This blog centers around the brain health with questions like: Is this as good as it gets? 

The Brain

I use to buy into the myth that we humans only use 10% of this complex and amazing 3lb organ.  On some days it kind of feels that way. I was relieved to learn that we humans use every part of our brain—100% of the brain ever day.

So the inquiry I have is not in the “quantity of use”…rather what is the “quality”.  Is this as good as it gets?  Is it possible, despite age, to unlock, discover and stimulate more brain potential so the quality of life and well being increase?

Scientists in the field of contemplative neuroscience are asking these very questions.  The questions on their minds: What is the body-mind capable of with meditation training?

As a culture we are most likely to first take care of our physical bodies…and yes exercise is a wonderful way to keep brains healthy…and so are the crossword puzzles and the books we read…etc… but are there more ways to enhance brain health and hence quality of life?—are you satisfied…do you wonder if there is more?

Contemplative neuroscience is validating that meditation brings more. It is “fitness for the brain”.  Meditation fires and re-fires neural networks aimed at improving sustained attention, focus and memory while simultaneously enhancing important life qualities such as peace, calm and happiness.   

Contemplative Neuroscience at a glance

Since the early 1970’s meditation has caught the attention of scientists wanting to investigate it’s miraculous claims made by ancient texts, yogis, monks and serious meditators.  What began with a few investigations in a clinical laboratory setting rapidly evolved into a field of formal study called: “contemplative neuroscience”.

More specifically, this new field is the dedicated study of the neuroscience and neurobiology of meditation.

On the physiological level, some of the answers included a decreased rate of metabolism, accompanied by a decrease in heart rate, decrease in breathing rate, and decrease in previously elevated blood pressure,—all of which contribute to the decreased risk of hypertension and stroke.  (Benson; Wallace et al.1972)

On the neurological level, the answers are still coming in— but what is known—meditation is a trigger for “neuroplasticity” improving attention, compassion, empathy and kindness.  (Davidson et al. 2003; Lutz et al. 2004).

Scientists are now validating the benefits of meditation, revealing that it can indeed increase mental health, resiliency, and connection and treat anxiety and stress. It is exciting to see science and spirituality agree. This congruence is now motivating the skeptics who, up until now, wouldn’t have dreamed of meditating.

You are what you think…

What we steadily bring our attention towards creates neural networks —good or bad.  This is technically called neuroplasticity, also known as brain plasticity.  It is the brain’s ability to form and reorganize synaptic connections so that —despite age —brains can continually change their structure and pathways.

Bruce McEwen is one of the world leaders in stress research. His work helped to reveal the existence of brain networks that work for us and help us to adapt (positive neuroplasticity)— and brain networks that work against us, impede life and make us feel stuck (negative neuroplasticity).

By installing new habits like meditation we can train the brain to work for us in ways that increase well being and quality of life.

The three meditation styles that have been extensively studied include: mindfulness, compassion training and transcendental meditation (TM).  Although these are different practices, at root they share the same principal which is when your mind wanders bring it back to the chosen focal point.

What is clear from all the studies is that there are measurable benefits for everyone no matter how long you have been practicing.

In the book: Altered Traits: Science Reveals How Meditation Changes Your Mind, Brain, and Body the authors reveal the impact meditation has on a beginner (100-7 hours), long term meditator (1,000-10,000 hours) and yogi (12,000-62,000 hours includes a 3 year retreat).  Specifically for the beginner, benefits

included less mind wandering, better focus and working memory.

In the Sara Lazar studies, conducted with Mass General and Harvard Medical Center, the findings demonstrated that people with no prior experience, engaging in a 27 minute daily mindfulness-based practice for 8 weeks experienced a thickening in several regions of the brain and shrinkage in the amygdala (a region of the brain known to play an important role in anxiety and stress).

Her studies in the long-term meditator category (7-9 years of practice) demonstrated an increase of gray matter in several areas of the brain…including the auditory and sensory cortex, prefrontal cortex (an area linked to decision making and working memory).  Her startling discovery was that most people see their cortexes shrink as they age, but 50-year old meditators in the study had the same amount of gray matter as 25 year olds.

Another arising question: is it possible to meditate and keep your brain young?

Contemplative Neuroscience is just scratching the surface and there is still much to understand and explore—for instance- the other varieties of meditation.

The important note that contemplative neuroscience wants to make is that all such effects are unlikely to persist without sustained practice. Meditation is not the next fad diet but a lifestyle commitment.

If you want to begin meditation but are wondering where to start-it is best to consider a practice that has roots—meaning it has “standed the test of time”.  It is understandable that we want the best strategy for ourselves and by looking for the best it may “stall” getting a meditation practice going.

There is an encouraging story —once when a great saint of India (Neem Karoli Baba) was asked which meditation strategy is the best, he answered “Subek!”—which is Hindi for “They are all one!”

Trust your instincts. Have faith. Jump in. The most authentic meditation practice is a self-validating one.

You will know it is working when you experience growing states of generosity, kindness, focus and the quality of your life and well-being increase.

There is always more.  Don’t settle for less.

written by: Jennifer Reuter

Gandhi inspires us with the words:  “BE  the change you wish to see in the world…I believe global peace starts at the individual level and self compassion is a means to that peace…however it is often misunderstood and not practiced enough.

This past year I have been exploring self compassion practices with Tara Brach and Jack Kornfield as a means to help with difficult times.  I am loving the resiliency and fresh outlook that results when I can actually do it.  I notice a greater sense of well-being, connection and care for myself which in turn widens the care I can offer to others in my life.

The hardest part is the remembering and discipline to do it.

I have found that it takes courage to care —especially for my SELF and especially in a culture which fears it. The polling on self compassion revealed 5 common misunderstandings:

1. Pity Party. Self compassion = pity party. No one likes someone who is having a pity party.

2. Weak. Males especially did not like the idea of feeling weak and soft.

3. Self indulgence. People believed self compassion was just about being “nice” to your self and giving your self lots of pleasure and doing whatever you wanted.

4. Selfish. Self absorbed. Narcissistic.

5. The #1fear of self compassion— it will undermine your motivation. If you were compassionate to your self you would get soft and lose your drive and you would not achieve your goals. So…better to criticize your self.

As you can see it takes courage to care—especially if you identify with any of these 5 misunderstandings.  The good news: Self compassion is no longer a nice idea.  It is well researched with over 1200 articles of hard empirical data to show that all these fears of self compassion are false.

As I continue to explore and practice self compassion, I have noticed that it takes discipline.  For example, when I am triggered by my teenager or co-worker it does not feel natural to pause and experience compassion for my predicament.  I am usually hijacked by immediate feelings of bodily discomfort and a waterfall of reactive thoughts.  If I manage to keep my mouth shut— I will remove, distance and distract myself from what is terribly unpleasant.  I honestly don’t want to deal with it.

But when the dust settles and when I can remember to discipline myself into a quiet, compassionate moment “that difficulty” looses it’s dominion over me and I am able to see differently— myself, others, and even a bigger picture of the world to which I belong.

Instead of pushing down the unpleasantness, wearing it on my tissues and allowing it to cloak and dampen my outlook I am learning there is another way.

Self compassion can be an important coping mechanism.

In order to qualify as self compassion these 3 components must be exercised:

1. Mindfulness: being with the pain/discomfort without avoiding or getting carried away with it.

2. Kindness: treating oneself the same way one would treat a good friend. Notice the motivation “to do something about it”.  This would also include supporting and protecting oneself and sometimes saying NO to things that are harmful.

3. Shared humanity: This is really important for distinguishing self-compassion from self-pity. This is the acknowledgment that the human experience is imperfect and that all people lead imperfect lives and make mistakes. All people are flawed.  So “just like me" others encounter challenges and hardships.   This realization helps one to stop over identifying with the situation and realize there is a greater sense of connection and belonging.

As creatures of comfort—it takes discipline to NOT resist but lean into the discomfort. Science also says that humans share a negativity bias which is why self criticism might feel more familiar then self kindness.

But here is the thing: It feels good to care—and humans evolved to care.  It is what separates us from reptiles.  When we give others or ourselves care/compassion (things are pretty much the same either direction)— what we're doing is tapping into the caregiving evolutionary system of our brain.  A reward is felt in the body and we become our own pharmacy.  It feels good because the physiology of self compassion is oxytocin and opiates while the physiology of self criticism is cortisol and adrenaline.   

If you ask people how they treat themselves when they're challenged, fail or make a mistake versus how they treat their friends, most people respond that they treat themselves radically differently.

What would it be like to receive the same caring attention from yourself when you needed it most?

There's a lot of research done with veterans, people going through divorce and/or people dealing with major health issues that said their practice of self-compassion increased their strength and resiliency. It did not make them weak, soft, self absorbed nor self indulgent.

Consider this:

Your child or a child has come to you and is very upset.  Would you offer this child 10 cookies, 5 bowls of ice cream and all the screen time in the world?  Or would you look into their eyes and sincerely acknowledge their feelings as important and real?

Would you tell this child to go take a hike because you are too busy right now and they are being ridiculous?  Or would you be kind, welcoming and even remind them that other children experience difficulty and that they are not alone.

What if this child was your inner child?

What does a self compassion practice look like?

1. To the degree that it is possible— turn towards where the suffering is and be willing to be touched by it.

2. Respond in some way with kindness and care. For some it might take the form of prayer or chanting. For others it might take the form of resourcing to the great sky, the mother, Jesus, or the buddha. The idea is to remember that it is not the small self that has to hold all the suffering. For others it might look like active service. Everyone is different—so it is important to know what works for you.

3. Remember the shared humanity component—you are not alone. We are all filled with unrealistic self demands and expectations and ultimately we are not perfect and we do make mistakes.

What we give is what we get back.  If you give yourself compassion what you get back is more compassion for your self and others.  In a world that appears to be burning, in a world of mass shootings and heart break, in a world of global unrest…compassion can and will make a difference one human at a time.

It takes courage and discipline to hack our autopilot states of reactivity and awaken our mind to new possibilities of being and doing.   But with practice we can collectively learn to expand awareness, strengthen our minds and cultivate more states of resiliency and well being which again represents the inner light we all value.

It is never too late in life to learn and apply something new. The ground under our feet is our shared humanity.  Earth needs us more than ever to find the courage to care, while invoking receptivity and patience towards ourselves and the ones we call “others”—because in the end we are all in this together.

Looking to know more or view the science on Self Compassion?

Dr. Kristin Neff—take a survey—how compassionate are YOU really?

https://self-compassion.org

Radical Compassion by: Tara Brach

written by: Jennifer Reuter

“Health is a large word.  It embraces not the body only, but the mind and spirit as well: and not today’s pain or pleasure alone, but the whole being and outlook of a man.”—James West

To live a life in harmony free from physical, mental and emotional pain is something we all value.  Today is a great day to tune into your own health. Any tweak or improvement you can make will have a positive effect— no matter what your age.

This blog focuses on “exercise for different decades of life”.  Exercise is one of the key components to increased health span.  Most people confirm it is not about how long you live…it is about how well you live.

From the time we take our first inhale to the time we take our last exhale we have a body.  It is a miraculous gift.  It is one that needs constant “kind” attention and applied effort no matter what age you are.

There are different considerations for each decade of life that will help to increase not just your life span but your health span.

Scroll down to view your decade of life.  Truly you might find some inspiration in any of the decade categories so scroll the decade above and below yours —if you want to take a deeper dive there are books recommended at the end.

In addition to the inspiration for each “decade” you may want to take time to:

review the guidelines set by ACSM (American College of Sports Medicine).

Which one of the ASCM guidelines could YOU bring more attention towards TODAY?

ACSM GUIDELINES:

• All healthy adults aged 18–65 yr should participate in moderate intensity aerobic physical activity for a minimum of 30 min on five days per week, or vigorous intensity aerobic activity for a minimum of 20 min on three days per week.

• Every  adult  should  perform  activities  that  maintain  or  increase  muscular  strength and endurance for a minimum of two days per week.

• Every adult should perform stretching equal to or greater than 2-3 times per week. Daily stretching is most effective. Holding a static stretch for 10-30s is recommended for most adults however in older adults holding a stretch for 30-60s may confer to greater benefit toward flexibility.

• One day of rest

Exercise For Your Decade:

In your 20’s:

Enjoy youth—This decade is about discovery.  Discover movement and exercise you love while learning proper form. Proper alignment and form teaches you about your biomechanics and it helps set good habits for future decades ahead. You can get away with abusing and overworking your body (even with poor alignment)—but that doesn’t mean you should.  20 somethings tend to gravitate to cardio but don’t forget the other ASCM guidelines.

You are also increasing bone density which will be crucial for staying active later on and preventing osteoporosis.  YES— prevention starts now.

Start countering your student career by learning Yoga.  Yoga not only unwinds text neck, slumped shoulders and couch potato low back but yoga also inspires one to get still and resource well being from “within”.  This helps build the resiliency needed for the future decades when your life demands that you be all that you can.

In your 30’s:

This is often the decade for career and family.  Aging and weight gain begin to surface.  If you’re not doing any regular physical activity around the age of 35, you will start to experience a loss of muscle mass.

If you have not added strength training now is the time.   Strength training is essential for many reasons: it elevates human growth hormone & the more muscles you have the more calories you will burn at rest.

If you have not been successful in adopting an exercise routine you might consider hiring a personal trainer or going to group classes. One hour of circuit training (cardio and resistance) can combine both your cardio and strength.

Be a mover.  Take the stairs instead of the elevator.  Park the car further away so you walk.  Get a standing desk.  Switch your exercise routine so your body doesn’t get use to the same thing.  You are setting habits for the future decades.  Every bit of movement matters and can provide significant benefits.

In your 40’s:

Gravity has now had 3 decades to pull things down.  Hormones are a topic along with slower metabolism.  Remind yourself that exercise is the number one form of preventive medicine and every time you get interrupted, side tracked or fall off the wagon—find your super power to start again!

If you just started exercising at 40—congratulate yourself!  You have this—invest in a trainer learn pilates or take some group classes.

Exercise is starting to change in this decade.  It takes a little longer to recover and if you miss a night of sleep it can really slow you down the next day.  Aches and pains are creeping in.

This decade is about precision and form, quality not quantity.  Hold positions longer with more control—you will be surprised at the “aha’s you will discover”!

If you have been running, playing tennis or only doing asthanga/bikram yoga (set sequence) for the last 2 decades you might want to consider something new.  The body needs fresh stimulus to stay optimized.  Be open to trying a new fitness class.

HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) or working out with a pattern that builds to “microbursts of physical intensity”  helps produce a positive biological response. It not only helps promote muscle-building hormones while increasing caloric expenditure but it also improves muscle elasticity and turns on longevity genes.  But remember this decade you can’t afford to be sloppy.  Moving fast without awareness of form and alignment can be a disaster. It also takes longer in this decade to recover so make sure you have enough down time for maintenance and repair.

Posture is everything: think pull in and up.  Whether you are in the grocery store, doing the dishes, walking down the street, pull your chin in, engage your core in and up and bring shoulders back and down. All day long…find good posture.

YOGA.  This will help to manage stress, build balance, maintain posture and improve your flexibility.  Roll it out.  If you have not started rolling your fascia try to incorporate this in a couple of times a week.

In your 50’s:

“Do no harm”. Adopt this mantra.

As you get older, your capacity to heal lessens— so adapt your fitness routine as your body changes.  Be open to gentler workouts and if something hurts don’t do it.

If you are not active—start now because it is never too late. Entry point exercises include: walking 10 min a day and increasing that by 5 min each week, restorative yoga, gentle yoga, yin, beginners pilates, Tai Chi as well as aqua classes.

If you are “new” to exercise there are “sensations” that come with muscle fatigue. In the beginning this can often get confused as “pain”.  With practice you will learn the language of your own body and you will be able to discern if something is truly painful because it is out of alignment or if there are lots of “sensations” from getting stronger.

If you are active you might have noticed that the recovery time takes longer now.  If you had a strong bike ride, run or HIIT class trying to repeat that the next day is NOT recommended.  It is important now to warm up before exercises and add longer stretches at the end of your routine.

If you can’t run pain free anymore…ride a bike or go for a swim.

If you are attached to your activities and consider them as part of your identity—think about the longevity of your muscles and joints.  Think twice before wearing them out.

Take care of today and the future will take care of itself.

Rolling on foam rollers or therapeutic Tune Up Balls is just as important as exercise. A few times a week for at least 10 minutes can help loosen the fascia and help muscles work better.  Rolling can be your first line of defense against hip or knee replacements.  Rolling coupled with yoga or stretch is an excellent way to get both in.

Posture. All day long.  Scan the decade above (In your 40’s).

In your 60’s:

Average age of retirement is 62.  If your career left you hustling for the last couple of decades and you have struggled with lack of time…NOW is the time to make your health and movement a priority.  You want to dodge assisted living as long as possible.

Problems like arthritis, bad knees, and spinal stenosis (a narrowing of the spaces between bones that can put painful pressure on the spinal cord) become common.  Don’t give up on exercise.  Talk with your doctor, physical therapist, and the experts in fitness.

Aquatic fitness classes, a healthy choice at any age, are a good option for exercise because they use a lot of muscle mass while reducing stress on your joints. Gentle yoga classes are another wonderful option and they incorporate balance and light strength.

Decline in strength is lack of use.  Make sure you are getting resistance training.

Group classes are a great way to combine physical activity with social time.  Social connection is important for health.  If you are recently retired, it can be an effective way to make new friends.

In your 70’s:

They say the seventies are like the sixties now.  What are numbers anyway?  Continue to stay active in the movements you love.  Staying strong and flexible now will help you maintain your independence longer.  If you have access to a gym—the fitness machines can reduce impact on your joints.  If you feel the effects of arthritis, don’t let it stop you from doing cardio.  Look for types that can reduce impact on your joints.

Tai Chi, dance and yoga all help to move the body in many directions while incorporating BALANCE.  This is not only good for connective tissue but neurologically helps stimulate the circuits of the brain.

Balance is crucial.  Balance daily. When you are brushing your teeth, shaving, cooking.

Don’t push your body

In your 80’s:

Congratulations!  The average adult life span in the United States is 78 years. Keep going and it is always good to remember that you are never to old to learn something new. Learning new movement skills helps your brain as well as your body.

Resistance training equals independent living.  Balance, walk and respect your age.

“Brain gym”.   Don’t be afraid of technology. Every time we get confused or we learn something new—the circuits of the brain fire to keep us younger.

The pandemic has increased possibilities for on-line learning.  In the comfort of your own home you can keep stimulated and even take some age appropriate exercise classes.

In your 90’s:

Never stop exercising. If you have made it this long—keep doing what you are going.   You can add muscle mass at any age—strength training is a must even if it is a few minutes at a time.  Whatever physical activity you can do, do it as often as possible.  Keep balancing as often as you can remember.

Bottom line: It is never too late to start.

With practice and in time you can become your own personal wellness coach and learn to sense what you need when you need it.  Now that is empowerment!

Book Recommendations (also used for this Blog):

Age-Defying Fitness

The New Rules of Aging Well

Lifespan: Why We Age—and Why We Don’t Have To

written by: Jennifer Reuter

Photo by Khadeeja Yasser on Unsplash

“However men try to reach me, I return their love with my love. Whatever path they may travel, it leads to me in the end.” —Bhagavad Gita 4.11

In 2005 I attended a retreat on Maui led by Krishna Das and Ram Das. During this retreat they told me a story I will never forget. In fact, I felt so awakened by this story it forever changed my perspective of my moment to moment interactions with my life and nature.

Krishna and Ram Das were staying at an ashram in India where Neem Karoli Baba—a great Indian Saint of the Himalayan lineage—taught. Krishna explained that Baba never gave instructions or techniques for meditation. He just did not work that way. He said that when he asked Baba, “How do you find god?” Baba would reply, “serve people.” And when he asked, “How do you raise kundalini?” Baba would say, “feed people.” Krishna and Ram did not know what to make of this.

One day, someone new to the ashram asked Baba how to meditate and he answered, “Meditate like Jesus.” This answer only added more confusion to the group of devotees. However, they trusted Baba and figured that he must have known how Jesus meditated. This made them desperately want to practice even more.

So finally Ram asked Baba, “Baba, you said we should meditate like Christ. How did he meditate?” After a long pause and a few tears, the famous Indian saint replied, “he lost himself in love…that is how he meditated.”

Bhakti Yoga

The term “Bhakti” comes from the Sanskrit root word bhaj, which means devotion, love or adoration.

Bhakti is one of the three primary yogic paths laid out in the Bhagavad Gita (the other two being Jnana––the path of knowledge––and Karma––the path of action).

Bhakti as devotion

Traditionally bhakti involves devotion to a guru, a deity or deities, but it can also include devotion to what is “formless” or what might be categorized as “the great mystery.” The Rig Veda, one of the most ancient teachings, states: “The truth is one and the learned call it by many names.” This interpretation gives you freedom to worship the divine in whatever form resonates with your heart the most.

Bhakti as love

Bhakti is a deep yearning to experience love in its purest and highest form. It is sometimes described as “love for love’s sake.”

“It is like when we fall in love with different people—there can be various forms that capture the heart,” Professor Edwin Bryant explains in his book Bhakti.

Since people have different perspectives and proclivities it makes sense that love could take on more than one form.

For example, Baba chose Hanuman as his deity and channel for love. Baba became famous for the unconditional love that radiated from his being.

It has been said that anyone who was in his presence, as well as those who never met him but established an energetic connection to him, were showered with rays of love.

His teachings were simple: “All is One. Love everyone, serve everyone, remember God, and tell the truth.” His Bhakti was so powerful it attracted influential people like Ram Das, Krishna Das, Jai Uttal, Daniel Goldman, Steve Jobs, Mark Zuckerberg and Julia Roberts (just to name a few).

Just like these famous figures, love is something we all want and desire. So, how do you acquire more of it, so that it just oozes out of your pores like Baba?

By doing the one thing that seems counter-intuitive.

You must give it away.

Giving your love away

As St. Francis of Assisi once said, “it is in giving that we receive.”

When you give your love outward to a chosen source you receive love back. Practice long enough like Baba and the outer form disappears. Eventually you become completely immersed in love and become the ocean of love itself.

It might seem impossible to become “an ocean of love,” but you will not know unless you try. For me, I can say that when I practice more love, gratitude and devotion, my state of mind and being literally elevates and feelings of ease, peace and expansion pervade.

Bhakti is incredibly easy when I am in the right place at the right time. For instance when everything is going my way, I am in a beautiful setting, I am in a community that shares my views or the people in my life are not in conflict with me it is easy for me to feel love. But when my fears dominate, and/or I don’t feel my needs are being met, I notice my nervous system reverting to survival mode. It is in this mode, that it becomes hard to feel the love and send it back out.

And perhaps that is just it. The idea of wanting to feel the love first and then sending it out instead of sending it out first in order to receive it.

We are wired to have a bias toward negativity. The nervous system is designed to survive and protect. So under stress it might not feel natural to ooze love out of your pores. But what if you did it anyway?

How to practice Bhakti Yoga

Notice the train of your thoughts.

Have they spun out of control into rumination? And when they do, do you recognize it happening?

One of my practices for when I am feeling clouded or confused is to write in my gratitude journal. I keep several quotes nearby that help put things into perspective for me. One of my favorites is,

“Whatsoever things are true,

Whatsoever things are honest,

Whatsoever things are just,

Whatsoever things are pure

Whatsoever things are lovely

Whatsoever things are of good report;

If there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.”

—Phil. 4:8

I think about the things and people in my life that are pure, lovely and feel nourishing to my heart and I journal about them.

At first, this journal was called my “happy journal.” I received it 20 years ago. I used to just write things in it that made me smile or laugh. But then, after a while I realized that the things I was writing about were actually things I loved and highly valued. The more time passed, the more I realized, that these things were blessings and different expressions of divinity in my life.

Today, when I open that journal and review past entries, I am immediately reminded of the many blessings that have been sent my way. Feelings of devotion and praise fill my being and a desire for higher love-making sweeps my spirit upward.

Other traditional ways to practice Bhakti Yoga include: Kirtan (devotional chanting or singing); hearing or reading stories that are related to your chosen source and contemplating their meaning; meditation; performing rituals; and prayer, especially “Meta”—directing loving-kindness to others—whether that is through meditation or service in action.

In Bhakti Yoga all senses, emotions and actions can be used to express love and offer them to whatever form of grace that suits our personalities and cultural upbringing. Especially in times of challenge, Bhakti yoga can be the best medicine. There is so much to be thankful for and so much beauty in each moment, that we could literally have a romance with life if we chose to.

Krishna Das loves to share that story he told us, at the retreat on Maui, of how Neem Karoli Baba instructed meditation. A story about losing yourself in love.

It makes one think, “Where can I place my attention in this moment?”

Will your choice fill you with feelings of peace, connection, expansion? Will you get lost in love with that choice?

These are the inquires in the practice of Bhakti Yoga.

A Yoga Unplugged collaboration - written by Jennifer Reuter, edited by Sarah Burchard

Krishna Das tells the story of Maharaji telling devotee to meditate like Christ- from Open Your Heart in Paradise Dec 9 2011

“Try something different – surrender.” —Rumi

Photo by Erriko Boccia via Unsplash

How do you feel when you are told to surrender, let go or soften into the present moment? I don’t know about you, but for me those words only work when I am feeling relaxed and peaceful. During times of stress, especially when I am caught off guard, surrendering does not happen automatically. It is a behavior that I have to practice.

According to Patanjali, the author of The Yoga Sutras, there are three actions or (kriyas) that constitute yoga: self-effort (tapas), self-study (svadhyaya) and self-surrender (ishvarapranidhana). He believed that these kriyas were the key to easing struggles, living fearlessly, and finding fulfillment in life.

Ishvarapranidhana can be translated in the following way:

Ishvara: a personal choice (in relation to the mystery of life)

Pranidhana: surrender, devotion

Patanjali was a non-dogmatic theist and a genius. He knew that if he wanted to teach the masses about the true meaning of yoga then the general term “Ishvara” would be more digestible. My guess is that he intuited that if you give people the choice of who they can worship they will be more open to listen to what you have to say.

Your personal choice

Over the past few years I have discovered new insights and strategies for embodying the kriya of ishvarapranidhana. The part that resonates with me the most is this concept of “personal choice.” The idea is that by following your heart, and making choices from this place, you are practicing self-surrender. This is much different than feeling like you have to surrender to a force that is distinct and different than yourself, like for example: Jesus, the Buddha, the Divine Feminine, Krishna or Allah.

There will always be suffering

What about surrendering to a state of being, in which all experiences arise, unfold and pass away? Could ishvarapranidhana also mean having reverence for the present moment?

When I think of this question I am reminded of a quote from the Bible: “for the place in which you stand is holy ground.” Is this ground in which we are currently standing holy and perfect in every way? Many of us may answer no. Daily stresses and emotional problems that come up are real and often debilitating—nothing feels “holy” about them. It is no wonder then, that both Patanjali and the Buddha taught that the universal human condition is suffering.

Modern neuroscience now agrees with these spiritual teachers. There is something about our human brains that cause us to suffer. Feeling disappointed with others or yourself, regretting not doing “enough”, the fear of getting older, feeling like you have “no time”––notice your tendency to judge and hang on to negative emotions like these.

The software of the mind has a “looping mechanism” and if nothing is done to attenuate and counteract negative emotions they will loop on relentlessly. This is called “negative neuroplasticity” and is what holds us back from happiness. This built in neurobiological system can either be helpful or harmful depending how you use it. So how can you hack the negative loops and re-wire with positive ones?

Say YES to life

There are new insights and strategies that can lead to positive loops. Adopting a daily practice of saying yes to the present moment is an excellent way to surrender and create a positive loop. “Always say 'yes' to the present moment... Surrender to what is. Say 'yes' to life - and see how life starts suddenly to start working for you rather than against you.” This Eckhart Tolle quote reminds us of what is possible when we say yes to life. Think of it as a form of “self regulation”, or a “devotion in motion.”

Saying yes to life is a way of training the circuitries of your brain. It is also a practice that encourages you to act more from the heart and less from your head. It is not easy to ask the ego to step aside. Letting life inform and guide you is a practice, and the bad news is life might have a different plan for you than what you want. I read once that we are born with one third of our traits and the other two thirds we need to cultivate. What kind of traits have you cultivated? By saying yes to the present moment you start to train yourself to become more resilient when unpredictable stressful moments arise.

Stay open and curious

A startling insight I have developed practicing ishvarapranidhana is the realization that I really don’t understand anything. My ego thinks it does, but that is where I get into trouble. Understanding that I don’t really understand myself, others or the world has become an interesting entry point into self-surrender. My ego shrieks at the idea of deferring power outside of itself, but for some reason (call it grace maybe?) when I stay open and curious, let my ego go and trust in a higher power, magic really does happen.

The power of mindfulness

In order to say yes to life, and allow a higher intelligence to direct us, we need to be “in-tune” to every moment in our lives. If your natural tendency is to rush through your day, you will likely miss meaningful messages that are being transmitted to you at any given moment. How many unconscious mental and physical routines do you have each day? Are tasks like driving home from work, checking the mail, doing the dishes or having your morning coffee things you do mindfully or do you do them on autopilot? If we are not paying attention we can easily become identified with our stories, cravings and phobias and become blind to the extraordinary moments of being alive. Hence, don’t take any task big or small for granted. They are all opportunities to practice living mindfully.

The Four Foundations of Mindfulness

Below are the Buddha’s teachings of mindfulness. You can practice one or all of them, it makes no difference. What matters is your intention.

1. Pause and become aware of your body. Notice your breath. What is your body’s relationship to the environment in this moment? Where is your body in relation to space and time? Sometimes we are so lost in our thoughts we don’t pay attention to where we are. Note how everything is constantly changing. We become mindful to such a degree that we become detached. It is then that we discover we are more than just our bodies.

2. Pause and become aware of sensations. What information are your senses bringing in? Are they pleasant, unpleasant or neutral? These inquiries can lead to powerful self-mastery skills especially with addictions. Just having a devotion to this pause itself can prevent us from behaviors that don’t serve us.

3. Pause and become aware of the thought patterns that are in our consciousness. What are the characteristic thoughts? The memories? The images? Note how you can be dragged here and there by them. The pause itself can be a way to observe thoughts without getting involved, and overtime you can learn to disidentify with them.

4. Pause and become aware of the totality of the previous three. What are the overarching ideas and concepts that shape your daily experiences? The ideologies and structures of your own reality? Eventually you will get better at analyzing them and their constituents.

Meditate on this

Meditation has helped me tremendously with getting in-tune, detaching and disidentifying from all of the labels and fears I like to believe are real. It helps me focus and and get centered on the astonishing reality of my existence right now. When I am not ruminating over my worries I notice I have so much more brain power that can be channeled into my actual reality.

I am not a purist. I value various wisdom traditions available to us on this planet. Patanjali was a yogi and the Buddha (no shocker here) was a “buddhist”. Both had similar views, but different ways of teaching. We can learn from these great masters if we stay open and willing to surrender.

The Bhagavad Gita teaches that “yoga is skill in action”. This always reminds me that life is dynamic and it is how we bring our consciousness to life that makes all the difference in our experience.

A Yoga Unplugged collaboration - written by Jennifer Reuter, edited by Sarah Burchard

Imagine for a moment that you are driving a chariot being pulled by five very strong, wild horses. You’d like your journey to be peaceful, stable and steady, while progressing in the direction you desire right? In order to do this you have to understand the nature of these horses and how to tame, direct and discipline them… otherwise you won’t be traveling comfortably or very far.

The metaphor of the chariot and wild horses is an ancient one. The horses represent our five senses, which are often strong and wild, and pull our mind in different directions. The practice of yoga helps tame the senses encouraging grounding and focus. Think of your body as having an untapped inner technology. It is your job to study the “owner’s manual” to help you travel more peacefully and joyfully through life. Understanding this “technology” has been the life long quest of many mystical traditions.

The yoga tradition contains many maps, techniques and inquiries that help one understand their inner technology and how to use it. Your end goal is to experience expanded states of consciousness so that you can connect with the divine.

These techniques are outlined beautifully in Kriya Yoga, or the “actions of yoga.” The three major components of this practice are:

Tapas—Self-effort or discipline

Svadhyaya––Self-study

Isvarapranidhana—Self-surrender, or devotion

Tapas in particular is a crucial component for taming the wild horses that pull you. This Sanskrit word has many nuanced meanings. On the most basic level, it has to do with “heat” and at a more complex level, it reflects “a heat that produces a positive inner alchemy". Tapas is known for being a fiery discipline that helps one purify mind and body from the limitations and blockages that keep you from experiencing your true light.

Other words to describe Tapas are:

Tenacity

Grit

Courage

Will Power

Perseverance

Determination

As a parent, I find that neither one of my kids have much grit when life gets tough. There is a lot of talk in the house about having grit and the “heat” that it can cause. I remind them that temporary friction and discomfort leads to tremendous progress in the long run. The act of Tapas, or fiery discipline, flexes the mind’s muscles. The more it is practiced the stronger those muscles get.

As the great Mahatma Gandhi once said, “strength does not come form physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will.” This will, to “be the change you wish to see,” causes friction and heat caused by what Gandhi called the “ego-desire complex”. It is important to remember, that sometimes what your ego desires is not helpful and can even be harmful.

Tapas means different things to different people. Sometimes a Tapas practice involves getting up early in the morning to exercise every day. For others it could be to sit down and meditate, or to start and maintain a healthy diet. Ultimately Tapas is a dedicated practice that helps burn off the impediments that limit or hold us back from true harmony and wholeness.

Nelson Mandela’s famous quote, “our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate, our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure,” speaks of Tapas. How much power and progress could you experience in your life if you had the discipline to stay fiercely dedicated to your heart’s path?

A Yoga Unplugged collaboration - written by Jennifer Reuter, edited by Sarah Burchard

Photo by Fabian Burghardt via Upsplash

Kara Miller grew up in the tropical pacific where she has fallen deeply in love with the ocean. Throughout her life she’s spent time living and working in places such as Fiji, Indonesia, Micronesia and here in Hawaii. 

She has a Bachelor of Arts in Marine Biology, a Masters in Science in Marine Resource and Environmental Management, and a Certificate in Pacific Island Studies from the University of Hawaii.

Kara has worked in international fisheries management and policy, marine education and training and capacity building on small Pacific Islands for the past 10 years.   

During that time she became a 500 hour certified Yoga Instructor and has taught yoga throughout Hawaii and internationally, including islands in Indonesia and Micronesia. While working for the NOAA Fisheries office in Honolulu she started a Yoga In The Workplace program that still runs today. She is also a yoga empowerment coach and a Thai Yoga practitioner. 

Kara applies the principals of karma yoga in all of the work that she does whether it’s on the mat or in the ocean. She has dedicated her life to supporting the greater good, empowering others and helping people become aware of their destructive patterns so that they can live happier and more sustainable lives.

Today, host Sarah Burchard and Kara discuss what it means to practice karma yoga. How it enables you to become aware of your deep seeded patterns, so that you can break them, live more consciously and make selfless action your default mode. How you can be of service and not deplete yourself in the process. And how our perceptions can sometimes interfere with our true purpose in life.

Kara also tells us what she thinks about social media and why itʻs a tough subject for her.

Books and authors recommended on this show are:

• Anything by Stephan Cope, especially The Wisdom Of Yoga

• Anything by Thich Nhat Hanh

• Healthy Is The New Skinny by Katie H. Willcox

• Brene Brown

• Radical Dharma: Talking Race, Love, and Liberation by Rev. angel Kyodo Williams

In the laboratory of my life, I have come to understand and appreciate the difference between rest and true rest. There is a grave price I pay when I don’t make time for the latter.

True rest is not the kind that comes from reading books, binge watching a Netflix series, having a cocktail or indulging in other means of escape. Although these activities certainly have their place, it is important to recognize that this kind of rest can only do so much before we are right back in old patterns of restlessness.

I like to think of true rest as a nutrient. One that produces a state of relaxation where the inner tensions of the muscles, emotions and mind are released.

Yoga nidra is a systematic meditative practice that gifts the body and mind with the treasure of true rest.

Yoga nidra and other meditative practices reside in this category because they not only relax us, but restructure and reform our entire personality from within.

Broken down, the term “yoga nidra” implies an integration of the changing states of one’s consciousness.

Yoga = a state of integration

Nidra = the changing states of consciousness

In the field of contemplative neuroscience there is overwhelming evidence based scientific research, that clearly demonstrates the benefits of a consistent meditation practice. The results are measurable, reliable and undeniably indicate that true rest is taking place during meditation.

What exactly is yoga nidra and how does it activate true rest?

Yoga nidra is a “tried and true” meditative map. It guides a person from the gross body to the subtle levels of their being. Utilizing various relaxation techniques, the practitioner is guided inward where they can systematically release tension one level at a time.

Beginning at the level of the body and then proceeding to subsequent layers of breath and mind, one is guided into profound states of relaxation—ultimately hovering in the theta state, also known as the place “in-between waking and sleeping.” It is here that one marinates in true rest.

One of the core teachings of yoga nidra is learning how to welcome everything in without identifying with their associated content. For instance, welcoming in doubts or judgements acknowledges their existence and it gives them a moment to be seen and heard. These “guests” are nothing more than feedback mechanisms trying to reveal information that often get suppressed. By welcoming them in, they can point the way home to our most authentic self.

In this spirit of receptivity, which takes time, patience and practice to cultivate, one begins to realize and stabilize another domain of being. This other domain, that is also “you,” resides metaphorically under your sensations, emotions and thoughts.

Sometimes called the “witnessing presence” this domain is the essence of our being. It is perfect, whole and needs no fixing. It is that part of “you” in which everything is ok and alright. In this state of being there is nothing one needs to know, get, or do.

By repeatedly recognizing and becoming one with this domain we slowly recover from our wounds and begin to build the strength and resilience we need in order to face life’s challenges. Herein lies, true rest.

As a practitioner since 2005, and now as a teacher, I have encountered many confusions and misunderstandings when it comes to yoga nidra. A common confusion, that I had for a while, was that I wasn’t receiving any benefits because I kept falling asleep. People also wonder if they are being hypnotized. Some may put off trying it because they don’t think they are the “type” who can meditate or don’t think they will like someone talking the entire time through their meditation.

I have come to learn that yoga nidra is not hypnotism. And despite what anyone says, everyone can meditate. And as far as talking goes, yoga nidra is a guided practice and offers the muscles of the mind and spirit different benefits than what silent techniques do.

Perhaps the greatest thing I have learned is that yoga nidra follows the same biological principles we use to fall asleep at night. Thus, when you are sleep deprived your nervous system, which is smarter than you, will seize the opportunity to heal and put you to sleep. So, yes sleep can happen and it is OK, because you are still receiving the instructions subconsciously. If you don’t want to fall asleep you can always sit up during the practice instead of lying down.

During my first years of yoga nidra I slept through most of it. At times I would hear the instructions and other times I would fade out. I did not understand what was happening, but had faith in my teacher, the practice and the results. I noticed right away that life was better. I was more capable, calmer, clearer and compassionate.

Today as I practice I am able to stay awake and aware. My body is asleep but my mind is awake. I directly experience the changing states of consciousness and often times I can hover on the edge of sleep. Depending on my own sleep debt, I might slip over the edge into sleep, but it is rare that I stay there.

I feel that our culture is overstimulated and yearns for ways to unplug and slow down. I have faith in the resilience of humans, but adapting to the blinding “bling-bling” of speed and technology takes time.

Are our bodies designed for this explosion of digital extremism? Whatever the answer is, we have to learn how to acclimate. Practices that re-boot the mind and body are crucial if we want to maintain mental and physical health.

Yoga nidra is a very accessible meditation practice. In just 20-30 minutes you can access true rest.

There are many resources for this practice. The Insight Timer app and YouTube have made this practice available no matter where you are.

A doctor friend of mine practices during her lunch break 1-2 times a week. She keeps a yoga mat and pillow in her office. She shuts the door, lies on the floor and puts her legs up on a chair. After 25 minutes she has new found energy, clarity and attitude to serve her patients for the rest of the day. Personally, this is the kind of doctor I would want.

Practices that enable you to harness true rest are not only valuable, but necessary if you want your light to shine bright. Yoga nidra is one of these practices. It will not only make a difference in your life, but also with the people you interact with and love.

As Marinanne Willamson said, “And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give the people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”

See you in Yoga Nidra...

A Yoga Unplugged collaboration - written by Jennifer Reuter, edited by Sarah Burchard

When I was in my 20’s I made up a story in my head that I had to have a yoga mat and move through meditative postures in order to practice yoga.

When I got to my 30’s the story grew into something more meaningful. Now, yoga meant that practicing contemplative and meditative exercises would help me understand myself and what would bring me inner peace.

Fast forward to the present moment, now in my 40’s, and my story has changed once again. I still believe what I believed in the past, but I also now believe that yoga is nothing more than universal love.

I often share these perceptions with my students in class to show them what my yoga journey has looked like and how they have influenced my practice.

The reason why these stories have changed so much over time, however, is because of a practice I use called––Jnana Yoga.

The stories you make up

Storytelling is a powerful tool. Recounting past events that happened in your life or making up imaginary fantasies can inspire, teach and entertain.

But what happens when you make up a story about an event that is untrue?

The stories you make up are your brain’s way of “protecting” yourself.

But, instead of helping they can often create unnecessary complications.

Brene Brown is a professor, public speaker and best selling author whose work focuses on courage and vulnerability. She encourages people to use the phrase “The story I’m making up is…” at the beginning of difficult conversations.

For example, have you ever been in a relationship with someone who did or said something that caused you agitation? Did you make up a story around why they did it or what it meant? And did you find out that that story was untrue later?

The danger of storytelling, versus basing your reaction on fact, is that you may be accusing that person of doing something that isn’t true. It is the basis for miscommunication.

“Anybody who's been in — or out of — a relationship can tell you that they're full of miscommunications, misreadings, and other misunderstandings. You say one thing, they hear something else,” says Brown.

By beginning a tough conversation with “The story I’m making up is…” you are telling the other person your perception and admitting that you might be wrong about what really happened.

Another helpful practice is to take those stories and use them for introspection. This is the practice of Jnana Yoga.

Jnana Yoga

Jnana, pronounced as “gya-na,” means knowledge.

Jnana Yoga is a practice that uses knowledge to help purify the mind of misperceptions, which may be blocking you from connecting with others and living in harmony with life.

The yoga texts translate the word misperception, or “avidya” in Sanskrit, as “actively not seeing true knowledge.” They teach, that these misperceptions are the number one cause for all human suffering, making the mind run wild, causing you to cast doubts about your self worth, block solutions to problems and prevent you from taking action.

The benefits of Jnana yoga, or the pursuit of higher knowledge, is that it soothes a restless and broken soul. It purifies the mind, burning the self-made stories you make up, and creates wisdom love and compassion––enabling you to create a more meaningful connection with life.

In Jnana yoga there are three phases. First, knowledge has to be heard and received. Second, knowledge has to be repeated thousands of times in many different ways. Third, knowledge has to become a part of you.

The practice of Jnana yoga begins by asking yourself hard questions like: Who am I? What am I? What do I fear? What am I grateful for? What is joy or love?

It can also include an inquiry into your life’s purpose and/or anything else related to your relationship with the universe.

Brown’s “What is the story I’m making up” approach also works well here. For example, What is the story I’m making up about the nature of my reality? Is it is the same story my parents had? Is it a story I heard in church or from my teacher or guru? What is the story I’m making up about the career path I have chosen or my purpose in the world? What is the story I am making up about who I am?

Neti neti

Neti neti is a Sanskrit term that means “not this and not that.”

It is helpful to use neti neti when you begin asking these deeper questions. It encourages you to not settle and keep asking until you find the truth, admitting that your beliefs are not 100% accurate.

Neti neti creates wiggle room for new perspectives and insights.

Jnana yoga is practiced the same way one would peel an onion. You keep peeling back the layers by asking the same questions over and over until you can get closer to the center, or the truth.

Year after year the inquiries reveal new understandings, insights previously missed, and a penetration into the heart of the matter one seeks.

The story I told myself about yoga in my 20’s is radically different than the story I tell myself today because I keep peeling back these layers and asking more questions.

Listening to the truth

How well you can peel back the layers and find truth depends on how good you listen.

Krishna Murti––Indian philosopher, speaker and writer––is a great example of someone who practiced Jnana yoga. He pointed out the problems we have with our listening by asking these questions: “How do you listen to knowledge? Do you listen with your projections, through your ambitions, desires, fears, anxieties, through hearing only what you want to hear, only what will be satisfactory, what will gratify, what will give comfort, what will for the moment alleviate your suffering? If you listen through the screen of your desires, then you obviously listen to your own voice.”

The practice of listening is challenging, but if you desire thriving relationships, either with others or the universe, then it is important to try.

This is where a daily meditation practice is helpful and essential. It makes you a better listener.

An invitation to practice

“The Yoga Sutras” says that ignorance is the greatest poison.

When you make up stories that are not true they can create toxicity and separation at both the individual and relationship levels.

Instead of getting caught up in your story can you take the time to connect with your heart and ask yourself deeper questions to see what surfaces before taking action?

I invite you to use the practice of Jnana Yoga to prevent stories from turning into suffering. Find out for yourself how Jhana Yoga can make your life change for the better.

A Yoga Unplugged collaboration - written by Jennifer Reuter, edited by Sarah Burchard

Photo by Keegan Houser on Unsplash

“Pitiful are those who, acting, are attached to their action’s fruits. The wise man lets go of all results, whether good or bad, and is focused on the action alone. Yoga is skill in actions.” - Bhagavad Gita 2.49-50

Some of my favorite karma yoga role models are Mother Theresa, Gandhi, Martin Luther King and––the mythical monkey––“Hanuman." To me, they exemplify the meaning of karma yoga. Their actions were done out of love and for the welfare of others. They saw a bigger picture and acted from a place of authenticity, truth and love.

What is karma yoga?

The true practice of yoga is much more than sixty minutes of asana. “Yoga is skill in actions,” says the Bhagavad Gita. This proclamation indicates that yoga can be practiced in every action you take, moment to moment. This practice, formally called “karma yoga” or “the yoga of action,” helps purify the mind by releasing selfish motives and attachments. Karma yoga suggests you give up thinking whether or not there will be a reward or recognition for your actions and instead devote yourself to the welfare of others.

“The whole world becomes a slave to its own activity, if you want to be truly free, perform all actions as worship.” - Bhagavad Gita 3.9

The Bhagavad Gita teaches that the practice of karma yoga will bring “equanimity of the mind” and reveal our “deepest truth.”

Don’t let the word “worship” confuse you, what it refers to are actions done out of love.

Freedom is something everyone desires and no one wants to be a slave, especially to dark thoughts in the mind. When you perform actions out of love and let go of your ego’s expectations your mind will become peaceful, calm and joyful. This creates radical presence and truly frees you from mental suffering and the physical diseases that would inevitably follow. Simply give to give.

Karma yoga is about practicing actions of love and compassion even when life seems dismal and bleak. There is no doubt that bringing love to the table when you are down and out is challenging. It means you must get out of your head in order to perform actions or service. Stop dwelling on your problems and help someone else. This practice can be very healing, especially when unexpected difficult challenges and inevitable decline occurs.

I was especially drawn to the “things that inevitably decline” category because this is the hard truth we will all eventually have to face. The idea of “impermanence” can lead to terrible unhappiness if one fails to prepare. Think about it, the longer you live, the more you will experience a decline in physical health and cognitive ability. Nothing in your “outer world” is permanent, including your body.

One evening just before bed, my husband asked me to read an article from The Atlantic called “Your Professional Decline is Coming (Much) Sooner Than You Think” by Arthur Brooks. The article talks about how to turn a professional decline into an opportunity for progress. It discusses the waning ability of high accomplished people and how the decline can be psychologically brutal.

“Whole sections of bookstores are dedicated to becoming successful. There is no section marked ‘managing your professional decline,’” writes Brooks. There is often an emotional attachment to prestige and accomplishment that comes with someone’s career. Take for example, olympic athletes. For them, maintaining peak performance as they age becomes impossible and inevitably their abilities will decline. If they are not prepared mentally for this, the aftermath can be heartbreaking.

Along these lines, Brooks also wrote that there is “strong evidence suggesting that the happiness of most adults declines through their 30s and 40s, then bottoms out in their early 50s.” When qualities such as: self-worth, happiness and steadiness of mind can only be achieved through "attachments" such as the approval and recognition of others, a bank account or “sense objects” ––objects that are obtained through your five senses––the Bhagavad Gita says we will find ruin.

“If a man keeps dwelling on sense-objects, attachment to them arises; from attachment, desire flares up; from desire, anger is born; from anger, confusion follows; from confusion, weakness of memory; weak memory—weak understanding; weak understanding—ruin.” - Bhagavad Gita 2.62

So how do you turn a professional, or any other type of decline, into an opportunity for progress?

I believe you can do it by finding your “service”––the essence of karma yoga. If it is true, that for the majority of us unhappiness begins to decline in our 30s, then a practice like karma yoga should be installed now, so that overtime you can hardwire the new neural networks that will help you when you need them the most.

In a world of impermanence, it is wise to build ever increasing amounts of mental stability and ease. So practice, practice, practice.

I am passionate about karma yoga because I have experienced the joy and freedom it brings. But, be aware, karma yoga is a 24-hour a day practice.

Here is a list of practices that will help you keep your internal compass calibrated.

How to practice karma yoga:

1. Pay attention and ask yourself, am I acting from my highest self? Am I free from expectations, free from attachments, free from needing rewards?

2. If a reward happens, great, but if it doesn’t, keep moving forward to the next action.

3. Let go of that notion, “I’ll scratch your back if you scratch mine.”

4. Keep checking in with your ego––it desperately wants to be noticed, acknowledged, approved of and stroked.

5. Let go of past glories and regrets as well as the fears and fantasies for future moments and be as present as possible.

6. Be patient and compassionate with yourself.

7. Strengthen your devotion towards a higher meaning of life.

8. Keep remembering that the great worldly seducers such as power, fame, money and status are dead ends and they can never bring sustainable happiness, love and inner peace.

9. Don’t be complacent or lack ambition, but live as selflessly as possible and remember to insert love as part of your actions.

All of these checkpoints are easier said than done. I am nowhere near mastering them. Nevertheless, I keep practicing. Karma yoga keeps me paying attention and in alignment to the truth that resides in my heart—the greatest reward worth working for.

A Yoga Unplugged collaboration - written by Jennifer Reuter, edited by Sarah Burchard

Audio for the blog post: How To Practice Karma Yoga From the blog Yoga Unplugged

Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash

Amongst the Kriyas of yoga, Svadhyaya––known as self-study, is the second component.

Thinking back to my late 20’s I remember feeling lonely. I didn’t have a lot of “tools” back then to help me manage stress, so this feeling kept recurring on a loop resulting in serious health problems that lasted for years.

Loneliness rises with peaks in the late 20’s, mid 50’s, and late 80’s, according to a recent CNN article called, “Loneliness peaks at three key ages, study finds -- but wisdom may help,” The article reviews a study posted last December by the journal International Psychogeriatrics, which notes, “Dr. Vivek Murthy, former US surgeon general, says the reduced life span linked to loneliness is similar to smoking 15 cigarettes a day.”

No wonder I felt horrible.

Now, looking back, I can clearly see there was a link between my loneliness and not having what neuro-psychologists call “human core needs.”

Human core needs consist of three components: connection, satisfaction and safety. I had none of these. My life in my late 20’s was the epitome of loneliness, disappointment and instability.

20 years later, I am here to share what I have experienced through yoga and its healing wisdom.

Svadhyaya is the second action, or kriya, of yoga, according to the Yoga Sutras. There are three Kriyas in Yoga: Tapas (self-discipline), Svadhyaya (self-study) and Ishvarapranidhana (self-surrender).

The Yoga Sutras was written over 2,000 years ago, and back then Svadhyaya usually meant the recitation and study of Indian revered texts. It also urged one to contemplate what the Sutras called “ishta devata” which translates to “one’s personal deity.”

The ishta devata is the non-dogmatic notion that basically says, pick something you can relate to, or that inspires you, and have a relationship with it. As you engage and contemplate its nature you will become more like it and will receive its grace and guidance as it moves through you.

Fast forward to 2019, where not everybody resonates with Indian revered texts or has a “personal deity” and you start to see people embracing a wider understanding of this practice, that includes any text that inspires them as well as concepts or symbols that create sacredness, love, meaning and even mystery.

On the practical day-to-day level, Svadhyaya is also about addressing the negative emotions and beliefs that don’t serve you, supporting the positive ones that do and learning methods that help calm the nervous system so you can think clearly and make better choices.

Practicing Svadhyaya is about adopting the consistent practice of engaging with and studying the knowledge that sparks, nourishes, and educates your true being.

This is what helps us access the states of being every human needs: connection, satisfaction and safety.

What you set your attention on grows and becomes your reality. The good news is that you don’t have to be held hostage during dark times, like when you are experiencing loneliness.

The CNN article also points out that “...An inverse relationship exists between loneliness and wisdom. "In other words, people who have high levels of wisdom didn't feel lonely, and vice versa," he [Dr. Dilip Jeste, senior author of the loneliness study] said.”

I wondered what Dr. Dilip Jeste meant by “wisdom.” I went digging online and found his list entitled “The 6 Sub-Components of Wisdom,” on Evidance-BasedWisdom.com. To me, they all feel like modern day Svadhyaya practices.

I intuit these items are not trivial, and in fact contain many nuanced layers of understanding. I encourage you to read this list 2-3 times slowly to see if any create a spark.

The 6 Sub-Components of Wisdom:

(1) Prosocial attitudes/behaviors: Working towards a common good

(2) Social decision making/pragmatic knowledge of life: Practical knowledge, judgement, life skills etc.

(3) Emotional homeostasis: Managing one’s emotions amidst challenging circumstances

(4) Reflection/self-understanding: Self-knowledge

(5) Value relativism/tolerance: Able to adopt multiple perspectives

(6) Acknowledgment of and dealing effectively with uncertainty/ambiguity: Effectively navigating uncertainty and the limits of knowledge.

“Loneliness and the feeling of being unwanted is the most terrible poverty,” said Mother Teresa. This may feel true, but I believe we can do something about it. For starters, inquire into your own core needs. Ask yourself…Do I feel safe? Am I connected to myself and others? Am I satisfied with my life? If the answers are not what you hoped for… you might be feeling alone.

My teacher, Paul Muller-Ortega, always says, “Make your mind your friend.” If you want to live a more harmonious life you have to face why you are hurting and be your best friend.

Below is a list of helpful Svadhyaya practices I use regularly:

• Pick up a book or read a poem that touches your being. Find a poet, mystic, saint or sage that speaks to you and engage with them.

• Share something that inspires you with a friend.

• Before going to bed read something that inspires you. Let that be the last imprint on your brain before closing your eyes.

• Take in the good. Get in the practice of not letting positive and beautiful moments pass you by. When they are happening be present and try to feel them in the body.

• Practice noticing which experiences bring you feelings of joy, connection, and security. Cultivate these feelings by writing these experiences down in a gratitude journal.

• RAIN - An acronym for remembering how to have compassion for yourself.

Recognize where you are hurting

Accept without shame or blame

Investigate

Nurture yourself

• Question the nature of reality. Who are we and from where do we come? How does the heart beat all by itself? How does the fetus become a baby? What is this mathematical logic behind the universe? Is ridiculous happiness possible? What about everlasting peace? What happens after death? And is it an end or a beginning? What is love?

• Ask yourself—can I reduce the stress I live with by half?

The Yoga Sutras say that with time, faith and practice we will discover the “open secrets” of nature—which in fact live inside each and every one of us. From this perspective how could one ever feel alone?

I believe it is worth the effort to find out.

A Yoga Unplugged collaboration - written by Jennifer Reuter, edited by Sarah Burchard

Photo by Magnus Lindvall via Upsplash

Tapah Svadhyaya Ishvara-Pranidhana Kriyayogaha––

Yoga in the form of action (kriya yoga) has three parts: 1) training and purifying the senses (tapas), 2) self-study in the context of teachings (svadhyaya), and 3) devotion and letting go into the creative source from which we emerged (ishvara pranidhana). - Yoga Sutras 2.1

Who doesn’t want a clear mind, that is relaxed, brilliant, and good natured?

Tense, anxious, and worried minds plague the best of us. In today’s world, stress management has become a crucial skill to develop and everyone is on the hunt for the cure.

So, what is the prescription for a tranquil, clear and peaceful mind? There are two parts: having a desire and having a practice. If you have the desire to say, “That’s enough! I deserve more!” and adopt a practice that will turn your desire into reality you have everything you need.

There is a universal practice that everyone can use no matter who you are—one that is independent of religion, culture, race or financial status.

In the yoga tradition this practice is called Kriya Yoga. The word “Kriya” means actions. These actions make up a triadic formula, that when practiced together transform an individual to a better place.

Maybe you’ve heard echos of this kind of practice before? "God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference,” describes it perfectly in the famous Serenity Prayer.

The actions, or Kriyas, are as follows:

• Tapas (self-discipline)

• Svadhyaya (self-study)

• Ishavarapranidhana (self-surrender).

Kriya yoga aims to extract the essence of who we really are and who we are meant to be, but there are hindrances to this aim that are often hidden.

As you begin to study yourself and initiate new disciplines remember to make them realistic and be gentle with yourself. Watch as the hindrances that previously blocked your light become revealed. You will begin to understand yourself from a different vantage point and surrendering becomes less about “defeat” and more about flowing with life’s natural currents. Every moment will be a chance to acknowledge a new power within you and engage with it in order to up-level your life.

Remember, as long as you have a desire to change and the practices that facilitate those changes, a field of infinite possibility surrounds you.

We will be diving into each Kriya and how to practice them over the next few months. Stay tuned…

A Yoga Unplugged collaboration - written by Jennifer Reuter, edited by Sarah Burchard

“From an attitude of contentment (santosha), unexcelled happiness, mental comfort, joy and satisfaction are/is obtained”.   - Yoga Sutras II:42

The Yoga Sutras is a celebrated masterpiece written over 2,000 years ago by the yogic sage Patanjali. This is “THE BOOK” on yoga. In just 196 short verses, or “sutras,” it addresses the shared human condition and maps out how to work towards a more liberated experience of body, mind and soul. There is no mention of flexibility or acrobatic tricks here and it is not religious or dogmatic.

The Yoga Sutras addresses these four principals:

1. Life can be difficult and suffering is real.

2. How to understand the root causes for suffering.

3. How to discover the means for overcoming these causes.

4. How to master those means.

Get to know yourself

The Yoga Sutras share that true self-care begins with having a good understanding of ourselves. Deep within the heart and core of each of us there lies many similarities.  What are these similarities and moreover how does understanding them make life better? These are just some of the inquiries that The Yoga Sutras explores. Knowledge is useful and when put into practice it can really make a difference.

Take care of yourself

I remember when I first realized that no one could take care of me and love me the way I could. To truly practice self-care is not to seek care externally from other people or things, but to learn how to find it from the inside. The Yoga Sutras share that the practice of kindness and gentleness towards ourselves is paramount. This concept is also highlighted in another of my favorite books,  A Course in Miracles, which offers this universal truth: “the outer world is nothing more than an inner condition.”  This is an important inquiry. Is it possible, that if we could practice more gentleness and kindness towards ourselves, that our outer world would transform?

Think positive

If you have been to any of my classes you will know I am obsessed with ending our time together in the self-care practice of “Santosha,” or contentment and gratitude.  No matter what is happening that day or how ugly life can get, The Yoga Sutras teaches us that this practice will produce an alchemical shift, saying that when practiced regularly “unexcelled happiness and mental comfort are obtained.”  The late Joseph Campbell put it so succinctly, “Find a place inside where there is joy, and the joy will burn out the pain.”

Learn and practice

Being a human is a miraculous gift, yet it is very mysterious. The mystics who have lived here. and are still living here now, drop maps and wisdom to help us along our journey. The Yoga Sutras is definitely one of those gifts of wisdom.  

There is a myth that Patanjali was part serpent with 1,000 heads. The 1,000 heads were a metaphor for the 1,000 ways he shared great wisdom. Each person asking from a slightly different vantage point, and each person receiving a personal message just for them. This is The Yoga Sutras.  If you have this text I invite you to grab it off the shelf and take a fresh look. If you are just now learning about this text, here are three recommendations, that I have absolutely love and return to all the time:

For beginners:

The Wisdom of Yoga: A Seeker's Guide to Extraordinary Living by Stephen Cope

For intermediate:

The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali (Sacred Teachings) by Alistair Shearer

For advanced:

The Yoga Sutras of Patañjali: A New Edition, Translation, and Commentary by Edwin F. Bryant

Just contemplating one sutra a day can bring powerful insights as you continue to travel along your journey.

A Yoga Unplugged collaboration - written by Jennifer Reuter, edited by Sarah Burchard

The Yogic sage Patanjali

Happiness, peacefulness and resiliency are ways to describe our light.

So, how can you increase your own light?  You need to, basically, “hack” your brain.

Did you know that your brain is hardwired towards a negativity bias? 

According to the acclaimed neuropsychologist, Dr. Rick Hansen in his book Hardwiring Happiness, we are programmed to take in the “bad” and ignore the “good”.  He says, bad experiences are like velcro and good experiences are like teflon.

Another interesting insight Dr. Hansen offers is that, “On average, about a third of a person’s strengths are innate, while the other two-thirds are developed over time. You get them by growing them”.

To turn towards the light takes great strength, commitment and persistence. 

I am always dumbfounded why this is.

Our brains, due to evolutionary needs, are engineered to see the darkness. This puts us at a disadvantage from day one.

How can you hack your brain and create more positive circuitry?

To overcome this “stone age” default your brain is set on, it takes work.

After reading Dr. Hansen’s book, I turned up the dial on my moment-to-moment practice, by continually policing where my attention was. As much as possible, I bring my attention towards the light— experiences, projects, people, images and objects that make me smile. This does not happen quickly. I have to sit with it, for five to ten seconds, and “feel” it in the body, let my cells absorb it, and finally, let my brain’s neurons fire and re-wire.  

This is the ancient wisdom of the yoga sutras being explained in modern day language. For the yoga geeks, like me, who are familiar with “samtosha”, a niyama from the famous Ashtanga or eight-limbed path, it is clearly written that by bringing attention to the positive you will experience the “highest joy possible”.  

The positive is "devotion in motion" and it’s returns are exponential.

As Ram Das once said, “All I can do for you… is work on me…and all you can do for me is work on you.”  

We are all in this together. So, celebrate what’s going well, the small wins, a scene from nature, your pet, a child, a cherished memory... and hack your brain towards the light.

Pick up a copy of Dr. Rick Hansen’s book: Hardwiring Happiness. This book does a brilliant job of explaining how your brain has the ability to change throughout your life, and how you can literally create a more positive circuitry, or as I talk about it in my classes, “light”. You can also check out his Ted talk here.

A Yoga Unplugged collaboration - written by Jennifer Reuter, edited by Sarah Burchard

I read once that our shadows follow us around. We can’t always see them, but other people certainly can. Some will even point them out to you.

This can create an impulse to react with defense, denial or avoidance. These uncomfortable impulses are confirmation that your shadows are indeed real. It is important to notice your reactions and what triggers them, because these are what will ultimately limit your growth and greatest potential.

Over the last couple of months, I have been hunting down my own shadows, and doing my best to use them as teachers. This is so much easier said than done.  

Overall it has been a really good practice on patience, self inquiry and surrender. I am learning a lot about myself, and thanking my meditation practice for being a necessary means for transformation.  

It is not just people that can trigger us, but circumstances and mediums like the news or social media.   

Ramana Maharshi was an Indian saint who taught people to constantly ask important questions like, “Who am I?” He believed that by doing so, one could attain self realization.  

This beautiful inquiry is the act of soul searching, which is one way to hunt down your “shadows” that obscure your “light”.  

Rumi, the mystical poet, said: “It is not your job to seek for love—just seek the barriers that keep it from coming.”  Your barriers, shadows and triggers are not something you should ignore, but instead try to understand, for they hold the key to inner peace.  

Social media and the news are great examples for the global play of shadow and light. They can be colossal triggers that will provide insights to your personality. They can celebrate moments of magic which could be a light for one person, but a shadow to another. What other people think about something is not as important as how we “feel” about ourselves at the end of the day. If you use these mediums, and get triggered by them regularly, then I would invite you to ask yourself why that is.

You can use social media as a valuable tool to hunt down shadows. The “light” of social media is the connection with others, while the “shadows” can trigger unsavory emotions. Ever hear of the new term “Facebook Depression”?  

The psychology of social media is out—if you have not read about how it purposely makes us crazy—check this article out.  Social media is designed to trigger us, and as you already know, triggers are uncomfortable.  But again, triggers are also “keys”, and if you can become aware of, and understand why you are triggered, you can stop stunting your personal growth and mediums like the news and social media will become a different experience.  

Like Michelangelo’s David, we really are all whole, beautiful and complete. As sculptors of our own identities, we have the power to chip away what is unnecessary, so that what is left can shines brightly and serve to the world in a positive way.

I invite you to become a “shadow-hunter” like me. Grab your sculptor’s chisel and start chipping away at what is blocking your true happiness. Pay attention to what sets you off. Try to breathe, pause, notice, ask yourself why you are feeling this way. Meditate on it.  Everyone has a shadow that requires investigation. If we didn’t our world would be perfect. By helping ourselves we help others, and the world becomes a little bit more lighter and relaxed.

A Yoga Unplugged collaboration - written by Jennifer Reuter, edited by Sarah Burchard

The term “space of the heart” originates from the ancient Kashmir Shaivism tradition.  Most scholars in the field of comparative religious studies agree, that Kashmir Shaivism is in fact one of the most highly sophisticated esoteric wisdom traditions on the planet. 

The famous Kashmiri Saint “Abhnivagupta” (c 950-1016AD) is recognized by many for not just being one of India’s greatest intellectuals, but one of the most brilliant writers, philosophers and aestheticians the world has ever known. He wrote extensively about the “space of the heart” in his famous writings and said that, “if the false mental constructs about ourselves are destabilized then dissolved, the heart will stand revealed in its fullness.” He described the “space of the heart” as the core reality of our being, or a domain within our own consciousness. 

There are many other names that have been used to describe this place such as: kingdom of Heaven, universal mind, the refuge, Buddha nature, unity consciousness, universal love, the mystery, awareness, presence, Tao, the Mother, etc. How it is described is not what is important. The great wisdom traditions agree, that it is your authentic ground of being that beckons for your attention and return.  

This “space of the heart” is un-capturable with words, but we all intuitively know it is there. When you are aligned, and in a deep relationship with this place, life is rich with meaning, connection, joy and freedom. 

A Yoga Unplugged collaboration - written by Jennifer Reuter, edited by Sarah Burchard

Yoga nidra is a powerful meditation technique, that has many benefits for the body and mind and is easy to develop and maintain. For those reasons, yoga nidra is quickly becoming more and more mainstream. This practice, once reserved for “Ashram life” and advanced yoga trainings, is now growing in popularity as a main offering in yoga studios from New York to L.A. 

The reason for this demand is that yoga nidra seems to be an “antidote” for the high-paced digital world. Modern lifestyle has most people over-stimulated and operating from their sympathetic nervous system, a.k.a. “The fight or flight response”. Yoga nidra offers a way to deactivate this response, in exchange for the parasympathetic, or “rest and digest”, nervous system. 

Although you can sit up during this practice, it is usually done while lying in “shavasana”. This 30-minute systematic guided meditation begins with a heartfelt prayer, or an intention you might have for yourself or another. You are then invited to direct your attention into the different layers of your being. The layers consist of the physical, the breath, the mind, and the bliss bodies.

Bringing your attention to each of these layers induces a deep sense of relaxation and well-being which occasionally can lead you into a light "slumber". This light slumber is known as “yoga nidra”, a state of consciousness which is somewhere in between wake and sleep.

Whether you fall completely asleep during the practice (which is quite common) or not, you will start feeling more rested and restored. According to the highly accredited text - Yoga Nidra, “One hour of yoga nidra is as restful as a few hours of sleep.” So, it is also a great tool if you are feeling sleep deprived. 

Other benefits also include: deep relaxation throughout the body and mind, reduction or elimination of stress, anxiety, fear, anger and depression and an engagement of deep states of meditation. 

The Yoga Nidra map:

1. Set your intention.

2. Heartfelt prayer for yourself or another.

3. Physical body: Sense and perceive your physical body and arrive in the present moment by doing a body scan.

4. Energetic body: Count breaths, elongate breaths, and experience the sensation that arises from the breath work. This raises awareness of where energy is stuck and where it's flowing.

5. Emotional body: Invite the polarity of opposite feelings and sensations into your practice, like warm and cool, left and right, safety and fear. Often we experience emotions on this polarity. For example, someone living in fear desires safety. Yoga nidra teaches that you don't need the positive end of the polarity to be comfortable, safe, fearless, joyous, and vulnerable.

6. Body of intellect: Notice thoughts, beliefs, and images that arise in the guided exploration of opposites. They offer insight into your long-held belief systems and answer why we are the way we are.

7. Body of joy: Recalling memories that are pure joy and ease helps reset a mental baseline, and can alleviate anxiety levels while offering an ever-present sense of calm.

If you are interested in learning more about yoga nidra research visit: www.irest.us/research

If you are interested in learning more about the practice I recommend the following books:

Yoga Nidra: A meditative Practice for Deep Relaxation and Healing by Richard Miller, Ph.D. 

Yoga Nidra: The Art of Transformational Sleep by Kamini Desai Ph.D.

Yoga Nidra by Swami Satyananda

If you are interested in finding a practice on the go I recommend: 

The Insight Timer meditation app

A Yoga Unplugged collaboration - written by Jennifer Reuter, edited by Sarah Burchard

Photo by: Brandon Smith

“Yoga is the settling of mind into silence, and only when the mind is silent can we realize our true nature, the effortless Being of the self.” -Patanjali Yoga Sutras

There is no doubt that the “digital age” is upon us, affecting our mind, body and spirit.  Physically, we are living in a desk-driven society and sitting more than ever. This causes stiffness and muscular weakness particularly in the back and neck. Mentally, we are more agitated from interacting in a fast-paced and over-stimulated world. This leads to insomnia, digestive issues, and dysfunctional breathing patterns. Spiritually, as outside demands continually increase, we begin to lose touch with nature and our inner spirit, often times forgetting who we are and what we really want. 

Yoga is a timeless practice that has the ability to address, and accommodate your every need. Many people start yoga for the physical benefit of the postures, but over time they begin to realize that yoga is more than just postures, it is a way of life. 

Although born in the land of India, yoga has spread globally and it is beneficially impacting everyone regardless of race, culture, religion, politics, and/or financial status.  The yogis teach that every human being is comprised of body, mind and spirit, and that each of these elements have their own unique desires. The body desires health, the mind desires knowledge and the spirit desires inner peace. The goal of yoga is to individually address and satiate each of these desires while simultaneously expanding one’s reality towards greater degrees of freedom, compassion and love. 

The deepest understanding of yoga is that it is an alignment to your best self.

Unfortunately these days, when you look around at yoga, it is often identified as a  “work-out” or a “stretch”, but it is really so much more.  

The West usually centers yoga around the practices of asana (postures), while the East centers yoga around the practices of philosophy and meditation. The good news is that modern lifestyles are becoming more expansive and open-minded, and as a result both eastern and western practices are being adopted. A little bit of both perspectives could be the trick to more radiant health, a stronger and more stable mental disposition and an overall sense of well being. 

A Yoga Unplugged collaboration - written by Jennifer Reuter, edited by Sarah Burchard