Western Science -- Slowly learning that yoga postures really do work

Sunday, Jan 28

 

According to this article, scientists are finding that a certain part of the brain, called the insula, is directly responsible for addictive behavior. This could mean that future therapies will involve ways to deactivate the insula in order to break addictions. To me, this sounds like the exact thing that inversions in yoga do for our bodies. Perhaps by inverting, yogis found through experimentation that their brain was rebalanced and insula--if overreactive--was tamed.

 

So Western science is slowly coming around to what yoga has known for centuries.........

 

January 26, 2007

In Clue to Addiction, Brain Injury Halts Smoking

By BENEDICT CAREY

Scientists studying stroke patients are reporting today that an injury to a specific part of the brain, near the ear, can instantly and permanently break a smoking habit. People with the injury who stopped smoking found that their bodies, as one man put it, "forgot the urge to smoke."

The finding, which appears in the journal Science, is based on a small study. But experts say it is likely to alter the course of addiction research, pointing researchers toward new ideas for treatment.

While no one is suggesting brain injury as a solution for addiction, the finding suggests that therapies might focus on the insula, a prune-size region under the frontal lobes that is thought to register gut feelings and is apparently a critical part of the network that sustains addictive behavior.

And at least two previous studies suggest that people can reduce the sensation of pain by learning to modulate the activity in an area of their brain.

 

"The question is, Can you learn to deactivate the insula?" Dr. Volkow said. "Now, everybody's going to be looking at the insula."

 

this sucks

its 10:33pm and I am still here. this blows.

STUCK AT WORK - YUK

Friday, January 26

Its Friday and I am missing my evening entertainment. I have been working sooooo hard (both at work and at yoga) and was rewarding myself with a show by David Newman, aka Durga Das. He is visiting town and playing TONIGHT! I bought the tickets and was meeting friends from Yoga Teacher Training there. But now, I can't go! I am stuck at work.

 

What is worse---I took the bus today and have no way of getting back home....the last bus leaves at 6:30pm. I wonder what will happen....

 

Kirtan - A Night of Devotional Chanting with David Newman
David Newman or Durga Das, as he is also known, is a Kirtan Chant Artist and a practitioner and educator of Bhakti Yoga - the yoga of love. David, a devotee of Neem Karoli Baba, travels extensively singing Kirtan (Indian devotional chanting) and sharing the spiritual, devotional, meditative and musical aspects of yoga. David's music, rooted in the ancient yogic tradition of sound as a healing path toward self discovery (Nada Yoga), embodies a devotional mysticism, distinctive musicality, poetic intimacy and a deep respect for India's ancient chant tradition. A dedicated Kirtan Troubadour, David tours throughout the world with Mira, a celebrated devotional singer, recording artist and percussionist. He is also the author of a book on meditation entitled Merging with Grace and the founder of Yoga On Main in Philadelphia. $15.00 in advance and $20.00 at the door. Durga Das is a practitoner of the ancient art of Indian devotional chanting known as Kirtan. His chanting brings forth the ancient yogic tradition of sound as healing. His music is both celebratory and transformational. Go to www.davidnewmanmusic.com for more info.
Date, Time & Location:	Kirtan:    Fri Jan 26 2007, 8:00 PM - 10:00 PM (SS )
Leader(s):	David Newman
Cost(s):	$15.00 Kirtan->Buy Online or

Soles for Souls

Donate Your Own Shoes:

We need the 'gently worn' shoes taking up space in your closet. It is estimated that Americans have 1.5 billion pairs of unworn shoes lying in their closets. We can use each and every one of these pairs to make a tangible difference in someone's life.
 

FIND OUT HOW at their website: http://soles4souls.org/donatetoday.htm#shoes

Adam & Eve

New type of credit card

 

Finally, a socially conscious credit card

 

The Enlightenment Card was founded on the idea that money is energy and if used with positive and integrative intention, can have the power to affect change in our lives and the world. Everyone uses a credit card, so why not have one where people can earn points towards positive products and services that enhances their overall "conscious" life path? Some of the categories of rewards you can earn points toward are yoga classes and merchandise, organic products, retreats + workshops, exotic travels, books + DVD's, personal care, spa treatments, and more.

http://www.enlightenmentcard.com/?affid=610

Chakras

Name	1st Chakra: Muladhara (Root Chakra)
Bija Mantra	LAM
Location	Perineum, base of spine
Element	Earth, representing physical and emotional grounding
Color	Red, which has a slower vibration than the colors of other chakras
Tasks	Tending to our survival needs, establishing sense of goundedness, taking good basic care of the body, purging of wastes; "getting things in order"; trying to influence outer world
Associations	Base of spine (coccyx), legs, feet, large intestine, adrenals
Key word	Stability
Relationships	mother, father, family, environment, home, workplace, boss, job, career, money
Circumstances causing deficiencies	Traveling, relocation, feeling fearful, big changes in our family, body, finances, business Those with busy minds and active imaginations feel ungrounded most of the time, living more in head than body
Deficiencies experienced as	Survival crises that demand a lot of attention
Signs of excessiveness	Greed, hoarding of money or possessions, attempting to ground yourself by gain a lot of excess weight
Antidote	Things that bring us back into our body and the earth and help us experience safety, security, and stillness
Poses that correct imbalances	STANDING POSES All poses that stretch and strengthen the legs and feet (pressing feet onto tennis ball, lacing fingers in between toes, calf openers, hamstring stretches); standing poses that open and strengthen the lower body and root attention downward; restorative poses settle an overactive mind and encourage surrender to gravity (supta baddha konasana, salamba savasana, salamba balasana)

I went ahead and put together charts like this one for each chakra. It helped me learn them and keep track of all seven. Email me if you'd like a copy!

Bananas, Yoga, and Kombucha

Tuesday, 23 Jan

Are you unselfish? Brain scan finds the truth

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -- Altruism, one of the most difficult human behaviors to define, can be detected in brain scans, U.S. researchers report. They found activity in a specific area of the brain could predict altruistic behavior -- and people's own reports of how selfish or giving they are.

"This area we saw was the posterior superior temporal cortex," Huettel said. "It's part of the parietal lobe. What this brain area seems to be involved in is extracting meaning from things you see." "If you see a rock move because someone picked it up, you can recognize that they have a goal. That would activate this region. If you saw a leaf fluttering in the wind, there is no intention in that leaf." And this brain region would not activate. " We think altruism might help others understand the intentions of others," Huettel said.

This is insightful. It makes sense to me, though, and meshes with what I learned in Buddhism and from my own spiritual growth. The more I become calmer, the more patience I gain, and the less reactive I am. So instead of automatically judging or reflexively reacting to something, I have more space to ponder and think through the situation. This space provides the opportunity to consider the other person's point of view -- like the article says, understand the intentions of others. And so it makes sense that this goes hand in hand with altruism.

On a completely other note, I am getting really addicted to a couple of things...........but they are good things, so I am not really worried too much.

1) Firstly, I am getting totally addicted to yoga. As I get better and better, it feels so GREAT to do the poses and also to progress. I am getting addicted to this positive feedback. I have started taking two classes, back to back. But it is so worth it, because there are some awesome teachers at FLOW and I am learning loads of good stuff. I am getting addicted to the great teachers!

2) I am getting addicted to the Kombucha drinks (http://www.wonderdrink.com/). I decided to try to learn how to grow the culture, because it would be cheaper and I have heard that some people do it. According to the web, kombucha is:

"a symbiotic colony of yeast and bacteria (the friendly type). Kombucha Tea is made by combining the culture, with a mixture of black tea, and sugar. The ingredients are allowed to "ferment", usually from 7-10 days. The resulting beverage contains dozens of elements, many of which are known to promote healing for a variety of conditions."

Here are some sites which sell starter kits: http://store.anahatabalance.com/komukior.html
http://www.happyherbalist.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWCATS&Category=4

It doesn't seem too expensive or difficult. I think I might give it a try............

3) I am eating at least one banana every day. But bananas are amazingly good for you and I found out that:

"Bananas are an exceptionally rich source of fructooligosaccharide, a compound called a prebiotic because it nourishes probiotic (friendly) bacteria in the colon . These beneficial bacteria produce vitamins and digestive enzymes that improve our ability to absorb nutrients, plus compounds that protect us against unfriendly microorganisms. When fructooligosaccharides are fermented by these friendly bacteria, not only do numbers of probiotic bacteria increase, but so does the body's ability to absorb calcium. In addition, gastrointestinal transit time is lessened, decreasing the risk of colon cancer."

The reason I hightlight this is because my dosha type --- Vata --- is seated at the colon. And so it is interesting that I am naturally drawn to bananas, which aid in the functioning of my colon. I am really getting into Ayurveda and hope to learn more when I go for my Jivamukti TT. In the meantime, I do hope to get an appointment for a private consulation with Brenden Freely.

Here is a yummy recipe I'd like to try:

Tropical Breakfast Risotto

This is a great tropical, healthy rice breakfast. It would be perfect served on a morning when you want something substantial, yet light and fresh tasting.

Prep and Cook Time: 30 minutes Ingredients: 1 cup Arborio rice (this is the Italian rice risotto is made with) 2 cups water 1 15oz can coconut milk 1 8oz can cubed pineapple (save juice) ¼ cup sliced almonds ¼ cup raisins 1 cup cubed firm banana about 1/2 inch pieces

Directions:

1. Bring water with rice to a boil in medium sized sauce or soup pan on high heat. Once it comes to a boil, turn heat to medium low and simmer uncovered, stirring frequently for creaminess
   
2. While rice is cooking prepare rest of ingredients.
   
3. As water is absorbed in rice add pineapple juice from can and keep cooking. When that is absorbed add the can of coconut milk. As that gets absorbed, but while still creamy, add rest of ingredients. Heat for another 2-3 minutes and serve when rice is tender. This should be still juicy and creamy without being runny. This is good served warm or cold.
   
   Serves 4

Sad State of affairs

Monday, Jan 22

 

"We used to have an unrivaled reputation among the backward people of the world. We were considered the true defenders of liberty, justice and peace, the hope of the future. Our anger, our ignorance and our frustration have made us forfeit this tremendous advantage." [written in 1962].
From: Thomas Merton. Passion for Peace: The Social Essays. William H. Shannon, ed. New York: Crossroad, 1995: 110.

 

I wonder what Merton would be doing today, were he alive, about the Iraq war. I don't think things are much different since his times in the 60s.

 

Its so hard to read the news these days; all of it is bad and revolves around war, military, death, destruction.

 

On the other hand, there is a lot of good going on in the world but none of it makes the news. The whole theory of memes is right. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meme  

• Meme - refers to a unit of cultural information transferable from one mind to another. Meme-theorists contend that memes most beneficial to their hosts will not necessarily survive; rather, those memes which replicate the most effectively spread best; which allows for the possibility that successful memes might prove detrimental to their hosts.
• In Cultural Software: A Theory of Ideology, Jack Balkin argued that memetic processes can explain many of the most familiar features of ideological thought. His theory of "cultural software" maintained that memes form narratives, networks of cultural associations, metaphoric and metonymic models, and a variety of different mental structures. Some of these structures can help generate racist and anti-Semitic beliefs, by making this kind of belief spread fast and wide. Conversely, some memes can have moral implications that are generally deemed positive, such as the meme of anti-racism, which tends to generate behaviors of tolerance.
• Memes, like genes, do not purposely do or want anything — they either get replicated or not. Some meme systems have negative effects on the host or on their host society, but humans generally have a symbiotic relationship with these abstract entities.

More research needs to be done regarding memes -- and on how to encourage/multiple the reproduction of memes that are positive and tend to generate behaviors of tolerance. Any ideas?  Here is supposedly how memes replicate:

1. Experience: If a meme does not correlate with an individual's experience, then that individual has a reduced likelihood of remembering that meme.
2. Pleasure/Pain: If a meme results in more pleasure or less pain for its host then the host will have a greater likelihood of remembering it.
3. Fear/Bribery: If a meme constitutes a threat then people may become frightened into believing it. Similarly, if a meme promises some future benefit then people may incline to believe it. The memes "if you do X you will burn in hell" and "do Y and you will go to heaven" provide examples. Memes which pass on the fear of a threat, of the likelihood or effectiveness of a threat, that "something will happen if you do such and such a thing", have a high likelihood of success, and may therefore replicate and remain in the meme-pool. They may assist in this way in the survival of a thought, a theme or a philosophy within a community.
4. Censorship: If an organisation destroys any retention-systems containing a particular meme or otherwise controls the usage of that meme, then that meme may suffer a selective disadvantage.
5. Economics: If people or organisations with economic influence exhibit a particular meme, then the meme has a greater likelihood of benefiting from a greater audience. If a meme tends to increase the riches of an individual holding it, then that meme may spread because of imitation. Such memes might include "Hard work is good" and "Put number one first".
6. Distinction: If the meme enables hearers to recognize and respect tellers (as leaders, intelligent people, insightful, etc.), then the meme has a greater chance of spreading. The erstwhile receivers will want to become themselves tellers of the same meme (or of an evolved/mutated version). Thus élite knowledge can provide a promotion to élite status.

You can go through and show how the AQ ideology is perfectly suited to meet these evolutionary characteristics and explains why the AQ memes spread like wild fire. The question is how do we spread the antidote?

Weekend Check-in

Sunday, Jan 21
It seems like my new wake-up time is 4am. At least that is what my cats think. And I am starting to become convinced. Unfortunately, I am not getting to bed early enough to compensate....

I hosted a reunion Cap-Corps dinner at my house last night. It went incredibly well. I set it for 5pm and everyone actually showed up on time! Unfortunately, Brother Steve had to cancel at the last minute because of a funeral. Can't blame him for that one. I had a great time setting up for the dinner - it was a great excuse to clean the house and tidy things up. And I have decided to experiment with cooking more seriously - I want to become competent at some of the yummy vegan dishes that I love. And my ulterior motive is to expose people to vegan cooking and show them how good it can be. That is one thing that even I was surprised at, when I ate so well at the yoga ashram at Yogaville, and it was all vegan and all incredibly healthy. The problem is that most of the stuff is not mainstream so the majority of people don't have a clue about the possibilities.