Tapas Working with Dedication

by Nina

Cloud and Sunset by Brad Gibson

When my mother broke her hip in her mid-seventies, she surprised me with her ferocious dedication to working toward a full recovery. She did her physical therapy exercises every day, soon worked her way up toward walking around the block with a walker, and eventually over time regained full use of her new hip. From then on she was able to walk easily and with no aids almost until the end of her life. I was remembering this the other day because I was thinking about how when we get older it can sometimes take a lot of work to stay physically independent. And some people find it easier just to give up.

Another family member recently told me that even though she was not yet 60, she could no longer get up and down from the floor, so she had just stopped trying to do it. Concerned, I asked if she was having knee problems or.... She said it was just that her legs were no longer strong enough to make the movements. Have you tried using a chair for support? I asked. She replied that this seemed too awkward, and shrugged it off, adding that she preferred just to give it up. A bit alarmed at the thought of a woman her age not being able to get up off the floor—what if she fell when no one else was around?—I said that I thought she should reconsider, that maybe this skill was too important to let go of so easily. With practice, this skill is probably something she could regain. You're probably right, she agreed, but I could tell she wasn't fully convinced or perhaps was just unwilling.

While someone like Shari might be able to come up with a yoga routine for my relative to do that would help her build the strength and agility to relearn getting up and down from the floor—and maybe I'll be asking Shari to come up with one—the kind of yoga I had in mind for this woman was the practice of tapas. I imagined her just starting to practice every day or even several times a day getting up and down from the floor with some kind of support until eventually she would need less and less support. In other words, like my mother learning to walk on her own again, she could through grit and determination do the hard work that something like this requires. Babies do this naturally and instinctively of course, but somehow relearning these skills can feel like too much work to some older adults.

In his post on the niyamas (see The Second Branch of Yoga: The Niyamas (Your "To Do" List), Ram defined tapas as "a burning desire or a disciplinary approach to achieve one’s aims and aspirations." Practicing tapas is how we reap the rewards of yoga, whether through a regular meditation practice or doing asana five or six days a week. I sometimes accompanied my mother back when she was walking through her neighborhood with that walker—clearly struggling both with the physical difficulty of it as well as the emotional toll—and even at the time I was struck with admiration at her commitment to the task at hand. She couldn't know for sure that she was going to succeed at learning to walk again but she was going to give it her damnedest.

I've always thought of tapas as the yang to santosha's (contentment) yin (again, see Ram's post on the niyamas). Yes, we need to cultivate contentment with what we have and with what we don't have but we also have our work to do. That's what Krishna explains to Arjuna in the Bhagavad Gita when Arjuna asks why, if we shouldn't be attached to the outcomes of our actions, we should even try to do anything. 

Not by not acting in this world
does one become free from action,
nor does one approach perfection
by renunciation only.
Not even for a moment does
someone exist without acting.
Even against one’s will, one acts
by the nature-born qualities.

We need to work to support ourselves and our families, we need to work for the good of our communities, we need to work on our spiritual development, and we need to do the work required to keep our bodies as strong and healthy as possible to enable us to do the rest of our work. After all, that is why Hatha yoga was initially developed. Ancient yogis knew a strong and pain-free body was helpful for spiritual growth, as being distracted by illness or pain might interfere with spiritual practices (of course, this does not mean that people with illnesses or pain cannot practice yoga). So doing what we can to maintain our health is an essential part of our work.

Set thy heart upon thy work, but never on its reward.
Work not for a reward; but never cease to do thy work.
Do thy work in the peace of Yoga and, free from selfish desires, be not moved in success or failure. Yoga is evenness of mind—a peace that is ever the same. — translation by Juan Mascaro

I don't know if my message got through to my relative but I really hope it did. She's a wonderful, good-hearted person and I would love to see her stay strong and independent for as long as possible.

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Working with the Witness

by Beth

Layer of Earth by Kazoo Shiraga*

As we age, we change. Wrinkles and gray hair appear, muscles begin to lose mass, and our relationship to society can change. In some cultures aging earns us status as wise elders to be revered; in others we are ignored or seen as no longer having value. Also, we may begin thinking about end of life issues, seeing death as loss, something to fear, or as a natural transition to something else (the something else often depends on our culture, country, family or spiritual beliefs). However, no matter who we are or where we live, cultivating and enhancing awareness and the ability to witness “what is” will enable us move through our aging process with integrity.

A simple definition of awareness is: knowledge or perception of a situation or fact. Awareness is at the heart of any definition of yoga. Practicing this becomes especially important to anyone who has ever stepped foot on a yoga mat or sat on a meditation cushion. You can read about Nina’s experience with awareness in her post The Power of Svadhyaya (Self Study).

The science of yoga offers many tools to cultivate awareness. Working with the Witness is a good one to consider. The Witness is the aspect of self that allows us to see ourselves in action as we are acting. The kosha model of yoga psychology focuses on five levels of awareness and is my go to context for working with the Witness. I’ll list them all separately here to talk about them but they are all ultimately one interrelated system. The five levels are:

1. Physical Level (Annamayakosha). This is the level that we experience through all of our senses including sight, hearing, taste, touch and smell. The ability to become aware of body sensations is a key step in activating the Relaxation Response and the healing process. This is the level that most people readily relate to and the level most focused on through yoga asana.

For me, working with the Witness helped me connect the dots between discomfort in backbends, such as Locust and Half Wheel, and headaches that followed a day or two after practicing. That awareness led to an appointment with a sports medicine doctor, who diagnosed me with spondylolisthesis. So I’ve been modifying my back bends and was delighted to read Shari’s post about spinal movements All About the Spine, which confirmed my experience. 

2. Breath-Energy Level (Pranamayakosha). Breath is the vehicle for the entry of oxygen and life energy, or prana, into the body. Learning to breathe effectively and efficiently is one of the most important lessons in yoga. When we are aware of our breath and how we breathe, we can better manage our moods and states of mind. This is key to managing stress and remaining calm no matter what is happening. 

3. Mental-Emotional Level (Manomayakosha). Mental awareness is based on what we perceive through our thoughts and feelings in two ways: 1) by analyzing and organizing our knowledge and experiences and 2) by intuition, hunch, inner voices, images, instant knowing, and fantasy. Emotional awareness helps us perceive and understand our habits, patterns and life lessons. 

By witnessing my periodic “blue funk days” while in the middle of them, I’ve discovered something interesting. When they lift—and so far they always do—I often experience intuitive flashes that result in writing ideas, home decoration projects, and themes for my yoga classes, or those AHA! moments that lead to new understandings. I’m now aware of them as they make their appearance and I’ve learned to “ride the emotional wave” instead of trying to cut it short. 

4. Wisdom-Witness Level (Vijnyanamayakosha). The Witness is the lamp that illuminates all aspects of ourselves (persona and shadow) for integration and acceptance. When we are able to witness our thoughts, emotions, and behaviors without judgment, we can cultivate and deepen our ability to recognize our patterns and consciously choose to make changes. 

5. Bliss Level (Anandamayakosha). This is unity consciousness, going with the flow of life whether positive or difficult. It is direct experience of the universal energy or connectedness that we can tap into through consistent practice, which we control, and grace, which we do not control. 

One tool to wake and work with the Witness is the body scan. The technique focuses on engaging and deepening awareness at all levels of being to promote healing (as opposed to curing, which may sometimes be a happy side effect). Depending on your needs and readiness, body scans will focus on some or all of the koshas. There are many techniques and ways to practice this, and you can learn to self-guide. 

Here is a short self-guided script that you can practice in any comfortable position. First, make an intention to witness whatever arises without judgment and then gradually move your awareness through your body, breath, and mind as you say the following to yourself:

I am aware of my feet, ankles, lower legs, knees, upper legs, hips, waist, belly, low back, rib cage, mid-back, chest, upper back, shoulders, neck, face and the top of my head. (Pause) 

From the top of my head awareness moves over my face, down my neck, out over my shoulders and down my arms to my hands and fingers. I welcome any sensations or information I receive. (Pause) 

I notice my breath and watch the inhalation and exhalation. The breath comes and goes naturally, not changing in any way. Where is the movement of the breath felt? In my belly, chest, throat, nostrils? (Pause)

I watch the ebb and flow, the rise and fall, the in and out of the natural, essential breathing process. I am totally aware of my breath and my breathing. (Pause) 

Now, I move my attention to the mind and my thoughts. Do they flow easily from one thing to another or are they fixed on one thing? (Pause) 

Are they focused on the past or do they center on the future? (Pause) 

Can I see each thought, simply rising and passing one by one? Can I be aware of thinking while I am thinking? (Pause) 

I am now calm, relaxed, and aware. I rest in myself, breathing slowly and deeply. (Pause and rest here as long as you like)

Personally, I find this useful for grounding during stressful times, and it works like a charm those fortunately rare nights when I have trouble falling asleep. With practice, you can lengthen or shorten your explorations. Or you can begin the practice with prepared recordings. A little research will turn up many options. Voice, pace, length, tone, and content vary. Most will allow you to sample your choice before you buy. Be sure to pick one that feels just right for you.

With practice we learn to become aware, or conscious, of ourselves on all levels of our being. We can then bring clear and focused attention to what we find; accept and integrate all aspects of the aging process, pleasant and not so pleasant, and if we chose make conscious changes that bring us into alignment with our individual lives. Working with the Witness helps us move through our aging process with strength, flexibility, balance, wisdom, and grace.

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Working Out Does Not Have To Be So Time Consuming

By Yandy Roman

Fitness carries different connotations depending on whom you ask or talk with about it. We all know that it is what is on the inside that counts, but that doesn't mean that you need to neglect your outsides. Take some time to improve your appearance and your wellbeing utilising the tips below.

When you're weight lifting to extend fitness, it is always superior to use free weights, not machines. This is due to the fact that the free weights will allow you to build up the supporting muscles around the major muscle groups. Machines, instead , focus on very specific areas. You will see a rise in the quantity of weight you can lift on the machine, but not quite as much strength as if you used free weights.

If you would like a flat belly, not only should you do crunches, but you need to add in cardiovascular. Kickboxing is a great aerobics session, which should help tone your midsection. These powerful kicks give your abdominal muscles a great workout. Tae kwon do also happens to be a great cardiovascular abs workout.

Plan your time to train the same way you arrange your critical appointments. Your health and fitness are as vital to your life as your next doctor's appointment, so treat it the same way. Setting your exercise routines in your calendar will make you more certain to make the effort and do them.

Making up your own exercise program is a good way to stay in shape with no need to join a gymnasium. The equipment that you utilize in a gym simply replicates activities that you could do alone. Do not have a step climber? Find some steps that folk don't usually use.

If your workout method of choice is biking or riding on a still bicycle, target a range between 80 and 110 revolutions per minute (RPMs). At this rate, you will find that you're able to ride for longer amounts of time and are less certain to experience muscle strain and fatigue.

Performing multiple reps of double dips can help you to achieve stronger triceps, but they can also be modified to work more on the muscles in your chest. To improve your triceps, straighten out your body and perform each dip with your elbows pointed inward. To target the chest muscles, position your elbows outward and lean forward while performing the dip.

The majority of novice weightlifters do not get the full force and benefits of their standing arm curl sets. In order to permit your triceps to reach their complete range of motion, you need to try to absolutely straighten each arm at the end of each rep. This could also increase tone and flexibleness.

It's correct that what's on the inside of someone is crucial. That said , you continue to have a body that can of course be refined. You can improve upon your body by you and your GP coming up with a fitness routine that will help you become more healthy. Hopefully, these tips gave you advice on how to do that.

About the Author:

If you are looking for the best Crossfit Fort Lauderdale has to offer then you need to stop by Crossfit Muscle Farm. Our location is also convenient for those in search of Crossfit Pompano Beach, Crossfit Wilton Manors, Crossfit Deerfield Beach, or Crossfit Plantation. Come by today and see what you have been missing!