FATHER JOE’S MEDITATION PROTOCOL BASED ON THE IYENGAR METHOD OF YOGA INSPIRED BY MOTHER TERESA - 1 - INTRODUCTION The Covid 19 pandemic is probably unprecedented in human history bring- ing a crisis of public health, a crisis of leadership, a moral crisis with inequity between people, and a crisis of livelihoods all at the same time. The lockdowns have resulted in grave mental health issues, family separations and tensions. The patients affected by COVID -19 have faced fear and an overwhelming tsunami of inflammation occurring in the body leading to admission in intensive care in the hospital. Father Joe Pereira has been teaching us Meditation since the last 34 years We requested him to have an 8 day Meditation retreat in July 2020.The idea of doing these asanas is to provide some solution to depression and other “lockdown” mental health issues. The protocol helps bring resilience, hope and connection to the atman – the strength of the innermost being. Meditation also brings the effect of reducing inflammation. Both hypertension and diabetes are co-morbid- ities associated with greater risks in the pandemic. The cytokine rush syndrome has inflammation at the root of the grave complications of Covid 19. Participants reported a fall in their blood sugar, blood pressure, resting heart rate or their use of insulin which signal a relaxation response. Father Joe draws on the teachings of Guru BKS Iyenger, inspiration from Mother Teresa whom he had worked together for many years. He uses the scientific studies by Harvard’s Herbert Benson and scientists Eddie Weitzburg and Jon Lundberg of Karolinska Institute in Sweden on their work on Nitric oxide in breathing to heal the body. This little booklet is to remind practitioners about the protocol and take it everywhere on phones and other devices as a reminder to practice. Please share widely so it can help friends, family or colleagues to deal with the pandemic with positivity and strength. We hope that the meditation protocol based on ancient yogic techniques which are over 3000 years old will bring hope and resilience and help to overcome all difficulties. Dr Swati and Ajay Piramal Mumbai August 2020 - 2 - POWER TO THE PEACEFUL BKS Iyengar, the legendary yoga master, in his 93rd year in Pune India, describes prana as the breath of life of all beings in the Universe. We are all born into prana and when we die our individual breath merges with the cosmic breath. But how is one able to approach the invisible and mysterious universal soul? What can we know of liberation in the practice of pranayama? The ancient texts of yoga, Hatha Yoga Pradipika, says simply, “Breath is the key to ultimate emancipation.” When done properly and when the body is well pre- pared, the yoga practitioner can practice working with the breath to experience the merging of individual self with the universal soul and know silence within. BKS Iyengar states that the three stages of breath in pranayama — inhalation, re- tention and exhalation — are the means by which we can abide in stillness in both body and mind and merge with the great mystery. During inhalation we invite prana into the house, he says. And when prana enters, the individual self moves out of the way for the soul. We generate energy, expansion and awareness within. Mr. Iyengar believes that in normal breathing the brain is drawing energy to it- self. The energy causes tension in the brain and thus the breath is constricted. However during the practice of pranayama the brain relaxes and is kept in a pas- sive, receptive state. Then the physical body initiates active breathing. Rather than sucking in air, or grasping for prana, the body receives the breath as one does a respected guest. BKS Iyengar says we must cajole the breath as one would a skit- tish animal. Nothing can be forced; receptivity is everything. Do pranayama with the intelligence of the heart — not the brain. Beginning pranayama is a big step. The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali Pada Two – Sad- dhana Pada 49 to 53 state that we must build strength in the body and stability in the nervous system through yoga asanas (poses) before attempting pranayama. He also cautions that if one should feel tension in the head or around the temples, one must revert to normal breathing since you are initiating the breath from your brain and working aggressively. Written by Kelly Murphy. Re-posted from Synergy Magazine - Original Publish date: January 17th, 2012 - 3 - RELAXATION RESPONSE The term “Relaxation Response” was coined by Dr. Herbert Benson, professor, author, cardiologist, and founder of Harvard’s Mind/Body Medical Institute. The response is defined as your personal ability to encourage your body to release chemicals and brain signals that make your muscles and organs slow down and increase blood flow to the brain. Dr. Benson describes the scientific benefits of relaxation, explaining that regular practice of the Relaxation Response can be an effective treatment for a wide range of stress-related disorders. Benson can be largely credited for demystifying meditation and helping to bring it into the mainstream, by renaming meditation the “Relaxation Response.” His studies in the 1960s and 1970s were able to show that meditation promotes better health, especially in individuals with hypertension. People who meditate regu- larly enjoy lower stress levels, increased wellbeing, and even were able to reduce their blood pressure levels and resting heart rate. • The fight-or-flight stress response occurs naturally when we perceive that we are under excessive pressure, and it is designed to protect us from bodily harm. Our sympathetic nervous system becomes immediately engaged in creating a number of physiological changes, including increased metabo- lism, blood pressure, heart and breathing rate, dilation of pupils, constric- tion of our blood vessels, all of which work to enable us to fight or flee from a stressful or dangerous situation. • According to Dr. Benson, using the Relaxation Response is beneficial, as it counteracts the physiological effects of stress and the fight or flight re- sponse. • True relaxation can also be achieved by removing yourself from everyday thought and by choosing a word, sound, phrase, prayer, or by focusing on your breathing. • According to Dr. Benson, one of the most valuable things we can do in life is to learn deep relaxation — making an effort to spend some time every day quieting our minds to create inner peace and better health. • https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/heart-and-soul-healing/201303/dr-her- bert-benson-s-relaxation-response - 4 - PRANAYAMA REDUCES INFLAMMATION Certain complementary practices may be helpful adjunctive means of treating and/or preventing SARS-CoV-2 infection19 and helping to reduce severity of COVID-19 disease, including its collateral effects and sequelae. There is a body of literature relevant to the anti-stress and anti-inflammatory effects of certain seated meditation, yoga asanas, and pranayama practices. Such studies include demonstrating promising immune effects relevant to improving lung health and reducing viral susceptibility and improving acute respiratory infections. The po- tential benefits of these practices extend to broader neuro-immune systems, an advantage when dealing with Covid 19. Such complementary practices have been found to act as a regulating influence on a number of key inflammatory functions that is disrupted by Covid -19 Meditation and Yoga Practices as Potential Adjunctive Treatment of SARS-CoV-2 Infection and COVID-19: A Brief Overview of Key Subjects -William Bushell , Ryan Castle, Michelle A. Williams Kimberly C. Brouwer, Rudolph E. Tanzi , Deepak Chopra , and Paul J. Mills - 5 - SAVASANA Lie back in Savasana on a vertical bolster with the following options a) legs crossed either in Sukhasan, b) Supta Veerasana Savasana SUPT- VEERASANA Supt- Veerasana Savasana (Sanskrit: Savaasana; IAST: śavāsana), Corpse Pose, or Mrtasana, is an asa- na in hatha yoga and modern yoga as exercise, often used for relaxation at the end of a session. Savasana maintains the balance between relaxation and medi- tation (two key components of yoga) by their equal input of physical stimuli. To perform Savasana, lie on the back with the legs spread as wide as the yoga mat and arms relaxed to the side, and the eyes closed. The whole body is relaxed on the floor with an awareness of the chest and abdomen rising and falling with each breath. During Savasana, all parts of the body are scanned for muscular tension of any kind. Any muscular tension the body finds is consciously released as it is found. All control of the breath, the mind, and the body is then released for the duration of the asana. - 6 - SAVASANA AND UJJAYI Then one extends the legs ... at that point one has to adjust the pelvis by bending the knees and allowing the sacrum to slide down.. then stretch the legs one by one and stay to get into both Savasana and mindful breathing which is the first basic Pranayama called ujjayee. Savasana and Ujjayi BHISHMASANA– CARDIAC POSE Using two bricks- one upright brick and one horizontal brick for the shoulder blades (below the atrium of the heart). After a few minutes move lower brick a little lower for the heart ventricles. Bhishmasana– Cardiac Pose - 7 - CHAIR SAVASANA Use a chair or sofa to support and rest the calf muscles- they are the “second heart” of the body. Chair Savasana VILOMA PRANAYAMA 2 Sitting upright. Practice of Viloma Pranayama -2 (bahya kumbhaka) Inhale deeply and start exhaling and hold the breath for 3-4 seconds then continue breathing and again hold the breath for 3-4 seconds and then breathe in slightly and fully exhale and hold the breath for 3-4 seconds.