It is estimated that some 100,000 people die each year in the US from using their medications as directed. Thousands more die from mistakes and abuse.

All prescription medications can have serious side effects.

Do you think all the drugs prescribed are solely in the best interest of the patient? Think again!

Maybe it’s time to redefine our “war on drugs.” Check out this infographic and let me know what you think.

Created by: MedicalBillingandCodingCertification.net

Related Infographic

Popping Pills: A Prescription Drug Abuse Epidemic

So often we want to get fit and get fit now. Whether it’s for that beach vacation or little black dress, we want to transform our body composition from soft and flabby to lean and strong as quickly as possible. And although it can’t be accomplished overnight, it can be done faster than many people realize. The pictures below were taken exactly 40 days apart:

For my rapid body transformation, I didn’t spend hours in the gym. And I didn’t give up eating my favorite foods including pizza, ice cream, and red wine. But I did follow the 7 keys to rapid body transformation listed below:

1. Focus on the food. Yes I did eat pizza, ice cream, and other indulgences… but I damned sure didn’t eat them all of the time. The vast majority of my diet consisted of lots of vegetables, some meat (to include fish and eggs), and small amounts of fruit and nuts. This is often called the Paleo diet, and I have found it extremely effective for getting lean and strong for both myself and my fitness clients. Too often when people want to get in shape they look for the magic workout. There is no magic in the training - the magic is in the diet.

2. Redefine hunger. I’m going to make the assumption that the body transformation you seek involves losing some weight. And that means you are going to have to eat less food. Learn to enjoy a slight rumble in the belly. As long as your energy levels are good and you are not experiencing headaches or having difficulty focusing, your caloric intake is just fine. Forget about the often toted “eat every 3 hours” crap. A little rumble in the belly probably means you are on track to meet your body transformation goal.

3. Lift heavy weight. Now “heavy” is a relative term. All it means is that the weight you select should be difficult to move for more than 5 repetitions. And yes I am referring to free weight training here. Specifically, I prefer the basic barbell movements of deadlifts, squats, and standing overhead presses. Are they absolutely necessary? No, of course not. But if you want my first exercise weapon of choice for rapid body transformation, strength training takes it hands down.

4. Crank your heart rate. Heavy strength training is definitely my first choice for exercise, but followed closely behind is high intensity interval training. Again, what constitutes “high intensity” must be considered against your current fitness capacity. For some people that will be 100 yard sprints repeated for 20 minutes. And for others, just walking to the end of their driveway to pick up the newspaper will pose a challenge. The key is to always push just outside of your comfort zone.

5. Forget ab exercises. All of the sit ups, crunches, and leg raises in the world will not give you “six pack abs”. Seeing the definition in your midsection is a factor of one thing – reducing your body fat. And dropping body fat is going to happen primarily through diet with a little extra help from strength training and interval work.

6. Write it down. I’ve been helping people lose weight and get in shape since 2001. And 9 times out of 10 when a client says that they are not seeing results, they are not keeping a food journal. Write down what you eat, when you eat it, and an approximate quantity. I don’t think calorie counting or weighing your food is necessary, but keeping a journal of your food intake is crucial. Keeping notes on your training is also important. When it comes time to make adjustments to your diet or fitness training you want to be able to make those changes based on data and not simply on how you “feel”. And the only way to do that is to create a record by keeping a diet and training journal.

7. Expect to get very light. If you really want “six pack abs” and you have never had them before. . . you are going to have to get much lighter than you expect. Sure, you may build muscle at the same time you are losing fat and muscle is denser than fat. But I’m telling you – you must release your notions of what you feel is too light for your body if you really want to be ripped. If I showed you my “after” picture at the beginning of this post without revealing how much I weighed, would you have ever guessed I was at 146 pounds?

So what does rapid body transformation come down to? It comes down to focusing on diet, lifting heavy weight and cranking your heart rate, writing it all down, and releasing preconceived notions of your ideal body weight. No magic supplement potions or cheesy late night infomercials required. :)

To learn more about rapid body transformation, be sure to check out the 40 Days Fit program. And to get more diet and training information from Vic, go to VicMagary.com.

A Zen proverb goes, “Before enlightenment; chop wood, carry water. After enlightenment; chop wood, carry water.”

The idea being, as I understand it, that despite achieving a certain goal (happiness, spiritual fulfillment, income level, or whatever) you will always beholden to life’s daily tasks at some level. It is just the nature of life as a human.

I know I’ve been seduced by the bumper sticker phrase, “If it’s not fun, then why do it?” This seems like sound advice, but it misses the mark some.

Our modern day quest to eliminate discomfort may be our downfall. We’ve mostly become a race of sniveling slugs that don’t want to do anything that we perceive as hard or unpleasant (guilty!).

What does the word “work” mean to you? What mind-set do you bring to your job, your chores, and your responsibilities?

The real answer does not lie (necessarily) in chasing fun and comfort, but developing the correct attitude. Instead of figuring out how to make things easier, figure out how to be the ultimate badass of all the little things in life that “you have to do.”

Hate to do the laundry?

If you are reading this article in email or RSS use this link to view.

or the updated (but not nearly as impressive) version…

If you are reading this article in email or RSS use this link to view.

Bored with Cooking?

If you are reading this article in email or RSS use this link to view.

Dreading going grocery shopping?

If you are reading this article in email or RSS use this link to view.

How do you deal with the monotony of life and work? Please leave your comments and questions below!

Related Articles:

Have errands to run? Great, they save your life!

Photo by kurtz433

A lot has been made lately on how to survive a zombie apocalypse. Most these resources focus on basic survival skills, the most effective types of guns and weapons to use, and constructing and stocking a secure safe house or intentional community.

While these are of vital importance, I propose that they are only a small piece of the pie. Equally important are the mental skills necessary to cope with an event like this, staying healthy and strong, and the prevention and possible treatment of the zombie disease process.

Mental Fitness

I would argue that your brain is the most important asset to survive a zombie-takeover. It’s the control center, and depending on your mental fortitude, it can make you or break you.

The ability to use your brain is also what separates you from the zombies. It’s true they may have the numbers, the insatiable hunger for your flesh, and possibly superhuman strength, but their cognitive function is almost completely compromised.

1) Practice being decisive and intentional.

These are skills that will be extremely important when zombies take over.

You will need to be able to make hard decisions and act on them (god forbid someone you know has been infected and you have to eliminate them for your safety and the good of the whole).

Don’t wait to cultivate these skills; start making decisions now. The next time your significant other asks where you want to go for dinner, do not say, “I don’t know, where do you want to go?” or “I don’t care.” Make a decision and follow through with it.

2) Learn how to feel and process your emotions appropriately.

This is not a situation that you can just tough out. You will be exposed to extreme stress and mental pain.

Learn how to deal with your emotions or they will catch up to you. It is really important, especially when working with others (possibly strangers) in tense situations, that you don’t misplace your anger and frustration on them.

Also, dealing with your feelings in real time (or at least after a long day of slaying zombies, gathering food, and avoiding infection) may help you to avoid the trappings of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

Counseling or Therapy (if available), EFT, Mindfulness Training, The Sedona Method, and Naming are some great ways to learn how to identify and deal with the roller coaster of emotions you will be dealing with. Again, start practicing these methods now so you will have the chops necessary when the time comes.

3) Practice Optimism and Gratitude.

This might be difficult if most of the human race is reduced to flesh-eating lobotomized monsters that are trying to kill or infect you on a daily basis.

But surely you have some things to be grateful for? You and maybe some of your family and friends are still alive? Did you get a chance to drive that vacated Lamborghini at 180 mph down an empty highway? Or maybe you found a huge stash of 85% plus dark chocolate to loot at your local Whole Foods?

Be it small or large, record your triumphs and things you are grateful for in a daily journal. Keeping your focus on the positive will help you get through this or least make you feel better until you do get infected or killed!

Zombie Pathogenesis

Most experts believe that there are four possible infection types or causes of a widespread zombie uprising including:

• Viral
• Parasitic
• Toxic
• Supernatural

For the purposes of this article, I’ll be focusing on the viral, parasitic, and toxic zombies.

Supernatural zombies are well beyond my scope of practice and expertise. Plus, supernatural zombies? That’s just seems so ridiculous and far-fetched.

The Basics

Snake Bite Kit and Tourniquet

Many believe that most plausible form of toxic or infectious transmission will come from the zombie bite (carried in the saliva).

“Sucking out the poison” and reducing blood flow from the bite wound may help to slow down the process and spread of infection. A standard snakebite kit and tourniquet should be carried at all times.

The Primal Blueprint

Staying healthy, fit, and energetic is going to be a huge benefit in fighting a zombie war. Healthy people also heal quickly and are more resilient to disease.

The Primal/Paleo/Warrior diet and lifestyle are tailor-made to surviving a zombie apocalypse.

Diet should focus on organic vegetables and (some) fruits, grass-fed and free-range meat and poultry, cage-free eggs, and wild caught fish. Avoid grains, legumes, foods with preservatives, and artificial sweeteners and colors. Note: If you are literally starving and come upon a case of Twinkies, by all means go for it.

Fitness training should focus on walking long distances, lifting heavy things, climbing trees and rocks, martial arts, and the occasional sprints. See The Primal Blueprint or the 21 Day Total Body Transformation for more details.

Food Grade Hydrogen Peroxide

Hydrogen Peroxide can be used for a wide variety of situations during a zombie takeover. First and foremost, it can be used to clean wounds from zombie bites and other injuries.

Other practical purposes include water purification, disinfecting and reducing chemical residues on fruits and vegetables, and use as a mouthwash.

Many people and a handful of doctors also use food grade hydrogen peroxide medicinally. There are claims of it curing all types of infectious diseases and even viruses like HIV and hepatitis. For more information check out the free ebook The Truth about Food Grade Hydrogen Peroxide.

I am skeptical about the magic bullet claims and I don’t like the idea of messing up my beneficial gut flora taking it internally. But, in the case of the zombie apocalypse and barring an effective cure, ingestion and/or injection of hydrogen peroxide as part of a treatment strategy would be worth a try.

Coconut Oil

Consuming coconut oil has whole host of beneficial health effects, but there are a few things about it that might make it specifically applicable to zombie disease prevention and treatment.

First of all, the lauric and capric acid in coconut oil have extremely potent antiviral, antibacterial, and antifungal properties. Second, the medium chain fatty acid content in coconut oil is thought to be helpful in reducing or reversing many neurological diseases.

Since the zombie disease factors are likely to be an infectious agent or toxin and most definitely will have neurological effects, coconut oil could play valuable role.

Cold Adaption and Cold Thermogenesis

Becoming cold adapted has been shown to “strengthen immunity, enhance pain and stress tolerance, ward off depression, and help overcome chronic fatigue syndrome.” You can see how this would be helpful in your survival during a zombie takeover.

But the most significant benefit of cold thermogenesis might be the up-regulation of the immune system to “fight” infection or toxicity therefore effectively treating the zombie disease process.

Wim Hof (aka The Iceman) was able to moderate his immune response to an endotoxin injected into him by researchers while sitting in a tub of ice. Dr Jack Kruse was able to do the same after having an extremely harmful strain of bacteria purposely introduced into his body after an elective surgery.

While these two cases are not definitive, it holds real promise in slowing down or even reversing the pathogenesis of the disease.

It does take time to become cold adapted, so anybody serious about preparing for a zombie takeover should begin immediately.

Herbal Medicines

Typically I’m hesitant to recommend herbs without a proper syndrome diagnosis and treatment plan. Everybody is different and without an individual baseline, prescribing herbs is at best sloppy medicine. So hopefully your intentional community will include a skilled Chinese Herbalist with a well-stocked pharmacy.

But in the case that you haven’t formed that alliance or your herbalist gets taken by the zombies, there are some herbs that worth mentioning that might help in the prevention and care of zombie disease.

Astragalus (Astragalus membranaceus / Huang Qi)

Astragalus has been used in Chinese Medicine for thousands of years to strengthen the immune system against disease and help expedite healing. It is also an adaptogen, which means it can help with physical, mental, and emotional stress.

Cordyceps (Cordyceps sinensis / Dong Chong Xia Cao)

Also an adaptogen and favorite in Chinese Medicine for centuries, cordyceps has anti-inflammatory properties, increases aerobic capacity and stamina, and improves immune system functionality. Another bonus – increased sex drive (you might have to help repopulate the earth after all).

Milk Thistle (Silybum marianum)

Milk thistle is one of the best hepatoprotective (liver protecting) and antioxidant herbs there is. In high doses it has saved many people’s lives when exposed to snake bites and other would-be lethal poisons.

Because a zombie bite could come from some sort of toxic exposure or viral/bacterial loads could compromise the liver, Milk Thistle is a key herb in the event of exposure.

Chinese Skullcap (Radix Scutellariae / Huang Qin)

Chinese Skullcap, also a Chinese Herb with a long history, has very strong antibacterial and antiviral properties. It has a sedative effect and can help reduce fever associated with infection. Like Milk Thistle, it detoxifies and improves liver function.

Chinese Skullcap is also the key herb in the recorded literature of Chinese Medicine to treat rabies. Rabies is considered to be lethal without conventional treatment. A mutated version of rabies is thought to be most likely cause of a zombie disease.

While this does hold hope for subsequent vaccines and treatment, it could be a very long time before these can be developed and produced on a mass scale (plus vaccines cause Autism, right?).

Chinese Skullcap has the added benefit that it can be used both externally (at the site/bite of infection) and internally.

Prevention

Stock up on the above listed supplies. Read the free ebook on hydrogen peroxide and know how to use it if necessary. Both vacuum-sealed dried herbs or pharmaceutical grade powdered herb extracts are best.

Begin eating and exercising according to The Primal Blueprint and take the steps to improve your mental fitness.

Make sure your safe house has a tub and you have access to large quantities of ice. Begin the process of becoming cold adapted.

You can start consuming coconut oil (2 tablespoons per day) and taking Astragalus and Cordyceps (follow manufacturers recommended dose) now or at least at the first sighting of zombies.

Comprehensive Treatment Plan in Case of Infection

1. 1) In the case of transmission via zombie bite, immediately tourniquet off the affected area and use the snakebite kit as recommended.
2. 2) Leaving the tourniquet on, thoroughly clean the wound with hydrogen peroxide. Then pack the wound with powdered Chinese Skullcap.
3. 3) Take a large dose of Coconut oil, Chinese Skullcap, and Milk Thistle. Begin the hydrogen peroxide therapy (ingested or injected).
4. 4) Begin cold therapy. Have friends/family monitor for signs of hypothermia.
5. 5) Repeat steps 2-5 until the zombie disease has been effectively treated and there are no signs of infection.
6. 6) If the above steps are unsuccessful, it is imperative that your cohorts cryogenically freeze or encage you (incase a successful treatment is found later) or eliminate you completely.

As with all disease, prevention is the best medicine. Prepare yourself now so you can laugh in the face of a zombie apocalypse. And in the event that zombies don’t take over the earth, if you follow these steps, you will likely enjoy a long life of health and wellbeing!

Do think the Zombie Apocalypse is coming? What have you done to prepare? Please leave your questions and comments below!

Photo by wvs
Photo by scabeater
Photo by philippe leroyer
Photo by www.icemanwimhof.com
Photo by jennyhsu47

Note: I earn a (very) small commission if you use some of the links in this article to purchase the products I mentioned. I only recommend products I would use myself for a Zombie Apocalypse. Your purchase helps support this site.

Welcome to Yoga With Ayns! For those of you new to this series, I’ll be covering 1-3 yoga poses per week (depending on the difficulty). I will also include a picture along with the name, type, benefits, cautions and how-to of various poses.

With Yoga or any mind-body practice it is important that you really listen to your body.

The body (not the ego or mind) has inner wisdom and will let you know whether you are comfortable in a posture or not.

You never want to feel pain, numbness or be holding your breath in your yoga practice. That can be a sign that you have gone too far and need to back out of the posture or perhaps are misaligned.

Always find a “yummy” stretch. If you see a caution that applies to you, ask your Doctor or health practitioner whether it is safe. A caution doesn’t necessarily mean you have to omit the posture. Poses can be modified.

Pay attention to how your body feels not only in the pose, but take the time to notice the effects of the posture on the body after mindfully coming out of the pose. Does it feel good? It should!!

Warrior II (Virabhadrasana II)

Type of Pose: Standing

Benefits:

1. 1) Strengthens the legs, ankles and arms.
2. 2) Tones the abdomen.
3. 3) Stretches hips, groin muscles, and shoulders.
4. 4) Opens the chest and lungs.
5. 5) Increases stamina.
6. 6) Relieves backache (especially in 2nd trimester of pregnancy).
7. 7) Therapeutic for carpal tunnel syndrome, flat feet, infertility, osteoporosis, and sciatica.

Cautions/Contraindications:

High blood pressure or heart conditions (try leaving the hands on the hips. If any discomfort is felt in the posture slowly come out of it and omit it)

Neck problems (try keeping the head looking out to the side instead of turning the head to look over the front hand).

Heartburn or diarrhea.

How To:

Starting in Tadasana (mountain pose), take a couple deep breaths to ground yourself, and then take a big step back with your left foot.

The front (right) heel will dissect the back (left) arch, and the outer edge of the back foot will be parallel with the back edge of the mat. Start building the posture from the ground up.

Rooting down through the four corners of the feet, feel the rebound energy coming up through the arches into the legs.

Bend the front (right) knee 90 º so that it tracks directly over the ankle (not ahead or in). You can check to see if you can see your big front toe.

Pour the weight into the back foot, engaging the core (Uddiyana Bandha).

Lift the arms so that they are at shoulder height, radiating energy out from the heart through to the fingertips but letting the shoulders relax down away from the ears.

Turn the head to look over the front fingertips, but if this causes any tension in the neck or shoulder keep looking out to the side.

Hold for a few breaths and when you are ready to come out of the pose lower the arms and step the feet back into Mountain Pose. Take a few breaths before doing the other side. Enjoy!

Be sure to follow and “like” Aynsley on facebook and subscribe below to receive the weekly lessons right to your email inbox.

Questions about Yoga or Warrior II? Please leave your comments and questions below!

Via: Term Life Insurance

Have you noticed any negative effects from drinking Soda? What do you like to drink instead? Please leave your comments and questions below!

Welcome to Yoga With Ayns! For those of you new to this series, I’ll be covering 1-3 yoga poses per week (depending on the difficulty). I will also include a picture along with the name, type, benefits, cautions and how-to of various poses.

With Yoga or any mind-body practice it is important that you really listen to your body.

The body (not the ego or mind) has inner wisdom and will let you know whether you are comfortable in a posture or not.

You never want to feel pain, numbness or be holding your breath in your yoga practice. That can be a sign that you have gone too far and need to back out of the posture or perhaps are misaligned.

Always find a “yummy” stretch. If you see a caution that applies to you, ask your Doctor or health practitioner whether it is safe. A caution doesn’t necessarily mean you have to omit the posture. Poses can be modified.

Pay attention to how your body feels not only in the pose, but take the time to notice the effects of the posture on the body after mindfully coming out of the pose. Does it feel good? It should!!

Warrior 1 (Virabhadrasana 1)

Type of Pose: Standing

Benefits:

• Strengthens the legs, back, and abdominal muscles.
• Opens and stretches the chest, shoulders, and pelvis.
• Creates heat in the body.
• Improves digestion.
• Relieves backache, lumbago, sciatica.
• Reduces heavy menstruation and lessens menstrual pain.

Cautions/Contraindications:

Weak hearts or high blood pressure (instead of raising arms overhead try resting hands on the hips).

Pregnancy (safe in first trimester, but after that the weight of the belly may strain the back in the this posture).

How To:

Starting in Mountain Pose take a big step back with the left foot.

Pivot the left foot so it is on a 45 degree angle with the heel rooted to the earth.

Square the hips towards the front of the mat. Bend the front (right) knee so that it tracks directly over the ankle.

If the knee draws ahead of the ankle lengthen the distance in between your feet.

Draw the navel in and up as you open the heart, lifting the arms overhead. Let the shoulder blades connect to the back; letting the shoulders melt down the back.

The tailbone is another imaginary root connecting to the earth. Take deep breaths.

The front body lifts and opens to the sky as the back body roots and connects you to the earth.

To come out of the posture bring the hands to the hips and step forward into Mountain Pose.

Take a few breaths before doing the other side.

Try adding Warrior 1 instead of Crescent Moon Lunge in the Sun Salutations to make it a little more challenging and to add heat to the body.

Be sure to follow and “like” Aynsley on facebook and subscribe below to receive the weekly lessons right to your email inbox.

Questions about Yoga or Warrior 1? Please leave your comments and questions below!

I planned to continue with Part 2 of The Awakening the Senses and Inner Instinct series this week, but I just realized there is an important part of the equation I missed.

Last Saturday I arrived back in the US from 6 months in the little Mexican beach town I live every winter. I actually had the epiphany during my layover in the crazy LA airport.

The dulling of our sensory perception is not just a function of the monotony of modern life and our disconnection to activities that actually foster the use of our senses. It is also a problem of sensory overload. They are two sides of the same coin.

For the past 6 months I had the chance to let my nervous system decompress. Life is fairly simple in my little town and choices are few in all aspects of life.

In the big cities of the world, however, things are completely different. Choices in consumer goods are endless. Everyone is texting, talking, or surfing the internet on their smart phones. And if not, they are listening to their iPod.

We are constantly bombarded with advertising, product placement, and master marketers that prey on our insecurities. Keeping up with the Joneses has us constantly hustling and overworked.

Of all things, my wife and I even found ourselves completely overwhelmed when we visited our favorite Portland natural foods store, New Seasons. So many choices of all kinds of gourmet foods. Believe it or not, it was actually quite shocking.

Avoiding Sensory Overload Takes Diligence and Planning

Here’s a few steps that can help. Actively plan and focus on doing a few of these things each day.

• Take frequent breaks and check in with yourself.
• Stay Present.
• Meditate.
• Work towards minimalism.
• Ask yourself deliberate questions. What do I actually want from my life? What’s really important? Do I really need to buy this?
• Schedule time daily away from electronic media (sleep doesn’t count).
• Take a deep breath.
• Do one thing at a time.

It’s important to acknowledge the real pull all these forces have on us. They certainly can distort our reality and overwhelm our senses.

Don’t underestimate the effects that constant stimulation can have on your sensory perception and ultimately your well being. Stay vigilant!

How do you avoid sensory overload? Please leave your comments and questions below.

Photo by DaMongMan

Once you have mastered the Sun Salutations you may wish to add other postures to your yoga practice. The standing postures help strengthen the body while giving us stamina and control to carry ourselves throughout our day with greater ease.

Breaking Down the Postures

In this section I will include a picture along with the name, type, benefits, cautions and how-to of various yoga poses. I’ll be covering 1-3 poses per week (depending on the difficulty).

With Yoga or any mind-body practice it is important that you really listen to your body.

The body (not the ego or mind) has inner wisdom and will let you know whether you are comfortable in a posture or not.

You never want to feel pain, numbness or be holding your breath in your yoga practice. That can be a sign that you have gone too far and need to back out of the posture or perhaps are misaligned.

Always find a “yummy” stretch. If you see a caution that applies to you, ask your Doctor or health practitioner whether it is safe. A caution doesn’t necessarily mean you have to omit the posture. Poses can be modified.

Pay attention to how your body feels not only in the pose, but take the time to notice the effects of the posture on the body after mindfully coming out of the pose. Does it feel good? It should!!

Triangle Posture (Trikonasana)

If you are reading this article in email or RSS use this link to view Triangle Posture (Trikonasana)

Type of Pose: Standing

Benefits:

• Stretches and strengthens thighs, knees and ankles.
• Releases hips, legs and spine.
• Opens and stretches side body.
• Improves digestion.
• Helps relieve symptoms of menopause, sciatica, and backache due to pregnancy.

Cautions/Contraindications: High or low blood pressure (try gazing down to floor instead of up), heart conditions (practice against a wall and keep top arm on hip), neck problems (instead of looking up keep looking straight ahead lengthening both sides of the neck evenly), slipped discs (only practice if you feel no discomfort in the spine), 2nd and 3rd trimesters of pregnancy use blocks or the support of a wall behind you.

How To:

Starting in Mountain Pose, take a big step back with the right foot and square the hips to the right side of the mat. The feet will be about three feet apart give or take.

Line the feet up so that the front (left) heel is dissecting the back (right) arch. Ground down through the four corners of the feet and begin to build the posture from the ground up.

Engaging the legs while lengthening the spine. On an inhale draw the arms up so they are at shoulder level and parallel to the earth with palms down.

On the exhale begin to reach forward as if you are sliding your arm across a table while shifting the hips back to create a long spine.

When you get as far as you can reach, pivot the arms coming into Triangle posture. Lengthen both side of the torso evenly and engaging Uddiyana Bandha.

Radiate energy out from the heart center lengthening the arms. Be mindful not to ‘lock’ or hyper-extend the knees. Hold the posture while letting the breath flow.

To come out of the posture turn the gaze to the earth, bend the front knee and reach up with the top arm, coming up and return to Mountain Pose. Repeat on the other side.

Be sure to follow and “like” Aynsley on facebook and subscribe below to receive the weekly lessons right to your email inbox.

Questions about Yoga or Triangle Posture? Please leave your comments and questions below!

It’s time to wake up! Most of us are living our lives in a mental construct as opposed to experiencing the world as it is.

In the name of safety, efficiency, science, and progress we’ve insulated ourselves from the richness of life – our sensory perception.

And as our senses dull, we lose our natural animal instincts. We also remove ourselves from the present moment and become a slave to our thoughts and emotions.

Most importantly we miss out on all the beauty and mystery the world (and our bodies) have to offer. Too many people have isolated themselves from the natural world and even their own bodies.

It’s time to stop dulling our senses so we can be comfortable. It’s time to regain our curiosity, the boundless energy, the alertness, the sensations, and the fun and beauty of waking up our bodies to the world around us.

Into the Wild

Wild and undeveloped places are one of the best places to hone your senses; after all, our senses evolved in these places for thousands of years. In case you didn’t know it, you are an animal. You have the ability to survive and thrive in the wilderness.

For you skeptics, we even have scientific proof that connection with nature is important for our wellbeing (I can just imagine Thoreau rolling over in his grave if he knew that we are engaging in this type of “research”).

Below is a list of some of the ways to get the ball rolling. It is by no means comprehensive and most of them can even be practiced in the city. Some of the things might even be inherently dangerous especially if you are coming from a place of very little cultivation in these areas. Take your time and listen to your instincts; they are in there somewhere!

Go Barefoot

Take your feet out of those casts you call shoes. I’m talking about fully barefoot. Minimalist footwear is only allowed after you’ve gone without shoes first (and only in the beginning as you toughen your feet).

When you walk barefoot, it forces you to be aware of your surroundings and out of your head. You get to directly interact with the elements around you.

Also, a little known fact, your feet are waterproof! It’s okay to get them wet and muddy. And shy of walking in freezing temperatures, snow, and extreme heat, they can also get cold and/or hot with no harm. It’s just another sensation; experience it!

No excuses about broken glass and dog shit either. Where I live in Mexico, there truly is broken glass and dog (and other creatures) shit everywhere. Additionally there are cobblestone roads, plants with stickers, scorpions, puddles of unidentifiable liquids, uneven surfaces, gravel, broken concrete, and exposed rebar.

I walk everyday barefoot on these streets and guess what? I’m forced to be keenly aware of what’s going on around me. If you can master the urban jungle, a walk through woods on a dirt trail will be nothing.

Check In With Your Surroundings

On your next hike, stop every five minutes for at least 30 seconds to check in with your surroundings (remember this is about awakening your senses not finishing the trail in record time).

What do you hear? Any birds, any rustling in the bushes?

What do you see? Look behind you. Look up into the trees. Check out the ground and the plant life. Notice the colors.

How about smells? Does the air smell clean? Is there any smoke or burning smell? Can you smell the rain coming? What do the leaves smell like? Do deer pellets actually have a smell?

Since you are walking barefoot, you will already have some idea of what is going on with your sense of feel. But also be sure to touch and feel things. Is the bark of the tree spongy or hard? Does that rock seem heavy or light for its size? What’s the weather feel like (and are you warm or cold)?

As you check in resist the urge to identify things by their name, engage in a “nature lesson,” get philosophical, or do anything else that takes you away from experiencing your surroundings.

Wide Angle Vision

Most of us view the world in a very focused way and we even “look inward” as we think. In turn we see very little of our surroundings and have very little awareness outside our narrow view.

Wide Angle Vision (a concept I learned from the Tom Brown Jr. books) is a great way to gain a broader perspective of your environment without sacrificing focus.

Start by letting your eyes unfocus so you can see the full area that your vision allows. Keep your eyes this way as much as possible. As you see movement or anything else that “catches your eye,” focus in on it for second as to identify what you are seeing.

After you know what you are looking at and assuming it requires no further attention, let your eyes go back to their unfocused state.

You will be amazed at how much more you notice and are aware of. This practice is also beneficial to keep you in the present moment. It is almost impossible to do any heavy thinking without focusing your eyes.

Climb Something

Climb a mountain a mountain or a tree. Scramble up a rocky outcropping or even scale a rock face. Sensory perception and instinct is vital for climbing.

There is also something about that view from above and the sense of accomplishment of getting up there that clears your mind and makes you feel alive.

Swim in Natural Body of Water

Take a swim in that lake at the end of the trail. Feel the muck between your toes as you walk in. Notice how your breath is taken away in the cool water, feel yourself adjust to the temperature. Close your eyes and float on the surface.

On the other hand, you could float down some rapids on a river, body surf in the ocean, or stand in a waterfall. Or The power of moving water is both humbling and extremely exciting at the same time.

Take a Walk or Hike at Night

This one takes our crutch, site, out of the equation (or strongly diminishes it anyway). Lean on your other senses instead. To help make your transition to a creature of the night, be sure to “check in with your surroundings” every once in while.

Hunt and Gather

I used to fancy myself as an accomplished outdoorsman. After all I was an avid climber, mountaineer, whitewater rafter, and backpacker. I used to manage the Outdoor Rec Center in college, was a counselor at an outdoor adventure camp, and I even have a bachelor’s degree in Forest Recreation Management.

So let’s just say hunters didn’t exactly impress me. I used to think they were a bunch of cheap beer drinking, ATV riding, macho, backwoods rednecks. How hard could it be to shoot Bambi with a high-powered rifle?

So when I got the chance to go with some friends, I figured I might as well go for the experience. While I wasn’t sure how hard it would be to shoot an animal (both literally and emotionally), I smugly thought that I would be a master of the wilderness. Turns out I was wrong.

I have found some of the negative stereotypes to be fairly common, but what’s also true is that experienced hunters have a profound sense of the rhythms of the wilderness that tree huggers and hikers (like me) don’t.

If you have just been walking on trails your whole life, you are only experiencing a fraction of what the woods have to offer. Stalking an animal will make you feel more alive than almost anything you can do.

Even if you don’t want to kill an animal, go “hunting” with your camera. See how hard it is to track and stalk a deer. It’s not easy. It requires far more than theoretical knowledge. It requires you to use your senses, stay present, and tap into your instinct.

While not as intense as hunting, searching for wild edible and medicinal plants are another great way to experience nature and wake up the senses. You also get to exercise your sense of taste and there is nothing more flavorful than fresh and wild-grown foods.

Play

Play some hide and seek with your kids or even your adult friends. Don’t be too cool for this kind of thing; it’s a lot of fun! There is a reason you played it every day as a kid.

To really challenge your sensory perception try a game of Steal the Treasure. This game requires at least 4 people but more the better.

Start with one person blindfolded and sitting on a chair (or log or rock). He/she is the guard. Some sort of treasure (like a hat, ball, etc.) is placed near the guard. The rest of the players should form a loose circle roughly 50 ft away.

The goal is for the players to “steal” the treasure without the guard being aware of it. If the guard hears and then points directly at a player, that person is out. Whoever is able to steal the treasure without the guard being aware is the winner and the new guard.

What do you think? Have we lost our animal instinct? How important is it for our wellbeing? Please leave your comments and questions below?

Photo by freeflyer09
Photo by rsenescu
Photo by timaroundtheworld
Photo by kettukusu
Photo by feastofun.com
Photo by burtoo
Photo by fwp-dawson
Photo by blasterz