POW! (Pose of the Week)

Pose of the Week: Ardha Chandrasana - because it's fate.

Half Moon pose does a whole heck of a lot! It improves circulation, improves balance and coordination, opens the chest and hips, while stretching the hamstrings and strengthening ankles, knees, and thighs.

What does this have to do with "Fate", you may ask? Well, I *was* going to do something clever this week having to do with the "dog days of summer" (I guess that will have to be put aside until next week....), but I went to yoga class on Sunday - always a special treat to practice with Heidi! - and she got us into Half Moon pose about 3 times on each side. And each time she got us there a different way. And the final time, she transitioned us into King Dancer Pose, a pose which I feel is chock FULL of grace, and I'm rather pleased with my personal growth in this pose.

So, while I was really, really resenting Ardha Chandrasana the first two rounds in class (I just wasn't balancing quite as well as I usually do because I was visiting the pose from a different approach than I normally do), the last round sort of redeemed itself. But I still wasn't loving it. I mean, I LOVED the practice. I am always, always challenged by something or other in Heidi's class...and she knows when she has me, because she'll say "Ah-HA!". She's totally not talking to me personally...but she knows that I have some experience and she seems to enjoy when I'm enjoying a challenge in a practice. I know it's not a personal practice just for me (the class is always packed with 20+ people), but it feels like it, and that's fun.

Now, back to why this is "fate". I didn't get to practice on Monday, despite the fact that there was a class, and I vowed not to miss any classes all summer long, but it was the first day of camp for my kids and I didn't want them to be late, so I didn't make it to the class, and instead I did the elliptical. But I DID read Yoga Journal while I was on the elliptical! And lo-and-behold, what do they feature, not once, but twice in this month's issue? Ardha Chandrasana! There it was, demonstrating that it keeps your knees in tip-top shape (page 26). And there it was again on page 81, showing how it's great for "Partner Yoga" (and btw, despite this article, I'm still not a fan of partner yoga).

Half Moon Pose really doesn't look like anything special. You're still "standing" on two limbs. They just aren't the two you're used to standing on. One foot is grounded, and the same-side hand is placed in front of the foot so that the opposite foot can soar out parallel to the ground and the opposite hand can stand tall. It's kind of like a broken H or a weird K. On the other hand, when you get yourself into Half Moon Pose, no matter how you got there, and you feel yourself balancing against "tradition", it really feels like an accomplishment and you can reap all the benefits it offers!

I'm really looking forward to practice tomorrow morning (with Josh!), and darn it, those kids will be a little late to camp. For now, I'll leave you with a thought offered up by Heidi somewhere about 3/4ths of the way through practice:

there's no wrong way to do yoga, unless you do it without intention or purpose.

POW! (pose of the week)

Pose of the Week: Vrksasana - because sometimes you need to feel like you can do something impressive!



Tree pose is actually the counterpose to last week's POW, Standing forward bend! It allows your spine to lengthen, obviously improves your balance, but also improves circulation while opening your shoulders, chest, thighs, and hips. Sounds like a recipe for feeling good! I also learned something new: Vrksasana actually remedies flat feet! This is because it helps to strengthen the arches, ankles, calves and thighs. Hey, maybe this is a magic "do it all" kind of pose. Then again, as I learn more and more about the deeper purposes of my poses, so many of them are magic "do it all" kind of poses.



Anyway, I really like tree pose for lots of reasons. It is one of those poses where you first feel kind of bad-ass...like you really know what you're doing with all this yoga stuff. There you are, one leg folded way up on your thigh, while balancing on the other leg. Pretty powerful. Pretty impressive! And your hands are doing whatever they want. It's totally flexible, in both senses of the word.



First of all, you have to be pretty flexible to get your leg hitched up that far, but this pose is also flexible in that there are no rules as to what you need to do with your hands while you're balancing on that leg. You can hold your hands in prayer position in front of your sternum. You can hold your hands on your hips. You can clasp your hands and point your index finger to the sky. You can hold your arms aloft like the branches of a giant oak tree. This last version is my favorite way to practice tree pose. Maybe it's the teacher in me, but I love the idea of my arms as branches, extending out (you know, all "tree of knowledge" and stuff). I feel so graceful. I love any pose that is full of grace. It's also pretty cool that I can balance like that.



By the way, the flexibility also extends down to those feet, too. If you can't hitch your foot all the way into your inner thigh, you can place it on your lower thigh. You can place it on your calf. You can even place it on your ankle. That Linden tree in my backyard didn't sprout overnight, and neither did my efforts in Tree Pose. It took many, many practices to get where I am....and the instructor of any class I'm in will certainly tell you there's room for improvement in my Tree.



Naturally, that's one of the things I love about yoga: there's always somewhere to go. Feel free to come to my tree for knowledge, enlightenment, or even just a bit of shade!



This week, share some shade!

Crazy Coincidence!!!

I got my Yoga Journal magazine this week....and I'm waiting to dip into it. Waiting until I can devote some time and attention to the articles. I've been subscribing to the magazine for a little over a year now, and it's only been in the last few issues have I really gotten a lot out of reading it. They have food articles, "fashion" articles, media product reviews (books, dvds, cds), and of course philosophical articles - that have never piqued my interest before, but now they have a 3-part series on "Mantra" going, and I'm enjoying it. The hilarious thing is that I usually read it while I'm on the elliptical at the gym. Not the most "zen" experience, if you think about it.

So, the crazy coincidence comes into play since they also have a Facebook Fan page, of which I am a fan, and they give you updates from time to time when there's a new article on the Yoga Journal blog. The best part is that I'm a blogger, and I never read the Yoga Journal blog. I only read the Facebook newsfeed updates! It turns out that maybe I should tune in a bit more, because this week...coincidence of all coincidences...they featured Standing Forward Bend as their "pose of the week". On Tuesday. Right after I featured the *same* pose as my "POW"!

Now, I don't know if they regularly feature a pose of the week (you know how Facebook is: things you are "Fan" of don't always pop up on your newsfeed), but I felt so proud of myself that I chose a POW that the "big timers" chose as their Pose of the Week. I felt so connected. I felt like I knew what I was doing. I felt awesome...especially since I posted my POW before they posted theirs! (well, before I got the notice on my newsfeed that they had posted it).

Anyway, I immediately wondered, "Hey, do they read my blog? Wouldn't that be awesome?!?" But then I had to be honest with myself and wonder how in the world would *they* even know my blog existed? Did you, lone reader, message over to them and let them know? Is my readership up, and now Yoga Journal bloggers are Facebook subscribers to ME? A girl can dream. When I do a Google Search for my blog, using the exact title of my blog, it doesn't even come up, so I doubt they know I exist. I can always hope that the big yoga gurus are tuned into my little blog....but for now, I have to resign myself to the crazy coincidences....

...and whisper to you that Yoga Journal are the biters! But that's okay, I'm happy to share ;)

Share something you love with someone today.

POW! (Pose of the Week)

Pose of the Week: Uttanasana - because sometimes you need to "hang"!

Standing forward bend deeply stretches hamstrings and calves while soothing the nervous system, relieving stress and anxiety. Look, if you couldn't even touch your toes before, and through your yoga practice you're now able to reach down there, you'll be sure to have less anxiety ;)

Okay, so I have this instructor who I'm quite fond of, and I've not mentioned her in my blog. Yet. It's Diann. And I really, really am inspired by her. She's cool, she's strong, she surfs, she can be a drill sargeant...Oh wait, I think she deserves her own post...

Anyway, Diann once opened practice by getting us straight away into Uttanasana. Then, she kept us there for a good 5 minutes. She even backed us up to the wall, folded in half, encouraging us to bend a little further and kiss our ankles. (by the way, she *loves* asking you to do the impossible, but then she'll convince you that it is possible. Even though you've studied anatomy and know your lips can't reach your ankles, you start believing her and you reach further.) Then you realize you've been hanging out for quite some time, and you get the sudden urge to bounce up out of the pose. And like a mind reader, Diann tells the class "Don't bounce up. Resist it. Just when you feel you can't hold the pose a n y longer, that's when yoga starts working!" And you stay in the pose.

So, there I am in Standing forward bend. My lips are almost touching my ankles (and by "almost", I mean they're at my knees). And I feel the pose work. It really does. I feel the tiniest of openings at the base of my spine. It's a sensation I've never felt before, and I can't really say I've felt since. All this, because I was hanging out!

Maybe it's time I revisit this pose...as the school year unwinds and the stress and anxiety ratchet up, perhaps I need to relax my nervous system, stretch my hamstrings, and look for inner peace!

Hang out for a bit today!

Sleepless in a Straddle (on the Mat)? Not me!

Whew, what a Thursday! Lots of running around as I gave my last Chapter test of the year to my students. (The only assessment they have left is their Final Exam next Wednesday). My 5 year old turns 6 tomorrow, so I had last minute errands to run during lunch for that. Finally, it's nearly 10 o'clock at night, and I haven't yet iced his birthday cake! One of the things that helped me to be an efficient little worker today and power through all that needed to be done was the fact that I knew I had a yoga class to look forward to. One hour of uninterrupted time with me and my wandering little mind.

It was a lovely, challenging practice, courtesy of Josh. With my crafty planning (and kid bribing), I was able to get to the studio a few seconds earlier than last week, so I actually had my pick of where to squeeze my mat. We went through a nice, purposeful warm-up, and then on to some heartrate-raising planks, side planks, and standing poses (go Josh!). He even maneuvered us into some twisted prayer poses, which I hadn't done in ages, and I forgot how much I enjoy them. Before I knew it, we were cooling down with some gentle reclining twists, and then it was Savasana.

We couldn't have been in Savasana any longer than 3 to 4 minutes, but in those 3 to 4 minutes, I fell a s l e e p. Not once, not twice, but THREE times!!! My mind was drifting and wandering, and I was really sinking into my mat, oblivious to what was going on around me. The first time I was drifting to sleep, Josh was guiding the meditation, and I realized he had said 2 or 3 sentences that I just plain hadn't heard! I brought my attention back to what he was sharing, and soon my wandering mind drifted away again. I was brought to attention by someone who coughed, and it startled me out of my dreamy state. I told myself, "Okay, you won't be here but a minute more...try and stay in the moment..." and I drifted right back to la la land. I was roused by Josh telling us to roll to the side and slowly sit up to end the practice.

With the crazy running around I did today, and the busy weekend ahead, it's no surprise that I was tired, but SO tired that I fell asleep on the mat? That's a first. Well, I guess that means it's time for a little conversation with my body. Do I need to be this busy all the time? Am I only this busy because one "season" in my life is drawing to a close? How do I find balance so this sort of transition doesn't take it's toll?

Balance, Conversations, Transitions. Sounds like lots to pursue as we ease into summer... For now, I think I'd best get myself to a real rest - on my pillow, though!

I'll try and post over the weekend, but if not, I'll be back on Tuesday with my Pose of the Week! Till then,

Namaste.

POW! (Pose of the Week)

I know I missed a few days of posting, but I'm back today with a Pose of the Week! That's the nice thing about having a regular feature on your blog...it gives you something to post about... (baby steps, my lone reader, baby steps!) Speaking of baby steps:



Pose of the Week: Balasana- because we've all been there!



Child's Pose: Stretches your ankles, knees, and hips and opens the upper back while calming the mind and reducing stress.



Balasana is one of those poses the instructor encourages you to return to if you need to take a breather in the midst of practice, and, boy, is that sometimes necessary. It seems like such a simple pose, but if you have stiff ankles (as I sometimes do), you may really need some effort to take this pose and remain there. While not even remotely aerobic, it certainly stretches all of those little places in your knees, ankles, back and shoulders that you rarely think about until you get in this pose. And this gentle, yet purposeful stretch can feel so good!



Balasana is also one of those poses that you've probably found yourself in since before you even knew what "yoga" was! I suppose that's where "child's pose" comes in. But when does a pose stop being a position and start being "yoga"?

• Is it when there's intention? When my children were infants, they actually slept in Balasana, and I'm pretty sure they did so with intention: "I'm sitting on my knees. I'm tired. I am going to fall forward and sleep with my rear end in the air!" It was oh so cute! But I don't think it was "yoga".


• Is it when you feel like it's "exercise"? Yoga never feels like exercise to me. Maybe that's why I like it so much. And maybe that's why some of my friends don't like it - they prefer to sweat it out when they are working out (even though I can relate many, many times when I've sweat it out in yoga class!) The beauty of the work is that it's still working something, though!


• Is it when there's focus? When you're in Child's Pose, stretching your arms in front, or relaxing them toward the back, it's easy to gaze towards your navel, focus inward, and start (or resume) the conversation about where you're finding yourself.

I guess the bottom line is that a pose is "yoga" when you say it's "yoga". You could be focused, or not (how many times has my mind wandered during class?!?) You could have intention there. You could be sweating it out in class. Yoga is there when you're ready for it to be.

Spend a few minutes acting like a child today.

Flying!

Do you ever find yourself flying during practice? It sounds crazy, but sometimes you settle in, your focus is there, and it happens!


I was able to fit in a practice with Josh (more on him in a future instructor's post!) on Thursday afternoon. It took a lot of rushing on my part and prodding of my sluggish children to get there in time, but we made it. I checked the boys into the childcare and dashed across the gym to the studio to find it was packed! Everyone was already prone on their mats, and Josh was chatting with someone about modifications. I squeezed my bright yellow mat in between 2 mats, just as he resumed the warm up.


I like Josh's instructional style - a lot - and obviously, so do a lot of other people (hello: packed studio!)...but to a first timer in his class, the warm up must seem inordinately l o n g. It's been a long time since I've had the chance to practice with Josh, and I'd forgotten just how long his warm ups can be. And this one was long. And slow. And my mind started to wander...

"what am I going to blog about THIS class? I'm going to lose readers my first week out!"
"I didn't have time to check Husband's voicemail before practice. What if it's something that can't wait an hour?"
"Did I turn my phone to vibrate? What if it rings in the middle of class?"
"Can I make it for the full hour today?"
et cetera, et cetera, et cetera...


After nearly 30 full minutes of windshield wipering our legs, table pose, cat/cow, modified side planks, we got into the first downdog. I knew what was coming next (or at least I hoped was coming next): full plank. I was hopeful. Full plank might mean we would finally start a vinyasa (a flow series, for those of you newbies to yoga terminology). And Josh rewarded us: Plank pose, top of a push-up. A couple of leg raises...and then it happened. The next pose was Chaturanga, not a particular fave. Yet, as I lowered myself into the "crocodile", I felt that long, purposeful warm up pay off in spades.

I have no idea how, because I don't recall working our shoulders in the warm up, but my deltoids were warm and strong. I felt my full body, still straight as a plank, hovering inches off the ground, and there it was: I felt like I was flying! It felt great. I swooped up to updog, rolled back to downdog, ready for more. A nice "hop to the top" of the mat capped off the flow, and we continued on with the rest of the practice. Some more flows, warriors, some crescents, a bind - if we could, and before I knew it, Savasana.


Time literally flies - and sometimes, so do you - when you're having fun!


Namaste

"Conversations"

Yoga instructors frequently make reference to the fact that we are having "conversations" with our bodies as we practice. I have to admit that sometimes these conversations go on when I'm not practicing, too. These conversations can take the form of a little soreness (muscles protesting a pose you've manipulated them into), relief and relaxation ("ahhhhh, that feels great"), or even triumph ("okay, okay, you've been trying to get us to do this for 3 weeks now, we're getting the hang of it!").
How else does your body speak to you?

Lucy...

...was the name of my *first* yoga instructor.

Actually, she was the Pilates instructor at the first gym I ever joined (TopNotch in London). As alluded to in my first post, I've never been an "athletic" person (those of you who have known me since way-back-when can attest to that!), so joining a fitness club was a bit of an odd thing for me to do. But they had wide screen TVs, broadcasting SkyTV, plenty of Madonna, Geri Halliwell, and Robbie Williams (it was Summer, 2000, for reference). I was newly-married, living in London, and thought it might be a good idea to have a back-up plan of things to do while my husband was working late nights. Besides, our flat was the size of my current walk-in closet (ie, not that big), so I needed to get out!

Lucy was great. She was a bit "goth" - breaking the traditional mold of what a "trainer" looks like here in the US (in my narrow mind, a buff, Olympic-bound hard body who loves to sweat it out). Lucy had long, dyed black hair, a few wayward piercings, and a love for dark lipstick and voluminous black clothes (hiding what must have been amazing abs!). Despite all prejudices I had, she was punctual and reliable - there every Tuesday evening, smiling, encouraging and supporting us through the "routine". She actually bothered to learn our names! The best part, looking back, is that Lucy would share with us her experiences with her own yoga teacher, and explain how she tried to incorporate that week's sessions into our Pilates class - though very faithfully, not diverting far from Joseph Pilates' philosophies and intentions. I guess we were getting "yogilates" before Yogilates was invented.

I was a faithful student. I was there every week. I would tell her the week prior whenever I wouldn't be able to make the next session. I tried my hardest every week, and my goal was to "earn" a position in the front row. I yearned to be one of those people in the class whom she would refer to in her British accent as she was walking around the room, adusting form, moving on to the next exercise: "Now, let's move on to scissors...if you're not sure, watch the people in the front row...". I luuuurved Pilates. I luuuuuuuurved the way she taught the class. I wouldn't hesitate to wax on and on about it afterwards with my husband and his friend over pints (promptly undoing my work at the gym, by the way).

Looking back, I can't tell if I loved her or loved the class. But it doesn't matter. Lucy gave me some sort of appreciation for what accomplishments I could make - the gentle pushes she made each week were just what I needed. A foundation of sorts, to eventually find a practice that I could enjoy and make my own, even if it was gradual. Little by little, week by week. After a good 3 years of practice, I can appreciate that this "building" is what yoga is all about, afterall. When I was leaving London for good, I exchanged addresses with Lucy, and even communicated "snail mail" for a correspondance or two. I lamented my departure, and didn't know where to pick up when I returned to the States. Lucy explained that she was "Stott-trained", and gave me loads of info about where to get DVDs for home practice.

While I still enjoy a good Pilates practice, I think Yoga is my favorite, and maybe that has something to do with Lucy and her less-formulaic approach as an instructor. She remains my "gold standard" for gym instructors, and when I'm in a new class, and the instructor advises differently from how Lucy used to do, I dutifully follow along, but make a begrudging mental note that "that's not how Lucy would have done it..." Yoga, for me, is perfect, in the sense that I have a core group of poses I can fall back on...some of which have taken 3 years of practice to get myself into, mind you, and I still haven't mastered them! Much like Gaudi's Sagrada Familia, I may never complete them. It's gradual. It is building on what I did last week. It's honoring what progress I have made and what accomplishments are yet to come. There's always the hope that one day I might be able to...but it's okay if I never do. How can you not love that?

Please share what you love about yoga and/or your instructor!

Namaste.

Tuesday's Post: POW! (Pose of the Week)

I thought a "Pose of the Week" might be a nice feature...and keep me honest as far as making at least one post a week. And who knows, once I become more savvy, I'll post IRL pics of myself in said poses. Too bad I didn't think of that until just right now, because this week's pose is an easy one:

POW!: Tadasana - because we're just getting started.
Mountain pose improves your posture as it aligns your spine. It improves focus, develops willpower (...it DOES take willpower to stand perfectly still for 5 to 8 breaths!), and reduces anxiety. Yes, you, too can feel less anxious about things this week just by standing tall and still like a big, proud mountain.

Today, remind yourself to breathe.

ps - Why "YATS"? The answer is because I'm not about to tell you all about my sex life, and I don't live in the city...