Yogic Wisdom...

...from a tea bag:

"Let your manners speak, your deeds prove, and your delivery impress."

I'm here, dear readers! I haven't abandoned you, and I'll return as soon as I'm able. I have poses of the week, "props" and tools to help motivate you, and DVD reviews to share. It's just a little rough to carve out time during this season, but I did want to wish you a thoughtful, reflective Winter Solstice.

The holidays are really keeping us all busy and I'm sure we all find ourselves caught up in various matters. It can be overwhelming, it can be frustrating, and like me, you may be struggling to maintain balance. So now, in your seemingly darkest hour, know this: with the Winter Solstice, we are at the shortest day of the year. Looking forward, as I tend to do, that means that from here on out, we'll see the sun for more minutes each day. Those minutes will bring warmth, hope, and of course, light! Certainly something to look forward to!

Namaste!

POW - Pose of the Week!

This week's pose: Plow (Halasana) - because I'm only halfway thru my inversions series! There's more to come...

Well, dear readers, it's been quite a week! In the past 7 days, 3 of the 4 members of my family have been bedridden with a high fever accompanied with a runny nose and sometimes nasty cough. The only reason it wasn't all 4 of us is because the youngest one had it first, before Thanksgiving! I'm on the road to recovery...and thinking all the while, I should be practicing my inversions! Won't that clear out my sinuses? Well, it turns out, not really.

Halasana is nice for relieving backaches, stretching the shoulders and strengthening the spine and stimulating those neck glands (Thyroid and Parathyroid). Noses? Not so much. On the plus side, it will calm the mind as you focus, and thereby reduce some of the stress and anxiety you may be faced with this time of year.

I included two images for you this week (shamelessly ripped from the internet) because they show subtle variations...and the first image actually shows improper form! Notice how the model in red seems to be looking down the left side of her body. You should never turn your head while your feet are above your head. Keep your head and neck on the floor to maintain the natural curve of your spine and prevent any strains or injuries!

I think Plow is a slightly easier posture than last week's pose (Shoulder stand)...in fact you can easily transition from one to the other and back again, and FYI all you moms out there, doing this simple maneuver will actually give your abdominals a very nice workout.

Lying flat on the floor with your arms resting alongside you, raise your legs up so you look like a capital "L". Next, keeping an eye on your toes, then knees, and ending with the tops of your thighs, slowly roll your legs forward over your head. Keep your shoulders on the ground, and bring your toes to the floor above your head. As you can see in the first image, you can choose to point your toes or as in the second image, plug your toes. At this point, your hips should be aligned with your shoulders.

Stay here for several breaths, really settling in, OR, using abdominal control, slowly transition back and forth from Halasana and Sarvangasana. In plow, you can choose to clasp your hands together (extra shoulder strengthening) or not, you can choose to raise your hands above your head and gently pull your toes (extra calf stretching), or you can choose to bend your knees so they drape over and hug your ears a bit (extra lower back stretching). Enjoy, and breathe. Maybe those sinuses will open up for you, anyway.

This week, I leave you with a little bit of "tea wisdom":

You can run after satisfaction, but true satisfaction must come from within.

POW! Pose of the Week

This week's pose: Shoulder Stand - because we're having fun with inversions!

Sarvangasana is an inversion pose, meaning that the toes are at some point above the head. You'll be focusing on your toes, but they'll be up in the air, so there's a nice little change of pace. Instead of looking to the ground, you'll be looking to the heavens. Sarvangasana improves circulation, relieves sinus pressure (head-cold sufferers rejoice!), and reduces varicose veins (bring it on!) while strengthening the neck and shoulders, calming the mind, and reducing stress (Black Friday crowds and Cyber Monday crashes be damned!).

Remember in this inversion, never look to the left or right; keep your focus on your toes the entire time. Doing this will prevent injury and help ease you into the posture for maximum benefit.

Begin on your back with your feet flat on the mat (this means your knees will be bent). Straighten your legs, raising your feet above you, so that you resemble the capital letter L. Gaze at your toes, and from this point on, do not let your gaze waver. Tighten your abdominals and use their strength to lift your legs up and over your head. You may have the flexibility to touch your toes to the ground above your head (this is another inversion called Plow). Now you may bend your elbows and bring your hands to your lower back as support. With your torso off the mat, supported by your hands, lift your legs upward and lengthen your tailbone towards your feet. Try to keep your elbows parallel to one another and not angled out (this is something I'm still working on!). *Sometimes it helps to have your instructor position your upper arms properly. Arrival!

Don't forget to dedicate part of your "practice" to trying new things. It could be a new posture, a new dish at a restaurant, or a new lipstick shade. Shake it up a little!

Who owns Yoga?

You do, Bi-otch! (*at least that's what I say, but it turns out not so many people would be pleased with that...)

After a very satisfying Sunday practice (a new studio opened down the road, locals!) I rescued the paper from the lethal barbs in our hedge out front. On the front page (bottom fold, though) of the Times this morning is an article about the Debate over Yoga's "Soul". With great interest, I fixed myself a cuppa Chai and settled down with my newsprint. It seems that there's an Indian-American group that is looking to "Take Back Yoga" and it's ruffling some tail feathers. The misunderstanding, though, is that the group is not looking to convert people to Hinduism. Granted, the campaign does seem to hint at a sense of ownership over yoga, but I think awareness is more their intent. It is not demanding that those who practice yoga become Hindu. Instead, it's intent seems to increase awareness of yoga's connection in the religion's ancient traditions - the same connections yoga has with many religions. There are a lot of assumptions people make when Hinduism is referenced, and this group is looking to clarify that their religion is rooted in some of the same traditions (non-violence, do unto others, respect all beings, etc) as other world religions. As the Times article references, "it's not just some faith of castes, cows, and curry".

Now, here's where I get lost, because I was not a religion major, nor do I claim to know a great deal about many religions. I am a Christian who practices yoga. Do I feel a connection with "the universe" when I practice? Yes. Does this take me away from my Christianity? Not in the least. For me, yoga is a time to reflect inward, to feel gratitude that I have given myself the time to practice and to feel gratitude that my body has given me the flexibility to practice. Sometimes, focusing on this gratitude is all I have to get me through a difficult posture! With this in mind, my time on the mat each week (or day, depending on the time of year!) has a great calming effect on me.

Now, taking this feeling off the mat and into my life is up to me. I try very, very hard to bring the feeling with me. I know a great many people who compete to be the best in the class (yoga isn't even about that for me...but to each his/her own!). I know a great many people who leave a great class, and rush out the door to rush into their cars to rush home and honk at anyone who gets in their way as they barrel on out of there. Kinda missing the point. But I've also learned that I'm not there to judge OR to be judged. I'm there to do my own thing. Whatever it is. Yoga has taught me that acceptance of myself, and hopefully a smidge more tolerance for others. These are very similar principles to my own religion, however, I see my yoga practice as a calming fitness routine rather than a religious routine. It has a lot in common with my religion, but it's separate from my religion. It's just another mode to help me to keep these tenets in mind in my daily life.

Well, there are a bunch of influential people who aren't even happy with that. Deepak Chopra, guru to the stars, has spoken up to say the campaign is misguided and focused on Hindu Nationalism. Really? Perhaps you should take a moment to get off your pedestal and see that the campaign is more about enlightening people to Hinduism...so that westerners don't think it's all about curry and folding yourself into a pretzel. The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary president says that Christians who practice yoga have their souls imperiled. Really? God would have a problem with me feeling thankful that I'm looking after my physical fitness in a gentle way that's mindful of accepting others who are sharing the planet with me? Well, thanks for that enlightenment.

So, Who owns Yoga? When you're on the mat, and you've nailed that shoulder stand (look out, Pose of the Week!), you own it, baby! When you're on the road, and you calmly and generously give way to another car who is incorrectly trying to merge, you still own it, baby! And when you're at work, and once again your boss has forgotten to tell you how much gratitude he/she has for the fact that you are a reliable part of the team, you most definitely own it!

When ego is lost, limit is lost. You become infinite, kind, beautiful.

POW! Pose of the Week

This week's pose: Dolphin - because it's fun to be inverted!

As the Calendar year draws to a close, and in the spirit of the craziness of the coming days, I thought it would be nice to do a series on inversions. Inversions are any poses that turn the down-side up. Inversions improve mental focus, and improve stamina of the upper body. They also have a positive effect on hormones and the lymphatic system, sending the body fluids "against the flow". There are SO many inversions and they bring great benefits, so I have several weeks' worth of material to share...

The anatomical focus of Dolphin pose (another pose with no sanskrit name) is the upper back, and it has multiple benefits. The first is that it's an inversion that I can actually do! It relieves headache and fatigue, the hallmark benefits of most inversions, it stretches the shoulders and improves digestion! PS - check out the picture. Notice the lady is doing Dolphin at what looks to be about 3pm, since you can see the sun setting. Is anyone else getting bummed out by the lack of afternoon daylight these days???

anywayTo find yourself in the Dolphin inversion, it's easiest to start in table, with your hands underneath your shoulder and your hips above your knees. Slowly transition forward onto your forearms. Next, curl your toes under, just as you would for downward facing dog, but keep your forearms on the ground. Lengthen your tailbone up and away from your pelvis, reaching for the sky with your hip bones. You can keep your knees soft or straighten your legs as is comfortable for your hamstrings.

For full inversion benefits, try to hold the pose for up to a minute. This will give the body fluids a chance to wash towards the head and reenergize the brain.

**Please be careful with all inversions. Like all yoga poses, if done improperly, the risks may outweigh the benefits. However with inversions, since you are going against your natural balance and orientation, there's an increased risk of maintaining a posture improperly.

Inhale to energize, exhale to calm.

POW - Pose of the Week

Hello Dear Readers! I hope you're not terribly disappointed, but I don't have a Pose of the Week for you this week.

You see, I've been feeling quite rushed the last two weeks, and worse, I haven't had time to "surf the net", let along BLOG, while at home! I've had to, quelle horreur, do my blogging from work...something which I'm sure the administration would frown upon. For the record, I blog during my lunch hour (or should I say 40 minutes), and as far as I'm concerned, that is *my* time, and I should be able to spend it how I wish. Most days, it's entertaining students who elect to come to my classroom rather than the lunchroom (who can blame them?!?), but on Tuesdays, I've been taking a few minutes to write my blog. What's resulted is rather uninspiring posts...posts that are done just to say that I made a post this week and I'm therefore "maintaining" my blog. It's so much better when I put more thought into things.

So this week, I'm bucking the trend and not blogging a Pose of the Week. I'll make some time to do proper research and have a Pose for you next week...so don't despair...please stop back. This week, I thought I'd do a bit of musing instead.

I purchased a new brand of tea about a week ago; "Yogi Tea" was jumping right out at me from the Fairway shelf. I don't mind trying a new flavor now and again (although a hard favorite is Twinings French Vanilla Chai, I must admit!), but this tea comes with an added little bonus: The teabag tags have little quote of "wisdom". So far, 90% of them don't make sense (Don't seek out disappointment, but don't be a source of disappointment" - Huh?!?), but every 10th cup of tea or so, I get a nice little gem.

Last week, I had one that read, "For every change, there is chance for a new positive". At first, I thought "meh". Then, I set aside some time in my schedule last Sunday to take Heidi's yoga class at the gym....only to find that Heidi is no longer teaching that class! No explanation, no sign on the door, no reason really. Just a new girl is there saying she doesn't know what is going to happen to the class. Now, Heidi has been my go-to girl since Diann stopped working at my gym, so this revelation has the potential to be traumatizing for me. But I paused, remembered my teabag tag, and took a deep breath. I could do this. I could give the new girl a chance; for every change there is a chance for a new positive. Too bad one of the other people in the class didn't think so - she just got up about 15 minutes into the practice, noisily gathered her mat, flopped her shoes on and briskly walked out. It was so rude, but fascinating at the same time. The teacher wasn't awful - she actually had quite a soothing voice and gentle, nurturing insistence that we might not be able to get into a pose today, but we'll build on it and get there maybe next week or next month. Anyway, this woman stormed out, and I couldn't imagine what was so offensive about this teacher other than the fact that she wasn't Heidi. That student needed some Yogi Tea, for sure!

This morning's teabag tag, by the way, said "Your life is based on the capacity of energy in you, not outside of you". I haven't decided yet if this tag falls in the 10% category of "useful thoughts", but I'll get back to you on that.

POW! - Pose of the Week

This week's Pose: Tiptoe pose - because I mentioned it last week, and didn't want to leave you hanging!

As you can see, a Sanskrit name has been devised for Tiptoe pose. Samatvam means balance, so this translates as "balance pose". Aren't ALL asanas balance poses, though? Like I said, this is a pose the appearance of which suggests many hours of practice, yet the Sanskrit name doesn't suggest that at all. I could argue that Tree pose is "balance pose", or Half-Moon pose is "balance pose". Anyway, this is a challenging pose with many benefits - including great satisfaction once it's mastered!

Tiptoe pose is a deep hip opener that requires balance (duh!) and focus. You will strengthen the spine, ankle and legs, while also opening the shoulders. This is one of those poses my friend Lauren says is "Pretzel Yoga"...and I can sort of see it with this posture. It certainly is an advanced pose.

Start in Mountain pose, and focus on an unmoving point in front of you. Bend your left leg and bring your left ankle (holding on to it, if necessary) to your right hip crease. Breathe deeply to help achieve this hip opening stance - it's only the first challenge, dear Readers! Keeping that ankle in your hip crease, fold forward into Standing Forward Bend. Frame your right foot with your hands (2nd challenge!). Once you're ready, bend your right leg and sit on your right heel. Remember your left foot is still in your right hip crease. Slowly, as you have your balance, bring your hands into prayer position.

So there we have it...3 poses in one: Mountain, Standing Forward Bend, and Tiptoe! Oh, and by the way, don't forget to hit this on the other side so you're really "balanced"...we wouldn't want one side to be looser than the other!

"Yoga is the study of balance, and balance is the aim of all living creatures." - Rolf Gates