Connecting to the Vibration of Love & Trust

Have you ever found yourself attached to the opinions of others, our relationships, our success or failures, as ways of defining who we are and how worthy we are of love and connection? 

We as humans crave connection. It is only natural. When we loose touch with our connection to Spirit/God/Divine/our own Higher Power or however it relates to you - we begin to look outside of ourselves.

My reason for this blog today is that I recently found myself  having high expectations of the relationships in my life. We should expect to be treated a certain way, yes, but at one point we have to ask ourselves, Am I seeking something outside of myself that can be found within? And, how can I reconnect to that inner resource?

My go-to is the practice of Yoga, meditation, and breath-work. However, we can connect to our innate wholeness in a myriad of ways. We can do the Yoga, anywhere. All we need is our person and our senses. 

Each of us has a unique way that we can become in touch with Joy, true Joy. Not the elated highs, but rather a smooth sense of peace. 
Some of you beautiful souls find it in nature, gardening, painting, writing, being with animals, etc etc. 
It does not matter what we do, it is how we do it. With our whole Self, connecting to our inner essence. When we do that we live in the vibration of Love. The true language of Love breeds trust. When we are living in this state of being we can release the expectations of what is outside of ourselves to feel whole. 

Have you recognized yourselves in these states of being? One of attachment to that outside of ourselves, and One of living in a state of Love or Trust? We can ebb and flow between these states many times even through-out the day. What can you do today that speaks to your heart and helps you re-connect to yourself?

Supporting anxiety and depression through yoga therapy: How one client practices

Blog published by YogaTherapy.Health

Dec 17, 2020 

By Amy Gaster

Jessica* is navigating life in her 20s, including the changes that can come in this sometimes-tumultuous decade. She is sweet and speaks softly; her calming, grounded demeanor diverges widely from the way she explains her inner experience. Jessica’s goals for seeking yoga therapy are to support her ever-changing experiences of anxiety and depression. She also hopes to feel more connected to her body and her inner self.

Every client is a distinct individual, but a few snapshots of how I worked with Jessica illustrate the path of adjunctive care through yoga therapy and some of the ways in which the practices support the experiences of anxiety and depression.

Foundations for insight

Jessica can clearly describe where in her body she feels anxiety—in the chest and belly, neck, and face (especially the eyebrows)—and the way she experiences depression—as a general heaviness in her body. She also reports feeling disconnected from her physical body overall. She shares that her biggest life challenges right now are recovering from traumatic experiences, unemployment, and navigating medical leave from school. Jessica attends silent retreats, which she finds challenging but also life-changing. I notice that she often closes her eyes, even while talking.

One of the tools of yoga therapy is educating the client. Every individual is unique: Some yearn to know the how and why of what yoga can do to help them; others just want to know that they can feel better.

Yoga therapists do their best to assess who is sitting in front of them and to meet those individuals where they are. We are trained to assess people through yogic methods including the panchamaya kosha model. The panchamaya system views the person as an interconnected whole, from all layers (koshas) of being. From such perspectives—and with client involvement—a yoga therapist chooses not only the practices that may best suit the client, but also the ways in which the practices are presented. Depending on the client, for example, I might occasionally share information like the below, or we may sit and have a longer conversation about how yoga can support mental well-being.

How yoga supports anxiety and depression

Anxiety and depression are not foreign invaders of our systems—they are necessary survival skills we all have. Anxiety is an (over)abundance of the behavioral skill of projecting and analyzing the future to save us from potentially harmful situations, or simply to plan ahead. Depression is an excess of the behavioral skill that allows us to reflect on the past, learn from our mistakes or from things that went well, and carry forward lessons. Much more could be said here, of course. (Some of the yoga research in these areas is linked under “Mental health” here.) The point is that yogic philosophy views these “conditions” not as something to get rid of, but rather as experiences that may require balancing.

Yoga supports nervous system regulation. (Learn one way this might work here.) The practices of conscious breathing, relaxation, and physical poses have different qualities that can be stimulating or calming as needed. When someone is feeling anxious, we might reach for yogic tools that ground and soothe the nervous system. When someone is feeling depressed, we might reach for yogic tools that are uplifting and stimulating.

Yoga therapists seek to support people where they are currently, then offer a yogic intervention to help them find balance. For example; if someone is feeling anxious and jittery, we may help them to move through that energy physically or with the breath, discharging any excess. When they feel a bit more settled, then we can offer grounding breathing practices, relaxation, and poses that require stillness.

If someone is feeling depressed and lethargic, we can invite them to begin slowly, perhaps on their backs with gentle breathing and movements—again, meeting them where they are. Then, once we have brought in more energy, we can offer more stimulating and uplifting practices.

Yoga therapy invites us to practice svadhyaya (self-study) to observe how states like anxiety and depression can shift and show up on any given day. From there, the practice can vary depending on what mood is most predominant.

Meeting energy where it is: Jessica’s practices     

One session, Jessica let me know she was feeling very lethargic and down and so had decided to have a cup of coffee. That led to her feeling stressed, overwhelmed, jittery, and anxious by the time she saw me. Other times, she has come in feeling physically lethargic and mentally anxious and fearful.

Slow, flowing movements with even breathing may be especially helpful when someone is feeling more anxious and needs a gentle way of dealing with that energy. When I notice Jessica’s movements and breath becoming more even and fluid, I invite her to start holding postures for three to five breaths. If Jessica is feeling more depressed on a given day, I might offer a restorative backbend to bring subtle uplifting energy. In either case, we use props like bolsters and blankets to prevent physical strain and shift the focus to calming the mind.

Over time, the system learns to be with a spectrum of experience in a calm way, and clients learn tools they can apply to support balance in themselves.

Silent meditation can feel overwhelming for those with racing thoughts or who tend to engage in negative self-talk. Many yoga therapists avoid silent meditation for those coping with anxiety and depression. Guided meditations that include mudra (hand gestures) or mantra (sound) may be useful to give the mind something to “chew on.”

In Jessica’s case, we began practices with guided visualization, mudras, or guided breath awareness. A practice such as breath of joy with the sound LAM is a staple in Jessica’s yoga therapy plan. This active breathing exercise is meant to uplift and energize.**

Bhramari (bee breath) with shanmukti mudra (using the fingertips to gently close the ears, eyes, nose and mouth) is a harmonizing breathing practice Jessica really enjoyed. I offered sama vritti, or even breathing, when she was feeling depressed to support balanced energy. When Jessica felt more anxious we practiced breathing with a longer exhalation.

Tratak meditation (focusing on a single point) on a candle flame was a practice I chose to invite Jessica to engage with her surroundings with open eyes. Jessica was surprised at how helpful this type of meditation was for her, as she was accustomed to practicing silent meditation with her eyes closed. She reported that tratak helped her to feel focused and centered. Because Jessica already practiced silent meditation, I often ended our sessions with a few moments of silence together to provide familiarity.

Moving forward 

Jessica explains that yoga therapy has helped her get to know herself more, connect with her body and mind, and identify practices and activities that support her in creating more even moods. She looks forward to continuing to attend silent meditation retreats with the new knowledge and tools of breathwork, mantra, and movements to prepare for stillness. She also reports that even if she does struggle with silent meditation, she now knows that there is nothing wrong—she may just be out of balance!

Amy Gaster, RYT-500, C-IAYT, practices yoga therapy in New Haven County, Ct., and from anywhere online via Zoom. Amy supports individuals and small groups in the experience of chronic pain, mental and emotional well-being, and back pain. Find her on Instagram and Facebook.

*Name has been changed to protect the client’s privacy.

**If you have uncontrolled high blood pressure or any kind of head or eye condition, such as migraines or glaucoma, it’s best to skip this practice. If you start to feel light-headed, stop for a minute, breathe normally, and find something in front of you to look at. As with many breathing practices and other yogic tools, working with the guidance of a well-trained teacher is recommended.

This post originally appeared on yogatherapy.health, published by the International Association of Yoga Therapists. Used with permission.

Setting Boundaries for emotional health

Setting boundaries is a common topic in the spiritual community these days. It is for good reason. Setting boundaries is an important contribution on the journey to emotional well-being. When we do so we are standing our ground and affirming that we are worthy enough to ask for what we need, and say No to what we do not. 

My top 3 thoughts on Boundary setting: 

Boundaries are so hard to establish. Trust me, I know. Establishing boundaries is much more difficult then it may seem. First, we must get clear on our own personal limitations. We each have our own personal limits in our personal lives, relationships, friendships, and in our professional lives - i.e: deadlines, obligations we place on ourselves or allow others to place upon us. Everyone has there own limit. Our limit or edge is the place where if we push further we loose our peace and don’t show up the way we would like to for ourselves and for the people you love. It can also contribute to a host of other things such as anxiety, panic, depression, insomnia. Learning our limitations occurs through Self-Awareness. In Yoga we refer to this as Witness Consciousness. Practice by simply pausing and noticing through-out the day. How do you feel when you overextend yourself and where is the place right before you do so? You can also journal on it or talk to a friend about there own limitations to get an idea of a place to start.  

Second, we must obtain confidence in the fact that we are enough and worthy of boundaries. We are enough even when we say No, or I prefer this - respectfully. Most people will accept your boundaries with open arms. If they don’t, pretty high chance they have blurred boundary lines as well. We must not let this sabotage our own growth. Practicing Yoga and meditation builds our confidence and helps instill a belief that we are worthy of our space in this world. 

3rd is practice. Practice establishing a clear boundary. Because it simply does get easier with practice. It becomes your new norm. For example: “I would love to stay and talk with you longer, I so enjoy it, but I must get going.” Or: "I would love to take on that additional task at work, but I feel I work best and most affectively with the current workload I have already". Then once you are in a different setting with yourself, check in. How does it feel? Maybe strange at first. Maybe freeing. Once you are grounded in your boundaries, you will know when they are being crossed and you can take action to set them. Your health, emotional wellbeing, and loved ones will all benefit when you create boundaries. It is not selfish. It is an inspiration for others to do the same.

May we all continue to strive for freedom and wellbeing because we deserve nothing less.