Graduate Spotlight

Lynn Anderson, N.D., Ph.D. in Natural Health

Click the play button to hear an excerpt from Lynn’s book.

Why did the first yogi invent yoga postures? To get us to the other side.

At least that’s how Lynn Anderson sees it.

In her first book, Karma: Because Life Becomes What Life Does, Anderson describes the external physicality of yoga as a gateway to embracing the soul’s deepest wisdom. We do so, she says, by shifting our energies so as to focus on the whispering silence within, the quiet voice of our Highest Potential.

The habitual practice of sitting on a yoga mat — and then whatever sitting, standing or other steps we take from there — becomes a first step towards achieving our devoted intention to go within and go beyond. Yoga offers the discipline we need in order to stay on a spiritual path. Whether we do so daily, weekly or even only occasionally, karma yoga is a means of slowing down the mind and that, alone, is part of getting healthier.

Slowing down the breath, we breathe in the calm and release the chaos. “The soul knows where to go and what to do,” Anderson tells her yoga students. In fact, if you join one of her classes in order to lose weight, you may discover that the perfection of the human body is, in and of itself, a significant reason to fuel it with nutrient-rich food choices rather than junk. Ah, ha! The beauty of this approach is self-discovery.

Having taught various types of exercise during the last 20 years, these days her yoga of choice is the spiritual nature of karma yoga. “Karma yoga is one of eight traditional ‘limbs’ of yoga,” she says, “and while it may look less active than asana yoga, it can help you move spiritual mountains.”

But lest she sound too much like a mystic master, Anderson likes to remind students that seeking balance is a daily challenge for everyone on earth. “I work on rebalancing myself moment by moment,” she affirms. “Even gurus can find themselves in bad places, of course we do. Staying calm is simple if you choose to wander off into the mountains and live in solitude, but real life isn’t like that.

“If I’m stressed I may automatically reach for comfort food rather than addressing the unpleasant situation. If my body is fueled with junk food, then I’m running on fumes and, lacking energy. I don’t exercise. Without exercise we may feel depressed and, in turn, may reach for drugs, a drink or more comfort food. Releasing stress breaks this harmful cycle. Teaching others becomes my own frequent reminder.”

The outer world can seem like a fearful place, she concludes. A vague but constant sense of worry often manifests as fast, shallow breathing that only heightens one’s existing anxiety. Yogic breathing is deeper, slower, more rhythmic and most importantly, a conscious choice we can always make — with or without the yoga mat.

For those who can’t join Lynn Anderson’s karma yoga classes in sunny Los Angeles, her new CD is the next best thing. Karma: A Spiritual Formula for Success can be purchased from her website, as can her karma book. Anderson is now working on an anti-aging book with an accompanying exercise DVD, plus a collection of her life’s stories. Changing our karma can empower us to rewrite our life’s story, and what a story we can live!

For more information: www.doctorlynn.com.

This article was based on an interview with the graduate.

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