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.

HOUSTON, WE HAVE NO PROBLEM

HOUSTON, WE HAVE NO PROBLEM

I  write this blog post on March 4, 2015. This is THE day, Houstonians; the first day that you see pollen on your cars, walkways, et cetera. The conditions became perfect at noon: lack of moisture for a moment, the right wind applied and the trees all excitingly fecund. The magical dusting of yellow pollen has occurred.

For many of you, instead of enjoying the lovely budding scenery, trees full of sprouts and flora, you will panic. Your eyes will become puffy and red, your throat will start to close and your head will come close to exploding.

PREEMPT that. You can do it easily, trust your yoga mama on this, it is avoidable with very little effort. Uhuh. 

There’s a little brown bottle filled with magic

A few drops under your tongue, 2-3 times a day, used at the FIRST sign of pollen and NOT much after that, is miraculous. Once you are buried in the pollen, it won’t be very effective. In other words, you have a few days window of opportunity. Find it here or here. If you do not reside here, they make one for your area, New Mexico, Colorado, et al, have their own local formula. Keep on using it daily until you no longer see and are sweeping that yellow powder.

It works much like a vaccine, by introducing minuscule amounts of the same stuff that makes you ill, and allowing your body to do what the body does, which is deal with it. Some of you use local honey for this very reason and when your local honey is actually local, that works toward building immunity, though in my opinion, for Springtime allergy sufferers, this is the Mack Daddy. If you do only this, with the parameters I have lined out in mind, it’s going to work. Forget your allergy shots and over the counter remedies that either make you manic or turn you into a zombie. Uhuh.

In a perfect world, I would also have you performing nasal lavage (see neti pot blog post) and keeping your eyes rinsed out, too. Keep it simple here. Make an eye wash solution with Boric Acid from your local drug store:

Use distilled or boiled water. Mix one eighth of teaspoon of boric acid powder and one cup of water. This is a good solution to use. If you do not have a collection of antique eye cups, a clean shot glass will suffice nicely. Use the solution warm and it will feel marvelous. Be sure to test the temperature with a sterilized finger before rinsing your eyes. If you wear contacts, wait 10-15 minutes before putting them back into your eyes.

The gist according to AyurVeda (here's a lovely introduction to this time-tested health system,) is that for most of us, allergies are cumulative. You may dodge the effects for years and never suffer until one day, wham, you reach critical mass and you're down. After living in this area, allergy free, for years, I began losing my voice every year like clockwork. I made potions that I sipped all day that kept me vertical but still was affected annually until I began using this homeopathic remedy. 

Another factor causing us to experience these symptoms, is that we are so far removed from the sources of our food, thus, we haven't acquired the immunity or put simply, we've lost the ability for the body to do what the body does, keep us health, happy and safe from imbalance. Granted, there are other environmental factors at play, this is but one layer of the onion.

So. There you have it. Go forth and frolic again. Sigh no more, sniff no more except to draw in the intoxicating scents around you!

I’m an Ass, You’re Okay

From My Rules of Etiquette

This is dedicated to all of the obligatory hello people out there. You should STFU.

There are times and places where a vocal acknowledgement is unnecessary and indeed, to me, intrusive.  One memory that for no reason stays with me or it stays with me to remind me I am an ass, occurred on a particularly serene morning walking alone.

In the days of yore when my children were at home and in their school years, I ran a bustling business, volunteered and was competing for the domestic goddess title. I had a personal practice that had me awake at 4:30am for mediation and physical conditioning; no alarm needed (that’s a yoga practice for you). By about 7:30am I enjoyed walking in our pleasant neighborhood along streets and bayou paths. This time of day was important because in the sprawling and humid city of Houston, Texas, the car exhaust was noticeable to my sensitive deep breath-ed yogi nose and lungs, any later in the morning.

Once in a blue moon, I would walk with a friend in the morning, usually someone who was on a temporary health kick, but mostly mornings were my sacred space. It is said that prayer is when you talk to God and meditation, including walking meditation, is when you listen to God. The place where the sounds of my foot pattering and my breathing synchronized, was an arena that recharged me immensely. As I have said before, we need to create some space between our thoughts and this was mine.  When I encountered another soul and their soles those early mornings, a nod of the head or a lighted smile would usually suffice as a greeting. Rather, it was just an acknowledgement, Hello Person.

This day, I was out a bit longer and later than was my norm. Ahead in the distance, a bundle of color was moving toward me. As it got closer a cacophony of shrill feminine voices pierced my peace. It was jarring in every sensory way.  Literally, my ears were assaulted, my eyes I could smell their lotions and/or makeup (okay, maybe I couldn’t also taste it) and I believe I felt the rush on my skin as they parted the air. As this was happening, and I tried to take it all in and process it fully, and I was working into my smile-nod Hello Person…. wham! All of these hello, good morning, hello, hi, howdy, good mornings – showered over me. I was still trying to form words when I heard - bitch, fucking bitch, and what’s her problem, coming from the gaggle of joggers. Part of me wanted to give chase and convince them that I’m really a nice person, really I am. Instead I thought, whoa, what a lot of hostility. Then I thought, gee, maybe I need to quit judging, need to meditate more or maybe less?  I exhaled it all for the moment and went on about my walking. Yet, it has stuck with me.

At present, I have a different life and job but seem to still enjoy solitude amidst the craziness that is our plugged in - connected world. More, there are places where most of us expect solitude or even privacy. One which comes to mind is the bathroom. What I do in there is private. I consider it my personal space. I feel that the creators of the modern Western style public restroom must have envisioned it this way. That is why they created the stall. The thing with a door that separates you from others while going about your “privacy”.  The Privy, in some places? Here are some  bathroom-etiquette-signs, just because.

If you choose to conduct business on your telephone, that’s your business although I do wonder about those flushing sounds your callers hear; it is your private and personal space – so do what you will. I will admit here, that I have engaged in this behavior on a few occasions. Shame, shame or should I say, poo, poo. Where I draw the line is when you decide to start a conversation with me, you in your stall and I in mine. STFU. I am here to have a private moment with my bodily functions. You are interrupting my stream………..of consciousness, of concentration. In yoga/meditation we practice being in the moment. Being present. Doing what you are doing fully. Whether it is your work, the dishes, love-making or listening to a friend.  Just not while I’m already doing this, thank you.

So like the nod of the head thing, I try not to always be an ass and have developed a soft hmmm hmm. Nothing with too much vigor lest it be confused with any other restroom audio. Mostly though, I will instead just be an ass and ignore you and what better place to show your ass-ness?

Namaste, Dammit. 

MONOTASKING

Do what you’re doing while you’re doing it. This is what we tell our meditation students. Regardless of what it is you find yourself doing, like Nike says, Just do it. In other words, be present.

Meditation is one letter away from mediation perhaps not coincidentally. In mediation we bring two sides together and hold them in a place of objectivity where if successful, the two sides can find their common ground and resolve whatever dispute(s) they may have.

Very often people come to meditation because life has become too full; or at least feels like it is bursting them wide open. The rub is that meditation shows us that we first must deal with the accumulated ‘stuff’ before we can get rid of it. You dredge up and experience fully what you have avoided and pressed deep down inside you. We may come to meditation because we feel conflicted or otherwise divided. The life we are living may feel as though it is running counter to our core beliefs.

This is the same thing that we encounter when physically transforming our lives; we have taken on too much ‘stuff’.  We get bogged down. We feel that the things we have are not in line with the life we want. They serve no purpose for us. Liberation comes rather instantly when we eliminate some of what we have brought into our lives; yet first we have to bring it all out into the open and physically go through it. As my co-minimalist pal reminds me ask yourself ; does this object serve a purpose, if even to bring me joy?

I currently do much of my work at a desk in front of a computer, right now, for example. Because I work at a faster pace than the people I work with and even the software my computer uses; I have learned to play with the social media that is available. Alternatively, I take mini-breaks to stretch, do eye exercises or walk in the sunlight.

I think although popular social media allows us to connect with others it does it on certain queen-of-the-mountain terms. I can toot my horn, I can say my piece and that is that. If I like, it can be one-sided. If I choose, I can listen to your views and opinions but I am the monarch in this domain baby. All powerful and full of me!

I edit my contacts lists frequently and I don’t always follow back. I can here you deleting, unfriending, unfollowing me now. Gasp. It is a type of spring cleaning of my virtual closets. I highly recommend this practice and that of scheduling a media fast.

One main cause of stress in our culture is that with all the marvelous ways we are interconnected and instantly aware of so many things in so many places, we also attached a sense of immediacy to things that are truly not urgent or even vital to our lives. Our oldest brain functions kick in and we are in fight or flight  mode so much of the time it feels like fight and fight mode. Physically, this increases blood pressure, cortisol and myriad other physical effects that keep us agitated until they wear us out and shred us emotionally.

PANIC, PANIC ALL AROUND

When my babes were in elementary school, we walked to and from school together each day. While they were in school I ran my yoga & mediation school. Once at my job, I checked email and returned phone inquiries and then for class, our phones were off. In the spaces between classes, I followed same routine of email, phone, et cetera.

One particular day between classes, I listened to frantic messages from the elementary school. This was in 1997 and I was a cell phone hold out. I responded as soon as I retrieved the messages, and mind you, the kids had been in school approximately 2.5 hours so far that day and I worked a mere 4 blocks away from the school. I ascertained that there was no actual crisis except their reaction to having to wait.

My parenting methods were questioned because I had the audacity to not be available each and every moment. I indicated, plagiarizing from the emergency alert system; If this had been an actual emergency…  the police could have come to inform me. I shifted the attention back to the staff (who btw I adored ) and indicated that I entrusted my most precious babes to them 7 hours a day, 5 days a week. That in an actual emergency, they should call 911 because I was unskilled at reattaching limbs, heads whatever, in the event of an actual emergency.  We agreed to disagree.

I knew that due to the super connected times we live in, theirs was a rather common reaction. These reactions, however, maintain the stress levels we experience.

SCHEDULE A MEDIA FAST 

Want to sleep more peacefully? Don’t finish your day with the news. We all know that it is designed to keep us agitated, excited. This is why we stay tuned and why we buy products. Do yourself a favor and end your day with something sweeter, nice music, love-making, practice deep slow breathing or meditation. Better yet, a whole day with no phones, computers. (Yes, you can).

MEDITATION 101

People will say “I’ve tried to meditate but I can’t”.  I understand that they tried a technique and got frustrated. You have a brain, you have senses, emotions, thoughts and an ego. If you are alive and not in a coma, these will come into play. You might see all the input as distractions or impediments to meditation. As a marvelous sage Ram Dass puts it, it’s all  Grist for the mill.

I tell people to think of the way a child tugs at your skirt hem or shirt to get your attention. It is not the child’s ‘fault’ it is the child’s nature to insert themselves into your moments, perhaps to reassure themselves. When you are in good adult mode, you softly turn your attention to the child, even if to explain “not now”. When you are NOT in good adult mode (because you’re trippin’) you may react in anger to their longing.

So in meditation, we attempt, while not always succeeding, to be the good parent. The tugging child is the thought, the siren you hear outside, the pain in your back or whatever is pulling you from the focus of your mediation.

CREATE A SPACE BETWEEN YOUR THOUGHTS AND LEARN TO EXPAND THAT SPACE. 

In meditation we have a base or focal point that we return to each time. That is how we meditate. If we are distracted 700,000 times, we return to base 700,001 times. We may notice what comes in and out and we learn to minimize our reactions and simply return to base.

Base might be our breath Breathing In-Peace Fill Me and Breathing Out-Pure Peace

If we are more visual base can be an image Wide Open Sky and everything else just Clouds Moving Across we return to Wide Open Sky

WHY MONTASKING

When we are pulled in many directions, we miss our moments. If we are sitting to share a meal with others but distracted by our phone or by thoughts of work and finances, we lose touch. Base is Enjoying the food before us, the smiles of the person next to us and the dog asleep at our feet.

Even in the busiest times of your day, find ways to touch base, frequently. You will feel more at ease and create better health. Perhaps before opening each email Breathing In-Peace Fill Me and Breathing Out-Pure Peace or shuffling kids around in your car all day, before opening the doors Breathing In-Peace Fill Me and Breathing Out-Pure Peace

WHAT YOU NURTURE IS WHAT YOU WILL GROW

How Brotherly Love Taught Me To Be A Woman

How Brotherly Love Taught Me To Be A Woman

My older brother wanted a little brother. Every guy craves one. Our parents broke the ‘boy’ mold after making him; so he made me his little brother.

My best times and scars were minted by him and he still is there for me even though I have grown into his sister. The lessons learned as his bro, support me now as I navigate the waters of my life. They tell me when to paddle against the current and push hard and when to throw my arms back and let the buoyancy overtake me, hold me up and carry me on.

My brother tells me stories of playing football with the other guys when we were younger. Mind you, he is 8 years my senior and I think they start about the time I was his 4 or 5 year old little bother. He marveled at my fearlessness. He’d dress me in plenty of pads and protective equipment. I remember the powerful feeling loaded with the weight of that armor. It was heavy, bulky, ill-fitting on my frame. I loved it. They’d give me the ball, instruct me to hug it tightly and then run, run, run. I can recall the sound of the big helmet sloshing against my mini head. Over and over, we did this and the whole game as I remember it, was running and getting tackled by a mountain of stinky boys.

When he relates the stories now, there’s almost always a moment where he winces and says, “Several times we knocked you down so hard, I was sure we’d killed you. But you always got up and were ready for more”.

Listening to our childhood memories, a friend of his told me that when he’d play with his younger sister, he’d bundle up toys in a blanket and tie her to a fence. Tethered happily she played and watched the big guys. A great story, but I am as thrilled on this day as I was in those glorious moments when I was playing with the big dogs. No leash for me.

If you know me, actually know me and my ‘story’, you know that I am a pretty happy camper. That I have had wonderful travels, a live-the-dream career that was incredible and a sweet family. Also, that in the past few years, the camping trip has been off the rails. I have asked the Universe to let me up on many occasions. The BIG things that can happen in the course of a person’s entire life have been piled on me all at once, it seems, like the football pile ups I enjoyed as a child.

I even got to hang with the angels for a while last year and was hands down-no contest, the hottest woman in Houston, Texas, at 104.5 degrees for I don’t even know how long. The good news is that 9 doctors couldn’t find a single reason for my ‘health event’ and that is great, IMO. My failing organs are back to tip top, my hair departed and has returned in the craziest of ways, thanks to the blessing of the Ayurvedic sages, and I am back to headstands and working out the rest, day to day. I may currently be a few cards short of a deck but those in the know of the ways of this gatita, know I revel in a challenge. Bring It.

The coolest thing is that loads of people showed me how much a person can be loved. I am the luckiest women who has ever been, because of this. So, my training as a little brother prepared me for life as a woman. I was just happy to be tackled. Thanks Bro.

(when he was just D's lil bro)

"There is a crack in everything. That's how the light gets in..." Leonard Cohen