Tag: #liveyourbestlife

How Kundalini Yoga and Mantra Meditation benefit mental health

emyminzel

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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FaceBook/BWCA Adventure Sister

Emyminzel.com

The work is the prayer

emyminzel

“I pray every single moment of my life; not on my knees but with my work.”  Susan B. Anthony

This quote always makes my heart smile and my soul sing. One of my favorite things about my grandmother was that even though she was a good Catholic woman, she did not preach her faith to others, she lived it. She just lived her life as an excellent nurse, wife, mother, grandmother and wonderful caring friend whose life seemed to be her living prayer. She had a wonderful effect on her small town of 600 people over the 60+ years she lived there. She was even out delivering meals on wheels the day she passed away.

 

I admire others who change the world by just being themselves by following their hearts and offering compassion. I believe that even small acts of kindness can make a huge difference to everyone. The person who gives and the one who receives the kindness; are both blessed by the feeling of caring. In a world so big, we must not forget it is the little everyday actions that make up our lives and legacy. My goal is to live my faith; by exhibiting compassion, kindness, and inspiration so others will feel free to share their light as well.

If we all take a moment to share the light inside ourselves with others, it tends to have a chain reaction. It’s as if we take turns relighting the spirit we all hold inside. This is important because there are times in our lives that some candles burn brighter than others and we all need a little motivation (or fuel) to get your pilot lights glowing again.

My friend Stacy and I take turns firing each other up all the time! We hold space and love for each other on our hardest days because we know that life has its ups and downs. During the downs, we do our best to uplift and inspire each other with ideas and suggestions on how to pull ourselves out of these lower vibes.

This doesn’t have to be miraculous or extravagant action, simple things tend to work best. Stacy often will suggest a book, or a Kundalini Yoga set that helps me in just the way I need. We take turns fueling the creative light in each other and then go out and share it. We do this by sharing ourselves with the world through our stories of growth; writing of our life-lessons, the gatherings we hold, coming soon retreats and even in our careers!

I shortened the original quote “The work is the prayer” to inspire myself to keep moving forward with our goals. Our ‘work’ as the Adventure Sisters does not really feel like work at all! I can truthfully say that it feels more like a living prayer. It is what I have to offer the world. The higher power did not give us these skills or desires for without reason. We have them because they are our gifts to the world.

Stacy and I are very different in many ways, yet so perfectly in sync that we complement each other’s strengths and even benefit each other’s weak spots. It is no accident that we came together in this lifetime; we have work to do and we know it. This inner knowing, listening to our guidance and desires to help other women grow and become their best selves, is our way of sharing our light. We believe lighting up even just one person can indeed change the world for the better.

We know this is true because we’ve practiced with each other, our families and our communities with positive results! Sometimes this doesn’t always look like light or sunshine on a beautiful day. Somedays it’s quietly listening and caring through tough times. Such is life though, it is not all sunshine, glitter and rainbows.

We know in those moments of darkness or difficulties, that we tend to grow the most and in the most valuable ways. These times are just as precious as the good days. So, as you go about life, remember that every action can indeed be a light in the world. Even little things like smiling at a stranger in your way at the grocery store, instead of an exhausted sigh and eye roll as an example.

We all have the power to change our world by changing ourselves, our attitude and this also changes our lives. When I am much older and look back at my life, I would love to say I spent my days living my prayer. By following my inner guidance to make the world around me a little kinder and brighter, because of my efforts to spark the light of others.

The work is the prayer!

I’d love to hear what inspires you?! Please feel free to share!

Wishing you love and blessings,

Emy Minzel ~ Adventure Sister

https://emyminzel.com

@EmyMinzel

Follow the Adventure Sisters on Facebook!

https://www.facebook.com/BWCAdventureSisters

Stacy Crep ~ Adventure Sister

Promises, promises…

emyminzel

Have you ever started a diet or exercise routine, vowing to buckle down and get in shape? Then, only a week or two later, you’ve had enough and just throw in the towel altogether. I am willing to bet most people have done such a thing once or twice in their lifetime. Why is it that some of us just have the willpower to make these changes stick and others don’t?! Sure, some of it has to do with habits, addictions, laziness and genetics, but what I believe it all boils down to is… self-love.

Recently I started another 40-day Kundalini Kriya practice. I got to day 4 and decided I really didn’t want to do it today. Then came day 5 and 6, with no effort to begin again and this got me thinking. “Why is it so easy to break promises to myself? Why is okay to let myself down when I would not do that to someone else?” It was as if I heard my angels talking to me; because after asking these questions the answer seemed so simple yet jarring. I heard. “Love yourself.”

It doesn’t even have to be health related. It can be that you are sick of your job. Everyday you come home burnt out, frustrated and angrily telling yourself. “I need a new job!”  You truly want to look for another one but are just not able to get yourself to make the move you desire. So, you keep suffering, because the devil you know is better than the unknown right?

Again, I think this self-sabotaging behavior is just about the lack of self-love. Because you don’t know how to love yourself, or care deeply about your own wellbeing and all that entails, you can’t foster your own happiness. Like they say, the struggle is real. Maybe it’s based on the way I was raised. The biggest role models in my life have always been care-takers who have followed this same pattern.

My grandmother and mother worked very hard daily, taking care of others, with little time for themselves. Always putting other’s needs before their own. It was what they were taught to do and expected of them. Now that I am older and willing to look within, I see myself doing the very same thing. I believe this lack of knowledge, or examples on how to love myself fully, is what subconciously lays beneath the surface of my failures.

It’s time to break this cycle and keep promises made to myself. Some of us are better at self-care than others. When I say self-love, I mean all that encompasses caring for yourself; mind, body and spirit. Even financial wellness habits are included in what’s for, or not for our greatest and highest good. It is a lot to deal with everyday when you look at it all entails while still tending to lifes demands.

Yet, it all comes down to Self-love. Period. I feel this self-awareness is coming to me for a reason. When it feels as if life is consistently kicking me in the face, it’s because I’m just not listening to the whispers of wisdom, I know I hold deep down inside. It is divine guidance demanding me to ‘level-up’ for my own good. Yesterday I restarted a 40-day practice of Nabhi Kriya, along with other dietary and behavior changes as a promise to me.

I promise to prove my love to myself as consistantly as I try to prove my love for others. I promise to love myself enough to say no to what insults my inner wisdom. I promise to grab my self-care habits by the lapel and remind them I am not F’ng around with this gift of life I’ve been blessed with. I am worthy of my own love and care. I know I’m good at it!

It’s up to me and only me to keep these promises to myself. I hold the power, the passion and the determination to keep these promises. I must not rely on others for my own accountability or understanding. Even though it is nice to feel supported; when it comes down to it… it’s still all up to me. Every promise to change can only come from within and the resolve to love myself fully for my greatest good.

I promise to remind myself of all of this, when I want to quit.

To everyone struggling to practice self-love, break habits and make hard changes, I see you. I love you. You are not alone. We got this.

Wishing you love and blessings,

Emy Minzel ~ Adventure Sister

https://emyminzel.com

@EmyMinzel

Follow the Adventure Sisters on Facebook!

https://www.facebook.com/BWCAdventureSisters

Stacy Crep ~ Adventure Sister

https://stacycrep.com

It’s a miracle!

emyminzel

My husband has Type 2 diabetes and it has had a huge effect on our lives in so many ways. His health is important, and he had been doing his best to manage his blood sugar through insulin injections. Over the years we have had the opportunity to see how diabetes changes his life, wellbeing and behavior. What I once thought was him being stubborn, or just plain moody, was really his disease affecting more than just his blood sugar. It was changing the man I married from the inside out and not in a good way.

This all changed for us this past year. We had an angel come into our lives and fit my husband with an insulin pump. Coincidence or divine intervention just happened to bring me a new friend who is a pharmacist.  We had struck up a conversation that lead to the fact that she worked with diabetic patients and insulin pumps! She generously offered to see if she could help my husband and we jumped at the opportunity. At first, we were both nervous but excited! This machine oversees dispensing lifesaving medication in very specific doses! Do we dare trust a machine? We had a lot of questions but we’re hopeful.

My husband had been doing research on pumps for years but had all but resigned to the fact he was never going to get one, because his previous doctor had told him so. He was told insurance probably would not cover the pump that was over $8,000.00 not including all the accessories and medication. Since the climbing astronomic cost of insulin hits us every month, coupled with high deductibles, saving for a pump was out of the question. He had all but given up.

I am telling you this story because I just cannot get over the difference this insulin pump has made in my husband! Because he feels better, it has made a significant improvement in our lives together. Before we got married my husband was funny, witty and great company. Years after his diabetes diagnosis, he was still having trouble keeping his blood sugar numbers from skyrocketing and this affected nearly everything.

His health began to slowly decline along with his attitude about life and he just seemed to be sick and miserable more often than not. For years we lived this way, it’s not easy to feel like crap all the time and keep up with life; stress was through the roof and slowly this long term, hard to manage disease also worked a slow wedge into our relationship. Although we didn’t even see it until he got this insulin pump!

Just a month after being on the insulin pump, that allowed him to keep his blood sugar at more regular level rates, the miraculous difference in my husband’s behavior was like night and day! He was feeling better and feeling more in control of this disease. Because the pump lets him see for himself exactly what each food, he ate was doing to his blood sugar. The real time monitoring of his numbers keeps him on track and accountable, while being able to make the needed adjustments that he once did not understand.

My husband is a very smart person, he is great with numbers and conceptualizing what it is he needs to do to be healthy. But without this pump, he had no facts to go off for years! It was just trial and error over and over again and that just lead to frustrations, spikes and dips, anger and even feeling like giving up some days. The diabetes education he received when diagnosed was mediocre at best. After meeting our pharmacist friend/angel, ten years later, he has learned a great deal more of what he needed to stay healthy. I remember him even saying to me “I wish I would have known all of this when I was diagnosed ten years ago!”

I think to myself, how many other people are in this same situation, with just enough information to keep them alive but miserable and hemorrhaging from their bank accounts because of this? Diabetes affects a huge number of people! Are they all walking around with minimal information, feeling like crap because of what they don’t know? How is it that patients don’t qualify for a life-changing insulin pump because they can’t get through to insurance companies?

This makes me so darn mad, and so darn grateful, we have been lucky enough to meet this person who changed my husband’s life for the better in a very short amount of time! Because he can manage his blood sugar numbers better, he feels better! Because he feels better, he is happier, and his mood has improved immensely. I have the man I married back! This is lifesaving and life-changing stuff and I want to holler it from the mountain tops!

I don’t know how we go about changing this way of insurance companies who seem to play God with people, depriving patients of life improving technology. Is it because some doctors don’t know enough about the disease or because they don’t have time to deal with cantankerous insurance companies? Maybe that’s my anger talking but I think we need to start somehow and some way. I am doing so by sharing our story with you. If you have been denied, I would try and try again, if an insulin pump is something that you or a loved one needs.

From my heart to yours. Do not give up! It is worth the effort. This insulin pump was quite literally a miracle healing for my husband and our relationship. Because it happened slowly through the years, we did not see just how much it had taken a toll on just about everything in his life. Until he started feeling better, we had just gotten used to who he was; being sick and tired all the time. This is not who my husband is! I am beyond thankful I got him back.

My hope is that by sharing our story of how diabetes has affected my husband and our family, will help others in the same boat. I know you are out there, and I empathize with the life encompassing struggle. Don’t give up! I wish for you or your loved one to be blessed with a miracle too!

Wishing you love and blessings,

Emy Minzel ~ Adventure Sister

https://emyminzel.com

@EmyMinzel

Follow the Adventure Sisters on Facebook!

https://www.facebook.com/BWCAdventureSisters

Stacy Crep ~ Adventure Sister

https://stacycrep.com

 

Lucky duck

emyminzel

Everyone knows the old saying; a duck may seem calm on the surface, underneath, its little feet are paddling (to beat heck) to get where it’s going. This is a great analogy for my life lately. I am just paddling, like that duck, through some rougher waters right now. I’m sure most people can relate to this from some time in their lives. Yet, I still feel lucky.

This reminds me of the time when Adventure Sister Stacy and I were camping in the BWCA and a lone duck crashed our campsite. She waddled up, cool as a cucumber, like was one of the girls. The duck roamed around the whole campsite, circling us as we ate our lunch. This duck was brave and unafraid as she went about her business of foraging for her lunch of blueberries at our site.

Stacy and I found amusement in this duck’s visit. We decided we would name her fertile Myrtle, the duck. It was also the year we decided we would write a book together. We took Myrtle the duck’s brave appearance, as a sign to do the same and be brave. We had been talking about writing separately but neither of us had gotten beyond the comfort zone of journaling. We needed confidence to put our words out there for the world to read.

So, we decided that we could support each other better if we did it together. And we did. Five years and three books later, we are still at it, paddling like crazy under the surface to get where we want to go. Where do we want to go?! Everywhere. We are called the Adventure Sisters for a reason, you know!

We love adventure. We love to challenge ourselves to level up and do more than we think we can, because we can. We want to publish our books to help others be motivated. We want to encourage others to get out there and make their dreams happen. We want to push ourselves to experience the best life we possibly can.

The Adventure Sisters have a dream to inspire others to get up off the couch and out of their comfort zone; to experience the life we were meant to live! During these years we have since inspired each other in many ways. Without Stacy urging me to use my political knowledge and sassy attitude to run for office, I would not have had the chance to protect the environment I love so deeply. Without Stacy’s current career path, she would probably not have the opportunity to travel as far and wide as she has been able too! I believe our lives are divinely guided for a reason.

Without the support of each other, we probably would not have written our books or started these blogs and the Adventure Sisters Facebook page. Sometimes we struggle with getting everything done. Sometimes I worry about my political efforts taking away from our dream to get our books published. Yet I believe the two are intrinsically connected. I believe by writing my life experience of this political adventure, maybe others will be inspired to run and stand up for what they believe also.

I believe that successful people don’t get to be successful by surfing the internet or staying in their comfort zones. I believe that if you keep working toward your goals, that eventually, you will get there!

I feel that persistence and dedication to your goals is the key to success. If I don’t give up, I will keep moving toward the finish line and get there… eventually. Somedays the momentum and dedication my dreams and goals require are frustrating, hard and even feel futile when I hit a bump, barrier or detour. It would be so nice if my path to success were a flat portage with minimal baggage, but it’s not looking like that is the path for me!

Somedays I whistle while I work and other days I am ready to go back to bed before I even wake up. Those are the days I feel like the duck, calm on the surface but making minimal progress in the direction I wish to go, no matter how hard my feet paddle. This is part of life. Maybe it’s even a test from the Universe to see if I really want what I think I do?

Maybe it is taking me so long to reach some of my goals, so I will appreciate them that much more? Deep down I know once I reach my aspirations, I get to set more goals and go on more adventures.

When I met my husband I remember telling him, “It took me so long to find you! I am not going to let you go!” I felt like a lucky duck when we met. Maybe that is the point of the difficulty in our journey of life? Without the struggle to get where you’re going; you may not appreciate it as you should once you do get there?

So, until then, I am going to keep on paddling in the direction of my dreams and goals. What would I be doing if I weren’t headed in that direction? I would be stuck in the backyard pond of life, going in circles and where is the adventure in that?!

Emy Minzel ~ Adventure Sister

https://emyminzel.com

@emyminzel

@EmyforHouse15A

http://www.EmyforHouse.com

Follow the Adventure Sisters on Facebook!

https://www.facebook.com/BWCAdventureSisters

Stacy Crep ~ Adventure Sister

https://stacycrep.com