Everything Yoga

Bliss Reset, Posture, and Chai

There's nothing quite like experiencing the unexpected. I took this picture during one of my hikes this weekend because I was just tickled to find a flower sprouting in such an unlikely place at such an unlikely time. 

It makes me laugh because there's such joy and possibility and openness in not knowing and yet we want so badly to know what's going to happen next (and we'll go to great lengths to make plans and lock things in), to know how our lives are going to go. But in that place of not knowing, of simple surrender to the moment, we find beauty, love, suprises, aliveness. I have no idea what's coming next for me, but I'm quite sure that there will be many flowers popping up. And for this, my gratitude from the holiday continues.

Here are a few surprises for you -- they cropped up unexpectedly for me, and I wanted to share them with you:

--If you're looking for a bliss-inducing under-an-hour yoga routine, check out Eoin Finn's free Bali Bliss Reset practice, which you can find on his Yoga + Blissology Podcast page. Who doesn't need a bliss reset every now and again?

--Improve your posture by getting to know your psoas. Before yoga, I didn't even know the psoas existed. This wonderful Webinar -- Key Yoga Muscles: The Role of the Psoas in Yoga Asana and Postural Health -- will introduce you to the psoas and provide you with useful information for psoas strengthening and balancing. Click here to learn more about this 2 session Webinar. 

--One of my favorite Fall/Winter season treats is a warm chai latte with soy or almond milk. Oregon Chai is hosting a Twitter party tomorrow, November 26 from 12-1:00PM CST. There will be plenty of chai-related goodies given away, so join me in my chai addiction and get involved in the Twitter party by following @OregonChai on Twitter. You can also learn more on Oregon Chai's Facebook page. I've participated before and won some yummy treats. I hope you do the same.

Here's to the unexpected, bliss, happy psoas and chai!

Namaste!

 

Taken

I'm in a bit of a Tofurkey coma (I think I'm on protein overload) but I just couldn't let this day pass without a little blogging. This morning I combined my favorite Thanksgiving Day tradition -- a walk in the woods -- with another favorite daily activity of mine -- yoga. It was a warm, beautiful, sunny day here and being in nature always makes me grateful to be alive, so I started this day off with some nature and yoga in nature time.

As I walked in the woods, I reflected upon the last year of my life, utterly amazed at all of the wonderful things, people, events, and circumstances that have shown up. I breathed deeply and gave thanks with every step I took, reminded of the fact that every step I've taken this past year has led me here -- to this perfect spot.

I am thankful, yes, that's for sure. I try to live in gratitude, knowing that whatever shows up is always perfect. This isn't always easy and it can be challenging to not default to ungrateful, whiney thoughts. But if there's one thing I've learned this past year, it's the value of letting yourself be taken.

While walking on the trail today, I let myself be taken by nature. I dropped the thoughts in my head and surrendered to the sights, sounds, and scents around me.

I let myself be taken by my yoga practice. There was a point where I was moving and it seemed as if the yoga was doing me rather than the other way around. I could feel my breath initiating and supporting the movement. I was completely taken.

My life isn't much different. Oh, yes, I have those times I want to muscle it because I want something to work out a certain way. I get attached to thoughts or people or circumstances. Then I remember to let life make love to me. All I need to do is allow myself to be taken.

Today is a day of gratitude, yes. There's a lot of talk about the importance of gratitude. I wholeheartedly agree. I think allowing yourself to be taken is important too.

I know, I know -- all of this "let life make love to me" and "taken" stuff seems like the ramblings of a protein overload (and don't forget to throw in sugar overload as well -- damn, but that pumpkin cheesecake was delicious!), but I speak from experience here on the joy of being taken. When you're in the moment, fully BE in that moment. When you're practicing yoga, breathe and move and yet the yoga fully inhabit your body. When you're out in nature (or making love or playing with your children or snuggling with your dog or [insert personal scenario here]), let yourself be taken, fully engaged, present, surrendered to the love and beauty of the experience. If you do that, you can't help but feel gratitude. It will swell up inside of you without you even having to try or write up a gratitude list. My greatest Thanksgiving wish is for you to be taken.

I also want to thank each and every one of you and let you know that I am grateful for you! I am grateful for the fact that you read my yoga-related ramblings. I am grateful that you take the time to comment. I am grateful that you forward posts to friends or subscribe to my feed. I am grateful that every now and again something I write moves you or inspires you or helps you. Thank you!

And in the spirit of the holiday, here are two short videos for you:

Words of Gratitude

and here's a cautionary tale about gratitude:

 

And, because food is somewhat central to this holiday, here are some yummy vegetarian recipes. Yum! Leftovers, anyone?

Happy Thanksgiving! May you be thankful, may you give, may you be taken.

Namaste!

 

The Style is No Style

There was a time when I cared quite a bit about which style of yoga I practiced because the style of yoga I practiced defined the practice of yoga for me. I had such a rigid idea of what yoga was back then. It was this not that; it looked like this, not that; it was taught like this, not that. Then one day I took a yoga class that started with my saying "This isn't yoga!" (oh no, it didn't fit into my small view of what yoga was at all) and ended with "Ah, THIS is yoga!!!" Imagine my surprise when my definition of yoga went up on smoke in a mere 35 minutes. After that I became intensely curious about other styles of yoga and basically practiced and/or studied many of them in the years that followed.

As time went on, I found myself caring more about how the practice made me feel rather than what it looked like. Then my interest was igniting by yoga therapy and I got further and further away from identifying with a particular style of yoga and focused more on one of the definitions of yoga -- relationship. I focused on one's relationship to body, mind, emotions and breath. I stopped believing in one-size-fits-all yoga and approached yoga as something to be applied to the individual. My own practice consists of various styles at various times. 

During this time of defining and redefining yoga for myself, I saw yoga linked to many different practices. Everyone seemed to be teaching some sort of yoga combination, whether it was yoga combined with acrobatics, rebounding, running, martial arts, or dance. Yoga purists everywhere cringed as yoga became a marketing vehicle for various exercise routines and hot new fitness trends. At times I walked this line myself, often adding more fluid movement into my own practice. I became somewhat cautious about when I used the term yoga to define my practice (or parts of it).

Because of this blog, every day I get pitched on practices and/or products that use the yoga calling card to gain the attention of yoga lovers everywhere. Yes, it's become a bit of a yoga free for all. Heck, it makes me want to stop using the word "yoga" altogether as a practice descriptor. There are days that it feels like the word ceases to mean anything. Then I remember back to a training that defined yoga as attention (the ability to focus the mind in a chosen direction for a desired period of time) and realize that many things can be defined as yoga. And really -- who am I to judge? I'm not the yoga police, after all.

And every now and again, something with the yoga calling card catches my eye and I take a closer look. Ray Rizzo and his book, Weightlessness: Integrated Exercise: Yoga, Pilates, and Chi Kung. For description sake, Weightlessness is a practice defined as a "beginner to intermediate system that combines some of the most efficient and effective mind/body practices from around the world." What made me want to know more was the copy on Ray's DVD, Weightlessness: Volume I. Yoga and Chi Kung: "The style is no style."

The me of the past would have dismissed this work as yet another attempt to market some new combination of practices using the word yoga in the title but the been-there-done-that me wanted to see more. I read the book and watched and practiced along with the DVD. I loved it. The title weighlessness is warranted, as the practices were fluid and made my body feel energized, loose, balanced, and strong all at the same time. Yes, many postures were familiar to me because of my yoga background, but there were enough movements inspired by other healing arts to make the practice seem fresh and new (it had a familiar yet different feel to it). My body felt at ease during the movements and I found myself not caring at how this practice was defined. I just liked how it made me feel.

The book is divided into 4 parts: 1. Developing Your Foundation (which includes some basic information about the concept of weightlessness, a breathing primer, and some basic warm-up moves), 2. Exercises for Ease (this section includes 3 series of movements that are considered "maintenance" sets), 3. Exercises for Healing (which includes "the therapeutic set," postures that are restorative in nature as well as a chapter on nutrition), 4. Exercises for Mastery ("the advancement set," which, interestingly enough, includes many yoga postures that are taught in standard yoga classes [a good reminder that not everyone is suited to practice seemingly "basic" yoga asana] along with interesting dynamic moves inspired by various martial arts disciplines. There's definitely something for everyone here, and I would happily recommend this to even my beginner students, as there's plenty of movements that provide physical and emotional balance and well-being without fear of injury.

The DVD is the companion to the book but only covers the basic Maintenance Set, or the exercises for ease. It runs around 40 minutes, so it's easy to incorporate into one's daily routine. The practice is broken up into 3 segments, so folks who can't or don't care to do the full practice can spend approximately 10 minutes on an individual segment rather than practice all three strung together.

Ray has quite an extensive background in the healing arts. You can learn more about him on his Web site as well as this brief video:

 

 

I know, I know -- there will be folks who will say, "This isn't yoga." Perhaps it's time to take a page from Ray Rizzo's book -- "The style is no style. The goal is to practice what is most efficient and effective."

Namaste!

 

Shedding Some Light on the Subject...

Diwali, the Festival of Lights, is commencing tomorrow. Described as the festival of "sweets, gifts, fireworks, and firecrackers," Diwali celebrates the victory of light over darkness. I don't think you need to be Indian to be able to appreciate the sentiment here. Check out this site that explains Diwali and scroll down to the bottom of the page. There you'll find a number of suggestions for celebrating this joyful holiday. I love that list. It includes music, dance, friends, shared meals, and lighting candles. Heck, why wait for a holiday to do those things, right? 

Unfortunately, it would seem that our society is overly intrigued with darkness. This is sort of ironic to me, as so many people go to great lengths to deny the dark side of themselves (which, in my opinion, only makes things darker in the long run) completely. I suppose the trick is to recognize the darkness without defining oneself by it or letting it consume us. This can be difficult, as our brains just love to dwell on pain, drama, worry, and the like. As I said a few posts ago, it ain't all darkness and it ain't all light. 

These days, I'm acknowledging the darkness but celebrating the light. Ignoring darkness doesn't make it go away, but neither does wallowing in it. Isn't this why there's so much talk about gratitude? Being in a state of gratitude invites in the light. How else do you invite in the light?

I have a go to list of things that I can do when my mind gets a little too entranced by darkness (Yes, yoga is on the list). These things elevate me and remind me that there's often way more light than darkness, depending upon how you look at things. So tomorrow I'm going to celebrate Diwali even though I'm not of Indian descent. I love the idea of celebrating light and I think it's something that should be done every day, not just one day out of the year.

And if you'd like to invite more light into your life, here are some suggestions:

• Practice 5 minutes of yoga: Yep, set a timer for 5 minutes and do some movement to breath. It doesn't take long to feel lighter. And don't be surprised if you want to keep going once the timer goes off. Try these simple, can-be-done-anywhere yoga segments to satisfy your 5 minutes:
  --Standing Arm Movements
  --Standing Forward Bend  
  --Child's Pose Cat Arch
  --Legs to the Roof
• Move: A sure fire way to get your energy flowing and feel like light itself is movement. Try this Osho Dynamic Meditation or turn up some drumming music and dance.
• Breathe: Try two simple breathing methods for about 3 minutes each and notice how you feel afterwards: 1. Inhale through the nose and exhale out the mouth  2. Inhale through the mouth and exhale out the nose.
• Be grateful: Shifting your focus to what you're grateful for reminds you of the light in your life. Take 5-10 minutes each day and write/type a list of what you're grateful for or what was great about the day.
• Love: Loving yourself and loving others is a surefire way to light you up from the inside out. Spend time with your family and friends (perhaps you could have a yoga baking party using this yogi kitchen must-have), volunteer and help others, spend some quality alone time with yourself, spend time around animals, play with children, and anything else that involves opening your heart to yourself and/or another.

What are some things that bring light to your life? I'm off to do one of the things that brings light into mine -- African Drumming. Tomorrow when I light some candles in honor of Diwali, I'll be thinking of all of my blog readers -- the light in me bows to the light in you.

Namaste!

 

 

 

Permission To Be Bad

I started my job hunt a few months before college graduation. Being the eager, soon-to-be college grad (actually, I was probably more like the panicked grad, as I had student loans to pay back, rent, and other bills) that I was, I sent out hundreds of resumes. Most of the responses were the same -- we appreciate your interest but we need candidates with experience. Of course this made me ponder the age old question: How do I get experience unless someone will hire me?

Fast forward 5 years later to my foray into the yoga world. I bought some DVDs and practiced at home because I felt like I was too inexperienced to take a yoga class. I wondered, "What if the teacher uses a Sanskrit term for a yoga posture and I don't understand? Heck, I don't even know most of the poses. I'm going to look like a moron on the mat." Gee, the same question that applied to that first job could apply here too: How do I get yoga experience unless I take a yoga class?

The point is -- you have to start somewhere. And when you start, you have to accept that you're not going to know what you're doing. In fact, you may even be bad at it. The question here is: If I don't allow myself to be "bad" at something, how can I ever improve?

Just this weekend I flew through the air on a trapeze (no, I won't be running off to join the circus anytime soon). I was there with quite a few seasoned people who have been taking classes for months. I watched 7 people "fly" before me and it was quite clear they knew what they were doing. In fact, they made it look easy. Then they called my name to step up to the ladder for the climb to the platform. <GULP!>. The directions the teacher had given us during the 10 minute orientation were swirling in my head yet I couldn't seem to remember the details. How was I supposed to hook my knees on the bar again? When do I swing my body? Then I started the climb to the top and my musings over the correct form were replaced by concern for my personal safety -- Gee, this ladder is pretty tall and that platform looks tiny. 

By the time I got settled on the platform, knees bent (yes, they were shaking just a bit), hands on the bar in the ready position all of the thoughts seemed to fly out of my head. Instead, I jumped and listened to the directions being shouted by the instructor below. Interestingly enough, I flew through the air, my body doing what it was being instructed to do. On the dismount, my brain kicked back in and balked at the instructions to let go of the bar and tuck my knees into my chest. The result? I landed face down on the net rather than complete the backflip that would have me landing on my back -- and would have looked a lot cooler than a face plant, I might add. 

My second time out, I shut down the thoughts, let go of the bar bringing my knees to my chest and viola -- I flipped through the air landing in the net on my back. Funny what happens when you stop thinking or trying or worrying about doing it "right." 

It makes me question how many times I've said no to something/someone/some experience for fear of not being good enough and looking bad. I didn't go to my first yoga class until I had been practicing a few months. What else have I put off for fear of looking like I don't know what I'm doing?

This is such a nonsensical story that our brain makes up to protect us from getting hurt. Just last week I played tennis after not having picked up a racket for 2 weeks. I played awful. My feet seemed stuck to the court. My timing was off. My form was awful. I was baaaaaaad. It doesn't matter. I'm playing again this week. If I'm bad, so be it. I'm not going to be a better tennis player until I'm a bad one. 

What are you holding off on doing because you feel like you need to be good/have more experience/be a better person before you attempt it? Are you putting off having a relationship? Or are you talking yourself out of a career change? Or maybe you're dragging your feet on going to that yoga class? 

I'd like to offer up a new way of looking at this: now is the perfect time to start that relationship or change your career or go to that yoga class or try that new thing that's been in the back of your mind for years or whatever. You are enough right now, as you are, to do whatever it is you want to do. And now for the best part: I give you permission to be bad at whatever it is you're wanting to do. It's okay to not know what you're doing. Looking foolish isn't the end of the world. Making mistakes and falling down is allowed and encouraged. 

It's not just about not going to a yoga class because you don't feel experienced enough to keep up. It's about not participating fully in life because you feel like you're not enough. Trust me on this one -- you ARE. In fact, you're more than enough to do whatever it is you want to do right now. 

Namaste!