Walking a labyrinth is a body prayer.
Labyrinth walking is an ancient practice used by many faiths for spiritual centering, contemplation and prayer. Entering the serpentine path of a labyrinth, you stroll while quieting your mind and focusing on a spiritual question or prayer.
Walking a labyrinth is a form of active meditation, unlike standing still, sitting, or lying down, easier for those who find physical stillness difficult.
A labyrinth is not a maze. It has no blind alleys or dead ends as mazes have. It is unicursal (one line), meaning there is only one path to the center and back out. The path twists and turns back on itself many times before reaching the center. Once at the center, there is only one way out.
 
The labyrinth can symbolize a journey to a predetermined destination or the journey through life from birth to spiritual awakening to death. Labyrinths can be made of stone, wood, plants, or other materials. They may even be painted on a floor.
 
To use a labyrinth, begin by preparing with quiet reflection, then walk the path at your own pace, focusing on releasing thoughts and burdens as you go in.  Allow your body to find its natural rhythm, which may change during the walk.  Be conscious of your breath and your inner voice of the sacred.  Let the labyrinth be a mirror for your journey in life. 
 
At the center, pause to receive insights and peace. On the way out, reflect and carry your experience back into the world. There's no right or wrong way to walk, and you can use it for prayer, meditation, or as a tool for self-discovery.

Upon exiting, absorb the experience with continued reflection, prayer, journaling or a sound bath.
 
Spiritually, a labyrinth symbolizes the life journey, offering a tool for meditation, prayer, self-discovery and transformation. Walking the path mirrors life's twists and turns, inviting reflection on challenges and joys, ultimately leading to the center, or a state of wholeness and inner peace. It serves as a tool for finding balance, connecting with the divine, and bringing spiritual insights back into daily life.
 
Walking a labyrinth is open to anyone because it does not require any specific beliefs to walk,  so come and walk to find balance, insight, relief from stress, inspire creativity and integrate your body and mind.
 

What is a sound bath?  The easy answer is, like a bath you are immersed, but instead of water, you are immersed in sound.  It is relaxing and rejuvenating.

The name stems from the idea of waves of sound washing over people, said Tamara Goldsby, a research psychologist at the University of California San Diego who has studied sound baths.
 
We are bombarded with sensation, texts, notifications, social media, television and so on and on.  It is a lot to take in and it is exhausting!  Taking any time away from sensory assault is not only relaxing, it is essential.  A sound bath is an easy way to unplug from the world and connect with your deeper self, it allows me to step away from my crazy “thinking mind” and come into a meditative state.
 
Making space for sensory input is an open door to the present moment, to what is actually happening at this very moment in time.  There is no need to attach a story or meaning, to analyze or judge, just to be fully present in the moment.  Now, more than ever, this is sacred work.

“When my thinking mind attaches stories and emotions to words that then spiral into anxiety and stress, sound and vibration become powerful tools to help me shift out of those spirals.  Ultimately, I come back to the here and now knowing that I can take the next breath, I can hear my inner guidance, I can take the next right step. In this way, the crazy world slowly becomes navigable again.”   Jessica Carmon

Sound Baths at Just Breathe Yoga always begin with a Yin yoga session to prepare the body, mind and breath.  Yin yoga is all about relaxing, restoring and re-setting, soft gentle yoga poses that are held for longer periods of time allow the mind, body and breath slow down, align and settle. 

After a yin session, we rearrange ourselves into a comfortable shavasana pose and begin to attune to our senses—feeling the rise and fall of our chests as we breathe, smelling the candles and incense, noticing the color on the inside of our eyelids and opening to sound.  Finding a deep sense of relaxation, deep enough to fall asleep if that is what you’re feeling and letting the sound flow around, over and through you.

Reactions to sound baths are as unique as each person that attends.  For some it is just a lovely relaxing experience, others may be emotionally moved or have sensations of heat or energy throughout their bodies, some may even have deep dreams or imaginings.

A beautiful morning spent exploring stress, stressors and learning coping strategies to unwind.  We gathered as strangers, family and new friends to better understand the complexities of stress, something we all deal with, but often times in the rapid pace of life, we don't decompress and truly relax after a stressful experience.

Perfect timing for me, I was introduced to the work of Dr. Stephen Porges and the Poly Vagal Theroy in 2020, just weeks before the initial lock down.  The information resonated with me and I have been fascinated by the Vagus Nerve and the stress cycle, or as it is also known, the Poly Vagal Ladder, and yoga.

Today I introduced the Poly Vagal Theory to our group and explained many why and how we react to stressors and, most importantly, how to complete the stress cycle and how to build and maintain healthy vagal tone.

We used breath, movement and self-massage to take our autonomic nervous system from a parasympathetic state to a sympathetic and back again.  Through out the day we moved effortlessly from one state to another, creating and practicing healthy vagal tone, something that the last few post-pandemic years, may not have been happening for many of us.

I also introduced Morning Pages, a stream of consciousness form of writing that helps us objectively examine daily life, dreams, worries and expectations. It is an active form of reflection and breaks the chain of recursive thinking.  Reflection is objective, it brings to light those things that can hide in the shadows and cause recursive thinking and getting mentally stuck.  Something magical happens when you put pen to paper and record your thoughts, honestly and objectively.

After a tea break, Alisa led us in a beautiful restorative yin yoga practice, designed to relax and rejuvenate.  Yin yoga utilizes newly developed and traditional yoga poses that are held for longer periods of time, allowing muscles to relax and open and also encouraging tendons, joints and fascia to release.  The effects and benefits of a yin practice last for 18 to 36 hours.  The practice was followed by a deeply relaxing shavasana and guided yoga nidra meditation.  The combination of yin, breath work, yoga nidra and the comfort of a safe space stimulates deep emotional responses and release.

Recipes for the hummus and soup are in the previous blog, posted last year after the retreat, along with a beautiful gluten free recipe for Moroccan Almond Cookies.  This year I made my Specialty Elevated Rice Crispy Treats, the recipe is right here.

Browned Butter Chocolate Salted Rice Crispy Treats
1 cube butter
10 oz miniature marshmallows
8 cups rice crispy
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
1/4 - 1/2 tsp coarse salt
In a large heavy bottom pan, melt the butter on med to med low heat.  Stay with the pot, stirring on occasion.  The butter will begin to change color slowly, so watch it careful for a few minutes, when it begins to turn the color of peanut butter, add the marshmallows all at once and stir constantly to melt the marshmallows.  You may need to adjust the heat to low and when most of the marshmallows are melted, take the pan off the stove and continue to stir.  Add the rice crispies and stir to incorporate and cover all the crispies with melted marshmallows.  Sprinkle in half of the salt and the chocolate chips.  Stir just enough to mix it all together and then pour into a prepped 9x13 in pan.  Press the mixture into place and sprinkle with the remaining salt.  The addition of salt requires personal tasting,  so depending on your tastes and the size of salt crystals, you will need to taste often and adjust. 

Can you unwind at the end of a stressful day?  Do you have trouble letting things go?  Are you distracted, preoccupied or worried? Do you find yourself in an endless loop replaying the events of the day?  Is it difficult to fall asleep and stay asleep? 

If you answered yes to any or all of these questions, you are not alone.  For my own well-being I have been studying stress for years. Digging into why we experience stress, what it is, what effects it has on our sleep, our relationships and on our bodies and I have found some answers and a great deal of relief that I want to share with you.

This retreat is an opportunity to connect with your self on a deeper level, where you can nurture your own well-being and begin de-stressing and creating habits that will help you let go of needless stress.

If you are interested in unwinding and letting go of useless stress, please join me for this beautiful retreat.  Part yoga, part breathing, part connecting and totally relaxing, We have a beautiful event planed for you.

Saturday, Jan 20
10 am - 1 pm
$50
Just Breathe Yoga

Please register with your payment by venmo, cash or check.  Attendance is limited.