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hasansonsuzceliktas · 5 years ago

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18 Amazing Benefits of Yoga, According to Science

Yoga is becoming more mainstream in western cultures as those who practice it realize the numerous physical, mental, and emotional benefits that come with the ancient art. Science has proven that yoga can have a transformative effect on the body, resulting in everything from lowered blood pressure to disease prevention. Here are some of the many health benefits of yoga, as proven by science. 1. Regular Yoga Practice Relieves Stress and Anxiety Almost every benefit that comes from regularly practicing yoga stems from the activity’s proven stress-reducing properties. Stress has become the norm in our everyday society. With high-pressure careers, children’s demanding schedules, and little time to focus on self-care, more adults than ever are experiencing dangerously high levels of stress. Those who experience frequent stress and anxiety are at a higher risk for clinical depression, high blood pressure, chronic disease, insomnia, and a host of other problems. When the body becomes regularly anxious or stressed, it may never get the signal to return to normal functioning. This can lead to a prolonged ‘fight or flight’ response that is incredibly draining on the body and the mind. Preliminary research shows that practicing yoga can have the same stress-reducing effects as exercise and relaxation techniques, which makes sense because it is essentially the combination of the two. The controlled breathing that is inherent in practicing yoga is probably the biggest factor in reducing stress. When focused on breathing, participants have little room to engage in irrational fear, worry, or other obsessive thoughts, many of which are contributing to their stress levels. Yoga also helps increase mindfulness and the focus on gratitude, both of which help to ease anxiety. When we take the time to practice yoga, we are taking time to care for ourselves. This has taken a back seat in our current culture, and yoga can teach us to get back to basics. Focusing just 20 to 30 minutes a day on the self-healing practice of yoga can then lead to other beneficial activities. It can be a gateway to a more calm, focused life. Bottom Line: Yoga can help reduce stress and anxiety by focusing on breathing and increasing mindfulness and focus on gratitude. 2. Practicing Yoga Improves Cardiovascular Health Heart health is crucial to our overall wellness. Hypertension and coronary blockage leads to hundreds of thousands of deaths every year. Relaxation is incredibly helpful when it comes to heart health as it relaxes the blood vessels and reduces blood pressure while increasing blood flow to the heart. Because of its combination of breathing, meditation, and slow controlled movement, yoga is one of the most relaxing exercises on the planet. Yoga, especially the more energetic forms, also increases the heart rate. This makes it as beneficial to your heart as any other form of exercise. In fact, yoga may actually lower the risk of heart disease as much as traditional exercise such as brisk walking. Those who are interested in the cardio benefits of yoga should try out the more active forms such as ashtanga yoga, which provide more of a bump in heart rate than other forms. They might also consider pairing a vigorous form of yoga in the morning with a relaxing form in the evening to provide more stress-reducing and sleep benefits. Individuals who have suffered a heart attack or are recovering from other heart-related issues also benefit from yoga. Because they are unable to perform more strenuous exercises such as jogging or bicycling, the low-key and less strenuous poses of yoga give them the exercise they need without taxing their already strained heart muscle. In addition, those who have suffered a cardiac event also benefit from the stress-reducing effects of yoga. Having a life-threatening heart attack or stroke can induce acute emotional stress, which continues to have a negative effect on the heart even after the event is over. Those who have heart-related illnesses often have to face the fact that they have a life-altering condition. This can often cause grief or depression, both of which are proven to be eased by yoga. Bottom Line: Yoga improves cardiovascular health by lowering blood pressure, offering relaxation benefits, and increasing blood flow to the heart. It’s also beneficial for those recovering from a heart attack. 3. Yoga Strengthens Brain Activity As we age, our brains change. Certain parts, such as the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus, shrink. Because these areas are crucial to our learning, memory, planning and other mental activities, This can lead to frustrating memory lapses, inability to focus, and a struggle to retain new information. In extreme cases, in can even lead to neurological diseases such as Alzheimer’s or dementia. Not surprisingly, yoga promotes a more focused, calmer mind through its controlled breathing and focus on relaxation. What may come as a surprise, though, is that yoga can actually change the physical makeup of your brain matter. Using MRI scans, scientists have detected more cells in certain brain areas of those who practiced yoga regularly. Yoga practitioners had larger brain volume in their somatosensory cortex, visual cortex, hippocampus, precuneus and posterior cingulate cortex. These areas are in charge of visualization, concept of self, and directing attention. Scientists attribute these benefits to the focused breathing in yoga, which maximizes oxygenation and blood flow to the brain. These benefits also led to fewer depressive symptoms and increased memory performance in practitioners. The happier and more positive thoughts that flow from yoga can also help change the chemical composition of the brain and ‘rewire’ it to focus more on positive thoughts. When we break the habit of reacting to stressful events with anxiety and negative thoughts, which yoga helps us do, we encourage the mind to embrace more beneficial thinking. This helps us embrace the present moment and let go of harmful anxiety. Bottom Line: Yoga helps increase brain matter in various areas of the brain, leading to better memory, less depression and more focus. It also helps rewire the brain for positivity and promotes a calm mind. 4. Practicing Yoga Can Lower the Risk of Cancer Cancer remains one of the leading causes of death in the United States. In fact, one of four deaths in the U.S. can be attributed to some form of cancer. Practicing yoga may prevent the genetic mutation from expressing in those who have a family history of cancer. This means that it can have powerful cancer prevention properties. It can also help reduce fat stores in the body, which reduces the likelihood of cancer developing and spreading. Chronic stress, which yoga helps to reduce, weakens your immune system and leaves you more susceptible to diseases like cancer. It can also enable cancer cells to grow and spread as it increases negative hormones and certain growth factors. The stress-busting quality of yoga can boost your immune system and regulate hormones, both important cancer-fighting tools. In addition to cancer prevention, a regular yoga practice with the soothing music from yoga DVDs can also help those who are battling cancer by lowering inflammation, boosting energy, and lifting the mood. One study showed that regularly practicing yoga for three months was effective in improving thenegative moods of those undergoing treatment for breast cancer. Cancer treatments can also cause fatigue and zap strength in those undergoing them. Yoga has proven beneficial in combating these symptoms and can improve range of motion in patients and help them stay limber and active. Bottom Line: Yoga can help prevent cancer by reducing fat stores and preventing genetic mutation expression. It can also assist those undergoing cancer treatments by keeping them limber and boosting energy. 5. The Deep Breathing and Poses of Yoga Improve Digestion Devotees of yoga believe that all health begins in the gut. If we are digesting food, air, water, and energy properly, every other part of the body and mind suffer. Yoga improves our body’s internal rhythms, which assist in how we digest and detoxify. Even if you don’t currently suffer from any outward signs of impaired digestion, increasing our body’s ability to remove toxins is extremely beneficial. Many people suffer from poor digestion and constipation. Not only is it uncomfortable, but it can also lead to colon cancer and other diseases. Still others have developed chronic digestion disorders, such as irritable bowel syndrome or Crohn’s disease. These disorders can have a serious impact on our quality of life. Relying on laxatives or other interventions is not a good way to combat digestive issues, and many find that a high fiber diet is not enough to resolve their issues. That’s where yoga can come in handy. Deep breathing, the cornerstone of all yoga practices, is like a mild massage for the digestive tract. Breathing brings life force into the body, and helps cleanse it of dangerous toxins. There are also a number of different poses, such as the peacock and nauli, that are designed specifically to get waste moving through and out of your body. Many of these are best done in the morning on an empty stomach and after a glass of warm water with lemon. In addition to being helpful for improved digestion on its own, the practice of yoga also encourages individuals to take care of themselves with a healthier diet, more rest, and fewer processed foods and beverages. The increase in self-care helps not only with digestion, but with feeling good as a whole. Bottom Line: Yoga helps move toxins through the body with deep breathing and specific poses aimed at improving digestion. 6. Those Who Practice Yoga Are More Aware of What’s Going on in Their Bodies The term ‘body awareness’ can take many forms, each of which can be enhanced by the practice of yoga. As we grow into adults, most of us start losing touch with our bodies as matters of the mind take over. We focus so much on our thoughts and feelings, we forget about the mind-body connection and how powerful it is. This can lead to a reduction in the enjoyment of simple pleasures such as the feel of the sun on our face, or the warm breeze across our skin. It can also lead to a disconnection between ourselves and our bodies. As we age, this disconnection becomes more pronounced, which is why we often hear of seniors experiencing more falls and accidents than their younger counterparts. When we’re aware of and connected to our bodies as we step into our yoga pants, we’re able to better enjoy the present moment and understand what impact it has on us both physically and mentally. Yoga brings body awareness to the forefront. Each pose is focused on one or more body parts and as we breathe in and out, we are only only aware of that breath but also of the part of the body we are currently stretching. Yoga is also based on being aware of what your body is and is not capable of. Because no pose should be forced, those who are practicing yoga must listen to their body and make adjustments based on what it is telling them. Bottom Line: Yoga helps increase the mind-body connection. This enhances enjoyment of the present, and also encourages us to be more in tune with how our bodies move. 7. Yoga Practice Lowers Sugar Levels in the Blood, Decreasing Diabetes Symptoms Diabetes is an epidemic that is becoming quite common in the United States. A condition that is triggered by high blood sugar, either due to lack of insulin production in the body or the body’s lack of response to insulin, diabetes can lead to a dependence on medication, amputations, or even death. Type 1 diabetes tends to develop in childhood or early adulthood and is usually genetic while type 2 diabetes usually develops in adulthood and is often a product of an unhealthy lifestyle. Along with lowering blood pressure and keeping weight in check, yoga helps with diabetes by reducing the levels of sugar in the blood, all of which help slow the rate of progression and lessen the severity of complications. Though it’s a more gentle form of exercise than most people are used to, yoga still provides a workout. The boost in heart rate experienced by yoga practitioners can improve glucose metabolism and increase insulin sensitivity, both beneficial to diabetes sufferers. Cravings for sweets is a common symptom of diabetes, and the ensuing consumption of sweets only aggravates the problem. Deep breathing, yoga positions, and meditation can help reduce these cravings. When we become more aware of the mind-body connection through the practice of yoga, we can identify what our bodies really need and make healthy decisions about what we put in our body. Bottom Line: Regular practice of yoga can decrease blood sugar levels, keep weight in check, and reduce stress, all of which help improve diabetes symptoms. 8. The Practice of Yoga Can Help Regulate Your Adrenal Glands Adrenal fatigue syndrome can cause lack of energy, disrupted sleep, anxiety, and a number of other symptoms that are triggered by a sustained ‘fight or flight’ response in the body. This can result from prolonged levels of stress, a traumatic event, or a stressful living situation. When your adrenal glands are not functioning correctly, too much cortisol is released into your body and it compromises your immune function. Those who have adrenal fatigue syndrome get sick more often and have a lowered level of energy to deal with the sickness. They are also more susceptible to osteoporosis and high blood pressure, and tend to gain more fat in the abdomen area. Mastering the breathing that is the center of all yoga practices is a key element in managing stress levels. Because high stress is the main contributing factor to adrenal issues, it makes sense that this type of breathing will lower cortisol levels and lessen the symptoms of adrenal fatigue syndrome. When we practice yoga, we also give our minds a chance to quiet down and take a break from any negative our repetitive thoughts that often take over when our adrenal glands are overwhelmed. This can be a beneficial time to check in with ourselves and identify how we’re feeling. Those experiencing high stress often put themselves last, which only leads to more stress. Yoga encourages us to to take some time for ourselves. When we look deep, breathe, and practice self-care, we can often deal with negative emotions and the situations that are causing them. Bottom Line: The regular practice of yoga can reduce stress and lessen the release of cortisol, helping to combat the symptoms of adrenal fatigue syndrome. 9. Yoga Strengthens Bones Weight-bearing activities have long been known to strengthen bones, which is why many of those who are at risk for osteoporosis are encouraged to begin a strength-training workout regimen. Yoga training, with its many positions that put pressure on different body parts, can be considered weight-bearing and has shown the ability to build bone mass in scientific studies. In contrast to other, more intense cardio exercises like jogging or weight training, yoga does not damage cartilage or stress the joints. Instead, it lengthens and holds muscles, which creates tension on the bone. This helps to build bone strength. The release of cortisol, the hormone triggered by stress, is another factor in osteoporosis. Yoga, with its relaxing and stress-calming nature, can reduce the amount of cortisol that is released and therefore lessen the impact it has on the bones. As few as a dozen yoga poses held for 30 seconds each, if done on a daily basis, can be enough to ward off osteoporosis and strengthen bones in the spine, arms, and legs. Bottom Line: Performing weight-bearing exercises, including various yoga poses, can reduce calcium-destroying cortisol and build bone density. 10. The Healing Powers of the Breath Aid in Improved Respiration Yoga is all about harnessing the healing powers of the breath. Though all of us must breathe to live, most of us do not breathe efficiently. Experts agree that to feel your best, you should breathe approximately 5 to 6 breaths per minute. However, most of us take anywhere from 14 to 20 breaths per minute, which is three times faster than what is healthy. Breath changes depending on emotion, and vice versa. When we get panicked, upset, or angry, we tend to breath more shallowly and at a faster rate. When we get used to breathing this way because of chronic stress, our body gets used to it and we develop the habit of breathing quickly even in normal circumstances. When we breathe at a slow and relaxed pace, we are signaling to the brain that it can rest and that no dangers are present. This reduces stress hormones, turns off danger warnings, and allows our body to recover. Not only do we turn off the ‘fight or flight’ response of our nervous system when we breathe deeply, but we also increase chest wall expansion and lung volumes. This is beneficial to all who practice yoga, but can be especially important for those dealing with a respiratory illness or condition such as asthma. Everything in yoga is based on the breath. Pranayamic breathing exercises can be performed anywhere when you are in need of stress relief or relaxation. Make sure the air quality in your practice environment is good, however - consider getting an air purifier if that is not the case. All other forms of yoga, from the extremely gentle restorative yoga to the more intense vinyasa and ashtanga practices, also rely on a basis of breathing deeply and being aware of how your breathing affects every part of your body and mind. Bottom Line: All forms of yoga are based on breathing. The regular practice of yoga teaches us how to pay attention to the breath and can improve lung volume and chest capacity, helping those who deal with respiratory issues. 11. Chronic Pain Can Often Be Managed Effectively with Yoga Chronic pain, whether caused by a disease like fibromyalgia, an accident, or a side effect of treatments for other conditions, can easily impair quality of life. If bad enough, it can also trigger brain structure changes that are linked to impaired cognition, anxiety, and depression. The regular practice of yoga can help those with chronic pain manage it on a number of levels. If pain is due to muscle or joint issues, such as the case with arthritis, carpal tunnel syndrome, or back pain, the simple act of regular stretching with a yoga ball chair and range of motion exercises can be enough to significantly reduce pain. The increased flow of oxygen to brain and muscle tissues that results from the breathing and movement of yoga also help improve energy levels and general feelings of well-being, making it easier to deal with physical pain. This breathing, combined with the physical movements of yoga, can help release muscle tension held in your body. This often decreases pain or, in some cases, relieves it entirely. The benefits of yoga as it relates to pain management do not stop there, however, Yoga also appears to increase gray matter in your brain through a process called neurogenesis. There are also indications that it can strengthen white matter connectivity. Many researchers believe that reduction of gray matter and weak connectivity are the most significant factors in chronic pain. Yogis dealing with pain can also benefit from the stress reduction and decrease in cortisol release the practice brings. This not only helps with tension, but can also help them cope with the anticipation of pain. Instead of having a ‘fight or flight’ reaction to pain, those who have practiced yoga may be able to form a more gentle reaction that does not trigger additional stress. Bottom Line: The breathing and movement associated with yoga can help those suffering from muscle or joint pain. Regular yoga practice can also trigger changes in the brain that can help chronic pain sufferers deal with and lessen pain symptoms. 12. Those Who Practice Yoga See Fewer Allergy Symptoms Do you deal with the misery of itchy eyes, scratchy throat, fatigue, and congestion that comes with allergies? Millions of people suffer from allergies brought on by pollen, grass, dust, pet dander, or other substances to the point that it affects their work, their social life, and their sleep. How do allergies develop? Many scientists have studied the phenomenon and found that an allergic reaction occurs when your immune system over-responds to an otherwise harmless substance. Your body mistakenly treats this substance like a dangerous invader and releases histamines. Histamines are a faulty immune response, and they can condition the body to display symptoms that start to resemble a disease. Many argue that, to be susceptible to allergies, sufferers may have a compromised immune system, weak digestive system or be experiencing toxic overload. Yoga addresses many different levels of wellness that can lead to a reduction in allergy symptoms. Stress is a leading cause of a poor immune system and digestive problems, and can also be a toxin that makes the body weaker. As we’ve already addressed many times in this article, the regular practice of yoga is one of the best stress reducers on the planet. Of the many benefits of stress reduction, an improvement in allergies is just one. Kriyas, or cleansing practices, are another element of yoga that can help with allergies. These practices range from rapid breathing exercises to gentle cleansing of the nasal passages with salt water, which can remove viruses and pollen from the nose. Studies have also found that regular yoga practice may reduce inflammation in the body. Another harmful effect of stress, inflammation can worsen allergies and cause attacks to be more severe. Bottom Line: Those who practice traditional yoga or engage in cleansing kriyas can reduce their susceptibility to allergies and also improve the symptoms associated with them. 13. The Increased Blood Flow and Reduced Stress Associated with Yoga Can Increase Fertility Couples who have struggled with conceiving a child often turn to fertility drugs or even more intensive measures of in vitro fertilization to realize their dreams of having a baby. Before turning to costly and sometimes side-effect laden treatments, couples should first explore the more gentle treatment of practicing yoga. Yoga enhances fertility in the ways one might expect: by reducing stress that can often harm the chances of conceiving. Stress can lead to the release of an enzyme, called alpha amylase, which can impact a woman’s fertility. Many women who have problems conceiving are stressed to begin with, then become more stressed as they fail to conceive. This can lead to a vicious cycle where stress continues to increase each month, making it more and more difficult to get pregnant. In addition to stress reduction, yoga can also increase blood flow to reproductive organs, which not only improves their function but also improves hormone function. All regular yoga practices can help with fertility, but those who are actively trying to conceive may benefit from the more targeted fertility yoga practice. This is aimed specifically at nurturing, supporting, and strengthening the endocrine and reproductive system. Fertility yoga incorporates specific poses that re-balances the system and strengthens muscles and organs that are used during pregnancy and childbirth. This helps make for a healthy pregnancy once a woman conceives. Bottom Line: The stress reduction and rebalancing benefits of yoga can help women who want to conceive. Those struggling with fertility issues may want to practice targeted fertility yoga that helps with both conception and a healthy pregnancy. 14. A Consistent Yoga Practice Can Lead to a Balanced Metabolism Your metabolism is the basic biochemical process that converts the food you eat into the energy you need to live. A sluggish metabolism can mean weight gain, low energy, and problems with regularity. Though long thought to be a practice focused mostly on relaxation and stretching, yoga can actually be a moderately strenuous workout that increases muscle, increases heart rate, and revs up the fire of your metabolism. In addition to increasing heart rate to boost metabolism, the practice of yoga also affects digestion, circulation, and muscle tone, all of which have an impact on how efficiently your body creates energy. With the majority of your digestive tract located in your core, the yoga positions that engage the abdomen, especially those that involve twisting or bringing the knees to the chest, can wring out toxins and encourage waste to pass through your body. Circulation is another factor important to your metabolism. If your body has poor circulation, your organs suffer from a lack of nutrients and oxygen, which slows metabolism. The deep breathing inherent in yoga helps open up arteries and release pressure, all of which help with proper circulation. Many people make the mistake of thinking yoga is not strenuous enough to build muscle mass. However, the weight bearing features of many of the poses target large and small muscle groups, building them in size and density. When we build muscle, we not only increase strength, but we also burn more calories. Muscle burns more than fat, and the more calories we burn, the more our metabolism rate increases. Bottom Line: Yoga has an effect on digestion, circulation, and building muscle, all of which positively affect your metabolism. 15. Practicing Yoga at any Time of Day Helps You Sleep Better Sleep is crucial to our energy levels, mood, concentration, and ability to be happy and successful in our everyday lives. Those most sleep experts recommend that adults get 7 to 9 hours of quality sleep per night, most of us get far less than this. Even if you are in bed for the necessary hours, inability to get to sleep, waking up frequently, or tossing and turning can turn those hours into less-than-quality rest. Insomnia or reduced sleep quality can be the product of stress, underlying illness or disease, poor sleeping conditions, vitamin deficiency, or hundreds of other factors. This often makes it difficult to identify what issues are at play. Though every person may have a different reason for not sleeping well, yoga can have a beneficial effect on everyone’s sleep quality. Because the nervous system is responsible for a restful sleep, yoga’s calming effects are especially helpful. A calm mind leads to a calm body, both of which play a part in how easy it is to get to sleep and how restful that sleep is. Many people are bothered by a ‘busy mind’ that simply cannot shut off at the end of the day. Yoga teaches us how to breathe deeply and disconnect from our worries and from those distracting thoughts that tend to keep us up at night. By giving ourselves the tools to put thoughts aside and instead focus on our breath, we give ourselves an excellent tool for the perfect night of sleep. Although a regular yoga practice done consistently at any time of day will undoubtedly affect your sleep, those who really struggle may benefit from poses done at night that are specifically aimed at helping you sleep more soundly. These poses include uttasnasana, halasana, and savasana and should be done as close to bedtime as possible. Others benefit more from a Kundalini yoga sequence before bed that incorporates long, slow breathing and meditation. It’s best to try out both methods to see what leads to a better night of sleep for you. The Bottom Line: The stress-relieving benefits of a consistent yoga practice can help improve your sleep quality. Those with sleeping problems can also benefit from a bedtime routine that includes specific poses or deep breathing paired with meditation. 16. All Forms of Yoga Work Wonders on Your Range of Motion Range of motion is important to our overall quality of life, and it decreases as we age. Important for injury prevention as well as as our ability to do daily tasks with minimal discomfort, range of motion can be increased with regular yoga. Why does range of motion decrease as we age and how can yoga combat this? As we get older, the tissue around joints tend to thicken and cartilage decreases. The knees and hips are especially susceptible to these depletions, making them more prone to injury in older individuals. As muscle mass decreases, this also affects our range of motion as we age. Our ease of movement decreases, and general fitness levels tend to drop. When range of motion decreases, it often triggers a snowball effect. Movement becomes more difficult, so individuals tend to move less often. This, in turn, triggers more movement impairment. Yoga is based on controlled, prolonged stretching. This type of movement is still comfortable for those who are experiencing a lack of flexibility or injury that restricts range of motion. Not only is yoga a practical exercise for those in this situation, but it also tends to reverse the lack of flexibility that they experience. A daily practice of prolonged stretching that is inherent in any yoga program elongates the muscles and enables joint flexibility. The slow, deliberate process of gently stretching muscles over a long period of time is both beneficial and achievable for those of all ages. It can be done throughout the lifetime and rarely needs to be suspended due to injury or other ailments. Bottom Line: The gentle and prolonged stretching that makes up the core of yoga helps increase range of motion and preserve it throughout the lifetime. 17. Practicing Yoga Can Help Treat Arthritis Arthritis is an excruciating affliction that severely impacts quality of life. Rheumatoid arthritis, or RA, can occur at any age, and is triggered by a faulty immune system. Osteoarthritis, or OA, is a degenerative disorder that usually takes place as a person ages. It’s estimated that there are over three million cases of OA in the United States per year. While medication can greatly help both those suffering from RA and OA, exercise is always recommended as well. Because arthritis is characterized by painful swelling in the joints, many forms of traditional exercise may be unbearable. Yoga is incredibly easy on the joints and is usually a comfortable activity for even the most severe arthritis sufferers. The gentle stretching of yoga can ease joint discomfort and the focused breathing can help those in pain distance deal with the chronic distress. The muscle-building and energy-boosting effects of yoga can also help those with arthritis. OA and RA tend to zap energy, which leads to a sedentary lifestyle and muscle atrophy. Those who practice yoga tend to be more active, which lessens arthritis symptoms. The psychological benefits of yoga on those suffering from arthritis are also to be noted. Those with arthritis who regularly practice yoga suffer from less depression, improved coping abilities, stress reduction and an enhanced sense of well-being. Bottom Line: Yoga is a safe and effective form of exercise for those suffering from both osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. It helps ease joint discomfort and boosts energy and a sense of well-being. 18. Practicing Yoga Leads to a Healthy Lifestyle and Enhanced Self-Care Bad choices lead to more bad choices. A lack of exercise can easily lead into bad eating habits, which leads to weight gain, which leads to even less exercise. A sedentary and unhealthy lifestyle results in a depressed mood, low energy levels, and an overall pessimistic attitude. Sometimes, it just takes one thing to start turning it all around. Yoga can be that one thing. Because it can be practiced by individuals at any age and in any shape, yoga is a practice that can be adopted by virtually everyone. Yoga increases our awareness, which often leads practitioners to start making changes in every part of their lives. As they develop more self-awareness, they often make changes that include healthier food choices, fewer toxic relationships, and more time to take care of themselves. Over time, these choices add up to a much healthier and happier lifestyle. The increase in overall quality of life can even equal more years on your life. Bottom Line: Yoga increases self-awareness, which leads to other healthy choices and overall increase in wellness and happiness. Read the full article

#body #healing #health #science #yoga

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coopermortensen24-blog · 6 years ago

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Very good Solid Advice About Hobbies That Anyone Can Use

A hobby that you or perhaps the entire family can take pleasure in can be challenging to help figure out. Fortunately, this specific article will guide. Preserve reading to get fine ideas regarding hobbies that are fun to the family. If you are not necessarily the most creative type of man or woman, but an individual really want a new pastime, think of testing counted cross-stitch. In this piece of needlework, you simply comply with some sort of pre-printed graph where each square contains a symbolic representation that relates to the specific color of thread. Stick to the graph absolutely together with a wonderful picture may be the end result. Try maintaining your own small hobby items inside see-through bags or storage containers. Whether you apply jars, cardboard boxes, or carriers, these see-thorugh containers may help you find what exactly you need without having to head out through each hard drive bin. To keep your supplies prepared in a huge carrier, try running some sort of line made of stitches down the bag's middle in order to create two sections.

Understand as much as you can about your favorite hobby through research. Contend with getting lost have to take programs or subscribe to college for you to learn how to find something to help. All you need can be the right book or maybe a great online short training to get you started off. Devote several days just to be able to research new jobs thoughts and approaches. Several persons turn their have a passion for connected with music into a good enjoyment filled hobby. Simply by picking out up a clarinet or maybe taking some piano classes, you can apply the same. Whether or not self trained or skillfully trained, a new musician can appreciate a spare time activity for life that in addition allows these individuals to entertain relatives and buddies. Come up with a price range for your leisure activity ahead of you dive right around. Many people underestimate the costs linked to hobbies. Quite a few can be quite expensive over time. There are usually various other hobbies that basically make you money, therefore the budget there is substantially more bendable. Get a great idea of often the cash required so that one can find no surprises. Set out time for your hobby. A lot of people would like they experienced more period to commit with his or her hobbies, nonetheless the reality is that you easily must make time for it. Placed your hobby in your timetable at the beginning connected with the week, and get the job done around it as much since you can. Don't let the pastime to discompose you from the more crucial points is obviously. A leisure activity is a great factor to have, but it can't be all consuming. In the event your hobby disturbs together with responsibilities, you should probably cut decrease. Gardening is a fun leisure activity to have, together with you will reap the benefits of getting in the fresh weather way too. Why not flower up a new vegetable garden and then you can eat often the fruits of your difficult labor. Gardening is quick to help find out about since there is a myriad of data available on the Internet to get you started. chinese food to pick up is pilates. Right now there are so quite a few various styles of yoga exercise that will you'll be sure to find one you like. Whether you want a challenging training, or a person just want to relax, you should have no problem finding a yoga exercise style that'll work for you. The most famous hobbies in the world right now will be gardening, and to get good reason. If you're hunting for the valuable strategy to spend your time, think of maintaining flowers or developing your veggies. It's a good peaceful solution to unwind, in addition to the fruits of your respective labor make great candelabras or even side-dishes! You can produce a new hobby out involving assisting others. Consider volunteering to get a local non-profit corporation. But not only will you feel good about assisting other people, but you get to help give attention to being social intended for a while. You could consider your local pet shelter or maybe church to offer for. In some cases, you can choose for you to volunteer for certain events like breast cancer recognition. If you're looking for a enjoyable hobby to enjoy using a kid, consider a martial arts program. Martial disciplines teach self defense as well as discipline, making for any great hobby with numerous strengths. There are numerous types of martial arts plans, so research a good few to find the one that will is right for a person. Woodworking is an excellent activity regarding various motives. The idea is a great way to spend the free period. You can also work with what you make like items or in your own personal house. Your hobby will allow you to save dollars and even generate with the side. To continue to keep your running apparel via stinking up your laundry bin, consider installing a exterior shower in the back property. If anyone put up a new wall around your bathing place, you have all typically the privateness you need, plus your sweaty outfits will certainly not smell nearly while bad. After showering and even rinsing out your garments, just simply wring the apparel out and hang these people from the shower. Remember to help get them before commencing your next load of laundry! Many hobbies can also be useful and end up being ways to deliver in some sort of little extra income. Some of these hobbies can become used to create property decor, such as needlepoint and other creative needlework. Youngsters are often interested in learning how to help carry out these projects and enjoy decorating their space together. If you include children, one of the advantages of spare-time activities is picking out kinds that are appealing for them at the same time. This helps you spend more time with the children, which will is very important for development and of course to feel adored. Suspect of all the hobbies and interests your kids may well enjoy. Quite a few people take pleasure in baking since a pastime. food include even turned his or her leisure activity into the complete blown business. You can very. Start small as a residence based bakery. When you create a reputation, your business can grow. If you do not want to do the actual baking, you may possibly write a good cookbook together with even publish online. A person should now notice just how simple it can be with regard to some sort of family to find some sort of hobby many people can all take pleasure in. Turn out to be a head; use exactly what you've just learned to pick out a hobby for your own household. Enjoy yourself and even share these tips using your loved ones.

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behealthys-blog · 2 years ago

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13 HEALTH TIPS THAT ARE VERY IMPORTANT FOR EVERY WOMAN

Important Note

Consult your family physician or healthcare personnel before following any tips or advice.

General Information

Women who are expert in taking good care of family members are ahead in ignoring themselves. From eating and drinking to health, carelessness is taken everywhere, but just think if you are not well then who will take care of the rest of the family members?

While being busy in everyday life, there are some ways where you can take care of yourself while taking care of others. Let us tell you what kind of health tips you can follow to stay healthy.

1. Think Positive, Stay Away From Depression (Be Positive And Avoid Depression)

What are you doing right, what is wrong, who likes what and what is not, whether there is anything wrong in you or what will anyone say about you, whether you are a good wife and mother or not… it is such an upheaval that everyone… It goes on in the mind of the woman. This thinking becomes depression, so overcome it and think positive. Without positive thinking, no doctor can be successful in treatment.

2. Increase The Calcium Intake

Women between the ages of nineteen and fifty require approximately 1000 mg of calcium per day. So take adequate amount of calcium in your diet. So that there is no problem related to bones. If needed, calcium medicine can also be taken on the advice of a gynecologist.

3. Get Enough Sleep

It is very important to get enough sleep to overcome the fatigue of the day and to stay away from mental stress. Sleep on time at night. At least six to seven hours of sleep is essential.

4. Make Exercise Necessary

Make exercise a part of your routine. Do yoga, pranayama, morning walk or cardio as per your convenience. But do exercise.

5. Get A Massage

Get a body massage once a week. Whether go to the parlor or take it at home with the help of someone. This will relax the body muscles, and you will feel more healthy. It will also prove beneficial for your skin.

6. Consume One Fruit Daily

Eat any one fruit every day. Fruits are very beneficial for health and keep them strong from inside. Fruits are also important because women often neglect their food. Stale food is a major drawback of women.

7. Sunlight Is Also Important (Importance of Sunlight)

Like calcium, vitamin D is also very important. Due to vitamin D, bones are able to absorb calcium. Therefore, take at least 10 minutes of sunlight every day. This will strengthen your bones.

8. Blood Sugar Test

From time to time do a blood sugar test, according to which you can make changes in your diet.

9. Cholesterol Test

Cholesterol test is also very important. Because women are more prone to heart disease and breast cancer. Therefore, this test is necessary to avoid this doubt. This becomes even more important for women who reduce physical exertion.

10. For Healthy Bones & Muscles

More and more walking, dancing, cycling are some of the procedures that you should do.

11. Meet Friends

Don't stay locked inside the house. To be alone is to invite diseases. Go out with friends once a week. Laugh, talk and breathe open air.

12. Complete Body Check At Least Once In A Year

Get a full body test done once a year. This includes everything from the dentist to genetic tests.

13. Enough Hemoglobin Count

Make sure that your hemoglobin is correct. Due to this too many times, there may be weakness, dizziness, lack of mind in any work, etc. Include green leafy vegetables and iron-rich food in your diet.

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dietplan321 · 3 years ago

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These are some cancer tips that can help you a lot

Some cancers are the most healthy.

The difference between life or death is how early detection of cancer is done. You should do a monthly self-exam for breast and teste cancer. This will allow you to spot any unusualities. Best Dietician in Rohini

The flow of blood can be increased by exercising. It is a good strategy to get your blood flowing. This will allow your cancer treatments go through your body more quickly and easily.

You should be aware of possible side effects from cancer treatment. Your doctor can explain the possible side effects of medications and treatments. You may need to change your makeup if you are unhappy with your appearance due to a loss of hair or a pale complexion. Best Nutritionist in Rohini

You should be cautious about chemicals in fresh fruits and vegetables purchased at the grocery store. These crops are protected from diseases and other problems that could cause damage.

When you feel the need to speak up, do so. People might think that cancer is contagious, and therefore will treat you differently. This will allow you to control how others react to your treatment.

If you need to have your breasts checked for breast cancer, don't be afraid to feel some discomfort. It takes only a few minutes. You could save your life and breasts by being caught early. Don't let fear of being uncomfortable stop you from having a screening.

Prepare now to fight the good fight.

They include nurses, chemo specialist, chemo experts, and anyone else who can help you understand, empathize, and support you. This is not something you can do on your own. Be open to letting others in.

Talk to your family and friends if you feel you need more support. Tell them what they can do for you. It is a difficult time of great difficulty. Communicate with love.

Don't let yourself get out of this situation. This will not improve your health.

You can accompany someone with cancer to the doctor if you are accompanied. Ask questions. If you have any questions, you will be better equipped to take care of your loved one.

It doesn't matter if you are just being diagnosed or if you have been living with it for some time, it is a good idea to join a support group for cancer. The group is often open to family members, as they will also be affected by your cancer diagnosis.

You should treat your family member with cancer the same way you would. Cancer patients need all the love and positive energy they can get. People who feel sorry for them tend to feel worse about themselves.

To reduce the chance of skin cancer, you should cover your skin with sunscreen. Melanoma is the most common form of skin cancer. If left untreated, melanomas (skin tumors) can quickly become fatal.

It is important to remember to have fun. Being diagnosed with cancer doesn't mean that you should be miserable. You can still enjoy the things that make you happy such as reading or going to art shows. These activities will not only not exhaust you but also allow you to enjoy them.

There are many ways to treat your condition, both during and after treatment. You can try acupuncture, massages, acupuncture treatments, or a yoga class. These activities can help you relax and get rid of stress.

You should eat three meals a day. If you have difficulty keeping down other foods, starchy foods might be the best option.

If you're fighting cancer, don't be afraid to bring televisions or other entertainment items into your bedroom. You should allow TVs in your bedroom if you have not allowed them before. It is likely that you will spend a lot of time in bed during treatment. This piece of equipment might be a great way to pass the time while you are recovering.

There are many options and treatments available depending on which type of cancer you have. These tips should get you started.

#nutrition #diet #fatloss #weight loss

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ontarioyoga · 3 years ago

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How Can I Practice Mindfulness Besides Meditation

New Post has been published on https://www.ontarioyoga.net/how-can-i-practice-mindfulness-besides-meditation/

How Can I Practice Mindfulness Besides Meditation

Dont Be Too Hard On Yourself When Your Mind Wanders Off During Practice Gently Bring Your Attention Back To The Present

Everyone’s mind is going to wander now and then while they are practicing mindfulness meditation. It is ok to recognize your passing thought and let it go. Once it is gone, take some deep breaths and reset your focus to be in your mindfulness practice.

This is just one mindfulness blueprint. As I said before, there are countless ways to practice mindfulness. For instance, you can add a bit of meditation, which we’ll cover next.

The Lives Of Lawyers: More Than Meditation: How Even The Most Type A Lawyers Can Practice Mindfulness

For the past several years, the wellness industry has inundated me with the word “mindfulness”—something “good” that I “should” practice. But for many lawyers, the idea of turning off from the outside world and being entirely focused on one thing seems like a pipe dream. They balk at the suggestion, claiming to be “too Type A.” But, even the most ambitious overachievers can successfully practice mindfulness.

More Than Meditation: A Survey Of How Young Lawyers Practice Mindfulness

The realization that meditation is not necessarily about quieting your mind helped me understand how to bring mindfulness into other aspects of my life. Before this realization, yoga was the only time I felt mentally present. Ordinarily, my mind was filled with anxious thoughts about the future, how much I had to get done that day, items on my grocery list, that “thing” I forgot to do, etc. But during yoga, if I lost my presence, I fell down. So I stayed present use to strengthen their “mindfulness muscle.”

I spoke to several young lawyers in positions ranging from big law firm associates to in-house counsel to lawyers at small firms about how they practice mindfulness and bring presence into their daily lives. To most, mindfulness meant the act of staying present, which, in turn, helps you stay focused. Below are some of the insights I obtained from these lawyers:

Find activities where you can be physically present. Two of the lawyers who graciously answered my questions both treat themselves to massages, take baths, and prioritizing exercise. All three of these activities involve tuning into your body, unintentionally focusing on the one thing that is happening, in a similar way that you focus on your breath during a meditation.

Experience It And Also Find The Moment That Suits You Ideal To Meditate

Regularity is the crucial to really feeling all the virtues of mindfulness reflection. After finding and appreciating this technique, the idea is to incorporate it into your every day life. Still, without taxing yourself, it should come normally, little by little, beginning with sessions 2 to 3 times a week, as well as why not daily if you feel the requirement or wish.

For this method to take its area quite normally in your daily life, it is vital to locate the best moment, the ideal scenario, that makes us really feel good.

The question of the minute is crucial: is it early in the early morning, when you wake up? Or in the morning, hanging on to one more habit to make them stronger with each other . In the morning, the mind is more made up; there are less points to observe.

Would this moment for you be much more integrated right into your lunch break due to the fact that it’s quieter?

Or are you even more of those who like to practice meditation in the evening? Beware, the threat is going to sleep, which is not the objective. If meditating puts you to sleep, prepare a session a little earlier in the night since it is required to prevent battling versus rest while exercising. It will be excellent prep work for the dropping off to sleep phase!

To discover the moment that fits you best, test, experience mindfulness meditation at different times of the day, and also see what jobs best for you. Celebrities Who Practice Mindfulness

Mindfulness Enhances The Ability To Deal With And Recover From Illness

When you think of mindfulness or meditation, you probably think of a quiet, private time of peace. On the other hand, when you think of hospitals or doctors’ offices, you probably think about the anxiety, pain, and chaos going on around you. So, how can mindfulness have a place in health care?

The eCALM trial is a therapy program for cancer patients. It found that mindfulness can reduce the physical symptoms of stress, decrease one’s emotional reactivity to negative experiences, and facilitate post-traumatic growth while enhancing energy and relieving fatigue.

Additionally, found that mindfulness meditation has also been found to decrease anxiety and foster post-traumatic mental and emotional growth in breast cancer survivors, as well as increasing energy and spirituality.

Mindfulness Helps Lower The Incidence Of Burnout And Turnover At Work

Early reports of job burnout came to light in the 1970s and were mostly focused on people who were working in health care or human services. While there is a growing body of research on job burnout, there is no widely agreed-upon definition. However, job burnout is essentially one’s inability to properly respond to chronic occupational stress, with the experience of emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and a low rate of personal achievement.

Job burnout can manifest as depression, aggression, decreased commitment, decreased cognitive performance, and decreased motivation. This phenomenon has been associated with an increased risk of physical and mental health problems such as increased blood pressure, heart disease, anxiety, and depression.

found that there is an inverse relationship between mindfulness and job turnover intention, suggesting that employees who are trained in mindfulness are less likely to leave their jobs for any reason.

So those are the 20 benefits of mindfulness. Did any stand out as positives that you want to experience?

Now let’s move on to the history of mindfulness, and then we’ll dive into how to practice mindfulness throughout the day.

Tips For Increasing Focus And Awareness And Decreasing Stress At Work

You probably know the feeling all too well: You arrive at the office with a clear plan for the day and then, in what feels like just a moment, you find yourself on your way back home. Nine or ten hours have passed but you’ve accomplished only a few of your priorities. And, most likely, you can’t even remember exactly what you did all day. If this sounds familiar, don’t worry. You’re not alone. shows that people spend almost 47 percent of their waking hours thinking about something other than what they’re doing. In other words, many of us operate on autopilot.

Add to this that we have entered what many people are calling the “attention economy.” In the attention economy, the ability to maintain focus and concentration is every bit as important as technical or management skills. And because leaders need to absorb and synthesize a growing flood of information in order to make good decisions, they’re hit particularly hard by this emerging trend.

The good news is you can train your brain to focus better by incorporating mindfulness exercises throughout your day. Based on our experience with thousands of leaders in over 250 organizations, here are some guidelines for becoming a more focused and mindful leader.

From the GGSC to your bookshelf: 30 science-backed tools for well-being.

Listen to a guided breathing exercise:

This article was originally published on Harvard Business Review. Read the original article.

There Are Plenty Of Ways To Practice Mindfulness Here Are 13 Of Them

Mindfulness can be tricky at first. Our minds are used to wandering, and we will often be tempted to fix on a thought or a feeling, judge it as good or bad, or work hard to analyse or change it. Sometimes this will be useful, but we also need to be able to sit with our experience and be fully in the moment, without being dragged away by thoughts or feelings that might do damage if they hold on for too long. The truth is, the only place we can fully be is here and now. Of course, it is important to plan for the future or reflect on the past, but it’s about balance.

If you haven’t practised mindfulness before, try to replace any judgement you might have about whether or not you’re doing it properly, with acknowledgement that you are doing the very best you can in the moment. What’s important is that you are doing it. The rest will come with practice. The more you practice mindfulness, the easier it will become to stay present and focus your attention on where you want it, rather than on wherever your mind might take you.

Remember also that mindfulness is dose-related. The more you do it, the more you will benefit from it. The most important thing is to start, and to work towards a regular practice of at least twenty minutes each day. If twenty minutes is difficult to find, and sometimes it can be, try for two ten minute sessions. Here are some different ways to practice mindfulness:

Mindful eating.

Mindfulness Slows Down The Progression Of Neurodegenerative Diseases

Researchers have found that positive brain changes that are associated with mindfulness meditation may work to slow the progression of age-related cognitive disorders, such as Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.

Patients suffering from Alzheimer’s who participated in the study showed a lower rate of cognitive decline after the eight-week mindfulness-based stress reduction program than a control group who did not participate in the program.

Dont Think About The Past Dont Plan The Future Dont Look At The Time

You know you can’t change the past. So why can’t you let it go? Stop thinking about things that have already happened. Additionally, the future is not here yet, so there is no need to focus too intently on that either. The future will come to you soon enough. Focus instead on the present moment without worrying about what time it is, or when you have to be somewhere next. Don’t worry about how much time you allow to pass before getting up.

Fun Mindfulness Interventions Techniques And Worksheets For Adults

There are several ways to engage in mindfulness on an individual level, including worksheets, techniques, and different exercises.

If the idea of participating in group mindfulness exercises is anxiety-provoking or stressful for yourself or your clients, then diving into mindfulness practice alone can be the best way to proceed.

Here are six exercises that can help to build mindfulness in different ways.

How Can I Practice Mindfulness Meditation With Sound Not Breathing

I want to start practising meditation, but breathing exercises extremely psyche me out. I find any activity that involves intensely focusing on a part of my body distressing, sometimes nauseating. So the traditional “focus on your breath” mindfulness meditations aren’t really ideal for me.

I like the idea of meditating listening to sound, for example the sound of rain or waves on my phone. But I’m completely new to meditation and am not sure how best to implement this practice. Should I wear over ear headphones, or is it best to have the music ambient and not directly my ear? Should I be sitting up or lying in bed? Should it be light, dark or semi-dark? Eyes open or closed etc.?

The basic question I’m asking is: what are the best practices and practicalities for mindfulness meditation using sound?

Five Simple Mindfulness Practices For People Who Hate To Meditate

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The science is clear: practicing mindfulness is good for you. Just as you can exercise the body for better performance, the mind too can be trained, honed and sharpened. Mindfulness has been shown to break negative thought patterns, reduce stress and anxiety, and sharpens focus.

Perhaps knowing all of these benefits, you tried meditation. Yet, for whatever the reason, the practice of meditation—sitting still, quietly, focusing on a single object, just isn’t working for you. Maybe you even judge yourself for your inability to meditate.

If you are struggling with making meditation part of your daily practice, or it just isn’t your cup of tea, there are many other mindfulness practices you can still incorporate into your day.

When to practice mindfulness

Just to be clear, every moment of your life presents an opportunity to be mindful. You do not need to sit on a meditation cushion or visit a meditation center or an ashram to practice mindfulness. That’s the beautify of mindfulness—your entire life is a laboratory where you can experiment.

However, that you be mindful 24/7 is very different than actually mindful throughout the day. For this reason, I’ve found it useful to have some cues that will remind me to return to center, to intentionally bring a bit of mindfulness to what I am doing and to pay attention to what is actually happening in the moment, rather than be trapped by the internal chatter.

Adding mindfulness cues into your day

Mindfulness Techniques For Depression Anger Addiction And Anxiety

Mindfulness has been a crux of therapy for patients with borderline personality disorder, and it also has applications for people without a diagnosis of mental illness.

People anywhere on the mental health spectrum can benefit from mindfulness techniques. It helps regulate emotions and can be a helpful resource for management and .

How Long And How Often Should You Practice Mindfulness Meditation

You can practice mindfulness meditation for as long or as often as you like. However, 15 minutes a day, a few times per week, is a good start for a beginner. Then you can work your way up to an hour each time, which is when you can reap the most benefits, says Britt Gustafson, a mindful life coach who teaches mindfulness meditation through .

You can practice mindfulness meditation at any point in the day, but it might be helpful to do it at the same time each day to build a routine. For example, Gustafson says she likes to practice every morning before she gets out of bed.

“You’re kind of checking in with yourself and getting yourself aligned. I feel personally that that sets the tone of your day,” Gustafson says.

Some people like to meditate in the evening, in the transition between work and home, Dingle says. You can also reach for mindfulness meditation when you need it, such as before an important event, or when something goes wrong and you want to ground yourself, she says.

Okay Talk Me Through The Basics What Does Meditating Look Like

Good news: People often imagine there are a lot of rules around how to meditate properly, but meditation is meant to be flexible and personalized. “A lot of people think you have to sit in a certain way, like cross-legged on the floor, which is absolutely not true,” says Winston. “You can sit in a chair. You can sit on the couch. You can lie down. However you’re comfortable.” Winston notes that people also think they have to do it for a certain amount of time—often a time—but that’s another misconception. A few minutes is fine.

To give you an idea of what mindfulness meditation looks like in practice, consider this basic example: “A very simple way to meditate is to sit down in a comfortable place where you won’t be disturbed and bring your attention to your body,” says Winston. “See if you can notice your body . Maybe you feel your breath moving in your abdomen. Maybe you notice your chest moving up and down. Some people notice the air moving through their nose. Then, just pick a spot to focus your gaze on and then stay with it, feeling the breath rising and falling in and out. When you notice your mind wandering away, return your attention back to your breathing and the spot that you’re noticing. Then just do that again and again. If you just did that for five minutes a day, you’d be golden.” It may sound too easy, but that might be all you need to incorporate a fulfilling meditation routine into your life.

Pay Attention To Your Thoughts Words Actions And Motivations

When you are thinking, saying, or doing something, what is the reason behind it? Are you telling someone a story to benefit them in some way, or is it just benefiting you or your ego? Think about the motivations behind everything you do before you do it to see if it is really necessary. Make sure that you are always coming from a good place when you choose to speak or act in any way.

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Back To School Is A Great Time Begin A Mindfulness Practice

Any time of year is a great time to start practicing mindfulness yourself or with your kids. But as back to school time is quickly approaching, it’s a great time to start a mindfulness practice. This is the time of year we are getting ready to re-establish routines and schedules after the summer break. Adding a few minutes to your morning routine to practice mindfulness is a great way to add some calm and intention to your day and your kids’ days too!

Here are Kailey and Josianne with a simple guide to practicing mindfulness with your kids. Be sure to check out part one of their series , to learn about starting your own mindfulness practice too!

Mindfulness Meditation Guide: How To Start A Daily Practice

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Almost everyone in the yoga world now accepts mindfulness meditation– present moment awareness with non-attachment – as something they should add to their practice. Scientifically studied benefits of mindfulness meditation include stress reduction, reduction of depression and anxiety, increased brain function, an immune system boost, and much more.

The Italians say “If you can’t live longer, live deeper.”

Yet the real reason to practice meditation is to discover your highest, truest self. You know – the part of you that lies underneath the confusion and endless thoughts . . . your pure limitless potential.

How To Do A Formal Mindfulness Practice With Your Children

Mindful meditation is simple, but not always easy. A great way to start is with a breath awareness practice. The first couple times you practice with your kids, be sure to choose a time where they are already pretty calm. They will be more receptive and will have a better first impression. Forcing them to sit still when they have lots of energy will make them feel like mindfulness is a punishment rather than a useful tool for relaxation.

Here’s how to meditate with your kids:

Embrace A Comfy Posture To Practice Mindfulness Meditation

To learn just how to meditate, it is a good idea to begin resting: you can either remain on the front of a chair, without leaning against the back-rest or rest on a padding constructed from a fit .

The appropriate placement to embrace:

Keep your back fairly straight yet not tense .Close your eyes, or leave them half-open if you prefer.Imagine that you have a wire over your head, which aligns you up.

How Do I Quiet My Thoughts And Keep My Mind From Wandering

nd here we have the most common misconception about meditation. Despite popular belief, the goal of meditation isn’t a completely blank mind. “Meditation isn’t turning off thoughts but rather learning to meet them with awareness and curiosity,” says Mattingly. The same goes for our wandering minds; you don’t have to keep absolute focus, either. In both cases, the key is .

“When our attention wanders away or other thoughts are coming up, we notice what’s happening and then bring our attention back to whatever it is we’re focusing on in our mindfulness meditation, such as our breath,” says Winston. “And then we do that over and over. What we learn to realize is that that’s not a problem. That’s part of the process.”

That doesn’t mean it’s easy, of course. Paying attention to our thoughts and emotions can set off anxiety, judgment, and other things that feel like they interfere with mindfulness. But with practice, you can learn not to get pulled down into that spiral and instead incorporate these moments into your meditation. “ allows us to take a step back and become the observer,” says Mattingly. “When we invite in curiosity, we’re able to notice the changing nature of all emotions and realize that these emotions rise and fall in everyone.”

Mindfulness Improves Memory Concentration And Performance

Paying attention and concentrating on the task at hand may be one of the most important cognitive abilities people have. Mindfulness is one of a very few methods that works as an antidote for mind-wandering and the negative effects that losing concentration may have on you. In fact, research on students has shown that there is a connection between mindfulness and paying attention both in and out of the classroom.

Studies have shown that meditating on a regular basis causes the brain’s cerebral cortex to thicken.

Mindfulness Meditation Reduces Implicit Age And Race Bias

has suggested that mindfulness can positively change the negative thoughts or associations that people once had. The impact of mindfulness has been studied in regards to several biases through measurements of implicit association tests. These tests found that people who listened to mindfulness meditation had an increased state of mindfulness and a decrease in their implicit biases.

Does Meditation Make You Anxious Or Mad Here’s A Science

Posted April 19, 2016

Find a mindfulness-based therapist

We keep seeing more studies demonstrating how mindfulness meditation can change the brain, make us feel better, and generally improve our lives. That’s great. But what if it doesn’t work for you? Maybe the practices that were supposed to take you to a calm place made you feel or irritable.

Your skin crawls, you have ants in your pants, and you swing between anxiety attacks and . Not exactly Zen.

Maybe your reaction was to start focusing on your to-do list and worrying that instead of getting things done, you were just sitting there doing nothing. You ended up getting frustrated, quitting, and buying another latte instead.

Your meditator friends either look like they could smile through a sandstorm or are so neurotically self-aware that they drive you nuts with their “mindful” attitudes and “conscious” relating. Meanwhile, you’re so you can’t sit and watch your thoughts. Or label them. Or “hold them with nonjudgmental awareness.”

The good news is that you don’t have to do mindfulness meditation. There are other ways to reach inner peace.

There has been so much on mindfulness and meditation that we’ve started to equate the two.

One reason scientists are so interested in mindfulness meditation is that it is a cognitive exercise. Scientists like cognitive exercises.

Here’s what I mean: you have to observe your thoughts . Mindfulness meditation is the most scientific practice ever.

How To Practice Mindfulness: 11 Practical Steps And Tips

Developing a mindfulness practice offers myriad positive benefits for the body and mind .

But sometimes, it’s easier said than done.

It’s not easy in the beginning, and there will be bumps along the path toward a committed mindfulness practice.

This article will guide you through various ways and resources to help introduce mindfulness in your life so that you are well prepared to start your journey.

Before you read on, we thought you might like to . These science-based comprehensive exercises will not only help you cultivate a sense of inner peace throughout your daily life, but also give you the tools to enhance the mindfulness of your clients, students, children, or employees.

You can download the free PDF .

This article contains:

References

Tip Six: Introduce A Breathing Exercise Before A Meeting

Up to this point, most of the tips have focused on the role and experiences of the employee; however, there is no reason why everyone in a team should not practice a mindfulness exercise.

There is some preliminary evidence that introducing a three-minute breathing exercise before a stand-up meeting results in better decision making, more productive meetings, better listening, good interactions, and more appropriate emotional responses .

This exercise could be completed as a group or individually before the meeting.

Mini Mindfulness Exercises You Can Do Without Meditating

Don’t have time to meditate every day? Here are 3 mini mindfulness exercises you can do in five minutes or even five seconds.

Being mindful means being tuned into the here and now, without judgment.

Practicing mindfulness is good for your health and well-being.

You can practice mindfulness in your daily life without doing full meditations.

To anchor into the present moment, pay attention to how your breath feels without trying to change it.

Do a mini body scan by focusing on just one part of your body.

Perform a quick check-in with all five of your senses to experience the world around you in the present moment.

Happy New Year, everyone! How was your holiday season this past year? If it was anything like mine, you probably not only had lots of joyous moments, but also lots of hectic running around, getting things ready, hosting, traveling, ordering last-minute presents, and getting in touch with loved ones.

Times like these can sparkle with fun energy and can leave us feeling frazzled. That’s because all this running around makes it hard to be mindful. By mindful, I mean being present in the here and now with a non-judgmental attitude. The opposites of mindful are multi-tasking, judging, worrying, mentally planning, and getting stuck in our minds instead of being simply and fully in the real world in this current moment.

When was the last time you were fully mindful? What did it feel like?

When The Time Is Up Reflect On Your Mindfulness Practice

Ask your children questions like: How did your body feel during the practice? What did you notice? What was your mind doing? Then share your answers. There is no right or wrong experience to have during a mindfulness practice. Sharing is a great way to connect with openness and curiosity and to see that sometimes we have similar experiences and sometimes our practices are very different.

Just like with any new exercise, this may not be easy in the beginning. But with time and practice, you will see that concentrating on the breath will become easier and a sense of calm will follow.

It can be very helpful to learn this practice from a teacher. A great place to find quality guided mindfulness practices online is . They create mindfulness practices in both English and French for you to do with your kiddos so that the whole family can practice together. Educalme’s guided mindfulness practices use vocabulary simple enough for kids, yet valuable for teens and adults too. Plus, the 5 minute guided audio is really easy to fit into your day.

Meditation Is Good For You But Not So Good For Your Butt Apr 8, 2020“I hereby call this meditation, ‘just being’” Paolo Nicolello

If I’ve been meditating on anything these days, it’s that I already sit way too much. When I’m eating, I’m sitting. When I’m working, I’m sitting. When I’m reading or writing I’m sitting. When I’m doing almost anything apart from sleeping or shopping or peeing—well, sometimes—I’m…

Acquaint Yourself With Your Breath To Be In Today Moment

Among the basics of reflection is the observation of breath. To start, you can take a couple of minutes throughout the day to observe your breath, your motivations, your exhalations, how the air column goes through you.

To aid you, you can count your breath. Just by following your breath, you will have the ability to realize that you can observe more serenely what is occurring in your mind: I saw this believed pass, I return to the breath, an additional idea passes, I come back to my breath again. Do not wait to do it 100 times if it is needed. The suggestion is to be in today minute; whether your mind is very upset or not, it is possible, by simply following the breath!

Progressively Incorporate This Technique Into Your Life

Mindfulness meditation is “training to be” and can end up being a way of living. The concept is to apply it in everyday life after having actually found out the fundamentals through official meditation sessions.

Your belly is a little knotted because of the stress and anxiety that climbs prior to a meeting, a test, a visit, a public speaking? Meditation can aid you to come back to the present moment in a couple of minutes, thanks to mindful breathing that enables you to be there, as well as not in the assumptions, projections?

Once you have attempted one or two official mindfulness meditation sessions, making use of an application, attempt to do it informally .

Powerful Ways To Practice Mindfulness In Everyday Life

You’re probably aware of the mantra of ‘living in the moment’. It’s almost the catch cry of the 21st century, at least among the wellness-minded.

But do you actually know what it means to live in the present?

For many of us, we only live in the present a fraction of the time, and instead, we dwell on the past, churning through thoughts about current problems, and worry about the future. We’re living in our minds, unconnected to the world around us or our own body or being.

This means we’re missing out on most of our lives, leaving us feeling unsettled, hollow and bereft of meaning.

The good news? We can learn to be more present and mindful.

Here are 5 powerful ways you can practice mindfulness in your daily life.

Simple Ways To Practice Mindfulness In Our Daily Life MindfulnessPositive PsychologySelf-ConfidenceMonique Tallon

“Look past your thoughts, so you may drink the pure nectar of This Moment.”– Rumi

These days as we are all learning to adapt to a new normal of staying indoors, I’ve been personally finding it difficult to focus on what is going right with the world instead of what is going wrong. I find myself sometimes getting sucked into hours of scrolling through my social media feed to read the latest news or to feel more connected to friends and family. With all the unknowns of what the future holds, it’s easy to get stuck in negative feedback loops which ultimately breed stress in the body. And right now stress is the last thing we need if we want to boost our immune systems and keep a healthy mental state.

So in this blog post, I want to talk about how to train your brain through mindfulness practices to stay focused on the positive, lower stress, and keep yourself mentally healthy during this uncertain time we’re going through.

When Is Mindfulness Right For Youand How Can You Know

Despite the risks mentioned above, there are still many documented benefits of mindfulness. But, as the adage goes: if you only have a hammer, everything can look like a nail. The reality is that we need many tools in the “mental health toolbox” for a variety of situations life will throw our way: what about the saw, screwdriver, or pliers? A contributing factor is that we live in a consumerist, capitalist country. It has been overly commodified, its origins partially distorted. Not enough people, especially health professionals are researchers, are talking about the risks, contraindications, or downsides of practice, or who specifically it’s best suited for and when.

Dedicate Time And Space For Your Mindfulness Practice

You want the space you choose for mindfulness practice to be quiet, calm, and soothing. You will also want to pick a time during which you are unlikely to be interrupted. Create a space in your house that is peaceful and allows you to just relax while practicing mindfulness. Don’t use this space for anything aside from meditating. This way, when you sit down, your body will be notified that it is time to calm down and practice mindfulness.

Make Mindfulness Meditation A Part Of Your Daily Life

Forming a dedicated meditation practice is like giving your soul a hug every day. Practice compassion towards yourself as you get into a groove. Every day won’t be easy and it definitely won’t be the same. With time and commitment, you’ll come to discover that you crave sitting in meditation. You’ll start to notice small changes in your mentality and approach to yourself and others. Mindfulness meditation is the gateway to presence, compassion, peace, and grounding. Dig in.

How Other Than Meditation Do You Practice Mindfulness

§ Some things have helped me with this, such as, staring at an object for a while. Reading about meditation. Thinking about being present. Closing my eyes . What about you? I really appreciate you taking the time to share.

Awareness of the physical body is the first step towards mindfulness. Start with the body, move up to the mind when you’re ready.

That was the first step for you perhaps, but for me it was very later on. It all depends where your concerns and issues lie, to me it was in pondering the existence of life. As soon as I started observing my thoughts it became very clear to me that mindfulness was the key to the question of our purpose in life. Don’t affirm anything, don’t deny anything, simply say the steps and let others find their own experience.

Anytime I notice I’m lost in my mind I take a step back and pause and reset. Keeping coming back to the moment, keep coming back to the Truth.

When I’m at work I focus 100% on my task right in front of me. I won’t think of the outcome, I won’t think of what’s next or anything like that. I put everything into the work. I’m there a minimum of 8 hours so it’s a lot of my day, bonus is the quality of my work benefits too!

im trying to write my thesis . Im so bored or anxious that i cant focus. or maybe i just cant focus, every 5min work im on reddit for 5-10 then back more 5 more min . FML. i wish i could do what you do and just focus 100%

Eating is a big one for me too.

What You Need To Know Before Practicing Mindfulness:

You don’t need to buy anything. You can practice anywhere, there’s no need to go out and buy a special cushion or bench—all you need is to devote a little time and space to accessing your mindfulness skills every day.

There’s no way to quiet your mind. That’s not the goal here. There’s no bliss state or otherworldly communion. All you’re trying to do is pay attention to the present moment, without judgment. Sounds easy, right?

Your mind will wander. As you practice paying attention to what’s going on in your body and mind at the present moment, you’ll find that many thoughts arise. Your mind might drift to something that happened yesterday, meander to your to-do list—your mind will try to be anywhere but where you are. But the wandering mind isn’t something to fear, it’s part of human nature and it provides the magic moment for the essential piece of mindfulness practice—the piece that researchers believe leads to healthier, more agile brains: the moment when you recognize that your mind has wandered. Because if you can notice that your mind has wandered, then you can consciously bring it back to the present moment. The more you do this, the more likely you are to be able to do it again and again. And that beats walking around on autopilot any day .

The Effectiveness Of Dialectical Behavioural Therapy

In one study, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy-Mindfulness .

What are the “What” skills?

This first set of skills is meant to help the client learn how to:

Simply observe their experience.

Describe their experience using a verbal label.

Be fully present in the moment and in their actions without feeling self-conscious.

These skills allow the client to be aware of what is happening to them and of their part in their own experience. Becoming aware of their own thoughts and grounded in the present forms the foundation for the next set of “how” skills.

How Do the “How” Skills Work?

The “how” skills relate to the goal of teaching clients how to observe, describe, and participate in their own experience. This set of skills is intended to help clients:

Learn to have experiences in a non-evaluative and non-judgmental manner.

Focus on one thing at a time and learn to bring their attention back to the target when they go off course.

Be effective, or keep their focus on their goals regardless of their current mood .

The clients were also taken through a series of other mindfulness interventions including mindful breathing, the body scan, and other simple awareness practices.

Individuals in this study who received DBTM training, in addition to the usual treatment, had enhanced benefits compared to the group who received only the usual psychiatric treatment: the more minutes an individual spent practicing mindfulness, the greater the improvements in psychiatric symptoms .

Mindful Workout: Activate Your Mind And Your Muscles

Riding a bike, lifting weights, sweating it out on a treadmill—what do such exercises have in common? For one thing, each can be a mindfulness practice. Whatever the physical activity—dancing the Tango, taking a swim—instead of simply working out to burn calories, master a skill, or improve condition, you can move and breathe in a way that not only gets your blood pumping and invigorates every cell in your body, but also shifts you from feeling busy and distracted to feeling strong and capable.

Ready? The following steps, good for any activity, will help you synchronize body, mind, and nervous system. As you do, you will strengthen your capacity to bring all of your energy to the task at hand.

1. Be clear about your aim. As you tie your laces or pull on your gardening gloves, bring purpose to your activity by consciously envisioning how you want your guide your session. As you climb on your bike you might say, “I am going to breathe deeply and notice the sensation of the breeze and the sun and the passing scenery.” As you enter the pool, you might say, “I’m going to pay attention to each stroke, and the sound and feel of the water surrounding me.”

2. Warm up . Try any simple moves— jumping jacks, stretching— and concentrate on matching the rhythm of your breath to your movement. By moving rhythmically, your brain activity, heart rate, and nervous system begin to align and stabilize.

Heres What You Need For A Daily Meditation Practice:

Quiet Location: Choose a quiet space where no one will interfere with your practice. Use a cushion and create a sacred space by placing a few meaningful objects on a table in front of you

Dedicated Time: You are encouraged to meditate whenever and as often as you can! Many find that first thing in the morning is the best time to meditate. After a trip to the restroom, get to your meditation cushion right away before your day gets going. You can also meditate in the middle of the day and before bed to quiet the mind and release built-up stress

Set Duration: Many want to know a specific length of time to sit in meditation each day. The correct amount of time is 24/7 because you bring your mindfulness practice into every moment of your life. But for starters, 10-20 minutes is perfect. Set a timer and place it behind you so you aren’t tempted to look at it during your meditation session

How To Meditate When You Have No Idea Where To Start

If you’re wondering how to meditate, there’s a good chance it’s because you’ve heard all sorts of things about how good it can be for you. People love to suggest meditation for a variety of reasons: to reduce and anxiety, to ease depression, to put you to sleep, to make you feel more present, to magically transform you into a better, more grounded human being. The claims go on and on. And while the benefits of meditation have been greatly exaggerated in a lot of ways, plenty of people find it to be a worthwhile practice and . With everything going on in the world, it’s a solid time to explore meditation and whether it might be useful for you too.

Meditation may seem simple—and in many ways, it is��but people are often unsure where to start and whether they’re doing it correctly. To help you learn how to meditate and integrate it into your life, SELF asked meditation experts some of your most common meditation questions.

Mindfulness Activities For Groups And Group Therapy

Group therapy that incorporates mindfulness has shown some promising results. It is as effective as cognitive-behavioral therapy .

There is also evidence that group mindfulness meditation therapy is as effective as individual CBT . In a global climate with few clinical psychologists in relation to the need for them, and in a time when individual therapy time is limited and expensive, the proven efficacy of group-based therapy is great news.

Even if you do not feel a need to visit a therapist, there are mindfulness-focused groups that share and deepen meditation practice . Here are four exercises from such groups.

Practices For Improving Emotional And Physical Well

It’s a busy world. You fold the laundry while keeping one eye on the kids and another on the television. You plan your day while listening to the radio and commuting to work, and then plan your weekend. But in the rush to accomplish necessary tasks, you may find yourself losing your connection with the present moment—missing out on what you’re doing and how you’re feeling. Did you notice whether you felt well-rested this morning or that forsythia is in bloom along your route to work?

Mindfulness is the practice of purposely focusing your attention on the present moment—and accepting it without judgment. Mindfulness is now being examined scientifically and has been found to be a key element in stress reduction and overall happiness.

Mindfulness Helps Students Achieve Academic Success

Everyone knows that, in addition to academic success, people want our youth to be happy and physically well. All of these goals are connected, and we now realize the role that social and emotional well-being has in achieving academic success. Learning how to focus one’s attention on productive tasks, become more self-aware, stay motivated to keep going when work becomes difficult, and deal with the frustrations of learning and communicating with peers are vital skills that depend on a student’s ability to comprehend and manage their emotions.

Researchers have found that college students who learned the craft of mindfulness were able to perform better on the verbal reasoning section of the GRE, and experienced improvements in their working memory. While the emphasis on academic achievement is typically what is highlighted in debates on school reform, important movements are being made by people who take a more complete and holistic approach to education.

Anchoring Our Awareness: Alternatives To The Breath

December 16, 2018 by Kristy Arbon

Photo by dorota dylka on Unsplash

In mindfulness meditation practice we are invited to anchor or ground our awareness in something we can sense, the breath being the most common anchor. Often the assumption in meditation instruction is that the breath is a neutral, portable, dynamic, rhythmic object of awareness that is a convenient place to train our awareness on.

However, the breath doesn’t feel like much of an anchor for some people. Trauma memories can be associated with the face, neck and chest area – all places on the body that the breath moves through. If our particular trauma memory is carried in these parts of our body, then this is not a neutral place to rest our awareness.

Or, if we have difficulty breathing as a result of a chronic or acute physical condition, bringing awareness to this physiological process probably won’t feel grounding. The breath is not a neutral object of awareness and may actually increase our anxiety and move us out of our window of tolerance.

If we are interested in cultivating a mindfulness meditation practice but we are challenged by anchoring our awareness on the breath, or we are a teacher of mindfulness and wish to offer options for folks who are challenged by using the breath as an anchor, we can consider some alternative anchors based on what we understand about our sensory system.

Two kinds of sensory anchors

Our sensations can be categorized in two ways:

that give us information about our body .

The Benefits Extend Beyond A Calmer State Of Mind

Meditation is widely recommended as a health-boosting practice—and for good reason. It provides many positive benefits, from reducing symptoms of stress to relieving physical complaints like headaches and even enhancing immunity to illness.?? Between the health benefits and the fact that it’s free and requires as few as five minutes, it’s easy to see why meditation has become a popular complement to conventional medicine.

How To Practice Mindfulness Meditation Greatist

As I settle into my seat to write this article, I take a deep, slow, breath. The sun’s rays are beginning to seep through the curtain, my cup of rooibos-ginger tea warms the palm of my left hand. I notice the slight kink between my shoulder blades. I remember to text a friend to confirm our walking date, resisting the urge to quickly pick up my phone. I note the smell of the jasmine-scented incense burning on my bookshelf, and the purr of my cat as he curls his tail around my right calf. I take another deep, slow, breath. And then I open my laptop.

This is my mindfulness meditation practice.

Founded by meditation coach Will Williams, World Meditation Day is observed on May 21st as a time to pause from normal everyday life and find calmness through participating in the ancient practice of meditation. While meditation remains a fundamental component of many religions around the world, including Islam, Judaism, Buddhism, and other Eastern or New Age belief systems, it is also practiced by individuals who don’t identify as religious or spiritual. In India, written texts on meditation practices date back as early as 1500 BCE.

Over time, mindfulness meditation has been associated with various health and well-being benefits such as:

Reflection Is Not Considering Absolutely Nothing

One more preconception regarding reflection that often comes up is that reflection includes not thinking of anything anymore, of emptying our head. However, in reflection, we are complimentary to consider what we desire, we allowed our thoughts pass, we observe them, without feeding them, as well as gradually, these thoughts will go away. And possibly they will certainly even return, as well as in this case, in the same way, we let them “pass like a cloud.”Celebrities Who Practice Mindfulness

Ways To Practice Mindfulness Without Meditating

Phrases like “this month flew by” or “where is the time going?” are becoming all too common these days, and they are absolutely linked to the lack of time we take to slow down and be mindful. Mindfulness is essentially the practice of paying attention, on purpose, to the present moment, without judgment. A simple definition for a simple practice; but don’t get the wrong idea, regular mindfulness practice can have some serious positive effects such as improved concentration, energy and sleep as well as increased overall life satisfaction and reduced anxiety.

Mindfulness is most commonly practiced through some form of meditation such as breathing focused activities, focusing on a mantra or guided imagery. However, mindfulness can also be practiced in a more casual way and yield the same benefits. Below are 8 ways to practice mindfulness without meditating.

1. Mindful walking- Mindful walking is an opportunity to focus on the present moment-your feet on the ground, the wind on your face, or the sounds you are hearing- without any judgment. When your mind wanders, simply notice that your mind has wandered and gently return your attention back to your walk.

2. Mindfulness in the shower- Being in the shower provides a strong opportunity to connect with your senses. Try focusing your attention on the smell of your shampoo, the lather of your body wash, or the temperature of the water. Connecting with our senses is a wonderful way to practice being mindful.

Mindfulness Reduces Rumination And Overthinking

One of the most common symptoms that comes along with anxiety is rumination or overthinking. After you begin to worry about something, your brain will hold onto that tightly and make it difficult to let go. It is easy to get into a thought loop where you continue to replay each and every bad outcome imaginable. We all know this is not useful because worrying about something does not prevent it from happening.

actually showed that people who were new to mindfulness and began to practice it during a retreat were able to show fewer signs of rumination and anxiety than the control group.

Locate A Suitable Place To Discover To Meditate

If it is possible to meditate everywhere , to begin with, it is recommended to be in a relatively quiet and also quiet area. Not necessarily where silence is outright, yet an area where you will certainly not be as well disturbed.

Throughout your session, interruptions can potentially show up, as well as it doesn’t matter. It can even be intriguing since these are all points you will be able to observe.

Focusing your attention on the sounds you can listen to around you, as an example, allows you to be in the moment: you hear a radiator going off, for instance, as opposed to entering into a tale , the idea is to observe this noise and then have the ability to come back to your breath, taking it by the hand in a method. Celebrities Who Practice Mindfulness

Mindful Driving: Drive Yourself Calm Not Crazy

There’s nothing like heavy traffic and impatient drivers to trigger the “fight or flight” response. That’s why road rage erupts and stress levels soar, while reason is overrun. The worse the traffic, the worse the stress. Los Angeles, where I live, has some of the worst traffic around, and some of the most unserene drivers. Emotions run high, tempers flare, tires squeal.

But it doesn’t have to be like that. In fact, the snarliest traffic jam can provide an excellent opportunity to build your mindfulness muscle, increase your sense of connection to others, and restore some balance and perspective.

Here are the steps to a simple behind-the-wheel practice I’ve been doing for a while. I’ve found it can work wonders.

1. First, take a deep breath. This simple, yet profound advice helps bring more oxygen into your body and widens the space between the stimulus of the traffic and your heightened stress reaction. In this space lies perspective and choice.

2. Ask yourself what you need. It may be in that moment that you need to feel safe, at ease or you just need some relief. Understanding what you need will bring balance.

3. Give yourself what you need. If ease is what you need, you can scan your body for any tension and soften any tension or adjust your body as needed. You can sprinkle in some phrases of self-compassion, such as, “May I be at ease, may I feel safe, may I be happy.”

This article also appeared in the April 2016 issue of magazine.

How To Find The Correct Posture For Meditation

Sit on a cushion with your legs crossed and spine straight, shoulders stacked above hips. Use a chair if that’s more comfortable for you, but ensure that your spine is straight, don’t rest against the back of the chair, and keep your feet planted on the ground

Rest your hands on your thighs or rest the back of one hand in the palm of the other and let your thumbs touch lightly

Straighten your spine like a stack of golden coins

Relax your shoulders down and away from your ears and allow the arms to relax down by your sides

Gently tuck the chin and keep your lips slightly parted

Gently close your eyes or keep them slightly open and gaze ?down about 3-4 feet in front of you

Mindfulness Reflection Mindfulness: What Is It

Mindfulness reflection could be defined as “deliberately focusing attention on today minute,” for instance, focusing on breathing or physical sensations. A pose that allows one to place oneself in an onlooker’s placement and also no longer a star of one’s mental functioning: what’s going on in my mind? What are the sensations that I can observe, in my body, in my mind? What are these thoughts that pass in the present moment?

” We all can be in the here and now minute, we all can uncover this room of liberty that allows us to leave the autopilot: driving on the way residence from job and not even keeping in mind the turns we took, for example … Yet it’s true constantly: cooking dinner at night, doing your task or perhaps saying hello! We’re not actually in the present moment …” describes Benjamin Blasco, founder of the Petit BamBou reflection application. Celebrities Who Practice Mindfulness

Research On Mindfulness Meditation For Anxiety

A 2014 study showed that state anxiety of participants was reduced when they meditated. This reduction was linked to the activation of three brain structures, the anterior cingulate cortex, ventromedial prefrontal cortex, and anterior insula.?? Activation of these brain regions was strongly related to anxiety relief, and confirmed that mindfulness meditation reduces anxiety by helping individuals to regulate their thinking patterns.

Reasons To Start Practicing Mindfulness Today

At this point, you might think that mindfulness sounds like it requires a lot of effort.

Beginning a mindfulness habit is work, and it will be difficult in the beginning, but this habit will become easier over time and with more practice.

Additionally, mindfulness has numerous positive benefits . The benefits of mindfulness are emotional, cognitive, interpersonal, professional, and practical.

Final Thoughts On How To Practice Mindfulness

If you are new to mindfulness, then try doing it for just five minutes a day until you get the hang of it.

It can help improve your life by reducing stress and negative thoughts, increasing energy and awareness and teaching you how to let go of fleeting negative thoughts.

As a practice that has been around for thousands of years, mindfulness has been very helpful for many people looking to make improvements in their lives.

All you have to do is make the commitment to pick one of the exercises mentioned in the post, read over the simple steps for how to practice mindfulness and then schedule time daily to make it happen.

Next, if you’d like to learn more about mindfulness and meditation, then we have a wide selection of resources on this page. Specifically, here a number of blog posts that you might find interesting:

Form Positive Habits And Strengthen Willpower

Without a daily meditation practice, it is much more likely that you will fall back into old habits that do not serve you and aren’t in alignment with your purpose and authenticity. Unconscious, repetitive thoughts can drastically affect your mental health. A regular meditation practice will reinforce your willpower and help you form positive and productive new habits so you can let go of what no longer serves you.

Live With Passion + Renew Your Vigor For Life

Most of us have had a glimpse into our true nature. Maybe it was the moment you saw your child being born or kissing your dying mother goodbye. Perhaps it was a deep stillness on a hike in nature or gazing into a loved one’s eyes. You know there’s so much more to your life than busy-ness. You can just feel it. Your mindfulness meditation practice helps you transcend that unceasing mind to uncover your true peaceful nature. Meditating every day – and hopefully “taking it off the cushion” – helps you live in this unlimited potential 24/7. The Italians say “If you can’t live longer, live deeper.” With your daily meditation practice, you can live your life fully in the present without missing a moment.

Mindfulness Activities That Arent Meditation

As always, these ideas aren’t written in stone. They are simply ideas to get you started, but there are plenty of other mindfulness activities you could do. Use these ideas as well as the criteria above to find a few mindfulness activities that you can do regularly and work best for you.

It’s great to try to incorporate new mindfulness activities into your routine, but there are also plenty of activities you’re probably already doing that you can turn into mindfulness activities.

Any of these activities can be done mindfully, or not. It’s up to you to make them mindful by using them as opportunities to focus on your breath, the present moment, and where your attention is focused.

1. Go For a Walk: Practice mindfulness while walking by focusing your attention on the walk rather than the thoughts running through your head. Instead of walking out of habit, focus on your footsteps, your surroundings, and all of your senses.

It’s great if you can walk in nature. But if this isn’t available to you, that’s okay. You can use your walk to work as a mindfulness activity, go for a walk around your neighborhood in the morning, or take a quick walk on your lunch break.

How to do a walking meditation

2. Take Deep Breaths: A quick mindfulness practice to incorporate into your day is taking deep breaths. When something frustrating happens, focus your attention on your breath instead of reacting based on emotion. Work this activity into each day as needed.

Weaving Loom Kits on Etsy

Simple Mindfulness Practices For Daily Life

Your day-to-day activities offer ample opportunities to call up mindfulness in any moment. These simple practices will breathe space into your daily routines.

Daily Practices

How often have you rushed out the door and into your day without even thinking about how you’d like things to go? Before you know it, something or someone has rubbed you the wrong way, and you’ve reacted automatically with frustration, impatience, or rage—in other words, you’ve found yourself acting in a way you never intended.

You don’t have to be stuck in these patterns. Pausing to practice mindfulness for just a few minutes at different times during the day can help your days be better, more in line with how you’d like them to be.

Explore these five daily practices for bringing more mindfulness into your life:

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almostnoisydonut · 4 years ago

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𝓦𝓪𝔂𝓼 𝓣𝓸 𝓢𝓽𝓪𝔂 𝓗𝓮𝓪𝓵𝓽𝓱𝔂

A healthy lifestyle can help you thrive throughout your life. Making healthy choices isn't always easy, however. It can be hard to find the time and energy to exercise regularly or prepare healthy meals. However, your efforts will pay off in many ways, and for the rest of your life.

Many of us are concerned about maintaining our health. Why not try one of these top tips to help you stay healthy?

Keeping your weight in check is often easier said than done, but a few simple tips can help. First off, if you’re overweight, focus initially on not gaining any more weight. This by itself can improve your health. Then, when you’re ready, try to take off some extra pounds for an even greater health boost.

Keep your diet simple. Except for special occasions, cook at home rather than eating out. Cook from scratch rather than preparing ready-made meals. Eat fresh foods rather than processed. Fresh foods are: fresh fruits and vegetables, prepared raw or lightly cooked; fresh lean meats and fish, as opposed to processed lunch meats, hot dogs, or prepared burgers, canned hams etc; whole grains/seeds; rice, millet, bulgar, oatmeal, quinoa, etc.

Shop the outside aisles of the grocery store and go to supermarket. Fresh, minimally processed foods are found on the outer edges of the store—produce, meats and dairy—while the heavily processed snack foods are found in the center aisles. Don't buy snack foods and don't keep them in your house. Instead keep fresh fruits and vegetables readily available and serve them with light dressings or healthy dips like humus or fresh guacamole. Instead of chips and crackers eat dry roasted nuts and seeds.

Do not shop while hungry!

Avoid sugary sodas, juice and sports drinks. Drink lots of water, and for variety turn to unsweetened teas, or water with a squeeze of lemon or lime.

Few things are as good for you as regular physical activity. While it can be hard to find the time, it’s important to fit in at least 30 minutes of activity every day. More is even better, but any amount is better than none.

Moving your body daily not only helps you sweat out toxins, but it can also potentially help flush out bacteria from your lungs and keep your lungs healthy. Exercise also helps your circulatory system and promotes good circulation which allows your cells and immune system substances to flow properly through your system so they can do their jobs more effectively. What's great about exercise is it can really be anything – yoga, pilates, power walking, running, weight lifting, spinning, etc. There is no end to possibilities. It's important to get your blood pumping and your blood circulating every single day.

Exercise should be fun. Get outdoors and enjoy the fresh air. Bicycling, swimming, walking, running, biking, hiking, are all enjoyable forms of exercise that allow you to enjoy the outdoors while staying fit.

Drinking enough water and staying hydrated is again one of the best ways to stay healthy. It's key in flushing out toxins and waste materials from the body so that your immune system is more effectively able to fight infections. When your system is clogged up with toxins, your immune system can't do its job. Water also carries oxygen into our cells which allows our entire body to function properly. Without adequate hydration, we risk a host of issues. I recommend that you aim to drink at least half of your body weight (lbs) in ouches of water per day. So if you weighed 150lbs, you'd be drinking 75 ounces of water minimum.

Consider keeping a bottle of water at your desk while you work and at your bedside when you sleep. It will remind you to drink more water.

You can also include hydrating drinks like tender coconut water and fresh juices in your diet.

In addition to the factors listed above, you should make time for whole body health. Visit your doctors for regular checkups. This includes your primary doctor, as well as your dentist and eye doctor. Let your health benefits and preventive care services work for you. Make sure you know what your health insurance plan involves. Preventive care can detect disease or prevent illness before they start. This includes certain doctor visits and screenings.

You need to make time for breast health. Breast cancer is a leading cause of death for women. Men can get breast cancer, too. Talk to your doctor about when you should start getting mammograms.

You may need to start screening early if you have risk factors, such as family history. Some of these tests find cancer early when they are most treatable.

Regular screening could save many lives. Talk to a health care professional about which tests you should have and when.

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divinezodiac · 7 years ago

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Health Advice for the Signs

**Check your Sun sign, your Sun sign’s polarity, and your Ascendant

Aries: The head is ruled by Aries. They are susceptible to a lot of headaches, migraines, and sinus issues, and could be susceptible to minor head and facial injuries, too. Arians are also prone to eye strain and problems with the teeth, and they have a tendency to overwork themselves. Arians easily get red in the face when they’re excited or angry, and when they have a fever, it often becomes very high in a very short amount of time.

Advice: Use protective headgear if you’re participating in strenuous sports. Be sure to take breaks when working, and don’t try to take on more than you can handle. Eat meals in a serene atmosphere. Drink plenty of water and rest often.

Taurus: The throat and neck are ruled by Taurus. Taureans may be subject to a sore throats, colds, laryngitis, thyroid problems, swollen glands, stiff necks (especially when they’re stressed) and other minor afflictions. They’re also prone to tonsillitis and ear aches. Taureans’ keen taste buds lead to a love of food, and that, paired with possible problems with the Thyroid gland, which is also ruled by Taurus, as well as a generally sedentary lifestyle, can cause weight gain. Because they are ruled by Venus, Taureans may also have back strain.

Advice: Bundle up during the winter to avoid getting sick. Be careful of your eating habits. Remember everything should be done in moderation. Take walks outside to keep yourself active. Take the time to give yourself a quick massage or do some stretches if you’re experiencing neck or back pain.

Gemini: The hands, arms, shoulders and lungs are ruled by Gemini. Geminis may have problems with respiratory disease and may be prone to bronchitis and asthma, as well as difficulty breathing when stressed. They’re susceptible to accidents involving the hands such as sprained wrists, jammed fingers, and broken bones, as well as minor bruises, scrapes and cuts. Gemini is ruled by Mercury, which rules the brain and nervous system, so Geminis may also be prone to anxiety and nervousness, which can make them physically sick.

Advice: Because your ruling planet, Mercury, is associated with the brain and nervous system, your mental health is tied to your physical health. Meditation, yoga, or even some simple breathing exercises would be beneficial to your overall health. Smoking tobacco is especially detrimental to Geminis, so avoid that. Playing sports such as tennis or ping pong will help strengthen the arms.

Cancer: The breasts and stomach are ruled by Cancer. Cancerians could be susceptible to weight gain in later years, and it may be hard for them to lose that excess weight. They are prone to stomach and digestive problems such as ulcers, gallbladder issues, and nausea. Cancerians are likely to overindulge in wine and alcohol, which causes further stomach problems as well weight gain and water retention. Tension, anxiety, and high emotions are likely to cause illness in those born under this sign.

Advice: Eat your meals in pleasant surroundings—no arguing at the table. Take a walk afterwards to aid in digestion. Walking in a warm rain or by the sea will soothe the lungs, as the air is moist.

Leo: Leo rules the back, spine, and heart, and those born under this sign may have problems with the back and spine due to physical and emotional strain as well as overexertion. They’re especially susceptible to upper back pain and pressures and pains around the heart. They may have heart problems later in their lives.

Advice: Avoiding lifting heavy objects and doing stretches for the back would be beneficial. Try and maintain good posture as well, and make sure to get enough rest and relaxation. Sunbathing is a good way to do so.

Virgo: Virgo rules the nervous system and intestines. Virgoans are worriers, and their nervous tension, anxiety, and emotional stress easily become physical ailments, usually intestinal, as they have sensitive stomachs and are prone to ulcers, indigestion, liver and bowel problems.

Advice: Herbal tea eases the stomach. Light but regular exercise, periods of relaxation, and sunshine are helpful in getting Virgoans to stop worrying and destress, at least for a little while.

Libra: The lower back, butt, and kidneys are ruled by Libra, and Venus, Libra’s ruler, rules the throat, skin, hair, and veins along with those regions as well. Librans are prone to lower back pain (especially when they’re stressed) as well as kidney problems, such as infections, and sensitive skin, along with breakouts. Librans may have delicate immune systems as children, but it usually evens out as they age.

Advice: Drink lots of water and avoid excessive alcohol and carbonated drinks as they are bad for both the skin and the kidneys. Mild exercise, back stretches, and good posture are all beneficial for Librans, and you should try to keep both your surroundings and your company pleasant and harmonious.

Scorpio: Scorpio rules the genitals, and Scorpios may have problems with urinary tract infections and genital infections—skin flare ups, cystitis, and other ailments. They may also experience exhaustion and ill health due to their own volatile emotions and inability to rest and relax, and suppression of those emotions as well as sexual frustration can lead to cruel and erratic behavior.

Advice: Take time to relax and process your emotions. Don’t bottle your feelings up; take time to exercise, and keep your surroundings peaceful. As you are one of water signs, you Scorpios benefit from taking trips to the sea, soaking in the bath, and drinking spring water opposed to tap water.

Sagittarius: Sagittarius rules the liver, hips, and thighs. Sagittarians have sensitive livers, and they may be susceptible to overuse of alcohol and to hepatitis, since their ruling planet, Jupiter, governs the liver. They also may be susceptible to gaining weight in their later years, especially around the hips and thighs. They also are prone to chronic aches, fractures, sprains, and bruising in this area.

Advice: You Sagittarians absolutely need exercise, fresh air, and sunshine daily, and you benefit from being around nature, but beware of the effect of the sun and wind, and be careful when walking, riding, or playing sports that you don’t injure your hips and thighs.

Capricorn: The bones, joints, and knees are ruled by Capricorn. They may be prone to knee injuries and pains, stiff joints, arthritis, rheumatism, and orthopedic problems. Capricorn’s ruler, Saturn, governs the gallbladder, spleen, bones, skin and teeth. Capricorns’ teeth tends to need a lot of care, and their skin tends to be dry. Their own pessimism and worrying can cause body aches and drained energy.

Advice: Be careful in the sun to avoid skin damage, and be sure to keep warm during cold or wet weather. Try to keep good posture, but don’t walk too stiffly. Colorful surroundings, flowers, good friends, and good music are sure to lighten your mood when you’re feeling low.

Aquarius: Aquarius rules the circulatory system, shins, calves, and ankles. The lower part of the leg is more susceptible to cuts, bruises, sprains, and fractures than any other part of the body, and the ankles may be prone to swelling. Aquarians may suffer circulatory problems, low blood pressure, anemia, and hardening of the arteries, and cold weather is particularly hard on them.

Advice: You Aquarians need fresh air and exercise to release tension and increase energy. Brisk walks are good for circulation, but avoid running, as you’re likely to trip and fall. Elevate legs to counteract puffiness. Afternoon naps are good for vitality, but avoid drinking excessive amounts of coffee as it makes you nervous.

Pisces: The feet are ruled by Pisces. They may be prone to aches, bunions, corns, and callouses, as well as athlete’s foot and other fungal infections. Pisceans often afflicted by bruised, stubbed, or broken toes, and are prone to gout too. Pisceans find it hard to stand for long periods of time, and they have problems with ill fitting shoes. They also experience emotion related illnesses as they are one of the water signs. Pisceans may be more likely than others to fall prey to alcohol and drugs.

Advice: You Pisceans should keep a well balanced diet, a mild exercise regime, and be sure to get enough rest so that you can keep up your vitality. Dancing and swimming are good exercises for those of you born under this sign. Be sure to take care of your feet and wear comfortable shoes. A warm footbath before bed aids in relaxation and a good night’s sleep.

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wtfzodiacsigns · 6 years ago

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Health Advice for the Signs

**Check your Sun sign, your Sun sign’s polarity, and your Ascendant

Advice: Eat your meals in pleasant surroundings—no arguing at the table. Take a walk afterwards to aid in digestion. Walking in a warm rain or by the sea will soothe the lungs, as the air is moist.

Advice: Herbal tea eases the stomach. Light but regular exercise, periods of relaxation, and sunshine are helpful in getting Virgoans to stop worrying and destress, at least for a little while.

Source: divinezodiac

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bintaeran · 4 years ago

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Interview with Charlotte Bell about Yoga, Mindfulness Meditation, and Breast Cancer

Interview with Charlotte Bell about Yoga, Mindfulness Meditation, and Breast Cancer Nina Zolotow by Nina

Beautiful World by Rene Magritte

I've been admiring Charlotte Bell, yoga teacher, author, and editor, from afar for quite a long time. I especially love the posts she has written for the Hugger Mugger blog over the years. Recently, because I wanted to learn more about mindfulness meditation and I knew that Charlotte was a long-time practitioner of mindfulness meditation as well as a long-time yoga teacher, I gathered up my courage and asked her if she wanted to talk sometime! To my delight, she agreed, and after a very stimulating conversation, I asked her if she would do written interview with me about how her long-time experience with meditation helped support her through a recent bout of breast cancer. I'm leaving it unedited because, as always, Charlotte has many important things to say.

Nina: Tell us a bit about yourself and what your life was like before your breast cancer diagnosis.

Charlotte: Before my cancer diagnosis, my life was extremely busy. I managed Mindful Yoga Collective, taught weekly yoga classes, wrote a monthly column for Catalyst Magazine, worked a part-time job doing social media and writing Hugger Mugger Yoga Products’ blog, and edited all the content on Yoga U Online. I also play oboe and English horn in the Salt Lake Symphony and at the time, played in a chamber folk sextet called Red Rock Rondo, which is still technically together, but is currently dormant because of all our other projects.

Nina: Why did you decide to study Buddhist style mindfulness meditation in addition to yoga, and what role did your meditation play in your life?

Charlotte: I was first introduced to vipassana meditation at a yoga retreat at The Last Resort in the Cedar Breaks area of Southern Utah. At the retreat, we practiced vipassana three times a day. After the retreat, the teachers, Pujari and Abhilasha Keays, felt I was ready for one of their five-day silent vipassana retreats. I couldn’t attend that year, but decided to take a deep dive the following year and attended a retreat in January of 1988.

I definitely didn’t take to meditation immediately on that first retreat. In fact, I spent the first three days plotting my escape. (The Last Resort was only accessible by snowmobile in the winter, so my plans had to be somewhat elaborate!)

On the evening of the third day, I went to the bathroom to brush my teeth and to prepare for bed, still feeling enormous frustration, but still trying to be mindful. As I reached for the doorknob to the bathroom, I felt the movement of my arm; the cool smoothness of the knob; the process of turning it; my biceps flexing as I pulled the knob toward me; and the intricate movements of my body as I walked through the door. The experience was exquisite. It was as if I was turning a doorknob for the first time in my life.

It made me realize the richness—and the importance—of being mindful, of even the most pedestrian of life tasks. The next day, I fell into a state of peace that I couldn’t have previously imagined. Of course, that gave way to the usual monkey mind later on, but a seed of possibility had been planted that made me see the value of practice.

Since then, mindfulness has been an essential part of my daily practice. I’ve gone through periods of practicing 20 to 30 minutes, and currently practice 60 minutes a day.

Nina: What happened when you were diagnosed with breast cancer? How were you feeling?

Charlotte: I received my breast cancer diagnosis on the first day of an 18-day metta (kindness)/vipassana (mindfulness) retreat at Spirit Rock Meditation Center in 2016. I had had my annual mammogram 12 days before the retreat. A week later, the clinic called me back because they wanted to check something that they thought could be suspicious. I had an ultrasound and needle biopsy two days before leaving on retreat, and the timing worked out that the first day of the retreat would be the day they got the biopsy results back. When I first heard the words “invasive ductal carcinoma” I felt an immediate shot of adrenaline. This lasted through the day. My partner was on the retreat with me. Since the retreat was silent, we had decided beforehand on a thumbs-up or thumbs-down signal for me to let him know the results. I gave him the signal when we were in the meditation hall, preparing to sit in the afternoon. I remember being more concerned about his response than my own during that meditation.

Nina: You told me that your long-time meditation practice was really helpful during this time. Can you let us know how? And what did you practice during this period?

Charlotte: The day of my diagnosis was the first day of the nine-day metta portion of the retreat. I consider this to be fortuitous. I had practiced metta regularly and on long retreats for years, so I was aware of the way that metta can soften the edges around pain and difficulty. But a cancer diagnosis was completely new territory for me. Fortunately, the retreat managers allowed me to use the phone in the office to make the necessary appointments for after the retreat so that I could hit the ground running when I got home, and I could be confident that I’d done all I could. That way, I could let go of worrying about details and focus on practice.

After 28 years of practicing metta, this retreat was the first time I felt compelled to do a lot of kindness practice for myself. In metta practice, you traditionally start with yourself and expand your metta outward to mentors, friends and family, and others. But metta to myself had always been a challenge, probably due to growing up in a family that rated selfishness as practically a mortal sin. So it took a cancer diagnosis for me to finally feel compelled to practice for myself. I practiced for others as well, but I spent more time with myself than I had in the past. When I returned home, I noticed that my usual habit of berating myself was no longer my first response when I made some sort of mistake. The self-metta practice had changed a longstanding unhealthy pattern.

Throughout the retreat, I was pleased and surprised to notice that my mind never went into any drama about the diagnosis. While it was not the diagnosis I had hoped for, my mind never descended into “why me?” or “poor me” or “what did I do to deserve this?” or any other such machinations. I saw the diagnosis simply as a new context for me, and I felt so grateful to be in a place where I could integrate this new context without distractions. I felt a profound sense of equanimity throughout the entire retreat. In a practice meeting with Joseph Goldstein during the second half of the retreat, I told him about this. I said, “I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop [to start to freak out about the diagnosis], but it just isn’t happening.” He replied, “This is why we practice.”

I’ve known this and taught this many times to my yoga and meditation students: We can’t control what happens in our lives, but we can moderate our response to it. The equanimity I maintained throughout cancer experience was a testament to 28 years of mindfulness practice. Throughout the retreat and beyond, I’ve reflected many times on how grateful I am to have found this practice, and that I’ve put in the time and effort to be consistent with it. It has truly been transformative.

Nina: How about your yoga practice? Did yoga help support you during this time? If so, how? And which practices and/or philosophy in particular?

Charlotte: Yoga practice has supported me in much the same way as the meditation practice. In the past 20 years or so, I’ve been practicing from the perspective of the three yoga sutras that are concerned with asana:

2.46: The physical posture should be steady and comfortable. 2.47: It is mastered when all effort is relaxed and the mind is absorbed in the Infinite. 2.48: Then we are no longer upset by the play of opposites. Having been born in a flexible body, I focused for years on doing extreme poses, largely for my own ego satisfaction. My dad was a gymnast, so I inherited some of his physical abilities. But in the early 2000s, I shifted my intention more fully to the sutras’ version of mastery—relaxing all effort and letting my mind be absorbed solely in the present physical experience of the pose. This has helped me develop equanimity in practice and beyond.

I initially learned how satisfying it is to combine mindfulness with asana practice on retreats at The Last Resort. Pujari and Abhilasha were students of B.K.S. Iyengar in the 1970s and ’80s, so there was a slow, mindful yoga practice each morning on their retreats. These sessions not only helped make the long days of sitting and walking meditation more comfortable, but they also allowed me to experience the joys of focusing inward in my practice rather than focusing on how I might push my body even further. So really, asana practice before, during and after my cancer diagnosis has been mostly another avenue for practicing mindfulness.

Since long before I was diagnosed, I’ve taught yoga for cancer patients. Currently, I teach at Huntsman Cancer Institute. Think about the language we use around cancer—“battling cancer,” “war on cancer,” etc. I feel that this sets up an antagonistic relationship with our bodies. Practicing simple asana from a more internal, and less forceful, perspective can remind us of all we can still enjoy about being in a living body. I feel grateful that I had the opportunity to explore this in my own body while going through the cancer experience.

Nina: What was the treatment and recovery period like for you? How did your meditation practice support you during treatment and recovery? And how about your yoga practice?

Charlotte: I was fortunate that my cancer was diagnosed at a very early stage (1A). It was an invasive type of cancer, triple negative, but the tumor was only 7mm. My oncologist said that chemo was an option, but she didn’t feel strongly about it in my case. I chose to have a lumpectomy and targeted radiation. I really felt pretty good throughout the process, although I experienced some fatigue a week or so after the radiation.

I continued both yoga and meditation practice, and stayed at a pretty even keel the entire time. In many ways, the process felt like a continuation of the retreat. I left the retreat so inspired by the equanimity I’d felt that there was a renewed sense of commitment that hasn’t faded.

It was also helpful to return to my yoga class sangha. Most of my students have been practicing with me for decades. There’s a cohesive, supportive culture that has formed among my students. Karma yoga is very much alive in my students, whenever anyone is going through challenging times. They stepped forward to help with tasks such as yard work and studio maintenance while I was going through treatment. Practicing metta for the supportive sangha was an important dimension of my yoga and meditation practice during that time.

Nina: Did you feel changed by this whole experience? If so, in what ways?

Charlotte: Of course. I’ve enjoyed a low-maintenance body for most of my life. I took good health for granted for a very long time. However, the year before my cancer diagnosis, I had to have my left hip replaced due to hip dysplasia. Three months after my lumpectomy, and two months after radiation, the right one was replaced. Having so many major health events in a span of less than two years definitely drove home the impermanent nature of these bodies. Yet, through all of it, I never felt that any of these issues were somehow a mistake. There’s a history of hip replacements and breast cancer on my mother’s side of the family. These things are written into my DNA.

What shifted—or maybe deepened is a better word—is my commitment to practice. While I’ve had a relatively peaceful four years in this body since my last hip replacement, I know that other things are going to come up. This is just the truth of living in impermanent, aging bodies. I’m immensely grateful for the years of practice that will help me navigate these challenges with grace.

Nina: Do you have anything else you’d like to tell our readers?

Charlotte: I can’t overemphasize the importance of regular practice. Even if you can commit to as little as five minutes a day, practice those five minutes. Consistency is the most important thing. As a classically trained musician, I’m intimately aware of how practicing scales and arpeggios can be mind-numbingly boring. But practicing musical exercises give you the skills to approach the music you want to play with confidence and ease. It’s the same with meditation. Over years of practice, you will hit plateaus, times when it seems nothing is really happening. But trust the process and continue to practice. In my own practice, I’ve realized that the plateaus are often times of integration, when the benefits of practice sink in deeper. When your practice integrates more deeply, it becomes your foundation, a state that you come from while negotiating the ups and downs of your life. And that’s the point of practice.

Charlotte Bell began practicing yoga in 1982, and started teaching in 1986 and has taught yoga continuously since then. Certified by B.K.S. Iyengar, she teaches classes, workshops and teacher trainings. In 1988, she began practicing Insight meditation. She is currently finishing the Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Certification Program with Jack Kornfield and Tara Brach. Author of three books, Mindful Yoga, Mindful Life: A Guide for Everyday Practice, Yoga for Meditators, and Hip-Healthy Asana: A Yoga Practitioner’s Guide to Protecting the Hips and Avoiding SI Joint Pain. Charlotte has written for Yoga Journal, Yoga International, CATALYST Magazine, Yoga U Online and the Hugger Mugger Yoga Blog. For more information visit charlottebellyoga.com.

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