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Reflections
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Reflections
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I was living in Sweden in the spring of 1981. My colleague Tom, an American who was both a world traveler and a proponent (and patient) of psychotherapy, said to me one day, “People always want to travel….they should take the biggest trip of all and go inside themselves.”
(It’s ironic that we were both overseas when he said that!) He spoke those words to me over 40 years ago, and he’s been gone from this earth for many years now, but I’ve never forgotten the message. My “5-year plan,” starting in college, was to go abroad for an extended stay every 5 years. I did it twice: a semester of study in France (1975) and 18 months of study in Sweden (1980-81). The plan never progressed beyond those two adventures. Many factors prevented me from implementing my 5-year plan, and I’m OK with that. It was all for good reasons – more compelling than going off on my own to an unfamiliar country and culture again. (I’m grateful for those opportunities, though – including the ability to communicate at some level in French and Swedish.) There was marriage, motherhood, and moving – many times. Career changes, cancer diagnoses, and the impedimenta of life. (Now there’s a word I love and rarely use!) Maybe Tom’s voice was in the back of my head as a reminder: whether I travel physically or not, there is a profound journey available to me at all times – the journey within. All of my life experiences have contributed to my self-awareness and self-discovery, and maybe even self-understanding. Maybe that’s partly what drew me into yoga: the invitation to turn my gaze inward. It offers unlimited opportunities for exploration. Moving the body is important for self-inquiry, but it’s only the beginning. Here’s my life plan now, not segmented into 5-year portions: to stay on the path of self-discovery and understand myself a little better every day. Yoga gives me the tools for that. I’m grateful to my friend Tom for installing those words in my mind so many years ago.
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February is American Heart Month. While I don’t pay a lot of attention to these national months of awareness, this one is of interest to me, and perhaps it is to you as well.
Why? Here are some things to know about heart health and heart disease: Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the U.S. (You might have thought it was cancer – that’s #2.) I’ve taken blood pressure medication and cholesterol-lowering drugs for years. I used to think that I inherited a risk of heart disease, as I looked at how many of my family members have had heart attacks, strokes, and their precursors, including high blood pressure and high cholesterol. But that is only partially true. It’s much more complicated, as many of the risks come from lifestyle factors. The Centers for Disease Control notes that “Leading risk factors for heart disease and stroke are high blood pressure, high low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, diabetes, smoking and secondhand smoke exposure, obesity, unhealthy diet, and physical inactivity. (Source: https://www.cdc.gov/chronicdisease/resources/publications/factsheets/heart-disease-stroke.htm) Another factor leading to heart disease is chronic stress. The American Heart Association notes: “Stress may contribute to poor health behaviors linked to increased risk for heart disease and stroke, such as:
So chronic stress can actually lead to those risk factors for heart disease. These are interesting findings, especially when we look at our heart health through a yoga lens. Yoga can benefit our hearts and minds in many ways, including helping us learn to regulate our stress response. Through a slow, mindful practice, we can develop greater awareness of our own responses to stress and more skill in moving into a more balanced state after a stressful experience. Yoga is a holistic practice that includes postures and movement, conscious breathing, relaxation techniques, and meditation. It also has ethical components that give us guidelines for how to treat others – and ourselves - with compassion. Every one of those components can contribute to our heart health. Engaging in regular practice (even a brief practice!) can help us learn to self-regulate, reduce our chronic stress load, and improve our well-being. Yoga is good for your heart. February is a good month to give yoga a try or renew your commitment to regular practice. Here’s a free practice for you to try: February 2024 Self-Kindness Bundle Other opportunities if you’re in the Rogue Valley: New chair yoga offering in Jacksonville, Oregon! |
Until I considered yoga, I was always searching for the thing that would make me feel good in my body, mind, and soul. As I age, I want to embrace life and feel well every day.
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