Return to Center


RETURN TO CENTER YOGA AND MEDIATION
Conscious Relaxation + Breathing + Gentle Stretching + Meditation.

At AVY we believe feeling good is your birthright. And that taking time everyday to allow the body to return to its natural state of harmony takes only a few moments. The hardest part is carving out the time to do it.

AVY is offering Streaming sessions that are appropriate for everyone, all ages, and with a focus on Conscious Relaxation + Breathing + Gentle Stretching + Meditation.

Information is Beautiful

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What are the effects of meditation & mindfulness, according to the latest scientific research? What’s it good for? And while we’re at it, what’s the difference between meditation and mindfulness anyway?

Information is Beautiful  is an independent collective of professional researchers, data journalists and designers dedicating to visualizing solid data, great information and mind-expanding knowledge.

They have reviewed 75+ studies and compiled all the evidence in one graphic and datasheet. Check out their site here.

#relaxationisaskill

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If you’ve ever been in one of my classes you’ve heard me go on and on about the numerous benefits of relaxation. You are simply the best version of yourself when you are relaxed. Most people think relaxation is sitting on the couch, eating dinner, surfing the web and watching TV – all at the same time. That is not relaxation. That is hyper-tasking. And hyper-tasking is what is causing the mind/body disharmony in the first place. Relaxation, like anything, is a skill – the more you practice, the better you get. And relaxation is vital to your health. A few years ago I had the privilege of having dinner with Arianna Huffington and let me tell you, this woman gets it. She is a wonderful advocate for helping you THRIVE. Below are links to some great articles on her site lauding the various benefits of relaxation. If you are feeling stuck and not really sure how to find relaxation in your busy life feel free to contact me and I will do my best to give you a few tools that might help. ambervoilesyoga@gmail.com

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/08/14/stress-awareness-day-relaxation-benefits_n_1424820.html

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/06/25/relaxation-mistakes_n_5526349.html

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/09/09/stress-relief-that-works_n_3842511.html

http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/arianna-huffington-says-time-to-relax-is-key-to-success-1.2860764

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/news/relaxation/

Breathing and the Diaphragm

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“In yoga, deep breathing is part of the practice of Pranayama. In Sanskrit, the ancient language of India, prana is the vital energy or life force; it also refers to respiration. Ayama means length, expansion, and extension, and conveys the idea of restraint, control, and stopping. According to B.K.S. Iyengar, Pranayama also means communication, expansion, or dimension. When practicing Pranayama, one slows down the rate of breathing and expands chest and lung capacity. Pranayama is an integral step in the eight-limbed path of yoga, Astanga Yoga, which strives to bring consciousness to mind and body, and finally, freedom.” – Dalia Zwick from The Diaphragm in Iyengar Yoga Pranayama and Physical Therapy

READ MORE ON BREATHING AND THE DIAPHRAGM:

http://www.bandhayoga.com/keys_access.html

http://www.bandhayoga.com/keys_access2.html

https://iynaus.org/yoga-samachar/springsummer-2010/diaphragm-iyengar-yoga-pranayama-and-physical-therapy

http://breakingmuscle.com/cycling/how-to-activate-your-diaphragm-to-improve-breathing-and-performance

The Vagus Nerve

What is the vagus nerve? Vagus means “wandering” in Latin. It’s a nerve that drops right out of the base of your brain and wanders to all your viscera. It is the nerve that controls the parasympathetic nervous system and relaxation response. And you can consciously activate your vagus nerve. Yup, you have direct control over how relaxed you feel. Below are several articles I’ve come across over the years that were interesting. I hope you do too. Read on to find out more about your vagus nerve.

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FROM PSYCHOLOGY TODAY:

“Visceral feelings and gut instincts are literally emotional intuitions transferred up to your brain via the vagus nerve. In previous studies, signals from the vagus nerve traveling from the gut to the brain have been linked to modulating mood and distinctive types of fear and anxiety.

As with any mind-body feedback loop, messages also travel “downstream” from your conscious mind through the vagus nerve (via efferent nerves) signaling your organs to create an inner-calm so you can “rest-and-digest” during times of safety, or to prepare your body for “fight-or-flight” in dangerous situations.”

https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-athletes-way/201405/how-does-the-vagus-nerve-convey-gut-instincts-the-brain

“Healthy vagal tone is indicated by a slight increase of heart rate when you inhale, and a decrease of heart rate when you exhale. Deep diaphragmatic breathing—with a long, slow exhale—is key to stimulating the vagus nerve and slowing heart rate and blood pressure, especially in times of performance anxiety. A higher vagal tone index is linked to physical and psychological well-being. A low vagal tone index is linked to inflammation, negative moods, loneliness, and heart attacks.”

https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-athletes-way/201302/the-neurobiology-grace-under-pressure

FROM ÉIRIU EOLAS (Irish Gaelic for “Growth of Knowledge”):

“One of the best means of inducing a relaxation response is through diaphragmatic breathing: inhaling deeply through the chest and virtually into the stomach. Engaging the diaphragm may be the key to inducing a relaxation response through deep breathing because the diaphragm’s close proximity to the vagus nerve. The vagus nerve is a cranial nerve which supplies approximately 75 percent of all parasympathetic fibers to the rest of the body, and may be stimulated through diaphragmatic movement. Conversely, thoracic breathing that is limited to the chest cavity is associated with the sympathetic branch stress response.”

http://eiriu-eolas.org/tag/vagus-nerve/

“Well, by activating the vagus nerve, you can control your immune cells, reduce inflammation, and even prevent disease and aging!”

http://eiriu-eolas.org/2013/06/15/activating-the-vagus-nerve/

 

FROM THE HEALTH MATRIX:

“The vagus nerve is the heart of the parasympathetic nervous system, the anti-stress system. The vagus nerve is your calming and relaxing nerve which goes from your brain and down to your abdomen, dividing itself into multiple branches that reach your throat, your heart, and all your viscera.”

http://health-matrix.net/2013/08/06/heart-attacks-cfs-herpes-virus-infection-and-the-vagus-nerve/

FROM IEEE SPECTRUM:

Here’s a very interesting article on Vagus Nerve stimulation to treat epilepsy, heart failure, stroke, arthritis, and a half dozen other ailments:

http://spectrum.ieee.org/biomedical/devices/the-vagus-nerve-a-back-door-for-brain-hacking

The Spirit of Tata: The Life of an Amazonian Shaman

 

tata kickstarter

I sit on the board of The SOFIE Foundation. SOFIE (Saving Ourselves From Indigenous Extinction) is a non-profit organization based in California.

One of the projects we are currently focused on is a documentary film. THE SPIRIT OF TATÁ is the story of an Amazonian shaman, a tribe’s efforts to learn all they can from their dying elder, and a celebration of the extraordinary life and spirit of Tata. 

We need help raising the funds to make this dream a reality. Please visit: gofundme.com/spiritoftata

At 103 years-old, Tatá was one of the oldest shamans in the Amazon and was responsible for safeguarding the tribe’s spiritual legacy through the difficult years of colonization and interference by the rubber tappers and missionaries. Reaching near extinction in the mid-1980s, the Yawanawá decided to expel the missions and it was Tatá who helped to lead a revival of their cultural and spiritual practices, taking on apprentices and students to learn the legends, ceremonies, music, healing ways, and sacred plant knowledge that had been kept secret in the hearts and minds of a small handful of shamans and elders during the mission period.

THE SPIRIT OF TATA follows Tatá’s final days – a historic and challenging moment for the tribe as they face losing their beloved elder and greatest living library of spiritual knowledge and power. Surrounded by the ongoing vigil of his family and students, we witness Tatá continuing to share his teachings from his death bed – hoping to ensure the transfer of traditional knowledge to the next generation. This story is emblematic of a story happening around the world – the story of cultures losing their elders while struggling to recover and revive their ancient languages and traditions before they are lost forever. The film aims to wake up modern audiences to the inherent and vital need to preserve, protect, and support the continuation of indigenous peoples and knowledge for the sake of all life on earth.

Please visit sofiefoundation.org to view the trailer and support the film.

Relax at Home

 

SLS

SIDE LYING SAVASANA: On the Couch

This pose is always done on the left side (to support the lymphatic, digestive & circulatory systems of the body). Push your back into the couch so you’re snuggled in tight & make sure your left shoulder is in front of you rather than under you (so you’re lying on the shoulder blade rather than shoulder head). Put pillows between the legs, under the head and in front (so you have the option to hug something). Cover yourself up. And cook for at least 20 minutes. Yum.

Are Thoughts More Important?

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Thoughts, just like food, have to be digested. We have to process them. When we process information it leaves us with something useful that will be assimilated, and something not so useful that needs to be eliminated. This process is very clear when we take in food – we assimilate and eliminate. But because we rely so heavily on our eyes and we can’t see our thoughts, it’s not as clear. Some of us rely so heavily on our eyes in fact we think we are our bodies (we are so much more). And some of us even think we live in the external world (we don’t). We live in our minds. And your mind can either be your friend or your enemy, it can be a place of freedom or imprisonment. You get to choose. If you want to be healthy, if you want to feel good and live in a way that makes you happy you need to talk to yourself in a loving way and you need to have happy thoughts. I mean this literally. Look at how you talk to yourself, how you feel about yourself and if it is negative or critical in a harmful way you have got to learn to change it. Because, I’ll tell you a little secret, that voice that is saying those nasty things – that is not your voice. It’s somebody else’s voice you picked up along the way. Your natural voice is a loving voice. You can look at babies and small children and know this to be true.

READ THE ENTIRE BLOG HERE