Cape Cod Institute, 2014 - Yoga for...

LifeForce Yoga®: Empower Your Clients to Manage Their Moods

by Amy Weintraub, MFA, E-RYT (500)

My beloved child, Break your heart no longer.

Each time you judge yourself, You break your own heart.

~ Swami Kripalu/Carolyn Delluomo

Cape Cod Institute, 2014

LifeForce Yoga: Empower Your Clients to Manage Their Moods

Amy Weintraub 2010 rev. 2014 www.Yogafordepression.com

Table of Contents

Learning Objectives ......................................................................................................................................... 3

What is LifeForce Yoga? .................................................................................................................................. 3

Two Guiding Archetypes ................................................................................................................................. 3

LifeForce Yoga as differentiated from exercise ............................................................................................. 5

Physiological/Biochemical benefits of Yoga practice ................................................................................... 5

Psychological effects of Yoga practice .......................................................................................................... 5

Principles of LifeForce Yoga as Positive Mental Health ............................................................................... 6

Yogic Breathing (Pranayama & Kriya) ............................................................................................................ 8

Five Yogic Breaths to Lift a Depressed Mood ........................................................................................... 8

Five Yogic Breaths to Calm an Anxious Mood ........................................................................................ 10

Interrupting a Panic Attack ........................................................................................................................ 11

Other Breathing Best Taught by a Qualified Yoga Instructor or Yoga Therapist ................................. 12

Nada Yoga ....................................................................................................................................................... 14

Lifeforce Yoga Chakra Clearing Meditation.................................................................................................. 15

LifeForce Yoga Chakra Clearing Meditation Energizing ............................................................................. 16

LifeForce Yoga Chakra Clearing Meditation Calming ................................................................................. 17

Meditation Beyond Mindfulness .................................................................................................................... 18

Yoga Nidra and iRest ...................................................................................................................................... 19

Post-Traumatic Stress Syndrome (PTSD) ........................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) ...................................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.

Resources ....................................................................................................................................................... 22

In Consultation ............................................................................................................................................... 24

Articles of Interest .......................................................................................................................................... 26

http://www.yogafordepression.com/



Learning Objectives 1. Identify clients who would benefit from a Yogic approach. 2. Apply eleven Yogic breathing and three meditation techniques for mood management, including depression,

anxiety, and OCD. 3. Implement sound, breath and visual imagery to address both depression and anxiety. 4. Learn a Yogic strategy that incorporates body awareness, imagery, and dialoguing to address negative self-talk

and the seeds of self-loathing. 5. Understand the current research in the field of yoga and mental health. 6. Implement a Yogic technique to end a panic attack. 7. Identify Yogic strategies effective in the treatment of PTSD.

What is LifeForce Yoga? LifeForce Yoga is Yoga plain and simple. It doesn’t really need a name, but in this day and age, when there

are so many ways of practicing that are called Yoga, it’s important to identify a practice that is intentionally designed to work with and manage the mood. The many styles of Yoga practice that are flowering in the West are like doorways. Eventually, each door opens the practitioner to a deeper connection to Self, an inner and outer knowing that we are not separate. Yoga, no matter the training “style,” begins, as you practice regularly, to unite the polarities within and without. The sense of separation, which is the literal source of depression, is diminished and the sense of connection to oneself and others is enhanced. As a psychotherapist, are these not your goals as well?

Among the many doorways to Yoga or union that exist in the West, some focus on fitness and strength—the literal meaning of “Hatha” or physical force. Others focus on structural therapeutics. Other doorways take as their mission to raise the Kundalini energy, or to reach Nirvana or union with the Source. But reaching implies absence. LifeForce Yoga understands that there is no separation from the Source, that we are intimately, eternally connected. LifeForce Yoga is practiced as the first yogis practiced, resting on the fundamental belief that all that we need is already within us; that we are that which we seek.

To make it simple, LifeForce Yoga is a practice of compassion that creates a big enough container to embrace and accept all the dualities of mood. The practice is adapted to the student, so each individual can move into a more balanced (satvic) and positive emotional, mental, and physical state of equanimity and self-awareness. As psychotherapists, you are facilitating that same ability for self-observation and compassion. In this manual, I’ve included

simple somatic tools gleaned from the timeless teachings of Yoga that you can share with your clients. We will be discussing comfortable ways to introduce these tools to those you serve. The Yoga tools included here are appropriate for a clinical setting. They can empower your clients to self-regulate, increasing feelings of self-efficacy and control, while at the same time enhancing the therapeutic relationship.

Two Guiding Archetypes In LifeForce Yoga, we call upon two representational archetypes of human values, deities from the Hindu and Buddhist tradition. First, we look to Shiva, depicted in his guise as Nataraja, the fire dancer. In the context of LifeForce Yoga, Shiva represents standing in the fire of truth, even when it’s almost too painful to bear. Shiva symbolizes the awareness that allows us to face our emotions in challenging situations, without numbing out by turning on the television or hanging out in front of an open cabinet full of carbohydrates or pouring the extra glass of wine or whatever default strategy has been habitually used to avoid feeling. Shiva’s fire represents that burning away of old patterns and defenses that are no longer serving your clients. Finally, Shiva represents staying present, not only to our own personal truths, but also to the political and social and ecological world that so desperately needs our attention.

To dance in the fire without self-immolation, we need an anesthetic, a kind of asbestos layer that protects without either smothering our feelings or putting the fire out. For this, we invoke the Bodhisattva of Compassion, Kwan Yin. Her name literally means, “She who hears the cries of the world.” This balance of fiery self-awareness, contained




in the arms of compassion, makes the difference in our personal lives, our professional lives as healers, and in our lives as conscious beings living in a suffering world, on a wounded planet. As psychotherapists and health professionals serving those who suffer, you are embodying both of these archetypes—Shiva as self-awareness and Kuan Yin as compassion.

The Compassionate Container Yogic strategies can help you establish a safe therapeutic environment where a client feels seen and acknowledged.

In LifeForce Yoga we prepare ourselves to see our student/client as she really is. As a unique manifestation of energy or of the divine, who already has everything she needs inside her. The role of Yoga in your therapy session can be to provide tools to help your client manage her mood, but it may also assist you in communicating the subtle awareness that you know that beneath her current mood or mental state, she is already whole.

Creating the Compassionate Container:

1. Establishing confidentiality 2. Safe Boundaries 3. Permission to modify, stop, redirect 4. Ritual of Invitation 5. Attention to room ambience to create a welcoming space

a. Lighting b. Temperature c. Noise

6. Therapist’s Attitude of positive regard that includes: a. neat and clean appearance b. body language c. mood d. a welcoming regard that includes a smile e. eye contact

7. Ritual of sacred/safe space (important in workshops where there will be sharing and in individual work.)

8. Intention setting What are the ways I can create the Compassionate Safe Container for myself and my clients?




LifeForce Yoga as differentiated from exercise Attention to the breath

Safe attention to body sensations

Cultivation of both compassionate equanimity and self-awareness (2 pillar of yogic practice and goals of psychotherapy)

Cultivation of witnessing consciousness (in neuropsychological terms, engaging the cerebral cortex in self-regulating the emotional limbic brain)

Physiological/Biochemical benefits of Yoga practice Decrease in cortisol levels

Increase in feel-good hormones: oxcytocin and prolactin

Increased serotonin

Demonstrated improvement in memory, cognitive functioning, perceptual motor skills, visual perception

Relaxes chronic muscle tension

Restores natural diaphragmatic breathing

Improves oxygen absorption and carbon dioxide elimination

Increases alpha and theta waves

Regulates hypothalamus at an optimum level

Certain techniques stimulate vagus nerve activity

Bioavailability of oxygen and glucose, building blocks for the production of neurotransmitters

Calms sympathetic nervous system while activating parasympathetic system

Increase in GABA levels

Increase in heart rate variability (HRV)

Psychological effects of Yoga practice Elevation of mood

Balances left/right brain function

Cultivates equanimity in the face of life’s challenges

Develops greater self-awareness

Symptoms of depression are lessened

Better management of bipolar disorder

Greater access to feelings, which is a complement to talk therapy

Release of repressed emotions stored in the body

Increased ability to self-regulate




Principles of LifeForce Yoga as Positive Mental Health Basics of LifeForce Yoga as Treatment

Postures are practiced with conscious attention to the breath and the sensations in your body.

The following movements are included: forward bending, back bending, side stretching, twists, and inversions.

Yogic breathing exercises are practiced that deepen the breath, increasing lung capacity, energizing the solar plexus and the cerebral cortex.

The practice is regular (daily is best) of at least twenty minutes.

Sound (mantra), visualization (bhavana), positive intention and affirmation (Sankalpa) are cultivated, giving the chaotic mind a point upon which to focus.

Positive Mental Health in Yogic Terms

Kleshas Classical Yoga tells us that we suffer because we are bound too tightly to current reality by the five afflictions/painful

mind states (kleshas). o Avidya The 1st and foremost of the kleshas is ignorance of our connection (avidya). As we live further and

further from the truth of our connection to all of nature, we begin to live as though we are separate and alone.

o We find ourselves living in Avidya because of the four other kleshas: o Asmita – our over-identification with our roles, with who we “think” we are in the world. o Rajas – our attraction to what serves this over-identification—implies a clinging to what we love and an

inability to accept inevitable change o Dvesha – our aversion to what threatens this over-identification—implies an avoidance and walling off from

the world around us, which serves to constrict and limit our sense of wholeness. o Abhinivesha – literally means our fear of death—implies a clinging to life as it is and the fear of change.

Clearing the Space

Dukha – suffering; obstructed space Sukha – happiness; unobstructed space Samskaras – latent impressions; conditioned patterns accrued through karma and the experiences of daily life. We

habitually repeat these patterned behaviors. Vasana – web of samskaras; the template of our actions and reactions Prana – vital energy that rides on the wave of the breath

Relevancy to Neurobiology and Psychology: Vasanas are equivalent to the development of neural pathways Chronic tensions held in the body (samskaras) relates to recent discovery of the role of the neuropeptides In your Yoga practice, you are clearing the space within, allowing energy (prana) and emotion to flow. You are

releasing chronic tensions and repressed emotions. You are dissolving samskaras. You increase the amount of prana in the body.

Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras (compiled ca. 200 A.D., based on 3,000 years of oral tradition) Outlines a plan for reframing negative thought patterns and the maintenance of positive mental health. Based on this system of wellness, Yoga is designed to optimize psychoimmunilogical functioning, addressing the

roots of negative, unconscious conditioning and prescribing a multidimensional practice for positive transformation. (Blossom, Scott, “Yoga and Psychoneuroimmunology,” International Journal of Yoga Therapy, 2004)

Witness Consciousness Conceptualized in Psychological Terms:

An insight oriented approach to stress management and the self-regulation of emotion.




Sheaths (Koshas) First introduced in the Taittiriya Upanishad more than 3,000 years ago, this doctrine is the Yogic foundation for the understanding that we are more than body and mind. The ancients saw five envelopes of existence and believed that we are always living in all five envelopes or sheaths in every moment. These sheaths are like veils, grosser to finer that obscure pure, transcendental awareness. You might imagine a set of Russian nesting dolls. The smallest densest doll, or envelope, is the annamaya kosha or food sheath. This is the existence of the physical body. The next envelope surrounds the smallest doll. It is the pranamaya kosha, known as the life force, energy, or breath body. The next sheath surrounding the first two is the manomaya kosha, known as the emotional mind. You might think of this envelope as the limbic and right brain. The fourth envelope surrounding the first three is the vijnanamaya kosha, known as awareness, containing thoughts and beliefs. You might think of this envelope as representative of the left brain. The fifth and final envelope is the anandamaya kosha, known as the bliss body. In the Taittiriya Upanishad, this sheath is equated with transcendent reality. Later Yogic traditions saw this 5th sheath as the finest of veils, still obscuring full moksha, or ultimate union, the stateless and boundary-less state when Atman (small self) is not separate from Brahman (Self). If you are a mental health professional, these distinctions may seem irrelevant to facilitating a restoration of your client to a balanced and positive state of wellbeing. We discuss them here, because they are often used to distinguish particular areas being addressed in Yoga therapy, when a Yoga therapist meets and assesses her client. LifeForce Yoga meets the student where she or he is, assessing wellbeing on each level and facilitating balance. Here is a self-inquiry for you and for your students/clients to access greater self-awareness and wellbeing.

1. How is my body feeling today? (annamaya kosha) 2. How is my breathing? How is my energy level? (pranamaya kosha) 3. What feelings & emotions are present? (manomaya kosha) 4. What thoughts, images, & beliefs are influencing my actions? (vijnanamaya kosha) 5. What can I do to clear constrictions in my body-mind to experience more joy, bliss & love? (anandamaya kosha)

Meeting the Mood/Constitution through an Understanding of the Gunas

Seeking Satva – balance. Rajasic: In emotional terms, this would be anxiety, anxiety-based depression, mania, hypomania. Meet the rajasic state with vigor, then move to a more calming practice. Tamasic: In emotional terms, this would be dysthymia (mild, chronic depression), lethargy, major depression. Meet the tamasic state with a slow, restorative practice, then build to a more energizing practice.

Ancient Yogic Strategies for Cultivating the Satvic State (Positive Mental Health)

Community (Sangha) o Restraints (Yamas) o Observances (Niyamas)

Creating Intention/Vision (Bhavana)

Postures (Asana)

Breathing Techniques (Pranayama & Kriya)

Creating Affirmation (Sankalpa)

Relaxation Techniques (Yoga Nidra) o Guided Imagery o Hypnotic Suggestion: Self-acceptance, Gratitude, Oneness

Meditation (Raja Yoga)

Guided Therapeutic Long Holding (Yoga Cikitsa)

Service (Seva-Karma Yoga)

Toning/chanting (Nada Yoga)

Devotion (Bhakti Yoga)

Study (Jnana Yoga)




Yogic Breathing (Pranayama & Kriya) Experiential Yogic Breathing

Left nostril dominance and Depression

Right nostril dominance and Anxiety

Balancing the Breath.

Yogic Breathing in a Clinical Setting Five Yogic Breaths to Lift a Depressed Mood Breath of Joy This breath awakens the body, temporarily stimulating the sympathetic nervous system (which acts to mobilize the body’s resources) with its strong inhalations and arm movements while increasing oxygen levels in the bloodstream. Not only is there an immediate feel-good effect from the release of pent-up tension, but on completion, the mind is calm and focused as the parasympathetic system (which sustains the body at rest) kicks in. The result is a state of homeostatic balance between energy and peace. Breath of Joy can counter the shallow upper chest breathing of both depression and anxiety, as it automatically invites the breath into all parts of the lungs from the bottom up. Like a strong bright wind, the practice sweeps the dull, sluggishness and lethargy of depression (tamas) from the mind, and leaves behind a serene sense of clarity.

Stand with feet shoulder-width apart and parallel, knees slightly bent, as though about to sit down in a chair.

Inhale one-third of your lung capacity through the nostrils as you swing the arms up in front of the body, palms facing the ceiling, until they are parallel to each other at shoulder level.

Continue inhaling to two-thirds capacity and stretch the arms out to the side like wings at shoulder level.

Inhale to full capacity and swing the arms parallel and over the head, palms facing each other.

Open the mouth and exhale completely with an audible “Ha,” bending the knees more deeply as you sink into a standing squat and swing the arms down and back behind you like a diver, palms facing in.

Repeat up to nine more times. Don’t force or strain the body or breath; simply be absorbed by the peacefully stimulating rhythm. Return to standing, close the eyes and experience the effects. Notice the heart beat; feel the sensations in the face and arms, and the tingling in the palms of the hands.

Do not lead this practice if your client has untreated high blood pressure or if there is head or eye injury—like migraines or glaucoma. If you client feels light-headed, instead of light-hearted, advise her to stop for a minute and just breathe normally Pulling Prana This is another standing breath practice that like Breath of Joy, has a similar effect, raising heart rate and oxygen intake, even as it invokes a feelings of clarity and spaciousness upon completion. It’s easy to do and needs little instruction.

Stand with the feet a comfortable distance apart and as you inhale through the nostrils raise the arms over the head with the palms toward the face.

Exhale and pull the arms down towards your waist, making fists of the hands. Knees bend softly as you pull. Repeat 10 – 20 times.

Extend the arms out in front of the waist on an inhalation.

Exhale and pull the arms in towards your waist, making fists of the hands. Continue to bend the knees with each pull. Repeat 10 – 20 times.




Alternate arms, as though cross country skiing, bending the opposite knee to the extended arm. Repeat 10 – 20 times.

Do not lead this practice if your client has untreated high blood pressure. Power Hara This standing energizing breath adds a twist, which can feel very good for a stiff spine.

Stand with your feet wider than hip width apart and bring hands to your shoulders with your elbows pointed out like chicken wings.

Inhale, filling your lungs halfway and twist to the left.

Inhale fully and twist to the right.

Then extend your right arm forcefully to the left as you twist to the left, exhaling through your mouth with the mantra “RAM”.

Extend your left arm forcefully to the right as you twist to the right, exhaling again through your mouth with the mantra “RAM”.

Practice ten full rounds.

Release, close your eyes and feel your awakened energy. Contraindications: recent abdominal surgery and pregnancy Bellows Breath (Bhastrika)

Sit with spine erect.

Make fists with your hands and bring them to the inside of your shoulders with the forearms hugging the torso.

Take a normal natural breath in and out.

As you inhale through the nostrils, send your arms straight up, over your head with great force as you open your palms out to the front, spreading your fingers wide.

Exhale with great force through the nostrils as you bring your hands arms back to the starting position, making fists with your hands.

Do this at a moderate pace twenty times, and then rest for thirty seconds.

Practice two more rounds of twenty each, pausing for at least thirty seconds between rounds.

When you’ve completed the practice, sit for several moments, observing the effects. Notice your mood.

This breath will temporarily elevate BP, but upon completion, BP is generally lower than the original resting rate. Bhastrika should be done in a seated position only. If you feel dizzy or agitated after practice, only practice one round.

Stair Step Breath (Analoma Krama & Viloma Krama) The following counts are guidelines. Clients can be encouraged to “take as many steps as you need to reach the top of the mountain.” Combing positive imagery/bhavana works well with this exercise.

Take little steps of breath through the nostrils, as though you are climbing a mountain.

Pause at the top of the mountain and “look out and see something that lights you up inside.”

Slide down the mountain. (Exhale, but use metaphoric language)

Next take a smooth elevator ride to the top of the mountain through the nostrils

Step out of the elevator and see something that “makes your heart smile.”

Then blow the breath out in little puffs through the nostrils, as through you’re climbing down the mountain (usually between 5 – 10) (2x)

These are guidelines for you the practitioner in guiding your client. Listen to LifeForce Yoga Bhavana (CD) for an example of how to language leading this breath. This breath initiates a gentle belly pumping and has a mildly energizing effect. Practice only on inhalation if you are pregnant. Otherwise, this mildly energizing breath is safe for most people




Five Yogic Breaths to Calm an Anxious Mood

Yogic Three-Part Breath (Dirgha) This breath creates a state of mental alertness, even as it activates the parasympathetic nervous system so that the body mind is calm. Long extension of the exhalation enhances the calming effect. The ideal ratio for calming and cooling is 1:2. There are two methods of practicing Dirgha Pranayama. In the traditional method, taught in most lineages, the inhalation is directed to the bottom of the lungs, mid-section, and then the top. The exhalation moves from top to bottom. The Krishnamacharya lineage teaches that the breath is drawn in and exhaled in exactly the opposite direction. From a psycho-physical perspective both methods have the same affect. I practice and teach the more traditional method, however, if you have been taught and practice the method favored by the lineages that extend from Krishnamacharya, please feel free to continue to practice and teach Dirgha Pranayama that way. You can enhance your practice of this breath with Ocean-Sounding Victory Breath described below. You can practice both breaths seated on a cushion, in a supine position, or while you are moving into, holding or releasing postures.

Ocean-Sounding Victory Breath (Ujjayi) This breath both calms and energizes. It activates the parasympathetic nervous system and creates a state of mental alertness. It can be practiced in a seated position as above, or lying down. Once you learn Ujjayi, practice it throughout your posture sequence, bringing a fresh supply of oxygen to the cells. To begin, inhale through your nostrils with a slight constriction of your throat, making a snoring sound. Maintain the slight snoring sound on the exhalation, and imagine that you are actually breathing from the back of your throat. I like to think of the sound as a wave gently rolling across pebbles. Breathe slowly, expanding the belly, the ribcage and the upper chest. As you exhale, pull the abdomen in and up to empty your lungs completely. Purifying Breath—Alternate Nostril Breathing (Nadi Sodhana) The ancient yogins believed that there were 72,000 (some traditions give a different number) tube-like channels traveling through the body called nadis. Some contemporary yogins correlate the nadis to the nerves, while others think of the network of nadis in purely spiritual terms. Either way, yogins believe it is important to keep as many nadis open as possible, so that the maximum prana may be conducted through the body. We begin Nadi Sodhana by balancing the nadis on the left side of the body with the nadis on the right. Yogins believe that there are three main conductors—the ida which conducts energy through the left nostril and the pingala, which conducts energy through the right nostril. These two main conductors weave around the central axial nadi, the sushumna, which travels the length of the spine, ending at the crown chakra (sahasrara). In some traditions, it is believed that the ida and pingala cross each other at the chakras, forming a ladder of energy to the sixth chakra (ajna) at the brow point. We start with nadi sodhana so that both nostrils are free and clear and the left and right sides of the body and brain are functioning in balance.

Sit with the spine erect.

Use Vishnu Mudra by making a fist of your right hand. Next, release the thumb and the third and fourth fingers, leaving the index and middle finger against your palm.

Place the thumb against your right nostril and slowly inhale through your left.

Close off the left nostril with the fourth finger of your right hand and hold the breath for one or two seconds.

Then release your thumb and slowly exhale through your right.

Inhale through your right, then close off the right nostril, pause, then exhale through your left.

Repeat. Keep the inhalation even with the exhalation.

Do five rounds to begin, ending by exhaling through your left nostril. Sit with the eyes closed and notice how you are feeling. Are you feeling calmer? More alert? Nadi Shodana may be practiced as a way to center yourself before Yoga asanas, before meditation or any time you would like to enhance your feeling of equanimity.




Bee Breath (Brahmari) This breathing practice slows down the exhalation and has a calming effect on the entire nervous system. In India, it is often recommended for women in labor.

Sit in a comfortable position with the spine erect.

Inhale through the nostrils, drawing the root of the tongue to the back of the throat.

Slightly tilt the chin and keep the lips sealed.

Exhale slowly through the nostrils, making a deep buzzing sound in your throat like a bee. Because the lips are closed, you will not hear the “ZZZ” sound. Instead, you will hear a “swarm” of bees in your throat.

Start with three rounds on the exhale only.

Practice this breath no more than 10 times. Notice your energy. As you become more comfortable with the breath, you may practice the locks, while holding the breath out between rounds. You may also use Shanmuki mudra or a modification to enhance the withdrawal of the senses (pratyahara.) Index fingers point to the brow point; middle fingers cover the eyelids; ring fingers are at the edge of the nostrils; little fingers are placed at the edge of the lips, and thumbs press the outer cartilage into the ear canals. This is a wonderful practice to interrupt the negative spiral of thoughts that sometimes accompanies depression and anxiety. It also interrupts the intrusive thoughts associated with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD).

Left Nostril Breathing (Chandra Bedha) The safest, easiest way to practice unilateral breathing is to breathe in through the left and slowly out through the right, using Vishnu mudra as described above. There are variations that keep the breath moving through the left nostril for both inhalation and exhalation. The affect is stronger, so if practicing Chandra Beda in this way, be sure to conclude with a few rounds of alternate nostril nadi shodhana.

Interrupting a Panic Attack Sound: eee-iii-eee-iii-ooooh Yam Mmmmm




Other Breathing Best Taught by a Qualified Yoga Instructor or Yoga Therapist Retention (Kumbhaka) When you are comfortable and steady in your practice of Yogic Three-part Breath (Dirga), Ocean-Sounding Victory Breath (Ujjayi) and Purifying Alternate Nostril Breathing (Nadi Sodhana), you may begin to hold the breath at the top of the inhalation, initially for just a short time, perhaps for a count of four. You might also experiment with lengthening the exhalation and pausing briefly before inhaling again. A good beginning ratio is: 4 counts in; hold the breath in for four counts; exhale for six counts, hold the breath out for 2 counts. Shirley Telles and her colleagues at the Vivekanandra Kendra have studied the effect of breath retention. Their research indicates that short breath retention (four to six counts) energizes the body, while longer holding of the breath (more than six to maximum capacity) seems to calm the body. With short retention, there is “a significant increase (52%) in oxygen consumption and metabolic rate, compared to the pre-pranayamic base-line period of breathing. In contrast, the long kumbhak [retention] pranayamic breathing caused a statistically significant lowering (19%) of the oxygen consumption and metabolic rate.”(12) After you have learned and practiced the calming breathing exercises and are comfortable with them, you may experiment with short breath retention between each breath. When practicing the energizing breathing exercises, you may wish to experiment with a longer holding of the breath after you’ve completed a full round of the exercise. Your practice of retention will be enhanced by learning the locks from a qualified teacher. Skull Shining with Retention (Kapalabhati with kumbhaka) This practice should only be attempted after you are comfortable with Ocean-Sounding Victory Breath (ujjayi) and Skull Shining Breath (Kapalabhati). Please work with a teacher when learning the locks (bandhas).

Inhale and hold the breath in for a count of five, then lean forward and exhale all the breath in your lungs through the mouth.

With the breath held out, lift your spine to a straight position as you lift the pelvic floor, using the root lock (mula bandha).

Next, draw your navel back and up toward the spine. This movement of navel to spine is called the stomach lock (uddiyana bandha).

You may also drop your chin towards your chest as you raise your chest to meet your chin. This movement is called the throat lock (jalandhara bandha), and it stimulates the thyroid and parathyroid glands at your throat chakra (vishuddha).

Hold the breath out for a count of five to ten, using all three locks, if you are comfortable with them.

When you need to inhale, release the locks, beginning first with the root lock, next the stomach lock, then the throat lock.

Lift your head so that your chin is again parallel to the floor and breathe in, filling your lungs to two-thirds capacity.

Hold the breath for five to ten counts.

Then slowly release the breath with a whistle.

Sit for a moment and observe the energy circulating through your body.

You may repeat this sequence up to three times. Same contraindications apply as for Kapalabhati. Right Nostril Vitality Breath (Surya Bheda)

Sit in a comfortable position with your spine straight.

As in Alternate Nostril Breathing, make a fist of your right hand.

Next, release the thumb and the third and fourth fingers, keeping the index finger and middle finger folded toward your palm. This is Vishnu Mudra.

Close off the left nostril with the fourth finger of your right hand and breathe in through your right nostril.

Close off both nostrils and hold the breath for four counts.

While holding the breath, drop the chin into throat lock (jalandhara Bandha) then lift the pelvic floor for the root lock (mula bandha).




Then release the locks, first the root lock, then the throat lock, close your right nostril with your thumb and exhale through your left nostril.

Practice up to ten rounds.

As you become more experienced with the breath, you can increase the length of the retention.

After your practice, close your eyes and notice your energy.

If you feel too “bright,” practice a few rounds of Alternate Nostril Breathing to bring you back into balance.

To enhance the affect, practice both inhalation and exhalation through the right nostril. If practicing in this way, be sure to practice Alternate Nostril Nadi Shodhana

Uddiyana Bandha and Agni Surya This breathing exercise combines several techniques you have already learned. It is excellent to practice in the morning before breakfast, as it facilitates digestion and elimination. It should not be practiced if you suffer from irritable bowel syndrome or any other inflammation of the digestive or intestinal track. Do not practice this exercise if you are menstruating or pregnant. Same contraindications apply as for Kapalabhati.

To begin, stand with the feet a comfortable distance apart and inhale, raising the arms over your head.

Exhale fully through the mouth and bring the hands to the knees with the back and elbows straight.

With the breath held out, draw the navel back and up to the spine in, then roll the abdomen up and back in a circular motion until you need to breathe again (nauli).

Inhale back to standing and practice 10 – 20 rounds of a strong breath in and out through one nostril at a time or, if you’re comfortable, through alternate nostrils.

Repeat the entire sequence two more times.

Close your eyes and notice your energy. You may want to place your hands on your belly to feel the energy you’ve generated at the core of your body.

Same contraindications as for Kapalabhati.




Nada Yoga Throughout a LifeForce Yoga session, students are invited to practice Sanskrit sounds called mantras with postures. These tones vibrate through the 70% of the body that is fluid, calming the central nervous system and energizing specific regions. The Sanskrit language is based on verbs, so each of the sounds has an activating quality, even as chanting the sound focuses and soothes the busy mind. Mantra Bhavana Dhi-Ri-Ha Evoking strength, sometimes brings up difficult emotions “Dhi” – A key Vedic notion referring to the illumination or visionary Thought of the the ancient seers through which they penetrated The veil of the material world and caught glimpses of unconditional Reality. – Georg Feuerstein, The Shambhala Encyclopedia of Yoga. “R” Seed sound for Sun (ram), Manipura Chakra, masculine sound “Ha” – force, Sun (as in Ha-tha Yoga)

Image for Strength

Sha-Ma-Ya “Sha” – Shanti, shalom, a soothing tone

“Ma” – Word for mother in many languages, feminine sound “Ya” – Seed sound for the heart

Image for Peace

Ma-ha-ra “Ma” – Word for mother in many languages, feminine sound

“Ha” – force, Sun (as in Ha-tha Yoga) “Maha” – Grand, royal, great “Ra” – Seed sound for Sun (ram), Manipura Chakra, masculine sound

Image for Calm Strength

Ma-ha-ya “Ma” – Word for mother in many languages, feminine sound “Ha” – force, Sun (as in Ha-tha Yoga) “Maha” – Grand, royal, great “Ya” – Seed sound for the heart.

Image for strong love/compassion




LifeForce Yoga Chakra Clearing Meditation – Energizing/Grounding 1. Practice 1 – 3 rounds of Bellows Breath (Bhastrika) to clear the space. (Chap. 6 – Yoga for Depression) 2. Practice 3 rounds of Bee Breath (Brahmari) on exhale only to calm the sympathetic nervous system, using the

Shanmukhi mudra or a modification to create sensory withdrawal. (Chap. 6 – Yoga for Depression) 3. Practice the Bija mantras above from the back of the throat, emphasizing the consonant. One long consonant

on one long breath, closing the consonant with “mmm.” 4. Lift arms over head, creating an open channel. Practice 3x, using one long breath to chant through all the

tones. 5. Inhale arms over hear, interlacing fingers with index extended. Hold the breath. On exhale with “Ng” sound,

float your arms down, palms open on your knees. 6. Upon completion, sit observing the effects. You may sit for as long as you wish in meditation, observing the

breath or using your own meditation technique.

LifeForce Yoga Clearing Meditation for Calming 1. One round of Bellows Breath to meet the agitated mood and clear the space (or not) 2. Bee breath (same as above) 3. Practice calming mantras with mudras 4. Keep hands in dyana mudra in lap and Practice 3x, using one long breath to chant through all the tones.

Bellows Breath (Bhastrika):

Exhale, fists in position in front of shoulders.

Inhale, arms reach up hands open wide.

Shanmukhi practiced with Bee Breath




LifeForce Yoga Chakra Clearing Meditation Energizing

Chakra Mantra Mudra

Chakra One Muladhara (Base of spine)

Lam red

Hasta Mudra 1 Link the two little fingers together close to the base of the spine and pull.

Chakra Two Svadhisthana

(Low abdomen)

Vam orange

Hasta Mudra 2 Link the two ring fingers in front of the low abdomen and pull.

Chakra Three Manipura

(Solar plexus)

Ram yellow

Hasta Mudra 3 Link the two middle fingers in front of the solar plexus and pull.

Chakra Four Anahata (Heart)

Yam green

Dove (Kaputa) Mudra Palms together as in prayer. Keep the base of the palms and the tips of the fingers together but cup the palms.

Chakra Five Vishuddha

(Throat)

Ham blue

Lotus (Padma) Mudra Bring the hands together as in prayer. Keep the base of the palms, the little fingers and the thumbs together. Open all the other fingers wide like petals.

Chakra Six Ajna

(Third Eye)

Om violet

Kali Mudra Clasp your hands together with hands cupped, hovering close to forehead without touching, and with your index finger extended forward horizontally. Elbows out to the sides.

Chakra Seven

Sahasrara (Crown of

head)

Nnng white

Kali Mudra Clasp your hands together hovering above your crown with hands cupped, and extend your index finger vertically. Elbows out to the sides.




LifeForce Yoga Chakra Clearing Meditation Calming

Chakra Mantra Mudra

Chakra One Muladhara

(Base of spine)

Ō red

Press the tips of the two little fingers together close to the base of the spine.

Chakra Two Svadhisthana

(Low abdomen)

Ū orange

Press the tips of the two ring fingers in front of the low abdomen.

Chakra Three Manipura

(Solar plexus)

Ah yellow

Press the tips of the two middle fingers in front of the solar plexus.

Chakra Four Anahata (Heart)

Ā green

Dove (Kapota) Mudra Place hands together as in prayer in front of the heart, thumbs at the breast bone. Keep the base of the palms and the tips of the fingers together but cup the palms.

Chakra Five Vishuddha

(Throat)

Ē blue

Lotus (Padma) Mudra Place hands together as in prayer, hovering in front of the throat. Keep the base of the palms, the little fingers and the thumbs together as you spread the other fingers wide like petals.

Chakra Six Ajna

(Third Eye)

Mmm violet

Anjali Mudra Bring the hands together into prayer positions, thumbs touching the bridge of the nose and the brow.

Chakra Seven Sahasrara

(Crown of head)

Hnng white

Dhyana Mudra Place the left hand in the lap, palm facing up. Place the right hand on top of the left with the palm facing up. Bring the tips of the thumbs to lightly touch.




Meditation Beyond Mindfulness Aum Kar – “ahhh” at solar plexus; “ohhh” at heart; “mmm” at brow point, then roll sounds together

Karuna – Compassion meditation. “May you be free from suffering. May you find peace.”

Thou art with me.

I am That or Thou Art That (Tat tvam asi) (Ham So/So ham)

Vyahriti (sacred utterance) 7 mantras represent the seven spheres of existence Oldest tradition of Shabda Yoga – Vedic Period 2,500 – 500 b.c.e. Call and response: Om bho-hu, Om bhuva-ha, Om suva-ha, Om ma-ha-ha, Om jana-ha, Om Tapa-ha, Om Satyam.

Energizing Bija Mantras for Chakras: Lam, Vam, Ram, Yam, Ham, Om, Ng

Calming Mantras for Chakras: Oh, OOO (as in You), ah, ā, ē, mm, hing

Mindfulness with Mudras: Maha Chin Chin Maya Adi Mehru Danda

Kirtan Kriya (Sa Ta Na Ma) – mantra chant, mudra and visualization; chant –2, whisper – 2, silently – 3, whisper – 2, chant – 2.

Sat Kriya – 3 minutes Sit in rock pose with arms straight overhead, fingers interlaced, index fingers extended. Use the mantra Sat as you pull mula bandha, Nam as you release.

Mantra Chanting (aloud, whispered, silently)




Yoga Nidra and iRest What it is and How it Works Yoga Nidra is a form of meditative self-inquiry that, while relaxing the body, opens the mind to greater discernment and self-awareness, and the heart to love and acceptance of what is. It is a powerful tool for clearing away our limiting beliefs and emotions and for living from a more balanced (satvic) state of mind. Practiced regularly, it can be a pathway to awakening. Traditional protocols, like those developed by the Bihar School (Swami Satyananda Saraswati, Yoga Nidra) and the Himalayan Institute (Swami Rama), often move rapidly and mechanically through the body, suggesting that the practitioner visualize or sense each body part. This can be an effective means for stilling the busy mind and aligning it with body sensation and breath. Traditionally, in the visualization portion that often follows body and breath awareness and can include an evocation of memory and emotions along with an exploration of the opposites, images are provided. Sometimes these images (a mango tree, for example) are drawn from the Indian continent and are not common in the West. The psychologist and Yogi, Richard Miller has adapted this ancient Yogic practice in a protocol suitable for Western practitioners that he calls Integrated Restoration or iRest. He has developed protocols that serve specific populations such as those suffering from Post-traumatic Stress Disorder, children, the homeless, and those suffering from other psychological and physiological imbalances. In addition, he has identified several later stages of the iRest Yoga Nidra protocol that point the practitioner to her “True Nature,” and dissolve the sense of “I” as a separate self. In the iRest protocols, visual images are not dictated to the practitioner, allowing more space for him to visual images that suit his current state of mind. The traditional protocols, as well as iRest, progressively release tension accumulated in the muscular, emotional, and mental systems. Muscular tensions “are easily removed by the deep physical relaxation attained in the state of Yoga Nidra,” says Swami Satyananda Saraswati. He goes on to explain how emotional tensions, “which stem from the various dualities” are more difficult to erase and cannot be relaxed through ordinary sleep or relaxation. “Yoga Nidra can tranquilize the entire emotional structure of the mind.” Mental tensions, which are the result of excessive mental activity, can be harmonized in Yoga Nidra practice. “Yoga Nidra is the science of relaxation which enables each of us to dive deep down into the realms of the subconscious mind, thereby releasing and relaxing mental tensions, and establishing harmony in all facets of our being.” (Yoga Nidra, pg 13) Through the practice of Yoga Nidra, we are not only relaxing, but transforming our personality structure. In Yogic terms, we are releasing the samskaras, those karmic knots formed in reaction to our actions that form a web of responses called the vasanas. This web is the template for our conditioned responses to the world. When we react from our conditioned responses, we are not free. When we find ourselves constricting in anger or grief, the practice of Yoga Nidra can immediately dissolve the constriction and progressively change our established mental patterns, so that when strong emotion does arise, we may begin to witness and welcome it, inquiring into its antecedents, without the need to react. The Dalai Lama says that anger is blind energy. Yoga Nidra removes the blindness, so that we can observe the energy without reacting. In brain science terms, we are re-forming the neuronal pathways that may have been established in response to insufficient or inappropriate care from out primary caregivers, or the experiences of hurt and isolation we have had during our lives. Here is Richard Miller’s description of why we might choose to engage in a regular iRest practice: “…to induce deep relaxation throughout the body and mind, eliminate stress, overcome insomnia, solve personal and interpersonal problems, resolve trauma, and to neutralize and overcome anxiety, fear, anger and depression.” Once these muscular, mental, and emotional tensions begin to dissolve, we are drawn to continue the regular practice of iRest, because the protocol “provides us with guidelines for investigating and going beyond self-limiting beliefs and conditions in order to




break free of restrictive patterns so that we can live a contented life, free of conflict, anxiety, fear, dissatisfaction and suffering.” (Richard Miller, PhD, Integrative Restoration – Level I Training Manual, pg 1) Basic Yoga Nidra Practice

Let’s look at the steps and stages of Yoga Nidra practice that can provide benefits beyond those experienced during a guided relaxation in the supine position of corpse pose (savasana) at the end of Yoga class. The following are adapted from Richard Miller’s basic iRest protocol. Steps

i. Intention ii. Heartfelt Prayer (sankalpa) iii. Inner Resource (useful when working with trauma and negative mood states)

Stages 6. Awareness of Sensation (annamaya kosha) 7. Awareness of Breath & Energy (pranamaya kosha) 8. Awareness of Feelings & Emotions (manomaya kosha) 9. Awareness of Thoughts, Images, & Beliefs (vijnanamaya kosha) 10. Awareness of Joy, Bliss & Love (anandamaya kosha)

Steps iv. Return to Heartfelt Prayer v. Return to Awareness of Breath vi. Return to Awareness of Sensation

Woven throughout each of the Stages and the last three steps is awareness of Awareness itself. In leading the practice, this can be expressed as an awareness of space around the body, as a sense of no separation between the energy that surrounds and the energy that permeates the body, as a global body feeling of energy that expands far beyond the body, as a sense of timelessness, formlessness, emptiness and abundance, or a feeling of wholeness, as a feeling of intimate and eternal connection to all that is, and as an awareness of your “True Nature.” Here is a way I might use language to express this: Is there any separation between the ocean of healing energy that surrounds you, and the rivers of healing energy flowing through you now? You are that energy. Here is a way Richard Miller might express this awareness of Spacious Consciousness or Awareness itself: “relinquish observing…and become observing itself. Then, as you return to activity, know that you are the awareness that underlies all of life, seemingly separate but, in fact, never separate—always whole and undivided.” (“One Taste – A Final Meditation,” Manual for the Level I Integrative Restoration Training, pg 171).




Suggested Yoga Nidra Map While there are many ways to relax the body and mind that produce the state of Yoga Nidra, here is a map suggested by Richard that is based on inviting attention to the most sensitive areas of the sensory motor cortex and creating a left lateral shift in the brain, which, as we’ve seen, is useful in addressing the depressed mood. The following is a general outline. The actual language may be far more detailed.

1. Head beginning with the mouth 2. Left hand & arm 3. Right hand & arm 4. Torso – front & back 5. Left leg 6. Right leg 7. Chakras 8. Major body parts 9. Global body 10. Space/awareness/witness

“You are more than what arises. You are That from which everything arises.”

~ Richard Miller “Deep inside you is a fountain of bliss, a fountain of joy. Deep inside your center core is truth, light, love, there is no guilt there, there is no fear there. Psychologists have never looked deep enough.”

~ Sri Sri Ravi Shankar




RESOURCES Yoga Alliance: www.Yogaalliance.com International Association of Yoga Therapists: www.IAYT.org "Cape Cod Institute LifeForce Yoga Empower Your Clients to Manage Their Moods" Power Point http://yogafordepression.com/cape-cod-institute/

Books Berceli, David, Trauma Releasing Exercises (TRE): A Revolutionary New Method for Stress/Trauma Recovery.

BookSurge, 2005. Brach, Tara, Radical Acceptance. New York: Bantam Books, 2003. Broad, Williiam, The Science of Yoga. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2012. Brown, Richard; Gerbarg, Patricia; Muskin, Philip. How to Use Herbs, Nutrients & Yoga in Mental Health Care. New

York: W.W. Norton, 2008 Brown, Richard; Gerbarg. The Healing Power of the Breath. Boston: Shambhala Publications, 2012 Burns, David D., The Feeling Good Handbook. New York: Penguin, 1990. Cope, Stephen, Yoga and the Quest for the True Self. New York: Bantam, 1999. Cope, Stephen, The Wisdom of Yoga. New York: Bantam, 2006. Cobb, Elissa, The Forgotten Body: A Way of Knowing and Understanding Self, Satya House Publications, 2008. Emerson, David; Hopper, Elizabeth, Overcoming Trauma Through Yoga: Reclaiming Your Body. North Atlantic Books,

2011. Emmons, Henry, The Chemistry of Joy: A Three-Step Program for Overcoming Depression through Western Science

and Eastern Wisdom. New York: Fireside, 2009. Faulds, Richard, Kripalu Yoga. New York: Bantam, 2006. Forbes, Bo, Yoga for Emotional Balance. Boston: Shambhala, 2011. Gordon, James S., Unstuck: Your Guide to the Seven-Stage Journey Out of Depression. New York: Penguin Press,

2008 Hanson, Rick; Mendius, Richard, Buddha’s Brain: The Practical neuroscience of Happiness, Love & Wisdom. Oakland,

CA: New Harbinger Publications, 2009. Iyengar, B.K.S., Yoga: The Path to Holistic Health. London: Dorling Kindersley, 2001. Kabat-Zinn, Jon, Full Catastrophe Living. New York: Bantam Doubleday Dell, 1990. Khalsa, Dharma Singh, Meditation as Medicine. New York: Pocket Books, 2001. Kraftsow, Gary, Yoga for Wellness: Healing with the Timeless Teachings of ViniYoga. New York: Penguin, 1999. Lambert, Kelly, Lifting Depression: A Neuroscientist’s Hands-On Approach to Activating Your Brain’s Healing Power.

New York: Basic Books, 2008/ Levine, Stephen, A Gradual Awakening. NewYork: Anchor Books, 1979, 1989. Liebler, Nancy; Moss, Sandra, Healing Depression the Mind-Body Way: Creating Happiness with Meditation, Yoga and

Ayurveda. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, 2009. Martin, Philip, The Zen Path through Depression. New York: HarperCollins, 1999. McGonigal, Kelly, Yoga for Pain Relief: Simple Practices to Calm your Mind and Heal Your Chronic Pain. Oakland, CA:

New Harbinger Publications, 2009. Miller, Richard, Yoga Nidra: The Meditative Heart of Yoga. Boulder, CO: Sounds True, 2006. Naiman, Rubin, Healing Night: The Science of Sleeping, Dreaming and Awakening. Minneapolis, MN: Syren Books,

2006. Paul, Russill, The Yoga of Sound. Novato, CA: New World Library, 2004. Rothschild, Babette, The Body Remembers: Casebook. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2003. Saraswati, Satyananda, Yoga Nidra. Munger, Bihar, India: Swami Satyananda Saraswati, 1976, 2006. Schwartz, Richard C. Introduction to the Internal Family Systems Model, Oak Park: Trailheads Publications, 2001. Shannahoff-Khalsa, David, Kundalini Yoga Meditation: Techniques Specific for Psychiatric Disorders, Couples Therapy

& Personal Growth. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2006.


http://www.yogaalliance.com/

http://www.iayt.org/



Shapiro, Shauna; Carlson, Linda, The Art and Science of Mindfulness: Integrating Mindfulness into Psychology and the Helping Professions. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association, 2009.

Siegel, Daniel J., The Mindful Brain. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2007. Weintraub, Amy, Yoga for Depression. New York: Broadway Books, 2004. Weintraub, Amy Yoga Skills for Therapists. New York: W.W. Norton, 2012. Other Resources LifeForce Yoga Practitioner Training for Anxiety & Depression – for health professionals and yoga teachers—2 levels of training, 58 hours each and mentoring with yoga therapists and mental health professionals. Jan—Tucson; July—Kripalu; Yogavile, Virginia—April. http://yogafordepression.com/practitioner-training/ LifeForce Yoga Practitioner Training in three Modules: Module A – Experiential, February—Sivananda Ashram, Bahamas; Module B – Online Learning offered twice a year; Module C – Mentoring via Skype LifeForce Yoga: Empower Your Clients to Manage Their Moods—15 hours, July/August LifeForce Yoga Research and News – current research on yoga and mental health; book reviews & news http://yogafordepression.com/section/research-newsletter/ LifeForce Yoga Audio Series: Breathe to Beat the Blues, LifeForce Yoga Nidra to Manage Your Mood, LifeForce Yoga Bhavana: Say Yes to Yourself, LifeForce Yoga Chakra Clearing Meditation for Mood LifeForce Yoga Video series: LifeForce Yoga to Beat the Blues, Level 1 & Level www.yogafordepression.com




IN CONSULTATION By Amy Weintraub Take a Breath Using yoga to create a sense of well-being in your office Q: I've recently joined a yoga class and notice how much lighter and happier I feel afterward. I'm wondering if there are aspects of yoga that I can offer in my office to help my clients. A: Many yoga strategies appropriate for a clinical setting can help your clients manage their moods more effectively at home and increase their sense of self-efficacy. Some yoga techniques can help you and your client right there in the session. Ancient yogis didn't have fMRI's or CAT scans, and yet, using the laboratory of their bodies and minds, they developed a system to help us sustain a more balanced state of being. A qualified yoga teacher or yoga therapist can teach your client many mood-managing practices that don't belong in the consultation room, but you yourself can use certain yogic tools without becoming a yoga teacher. Let's start with the breath. Yoga teaches us that the breath is a pretty good indicator of mood. Often when people are depressed, they're breathing so shallowly that they may not be getting enough oxygen to the brain. Oxygen and glucose are two main building blocks for neurotransmitters, so if the shoulders are slumped and the breathing is coming from the upper chest, the brain may not be getting the components it needs to create the biochemistry of well-being. Imagine that your client is slumped on the couch and saying little. You might invite her to sit up straighter, place her right hand on her belly, and breathe in through her nose so she can feel the breath lifting her abdomen against her hand. As she exhales, encourage her to feel the rhythm of the breath through her hand. Once she feels comfortable doing that, you can suggest that she place her left hand on her chest so she can feel the breath first moving into the bottom of her lungs and then expanding into her rib cage. Suggest that she release the breath slowly, drawing the navel back toward her spine. The next step would be to invite her to bring the breath first into the lower part of the lungs, expanding the belly, then into the midsection of the lungs so the chest lifts and the ribcage expands, and then all the way up to the collarbone. Again, she releases the breath slowly. You might suggest a 4 count in and a 4 count out. What you and she are doing is a yogic breathing exercise known as Three-Part Breath (Dirga Pranayama), about which research is accumulating, especially research on its effects on the parasympathetic nervous system. Let's say your client tells you she can't get a deep breath sitting on the couch. It may be easier for her to learn this breath from a supine position. If you and she are comfortable and your floor is clean, you can invite her to try the breath lying down. Another way to facilitate this deep-breathing practice for someone who's struggling is to invite your client to make a simple sound, like "ah" or "e-i-e-i-o." To make the sound, she'll have to take a deep breath. Asking a client to make such a sound can be an excellent way to interrupt a panic attack. When a client is experiencing an inability to breathe normally because his level of anxiety is high, he isn't going to be amenable to the suggestion to take a deep breath. He can't. But if you ask him to sing "e-i-e-i-o" with you, you're tricking his mind into taking a deep breath. As he sings with you, he's letting the breath out slowly, and research shows that a slow exhalation is calming to the autonomic nervous system. Let's say your client is jumping out of her skin. Her speech is rapid and chaotic. You've pieced together that her 3-year-old has a temperature and a cough, her babysitter was late, she's gotten a speeding ticket on the way over, and she's just learned that her full-time position in the university library has been cut to part-time. She may lose her benefits, which might include her treatment with you. You both might need a little self-soothing at this point, and she certainly would benefit from a calming, cooling breath. (One added boon of teaching your client a yogic strategy is that you get the benefit, too!) You might teach her to use an alternate-nostril-breathing practice (nadi shodhana) to calm and balance her




mind. Studies have shown a correlation between unilateral nostril breathing and hemispheric activity in the brain, which effects mood. You might teach her another self-soothing technique that involves breath, imagery, and sound. Yogis have been using guided imagery (bhavana) and sound (mantra) for thousands of years to help balance and manage mood. Invite her to close her eyes and imagine a place where she feels calm and serene—either a made-up place, or one she remembers where she felt totally relaxed and at ease. Some people have trouble visualizing, but I resist the impulse to suggest an image, because I want my clients to feel that they're in the driver's seat. "If an image isn't there," I'll say, "then simply think the word peace." When she has that image or the word peace in her heart's mind (60 percent of the cells in our heart are identical to the cells in our brain), here's how I lead it: "Inhale while you extend your arms out in front of your solar plexus (your abdomen) for the count of 4. Hold the breath for 4 counts and see that soothing image, or think the word peace in your heart's mind, your mind's heart. Exhale through the nostrils for a count of 6, drawing your hands to your solar plexus." We might repeat the gesture and breath 3 times, and then do another 3 rounds, but this time, drawing the hands to the heart. While holding the breath, I might verbalize a mantra like "I am that." This is the English translation of the Sanskrit Tat tvam asi. When I use it, I'm suggesting that there's no separation between that image of serenity and peace and the client herself. Once your client is settled and relaxed, you can introduce a breath like stairstep breath (analoma krama) to clear away the tensions of the day. This involves short sips of breath to fill the lungs, followed by a long slow exhale. You can add a brief 4-count retention, during which you guide your client to envision an image for calm strength, or silently to repeat a calming, soothing, or self-empowering phrase. I resist the impulse to provide the phrase, but I work with my client to allow the affirmation (sankalpa) to arise from the calm state of mind—his natural state of being when the accumulated tensions have been dissolved with his breathing practice. The coaching may come in helping him revise his phrase from future to present tense. So, for example, instead of "May I be calm and clear-minded," he might say, "I am calm and clear-minded." Or if his chaotic mind resists what sounds false in that moment, you might inquire if the phrase "clarity breathes through me now," feels more authentic. Many clients and students come to therapy or to yoga class in bodies they've disowned. Life has taught them that it's safer to live from the neck up. Without saying "It's safe here" (because the mind might argue against such a notion), the therapist can create, with a few yogic strategies, a sanctuary of safety where clients can begin to sense their bodies again and reoccupy the disowned parts of themselves. Therapists who can teach their clients techniques to self-soothe and manage their moods aren't only empowering them to take control of their lives, but creating a firm alliance and a haven for recovery. One of the greatest gifts yoga offers someone absorbed in depression, or mulling over a story yet again, is the opportunity to be present to pure sensation. In that moment, the story doesn't exist. Yogic practices absorb the mind in sensation, providing a window into moments of tranquility, when the identification with victimhood or the fusing with the mood is dropped. There's neither resistance nor striving. The fog of depression dissolves, even if fleetingly at first, in the light of the present moment. And you can give your client a glimpse of this feeling of well-being right in the consultation room. Amy Weintraub, M.F.A, E.R.Y.T, the author of Yoga for Depression, leads LifeForce Yoga Practitioner trainings for mental health professionals around the world. Contact: [email protected]; www.yogafordepression.com.


mailto:[email protected]




Articles of Interest “The Limits of Talk: Bessel van der Kolk wants to Transform the Treatment of Trauma,” by Mary Sykes Wylie, Psychotherapy Networker, Jan/Feb, 2004. “Applying the Brakes: In Trauma Treatment Creating Safety is Essential,” by Babette Rothschild, Psychotherapy Networker, Jan/Feb, 2004. “Yoga and Psychotherapy,” by Christine Ware, Ph.D., Yoga Therapy in Practice, June, 2007. “Harvesting the Full Potential of Group Therapy Classes,” Matthew Taylor, PT, PhD, RYT, International Journal of Yoga Therapy, 16, 2006, 33-37. “The Effects of Two Types of Meditation Techniques on Self-Efficacy Beliefs in Persons in CDC Stages II and III of HIV Disease,” Shanti Shanti Kaur Khalsa, PhD, presented at the IAYT Symposium on Yoga Therapy and Research (SYTAR), January, 2007. “Treatment of chronic insomnia with yoga: a preliminary study with sleep-wake diaries,” Sat Bir Singh Khalsa, PhD, International Yoga Therapy Symposium, May, 2006. “Exploring Yoga as Therapy,” by Ganesh Mohan, International Journal of Yoga Therapy, 16, 2006. “Take a Breath, Break the Silence: The Effects of Yogic Breathing and Testimony About Battering on Feelings of Self-Efficacy in Battered Women,” by Susan Franzblau, PhD, Michelle Smith, Sonia Echevarria, and Thomas van Canfort, PhD, International Journal of Yoga Therapy, 16, 2006. “Teaching Therapeutic Yoga to Medical Outpatients: Practice Descriptions, Process Reflections, and Preliminary Outcomes,” by Kirsten T. Gabriel, MA, RYT, Katie M. Edwards, Seoka Salstrom, MS, Manjula Spears, RYT, and Richard Panico, MD, International Journal of Yoga Therapy, 16, 2006.


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