An Introduction to the Benefits of Yoga

Posted by Lisa Gum on Feb 05, 2019
Mountain State E-Rotary Mountain State E-Rotary Club Mountain State Rotary E-Club
Join our new member, Lisa Gum, into this meditative journey of Yoga and learn how Rotary and Yoga compliment each other in many ways to do good in the world. A happier and healthier you is just a breath away!

E-CLUB PROGRAM

PRESIDING TODAY IS: E-Club Public Image Chair Bonnie Branciaroli

bellDing! We’re now in session.

Welcome all – Visitors, fellow Rotarians and guests alike to this E-Club program!

 

Four-Way Test

At the beginning of each meeting we remind ourselves of the The Four-Way Test.  Therefore, please remember to ask yourself always . . .

Of the things we think, say or do:

  1. Is it the TRUTH?
  2. Is it FAIR to all concerned?
  3. Will it build GOODWILL and BETTER FRIENDSHIPS?
  4. Will it be BENEFICIAL to all concerned?
 

Reflective Moments

“People usually consider walking on water or in thin air a miracle. I think the real miracle is not to walk either on water or in the thin air, but to walk on earth. Every day we are engaged in a miracle we need to recognize: a blue sky, white clouds, green leaves, wind in our hair, green buds from the earth... the eyes of a child or our own two eyes. All is a miracle.”

          – Thich Nhat Hanh

 

Just for now, without asking how, let yourself sink into stillness
Just for now, lay down the weight you so patiently bear on your shoulders
Just for now, feel the earth receive you and the infinite expanse of the sky grow even wider
As your awareness reaches up to meet it
Just for now, allow a wave of breath to enliven your experience
Breathe out whatever blocks you from the truth
Just for now, be boundless, free, awakened energy tingling in your hands and feet
Drink in the possibility of being who and what you really are, so fully alive that when you open your eyes the world looks different, newly born and vibrant
Just for now.

           – Danna Faulds, yogi and poet


 

Light Moments

Q: What did the yogi say when his student asked him what he wanted for his birthday?
A: I wish no gifts, only presence.
“Travel light, live light, spread the light, be the light.”      
        — Yogi Bhajan
 
 

Program:  An Introduction into the Benefits of Yoga


Being service-oriented Rotarians, we are filled with compassion for the people of the world. We hear a calling to a higher purpose, one that implores us to reach out to those in need. When we learn how we can serve others, we hit the ground running with aid and support in the most dire of circumstances. Our empathy and compassion guides us on this quest to ease the suffering we see around us, and connects us on many levels with those who want to help, and those who need our help. This connection may sometimes overwhelm us, since we realize that although we aspire to ease the suffering in the world, there is so much to do! Therefore, we must take care of ourselves in the process of helping others. Other Rotarians have seen the benefits of yoga as well:
 
Yoga fits perfectly into our work and service. Yoga allows us to loosen our grip on suffering, and gives us the opportunity for balance and ease. Yoga can increase our strength from within to make us even better Rotarians! “Yoga” is derived from the sanskrit word yuj, which means to yoke or harness, and is often translated as “union.”  According to Alan Finger, yoga “describes the experience of uniting the material self with the supreme intelligence of the universe, which brings unbounded joy, peace, and balance.” Yoga refers to a union of mind, body, and spirit, which joins inner balance with outer strength. If we are to be effective in service to others, we must achieve balance within ourselves. Yoga can help us achieve this balance, and be happier, and healthier:
 
 
Resistance to yoga practice comes in many forms. “I’m not flexible enough,” or “I don’t have the patience to sit and breathe...I have to be doing something!” Many of us think we don’t have time to fit a lengthy yoga class into our daily routines. Yet, if we can shift our perspective to giving care to ourselves through breathing, stretching, movement, and mindfulness, we can incorporate yoga into everything we do!
 
 
Let’s start with the breath. We all know the consequences of not breathing! It is inconceivable for us to have forgotten how to breathe. We really don’t give it much thought as we go about our busy lives. Yet, as Cyndi Lee puts it, “paying attention to our breathing is the most immediate way to remind us of our connection to all of nature, including human nature.”
 
Here is a simple way to connect to the breath, right now in this moment. Find a comfortable seat. You can do this in the chair you are sitting in, or sit on a pillow or a few rolled up blankets on the floor. Set a timer for 2 minutes. Sit up nice and tall, but not too erect that you feel tense. Close your eyes, and begin to notice your breathing. Feel which parts of your body move as you breathe. Then allow yourself to deepen your breathing, so that you may slowly inhale to a count of 4 or 5 slow counts. Exhale the same length, counting and exhaling slowly. Maintain an inhale and an exhale of equal length. Keep counting the length of the breaths until your timer goes off. Open your eyes, and notice how you feel. That’s it! You have just done a short yoga breathing practice!
 
If you’d like to go a little deeper into a breathing practice, you can try this video:
 

The next step in creating balance is to pair our breath with moving our bodies. Giving ourselves a break, and taking a little time to move and breathe can help alleviate stress and increase our satisfaction in life. Try this practice called “Fuel Your Moves” from Lisa Roberts’ book, Breathe, Chill: A Handy Book of Games and Techniques Introducing Breathing, Meditation, and Relaxation.