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The Inner Voice
A weekly newsletter from Debbie Jensen-Grubb, RYT500
June 10, 2013 - Issue 38
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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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To access past issues click here:
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| The Daily Yoga Poses Poster | |
FREE Download as a Thank you for receiving my newsletter! Right click on the image
and save a copy to your files. Now open the file and print.
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| Greetings! |
 In yoga a sankalpa is something you want to achieve in your life, it can be anything you want to do, be, or have. One example I often give in my yoga nidra workshops is the sankalpa of patience, mainly because it is a personal sankalpa of mine. I am continuously cultivating the capacity of patience. It's just that I want it right now! ;-) Yoga has helped me immensely to bring more patience into my life. Just by focusing on the breath I become more patient through realization of the present moment and myself in that moment. I have had to grow patience when my low back became unstable a number of years ago and could no longer do many of the advanced poses I had been able to. Now that my back is strong and stable again, I continue to foster my patience. I know that I have even more work to do before I can safely get into many of those advanced poses again. I am working with my scoliosis, composing a new spine, a new body, into a new alignment and I know with diligence and perfect practice (albeit minuscule in movement) I will one day be able to do those poses I so loved to do. It can be frustrating at times but with patience and slow, mindful movements I have learned more of how my body functions and I'm less wiling to put it in peril by forcing it into a pose it is not ready for. I also understand more about how to change it, to bring it into alignment, and through that I have made dramatic leaps in stability, flexibility, and proficiency, so that I feel more grounded and sure of myself which leads to greater tolerance of myself, others, and the world at large. |
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Yoga Poses for Core Strength
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 Our core primarily consists of four layers of muscle: the transversus abdominus, the internal / external obliques, and the rectus abdominus. Because they are attached to the back and leg muscles often these are the ones that take over when the abdominals are weak.
I find that when many begin the work of toning their core they over do it. Pushing too hard can lead to using extrinsic muscles, which in most cases we are trying to relax. That is why I encourage you to lie on the floor when doing core muscle work, it takes the weight off of the legs and back.
Exercising patience when working the core is important, in that way you won't force or try to do more than your body is ready for. Know that a little goes a long way. If you use kindness and work within your muscles limits you will find that you gain strength, tone, and balance much more quickly. Click on the video above and let's get started!
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| Rib-Tickler of the Week - hee hee |
A man in a supermarket was pushing a cart which contained, among otherthings, a screaming baby.
As the man proceeded along the aisles,
he kept repeating softly,
"Keep calm, Thomas."
"Don't get excited, Thomas."
"Don't yell, Thomas."
A lady watched with admiration and then said, "You are certainly to be commended for your patience
in trying to quiet little Thomas."
"Lady," he declared, "I'M THOMAS!"
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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 create firm foundations for myself and for my life. I choose my beliefs to support me joyously. |
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Nutrition Prescription - Slow Chewing
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 We all live such busy lives and for many of us that means we barely have time to eat our meals at times. When we do get some time to eat, we gobble it down barely taking the time to enjoy it! Adding this additional stress to ourselves can lead to poor health (more stress!).
Eating slower is powerful. Just by chewing slower you will feel calmer which will lead to a change in lifestyle, breathing, and how you handle stressors.
You start by taking smaller bites, chewing your food more thoroughly, and really being present to the moment of eating. Even if you just do this for one meal a day, it will make a big difference in your day.
Some of the benefits of eating more slowly are:
Losing weight. It takes 20 minutes for our brains to register that we are full. If you eat slower you give your mind a chance to hear the signals the body is sending out and you will eat less.
You enjoy your food more. You will actually give your tastebuds a chance to do their job. You will taste your food more which will lead to more nutritious choices in food selection.
Better digestion. By chewing your food more completely your stomach is able to digest the food better which will aid in relieving acid reflux and digestive issues.
Maintains oral hygiene. When chewing food properly, saliva helps fight bad breath and plaque. Hydrogen carbonate in saliva neutralizes plaque formation. Saliva also kills harmful bacteria and food particles swept around the teeth.
Enhances mindfulness. The more you slow down and be in the moment with your meals, the more awareness will emanate into other areas of your life. More awareness leads to a slower pace, which leads to less stress, and that leads to greater happiness.
With the average meal lasting only 11 minutes, lunch and breakfast sometimes only 2 minutes long, there is lots of room for improvement. There is a worldwide movement evolving around Slow Food that 'links the pleasure of food with the commitment of community and the environment'. You can sign up for the newsletter from our own chapter in Baltimore and become a part of the change.
For those of you who would like to invest in the slow food around you and build wealth while you are doing so check out Slow Money, there is no Maryland chapter...yet. While supporting your communities, local farms, the environment, as well as more and better food for all, you can also build your portfolio too, a win-win for all.
So take a deep breath before your next meal, really look at the food you are putting into your mouth, and really taste it by chewing it slowly. You will feel yourself begin to slow down immediately! This easy, simple act can be the first step in changing the outlook of your whole life.
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Ponderings - Patience
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'Patience is bitter, but its fruit is sweet.'
~ Jean-Jacques Rousseau
It is especially apparent in this fast age that we are living in now how spoiled we have become in getting things immediately! We can instantly get any answer to any question just by Googling it. We have our ever-present cell phones to allow us fast access to information, people, and the internet. There is a fast food chain on every corner. It seems that even time has sped up and is moving at a faster speed than before, so that our day accelerates past us before we have a chance to enjoy it.
Now consider the pace of nature, it never is in a hurry. Everything is accomplished in its own time, never early or late. Things flow, moving apart and coming together seemingly without effort. Wouldn't it be wonderful to be able to bring that ease into your own life?
Finding a balance between the chaos of the world we are in now and the unhurried pace of our natural environment can be a key to happiness.
How? Well, it could save your life. Those who move at a slow and steady pace are usually calmer, more peaceful, and more amenable to life's misfortunes. They even breathe slower = regular heart beat = better sleep = more smiles. It shows that those that are patient also have better life-outcomes.
There was a study done by Walter Mischel who worked with children in his Stanford Marshmallow Test. Four year old children were offered two marshmallows if they waited while someone ran an errand, or the children could have one marshmallow immediately. The children were monitored until they graduated high school and the results were enlightening. Daniel Goleman explains that it is the 'dorsal fronto-median cortex', or the third-eye area, that controlled the children's behavior.
You can develop patience in your life at any age. One of the things that I thought was interesting was how the little children would distract themselves so they could manage the wait and double their reward. This is something we as adults can do as well. The next time you have to wait for something, do something else constructive instead.
Perhaps begin to practice meditation and begin to augment your third-eye area. It's never to late to start learning something new and reap the benefits of your new skill.
When it comes to patience we can all use a little more of it. Begin to notice when you are being inpatient, then stop, take a deep breath, and let the exhalation out slooooowly. Give yourself a time-out occasionally and allow yourself to decompress and disconnect. Take a leisurely walk in nature. Do some yoga. In general, don't rush - relish your moments, even the ones when you are waiting for something, for in every one there is a lesson and a gift that has been, perhaps, waiting for you.
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This wonderful computer age that we live in is supposed to help us save time, but what good is saved time if nobody uses it? With all of our busy-ness, our instant gratification, we have lost our ability to enjoy the moment, to slow down, and trust that time will move at its own pace to bring us what we need. There are lessons that we can learn in those moments we are waiting and, if we take the time to let it, our patience can turn our suffering into joy.
Thank you!
Hugs and Namaste,
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Please join me in my next workshop...
Yoga Nidra
July 21, 2013
1:00 - 2:30 p.m.
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