How did you do this week with practicing nonviolence?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Last week we worked on the practice of nonviolence. Remembers it should be practiced in thought, word and deed. How did you do last week? Did you lose your patients, utter a harsh word or raise your voice? Did you criticize yourself?  Did you eat well and get plenty of rest or did you exhaust yourself with stress? Practicing nonviolence is not an easy task. Being consciously aware of your thoughts, words and actions is the first step.

Before we get into the next yama it might be good to distinguish between what is meant by spirituality and what is meant by your soul. Sometimes people call themselves spiritual. This can be confusing.

When we come to the earth according to Karma Yoga we come as a soul taking on this body and this mind for our evolution. We choose the life that will gives us the best way to get onto the spiritual path. Spirituality is a path and the attainment of it is enlightenment.  Even someone like Gandhi did not reach enlightenment. He still had earthly desires. As long as you are alive you are a body, mind and soul with the ability to walk the spiritual path. Whether you get on it and stay on it or venture off is your choice. The yamas and the niyamas are simply suggestion that will help you to stay on the path.

Self-centeredness, inconsideration, lack of compassion and violence will take you off the path. Your “soul” purpose for being here is to find and walk the  spiritual path. It matters not how far you get. Reincarnation will give you another chance to get back on the path. However, the farther you get in this lifetime the shorter the journey in the next. Let’s begin our practice.

Nonviolence does not mean only outward violence. It also means violence towards you. Self-criticism always hurts the soul, just as cruel and angry thoughts, words and deeds toward others will take you off the spiritual path. You are not about your body and your mind, but your body and your mind are the vehicle and the GPS for your soul. So treat them well and be kind to yourself. That kindness will come from the inside out and be received by everyone and everything you encounter.

Symbol of wisdom – flip your palms up. Focus on your index finger the symbol of your ego. Bend it in toward your palm reminding yourself to be kind. Place your thumb on top. This is the symbol of your higher power. By surrendering your self-centered ego to your soul you will be wise.

Doctor Lynn

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A Guiding Path to Peace

 

 

 

 

 

 

We all need a moral and ethical code to live by.  This is what guides us towards deciding what is right and what is wrong. Yoga suggests we follow the yamas and niyamas which are the things we should abstain from doing and the things we should observe.

Something we can all benefit from is practicing the yama of nonviolence. It is to be practiced in body, mind and soul.  If we could remove violence what a peaceful world this would be.

When we think of violence we think of physical pain and although that is one kind of violence, thoughts that are negative and words that hurt, slander and disrespect are also violent. Someone or something always gets hurt. Fundamental to yoga is to do no harm.

Yoga does however teach us that sometimes violence is the best course of action to take. If you take it from a good moral and ethical position violence has its place. Although this seems like a contradiction think of it this way: if someone you love was being attacked would you kill the attacker? Your love is much stronger than nonviolence; as it should be.

As humans we kill animals to eat the meat. We are meat eating mammals. Meat sustains life just as killing a tree provides us with paper and books. Everything in life sacrifices. The question is intent. If you intend to hurt, for the sake of hurting, you are being violent.

The opposite of violence is kindness. All violent thoughts, words and deeds paralyze the soul. Perhaps it might be better if we reflected on our thoughts and then only spoke words that were kind.  Mastering this duality will help you to live a more peaceful life.

 

 

The practice of nonviolence should not be taken too rigidly. Yoga takes into account that most of us live a social life with many different cultural norms. The easiest way to practice this yama is to remember to always try to do the greatest good for the greatest many.  Examine your moral and ethical code and follow the path that gives you the least resistance. It will bring you peace.

When a negative thought pops up in your mind, replace it with something positive. This is the path of nonviolence. Step back, take a breath, change the way you look at things and the way you look at things will change.

 

Doctor Lynn

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The Tree

If you find yourself experiencing violence think of the tree pose. No matter how hard you try eventually you will lose your balance. Life is not meant to be stationary.  Practicing the tree is about finding your balance and then remembering to return to it each time life throws you off balance; and it will.   This week you may experience an argument, a misunderstanding or gossip. Regain your balance and you will be practicing nonviolence.

 

 

 

How to live Above the Blur of Life

 

 

In yoga we use the postures and the breath to help us establish balance, improve flexibility and find strength, as well as a sense of tranquility. In yoga the cleansing of the mind is called the cleansing of the astral channels. This cleansing takes place so that we can arrive at higher levels of consciousness.

The astral channels correspond to the physical nerves. The nerves are the only part of our body that never regenerated during our lifetime. The astral channels are higher mental channels that connect us to the spiritual force of the universe. Just as we reach out and experience touch through the sensation of our nerves, we have the ability to reach out with our mental force and touch higher levels of consciousness. We do this through the study and implementation of the Yamas and Niyamas which are the abstentions and observances. These cleanse the mind state and allow us to reach higher levels of consciousness by cleansing the astral channels. The posture and the breath help us to cleanse the astral channels associated with the body. Together they create a state of purity in body and mind.

To understand these focus on your spine. Think of it as a long channel from which we move energy from the lower levels to the higher lives of being.

Over the next several months we are going to work on opening and cleansing the astral channels in both body and mind by focusing on the yamas and the niyamas. So let’s get started.

 

When the astral channels are clear the body becomes healthier and the mind becomes calm and serene.  By gaining control over the life force we raise our level of consciousness so that the every day experiences of life become a blur in comparison to the higher levels of consciousness. This simply means that life becomes what life does. Clear the polluted energy  out of your body and your mind and you will begin to live a life that is healthy, happy and peaceful.

Doctor Lynn

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Asking for Help-it’s OK

Don’t be afraid to ask for help. It is not a sign of weakness. It is a sign of strength. We all need support from time to time. Yesterday a student and good friend of mine sent me an email. She has been diagnosed with colon cancer. She reached out for emotional help and support. More than anything I think the word cancer scares us all. I reminded her that she is a survivor in life. She also takes care of her health by eating well, exercising and taking time to relax every day.

So let’s get started today with a focus on taking care of our health. Eat well, exercise and take time to relax and enjoy the moments because in life they fly by way too fast.

Affirmation -: “Bones, muscles, movement, I surrender now; anxiety, elation and depression, churning thoughts — all these I give into the hands of peace.”

We never know what life will hand us so it is best to be prepared. When I went through my cancer surgery and recovery I was coming from a healthy body-mind and that along with my determination to survive was my savior. So each day take care of your health because it is your wealth. Lose it for only a minute and you will wish it back above all else in life. It is the most important thing in your life – don’t take it for granted.

Doctor Lynn

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The Pendulum of Emotion- finding pure joy

 

 

 

Think of your consciousness as a calm still body of ever flowing water. The overall height of the water is always the same even when we add the waves of emotion. It is the waves that disturbs the calmness of the water; the higher the wave the deeper the trough. The waves of happiness are counter balanced by the trough of sadness. That is because all of life is a duality. It is like a pendulum swinging back and forth. The only way we know anything is by its opposite swing.  The swing of success is only realized by its opposite swing of failure. The only place where joy, love and peace are not balanced by opposites is in pure still ever flowing consciousness. It is a state void of opposites. To understand this we first need to become aware of the waves and the troughs and how the pendulum swings.  When we practice yoga we seek balance. We only discover it by experiencing a loss of balance.  In seeking to find peace we need to understand all that is counter to peace; impatience, anger, hatred and fear. The pendulum of life is like the waves of the ocean. It will rise and then it will fall.

The farther the pendulum swings in one direction the farther it must swing back. We get caught up in thinking that if we push the pendulum toward more possessions, greater fame and intense pleasure we will increase our happiness. The problem is the pendulum always swings back. The only way to end the eternal rising and falling of life is to be content right here right now. That is why we do the sitting Zen; to experience moments of pure joy. Let’s get started.

 

The farther the pendulum swings in one direction the farther it must swing back. The only way to find happiness is to be content with what you have, with what comes into your life and what leaves your life. It is ego consciousness that keeps you in the constant swing of emotions.  Bend your ego to your higher power and you will discover the wisdom of pure joy.

Doctor Lynn

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What is the Practice of Yoga?

 

 

 

 

The Practice of yoga involves not only the poses (asana) and the breath (pranayama), but also the yamas and niyamas or the things we should abstain from and the things we should observe if we are to live a spiritual life. The object of these four stages is to cleanse the body-mind so that the life-force can flow through and lead us to higher levels of consciousness. This means to become more balanced and aware.

The poses are not yoga, but through the practice of the poses we have an opportunity to discover yoga. For example; balance can best be understood when we do a tree. It takes strength, focus and stillness to find balance. In life you will need all of these to maintain your balance when life’s stormy emotions pervade your life.

Pranayama is the control of the breath. It is not the breath, but the life force that gives rise to the breath. When we sit in Zen and take a few controlled breathes we clear the astral channels and allow a flow of energy throughout our body-mind and this produces contentment and peace.

The astral channels correspond to the nerves of your body. The nerves are the only part of your body that does not regenerated throughout your lifetime. When we clear the astral channels we touch the soul. Think of this like touching something with your body. We need the nerves to be able to feel. Damage the nerves and the ability to touch disappears. Damage the astral channels and the ability to touch the soul becomes impossible.

The yamas and niyamas are guides for living a spiritual life. In the weeks to come we will discuss each of these. For now let’s focus today on the poses and the breath.

 

Using the body and the breath we learn to harness prana or the life-force. This week pay attention to your sense of touch and your breath. Flow with the force of life and you will bring balance and harmony into everything you think, say and do.

Namaste

Doctor Lynn

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The Greatest Obstacle

The greatest obstacle in your way is your mind. Our thoughts often time direct our life without us even being aware of it. Thought patterns repeated become habits. These habits can be positive or negative. Positively they free the mind to focus on other things. For example – tying your shoes is a habit. You can do it without thinking.  You can focus on other things at the same time you are tying your shoes.  Habits therefore can be time saving and a great sense of freedom. However, habits can also make us their servant. Repeat a bad habit over and over, like smoking a cigarette, and soon we are enslaved.

Now there are several ways to free the mind of negative habits. One is to feed it positive thoughts and the other is to deny it negative thoughts. But this requires controlling the conscious mind. The conscious mind has a tendency to move in many directions and is easily influenced.

How do we control the mind?  By paying close attention to our thoughts, words and deeds.  If they are serving the greater good you have removed the negative and replaced it with the positive.

 

Merely replacing negative with positive energy is like trying to fill a cup that is riddles with holes. No matter how much you try to fill the cup it will be empty. First you need to fill the holes by paying attention to your thoughts, word and deed and then fill the cup. How? Be at peace and content with what comes into your life, as well as with what must depart. And always think, speak and act towards the greatest good.

The ego pulls you away from the center. The higher power brings you back. Live from your center and you will be wise.

Doctor Lynn

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Making Spiritual Progress

 

 

 

 

 

Spiritual progress should be natural like the growing of a tree and not forced, frenetic and chaotic. It requires commitment and patience and the greatest obstacle in its way is the “chitter” or chattering of the mind. Although we like to think that we construct and direct our world from our conscious thoughts, it is really from the subconscious that our life takes shape.

The subconscious mind is the storehouse of all your thoughts and experiences in this life and in past lives. To best understand the subconscious mind thinks about driving a car. How many times do you automatically drive your car while your mind is a million miles away? Suddenly you realize you have been driving without awareness of where you are or where you are going. The subconscious mind does the driving while the conscious mind speaks on the phone.

The subconscious mind is responsible for the automatically triggered feelings and emotions that you suddenly experience upon facing a new situation. You begin a new job feeling a bit insecure or unsure of yourself. This is the subconscious mind bringing emotions to the conscious mind.

The conscious mind on the other hand is responsible for logic, calculations and all actions that are performed while you are conscious. The subconscious mind also controls other functions in your body like breathing and heart beats.

Right now you are breathing without any conscious effort. But if I ask you to stop and focus on your breathing each breath becomes conscious. This is how we lift from the subconscious to the conscious mind relaxation, peace and serenity.

We need to go deep into the subconscious and then cultivate it so as to bring to the conscious mind health, happiness and peace. How? Quiet your thoughts stay present and focus on discovering balance, strength, flexibility and peace.

Let’s get started.

 

Just like your body has got its defenses against physical wounds and injuries your subconscious mind has got its defenses against emotional shocks and wounds.

These are called ego defense mechanisms or unconscious defense mechanisms.  Some of these mechanisms are denial, suppression, anger and regression. The ego defense mechanisms' main function is to protect your well-being and to help you overcome emotional shocks. But it doesn’t always work because the ego is what separates us. To unite the subconscious and the conscious we must be willing to surrender the ego to something higher; our higher self.

 

Doctor Lynn

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Finding Peace in a Restless World

 

 

 

 

 

The process of spiritual growth should be natural like a growing tree and not forced or frenetic. It requires patient to find stillness and contentment. Think about how many things you do in hopes of resting after you have achieved your goals. First let me get this and then let me get that and then I will relax and enjoy life.

Thus we acquire the habit of seeking more and more in an attempt to be able to relax and enjoy our life. The problem is that we never arrive. We get caught up in the rat race. Stress becomes prevalent in our lives. Soon the stress leads to illness.

It is not that we should cease to be active. It is that we should be peacefully active in all our activities. When we are doing we should be doing with a sense of peace and contentment no matter the outcome.

Yogananda once was asked if the spiritual path had an end. He said “No end. You go on until you reach endlessness.”

Don’t let your approach to life be so achievement oriented that you forget to enjoy the moments. In the end you can’t take with you even one copper penny.

Let’s practice today not to achieve anything, but simply to enjoy the process of discovering peace.

 

Peace isn’t waiting for you over the next hill. It is not something you construct like a house. It is something you already possess deep within your soul. The ego will constantly pull you here and there searching for satisfaction, but the soul, if you let it, will teach you to be, as Yogananda said,” Calmly active and actively calm.” This is how to find peace in a restless world. Be at peace with what is…

Doctor Lynn

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The Tunnel of Consciousness

In yoga the spine is considered the tunnel of consciousness. Along the spine we find the chakras and as we ascend each chakra from the root at the base of the spine to the top of the head at the crown we raise our level of consciousness from survival to enlightenment.

To begin we move up through the spine and past the primitive brain or the limbic system located at the base of the skull pushing the energy forward toward the frontal lobe or the point between our eyebrows known as the third eye. This is our intuitive all-knowing self.

 

 

 

 

 

Because of evolution our level of consciousness is higher than that of other animals. An easy way to describe this is when a dog is happy they wag their tail which is located at the base of their spine. When a human is happy they smile and laugh at the top of the spine. They raise their head and body upward. That is one reason we lift the spine in yoga. It is to open the tunnel of consciousness.

 As the ego moves upward towards the higher chakras it begins to lose its importance. Now it looks to expand within its own consciousness not only its happiness, but the happiness of others.

The self-expanding ego thinks in terms of serving others rather than being served; it self-sacrifices for the good of many rather than sacrificing for its own good.

The epitome of this attitude is that of the warrior willing to sacrifice for the good of many – a selfless person willing to give his or her own life for the general good. Ideally this person is noble and self-giving. But sadly today many warriors and even political leaders are self-serving and aggressive. Which warrior are you?

The closer the ego approaches the higher levels of consciousness it begins to realize that even noble deeds are self-limiting when coming from ego consciousness. The ego separates us. The warrior then asks itself – how much good can I accomplish on my own. We all need each other to raise the consciousness of existence. So this week seek to raise your level of consciousness beyond the self-serving ego and like the mighty warrior do something good for the many.

Doctor Lynn

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Building Healthy Relationships

If we are to reach a higher level of consciousness and to change the course of our karma, we must begin with the desire to build the sacred vessel of relationship. The most sacred relationship is the relationship we build with ourselves.  The problem is that most of us are quite self-centered and spend a lot of time trying to control others in an attempt to get what we want.

How we relate to the world is found in our own thoughts, perception, and feelings about the world around us. As we gain experience, we gain wisdom and this wisdom opens us up to new perceptions that will direct the actions we take as we relate to the world.

 

 

 

 

As we reaches out from a place of inner consciousness we may encounter others who have not discovered the sacredness of relationships. That is okay, because there is a realization that we are all one, even if some of us are still stuck in the self- centered egotistical view of the world.  Everyone will experience the journey differently. However, there are certain common denominators we will all experience once we are consciously on the journey.

There will be daily practice (devotion) and conscious awareness of the process.  There will be moments of inner silence and a gradual shift from intentions and actions that are outwardly based and focused on outcomes and time frames, to intentions and actions that are based on the inner journey. This naturally leads to more harmonious outcomes.  As we shift to a place of balance and become more unified and harmonious our world reflects this inner peace.

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“Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” The best way to transcend the continual cycle of karma is to become the very expression of life as a unified whole with divine nature expressed in all actions great and small. To do this we must build the sacred vessel of relationship.

Be clear about your intentions. Openness is required.  Truth is fundamental. We must be committed to building the walls of the sacred vessel; openness, trust, and commitment; without these relationships cannot sustain their strength.

Doctor Lynn

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Listen to Your Center - Yoga Today

 

 

 

Take a moment and focus on any emotional or physical pain or disturbances that exist in your life. These exist on the periphery or the circumference and not at the center. Now let’s move closer toward our center. Slowly with deep long breathes begin to remove whatever is disturbing your peace. Let go of everything and find your center. It is a vast space of calmness. Here you will find your intuition. Here you will find the answers. If you penetrate deep enough to the center everything will disappear and you will be at peace.

Now project your center towards whatever has been giving you pain. You will begin to realize that even setbacks in life have their advantage. Seek your heart center. It is the place of compassion and understanding. Now project outward towards the center of your disturbance and you will know exactly what to do. Everything in life has a purpose. Sometimes what seems to be a disturbance is really a push to grow stronger, be more flexible and to establish balance. Let’s practice

When life hands you emotional and physical pain go to your center.  Here you will find the answer. Nothing in life is permanent. Everything in life keeps moving and changing. But your center remains strong; it is flexible and maintains its balance. When you live from your center every situation in life will be tuned into an opportunity.  

Namaste- I celebrate the place where our souls meet

Doctor Lynn

Choice and Karma

 

Can we predict the effect of every action we take? Should we search into our past lives for answers? Wouldn’t it be wiser to practice a little flexibility and be willing to move and flow as life dictates, while not losing sight of our vision? From here to there is never a straight line. It takes flexibility to navigate the twist and turns of life.

While it is not possible to fathom the full consequence of karma through our actions, we can choose how we envision our world and what we do each day. The actions we choose will have both short term and long term consequences. However, these actions will be influenced by the habits we have developed. Develop the habit of lying and each action we take in life will be marred with lies.

 It is the awareness of these habits and how they influence our lives that is the determining factor. Change begins with stillness and the ability to reflect upon self.  Who are you and what are you doing? As we come to know our inner selves beyond the influences of life, this knowing will have a profound effect upon the choices we make.

Choose wisely from the stillness of your soul. The choices you make will determine the path you take because life becomes what life does.

Doctor Lynn

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What is Yoga -Yoga Today

 

 

Yoga is not a belief, it is not a faith. It is a discipline; a way of life. It takes discipline to practice yoga. That is because yoga means to live from the center of your being. At the center of your being you are balanced, flexible, strong and at peace.  To get to your center takes work and that requires discipline. That is why we practice the tree. It teaches us to connect with our center where we find balance and grounded strength, while at the same time having the flexibility to sway and move with the changing winds of life.

The center of your being is without gender, color or creed. It is simply the center of your being. At your center if you hold still you will discover peace and serenity. But it takes conscious effort or discipline to find it. Let’s begin our practice.

You will come to understand yoga not through belief, but though experience. As the winds of life move you about this week draw back to your center and hold strong to your roots. It will take conscious effort. Inner peace is worth the effort. It takes discipline to find peace. This is yoga.

Namaste – I celebrate the place where our souls meet

Doctor Lynn

 

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If you don’t like your Karma

 

 

In our western society we often refer to karma as good or bad. But that predisposes judgment. Good and bad signify punishment or reward based upon our actions.

Karma however is pure action without any moral attachment. Karma yoga simply means cause and effect. So if you wish to change your karma you have to consciously work to change your actions. If you want to be healthy you need to consciously do things that support your health. If you are ill it is not because you are bad. For example: if you have arthritis, weak bones or high blood pressure it is most likely because of an underlying conditions that get exaggerated due to over use, diet and stress. We may not be able to change the situation, but we can change how we approach it. Approach life by knowing, that with the power of your thoughts, you can change the nature of your life.

Arthritis or any other health condition may be permanent and painful, but approaching it with an attitude of health by eating a healthy diet, exercising and getting plenty of rest is taking the action that will get you the results of a healthier and happier self. Because life becomes what life does.   

 If you don’t like your karma do something positive to change it. It is not about being good or bad. It is about accepting what comes our way and then the choices we make that turn bad karma into good karma. Make conscious healthy choices - Because life becomes what life does.   

Doctor Lynn

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Right attitude is only the beginning – Yoga Today

 

 

 

 

 

Right attitude is only the beginning of the spiritual journey. Although this is the beginning it can take lifetimes for us to achieve right attitude. To achieve right attitude we need to learn to listen not only with the ear, but with the soul. It’s not about listening to sound, but listening to the silent language of an inspired soul. The first Yama (abstinence) or non-violence is a good example.

 Practicing Non-violence means to listen to your inner voice. If you can remain quiet you will perceive clearly any violence you create by inflicting harm on yourself or anyone else.  Criticism, bigotry and anger are the sounds of violence. Violence begins in thought and projects outward through our words and our deeds. So the right attitude is to bring to your consciousness peace and serenity and with that bring non-violence to you, others and every aspect of life. We need to silence the chitta (meaningless chatter) so we can hear the sound of peace. That is the practice of yoga. Let’s begin by working through the chakras or our energy centers bringing them into balance by staying flexible and open and working on our inner strength.

 

Right attitude is only the beginning of the spiritual journey. Listen to your inner voice and if it should speak of violence,( criticism, bigotry or anger) silence it. Experience the peace within and continue on the journey towards spiritual enlightenment. It begins and ends within the depth of your soul.

Namaste

Doctor Lynn

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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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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

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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

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