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Vitamin D

sunshineD

Vitamin D requirements in the UK is my main focus for this post, as well as any other part of the world where we don’t recieve adequate sunshine during winter and changing months to keep ones body topped up with vitamin D.

Considering our change through the industrial and agricultural revolutions over the past few hundred years (or perhaps longer, don’t quote me and feel free to correct me on that one) we don’t get out so much.   Particularly during the summer months when we could probably accrue a nice stock of Vitamin D to see us through the winter.  Our bodies need vitamin D to:

  • Support a healthy immune system and therefore not be so sick prone
  • Help build/maintain healthy bones (along side calcium)
  • Promote healthy muscle function, including the heart muscle and respiratory/breathing tissues!
  • Work with brain development
  • Manages calcium levels in the blood and all over the body, calcium not only important for bones but for functioning and communication of the bodies vast nervous system.

So all pretty important things.  If you’re deficient in Vitamin D you can bet you feel

  • Tired and unable to get moving
  • Unexpected weakness
  • Chronic pain
  • Easily broken bones

Generally, unless you eat enough oily fish (with the bones of the small guys like sardines, mackerel or tinned salmon* – be mindful of choking hazards) and/or get enough sun, or live in a country with better sun UV penetration, Vitamin D can be something we’re lacking, especially the bulk of us who usually work indoors.

What to do about Vitamin D if you’re deficient?

Most likely your doctor will tell you to buy some supplements, unless it’s a really severe case of deficiency and they may give you an injection.  Both are fine.  Just be mindful you can take too much of this good thing and it is a fat soluble vitamin and therefore will store in the body in an unhealthy manner if you have an excess.  There are generally 2 different varieties and 2 different strengths you can get, get the lower strength (0.010 micro grams/day) unless advised otherwise.  The type needs to be D3, not D2, here’s why:

Ergocalciferol (vitamin D2) which is derived from plant sources also known as Viosterol and is produced by yeast and fungi. Cholecalciferol (vitamin D3),   which used to only be derived from animal/fish sources such as cod liver oil, is now also found in vegan form from the microorganism, lichen.  Vitamin D, (D2 and D3) are also fat soluble vitamins which means they require  some dietary fat to be present for their absorption (hence another reason oily fish rocks).

Vitamin D3 is produced in your skin when UVB  rays in the sunlight interact with 7-dehydrocholesterol (7-DHC) present in the skin.  D3 has a much larger efficacy (i.e. is much more effective) that D2, about 4:1 ratio of doses needed to achieve the same results, so don’t waste your time with a D2 supplement.

*Mushrooms are also reported to contain vitamin D – to give yours a boost, sun dry them in direct sunlight (of course if in UK needs to be done in the summer months) and store in an airtight container (if you can wait that long to eat them!) for consumption through later months of the year to ad a natural boost to your levels.

Hope that helps.  Always remember moderation, and natural balances are always better than supplements, get out in the sun when you can, remembering to take care during 11 – 2pm during summer months when the sun is the most hot, seek shade and plenty of water.

https://www.vitamindcouncil.org/about-vitamin-d/what-is-vitamin-d/

http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/vitamins-minerals/Pages/Vitamin-D.aspx

http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/84/4/694.full

http://www.powerofmushrooms.com.au/health-nutrition/health-nutrition/vitamin-d/

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Ayahuasca Adventure

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So finally I’ve booked it.  My trip to the Amazonian rain forest in Peru for this ayahuasca adventure.  4 weeks, just me, myself and I; set with the intention to unwind, deprogram and realign to who I say I choose to be.  Thanking and leaving the past now not useful parts behind me..

Over the past year I’ve been attending regular Embodied Relation Yoga Therapy with a fantastic therapist teacher, Kate Ellis.  This therapy of allowing my true threads of self to emerge, combine this with my ever unfolding path of yoga, and being married to a wonderfully different yet similar being to I; has supported my feeling the most comfortable with myself than I can ever remember being.   But, living a constant life in London, so much happens so fast, with people struggling to get along with themselves and each other, I’ve found can be tiring.  I keep flitting between feeling OK with where I’m at, trusting and knowing I’m on the right path, to wanting to chuck it all in and live in a tree house somewhere remote and wild..  The more I’m working with Kate and unveiling my true self, the more I KNOW that part of my path here on Earth, is to be that innocent playful expressionist, encouraging others to give in to their innocence too..  Not to be scared of the weird part of ones self, but to embrace it and transmute the voices of self-limitation into something more supportive of creative living..

Hence, finding myself embarking on this adventure, now new questions arise about what it is I might find.  I’ve discussed this path with many and until last week’s session with Kate my questions just seem inhibited some how, but now..  I want to be able to decipher those energies which are not mine but yet plague me for energy, I intend to be able to see with more clarity where my true path lies rather than seeking out the safest option.  This trip isn’t about getting high on this ayahuasca adventure and forgetting all ones problems, quite the opposite.  It’s about shining a light on those deeply unconscious parts of ones self which feel problematic, the parts which we cannot see with this 3D viewing physical eye.  Seeing these parts so they may be assimilated and processed with conscious awareness, helping to further ones path into peaceful living.  I’ve been manic, stressed, hospitalised and nearly killed by the effects of stress on my sensitive system (in the forms of ulcers and Crohn’s disease); I’m now a long way from there but can still feel now is a good time to move beyond that further.  We’re entering, or we’ve entered already into a new paradigm, times are a changing for the better and therefore we have much strength given to our healing.  The new moon came into Virgo (sign of healing and getting things right) yesterday and it’s like the planets themselves are saying, “do it!  Break out from the things which don’t feel healthy!”

The ayahuasca adventure retreat and Shaman I’ve chosen is one which has been recommended to me by someone personally trained by the Shaman and also attending this adventure.  Always with this nature of work, one MUST know one’s lineage when embarking on such a sensitive and potentially dangerous journey if in the hands of the inexperienced or untrue.  Check out www.kataricentre.com if you want more information on a place in Peru which has been verified as authentic.

I’ll write more about this in due course, check back later 😉

xx

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Meditation in Daily Life – A Space to meditate

A Space to Meditate

Two things I hear quite often from people are “I haven’t got time for meditation” or “I have nowhere to meditate”. Generally the obstacle of not having anywhere to meditate is based on the person’s idea of what are essential meditation prerequisites when in reality they may have a perfectly suitable meditation space in their own home. Furthermore, the problem of not having the time for meditation is then resolved when the person realizes that they don’t need to travel anywhere to meditate as they can do it in their own home 🙂

There is a lot of information around regarding the ideal meditation space. However not many people have this ideal situation with a room that can be dedicated solely for meditation and completely free from any distractions. This post
“Meditation in Daily Life – A Space to Meditate” will hopefully give some useful information and suggestions to create a great meditation area with whatever space you have already.

Association & Location
It’s easy to understand why the location is important for meditation but what’s this about association? Well, unless you have a room that you can reserve exclusively for meditation, then that room will have other function(s). Take for example your bedroom as maybe it’s the only private place you have. For most of us it’s mainly a sleeping place but it may also be where you work, read, watch TV or anything else you wish to do in private. What we need to achieve is a meditation area within this busy room in order to be able to ignore all of the other associations with other uses when we meditate.

Firstly find a space on the floor for a meditation cushion or a chair that gives a clear space in front of you. You can also use a meditation or yoga mat to mark out your meditation area which will help to create an association with meditating in that space. If it’s your bedroom and you haven’t got the floor space then the edge of your bed is fine but ideally you would still use a cushion to sit on. Make sure you remove any clutter or unnecessary distractions from your peripheral vision. Assuming we are meditating on the breath then this is enough to start with but if you are using a physical object for your focus, such as a candle or image then also have a clear non cluttered area around the point of focus.

If you are going to meditate in your living room then again use a mat to mark out your meditation space. Face a blank wall rather than one with pictures and ideally avoid facing towards the television. If possible don’t meditate in thoroughfares, keep away from draughts and try to have as much free space as possible around you. Natural light is the ideal although if you haven’t got a window in your room then switch on the light as it is much more beneficial meditating in a light space rather than a dark space. Once you have found what you think to be the most suitable space then stick with it and before long it will become a relaxing area where your mind starts to calm itself even before you start meditating.

Location: Interruptions and Distractions
Whilst noise such as traffic or the neighbor mowing the lawn can be distracting, after a little practice we start to get used to this type of noise to the point that it doesn’t detract anything from our meditation. However what’s a little more difficult to get use to is someone interrupting your meditation, infact even the thought that your meditation may be disturbed can hamper the meditation. Thus if you have to make the choice between assured privacy or some inevitable background noise, choose the latter. We will talk in more depth about this subject in a later post “Meditation Techniques”.

This is a basic guide to help create a meditation space in your own home. As your meditation practice develops your surroundings become less important to the point that you can meditate virtually anywhere. However, until then having a comfortable space to meditate will really help you develop your meditation practice.

 

Previous post by Mike “Meditation in Daily Life – Calming the mind“

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Range Of Motion, Different for Everyone

Range of Motion

All along our physical journey (regardless of yoga interactions) there are people who seem stronger, more flexible and all round more able.

I see my ego be sparked by this still daily, but I’m not so much letting this influence me.  Yes, I still am on my own path of continuous development but no, I no longer look at others, or their range of motion, as a bench mark of where I need to be.  Similarly, when peers and students alike say ‘I’d love to be able to do that’  it’s not always appropriate to deliver this message.

I thought when I started yoga, especially getting into teaching, that one day my spine would straighten out and I’d be able to continue to lengthen my adho mukha (down dog) and paschimottonasana (deep forward bend).  But to be honest; my body doesn’t seem to want to go that way and I’ve given up trying to force those shapes on my already super mobile and somewhat asymmetrical self.

Another truth, which appears to be held in many different camps of thought, is that some bodies are born more mobile, with a larger range of motion than others.

Whereas some bodies are so mobile it can cause pain and injuries so much more easily; but it also means they ‘get into’ those shapes we all look at with awe.  Generally also (clearly not for everyone), a lot of yoga, dance and gymnastics tend to have this innate mobility within their joints and muscles – hence the propensity for more mobile people to work in careers which work with this innate ‘ability’.  The different camps of thought around hypermobility/hyperlax joints is too deep to get into here, but basically, some people ignore it, some people don’t know about it, and some people seem to suffer tremendously from it.  For me, I know my joints have a larger than ‘normal’ range of motion which has caused me issues in the past.  But instead of focusing on the bits which don’t feel so good, and getting anxious that it’s too much, I focus on alignment, spirals and loops within my body to help me to make the most out of physical movement practices.  I also work a lot with Pilates.

Thus, basically, some people bend more than others.  This need not be a reason to quit your journey into physical practice but just to add as a back note when watching teachers, peers or others on their YouTube channel, that their Range Of Motion may be pre-set different to yours.  And, If you are naturally more flexible, finding your edges maybe harder than for stiffer bodies so be mindful not to push your already flexible body into shapes it may regret upon recoiling.

Let your ego wrap around these words and have a break from competing (get into Your yoga!).  Not looking to judge others who might bend deeper, or not, but to let yourself off the hook of pushing too much into those shapes that are made by those who do.  Find your edge with patience and observation, and feel into how much you’re ready to move beyond it, in THIS moment.  See, feel and honor every step of your journey, enjoy your challenges, not challenging your differences compared to another.

Love and patience shared to all who continue to learn, for by continuing to learn we continue to grow in LIFE and LOVE.

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Meditation in Daily Life – Calming the mind

mike1

There are many types and styles of meditation all of which are practiced for a variety of reasons.  These reasons span from simply finding a calm space in a hectic world to actually changing ones view of how one perceives the world.  Whatever your motivation or reason to meditate then hopefully you will find some useful information and guidance within the following series entitled Meditation in Daily Life.

Meditation & Calming the mind

Whether you are a complete beginner to meditation or an experienced Buddhist practitioner the first goal in meditation is to calm the mind.  There are several techniques to help with this although by far the most common way is to have something to concentrate the mind on, like a point of reference or a focus point.  Whilst this may sound a little contradictory when you say calming the mind by focusing on something, it may help to understand that as well as calming the mind, when meditating we also need to be fully aware and consciously working with our mind otherwise we may as well just be asleep.

Meditating on the breath is one of the most popular methods and especially easy for beginners to practice.  This involves focusing on the breath, not forcing the breath but just being aware and conscious of our breath; ideally using the stomach to control your breathing and inhaling and exhaling through the nose.  Perhaps just try this for a minute before you move to the next paragraph and see how it feels.

Before talking in more depth about meditation practice, maybe it would be helpful to explain how having this focus helps to calm the mind.  We all have distracting thoughts to contend with whilst meditating, no matter how much meditation experience one has.  The difference is that the more you meditate the less the thoughts distract you.

To analyse thoughts is sometimes referred to as contemplation and whilst this can be positive in some situations, it is not particularly beneficial for calming the mind.  Neither, on the other hand, should one try and block these thoughts as this will just dull the mind and in the end make you feel quite tired.  What we do when a thought pops into our mind when we are meditating is simply acknowledge the thought but then let it go without judging or focusing on it; give it the least amount of energy possible.  Then we return to our focus, in this case our breath.  Without something to return our focus to it would be difficult to steady and calm our mind as it would soon start to follow its own picture show and before long we would be off on a daydream.

There are many scientifically proved benefits from meditating and calming the mind that we start to experience as part of our daily lives:  It is known to increase our ability to focus and concentrate, increase our self awareness, develops a real sense of well being and calmness and if this is not enough, extensive research claims meditation leads to an increase in happiness!!

The next article in this series talks about practical aspects of meditation such as where and when to meditate along with useful tips to help motivate you to get your bum on the cushion 🙂

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Gratitude

gratitude

I’m grateful for all my friends, family, teachers, students, and randoms who reflect aspects of myself previously unseen.

I’m grateful for my warm, light, happy and nurturing home; in a location I love.

I’m grateful for my life’s purpose, and what it brings me from amazing people, to profound experiences.

I’m grateful for my health, for the health of my body, mind and spirit…

I’m grateful I fill my belly with healthy, tasty and nourishing food; and that I can take a hot shower and lay in a comfy bed, each and every day.

You’ve probably seen it too, all those people who do gratitude 100 days or weeks or something.  I’m not going to do that.  Instead, I’ll just say it once on here; that’s enough.  As truly, deeply, I do, or in the least have the intention to honor these things for EVERYDAY so long as I’m breathing and thinking..  I don’t wish to compare my path to others and be happy I am not x, y, z; but to perhaps offer inspiration for any readers, who don’t already, to have their own gratitude list too!

It’s not about what you have,  It’s about your state of mind..

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To push or not to push..

pushing

To push or not to push?

To push for a response in somebody who is taking their time?

To push somebody/my body on the mat, until every muscle is well and truly done in?

To push my mum to stop giving me a hard time about being a bit wild?

To push my opinions about food and intolerance/allergy, because it might help someone else?

To push myself to wear those uncomfortable but o so gorgeous shoes?

To push or be pushed, into something I don’t quite yet get?

To push myself and drink coffee, to make that early meet?

What’s really worth pushing?  Or when may the long term price, be not as nice as the sweet fruits of instant gratification?

If I’m tired, can I not just stay in the comfort of my sheets and duvet?  No, I must push myself to go to work, perhaps, because I know I’ll be happy with the fruits of my labor?..  Or am I chasing a dream to have all the consumables I see in the ads?.  I want an answer from my lover even though for some reason they still seem resistant; is it right to push someone to open up, to make that connection because it serves my own insecurities?

How hard do I push the people in front of me, to break through their current barriers?  OR, do I leave them more to their own charge to empower them further, so they Know they can do it as and when they’re ready each time?  Rather than empowering myself, to be their hook into getting up?  Do I/they not trust in their abilities?

Coffee is a fantastic drink, I love it, but know all too well, to have it every day, one gets a dependence..  Pushing ones self could be considered as still a more empowered form of pushing; depending on if that drive comes from internal or external powers..  I.e. setting up a patterning which gets us hooked on the drive of something beyond our energetic selves?  Pushing ourselves to do something to impress another (be that a real other or media imposed ideas)?..

The next time you find yourself pushing for a result or an answer – ask yourself, is the time right?  Does it empower or dis-empower myself or an other(s)?

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Voice it (expletive content)

meehha

I thought I had my voice, for 30 years I was at least sure of that..  However until recently I didn’t quite realise how much I was holding back..

When laughing I remember my full volume coming out, a few loud cackles until I stopped the sound with self doubt..

I guess on the rare occasion my full expression maybe heard, but not during those frequent times when I was too scared to say if I was stressed or disturbed..

Thinking I’m not worthy of voicing my discomfort, thinking I’m just sensitive, and these nuances I should simply put up with..

From the rat race demanding we all go at the same space and pace, to bankers and politicians who make this country a disgrace..

A higher rent, than most can earn; maybe if more of us find our voices, the tables will turn?!

I’m not too sure if this is more of a female thing, worrying about what others will think.. What will they think about my expression so raw??. But I’m in deep need to stop suppressing this roaaarr!

“Better out than in” is what I keep imagining, yet so far from where I had been living..

I’m angry as fuck.  Fuck fuck fuck!  I’m not that human who simply puts up..

The method to release this madness, hmmm where to begin.   Maybe throw caution into the wind..

Still, I don’t know, how to let it go; how to get more in line with MY voice and my flow..  Mindful movement is where I shall start, mindful not to just use the head but also the heart..

From holding back, the lesson I’ve learnt, express how you feel and the less you’ll get burnt!

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Mindfulness & Meditation

What is Meditation?  How do you ‘do’ meditation?  What is mindfulness?

I want to clear my mind, so why do I want to be mind-full more than now?!..

I don’t have time to sleep, let alone meditate!..  It all sounds a bit stressful?!..  ..Anything sound familiar?

I guess the best place to begin, is to highlight, for me, what the benefits of meditation are.  Of course, this will vary from person to person, but I’ll substantiate with some science from studies further down the page; as there seems to be much correlation with what the scientists are finding and what, I, as an individual, am living..

  • Better focus and concentration on task in hand.  I.e. able to cut some veggies up, without cutting myself..
  • Feel calmer, able to manage ‘stress’ more easily
  • Not so worried about what others think of me
  • Getting to sleep easier and better
  • Improved relationship with myself and my body
  • Better relationships with other people
  • Enhanced creativity and allowing my own ‘spark’ to shine

..Thus, to name but a few reasons why life feels better since including mindfulness meditation into my personal practices..

Mindfulness seems to be the meditation technique to best suit my personality, so far; from what I’ve explored meditation wise.  There are many other techniques one can use to get to know ones self, different techniques to suit different people at different times; as if a specific technique doesn’t feel right, listen to that inner voice and change course if necessary.  As Ekhart Tolle describes in his book, “The Power of Now”, everything is about this moment; whatever it is we’re feeling, living, exploring, it all happens right now, and mindfulness is a great way to get you into that space of the Now.

Through being mindful, we can pay attention to what is going on internally, in each moment, and therefore respond to external events in a way which is more congruent to our core beliefs; rather than perhaps to fall into habitual patterns and not knowing what is right for us.

Paying attention to the present moment not only helps our response abilities, but it also gets you out of worries, regrets, fears, anxieties and judgments.  None of these exist in the present moment, right now, how are you?  Where are you now?  Why worry about what’s not happened  yet, or, what you can’t change from past happenings.  When living in this moment, worry cannot exist.  Judgement comes from comparison and unseen dark corners of ourselves, by highlighting these corners, and taking time to presently explore how you feel about certain things, let emotions run their course, and, bring a whole new wealth of understanding of yourself, to yourself.

Mindfulness in the moment = You + Extra Space + Extra Time = Relief from the confines of the thoughts in your mind

Have a holiday from self-limiting beliefs and raise the roof on what you think is possible for you…  Breathe..

Resources:

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Easy Breathing Meditation, Relaxation

breathin med

This breathing meditation is simple to do yet effective at its head-space creation capabilities.. You can vary the length/counts for your breathing to suit you in that moment..  It’s also a great pre-cursor to the Yogic Breath technique.

Meditation or Mindfulness can help you to:

  • Feel calmer, happier and more content
  • Sleep better
  • Be more able to deal with difficult situations
  • Increase attention span
  • Have improved immunity, better health and less signs of aging (as are bi-products with stress reduction techniques naturally)

Safety points, if you suffer from heart conditions, are pregnant then it is NOT advised that you hold your breath between your inhale and exhale, otherwise, see how it feels and only include it if it works for you in any given moment…  Also, always inhale through your nose, to allow for better filtration of the air you intake, especially when in built up urban areas. Optimally, also exhale through your nose but this need not be so strict.

How to :

  1. Sit comfortably, preferably on a thick cushion or pillow on the floor.  If your knees don’t allow this then sit in a chair but with your spine self supporting, away from the back of the chair, or lay down on a mat or rug – or, of course, standing or walking can work too – main point is that your spine wants to be softly straight.
  2. As you breathe in, count how long your inhale takes.  As you breathe out, count your exhale duration too.  Do this for a few rounds of breath to get an idea of your normal.  You want to aim to fill up and empty your lungs with each breath a bit more each time until you reach your comfortable capacity.
  3. Next we want to lengthen and moderate the inhalations and exhalations.  Aiming to make them both the same count can help to regulate not just the breath but your awareness about how much and how quickly you take things in and how you let them go again.  A good starting point might be:
    • Breathe in (inhale) through the nose and down into your belly for a count of 3,
    • Breathe out (exhale), completely empty your lungs, through the nose for a count of 3.
      (I.e. Count to 3 in your head, slowly whilst you’re breathing..)
  4. After a few breaths if it feels OK then extend your breathing to a count of 4 inhaling and 4 exhaling.
    • If filling your belly and emptying your lungs doesn’t happen for you at first then play with it.  It may feel strange to begin with, but, if it feels too hard, not beneficial, or you get a headache; try making less effort with it, keep the practice simple and easy!..
  5. Repeat this pattern for at least a further 10 cycles (don’t worry if you loose count of something, it all takes practice, be kind to your learning process)
  6. To advance (if none of the conditions mentioned above):
    • Pause your breathing after you’ve filled your lungs.  Hold your breath for half the count of your inhale.  E.g. Inhale for 1, 2, 3, 4.  Hold for 1, 2.  Exhale for 1, 2, 3, 4..
    • And/Or extend the count for each part of the breath to a point you can manage easily. In more advanced yogic practices the ratios of inhale, exhale and holds do vary, so if you feel comfortable then be playful with this practice.  If you’re unsure it’s always best to seek some face to face guidance from a teacher you trust to check your technique, as we’re not all made the same, therefore it’s not one glove fits all for something as vital as our breathing..

Personally, I do this while on the train, walking, i.e. Pairing the count with my steps or, waiting in line or before any situation which might feel frustrating or bring me anxiety.  Or simply to remind me about the here and now.. This is my intention at least lol, as being human and fabulously imperfect, life doesn’t always happen as planned 😉

And that’s it, your mindful and meditating..!  Be kind to yourself and if you get frustrated trying to do this then keep it simple and take it back to counting your natural breath pattern with no intent to change it, simply count it.

Get out of your head! 😉

Love