The post Email List appeared first on Breathing Space Yoga & Mindfulness Studio.

“Day 15: Super busy day – really too much. I had committed to a fourth yoga class months ago, but at that time it was only a third yoga class. So – note to self – when you are working on slowing down and transforming how you address food and nutrition, don’t overpack the schedule! Duh. Had to use an extra dose of loving kindness and understand that this is temporary.

A huge decision lately involved me giving up an area, well really just trimming it down, that I was very interested in developing. I realized that I would not get certified in that area in any reasonable amount of time. I was fighting the system and trying to exert my self-righteousness onto it, rather than quietly withdrawing and going in another direction. Also, the bar was too high to maintain the balance that I have in my life right now between nonprofit work and the part-time paid job I need to maintain for income. This was a GOOD realization and a relief. How often we overstress ourselves with ambition, and then freak out, and then run for the wrong foods for comfort. Noticing!!! Habit loop!!!

Getting into the rhythm of having prepared good food at hand – oatmeal, undressed coleslaw to grab and go; guacamole, baby carrots, eggs, cheese, sliced turkey. And then, making sure to have that hot meal (I am a real believer in hot food) when I can. Looking for that alignment of foods I actually like with foods that give a lot of nutrition and energy. That’s the ticket for sure.”

The post Mindful Eating: Finding the Balance appeared first on Breathing Space Yoga & Mindfulness Studio.

From Day 7: 

“I noticed that the mindfulness exercises have moved me away from some go-to foods. In particular, the tortilla chips, and also just trying to really think through what carbs I need to keep in my diet for “satisfaction“ and where I could start working in more high protein items and non-carb snacks.

I really think this program can be so beneficial for people, and reading through the community postings I see that this approach is really helping people. Again, it’s a challenge to move away from a diet mentality. My goal here – and the orientation of this program – is not weight loss necessarily. It is really about moving myself to foods that are nutrient dense and support the energy levels I need to do what I’m doing!

I was happy with the medical and science information about the role of sugar. I have long been convinced that the key factors in drinking alcohol are really about sugar. and I have watched myself for years slide in and out of sugar habits. My most recent go-to was the “trail mix“ with the peanuts and M&Ms. Did I mention the dried pineapple? Yes, it’s presented as a “healthy“ snack, but not really. But it goes straight to the brain and juices up the system via the fast track. Using the RAIN exercise, I did successfully ride past the Pride Station, where I know they sell that trail mix. It wasn’t easy, but it did pass!”

The post Mindful Eating: The Journey Begins appeared first on Breathing Space Yoga & Mindfulness Studio.

When I trained for the Yoga for 12-Step Recovery leadership program, there were a lot of questions on the nature of “What do you recommend if …. or that happens… or I’m in this situation….,” and the answer that came back was “it depends…”

That answer isn’t a dodge, it’s honesty. When we embark on a new routine or venture, like taking up yoga, we’re inspired generally by something we want to do differently. We want the benefits we’ve heard about. We want to change it up. We want “results.”

I can say with confidence that if you do yoga consistently, you will see results. Even 10 minutes a day, every day, yields results. The secret, magical formula to results is no secret and no magic. It is consistency. 

Each of us has a natural range of motion in our limbs and joints. Think of playing a musical instrument: if we practice consistently, we will improve and become the best musician we can be. Will we be a virtuoso? Virtuosos are rare and very, very disciplined. It is unlikely, even with very consistent practice, that we will become a virtuoso.

Celebrity yoga culture, however, has created a sense that if you are not a yoga virtuoso, you shouldn’t do yoga – you are not getting “results” or “I can’t do yoga, I’m not flexible.” That’s silly, of course you should! Regular practice (2-3 times per week, hopefully in a yoga studio with instruction, not just home practice – at least until you get the moves down) will result in you singing the body electric, for sure!

Now, if by “results,” you mean a washboard belly and weight loss, well, not so fast. First, understand that noticing the why, what, and how we eat – called mindful eating – is key to finding peace with our body size. Second, discovering what is your natural weight, your maintainable weight, the weight at which you are healthy and happy? Now, that IS magic – to discover that weight that liberates you and supports you being you. No one can tell you what that weight is, especially not with a diet culture, fat-shaming, dysmorphia-centric media we swim in every day. If you are healthy, then any other parameters around your weight should be based on your well-being. 

A third point here is that yoga can make you strong and flexible, up to your natural limits, but it may not automatically lead to weight loss. We are finding that weight loss is much more about mindful eating and choice of foods rather than “working out” to extremes. Excessive exercise, and deprivation of calories, will simply turn on the starvation prevention system of the body.

The third and most important point about the “results” of yoga is: how do you feel? As a mind/body discipline, yoga brings together the anti-stress medicines of breathwork, tissue extension and lubrication, muscle strengthening, balance, and mental focus — all in one package. As we understand more and more about the impacts of stress, trauma, and addictions on our overall health, yoga becomes a gateway to using our own internal resources to find relief, calm, and joy. 

So, the invitation is to take the “it depends…” viewpoint to heart. To lean in and practice your instrument until you are producing sweet melodies and harmonies effortlessly. So, please savor the stage of practice that you are in, and vow to continue – the results will come as you stay the course.

The post Yoga Results? I’m Waiting…. appeared first on Breathing Space Yoga & Mindfulness Studio.

I arrive a few minutes early and park the van. Noting that last week, there were actually 9 people there, I load up my wagon (a foldable beach wagon with sturdy tires and canvas sides) with 9 mats, yoga blankets and blocks. It’s a short walk to the church, and fortunately they have a ramp, so the wagon rolls right in to the room where we’re holding yoga. The coordinator meets me and begins to help set up. “How many people do we have today?” I ask. “Well, the guys are here (a group who comes for the all-recovery meeting and stays for yoga), and I think 2-3 other people.” “OK, well let’s set them all out.” We proceed to set up, and people start trickling in.

I learn, as we do self-introductions and get ready, that most of the participants have done some type of mindfulness or yoga before. While we do introductions, I’m surveying the participants. How do they seem? Tired? Agitated? Comfortable? Talkative? Have physical limitations? Usually, it’s a combination. This week, 7 people participate – we have a good-sized class! Since I have done yoga with only 1-2 of the folks there before, we take a gentle, option-rich approach. Grounding and settling with the breath for a few minutes, warmups, and then standing for more active poses.

Based on how accustomed the group is to standing yoga poses, how they respond to balance, I offer a gentle to slightly more challenging series of standing poses. I always offer some kind of balance pose (using the wall or chairs for an anchor), since it provides an opportunity to speak about balance.

Once we’ve done a few standing poses, I like to offer a challenge (with easier options), so that as they are holding the pose, I can ask about any feelings aroused by holding the pose. And they can see how the breath is an aid to holding the pose. How do you respond to bodily sensation? What do they call the sensation they feel? Is there any parts of the body which have no sensation? What feelings are aroused by this pose? Some people release the pose as soon as they encounter strong sensation; others stay and are truly investigating the effects. When the pose is released, we talk about scanning the body to see where energy is flowing and where it might be held. Breathing in… breathing out…

We talk about flexibility; energy; organ, spine, and limb health; breath; and whatever comes up for them. Though most talk is not specifically about recovery, there are opportunities to insert reminders, positive affirmations, and mostly ways to hone the skill of observing, of being in the present moment.

After a series of standing poses, we come back to the mat. If time allows, we close with a short guided meditation. As Patanjali, who is attributed with systemizing yoga as an 8-Limb path, yoga pose practice and breathwork are steps to allow the body to release, so that we can explore meditation in stillness. The guided meditations I am drawn to are intended to be both affirming and to allow participants to explore their natural ability to be aware, open, and expansive, and to cultivate stillness and presence.

Many participants, even those who complained and really seemed uninterested, express their appreciation for the class at the end, without prompting. Even for those who seem like they really disliked it, the power of yoga/mindful movement is that the benefit kind of seeps in through the resistance. As we roll up the mats, a couple of participants remark that a pose felt good, that they could do it on their own. I say “Yes, anytime you can find a little space and time, you can try that pose.” That’s the reward, right there, that someone could make yoga practice their own.

The post Recovery Yoga in the Community appeared first on Breathing Space Yoga & Mindfulness Studio.

A new organization has been created: the International Mindfulness Teachers Association. This is a timely addition to certifying bodies in the mind/body teaching/training/learning space. The organization will help to standardize mindfulness instruction and provide vetted trainings for new teachers. 

There are now countless websites, books, programs, and approaches to “mindfulness.” We have science, such as the findings of the Dalai Lama’s Mind and Life Institute, that support the benefits of meditation practice. Psychology and psychotherapy have adopted mindfulness approaches, such as Dr. Marsha Linehan’s Dialectical Behavioral Therapy. And as we know from the corporate world, we even have meditation at the Googleplex.

Each week, we receive messages, visitors and yoga students at Breathing Space asking about mindfulness and meditation. “My therapist said I should try it.” “I need to deal with my anxiety.” “My mind is always jumping around.” Mindfulness is truly mainstream now, and that is a positive benefit to society. But, let’s look a little deeper — 

As you may know, mindfulness as a practice comes from the Buddhist meditation tradition. This is a thousands-of-years-old practice that has been passed down generation to generation through oral instruction. Now that we have the Internet, Youtube, and so many other sources of information – and such busy, overstressed lives – there are many who are trying meditation on their own – from books, videos, or challenges like the “Oprah-Chopra” offering. And that is great; it is good to experiment and see what all this Mindfulness is about: is if for me?

In truth, though, we are actually talking about mindfulness (attention focused on what I am doing – what is happening, right now, fully present and witnessing impartially) and awareness (the intelligence/insight/intuition that signals what it is appropriate to be doing, right now, fully present and witnessing impartially). Awareness arises organically in the course of meditation – we discover our inherent clarity and awareness by slowing down, focusing, and repeating mindfulness practices over time. These two practices/experiences work together – they are like two wings of a bird. And like a bird, we need to develop both wings to achieve flight, to become free of harmful habits and develop clear seeing. 

It is up to all of us who are interested and involved in these ancient wisdom methods, to be sure that we are finding the heart and depth of the teachings that we are adopting and adapting into our modern, hectic lives. This takes time. Without that investment, yoga just becomes a materialistic seeking for a certain body shape and cardio rate, and mindfulness becomes a way to avoid pain and be more productive. In other words, we could fall into the trap of trying to “quick fix” rather than develop those deeper muscles – lovingkindness, patience, reflection, slowing down, and connecting with life fully. 

Join us on Tuesday evenings for the Holyoke Meditation Group, if you wish to explore the practice, teachings, and benefits of mindfulness meditation.

The post Mindfulness Teacher Certification Is Here appeared first on Breathing Space Yoga & Mindfulness Studio.

Where does mindfulness come into play here? I believe that mindfulness helps in being able to stop or interrupt the momentum of thought-driven habit. As we cultivate the ability to slow down and be in the present moment, we see more. But that is not all – we are able to slow down and see the momentum of thought-habit. When those two things happen: slowing down and clear seeing, _there_ lies the opportunity to make choice.

So, this morning I awoke very early and began work. By 7, I was very hungry. My thoughts were: get breakfast, now! and when I have postponed eating after the first point of hunger, I crave a quick meal – in this case, processed cereal, like this:

Mind you, this is a good cereal – multigrain, gluten free, etc. No problem there. But, in fact, by slowing down and seeing clearly, I was able to consider my choice. And then, the third aspect came into play — feeling. I know how I will feel if I eat this cereal this morning – too full, bloaty, not fully nourished. If I connect to how foods make me feel, then the trend is to choose clean eating – non-processed foods. 

Note, I am not a fanatic on any of this, and I do eat this cereal some days. However, I know, in the moment, that a different food choice will reap benefits and will feel better.

So, what did I choose?

This.

It’s a smoothie. Nothing original there. Contents: coconut milk, yogurt, banana, pineapple, kale, mango, blueberries, blackberries. Fairly unprocessed (depends on your definition). No added sugar, protein powder, etc.

When I make this choice, I feel invigorated, full but not stuffed, and satisfied that I just got several servings of fruits and vegetables literally under my belt.

This is not about calories, by the way. The smoothie is most likely higher in calories than the cereal. And, both choices have plenty of carbs. The point here is finding our way to making that other choice, the choice that is not the go-to, the choice that provides more of what we really need for health. 

So let’s break that down again:

• Slowing down: cultivating mindfulness allows you to slow down and be in the present moment, and cut the thought-driven habit,
• Clear Seeing: then you can actually see that there is a choice, and the choice has a predictable effect,
• Connecting to feeling: remembering how different food choices make you feel after consumption arouses positive motivation to veer from the habitual response. 

The post Mindful Eating: Making a New Choice appeared first on Breathing Space Yoga & Mindfulness Studio.

Low lunge is an accessible yoga pose, especially with the use of blocks under the hands, that helps to lengthen the psoas of the back leg. What is the psoas? “The iliopsoas refers to the joined psoas and iliacus muscles. It is the strongest muscle of the hip flexor group, originating in the upper vertebra of the lumbar spine and attaching to the lesser trochanter of the femur (a tiny prominence near the head of the thigh bone). It is the only muscle that connects the lumbar spine to the lower body and as such, has a huge impact on posture.” https://www.doyouyoga.com/5-yoga-poses-to-strengthen-and-stretch-the-psoas-32693/

But the psoas and hip flexors are so much more than just a physical manifestation. It is a source of the signaling of danger or release to the body as a whole. As the psoas muscle becomes shortened due to being sedentary, we lose posture, mobility — basically our fundamental lightness of being. If we experience major or minor, cumulative trauma, the “freeze” reaction we use as a coping mechanism can become solidified in the hips and psoas. Replace the word “trauma” with “stress,” and we have the exact formula for constricted psoas and the accompanying syndromes – exhaustion, stagnation, and depression. In extreme, we might literally be living in a state of restricted communication between the upper and lower body, losing our connection to the body as a integrated living whole. 

In Liberation Recovery Yoga ^TM, we spend time on strengthening the support for the hips and psoas, and also stretching into the area to release tension and stress. This is where the blocks come in. If you are struggling with painful memories, addiction, incarceration, or other challenges — and those struggles literally are lodged in your body — mindful movement that incorporates a focus on gentle stretching into the psoas region can have profound benefits. While cardio, weight training, and other forms of fitness work with the body in various ways that can be beneficial, the combination of mental focus through cuing and imagery, and the coordination of breath and movement, produce the benefits of release that underly the extensive health benefits of yoga. So, yoga blocks = everyone can stretch into their psoas = release of stress, more flexibility, greater range of movement = positive benefits of well-being. And this is why…. through the generosity of our donors:

Breathing Space Yoga & Mindfulness Studio donated 40 yoga blocks to support and enhance our Liberation Recovery Yoga^TM class! Much appreciation and thanks to the participants and counselors who make this all happen each week. /outreach #recoveryyoga#yogaforeverybody

The post Yoga Blocks Rule! Why We Donated 40 Blocks for Liberation Recovery Yoga appeared first on Breathing Space Yoga & Mindfulness Studio.

So, that’s a bummer, right? On the other hand, when behaviors are hidden, it is very hard for us to know when we are harming someone, “triggering” them. Sometimes, the person themselves doesn’t know in advance what  triggering word, action, event, or food sent them into a spiral, binge, recurrence. That is part of the uncertainty of life, and on the ultimate level, we are better served through strengthening our body, mind, and resiliency rather than avoiding all possible triggers.

On the other hand, when it comes to Disordered Eating, there are patterns we can be aware of, in the interest of being kind to others who may harbor great shame in how they relate to food. Don’t think for a minute that disordered eating is something you can detect; that everyone who suffers from this is either “obese” or atypically thin. In the case of food relationships, then, it may be helpful to understand some known patterns. We could develop our awareness of “fear foods” and “trigger foods” in order to support our friends who are challenged.

“Fear foods” are identified over time, and can become a pattern of deprivation. This involves “the systematic elimination of specific food groups,” which can narrow the dietary range to a dangerous level. Fear foods are highly individualized, and so it is difficult for non-professionals to assist a person who has taken this to extremes.

On the other hand, “Trigger foods” are known and can often “be chocolate, chips, ice cream, sugary sweets” … basically they can be anything that triggers the phenomenon of craving and needing more once the person begins to eat it.” Note that the high sugar levels of these common trigger foods. Dr. James DiNicolantonio, a cardiovascular research scientist at St. Luke’s Mid-America Heart Institute, recently published a review of dozens of studies, and stated: “You get this intense release of dopamine upon acute ingestion of sugar. After you chronically consume it, those dopamine receptors start becoming down-regulated — there’s less of them, and they’re less responsive,” he said. “That can lead to … a mild state of depression because we know that dopamine is that reward neurotransmitter.” For those who work with substance use disorders, this sounds very familiar.

What to conclude from this?

• We don’t necessarily know who is struggling with disordered eating. We think we do, but we do not – could be any gender, age, race, body size, income level, etc. 
• We can’t know what fear foods any individual has (“I can’t eat any carbs” etc.), and those fears are highly individualized based on belief, personal histories, sensory perceptions.
• However, we can work with common trigger foods, and work toward harm reduction. What does that mean?
  • Cook, bake, serve, and offer low sugar, healthy options (it doesn’t have to be just carrot sticks!)
  • Just like we can have no-alcohol events and still have a good time, we can also celebrate without high-sugar items as the focus of the event – what about offering art creation, movement, music, testimonials, healthy smoothies, etc.
  • Avoid moralizing about food — you can serve it without talking about it so much. Remember, many people have shame/pride about what and how much or how little they eat.
  • And, a brownie or a cookie once in a while – if these are not trigger foods for you – won’t kill you. At the same time, we can all move in the direction of healthful, balanced eating and caring for others’ well-being.

Sources:

http://blog.timberlineknolls.com/2012-07-11/fear-trigger-foods-difference-anorexia-bulimia/

http://www.wbur.org/hereandnow/2015/01/07/sugar-health-research

The post Many Addictions Are Hidden, Eating Disorders Edition appeared first on Breathing Space Yoga & Mindfulness Studio.

This research study in the journal Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity provides some solid evidence on the effect of what they call YMLI — “Yoga and Meditation-based Lifestyle Intervention” on cellular aging. Follow the link below for the full study (warning: some heavy sledding in the science terminology) — but the conclusion of the study provides the motivation:

“Though we cannot change our biology or chronological age we can definitely reverse/slow down the pace at which we age by adopting YMLI. This is the first study to demonstrate improvement in both cardinal and metabotrophic biomarkers of cellular aging and longevity in apparently healthy population after Yoga and Meditation based lifestyle intervention. So our health and the rate at which we age entirely depends on our choices. Making Yoga and Meditation an integral part of our lifestyle may hold the key to delay aging or aging gracefully, prevent onset of multifactorial complex lifestyle diseases, promote mental, physical, and reproductive health, and prolong youthful healthy life [emphasis mine].” https://www.hindawi.com/journals/omcl/2017/7928981/

The post Slowing Aging through Yoga & Meditation appeared first on Breathing Space Yoga & Mindfulness Studio.