Yoga at Midlife: Insights on Samvega and Healthy Aging ~ by Marjorie Ames

“For those who seek liberation wholeheartedly, realization is near.” (1.21)  ~ The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali (Hartranft, p. 98)

Yoga at Midlife

One of the many benefits of the increased integration of yoga into modern life is that, along with more people practicing yoga throughout the United States and experiencing the physical and spiritual benefits, health scientists have begun to take notice. For decades, there has been a strong and accepted link between physical activity and health, to include countering the effects of aging. Emerging scientific evidence demonstrates that yoga and meditation practices can slow physical and mental decline – even on a cellular level – and more importantly, contribute to extending health and well-being.

Popular sources as varied as The New York Times and the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) are now discussing the results of research into the health benefits of yoga to form recommendations for healthy living. …

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Trauma and Mindful Practices to Relieve Suffering ~ by Sandi Marino

“Go in and in. Be the space between two cells, the vast, resounding silence in which Spirit dwells...
Go in and in and turn away from nothing that you find.”

 –Danna Faulds

Many Yoga masters, therapists, and somatic psychologists believe everything we’ve ever experienced is stored in the body. Even when the memory is repressed, the body remembers. While some people think of trauma as a mental problem or disorder, trauma actually occurs in the body. This trauma may be held somatically, expressed as a chronic aches or pains or a sense of injury. While talk-based therapy serves a critical role in the healing process, it fails to address the ways trauma is held in the body. Yoga addresses the somatic experience through physical movement and restorative action patterns, which is why trauma-sensitive yoga is emerging as an effective adjunct treatment for trauma survivors. …

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Through the Lens of Suffering: Why Yoga Helps Heal Despair and Trauma ~ by Margaret McBride

… Through the lens of those suffering from despair, anxiety, PTS, trauma and other ills, we can all learn – or be reminded – how and why yoga helps.

I believe yoga helps because it focuses on being present to what is and what our body feels. Most importantly, yoga gets us into our body and the present moment – where we can find comfort in our own breath, sensations and skin. Breath, movement, meditation and yoga nidra (among other yoga practices) support what is needed for healing from depression and trauma. …

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A Letter to the Breath ~ by Becky Biederman

'...if you feel like givin' me a lifetime of devotion

I second that emotion...'

'I Second That Emotion'

~ Smokey Robinson

Dear Breath,

When I started taking yoga in 2010, I had no idea how important you would become to me. I had wanted to take yoga lessons for a very long time in order to find peace. It was fascinating for me to learn that you were a pathway there.

I had no idea about any of the breathing practices. I had no idea about movement and the breath. Naturally, I realized I breathed in and out all the time. I knew if I moved faster, I breathed faster, and when I slept, I breathed slower. But, I did not know that I could work with you to help me keep calm and balanced and stable to any extent. It was a revelation!

From the beginning, my teachers talked about you. And from the beginning, I realized I wasn't breathing very well. Oh, those first belly breaths and feeling the ribs expand outwards, sideways, and breathing up into the collarbones! Who even know the lungs came up that high?! But, then my entire torso felt like a cavern – so open and free!!

Becoming aware of you is the first step. …

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Welcome to the Beginner Teacher's Guide to Chair Yoga! ~ by Natalia Garcia Valencia

The idea for this project came to me during a level 1 class observation. A few minutes prior to the class start, the teacher was informed that she would have a drop-in student join the class, and that he would require the use of a chair, due to his physical limitations. While this particular teacher's class plan for that day did not include the use of a chair, she proved to be incredibly flexible, accommodating , and by thinking quickly on her feet, she modified poses by using a chair. The class was a success. In addition, I realized, that during the teacher training process, I have been building a "toolbox" of skills, which will all help me, when I begin to teach yoga to my students.

The following pages are designed to give you ideas, to spark your own creativity, and most importantly, to help you, when you find yourself in a bind. Here you will find simple chair asanas, along with modifications, which can be appropriate for levels 1 and 2 classes. …

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Eyes on Yoga ~ by Kathleen Stemplinski

… The benefits of eye yoga range from better vision to increased concentration and spiritual insight. In yoga we learn to focus our eyes with precision. We direct our gaze purposely at a drishti which can help direct the energy of the pose. In balances the dristi can keep you keep upright; in twists, it can help you turn further. In general it helps us stay mentally clear. …

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The Pelvis ~ by Dena Jensen

Understanding and visualizing the way the body works can be an effective tool in self study. Self discovery and self study enhances the yogic experience. The inner workings of the body remain a mystery to most people. This paper will describe the bones and muscles of the pelvis in an effort to begin unraveling the mystery of this important part of the body. …

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