 The Inner Voice A weekly newsletter from Debbie Jensen-Grubb, RYT500 October 29, 20212 - Issue 12 |
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The Daily Yoga Poses Poster |  FREE!!! For all who receive this newsletter my first ever poster to download and print out! Thank you for joining The Inner Voice newsletter! (You need to open it in another window and print it from there.) |
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This weeks reading can be seen here at The Daily OM:
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To access past issues click here:
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Please support Yoga Salutes Non-Violence at The Yoga Center of Columbia on November 3, 2012. All proceeds go to various Domestic Violence Centers in our area.
Sybil Malatras is organizing tag-teams of Gentle Yogis who would like to participate in this successful event at a slower pace. You can do as many sun salutations as you want! Get friends/family to sponsor you, or just donate.
There are practice sessions each Saturday of October at 2:15 p.m. for 45 minutes so that you can get into the rhythm of the practice.
Everyone will get a free towel to commemorate your achievement! You will feel good supporting this admirable cause and yourself in your practice! |
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| Greetings! |  Today the storm is finally here. I am sitting at my dining table with the rain falling heavily outside. I hope that everyone is sheltered, warm, and safe. Thankfully we have wonderful technology that can predict and warn us of incoming dangerous weather and we can prepare. Take this time to snuggle down, to become quiet, and look within. Are you feeling fearful or faithful? Trust that you are taken care of and that all is well. Radiate love to everyone being effected by the storm and those who are out there keeping us secure.
Center your attention on all that is going right in your life and use this time to imagine the future as you wish it to be. Know that all is being done that can be done to keep you safe and that you have done all that you needed to do. Now rest, perhaps meditate / sleep, and nourish your body, heart, and soul to prepare yourself for when the sun shines again. |
| Rib-Tickler of the Week - hee hee | |
If God is watching, the least we can do
is be entertaining.
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| Mantra | |
A mantra is a sound or phrase that aids in the concentration of meditation. It is a Sanskrit term and literally means 'instrument of thought'. Here you will find a suggested mantra to use during the week (from Louise Hay's 'Heal Your Body'). Just repeat it whenever you need a lift.
I take in life in perfect balance. (Think breathing.) |
| Nutrition Prescription - Cayenne | |
 Cayenne comes from the red, hot chili pepper. It has capsicum which can burn the mouth of mammals, this protects the fruit from being eaten since most mammals avoid it for this reason. Birds are not affected and so eat the fruit and spread the seeds. (Isn't nature amazing?) The heat from the fruit comes from the white pith that holds the seeds not the seeds themselves.
To make cayenne the fruit is dried and ground, or pulped into cakes and baked then ground into a spice that is used to flavor dishes. It is rated in Scoville Heat Units (SHU) for hotness (between 30,000 - 50,000) and in BTU's (thermal units). Green bell peppers rate 0 on the Scoville scale.
Capsicum increases blood flow to all parts of the body which increases metabolism. It is also what makes it so beneficial to the heart and venous structure of the body. It feeds the vital structures of the cells of the circulatory system and normalizes blood pressure. In fact, according to famed herbalist Dr. John Christopher, by drinking warm water with cayenne pepper you can literally stop a heart attack immediately! Here is a recipe for angina (scroll down to Angina): Healing Properties of Cayenne Pepper.
Cayenne is highly regarded as the 'anti-infection' vitamin because of it's high content of Vitamin A and beta-carotene promoting skin cells and mucous membranes that line the lungs (Breathe!), nasal passages, intestinal and urinary tracts.
It can clean the arteries, aid in peristalsis (going to the bathroom), and relieve migraines. It's useful in relieving muscle cramps, allergies, arthritis, and heartburn.
To add a therapeutic dosage to your daily diet it is suggested that you drink a glass of warm pepper water each day. There is also a 'Master Cleanse' that consists of 4 cups water, juice from 2 lemons, 1 tbsp honey or maple syrup, and 1/8 - 1/4 tsp cayenne. Use caution when doing this cleanse though as it can be dramatic.
Finally just adding cayenne to any recipe can liven it up to bring benefits (though you need a substantial amount to accomplish this). Tip: add it with avocado - the oil complements the heat and is good for you too!
Experiment with this lively, dynamic spice and begin enjoying better health today!
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| Deep Breathing | |
"He who half breathes half lives." ~ Ancient Proverb
In yoga philosophy it is believed that you are born with a certain number of breaths. If you use them up by breathing fast you will die sooner. If you breathe slow you will live longer. In a way it makes sense since most of us are more stressed out when we breathe fast. When breathing slower we are more grounded and serene, which leads us to making better decisions.
Breath is the first and foremost important element to life. We can go days without food or water but only a few minutes without breath. It is interesting then that we give the breath so little attention, assuming that we must know how to breathe since we are doing it all of the time.
Are you aware of your breath? Do you breathe shallow or deep? Fast or slow? Evenly into both lungs? Is the inhale the same length as the exhale?
Life has a way of changing our breath. When we stress out or are angry we breath more quick and shallow. When we relax our breathing deepens and slows. When we tense we have a tendency to hold our breath. Soon we have altered our breath and are no longer breathing to our optimum. All of this can lead to increasing our stressfulness, cause illness and panic attacks, and freeze up parts of our bodies.
If you have been breathing incorrectly for most of your life it will take some focused awareness at first to change. It is well worth the effort though. You'll be more calm and grounded. You'll sleep better. You'll be in a better mood much of the time and stressors won't...well, stress you out. You'll even begin to feel looser in your neck and shoulder area.
Come join me in the above video as you play with enhancing your breathing awareness.
Here is a free breathing test that will help you assess if you are breathing optimally:
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| Ponderings - Operating from Faith |
 Operating from faith means trusting in your intuition and listening to your inner voice's guidance. Fear has a way of running our lives, without us even realizing it. Notice how you reacted when you first heard of Hurricane Sandy coming our way. Did you become fearful or did you trust that all was well and start preparing for the storm?
We learn fear from the very beginning of childhood, we aren't born with it. We are born with love and trust. It is in getting back to that faithful living that we all most want from life. You know it when you say "I just want some peace and quiet!", a sanctuary where you can relax and be safe, that sanctuary comes from within.
Faithful living is trusting that everything will turn out all right, just as it is meant to, and moving through life with confidence. Notice when you lose that feeling of being supported, when you worry, become tense, hold your breath, and have a sinking feeling in your heart or stomach. Are you trusting then? No, probably not. This is when you need to stop and breathe and notice your thoughts. Are you thinking fearful thoughts?
There was a time in my life when I lived by fear (I'm still working on it). For example, one day I was driving to a doctor's appointment. I knew of a shortcut and as I was driving I considered taking it when the thought popped in my head "I'd like to take it but I'm afraid I'll be late if it doesn't work out". Bam!! I actually heard myself say that to myself! Well, right then and there I had to take the shortcut! Guess what? I arrived 15 minutes early! So now whenever I 'hear' myself say "I'm afraid" I take it as my cue to give it a try instead.
That was years ago and I learned from it. I would not be a yoga teacher now if I had not learned that lesson. Leaving a stable nursing career and moving into a yoga profession is one of the scariest things I ever did. It was because I was afraid I had to do it. It turned out to be one of the best things I have ever done too.
So you see fearful thoughts aren't always about actual life threatening events. They can be about worrying what other people think or not trusting yourself to make the right decision.
There are legitimate fears out there, like this storm for instance. Take precautions, take care of yourself, do what you can to keep yourself safe, and then have faith that all will be well. Send out positive energy. Stay in touch with your heart's center by using the breath. Notice when you are operating out of fear (anger is a byproduct of fear: if you are angry ask yourself what you are afraid of instead).
There are times to take risks and times to be safe, both require trust and faith in yourself and in Spirit. It all starts with awareness...and love.
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There is no greater force than being true to one's self and finding the courage to move forward in a centered way even when you are afraid. Notice when you feel negative and fearful and notice the thoughts that go with these feelings, then tap into and listen to your inner voice, your heart, your gut, and have faith.
Namaste,
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The next TWO workshops are:
Healthy Joints Workshop:
Head and Shoulders
Saturday, November 10th
10:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
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Yoga Nidra
Sunday, November 11th
1:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.
You can register at 410-720-4340 or online at www.columbiayoga.com
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