Word of the Week–NAMASTE

Posted on May 9, 2012 by Katherine

Namaste is a sanskrit word, a greeting that conveys a spirit of love. It is usually spoken at the end of a yoga class. Some use it as a closing in a letter. Recently, I saw a detailed translation of Namaste in a clients home. I asked if I could copy it down. Lost in the shuffle of life, I found it this morning. It is so beautiful, I just had to share it. Namaste.

Namaste

I honor the place in you

in which the entire universe dwells;

I honor the place in you of love,

of light,

of truth,

of peace.

I honor the place within you

where, if your are in that place in you

and I am in that place in me,

there is only one of us.

 

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Helpful Mudras

Posted on February 20, 2012 by Katherine

A few of my friends are wanting to lose some weight (me included). Another is looking for ways to calm the mind. And lots of people have colds. These are some mudras that might be useful in helping us all feel better.
Gyan Mudra – the most commonly used mudra in yoga meditations.

Benefits:
Mental Peace
Concentration
Sharp Memory
Spirituality
Insomnia
Mental Disorders
Stress
Depression
Drowsiness
Develops telepathic ablilities
Developes clairvoyant and extra-sensory ablilities

Method: 
Join the tip of the thumb and index fingers and keep the other 3 fingers stretched and joined. Let the hand rest on the knees.
Tranquility Mudra

Benefits: This meditation will tranquilize the mind within three minutes.

Method: 
Sit in easy Pose with a straight spine. Elbows bent, bring the hands up and in until they meet in front of the body at the level of the heart.
The elbows should be held up almost to the level of the hands. Bend the index fingers of each hand in towards the palm. Join them with each other so they press together along the second joint. The middle fingers are extended and meet at the fingertips.
The other fingers are curled into the hand. The thumbs meet at the fingertips. Note that the extended fingers point away from the body.
Hold the mudra about 4 in. from the body with the extended fingers pointing away from the body.
- Focus on the tip of your Nose.
- Inhale completely and hold the breath
- Repeat the mantra of your choice 11 to 21 times.
- Exhale hold the breath out.
- Repeat the mantra an equal number of times
- Practice for three minutes.

 Surya mudra

Benefits: 
Reduces body weight.

Method:
Put the tip of ring finger at the base of thumb, with thumb gently pressing on it

Prana mudra

Benefits: 
Helps in pumping the life force into your body. Beneficial for all types of diseases. Imparts special power to the eyes.

Method: 
Join the tip of the thumb with tip of little and ring finger. Keeping other two fingers straight.

 

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SIXTH CHAKRA–THIRD EYE

Posted on February 6, 2012 by Katherine

SIXTH OR THE THIRD EYE CHAKRA

Agnya (to percieve) Chakra

“The sixth chakra is the chakra of forgiveness and compassion. Forgiveness is the power to let go of anger, hatred and resentment and to discover, in humility, the nobility and generosity of the Spirit. It is the one that dissolves all our conditionings, ego, habits, false ideas of racialism, and all our misidentifications. It is the narrow gate which opens the way for our consciousness to ascend to its final destination, which is the seventh center.” 1

Sanscrit name: Ajna

Location: The center of the forehead, brow

Central issue: Intuition, imagination, ability to see one’s life clearly, use of the mind/intellect

Color: Indigo

Essential Oils: Geranium, lavender, rosemary, spearmint

Crystals and Stones: Amethyst, azurite, fluorite, lapidolite

Sound: OM

Sense: Intuition (the sixth sense)

Goals: Psychic perception, imagination, clear seeing, accurate interpretation

Developmental Crisis: Integrity vs Despair

Developmental Age: 40-55 years

Level of relationship: Our relationship to knowledge, wisdom and vision

Element: Light

Hormonal glands: The pituitary and the pineal gland

Organs: The brain, nervous system, eyes, ears, nose, sinuses, face, the pineal and pituitary gland

Balanced: Intuitive, perceptive, imaginative, good memory, able to visualize, able to think symbolically, able to remember dreams

Excessive: Hallucination, nightmares, obsessions, delusions, difficulty concentrating, headaches

Deficient: Poor vision and memory, insensitivity, lack of imagination, difficulty visualizing, difficulty seeing the future, can’t remember dreams, denial

Physical Dysfunctions: Headaches, eye and ear disease, nose and sinus problems, facial nerve problems, nightmares, brain tumor, stroke, neurological disturbances, seizures, full spinal difficulty, learning disabilities

Traumas and Abuses: Frightening environment (war, violence), what you see does not go with what you are told, invalidation of intuition and psychic occurrences

Spiritual challenges: Pride and the ability to make judgements. The spiritual lessons relate to insight and intuition, to seeing beyond the visible.

HEALING STRATEGY: Meditation, visual stimulation, create visual art, coloring and drawing, working with memory, dream work, hypnosis, guided visualization, past life regression therapy

 

AFFIRMATIONS:

My inner vision is clear and strong. I trust my intuition and inner vision.

I see all things in clarity.

I am open to the wisdom within.

I can manifest my vision.

Resources and Recommended Readings:

1. adishakti.org

Anodea Judith, Ph.D. “Eastern Body, Western Mind”

Caroline Myss, Ph.D. “Why people don’t heal, and how they can”

Richard Gerber, M.D. – A practical guide to vibrational medicine

Bill Waites “Aura-Reiki”

reiki-for-holistic-health.com

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Word of the Week–FLYING

Posted on December 23, 2011 by Katherine

My son is home for Christmas. He drove himself back from college. In a few days, he’ll pick up his new girlfriend to meet the extended family. He was just home for Thanksgiving and though I feel like I just finally put away the Thanksgiving gear, it feels like it’s been a long time since my son’s last visit and I’m thrilled he’s home.

My daughter is waiting to hear from colleges as she is a senior in high school. It’s an exciting time.

I remember this time in my life like it was not so far away. My son is the oldest of 17 cousins so we have not had a lot of meeting the girlfriend and what school’s did you get into moments. Most of those moments I know are of mine and my five siblings. It was a great time in my life. As young adults, my siblings and I were friends. We thought we were so witty, smart, and fun. We were. Most of us worked at a state park for our summer jobs with other college kids. We had an instant large group of party-friends. Adults liked us as well. We were in the spot light, alive, full of potential, and full of ourselves.

Now I am seeing this in my children and time feels like it has sped up. I can’t seem to stop it and I don’t really want to, now that I think about it. Because it is fun. As the adult in this scenario, I am shining the light on them and really happy to do it. It’s a new phase of life.

My father’s family is big. Nine brothers and four sisters total. And I have always felt an unconditional pride they have for me. I didn’t even live close to them growing up, yet I always felt special to them. Always could see a twinkle in their eye for me. For all their nieces and nephews.

Now that I write about this, I see I’ve been shining a light on all the children in my life for a long, long time. It’s just that I was so busy juggling our schedules, like all parents do, that I didn’t notice how much fun I was having.

Now, the children in my life rarely need me for anything. They’ve left the nest and are flying.  How beautiful for me that I get to enjoy holding the spot light on that.

Who knew there would be another wondrous phase of having children.

 

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YOGA ASANA for THROAT CHAKRA

Posted on December 8, 2011 by Katherine

HALF SHOULDER POSE

(Ardha Sarvangasana)

 

 

In Yoga Teacher Training, we had one afternoon of partner’s yoga. It was so much fun. Some of the videos online demonstrating partner’s yoga can seem a bit intimidating. This one is welcoming to beginners. The instructors show how to come into shoulder stand with a partner.  halasana-halfshoulder-stand-partner-yoga.html

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