5-Minute Mindfulness (14 page)

EASY BREATHING EXERCISE

Sit cross-legged (which is known as
Sukhasana
in Sanskrit) on two folded blankets (refer to
Figure 6-15
). Cup the fingertips, place them on the floor by the hips, and lightly lift the buttocks and stretch the torso up to lengthen the spine and make space in the body for the breath to come in. Lower the buttocks back down to the floor while maintaining the length of the sides of the body.

Figure 6-15: Sukhasana on a blanket

Bend the elbows, and place the back of the hands on top of the thighs, close to the hips. Press the buttock bones down as you lift and broaden the collarbones and stretch the sternum up. Draw the upper arms back slightly to bring the shoulder blades down and into the back. Bring the upper back in without jutting out the front ribs.

Inhale the breath, and lengthen up through the back of the neck and the head. Exhale, and bring the chin to the chest by bending the neck forward at the seventh cervical vertebra. (This is where the neck meets the shoulders). Close and soften the eyes. The chest remains lifted throughout the exercise.

Observe your breathing pattern: the length of the inhalation, exhalation, and pauses in between. Be aware of the movement of the rib cage, expanding with inhalation and contracting on exhalation. With each inhalation, feel the rise and fall of the chest. The breath will fill the chest more than the abdomen. Make sure the chest doesn’t collapse when you exhale the breath. Stay in this position for five minutes.

You can also try this type of pranayama while sitting with your back against the wall for support. Or, try sitting upright in a chair, without leaning against the chair back. Place the hands on top of the thighs.

Pranayama in Sukhasana is especially good for you because it teaches you how to sit for meditation and trains you to observe the breath.

FULFILL YOURSELF

Meditation, a part of yoga, is a powerful tool for reducing tension and stress and for bringing you back in touch with your true self and your inner reality. In meditation, you sit and watch the workings of the mind as an impassionate observer. Through meditation you observe the fluctuations of the mind and realize the preciousness of the present moment. The events of the past and the future loosen their grip on you, and everyday concerns take a backseat as you focus on yourself. The frenetic pace of life slows down and becomes manageable, even peaceful. What seemed so earth-shattering just minutes ago is now put into perspective. You become aware of thought patterns and the vacillation of emotions.

EASY MANTRA MEDITATION

In mantra meditation, you simply repeat a word or phrase to clear your mind. Select a word or short phrase with personal meaning to you, one that is inspiring. Or, simply choose
Om
, the mantra most commonly associated with yoga.

Sit or rest comfortably, close your eyes, repeat the word or phrase, and focus on it so that all your other worries disappear. Over time, you may repeat the mantra less as your concentration improves.

BOOST YOUR SELF-ESTEEM AND BODY IMAGE

Yoga helps develop positive self-esteem and a positive body image and a more comfortable and realistic view of yourself. This is sorely needed in a world in which we are incessantly bombarded by media images of thin, beautiful, airbrushed models and celebrities (truly the impossible dream for most of us).

The practice of yoga creates physical, mental, and emotional confidence and stability. The body becomes stronger and more agile. The mind begins to listen to the needs of the body and cultivates a mind– body relationship. Self-esteem and confidence grow. The inner voice is awakened. Understanding of your emotions deepens. The need to stuff emotions out of consciousness through overeating or to be in control by starving the body diminishes. As you listen internally, you begin responding to appropriate internal cues and eating nutritious foods when you’re hungry, contributing positively to your overall health.

YOGA DIET MINDFUL MOMENT

Yoga will help you lose weight but probably not in the way you’d expect. It’s not only the physical exertion in the poses that helps you lose weight. Just as significant is the attitude you develop from the practice of yoga. You learn to listen to your body—and give it what it really needs. To help bring your eating habits into conscious awareness, ask yourself:

• Am I hungry now?

• Am I eating just because it’s time to eat a meal?

• Am I enjoying this meal?

• Am I eating in front of the television or reading something instead of focusing solely on my meal?

• Am I responding to other people’s needs or giving into societal pressures by eating these foods or eating at this time?

• What emotions do I associate with this food choice?

• Am I eating out of frustration or tension, and if so, what do I eat when I feel this way?

• When I feel relaxed, what do I feel like eating?

• Is there another activity besides eating that I could do to satisfy my needs at this time?

Remember that conscious eating is a way of developing greater sensitivity to your needs. It reflects how you are in relationship to yourself. Can you translate the caring and compassion that you show others to yourself?

THE PRINCIPLES OF CONSCIOUS EATING

• Eat in moderation.

• Eat only when hungry.

• Eat in a relaxed and quiet environment.

• Drink liquids that are warm or room temperature.

• Keep a variety of nutritious, wholesome foods in the house, such as fresh fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.

• Do not eat processed snack foods.

• Eat fewer sugary and salty foods.

• Make dietary changes gradually.

STRETCH YOURSELF

Yoga improves your posture in daily life. Frequently, yoga students comment that, as a result of doing yoga, they become increasingly aware of their posture and correct it during daily activities outside of class. Better physical alignment and posture are visually appealing and also say a lot about a person, but the effects go much deeper.

A person with rounded shoulders will have trouble breathing fully because the chest is collapsed. This is also the posture of a depressed, overwhelmed person, who may have neck discomfort because the neck’s natural curve has changed as a result of poor postural habits. Someone with a
sway back
(an exaggerated lower-back curve) may experience low-back pain as a result of a forward-tilting pelvis and shortened, tight lower-back muscles and may possibly suffer from compression in the lower back.

When the body is in good alignment, the bones stack up properly, from the feet up. If the
femur
(thigh) bones insert properly into the pelvis, the hips will be level with each other and create a balanced sacrum, crucial to the alignment and health of the spine. The
sacrum
is the fulcrum upon which the spine rests.

Many people experience chronic back pain as a result of sacrum dysfunction. A balanced spine arising out of the pelvis will ensure that the torso is well supported and free to bend in all directions. When the bones insert properly into the joints, the muscles can fall into place and work in a balanced, coordinated manner, and the organs will have enough space to function optimally.

A physically aligned body promotes mental, emotional, and spiritual alignment and clarity. For example, how many times have you had a headache, neck ache, or backache and found it impossible to concentrate or think? Didn’t you become irritable and short tempered? Yoga helps prevent that.

EASY BACK RELIEF

Balasana
is the child’s pose. Start on the hands and knees, with the hands under the shoulders and the knees under the hips. Inhale, and, on the exhalation, draw your buttocks back to rest on your heels. Press the hands on the floor, extending into the fingertips and stretching back through the sides of the body to the hips (see
Figure 6-16
). Let the forehead rest on the floor. While in the pose, inhale, and feel the expansion of the waist and lower back. Exhale, and observe the contraction of the ribs and lungs and the softening of the body as the breath leaves the body. Stay for several breaths, and then come back up and release the pose.

For enhanced lengthening of the spine, practice Balasana by walking the hands to the right for several breaths and then to the left. This stretch isolates the action on one side of the body at a time.

Figure 6-16: Balasana

STRENGTHEN YOURSELF

Professor Steven A. Hawkins and faculty yoga teacher Bee Beckman, of the Department of Kinesiology and Physical Education at California State University, recently conducted a study that included eighteen women, from 18 to 65 years of age, who had no former yoga experience. Half of the group participated in two yoga classes a week and also practiced by themselves three times a week. Some of the required poses practiced were triangle, half moon, extended side angle, and warriors I and II. The women in the control group had to continue their normal level of activity throughout the study.

Third Eye Mindful Moment

In Balasana, you lay your forehead on the mat, stimulating the third eye. The third eye is the center of intuition, vision, and clairvoyance. What vision would you like to manifest for yourself? Visualize this dream in detail. Breathe it in—and breathe out any obstacles in your way.

Bone density scans were done at the beginning of the study and then six months later. In the yoga group, the bone density scans done after six months showed that the bone density of the spine had significantly increased, while those in the control group had no change in their bone density levels. More studies with larger population groups are needed to get a clearer picture, but it is evident that weight-bearing yoga postures (arm balances, inversions, and standing poses) maintain bone density, increase bone density, and help prevent osteoporosis and fragile bones.

Not surprising, stress adversely affects bone density. Overdoing aerobic activity leads to decreased body fat and increases the likelihood of osteoporosis. Living a stressful lifestyle full of adrenaline rushes depletes calcium and imbalances hormonal activity. A consistent yoga practice, which includes weight-bearing and restorative postures, relaxation, and meditation, helps lessen the effects of stress and restores balance.

ADHO MUKHA SVANASANA

Adho Mukha Svanasana is the downward-facing dog pose. If you’ve ever seen a dog stretching, you know that this pose looks like an upsidedown
V
. It is beautiful to watch. The dog grounds into its four paws and then lengthens up the front legs and back legs, through the spine to the buttocks. It looks so easy and natural, and it is a terrific stretch! Downward-facing dog is one of the most frequently practiced yoga poses.

Start on the hands and knees. Place the hands under the shoulders and the knees directly under the hips. The inner arms face each other, and the elbows are straight and firm (see
Figure 6-17
). Let the shoulder blades come onto the back. Observe that the upper arm bones connect into the shoulder socket. The pelvis is in a neutral position, horizontal to the floor. Tuck the toes under.