Practicing therapeutic rest can help reduce or even reverse the detrimental health effects of chronic stress.
When you survive in this modern jungle, your system experiences a chronic cocktail of stress hormones that were more suited to earlier days. Our systems react the same way as our ancestors’ when encountering a threat but we’re not running away from sabre toothed tigers anymore. We’re most likely chained to our devices and inhibited from burning off that adrenaline and cortisol.
It’s not likely that you’ll be able to fix modern day problems by tonight. But what you can do by tonight is take effective action to mitigate the effects of chronic stress.
The research on therapeutic rest is compelling. But the real reason you may want to incorporate it into your daily routines is that is feels good! Of all the self care you adopt, consider that therapeutic rest is free, has no published side effects and is available to anyone who is currently breathing.
Want to learn more? Here is a FREE six video course that explains what therapeutic rest is and how to do it.
Want a deeper dive? Here is a six session video course focused exclusively on iREST, a thoroughly researched protocol utilized by the American military for vets as well as many other groups from expectant moms to homeless individuals. Dr. Linda Chamberlain facilitates these one hour sessions, building skill from video to video.
Why do some people seem to manage stress well? What is the secret to finding hope even when things are messy? Research is pointing more and more to the concept of “resiliency”.
What does yoga have to help build resiliency? Tons! But let’s look at 3 key pillars of building resiliency.
Acceptance: Growing up, along with my formula, I swallowed the fairy tale that if I just worked hard enough, suffered enough, helped enough, was pretty enough… well, you get the picture… that I would be happy. You might label this the Cinderella syndrome. It’s time to grow up and accept that life will be challenging and often unfair. In his landmark book, The Road Less Travelled, Scott Peck’s first sentence was, “Life is hard.”. And it can be.
Yoga helps by giving us a lived experience of getting comfortable with the slightly uncomfortable. Holding a pose or learning to balance on one leg is challenging! Your instructor lovingly, skillfully and gently brings you along to accepting more and more of this challenge. Eventually, you gain confidence that you’re flexible not just in body but mind too!
2. Gratitude: This is mindful awareness of what is really going well. Taking time to notice the gifts, no matter how small. We have to consciously cultivate this skill. We are hardwired to search for environmental risks as a survival skill. This can lead us into constantly striving to “fix” our environment. This leads to difficulty because not all environmental risks can be fixed, and our internal environment (ie emotions) are what they are. The way we can master a new language or quit a job does not work to control emotions.
Yoga helps on several levels. A complete yoga class should weave in mindfulness and a meditative focus. Dwelling in this present moment awareness literally shifts the activity in the brain from “gotta fix that” to “acceptance”. It’s like the transmission on your car. You shift gears from stress response to seeing things more clearly.
Yoga helps as well by drawing your awareness to what is really working well. The range of movements and topics is so vast, you’re bound to see things in a new light after your practice.
3. Make Choices: We always have choices. When faced with a choice, ask this key question: “will this decision serve me or help me? Or will it likely bring me harm?” Almost 90% of our behaviours are routine or guided by instinct/habit. Exercising your discernment muscle builds ability to say no when needed or to recognize when something doesn’t serve you well.
Yoga helps when the instructor constantly offers choices and reinforces his/her confidence that you will take your unique path. There are no categories or graduations in a yoga practice. Every time you hit the mat is a fresh experience. This is drastically contrasted with most of our modern activities. As you get more familiar with truly listening to your body’s sensations and messengers, you’ll take that skill into asking that all important question from above.
Want to feel what it’s like to utilize yoga to build resilience? A specialized 3 part yoga course is being offered on Tuesday evenings, April 6, 13 & 20 from 7 – 8 pm. Work with yoga to build the skill of resiliency and find more hope even on the most challenging days.
Sweet, spicy, vegan and satisfying, this entree packs a protein punch.
Plant based eating might be the best gift to yourself and the planet right now. This entree was a feast for my senses and provided complexity of flavour.
If you’d like to ditch meat for even just this meal, I promise you’ll be full and nourished with these “meat” balls.
The secret? Eggplant! A vegetable that I don’t enjoy on its own that much but am just understanding its versatility.
You can form the balls earlier, even freeze them, and bake while you’re preparing the sauce.
Recipe:
Step 1:
1 large eggplant, cut into 1″ cubes (don’t even peel)
Place in oiled skillet with 1/4 cup water. Bring to a boil, remove lid. Let cook over medium heat for about 10 – 20 minutes until eggplant is very tender and maybe a bit browned. Set aside and cool.
Step 2:
Mix 1 T ground flax seed with 3 T water. Mix well and set aside. This will be the egg substitute.
Step 3:
In the bowl of a large food processor, mash 1 can drained and rinsed black beans. Add cooled eggplant, 1/2 cup bread crumbs, 1 tsp onion powder, 1/2 tsp garlic powder and salt/pepper to taste. Process just until the eggplant is lumpy. Too much action creates a “gummy” ball texture.
Form into uniform balls and place on oiled parchment paper. Balls can be frozen like this (packaged into containers after they are solid) or baked now at 400 degrees for about 15 – 20 minutes or until browned and firm.
Step 4:
Using food processor for efficiency, chop one cooking onion, 3 cloves garlic and 1 1″ piece of peeled ginger. Heat skillet over medium high heat and add 1 T coconut oil. Saute aromatic vegetables until fragrant and a little browned. Add 1 red pepper (seeded and chopped into bite sized pieces) and 2 cups broccoli (again, diced into bite sized pieces). Cover and cook for 5 minutes or until veggies are tender-crisp.
Step 5:
In the same bowl of the food processor, mix 1 cup salsa, 1/4 cup sugar or agave, 1 T chili paste (samba oelek or sriracha – go easy and add more to taste), 1/4 cup soy sauce. Blend well then add to pan. Simmer for a few minutes until sauce gets glossy and thickened. Gently tossed in cooked balls.
Therapeutic yoga involves breaking down poses to understand the specific effect on the physical, mental, spiritual and emotional bodies.
Yoga is a terrific exercise program. Every bit of your body is pulled, squeezed and massaged for a full workout. Maybe you’ve discovered that it feels like something more.
Yoga emphasizes movement timed with breath. This creates a magic bridge between body and mind that leaves the practitioner feeling integrated and more coordinated than before the class.
Isn’t all yoga therapeutic then?
In a vast market such as fitness, there is room for all sorts of classes. Here are a couple key points that differentiate a yoga class from a therapeutic offering. And here’s what to look for if you want to use yoga as a transformational tool.
The level of training and experience of the teacher. To be considered a Yoga Therapist, the instructor should have over 1000 hours of dedicated training from a licensed school as well as hundreds of hour of practical experience.
The pace of the class. Since the practices are meant to have lasting impact, they need to be broken down and digested slowly. A fast paced class will not land the same way as a meditative flow class.
The adaptation to the individual. Each participant should feel that the class has been aimed at their particular needs. There will be a variety of props demonstrated.
The depth of information shared. Knowledge is power. It’s important for the participant to understand the “why” of this practice and for the practice to fit with their core beliefs and comfort levels.
The feeling of empowerment. Rather than desperately trying to keep up, or follow elaborate rituals, or pushing to graduate to another level, therapeutic yoga meets the participant in that sweet spot of competence, comfort and challenge. Language that encourages the participant to “push”, “achieve” or physical assists to that effect are absent.
In our group classes, Cheryl works diligently to create these standards for all participants. Unfortunately, many individuals have tried “yoga” and been disappointed. Seeking a therapeutic class may be a whole different experience.
Here’s another article about the power of taking therapeutic yoga online. Before the pandemic, Cheryl would never have guessed how much energy and impact could be shared via zoom.
Guest Blogger: Oda Lindner, E-RYT500, Yoga Therapist
Much of yoga is about embodying wisdom in our daily life. In practice our wisdom is often hindered by our reactions or by the patterns that are the result of our past conditioning and experience. Automatic reactions keep us often from embodying what we know to be true. Yoga has tools that help us see the dysfunctionality of these reactions and patterns, and it can help us become more who we truly are.
In traditional Yoga each human being is seen as a system that contains many lines [nadis] through which the life force flows. The flow of Prana in these nadis support our physical, psychological and mental functioning. The flow can often become interrupted, and the lines can become twisted and tangled. The reasons for the tangles can be found on the physiological, psychological level and mental levels. Many centuries ago yogic texts identified three major groups of tangles or ‘knots’ (granthi) that appear in our system. These knots are located along the central axis of our system. They are the ‘knot of desire’ in the lower belly, the ‘knot of action’ in the heart region and the ‘knot of ignorance’ in the center of the forehead.
The lower belly knot (Brahma Granthi) is associated with ego-centered desires -think Amazon ‘must haves’. The knot in the heart (Vishnu Granthi) is our attachment to ceaseless action, doing and achievement. And the knot in the forehead (Rudra Granthi) is the ignorance about who we are and what we are here for. In order to embody true wisdom in daily life we have to open and untangle all three of these knots.
Interestingly, yoga has different tools that can be applied to untie these knots. On the level of embodiment it can use physical poses like strengthening the lower belly, opening the chest and releasing tension in the neck and the head. On the level of energy we can use breathing, mudra and manta to untangle and guide our energies. And on the level of awareness Yoga can apply reflection, realization and meditation.
To further explore how yoga can help you “untie”, please consider the “Masterclass” starting February 4 and running for 6 weeks (Thursdays 7 – 8 pm EST). During this course we will spend 2 classes on each knot. We will explore each area on the level of embodiment, energy and awareness. We will then see if, with the help of these tools, we can surface some the reactive patterns that form the basis of each knot. And in the end we may be able to loosen each area a little so that the natural wisdom that is at the heart of our being can shine forth into the actions of our daily life.
A recent article in Alive magazine got me thinking. What is self care? The medical definition refers to a patient’s ability to follow through with doctors’ orders. How will they be able to take the steps necessary to build health.
In modern marketing, self care has been used to peddle spa treatments, luxury shoes and exotic travel. Are these items, for example, necessary to health? They may be very pleasant and desirable but they don’t have any direct benefit to your organism.
This is where it is important to understand that self indulgence (what’s a little dark chocolate between friends?) is lovely but it is not self care. By defining self care as those luxuries, we leave out huge swaths of individuals who can’t afford them or who don’t have access to them (maybe they’re tied down with family responsibilities or travel is unsafe).
And I’m in the business of supporting self care. Yoga therapy is not something that is done to you, like massage. Yoga therapy is the active process of evaluating where we’re at now and deciding what simple techniques can be employed (ie self care) to bring more balance. Almost anyone, anywhere can practice yoga therapy. As a yoga therapist, I spend considerable effort to communicate the tools clearly and freely. In this, I hope to include as many as are interested in the self care rituals.
When you are evaluating your lifestyle and thinking about improving your mood, physical health or mental abilities, please consider your responsibility in making that happen. Ultimately, no one practitioner can “fix” you. It’s up to you to take responsibility for your own self care. It’s not a “luxury” to hit your yoga mat or take time to therapeutically relax. It’s not something that goes on the “to do” list only to be outmuscled by shopping or travel (something more fun). Yoga is self care … health care.
Please try some of the free video resources on this site. It takes as little as 10 minutes a day, and can be absolutely free, to practice true self care.
Michelle and I have been sharing yoga for almost 20 years. I’ve always loved her company because she’s super smart and brings such interesting conversation. While hanging out last summer around the pool, she mentioned how she would love to broaden her discussions about planets, astrology and energy but wasn’t sure how her business clients would react. She’d had a few successful consultations with entrepreneurs about how to align their business plans with their higher purpose but felt a little stuck moving forward.
“Why not do some workshops for our yoga gang? They’ll love your insights and you can field test how this material will land for your big fish”, I suggested.
From my lips to “you know who’s” ears cause the first series sold out (you can purchase the recordings here if you weren’t able to join live). What we decided to do was offer a one hour lecture about the Tarot on Sunday evenings complemented by a live zoom yoga class Thursday mornings that would embody the themes. Whew! Such a jam packed 8 weeks of learning and growing!
Inspired to continue sharing, Michelle is offering a webinar on December 21 at 7 pm, “The Great Conjunction: a Sneak Peak at 2021″. With the big planets of Saturn and Jupiter coming together, we’ll not only have a beautiful super star to observe but we may also benefit from understanding how this alignment may affect our own energy.
And a deeper dive into planet wisdom will be offered starting January 3, “Planet Pathworking and Yoga“. This 8 week course will be structured just like the last one. Pathworking is a great term as that is just what this is about. So many people mistake this work for “horoscopes” or fortune telling. It’s definitely much more about learning, reflecting and making conscious adjustments to your day to day habits so you are more aligned with your higher purpose. Just like yoga is much more than stretching.
And that’s how Michelle and I decided to offer these workshops!
I love yoga because it incorporates movement, philosophy, history, and myth all in one wonderful discipline. The poses are meant to evoke an archetypal image to help us internalize the energy. Sun salutations, Moon pose, Eagle, fish, mountain, cobra – all of these postures make us think about what’s being represented so we can bring that perspective back into our daily lives. It’s called a yoga practice for a reason – what did we think we were practicing for?
The year 2020 will go down in infamy. I think the Queen dubbed a year like this an “annus horribilis” meaning horrible year…aka…dumpster fire. I get asked all the time if astrologers saw this coming. Yes, many of them did. You can take a peek at this YouTube video recorded last December 2019 where they look at the geo-cosmic cycles of late March and say, “There will be no hugging in late March 2020”. They could see some intense alignments coming connected to emotional tension and anger.
So – when will it be over and will 2021 be better?
Astrology doesn’t predict what will happen anymore than a market analyst or weather forecaster can predict if you will lose money or get wet if it rains. The cycle is the cycle and how you adjust your sails will predict how your life will unfold. Free will is our divine right and we can embrace the archetypal symbolism of the planets just as we do in our yoga practice. Wisdom tends to lead to better decisions and therefore, a happier future.
The astrological “weather” shifts halfway through December, and it’s marked by the planetary ingresses (entries) of Mercury, Jupiter, and Saturn into new signs. Saturn enters Aquarius on Dec. 17, and right behind it is Jupiter on Dec. 19. The movement into air sign Aquarius is unveiling what some refer to as the “Age of Aquarius”, so it’s a significant development. The next day, Mercury enters Capricorn on Dec. 20. This placement helps us get more practical about our goals, inspiring us to get focused and organized as we prepare for a new year ahead.
A few days after Saturn and Jupiter enter Aquarius, they’ll come together on Dec. 21 to form what’s known as a Great Conjunction in astrology. This alignment is a very rare planetary connection. It only occurs once every 20 years. The Dec. 21, 2020 alignment in Aquarius, though, is going to be the first to take place in several hundred years, which is why many astrologers consider it to be the dawning of the Age of Aquarius. Astrologers have been anticipating the effects of this event all year.
Jupiter and Saturn are social planets that govern over matters of growth and structure, so when they come together to form a Great Conjunction, it can signal significant changes for the collective. Vedic astrology calls this conjunction a “Yukta Yoga” the lord of growth, responsibility, wisdom – Jupiter and the planet of karma – Saturn. Jupiter & Saturn together points to your societal purpose and your gifts that help you accomplish it.
With these big boy planets joining forces in the collaborative air sign Aquarius, we’ll all be more inspired to embrace unconventional ways of thinking and focus on community work. This alignment will affect us through the years to come, so pay attention to any themes that come up for you now.
Next year will have a very different tone from 2020. Our relationship with technology will accelerate in 2021 and we will be challenged to heal our relationship with each other…and ourselves.
You don’t need an astrologer to see that the world is changing, but it is good to have one to help make the connections. If you’d like to learn more about the Great Conjunction of 2020 and how it’s advice might inform our spiritual practices; Cheryl and I would love to have you join our webinar on December 21, 2020 (the night of the Great Conjunction). Do a little star gazing, and then a little planning. Let’s make 2021 a joyful renaissance.
As of March 2020, most of my work shifted to online yoga teaching. In addition to the steep learning curve of technical equipment like microphones and software like zoom, there was deep concern about how to authentically deliver the nuanced teachings of yoga remotely. I wanted to share with you an experience I had yesterday to illustrate the power of online yoga teaching.
Wellspring, a cancer support program, has also shifted programming online during the pandemic. Yesterday afternoon was a workshop on Yoga Tools for Anxiety. The lecture component contained details about the autonomic nervous system, differentiating depression from anxiety and how to manage symptoms. The practice was complex, interweaving contralateral yoga movements, breath adaptations and chanting Sanskrit. I’ve taught this protocol in person many times and it’s challenging enough then! The 40+ people in the zoom call were all at various stages of their cancer journey and some had almost no yoga experience. Whew!
It was a gamble that these teachings would land safely and effectively but I believe very strongly in the practice and know that this population really needs the support.
Guess what! The feedback afterward was overwhelmingly positive. One woman’s comments illustrates why it’s so important for us to keep forging new paths to deliver yoga wisdom.
After the formal class, this woman unmuted herself to shyly ask if she could share her experience. Was her experience wrong? During class, she had noticed a welling of emotion, “tears filled up my eyes” she said. She resumed the suggested movement and breathing rhythms and felt the emotion pass. At the end, during reflective time, she experienced a “glimmer of joy in her heart”. She was amazed that she felt joy, even a glimmer, as the stress of life lately had caused her to forget she was capable.
That’s why I teach. To remind people that their true nature is joy.
Maybe you teach yoga too. Maybe you feel stuck in the mire of technology glitches and uncertainty as to how your teachings are landing. Soldier on, my friend. The world needs your gifts more than ever and that is the way we have to currently work to a great degree – online. I’m happy to share any advice I can to help you continue working. It’s going to take your light and my light and all the lights of yoga teachers everywhere to guide us through this.
If your kid is one of those struggling with stress and anxiety, you know how frustrated a parent can feel. It’s actually very frightening, at least it was for me. Even though my son’s feelings were just “in his head”, the symptomology and fall out were very physical and real.
You may notice the following in your child if they are developing anxiety:
changes in sleep habits, particularly not being able to fall or stay asleep
discussions about illness or physical problems, like heart palpitations, breathlessness, joint stiffness or mysterious pains that often shift throughout the body
reluctance to participate in family activities or try anything new
angry outbursts and often long painful silences
difficulty coping with their workload and daily tasks
Sometimes symptoms progress to panic or anxiety attacks. These are scary! There is real pain, often around the chest, breathing difficulties, accelerated heart rate, eyes rolling back in the head and basically true, raw panic in every sense. In the emergency room, on any given day or night, you’ll find people waiting that are convinced they are having a heart attack. But they’re luckily not. But it’s that bad.
Now you are having anxiety yourself, worrying about your kid, let me offer some support. There is a way out and it can begin right now in the simplest and cheapest way possible – with breathing.
Before examining these tools, let’s suggest that you do contact your family doctor or health care professional soon to make sure that the patient is physically well. A lack of iron or protein in the diet, or too much sugar or caffeine (all things that commonly occur when kids are away at school) can wreak havoc with the nervous system. Basic things like making sure they have the right eye glass prescription and feel safe in their living situation are good bases to cover.
The following protocol is safe regardless and will support any steps your doctor suggests, including medication. Your doctor may encourage you to try this protocol first for 4 – 6 weeks, with your child’s full enthusiastic participation, to see if you can avoid medication.
To understand why this protocol works, you may want to watch this video explaining a bit about the nervous system (the first one on the page). We run ourselves, and our kids run themselves, ragged and then we’re surprised that we have a reaction.
Here’s the protocol:
Structure – Routine is key. The nervous system is like a cranky toddler. It is much calmer when it knows what to expect. See if the patient can arrange their schedule so they go to bed and wake at similar times, eat meals regularly and in a calm atmosphere. For the duration of the protocol, reduce the going out, travel and activities that deviate from the routine.
Diet – The nervous system needs healthy food too. Think vegetables, fruits, whole grains, adequate protein and good fats. Because the brain is a real energy gobbler, it needs fat. Some studies have shown good results with Omega 3 rich fish oils. Reduce or eliminate caffeine (it revs up the nervous system when it is already overcharged) and alcohol (it depresses the nervous system but then when the initial effect wears off, it kicks back and over jazzes us again).
Movement: Exercise burns off nervous energy and opens the possibility of finding balance again. Avoid competitive exercise but opt for hiking in nature, zumba, or another activity that is fun and no pressure. If this can be done in nature or outside, even better.
Breathing: Changing the way you breathe speaks directly to the nervous system in a language it can understand. You can’t think your way out of anxiety. The thoughts are where the glitch is. But you can slow down the breath and match the inhale to the exhale and that will insert new information to the system. This article explains a well researched breathing technique that can short circuit a panic attack and relieve short term stress. https://www.anxietybc.com/adults/calm-breathing The dosage here is 3 times per day for about five minutes.
Rest: For a minimum of 20 minutes every day, the patient will need to rest. Not sleep or nap or watch youtube, but rest therapeutically. A guided relaxation can be used (one of my favourites – https://youtu.be/9x3tl81NW3w) or a restorative yoga pose. There are thousands and millions of options to explore to find a practice that suits the individual and will keep them enjoying their cozy time. Even if the to-do list is crushing, this “time out” will get the patient back to work with far more clarity of thought and energy.
This is a lifestyle change and not a natural one for students. It doesn’t have to be rigid forever. But this experience will build life skills that will serve your student well for a lifetime. Results are often felt almost immediately, and anxiety can be more controlled within a few weeks.
