Making Peace with Our Mind by Working through Our Body

by Misako Lauritzen

Sometimes our internal voices are so loud that we can hardly hear ourselves speak, which may sound like a funny thing to say, but it accurately describes what happens with me from time to time. It is as if there are multiples of us, talking over each other out of turn. In the beginning you, as the Master Self, are thinking that you are going to talk some senses into these little voices. However, after a few minutes of the cacophony you are no longer certain which one of you is dominant. You feel that you  have no control over your mind any longer.

Having been a career researcher/consultant for much of my adult life, I have relied upon "logic" to solve problems that come up in my daily life. Sometimes it worked, but very often with the most complicated issues.... such as the matters of the heart, it didn't quite work as well. Multiple voices argued; each one with its own logic, and it all sounded "valid." I could not pick sides.

When you realize that the way you have been making sense of the world no longer works, you have to come up with new ways: new ways of seeing, of knowing, and of experiencing the reality. New strategies to make peace with our own internal struggles.

Meditation is one option; however, not all of us are wired to sit down quietly. For people who are more action-oriented, there are ways to make peace with our mind through our bodies.

Today I would like to share with you some yoga poses which I practice to calm my mind and to achieve compassion for myself and others.

                                            Tree Pose

Stand up straight and shift your weight to your left foot. Lift the right leg and place your right foot on the inside of the left thigh near the groin, ideally as high as it can go. If you have difficulties, you may place your foot against the knee or calf. Put your palms together in the center of your chest. Fix your gaze on a specific point.

Tree Pose is great for developing the sense of balance and ability to focus. When your mind is unsettled, you are more likely to fall out of balance. If you do, just pick yourself up and start over. Also in real life we stumble sometimes. When that happens, we just have to pick ourselves up and start over. There is nothing wrong here; it is just that there is work to be done.

                                          Archer Pose

Step into a lunge with your right foot and bend the leg until the knee is directly over the ankle. The left leg remains extended. Make sure to keep your upper body vertical and not to lean forward or backward.

Raise both arms horizontally. Stretch your right arm to the front and bend the left arm against your chest as if you are drawing a bow. Make fists with both hands. Turn your head toward the right hand and fix your gaze on the right thumbnail. Expand your chest. Make sure that your torso is upright and that the arms remain parallel to the floor.

Your legs will get tired and may start to shake. Try to keep the pose for as long as you can. Keep your gaze on the horizon. You are aiming toward the future, and you are developing courage, self-confidence, and willpower. Make this pose a daily practice. Gradually increase the duration of the pose.

Today I introduced some yoga poses, but another great way to make peace with our mind through our body is Tai-chi. On Saturday, December 7th, Shizen Health is hosting two Tai Chi classes in Irvine. We are honored to have Master Shao Pen Wang as our instructor. If you are curious, we invite you to check out his Tai-chi demonstrations on YouTube!