Celebrating the Body Erotic- with Body Electric. November 13-14 2010

As the local coordinator I wanted to invite you to attend the work of  BE. The next local workshop will be held November 13-14  2010 . For more information please visit the website BodyElectric and then give me a call.

A first step in your exploration into your erotic potential. CBE involves the mind, the body and the heart in a series of exercises that use breathing, stretching and touching. Many men are searching for a more meaningful connection to themselves and to others. When they take responsibility for their erotic education, they realize how much there is to learn about awakening the erotic energy that lies within all of us. They begin to realize the satisfaction that comes from learning how to both give and receive pleasure. The workshop focuses on the entire body and is conducted in a setting that is playful, safe and honoring. The benefits of this work are:

• The participant gains greater acceptance of himself as an erotic being,
  both physically and mentally.
• He discovers ways to develop a more satisfying erotic relationship with others.
• He becomes more aware of spiritual dimensions in his erotic explorations.

Celebrating the Body Erotic is a full two-day clothes-off workshop (9am-7pm) for those who are ready to vigorously explore new levels of feeling, both within themselves and within a community of men.

All I was doing was breathing.

All I Was Doing Was Breathing

 

Something has reached out and taken in the beams of my eyes.

There is a longing, it is for his body, for every hair of that dark body.

All I was doing was being, and the Dancing Energy came by my house.

His face looks curiously like the moon, I saw it from the side, smiling.

My family says, “Don’t ever see him again!” and implies things in a low voice.

But my eyes have their own life; they laugh at rules, and know whose they are.

I believe I can bear on my shoulders whatever you want to say of me.

Mira says: Without the energy that lifts mountains, how am I to live?

                                                                        Mirabai

 

All I Was Doing Was Breathing

Breathing for Beginners

Breathing for Beginners
From “Ananga Sivyer’s Living by Design Blog” by Ananga
Posted by: ananga

 

If you can read this, then the chances are you don’t consider yourself a beginner at breathing. After all, you’ve been doing it for years. But are you really breathing or are you operating on automatic pilot and missing out on a whole host of breath related benefits.

Breath awareness helps the body detox, repair, regenerate and blow stress away. Read on to discover the simple secrets of how your breath can calm your mind and heal your body…

Influencing Autonomy
Breathing is the only vital autonomic bodily function that can be consciously controlled and directed by the mind. This is so for a reason; your breathing is a bridge between your body and your mind. To allow your breathing to remain unconscious and automatic is to exist in a realm where that bridge is obstructed.

The breath is intended as a balancing device, a tuning tool that allows you conscious control of your emotions, and access to states of deep relaxation and harmony. Your breath holds the key to the door of compassion and understanding for all living beings. Why? Because it is in the moments of peace and stillness created by breath awareness that you can get in touch with the inner you. The peaceful, calm and competent you, and the you that can extend empathy, care and concern to others.

Being able to control your breath means being able to control your mind and being able to deeply nourish, oxygenate and detox the cells and tissues of your body.

When you are rushing about too busy and too stressed to eat properly, breath properly etc etc you are also too busy to connect properly with others. Over years of observation it has come to my attention that stressed people are not popular people. They are snappy, selfish and a strain to be around. They are missing out on the sweetness and subtleties of life. Stress robs us of the pleasures to be found in simple things in life and can cause us to drive others nuts with our ranting about little inconveniences that become mountains of self-obsessed stupidity.

Stress is a personality spoiler – breathing practice is a personality nourisher. It may well be one of the most powerful, yet overlooked tools in personal development.

Deeply Does it…
Deep breathing is also detoxing to the internal organs as the diaphragm assists the heart by massaging the organs as it draws down to breath deeply and then pumping blood strongly back up to the heart and lungs for more effective cleansing and re-oxygenation.

Detoxing, regeneration and repair of the body are further enhanced and triggered by the parasympathetic switch brought about by deep breathing. Slowing and deepening your breathing is a sign to your body to switch off the “fight or flight” responses that operate when you’re under duress.

The trouble with the hustle and bustle of modern life is that your body may perceive you to be always experiencing stress to some degree. If you are in the habit of breathing rapidly and shallowly, your nervous system may not get the message to “stand down” and you may be rapidly burning your energy reserves by living on constant standby.

That standby state keeps adrenaline coursing through your veins, puts your digestive system on hold, and causes excess heat and acidity in the body – which are two major causes of degeneration and disease.

Slow Your Breath and Lengthen Your Life
The Vedas teach that life duration is measured in breaths and that there is a direct relationship between how fast you breath and how long you live. To breath rapidly and high up in the chest squanders your vitality. It makes you gasp like a fish out of water. Slowing your breathing preserves your vital energy and calms your spirit.

A recent study in India concluded that the average volume of air inhaled can be increased by up to 50% after just 15 minutes of deep diaphragmatic breathing and that the average number of breaths per minute reduced from 15 to just 5 breaths a minute thus making breathing more efficient, energy producing, and stress reducing.

“When breathing is depressed or strained, all sorts of diseases will occur. Those who wish to nurture their lives must first learn the correct methods of controlling the breath and balancing energy. These breathing methods can cure all ailments great and small.”
from Precious Recipes by Sun ssu-mo of the Tang Dynasty

How to Educate Your Lungs
Both Qigong (which literally mean “energy work” or “breathing skill”) and Yoga teach a basic form of diaphragmatic breathing that can be learned and practised easily and without complex instruction.

Daily sessions of 10 to 15 minutes are long enough to make a significant difference to your life, the added benefit of regular practice being that you will educate yourself to be always more mindful of your breath, or at least to know how to stand down and recover quickly from stress and emotional upsets.

Here’s a quick guide to deep diaphragmatic breathing…

Stage 1: Inhalation
Inhale through your nose. Relax your diaphragm as you breath in and let it draw the air down deep into your abdominal cavity (i.e. Stomach area). Allow your ribcage to relax and expand as you breath in so that your lungs can get “topped up” right up to your collarbone area.

Then press the air down into your diaphragm so that your stomach wall is pushed out.

Stage 2: Retention
Hold that breath! Consciously hold the breath for about 5 seconds then relax and let it out.

Stage 3: Exhalation
Pull your stomach in and up and let the breath out in a slow steady stream through your mouth. Be sure to fully empty your lungs.

Stage 4: Empty Retention
Pause for a few seconds with your lungs empty before starting again with the next complete and deep inhalation.

In pranayama, Yoga’s ancient system of breathing for health and longevity, it is this held empty state that is considered the most beneficial to the body and the mind.

 

Breathing For Health

Breathing For Health
Deep Belly Breaths

Most of us take the act of breathing for granted, but without it we could not exist. Breath is the essence of life, and although we are always doing it, many of us do not do it properly. The simple act of breathing has become a scientific study, with books and workshops to instruct us how to do it correctly. So vital is proper breathing to physical, mental, and emotional health, that it is a primary component to many yoga practices. Pran means “life force”and yama means “control”. Pranayama then is “control of breath”.

Breath not only provides the oxygen so necessary to life, it connects our body to our mind and spirit. Natural, healthy breathing is essential to good health. Not only does proper breathing enhance heart, lung, and brain function, but oxygen flow is necessary to cell reproduction. A “cleansing breath” is aptly named for the intake of oxygen that restores the entire system. Breathing also puts us in touch with ourselves. Taking the time to learn to breathe properly makes us conscious of our breath, calling us to be present. Simple breathing techniques can relieve stress and help us work through anger and even depression.

A baby sleeping is the perfect example of proper breathing. The deep belly breathing that babies engage in, without even trying, is how best to oxygenate the body. Breathing deeply into the diaphragm brings energy to the Solar Plexus, the chakra that governs ego, emotions, and intellect. Following a baby’s example, breathe deeply through your nose, expanding your abdomen fully. Slowly and completely exhale through your nose, pulling your abdomen in so that all the air is released before taking another full belly breath. Practicing deep belly breaths regularly will get you into the habit of breathing properly all the time, just like a baby.