Live. Love. Explore.

Let Your Own Light Shine

2011-07-22T11:00:00.000-07:00

"And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same." -Nelson Mandela

One of my favorite quotes, and appropriate to post this week given that Nelson Mandela's birthday was just a few days ago. If you're lost for ideas about how to let your own light shine, MandelaDay.com has a few (67 to be exact) good suggestions.

To Give When There Is No Crowd Applauding

2011-07-15T10:00:00.000-07:00

I'm not a big follower of tennis, but Andre Agassi's Hall of Fame induction speech is really moving. At the 22:30 mark he begins to talk about when he personally hit rock bottom and had to rebuild his life by asking deep questions and cultivating gratitude. These quotes really stood out for me:

"I committed to taking care of myself and taking care of my tennis. Going from #141 in the world back to #1 was not an accomplishment. It was the reflection of an accomplishment. It was the symptom of good choices."

"We are here to do good quietly... to give when there is no crowd applauding."

Right on, Andre.

With That Moon Language

2011-07-11T13:26:00.000-07:00

With That Moon Language

Admit something:
Everyone you see, you say to them, "Love me."
Of course you do not do this out loud, otherwise someone would call the cops.
Still, though, think about this, this great pull in us to connect.
Why not become the one who lives with a full moon in each eye
that is always saying,
with that sweet moon language,
what every other eye in this world is dying to hear?
~ Hafiz (1325 - 1389)

Oh, Hafiz... you have such a way of melting my heart with your poetry. Such a great embodiment of Bhakti Yoga. (P.S. Is it possible to have a crush on someone from the 14th century? 'Cause I think I do. Oh, Hafiz... )

Out Of Your Head, Into Your Heart

2011-06-08T13:17:00.000-07:00

photo by La FruU

I've had this song stuck in my head for the past few days - except in my brain the lyrics have changed to "get out of my head, get into my heart." (More yogic, less creepy than the original version.)

I often cue my yoga students to lead with their hearts when moving into certain poses. It's a good way to find physical alignment, but it also reminds us to stop over-thinking things and just feel our own motions (and emotions).

Have you been living in your head too much lately? I know I have. Thanks for the reminder, Billy Ocean. ;)

On Focus

2011-02-06T20:11:00.000-08:00

"Focus is a kind of mental muscle. When you strengthen it by learning to hold your attention in one place for a while, you automatically strengthen you ability to hold subtle states in meditation and to find the inner pathways that lead you deeper. Eventually, this basic practice of catching yourself in distraction and bringing your mind back begins to affect your whole life. Not only does the mind become more stable in meditation - so that you can sit for a long time in the space of the heart, or remain in stillness for more than a minute or two - but the mind also acquires and ability to focus on things like driving your car, writing a report, or perfecting your golf swing. Learning to resist distraction makes you more resistant to boredom, worry, and depression."

-- Condensed [by me] excerpt from Meditation For The Love Of It by Sally Kempton

I'm putting this book on my Must Read list :)

New Year, New Classes

2010-12-28T15:21:00.000-08:00

Speaking of preparing for a busy new year ahead, I'm teaching a bunch of new studio classes starting in January. I've posted the whole schedule on the "Class Schedule" tab, but I'm also posting it here for your convenience.

If you're interested in taking your yoga practice further, I invite you to explore one of these classes with me:

YESyoga - 8730 SW Terwilliger, Suite 102, Portland, OR

Sundays | YinYasa | 4:30pm - 5:45pm

Yoga Pilates Northeast - NE Alberta and MLK Blvd. (first floor of Me Fitness)

Mondays | Relax and Release | 5:30pm - 6:30pm
Wednesdays | Relax and Release | 5:30pm - 6:30pm
Fridays | Yin Flow | 5:30pm - 6:30pm

Santosha Yoga For Every Body - 4876 NW Bethany Blvd, Suite L4, Portland, Oregon 97229

Saturdays | Gentle Yoga Flow | 11:00am - 12:00pm
Saturdays | FREE Community Class for Beginners | 12:30pm - 1:00pm

This Week's Theme: Finding Stillness Before the Busy New Year

2010-12-28T15:13:00.000-08:00

Ahh, the last week of the year. A lovely little break between the pre-Christmas rush and the busy new year ahead.

This week in class we're taking the opportunity to settle into a more still and quiet rhythm of life -- even if just for a few moments -- so that we can recharge our batteries and have the energy to act on all those ambitious New Year's resolutions.

TWO-MINUTE DIY PRACTICE: CHILD'S POSE

photo via Yoga Journal

Child's pose is a great place to rest and shore up your energy. Try it at home on the floor, or even in bed first thing in the morning before you get up.

Start seated on your knees with your sit bones settling down toward your heels. Toes touching. Knees spread to hip width. (If this hurts your knees or if your sit bones won't reach your heels, fold up a blanket and place it between your bum and your heels so you have something to sit on.)
Inhale to lengthen your spine.
Exhaling, fold forward -- laying your torso in between your knees and letting the forehead come to the floor. Arms along your sides. (If the forehead doesn't reach the floor, stack your two fists on top of one another and set your forehead there -- or use a block or folded blanket to lay your forehead on).
Stay there for several breath cycles.
Each inhale gently brings space into the spine (you may even find yourself re-adjusting your forehead's position as you discover more length in your back and neck). Breathe into the back of your body, letting the back side of your ribcage really expand on each inhale.
Each exhale settles you into the pose. Let your spine release its grip. Let your shoulders and heart melt toward the earth. Let your hips get heavy as your sit bones sink even further toward your heels.
When you're ready to come out of the pose, move slowly and gently - using your hands to walk yourself upright.

If you want to use this pose as an opportunity for meditation: Let your mind settle into stillness as your body settles into the pose. With each exhale, let go of anything from the past year that no longer serves you as you prepare to start anew in the coming year.

As always, take what serves you, leave what doesn't. It's all good.

12 Days of Mindfulness

2010-12-13T18:27:00.000-08:00

What a wonderful Monday!

I'm stoked because today is the first day of my 12 Days of Mindfulness Challenge. Dozens of people are taking the Challenge, and you still have time to join the Facebook group too if you want. I've already posted the first mini-challenge.

About the 12 Days of Mindfulness:

The goal is to shed the stress, and find a little bit of peace this holiday season.

Here's the challenge: for each of the 12 days leading up to Christmas (Dec. 13 - 24), you commit to practicing mindfulness in some way. Whether it's yoga, a few minutes of meditation, just taking a moment to breathe, or walking outside and appreciating nature... or whatever you like.

Join the Facebook group to discuss your daily progress, ideas, and challenges with the rest of us who are taking the challenge. Just like gym buddies we'll keep each other motivated.

I'll post daily optional mini challenges to keep us flexing those mindfulness muscles. Sign up!

This Week's Theme: Breathe and Release Stress

2010-12-07T21:32:00.000-08:00

I've noticed a certain look on a lot of people's faces lately - that anxious, overwhelmed, "Eek! How am I ever going to get everything done before Christmas?!" kind of look.

So this week we're practicing using the breath to transition out of that stressed-out state and into something a little more peaceful and merry. 'Tis the season of peace, after all.

(By the way, did you catch yesterday's NPR story on your breath as a built-in tool for stress relief and overall health? Check it out.)

TWO-MINUTE DIY PRACTICE: ELONGATED BREATH

photo via Brandon Baunach
Creative Commons

This practice is super simple, yet very powerful. We're just working on lengthening out the breath. A few people have told me that this practice has helped lower their blood pressure (while at the doctor's office measuring it) within a matter of minutes. Wow.

Start seated at the edge of your chair (or on the floor, a meditation cushion, or wherever you feel comfy). Sit on the front edge of your sit bones so that your pelvis starts to tilt forward a little and your spine stacks up easily to hold you upright with minimal muscular effort.
Root down through the sit bones and lengthen the crown of your head toward the sky - creating a long, spacious torso so you've got plenty of room to breathe.
Close your eyes and draw your attention to your lower ribcage.
Inhaling, expand the front, back, and sides of your lower ribcage.
Exhaling, let your ribs fall gently back to their original state.
Consciously start to lengthen your breath to a six-count inhale, and a six-count exhale.

If you want to use this as an opportunity for meditation, you might try mentally repeating the phrase, "I am here," on each exhale. It's a nice way to ground yourself in the moment and release stress.

As always, take what serves you, leave what doesn't. It's all good.

This Week's Theme: Lighten Up

2010-12-01T21:33:00.000-08:00

Feeling heavy after all that Thanksgiving feasting? I'm not talking about actual weight.

I'm talking about that slumpy, slouchy, draggy feeling. The one that works just fine for the post-turkey-nap, but makes you feel like Eeyore at the office.

Well, lighten up! This week we're going to cultivate a little lightness in the body by practicing some gentle spine lengthening and backbends.

TWO-MINUTE DIY PRACTICE: STANDING CAMEL
Full camel is a pretty intense pose that you usually want quite a bit of warm-up for. So in this DIY practice, we're just going to remain standing and do a mini version.

Practiced mindfully, this is a wonderful backbend that can help counteract spinal compression and make you feel tall and light.

Remember to move slowly and mindfully, expanding the back rather than crunching it.

This backbend can be as deep or shallow as you need. It could even be just a micro-bend and still be beneficial. Listen to what your body needs.

Start in standing (mountain pose). Tuck your tailbone and pull your belly button in-and-up to protect your lower back.
Inhaling, lengthen your spine by pressing your feet into the ground and reaching the crown of your head up toward the sky.
Exhaling, just drop your shoulders down and back.
Inhaling, reach your fingertips up to the sky.
Exhaling, place your palms on your lower back. Elbows squeeze gently toward each other.
Engage your quadriceps to steady your legs as a counterbalance because we're going to start the backbending...
Inhaling, keep that tailbone well tucked, your belly engaged and your gaze forward as you lengthen your spine once again - this time reaching your chest up toward the sky. This is mostly upward movement.
Exhaling, drop your shoulders down and back as you gently bend the upper back. Keep the spine expansive, reaching the chest up toward the sky. You can drop your head back if it feels good or just keep looking forward (in which case your chin will be very close to your chest). Choose the head position where your neck doesn't have to strain.
Breathe.
Remember to move as slowly and gently out of the pose as you did coming into it. Lead with the heart, not the head. No struggle, no strain. Maybe relax into a forward bend, child's pose or head between the knees as a counterpose for the spine.

If you want to use this as an opportunity for meditation, focus on cultivating that quality of lightness. Can you use your breath and mindfulness to lighten whatever is weighing heavy on your body, mind or heart?

As always, take what serves you, leave what doesn't. It's all good.

This Week's Theme: The Sleepyhead Remedy

2010-11-28T08:39:00.000-08:00

photo via HilaryQuinn

Yaaaawwwwn. At this time of year the nights are long, and the days are dark and cold. A sort of sluggishness sets in, and it's tempting just to crawl back in bed.

If you find yourself drowsily dragging through the day, there's one simple antidote (besides getting more sleep)... oxygen.

Nothing enlivens every cell of your body like a good old dose of O2. That's why this week we're exercising our lung capacity with some super juicy deep breathing techniques.

TWO-MINUTE DIY PRACTICE: THREE PART BREATH

This week's DIY practice is not a pose but a breathing technique called Three Part Breath.

It's a great way to expand your lung capacity and draw in more O2 than you ever thought possible!

This techinique is easiest to practice laying down, but it's certainly not hard do while seated at your desk. Just make sure you're relaxed and comfy, but not slouching.

Just as the name implies, you're going to divide your breath into three parts. First, exhale fully, pressing out every last bit of air.
Inhale 1/3 of your breath capacity using just your low belly, and hold for a count of two.
Inhale the second third of your breath into your ribcage, and hold for two. (Try expanding through the sides and back of the ribcage as well as the front.)
Inhale the final third of your breath into your upper chest, and hold for a count of two. (Relax your shoulders, neck, and jaw. Be mindful not to create tension in with this exercise.)
Finally, exhale gently, with control. See if you can let your breath go out the opposite way it came in - exhaling first the upper chest, then the ribcage, then the lower belly.

Play with a few rounds of this to give yourself a nice oxygen energy boost.

If you want to use this as an opportunity for meditation, draw your full attention to each area (belly, ribcage, chest) as the breath expands into it. Explore every little sensation as the oxygen enlivens your cells. Smile. You're alive.

As always, take what serves you, leave what doesn't. It's all good.

Right Here, Right Now

2010-09-30T08:10:00.000-07:00

photo by Kramer

The sun was just beginning to rise during my morning meditation today when - out of nowhere - this song bubbled up from the depths of my memory and put itself on repeat in my brain.

I smiled.

If you discard the Cold War connotations and the cheesy 1990-ness, it's really a pretty appropriate theme song for meditation.

Right here, right now. There is no other place I want to be...

Two-Minute DIY Practice: Steady as a Tree

2010-09-28T10:47:00.000-07:00

Photo by Maria Ly

The only thing constant in life is change.

With yoga we cultivate the steadiness to ride those waves of change - pardon the cliche analogy - just like a surfer balanced on her board. (Or like an Acro Yogi balanced on... another Acro Yogi.)

This week's theme is steadiness. And in class we're focusing on the breath and some simple balancing poses to explore this concept of steadiness in action.

If you want to explore on your own, this week's two-minute DIY practice is tree pose. Because what's more steady than a tree rooted firmly into the ground - so steady in its base that it can let its branches flex and sway in the wind?

Begin by deepening your breath...

Choose a point of focus for your eyes. A spot on the floor or wall in front of you is good. If you really want a challenge you can move your gaze to the ceiling.
Start with both feet rooted firmly into the ground. Feel your full footprint pressed evenly into the floor.
Tailbone is tucked. Belly button is hugged inward. Spine is long and expanded. Hands are either on the hips or pressed together at heart center.
Transfer the weight to the left foot, floating the right toes up off the ground about an inch.
Check in with your hip bones. Are they level with each other? Good.
You can stay here and breathe. That's a great pose.
If you want to explore further, bend the knee and raise your femur up parallel to the ceiling.
You can stay here and breathe. Totally cool.
If your body is okay with exploring further, take the knee out wide to the side and place the sole of your foot on the inside of your calf or thigh.
Really root through that steady standing leg. Maybe make your arms into branches and let them sway.
Breathe.
On an exhale, gently come out the way you came in.
Rinse and repeat on the other foot.

If you want to use tree pose as an opportunity for meditation, soften your gaze and let your mind settle onto the steady rhythm of the breath. For a visual focus, try picturing a candle flame glowing at the spot you've chosen as your focal point (or maybe light an actual candle as your focal point). Both the breath and the candle flame are useful focal points for this practice since they continually morph and flow, yet remain steady in their nature. Maybe try repeating this mantra in your head: "Breathing in, I am fluid. Breathing out, I feel steady."

As always, take what serves you, leave what doesn't. It's all good.

Two-Minute DIY Practice: Simply Sitting with the "Body Scan"

2010-09-22T10:28:00.000-07:00

photo by jessebezz

A quiet pose for a quiet practice this week. I recommend sitting either cross-legged with the sit bones on the edge of a folded blanket or on a chair with your sit bones scooted up toward the edge. The important thing is that the pelvis starts to tilt just slightly forward so your vertebrae can stack nicely on top of one another without a whole lot of muscular effort holding you up.

Once you've found your seat, just close your eyes and notice your breath. Don't try to change it yet. Just notice the pace, the depth, and the texture of your breath as it naturally occurs. (This isn't nearly as easy as it sounds. I dare you to try it.)
Start to deepen the breath. Root through your sit bones and lengthen the spine to create space in your torso for your breath.
Now for a quick mental body scan. Start with the feet. Notice how they feel, in as much detail as you can. Then work your way up the body noticing the calves, the knees, the thighs, the hips, etc. All the way up to the crown of the head.

If you're really doing this in two minutes, it's going to be a pretty quick scan. Maybe you just hit the major appendages and joints. That's okay. It's a nice little check-in.

This can also be a fantastic deep relaxation technique if you give it 15 minutes or more while lying down and reeeeeally noticing the detail of each body part. If you're ever having trouble sleeping, try giving this practice a shot.

As always, take what serves you, leave what doesn't. It's all good.

This Week's Theme: Just Notice

2010-09-22T10:18:00.000-07:00

"The leaves are beginning to change. Have you noticed?" A friend posted that simple question on facebook last week, and it made me stop to look around and reflect.

We often let things go unnoticed until they're too big to ignore. Until the trees are exploding with color. (Yay!) Until a small misunderstanding has turned into an argument. (Not yay.) Until our shoulders have gathered so much tension that they're glued to our ears. (Ouch.)

This week our practice is simply to notice our state of being - before we decide to change our postures or even make a single movement on the mat. With that small action, we can start to shed stress, quiet the mind, and protect ourselves from injury as we move mindfully. Ahhh.

P.S. I just came across this peaceful, short video that perfectly illustrates this week's theme. Watch the leaves changing...

Two-Minute DIY Practice: Depth

2010-09-15T17:23:00.000-07:00

This week's theme is depth. At any given moment there are a zillion (scientific estimate) things vying for our attention - phones, email, texts, banner ads, the radio, real live people, etc. We're running mental sprints from one thing to another. And it's exhausting.

The good news is that taking even just a few minutes to deeply focus the mind on just one thing can be hugely rejuvenating. In my classed this week we're focusing on deepening our attention to the breath while working into some more deep hip stretches.

A good pose to experiment with depth is a simple lunge. You can practice high lunge or low lunge depending on the amount of depth or difficulty you're looking for. Play around with it. Your body will tell you what you're needing.

You can use a blanket to cushion your back knee in a low lunge. Another great, gentle modification is to use a staircase for your lunge, planting your front foot up a few steps from the ground and bending deeply through the front knee. I like to do this when I first get home from work to stretch out my hips.

Whichever variation you're taking, keep the following in mind:

Keep both hip bones level and parallel, facing forward.
Tuck the tailbone gently to protect the lower back.
Be mindful of your front knee staying in line with the ankle rather than falling out to either side.
Get expansive. It's great to sink into a delicious hip stretch, but balance that with a light, lengthened upper body.
Breathe. :)

If you want to use this as an opportunity for meditation, draw the attention to the breath and focus on deepening each inhale and exhale. Picture the breath as a waterfall, traveling up the back of your body on the inhale and cascading down the front of your body on the exhale.

As always, take what serves you, leave what doesn't. It's all good.

Yoga FAQs: #1 What Does "Namaste" Mean?

2010-09-13T14:09:00.000-07:00

photo via tanitta

"Namaste," says the teacher at the end of class, bowing with her hands pressed together at her heart.
"Namaste," the students echo back to her.

If you've been to few yoga classes, you've probably witnessed this phenomenon. Maybe you've wondered: What does that funky word mean? Should I say it too? What am I agreeing to if I do?

Don't worry. You're not alone. I had those same questions when I started practicing yoga. Likely everyone does. A few of my workplace yoga students have recently asked me, so I'm addressing it in this FAQ.

Here's the answer. "Namaste" is a Sanskrit word, commonly spoken as a greeting or salutation in India and Nepal.

The simplest translation: I bow to you.

For my fellow language geeks, here's the etymology: Take the Sanskrit namah, "to bow or give reverential salutation," plus te, "to you." In Sanskrit you have to add an "s" to link the two words so that they sound right together. (This word linking technique is called "sandhi.") Therefore you get namaste.

In yoga it's spoken at the end of a class as a show of respect - a way for the teacher to thank the students and the students to thank the teacher. You can even say "namaste" to yourself as a way to thank yourself for taking the time to practice yoga.

I hope this demystified a bit of yoga tradition for you. If there are other yoga questions you'd like me to address in future FAQs, let me know. Thanks for reading.

Namaste.

Two-Minute DIY Practice: Hip Openers

2010-09-07T19:29:00.000-07:00

Even if you're stuck in an office chair you can still practice some great hip openers. I recommend trying this pose a couple of times throughout your workday. It's a great waker-upper and a good way to check in with the state of your body:

Start seated near the edge of your chair so that your pelvis can start to tilt just slightly forward.
Make sure both feet can press fully and evenly into the ground.
Place your right ankle on top of your left leg just above the knee.
Breathing in, lengthen your spine by rooting through the sit bones and reaching the crown of your head toward the sky.
Breathing out and keeping the spine long and straight, start to lead your belly button forward, folding the torso gently over the legs.
You may not fold very far. That's okay. It's important to be nice to your hips - not forceful.
Keep both sit bones rooted with even weight into your chair, and use your breath to melt into this pose for a good minute or so if possible.
With each exhale see if you can let go effort in the bent leg. Less is more here. But if you're feeling super flexy and need a little more intensity you can use your hand to gently press your bent knee downward.
Keep breathing.
Rinse and repeat with the other leg.

If you want to use this as an opportunity for meditation, hip openers are great poses in which to close your eyes and let your mind gently focus on the concept of letting go. You may find this helps your muscles as well as your mind start to relax a little more deeply.

As always, take what serves you, leave what doesn't. It's all good.

Thi Week's Theme: Hips Don't Lie

2010-09-07T15:59:00.000-07:00

Shakira was right. Hips don't lie. One of the fastest ways for me to tell if I'm starting to get a cold is to drop down into a hip opener like one-legged Pidgeon Pose. When I'm feeling healthy and vibrant, I melt like butter into this deliciously juicy pose. But when my body has some hidden tension - be it emotional stress or the low level stress of my immune system kicking into fighting mode - my hips will tell me.

Achey, creaky, stiff... the hip muscles tend to gather up and store our stresses. Unfortunately, sitting in office chairs all day often adds to the poor hips' burden.

In this week's classes (what few there are due to the shortened Labor Day week) we'll be focusing on hip openers to help release tension.

Head and Heart

2010-09-01T13:39:00.000-07:00

Just came across this lovely video of incredible giant bubbles on a beach. Nothing like some simple beauty to draw you out of your head space and into your heart space.

*exhale*

Stinson Beach Bubbles (canon 550D) from markdaycomedy on Vimeo.

Two-Minute DIY Practice: Sustainability

2010-08-23T21:15:00.000-07:00

(photo via muffet)

If you want to get started on this week's theme, try this simple seated twist:

Sitting in your chair, begin to deepen your breath.
Lengthen your spine - rooting down through the sit bones and reaching the crown of the head toward the sky.
Inhaling, raise your left hand up to the sky.
Exhaling, twist your upper body to the right, and place the left hand on the outer edge of the right knee.
Hold this twist for one minute. If you've come into it too intensely, this might be a challenge. Try backing off a bit and coming back to your breath.
Release the twist.
Repeat the twist, this time to the left. Can you move into this second side more sustainably? Hold again for one minute, and see!

As always, take what serves you, leave what doesn't. It's all good.

This Week's Theme: Sustainablity

2010-08-23T21:10:00.000-07:00

(photo via rivieramaya26)

Not in the environmental sense. This is about managing your own energy. Do you ever find yourself wearing out halfway through a yoga class? Or aching after forcing yourself into a pose? Have you ever pushed yourself to get something done and ended up burnt out before it was over?

This week we're focusing on creating sustainability - using the breath and mindfulness to find that beautiful balance between effort and ease.

Two-Minute DIY Practice: Patience

2010-08-09T22:14:00.000-07:00

If you want to get started on this week's theme, here's a two-minute DIY practice to cultivate patience. Pretty open-ended this time:

Pick a daily activity or a yoga pose that you normally rush through. (For me, that means either brushing my teeth or moving through chaturanga dandasana.)
Just for one day, each time you do that activity or pose sloooooooowwwwww down. I mean seriously hit the super slow-mo button.
And just see what you notice. What changes when you slow down? Do you notice anything you didn't before? How does slowing down affect the quality of your practice?

As always, take what serves you, leave what doesn't. It's all good.

This Week's Theme: Patience

2010-08-09T22:10:00.000-07:00

It's easy to rush. To eat fast. To drive fast. To hurry from place to place, or pose to pose, missing the richness of any given moment. (<-- That's a link to an incredibly beautiful short film. If it doesn't make your heart swell in awe, wanting to savor every moment... you might be a robot.)

In yoga, rushing is one of the fastest ways to find yourself falling to the floor. Patience, on the other hand, is one of the fastest ways to find yourself floating into a beautiful balancing pose. We'll be practicing a few balancing poses this week as we explore our ability to slow down and move mindfully.

Creative Commons photo via Lululemon

Two-Minute DIY Practice: Opening the Chest and Heart

2010-08-03T14:10:00.000-07:00

If you want to get started on this week's theme, here's a quick DIY practice that's great for opening the chest. If you're sitting at a desk (or even slumping on a couch) for an extended period of time, it's nice to get up and practice this every once in a while...

Begin standing with your arms at your sides (Tadasana, Mountain Pose). Tuck the tail bone and gently hug the belly button inward to support the lower back.
Bring your breath into the lower ribcage - keeping a firm, steady base in the lower body as you expand and lift the ribcage on each inhale. Press your feet down into the ground to lengthen the spine, and think about making your ribcage sit a little less heavily on your torso.
Now that you've got that expansive action going for you, let's incorporate some movement and stretching. On an inhale, sweep your arms up to the sky. Exhaling, sweep them down and behind you.
Clasp the hands together behind you and gently start to press the hands back away from the body (remembering to keep the tailbone tucked and belly button gently hugging inward to support your lower back). Lengthen your spine even more as you draw the shoulders down and lift the heart toward the sky.
Remember to breathe.
If you feel like an even deeper stretch in the upper chest, press the palms of the hands together in this pose.
Smile!

This pose will help counteract "office chair slump," and - if the yogis and researchers are right - it might just help brighten your mood as well.

If you want to use this pose as an opportunity for meditation:

Picture something that's challenging you right now - a situation, an idea, a project, a relationship, whatever.
With each inhale let your heart slowly open.
With each exhale send a little love toward that challenging thing you're picturing. (This part may not be easy. That's okay.)
Keep breathing until you start to feel the tension melt.

As always: take what serves you, leave what doesn't. It's all good.

This Week's Theme: The Three Amigos

2010-08-03T14:07:00.000-07:00

Open mind, open heart, open body. They're inseparable - like the Three Amigos. And in Hatha Yoga (the physical form of yoga), Open Body is the ringleader.

Well, not just in Hatha Yoga. A plethora (yes, that's a Three Amigos joke) of behavioral science studies have found that the posture of your body does, in fact, inform your mood and attitude. Way back in 1982, four separate studies revealed that subjects who had been temporarily placed in a slumped, depressed physical posture later appeared to develop helplessness more readily than subjects who had been placed in an expansive, upright posture.

Amazing, right? And those folks were temporarily placed in a slumped position. Nowadays we spend all day slumped over our keyboards. Let's counteract that will a little expansive yoga!

In this week's classes (both Workplace Wellness and Vinyasa) we'll be practicing some restorative, refreshing hip openers and chest openers. I hope you can join us.

In the meantime, enjoy this week's Two-Minute DIY Practice.

Relax the jaw...

2010-08-01T21:38:00.000-07:00

Just a funny sidenote: I love it when yoga teachers cue the class to "relax the jaw." Not only is it a helpful reminder (we often overlook how much tension we hold in the face), but I also get a little giggle because it reminds me of this "relax the jaw" clip from Perfect Strangers...

"Hello! My name is Cousin Larry Appleton..."

Two-Minute DIY Practice: Listening

2010-07-26T18:56:00.000-07:00

If you want to get started on this week's theme, here's a quick DIY practice that's great for stress relief. You can do this while at your desk, in the laundromat, or wherever. Preferably somewhere you can stand or sit still...

Begin by either closing your eyes or just fixing your gaze gently on an object.
Just start to notice all the sounds around you - beginning with the ones farthest away. Maybe it's outside of your building: a train whistle, a dog or the buzz of traffic. Notice these sounds in detail, but don't hold onto them for long. In one ear, out the other... mindfully.
Now gradually start to narrow the scope of your listening. Down the hall. In the other room. Right next to you. Eventually, seeing if you can bring your focus to just the sounds inside your own body - the rise and fall of your breath, the soft swish each time you swallow... and whatever else you find. Notice the sounds, acknowledge them with a smile, and then let them go on their merry way.
When you're done, open your eyes (if they were closed), take a deep breath, and just for a moment notice any changes in your mood or the way you perceive your surroundings. (Maybe there are changes. Maybe not. Either way is okay.)

This short exercise can be useful in a couple of ways:

On the mat: To feed your yoga practice, allowing you to better hear your body's needs as you move through the poses. Listening will not only help you avoid injury, but might also help you get into some cool poses you didn't even know you could do!
Off the mat: To lessen the stress of distractions so that you can focus and be present in whatever you're doing. Or to calm your nerves when your brain has gone into its stressed-out, noisy state.

As always: take what serves you, leave what doesn't. It's all good.

Creative Commons photo by ky_olsen

This Week's Theme: Listening

2010-07-26T18:46:00.000-07:00

This weekend I found myself reading a bedtime story called "Quiet Bunny" to two very sweet little girls. Quiet Bunny, it turns out, is a pretty yogic little dude. No, he doesn't do warrior poses or floppy-eared headstands. What he does do is listen. In fact, he delights in listening to the whole symphony of forest sounds - especially the night song at sunset.

People are not Quiet Bunnies. People are loud. Even when we're not making noise, there's still a lot of it buzzing around in our heads. One of the most important tools we cultivate in yoga is the ability to quiet down our noisy brains and listen. We use the breath and the postures to get there. To tune back in. To listen not just with our ears but our heads, our hearts, and our whole bodies.

And then we can hear the whisper of an ache in our muscles, and address it before it becomes a screaming pain. Or we can be more present and less strung out. Or maybe...maybe... we can even become like Quiet Bunnies, so absorbed in the moment that we delight in all the sounds around us - whether they be the rustling of leaves in the night song at sunset, or the tapping of keys in our offices.

In this weeks' classes we'll focus on Listening. I hope you'll join us.

Exploring Your Footprint with a Two-Minute DIY Practice

2010-07-19T20:48:00.000-07:00

In this week's Sunset Yoga class we'll be exploring our footprint on the earth. (Our physical one, not our carbon one.) It's a theme inspired by this quote I stumbled upon while shopping for a greeting card last week (hey, inspiration can come from anywhere!)...

"Forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet and the winds long to play with your hair."
- Khalil Gibran

Mmm... isn't that some lovely poetry?

If you want to get started on this week's theme, here's a little two-minute DIY practice you can do while walking through the grocery store, on a hike, or even through the hallways of your office building:

Start just by noticing how your feet fall when you walk. Do they flop? Do they thud? Do they turn in our out? Which part of your foot lands first? Do you tend to put all your weight on the outside or inside of your sole? Just notice.
Now begin to incorporate your breath and your brain power for some mindful movement. Inhaling, lift one foot. Exhaling, plant it in front of you mindfully, seeing if you can gently distribute your weight evenly across the sole as you step. Inhaling, lift the other foot. Exhaling, step it in front of you. And so on.

You can choose to use this mindful walking practice for three distinctly fantastic benefits:

Simply to cultivate a healthy gait, which can support your spine and alleviate much lower back pain.
As a stress-relief tool, focusing the mind and deepening each breath to calm the central nervous system.
As a meditation, exploring the attitude with which you step forward and the impression that you leave.

Take what serves you. Leave what doesn't. It's all good.

photo: creative commons license, ezioman

Sunset Yoga Starts Tomorrow!

2010-07-13T08:52:00.000-07:00

Ahhh... watching the sun settle gently over the West Hills. It's one of my favorite things about living in Portland. That's why I've decided to take Nature up on her generous offering and teach Sunset Yoga classes in Wallace Park every Wednesday evening throughout the sunny summer.

Please join me for the first class tomorrow at 7:45pm! And bring your friends. It'll be a lot of fun, and a beautiful way to wind down the day.

*NOTE: If you don't have a mat, I do have lots of extras!

Details:
Sunset Yoga
7:45pm - 8:45pm every Wednesday
Wallace Park, NW 26th and Raleigh
Map to Wallace Park
Map of yoga location within Wallace Park.
$5 suggested

Here's the flier.... yep, that's an actual photo from the 7:45 sunset in Wallace Park.

Good Read: The Downside of Constant Connectivity

2010-07-12T18:36:00.000-07:00

This New York Times article highlights one family and the effects that electronics addiction has on their lives. It's a great motivator to step away from your screen and rewire those blackberry-addicted brain circuits with a little yoga.

In my workplace classes we often focus on chest openers to counteract Office Chair Slouch. But just as importantly we focus on focus itself... cultivating the ability to be still without the urge to fidget or reach for your blackberry. It's quite a workout for the brain!

Here's an excerpt from the article (sadly, it's now archived, which means you must be a member to view it):

SAN FRANCISCO — When one of the most important e-mail messages of his life landed in his in-box a few years ago, Kord Campbell overlooked it.

Not just for a day or two, but 12 days. He finally saw it while sifting through old messages: a big company wanted to buy his Internet start-up.

“I stood up from my desk and said, ‘Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God,’ ” Mr. Campbell said. “It’s kind of hard to miss an e-mail like that, but I did.”

The message had slipped by him amid an electronic flood: two computer screens alive with e-mail, instant messages, online chats, a Web browser and the computer code he was writing.

While he managed to salvage the $1.3 million deal after apologizing to his suitor, Mr. Campbell continues to struggle with the effects of the deluge of data. Even after he unplugs, he craves the stimulation he gets from his electronic gadgets. He forgets things like dinner plans, and he has trouble focusing on his family...

Yogic Wisdown From Unexpected Sources: Part 1, Sawyer

2010-07-06T21:24:00.000-07:00

"I heard once Winston Churchill said he read a book every night. Even during the Blitz. Said it made him think better."

That's a quote from Sawyer in an episode of LOST (clip below). Dude always got the best lines. But this one struck me and stuck with me because we all have that tendency to push through problems or projects when it might do us more good to step away, read a book... or do a little yoga.

It's not easy to take the Sawyer (Churchill) approach. Twice a week I encourage my Workplace Yoga students to step away from their desks to attend my classes. Yet, I still hit that same wall of internal resistance when faced with my own mounting pile of Stuff That Must Get Done.

So the goal for today? Be more like Sawyer (er, except his lyin', cheatin', and stealin' aspects, that is). Now if you'll excuse me, I'm off to read a book.