Feeling Blue

"At the center of your being you have the answer; you know who you are & you know what you want."

Lao Tzu

Feeling down is not always the time to stay down. It is a time to recharge our bodies; emotionally, physically & spiritually. Any time I am down, I think of a color. I go in to detail of what that color means to me, makes me feel & what it represents. We have the ability to channel our strengths & our dreams by simple meditation.

This month I have been feeling green. In line with our Chakras, green represents our heart center, the Ajna Chakra. Each day I wake up & meditate on this color & the feeling it surrounds me with. I open my heart in a few yoga poses & I keep it open to myself & others throughout the day. Not only is this practice benefiting myself, its benefiting everyone & everything around me.

Check in with yourself today. How are you feeling? Such a big question has to have an answer & each answer will have a yoga pose....

Here are a few heart openers. Feel free to play with any traditional standing asana & open your arms. Create space in our hearts, letting that blood flow freely & clear our minds!

Ustrasana- Camel Pose

Urdhva Dhanurasana- Wheel Pose

Matsyasana- Fish Pose

Namaste

Breath, Are You There?

A human being is only breath and shadow.

Sophocles

Have we all made it through our holidays? If you are anything like me, you probably need to catch your breath for a moment. I tend to take a deep inhalation on Thanksgiving & it usually releases itself a few days after January. I'm sure you can relate to the sweet luscious exhale it really is once it happens! So, now that we are beginning to meet our new goals & intentions we have set for 2012 we can also find time for the yoga practice that I've been harping about & more importantly, tuning into our breath.

Keep in mind that a yoga practice does not have to be asanas & sweat everyday. Now, I wont go as far to say that it wont be work. Practice can be as simple as tuning in internally & focusing on our belly locks (engaging our core). Toning our abdomen slowly leads to core strength in our actual practice, which isnt that our goal anyway? We need to remind ourselves that keeping these body locks engaged all day keeps us just as healthy as it would being in an hour class, if not more! This year & many more to come, train your bodies to become their utmost structure.

This brings us into body adjustments. Tucking our tail bones, lining our ankles with our knees, knees to hips, hips to shoulders & most importantly our head in line with our spine. We all remember our parents telling us: "Don't slouch, walk straight". They may have been doing it because we looked ridiculous, but the underlining factor is that we need to do it for our bodies & let's face it, no one looks good with a hunched back, especially if its preventable! Let's stay healthy this year & make our bodies first priority!

Below are a few relaxing asanas & stretches that we can use to work on our breath & even pre/post current work out routines. Enjoy!

Easy Pose

Bound Angle Pose

Seated Head To Knee

Revolved Head to Knee

Seated Twist

Inclined Plank

Forward Fold

Reclined Head To Knee

Full Belly Twists

Bridge Pose

Dead Bug Pose

Rest in Savasana Corpse pose

Always remember to listen to our bodies . If there seems to be resistance then honor this & take your time.

Yoga is not a race; its a journey

Namaste

Open Up A Little, Will Ya?

It is very important to generate a good attitude, a good heart, as much as possible. From this, happiness in both the short term and the long term for both yourself and others will come. ~Dalai Lama

Tis' the season, right? The season of opening our hearts & creating warmth internally & sharing with others, right? For some, the holidays make us moodier, irritable, exhausted & even mean. I admit, I'm not the best holiday shopper & I can only handle holiday music for a short period of time, but this doesn't mean my heart isn't open. In fact, I'm sure I am more open & in tune with that portion of my body than most.

As our last day of November comes to an end & Christmas inches closer. Soon we will find ourselves entering a new year! We set a resolution every year that passes & we always hope for the best. This December set a resolution for the month in itself! Open ourselves up internally by some of our favorite heart opening asanas. Follow this practice by opening up our minds & hearts, literally speaking. Helping those in need, help yourself with goals to be met. Meeting new people & experiencing new experiences!

To end this year with an open happy heart guarantees a joyful new beginning of health & prosperity!

Camel Pose

Wheel pose/ Variation

Dhanurasana-Bow Pose

Eka pada Rajakapotasana- One Legged King Pigeon

Ahimsa~ a term meaning to do no harm. The practice of compassion!

Follow The Weather; Cool Down

One kind word can warm three winter months. ~Japanese Proverb

Winter is our time to lay low, to breath light, reflect, inquire within our hearts & more importantly give time for self study. Giving ourselves permission to do so gives our body time to restore & create. Below are some ways to not only ready our bodies for the down time that is in store, but also gives preparation for Spring. Using our yoga practice is the greatest gift we can give ourselves. Dedicate time each day for your practice. Who knows, it may even reignite a fire you didn't know was there.

• Gentle backbends like Salabasana, Setu Bandha Sarvangasana, Bhujangasana & Urdhva Mukha Svanasana. (Locust, Bridge, Cobra, Upward Dog). These poses allow us to move stagnated energy from our belly up into our hearts. It also helps to uplift our moods and energy levels.
• Doing less. Try to arrange your schedule to reflect our more internal nature.
  
• Going to bed earlier. The natural world is turning in earlier. We should too!
• Eating more warming, wet foods. Replace your morning bowl of granola and cold milk for hot oatmeal
  
• Warming oils, sweet orange, clove, amber or frakencense for the aroma around your house.
• Practice some form of relaxation, meditation or breathwork.

Locust Bridge

Upward Dog Cobra Pose

Begin to lift our energy by raising our hearts!

~Namaste~

Time Moves; The Universe Listens

Summer has ended & even I myself have made it apparent that we all get into grooves during that time. Playing, working, etc. Whatever it may be there is no excuse for it! As Winter approaches we tend to stay inside, close ourselves in like the animals who hibernate around us. Not this year, yogi's; this year, we open up for the seasonal changes!

Time sneaks up on us no matter what the content. Why not let it sneak up while you are meditating. Speaking with someone dear to me yesterday, I was expressing the possibilities & good fortune the universe has to offer if we just tap into it. Find some time for yourself, whether it be 15 minutes in the morning, 10 minutes during your day out of the house or 30 minutes to wind down after work. Take this time to put yourself wherever you would like to be. Visualize the sights, the sounds, small things that only you can put in this vision. By doing this each day we are sending it out & making it happen. They say the power of meditation can cure the sick, heal the mind & body, meditating can even create.

“In meditation, healing can happen. When the mind is calm, alert and totally contented, then it is like a laser beam – it is very powerful and healing can happen.” - Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

Only a healthy bud can blossom. In the same way, only a healthy being can succeed.

We have all seen or heard "The Secret", "What The Bleep Do We Know" & all those others that shared their secrets with something to gain, but the universe has nothing to gain. It to is here just as we are. The holidays approach & a new year inches closer. Give yourself a gift & tap into the beauty of your own mind. We are here on this earth for reasons outside of our understanding & control, seeing things each day that make it a little bit more believable that there is something bigger than us out there. Is it that crazy to think this universe is here to help us if we just ask? You may not win the lottery, but then again, who is to judge what the lottery is for someone else...

10 minutes....

15 minutes........

30 minutes...........

Make your wants becomes wills & your wills become reality

Wake Up! Cool Down!

“Summer is kind of like the ultimate one-night stand: hot as hell, totally thrilling, and gone before you know it.”~Cosmopolitan

Enjoy these next few months by taking risks & having a bit more adventure in our day. As each summer arrives we all have plans to try new things or plan to get around to the things we missed out on the year before. Whatever we have in store be it, rafting, climbing, canoeing or maybe even laying in the sun day in & day out, take care of our body! With a healthy body & appetite, the things we love or plan to enjoy are only going to be that much better!

Hopefully, we all have been keeping up with our morning routines from one of my previous blogs. Keep active in the morning with Sun Salutations. Restore our bodies at night with some hip openers or a few minute inversion. These allow us to relax & calm the mind. At the same time we are giving our muscles a memory to refer back to when its time to either "wake up" or "cool down". Speaking of those, here are some great techniques to keep in the back of our mind.

"WAKE UP"

Challenge yourself with a Vinyasa Flow or Power class. Awakening with heat purifies our muscles & organs, ridding of all our bodies toxins. While we increase blood flow we are also replenishing our organs & our body systems. All of this is increasing health before we even leave our house! Try this quick flow 4x on each side:

Crescent Lunge>>Warrior II>>Extended Side Angle>>Reverse Warrior>>Warrior II>>Runners Lunge.

This flow goes with these breath cues: Inhale, Exhale, Inhale, Exhale, Inhale, Exhale

Remember, Sun Salutations are always a great back up for linking our breath!

"Cool Down"

During summer it may be too hot to do much of anything. That being said, it doesnt mean we cant stay stress-free, fit & supple! Relax the hips & calm the mind with some of these great poses that are also great for stretching!

Eka Pada Rajakapotasana- Pigeon

Supta Baddha Konasana- Reclined Bound Angle

Adho Mukha Svanasana- Downward Dog

Marjariasana- Cat Pose

When we have reached our summer limit of road rides, hiking, lake games, etc. sit down & allow the body to take a few breaths. This breath practice allows our body to taker in fresh cool air & calm our minds.

"Shitali Pranayama"- Take a few deep inhales & let them go to clear our airway. Now, we all know the trick "taco tongue". Stick your tongue out & curl it in making that "O" shape. Once we have our taco tongue, inhale through the mouth/"O" & exhale through our nose. Repeat 5-10x

Enjoy your Summer yogis!!

Dirty? Clean it up!

The body is your temple. Keep it pure and clean for the soul to reside in. (B.K.S Iyengar)

I love this quote. I also believe that this should be said about where we reside! Our homes & surroundings should be just as clean. I myself have uncontrollable OCD habits & with a child, cleaning my house is like shoveling the walk way before the snow storm is over. I get it, I do. But if you were to be given a million dollars right now on being judged for the cleanest car or house, would you be a million dollars richer?

On some of the hot days coming up we tend to want to be inside more than frying outside, so turn the AC up & pick up around the house! You don't have to clean your entire home, but start somewhere & work down. Dust, clean,vacuum, etc. Get around to couch covers, curtains & bed sheets. I have mentioned before what a great feeling it is to have a "clean sheet night"! Rid of all the junk & clutter. I know that there are items or clothing sitting around your house that have no reason to be there & if I have to be the one to tell you ITS TIME, I'm ok with that job! It's time to rid of what isn't used.

Our society has a hard time letting go of material possesions & tend to be very attached to our "things". In order to clean up internally & externally we need to start by practicing non-attachment also known as "Aparigraha". By keeping our lives clean, our bodies are taking in less dust & dander, less negativity & our senses are enriched with clean fresh air; a new pallet. With all this new clean energy we can begin our practice!!

My favorite cleaning pose is Virabahdrasana III. This Warrior is great while I am dusting, cleaning in the kitchen or anywhere I can really stretch & balance! Try it out & have more fun while you clean.

Once we finish cleaning, enjoy some yoga squats! Hands up, hands out, hands at the heart, wherever they may be embrace this posture! Once we've held for 1 minute or 2, flow for a few breaths & really work those legs. Inhale, lengthening the legs & arms, exhale our hands to the heart as we squat, inhale reach up again, exhale sink back down & place the arms out to our sides. Play with these! If you are looking for a bigger sweat, lift up onto the balls of both our feet & balance our squats! Alternate from the left ball to the right, keeping our hips centered. It'll hurt sooooo good!

Happy Squatting!!