Book Review:

Carson, Kimberly and Carol Krucoff. Relax into Yoga for Seniors.  Oakland, CA: New Harbinger Publications, Inc., 2016.

Without reservation, I can recommend this book and not just for seniors looking to incorporate yoga into their wellness regimen.  I would also recommend it as imperative reading for yoga teachers regardless of whether or not you plan on working with seniors.  You see, the information in this book readily applies to yoga practitioners of any age.  The book offers a common sense and thoroughly researched approach to the implementation of yoga as a sensible self-care measure.  Specifically, the chapter on “Yoga for the Perfectly Imperfect Body,” provides clear guidelines and precautions for how yoga can be helpful with medical conditions such as osteoporosis, heart and circulatory issues, arthritis, joint replacements, lung disease, chronic pain and cancer – the type of information everyone who practices and teaches yoga needs to know.

The book also provides specific and gentle yoga postures, exercises and techniques with suggestions for how to formulate them into a regular yoga practice.  Every bit as professional, timely and essential as their yoga teacher training workshops, Kimberly Carson and Carol Krucoff have gifted us with a must have book for yoga practitioners of any age.

 

Daily Periods of Time Alone

Bird Migration: Each year, with the onset of winter, flocks of birds from the Northern hemisphere fly long distances to warmer territories in the South.  Birds navigate their way by following internal compasses comprising tiny grains of a mineral called magnetite, stored in their brains.  During rest stops they recalibrate their inner compasses using the positions of the stars to account for the fact that magnetic north lies 1,000 miles (1,600 kilometers) from the North Pole.  When rest stops are too short, birds can get disoriented.  In a similar way we possess a sense of inner knowing that helps us to find our way in life.  But, unless we allow ourselves daily periods of time alone in which to tune into this inner knowing and recalibrate it against the changing circumstances, we, like migrating birds, can lose our way.

From the book 1001 Meditations by Mike George

 

Death

          In the “things I have learned from my Huna studies” category, I offer one of the most rational and simultaneously comforting perspectives on death that I have come across despite widely diverse explorations into a variety of spiritual and cultural vistas.

          It just so happened that the last time I studied one-on-one with Serge Kahili King on the Big Island, one of my dear friends was at home in the end stages of her battle with a rare and deadly cancer.  She and her family were under the expert care of hospice when I made my journey to Hawaii.  She did, indeed, pass away while I was with Serge and Gloria King.  Needless to say, the day she died was not a particularly good one for me.  Here I was in a Hawaiian paradise studying with my most revered and beloved mentors but my heart was broken and my mind was miles away.  Gloria, with a warm and generous embrace, explained to me that in Hawaii death means that the soul has simply turned its attention elsewhere.  

          So simple, poignant and empowering – just like everything else I have learned from my studies of Hawaiian culture.  Yes, I was still grieving over the death of my friend but I somehow felt lighter about it all.  Rather than feeling overwhelmed with helplessness, I felt a sense of adventure for my friend and her new journey as her “soul turned its attention elsewhere.” 

          That simple and yet profound change in perspective made all the difference for me that day on the Big Island of Hawaii.  It is now a permanent and consoling part of how I choose to interpret the great mystery of death.  Mahalo, Gloria King. Mahalo.

A Time and Space All Your Own

A Time and Space All Your Own

          The following visualization is one we use often in the yoga classes and in the self-care and stress management presentations.  The inspiration for this technique comes from Elizabeth Frediani’s book titled, Where Body Meets Soul: Subtle Energy Healing Practices for Physical and Spiritual Self-Care.  Enjoy!

Circle Boundary Visualization

          1)  Visualize clearing your energy field

          2)  Imagine drawing a circle around yourself

          3)  See clearly the people, places and things outside that circle affirming that they can only reach you by invitation

          4)  Decide what you do want to invite into your circle and enjoy for as long as you choose         

          Imagine somehow clearing your energy field of all the debris and distraction that sometimes accumulates there.  Some people do this by imagining a cosmic vacuum cleaner that sucks up all the “stuff” from the energy field.  Some people imagine a huge lint brush that methodically brushes through the energy field collecting all the busy-ness and clutter.  Some people prefer to physically clear any unwanted energy in their field with hand movements.  Some people even imagine a big strong wind blowing all the clutter away.  However you choose to do it, take some time to intentionally clear your own energy field.  Once you have sufficiently cleared your energy field; then imagine drawing a big circle around yourself.  Make the line of that circle thick and definitive.  This circle is your personal boundary.  Make sure that there is no question as to where it is and what it represents.  Know in your heart of hearts that the only things that can gain access to the space inside that circle boundary are things that you personally invite.  Take a moment to be conscious of the things (people, places, things) outside your circle and remind yourself that they can only have access to you if you invite them into your circle. 

          Once you’ve cleared your energy field and defined your space, then take the time to decide exactly what you DO want to have in your inner circle and what you would like to experience and explore.  This is a great way to start a project (anything from meditation or a yoga class to studying or spending time with a loved one).  It is also a lovely way to end a day.  When you lay down to sleep, clear your energy field of all the debris you collected during the day, define your boundaries for your night’s sleep and invite what you’d like to explore, experience or manifest into your inner circle of dreamy sleep!

Stolen Acronyms

Stolen Acronyms

          In the spirit of full, immediate and unabashed disclosure: the following is lifted directly from the acronym laden, thought provoking, and helpful book titled Brainstorm: The Power and Purpose of the Teenage Brain by Daniel J. Siegel, MD. What follows is my interpretation (and not intended to mirror the intentions of their author) of a couple of the acronyms proposed by Dr. Siegel.

          SIFT: This acronym stands for Sensations, Images, Feelings and Thoughts and provides an outstanding means for presiding in the present moment.  In sifting through your experience - in other words, remaining mindful of your sensations, images, feelings and thoughts - you allow yourself that delightfully delicious experience of being fully present.

          To assist you in your exploration of the present moment, lest it become a less than desirable experience, I offer another of Dr. Siegel’s acronyms: COAL.  Coal stands for Curious, Open, Accepting and Loving – all attributes and attitudes that will help to enhance joy and pleasure as you explore what is happening now. 

          Since reading these two acronyms in Dr. Siegel’s book, I find myself interjecting them both into my personal yoga/meditative practice as well as into every yoga class I facilitate.  Mind you, I have not spelled out the acronyms – and quite frankly, perhaps I should so as to drive home the point – but I have included the concepts of exploring Sensations, Images, Feelings and Thoughts with Curiosity, Openness, Acceptance and Love.  It makes for a lovely time swimming in that delight filled river of now. 

          May COAL be your fuel you as you SIFT through your present!  Enjoy.

Sunshine, Lollipops and Rainbows

Sunshine, Lollipops and Rainbows

Working with Thought Forms

          Everything begins with imagination.  In any given circumstance, for the most part, your mind has assessed the situation and spun a story (aka: thought forms based on experiences from your past or on what you anticipate for the future) around everything you are feeling and sensing.  It is your way of making sense of the world around you so that you are able to function effectively within it. This process is so automatic that few of us stop to consider the process is even taking place, let alone dare to experiment with it.  

          Below is a playful, practical and surprisingly effective way to intentionally work with what your mind does automatically, create thought forms:

          1)  Imagine with as much sensation and feeling as possible pleasant images in your immediate surroundings

          2) Continue until you feel differently somehow (note: until YOU feel differently)

          This technique is best explained through example, so I’ll provide a few.  My mentor, Serge Kahili King, uses a story of when he and his wife were once travelling.  They approached the ticket gate at a busy airport only to discover that the entire itinerary for their two week vacation had been deleted from the computer system.  The airline representative was harried and not particularly invested in taking the time and energy necessary to recoup the extensive information and rebook every flight.  As I recall Serge King explaining it, he and his wife, Gloria, began to mentally surround the airline representative with pleasant scenery imagining the glorious scenes from their native Hawaii all around her.  They also mentally sent her blessings and affirmations of her competence.  As the story goes, they not only made a friend but she was kind, gracious and efficient in rescheduling every inch of their much anticipated vacation. 

          As another example, I offer a personal experience with this technique.  Just weeks before my mother’s death, I went (as I did regularly) to visit her in the nursing facility where she was living at the time.  There was never any question that she did not want to be there; nor was there ever a question as to how stressful the situation had become for everyone involved as the slow decline of her body and mind had been taking place over several years at this point.  When I arrived on that particular day, she was sitting in her wheelchair in the middle of her darkened room.  As soon as she saw me, she began to rant and rave in a manner that she would never have allowed anyone other than her closest family to witness.  “I hate living here”…. “This is not a nursing care facility but a concentration camp”.… “All I want to do is die”…. and on it went.  I took a silent and deep breath and began to fill her room visually with all the lovely memories I had of a previous visit to Hawaii.  I filled the room with waterfalls, rainbows, and lush landscapes all the while listening attentively to her vent.  Within a few minutes she became quiet and reflective.  She then apologized for the outburst, thanked me for visiting and we went on to have a pleasant visit.  If my imagining changed her in some way, I will never know.  (Remember the note above: until YOU feel differently)  But it did change me and how I might have otherwise reacted to the emotionally charged encounter with my mother who we both knew was dying. 

          The title of this article “sunshine, lollipops and rainbows” comes from a song I learned many years ago as a member of the high school choral group.  It is the song I often sing in my head when at work in a pediatric hospital.  When interacting with a patient, the song reminds me to fill the room with delightful child friendly thought forms: sunshine, lollipops, rainbows, puppies, butterflies, etc.  Whether it influences the kids is a mystery I don’t anticipate understanding.  I can say that it keeps my spirits lifted even in the midst of some pretty heart wrenching situations.  I am fairly certain that everyone in the room can “feel” the vibe as well.  Sometimes, when the situation warrants, rather than sunshine, lollipops and rainbows it is a quiet, peaceful lagoon I envision, or a peace-filled sunset or meadow, or maybe just a pleasant color.

          When working with this thought form technique, it helps to imagine them with as much “reality” as possible.  Make it so real in your mind that you no longer doubt that what you are imagining isn’t there.  And just to be clear, this technique is never about changing someone or something else.  At best you can influence others but never change them.  Working with thought forms is about consciously choosing which thought forms you entertain in any given situation, rather than letting your mind select the though forms for you usually based on mishaps of the past or fears of the future.  In working with thought forms, you stay present and open to new ways of interacting with your world.  Try it sometime and see what happens!  Enjoy!

 

 

The Beach of Good-byes

         In the fall of 2012 my mother died.  By this time in my life, I was no stranger to loss. With well over 50 years clocked on the planet, I had said my fair share of good-byes.  I was just 14 when I my dad passed on and I honestly cannot count the number of friends, family and acquaintances who have passed on since that monumental and unexpected good-bye for which I was ill prepared.  Dealing with loss just happens when you’re one of the ones lucky enough to still be here at this age.

          Losing my mom was different though.  As said by one of my dearest friends, who by the way had lost her mother just two years prior to my mother’s passing, losing your mom “is the worst.”  I still am at a loss to articulate the emotions that emerged with the passing of my mother.  It was like nothing I had lived through until that time.  Up until that time, no matter what ever had happened in my life, there was always mom.  Now, there wasn’t.

          Completely perplexed with where I found myself, I emailed my Hawaiian mentor, Serge Kahili King for guidance on how to manage the position in which I found myself.  His reply went like this: “There are two types of [meditative] journeys we use on the passing of someone close. One is to meet their spirit in our Garden and finish any unfinished communication. The other is to meet their spirit on the beach at Bali Hai and, if appropriate, comfort them until other spirits come and help them pass on to another place. When doing the latter you sometimes find the person's spirit waiting for you just to say goodbye, because they have already made their own arrangements.”

          As with all of the techniques bequeathed to me through Serge, I adapted his recommendations to accommodate my personal journey.  My experiences in my garden are for another article.  I will tell you that in meditation I went to a beach to visit with mom.  She was indeed there.  Although she would not interact with me despite several attempts, I did see her face light up like a Christmas tree when she heard her father’s voice calling her from the distance.  She disappeared quickly in the direction of her father’s voice.  I was somehow at peace seeing her leave with a joy and excitement I had never before seen in her eyes!  She was genuinely excited to see her dad again – as if she had waited her whole life for just that moment!  To be sure, I was still grieving the loss of my mother, but I somehow felt better knowing that she was not only okay but really, really happy. 

          I have just two more experiences to share of that beach meditation, if you will so grant me the time.   Recently, I was honored with time alone in the form of a massage session with a mother of a very sick child.  In addition to living at a hospital 24/7 with a child whose prognosis was questionable at best and being miles away from any family support, this dear soul shared with me that one of her best friends from her school days had unexpectedly died the night before and she could not even go home to attend the funeral and be with her friends.  Now typically, I do not share personal information in a professional setting but I felt “guided” to share with her the meditation technique involving the beach of Bali Hai I had learned from Serge and how it had helped me when my mother died.  As I continued to massage her neck and shoulders, she became very quiet and silently wept.  After our “massage session” was completed, she thanked me saying that she mentally went to the beach she and her friend used to frequent while they attended school together.  She found her friend there and said her good-byes.  She somehow felt at peace and was grateful for the opportunity to find that peace.

          My “other” experience with what I now call the “beach of good-byes” was when my dear four-legged friend, Fritz recently died.  Fritz was one of the largest and dearest creatures with whom I have ever had the pleasure of sharing a home.  With all of his long hair, the whole beach thing just didn’t fit when I went there to find him.  I did, however, spot him lounging – in perfect cat style – in the sun on a piece of driftwood near the edge of the beach.  In my meditation, we had a lovely visit.  Fritz was sucking up love and attention in a way that would put a Hoover vacuum cleaner to shame.  Realizing that I needed to encourage him to “move along” I drew his attention to the meadow behind him.  I coaxed him to play in the field with all the butterflies and moving grasses.  Eventually something caught his attention and I saw him run away with his tail in the air!  I felt a peace move into my body and I knew he was well – and so was I.

          To make a long story short, how this meditation technique shows up for you is all yours to discover.  My wish for you is to find peace in the face of loss.