ISSUE 21 - GURU by Yogalife Magazine

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Buddha

Buddha in the New Age in the Moment

The Power of Being

The

Enlightened Path- One Step at

Buddha

Life of the

Issue 21

A Time

Participation

Living without

More Consciously More theMore Present You Become

How to Live

The Grateful You are,

ISSN 1985 - 0964

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Meditation Guide for beginners

FIND A QUIET AND CLEAN PLACE TO MEDITATE

Once you find a place to meditate, either sit in a chair with your feet flat on the ground or sit comfortably on the floor. If you choose to sit on the floor, try crossing your legs and letting your hands rest on your legs. Either way, remember to sit up straight.

CLOSE YOUR EYES AND BEGIN TO FOCUS

First, take a minute or two to listen to the sounds around you. Can you hear birds chirping outside or cars driving by ?

Give your full attention to your body. Focus on your shoulders, hands and feet. Think of them as weights and let your body feel that weight. Spend another minute or two focusing solely on the body. Next, let your mind wander. Spend the next minute thinking positive thoughts.

BREATHE

Keeping your eyes closed, shift your attention over to your breath. Inhale through the nose and exhale through the mouth.

After a few breaths, begin counting. Every time you inhale and then exhale that counts as one . Count up to 10. If your mind starts wandering and you lose count then simply start over. Once you feel calm and ready to take on the day, slowly open your eyes

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A Meaningful Mindfulness Routine for Beginners Brought to you by Rachael Kable

SLEEP 10 P.M.

7 A.M. (wake up) BREATHING TECHNIQUES

Breathe in for three counts, Hold for three counts and exhale for three counts.

BODY SCAN

11 A.M.

CONNECT WITH NATURE

JOURNAL Write down 5 things you’re grateful for.

Keep a flower nearby and appreciate its beauty.

1 P.M.

8 P.M.

NOTICE YOUR SENSES

MINDUL HUG

WASHING DISHES

Focus on the different sensations and movements of your hands

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10 A.M.

Gently roll your shoulders, feeling any tension gently dissipate.

9 P.M.

7 P.M.

Notice the flavour, texture and temperature of each sip of your drink.

STRETCH

Scan your attention through your body, consciously relaxing any areas of tension

mmerse yourself in the experience of giving someone a big hug.

9 A.M. MINDFUL DRINK

4 P.M.

ACKNOWLEDGE A FEELING

Without judging any emotion as “good,” or “bad.”

What are five things you can see, hear and feel right now?

2 P.M.

EAT MINDFULLY

Explore flavours,colours, textures and temperature as you eat.

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Insights

18 24 28

Yogi on the Cover Editor’s Peace The Daily Ritual Column

Buddha in the New Age Deep in Yoga YI - Yogic Intelligence

Life Guide 34 42

Location: Dharamshala, Himachal Pradesh, India

Cover Model: Deepak Kumar

Contents 6

Photographer: Sunder Pratap Singh

How to Live More Consciously KARMA: The Divine Law

Recipes & Remedies 48

Trigger Point & Self-Massage Release Therapy

56 62

The Enlightened Path – One Step at a Time Life of the Buddha

Feature

48 On The Mat 66 78

Grey Hair – How We Grow It and What We Can Do About It India – the Travel of a Modern Yogi

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Omâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Chemy 84

Tree of Life Prana

The Power of Being in the Moment

The Mindfulness of the Buddha

Living without Participation

Off The Mat 98

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The More Grateful You are, the More Present You Become Festival du Feminine Malaysia 17th â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 18th March 2018

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yogi on the cover Deepak Kumar

Deepak Kumar (B. ARTS GRADUATE (TTYC) (ADDTTYC) (LYC) INDIA, or more fondly known as Deep, hails from Punjab, India. He began his journey in yoga in 1994 and followed the manner of traditional yogis in learning the art and science of yoga at Tapovan Dhyan Dham Vidhyapeeth, a classical yoga ashram located at the foothills of the Himalayas. Thereafter, he pursued an advanced yoga teacher training course at the world-renowned Kaivalyadhama Yoga Institute. Deep has gone through all the modern and traditional forms of yoga such as Iyengar, Ashtanga, Hatha, Yin, Anusara and Meditation to find out the reality and truth of yoga. Deep’s love for Patanjali Yoga Sutras has enabled him to portray these ancient rules of practicing yoga to modern society in a contemporary way. This combined with his understanding of anatomy, physiology and psychology help students in going deeper into yoga practice by adapting a balance of mix of traditional and modern approach. He is trained in various styles and aspects of yoga, like posture, breathing, philosophy and meditation for the purpose of health, healing and rejuvenation. Apart from teaching at various yoga centers, Deep is also a Corporate Yoga Trainer and has conducted over 100 workshops on alignment and adjustment. He is an authorized ERYT500 teacher trainer with Yoga Alliance (America) and a Registered Master Teacher Trainer with the International Yoga Federation (Europe). Besides conducting Yoga Teachers’ Training Programmes in Malaysia, Australia, Thailand, UK, Singapore, Egypt and Holland to name a few, Deep has also conducted workshops on the Inter-relatedness of the different systems of body. He specializes in mind-body medicine and has had the opportunity to observe how psychosocial stressors such as anxiety, depression, anger, pain or relationship problems can affect the cardiopulmonary, gastroenterological, immunity systems and practically every biological function in the human body. He believes we can utilize mind-body techniques such as yoga postures, breathing exercises and laughter therapy for mental-physical relaxation and stress management. Apart from yoga, his hobbies are Bollywood dancing and Samurai sword art, archery and music. Deep’s vision is to share the beauty of yoga, to help enter the present moment, in order to understand that each moment is in itself divine. In the true spirit of the ancient science, he provides free yoga lessons in many charitable organizations. Recently, he has also published a book on yoga therapies for common ailments such as anxiety, asthma, hypertension, diabetes and chronic pain. Deep firmly believes that Yoga is a combination of science and art that guides us towards the right way of living.

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editor’s

peace Publisher : Narendra Sundram

Buddha is a Sanskrit word which means "The Enlightened one," or 'the awakened one.” The word "Buddha," is often referred to the historical Buddha named Buddha Shakyamuni, or Siddhartha Gautama. Buddhists do not believe that a Buddha is a god, but that he is a human being who has woken up and can see the true way the world works. They believe this knowledge totally changes the person. Some say this puts them beyond birth, death, and rebirth, while others think this represents the final extinction of desire. A Buddha is a person who is completely free from all faults and mental obstructions. There are many people who have become Buddhas in the past, and many more people will become Buddhas in the future. A Buddha’s compassion, wisdom, and power are completely beyond conception. With nothing left to obscure his mind, he sees all phenomena throughout the universe as clearly as he sees a jewel held in the palm of his hand. Just as the sun does not need to motivate itself to radiate light and heat but does so simply because light and heat are its very nature, so a Buddha does not need to motivate himself to benefit others but does so simply because being beneficial is his very nature. Like the reflections of the moon that effortlessly appear in any body of still water, a Buddha’s emanations spontaneously appear wherever living beings’ minds are capable of perceiving them. Buddhas can emanate in any form whatsoever to help living beings. Sometimes they manifest as Buddhists and sometimes as non-Buddhists. They can manifest as women or men, monarchs or tramps, law-abiding citizens or criminals. They can even manifest as animals, as wind or rain, or as mountains or islands. Unless we are a Buddha ourselves, we cannot possibly say who or what is an emanation of a Buddha. The urgent need of steering into enlightenment has become imperative in an unforgiving world, such as ours. We are constantly stressing about money, about upkeep of our lifestyles and then, of finding the balance between the two and no matter how hard we try, we find ourselves in the endless ebb and flow of the demands of living. What then is enlightenment, you ask? Immanuel Kant, the renowned German philosopher who was a central figure in modern philosophy said, "Enlightenment is man's emergence from his self-incurred immaturity." He argues that immaturity is self-inflicted not from a lack of understanding, but from the lack of courage to use one's reason, intellect, and wisdom without the guidance of another. He exclaims that the motto of enlightenment is "Sapere aude"! – Have courage to use your own understanding! To awaken the Buddha within us, we need to have the courage to understand ourselves and our very existence and then to bringing that enlightenment everywhere we go. We need to steer the wheels of our lives courageously, immaterial of the stresses and strains we endure, with the sole reason of making our existence an enlightening one. Let us lead with courage so that we are able to rest in the faith that, this life has been one heck of a ride.

Namaskar

naren@yogalifemagazine.my

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ONE The

Minute Meditation Take a deep breath.

Breathe in through the nose, Breathe out through the mouth.

Breathe in feeling the lungs expanding, Breathe out feeling a sense of letting go. Breathe in to feel the body getting fuller, Breathe out feeling muscles relaxing. Breathe in that sense of fullness, Breathe out that unnecessary tension.

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Meditation Tips for Beginners 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14.

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Sit for just two minutes. Do it first thing each morning. Don’t get caught up in the how - just do. Check in with how you’re feeling. Count your breaths. Come back when you wander. Develop a loving attitude. Don’t worry too much that you’re doing it wrong. Don’t worry about clearing the mind. Stay with whatever arises. Get to know yourself. Become friends with yourself. Do a body scan. Notice the light, sounds, energy and surroundings.

Do you remember, "The Golden Child," movie? In it a small child, Bodhisattva, is sought after for his illuminated body of wisdom. The main character could not believe the ability of this child – the ability to know. The movie accentuates this wisdom through precognition and psychic ability. Similarly, when thinking of Buddha, it is difficult not to think about words like peace, serenity, mindfulness and oneness, to name a few. The list goes on as does the fantasy and fancy of controlling the mind. And, yes, I have thought it could be my western mind and the fact that I am using a movie as an example. Although, my background in yoga and siddha go back almost two decades. And I grew up with a similar world view, in terms of energy and spirit. I always find, taking things apart helps to understand their construction as to why we put them there, not only their origin. Vocabulary can help us work with defined concepts. It can also be a deterrent so I will keep it within a small framework and relative to simple concepts. The word, buddha, comes from “buddhi,” which means to form, attain or cultivate wisdom. The intellect part does not refer to retaining information. It is not measured as superior with or by test. The intellect part can be confusing as one who has achieved buddhi reaches the state of buddha. In turn, Buddha is a person in buddhi; a state of attainment, while a person who seeks Buddha embodiment, would be bodhi or bodhisattva or the knowledge of Buddha. I know… what!? Buddhi is a state. The same state the Buddha entered. Trying to understand the teachings of the Buddha is Buddha embodiment. The path tends to split into the two factions — similar to yoga traditions and lineages. One path to buddhi

Ritual Column

the daily

which embraces the process and the state and another path to immerse in the teachings of the Buddha. There are often splits between religion and spirituality. It is a great debate on how we temper the mind toward success or awareness. Historically, we see these paths split with those two tonalities as they leave India. We know that the Buddha we refer to was called Siddhartha Gautama. Herman Hesse wrote "Siddhartha," based on his life. The framework of the story mimics other stories in Indian literature. Mainly, that of the student and teacher in conversation. Only here, the conversation is played out amongst friends and has a split psyche feel. I like the analogy as it loosely plays on themes we see in life. Specifically, moderation comes to mind. The mind that seeks one thing with indulgence, even the sweetest nectar, can become intoxicating. And the process can feel like an ongoing debate between two parts of your conscious. Moderation is also required in the mind. How else can buddhi be reached? Meditation is our chief aim at moderation and buddhi. Meditation as a practice is a gift from yoga. It continues here as the antidote for suffering. We see it used in so many practices of spirituality and religion. All-in-all when we meditate, it is a balance between effort and allowing. We could say it is equanimity in thought and thought suspended that invites us into another place. Enlightenment is this other place. And even if one falls short of this grand state, mindfulness appears. As does a more heartfelt quality like compassion. Further, we see unconditional qualities of our self. Perhaps here is where the friendly conversations of split psyche help us integrate life and spirit. Is this a long way from enlightenment? The concept of “buddhi,” is synonymous with being enlightened. Samadhi, nirvana and consciousness are other synonyms of this grand state. How do we get there? Branches of Buddhism highlight attaining the state or following the teachings.

Will Duprey International yoga teacher, author, educator, naturalist, storyteller, father, theorist, fixedgear bike rider and founder of Hathavidya Yoga. As a practitioner of pranayama and meditation for over 30 years, his expertise is in offering original energetic theory and modern, attainable methods of yoga education and practice. With over 15 years of traditional study and initiation of masters in many disciplines, including Dr. M.A. Jayashree in mantra, Sri Dharma Mittra in hatha-raja yoga and in-depth traditional study of Siddha medicine, Will uses combined knowledge in creating harmony among different styles of yoga. Will Duprey has spent over a decade consulting on and creating yoga teacher trainings throughout the world in studios from Los Angeles to Vermont, New York to Miami, from Guatemala to Japan and sits on the board of multiple teacher training programmes in addition to his own unique **mentorship **programme.

One moving toward Buddha and the other on becoming Buddha as we discussed earlier. This is where the complexities begin. Religion and dharma are full of caveats which occur during faith and logic-based lenses. Dharma can become purpose in which is assigned rather than the purpose in which you are here. As you live, breathe, experience living the feedback can be helpful or harmful. There are many paths. Sometimes you are led there, fall there, wander there or wish you weren’t there at all. As life opens and you open to it, conditions play less of a role and allowing heightens. When we see Buddha, we see the ﬁner aspects of an enlightened being -back to "The Golden Child."

“

We see suﬀering as a something to avoid. And follow the tenants aiming at understanding dharma and taking on our purpose. We try to live fully as an aspiration or intention rather than truth.

“

We see suffering as something to avoid. And follow the tenants aiming at understanding dharma and taking on our purpose. We try to live fully as an aspiration or intention rather than truth. Buddha suffered through the trials of his life. I had once heard that when returning home, after all his time away from home, his wife asked what he learned out there that he could not have learned at home? Perhaps that is a truth. Have you ever looked at a map and took a road or a trail? Along the way, you will not only discover your way but you will get lost. You will get a flat, find blueberries, explore a new fishing spot, meet someone or find out that the path is closed during certain times. Suffering is the possible path. That also can be truth. Not the path to perpetual suffering. Not a path that anyone else can understand, for your woes may seem simple to me and vice versa. The path of suffering leads to the splendour of life, surrounding you from within to without, as the mind is suspended with intellect. All of us are a living embodiment of knowledge, with our own purpose and clarity because there is no other choice.

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INSIGHTS

INSIGHTS |

Buddha in theNewAge By Alisson Moore (Ashtanga Yoga Teacher, USA)

New Age is a term applied to an array of spiritual or religious theories and practices that developed in Western nations during the 1970s. Precise scholarly definitions of the New Age differ in their emphasis, largely as a result of its highly extensive structure. Although analytically often considered to be religious, those involved in it typically prefer the designation of spiritual or Mind, Body, Spirit and rarely use the term "New Age," themselves. Many scholars of the subject refer to it as the New Age movement, although others contest this term and suggest that it is better seen as a setting or the defining spirit or mood of a particular period of history indicated by the ideas and beliefs of the time. What many people are not aware of is the fact that most “new age,” practices are deeply rooted in ancient spiritual traditions. It is the resurgence of these practices that began to usher in the “new age,” in the eighties; however, the failure to look open-mindedly at these practices by the general populace, religious groups, and others, placed a negative connotation on what are generally accepted spiritual truths. A Buddha is one who has attained Bodhi; and by Bodhi is meant wisdom, an ideal state of intellectual and ethical perfection which can be achieved by man through purely human means. The term Buddha literally means enlightened one or a knower. The Buddha was a unique being. Such a being arises but rarely in this world, and is born out of compassion for the world, for the good, benefit, and happiness of gods and men. The Buddha is called by many epithets, among them The Great Physician, The Giver of Deathlessness, The Lord of the Dharma (Doctrine). As the Buddha himself says, “He is the Accomplished One, the Worthy One, the Fully Enlightened One.” The Buddha had no teacher for His Enlightenment. His knowledge of the secrets of all existence was realized by himself through his own intuitive wisdom. Applying the wisdom of enlightenment into our daily existence brings about the necessary healing we require to enhance the quality of our lives and then, to eliminate the harmful stresses and strains that we endure on a daily basis.

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INSIGHTS

Some of the key principles of awakening from within is practising salient teachings that were cardinal to the enlightened being, Buddha. They were: 1. Don’t hesitate to start small All people start out small. If you are determined and patient, you will reach success. No one can succeed overnight: success comes to those who are ready to start small and work hard.

“Life is a journey.

Do not put your happiness off for an indefinite period willing to reach a goal that you think will make you happy. Travel today, enjoy the journey.

2. Thoughts are material Buddha said: “The mind is everything. What you think you become.“ In order to live properly, you should fill your mind with “right,” thoughts. Your thinking determines actions, your actions determine the result. Right thinking will help you get everything you want, wrong thinking damages you and can destroy you. By changing your mind, you change your life. 3. Learn to forgive When you release those imprisoned in the prison of unforgiveness, you release yourself too. Learn to forgive. Learn to forgive faster. 4. Action is what counts Words are worthless. In order to develop, you have to act every day. Success does not just fall on your head! Success comes to those who are constantly working. The Buddha said: “I do not believe in a fate that falls on men however they act, but I do believe in a fate that falls on them unless they act.” 5. Try to understand others You should make every effort to understand the point of view of the other people. Listen to others, understand their point of view, and you will find peace of mind. Focus on how to be happy than on how to be right. 6. Win yourself The one who wins himself is stronger than anyone. In order to do it, you have to control your thoughts. Get rid of the thoughts that are not in accordance with the life principles you want to follow. 7. Live in harmony Do not look outside for something that can be found only in your heart. The harmony you find outside can only distract you from the true reality. The true harmony can be found only inside.

”

8. Be grateful There are always things that are worthy of thanking for, even if we often take them for granted. Be optimistic and learn to recognize thousands of things which you should be grateful for. 9. Act as you know Sometimes you fail not because you did not know what to do but because you did not do what you know. Act as you know. Focus on who you want to be until you have a strong desire to prove it. 10. Travel Life is a journey. Do not put your happiness off for an indefinite period willing to reach a goal that you think will make you happy. Travel today, enjoy the journey. 11. “You will not be punished for your anger; you will be punished by your anger.” Anger is a lethal weapon. Apart from slaying the enemy, it also slays you. When you’re angry, your words deceive you and they hurt others. Therefore, it’s advisable to remain silent and not speak when something annoys you. 12. “You only lose what you cling to.” Getting attached to a thing is the biggest mistake we can make in our lives. It is when we get too dependent on it that we start losing it. The more you practice becoming more involved with yourself, the more you become more connected with yourself and you realise that everything around you become effortless. Take measures to hold on to what is important to you in a world where, spirituality and the need to become enlightened is the order of the day. Strive only on what brings positive changes and benefits to you, that you may be able to spread that positivity to everyone who comes in contact with you.

INSIGHTS |

Be sure to be mindful of your words and actions. Work on yourself before you work on projecting to others. Keep a journal or two, make it a habit to journal your life at every step of the way – this helps you to engage in yourself more and to become less involved in the happenings outside of you. Listen more, speak less and meditate often – you are the new age Buddha waiting for enlightenment. You will ﬁnd below, some food for thought – teachings of the Buddha, that will beneﬁt you in miraculous ways. Happy practicing!

7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16.

1. Love heals all things. 2. It’s not what you say but what you do that deﬁnes you. 3. The secret of good health is to live fully in the NOW. 4. He who looks inside, awakens. 5. Words have the power to both hurt and heal. 6. Let it go and it will be yours forever.

17. 18. 19. 20. 21.

No one can walk your path for you. Be kind to all. Don’t believe everything you are told to believe. As you THINK so shall you be. Let go of fear. The truth has a way of always leaking out. Control your mind or it will control you. Doubt separates. Trust unites. Nobody is more deserving of your love than you yourself are. Knowing others is wisdom, knowing yourself is enlightenment. Spirituality isn’t a luxury, it’s a necessity. Replace jealousy with admiration. Let go of attachment. There is no way to happiness. Happiness is the way. Love. Live. Let go.

Your Body On Meditation

A regular practice can calm your brain, help your heart and even make you a better person. Take a belly breath and read on.

EMOTIONS

Meditation has been found to increase the alpha and theta brain wave activity, which is linked to a state of wakeful rest and relaxation

BRAIN

Just 8 weeks of meditation decreases activity in the right amygdala, which is associated with a better stress response.

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6 JOINTS

MIND

Meditating engages neural systems in the brain associated with empathy

HEART

You may be able to lower your blood pressure naturally with twice-daily sessions of transcendental meditation.

SKIN

Psoriasis is often exacerbated by stress, which may explain why meditation can improve it.

STOMACH

Meditation can lower the stress hormone cortisol, helping decrease belly fat.

Longtime meditators showed a reduced expression of 2 types of genes linked to inflammation.

Must-Know 4 Facts About

Meditation

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It increases GRAY MATTER

Brain scans of participants in a meditation study by YALE, Harvard and Mass General Hospital showed increases of gray matter in parts of the brain and that meditation may slow natural brain deterioration. The parts of the brain with increased gray matter thickness are related to attention and processing sensory input.

It improves BRAIN PLASTICITY

A study of mindfulness meditation practitioners, showed an increase in the number of neurons in the brainâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hippocampus (related to learning and memory) and a reduction in the volume of the amygdala (related to anxiety and stress) after just eight weeks.

SimBar studies have shown increases in the number of neurons and neuronal connections in the right frontal cortex (concentration), the right insula (emotions), and the right parietal and temporal lobes (touch and sound).

It helps you sleep more EFFICIENTLY

Researches reposted that experience meditators slept fewer hours than non-meditators and the general population but were no less alert.

Separate research has found that meditation may be an effective behavioural intervention in the treatment of insomnia.

It lowers blood pressure WITHOUT PILLS

In reviewing existing research, the American Heart Association in 2013 concluded that transcendental meditation lowers blood pressure.

High blood pressure (hypertension) contributes to the hardening of the arteries and to the development of heart failure.

INSIGHTS

Deep in

INSIGHTS |

Yoga

By Sujata Nandy

When we embark on any practice, we often weigh a multitude of factors to set our hearts as to why we choose to be in that particular field of practice. The probable considerations can be anything from timing, location, the feel-good factor and even, the take-away satisfaction that comes with our practice. Most often when it comes to traditions like yoga and other old customs where the ‘guru-shishya,’ norm is required, the teacher of the tradition is a vital limb, critical for the development of the student. The ‘parampara,’ or tradition of yoga requires first and foremost, that the guru is a person who is sound in his knowledge of the practice, coming from a lineage of teachers before him, whilst having the ability to transfer the knowledge of the tradition in the simplest and safest method. The guru is also one whom the student is able to feel free with, a friend, a comrade as well as, a confidante, who nurtures and cajoles the student into reaching the highest pinnacle of self-mastery. Hailing from Punjab, India, Deepak Kumar is one such teacher. Warmly known simply as Deep, he is aptly deep in yoga! You’ll find him commonly in ecstasy, perpetually involved in the magical play of life. Yet, he is charismatic, enthusiastic and in love with every moment of life, that it becomes compelling for anyone in his auric field, to become mesmerised in his delirious love affair. Engaging and concerned for the development of his students, Deep travels the world to offer his wisdom to anyone who wants to learn yoga and its tradition, with an open heart. Deep is renowned worldwide for his knowledge in all yoga parampara, such as Iyengar, Ashtanga, Hatha, Yin, Anusara and Meditation. His methodology of teaching involves being able to laugh at ourselves, whilst taking things in our stride. He coerces his students to be kinder, gentler and much more forgiving to themselves, while engaging in a downward-dog, yet, getting them to

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INSIGHTS

find what comforts them in the pose. It is about finding that inner balance that completes us, rather than, merely practicing the pose. Deep indicates that yoga poses were created for the benefit of every human being, yet, not every human being is created equal. In lieu of the differences from one body to another, each pose has to be delivered differently. “Yoga is not about just getting into a pose. It is something that is beyond that. It is about discovering how we feel being in the pose and how we are breathing while in the pose and then, what it is that we are learning, while being in the pose, so that we can implement this lesson long after our yoga practice,” says Deep. Deep further reiterates that, “Yoga is not only something that one needs to practice on the mat. It is about taking the practices on the mat, off the mat, that one becomes the pose. The more you are able to focus and contemplate on how you are feeling and are reacting in a pose, the more you are able to benefit fully from the pose. It is not only about getting the pose right – it is also about you becoming better in the pose, so that in time, you learn to handle the stresses of life, whilst being constricted or stretched in daily living.”

“Yoga is

Beings. But we need to focus on being happy and in the moment, as well as, dispelling what we do not require. We should not harbour negative feelings or even, engage in negative thoughts, for it will be more damaging to us than to others. If we can control ourselves, we can conquer anything in this world,” declares Deep. Curious on whether this cool yogi ever gets ticked off, he replies, “Of course I do – it is only human. But I don’t spend too much time being angry or being irritated, for it is just too much effort engaging in that anger and that irritation. I would rather spend my time meditating, singing or writing my poetry.” Deep is also a poet, writing especially about the playfulness of life in Hindi. He also engages in Bollywood and Sufi dance in all his yoga classes, which he says is therapeutic. “It allows the students to not only relax but to break away from their mindset of being too stiff or on being too conscious about their bodily movements. It also gives the students an opportunity to engage in play with me, so that we can teach and learn from each other. Plus of course, nothing should be taken too seriously. I believe that we are all too serious about everything. If only we could laugh about everything, wouldn’t life be so much more meaningful? There wouldn’t be dis-eases in our bodies nor the need to fight or argue with anyone, because we are perpetually laughing. And that is why, in most of my yoga classes, I teach my students to practice laughing first thing in the morning before they leave their beds. Even before they get up, I tell them to think of something funny and to laugh from their stomachs, to their hearts content and when they are ready, they can get up from bed. If you practicelaughing in bed in the mornings every day, I can assure you that you will have a happy day throughout the day, because you woke up happy. Like this, I incorporate many modalities to increase the quality of life for everyone I come in contact with, so that life becomes so much more meaningful. This is also a form of yoga – it is about enhancing the mind and getting rid of all the dis-eases in the body,” Deep affirms, as he laughs blissfully.

a culture. It is

not only about asanas or about handstands – it is

Contemplating on his words, I couldn’t help but agree to the depth of this wisdom, as the elixir for all to benefit from. As I observed him sipping his cup of tea with much delight, his taking note of the flavour and essence of the contents of his cup, he seemed to be enthusiastic even with that simple exercise. I wondered, how differently he lived his life in comparison to the many of us, who drag our feet every day, as if on mundane routine.

about the merriment of

living, the understanding

that life is so beautiful, amidst all that chaos.

“I have learnt that life is what you make it out to be. And the more you bicker and complain, the more the problem is going to escalate. The problem won’t go away – it will only become bigger and bigger and in the end, it will consume us. And what good does that bring us? As long as we continue to work on ourselves positively, we are bound to ﬁnd the answers to everything we need on this planet. We have the resources within ourselves to enhance the person we are and to become such great

”

Deep’s advises that, when practicing yoga, we should always ﬁnd our comfort level in the pose. “The more

INSIGHTS |

uncomfortable the pose is, the more damaging it is for us. We all have different comfort levels, some are able to bend deeply whilst some others, are able to bend only half way. So, we need to modify the pose in accordance to how far our bodies can take us, until we become so comfortable that we are able to hold the pose for a long time. Yoga is not about getting back into shape or becoming flexible – it is about engineering our minds to the point of blissfulness, that eventually, we arrive at a more toned or a more flexible body. Take note of how you feel during your posture – there is wisdom within each and every pose – see, feel, touch and sense the feelings and messages that are being gifted to you during your yoga exercise and yoga will become so much more for you after that,” mentions Deep. In the wake of new schools of yoga like Beer Yoga, Gun Yoga and the likes, Deep modestly indicates, “I am not one to judge others as to how to live their lives nor to tell them what is right or wrong. I think everyone has a right to perceive things as they are. All I know is that, yoga is not about a practice that can be fashioned for the sake of the modern trends although, yoga is intrinsically fashioned to meet the demands of every individual body. We are all aware of what yoga is and what it is not – it is up to us, as to what form of yoga makes sense to us, in the end. It is all about a choice after all and if we choose to do Beer yoga, who is to say that it is wrong? It may not be the best form of yoga for me, but it certainly is for others who embark on that kind of yoga. I teach yoga in accordance to the parampara of yoga and that is my mission – to take yoga as far as I can and to spread the wisdom of my teachers to everyone who comes to me. It made a huge difference in my life; I am sure, it will make a huge difference in other people’s lives too,” Deep announces. Currently married and having a yoga ‘shala,’ in Country Heights, Kajang, where he hosts many Yoga Teachers’ Certification Programmes, Deep is a connoisseur of vegetarian foods. He treats his students to ‘masala chai,’ and to authentic Indian food, to

give them a glimpse of the culture of yoga, unlike any. “Yoga is a culture. It is not only about asanas or about handstands – it is about the merriment of living, the understanding that life is so beautiful, amidst all that chaos,” mentions Deep. Deep’s advice to yoga students is to practice yoga safely to reap the fullest benefit of the ancient science. “The new craze of going into headstands and handstands is quite baffling! We need to understand our bodies first before we are able to do such dangerous poses as they can be more damaging than advantageous. There are many factors we need to consider when we engage in such poses, like our blood pressure levels, our heart conditions and even, our mental frame of mind. All these factors are key to ensuring a safe headstand or handstand. And yoga teachers must always apply safety measures when doing any yoga pose, because injury is part and parcel of any physical exercise. And with yoga, since it is ‘inner-cise,’ relating to our organs and muscle groups, it can be even more damaging, if executed without caution. As yoga teachers, it is our job to not only ensure the progress of our students, but to maintain a high standard of supervision, care and caution at every juncture of our teachings. We need to adhere to high levels of integrity, honour and respect between student and teacher because they turn to us for advice and direction. We cannot falter in the line of our duty towards our students,” Deep affirms. “Nothing can be more important than teaching yoga as it is originally meant to be taught. The idea is to keep it simple and authentic and to focus on a few main poses, instead of trying to learn all the poses, without mastery of any. Yoga is about incorporating everything about life into our daily practice. It is about taking the moment to breathe and to stay in the moment – to take the moment to listen to the singing birds, to be engaged in the flavours of the food we eat, and to contemplate on every breath we take. There is just too much going on in modern life and the stresses are simply sky-rocketing. We are becoming challenged and more and more new illnesses are taking birth, because we are ourselves at a loss of what to do and where to begin with in our lives. If only, we began with our breath and committed to keeping to our practice, in simply breathing deeply, and to seeing life in its simplicity, our problems will disappear. Nothing can be more important than bringing positive change to ourselves that we are able to spread this wisdom to everyone who comes in contact with us,” Deep mentions as he wanders into the depth of his thoughts. As I ended the interview with this brilliant Being, I took away with me one profound message and it was to live as this yogi does – being ecstatically in love with everything!

INSIGHTS

INSIGHTS |

Y gic Intelligence

By Radhamadhav Das (Founder of Rasyoga, Vrindavan, india)

In today’s time when intelligence is more and more delegated to machines and AI, many people realize that we are missing the actual purpose of intelligence. In this article I shall compare material intelligence that culminates in out-sourced artiﬁcial intelligence to YI or yogic intelligence, which is in-house organic intelligence. First of all, I oﬀer my heartfelt pranams to all my yoga teachers, in particular to my initiating spiritual master, Srila Bhakti Ballabh Tirtha Goswami Maharaj, and to my astanga-yoga teacher, Sri Ganesh Ji from Chennai. I thank Dr. Edwin Bryant for compiling his most comprehensive scholarly edition of the Yoga-sutras, which was my main reference in writing this article.

“However, if

we miss

using material intelli-

gence in conjunction with yogic or spiritual intelligence, we miss the goal of

life of ananda, spiritual

To begin with, there is nothing wrong with material intelligence – in fact our material life depends on it. However, if we miss using material intelligence in conjunction with yogic or spiritual intelligence, we miss the goal of life of ananda, spiritual happiness or fulfilment. Since ananda is the life of life, the food of our soul, so to say, we should give it its deserved prime priority, else we shall starve internally, and that will reflect externally in symptoms like ecocide, (slow collective suicide), and excessive virtualization, (fleeting reality).

In my youth, I had ﬁrst-hand experience of the fact that mere material intelligence cannot give us true happiness. Much to my dismay, my basic questions of life were left unanswered when I entered primary school. I was so disappointed that I developed chronic stomach ache and signs of depression. My mother remembered how I was so much unaware of my surroundings that I once walked to school through heavy morning rain without an umbrella – in my pyjamas.

happiness or fulfilment.

”

Feeling spiritually malnourished, I lost taste for the external world. I performed poorly and was sent to undergo psychological tests at one of the best psychologists of Switzerland. To the astonishment of my teachers, she found I suﬀered from underchallenge because I had an unexceptionally high IQ – the double of my age’s average. I became the ﬁrst Swiss student to jump two primary classes. My classmates lovingly called me professor and I was featured in Switzerland’s prime magazine. But believe me, that’s no reason to boast – these apparent achievements only made my

INSIGHTS

hunger worse. After all the joke is on me; if they call me professor and I don’t even know who I am in essence. I had a strong intuition that I am not my intelligence. I escaped further depression through loud prayer and chanting. This I did secretly in one of the famous Swiss war bunkers that my father rented for my drums practice, and alone in nature. Talk about crying in the wilderness. Fast forward - I was in the middle of my Masters examinations at the ETH Zurich. I had just passed my first exam, and my top marks were laughing at me. Just then, my thirst for spiritual realization became so strong that I could not focus on anything else anymore. I left university and went on a pilgrimage. When the call comes you have to answer it, even if it means missing your Masters. Soon, my prayers were answered and I discovered yoga – first Astanga-yoga, then Nada-yoga and Bhakti-yoga. Finally, I could cultivate spiritual intelligence and I was getting nourished; and as a teacher, I was also able to share this spiritual nourishment with others. Needless to say, that stomach ache and depression remained things of the past. Now to avoid the judgement that this is mere sentimentalism, we need to lay the scientific foundation of yogic intelligence. Before we do that, let us ask ourselves quickly, if human intelligence on this planet is increasing or decreasing? Judged by the symptoms of ecocide and excessive virtualization we can easily rule for the latter. When old people observe how today’s kids are glued to the screen and constantly plugged into the cyber matrix, they naturally become disgusted. Some have called our generation the “zombie generation,” – a generation that has lost its heart and culture. Old is gold. Old people have dignity because they have culture. And with culture I don’t mean a “any-damnthing-goes” culture. But more about culture later. Don’t get me wrong – I believe that there can be a healthy application of mechanised intelligence, but for that we need to first develop yogic intelligence, which sets our priorities and ethics right. And to achieve that, our present wrong utilization of mechanised intelligence can be a good mirror to show us our crumbling intelligence.

“From a

If yoga was only about attaining perfect health and intelligence, then virtual reality would be the best way to achieve yoga. No matter how healthy we live, our bodies will always have shortcomings. This can only be solved if we remain plugged into a VR matrix, in which we have perfect bodies and artiﬁcial intelligence to perform all kind of physical and mental feats. This goes to show that most of today’s forms of yoga are lacking a spiritual dimension and heart - call it “zombie yoga,” if you will. What then is it that we cannot fulﬁl in virtual reality? This question leads us to the heart of yoga – to the heart of true yogic intelligence, the development of which is the core of human purpose. Let’s assume VR has reached perfection. We will then be able to do all kinds of mundane business perfectly in VR. We could also perform perfect bodily postures or asanas in a VR body which we could hardly ever perform in our biological body. VR can theoretically simulate everything external to perfection – but it will always lack the heart of existence – the internal experience, the path leading to ananda. VR may be able to inspire us, but it cannot induce samadhi, complete internal absorption in blissful transcendence. This full absorption or blissful samadhi is what yoga is all about and realizing this is true yogic intelligence. From a genuine yogic intelligence point of view, all asanas and pranayamas are mere distraction if they don’t lead to samadhi. And remember, distraction is the enemy of yoga, which is all about focus on samadhi. Thus, it is better to lose all bodily limbs and enter samadhi than to be prevented from samadhi by our limbs. In fact, a paraplegic can perform yoga just as well as anyone else. It would be unfair of God if it would be otherwise. So, take a deep breath and picture a meditating paraplegic on the cover of a yoga magazine. Now that’s a game changer!

genuine

yogic intelligence point

of view, all asanas and

pranayamas are mere distraction if

they

don’t lead to samadhi.

”

Why the heck then do we bother with all these asanas? Asana is actually a much more esoteric principle than just bodily postures, as I will be sharing in future articles and in my Heart Asana e-learning course. Paraplegics are welcome, of course. Now, let us, as promised, lay the scientiﬁc foundation of yogic intelligence. First of all, what is intelligence?

INSIGHTS |

According to material standards, it is one’s capacity for learning, understanding complex phenomena, selfawareness, acting with purpose, effectiveness and remembrance, to name a few. The IQ or intelligence quotient was coined in 1912, followed by the EQ or emotional quotient in 1964. But what about a spiritual quotient? So far, spiritual intelligence has often been equated with emotional intelligence, but as long as these are material emotions, this is a very confusing distortion of facts. Gladly, as we shall see, the yogic intelligence allows us to scientifically distinguish between material and spiritual intelligence, as well as the related emotions. Since I am writing this article for an audience with an Astanga-yoga background, my set-off framework will be Patanjali’s Yoga-sutras, because it is the most widely accepted reference book of Astanga-yoga. Besides that, there is, of course, more ancient and authoritative yoga literature, as has been pointed out in YOGALIFE’s February edition. The entire work of Yoga-sutras is sandwiched between two verses saying that the result of yoga or samadhi is that the yogi becomes situated in his or her svarupa, true transcendental self, literary “own form” (1.3: svarupe ‘vasthanam, 4.34: svarupa-pratistha). This svarupa-siddhi is considered the liberated or perfected state of yoga. Interestingly, Patanjali does not positively define svarupa. However, he negatively defines what our svarupa is not. We are not the gross biological body including its brain functions. We are also not the subtle material mind or manas, the thinking aspect of citta, (citta is the combined functioning of all material mental faculties). We are also not material intelligence or buddhi (the discriminatory aspect of citta). Our false identification with the biological body and mental faculties is caused by asmita or false ego, (also called ahankara, the identifying aspect of citta). Patanjali defines asmita as the false identification of the seer, (the atma or self), with the instruments of seeing and their powers (2.6). In other words, he identifies the “Gross Vision,” that we are the gross body and mind as a gross delusion. While the yogis will happily enter the laboratory of their heart and realize the truth of our gross delusion after due experimentation in samadhi, convincing science-oriented people will require a material framework of proof. The Sublime Union offers a platform that proves with scientific evidence that we are sublime beings beyond the biological body (www.sublimeunion.org/sublime-vision). Presenting this “Sublime Vision,” here would go beyond the limits of this article, but interested readers are free to explore it themselves. The exposition of the massive global bewilderment of the Gross Vision is the first milestone of yogic intelligence.

Since we are not the mortal body but the eternal atma or spirit particle, we can never be satisfied by trying to satisfy the greed of the bodily senses. Since we live eternally, there is no race to enjoy and consume as much as possible, “as long as we are still alive.” And, since we now have access to the internal happiness of the spirit soul, we can no more fall prey to external enticements. This yogic intelligence cures the root cause of our destructive consumption addiction. The Sublime Vision is also common in other traditions and doctrines, but yogic intelligence goes beyond it. It further identifies the subtle citta and its components and explains how we have to also transcend these. The teaching that we are not our mind and intelligence is particularly revolutionary. Since we are not the body, our biological gender is also illusory, and so is attachment to other people based on gender. This doesn’t mean that we should neglect our gender-related roles in society – societal behaviour and transcendence are very scientifically distinguished as well as dovetailed in the Vedic society that gave birth to yoga. To overcome gender-related attachment, the yogic practice of brahmacarya or celibacy is the logical consequence. Brahmacarya relates to inner detachment to gender attractions for both renunciates and married people, while the latter can engage in relationships for the sake of family life. Yogic intelligence further means to withdraw from all other things that nourish the senses, and this is called pratyahara – the fifth limb of Astanga-yoga. Rather than indulgement, yogic intelligence teaches tapas or austerity. Now let’s add ahimsa or abstinence of violence of any type, including violent video games and slaughter. If the world would only follow this element of yogic intelligence, ecocide could be reverted at once, because the meat industry is the greatest single Earth polluter, both in gross environmental and subtle karmic ways. Austerity makes sure we live a simple life that naturally has a minimal footprint on our beloved Earth. Voluntarily remaining bachelor naturally prevents populations from exploding, which is counted among the top five threats to life on Earth. Sauca or the yogic practice of purity includes internal purity as well as external purity of body, housing and environment. Santosa or contentment with what we have is another solution to cure our consumption addiction. I have only mentioned a few elements of yogic intelligence, but it is already evident that they supersede material intelligence by far, and that even one of them can turn the tide of ecocide and consumerism. Because the green transition is the burning need of the hour, we must diligently strive to implement not only the asana or posture practices of yogic intelligence but especially the

INSIGHTS

others. Yogic intelligence fosters a complete healthy and sustainable culture. It is not arbitrary but very disciplined and particularly dedicated to overcoming material illusion and realizing our svarupa or transcendental self. A comprehensive YIQ or yogic intelligence quotient would have to assess excellence in all aspects of Astangayoga as well as other yoga. Besides re-integrating all elements of Astanga-yoga, we should also re-integrate Astanga-yoga itself into the larger body of yoga traditions. Patanjali indicated this in his first verse where he says that the presented yoga is anusasanam, a teaching that follows (anu) earlier systems. While the term asana appears only twice (with no specific asana described), the term Isvara or God appears five times in his text. In three different passages, Patanjali recommends surrender to Isvara to perfect yoga by divine grace. It looks like God deserves a bit more attention in yoga. The fact that Patanjali very sparsely defined Isvara doesn’t indicate that he had no clear understanding of God, but that he preferred not to alienate people of other beliefs and that interested people should take help from other schools that explore the nature of God, particularly the Bhaktiyoga traditions, which are indicated by his recommendation of devotional surrender. Besides the Yoga-sutras, the most referred yoga authority is the Bhagavad-gita spoken by Lord Krishna. In the Gita, we find that the characteristics of Isvara mentioned by Patanjali match with Krishna, e. g. that Isvara is beyond the reaction of karma and worshiped by the chanting of Om. The Bhagavad-gita identifies Krishna as the original preceptor of yoga (4.2) and addresses Him as the supreme Isvara (11.3). It also systematically categorizes different types of yoga like Karma-yoga, Jnana-yoga, Astanga-yoga and Bhakti-yoga, which I shall expound in my upcoming Yoga Ladder course. The BhagavadGita and other devotional literature like the Bhagavata Purana further elaborate on the nature of God and one’s svarupa in loving relation to Him, and how to realize both. Thus, yogic intelligence is not bereft of God-realization, and this is essential for many who seek it. After all, we have five billion theists on this planet. Dr. Stephen Hawking just passed on earlier this year. Many considered him to be the most intelligent human of our time. According to yogic intelligence, however, he would have had a terribly low IQ. Material intelligence is only valuable if it is dovetailed to spiritual intelligence, because only the latter gives us entry into the essence of our being and purpose. Because Hawking didn’t believe in the soul and in God, he didn’t know the ABC of life. His final verdict for humanity was that we have 100 years left to colonize another planet or perish due to problems like climate change. But all that’s achieved with such interplanetary colonialism is to spread our disease to other planets instead of curing it. To prevent the imminent ecocide, the most efficient root cure solution of yogic intelligence is our best and maybe our last chance. Let us now conclude with an empathic perspective. What would you advocate if you were Mother Earth – mere material intelligence or yogic intelligence? If we cannot embrace yogic intelligence for God or for self-realization, let us at least do it for Mother Earth and all Her future children. They deserve a sublime world.

Radhamadhav Das is a sadhaka and teacher of Astangayoga and Bhakti-yoga. His friends also call him Madhav. He is an initiated disciple of the great Bhakti-yoga teacher Srila Bhakti Ballabh Tirtha Goswami Maharaj, whom he served as his personal assistant. Born and brought up in Switzerland, he studied environmental science at the ETH Zurich and taught at the Ecole d’Humanite. He holds a Bachelor in science, a Master in Bhakti-sastras and a PhD in Vedic philosophy. He also serves as environmentalist, writer and composer. Madhav has been practicing and teaching yoga in India for seventeen years. He is the founder of Rasyoga, a traditional yoga school and alliance of Astanga-yoga and Bhakti-yoga teachers based in the mystic land of Vrindavan. You can find out about his courses and e-courses on www.rasyoga.com.

LIFE GUIDE

LIFE GUIDE |

Consciously How to Live More

By Joshua Lee

Living consciously is about taking full control of your life, rethinking the decisions you’ve made pertaining to your life and about reclaiming the right to having the life that you desire for yourself rather than settling for one that gives you no sense of purpose. It is about laying to rest the fact that you are the decider of the, ‘what, why, how and when,’ that happens in your life. You ought to be in full control of everything – giving you perspectives of choices that you’d have to consciously make in order to incorporate into your life.

36 |

LIFE GUIDE

Are You Living Your Life More Consciously? Here is a list of questions that you can ask yourself on whether you are living your life more consciously or not. If your answers are mainly in the ‘negative,’ then, you’d have to consider incorporating positive measures for more conscious living.

It sounds simple, but it’s astounding how few people actually do this. It is amazing how easy it is to live life on autopilot and do what we always do because that’s what we’re used to doing. Some Key Tips to Live More Consciously 1.

Keep a Journal

YES NO 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20.

Are you living life on your terms? Are you living for others in your life? Do you dress up for yourself? Do you care what others think of you? Is your job the job of your dreams? Do you love your life now? Do you voice out your frustrations, if you disagree to something? Do you spend enough time with yourself? Are you busy? What are you busy about? Is it about you? Do you ﬁnd yourself comparing yourself to others? Do you feel a sense of achievement for everything you do? Are you doing what you love doing? If in a relationship, are you happy with your partner? Do you think you have the freedom to speak your mind in your relationship? Are you happy with your body? Do you eat food that makes you happy? Do you exercise because you have to? Do you enjoy your own company? Are you enough with what you have? Do you wake up every morning with a sense of purpose?

How to Live Consciously Although living consciously is not something that happens overnight, it can happen with frequent practice and skill. All you need is to keep at it until it becomes second-nature. And like with everything else in making lifestyle changes, practicing conscious living is also, a practice-based exercise. Decide to be more selective in your choices, of what makes you happy and what you’d like to have in your life, as opposed to, merely putting up with it.

Journals are windows to your soul. Keeping a journal can be a way of giving your feelings an outlet unlike any, a place where your deepest thoughts can reside without fear of judgment, blame, or need of justiﬁcation. Journals allow you to be just who you are and are a place where you can travel through life's emotions with gentleness, compassion, and deeper understanding. If you haven't tried journal writing yet, or you have but let it slip or didn't really get into it, there is no time like the present to start one and to let your consciousness ﬂow through your writing, connecting you with your deeper thoughts and ideas. Make a conscious review of your daily life. By journaling your thoughts on a regular basis, you become more aware of the little essences that you might have ignored in your routine living. 2.

Set Goals

Goal setting is a powerful method for thinking about your ideal future, and for motivating you to turn your vision of this future into reality. It helps you choose where you want to go in life. By knowing precisely what you want to achieve, you know where you have to concentrate your efforts. You'll also quickly spot the distractions that can, so easily, lead you astray. Set SMART (Specific, Measureable, Attainable, Relevant and Time-bound), goals that motivate you and write them down to make them feel tangible. Then plan the steps you must take to realize your goal, and cross off each one as you work through them. 3.

Analyse Your Relationships

Analysing your relationship is a healthy thing to do but over-analysing is a dangerous thing. Do things in moderation. Are you in the relationship because you love your partner or are you trapped to the relationship. Find

LIFE GUIDE |

“ Living mindfully

from moment to moment is to ﬁnd and bring back the lost wonder back into our lives; it is to rekindle our love and passion for living, and for establishing the very purpose as to why we are here.

what gives meaning to you. Take note of the details of your togetherness – what does it do for you? Contemplate on your happiness and therein, lies your answer! This analysis applies to every relationship you have with everyone. With analysing, you are able to see things in perspective and be able to become more tolerant, forgiving or even, more prudent with yourself and the people you care about. 4. Reﬂect on Yourself

Reflecting on yourself gives you avenues to consider how you play the roles of your life. See if you are impacting the people or the planet your live on or even whether you are making a difference in your own life. Reflecting helps you to develop your skills and review their effectiveness, rather than just carry on doing things as you have always done them. It is about questioning, in a positive way, what you do and why you do it and then deciding whether there is a better, or more efficient, way of doing it in the future. 5.

Evaluate What Brings Meaning to You

Review how you spend your time. Until we do a time audit, and keep a log of our day, even if it’s just for one or two days, we don’t really know how we spend our time. And if we do audit our time, it can be very surprising. And if we know how we’re spending our time now, we can make conscious decisions to change how we spend our time in the future. 6. Discover Yourself Take some time to think about what kind of person you are. What do you hold dear to you or what are your values? Whether you live your life according to those values. How you treat people. How you treat yourself. How do you want to be remembered by the people in your life? What value did you bring to other peoples’ lives? Connect with yourself and determine what you need and compare that to what you desire. To live consciously is to live completely in and for the present moment, perceiving our experiences directly through our senses without any labelling or ﬁltering. This may sound impossible to you, but if you look back far enough into your childhood, you may recall having experienced such pure consciousness before. That was the time when every moment is fresh, exciting and full of surprises. Every sight, sound, touch, or taste seems so new and intriguing. Living mindfully from moment to moment is to ﬁnd and bring back the lost wonder back into our lives; it is to rekindle our love and passion for living, and for establishing the very purpose as to why we are here.

”

Grain Base quinoa buckwheat brown rice

freekeh barley spelt

mango sesame seeds houmous

tahini avocado radish

chickpeas hemp seeds walnuts

cashews tofu quorn

Something Extra Pick Your Protein Fresh Greens

mint watercress basil

coriander baby spinach spring onion

Give It An Edge

red chilli paprika lime juice

black pepper cayenne pepper grated ginger

cucumber edamame broccoli

red pepper split peas carrots

Add Your Veggies

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Build Your Own

BUDDHA BOWL

72 Hour Juice Cleanse DAY 2

Colon Cleanser

• • • • • • • • •

DAY 1

Green Juice

10 small cuts of beets 1 bunch of celery 1 handful of cilantro 1 cucumber 1 tsp ginger root 2 lemons 10 romaine lettuce leaves 1 handful of spinach 15 carrots

• • • • • • • •

4 apples, cored 2 -3 cucumbers handful of parsley 2 handfuls of spinach 4 stalks of kale 1 bunch of celery 1 lemon 1 tsp ginger root

Instructions

DAY 3

Liver & Kidney Flush

• • • • • • • •

6 apples, cored 10 small cuts of beets 1 bunch of celery 1 handful of spinach 1 cucumber 1 lemon 2 tomatoes 15 carrots

1. Make one recipe each day, beginning with the Green Juice. Each recipe makes about 64 ounces. Store your juice in a sealed pitcher. 2. Refrigerate and consume 1 cup of juice ever hour, for a total of 8 hours. Every meal for these 3 days will consist of juice only, except for dinner. 3. Every 30 minutes, drink once cup of water or more, avoiding alcohol or caffeine. 4. Your last meal of the day will be a full meal and should consist only of grilled or baked lean protein and green vegetables. Avoid starches and processed foods. 5. Finish each evening with a glass or warm chamomile tea with freshly squeezed lemon.

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LIFE GUIDE

The Divine Law

Karma freepik.com

By Sherwin Ng (Founder & Principal Healer of House of Kite, Malaysia)

LIFE GUIDE |

Why are we here? And what is this ‘place’? We incarnate into this world, this ‘Earth School,’ in order to discover, learn, and eventually master our ‘karmic patterns.’ There are no other reasons why – every experience is tied to our Karma. Karma is the divine law, the force, that pushes us to meet our limitations and override them, so that we are able to become limitless beings. Every land has its karma – just as every person has theirs. Where you are born, and when you are born, is by no means a random occurrence. Karma Serves Life One of the biggest misconceptions about Karma is that it is about ‘punishment.’ For example, if something nasty happens to you, you hear people say it’s because of your ‘bad karma.’ If you get what you want, then it is believed to be because of your ‘good karma.’ There is no such thing as good or bad karma. Firstly, the concept of Punishment, and the experience of ‘being punished,’ is part of the individual karmic experience. In other words, Punishment did not arise out of Divine Law. The Universe, or God, did not ‘create’ Punishment. Is it not natural order. Think about it, how can the Source of All Wondrous Creation, which is motivated by its love to create continuously, innately seek to ravage its own masterpieces? Conversely, something that is motivated by fault-ﬁnding desires to incriminate cannot create and give birth to beautiful things.

LIFE GUIDE

If you truly believe that the Divine is out to get you – you will never be able to learn Trust and experience Peace. If you believe that the source of Love itself is innately twisted and cannot be trusted, then you can never experience the bliss of Unconditional Acceptance. Because perspective shapes reality – how we see the world, is how we will experience it. If the Divine did not create Punishment and all its related experiences – then what did? Simple. We did. Human beings. Because the seed cause of incarnation, the seed of Karma, is Unworthiness – also known as the ‘Doubt of Love.’ “Am I good enough?” “Do I deserve to be loved?” “Has God abandoned me?” “What if…?” What if. That single drop of doubt fractured the uniﬁed light we once were, and duality occurred, and incarnation followed. This very place we have come to know as ‘the world,’ is born from our very own doubt. All fears in the human experience arose from Doubt. The need to defend ourselves, the need to dominate others, the need to control nature, the need for proof of every single thing, the shunning of that which cannot be seen, the desire to eradicate our feelings for fear of being vulnerable… every desire motivated by fear stems from this deep ‘Divine Doubt.’ This is the ‘original wound.’ If we had our way, entertaining and manifesting all our fearful unworthiness, the world would have been destroyed a thousand times over, and we would never learn to become wiser, stronger, kinder, more compassionate, more enlightened, and more liberated. Everything would be a pointless, hellish existence. That is where Karma plays its crucial role.

Imagine a radiant sun giving warmth and joy to everything around it. Living openly is like that. Common sense would tell you: One cannot Love unconditionally from a state of fear. One cannot heal from a state of fear. One cannot bring beautiful experiences into this world from a state of fear. An action seeded by fear can only create an outcome of fear. And so, the Divine Force called Karma keeps everything in a loop, hoping that you one day see and realize what does not work for you – and what does. And when you realize that a certain life pattern is not working for you – do you still choose to repeat it? It’s Not Personal – Or is It? Karma functions by way of creating fixed patterns. Cause and Effect. Seed and Sapling. What is planted must grow. If you dislike a certain outcome, the Tree, then plant a new seed. Being angry at the Tree which you have planted lifetimes ago – is futile. However, until you have learned WHY you chose to plant a certain seed in the past, what motivated you to do so – it is difficult to consciously choose to plant new seeds. Because what we have not understood, we simply repeat. Karmic patterning is like a gravitational force. It pulls you back in, by way of habits and compulsions. All our deep compulsions are karmically-motivated. For example, sometimes we know better, but we still do something counterproductive anyway. Compulsions can manifest as unconscious habits, societal norms, old traditions and customs, and family behaviours. Hence, every country and family have its own karmic patterns. Most karmic patterns are so deep that we are not even aware of our compulsions, until someone else points it out.

Karma is the Divine Force that continuously pushes you to face your fears, the ways you have sabotaged and limited yourself, the ways you have rejected Love and abundance in your life… the ways where you have rejected Life itself and chose instead to live accommodating your fears – living ‘limitedly.’ To ‘accommodate,’ your fear means making limited choices because on a fear. For example, sometimes people choose to marry any random person for fear of being alone. Or choosing to stay in an abusive job for fear of having no other way of making a living.

And, thanks to the Divine Law of Karma, we draw into our lives all the necessary people who are able to illustrate and show us all our own patterns and habits and compulsions that we simply cannot see on our own. So, here is the truth: The people we meet in our lives, the family we are born into, are never here to ‘punish,’ us. They are all here to show us, in what ways fear has taken over my ‘self.’ In what ways have I betrayed myself? In what ways have I belittled myself? In what ways have I sabotaged myself? In what ways am I functioning out of fear? And the moment you become AWARE that this is happening – your entire reality will shift! Every individual you meet then becomes a mirror for:

When we live in our fears, we are contracted away from Life. Imagine a ‘black hole’ sucking-up and destroying everything around it. Living in fear is like that. Eventually, with enough practice, you become a black hole to others too. When we live in trust, we are communing with Life.

In what way am I beautiful? In what ways can I create more? In what ways can I become more abundant? In what ways can I learn to love more? In what ways can I love myself? In what ways can I heal my wounds? Everything and anything becomes possible!

LIFE GUIDE |

cannot

Love unconditionally from a state of fear. One cannot heal from a state of fear. One cannot bring beautiful experiences into this world from a state of fear. An action seeded by fear can only create an outcome of fear. And so, the Divine Force called Karma keeps everything in a loop.

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LIFE GUIDE

In other words, what we meet is what we NEED in order to grow. Karma is never personal. Its only ‘desire,’ is to help you grow. Because there is a bigger plan involved. The Law of Life The Law of Life governs all things manifest and unmanifested in our world. The outcome of Duality, Yin and Yang, is Life. Everything and all matter is innately motivated by evolution and expansion – to become more, to become stronger, wiser, more beautiful, more efficient, and more harmonious – and ultimately, to become limitless. That is what the ancient scriptures describe as ‘returning to God,’ or ‘becoming one with the Universe.’ Restoring ourselves to a limitless state. Nothing in its limited state lasts very long. Physical form is a very limited state. The Law of Life is the force that pushes us to rediscover our limitless, infinite state. Fear, the energy of contraction, keeps us in a limited state. We cannot ‘expand,’ nor express when in fear. We cannot become more that what we already are. So, every time you choose to accommodate a fear, understand that you are choosing to stay as less. Karma steps in as an agent to mirror your limited state to you, so that you may one day see what you have chosen and created for yourself. So that one day, when you are sick and tired of being less, you might choose to defy your fears, those self-imposed limitations, and become a little bit more. The desire to be more reflects the desire to expand out of limitedness. To break free. To grow as much as you can and then even more. That is the Law of Life. Even when all that you have sought to acquire has now become a limiting factor to you, Life will eventually push you to break free from those too. Nature is a reflection of the Law of Life. Everything in Nature is in its right place; everything in Nature is efficient and beautiful. Nature is resilient as well as it is abundant. It is constantly shaping and reshaping itself. Nature is perpetual because it keeps growing and expressing itself. It minds its own business and focuses on fully expressing its energy towards its desire to become limitless – full fruition, full expression. Humans, on the other hand, are too busy minding other people’s business. Stop Punishing Yourself…. with Fear As a species, we are obsessed with ‘punishment.’ Punishing others as well as punishing ourselves. Every day, we look out into the world, (usually via social media), and decide in our mind secretly who needs to be punished, and who doesn’t need to be. We forget that everyone has their own back story that we cannot see with our mortal five senses – yet we are deciding on their behalf what they ‘deserve’ or ‘not deserve.’ We feel frustration when we see someone getting something we ‘think they don’t deserve.’ Never mind the greater intelligence that shaped the entire universe, from a grain of sand to the sun and moon – clearly we think we know better.

Why is this so? What is this obsession a reflection of? Because deep down inside, we too, are punishing ourselves. Because of fear, we sacrifice our truth. Because of fear, we sacrifice our joy. Because of fear, we have sacrificed our potential. Bowing to the fear of the unknown, we cling to old patterns that are familiar but no longer serve our current growth. It is said, that the greatest fear of a human in not death, but the regret of knowing he or she could have been more. Deep down, we also innately know what we are sacrificing… And because we are too afraid to be accountable for those fears, we take them and project them out into others in the world, using the ancient art of Blame. All that creative energy fused into flaming arrows aimed towards someone else ‘out there’ – it is ‘them’ that caused me to be this way. Them. Who made me suffer. Them. Who said I was less-loved. One final time, the Divine Law called Karma steps in, kindly reminding us that ‘They,’ are merely exemplifying what ‘I’ cannot see. The first secret of transformation, spiritual alchemy, is the rescinding of Blame. Let it cease. Enough. Because the Art of Blame depletes our creative power. This is the same creative power we require to shape and re-shape our reality. There can be only enough for one act – to Blame, hence deplete – or to Shape. The Age of Light, the times that we have stepped into since the year 2000, is a time for Choosing. What will you choose for yourself? With the acceleration of the Earth’s vibrations, translation from thought to matter also accelerates. We are given this opportunity to manifest faster – or destroy faster. Will you run and hide? Shy away from being totally responsible for the life you are creating? Or take a deep breath and have a clear look at what you have created so far, and what you want next? Is it still someone else’s fault? Such is the Conundrum of Free Will: we are given total power to decide what type of world we desire to create, every single moment. After all, aren’t we humans fashioned in the complete likeness of the Creator? Ah, that is a story for another time. First, may you reclaim your power to create. Beautiful things are waiting to happen when you are empowered; when you create from a space of trust and peace, you lend healing to the world. That, too, is a promise from Karma, the Divine Law.

SHERWIN NG is the author of ‘Life on Earth Mastery: Protocols to Transcend Fate & Manifest Your Purpose’. He is also the visionary behind Team House of Kite, an independent school of spiritual sciences, self-discovery, and world empowerment. In 2015, the Horus Mystery School was also founded to serve the resurgence of deeper esoteric learning for true Egyptian Alchemy.

RECIPES & REMEDIES

Trigger Point Self-Massage

RECIPES & REMEDIES |

Release Therapy By James Wong (Yoga Anatomist and Founder of JW Wellness Lifestyle)

Living with chronic pain or the pain from past or current injury can affect the quality of our lives. Scar tissues or old muscle memories are not a simple problem to solve and treating with pain relievers alone will not solve the problem. In this issue, James our Yoga Anatomist will be sharing methods or ways to delete old muscle memory and release pain for good. Muscle Memory and Trigger Point Therapy Over the years, I have been researching on studies in muscle memories. It is definitely not easy to cut old habits when there is an old muscle memory- it could be due to a past injury trauma, poor habitual posture which encourages rounded shoulders and tight chest. Research has shown that pain can be a result from old injuries and when we understand the "mind," of a muscle; the better we can find relief and healing from our old injuries and/or past traumas which is embedded in our subconscious level. Your subconscious mind, body and muscles, remember certain actions or old injuries. For instance, if you had a shoulder injury in the past; even after the muscle tendons heal, the spindle cells in the rotator cuff tendons will automatically contract anytime your shoulder approaches the position it was in, when the initial injury occurred. This is “muscle memory.” It is also commonly referred to as pain avoidance or sometimes called muscle guarding. Compensatory postures develop to alleviate the pain and/or discomfort from the initial injury or injuries. Over time, these initial compensations changes the body's biomechanics and hence become “fixed,” in postural imbalances, causing more muscle imbalance in the body and trigger point knots. Coming from personal experience, my injuries from dance in the past has built up years of muscles trauma. Despite my years of Yoga and Pilates practices, muscles injuries guarded over the decades prohibited me from performing certain exercises. I have spent years researching on ways to relieve muscle traumas and took a certification course in Australia on Trigger Point and got myself certified as a Remedial Therapist. In 2016, I also got certified as a Manual Therapist while studying under Dr. Toby Hall & Kim Robinson and under Dr. Ravi Yadav. Now, with the help of proper trigger point techniques and stretching and strengthening; I am able to enjoy a pain free lifestyle and am able to perform many yoga poses which I couldn't if I had not released old muscles trauma.

RECIPES & REMEDIES

Today I am not only a Yoga Anatomy teacher trainer but I also conduct Postural Analysis & Trigger Point courses on compensatory postures caused by past injuries, handling children with bad postures which causes scoliosis, misaligned postures in certain yoga positions which causes repetitive muscles memories causing trigger points on certain parts of the body. I am currently incorporating trigger point work with Dr. Ravi’s Art of Adjustments & Mobilization techniques in Malaysia and conducting Scoliosis Management course along with. What is Trigger Point and Healing Trauma? Trigger points are described as tight muscles knots either caused by an old muscle trauma or a habitual posture which causes repetitive motion on certain muscles. Muscle knots developed overtime can either cause pain or certain tightness and when pain keeps occurring, we tend to avoid it and go into compensatory change in certain movements causing more knots to develop in the body. When a muscle is traumatized from an injury either from the physical or emotional level, the brain sends a warning signal or chemical reaction that causes the muscle in that area or the Trigger Points to become the 'hotspot,' or the active contraction. Through neuromuscular therapy such as Trigger Points, it helps find and "erase," the Trigger Points at the origin. Treatment with Trigger Point therapy allows the body to peel away the layers of compensating dysfunction like peeling an onion. Erasing Trigger Points can be done in a variety of ways, but basically, applying pressure directly at the site of the Trigger Point for a short period of time, usually for several seconds, allows the muscle to relax and release tension. This breaks up the muscle fibers within the adhesion and releases the toxins that have built up. Once the muscle fibers are broken up, they begin to repair and eventually they return to their natural state, ultimately releasing the muscle memory associated with the injury and healing the pain. After receiving, treatment, it is normal to feel sore for 2-3 days as you are going through a healing trauma period.

The traditional treatment method or even today’s treatment is based on the symptom, focusing on the localized pain. The western teaching however, discusses healing the root which causes movement restrictions. For instance, if a client complains about pain on the lateral section of the knee; the root cause could be from tight Tensor fascia latae resulting to tight IT band causing a pull towards the knee. It is important to treat the root problem to prevent the pain from recurring. But at times it is not always the case of tight muscles that causes knee pain; but could also be arthritis as well. And arthritis could or is normally caused by wrong biomechanics movements due to postural imbalances (mentioned earlier as old muscles memories and compensatory change). How Long Do You Need Treatment? The older the injury, the longer it takes to heal. The body heals at its own pace. Neuromuscular or Trigger Point Therapy will help to accelerate the process, but it is not a miracle cure. What is self-myofascial release and how does it work? Self-myofascial release (SMFR) is a great way to improve ﬂexibility and the mobility of tight muscles and restricted joints. It works on two principles: (1) it breaks up fascial adhesions and (2) it manipulates certain neuromuscular receptors to let the muscle release any tightness. Home treatments – Self-Myofascial Release with Tennis Ball to Release Muscle Tension. General Tips for Use – Massage Balls/Tennis balls

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• Find a spot that is sore or tight, (take note of the muscle experiences and inflammation; DO NOT press on the point as it may worsen the effect. Place cold pad or ice to reduce the inflammation. A point of reference or called Referred pain also helps us monitor whether the Trigger Point is pressed at the right spot. • Discomfort or pain is experienced when the Massage Ball locates a bump or tender knot in the muscle – this is known as a trigger point. Hold for 20 seconds applying same pressure. Breathe to relax for the healing process to run smoothly.

•

Muscles containing trigger points are often weak, stiﬀ and sore. They are frequently tight, easily tire and are often hurt. This is normal. Muscles containing chronic trigger points need more treatments. Chronic areas may require attention several times daily.

• Foam rollers are a little big to travel with and take to places other than the gym or home. The same type of myofascial exercise can be conveniently done with tennis balls, lacrosse balls, golf balls, and even baseballs (the harder the ball the better the result, but for those who are more sensitive to pain; softer balls are better to start with). Let's go over the areas that you can use the tennis ball (or whichever ball you choose) and discuss some Trigger points which can be helpful to relieve pain. For each area, you will need to lie on the spot for 15-20 seconds at the “sore areas,” of the muscle group. Every trigger point would be represented by certain referred pain. Referred pain is a reﬂective pain towards the trigger point to indicate whether you are pressing on the correct trigger point. Try to do this two to three times to get the full beneﬁt of the therapy:

“Erasing

Trigger Points can be done in a variety of ways, but basically, applying pressure directly at the site of the Trigger Point for a short period of time, usually for several seconds, allows the muscle to relax and release tension.

”

major and minor, oblique inferior and superior) Referred pain: on the sides and top of the head Lower Body Myofascial release of the lower body, (lower back down to the feet), will help relieve and prevent conditions such as: IT Band syndrome, lateral knee pain, patella - femoral syndrome, plantar fasciitis, sciatica, low back pain, hip pain, piriformis syndrome, shin splints, and achilles tendonitis.

Upper Body and Migraine Related Trigger Point Self-Massage for Lower Back Myofascia release of the upper body (from the wrists to the back of the head) will result in pain relief for conditions such as: carpal tunnel syndrome, outside elbow pain, inside elbow pain, TMJ dysfunction, neck pain, shoulder tension, headaches, shoulder impingement syndrome, posture correction, and thoracic outlet syndrome. Self-massage for Headaches Place the massage balls right underneath the back of the skull - deeply relaxing and satisfying sensations, and therapeutic relevance to one of the most common of all human pains, the common tension headache or severe migraine. And without these muscles, your head could not hold up. So due to long hours of computer desk jobs; these muscles tend to tense up and need release. Helps in: Relieving headache, neck pain and migraine Muscle(s): suboccipital muscles (recti capitis posterior

A common spot lives in the “thoracolumbar corner,” a distance between your lowest rib and your spine — right where the stability of the rib cage and thoracic vertebrae gives way to the relative instability of the lumbar spine. It consists of trigger points in the upper-central corner of the quadratus (square), lumborum muscle and in the thick column of muscle that braces the spine, the erector spinae. Helps in: Relieving Lower back pain Muscle(s): quadratus lumborum, erector spinae Referred pain: lower back muscle - localized As mentioned earlier, muscle memory can also work against us. When you have developed Trigger Points from trauma or stress to a muscle, it will also create muscle memory. One common example related to yoga – it is very common for students to use their lower back to

RECIPES & REMEDIES

perform a Backbend pose. Due to the extension structure of the lumbar region and with repetitive motion frequently using the lower back muscles to extend in Backbend poses; muscles could develop a trigger point tightness; which is the quadratus lumborum. If you could recall from James’ ﬁrst issue of YOGALIFE magazine, he mentioned about using the thoracic segment of the spine to initiate the Backbend instead of compressing the lumbar region. For obvious reasons, muscle memory of the lower back tense and tighten up and with repetitive motion on the same spot creates a muscle memory which can cause lower back ache. I helped release a student’s tight lower back muscles and got him to perform the cobra pose again after the Myofascial release; you can visually see he has no more lower back compression. I also recently talked about the lateral deviation of a scoliosis patient spine and which would usually have a tighter side which tends to compress more and what more if he or she attempts to do a cobra pose with one section already compressed- could in fact worsen the spine’s condition.

“

For obvious reasons, muscle memory of the lower back tense and tighten up and with repetitive motion on the same spot creates a muscle memory which can cause lower back ache.

”

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Self-Massage for Tennis Elbow and Wrist Pain Just beyond your elbow, all the muscles on the back of your forearm converge into a single thick tendon, the common extensor tendon. At the point where the muscles converge, in the muscles that extend the wrist and ﬁngers, lies one of the most inevitable myofascia trigger points in modern civilization. It is constantly and greatly aggravated both by computer usage today and by the use of a pen in simpler times and by the occasional tennis match. Helps in: Relieving Pain in the elbow, arm, wrist, and hand Related to: carpal tunnel syndrome, tennis elbow (lateral epicondylitis), golfer’s elbow (medial epicondylitis), Muscle(s): extensor muscles of the forearm, mobile wad (brachioradial, extensor carpi radialis longus and brevis), extensor digitorum, extensor carpi ulnaris. Referred pain: sore on the spot & around the wrist Self-massage for hip pain, buttock pain and sciatica When you have back pain, buttock pain, hip pain or leg pain, much or even all of your trouble may well be caused by trigger points in the obscure gluteus medius and minimus muscles, a pair of pizza-slice shaped muscles a little forward of your hip pocket. Other muscles in the region are usually involved as well, such as the tensor fascia latae, gluteus maximus, piriformis, and the lumbar paraspinal muscles. However, the gluteus medius and minimus are a bit special acting as the hips stabilizer: their contribution to pain in this area is particularly signiﬁcant. Tensor Fascia Latae tends to tighten as well, if glutes are weak or overly contracted and causes tension on the IT band which can lead to knee tension. Helps in: Relieving pain in the low back, hip, buttocks (especially immediately under the buttocks), side of the thigh. Related to: sciatica, trochanteric bursitis, low back pain Muscle(s): gluteus medius and minimus, TFL & piriformis Referred pain: around the hips, down to the lateral side of the leg

Contact your physician or email James at jamespilates@gmail.com if you have any other questions before beginning these self-treatments. James runs Postural Analysis & trigger point courses in Malaysia and abroad. For more information kindly check out his courses on his website https:/ www.jwwellnesslifestylecenter.com/. For more information; join James Trigger Point courses and his Trigger Point Ebooks is going to be launched end of this year for online purchase. Kindly contact him at jamespilates@gmail.com

How to Practice Walking Meditation In the practice of mindful walking, you place your entire awareness in the process of walking. Walking meditation is a more practical approach to mindfulness meditation for people who are not used to meditation while sitting STEP 1

Find an unobstructed space where you can walk for about ten feet. This is the instruction given in Satipatthana Sutta itself. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s also recommended to walk bare feet as it brings more awareness to what happens in the body when youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re walking.

Bring your awareness down to your feet. Notice the sensations here. Shift your weight from your left leg to your right leg.

STEP 1

Shift your weight from your left leg to your right leg. Lift your head and look straight ahead and hold your chest high. You can hold your hands loosely to the side or clasp them behind your back.

Now begin the process of walking. Extend the right leg forward and notice the weight redistribution.

STEP 1

As the weight shifts forward, notice how the heel of your left leg begins to lift. Swing the left leg forward and repeat. At the end of the walking path, come to a complete stop and take a deep mindful breath. Now turnaround and walk to the other side following the same practice. To start with, practice mindful walking for 5 mins and gradually increase the duration. SATIPATTHANA SUTTA, a widely studied discourse in Theraveda Buddhism, lays the foundation of mindfulness meditation practice. In Kaya Sutta, walking is one of the postures to be mindful of along with sitting, standing and lying down.

Your Brain On Binaural Beats States, frequencies and effects :-

• • • • •

• Dreamless NREM sleep • Pain relief • Access the subcouncious

• Loss of bolidy awareness

• • • • •

THETA 4 - 7 Hz Inner peace REM sleep Deep meditation Addiction Help Healing

• • • • •

freepik.com

DELTA < 4hZ

Concentration Arousal Alertness Motivation Problem Solving

BETA 13 - 39 Hz

GAMMA > 40 Hz

ALPHA 7 - 13 Hz

Creativity Flow state Focus Learning Serotonin boost

HOW BINAURAL BEATS WORK : 410 Hertz ->

USES OF BINAURAL BEATS:

Pain management Self improvement Insomnia Relaxation Memory recall Study Quit smoking Health Stress relief Creativity Energy Lucid Dreaming Chakra Alignment

Concentration Motivation Hypnosis Weight loss Meditation Addiction Anti-anxiety Sleep Health Alcoholism Visualization Spiritual Awareness

• • • • •

Self Control “Eureka!” Peak Awareness Intelligence Feelings of ‘oneness’

<- 425 Hertz

Brain entrains 15 Hertz AFTER LISTENING:

98% Increase in rnelatonin (sleep better) 43% Increase in DHEA (sex drive, fertility) - 46% Decrease in cortisol ( High cortisol can cause stress related problems)

IQ increase of 23% IQ’s < 100 increased by 33 points * Results may vary depending on which frequency you listen to and your personal body chemistry. Always listen to your body.

FEATURE

FEATURE |

the enlightened path one step at a time By Sujata Nandy

The awakening process is akin to the grieving process, where we go through numerous phases of our emotions on the way to acceptance and enlightenment. For many, it may seem to be an easy process where they experience a voracious thirst for wisdom and understanding and then, becoming aligned with their higher purpose; while for some others, it is a never-ending journey of ups and downs, till they see the light at the end of the tunnel. Every single process on planet Earth, requires a certain degree of involuntary involvement such as the highs and the lows of a spiral, whether upwards or downwards. It is essentially the purging and the acceptance of a situation or a circumstance that leaves us frustrated, confused and in some occasion, defenceless. We become vulnerable in this process â&#x20AC;&#x201C; open to the myriad of questions that deďŹ es logic in every sense of the word. This is essentially a spiritual ascending of sorts â&#x20AC;&#x201C; an awakening that gives rise to understanding the shift that is happening inside of us, that most commonly takes us to a maddening high. There are essentially a few stages of the awakening process and they are:

FEATURE

1. The Awakening You may find yourself experiencing a synchronistic moment that unlocks something that was hidden within you: a remembering happens that gives you a broader understanding of your path, purpose and potential in this life. This moment may be experienced through a psychedelic experience, your yoga practice, a meditation, a connection to a new teacher, a book, a documentary… there is no one specific type of moment that the awakening process occurs through, but when it happens, you know and your appetite to know more becomes insatiable. 2. The Alarm Clock After you have found yourself awake, you begin to view life before your awakening as though it was just a dream. When you step outside of the “Matrix,” and see with this new vision, you may feel an urgency to be the “alarm clock,” by trying to wake up those who are still asleep. It becomes impossible to understand how you ever lived with a different point of view and relating to others still stuck in that mindset becomes very frustrating. You may find that those who are sleeping are not ready to be woken up and would prefer to hit the “snooze button.” 3. The Purge As you are devouring a whole new set of programming, knowledge, and understanding – you may find yourself wanting to “purge,” all of the information you have earnt and are learning. Be mindful and retain the information you absorb and allow it to be your spiritual nourishment. The key during this step is to understand that you cannot create anyone else’s reality aside from your own. To truly be the alarm clock, there is no need to “sound off,” and purge to ears that are not open to receive. The best way to facilitate an awakening for others is to lead by example. There is nothing you need to do, you must only be, because the being is the doing, and soon enough others will become by proxy. 4. Acceptance The quote by Manly P. Hall stating, “Experiences are the chemicals with which the philosopher experiments,” is the key to acceptance. No matter how much you learn, devour, remember, and appreciate – the only way to integrate all of what you are experiencing in your evolution of consciousness is to experience it in your three-dimensional reality. With this new way of thought, you will find that your reality becomes fresh and new; you will start attracting new friends and experiences which will ultimately lead to your acceptance of your role in the karmic wheel of life that will always spin, with or without you sounding the alarm to the sleeping masses. 5. Understanding/Enlightenment In spirituality, as well as science, nothing ever is completely true or false – only plausible until proven otherwise. Living

in a dualistic reality of everything needing to either be right or wrong, good or bad, black or white, is living from a place of misunderstanding. Understanding is knowing that there is no good or bad, no black or white, no right or wrong, no permanence besides impermanence, and the only thing that really exists is the “is.” The “is,” is all that ever was, all that ever will be, and all that ever can be… and the is, is impossible to name. To be the “is,” is to know that within every school of thought there is a teacher, and that your purpose on this planet is to forever remain a student, because your potential; as the universe is infinite. This is not to fear or be frustrated about, this is the exciting part of life, that it is forever a journey, and the destination is never final. To be enlightened is to be able to be at peace with the “is,” and to find the beauty in every moment, person, experience, and lesson, because no matter how dark life may get, if your light is always shining, you will always find your way. Just be appreciative of the adversity, and grateful for the beauty, and you will be just fine. How to Become More Enlightened There is no conceivable barrier to prevent any individual entity from expanding into enlightenment. If we really want to go, nothing can stop us. To become enlightened, know that there are no special virtues to acquire. Simply remain conscious. The practice of prolonging our conscious state may not give us the power to control the material world. It will, however, give us the power to be absolutely free from the material world. Being enlightened is not a special state of mind; it is the mind's and heart's freedom from all clinging which gives rise to an awareness of all human experience without a notion of identity separate from the world around us. Though this may seem difficult, it is possible through practice and training of the mind. Let go and let it happen. Just as worldly achievements are difficult, but possible, enlightenment too, may seem difficult in the light of reason, but possible. Our human intelligence is of little use to us when we simply become cosmic consciousness. This happens little by little and there are as many ways to gauge your progress as there are entities on that path. Many people feel that they must suffer in order to gain liberation. This doesn't have to be the case. We all belong in the universe, the universe doesn't care if we suffer or not. We are our own key to absolute freedom. And there are as many paths to perfect enlightenment as there are beings in the universe. When we become conscious we expand, when we turn away from being conscious we contract. Beyond this, reality will always prove to us that we cannot move against its own self- governing laws. All of us are free to choose the kind of "Reality," we wish to know, none of us can break the rules. Every entity in creation has the same freedom of choice.

FEATURE |

There are some of us who have preached the dogmatic certainty of one particular path. But in the end enlightenment is there and how you achieve it isn't as important as getting there. Obviously, there are no step-by-step "How to," that points to the correct path for everyone. External events aren't as important as how you react to them. Consciousness is as real as we are. Whatever we've done in retracting from Cosmic consciousness, (the One source of All that Is, or whatever words you wish to use,) we are doing now. We all come from the same place, we are all going back to the same place.

How to Practice Consciousness 1 2

6 7

Seek the company of hardhats, wise people, and good dharma books. Create time in your life to be conscious. Too often, we get so tensed or stressed with our responsibilities that we forget to take pleasure in the moment. Sit quietly and let your thoughts and judgments arise and dissipate by themselves. Remain in the here and now. Become calm and clear. Make special note of the various odours you smell, the noises you hear, and the objects you see. Approach everyday situation in your life in the same way. Doing this often, brings you closer to pure consciousness. Practice meditation, which you can do anywhere, at any time by simply steadying the mind on an object of concentration in the present moment. Read what others have written about enlightenment and spirituality in general. Always be mindful of the moment and take pleasure in all activities that you do during every moment of your life – such as eating, sleeping, even using the bathroom. The steps listed here are basic possible helpful practices. A real "step" towards enlightenment would be to make something that is now an unconscious part of your conscious. i.e. "integration." Forgive and Love Unconditionally. The more you are able to forgive others and yourself, the more you are able to free yourself from emotional entanglement, which eventually frees you from the burdens of attachments.

Enlightenment is not a state of mind that you can force yourself into. We live by the eternal law of cause and eﬀect, which is, if you do something bad you will get a bad result, if you do something good you will get a good result. What matters is the consciousness you experience regardless of what takes place.

“Being enlightened is not a special state of mind; it is the mind's and heart's freedom from all clinging which gives rise to an awareness of all human experience without a notion of identity separate from the world around us.

”

Root Chakra

Healing

Root Chakra imbalance symptoms can easily be cured by performing the following chakra meditations.

Crystal Healing

The stones which can be used to heal are Garnet,Mahogany, Obsidian, Red Tiger’s Eye, Hematite, Tourmaline, Red Carnelian and Red Jasper.

Essential Oil

For root chakra, the following essential oil are best Ylang-Ylang, Myrrh, Patchouli, Vetiver, Rosewood, Thyme, Frankincense, Ginger.

Chakra Mudra

To activate this root chakra Gyan Mudra is widely used. To perform Gyan Mudra you need to let the tip of your thumb and index finger need to touch each other.

Yoga for Chakra Healing

For Root Chakra, yoga asanas which provide great results are Uttanasana, Tadasana, Virbhadrasana, Balasana.

Chakra Healing Reflexology

Reflexology on the arm: A fingers width below the base of the wrist of your hand. Reflexology on the sole: Areas of the internal and outer edge of the feet start with the right side.

Chakra Sound Therapy

Sound “LAM” is the bij mantra which connects with the first chakra of our body. The frequency of this “LAM” single word is 256 Hz which is perfectly matched to heal this chakra.

Chakra Healing Meditation

If we consider about the healing of the root chakra, you can perform meditation by imaging a bright red color light at the base of your spine and the imagine this red light extending down to your legs and feet.

Natural Healing Methods

Perform outdoor activities such as gardening, mountain hiking and other activites which connect us with nature. It is a great natural way to improve the root chakra.

Sacral Chakra

Healing

Sacral Chakra imbalance symptoms can easily be cured by performing the following chakra healing methods.

Crystal Healing

The crystals which can use to heal are Citrine, Moonstone, Amber, Tangerine Quartz, Sunstone, Carnelian and Orange Calcite.

Essential Oil

For the Sacral Chakra, the following essential oils are the best. Tangerine, Neroli, Jasmin, Rosewood, Clary Sage, Grape, Bergamot and Geranium.

Chakra Mudra

To activate this root chakra use the following hand position. Hands on your lap, palms up, on top of each other. Left hand underneath, its palm touching the back of the fingers of the right hand.

Yoga for Chakra Healing

For the Sacral Chakra, several yoga asanas which provide great results such as Trikonasana, Bhujangasana, Baddha Konasana and Natarajasana.

Chakra Healing Reflexology

Reflexology On The Arm: Below the base of the wrist Reflexology On The Sole: Areas on the internal edge of the sole of the foot and back on the internal edge of the foot.

Chakra Sound Therapy

Sound “VAM” is the bij mantra which connects with this first chakra of our body. The frequency of this “VAM” single word is 288 Hz which is perfectly matched to heal this chakra.

Chakra Healing Meditation

You can perform meditation by imagining a bright orange colour light at the base of your spine and then imagine this orange light extending down to your legs and feet.

Natural Healing Methods

Heal sacral chakra naturally, we can spend time by the ocean, a lake or river by taking walks or by swimming in this water or sitting with it in view.

FEATURE

Life of the

FEATURE | 63

Buddha

By Sarah Gwen-Potter (Astanga Yoga Teacher, New Jersey, USA)

A Buddha is, “someone who has realized the enlightenment that ends the cycle of birth and death and which brings liberation from suffering." Buddha is a Sanskrit word that means the "awakened one." A Buddha is a person who is completely free from all faults and mental obstructions. There are many people who have become Buddhas in the past, and many people will become Buddhas in the future. There is nothing that Buddha does not know. Because he has awakened from the sleep of ignorance and has removed all obstructions from his mind, he knows everything of the past, present, and future, directly and simultaneously. Moreover, Buddha has great compassion which is completely impartial, embracing all living beings without discrimination. It is impossible to describe all the good qualities of a Buddha. A Buddha’s compassion, wisdom, and power are completely beyond conception. With nothing left to obscure his mind, he sees all phenomena throughout the universe as clearly as he sees a jewel held in the palm of his hand. Through the force of his or her compassion, a Buddha spontaneously does whatever is appropriate to benefit others. He has no need to think about what is the best way to help living beings – he naturally and effortlessly acts in the most beneficial way. Just as the sun does not need to motivate itself to radiate light and heat but does so simply because light and heat are its very nature, so a Buddha does not need to motivate himself to benefit others but does so simply because being beneficial is his very nature. Like the reflections of the moon that effortlessly appear in any body of still water, a Buddha’s emanations spontaneously appear wherever living beings’ minds are capable of perceiving them. Buddhas can emanate in any form whatsoever to help living beings. Sometimes they manifest as Buddhists and sometimes as non-Buddhists. They can manifest as women or men, monarchs or tramps, law-abiding citizens or criminals. They can even manifest as animals, as wind or rain, or as mountains or islands. Unless we are a Buddha ourselves, we cannot possibly say who or what is an emanation of a Buddha. Of all the ways in which a Buddha helps living beings, the supreme way is by emanation as a Spiritual Guide. Through his or her teachings and immaculate example, an authentic Spiritual Guide leads his or her disciples along the spiritual path to liberation and enlightenment. If we meet a qualified Mahayana Spiritual Guide and put into practice everything he or she teaches, we shall definitely attain full enlightenment and become a Conqueror Buddha. We shall then be in a position to repay the kindness of all living beings by liberating them from the sufferings of samsara and leading them to the supreme bliss of Buddhahood.

FEATURE

12 Essential Rules to Live Like the Buddha 1 Do one thing at a time. Single-task, don’t multi-task. When you’re pouring water, just pour water. When you’re eating, just eat. When you’re bathing, just bathe. Don’t try to knock oﬀ a few tasks while eating or bathing.

2 Do it slowly and deliberately. You can do one task at a time, but also don’t rush that task. Instead, take your time, and move slowly. Make your actions deliberate, not rushed and random. It takes practice, but it helps you focus on the task. 3 Do it completely. Put your mind completely on the task. Don’t move on to the next task until you’re finished. If, for some reason, you have no choice but to move on to something else, try to at least put away the unfinished task and clean up after yourself. If you prepare a sandwich, don’t start eating it until you’ve put away the stuff you used to prepare it, wiped down the counter, and washed the dishes used for preparation. Then you’re done with that task and can focus more completely on the next task. 4 Do less. A Buddha doesn’t lead a lazy life: he wakes early and has a day filled with work. However, he doesn’t have an unending task list either — there are certain things he’s going to do today, and no more. If you do less, you can do those things more slowly, more completely and with more concentration. If you fill your day with tasks, you will be rushing from one thing to the next without stopping to think about what you do. 5 Put space between things. Don’t schedule things close together — instead, leave room between things on your schedule. That gives you a more relaxed schedule, and leaves space in case one task takes longer than you planned. 6 Develop rituals. Rituals give something a sense of importance — if it’s important enough to have a ritual, it’s important enough to be given your entire attention, and to be done slowly and correctly. Create your own, for the preparation of food, for eating, for cleaning, for what you do before you start your work, for what you do when you wake up and before you go to bed, for what you do just before exercise. Anything you want, really. 7 Designate time for certain things. Create a routine for certain times in the day designated for certain activities. A time for bathing, a time for work, a time for cleaning, a time for eating. This ensures that those things get done regularly. You can designate time for your own activities, whether that be work or cleaning or exercise or quiet contemplation. If it’s important enough to do regularly, consider designating a time for it.

8 Devote time to sitting. Sitting meditation is one of the most important parts of a Buddha’s day. Each day, there is time designated just for sitting. This meditation is really practice for learning to be present. You can devote time for sitting meditation or you could use any activity in the same way, as long as you do it regularly and practice being present.

9 Smile and serve others. It will teach you humility, and ensures that your life is not just selﬁsh, but devoted to others. If you’re a parent, it’s likely you already spend at least some time in service to others in your household, and non-parents may already do this too. Similarly, smiling and being kind to others can be a great way to improve the lives of those around you. Also consider volunteering for charity work. 10 Make cleaning and cooking become meditation. Aside from sitting meditation mentioned above, cooking and cleaning are two of the most exalted parts of living like a Buddha. They are both great ways to practice mindfulness and can be great rituals performed each day. If cooking and cleaning seem like boring chores to you, try doing them as a form of meditation. Put your entire mind into those tasks, concentrate, and do them slowly and completely. It could change your entire day (as well as leave you with a cleaner house).

11 Think about what is necessary. The Buddha doesn’t have a closet full of shoes, or the latest in trendy clothes. He doesn’t have a refrigerator and cabinets full of junk food. He doesn’t have the latest gadgets, cars, televisions, or iPod. He has basic clothing, basic shelter, basic utensils, basic tools, and the most basic food. Use this wisdom as a reminder that there is much in our lives that aren’t necessary, and it can be useful to give some thought about what we really need, and whether it is important to have all the stuff we have that’s not necessary. 12 Live simply. The corollary of Rule 11 is that if something isn’t necessary, you can probably live without it. And so, to live simply is to rid your life of as many of the unnecessary and unessential things as you can, to make room for the essential. Now, what is essential will be different to each person. There is no law saying what should be essential for you — but you should consider what is most important to your life and make room for that by eliminating the other less essential things in your life. You don’t have to be a Buddha to find great inspiration in the way the awakened one lives his life. The simplicity, concentration and mindfulness with every activity has promise to completely transform your life and make you much more productive.

FEATURE | 65

“You don’t

have to be a Buddha to ﬁnd great inspiration in the way the awakened one lives his life. The simplicity, concentration and mindfulness with every activity has promise to completely transform your life and make you much more productive.

”

ON THE MAT

Grey Hair

freepik.com

How We Grow It and What We Can Do About it

ON THE MAT | 67

By Natasha Eger (Life Coach, founder of HairPrint Asia)

Grey hair is something that women, (and many men), dread. We don’t think much about grey hair until we ﬁnd that ﬁrst one. From that moment on, we obsess about them. Many of us start by plucking them. Legend has it that for every hair we pluck two more will grow. And if you are like me, you pluck out two black ones before you get hold of the grey one you were aiming for. Eventually we begin to see them where they don’t even exist and assume that everyone around us sees them sticking out from our head like horns. Some people make peace with their silver lining and continue with life as always. I have great respect for these people and admire their beauty. Many turn to their trusted stylist or drug store shelf to look for ways to cover those greys. I have understanding for these people and get it that we are not all ready to embrace our silver lining yet. So, what causes grey hair?

Genetics – this is one you can’t avoid. Take a look at your parents, and other older blood relations to get a glimpse of your future.

Stress – this one plays a role in so many of the bodies functions. You hear of people claiming to have gone grey overnight. While this might not be entirely true, a stressful period in your life can cause you to grow more grey hairs.

Lifestyle – Lack of sleep, eating

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processed food, smoking and too much alcohol all cause oxidative stress, which accelerates the ageing process which is one of the causes of premature grey hair.

ON THE MAT

Age – we can’t escape getting older, but as we age the store of melanocytes depletes so the new hair grows out grey. What can we do about grey hair if we aren’t ready to embrace it or the harsh chemicals that are part of most of the options out there. Henna – this is one of the most widely used natural solutions for grey hair. It comes from the Lawsonia inermis tree and has a lovely orange colour to it. Henna usually comes in a powdered form. Some have other herbs added that benefit the health of our hair and can help change the orange tone of the henna. Indigo can be added for a darker colour and other herbs give different shades of orange and brown. Be sure to check the full ingredient list of your henna as some compound hennas contain heavy metals. The henna is applied to the hair as a paste and usually needs to be left on for 4-6 hours before being washed off. Henna will stain the skin, so be careful when applying. One of the downsides to henna is you can’t avoid the orange tinge as the colour fades.

Tea - This is one of the

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oldest methods used by women around the world. Black tea for brown or black hair. Rooibos tea for red hair and chamomile tea for blonds. The tea stains the hair so with repeated applications the grey looks more blended in. Brew two or three tea bags in a cup of water and allow it to cool. Once cool, apply it to your hair and let it sit for about an hour. Rinse in cool running water. Do not shampoo. You will need to repeat this once or twice a week to improve and maintain results.

Coﬀee – Works a lot like tea and is great for darker hair or if you wish to go darker in colour. Brew a cup of strong coﬀee or expresso and let it cool. Once cool apply it to your hair and let it sit for an hour or two. Rinse in cool running water. Do not shampoo. You will need to repeat this a couple of times to see results.

Potato Peels - Yes, you read that correctly. The starch in the peels act as a natural pigment that helps cover the greys. The next time you are peeling potatoes, keep the peels and boil them in a pot for 25 minutes. If the smell is too strong for you add a couple of drops of an essential oil. Allow to cool and then apply to your hair as a rinse after washing and conditioning. Rinse gently with cool water. You might need to add potatoes to your diet on a regular basis as this like other natural remedies needs to be repeated regularly to see results.

ON THE MAT | 69

Beet, Carrot Juice and Lemon Juice – These three juices can be used in combination or alone to add some highlights to your existing hair. Beets are best for darker red highlights, carrots for softer orange highlights and lemon for golden blonde. Mix one cup of juice with hair conditioner or apply on its own. Be aware that both beet and carrot juice with stain the skin so be sure to apply an oil to your hairline to prevent staining. With all of these options above, the less you wash your hair, the longer they will last. Try to rinse your hair in cold water as this helps to maintain the shine in your hair and is less likely to wash out the ‘colour’ you have added. Do keep in mind that natural remedies usually take longer to work, a little bit of patience will go a long way. Finally, while we can’t inﬂuence factors like age and our genetics, we can inﬂuence our lifestyle, diet and stress. As for so many other things in our life, it is important to take care of ourselves. Eat well, exercise, get adequate sleep and stay healthy. A healthy body and scalp is the right medium to grown healthy hair.

freepik.com

“It is important

to take

care of ourselves. Eat well, exercise, get adequate sleep and stay healthy. A healthy body and scalp is the right medium to grow healthy hair.

”

6 Ways to Heal REIKI

With Energy Medicine

WHAT IT IS : A Japanese technique for promoting relaxation and healing by working with your life force energy. WHAT IT CAN TREAT : Minor ailments to major health concerns - from colds to arthritis - by releasing stress through “laying on hands” as well as distance healing.

SOUND HEALING

WHAT IT IS : A practice used for thousand of years which uses a variety of sounds,rhythms and frequencies for healing made through vocal tonning, drumming, tuning forks, gongs, hindu mantras, the didgeridoo, singing bowls and other instruments WHAT IT CAN TREAT : Best for anxiety, chronic pain, sleep disorders and PTSD.

SHAMANIC HEALING

WHAT IT IS : An indigenous tradition incoporating sacred practices of shamanic journeying, active dreaming, drumming, soul retrieval and ceremony for restoring balance and wholeness. Shamanic practitioners access healing energies and wisdom through spirit animals and allies for individual and community healing. WHAT IT CAN TREAT : Effective for depression, anxiety, imbalances due to chronic illness, insomnia, trauma, addiction.

QIGONG

WHAT IT IS : An ancient form of Chinese Medicine using physical postures, breathing techniques and focused intention to heal energetic imbalances, prevent disease and increase vitality. WHAT IT CAN TREAT : Chronic illnesses such as Parkinson’s Disease, the effects of chemotherapy in cancer treatment, stress, low energy, trauma, depression and anxiety.

HEALING TOUCH

WHAT IT IS : Gentle, hands-on techniques increase the flow of energy through the body’s different energy fields - for relaxation, healing and trust-building. WHAT IT CAN TREAT : Very good for stress, trauma, difficult emotions and effects of sexual abuse.

MERIDIAN HEALING

WHAT IT IS : A set of energy pathways in your body in which Qi (life force energy) flows. Used in acupuncture, acupressure and other wings of Chinese medicine there are 12 such meridians associated with specific organs. WHAT IT CAN TREAT : Minor ailments like lack of focus, irregular mood, lack of sleep, sore throat, muscle tension and stomach ache. Major illness can also be addressed, including migraines, thyroid disease, heart disease, stomach ulcers & nervous system conditions.

It’s All In Your Mind

Learn Why Your Mind Is A Quantum Computer, Defining Your Unique Reality SM EL LS

LS A U VIS

YOUR UNCONSCIOUS MIND IS THE MASTER Unconscious mindware drives - 95% of beliefs and behaviors. Unconscious mindware processes all the information you receive. It selects what you consciously recognize, react to and process.

SOU NDS

FEELINGS

TE TAS

YOUR MIND IS A COMPUTER Your brain is the hardware. Your mindware is the software. You have unconscious and conscious mindware.

To Yo ur We lco me

OUR MINDS BRING QUANTUM MECHANICS TO LIFE

At any point in time, we are presented with a limitless number of optional futures in our timeline. The data we select represents what we choose to see as reality

126 BITS/SECOND Goes to your Conscious Mind for Action freepik.com

yo ur

ind us m cio ns co Un

um nt a u Q

0,000 bits/second 11,00 ent d n ers Mi

WHAT IS REALITY ? Our unconscious take in 11,000,000 bits/second to share with our conscious mind. HOW WE FILTER OUR INFORMATION DELETION : We delete data that doesn’t match our focus or expectations. EXAMPLE : Losing track of a conversation when someone we know enters the room. MINDWARE PROGRAMS WE USE MetaPrograms : Infrastructure that drives behaviour Values : Filters that drive how we think. Beliefs : Based on experience and learning Decisions : Early decisions (I’m unworthy) become foundation for future decisions. Memories : Apply past emotions to current data. Language : Our unique way of defining our data and experience Attitude : Emotions attached to specific content. Time & Space, Matter & Energy : We store/process everything based on time or space, matter or energy

CHANGE YOUR MIND , CHANGE YOUR REALITY 3 WAYS TO LEVERAGE THE POWER OF YOUR QUANTUM MIND

FOCUS ON WHAT YOU WANT The mind does not process negatives. I can’t lose this deal” = “ Lose this deal” to your mind. SAY “ I WILL WIN THIS DEAL”.

SHUFFLE THE DECK Your unconscious mind sees what it expects to see, based on patterns. Change the way information is presented to see new trends & opportunities. ASK QUESTIONS Statements focus our unconscious on the subject. Questions activate our conscious to explore new insights.

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July - September 2018

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The Voice of South East Asia As the premier yoga magazine in Malaysia and in South East Asia, we are committed to bringing the yoga community together, to balance and to harmonize our need of a united brotherhood.

Issue 22

YOGALIFE is our proclamation that we are a community wanting the best for life - in preserving our planet for ourselves and our children; in upholding the values that are sacred to man and in highlighting the goodness of this existence. It is our mission to create awareness where darkness has taken domain and to provide holistic alternatives in the name of that preservation. It is also about taking life, one step at a time, in being mindful, adding the basic instances of life, into our very complex and stress-ďŹ lled modern way of living. Priced at RM16(WM) and RM18(EM), we provide the platform of creating the yoga matrix to the world.

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Sutra 1.7

Patanjali Yoga

pratyaksha anumana agamah pramanani

Pratyaksha - direct knowledge. Something that is obvious. Anumana - inference. Something that is not so obvious but can be guessed. Agamah - an authority who knows or ancient texts. Pramana - valid knowledge. Correct perception/knowledge/understanding (pramānāni) can be gained through: (1) direct experience through the senses (pratyaksa); (2) inference or deduction (anumāna); and (3) reliable sources (āgamāh). Today we are familiar with the most important source of receiving any kind of knowledge which is, Google. Google has become our latest scripture library or authority. Pantanjali enlists Agama as a way of knowledge which refers to: a) ancient texts or scriptures and b) Rishi, a knower or a person who would be well versed with them. The other two approaches of knowing are Pratyaksha, by coming in direct contact with the object of understanding e.g. having a cup of tea or coffee oneself and experiencing it first-hand. Anumana means inference which is, looking at someone having something in a cup and inferring it to be tea or coffee. Inference has played an important part in the history of understand things when direct experience and any valid proof are not available. The order here is interpreted in the reverse for this is how our learning approach has become in the current times. We consult first with our Guru Google before even trying to understand it by ourselves. Yoga is the journey of pramana – seeing things clearly without our clouded lenses. Traditionally, a Yoga teacher is a reliable source who can help you see things clearly by studying important ancient texts such as the Yoga Sutra-s of Patanjali, the Bhagavad Gita, the Upanishads or other renowned texts. As we become more aware of our behaviours, words and thought patterns (samskaras), we begin to see from a new angle. This new angle may bring us some pramana – the ability to see something in a clearer way. Fundamentally, Yoga talks about lack of pramana in our perception of ourselves. In summary, we think we are bodies that think and move. Patanjali, however, says that we are that and more. Samadhi – the ultimate and purest experience – requires pure pramana – an understanding through direct experience that there is something deeper than our bodies, thoughts and emotions. The Yoga Sutra-s of Patanjali is a text dedicated to directing us towards pramana!

By Seema Govind (Founder of Yoga Essence Malaysia)

EDITOR’S PICK

You Don’t Need to be a Fashionista or a Contortionist to do

Yoga

By Namo Dasso

In order to serve the principles of yoga practice and our general well-being, it is high time we too play our part in being more responsible about what we wear. Join the Cause today ‘Save Yoga From Plastic’ http://saveyogafromplastic.org/ THE KEY TO YOGA IS RIGHT POSTURE AND BREATHING TECHNIQUES, NOT ITS FASHIONABLE CLOTHING. Practice for youself, make that investment today.

EDITOR’S PICK | 75

Let Go. Be Comfortable. Breathe. Well, that is what most inspirational yoga photos tell us to do on Instagram. This can be hard wondering on how your body looks in an $250 attire. Yoga which arrived centuries ago and remained a niche practice till about the 1990’s now has turned into a billion dollar industry. Much of that money is spent on yoga clothes. Tight leggings or pants, crop tops in neon colours and fitted tank tops - is the uniform worn by most yogi’s out there, hence we tend to assume we need them to hit the mat. However that is the modern vision, far from the tradition yoga is rooted in. Back in time, in India, yoga pants did not look like leggings. Practitioners are encouraged to practice yoga wearing pants and tees, whereas traditional schools of yoga would encourage their students to practice in dhotis. The materials were consciously chosen to be of a natural element such as cotton. As the practice was centred around breath, it is important for the material not to be tight fitting and compressed as this would leave the practitioner to experience constraints. The negative side effect of body-fit clothing is that it prevents your skin pore’s from breathing. After all, the essence of yoga is about detaching your body from its senses. Why do we need to subject our bodies to clothings that might restrict our asana practice. Ultimately, yoga apparel should compliment movement and make you feel comfortable. However, in this fashion centred era, yoga is packaged as an picture perfect world of sunsets and super-toned athletes. it creates pressure on those who are interested to embark on yoga journey, as it can be really intimadating to see a complete class filled with skinny girls wearing expensive brands. A 2014 Sports & Fitness Industry Association report found that, participation in yoga grew by 4.5% in 2013, according to the Wall Street Journal, while yoga apparel sales grew 45%. Branded apparel does not guarantee you a blissful yoga practice. There are many reasons why people resort to practicing yoga, as it is not about standing upside down, nor something you do when you retire, IT IS DEFINITELY NOT ABOUT TWISTING YOUR BODY and it is not only to make you look good. Yoga is an Investment that guarantees you health, unlike any other practice. The least you could do to your pore is to allow it to breathe. Well, much said and done, the conventional Yoga Pants (Leggings) are undeniably very comfortable compared to cotton pants, as it does not get in the way of practice. However, will you change your mind, if you knew that you were wearing plastic of PET fabrics for yoga. Research has shown that Petrochemical fibres suffocate the skin and prevents the natural release of toxins from your body: this could cause skin rashes, acne, nausea, fatigue, burning, itching, headaches, etc. Besides, skin-tight clothes make you sweat more: you become a breeding environment for viral, fungal, and bacterial infections, such as folliculitis or psoriasis. As you know, breathability is the very basis of any yogic practice. Please say a big 'No' to recycled plastic garments for yoga: both the cost and eco-footprint of recycling plastic fibres is immense. These are some of the fibres that you need to ban from your yoga wear wardrobe:

ON THE MAT

India the travel of a modern Yogi

By James Wong (Founder of JW Wellness, Malaysia)

ON THE MAT | 79

India, the birthplace of yoga, can lead you to discover new aspects of yourself. I learned patience and compassion during my journey in India. To travel to India, the land of yogaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s origins, is to enter a country that is in constant transformation, yet somehow timeless. It is a land with temples or shrines around every corner, where the sacred is revered in every river and mountain, where the search for enlightenment is in the air. For many yoga students in the West and in Asia, a trip to India goes beyond sightseeing. It can be a sacred journey and a deepening of one's yoga practice, as well as one of pure adventure. If you're looking for true devotion or meditative inspiration, India is the source of it all. Indeed, in India, you can intimately experience the culture that gave birth to yoga, tapping into both its ancient roots and its living tradition.

ON THE MAT

Although, I put off travelling to India for many years due to my doubts about the cleanliness issues, I finally made a decision to set foot to India. I had heard many claims about the life-changing powers of India and I wanted to experience it for myself. On the 10th of January of 2018, I arrived in New Delhi, to conduct a Scoliosis Management course for a group of medical practitioners. Delhi seemed like a cultural shock for me compared to the other countries I had visited. The traffic was disconcerting with cars hurdling so close to one another and the non-stop honking of cars to make way for other cars, cattle, tuk-tuk’s, and buses. I encountered street beggars and mothers carrying new born children begging for a penny on the streets just to make ends meet. It was disheartening to see such a vast difference between the poor and the rich when I visited another section of Delhi where the rich and brand-labelling were. It melted my malaise and taught me the true meaning of compassion. And not to forget to mention “patience,” with the long wait for food at restaurants. It seemed like everything was slowed down by half hour. It became apparent to me that perhaps India practices patience, even in their daily living which we, as yogis, should be cultivating in our daily yoga practice. I visited the diversity of India, seeking out the locations of the mystic escapades of the gods and goddesses, mortals and monkeys of India's epic stories. I gazed upon awe-inspiring cultural sites, including ancient Hindu and Punjabi’s temples.

Delhi is known for its heavy bustling, but it is a beautiful place with beautiful people. I experienced the mix of Indian cultures when I visited a local Punjabi temple experiencing the Punjabi tradition and I had the opportunity to attend a local’s wedding celebration with roaring loud drums and dancing. While it may be tempting to visit every corner of the country, exploring a handful of places deeply can be equally rewarding; I adjourned from Delhi to travel to South Goa and a quiet small village called Agonda, to further my yoga spiritual journey. During the one-month period of yoga practices and meditation; I was able to find peace of mind to be alone with my practices and to reorganize my thoughts in meditations; observing my thoughts at most times. The daily meditations and asana practice further cultivated two things in me - patience and compassion. Patience is the state of enduring difficult circumstances. It is perseverance or the ability to wait in the face of delay; dealing with provocation without responding in negative annoyance or anger and exhibiting forbearance when under strain. I realized that one of the major factors that keeps us from being patience is our attachments to emotions and the material world. Attachments to expectations of ourselves or of others’ causes frustrations when things don’t fall in our category of perfection. Hence, we lose patience when situations do not take place according to our expectations. During my yoga and meditation journey in India, I learned that circumstances flow in its most unexpected ways and when we attempt to control situations, the pattern of flow starts to be disrupted and ultimately, we become emotionally affected. Buddha constantly went through his challenges to discover his patience during his spiritual enlightenment journey – challenges which increased his understanding on his path to enlightenment. Reflecting on my role as a Yoga trainer; patience is something important for me to cultivate as I constantly run into students who may come with emotional baggage. As their teacher, I need to constantly practice patience and compassion to listen, observe their problems, and hope to bring them wisdom to reflect into their yoga practices. Yoga practices our patience; at times, we get frustrated at not being able to go into a pose when our physical and emotional body is not ready for the pose. Yoga constantly reminds us that it is about the journey and not the results. Lord Krishna advices Arjuna, the warrior in the Bhagavad Gita teaching, to focus on the path of learning rather than

ON THE MAT | 81

the results. Each breath I take in meditation or when practicing my yoga, I breathe with intentions of patience and compassion to understand our body better. As I came to the end of my journey in India, I noticed that my yoga practice had become even more at ease and full of new beginnings in each breath I took and I began to see more wonders and perspectives. It is a reminder to me that meditation plays such an important role in our daily practice. Wherever you go in India, plan on surrender – for all that it has to offer. Travelling to India can be daunting - the heat, the crowds, the unpredictable train schedules can be overwhelming. But the obstacles may also offer great lessons. India will teach you to surrender to the cycles of life. In India, one goal of yoga is firmly in place: relying on the rhythms of the universe. This is so strong here. It will erode your ego more powerfully than any stateside yoga practice can. Indeed, India is best approached with a grand openness. Let go of your expectations and be open to the world. Namaste

“During

yoga and meditation journey in India, I learned that circumstances flow in its most unexpected ways and when we attempt to control situations, the pattern of flow starts to be disrupted and ultimately, we become emotionally affected.

”

Breathe Better Now Benefits of Deep Breathing

1) 2) 3) 4) 5) 6)

70% OF TOXINS ARE RELEASED SIMPLY BY BREATHING PROPERLY. IF YOU ARENâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;T BREATHING PROPERLY, THE TOXINS DO NOT GET RELEASED

RELEASES TENSION. WHEN YOU ARE AFRAID, STRESSED OR NERVOUS, YOUR BREATHING PATTERN CHANGES. BREATHE SLOWLY, PURPOSEFULLY AND DEEPLY TO FEEL RELAXED INSTANTLY. RELIEVES EMOTIONAL DISTRESS. CLEAR OUT NEGATIVE OR CONFUSED FEELINGS WITH A DEEP BREATH.

EASES YOUR PAIN. IF YOU HOLD YOUR BREATH, YOU WILL FEEL THE PAIN, BY BREATHING IN DEEPLY, YOU CAN RELEASE PAIN. IMPROVES YOUR BLOOD. DEEP BREATH RELEASES CARBON DIOXIDE AND INCREASES OXYGEN SUPPLY IMPROVING BLOOD QUALITY

ELEVATES YOUR MOOD. BREATHING INCREASES PLEASURE-INDUCING CHEMICALS IN YOUR BODY

HOW: 1.

2. 3. 4. freepik.com

Inhale through your nose, expand your belly and fill your chest. COUNT TO 5.

HOLD AND COUNT TO 3. Feel all your body being filled with a healing energy

Exhale completely with a slightly open mouth. Experience the toxins and negativities leaving your body. COUNT TO 5 REPEAT UNTIL SATISFIED.

Deep Breathing

A Seven-Step Process you can use to develop the practice of deep breathing on a daily basis.

Step

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TIME

Determine a time of day to practice deep breathing, preferably after a daily habit you perform consistently. Morning is always a good time to practice, as it sets the tone for your day.

SETTING

Select a setting for your breathing practice in a quiet space where you won’t be distracted or interrupted. Turn off your phone, computer and any other device that might disturb you.

1O MINUTES

Set a timer for 10 minutes

POSITION

Sit on the floor with a pillow in a meditative position, like the lotus position, or on a chair with your spine straight and feet planted on the floor. Let your hands rest gently on your lap

INHALE…

Inhale slowly through your nose until your lungs are filled to capacity, allowing your stomach to push out on the inhalation.

PAUSE…

At the end of the inhalation pause for a count of two

EXHALE…

Exhale slowly, smoothly and completely, allowing your stomach to return to its natural position. Pause at the end of the exhalation as well. IF YOU ESTABLISH A 5-10 MINUTE BREATHING HABIT, YOU CAN EASITY USE THIS HABIT AS A TRIGGER AND STARTING POINT FOR YOUR MEDITATION PRACTICE

OMâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;CHEMY

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The Power of

OMâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;CHEMY |

Being in the Moment By Allison Moore (Iyengar Yoga Teacher, USA)

How can you bring calm and peace to the middle of a stressful, chaotic day? The answer is simple, though not always so easy to put into practice: learn to be present. No matter how out-ofcontrol your day is, no matter how stressful your job or life becomes, the act of being present can become an oasis. It can change your life, and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s incredibly simple.

OM’CHEMY

How Being Present Solves Problems When you look at all of the problems we endure daily, you will see that the problems are entirely in our mind. Sure, there are external forces at work: an uncontrollable job, the stress of kids and chores and interruptions and digital distractions. But it’s how our mind handles those external forces that is the problem. If you are completely present, the external forces are no longer a problem because there is only you and that external force, in this moment, and not a million other things you need to worry about. If your kid interrupts you, you can stress out because you have other things to worry about and now your kid is adding to your worries or interrupting your calm. Or you can be present, and there is then only you and the child. You can appreciate that child for who she is and be grateful you have this moment with her. If your job demands that you focus on an urgent task, you can stress out because you have a million other things to do and not enough time to do them. Or you can be present, and focus completely on that task, and now there is only that one task and you. When you’re done, you can move on to the next task. Social media and other digital distractions don’t interrupt us if we close them and learn to pour ourselves completely into the present task. And if we need to do email, Twitter, or read blogs, we can set aside everything else and just be present with that one digital task. Being present becomes, then, a way to handle any problem, any distraction, any stressor. It allows everything else to fade away, leaving only you and whatever you’re dealing with right now.

You will notice your thoughts, if you’re paying attention, jump to other things. That’s OK — you are not trying to force all other thoughts from your mind. But by becoming aware of that jumping around in your thoughts, you have found the tool for gently bringing yourself back to your present task. Just notice the jumping thoughts, and lovingly come back. Do this once, then do it again. Don’t worry about how many times you must do it. Just do it now. It can become tiring at first, if you’re not used to it. Don’t worry about that. Let yourself rest if you grow tired. Come back and practice again in a little while. It’s not meant to be exhausting — instead you should notice how your worries melt away and you enjoy your present task much more. Be joyful in whatever you’re doing, grateful that you’re able to do that task, and fully appreciate every little movement and tactile sensation of the task. You’ll learn that anything can be an amazing experience, anything can be a miracle. Practice throughout your day, every day. Little “mindfulness bells,” are useful to remind you to come back to the present. Thich Nhat Hanh, a global spiritual leader, poet and peace activist, once recommended that stoplights be your mindfulness bell as you drive. You can find mindfulness bells everywhere: your child’s voice, your co-workers appearing before you, a regular event on your computer, the noise of traffic. Meditation is a fantastic way to practice, only because it removes much of the complexity of the world and allows you to just learn to be aware of your mind, and to bring yourself back to the present moment. It’s not complicated: meditation can be done anywhere, anytime. A meditation teacher is useful if you can find one.

How to Practice Being Present The method for being present is fairly simple, but it’s the practice that matters most. Most people don’t learn to be present because they don’t practice, not because it’s so hard to do. When you practice something regularly, you become good at it. It becomes more a mode of being rather than a task or your to-do or someday list. Practice, practice, and being present will become natural.

Here’s how to do it: whatever you’re doing, right now, learn to focus completely on doing that one thing. Pay attention: to every aspect of what you’re doing, to your body, to the sensations, to your thoughts.

Practice, repeatedly, in small easy beautiful steps. Each step is a wonder in itself, and each practice helps you to ﬁnd that calm in the middle of the traﬃc of your life. 5 Rules to Be More Present

1. Do one thing at a time.

According to Psychology Today, human beings are incapable of multitasking. When I ﬁnd myself attempting this impossible goal, I like to say I’m screwing up multiple things at once. It’s true. Say you’re cooking dinner and doing laundry while you’re on the phone with your mom. She starts to tell you a really interesting story and has your full attention. You walk away from the stove to put the wash into the dryer, only to ﬁnd the dryer has dry clothes in it that need to be removed so you take them out and

OM’CHEMY |

“Meditation is a

fantastic way to practice, only because it removes much of the complexity of the world and allows you to just learn to be aware of your mind, and to bring yourself back to the present moment.

”

OM’CHEMY

mindlessly start folding. Before you know it, the smoke alarm is going oﬀ and a day later you realize you never got the wet clothes into the dryer and now they have to be re-washed. This saves no time! Do one thing REALLY well and you only have to do it once!

2. Make Eye Contact. It can be awkward. We are programmed to zone into our devices at every given chance than to lock eyes with those real life, human beings right in our face. It happens on elevators, trains and planes. We really are all here to connect, we share the same air and space and you never know what kind of relationship or opportunity lies in every encounter we make.

3. Put your phone down. There is a lot of media attention being given to the mobile device tragedy of our time. For many, our cell phones have almost become the replacement of a good friend. We research feelings we’re having, check stats on any topic or forum and simply plug in to the cyber world of social media out of habit and boredom. We have music and email, stock reports and bill paying…anything you can imagine at our finger tips. I recently heard a story that it takes longer to go out to eat these days not because people are slowing down to enjoy every bite and embrace the good company around them, but rather because everyone spends so much time on their phones it drags out the ordering process. Unbelievable! Turn off the tv, turn off the laptop, detach and make some connection.

4. Meditate. The quieter you become the more you can hear. ~ Ram Dass. They say in order to love others you must ﬁrst love yourself. The same can be said for connection. The better you are able to connect with your own emotions, feelings and sensations the better you will be able to relate to the world around you. Take some time, even if only a few short minutes a day and just. be. still. Slow down. Breathe. Notice. Take a yoga class. Chances are you won’t get away with any technology getting into the yoga studio. It’s like a one hour vacation! Meditation of some form is always a part of every yoga class. If you can’t get to class, sit in your room, your oﬃce, outside, in your car and meditate. Close your eyes, listen to the breath and be. This will help silence the chitter chatter in your head when someone is talking to you.

5. Practice Gratitude. This is a big one. A daily gratitude practice can have many beneﬁts. For being present purposes, it helps to keep us in the moment. It’s easy to be sad or bitter about past upsets. We tend to get anxious and impatient about what’s to come; the future, etc. If you can make a mental list of things going really well for you right now, you can learn to accept and enjoy the present moment. All possibility, lives in each moment. We only get so many. Be grateful when you wake up, be grateful for long lines, be grateful for the counter person helping your get your tasks accomplished and be grateful for every moment. Be grateful for where you are because it’s exactly where you’re supposed to be.

Practice some of these guidelines today. Whether it be with random people you come into contact with or your close family and friends. Everything takes practice. To be more present and show up to your life is no exception. If you can be more engaged in your life, life will be more engaged in you!

TREE OF LIFE |

Buddha

The Mindfulness of the

By George Anthony (Founder of Sajeeva Yoga, Thailand)

Guatama Siddharta undertook incredible trials in his search for Enlightenment to become the Buddha, a Being awakened to the truths of existence. In his realization, he found the simplest and most direct way for anybody to develop to his fullest potential and know true peace. By being your best and making the effort in awareness, you can free yourself from difficulty and suffering in your life and discover true purpose that can never be destroyed.

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As a young prince, Siddharta, was sheltered from the reality of the world under the order of his father who had heard a prophecy that he would grow up to be a great military conqueror or a great spiritual teacher. His father kept him away from spiritual teachings and from seeing any suffering in the world that might evoke his compassion or empathy. This impossible idea was doomed to failure and as Siddharta grew, his curiosity drove him to see beyond the life he was shown. What he found was that, life was full of suffering. He was so affected that it compelled him to give up everything and become a monk. For many years he endured challenging ascetic practices of renunciation, fasting, and breath control in the belief that it would lead him to liberation. After great efforts that nearly killed him, he still had not realized enlightenment. He decided to change his approach to what we now call the Middle Way. He began to take food regularly again and focused deeply on the reality as it was. Strengthened in his body and focused in the present moment he began to see that all experience is determined by the mind and that the mind often caused painful experiences and wrong understanding. If the

90 |

TREE OF LIFE

mind could see the truth and be controlled, then a person could know peace. In an uncontrolled state, the mind could make a good situation seem bad, and a bad situation seem good. The mind could jump into the past or future, missing the present moment where things really mattered and are really happening. The mind could ignore the truth of impermanence and become attached to things destined to fade. The mind could be consumed with fears and anxieties that would close it off to the world and even detriment its own body. Siddharta realized most thoughts were reactions to desires and aversions but there were also moments when the mind was tranquil in the present moment. Out of this great shift, Siddharta discovered peace while observing his thoughts without re-action or judgement. Under the boddhi tree he witnessed many of the deepest inner workings of his mind surface and confront him with visions that might break his peace, yet Siddharta maintained his focus in what was real, the ability to perceive, and did not feed the passing illusions. He realized he was not these thoughts or even how he felt about them. Those were all the dreams of a temporary character played by the ego. By witnessing this ego and its fantasies as a passing thought, instead of as himself, he awakened his mind to the truth and became the Buddha. Every one of us has this awakened mind. To say that Siddharta became the buddha is true in terms of how people referred to him but it doesn’t mean that he gained something. By his awakening, he only stopped investing his energy in wrong views. The basis of Buddhism is the right view. This right view is that, this awakened and peaceful you is within, and by doing the work through accepting the truths of life, you will uncover it. Simply put, the truths of life we need to accept is that there is suffering in life, that this suffering is caused by our desires attached to impermanent things, that this suffering can be lessened and ultimately escaped by living in the present moment, and that the path to doing this is through practicing mindfulness and living, performing, and speaking in ways that recognize and honour these truths. Compassion naturally arises out of this understanding and it is another important practice of Buddhism. No being wants to suffer. One of the best practices you can do on your journey of mindfulness is to reduce the suffering of others. This is mindfulness in action. It works us through these truths, develops awareness and intelligence, and leads to the realization that there is more to life than “me.” You could see it such that the suffering in the world is a means to evolve our actions to become more mindful, to live with more focus and intention, and ultimately becoming a genuine agent of creation rather than a system of reactions. This is the freedom we are seeking.

Mindfulness can be practiced in many ways but it is always grounded in the simple experience of what you can observe and work with in the present moment. Observing your body, you can feel different parts, temperature, moisture, aches or pains, and breath. Observing your emotions, you can feel you are in a certain energy state right now affected by how you feel about life today. Observing your mind, you are thinking and imagining the meanings of these words and witnessing the activity of yourself reading right now, and many other things subconsciously. Observing the world around you, you see there is a complex reality full of other beings who are observing these same four things. Some physical disciplines make it easier to connect with yourself and serve as great mindfulness arts. Yoga helps to experience the inner body, free dance helps to move and express our inner feelings, playing music and anything which puts you in a state of deep flow will work. Journaling can put you in touch with your inner mind and feelings as you revisit events. Meditation is a direct internal concentration. Society and our instincts challenge us to live mindfully. They compel us to actions that are based on the past or anticipating the future. Fortunately, however mindfulness can be practiced at any time no matter what you are doing. Think of all those what if’s, should have’s and shouldn’t have’s, why did it happen, why didn’t it happen, want’s and don’t want’s…and start to watch your mind. Recognize these as thoughts that aren’t based in anything that is supporting you right now. Bring your attention back to what does support you and what is much more real. What you are and what you choose to do with yourself right now. You can be reborn into a new and more content version of yourself by doing this whenever you need. Focus on what matters. Focus on the quality of the way you do things. Focus on the quality of the way you sit, breath, move, talk, feel, and act. Even focus on the quality of how you pay attention to these things. The practice serves yourself to be your best self. You can even focus on simple natural phenomenon in new ways. Sit quietly and listen to the sounds around you without thinking about it. Look without looking at anything particularly and notice the expanse of forms, colours, textures, space, light, and shadows. Do it until you are meditating, going in a trance of flowing your attention in the present. Even try to look at this page with eyes that don’t know these little marks are letters that make a language and just see meaningless images on paper. The mind is like a muscle and to keep bringing it back to attention in the present moment is how to exercise it. Your own presence, your own breath, your own mind, your own feeling are very meditative objects to practice mindfulness on. They will lead to a deep understanding of Self. The breath is among the best of these because it is easy to observe and sets the example of something moving from an unconscious process to a conscious experience. It is subtle too and will be challenging enough

TREE OF LIFE |

“ Mindfulness

practice gives you purpose and something to work on in yourself when there is nothing else, and people need purpose to be fulfilled in life. Without a positive direction for our efforts many of us will fall into cycles of selfdestructive pleasures to fill our lack of purpose.

to build your mindfulness muscle. Sometimes you’ll lose it. That’s ﬁne. Good, even. Many people think they are not meditating well when they lose focus on their breath often but as long as you keep bringing it back that is really what it’s all about. That’s what is actually strengthening your attention. Stay calm and carry on, bringing the attention back, learning to refocus the mind to the moment.

As you develop these skills of mindfulness your life will transform in both the inner and outer worlds in a positive way. You’ll become more and more the master of your experience because your attention is focused and accompanied by a growing anchor of peace and understanding. Mindfulness practice gives you purpose and something to work on in yourself when there is nothing else, and people need purpose to be fulfilled in life. Without a positive direction for our efforts many of us will fall into cycles of self-destructive pleasures to fill our lack of purpose. Consider purpose as having an activity. I don’t mean having a grand life purpose. Just a moment to moment positive way that you engage yourself. There is walking meditation, focusing on each step, feeling your heartbeat, humming to yourself, looking softly and intently at something with curiosity, etc. This is how mindfulness or meditation is often better for overcoming addictions, pain, sorrows than any other means or medications. It trains your awareness, understanding, and control of your very self. Negative emotions can be overcome from mindfulness and understanding. Think of times you felt understanding towards a person in a painful situation or someone who acted hurtfully to you and you remained peaceful. This is easiest to do when thinking of a child that is afraid of something they don’t understand but you do, and you can allay their fears with knowledge and calmness. Sometimes when people are afraid they can also become insecure, and then use other emotions, such as anger, to hide their insecurity. As we see deeper into our own mind and accept what is inside through mindfulness practice we see these mechanisms and how they are in all of us. Then you know that when you or someone else is acting in a hurtful way it is because of their fears or wrong notions that drive away their ability to perceive deeply enough to know the right action. They just don’t know what they’re doing or can’t control themselves. For such people we should hold space and retain our peace before acting from a place of compassion. The best way to help, much like with the example of the fearful child, is to help them to accept the feeling and work on right knowledge.

”

Once several ascetic teachers had become concerned & jealous of the following that the Buddha had attracted through his teachings. They tricked a woman into spying on the buddha regularly and then after they were sure some of buddha’s followers had noticed this activity, murdered her and buried the body near the grove where he took rest. They told their king and went to find the body. Upon doing so they declared to everyone that the Buddha was the murderer. Many of the Buddha’s followers became fearful and concerned yet he remained calm and told them to control their fears as they were all innocent. He told them if they were accused to only repeat calmly these words 'Those who lie or deny what they have done are equal in their evil deeds and both suffer.' Then be patient. The people will see how calm you are and will grow tired of scolding you. Within seven days, the shouting and accusations will subside.” Soon the people began to realize that the Buddha and his followers were not responsible, as their nature remained peaceful as before, even when accused. The true criminals were later discovered. Through cultivating mindfulness, one’s knowledge of what is truly important also grows. Another story of the Buddha conveys this. A group of friends were playing in a field. While they enjoyed their activities, a thief stole some of their possessions from the nearby grove. They went together in search for the thief and found buddha sitting under a tree. They asked “Did you see a thief pass by with our things?” The Buddha replied, “What is better for you, that you search for the thief or search for yourselves?” They replied, “Ourselves!” Buddha invited them to sit and preached these truths of mindfulness which they praised and felt elevated by, no longer caring for the loss of the material things. These stories and the practices of mindfulness teach us what is most important in our life and it is not the things we own, how others treat us, or even what we think about ourself. What is important is that we maintain an open dialogue with our reality and bravely accept the events of it while cultivating a sense of non-attachment, peace, and compassion. Your mind creates your experience, and your mindfulness is your mind's best holistic medicine.

PRANA

living without participation

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By Joshua Lee

PRANA | 93

How are you showing up for yourself? What I mean by that is, how are you choosing to participate in your life and are you even participating at all? Are you walking around living life from a place of truth and integrity or walking around feeling a bit lost in life as if you are living your life for others? I can remember a time when I just went through the motions day in and day out. It was the same thing over and over again, every day. I’d wake up, shower, get dressed, go to my job, work, work work, get home late, eat dinner, maybe exercise, wash up and go to bed. Weekends was playing catch up and here and there I might catch some fun with friends and family. I was never fully engaging in life though. I wasn’t living out my truest desires but instead looked at them as distant dreams. I wasn’t enjoying life in the way that I knew I could be. I was so hard on myself to please others and be appreciated yet, I wasn’t fully appreciating myself enough to gift myself the space to do the things I love. Luckily, I woke up from that nightmare and rather than just daydream about those things I wanted to do in life, I went for it. I began to tap into my body and asked, “What do I really want to be in this lifetime?” What do I want to do? What do I want to enjoy and who do I want to serve? What would really light me up? I was so exhilarated by my waking up to the fact that I CAN do anything I want at any given time and that I just had to choose diﬀerently and say yes to myself. I can remember looking up at the sky one night and recognizing the beauty of the moon. I remember thinking back to when I used to love to stargaze in wonder as a child at the twinkling lights and wonder how they got there or how the moon would change its shape each night. I realized in this moment that I hadn’t seen the night sky in so long. When was the last time I actually looked up to acknowledge it? When was the last time I looked up at the clouds so that I could create shapes out of them like I did as a child or danced in the rain? It seemed like too long ago to even begin to try to ﬁgure it out.

So, I will ask the question again as to how you are participating in your own life? Have you consciously paid attention to what is happening in your life at this moment? Are you liking where you are at in your life currently? If you have not been consciously living, you have not been participating in your daily existence – you are merely existing! To become more conscious about your daily life, is to become aware of what meaning life brings to you. What does it really mean to live consciously? Essentially, being “conscious,” is about bringing AWARENESS to every aspect of your life — inside and out. Think about it. How many opportunities are there to bring “consciousness,” to? We can consciously evaluate each area of life, such as our health, ﬁnances, relationships, fun, our environment and our spirituality. We can be conscious of our thoughts and beliefs that are shaping our lives. Beliefs about ourselves, of others, politics, the media and the world. Beliefs about what is good and what is bad. Thoughts that are true or untrue in reality. We can be conscious of our choices. What do you say “yes,” to? What do you say “no,” to? Will you work out today? Eat healthfully? What will you focus on today? We can be conscious about setting goals and inﬂuencing the quality of our lives. What are your dreams? What are you really committed to? Who do you want to spend time with? Are you moving toward your goals? We can be conscious during activities – talking, eating, working out, cleaning, driving, cooking, showering, walking the dog or reading. We can be conscious of our authentic selves. Our strengths, weaknesses, and personality tendencies.

Why Get More Conscious? Basically, I was not participating in my own life. I was walking around “neck up,” and not in full participation of what life had to oﬀer. To think I had all of these wonderful senses that I wasn’t using in order to absorb all the beauty around me day in and day out.

The more “consciousness,” one brings to any aspect of life, the greater power there is. Power to make a positive change or inﬂuence an outcome. Power to experience a deeper level of fulﬁlment and joy. Power to be more authentically expressive. Power to create and choose.

PRANA

Everything starts with consciousness. Where there is consciousness there is power. Where there is lack of consciousness, we live our lives out of conditioned habit and impulses — which may or may not serve our highest potential and happiness. There is so much to pay attention to in life, it is easy to go on “autopilot,” to go unconscious. Our minds are set up to help us multitask in this world. Unfortunately, wherever we are on autopilot, we’re not consciously directing our lives.

Where Do You Go Unconscious? Is there a particular area of your life where you go unconscious? Health issues, finances, relationships, organization, or spending time with friends. Where are you ready to expand your consciousness? Consciousness is the never-ending journey. Waking up to life is a constantly evolving process. We don’t just decide to “live consciously,” and we’re set. In fact, the more one investigates consciousness and lack of, the more one may realize just how many areas aren’t fully conscious living. Take it one moment at a time. Expanding Consciousness. Where do we begin if we want to continually expand our consciousness? There are numerous ways. Here are five simple things you can do right away. 1. NOW PRACTICES. Pick two activities you do every day, where you are generally less conscious. Showering, driving to work, emptying the dishwasher, working out, cooking or walking the dog are a few activities you may choose from. Over the next 90 days, purposefully bring “consciousness,” to this seemingly uneventful activity. These are called “NOW Practices.” By practicing “being present to the NOW,” during these activities, you expand consciousness. 2. EXPLORE SOMETHING YOU AREN’T FULLY CONSCIOUS ABOUT. Pick a subject. Politics. Healthy eating. Money. Fitness. Your spiritual beliefs. Photography. Gardening. Making pastries. Your passions. Being a grandparent. Explore your subject with curiosity and fervour. 3. APPRECIATIONS. Write down 25 things you appreciate about your life each day for the next 30 days. Expand your consciousness about what is already fabulous in your life. 4. THOUGHTS AND BELIEFS. Write down your predominant thoughts and beliefs throughout the day, especially the ones that bring suffering or limit you. Consciously select 3 new thoughts or beliefs that align with one of your top goals.

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5. SPEND 10-20 MINUTES A DAY MEDITATING. There are tons of meditation apps like Insight Timer that can help you get started. This will help you be present for the rest of the day. 6. LISTEN BETTER.How much of the time do you truly listen to another person without thinking about what you’re going to say or asking questions? Just listen until you know the other person has ﬁnished talking.

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“Our minds are

set up to help us

multi-task in this world. Unfortunately, wherever we are on autopilot, we’re

”

not consciously directing our lives.

7. SPEAK WITH WORDS THAT ARE KIND AND TRUE. Even in the difficult conversations, you can choose to be kind and say what is “true” from your experience without blaming and condemning another. Mindful communication is difficult. This is a good place to start. 8. START JOURNALING. Reflecting in a journal can be a great way to live consciously. You get to acknowledge what went right in your day, what went wrong in your day, what you are grateful for and what you would like to improve. Journaling in the morning is also a great way to get out the mind junk before you start your day. 9. DISCOVER WHAT LIGHTS YOU UP. Find the things you love doing and brings meaning to you. 10. STOP SELF-SABOTAGE AND GUILT. Be on your side and always remember that you need not be so hard on yourself. Never take anything personally… no one’s out to get you and you have every right to be the best that you want to be. 11. BE AWARE OF YOUR ENERGY. We have all walked into a room and could sense that people were just fighting. Do a favour to yourself and those around you by lifting your energy with your favourite music, drinking plenty of water and having random dance breaks where you can. 12. REFLECT ON YOUR THOUGHTS. We are not our thoughts, but we do attract what we think often. It can take some retraining to change our thoughts for self-deprecating and sarcastic to selflove and pride but give it a go. Each morning, look in the mirror and say "I am proud of you." 13. STICK UP FOR YOURSELF. It would be amazing if we only came across people who are lovely and kind, however, this is not the case. Be brave and walk away from people and situations that are rude, bullying or draining. 14. TRUST YOUR INTUITION. Often, I have walked away from people or situations only to second guess myself afterward. Your intuition or gut feeling is there to guide you, trust it and own your decisions. 15. CREATE A HEALTHY COPING TOOLBOX. Create a discipline that enhances you and your life. Incorporate new ideas which you can apply for your greater Self – like some yoga or some clean eating foods. But be realistic and begin small and then, take it further, when you become comfortable with it. Living consciously takes constant attention and mindfulness will help you make more conscious choices. Instead of living on automatic, try paying attention with kindness and compassion to the daily choices you make in what you do, say, and hear. It’s not easy to break out of routines and habits, but it is worth the effort.

Belly Breathing Exercises

What Are Breathing Exercises?

Belly Breathing Exercises can coax your body into calming down.

When Should You Do Them?

Any time you feel anxious, when you feel physically out of control.

Where Should You Do Them?

Sit or lay, they are versatile exercises that can be done virtually anywhere.

Why Should You Do Them?

When you are anxious, you tend to breathe in a shallow and rapid manner - rapid heartbeat, trembling, clammy hands, or dizziness. These sensations can be unnerving.

One:

How Should You Do Them?

Either in a sitting or laying position, place one hand on your chest and one on your belly. Take in a deep breath of air, and try to have your belly move more than your chest. Feel your belly rise as your lungs fill with air.

Two:

Practice breathing in slowly through your nose to a count of four, and exhale slowly through your mouth to a count of four. Feel the movement in your belly. Practice breathing with a steady rhythm, in and out.

Notice how you feel more relaxed

Practice this several times per day for a few minutes at a time!

4-7-8 Breathing

Place the tip of the tongue against the gum behind your top front teeth and exhale so you make an audible whooshing sound

Hold your breath for 7 seconds

Quietly breathe in the nose for 4 seconds

Exhale through the mouth making the whooshing sound for 8 seconds.

Repeat No More than 4 Times Developed by Dr.Weil

The 4-7-8 breathing technique was developed by Dr.Weil and is described as a natural tranquilizer for the body Fall Asleep in 30 seconds

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OFF THE MAT

Grateful

The More

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You are, The More

OFF THE MAT |

Present

You Become By Grace Wong

Known as Britain's foremost expert on happiness, Robert Holden, said in his famous quote that, “The real gift of gratitude is that, the more grateful you are, the more present you become.” Gratitude is a personality trait, a mood and an emotion. As an emotion, gratitude is a feeling of happiness that comes from appreciation. Gratitude is considered a core component of many religions. For example, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam all encourage gratitude towards others, but especially towards God. From a secular perspective, gratitude is one of the most eﬀective methods for increasing long-term life satisfaction. Colloquially, gratitude is an expression of thanks and appreciation. However, gratitude has its origins as a distinct emotion. Typically, the feeling lasts for only a few seconds, as a recognition of the intentional, beneﬁcial actions of others.

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Gratitude is such a powerful emotion, one that can make your life better in so many ways. It’s quite difficult to feel depressed or sorry for yourself when you are feeling gratitude. In a study carried out by Emmons & McCullough in 2003, there were a multitude of benefits from keeping a gratitude journal, A simple notebook where you write down daily what you are grateful for. The study showed that the people who kept a journal exercised more regularly, reported fewer physical symptoms, felt better about their lives as a whole, and were more optimistic. It also showed that people who kept the journal were more likely to make progress towards their goals. Overall, there was a greater sense of feeling connected to others, a more optimistic view towards life and better sleep quality, relative to a control group. If you would like to experience some of these great benefits why not try some of these simple ways to make gratitude a part of everyday. The benefits of practicing gratitude are nearly endless. People who regularly practice gratitude by taking time to notice and reflect upon the things they're thankful for experience more positive emotions, feel more alive, sleep better, express more compassion and kindness, and even

“ People

who

7 Scientifically Proven Benefits of Gratitude 1. Gratitude opens the door to more relationships. Not only does saying “thank you” constitute good manners, but showing appreciation can help you win new friends, according to a 2014 study published in Emotion. The study found that thanking a new acquaintance makes them more likely to seek an ongoing relationship. So, whether you thank a stranger for holding the door or you send a quick thank-you note to that co-worker who helped you with a project, acknowledging other people’s contributions can lead to new opportunities. 2. Gratitude improves physical health. Grateful people experience fewer aches and pains and they report feeling healthier than other people. They are also more mindful of their health and take good care of themselves physically. 3. Gratitude improves psychological health. Gratitude reduces a multitude of toxic emotions, ranging from envy and resentment to frustration and regret. Robert A. Emmons, Ph.D., a leading gratitude researcher, has conducted multiple studies on the link between gratitude and well-being. His research confirms that gratitude effectively increases happiness and reduces depression.

regularly

practice gratitude by taking time to notice and reﬂect upon the things they're thankful for experience more positive emotions, feel more alive, sleep better, express more compassion and kindness, and even have stronger immune systems

have stronger immune systems. And gratitude doesn't need to be reserved only for momentous occasions: Sure, you might express gratitude after receiving a promotion at work, but you can also be thankful for something as simple as a delicious piece of pie.

4. Gratitude enhances empathy and reduces aggression. Grateful people are more likely to behave in a prosocial manner, even when others behave less kind, according to a 2012 study by the University of Kentucky. Study parti-cipants who ranked higher on gratitude scales were less likely to retaliate against others, even when given negative feedback. They experienced more sensitivity and empathy toward other people and a decreased desire to seek revenge.

Research by UC Davis psychologist Robert Emmons, author of Thanks!: How the New Science of Gratitude Can Make You Happier, shows that simply keeping a gratitude journal—regularly writing brief reﬂections on moments for which we’re thankful—can signiﬁcantly increase wellbeing and life satisfaction.

5. Grateful people sleep better. Writing in a gratitude journal improves sleep, according to a 2011 study published in Applied Psychology: Health and Well-Being. Spend just 15 minutes jotting down a few grateful sentiments before bed, and you may sleep better and longer.

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7. Gratitude increases mental health. For years, research has shown gratitude not only reduces stress, but it may also play a major role in overcoming trauma. A 2006 study published in Behaviour Research and Therapy found that Vietnam War Veterans with higher levels of gratitude experienced lower rates of PostTraumatic Stress Disorder. A 2003 study published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology found that gratitude was a major contributor to resilience following the terrorist attacks on September 11. Recognizing all you have to be thankful for – even during the worst times of your life – fosters resilience. We all have the ability and opportunity to cultivate gratitude. Simply take a few moments to focus on all that you have – rather than complain about all the things you think you deserve. Developing an “attitude of gratitude,” is one of the simplest ways to improve your satisfaction with life.

Some simple ways to make gratitude a part of everyday:

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Keep a Gratitude journal and add to it every day. Tell someone you love them and howmuch you appreciate them. Nurture the friendships you have – good friends don’t come along every day. Smile more often. Include an act of kindness in your life each day. Avoid negative media and movies with destructive content. Call your Mom more often. Don’t gossip or talk badly of anyone. Spend quality time with your kids. Commit to one day a week to not complain about anything. Meditate. Live mindfully. Be the change you want to see in the world. Pause Before Meals. Take a walk. Set reminders in your phone. Notice your shower. Thank those who keep you safe. Breathe!

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6. Gratitude improves self-esteem. A 2014 study published in the Journal of Applied Sport Psychology found that gratitude increased athlete’s selfesteem, which is an essential component to optimal performance. Other studies have shown that gratitude reduces social comparisons. Rather than becoming resentful toward people who have more money or better jobs – which is a major factor in reduced self-esteemgrateful people are able to appreciate other people’s accomplishments.

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WAYS TO BE MINDFUL AT WORK

Mindfulness is all about awareness - focusing on the present as a means to greater calmness. During busy working days, mindfulness can help beat stress and boost mental wellbeing. Why not try these techniques. WORK SLOWER BUT SMARTER

You may initially need to slow down in order to be mindful of the task at hand, but you should soon see productivity rise and your pace increase.

BECOME MICRO-MINDFUL

Giving full attention to tiny moments will calm your mind. Even stirring a cup of tea can be an opportunity for mindfulness.

ACCEPT STRESS

Observe strong emotions rather than fighting or suppressing them. Notice the fact that you’re stressed, then calmly address the cause.

CREATE PROMPTS

Remind yourself to be mindful with a Post-It note on your desk, a private appointment in your calendar or a silent alarm on your phone.

START THE DAY RIGHT

Take a moment and make the decision to be consciously present throughout the day.

PAUSE TO SAY ‘THANK YOU’ Look for opportunities to be appreciative and always express your thanks. As you become more mindful you’ll notice lots of opportunities for gratitude.

FIND THE SILVER LINING

Look for the upside of a challenging situation and you won’t get stuck in a circle of negative thoughts.

STOP YOUR MIND FROM WANDERING

Be aware of your senses to help keep focused on the work you are doing. That could be the feel of the pen in your hand or the sensation of breathing.

DON’T FIGHT THE PAST

Accepting that you can’t change what has happened is incredibly liberating. Focus on the present and what you can do in the moment

QUESTION YOURSELF

Be mindful of your own thoughts and don’t be afraid to challenge them. Are they based on facts or just beliefs? Could you take a more constructive approach?

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OFF THE MAT

OFF THE MAT |

Where are you at on your life as a woman? How do you live your femininity? These are the questions the Centre Tao Paris, (France), team wanted to help answer when they created the Festival du Féminin. The Festival du Feminin was created with exclusive space and time, dedicated to listening and meeting inspiring women personalities as a positive momentum and part of a slow feminine awakening around the world. Originating in Paris, France, the Festival du Feminin, after taking place in over 10 countries, arrived for the very first time in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, hosted by the Festival Organising Chairwoman, Monika Wyss, and her team of amazing women. Monika Wyss, the founder of the Heart Sanctuary located in the Old Klang Road, Kuala Lumpur, and is also a Family Constellation trainer. The 2-day Festival du Feminin, left every woman who attended, to explore the feeling and the connection with the many aspects of femininity, arising within the landscape of the modern world. The event featured over 20 workshops, led by speakers from Kuala Lumpur, the United States and France. The facilitators of the Festival were mainly therapists, ethnologists, lecturers, shamans, dancers, painters, energy experts, coaches, healers and midwives. All had at heart, to share and to pass on their experience to other women, ease their journey on the path to self-discovery and to define their essence and to awaken their deeply buried, divine, vibrant inner selves. The opening ceremony of the Festival was offered by Slvie Barradel, the Brand Ambassador of the Festival, the Guest of Honour, Y.T.M. Raja Dato’ Seri Eleena Binti Almarhum Sultan Azlan Muhibbuddin Shah Al-Maghfur-Lah and Monika Wyss, The Festival’s Organising Chairwoman, Malaysia Edition. Officiating the opening ceremony, Y. T. M. Raja Dato’ Seri Eleena, said a few words that symbolically sparked the flow that unleashed the sacred feminine of the festival. The signature tradition of the festival that is done during the opening ceremony is done to anchor and ground a safe container in order to satisfy our longing for meaningful connections, to foster vulnerability and empowerment and to encourage us to nurture ourselves with compassion.

Monika Wyss (right), with Justine Morais from “The Home of Peace”

The Festival du Feminin oﬀered goodie bags packed with products and services worth over RM 450, and the proceeds made from the festival were donated to a local charity, namely, Home of Peace. The Home of Peace, (commonly known as, “the Home”), was registered in 1995 and became a recognised (Girls’) Children’s Welfare Home under the purview of the Welfare Department (JKM), Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development. The vision of the Home is to assist the child, to escape the cycle of poverty by giving access to education, till the child attains adult independence and livelihood. Every child in the Home is supported for as far as her goals are. The highlight of the festival, besides its wide genre of workshops would be participating in a 1.5 hour red tent workshop. The concept comes from a

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novel written by American author, Anita Diamant. The description is based on indigenous cultures and traditions of women circles. The Red Tent is a communal space, open to all women. It is a womb space where women can nurture, be nurtured and collectively break the taboo of all things women. Through support of one another, we break the silence instilled by generations and we explore all aspects of our feminine experience. It is a safe and a sacred place to share our experiences and our feelings, fears, pain, transformation, revelations, discoveries, growth, liberation, triumphs, and empowerment. Throughout the 2 days, there were several workshops that were unique of its kind:

• Em-body: Exploring the Link Between Emotions and

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was indeed so honouring to see a band of sisters coming together for the common goal of universal upliftment. There was also a panel discussion that was held based on the most frequently asked question, throughout the journey of a woman’s life: Can the Modern Woman Have It All? Members of the panel included Sandhya MANOJ (India), Tessie LIM (Malaysia), Rovina Akmal LAZARUS (Malaysia) and Rozaina Zainul ABIDIN (Malaysia). These women represent a diversity of experiences and backgrounds gathered for this discussion, oﬀered their in-depth views on the desires, challenges, triumphs, choices and possibilities shared by women today. Moderated by Rumaizon Abdul MALIK, a consultant in Ideascape.

the Physical Body with Onyxe ANTARA

• Primitive Expression® : Dance, Express, Let go, Vibrate! with Gisèle BARADEL

• Surrendering to Your Higher Potential with Jaclyn BAIN

• Finding Our Own Voice with Maéva MICHEL, to name a few. There was something for every woman of every age – whether it was addressing the issues of mother and daughter, or simply ﬁnding movement in a caging world or even, singing harmonious rhythms for deep healing, it

Participants of the Festival came from as far as Egypt, France, Japan, China, Singapore as well as from Thailand. Immersing into the workshops, many of the participants found their inner connection with themselves which they never did before, and also, discovered areas within them that they never knew they had or were capable of having. Many of the women attendees were ever so grateful for such a Festival, where it provided them the avenue to express, discover and explore themselves, like never before. The 2-day Festival was akin to a journey, integrated with a celebration of life. The closing ceremony was led by the whole team of facilitators and organisers. It was filled with music and songs aimed to seal the conscious commitment. All the participants left with inspiring moments that they uncovered to take home. The hosting of the Festival indicated that more and more women are ready to make the difference in their lives and that the potential of such a gathering for women has such positive effect in the lives of these women is one that can bring profound consequences to the planet we live in. Malaysia will definitely look forward to the 2nd edition of this beautiful festival. A festival of such stature is indeed one that can bring deep change in fostering the healers within women of the future. We congratulate Monika Wyss, her team and Sylvie Baradel for this success.

ISSUE 21 - GURU

Articles inside

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