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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.
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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. |
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January 2025
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