Nina Lois Turtledove

Lost Art of Squatting

I wish to discuss the importance of squatting, at least for me.

In light of the last post on yoga and digestion, hips and mother complex, (seen here) where I discussed being grounded through the heels (connecting to mother, the great nourisher) during forward fold, and the new ability to see into the gut region, the seat of the second brain or the soul, I wish to discuss another facet of this: the squat.

The squat rounds my low back. As I wrap my arms around myself, I am soothed, as if Mother was here in her most loving embrace. This engages my anus and my rectum, and strengthens the muscles connected to my loose hip.

For a girl with digestive and mother-related issues, this is an excellent pose too. I am continuing the work with uttanasa and garland pose with arms hugging the legs, coming down and back up through chair pose. I warm up with a sun salutation.

The Human Condition, Yoga | 13.12.2009 15:05 | No Comments

shaker

I was just try ing to play what was in my head.
What is in my soul

Open | 13.12.2009 12:00 | No Comments

Adversary II.

My next job in line in the long run of unhappy employment has also provided me the opportunity to deal with a “negative other” (which happens to be the subject of my thesis.) Contrarily to the English school, this time it is I that can’t stand to work with the person that is troublesome, instead of the other way around. The lady that trained me, that I have to work with sometimes lies, manipulates, and is downright mean. I struggle to shift my perspective from hate to love.

I take this as an opportunity for growth. I must shed the fear and paralysis of sticking up for myself, and stand up for what’s right. I can’t go on avoiding uncomfortable situations at my own expense. This is the perfect opportunity to practice talking back to this harpy, because I don’t really care about this job.

Meanwhile, I manifest something better. I had forgotten that you must be careful what you wish for. I had gone into this just wanting a job. Any restaurant job. Well, that is not good enough. I want to work someplace that doesn’t stink (literally), that has nice people, is busy and I make good money, a place that I want to be…

Open | 10.12.2009 9:01 | No Comments

On Techniques Releasing Negative Emotions

I been wanting to write about a very easy and accessible technique to release negative emotions. When I was getting colonics for the ulcerative colitis, my hydro-therapist told me about the “baby’s breath.” It is something that one of her babies did, like a pant with the belly moving in and out rapidly, followed by a deep inhalation and loud exhalation. Seen from the perspective of babies being wiser than we often give them credit for, the technique is worthy of considering how to apply to adult life.

Another healer I was working with recommended Dr. Berceli’s book, The Revolutionary Trauma Release Process. I didn’t get the book, as money is tight, but through browsing the web I found that the premise of his book is based on the idea that we shake after a trauma for a reason: it releases the trauma from our system. His book describes how to bring on a state of shaking muscles specifically to release trauma still being held by the body.

I feel that the baby’s breath works the same way- especially for me in my gut region. When I pant and my belly shakes, and then I deeply inhale and exhale, I feel “stuff” dislodging. I love it. It is the only technique that I actually feel working, and I am so grateful for it. I can use it any time, any place, rather discretely. It has also changed the way I cry. I no longer pack it in, but using the breath, crying is the release that it is meant to be.

Health | 6.12.2009 11:52 | No Comments

Honoring Myself

What a foreign concept this has been.

Open | 15.11.2009 13:38 | No Comments