Healing & Cleansing Part 3

The definition of insanity is trying the same thing over and over, expecting different results.

I encountered the above axiom in a movie about someone overcoming excessive substance use. It is quite pertinent to the subject of cleansing, especially when improved health is the anticipated outcome. 

If you've read all the way through parts 1 & 2 you may be wondering if I'm going to leave the story a cliffhanger. This is the third act, where something unexpected enters the picture: Intuition.

An aside for context. Carolyn Myss was an inspiration for me in the first few years of my Shiatsu practice. She was the first person I encountered (in 2002) who talked matter-of-factly about Energy Medicine, the chakras and the reality that mental/emotional conditioning can cause undiagnosable health concerns. I saw her, a Medical Intuitive, as a spokesperson for the reality I was living. In a 2017 TED talk  she acknowledges that there isn't proof that our small daily choices effect our health, but asks the audience to "listen with your heart and your gut, and see if it doesn't settle well there like good chicken soup."

It is the time of year in the Northern Hemisphere for life to cleanse itself, this last installment of Healing & Cleansing is intended to pique the intuition. To call out the deep mammalian sense of knowing that the opportunity to let go of any excess is now, and to trust that the space created in that release will become an avenue for positive change. This is a deliberate shift from healing as the first priority (something has happened to draw complete focus to the health), to cleansing as a method to prevent ineffective habits from building into bigger issues.

Fall Cleansing can be done on any and all levels. Be it literally cleaning house, clearing through mental/emotional turbulence, or switching less nutritious foods for more nutrient dense options. Best to do this well ahead of the holidays/cold season, when the energy of change is all around us. We can move easily in and out of doors to shuttle materials away from and into our homes. And to take some of our mental/emotional conundrums out for fresh air and motion.

Start where you have the most understanding of what will improve your health. Meaning, if it's obvious to you that there is too much sugar and not enough vegetable content in your diet, make a shift in this respect. If you need intellectual proof to help change your thinking, then start a research project. Reach out to a therapist if you know emotions are the hardest barrier. Then find ways to make these changes sustainable. Small and consistent changes give our whole being time to adjust to new experiences.

Acknowledge what you can control now. Because you may not have had complete control over what originally compromised your health. We all make use of strategies to stay intact through potentially damaging times. However these survival tactics need to be reevaluated as soon as danger is passed. In the natural world, our fellow mammals all have methods to shake off trauma and reground themselves. We humans seem to have lost this impulse, but it's still necessary.

Hand-in-hand with this is to admit the truth about strategies that have become bad habits. This may look like statements of ownership such as "I got into the habit of eating convenience foods when I didn't have time to make my own lunch," "I used to let myself overthink situations when I had less security at home," "I let one side-track derail my entire self-care routine," "My thinking became rigid when I was always having to defend my position," etc. This simple act of self-awareness can open a world of new options that would otherwise be unavailable.

Be prepared for the urge to relapse.

• First off, remember that 100% is the easiest choice. This takes all the guess-work and anxiety out of figuring out what is "moderation," especially when choosing better food/drink habits.
• Second, recognize that if a habit has been with you long enough to negatively effect your life, it has it's own routine, and will attempt to reestablish that pattern when you're not paying attention. Similar to what most meditation teachers say, simply notice the deviation and return to your present goal.
• Third, have an Anchor always available for the moments when the body/mind/emotions are throwing the craving code so hard you would abandon all progress for that one indulgent moment. An Anchor can be anything. A fidget toy/worry stone in your pocket, a mantra or affirmation, an essential oil, a book, alarm clock set for an earlier time, a new water bottle, literally anything that keeps you in mind of the new habit you are actively establishing.
• Fourth, when you overcome the urge to relapse, applaud yourself! The accumulation of memories in which you chose a healthier route may some day become your Anchor.

This last installment is the most vague because taking proactive steps for health is a very individual process. Each of us has a unique relationship with our intuition. Indeed, intuition is a "knowing" that will guide us to improved health and connection in life. My suggestions are meant to stimulate your internal awareness. Keep listening to your own instinct for health.

By the way, if you watch only the first 7 minutes of Caroline Myss' TEDx some inspiration will arise.

One final note about proactive health. If we do any cleansing act that endures on any level, it will have a positive effect on all other levels of our being. Just try it, you'll see!

May we all be blessed with the grace and courage to experience life in a healthier way,

Christian

Why is Ashtanga Vinyasa such an intimidating yoga practice?

Asana is firmness of body, steadiness of intelligence and benevolence of spirit. |2. 46| 
Perfection in an asana is achieved when the effort to perform it becomes effortless and the infinite being within is reached.  |2. 47| 

B. K. S. Iyengar Light on The Yoga Sutras of Patañjali

    It has been quite rightly said that Americans love to punish themselves. This is easily seen in everything from fitness fanaticism, driving daily commutes, credit debt, extreme diet trends, and prescription drug addictions just to name a few.

    With such willingness to endure pain on multiple levels, one might wonder why Ashtanga Vinyasa (A.K.A. "yoga therapy") is considered the "agro" style, even among yoga studio groupies?

Barring many variables, here is a mostly tongue-in-cheek look at what a beginner may perceive as intimidating.

 

 

1) It requires students to learn things.

    The sequences are constructed in a logical pattern.* Somewhat like a karate kata, it always starts the same way and follows the same series of poses to the end. To get past the initial struggle a student must learn the sequences appropriate for them. This works best if someone practices between classes. 

    Ashtanga studios tend to run short Introductory class series and then funnel beginners into the Mysore classroom/open practice group, perhaps with a sheet of paper that has little illustrations of the asana flow. This is to support students as they creating their own relationship with the practice. In the Mysore classroom everyone can move through the poses in their own timing. This is where many students learn progressions and modifications, and create a relationship with the Mysore teacher/s.

    Some beginners feel disoriented after too short of an introduction, or that the teacher is looming over them to make sure they don't miss important alignment features. If a student doesn't want to learn the sequence, just wants to follow, this approach turns them off.

2) It is difficult for everyone for an indefinite while.

    Any one of the segments (see asterisk below) throws down the gauntlet of challenge to all new practitioners, even the most athletic, flexible and strong. No matter how many Vinyasa Flow, Bikram, Iyengar, Yin and/or Kundalini practices a person has done, "Ashtanga catches everyone somewhere," as my Second Series teacher once told me.

    She is so right. If a person needs to believe they can master movements within the first few tries it's going to be an ego blow. If a person HATES downward facing dog, or back bending, or shoulder standing, it's going to confront limiting ideas. If a person can't manage without music playing, they're going to feel very exposed.

    Yet people keep coming back day after day, year after year... back bend after back bend. Is there perhaps some truth to that second line from Iyengar's translation above?

3) It isn't about finding comfort, it's about finding a way in.

    If a first-timer stumbles upon a Lead Primary Series class they might feel overwhelmed. A "counted" class goes at such a pace one can't possibly catch a breath much less "feel the flow" in the poses, or get 5 breath cycles in before a change. One of the most popular YouTube demonstrations of The Primary Series shows 6 advanced practitioners working at K. Pattabhi Jois' counted pace. Rumor has it this was a 6 hour video session. Jois insisted on re-doing it until everyone did it correctly.

    For someone who tries to learn from scratch in the Mysore classroom there is a dynamic action happening everywhere, especially with a teacher who offers hands-on physical adjustments (always makes it harder, by the way). There's always something else to do and no music to zone out on!

    In any case figuring out how to "breathe into your heart, soften the bone, lengthen the muscle" among other physical improbabilities, while jockeying around props to compensate for mobility just might make one wonder "how this is helping me?" If only that new practitioner knew how far any one of the other students in the room has come...

4) It attracts "yoga snobs."

    More accurately, it's a no-nonsense crowd with a perfectionist personality type. Vinyasa refers to the specific coordination of movement, breath and visual focus that sets up the flow. If someone is following the convention (the way it was taught in Mysore, India, by K. Pattabhi Jois) every inhale is accounted for, each exhale has a specific purpose, and the eyes move among 9 dristi (gazing points). A "type A" person revels in the precision and potential perfection of any one practice session.

    Mysore classes are usually early in the day before work. The practice time is a 2- to 4-hour window. Some students will arrive early and finish before the next wave comes in. Practitioners generally have no time to chat before, during or after. People who have been changed by Ashtanga Vinyasa might hold to the convention of practicing 6 days/week whenever possible. People become familiar with each other's rhythms over time.

    A new student might see this as a particularly stand-off-ish crowd. To make friends within an Ashtanga community my suggestions are to attend Intensive Trainings, or go to any open house events held at the studio.

5) It challenges mental & emotional fixations.

    This presses directly on the fear of change. It's extremely likely that not every pose feels firm, steady and benevolent (Iyengar's translation again) the first 500 to 1,000 times. This is, after all, a therapy practice. If someone is gradually giving themself an injury there is some part of the mind-body unit not fully engaged. Safe and useful modifications are given in Mysore practice, as a teacher sees how students practice day after day. Looking it up and trying new things is the most effective method for learning. Which brings us back to point one, the student has to learn things.

    People who are "established" in Ashtanga Vinyasa may be familiar with the transformative process that begins when physical poses lead to emotional release. The physical mechanics of this type of event are very simple: the mind has put the body into a position that it (the mind) has previously avoided, and then the body has to breathe. 

    The physical patterns that we use in daily life have been meticulously built, consciously or not, out of convenience. Any part of our body that we don't move regularly atrophies and collects density. Flexibility narrows and discomfort in attempting full mobilization increases until we mentally give up. One of the many benefits of Ashtanga Vinyasa is to un-train old habits and "in-build" healthy posture. This takes time, concentration and consistency.

* Sun Salutations A & B, Standing Sequence, Primary (or Intermediate, or Advanced A or Advanced B...) Series, Preparation for Closing, and Closing.

Found on the internet, attributed to John Scott Yoga Glyphs. My Primary Series teacher gave me something like this. Many variations of the same can be found.

So that's my take on it. For anyone in Boulder who is curious about learning this practice, I teach an ongoing Introduction to Ashtanga class on Sundays from 10 - 11:15am at GyrotonicBodhi, 3005 Sterling Circle, Suite 100.

As always, make comment or ask questions on this post below.

Wishing peace and health to all,

Christian

Making friends with upward facing dog

II.46 Posture (asana) must have the two qualities of firmness and ease.
II.47 Posture (asana) is then when effort ceases and meditation on infinity occurs.

The Yoga Sutra of Patanjali, translation by Gregor Maehle

It's very important when practicing asana* in earnest to NOT damage the lower back with multiple repetitions of upward facing dog (urdhva mukha svanasana). This asana is extremely useful. Among other benefits it builds upper back strength required for improved posture and mobility. However if not anchored well it becomes a shortened inhale and cringing expression that we just want to pass through as quickly as possible.

bothendsofthelead.com.au

To make this asana into a therapy tool, begin with the root of your spine. 

There is a muscle (pubococcygeus) whose main action is to move the coccyx (tailbone) toward the pubic bone (the lowest bone on the front of the body). When this muscle is active and a continuous flow of breath cycles ensue, the lower spine is able to open and pressure melts away from the lower back, cascading release elsewhere along the spine and down the legs. This is one of the actions that activates the elusive Mula Bandha and can be attended to in every asana.

So, you think, this little 3 to 4-inch muscle is really the key to my back health? It's a good start. When the one little connector between the tail and pubic bones remains active we can find other deep pelvic muscles to support the effort of releasing compression. Originating the flow of breath through the pelvic base activates a deeper spinal support system. I surmise this is the foundation of "the core."

pubococcygeus in blue
easynotecards.com

In finding the upward facing dog, which is initiated with an inhalation, if we begin the movement deliberately bringing the tailbone toward the front of the body, the breath travels up an inner pathway. This long, concave inner space can be tracked from the lowest point of the torso through all the abdominal zones, the back of the lower ribs (hello, Kidneys) and into the middle rib cage. This is more easily experienced if the balls of the feet and knees are down on the mat.

With the straightening of the knees our upper leg bone seems to become part of the back. The muscles that adduct and extend the legs (bring the legs toward midline and away from the front, respectively) seem to merge with the strong back muscles (erector spinae), and air goes effortlessly into the lungs from the bottom up. This is the metaphorical rope connecting the anchor to the ship. I've had the experience of becoming a tadpole at this point.

The last layer of muscular support come from the feet, aka. The Anchor. The foot position in a  conventional upward facing dog is top side down.  Actively pressing the toe knuckles into the mat, as if pulling on a grounded anchor, stimulates a muscular chain all the way through those adducted and extended thighs into the posterior pelvic floor. A quick synaptic impulse invigorates the pubococcygeus on the return current and the above mentioned breath cavern is fueled from below. In this way the entire lower body creates a deeply supported structure for the upper chest to stretch itself against.

No legs, only tail.
https://www.frogpets.com/

Let's not go completely flaccid now.

After all that concentration on the inhale, it's very important to keep this connection in the transition to the downward facing dog. Many practitioners will jump their feet into dorsiflexion (the balls of the feet connect to the mat), and very deliberately curl the the tailbone to initiate the counter-stretch into "the recovery position," a nickname for downward facing dog. 

As a beginner, at the start of the exhale try putting the knees down again. Reposition the feet so the balls are down and aim the heels toward the mat. This reinforces the muscular chain that has created your internal cavern of breath. Then use the arms to push that wide open lower back, diaphragm and rib cage into an inversion. Dropping in the fully relaxed upper chest and its extension, the neck, is the juicy end of this exhale. And yay! You now get 4 more full breath cycles to explore the amazing internal support structure you have just created (if you are doing Ashtanga Vinyasa, that is).

I hope this deeper look into the pelvic floor (and below) has sparked curiosity. This may not be the answer to your issues with upward facing dog, but it is an invitation to put more awareness onto the possibility of a working relationship. To paraphrase Sage Patanjali's notes on asana, a purpose of the physical practice to attain durable and pleasant positions in which we can rest all effort and meditate on infinity. The codifier of the Ashtanga Vinyasa series seems to have believed that the flow created through deliberate sequencing of actions with the breath (also known as vinyasa) will do this.

Wishing everyone a productive, inspired practice, whatever it may be!

Christian

* I cannot bring myself to equate the words "yoga" and asana (postures). There is far more to the picture of yoga than the postures. I am among the many who have transitioned into this path through asana practice

puppytoob.com

Healing and Cleansing Part 2

Continuing with the initial question "Why is healing painful?"

The previously mentioned illnesses and injuries have external causes. Occurrences that leave marks on the body (such as scrapes, burns, bruises, and the like) or can be easily observed as a change in a person's behavior (such as acute toxic/pathogenic invasions or prolonged exposure to extreme weather).

Far less apparent is when a person has come to a "healing crisis" due to gradual and long-term damage.

Causes of a healing crisis are physical, mental, emotional, or spiritual.

A combination of these is most likely.

On the physical level this is the build-up of residues from mild or moderately inflammatory foods and the consumption of drugs,* physical patterns that are not habitually balanced, and a regular intake of environmental toxicity.

Regarding consumption of inflammatory foods and drugs over a long period, the natural healing industry recognizes disorders generated in this way as "long-term inflammation" conditions. Included are type 2 diabetes, gout, obesity and related disorders, etc.

Concerning unbalanced physical patterns, a common diagnosis given is "over use injury." This is when a person does the same movement or assumes the same posture over such a long period of time that it creates a neuromuscular excess within that kinetic chain. Another related diagnosis is "muscular imbalance." This is given when a person repeatedly uses incorrect physical mechanics to do common tasks. Both of these habits become problematic when the person does not then balance the entire musculoskeletal system and actively pattern correct mechanics. 

The regular intake of environmental toxicity may or may not be avoidable. As one might deduce, this is a regular exposure over time to toxic particles in air, water and food. It's worth noting that sound and light pollution can also congest the sense organs over time.

The most common symptom for long-term physical problems is pain. This could be joint/muscle pain, digestive discomfort, head/body aches, general listlessness, etc. To most people these are completely hidden from an outside viewer, unless an observer is trained to notice pain expressions such as a grimace or limp. Friends and family will notice diminished physical energy, make note that recovery from common illnesses takes longer, and that seasonal concerns get progressively worse over time.

If we regularly analyze and overhaul our habits we can actively change the physical catalysts for long-term inflammation. Some methods are: consume more nutrient and fiber-rich foods than highly processed junk foods (80:20 ratio is a good starting place); habituate daily activities that support physical balance; improve the quality and quantity of drinking water; and remove all unnecessary chemicals from home and work environments.

Changing physical influences will produce a cleansing effect. Although a proactive choice to adjust habits will have a positive effect it is important to not overlook the discomfort of change. When the body is changing its fuel source, even from a poor one to a nutrient rich one, there will be symptoms commonly associated with detoxification. Re-patterning movement will generate soreness in new areas and is very likely to flare up old areas of pain. Organs that have been filtering toxicity will go through a cleansing process once the damaging substance is gone.

Some comfort can be had in knowing that it will take half or less the amount of time to cleanse the body than it did to create the imbalance.

Emotional, mental and spiritual habits need to be recognized and healed for full recovery.

Within the Chinese Medicine system an "internal pernicious influence" is an emotional, mental or spiritual imbalance that a person has allowed for a long time. This is not widely recognized in a scientific model of health, even though a study of brain scans has shown that thinking about an extremely emotional event triggers physiological change within the brain centers. (This is unfortunate because if developmental traumas were recognized in Western Medicine then treatments for them would be more available.)

In my time as a shiatsu practitioner, I've seen that 

1. anything that happens on one level of our being is happening on others, 
2. unless there is a specific event that produced an injury, disorders begin on subtle levels, 
3. when the person in the body takes control of the healing process the prognosis is very good. 

The documentary Heal, by Kelly Noonan Gores, 2017, validated my observations. In it she highlighted researcher Kelly A. Turner, PhD. whose best-selling book Radical Remission: Surviving Cancer Against All Odds, expands on the top 9 factors people have used to completely heal from stage 4 cancer:

The reason I use this specific piece of research is because conventional (scientific) medicine stumbles on cancer. It is seen as congenital and thus unavoidable, an unexplainable auto-immune disorder, and in some cases a result of allopathic protocols, but has not been traced to a non-physical cause within the individual. At least not by "Western Medicine."

Taking control of our own health implies that we stop outsourcing it. Notice that diet, herbs and supplementation are part of the program, but much more of the emphasis is on emotional, mental and spiritual health. Number two, "Taking control of your health," is probably the most challenging mental leap for many people. This will require deep questioning, personal research and a higher level of learning than what is required to acquire an illness.

The placebo/nocebo effects provide valuable information about the power of belief.

The placebo effect is when a subject takes a sugar pill believing it is a medication and subsequently experiences alleviated symptoms as if they had taken the actual medication.

The nocebo effect is when a subject takes a sugar pill believing it is the medication and subsequently experiences negative side effects associated with the actual medication. It is also experienced when a subject is informed of the potential negative effects of a medication that they are prescribed to take. (This second instance is observed in every-day, non-clinical study medical practice.)

Placebo/nocebo effects occur in the "control" group of a study. Meaning, physiological symptoms occur with absolutely no chemical catalyst, rather by the power of suggestion. I see this phenomena as clear evidence that the emotional, mental and spiritual aspects are major components in health. As seen in Dr. Turner's research, these factors can be the most important element to complete health recovery.

Why is healing painful? Because there is no pill to alleviate guilt, shame or resentment.

Each person who truly wants to heal will need to embrace emotional/mental/spiritual imbalances that underly their health problems and take action to change their effects. This necessitates a full-scale personal re-evaluation, real honesty about goals, values and beliefs, acknowledgement of personal responsibility, asking for and giving forgiveness, and a long-term commitment to change.

If it's sounding like a spiritual re-birth then you are following my meaning. The physical process (perhaps 6 to 9 months long) is a mere blip in the scope of rediscovering spirituality, healing life-long emotional wounds, cultivating genuine self-love and creating healthy social connections.

The pain of healing long-term illness is cleansed through tears. Emotional and mental breakthroughs and surrendering to the vast, unified mystery of life is the mountain that must be climbed. Reclaiming Personal Power is the summit. This is not likely to be covered by any insurance plan offered in the US.

One thing our culture has created is the Support Group. This is recognition that inner-being health is initially damaged in relationship (with others and/or with self), and thus requires relationship to find a path to wholeness. 

In nature-based traditions a ceremony or ritual done with an abundance of community support would initiate this sort of healing. In current society we have representatives of these traditions in the form of psychotherapists, mediums, bodyworkers, hypnotherapists, vision quest guides and spiritual counselors. Some practitioners specialize in transformational healing sessions intended to open the whole being to its true nature. I believe that psychedelic-assisted therapies are answering the need to heal from repressed trauma.

The bottom line is that no one heals from long-term disease alone. There will be feelings of vulnerability, groundlessness, humility, sorrow and remorse. And there will also be a flood of positive influences, moral support, success stories and encouragement. Everyone who has succeeded in "saving their own life" will tell you it only feels alone while you are staring at your own navel. When you look up you will see how many people are in the same boat.

We cannot solve a problem using the same thinking we used to create it. This statement is attributed to Albert Einstein, but he most certainly was not the first person to realize it. 

From the bottom of my heart I wish you abundant health and joy!

Christian

* "consumption of drugs" refers to: non-nutritional plant, food or beverage items. These include recreational drugs that can be eaten, smoked or injected, empty calorie foods such as sugary drinks, candy, highly processed meals, and alcoholic beverages. Synthetic drugs, including over-the-counter and prescription medications, are well-known to be sources of inflammation when consumed for multiple years.