Do you have a job where you sit all day at a desk? When you get home, do you spend most of your time on the sofa? I often do both, and these can have terrible effects on the spine and breathing. Sofas, due to their soft nature, distort the pelvis and cause tension in the lower back. Slouching or leaning back in a computer chair cause similar problems. I find that if I’m not taking occasional breaks to focus on my posture, I can’t breathe and am quite sore! This lack of breathing gives me quite a headache! Here’s some quick yoga for those of you that sit a lot to counteract these things. It will improve your breathing, alignment, energy and mood.

1. Place both feet on the floor, in line with your hip joint. If your legs aren’t forming right angles (thighs parallel to floor), then you may want to adjust your chair height or move toward the front or back of your chair until they are.

2.Locate your sitz bones with your hands: place your hand under one side of the fleshy part of your seat, find the bone that protrudes - this is the bone you sit on. Find it on each side, and remember where they are and how they feel. Here’s a picture of your pelvis:

Notice the shape of the sitz bones (indicated by arrows). Also notice the location of the hip joint - it’s further in than we tend to think when we hear "hip’s width apart."

3. Try to press the sitz bones into the seat of your chair - just those bones. How does this affect your pelvis, abdominal muscles, lower back, and even your feet? Try to find a way to keep your feet strong on the floor, legs relaxed, and sitz bones pressing into the seat. When you do it this way, you correctly activate deep ab and pelvic muscles.

4. Now notice that your torso falls in place automatically. What should have happened is: your torso is neither too far forward nor back - test this by leaning forward and back then find a place in the middle (no strain on belly or back), your shoulder blades have dropped down away from your ears (if not, let them), and your chin is parallel to the floor. This frees up your torso to breathe!

5. Breathe. Watch your breath first, breathing through your nose only. If your belly isn’t expanding slightly followed by a little lift in the upper ribs on the inhale, then guide it to do so for a couple of breaths. If the opposite isn’t happening, ribs returning to normal and belly relaxing toward the spine, on the exhale, then guide it to do that also. This is your body’s preferred way to breathe. If it’s uncomfortable then don’t do it for very long - a little bit goes a long way in retraining. You can also help the body relax by pushing all your air out through your mouth when you exhale, and let your body inhale (through the nose) for you. This relaxes mind and body. Be sure to maintain your posture while doing so. The best thing is to just let your body breathe fully on its own, with you merely observing it - it’s rhythm and the ways it makes your body move.

If your back is hurting at all, it may just not be used to this more correct seated position. Breathe into your back with the intention to relax the muscles - draw the belly button slightly toward the spine on the exhale to help with this. The muscles that hold us upright are actually right next to the spine, so our outer belly and back can relax here. I like to imagine that my hands can reach through my front and hold onto my lower spine (at and below the navel) to keep me up.

The rest of your body may be uncomfortable, too, if this is a new position. That’s okay - you’re using good muscles. You’re working hard even though you’re just sitting! Keep breathing and relaxing. You’re the test to when it gets too uncomfortable (use turns to pain, or breathing becomes difficult), and that’s when it’s time to stop. I would suggest going for a short walk around the room/office before resuming normal sitting. Drink some water, too!

Do this as often as you want. It’s a great two minute break from work. The more you do this simple act of yogic sitting, the more your body will relearn proper alignment, the better you will breathe, and the more work you can get done! Then when it’s time to relax on the sofa at home, it won’t bother you as much and you can really relax.

Posted by baredfeet at 1:07 PM CST

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Ego is a word that everyone seems to toss around. My experiences of ego have left me feeling that a lot of liberties are taken on its behalf. Ego always seems to come off as something to blame and shoo away. This has gotten my goat for quite awhile, but who am I to tell people different? But yesterday’s encounters with ego once again spurned in me the motivation to just share my understanding of it - I think ego needs a fresh spin.

First off, the words id, superego, and ego arise out of Freud’s structural explanation of the human mind. Simply defined, the id is our primal drives (pleasure and survival), superego is our conscience, and the ego mediates the two, working hard to make sure we’re safe (I suppose these could be looked at as body, spirit, and mind, respectively). Whether or not I really agree with this model is not the point. What I want to focus on is this definition of ego as the peace keeper and the one who strives for our best interests.

Now what I usually read in modern mental health literature, or hear from practitioners, about ego is something more along the lines that we all tend to operate from our ego, which we identify with, and this is not preferable because the ego is impermanent, fear based, and keeps us separated from each other and truth. The true goal of modern health is freedom from this ego-identity to reach a place of interconnectedness and a clear view of reality. So the common, quick presumption, then, is, "Bah ego." Yes we need to free the ego, but not because it’s "bad". The ego is tired working so hard for peace and safety. We need it as much as we need our brain while here on earth - it serves a great purpose and needs our respect. There is so much more to the story, but most of us don’t take the time to keep looking for a deeper understanding.

I like to think of our minds (put it where ever you want in the body) as a big Compact Disc changer - unlimited discs. Only this changer can play more than one disc at once. The main album being played is our consciousness - the present moment’s external manifestation of our three parts in play (to stick with the presented model for argument’s sake). Place the id and superego where you like. The point I want to make is that the majority of the discs in the changer are multiple, distanced parts of our ego - stuck repeating the same track over and over and over. Sometimes we hear these tracks, but usually we just hear our consciousness and act from these ego tracks.

These other discs are created when the ego, defending our sanity and safety and mediating peace between self and world, creates what psychotherapists call a defense mechanism. For example, if you were stung by a bee at aged two while picking a flower, your ego may have experienced fear (out of shock and the potential threat to life) and pain, and learned something unreasonable - like all flowers are bad because they have bees, and all bees are bad because they sting. Your mind then burned this track onto a disc and stuck it on repeat in the changer, ready for when a bee or a flower came up.

The ego merely was protecting our vessel and mothering our emotional wounds. It may not be doing so in the best way - there was no real threat and now you hold a false belief about the world (depending on how you look at it), but right or not, I believe it is through the ego that we learn the lessons we need to find our purpose in this life. Our body may not have been in danger, but it’s good to keep an eye out for it as to not lose our body before our journey here is completed. In any case, as more and more of these tracks are being played, it becomes harder to hear the main album.

The way to work with this, in my opinion, is not to push the stop button on all the other discs but to actually take them out of the changer one by one. To do this requires a compassionate ear. To learn awareness so when a flower pops up we can hear and identify the flowers-and-bees-are-bad track. This track can inform us of the little two year old who was scared and confused, and with the compassionate heart of a parent we can give it a hug, tell it that bee stings may hurt but they aren’t bad, and flowers are beautiful and safe. With that, the disc will merge into the main one, leaving us to re-experience flowers and bees as they really are.

I hope I’ve made my point clear - the ego is simply not something to despise, on the contrary, while it is something to free, it is often made up of severed parts that need to be heard, hugged, and healed. With this freedom from repeats, and the understandings we’ve gleaned about the world, our spirit grows. Actually it is through this compassionate listening to our tracks that we see our interconnectedness and the world in its true form. So we can crank up the volume on our main album and shine on as a whole being. So the next time you hear anything about ego, you can say "Thank you ego, for doing your best."

Posted by baredfeet at 5:31 PM CST

Updated: Monday, 21 January 2008 5:32 PM CST

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Once upon a time, there was a wicked queen who was never satisfied. Nothing was ever good enough and she complained all day long. She was tired, stressed, and thought life was unrewarding. What made things worse for her was this girl, Snow White, who really got the queen’s goat because she was satisfied, happy, and loving - a real goodie-goodie hippie. One day in absolute desperate frustration the queen decided to give the girl a toxic apple in hopes she would get food poisoning and actually complain, or, better yet, be in total misery. When the queen handed the apple to Snow White, things took a turn for the worse. Snow White bubbled up and over in thanking the queen, and then politely refused the apple saying she only ate organics and this one smelled of pesticides. To make matters worse for the queen, Snow White then invited her in for some fresh gluten-free cookies and herbal tea.

Pushed past her pleasant limits, the queen blew up at the girl, asking, exasperated, how she could stand to be so perky. She confessed her attempt to poison the girl, and tried to badger her into anger with intense screaming of insults. In response Snow White smiled, held the queen’s hand, and nodded. She then asked the queen if she would like to hear her secret. Dumbfounded, the queen stammered out something that sounded like a yes. Snow White then began to share the wonderful gifts that lie in gratitude. She explained to the queen that every day she simply took a minute to think of all the things in the whole world that she is thankful for. This one act re-framed her mind to look at life this way, just because it felt good. So powerful was Snow White’s positivity that it melted the queen’s heart, and transformed her into a nurturing ruler.

I’d like to say that the queen’s wickedness never returned and they lived happily ever after, but, truthfully, these two characters are two waves of the same ocean - I came up with this version of the Snow White tale while pondering the wicked queen and sweet girl that both exist as parts of me. Often when my queen shows up, with gratitude, I allow the Snow White version of myself to win out. Sometimes the queen hangs out for much longer than I’d prefer, until I realize I need to get some gratitude. If I’m really diligent with this short practice (explained below in further detail), then it takes off on its own and I rarely see the queen - who does, in her own way, though, offer some usefulness now and then.

Perhaps my fairy tale version, particularly the annoying Snow White, turned you off due to its disgustingly romantic style, but I really feel gratitude works like the magic of a fairy godmother to turn me into a whole new person.

Here’s a test or two if you’re still skeptical:

1. If you are frustrated with your spouse for not listening, or your child for being a brat, does thinking of their good qualities - the times he’s listened, the times she’s sweet, the things they teach you - make the frustration melt away, or at least diminish?

2. After a long, hard day, does coming home and diving into a comfortable routine with a good night’s sleep make the next day not seem so bad?

3. When you get praise from your boss, does he seem like less of an idiot?

This is the magic of gratitude. The power of positive thinking goes a long way towards your health and happiness. Here’s how to turn your life into a fairy tale, even if only briefly:

It may feel stupid the first few times, but the more you really let yourself get into it and enjoy the simple rewards of feeling more positive you’ll find yourself gravitating towards the practice. And then there’ll be the day that you’ve felt like a wicked queen for so long and are secretly desperate for a little good cheer, and Snow White with that fairy godmother gratitude will transform you into the self you know and love.

Posted by baredfeet at 11:01 PM CST

Updated: Monday, 21 January 2008 5:33 PM CST

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I often forget there’s a big picture to life. I seem to do that whenever I’m caught up in the melodrama of the moment. I get absorbed in myself and lose sight of what really matters. We all go through periods where we are confused, dramatic, a bit out of control, and feel left in the rain without an umbrella. A couple of years ago I stumbled onto the truth about something I previously didn’t give much thought to, and now that is where I always seem to go when I get in these phases. It gives me that connection to the bigger picture, and an umbrella to carry in the rain.

When I was a teenager, I loved reading my horoscope in all the girl magazines (usually hoping for a prediction of romantic love). I also found solace or validation in my identity by reading the characteristics of my zodiac sign. Before a few years ago, this is what I thought astrology was - predictions and general definitions. I am now happy to shed light onto astrology’s common misunderstandings.

First of all, the general characteristics of these zodiac, or sun, signs are not definitions of the people who hold them. Rather they are the translation of the forces (like communication, or creativity) affected when the sun is in that particular sign into general characteristics (like talkative and creative). By forces I mean like gravity . . . only not as difficult to resist. These forces support or hinder the personal aspects of our lives. Astrology is also more than just the typical horoscope of our sun sign. We all have a collection of signs in our birth, or natal, chart (where the planets were in each of the signs at our exact time of birth), and it is this collection which contributes to our complexity. The sun sign usually holds our most prevailing energies and outward expressions so it is the one that is most useful to look at for general indications. A look at your natal chart would give you a fuller picture of the forces in your life, which can help in your quest to understand yourself and present circumstances.

But our collective signs do not create our identity either, they are merely the planetary forces that were present at our birth time. We’ve made our life its details, and we have the ability to change whatever we like. This correlation of planets, signs and our birth also does not mean that the planets caused our identity any more than the symptoms of an illness caused our illness.

With this idea of forces one can look at horoscopes more like a weather report rather than a prediction - which can explain its seeming vagueness. Much like rain or lack of sunshine can affect our mood, the planets’ forces affect our moods, too. Take the full moon, for example. What is really happening is a release of built up energy - which differs according to the sign the moon is currently in and how it affects your chart. It isn’t as important to know what sign it’s in or how it will affect you, as much is it is simply useful to notice that there happens to be a full moon. During a full moon many of us become more emotional as things from our past come up to be released. Simply knowing that there’s a full moon around promising to bring change can inform you to relax, because you’re not crazy, and to pay attention to what wants to be released so you can help it.

The planets, too, have forces that affect all different aspects of our lives. The only difference is that they operate more like the weather in that sometimes they are more prevalent and sometimes they are dormant, rather than all the time like gravity. Reading our horoscope in these terms, or finding ones that report the activities of the universe like a weather report (yahoo.com’s horoscope has this now), can be helpful in gaining perspective for all the things going on in our current daily lives. They can prepare us for the active forces and how to best respond to them. They also can offer a handle in confusion, "ah, so that’s why I feel like this," and information to help us muddle through to bring the most abundance in our life.

For me astrology has also become spiritual - it shows me how the divine acts in my life, there are forces working for my well being not my destruction, and that I have a true choice in my life - be a victim blown by the wind or weather it. Mostly, admittedly, it’s simply a relief to know that there are reasons for my emotional messes - maybe it’s just nice to have something to blame, but its more like watching the weather of the universe and knowing whether to wear a bathing suit or carry an umbrella.

Posted by baredfeet at 11:01 PM CST

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I am not a nutritionist. But I trust what I’ve learned from experience. My dietary experiences have brought me to believe that balance wins, and elimination and indulgence lose. Your body is always seeking balance. Elimination and indulgence are at the far ends of the balance spectrum. By avoiding these we can help bring our entire selves back into balance. This concept has taken the worry and the work out of eating, and allows us to eat our favorite foods.

We all know the problems with indulgence - "too much of anything is a bad thing," they say. Why isn’t this optimal? Our body is a big chemistry set. Different nutrients need other nutrients, sometimes the right amount, so too much of one can cause problems. This is true especially if a particular item is toxic - our body isn’t built to combat large quantities of strange substances all at once. This goes across the board nutritionally - from eating too much in one sitting to eating only the same food. This counts with liquids, too - including water. It’s hard, though, to have too much water. When is too much? Each item is different, of course. You can use your body and emotions as a gauge: when does guilt chime in? When do you feel sluggish or bloated? When are you so hyper you can’t calm down? When do you feel full (as opposed to overfull)? Are other health problems arising that could be avoided with cutting back?

So how far do we cut back? Well I have learned that cutting anything completely out isn’t optimal either. Elimination is forcing something on your body - forcing it to cut out something without asking if there is a time you may need it. I was a vegetarian for several years, for reasons that didn’t really concern my body. I forced this decision on my body without taking proper consideration for my body’s needs or my lifestyle. I ended up totally neglecting nutrients my body needed. I am still primarily vegetarian but have learned that deliberately eliminating things from my diet can limit my body from getting what it needs. Full vegetarianism is possible, don’t get me wrong, but it, in my opinion, takes diligent care and the knowledge of a good nutritionist.

Another reason I hesitate to eliminate anything is because of emotional connections to it. No, it’s not just an excuse to eat chocolate. If you cut something out, particularly if you love it - like chocolate - it makes you feel worse than the guilt of eating eat. You experience grief, really, you do. I’m not saying I condone emotional eating, but if you truly enjoy a food that you think may be unhealthy, if it doesn’t make you feel great from start to finish eliminating it, you may make different choices for yourself - make it rarer or eat/drink different varieties. Then you not only can forgive yourself for the indulgence but will enjoy it more. Beginning to choose things that make our body feel great also strengthens and balances out our intuition - changes cravings of habit to cravings of biology.

This brings me to that main struggle that can impede balance: cravings. This common feeling can be either a wonderful or erroneously confusing signal for balance. When I have a sudden craving for something I have to ask - do I crave this because I’m addicted or because I need it? A sudden urge to eat some broccoli is most likely a biological craving. A craving that’s more like "I want a cookie now" is probably an addiction. Not that all biological cravings are healthy and vice versa, but the big difference is that an addictive craving is for something that you tend to eat a lot and is usually more difficult to resist. Don’t blame yourself for these addictions. They are easy to do. It’s actually your body that is addicted. It’s gotten used to this specific food and has stayed alive with it, it mistakenly perceives that it will continue to operate best with this same food (even if it’s sugar and your hypoglycemic) and that any new food might now work as well. Fortunately we know better in these circumstances and can be aware of our tendencies in order to bring balance back.

When we eat without being conscious of our bodies and emotions, we are actually helping ourselves move out of balance. Being imbalanced works against our body. Binging, eating a lot all at once and then avoiding, for example, is actually an unhealthy form of balance - our body and emotions are seeking balance, but do so through extremes. When your body is balanced, the rest comes in balance. The plus side? We can still eat our favorite foods!

Posted by baredfeet at 11:01 PM CST

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