WEEK TWO: Vitality

WEEK TWO: Vitality

"Vitality is very simply an energy that comes from living a life of enlightened knowledge and action. When we do what we know to be right and true, we are revitalized and renewed right where we live."

I think about this in terms of the glow, or radiance we project when we are living honestly, gently. You know the feeling, it is without ego or insecurity. It is the condition of whole joy. By staying present we will begin to notice that we are right-minded in our thinking and we will be guided to right-action. This must lead to an increasing sense of peacefulness and joy. That is our heritage of Vitality, which we have forgotten in our hurried lives.

We do not have to try to, or pretend to be Gandhi, Jesus, Buddha, or Mother Teresa. With an open mind and heart, our true paths will be revealed to us. Not everyone is called to give up all worldly possessions and minister to the poor, or take on great causes. All paths are valuable and essential if we are to play our part in guiding the world home to its rightful place of perfect peace.

The Buddha’s wife noticed:

“You radiate a different light. Your presence is totally new and fresh; your eyes are pure and clear....(but) could you not have attained it right here at home in your palace? Did your home and family somehow prevent you from finding truth and transformation?”

And the Buddha learned:

“I could have done it right here at home...There was no need to go to the mountains, no need for me to go anywhere. I had to go inside myself, and that could have happened anywhere.”

1. Week Two Yoga Practice:

See pp.103-117 in the book. Most of us are practicing 5-6 days/week, so we do not need to review this section.

How did you feel in your practice last week?

2. Week Two Balancing Diet:

“The chief pleasure in eating does not consist in costly seasoning, or exquisite flavor, but in yourself.”

Let’s seek Vitality in our food this week.

Last week we identified our current dietary tendencies, hot or cold excess, a need to cleanse or build. How did you do? If anyone needs support related to last weeks ideas, please post here contact Joan.

“The nutritional equivalent of Vitality is Fresh Food.”

This week we begin to look at our food choices. Are we seeking the quick and easy (usually processed foods), or are we carefully preparing our meals from non-processed whole foods. The further removed our food is from it’s source, the less it has retained it’s nutritional value. Baron cautions us that this may take a little more time, but this is not a sacrifice...it is a joy!. That could become an excuse. I challenge you to look at your schedule. I’m sure that we all could find those extra 5 minutes to create meals that nurture us “wholly”. If you are interested we could share recipes and ideas.

Week Two Diet To-Do

• Make fresh, whole foods the focus of your diet this week. Incorporate whole fruits, vegetables,lean meats, fish, and whole grains into your diet.
• Avoid the middle aisles at the grocery store, stick to the outer aisles.
• Begin to give thanks for your food, it’s source and it’s strengthening power for you.

3. Week Two Vitality Meditation: (10 minutes twice a day)

It often happens that we backslide a bit as we begin to see and feel our True Self, our Vitality, emerging. Just when the yoga practice, diet, and mediation start to have a noticable affect on us, physically and emotionally, bad habits, behaviors may start to tempt us. Now we are ready to run. Let’s stop and think of this, instead: We merely feel that the light is too bright, and we are scrambling to shut the door. It is actually our beliefs about our worthiness that are getting in our way. Our beliefs are rearing their ugly heads.

This week we will begin to change those tapes or beliefs that seem to start swirling around in our heads just when we start to feel good! Or they appear when we are down to “prove” to us that we got what we deserved. Let’s confront those tapes directly and see if they can stand up to our honesty!

“These tapes are programs and conditioning from our past, and holding on to them robs us of our vitality and energy.”

Meditation-to-do for this week:

· 10 minutes in the morning, 10 minutes in the evening.

· As you sit, begin to notice the top 10 themes that play in your mind. Simply observe them, without judgment. Be lighthearted.

· Label them if it is helpful: “the victim tape”, “the worrier tape”, “the people-pleaser tape”, “the blame tape”.

· Meet these tapes with an open heart.

· Gently let these labels, patterns go.

· Begin to notice how draining these tapes can be, and how much more vitality you experience when you let them fade away.

Hi Everyone-
Today is day 5 and this is the first time I have participated in the 40 day program.
It is "way" different from the inside- out. I am sore- and trying to honor that as a good thing!
I wanted to share somthing Sheri said in her class... THINK SELF- HEALING THOUGHTS.
It really hit me, how easily our critic comes up.
This 40 day reteat- is really a time to invest in self healing thoughts.

Have you been aware of the food that goes in your body? A good way to do this is before something goes in - just check in and ask "do I want this?" If you do -no matter what it is -enjoy it. It might be good to ask a few hours later, " how did that make me feel?" This slowly helps to build a healthy relationship with food.

This week-I learned alot asking these two questions.

I am honored to be doing this with you all.

A few more quick notes:

• ATM and SPY are both on this blog- so that makes about 70 of us!
• Svaroopa Thurs nite is for folks with Svaroopa expeirence
• This Tues from 11- 11:45 we will have a check in time for those who cannot make monday or tues would be better- if it is well attended we will keep that time too.

Yoga on, Joan

All That Matters - Salt Pond Yoga 40 Days to Personal Revolution Blog

All That Matters - Salt Pond Yoga 40 Days to Personal Revolution Blog

Welcome to ATM-SPY's 40 Days to Personal Revolution. Get ready for a remarkable journey!

"Many of us are searching without knowing exactly what we are looking for. Some of us go on a diet to lose weight and try all kinds of programs and workshops to make ourselves feel better, or perhaps we throw ourselves into our work and seek wealth and status to fill the void, but underneath an emotional emptiness remains. No matter how much we try to gloss over that yearning with temporary fixes, it is still there, whispering the truth: that what we need isn't another quick fix, but rather a rebirth - a whole life revolution." (40 Days to Personal Revolution, Baron Baptiste).

• Awaken the sacred in your soul and radically change your body.
• 40 Days to Personal Revolution will change your life.
• 40 days of yoga, meditation, and balancing diet.

Morning class

We are trying to decide if we should add another early morning class. Please let me know if you would attend another early morning class. E-mail lizdufresne@cox.net If we have at least 6 people committed to coming in the morning we will add another class.

or...

For an additional $50, you are free to attend any classes (including 5:45-6:45 a.m. M-F) at Salt Pond Yoga in Charlestown.
http://www.saltpondyoga.com/default.asp

There were 30 folks at the Monday Meeting- the revolution has begun!
If you missed the meeting here are a few notes:

• all yoga classes are drop in- no reservations
• you are also welcome to go to the tues meditation classes at 7:30 pm for free
• there is a packet and 40 day card at the front desk for you
• please check in with the front desk each time you take yoga
• this week in addition to yoga- find 5 minutes twice a day to meditate and be aware of everything you put in your body.
• next monday nite- Dave Dwyer will be joining us to talk more about meditation.

Yoga on! Joan

Week 1: Presence

Week 1: Presence

Week 1: Come into Your Body through PRESENCE

Beginning Monday September 24

"In Week 1, your focus in on waking up and becoming fully present to your body, mind, and life. Most importantly, though, begin to see the underlying factors that are contributing to whenever you feel stuck in your life." Baron urges us to look beyond the form that the dysfunctions in our lives take: the overeating, self-sabotaging, dramatizing...whatever. Instead, become present to what is under these behaviors, "Seek the Truth". And he reminds us of a quote from the Bible "When you know the truth, the truth will set you free." It is time to stop trying to "heal deep wounds with surface Band-Aids." We need to get quiet enough to see the Truth. Then we will see beyond form, we will begin to know the Truth of ourselves.

1. Yoga Practice: See this section in book. Most of us will be doing our regular classes throughout the 40 days. If you have any specific questions about the practice or postures, bring them to your yoga teacher. Commit to at least 20 minutes of yoga, 6 days this week.

2. Week 1 Balancing Diet: Before the start of the 40 days, please read pages 93-98. This will help you identify your personal dietary tendencies, hot/cold, deficient/excessive. You will know what is right for you. This is good, because we are slowly eased into the dietary adjustments...nothing too drastic this week.
To-Do:
Identify yourself in the patterns of hot/cold, deficient/excessive.
Begin to include some of the foods that your body needs into your diet.

"You don't have to overhaul your entire diet all at once-this is using the brute force of your will,...willpower does not work. If you start to make the changes in smaller chunks, at whatever pace feels intuitively right for you,...you will rediscover a sense of rightful balance...One thing that will help support making these changes is your daily yoga practice. Your mat becomes a mirror, and as you step onto it every morning, you will be able to start seeing the direct effects of your diet."

3. Presence Meditation (5 minutes)

"Meditation cultivates presence." Read pg. 99. 5 minutes in the morning and 5 minutes at night.
The focus of this week's meditation is to direct our mind to the moment at hand. Using right aim and right energy (neither too much, nor too little) we practice presence. We do this by focusing our mind on this breath, not the one before or the next one, simply this breath.
Direct meditation questions to Dr. David Dwyer, or your yoga teacher.

4. Week 1 Presence Excavation Questions:

"The excavation questions will shine a light on the dark corners of your mind, where we all store the beliefs and patterns that are holding us back in life."

Remember, friends, we are committed to full participation in this process. We may believe that our thoughts are "healthy" , but our underlying beliefs are sabotaging us, unconsciously. That explains why we continue to think we are suffering, on any level, from "The world is against me, everything is wrong", to "I know I would be really happy if just this little adjustment were made...I lost 5 pounds, so-and-so did or said the right thing, I found the perfect partner, if I had more money, the right job, house..." and on and on. These thoughts reflect an underlying dissatisfaction. So lets challenge ourselves to examine those thoughts.
Please consider these questions as the week progresses, comment as you feel guided to do so:


a. How much am I taking responsibility to learn and grow from the experiences, both easy and difficult, that I have in my life?

b. What are my beliefs about:

• My body (Do I believe it is too heavy, too weak, or just right? Do I believe it serves me well?
• My relationships? (Do they nourish me? What purpose do they serve in my growth and in my life? Do I believe I am treated as I want or ought to be?)
• My work? (Is it fulfilling?)
• Spirituality?(Do I believe in a higher power?)
• Sex? (What role does it play in my life? Do I experience shame or joy around it? Do I misuse it? Do I see it as a vehicle for spiritual and emotional expression?)
• Money? (Do I believe it is the root of all evil, or does it simply give me freedom to do what I want in life? Do I have a lot of fear around making it or keeping it?)

c. When in my life am I fully present? In my job? With my partner or kids? When I am working? When I am playing? When I am alone?

d. Where in my life am I hiding? In other words, where do I privately know that I need to take more responsibility and/or become fully present?

e. Where in my life am I flirting with disaster?