Wellness as a Way of Life

Discovery Yoga "Wellness as a Way of Life" 9/21-22

We can make our minds so like still water that beings gather about us, that they may see, it may be, their own images, and so live for a moment with a clearer, perhaps even with a fiercer life because of our quiet.

-William Butler Yeats

Christopher Baxter led this two day workshop on wellness. We discussed what is the goal of yoga? Ultimately all being want to be happy. We so often think of yoga and wellness in this sense of asana or physical practices when the goal is really for us to be well so that we may bring that to others.

So, how do we get happy? Contrary to Western belief happiness does not lie at the bottom of a late' or deep within our TV's. To not just be happy, but to remain happy the Buddha teaches that we must realize this:

1. All things are impermanent.

2. Our lives are short, restricted, and unsatisfying.

The cure is through the path. Bringing in three categories of wellness:

1. Body & Breath

Ex: physical respiration, yoga, fitness, walking, diet. Physical sheath (Anamyakosha)

2. Energy & Emotions

Ex: connection to mental state, feelings, sensations, moods, stress. Most suffering happens in the emotional body.

3. Mind & Mindfulness

Ex: Buddhist & mind training practices, alertness, energy, attention.

* All are interconnected, together=wellness. Root in awareness.

What has worked for me:

Body & Breath

• yoga asanas
• biking
• running/ walking
• posture awareness
• breath work
• painting
• teaching

Resources:

Yoga for Wellness- Gary Kraftsow

Yoga as Medicine- Timothy McCall

International Association Yoga Therapists IAYT

Energy & Emotions

• journaling
• painting
• meditation
• research
• support from family
• exercise
• cognitive therapy (awareness of reality)
• mantras/ affirmations
• contemplation of the divine

Resources:

Emotional Intelligence- Daniel Goleman

Path with the Heart- Jack Kornfeild

Eastern Body Western Mind- Anodea Judith

Writing Down to Bones- Natalie Goldberg

Mind & Mindfulness

• Tantric and Buddhist mind training techniques
• reading
• mantra meditation
• workshops/ research
• teaching
• listening
• chanting/ singing
• painting
• writing

Resources:

Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction- Jon Cabot-Zinn

Start Where You Are- Pema Chodrun

Joyful Wisdom- Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche

Now to find a holistic wellness plan for you:

Think of the things you are already doing in these categories that are working. Then make a separate list of where you would like to go next.

Think about what is out of balance in your life? What are the effects? What is needed to balance?

Then make a plan. Set goals.

Something daily, weekly, monthly, seasonally, and annually that you can make a part of your life to create wellness.

Wellness as a way of life. Yoga as a core set of lifetime skills. Building on the foundation of yoga. Deepen your own awareness through direct experience. Expand into other applications and complimentary disciplines. Integrate the expanded, enhanced awareness into your services to others.

-Christopher Baxter

Thank you Christopher and all of the other wonderful people who were apart of this workshop.

Light, love, and energy is contagious.