Chester Beard

1. Detachment is living one’s own life while letting friends and family live as they choose

At first glance, we would all likely say we can do that. But the fact of the matter is that most of us try, not very subtly, to make others live as we choose. We may have forgotten that everyone has their own agenda to live through. When we interfere we disrupt the learning that our companions have been sent here to go through.

Also, we cannot do what we ourselves are meant to perform and learn while focusing so much on the lives of those around us. We travel together and move in parallel courses.
2. Detachment is never letting someone else dictate how we think, feel, or behave.

We don’t have a life of our own when we abdicate responsibility for ourselves to others. Being detached and in charge solely of your own life is your life’s assignment.
3. Detachment realizes our lives are not dependent upon what others are doing

We can live parallel and complementary lives without smothering each other’s journey. Living with others does not mean living on top of each other. Living in a community, and not in isolation is the path to healing.
4. Detachment frees up our time

Coming to see detachment as letting go, releasing others to make their own choices, their own mistakes, and realizing their own dreams, initially can feel like loneliness. Releasing yourself from excessive worry about others’ lives can leave an empty spot in your life if you have been controlling. But detachment can let you refocus on yourself and lead more deeply into your own path.
5. Detachment means celebrating and acknowledging another’s unique journey.

Living lives in parallel does not mean constantly keeping tabs on another person. It means encouraging each individual we encounter to live their own lives and not set ourselves up as an example of how to live best. It is recognizing we are each on our own journey and have individual lessons to learn and walkthrough.

6. Detachment is not putting someone else on a high pedestal

When you detach someone, you are not going to put them on a high pedestal. You are going to see them for who they really are- without the illusions of grandeur that you placed on the person when you were with them. The feeling of detachment is more like stepping back and evaluating a person’s worth- not being attached to the emotions that came before this process.

This entire social media marketing thing is new to me. I started my trip through social media last year, and the steep learning curve has been steep. Like everybody else, I have been a consumer of all types of social media for many years, but knowing how the algorithms work is a different end of things. Crafting a message that will get through to the correct audience is time-consuming if you take the approach of ‘posting every day, or ‘you must be consistent. It is kinda like going door-to-door with a retail business. The amount of time it takes to gain traction with posting every day is daunting.
Marketing Yourself

When we step out of the shadow of a large corporation, or even a smaller one, it is a scary decision sometimes because the backup plan, if you fail, is to rejoin the large corporation you were trying to leave in the first place. There is going back but it is embarrassing to do that. So we are motivated to figure everything out on our own sometimes. This includes listening to every guru on the planet as to how to market yourself.

One bit of advice that is commonly given is to niche down. This means we are urged to pick a specific area of our area of interest to specialize in. That is if you choose the health care field as a copywriter you should pick a specific area of copywriting. Or if you choose to sell on Etsy you should choose just one product and have one shop.
Simplicity

This is all suggested for simplicity’s sake. It is easier for Medium members to go to your blog and find just one topic — the environment, or health issues. This simplifies us and distracts us from all we may find interesting.

What if you have more than one topic you want to write on? What if there is more to your interests than just Orcas in Puget Sound? What if you get bored writing on just healthcare issues? What do you do then?

What if you are what some are calling a multi-passionate individual? It is okay to have more than just one passion or project in mind.
How to Be More Than Your Niche

If you write you can have more than just one blog. You can write on Medium and Quora as I do and have more than that too.

I personally also publish on LinkedIn and sometimes Reddit — though not too much there. And I am looking at starting a Substack blog/newsletter. I personally love to write and now that I work full-time as a copywriter and grant writer I cannot get enough of it.

You can also have more than one personal blog for your writing if you choose to not use a pre-defined platform like this one.

Also, having more than one Etsy shop is okay too. If you like wall art and photography you can do both. Don’t let anyone tell you differently.

Halasana is a classic yoga pose included in many yogic practices. It stretches your spine as well as tones and stretches your back muscles too. Looking at pictures of the pose you would be able to guess that it would work that area especially. Halasana helps in stretching the neck and stimulates the thyroid glands. It can stimulate digestion too.

This pose also helps in strengthening abdominal muscles and back muscles along with relaxing the autonomous nervous systems. Halasana further improves digestion and is known for producing supple glowing skin.

Some say that turning your body upside down can stimulate thinking in new ways. That is anecdotal. Turning things upside down when you are painting does help the painter to see the picture in terms of shapes. I was taught this technique when I studied painting at the Gage Academy. Looking at things upside down can help to see in a new way.

When I do this pose I concentrate on my breath, as is the case with all yoga asanas. But I am extra aware due to being upside down with my heart above my head for a change. I do find it relaxing and a challenge. For myself, I do Halasana to benefit my back. The long stretch helps keep it supple.

However, this pose should not be performed by people with hyperthyroidism as it facilitates the secretion of thyroid hormones.

So how do you do Halasana or Plow Pose?

Sit at the front end of your mat and lay back over the blankets so they support your torso. Adjust your position so that the tops of your shoulders are about an inch over the edge and the back of your head rests on the floor. Lie face up so that the front of your neck is long and there’s space between the back of your neck and the floor.
Bring your knees toward your chest, then straighten your legs toward the ceiling.
Using the strength of your abs — and supporting yourself with both hands at your low or mid-back — lift your hips off the floor and roll up until you are supported by your shoulders. Stack your hips above your shoulders.
Lower your legs slowly backward over your head until your toes reach the ground behind you. Rest your toes on the ground. I sometimes flex my feet or keep them straight.
Release your hands and place your arms on the floor, palms down or with hands clasped. Press down with your outer upper arms and shoulders to create more lift along the spine. Often for beginners keeping your hands on your lower back can help to keep you in this pose with comfort.
Hold for 5 breaths or more. I often go longer than this, but start small.
To end the pose, unclasp your hands, press your arms and hands into the mat, and slowly roll down one vertebra at a time.
Take a few moments to allow the back to settle back into its normal curves.

Enjoy!!
Thank you for reading and I hope this keeps you curious about yoga and its health benefits.

If you have not yet read The Artist’s Way or any other book by Julia Cameron you really should. I wanted to compile a list of some of her quotes for fun and publish them here. I hope you find the seven I have chosen enlightening, encouraging, helpful in a time of darkness on your path toward authenticity. And I hope you find one of her books and read it fully.

“The creative process is one of surrender, not control”
“Art is not about thinking something up. It is the opposite — getting something down.”
“Being in the mood to write, like being in the mood to make love, is a luxury that isn’t necessary in a long-term relationship. Just as the first caress can lead to a change of heart, the first sentence, however tentative and awkward, can lead to a desire to go just a little further.”
“Perfectionism doesn’t believe in practice shots. It doesn’t believe in improvement. Perfectionism has never heard that anything worth doing is worth doing badly — and that if we allow ourselves to do something badly we might in time become quite good at it. Perfectionism measures our beginner’s work against the finished work of masters. Perfectionism thrives on comparison and competition. It doesn’t know how to say, “Good try,” or “Job well done.”
“No matter what your age or your life path, whether making art is your career or your hobby or your dream, it is not too late or too egotistical or too selfish or too silly to work on your creativity.”
“Procrastination is not Laziness”, I tell him. “It is fear. Call it by its right name, and forgive yourself.”
“Writing is like breathing, it’s possible to learn to do it well, but the point is to do it no matter what.”

I think the last quote is the most relevant to the writer’s here on Medium.

Thank you for reading this post.

Bahya is Sanskrit for “outside” or “external”. The name of course comes from the breathing technique itself. You are breathing out and then holding your breath. And that is the basis of Bahya pranayama. A strong breath in and then a stronger breath out is the essence of this exercise. Focusing on this breath can help with anxiety and strengthens your diaphram. Pranayama breathwork is also great for mindfulness.

This is the breathing exercise where your stomach looks as if it has been sucked in. Or your stomach has been hollowed out some. That is from the contraction of your abdomen because this exercise calls upon the practitioner to fully empty their lungs by pushing air out with their diaphragm.
So how do you do this.

Sit comfortably in a cross-legged position sometimes called Lotus pose.
Breath in deeply and then exhale deeply
Try to pull your abdomen up and in as much as possible especially in the area just below your belly button?
Move your head down so your chin touches your chest and hold the breath here for 5–10 seconds.
You can focus on exhaling negativity on your exhale.
Repeat 5–10 times for full results.