EY Ceremony Yoga & Wellness Lesson

 

Health and wellness of mind, body and spirit are our true wealth. Without our vibrant health we are limited in our abilities to enjoy life to the fullest. When we are ill or struggling with our health it can affect our mood, relationships and all area’s of our life. This lesson will discuss the miracle of the body/mind in healing and creating wellness as well as ways to assist the natural vitality of the body.

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If we break a bone or need emergency or ugent medical care, we deeply appreciate having our Medical Doctor to call on to assist in our wellness.

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Our bodies are constantly healing themselves, we cut our finger, the blood clots, and in a couple of days there is no evidence of a cut. Many similar yet miraculous healings are going on in our bodies daily. The Divine Intelligence that animates through our bodies somehow knows what to do, what energies and healing processes to organize to create the organic healing of a cut on our finger, or a cold, an upset stomach, I have a few friends who healed their 4th stage cancer naturally.

Yoga provides many practices and processes we can use to assist the intelligence within us, the life force energy that keeps our bodies alive to establish the most vibrant health possible.

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The practice of yoga is a powerful wellness practice. We can balance the pranamaya kosha with prana and breath practices, relax and enliven the manomaya kosha, the emotional and mental state with meditation practices, and gain from the many physical, energetic, emotional and mental benefits of hatha yoga poses. When we engage our bandhas or energy seals during hatha yoga and build the inner prana through movement and breath we intensify the inner energies within the pranamaya kosha and Anamaya kosha, the energy and physical bodies. This increase in vitality and aliveness within the body allows for inner healing, inner health, inner vibrancy.

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What is powerful about yoga is it supports wellness on all levels of our being, all the layers, sheaths and kosha’s of the body, mind, body and spirit.

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On a general physical level yoga helps with balance, flexibility, strength and agility. Deeper than that yoga cleanses the organs, purifies the blood, relieves pain and tension in muscles. Calms the nervous system and takes the body out of the stress or fight or flight and into relaxation mode.

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On a mental level yoga helps to quiet the mind, calm the disturbance’s, distractions and as Patanjali would say the divergences within the mind. A racing mind can negatively affect all areas… our physical, mental, emotional and spiritual beingness. When our mind is in a disempowered or victim mode engaged in negative and fear based thoughts it negatively affects all our kosha’s and bodies. Yoga is a powerful practice that helps our mind to become more present, still, calm and a generally more healthy mind and outlook on life. When the mind is calm and balanced the emotions are also calm and balanced.

Spiritually as the mind quiets we are able to connect to deeper aspects of our Self. We become more present, live in present moment awareness, find a deeper connection to the inner self or Atman and ultimately our source, Brahman and all life. Which brings a state of inner peace we carry with us through life.

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Yoga offers us a sense of community, whether through the studio we practice at, local yoga festivals, or the school we attend, and a sense of community and belonging is beneficial for our social health.

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Yoga is a practice, and we practice ongoingly not for a goal, yet for an ongoing intention for greater health and wellbeing on all levels throughout our entire life. It isn’t an answer to everything, and it doesn’t make us perfect human beings. We can still face life challenges, be saddened or disappointed or even angry at times, however, in practicing yoga we have tools through meditation, mindful movement, pranayama and contemplation to deal with the challenges of life with more ease and grace.

Yoga is a natural form of wellness, a practice where we are taking responsibility for our well-being and choosing to practice positive self care with the one and only body we have throughout this life. There are many other natural practices we can do, that can also include yoga to take responsibility for our own health and well-being. Diet and nutrition is one of the most important health practices we are empowered to take on to promote personal health and wellness.

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Choosing to put into our bodies only nutrient dense, toxic-free, clean, whole, living sources directly from nature is the highest way to nourish the body and mind. What nourishes the body, nourishes the mind.  The closer a food is to it’s natural state, the more healthful and vibrant source it will be for your body. Living foods are the highest in nutrition and vibrancy. An apple is living and in it’s natural form, an apple pie is not nearly alive and the apple is processed in a way that the aliveness doesn’t match the apple picked fresh off a tree.

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India has an ancient form of natural medicine called Ayurveda we will study deeper in the 300 Ecstatic Yoga teacher training that includes body types or dosha’s to help create a lifestyle to promote the best health for each dosha or combination of dosha’s. There are many other natural modalities like homeopathic, herbal, essential oils, acupuncture and acupressure, reiki… the list is long and beautiful for very ancient, long tested natural methods of promoting vibrant health and well being.

Natural wellness doesn’t need to exclude your medical doctor, they can co-exist, however the day to day responsibility for your health and wellbeing rests on your lifestyle habits and choosing healthy practices that promote vibrant wellness. If you are very sick or break a bone you will be very grateful for your MD to help you back to health, there is no doubt. As you heal, and as you provide your body with a nutrient dense, natural diet your healing, there is certain.

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A huge part of wellness is mental and emotional which can affect the physical body’s health. Yoga is designed to support mental and emotional balance, however, not in extreme cases of mental illness. Yoga can be a supportive practice, however in serious cases a medical doctor or psychologist or psychiatrist may be needed as primary care.

Yoga address’s the mental body in Patanjali’s yoga sutras and 8 limbs, the Veda & Vedanta. If we took Patanjali’s 2nd Sutra in the first book called the Samadhi Pada it states “Yogas Citta Vrtti Nirodhah… which means “The restraint of the modifications of the mind” Also, Patanjali’s 8 limbs lead us into Samadhi, stillness of the mind opening up to the bliss body and pure expanded awareness. Sutra 3 states when we have restrained the modifications of the mind “Then the Self abides in his own nature”

When the ripples upon the water, the thoughts upon the mind dissolve into silent stillness, the true reflection of Self and life appears naturally.

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Mental and emotional health is crucial for our happiness, to find peace and fulfillment in our lives and to be present with a deeper part of our Self and ultimately more present in all our relationships and affairs. When our mental health is disturbed it directly affects all aspects of our being including the emotion and physical bodies. Even if the body is healthy, if the mind is suffering it is difficult to enjoy physical health fully.

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Healing and health on the mental and emotional realms begins with meditation and finding stillness and space to observe the mind and emotions. This type of observation is without any judgement, it is simply witnessing. Restraining the modifications, the distractions and disturbances of the mind is an on the court, moment to moment practice. There is no magic pill to take to erase all the conditioning, guilt, fear, victim, unforgiveness, hurt, pain within the being, the only true solution is a complete shift in identity… and even after that there may be some old hurts or conditioning that still need to be cleaned up within your consciousness. As we witness and feel a reaction we can be there for ourselves, be our own Source of love and empowerment. Go within and bask in the nectar.

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As we become more and more alert to the mind and emotions, becoming conscious of when we slip out of peace of mind, into disturbing emotions and look at the stories, the victim, the insanity of the mind that triggered the state of inner conflict. We are able to finally through vigilant observation and commitment to Truth and Peace rise above all the drama and simply make a commitment to peace of mind by turning toward Truth and love and light over and over and over and over again. Truth will correct the illusions and fears within the mind. Ultimately, you will become free enough of the mind to Realize the Self, Self Realization, that you are not the thoughts and emotions, you are not the human mind and body that comes and goes, but you are the Infinite Awareness that animates through it, and lives eternally beyond it. This awareness is your Source… therefore it cannot be threatened, your security is source from within you, and not from things and people outside yourself.

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This awakening to your True Identity radically heals the ego and the never-ending fears and insecurities of believing yourself to be a separate small pretty powerless entity in a vast universe full of threats. When you awaken to knowing you are the entire Universe, absolutely one with all that is or ever will be, the Universe becomes wholly friendly and orchestrates to support you in every way. The Infinite intelligence of the Universe, the unending love and rapture lives and breaths and animates in and through you as you. The external images that made up the world transform. You know in Reality, there is nothing outside you, nothing that opposes you and there is nothing to fear.

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Once our mind is aligned with Truth, no longer living in lies, grudges, victim stories and deep fear and anxiety you become wholly free. This liberation is all pervasive and allows your soul power to expand into the world through your body vortex and bring miracles of awakening to all minds. You become a source of love and light, extending to all beings at all times including your own Self. You have no other purpose but to extend your love maximally, teaching only love.  You give and receive freely, knowing they are one.  All minds are joined and wholly connected on the level of Soul, Mind, Spirit, Reality.

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This state of mental and emotional health that is gained through meditation,  yoga,  pranayama, contemplations of yoga will benefit all levels of your being… physical, sensory/energetic, emotional, all the kosha’s, anandamaya kosha, pranamaya kosha, manomaya kosha, vijnanomaya kosha, anandamaya kosha, the all-pervasive Spirit that is your True Identity. You are centered in Presence and everything within you is aligned. No energy is leaking out or distracted away from the Self and present moment awareness.

You are home within your Self… within your heart, the heart of the Universe… all that is… the only true home that exists. Finally, you experience deep inner peace that passes understanding, liberation in all areas of your life and being, joy and rapture that is boundless. Boundless health on all levels of your being for boundless vitality and aliveness in this life.

It is wise to intend for health mind, body and spirit. When we come to the Self Realizaton, or awakening that we are Divine Awareness, we begin to acknowledge how deeply holy we are. How sacred our conscious awareness is, how precious and holy our heart has always been. This is our opportunity to practice yoga as a path to sacred embodiment. As a physical being we embody Divine Awareness, however, conditioning and wounds from the past block the awareness from fully animating through the body. Hatha yoga and body work are great facilitators of moving out blocked energies and allowing Divine Awareness to embody in  your sacred Body Temple. The more light that embodies your physical being, the more empowered you become in your life. The more aligned to Truth, the happier and freer you become. You begin to truly live life for the joy of the experience.

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Spiritual health is knowing what we are, and this is revealed when the mind is healed, no trace of guilt or thought of separation exists within the mind, and the God Self, the Atman is revealed. This reminds us of our ever-present deep connection to the God of our Understanding. A sense of complete union and oneness with the Divine Source of our existence, the Kingdom of Heaven Within. Yoga is “To Yoke” bring all aspects of our being into perfect oneness. The Universe or Brahman become everything, the light of love, the light of the Divine Source of all life lives, animates and breaths in and through you and all things, all dimensions, all beings, all life everywhere always.

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Living in Self Realization as Infinite Spirit animating temporarily through a physical learning device (Body) we are guided in each moment to extend our love, shine our light, serve and surrender to the highest good. Living in harmlessness and peace we walk gently upon the earth. Knowing our equality with all beings and all species, teaching only love, extending our divine light, bringing miracles, beauty and grace as we allow the divine light within us to guide us home in each sacred moment to our Infinite all loving Divine Self.