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The Inner Voice
A weekly newsletter from Debbie Jensen-Grubb, RYT500
February 4, 2013 - Issue 23
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New Item! Free!!
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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Quick Links
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This weeks reading can be seen here at The Daily OM:
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| Greetings! | 
Courtesy is defined as: 'a showing of politeness in one's attitude and behavior towards others'. It is one of the most important elements of society. If there is no politeness towards each other then our community suffers, people lose their humanity, and our world becomes callous and cold. That is not a world that anyone of us would choose to live in. So it is up to every one of us to perpetuate courtesy. What it requires of us is to become more mindful of what is happening around us, living in each moment. Begin to observe what you can do to make this world more enjoyable for another. Look around and see where you can be of service to your fellow life-travelers. I'm talking about holding the door open for the people coming in behind you, letting the car merge in front of you, or ask to help carry your neighbor's groceries. It's the most simple of actions that can make the greatest of impacts. Show up to life and begin to look for moments where you can make a difference. It will begin to change the world..for the better.
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Yoga Feet Sequence
|  Yoga is especially beneficial for the feet because we play in barefeet in yoga. As small as these appendages are they carry a mighty big job, for they are the founda-
tion of our whole body. If your feet are out of alignment so is everything above them.
One thing I have noticed as a yoga instructor is how disconnected people are from their feet. Toes no longer bend or spread, and a connection has been lost when you cannot lift or move the toes at will. Many often feel exposed and vulnerable when asked to be barefooted on their mat. When you look across the room though, you can see that everyone's feet are basically the same.
Since you can actually see, move, and use the muscles in your feet as you do yoga poses the feet begin to stabilize, ground, and strengthen leading to better posture, feeling more confident, and being better balanced when navigating even challenging environments.
All yoga poses include the feet in their action, even the ones where we are sitting down, lying on our backs, or have the feet in the air. The poses help to strengthen the muscles at the bottom of the feet to lift fallen arches again (yes, it is possible), relieve plantar fasciitis, and aid in stopping bunions from getting worse, to name a few.
Try these two positions that you can do just about anywhere to begin to help your feet feel better immediately: 1) to lengthen the foot stretch the plantar fascia of the sole by lifting the heels and balancing across the ball of your toes, 2) to stretch the calf muscles lift the front of the foot up towards the knee as the heel pushes forward.
The more often you throw off your shoes and let your feet do the work they were created to do, the healthier your body will become. Join me on working the feet by clicking on the picture above and doing some healthy feet yoga poses.
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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.
My understanding is clear,
and I am willing to change with the times.
I am safe. |
| Rib-Tickler of the Week - hee hee | |
This trick is so funny/weird it counts as my joke this week:
1)While sitting at your desk, lift your right foot off of the floor and begin to make clockwise circles.
2)Now, with your right hand, draw the number 6 in the air or on the table.
3)Your foot will change direction. Try it as often as you like, it will do it every time.
Weird how we are connected, huh?
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Nutrition Prescription - Root Vegetables
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 I try to eat seasonally as much as I can, that means eating the foods that are available locally for that particular season as if I were growing them myself. (Mind you if I truly had to grow my own food to sustain myself, I would now be an angel.) It also means that, since it is winter here, there is not much food that would be available from a garden. It works out nicely since in the summer I usually prefer salads, fruit, and light meals, and in the winter my preference is for the warm, hearty soups and stews that I like to make. These winter meals most often would include root vegetables because they are what would be on hand now. Root vegetables consist of the part of a plant that grows underground. They are basically the root of the plant and are able to absorb many minerals from the soil (if the soil is healthy), as well as the nutrients from the sun through their leaves. What is so wonderful about these nutrient-packed foods is that you can eat them fresh when they are harvested in earlier in the year, and in winter because they survive so well when kept in a cool, dark place. Most root vegetables are high in complex carbohydrates, which is exactly what our bodies need during these cold winter days, to give us energy. They are also high in phytonutrients and fiber, and low in fat and calories - just the combination we need! Because of their antioxidants they help to keep you well through the winter months by removing free- radicals and toxins from the body. It's best for the nutrients to eat these powerhouse vegetables raw, but for the taste buds a warm, sumptuous meal just fits the bill in the dark, cold, winter months. You can cook them up in all sorts of ways: grilling, baking, barbequing, steaming. They are versatile in stews, soups, casseroles, salads, and smoothies. There are loads of recipes online that you can find. Check out allrecipes.com, I'm sure there is one that will set your mouth to drooling and stomach to yearn for a tantalizing, warm winter meal. Enjoy! |
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Ponderings - Courtesy
|  "If we could change ourselves, the tendencies in the world
would also change. ~Mahatma Ghandi
Courtesy can be found anywhere and everywhere, you just have to look for it...or be an example of it. At times it seems that courtesy can be rare to find these days. We can bring it back though, you and me. Though we cannot make people behave courteously towards us or others, we can control our reactions to this behavior and be an example of it. When you remain calm, cool, and collected when someone is discourteous, you empower yourself. When you treat others with kindness and consideration, you touch others hearts that will, in turn, be passed on and you send out a positive energy into the world - changing it for the better. When someone sees you doing a good deed, picking up trash, or helping someone you teach by example. It's pretty simple - treating people with courtesy and respect is merely showing that you value that person as a human being. You must also treat yourself in this manner, showing the world how you wish to be treated. It starts with you. Courtesy and respect must become an intrinsic part of who you are and show up in everything you think, say, and do, to yourself and others. It's about getting back to basics and developing new habits. Remember the respectful things that came naturally from your grandparents and what you expect from your children? Begin to demand these of yourself, your co-workers, and family. Begin with polite greetings, apologize when needed, compliment when others deserve it. Say "please" and "thank you" and "have a nice day". The more you spread this around, who knows? It just might become contagious! Now THAT is something our whole world, and everybody in it, can use. A Table on Modern Courtesy |
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Courtesy means being conscious and aware of the people around you and treating them with respect, dignity, and kindness. It requires of us to live in the moment, to look around and acknowledge whom we are sharing our world with, and to bring our energy and some kindheartedness to it. The simplest of acts can change someone's life...and all whom they pass it on to. In this way 'the tendencies of the world' can begin to change.
Namaste,
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The next TWO workshops are:
Healthy Joints Workshop: KNEES
Saturday, February 9th
1:00 - 3:00 p.m.
You can register at 410-720-4340 or online at www.columbiayoga.com
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