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Whatever you believe about God or the Divine, your spiritual nature is a part of you. The center of your spiritual self is love. Christians are taught to love their neighbor as themselves, but what if you don’t feel love for yourself? Sometimes we’ve been hurt by family or friends, and we harden our hearts to guard our love. If we don’t have compassion for ourselves, it’s difficult for love to radiate from us. We can lose our connection with the world around us because we’re trying to stop the suffering and pain.
Let’s start with an easy fix if you are in this predicament. Nature can be a gateway to radiating love without protecting ourselves from hurt or pain. Try a simple experiment that has been replicated in research studies. Choose two plants in your home or out in nature. The plants should be equal in size and similar locations. Direct all your loving feelings, thoughts, and words to one plant and ignore the other. You may already know that plants are sensitive to vibrations and our energy. Measure the plant’s growth and general health, and journal how you feel when sending love to the plant. You can also note how you think about ignoring the other one. You might not want to ignore the other plant if you’re like me. Either way, notice how the plant flourishes and how you radiate unconditional love and joy. Radiance describes someone or something glowing, like the sun or someone’s smiling face. If we can find radiance in any situation, we can start to soften our hearts. I’m far from achieving a state of clarity and ease in the present moment, but practicing helps to reduce the suffering. Once you add radiance to your life, be ready for an awakening. Challenges will arise like popcorn popping in a hot pan. But if a plant can respond to loving kindness, just think how you could grow with self-love and compassion. Being love is what we need right now! Sharing our love with nature and extending the love to ourselves is a good place to start. I like this self-compassion test by Dr. Kristin Neff because you can access the results immediately, along with tips for improvement.
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Have you ever used this saying when asked how things are going with you? What do you imagine? I recall the old physical education test known as the flexed arm hang. Instead of doing pull-ups on a bar, the students would hold on tight with their arms bent and try to keep their chins above the bar. The timer stopped when their arms gave out. I think this compares to holding onto something positive or negative to change the outcome. Some might view prayer as a gripping, but I see it as a letting go.
The act of prayer is one way to connect with God and our spiritual nature. One of the most popular Christian prayers is the Lord’s Prayer. The Lord’s Prayer praises God’s holiness and the Divine position as ruler of heaven and Earth. There’s also a part that allows us to ask for forgiveness for ourselves and others. We thank God for all of the blessings in our lives and ask for deliverance from evil. Most importantly, the prayer states that we will ultimately accept God’s will to be done. The Shema is a prayer in the Jewish faith. Similarly, the Divine nature of God is praised, and we are reminded of the commandments given to Moses. The prayer states that we will follow those rules beyond what our hearts and minds seek. During religious holidays, we celebrate our relationship with God, and those that last for extended periods of time help us to let go of what we want in exchange for our dedication to the Holy One. Beyond religious practices, tracking moon cycles, noticing changes in seasons, and living in harmony with the sunrise and sunset each day connects us to the natural world. Have you seen someone wearing shorts and a T-shirt in freezing temperatures? With modern conveniences, some tend to ignore what’s happening in nature. The disconnect can have an impact on our spiritual development. Our attitudes toward the weather can also separate us from the Divine. On the farm, I used to get upset when it rained for several days, and the ground was saturated. It was as if I were trying to fight nature. I had to learn to let that go. Letting go of the gripping can take many forms in our lives. I’ve heard that people become so depressed about climate change that they no longer feel joy. When we grasp ideas too tightly, our body begins to tense up, and that is when we disconnect from God. Letting go of your thoughts about how things should be can help you grow spiritually. Watching the sun rise or set, taking a walk in the rain, noticing if the moon is waxing or waning, listening to the birds sing, feeling a breeze, or standing on the grass without shoes are all practices that open your heart and let go of the gripping. The ancient Tibetan Yogis practiced Dzogchen or finding the beauty in the present moment. My definition couldn’t do Dzogchen justice, so it’s best to consult the experts for a full description. The term “dzogchen” means “great completeness,” referring to the fact that all the qualities of Buddhahood are complete on the level of rigpa (pure awareness), the deepest foundational level of them all. When we release our preconceptions about what is correct, we become open to finding joy in every moment. We can stop fighting and let the Universe handle it, allowing us to relax in the moment. Letting go doesn’t mean you’re giving up. It means you’re embracing your spiritual self. Try this meditation on letting go and see how it feels. Challenging Situations tend to push us back to square one; we perceive that we haven’t made progress. Don’t lose hope because setbacks often lead to growth. If you recognize that you’re slipping back into those old habits, Congratulations! You’re increasing self-awareness. The challenges can be as simple as waiting in a long line at the store or more complex issues that disturb your peace. If you’ve ever disagreed with a neighbor, you understand that the problem can bring disharmony to the peaceful surroundings around your home. The thoughts flood your mind, and before you know it, you’re back to the dark side of your emotions. When emotions try to take over, it’s not easy to be yogic and detached. That’s when having a friend who is empathetic to your situation can help. I call those friends Ninja Yogis. Not that someone must be there for every situation, but in a crisis, you know those ride-or-die ladies that can help you see through the pain without judging you. They have your back and can help you feel secure. Sometimes, life seems to keep throwing the fast ball at you, and you keep swinging and missing. Can I be honest with you? Yoga is the last thing on my mind when I feel that my family’s safety is threatened. I’m not a Buddhist Monk who can take abuse just standing there. But what I do have is the habit of self-reflection and those Ninja Yogis that help me through challenging situations. While fiercely protective, they listen, suggest alternatives, are present in the moment, and care. If I don’t keep practicing Yoga, those self-reflective moments seem to slip away, and I’m left with more suffering. Do the emotions resurface? Absolutely! But I know that I don’t want to stay in that cycle, so I work on releasing the grip and trusting in my decisions. Try this meditation by Pura Rasa: Release What Does Not Serve You Think back to when all was well, and you felt at peace with who you were. We might have those moments periodically or rarely. Through Yoga, we can create those moments regularly and learn more about who we are. In those moments, we can bring joy and happiness to the surface of our minds. In Fairy Tales, we read about a magic wand that can instantly change things for the better. If you use your creativity to wave that wand, you can move towards living life in an improved mindset.
In his book Tibetan Yoga Principles and Practices, Dr. Ian Baker describes Immaculate Perception, in which the yoga practitioner imagines themselves as a Deity. That might not appeal to some of us, but how could we use this thought process to let go and embrace the Sacred within us? If you believe in an afterlife, like Heaven, you probably think that you will experience pure love without sorrow or pain. By picturing yourself as pure love, you can begin to tap into heaven here on Earth. Shedding our ideas of what life on Earth is, we can experience holiness through visualization. This creative practice can unlock potential happiness and free us from the suffering we’ve been conditioned to accept. Visualizing as a Sacred being can help you return to being a better you, your true self. Spending time with the good inside of you is a process of connecting to the Divine. Check out this link to learn more about Ian Baker’s teaching. I like this podcast episode featuring Sarah Blondin titled Heart-Minded Meditation | How to Hold Yourself In Love. As we get older, we must create opportunities to get together with friends from the past. Maybe it’s a friend from high school or college you haven’t seen in decades. You might be excited but hesitant because it’s been a long time, and you’ve changed. Once you meet up with that old friend, it’s like no time has passed, and you’re both laughing, enjoying the moments of reminiscing and catching up. If you haven’t met up with God lately, you might feel like that. Communion with the Divine is a sacred moment we should strive to add to our Spiritual Wellness plan. When I was younger, I found that communion with God came easier. Maybe I let life get in the way or was distracted from the holiness due to modern technology. Before 1996, most of us didn’t have cell phones, laptops, desktops, or the internet. I can remember a time when I had more time. Now, we need to make the time and consciously shut off the influx, so to speak. Maybe that’s why the original Yogis went to the wilderness, mountains, and caves. Yoga can help us prepare for meeting the Sacred. Daily quiet time spent in mediation, reflection, reading sacred texts, and awareness of our body and breath can help us welcome the connection to the Divine. Sacred Geography can help us create those moments. Sacred Geography is the study of how people create spaces to meet with the Divine. Think about the places where you’ve felt connected to God. Maybe it’s a church, a shrine, or a place in your home where you do your spiritual work. Spots in nature, like mountain tops or where ancient trees still live, can also be Sacred Geography. Years ago, I visited a wellness spa where the owner had created her Sacred Geography in front of a window, looking out at the mountains where the sun would set each evening. As I stepped up to the spot, I felt the tingling of the Divine presence like never before. That was the first time I knew I could create a Sacred space of my own. My husband and I recently traveled to Germany and visited St. Peter's Cathedral in Regensburg. The cathedral’s first records date back to 788 AD. I stood before the Altar of Our Lady (picture below), with all the candles burning like prayers ignited by the other visitors. As I lit my prayer candle, I asked the Divine if my life was on the right track. As I started to walk away, I was filled with tremendous joy and love. I got my answer there in that Sacred space! The Cathedral’s website says that those who believe are never alone. I would extend that grace to non-believers, too, because in an instant, you can awaken your connection to the Divine like meeting an old friend. If you’ve ever said you can’t talk to God, the Divine, the Universal Energy, or the Holy Spirit, think again. Then, create your Sacred Geography and make it happen.  I shy away from situations that require secret knowledge to thrive. If I find something that helps me get closer to the Divine, I want to share it with others. Cultivating a relationship with God isn’t difficult; you don’t have to study on a mountaintop or deep in a cave. You can know the joy of the Sacred in everyday life; in an instant, you can awaken to the Divine presence around you. Like other relationships, you need to spend time in communication with God. Have you ever had a friend or family member who only reaches out when they need something? While you want to show support, it may feel like the energy is flowing out and never in. Spending time with others can make a friendship feel more balanced. That’s the benefit of meeting the Sacred regularly. Whether during a sunrise or sunset, walking in nature, reading a Sacred text, or sitting in meditation, if we do these things every day, we can begin to build communication; no secret knowledge is needed. The added benefits of this communion with our spiritual nature include peace, joy, and love. Have you ever looked at the horizon, taking a panoramic view of the sky meeting the earth? Neurologically, softening our gaze and widening our vision creates relaxation. According to Dr. Andrew Huberman, the panoramic gaze stops the nervous system from stressing out. Listen to more about that on The Tim Ferris Show. Seeing the horizon may be complex in a city with tall buildings, but you can use panoramic vision inside a room. Try focusing on the entire room in front and beside you. Notice that your eyes start to relax, and your breathing slows. Ancient Yogis knew this effect and practiced it regularly. You can add panoramic vision to your day by watching a sunrise or sunset; just don’t stare directly into the sun. Take a panoramic view while meditating or during your breath practice; it’s easy and effective. Share what you’ve learned with others.
Can we all agree that giving someone “the middle Finger” can evoke or communicate angry feelings? Does showing your fist to someone have a universal meaning? If we can agree that hand movements and postures have energy connected to them, we can start to understand how they can also bring love, joy, healing, and peace. Bringing palms together to our heart center commonly used across religions. Prayer hands are a widely used emoji to convey a spiritual connection to the Divine. But did you know that hands-to-heart is a mudra? In Yoga, hand positions called mudras move our energy and bring healing. Think about when you’ve put your hands on your heart. Maybe someone said something special to you, or you saw something that made your heart happy. What does touching your hands to your heart do for you? To me, it feels like home; home is comfort, security, and love. In the Chakra System or Energy system of the body, the heart chakra is located at the center of the chest. Opening the heart chakra allows for love and forgiveness to flow from and to you. I’ve tried many mudras, but this one works best for me. You can try it by placing your right hand over your heart and your left hand over your right hand. Relax your shoulders and neck. Then, breathe slowly in and out through your nose if possible. It’s like giving yourself a hug! Here’s another description of what you can do while exploring the hands-to-heart mudra.
Excerpt from 4 Techniques for Practicing Self-Compassion https://health.clevelandclinic.org/self-compassion Take a self-compassion break. Here’s an easy technique to use when you’re getting down on yourself. “Start by putting your hand on your heart,” instructs Duke. “This has been found to release oxytocin, which is a very calming hormone. And as you’re doing that, acknowledge to yourself either out loud or quietly to yourself that you’re going through a really difficult time. And tell yourself that it’s OK to have those difficult feelings, it’s OK to be going through this difficult time and it’s OK if this is hard for you.” You want to focus on breathing during this and allow space for your breathing without trying to change anything. Even five or 10 minutes of deep breathing has benefits. “You also want to take the time to ask yourself what you need,” notes Duke. “What do you need to feel a little bit better right now? What do you need to get back to your equilibrium? Do you need to go for a walk? Do you need to speak to your mom? Do you need to get yourself a coffee? What do you need to even just move the pendulum a little bit?” Then, when you start to feel a bit better, you can start to think about how to problem-solve without criticizing yourself. “You want to start to problem-solve from place of love and kindness,” encourages Duke. Want to learn more about Mudras? Check out 9 hand positions for meditation to add to your practice https://www.calm.com/blog/hand-positions-for-meditation When things are going well, we tend not to think about how we got to that moment. Am I right? Unless we cultivate the practice of meeting the Divine in all our circumstances, it seems like we go to a higher power in times of darkness. Initially, there’s nothing wrong with that because we must start somewhere. But if we want spiritual wealth, we should seek open lines of communication throughout the day. I started a “moment of joy” practice that opened the lines of communication with the sacred presence. I find moments of joy during my workday and then note them. I may notice the sparkling sun on a cold winter day or a soft breeze in the summer. But sometimes, I find joy hidden in the pain where the sacred presence supports me.
I’ve had painful moments where I felt lonely and abandoned, like I could evaporate, and no one would notice. In those dark moments, life felt dismal, and hope seemed lost. I think about the past when I was grasping for comfort in those painful times. Finding the Divine isn’t about making sense of the despair but meeting the opposite energy in the same space. The sacred moments are when our energy collides with the Divine spark, where we can rest and heal. I wasn’t abandoned or lost; I was in the “here and now.” I could find sacred energy and comfort by creating times in my day when I would connect to nature’s beauty, the love of a friend or a loved one, or the wisdom from a sacred text. Some moments are meant for you to experience alone, but others are for the collective community to share. We can find love from the Divine during morning meditation, late-night prayers, at a family gathering, or with a group of trusted friends. When we have shared experiences, we connect to our spiritual community. But the point is we need to grow this connection. Adding this practice to an action that you do every day is an easier way to develop a habit. Think about the times you do the same thing throughout the day, almost like you don’t even know you’re doing it. For me, it’s filling up the water tank for my farm. I fill a 200-gallon tank at least twice a day. While the water flows, I notice my breath and then look around to see what’s happening: Sun, clouds, chickens scratching, flowers in bloom. By opening lines of communication daily, we build Spiritual Wealth that no one can take away from us. It’s a space of joy and love that we can tap into whenever we need to. Not long ago, I realized my vocabulary for feelings was inadequate. I took a workshop on Tibetan Yoga, and during one of the sessions, the teacher said that by naming an emotion, we can ease our suffering. Then, I started searching for resources that could help me learn more about my feelings. In the system of Yoga, there are ethical guidelines to help us in our relationships with ourselves, others, and the Divine. If you read my last post this will be a review but, the yamas help us relate to the world, including non-violence, truthfulness, non-stealing, non-excess, and non-possessiveness. The niyamas are practices that help us learn about ourselves and connect with the Divine, which includes purity, contentment, self-discipline, and surrender.
Let’s discuss self-discipline and how learning about emotions can help. When emotions bubble up to the surface of our hearts and minds, it’s easy to confuse anger with frustration or restlessness with dissatisfaction. When we journal about how we’re feeling, we learn more about ourselves and the source of the emotion. For example, if I am stressed about my work on the farm, I could get frustrated with my Labrador Retriever puppy for disrupting my schedule. If I stop and realize I’m overwhelmed with the task on the to-do list, I can have more empathy and kindness towards my dogs. So, part of my Yoga practice includes checking in with my emotions regularly. At least 4 times during the day, I spend a few moments asking myself how I am feeling and why. Those check-ins always help me to know myself better and develop self-discipline. The more I know myself, the more I can connect with the Divine presence and develop healthy relationships with others. In one of his podcast episodes, Dr. Andrew Huberman mentions an app developed at Yale University called How We Feel. The app can help you learn more about your feelings. It's a digital journal of how you're feeling, who you're with, and what you're doing at the time. I use the app and find it's an easy way to keep track of my emotions. You can download it from the link below and let me know your thoughts. https://medicine.yale.edu/news-article/the-how-we-feel-app-helping-emotions-work-for-us-not-against-us/ Are you working on transformation? I feel like I am. Each morning, during my meditation, I consider my actions and thoughts. My focus is on becoming kinder and more loving to myself and those around me. Transformation can be spontaneous or happen over a longer period. Most of my transformation has happened during difficult times and through my consistent Yoga practice. Have you ever heard of a mantra? A mantra is a slogan or statement that you can use to remind you of what’s important to you or maybe what you want to achieve. When I went through my year in review of my life choices, I realized my mantra was, “I make Shit happen”. I say it with a chuckle because that can be a good or bad thing. The basic premise is that when I get an idea of something I want to achieve, I do what needs to be done to accomplish the goal. I’ve been doing it since I was a kid. What helps me to make shit happen is that I’m not a perfectionist. Accomplishment doesn’t mean perfection to me. Because of that mindset, I do not let setbacks stop me. But if a goal isn’t aligned with who we are or what we believe, it can lead to a dead end. I have reached several “end-of-the-journey” moments in my life.
Ancient Yoga gives us guidelines for a path to what we want, ending suffering and experiencing love and joy. The yamas and niyamas are the yoga guidelines for thoughts and actions. The yamas include non-violence, truthfulness, non-stealing, self-restraint, and non-grasping (Yoga International, 2025). The niyamas include cleanliness, contentment, accepting intensity as purification, self-study, and surrender to a higher power (Yoga International, 2025). The topic of the yamas and niyamas takes more in-depth discussion, but briefly, you can see that Yoga could align with most religious ideals. We can use the guidelines to examine our goals and decide if what we think we want is what we want. The guidelines also promote compassion, something we could all have more of today. While our world is in turmoil, we can be at peace with more compassion for ourselves and others. Let us start with non-violence. I like to think of the basics, so let’s use self-talk as the topic. Self-talk is that continuous inner discussion we have silently. If you think of a picture of a person with an angel on one shoulder and a devil on the other shoulder whispering in each ear, that could describe self-talk. Or maybe self-talk happens when you look in the mirror, make a mistake, or at the beginning of a project. If we apply the yama of non-violence, we must turn negative talk into positive. I like Mel Robbins’ Five technique to start the day off right. Every morning, when you first look at yourself in the mirror, notice that you are your greatest fan and give yourself a high five. This action helps to rewire your brain and promote self-love. Mel has a podcast episode on her discovery. Listen to it and let me know what you think! It’s the journey and destination you need to know when seeking Spiritual Wealth. Because our world is diverse and the divine shows up differently, we should contemplate our path to spiritual wealth. The starting point could be found with a few simple questions.
1. Do I believe in an afterlife? Yes
i. Air ii. Earth iii. Water iv. Fire v. Aether If this inquiry is intriguing, you can learn more in my course on Spiritual Wealth. You’ll continue through the questions to discover your beliefs and why. You may connect with certain aspects of the religion you were raised in and have questions about other aspects. By searching for what you believe in and would like to learn about, you begin your journey in the right direction. “Stop doing Yoga, follow Jesus.” That was the message I received from a man on Facebook. I chuckled at first but then realized that most people have no clue what Yoga is. Because some religions have embraced Yoga, others think it’s a religious practice. But Yoga is a system of breath practice, meditation, guidelines for behaviors and thoughts, and, in some cases, movements that improve our physical condition. Yoga is a way of connecting us to our thoughts, actions, beliefs, and physical health. But can you achieve similar benefits from other systems of well-being? I think the answer is yes. If you follow a system of practices that brings you closer to who you are and more connected to the world around you, Kudos! Keep up the good work. But if you feel disconnected from the world around you, stressed out, unsure of what your beliefs have to do with your health, and uncertain about what to do next, Yoga can help you.
A simple place to start is your breath. I’ve put several links below where you can learn easy breath practices that can be an excellent addition to daily life. If movement is where you want to begin, I suggest Genius Breaks. When I wanted to teach Yoga to my colleagues and students, I knew I needed to get my Yoga Teacher Certificate. As I was learning how to teach Yoga, I realized I needed an easy way to reach people without the barriers of beliefs. Because many people think Yoga is a religion, they say, “I can’t do it,” and I needed a way of changing that can’t into can. Then, I discovered the book Genius Breaks by Dr. Suzie Carmack, a high school classmate of mine. I connected with her through a Facebook post and found that she wrote the book I had searched for. In Genius Breaks, Dr. Carmack makes learning Yoga easy, safe, and effective. Let’s learn what a Genius Break is and how to create one that works for you. Check out Dr. Suzie Carmack’s YouTube Series on Genius Breaks Genius Breaks: Taking Care of You During Your Workday What’s a genius break 1. Created by Dr. Suzie Carmack, a genius break is a 2–10-minute break in your day when you consider your mind, body, and heart while moving your joints through the proper range of motion. Why should I do them? 1. Waiting until we have the time to connect with our mind, body, breath, and heart usually means we don’t 2. Sometimes, we plan to take care of everything and everyone else but ourselves 3. Scientifically, movement and breath are medicine The 2/4/6/8/10 Method with Chakras (energy centers) 1. The knee and elbow Joints move in 2 directions (feet & legs: 1st chakra- respect) 2. The spine moves in 4 directions (back & abs: 3rd chakra- commitment) 3. The hips move in 6 directions (hips: 2nd chakra- gratitude) 4. The shoulders move in 8 directions (upper back & heart: 4th chakra-courage) More Chakras • Mouth, ears, arms: 5th chakra- kindness) • Forehead: 6th chakra- insight) • Crown/top of head: 7th chakra- community • Archetypes/aura: 8th chakra- consciousness) Move all 10 fingers and toes and do 10 minutes of Genius Breaks daily! Designing a Genius Break with ABCE Step 1. Assess the time you have now (2-10 minutes), set your intention, and assess how your body feels. Step 2. Breath and Bones (move with the 2/4/6/8/10 method) Step 3. Centering communication (Self-Talk Themes) Step 4. Experience (engage, embrace, embody, and evaluate) This post is a portion of an interview I did in 2019 with Kari Koch, a colleague from public education. Kari recently earned a Ph.D. in Earth and Space Science at Johns Hopkins University. She currently teaches ISI at Esperanza Middle School and owns two businesses, Windward Music Lessons of Southern Maryland and The Gothic Pirate on Etsy.
Dr. Lisa: So, when did you start doing yoga? Dr. Kari: I started doing yoga probably in my mid-20s. I just started experimenting with it during my first teaching job. I’ve been doing Yoga since then through online versions or if I can take it at parks and recs. Dr. Lisa: Were there any barriers to you continuing to do yoga? Dr. Kari: Sometimes, the availability wasn’t as great because I started in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, a big city center. But I taught at a school south of Milwaukee, which was more rural, so availability wasn’t as great. However, the online availability was good, so I started taking online courses. Dr. Lisa: What was your first experience bringing yoga into your classroom? Dr. Kari: Well, that was with the Yoga 4 Classrooms Cards, and I learned it from you during the Genius Breaks book study. I was teaching chorus at the time. The class sizes were large, and there were various behavior issues. The first time I added Yoga to my lesson, the kids looked at me like, “Wow, this is weird,” but not too weird because I was already doing some of those elements without knowing it was Yoga. Dr. Lisa: Why did you continue using yoga in the classroom? Dr. Kari: When my students first saw the different color cards and things for the method, they said, “Ooh.” Anything new to a kid is the most exciting thing in the world. Even in middle school, you wouldn’t think so, but they said, “What’s that?” So, I would start with the breathing piece, or if they were wild for some reason, maybe something happened in the hallway, or just something set them off, I would use one of the purple cards to calm them down. At first, I thought, “Okay, well, these are middle school kids, six through eighth grade; they’re going to think this is silly,” But no! I remember there was one that’s about a star that you envision in the sky, they instantly chilled out, and it helped them to calm down. They got used to the different cards for different things, whether breathing, envisioning things, sitting down and stretching, or standing stretches, and it became just like methodology for them. They understood it and knew that it was time for Yoga. I didn’t always start class with it; I used it when needed. It became second nature and familiar to them. Dr. Lisa Clow: That’s awesome! I remember talking to you this past year (2019), and you are now teaching science. You said that one of your students did yoga with me in PE. Do you remember that story? Kari Koch: Some students saw continuity and learning across the curriculum. They said, “I learned this stretch from Ms. Clow.” I said, “I learned this stretch from Ms. Clow.” Then someone said, “So, what I learned in PE, I can use in science.” Dr. Lisa Clow: That’s so cool. Kari Koch: Without knowing the teacher’s terminology “across curricula,” they just said it in their own words. And I said, “Well yeah, that’s the key.” Dr. Lisa Clow: You also told me that the students advocated for themselves, asking, “When will we do our Yoga break?” Kari Koch: Yes, I probably got that five or six times a week. If we were going on to start an extensive lab and after writing a claim, evidence, and reasoning, they were like, “When are we going to do our Yoga? I need the yoga. I need a break on this.” Sometimes, it would be just a quick little break, or sometimes, I knew they needed more, and you can always gauge that. And we would do more stretching because a 90-minute block for our sixth graders is a long time. Dr. Lisa Clow: Would you ever stop doing yoga in the classroom? Kari Koch: That’s a hard no. Students say, “I wish we could do this in all the classrooms. And just have a quick break, whether breathing or a sit-stretch.” My classes go better when I include relationship-building skills and yoga. Dr. Lisa Clow: That’s amazing because we have students of all levels and ages in the class, a mixture of everybody. Kari Koch: Yes. The class that benefited the most from Yoga was my inclusion class, hands down. All my classes loved Yoga. But, in my inclusion classes, where you have a higher incidence of emotional problems or stress or freaking out about that hard lab, Yoga helped them to calm down. One of my teaching aides said that Yoga was the key. Dr. Lisa Clow: Do you feel like you get an added benefit from the Yoga breaks? Kari Koch: Yes, there are personal benefits; if you’re doing yoga all day, even in small increments, at the end of the day, you’re not as exhausted or angry about something that happened. The stress doesn’t build up because, during each class, I can also take a break. I don’t feel like I’m teaching, and it’s hard; I feel like I’m teaching, and it’s enjoyable. So, I’d think, “Wow, what’s happening here?” And that was beyond my Yoga practice, but I felt like there was a huge weight lifted off each day. Dr. Lisa Clow: My idea for writing this book came from my experience with Yoga at school. When I experienced the benefits of yoga, I recognized the suffering of my colleagues and students more. Because I had worked through my suffering through yoga, I knew that Yoga could be helpful to others. Let’s try one of the Yoga 4 Classroom activities Kari mentioned in the interview: Big Bright Star. Listen below https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mccAaABczj0 About a year after publishing my dissertation on Yoga as a Women’s Population Health Intervention, I was getting Achilles Tendon surgery from a chronic injury sustained during westernized Yoga. In July 2019, I attended a yoga class at the local studio. The teacher was a young woman who just started working there. She began the class by having us get into a downward dog pose. I hesitated because I knew I needed to warm up first, but I did the pose anyway. I felt a burning sensation in both Achilles tendons and knew something was wrong. As I lay on the gurney waiting for surgery, I thought about all the alternative methods of healing I had tried up to that point. I was in so much pain and hoped the surgery would bring relief. How could yoga bring healing and pain? My search for answers continued.
I had some experience with Shamanism and wondered if it connected to Ancient Yoga. I took several online workshops with Dana and Shana Robinson through The Foundation for Shamanic Studies. You can listen to my podcast episode Shamanism: A Journey of a Seeker to Discover More with Dana and Shana Robinson. for more information. Shamanic Journeying is a personal experience, and each is different. I learned that while Shamanism and Yoga are different, they help people connect with the Divine to find healing and joy. Through journeying, I found answers to my pain and started healing again. I also learned more about Tara, the first female Buddha. This is where the story crosses over to different modalities of connecting to our spiritual self. Religious theology runs deep, and most believers are loyal to their beliefs. I’ve found God in every church and spiritual place I’ve been. How can that be if there is only one way to know the Divine? As a spiritual being, you must seek your path to connect with God, The Divine, a Higher Power, or the Universe. Your journey to discovering the love and positive light of the spiritual realm is YOUR search. And, if you talk to someone who’s been around for a while, you’ll find out that if you know that you don’t know, you’re on the right track. The search itself may hold the power to heal your pain and find your joy. Why not start now? Get ready to make a deposit in your spiritual wealth account. In this post, you’ll learn a simple technique that will get you started on your journey. As I studied Ancient Yoga, I discovered the concept of the Retreat. People would give up their daily lives and spend a specific amount of time studying, praying, and practicing. I read about a three-year retreat and pondered why someone would choose that path. For Eons, religious devotees have committed to serving and following their faith, leaving societal expectations behind them. While we respect that decision, spiritual wealth doesn’t require it. Daily practices can bring us closer to the Divine and connect us with who we are. Checking in several times a day can help us experience joy and peace during our current situation. I’ll explain how I do it and give you some examples.
My first check-in is within the first hour of waking up. I reserve that time for morning meditation and have done so since November 2019. If I have something on my schedule, I wake up earlier because I cherish those meditative moments. My meditation is different each day, but most days, I contemplate what I’m doing here—not necessarily my purpose, but how am I bringing love to the world? My second check-in is near the end of my morning farm chores. I spend a few moments taking a panoramic view of my farm, whether it’s blue skies or a rainy day. I look at the nature around me and appreciate being here. The third check-in happens before I go out for afternoon farm chores. I’ve done most of my work for the day, walked the dogs, studied, created, and started dinner. During this check-in, I usually check my energy level and think about caring for the animals on the farm. Even if I’m tired, they deserve my best. So, I consider why I am farming, and I usually find satisfaction in that decision. After dinner is cleaned up and the dogs are tired from walking and playing, I do my fourth check-in of the day. I reflect on my connections with the Divine, my friends, my farm, and the world. The times I choose for check-ins are transitions in my day when I take on different roles. Those moments are gems in my schedule that I look forward to. So, how could you incorporate check-ins into your life? Start by looking at your schedule and identifying the transitions. Those could be times that you choose to check-in. Simply stopping to breathe and be for a moment or two is a great way to start. If you need reminders, you could set an alarm on your phone or put a note on your mirror. You could write in a journal during those times or do an audio recording of how you are feeling or what you are contemplating. You don’t have to take a three-year retreat to be more spiritually connected. Give it a try, and let me know how it’s working for you. I had been experiencing chronic stress for several years. After 10 miscarriages and two ectopic pregnancies, I knew I wouldn’t realize my dream of giving birth. My weight had reached an all-time high of 220lbs, and I didn’t know the next step. When I looked at my future, I saw nothingness. I don’t want to give the impression that I had nothing going for me because I had everything going for me. It just wasn’t what I expected. Remember I told you about the year I spent reflecting on my life up to that point? If you missed my post Going Up, it explains that process. At the end of that year, I made a few commitments to myself. I decided to plan for my future without children or a spouse, and I would get a dog. Dogs were always a part of my life, and I had missed that companionship. I also decided to make a career change to Higher Education. During the next 3 years, I lost 50 lbs. walking my dogs and changing my diet. I also started a PhD and discovered love again. The chronic stress was still there; I just replaced one thing with another. Now, instead of having a baby, I was trying to give birth to a Dissertation. I was burning the candle at both ends by working 40 hours a week as a teacher and dedicating another 40 hours to my PhD work. I didn’t know what burnout was then, but I was learning about it first-hand. That’s when I found Yoga and decided to weave it into my research and life. Fast forward to November 2019, I became Dr. Lisa Clow.
In my research, I learned that Yoga helps people feel better about themselves because it focuses on love. The first half of Yoga Sutra 1, Verse 33, says the psyche can be calmed by cultivating an object of friendliness, compassion, and gladness. Why do those actions calm us, and can they work to soothe our amygdala and relieve us from chronic stress? The Ancient Yogis knew what scientists have discovered in recent research. Strauss et al. examined definitions of compassion and agreed that some standard components exist. Compassion includes recognizing feelings of suffering in yourself or someone else and then feeling empathy. Empathy is more profound than sympathy because you know what the person is going through; you’ve walked in their shoes. Recognizing that we all suffer can bond us as a human species. A typical description of compassion also includes changing the circumstances to stop suffering. Who knew all those steps were included in compassion? Well, the Ancient Yogis understood and based the entire system on compassion. Before I go further, let’s try a compassion meditation; Sarah Blondin’s “A Letter to the Women of the World.” Namaste We are in a time of political turmoil, military invasions, increased social inequity, and a growing divide between the wealthy and the working class. That sentence could apply to 2025 or the 2nd Century BC when the Yoga Sutras appeared in history. Studying the Yoga Sutras is interesting because the advice is relevant to our modern existence. Yoga Sutra Chapter 1, verse 33 states the psyche can be calmed by cultivating as an object friendliness, compassion, gladness, and disinterest with happiness, suffering, virtue, and vice. Verse 34 says, or, through both, lengthening the exhale and holding out the breath. Modern neurological science confirms verse 34 has validity. Dr Andrew Huberman hosts a podcast linking daily health practices with scientific evidence. His episode titled Mental Health Toolkit: Tools to Bolster Your Mood and Mental Health explains why Verse 34 of the Yoga Sutras advice decreases stress in our bodies. Scientists have named lengthening and holding out the breath as a Physiological Sigh. Check out the link below to listen to that portion of Dr. Huberman’s Podcast. For those who need more proof that you can do yoga, this should be your aha moment. The link between what the Ancient Yogis knew and modern science is real! So, let’s do a practice that uses the Physiological Sigh or extending the exhale to calm our nervous system and mind. You can listen to my recording on Umbrella Breathing on Soundcloud or on my website and an Extend the Exhale meditation on Headspace as an example.
Namaste Huberman Lab Podcast: https://www.hubermanlab.com/podcast • https://www.hubermanlab.com/episode/mental-health-toolkit-tools-to-bolster-your-mood-mental-health?timestamp=63 then click on timestamp and click on 00:40:00 Pillar #6: Stress Control; Physiological Sigh If you’re like me, you may wonder why we should do Yoga. Even when I know the immediate benefits of calmness, connection, and well-being, my curious mind wants to know more. If you recall, I wrote about the Yoga Sutras in a previous post, Lit, which gives us tools for reducing our suffering. If you missed that post, you could read it now to gain more insight. Yoga helps us transform our suffering into compassion and love. I wanted to know more about how spirituality plays a part in the process. During my research, I watched a YouTube video on what a Buddhist Master said about the prayer Om Mani Padme Hum. Each word has a meaning, which is explained in the video. The Buddhist Master noted that as the Lotus Flower thrives even in the murky waters of a swamp, we can succeed through compassion and wisdom. My interpretation of the prayer is that we acknowledge our shortcomings as humans and that God resides within us. We can overcome our suffering through God’s wisdom by showing compassion to ourselves and others.
Practically speaking, this is terrific news for all of us! We can relieve the suffering in our lives by celebrating our spirituality, welcoming the Divine presence into our souls, and using other helpful tools like breathwork and compassion meditation. Christians are called to ask God into their hearts, but before that, is the Divine already there? I think so! In times of negative thoughts and emotions, we can see the Divine Spark in our hearts radiating light to the world. We don’t have to love everyone, but we can let the Divine Spirit love them through us. Are you with me on that? Again, we need to practice this shift in mindset. It’s easier to acknowledge the light within us at a peaceful time, like our morning meditation as the sun rises. I use a vision board to remind me of positive thoughts to start the day. A heart on that board with the words “Be Love.” helps me to put love at the forefront of my daily tasks. Whether trudging through the snow to feed the pigs or taking my dogs for a walk in the cold morning air, I act compassionately for myself and them. Here’s a chant in my morning meditation playlist that helps remove obstacles so you can achieve peace, happiness, and success. I like this Deepak Chopra Heart Meditation to help me start my day focusing on love. Practically speaking, it’s an easy way to build your spiritual wealth and increase joy in your life. When I decided to learn how to teach Yoga, I knew little other than that I had a magical experience practicing Yin Yoga online. I didn’t know the history of Yoga, the Yoga Sutras, the Bhagavad Gita, or Lineages. I was at the beginning of my Yoga journey, for which I was grateful. The in-person Yoga Teacher Training (YTT) was through a satellite location of the Nosara Yoga Institute, which I knew nothing about. We got a list of books to purchase; the first was Dr. Don Stapleton’s Self Awakening Yoga. As a Ph.D. student, I was trained to read my resources before delving into a research project, so I began with Dr. Stapleton’s book. I couldn’t put the book down! I was fascinated with his journey through Yoga and was even more impressed with the AS-IS technique he developed to connect the mind, body, and breath in Yoga. I suggest learning more about Dr. Stapleton on the Self Awakening Yoga website.
Sadly, I never met or talked to Dr. Stapleton, but fortunately, his work is recorded in his book and on his website. His recordings are invaluable for anyone wanting to start a Yoga practice or for experienced Yogis wishing to deepen their journey. I implore you to listen and try them. There is magic in letting go of what you think you know and being open to a new way of experiencing life. Yoga Sutra Chapter 1, verse 29 says that from turning inwards, consciousness is realized. My gift was experiencing Self Awakening Yoga at the beginning of my Yoga journey. I hope you take the opportunity to explore it, too. Life is hard, and sometimes I feel like I’m on repeat. I was struggling today, wondering when the last time I thought things were going smoothly. There always seems to be something tugging on my joy. The Ancient Yogis knew life was difficult, and that’s why they developed Yoga, a system of practices to relieve us from the suffering of life. Yes, even back in 1500 BC, life was tough! There was no internet, cell phones, social media, online dating, etc., but everyone still had the same problems. This realization gives me a pause but also promises a better future.
As women, we have different struggles, but guess what? So did our predecessors. Back then, women were prohibited from practicing Yoga. That is until Tara, the first female Buddha awakened the world to the fact that women are spiritual beings. I’ll share my path to Tara in another post, but here is her story. To read more about her I suggest you check out Rachael Wooten’s book, The Liberating Power of the Female Buddha. So, back to Tara’s story. A remarkable woman named Wisdom Moon was so devoted to her spiritual practices that a group of monks noticed her. They talked and then told each other she should transform herself into a man, to become a Buddha. She met all the different requirements of becoming fully enlightened. Can we stop for a moment and contemplate that part of the story? If a group of men said something like that to me, I would instantaneously realize that I wasn’t even close to enlightenment. But Wisdom Moon was far more advanced in her devotion and let the monks know she would become a Buddha and wouldn’t have to change into a man. And so, she did; she became Tara, Mother of all Buddhas! That story has always inspired me to continue my Yoga path. Rachael has a wonderful compilation of Tara’s meditations on her YouTube channel. I invite you to explore. I wondered how many of you waver in trusting yourself. I got a puppy this year, and he’s almost 6 months old. I had been considering getting another dog since my beloved Remington passed away. I had abundant trust in myself that I could handle a puppy and thrive in training him. Last night, I felt defeated because my puppy was, for lack of a better explanation, being a puppy! You could say that my confidence had bottomed out, but as I contemplated today, I realized I didn’t trust myself. I reached out to my cousin, who has experience training her dogs and referred me to a few online training programs. When I was supposed to be meditating this morning, I was watching a training video on YouTube. I’m smiling now because this is a significant example of trusting myself. I’m going off on a brief tangent, but I’ll return to this story. Sometimes, our attention is in other places for a reason.
If you’re a mom, grandmother, career woman, entrepreneur, or domestic goddess, you have responsibilities. If something is looming in your mind, sitting and meditating is going to be tough. I trust myself enough to know that I can pause the meditation, take care of business, and get back to the moment I can lose myself in no thoughts. That’s because of the repetition of meditating at the same time in the morning for the past 4 years. Ok, back to trust, or should I say on with the trust? After watching the video, I remembered the previous times I trained my 4-year-old Labrador retriever. I remembered how to do some exercises, so I tried some with my dogs. It worked, and they had fun. Then, we all got back to meditation. On my morning walk with the dogs, I listened to a podcast whose guest talked about using multiple tools for emotional well-being. I considered what I did to help myself. I texted my cousin, watched a YouTube video, tried some games with my dogs, meditated, and then went on a long walk, and now I’m writing about it. That’s six techniques for managing my emotions and deepening my spiritual connection with the world around me. Remember when I suggested setting a time for meditation and repeating it? If not, click on that link to read my post. The basis of Samadhi, or the highest state of consciousness, is meditation! You don’t have to be an expert; just start. I was thinking about ways to engage my readers in developing their spiritual side. I thought about what most people say when they answer the magic wand question. What would you change if you could wave a magic wand and create the perfect life? Most say, win the lottery, have millions of dollars, or have all my bills paid. Could spiritual wealth be the magic wand that changes your life in the ways you want?
You may not know, but I have a farm. The path to the farm is another story for another time, but you could listen to my podcast episode, How Covid Knocked Me off My Hamster Wheel, to hear it. The guy who delivers the animal feed to my farm said he wanted to make $100k annually. He explained that he wanted to be able to take care of his family while he was young enough to work hard. I asked him if he could take care of them now; did he have a house, food, heat, clothes, and other necessities? He answered yes. He said he wanted to build an addition to his home and do some upgrades. My mind went back in time to when I built my first house. The payment was $800/month, and at the time, I could save quite a bit, even on a teacher’s salary. But as time passed, we decided to build a bigger house in a better location. My point is that no matter what the circumstances, we always want more. What about our spiritual development? Do we always want more from our relationship with the Divine? Maybe spiritual wealth is where we should invest. The average life span in the US is 77.5 years, but how do we measure our time in eternity? I might be getting too deep into this, so let’s keep it simple. If we have a goal of enjoying life and gaining an understanding of who we are, we need to build our spiritual wealth to get there. Yoga is a practice that can help us to feel inner peace, develop compassion for others, and connect with the divine spirit within. If we invested in practicing Yoga as we invest in our occupation, that peace and relief from suffering could come quickly. How much time will you spend on Yoga and building your spiritual wealth? How much time can you invest in the process as we move into the new year? Think about it and write down a few sentences explaining your commitment. Need help on this part? Let’s look at steps for developing a habit. Pay attention to this one! For those out there who claim to be Yoga experts, I’m not. Before I started writing this book, some people had said, “She shouldn’t write that book!” Why? Probably because the thought of me writing a book about Yoga sparked anger in them. Maybe they’ve spent years perfecting their crow pose, or perhaps they studied under a famous Guru. They might have a Yoga business and don’t want others to know that poses aren’t the magical factor. I’m here to say that whatever your stake in the Yoga world is, embrace it. My book is about becoming an expert in how Yoga changed my life; that is what I hope reading my book can help others to do. When I took courses in Shamanism, the teacher said a Shaman would never call themselves a Shaman. At first, I wondered why, but then he said that others who had the benefits of the Shaman’s work could call them Shaman. That makes sense. If you have a favorite Yogi who has helped you somehow, then embrace calling them Yogi. I have a person who has helped me, and I’ll share a story about him.
When it was time to write my PhD Dissertation, I thought I had the perfect plan. I submitted my prospectus, which the program director quickly denied. I wanted to research Yoga as a Women’s Population Health Intervention, but the problem was that there was no Public Health research on Yoga. I had two professors assigned to my dissertation committee, and one of them wrote her dissertation on Exploring Yoga as a Holistic Lifestyle for Sustainable Human and Environmental Health. Other than that, nothing substantiated my project. I searched everywhere, looking for just one public health article on Yoga, and then I found it! Yoga Research and Public Health: Is Research Aligned with The Stakeholders’ Needs? By Avinash R. Patwardhan. I didn’t know who he was, but in my mind’s eye, I saw him doing Yoga research in some remote area of India. I rewrote my prospectus based on his article’s recommendation that more public health research on yoga should be done. My prospectus was approved! When my dissertation was completed and published in November 2019, I got a message from Dr. Patwardhan. He wasn’t far away in India but nearby at George Mason University. Long story short, we met and have since become friends. I call him Yogi. According to the Yoga Sutra, Chapter One Verse Two, the ancient yogis described Yoga as containing fluctuations in the psyche. Each part of Yoga is meant to calm the mind, heart, body, and spirit. The goal is to focus on God when suffering comes our way. Finding comfort from the Divine within can be easy when we are calm. But in times of heightened emotions, what is our default mode? I think about the acronym HALT: don’t let yourself get too hungry, angry, lonely, or tired. My Aunt used to tell me that when I was going through tough times. Why do those things matter to our well-being and to make it through the day? Why is it so hard to calm our minds, heart, and body today? Let’s break it down into the parts of HALT. Today, we will focus on H or hunger.
Hunger can drive us to do things we wouldn’t normally do, but food can also do that. Like many products on store shelves, Ultra-processed food contains more chemicals than nutrients. You may not be aware that those foods are designed to keep you eating. When you tear open a bag of something crunchy, salty, maybe orange in color, your tastebuds come alive. Have you ever craved that kind of “food”? That craving is what the chemicals are meant to do. So, eating ultra-processed foods creates the H in Halt! Even after learning this, I still buy crunchy, colorful, bagged items now and then, but awareness is the first step to overcoming. We can overcome hunger by reminding ourselves to eat food close to its natural state without processing. What a topic to discuss during the holidays, right? It can explain why we may feel down after eating sugary, chemically enhanced treats during celebrations. Go for the homemade versions of those foods, for sure! Yoga Sutra Chapter One, Verse 30, tells us that overindulgence is one of the distractions of our psyche. We can go back to the breath to help us, but again, it takes practice. Do you remember when I said that the magical factor in Yoga is YOU? You have the power to change things and can also influence that power with awareness of the foods you eat. If you missed the big reveal, read my previous blog posts, starting with the breath. Practice is the way we can help ourselves! Here’s a video from Dr. Andrew Weil on a short-breath meditation. Try it and let us know how you feel. The first time I remember feeling gratitude was around 1983. I was in high school and grateful for my physical health. My Aunt had developed muscular dystrophy, and I saw how simple tasks became more challenging for her to accomplish. While I was able to help her, I was also thinking about my ability to move efficiently. As an act of appreciation for my physical health, I decided to pursue bodybuilding as a sport in college. I didn’t want to take my muscles for granted. At that time, gratitude wasn’t trending as a technique for staying healthy. There was no internet in 1987! Even years later, I didn’t understand the full impact of gratitude. In my late 20s and early 30s, the gratitude journal became popular when a TV talk show host boasted of its benefits. So, I bought a notebook and wrote five things I was grateful for daily. It wasn’t long before I ran out of things to write about. I had been feeling lonely and sad during challenging times in my marriage. The gratitude journal wasn’t giving me the happiness I was looking for. I hadn’t connected my appreciation for physical health in the 80s with gratitude. At that time, I was hyper-focused on what I didn’t have.
Years later, I heard a podcast guest explain gratitude differently. The expert said to think of your life without the person, place, or thing. At that moment, it hit me, and a flood of gratitude filled my heart. My home, my family, my dogs—the list could go on and on! Suddenly, gratitude came quickly to me. I had unlocked the healing power of gratitude. The Ancient Yogis knew how vital gratitude was for life. Yoga Sutra Chapter 2, verse 42 says from contentment, unsurpassed happiness is attained. I agree with that statement. Living in appreciation can bring unsurpassed happiness if we can get to the point of genuine gratitude. Try this gratitude activity. Think about your life now and pick a person, place, or thing to contemplate. Maybe it’s a pet or a loved one. Then, consider how your life would be without that person or pet. Now consider all the joy and love the person or pet brings you. Write a few statements about the feelings and experiences. Notice the happiness your thoughts have generated in your heart, and remember that joy throughout the day. Tomorrow, choose something different or maybe the same focus of gratitude. If you like, share your experience with us on our Facebook page. |
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