | Posted in book referral, daily practices, exercise, relaxation | 1 CommentStarting my day with a routine is good for my inner balance and gives hope to maintaining the equanimity of my being throughout the day. It is great to be able have a tea and then move onto an hour of yoga and then get going for the day.
I find that a routine to start my day is very good and a thoughtful one that supports my quest for inner balance can be the difference between a grounded day with a sense of humour or a scattered stressful day. I think it is the routine itself that allows the relaxed feeling. Now nothing against spontenaiety and I believe there is balance. Mindfulness in the routine allows the ‘life’ to remain within the routine.
My yoga is from yogatoday.com - they send me an e-mail every Monday and I then choose the class I want to take from that week’s selection – they assign a certain class to a certain day however I choose whichever appeals to me in the moment – any yoga is good yoga in my books:).
What’s your morning routine? Is there a moment for your body and soul.
Eckart Tolle (The Power of Now book) wrote that it is important to know at the beginning of everyday when you will be getting your spiritual and physical nourishment for the day. Seemingly the other two levels of being (mental and emotional) are always included in our fast paced, too many thoughts and emotionally, sometimes overwhelmed, world.
Take some time out to observe and stay in touch with yourself – your constant although not always conscious physical, emotional, mental and spiritual experiences of the day. This observing self is often only possible when we maintain a level of relaxation where the ‘observer’ can ‘be and function’.
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