Pulse (September 2023 Newsletter)
In Yoga, there has always been a recognition of the power of the breath. We all know the benefits of a clean and clear flowing breath. When we breathe easily, we don't even think of it. When, however, we have allergies or a cold, or the weather is too hot and humid or freezing cold we begin to think about it because it becomes difficult to breathe.
Pranayama, the science and technique of breathing is a separate and distinct part of yoga, and yet it is not. Every movement in a yoga practice needs to be mindful of the breath. If you can stay with the breath and align it with your breath, you will find a natural, dance-like movement to your practice.
Here is a way to think of your breath. Instead of visualizing an inhalation as the expansion of the chest or belly, think of it as the expansion of your insides to its max, reaching into the cells of the outside skin. Suspend the breath on the completion of the inhalation (kumbhaka). Exhale slowly and visualize the physical body dissolving, while the breath travels inwards to the center of your being. Hold, on completing the exhalation (kumbhaka). The inhalation connects us to the environment, which is THIS, all that is recognized by the senses; the exhalation connects us to THAT, which represents the Ultimate Reality but one that doesn't really have any describable elements.
Notice how calm it makes you feel. Walk, sit or lie down comfortably. Close your eyes. Pay attention to each breath. Try is several times a day, if only for a few minutes each time.
Namaste,
sipra
Reason: Rational and Reasonable (August 2023 Newsletter)
We are Rational Beings. Under normal circumstances, our actions should make sense and appear logical to another person, as should actions that are based on that reasoning. But it is not quite as simple as that. We need look no further than our political behavior. Each one of us has given it careful thought based on our perception of what is rational. But our perception can be quite defective since it is based on what we already believe to be true, accurate, and reasonable. These so-called rational conclusions are those of the individual and not necessarily accurate. ‘Rational‘ thought is actually based on the individual’s own beliefs, learning, and what they have been taught to believe is true.
The Sanskrit word, ‘विचार’ vichara, or ‘तर्क’ tarka (sounded with short ‘uh’ sounds) means reason. It needs careful consideration of all aspects of any thought. Vitarka is a combination of the two words vichara and tarka and in Buddhism is a practical concept in the practice of meditation.
Vitarka is practiced in 5 stages of Buddhist meditation:
Vitarka is the name given to the first step in meditation. It is the active mind and active body attempting meditation under circumstances of daily stress. Sit quietly and pay attention to the personal body and mind
Vichara is step two in the meditation process. It is shifting one’s focus to the mind alone. The rational, thinking mind is at play. Sit quietly and comfortably and try to follow a thought to its conclusion. Use a physical or mental image for focus.
Priti is finding joy in meditation. There is sudden delight as the quiet mind shifts from feeling and thinking to stillness.
Sukha: Contentment in meditation and the meditative state
Ekagrata: Total Focus. Ekagrata means single mindedness. This is the state where one can simply be present in the present moment.
Sitting in stillness is hard to do, but this gradual teaching oneself how to quieten oneself is worth the effort. Try it for just a few minutes in the morning before plunging into your busy day's activities. Try it again at the end of the day. Don't set a timer, don't use your devices. There'll be days when it works and on other days it gets nowhere. Nevertheless, just sit still in silence.
Namaste,
sipra
Time to Check In (July 2023 Newsletter)
I have a busy schedule or at least that’s what my Google Calendar tells me. Running to work, doing things around my house, remembering I said I’d go to dinner with a friend after yoga. By the time I’m laying my mat on the ground, I have to remember to check in with my body before Sipra asks me the inevitable “what are you here for?” question. What hurts? What’s tight today? How do my shoulders feel? Before I started yoga in 2018, I wouldn’t pay much attention to my body unless it was very wrong. Now, I’m so much more acutely aware and each day is different.
Sipra often says to not worry about anyone else and worry about our own practice. It’s something I take to heart. Instead of focusing on how deep someone can get in their stretch, I check in with myself and why I was able to get deeper in a fold yesterday but not today. Am I sitting on my tailbone? Is my lower back tight or hips? Some days I can get lower. Some days I need a modification. Having practiced for so long and gone through different injuries, with Sipra’s guidance, I’m so much more empowered to advocate for my body and its needs in practice. It doesn’t bother me to take a knee or use a block when my hands can’t make it all the way to the ground. It’s what my body needs that day or every day and that’s what makes my practice unique. It makes it easier to listen to my body in other places like the doctor’s office or working out. It’s the best gift yoga has given me. The ability to be present in my body, feel and listen. To do that, I have to stop, breathe and check in.
Namaste,
Alex Cook, YWB Student
Welcome Summer! (June 2023 Newsletter)
Welcome Summer! A time of growth and transformation! One of my favorite summer rituals for the past 6 years is practicing yoga with sipra at The Park of Roses in Whetstone Park in Clintonville. Rain or shine we practice in the gazebo near the amphitheater every weekend. Sometimes we will practice on a grassy area under some of the large trees if the gazebo is not available. Often, we go into late October, as long as the temperature is above 55 degrees. Every single class with sipra is customized and unique, and practicing outdoors adds another element of magic to her classes. I find that being out in nature allows me to be truly present, relax, release stress, heal, and to feel that “oneness” with The Universe. Amongst the trees and roses, I am transported to a magical place of peace where my senses are sharpened. It’s amazing to see and to feel the transformation of this very special place as the weeks go by. After class, I like to slowly wander around the park, taking in all the sights, sounds, and smells--a walking meditation. It’s a time to listen to my heart, to dream, and to grow. This poem by Mary Oliver speaks to the magic of The Park of Roses...
WHEN I AM AMONG THE TREES
When I am among the trees,
especially the willows and the honey locust
equally the beech, the oaks and the pines,
they give off such hints of gladness.
I would almost say that they save me, and daily.
I am so distant from the hope of myself,
in which I have goodness, and discernment,
and never hurry through the world
but walk slowly, and bow often.
Around me the trees stir in their leaves
and call out, “Stay awhile.”
The light flows from their branches.
And they call again, “It’s simple,” they say,
“and you too have come
into the world to do this, to go easy, to be filled
with light, and to shine.”
Come and practice yoga with us at The Park of Roses with us starting Friday, June 2nd, so that we can shine together!
Namaste,
Julia Whittington, YWB Student
Bit by Bit (May 2023 Newsletter)
In early April of this year, I celebrated my one year “yoga-versary” at Yoga Well Being, and paused to reflect on the past year. I came to YWB as one tiny step toward wellness after 2+ years of professional and pandemic anxieties and minimal physical activities. I was a little bit broken, a lot overwhelmed, and I knew I needed some change but wasn’t sure where to begin. YWB was one of the first and only places I began going aside from home and work as we emerged from pandemic restrictions. Thursday nights in Sipra’s class I found moments of peace and of strength. At some point in every class, we share an affirmation out loud, “May I be happy. May I be healthy. May I be free of suffering and in a safe space. May they be happy. May they be healthy. May they be free of suffering and in a safe space.” At first, I found my fragile and dwindled energy pouring into the first portion of the affirmation: “May I be happy. May I be healthy. May I be free of suffering and in a safe space.” Over the course of the year, I discovered that in yoga, and in life, my “self reserves” were rebuilding, and, with great joy, I found that I could pour more energy into the second part of the affirmation each week: “May they be happy. May they be healthy. May they be free of suffering and in a safe space.” Moreover, I saw this transition in my day-to-day life. I gradually had the time and mental space to re-connect deeply and meaningfully with family and friends, and to care for those I love in ways that are core to who I am and who I want to be. I saw other changes in myself too. In August 2022, I joined and rode in the Pelotonia bike ride for the first time. In January 2023, I started regular cardio and strength training classes. I am physically and mentally stronger now than I have been in a very long time, and YWB is what catalyzed this change.
In 2022, I remember starting yoga with the vague idea that it could help grow my physical strength and flexibility. While this did occur, I have also grown in so many more ways including in resilience, mental strength, and connectedness with myself and others. YWB allowed me to come as I was, with no judgement, no pressure, no competition. My yoga classmates, now friends, came grappling with their own challenges and celebrating their own wins. I will forever be grateful for this yoga family who accepted me as is and built me back up. My journey will continue, and wherever you may be on yours, may you be happy; may you be healthy; may you be free of suffering and in a safe space.
Namaste,
Vanessa Hale
Vanessa on her very first day at Yoga Well Being (April 8, 2022), pictured with yoga instructor sipra. (This photo was coincidentally taken to share with a mutual friend.)
Vanessa Hale is an Assistant Professor at Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine who studies the microbiome and its role in health and disease. Outside of work, she lives with a very funny partner, Jeremy Hale, and 3 constantly shedding fur kids including a dog and 2 cats. Vanessa loves cooking, baking, hiking, travelling, and house plants.
Student Practice through Thick or Thin... (April 2023 Newsletter)
Yoga started to intrigue me in my mid-fifties. I had never done it before and was experiencing a lot of stress. I found a class taught by Sipra Pimputkar and quickly found I had very little flexibility. Then I realized, it did not really matter, I need to just start. One of the second things that struck me was being told to breathe. “I am breathing! Why do you keep telling me that!” Well, I learned that there are many ways to breathe, for various purposes, to gain energy, to reset my body, to calm my mind and that, in part, is how I fell in love with yoga.
Through the years I have become more flexible (physically and emotionally), more focused in my yoga practice and I’ve been able to integrate what I have learned into my daily life. Staying in the moment, not ruminating about what is past or being fearful of what is to come has been a continuing challenge. I am happy to report I can bring myself back to the moment with minimal effort after years of practice. However, I am still working to stay there.
Everyone has joys and sorrows in their lives. The birth of my grandsons filled me with happiness. Seeing them grow and learn has been remarkable. On the other end of the spectrum is death. The death of family members caused me great grief, but I was able to mourn them and realize that death is part of life. During the pandemic, on what was to be my husband’s last day, he was in the hospital. I was able to get my daughter and son-in-law into the hospital and then more family and friends. I was able to relish the joy he felt being surrounded by people who loved him. I just did my best to stay in the moment. As my husband lay dying I held his hand and told him what an amazing man he was and how lucky I was to have married him. I did not worry about my future; I was just there with him where I wanted to be. A few days later, I went back to my yoga practice to keep learning and growing and to continue to live in the moment.
I repeat this offering daily and it gives me comfort: “May I be happy, may I be healthy, may I be free of suffering and in a safe space. May my loved ones be happy, may they be healthy, may they be free of suffering and in a safe space…”
Namaste,
Janet Kohn
I am my own child
Photo credit: Pia Pimputkar
I am my own child. Every thought, action, or intention affects who I am, what I was and what I shall become. Living simply and in a fulsome way generates good energy physically and mentally. It will allow you to eat right, enjoy your food and benefit from the nutrition it offers with better health and feelings of Well-Being. Your microbiome is unique to you and changes continuously throughout your life. The millions of good gut bacteria depend on how you experience life. The bacteria fluctuates with what you eat, how you eat, when you eat and the thoughts and feelings you focus on as you eat. We can all control and improve how the tummy feels and how we metabolize each mouthful of food to create health. Eat a high-fiber diet with prebiotic foods such as yogurt and berries and avoid the overuse of drugs. Supplements, however, are not a bad thing, since we cannot get all that our body needs each day. Remember always, fresh is best.
In Siddhartha, Hermann Hesse states, "Within you, there is a stillness and a sanctuary to which you can retreat at anytime and be yourself". Returning to the Source is Stillness, and the Sanctuary is the absolute certainty that I am encompassed by Love and Protection Divine. The Source creates and continues to generate and protect life in all its forms. I might think that without my constant endeavors my world would fall apart, but it isn't so. Stand back, sit back, look around, SEE! ENJOY, FULL OF ABUNDANCE, FULL OF GRATITUDE for, as it says in the Tao Te Ching, "the highest virtue does nothing. Yet, nothing needs to be done. The lowest virtue does everything. Yet, much remains to be done."
Namaste,
sipra
Entering into 2023 (January 2023 Newsletter)
Photo Credit: Tai Pimputkar, taken in New Hampshire
We will not address the need for New Year resolutions. It’s not even a new year for everyone right now. It was, on the other hand, a holiday season for most. We celebrated for different reasons and in different ways. The end-result of most celebrations is food and gifts. If we are not thrilled with the gifts, find others who would like them or donate them. Let it not be the source of your discontent, sitting there, staring at you, making you unhappy. If too much good food was and continues to be a problem, remember it’s up to you to walk, run, exercise it off. Freeze the goodies and ration yourself to one a day.
It’s not so difficult to be content. Being mindful that life could be so much worse. Patanjali more than 4,000 years ago very succinctly stated in the Yoga Sutra 1.33:
The psyche can be calmed by cultivating as an object
friendliness, compassion, gladness and disinterest
within happiness, suffering, virtue and vice.
By cultivating attitudes of friendliness toward the happy, compassion for the unhappy, delight in the virtuous, and ‘disregard’ toward the wicked, the scattered mind retains its undisturbed calmness. (Although the common translation is ‘disregard’ toward the wicked, I believe it would be more accurate to say ‘disinterested’ or ‘impartial’, i.e. not giving in to personal feelings of anger or disgust etc.)
How do we cultivate these feelings towards others on a consistent basis? The answer is to be found in the very next sutra, or aphorism. (An aphorism is a short and pithy 1 or 2 line verse where a word cannot be added or changed without changing the entire content and meaning.)
The next aphorism of the Yoga Sutra 1:34 reads:
Or, through both lengthening the exhale and holding out of the breath.
The word 'OR' doesn't mean that you can disregard Sutra 1.33. It really is saying that in addition to the acts performed, learn to meditate also. The way to focus our minds for meditation is through certain breathing practices. This is not pranayama or breathing techniques of a yoga practice. The first technique is the simplest and is similar to the one we do in class called anuloma. Try it.
Wash out your nostrils or use a neti pot. Lightly block off both nostrils just under the bridge of the nose with the middle finger and thumb of your right hand. Breathe in through the left nostril while lightly blocking off the right side. Make it a sharp, extended, deep inhale. Don’t hold. Exhale sharply through the same nostril three times Keep your body from jerking or moving. Make no noise while doing this practice. It is a silent breath. Repeat the breathing in the same way breathing through the other nostril. When you have completed three exhalations and three inhalations through the right nostril, bring your attention to the eyebrow center and take three normal breaths. This constitutes one complete cycle. After a week or so of regular practice, add another 3 complete cycles. If not for meditation, it might help you just calm down and reduce stress. Try it!
Namaste,
sipra
Happy Holidays from YWB (December 2022 Newsletter)
I just returned from India, where I went for a quick visit lasting just 11 days. (I visited Delhi and its suburbs, and not my childhood home in the Himalayas.) Despite some anxiety and uncertainty, it was a trip full excitement and anticipation, thanks largely to my daughter who treated me to the entire trip and who travels there often on her way to Tibet and Nepal.) Having her there for reassurance, I was able to relax and enjoy the trip.
Life is very different in India from the way I remember it. Yet life is the same everywhere, isn't it? People bustling about for work, leisure, and pleasure… but with one essential difference. What stood out conspicuously was that all life forms happily coexist. Along with the overwhelming number of people, there were cows and calves, feral cats, street dogs, almost human monkeys, donkeys, and bright and colorful birds ranging from large peacocks to hummingbird size, all living together. It is a life of 'live and let live'. During the day the constant din of traffic, animals and people fills the air. At night all is silence, at least where I was, except for the constant low-key chatter of monkeys.
Rich and poor, simple and sophisticated, old and young, traditional and modern, all acknowledge the right of others to be there. All is quietly right with the world. No one is better than anyone else. No one owns anything that is outside of their own minds and bodies.
Simplify your own life by simplifying your own mind and minding your own business. Stay connected to what is, and not what might or might not be.
Namaste,
sipra
Free to Be You and Me (November 2022 Newsletter)
As human beings, we have endless privileges. In fact, we have so many that we let them just come and go, and do not utilize them at all. It's a bit like those coupons for freebies we mean to use, but don't. We get caught up daily in various time consuming, mind numbing or mind draining activities that our lives don't get to enjoy most of its wonders. One lifetime is too short to enjoy it all, but it's a good start. What if we didn't have those rights? Recent research is bringing to light the horrible plight of those who don't have the freedom to enjoy the life we take for granted.
It's a small act that can allow every single person to have equal opportunities in life. That is not to say things will suddenly change overnight. But YOU must take a step in the right direction. Plan to vote this November. Go today if you have the time. Election Day is coming up shortly, but you don't have to wait. VOTE! Don't let your chance to really create a good life for all citizens slip away. Many have died to gain the freedom that is the cornerstone of America.
Being human in a civilized society means you need to be humane. Think carefully before you vote. Don't be led by anyone, and don't only think of your personal interests and needs.
Vote from your heart where truth resides, along with love, compassion and honesty.
Namaste,
sipra
For information on voting in Ohio, including absentee ballots, early voting hours, finding your polling locations about more, visit VoteOhio.gov.
Image Credit: League of Women Voters poster c. 1920, via Wikimedia Commons