Greet Yourself & Your Day with LifeForce Yoga Presented by Allie Middleton, JD, LCSW, ERYT, C-IAYT, LFYP-2 LifeForce Yoga Healing Institute Training Faculty Workshop Goals • To create a “safe container” • To bring balance to the emotional body • To learn practices that energize, reducing feelings of depression • To learn practices that calm feelings of anxiety • To bring more prana (life force energy) into the body • To encourage feelings of connection and wholeness

LifeForce Yoga • Accessible tools to manage mood – breath, sound, intention, visualization, hand gestures, movement, meditation, self-inquiry, and meditative relaxation • Meet the mood first, then practice the intervention, and finally balance • Ancient yogic practices informed by current research in the field of mental health and neuroscience • Views the individual as whole and connected “Crying is one of the highest Pillars of LifeForce Yoga: spiritual practice. One who 1. Commitment knows crying know yoga.” 2. Self-study/self-awareness – Swami Kripalu 3. Compassion Tapas svadyaya ishvarapranidana kriya yoga, Yoga Sutras of Patanjali 2:1

Breathing Practices to meet the lethargic/depressed mood (tamas in yoga) & calm the anxious mood (rajas in yoga): Stair Step Yogic 3 Part Breath Alternate Nostril Ocean Sounding Breath – Ujjayi Bee Breath – Brahmari Breathing Practices to meet the anxious mood (rajas in yoga) & energize lethargic/ depressed mood (tamas in yoga): Breath of Joy Power Hara Pulling Prana Bellows Breath

Stair Step Breath This practice is excellent for anyone who has a difficult time with the breath, or has trouble taking a deep breath. It is also a preferred way to begin over Yogic Three-Part Breath when emotions may have been suppressed or repressed. This breath circumvents emotional flooding, which can occur when there is suppressed or repressed emotion and accompanying upper chest breathing. 1. Take little steps up, through the nostrils, as though you are climbing a mountain. a. Pause at the top of your mountain and see something that lights you up inside. b. Slide down the mountain c. Repeat 2. Next take an elevator ride up to the top of your mountain a. Pause and see something that makes your heart smile b. Little steps down the mountain c. Repeat 3. Next, take little steps up the mountain a. Pause and see something pleasing

©2018 LifeForce Yoga Healing Institute www.yogafordepression.com 1 / 4 Greet Yourself & Your Day with LifeForce Yoga Presented by Allie Middleton, JD, LCSW, ERYT, C-IAYT, LFYP-2 LifeForce Yoga Healing Institute Training Faculty b. Little steps down the mountain c. Repeat 4. Take little steps up, as though you are climbing a mountain. a. Pause at the top of your mountain and see something that lights you up inside. b. Slide down the mountain

Breath of Joy 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 “LUM,” bending the knees more deeply as you sink into a standing squat (chair pose) 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. “Sense into face, arms, the tingling in the palms, the fingertips, the spaces between the fingers.” • If you feel light-headed, practice less vigorously, or stop for a minute and try again. You may also wish to practice in a chair. Contraindications: unmedicated high blood pressure

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. • On the exhale you will be drawing the back of your tongue to the back of your throat, as though dislodging a popcorn kernel, keeping the throat relaxed • 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. 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). LFYPs have found in useful for insomnia, and for ADD & ADHD and for those on the autistic spectrum.

Mudras for the Practice of Bee Breath

©2018 LifeForce Yoga Healing Institute www.yogafordepression.com 2 / 4 Greet Yourself & Your Day with LifeForce Yoga Presented by Allie Middleton, JD, LCSW, ERYT, C-IAYT, LFYP-2 LifeForce Yoga Healing Institute Training Faculty You may also use Shanmukhi mudra or a modification to enhance the withdrawal of the senses (pratyahara.) Shanmukhi mudra • Index fingers point to the brow point; • Middle fingers cover the eyelids; • Ring fingers are at the edge of the nostrils, not touching the nostrils; • Little fingers are placed at the edge of the lips, • Thumbs press the outer cartilage near cheekbone into the ear canals. • If your client/student dislikes shanmukhi mudra or suffers from sound sensitivity use one of the following alternatives.

Helmet mudra • Bring the hands to the top of the head • Pinky/little fingers meet at the hairline • The rest of the fingers spread along the scalp, touching or reaching toward each other • Thumbs press the outer cartilage into the ear canals

CHAKRA MANTRAS

Sounds Image (Bhavana) Dhi-Ri-Ha Image for Strength Evoking strength, sometimes brings up difficult emotions Sha-Ma-Ya “Sha” – Shanti, shalom, a soothing tone Image for Peace “Ma” – Word for mother in many languages, feminine sound “Ya” – Seed sound for the heart

©2018 LifeForce Yoga Healing Institute www.yogafordepression.com 3 / 4 Greet Yourself & Your Day with LifeForce Yoga Presented by Allie Middleton, JD, LCSW, ERYT, C-IAYT, LFYP-2 LifeForce Yoga Healing Institute Training Faculty Ma-ha-ra “Ma” – Word for mother in many languages, feminine sound “Ha” – force, Sun (as in Ha-tha Yoga) Image for Calm Strength “Maha” – Grand, royal, great “Ra” – Seed sound for Sun (ram), Manipura Chakra, masculine sound Ma-ha-ya “Ma” – Word for mother in many languages, feminine sound Image for strong love/ “Ha” – force, Sun (as in Ha-tha Yoga) compassion “Maha” – Grand, royal, great “Ya” – Seed sound for the heart.

Combining Mantra with Imagery We enhance the effect to the mantra when we combine these tones with appropriate visualizations, brief breath retention and mudra. For example: • Mantra: Ma-ha-ra • Visualization: Calm strength (give permission to students to think or see the words “calm strength” if a visual image isn’t clear.) • Breath: 4 count inhalation/ 4 count retention/ use mantra on exhalation • Arms extend in front of solar plexus on inhalation, are held out on retention, then return to hands folded over heart as mantra is chanted.

Resources: www.yogafordepression.com – free practices YouTube Channel: www.youtube.com/user/YogaForDepression LifeForce Yoga Audio Series: Breathe to Beat the Blues, Amy Weintraub LifeForce Yoga Nidra, Amy Weintraub LifeForce Yoga Bhavana, Amy Weintraub LifeForce Yoga Chakra Clearing Meditation, Amy Weintraub Mantra Chanting with Rose, Rose Kress LifeForce Yoga Video series: LifeForce Yoga to Beat the Blues, Level 1 & Level 2, Amy Weintraub

Allie Middleton JD LCSW E-RYT C-IAYT *Integrative Leadership Practices* Deep dive coaching for the courageous - experienced somatic coach and certified yoga therapist https://www.linkedin.com/in/alliemiddleton [email protected] Being deeply loved gives you strength, while loving deeply gives you courage. ~ Lao-tzu

©2018 LifeForce Yoga Healing Institute www.yogafordepression.com 4 / 4