Wintertime and the end of the year symbolically represent an ending, a death, old age. This is a time to look back at the year’s past and acknowledge all the good things we have done and brought into the world. It is also a time to see any pain, suffering or sadness that we have created in ourselves or others. This is not done to create guilt, but to exercise our abilities to be compassionate, to forgive and let go.
Letting go of physical, mental, and emotional events is very challenging, but necessary for growth, happiness and health. In this month’s Yoga Tip we will show you a simple technique to “let go”.
Peace and happiness to all,
Timothy Burgin
Founder & Executive Director
YogaBasics.com
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Letting Go of Attachment.
The ancient yogic texts list obstacles that lie in the path of yoga, attachment (sneha) is one of many. Holding on to thoughts, possessions, experiences and emotions cause us pain and suffering and hinder our progress of becoming whole. Below is a simple, systematic process to “let go” of attachments which can be easily mastered.
1 Awareness You must first be aware of the physical/mental/emotional attachment and be able to see the harm it is causing you and/or others in your life.
2 Acceptance Once seen, you must accept that the attachment is there and forgive yourself and/or others for its harm.
3 Acknowledge See how this attachment has changed your life, especially focusing on what you have learned and how you have grown from the experience.
4 Visualize Imagine in your mind’s eye the attachment floating away, dissolving, or evaporating. Watch it completely disappear from your life.
5 Be in the Now Bring your focus back to the present moment, breathe and feel everything that is happening right now. Feel your mind-body-spirit free from all attachment. Stay here as long as possible.
6 Repeat as necessary
Music: A.M. Yoga Melodies by Brian Scott Bennett.
Soft, sweet and joyous compositions fill this CD using piano, electric bass, tablas, sitars, acoustic guitar, violin, vocals and Native American and world percussion. A.M. Yoga Melodies starts with a soft ambient track with beautiful vocals and slowly builds up to an upbeat tribal groove. Listening to this CD invokes the spirit of the early morning, promoting a calming yet energizing mood. This is a perfect CD to use in your morning yoga practice, helping you start your day focused and relaxed.
To have a listen or to buy A.M. Yoga Melodies, click here.
Books: Mudras: Yoga for Your Hands by Gertrud Hirschi.
The small size and plain cover of this book is very deceiving considering the richness and depth of information inside. Mudras: Yoga for Your Hands has a great introduction and history of mudras, explaining what mudras are, how and when to use them and how to enhance them using other techniques. What I really loved was the energetic, spiritual, and healing aspects of the hands according to Ayrveda, the chakras, Acupressure and Chinese medicine, reflexology, astrology, and palmistry. Fifty two hand mudras are explained with clear, simple illustrations and instructions as well as several body mudras.
For more info or to buy Mudras: Yoga for Your Hands, click here.
Video: Pilates Workout for Dummies by Michelle Dozois.
Pilates mat exercises look and feel similar to yoga asanas and thus can complement or be easily integrated into your yoga practice. The focus in Pilates is on strengthening the core body: abs, low back and buttocks. The exercises on Pilates Workout for Dummies are shown and explained with clear and concise language, modeling and visuals. Boxes pop-up showing modifications to make the exercises easier or more challenging as well as common mistakes to avoid. This is a great introduction to Pilates for any level of fitness, and is well designed and produced making it easy to follow and understand.
For more info or to buy Pilates Workout for Dummies, click here for VHS and here for DVD.
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om shanti peace