Tag: #balance

#lifelessons, #spiritual, #yoga

How Kundalini Yoga and Mantra Meditation benefit mental health

Emy Minzel

Most of us understand that mental health is hugely important and it’s finally getting the recognition it deserves. Because it seems to have taken so long for mainstream doctors to accept this fact it seems the general population is taking time to catch up as well. My goal is to bring an easy-to-understand explanation of how taking responsibility for the mind, body, spirit connection with purposeful action can help mental health and their whole being.

It’s already proven that moving the body increases endorphins, serotonin, oxytocin and all the feel-good hormones! I understand those with depression often find it hard to exercise or do yoga. Even the words can be triggering. Many people convince themselves they can’t do yoga. “I’m not flexible enough to do yoga.” To me that’s like saying. “I’m just too dirty to take a bath.” It doesn’t make any sense! You do yoga to increase flexibility, mobility, and balance.

I believe that everybody has a yoga body. The type of yoga I love the most is Kundalini yoga because it is accessible to most everyone. It focuses on spinal health and flexibility in the spine. If you think about it, all the most important functions we need to live run through the spinal column. Vital nerves, arteries and spinal fluid need to flow freely to have the brain and body function at their best.

This type of yoga also does a great job incorporating mindfulness into each practice. This will help clients be more in their body and less in the headspace. I love to add mindful guided meditation directed towards bringing awareness to the energy and feelings of the body. When you are aware of how you feel you take your power back to transform lower emotions into better feeling ones.

My teaching style explains why we are doing what we are doing so that the students understand the benefits of each movement. I often speak about the science of chakra system which are the energy centers in the body connected to organs, functions, meridians, feelings, and emotions. The Kundalini Kriyas are often designed to open the energetic flow of the chakras.

For example, a client with depression may have a difficult time with the lower chakra system.  The root chakra is connected to feelings of safety and security. It is where the fight or flight instincts for survival are stored. Right above that is the sacral Chakra where we hold our willpower, ambition, creativity, sexuality, and ability to persist. The next chakra is the solar plexus in the area above the belly button and that is where self-esteem and personality live.

If these chakras are out of balance a person can become lethargic and sometimes even connected to overeating because they are trying to ground themselves with the feeling of being full. A Kundalini set for depression will focus on a gentle practice that is able to bring mindfulness into their bodies while increasing energy flow. I teach folks how to activate the energy in the body by stimulating the chakras and the systems connected to them with movement most everyone can do.

Even if you have limited mobility, closing your eyes and visualizing yourself doing the posture/practice will give your brain some of the same benefits as if you were doing them physically! The mind, body, spirit connection is quite magical!

We will address the whole body and use pranayama breathing to increase the heart rate and energy flow. One of the best ways to get out of the head and into the body is to focus on the breath. Another way to address the intimidation of ‘meditation’ is to offer mantra meditation songs with hand mudras designed for specific topic we are working on. In these mantra meditations we use a variety of specific instructions for the body and the mind to keep focused.

This takes the pressure off just lying there and not thinking! I don’t know about you but lying there trying not to think has the opposite effect for me. That’s perfect conditions for a whole lot of monkey mind to get going!

Which is why the instructions for mantra meditation help me get in the zone and out of my head. It also has health benefits such as applying Root lock/Muladhara Bonda which means we squeeze the perineum, sex organs and pelvic bowl muscles pulling them up and in holding the root lock! This is very healthy to do with both women and men as we age.

Next, we do hand mudras designed to stimulate meridians connected to the body’s internal systems. We then close the eyes and bring our gaze to the third eye, the space where the intuition lives. Not only does the third eye gaze connect to intuition, but it also puts pressure on the optic nerve connected to the pituitary gland.

The pituitary is the master gland that stimulates the feel-good hormones! We do all these things at the same time we chant and sing mantra songs. Singing stimulates the vagus nerve, one of the biggest nerves in the body and the only one that connects the gut to the brain.  We all know by now how gut health greatly affects brain function. Singing, chanting, humming are all wonderful ways to stimulate the vagus nerve!

Most of the practices will focus on bringing the chakras into alignment and increasing energy inside the body in different ways. It is designed to increase flow and flexibility in the spinal column where all the nerves and spinal fluid need to flow freely for optimal brain health. The more flow you have going to the brain the better the brain is going to function and the better you feel. My yoga teacher Jeanie O’Neill often reiterated that you are only as young as your spine is supple. Makes a lot of sense if you think about it!

The practice for anxiety may be a little more physical and pull in the breath of fire to burn off some of the excess energy in the chakras causing anxiousness. The practice of guided meditation or Yoga Nidra will help bring the consciousness of the mind inside the body. This practice truly helps a person feel their energy inside the body and teaches them how to check in with what’s going on inside. Allowing each yogi to better understand how to help themselves feel better in their body. Yoga Nidra is proven to calm the nervous system while affecting the theta and beta waves of the brain.

Pulling this all together means when the body feels good, the brain feels better, and that can bring you to a peaceful state of being. Mind, body, spirit connection is not just a popular phrase. It is a real and true part of living your best life. If one of these areas is out of balance so are the rest of them. It is why I love Kundalini Yoga and Kriya meditations so much. It truly addresses all the areas we need to feel good about ourselves.

Yoga is not a religion. It is personal mind, body, and spirit practice. When I speak of connecting to spirit. I mean we are connecting to our own higher energy. If you choose to bring your preferred religion into your practice that is okay too. However, when I teach, we usually talk about connecting to our own higher self. Which is basically the part of you that knows better. The part of your spirit that is the inner voice of love, the pure soul inside of you.

Talking with a trained mental health practitioner can help guide you in the direction of where you need to heal. It can shine a light on the area you most need to focus on to feel better. Yet deep down we know that nobody can heal you but you.

Getting to know yourself better means quieting the mind, checking in with the spirit to see what it is you truly need. Then trust yourself to be able to make those changes by taking action towards healing.

The daily practice of Kundalini yoga helps facilitate self-awareness, physical movement, and connection to yourself that truly benefits mental health. It has been a life changing experience for me, and I had to share with you!

Much love and many blessings,

Emy Minzel

CMT – 500RYT

Spirit River Yoga and Massage LLC

SpiritRiverYoga.com

On-Line Classes available!

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Emyminzel.com

#lifelessons, #signs, #spiritual, #yoga

Shifting in sharing my caring ~

Emy Minzel

I’ve been asked to write a mission statement for the campaign to help me decided on running for State Representative in 2020. This request got me really thinking about the crossroads I am sitting at and what direction would be best for me.

How do I want to spend the next years of my life, and how will it feel when doing so? I can take two very different journeys depending on my decision. This choice is hard because it’s a big one that will change the trajectory of my days, my future.

Who am I really at my core? I know I have a desire to help others, I care deeply for people, all living beings and the planet. I ask myself over and over. “What is the best way for me to put these passions to good use? I have had the extraordinary opportunity to try different approaches on for size and see how I felt doing so.

The political path is exciting, empowering, educational, and brought me closer to the members of my community. There are also downsides of this choice. Politics are not conducive to balance in lots of areas of my life. There is a sacrifice of family time, personal desires, career, and on top of the lack of help I would need. Not to mention the contentious arena that supports a Bloods Vs. Crips kind of rivalry.

Listen, I will fight if I have too. But deep down, I am a lover, not a fighter. Lately, I feel the calling of peace. Many people were surprised by my choice to jump into the political arena in the first place. I would often think of it as an avenue to express an alter ego side of me. I was often conflicted in my mind and heart following the political trail. Not in policies but in my personal life.

At times I would even compare myself to Bruce Banner and the Incredible Hulk. To continue the governmental track would mean to endure more of this same frustration. Is pursuing this political path worth my balance, wellbeing and the future of my life. Is there another way to make a difference that feels better?

Over and over, I asked myself what if’s, how and why? Can I make a difference in the world around me in a different way that feels good to me, my family, and those I love? I work from home for a reason, and I love it here. I live a blessed life I am beyond thankful for it. These questions got me looking within, getting back to my roots, surrounding myself with loved ones that know my heart.

I was asking myself the hard questions of who I want to be as I grow into this next pivotal transformation in life. I am thankful for the time I have had to contemplate the pros and cons of each choice and how it will affect me and others I care most about. I am thankful for the opportunity to see myself in the future and how I think it will look.

When I started this political journey, I had called on the inspiration of my grandmother, EmaDee, who was a Registered Nurse for over 40 years in a very small-town hospital. She was a good, kind, and caring person who had a positive impact on her community just by showing up and being herself. My grandmother is one of my heroes because of these traits. I’ve always wanted to be like her in this way.

This desire has never wavered or changed. It was the way I was going about it that altered. I have been allowed time to process this shift, how it feels to me, how it affected my family, and how it changed me has been a blessing.

I know I can still be politically active in a different and muted approach. I do not have to be the candidate; I can be supportive of the changes I wish to see differently. I am excited to see the next candidate get the opportunity to share their passion for our community in such a big way! I can support others who run by being a cog in the wheel of revolution.

My voice does matter and how I used it counts. I have come to see that this political path is a little too extra for me at this time in my life. There must be a balance in the way I care for myself and others. Right now, I feel that I must focus on helping me before I tackle the problems of a whole community. I am choosing to put the oxygen mask on myself first.

Who I am in my soul is full of spirit, love, compassion, and joy. To choose a path that supports and nurtures this part of me means I am kind and truthful with myself. I have a massage therapy practice that fills me with purpose and brings many wonderful people into my life. The real me behind the political persona is a hippie at heart. I am content with being precisely this — just me. I don’t need a microphone to be myself.

Understandably, there may be some disappointment by some, but I must do what is best from me at this time. I have chosen to take the alternate path and continue my career in caring. I’ll begin with Yoga teacher training and see where I go from there. I am choosing to foster the goodness in myself by finding the balance I seek.

I hope to share this kindness with the people around me in a similar way. Teaching is also a powerful approach to help foster a positive, feel-good effect on myself, my family, and the community I love! By sharing my caring in a different form, I can open more hearts, bring inner peace and Zen, with an agenda to create a community of acceptance and connection.

This teaching opportunity can also be a powerful technique in being the change I wish to see in the world. I wish to see more love, more kindness, and more connection to one another. This decision is how I am choosing to be the change. Thank you to everyone who has supported me on this journey through life together. I cherish you.

Nameste!

With love,

Emy Minzel

 

Visit me at :

EmyMinzel.com

@EmyMinzel

 

Photo credit – Emy Minzel, Wild rose bush with bee in my back yard

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Uncategorized

Finding balance

Emy Minzel

There has been a shift inside myself from internal growth and maintenance to external efforts to bring peace to the world around me. I have found many like-minded folks who do their best to be the change they wish to see. We volunteer, and we share our experiences filled with wisdoms we’ve learned in our own lives. Our hope is, to help others, by sharing our past challenges and what we would have done differently if we could do it again.

I have spent the last year focused on trying to bring harmony to my community. As you can imagine, it’s not an easy thing to do when others would rather argue and fight instead. I did feel, at times, like I was fighting too. This isn’t my natural personality. I am a lover not a fighter and I like to think I am an upbeat person. A little feisty, but full of kindness and caring, that I want to share with my community and see if I can make any difference at all.

Honestly, I am tired of the fight. I feel I can rest well though, knowing I did my best even if I did not get the outcome I was hoping for. It took a great amount of energy for me to campaign. So much so that I did not allow much time to do the simple things I enjoy or do my best caring for myself or family. The campaign was like a force of a tornado that scooped me up and had me running in circles with no way of knowing where I would end up. I trusted this experience as it has given me new perspective.

When it comes right down to it for me, my family and health are the most important things a girl can have. I have been putting both on the back burner for a long while and it’s time to get back to the truly important things in life. Truthfully, I do wonder if my efforts were worth it. At the end of the campaign I felt like I was pouring from an empty cup and now I have a chip in it as well. The chip signifies the crack caused by my lack of maintaining my personal life.

Looking back, this is not okay with me. I should have made it a priority to find balance between campaign life, work, family, health and personal spirit care much earlier. It is a human struggle, for most of us at some time in our lives, so I can’t beat myself up too bad about it. What I can do though, is acknowledge it and then make sure I do better going forward.

I am thankful for winter as the pace of life seems to settle down and the Holidays come around, naturally bringing family back into focus. This is a time to rest after a good effort and harvest of the summer time activities. It is the perfect time to re-fill my cup per say.

If you are wondering how does a girl refill her cup? I will share with you how I plan to do so… it may not be for everyone, of course, it is custom designed for me and what I feel I need. My hopes are, by sharing my version of self-care, you can also get some ideas of what may work for you.

 

Massage – lots of them! Massage is good for body, mind and spirit. It’s proven to reduce stress, muscle tension and increase serotonin levels. Who doesn’t need that?! Other modalities that do this are acupuncture, chiropractor visits and sound healing.

 

Eating healthy – I love to cook! Soup is one of my favorite meals to make, it allows me to get creative, while filling my tummy with vitamins and minerals my body needs. It’s important to get your veggies in everyday and I had not been doing my best lately. I like to use organic produce with lots of herbs and spices. Some day’s it takes me hours to make soup and I love the whole process. It is very grounding. From chopping, slicing, and singing in the kitchen, to the part where I let it simmer for an hour or more to marry. This brings me peace.

 

Nurture my spirit and body – Some people go to church, I tend to go outside or within. Walking in nature heals my spirit even in the winter. I will meditate wayyyyy more than I have been. Silencing my mind allows me to hear what Spirit and my own soul have to say. I will also go see my friends that do energy healing because sometimes you just need a little help.

 

Family and friends – Spending time with the people who love me unconditionally, is a great way to fill up my heart. I will take my husband on dates, I will go visit my daughter, and other friends and family who let me be just me.

 

Kids – I do not have little ones of my own, but I do have family with little people I enjoy and adore. I will make time to sit on the floor and read a book with my littlest family members to bring back simple perspective to my life. Children are full of wisdom if you truly listen.

 

Animals – My dog Gus is growing older and we can’t go out hiking in the cold winter, but we can go on car rides and other adventures.  Spending time with my dog, lowers my heart rate and elevates my mood. My dog fills my heart with joy and reminds me to enjoy the ride of life.

 

Volunteer – I am a nurturer by nature. It makes me feel good to help others. I will find ways that let me do so that fit into my life and not let it overwhelm my time or energy.

 

Clean House – This pertains to my actual house that has been neglected for months as well as my internal house of intentions, emotions and feelings. I believe that the state of our outside world represents the inside of ourselves. As above, so below. I am going to clean out the closets, purge old things I no longer need and freshen up the paint. I am going to give love to the corners of the house and pick up the rugs where I may have taken short cuts to sweep issues under it. I will do that maintenance on the inside as well.

 

My intention is to share my life experience so that you know you are not alone in the struggle to find balance. I hope this blog helps you in some way. We are all in this great big world together and it’s important to practice kindness with others and yourself. Be gentle and understanding, we are all growing at our own pace and in our own ways.

 

Wishing you an abundance of joyful blessings!

With love,

Emy Minzel ~ Adventure Sister

https://emyminzel.com

@EmyMinzel

Follow the Adventure Sisters on Facebook!

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Stacy Crep ~ Adventure Sister

https://stacycrep.com

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