Who wants to Suffer?

  The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali

Chapter 2 sutra 16:  heyam duhkham-anagatam

Translation:  Future suffering should be avoided

Heyam:  what (that which) is to be abandoned, avoided, rejected.

Duhkham:   suffering, pain (bad space)

Anagatam:  what has not yet happened or arrived.

 

It seems pretty simple doesn’t it?  Who wants to suffer?  Yet we all know that many times we make decisions and choices (sometimes knowingly) that cause us to suffer.  We also anticipate possible future pain, which can cause fear and anxiety and hence suffering today.

 

Fear and anxiety can make anything worse.  Anytime you experience anxiety your body releases hormones that can increase inflammation, and in general put an extra load on all of your bodily systems.

 

Awareness is the first step.  Awareness of what leads to suffering brings with it the ability to act to prevent that suffering.  Then we must remain vigilant about the motives behind our actions of today so they do not produce suffering tomorrow.

 

In this way suffering and the awareness of if it can be positive.  Developing a quality of discernment can lead us to examine our suffering, find its causes and modify our behavior.  This is the principal aim of yoga—to eliminate suffering.

 

A study from the Ohio State University published in January, 2010 in the journal, Psychosomatic Medicine, shows that students who had practiced yoga regularly for at least two years not only reacted to stress more calmly, they had lower levels of inflammation during stress, and also had lower levels of cytokine interleukin-6 (inflammation marker) in the blood under normal circumstances as well.

 

 

You may want to ask yourself these questions:

 

Before acting, do I take time to ensure that it won’t increase suffering, either to myself or others?

 

Do I dwell on past suffering, rather than trying to prevent future suffering?

 

Is it always better to hope for the best, while being prepared for the worst?

 

Does anticipating future pain cause suffering now?

 

Can I plan for the future, including possible painful events without suffering or feeling anxious?  How?

 

Interview:  Yoga For Type 2 Diabetes

Why do you think yoga would help with type 2 diabetes?

Yoga is a “mind/body” experience.  Yoga teaches not only physical postures, but proper breathing, and training the mind to use as a tool (as in meditation).  We know that every thought, or feeling produces a chemical reaction in the body and brain, and every movement of the body produces a corresponding chemical reaction in the brain.  So both our thoughts via our mind and our bodies affect brain chemistry, which in turn affects our body chemistry, like insulin production, and cortisol production.

What exercises are done in yoga?

The exercise component, or physical postures of yoga should not be separated from the breathing and mind training or meditation of yoga.  This is what makes yoga different than an exercise class.  In a yoga class designed for individuals who are coping with type 2 diabetes the physical postures should address issues such as improving circulation in the extremities, improving posture to help with proper breathing, providing stimulation to the glandular areas of the body, and helping to  stabilize  joints that may be painful due to the individual being over weight.

What do people learn in doing yoga?

This is the key question!  Yoga teaches us to use our minds to find the underlying cause of our own suffering, whether that is diabetes, a sore back, or depression.  Yoga is not about having the yoga teacher or therapist heal you, but about giving the individual the tools to use in healing themselves.  Yoga teaches us to look at our own habits and patterns without the self judgment or condemnation, but with an open clarity.  Then we can choose more wisely.  Should I have a bowl of ice cream?  This time I will stop and think instead of just eating without thinking first, and condemning myself afterwards. The cultivation of this awareness takes time. That’s where the work comes in.

Does yoga help with stress levels?

Yoga helps to bring our body chemistry into balance, and the stress response is part of that chemistry.  Our response to stress is a chemical cycle.  On one extreme is the “Fight or flight” response which is our sympathetic nervous system, and on the other side is the “rest and digest” response which is our parasympathetic nervous system. These two systems can be thought of like an old fashion balancing scale.  When you lower one side the other one moves up.  In yoga we “lower” the sympathetic, or fight and flight side of the scale to allow our mind and body to rest and digest more efficiently, bringing the two sides into balance. With practice, we begin to respond to stressors in our lives without overloading the sympathetic nervous system.  In particular, using our breath appropriately sends a message to our brain to calm the sympathetic side and allow the parasympathetic side to come back into balance.  We may not be able to control our external circumstances, like aging parents, or loss of a job, but we can learn to control our response to the situation.

How does this help with those who have type 2 diabetes?

One way is when our mind/body is  reacting to a stressful situation by activating the sympathetic nervous system, it may trigger a higher blood sugar level to allow the muscles to fuel up to respond to the stress.  This is not necessary if the stress is completing a report for your boss, or finding out a loved one is ill.  So that higher blood sugar level in the blood stream causes the problems associated with type 2 diabetes: such as, poor circulation, visual problems, kidney and liver problems, and heart problems.

Should someone who has type 2 diabetes also embark upon more vigorous exercises besides just yoga?

Yes.  Exercise helps to “use up” the extra sugar in the blood stream associated with diabetes.

What types of yoga do you offer?

The type or lineage of yoga that I teach is called Viniyoga.  In Viniyoga we adapt the yoga tools to the individual, instead of making the individual fit the yoga.  Viniyoga means appropriate application for the individual.  The Center for Living offers general yoga classes on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, and an adapted yoga therapy class on Tuesdays for those individuals who are fragile and need the support of the chair.  I teach the Viniyoga classes on Tuesdays, I also offer Viniyoga therapy classes at Simmons Cancer Institute, Wednesday mornings and Thursday evenings.  These classes are for those who are coping with cancer and their caregivers, and are free of charge.

Where to go for more information?

My website, www.cnrgy.org, has several links on it.  Other websites are:  Center For Living website, www.st-johns.org; the Viniyoga website, www.viniyoga.com; the International Association of Yoga Therapists website; www.IAYT.org;  the author of “Yoga as Medicine”, Dr. Timothy McCall has an excellent website, www.DrMcCall.com;  also websites for Yoga Journal Magazine, www.yogajournal.com, and Yoga International, www.himalayaninstitute.org.

Balance

Carol Dunaway, RYT500

It does seem like life continually tries to keep us off balance.  We all have many facets to our lives.  Children, jobs, spouses, extended family, our health, community, and social lives just to name a few.  When these areas of our lives are in balance, we feel in balance as well.  If just one area is out of balance, our whole life can feel out of balance.  For example, having a sick child can keep us from focusing at work, and having a boss notice our lack of focus can cause us to be worried about loosing our job, which in turn can cause stomach upset, or loss of sleep, which can influence our relationships with our spouses, etc, etc,….

How can yoga help?  Yoga is about working toward balance.  The key to being able to find equanimity in any balance pose is to understand that balance comes from being strong yet flexible on many different levels.

From the outside looking at someone balancing in yoga pose; it is obvious that you need to have a certain amount of physical strength to maintain the pose.  Indeed, you must have a strong foundation, so the feet and legs must be strong.  Less obvious is the fact that you must also have a strong torso or core, and even less obvious is the importance of being able to focus your attention and quiet your mind.  Perhaps the least obvious of all is the need to be mentally flexible enough to sway or fall out of a pose and get up and try it again, without judging yourself harshly.  (I should be able to do better than that!)

Let’s examine Tree pose, or Vrikasana.  I often start this pose by telling my students to feel as if they have roots.  As they shift their weight on to one leg, I tell them to imagine their lower leg is buried in the earth.  This helps them to contract the muscles around the leg joints to help stabilize them.  As they continue to move into the pose I tell them to feel as if they are growing upward like the tree.  This helps to contract the muscles of the torso, especially around the spine. I also remind them that a tree is flexible enough to sway in the wind.  This helps to become aware of any extra muscle tension that is not needed to maintain the position, for example across the tops of the shoulders.  As they visually focus on a steady point in front of them, I have them become aware of how they are breathing.   Focusing on the breath helps to maintain attention and focus the mind.  I can always tell when my students minds start to wander, one person will begin to sway, and then the others wobble too.

Tree pose is a wonderful way to begin to work on building balance.  It can be done any where any time.  If you are just beginning or you have difficulty with balance, start by standing close to a wall, or keep the toes of the lifted foot close to the floor.  Once you are in position tune into your breath.  Is it fast and shallow with effort?  Try to gently deepen the inhale and lengthen the exhale.  Notice if you are carrying any excess tension in you shoulders.  Exploring various arm positions can be fun, at first you may feel like a willow tree, but with practice you may feel like an oak!

The Eight Limbs of Yoga,

Of the “YOGA SUTRA-S”

 

The book The Yoga Sutra’s is divided into four chapters.  The first chapter is focused on why we practice yoga.  The second chapter is focused on how to practice.  The third chapter is focused on the results of practice.  The fourth chapter focus is the liberation or serenity that comes from practicing yoga.

 

The art and science of Yoga is systematically described in the eight (ashta) limbs, or steps (anga).  Thus, this section of The Yoga Sutra’s is also called Ashtanga Yoga.  It starts in the second chapter with section 2.29; this first list of eight items gives us the components of yoga practice.  Some commentaries say that the order is very important.  We start with how we treat others, and end being able to meditate with great focus and absorption.

 

1. Yama:  codes of restraint, abstinences, your actions in society.
2. Niyama:  observances, self-training, your actions toward yourself.
3. Asana:  physical posture.
4. Pranayama:  expansion of breath and prana.
5. Pratyahara:  withdrawal of the senses.
6. Dharana:  concentration, training your focus.
7. Dhyana:  meditation, full absorption.
8. Samadhi:  deep and complete absorption.

 

Yamas

1. Ahimsa:  non violence, non hurting.
2. Satya:  truthfulness, not misrepresenting.
3. Asteya:  non stealing, taking only what is truly due to you.
4. Brahmacharya:  conserving your vitality, creating balance.
5. Aparigraha:  non possessiveness, non attachment, not being greedy.

 

 

Niyamas

1. Saucha:  purity, cleanliness.
2. Santosha:  contentment.
3. Tapas:  training, work or literally heat.
4. Svadhyaya:  self study, looking within ourselves.
5. Ishvara Pranidhana:  surrender, something greater than self.

Why Should I Practice Yoga?  (Isn’t it just exercise?)

By Carol Dunaway, RYT500, Certified Stott Pilates

Yoga is an ancient system of self improvement.  It includes all dimensions of ourselves: physical, mental, emotional and spiritual.  Yoga is about balancing these to create a better whole person.

Here in the western part of the world yoga is mainly seen as a form of physical exercise.  This is certainly an important component of yoga; however, the yoga system also includes techniques and advice that deal with such issues as diet, self-care, relationships, and ethics.  Ancient yogis knew that creating a strong resilient physical body was important because the body is what “houses” the mind and the spirit.  The physical practices of yoga help to develop discipline, focus, concentration, strength and flexibility.  This creates balance and reduces the potential for injury and disease.

After practicing yoga for a while, a person is likely to become more aware of the interaction among physical, emotional, mental, and energetic systems.  Yoga’s holistic approach takes into account the way your state of mind affects your body as well as the way your body’s condition affects your mind.  It is very difficult to focus on meditation or even on your work when your back is aching, just as it is very difficult to achieve balance in class or even in life when your mind is scattered.

The type of yoga I teach is called Viniyoga.  In Viniyoga the practice is tailored for the individual.  In group classes, I offer modifications to each pose I teach.  This helps to ensure benefit and safety to all of my students, whatever their specific problems or level of skill.  If you were to look around the room, for example, you might see students doing the same basic pose, but differently!  This is the case even if they suffer from the same problem, such as back pain.  In fact, a recent study conducted by the National Institute for Health proved that Viniyoga was more successful in reducing back pain than regular exercise alone.

Yoga is good for much more than back pain, however.  Scientific  studies have also proven its effectiveness in reducing symptoms of arthritis, in improving range of motion and flexibility, in sharpening focus and concentration, in toning and strengthening muscles, in improving circulation, in increasing lung capacity and breathing ability, in normalizing blood pressure, in reducing back pain, in increasing body awareness, in enhancing wellness during pregnancy, in improving balance and coordination, in increasing efficiency of internal organs, in reducing anxiety and reactions to stress, in building relaxation skills, and even in alleviating  menopausal symptoms.

Clearly, yoga encompasses much more than exercise alone.  Yoga’s benefits come from combining all the tools of yogic science.  These include not only the physical postures but breath work, visual imagery, philosophy, and of course meditation.  As we age, techniques such as breath work, imagery and meditation become more and more important to our general well being.  Perhaps we can no longer touch our toes, but we can still improve our lives by breathing more optimally and enhancing our spirit with meditation.