JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2012: DIGITAL 40 DAYS
READ MY BLOG POSTS THROUGHOUT THE DIGITAL 40 DAYS PROGRAM ON THE TOPIC OF ADAPTATION AND MODIFICATION!
READ MY BLOG POSTS THROUGHOUT THE DIGITAL 40 DAYS PROGRAM ON THE TOPIC OF ADAPTATION AND MODIFICATION!
WEEK 1
Finding Presence in Child’s Pose
Every time I commit to participating in a 40 Days program, I meet all of my excitements and fears head on the very first day. On one hand, I reflect on the very different and wonderful insights I’ve had each time I come back to it, and on the other hand, I start thinking about all the ways I want to do things differently, better than last time. When you find yourself trying to figure it all out or forcing yourself through the program, come into Child’s Pose and take this pose as many times as you need to. Approach your practice with a Beginner’s mind. Remind yourself that this is a process that will feel different every day. Dropping down onto my mat and feeling my body on the floor brings me back to my physical experience RIGHT NOW with a heightened awareness and reminds me to let go of any expectation I have for myself, to clear my mind, and to start again with a whole new sense of ease.
To take Child’s Pose:
Drop down onto your yoga mat
Take your knees wide and bring your big toes to touch
Sit your hips back onto your heels
Drop your forehead to the floor
Extend your arms out in front of you
Breathe in, breathe out, repeat, enjoy!
WEEK 2
Vitality = Sustainability
When I first started my yoga practice, my former life as a competitive athlete got the best of me. I was sure that yoga would automatically come so naturally. I was so hard on myself when it didn’t, wondering why I wasn’t “getting it” right away. Downward Dog was one pose in particular that I pushed through. Before I was able to feel the alignment in my body, which took me nearly two years, I put myself into what looked like a passable version of the pose and muscled through it. All I was doing was wreaking major havoc on my wrists and feeling uncomfortable.
Whenever you feel like you are struggling through Downward Dog, take your knees to the floor and come into Tabletop. Press your palms flat into the mat. Stack your shoulders, elbows and wrists on top of each other. Squeeze your shoulder blades onto your back and draw your arm bones into the shoulder sockets. Pull the pit of your belly in towards your spine. This is a sure fire way to take any strain out of your joints and to feel the alignment in a supported way. Remember, creating a sustainable yoga practice is what will keep you coming back to your mat vibrantly every day for the rest of your life!
WEEK 3
Reinventing Balance
Equanimity, to me, is the true essence of yoga. But, I didn’t actually full embrace that for a long time! I would lump my yoga practice onto my to-do list just so I could check it off… something that I got very good at as a former version of myself. I would tell myself “I’ll just figure it all out later” once I finished everything. The more I kept coming back to my mat, the more I realized that it was never all going to get done. What a relief! It was as if the pressure valve started to release. I learned that meeting myself halfway felt so natural… and so graceful.
When I lose my way, my physical asana practice reminds me right away and it always seems to show up in the Balancing Series. Instead of fighting falling over in Eagle Pose, reinvent it! Come onto your back. Wrap your right leg over your left leg and your right arm under your left arm. Flex both feet, pushing the ball of the big toe forward and pulling the baby toe back towards you. Hug your inner thighs and forearms in toward the centerline of your body. Lift your elbows up in line with your shoulders, push your fingertips to the sky as you squeeze your shoulder blades into the mat. The feeling of my entire spine pressing into the floor helps me to engage the muscles in my core that support me and wake me up to my experience… a reminder to stop forcing and start listening.
WEEK 4
Tapping Into Your Twists
While we're on the topic of cleansing this week, my practice has opened up to what I would call "untapped potential"... or at least I am feeling areas of my body that I've never felt before, especially when I'm in twisting poses. It's exciting! In the twists, I've had moments where my body feels like a human Vitamix or juicer and I've been loving tapping into my practice in as creative a way as I am preparing my meals: with power, vitality and versatility.
This week, I find that modifying my Crescent Lunge Twist has enabled me to push into the earth with more power to go deeper into the pose than usual and access the space right at the pit of my belly. Hugging into the centerline to radiate out, as Baron teaches, is like a deep squeeze for the whole body. I invite you to try it too! Step your right foot forward into your lunge. Widen your feet to hips width distance. Press into the ball of your left foot. From here, drop your left knee down to the floor or onto a block or towel for more padding and shift your weight slightly forward to take the pressure off of your knee cap. Hook your left elbow past your right knee and twist your body to the right side of the room. Use the press of your knee down into your mat and your elbow into your knee to create a stable, grounded base for you to explore a juicy, detoxifying stretch with effects that will linger long after your practice ends!
WEEK 5
Dancing on the Ceiling
I love that one of the laws we are focusing on this week is Law 10: Be True To Yourself. This has been my New Year's resolution and so far it's worked our pretty well as we move into the second month of 2012. In my practice, being true to myself reminds me to get creative with ways to feel the earth underneath me, which always brings me back to the present moment and into my True North. This week, coming off of the fruit feast, I'm feeling focused on the experience of having a deeper connection to grounding.
Did you ever think about modifying an inversion to create more stability and connection to the earth? Try it! If you normally go up into a handstand, headstand, or even shoulder stand, consider Viparita Karani or waterfall pose. In this variation, feeling your spine on your mat has an amazing earthy quality that is both restorative and revitalizing. Start lying down on the floor and draw your shoulder blades down your back to create length in the spine. From here, I like to put a block under my low back to support my hips off the floor. Even more supported still is to put your legs up against a wall. From the connection of your whole spine on the earth, create a sense of Tadasana (mountain pose) in your feet. Press the balls of your big toes up to the sky (almost like you are wearing a high heeled shoe) and spread your toes wide. Keep your gaze to your feet so that you can keep inviting them to wake up and create a stretch not only in you toes and arches but a powerful activation of all your leg muscles into your core. You'll feel the earth under your feet, even while you are inverted, like you are standing on the ceiling... and if you stay long enough you might even feel like you are dancing on the ceiling!
WEEK 6
TRIUMPH, to me, sheds light on a palpable feeling that I've encountered of knowing that where I am is exactly where I am supposed to be. Nothing is right or wrong, better or worse. It just is. And in that lies the balance. I know myself that I could spend precious time in my yoga practice convincing myself "This pose is too hard" or "I can't do that". I catch myself creating a perceived limitation on my capabilities that only clouds what is right there in front of me and sabotages the possibility for joy and freedom in my experience. If I just listen to my breath, my body will follow without any force and without any trying to figure it out.
Consider this week that there are no "advanced" yoga poses but that the freedom to Be Still And Know could advance your yoga practice to a whole new level of awareness whether you are in Child's Pose or Headstand or anywhere in between. Consider that a modification is really just a different version of a pose. When you give yourself space for clarity, this provides a springboard for you to explore all corners of your practice across a huge and beautiful spectrum that has the potential to be infinitely colorful and robust. Stay in the game today and every day by stepping out of the status quo. Go color outside the lines to tap into the excitement of what is possible for you by creating your own life!
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FEBRUARY 2011: Who Do You Love?
Why is it that in our culture we only associate one day a year, Valentine’s Day, with love? We get so focused on the expectation of directing that love to others on February 14th that we lose sight of the fact that love is most certainly in the air each and every day.
A consistent yoga practice reminds us to love ourselves on the regular. When we commit to connecting to ourselves, then we can pass that love on. In fact, Bhakti Yoga is an entire practice in and of itself centered around love and devotion.
Remember the grade school days of depositing a slew of Valentine’s cards in each of our classmates’ mailboxes? Think about your yoga practice as a way to send a Valentine every single day. Your love will radiate through you so you’ll be going green and saving a lot of paper in the process! Spread the love by getting on your yoga mat daily!
____________________________________________________________________NOVEMBER 2010: On Giving Thanks
Every year I try to put my finger on what it is about Thanksgiving that brings me some much fulfillment. This year, my yoga practice has helped me bring some clarity to my answer. Heartiness and warmth are two words that I associate with the holiday and along with them come vivid images of family gathered around a fireplace and a full spread of a colorful holiday feast. This, in turn, triggers deeper feelings of satisfaction and calm. My yoga practice helps me to focus on my “drishti”, a Sanskrit word meaning outer vision and inner awareness. I often encourage my students to create the image they want to see. When they are in control of the experience they are creating, it sets the tone for how the live their lives both on and off of their yoga mat. As I reflect on what I am thankful for this holiday season, I invite you to consider a word or two that inspires you to refine your focus on the spirit of the holiday season. And, while you are at it, give yourself the gift of your yoga practice to help set your intention to do that.
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JUNE 2010: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle the Yoga Way
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. These are three great words to live by. And why not use your Yoga practice to jump start the initiative!
Ever wonder where all the stuff you have lying around came from or where it ends up? I was recently visiting my childhood home and began sorting through all of the things I had saved over years and years of experiences. All of the things seemed so important and meaningful at the time I put them in their places on shelves, in drawers, closets, or packed away in boxes. Looking back through them now just seems like a big, overwhelming, stressful mess. Why did I keep this or that in the first place? And, clearing out all (or at least a vast majority) of those things seems more and more likely as time passes.
A consistent yoga practice helps connect us all to what is going on right now, right before our eyes. It helps us step away from the thoughts that make us hold on to our things for dear life and make room for the possibilities to come.
Don’t get me wrong… not all things are considered trash or clutter… and memories are wonderful things. But, take a look around you and see what’s just taking up space. And, while you’re at it, do something good with your goods! Bring in an old yoga mat to OMBE to recycle and shop for one of our environmentally friendly, colorful, top-of-the-line Manduka eKO mats. Or, test out eco-friendly yoga mats and props in OMBE's yoga studio.
Ever wonder where all the stuff you have lying around came from or where it ends up? I was recently visiting my childhood home and began sorting through all of the things I had saved over years and years of experiences. All of the things seemed so important and meaningful at the time I put them in their places on shelves, in drawers, closets, or packed away in boxes. Looking back through them now just seems like a big, overwhelming, stressful mess. Why did I keep this or that in the first place? And, clearing out all (or at least a vast majority) of those things seems more and more likely as time passes.
A consistent yoga practice helps connect us all to what is going on right now, right before our eyes. It helps us step away from the thoughts that make us hold on to our things for dear life and make room for the possibilities to come.
Don’t get me wrong… not all things are considered trash or clutter… and memories are wonderful things. But, take a look around you and see what’s just taking up space. And, while you’re at it, do something good with your goods! Bring in an old yoga mat to OMBE to recycle and shop for one of our environmentally friendly, colorful, top-of-the-line Manduka eKO mats. Or, test out eco-friendly yoga mats and props in OMBE's yoga studio.
Check out Recycle Your Mat for more information about the great program.
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MARCH 2010: 5 Yoga Tips For Your Best Marathon Yet
The approach of the Boston Marathon every year is one of my favorite signs of spring. I get a rush just hearing the buzz around the city. If you are gearing up for the 26.2, I salute you. I also support you in staying in the best possible physical and mental shape throughout your training. Need some inspiration? Check out these tips…
Yoga Tips for Marathon Runners:
1. After a long run, lie on your back on the floor and put your legs up against a wall (called Waterfall pose or Viparita Karani) to soothe tired legs and reverse the flow of energy. Start by placing a Yoga block or towel underneath your tailbone to take some pressure off of your lower spine. Flatten your shoulder blades into the floor, flex your toes towards your face to stretch your leg muscles, close your eyes and enjoy!
2. Did you know that during an average mile run, your foot hits the ground 1,000 times? The impact on each foot equals four times your body weight! Try a Yoga class to tap you into proper body alignment so you can support your body weight and minimize injuries.
3. Marathon running is all about mental preparation. Yoga helps you to clear your mind, reduce stress, and visualize your success as well as appreciate your love for the race.
4. Use your Yoga practice to learn the power of breathing. Yogic breathing techniques help transport more oxygen through the blood to your muscles faster and more efficiently.
5. Balance Yoga and Running to stretch and build flexibility in tight muscles. When muscles tighten, they pull on your bones and can take your body out of alignment, causing many back and joint problems down the road. Be proactive to avoid injury and ensure a lifetime of healthy runs.
My Yoga for Runners classes focuses on body awareness and alignment, core strength and balance with extra attention to strengthening and stretching out the hips and legs. Or, contact me to schedule a private session to customize your own routine.
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DECEMBER 2009: Yoga Tips for Winter Warmth
Fire It Up
As we approach the end of January, has anyone else but me had enough of the winter chill? Living in New England my whole life, I would have thought I’d have gotten used to it by now. The truth is that I dread the freeze every year. We often associate winter with a time of hibernation and slowing down as well. So, as I was asking myself what brings me comfort in the chilly months, the resounding answer was… HEAT! Ok, so a hot chocolate on occasion is nice, but what about an easy, all-natural, do-it-yourself, feel-good remedy… YOGA!
Doing a lot of moving right off the bat might be a shock to the system, but it is a great way to balance a typical winter routine. So why not ease yourself in by holding some heat-building Yoga poses for 5 to 10 long breaths each to wake up your bones and muscles. Try this one to warm your shoulders, your thighs, and your heart!
Utkatasana—Thunderbolt Pose
Start in a standing position with your feet together. Lift your arms to the sky with your palms facing each other and draw your shoulder blades down your back. As if you were sitting into a chair behind you, squeeze your inner thighs together, bend your knees so that they stack over your ankles, and send your hip bones towards the back of the room. Drop your tailbone down as you lift your chest up and open, lengthening your spine. Most importantly, don’t forget to breathe! Long, steady breaths in and out of the nose will help to calm your nervous system, deepen your pose, and turn up the heat.
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NOVEMBER 2009: Take Your Yoga Mat With You Wherever You Go
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Take your Yoga mat with you wherever you go
I was recently reminded of a moment of sweetness that I experienced while teaching a very early morning Yoga class. The crew of early morning risers arrived promptly to set their intention for the day long before the sun rose. Before the start of class, I performed my typical duty of locking the main lobby door and inviting late comers to enter through the door to the Yoga studio itself. Occasionally, one or two students quietly step in a few minutes after class starts to join us. On one day in particular, we were moving through the last handful of poses in a deep hip opening sequence when a knock came at the studio door. Slightly confused, I peered out to notice that there was, in fact, someone wanting to get inside. Between cues, I opened the door to a man dressed neatly in a suit and tie who asked to please be let in through the lobby door. While most of the students stirred to witness what was going on, I quietly offered to him that class was nearing its end and that there was another class starting shortly after this one ended that he could attend. But he insisted on getting into the locked studio immediately. A friend offered to step out and assist him in the lobby and shortly came back into the room in time to slip into savasana. After class, she explained to me that he had left his mat at the studio the night before and needed to get it right at that very moment. My initial reaction to this situation of urgency and chaos turned to peace and gratitude. Each day, each moment, I carry this story with me when I get caught up in my life off the mat. I’ll take this student’s advice… whether you are in your Yoga clothes, or in a suit and tie… on your way to class, or to work… whether literally or figuratively, take your mat with you wherever you go because, truly, we are all ALWAYS on our Yoga mat.
