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The Inner Voice
A weekly newsletter from Debbie Jensen-Grubb, RYT500
April 22, 2013 - Issue 32
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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! |
 The beauty of Spring has arrived! Beautiful flowers are popping up out of the ground, creatures are having their babies, and there is a new energy as the sun rises higher and stays longer ~ even the rainy days of Spring bring new growth and are more bearable as they wash the world green.
In all of these I see the signs of hope. This season represents the youthfulness in all of us, from the babes to the young-at-heart who are experienced in life. It's in the expectation and anticipation of beginning anew that we all become full of hope in this season. Hope that the future will be better. We look for signs of positivity even when we hear bad news or face challenges. Spring gives us that can-do attitude, a sigh of relief, and a colorful celebration!
It pivots our attention onto possibilities, potential, and promise. Our world is an amazing place, with remarkable people in it who are changing our world for the better. Hope lives in the work of today for the belief in the dreams of tomorrow. Allow it to fill your heart with gratitude for this wondrous realm in which we all live. |
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Yoga Poses for Happiness
|  Just last week I had one student tell me that "my husband told me to go to yoga class...
now!". Over the years I've had many a student state how much better they feel after class. How is it that after a yoga session you feel so much calmer, relaxed, and, well, happy? Well, there is more than one reason.
During yoga we stretch, twist, contract, support, and rest the spine. The spine cradles our nervous system and when our spine or back muscles are stressed and tight, so are we. It engages our parasympathetic nervous system (think rest and digest) and we come away feeling those wonderful affects. In simple words: Releasing the spine, releases our anxieties.
Another reason is the endocrine system, it releases hormones directly into the blood stream. When we squeeze and compress the glands (thyroid, pancreas, adrenal glands, etc.) with twists, backbends, and forward bends we stimulate them to liberate chemicals that tell us to unwind.
As we slow our breathing down, we alert the brain to the fact that we are not in danger. The brain begins to quiet down, thinking happier thoughts, and allowing us to enjoy ourselves.
The last reason I'll mention is how we shift focus. In yoga we start the class off by centering ourselves. We turn our focus inwards and heighten our awareness of just being in the moment. By starting each yoga practice in the same way you you create a routine, much like the one prior to going to bed, that notifies your subconscious that it can switch from the daily stressors to a more serene mindset.
These are some of the main biological reasons that yoga helps us feel good. It is one of the most effective alternative therapy programs for health and healing that there is. Just think if everyone in the world did yoga what a more hopeful and happier world it would be!
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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 am united and balanced with all of life.
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| Rib-Tickler of the Week - hee hee |
Bob Hope:
"I have seen what a laugh can do. It can transform almost unbearable tears into something bearable,
even hopeful."
Some are still relevant:
"Eisenhower admitted the budget can't be balanced and McCarthy says the communists are taking over. You don't know what to worry about these days ... whether the country will be overthrown or overdrawn."
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Nutrition Prescription - Hawthorn Berry
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 According to the University of Maryland the hawthorn berry has been used for medicinal purposes since the first century. Primarily it was used for heart conditions such as irregular heartbeat, chest pain, arteriosclerosis, heart failure, and high blood pressure.
Two reasons that it is so good for the heart are due to antioxidants it contains: quercetin and oligomeric procyandins. They destroy free radicals in the body, dilate blood vessels, and protect the blood vessels from further damage.
Hawthorn extracts (or syrups) also improves energy production within the heart, this occurs because it enhances the metabolism of the heart muscle itself. The result is an increase in the force of contraction which aids in irregular heart rhythms and congestive heart failure. It begins to work within two weeks when taking the syrup three times a day.
There are some side effects that you need to be cautious of when taking any herbal medicine, especially if you are all ready taking prescription medicine. With hawthorn the side effects include fatigue, sweating, and in large doses, heart palpitations. It can also enhance the effects of beta-blockers or calcium-channel blockers which can lower your blood pressure too much, so don't drive until you know how it will effect you first.
Yet another way, in which the herb assists in dealing with heart disease, is because it is so calming, this has a beneficial impact on the nervous system which is related to heart function. Although not as strong as a few of the other herbs utilized for this conditions, the versatile capabilities of hawthorn berry turn it into a very beneficial herb in treatments for cardiovascular disease.
According to Missy's Corner the hawthorn represents hope. I can see how that would be since it helps to improve the cardiovascular system so much, calms the nerves, relieves migraines...all of this can allow someone relief, enough to feel more hope for the future.
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Ponderings - Having Hope
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 Everywhere I look these days I see hope. In regards to the recent Boston bombing one of the first postings on Facebook was a saying from Mr. Rogers about how his mom told him to " look for the helpers, there are always helpers". So I did and that was what I saw when more pictures were displayed all over the media. Then I saw an article on the hopeful outlook of the bombing victims due to the advancements in prosthetics. Turning to YouTube I watched a video about how Allan Savory is championing a solution to climate change: How to green the planet...  Have you ever heard of TedTalks? Check them out on YouTube and at http://www.ted.com/talks . One video after another of the phenomenal people that are revealing their stories, ideas, and hope for the future in their accounts of the work they are doing to make our world the best it can be. There is a foundation called HOPE which stands for Helping Other People Everywhere. Isn't that what it is really all about? What gives us hope? When we know we are not alone in this world. When others reach out, or when you reach out, a helping hand to others. Working together to make life a little easier, or better, or happier, or loving, or...something. When I was a bit down the other day I saw a sign that said, "Hope is everywhere, you are just not looking hard enough". So I decided to shift my perspective and as soon as I made that decision it was as if I had opened a door and stepped through to another world. I began to see hope where it looked doubtful before. It gave me an anchor to root into and the sail I needed to catch the wind of capacity. I knew I could do it! Look around you, look within you, look for hope. It's everywhere. Shift your focus and let it fill you. Then pass it around.
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Hope is the belief that circumstances in the future will be better. It's not a wish, but an actual belief, even when there is no evidence that anything will change, and that is what makes the difference. I found this beautiful poem that describes hope so well...(What is hope...) which states, "Hope is sparkles when tears are in our eyes, Hope is a beautiful thing and beautiful things never die".
May you always have enough hope in your heart that lives on forever more.
Thank you and Namaste,
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