Good night, sleep tight!

Here's a sleepy time yoga routine, again one you can do in your pajamas (I sense a theme developing... Yogjamas? Pajamoga? Hmmm, will workshop that)

The idea of this routine is to calm the mind and body after the day, and to prepare for sleep. You want to start leaving the stress of the world behind you and come into your own little sleepy-time world, so the first exercise I will get you to do is... TURN OFF YOUR MOBILE PHONE! Sorry, yelling when we are meant to be getting all calm. But seriously, do it! Just for ten mins :)

You can also change into your pjs, turn down the lights, put some nice relaxing music on. Light some candles if you really want to get this hippie party started. Do whatever you need to start coming into a peaceful and relaxed state ready to get your snooze on.

Reclining Spinal Twist

First of all, we'll get a twist going on, to release any tension out of the spine, and give our internal organs a nice pre-bedtime massage (and who doesn't like one of those?!)

Lying on your back, bring your left foot onto your right knee, and grab the left knee with your right hand (Confused yet? See below!)

Bring your left arm along the ground to make half a 'T' shape. Exhale, and drop the right knee down towards the floor, while gazing along back at your left hand.. creating a twist along the spine.

Keep your both shoulders grounded to the floor.

Hold for a few breaths, inhale and return to the middle. Switch sides.

Wind Relieving Pose

Even if you aren't particularly "windy" this is still a great pose to do in the evening. It aids digestion and relieves stress in the lower back. 

Lying on your back, inhale and pull your left knee into your chest. As pictured:

Then exhale and curl your shoulders off the ground, as if to touch your forehead to knee (not pictured). Gaze down your body to your belly button.

Hold for a few breaths, return the head to the floor on an inhale, and then lower leg. Repeat opposite side. 

Childs Pose

Ahhhhh, what could be more perfect for the end of the day! Begin by kneeling with your feet together, and sit back on your heels. On the exhale bring your torso onto your thighs, bringing your head to the floor, and resting your arms long by your side. Release all tension in the body... Surrrrreeeeeeender! *said in breathy hippy voice*

Release the front of the shoulders towards the floor, getting your shoulder blades nice and wide across your back. Relax here for 30 seconds, or longer if you like. When you are ready, inhale and lengthen the torso out of your hips, hinging up from your pelvis into a seated position.

Alternate Leg Pull

This is a fantastic introversion for the end of the day. As well as providing a powerful hamstring stretch and a release through the lower back, it offers a chance to really block out the rest of the world and come into your own space, leaving everything that happened in your day "out there". I love it :)

First of all, sit up with your spine long, legs wide out in a triangle, then bring the right foot up by the top of the left thigh. 

Take a nice deep breath, and inhale your arms above your head, twisting your torso so it is facing over the left leg. 

Exhale, hinging out from the hip to stretch and bring your torso onto your thighs, with your hand reaching down towards your shins or ankle. At this stage you may need to lift the knee up to enable your torso to rest along your leg. 

Try and get the bump of your knee to rest in the spot between your eyebrows, as this is an acupressure point which will help you sleep. Bonus!

Rest here for 30 seconds, using the inhale to stretch your spine longer out of your hips, and the exhale to come in deeper towards your knee, or to try and straighten your leg further along the floor if it's not there yet, pushing out through the heel. 

Try to really concentrate solely on the breath coming in and out of the body, let go of all thoughts of anything outside of what is happening in this moment in the pose. No mental shopping lists or ruminating on the day. This is your chance to leave all that behind you! 

Inhale back up to seating. Repeat other side.

Alternate Nostril Breathing

Now is a great time to do some yogic breathing, to clam yourself before sleep. An excellent breath to try when you want to calm your body and mind is Alternate Nostril Breathing. Once you get the hang of this (and it's not hard), it is a really useful way to slow your breath, settle the thoughts running through your head, and relax. You'll be nodding off in no time! 

Here is the video if you'd like to give it a try.

Legs up the Wall

Does what it says on the tin! Is a perfect pose to do when you are actually in bed, presuming your bed is against a wall. If you don't have time to do the rest of the routine then doing this restorative poses will have you dreaming of Ryan Gosling whatever you dream of in no time! 

To get into position, sit sideways to the wall with your knees pulled in to your chest and then turn yourself so your legs are up the wall. You want your butt as close to the wall, hence this way of getting into the pose. 

Once here, open the collarbones by bringing your shoulder-blades together slightly underneath your back and then make a slight double chin, to get your neck nice and long.

Have the feet as if you are standing on an imaginary floor, heels and toes even. 

Stay here for 1 - 5 minutes, then switch it up into the rest of these variations. 

"FAAAME!" DC wants to live foreeeever...

Splits - try and get your legs as far into a 'V" as possible. 

Diamond - make a diamond shape with your knees, pushing the knees back as close into the wall as possible. Push the soles of the feet into each other, and rotate your thighs outwards, to assist with bringing your knees closer to the wall and open through the hips. 

Bring the knees into your chest and hold. 

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Are you still awake Brogis??! If you haven't already drifted off into an easy slumber, simply roll onto your side and zzzzzzzzz away... Sweet dreams!

For those that have trouble sleeping 'Click to Meditate' has a great "Sleep Well" guided meditation that is fantastic to listen to as you drift off to Gosling Land slumber. It is also super easy to upload and play on your phone in bed. I swear I've never heard the end because I'm always asleep by then. Hope it works just as well for you :)

Bromaste!

Mindfulness Meditation Continued!

The beauty of Mindfulness Meditation is you don't necessarily need to "sit down" and practice mindfulness. It can be done anywhere! Use eating as a chance to do some MM - instead of shovelling a meal down in front of the TV or computer, actually focus on the sensation of eating, and the taste of your food. Turn off all other distractions and concentrate solely on the taste, texture, sound, smell and feel.

Or try same with taking a walk. Rather than spending the walk making your to-do list or ruminating on your thoughts, pay attention to what is in the now... concentrating only on the sights, sounds, smells and sensations in this moment. Notice any thoughts that come up, but then return your mind to your immediate surroundings.

I like practicing when I am on a bike ride down one of Melbourne's lovely quiet side streets. Not recommended in traffic though!

By learning to let thoughts "pass by" without becoming attached to them, MM teaches us is that our thoughts are just that - thoughts - not facts or irrefutable truths. In fact, more often or not they can be incorrect, especially when it comes to things which cause us anxiety.

How often have we spent time worrying and stressing over things that never even end up happening (*puts up hand and answers "often"!*) MM teaches us to be in the present moment, not projecting forward to this mythical non-existent future, or back into the past.

By learning it is possible to treat thoughts as neutral, MM also shows us we have ability to control how we react and respond to them. It gives us the opportunity to develop a "pause" after thoughts arise, not just during meditation... but in our daily life. Instead of following a thought down a habitual path of worry or anxiety we can now begin to choose how we are going to respond, not letting ourselves automatically be pulled into negative thinking or catastrophizing.

I hope this helps brogis and I strongly recommend you give one or some of these exercises a try. Even if you don't suffer anxiety, mindfulness is great for bringing you into the "now", connecting you more to what is going on around you and making life just that little bit more vivid and sweeter. And who doesn't want that! :)

Links for you to enjoy below.. and with that I bid you... bromaste!

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Six minute guided MM here.

Seven minute stress relief MM here.

Fifteen minute guided meditation focusing on the breath here.

Fifteen minute MM Body Scan here.

Great video using MM to overcome anxiety and panic attacks during exams (love the ginger fellow) here. Recommends meditating on a sultana! Try it :)

Jon Kabat Zinn, is a professor and scientist who founded the Centre for Mindfulness at UMass. He has some excellent resources available on CD and audiobook

Mindfulness Meditation and Anxiety

As promised in my previous post on Yoga and Anxiety, I have a few more tools for you to put in your anxiety fighting tool-box! The one I want to focus on in this post is Mindfulness Meditation (MM). This is a specific form of meditation which is gaining popularity as a treatment for those suffering from a variety of anxiety disorders.

This study conducted by Stanford University on the effects of Mindfulness Based Stress reduction on patients with Social Anxiety Disorder found that after two months participants were less anxious and thought of themselves more positively..."nine sessions of mindfulness mediation training made people with social anxiety disorders feel less anxious and less depressed, and improved their self views... Often people who have either depression or anxiety have a poor or negative self view... [MM] taught them to focus on things other than their personal criticisms"...

Dr Bruno A Cayoun, of the University of Tasmania, uses MM combined with more traditional methods of therapy. He found MM ..."produces neuroplasticity, which is the ability of the brain to rewire itself... As the pathways to self-awareness and acceptance in the frontal and other regions of the brain become more connected, self control in the face of problems such as anxiety, depression and traumatic symptoms is made easier"... Pretty cool, huh!

(Read the full article with case study here)

So now I've talked it up I'm sure you are desperate to know... What exactly is Mindfulness Mediation??!

MM is a form of meditation that involves focusing the mind entirely in the present.It means paying attention "on purpose", focusing on what is happening in this moment, not what has happened in the past or what may (or may not!) happen in the future. It is observing the thoughts that come into your mind without becoming attached to them, regarding them as you would clouds passing through the blue sky of your mind.

..."Mindfulness is a state in which you focus on the present: the sounds in the the trees, the softness of your cushions and the feelings in your body"... (More here)

In this kind of meditation, judgement is suspended. If a thought comes to mind we do not judge whether it is 'good' (and get excited) or 'bad' (and get depressed) - we remain neutral rather than following the thought towards worrying, excitement, analysing or indeed any kind of reaction. Instead we observe and acknowledge that the thought has arisen; and then consciously return our mind back to the present moment.If it helps you can tell the thought you have plenty of time to think about it later (here I go telling you to talk to yourself again brogis!)

Here is a basic script you can follow to get a feeling for MM. I will also include several links in the next post to meditations you can play on youtube if you find it difficult to stay focused without a guide.

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1. Find a quiet and comfortable place. Sit in a chair or on the floor with your head, neck and back straight but not stiff.

2. Try to put aside all thoughts of the past and the future and stay in the present.

3. Become aware of your breathing, focusing on the sensation of air moving in and out of your body as you breathe. Feel your belly rise and fall, the air enter your nostrils and leave your mouth. Pay attention to the way each breath changes and is different.

4. Watch every thought come and go, whether it be a worry, fear, anxiety or hope. When thoughts come up in your mind, don't ignore or suppress them but simply note them, remain calm and use your breathing as an anchor.

[Ed note: remember the clouds brogis!]

5. If you find yourself getting carried away in your thoughts, observe where your mind went off to, without judging, and simply return to your breathing. Remember not to be hard on yourself if this happens.

6. As the time comes to a close, sit for a minute or two, becoming aware of where you are. Get up gradually.

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From the article "Overcoming Anxiety with Mindfulness Therapy" here.

More in the next post... Until then bromaste!

Meditation 2: Simple Muscle Relaxation Mediatation

As promised, here is a simple meditation for you to try. It works by taking our attention away from our thoughts and the busy-ness of the mind, instead bringing the focus back into our body and breath. 

You can meditate lying or sitting in a comfortable position, perhaps easy cross legged or leaning against a wall. If you cannot sit without slouching in the spine however, it is best for you to lie. You can also put pillows or a blanket under your knees when lying to alleviate back pain or curvature of the spine. The following exercise is definitely best done lying down however. Keep your arms rested by your side, apart from the body, and let the legs fall open, feet relaxing out to the sides.

Wear comfy clothes and no shoes. Turn off your phone and make sure you are free from distractions.

Firstly, bring attention to your breath, noticing if it is deep or shallow, fast or slow. Are you getting enough oxygen to really revitalise your body with each breath? Start breathing deeply into the body, first feeling the chest expand upwards and sideways, and then filling the belly. Exhale fully from the belly - try sighing with the exhale to release all the tension and air. The more over-dramatic the sigh the better! Do this a couple times until you feel the tension leave your body.

Feel your body begin to sink deeply into the floor. If your mind is busy or you notice thoughts arise, gently bring the mind back to the breath. Acknowledge the thought, but do not follow it or ruminate on it's content; watch it like you would a cloud in the sky. If it helps you can remind your mind that you will be free in ten minutes to think about this, but this is your time to practice having a calm and quiet mind. This normally helps the thoughts to dissipate.

Start at the top of the head, focussing all your attention into this area, and feeling the back of your head relaxing heavily into the floor. Some people like to imagine a glowing light or aura around the are they are focussing on but if that is too hippie-ish for you let it go. Now start tensing and relaxing the muscles of your face - start by scrunching your whole face up and release, then close your eyes as closely as you can then relax them. Feel the eyeballs sink right back in the sockets on the release. Open your mouth wide and unclench your jaw, feel the jawbones relax. 

Then work your way down the body, tensing and releasing as you go. Start with the shoulders, then upper back. Then ball your right hand into a fist, tensing the arm and holding the fist for three seconds then releasing. Do the same on the left. Tense and release your belly, your low back, your buttocks, then your left leg and toes, then right leg and toes. Ball your toes and hold like you did the fist. Try to tense on the inhale, release on the exhale.

Once you have relaxed all the body parts simply lie and become aware of the new feelings of relaxation and release in the body. If any parts are still feeling tense, repeat the contraction on that area, and mentally encourage the area to "let go". 

Lie there for a few minutes enjoying the relaxation in your body. Again, don't become attached to any thoughts that come into the mind - don't try to "stop" them (impossible!), but simply acknowledge them and then let them pass. Focus on the breath.

When you are ready to come out of this meditation, begin by wiggling your fingers and toes to get some movement back into the body, then raise and stretch the arms out long above the head, stretching out your entire body for a few moments before you arise. 

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Hope you find this helpful - and don't worry if your mind is super busy or you find it difficult to relax. That's all part of the practice, and it's actually a learned skill not to think. Even by attempting and perhaps failing you are still working on gaining this ability :)

It can be difficult to do this through reading the script yourself, so unless you can find a patient friend or loved one to read it out in my relaxing broga voice it may help to follow along to a guided meditation through your speakers or headphone. Here are three good ones I have found on youtube:

Progressive Muscle Relaxation  Meditation 

10 Minute Guided Body Scan Meditation

Progressive Muscle Relaxation 

This site also offers some free downloadable meditations: Progressive Relaxation Exercises

There are plenty of them online and on youtube so search until you find one that "resonates" with you. And let me know in the comments if you find any good ones :)

Happy relaxing brogis!

Meditation 1: Monkey Mind

Although it seems counterintuitive to read about meditation rather than well... doing it, it actually helps to have some understanding of our mind and the effects of meditation upon it, as well as what we are wanting to achieve, before we even begin. So bear with me brogis!

Most of us (myself definitely included!) have what we call in yoga the "monkey mind" - meaning our mind jumps from thought to thought like a drunken monkey jumping from branch to branch on a tree. We have no control over where our thoughts go, rather they lead us... and often to places we would rather not go - envy, anger, worry, sadness, resentment... any of these sound familiar?! Meditation (and yoga) seeks to calm this monkey; to be the observer, rather than the follower, of our thoughts.

Eckhart Tolle's book 'The Power of Now' is a great source for learning more about the idea of the observer or "witness" of our thoughts; below is a passage I found really helpful when I was trying to get my own head around this concept... hope it helps you too:

"You have probably come across "mad" people in the street incessantly talking or muttering to themselves. Well, thats not much different from what you and all other "normal" people do, except that you don't do it out loud. The voice comments, speculates, judges, compares, complains, likes, dislikes and so on. The voice isn't necessarily relevant to the situation you find yourself in at the time; it may be reviving the recent or distant past or rehearsing or imagining future situations. Here it often imagines things going wrong... this is called worry.

... It is not uncommon for the voice to be a person's worst enemy. Many people live with a tormentor in their head that continuously attacks... and drains them of vital energy.

... The good news is that you can free yourself from your mind... You can take the first step right now. Start listening to the voice in your head as often as you can. Pay particular attention to any repetitive thought patterns... This is what I mean by "watching the thinker" which is another way of saying: listen to the voice in your head, be there as the witnessing presence."

I feel a bit funny telling you to "listen to the voices in your head"; but that's exactly what I want you to do! Start just witnessing the thoughts that come into your mind and - unlike the drunken monkey - watch them as an observer rather than simply just following them on the (oftentimes dangerous!) path they wish to take you down.

"When you listen to a thought, you are aware of not only the thought but of yourself as the witness of the thought... The thought then loses power over you and quickly subsides, because you are no longer energising the mind through identifying with it. This is the beginning of the end of involuntary and compulsive thinking. 

When a thought subsides, you experience a discontinuity in the mental stream - a gap of "no mind". At first the gaps will be short, a few seconds perhaps, but gradually they will become longer. When these gaps occur, you feel a certain stillness and peace within you."

Bingo! This is exactly what we are hoping to achieve in meditation, this state of "no mind". And notice I say "hoping to achieve" - it can take a while to grasp, and is something you will need to practice over and over again. Don't become discouraged or expect immediate results; we are so used to the "drunken monkey" way of thinking that often it takes a while to get any kind of gap at all, and when we first start meditating it may feel like our thoughts will never clear. Trust me... my mind was one of the drunkest monkeys you could ever meet! But I know with a regular meditation practice these kind of gaps in thinking (and overthinking!) do begin to occur, and the result is a much healthier, happier you. Yay! :)

I will finish this post now, as it is probably a lot to take on... but I will be back soon with more information about meditation, as well as different techniques you can try to assist you in your attempts to find this lovely state of peace and calm. In the meantime, I invite you to try simply observing your mind... and see what happens. Until next time...

Bromaste!