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Ruminations on Meditation REPEAT from 2/8/2018 by Cynthia Land, LMT, RYT

I think the first time I tried to meditate I was on a Metro bus in Seattle. It was the 1990's, I was working at the ABC radio affiliate KOMO AM 1000 and was exhausted. Rain outside caused heavy condensation on the inside of the bus windows. I was warm and cozy in my seat but my mind was agitated by the stress of working in radio news. Somewhere along the way I'd picked up that meditating would quiet my mind. I closed my weary eyes and imagined I was sitting among fog enshrouded Douglas Fir trees. I slowed my breath and visualized the limbs of trees, the individual needles and the smell they produced. I was amazed at how quickly I calmed down.

That was just one experience in hundreds perhaps thousands of days of stress and spaziness where I would, instead of meditating, turn to overeating, over-drinking and eventually smoking cigarettes. Slowing down enough to meditate was not yet in my vocabulary. It was something I aspired to but couldn't quite slow down enough to attain. I began a practice of yoga well before I was able to settle into meditation. In the 90's, I lived in a world where self-care still wasn't part of my routine. The notion of self-care is still something I'm defining for myself.

Nearly a decade would have to go by before I came to a more steady meditation practice and even then I would have stretches where my A-D-D mind would take over with something way more “important”. Meditation takes a level of discipline many in our culture aren’t willing to settle into. The odd catch is that when you do commit and start to feel the effects of meditation, you can’t see your life without it.

There are many styles of meditation. I tried Zen, Insight, Kriya and probably several others I can't remember right now but finally settled on Transcendental Meditation. I really just stumbled into it because my boyfriend did it and knew a teacher. A group of us committed to go through the training which made it a lot easier. Meditation alone is great but meditating with a group can be even more powerful, especially if there are experienced meditators with you. Now your mobile phone can be your meditation teacher. Meditation apps abound. They’re a great place to start and play around with different techniques.

What does it mean to meditate? For me it's how I get grounded, get centered, get focused and get in contact with my higher power. When I'm going through my day my mind comes across all kinds of negative emotions and thoughts from others, from myself and situations where I find myself. I can then become sidetracked into things that aren't important. Meditation allows me to ask, "What is it I really need to be doing today? Where will I focus my energy?" Along my travels I've heard that, "Praying is asking God for what you want and meditating is listening for his/her answer." Just recently I've really started to adhere to this notion. I get quiet so I can listen. I then take note of what messages am I getting and how can I put them into play. When I do this consistently my life just runs better.

What's happening while I'm "in there?" Getting the mind to settle down takes time. It never truly disengages. I believe we just learn to direct our awareness in other ways. We pay more attention to our breath or how we're feeling in our bodies. Buddhist teacher Jack Kornfield has a seminal book on meditation (A Path with Heart) where he likens the mind to a puppy we're training to "go on the paper." We must constantly be vigilant to direct it back to where we want. But be vigilant in a kind and not punishing way. I watch my mind go astray dozens of times in a meditation session and gently bring my awareness back to my breath. When I'm successful, I arrive at a sort of "no-place" neither here nor there, a place of no time passing. My mind and body relax deeply but more impressively, my mind seemingly disengages from chasing thoughts hither and thither.

To be clear, this doesn't happen instantly for me. I probably sit for a good ten minutes before my mind is finally able to release itself from spin mode. This is probably why I have such a tough time meditating in the afternoons. I am so fully engaged in the day that getting my mind to let go for 20 minutes seems insurmountable. It's my next big hurdle.

I’ve meditated in; cars, airports and on airplanes, on ferries and on beaches. Today I often sit in a comfy living room chair, light a stick of incense and meditate while the sun is coming up. I focus on my breathing for a couple of minutes and then consciously make myself available to “hear” my higher power. My mind will attempt to hijack me into something momentarily fascinating and as soon as I notice it, I come back to my breath, maybe visualize one of my chakras, say my mantra and get quiet again. This repeats and you kind of get used to it once you understand how the mind works.

Here’s what I know, meditation helps me slow down in a world that’s going ever faster with no intentions of slowing down. I have no need to go that fast and when I do I inevitably hurt myself either physically or emotionally or both. When I slow down, I see the world more clearly and make better, more elegant decisions in alignment with my deeper desires and needs.

Passion ~ by Cynthia Land LMT, RYT

One of the great things about starting a diet or projects/resolutions at the beginning of the year is that there is so much wonderful collective energy around them. In yoga this determination or passion to persevere is called tapas. The yogic principle of tapas refers to three ideas simultaneously; heat, discipline as well as passion. Tapas comes from the second of the Eight Limbs of Yoga . When we discover something we’re passionate about we can say that it lights us on fire. Sometimes fire doesn’t carry us all the way and we have to have discipline to carry us through to achieve our goals.

When I discovered how wonderful yoga made me feel not just physically but also mentally and emotionally, it lit me on fire. I became passionate about learning how to teach it to others. And 17 years later I am still passionate about passing on its powers to others. Tapas is why you see professional football players become coaches, it’s why are you see professional dancers become instructors, it’s certainly one of the reasons why you see people like Neil deGrasse Tyson pontificating about astrophysics, it’s a passion so strong it cannot be contained to one medium.

You don’t necessarily have to be great or gifted at the thing you do. I am probably the least flexible yoga teacher I know. That is why I have the discipline to keep working on my yoga poses to maintain my flexibility. However I have such a passion for the philosophy of yoga and a desire to learn, that I continue to delve into the books and teachings, broadening and deepening my knowledge base.

As you can see right here on Originality by Design there are many things keeping people passionate and on fire. What keeps you passionate in life?

Stuff, Stuff & Stuff ~ by Cynthia Land, LMT, RYT

I was recently surprised/not surprised to see Marie Kondo capitalizing on the fame of her decluttering books by selling items to, wait for it, clutter your house.

Here's a recent article about it in The Atlantic. I get that she's pushing out her brand but it sure looks funny from my end.

We in the West seem to be susceptible to all kinds of buying strategies. If you tell us it's good for us or will help us to lose weight, we're likely to buy it. Marie convinced us to buy her book to help us bring more joy into our lives. The idea was to help us get rid off all the clutter in our homes, the things we were no longer using that had simply become a burden.

In the practice of Yoga, with a capital "Y", we approach this idea of decluttering from the very first limb of the eight limbs of yoga. The first limb has five parts and one of them is called Aparigraha, or non-possessiveness. Sometimes it's translated from Sanskrit as non-attachment. Many of us become attached to "things." "Don't take my Cuisinart, I can't live without it."

I confess to a deep desire for a Maserati Quattroporte. I had this desire imprinted even deeper when my ex-brother-in-law bought one and I got to ride around in it. That said, I realize this desire is unfounded and that my budget is no where near the reality of purchasing one, so I don't linger on this desire. I just admire them. Now you Tony Robbins types may say, "but Cynthia, anything is possible, you could start thinking big and saving for that car." And I will tell you that while I would love to have a Maserati, the owning of one, doesn't run my life. I think of it in passing, occasionally. I'd really rather think big on other things.

On the other end of the spectrum, I see women blindly attached to the idea of relationship bliss that they destroy themselves to be with a man. Their notion of being single so abhorrent that they will attach themselves to men so deeply unhealthy just to prevent themselves from being single. We are only starting to foster a woman's individuality and that she doesn't need a man/relationship to define or value herself. Yes, I recognize I just compared my desire for a car and a woman's desire for a man but I wanted to show that one attachment can be manageable and one can be damaging. So how do we get out of this mess?

Yoga suggests we practice letting go. Let go of these attachments so strong they drive us to distraction, attachments so strong they cause us pain. Obviously this is a practice, not something we just drop like a hot potato. I too used to throw myself at men because I thought that's just what you did. I felt so strongly that I HAD to be in a relationship or somehow I was less than my fellow woman. My self esteem was lacking, that's for sure. I sought counseling to put my mind in the proper perspective but I also meditated on letting go. This is a process I have by no means perfected, but I keep meditating and my mind no longer holds on to things like it once did.

FOMO or Just Taking the Road Less Traveled ~ by Cynthia Land LMP, RYT

Many who come to a yoga practice have heard a teacher make reference to something called the 8 limbs of yoga. Many of you have come expressly to practice one of those limbs, asana (limb 3, the physical postures of yoga). Perhaps you have an interest in dhyana (meditation, limb 7) or pranayama (breathing exercises, limb 4) but you haven’t asked for these things specifically, they are an interesting by-product of a class. If your teacher is steeped in the 8 limbs, you may begin hearing about and become fascinated with the rest of the limbs.

Pratyahara, limb 5, invites us to turn our awareness inward. Take your eyes off the iPhone, put down the fork, stop talking, turn off the music and just become quiet and completely disengage from everything. This will be nearly impossible for some of us, especially if you suffer from FOMO (fear of missing out).

We live in a society that pushes us to have and do more. In fact, we are often told via advertisements that we are empty and we must fill our lives with a myriad of wonderful products and experiences, take a cruise, buy a new car, and check out the shoe sale on Zappos! Who can pass up the latest and greatest new thing? No one wants to be left behind.

And yet we struggle with the burden of all these THINGS in our lives. We can barely manage all the events we have scheduled, all the running hither and yon, taking the kids to yet another soccer practice and picking up groceries for the week. We long to shut things off but just can’t figure out how. So, just as we started, we must slowly begin to remove things from the schedule.

However, this notion of pratyahara (withdrawing the senses) may seem frightening, who really wants to shut down their senses? They’re kind of handy. Yet, all day we’re bombarded with sounds, smells, sights and some tastes we’d really rather forget. Let’s take a look at this limb in a slightly different perspective.

In the book, The Yoga of Discipline by Gurumayi Chidvilasananda the author says; “the whole purpose of hatha yoga is to draw the attention inward.” Simply by stepping onto the mat, we have already started the journey. And just like many yoga postures, we go slowly. Maybe take just a minute to start.

Go into a darkened room and sit, quietly, no distractions. Your mind will probably seem loud but you will learn to divert the attention IN to the body and begin directing your thoughts. Pratyahara doesn’t necessarily mean shut OFF, it means go INWARD. Start to listen inward, feel inward and see inward. You might be surprised at what you start to learn about yourself. You might learn you don’t like going hither and yon as much as you thought. You might learn that you don’t need as much as you thought and that you can live with a lot less and the things that you do have will have much more meaning and usefulness to you.

After some time, maybe a LOT of time, you’ll start to crave this thing called pratyahara. You’ll be able to go out into the world, engage when you need and then disengage when you need to and recharge. That’s the beauty of the 8 limbs of yoga, there’s something there for you all along with path of this thing we call life. Don’t take my word for it, check it out for yourself.

You Deserve a Massage! ~ by Cynthia Land, LMT

In the 1990's, my little home-town of Bremerton, WA didn't have many massage spas like it does today. In fact, I didn't know too many people who got massages. My parents certainly didn't get them. I came from a family were there wasn't much hugging or snuggling so comforting touch was kind of an anomaly. Somehow I came across friends who were enlightened about such things and they convinced me that my nagging upper back pain could be alleviated by simply getting a therapeutic massage.

I laugh at myself today because the person who showed up for that 30-minute appointment in the early '90s was a scared, doe-eyed innocent. The only experience I'd had with anything resembling massage was the play kids did in elementary school where we drew designs on each other's backs when we should have been paying attention to the teacher. This massage was held after-hours at a Curves-like establishment in a room carved out of the center of the space. I was too scared to take off all my clothes so I left my bra and panties on. The very capable massage therapist did a terrific job working around my shyness and supplied great relief to my back pain. I was hooked!

I stayed with that therapist, following her from venue to venue, for years. When you find someone who understands your body and can alleviate your pain, you stick with them! I can't believe I waited as long as I did to seek massage. I have since had dozens of treatments from dozens of therapists and have honed in on what type of massage works for me. A decade after that first massage I became a massage therapist myself and now help others find relief from chronic and acute pain. However, sometimes we can't get in to our therapist and we need relief now. Aspirin and muscle relaxers are fine as far as it goes, but here are a few ways you can take care of those aching muscles yourself.

Topicals:

Acute issues - Tiger Balm and Arnica oil

This works best if you use it directly after whatever strenuous activity you've been doing. I found it worked wonders after a day of downhill skiing, but it could work after a day in the garden or after a long day helping a friend move. I'd come home from skiing, pop in the shower and directly after toweling off, set the towel on the floor with the container of Tiger Balm and arnica oil and mix a little of both in my hands and then massage my legs. This isn't just a lay the concoction on my skin procedure, I really get into the tissue and rub the muscles. Probably about three minutes per leg. The Tiger Balm has menthol and camphor in it which opens the pores and increases circulation, helping to move along any lactic acid build up in the muscles. The arnica reduces any inflammation or bruising. A winning combination.

Chronic issues - CBD creams or oils

I use this on arthritic joints and sore muscles. I've had good results with making my own cannabis creams by combining organic coconut oil with CBD oils. In states that allow the purchase of such oils, you can ask the bud tenders about percent of CBD oil to percent of coconut oil. Some places even sell the pre-made creams or topicals. The creams are super easy to make and you can add essential oils to make them smell good and add more therapeutic benefits. If you live in a state where marijuana is not yet legal, I understand aspercreme is a good substitute.

Self-assisted massage:

Foam roller

These are an excellent tool for getting at places you can't get at yourself. Many physical therapists are known to torture their patients with them. One can buy them in different densities depending on your preference so they're not quite so tortuous. Here's a series of videos from the Mayo Clinic on how to use one. https://youtu.be/QUszqQf51zY I use my foam roller almost daily to help relieve tension in my upper back. The roller will almost always gloriously help adjust my spine. Not as often, but just as good, I will use the roller on my calves, thighs, and glutes which can be excellent for working out areas that are prone to spasms.

Tennis ball/Lacrosse ball

As the foam roller is broad the tennis ball is specific. I use it for knots in the upper back, hips, and calves. Just be sure to avoid contact with bony structures such as shoulder blades or you may have bruising. You can lay down on them or use them as you stand against a wall. I know people who have them in their cars and sit on them while driving. I have a fallen arch on my left foot and will use a Lacrosse ball on the bottom of my foot while standing to roll out any aches and stiffness. It does wonders!

As a massage therapist, I recommend getting a massage once a month but if you can't do that or you need something in between treatments, use the above to get your through to the next session. You've only got one body. Take good care of it!

Give In to Win ~ by Cynthia Land

If you're a typical type-A personality, the mere notion of giving in or surrendering is a non-negotiable. You're in it to win it, you won't give up when the going gets tough. However, in the practice of yoga, we are asked in the Eight Limbs to regularly give up to a power greater than ourselves. We are asked to recognize when we, on our own, cannot make the thing happen. Sometimes this has to come with great effort.
When I arrived at the practice of yoga, I often gave up in life,

because I perceived things as being too hard. I was at the opposite end of the spectrum, I guess, and yet I kept coming back to yoga classes. I really wanted to do handstands, forearm stands and breathing exercises even though they were hard. There was something about the tiny incremental victories that enticed me to return. I was also blessed with gifted teachers who encouraged me to keep trying. Twenty-two years later, I still can't do a handstand in the middle of the floor, and my arthritic back would prefer I not do the upward facing bow pose. Interestingly, those poses just don’t mean that much to me anymore. My yoga focus has shifted from asana to meditation.
In the real world, we can apply the practices of yoga to solve real world problems. Leaders of Fortune 500 companies talk about the value of meditation in their daily lives. Some CEOs have even left the demands of the 24/7 work cycle to slow things down and change their approach to and even their definition of success. This doesn't work for everyone, but the point is that it CAN work. Moving faster isn't always the answer. Driving yourself harder isn't always the best choice. As trite as it may sound, the best leaders are those able to delegate responsibility to the people around them by recognizing talent in others, hiring them, and being willing to lean on them.
Bringing this back to the notion of surrendering to a higher power... first you have to have one. This can be the hardest part of the task if you've had negative experiences with the big "R" of religion. Many don't even WANT to believe in a higher power, thinking that the whole thing is hogwash because of bad things that have happened to family members, loved ones, or to themselves. Or you’re simply not interested in what's on offer. That's totally understandable. Yoga doesn't ask you to join a church. Yoga doesn't require you to idolize a strange deity (even though some yoga poses are dedicated to odd deities). The Eight Limbs of Yoga, as written in the Yoga Sutras, suggests that if we want to completely free ourselves of the bounds of our bodies and minds, we're going to need some help and that help is going to partly come from a higher power.
As I move through my day, I'm fairly Cynthia, or self-powered. I accomplish tasks simply through my own years of experience and know-how. On occasion, I run across issues that I simply have no idea how to solve. I am completely dumbfounded. Googling doesn't help me. My first course of action is to ask someone I think might know something about what I'm doing. I've made some pretty random phone calls in my career. My first job as a journalist might have helped in this regard. I'm naturally curious and I like to ask questions.
Asking for help might be harder for others who have to overcome fears of appearing "stupid" or simply not knowing who to ask their questions. This can take practice, just as yoga is a practice. We're never perfect, but we get a little better every time we practice. We might be uncomfortable as we start, but eventually we yoke to the practice and this is in the literal meaning of yoga.

Yog in Sanskrit means: to yoke. Students of yoga are encouraged to find a teacher or guru. I know lately there's been a lot of hullabaloo about teachers who took advantage of students, but this is the exception not the rule. A teacher lights our way, points out the difficulties, and guides us through life as seen through the lens of yoga.
I turn to the Eight Limbs of Yoga on a daily basis; I'm checking in on my motives (ahimsa), I'm working to make my life and environment just a little cleaner (saucha) and I have daily conversations with my higher power, who I choose to call God.

No, I don't see burning bushes or anything quite that spectacular, but when I get really quiet and listen, I listen for a still, small voice that nudges me in the right direction. I'm always astounded by what is revealed. Sometimes it's big, oftentimes it's small. Sometimes I'm guided to do something as simple as hold someone's hands. What a delicate but well-meaning gesture. Something we could use a little more of in these times.

5 New Year's Self Care Techniques by Cynthia Land, LMT, RYT

At the beginning of every year many of us make obligatory resolutions, often abandoned within days of making them. Today I offer you a set of somewhat yoga related self care items you can easily drop into your existing wake-up routine. They will help you feel refreshed and ready to face the day. For the most part, they're easy to do and don't require you to purchase a lot of expensive equipment such as you might need with exercise regimes. Give them a try. What do you have to lose but the parts of you you didn't want anyhow?

Lemon Water

By the time you get to my age, there's a chance you're already drinking water with your handful of supplements and/or medications. Warm lemon water jump starts your digestive system by moving the sludge of the previous night out of your digestive tract and infusing you with a big hit of vitamin C. The writer in this link doesn't mention it, but I have personally found that a big cup of warm water in the morning gives peristalsis a kick and might just help you run a little smoother if you know what I mean.

Skin Brushing

This is one of those techniques that sounds uncomfortable but is really quite nice. One of the first times I experienced skin brushing was at a waterfront hydrotherapy spa near Seattle. The practitioner gently brushed my skin with a boar bristle brush and prepared me for a deep cleanse of my pores in a sauna. It was amazing! I now do this for myself and I love the way it makes my skin come alive. Remember, your skin is your body's biggest organ. I also know I'm helping slough off heaps of dead skin. Yay! Skin brushing isn't for everyone. If you have eczema, psoriasis or just sensitive skin, you might not benefit from this technique.

Banyan Botanicals image

Abhyanga (self massage)

Skin brushing is often followed by a shower, but I recommend abhyanga or self massage. If you think your skin feels soft after the skin brushing, get on your warm massage oil, hop in a warm/hot shower to open up those skin pores and then see how soft your skin is! I was using heaps of body butter to just barely not feel as though my skin wasn't going to break off from dryness. When I do these two techniques together my skin is happy, happy, happy. The video above also notes that you can get oils mixed for your dosha. I just use sesame oil but am thinking I might add a drop or two of rosemary or verbena to soothe my doshas.

Five minutes of pranayama

https://www.givinghandsreiki.com

I suspect this will be the hardest one for folks to add, next to the last one but it really sets the tone for your day. Pranayama is the breathing exercise that determines the setting on your energy. If you need more energy, pranayama. If you need calmer energy, pranayama. If you need more uplifting energy, pranayama. Just five minutes a day can really make a difference as you head into meditation and into your day. Don't take my word for it, try it for yourself. There are many different kinds of breathing exercises, be sure to check with your teacher to find the one that is right for you.

Meditation

Ah yes, if you are a yogi, all roads lead to meditation. If you really want to be calmer and have more serenity this year meditation must be included somewhere. I was reminded recently that meditation doesn't always mean sitting with your eyes closed. Some people meditate while walking (Thich Naht Hahn), some even come to a place of peace by jogging or swimming. However you get there, eke out a space in your daily life to soak in it.

image from pinterest

Some would include neti pot in this list and that would be excellent. Personally, I do nasal cleansing at the end of the day. Give one or all of these recommendations a try for 30 days and see what you notice. And remember that meditation can start at five minutes and work up to something longer. The important part is regularity. The only way you'll notice a change is if you do these things regularly. Let me know what you find!