Santosha Yoga

Here is the article I wrote for today's Sheridan Press - Saturday, 8/1 - ENJOY!! TYQ

TITLE: Nourishing Ourselves - Body, Mind, Heart & Soul
Up just before sunrise, I opened blinds in several rooms as rays of sunshine suddenly began to peek over the eastern horizon. While spraying my indoor plants, I noticed a gorgeous array of pink and purple clouds, drenched in orange-reddish sunlight. I grabbed my phone and slipped out the front door for a few timely photos. What a great experience to catch!
Back inside, I noticed Ivy waiting anxiously by the back door; time to let her out. She darted past me, leaping off the stairway to chase a rabbit out of our backyard. Taking time to smell all around for the little critter’s lingering scent, she was finally satisfied, did her business and eyed me in anticipation. The race was on! As always, Ivy won, and we went inside. Time to feed my sweet little girl dog. After a momentary “thank-you” lick on my ankle, Ivy dove into her breakfast. My turn, I thought, sipping my steaming hot lemon water. Mixing fresh blueberries, nuts, sliced banana and peach/mango dairy-free yogurt together with a few cinnamon sprinkles, I paused for a quiet moment to bow my head in prayerful gratitude. My first bite was ~ mmmmm ~~ delicious!
Next came my yoga practice, stretching while moving mindfully through a variety of breath-based poses. Finally, I lay on my back, eyes closed, asking myself: “What is it I need?” Making my daily intention, I reminded myself to go-with-the-flow considering today’s demanding schedule, acknowledging I had just nourished my body, mind, heart and soul. Ivy’s “begging” barks interrupted the quiet moment, putting playtime into full swing!
According to Dictionary.com, “nourishment” refers to a fulfilling experience that includes wholesome foods containing nutrients for growth, health, and life sustenance. But beyond that, it truly encompasses everything we physically need, meals, rest, relationships that emotionally and mentally bring us joy and spiritually uplifting experiences. Four basic types of nourishment help create the groundwork for establishing a plan to work toward living our best possible life each day. We can enhance encounters by nurturing these key pillars of nourishment for optimal overall health and wellbeing simply, in practical ways:
• Physical Nourishment constitutes dense nutrient meals, water and electrolytes, enjoyable rest periods and body-friendly exercises.
• Emotional Nourishment focuses on self-respect, supportive, positive connections with others, and embracing a heart full of love for all living beings.
• Mental Nourishment applies thoughtful awareness practices (e.g., reading, problem-solving, creative activities) to engage and expand our intellectual self.
• Spiritual Nourishment embodies activities that sustain our soul (e.g., meditation, prayer, walks in nature), encouraging contentment through life’s ups-and-downs.
Compassionate self-care should be a daily activity of life, strengthening and nourishing us, allowing sustenance of the health and wellbeing of body, mind, heart and soul. Ultimately, creating meaningful pathways rejuvenates us and we can continue developing our full potential while embracing a healthier, more peaceful way of life.

Tagline BIO: Teresa (Teddy) E. Araas, PhD, C-IAYT, ACLM, RCHES, E-RYT500, RPYT, a certified Yoga Therapist, owns local business Santosha Yoga Center, LLC. She also teaches pre-professional nutrition health science courses at Sheridan Community College. Contact email: [email protected]

Celebrating Dad DOC finally with our community and lots of family! Please join us - if you can!
🙏💖Teddy and ALL the Araas Family

Happy Patrick's Day! ENJOY!
TYQ

TITLE: The Power of Social Wellbeing - my most recent Press Article:

To experience optimal health and wellbeing, it is crucial to focus on aspects of life that influence one’s body, mind, energy, and spirit. The dimensions of wellness consist of equally interdependent focal areas affecting each day, helping us to thrive and reach personal goals. We are unique individuals with specific needs, not only including staying free from illness, but also recognizing value in embracing and maintaining true purpose in life. Active involvement in every aspect helps one feel emotionally healthy and happy.

Several diagrams denote the “Wheels of Wellness”, each differing in number of dimensions to help one focus on enhancing and maintaining a healthier lifestyle. The version with eight dimensions covers essential, practical areas: emotional, physical, social, intellectual, spiritual, occupational, and environmental. To embrace a more fulfilling life experience, one should pinpoint greatest needs in each area, then take time to discover ways that work to attain and support them.

One powerful wellness dimension is the social aspect, strongly sustained by one’s deep sense of connection to others. Addressing social wellbeing naturally leads to contemplating fulfilling, enduring relationships. These interactions should be based on mutual respect, trust, and kindness. Enduring bonds of friendship are nurtured by developing and embracing reliable support systems. Long-lasting friendships don’t always follow a plan, but, ultimately, they energize people and enhance their healthy aging abilities. Many think that everyone has a “best” friend; however, if a consistently dependable, honest friendship is lacking in an individual’s life, creating a plan-of-action to expand positive social experiences is vital. Cultivating lasting, loyal friendships in this way enhances personal empathetic abilities, benefitting all involved by nurturing wholesome outlooks on life.

How can one improve upon social wellbeing in a practical, balanced way? Try taking part in a club or volunteer organization. Initially, interacting with like-minded people may be easier. As one becomes more comfortable around others, enjoying quality time in a diverse group can be uplifting, inspirational and insightful, too. Healthy interactions with family and friends create fulfilling life experiences; keeping in touch with those who live far away is key to communicating openly, made easier now through technological advances such as FaceTime, Zoom and texting. Even a brief phone call does wonders to lift the spirits on both ends of the line.

Additionally, reaching out to close friends or family for support when needed can change one’s mood within moments. Sharing a cup of java or tea, walking together in nature, or enjoying a quick hug when running errands reinforces social health and wellbeing. Always remember that maintaining social rapport with others includes respecting their personal boundaries appropriately. Kindness and generosity are key in helping one feel comfortably valued; in turn, for all involved, health improves, stress levels decrease, and everyday life experiences are enriched.

Take the initiative to open your heart, mind, and soul to embracing more meaningful and powerful social experiences. You won’t regret it!

Tagline BIO: Teresa (Teddy) E. Araas, PhD, C-IAYT, ACLM, RCHES, E-RYT500, RPYT, a certified Yoga Therapist, owns local business Santosha Yoga Center. Teddy also teaches pre-professional nutrition health science courses at Sheridan College and is an adjunct research fellow on doctoral dissertation committees for Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions, Provo, Utah.
Contact her at: [email protected]

While I was a doctoral student at Arizona State University, I received several travel grants that expanded my campus studies to working with renowned teachers at well-known meditation/yoga centers, where we studied in-depth to enhance educator skills as well as personal mindful awareness practices. One of my mentors was Jack Kornfield, who founded Spirit Rock Meditation Center, located in the mountains above Woodacre, California. On their website, this center is well described: “…set among 411 acres of serene oak woodlands in the secluded hills of West Marin County … a refuge from everyday life where it's truly possible to quiet the mind, soften the heart and see life in a new way.” An ideal alternative to challenging times at the university, this nine-day training not only provided doctoral course credits; in addition, Jack Kornfield and his staff members were really compassionate and understanding of participant needs at all times.
An insightful practice from Jack Kornfield that I especially cherish includes a meditation specifically related to gratefulness, incorporating personal acknowledgment of support one has received. Through recent scientific evidence-based research, benefits of practicing gratitude have been found to be nearly endless. Those who regularly practice gratitude experience increased enriching emotional periods of time, feel greater vibrancy in life, generally sleep better and tend to have stronger immune systems. These individuals are definitively more compassionate, personifying loving-kindness, “walking-the-walk” of what it truly means to be humane. Showing gratitude openly and honestly characterizes dispositional mindful awareness. Accordingly, honoring another by just saying “thank you” engenders greater happiness for both individuals and creates special moments of heartfelt joy.
Today, I want to “gift” you all with part of Jack Kornfield’s gratitude practice. I sincerely hope that you will value, embrace and love it as much as I do, and that it will bring you joy, too. Enjoy! “Let yourself sit quietly and at ease. Allow your body to be relaxed and open, your breath natural, your heart easy. Begin the practice of gratitude by feeling how year after year you have cared for your own life. Now let yourself begin to acknowledge all that has supported you in this care:
With gratitude, I remember the people, animals, plants, insects, creatures of the sky and sea, air and water, fire and earth, all whose joyful exertion blesses my life every day.
With gratitude, I remember the care and labor of a thousand generations of elders and ancestors who came before me.
I offer my gratitude for the safety and well-being I have been given.
I offer my gratitude for the blessing of this earth I have been given.
I offer my gratitude for the measure of health I have been given.
I offer my gratitude for the family and friends I have been given.
I offer my gratitude for the community I have been given.
I offer my gratitude for the teachings and lessons I have been given.I offer my gratitude for the life I have been given.”
HAPPY THANKSGIVING ~~ TYQ