Cool Breezes

Cool Breezes

Chilling with your Breath

Have you noticed that maybe you are a little more irritable during the summer? July’s heat can fuel frustration and aggravation.  When the body temperature rises, our tempers sometimes follow.

A committed yoga practice can help bring awareness when these internal temperatures start to rise, as well as providing much needed cool breezes to our souls.  Surprisingly for many novice yogis, this practice begins with controlling our breath or pranayama.  “If the breath is chaotic the mind, emotions and thoughts are chaotic.  When the breath is controlled, still and steady, so is the mind” (Rolf Gates)

Two cooling pranayama techniques to try are sitali and sitkari.  Sitali translate to soothing or cool in Sanskrit.  Think of these styles as your own air conditioning unit!  Practicing sitali (or sitkari) calms the fight or flight response.  It cools the mind, body and spirit as well as blood pressure.  It has a calming effect to the entire nervous system.

Check out Yoga International’s detailed instructions on how to practice both sitali and sitkari.  Simply practicing these breathing techniques for 2-5 minutes a day can make a difference.  Take a breath today for a calmer, gentler you.

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.

Heart of the Matter

Heart of the Matter

Getting Emotional

Since receiving Shiva Rea’s new book, Tending the Heart Fire, I’ve been intrigued with how little I know about our hearts.   For instance, you probably already knew heart disease is the #1 killer among men and women.  It causes one in four deaths every year per the CDC.  Yes, poor diet and physical inactivity contribute to these high statistics.

But have you ever considered that our heart is more than just a pump? Our heart is a workhorse pumping thousands of gallons of blood throughout our body every hour.  It is connected via the circulatory system to every part of our body.  “Within one minute, the heart can circulate one breath throughout the body.”

In addition, the heart communicates to every cell in our body through its electrical field. (Yes, I realize this is a bit more scientific than most of my posts, but stay with me on this.)  It communicates feelings, thoughts, and emotions along with nutrients to each and every crevice within the body.

When presented with new information, where do you feel you process this information? In the heart or in the mind?  For example, you have been offered a promotion at work.  Your initial feelings are of joy and excitement actually felt within the heart then translated by the mind.  Thus, we process new information in the heart first.

So, if we process the information in the heart first, and the heart can communicate to every cell in our body within a minute, think about how quickly what you think and feel can disrupt about a situation will affect your entire body.  Within one minute, you can feel happiness or sadness.  Add to this the stressful lives we lead of all work and no play.  This stress on the body contributes to the overall number of heart disease claims.

We can help our heart stay healthy and fit by tuning into it.  With realization that our emotions affect our wellbeing, we can begin with each breath.  Slow down, and try to stay calm when processing information avoiding the fight or flight scenario to every instance.  Notice what situations get your blood pumping (in a bad way), and find ways to prevent them in the future – preparing more, leaving earlier, redefining job responsibilities, enjoying life more.

“Back into the chamber turning, all my soul within me burning,

Soon again I heard a tapping somewhat louder than before…”

“The Raven” by Edgar Allan Poe

It is your heart calling, calling once more.

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.

Peace + Quiet

Peace + Quiet

Antidote for Holiday Stress

Smells of cinnamon and evergreen fill the stores and maybe your house this time of the year.  The holiday season is in full force, and we are all rushing around picking up those last minute gifts, attending parties and cooking for guests.

I recently made a decision to stay home for the winter holidays forgoing my 32-year tradition of celebrating with my family in Florida.  It was a hard decision, but one that actually brought more peace to my life.  Nothing is more hectic than traveling at the holidays, and now, I would be adding a child to that stressful event.  So now, we spend our springs with my family when air traffic is slower, and the weather is less of a cancellation threat.

I am living my peace.  I am making decisions (when I can) that help bring calmness to my family and myself.  By living in a peaceful rhythm, we begin to change the world around us.  Our family, friends and even strangers begin to feel this shift of peaceful energies.  Some even begin to shift their rhythms. 

Ghandi said, “Be the change you wish to see in the world.”  I hold this quote close to my heart and believe it to the fullest.  We may represent one drop in an ocean of people, but that one drop can create a ripple through the hearts of all people.  Live your life with passion, peace and love.

Below is a Peace Invocation I adapted from a training with Shiva Rea.  Practice this invocation in the morning before your yoga practice or before you start your day.

Body Movement: Raise arms over your head, drawing both hands down the center stopping at your heart.

Invocation: Begin by facing east on your mat. Lift arms, and silently pray, “Let there be peace to everyone I love and know in the east.” Pause.  Think about everyone you know and don’t know.  Think about anyone that could use your healing powers. Turn to the south. Inhale and exhale praying, “Let there be peace to everyone I know and love in the south.”Turn to the west. Inhale and exhale praying, “Let there be peace to everyone I know and love in the west.” Next, turn to the north. “Let there be peace to everyone I love and know in the north.” Finally, turn back turn to face east again.  Draw the arms up and silently speak “Let there be peace within me.”