Yoga Dose

"If I had no sense of humor, I would long ago have committed suicide."
- Mahatma Gandhi

Author's Note:
If you have been following this blog, you will have noticed that I normally refrain from commenting on "Yoga Doses". My intention is to allow you, the reader, to draw your own conclusions and I already stated here that the idea is to think positively.  

That said, considering the wild charge of the aforementioned quote by Gandhi, I feel the need to put this quote into a healing context.    

The first time I heard this quote, I was struck by two things.

#1: Gandhi talked of committing suicide?! (Interesting, right?)

#2: Gandhi mentions humor and suicide in the same sentence?! To me, that probably means he (obviously) must have talked himself out of suicide and not only that, but he could even make it sound funny that he did so. (Brilliant, right?)

The more I have thought about those things, the more this quote holds meaning for me.   

Mahatma Gandhi, empowering leader of the powerless, witness of some of the worst evils mankind is capable of committing, committed seeker and speaker of truth (even of the unspeakable kind), and steadfast ambassador of values of non-violence, still managed to have hope and laugh, even in the face of direly trying times and the dangers posed (and even carried out) on his own life.

For these reasons, I actually find this quote to be absurdly funny.  In just a few words, Gandhi manages to ENLIGHTEN us with the idea that the sometimes (seemingly) hopeless human condition can be alleviated by just recognizing how absurd it can be if you take a step back and try to look at it from a positive angle (through humor). In other words, Gandhi was saying, "LIGHTEN UP MAN." 

In fact, the central idea that I think he is trying to convey is that humor is healing. For more on the healing and hidden power of humor, click here.

It sort of makes me laugh in the same way a very funny friend of mine made me laugh recently when I told her that she should pursue stand up comedy. Her reply was, "It sounds good, but comedians are notoriously depressed." 

Human Planet

This BBC series is full of some of the most stunning, jaw-dropping, awe-inspiring visuals I have ever seen showcasing mankind's relationship with nature and the struggle for survival played out around the world.  

The clip below clearly speaks for itself, but check out the BBC's own description of the program and their intent for more:

Discover amazing human stories from around the world through television and radio clips from BBC programs such as Human Planet, Amazon with Bruce Perry, and Tropic of Cancer. 

Human Planet Explorer enables you to browse a selection of clips that showcase man's relationship with the natural environment. 

Human Planet is an awe-inspiring, jaw-dropping, heart-stopping landmark series that marvels at mankind's incredible relationship with nature in the world today.

Uniquely in the animal kingdom, humans have managed to adapt and thrive in every environment on Earth. Each episode takes you to the extremes of our planet: the arctic, mountains, oceans, jungles, grasslands, deserts, rivers and even the urban jungle. Here you will meet people who survive by building complex, exciting and often mutually beneficial relationships with their animal neighbours and the hostile elements of the natural world.

Human Planet crews have filmed in around 80 locations, bringing you many stories that have never been told on television before. The team has trekked with HD cameras and state of the art gear to film from the air, from the ground and underwater. The result: a “cinematic experience” created by world-class natural history and documentary camera crews and programme makers. 

The Power of Empathy

I just had the pleasure of watching a thought provoking, articulate and pictorial TEDTalk related to the power of empathy and connection.  In the video embedded below, the internationally renowned economist, environmentalist and author Jeremy Rifkin lays out (and draws) a story of the evolution of human consciousness, suggesting that we need to rethink human nature.  Rifkin theorizes that human beings are soft wired not for aggression, violence, utilitarianism or self-interest, but for sociability, affection, attachment, companionship and belonging to community.

He speaks to the theory that empathy is the invisible hand, the common thread we all share that can unite us and allow us to “stretch our sensibility with another so that we can cohere in larger social units.” It’s not a message of utopia, but one of showing solidarity with compassion, because, “it’s tough to be alive.”  If we extend our identity beyond ourselves, our family, our religion, our nations, then we can start to understand the meaning of the human journey differently.

He continues, “Empathy is grounded in the acknowledgment of death and celebration of life and in the rooting for each other to flourish and be.” Sounds healing to me.  I read a comment that said this video is like mind yoga.  That’s a good articulation of how I feel about it as well.



About TED:  TED is a small nonprofit devoted to Ideas Worth Spreading. It started out (in 1984) as a conference bringing together people from three worlds:  Technology, Entertainment, Design.  Since then its scope has become ever broader. TED.COM provides access to "riveting talks by remarkable people, free to the world". More than 800 TEDTalks are now available, with more added each week.

Suicide Prevention Day - Everyday

September 10th was World Suicide Prevention Day.  Even though the day has passed, I only became aware of it yesterday when a friend of mine posted this meaningful story on her facebook page. It is written by an attorney who survived her suicide attempt and it is worth reading considering how it draws attention to a prevalent issue that is plagued by stigma and silence. 

This is what I mean by prevalent: the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that about one million people die by suicide every year.  This represents a "global" mortality rate of 16 per 100,000, or one death every 40 seconds. The rate continues to climb in developing countries. 

Since the purpose of establishing a “Suicide Prevention Day” was to draw awareness to suicide and to resources that are available to help people that are contemplating suicide or that have experienced the suicide of someone else, there's no reason this information shouldn't be passed along during other days of the year. 

I am cataloging this post under the label “mental health” even though I actually do not want to label suicide anything at all.  It is a tragic human condition that affects us all on some level or another.

The US National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255), is a free, 24-hour hotline available to anyone in suicidal crisis or emotional distress. 

Suicide Prevention Organizations

• International Association for Suicide Prevention
• National Suicide Prevention Hotline 
• Active Minds
• American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP)
• The American Association of Suicidology
• Crisis Education and Support
• The Jed Foundation
• National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)
• The National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors
• Mental Health America
• National Organization for People of Color Against Suicide (NOPCAS)
• Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
• SAMHSA's National Mental Health Information Center
• Suicide Awareness/ Voices of Education
• Suicide Prevention Action Network USA
• Suicide Prevention Resource Center
• The Trevor Project
• Yellow Ribbon Suicide Prevention Program

Peer Support Organizations 

• Peer-to-Peer Resource Center
• Depression & Bipolar Support Alliance
• The National Mental Health Consumers' Self-Help Clearinghouse
• The National Empowerment Center
• Directory of Consumer-Run State-Wide Organizations
• National Consumer Supporter Technical Assistance Center
• National Coalition of Mental Health Consumer/Survivor Organizations
• STAR Center

This Emotional Life via PBS

A relatively new resource is online for anyone looking to learn more about emotions and the roles they can play in our lives. PBS has a series called This Emotional Life dedicated to “discussing current news and participating in the ongoing exploration of mental health and wellness.” The site hosts videos, interviews, blogs, articles, resources, statistics and publications; and all are dedicated to fostering awareness, connections and solutions around emotional wellness.

The site is based on a three-part TV series first released in January 2010 that explores improving social relationships, learning to cope with depression and anxiety, and becoming more positive, resilient individuals. The full-length videos are only available for purchase at this time, but many of the resources and shorter clips can be found online.

Episode 1, “Family, Friends & Lovers,” explores relationships and the central role they play in determining emotional well being. This episode showcases stories related to Attachment, Adolescence, Grief & Loss, Bullying, Intimate Relationships, and Post Partum Mood Disorders.

Episode 2, “Facing Our Fears,” looks at emotions like anger, fear, anxiety and despair. Topics explored include Addiction, Stress & Anxiety, ADHD, Anger, Depression, Autism, Borderline Personality Disorder, Eating Disorders, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

Episode 3, “Rethinking Happiness,” looks at Connection with Others, Happiness, Humor, Resilience, Forgiveness, Altruism, Creativity & Flow, and Meditation.

The site also features perspectives on topics like Connection, Falling in Love, the Meaning of Happiness, Self-Help or Self-Harm, and Stress. This section gives a platform for scientists to discuss their studies and to some well known celebrities to give their perspective, like Chevy Chase or Elizabeth Gilbert talking about falling in love, or Larry David and Alanis Morissette talking about their understanding of happiness.

It's worth taking a look at if one is interested in hearing other perspectives on any one of these topics. They are also on facebook.

The only critique I will include is that it's unfortunate they didn't explore the topic of yoga. Perhaps another time.

Yoga & Hope for Chronic Pain

I heard a story recently that might give hope to anyone (of the tens of millions of Americans and who knows how many others around the world) suffering from chronic pain.

Anna Tostrup Worsley is a Norwegian warrior. At eighteen years old, she was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis and told that she would likely spend the rest of her life in a wheelchair.

Unable to find a treatment to help her condition improve or even a doctor that could give her hope, Anna decided to leave Norway and move to Indonesia to seek a warmer climate and explore alternative healing therapies. While in Indonesia, her condition improved and she felt well enough to return to Norway. A few days before her trip home, she was seated in the front of a bus when it crashed into a cement block and tree. The accident crushed her spine, leaving her with fractures in multiple vertebrae. Thus began her lifelong battle with acute and chronic pain.

After getting flown back to Norway for treatment, she spent years in crippling bed-ridden pain. Within three years of the bus crash, she was able to walk again. But then, while out on a walk, she was hit by a drunk driver and sentenced back to profound suffering.

The challenges she has faced are extreme and so is the degree to which she has committed herself to try to overcome them and heal. She eventually received spinal fusion surgery that helped relieve some of her acute pain. She then dedicated herself to self-healing through yoga, dance, and experimentation. Within another 

three years, she was able to walk again. In fact, after getting out of a wheelchair again in 2005, she walked 500 miles along the pilgrimage of Santiago de Compostela.

She still suffers from chronic pain but has learned to manage her pain and in her own words, leads a "great, challenging and meaningful life." She now trains in yoga and martial arts. And, inspired by the blog 365 Things You Can Do, Anna writes the blog 365 Pain Free Days offering words of hope and humor daily for sufferers of chronic pain. She’s also publishing a memoir in Norway to be available this fall and creating a stand-up comedy lecture about her experience.

Pain Resources

• Heroes of Healing
• CT Pain Foundation
• Dancing With Pain
• National Pain Foundation
• American Chronic Pain Association
• American Pain Society
• Arthritis Foundation
• National Fibromyalgia Association