Symptoms of dis-ease are often the result of our not having enough energy in our bodies. These symptoms can be physical, but also mental and emotional. So many of our problems can improve merely by accumulating more energy.

There are a number of Dahn Yoga postures you can use for accumulating energy. When you hold these postures, energy enters your body through acupressure points, especially major ones such as the ones in your palms (jang-shim), the balls of your feet (yong-chun), your lower back (myung-moon), your lower abdomen, and the top of your head (baek-hoe). The fresh energy coming in pushes out and replaces stagnant, blocked energy in the meridian channels and chakras of your body. If you focus your mind on your lower abdomen, where you lower dahn-jon (energy center) is located, then the fresh energy will gather there, centering and empowering you.

Some energy accumulation postures are:

1) Dahn Yoga Energy Breathing Posture 2

 Keep your feet parallel with your heels pushed out and your heels and knees aligned. Keep your knees about fist-width apart, closer together than your heels. Make your spine as straight as you can, with your hips tucked in. Keep your shoulders and chest relaxed.

2) Dahn Yoga Energy Breathing Posture 5 

1. Bring your feet down to the floor with knees bent. Let the sides of your knees rest against each other.

2. Place your middle fingers lightly on the Dahn-jon

3. Curl your tailbone, pushing your lower back comfortably to the ground.

4. Release tension from the shoulders and chest.

5. Breathe deeply and naturally. Notice your breath going down to your lower abdomen. Feel energy accumulating in your Dahn-jon.

Alternate Posture:

Fold legs in half or full lotus posture and lower your legs to the floor. Or, put the soles of the feet together and relax your legs.

3) Legs Up the Wall Posture

1. Lie on your back with your buttocks close to a wall and your legs elevated and resting against the wall.

2. Place your hands on your Dahn-jon.

3. If this pose causes discomfort due to tighthamstrings, move your buttocks a few more inches away from the wall.

4. Stretch and straighten both legs up to the best of your ability. Flex your feet and push out your heels.

5. Keep your head on the floor and your lower back as close to the floor as possible.

6. your eyes and focus on the energy flow inside your body.

4) Chair Accumulation Posture

1. Sit on a chair comfortably with your legs shoulder-width apart.

2. Place your hands on your Dahn-jon.

3. Relax your chest, shoulders, and arms completely.

4. You may close your eyes or leave them open.

5. Open your mouth slightly and keep focusing on exhalation. Focus on the energy flow inside your body.

5) Chuk-ki-gong

1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and parallel. Make sure that your weight is distributed evenly so that it rests firmly over the soles of both feet.

2. Gently tuck in your tailbone.

3. Relaxing your upper body, raise your hands to chest height, and spread them apart about one foot.

4. Imagine that you have a ball of energy between your hands and your chest.

5. Concentrate on your Dahn-jon and maintain this posture for about 5 to 10 minutes.

There are many other postures you can try, and any one of these will help you accumulate energy. If you try them, report back here what they do for you.

Are you in pain? If you are, then you will be glad to hear that there is another pain relief option available to you – Yoga. A lot of individuals suffering from any kind of pain are now turning to alternative methods to relieve pain. They have grown tired of using medicines or drugs which oftentimes have undesirable side effects.

A great number of people are suffering from chronic pain and for quite some time now, they were able to spend a huge amount of money in purchasing pain relievers. You don’t need to spend a lot of money to get rid of pain. Read on and you will find out how to naturally address your body aches in an inexpensive way.

Perhaps you’re already familiar with meditation. People who are suffering from pain can benefit greatly from mind and body medicine. Through centuries, meditation was used by people to achieve a relaxed state of mind and body. It is truly an effective tool in relieving pain. Aside from relieving pain, meditation can also maintain your overall health and it helps in boosting the body’s resistance against diseases.

If you want to cope with pain, try meditation now. Meditation techniques are now being taught in some clinics all over the world. Stress is a very common cause of pain which can lead to headaches, eczema, arthritis, back pains, and other health conditions. Meditation can also work for almost anything especially if you do it right.

The body produces endorphins and this hormone is said to give humans a good feeling. It is also helps in alleviating stress and in reducing pain. Through meditation, the production of endorphins is enhanced so you will soon feel better.

When you’re meditating, your brain is in a coherent and synchronous state. Large quantities of endorphins are produced so you will feel good. You will be at peace. It’s easier to feel happy and connected to your body and mind.

Pleasurable experiences stimulate the brain and because of this fact, it will be easier to overcome pain and depression. Yoga meditation makes use of different techniques and you can choose only the ones you prefer.

Breathing is usually the initial step to achieve awareness. Breathing patterns are followed to provide body relaxation. When the breathing rate is slowed down, your body will also calm down and relax. If your body is relaxed, you will also feel less pain.

When meditating, you will also ponder on the realities of life and its ever changing concepts. You must be able to understand yourself in order to view things differently. When your perspectives are changed, you will also begin to deal with problems or pain effectively. Inner peace is achieved and you will feel more in control of your life. Emotional transformation can improve your overall health and it helps in reducing physical symptoms and pain.

Pain and anxiety can also be effectively addressed through visualization techniques. You will simply imagine a relaxing and pleasant place or activity from your past. By doing so, you will feel calm and relaxed thereby reducing pain.

Through meditation, chi or prana flows through your body giving you more energy. Such energy can be directed to improve health conditions and relieve pain. Yoga meditation has its benefits and for centuries, people have already proved its efficacy. Learn the various yoga meditation techniques now and use it as a pain relief tool.

(Picture of Rod Stryker teaching)

OK, now I have another moment to update you. I’m in one of those places right now where it feels difficult to find a moment for myself. Life is very full, but I’m grateful for that fullness. Not to mention, I’m in the process of a move, which I mentioned in the last post, so my energy is not entirely settled being in between two places. I have moved a few things to my new space, but won’t move everything for a couple more weeks. I think I’m actually doing surprisingly well with all of this, considering I’ve also been very busy. Everything in my life these days is about one moment at a time, the epitamy of going with the Flow. I’m participating in a 5 day Yoga training with Yogarupa Rod Stryker. Even though I had the vision of studying with him, I didn’t officially decide to participate until today, the day it started. I was on the fence about it. But, now it makes perfect sense to me why this was the case…

I attended a different 5 day Yoga training with Rod last year, and it was one of the most powerful learning experiences I’ve had in Yoga. When I attended that training, it felt like everything was going against me being there. I remember last year at this time, there was a hurricane, in the Gulf of Mexico, moving towards Galveston and Houston. So that’s what was happening in the atmosphere last year. Fortunately, this year there are no hurricanes approaching. But, yet again, the idea of attending this training felt overwhelming to me. Even though now that I’m attending it, I can’t imagine not being there. I suppose it felt overwhelming because of all the other changes I’m going through right now, approaching the one year date of my father’s passing, the ending of a relationship, moving, and keeping up with my regular teaching schedule while attending this training. Last year, I had people sub my Yoga classes while I was at the Yoga training with Rod, but this year, I decided I wanted to teach all of my classes this week…so I am. I’m just going with the flow with the training and attending whatever I can.

But, Rod talked about this very feeling of inertia at the training. He said along with any change we go through, there is always resistance that we are met with along the way. Shiva calls this resistance ‘regressive energy.’ So even with something like moving, the resistance is that we have all this stuff that we have to pack and move, etc. Anytime we realize there is a better alignment and we seek to grow into that alignment, sure enough, we are faced with some kind of tension. How true this is because this is what we experience in a Yoga pose, as we continously grow into a healthier and healthier connection to our breath, i.e. ourSelf (body, mind, breath) in the pose.

Rod talked about three elements connected to any change we are seeking in our life.

Shakti, which is our desire.
Karma, which for every desire, there is a certain amount of resistance we are met with.
Vayu, that which animates or moves us toward fulfilling our intention/desire.

Then, he offered this equation which is that our Shakti (desire) + Vayu (animating energy) must be > Karma (resistance). If our Shakti and Vayu are greater than the Karma we realize fulfillment or attainment of that which we are seeking. (He said if it’s not…we are out of luck. Blunt, but true.) This doesn’t mean we always instantaneously realize it, but in time, sure enough, we continue to align with that which we are seeking. He then talked about great saints, mentioning several names we are familiar with, such as Jesus, Gandhi, all of whom were met with great resistance in the realization of their intentions.

Anyhow, it’s been a good first day. Interestingly, much of what Rod talked about is what I was talking about in Yoga class today. We are only one and a half weeks away from the Fall Equinox. Seasonal changes are greatly significant in Yoga because, as Yogis, we realize it is true that to everything there is a season. Much of our practice involves having the courage to turn, turn, turn, and allow the changes to happen that need to so we are able to find a healthier alignment with our Self, and Highest Self. Sometimes to find this healthier alignment we must have the courage to let go of what we’ve been holding onto, that we know is not healthy for us, ultimately. This can mean letting go of a food we eat, to a work situation, or relationships/friendships. Again, as Shiva would call it, letting go of ‘regressive energy.’ Powerful steps in clearing out regressive energy can be going through a physical cleanse, (which I’m doing this week eating only raw foods, fruits and veggies) cleaning out your closets or reorganizing/feng-shuing your home, cleaning out your file cabinets, etc. Yoga, of course, helps, too. It is the breath which is our greatest cleanser, not just on a mental/emotional level, but it is the most powerful way in which the body releases impurities, moreso than sweating, elimination, etc. Speaking of sweating, though, it’s a great time to make it to a steam room as part of your cleansing process.

I highly recommend practicing some or all of these and you will be amazed at how the energy shifts and positively transforms within you and all around you. You will feel more energized and freer to invest your energy where it is needed to realize the positive changes you are seeking.

So, I mentioned I would share some of the events happening in the Dallas Yoga community. This weekend, the amazing Andrew Eppler, otherwise known as the Yogi Magician, will be here at the Dallas Yoga Center. I highly recommend attending a session with him if you can. I had the opportunity of practicing at his Yoga studio in Norman, Oklahoma, staying at his home and taking a private Yoga class with him and my friend Eric. My friend Eric introduced me to him after a couple of years of hearing about him from several Yogis here in Dallas. So, I’m very grateful to have finally met Andrew because of my friend Eric, a San Antonio Yogi, who practices at an awesome Yoga studio there, Yoga Shala.

Of course, you can also attend one of the morning Yoga practice sessions with Rod Stryker all throughout this week and Saturday. The morning sessions are everyday from 9 am – 12 pm and are $55/session. Rod is a true Yoga master, having been given the title Yogarupa by his teacher, Pandit Rajmani Tigunait (PhD), who is spiritual head of the Himalayan Institute. The name Yogarupa means the “essence” or “embodiment” of Yoga. It’s a blessing, and incredibly healing, just to be in his presence. Although I was up-in-the-air about attending the training, because of all that I’m growing through, I can’t imagine not being there. Today is just the first day and I had a powerful emotional release, just from a slight adjustment Rod gave me in one of the poses. His healing spirit helped me to let go and the tears flowed.

And, there is one other Yoga workshop happening this weekend in Dallas with Julie Boyd, a former exhale dallas Yoga teacher, who recently relocated to Scottsdale, Arizona. Julie has an amazing Yoga practice, and it is an inspiration to study and practice with her. Being around her will definitely bring greater inspiration, light and energy to your flow and you will feel uplifted. She is a true Yogini. You can find more info about the workshop through the link above.

Needless to say, the Yoga scene here in Dallas is happening. We’ve been ripening for many years and we are ready to heal from the flowing nectar of our efforts. The prana is positively powerful for those of us ready to receive it’s Light and energy. I look forward to sharing many more events that will be happening in our community. Also, in a couple of weeks I will be sending out the Fall Edition of the True Yoga Newsletter. If you do not currently receive it, but would like to, you can sign up for it here. Have a blessed week, healing into a healthier place within you and all around you. As Yogi Bhajan says, ‘thinking, thinking, don’t think. Everything has been done, just relish in what is.’ Another way of saying that is simply…let go and let God. Let go of thinking about what you need to do, and just let the changes happen as they will in their own Divine timing. Perhaps, you are not as in control as you think you are. What if you surrender your control and offer everything up to the transformation that needs to take place in a timing that is ingeniously and Divinely determined. I know it can feel hard to let go sometimes, especially when it involves our relationship to others. But, the reality is, we simply can not hold on or bring others along, no matter how much we may want to, at times. That doesn’t mean we still can’t love, but we must set everyone free to find his/her own way. The more we let go, the more we can all Flow. We must all find our own way, but one thing is for certain, when the student is ready, the teacher appears. May this prayer guide us as we grow into the cool, crisp and refreshing days of Fall.

Place your burden
at the feet of the Lord of the Universe
who accomplishes everything.
Remain all the time steadfast in the heart,
in the Transcendental Absolute.
God knows the past, present and future.
He will determine the future for you
and accomplish the work.
What is to be done will be done
at the proper time. Don’t worry.
Abide in the heart and surrender your acts
to the divine.
- Ramana Maharshi

Om shanti

Well, hello, again. If you read the last post, I am still intending to update the True Yoga Blog with more information about the Yugas, but we’ll let that come in time…I mean, really…what’s the rush…we got a few thousand years, yet, in Dwapara Yuga. Jokes aside, I do plan to update it in the near future because it is fascinating information.

In the meantime, I thought I would share some of what’s going on in my world and in the world of Yoga around me. First of all, I am moving and I am really happy about it. I’ve lived in a great place for about a year now, but I decided, since I am currently unattached, that I would enjoy living with a friend for a while. It’s going to be awesome because there is a backyard and I’m looking forward to a lot of Yoga outside. The body can open with such greater ease when we practice Yoga outside. It’s amazing what being immersed in the elements does for us on every level, especially energetically. It’s no wonder why kids are so full of life because they are in constant connection with the energizing elements of Mother Nature. I’m looking forward to developing and working on many projects while I spend this time with my friend. I am going to be developing Yoga podcasts which I look forward to being able to share with you so you can practice Yoga with me wherever you are in the world. This has been a longtime vision of mine and I am happy it will finally be coming into fruition.

I am experiencing greater Light and positive energy in my Yoga practice than I have ever felt before in my entire 8 years of practicing Yoga. It’s awesome feeling this unlimited potential within myself to grow in ways, I only dreamed could be possible. It truly is amazing when we realize everything we could ever need is inside of us. It’s not that life doesn’t continue to present us with challenges so we can grow, but, those challenges do not have to be struggles. We can see them for what they are and rise to the opportunity, rather than become discouraged. God knows I have grown through many challenging places in the last 8 years of my Yoga practice, and many times, I have felt discouraged. But, I am so much better and grateful for having had to grow through those places. I wouldn’t trade it for the world. The perspective we realize through our life experience is one of our greatest powers. I have gone through losing everything and if I had never gone through that, I would not have ever realized that, ultimately, there is nothing to lose. If we have our health, we have the greatest blessing of life. This is why the practice of Yoga is so important for well-being. The Yoga Asanas are intended to keep us in optimal health so we experience the enriching journey of our spiritual experience and evolution. One of my favorite quotes from the SRF Convocation I attended this past August is a quote that comes from Autobiography of a Yogi by Paramahansa Yogananda.

“Every saint who has penetrated the core of reality has found there is a Benevolent plan unfolding in all things.” – Paramahansa Yogananda

What a fantastic realization. This dissolves any tendency we might have to resist the challenging or uncomfortable experiences life brings us. Instead, we can celebrate them as opportunities for ripening and growth into the realization of this plan.

Interestingly, on the way out to the SRF Convocation I read an awesome book called The Places that Scare You: A Guide to Fearlessness in Difficult Times by Pema Chodron. I highly recommend this book…it has helped me out in many ways since reading it just a month ago. One of the most powerful teachings I received from it is the teaching of bodhichitta. As I open this book up to share some excerpts from it I’m realizing, as a friend of mine said, that I’m going to want to read it again, and again, and again. Like how about this:

Confess your hidden faults.
Approach what you find repulsive.
Help those you think you cannot help.
Anything you are attached to, let it go.
Go to places that scare you.-Advice from her teacher to the Tibeta Yogini Machik Labdron

This following excerpt is from the first chapter entitled:

The Excellence of Bodhichitta

It is only with the heart that one can see rightly;
what is essential is invisible to the eye.-Antoine De Saint-Exupery

When I was about six years old I received the essential bodhichitta teaching from an old woman sitting in the sun. I was walking by her house one day feeling lonely, unloved, and mad, kicking anything I could find. Laughing, she said to me, “Little girl, don’t you go letting life harden your heart.”

Bodhichitta is also equated, in part, with compassion-our ability to feel the pain that we share with others. Without realizing it we continually shield ourselves from this pain because it scares us. We put up protective walls made of opinions, prejudices, and strategies, barriers that are built on a deep fear of being hurt. These walls are further fortified by emotions of all kinds: anger, craving, indifference, jealousy and envy, arrogance and pride. But fortunately for us, the soft spot-our innate ability to love and to care about things-is like a crack in these walls we erect. It’s a natural opening in the barriers we create when we’re afraid. With practice we can learn to find this opening. We can learn to seize that vulnerable moment-love, gratitude, loneliness, embarassment, inadequacy-to awaken bodhichitta.

One of the other powerful teachings I received from the book is the practice of Tonglen.

Tonglen, or exchanging oneself for others, is another bodhichitta practice for activating loving-kindness and compassion. In Tibetan the word tonglen literally means “sending and taking.” It refers to being willing to take in the pain and suffering of ourselves and others and to send out happiness to us all.

As warrior-bodhisattvas, the more we train in cultivating this attitude, the more we uncover our capacity for joy and equanimity. Because of our bravery and willingness to work with the practice, we are more able to experience the basic goodness of ourselves and others. We are more able to appreciate the potential of all kinds of people: those we find pleasant, those we find unpleasant, and those we don’t even know. Thus tonglen begins to ventilate our prejudices and introduce us to a more tender and open-minded world.”-Pema Chodron

I wanted to get this post out there…I started it the other day but didn’t get to finish it as things have been busy. This information has helped me a great deal…I hope it will help you, too. It has helped me not only in my Yoga practice, but in my daily life. When I feel tension, I remember to observe it, instead of reacting to it. As I observe it, I am able to breathe into it, feel it, accept what is there and whatever it is I feel and then let it go, breathing it out for the release from my body and everybody I’m connected to, that we all experience healing both individually and collectively. Ultimately, I know I am only responsible for my own healing, however, it is a powerful practice to breathe with that loving intention in the breath. Instead of reacting against what’s happening in our life, or feeling tension about something, we can instead open into our experience through our breath, accepting what we feel to be able to let it go and awaken that healing within us and, possibly, all around us.