When disturbed by negative thoughts, opposite [positive] ones should be thought of. This is pratipaksha bhavana.

Pratipaksha bhavana literally translates as “opposite meditation.” The concept is basic. Feel like crap? Having crappy thoughts? Think of something different, and feel better.

Well of course…of course, easier said than done.

Changing thoughts can truly shift emotion, but it is no easy task. As proven by scientific research, our brains tend toward the negative, and it takes work to shift that tendency. We are offered many tools, including the ancient science of Yoga.

The various practices of yoga can develop mindfulness, awareness, and insight into one’s emotions and feelings, fostering an environment that more readily facilitates a change in thought. Often it is easier to change an action rather than a thought, but one must first notice the thought or emotion and have the desire to change it before a constructive action can be taken.

Image by Emilie Ogez via Flickr

To facilitate this inner awareness, Yoga suggests meditation in many forms, including asana (moving meditation), pranayama (meditation on the breath), dharana (meditation of concentration), and dhyana (meditation on God). In general, a consistent meditation practice expands one’s capacity to notice an in-the-moment state of mind and then change it. A consistent meditation practice allows these skills to become second nature.

Yoga also offers the yamas and niyamas, the principles of living that can help one challenge negative thoughts and emotions. For instance, if I am having anger at a family member, I may consider the Yoga yama of ahimsa, or compassion for all living things. Considering ahimsa may soften my anger and help change my emotional state. If I feel envious, being aware of santosha, or contentment, will aid in thought-emotion shifting.

KARMA ASHUKLA AKRISNAM YOGINAH TRIVIDHAM ITARESAM. TATAH TAD VIPAKA ANUGUNANAM EVA ABHIVYAKTIH VASANANAM.—Sutras 4.7 & 4.8

The actions of yogis are neither white nor black, while they are threefold for others. Those threefold actions result in latent impressions that will later arise to fruition only corresponding to those impressions.

According to Yoga Sutras 4.7 and 4.8, there are three types of actions—white (good, positive), black (bad, negative), and grey (mixed). The type of action develops the same type of impression in the mind, fostering corresponding thoughts and feelings. The results may not be immediate, but with practice, positive actions nurture positive thoughts and feelings.

The modern psychological treatment system of Dialectic Behavioral Therapy developed concepts based on the ancient teachings of Yoga. DBT suggests “Opposite Action” as a step toward changing one’s thoughts and emotions. “Opposite Action” is exactly what it sounds like—doing the opposite of what one is feeling. Angry? Want to hit something? Instead, sit down and pet your cat. Depressed? Feel like sleeping? Try going for a walk instead. It is truly a simple concept, but one that is oft overlooked in the “moment” of emotion. Stressed in traffic? Change your breathing and relax your grip on the wheel. These outward actions translate into the mind, just as the mind translates into body.

So, changing our thinking has healing and therapeutic benefits for the mind, and in turn, the body. Changing our body (actions) can change our thinking, and consequently. The pre-requisites are mindfulness (awareness) and intention.

The road of life may be bumpy and hilly, but when the wheels are oiled, navigation runs a lot more smoothly. All the spokes are connected—actions, thoughts, feelings…body, mind, soul. Utilizing them from all ends will develop a well-oiled wheel of healing and positivity!

Such is Yoga!

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From the blog Marc and Angel Hack Life: Practical Tips for Productive Living, 5 from their list of 20 things to stop tolerating NOW.

1. Unnecessary miscommunication. – Say what you mean.  Mean what you say.  Speak clearly.  Ask questions.  Clarify things until you understand them.
2. An unhealthy body. – Your health is your life.  Don’t let it go.  Eat right, move right, rest right.
3. Fear of change. – Life is change.  Every day is different.  Every day is a new beginning and a new ending.  Embrace it and make the best of it.
4. Not getting enough sleep. – A tired mind is rarely productive.
5. Dishonesty. – Living a life of honesty creates peace of mind, and peace of mind is priceless.  Period.  Don’t be dishonest and don’t put up with people who are.

What will you stop tolerating today?

What a wonderful life I’ve had! I only wish I’d realized it sooner.” -Colette

This quote rounds out the final chapter of Catherine Friend’s 2011 memoir, Sheepish: Two Women, Fifty Sheep, and Enough Wool to Save the Planet. After reading Friend’s Compassionate Carnivore, I picked up a signed copy of her latest at my local shop. This was a lovely read! Behind the anecdotes, stories, facts, figures, and farm tales lays an authentic account of Friend’s journey through her “middles.” Mid-life, mid-relationship, mid-section… The sheep stories inspire contemplations on the cycles of life, and offer real connections not only into Friend’s narrative, but our own as well.

I’ll admit, through the middle of the book, I was worried it wouldn’t end well. The sheep seemed to be trampling Friend’s sanity! But hope (and the plethora of remarkable and enlightening sheep and wool facts) kept me reading…and I’m happy to report that Catherine Friend realized the above quote in two shakes of a lamb’s tail, as the cycle of the farm came full circle and spring sprang (or, “sproinged”) again…

Does Friend have another memoir in the works? I don’t know, but I’d be delighted to continue learning from, AND being entertained by her journey and experiences of farm, and thus life!

I’d love to share this book with you. I’m giving away my SIGNED copy to one reader. Comment below to answer the question,

“Why are sheep important, why are they relevant?”

This could be personal, or find a fact/figure to share. Be sure to leave your contact information.

For additional good karma, share the giveaway on Facebook, Twitter, or whatever social media you are hooked in with. Like Catherine Friend on Facebook and check out her farm blog (lots of fun updates and pics!)

One entry per person, giveaway ends at midnight, January 24, 2012!

1. A talent. It is a gift bestowed by different means and developed along various paths, but the presentation isn’t necessarily a representation of the capacity of Yoga in a being. It is not something to be good or bad at. Yoga is a process.
2. A competition. Not with other people, not with yourself, not in an arena or on a stage. Nope.
3. Esoteric. Doesn’t it just sound that way though? The sciences of Yoga aren’t mystical, secretive, or arcane. Each path, style, and system is laid out quite concretely. The obscurity can occur however, in each person’s implementation and pursuit of practice.
4. A sport. Yoga-asana is a small part of the practice and philosophies of Yoga. The use of that physicality as an exhibition for a purpose beyond furthering the philosophies of Yoga should NOT be called Yoga.
5. Flaky. Due to the encompassing and inclusive nature of the philosophies, individuals can fit the philosophies and practices of Yoga to their person. Finding one’s path may result in floundering for a time…a short or a long time! Even the grounded yogi will appear variable, remaining flexible through the constant flux of life.

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I was watching Planet Earth this morning and the animals were amazing me. I got to thinking, mindfully of course, if I were an animal, what would I be? Today, I choose the honey badger. Why? Although honey badger’s methods may seem extreme, it possesses some important qualities that I want to foster in myself, including perseverance, determination, self-confidence, and courage. Honey badger is happy with itself. As the video below describes, honey badger is fearless, and it doesn’t give a shit.

(Warning: video contains lots of cuss words.)

What kind of animal are you today?

Image by atsukosmith via Flickr

…5 ways yoga and meditative practices can change negativity bias

Rick Hanson, Ph.D., a neuropsychologist and author of Buddha’s Brain: The Practical Neuroscience of Happiness, Love, and Wisdom, outlined the brain’s “negativity bias” in an article in Psychology Times.

“Do positive experiences stick to your ribs?” he asked. The question seems to suggest a ingesting of positive experiences, which is the premise of the principle that Dr. Hanson outlines.

“The brain is like Velcro for negative experiences,” says Dr. Hanson.

The brain is built to retain the negative, and it takes conscious effort to train it toward positivity.

Why? Survival. According to Donald Altman, M.A., LPC, psychotherapist and former Buddhist monk, the brain’s “programming constantly scans for anything that might go wrong. And when it does, the brain remembers this so it can avoid it next time.” Less concerning for our basic survival, according to our instinctive brain, is happiness.

So it’s harder. Harder to just be happy. It takes…practice. You’ve probably heard the word practice associated with Yoga, meditation, and mindfulness. These modalities recognize the force of the negativity bias, but offer effective approaches to shift the bias with conscious effort. Not an effort of struggle or labor, but of endeavor and intention…one that will become easier, with practice. Yoga Sutras I.13-14 say, “Practice is the effort to secure steadiness. This practice becomes well-grounded when continued with reverent devotion and without interruption over a long period of time.”

So how do we get the positive to “stick to our ribs?” By mindful “eating”…a conscious consumption and digestion, so to speak, of the positive events we experience. When something good happens, it is important to notice it, take it in, consider it, allow encouraging feelings, revel in them, maybe it would be helpful to talk about it, write it down, share it somehow. Let it sink in. The continued practice will actually change the neurological pathways in the brain to be less negatively biased!

We can take a cue from the Virgin Mary. She had a lot of hardship and negativity she could have ruminated on! In Luke chapter 2 of the Bible, Mary had just given birth to her son, Jesus, and instead of worrying on the fact that she was in a barn and people were on the march to kill her newborn son, she instead reveled in the glory of the event. She noticed, considered, and meditated. Verse 19 says, “And Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.”

How can we ponder the positive, too? Here are a few Yoga inspired practices and ideas to cultivate a change of bias in the brain:

• Following the Yoga Yamas and Niyamas can help us breed “mindful positivity” in our lives. Tapas for example encompasses the principle of training the senses through discipline and practice. Svadhyaya suggests study on sacred words, often an uplifting experience. Santosha proposes practicing contentment, which can help us notice the “little things” in life that are positive and important.
• Gratitude is a practice that fosters a force to overcome the negativity bias. Try keeping a gratitude journal in the morning or evening, logging events and occurrences that were positive. After a time, you may notice yourself paying more attention throughout your day to things you could write down, bringing the positive immediately into your present awareness.
• Present moment breath focus can help generate a positive-calm feeling in the midst of a negative experience. Swami Svatmarama wrote, “When the breath wanders the mind also is unsteady. But when the breath is calmed the mind too will be still, and the yogi achieves long life.”
• Practice karma yoga, actions of unattached service. Doing selfless action brings one toward enlightenment, according to Gita Sloka 3:25: “The unenlightened do things with attachment (wanting some results for themselves). An enlightened person does things with the same zeal, but without attachment, and thus guides others on the path of selfless action (Karma Yoga).”
• Meditate on Mettā, or loving-kindness. According to this University of Wisconsin study, consistent mettā meditation practice actually changes the brain to allow for more empathetic and compassionate mental states and thought patterns.

Have you noticed a negativity bias in your brain? What tools do you use to shift it?

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“Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care.”

-Jesus Christ, from the gospel of Matthew, 10:29

Dear Clare, age 60,

Hoping this letter finds you well. Actually, I just hope it finds you! You are an avid traveler now huh? Did you enjoy Venice this past Autumn? When is your annual retreat to Bali? Are you and Nathan still doing the annual family RV trip with your folks and everyone?

Seriously, how do you stay so grounded when you are gone so much?

Say, I wanted to ask you, remember those years you were really gone? “Traveling” so to speak among the clouds, wishing for a safe place to land. I know you don’t like to remember that time, in the dark and lonely ether of ego-ED. The currents carried you, and then the gusts pushed you so high and so far. Little bird, we thought you were all but lost.

I remember, you told me how you came back down to earth. It was the Tree that brought you back. So steady, stately, strong, and safe. The Tree of Life stood, ready to be a refuge. One day as a gale whipped you, that Tree stretched and bent and reached toward you…by some miracle, some grace, you fluttered, hovered, and perched. You flapped and thrashed for a long time. You were lashed by the winds, but you clung. Little by little, you managed to build a nest, and eventually you gave up hanging out on the limb and crawled into the nest to rest.

Gosh it took some time, but that Tree stayed and waited until you were ready to land, little bird. From under your nest now a new branch is growing on that tree, and the roots run deep. Grounded is so good!

I guess that is your secret. You are rooted in Christ, and all the grace, peace, and love that come with that. Did you ever think it could be so simple? Riding the easy breeze? Fly on friend, coast in His flow, and shake your tail-feather in those dance classes you are taking this month!

In sincere admiration,

Clare, age 30

Forming a sankalpa is a mindful process that may incorporate meditation, journaling, pranayama, and other self-exploratory and self-care tools. I used Rod Stryker’s process in his book, The Four Desires.

Some sankalpa suggestions:

• Set your sankalpa in the present tense (“I am” vs. “I will”)
• Consider setting a tangible time for your intention come into fruition (“I am XXX in 2012″)
• Notice what kind of feelings occur when you repeat your sankalpa. Can you act positively from these feelings?
• When your sankalpa is set, use it! Repeat it, meditate on it, write it down, hang it up…set it into yourSelf.

The Four Desires sankalpa process led me to base my sankalpa on the desire for desire for artha, or the means necessary to do my dharma.

After meditation and consideration on which desire I wanted to manifest in a specific goal over the next many months, my conclusion was artha. Encompassed in artha, for me specifically now, are concepts like health, wellness, energy, body confidence/trust, body awareness, confidence in knowing how to care for my physical being, health education, intuitive health, hormone balance…I need to learn to trust that I can maintain physical health, and that a healthier body will be the stable foundation for a healthy mind…allowing me to build into fulfilling kama, dharma, and moksha.

After several drafts, and conferring with my teacher, my sankalpa was formed!

My body is healthy and balanced. My mind is calm and my emotional self is cared for. I trust my intuition. Life is simple, peaceful, and free. All choices in my life both derive from and foster this flow.

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This sankalpa plants the seeds of intention that will grow into experiences, practices, and mindful actions moving me in the direction of fulfilment.

Are you setting sankalpa for the New Year?

by Cherie Carter-Scott

1. You will receive a body. You may like it or hate it, but it’s yours to keep for the entire period.
2. You will learn lessons. You are enrolled in a full-time informal school called, “life.”
3. There are no mistakes, only lessons. Growth is a process of trial, error, and experimentation. The “failed” experiments are as much a part of the process as the experiments that ultimately “work.” 
4. Lessons are repeated until they are learned. A lesson will be presented to you in various forms until you have learned it. When you have learned it, you can go on to the next lesson.
5. Learning lessons does not end. There’s no part of life that doesn’t contain its lessons. If you’re alive, that means there are still lessons to be learned.
6. “There” is no better a place than “here.” When your “there” has become a “here”, you will simply obtain another “there” that will again look better than “here.”
7. Other people are merely mirrors of you. You cannot love or hate something about another person unless it reflects to you something you love or hate about yourself.
8. What you make of your life is up to you. You have all the tools and resources you need. What you do with them is up to you. The choice is yours.
9. Your answers lie within you. The answers to life’s questions lie within you. All you need to do is look, listen, and trust.
10. You will forget all this.

(http://www.bluinc.com/free/human10.htm)

–Cherie Carter-Scott

I’m not there yet. But I’m not where I was. 

Was felt like death. Here feels hard. Gotta get there still seems impossible.

What do you do when here and both ends of there feel unbearable?

You practice being ok here.

Being ok here makes will get there feel attainable.

Being ok here makes was there feel unacceptable.

Being ok here will be just that. Being ok.

That is do-able.

And here, this year, is Christmas.