Fun Findings from the Fish Festival

Below is a brand new translation/commentary--the one above was written in the 1930s I believe. The cover is a bit scary for Westerners, but the commentary makes the sutras, well--rather enlightening!

The Wisdom of Patanjali's Yoga Sutras: A New Translation and Guide by Ravi Ravindra

by Ravi Ravindra by Morning Light Press

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Spiritual Formation

Yoga Sutra I.31 These distractions {from yesterday's lesson--Sickness, mental laziness, doubt, lack of enthusiasm, sloth, craving for sense pleasure, false perception, despair} are accompanied by grief, despondency, trembling of the body and irregular breathing.

I think this is Patanjali's way of saying that if we are not spiritually centered, we tend to get stressed out or depressed. When I sit in a large group or meeting, I often look at the people around me to check their breathing. Too often, I see people practicing high chest breathing, accompanied by rounded shoulders, slumped posture, with the chin forward. Stress and depression often manifest themselves in poor breathing habits. High, shallow chest breathing accompanied by bad posture can lead to chronic pain in the back, neck, and jaw. This makes the stress or depression worse! You can break this vicious circle through a daily practice of centered yoga breathing and meditation. Start by sitting in a comfortable spot and practice deep abdominal breathing with good posture and shoulders back and down. When your limbs start to relax and your mind becomes energized through this deep breathing practice, then continue with scripture reading, prayer, and meditation.

Bible Study: John 15 (from BibleGateway.com)

Key Bible passage: John 15: 9-11

⁹"As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. ¹⁰If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love. ¹¹I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.

John 15 contains the essence of the Good News, and Jesus' last great lessons to his disciples before he was arrested and crucified. 15 and 16 are full of reminders of the joy and peace that come from living according to God's plan.

TODAY'S CONTEMPLATION

Are you dogged today by grief, depression, or stress? Spend extra time today with centered breathing and read through John 15-16. Jesus teaches in John 16, "Very truly, I tell you, if you ask anything of the Father in my name, he will give it to you. Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be complete."

Fun Fish Findings from London

Regular readers know my favorite magazine is the Economist. It dishes up a great mix of international news, book reviews, and the latest in science and technology. Nary a mention of an American celebrity!

One of the lead articles in their May 27th issue reported on the wonders of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)--or omega-3 fatty acid found in fish oil. In a meeting last month at the Royal College of Medicine in London called "A Celebration of DHA" (I'm not kidding) a group of scientists and medical researchers came together to report on some amazing findings about the role of DHA in brain chemistry and evolution.

I've written quite frequently on the benefits of taking fish oil, and many mainstream docs are now recommending this supplement, especially for patients with heart problems or high cholesterol. DHA is an essential element in brain chemistry, especially the synaptic junctions between nerve cells. Some of the findings at this Fish Festival in London suggest that modern diets have replaced much of the healthy omega-3 fatty acids found in fish with omega-6 fatty acids found in cooking oils such as corn or canola oil. "Many researchers think this shift--and the change in brain chemistry that it causes--explains the growth in recent times of depression, manic-depression, memory loss, schizophrenia and attention-deficit disorder. It may also be responsible for rising levels of obesity and thus the heart disease which often accompanies being overweight."

The article quotes Dr. Michael Crawford, a brain researcher from the Institute of Brain Chemistry and Human Nutrition in London, who suggests DHA may be more important than previously thought. He theorizes that DHA has been a driving force in evolution, and animals with access to fish have more highly evolved brains. "He suggests this might explain why, for example, dolphins have brains that weigh 1.8 kilograms whereas zebra brains weigh only 350 grams, even though the two species have similar body sizes." He even argues that the rapid increase in brain sizes of our ancestors was due to migration to coastal areas where they had ready access to fish. (I"m already hearing a strong rebuttal from Dr. Goux, my chemistry expert reader. See MAILBAG, left.)

Joseph Hibbeln, a researcher from America's National Institutes of Health, presented quite a bit of recent research on DHA. One study showed that babies fed on formula with low DHA had lower IQs (by 7.8 points, but statistically significant). He also showed that countries consuming high levels of DHA had less depression, suicide, and murder. One of his more important findings was that 95% of our servicemen and women have dangerously low levels of DHA because of lack of fish in their diets. He feels strongly that this is fueling the escalating suicide rate in our troops. Our Department of Defense is actually taking steps to fix this, and will soon unveil a program to supplement the diets of soldiers with omega-3s.

This interesting article ended with a note of caution, as the reporter said, "Eating fish is all very well, but the oceans are under enough pressure as it is." For more information on the importance of DHA and dietary sources of omega-3s, check out the World's Healthiest Foods website.

Dolphin

Can't resist following up the above column with this interesting yoga pose.

Dolphin YJ

For instructions on this pose, click here (photo and instructions courtesy of Yoga Journal.)

If you'd like a more structured way to practice yoga, try the new Redeeming Yoga Workbook and Journal, now available for sale on-line. It contains an 8-week program of meditations, health tips, Bible study, plus room for journaling. Click here to order now!

Thank you so much for spending time here today. If you have any questions or suggestions, please feel free to E-mail me at sarah@redeemingyoga.com. I'm obligated to say that none of the information contained in this E-letter should be construed as medical advice. Before you modify your diet or fitness regimen, please check with your doctor.

Sincerely,

Sarah Riehm
Redeeming Yoga