Yoga & Awareness: Winter 2017

WINTER 2017

& awareness 05 transformative travel 07 sound healing 12 chakras 15 ask the teacher

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• WINTER 2017

PU BL ISHER ’S LET TER

Thanks for the Memories

Leaving chronic headaches and the corporate world behind, Lisa Acheson, RYT 500, has yoga to thank for her new life of ease and uncovered entrepreneurial spirit. She shares her passion for yoga teaching classes at Shakti Yoga in Des Moines.

Charlynn Avery, is an aromatherapist and educator for Aura Cacia (auracacia.com), a registered brand of Frontier Co-op. She travels the U.S. teaching safety and effective essential oil use. She has degrees from Iowa State University, the Carlson College of Massage Therapy, and the Southwest Institute of Healing Arts.

Linsey Birusingh, RYT 200, is also trained in Trauma-sensitive Yoga through the Justice Resource Institute of Boston. She’s implemented a program for women with trauma-related diagnoses at Broadlawns Medical Center in Des Moines. She also owns Yoga Thrill Adventures (yogathrill.com), holding events and retreats that financially benefit local charities.

Sheree Clark, EdM., AADP, CHHC is an inspiring author, television show host, health coach, and raw vegan chef (fork-road.com).

She’s written about and presented on topics ranging from raw food 101 to overcoming career burnout. Currently, she hosts a television show called “Fork in the Road with Sheree Clark” and advises private practice health and nutrition clients.

Christine Curry recently returned to her home state of Iowa from Grenada, West Indies, where she founded and led The Grenada Goat Dairy Project, Inc. a non-profit organization. She’s a yoga enthusiast who incorporates love, peace, and harmony as a way of life, and excited by the growth of yoga statewide.

Writer, musician, and activist Andy Douglas (andydouglas.net) lives in Iowa City. His memoir, The Curve of the World: Into the Spiritual Heart of Yoga, was released in 2013. He holds an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Iowa, sings and translates Bengali devotional songs, and is available for readings/concerts.

Julie K. Halevan, a CYT (Tantrika), Reiki master, reflexologist and writer, living in Cedar Falls. She’s authored various holistic articles, and her work is featured on radio and television. She enjoys traveling the world with groups experiencing sacred vortex sites, and believes we can create heaven on earth. Learn more at shakti-holistic-healing.com.

YogaIowa’s Managing Editor Tracey L. Kelley, E-RYT 500,

teaches at her boutique yoga studio in South Des Moines and specializes in working with beginning students. Tracey is also the founder of re: communications, a firm focused on improving communication through mindful listening. Learn more at recommunicationsmedia.com.

Mary Lasky is an Ashtanga Authorized Instructor and owner of Santosha Yoga Cooperative Studio in Urbandale (santoshayogadsm.com). In addition to teaching Ashtanga and managing the co-op, she enjoys working with people of all ages and all levels of mobility, and teaching underserved populations through grant-based programming.

Theresa Macdonald has pursued photography for most of her life. After being introduced to YogaIowa while studying graphic journalism at Grand View University, she became a marketing assistant for Des Moines Parks and Recreation. Theresa has a passion for photography and loves capturing happy moments.

Kirstin Pope fell in love with photography while working in her

father’s darkroom. Her photography (rippleinfinity.com) is an artistic blend of color and visual texture that captures the essence of the moment; communicating stories of authenticity, love, and energy. She nurtures her mind-body-spirit through yoga, whole food, nature, and meditation.

Bridget Toomey, RYT 200 is certified by the Kundalini Research Institute. She teaches Kundalini and leads gong baths at Heartland Yoga in Iowa City and is a member of the International Kundalini Yoga Teachers Association and a Reiki Master Practitioner. Bridget is currently pursuing her RYT-500 in the Kundalini tradition in Kansas City.

Joshua Weber, RYT 200, co-owns Shala Hot Yoga in Iowa City

with his wife, Heather (shalahotyoga.com). He’s always had a passion for a person’s wellness and wellbeing. Joshua’s instruction focuses on “Pranic Flow,” a dance between breath and movement that creates a moving meditation which yokes the body, mind, and soul.

On Our Cover

Kundalini teacher Jim Earles of Dubuque. Photo by Kirstin Pope.

Brenda Wegner is a writer, producer, and photo stylist specializing in whatever she’s into that week. When she’s not creating how-to projects for national publications or hunting down the perfect prop for a commercial production, she tames her busy mind by practicing yoga and remembering to breathe.

Learn more at justbsue.com.

• WINTER 2017

Hello friends, and happy new year.

I’m here to say goodbye. I’ve decided to pull back from publishing YogaIowa.

In 2012, what started as a vision to inspire and connect Iowa’s growing and passionate yoga community with a publication morphed into what it is today. Having 15 issues come to fruition over the past five years is surreal (see the covers on page 4). As I get ready to pass the baton to another publisher, I marvel at the most amazing thing: all the people, all the pieces, juggling everything, and creating space in these pages for community, connection, and transformation; fed my soul more than anything I’ve ever done.

In the end, YogaIowa isn’t my day job—it’s just something I care deeply about.

Recently, I took on a huge opportunity: something completely new and out of the ordinary, and something that scares me a little. This triggered a restructuring of my life.

I have a feeling you might be experiencing something similar in your own life right now. It’s in the air.

It’s the kind of soul alignment that this issue “Yoga calls us to on awakening is all about. Yoga calls us take action in the to take action in the world. It calls us world.

It calls us to to contribute our gifts and to serve the contribute our gifts good—not only for our own souls, but and to serve the for the good of the world.

Your calling need not be lofty, but good—not only for it should be something that feels right our own souls, but to you, and something that in one way for the good of or another makes a contribution. Yoga the world.” provides the tools that can help you bring your vision into reality.

To the YogaIowa team of multiple intelligences and many strengths: thank you for your incredible talent, hard work, and genuine commitment.

To our advertisers: thank you from the bottom of my heart for your trust and support.

To our readers: a heartfelt thank you for reading and sharing your issue with others.

Next issue, you’ll meet a new team that comes from Little Village, an independent, community–supported news and culture publication based in Iowa City, with a great passion for keeping YogaIowa true to its mission. You can rest assured that Publisher Matthew Steele and General Manager Ally Thompson will grow YogaIowa to be a resource for those seeking to live their lives feeling balanced, happier and healthier.

It’s been a privilege and honor. I wish you the best.

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2013–2017 Over the years, the front covers remained an authentic reflection of Iowa’s yogis and yoginis.

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WINTER 2017 VOLUME 5, NUMBER 1 P U B L I SH E R / FO U NDER Angela Ossian MA N AG I N G E DI TO R Tracey L. Kelley A DVE RTI SI N G R E P RESENTATIV ES Tom Smull Bethany Grabe

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Send comments, story ideas, calendar submissions, press releases & public announcements: editors@yoga-iowa.com • 515.979.5585 FIELD EDITORS: Central Iowa: Linsey Birusingh thehumblehedonist@gmail.com

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• WINTER 2017

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Japan:

A Perspective of What’s Possible

BY MARY LASKY

have a yogic trip to share?

E-MAIL US AT EDITORS@YOGA-IOWA.COM

• WINTER 2017

Photos courtesy of Mary Lasky

here we were, all squeezed in tight in a subway car, with upheld arms freedom of movement around the city. Motherhood swaying in faces, hands holding tight to posts and bars, and all of us and domesticity embraced as art forms. Food that is undulating as one as the car made its way down to the waterfront. It was clean and healthy. A population devoted to self-care uncomfortably warm and crowded, yet we were all smiling, joyful even, and holistic practices. The greatest contrast of all, in this mass of strangers. we agreed, is the sense of languid time in a city like Perhaps we didn’t mind the crush because the subway car was clean to the Tokyo that works hard and moves quickly but never state of sparkling and these people were so pleasant to be around! Impeccably seems to rush. groomed, fit, simply dressed, void of all the personal statements that My students often hear the words, “take your time Americans are intent on making with their clothing and accessories, and so with this posture” and “be patient with your breath.” courteous. We watched as each new passenger removed his backpack before These cues are intended to help them disconnect from entering and older people were always invited to take a seat. Travelers speaking this sense of hurry that’s inherent in our culture and in hushed tones, making space—not just with their bodies but with their known to induce stress. Sri K. Pattabhi Jois, founder voice levels and unobtrusive behavior. All was quiet and serene in this sea of Ashtanga Yoga, was known for saying “Why hurry?” of humanity as we made our way in what felt like a shared group experience, I take these words to heart and continually ask the rather than a test of endurance. same, looking for a little more grace in the every day.

On this, our first day in Tokyo, we witnessed courtesy, grace, a group mentality, and how the everyday task of commuting can feel pleasant in this city where focus is on the common good.

Tokyo takes our American realisms and flips them upside down. We equate big cities with crime. We equate crowded with congested. We equate population density with vandalism and Moment Most Memorableweeks ng our dirt. Tokyo is none of these things. As stated in in Japan in August 2015, splitti two nt spe I and ily fam My by d a 2014 report by the U.N., “Tokyo is the world’s founde Buddhists and Kyoto. Kyoto, the ancient city yo Tok en we bet e tim s, largest city with an agglomeration of 38 million utiful, walkable city with temple bea a is y, tur cen hth eig the in gI monks inhabitants.” To give you a sense of population ces. Visiting Kyoto was everythin spa l ura nat and s, ace pal s, den shrines, gar density, Greater Tokyo has the population of r expected! Such is the to Tokyo, which was nothing I eve st tra con in for ed hop Greater New York City and Greater Los Angeles beauty of travel. combined, in an area one-tenth the size.

Yet this large, busy city moves people with an ought Home s possible. I efficiency that appears effortless. With the lowest 3 Greatest GiftJapsanIwaBr s a new perspective of what’ crime rate of any major city, Tokyo feels safe and is What I took away from gifts: safe. Our teenage boys wandered on their own all consider the following to be four despite purposeful in your interactions, over town without concern. And last, but not least, 1) How it is possible to be calm and d you. aroun Tokyo is clean. You won’t see as much as a wrapper the faster- moving environment hout on the ground. people living in close quarters wit of s lion mil e hav to le sib pos is it 2) How My family has always put a priority on travel, ction of public property. crime or filth or traffic or destru ive ess exc and we’ve been fortunate to visit many countries. elevate them the routines of everyday life and We all agree that no culture grabbed our attention 3) How it is possible to embrace like Japan. Starkly different in so many ways! to a place of joy. and the used on respect and compassion The society’s attention to detail. The respectful 4) Finally, how a population foc the feel of a country. acknowledgement of each interaction with a full look tenants of Buddhism can transform in the eyes and a bow or a nod. Children with full

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• WINTER 2017

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icture this. You’re creating a painting, or standing in a mountain forest, or sitting for meditation, and suddenly find yourself in a moment of “aesthetic arrest,” carried away to another world, immersed in a deeper state of consciousness.

Such experiences hint at the idea that our minds contain hidden depths, depths of which we are not always aware.

According to yoga philosophy—I turn here to my teacher Shrii Shrii Anandamurti—the mind is like a flower, outer layers peeling away to reveal deeper ones. Growth is a gradual coming to awareness of deeper potential.

For us to be aware of something, it must appear on our mental radar screen. The more expanded the screen, the greater our awareness. Yoga expands that screen, expands us, through systematic practices, taking us from physical to spiritual, crude to subtle, from separation to connection.

It’s good to have a map when you’re exploring unknown territory. A map shows where someone has already been, and reminds you that you’re not alone. Just as the chakras serve as a map of the spiritual body, a yogic map of the human mind describes the kosas, a series of five unfolding layers.

The first kosa or layer of the mind is known as Kamamaya. Kama means desire in Sanskrit. This layer controls instincts. We might call it the monkey mind; when we’re operating out of this layer we find ourselves one moment hankering after ice cream, the next obsessed with the latest toy. Tugged by impulses we can’t control, we’re not very self-aware.

Fortunately, we have access to deeper layers.

Manomaya, the second layer, is called the “subtle mind.” Mano means mental. Here we experience memory, thought, pleasure, and pain. It’s also where we experience dreams, images bubbling up from the unconscious forming themselves into sense-making narratives. Whenever we puzzle through problems, think deep thoughts, or just remember our last vacation, we do so on the level of manomaya kosa. Many people spend their entire lives in these first two layers.

Atimanasa is the first of the so-called “causal” layers. This is the intuitive layer, where perceptive dreams, clairvoyance, and flashes of creative insight hold court. For most people, clairvoyant vision happens rarely in their lives. But meditation can help build this potential.

The fourth is Vijinanamaya kosa. Vijinana means “special knowledge.” Otherwise known as the subliminal mind, it’s the source of many noble qualities such as mercy, patience, viveka (conscience), and vaeragya (non-attachment). When we reject options based on short-term pleasure and make decisions that benefit our souls, we’re operating out of this kosa.

Hiranamaya is the final layer, the part of the mind closest to God, where one experiences a strong desire for union with Divinity, like steel inching toward a magnet. Here, longing brings us into belonging.

Anandamurti writes that the mind becomes more aware through a process called “clash and cohesion.” Our minds are assailed by certain forces, there’s a reorganization of consciousness, and we then become more expanded. In other words, struggle makes you stronger. Clash can be found in illness, mental shocks, travel, and new experiences. The lower kosas develop naturally through these physical and mental clashes. Higher kosas develop when we spend time in nature, sing devotional music, and cultivate a desire for God. A systematic way to develop the kosas is through the Eight Limbs of Astaunga yoga. Practices such as following bring us more quickly into an awareness of our deeper nature: ethical precepts, breath control, pratyahara (withdrawal of the mind), purification of the chakras, and the flow of mind known as dhyana.

And because these deeper layers are a reflection of Divinity, as we grow in awareness, we also grow in connection to the world and those around us.

Expand Awareness With

BY BRENDA WEGNER Sound healing is the practice of using live or recorded sounds to heal and restore balance to the body, and alter brainwave states to help people explore consciousness. Sound has been used in cultures for thousands of years as a tool for healing. Five hundred years before Buddhism, shamans used Tibetan bowls to heal.

Sound therapy experts believe all universal matter vibrates at specific frequencies. In addition to using various instruments, healers may also encourage practitioners to chant or engage in overtone singing to help resonate sound throughout the body. Some corporations use specific drum rhythms to help employees form team consciousness. In certain psychological therapies, clinicians may use sound or binaural beat frequencies to help patients with special needs. People also use sound healing to relieve insomnia, as pain control, to help with birth, and other medical applications.

• Bettendorf Rochel Rittgers—private and group •

In Des Moines, sound healer Deb Jennings, at right, plays instruments such as Tibetan bowls, tuning forks, Native American flutes, gongs, crystal bowls, alchemy bowls, and even didgeridoos with intention to create a positive, healing, restorative response. Jennings says, “You’ll experience sounds that are resonant and harmonious for your own relaxation, healing, and growth. These sacred sounds can open the heart, expand consciousness, and help you tune to your own infinite source of inner peace.” She says for most people, sound therapy helps them relax more quickly, usually within ninety seconds, and adds that “thirty minutes of sound therapy is as restorative as four hours of sleep.”

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Jennings studied with Jonathan Goldman and Buddhist monks in Tibet, China, and India. She’s developed an equation based on Goldman’s teachings: Unconditional love, plus gratitude, frequency, and intention, equals healing.

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Based in Cedar Rapids, Maria Dummermuth, at right, is a singing bowl sound healing practitioner and teacher trainer for the Atma Buti Soul Medicine Sound and Vibrational School in Colorado. “Sound healing as it pertains to me and the Himalayan Singing bowls is simply using vibration to help bring the body back into a balanced state,” she says. “Whether it’s stress or physical distress in the body and/or mind, sound and vibration can assist in accessing a place of rest and relaxation.”

Dummermuth says her private sessions typically start with a relaxation sequence. She plays the bowls around a patient and places the bowls on the body and plays them, allowing the vibration to bring healing waves into the cells. She often uses warm water or essential oils in the bowls to intensify the healing properties of the vibrational technique.

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sessions in gong bath therapy and crystal bowls infiniteliving.com Cedar Falls Sandy Praska—private and group sessions in vibrational therapy naturaltouchhealing.com Cedar Rapids Maria Dummermuth—private and group sessions, such as “Learn to Heal with the Singing Bowls” classes. mariadummermuth.com Council Bluffs Laura Offermann—private sessions in Vibroacoustic Therapy spiritofthebluffs.com Des Moines Deb Jennings—private and group sessions, and public events, such as Meditation Around Town soundsforthesouldj.com North Liberty Kate Cheyney—private session in Biofield Tuning Therapy facebook.com/ATouch-of-Sole-Reflexology-310128905666648 Waterloo Dr. Janine Ambrose—private sessions in music therapy facebook.com/ DrJanineAmbrose

You can also take advantage of online resources: • BinauralBeats binaural-beats.com/binaural-beats • Eoc Institute eocinstitute.org/meditation • Oneness Vibration onenessvibration.com

One of Jennings’ young practitioners compared sound healing sessions with trying new foods. Some sounds will strongly resonate with you; some, not as much. With practice, sound healing increases awareness and is a faster way to a deep meditative state.

• WINTER 2017

Photos courtesy of Deb Jennings and Maria Dummermuth

Many sound and vibrational therapists such as Jennings and Dummermuth offer private, group, and public sessions. Here’s a brief list of resources in Iowa to consider. And if you know of more, post them on the YogaIowa Facebook page!

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Discovering Pink Tantra

The Exquisite Fusion of Inner Polarity

BY JULIE HALEVAN Is it any wonder why some lovers exclaim “God” at the time of orgasm? It’s in this unifying moment of ecstatic stillness where divinity resides and creation sparks. Here dwells an experience of present moment, like no other. The rapture of mergence! The sexual experience epitomizes the reason red tantra is practiced: people want to explore sensuality and sexuality. Yet there is another variety of tantra. Let’s take a journey into pink tantra.

Tantra is a Sanskrit word meaning liberation through expansion. It’s a loom interweaving levels of consciousness. The practice of pink tantra yoga can be experienced with a beloved or alone, when you realize the mystical union happening within oneself, as the aspects and polarities of your being merge. It takes you from the mundane into an erotic and intricate tapestry of communion within the self. Pink tantra practice, through undulating asanas, mudras, mantras, and powerful pranayama, opens you to currents within the body. As these begin to intersect, a vortex of spinning energy is felt within and then directed to all parts of your being: intercourse!

T antra is a Sanskrit word meaning liberation through expansion. It’s a loom interweaving levels of consciousness.

The beauty of practicing pink tantra yoga is in the surrendering, whereby the interconnectedness of it all can be realized. Also, shakti energy is accessed. This essence is innately feminine. However, it resides in both males and females. It’s the energy of manifestation. It’s the first movement of creation. It’s earthy, lively, and wildly passionate. From the tantric yoga aspect of Kundalini (rising energy), Shakti is awakened within the pelvic floor and moved up the spine, electrifying the cerebral spinal fluid as she then travels to the medulla oblongata in the back of the head to meet Shiva, the masculine essence. Here “oneness” abounds, and we experience samadhi, or enlightenment.

Pink tantra also encourages the practical, a daily habit of tapping into the external shakti field by engaging in high frequency activities: swirling around a dance floor with other souls moving in sync; laughing; singing; swimming with dolphins; climbing mountains; meditating and praying; visiting sacred earthly vortex points.

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You get the picture. Move with the vibrancy of life and all aspects of self. Move with others. Be willing to surrender with an open heart. Indulge! Overload the senses, satisfying them to the point of satiation. Then go beyond, exceeding usual perceptions. The practice becomes cathartic. You’ll eventually reach a space which becomes metaphysical—beyond what can be ordinarily sensed. Here, a mind-blowing expansion, a self-realization, and a fusion with all occurs. Enlightenment is attained through the communing with self and with others.

What could be more transcendent than the act of intercourse between all polarities—earth and sky, sun and moon, life and death, masculine and feminine. We’re here to heal the separation of feuding duality to embody the divine “oneness.” As Osho, one of the great tantra teachers exclaims, “Tantra is an opportunity for Godliness to manifest through us, so that we, as limited beings, can share in the ecstasy of the universe.”

Using Kundalini Philosophy in Any Yoga Practice

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BY BRIDGET TOOMEY

Kundalini Yogic music

Kundalini Yoga has a strong musical tradition. The sacred mantras of the practice have been recorded by thousands of artists across the world in many different styles.

These songs are comprised of sacred mantras used for meditations and kriyas.

This music can be used in all practices and may be a great introduction to mantra meditations. Using Kundalini music in your personal practice is a way to start to hear the mantras and begin to learn of their meanings. If you find a mantra that speaks to you, there are meditations to go with it.

Kundalini Meditations

Kundalini Yoga meditations can be incorporated easily into a personal practice.

There are many meditations that don’t involve mantras or chanting, but mantra work is strong in the kundalini practice. Just as there are thousands of kriyas, there are just as many meditations. And like kriyas, many meditations have an area of focus and

can help you work on one particular trait at a time. In yogic doctrine, it’s believed that it takes forty days to break a habit, one hundred days to create a new habit, and one thousand days to master it. Kundalini Yoga students are encouraged to practice the same meditation for forty days at a time.

Sadhana

Sadhana, or daily practice, is an integral part of Kundalini Yoga. Sadhana is whatever you do consistently to clear your own consciousness so you can relate to the infinity within you. It can be done alone or in a group. Doing sadhana in a group develops group consciousness and amplifies the practice that is being done.

Sadhana can be done any time during the day that works for you, but ideal time is during the two and a half hours before the sun rises when the sun is at a sixty-degree angle to the Earth.

Much of your world is quieter at this time.

Warm-up Postures

A Kundalini practice typically begins with several warm-up exercises before the kriya.

Many of these postures can be used to start your personal practice.

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Posture: Spinal Flex, or Seated Cat-Cow Technique: Sitting in easy pose, place your hands on your knees. Inhale, expand the chest forward driving the heart center out, and push the shoulders back. Exhale, bring the shoulders in front, and retract the heart center in. Continue for two minutes.

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Posture: Spinal Twist Technique: Sitting in easy pose, place your hands on your shoulders with your fingers in front and thumbs in back, arms parallel to the ground. Twist everything, including the head and neck, to the left and inhale. Then twist everything to the right and exhale. Keep the eyes closed with the focus up at the third eye.

Kundalini music can be found on Spirit Voyage at spiritvoyage.com

• WINTER 2017

ot only was Yogi Bhajan a master of Kundalini Yoga, but he was also a master of Hatha Yoga. He taught that both practices will bring students to a state of awareness. He stated that “if Hatha Yoga is akin to walking across the country, Kundalini Yoga is akin to taking a plane.” Kundalini Yoga is able to accelerate a students’ path to awareness because it’s a comprehensive system. In one kriya (a collection of asanas, pranayamas, and meditations) you can immediately achieve a complete physical, mental, and spiritual balance.

If you are apprehensive about Kundalini Yoga, or just aren’t sure how you can start, you can introduce yourself to the practice following these easy suggestions.

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’m excited you are doing an article because (metaphysics) really can change people to have a more peaceful mind and life. I know it did for me,” Everett says. Really? How does a field of study, basically encapsulating the origin of being and “anything beyond the physical” apply to my daily life? How does this lead to peace? I’m ready to find out.

Everett describes metaphysics as a training of the mind that we don’t get in our standard education. She says it’s more about the state of our mind than the content or information we put in it, teaching skills like undivided attention, concentration, reasoning, imagination, and breath.

Sounds a lot like... yoga.

“I tend to think of metaphysics as balancing my attention inward with the amount of attention I place outward,” says Everett, now based at the School of Metaphysics in Springfield, Missouri. “When I focus inward I notice my thoughts, emotions, dreams, and stillness, I become more at peace and harmonized with the outward, physical experiences. When my focus was on just the physical things in life like work, activities, and material things, it seemed mundane. This balance of becoming more inward has created more meaning to my life. I see what I’m learning in the outward activities like compassion, self-control, confidence, and kindness; and then everything becomes more integrated and meaningful.”

In my brief crash course of metaphysics, Everett teaches me two principles that apply to daily life.

Principle one: thought is cause. “It applies to daily life by realizing how much our thoughts create how we feel and act with others. And that by becoming conscious of our thoughts, and choosing them more, we can change how we feel and interact with others throughout the day,” Everett says.

Principle two: we’re all connected. Knowing this, we realize our influence throughout our day on others in both positive and negative ways.

So how does practicing metaphysics lead to the kind of happiness Everett first described? “I have a less anxious mind, I’m more relaxed, and feel a deeper connection with others.

And I have a larger vision that it’s possible for a better world for everyone. We just need to work on ourselves and help others. It takes effort, just like working out.”

“I also think it begins with placing the attention back on myself instead of pointing outward and blaming another, or a situation,” Everett continues. “It’s empowering to know I have all I need within me as long as I make the effort to become more conscious of what’s really happening through seeing my own thoughts, words, and emotions. Seeing how I contribute to the problem and to the good. It creates a security and a peace knowing I can have that control over myself.”

Des Moines has a School of Metaphysics for Iowans looking to broaden their metaphysical inquiry. Everett also urges us to look up local groups for meditation or yoga. “Just begin a practice of some kind to begin to train the mind. You may be surprised by what it can do for your life.”

Find a full list of School of Metaphysics branches in the United States at som.org.

self love through self care

BY CHARLYNN AVERY In the cold, dry air of winter, nurturing your skin is a vital part of self-care. As your body’s largest organ, it’s often easily irritated when winter conditions seep away moisture, resulting in chapping, itching, and redness. Fortunately, essential oils help maintain proper skin health and balance.

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Conventional body care products such as washes, moisturizers, and scented body sprays can contain dozens of ingredients, many that function only to artificially-fragrance, stabilize, dye, and preserve a product.

Products with these ingredients care for the formula while it sits on the shelf, but do little to care for your body when you repeatedly apply it to your skin. This can often pull us away from the path of true skin care and work against our best intentions for our skin.

Marybeth Buchele HMC, CCH, RSHom(NA)*

Professional Homeopath & Flower Essence Practitioner Certified CEASE Practitioner 17 years of Experience *Homeopathic Master Clinician Certified Classical Homeopathy Registered, The Society of Homeopaths (North America)

Your own freshly made, simple combination of essential oils in the right carrier will perform the same basic duties as many of these products. You are the expert about what works well for your body, so in this context you choose the right ingredients that truly serve your needs without the worry of harsh chemicals that can create long term issues for the health of your body and the planet. This mindset and practice takes self-care to a much deeper level.

208 5th St., Ste. 203, Ames, IA 50010 www.natural-wellness.us

C E N T E R

As with any essential oil application, familiarize yourself with the specific properties, aromas, and safe usage practices before you begin. Additionally, each skin care oil has its own unique combination of fatty acids and other characteristics that make it special, allowing you to find which oils are best suited for general skin care, facial care, hair care, and more.

Making home skin nourishing products allows you to be proactive and mindful in your skin care, and your creative side will enjoy a fun, aromatic and deliciously messy experience! I created this body scrub a few years ago when I wanted a targeted, yet indulgent, spa experience at home.

This combination of brightening and uplifting oils is the Ingredients perfect treat for the gar 3 tablespoons su t Almond + Cherry Seed care of your skin, ee 1 tablespoon Sw oil and your radiance ba 1 tablespoon jojo tial oil n afterward will be a se es e 8 drops lim t essential oil testament to how in m 4 drops pepper you truly nourish your whole self in l Directions bowl, combine al the process. a small mixing

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• WINTER 2017

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MANY PRACTICES OF AWARENESS FOCUS ON CHAKRA BALANCING, BUT WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?

• WINTER 2017

In Sanskrit, chakra translates to disk or wheel. There are seven primary chakras believed to be large whirling centers of energy along your spine and thousands of nadis, or inner pathways of energy, that lead to a presence of consciousness in the subtle body. Each primary chakra corresponds with a particular point in your nervous system, linking with meridians to encourage a positive flow of prana, or life force. If one chakra is blocked, so is the flow of energy, and your potential for complete radiance of full self.

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Meditation, prayer, sound therapy, visualization, crystal clearing, physical exercises, and other techniques help you intuit aspects of your chakra health and create opportunities for wellness.

CROWN CHAKRA (SAHASRARA): ABILITY FOR SPIRITUAL CONNECTION

Location: Top of the head; Physical association: Nervous system, brain, pineal gland; Emotional association: bliss

THIRD EYE CHAKRA (AJNA): INTUITION AND SENSE OF PURPOSE Location: The middle of the forehead; Physical association: Eyes, pituitary gland, sinuses; Emotional association: imagination, wisdom, intuition

THROAT CHAKRA (VISHUDDHA): ABILITY TO COMMUNICATE Location: Throat; Physical association: Thyroid, vocal cords, respiratory system; Emotional association: self-expression, communication, truth

HEART CHAKRA (ANAHATA): CAPACITY FOR LOVE

Location: Center of the chest above the heart; Physical association: joy, love, inner peace; Emotional association: heart, lower lungs, circulatory system, immune system

SOLAR PLEXUS CHAKRA (MANIPURA): PERSONAL POWER AND CONFIDENCE Location: Upper abdomen; Physical association: digestive tract, pancreas, central nervous system; Emotional association: self-worth and self-esteem

SACRAL CHAKRA (SWADHISTHANA): CONNECTION TO OTHERS AND NEW EXPERIENCES Location: Lower abdomen below the navel; Physical association: Reproductive organs, bowels, kidneys; Emotional association: sexuality, pleasure, sense of abundance

ROOT CHAKRA (MULADHARA): FOUNDATION OF GROUNDEDNESS

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Location: At the tailbone; Physical association: spine, legs, rectum; Emotional association: survival, belonging, ambition

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Kickin’ Trash and Takin’ Names

GET TO KNOW BEATRIZ GARCIA Full name: Beatriz Marina Garcia aka: Betty Where do you teach? Des Moines’ Southside YMCA and Kris’ Hot Yoga in Ankeny and Waukee Website: Mi Yoga y Mas, the Facebook page for my students Favorite yoga pose: Scorpion One thing people don’t know about me: I can’t swim What do you splurge on? My two Chihuahuas—and they rule my home!

Besides being super spoiled, they have better winter coats than I do!

Why do you practice and teach yoga? My personal practice is extremely important to me—without it, I don’t feel complete. I do it for the challenge, and I learn new things about myself all the time. It has taken me places where healing happens, inspiration grows, and discipline is taught. My practice is food for my body, mind, and spirit.

My teaching is inspired by how I’ve learned and felt so much. I want people to experience something unique in their own bodies and notice how it transforms the physical, the mind, and the spirit.

What inspired you to start “Yoga en Español” classes? Yoga en Español has been such a rewarding experience and I feel so blessed to be a part of this journey. I saw a need to reach out to the Hispanic community—to my knowledge, there isn’t anyone in Iowa teaching yoga in Spanish—because everyone needs yoga! And because this practice has brought me such positive experiences, I want to share it with others who normally wouldn’t walk into an all English-speaking yoga studio. I honestly went through teacher training simply to deepen my practice and had no intention to teach, but when I realized that there isn’t yoga in Spanish, I knew I needed to take that step. My students keep growing, but little do they know that they are my teachers, I am their student, I grow right along with them, and it’s amazing!

How do you see these classes expanding?

In what ways do you help your students build greater awareness?

They take notice by having discipline in their practice and becoming aware of how their bodies move and feel that they ask for more. First is the body: the mind and spirit will follow.

How has the yoga philosophy resonated with you? I have learned as I mentioned before that the body, mind, and spirit are all one: they cannot be separated. And with the continuation of the practice, the body and mind, then the spirit begins to feel freedom.

NEW STUDENT SPECIAL: One month unlimited group classes for

• WINTER 2017

$49

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Photo by Theresa Macdonald

I’m constantly asked when I will add another class, as one class for my students a week isn’t enough. And some students aren’t members of the YMCA, and the need is there, so I’m working on adding community classes.

BY LISA ACHESON One of the things I often tell students is my job as their yoga teacher is mostly about getting them to pay attention.

Through my practice and studies I’ve landed on an approach that greatly focuses on alignment in postures. While this can be incredibly beneficial for health of the physical body, its main purpose is to teach us how to pay closer attention to all things. And this isn’t the only way that works. Many approaches and techniques exist within the practice of yoga to pay better attention and create awareness. And awareness is what we’re after anyway, right? For this issue’s “Ask the Teacher,” we wondered:

“How do you help your students use their physical practices to attain greater awareness of self?”

MARY ST. ONGE

FITNESS BY DESIGN • DES MOINES

Allow the breath to lead your practice. Mindful breathing informs us of how we hold ourselves, how we show up in the world. It’s our early warning system for imbalances, tensions, energetic levels, and mental continuums. As we hold a pose, are we finding its essence by breathing skillfully, or are we still operating unconsciously and holding tensions, or physical and mental wounds, in our bodies?

Through our poses and through our breath are we present enough to transcend the external to explore the internal with curiosity?

By orchestrating our breath with the poses, we discover what feels most appropriate for the moment. We smooth out the breath making it free of strain, not erratic, so it smooths out our poses. Or in the middle of a strenuous pose, we deepen the breath in those times when we experience resistance.

And this holds true in our lives. Watch the breath. Notice those moments when you’re holding your breath. Notice the breath when anxious, fearful, calm, or serene. Notice its tone, depth, and pulse.

It has much to tell us about what is going on inside. Breath is life.

JOHN JADRYEV

VARIOUS LOCATIONS • IOWA CITY I share my experience of the reality that I might never fully express many of the poses. However, I might fully express myself within their context.

I encourage participants to approach the physical practice with acceptance of their own limitations: to view their physical limits not as something to break through, but rather as an edge to flirt with and approach without strain, staying open to the possibility of expanding the edge.

I ask them to be humble, yet determined: forgiving oneself for past body transgressions; remaining calm, especially in balance poses when things appear unstable; maintaining a smooth and easy breath through the nose and throughout the practice.

I prompt them to be in the moment, to find a measure of contentment in every posture and then take this part of the practice from the mat and into the world. Being mindful in physical practice cultivates greater awareness in everyday living when the opportunity to be calm in traffic or during emotional upheaval presents itself. Remember to breathe when under stress and find a measure of contentedness in whatever position you might be.

JENNIFER BRAMBLE

CLUB B-FIT • CLIVE

Every day, every class, every session... it’s my privilege to help students attain a greater sense of self through their physical practice by placing their accountability in their own hands with each action they make here at the gym with me. Whether it be through a yoga pose, pole or aerial trick, or foundational strength training movement, as the lead trainer, my top goal is to deepen my students’ awareness by guiding them through the task at hand very thoroughly—something I call “Constant Cueing.” If they are left to let their minds wander, they will do just that.

If I cue them as if their bodies have a story to tell, then they become more physically and mentally in tune with their presence in their posture, trick, or foundational strength movement, to consider a position and all of its active—not to mention passive—parts.

STERLING HART

TRIYOGA • CEDAR RAPIDS

Yoga includes knowledge of the energy, or prana. Two parts create higher awareness.

First is the experience of the flows. Breathcoordinated sequencing develops a feel for the physical body. The second is knowledge of the subtle body. Within practice, we point out emotional experiences of effective sequencing. The elements are developed and balanced; earth is calming, fire generates enthusiasm, air gives delight.

We cultivate understanding of asana (postures), pranayama (breathing), and mudra (gesture). Asana creates a stable base generating prana. We direct energy to higher awareness and expressing love.

MARY LOUISE BURT

PRAIRIESUNYOGA STUDIO • SIOUX CITY

In class, in so many ways, I attempt to draw parallels to students’ experience on the mat to their lives: that each pose offers an opportunity to stay awake and pay attention.

A balance pose can teach inward and outward balance, mentally and physically.

It’s also necessary to make it okay and understood how we are all different. We’ll do best if we stay focused on our own pose and process, not comparing ourselves to others in the class or outside of class. The opportunity to attain greater awareness of ourselves and our lives is limitless with the study and practice of yoga!

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ASK TH E TE ACHER

KRISTINA HILDEBRAND

WAYSHOWERS COLLEGE • OSCEOLA

Whether it’s a yin practice or yang vinyasa, my approach is consistent. I start my day with a meditation. At the end of meditation, I ask the universe, “What are the needs of the people today?” I listen, I create. It starts with a theme and flows into a total transformation in thought and (I can only hope) a shift in consciousness.

In the beginning, I have the students go inward and listen for the greatest thing that lies within the theme I introduced to them. Once I feel everyone has found that place, I move them. I, myself, surrender to the universal flow and allow whatever comes up to do so. It’s important for me not to hold back and to trust that what I share in class is exactly what they need. Throughout the session, I share from a place of my heart, my personal experiences, and give empowering suggestions of shifting perceptions, and so on.

If you’re present while on your mat, just know you have an opportunity to experience deep internal healing, greater awakening, and shifts in consciousness… and maybe nothing as defined as those things.

JANINE GUSTAFSON

YOGA OKOBOJI • SPIRIT LAKE

This last October, our studio hosted 21 yoga teachers from Iowa and Minnesota to spend a weekend retreat with each other contemplating the writings of Michael Singer and his book, The Untethered Soul. We plan on repeating this retreat each year at the beginning of October.

HAVE YOU TRIED

everything?

Through this process, we all had a better awareness of the voice inside our heads that seems to endlessly chatter. The big takeaway, I believe, was choosing to take time, even just a moment, for awareness, listening, acceptance, and letting go. Each participant invited this process into his or her asana practice, relationships, and daily lives, and it has been mindblowingly good!

JIM EARLES

VARIOUS LOCATIONS • DUBUQUE

My Kundalini yoga classes include a lot of chakra work, which students tend to enjoy, but I encourage them not to put too much emphasis on the concept. Chakras are powerful, but they’re nothing more than a part of your anatomy. You have arms. You have legs. You have chakras. All your various constituent parts— physical, mental, spiritual, emotional, energetic—are your body.

Physical practices always affect you on every level of your being, but you’ll get the most powerful results when you respect the process. Keep your asana practice within the larger context of all Eight Limbs, and you’ll be rewarded!

JULIA DELLITT

POWER LIFE YOGA • DES MOINES

I say to my students repeatedly, “Focus on how it feels, not what it looks like”—which is deceptively simple. In your physical practice, start paying attention to patterns of thought and behavior, so you can align your outsides to your insides.

• WINTER 2017

We all constantly shift from being fully present to checking out. For example, your physical body might be standing in Tadasana, but if your mind is thinking about what happened during that epic breakup of 2010, you’ve checked out. If you’re holding a gold-star Bakasana, but thinking ahead to what’s for dinner tomorrow night, you’ve checked out. If you’re looking around the room comparing yourself to everybody else, you’ve checked out.

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Your job is to pay attention to those moments. They happen. It’s okay. Breathe.

Find that little pause of awareness that allows you to step back and say, “Oh wow, I got lost again.” Practice coming back to yourself with compassion, empathy, and love. Finding awareness is similar to finding balance; these aren’t destinations for permanent arrival, but ongoing efforts. Make peace with that fact.

ASK TH E TE AC H E R

LANCE KINSETH

YOGA METTA • DES MOINES

In yoga practice, especially by returns across time, practitioners may feel something psychologically and/or spiritually awaken in themselves. Generally, this tends to involve a sense of discovering a more confident and calmer self in a highpaced modern world, and even a sense of connecting or “yoking” with more than oneself. Perhaps there’s even a sense of everyday life as a “half-awake life,” and more joy or even bliss may be opened. This level of awakening is important for physical and psycho-spiritual health.

These experiences are helpful, but they are too facile to be the transformational experience of one’s nature that centuries of yogis sought.

The traditional yogic awakening quest might be akin to the capacity, for example, to realize Zen koans that appear to be nonsense in everyday rationality, such as “Why does a cloud obscure the sun?” or “House and elephant: are they the same or different?”

A direct experience of awakening allows a clear understanding of such statements, and a clear understanding of such statements reflects a realization of self-nature that’s quite different than described above.

FEBRUARY 16

6 PM | Covenant Christian Church 2700 72nd St, Urbandale Meditation Leader: ROBIN BOURJAILY

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12 PM | St Pat’s Parade, Walking Meditation Downtown Des Moines, Meet at Exile at 11 AM Meditation Leader: DENNIS KELLY

APRIL 20 6 PM | Noce

1326 Walnut Street, Des Moines Meditation Leader: KIMBERLY GRAHAM

MAY 18

6 PM | Brenton Arboretum

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Awareness is the foundation for choice. It’s awareness that awakens us to the best version of ourselves. The yoga therapy model is based on a pyramid of growth anchored in awareness. Through pranayama and asana we become more deeply connected within and without.

25141-260th Street, Dallas Center Meditation Leader: OFELIA MOHR Come and enjoy the experience of sharing a simple meditation in unique settings around our beautiful community.

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MEG RIMA

IGNITE POWER YOGA STUDIO • DUBUQUE

Asana, the physical practice of yoga, is meant to be just that—physical. As a yoga teacher, I encourage my students to land in their bodies, to find where their comfort zone ends, and then to safely explore beyond it, because that’s where we’re faced with our own psychology.

In those moments, we can see how our “self” reacts when things are less than comfortable. I encourage my students to practice being present to make space for the way of being that they choose. And also to practice empowering their own greatness, on and off the mat.

SARAH DRISCOLL

BREATHING ROOM YOGA • CEDAR RAPIDS

Drawing attention to self-reflection is woven throughout class. I tie it into students’ personal intentions. I connect it with the transitions from pose to pose. I use words like observe, “take inventory,” and witness. I remind them one last time after Savasana to notice how they’re feeling and thinking, then encourage them to continue on after class, out into their lives.

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KRIS’ HOT YOGA • ANKENY AND WAUKEE I start students in Savasana to slowly disconnect to reconnect, letting them know that we need to do this to connect to our inner self.

Then they can start to coordinate movement with breath, which will help note the changing sensations throughout their bodies as we move. I always encourage them to realize how each breath will enhance awareness, and they should always listen to their body with the intent to hear, so they can experience the energy and love they are made of.

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• WINTER 2017

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mind-body PSYCHOTHERAPY blending the wisdom traditions of Yoga and Western psychology

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BETSY RIPPENTROP, PhD

KEEP MOVING with the DMU Physical Therapy Clinic

A safe and loving place of exploration, learning and transformation.

YOGA • MASSAGE • REIKI • CHIROPRACTIC SHAMANISM • MEDICAL INTUITION READINGS • SPIRITUAL GUIDANCE

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Services can help you:

✷­ ­ OPTIMIZE FUNCTION At Illuminations, we provide a large variety of holistic services for total health in mind, body, and spirit.

We hope that you will join us in making the world a better place by starting with healing for yourself!

SHOP OUR METAPHYSICAL STORE: • Spiritual Tools

• Books

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• WINTER 2017

Please sign up for our newsletter to receive class schedules, information about monthly events, and much more at:

www.IlluminationsCenter.com

TO SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT Call 319-775-0117 or email illuminationscenter@gmail.com The Cherry Building • 329 10th Ave SE, Ste. 115 Cedar Rapids, IA 52401

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IMPROVE STRENGTH ✷­ ­ REDUCE PAIN ✷­ ­ INCREASE RANGE OF MOTION ✷­ ­ PREVENT INJURIES ✷­ ­ Our clinicians are dedicated to improving your health beyond treatment, too.

A variety of exercise classes, including those taught by yoga-certified therapists, are available to keep you active in each stage of your life. Course options include physioyoga, core strength with Pilates and active older adult exercise.

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Yoga Iowa Ad - winter 2017.indd 1

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Expand Your through Crystals and Stones

BY CHRISTINE CURRY

So where can you start your journey with stones and crystals? Here are some suggestions.

White’s top three favorites are readily available and economical to purchase:

• Quartz: Clear crystal quartz come in a variety of sizes and shapes, and you can see right through them, like glass. They cleanse, protect, calm. Quartz calls in the Holy light and magnifies the property of other stones’ energy by 10 times. It’s a good all-around stone.

• Angelite: Most commonly a powder blue/grey opaque stone. Some have earth tone veins. It connects to Holy Divine and angels and their light.

• Citrine: This is a translucent stone and varies between lemon/lime/gold tones.

It creates happiness and wealth of light, peace, and harmony. It doesn’t allow the dark or negativity.

Croscheck’s top three go-to stones include:

• Labradorite: This is a beautiful stone with shiny iridescent lusters of hints of green/blue, gray, and charcoal tones.

It initiates awareness and helps you to transform with ease.

• Apophyllite: This crystal comes in a range of colors, green tones, and sometimes simply clear. It allows you to accept an infusion of divine spiritual light • Azurite: You’ll find this shifts in color from deep blue crystals to somewhat lighter crusts.

It assists your intuition, trust in the divine, and spiritual understanding.

• WINTER 2017

or centuries, people of the world have valued stones and crystals for healing, symbols of faith, energetic properties, and other aspects of awareness. Ancient Sumerians used crystals as components of magic formulas. Egyptians believed in topaz and peridot for protection. Greek mythology includes stone and crystal references aligned with particular gods and goddesses. In China and Mexico, ancient cultures revered jade and used it in important rituals. And mala beads, used as meditation tools by people of Buddhist and Hindu faiths for thousands of years, are crafted with seeds, wood, crystal, and gemstones.

In our modern times, a resurgence of using crystals and gemstones for many purposes occurred in the 1980s as more people considered alternative therapies as ways to experience life more fully. But how do you know what to choose and why?

Darcy White owns Whispering Peace in Center Point. She says, “Picking a stone doesn’t need to be expensive. The smallest stone will have just as much influence in your journey as the largest, most expensive one would. When starting your journey, it’s essential to listen to your own instincts, not those of others.” She often helps people through crystal readings.

Remember when you purchased a special piece of jewelry that you couldn’t live without? When you’re wearing it, the experience brings you joy and happiness. This same inspiration is what calls to you when making a choice about crystals and stones, whether you wear them or place them in your environment. What works for each person is completely unique.

Gina Croscheck of Prism Scape Gems and Healing Center in Iowa City says, “Stones speak to you, and you’ll know once you make that connection.” She’s a Reiki master and incorporates them into her clients’ sessions. Croscheck believes that “anyone will benefit with stones; it’s as simple as wearing them as jewelry or placing them in special places. You’ll feel their energy and become more aware and enlightened.”

In your own space, before starting your yoga or meditation practice, hold a special stone or crystal close to your heart and focus on your intention. Then place it near you, which creates inner stillness and quiets the mind, allowing one to see more clearly and, as Croscheck notes, “helps center our focus.”

White is adamant that there really isn’t a right or wrong way to use stones and crystals. But some common ways include keeping them with you in a pocket or pouch, sleeping with them, or placing them in a dish near an entryway or exit. She also suggests yoga teachers try placing a variety of stones and crystals in the practice space for added cleansing energy. Then, invite participants to choose one from a full bowl or basket for their session, placing it at the head of their mat. Students can focus on that stone during the session and afterward see how their day goes.

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• WINTER 2017

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Call today for a free consultation.

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4090 Westown Parkway, Ste. A1, West Des Moines 515-222-1735 | steve@stevesmallcpa.com

While the Iowa days continue to get longer this time of year, it doesn’t mean you’ll have more sunlight. Insufficient sunlight during winter may decrease how much vitamin D your body produces—just when you need it the most. This fat-soluble vitamin is important to whole body health and, for some people, a lack of it may contribute to a condition known as Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), which is believed to be a type of depression related to a change of season.

Sayed A. Shah, M.D., is the owner of Mandala Integrative Medicine in Davenport. He says what surprises most people about vitamin D is how vital it is to so much more than bone health. “It’s also considered a hormone, meeting the basic definition of being synthesized in the body and affecting tissue growth and development,” Shah says. “Other functions of vitamin D include maintaining normal calcium and phosphorus blood levels, improving cellular processes, and enhancing nerve function and immune health.”

Known as the “sunshine hormone,” your body makes vitamin D when your skin is exposed to sunlight—specifically ultraviolet B (UVB) rays—on a regular basis. This doesn’t happen with other vitamins; those you receive through a diverse whole foods diet. So while you may be able to boost vitamin C, for example, with an extra daily serving of oranges, red peppers, and kale; few foods are naturally rich in vitamin D. However, your daily dose of sunlight is less effective during an Iowa winter, as the angle of the sun is different than in summer, reducing the availability of UVB rays.

Staying outside in July in a yoga tank and shorts for about 10 minutes would provide more than the recommended 10,000 IUs of vitamin D you need each day for optimum performance. But if exposing a lot of your bare skin to the chilly north winds isn’t your idea of winter fun, most people benefit from a supplement.

When choosing a vitamin D supplement, Shah suggests the following: “Cholecalciferol (D3) is the preferred form of vitamin D, as it can be easily used by the body and doesn’t require additional hydroxylation. Ergocalciferol (D2) is the form added to most foods, such as cereals and milk, but evidence shows that D3 seems to boost blood levels of usable vitamin D better than D2. A strict vegetarian or vegan will prefer D2, as it’s made from yeast, while D3 is made from lanolin or fish oil.”

Science supports the need for daily vitamin D for your body’s best function.

But how it regulates mood and, more pointedly, its effect on alleviating symptoms of SAD, is a highly contested topic in the medical community.

Some researchers suggest that certain preconceptions of SAD, which is characterized by feelings of sadness and loss of energy, skew surveys, with many misleading questions that encourage respondents to believe this condition happens to them each winter. These experts refer to evaluations conducted in Norway, an area with extremely short hours of sunlight during winter, but no noticeable increases of depression. So is SAD a perception; is it avoided through cultural practices; or is it an indicator of an individual’s need to be more responsive to seasonal changes?

“Vitamin D is believed to play a role in serotonin and melatonin activity, and its deficiency and insufficiency have been associated with clinically significant depressive symptoms,” Shah says. “Causal links between serotonin, melatonin, circadian rhythms, Vitamin D, and SAD have not yet been solidly confirmed. However, associations among these key factors are present and are continuing to be researched.”

The awareness you develop through whole mind-body-spirit health is the most accurate indicator of what you need to be your best self. If this is the first you’ve learned of a potential vitamin D deficiency during winter, a supplement may be an easy next step. If you’ve noticed your mood, energy, and feelings of purpose seem to decline for a while, only to be reversed by the early buds of spring, Shah says existing research on SAD focuses on key treatment approaches of light therapy, Vitamin D, counselling, and possibly antidepressant medication.

a taste of balance T

BY SHEREE CLARK

Many serious health conditions have been linked to gluten as well as GM consumption. Some healthier options include buckwheat, quinoa, or millet. Always rinse any grain thoroughly before preparing it.

• Alcohol. High in sugar, dehydrating, and acidforming to the body—not to mention a burden to the liver—alcohol is best eliminated or used in moderation.

Eating—like yoga—is a highly personal activity, and what works for one person may not work for another. Approaching your eating with an open mind and heart can truly support and nurture your yoga practice. You’ll know your diet is working well for you when you feel healthy, have good digestion, sleep well, and feel supported rather than depleted by and during your practice.

ISHEREE’S ANT SMOOTHIE INFLAMATORmYilk

in seed 1-1/2 cups pumpk her non-dairy milk) (or anot

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ptional) Pinch nutmeg (o r gh speed blende hi a in ts n ie ed Combine all ingr until smooth.

• WINTER 2017

he number one thing that can affect your yoga practice—besides your state of mind—is inflammation. Our bodies give us many signals that point to inflammation, including achy joints, nasal congestion, and digestive issues. Fortunately, most low-level inflammation can be addressed fairly quickly, and quite often by simple diet adjustments.

You don’t need training in nutrition to draw the link between food, mood, and physical performance. But it’s not just the occasional overindulgence—it’s the day-to-day decisions or “forks in the road,” as I like to call them, that add up to create your current condition. Let’s look at the options we have to make better everyday choices.

There are some common foods—such as dairy, baked goods, and wine—that are linked to inflammation, which is also called oxidative stress. It may not seem like a big deal, but inflammation can be an early indicator of many chronic conditions such as arthritis, cancer, diabetes, and more. From a yogic standpoint, inflammation limits mobility. Those stiff joints you feel during morning yoga class might be more than your body needing to warm up. And the runny nose you experience during Down dog could be an initial wakeup call.

Maintaining the correct pH in body tissues is very important and just about everyone could benefit from improving their body’s alkalinity. The fact is, eating too many acidic foods leads to swelling. Skeptical?

Pick a category (or two) from the list below and avoid these foods entirely for the next 14 days. The results will speak for themselves.

• Processed, packaged, prepared foods. This includes fast foods and anything that contains preservatives. By avoiding the “three Ps,” you’ll also be avoiding food additives such as colors, flavor enhancers, stabilizers, and more.

• Trans fats. Great for food manufacturers because they are shelf stable, but not so good for us. Trans fatty acids are often found in cookies, cakes, pies, fried foods, pancakes and waffles, nondairy creamers, and microwave popcorn.

• Meat. You don’t have to go vegan forever, but for this short experiment consider getting your protein from vegetable sources. And don’t worry: it’s impossible to become protein-deficient in two weeks! If you do return to eating meat after your trial period, remember that processed meat (bacon, sausage, hot dogs, sandwich meat, packaged ham, pepperoni, salami, and so on) is best avoided at all costs.

• White sugar. Sugar is not only inflammatory—it’s highly addictive. When reading the ingredients on a food label, pay close attention. Sugar has many names: corn syrup, dextrose, fructose, maltose, sorghum syrup, and sucrose are some of the terms used by manufacturers.

• Dairy. This includes yogurt, ice cream, keifer, cottage cheese, butter, and milk. If you notice nasal or lung congestion, have a runny nose, or you often need to clear your throat, you’re smart to reduce your dairy consumption. It can sometimes take several weeks after removing dairy from your diet for these symptoms to go away completely, so stick with it.

• Synthetic sweeteners. This includes saccharin, aspartame, aceslufame-K, and sucralose, as well as brand names such as NutraSweet, Splenda, and Equal. These sweeteners are made from chemicals, some of which are known to be not only inflammatory, but quite toxic.

• Refined grains. Gluten is found in many grains and is very inflammatory. The main protein in wheat, it’s highly acid-forming. Even worse, experiments are being performed to introduce genetically-modified (GM) wheat into the marketplace.

21

Yoga for men

BY JOSHUA WEBER

RENEE DALRYMPLE

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I remember walking out of my first hot yoga class dripping with sweat, exhausted, and feeling an endorphin rush that I hadn’t felt since walking out of the wrestling room in high school. I was instantly hooked, and I remember telling my wrestling buddies that they had try it. Like athletics, yoga can be both physically and mentally challenging. It requires you to participate in the process of the practice in order to receive the benefits. Like athletics, yoga requires dedication, discipline, and practice in order to reach peak states of performance. In yoga, we call this sadhana, which literally translates as “a means of accomplishing something” or “a daily spiritual discipline or purposeful practice.”

Yoga can become a way of life, as Pantanjili outlines in the Eight Limb path of the Yoga Sutras. Yoga has certain principles involved to help you define, understand, and play the game with honor and integrity, or the yamas and the niyamas. Lastly, the final point of understanding on the Eight Limb path is samadhi or “oneness.” This is the stage where all of our efforts payoff and self-realization happens. In athletics, we may loosely call this the “zone.”

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As a male yoga teacher, I can say without a doubt that yoga in the West is predominately practiced currently by women. It’s equally important to remember that the practice of yoga in the West is very new, and that more men are discovering the benefits of yoga. For some men, coming to yoga class can be intimidating. I encourage men to come with a buddy, a partner, or a spouse, have fun, and try something new. Yoga doesn’t have to be complicated: you arrive, you practice, you experience, and you return again and again. The rest is up to you!

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As I mentioned above, nature and Star Wars also influenced my love for yoga.

Like nature, yoga promotes connectivity and cooperation, exploration and adventure, activity and stillness. It teaches us that we can’t control the wind and rain, but we can prepare for them. And like The Force, there’s a certain mystery to how yoga works and why it’s so powerful and effective.

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For people growing up in small town Iowa, athletics and nature activities such as camping, hunting, and fishing were two ways to pass the time.

I was no exception. Athletics gave me an outlet to challenge myself and focus my energy, while being in nature provided me with a sense of freedom and exploration. At that time, if you would have asked me what yoga was, I would have given you a Star Wars quote like “May The Force be with you.” Fast forward 20 years later, and I can tell you that it was athletics, nature, and Star Wars that led me to yoga.

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The Ipsalu Formula: A Method of Tantric Bliss by Bodhi Avinasha This method encourages deeper exploration of tantric philosophy with a series of exercises that take a practitioner through five distinct stages in order to attain spiritual advancement.

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Shift into Freedom by Loch Kelly As a meditation teacher and psychotherapist, Kelly promotes the science and practice of open-hearted awareness. This book, considered one of the top spirituality books in the past decade, offers meditations for the practice of “awake awareness.”

In Touch: How to Tune In to the Inner Guidance of Your Body and Trust Yourself

by John J. Prendergast Psychotherapist, spiritual teacher, and founder of listeningfromsilence.com, Prendergast believes your inner knowing develops from the cues you take from your body and moving into a stronger wholeness of being.

Angel intuitive Amelia Bert moves beyond the material world to help readers discover pathways to many aspects of humanity, including personal transformation, universal truth, and awakening a connection to a higher power.

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