Connecting with your Inner Geode

Yoga isn’t about the body. Not really.

Sutras 1.2 – 1.4 discuss the true purpose if yoga.  Errors in interpretation and translation are strictly mine.

Sutra 1.2 provides the definition of yoga.

Yogas citta vritti nirodhah

Yoga is the process of learning to control the random fluctuations of the mind.

Sutra 1.3 tells what happens when we achieve that state.

Tada drastuh svarupe avasthanam

Once we have achieved that state, we are connected with our own true nature (we can see clearly).

Sutra 1.4 tells what we can expect if we don’t.

Vritti sarupyam itaratra

Otherwise, what we experience in life is a product of our own conditioning, not reality.

If that doesn’t make sense, try this Tracy translation on for size.

Yoga is the process of learning how to control our mind, so it doesn’t control us.  In doing so, we finally overcome our conditioning, and we see things, including ourselves, as they truly are.  Otherwise, we remain trapped in the muck of our own emotional quicksand.

Conditioning isn’t all bad. It keeps us safe. It provides the intelligence, the character, and the beauty through with we experience the world.  But it also clouds us, holds us back, and feeds into feelings of jealousy, prejudice, attachment and fear.

The sutras promise that no matter what happens to us—or in the world around us, for that matter—we each have a perfect, clear core somewhere deep inside.  A spirit of wisdom, kindness, compassion, truth.  The tools of yoga—asana, pranayama, meditation, chant and ritual—help us peel away, layer by grimy layer, all that obscures that beautiful being inside us.

The ancients symbolized the mind as a crystal.  I like to think of it more as a geode, each with its own emotional fingerprint.

The outer layers of our awareness are dark, clouded and dull.  Like the rings of a tree, our inner layers vary and have been formed by influences starting when we were young. Some layers are bigger—more impactful—than others.  Some layers are dark and stressful, others bright and happy.  But all of us, deep in our core, possess the same inner clarity.  All of us, deep in our core, know truth. All of us, deep in our core, are perfect.

Yoga helps you connect with your true self. It’s not easy. It’s often not fun. It usually has nothing to do with stretching your hamstrings. But those moments when you glimpse into that perfect, clear space?  They make it all worth it.

This simple meditation practice can help you get started.

Namaste

Tracy Weber

Check out Tracy Weber’s author page for information about the Downward Dog Mysteries series.  A KILLER RETREAT and MURDER STRIKES A POSE are available at book sellers everywhere!

Making the Most of Your Minute

Today is my weekly posting for Inkspot, the blog for authors of Midnight Ink.  I hope the visualization practice I share in this article will help my writer friends--as well as my students--to be more comfortable when they have to speak in front of a group or do anything else that makes them nervous.  Check it out!

http://midnightwriters.blogspot.com/2015/04/making-most-of-your-minute.html

Namaste

Tracy Weber

          

Check out Tracy Weber’s author page for information about the Downward Dog Mysteries series.  A KILLER RETREAT and MURDER STRIKES A POSE are available at book sellers everywhere!

A Meditation to Deal with Difficult People

We all have people who challenge us in some way, often those closest to us. The yoga teachings say that no matter how much we'd like to, we can never change  someone else.  All we can change is how we react to them.

Fortunately, that's usually enough.  I learned the wonderful meditation below when I took yoga therapist training many years ago.  Give it a try. You might be surprised at the results!

Pratipaska Bhavanam Meditation: Replacing with the Opposites,

1. Sit comfortably, with your spine erect and the crown of your head floating up to the ceiling.  Sitting either in a chair or on the floor is fine, as long as you are physically comfortable and your spine is in “neutral." 
2. Allow your eyes to close and your focus to go internal.
3. Notice your breath—without intentionally trying to change it.  Feel the warmth and coolness of the breath at the tip of your nostrils.  Allow your mind to focus on and pay attention to this feeling of the breath.  This will be your anchor and where you will invite your attention whenever your mind wanders.
4. Bring to mind an interaction that was stressful or contentious in some way in a relationship that’s important to you.  Something that challenged you and in which you reacted with anger, fear, stress or frustration.
5. Try to really feel and “re-live” that interaction.
   
   • What did you feel in your muscles?
   • How did your breath change?
   • What sensations did you feel in your jaw and face?
   • Were you hot or cold?
   • What sensations did you feel internally in your throat, your stomach, your chest?
   • Were your hands, toes, or teeth clenched?
   • What facial expression do you imagine you wore?
   • What was your “inner dialogue” like?  Did you attribute intentions or motives to the person with whom you were interacting?
   • What message did your energy send to that other person?
6. Now, imagine what it would have felt like—been like—had you instead reacted to the other person with the energy of love, light, and understanding.  
   
   • What do you feel in your muscles?
   • What is the rhythm of your breath?
   • What sensations do you feel in your jaw and face?
   • Are your hands, toes, and jaw relaxed?
   • What sensations do you feel internally in your throat, your stomach, your chest?
   • What facial expression do you imagine you are wearing?
   • What is your “inner dialogue” like?  Do you attribute intentions or motives to the person you are interacting with?
   • What message does your energy send to the person with whom you are interacting?
7. If your attention wanders (and it will!) just notice it, and invite your attention back to the sensation of the breath at the tip of your nose.  Then return to your peaceful place and begin again.
8. Continue this meditation for 10 minutes or longer if you’d like.

Namaste

Tracy Weber


          

Come visit Whole Life Yoga in Seattle, and check out Tracy Weber’s author page for information about the Downward Dog Mysteries series.  A KILLER RETREAT and MURDER STRIKES A POSE are available at book sellers everywhere!

A Meditation Proven to Invoke the Relaxation Response

In last week’s blog, I shared some of the benefits of a consistent mediation practice and briefly discussed Herbert Benson’s early research.  This week, I’d like to prove how simple an effective meditation technique can be.

 

The meditation below was used in Benson’s research.  I’ve stolen it from his book The Relaxation Response.

1. Pick a focus word, short phrase, or prayer rooted in your belief system.
2. Sit quietly in a comfortable position.
3. Close your eyes.
4. Relax your muscles.
5. Breathe slowly. Say the focus word as you exhale.
6. Assume a passive attitude. When other thoughts intrude, just say "Oh well" and return to your repetition.
7. Continue for 10-20 minutes.
8. Open your eyes and sit for another minute.
9. Practice once or twice daily.

If it seems like I’ve been writing about meditation a lot lately, I have.  But only because I strongly believe meditation has the power to transform your life and the lives of those around you.

Enjoy, and practice!

Namaste

Tracy Weber

Come visit Whole Life Yoga in Seattle, and check out Tracy Weber’s author page for information about the Downward Dog Mysteries series.  A KILLER RETREAT and MURDER STRIKES A POSE are available at book sellers everywhere!

The Relaxation Response

What if there was an exercise that you could do for as little as ten minutes a day, three times a week that was proven to:

• Decrease blood pressure
• Reduce or prevent migraines
• Combat heart disease
• Reduce cholesterol
• Decrease premenstrual symptoms
• Decrease alcohol consumption
• Decrease pain
• Boost immune system functioning
• Improve sleep
• Decrease adrenaline production, thereby lowering the “fight or flight” response
• Decrease anxiety and stress
• Boost creativity
• Improve relationships
• Provide an overall feeling of health and well being
• Increase your ability to recover from sudden stressors
• And much, much more

Would you do it?

Better yet, what if you could do this exercise virtually anywhere—at home, riding the bus, even sitting at your desk at work?  And what if you never even had to break a sweat?

That exercise not only exists, it’s been used for thousands of years.

I’m talking, of course, about meditation.

Meditation has been studied extensively in the West, much more so than yoga’s other tools.  Herbert Benson, a researcher at Harvard Medical School, was one of meditation’s research pioneers in the 1970s.

Studying something as New Age as meditation wasn’t exactly kosher forty years ago, so Dr. Benson worked under the cover of darkness. He snuck experienced meditators into his research facility late at night, measured physiological markers, and mapped brain wave patterns.  The results were impressive. Meditators showed measurable changes in brain wave activity that allowed them to manage the stresses of life much more effectively than non-meditators.  Benson called meditation’s health and emotional benefits “The Relaxation Response.”

Many other researchers—including Joan Borysenko, Jon Kabat Zinn, and Dean Ornish—have replicated and expanded on these results. Their work has shown that a variety of meditation methods are equally powerful, and that effective meditation doesn’t require hours of time, a Zen-like yoga space or Tibetan master teacher.  To meditate, you simply have to sit quietly for ten minutes a day, three times a week and focus on a word, phrase, idea, or image.

Start with this simple breath focused meditation or go online and Google the word “meditation.” You’ll find literally thousands of sites with hundreds of techniques, one of which is bound to appeal to you. 

Give it a try.  I think you’ll be surprised at the results!

Namaste

Tracy Weber

A Meditation of Warmth and Light

Sometimes the most powerful meditation practices are also the most simple.  This meditation practice is one of my favorites, and it works especially well for individuals whose most dominant sense is sight.  The changing nature of a candle flame makes it alive—almost vibrant—so it’s an interesting point of focus.  Its only downsides are that you have to do this meditation seated, and since candles involve fire risk, it’s not appropriate in all situations.  One of my students, however, found an iphone candle flame app, so with advances in technology, perhaps even that isn’t an issue!

• Choose a candle you feel drawn to. Preferably choose one with a calming color (blue, purple, green, beige, white). Place it on a low table or on the ground about 3-6 feet in front of you.  Light the flame and relax your body.
• Sit comfortably, with your spine erect and the crown of your head floating up to the ceiling.  Sitting either in a chair or on the floor is fine, as long as you are physically comfortable.
• Keep your eyes open, gazing quietly at the candle in front of you.
• Notice your breath—without intentionally trying to change it.  First notice the warmth and coolness of the breath at the tip of your nostrils.  Notice the movement of your rib cage and belly.  How does your spine move with each breath?  What other sensations can you feel?
• When you feel ready, focus your mind by gazing steadily at the candle flame as it burns.  Your eyes can be partially closed (at “half mast”) and it is fine to blink.  Notice the colors, the changing patterns and shapes of the flame.  Become aware of the scent of the burning wax, the warmth of the flame.   The flame continually changes with every passing moment.
• If your attention wanders (and it will!) just notice it, and invite your attention back to the sensation of the breath at the tip of your nose.  Then begin to focus on the changing nature of the candle flame again.
• Continue this meditation for 10 – 15 minutes

Give it a try, and let me know what you think!

Namaste

Tracy Weber

Come visit Whole Life Yoga in Seattle, and check out Tracy Weber’s author page for information about the Downward Dog Mysteries series.  A KILLER RETREAT and MURDER STRIKES A POSE are available at book sellers everywhere! 

Finding Contentment in Uncertainty

In honor of the approaching publication of A Killer Retreat on January 8, the next three blog posts will be devoted to yoga teachings and practices mentioned in the book.  Enjoy!

In a few weeks I’ll launch the second book in my series, A Killer Retreat. Of course, the main plot revolves around solving a murder, but my yoga teacher/sleuth Kate is also faced with a choice: should she put the brakes on her relationship with her boyfriend Michael and risk losing him forever, or should she marry him and risk losing herself? Of course, there are many other options, but those are the only two Kate can see, at least at first.

And it terrifies her.

So instead of making the decision, she does what any moderately neurotic person would do when faced with multiple, irreconcilable options: she avoids all of them.

As you might guess, the strategy doesn’t work very well, at least not for long.  In Kate’s own words, “Ignorance is bliss. Until it isn’t.”

Kate’s dilemma isn’t unique. I know from experience that running away from change only works for awhile, and it’s a short while at that. No matter how fast I run, no matter how far I go, my problems go with me. But what if the actual choices we make in life are immaterial? According to The Yoga Sutras, they may be.

The Yoga Sutras promise  that although there are many potential paths in life and at least a gazillion things over which we have no control, everything we experience--good and bad--is fodder for our growth. If that's true, then every path we take serves us in some way.

So we can take comfort in knowing that there are no absolutes, only opportunities for our development. If you travel your pathway with mindfulness, focus, kindness and compassion, the destination will always be your true self.

The meditation below may help you find santosha—contentment—in the midst of change.

Many Paths, One Destination Meditation

1. Close your eyes and bring attention to your breath. Focus your mind on the soft, subtle sensation of the breath as it enters and leaves your nostrils.
2. When you are ready, imagine yourself standing at the intersection of several paths, each of which represents a different choice. There is no right choice; no wrong one, either. Only different roads to the same destination. Even though you can’t see it, contentment lies at the end of every path.
3. In your mind’s eye, stand at this intersection with your feet planted solidly on the earth. Imagine how you will feel when you unite with contentment at the end of your journey. What will contentment look like? Feel like? Smell like? Sound like? Taste like? Involve all of your senses as vibrantly as possible.
4. For the next several minutes, mentally and physically practice contentment, so that when you begin walking your chosen path, contentment will accompany you.
5. Continue this meditation for several minutes or however long feels perfect.

Regardless of the paths we choose, may we all walk them in peace.

Namaste

Tracy Weber

          
Check out Tracy Weber’s author page for information about the Downward Dog Mysteries series.  A KILLER RETREAT is available for preorder now. MURDER STRIKES A POSE is available at book sellers everywhere! 

Creating Abundance

“Abundance is about being rich, with or without money.”— Suze Orman

Happy Thanksgiving!

Depending on your perspective, the holidays can either be a joyful time shared with family and friends or a dismal demonstration of unrealized expectations. The choice is yours. Abundance is everywhere, if you choose to look for it.

On this day of feasting and family, I'd like to share with you some quotes, breath practices, and meditations that can help you find abundance in your own life.

"Whatever we are waiting for -- peace of mind, contentment, grace, the inner awareness of simple abundance -- it will surely come to us, but only when we are ready to receive it with an open and grateful heart.”—Sarah Ban Breathnach

Breath Practice:

1. Lengthen your inhale and exhale, making them approximately equal.
2. Remain at that lengthened breath for several minutes. With each inhale, imagine abundance in all its forms entering your heart. With every exhale, imagine those same qualities flowing through your body and taking root in every cell.
3. After several minutes, return your breath to a normal rhythm. Carry the energy of this breath practice to meditation.

Meditation Question: How can I invite abundance into my life, regardless of my material wealth?

“The universe operates through dynamic exchange…giving and receiving are different aspects of the flow of energy in the universe. And in our willingness to give that which we seek, we keep the abundance of the universe circulating in our lives.”— Deepak Chopra

Breath Practice:

1. Lengthen your inhale and exhale, making them approximately equal.
2. After six breaths at that lengthened breath, add a two second pause after both the inhale and the exhale.
3. Remain at this breath for several minutes. With each inhale, imagine abundance in all its forms entering your heart. In the pause after inhale, imagine abundance completely filling you. With every exhale, offer abundance back to the world. In the pause after exhale, imagine abundance both within and around you.
4. After several minutes, release the pauses, but continue breathing with a lengthened inhale and exhale.
5. After several more breaths, return your breath to a normal rhythm. Carry the energy of this breath practice to meditation.

Meditation Question: How can I create abundance in the lives of those around me?

The prosperity hens pictured above symbolize prosperity in Indian culture, because any family fortunate enough to own a hen has a continual source of nourishment. Find your own symbol of abundance and keep it near as you get caught up in busy-ness of the holiday season.  Allow it to remind you of all that is truly important.

Namaste

Tracy Weber

Come visit Whole Life Yoga in Seattle, and check out Tracy Weber’s author page for information about her  yoga and dog-related mystery series, the Downward Dog Mysteries.

Forgiveness: The Road to Happiness—or at Least Peace

I look forward to answering your questions in this blog. Please feel free to leave a comment or e-mail your questions to tracy@wholelifeyoga.com.
 

 
A  student asks: I’m in the middle of an ongoing conflict with a member of my family, and although I don’t usually feel angry, I don’t feel happy, either. Do you have any suggestions?

I need to make a confession: this question has challenged me.  The yoga teachings talk about happiness, but not in the way that we might hope.  In fact, the teachings warn against seeking happiness, because within happiness lies suffering.  Instead they advise us to seek peace.

I'll admit that I struggle with that, even though I get the point.  Happiness leads to attachment; attachment leads to suffering.  Peace, on the other hand, leads to acceptance, and acceptance reduces suffering.

So honestly, I don’t have any great yoga tools for creating happiness. But yoga has helped me find it, nonetheless.  When I practice yoga, I find peace. When I’m more peaceful, I’m happier. So perhaps a more meaningful goal is to turn anger into forgiveness, so that you too can find peace.

The Buddhist meditation below can help jump start that process.  In it, you offer healing to yourself, someone you love, someone with whom you are in conflict, and finally the world.

If sending healing to your family member is too challenging right now, start with someone less charged, like a rude grocery store clerk or someone who cuts you off on the freeway. Over time, as you forgive and find inner tranquility, happiness may sneak its way back in.

Loving Kindness Meditation:

1. Come to a comfortable seated or lying position.
2. Allow your eyes to close, and notice your breath—without intentionally trying to change it.  Bring your attention to the warmth and coolness of the breath at the tip of your nostrils.
3. When you are ready, bring your own self to mind, complete with all of your strengths, weaknesses, successes, and struggles.  Silently and continuously repeat the following intentions for yourself:
   • May I be at peace. May my heart be open.
   • May I be healed, and may I be a source of healing for all beings.
4. When you are ready, bring to mind the image of a loved one—someone you care about.  Silently and continuously repeat the following blessings for that person:
   • May you be at peace. May your heart be open.
   • May you be healed, and may you be a source of healing for all beings.
5. When you are ready, bring to mind the image someone with whom you are in conflict, or someone who “pushes your buttons” in some away.  Perhaps someone who’s injured you in the past whom you’ve not forgiven.  Silently and continuously repeat the following blessings for that person:
   • May you be at peace. May your heart be open.
   • May you be healed, and may you be a source of healing for all beings.
6. When you are ready, bring to mind an image of the entire planet. Visualize or sense the continents, the oceans, and the shape of the earth as it moves around the sun.  Silently and continuously repeat the following blessings for the earth:
   • May the earth be at peace. May the hearts of the earth be open.
   • May the earth be healed, and may the earth be a source of healing for all beings.
7. If your attention wanders (and it will!) just notice it, and invite your attention back to the sensation of the breath at the tip of your nose.  Then continue with the loving kindness meditation from wherever you left off.  The “blessings” above can be modified to anything that has meaning for you.

I hope that helps, and thank you for the question!

Meditations to Decrease Stress and Inflammation!

 

A recent study at UCLA’s Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences demonstrated once again that even short meditations, when done consistently, have positive effects on both the body and the mind. The study evaluated 49 caregivers of patients with Alzheimer’s and dementia. Almost 50% of these caregivers experience clinical depression, and they are also twice as likely as the general population to report high levels of stress.

 

The study divided the caregivers (who ranged in ages from 45 to 91) into two groups: one that practiced a 12-minute meditation daily for 8 weeks, and one that spent 12 minutes each day for 8 weeks relaxing while listening to a relaxation CD.

The meditation group showed several benefits over the group that listened to the music:

• Significantly lower levels of depressive symptoms
• Improvements in reported mental health
• Improvements in cognitive functioning
• Increased telomerase activity in the blood (an indication of decreased cellular aging)
• Significant decreases in blood proteins associated with inflammation.

All these benefits from just 12 minutes of meditation a day!

This specific study examined a chant and meditation practice called Kirtan Kriya, but prior studies on meditation have shown similar mind-body benefits with a variety of meditations. In short, any meditation practice you do for 10 minutes or more daily is likely to achieve similar results.

The meditation below has been used in other studies on meditation’s “relaxation response.” But remember, the most effective meditation practice is one you will actually do. Hundreds, if not thousands, of meditation techniques exist and are easily found on the web. Experiment and find the one that works best for you.

Simple Counting Meditation:

• Sit comfortably, with your spine erect and the crown of your head floating up
  to the ceiling.
• Allow your eyes to close, and notice your breath—without intentionally trying to
  change it. Bring your attention to the warmth and coolness of the breath
  at the tip of your nostrils.
• After 2 – 3 minutes, or whenever you are ready, start counting each exhalation.
  For example, when you exhale the first time, think "one." The next time you exhale, count "two."  Keep counting silently to yourself, until you get to ten. After you reach ten, then start over again from "one."
• You’ll know your mind has wandered because you’ll lose count or notice that you’re thinking about something else. When that happens, (and it will!) try not to get frustrated. Instead, simply start over again by counting from “one.”  Without judgment or frustration, notice how often you need to restart counting.   The goal isn’t to get to 10, but to keep refocusing whenever your mind wanders.
• Continue this meditation for 10 minutes or longer if you’d like.

I’ve outlined two other methods in prior blog articles: a simple Meditation for Inner Peace and a Breath Focused Meditation. I will post additional meditations in the future, so keep checking back. Remember not to worry about "being good" at mediation--just by the act of meditating, you are inherently good at it regardless of how often your mind wanders as long as you keep bringing it back.

Namaste

Tracy Weber

          

Come visit Whole Life Yoga in Seattle, and check out Tracy Weber’s author page for information about the Downward Dog Mysteries series.  A KILLER RETREAT is available for preorder now from Whole Life Yoga. MURDER STRIKES A POSE is available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble,  and book sellers everywhere! 

Savasana (Corpse Pose): A Time to Rest or a Time to Become Fully Awake?

I can almost hear the collective sigh of relief when I tell my students it’s time to transition to the period of rest at the end of each yoga class called Savasana, literally translated as “Corpse Pose.”
As each student settles in, I offer softened lights, peaceful music—even neck pillows and bolsters to put under their knees.  Experienced students often cover their bodies with blankets and their eyes with eye pillows.  I tiptoe around the room and verbally guide each student into a quiet place where they can hopefully find, even if for just a moment, a place of internal peace.  I’m rewarded for doing so.  As my students relax, I feel the energy of their tranquility. I sometimes even hear a soft snore or two as they melt away into oblivion.

I don’t think we can underestimate the power of that quiet time.  In our busy world, we rarely take the time to relax and let our minds just be free.  Practiced this way, Savasana provides a time of inner peace. A moment of relief from the information overload of our always-busy lives.

But I sometimes wonder if we’ve missed the point.  According to the teachings, Savasana isn’t really about relaxation.  In fact, I’ve heard Savasana described as the most difficult of all yoga postures.  A posture in which, bodies completely still, we are challenged to keep our minds focused.  The pose is named “Corpse Pose” for a reason. We are to act as if our bodies had dissolved away—as if were already dead, so to speak.

When practiced this way, Savasana is a powerful tool.  It can help us momentarily become less identified with our bodies and less attached to the trappings of our lives. In those last minutes of class, we can reconnect to the pure, perfect essence that already exists within each of us.

I’d like to offer you a challenge. The next time you rest in that final yoga pose, try not to simply melt into rest and oblivion.  Don’t fall asleep, either literally or figuratively.  Instead, stay truly awake, in a sort of resting meditation.  Lie still, in complete silence, present with the sensations of your body and completely aware of the random thoughts of your mind.  Use that time to connect with the beauty and perfection that is already within you.

It won’t be easy.  It might not even be as pleasant as that ten-minute nap you were anticipating.  But finding that quiet place within yourself will be well worth the effort.

Namaste

Tracy Weber

Come visit Whole Life Yoga in Seattle, and check out Tracy Weber's author page for information about the Downward Dog Mysteries series.  MURDER STRIKES A POSE is available now at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Whole Life Yoga, and wherever books are sold.

Sitting Pretty—and Comfortably—in Yoga Class

Whenever I see students struggling to sit comfortably in yoga class, I’m reminded of that old Alanis Morissette song—isn’t it ironic that we come to yoga class to decrease pain, then sit uncomfortably on the floor with our backs screaming in agony.

Sitting is notoriously painful for people with back pain; sitting on the floor, crossed legged, without back support is even worse.  Of course, that’s that most of us tend to do in every yoga class.  There are many better alternatives. A few of my favorites are below.

First, if you do choose to sit crossed legged, look down at your knees.  If your knees are above your hips, then your spine is not in neutral alignment, which will lead to back discomfort.  This problem can easily be fixed by elevating your hips.  Fold a blanket or two and place them under your sitz bones (or ischial tuberosities, for you anatomy geeks.) These are the bony prominences between the tops of your thighs and the bottoms of your hips.  Add blankets until your knees are below your hips, as in the photo below.

For people without knee issues, the sitting posture below is my favorite.  This is how I sit when I teach.  In the first photo, the student is sitting on a block, which elevates her hips to put less pressure on her knees.  In the second, she is sitting on a meditation bench. 

Meditation benches can be a little pricey, but they last forever.  I’ve had the one in the photo for over 11 years.

Finally, you can always lie down.  There’s nothing magic at all about achieving that perfect lotus pose.  In yoga, the goal is to connect the body, breath, and mind. To do that, the spine should be neutral. A neutral spine can be found sitting in a chair, kneeling, lying, or standing for that matter. While it’s true that the breath is subtly blocked in a lying position, for most people the effect is minor. If lying gets you out of pain, I say go for it!

Generally, the most neutral supine position lying with the knees bent, feet on the floor, as in the photo below.

The biggest risk in this position is falling asleep.  So try to keep your mind alert, and if you come to class with a friend, tell them to nudge you if you start snoring!

I look forward to seeing you at the studio soon!

Namaste

Tracy

Come visit Whole Life Yoga in Seattle, and check out Tracy Weber's author page for information about the Downward Dog Mysteries series.  MURDER STRIKES A POSE is available now from Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Whole Life Yoga, and other retailers!

A Simple Meditation for Greater Mindfulness and Peace

 

Meditation is one of my favorite practices, in that it is so simple, yet so incredibly powerful.  When I have a consistent meditation practice I am more mindful, more focused, more calm in the face of challenge.  When I don't, life is just plain harder.  Meditation doesn't erase the challenges of life. (And who among us doesn’t have challenges?)  But it makes me less reactive to them and clearer in distinguishing between what is  important and what is not;  What I can control and what I cannot; What is real and what is a crazy trick of my overactive imagination. 

Many students I speak with assert that they "can't" meditate.  That when they try to meditate, their mind wanders.   Frankly, so does mine.  My chattering mind often sounds like the soundtrack to a bad episode of the Jerry Springer show. 

It doesn’t matter. 

Meditation is not the act of sitting still with a perfectly quiet mind.  Meditation is simply the act of noticing when your mind wanders and inviting it back--again, and again, and again.  The beauty is that every time you notice your mind wander and bring it back, you are learning to control your thoughts instead of letting them control you.  You may not notice the effects while you’re meditating, but I guarantee you’ll notice them in your daily life.  You’ll be calmer, clearer, and likely kinder.  Your loved ones will thank you!

Research shows that as little as ten minutes a day of meditation three times a week yields significant benefits in health and mental well being.     Give it a try and see what happens.   It won't be easy, but it is simple.  Just breathe, and notice.

Breath Focused Meditation:

1. Sit comfortably, with your spine erect and the crown of your head floating up to the ceiling.  Sitting either in a chair or on the floor is fine, as long as you are physically comfortable and your spine is in “neutral”. 
2. Allow your eyes to close or keep your eyes at “half mast” gazing quietly at a place below and in front of you.
3. Notice your breath—without intentionally trying to change it.  Feel the warmth and coolness of the breath at the tip of your nostrils.  Allow your mind to focus on and pay attention to this feeling of the breath.
4. If your attention wanders (and it will!) just notice it, and invite your attention back to the sensation of the breath at the tip of your nose.  Try not to criticize yourself.  Instead congratulate yourself for bringing the attention back to the point of focus.
5. Continue this meditation for ten minutes or longer if you’d like.

Let me know how it works for you!

Namaste,

Tracy Weber

Come visit Whole Life Yoga in Seattle, and check out Tracy Weber's author page for information about the Downward Dog Mysteries series.  MURDER STRIKES A POSE is available for preorder now from Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Whole Life Yoga, and other retailers!

Viniyoga: A Practice for All Stages of Life

I'm always happy to get calls from senior students looking to begin a yoga practice for the first time, as well as from parents looking for yoga classes for their children.  Of course, the sooner you start yoga, the better, but yoga is not simply a practice for the fit and the young.  Viniyoga, in particular, is well suited to serving individuals of all ages, fitness levels, and conditions of illness or health.  Since we offer a methodology, or approach, to yoga versus a given posture form, sequence or temperature range, we can teach a variety of clients from the hospitalized and very ill, to teen-aged gymnasts, to everything in between. Krishnamacharya (the founder of this lineage) practiced yoga his entire life, until he was well over 100 years old.  In short, Viniyoga is a practice that can (and should) serve a person throughout their entire life.  The goals and methods of yoga practice should change to meet the specific needs of each stage of life, however.

In youth (the sunrise stage of life), we focus on increasing strength, stamina, and concentration while promoting balanced development of the body and mind.  This typically means stronger, fitness oriented asana (postures) with a stricter focus on form. Of course, even children often benefit from a more therapeutic type of yoga, and in that case we focus on healing practices while still integrating the play and challenge children love.

From about the mid 20’s to mid 70’s (the mid day stage of life), our goal is to stay healthy, active, and to heal from the injuries and illnesses our bodies have picked up along the way.  We therefore decrease our focus on strong asana and increase our focus on developing the breath.  We also use yoga postures therapeutically to overcome injury and illness, and to promote balance in the musculoskeletal, physiological and emotional systems.   Yoga can still help us gain strength and flexibility, but the goal shifts from stronger asana to more breath-centered, adaptive asana.

In our later years (the sunset stage of life), our goals shift yet again.  From the time we enter our late 70’s until we pass on, our goal is to stay as self sufficient, mobile, and healthy as possible.  We use meditative asana and breath work to maintain physiological health and to keep our bodies functional as we age.  We also incorporate more meditation to help us focus the mind and prepare for our next journey to whatever is beyond this life.

No matter what your current age, you can definitely benefit from yoga. You’re never too young or to old.  Age is no excuse for not starting a yoga practice, or not continuing it.  As you change with time, so will your practice.  And in that transformation, you may well find a depth and beauty you never thought possible.

Namaste

Tracy Weber

Come visit Whole Life Yoga in Seattle, and check out Tracy Weber's author page for information about the Downward Dog Mysteries series.  MURDER STRIKES A POSE is available for preorder now from Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Whole Life Yoga, and other retailers!

The Essence of Gratitude

I recently read an essay from one of my yoga teacher training students, in which she discussed how she continually practices being grateful, even when things don’t go her way.  It reminded me how easy it is to let the circumstances of life dictate how we feel.  You can clearly see it in the sun starved faces of Seattleites.  When it’s sunny and warm, we feel joyous and energized.  When it’s rainy and cold, we feel lethargic and depressed.

One goal of yoga is to learn how to find internal peace, so that regardless of the “weather” in our internal or external worlds, our mind is calm, centered and content.  The teachings tell us that we cannot control what happens in the world around us.  But we can control how we react to it.

I once listened to a wonderful recording by Joan Borysenko, in which she discussed practices of gratitude.  I can’t remember the title anymore, but I adapted a practice from it that I use to keep myself connected to the joy and beauty of my life, even when I feel down and things seem to spin out of control.  This practice reminds me that no matter how “awful” things seem at any given moment, there are always many, many things for which to be grateful.

Like many important things in life, the practice is simple, yet powerful.  Each night, before falling asleep, I recount at least 10 things that I was grateful for in that day.

To be completely honest, some days it’s  harder than others.  But I can always do it, even on days that have been truly challenging on every level.  And the practice makes me pay attention and seek out the small joys I might otherwise miss each day.  It doesn’t matter how big or how small, every day brings gifts that make me smile.

For example, today I am grateful for:

• The cool breeze wafting through my living room window
• The purple color in the center of the orchids next to the studio fountain
• The soft, silky spot behind my dog’s ears
• The sound of the neighborhood woodpecker as he drills on our metal chimney top
• The white breasted bird that sat on the line outside my window this morning
• My dog's continued recovery from hip replacement surgery
• Chocolate
• The yummy taste of Blackthorn cider
• The delightful E-card I just received from a dear friend as I typed this blog entry

The essence of gratitude resides in things both big and small.  This practice keeps me connected to all that is wonderful in my world on a daily basis.  I hope you try it and benefit from it as much as I have!

Namaste and may you have many things for which to be grateful.

Tracy Weber

Learn more about my yoga mysteries at TracyWeberAuthor.com, and join my author mailing list for updates on MURDER STRIKES A POSE, available early 2014 from Midnight Ink!

It's Addictive: An Interview with Linda Farmer--and Your Chance to Win!

Note: As many of you know, I love Zentangle! So I asked an expert to explain some of the appeal. The tangle above was done by Linda Farmer. One lucky commenter will win a copy of AlphaTangle: A Truly Tangled Alphabet by Sandy Steen Bartholomew--so please, don't be shy!

1. How did you get involved with Zentangle®? What about it is so appealing to you?

I’m not quite sure how I became involved with Zentangle® because it was a few years ago and I wasn’t “into it” at the time. However, I suspect it was my interest in teaching myself calligraphy that led me to Zentangle through Maria Thomas’ website (http://mariathomasonline.com). Maria is probably the top lettering artist in the world - her work is unique, elegant and simply exquisite. She has set many trends in the lettering arts and together with her partner, Rick Roberts, created the Zentangle art form and method (http://zentangle.com/).

One of my favorite art forms is Persian miniatures so the size and beauty of Zentangle instantly appealed to me. I subscribed to Rick and Maria’s occasional newsletters and loved what I saw. For a couple of years Zentangle remained interesting eye candy for me through the newsletters as I pursued calligraphy and varied interests in art. I collected all kinds of art “how to” books and also taught myself about things like color theory and watercolor in my spare time. That was my outlet from my daily life as a business writer and computer geek in our public relations and marketing business.

For Christmas in 2009 my Mom sent me some money and I debated for some time what art supplies I wanted to get with her gift, finally deciding to order an Official Zentangle Kit.

I received my Official Kit  and its instructional DVD with Maria demonstrating the Zentangle process and showing how to draw several of the official tangles. That has turned out to be an amazing life-long gift from my Mom.

I’d never really drawn a lot before, but just as they say, anyone can do this “one stroke at a time”. I was astonished and thrilled at what I was able to create and that was it. I was hooked. As everyone who has tried it will tell you, it’s addictive.

2. On your blog, you have compiled the largest “glossary” of tangles that I’ve ever seen. What inspired you to do that?

I began collecting more tangle patterns and links to the instructions for all the ones I could find online. I’ve always been obsessed with organizing information – must have been a librarian in a former life. After a short while my database index had grown to quite a size so I figured it might be useful for others too. That was when I decided to share it by starting TanglePatterns.com and I launched the site at the beginning of May in 2010.

It’s interesting for me to see my development from my early drawings when I hadn’t had much experience. You definitely get better with practice as your fine motor skills become more honed.

I wasn’t a Certified Zentangle Teacher (CZT®) then, however it was my mission for my site to remain as true to the founders’ intentions as possible because I didn’t want to dilute this beautiful art form. I had seen very misleading videos on YouTube purporting to demonstrate Zentangle, and from studying the Kit and the Zentangle site I knew the videos were wrong. I didn’t want to make that mistake on TanglePatterns.

When I attended the certification seminar last October, I was relieved to learn I wasn’t mistaken about the YouTube videos. When you’re only going on what you find on the internet, it can be dicey to be sure you’re publishing accurate information.

3. How is "tangling" different from "doodling"? How do tangles get names? How do people submit tangles to you? What form does that take? (I’m trying to get at the process here.)

People submit patterns to me by email following the instructions on my “Submit Your Pattern” page where I also provide a form for them to use if they choose. However, the majority of the tangles on TanglePatterns are a result of my time sleuthing and tracking down patterns to add to the site. I look at every pattern I can find online to see if they qualify for the site. Tangles have pretty specific criteria related to the meditative aspects of Zentangle.

The idea behind Zentangle and its method is that it is specifically designed to eliminate left brain decision-making and shift one’s consciousness to the right brain, intuitive side. The shift to the meditative state happens as you become totally focused on each deliberate stroke of the pattern-making. For want of a better way to describe it, the Zentangle method short-circuits your monkey-mind. The outcome “unfolds one stroke at a time”.

One of the main characteristics of tangles is they are abstract designs. Generally speaking, if a pattern is an attempt to recreate “some thing” then it is a doodle not a tangle. There are many doodles mistakenly labeled as tangles online. Drawing something recognizable engages the thinking part of your brain and that’s not Zentangle. It’s easy to confuse the outcome of Zentangle with doodling, but they are quite different processes.

As far as names go, the person who creates the pattern names it and names can be based on anything, or no-thing. There are no “rules”. When I created my first tangles, I named them after wine varietals because I was enjoying a nice Zinfandel when my first one, Zin, “appeared”. Rick and Maria are very playful about naming their tangles. For example, Cadent is a combination of canine and dental, because the tangle reminded them of houndstooth. Hurry is named after a rush-woven chair.

5. When you aren’t working on your blog or tangling, what do you enjoy doing?

My husband Robert and I have lived in Florida for almost 30 years, most of that in South Florida but more recently in Northeast Florida (St. Augustine). We’re big Miami Heat basketball fans and we also love college football and the Miami Hurricanes. We enjoy dining at home, listening to music (mostly jazz), watching movies and sports, and reading.

When I was a very young teenager, my family lived in the Middle East and I spent two delightful years with my nose buried in mystery books – Agatha Christie, Ngaio Marsh, Dorothy Sayers, Marjorie Allingham, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Rex Stout … I’m what they call a vertical reader – I like to start at the beginning of an author’s bibliography and read chronologically. I remain an avid mystery reader to this day and right now I’m working my way through Michael Connelly’s Harry Bosch series.

One of my favorite websites is http://stopyourekillingme.com – the cataloging they do with mystery books, I do on a much more modest scale with tangles on TanglePatterns.com.

Thanks so much for the opportunity to be a guest on your delightful blog! You have a new subscriber.

**

Linda, we're delighted to have you! Thanks for the many hours of tangling fun you've provided us!
**The Zentangle® art form and method was created by Rick Roberts and Maria Thomas and is copyrighted. Zentangle® is a registered trademark of Zentangle, Inc. Learn more at zentangle.com.