Yoga and Meditation in Dr. Bach’s Garden.

Deirdre Parkinson

Lately, I’ve been reading the philosophy of Dr Edward Bach, and have rediscovered why I love Yoga so much, and also why I feel a need to introduce it to children.

Dr. Bach is remembered for his illuminating work on the importance of emotional healing. He discovered 38 flower essences that help flood the personality with the necessary virtues required to bring it into line with the divine purpose of the soul. Now known as the Bach Flower Remedies, these medicines work on a vibrational level, similar to that of homeopathics. Hence they do not directly touch the mechano-physiological structure of the physique, but affect the higher planes - mental, emotional, and spiritual.

The most well-known flower remedy is Rescue Remedy, a combination of five essences that raise the emotional threshold to shock or trauma. It is useful for accidents, injuries, nightmares, exams, stage-fright, chiropractic adjustments, dental procedures, needle shock, and can even bring someone back from unconsciousness. Its constituents are Clematis (for vagueness), Cherry Plum (for fear of losing control), Impatiens (for impatience and frustration), Rock Rose (for extreme panic and terror), and Star of Bethlehem (for shock).

After a few drops are placed in the mouth, this amazing remedy works within 30 seconds.

What this has to do with yoga, let alone with why the yoga philosophy is so good for children? Firstly, let me elucidate four of the five fundamental truths from Dr. Bach’s book, Heal Thyself ... An Explanation of the Real Cause and Cure of Disease.

His first fundamental truth is that we have a Soul: A divine self, higher self, a spark of the Almighty that is immortal and resides in he temple of our body.

The second truth is that we have a Personality. This is how we express ourselves in this world. It consists of virtues which we can further develop and imperfections that we can let go of. Our Soul divinely selects those environments and experiences that our Personality needs in order to evolve.

The third truth is that our lives are but a short episode within the journey of our Soul’s evolution. To quote Bach, “Our souls, which we really are, are immortal, and the bodies of which we are conscious, are temporary, merely as horses we ride to go on a journey, or instruments we use to do a piece of work.” (1)

This leads to the fourth great principle; that as long as there is harmony between the Soul and the Personality, there will be contentment, happiness and health. But when our Personality does not follow the path of our Soul, this disharmony results in a disease both physical and emotional.

During meditation, it is the aim to connect with our Sankalpa, a Sanskrit word meaning the purpose of our individual lives; our divine purpose, the aim of our existence, what virtues we seek to attain, what vices we need to dispel, and what gem we can contribute to world as a whole.

Our purpose is to become aware of the intention of our Soul. By decreasing the gap between our Personality and our Soul, we become more in harmony with our destiny, our Sankalpa. It is when we are in harmony that our life force vibrates freely and evenly, without building up the blockages that create feelings of anger, frustration, guilt, and depression. Such blockages, and their resulting unpleasant emotions, eventually result in the physical manifestations of diseases of the body.

Hence in order to heal ourselves, or even better, to prevent disease, we need to be able to know where and when there are such blockages within our vital force. To do this we need to be able to be in tune with our inner selves. As Bach wrote, “So that the physician of the future will have two great aims. The first will be to assist the patient to a knowledge of himself and to point out to him the fundamental mistakes he may be making, the deficiencies in his character he should remedy, and the defects in his nature which must be eradicated and replaced by the corresponding virtues.” (2)

Every Asana (yoga position) that we relax and stretch into helps to release the stored emotions in the fascia of our muscles. These blocked emotions cause pain, tension, and stress. They are stored because they are unacceptable to our Personality. Our Personality bases its judgement upon how it is brought up in its environment and culture. Much of the time our upbringing is not in line with the purpose of our Soul, in order for us to become consciously aware of this purpose of our Soul. While he has created very effective flower essences to remove such emotional dis-ease, I also advocate exercises in yoga, relaxation and meditationto assist in the prevention, acknowledgement, and finally the release of emotional blockages and trappings.

How this can be achieved through yoga? Firstly, there is the breath. The Latin word for breath is Spiritus. Inhalation and exhalation connects our inner physical body to our outer spiritual being. At the centre of the breath, between inhalation and exhalation, is the point of connection between the inner and outer worlds. Here lies the point of balance where there is free flow of the vital healing force, and total awareness of being free of the constricting forces of the Personality. The mind can be still, and the heart can attune to song of the Soul.

Much of the time, especially if we are hurrying, nervous, worried or angry, our breath becomes short and shallow. As we inhale, our solar plexus should rise. Try it and watch your upper abdomen as you breathe in. Does it expand with the breath like a balloon being filled with air, or are you sucking in your belly in a forced attempt to breathe deeply? If so, you are only breathing with your shoulders. Relax, use your abdominal muscles to push your belly out, and inhale. Watch your abdomen sink down again as you exhale. Now that’s a breath!

To take the breath further, focus on your lower belly, further down from your solar plexus, and inhale to there. Again, allow your lower abdomen to expand with the inhalation. This third yoga breath fills the bottom third of your lungs, and takes you deeper into relaxation, and to connection with your inner self. This is the purpose of pranayama, or yogic breathing. It provides awareness of the present moment and hence a letting go of expectations.

The second aspect of Yoga, and the most well-known, is the practice of different exercises, or positions, called asanas. Although such stretching and balancing has the obvious and wonderful effects upon our physique, promoting flexibility and blood circulation to joints and muscles, it also adds to the effect of our breath, and draws attention to, and releases energetic blocks in our body. From a dramatic twist of the spine, to a turn of the head, to an extension of the thumb, there is a release of the subtle energy within ourselves, and this is represented internally by our inner gut feelings, and externally by our physical well-being.

The third aspect of yoga is meditation. Essentially this is a freeing of the self from the chatter of the mind. We absorb “shoulds and should nots” from our parents, teachers, peers, and the media. Adherence to these norms is what shapes our Personality. While these reminders are sometimes necessary for our survival, there are also times when we need a break from this voice, and need to listen to the voice of our Soul.

Meditation draws us away from the outer world, bringing awareness within, to our feelings, to the thoughts that created them, to the memories that triggered the thoughts, to the place where there is no thought but just being in the present moment. It connects us to the vibration of our Soul, our Sankalpa, our inner child, our spiritual path, our inner link to God. “It is a special kind of sitting quietly doing nothing in which the mind is held clear and still, alert and watchful. And free from losing itself in thinking.” (3)

In our busy, hectic lives, racing against time to achieve and end based upon the dictates of our up-bringing, let’s stop and listen to our true voice within, our inner child. What’s more let’s allow our children the time and ability to, remain connected to their Souls, follow their hearts, and pursue their dreams.

Bibliography

(1) Edward Bach, M.D. and F.J. Wheeler, M.D., Keats Publishing, Inc. 1931, The Bach Flower Remedies, Page30

(2)As above, page 52

(3) David Fontana Ingrid Slack, Element Books Limited 1997, Teaching Meditation to Children, Page 97

Deirdre Parkinson conducts yoga and meditation classes at the Mudgeeraba Federation Centre on the Gold Coast.  Her interest in yoga began 20 years ago when she found it provided pain relief, and eventually recovery, from a spinal injury. Her first experience of teaching yoga began 15 years ago at a health spa in Africa. Since then she has attended various courses in the many different styles of yoga, until forming her own Chakra Yoga classes.

Deirdre is currently a naturopathic practitioner and lecturer at a college of natural therapies. She found that it was the challenge of motherhood, studies, and working that made her truly appreciate the benefits of yoga, as a means of diffusing stress and balancing the psyche.