We are born equipped to experience a complex array of diverse emotions. Many of us, however, are uncomfortable confronting our most powerful emotions. We may shy away from delight and despair and deny life's colors by retreating into a world of monotone grey. We may numb ourselves to what we are truly feeling. It's easier to suppress our emotions than to deal with them, so we may momentarily turn to pleasures such as alcohol, food, sugar, shopping and too much television. We may even numb our hearts. While it's normal to temporarily seek distractions as a means of coping with intense emotions, numbing yourself prevents you from confronting your issues and keeps you from ever finding resolution or peace. When you are numb, there is no pain or powerlessness, but there can also be no joy or healing.

The activities that numb you may seem harmless or pleasurable, but using them to numb yourself diminishes the quality of your life. Numbing yourself so that you don't have to feel intense emotions can often satisfy a surface need while blocking your awareness of a deeper need. You may find solace in food or shopping when what you really need is spiritual nourishment. The less you feel, the less alive you feel. Your feelings add vividness to your experiences and serve to connect you to the world around you. It is possible to disavow yourself of numbing behaviors a little at a time and once again taste life's rich flavors. When you sense that you are engaging in a particular behavior simply to deaden your emotions, stop and ask yourself why. Examining the feelings that drive you to numb yourself can help you understand what is triggering your desire to emotionally fade out.

With each numbing activity that you cut out of your life, you'll find yourself being more aware and experiencing a greater emotionally acuity. Senses once shrouded by the fog of numbness become sharp and acute. Traumas and pain long hidden will emerge to the forefront of your consciousness and reveal themselves so that you can heal them. You'll discover a deeper you--a self that is comfortable experiencing and working through intense emotions with courage and grace.

Personally I find my yoga practice the best place to become aware and awake to uncover what I wish to numb out from.

Brian Granader

PVC Does Not Belong in our Yoga Mats

When shopping around for a yoga mat, there’s a few considerations to keep in mind. One key
factor that the Red Lotus center highly believes in is to make sure your mat is made from
biodegradable materials, not just because it is environmentally responsible, but because many
non-biodegradable materials pose a health hazard to you as well. It also has the added perk of
keeping in line with the yogic principle of ahimsa, or non-violence (toward the planet.)
PVC is the main offender in terms of non-biodegradable yoga mat materials. Almost half of all
yoga mats are made from it, especially those on the cheaper end of the spectrum. It’s durable,
but it doesn’t necessarily provide the correct grip or support. Additionally, PVC is harmful at
every step of its production, and will gradually leak out from your mat at the warm temperatures
typically associated with yoga.

Consumers Advocate recently tested a few alternative materials for yoga mats. They found a
few that could be good choices either for your own personal health and comfort, or for
environmentally-conscious reasons. Many of them are mostly, if not fully biodegradable. The
following is a brief list of our findings:

● Polyurethane (PU) - This material is considerably more eco-friendly than PVC, however,
there is still the potential for environmentally-unfriendly and harmful materials to be
utilized in its manufacture. Liforme manufactures mats that have been lab-tested to show
they use eco-PU, which is fully biodegradable and non-toxic.

● Thermoplastic elastomers (TPE) - This is a mix of synthetic materials such as plastics
and rubber, which means that they can be recycled. As with PU, there is the possibility
of some harmful materials to be used in its manufacture, so it’s important to do some
research into the company of your choosing.

● Polymer Environmentally Friendly Resin (PER) - This is marketed as an eco-friendly
alternative to PVC, however, lab testing showed that this is actually a PVC product,
despite all claims to the contrary. We do not recommend these types of mats for the
environmentally conscious.

● Rubber - Natural rubber is a good and eco-friendly option for yoga mats. They have
good cushioning and grip, but the ones we tested were unfortunately not very durable,
which can end up generating more waste.

● Cork - Cork is a natural and durable material for yoga mats. These types of mats go well
with almost any variant of yoga, as they provide good grip and comfort.

● Cotton - This material is arguably eco-friendly, depending on the process that is used to
produce the yoga mats, as some techniques could involve environmentally-unfriendly
materials or byproducts. It is durable, but not suited for most forms of active yoga. It has
great applications for meditative practices.

https://www. consumersadvocate.org/yoga- mats

Walking meditation is a simple way to connect with your spirit and mother earth in a very grounded way.
Many of us take the benefits of walking for granted. Each day we limit the steps we take by driving or sitting for long periods of time. But walking even a few blocks a day has unlimited benefits – not only for our health, but our spirit as well, for as we walk, we connect with the earth.

Even when walking on concrete, the earth is still beneath us, supporting us. Walking lets our body remember simpler times, when life was less complicated. This helps us slow down to the speed of our body and take the time to integrate the natural flow of life into our cellular tissue. Instead of running from place to place or thinking about how much more we can fit into our day, walking allows us to exist in the moment.

Each step we take can lead us to becoming more mindful of ourselves and our feelings. Walking slows us down enough not only to pay attention to where we are in our body, but also to our breath. Taking time to simply notice our breath while we walk, through the length of our inhales and exhales, and becoming attuned to the way in which we breathe is taking a step towards mindfulness. When we become more mindful, we gradually increase our awareness of the environment around us and start to recognize that the normal flow of our thoughts and feelings are not always related to where we are in the present moment. Gradually we realize that the connection we have with the earth and the ground beneath our feet is all that is. By walking and practicing breathing mindfully we gain a sense of calm and tranquility -- the problems and troubles of the day slowly fade away because we are in the 'now'.

The simplicity and ease of a walking practice allows us to create time, space and awareness of our surroundings and of the wonders that lie within. Taking a few moments to walk each day and become more aware of our breath will in turn open the door for the beauty of the world around us to filter in.

While walking notice your breath, don't listed to music or talk on the phone.  Simply move and be present:)