Serenity, in New Age culture, usually depicts the complacent grin of someone who has risen “above it all”. Clad in white robes, with a wooden chain of prayer beads strung around the neck, this serene being does 10-day meditation retreats, feels at home in lotus pose and is most frequently removed from society.
I am decidedly an empiricist. No, this doesn’t mean that as a child I used to hover over ant hills with a magnifying glass, observing uncanny details about ant anatomy or looking at leaves under a microscope. Well, maybe like all children I did this, but that kind of thing doesn’t interest me anymore. Sadly…
As mentioned before, naturopaths are not necessarily defined by our toolbox of modalities. What, then, does define us as a profession? As we witness a rise in the demand for complementary and alternative medicine, and with it, the rise in something called the “Holistic Medical Doctor”, what sets naturopathic doctors apart?
I don’t know about you but the word “gratitude” carries a fair amount of guilt and resentment for me. Being citizens of privileged countries like Canada, we’re constantly told that we should be grateful, as in, “finish your food, there are starving children in Africa!”
This realization that we have certain things that others do not often results in guilty feelings about the facts of life that we’re not responsible for (directly) and cannot change. Gratitude, at least for me, has associated feelings of injustice and helplessness. It is almost as if that by admitting I am grateful for my food, my home, my family, my friends, etc., I am acknowledging the fact that I, more than anyone else, did not earn or deserve them and brings to light the possibility that these things can be taken from me.
When we talk about meditating on or cultivating a feeling of gratitude, the opposite is usually understood. We seek to cultivate gratitude precisely for the reason that we are, in fact, not grateful and are focusing on the negative aspects of our lives, the things we are not grateful for.
However, gratitude is not about guilt-trips or comparisons. It’s simply recognizing that we are all fortunate in our own way, helping us to see the full half of our glasses.
A classmate once showed a group of students and I a powerful and engaging visualization exercise based on recognizing the things to be grateful for in our lifes. I often struggle in meditation, especially the stricter Vipassana or Zen meditations, in which we are told to calm and focus the mind. It seems that more I try to focus the more I realize I am trying, pushing to make something happen and then the more I try not to try. And try not to try not to try. Until I get lost in a vast tangle of effort. (How can we exert the effort to find effortlessness?) I found with the gratitude meditation, however, my mind calmed, focused and participated in the meditation. My mind was free to conjure up images in a Freudian pattern of free association, and I simply had to acknowledge that I was, indeed, grateful for those things.
I started by sitting quietly and focusing on my breath, calming it, deepening it and quietening it. The first thought I began with was “I am grateful for my breath.” I began to feel a sensation of blissful relaxation as I reveled in the beauty, simplicity and luxury of my breath. Without trying to sound flakey, I found myself bask in the gratefulness for it. I moved on to other body sensations, gifts and functions – “I am grateful for my lungs, for my brown hair, for a body that can meditate and relax, for this cushion, for the way I can stretch, enjoy yoga, exercise and move outside.” I let my mind wander on to the next object, maintaining mindfulness by reminding myself to acknowledge the gratitude I felt towards these things: my home, my dog, my school, country, books, nature, loving family, the sun. Whatever came up, I recognized my gratitude for having it in my life.
The most therapeutic and eye-opening part of the meditation, however, was when my mind, as most minds do, began to wander to more negative aspects of my life, things that I wasn’t necessarily grateful for – my exams, work, stress, anxiety, family problems, school problems, uncertainty, long distance relationship, lack of money, etc. I then realized how, despite what I originally thought, I was actually grateful for these things. Negative experiences supplied the yin to my yang, they helped to balance and shape who I am and without these perceptibly negative times, I wouldn’t have faced the challenges and character-building situations that have made me who I am and led me to where I am.
Once I got the grateful ball rolling, the possibilities were endless. After a few minutes, I ended the meditation and left with a clear sense of relaxation and satisfaction for all that I have, both positive and negative.
I’ve noticed that cultivating gratitude is an important ingredient in overcoming addictions and dealing with mental illness. In the AA meeting I recently attended, I noticed a running them of gratitude and the need to thank the Higher Power on a daily basis. I once read a saying, “Image if you woke up tomorrow with just the things you thanked God for today.” Whether you are comfortable with the G word or not, I think this idea opens our minds to the many riches we may not realize we have (not just the food on our table that we should eat because of the Africans who may not have it) but the totality of our life experience.
A university called Chapman U organizes and program called “Furry Friends for Finals” in which students can pet one of ten puppies stationed outside the library the week before exams as a means to de-stress.
My Italian grandmother (“La Nonna”) remembers a time when, during World War II in rural Italy, she and her sister were given a daily supplement of cod liver oil, as part of a public health campaign under Mussolini’s government.
In North America, 10% of adults are currently taking an anti-depressant. The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) in Toronto, Canada estimates that 1 in 5 adults fall under the diagnostic criteria for mild to moderate depression.
While the number of people with severe depression has remained the same, the amount of people diagnosed with moderate depression has increased significantly.
The diagnostic criteria for depression is broad, containing symptoms such as decreased or increased appetite, trouble sleeping, trouble concentrating, fatigue and low self-esteem. Considering our often stressful, inactive lifestyle, it’s no wonder that 20% of North American adults have the potential to be diagnosed with depression!
The most common conventional medical treatment for depression are anti-depressants, such as Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) like Prozac, Cipramil or Seropram. According to one of my professors, these are “life-changing drugs” that bring with them a plethora of negative side effects. These side effects include sleeping problems, nausea, reduced sexual desire, weight gain and increased risk of cardiovascular disease.
Fortunately for patients experiencing depression, there are more options than simply going on anti-depressant medication. Naturopathic doctors offer a large selection of therapies in the form of supplements, botanical tinctures, acupuncture and diet and lifestyle modifications to help improve mood, most of them offering little to no negative side effects.
Although “yoga therapy” is not necessarily a naturopathic healing modality, it does fit into the category of lifestyle counseling, which involves psycho-education and lifestyle modifications like diet and exercise.
In a Meta Analysis – a large study that compiles a number of well-conducted studies and is termed The “Gold Standard” of Evidenced Based Medicine – performed by the California State University Department of Psychiatry, researchers examined 10 studies looking at the effects of regular yoga practice on major psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia, depression, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
The study found that yoga is not only a wonderful form of exercise, but an effective therapy to be used alongside other treatments for patients with major psychiatric illness.
Here is the abstract from the study: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22132353
In addition to its therapeutic benefits for psychiatric disorders, yoga also offers profound insights into spirituality, which can further enhance its holistic approach to healing. The practice of yoga encompasses not only physical postures but also breathwork, meditation, and mindfulness techniques, all of which contribute to a deeper connection with oneself and the world around them. Through regular practice, individuals often report experiencing a heightened sense of awareness, inner peace, and spiritual awakening.
Furthermore, yoga philosophy teaches principles that align with spiritual wisdom from various traditions, emphasizing concepts such as interconnectedness, compassion, and self-realization. Websites like https://www.yogavandaag.com/spiritualiteit/ offer valuable resources on spirituality within yoga, guiding practitioners on a journey of self-discovery and enlightenment. By integrating these spiritual insights into their practice, individuals can cultivate a sense of purpose and fulfillment, transcending the limitations of the mind and connecting with their higher selves. Ultimately, yoga serves not only as a therapeutic tool for mental health but also as a pathway to spiritual growth and profound transformation.
Yoga professionals recommend practicing for one hour, three times a week, in order to reap all the physical, mental and emotional benefits. While attending regular yoga classes at a studio can be costly, you can now follow yoga classes from the comfort of your own home (in your pajamas!) with this excellent website:
I’ve seen my yogi skills and fitness levels greatly improve after becoming a member of My Yoga Online in 2009. The site is based out of a Vancouver yoga studio and features local teachers, filmed live classes and commerical yoga videos. By signing up, you are granted unlimited access to these videos. One of my favourite teachers on the site is Clara Roberts-Oss. I recommend signing up for a month (it costs $12!) and trying a few of her flows. If you’re new to yoga, you can start by clicking on the beginner button.
If you prefer in-studio classes, a colleague of mine started this website, which features weekly deals on yoga classes in Toronto, Montreal and New York:
I highly recommend trying each of these websites and experiencing the mental benefits of yoga for yourself!
Last semester I took the Ayurvedic Lifestyle course at CCNM, taught by Matthew Remski. In this course, one of the ideas that most resonated with me was the concept of “I Am” Moments. These are moments where the past and future fall away and we become ingrained in the present moment. Some of you might refer to them as moments of pure passion or exhilaration.
The best examples of I Am Moments are seen in animals. When I take my dog to High Park, the moment I reach down to unclasp his leash and set him free, he enters his state of “I Am.” Ears flying back, fur plastered against his face as he tears through the inner city forest, he loses all sense of past, present and future and becomes the being he was born to be. You can almost hear him exclaiming “I am I am I Am a DOG!”
He’s not self-conscious about the fact that his legs are flopping awkwardly behind him, that his body is too long or too low to the ground or that his fur is too shaggy. As he pauses for a second to turn to me with his mouth open in what can only be described as a “doggy smile”, I can almost hear him say, “thank you thank you thank you for not stuffing me into a purse and taking me to the mall. Thank you for letting me race, chase and roll in poop! Thank you for letting me be the way that nature designed me, thank you for letting me be a DOG!”
So, there you have it, an example of an “I Am” Moment.
I can perfectly identify my own I Am Moments, which I’ve experienced since childhood. I’m in a large, open space, full of art materials, where I am free to make a mess, get dirty and move freely, I have paints, canvasses, paper, pictures and glue. Whether I decide to paint a landscape or construct a giant papier maché bird mask, I am free to sculpt, to paint and to CREATE.
When I enter this state, time no longer seems to matter and I just melt into the moment. I feel that I am doing something perfectly natural for me and, in honouring nature, it is as if I enter into a state of Wholeness; I become a part of everything and everything becomes a part of me.
Your own I Am Moments may be stimulated by different things. You may have them when you run, dance, horseback ride or mountain climb. Perhaps you enter your I Am Moment when you take a patient history, solve a mathematical equation, buy and sell stocks, prepare a nutritious meal, teach a class, drive your car or relax with an inspiring book and a cup of steaming tea.
During these moments you lose a sense of the details of your life and of your problems, which no longer seem important or relevant. You cease to care about how your butt looks in your jeans, if you’re wearing the right shoes, if your hair is too frizzy or the fight you had with your mother. Your mind is absolutely clear of thoughts and you feel a sense of connection with the (excuse me) Divine. You feel as if you’re flowing with everything, as if you are part of the whole.
The point of this post is to get you to think about and honour these I Am Moments in your life. If you can’t put your finger on a specific time that you had a sense of I Am, I encourage you to think back to your childhood. Children continually operate out of “I Am” because they are naturally unself-conscious. That is, until they become corrupted with our adult insecurities and “lessons” about the importance of what others think. As a kid you operated from an uninhibited place, where you were stimulated by an awe of life and lived in the novelty of the present.
When you discover what triggers these moments in your life, make an effort to create time for them and use them as inspiration for the rest of your life. I Am Moments are the key to getting us back to our natural state; a state that is free of disease, in which the energy of our own vitality can flow freely.