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Enjoy!
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Yoga retreats! Quick survey, please
Are you interested in going on a yoga retreat? Do you have five minutes to fill out a survey?
I've been wrapping my mind around leading retreats for a while now, and would love your input so we can start getting our asanas out of the city. The survey is geared towards San Franciscans, but input from those outside of the Bay Area would be super-helpful, too!
If you could take a minute and fill out this simple survey, it would really help a lot!
The results are anonymous, so please feel free to be candid where necessary :-)
Click here to take survey
Thank you a million and may you have a wonderful day filled with light and love!
As always, feel free to email me if you have any questions about this.
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
R.I.P. Sri K. Pattabhi Jois
The modern guru of Ashtanga yoga died on Monday of natural causes, at the age of 93. He taught right up until the very end.
Guruji's influence on modern yoga in the West can hardly be comprehended. He will be sorely missed in this world. We wish him all the best in the hereafter.
More on the story here. And here. And his Wikipedia entry is here.
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
A pose a day keeps you practicing ~ hooray!
If you're not a regular practitioner of yoga, it may be intimidating to start going to a weekly class. Even if you have had a regular practice in the past, it might be hard to stick to a schedule or to work in an entire 60- or 90-minute practice into your day.
In my experience practicing and teaching yoga, students get the most benefit by incorporating small amounts of yoga on a regular basis, rather than one long class per week.
An easy way to do this is to resolve to do one yoga pose every day. That's right, just one. This way, you will keep yourself in the yoga flow without getting burned out or feeling like you "have to" make it to class or break out the full-length DVD.
Of course, more advanced poses like Upward Bow (Urdhva Dhanurasana) and Lotus (Padmasana) require "prerequisite" poses to warm up the muscles and strengthen the body ~ I would strongly recommend you do not jump right into an advanced pose without proper warm-up.
You may find that your body is calling out for:
- a full-body stretch like Downward Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana)
- a seated twist like Half Lord of the Fishes (Ardha Matsyendrasana)
- a restorative pose like Legs Up the Wall (Viparita Kirani)
- or another pose that you personally love and can do with relative ease.
If you're feeling more energetic, try moving on to one Sun Salutation (Surya Namaskara) per day.
Keep your awareness focused on the pose and on the moment. Keep your breath smooth and even. Allow yourself to be fully IN the pose for several breaths before releasing and moving on.
Be careful, though ~ you may find yourself inspired to continue on to a full 90-minute practice!
Monday, May 4, 2009
Friday, May 1, 2009
Change your perspective: invert!
Sometimes it's hard to see the good things that are right in front of you. Sometimes it feels like life is stagnating. Sometimes life needs to be turned upside-down in order for the sludge on the bottom to reach the top, so it can be filtered out.
One solution is to work some inversions into your practice or simply into your day! Reversing the flow of gravity increases blood flow to your brain. Creative ideas are stimulated and new solutions to old problems seem to flow freely and easily, rather than stagnating at the bottom of your shoes. Stimulating your brain in this way can even help relieve mild depression!
Inverting also helps to reduce nervous tension, alleviates fatigue, improves digestion ~ pretty much everything that helps you feel better.
Some traditional and hard-core yogis say that women should not invert while they are menstruating. They feel that reversing that particular flow of blood can have negative effects, that it's unnatural to "hold the blood in" when it should be flowing freely downward. Based on my own experience, I suggest what I always suggest: listen to your body. If it feels right and feels like it could relieve your headache, cramps, or bloated appendages, then do it. If it feels uncomfortable or in any way not right for your body, then don't do it. That simple.
On a more metaphysical note, inverting daily can help you put your world in perspective. Turning yourself upside-down can literally release negative energy back into the earth, allowing space for more positive thoughts to flow through your crown once you are upright again. So get your heart above your brain and see what new ideas and joys begin to flow into your life!
If you're not ready for Handstand (Adho Mukha Vrksasana) or Headstand (Sirsasana), here are some other inversions you might want to try:
- Legs Up the Wall (Viparita Kirani): Simple, gentle, and restorative
- Legs Up the Bed (my own name): Knees bent, lower legs resting on the bed mattress or couch cushion. Even simpler, even gentler, and for some, even more restorative.
- Plough (Halasana) or Plough with legs resting on a chair/couch/bed behind you: Releases tension in the spine and shoulders, great after sitting at a desk all day
- Shoulderstand (Sarvangasana): The Queen of Postures, is calming and stimulating at the same time
Once your perspective has changed, it may never return to its old ways again!
Sunday, April 5, 2009
Friday, March 20, 2009
Welcome, Spring!
(This image of the Goddess Ostara is from http://www.mickiemuellerart.com/)Today is the Vernal Equinox, the first official day of Spring. Welcome to the new life blossoming all around us and welcome to the promise of rebirth.
It's also the the pagan Sabbat of Ostara, from which the Christian Easter also came, and today celebrates the Persian New Year.
It always made more sense to me to start the new year in Spring, at the Vernal Equinox, instead of in January, in the dead of winter. It's also the start of the astrological year, Aries, the pioneering ram who sets things in motion. Starting the new year in Capricorn (January), the hardworking goat, is like walking uphill in the snow. You might get where you're headed, but it will likely be a struggle!
There's a reason we're drawn to do Spring cleaning! Our vital selves know that now is the time to release the old so we have space to allow the new to enter.
Now would be a great time to set your "new year's" resolutions in motion! Let your intentions blossom like the daffodils and Lilies of the Valley, which are blooming all over here in Northern California. Spend some time today to set your resolutions down on paper and ask for the assistance of the fresh Spring energy to drive your dreams, wishes, and plans into motion.
And while you're at it, spend some time outside and breathe deep the new essence in the air. Allow yourself to be reborn and start this year anew!
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Monday, February 2, 2009
What is yoga?
Since I started teaching, I've been asked this question more times than I ever expected. I started writing this abbreviated answer to the Question of the Month in my February newsletter, but decided to share it here, too, for those of you who aren't newsletter subscribers. It's a short answer and definitely not comprehensive, but hopefully will help you to better understand the basics.
What is yoga?
The short answer is, the unification of mind, body, and spirit. The word "yoga" comes from the Sanskrit "yuj," meaning to join or unite. The practice of the physical and mental disciplines of yoga is meant to unite the inner and outer worlds, bringing peace, health, spiritual connection, and mindfulness to our lives.
The longer answer is, well, it depends who you ask and where you look. According to the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, yoga is "the restraint of the modifications of the mind-stuff." To be fully present, thus, is to practice yoga. To reach this state, there are 8 "limbs," or paths, to follow. These include abstentions, observances, physical practice, breathwork, withdrawl of the senses, concentration, meditation, and merging of consciousness with the All.
But according to the Bhagavad Gita, the ancient sacred scripture of Hinduism, yoga is the paths of devotional service, action, meditation, and knowledge - specific ways of living and being, which lead to a surrender of our attachments to the material world and a connection with the Supreme. To follow these ways, then, is to practice yoga.
Hatha yoga is the physical form of yoga made up of asanas, or a series of poses. This is the type of yoga typically practiced in the West, at gyms and studios. The asanas were developed to purify the body, which further allows for purification of the mind. The poses were meant to prepare the body for long periods of seated meditation.
These are important distinctions to keep in mind. A person who can place her foot behind her head is not necessarily "better" at yoga than one who is consistently fully present in her life. A practitioner who meditates every day is not necessarily more attuned with yoga than one who devotes his free time to those in need.
Find the yoga that works for you. Explore! There are many paths to unification and hatha yoga is not the only righteous way. The style that matters most is the one that works best for your own soul.
For more information, you can try Googling "yoga," or check out the Wikipedia entry and follow the links within to learn about the different styles. It can be a lifetime study, so don't expect to know and understand it all in a day! :-) Cheers, and Namasté
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