Hatha Yoga Practice for the 9 Rasas

“Rasas are the essences of our emotions that exist in both body and mind. The Indian tradition recognizes the 9 Rasas as representing our most important and basics emotions: Love, Joy, Wonder, Courage, Calmness, Anger, Sadness, Fear and Disgust.”

In Yogic philosophy  “our moods and emotions are continually effected by the play of elements, senses, food and vital energy in our body.

In traditional Rasa Sadhana we temporarily promise ourselves or fast temporarily abstain from an emotion in thought, word or deed to better understand and master the Rasa

In this Hatha Rasa Sadhana we will address the Rasas by bringing awareness to emotion by focusing on them with a series of asanas,

CHECK IN
State your name one word how you are feeling

MANDALA MUDRA - OPENING
"In the circle of wholeness of my true being, I experience my essence as freedom and unity"


SAVANASANA - BODY SCAN
Body Awareness: Body Scan from feet to crown and then breath and heartbeat experiencing the 9 rasas. Adapted from a Chopra Center Gratitude Meditation I have used for Thanksgiving.

FEET AND TOES
Bring awareness to the feet, the toes. What emotion or emotion present here in the feet and toes.. Sense any Love, joy, wonder, calmness, anger, courage, sadness, fear or disgust  in the feet and toes. Bring Awareness to the Toes and feet that wiggle, transport you, walk, run, dangle, dance, kick, fold, leap and point.

HANDS
Bring  awareness to the hands. What emotion or emotion present here in the hands. Sense any Love, joy, wonder, calmness, anger, courage, sadness, fear or disgust  in the hands. Bring Awareness to Hands that hold and touch, and caress, and open and close, and applaud, and squeeze, the arms and shoulders that carry and hug and lift and stretch.

LIPS AND MOUTH
Bring awareness to the lips and mouth. What emotion or emotion present here in the lips and mouth. Sense any Love, joy, wonder, calmness, anger, courage, sadness, fear or disgust  in the lips and mouth. Bring awareness to Lips and mouth that tastes and savors and nourishes, kisses and speaks, that whispers, and sings.

EARS
Bring awareness to the ears, What emotion or emotion present here ears. Sense any Love, joy, wonder, calmness, anger, courage, sadness, fear or disgust  in the ears. Bring awareness to
Ears that beam in sound, music, laughter, the voices of those you love, the silence, the beautiful sounds of life.

NOSE
Bring awareness to the nose, What emotion or emotion present here in the nose. Sense any Love, joy, wonder, calmness, anger, courage, sadness, fear or disgust  in the nose.
The Nose that smells the ocean breeze, the aroma of sweet perfume, the flowers, the trees, newly cut grass, the wafting smells that come from the kitchen, like a turkey baking or cranberries on the stove.

EYES
Bring awareness to the eyes. What emotion or emotion present here in the eyes. Sense any Love, joy, wonder, calmness, anger, courage, sadness, fear or disgust  in the eyes. Bring awareness toEyes that see colors, faces, smiles, nature, the sunrise, the sunset, the rainbow, the moon and the stars, yourself in the mirror.

BREATH
Bring your awareness to the breath, inhale and exhale and the fact that each of these breaths gives your life. What emotion or emotion present here in the breath. Sense any Love, joy, wonder, calmness, anger, courage, sadness, fear or disgust in the breath.

HEARTBEAT
Be aware of the heart beating.  The pulsing. What emotion or emotion present here in the heartbeat. Sense any Love, joy, wonder, calmness, anger, courage, sadness, fear or disgust  in the heart beat. Notice any love and compassion present in the heart.


BREATHWORK - 3 PART Breath in Smiling Heart Pose


HATHA PRACTICE
SADNESS (KARUNA) – VARIATIONS OF CHILD’S POSE

Child’s Pose Walk Arms to Right
Child’s Pose Walk Arms to Left
Moving Hare Pose - Shashankasana
Only that which is never changing is true, and, in maya, everything is continuously changing."
- The fact that nothing last forever is a source of much sadness/suffering
- Karuna also means compassion
- Personal bad luck or something disatrous happening to one's loved ones are the most common causes of sadness
- Ruled by water element and we see this with our tears
- Karuna sadhana means to convert self centered emotion of Sadness to compassion for others
"To directly counter any Sadness, we must first understand that Sadness may come but goes just as well."
Dominant Element: Water
Dominant Kosha: Ego
Key to Mastering: Kindly embrace both truth and ignorance

POSTURE FOR THE LOVE  RASA (SHRINGARA) – VARIATIONS OF CAT COW

Cat/Cow
Thread the Needle Pose
"To master Shringara we must first of all realize that Beauty is everywhere and is always there to be loved." - Peter Merchand
- Shringara literally means "good taste"
- Master of Shringara is the master of the aesthetic sense the person can bring out the beauty and harmony in everything
- Rase of loves and beauty
- enjoying the company of someone
- mood we create when we concentate on creating a loving atmosphere, romance, art, culture
- dominant Kosha is Manomaya Kosha
- sub rasa are Beauty, Admiration, Aesthetic Sentiment and Devotion
- Element is water
- Key for Mastering: Love in good taste but without discrimination
"Shringara Sasdhana means that for a period of time you are ever tasteful, nice, sweet spoken, tender and loving in deed, word, and thought."

WONDER (ADBHUTA) – Modified Sun Salutation  with Dragon Pose

Dragon both sides  with many variations – Breath of Fire
Move into Monkey King
"From the dawn of civilization, human beings have tried to understand everything and are still trying. The feeling of Wonder comes when we recognize our own ignorance. When a wonderful thing happens the intellect is overwhelmed, unable to fully understand it, the mind is completely immersed in the feeling of Wonder, and the ego surrenders to it." - PM
- Brings the promise of learning
- understand that there are things we don't understand
- comes at the beginning of a spiritual journey
- mystery
- "wonder is dominanted by the fire element; the feeling will heat up the entire body." PM
- "The key to Wonder is to remain open-minded toward the miracle of life, which can be experienced in everything."-PM
- "Wonder Sadhana means to completely remain from the idea of understadning anything, to be conscious of our own ignorance....Nothing can be understood; no explanation can be taken for granted; only astonishment is suitable."

Dominant Element: Fire
Dominant Kosha: Mind
Key to MAstering: Humbly accept the mystery of normality


COURAGE (VEERYA) -  Warrior 2 and Variations
Warrior 2
Side Angle
Exalted Warrior

"Vererya or Courage is the Rasa of fearlessness, self-assurance, determination, heroism, valor, concentration and perfect control of the body and mind."
- "To become a real Verrya requires a lot of patience and training. Whether it regards real fighting, any other phsycial capability, or the mental power and balance needed in any endeavor, the required neutral patterns need to be developed step by step until they are real brain highways that can be taken without effort." PM

- "Maintaining any kind of discipline is veerya sadhana... Living perfectly as one knows how,"

Dominant Element: Water
Dominant Kosha: Vijnanamaya
Key to Mastering: Develop power and balance step by step and serve with humble confidence

FEAR  (BHAYANAKA)
Triangle
½ Moon with or Without the Wall

"Fear is caused by ignorance. When something is unknown, the mind can only imagine what it can do and if the ego is not confident enough, the mind will only imagine fearful things."
- Worries
- nervousness
- Jealousy (fear loss of someones love)
"Fear can be overcome by inner strength, Love and truth. When we see only unity in diversity, there is no Fear."
- Fear sadhana need to make distinction between planning and worrying
- Stop from repeatedly going over a plan
- "accept that no of planning can ever forsee all potential obstructions"
Dominant element: Air
Kosha: Manomaya
Key to Mastering: Seek comapny and trust while doing your duty

DISGUST (VIBHATSA) – MOVING BRIDGE and Variations

I chose this pose because:
- Bridge goes over the water element (the element of this rasa)
- Opens heart, solar plexus chakra
- Bridges to ourselves, remove bridges to places and people we should not be involved with
- Disgust or Dissatisfaction with oneself and others
- "In modern times the pressure to perform and excel is so strong that Disgust comes from easily than in times in the past." PM
- We see disgust in depression, dissatisfaction, shame
-  paying attention to Love
- Disgust Sadhana = fasting from disgusting, words, thought or actions
Element: Water
Kosha: Manomaya
Key to Mastering: Ignore it and stop negative identification, whole turning to purification

JOY (HASYA) -  Happy Baby

Do one side at a time and then both sides
"The pursest Hasya is a Joy that comes from within for no apparent reason, and is not linked to actions or events. Yogis call it ahlani shakti or "the power of Joy." Ahladini shakti may also come when we feel God or life is kind." - PM
"When life seems like hell, laughter bring us immediately back to Earth if not to heaven." - PM
"In conclusion, Joy or Humor is a very powerful tool against Sadness, Fear and Anger."
Mantra
OM NO PROBLEM, OM NO PROBLEM
"Pure Joy us endless and creates only more Joy," - PM
"The sadhana of Hasya consists of laughing without end, of fasting on Joy and Humor only... To see Humor of any situation requires a deep understanding of the illusionary nature of the universe."
Key to Mastering: Make others see the beauty of the illusion of life
Dominant Kosha: Manomayakosha
Element: Fire

ANGER (RAUDRA)- Eye of the Needle to Spinal Twist

(I can't find a photo of the twist variation)

"When expectations are not fulfilled, the ego may feel that it has been neglected or treated incorrectly; this forms the basis for Anger."
- 1st chakra anger - expectations that relate to insecurity - violent - involves fear
- 2nd chakra anger - unfulfilled sensory desires -
- 3rd chakra anger - people do not give us the respect we think we deserve
- eyes wide open with anger, causes the whole body to get tight and sense (esp. jaw and hands)
- Fire element
- anger can be a purifier
3 ways to master anger
(1) dissolve the anger the moment it arrives - analyze it and shift to an enemy rasa like Joy, Love and Wonder
(2) address the anger in a nonviolent way
(3) play a role of  being angry toward the person who is misbehaving, so s/he understands a line has been crossed  (is there a way to play a role without being emotionally accepted)

Also
- try to cool down by
a) drinking cool water
b) no sweets or fats
c) avoid pungent, sour and astrigents
d) no alcohol
e) yogurt or lemons

"Anger sadhana means to consciously set aside even good reasons for being angry,"

Element: Fire
Kosha: Ego - Vijnanamayakosha
Key for Mastering: Resist Injustice if needed, but without violence or expectation

PEACE/CALMNESS (SHANTA) - SAVASANA

"For true Calmess, body, mind, ego and intellect must be completely still."
- I consciousness and supremem consciousness become one
- The main way to induce calmness is meditation practices
- keep a balance between needs and desires
- gratitude and taking care of everything and everyone around us
- following our dharma (paying debts to our ancestors - continue the line, universe - take care/gratitude and our teachers - passing on the teachings)
- Calmness Sadhana means remaining calm at all times
- Practice calmness is speech, yogic posture, breathwork

Element: Air
Kosha: Anandamaya kosha
Key to Mastering: Meditate and pay your debts while reducing needs to a minimum



YOGA NIDRA
Rasa Balancing Yoga Nidra.
Observe the feeling tone in your mind. Does your mind feel joy,sadness, fear, disgust . . .
See if you can recognize the emotions with you

Name it using mental noting if you like. Note it two or three times depending on the strength or duration of the feeling - happiness, happiness, joy, joy, disgust, disgust

See if you can locate the emotion in your body. What physical sensations accompany it? Doing you have butterflies in your stomach or a racing pulse

Are your eyelids heavy  and shoulders draw up?

If no emotions come up then keep following the breath

Listen to the tone of your mental noting. It is harsh or tense. - Disgust, Disgust.  Make an effort to note more gently.

Another approach can be when you’ve located the emotion in your body- when you’ve located the emotion in your body-if, for example, you find that anxiety has created a knot in your stomach-check the rest of your body to see whether some other part is tensing up. Are your shoulders hunching up in reaction to original response? Consciously relax this reactive tension in your stomach, It may then begin to relax on its own.

The very act of observance can sometimes dissipate stress, because we are not buying into the emotion, we are simply watching it. We’re not struggling against the experiences but taking an interest in whatever feeling arrives and passes away

If observing your emotions starts to feel overwhelming return to following the breath. You can do this at anytime during the meditation if you need steadying.

If you are distracted by physical pain, note the emotion generated by it, A twinge or ache might be accompanied by a flash of impatience, irrigation or panic. Observe the emotion, name it and allow it to leave

Return to following your breath. After a few moments, end the meditation and open your eyes.

Release any judgment, condemnation or projection into the future, remind yourself that it’s okay to be feeling whatever it is that has come up. Try letting go of those reactions as best you can, and coming back to direct experience in the moment:


Followed by Traditional Yoga Nidra Body Rotation and Breathwork if time Permits

Yin Yoga for the 9 Rasas

“Rasas are the essences of our emotions that exist in both body and mind. The Indian tradition recognizes the 9 Rasas as representing our most important and basics emotions: Love, Joy, Wonder, Courage, Calmness, Anger, Sadness, Fear and Disgust.”

In Yogic philosophy  “our moods and emotions are continually effected by the play of elements, senses, food and vital energy in our body.

In traditional Rasa Sadhana we temporarily promise ourselves or fast temporarily abstain from an emotion in thought, word or deed to better understand and master the Rasa

In this Yin Rasa Sadhana we will address the Rasas by bringing awareness to emotion by focusing on it with a long hold.

MANDALA MUDRA - OPENING
"In the circle of wholeness of my true being, I experience my essence as freedom and unity"

SAVANASANA - BODY SCAN

Body Awareness: Body Scan from feet to crown and then breath and heartbeat experiencing the 9 rasas. Adapted from a Chopra Center Gratitude Meditation I have used for Thanksgiving.

FEET AND TOES

Bring awareness to the feet, the toes. What emotion or emotion present here in the feet and toes.. Sense any Love, joy, wonder, calmness, anger, courage, sadness, fear or disgust  in the feet and toes. Toes and feet that wiggle, transport you, walk, run, dangle, dance, kick, fold, leap and point.

HANDS

Bring  awareness to the hands. What emotion or emotion present here in the hands. Sense any Love, joy, wonder, calmness, anger, courage, sadness, fear or disgust  in the hands. Hands that hold and touch, and caress, and open and close, and applaud, and squeeze, the arms and shoulders that carry and hug and lift and stretch.

LIPS AND MOUTH

Bring awareness to the lips and mouth. What emotion or emotion present here in the lips and mouth. Sense any Love, joy, wonder, calmness, anger, courage, sadness, fear or disgust  in the lips and mouth. Lips and mouth that tastes and savours and nourishes, kisses and speaks, that whispers, and sings.

EARS

Bring awareness to the ears, What emotion or emotion present here ears. Sense any Love, joy, wonder, calmness, anger, courage, sadness, fear or disgust  in the ears.

Ears that beam in sound, music, laughter, the voices of those you love, the silence, the beautiful sounds of life.

NOSE

Bring awareness to the nose, What emotion or emotion present here in the nose. Sense any Love, joy, wonder, calmness, anger, courage, sadness, fear or disgust  in the nose.

The Nose that smells the ocean breeze, the aroma of sweet perfume, the flowers, the trees, newly cut grass, the wafting smells that come from the kitchen, like a turkey baking or cranberries on the stove.

EYES

Bring awareness to the eyes What emotion or emotion present here in the eyes. Sense any Love, joy, wonder, calmness, anger, courage, sadness, fear or disgust  in the eyes. Eyes that see colors, faces, smiles, nature, the sunrise, the sunset, the rainbow, the moon and the stars, yourself in the mirror.

BREATH

Firstly bring your awareness to the breath, inhale and exhale and the fact that each of these breaths gives you life. What emotion or emotion present here in the breath. Sense any Love, joy, wonder, calmness, anger, courage, sadness, fear or disgust in the breath.

HEARTBEAT

Be aware of the heart beating.  The pulsing. What emotion or emotion present here in the heartbeat. Sense any Love, joy, wonder, calmness, anger, courage, sadness, fear or disgust  in the heart beat. Notice any love and compassion present in the heart.

YIN PRACTICE

POSTURE FOR THE LOVE  RASA (SHRINGARA) - Supine Butterfly

Butterflies in the stomach, goose bumps, sweating, trembling, and palpitations of the heart are some of the best-known symptoms of being in love." - Peter Marchand

"To master Shringara we must first of all realize that Beauty is everywhere and is always there to be loved." - Peter Merchand

- Shringara literally means "good taste"
- Master of Shringara is the master of the aesthetic sense the person can bring out the beauty and harmony in everything
- Rase of loves and beauty
- enjoying the company of someone
- mood we create when we concentate on creating a loving atmosphere, romance, art, culture
- dominant Kosha is Manomaya Kosha
- sub rasa are Beauty, Admiration, Aesthetic Sentiment and Devotion
- Element is water
- Key for Mastering: Love in good taste but without discrimination

"Shringara Sasdhana means that for a period of time you are ever tasteful, nice, sweet spoken, tender and loving in deed, word, and thought."

JOY (HASYA) -  Happy Baby

Do one side at a time and then both sides

"The pursest Hasya is a Joy that comes from within for no apparent reason, and is not linked to actions or events. Yogis call it ahlani shakti or "the power of Joy." Ahladini shakti may also come when we feel God or life is kind." - PM

"When life seems like hell, laughter bring us immediately back to Earth if not to heaven." - PM

"In conclusion, Joy or Humor is a very powerful tool against Sadness, Fear and Anger."

Mantra
OM NO PROBLEM, OM NO PROBLEM

"Pure Joy us endless and creates only more Joy," - PM

"The sadhana of Hasya consists of laughing without end, of fasting on Joy and Humor only... To see Humor of any situation requires a deep understanding of the illusionary nature of the universe."

Key to Mastering: Make others see the beauty of the illusion of life
Dominant Kosha: Manomayakosha
Element: Fire



WONDER (ADBHUTA) - Dragon Pose

"From the dawn of civilization, human beings have tried to understand everything and are still trying. The feeling of Wonder comes when we recognize our own ignorance. When a wonderful thing happens the intellect is overwhelmed, unable to fully understand it, the mind is completely immersed in the feeling of Wonder, and the ego surrenders to it." - PM
- Brings the promise of learning
- understand that there are things we don't understand
- comes at the beginning of a spiritual journey
- mystery
- "wonder is dominanted by the fire element; the feeling will heat up the entire body." PM
- "The key to Wonder is to remain open-minded toward the miracle of life, which can be experienced in everything."-PM
- "Wonder Sadhana means to completely remain from the idea of understadning anything, to be conscious of our own ignorance....Nothing can be understood; no explanation can be taken for granted; only astonishment is suitable."

Dominant Element: Fire
Dominant Kosha: Mind
Key to MAstering: Humbly accept the mystery of normality


PEACE/CALMNESS (SHANTA) - 1/2 or full Lotus or Easy Pose

"For true Calmess, body, mind, ego and intellect must be completely still."
- I consciousness and supremem consciousness become one
- The main way to induce calmness is meditation practices
- keep a balance between needs and desires
- gratitude and taking care of everything and everyone around us
- following our dharma (paying debts to our ancestors - continue the line, universe - take care/gratitude and our teachers - passing on the teachings)
- Calmness Sadhana means remaining calm at all times
- Practice calmness is speech, yogic posture, breathwork

Element: Air
Kosha: Anandamaya kosha
Key to Mastering: Meditate and pay your debts while reducing needs to a minimum


ANGER (RAUDRA)- Supported Twist

"When expectations are not fulfilled, the ego may feel that it has been neglected or treated incorrectly; this forms the basis for Anger."

- 1st chakra anger - expectations that relate to insecurity - violent - involves fear
- 2nd chakra anger - unfulfilled sensory desires -
- 3rd chakra anger - people do not give us the respect we think we deserve
- eyes wide open with anger, causes the whole body to get tight and sense (esp. jaw and hands)
- Fire element
- anger can be a purifier

3 ways to master anger
(1) dissolve the anger the moment it arrives - analyze it and shift to an enemy rasa like Joy, Love and Wonder
(2) address the anger in a nonviolent way
(3) play a role of  being angry toward the person who is misbehaving, so s/he understands a line has been crossed  (is there a way to play a role without being emotionally accepted)

Also
- try to cool down by
a) drinking cool water
b) no sweets or fats
c) avoid pungent, sour and astrigents
d) no alcohol
e) yogurt or lemons

"Anger sadhana means to consciously set aside even good reasons for being angry,"

Element: Fire
Kosha: Ego - Vijnanamayakosha
Key for Mastering: Resist Injustice if needed, but without violence or expectation

COURAGE (VEERYA) - Hero Pose

"Vererya or Courage is the Rasa of fearlessness, self-assurance, determination, heroism, valor, concentration and perfect control of the body and mind."

- "To become a real Verrya requires a lot of patience and training. Whether it regards real fighting, any other phsycial capability, or the mental power and balance needed in any endeavor, the required neutral patterns need to be developed step by step until they are real brain highways that can be taken without effort." PM

- "Maintaining any kind of discipline is veerya sadhana... Living perfectly as one knows how,"

Dominant Element: Water
Dominant Kosha: Vijnanamaya
Key to Mastering: Develop power and balance step by step and serve with humble confidence



SADNESS (KARUNA) - Supported Child's Pose

"Only that which is never changing is true, and, in maya, everything is continuously changing."
- The fact that nothing last forever is a source of much sadness/suffering
- Karuna also means compassion
- Personal bad luck or something disatrous happening to one's loved ones are the most common causes of sadness
- Ruled by water element and we see this with our tears
- Karuna sadhana means to convert self centered emotion of Sadness to compassion for others

"To directly counter any Sadness, we must first understand that Sadness may come but goes just as well."

Dominant Element: Water
Dominant Kosha: Ego
Key to Mastering: Kindly embrace both truth and ignorance

FEAR  (BHAYANAKA) - Fish Pose

I chose this pose because it  stretches the front of the body, particularly the throat, chest, abdomen, hip flexors, and intercostals (the muscles between your ribs). It strengthens the upper back muscles and the back of the neck, which improves spinal flexibility and posture. As we open the throat chakra we can speak our truth and no longer be afraid.

"Fear is caused by ignorance. When something is unknown, the mind can only imagine what it can do and if the ego is not confident enough, the mind will only imagine fearful things."

- Worries
- nervousness
- Jealousy (fear loss of someones love)

"Fear can be overcome by inner strength, Love and truth. When we see only unity in diversity, there is no Fear."

- Fear sadhana need to make distinction between planning and worrying
- Stop from repeatedly going over a plan
- "accept that no of planning can ever forsee all potential obstructions"

Dominant element: Air
Kosha: Manomaya
Key to Mastering: Seek comapny and trust while doing your duty



DISGUST (VIBHATSA) - Supported Bridge - legs extended - one leg up - 2 legs up - Waterfall

I chose this pose because:
- Bridge goes over the water element (the element of this rasa)
- Opens heart, solar plexus chakra
- Bridges to ourselves, remove bridges to places and people we should not be involved with

- Disgust or Dissatisfaction with oneself and others
- "In modern times the pressure to perform and excel is so strong that Disgust comes from easily than in times in the past." PM
- We see disgust in depression, dissatisfaction, shame
-  paying attention to Love
- Disgust Sadhana = fasting from disgusting, words, thought or actions

Element: Water
Kosha: Manomaya
Key to Mastering: Ignore it and stop negative identification, whole turning to purification



YOGA NIDRA

Rasa Balancing Yoga Nidra.

Observe the feeling tone in your mind. Does your mind feel joy,sadness, fear, disgust . . .
See if you can recognize the emotions with you

Name it using mental noting if you like. Note it two or three times depending on the strength or duration of the feeling - happiness, happiness, joy, joy, disgust, disgust

See if you can locate the emotion in your body. What physical sensations accompany it? Doing you have butterflies in your stomach or a racing pulse

Are your eyelids heavy  and shoulders draw up?

If no emotions come up then keep following the breath

Listen to the tone of your mental noting. It is harsh or tense. - Disgust, Disgust.  Make an effort to note more gently.

Another approach can be when you’ve located the emotion in your body- when you’ve located the emotion in your body-if, for example, you find that anxiety has created a knot in your stomach-check the rest of your body to see whether some other part is tensing up. Are your shoulders hunching up in reaction to original response? Consciously relax this reactive tension in your stomach, It may then begin to relax on its own.

The very act of observance can sometimes dissipate stress, because we are not buying into the emotion, we are simply watching it. We’re not struggling against the experiences but taking an interest in whatever feeling arrives and passes away

If observing your emotions starts to feel overwhelming return to following the breath. You can do this at anytime during the meditation if you need steadying.

If you are distracted by physical pain, note the emotion generated by it, A twinge or ache might be accompanied by a flash of impatience, irrigation or panic. Observe the emotion, name it and allow it to leave

Return to following your breath. After a few moments, end the meditation and open your eyes.

Release any judgment, condemnation or projection into the future, remind yourself that it’s okay to be feeling whatever it is that has come up. Try letting go of those reactions as best you can, and coming back to direct experience in the moment:


Followed by Traditional Yoga Nidra Body Rotation and Breathwork if time Permits

My Current Yoga Therapy Skills

Pages 1.13-1.16 outline the most important skill areas with which the yoga therapist
should be familiar. The koshas serve as a guide for evaluating areas of greater and
lesser understanding and awareness. Which are currently your strongest areas as a
potential yoga therapist, and what areas do you need more study in?

Annamayakosha – Physical Body:

SYSTEMS OF THE BODY
 Anatomy and physiology for each system of the physical body and the most common
health conditions associated with each.

This is by far one of my weakest areas.

 The effects of stress on each system and stress-related illnesses within the system.

I am learning more about this in the internship.

 How disconnection and lack of awareness manifest as illness in relation to specific
health conditions in each of the systems of the physical body.

I have a basic understanding of this.

KINESIOLOGY

 The mechanics of movement, including healthy movements for each of the joints of
the body, with an understanding of the benefits as well as the contraindications of
yoga practices.

I have some familiarity with the Joint Freeing series and Pawanmuktasana

 Range of motion, including optimal muscle length and strength, for each of the main
muscle groups of the body, including use of the IYT range of motion evaluation.

I am weak here

 Science of stretching and specialized stretching techniques, such as PNF
(proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation).

I know stretching from Yin Yoga but I don't know these techniques.


EVALUATION AND BODY SCANNING SKILLS
 Complete a personal history form with a good understanding of any health conditions
with reference to the benefits and contraindications of yoga practice.

I need more practice.

 Direct a body scanning and mapping exercise at the level of the physical body and
integrate the information gained into a yoga therapy session.

I feel comfortable doing this

 Guide a body awareness and orientation to each of the systems that gives the student
an experiential understanding of the anatomy and physiology.

Need more study

APPROPRIATE APPLICATION
OF YOGA TECHNIQUES
 Teach and adapt yoga poses for a wide variety of individuals and special groups.

I am good at this
 Use props, such as blocks, straps, and ropes appropriately to support the modification of
the poses.

I am good at this

 Use somatic techniques to support healthy movement.
I only know a little about this

AYURVEDA

 Theory and practice of Ayurveda in relation to yoga therapy.
I Only a little bit of knowledge

 Samkhya philosophy, the philosophical foundation of Ayurveda.

I have studied some Samkhya Philosophy

 Five element theory (pancha mahabhuta).
I feel skilled with the elements

 Ayurvedic doshas (vata, pitta, kapha).

I have basic knowledge of the doshas

 How to arrange basic asanas, pranayamas, mudras, and meditation practices in relation
to the Ayurvedic constitution of the student.
I have no knowledge for the doshas.  I can do it for the chakras.

 Administer an Ayurvedic assessment form and integrate the results into a yoga
therapy session.

I don't know this'

 Guide an imagery exercise for balancing each of the five elements.
I can do this

 Guide a yoga nidra to balance each of the doshas.

I don't know this


Pranamayakosha – Energy Body:
 How separation and stress, which manifest as lack of breath awareness and poor breath
patterns, lead to mind/body illness.
I understand this and can teach it

 Science of prana, pranavidya, and its various facets and effects within the body.
I don't know what pranavidya means

 How to assess and balance the five pranavayus using asana, pranayama,
mudra, and imagery.
Some knowledge

 Application of breathing techniques and pranayama for the specific needs of individuals and special focus groups, using the framework of langhana (purification)
and brahmana (tonification) within the context of yoga therapy.
I have a basic knowledge of this

 Specific technologies for developing and sustaining prana, such as kum nye, a form
of Tibetan yoga.
I don't know this

 Understanding of the main nadis, the energy channels in the body, along with
techniques for balancing energy, such as ida/pingala balancing.
I don't know this


CHAKRAS
 Understanding of the chakras and their various effects within the body.
I have a good knowledge of the chakras

 Ability to locate the chakras experientially.
Yes I can

 Knowledge of the philosophy, psychology, and imagery related to each chakra.
Yes

 Ability to lead a chakra awareness exercise and understand where chakra imbalances
exist.
Yes

 Ability to work with chakra imbalances and to offer appropriate asanas, pranayamas,
bandhas, mudras, imagery, and meditation techniques for bringing them back into
balance.
I don't know all the mudras but I know the other things well.

 Ability to combine pranavidya (hands-on energy healing) and chakra healing for the
integration of the energy body as a whole.
Yes I can do this with the Tibetan bowls


 At an advanced level, the yoga therapist is able to employ the esoteric teachings of
yoga, such as tantra, kundalini, yantra, and mudra. These require extensive preparation
on the part of both teacher and student.

I am working on learning the Yantras. I have taken some training in this.

Manomayakosha and Vijñanamayakosha – Psycho-emotional and Wisdom Bodies:
 Ability to describe and differentiate the various aspects of the mind from the
perspective of yoga psychology.
I need more work with this

 Ability to integrate understanding of the gunas into a yoga therapy session.
No

 Knowledge of kriya yoga, which includes tapas, svadhyaya, and ishvara pranidhana,
within yoga psychology and how they form a framework for transformation within yoga
therapy.
No

 Understanding of the vital role of emotions in human health, including an in-depth
understanding of the autonomic nervous system and the brain centers associated
with it.
Working on this

 Use of the eight limbs of Patanjali yoga as a guide for emotional balance and transformation.
I have a workable knowledge of this

 Understanding of stress, including the physiological and psychological aspects.
I have a basic understanding

 Understanding of stress-related illness and its relationship to separation and the five
kleshas.
I need to work more on the kleshas

 Use of yoga, including asana, pranayama, mudra, and meditation techniques, for
stress management.
I feel a can do this on a basic level

 Ability to use a wide variety of stress management techniques involving guided
imagery and guided relaxation.
Yes. I am strong at this.

 Understanding the technology of yoga nidra for working with the mind and emotions,
along with the ability to design and communicate this technique for a variety of
individuals and special focus groups.
Yes. I am good at this.

 Restorative yoga for stress reduction.
Yes. I am good at this.

 Ability to follow the student’s emotional experience appropriately in a group setting
or yoga therapy session.
I am good at this.

 Creative expression of the emotional body through art, full body mapping, and
mandala drawing.
I am good at this

 Concentration and meditation techniques to focus and stabilize the mind as well as to
reduce stress.
I am good at this

 Ayurvedic psychology and how to integrate it into a yoga therapy session.
I don't have much knowledge about ayurveda

 The yamas and niyamas as the ethical foundation of stress reduction.
I am ok at this. I could do more work.

Anandamayakosha – Bliss Body:

 Familiarity with Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras, which forms the foundation of classical yoga
and defines yoga psychology and practice, with a special focus on the eight limbs; how
they form a framework for organizing and teaching yoga therapy.
I have studied the Sutras.  I could study them much more.

 Philosophical and experiential understanding of the “Self,” or indwelling divine essence,
which is the source and meaning of human existence and evolution. The experience of
Self is the realization of the innate unity of all things. On a practical level, this
realization of unity results in freedom from internal and external conflict and, therefore,
from stress and its negative consequences on physical, emotional, and spiritual health.
I need to work on this

 The interrelationship between the various aspects of yoga psychology and how they
form an integrated model, or roadmap, of human development at the personal,
interpersonal, and transpersonal levels.These aspects are the chakras, the koshas,
the pranavayus, and the five elements in relation to the eight steps of ashtanga yoga.
I have a basic understanding.

 A broad understanding of the Vedic tradition from which yoga springs and its foundational
literature, including the Upanishads and Bhagavad Gita.

I have studied some.  I need to study more

Separation and Deep Space 9

Chapter 1, pages 1.11-1.12 outline the role of Separation and Stress in Illness and Healing. Reflect on a time when you or someone you know well has been ill. How did separation and stress play a role in that illness?

"It is imperative to understand exactly what it is that we are healing as yoga therapists. Yoga therapy is not the treatment of specific conditions, but the healing of the separation, disconnection, and imbalance that result in physical imbalances."  Joseph la Page

I remember visiting my uncle Lucius in the hospital.  He had a triple by-pass but refused to give up smoking. He said that "all I have is cigarettes and Deep Space 9."  I will never forget him telling me that. It is one of the saddest things I have ever heard in my life.

The western medical system gave him his by pass but they could not heal his heart because his heart was suffering from a complete heart disease not just a physical one caused by smoking. And there was no bypassing this pain.  The pain needed healing not only bypassing.

"We must be aware of this in order to avoid falling into the allopathic medical model, which says “that for condition X, give treatment Y;” a model that is so ingrained at conscious and unconscious levels." Joseph la Page

I remember my uncle as a nervous angry man with a speech impediment, a stutter. He pronounced my sister's name Lois the same way he pronounced my mom's name.  My mom's name is Dolores and he called her Laures and I didn't understand that. Why couldn't I understand that. And when he used to come to our door asking for Laures I would tell him my sister was at college which made him more frustrated and angry. He, my mom and aunt had a family business they ran together which frustrated everyone involved. It was my grandmother's boarding house in the depths of the North Philadelphia ghetto.

He had 3 biological children and 3 adopted kids from his wife's first marriage.  His wife name was Betty and she big strong woman.  Very much like a black woman you would see in an 80s sitcom. She was kind of like Esther Rolle.

What was it about cigarettes and the TV show Deep Space 9 that made them the only thing that gave my uncle comfort?  A man with 6 kids and a loving wife?

Deep Space 9 was a revolutionary Star Trek for the African-American community because the captain was black. He was smart, well-spoken, powerful and respected.  Maybe those were things my uncle yearned for,

Lucius definitely felt separation from his family because he didn't not mention them as worth living for,

What was Lucius true nature.  Where was his bliss? his Ananda.  I can't believe that it could only be in smoking and watching TV.  There most have been more.  Dreams deferred... dreams forgotten.  I remember the Langston Hughes poem:

What happens to a dream deferred? 

      Does it dry up 
      like a raisin in the sun? 
      Or fester like a sore— 
      And then run? 
      Does it stink like rotten meat? 
      Or crust and sugar over— 
      like a syrupy sweet? 

      Maybe it just sags 
      like a heavy load. 

      Or does it explode?

A great source of Avidya for Lucius (as I am told) is the loss of his son Junior.  Junior died of sickle cell when he was 7 years old.  I don't think Lucius ever recovered from the loss.  His daughter Davida also had sickle cell.  Her whole life was spent going in and out of the hospital.  She was one year younger than me.

I don't remember what Lucius' relationship to God was.  My mother's family were devout Baptists and I assume Lucius was a Baptist too.  But he didn't mention God that day in the hospital room.  He didn't curse him or praise him. He didn't say soon he would join him.  God didn't make that list with cigarettes and Deep Space 9.

I remember his prana being so low in that room.  His spirit was broken his will to live was gone. He had seen too much,  My aunt Frances sometimes would tell stories of how his mother used to beat him and call him a dummy.  But Lucius was a success in my eyes. He was a garbage collector with a pension, healthcare and a good salary. He was a property owner with a few rental properties.  He raised children.  He married a lovely woman.  He raised her children.  Why was it not enough?  Why did none of that seem to count - at least that day in the hospital? Or did the weight of the loss of Junior mean much more than the five children who were alive.

“We do not have control 
over many things
in life and death
but we do have control
over the meaning we give it.” 
― Nathalie Himmelrich, Grieving Parents: Surviving Loss as a Couple

I don't know if yoga therapy could have helped Lucius.  Would he have been able to see himself as not separate as not a lone.  Could he have come to terms with all his devastating losses but still embrace life? Is it already too much just being a black man in America and then lose your only biological son and watch your daughter go in and out of the hospital waiting to lose her too?

I am reminded by the poem by Maya Angelou


You may write me down in history
With your bitter, twisted lies,
You may trod me in the very dirt
But still, like dust, I’ll rise.
....

Did you want to see me broken?
Bowed head and lowered eyes?
Shoulders falling down like teardrops,
Weakened by my soulful cries?
....

You may shoot me with your words,
You may cut me with your eyes,
You may kill me with your hatefulness,
But still, like air, I’ll rise.
....

Out of the huts of history’s shame
I rise
Up from a past that’s rooted in pain
I ri
I’m a black ocean, leaping and wide,
Welling and swelling I bear in the tide.

Leaving behind nights of terror and fear
I rise
Into a daybreak that’s wondrously clear
I rise
Bringing the gifts that my ancestors gave,
I am the dream and the hope of the slave.
I rise
I rise
I rise.

I wish the story ended with that hope. Lucius did not rise. In fact he was lowered into the family cemetery, He died soon after I saw him.  Betty died too and so did Davida.  The other children stopped talking to each other because they began to feud over who had the rights to over Lucius's properties.  I am sad as write about and rehash the story of my uncle Lucius.  And yet I do believe Yoga Therapy could have helped.

"When we are connected to the true Self, the channels of prana are clear and open. When Self-knowledge is absent, prana becomes blocked or insufficient and illness results. As these energy blocks are released, the natural healing qualities, which are one aspect of the body’s intelligence, begin to function optimally and balance is restored." Joseph la Page

When I see my uncle Lucius in my mind's eye I almost see my mother's face. My uncle who with the love of Deep Space 9, a  world where a benevolent intelligent black man was in charge. This love tells me Lucius was still desiring transformation even in the end. But somehow nobody could help him see it for himself.

Yoga Therapist vs Yoga Teacher

When you practice as a yoga therapist, you are teaching yoga, but your vision, commitment and knowledge are deeper. How do you describe the essence of being a yoga therapist compared to being a yoga teacher?

When I go to most yoga classes in my home town and yoga mecca Los Angeles the teacher has a class in mind. The class often gets taught no matter who the students are.  The student is supposed to fit in the class or fit into the system.  The class rarely adapts to the students.  Of course a good yoga teacher offers modifications and options but often I am in  yoga class and I wonder who is this class for because no one can do the poses.  The class isn't matching up with who is there taking it.  And very often the class is unsafe.  

The basic Los Angeles yoga class is not about self knowledge and self-discovery but instead about mastering postures. In the mastery of these postures I have experienced and witnessed others heal their bodies and their lives. That is a testament to the power of yoga.  Even if it is just stripped down to asana, (1/8th of the total system) it still is profound instrument of transformation.

The emphasis is very different between a standard yoga classes and a therapeutic classes.  The emphasis on most yoga is the "work out" or maybe relaxation but in yoga therapy the emphasis is the healing journey, " . . . therefore, yoga therapy selects, adapts, and modifies the practices of yoga appropriately for the individual with respect to age, culture, religion, and specific physical challenges in order to facilitate optimal health and healing of the mind/body."  Joseph La Page, Chapter 1 p.4

When I work as a yoga therapist or teach a class with a therapeutic mindset. I ask the students at the beginning of the class who they are, how are the feeling, what do they need to work on.  I especially do this in my Saturday afternoon Yin Class.  Yin is great because there is a lot time. It's not a therapeutic class per se but I teach it with a therapeutic mind set  My emphasis is not only asana.  Pranayama, Pratyahara and Meditation become equally important.  I take time for body scans and yoga nidra which may not be accepted in a traditional yoga class you get at a studio or a gym.

"Yoga therapy, with its focus on the overall well-being of the student, places equal emphasis on the physical, emotional, and spiritual dimensions of being. This is distinct from some forms of yoga in which the physical may be highlighted, but without in depth understanding and integration of the psychological and spiritual aspects of the person." Joseph la Page, Chapter 1, p,5

Yoga Alliance came down with its decisions this year that yoga teachers couldn't use therapy or healing in their descriptions.  I was even flagged for the name of my 200 hour Yoga Teacher training program which was called "Yoga and the Healing Sciences" I had to make up a name for my program in order not to be blocked on the website. So right now using the word therapy has become a taboo, unacceptable and flagged.  I chose the radical profession of yoga therapist because I wish to facilitate self-knowledge, self-discovery and transformation.  When I introduce myself sometimes I say my name is Nya and in Sanskrit Nya means guide it comes from the verb ni to lead or guide.  Today in this yoga class you are the teacher and I am the guide.  It the essence.  My focus is on the students healing journey not my own agenda or the agenda of the lineage of yoga I practice.

Who can you most serve right now as a Yoga Therapist

Yoga Therapy can benefit a wide range of people. In your vision for yoga therapy, who do you feel you can most serve at this time?

I feel that because of my personal history and Yoga Nidra training I am at best serving people in Yoga Therapy in Mental Health settings.  I feel like I have more understanding right now of the mind than the body. I feel most comfortable and prepared when working with clients suffering from anxiety, stress and/or depression.

My mother is a psychiatric nurse.  My sister has a Masters Degree in Clinical Psychology.  My grandmother was a psychic and read peoples auras, cards and tea leaves.  It as if mental health is the family trade.

I want to further this part of myself in which I feel like a have a natural gift.  I am going up to Expanding Light Ashram next month to do "Spiritual Counseling" training and in November I am going down to Encinitas to take the "Life Force Yoga" Teacher training.  The last thing I hope to do to really feel comfortable is this mental health part of the Yoga Therapy field is to take Nischala Joy Devi's "Healing Relationships" class.

I am not completely at home with the structural part of being a Yoga .  I feel I have a decent structural understanding of the places I have been injured: shoulders, feet, and knees but I need more anatomical understanding and better skills with postural assessments. I took a training in the Yoga Tune Up curricular last Sunday in Newport Beach I want to do more of that.  I think it will help me get more comfortable with the ball and other prop work I was doing with Maria Mendola in her Functional Yoga Therapy program.  I would also like to go up north and study some with Chinnamasta Stiles and get better at assessment and the joint freeing series.  But I think that is all in the future.

Hopefully when I go to India this winter I will also be able to fill some of my holes and strengthen some of my weaknesses.

Stretching the Emotional Body - Yin Yoga for Releasing Shame and Humiliation

1) SAVASANA

Healing Sounds - hand under left rib cage - touching stomach, pancreas is behind your stomach, spleen is inside the left ribs

Notice any shame - worry - anxiety- self pity - constriction

If there is ask for the message

Turn your fingers perpendicular to the floor and press the gently into you abdomen, just below the ribs. right hand in line with sternum and left hand in line with nipple

Open eyes and look up and back
Inhale and exhale hoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

visualize any worry, anxiety, shame or self pity leaving the body as a cloud of gray substance that disappears into the earth

return your hands to below the left rib cage. Close your eyes and smile to your stomavh, spleen and pancreas.  Be grateful for thier toles in digestion and absorption.  Still smiling breath normally as you imagine you are breathing golden yellow light into these organs, for a total of three to six breaths.

REPEAT

Last time

sense that your stomach, spleen, pancreas are larger, moister and softer

Worry, anxiety, shame, self-pity, constriction or imbalance have been released

Openness, fairness, intention, and stability have been increased


2) TOE STRETCH

1st Chakra - Shame

The energy of the first chakra is symbolized as stone. It is the heaviest of energies to be moved
There is a feeling of heaviness or weight associated with first chakra energy.

Feelings of shame, humiliation, repulsion and disgust are all rooted in the first chakra

If you feel really tired after a yoga practice it can be because you are dealing with first chakra energies

When vitalized and balanced through yoga - first chakra energy gives a feeling of safety, security,, trust and openness in life

Right to be here - guilt over his birth - what she sacrificed for him


Work with Mantra LAM


3) 3 PART HAMSTRING STRETCH

Shame is a fear-based internal state being, accompanied by beliefs of being unworthy and basically unlovable. Shame is a primary emotion that conjures up brief, intense painful feelings and a fundamental sense of inadequacy.

Shame experiences bring forth beliefs of "I am a failure" and "I am bad" which are a threat to the integrity of the self. This perceived deficit of being bad is so humiliating and disgraceful that there is a need to protect and hide the flawed self from others. Fears of being vulnerable, found out, exposed and further humiliated are paramount. Feelings of shame shut people down so that they can distance from the internal painful state of hopelessness.

HEALTHY SHAME (GUILT)
– the feeling a person gets when he or she has done something that goes against his or her belief system – Guilt is useful motivation for positive behavior change,

TOXIC SHAME (SHAME)
the belief that one is inherently flawed, bad, and/or defective.
Shame (as opposed to guilt) is self-defeating and depression/anxiety producing.

AFFIRMATIONS

“I forgive myself for not being perfect”
“It is natural to feel ashamed sometimes”
“I am a good person”
“I can learn from and transform my shame”

4) SUPPORTED SUPINE BUTTERFLY

Shame in the 2nd Chakra

The sacral chakra is also the center of the search for experiencial pleasure - sex, senses other experiences

“I enjoy life fully” could be the sacral chakra’s motto.

And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed." So ends Chapter 2 of Genesis. Chapter 3 narrates the Fall and its aftermath: "The eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons." Presumably, they made themselves aprons to cover their nakedness, because they were now ashamed.


An open, balanced sacral chakra allows you to experience intimacy and love freely and fully.

Many addicts i.e. alcoholics, drug addicts, and behavioral addicts live with deeply felt feelings of shame. Shame is nearly always part of the underlying matrix of psychological conditions that can typically lead to addiction.

Shame leads to extreme emotional discomfort and the gnawing belief that one is inherently flawed, defective, and unworthy of love. These feelings can in turn lead to depression, severe anxiety, and lifelong challenges with intimacy and relationships. And all of the above can create a powerful desire to escape and dissociate via the use of addictive substances and/or behaviors.

5) WIND REMOVING GENTLE TWIST

SEXUAL SHAME

sexual shame is among the most powerful and devastatingly painful forms of shame. As Patrick Carnes has often said, sexual secrets are often the cause of our greatest emotional shame, yet they are the secrets we are least likely to reveal.

Sexual shame often forms in childhood, most often as the result of early sexual trauma
Work with some affirmations

WORK WITH MANTRA VAM

6) SUPPORTED BRIDGE

Shame is one of the key energies that blocks us from being free.  If you want to be free you have to let go of the energy of shame. Even if you have blocked the shame from your conscious mind

In TCM Shame is housed in our stomach, spleen and pancreas.  Along with shame (anxiety, guilt, self-pity).  But there are also positive emotions there of stability, fairness, honesty and powerful intention.

The taste that alleviates worry, anxiety shame, guilt and self-pity is sweetness - dried fruit, honey, corn, cabbage, cucumber, jicama. peas, eggplant, lettuce, shitake mushrooms, and string beans

Wearing gold, orange or yellow are considered the colors to strengthen you digestive system and lift your spirits.

Garden, walk in nature, take care of a pet, get some house plant, thank mother earth

MANTRA RAM


7) COBRA - 1/2 LOCUST - FULL LOCUST - AIRPLANE

8) 1/2 BOW - BOW

Shame can be a seriously problem when we ignore or repress our feelings we can create a deep overall sense of frustration.  Shame can be a hidden reason for fear of failure.  It can manifest as worry or anxiety.

Humiliation involves an event that demonstrates unequal power in a relationship where you are in the inferior position and unjustly diminished. Often the painful experience is vividly remembered for a long time. Your vindictive passions are aroused and a humiliated fury may result. There are three involved parties: 1) the perpetrator exercising power, 2) the victim who is shown powerless and therefore humiliated, and 3) the witness or observers to the event.
Humiliation and Shame
Shame is private, humiliation is public.



Because we bury shame so deeply its energies are found very deep inside the body, close to the core or root of our being.  It's energy is wrapped tightly around the lowest part of the spine between L5 and s5.  When it released you will feel a sudden freedom in the movement in the lower vertebrae of your spine.


Yoga poses that focus on the sacral vertebrae can trigger a release of emotional energy of shame in the body (2nd chakra)


9) CHILD'S POSE TWIST

The essential distinction between humiliation and shame is:

you agree with shame and you disagree with humiliation.

Humiliation is suffering an insult. If you judge the insult to be credible, then you feel shame. Others can insult and humiliate you, but you will only feel shame if your self-image is reduced; and that requires your own assessment and decision.

A person who is insecure about their genuine stature is more prone to feeling shame as a result of an insult. This is because they give more credibility to what others think of them than to what they think of themselves. This can result in fragile self-esteem.

People believe they deserve their shame, they do not believe they deserve their humiliation. Humiliation is seen as unjust.


Shame and humiliation have the greatest potential for emotional damage.  they cause the greatest aversion in us.  When we feel deep shame it can force out to block out or consciously denylarge parts oa our life in attemt to bury and hide that shame.  WE can rewite our entire personal history based on our reluctanve to deal with the emotion of shame.  We can rewrite our histories and be told untruths


10) CRAB (time permitting)

Shame is a controlling device.  Shaming someone is an attempt to prevent the person from behaving in a way that embarrasses us.


In Yoga of Nine emotions shame is cateorgorized as a sub rasa of disgust.

Shame is a form of disgust, in which one recognizes one's own faults, feels disatified of oneself because of it, and fearful of other's people's judgment.  Disgust has a visible sign of unconsciously lifting the left side of the mouth,

11) HALF WARRIOR/DRAGON/BREATH OF FIRE/DRAGON TWIST

The feeling of shame in the pit of our stomach arises from the false belief that what we’ve done has diminished us, that it has defined us either in our own eyes or in the eyes of others as something “less” than what we had been. Perhaps you’ve felt the following before:
Flip flops in your stomach when you think on the issue
A sense of contraction or of involuntary sucking in of your stomach when you think about the issue
Nausea when you think about your issues
A sense of your stomach dropping out when you think on the issue
These physical feelings are your body’s way of showing you that your beliefs are off and that the sensations of guilt, shame, and remorse are due to your thoughts around what you’ve done, rather than what you’ve actually done. But if you listen to your body’s signals, you can turn around your beliefs about you’ve done and what you’re experiencing and rid yourself of your suffering.

12) 1/2 LORD OF THE FISHES (time permitting)

SHAME RESILIENCE

coined by Brene Brown who encourages everyone to become more resilient to shame,

We feel shame in the third chakrabecause we have given our power away to someone or something else.

We have decided that whatever we have done has diminished us to the point that if others found out, we would be considered bad.

We have elevated the thoughts and opinions of others over our own sense of self.
And yes, it’s that we’ve internalized these external beliefs so that it’s our own shame. But if you explore your feelings more fully, you’ll see that your shame is based on having thoughts of being exposed, that someone you love and/or respect will find out what you’ve done and you’ll be rejected or criticized or made to feel bad.

Remember, what you’ve done has NOT defined. It’s what you think about what you’ve done that defines you.


To start to heal your shame, I would recommend, in addition to reading Brene Brown’s book on shame, I Thought It Was Just Me, you can also understand that it is only your thoughts that create the belief around your sense of shame and it is you who creates the meaning out of what you’ve done.
So you’ve bounced a check, does that mean you’re a bad person or you made a mistake?
So you said something boundlessly inappropriate, does that mean you’re stupid or you made a mistake?

Whatever you have  done - no matter who bad you think it is - does it define you or can it be considered a mistake

Can you heal your shame and use it for a tool for transformation, do the right thing in this moment, and in the next moment, and in the next, and be the person you’re supposed to be, without the shame


The color of shame is a dirty, pale, salmon pink.  See if you can locate that color in your body and you can find the shame

1/2 HAPPY BABY INTO GENTLE TWIST

When you know you’re going to be in a tough situation, such as the first time you say no and stick to your guns, knowing you’ll disappoint that certain someone, or when you need to have a tough discussion with your colleagues, or it’s time to ask for a raise, don’t go “belly to belly”. In these situations, turn slightly so that you are positioned so that your solar plexus isn’t facing him/her/them directly.  This prevents their energy from entering your chakra’s aura and allows you to better maintain your power and will.
When a conversations starts to go wrong and you can feel yourself losing your power, put your hand up and block your solar plexus’ aura so that you aren’t being bombarded with their chakra energy.
Another way to increase your power in the middle of a situation is to, in addition to physically blocking your solar plexus, is to visualize your solar plexus as a disk or a ball of light and that it is getting bigger, warmer, and brighter. Quickly imagine it growing in intensity and you will feel your power flow back to you.


FULL HAPPY BABY

Laugh
Laughing at life can greatly increase your sense of power by not taking everything so seriously.
Rent a comedy and really laugh for as long as you can.

The antidote for shame is self-love and self-praise.  Can make a list of past compliments and good reviews.


SAVASANA TO YOGA NIDRA WITH HEALING SOUND