Makarasana: Crocodile Pose

In the last post breath awareness was mentioned as a priority. This last week my focus was on establishing a daily active practice that specifically targeted breath. Makarasana is a yoga asana and it’s often described as ‘the most relaxing pose’ in the prone position. The shape and form of the body in this position resembles the form and posture of a crocodile lying on it’s belly with head slightly lifted. In fact, ‘makara’ in Sanskrit means crocodile. We’ve seen movies and pictures of the stillness of the animal just before the explosive leap towards the unsuspecting prey. Makarasana brings stillness to the body and the mind. It restores rhythms and revitalizes our sacred constitution. This position is especially useful for engaging the diaphragm in breathing. When practicing this asana one immediately observes the deepening of the breath low in the pelvis. The breath slows down, and establishes a rate and rhythm that calms the mind. This asana, while it impacts all physiologic systems in varying degrees it is especially helpful in strengthening digestive, cardiovascular, and spinal health. As I relaxed into the posture I reflected on the meaning of vitality in stillness. What is the vitality and expressive gestures of Stillness? How does a relaxed face express joy and cheerfulness? What’s the vitality of the diaphragm during inspiration and expiration…during the incoming spirit and the exiting spirit? What is the vitality of the organs and glands as the spirit moves through them? As I focused on the movement of the diaphragm the mind calms and become alive. In fact, I live a life full with vitality in the stillness of Makarasana. 

Taking this stillness into daily life activities… well that’s another post. Daily activities now become ‘daily life obserables.’ What is the vitality I bring to this lived experience? How am I interacting with peers, friends, clients, neighbors, family, assignments, readings, writing this post etc. How purposeful am I in these interactions? What voice am I using; conversational, directive, professional, scientific, rhetorical etc. How is my breath changing during these interactions? What is the vitality of the pause and silence between breaths? Pretty heavy stuff too be thinking about as you are observing yourself.

The next week is full of discoveries for us explorers of HEALing. I look forward to our group presentation on Education; our discussions on vitality, mind body connections, interactive flow, becoming horse and to the new games we’ll be playing.

Namaste to all

Stay safe until the next post.

Finding Places Trading places

The last two weeks was all about processing the reality of committing the next 2 years towards this program.  What was most interesting was assessing how I spent my time. Sleep, work, physical activity, silence practice, errands, tv, reading, meeting friends, taking care of business entries, reading assignments, writing assignments, emails, facebook, connecting with family and friends in the Caribbean, cooking…etc., I am just grateful that I can even reflect on doing all of the above. Over the next two weeks I’ll be looking for those spaces I yet have to discover ( 4-5 am) and use them wisely to apply some initial structure that allows me to maintain, in the coming months a healthy, fun, balanced, and of course, an active lifestyle.

Life is about learning and discovering the things that inspire us; it’s about inquiry and curiosity; taking risks and staying safe and, finding spaces and trading places. The two weekend classes we’ve completed were the most inspiring and fun filled classes I’ve attended in a long time. I never imagined graduate studies would be fun! Inspiration and fun can only be possible when learning occurs in a safe, nurturing and supportive environment, and this I saw, heard and experienced from our instructors. Dr. Smith, Jacqueline and Kathryn thank you for making sure we heard this several times during these first two weekends. Your openness and honesty about expectations, group dynamics and instructional styles were enough for me to know that I was in the right place with the right people. To my cohort group …wow…wow… and double wow. How lucky am I!!! I am in awe at your diversity, warmth, openness, creativity…I so much enjoy your laughter and playfulness. Yes we played sock poi, juggled soft balls and scarves and danced tiniking (Philippine bamboo dance).

Synaptic sprouting

Then there were these new long words like Phenomenology and Salutogenesis. We discussed notions of health, vitality and embodiment, we explored the Social Determinants of Health and discussed the biomedical, sociological, sociocultural and psychological tensions that exists. Mind-body interactions as an internal factor in determining health we will continue to debate. I look forward to the evolution and transformation of our group in the coming months.

Over the last two weeks I’ve reflected on both my personal and professional lives. I’ve maintained a somewhat active lifestyle, walking, hiking, yoga, stretching, beach days working on my tan (it can be lots of work); however after these classes I was inspired to become more attentive to how I choose to live life. I can feel the beginnings of synaptic sprouting creating new neural patterns and grooves in what was once a flat dry land. While my yoga and silent practice is more consistent, and I am more aware of my movements, posture and eating habits, it’s become clear to me that I must pay more attention to breath awareness during all daily activities, not just while in silence.

In my professional practice I have become more attuned to clients concerns. We engage in more meaningful discussions about health promoting activities and together look at developing fun purposeful strategies that they can incorporate into their daily lives.

Stay safe all…until the next post

This blog will be my companion as I journey through Simon Fraser University Masters of Education HEAL program. I begin with a poem written about 1 year ago. It was inspired after I travelled to India where I spent 3 weeks at an ashram learning the basics of self inquiry.  My life was transformed at it's very core. 

without fear

I sit in my room quiet and alone

If feels like my soul is coming home

To feel my body in it’s space

I begin the journey for gurus’ grace

The silent breath, it’s gentle flow

Allows the lamp inside to glow

Spine is straight and upright

I look inside with inner sight

The waves of thoughts are all around

I wait and listen for the sound

I hear his voice whispering the prayer
Live your life without fear

mother ganga -Rishikesh

Living life without fear is having the courage to be true to oneself; a lesson I learned on my return to Vancouver from India. This blog is entitled 'Mouna in HEALing'. Mouna when translated from sanskrit has three meanings:  silence, measurement and mental awareness. The practice of Mouna is the practice of finding truth within. HEALing refers to SFU's Health Education and Active Living program. The notion of health is as diverse as each individual. Using silence in education is a unique method that allows for self discovery and learning for both student and instructor alike. The connection between the two will become more evident in later postings. 

What are my interests and why did I enroll in this program?

I have a deep interest in understanding the external and internal factors that influence human behavior towards health.  As an educator and manual therapy practitioner it's clear to me that health is more than physical activities.  I enrolled in this program to broaden my understanding of the myraid factors contributing to health, to personally challenge myself in discovering and exploring areas of health that I am not familiar with, to share aspects of health that I resonate with and to strengthen my skills, knowledge and attitudes as a health care practitioner and educator.

What is my understanding of health and the mind body relationship?

There is increasing clinical evidence linking the mind body connection. A google search for 'mind body research' brings up 131,000,000 results ( September 9th 2013). 
I have personally practiced and experience the effects of mind body relaxation techniques such as 
Progressive Muscular Relaxation. The effects immedicately reduces muscular tension, slows
breathing, reduces blood pressure and promotes deep dreamless restful sleep.

The Gayatri Mantra is one of the oldest and most widely used vedic prayers. 

Oṃ bhūr bhuvaḥ svaḥ

tát savitúr váreṇ(i)yaṃ

bhárgo devásya dhīmahi

dhíyo yó naḥ pracodáyāt

There are many translations of this prayer, the 1915 translation by Swami Vivekananda is 'We meditate on the glory of that Being who has produced this universe; may He enlighten our minds.' This prayer does not ask for riches, health, land or food. Instead it asks for enlightenment of our minds. Perhaps we need to take notice of what the ancients knew: the mind is the source of all our sufferings.

What would I like to gain from this experience? What would I contribute?

I look forward to lasting friendships with my cohort group, instructors and others
I look forward to producing though provoking peices of work,
I look forward to exploring new areas of study,
I look forward to challenging myself in ways I can't imagine today,
I look forward to be challenged by my peers,
I look forward to having fun and laughing so hard that everyone laughts with me,
I look forward to enjoying the journey instead of rushing to the finish line,
I look forward to the coming months.

My contribution is my commitment to this program. It's not just the completion of the assignments and readings, but it's knowing that I am now part of a larger group and the success of the group is a measure and reflection of my success. My contribution is to be an active participant, share my thoughts and experiences, be honest and respectful and be present for all.