sorry for being MIA the past few days. i actually got injured in class last week and have been on bedrest. yikes! it was wicked painful and totally knocked me out of commission. i need to focus a lot of time on healing because i'm super pumped for an awesome weekend. saturday i have a 9 hour kickboxing certification workshop and saturday i get to indulge in a 3 hr yoga intensive with dharma mittra. so a fully mobile body is crucial. anyway, i wanted to sneak out a blog really quick, so let's touch on the last of the yamas - aparigraha. this means greedlessness. and again, easy to see how we can incorporate this into our daily lives, but what about our anxiety. how can this help us when dealing with chronic stressors and panic attacks?
have you ever looked at someone else and become insanely jealous that they are able to be carefree and don't seem to have any trouble doing things that cause you immense stress? are you upset because someone else that you know is dealing with anxiety also but seems to be healing and progressing so much quicker than you? this is how i remember to bring a little more aparigraha into my life. don't wish for someone else's life or journey. don't desire another person's experiences because you think they are better or more valuable than yours. we are all on our OWN journey and that journey must be honored at every bump and turn.
i hope you enjoyed the focus on the yamas and how they help me keep my anxiety and stress in check. i used to write these down affirmation-style and refer to them daily, trying my best to practice at every chance i got.
try it out. some may click with you and some you might already be doing, but take time to introduce them into your life and see how they impact you.
next up......... the niyamas!
Showing posts with label Yamas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Yamas. Show all posts
Monday, March 8, 2010
Thursday, March 4, 2010
bring on brahmacarya
yama number 4... brahmacarya. this is to remind us to practice moderation. after all, sometimes we can definitely indulge in too much of a good thing. and on the flip side, we can also linger in too much of a bad thing.
i tend to relate this to negative thinking and 'spinning.' spinning for me is when scary thoughts get out of control. i wasn't able to get out of the loop so i would say i was 'spinning.' we indulge in so much negativity by habit. this also ties back to ahimsa... and not beating ourselves up. so putting the breaks on too many negative thoughts or scary thoughts is practicing moderation in our thinking habits.
i also practice this when i'm sweating out my stress. i usually gravitate towards sweaty, heart pounding yoga and workouts to totally alleviate my anxiety. for some, restorative yoga and meditation helps, but for me i need to be physically challenged in order to completely absorb within myself and reconnect. so at first, when i discovered this, i would pile on the workouts. sometimes my total time spent working out would total 2+ hours a day. i'd hit up a spin class, then fit in some yoga, maybe some weights or go out for a jog to clear my head. i didn't realize i was doing this until i literally made myself so exhausted that i barely had energy to climb out of bed in the morning. moderation. when i was totally stressed and it was really bad, i used to hide in my apartment for days and only emerge to go to work. i spent all of my time worrying and staying curled up on my couch... again, moderation. either i wasn't doing enough to regulate my energy or i was doing too much. it's all a balance. it's not all or nothing... and i CONSTANTLY remind my students of this.
look at your life and notice if there's something that you're doing too much of. maybe you're drinking 4 cups of coffee a day and those jitters are just increasing your anxious episodes. maybe you're spending too much time not talking about your feelings and staying closed off to people... maybe you're looking for ways to stop thinking about your anxiety and you're throwing yourself into work and sacrificing important family time.
there's always a place in our lives that could use some moderation. where do you want to add a little balance in?
i tend to relate this to negative thinking and 'spinning.' spinning for me is when scary thoughts get out of control. i wasn't able to get out of the loop so i would say i was 'spinning.' we indulge in so much negativity by habit. this also ties back to ahimsa... and not beating ourselves up. so putting the breaks on too many negative thoughts or scary thoughts is practicing moderation in our thinking habits.
i also practice this when i'm sweating out my stress. i usually gravitate towards sweaty, heart pounding yoga and workouts to totally alleviate my anxiety. for some, restorative yoga and meditation helps, but for me i need to be physically challenged in order to completely absorb within myself and reconnect. so at first, when i discovered this, i would pile on the workouts. sometimes my total time spent working out would total 2+ hours a day. i'd hit up a spin class, then fit in some yoga, maybe some weights or go out for a jog to clear my head. i didn't realize i was doing this until i literally made myself so exhausted that i barely had energy to climb out of bed in the morning. moderation. when i was totally stressed and it was really bad, i used to hide in my apartment for days and only emerge to go to work. i spent all of my time worrying and staying curled up on my couch... again, moderation. either i wasn't doing enough to regulate my energy or i was doing too much. it's all a balance. it's not all or nothing... and i CONSTANTLY remind my students of this.
look at your life and notice if there's something that you're doing too much of. maybe you're drinking 4 cups of coffee a day and those jitters are just increasing your anxious episodes. maybe you're spending too much time not talking about your feelings and staying closed off to people... maybe you're looking for ways to stop thinking about your anxiety and you're throwing yourself into work and sacrificing important family time.
there's always a place in our lives that could use some moderation. where do you want to add a little balance in?
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
shedding some light on satya
touching on the next yama can be challenging. satya means truthfulness. we always have the chance to practice this with others, but what about with ourselves? i never realized that when i hid my anxiety i was lying about a huge part of my life. i ended a friendship with a very close friend just so i wouldn't have to tell her about my anxiety. and i lied about it when she questioned me. of course my growing distance seemed to come out of nowhere... especially from her perspective. but rather than be honest with her, or myself, i just lied and made up reasons why i could never meet up or have time for a chat on the phone. if i was anxious about going to dinner with family i would lie and say i didn't feel well to get out of it. and if something scared me even though i knew it logically shouldn't (like driving to a store down the block), i lied to myself and tried to justify my fear rather than work through it. i accepted the anxiety as a part of me and instead of changing, i just defended myself. that defensiveness was me just lying to everyone, including myself.
so take time to be honest about what's going on. you don't have to scream it from the rooftops, but if you find friendships or relationships are suffering under the weight of carrying this secret around, then find someone you trust and share with them what's going on. its often a huge relief to both you and them. and i found that people didn't judge me, even if they didn't understand. once i shared my anxieties i was able to talk through them with friends and lean on supportive family members when i found myself struggling on my journey.
and most importantly, be honest with yourself. understand your fears and stressors and work through them. be honest about the intensity of the fears and the reality of them happening. be honest about what helps you feel calm... is it yoga or reading or talking to a friend on the phone? be honest with yourself if you find that you're having a panic attack... you know it's just a panic attack and it won't hurt you. and if being honest out loud is too intense right now, then spill it in a journal. get it all out. write passionately, honestly and from your heart about your feelings and emotions.
sometimes we find that honesty really is the best policy.
so take time to be honest about what's going on. you don't have to scream it from the rooftops, but if you find friendships or relationships are suffering under the weight of carrying this secret around, then find someone you trust and share with them what's going on. its often a huge relief to both you and them. and i found that people didn't judge me, even if they didn't understand. once i shared my anxieties i was able to talk through them with friends and lean on supportive family members when i found myself struggling on my journey.
and most importantly, be honest with yourself. understand your fears and stressors and work through them. be honest about the intensity of the fears and the reality of them happening. be honest about what helps you feel calm... is it yoga or reading or talking to a friend on the phone? be honest with yourself if you find that you're having a panic attack... you know it's just a panic attack and it won't hurt you. and if being honest out loud is too intense right now, then spill it in a journal. get it all out. write passionately, honestly and from your heart about your feelings and emotions.
sometimes we find that honesty really is the best policy.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
as one journey ends, another begins
today marks the end of june and also the end of my immersion into the yamas. i spent 30 days honoring the yamas and including them into my life as often as possible. i embraced them during meditations and shared them with others. i learned a lot about myself in the process.
i struggled a lot with brahmacarya (moderation). to expand on this philosophy i tried to incorporate the practice of moderation in all areas of my life and i found out that i tend to overindulge in things... and quite often! ahimsa (non-violence) also gave me some trouble in respect to negative thoughts. i found it tough to stay positive when faced with challenges - and that happened quite a bit this month. i found myself getting frustrated and down on myself and had to work hard at turning it around.
satya (truthfulness) was wonderful to embrace. i began to say "i am who i am and it is what it is" during my yoga practice. it kind of became my little mantra. there are always people who will judge you and think you're wrong because you're not like them, but don't change yourself to suit someone else's needs. there are people who will like my classes and those who won't, there are people that will connect with me and my interests and those that fall far from them and there will be things that i can do with ease and things i struggle through. and it's all ok because i remembered to honor myself and my journey for what it is... personal growth and experience. and all i can do is welcome people and be myself.
this also brings me to asteya (generosity/non-stealing). i did a workshop this month and was so thrilled to get to share what i know about anxiety. i look forward to any opportunity i have to share yoga and help empower people suffering from stress and anxiety.
and then we come to aparigraha (non-greedy). i practiced this in a way that really connected with me when i learned about it - don't harbor greed for what another person has or what someone else is. jealousy. ditch it. it doesn't do anyone any good. rather than spend time focusing on everything that everyone else has and what i don't have, i tend change my perspective a bit. these people no longer result in me being jealous, rather they serve as inspiration for me to improve.
how do you incorporate the philosophies of the yamas into your life?
i struggled a lot with brahmacarya (moderation). to expand on this philosophy i tried to incorporate the practice of moderation in all areas of my life and i found out that i tend to overindulge in things... and quite often! ahimsa (non-violence) also gave me some trouble in respect to negative thoughts. i found it tough to stay positive when faced with challenges - and that happened quite a bit this month. i found myself getting frustrated and down on myself and had to work hard at turning it around.
satya (truthfulness) was wonderful to embrace. i began to say "i am who i am and it is what it is" during my yoga practice. it kind of became my little mantra. there are always people who will judge you and think you're wrong because you're not like them, but don't change yourself to suit someone else's needs. there are people who will like my classes and those who won't, there are people that will connect with me and my interests and those that fall far from them and there will be things that i can do with ease and things i struggle through. and it's all ok because i remembered to honor myself and my journey for what it is... personal growth and experience. and all i can do is welcome people and be myself.
this also brings me to asteya (generosity/non-stealing). i did a workshop this month and was so thrilled to get to share what i know about anxiety. i look forward to any opportunity i have to share yoga and help empower people suffering from stress and anxiety.
and then we come to aparigraha (non-greedy). i practiced this in a way that really connected with me when i learned about it - don't harbor greed for what another person has or what someone else is. jealousy. ditch it. it doesn't do anyone any good. rather than spend time focusing on everything that everyone else has and what i don't have, i tend change my perspective a bit. these people no longer result in me being jealous, rather they serve as inspiration for me to improve.
how do you incorporate the philosophies of the yamas into your life?
Monday, June 15, 2009
update on my monthly yama study
So I'm still working on embracing the yamas this month. Thought I'd give a quick update on how I'm doing... embodying these philosophies is harder than I thought. It definitely takes mindful practice to keep myself in check. But I have already started seeing the positive effects in my life.
For one, aparigraha has been super influential for me. I'm not going to lie. I've spent countless hours being jealous of people. Jealous of those with no anxious feelings, jealous of those that seem to have it easy... I'm sure you know the feeling. It's almost impossible to go through life never feeling jealous. Aparigraha (the practice of non-greed) means not being greedy with your things and time and I also interpret it as practicing non-jealousy. After taking time to keep jealousy in check, I've realized that I wasn't really jealous of other people, I was just really frustrated with certain things in my life. Now if I find myself leaning towards jealousy, I back up and take a look at what's going on with me to make me want what someone else has. It usually works and is a strong wake up call for me to hit another direction! I use people as inspiration for change. I also embrace non-greed. I have an application for a volunteering opportunity because right now I have the time to volunteer and this has been the push I needed to finally put that application in the mail!
Brahmacarya is also super important for me to remember. I interlace this into my life in the form of moderation. When it comes to working out, eating junk food, working or playing I have to bring awareness to moderation. I've always had the tendency to kind of grab something and run with it and become guilty of overindulging. But overindulgence isn't good with anything! I remember when I first really started to practice yoga I went overboard and practiced constantly... and I totally messed up my back for almost 6 days! It was terrible! I'm the girl that pulls muscles because I don't take a break from working out, I'm the one that gets the stomachache because I inhaled 4 slices of pizza and I'm the person that finds herself with a headache because she's been staring at the computer screen working for the past 10 hours straight. Everything in moderation girls and boys!! Most important lesson I could learn in my life. Embrace brahmacarya - you won't regret it!
So there's another glance into how the month of yamas is going. Let me tell you... living these philosophies is one of the best ways in the world to understand them and learn them. And each one offers me another way to look into my life and know how to change it for the better.
For one, aparigraha has been super influential for me. I'm not going to lie. I've spent countless hours being jealous of people. Jealous of those with no anxious feelings, jealous of those that seem to have it easy... I'm sure you know the feeling. It's almost impossible to go through life never feeling jealous. Aparigraha (the practice of non-greed) means not being greedy with your things and time and I also interpret it as practicing non-jealousy. After taking time to keep jealousy in check, I've realized that I wasn't really jealous of other people, I was just really frustrated with certain things in my life. Now if I find myself leaning towards jealousy, I back up and take a look at what's going on with me to make me want what someone else has. It usually works and is a strong wake up call for me to hit another direction! I use people as inspiration for change. I also embrace non-greed. I have an application for a volunteering opportunity because right now I have the time to volunteer and this has been the push I needed to finally put that application in the mail!
Brahmacarya is also super important for me to remember. I interlace this into my life in the form of moderation. When it comes to working out, eating junk food, working or playing I have to bring awareness to moderation. I've always had the tendency to kind of grab something and run with it and become guilty of overindulging. But overindulgence isn't good with anything! I remember when I first really started to practice yoga I went overboard and practiced constantly... and I totally messed up my back for almost 6 days! It was terrible! I'm the girl that pulls muscles because I don't take a break from working out, I'm the one that gets the stomachache because I inhaled 4 slices of pizza and I'm the person that finds herself with a headache because she's been staring at the computer screen working for the past 10 hours straight. Everything in moderation girls and boys!! Most important lesson I could learn in my life. Embrace brahmacarya - you won't regret it!
So there's another glance into how the month of yamas is going. Let me tell you... living these philosophies is one of the best ways in the world to understand them and learn them. And each one offers me another way to look into my life and know how to change it for the better.
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
keeping up with commitment
being committed to commitment isn't easy! i never realized how often those moments of "i just want to curl up on the couch with a book or reality tv marathon" come up. and before i started paying attention to them, i fell victim to them more often than not.
one of my goals for this year is to prep myself for a half marathon to run next year so i've officially started the training. it's not an easy schedule, but i've promised myself that i'll stick to it. and every time i try to talk myself out of a workout or run or hitting the yoga mat i take a moment to tell myself that i deserve to keep that promise to myself.
being committed to something gives me a feeling of fulfillment. being anxious kept me from being committed to things i wanted to do because it stressed me out to have to do something. i always allowed myself an "out" and usually bailed at the first signs of stress. i enabled my anxiety to control what i did and didn't do. so this year of commitment means a lot to me.
and i didn't forget about the yamas! i love ahimsa (non-harming). some ways in which i practice this in my life are through my vegetarian diet, honoring my body during workouts and never pushing myself into a yoga pose because i simply want to look good doing it. i have also been incorporating more green changes into my home (like using as much recycled, natural and organic products as i can) and i have an application to volunteer at an animal shelter that i'm super excited about.
so far so good on my feelings about commitment and working on my goals. and i'm having a blast incorporating and practicing the yamas on and off the mat. i'm off to teach tonight and am thinking i need to infuse a little fun into tonight's class!
one of my goals for this year is to prep myself for a half marathon to run next year so i've officially started the training. it's not an easy schedule, but i've promised myself that i'll stick to it. and every time i try to talk myself out of a workout or run or hitting the yoga mat i take a moment to tell myself that i deserve to keep that promise to myself.
being committed to something gives me a feeling of fulfillment. being anxious kept me from being committed to things i wanted to do because it stressed me out to have to do something. i always allowed myself an "out" and usually bailed at the first signs of stress. i enabled my anxiety to control what i did and didn't do. so this year of commitment means a lot to me.
and i didn't forget about the yamas! i love ahimsa (non-harming). some ways in which i practice this in my life are through my vegetarian diet, honoring my body during workouts and never pushing myself into a yoga pose because i simply want to look good doing it. i have also been incorporating more green changes into my home (like using as much recycled, natural and organic products as i can) and i have an application to volunteer at an animal shelter that i'm super excited about.
so far so good on my feelings about commitment and working on my goals. and i'm having a blast incorporating and practicing the yamas on and off the mat. i'm off to teach tonight and am thinking i need to infuse a little fun into tonight's class!
Monday, June 1, 2009
The Eightfold Path
My birthday was last week and I picked up my journal and began to chronicle some highlights from my previous year of life. It was pretty cool to see everything written out. Intense bouts of anxiety, highs and lows I experienced in the executive world, thoughts on new friends and stories about old ones, goals I accomplished and things I let fall to the wayside.
That year was amazing and my experiences priceless, but the one thing I found was that I was lacking a road map. I kind of scribbled out goals or things I wanted to do, I somewhat formed plans of action... but mainly I just drifted along on my journey.
So for this year, my 26th birthday marked the start of yearly goals and aspirations. I wrote down 5 attainable goals which I'm going to hold myself accountable for and I decided that each year I'm going to pick something to work on and grow with as well as enhance my spiritual journey and increase my knowledge in some way. The thing I chose to work on is my commitment. Almost everything in life takes commitment and I think it's something really worth paying attention to. So no more lame excuses when I don't make it to the gym or onto the mat. No more reasons for not emailing someone back or weak answers for when I say I'll do something and don't. And as for my spiritual journey I chose to focus on the 8 limbs of ashtanga, which in yoga, means steps for moral and ethical behavior and actions. (not to be confused with the ashtanga style of yoga)
The eightfold path is:
1)Yamas
2) Niyamas
3) Asana (postures)
4) Prana (control of breath)
5) Pratyahara (withdrawal of senses)
6) Dharana (concentration)
7) Dhyana (meditation)
8) Samadhi (enlightenment)
These are the 8 steps of the yogic path. Each month I'm going to focus on a step. So, as of today, June 1st, I am making a commitment to practice the first step on this path. June is dedicated to me embracing the yamas and allowing them to help guide me through my journey. And i will be practicing the philosophies of the yamas on and off the mat!
That year was amazing and my experiences priceless, but the one thing I found was that I was lacking a road map. I kind of scribbled out goals or things I wanted to do, I somewhat formed plans of action... but mainly I just drifted along on my journey.
So for this year, my 26th birthday marked the start of yearly goals and aspirations. I wrote down 5 attainable goals which I'm going to hold myself accountable for and I decided that each year I'm going to pick something to work on and grow with as well as enhance my spiritual journey and increase my knowledge in some way. The thing I chose to work on is my commitment. Almost everything in life takes commitment and I think it's something really worth paying attention to. So no more lame excuses when I don't make it to the gym or onto the mat. No more reasons for not emailing someone back or weak answers for when I say I'll do something and don't. And as for my spiritual journey I chose to focus on the 8 limbs of ashtanga, which in yoga, means steps for moral and ethical behavior and actions. (not to be confused with the ashtanga style of yoga)
The eightfold path is:
1)Yamas
2) Niyamas
3) Asana (postures)
4) Prana (control of breath)
5) Pratyahara (withdrawal of senses)
6) Dharana (concentration)
7) Dhyana (meditation)
8) Samadhi (enlightenment)
These are the 8 steps of the yogic path. Each month I'm going to focus on a step. So, as of today, June 1st, I am making a commitment to practice the first step on this path. June is dedicated to me embracing the yamas and allowing them to help guide me through my journey. And i will be practicing the philosophies of the yamas on and off the mat!
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Not Just Liking Yoga..Living Yoga Part Duex
As promised my lovelies, here are the yamas (with a little modern twist!)
Satya - means truthfulness. This is best practiced when you are true to the real you. I spent a lot of my time twisting myself into other people's ideals. It was a waste of my precious time. And it's a waste of yours too! Know yourself. Know what you love and what you believe in and what you stand for and don't sacrifice it for anyone or anything.
Ahimsa - means non-violence. Most people spend more time beating themselves up then lifting themselves up. Spending time agonizing over whether or not you said the right thing at your company's staff meeting or berating yourself for messing up a task you were in charge of. Very rarely do our thoughts comfort us in those situations. We can think up endless ways to torture ourselves and point out our flaws, but that does us no good. Next time you experience a cycle of negative thoughts, put up a big mental stop sign and start building yourself up. And this holds true for how we treat others too. Taking a moment to give a compliment to a stranger or telling your friends how much they rock is something that not only makes the other person feel great, but we feel pretty terrific also.
Aparigraha - means non-greedy. Rather then spending time desiring what other people have or being jealous of what others do, you can spend that time making your life everything you want it to be. Ditch the greed. Use what others have as motivation to drive you to your dream life, not to drive you insane.
Asteya - means non-stealing. Don't take what doesn't belong to you - whether it be ideas, time, physical items or emotional feelings. And share what does belong to you - again... ideas, time, physical items or emotional feelings. I learned a lot of things from many wise and beautiful people and what good is it if I can't share it? I don't 'steal' the knowledge I have and hold it close. I don't claim to ever be an expert in what I do. I share what I know and look for guidance from others when I need it.
Brahmacarya - means sexual control. You have a lot of love to give. You can choose how and when to share it and the person you want to share it with. You can feel empowered by your sexuality and know it's an honor to connect with another person in such an intimate way.
Take these ideas and practices and see how they fit into your life.
I use them to help me live an attentive and active life, both mentally, physically and spiritually. I always love having some help and guidance along my journey!
Satya - means truthfulness. This is best practiced when you are true to the real you. I spent a lot of my time twisting myself into other people's ideals. It was a waste of my precious time. And it's a waste of yours too! Know yourself. Know what you love and what you believe in and what you stand for and don't sacrifice it for anyone or anything.
Ahimsa - means non-violence. Most people spend more time beating themselves up then lifting themselves up. Spending time agonizing over whether or not you said the right thing at your company's staff meeting or berating yourself for messing up a task you were in charge of. Very rarely do our thoughts comfort us in those situations. We can think up endless ways to torture ourselves and point out our flaws, but that does us no good. Next time you experience a cycle of negative thoughts, put up a big mental stop sign and start building yourself up. And this holds true for how we treat others too. Taking a moment to give a compliment to a stranger or telling your friends how much they rock is something that not only makes the other person feel great, but we feel pretty terrific also.
Aparigraha - means non-greedy. Rather then spending time desiring what other people have or being jealous of what others do, you can spend that time making your life everything you want it to be. Ditch the greed. Use what others have as motivation to drive you to your dream life, not to drive you insane.
Asteya - means non-stealing. Don't take what doesn't belong to you - whether it be ideas, time, physical items or emotional feelings. And share what does belong to you - again... ideas, time, physical items or emotional feelings. I learned a lot of things from many wise and beautiful people and what good is it if I can't share it? I don't 'steal' the knowledge I have and hold it close. I don't claim to ever be an expert in what I do. I share what I know and look for guidance from others when I need it.
Brahmacarya - means sexual control. You have a lot of love to give. You can choose how and when to share it and the person you want to share it with. You can feel empowered by your sexuality and know it's an honor to connect with another person in such an intimate way.
Take these ideas and practices and see how they fit into your life.
I use them to help me live an attentive and active life, both mentally, physically and spiritually. I always love having some help and guidance along my journey!
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Not Just Liking Yoga... Living Yoga
I'm kind of a nerd at heart and love to learn. I recently became obsessed with nonfiction books after being faithful to fun fiction for many years. I'm constantly looking for new yoga workshops to go to (fingers crossed I got into one tomorrow night on the chakras!) and I'm a sucker for a good documentary (I have Panic permanently saved to my DVR). I love when learning is ongoing and there's always something new happening. Maybe this is why I like yoga. There's an endless amount of info out there on it and numerous paths to follow. It's all so personal too. Not like learning trig which, I don't know about you, but I found unbelievably difficult because I could never find a way to relate to it. I've become very passionate about not just liking yoga, but living yoga. And while you'll find that I relate some yogic philosophies to anxiety, I also relate them to my everyday life.
I'm a big fan of the yamas and niyamas - which serve as ethical guidelines in yoga, the moral beliefs. I love to learn new ways to apply them to what's happening in my life and I've put a little modern spin on them!
NIYAMAS
Samtosha - this means contentment. I no longer get caught up in the game of "who has what" anymore. I steer clear of comparing myself to others. I don't believe that money buys happiness and I don't strive to be independently wealthy. I'm not angry if I don't look graceful in a pose or if I can't keep up with my hubby when we play tennis. I'm no longer in turmoil about stepping on the scale. I'm happy being me. I'm not perfect, rich or famous - and that's totally ok. When I'm feeling down on myself (which lets face it, we all have personal pity parties every now and then!) I make a list of everything i'm grateful for and happy about. Rather than focus on what you don't have, focus on what you do have. Be happy being you.
Shauca - means pureness. I take this to heart with my body and my diet. I keep my mind and body healthy with pure, clean foods and work up a good sweat in workouts to detoxify. I also keep my emotions pure by staying away from the endless cycle of negative and self-damaging thoughts. I look at this as a way to keep purity in my life and not get bogged down by things that hurt me physically, emotionally or mentally. Your body is your temple - treat it as such.
Svadhyaya - means self study. I am a big fan of introspection. It's one of the main ways I came to understand the root causes of my anxiety and I practice this when I'm feeling out of sorts. I also practice this during meditation. Just as you want to know everything about a person when you first meet them, I want to know everything about myself! There's so many layers and each one is affected by different things. Knowing myself, truly knowing who I am, helps me to understand how and why I react as I do, and also gives me the ability to change it. I don't take feelings for granted anymore - now I give them the third degree!
Tapas - this means austerity. I was taught that tapas literally means ' to burn ' and it's practiced when you're "burning" through a difficult situation. I kind of relate it to patience (which at times, I tend to have very little of). What can I learn if I don't use patience to understand. Things get frustrating, things get annoying, life is life. But having the dedication to work through a problem and have the patience to understand what's happening is a blessing.
Ishvara pranidhana - means to surrender. This was a life lesson I learned the hard way. Again, just to keep it consistant, I'll give the example of my anxiety. I used to fight panic attacks and anxiety desperately. I never wanted to accept the reality of it. But after practicing ishvara pranidhana, I learned to float through the attacks and anxiety and accept it for what it was - anxiety. Anxiety that I would be able to heal from. When you're faced with a big issue, don't bang your head against a wall looking for an immediate answer. Sometimes letting go and allowing the universe to take it's course is the best solution. You can't control the world. You can't fight the world. Don't force control over your life - befriend it and let it help you along your way.
So there you have it - the 5 niyamas. love 'em! Hope you can find ways to relate these philosophies to your life... because sometimes it's nice to have some help in the shape of guidelines.
And don't worry - the yamas are next!
I'm a big fan of the yamas and niyamas - which serve as ethical guidelines in yoga, the moral beliefs. I love to learn new ways to apply them to what's happening in my life and I've put a little modern spin on them!
NIYAMAS
Samtosha - this means contentment. I no longer get caught up in the game of "who has what" anymore. I steer clear of comparing myself to others. I don't believe that money buys happiness and I don't strive to be independently wealthy. I'm not angry if I don't look graceful in a pose or if I can't keep up with my hubby when we play tennis. I'm no longer in turmoil about stepping on the scale. I'm happy being me. I'm not perfect, rich or famous - and that's totally ok. When I'm feeling down on myself (which lets face it, we all have personal pity parties every now and then!) I make a list of everything i'm grateful for and happy about. Rather than focus on what you don't have, focus on what you do have. Be happy being you.
Shauca - means pureness. I take this to heart with my body and my diet. I keep my mind and body healthy with pure, clean foods and work up a good sweat in workouts to detoxify. I also keep my emotions pure by staying away from the endless cycle of negative and self-damaging thoughts. I look at this as a way to keep purity in my life and not get bogged down by things that hurt me physically, emotionally or mentally. Your body is your temple - treat it as such.
Svadhyaya - means self study. I am a big fan of introspection. It's one of the main ways I came to understand the root causes of my anxiety and I practice this when I'm feeling out of sorts. I also practice this during meditation. Just as you want to know everything about a person when you first meet them, I want to know everything about myself! There's so many layers and each one is affected by different things. Knowing myself, truly knowing who I am, helps me to understand how and why I react as I do, and also gives me the ability to change it. I don't take feelings for granted anymore - now I give them the third degree!
Tapas - this means austerity. I was taught that tapas literally means ' to burn ' and it's practiced when you're "burning" through a difficult situation. I kind of relate it to patience (which at times, I tend to have very little of). What can I learn if I don't use patience to understand. Things get frustrating, things get annoying, life is life. But having the dedication to work through a problem and have the patience to understand what's happening is a blessing.
Ishvara pranidhana - means to surrender. This was a life lesson I learned the hard way. Again, just to keep it consistant, I'll give the example of my anxiety. I used to fight panic attacks and anxiety desperately. I never wanted to accept the reality of it. But after practicing ishvara pranidhana, I learned to float through the attacks and anxiety and accept it for what it was - anxiety. Anxiety that I would be able to heal from. When you're faced with a big issue, don't bang your head against a wall looking for an immediate answer. Sometimes letting go and allowing the universe to take it's course is the best solution. You can't control the world. You can't fight the world. Don't force control over your life - befriend it and let it help you along your way.
So there you have it - the 5 niyamas. love 'em! Hope you can find ways to relate these philosophies to your life... because sometimes it's nice to have some help in the shape of guidelines.
And don't worry - the yamas are next!
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