Tag Archives: meditation

“Train Your Mind Like A Puppy!”

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Do you tend to think (or obsess or regret) about things in the past? Do you tend to think (or worry) about things in the future?
How much of your thinking time is either in the past (stuff that’s already happened) or in the future (stuff that hasn’t happened yet)? 
It seems a common ailment that we do not spend much time truly focused on the present moment, the present task, the people we are with at this very moment.
Instead, we are jumping back into the past and dredging up things or we are leaping into the future wishing for things or looking forward to things or even worrying about things that haven’t happened yet.
While there’s nothing wrong with visiting the past or the future, do you tend to live in those places much more than you do the present moment of your life? Do you miss what is happening right now because you’ve traded it for thinking about something that’s already happened or something that hasn’t happened yet? What beauty are you forgoing right now?
Would you believe that training your mind like a puppy will help you live more and appreciate more in the present moment? Several years ago, I read this tip about meditation and share it in all my meditation classes and workshops. Here’s the scoop:
This requires you to stop regularly throughout your day and think about what you are thinking about! :-)
If you realize that your mind has run off into the past, call it back to the present moment – just like you call back a little puppy that dashes off. If you realize that your thoughts have run off to dwell on something in your future, call your thoughts back to the here and now.
You understand how the concept works when you are training a little puppy. It wants to run and wander and explore constantly and you have to call it back to your side. Same with your mind. While it’s ok to wander and explore sometimes, you must train your mind to come back to the present and focus on the task, the beauty, the person, the conversation, etc. that’s happening right here, right now. 
So, your challenge for today is to observe your own mind and your own thoughts throughout your day. When you find your mind wandering off to the past or the future, call it back  to the present moment, just like training a little puppy.
Notice what is happening right now. Really explore this moment of your life… this breath… it’s really all that truly exists. 
 

Yoga For Emotional and Mental Stability

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In Class This Week, we’ll focus on three things:
  1. Lunges – We’ll practice variations of the lunge pose, including Warrior 1 modifications, low lunge and high lunge. These poses stretch the groin and legs, strengthen your legs and arms and increase your balance.
  2. Emotional and Mental Stability – We’ll do an 8-minute, 4-pose soothing Kundalini Yoga set (kriya) that does wonders for your nervous system in a very short amount of time and will leave you feeling mentally and emotionally calm, relaxed and stable. It’s my favorite – works every time! Oh yeah!!
  3. Pranic Meditation – In this 5-minute meditation, you’ll focus on your breath and the prana (life force) that is carried by your breath. According to Yogi Bhajan, this meditation “fertilizes the brain” to help eliminate depression and fatigue, provides a constant flow of energy, and boosts your health and intuition.
I hope you will join me this week for this very beneficial practice for your physical, mental and emotional health!

3 Tips For Better Sleep

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I think we are a sleep-deprived people. Uncomfortable sleep… not enough sleep… not realizing the importance of good sleep…. The results are not good, but the great news is that we can reset our sleep by doing a few things better.

  1. Set your bed time. Good parents do this for their children because we want them to feel good and perform well during their day. Hmmm… why don’t we do this for ourselves? I know I need to set my bed time a little earlier because I have a tendency to sit down about 9:30 or 10:00 to read or watch a little TV before I go to bed and the next thing I know, I wake up on the couch at 3:00 a.m. – ugh! So, I need to start getting ready for bed at 10:00 instead of sitting down to watch TV ;-). I heard a good tip last week – set your alarm to remind you it’s bed time.
  2. Get comfortable. Check what you wear, the temperature in your house, the clutter in your bedroom, the state of your mattress and pillow. These all contribute to a good night’s sleep. I need to buy an new mattress big-time (this means shopping – heeellllllp!!) and I’m trying out different pillows because some go flat or “dead” very quickly. What can you change in your environment to make your sleep more comfortable?
  3. Do some gentle yoga poses, stretches, breathing and meditation before you sleep. It really makes a great difference! Even just a few stretches and three minutes of quiet meditation releases tension from your body and generates calm in your nervous system to help you get a good night’s sleep. Try it and let me know how it works for you!
Here’s to your better night’s sleep starting tonight!

By: Cheri Harvey, Owner/Founder Yoga For Real