One Size Does Not Fit All

One Size Does Not Fit All

Find Your Yoga Style

You browse the internet looking for a yoga class. “Hatha at 6pm, Bikram at 10am, Iyengar at 9am.”  It’s confusing.  How do you decide which class is good for you?

Let’s take a step back and look at yoga as an umbrella.  The majority of yoga as we know in the U.S. is a form of Hatha yoga which means you are physically moving through asanas (poses) versus simply meditating, chanting or taking part in other devotions.  Under the Hatha umbrella, you would find various styles like Anusara, Ashtanga, Vinyasa among many other popular styles.

Just like you and me, yoga styles differ.  To say one is better than another would not be correct.  Each style offers a different experience to its students.  If you enjoy props and extra instruction, you may find yourself in an Iyengar class.  Those looking for a therapeutic style may turn to Anusara.

Today, you can find these traditional styles along with numerous hybrids. Vinyasa yoga moves from pose to pose connecting the mind, body and breath.  It is one of the most popular styles that branched out with variations like Hot Flow, Prana Flow®, Gentle Flow, and Heated Vinyasa.

So, how do you know which style fits you?  Read the descriptions of the yoga styles or ask the teacher for a more in-depth description.  Next, try out the class.  You may realize you don’t want a teacher pointing out every imperfection but rather a class that allows you to find your own flow.

There is a style of yoga for every BODY.  Whether you are a young, athlete or a working professional, yoga is one outlet that can truly meet the needs for everyone.  You may even find you like several styles depending on your daily needs. 

Routine Harvest - Preparing for Winter

Labor Day marks the official end of late nights, fireflies, running through the sprinkler and sipping iced tea on the porch.  Our bodies naturally begin to shift into a fall routine – going to bed earlier, returning to the gym, taking the kids to afterschool practices.  Even our diets begin to change from the cool salads to warmer dishes like chili and soup.  (Tailgating, anyone?)

Vata, one of the three Ayurveda doshas, begins to rise, as the air grows crisp and dry.  When in balance, Vata creates mental awareness and creativity.  When out of balance, Vata causes anxiety, irritability and constipation.  Vata is at its peak come November and December just in time for the holiday season.

We can lay a strong foundation now to prevent any added anxiety in the winter.  I, too, have struggled with my own meditation practice abandoning it when my daughter arrived this summer.  I noticed I became more agitated and impatient without a few minutes of mental silence a day.  Before I became a parent, I would awake after a full night of sleep ready to jump into a meditation practice.  But now, I find myself falling asleep and struggling to calm my mind when I know the baby will wake in less than an hour.

Now that summer is over, I’m ready to try again.  I’ve thrown out what I did before and started fresh.  Each morning, I spend quality time with my daughter first then move into a yoga practice.  My practices change depending on what I need that day – energizing, rejuvenating, restoring.  After I’ve moved, I can then find the quietness in my mind to lie in meditation.  That’s right – LIE in meditation.  I take on the same savasana (deep relaxation / corpse pose) we are familiar with at the end of a yoga class for my own meditation time.  Connecting and sinking into the earth comforts my mind and allows me to let go of my racing thoughts.

Get back to your practice.  Set up a routine now and reap the benefits come winter.

Mental Digest

Mental Digest

Your Mind is What It Eats

It’s a given – Put good things in your body, get good things back. Good health, great skin, stronger bodies.  But have you looked at what you put into your mind on a daily basis?  Each day, we digest images, sounds, words, thoughts and emotions.

Take a look at what you are currently consuming.  When you wake, do you turn on the radio or TV for the local news?  Or do you reach for your smart phone to see who’s emailed or updated their status on Facebook? 

During the day, you engage in conversations with friends, co-workers and family.  How do these conversations affect you?  Do you feel more or less stressed?  Do you take calls and emails while completing projects throughout the day?

On the drive home, do you drive in silence or listen to your favorite tunes?  Do you abide by the “no hand-held technology” rule or do you make dinner plans over the phone?  Perhaps you schedule in a workout that includes running on the treadmill with music and reading a magazine and glancing up at the evening news.  During dinner, you tune into your favorite shows or the news.

With all of this “mental snacking,” when do we have time to actually digest what we’ve heard / seen / read?  Our mind is like a busy airport – constant delays, arrivals, and chaos that’s impossible to find someplace quiet. 

The practice of meditation and actively being present can help bring calmness and organization to the mind.  Being present allows you to focus on one topic at a time, while meditation gives you the ability to become quiet and actually hear the inner voice inside each of us.

Start by turning off all outside noises and setting a timer.  Spend a few moments focusing on your breath as it enters and exits the body.  Thoughts will come into the mind.  Acknowledge them and allow them float by like a cloud.   With each practice, notice how easily your mind jumps into a quiet space.  Then become aware of the images, sounds, words, thoughts and emotions you allow into your life each day.  Only allow good quality and positive mental food into your life.

Summer Vacation Yoga

Summer Vacation

Making Your Yoga Practice Playful

Pack the bags and head to the beach. It’s summertime!  As Mother Nature turns up the heat and humidity, now is a time to turn down the heat on your yoga practice.   

Summon your inner child and find additional play in your practice. We love the afterglow that yoga gives us especially when we’re on vacation.  Take the following suggested sequence on your next vacation or pretend by setting up class on the porch.

Begin by setting an intention for your practice.  “I will go with the flow and trust in my body.”  Breathe in and release the exhalation through your mouth.  Begin your practice.

In the final resting posture, Savasana (corpse pose), roll a beach towel and place it under your knees as you extend long on your mat.  Listen to the sounds of summer around you - waves crashing, birds chirping, and lawn mowers running.  Thank yourself for this mini vacation.

Run for Your Life

Run for Your Life

Yoga Improves Athletic Abilities

I used to be a runner, but my running ceased when I reinjured my left knee over ten years ago.  Back in my glorious high school years, I tore my ACL while playing soccer.  I followed the physical therapists advice and built up all the muscles around my knee to further support it. 

Many years later while living in Cincinnati, I decided to run my first 5k.  I began training by running longer distances and continuing my strength training.  “Crunch!”  That was the sound my knee made a few weeks into the training.  Upon reviewing an MRI, this doctor concluded my ACL had loosened and I have one of two choices – get surgery to repair the damage or stop high impact training like running.

As you many have gathered, I elected not to get the surgery and opened my arms to yoga.  I, like many of my clients, didn’t understand how you could get a great workout if you didn’t leave the gym sweaty and barely moving.  I first tried many hot yoga classes (any style of yoga that heats the room to a balmy 90+ degrees), which left me sweaty, but incomplete.  I wanted more from my workouts.

One day, I tried an Iyengar yoga style class (style known for its use of props to demonstrate asanas correctly).  This class moved much slower, but emphasized what I should be feeling within each pose.  Once I added my mind to my practice, I noticed a complete change.  I didn’t need to feel physically exhausted.  I needed to feel re-energized.

Prana Flow®, the style I currently teach, offers students a way to help let go of their busy minds and find their own flow.  Within one class, I see students who take what I say and make it their own.  One student who needs more movement may take her practice further while another who has dealt with a stressful day may back off and allow the asana to melt the tension.

As an athlete, I challenge you to find yoga not when injury occurs, but before to better protect your body.  Loosen the hips to find more power in your runs.  Open the shoulders and torso while watching your golf ball soar.  Build strength and endurance to complete your bike ride.  Yoga is for every athlete and every BODY.

Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday!
Celebrating One Year of Teaching Yoga    

Time flies when you are having fun.  It feels like yesterday when I sent my first email announcing that I was starting Limber Llama Yoga.  In one year, the Llama has morphed from a simple concept into an actual business.  I've moved locations, changed logos and toyed with social media.  Owning and operating a small business has opened my eyes to what many of the local businesses in Hagerstown deal with.  From mananging the day-to-day tasks to brainstorming ways to grow the studio, there is hardly enough time in the day to complete everything.  Year two brings about new beginnings with the arrival of our first child in June.  I sure hope our "Baby Llama" is ready for the ride!

In addition to growing Limber Llama, I've also grown as a yoga teacher.   You have all given me great feedback on my classes, workshops and special events.  (Don't stop now!)  I keep a journal filled with ideas for future events and an email folder with client feedback.  As I grew comfortable speaking in front of you, life answered my prayers with a little Llama.  I slowly began to realize I couldn't teach or continue my home practice the same as I had before.  I had to adapt to the changes coming up with new ways to demonstrate cobra, maintaining a rigorous class for my evening devotees and finding energy to teach 6 classes a week.

Surprisingly, pregnancy helped me learn how to be a beginner again.  Stepping forward in lunge with a belly in the way does slow one down.  I learned to embrace props not as crutches but to further enhance my practice.  Using blocks in lunge opened more space in my hips which allowed for a deeper stretch and release.  Not being able to lie flat on my belly?  No problem.  I began practicing other postures like ardha dhanurasana (half bow) on my knees - a pose I neglected in lieu of the full version.  As I've said many times, yoga is for "every" body.  You may only need a few modifications to make it perfect for you.

Open your heart to celebrate each anniversary, birthday or any day that is special to you.  It may be as small as learning how to fix a leaky faucet by yourself to as large as beating cancer.  Celebrate victories, memories and people we love.  Don't let everyday tasks keep you from finding a few mintues to blow out the candles.

Thank you for making my first year as a teacher and Limber Llama Yoga a huge success.  Join the celebration with me on Friday, May 18 from 6-7pm with a free yoga class.  Namaste - the lights in me honor the light in you.

Clearing Out the Cobwebs

Spring Cleaning for the Body and Mind   

Spring is a transitional time of year.  Daffodils and hyacinths dot the highways while peonies barely push out of the ground.  The weather switches from cold to hot, wet to dry on any given day.  Our bodies also feel this shift with mood changes, sleep needs and dietary wants.  For instance, on a cool, cloudy spring day, one may find himself wanting to sleep in later, feeling more lethargic during the day and craving a warm soup for dinner.  However, when the weather changes to to a balmy 80 degrees, one instantly feels energized and may want to fire up the grill with fresh spring vegetables.  This shift creates an unbalance in the body resulting in irritation and possible sickness.

Both Ayurveda and yoga help balance our mind and body.  Right now, many of us are beginning to rake out flower beds, spread grass seed, wash windows and outdoor furniture.  This is a perfect time of the year to clear out the cobwebs within ourselves because our bodies are naturally shedding off excess weight and emotions preparing for a hot summer.

A regular yoga asana (posture) practice will help tone and strengthen the bones and muscles.  Amp up your current practice or add more practices to your schedule at home or the studio.  Now is the time that your body can handle a more intense workout while during the hot, summer months, it will crave a cooler, more gentle workout.  Try incorporating a popular sequence like Sun Salutation A into your morning routine.  It's a great sequence for all body types and can be modified to your level.

In addition to an asana practice, adding pranayama (breathing) and meditation will help calm the mind for the day ahead.  Controlling our breath helps take control of a situation.  Imagine you are driving your car to an appointment.  There is an accident ahead and you will likely be late to your appointment because of it.  Notice how your breath begins to grow shallower and your body temperature rises.  You can take hold of the situation simply by bringing your awareness to your breath.  Start by simply making your inhalations the same length as your exhalations by counting to 3 on each.

Begin your morning with a simple meditation practice.  Whether you have 30 minutes or five minutes, meditation in the morning is possible.  Find a quiet and comfortable space in your home - your recliner, the porch, in front of a sunny window.  Settle yourself into a seated posture - however you can sit for the time you allot.  Set a timer so you do not think about being late for work.  Close your eyes and begin to breathe in and out through the nose.  Notice how the breath sounds a bit like the March winds we've experienced.  Thoughts like to-do lists will pop in your head.  Don't fight the thoughts.  Allow them to appear and float away like a cloud.  With practice, you will noticed how much easier it is to control your thoughts.  Don't be hard on yourself - any meditation is better than no meditation.

Ayurveda, the sister science of yoga and oldest medical system in the world, believes most diseases start with poor digestion.  Eating the right foods for your body will help it function better alleviating symptoms like indigestion, allergies, disturbed sleep and chronic pain.  Twice a year, Ayurveda encourages detoxing to help reset the body's digestion system.  The Himalayan Institute is offering a free guided spring cleanse for those interested in changing their diet.

Take advantage of this time of year.  Experts claim you can create a new habit in as little as 30 days.  Whether you choose one method or all, you will feel lighter and brighter just like spring.