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Indianapolis Woman Magazine’s interview with Carol
Tharp-Perrin & Karla Becker, March 2006 1. How does Yoga, Pilates, meditation,
imagery, etc. enhance your mental health? Carol: They help one to become more conscious, to be able
to observe and make choices that support a life flow, rather than being
battered against the flow, unaware and not conscious. Then one's living
patterns become less reactive and more creatively interactive and responsive,
making room for healing and beneficial transformations. Karla:
My yoga and meditation practice has improved the quality of my mental
health because I have a more stable base inside myself. It's like a
deep well from which to draw my serenity and security. My relationships
with others have improved, and my work and family life is more balanced. For example, I notice that now my job is
so much better since I began my practice of Kundalini Yoga several years ago,
although I haven't changed my job! It is now a dream job, where before I
would get stressed out and worry about every little thing at work. Now,
I don't "sweat the small stuff" and am able to look at the bigger
picture so that I have more of a positive impact in my work
environment! I know this change has been due to my yoga practice
because nothing has changed, not my supervisor or my work. I even got
promoted since this change in my brain. 2.
Which of these do you think best enhances your mental health overall? Carol: Yoga because it is a broader, in depth approach that
includes imagery, meditation, pilates dynamics and more. It is an
ancient system that has developed over 5000 years, tested by time and
practice to discover stillness in movement and movement in stillness, to
develop a union of mind and body. A true oneness within self leads to
oneness with all that is beyond self. So by taking care of your self,
you are better able to take care of others and to integrate responsibilities
into a more productive life outcome. Karla: Definitely my yoga practice. The reason yoga
works so well for mental health improvement is due to the breathing
practices. Especially in Kundalini Yoga, which I practice, the breathwork
is intense and powerful. Breath is our connection to our life
force. The breath in yoga activates the parasympathetic nervous system,
which is the body's relaxation response. It allows a person to clear
the mind and be in the moment, rather than the sympathetic response of the
nervous system, which is to tighten up and run or be in the "flight or
fight" response. 3. In what way have you seen/experienced
the difference in your mental health since doing these exercises? And why
would you recommend getting into the regular practice of doing them? Carol: The discipline of the practice becomes a healthy
habit, gently changing desires and choices, so that beneficial changes once
difficult to release or embrace in diet and life style, for example, become
more natural and effortless. There is a glow, an inner light, that guides and
reveals new perspectives and fresh pathways for a journey not to be missed,
and a longing for realizing that journey is deeply instilled. Karla: My yoga and meditation practice enhances my mental
health by allowing me to be more centered. I used to be concerned
about what other people thought of me, and I would stress myself out over
things that happened during the day. Yoga and meditation is a stilling
of the mind, so that my brain is on a higher plane, rather than thinking and
worrying about things that don't matter! Also, due to my Kundalini Yoga practice, I lost 35 pounds
several years ago. My weight was something I struggled with all my
life, but now it is behind me, so that I can focus on other things,
like going to India (which I did last year) and helping others rather than
focusing on myself, by bringing the technology of Kundalini Yoga to as many
people as possible! 4. How
often should people do these exercises to maintain a healthier lifestyle? Carol: Initially, perhaps weekly, but soon with consistent
practice one desires bi-weekly and eventually daily. Karla: Any amount
of yoga practice is going to help. People tend to think in terms of
maintaining their health by exercising 3 times a week. But that's not
the true goal of yoga, just to "maintain." The true goal of
yoga is to live a happy life and to reach your highest potential.
So, I tell my students to practice daily for 40 days so that they can see the
benefit for themselves. So, every day is the goal. My teacher,
Gurmukh, has said that even three minutes of Kundalini Yoga will change
you. Anyone can do a daily three-minute practice, even with the busiest
schedule! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Carol Tharp-Perrin teaches Ashtanga Yoga and can be emailed from artofyoga.org. Karla Becker (Sat Bachan Kaur) teaches Kundalini Yoga and can be emailed from karlayoga.com. |