The Bag - A Story About Clutter and Procrastination

This is The Bag. Or rather, this was The Bag. The Bag is no more, and I’m feeling good about that.  

For over a year The Bag contained various garments that needed mending or altering – a missing button on a pair of my son’s shorts, a pair of trousers that were too long, an unravelling seam in a Roman blind.

The Bag sat in the corner of my office awaiting my attention. Each time I went into my office it did catch my attention and a small flash of irritation with myself would occur. I would promise myself that I’d get to it next weekend, but that never seemed to happen and so The Bag remained.

I had good intentions to reuse, recycle and restore all these things to their former glory, and I really didn’t want to just throw them in the bin. However, intentions weren’t enough and I didn’t actually do anything about it.  The contents of The Bag grew gradually over the period of a year and my excuse was that I really needed a whole day to sort the thing out once and for all.  Alas, that day never presented itself – I was busy elsewhere.

The Bag became such a familiar presence in the room that I started not to notice it on a daily basis, only focusing on it when I had to pick it up to sweep the floor. When I did see it, The Bag produced a sort of heavy feeling in me.  The undone tasks hung over me and I was frustrated with myself for not dealing with them.

Sometimes, somebody else can see a solution to your problem more clearly than you can yourself. This happened to me last week when I was encouraged to shine a light on an area of my life where I was a little stuck. I assigned a set day and time to take the first steps – emptying out and sorting through The Bag. So I divided the contents into 3 piles – things that could be thrown away, things that could go to the charity shop (those shorts belonging to my son no longer even fitted him!) and  those tasks which I needed to actually do.  Then I put The Bag into the recycling bin! Instant relief! The Bag would no longer be “watching” me from the corner of the room, reminding me of my unfulfilled intentions.

The pile of tasks was smaller than I remembered and not quite as overwhelming as I feared. I chose 2 easy tasks to deal with straight away and I felt a great sense of satisfaction when they were done. My next date with my sewing machine is tomorrow and I’m going to be very mindful that as well as intention there has to be action – I don’t want to get stuck again. The great yoga master BKS Iyengar tells us that “the very heart of yoga practice is a steady effort in the direction you want to go”. This wisdom applies both on the mat and off it - and most definitely when dealing with sewing tasks!

So I’d like to pass this positive, cleansing practice on now and ask you some questions: do you have a “Bag”? Is there something you’ve been putting off? What is stopping you? Could you break it down into more manageable tasks so it doesn’t seem so overwhelming? Take one small step, then another, then another and, with that steady effort, you’ll feel the sense of heaviness lift as you create a clearer space for yourself. Please leave a comment and share your experience - I'd love to hear from you.

Sorted!

How to Make Ginger and Lemon Tea

As we move towards the colder weather it's a good idea to turn the thoughts to boosting the immune system to avoid those winter coughs and colds.  Ginger and Lemon Tea is traditionally drunk to soothe a sore throat but if taken on a regular basis its many nutrients can have a preventative action against ailments too. 

Although you can buy Ginger and Lemon tea bags in the supermarket, the contents have been dried and have been sitting around for quite some time with their nutrient value decreasing. If you make your own fresh Ginger and Lemon tea the nutrient value is so much higher.

So why is this tea so good for you? Here's the science bit: 

The root of the ginger plant (or more correctly, the rhizome) has been used for centuries to treat gastrointestinal problems. It is known for its abilities to both relax the intestinal tract and soothe stomach pains. It is widely used as a safe and effective treatment for morning sickness in pregnancy, and also at alleviating motion sickness. Ginger contains very potent anti-inflammatory compounds called gingerols which, new research suggests, reduce inflammation and help improve joint stiffness and discomfort for those with arthritis. Ginger is warming and can help promote healthy sweating, which is often helpful during colds and flu.  It is also rich in anti-oxidants which protect cells and the molecules inside them from free radical damage.

If you'd like to look at a detailed analysis of the nutrients that ginger provides click here. 

Lemons contain a mega-dose of Vitamin C. They have strong antibacterial, antiviral, and immune-boosting powers and are a digestive aid and liver cleanser. Lemons contain many substances - notably citric acid, calcium, magnesium, vitamin C, bioflavonoids, pectin, and limonene - that promote immunity and fight infection.

If you'd like to see the nutrient analysis for lemon click here. 

Here's how to make your own Lemon and Ginger Tea.

You will need:

• 1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger
• 1-2 cups of boiling water
• 1-2 teaspoons raw honey or pure maple syrup
• ½ lemon, juiced 

Peel a small piece of ginger root with a peeler.
Grate the ginger with a grater/zester. You can thinly slice it too.
Put the grated ginger in a small bowl and pour 1 cup of boiling water onto it. 
Let it steep for 10 minutes.
Strain into a cup to remove the bits of ginger.
Add fresh lemon juice and a little honey or maple syrup if you like. Stir and enjoy!
If you want a cold tea, let your tea cool down, store it in the fridge and add ice cubes before serving. 

How Yoga Has Evolved Through The Centuries - part 3

The earliest references to yoga as we know it today, ie. a practice centered on physical and mental wellbeing, are found in Buddhist works dating from the eighth century. In the 15th century, Swami Swatmarama wrote the Hatha Yoga Pradipika, which is considered to be one of the most important yoga manuals ever written and forms the basis of the yoga practice we know and love today.  Hatha yoga combines elements of Patanjali's Yoga Sutras with posture and breathing exercises. It purifies the physical body leading to the purification of the mind (ha), using an awareness of prana, or vital energy, (tha).  

9 Reasons to Try Mindful Walking

by Adam Brady via The Chopra Center

Regular meditation is the foundation for mind-body wellness and a consciousness-based approach to life. The daily practice can improve quality of sleep and relationship skills, enhance concentration, reduce stress, and provide a deeper connection to spirit.

However, daily meditation doesn’t have to mean sitting passively. Walking meditation, also known as mindful walking, is an active practice that requires you to be consciously aware and moving in the environment rather than sitting down with your eyes closed. It’s a simple and comfortable form of meditation that can be particularly valuable for newcomers or anyone who prefers a more active form of this practice.

Mindful walking can lead to a unique set of benefits compared with its seated counterpart. The practice brings you closer to nature as well as your body. Here are nine reasons to try mindful walking.

1. It Connects You More Deeply With the Environment

Walking meditation produces the opposite of the sense withdrawal, known as Pratyahara, that we experience during a seated meditation practice. In mindful walking, all of our senses are actively engaged in the experience of walking. We are deliberately being mindful of the earth beneath our feet, the air flowing in and out of our lungs, the sights, sounds, smells, and even tastes that we experience as we walk.

This practice helps us to feel more connected to the environment of which we are an inseparable part. This environmental connection also cultivates situational awareness, in which we put all of our available attention on our surroundings rather than mindlessly walking from place to place.

2. It Gets You Out of Your Head

Taking a walk outdoors can break you out of a mental fog or a perpetual train of thought. This interruption may only be a change of scenery, which might be all you need to shift your awareness out of your conditioned mind and open you up to a more universal perspective.

3. It Allows You to Commune With Nature

Provided you’re outdoors, mindful walking is an excellent opportunity to commune with the natural world. Free from the internal dialogue of the ego, the natural world provides a seamless channel to the realm of spirit. Spending time in nature can be healing for body, mind, and soul. As you walk through forests, parks, mountain paths, or near bodies of water you immerse yourself in the primordial purity that is also at the core of your being.

4. It Helps You Get to Know Your Body

Many of us are so alienated from our bodies that we don’t feel truly connected with our physical selves. Even worse, we may hold our bodies in contempt rather accepting ourselves and having a loving and intimate in-body experience.

Walking mindfully establishes a deeper connection between mind and body, helping you to embrace your body as it moves through space. The practice fosters an expanded awareness of how you carry yourself as you walk. Your posture, gait, and balance all tell a unique one-of-a-kind story in the way you physically express yourself as you walk. These details can give you valuable insight into how you can move with greater ease and comfort.

5. It Slows You Down

Slowing down is a natural byproduct of moving mindfully and consciously. When you focus on the countless details involved in taking each step with care and awareness, your movements become more deliberate, graceful, and measured. There’s no need to race to get anywhere. This moment, this step, this breath is all there is, and you embrace it in all its richness.

Enjoy the opportunity to not have to reach a destination. Mindful walking is about taking your time, all the time you need. Remember, it isn’t about how fast you go, but how deeply you can feel.

6. It Strengthens Concentration

Seated meditation is practiced in a subdued, quiet surrounding. Mindful walking takes place in an environment filled with potential distractions. Nearby traffic, fellow walkers, weather, birds, insects or other animals all add to the regular stream of thoughts and bodily sensations fighting for your attention.

As each of these distractions come into your awareness, you repeatedly bring yourself back to the present moment and the practice of walking. The continual process of attention drifting away and coming back strengthens the mind’s ability to remain focused on the task at hand. With time and repetition, this exercise builds the mental muscles that make one-pointed focus a more regular experience.

7. It Increases Your Awareness of Intention

In yoga philosophy, the refined control of attention and intention is known as Dharana. Through Dharana we learn how to harness the power of our awareness and desires to bring about transformation in life. By walking mindfully, we cultivate a deeper understanding of our intentions through conscious movement, one step at a time. Each walk begins with an intention; each footstep also begins with intention. And if we practice walking with attention and clarity of desire, we can more easily choose transformative intentions that bring the most fulfillment and happiness into our lives.

8. It Expands Everyday Mindfulness

Walking meditation is a practice; it’s a skill that develops over time. The more you do it, the more it becomes a part of your being. This integration of mindfulness starts to spill over into other areas of your life, infusing them with deeper awareness.

And since walking is a basic activity that most of people engage in on a daily basis, you can practice any time you get up to take a walk, whether it’s for 30 seconds or 30 minutes. This regularity helps this mindfulness become a part of everything you do.

9. It Helps You Connect to the Present Moment

As you walk and become increasingly aware, the mind grows quieter. On occasion, that quiet becomes deeply profound. Your awareness goes beyond the walking, the breathing, and the passing scenery into the boundless field of pure awareness.

Such transcendent moments feel as if time is standing still as the walker, the process of walking, and the environment merges together into one. In this eternal present, there is no past or future, only the infinite now stretching out forever. Moving into this unbounded realm beyond thought, time, and space allows us to experience Atma Darshan, or a glimpse of our soul.

Finally, I think I may have shared this video with you before but it's worth a second look. It's about being comfortable in your own skin. 

Have a peaceful week.