Yoga for Deep Rest

rest during cancer

I think about my life right now – the pace of “should’s” and “could’s” and “to-do’s” filling up all the nooks and crannies in my schedule.  I use my calendar to give each of my to-do’s time in the day to make sure I do them and to make sure there is time.  And when there isn’t, I end up with a pile of calendar items all to do at the same time – what a mess of indecision and disappointment!  In the midst of this busy stream of my human life, my puppy sits there sleeping with his head under a bed or couch.  He reminds me of the need for naps and rest in between intense times of play or work.  How have we as humans lost the ability to pause and be still?  To listen when our bodies and minds need rest?  How do we even begin to regain that balance in our daily “grind”?

I’ve been studying yoga and contemplative practices with a group at the San Marcos School of Yoga.  At the end of each day we experience some sort of restorative practice or pose.  A few minutes in some of these poses or experiences can feel like hours of rest – and help you sleep better when you get to bed!  What a great tool for healing the mind and emotions.  What a deep need for caregivers and supporters.  And for this one, you don’t even need to have any knowledge of yoga!

I had heard of Yoga Nidra before, but had never done it.  In fact I didn’t know – is it something you “do” or “practice” or “see”?  I learned that Yoga Nidra is a yogic sleep – and you begin almost like you are in Savasana (resting pose) but with extra blankets and padding underneath you.  Once settled comfortably, someone leads you through a visualization in your body and spirit to guide you to deep, deep rest.  I practiced this and felt so calm and self-aware afterwards.  I have cravings for it now.  Better than a bedtime story, this will surely give your whole self a recharge in less than 15 minutes.

Since I can’t come read to you, you can download audio files to listen for your Nidra experience (Sample Script below).

Looking for more?  Check out some of the other restorative poses on Lacuna Loft.  Viparita Karani is a great choice if you have a wall and 10 minutes for quiet!

What do you do to recharge your batteries?  Making space to rest during cancer is so important.  How do you create this space?

 

Sample Script:

Allow your body to settle. Settling into the ground, into the earth for deep renewal… Now let your consciousness move through your body as you are guided.  Feel each body part then move on to the next when prompted.  Do not worry if you cannot feel every body part.

Feel your face, notice your jaw… Become aware of sensation in your mouth…  Without moving, feel the roof of your mouth… underneath the tongue… notice teeth… gums… tongue…root of the tongue… inside of right cheek… inside of left cheek… sense taste in your mouth… Now feel all of the parts of your mouth all together as a whole… the entire mouth as sensation.

Now feel your nose… the length of your nose… nostrils… right nostril… left nostril… both nostrils. Feel your breath passing through both nostrils… feel your nose.

Bring your awareness to your ears… feel the wrinkles and folds of the ears… backs of the ears…ear canals…inner ears.  Aware of your ears hearing, receiving sound.  Feel your ears as orbs of sensation, feel your ears.

Now feel your eyes… eyelids… eyelashes… surface of the eyes…centers of the eyes… backs of the eyes… behind the eyes. Feel your eyes as radiant orbs of light and wisdom.

Become aware of your forehead… crown… whole head… throat… neck… right shoulder… right arm… hand… right palm. Feeling right hand thumb… 1st finger… 2nd finger… 3rd finger… 4th finger… Feel now the whole right hand vibrant with energy… Aware of right wrist… forearm… elbow… upper arm… shoulder… Feel throat center… And notice left shoulder… arm… hand.  Notice left hand thumb… 1st finger… 2nd finger… 3rd finger… 4th finger… whole hand radiant with life… Become aware of left wrist… forearm… elbow… upper arm… shoulder… and throat center.

Feel your chest… heart space… heart center… stomach… navel center… shoulder blades… between shoulder blades… ribs on the back… low back… buttocks.  Become aware of your whole back… 

Feel the right hip… right thigh… knee… right lower leg… ankle… top of the foot… sole of the right foot… big right toe… all of the toes… Feel your whole right foot alive.

Become aware of sensation in the navel… left hip… thigh… knee… left lower leg… ankle… top of the foot… sole… big left toe… all of the toes… Feel the left foot vibrant with energy.

Become aware of right side of the body… Now feel the left side of the body…  Feel back body — side of the body facing the ground… back body… And now feel front body — side of the body facing the sky… front body… Now feel right arm and left leg together… right arm and left leg… Now feel left arm and right leg together…left arm and right leg.

Feel the whole body now, whole body… Entire global feeling of the body.

Become aware of your breath once again. Begin to deepen your breath, noticing increased sense of connection to your body and breath.  Slowly move your body to re-awaken.

A Mantra A Day…

mantra

I’ve always loved singing… when I was a kid I would sing along to songs on the radio, even if I didn’t know them.  I would listen to the words, and anticipate what was coming based on the line or even just the first sounds of the word.  Okay, often it was a jumbly mess, but I loved it!

When I was in school and going to church regularly, I loved the singing of the worship.  I loved to get lost in my voice.  I always loved musicals and would come home from school and sing and dance around the house (with no one home, of course)!

Voice has resonance for me.  I like to feel the vibration of sound in my throat, in my body.  I like music and have worked with the muscles of my voice for a long time without knowing that I was refining them.  Naturally, when I met mantras in my yoga training, we hit it off.

Well, actually, at first I thought the Sanskrit words were uncomfortable and strange and I didn’t know what I was saying.  Meaning is important to me.  But as I gained understanding, the unknown language with deep layers of meaning stuck with me.  As I would chant/sing with my words on paper or with my eyes closed and feeling through my 108 bead mala, I found peace.  Trust.  A prayer in another form.  One layer is the words and their meanings.  Another the melody repeating over and over.  Another in the vibration as it resonates in my body.  Another is the history of the mantra and that I’m connection to unknown amounts of others who have said this prayer before.   On great days, I feel unbelievably content and complete after reciting mantras (and who couldn’t use a little more of that?).

I’m working on practicing these types of formal Sanskrit mantras more in my life (check out this mantra for obstacles).  AND, I also have mantras that are informal (and don’t require singing!).  These are sayings or phrases that ring deeply true to me.  Mottos.  Inspiration.  Soul stuff.  I write them on my chalk board.  I breathe in and out thinking or saying them to myself.  I write them on cards to others and post them on my social media.  They come from ancient mystics, favorite books, comedians, friends, anything!  Here are a few that I’ve been chewing on lately.  If one rings true for you, grab it and keep it somewhere great – on a mirror, on your phone background, or just tucked into your heart.

We’ve talked a little about finding your own motivation and mantra before!  Have you seen our posts about beautiful message tucked in public places, inspirational quotes, a wonderfully uplifting song, motivational desktops, a great life manifesto, being darn tough, and picking your own mantra!  Let the mantra’s truth, the vibration of juicy awesome love-joy-compassion, fill you up.

“Do that which best stirs you to love.” -Teresa of Avilia

“I am doing well.”

“We cannot attain what we don’t pursue.” -Gioconda Parker, yogi

“Breathe in.  Breathe out.”

“Change is the only constant.”

“Rule your mind or it will rule you.” -Buddha

…and, more ideas are online here!

Bonus: I find mantra paves the way into a meditation – try it out!

Look around online or in your life for your inspiring mantra.  We’d love to hear what you find on the blog or social media!

5 Tools to Enter Meditation

5 tips for meditation

Welcome to the third post in a series on meditation techniques and lessons.  You can read the first post here and the second post here.  Meditation can be a powerful tool to help calm your mind and anxieties.  We hope you enjoy!

I have found that often I need something to get my thoughts to begin slowing down to enter into meditation.  After my alarm goes off on my phone in the morning, I’ve probably already noticed some new emails to read, thought about what food I want to prep for the day and looked at my schedule.  Even if I aim to meditate first thing in the morning, sometimes there are a lot of buzzing thoughts already filling my mind.  Here are some entry points that I’ve played with to quiet my mind and help guide me to stillness:

1. Walking Meditation – This is exactly how it sounds.  Walk around (inside or outside) but very slowly.  Pay attention as your heel and then ball of your foot and then toes grab the ground.  Feel the back of your foot as it lifts off when you move forward.  See if you can notice each sensation in your body as you walk.  Where do you put your weight?  What pace do you want to be at?  Find yourself completely absorbed in your movement.

2.  “I Am Enough” Meditation – With each inhale breathed, “I am,”  and with each exhale, “Enough.”  As thoughts come to my head about what I want to do or be or things I wish I could change… I remind myself that as I am, I am enough.  And on the way, I learn all the areas of my life that I think need more.  My health, my physical appearance, my accomplishments, my relationships, my career… And I begin to remind each area that I am enough already.  Seeds of new stories…

3.  Follow your Ears – When you close your eyes, let your attention follow the sounds around you.  Focus on the loudest sound – the birds chirping, a train going by, the sound of the heater, anything.  It may change during your time sitting for meditation but let yourself completely go into that sound.  Notice that we attach meanings to sounds (birds, train, heater).  What can you notice beyond their meanings about the quality and feel of each sound?

4.  Levels of Awareness – As you sit down with your eyes closed, begin by hearing and feeling the room around you.  Notice the temperature, the sounds, the spaciousness.  Slowly draw your attention then to what is near you, what you can feel.  What is the surface you are sitting on like?  What do your clothes feel like on your skin?  Finally, bring your attention inward.  Notice your breath, your heart beat.  Can you feel your digestion at work or any muscles responding to how you are sitting?  After you’ve observed all these things fully, maybe you will enter into stillness to observe your mind.

mandala-625215_1920

5.  Focused Gaze – Sit with your eyes open and an object in front of you.  You could sit very close to a wall (like Zen), light a candle, or look at an image of a mandala (or any drawing!).  With your eyes, discover the details of the object.  A wall might really challenge your sense of observation!  With a candle, see the edges of the flame move and the colors change within the flame.  With a mandala, let your attention trace the edges of the lines around the circle.

What tools have you played with to start meditation?  What have you learned from them?  Did these 5 tips for meditation help get you started?  Have you tried meditation as a young adult cancer survivor or caregiver?

So, hmmmm…. A Calm Mind

so hum meditation mantra

Welcome to the second post in a series on meditation techniques and lessons.  You can read the first post here.  Meditation can be a powerful tool to help calm your mind and anxieties.  We hope you enjoy!

“So, hmm…”

My first meditation teacher gave me this entry into meditation.  I still use it regularly now.  After finding a comfortable seat and taking some big, full breaths to feel my body, I’m ready to enter into my mind.  Sometimes this is the last place I want to be.  It can be full of noise, loud with instant daily replays and to-do lists.  Especially if there is anything I can be planning.  My mind likes to put on the hats of “planner”, “organizer”, and “perfecter”.  Dangerous trio.

So, as I enter my mind through my breath, I start with the mantra of “So, hmm”. (Sounds like so hum)

With each inhale, I think “so” and with each exhale, “hmm”.

Like in a conversation with someone (or yourself), when you need a pause to think, or just a pause of silence.  So, hmm… I wonder…  I can’t even say the phrase without offering my mind a moment to pause.  And that is exactly how to use this phrase as you sit with your eyes closed and pay attention to your breath.

Inhale.  (So…)

Exhale.  (Hmm…)

Space.

I like to set a timer and then just follow this so hum meditation mantra, this phrase, through the rise and fall of my breath for the whole time.  Sometimes the phrase will slip away.  Sometimes I find myself jumping down a rabbit hole of other thoughts.  Whoops!  I just realize I’ve taken a detour and get back to the So Hmm.  Other times I find that the rhythm of my breath and these words overcoming my thoughts bring me to the complete stillness of meditation.  The pause to wonder becomes large and empty and I can be with myself, just as myself (none of those roles listed above).  And there is this moment of peace, bliss, contentment.

And then I realize that I’m distracted by thinking “OH!  This is IT!” and I’ve lost it!  So I begin back with the So Hmm…

The words, our breath, this back and forth from thought to stillness – are all linked in a cycle.  We go forth, we come back.  Maybe a little different, maybe a little changed.  Maybe with clarity that will offer up rewards as we take it into our day or our night.

What roles does your mind like to play?  What have you used to help you meditate?  Have you tried the so hum meditation mantra?

P.S.  For the philosophical roots of this mantra, check out this article on Yoga Journal!

Lean On Me Yoga

calm yoga

I have never been one for group work.  I’d rather do it myself – I can have high expectations and I know who to beat up when it doesn’t get done.  This has created a lot of independence and bullying of myself… and I’m often not good at really trusting others to come through for me.  I can be the caregiver but have a hard time letting someone else take care of me.  My parents, my partner, my friends… it all works better when I’m the one who is needed instead of needing.  I often find I don’t even know how to express my needs which only continues the cycle of not feeling supported.

Partner yoga poses can help me learn that others are there to lean on.  It means I have to learn communication – constant communication.  It means I have to learn to trust.  It means I have to put myself out there – parts of my body, areas of my strengths and weaknesses, my flexibility and inflexibility, to someone else.  And while I practice not judging myself there, I practice letting go of others’ judgments of me, too.

This calm yoga pose is called Lizard on a Rock and has elements of support and of openness to the world.  One partner is ‘covered’ and helped to stretch their back in child’s pose.  The other partner gets support to open up through the heart.

Here’s how it goes:

Partner 1: Sit in child’s pose on the ground (no props).  Settle your hips deep and stretch your arms long away from you.

Partner 2: Sit on your partner’s lower back facing away from them.  Check in with your partner – does this feel okay?  If so, slowly lower your back down along his/her back.  You will be doing a supported and gentle back bend here.  Let your arms open up overhead to either side.  If you feel comfortable, extend your legs long.

Rest here until either partner is ready to get up.  Communicate through the dismount, and always be gentle when getting up!   Switch roles and notice how it feels to be supported, covered, and stretched with the help of another.  Which role do you prefer?  What do you learn about yourself in each position?

Yoga for Cancer-Thrivers

yoga for cancer

Rochelle Poulson shared her cancer journey with the world in the edu-mentary, cancerpants.  Five years after her diagnosis of breast cancer at the age of 36, she shares about her journey inward through yoga and how it supports her being present both through cancer and all of her life, in this 30-minute interview that I just watched.  Hearing others’ stories and having a safe space to tell our own can be healing and maybe more importantly, freeing.  Check out her thoughts and more (below are some of my favorite moments) – go watch it!  You can also contact Rochelle on her website to hear more about what she is doing with yoga for cancer thrivers.

…

“Everyone’s journey is different.”

Making time to care for our bodies can allow space for spiritual and emotional healing to take place, to see our strength come out of our healing.

“It’s important to tell our stories… but sometimes we don’t want to keep telling our stories over and over.  We want to experience what’s happening with us.”

What if we faced fear as a ‘trickster’ – robbing us of this moment where we could otherwise be present?

Breaking through stories that LIMIT us… for empowerment.  What stories are limiting you from being all that you are in this moment?

…

Share your thoughts on these ideas or others from the interview with us!  Have you tried yoga for cancer thriving?

Tree of Self Inquiry

yoga tree pose

I practice yoga and do a lot of the same poses over and over.  I spend time in them and get to know them.  As forms and shapes, as patterns and combinations.  Some days are boring and I struggle to get on my mat.  Other days I just lose track of time and enjoy the exploration of body and mind.  Like any commitment in our lives (family relationships, chores, studying, work, etc.), my yoga practice has its ups and its downs in the daily perspective.  Over the long haul though, I get to learn and grow so much by being persistent.

Each day, as I settle into each asan (pose), I get some time and space to get to know myself.  What kind of voice speaks to me when I can’t reach my forehead to my shins in a forward fold?  Is there a loud inner critic or a compassionate encourager?  And how does that seep out into the rest of my life and roles?  Who am I when I am still in an asan long enough to feel really challenged?  Am I able to breathe big and calm or do I get frustrated?  Do I aim criticism out around me to take my attention away from myself?  Can I really be with myself without judgment, no matter the ‘outcome’ I’m experiencing?  Can I keep my focus on my breath, my thoughts, and my body in the present instead of daydreaming of some unreal future or replaying some non-existent past?

This journey within offers me a big picture benefit – a pearl of infinite value.  As I know myself, I can love myself.  As I experience loving myself, I can extend that grace, compassion, and loving kindness to others.  As I get in tune with the value of my soul, I can recognize and celebrate the value of the other souls around me.  As I root into who I am (without all the stories I create about who I should be or what I’m not enough of), I can grow tall like the trunk of a tree.  My branches extend outward, strong enough to provide a home and shelter to those with need, shade to offer rest to the weary nearby.

Practice Vrikstasan, Tree Pose, this week and notice who you are.  What do you tell yourself when you wobble or fall?  How can you practice encouragement and optimism?  When you extend your arms, can you think about all the ways your arms physically offer support and love to those around you?  What do you carry for others?  How many people do you hug, high five, or touch with these hands and arms?  May this practice, and all your daily commitments, be practices that bring you deeper into the you that you long to always be.

Yoga Tree Pose

Stand firmly with both feet equally sharing your weight and your weight equal between the fronts, backs, and sides of your feet.  Slowly shift your weight into your right leg.  Bend your left knee slightly and turn your knee out to the side.  Lift your left heel up to the side of your right leg and balance here.  Take a few deep breaths and notice how you feel.  Are you comfortable in this position?  Are you frustrated with your dancing ankles?  Either is okay.

If you want to play with moving your left foot up the inside of your right leg, place your whole foot on your inner calf or inner thigh.  Keep your foot off your knee!  To balance, press your right foot down deep and keep your leg muscles strong.  Press your left foot against your right leg and your leg into your foot.  And, you can do this pose next to a wall or chair to help you with balance, too!

Bring your hands together in front of your heart in Anjali Mudra.  Keep breathing.  When you are ready, lift your arms up into the air as your tree branches.  Imagine all the ways your arms support others.  Recognize all the ways your arms support you – hands to connect to others in person or through typing on the computer, arms to hug those your love (or your cozy pillows or furry friends).  Breathe deep.  Bring your hands down and release your foot.  Stand tall again.  After a minute, give your best effort to the other side!

Inner Teacher, Outer Teacher

yoga

Some days I feel like I know what I want, what I need.  I can decide which tea to have, know I’m craving some sweet potatoes for lunch.  Other days I don’t know if I want to stay in my bed all day or be outside all day… call my friends or just sit around and do nothing.  It seems that decisiveness is a whimsical quality for me.

On the days that I don’t know what to do for my body – when I can’t even get myself out on a walk (or the weather is not cooperating), I do my best to get myself to a yoga class (or dance/barre/pilates).  I let another person decide what I need to do next.  I trust an external teacher to show me the way to a pose, a theme, or a skill.  And if I can’t find a yoga class in person, I pull out my computer or TV and find something to watch as I move on my mat.  I let go of control and of trying to know what I need and I can still be listening and learning in my body.  Does this pose feel okay for me right now?  Do I need to make any adjustments to the order of poses or the level?  Do I need to take a break and just be with my body and breath?

These questions are also good practice for the rest of my life.  When I’m in the business of a day – either on my schedule or one determined by my boss, family, etc., I can be asking these same questions.  Does this situation/conversation/task give me space to fully and freely self express with love?  What emotions or physical limits am I bringing to this situation (like poor sleep or emotions from other areas of my life)?  Do I need to communicate any of my needs?  Do I need to take a breath (or 100!) and step back to get some perspective?  All these questions can help me get back to being the person I want to be, the one I know I can be, in all situations.  A human full of compassion, acceptance, love, and cooperation.  This is my offering of self.  This is respecting, saluting, that great self in me.

Anjali mudra (hand posture) is for contemplating what you need in a day.  Bring your two hands together in front of your heart, a sign of a prayer, an offering, a salute.  The reminder that we have two types of teachers in our lives – the external (our friends and family, our lives, our yoga videos) and the internal (that still small voice, the call to live love, our best self).  And I am so grateful to learn from both.

Practice this mudra in a comfortable sitting position.  Breathe slow and deep through your nose.  Close your eyes.  Bring your hands together in front of your heart with your thumbs nestled to your chest.  Feel the rise and fall of your breath in your ribcage.  Send gratitude to all the teachers in your life, including yourself!

——-

On days when you need an external teacher to help you tune in to the inner teacher, here are some audio/video resources:

Lesley Fightmaster

Christina Sell Yoga

Chair Yoga Video

Guided Meditations

Yoga Journal article on Anjali Mudra

Yoga For Your Hands!

yoga

At Kenston Middle School I remember my art teacher guiding us to draw each and every line we saw on our hands.  Every wrinkle in our fingerprint.  The small white crescents at the base of our finger nails.  Studying them intently, we came up with 6th grade masterpieces.  And truly they were beautiful pictures – and a beautiful self-study of these so often used and so often taken for granted parts of our bodies.

Our hands hold and hug, high five and wave hello… These are our expressions of love and compassion.  Our physical connection to so much of the world.  And we have some yoga just for them, called mudras.

A mudra can be practiced sitting (like in Virasana), standing, or lying down.  Use this mudra to really get to know your fingers.  Feel the texture of your skin.  Maybe even give yourself a little hand massage with coconut oil.  Feel the heat of your body where your fingers touch.  Notice as much as you can about your hands as you set up the gesture.  We practice mindfulness by becoming intimately aware of our body’s details.  Connecting these pressure points in our fingers will invite energy to circulate in our bodies – this one is to pump up our life force and encourage healing!

Prana Mudra

Find a quiet space to comfortably sit/stand/lie down.  Get settled in here with candles or soft music or just a cozy space.  One hand at a time, bring the tips of your ring and pinky fingers to touch your thumb.  Bring your first two fingers together and keep them straight.  Do the same with the second hand.  Rest your arms at your sides or on your legs and feel free to close your eyes.  Practice your form of meditation or practice deep even breathing through your nose.  Give yourself 5-25 minutes to soak up the energy moving in your body.  Give thanks for this time to care for yourself today!

Virasana, Our Hero Heart

virasana

I have a friend who is growing her compassion.  Actively learning this skill that we assume we can muster when needed.  She attends seminars.  She studies books.  She travels to be at conferences.  She is building her compassion muscles with workouts in her life and in each conversation.  And I love hearing about what she is learning.

After one trip, she told me that her teachers encouraged her to see everyone around her as already a hero in someone’s life.  Instead of seeing “that guy who just cut me off” or “that woman who gave me a funny look” or “those people who have it all together and don’t even know how I’m feeling”… now he is a hero in someone’s story.  She is a hero for someone else.  They are heroes in some way simply unknown to me.

And the same is true in us.  How can I turn my “not good enoughs” and “unlikeables” and “failed attempts” into seeing the hero in me?  The bravery it takes to get up each morning and put on my truest face of myself to share with the world.  The strength it takes to listen and care and walk alongside other humans.  The courage it takes to reveal something vulnerable in me – something not yet (or not ever) perfect.

I’m not sure I’ve taught a yoga class that doesn’t include the cue “lift your heart” at some point.  Oh, if only we could always proudly share our hearts in life!  This yoga pose invites us to stretch our whole front body.  With all our vital organs are ‘out in the open’, it takes courage to be so vulnerable – in yoga and in life!  I invite you to spend a few minutes in this reclined (and supported) yoga pose, Virasana, named after a hero with a brave and passionate heart, like you.  Who is a hero in your story?  Who are you a hero for?

IMG_20150203_221017

Ingredients:

– soft floor

– thick blanket or long thin pillow

– extra pillows around to figure out your set up!

On the floor, sit with your knees bent and your heels on each side of your seat.  Your feet and ankles will be stretched flat down on the floor.  Sit upright and check in with your body here.  You may want to put a blanket or pillow under your seat for comfort.  Breathe.

If you feel open to a little more of a stretch on the front body, remove anything under your seat and place your hands behind you.  Set a rolled blanket or long pillow behind you that will eventually support you along your spine.  Slowly lower to your forearms.  If you are able, lower your back onto the pillow (getting a few can work, too!).  Let the top of your head reach for the floor or support your neck and head with an additional pillow.  Breathe big and deep and rest in the truth that you are courageous and strong.

(Sitting with knee pain is not heroic, so click to check out some great variations for your body!)