Hey! Slow Down!

My hydrangea is gradually blooming,
lengthening it's time of beauty.

Things are blooming in my garden....and I'm missing it!
Lately, life has been zipping by so fast that I feel like I'm barely keeping my head above water.  Quite a few times in the last 2 weeks, I have felt my head slipping below the surface, days when my "to do" list is impossibly long, I'm double booked all over the place.  The worst is when there is a list just as long for the next day, with no relief in sight, and I just don't see how I can get it all done.  Something's gotta give!
Yes, anyone with children knows how busy June is.  As schools wrap up for the year, there are performances, celebratory field trips, end-of-year festivals and BBQs, added in with the usual monthly birthday parties, sports commitments, and your time suddenly is not your own.  This year seems particularly worse than in years previous, and I find myself juggling and struggling to keep up.
When you think about it, our modern way of life is built around efficiency and multi-tasking.  In fact, if you aren't juggling something, you are just an under-achiever, aren't you?  We have somehow forgotten that patience is a virtue, that good things come to those who wait.  I see this all the time with my students.  They ask a question and expect an immediate answer, having absolutely no patience to discover a solution.  I see it with myself, waiting at a traffic light or waiting in line.
The good news is that yoga practice and mini-meditations can help re-adjust your focus and remind you how important it is to slow down.  When you're waiting for a traffic light, instead of worrying about "how long" the light is taking to change so that you can be on your way, you can take the moment (and it usually is around a minute) to focus on breathing deep instead of focusing on how you're being held-up on your errand, your commute to work, or your after school carpool shuffling.  When you're breathing deep, your breath is automatically lengthened, giving you time to think of a simple mantra as you inhale and repeat it again as you exhale.  Breathing deep gives you time to stop and actually smell the roses (and maybe, you'll make the time to watch them bloom in your garden!)
In the garden, things aren't in a hurry to happen all at once.  They take their time, and little by little, they gradually share their beauty with us.  It's not something you can rush, and sadly, if you're always so busy, you might not have the chance to see it happen.  Take some time, breathe deeply, and appreciate the times that you're forced to wait.  Maybe you'll catch a bloom in action.

I hope I slow down enough to catch this rose as it blooms!

Live slowly - "All mankind's troubles are caused by one single thing, which is their inability to sit quietly in a room." - Blaise Pascal

You can take the girl outta Jersey...

...so goes the saying.
Many (more than is decent to admit) moons ago, I was born in the bustling metropolis of Pittsburgh, PA, fairly accounting for my loyalty to the Steelers.  I'm no bandwagoner!  Black and Gold are in my blood, y'ins.

Through a series of events, some fortunate, some unfortunate, my family moved to the decidedly bucolic land of South Jersey.  Not the fabled shore points (Cape May, Atlantic City, etc) of everyone's summer vacations, mind you.  No, the flat, rural farmland of Salem County.  Case in point:  I think two blocks west of my parents' home is the "center" of town - pretty much the only proper traffic light in town (all the others are blinking reds and yellows), and two blocks east of their home lie bonafide farm fields.  Some of our neighbors had horses as their family pets.  Fast forward many years, and I now live in an UNbucolic suburb of NYC.  In fact, if I wanted to drive to the nearest farm, it would be several towns away, not several blocks, and it would probably be to the Bedford "farms" that belong to Martha Stewart and Ralph Lauren - hardly the moguls one brings to mind when you mention "farmer".

Anyway, waaay back in Februrary, taking advantage of a President's Day Monday-off, Husband decided it would be a fun and cultural thing to tour a farm (this, after watching Anthony Bourdain tour a farm in his homestate of New Jersey).  Being a Jersey girl myself, I was game.  We drove about two hours (accounting for George Washington Bridge traffic - you'd think for the guy's birthday they'd let up on the traffic a bit) west and south to the Bobolink dairy farm for a tour of the place by it's owner, a modern-day cheese maker.

It was strange how "at home" I felt.  Sure, I'm a city slicker now, and I'm not about to sell everything and become a cheese farmer, but it was fascinating to learn about the way this husband and wife run a biodynamic farm.  They keep bulls and cows, preferring to keep their farm populated the "natural" way - so much so that they rotate the bulls with other dairies to prevent too much inbreeding.  Everyone is grass-fed, and all of the milk is used to make cheese, save for a small amount that the farmers themselves drink.  They keep chickens, not for laying (although the small amount of eggs they yield are the freshest, most delicious you could get), but for assisting the process of fertilizing.

Snooki and GTL jokes aside, there are some pretty cool places in the Garden State - I mean places that helped ole' Jersey earn that license-plate nickname.  It's inspiring and somewhat comforting when you see people treating the Earth well and acting as good stewards of the Biosphere.  And getting in touch with nature isn't just for us farm-raised South Jersey girls...anyone could come to love it!  Sometimes I'm glad that you can't take the Jersey out of me.

*sometimes*

Detox through asana

The purpose of asana is to achieve Samadhi - "enlightenment".  You're putting your body through the paces...pushing its limits...in the hopes of reaching some higher state.  This higher state is very dependent on where you are in your yoga practice.  For some, Samadhi means being unified in body, mind, and spirit. For others, they become intricately in tune with a cosmic consciousness.  Others claim oneness with the Divine.  Some just say they end up feeling comfortably "at home" in their natural state.  It doesn't matter what Samadhi IS for you; to each his/her own enlightenment.

Building on my post from yesterday, detoxing can help you get rid of what's bogging you down and keeping you from your Samadhi.  A clear body leads to a clear mind, which leads to a clear conscientious.  What better way to experience the world?  I ended yesterday's post by touching on the idea that detoxing can be accomplished through asana - a concept that I read about in Yoga Journal - so I thought I'd offer up some postures to get you started:

Cobra pose bhujangasana.  This is a great heart-opening posture that allows you to lengthen the front body.  It also stimulates your adrenal glands, situated on top of your kidneys.

Sage twist marichyasana.  This lovely pose feels fantastic at the end of a long day.  It stretches your shoulders and spine.  It also relieves tension by wringing out your kidneys and liver!

Wheel urdhva dhanurasana. This pose works on the ground just as well as it works up in the air, so if you don't yet have wheel in your practice, a gentle, regular bow (dhanurasana) will give the same results:  Opened heart and hips, and a nicely detoxed liver.

Wide-legged Forward Bend upavistha konasana.  This posture not only stretches the hips and pelvic organs, it induces calm at the end of the day and relaxes you to aid elimination, as well.

So go ahead and get rid of that toxic sludge that's residing in your organs - give 'em a quick wring out (it might be a good idea to drink a full glass of room-temperature water after practice to help flush things along), and you may find yourself a little closer to finding enlightenment, or at least ending your day on a positive note!

"when your mind is clear, pure, and untainted by judgments, you see things as they really are - an equal and balanced way of thinking." - Liz Lark. 1,001 Pearls of Yoga Wisdom. pg 359.

Cleansing

Well, after a heavy, philosophical post yesterday, I figured I might follow it with one that was a little more superficial.  Yes, that's a little contradictory - in fact, my claims at searching "Santosha" are themselves contradictory as anyone who knows my shopping habits can attest.  Suffice it to say, I do admit I've got a lot of things to get in check if I'm going to be honest in my yogic lifestyle.
This spring, "Cleansing" was everywhere, most likely in an attempt to get everyone "bikini body" ready.  Try the Blueprint Cleanse - you'll drop 10 pounds in 15 days.  Try the Master Cleanse - 5 pounds in 5 days.  The GOOP cleanse - you'll look just like Gwyneth did at the Oscars!  Well, I attempted the Zrii detox.  And it got me absolutely NO results.  Wish Santosha was on my radar back then - I would have been content and satisfied with my jiggly thighs and soft tummy.  Alas, I am human, and like all humans, I struggle with finding contentment and satisfaction.
I digress.  The Zrii cleanse is promoted by the Chopra Center (the DEEPAK Chopra Center), which is where I first learned about it.  The Center was offering a 7 day Zrii detox kit to kick off the spring and rid your body of accumulated toxins, excess fluid, and in the process, you "might" lose a few pounds (like 7-10!), but "we're not promising anything".
Good thing they didn't, because I didn't lose 7 pounds.  I gained 5.  On top of the 5 I had gained over the winter.  Yeah, I'm not really at my fighting weight, and my recent addiction to Liquorice Allsorts (I know, strange...but they're surprisingly yummy! Creamy, coconut-y, anise-y.  I somehow got hooked.) isn't helping.  I did the detox over the Easter break, for the most part because the literature accompanying the kit mentioned it was best to be free from distractions and have easy access to the bathroom (Hey, that sounds promising - really getting rid of that toxic stuff, eh?).  What they weren't counting on was my easy access to Coconut M&Ms and Cadbury mini eggs.
I started each day by taking 3 capsules of some greenish brown herbal blend.  15 minutes after that, I was to drink something reminiscent of old-school Metamucil (a greenish powder which was stirred into 8 oz of water) AND drink a full tablespoon of Zrii "CitrusCleansing Oil".  I gagged.  I gagged every single time I had to swallow that tablespoon, so I reduced it to half a tablespoon, and eventually eliminated it.  Well, maybe that oil was essential to the cleanse and that's why I gained weight instead of losing.
What really happened is that I wasn't being mindful - haven't been mindful - and that's what balancing your weight (and LIFE!) is about.  Being mindful about what I'm eating, when I'm eating it, and how I'm eating is a lifestyle change.  That kind of change is the one that gets results - not some quick fix 5 to 7 day detoxing cleanse with crazy ingredients that supposedly "stoke the inner fire" and increase your metabolism to lose weight.  What you're inevitably losing is water weight - which you will gain back when the cleanse is done, unless you use the cleanse to jumpstart your LIFESTYLE change.
In the meantime, if you're feeling clogged with toxins and would like to rid your body of the "ick" that's in there, try cleansing through asana.  Simple spinal twists wring out the kidneys and liver - your "built-in" detoxifiers.  Gentle backbends offer the same benefits.  Add these postures to your lifestyle changes, and you'll lose the weight AND actually detox!
Thanks for reading....more to follow!

In search of Contentment

Hello, dear readers!  I have been quite a bit busy lately...that's what working, having kids, and living a life does to you.  I have not forgotten about my blog, merely set it aside for a while.  I thought about blogging quite a bit - I've had many experiences over the last 3 months where I've said "Oh, this is a great topic for my blog!", but finding the time to sit down and compose an entry, add pictures and links to make it interesting, and telling people about it is the challenge.  Anyway, it's been busy around here in YATS-landia and I feel like I've been running 90 miles an hour with no relief in sight.  When I think one task or commitment is finished, there's another one waiting in the wings, ready to swoop in and ensure that my life isn't slowing down.  I welcome summer more than ever this year.  It will give me time to get back to my yoga practice, dive into my yoga reading list (I hope to have some good book reviews!), and most importantly, back to blogging!

I have been contemplating a big step in my yoga practice, and to ready myself, I have been skimming through lots of different material.  Lately, one theme has been coming to the forefront of my mind, probably because things seem more stressful than ever, and I'm looking for ways to slow down, enjoy life, be grateful for what life I have created, and honor the best intentions.  One of Patanjali's yamas (restraint) comes close to defining this:  Asteya - which translates to "non stealing"; however, this goes far beyond the literal translation, which reminds one of God's commandments to Moses "Thou shalt not steal."  Asteya means not coveting, not hoarding, not getting in the way of others' happiness.  Patanjali's second niyama (observance) seems more appropriate:  Santosha.

Santosha is the sanskrit word you see above, which translates to "contentment and satisfaction" - more as a theme for living your life, rather than a temporary state of being.  I can eat an amazing meal and feel contentment and satisfaction, but not experience Santosha.  It is a state of mind - one that goes deep - and one that is oftentimes hard to observe.  This is why yoga is a "practice" - one that never ends.

Santosha is about living in the present - not daydreaming of the future or wishing for what you don't have. It is not necessarily about not having goals, but it means accepting things as they come to you, good or bad, and being genuinely happy for others when good things happen to them.  For me, this has always been very, very hard.  I'm the oldest of 4 children, and my parents didn't have the means to give us all of the things that our friends had - or all of the things we wanted.  I remedied this by getting a job, babysitting, and working my butt off so that I could buy the things that kept me in pace with my friends - but in the early '90s, I wasn't always satisfied - plus, all that working meant I missed out on a lot of going out.  Bottom line:  I had a BAD case of "keeping up with the Joneses".

It hasn't gotten easier as I've gotten older.  I still work my butt off, but I don't exactly have a high-powered career that affords me big bonuses and lots of vacations.  We don't have an dynamic house with fabulous furnishings and amazing architecture.  My yard isn't the best-manicured on the block (not even close, thanks to the large tree we recently had to cut down!).  It sounds like I'm crapping all over my life and lamenting that I'm not "good enough"...and that's absolutely not my intention.  What I'm driving at is "Santosha" - feeling satisfaction with what I have and not getting in the way of others' happiness.  I'm not giving up my "drive" or my goals - but I do have to practice being happy for others who are blessed.  When a friend gets a promotion, instead of asking "Hey, why aren't I getting promoted?" it's time to be happy for the friend and be content in knowing that when the time is right for me, I'll get promoted, too.  Or not.  When someone I know experiences joy or happiness in his/her life, it's not time to question where my joy is; it's time to honor the fact that someone has found happiness, and hope that one day, they will be feeling the same for me.  Or not.
Santosha is a way of reminding myself that with or without these "trappings of success", I am worthy, I am capable of satisfaction, and it's up to me to find and see that contentment.  Being content is not about "things" and "experiences", which is hard to keep in mind in our American society which is competitive and materialistic.  Santosha brings it back to the basics - "Honor the good in yourself, honor the good in others".
Thanks for reading and joining me on my yogic journey.  More is on the horizon...

"May all beings, everywhere, be happy and free.  And may the thoughts and actions of my own life contribute, in some way, to that happiness and to that freedom" - Swami Nirmalananda

Bikram does it again

Bikram in Tiptoe pose (which
isn't even part of his 26 asana!)

If THIS doesn't raise the ire of many-a-Bikram-critic, I don't know what will!

Bikram Chowdhury is the founder of Bikram, or "hot", yoga, a form of asana that I've blogged about before, not favorably.  Bikram yoga is a series of 26 postures that are put in a systematic sequence which supposedly re-oxygenates the blood.  The series is typically practiced in a heated room (mimicing temperatures in India - the motherland of yoga) and the practice claims that if practiced properly and regularly, you'll lose weight, develop muscle tone, and improve your health.

There are a lot of reasons I don't care for Bikram yoga.  I feel the temperature of the room brings a "false heat" (from the outside in) to your muscles so that you can get into some of the more acrobatic postures sooner than you might have otherwise with a true, purposeful practice that slowly builds genuine fire and heat from the inside out. There's also the sense of robust athleticism that Bikram style is going for - it's almost like Yoga for Sport (lose weight?  Build muscle tone?) rather than yoga for practicing patience and discipline.  Let's just say that I'm more Patanjali's speed rather than Bikram Chowdhury's.

Over the years, other yogis (some teachers, others just people who take yoga classes) have criticized Chowdhury for being "too commercial".  He created this intense, yet very specific method which requires intensive training - available only at one of his facilities - and licensed the name Bikram Yoga, so that if you want to open true Bikram studio, you must pay him franchise royalties.  He also is credited with putting his name to a variety of fitness drinks and meal supplements which people love to indulge in, based on his endorsement.  So basically, he's capitalizing on Yoga.  This is something that traditional yogic texts do NOT condone.

Chowdhury's latest venture, USA Yoga, is a foundation that seeks to promote asana as a bona-fide Olympic sport.  Read: competition - yet another thing that traditional yogic texts do NOT condone.  A National Yoga Competition?  One where the audience is at least respectfully quiet so as to not interrupt one's concentration...causing Chowdhury's wife to spout off something along the lines of: "Well, this still is nothing compared to what I had to go through growing up back home.  People would purposely make noises to try and throw off my concentration!"  WHAT?

I'll admit, I'm well impressed when I can see someone achieve a challenging posture.  Getting yourself into crow or wheel is pretty darn awesome.  It took me many, many years to be able to do some of those things (like about 7!), and when I see someone who can do those postures, I give them a lot of credit for having the patience to practice and the diligence to stick with something long enough to progress in practice.  Asana & postures are not Girl Scout Badges.  It should not be "Oh, look, I've done that now, look how awesome I am."

It comes back to WHY you do yoga.  Are you doing it to show how awesome you are?  You're going to become bored once you can do all the postures and move on to something else, that I can assure you.  If you're doing yoga to impress people in a competition I guess that provides some sort of motivation, but the Yogic texts explain that your motivation should come from within.  They teach that asana are a form of moving mediation, preparing your mind for enlightenment.  When you focus on your postures, you can quiet the "chatter", the outside distractions that are keeping you from nirvana.  So very few people have reached this state, and that's what keeps their practice going.  Those who have reached it, are so inspired that they continue their practice to reach it again and again.

So, forget about USA Yoga, forget about competition, forget about the notches on your yoga posture belt.  Get on the mat and enjoy the path to enlightenment.  Yoga is all about the path.  You probably won't get to the end today, but I can guarantee you won't ever regret trying!

Yoga Fashion *February Edition*

So, this mild winter is putting me in the mood for some Spring wardrobe "sprucing up".  Thing is, I'm not all that impressed by the overpriced offerings at JCrew and Banana Republic, and I was alive the last time the offerings at the Gap (cute and brightly pastel though they are) were stylish, and I remember some fashion magazine advising that if you were wearing a trend the last time it was around, you're "too old" to wear it again.  (Ugh.  We really are getting old, Liz!).  Truth is, I'm more in the mood to update my yoga wardrobe!  It's time to replace my C9 black spandex from Target (it's creeping me out that they are tracking what I'm buying anyway.  What will they make of my recent purchase of spray starch, goldfish, waffles, gum, and a paperback? I wanted to buy some tampons and duct tape just to throw them off...)  Enter Athleta.
 I've been receiving the Athleta catalog in the mail for a while, but nothing has really impressed me.  It doesn't help that the models in the catalog have Olympian bodies that are nothing like mine, let alone the average American women that I know.  I have far more in the "boob" department and far less in the "deltoid", "abs", and "quad" departments.  I have no idea how anything is going to look on me.  Yes, they are now partnered with the Gap, and I'm a GapSilver member so I get free shipping and free returns, but that's such a pain in the neck.  Luckily, an Athleta retail store opened within comfortable driving distance.  I've been curious to check it out, and the time off this February break gave me just the opportunity!
The store itself is set up by departments according to your "sport":  yoga and pilates to the right, running and hiking to the left. Jewelry and scarves are near the checkout.  Rustic wood pillars hold up the store and the counters/displays have zinc metal accents.  It's fairly easy to navigate and the sales staff were quite helpful, though slightly annoyed by my boys who were running all over and hiding in the racks. (have I ever mentioned what a nightmare it is to shop with them?  They insist on re-enacting every Ninjago and Pokemon episode they've seen whenever I'm in public.  If you go, pawn off the kids on your husband so you can fully appreciate the store).  The store also hosts special events like free intro-level pilates and yoga classes (Lululemon stores also offer this, but Athleta is a lot closer to me than Lululemon).  So, with kids in tow, my visit was truncated, but I didn't walk away empty-handed.

The Tranquility tank retails for $49.

So, item number one:  The Tranquility tank, which earned 4 out of 5 stars on the website with 30 ratings.  It comes in Hibiscus, Tart Apple, White, Pacific, and Asphalt.  It has plenty of coverage (at the v-neck AND in length).  I already test drove this top in my yoga class yesterday and it performed well.

The Ruffle Stripe Wrap retails for $89.

Item number two: The Ruffle Stripe Wrap, which comes in Regal Purple stripe and Shale Stripe.  It hasn't been rated yet, and based on the picture, I don't think I would have purchased it.  Good thing I was able to see it in person at the store and give it a go.  It is light-weight cotton (what JCrew might call "tissue" fabric), and the wrap buttons together at the neckline almost like a double-breast.  The ruffle cascades nicely and it's very comfortable.  It is not a piece that I would actually practice in, but it's perfect for wearing to the studio and out on your errands after class.  It dresses up the tank nicely, and even though you may be wearing yoga pants, you look a little more put-together, like you didn't just walk out of the gym (even though, if you came from Josh's class, you might be a little sweaty!) ;)

The Hera Low Cut socks retail for $10.

Item three, and BY FAR my favorite thing: The Hera Low Cut Sock by Asics.  These socks score 5 out of 5 stars, and once they were on my feet, it's easy to see why.  They are the first socks I've ever seen with "right" and "left" foot socks (which could be a pain once laundry day rolls around), but they just hug my foot so perfectly.  They are SO comfortable and well worth the $10 pricetag.  These socks come in blue, pink, teal, watermelon, and aloe, but since you're usually wearing shoes and the sock is so low-cut, no one will notice if your socks match your outfit.


So far, I'm pleased with my purchase, and yes, it is pricey.  I saw some yoga pants that I liked, but at $80+, they were out of my price range.  The good news is that Athleta accepts the GapCard.  I had a $30 gift card AND a $10 Gap rewards certificate, which significantly lowered my out-of-pocket for this purchase.  And it was still pricey, but the good news is that I'm halfway to my next $10 Gap rewards certificate!  I know which socks I'll be returning to purchase...