Vivekan

This is a weekly post from Bodhisattva Yoga’s founder/co-director offering weekly bits of research findings, suggestions, and musings on all things directly & indirectly related to the broad Path of Yoga.

The holiday season is a great time to see just how well we manage stress. For many, this is the busiest time of the year, and therefore the most stressful.

In the line of work that I do (i.e., running, and teaching at, my studio Bodhisattva Yoga; guiding others on their journey to physical, emotional and mental wellness), I sadly encounter – all too often – comments like: “I’m too busy. I’ll get back to my practice of yoga, meditation and/or the improvement of my diet after the New Year.”

This is a mistake! …And, there are numerous reasons why this line of thinking is erroneous (e.g., perpetually putting things off, wrongly thinking we’ll have time later). I will share here a few poignant ones that we all can share:

1. After 30 years of age, we no longer have the luxury to let the body become detrained. A week, let alone, the almost two months between Thanksgiving and the New Year, is way too long to go without our physical practice regime, e.g., yoga. Unskillfully returning to the practice after such a protracted period increases the risk of over-training and/or strain.
2. Typical adult Americans put on about 5-pounds of fat every holiday season, due to being too busy to fit in their exercises; however, we are almost never too busy to eat unscrupulously. Compounding this reality is the fact that those +/- 5-pounds of extra weight are very difficult to lose and never leave us feeling good about ourselves.
3. “Cancer and stress go hand-in-hand, and high stress levels can lead to poorer health outcomes in cancer patients.” Recent studies on art therapy and its integration with mindfulness practices “have shown to reduce anxiety, depression and psychological distress in a variety of populations. These have been associated with improved immune function, quality of life and coping effectiveness in women with breast cancer.”

Keeping the above in mind, it also helps to remember that the best way to give to others is to first know how to give to yourself this holiday season. Bodhisattva Yoga‘s creative, mindfulness-based flows is a wonderfully effective way to give to ourselves and thereby maintain health as we manage stress. When we are less stressed we are happier and make better company to keep, which is the best form of giving (Dhana).

Join me in maintaining our practices with great vigor (Virya) throughout this hectic time of year; because life doesn’t begin in the New Year, it’s taking place now.

In health,
Vivekan

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Vivekan

This is a weekly post from Bodhisattva Yoga’s founder/co-director offering weekly bits of research findings, suggestions, and musings on all things directly & indirectly related to the broad Path of Yoga.

Inactivity, in regard to physical exercise, is at too high a level in today’s modern world. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, women are even less likely than men to meet federal guidelines of physical activity per week. Marcas Bamman, Ph.D., director of the University Alabama at Birmingham Center for Exercise Medicine, states:

Inactive adults have a higher risk for early death, heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, depression and some cancers. For women, increasing research is showing exercise may help reduce breast cancer risk.

In addition to lowering breast cancer rates, regular exercise along with a balanced diet, also maintains shape in reducing abdominal fat. Abdominal fat is the most dangerous on the body’s systems’ ability to function optimally.

Vivekan in mayurasana, peacock pose

Retta Evans, Ph.D., UAB associate professor of health education asserts that even better than swimming, in meeting varied fitness criteria, is yoga. She explains:

Yoga helps to maintain your muscularity and that helps with maintaining your posture. It also helps in stretching all of the muscle groups, front and back. Yoga is another great weight-bearing activity as well. Whether exercising is a means to feeling healthy or looking healthy…the most important thing is to stick with it.

So yes, you had some idea of yoga’s benefits, but now you have an even better appreciation of how it exceeds even swimming, and it brings in many other fitness markers into one body of practice. This is precisely why I developed Bodhisattva Yoga, to be a one-stop mind and body system of self-improvement. Join me in not letting life’s busy-ness get in the way of our practice and our enjoyment of health – the greatest treasure and blessing.

In health,
Vivekan :)

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Vivekan

This is a weekly post from Bodhisattva Yoga’s founder/co-director offering weekly bits of research findings, suggestions, and musings on all things directly & indirectly related to the broad Path of Yoga.

Would you like to increase the odds of living a longer, healthier life? Me too! That’s why I became really interested when I read a recent BBC article on the relationship between living longer and the enjoyment of life.

Researchers from University College London sampled 10,000 of our English friends to see if “future disability and poor health could be predicted by the state of a person’s mind.” The people studied were between the ages of 50 to 100, and were tracked over the course of nine years – 2002 through 2011.

Those participating in the study were interviewed, by way of three different measures of mental wellbeing, over the nine years to test their enjoyment of life. The findings? (This really affirmed my repeating Chekawa’s line: “Always keep a happy mind.”)

According to the researchers:

The difference between those who enjoyed life the most and those who enjoyed life the least was marked, with nearly three times more people dying in the lower than greater enjoyment group.

Have fun juggling life!

The investigation, part of the English Longitudinal Study of Aging, found that those who remained socially and physically active, and enjoyed life the most had just under a 10% death rate after nine years. In contrast, those who enjoyed life the least suffered an almost 30% mortality rate over the same time period. (Wow!)

Professor Steptoe, who led the study, gave some good insights:

- People who are happy are the kind who take care of themselves and are therefore quite healthy.

- People of a happy disposition were less stressed.

- Environmental factors, such as strong social networks, could be at play.

- The wealthier over-50s were half as likely to become socially isolated than the least wealthy.

I systematized Bodhisattva Yoga^TM to at once provide: the activity adults need to stay fit and manage stress; the philosophy to increase happiness; and, the community of practitioners you can stay networked with. So, join me in increasing our capacity to enjoy life, and thereby savor longer, healthier existences.

In health,
Vivekan

Vivekan

This is a weekly post from Bodhisattva Yoga’s founder/co-director offering weekly bits of research findings, suggestions, and musings on all things directly & indirectly related to the broad Path of Yoga.

From a young age, I have sought ways to help people be happier, and to help them enjoy greater wellbeing. So, I became a Bodhisattva to endeavor to this end. I later systemized Bodhisattva Yoga^tm to more effectively help people on their journey of developing better mental and physical health. But yesterday, I stumbled upon a science article summarizing the findings of Economists and public health researchers from the University of Warwick, Britain; and alas, I realize I’ve been going about helping others the wrong way! What have I been doing wrong?

It seems that I have not been successfully getting my people to eat more fruits and vegetables. That’s right, from a study pool of 80,000 good folk of Britannia, the researchers learned that happiness and mental health were highest among those who consumed 7 or more fruits and vegetables a day.

“Study co-author Professor Sarah Stewart-Brown, Professor of Public Health at Warwick Medical School said, ‘The statistical power of fruit and vegetables was a surprise. Diet has traditionally been ignored by well-being researchers.’” The findings demonstrated that wellbeing peaked at 7 portions a day.

According to the study, only 10% of the British populace eats this amount of fruits and vegetables. Fellow co-author, economist Professor Andrew Oswald stated, “This study has shown surprising results and I have decided it is prudent to eat more fruit and vegetables. I am keen to stay cheery.”

So join me in staying cheery by increasing our daily fruit and vegetable intake! …While at it don’t leave out your practice at Bodhisattva Yoga! Together, fruits & veggies, and Bodhisattva Yoga, will take you even beyond mental and physical health to states of increased happiness and personal development.

In health,
Vivekan :)

We are pleased to announce the raging success of 2012′s Semi-Annual Assessments – this September!

Not only did participating practitioners walk away with useful feedback from us on their current Intermediate-level practice, each of them gained invitation to our SATI (Advanced Flow) class by demonstrating their yogic accomplishments (Sanskrit, siddhis).

Handstands, headstands, spring highs, jump-thrus and meditative seats lit the space on fire. The two of us as proud as parents at a little league game, only rooting for the practice we know can transform the hearts, minds, and bodies of the people we’ve come to adore and champion.

Here are their names in alphabetical order. When you see them in class give them a congratulatory shout! They deserve it!

Amy Monaco
Elisa Mason
Geoff Vidal (for a 2nd time!)
Laurajean Zaino
Meg Hodgkins

Wasn’t all the sweating, tumbling, dusting it off and starting over again worth it?

Our best advice as you continue climbing the ranks for continued growth and evolution: show up without arriving. Fall, laugh, dust if off and start again. Rinse, wash, repeat. The siddhi trees will continue to bear fruit and sometimes even throw it at you when you least expect it!

You ROCK.

Your proud fans,
Jess & Vivekan

Vivekan

This is a weekly post from Bodhisattva Yoga’s founder/co-director offering weekly bits of research findings, suggestions, and musings on all things directly & indirectly related to the broad Path of Yoga.

A big part of life’s journey, let alone for the seeker and the aspiring yogin, is the need to constructively adapt to change. Change is constantly taking place. To resist it brings only friction and frustration. Constant change occurs on many levels: from the aging process, all the way to weather patterns and seasons – and, too many more to enumerate. How we approach the inevitability of change plays a tremendous role on how well we cope and adjust to the nature of phenomenal existence – that is constant, perpetual change.

Many tell me that they feel blue because they turned, or are about to turn, 30, 40 or 50, etc., years of age. This makes me sad. We take our valuable lives for granted on such a fundamental level, that the mere concept of a numerical age “depresses” us. Why instead do we not feel a sense of positive pride: “I did it! Despite the odds, I’ve made it this far… And, with the mental faculty to recognize that I have. Yes!” Then, this kind of thinking may lead to us constructively working with the reality of change by improving our diet and activity levels in order to make the most of our remaining years.

Weather patterns and change of seasons often bring out funny qualities within us, betraying that we are perpetually dissatisfied. If it’s been sunny and warm, I often hear lamentations wishing for cooler, overcast weather conditions. When it’s been raining for a bit, even if we were in drought conditions, many have bemoaned the lack of sun. We are fickle in nature. So, often, even when we are finally experiencing weather conditions and seasonal qualities that we formerly desired, our own changing nature becomes contemptuous of finally getting what we want! I know people have differing approaches to coping with this form of change. Some enjoy watching weather forecasts closely to best anticipate and prepare for changing weather and temperatures; whereas others look out the window, read the skies and utilize whatever attire most suits the changing climate.

A seeker of Truth is not necessarily a yogin in way of formal practices, but a genuine yogin – not someone merely doing poses – does strive to experience, embody and transmit the Truth. This is so no matter one’s faith, or lack of. Perhaps one of the more telling signs of a one living in harmony with the Truth is the ability to deftly cope and adjust according to life’s myriad changes. Join me on this journey of harmonious living in the face of change.

In health,
Vivekan :)

Vivekan

This is a weekly post from Bodhisattva Yoga’s founder/co-director offering weekly bits of research findings, suggestions, and musings on all things directly & indirectly related to the broad Path of Yoga.

Are you having a hard time fitting in your practice? You are not the only one. Now, with the advent of increasingly popular social media outlets like Facebook and Twitter, more and more people are finding precious, valuable time being lost – never to return again – while perusing these social mediums. This is not a criticism of the use of these social networking sites, but an important consideration when weighing priorities and time allocation.

Research by the University of Ulster has found that: “Time spent on social networking sites comes at the expense of other activities – including physical activity.” This is important when we reflect on how much we wish to fit into our daily and/or weekly regimes – including physical activities like our Bodhisattva Yoga practice – and, the reality of skillfully working these within our time constraints.

“Time Waits for No One”

Dr Cousins, one of the researchers, stated: “Time is a finite resource, so time spent in social networking must come at the expense of other activities. Our study suggests that physical activity may be one of those activities.” The analyzed results of the referenced study revealed “that the amount of time spent on social network websites was negatively correlated with the respondents’ level of physical activity in the previous week.”

So, join me in continuing to use these social networking platforms constructively. Yet, with a certain discipline which ensures that our practice, on and off the mat, &/or, on and off the cushion is not compromised by the enjoyment of too many cute pictures. …Or, alternatively, the entertainment of endless curiosities about what others are doing, especially if what they are doing does not directly &/or indirectly lead to the betterment of habitat, species and humanity.

In health,
Vivekan

Vivekan

This is a weekly post from Bodhisattva Yoga’s founder/co-director offering weekly bits of research findings, suggestions, and musings on all things directly & indirectly related to the broad Path of Yoga.

Are You 30 or Older?

Are you 30-years of age, or older? Even if you’re not yet 30-years old: Do you wish to live well, beyond your 30’s, 40’s and 50’s? If you answered yes, then you need to develop physical fitness. As being fit in these age ranges “not only helps extend lifespan, but it also increases the chances of aging healthily, free from chronic illness.”

“Cardiorespiratory Fitness Levels Lessen the Risk of Death”

Research has shown, for decades, that higher “cardiorespiratory fitness levels lessen the risk of death,” but it was not known just how much fitness may lessen the burden of chronic disease in the senior years.

According to a Science Daily article summary:

Analyses during the latest study showed that when patients increased fitness levels by 20 percent in their midlife years, they decreased their chances of developing chronic diseases — congestive heart failure, Alzheimer’s disease, and colon cancer — decades later by 20 percent.

Middle-aged Fitness Equals Greater Health Later in Life

Dr. Benjamin Willis, of The Cooper Institute, the lead author of the study stated, “What sets this study apart is that it focuses on the relationship between midlife fitness and quality of life in later years. Fitter individuals aged well with fewer chronic illnesses to impact their quality of life.”

The findings of this study suggest that activities such as walking, jogging, hiking, cycling or doing Bodhisattva Yoga, translates not only into more years of life, but perhaps more importantly, also into higher quality years. Essentially, per Dr. Jarett Berry, senior author of the study, being fit in our middle age “then compresses the burden of chronic illness into a shorter amount of time at the end of life.”

“This positive effect continued until the end of life, with more-fit individuals living their final five years of life with fewer chronic diseases. The effects were the same in both men and women.”

Join me in staving off premature, age-related, chronic disease by doing Bodhisattva Yoga and enrolling now.

In health,
Vivekan :)

Vivekan

This is a weekly post from Bodhisattva Yoga’s founder/co-director offering weekly bits of research findings, suggestions, and musings on all things directly & indirectly related to the broad Path of Yoga.

This past Saturday afternoon saw Bodhisattva Yoga’s first official Dharma talk. “Official” because although Jess & I offer bits of Dharma, gleaned from our practices and studies in classes and on retreats, this was the first planned and internally promoted Dharma event at BY.

In the Buddhist tradition, it is generally considered unseemly to evangelize or provide un-requested Dharma instruction or a lecture of the sort. With that in mind, a few months ago, Jess requested a teaching from Gyumed Khensur Rinpoche Lobsang Jampa, of Do Ngak Kunphen Ling on behalf of Bodhisattva Yoga. The requested topic being an introductory Buddhist talk suited to lay people that practice yoga.

Gyumed Khensur Rinpoche Lobsang Jampa

Fortunately for all of us, Rinpoche agreed to come and give his first talk in Brooklyn, at BY. It was perfectly suited to the needs of our BY sangha. Rinpoche addressed so many valuable points that I cannot recall all of them. However, I will retell some of Rinpoche’s shared pearls of wisdom here.

Firstly, Rinpoche reminded us all of just how fortunate we are. We have good clothes, good food, a great sangha, the ability to practice at a place like BY, and so much more. He also reminded us of how we can use the practices (i.e., asanas, pranayama, and flows) that we do at BY to harmonize our psychic winds and thus improve our mental state; and that the resultant better mental state in turn helps improve the state of the body – providing a positive feedback loop for wellbeing.

Gyumed Khensur Rinpoche & BY sangha

Rinpoche went further… He even said that we can turn our practices on (and off) the mat into Bodhisattva practices just by expanding our normal self-cherishing scope into a much more inclusive scope of dedicating our good and bad experiences to the benefit of others.

For example, when we encounter difficulties, he said we can either use the challenges we are undergoing as the impetus to wish all beings to be freed from their unique (or similar) sufferings; or, we can think of the tragic experiences others are undergoing, and thereby mitigate our own suffering by gaining perspective on what others are enduring.

Similarly, when we are feeling good, we can practice gratitude and contentment as well as dedicate our positive states to the enjoyment others – that they may enjoy the same too.

Finally, Rinpoche suggested using our waking hours to give shape to our upcoming day by using the same above-mentioned methods in order to strengthen our Bodhisattva commitment of helping others. This wish for others’ happiness – in all our actions and considerations – makes us Bodhisattvas, and benefits our state of mind as well.

I offer deep gratitude to Rinpoche’s BY visit and talk, and wish him a long, firm life in the Dharma. May all beings, let alone those in attendance this past Saturday, enjoy the succor and bliss of Enlightenment.

Join me in health, and in the wish to benefit others!
Vivekan :)