Wandering Vagus (the nerve not the city)

While driving up to teach a class in Corona Del Mar this week I turned on NPR and caught the tail end of a discussion.  A fascinating discussion. A physician and a yoga teacher explain the benefits of deep breathing through the eyes of science.  Their main topic was the function of the vagus nerve, the tenth of twelve cranial nerves that begins in our brain and runs all the way into our colon. Even more impressive than its length is how this nerve effects our bodies. One of the responsibilities of the vagus is to keep the larynx open and to provide the impulse for the lungs and diaphragm to function, all in an effort to....breathe.

The vagus is composed mainly of sensory fibers, in other words, the nerve is a massive communicator to our brain of what is going on in our viscera. Studies have shown that when the vagus is stimulated our sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system are put into balance. The stress response is stopped. How then do we stimulate this giant nerve?

Seeking stress relief in our crowded lives has become a multimillion dollar industry.  Believe me, I'm in it! Between my organic food, acupuncture, and various forms of body/energy work it can really start to rack up bills.  The good news is, in order to put the brakes on our stress response it's up to us to get comfortable, sit as best as we can right in the middle of our bodies and take a slow deep breath. It's free.

Through practicing Yoga I know the benefits of Ujjayi breathing. After a few minutes of pranayama, my mind becomes more steady, I drop into my body and I feel like my feet are on the floor. As my mind slows I am able to listen to what my body needs in each asana. The breath is the catalyst for, and director of, all movement. Out of Patanjali's eight limbs of Yoga he gives pranayama (breath work) the fourth limb. In my ten years of practicing Yoga the benefits of deep breathing continue to surpass the benefits of my asanas. It is essential to the practice of Yoga.

 Now, there is an art to deep breathing, not to be confused with hyperventilation. Breathing slowly, through your nostrils may seem like nothing, however it can be done incorrectly and lead to adverse effects, like fatigue and dizziness. Make sure that you learn the techniques of deep breathing or Ujjayi breathing with a trusted teacher. I suggest a yoga class or the 'Science of Breath', by Swami Rama.

It Starts Small

On the most basic level Yoga teaches me to listen to my body. What we wake to as we continue to practice is nicely found in this excerpt of the Upanishads.  As we slow down, rest our mind on our breath and move in and out of our asanas (poses)  we begin to train ourselves at a very core level to become the observer.  We retrain our perspective. We watch ourselves in our most gross form, in our bodies.  From this observation stems the ability to observe our personalities with more objectivity.  The sprouting of our awakening.

Watch your thoughts; they become your words.

Watch your words; they become your actions.

Watch your actions; they become your habits.

Watch your habits; they become your character.

Watch your character; for it becomes your destiny.

ॐ

-Upanishads

'Pledge of Allegiance'

Poet Gary Snyder wrote, "I pledge allegiance to the soil, one ecosystem, in diversity, under the sun, with joyful interpenetration for all."

Art, Meditation and Butoh

Ushio Amagatsu & Sankai Juku - Hibiki



Last night I went to the Irvine Barclay Theatre to watch one of my most favorite dance companies, Sankai Juku, perform Hibiki, Resonance From Far Away. These Japanese artists perform with brilliant stillness and capture the essence of slowing down and waking up the senses which in turn clears the mind and opens our awareness to our surroundings. Their simplicity of movement along with genius stage design and lighting remind us that entertainment does not always have to be so loud.

I struggled at first to stay with their peaceful nuanced gestures. I found myself slipping in and out of meditation while watching this fascinating and abstract performance. The more I could let go of the chatter in my head the more I could feel and understand the work that was in front of me. The performance itself was a moving meditation, forcing the watcher to watch themselves. I watched myself struggle, so badly wanting the performers to move quickly so that I could stay more easily present with them. Much like my Yoga practice, the more I rest my mind on my breath and pull my focus inward the more I feel and understand what I am doing in the asanas (poses). Here in the theatre the more I rested my mind on the movement and stopped fighting the reality of their gentle awkward pace I began to slip away into the story of the performance, no longer struggling with what my mind wanted but truly enjoying the beauty of this moving art work. Challenge yourself, even if you don't know what Butoh is! Take a few moments to open your mind and then rest it on the strange beauty of this dance.

Scientific Boddhisatva

Give this article a read...... it's worth the 10 min.

Reflect

Found this photo here


I just read this on Rob Brezsny's FreeWillAstrology.... Thought it was poignant.


"Everyone alive should see the musical comedy "I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change." At the very least, we should all meditate regularly on the play's title, using it as a self-mocking mantra that dissuades us from committing the folly it describes. How better to serve the health of our relationships than by withdrawing the projections we superimpose on people, thereby allowing them to be themselves? Right now you're in special need of honoring this wisdom, Pisces. If you feel the itch to tell friends and loved ones that they should be different from how they actually are, stop and ask yourself whether maybe you should transform yourself instead."

Morning Brain

Taos New Mexico.


I often feel like my brain is soft and easy in the morning. My boyfriend and I always laugh about how we love each other more when we first wake up. Why is this? Why is it easier for me to sit and meditate when I rise after a long sleep then at the end of my long day? Do I actually love Ted more in the morning? Does my meditation practice thrive because I am actually still half asleep when I sit pre-cup of coffee? Maybe coffee really is that bad for me.

According to the science of brain plasticity it is not totally the fault of my coffee. This is great news! It has to do with space, the space similar to the sky in Wyoming, open, empty, wide and generous. When we wake up we have taken multiple hours to not speak, read, watch TV or listen to music. We have not made plans, taken on commitments or sat in traffic. We are somewhat empty. Our mind is mostly quiet.

This idea of space refers to our brains -- the mental space to take in information, store and process it. In order to take in new things we must focus over and over again on what we are trying to learn or correct, whether it is changing negative thought patterns or re-aligning an asana. Our brains are malleable, and forever changeable depending on where we focus our attention throughout our lives. With this in mind, I am going to take this space and sit, giving my brain an opportunity to un-clutter so that I might have the chance again today to be a better version of me.