40 Days to Personal Revolution Introduction

40 Days to Personal Revolution Introduction

Book:  40 Days to Personal Revolution by Baron Baptiste.  

Outline, sanskrit terms  and additional questions by Kim Preveza

Week 1 Presence   Nov 11-17  Week 2 Vitality    Nov 18-24  Week 3 Equanimity  Nov 25- Dec 1  Week 4 Restoration  Dec 2-8  Week 5 Centering   Dec 9-15 (TBA)Week 6 Triumph    Dec 16-22 (TBA)Week 7 After the Revolution   Dec 23- Jan 1 (TBA)

Why 40 Days?

Significance in Transformation.

Jesus 40 Days

Moses 40 Years

Noah 40 Days and 40 Nights

Every Day is a new day --   Practice everyday, in class, at home, meditation.

Make a Schedule, Home and Studio.  Days and times

Recommit -- seek the truth

Format

Each week will cover:

- Specific Poses,  -- Try to do first thing in morning, Ujjayi Breath (Ocean Sounding), Uddiyana Bandha (Belly Lock),

- Meditations, --  Awareness based, morning and night

- Balancing Diet. -- Each Week Insights into eating for balance that fit with the theme: patterns, fresh food, cravings, fruit-fast, essential minerals, review

- Excavation Questions -- just becoming aware of your answers, recommend to write answers down.

- Pick a day to rest

12 Laws/Foundations  All Interconnected

1. Seek the Truth,  Satya  

1. Accept “acknowledge lack of right direction, repent, rebuild, remap

What Truth will set you free?

2. Be Willing to Come Apart,   Aparigraha -- Non-grasping

1. Non-controlling,
2. Giving up control,
3. Surrender
4. Fighting=getting
5. Allowing things to happen

Where can you allow things to happen rather than trying to control them?

3. Step Out of Your Comfort Zone,  Samskaras -- Past Conditioning

1. Drop patterns and stories of the past
2. Take off Masks
3. Embrace Fears of unknown

When are you living in the stories of the past?

What fears of the unknown can you embrace?

4. Commit to Growth,   Tapas -- Discipline

1. No exit door
2. “Stay with ourselves no matter what”

When you want to run what happens if you stay, with the stretch, the difficult pose, the fight or flight response?

5. Shift Your Vision,  Awaken the Third- Eye

1. Attention -- mental focus, brings energy to whatever you are focusing upon
2. Right Intention -- “awareness of what you need to do in the back of your mind.”
3. Faith -- Leap of faith.

What has your attention right now?

What intentions are calling you?

Where can you take a leap of faith?

6. Drop What You Know,  Svadhyaya - Self Study

1. “Shift from living from your head into trusting what’s in your heart
2. Intuition
3. Inner Teacher
4. Let go
5. Stop thinking about right and wrong and become fully present in your body, feel what is right.

What would happen if you listened to your inner voice?

7. Relax with what is,   Santosha -- Contentment

1. See how much more effective relaxing is than struggling
2. Choices in poses (and life):
1. Run Away (come out of the pose)
2. Stay and struggle
3. Stay, relax, and discover what is really there

    C. Recognize difference between good and bad pain

What poses would benefit from relaxing with what is?

What parts of life would it be helpful to relax with what is?

8. Remove the Rocks,   Kleshas/ Obstacles

1. Unlearn  Pride, Fear, Conditioning, Resistance
2. Say one thing you want to let go of -- or write it down
3. Meditation and Excavation Questions -- remove clutter of the mind

“What rocks are you holding on to?” BB

9. Don't Rush the Process,  Aparigraha

1. Swept up in doing, achieving, accomplishing
2. Practice Patience
3. The Principle of Process
4. Love the Journey

What processes do you rush?

10. Be True to Yourself ,  Yamas and Niyamas-- Ethics and Morals

1. True to your values and morals
2. Inner Compass
3. Speak your Truth

When do you hold back being true to yourself and why?

11. Be Still and Know, Praythara -- Sense Withdrawl

1. Meditation and/or prayer
2. Also a way of life--cease business, stressing, etc

How does it feel to be still? quiet?

12. Understand that the Whole is the Goal,  Yoga, Yuj, to Connect

1. “We don’t transform in parts”

Where do you compartmentalize your life?  Where would it be helpful to see it as a whole?

Yoga Practice Log

Yoga Breathing Techniques

Pranayama/Breath Practice

Natural breathing

1. Do not control the breath in any way
2. Observe the natural breath as an observer
3. Scan from nostrils, to throat, chest, ribs, belly
4. Observe breath in whole body
5. Notice if breaths are even length
6. Practice for several minutes

Three Part Breath to Dirgha -- Complete Breath -- Anytime – Sitting or Lying down

1. Belly Breaths. Inhale inflate/expand the belly, exhale deflate belly 5 breaths
2. Lower ribs .Inhale expand ribs in all dimensions, exhale, relax ribs 5 breaths
3. Upper chest and collar bones, inhale expand chest, exhale release  5 breaths
4. Dirgha/Complete Breath: Feel the flow between the three parts

Ujjayi —Ocean Sounding  -- Victorious Breath – anytime

1. Deep Inhale

1. Exhale sigh through mouth, or sound like fogging up a mirror 3-5 breaths
2. Close mouth and create a similar sound through the nose, almost like a snore
3. Once exhale sounds become familiar, practice inhale sound, like fogging up back of head.

So Hum Meditation -- Breath sounds like So, Hum (That , I am)

1. Sit comfortably where you will not be disturbed  and close your eyes.
2. For a few minutes observe the natural breath, inhales and exhale
3. Take a slow, deep breath through your nose, thinking the word So.
4. Exhale slowly through your nose,  thinking the word Hum.
5. Continue for a set time, starting with 5  minutes and working up to 20 minutes

Nadi Shodhana--  Channel Clearing Breath—Alternate Nostril Breath

Evening practice: begin on your right side (Right at Night)

Morning: begin on your  left.

Right hand to control the flow of breath through the nostrils. The thumb is positioned over the right nostril, while your third and fourth fingers are over the left. Alternate nostrils are closed at the end of each inhalation.  (5 breaths in and in out each nostril instead or to start)

1. Close Right Nostril with thumb. Inhale through the left nostril (about 3 counts) , close off your left nostril with the third and fourth fingers of your right hand
2. Release and right and Exhale through the right nostril (about 3 counts)
3. Inhale through the right nostril, close it off with your thumb
4. Exhale through left nostril, inhale left, close, exhale, right, etc.
5. Start Over for several minutes

Anuloma- Viloma  -- Reverse Order

1. Close Left Nostril with ring finger. Inhale through the right nostril, close off your right nostril with thumb of your  right hand
2. Release the left nostril and close the right , exhale left
3. Holding the right nostril closed, inhale through the left nostril
4. Release the right  nostril and close the left nostril as in (1) above, but exhale through the right nostril, and
5. Still holding the left  nostril, inhale through the right nostril as in (1) above
6. Start Over

Start with 3-5- rounds and practice for about 3-5 minutes.

Intermediate to Advanced  Pranayama -- Bhastrika & Kapalabhati

Contraindications: Patients of high blood pressure, hernia, asthma, emphysema, pregnant women, gastric ulcer, stroke, epilepsy or vertigo. People with lung diseases such as asthma and chronic bronchitis,and those recovering from tuberculosis, are recommended to practise only under expert guidance.

Bhastrika -- Bellows Breath -- Energy Breath – Daytime Practice-- Sitting

1. Take a slow,deep belly breath.
2. Forcefully exhale, slow, medium or fast, depending on practice and health
3. Follow with forceful deep inhalations through your nose,
4. One second per cycle 10 breaths (begin with less if you feel out of breath)
5. Resume normal breathing for fifteen to thirty seconds
6. One second per cycle 20 breaths
7. Pause of thirty seconds,
8. Third round of 30 breaths.

Kapalabhati -- Skull or Mind Shining Breath-- Daytime Practice-- Sitting

1. Forceful exhalations followed by passive inhalations. forcefully exhale, then
2. Allow lungs to fill passively  
3. 10 times, rate of 30-35 breaths per minute
4. Repeat 3-4 times
5. Resume normal breathing

If at any time you experience uncomfortable sensations or feel dizzy during breath practice discontinue.

References:

1. Asana Pranayama Mudra Bandha  by Swami Satyananda Saraswati, Bihar School of Yoga 1996
2. The Seven Spiritual Laws of Yoga A Practical Guide to Healing Body, Mind, and Spirit by Deepak Chopra, M.D. & David Simon, M.D., John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 2004

3. Light on Prãnãyãma: The Yogic Art of Breathing by B.K.S. Iyengar,Crossroad Publishing Company, 1985

"Yogas chitta vritti nirodhah" "Yoga is the calming/cessation of the fluctuations of the mind." Yoga Sutra 1.2

"Yogas chitta vritti nirodhah"

"Yoga is the calming/cessation of the fluctuations of the mind." Yoga Sutra 1.2

5 Ways to practice chitta vritti nirodhah

1. Sama Vritti Breath -- Breaths in equal length, counting inhale and exhale, trying for an even breath count (but not trying too hard)
See an explanation here https://www.yogapedia.com/definition/8594/sama-vritti

2. Parivrtta Poses -- Revolved/ Twisting Poses

Focus on coming out of the twist with ease from vritti to calm and steady.

Parivrtta Janu Sirsasana   Revolved Head to Knee

Parivrtta Parsvakonasana  Revolved Side Angle

Parivrtta Sukhasana   Revolved Easy Pose

Jathara Parivartasana Revolved Belly Twist/ Knee Down Twist  and More Twists
Parivrtta Trikonasana  Revolved Triangle
Parivrtta Ardha Chandrasana  Revolved Half Moon

I also like Garudasana / Eagle Pose/ Remover on Obstacles for calming Vritti as well 

3. Yoga Nidra, yoga sleep.

Nidra is one of the Chittas. The other four are thoughts based on reality, misconceptions, imagination, and memories.

See a guide here http://www.yogajournal.com/article/practice-section/10-steps-of-yoga-nidra/

4. Meditation and Mantra

Mantra means mind training. Using a Mantra, a saying like So Hum (That I am) or Om can help connect the mind to the breath and help clear the mind.

See Psychology Today How Mantras Calm Your Mind : Repeating simple words can wind down your brain's default mode.

5. Drishti -- Gaze Literally focus the mind.

See More Clearly By Practicing Drishti

The Heart Chakra Anahata Chakra (sanskrit) Anahata means "Unstuck"

The Heart Chakra

Anahata Chakra (sanskrit)  Anahata means "Unstuck" 

Location: Chakras are part of yoga anatomy.  They are energy centers in the body.

The Heart Chakra is located in the heart area.  It is supported by three lower chakras.  The root, sacral, and solar plexus.  These represent your foundation, creativity, and personal power.  The heart chakra connects these chakras with the next three chakras, your voice, your intuition, and your connection with something beyond yourself.  The hands and arms are part of the heart chakra. 

Color:   The color that represents the heart chakra is green. 

Quotes:

"The fourth chakra represents the unifying energy of love

and compassion. Known as Anahata, the heart chakra is

dedicated to overcoming separation and division. When

the heart center is blocked, there is a sense of alienation

from others. When the heart center is open and flowing,

you feel connected at a deep level to all beings in your life."   Deepak Chorpa  Seven Spiritual Laws of Yoga

Qualities: (From Eastern Body. Western Mind by Anodea Judith)

When the Heart Chakra is Balanced

Compassionate

Loving

Empathetic

Self-Loving

Altruistic

Peaceful

When the Heart Chakra is Imbalanced

Antisocial

Critical

Loneliness

Depression

Fear of intimacy

Lack of empathy

Narcissism

Codependency

Jealousy

Over sacrificing

Ways to Balance the Heart Chakra

Breath work

Heart Opening Poses and Poses with arms and hands reaching out and in

Journaling

Psycho-therapy