“The best yoga posture is the corners of your mouth turning up to the sky.  Smile”.  Sonia Choquette

Feeling grumpy, tired, annoyed,stressed, frustrated or simply flat ?  Then this weeks post may be just the medicine you need.  It’s a 60 second laughter experiment that will hopefully have you feeling lighter, and a little less stressed on the inside.

Research shows that a smile can change your mood, release tension (particularly in your jaw and neck), help you stay positive, boost your immune system, comfort another person, helps you relax and even makes you look younger.

I was inspired to write this post by the lovely Kathy Popplewell after reading one of her newsletters.  Kathy is an awesome Laughter Yoga Teacher right here in Australia (Sydney).  A big thank you to Kathy for allowing  me to share her 60 second Laughter Experiment.  You rock!

Words of advice on laughter from Kathy:

* You don’t need a sense of humour to laugh.
* You don’t need to be happy to laugh.
* You don’t even need a reason to laugh.
* The more you laugh the more you will develop a sense of humour, the happier you will feel,  and the more reasons you will find every day to laugh.
* Laughter can instantly lift your mood, make you feel great and give you more energy.  The more you practice the easier it will become.

60 second laughter experiment:

Step one:

Notice how you feel in this moment, right now.  Notice your mood, your energy levels, how your body feels, if you are frowning or slouching.  Change nothing.  Simply observe.

Step two:

Now simply laugh (fake it if you have too) for the next 60 seconds.

Start by curling the sides of your lips up and then follow with a few giggles.

If that feels really impossible with how you are feeling right now, then use a visual prompt from “you tube” to get your laughter muscles engaged.

• laughter clip – 1 minute
• woman goes back to work after 35 years (4 seconds)
• finding your “poo chi”
• skype laughter chain – 2 minutes

Step three:

After 60 seconds of laughing on your own or watching a laughter clip , reassess how you feel.  Notice your mood, your body, your posture, face muscles and energy levels.

The chances are you will feel a little lighter, have more relaxed  face, neck and shoulder muscles, let go of some inner stress and tension and disconnected from any worrying thoughts.

Think about how many times a day you laugh and whether you need to add more deliberate moments of 60 second laughter exercises into your day.

10 Impressive reasons to laugh more often:

1. Laughter is one of the easiest and cheapest ways to relax your body.
2. There is no right nor wrong way to laugh, anyone can do it. No skill required
3. Laugh to reduce your stress and tension. Laughter really is a release.
4. Laugh to feel young again. Yes, they say laughter is anti-ageing.
5. Laugh to strengthen your immune system. Yep, its been proven.Your immune system is boosted for at least 12 hours after watching a funny movie.
6. Laugh to let it go and move on. Literally laugh it off, you’ll feel better.
7. Laugh to invite play and joy into your life. Kids laugh 300 times a day. How about you?
8. Laugh to reduce depression. When you laugh your body releases endorphins so you actually start to feel better. Fake laughter works equally as well says Dr. Kataria.
9. Laugh because life is too precious to be filled with excess seriousness
10. A good belly laugh is great exercise – go figure. It works both the stomach and face muscles.

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“Deep rest is a state where there is no movement, no effort and the brain is quiet”

Rest is not a sign of giving in or being lazy.   Quality rest makes a valuable contribution to your body, to your mind and definitely to your soul.  Now more than ever, as stress and anxiety levels rise on our planet, moments of quality rest throughout our day are essential for the prevention of exhaustion, fatigue and confusion.

I’m a strong believer that quality rest is an exceptionally restorative, nurturing and healing practice. The body, when given the opportunity, can and will, begin to rejuvenate itself.   Rest is a vital and essential process that decreases wear and tear on the mind and body.

Crocodile pose (makarasana)

Of course when I talk about rest I’m not suggesting chilling out on the computer or in front of the TV.  I’m talking about giving yourself permission (for 5 minutes or longer) to switch “off” totally.   Withdraw your attention from the outside world, direct all your energies inwards and simply sink into your body.

Try this fabulous deep rest exercise:

Don’t be fooled by the seemingly simple relaxation exercise pictured above.  It’s one of the most effective ways to calm yourself down and trigger the feeling of deep rest.  In fact at my recent Rest and Rejuvenation retreat in Bali one of the participants felt incredibly restless.  We tried childs pose, legs up the wall, and quite a few more, and the only relaxation exercise which conquered the restlessness was crocodile pose (pictured above).

Calm an anxious or nervous stomach easily:

Crocodile pose (makarasana – as shown above) is a deeply restorative yoga pose.  It calms the mind, soothes the nervous system, and focuses the mind.

This is a great pose for connecting with and really feeling your breath.  It helps quickly identify any anxious or nervous feelings you might have around your stomach area and gives you the opportunity to let go and relax this area of your body.

I don’t think I need to give specific instructions for how to rest in crocodile pose.  The picture explains it all.   Lay down on your tummy, rest your forehead on folded arms, close your eyes and follow your breath.  The rest will happen automatically.

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Practising moments of mindfulness, can really influence the flow and content of your day.  In fact, I believe the more moments of mindfulness the happier, more satisfied, present and clearer you will become.

One way to practice a moment of mindfulness is to pause, ask yourself one very key question (shared below) and check in where you are at.   Of course when you choose to check in with yourself, you’re actually checking in with the real you.  The real you, whose often well hidden behind the louder, pushy, over thinking mind.  So a few rounds of belly breathing may be needed to feel the pause – and move your awareness past the crowded thoughts.

photo by scottog’s

I’ve pinched this wonderful question from Sarah Wilsons blog who in turn borrowed the idea from Montessori schools.   The question really spoke to me.  I feel its the perfect mindfulness practice when I’m about to shift my focus from one task to another.  Its sort of a variation on the “3 arrivals” which I’ve written about before.

Stop, pause, then ask yourself “Am I ready?”

So, after ready Sarah’s blog,  I’ve been dutifully asking myself  “Am I ready ?”  throughout my day.    “Am I ready to write this blog article?” or before I get out of bed  “Am I ready to go with the flow today?” or  just before the kids come home from school  “Am I ready to fully listen to my children this afternoon?” or  “Am I ready to give my full attention to ………?” or “Am I ready to stop doing what I’m doing?”

The last question I have to tell you is a fabulous one when random thoughts pop into my head like – quick go check facebook now or quick go check your emails now.  This simple little question (“Am I ready to stop doing what I’m doing?”) has prevented me (so many times) zippy off into the world of internet/life distractions.

The power of staying plugged into yourself:

The question “Am I ready?” is such a simple way to bring all your energies into the here and now (without the mind worrying about the past or future).  It’s a sacred 30 seconds of your time to re-assess, re-focus, walk away from, take a breather or do whatever feels absolutely right for you, now, in this moment.

I’ve also found its a fabulous way to slow down the speed of my day, direct more energy to my internal world (rather than my external world) and deliberately invite more balance into my day.

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“Restorative yoga is an act of kindness towards yourself” Judith Lasater

Imagine a yoga class that encourages you lie on your back, or at least a bolster ….. most of the time.   A yoga class that supports you no matter what your age or what your body is currently going through – pregnancy, anxiety, recovering from illness, menopause, breathing problems, exams, moving house, deadlines, lack of energy, moon day cycle or changing jobs.

Relax and Renew by Judith Lasater Ph D.

This my friends, is the wonderful world of Restorative Yoga.  A very gentle, therapeutic form of yoga helping you relax with the support of props (blankets, pillows, chairs, bolsters) to move your spine, calm your mind and heal.  You certainly don’t need any previous yoga experience or a flexible body to enjoy the benefits.

As part of the preparation for my upcoming 4 day teacher training with visiting American yoga teacher, Judith Lasater Ph D I’m reading with great care and detail her book -  Relax and Renew – Relaxing yoga for stressful times. Judith is considered a pioneer and leading world authority on Restorative Yoga and I felt its the perfect book to share with you.

I highly recommend “Rest and Renew”

The book is more of a “step by step” guide to over 50 restorative yoga postures.  In fact, the book is written in such a way that you feel like you are learning from Judith in person – whilst still in the comfort of your own home.   It’s easy to follow, lots of well explained instructions, carefully explained steps for setting up in the pose and plenty of photo’s (I personally need lots of photos to learn).

Great chapters on:

* poses for insomnia    * poses for difficulty breathing    * poses for lower back pain    * opening to menopause    * poses during pregnancy    * poses for headaches    * poses for when there is no time and you are super stressed

Restorative yoga at a glance:

1:   Gently opens up areas of your body which tend to close down during stress

2: Your body is fully supported (blankets cushions) requiring little physical effort, creating the space for deep relaxation

3: Restorative yoga postures are generally held for 5 – 20 minutes or longer to trigger the relaxation response

4:   Nourish and calms your adrenals and nervous system

5:  Helps enormously dealing with anxiety and nervousness

6:   Improves blood and oxygen flow throughout your body as your muscles are given permission to relax

7: Boosts the exchange of oxygen & waste products across the cell membrane.

8:   Stimulates and soothes your organs.

9: Gently moves and twists your spine.  A flexible spine is the key to good health.

10: Balances the female/male energies in the body

11: Helps improve your quality of sleep

12: All the organ systems of the body benefit during deep relaxation

13: Inverted postures (such as legs up wall) greatly alter hormone levels, improve blood and lymph flow

14:   Gives you a greater sense of inner calm or inner stillness

Photo by kahala – legs up chair (variation of legs up the wall)

If restorative yoga speaks to you, then Relax and Renew – Relaxing yoga for stressful times is the perfect starting point.  There are always times in our life when a softer, gentler style of yoga is what our body and nervous system need. It’s an absolutely perfect practice to do at the end of the day to help us switch off, unwind and integrate the day.

You can buy the book – Relax and Renew – Relaxing Yoga for Stressful Times from Amazon by clicking here:

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“Fresh, invigorating energy fills my life.” Denise Linn

The atmosphere (energy) in churches, temples and cathedrals is continuously being cleansed and blessed with incense, bells, candles, sound, salt, prayer and more.  The result a sacred space that feels safe, peaceful and deeply nurturing.

So, why not practice a simple energy cleansing ritual yourself, (borrowed from the priests and monks), to cleanse the atmosphere in your own personal living space.  Its a fabulous way to remove negative and stale energy that may be lingering from past illness, arguments or upset.

Its all about clearing out the old and making way for the new.    No experience needed – only the intention, a few ingredients/tools and about a half an hour of your time.

Photo by madaboutasia:

I have passionately studied for over 20 years space cleansing ceremonies around the world, from many ancient cultures.   And still to this day, perform energy cleansing rituals on people’s homes (although its not something I advertise – ssssh!).

Of course, energy cleansing rituals can be quite time consuming (mine usually take around 2 hours).  However my intention with this guide, is not to “turn you off” energy cleansing with too many steps and complex tools, but to inspire you  with a very do-able, safe and easy to follow guide.

I trust that you really do notice a change, and a difference in the way your home feels once you have cleansed and blessed the energy in your home.  Your questions and feedback, as always, are most welcome.  Please do let me know how you go.

Clear the clutter (first) for better results:

“I release the past with ease and trust in the process of life” Louise Hay

Before you begin I highly recommend putting a little time aside to sell/give-away or throw out some unloved, unused,  broken, haven’t used in 2 years,  expired or doesn’t fit stuff  from your cupboards, corners and hidden spaces.

Now, if the whole idea of clearing clutter is overwhelming or seems too time consuming, here’s a few articles I’ve written in the past, which may give you the inspiration and kick in the butt you may need to start clearing out some of that old stuck stale energy.   Good luck.

Let go of your emotional clutter

4 effective clutter busting games

Simple solutions when you can’t clear your clutter

Tools and ingredients for energy cleansing:

Ancient cultures include sound and elements from nature to perform their space cleansing rituals.  Choose at least one from each category below to use in your cleansing practice.

1: Sound instrument (bell, Tibetan singing bowl, clap sticks, drums etc.).  I generally use my Balinese Priest bell, clapping (my own hands) and a harmony ball. Sound of course can also include your own voice eg.  Chanting om has a very powerful effect on the energy in any room.

2: Something from the earth to cleanse (e.g. salt, the smoke from white sage, or pine needles or hand made specialized incense).  I use rock salt and white sage always.

3: Holy water (ordinary water that has been infused with sunshine, chanting, holy basil leaves or blessed).  My holy water has received a few hours of sunshine and a few hours listening to chants and mantra’s from my CD player.  Of course you can add flower essences, essential oils or even crystals to infuse the water with a higher energy.

4:  Fire – candles

5:  An infusion of nature (optional) ( flowers, crystals, stones, rice )  Its always a nice touch to add a favourite crystal, stone or flowers to the ritual.

A simple 8 step guide for cleansing the energy in your home:

You will be walking around the inside of your home at least 6 times – moving along each wall of each room – and spending longer in certain spots where you feel the energy is a little heavier or stuck.  Begin and finish at the alter you have set up or alternately your front entrance, whichever feels right for you.

Be as present, and in your body as you can, stay hydrated, remember to breath and above all, trust your intuition. Stop and rest whenever you need to, particularly if your mind starts to wander.  Mindful awareness is the key.

1:  Set your intention:

Have a clear intention as to the reason why you are doing it.   Write it down, then read it back to yourself.  Make sure it feels right for you.

For example -  “I now let go of old stuck energy from my life and home easily and attract new beginnings and opportunity”.

2:  Create a temporary special space (altar):

To make your cleansing ritual extra special, I always love to set a small space aside with all my tools/ingredients.  I cover a small part of a table with a special sarong that I only use for space clearing. I then add a bowl of salt, holy water, sage, bells, harmony ball, candles, fresh flowers and whatever else I may be inspired to add on the day e.g. crystals, space clearing mist, statues of Quan yin, Ganesha or Buddha.

3:  Begin with a prayer of thanks:

It’s always a lovely idea to say a little prayer, affirmation or mantra before you begin.  It adds a dash of specialness to your ritual and acknowledges the start of the cleansing process.  No rules here, do whatever feels right for you.  Its also a great time to light your candle.

4:  Sprinkle your floor with rock salt:

Start in your chosen location (front door or altar) and hold your bowl of rock salt.   Move around your home sprinkling a handful of rock salt across doorways, in corners and anywhere where you feel the energy is heavy.  For example it may be all around a bed due to a illness, in the kitchen due to lots of arguments or along the window sill next to troublesome neighbours.  Leave for 12 hours if you can.

Trust your gut feelings.

5: Clap away  stagnant energy:

Now you will be moving around your home for the second time – clapping continuously.   Clapping is a fabulous way to sense and read the energy in your rooms.

When a clap is crisp, clear and easy to do then it generally indicates the energy is light and flowing.  When a clap is heavy, dull or flat sounding this generally alerts you to the fact there is stagnant/stuck energy.   Stay in these spots for longer, continuing to clap until you feel your clap becomes crisper and clearer.

5:   Use your sound instrument to cleanse even deeper:

Now you will be moving around your home for the third time – this time with your sound instrument.  Bell, singing bowl,  Tibetans bells or tingsha cymbals etc.

Again, linger longer in areas that you feel have a thicker energy.  Repeat any room you feel may need it.

6:   Uplift with a harmony ball / infinity symbol:

This will be the fourth time now you are moving around your home.  This step is not so much about clearing negative energy but infusing a lighter or higher vibration in the atmosphere of your home.

I personally prefer to use a harmony ball which sends a lovely light gentle tinkle into the vibe of a room.   If you don’t have a harmony ball then draw the infinity symbol (figure 8 on its side) into each wall and room of your home.

The infinity symbol is a powerful ancient symbol that can bring balance and harmony back into a space when repeated.  You might be surprised what a difference infusing your rooms with the ancient symbol has on the atmosphere.

7:  Uplift with holy water

On your fifth circle of your home, flick or spray your holy water into the centre space of each room to infuse a lovely healing energy.  Flick or spray into the corners if you feel they need it – they generally do.

8:  Uplift with prayer or mantra

This will be your sixth and last time you circle the energy of your home.  You simply walk into each room and offer a prayer, affirmation or mantra.    Don’t rush, be calm and mindfully repeat your mantra to each room.  Finish with your own prayer of thanks.

Extra tips for success:

1: Clear as much clutter as you can beforehand.

2: Only perform an energy cleansing ritual when your energies are strong, your thoughts are clear and preferably there is no-one else in the house.

3: Pay close attention to the corners – they are well known spots to hold stuck, dead or heavy energy.

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“You feel connected to something greater than yourself when you are aware of your inner stillness”

I have been blessed, yet again, with an awesome group of women at my very latest Rest and Rejuvenation retreat in Bali. My intention was to create – a space where deep rest and stillness could be experienced by all participants, with minimum effort on their part.

Daily hand selected Balinese body massages and special Ayurvedic treatments (such as chakra dhara, crown massage and kati basti).  Coupled with morning relaxation sessions of restorative yoga (such as legs up the wall), mindful breathing, deep muscle relaxation, chanting and evening sessions of yoga nidra, all melted together to allow participants to let go, unwind, relax and feel peaceful on the inside again.  It was an absolute joy to witness.  We were one bunch of happy chilled out women.

Photo by split yarn:

Finding your inner stillness:

“I feel still.  I feel rested”

The simple act of finding the still spot inside of you (we all have one, no matter how tiny or well hidden it may be) creates the space for a more balanced feeling to fill up inside of you.   The more you become aware, feel and tap into your inner stillness the greater clarity and greater peacefulness you will feel.  Your life will flow with more ease and less agitation.

Of course you don’t need to go on my Rejuvenation Retreats to find your inner stillness.   15 minutes of daily restorative yoga is one of the easiest ways to connect with your inner stillness or perhaps you may be more attracted towards walking meditation. Walk leisurely and peacefully, with soft eyes and gentle belly breaths.  Inhale for 3 steps.  Exhale for 3 steps.  Of course just sitting quietly un-distracted for a few moments may be enough (for you) to become aware of your inner stillness.

So, as my recent Rejuvenation Retreat has now finished  – I felt it timely to share with you my personal realizations that I have experienced when I feel, breathe into, and then rest with my inner stillness.

The many gifts of tuning into your inner stillness:

In case you were wondering my inner stillness has a location.  Its in and around my stomach area.  Some days it may be well hidden but, after a little deep breathing I can soon sense it.  Once I sense or feel it, I simply continue to focus and breath into it, and then any one of the following things may happen.

1: Stillness is the quiet place inside where the mind doesn’t interfere, argue or confuse you.  Decisions are easy.  You have clarity.

2: Stillness brings you back to your true centre.  You are fully present with yourself.

3: Simple solutions often arise easily when you rest with your inner stillness

4: Being with your inner stillness allows you to digest life

5: You can tap into your inner stillness anywhere, anytime and any place

6: Stillness helps you trust in the flow of your life.

7: Feeling your inner stillness helps you “let go” of worry

8: Stillness offers a clear connection to your intuition, your gut feelings. You have a calm knowing.

9: Stillness allows big problems all of a sudden seem small

10: Your inner stillness acts as a buffer between you and the busyness of the world around you

11: Stillness gives your body breathing space to release stress, worry and agitation

12: You feel connected to something greater than yourself when experiencing stillness

13: You learn the valuable skill of letting go by resting in stillness

14: Stillness teaches you that you have the strength for any situation

15: Being with your inner stillness gives you the time and space to digest life

16: Stillness puts a healthy distance between you and the external stimulation of a busy world

17: Your body will quickly start to replenish itself as the immune system and nervous system are nourished by focusing on the feeling of stillness

18: There is a feeling of being totally safe and protected when you feel your inner stillness

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Guest post by Deanna Minich Ph D, CN

“Our relationship to food and eating is symbolic of how we approach every – thing else in our lives”  Deanna Minich

In essence, in this day and age, we are eating the “energy of fast” and getting indigestion, becoming overweight, and falling out of balance and harmony with our bodies.  Overthinking can be like eating non-stop from an infinite buffet where there is no time to digest the thoughts getting stuffed in.  It’s no wonder we get mental indigestion (otherwise known as stress and fatigue !).

Photo by Brittney Bush:

If you are aware of the more recent emerging theories within quantum physics, what you have gathered is that we are more than our physical bodies: we are a blend of both dense matter (the slower energy body) and fine matter (mind, emotional body, soul).

Our less physical, tangible self may be able to process the chaotic flux of energy, thought, and emotion to some degree, but our body moves slower. And, the greater the gap between our body, mind, emotions, and soul, I believe, the greater the occurrence of symptoms, and, ultimately, diseases. For example, thoughts translate into matter, it’s just a matter of time. That is why visualization techniques are so powerful. If we continually visualize an outcome, there is a high probability that it could occur compared to not visualizing it.

But what if you have cluttered thoughts piled in your mind – how do these manifest? As disordered physiology and scattered psychology? It is highly likely, in my opinion.

Symptoms of living fast:

The unearthing of issues of the 21st century such as:

* adrenal fatigue

* chronic fatigue

* non-specific pain syndromes

* rampant indigestion, bloating

*food intolerances

All of the above may be simply a deficiency of not the “taking in” but the lack of “reflection and contemplation”, the scarcity of the slow.

I predict that if we had ingestion in equal measure to that of assimilation, we may be able to harmonize our body, mind and spirit in a way that resonates optimal, vibrant health.

5 ways to balance the energy of fast in your life:

1: Take 20 minutes to eat a meal so that your gut and brain can talk with each other about your sense of fullness from eating.

2: Keep listening in balance with talking

3: Spend at least 5 minutes a day in silence and reflection.  Slowly graduate to higher levels

4: Spend at least 5 minutes a day in nature – at a park, in your backyard or admire a tree

5: As one of my favourite teachers Paramahansa Yogananda has stated, “if you read one hour, then write two hours, think three hours and meditate all the time”.

This is a guest post written by the lovely Deanna Minich Phd, CN. Deanna’s message is all about transforming the essence of self through the alchemy of foods and eating.

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Guest post by Stonesoup

Traveling for work can be fun. Takeoffs and landings. Fancy (and not so fancy) hotels. The security of a corporate credit card. Traveling to places that the average tourist wouldn’t ever think to visit.    But there are times when the constant eating out and room service can make you feel a little bleeah.

Which is exactly what happened to me a few weeks ago when I was traveling for work. Four days into the trip, I found myself badly missing my kitchen and craving a big salad. Not those tiny mixed leaf room service options with bad dressing, floury tomatoes and exorbitant price tags – but a seriously big healthy salad – preferably made by my own hand.

And so it was that I found myself wandering though a supermarket close to the hotel, racking my brain as to what I could cook for dinner that would be:

• A. Healthy and involve salad and
• B. Able to be prepared with the cooking equipment in my hotel room – namely a teaspoon.

Lets just say thank heavens for prewashed bags of mixed salad leaves. And for things in cans – with self opening lids. And that lemons can be persuaded to give out their juice with a teaspoon. Who would have thought?

Since then I’ve been experimenting with minimalist, low prep salads. The tuna chilli is definitely a favourite. The chickpea and parmesan comes a close second. I had it for lunch at work the other day. One of the guys from marketing commented on my lunch saying ‘That looks amazing – where did you get your salad?”

Do you think he would have believed me if I told him I made it with a teaspoon?

Tuna chilli salad
serves 1

Tuna with chilli oil is my new favourite thing, but feel free to choose plain tuna if you aren’t up for a little spice. I like to use the oil from the tuna as a bit of dressing for the salad. By all means use tuna in springwater (drained) if you have a low fat fetish.

1 bag pre washed salad leaves
1 small or medium can tuna in oil with chilli
1 lemon

Open salad and pick out few leaves to make room for the tuna. Flake tuna and chilli oil into the salad bag and shake a little. Punch lemon with the handle of a teaspoon (see image below) squeeze lemon juice over salad through the hole. Enjoy.

Chickpea & parmesan salad
serves 1

The tricky thing with this salad is that a whole tin of chickpeas can be quite a big eat. If you’re not super hungry feel free to ditch some of the chickpeas. I was also a little worried about not being able to properly wash the chickpeas but they tasted lovely with a little canning juice left on.

It’s been a long time since I last used pre-shredded cheese. If you are preparing in the luxury of a kitchen – or somewhere with a cheese grater handy at least – I’d recommend going with better quality parmesan. But the pre shredded stuff was surprisingly good.

1 bag pre washed salad leaves
1 can 400g (14oz) chickpeas, drained
1 lemon
1 small handful shredded parmesan cheese, optional

Open salad and pick out few leaves to make room for the chickpeas. Add the desired amount of into the salad bag and shake a little. Punch lemon with the handle of a teaspoon (see image below) squeeze lemon juice over salad through the hole. Sprinkle over cheese if using.

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Alternative traveling salads on my list to try:

• canned red salmon and lemon,
• cottage cheese with smoked salmon
• canned lentils, yoghurt & pinenuts
• ricotta with canned baby beets

Jules blog the Stonesoup specialises in minimalist home cooking.  Wholesome, delicious food that is easy to prepare and still fun and satisfying to eat.  It’s about reducing the number of ingredients, the amount of equipment, number of steps involved and the time spent in the kitchen

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“Smile, breathe, and go slowly”  Thich Nhat Hanh

The purpose of eating is to eat.  I really believe there are harmful consequences to our health, and well being with careless scattered, rushed eating habits.

Mindful eating, on the other hand is relaxed, thoughtful, respectful of our body, and could even be considered a meditation practice.   You are aware of your eating environment, the chair you are sitting on, breathing into the moment and enjoying the aromas, taste and appearance of your food.  You give all your energies and attention to the pleasure of eating and those you share it with.

Photo by ViktorKaposi’s

Mindful eating is something I’ve been focusing on of late.   I highly recommend it as an interesting exercise in observing your own eating habits.  The good ones and the bad ones, like gulping down food whilst at your desk, or rushing out the front door in the morning with breakfast in hand.

Can’t be great for your digestion or getting maximum energy and nutrition out of your food.   In fact Ayurvedic medicine believes that rushed eating disrupts your digestive process and agitates your nervous system causing great imbalance in your body, and in your mind.

So as I fine tune my mindful eating habits I’ve put together a list (to share with you) of the many ways, you and I, can both bring a dose of mindful eating habits into our lives.

12 powerful ways to unwind your eating habits:

“I am worth more and choose to eat healthier foods from now on”  Louise Hay

1.  Sit down:

The purpose of eating is to eat.  Respect your body and appreciate what it needs to do during the digestion process by sitting down.

2:  Arrive at your meal:

The wonderful Buddhist teacher Thich Nhat Hanh suggests a little breathing ritual so you can feel settled and more present within yourself before you eat your meal.

Repeat three times  “Breathing in I calm my body”  ‘Breathing out I smile”. This will help you arrive into the moment with your breath, mind and body and become more in tune with your food and the environment.

You might also like to read  live more in the moment with the 3 arrivals.

3:  Bring a smile to the table:

Another wonderful piece of advice from Thich Nhat Hanh is to always bring a smile to the table and for the people you are sharing your meal with.  Thict Nhat Hanh believes both breathing and smiling are two importance practices for mindful eating

4: Relax when you eat:

Lose the frown, un-hunch your shoulders, part your lips slightly to unlock your jaw, breath into your belly, smile and exhale deeply to unwind and release a little of the surface tension you are holding in your body.

5: Notice what words you are eating:

Words spoken while collecting, preparing, and eating food ultimately become ingredients in the final meal. They can change how food tastes, and what results in the body. What word(s) do you want to toss into your salad today or smooth into your smoothie.  Wise words by Dr. Deanna Minich.

6: Stop multi tasking:

Multi tasking splits your energy into many different directions – which in turn steals energy away from the digestive process and the present moment.  Don’t sit at your computer, your desk, in front of the TV or chat on your mobile.  Give all your energy and attention to the pleasure of nourishing your body with food.

7:  Engage all your senses in the eating experience:

Let your eyes see and explore the colours, shape and presentation of the meal in front of you.  Let your nose smell and be nourished by the aroma’s.  Let your taste buds awaken with the flavours and textures.  Let your sense of touch feel the food either through your utensils or with your fingers.  Listen to calming music or the sound of food cooking to nourish your sense of hearing.   Allow your whole being enjoy the eating experience.

8:  Eat in a soul satisfying environment:

A busy, crowded, over stimulated environment (with either people or technology or noise) can agitate your nervous system and weaken your digestive fire.   Either turn off all the excess or find a quieter space.

Eat at least one meal a day in a calm and peaceful environment.  Notice the difference.

9:  Spend longer chewing your food:

Many holistic medicine practitioners say digestion starts in the mouth.  So how long should you chew your food for ?  The general opinion out there is to chew until the food is liquid or unrecognizable from it original appearance.  Some holistic medicine systems suggest chewing each mouthful of food around 30 times.  Either way my guess is that most of us could spend longer on the chewing process.

Chewing your food for longer will also release at least four times more serotonin.  Seretonin is a mood regulator, de-stressor and helps you feel better.

10:  Take 20 minutes to eat a meal:

There’s lots of research out there suggesting that it takes at least 20 minutes for the stomach to send a message to the brain to say that its full.  Chewing your food for longer and taking your time to enjoy your meal may just well help you from over eating.

11:  Do not rush away from the table:

As soon as the last mouthful is swallowed, take your time getting up from the table.

12:  Experience a silent meal:

Deliberately choosing to eat a meal in silence is a wonderful way to help calm and balance your energies.  You’ll also notice, feel or experience things that you would have normally missed.

If you have ever been on a retreat that included silent meals you’ll be able to appreciate just how more aware you are in the present moment.

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Rejuvenate your breath:

“Improper breathing is a common cause of ill health” Dr.  Andrew Weil

Breathing is more than an automatic act of survival, it is the key to your health and sense of well being.   The Chinese say that “Breathing is 100 times more important than medicine”. Why?  Because when you take care of your breath you take care of every cell in your body.

Breathing oxygenates your blood better, supports your brain, and allows you take in more vital energy or chi.   How you take in that chi can make all the difference between feeling truly alive, vibrant and healthy, or just being alive and functioning without any personal sense of vitality.

Photo by woooody’s

Deep breathing oxygenates your cells:

“One of the most overlooked benefits of extra oxygen in the tissues is their ability to detoxify more efficiently”  Dr. Kurt  W. Donsbach D.C N.D.

The more air you take in, the more chi (life force energy) you draw into your body.  Your cells love it when you breath deeply and steadily.  They get a boost of both vital energy and oxygen to help remove toxins and regenerate.

In the 1930′s Nobel Prize winner Dr. Otoo Warburg discovered that cancer cells do not thrive in an environment that is well oxygenated.

Ayurveda (ancient science of life)  teaches that a lack of oxygen at a cellular level could be a significant factor in the cause of cancer.

In China cancer patients are encouraged to practice deep breathing for several hours a day which reportedly resolves their cancer in the majority of cases.

Your breath and stress:

“Stress molecules attach to your cells surface, as a result less space is available on their membrane to take in oxygen and essential nutrients”  Dr. Pokea

Shallow breathing (upper chest breathing) is an automatic response to anxiety.  When you train yourself to breathe deeply in the face of stress or anxiety, you are signaling to your mind that everything is OK.   And as a direct result, you will begin to feel OK.   This may sound like a simple platitude, but it’s a fact, and it can easily be proved by your personal experience.

It may take some practice to get your breathing deep and steady, and it may take further practice to consistently remind yourself to deepen and lengthen your breath at the slightest whiff of worry or stress, but if you do, you will feel the benefits very quickly.

How to practice a healing breath:

The easiest way to boost your resilience to stress and improve your heath is to find a class, book or audio that focuses on mindful deep breathing.  A yoga teacher with experience in yogic breathing (3 chamber breathing) and pranayama (deepening and controlling your breath) would be an excellent place to start or perhaps a Qi Gong (breath, movement, and meditation) class may appeal to you more.  There are many ancients practices out there to choose from.

A guided healing breath meditation:

One popular breathing exercise that I teach is called the Relaxing Breath, (sometimes called the 4-7-8 breath, due to the pattern of counting and holding the breath) it’s great for getting used to breathing deeply, and works well for reducing stress and anxiety. It’s also effective for relaxing into a restful sleep at the end of the day.

You can listen to a sample of my Relaxing Breath, New Beginnings in Breathing, Healing Energy Meditation or 5 Finger Qi Gong  by clicking here:

This is a guest post written by the gorgeous, Ananga Sivyar from Living By Design: Ananga is a practitioner at the Yoga Barn in England (Kent) for mantra meditations, kirtans and peaceful living.  She works from a diverse garden of healing techniques from Ayurveda (India’s Ancient Science of Life) to the latest developments in Energy Psychology.  She is an accomplished musician.  I can personally recommend all her relaxation and guided meditation recordings. You are welcome to click here to listen to Ananga’s recordings:

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More articles:

How to breathe better:

Why “yes” breathing is so important:

12 great reasons to start alternate nostril breathing:

15 clever things to know about your breathing:

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My music recommendations for yoga, meditation and relaxation:

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“Gossip sends your energy into the opposite direction of where you want to be going”

Giving your attention to gossip, plugs you into it, bringing a toxic energy into your being.  Gossip weakens your boundaries (and auric field) and allows other negative thought forms in. Your energies, and the direction in which your life flows is greatly compromised.

No matter which way you look at it, gossip doesn’t smell right, feel right, look right or sound right.  There is nothing helpful about gossip.

Photo by davidilanta:

Dictionary meaning: Gossip is idle talk or groundless rumours, especially about the personal or private affairs of others.

How to flick off gossip:

Following, are some of the things I have done over the years to reduce my exposure to the harms of gossip.

Whilst my life is certainly not 100% gossip free I am very mindful as to the conversations I give my time and energy too, and now have limited moments where gossip takes hold, zaps my energy or throws me totally off track with my life.

1. Choose your mindset.

Make a conscious choice to minimize your exposure to gossip from friends, media, work place, family and other situations in life.  Get to know what it smells and feels like.

2. Shift the energy by focusing on your exhale.

Breathe it away.  Let it go.  Spend longer on your exhale and keep your boundaries strong whilst ensuring the gossip is kept at a safe distance from you.

3. Get grounded – strengthen your root chakra:

Your root chakra (base of the spine) is the key to being grounded and having strong boundaries as shared by many great holistic medicine doctors such as  Dr. Mona Lisa, Dr. Christian Northrup and Dr. Deanna Minich.

You can support this chakra (and thereby strengthen your boundaries) by breathing into your feet, walking barefoot, eating quality protein foods, brisk walking, squatting, stomping your feet, hugging a tree or wearing red.

I highly recommend strengthening your root chakra to become more grounded with healthier, stronger boundaries.

4. Stop bringing it into your home.

Protect your personal living space by paying close attention as to how gossip sneaks into your home e.g TV, computer, gossip magazines, radio, phone calls, visitors, friends or family.  Be aware that listening, reading or watching celebrity gossip gives your focus to hurtful, shameful energy and invites it into your being and personal living space.

5. Louise Hays tip for disconnecting from gossip:

I remember reading in one of Louise Hay’s books how she handles gossip and is able to disconnect from it quickly. I’ve never forgotten it.

Louise would  calmly say “Thank you but I chose not to hear this right now” and remove herself from the situation.  You can’t get any easier than that.

6.  Strengthen your aura – wear a crystal.

Labrodrite seals your aura ( and therefore strengthens your boundaries ) whilst black tourmaline will transmute any negative energy in and around your being.

I prefer a combination of both labrodrite and black tourmaline in a bracelet. If you don’t like wearing crystals or its inappropriate for work then carry a piece in your pocket or bra.

* 12 great ways to strengthen your aura is an article I wrote last year and shares lots of ideas for cleansing and strengthening your aura, includes a yogic cleansing bath.

7. Improve your health.

The healthier your body and immune system the stronger your boundaries and the more nourishing and uplifting people and experiences you will attract. Like energy attracts like energy.

8.  Remember karma.

“What goes around comes around”.   If you don’t want to be a victim of gossip then don’t do it in the first place.

9. Release the harmful effects with flower essences:

I studied levels 1 and 2 Australian Bush Flower Essences about 8 years ago and learnt one of the most valuable ways to clear my being  (daily ) of negative energies.  Dab 7 drops of the flower essence Angelsword and Fringed violet to the area just above your belly button.

As many of my readers are not from Australia you may like to explore the Bach Flower Essence range which are sold world wide, or ask your local health food store which local flower essences they recommend to protect or heal your auric field.

throughout your body.

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“I rest well.  I sleep peacefully, and I awaken with joy”  Louise Hay

I shared a comment on facebook a few weeks ago on how I solved my night of insomnia (restless legs, restless body and an overexcited mind) with a simple yoga pose called  “legs up the wall at midnight”.  Actually, its only called legs up the wall, but adding – at midnight – sounds so much more appropriate when you’re practising yoga in the middle of the night.

Anyway, it worked wonders.  After no more than 5 minutes, everything in my body was calmer.  I went back to bed and slept like a baby.  I kid you not it happened that quickly.

Photo 1 – Modified child pose with bloster by do restorative yoga:

End your day with a calming practice:

So, if crashing on the couch, drinking mugs of hot milk or watching hours of TV is not working for you as a cure for insomnia then you might like to try (in addition to legs up the wall ) the relaxing yoga pose called  child pose.  Its healing qualities are specifically aimed to settle and calm the brain and soothe the nervous system.

The best part is there are few variations of child pose.  I’ve shared three here in this article with a few modifications if necessary.  Essentially child pose involves your head bending forward, which is a well known trigger for getting the mind to slow down.

If legs up the wall or child pose don’t do it for you, then I can highly recommend a few rounds of alternate nostril breathing if you are having trouble sleeping.  Its fabulous for calming an overstimulated mind and I guarantee you’ll feel more centred afterwards.

Three variations on childs pose:

1 – Modified child pose with bolster and/or blankets  (picture 1 above)

2 – Modified child pose with chair  (picture 3)

3 – Standard Child pose with forehead resting on floor and arms resting along side the body and hands beside the feet (picture 2)

I love child pose with my forehead resting on the floor, as it gives my back and spine a lovely stretch.  On the days when I’m feeling fragile leaning forward in child pose over a bolster is incredibly soothing.  There is something deeply nurturing when you allow your whole body to be fully supported by the bolster.

Don’t worry if you don’t have a bolster simply use a few pillows or pile of blankets to get the same effect.

Benefits of childs pose:

1 – Helps you let go of your day, as you are energetically turning your back to the world

2 – Encourages you to breath into your back and kidneys (breathing into your kidneys will help release fear which may be keeping you awake)

3 – Great for relieving tightness or tension in the lower back

4 – Relieves tension in your shoulders

5 – Quietens the mind

6 – Helps dissolve stress and fatigue

7 – Gentle stretches hips, thighs and ankles

8 – More blood flows to the mind (this can help with dizziness and headaches)

9 – Increases flexibility in the knees

10 – Calms the central nervous system

11 – Releases any heaviness in the body

12 – Relaxes your breathing

How to get comfortable in childs pose:

Photo 2 – Child Pose (Balasana) by Dehjahthoris

Before you start, remember the aim of any restorative yoga pose is to be extra comfortable and not restrict your breathing at all.  Restricted breathing means your body needs more space and you’ll need to come out of the pose a little and modify.

1. Begin by sitting on your heels with knees together or slightly apart whatever feels more comfortable

1. Gently bend forward so your head rests on the ground in front of your knees

1. You may feel more comfortable placing one or two pillows under your forehead or resting your arms above your head. Comfort is the key.

1. Place your hands, palms up on either side of your body and next to your feet. If this feels uncomfortable then simply stretch your hands out in front of you.

1. Close your eyes and focus on your breath

1. Breath slowly and deeply by imaging you are gently pressing the belly against the thighs on your inhale

How to let go of any fear:

According to Chinese Medicine your kidneys are known to hold fear.  Being fearful of the past or future can often keep us awake at night.  I can vouch for that.

So, sometimes I place my hands over my kidneys (whilst in child pose) and breath and smile into them, using my exhale to let go and soften my kidneys.  It makes a huge difference.

Modify childs pose if you need too:

Sit on a chair and fold forward (as in the photo below ) or use a bolster to rest on as shown in picture 1 at the top.

Photo 3 -  by multiple sclerosis yoga

This is NOT an ideal pose if you have knee problems, ear or eye infections

If you have trouble sleeping let me know if child pose or legs up the wall have helped you get back to sleep.  Or perhaps you have another practice that you’d like to share.  It certainly doesn’t have to be from yoga.

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Until recently I didn’t know much about quinoa.  Gosh, I couldn’t even pronounce it (keen – wah).  But now, I have fallen in love with the versatility, taste and nutritional benefits of this wonderful little seed called quinoa.  Its such a super food.   It happens to look a bit like millet and can be bought in different colours with white being the most common.

Photo by Kevin from Closet Cooking:

I first started cooking it for breakfast, as a porridge, with some ground cardamon, yoghurt, honey and blueberries.  Yum!   Amazingly light (not heavy like rolled oats), delicious and very nourishing.    I then quickly discovered that you can use it basically like rice and yes, you can even cook it in your rice cooker.

My second quinoa dish to cook was a  Moroccan quiona pilaf and it was fantastic. An easy one pot meal.  A big thanks to Nicole for sharing the recipe over at Rejuvenation Lounge’s  facebook page.

Quinoa is a complete protein and super food:

In my research it was the nutritional facts that really excited me.     Around 30% – 50% of your daily requirements for  iron, magnesium, manganese, potassium in a 100 gm serve.  A complete protein containing 8 amino acids, heaps of fibre (I can personally vouch for that) and great antioxidant.

In fact many sites that I visited during my research claimed that quinoa was almost the ideal food with the huge arrange of nutrients it contains.

Quick facts you might like to know about quinoa:

1. Use it like rice or a grain

2. From what I understand its a seed although often called a grain

3. Absorbs more water than rice

4. Bulks up when cooked to around 3 times its original size

5. Can be eaten as a porridge, in a stir fry, added to soups as a thickener, salads, as a burger or in a pilaf.

7. Gluten free

6. Always rinse before using – all quinoa cooks seem to stress this

7. For cooking generally 2 cups of water for 1 cup of quiona ( but I find it varies)

8. There are three mains types of quinoa – cream, red and black.  ( I prefer the cream quinoa ).  Red and black seem to be used often for salads.

9. You  can also buy quinoa flakes (great for porridge) and flour

10. Has a yummy nutty type flavour

Quiona recipes:

I’ve been searching the web to collect around 3 or 4 quinoa meal recipes and a couple of salad ones for myself.  Here’s a few that have grabbed my attention so far.  I keen to try the quinoa burgers with hummus and roasted red peppers and the quinoa tabbouleh next.

Please, please do share your favourite quiona recipes.  Quinoa deserves a lot more attention than its getting.  I only wished I started cooking with it years ago.

Photo by Kevin his recipe Morocan roasted carrot and chick pea quinoa salad:

Aspargus and baby artichoke quiona salad

Quiona quinoa breakfast brownies:

Quiona stuffed portobello mushrooms

Disgustingly good for you Quiona and tofu salad

Quiona with summer vegetable stir fry

Quiona burgers with hummus and roasted red peppers

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“A plant food that contains an array of heart chakra-healing properties is the mighty avocado” Deanna Minich

I’m in the middle of reading a fabulous book  Chakra Foods for Optimum Health by Deanna Minich Ph.D C.N.  This book is exactly what I’ve been looking for.  Deanna couples her academic training in medical and human nutrition with her extensive studies of yoga, reiki and shamanic healing practices. I’ll be writing a book review on it shortly so stay tuned.

In the meantime I’m keen to share some of Deanna’s wisdom for shifting stagnant energy from our chakra’s for such things as feeling ungrounded, needing to express our emotions or feeling depressed.

Photo by Deanna Minich

Clear blocks in your chakra’s with movement:

Movement and exercise is healthy because it removes stagnation: blood, oxygen, waste, and nutrients can freely flow unobstructed to get where they need to be when we start moving around.

Movement is an excellent therapy for clearing blocks not only in our body, but also in our energy (chakra) system, especially when coupled with nourishing foods for these energy centers.

Here are some ideas of how to get the best out of your movement for your chakras:

Root chakra (red):

Feeling ungrounded, spaced out or not “in your body”?

Stimulate your root chakra with exercises that require the lower part of your body: whether running, walking, squatting, doing floor exercises, dancing.

Sacral chakra (orange):

Need to express emotions?

Allow your true feelings to flow through your sacral chakra with the conduit of water: try swimming, water aerobics, or a steam sauna.  Drink more water or take an epsom salt bath.

Solar plexus (yellow):

Do you feel controlled by stress or fatigued from working too hard?

Enliven your solar plexus and reduce your stress with the balance of harmonizing exercises such as yoga, tai chi, qi gong.

Heart chakra (green/pink):

Is your heart heavy or do you have trouble saying no ?

Circulate the love in the heart chakra territory by supercharging with some aerobic exercise.  I’d also like to add alternate nostril breathing to Deanna’s suggestion of aerobic exercise..

Throat chakra  (torquoise/blue):

Do you feel like you can’t speak your truth, that your tongue is tied?

Let your throat chakra voice itself through the clarity of sound: chanting, humming or singing in the shower or car can help you find your authentic self.

Third eye  (indigo/purple):

Is your mind on overdrive?

Toss away the clutter of thoughts from your third eye chakra through meditation, sitting in silence, or reciting an invigorating or calming mantra to replace the “monkey-mind”.

Crown chakra (lavendar/white):

Do you feel disconnected, unplugged, and depressed?

Connect to the whole of life by praying, setting intentions, and giving gratitude in every moment.

I plan on writing about each one of the 7 chakra’s in the upcoming months.  If there is any understanding or learning you’d like to know about chakra’s please let me know.

Chakra’s have played an important role in my studies over the years from yoga, crystal healing to Australian Bush Flower essences.

In the meantime you might like to zip over to Dr. Christiane Northrups (Medical Doctor) web site and read her very practical description on chakras.  Click here.

Many thanks to Deanna Minich for allowing me to share her wisdom.  Deanna has a wonderful combination of academic training in medical and human nutrition along with extensive studies of yoga, reiki and shamanic healing practices.  Her book is called Chakra Foods for Optimum Health

egs up the wall is generally not recommend for those menstruating, with retinal problems, after third month of pregnancy and heart problems.  Check with your yoga teacher first.

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“In the midst of movement and chaos, keep stillness inside of you”  Deepak Chopra

The aim of  stillness is simple.  To pay more attention to your inside world rather than your outside world.  In effect giving your mind and body a chance to re-group, rest and rejuvenate a little. Of course the longer your stillness practice, the greater the restorative benefits.

Sitting, lying or walking peacefully un-distracted for 15 minutes will activate different aspects of your nervous system and immune function.   Your body will soon start to replenish itself again.  Yeah!

Photo by riot jane:

If you missed part one – “Start a Daily Stillness Practice Today and Succeed” please click here otherwise read on for a collection of 1-20 minute stillness practices.

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Here’s what stillness looks like:

- Seek nothing
- Do not anticipate what to do next
- Just be with yourself, feelings and emotions
- Feel and follow your breathe
- Let your thoughts come and go without getting into a conversation with them.

Stillness practices under 5 minutes:

“You find stillness by not looking” Unknown

There’s lots of different ways you can experience moments of stillness in your day without having to close your eyes and meditate.  In fact, stillness is probably a skill you might want to practice if you are keen to start meditation.

Lying down next to my cat ( for a few minutes ) is one of my favourites.  Cats just have a way of looking at you and saying “What’s all the rush and fuss about, chill out with me for a while” and of course I do.

1:  Morning tea as a stillness practice or as Thich Nhat Hanh says a time for tea meditation.  Don’t read a magazine, check your text messages, write a “to-do” list or multi-task.   Simply sit,  be still whilst sipping and enjoying your tea in a moment of relaxing stillness.   As we are so used to staying, busy, busy, busy whilst eating and drinking you might find this simple stillness practice a little more difficult than you initially thought.

2:  Couch stillness:

Lie on the couch and do nothing – no reading, watching TV or writing.  Simply focus on your breath.  Use your breath to breathe out any restlessness or agitation.  Your breath is a great tool to help you move into being still on the inside.

Physically lying still sends a clear message to the rest of your being to be calmer.

3: Animal stillness:

Sit or lay next to your pet for a few minutes.  You’ll be surprised how calming they can be to the nervous system when you take the time to tune into their energy.

4: Relaxed muscle stillness:

Are you tense and all knotted up?

Direct your energy, breath and attention towards the main muscles/areas in your body.  Start with your head and then move through your body and finish with your feet and toes.

Head soften, my head is now softening.  Jaw soften, my jaw is now softening.  Neck and shoulders soften, my neck and shoulders are now softening.  Arms soften, my arms are now softening and so on.

By the time you have softened your legs and feet just sit back, relax, and enjoy the stiller feeling you are now noticing inside  your body.  Rest for a few moments in the stillness.

4:  Use sound to find stillness:

Humming, chanting, singing or speaking a mantra such as om (aum) is an excellent way to feel stiller on the inside.  It’s  a relaxation tool that I always include in my Womens Rest and Rejuvenation Retreats.

Om (aum) is a Sanskrit word, a symbol and a sound of ancient spiritual significance.  It is the most chanted symbol in India, and said to have a profound effect on your mind, body and soul plus the environment in which it is chanted into.

Take a full deep breathe in, and on your exhale gently sing/chant om down into your body and out into the world. One om will probably last around 10 seconds or longer depending on the size of your inhale. As little as five rounds of om can significantly calm your mind and body.

5.  Alternate nostril breathing:

Simply by practising a few rounds of alternate nostril breathing (pranayama) for a few minutes each day, you can help restore any imbalances in your brain.  You can improve sleep, encourage a calmer emotional state, boost your thinking power and soothe your nervous system.

Click here to learn how to do alternate nostril breathing:

10 – 20 minute stillness practices:

Most days I do my best to practice at least 15 minutes of one restorative yoga pose.  That’s the beauty of restorative yoga, each pose is designed for you to be extra comfortable and completely still for up to 30 minutes at a time.

On days when I’m particularly agitated then journaling or walking meditation are usually helpful towards feeling stiller.  Enjoy and please feel free to share your secrets for connecting with your inner stillness.

1: Legs up the wall:

I’ve written about “legs up the wall” before.  Its literally lying on your back with your legs up in the air resting against the wall.  This restorative yoga pose has many wonderful therapeutic benefits.  Click here for full details.

2: Yoga Nidra:

Known as yogic sleep you lay in Savansana (corpse pose) and deliberately move your awareness through your body for deep relaxation.   They say 20 minutes of yoga nidra is equivalent to 3 – 4 hours good quality sleep.

For full details  click go to – The ultimate guide to yoga nidra. If you have ever been to yoga then its probably something you would remember doing at the very end of the class.

3:  Child pose

Child pose is another restorative yoga posture that physically helps you turn your awareness inwards by resting your forehead on the floor.  You are curled over your knees which arches the back releasing tension and stiffness.

You can practice stillness in childs pose for 2 minutes or 10 minutes.  I encourage you to try it for yourself.  Please read the following article I wrote a while back called:   Calm your mind in 2 minutes it has great diagrams and lists all the benefits.

4:  Morning pages – writing:

Journaling can be the perfect partner when you need to feel stiller on the inside. Its also a wonderful way to empty your head of those annoying repetitive thoughts which is often the block to stillness.

I tend to follow Julia Camerons teachings of writing for 30 minutes first thing in the morning (known as morning pages). You don’t think about what you are writing nor worry about your spelling, you simply move your hand as the words appear on your page.

* Benefits of journaling daily:

5: Stillness meditation

Sit in a comfortable position, relax your shoulders, neck, buttocks and stomach. Gently close your eyes and do nothing but focus on your inhale, the pause between your inhale and exhale and then your exhale.

If you find your mind wandering then repeat on the inhale “Breathing in I am calm” and on the exhale “Breathing out I smile”.   I know I share this mantra often but it works really well for me.

Walking meditation as a stillness practice:

“Walking meditation is meditation while walking” Thich Nhat Hanh

If you are too restless and agitated on the inside ( to feel stillness ) I can highly recommend the very simple practice of walking meditation. As Eckhart Tolle says, you don’t need to be still on the outside to feel and connect with your stillness on the inside.

The following guidelines are taken from a wonderful book I own called Walking Meditation w/DVD & CD by Thict Nhat Hanh.

Walking Meditation w/DVD & CD

1: Gentle Belly Breathing:

Place your hands on your belly to feel it rise and fall as you walk.  Use a gentle belly breath to calm your thoughts, relax your body, hips, elbows, muscles, legs, face, eyes and ears.   Repeat as you walk.  Breathing in “I am resting” Breathing out “I am softening”.

2: Walking – pay attention to your feet:

Walk with soft eyes, slowly and gently. Feel the sensation of each foot as it presses down onto the earth. Follow the movement of every foot step with your mind and breath.

3: Counting your breath:

To keep your mind focused on each step and each breath count the number of steps to each inhale and each exhale.    It helps prevent your mind from getting distracted with other thoughts.   1 inhale for 3 steps, 1 exhale for 3 steps.

4: Smiling:

Thich Nhat Hanh says a smile brings lightness to your feet, invites your body to relax and helps you settle more easily into the walking meditation.

egs up the wall is generally not recommend for those menstruating, with retinal problems, after third month of pregnancy and heart problems.  Check with your yoga teacher first.

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“When you lose touch with inner stillness, you lose touch with yourself.  When you lose touch with yourself, you lose yourself in the world”  Eckhart Tolle

Stillness offers a precious moment in our day that is very nurturing and deeply healing.  Particularly when practiced regularly.   It provides the time and space for any scattered and restless energies within us to settle, followed by a feeling of calm clarity to rise to the surface.

Stillness can re-teach us the art of listening to our bodies.  It’s all too easy with the demanding distractions of the external world to become ungrounded, lose a connection with who we are and ignore the needs of our body.

Photo by splityarn:

I truely believe that regular moments of stillness is essential (for all of us) to maintain our energy levels and sanity in such a busy, rushed and fast paced world.  There must be balance in our day of “energy out” and “energy in”, between yin (quiet) and yang (busy).   There are consequences to constant busyness and the continuous giving out of energy.

Start small with 60 seconds of stillness:

Sitting still for 60 seconds can be extremely challenging ( at first ) as your body wants to fidget, scratch, wiggle, twitch, complain, crave stimulation or look for distractions.  Being still is a learned skill, so be patient with yourself.

Start small with 60 seconds, and add to that, as you are able to settle your energies more easily and go for longer periods.

There are many ways to enjoy a stillness practice:

A stillness practice is simply you turning your awareness inwards.  It’s you hanging out with you.  Being still ( without being entertained ), calming everything down for a brief moment or longer, and connecting with your whole being.

In part two of my stillness series (next week) I’ll be sharing a variety of ways that you can enjoy stillness.  In the meantime here’s a couple you might like to start with.

* Sit, close your eyes, rest your hands on your belly and simply follow your breath.  You can do this now at your desk, in the car before you drive away, prior to eating a meal or before you get out of bed.  Continue until you feel a little or a lot stiller on the inside.

* Restorative yoga has many wonderful poses that are ideal for more lengthy stillness practices.  Here’s a few of my favourite  “legs up the wall” and “childs pose“.

* Alternate nostril breathing – simply by practising a few rounds of alternate nostril breathing (pranayama) for a few minutes each day, you can help restore any imbalances in your brain.  You can improve sleep, encourage a calmer emotional state, boost your thinking power and soothe your nervous system.

Click here to learn how to do alternate nostril breathing:

Tips to help you succeed at a daily stillness practice:

1:  Decide when you want to do it:

Choose a time of the day you feel would best work for you and then stick to it – even if its only for a few minutes. It might be once a day or every time you get into the car, sit down at your desk or eat a meal.

2: Choose your stillness practice.

Choose the type of stillness practice that you feel would work best for you.  I’ll be sharing more practices next week in part two of my stillness series.

3: Select where you want to do it:

Decide where you want to practice stillness.  Inside or outside. On the couch, against the wall, on your yoga mat, under a tree, in the car, or on the bed.

4:  Add dash of calm to support stillness:

Do whatever triggers relaxation for you.  Spray your aura with a rescue remedy or flower essences (such as calm and clear mist), burn incense,  light a candle, burn essential oils,  or sit  next to an image of budhha or quan yin.

5:  Start with an easy and do-able amount of time:

If 3 minutes of sitting still sends your body crazy with fidgety restless movements then start with an easy 30 seconds.  Master 30 seconds then move one to 1 minute when you are able to settle your energies more easily move onto 2 minutes.

6:  Eliminate distractions:

Of course it goes without saying to turn off the technology.  Phone, mobiles, etc even if you are only being still for 60 seconds.

Drink water beforehand, have a snack if you are hungry.  Eliminate any possible distractions that your body may come up with as an excuse to not sit still.

7:  Do it the same time everyday:

Research has shown you are more likely to succeed at a new habit if you do it first thing in the morning or at the very least the same time every day.  So strengthen your chances of succeeding by practicing stillness the same time/times everyday.

Part two:  The many ways to enjoy a stillness practice:

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“Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished.”  Lao Tzu

As Richard Clarlson says stress is nothing more than the mind bullying your body. And I’m sure your body is not thrilled about all the continual holding of the breath, clenching the jaw, grinding of teeth, intense frowning,  stomach churning,  squished up face, tight tense muscles, erratic breathing and anxious feelings.

Know there are simple little 30 second practices you can do right in the middle of any stressful situation.  Small or big.  Be it annoying traffic, noisy neighbours, a difficult person,  running late, grumpy children or as in my experience earlier this year, sitting in hospital with my son screaming in pain.  Very stressful.

Photo by Mait Juriado’s

Release surface tension as you go:

Giving yourself 30 seconds or longer to remove surface tension – as it happens – I believe is the clever way to go.  And its easy.   If you can breathe then you can do it.

The hard part is remembering to do it.  Over and over again if you need too until you can feel some relief.  Remember, relief is literally only a breath away.

I practice all of the following ” stress less” remedies – some days more than others with belly breathing and humming being my two favourites.  I still find balancing motherhood and work challenging (at times) both time wise and energy wise.  After all I am only human.  But, I do find my body is far more relaxed and healthier, if I remember to release the stress as it happens.

1.  Adjust your breathing:

“Relief is literally only a breath away”

Simply notice your breath.  There is nothing else you need to do.  This will take focus and energy off the situation and back into your body.  Notice your breath, follow your breath and let your breath breathe you.

Your breath is the most efficient tool you have for getting relief from stress.  When your breathing is restricted, agitated or stopped altogether, it creates an unseen chain reaction in the body that can greatly compromise your well-being and ability to think clearly

2.  Release it from your muscles:

“Stress is nothing more than your mind bullying the body” Richard Carlson

Let go of the strong hold tension has on your muscles.  Start with your head.  Part your lips slightly, un-clench your jaw, relax your tongue (it hold lots of tension), lose the frown, un-squish your face, un-hunch your shoulders, lengthen your spine, relax the muscles in your buttocks and stomach and then smile (even if you don’t feel like it).    Feel the difference.  You have effectively released oodles of surface tension from your body.

Tight muscles restrict circulation throughout your body and starve your organs, muscles and extremities of blood flow and oxygen.

3.  Hum to clear your head and interupt the stress:

“I try to avoid stress – it makes me feel like I’m rubber-stamping my organs with urgent’ Berri Clove

Humming is a miracle worker. The vibration and sound of the hum clears away worry and stored tension in your body.

Place one hand on top of your head and the other on your belly. Close your eyes and hum. Keep your lips together as this will help loosen tension around your mouth, jaw and neck area.  Feel the movement of the hum as it flows from your stomach to your head.   Continue until you feel the stress shifting.  Perfect exercise for frustration in traffic jams.

4.  Spend longer on your exhale to push the stress away:

“I choose to respond by breathing, not stressing”

Exhaling for twice as long as your inhale is a great way to calm tight, tense breathing.   For example inhale for 2 exhale for 4.  It’s fabulous for releasing stored tension from your chest, stomach and shoulder area.  It’s also great for moving excess energy out of your head (quickly), particularly if you feel like its about to explode.

Push the stress further away by sticking out your tongue (as far as it will go) and exhale from your mouth, not your nose.   Very therapeutic for built up tension in tongue, neck and jaw.  Roar like a lion like if you need too.

5.  Breathe into your belly – My favourite:

“The true man breathes with his heels, the mass of mean breathe with their throats” Chuang Tzu Taoist Philosopher

Placing your hands on your belly will instantly direct energy there.  Inhale deeply all the way down into your belly. Feel your hands rise on the inhale, as your belly fills with air and expands.  Feel the relaxation that follows each belly breath.   When belly breathing make sure your ribs swing open as well.  When the ribcage opens the belly expands fully.

Most people are upper chest breathers and never fully fill their lungs, or  fully empty their lungs.  Belly breathing encourages a full deep healthy breath.

Belly breathing triggers the relaxation response in the body, removes stale air from the bottom of the lungs, oxygenates the body and improves the flow of blood and circulation throughout your body.

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“We can change our lives. We can do, have, and be exactly what we wish”  Tony Robbins

Any new moon is the perfect time to release your monthly wishes out into the universe.  Astrologically it carries a strong energy for giving birth to new ideas, habits or projects.

To give my wishes the special attention they deserve, I send them on their merry way with a simple, yet meaningful ritual.  Rituals needn’t be complicated, time consuming or confusing.  In fact mine are around 3 – 5 minutes.

Firstly, I become still and arrive fully into the moment.  I want my whole body, mind and breath to participate.  Secondly, I connect with the four elements of nature, after all they nourish us all on a daily basis and we certainly couldn’t survive without them.   Then, and only then, do I feel connected and prepared to release my wishes out into the big wide world.

Photo by bekah stargazer

Next new moon 14th May – 12th June 2010:

For me rituals are deeply satisfying and fuel my soul.   They create a feeling that something special, magical is happening, and the whole universe is involved.  Rituals are nothing short of inspiring and uplifting.

So, if the idea of a new moon wish ritual appeals to you, I’ve shared the simple steps (below) for one of my favourite new moon rituals.

Friday 14th May 11.05 a.m will be the next new moon for Queensland, Australia.  This gives you plenty of time to buy some sage, a special candle and get clear with your wish or wishes for next month.  Depending on where you live it may be a good idea to check the next new moon times for your part of the world.

Remember if you need any help with your ritual, don’t be shy, I’m here to help in whatever small way I can.

Acknowledge the start of your ritual:

Light a candle to signify the start of the ritual – giving thanks and gratitude. You can even open with a little blessing or prayer if that feels right for you.

Arrive fully at the ritual:

Give 100% of your whole self when releasing your wishes by arriving fully into the moment.  Involve your mind fully,  breath fully, body fully and your soul fully.

Feel and become aware of  your body (feet, toes, fingers, legs, arms etc), shake and move your body if you need too.

Feel and become aware of your breath, follow it as it moves through your body.  It is your breath and words that will give energy to your wishes.

Feel and become aware of your thoughts – do not follow your thoughts just notice them and your mind will soon arrive without getting distracted.

Feel and sense the energy of your heart, the core of your being, the essence of who you are.

Now, pay closer attention to the environment around you. Tap into your senses.  What can you see, smell, taste, touch or hear?

If you need help arriving, then you might like to read my article called the 3 arrivals.  A simple Buddhist practice that encourages you to arrive fully into the here and now.

Connect with the elements of nature:

To connect with the essence of the universe you need to acknowledge the four main elements of nature.  Fire – water – earth – water.  You can do this by feeling, sensing or having a physical representation for each of the elements.

Earth: go barefoot and feel the earth beneath your feet.  If you can’t go outside you may prefer to wear or hold a crystal, be close to a plant or vase of flowers. Breathe the earths energy up through your feet.  Feel the connection.

Fire: the burning candle signifies fire – feel or sense the cleansing properties of the fire, and the energy it is fueling your wishes with.

Air: light a piece of dried white sage or sage smudge stick (as shown in the picture above).  The smoke represents air. Let the smoke fill the air around you.

Water: have a bowl of water with a small handful of rock salt. This connects you to the ocean and all water on this planet. Add essences, flowers , crystals or infuse your water with sunshine – if this feels right for you.

Write and cleanse your wishes:

Write your wishes down on a piece of paper and then cleanse away unseen obstacles and energy blocks with the smoke from your sage smudge stick (Shown in the photo above).  Continue cleansing until you feel a lighter energy around your written wishes.

I have used dried white sage (either loose or as a smudge stick) for over 20 years and strongly believe in its cleansing and purification properties.  Burning sage is almost a daily occurrence in my home.  If you can find organic, then all the better.

Release your wishes:

The first part of releasing your wishes is writing them down.  The second part is saying them out aloud as if you are speaking in person to the universe.  Feel or sense the words of your wishes in your breath, in your exhale as they leave your body. Release them with love and grace.

Close ritual:

Finish your new moon wish ritual by blowing out your candle and giving thanks and gratitude. Close your eyes and spend a few special moments in silence – feeling whatever you need to feel.  I usually get a feeling of my wishes flying out into all corners of the world.

You may  keep your written wishes under your pillow, next to your favourite crystal,  on your bedside table, in your wish bowl, on your altar or bury them in the ground for the next month.  You may even prefer to keep a visual image or picture that represents your monthly wish.  Alternately read your monthly wish/wishes just before you go to bed.   Do whatever feels right for you. Trust and be guided your intuition.

In case you are wondering what my monthly wish is – it’s to complete my first e-book “Unwind” and become an author.   Wish me luck.  May all our wishes come true, easily and effortlessly.

Upcoming new moons:

12th June 2010

11th July 2010

10th August 2010

8th September 2010

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“Letting go a little improves life. Letting go alot brings happiness and joy” Jim McGregor

Honestly, this has got to be one easiest ways to deeply your rest your body.  Not too mention the health benefits for your adrenals, circulation, organs, heart, aching legs and nervous system.  So much better for you than having another cup of coffee and soldiering on.

Trust me, you’ve got to try this restorative yoga pose and experience it for yourself.  After 5 minutes of chillaxing with your “legs up the wall”,  you’ll feel so much better.  All you need is a floor and a wall.  Blankets and cushions are handy optional extras.

Supported legs up the wall photo by Yogeek mami

Health benefits:

As I’m currently studying Restorative Yoga and eagerly awaiting my 4 day teacher training with visiting American teacher Judith Lasater Ph D I’ve discovered so many wonderful benefits from this simple yoga posture in my research.  There’s even yoga texts claiming that it can reverse the effects of ageing.  Yeah!

It’s a super easy way to help alleviate many of the symptoms which come from leading a stressful life.  Here’s a list of the main health benefits that you can expect when you practice this posture regularly.

* Calms your nervous system

* Brings fresh blood & lymph fluid into your abdomen & organs  – very refreshing

* Relieves tension in lower back & sacrum

* Helpful for minor depression & anxiety

* Relaxes your adrenals

* Calms your mind

* Reduces swelling in your feet and legs

* Releases tension and stress from your legs – they will feel lighter

* Rests your heart as your feet are above the heart – reversing effects of gravity

Before you start:

Grab a few cushions, blankets or a bolster just in case you decide you need a few under your buttocks to feel extra comfortable and supported.

Of course you don’t need any props at all, just the floor and wall is perfectly fine.

I personally prefer having a bolster under my buttocks as it gives a nice gentle stretch to my sacrum and lower back.  I also love using my yoga eye pillow as it relaxes my eye muscles and helps deepen the relaxation experience.  A light blanket is also handy as your body tends to cool down when you relax.

Getting into legs up the wall:

1: Sit next to wall with your knees bent and your left shoulder and left hip against the wall.

2: Swing around to bring your bottom up close to the wall  supporting yourself on your elbows and forearms.  If you are using a bolster have that against the wall first and then swing around and up onto it.

3: Slowly move your legs straight up the wall.  Keep them relaxed.  Come away from the wall if your hamstrings are tight (like mine) or tailbone and buttocks are lifting off the floor.  Remember being extra comfortable is important.

4: Use a folded blanket under your head if necessary.  Make sure your chin is slightly lower than your forehead. Your neck must feel comfortable, without any tightness or pinching at the nape.  If blood flow to the head is obstructed, the brain cannot relax.  A towel rolled and placed under your neck can also be helpful.  Take your time and do what feels right for you today.

5: Place your arms out by your side with your palms turned up.  This opens up the area under your arm pits and gives space to your chest and heart area.

6: Breath slowly and deeply.  Enjoy the release of tension from your legs, your spine being able to relax and chest area more open.

7: To finish simply bring your knees to your chest and very, very gently roll out to your right side. Wait for a few minutes before you get up.  This is very important – gives your blood pressure time to adjust.

How long for:

Judith Lasater in her book Relax and Renew recommends at least 5 minutes to 9 minutes – longer if you feel comfortable.   I personally like around 10 – 15 minutes at the end of the day or just before bed.

Caution:

Legs up the wall is generally not recommend for those menstruating, with retinal problems, after third month of pregnancy and heart problems.  Check with your yoga teacher first.

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In the thirteenth century, Dante listed the Seven Deadly Sins on the pathway to Paradise: Gluttony, lust, greed, envy, pride, anger and sloth.

Now, almost eight hundred years later, people are still committing these seven sins in Work Life Balance.  So let me share with you the Seven Deadly Sins of Work Life Balance … and how to avoid them.

Photo by myyogaonline:

1. Gluttony: Trying to be all things to all people:

Don’t try to be all things to all people. If you try to please everybody, you will end up satisfying nobody.

The secret to being successful at balancing life is to allow yourself to be human and stop feeling guilty when you can’t do it all.  Everyone gets wound up at times.  When you notice it happening simply acknowledge where you are at and then do something about it.  Take a breather.  Don’t give yourself a hard time.   If you try to be all things to all people, you’re not just a glutton – you’re a glutton for punishment.

2: Lust: Falling in love with “gimmicks”

Focus your time, money and energy on the things that matter.  Stop getting distracted with things that keep catching your eye.

When it comes to balancing your life, this means stop buying new stuff every time you feel stressed or unhappy.  Shopping has become the latest quick fix for short term happiness.

Next time you have the shopping urge, speak to a close friend or colleague and share how you are feeling.  Pause.  Breathe. Acknowledge where you are at, and it will pass.  Go for things that offer more lasting happiness like spending time with good friends.

3. Greed: Looking for too much too fast:

When you first get started living a balanced life, there’s a temptation to do everything at once. But if you chase two horses, you’ll catch neither of them. The best way to get started is to choose one activity that is likely to give you high value, do that well, and then move on to the next.

4. Envy: Copying tactics that don’t fit your strategy:

A Russian soldier stationed in West Berlin after the Second World War wandered into an empty house and saw an electric light bulb for the first time. Fascinated by this magic light-generating globe, he cut it off with his bayonet and put it in his knapsack so he could carry around the light with him wherever he went.

The same is true with living a balanced life. Don’t just do what somebody else tells you to do, unless you know the whole picture.  By all means, look around to see what others are doing, but don’t just copy their tactics without understanding how and where they fit your life.

5. Pride: Holding on to things that aren’t working:

If what you’re doing isn’t working, do something else! I know that  sounds obvious, but it never ceases to amaze me how often people keep repeating unsuccessful patterns.

If you’re running tired all of the time,  look at what you are doing.  Your lifestyle is obviously not working for you if it is sucking the life out of you. Find a system you can use to get what you want out of life and implement it one step at a time. Just as you would with any new system in the workplace.

6. Anger: Blaming other people for your lack of success:

If you’re not getting the success you desire, look to yourself first. Even if it is somebody else’s “fault”, you could be waiting a long time for them to fix things for you. It is far better to take responsibility yourself to find a solution.

For example, if you have lost your spark for life and your health is suffering, you need to look at what you have been doing to get to that state. Perhaps you need to say no more often, reduce your commitments or start meditating.

You are responsible for what you put in your mouth each day, for how you treat yourself and for what you get out of life.

7. Sloth: Dragging your feet:

Above all, do it now! None of the other advice in this article will do you any good unless you take action.

It’s too easy to say “I’ll go to the gym next week”, or “I’ll start eating healthy tomorrow”, or “I’ll fix my office environment after I finish this next project.”

Successful people do the things that unsuccessful people don’t do.

Thanks to Jennifer Jefferies for this guest post.  Jennifer is the author of 7 Steps To Sanity.

Note: As there are literally hundreds of articles in the archives I thought it would be a good idea to share a popular post from the past once a month.  The archive articles will be refreshed and updated as my writing way back then was somewhat embarrassing.

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