Bon Voyage

Jennifer Weiss, Limber Llama Yoga, demonstrates Locust Pose, a great chest opener after a day of travel.

Bon Voyage

Yoga-to-Go

June kicks off the summer travel season for most including me.  I start planning for any vacation with a to-do list.  What needs to go, what needs to be washed, what errands still need to be run.  I thrive on these lists and all the pre-planning.  Though, once we step out the door, I have to let go of control.

Airline postponements, road construction and weather delays are all out of our control.  But they have such an effect on our emotional state.  Sitting on the tarmac for more than 30 minutes gets anyone’s blood pumping.  Oh, and what if you are traveling with little ones?  They are less patient than adults.  Here are a few tips to help you survive this travel season.

Travel Tips

1. Stay hydrated.  Dehydration causes all sorts of misery like headaches, crankiness, constipation and anxiety.  Carry a reusable water bottle.  If traveling by air, leave out the water, but pack lemon slices in the bottle.  Once you’re past security, add water and enjoy.
2. Eat well.  You are at the mercy of flight schedules and traffic delays.  Don’t allow yourself to get hungry.  Pack foods that are easy to store like nuts, granola, apples, oranges and bananas.  When you are able to eat, choose foods that agree with you.  (i.e. If Mexican dishes give you heartburn, expect heartburn plus more indigestion while traveling.)
3. Bring entertainment.  Normally, I’d suggest meditating during delays, but it’s not always possible or easy.  Pack a book or magazine (or download to your device) to challenge and distract your mind during those tough times.
4. Pack a scarf, wrap, jacket or sweater.  Temperature can also affect our mood.  It’s best to dress in layers so you can control how cool or warm you need to be.
5. Silence is golden.  Turning off our senses helps calm the mind.  Pack ear plugs, close your eyes and breathe.
6. Above all, patience is important.  Life it too short to sweat the small stuff.  So you missed your flight.  There will be another.  Cultivate the love and patience you practice on the mat, and demonstrate it now.

Yoga-to-Go

Certain yoga poses can alleviate body aches, mental frustration and indigestion.  You can print or view my Destination Yoga sequence or try some of the below poses.  And if you don’t have room for a yoga mat, purchase a pair of Yoga Paws and use a towel at the hotel

1. Downward Facing Dog:  This pose opens up the entire backside of your body releasing tension from the travel.
2. Low Lunge:  Sitting wreaks havoc on our hips.  And tight hips equal a tight and sore back.
3.  Child’s Pose: Feel grounded with your forehead touching the earth.  This pose also alleviates digestion issues by opening up the lower back.
4. Happy Baby:  Allow your worries to sink into the ground with this pose.  Release low back pain and open the hips while improving digestion.
5. Locust Pose:  Rounded shoulders and a weak low back are the effects of sitting too much.  Practice locust to open the chest and shoulders while strengthening the back.  

     Happy Travels!

What's Your Sign?

What’s Your Sign?

Being Observant

All around us the universe is sending us messages.  Perhaps the slow car in the fast lane is a reminder to take a few deep breaths or the teens laughing on the sidewalk cue us to take life lightly.

But far too often, we are too busy to even notice these signs.  We get up.  We dress and feed our family.  And after we get ourselves together, we remember to feed the dog, and now we’re likely late getting out the door.  So, with all of this chaos going on in the first few hours of our day, how on earth are we supposed to “smell the roses?”

Practicing yoga and meditation teaches us to bring our mind, breath and body in unity.  When all three are working together, we can begin to sift through all the noise and see those signs Mother Nature is practically throwing at us.

Until my own yoga practice became more regular, I never spotted these signs either.  The universe could have been sending me the latest lottery numbers, and I wouldn’t have noticed.

How can you become more observant?  Download a copy of any yoga sequence found on Limber Llama Yoga.  Move through the sequence slowly allowing your breath to be even and slow.  Notice if any poses cause your breath to be shallow and tense. 

Once you have your breath and movement in synch, turn to your mind.  What are you thinking about?  The weather, dinner, tomorrow’s schedule?  Accept that these thoughts will come up, and turn your thoughts to your muscles, bones and breath.  How do your hips feel in Warrior 2?  Describe it to yourself. 

Soon, all three – the body, breath and mind – will synch.  And with practice, it becomes easier to unite these off the mat and in the real world.

Shine On

Limber Llama Yoga teacher, Jennifer Weiss teaching at Girls Inc. of Washington County.

Shine On

Confidence Sparkles

What would my childhood have been like if I had been exposed to yoga at age 10?  This very question is what led me to begin volunteering with pre-teens and teenagers in Hagerstown.

When I pose this question to my adult students, they sigh, and say life would have been so much easier.  “I would have more confidence in my body.”  “I could have taken more time to react to situations.” “I may have been a more authentic me.”  And the list goes on and on.

All the benefits adults enjoy as a regular yoga practice, teens can experience too.  From the ability to act consciously instead of reacting to a situation to redirecting negative thoughts into positive ones, yoga is a toolbox of movement, breath and mind practices.  This toolbox aids in building self-confidence, gaining greater depth of enjoyment of life, and giving courage to be the real you.

It may not seem like all of these benefits are possible, but let’s break it down.  When a student begins practicing yoga poses (asanas), she first has to let go of what’s happening outside her mat in order to do the pose correctly.  Once she gains some confidence in her Downward Facing Dog, she’ll start to connect her breath to each movement.   Then, she stops the movement, but continues to focus on the breath while calming the mind.

The student then begins to practice self-awareness (paying attention) off the mat.  She takes a breath before speaking.  She understands and communicates the feelings she’s experiencing.  She takes more time to make smart decisions.  She gains more confidence in herself as well as her support system.

Who wouldn’t want these benefits?  And who wouldn’t want to give them to their son or daughter?  During the month of March 2014, teens (ages 10-18) can practice for free when accompanied by a paying adult to any Limber Llama Yoga class.

Savor in the New Year

Savor in the New Year

Every Moment Counts

Pick up any yoga book or self-help book for that matter, and you’ll read the following advice:  Be in the present moment.  Enjoy right now.  Great advice, but how do we get “good” at living in the moment?

Just as a basketball player practices free throws for game time, we can practice being present in our asana (poses) practice.  When you step into Warrior 2, you first begin to line up the feet, then legs.  You elongate your spine, and spread your energy out from your heart to your fingertips.  But the pose doesn’t stop here.  Prana (energy) continues to flow.

Here’s where the magic begins.  You begin to notice.  You begin to listen.  Your breath, whether slow and steady or short and fast, is sending messages to your mind.  If you choose to listen, you begin to adjust your stance or lift your heart. 

Your mind slowly lets go of outside distractions and focuses on what is happening right now – standing in Warrior 2.  Each time we enter Warrior 2, our bodies give other messages such as “when I lift my chest, I can breathe easier,” and “dipping a little deeper into my hips releases the work stress from the day.”

When we step off the mat, and back into the real world, we put this mindful practice into action.  Savor the drive to and from work – giving yourself time to sit in quietness.  Let your mind soak in the scrubbing motion when washing dishes.  Turn off all electronics and spend time listening to your family without any distractions.  Indulge in a delicious piece of chocolate cake tasting every moist detail.

Slow down and enjoy the ride.  Spend the time practicing on the mat, and savor the results everyday.