Wisdom & Thoughts

Four Lessons on the Art of Balance and Stillness
The word we find in Yoga teachings to express balance is “equanimity”.  We are all searching for this in life and want to feel that we are in harmony with ourselves, each other, and the world around us.  What does this mean and how do we achieve it?
Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra, Chapter One, verse 33 refers to “The Four Immeasurables”: maitri karuna mudito upekshanam sukha duhkha punya-apunya vishayanam bhavanatash chitta prasadanam

First Lesson:
means love with the intention and capacity to offer joy and happiness.  There is no greater joy than to make someone else happy.  It is the only real reason to study and practice.  We are all suffering and so we must learn to take away the pain of others. It is the single most antidote for all our problems in trying to meditate and practice.   We can develop the capacity to offer joy and happiness to others by looking and listening deeply so that we know what to do and what not to do to make others happy.
Karuna is compassion with the intention and capacity to relieve and transform suffering and lighten sorrows.  “Com” means “with” and “passion” means “to suffer” but it is important to remember that we do not have to suffer to relieve the suffering of others.  If we can develop karuna there will be fewer obstacles in our practice.  We must look at our motivation for studying or practicing, and offer one compassionate word, thought or action to reduce another being’s suffering.  Little by little, as we engage in small worldly kindnesses to others, we will be able to expand our compassion beyond what we think our edges are.
 

Second Lesson:
Mudito is joy.  Many wise teachers comment that happiness relates to both the body and the mind, whereas joy relates primarily to the mind.  It can mean sympathetic or altruistic joy, but a deeper understanding of mudita is a joy that is filled with peace and contentment.  Rejoice in your own well-being and rejoice in others’ good fortune and well-being too.

Upeksha literally means “to overlook something” and is translated as “equanimity”, “nonattachment” and “nondiscrimination”.  It is a balance of feelings.  There are practices we enjoy and connect with right away and there are other practices that we are not so interested in, which may entail hard work.  We tend to avoid them.  If we are deficient in those areas we need to practice equanimity.  Then we can expand our practice and learn to act with equanimity towards people we like and don’t like, and find balance in all situations, pleasurable or painful.  

Third Lesson:
Love, compassion, joy and equanimity can all be limited.  However, in the Yogic sense they are unlimited.  When we develop lovingkindness for all, it creates the basis for our enlightenment.  We must expand capacities for this. Therefore:
•    Cultivate lovingkindness;
•    Slowly develop compassion;
•    Generate joy/ rejoice for others;
•    Develop these qualities into an immeasurable state.  While cultivating one, do not leave the others out.

Meditate on someone dear to you and think about their kindness and love and expand it to unrelated beings and other sentient beings.  When you see everyone in an equal state, then you achieve the state of equanimity.  Rejoice in your good fortune and the well being of all.
 

Fourth Lesson:
Stillness    
How do we find stillness in a world that is constantly changing and moving?  The planet spins around through space and we spin throughout our lives.  So, we need to look past the outer differences to the inner essence where we will find stillness.  In a relative sense there will always be constant change – that’s the case with everything around us.
Yoga is for people who are interested in the phenomenon of change and want to be part of positive change, part of the evolution, the revolution.  How do we find that inner stillness in order to effect positive, relative change? Yoga Sutra I.33 is practical and down to earth as it instructs us how to take positive steps to change our lives.  It all starts in the mind.
“For those who are happy, be happy too.  For those who are in pain, try to take their pain away and make them happy. For those who are virtuous, be joyful; and for those you see as harmful, try to love them too and take their unkindness away.  Through practices of kindness our minds become crystal clear, like pure water or blessed food.”
Identify with stillness. See through to the essence, the life force, and don’t be fooled by the outer appearances of things. Hear the One voice… although it changes it is really the same.  Discriminate between what is real and unreal.  That’s yoga practice.
 

Jeannine Woodall, yoga teacher extraordinaire, lawyer and beautiful friend to all

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Sustainable change is not an easy process. 

In fact 98% of us fail at keeping resolutions.  What do the successful 2% of people do differently that enables transformation?  They study themselves.  They practice svadhyaya, the yoga niyama of self-study.  They develop their own personal plan for change that is unique and constantly evolving.  They accept that they will stumble frequently, but rather than chastise themselves, they use setbacks as an opportunity to learn and adjust.  They understand that this process needs to be gradual and just as in practicing yoga, they focus on the journey rather than the destination.
 
By practicing svadhyaya (self-understanding), one can begin to identify critical times and situations where one is at risk for slipping into old patterns of behaviour.  For me, a day following a poor night's sleep is one of those critical times.  It is essential to have a plan as to what to do in this difficult situation.  I always practice spynga or yoga, as this gives my energy level a boost when I am fatigued.  What I am certain to do, is to spend as little time as possible near temptation (the fridge) as I know that willpower will be weaker on these days.  I also have plenty of low calorie density foods at hand as I know that even 2 nights of insufficient sleep will reduce my sensitivity to leptin (the fullness hormone) by 20% and increase the hunger hormone ghrelin by 30%.  Fortunately, because I practice spynga/yoga regularly (both improve the quality of sleep), most days I have energy to spare!
 
Lynda Montis, yoga instructor, dietician and wise soul. Reach Lynda at www.weightlossyoga.ca. lynda.montis@gmail.com.

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discovering your wellness

When most of us think of wellness we relate it to being healthy, right?  But healthy tends to just imply lack of disease, whereas being well and having wellness is defined as the "ability to live fully...with vitality and meaning."  This is about much more than eating well, exercising regularly, and maintaining routine doctor visits and check-ups.  In fact, there are many dimensions of wellness, which include social, spiritual, emotional, intellectual, environmental, and of course, the physical.  Some models extend to include other components such as, financial and occupational.

Ultimately it is about finding balance among all the dimensions of wellness in our lives.  But what does this really mean?  Living is much more than being healthy and free of disease, but it about growing and learning, and experiencing life.  The National Wellness Institute defines wellness as, "an active process through which people become aware of, and make choices toward, a more successful existence".    

As important as the physical aspect of our well-being is, we cannot neglect the other dimensions.  Just as we cannot focus all our energy on occupational or social and neglect our physical wellness.  Below is a brief description of each dimension.  As you read through each one answer the questions and see if there is an area where you feel you may need to find more balance.  None of us will have the same pie chart, nor will most of us have one completely balanced like the one to the right.  But the goal is to not be missing an entire piece of the pie, because then the remaining foundations of wellness will be askew.

Physical:  Are you eating a well-balance diet, are you exercising, do you know your blood pressure and cholesterol levels, and do you stay current on check-ups and yearly physicals?  This can also include knowing when to take down town to recover and heal from an illness.  Tip: Rejuvenate with a massage.

Social:  Do you spend time interacting with others and engage in satisfying relationships, including intimate relationships?  Not only does this include feeling like you have a support group but you are valued as someone who provides support and is needed by others.   Do you appreciate and respect individual differences?  Tip: Make time to interact with friends and avoid eating lunch at your desk.

Intellectual:  Are you willing to learn and grow from experiences?  It is feeling your mind is optimally stimulated and challenged.  But this also includes using the creative side of your brain because we all need a creative outlet as well.  Are you able to express your creativity? Tip: Sign up for a new class, do a crossword puzzle or create something with your hands.

Spiritual:  This means different things to everyone but ultimately we all need a set of guiding principles or beliefs that give us purpose and meaning to our lives.  Do you? 

Tip: Take a few minutes everyday for reflection and creating a sense of inner peace. Write your own personal mission statement.

Emotional: Do you feel you are able to express your feelings comfortably, effectively and in a healthy manner?  This also includes having self-confidence and valuing yourself and role in life.  Do you have a positive outlook on life?  Do you have productive ways to cope with the stress in life?  Tip:  Begin journaling.

Environmental: This includes having an appreciation for the environment and your role in preserving and improving it.  Also, do you feel safe in your home, neighborhood and at work?  This can also relate to living in a space that is clean and uncluttered.  Tip:  Pick-up trash you see on the street or in a parking lot; clean and organize your space.

While it is not shown in the chart above, occupational is also a dimension of wellness and it is the ability to earn a sufficient income and support yourself and/or family.  Do you feel adequate levels of autonomy, competence and purpose at work?

Meredith Griffin, who is adjunct faculty in the Human Movement program at A.T. Still University and owner of the Wellness Train.  For more information visit thewellnesstrain.com or email meredith@thewellnesstrain.com.