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!!

Get Your Fix!

Energy and persistence conquer all things. -Benjamin Franklin

More energizing ideas for your summer!

• Pickles are a great way to stay energized. Researchers found that the crunch, salt & vinegar wake up your senses & boosts brain function in 60 seconds! So, keeping those in mind I'm sure you can find many more crunchy, salty treats! This could be another great reason to check out your local Farmers Market or even a near by grocery store. With all these ideas of treats, I'm sure you can make this fun!
• As a massage therapist, I'm a huge advocate on this, but even if I weren't I'd still go for it!! Massage your toes!! Rubbing your feet & the spaces between each toe can amp energy levels by 50% for up to 2 hours! These spots hold great acupressure points that increase blood flow to the brain. Lazy? What is even better than rubbing your feet? Having someone else rub your feet! Set up a pedicure, have a friend or significant other rub them for you. You can even eat pickles while you get treated! Whatever you may decide, set something up for yourself this weekend! Still not persuaded? I can give one mean foot treatment, so just let me know & I'll make the time for you!

Remember to be keeping up with your practice, especially for these long summer days! Engage your core this week & work on your balance! My pose of the week is "Balancing Chair".

Remember to tuck our tail-bones, have our navels in & always remember to breathe! Try for 5-8 breaths

Once we are in Utkatasana, lift ourselves onto the ball of each foot, lifting our heels off the ground. Sink our glutes back & focus.

Want more of a challenge? REALLY engage our core & transition smoothly into a Virabhadrasana-Warrior I, still keeping our hips closed. Do this 2-3 times on each side. Enjoy!!

Namaste

Energy Boosts

A good laugh and a long sleep are the best cures in the doctor's book. ~Irish Proverb

As our days get hotter & longer we tend to run out of energy pretty quickly. Scientists swear by this energy enhancing trick & I have to say from years of experience I'm with them! A 40 minute nap can increase your energy 100% & improve your daily performance by 34%! When we close our eyes this is giving our brains a chance to re-organize & gather new information. We sort out the unnecessary & deal with the details that are needed. Alright, so 40 minutes may seem hard to obtain, but studies even show that 10 minutes spent meditating, or sitting quietly with our eyes closed is enough to help replenish our brains function! If this is even hard to get around to, grab a Yerba Mate. This tea is great for stimulating your nervous system & it doesn't have the harsh affects that high energy drinks have. It's lower in caffeine & wont leave you with jitters! Enjoy this beautiful weather we are having & get your nap on!!

Sukhasana- Easy Pose

If you are not able to nap, try out this pose. Great for that quick meditation. Breathe & relax

Savasana- Corpse Pose

Let our hips melt into the earth, wiggle a bit & adjust. Leaving our hands & feet weightless. Surrender

Well rested already? Deepen your practice this week with my pose of the day! This pose is good for generating great joint stability & balance!

Garudasana- Eagle Pose

Starting on our right side- Gentle bend in our knees, take our right leg & wrap it over the top of our left. If our foot can hook around our left leg, great! If not just rest it gently next to it. Taking our left arm hook it under the right elbow & bring our palms together. This is opening our right hip & right scapula. Even out with the left leg over the right & right arm hooking under the left. (For a bigger challenge, try this reclined & do Eagle sit ups!)

Namaste

STRESS CAN CAUSE WHAT?!

Have you been working out, treating your body good & still not seeing any results? Whether you want a healthy lifestyle or really just want to shed some pounds, here is one reason why you may not be seeing a change. I came across this article in Reader's Digest...

Stress Fattens You Up!!
The most direct route is the food-in-mouth syndrome: Stressful circumstances (your bank account, your boss) spark cravings for carbohydrate-rich snack foods, which in turn calm stress hormones. (When researchers in one study took away high-carb food from stressed mice, their stress hormones surged.)

Stress hormones also ramp up fat storage. For our prehistoric ancestors, stress meant drought or approaching tigers, and a rapid-storage process made sense; we needed the extra energy to survive food shortages or do battle. Today we take our stress sitting down—and the unused calories accumulate in our midsection.

To whittle yourself back down to size, in addition to your usual workout routine, make time for stress relief—whether it's a yoga class or quality time with family.

Now for my 2 cents & my 3 yoga poses to help slim down!

Crescent Lunge-

To make this easier you can always release your back knee. If you are looking for that challenge take a nice big inhale & on the exhale lead with heart soaring over the knee & flow your arms down to your side. Flowing Crescent Lunge. Great for increasing metabolism!

Warrior II-

Open your hips & hold this pose for 8 breaths if you can. Sink down & engage your core & legs!

Tree Pose-

Challenge yourself in this balance & close your eyes. Really test your core!

These poses are great for firming your abdomen(core), your sides, hips & thighs. Practice these 3-5 times a week. Increase your holds or even begin to flow them & increase your repetition! Enjoy & good luck losing that "stress"!

The trouble with having a body is that people know it's where you hang out and you don't get any privacy. ~Robert Brault

Charlie Sheen Has Tiger Blood..You can too!!

To keep the body in good health is a duty... otherwise we shall not be able to keep our mind strong and clear. ~Buddha

Have we been sleeping well? With all the fluctuating weather we've had this month of May sleeping patterns tend to change as well. Be sure you are honoring your body & getting a good nights rest! Of course it would be wonderful if we could live off 4 hours of sleep. Think of all the things we could accomplish, but unfortunately we cant. We can LIVE, we just wont be PRODUCTIVE!

Wake up your mind & body this week with new food & a new yoga pose!

Cherimoya is a new food that fires up your brain activity & memory! It is a melon-sized fruit that looks like an emerald green heart & has a mix of flavoring like bananas, pineapple & strawberry! Sounds amazing right? Well, not only does it taste fabulous it is loaded with B6, which wards off Alzheimer's & sharpens the memory! Once its ripe, begin to eat & ripen your brain!

Shoulder Stand-Salamba Sarvangasana is one of my favorite poses. Not only great for enriching the blood flow, but where do you think all the blood is traveling? To the brain!! Inversions are a great way to wake up & get your body working! If you have a neck injury, be sure to prop yourself up. Inversions are not meant to be forced into. Take your time. Practice pays off!

Happy Week To You All!

POSE OF THE DAY

Stress is nothing more than a socially acceptable form of mental illness. ~Richard Carlson

Good to know that we are all crazy, right?!

Enjoy the stress, but enjoy what you are doing to rid of it more! We all know what I do to relieve stress, so I'm sharing with you my pose for the day!

Revolved Half-Moon-Parivrtta Ardha Chandrasana

Standing in a forward fold, keeping our hips centered, lift our right leg. Right fingers stay to the mat as we lift our left arm high. Good twist, great balance! Be sure to even out & enjoy! You can also continue the set & practice a full Half Moon. In this one, keep our hips open instead of closed. Modify with a block if we cant reach our mats!

Half Moon-Ardha Chandrasana

Remember our wake up routines, remember to breathe & most importantly remember to take some time for you. Below are a few good ways to relieve stress if this yoga pose isnt going to cut it!

1. Exercise.
2. Write.
3. Socialize.
4. Take care of yourself.
5. Get some fresh air.
6. Be kind to yourself.
7. Meditate.
8. Be thankful.
9. Make a change.

Mothers Day Salutations

Living is being born slowly. It would be a little too easy if we could borrow ready-made souls. ~Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

This weekend we all celebrate Mothers Day! Keeping it short & sweet for the weekend, enjoy your friends & family is all I ask! Make this weekend a time for sharing & having fun. Something you can do to enjoy both those experiences are my favorite, Earth Salutations. We all have a mother, yes, but we also share another one; Mother Earth. So, as you praise your mama, give thanks to the other one too!

Listening to our bodies, take our time! When we feel good about the flow, use our breath to help us pick up the pace. Enjoy this Salute & its great workout!!

Flow Right & Left leg into 3 legged dog-->Pigeon

~Happy Weekend To All~

Stretched Thin?

"If you don't take care of yourself, the universe will overtake that responsibility for you." ~LT

Did you know it is possible to stretch yourself so thin that your body physically shuts down? I've always known this, but today made me really think about what Ive been doing. Whether it is internal or external, our universe has a way of stopping us in our tracks if we refuse to take care ourselves. We've all seen this. People get sick, injure themselves & have to break from busy schedules, etc. The month of April seemed to be exhausting for all of us. Rushing for the summer we have pushed our limits & disregarded our bodies. I myself am learning to take more time for myself in order to heal so I can heal others. What are you doing?

You have two choices: Be the change you wish to see or be the person you are now that is watching the 60 year old next to you kick your ass crossing the finish line. Today, I learned while watching an older man crush me in a workout that yoga IS NOT the only thing that'll keep me alive at the end of my days, but putting myself first will! We have those gut feelings, we just need to listen...

Poses that came to mind are two that relate to being stretched too thin (Trikonasana) & being able to open our throats in order to communicate better with ourselves & others (Matsyasana).

Fish Pose- Matsyasana

Triangle Pose- Trikonasana

Happy Friday!!