Bhujangasana-Cobra Pose

Bhujangasana or Cobra Pose

Cobra pose is a flexibility pose.

Roll from your back onto your stomach.  Bring your legs and feet together with your toes slightly pointed.  Place your palms beneath your shoulders, and while inhaling, gently begin raising your eyes, head, neck, and chest upward off the floor.  As much as possible, use your spinal muscles rather than your arms to lift yourself up.  In the beginning you will notice that your lower abdomen remains on the mat, or floor.  Keep your shoulders back and down, and have your elbows slightly bent with arms close to your side.  Lift your face towards the heavens, and notice that your legs are together with tops of your feet on the floor. With practice, your lower lumbar area will strengthen and you will find that your abdomen will be able to lift higher off the floor.

There are many variations of Cobra Pose depending on your level of ability so go easily, and allow your breath to lift your upper body off the mat developing strength in the lower body, back and arms.  Your breath will bring oxygen to each and every cell in your body and will create increased flexibility, strength, focus, and a sense of clarity.  Remember not to overextend by pushing your body off the floor, go easily and follow your breath.  As your repeat the up and down motions of Bhujangasana, use your hands to provide support while you inhale.  Stretch and extend through your neck, and notice the sensations of your spine as it lengthens, and strengthens.  Rest gently in Balasana or child’s pose-then flow gracefully into Bhujangasana, repeating this sequence, easily and effortlessly. Notice the flow as you become more flexible as you strengthen your body, mind and igniting the light of love within.  This asana opens the Anahata Chakra, the heart center of love, compassion, empathy, caring, unbounded joy, and sense of peace.

Repeat, and let the breath lift you as you develop a heightened state of intuition and insight.

Enjoy,

yoginid

A Life Free From Struggle

A Life Free From Struggle – Discourse notes-Deepak Chopra at Primordial Sound Meditation Graduation

Deepak informed our small group of new Primordial Sound Meditation Instructors that we are now certified Ambassadors for Peace.   We were congratulated for raising the bar for all Primordial Sound Instructors of past and present.  Deeapk expressed how proud he was of us and encouraged us to ask our clients, friends and family  to log onto You Tube and type in I TAKE THE VOW, a short video about creating universal, and social peace. We were reminded to maintain the living, breathing example of peace, in all areas of our lives.

Deepak talked about truth consciousness, and discussed how he  and his co-founder Dr. David Simon had developed a skill set, a formula to awaken our awareness of the true meaning of a life Free From Struggle. We Instructors were stringently trained, read, and reviewed while being tested, and supported while we learned to identify the components of living a graceful, fulfilling, purposeful life. Deepak spoke passionately about living from a state of spirit consciousness, and how our spirits are not separate, but united with all things, all people and worlds. It was noted that real suffering is the result of loss of spirit, resulting in joylessness, a state of not knowing the greatest part of our being which is invisible, infinite and immortal.  The dictionary states that struggle is a verb and refers to fight, fighting, turmoil, distress and causes physiological challenges of the mind, body, and spirit. Struggle is a blockade that prevents us from being able to manifest our deepest desires, and leaves us with feelings of frustration causing premature aging, destruction and despair.  This kind of suffering is world wide and real, beyond material, and is contagious.

As Peace Ambassadors, we have committed ourselves to ultimately remove all needless suffering by becoming conscious of life, through our breath, emotions, experiences,  reflection and goal setting. The whole essence of the Chopra Center for Well Being is based on the foundation of the Vedanta which is sacred text drenched in the understanding of the self beyond body, mind. The Vedanta is filled with beautiful writing, philosophy, and reminds us that universal spirit is free from suffering.

You may ask, how can we remove ourselves from suffering when there are so many kinds of suffering.  There is suffering that is physical, emotional, and environmental.  Regardless of our physicality or environment, suffering happens when we identify through our ego and is fear based. Suffering is usually passed on from family to family, conditioned into us as children, and is fear based. Fear based living results in feelings of isolation, stagnation, and joylessness. For example, we may have physical ailments, but that does not mean that you have to live in a state of suffering. Learning to live from love can be learned through the process of identification.

Suffering is a choice and reminds us that we are allowing our egos to get in the way.  Some of the poorest nations, physically challenged people have the happiest life for they are not identifying the world through the eyes of their ego.   Think of a small helpless puppy or child, free from struggle, or identification of limitations. When we worry about what other people think, or fear death, we are in ego, we are in essence struggling.  Think about it, according to the most current studies, animals don’t worry about death, or about what other people think.

We were taught that experiences occur from that part of our being which are our thoughts, imagination, memory, insight, and consciousness.  Experiences are more valuable to the restoration of happiness than materialism which is transitory, temporary and lasts only as long as the novelty is there.  Therefore to increase our joy, choose experiences over monetary goods.  The intention of happiness, having a life free of struggle empowers us by learning that we can create our joy and reality by being aware of the power of thought.

Creating a stroke of luck is possible by the use of Intentions and Desires, Freedom from the Known. Collapse of possible happiness occurs when we are in ego.  By becoming aware of the space in between thoughts we are stepping into the field of infinite possibilities.  Trust your feelings.   There are ultimately only two feelings, that of comfort or discomfort, and let your heart be your guide, become aware that everything is connected, everything has synchronicity.  The universe is the play of consciousness that is entangled, entrained with creative solutions allowing us freedom from the sense of struggle.

Foremost, we must understand that the right hemisphere of our brain thinks in images, visions and that the left hemisphere of our brain thinks in language, analyzes, calculates, intellectualizes.  The left/right side of the brain naturally dominate in cycles and through the use of meditation, and breathing, we can integrate, and synthesize both sides of our brain resulting in our ability to manifest our deepest desires and dreams.  Through meditation, we are able to move back and forth from left/right brain, from local to non-local domains of consciousness with effortless ease, finding spontaneous unfolding of seemingly impossible scenarios. When we realize we are more than these physical entities, we begin to experience no struggle, a sense of Moksha, or freedom.

There are a few things you can do to guide your body toward happiness and move from a state of individuality to universality. When we are open to this expanded state of consciousness, we can better identify when our stories, our memories, prevent us from living a life free from struggle.  After a while, we become tired of telling our sorry story over and over again.  We begin to hear ourselves as we learn to listen and notice when we repeat the same old victimized experiences.  This is suffering by choice. This kind of suffering keeps us localized in the body and prevents us from universal connectivity.  It is important to share your story, and then release it.  Don’t deny your history, or pain;  recognize the effect it has had  on your  life, share it, then transmute, transcend and experience your life free from struggle.

Witnessing, and recognizing choices in consciousness is important for the manifestation of all your desires.  Whatever you choose to see will change the world you live in.  The fight-flight response is part of our limbic brain and is the oldest part of our brain that is reptilian and is the most primitive. Through meditation we can move beyond reactive states of behavior into a state of restful awareness, void of all suffering, real or imagined. This entrainment results in expanded states of unexplainable bliss, joy, freedom, unboundedness.

Deepak suggested that we begin the release of all struggling by associating with people who notice your strengths and have similar values, and interests.   It is important for our happiness and health to surround yourself with happy people, and expand your network of happy friends, family, associates, experiences.  Deepak pointed out that people generally buy things to impress people that they don’t even like. Therefore, spend your money on experiences that create joy, and feelings of fulfillment, instead of things.

As Peace Ambassadors, we have learned to mind-map, seeing and creating worthy goals, noticing that all aspects of yourself require attention, appreciation, nurturing and development.  These aspects include our careers, our social life, our spiritual self, our physical body, our financial state, and our connectivity to our community.  Happiness for the whole body requires consistent review, growth, and attention.  Suffering is a choice that we can overcome.  As we begin to connect to these components of joy we find that all good things happen to us and our life works for us.  All experiences and past that were previously deemed as obstacles, can be transmuted into freedom from suffering, by noticing the vast pool of creative alternatives.

People, animals, pay attention and notice when you are happy, free from struggle and will want to be around you.  Social well being is very important, so is taking care of your body by eating whole foods, getting plenty of sleep and regular exercise. Remember that your body is in a constant state of processing, and you can resurrect your spirit with attention on your body’s needs.   You choose.

Life as a Peace Ambassador creates a quality of life that is beyond imagination.  Try it, create peace, free yourself from the prison of suffering.  Quality is more important than quantity.  Peace, love, laughter and happiness heals, free yourself from all struggle. Let your spirit be your guide.

Namaste,

Deborah Shemesh

Growing Relationship –

Growing Relationship-Wednesday, February 23rd, 2011

Earth Rise at Institute of Noetic Sciences bring together The Seven Spiritual Laws of Yoga, developed by Drs. Deepak Chopra, David Simon and Claire Diab. Begin the afternoon with meditative yoga by Deborah Shemesh followed by a class on Growing Relationship based on the curriculum of Dr. David Schnarch as taught by Melissa Smith Baker.  Dr. Schnarch’s formula is now taught at Harvard University and is honored as the number one most favorite class by all students. This event is scheduled for Wednesday, February 23rd at IONS from 2-5 p.m. and is open to all people.  The afternoon begins with meditative yoga and is followed by a workshop to help you better understand your relationship to self, and others.  Together these unique and creative courses just may bring about change;  generating greater happiness, health and well being.

Earth Rise at IONS: located at: 101 San Antonio Road, Petaluma, CA  94952.  You can register at the door, or call Melissa Baker at 707-827-1660.  Checks can be mailed to reserve your space: Melissa Smith Baker, 708 Gravenstein Highway North #79, Sebastopol, CA  95472. Price is only $45.00 for both classes.

For more information, please visit www.lovingforkeeps and www.deborahshemesh.com.  Growing Relationship is listed at IONS event schedule with biography and directions.  Remember, all relationships are mirrors of your soul.

Reserve your space today, only $45.00 per person, all ages welcome.  We encourage you to bring a friend, your mat, camera and take time to enhance your relationship with self, and others.  Namaste, and fertilize the soil of your soul.  There will be a raffle for a FREE 21 Day Meditation CD by Chopra Center University Master Educator davidji, and surprise guests.  Step into the field of all possibilities, embrace the unknown. Early bird special, pay by February 21, for only $30.00. Send payment to Melissa Baker, and or Deborah Shemesh.  Couples are included in this special a “two for one” relationship bonus.  See website for contact information-offered by Deborah and Melissa.  You can come for either both classes or one.  Enjoy the labyrinth, the ancient tribal grounds.  Come trail away, practice yoga, learn conscious communication, or just be.

Enjoy,

Namaste and Love,