Kathy had a side note about a swami who went to maha samadhi (death). The people prepared his body in the hot Indian sun, but his body did not begin to decompose for 18 days. Most people begin decomposing after about 3 days. The theory is that he had taken in so much pure light that his energy/life force took very long to leave his body.
I polled the room to find out what was every one else's "1 thing they would teach" from Friday's class. Six people said they would teach breathing, and one each said how to OM, savasana, balasana (child's pose), tadasana (mt. pose), and balancing.
Yugas
We spent a good amount of time discussing the yugas. There was so much info that I have posted it in a separate blog today so I can refer to it in the dated contents later.
Study
Kathy talked about the healing benefits of watching people do activities. You absorb the energy of them doing yoga, for instance, and it helps your yoga practice. In the next few weeks, we should take the opportunity to just sit and watch a yoga class of video. Even if we laugh through it, but watch the movement and flow of the teacher or student.
We practiced for an hour, ending with techniques that help us do inversions. We also worked with pidgeon pose in different ways. Kathy showed us a way to roll over our foot in pidgeon so that the sole of out foot is on the ground. Very relaxing!
The Five Tibetan Rites
...kicked my butt! There are five actions, or "rites", that help restore your energy and awaken your chakras. Each action you do 21 times or less. Check out this Web site for a very detailed description of the Five Tibetan Rites.
After I did these rites, I did not feel energetic. I felt just the opposite. I wanted to lay down and sleep. I did not want to move. Some students felt nauseous, but I did not feel sick to my stomach. I felt HEAVY. Very heavy.
After lunch (which, thankfully, we ate AFTER the 5 Tibetans) we talked more about chakras, but I felt too heavy to pay attention.
Singing Bowl
Genevieve brought in her Tibetan Singing Bowls. She described their uses and the power of sound. Related to the chakras, apparently the notes of a scale (do, re, mi, fa, sol, la, ti) correspond with the ascending chakras. The sounds of the bowls, either struck like a gong or rubbed with the mallet, are used for meditation. More information is found at this Web site.
We sat back-to back in pairs while a third person induced the singing bowl around us. We meditated through the sound, being aware of vibrations that ensued.
I loved the singing bowl so much that I went to Tradewinds and bought one. As Genevieve suggested, I listened to several, holding them close to my body. The one I chose has many overtones and was the only one I could get to vibrate my chest. I guess you could say that it sang to my anahata chakra! The bowl is pictured to the left. I do not know what the symbol in the bowl means; I hope it is a kind of blessing and not just "Made in Nepal".10-20 Things Important for Optimal Health
Another one of Kathy's lists. :) First, I define "optimal health" as when I feel my best. Then I began to list, but in categories:
Proper Nutrition
- portion control
- balanced meals
- whole grains
- fresh produce
- adequate hydration
- daily practice of a physical activity
- stay within physical limits, push when body is ready
- let injuries heal
- allow body to rest
- intimate time with husband
- focused time with kids
- healing torn bonds
- nurturing friendships
- purposeful actions and words
- showing gratitude
- being happy
- seeing the positive in everything
- right amount of sleep
- meditation
- listen to body's cues for needs
- touch (hugs, kisses)
- follow intuition
- being aware of each molecule, cell, organ, limb of the body and acting on the signals it gives
- promote self-esteem
- clean air
- UV light
- temperature
- beautiful sounds
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