Thursday, September 15, 2016

Health-Style Fitness™ – because health and fitness are always in style!


 
In yoga anything that is excessive, “inflames” our passionate and emotional self. We know that excessive physical and mental stress can lead to problems with physical inflammation. Excessiveness can also lead to a mind that becomes “inflamed”. Greed (excessive desires) is one of the four great passions of karma yoga. All our problems in life stem from one or more of the four great passions.

Everyone is here today for a reason. It may be to improve your balance or may-be to quiet the thrashing in your mind. Whatever brought you here today the focus should be on taking care of your health body, mind and soul. So take a moment and focus on what you need to work on today to be healthy. This class will improve your balance, stretch your joints and strengthen your bones and overall body structure. It will also, if you let it help you to find a few moments of solace from this hectic world. We are all here for some reason. Make that reason to support your health body, mind and soul.

Today let’s focus on movement of the body and quieting the mind to see if we can ease any excessive inflammation.

The most important thing in your life is your health. So focus on bringing health to the body and the mind because without a healthy body and a healthy mental outlook it is impossible for the soul to complete its mission which is to remove karma and find eternal peace.

Doctor Lynn
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Wednesday, September 14, 2016

Going Bananas – should you eat the rotten ones!


 
The other day I was standing in line at the grocery store and I overheard a conversation between the clerk and a customer. The customer had several brown spotted bananas in her basket. She said she was always happy to find the brown ones because they are the sweetest. The clerk smiled and said that they always left brown bananas for customers just like her.  She said that most people think they are rotten and won’t buy them. The brown spots are actually the starch in the bananas turning into sugar. The clerk went on to say that the green/yellow bananas contained more potassium so they are actually better for you than the brown ones. She was right about the sugar. He was wrong about the potassium.

Whether ripe or not bananas contain the same amount of potassium. The difference is that the ripe bananas are easier to digest and a good choice for anyone with a digestive issues such as IBS. However, the ripe bananas do contain more antioxidants than the green/yellow bananas. So the store clerk was really off on his bananas. The brown spots actually contain something called TNF (tumor necrosis factor) which scientists have identified as having anti-cancer properties. The caveat though with over ripe bananas is that the high sugar content can be a problem for diabetics.

If the brown bananas are squishy, too soft and smell they are over ripe. These are the rotten ones. These are the ones you should not eat. But just remember soft and a little brown might be just what the doctor ordered for your daily dose of potassium and TNF.

Why do you need potassium? It is the mineral that is involved in nerve transmission and muscle strength as well as proper heart functioning. Minerals support our bones and the functioning of most all the vital organs in our body. Too much or too little and we experience muscle weakness, palpitations, fatigue and intestinal problems.

Each day we need about 4700 milligrams of potassium. Potassium can be found in foods such as bananas, squash, sweet potatoes, meats, fish and leafy green vegetables, as well as rice bran. Chances are if you eat a healthy diet you will get the right mix and balance of vitamins and minerals. Too little or too much and you’ve lost your balance. It is the right balance of these nutrients that creates perfect health. So go bananas and don’t scoff at the ones with some brown spots. With a combination of potassium, antioxidants and TNF they might just be the best choice after all!

Doctor Lynn


Saturday, September 10, 2016

Raising the Level of Consciousness – Yoga Today


The practice of yoga is more about raising your level of consciousness than it is about the poses. However, the poses help us to discover yoga. We use the chakras as markers or guidelines along the path of self-awareness. There are seven chakras along the spinal cord and hundreds of other chakras spinning out from the center of our being. The major chakras connect to vital organs throughout body. For example the throat chakra is connected to the thyroid. The thyroid is the organ that balances our metabolism or our energy. Our goal in yoga is to balance out the energy of the chakras. As we move up the spine we move closer to raising our level of consciousness.

 
 
 
 
The lower chakra or the root is the seat of our ordinary day to day life. When free flowing we are grounded, dependable, realistic and secure. When it is out of balance we tend to appear spacy, stuck and stubborn, and may exhibit signs of addictive behavior.

If we look into our ordinary day to day life we will all find problems or situations that throw us off balance? We may even feel stuck on a problem. When these problems take over our level of consciousness we remain seated and stuck in the root chakra. Consciousness gets stuck at its’ lowest level.  All we can do is toss about in a state of unrest. To transcend we need to become grounded and still. Problems will come and problems will go. We will have good days and bad days. The challenge is to remain grounded and strong no matter what the situation in life. When we do this we are able to transcend our daily problems and reach a higher level of consciousness which is where peace and serenity are found. So today let’s practice letting go of our problems. Set them aside and focus on discovering balance, strength, flexibility and peace. It is through these attributes that we practice yoga. So let’s begin.

 

When your life gets challenged this week (and it will) try to draw yourself back to the root chakra. Find your grounding, establish balance, stay flexible and open, hold onto your strength and be at peace with what is, because what is, is exactly what you need to keep you practicing yoga.

Doctor Lynn


Saturday, August 27, 2016

Make A Giant Difference – Proactive Aging


 
 
 
Last week I read a story about Donald Henderson a U. S. Doctor who led the successful campaign to wipe out small pox worldwide. He was 87 when he died. He was hailed as a “giant” in the field of public health. He advised three Presidents. I wondered how many people read his obituary and how many people knew who he was?

Small pox was a highly contagious virus. It is the only infectious disease to have ever been eradicated. Smallpox has been recorded in the human population for over 3,000 years. A man who lived to 87 eradicated a virus that managed to live for 3000 years! Amazing! This man definitely proactively aged.

Proactive aging is a dedication towards something bigger than you. It transcends your aches and pains, your sadness and your pleasure. The eradication of anything that has the potential to create harm takes time, patience and dedication. All of those attributes can only come with time. With time come age and the question, “what are you doing with your time?” Most of us will never be the “giant” Dr. Henderson was, but we all have the potential to create a better world.

In yoga there are the yamas or things we should abstain from doing. The first yama is violence. It is said that if we all practiced nonviolence we would not need to worry about practicing the other yamas.

Violence is a virus that has existed since the beginning of time. It is the breeding ground for hatred, greed and bigotry. A virus is something that infects, copies, corrupts and destroys. Violence is the worse virus of all. Practice nonviolence in your thoughts, words and deeds.

In 87 years Dr. Henderson eradicated a virus that managed to live for 3000 years.  If you live to be 87 and beyond (and I hope you do) remember in 87 years you too can help to eradicate something that has been recorded in the human population for millions of years; violence  Simply do your part to help your fellow humans and to protect the environment. Work to eradicate violence through benevolence and compassion and although you may never be called a “giant” together we can all make a giant difference! 

Doctor Lynn


Thursday, August 25, 2016

Power Your Vision


 
 
Ishta means devotion or surrender to divine energy, and that divine energy, in practical terms, is the inspired vision that focuses our desires. We know that desire leads to action and action leads to achievement, but desire left on its own without an underlying vision has a tendency to move in many directions at the same time. We desire this and we desire that, lacking focus. A clear vision gives us direction.

Our emotions first express themselves in our mind. From there they give outward expression through words and deeds. It all begins with how we direct our emotions.   When left undirected our emotions become fragmented, destructive, and chaotic.  Desire is always seeking more, so it is up to us to bridle our emotions with a clear vision.  Our chosen ideal becomes the vision.

Let’s work on staying centered and focused so we can give our Ishta the energy to focus our vision with a clear direction.

What is your vision? How are you fueling it today? Be focused, present and take action today that will insure that tomorrow you will move towards that which inspires you to live the most ideal life possible. How? Surrender to the divine energy of your Ishta and then mindfully choose your thoughts words and actions. You have the power.

Doctor Lynn

Saturday, August 20, 2016

You Are the Light – Yoga Today


 
 
 
 
When we accept with kindness the many attributes of life we become attuned or receptive to all of life’s energy. Remember that life is an interconnected web of electromagnetic energy. That is why we need to stay centered because the core of our being is the source of life. Center everywhere circumference nowhere. Remember the only differences you see are the ones you draw outward from the core of your being, Judgment and ego separate us. Connecting at the center joins us all together.

Today we are going to start with a short meditation. Meditation is the fastest way to connect with our center. This meditation will show you how the mind works when it changes its perspective. What happens to your being depends upon which way you are looking out from your center. You will notice that when we look down the mind tends to be more introspective. Like when we bow our head to pray. When we look straight ahead we become focused and alert and when we look up we tend to soar and feel inspired.

Let’s sit quietly and begin a guided meditation so we can experience these various states of being.

 Close your eyes and take in a few deep breathes. Now open your eyes, look down and then close your eyes. Now begin to feel yourself sinking deep below the earth as if floating downward into a deep soft cushion. Feel the softness, the warmth and the comfort. Take a few breathes and enjoy the freedom from all your earthy responsibilities, from demanding projects, from your fear and from worldly ambitions. In this gentle comfort and warmth I am at peace.

Now with a quick breath, raise your head look straight ahead and open your eyes. Shake off any passivity and say to yourself with a burst of energy, I greet the world!

Take a few deep breathes waking yourself up and energizing your body, mind and soul. Now look up throwing your arms up, fingers pointing the sky and say to yourself I awake to the light. I am joyful and free. I awake to the light.

Each day take time to be introspective. Sit quiet and gather your energy. Then wake up with a burst of energy and positively greet the world. Throw your head back, look up and be joyful and free beacause you are the light.

Doctor Lynn

Saturday, August 13, 2016

Unlearning – Finding Your Center- Yoga Today


 
 
 
To find your center you must accept yourself and everyone and everything else with kindness and then attune or become receptive to all of life. Be open and with compassion and understanding because life is one big interconnected web. Finding your center is about unlearning. Not unlearning the knowledge you have gained in this world, but what we must unlearn are the limitation imposed upon us by our egos.

I am a women, I am a man, I am white, I am black, I am a European, I am a Persian I am a Mexican, I am a American and so on are all titles we give ourselves. These titles are objective reality and separate us from our center which has not color, no gender and no nationality. These ideas about the world are self-limiting. We need to go deeper to the depth of our center and find our souls. It is here that we realize we are all connected.

Neti Neti is a kriya yoga expression that means “not this - not that.” It means to remove from our mind every false notion of who we think we are. It means to be at our eternal center no matter where the body happens to be. We are all the center of the universe. There is no outward circumference or outward expression of life except as we draw them. Let’s begin to find our center.

When we accept all of life with kindness and attune to the universal connection of life, we begin to find our center and realize that the only circumference, differences or outward perceptions are the ones we each individually draw.  Neti – Neti -Center everywhere, circumference nowhere.   

Doctor Lynn

Saturday, August 06, 2016

The Third Attitude for Finding You Center


 
 
To find your center depends upon holding the right attitudes. The first is acceptance, the second is kindness and the third is attunement or the ability to be receptive and open. Accept yourself and everything just as it is with kindness and you will begin to discover compassion. Next you must attune yourself from your center to the center of everything. Be open and receptive to all of life. The more that you discover the interrelationship between all thing the more you will understand life. With acceptance and kindness comes compassion. With attunement comes understanding.

We can try to intellectualize compassion and understanding, but it is impossible unless we feel it.  Intellectualizing separates and compartmentalizes things. But when we feel things we truly begin to understand them. Listen to music and watch what happens when you become attuned to the beat. You and the music become one. Feel your breath and the poses as we move through our yoga class and you will begin to attune yourself to a deeper understanding of the nature of life. Accept yourself and your shortcoming, as well as others and their shortcomings. Be kind to yourself and attune yourself with the nature of yoga which is to discover balance, flexibility, strength and peace.

Hold to your center. Accept all of life with kindness. Use understanding and compassion to attune yourself to the very nature of life which is an understanding that we are all interconnected in this vast web called life. What you do to one you do to all, so be kind, accept things as they are and stay open and receptive. In this you will find your center and at your center you will find peace.

Doctor Lynn

Thursday, August 04, 2016

Two Important Questions


 
Who am I and what am I doing here? These questions can only be answers when you go to the core of your being.   To get to the core of your being takes time and experience. The true goal of yoga is to discover wisdom. This comes with understanding and compassion. But to truly understand and have compassion we need to be aware and learn to observe both ourselves and all of life without judgement. We don’t need to run away and live in monastery to discover truth. Our life provides plenty of opportunity to observe and choose. What we observe and what we choose answers the question of who we are and what we are doing here. Who are you and what are you doing here? You are a soul who has taken on this body and this mind for the purpose of discovery. What you discover depends upon how you observe life. Observe love and you will discover love. Observe hatred and you will discover hatred. Then you are free to become whatever you choose.

Who are you and what are you doing here?  You are the observer of life.   Observer without judgement and always choose love over hate.

Doctor Lynn

Saturday, July 30, 2016

Kind Acceptance –Yoga Today


The first thing in finding your center is to accept yourself. Don’t draw comparisons between yourself and others. Instead try to focus on living up to your highest potential. The second attitude necessary for centering yourself is kindness. But to achieve kindness you must first be kind to yourself. You will never overcome your failings by focusing on your short coming and allowing yourself to indulge in unkindness and non-acceptance towards yourself. Don’t get confused and allow kindness to excuse your need to work on achieving your highest potential.  Just use self-acceptance and kindness to help you find your center. You’ll know it when you find it. It is balanced, flexible, strong and peaceful.  Let’s see if we can find it today.

Kindness is necessary for understanding yourself and others. Without kindness there can never be acceptance of anyone or anything. Accept yourself and your shortcoming with kindness. Accept the shortcomings in others with kindness because kindness always leads us towards our highest potential.

Doctor Lynn


Saturday, July 23, 2016

Be Your Center - Yoga Today


 
 
 
We all have the habit of living life from the periphery rather than our center. To find our center the first thing we must do is self-acceptance. You are who you are so you must first learn to accept yourself. Don’t compare yourself to others. Envy no one. Instead encourage yourself to attain your highest potential. As you try to live up to the highest that is you, you will find yourself progressing towards soul consciousness. But this will be difficult as the ego will constantly be tempting you to compare and envy.

Self-acceptance is not something that comes from the outside inward. It comes from the center and projects outward. This journey requires that you resist the lower tendencies to judge, hate and attempt to control.  It’s about acceptance. You must find it within your conscience. With a clear conscience you can strive for your highest self. With a clear conscience you will be able to quiet your mind. Without a quiet mind you will not be able to find your center. Let’s practice quieting the mind and locating our center.

Self-acceptant makes it possible for us to view others from their highest potential. Only from within will it be possible for you to truly know others. When you relate to others from your center they may or may not relate to you from their center. We cannot control another person’s level of self-acceptance. But at least you will be able to see the potential in all of life. Souls always speak to other souls. They listen too. So be centered, accept yourself for who you are and relate to the world from your center. Remember center everywhere circumference nowhere.

Doctor Lynn


Thursday, July 21, 2016

Seek Balance in all things


 
 
 
Some people feel that if their life is not full of drama and stress they are not living a full life. They seem to thrive off the energy until one day they collapse. With drama and stress we fall victim to negative attitudes. The world becomes dark and full of fear.

Balance on the other hands is a place of stillness, quietude and harmony. This is the place where we support our health body, mind and soul. The natural tendency of the body is to seek homeostasis or balance. The natural tendency of the mind is to run wild with emotions. When the mind is running wild the body reacts and we experience the negative effects of stress.

So we need to learn to control the mind if we want to maintain our health.  We begin with our attitudes which should be focused on our higher power and not the ego. And this all begins with learning to love and accept ourselves and others for the uniqueness and beauty we all are as individual human beings while understanding that we are all also connected as one great web of energy. Without you I could not teach this class and without me you would not have this class to attend. Together we all create the energy of cohesiveness. This is our higher power.

So lets’ stretch, move, breath and dance together and support the most important thing in our lives – our good health; body, mind and soul.

We can practice being quiet and still, but it only serve us when we use this practice to find the divine energy within. Each of us is a unique person with a connection or bond to the whole of life. We need each other to support life.  So be your unique beautiful self while appreciating the beauty in all of life and you will rise above the drama and stress and find balance. Seek balance in all things and in all things find balance.

Doctor Lynn

Saturday, July 16, 2016

Be Your Center


 
 
Relate to your life as the person you are and not as you think you should be. To do this we must learn to live from our center. Most of us live on the periphery of life, sometimes spinning violently through life without an anchor. Some people don’t even know they have a center. That is why we often refer to someone as being “on edge”.

One of the problems with living on the edge is that is causes you to relate to others on their edge. They will in turn be “on edge” with you. Our understanding of each other is oftentimes on the periphery and this is what keeps us locked into an ego mentality.  It is the ego that keeps us separated and this is what causes violence and hatred.

On the edge all of life becomes superficial.  To really understand anything we need to get inside of it. If we learn to live from our center we begin to relate to others from their center and even if they are still on the periphery of life we are never on edge with ourselves, with others and with the world.

The secret is to get mentally inside whatever you are trying to understand; to gaze outward from your center rather that inward from the edge of life. The first thing to do is to go inward to your center where you will find that place where all humans are connected. We all feel. We all cry and we all laugh. So go to your center and find the center of humanity and then from your center reach out into the world. In this we can overcome violence because violence is spinning out of control without connection to our center.  Your center is strong, balanced and yet flexible enough to find compassion and understanding for all of life. Let’s begin our practice.

To keep you centered remember this. Most people perceive life as “circumference everywhere, center nowhere. Instead perceive your life as “center everywhere, circumference nowhere.”  In the great web of life we are all connected at the center.

Doctor Lynn
http://www.doctorlynn.com

Thursday, July 14, 2016

Only Three Things You Need


 
 
No matter what anyone tells you there are only three things you need to bring about a life of health and balance. This is no great revelation. They are:

1.     Eat healthy in proportion -  this requires  choice

2.     Exercise every day – even if it is a short walk - this requires discipline

3.     A positive mental attitude – this requires faith or trust and confidence

Choice, discipline and faith are all you need to navigate life. Choice means making the best decisions to support your health. Proportion means taking only enough to satisfy a need. Attitudes are a bit more difficult to change. Your attitude is grounded in your sense of trust and confidence. It gets attached to the ego and then begins to battle with itself. The only way to change an attitude is to be open to changing your point of view. You make the choice, employ the discipline and then trust yourself with complete confidence that you can develop a posture of self-love instead of self-hatred because when you have trust in yourself to implement the discipline necessary to make good choices you empower yourself and this is all you need to live a healthy and balanced life.  Let’s get started!

What choices do you need to make today to bring positive energy to your life? Don’t let the outside substances of life (food, cigarettes, alcohol, excess spending, gambling and negative people) have more power over your life than you have. Discipline yourself to choose trust and confidence and you will bring to your life balance and health. Have a healthy day!

Doctor Lynn


Saturday, July 09, 2016

An Argument for Non-Violence


 
 
 
In yoga there are things we should abstain from. We call these the Yamas. They are not so much rules for living life as suggestion on how to live a more peaceful existence. The first Yama is to abstain from violence. It has been suggested that if we practiced just this one Yama we probably would not need to focus on the other four Yamas.

 If we could remove violent thoughts, abusive words, insulting statements, angry speech, bad advice and any kind of physical abuse to either ourselves or someone or something else, we probably would not need to focus too heavily on abstaining from untruthfulness, stealing, lack of self-control  and greed; the other four yamas

Without violence truth would prevail. Stealing would disappear as stealing is always a violation. Celibacy which actually means to have control over your emotions and actions would be easy to achieve, and there would be no place for greed. Greed, lack of self-control, coveting and lying all result from some level of violence.

If violence were to disappear from the human equation there would be no need for war. We would preserve the environment and all humans would live together without a thought, word, or action that would create harm. Non harm is the fundamental underlying principle of yoga. It is also the underlying principle of respect, kindness and decency.

If there is one thing we should all focus on when it comes to healing the world it is removing violence. Watch and choose your thoughts, words and actions carefully. In this you will begin to remove violence at its core. Because the potential to be violent exit within each and every one of us. The only way to remove it is to become aware and then actively seek to do no harm.

Remove violence and the rest of the Yamas, truthfulness, non-stealing, celibacy and non-greed will be easy to achieve. I think this is a good argument for practicing non-violence.

Doctor Lynn


Saturday, July 02, 2016

Patience – it is virtue


 
 

 
 
 
 
 
An important rule in life is; don’t be impatient. This is much easier said than done. The definition of patience is:  the capacity to accept or tolerate delay, trouble, or suffering without getting angry or upset.

 

We live in such an achievement oriented society that we are all constantly pushing to arrive somewhere. Often times when we arrive we find ourselves exhausted and frustrated because we have been in such a hurry to get somewhere and that somewhere often times doesn’t arrive.  We are especially impatient in this time of life. The internet gives us instantaneous information. We jump from one thing to the next. We have forgotten how to focus. It is a dying art. We have lost the ability to wait and to relax.

To find inner peace, which is one of the aims of yoga, you must learn to be quiet and still and that takes patience. It takes effort and time to master anything. Don’t let your approach to finding peace be achievement oriented. That is the work of the ego; always needing to be successful. Patience is the fastest way to soul consciousness and soul consciousness is the path way to finding peace.

So when practicing yoga don’t try to do the poses, try to be the poses and you will discover patience. Let’s practice.

Peace is not something waiting for you over the next hill. It is not something you can construct. It is a part of your soul. It just takes patient to discover it.

Doctor Lynn


Thursday, June 30, 2016

Healthy Relationships – Doctor Lynn’s Daily Dose - how to relate


 
 
 
We are all in relationships; simply by being here today you are relating to others. How we relate is of vital importance if we are to establish healthy relationships. Balance is required. We cannot hang on too tight nor stay too distance, but must find that place of balance between the two. What we need is respect, trust and compromise. If you do not have respect and trust the relationship can never be healthy. Compromise means the ability to step back and see the other person’s point of view without becoming overly identified with our own wants and needs. In other words we need to let go of the controlling ego and realize that everyone shares the same feelings and emotions. It is how we handle them that makes the difference. Relate from the soul and not the ego because we are all one.

A healthy relationship is a fine choreographed dance. We cannot connect with another until we dissolve the boundaries that are keeping us disconnected. At the same time we cannot completely merge with another or we risk losing our sense of self. So how do we dance on the fine edge of balance? Open your heart with understanding and compassion as you give and receive for the soul.

Doctor Lynn


Saturday, June 25, 2016

The Source of Happiness


 
 
 
Nothing is gained without consciousness. That is why awareness is so important. Sit quietly; close your eyes and focus on something that brings you pleasure and makes you happy. It could be good food, money, power or another person. Focus on it. Where is it coming from? What is the source of your happiness? Are you the source of your happiness or is the source coming from somewhere else? If the source is coming from someone or anything outside of yourself you will never find happiness because you will always be dependent upon outside sources for your happiness.

When you are happy your body reacts by producing neurochemicals. Nobody else or anything else can produce these chemical reactions in your body.  You are the source of your physical and mental happiness. Sit quiet, let go of the outside source and be happy just as you are in this very moment.

 Be the source of your own happiness independent of all things. This does not mean you do not enjoy things in life. It simply means that it is not something outside yourself that makes you happy. You are the source of your own happiness. If you look to outside things to make you happy you will always be dependent on outside sources for your happiness.  Once you realize that the source is within you will be able to enjoy everything in life more because happiness cannot be taken away. It simply exists within you. So be the source of your own happiness.

Doctor Lynn
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Saturday, June 18, 2016

Duality


 
 
 
 
 
 
 
In New York I went to the top of one world observatory and saw a panoramic view of New York. Below are the ground zero monuments and the museum. The monuments are serene, but the museum is humbling. Inside there is a quiet sense of remembrance for that awful day on 9/11. It reminds us of both the horror of hatred and the beauty of human kindness. It’s important to remember both the good and the bad. They both keep us humble.

After that we ventured to Nashville and Memphis where the heart and the soul of the culture is music. The blues, country and rock and toll were born in the South and are a part of our heritage. The people are extremely friendly and the culture is simple, but the energy is vibrant.

The south also reminds us of slavery, war and hardship. It shows us the good and the bad of humankind. Again it is good to look at both for they humble us.  The world is based upon duality. There will always be pleasure and there will always be pain. There will always be war and there will always be music. This is human nature. To uplift this we need to tap into our spiritual consciousness. This is the place where we all unite as one. This place is found in the quiet moments between thoughts, emotions and opinions. This is why we stop to do a sitting Zen. This is why we practice yoga. It humbles us.   

 

Sit quiet in the moment free of thoughts, emotions and opinions. Tap into your spiritual consciousness and be one with all of life. Although there will always be war and hatred there will also always be love and music. It’s in our souls!

Doctor Lynn

Saturday, June 04, 2016

Following Rules - Yoga Today


 
 
Practicing yoga is not about following rules. Yoga is simply suggestions for living a healthy and peaceful life. These suggestions are not to be followed, but to be understood.

If you understand rules you will follow, but if you follow rules understanding will never come.

If you understand the rules of yoga, or for that matter the rules of life, then following the rules will come automatically as a backdrop to your life.  You won’t think about what is right or wrong you will simple move in the right direction.

For example desire-less-ness is a suggested direction to be followed in yoga. If you follow it as a rule you will kill all desire, and if you kill all desire you will be  desire-less However, you will also be dead because desires are not only desires they are the flow of life. We desire to eat, to sleep and to love. To be without desire, in yoga, is to be without discontentment. Contentment is one of the suggested rules of yoga.

Here is a story about rules. A man was hired to be a doorkeeper at a museum. Before he started he was handed a book of rules and told to memorize them. The first day on the job a man came to the museum and the doorkeeper told him to leave his umbrella outside.  “But I don’t have an umbrella,” said the man.  The doorkeeper said, “In that case you will need to go home and get an umbrella because the rules say unless a visitor leaves his umbrella outside with me, he cannot be allowed in the museum.”

Rules are to be understood not followed blindly.

 

Remember rules are to not be followed blindly. They are to be understood and when you understand the rules of life you will flow with life effortlessly without the attachment of desire. You will simply move in the right direction.

It is okay to have desires, just don’t let them control your life. If you let them control you, you will need rules and rules followed blindly destroy life. Understand the nature of life and then follow its natural flow. If love is not in your life today don’t obsess over it. Let the energy of life flow and be the love you seek.

Doctor Lynn



 

 

If you came to my yoga class- you would practice:

Are you quiet and respectful (phones off) in yoga class because it is the rules, or do you understand the significance of being quiet and respectful. Both allow you to find peace and humility; two very important aspects of yoga. Don’t be quiet because I tell you to be quiet. Do it because you understand why.

If I ask you to take a deep breath, do you do this by following the rules, or do you understand that deep breathing is a necessary part of practicing yoga. It is not a rule to be blindly followed.  It is a suggestion that if followed will improve the nature of your body, mind and soul.

Sava Sana is practiced at the end of yoga class. Not as a rule to be followed, but with an understanding that the ultimate goal of yoga is to work toward bringing peace to the body, the mind and soul. Be at peace.

Namaste

May you go with health, happiness and peace.