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.”

Start Early

Start Early

Change the World

School bells ring and buses mix into the morning commute.  School is back in session.  Time for homework, afterschool activities and . . . stress?

Kids and teens face an enormous amount of pressure not just from school but at home, on the computer and on the field.  I work with a group of young ladies at Girls Inc. of Washington County each school year.  We discuss their daily activities and struggles.

Back in the old days (those would be my days), one could leave all the drama at the end of the school day.  Now, with texting, Facebook, Instagram and whatever other social network that has released since I wrote this, kids and teens are glued to the conversation to ensure they are not the main topic.  One pre-teen described middle school as “being under a microscope.”

Yoga and meditation can help build self-confidence as well as provide tools to deal with the stressful teen years.  Asana practice (physical practice of the poses) allows kids and teens to become more aware of their body, and appreciative of what it can do.  Meditation along with easy breathing techniques gives their mind a moment to process without the distractions.

Kids and teens can start with the tried and true Sun Salutation sequence.  Start slowly by completing 5 rounds as many days during the week.  Then, add meditation and breathing every morning or evening (or both!).

Encourage your kids and teens to keep a journal or allow open conversation so they can release the highs and lows of the day.  Don’t have children?  You can volunteer or support a local children’s organization.  Positive role models are always needed.

“It’s true we’ll make a better day.  Just you and me.” Michael Jackson’s We are the World.

Looking Within

Looking Within

Your mat is your mirror

I unroll my mat and prepare for today’s yoga practice.  Steve Ross’s voice on the TV welcomes students; then he kicks up his tunes as the practice begins.  He laughs and cracks jokes while guiding us through a series of poses - some easy, some difficult, and some downright frustrating.

I remained loyal to Steve and practiced every Monday thru Friday before heading into work.  Little by little, Steve’s voice became a whisper then it would disappear while I practiced.  I began to hear a new voice that would beg for a longer hip opening series or another back bend.  She knew exactly what I needed to heal what the previous day had broken.

I even began not turning on the TV, and just moving into what felt great for that particular morning.  On days my job was stressful, I would linger in child’s pose for several minutes.  On days when I treated my body well, I was energized and ready for a strong warrior sequence.  I didn’t exactly have a conversation with myself, but let the movement do the talking for me.

Our yoga mat is a reflection of our inner self.  When we step onto the mat, we are given an opportunity dive into our emotions, work out our demons, and find peace within.  Take Downward Facing Dog for example.  Go ahead and try it. 

Start anatomically – how do the hamstrings respond?  Is the weight in the hands too much?  Then begin to see how Down Dog is a reflection of how you are feeling.  Are you tense from the argument you had with your spouse and now your shoulders seem to lift up by your ears?  Is your body craving a deeper chest opening because you finally asked your boss you for a raise?  Move and sway in down dog as you experience the conversation.

My practices may have started 12 years ago, but they continue to change every day.  I encourage all of my students to feel their way through any yoga practice.  Yoga is a tool to help connect the breath, the mind and the body.  Each practice will be different than the one before.  Go ahead.  Step onto your mat and gaze into the mirror.

Am I Enough?

Am I Enough?

Accepting Yourself

Out of college, I started my “adult” life with a position with Kraft Foods.  I loved the thrill of sales and the camaraderie of a team.  I strived everyday to blast through my sales goals because I believed the next role would make me a little bit happier.

I spent the next nine years playing this game with myself.  Each time, I was disappointed when the new job didn’t feel that gap in my heart.  “What is wrong with me?” I thought countless times.  “Why can’t I just be happy with what I have?”  “Why can’t I accept me?”

Is life a struggle for you?  For many of us, we ask these questions all the time, but we continue to fight for the same life we have.  What if we surrendered, and let it unfold before us?  Like someone who has been suffering from back pain for a long time, he forgets what relief feels like.

List 5 things you are grateful to have in your life.  (Do it now!  I’m waiting……)  Write beside each item how it makes you feel.  (family = love, joy)  Sit quietly for a few moments feeling each emotion. Breathe in peace, and feel a calm rush over your body.  Breathe in happiness, and allow your entire body to lift with the corners of your mouth.  Use this list to help tune your body to feeling these emotions again, and then dive deeper into your soul.

Once you find the fullness of peace, love and joy within yourself, you won’t rely on other people, things, etc. to make you happy.  One taste of this freedom, and you will never want to go back.  The hardest step toward total acceptance is the first.

Sea of Life

Sea of Life

Surfing Along the Waves

Cool waves rush over my toes.  A gentle breeze lifts my hair while politely misting my face with the refreshing salt water.  The roar of a crashing wave is complimented by a flock of seagulls passing by. 

Just like a wave, our life ebbs and flows.  We are challenged with decisions, responsibilities and turning points within our life.  Each wave provides a glimpse into our inner strength.  As we navigate through one, we are better prepared for the next.

Remarkably, our body is more in tuned with water than we may first think.  Water comprises over 70% of the world and our individual selves.  Our movements and our thoughts can be like the sea – gentle, thoughtful, awe-inspiring or rough, distracted, depleting.

Use the water element to cool your mind and body.  Practice a slower and more flowing yoga routine letting the spine ripple in your Warrior and dance in Downward Facing Dog.

Drink lots of water to replenish fluids the heat takes from us.  Our body is like a sponge.  The more water we receive the more supple our skin will look and the better our digestion will perform.  Indulge in the season’s bountiful fruits and vegetables.

Glow from the inside out with a little help from H2O.