Plenty

Not Buying Into It

photo credit S.D. Bumbaugh 2016

"The trouble with being in the rat race is that even if you win, you're still a rat." Lily Tomlin

Recently, I spent a week with Kat. We'd never met, but she was coming to my area for work and we connected through a shared path geared toward living life with fullness, seeking out connections and adventures

in minimalism.

It was an example of complete synchronicity as coined by Carl Jung, a true 'meaningful coincidence', yet, coincidence on purpose (digest that a moment), because rejecting inconsequential small talk was unspoken and instant.

We embarked on what I call my Free Houston Tour, which always includes the Art Car Museum and CasaRamirez Folk Art Gallery, and even managed to cross paths with an open air pop up antique market and a great example of American ingenuity, a shoe bus.  

While most visitors to the states spend much of their time shopping and spending their way through as tourists, I think the only purchases made were consumed (deliciously). While we each have perhaps a photo or two, we both embrace traveling light and thus, have no knick knack to place on our mantels. We have something more valuable, shared experience.

When you take stock of what's important in your life, what you cherish, what comes to mind?

In the words of Jonathan Swift "May You Live All the Days of Your Life"

Challenge yourself to participate in your life and not to simply buy into consumerism. You CAN take it with you and you may just stumble upon radical happiness. 

#minimalism #radicalhappiness #IveGotThis #artcarmuseum #houston #htown #casaramirez #shoebarmobile #beyourself #simplicity #globejumpers #kindred #synchronicity #lifelife #feetfirst #JonathanSwift #LeonardCohen #MoneyCantBuyMeLove #LilyTomlin

Sleeps with the Fishes

Sea Mist
Have you been supported by water? Laying back as your body gently bobs atop gentle waves...
It began with a bit of handmade paper from the art store which allows all the light and outdoor shapes inside

then an azure accent wall painted with my sister, an octopus 

a captain's mirror hung by a miniature boat/rope cleat 

a glass rolling pin filled with found sea glass  (when filled with ice makes a lovely pie crust;)

and topped off by an ammonite (circa 80 million years-cretaceous)

suffice to say, sweet dreams.

Gravity at play on a leaf with morning dew.

Karma Yoga: The Path of Action

(Reprinted from my former yoga school website)

Karma Yoga: The Path of Action

There are many ways of expressing what's inside of us. Partly, yoga may help us to reach our inner most selves and to shine our own unique light more clearly for all to see. It is said that each of us comes to life with a purpose, with gifts, and it is our duty to share these gifts with others in our lives. Don't hide it under a bushel…let it shine.

While some yoga practices work on controlling the inner landscape, the path of karma yoga strives to also work in the external world. The word Karma means "action." A karma yogi or "karmin" (worker) chooses a path designed to enrich the world around him/her as a means of gaining self-realization or to deepen the connection to the outer landscape. In our culture the familiar adage "It's your karma" has become synonymous with the expression "What goes around, comes around." The possibility is alive in our hearts that we may indeed receive in equal measure to what we give. This belief, though well intentioned, is a misconception of the true practice of karma yoga which mandates that one give purely for the sake of giving with no attachment to receipt of any boon or special cosmic treatment. Even better one should give anonymously. Then do we reap what we sow? The late Swami Rama, founder of The Himalayan Institute in Pennsylvania who is best known for the Menninger Institute experiments documenting his amazing yogic prowess said "…external love is one step toward freedom," meaning freedom from the law of karma or the effects of one's actions.

In our yoga school, we encourage this kind of selfless giving. What we find is that when one's practice begins to open the heart, this giving becomes a natural, automatic reaction. It may start simply with being more apt to hold the door for someone or yield to a passing vehicle, instead of the often habitual guarding one's place or sprinting to be next in line. We catch ourselves thinking, "It's your blood pressure" as we smile at those who feel the need to hustle through life, securing prime space. A recent assignment asked students to write a kind letter to a co-worker or neighbor, secretly. Something that would make them feel terrific without ever knowing the author! We also annually assist a large church in our area in feeding several hundred of Houston's homeless a full Thanksgiving feast. At first many vegetarian students balked at being asked to cook the frozen turkeys that are donated (but people can't eat them frozen!) So we questioned their motives for helping. Was their desire to alleviate hunger or to judge the hungry? The result is that once each year the oven is fired up for a non-veg meal and several dozen turkeys do not die in vain. We also find that more folks want to work the serving line, but God sees those of us who scrub pans and haul trash just the same. Our community has comes to rely on us to pitch in for a variety of projects. And what our students do on an individual basis is truly inspiring.

The term karma-yoga first appears in the Bhagavad Gita (Lord's Song) written in the 3rd or 4th century B.C. While numerous texts discuss the karmic implications of one's actions and intentions in this life, karma, it is said, may be carried over from the past into future lives. Whether you adhere to the belief of reincarnation or not, your practice in the "now" need not be influenced. Find out what moves you to action. You can still practice the karma yoga of selfless giving which never fails to warm the heart. 

The Persian poet Jalaluddin Rumi wrote "Let the beauty we love be what we do. There are a hundred ways to kneel and kiss the ground." 

So why not start right there?

Contributed by Kathryn Bumbaugh 

Cooling Breath - SITALI Pranayama

Curb Anxiety and Halt Hot Flashes

Picture a puppy playing in the grass... back and forth she brings the ball, she chases the ball again and again. Her heart happily pumping, body temperature rising until, plop, out comes the tongue and the panting begins.

Nature's air conditioning system. Many animals, especially carnivorous ones, must breathe through the mouth to cool the core temperature of their bodies. They cannot sweat through their skin as you can, so they pant. Panting increases saliva as the tongue is stretched. The incoming air collects even more moisture from the environment then becomes 'swamp cooled' as it passes through the 'wetland' of the mouth. The blood is therefore cooled before reaching the brain.

Sitali which means cool, is a method of yogic breathing that reduces the fire energy principle we call pitta which is associated with catabolic processes in the body. Yogis likely have our animal friends to thank for this one - try it below and you be the judge.

EASY METHOD

1. Purse your lips into a tiny "o" shape, like a reaching kiss. Keep your tongue inside floating , so it doesn't touch teeth or gums.

2. Slowly inhale through your mouth, feel the cooled air. If your mouth becomes dry, be patient and slow it down more.

3. To exhale, use the tip of your tongue softly against the top inside roof of your mouth. Exhale even more slowly as you inhaled. The air will exit your nose, so feel the heat exiting too.

TRADITIONAL METHOD

1. Curl up the sides of your tongue and stick the tip outside your lips. Use your teeth gently to keep tongue in place, lips kept as relaxed as possible.

2. Inhale slowly as in step 2 above then exhale through your nose as in step 3.

3. In a more advanced method, breath is retained and chin locked against collarbone (jalandhara bandha) as shown. 

To experience these instant cooling, calming effects, start with 3-4 minutes of relaxed practice. Never strain, never struggle. Rest about half way through and enjoy a few quiet moments afterward. To enhance your concentration think the word "cool" with each in-breath and the words "I am" with each out-breath. Now...SMILE.

FROM OUR STUDENTS' PERSPECTIVE

One yoga student reports that she combines Sitali with drinking plenty of room temperature water when she does outdoor work in the Houston summertime. "I used to get very overheated and suffer from complete exhaustion while doing heavy yard work. I'd be wiped out for the rest of my day." Her futile attempts to combat these effects by alternating heavy physical activity with lots of iced tea only increased these effects. After deciding to adopt a more yogic approach… "I take Sitali breaks in the shade and drink water without ice. I find myself cool, more energized and ready to go again."

Many of my female yoga students use the technique to control hot flashes. One woman taught several of her co-workers this form of breathing. It has been a boon in their high energy, fast-paced office environment as it helps them to regain calm composure when needed. Practice of Sitali will begin to cool the body's core temperature in about 4 minutes. It also 'cools' the mind or activates the parasympathetic nervous system, which is our gateway to personal tranquility and relaxation.

In Western culture, our comforts may often increase our discomforts. Switching from a steamy and hot environment to a tremendously dry and cold air-conditioned automobile, home or office is rather traumatic for our systems. When chilled, the body shivers as it tries to heat back up and may even try to insulate itself by producing more mucus. 

When under stress, digestion slows down, breathing becomes shallow, labored and the chemical balance inside shifts making it nearly impossible to feel at calm and at peace. Though this is only one of myriad practical applications of yoga, using it may be likened to riding a runaway train. You can sit stiffly in your seat watching the world whirl by out of your control or you make an attempt at taking control. Hop into the conductor's seat and see what happens! In our high tech world, the low tech of Sitali Pranayama/Cooling Breath is a welcome retreat.

(reprinted from ye olde yogini website )

The Daily Bandha: Stretching, Growing Older and Your Down Dog

The Daily Bandha: Stretching, Growing Older and Your Down Dog



It seems many folks talk the yoga talk and yoga on the web abounds! I love the web for sharing and the mat for yoga! Generally I preach Do Your Practice and as BKSI used to say "my body is my laboratory". Doing yoga is one of the best ways, IMO, to learn and to understand yoga.



However, this blog is WORTH a mat break... Check it out.