Have a Mindful Merry Christmas!

What does it mean to be Mindful?

Mindfulness is taking time to really notice all that is going on around you and to really feel all of the emotions of the season. Put aside worry and regret for just a few moments (or longer if you dare!). Pause, Take a Breath, and each time you Fully Exhale use each sense one by one:

See the Beauty of the Holiday Lights and Decorations.

Watch peoples’ Expressions as they open gifts or greet you.

Smell the Aromas of the season: Evergreen, Cookies baking, Spices of Clove and Cinnamon.

Hear how people connect to one another with warmth in their voices as they say, “Happy Holidays!” or “Merry Christmas!”

Taste all of the delicious food and know that it was prepared with Love.

Feel the warmth of each hug. Feel the gratitude of gifts both given and received.

Remember with both Joy and Sadness those loved ones that are not with you this year. Feel Joy in each memory of times you spent together. Feel the Sadness in missing them.

When you take time to be mindful, you Experience and Feel More! In being mindful, you can understand abundance, not of the material, but of the sensations you experience in each moment.

Namaste,

Stephanie

P.S. If you need some guidance on taking a few breaths, WATCH my video on EASING TENSION. I ask for your email so that you can update your information or sign-up for my weekly emails which usually include videos.

What's in a Posture?

I had a discussion with my students the other day about posture. This group of women are all in their 50s and 60s, and each of them (like me) remember a grandmother or other adult admonishing them for a bad posture. We talked a little about why the emphasis on a good posture. Our conversation led me to look at little into the history of posture.  I found this statement from an interesting website, ThePowerofPosture.net:

"In 18th century middle-class society, proper posture was an essential ingredient in formal situations. The body positioning of strangers was shrewdly evaluated as a measurement of upbringing, physical attractiveness, trustworthiness, self-control, and dignity. Respectable people regarded erect posture as the very thing that set us apart from the animals. Likewise, collapsed posture was seen as a manifestation of immorality and stupidity, a symptom of poor character that lead to things like masturbation and other failures of self-control."

With those strong statement you can see quite a history to posture!  I wonder how close do you hold the belief that our posture tells us something about the essence of the person?  In my training as a physical therapist, my beliefs about posture and whether posture is an "impairment" have changed over the years.  In my early career, I was trained to believe that we could "train" and ultimately "change" someone's posture.  But with practice, I began to doubt whether real change in someone's posture could be sustained.  I also began to wonder how much a person's posture really "resulted" in the pain that someone had.  So over my years, I have come to a much broader perspective regarding the role that posture plays in our lives, Body, Mind and Spirit.  

Body:

I now believe that what we really need to do is MOVE in and out of postures.  It seems that no matter what posture we assume: sitting, standing, slumped or erect; if we sustain that posture for LONG periods of time there will be trouble.  Joan Vernikos, in her book Sitting Kills, Moving Heals, states that it is not how much we sit during the day (8 hours +), but how long we sustain that posture without moving.  She advocates integrating movement, mostly small and easy ones, throughout the day to combat the negative effects of sustained sitting.

Mental:

I have seen how changing a person's posture can change their attitude.  I recently represented my home yoga studio at a corporate health fair.  Of course I couldn't just stand there and give out brochures and yoga schedules.  I brought a tool, a dowel rod, to help people feel something new in their bodies.  Feel free to try this activity:

 First, sit and breath in your usual posture.  Take several breaths with your eyes closed and notice sensations of your body but also your mental attitude in the moment.

Next, place the dowel rod along your spine and make sure it hits 3 places: sacrum (just above the cleft of your buttocks), mid-back where it curves backward and on your head (keep the chin level).  Now take several breaths again. Again, notice the sensations in your body and in your mind.

Do you notice a difference in your mind and body between these two positions?

The majority of people at the health fair said yes, they could feel a difference in their body. The improved posture brought awareness to the breath filling lower into the body, chest or belly.  But what was also amazing was the look on their faces transform.  Mostly by raising the eyebrows and the corners of the mouth, that's right, into a SMILE.  

Spirit:

Why is it so hard to maintain a "good" posture?  Many Physical Therapists and others "Body Workers" focus so much on our posture are the source of all problems.  I believe that if it truly was a problem of the body, then it would be an easy fix.  We blame our jobs, our computers and our hand held devices on a curved spine.  But I have come to view this curved spine as a protective position.  We wear this curved spine like a Turtle Shell of protection.  Some people even have their shoulders drawn up around their ears.  So I have wondered, what are we trying to protect?  Our heart as the source of love?  Our throats as the center of expression?  My study of the chakra system; our energetic system where the body, mind and spirit overlap; has led me to these observations.  Maybe our efforts should be focused on how to allow our spirit to shine and our True Self to emerge.

Brene Brown, in her latest book Braving the Wilderness, talks about for wholehearted living you need to have a Strong Back (COURAGE), a Soft Front (LOVE AND ACCEPTANCE, even for yourself), and a Wild Heart (LIVE YOUR TRUEST SELF).

I think that advice just may be the solution to the postural dilemma.

Namaste,

Stephanie

Time for Love

This is really any time, but as we move into holidays we are starting to plan acts of love in the distance we travel, the meals we make, and the traditions we keep.  We can easily see these opportunities for love.

I know that the purpose of each human is to LOVE. I am also learning that humans are wired to notice the negative first as survival instinct (I recommend Buddha’s Brain, The Practice Neuroscience of Happiness, Love and Wisdom by Rick Hansen).  LOVE is something that we need to work at each and every day.  I know that this is an important pathway to HEALTH.

The other day while meditating this prayer emerged.  You can insert your personal interpretation of the Holy Spirit, that is, The Divine, God, Allah, etc. I would like for this to be a universal prayer.  For me, the Holy Spirit is the powerful force which guides nature.  The essence of which is LOVE.

May I be filled with the Holy Spirit to be Aware of Love.

May I be filled with the Holy Spirit to Accept Love.

May I be filled with the Holy Spirit to Embody Love.

May I be filled with the Holy Spirit to Radiate Love.

Aware, Accept, Embody and Radiate. Allow me the time to explain each.

Aware. You must consciously work at being aware of Love. The 24-hour news cycle makes this difficult and there are bad things happening in the world.  However, each day opportunities also arise to see love.  A practice of mindfulness helps to create this awareness in each moment. If you follow my blog, social media posts or come to my classes, you know that I encourage this practice. I believe that now more than ever mindfulness is necessary to be aware of love around you. (If you want to get started, I have resources on my website for free guided meditations)

Accept.  For me, this is difficult.  We have all experienced emotional trauma in our lives.   For some this trauma is apparent but for others it may have been repeated minor offenses, like a parent that used shame as discipline.  Mine was adoption.  For many years I didn’t realize it to be a trauma. But that experience, even as an infant, left me with a deep sense of thinking that I was unworthy of love.  In my meditation practice each day, I work to let go of that trauma and open to love. 

Embody. The traumas live in our body.  Those achy hips are when you didn’t feel safe. The achy back is the fear of not having enough money. The pain between your shoulders blades is a broken heart. The tension in your neck is every time to didn’t speak your mind.  When we hold those traumas in the body, it is difficult to fill with love.  However, with meditation and movement like yoga we can work to let go of the trauma and pain. 

Here’s an example of embodied love that you may also feel. Recently, my daughter loves to trade gentle kisses on the nose. At night, she gives me a kiss and then I give her a kiss.  And then she falls on to her bed with a big smile and giggles.  Does this evoke a memory? Do you feel it somewhere in your body? If so, you know what I’m talking about and you know that you want more of it.

Radiate. This is simple. When you are filled with love, you can’t help but radiate love. Even to the stranger at the store. Even when you hear the bad news. People have been telling me recently, “You look great! Did you do something different with your hair?”  Truth be told, I had a hard summer emotionally, I’ve put on 5 pounds. and my hair is noticeably grayer. Though all of this, I work to practice mindfulness.  I think what people are noticing is LOVE.

You’ll notice that I used the word “work” a few times.  That is what it takes.  Regular, consistent, work to take time for love.

Namaste,

Stephanie