Six Weeks to a Daily Practice

Sri K. Pattabhi Jois (founder of Ashtanga yoga) once said "Do your practice and all is coming." I love this quote from him oh-so much. It speaks to the journey of bringing yoga into your life. You may start by simply wanting to be fit or feel better, but as you dive in you will discover the amazing perspective it brings to your life and the life of those around you. For me, daily asana not only makes my body feel better, but it enables me to be more present and mindful throughout my day. I think committing to a daily practice can be really intimidating. I had to let go of expectation (because I inevitable would let myself down) and decide each day I will integrate some sort of yoga into the day. Some days, I have a serious asana practice with all the bells & whistles, but other days my practice may only be a few poses and sitting focused on my breath for five minutes. Whatever it can be I let it be...without judgment and without expectation. More often than not, when I roll out that mat with the intention to stay 10 minutes I end up there for longer. It just feels so good. Like coming home after a long day.

For many people it is hard to think about adding yet another thing to their day. Here's a six week guide to integrate yoga into your life. If you teach, consider printing it out and having it available for your students. Something similar was passed along to me over ten years ago at one of my first yoga classes and helped me bring yoga into my life!

Week One

• Focus and become aware of your breath. Do you notice that you breathe differently during different situations?
• Breath deeply at lease three times a day for at least one minute each time.
• Sit cross legged on the floor as often as you can (or any other comfy way for your body to sit on the floor - use blankets or pillows to find comfort)

Week Two

• Practice a half Sun Salutation EVERY morning. Try for 3-5 of them, but one is better than none..remember we aren't judging!
• Give yourself a few minutes after you practice to rest on your back on the floor in Savasana.
• Do a twist on the floor EVERY night before bed. (hold one minute each side). Try Ardha Matsyendrasana.
• Continue to breath deeply at least 3 times a day.
• Continue to sit on the floor as often as you can.

Week Three

• Continue your daily half Sun Salutation EVERY morning.
• Add one backbend to your morning routine. Try Setu Bandha Sarvangasana/Bridge Pose and hold for 20-30 seconds.
• Add one forward bend to your morning practice. Try Janu Sirsasana or Head to Knee Pose (although..remember no judging - the head need not touch the knee!)
• Give yourself a few minutes after you practice to rest on your back on the floor in Savasana.
• Continue with your floor twist EVERY evening.
• Continue to sit on the floor comfortably as often as you can and breath deeply at least three times during each day!

Week Four

• Try bringing the full Sun Salutation into your morning. There are many different variations. Try this one.
• Continue one backward bending asana and one forward bending asana in your morning routine.
• Add an inversion to your morning or during the day when you need to refresher and some rejuvenation. I L-O-V-E Supta Viparita Karani or Legs up the Wall. It's my go to asana! Try holding for 3-5 minutes.
• Continue your floor twist each night before bed or integrate it into your morning practice after your inversion.
• Give yourself a few minutes after you practice to rest on your back on the floor in Savasana.
• Continue to sit on the floor comfortably as often as you can and breath deeply at least three times during each day!

Week Five

• Continue your FULL Sun Salutation each morning. As you become more and more familiar with the sequence begin listening to that inner teacher that is within all of us. If your body says..."ohhh - hold this place a bit longer" go for it! Or if some movement comes in that your body remembers from yoga class last week and you want to try it again - go for it! The mat is for exploring!
• Continue your backbend, forward bend, inversion, and twist every day.
• Lie in Savasana for a few moments before rolling up your mat!
• Try sitting quietly in the morning a the evening for five minutes and simply breathing. You can practice your daily deep breathing here or not. You may choose to simply watch the breath and observe. Set a timer if you have somewhere to be or feel nervous about the time. Savor.

Week Six

• Continue your morning routine of Sun Salutations, forward bend, backward bend, inversion and twist. Allow yourself to be an explorer on your mat. Try new poses or a new sequence (Emma and this website is a great resource!)
• Don't forget to allow a few minutes of yoga rest in Savasana before starting your day.
• Try alternate nostril breathing or Nahi Suddhi for 1 minute before your 5 minutes of quietly sitting.

I think the most important thing to remember when bringing yoga into your daily life is that it's ok to let your practice be simple if you have a busy day or feel overwhelmed AND it's a wonderful thing to listen to your body (and your inner light/teacher) and be an explorer on the mat. Do any of you have any suggestions about integrating an asana practice into your everyday?

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New Schedule Posted!

I finally updated my schedule tab. Of course, as yoga teachers across the world know, we have a very "flexible" (cough) profession, in which schedules change with surprising alacrity. For now, however, I am working eight classes a week. I feel incredibly lucky to be able to teach as much as I do; although, of course, I would happily teach a couple more every week. Just one lady doing what she can to make yoga her primary profession.

As of now, not doing any privates, although I am definitely open to the idea. Maybe in the future!

New Schedule

Changing schedule, changing seasons, changing opportunities. Here's a practice to help you flow with changes, not against. 

1. Sukhasana (Easy Pose)
2. Imagine the arms as wings, breathing the arms up, exhaling the arms down. Repeat 12x
3. Baddha Konasana (Cobbler's Pose)
4. Tarasana (Star Pose)
5. Taking hands behind torso, gentle chest opener
6. Taking hands to thighs, shins or feet, forward fold
7. Gentle twists in Star Pose
8. Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward Facing Dog)
9. Tadasana (Mountain Pose)
10. Garundasana (Eagle Pose)
11. Virabhadrasana III (Warrior III Pose)
12. Virabhadrasana I (Warrior I), on ball of back foot. Pulse back knee towards ground and straighten, warming up legs. 
13. Virabhadrasana II (Warrior II)
14. Parsva Konasana (Side Angle Pose)
15. Bind the arms around the front leg, bring the weight onto the back leg
16. Lift front leg into Svarga Djivasana (Bird of Paradise Pose). Feel light in this pose, able to fly
17. Trikonasana (Triangle Pose)
18. Uttihita Tadasana (Five Pointed Star Pose)
19. Repeat steps 10-19 on other side
20. Tadasana
21. Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward Facing Dog Pose). Jog knees in place to warm up legs and hips. Hold for approximately 6 breaths
22. Kapotasana (Pigeon Pose). Taking the hands to either side of the knee, move the torso like a wave over the knee to work the hips open
23. Supta Kapotanasana (Reclined Pigeon Pose)
24. Repeat steps 22-24
25. Adho Mukha Svanasana
26. Bakasana (Crow Pose)
27. Parsva Bakasana (Side Crow Pose). You don't necessarily need to lift off, but try. Repeat on other side.
28. Supta Matsyendrasana (Reclined Twist). Repeat other side. 
29. Lying onto back, any last leg stretches
30. Savasana

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The Moon

Photos by Laurent Laveder. For more beautiful pictures of the moon, check out here. Thanks to Chris' mom and aunt for sending the initial images of these on to my email inbox.

Here's a moon sequence:

1. Tadasana (Mountain Pose)
2. Kripalu Ardha Chandrasana (Kripalu Style Half Moon. With arms raised above head, side stretch) 
3. Repeat other side
4. Virabhadrasana I (Warrior I Pose)
   
5. Virabhadrasana I I (Warrior II Pose)
   
6. Chaturanga Dandasana
   
7. Urdhva Mukha Svanasana 
   
8. Adho Mukha Svanasana
9. Repeat steps 4-8 with other leg
10. Repeat step 9 twice
11. Utkattasana (Chair Pose)
12. Parivrtta Utkattasana (Twist in Chair Pose)
13. Step opposite to twisting side leg back
14. High lunge twist
15. Ardha Chandrasana (Balancing Half Moon Pose)
16. Trikonasana (Triangle Pose)
17. Parsvottanasana (Intense Side Stretch Pose)
18. Parivrtta Ardha Chandrasana (Twist in Balancing Half Moon Pose)
19. Parivrtta Trikonasana (Revolved Triangle Pose)
    
20. Parsvottanasana
21. High Lunge
22. Chaturanga Dandasana
23. Urdhva Mukha Svanasana
24. Adho Mukha Svanasana
25. Repeat steps 11-24
26. Come down onto stomach
27. Sphinx Pose. Engage the forearms by isometrically pulling backwards on them to work the core muscle
28. Navasana (Boat Pose)
29. Dhanurasana (Bow Pose)
30. Come onto back
31. Supta Dandasana (Reclined Staff Pose), on back, legs directly towards sky
32. Bring one leg towards chest for hamstring stretch. Repeat other side
33. Supta Matsyendrasana (Reclined Twist). Repeat other side
34. Savasana

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The reveal

A few blogs these days are circulating a fill-in-the-blanks post. The last time I did something like this was in grade school. Except then it was email chains. There is something self-indulgent in them; my initial reaction wondered who would care about my answers. I, however, found myself enjoying reading Svasti and Rachel's enough that I thought it might be worth it. Either way, it's fun for me.

1. The most adventurous thing I’ve ever done is… Hitching a ride in Cuba. Alone. 
2. If I were a pair of shoes I would be… Something black or brown or some other dark shade. I can count the number of times I wear something with color in a week.
3. My preferred mode of digital communication is… email.
4. I feel happiest when… I feel appreciated.
5. A little dream I have for my life is to… write a book about yoga. Actually be able to make a living teaching.
6. The one modern convenience I could NOT do without is… The refrigerator 
7. Music, movies, TV or books: if I could only choose one to enjoy I would pick… books

OK. So maybe I'm not the most loquacious human being, but I tried.

The reveal

This is a fill in the blanks sequence. Instead of giving a sequence, I'll give a type of pose. Fill in what you like!

1. Supine resting pose
2. Supine twist
3. Supine gentle back bend
4. Supine gentle hip opener
5. Seated
6. Seated pose to elongate spine
7. Seated side stretch
8. Seated leg stretch
9. Poses to transition to standing (x2)
10. Standing leg strengtheners (x4)
11. Standing back bend
12. Standing balancing series
13. Poses to transition to stomach (x2)
14. Stomach-down back-bending series
15. Come onto back
16. Supine spinal twist
17. Final relaxation

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Yoga for a long day

It's been a long day, and I have a bottle of Portuguese red wine waiting for me, so what's yoga for a long day you ask? It's a lazy blog writer posting a video sequence from YouTube and canning vegetables and peaches and drinking. That's yoga, sweetheart.

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Laughter Yoga, Serious Stuff

Thanks to all who responded about hyper-mobility. I wrote up a cheat sheet last night and gave it to her today. She was really psyched about it and kept the notes next to her during class. I learned a lot, too. Thanks again!

Here's a New York Times video-article about laughter yoga. Try and not laugh while you watch it. Actually, don't try... just laugh. It felt wonderful, even after only 3 minutes.

Ever tried laughter yoga?

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Hypermobility

Yesterday, a student came up to me after class with a question. She is a former ballerina and, accordingly, super flexible. She tries not to overdo it. What she was concerned about, though, was hyper-mobility/flexibility in her hips. After a class she took with me, and during other types of physical activity (long walks, for example) she feels a sharp pain in her right hip.

I didn't have time when we spoke to see some poses to figure out what might be up, but, my initial question is: is it even physically possible to be overly flexible in the hips? For example, you can hyperextend the knees and arms... but can you hyperextend the hip flexor? What could be going on here?

Hypermobility

A dancer's sequence for my new dancer friend. 

1. Begin on stomach 
2. Bhujangasana (Cobra Pose) 
3. Release  
4. Sphinx Pose 
5. Release 
6. Ardha Navasana (Half Boat Pose) Note: This is the version of boat that begins on the stomach 
7. Repeat other side 
8. Navasana   
9. Release 
10. Roll to seated   
11. Janu Sirsasana (Head to Knee Pose)  
12. Parivrtta Janu Sirsasana (Revolved Head to Knee Pose)  
13. Dandasana (Staff Pose) 
14. Repeat steps 2 and 3 on other side  
15. Upavistha Konasana (Seated Wide Angle Pose)
16. Supta Kapotanasana (Reclined Pigeon Pose)
17. Kapotanasana (Pigeon Pose)
18. Hanumanasana (Splits)
19. Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward Facing Dog Pose)
20. Repeat steps 15-19 on other side 
21. Tadasana (Mountain Pose) 
22. Natarajasana (Dancer's Pose)
23. Allow torso to fall forward into Standing Splits
24. Step back to lunge
25. Vinyasa to Adho Mukha Svanasana
26. Repeat steps 21-25
27. Jump up to Handstand
28. Upavistha Paschimottanasana (Upward Forward Fold)
29. Roll back to Halasana (Plow Pose)
30. Matsyasana (Fish Pose)
31. Savasana

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Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply. Speak kindly.

My dog often inspires my asana practice. He reminds me to live mindfully and savor the moment. There are so many things that he teaches me everyday that I am not sure I could have learned from a human. I feel lucky to have him living with me! It's a rare time that I roll out my yoga mat and he is not by my side (or even on the mat with me!). I have this list posted in office/yoga space - someone passed it along to me and I am sharing it with you followed by a sequence inspired by my pup! He truly teaches me daily how to live my yoga.

If a dog was the teacher you would learn things like:

When loved ones come home, always run to greet them.

Never pass up the opportunity for a joyride.

Allow the experience of fresh air and the wind in your face to be pure ecstasy.

Take naps.

Stretch before rising.

Run, romp and play daily.

Thrive on attention and let people touch you.

Avoid biting when a simple growl will do.

On warm days, stop to lie on your back in the grass.

On hot days, drink lots of water and lie under a shady tree.

When you’re happy, dance around and wag your entire body.

Delight in the simple joy of a long walk.

Eat with gusto and enthusiasm. Stop when you have had enough.

Be loyal. Never pretend you’re something you are not.

If what you want lies buried, dig until you find it.

When someone is having a bad day be silent, sit close by and nuzzle them gently.

Be always grateful for each new day and for the blessings of you.

Dog is Love Sequence

• Sukhasana (Easy Seated Position)
• Gently fold forward in Sukhasana. Allow the breath to move into the back body and settle onto the mat.
• Switch the leg that is in front and repeat the forward fold.
• Balasana practice with toes together and knees apart (Wide Legged Child's Pose) 1-3 minute hold
• Ardha Adho Mukha Svavasana (Half Down Dog) On the knees with hips lifted and arms forward as in down dog. 2-4 minutes
• Chakravasana (Cat/Cow) with breath 2-3 minutes
• Ardha Adho Mukha Svavasana with Twist (Half Down Dog with Twist) On knees with hips lifted and arms extended forward. Thread one arm underneath the other and lie that shoulder on the mat. 1-2 minutes each side.
• Vajrasana (Thunderbold pose)
• Adho Mukha Svavasana (Downward Facing Dog)
• Plank -> Lower to Belly -> Lift to Bhujangasana (Cobra)
• Adho Mukha Svavasana (Downward Facing Dog)
• Repeat with breath 3-5 times.
• Forward high lunge each side
• Balancing forward high lunge (lifting the arms and reaching to the sky)
• Balasana (Child's Pose)
• Forearm Adho Mukha Svavasana -> lift each leg and hold for 3-5 breathes.
• Ardha Adho Mukha Svavasana with Twist
• Adho Mukha Svavasana (Down Dog) -> Balasana (child's pose)
• Setu Bandhasana (Bridge Pose)
• Savasana (Corpse Pose)

PS - The pup has been by my side as I type out this post - I think he knows I am writing about him!

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Freshman Yoga

It was freshman move in here at Cornell U. the past few days. I stood near an awkward group of boys as one turns to the other and said, "So, you guys freshman, too?" (mind you, this is at a freshman orientation event). The other one: "Yeah. Are you?" First guy: "Oh, that's cool. Yeah, I am, too." Or something to that effect. Just walking through campus made me feel nervous with all the crazed energy of the thousands of students and parents. Over at Moosewood Restaurant, Chris made food for the highest number of people they have seen in years. He estimated that he was plating a meal every 45 seconds. And good luck driving through town. Get on your bike.

This morning was my first class of the semester. The smallest I've ever had for one of my classes, because the gym I taught in was in an upperclassman area, and, well, they aren't here yet. The people who came to class would have had to travel, which undergraduates seem loathe to do.

My heart goes out to all of the new students on campus. I transferred twice to attend a total of three different undergraduate schools (including Cornell). Every school I went to, I cried when dropped off by my parents. I've always liked them and liked living nearby.

Today's sequence is dedicated to all of the transitioning students who are making their way from one end of the country to another, with expectations but no idea of what they are really getting themselves into. Have fun, guys, and remember: We're all freshman, in one way or another, at some point.

Freshman yoga

Breath deep. Get out of your dorm room and get to some yoga classes. 

1. Sukhasana (Easy Pose)
2. Nadi Shodna (Alternate Nostril Breathing). 5-10 minutes
3. Garbasana (Child's Pose)
4. Roll through to Bhujangasana (Cobra Pose)
5. Push back to Child's
6. Flow between Garbasana to Cobra. See the poses as a circle, or a cycle, and flow through the circle, creating it with your body
7. Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward Facing Dog)
8. Plank
9. Urdhva Mukha Svanasana (Upward Facing Dog)
10. Flow between DD, Plank, and UD. See the three poses as a circle, or a cycle, and flow through the circle, creating it with your body
11. Garbasana
12. Anatasana (Eternal one pose). Repeat other side
13. Bhujangasana 
14. Ardha Salabhasana (Half Locust). Repeat on other side
15. Salabhasana (Locust)
16. Come onto back
17. Setu Bandhasana (Bridge Pose)
18. Chakrasana (Wheel Pose)
19. Supta Matsyendrasana (Reclined Twist). Repeat other side
20. Savasana

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Yoga for Freaking Out

I had a freak out on Friday; totally uncontrollably angry. I'm at my angriest for one of two reasons. One: being told how I am feeling or should feel. For example: "Oops, someone's in a bad mood." Two: Not feeling in control of a situation.

The second is a whopper because, duh, we are never really in control of any situation. The roof always has the infinite possibility of caving in. As that dark dude Shopenhauer said,

"We are like lambs in a field, disporting themselves under the eye of the butcher, who chooses one first and then another for his prey. So it is that in our good days we are all unconscious of the evil Fate may have presently in store for us-- sickness, poverty, mutilation, loss of sight or reason."

What we do have, though, is control over how we react. Or, better, *don't* react. On Friday I was both repeatedly told that I was angry (making me angrier) and not allowed to make decisions for myself. So, was completely and totally angry in feeling helpless and then being told I was. Released from the bad situation, I immediately felt better (get me to a town with a bathroom, feed me, and get me off of nauseating back winding roads-- for over four hours!-- and I perk up). Doesn't change the fact that I was not in control when the situation was at its worst. Yes, it was a really, genuinely bad situation, but as Shope points out... it can be a lot worse.

Yoga for Freaking Out

One type of breath work that is great for freaking out, stressing out, or being really, really mad is Dirga Pranayama (Three Part Breath).

1. Lie down on the back, closing the eyes
2. Taking one hand to the belly and one hand to the chest, feeling the natural rise and fall of air against your hands. Begin to breath more fully, expanding on an inhale into the area where the hands are placed. Breathe through the nose.
3. Begin to isolate the breath in different parts of the torso. On an inhale, fill the belly up with your breath. Expand the belly with air like a balloon.
4. On the exhale, let the air move out of the belly
5. Continue for 1 minute
6. On the next inhale, fill the rib cage with air, causing the ribs to widen apart and upwards.
7. On the exhale, let the air release from the rib cage
8. Breath into the rib cage for 1 minute
9. On the next inhale, breath into the chest all the way up to the collarbone
10. On the exhale, let the breath go first from the upper chest
11. Continue for 1 minute
12. Now, put the three together with one breath. On a single inhale, breath into the belly (expanding outwards), then filling up to the rib cage, finally having the inhale culminate up by the collar bones
13. On a single exhale, exhale from the collar bones, the rib cage, and then the belly.
14. Inhale from bottom to top, exhale from top to bottom
15. Continue for 2-5 minutes
16. Stop being angry 

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FLYF: Teaching

Taught this morning at the Finger Lakes Yoga Festival. It was... small, seemed disorganized, but, hey, a good time anyway.

I showed up a half hour before my class and no one knew where I would be teaching or what I needed to do to check in. It turned out I was teaching outside in a tent. Not only was it in the 50s (and the ground still wet and dew-y), but the tent was full with equipment from something the night before. So, I gathered the folks who had come for the class (about ten for mine, and, it seemed, no one for the other two sessions that met at the same time?) and just went out onto the lawn. Found a flat spot. Yoga is about mental flexibility as well as physical, after all.

The class was great. I love practicing outside and got good feedback. Someone asked me for a business card, which is so not the mindset I operate in. The day warmed up as the class did and by savasana was a decent temperate. I met lovely, nice people... which is one of the best parts of yoga gatherings.

It was the FLYF's first year. I give it its growing pains to work out the kinks. In the meantime, I definitely appreciate the effort of putting it together and getting the word out. It's hard to start something new; I hope the organizer keeps going with it for next year.

Here, roughly, is the sequence I did:

1. Starting off on back
2. Reclined Wind Relieving (rt side first)
3. Reclined Twist
4. Repeat other side
5. Transverse colon wind relieving (both knees into chest)
6. Happy baby
7. Roll to seated
8. Janu Sirsasana (head to knee)
9. Parivrtta Janu Sirsasana (revolved head to knee)
10. Take hand to outside of opposite knee in Janu for a twist
11. Seated Wide Angle Fwd Fold
12. Repeat other side
13. DD
14. Slow, gentle sun salutations; taking a long time in urdhva hastasana (upward hand) to say "hello" to the morning sky
15. Belly down back-bending series
16. Onto back
17. Bridge
18. Eagle crunches
19. Reclined twists
20. Savasana

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Gratitude

As If to Demonstrate an Eclipse

 

I pick an orange from a wicker basket
and place it on the table
to represent the sun.
Then down at the other end
a blue and white marble
becomes the earth
and nearby I lay the little moon of an aspirin.

 

I get a glass from a cabinet,
open a bottle of wine,
then I sit in a ladder-back chair,
a benevolent god presiding
over a miniature creation myth,

 

and I begin to sing
a homemade canticle of thanks
for this perfect little arrangement,
for not making the earth too hot or cold
not making it spin too fast or slow

 

so that the grove of orange trees
and the owl become possible,
not to mention the rolling wave,
the play of clouds, geese in flight,
and the Z of lightning on a dark lake.

 

Then I fill my glass again
and give thanks for the trout,
the oak, and the yellow feather,

 

singing the room full of shadows,
as sun and earth and moon
circle one another in their impeccable orbits
and I get more and more cockeyed with gratitude.

 

~ Billy Collins ~

 

Today, I am grateful for peaches.

 

Gratitude

1. Begin by lying on back
2. Supta Padangustasana (Reclined Big Toe Pose)
3. Supta Trivikramasana (Reclined Vishnu Pose)
4. Urdhva Mukha Paschimottanasana (Upward Facing Fold Pose)
5. Repeat steps 2-4 on other side
6. Supta Pavanmuktasana (Reclined Wind Relieving Pose). Repeat on other side
7. Vajrasana (Diamond Pose)
8. Gomukhasana (Face of Light Pose). Repeat on other side. 
9. Virasana (Heroes Pose)
10. Supta Virasana (Reclined Heroes Pose)
11. Gentle twist to one direction. Repeat to other. 
12. Take hands behind hips for gentle chest opener
13. Supta Kapotanasana (Reclined Pigeon Pose)
14. Kapotanasana (Pigeon Pose)
15. Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward Facing Dog)
16. Repeat steps 12-15 on other side
17. Tadasana (Mountain Pose)
18. Uttanasana (Forward Fold Pose)
19. Urdhva Hastasana (Upward Hands Pose)
20. Parsvottanasana (Intense Stretch). Repeat other side
21. Urdhva Hastasana
22. Tadasana
23. Natarajasana (Dancer's Pose). Repeat other side
24. Prasarita Padottanasana (Wide Legged Forward Fold). Interlock fingers behind back to get a back and shoulder stretch as well. 
25. Janu Sirsasana (Seated Head to Knee Pose)
26. Upavistha Konasana (Seated Wide Angle Pose)
27. Repeat steps 25 and 26 on other side
28. Supta Matsyendrasana (Reclined Twist). Repeat other side
29. Savasana

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Finger Lakes Yoga Festival

This weekend I'll be teaching at the Finger Lakes Yoga Festival in Cortland, NY. Much like the Toronto Yoga Fest coming up, this gathering keeps it on the 100 mile (or way less) diet. This is its first year and I'm looking forward to participating as a teacher and student. 

The event goes from Friday through Sunday. If you're in the area, I would love to see you there! As far as I know, there are still tickets available for every day of the FLYF. I'll be teaching a gentle, restorative class. I figure that four-five yoga classes a day can be a bit much, and I wanted to put something highly chilled out in the mix. After my class, I'll hang out the rest of the day, check out a few classes and hang out at the resort. I'll let you know how it went!

                                                                    Finger Lakes Yoga Festival

This is a terrifically rough sketch of sequence I may teach.

1. Begin lying on back
2. Imagine that you are in a king size bed, overflowing with blankets and pillows. Roll around in the bed, make morning noises, and stretching every which way. Take up space!
3. Gentle reclined twist. Repeat other direction.
4. Hug both knees into chest
5. Roll onto stomach
6. Half-lizard pose. Repeat on other side
7. Child's pose. Hold for 2-3 minutes
8. Seated Heroes Pose
9. Nadi Shodna pranayama 5-10 minutes
10. Gomukhasana (Face of Light). Repeat on other side
11. Reclined Half Pigeon
12. Seated Wide Angle
13. Reclined Half Pigeon
14. Baddha Konasana (Bound Angle)
15. Supta Baddha Konasana (Reclined Bound Angle)
16. Hold Supta Baddha Konasana or come into a traditional Savasana

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Give me my Savasana!

Went to a class near my folks house in Stone Ridge, NY (I'm visiting them during the Cornell semester break). It was really an outstanding class; it was a mixed level and she was able to teach to every level. A hard task and the instructor rocked it.

BUT. And this is a big yoga-class-pet-peeve but. At the end of an 1.5hr class, there was maybe a two minute savasana. I felt like I had just got into the pose when she led us to start extending our inhales and integrating small movements into our bodies. Whaaa? Lady, give me at least 5, preferably 10. Even my mom, who gets all twitchy in savasana, was asking for more. I always try to lead a long final relaxation. Sometimes, when I realize a bit too late that things took longer than I intended, I'll tell the class they can stay in corpse pose if they have time, but if they need to leave on time they can leave quietly.

After a great yoga class without a great savasana I always feel like I have to go do some more yoga. 

Give me my savasana!

Any yoga class pet peeves, so I know what not to do during classes I teach? Or how to act during classes I take?

The shorter sequence below is not an entire class, but was taken from the class I took this morning. 

1. Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward Facing Dog)
2. Take the right knee to the right elbow in plank
3. Three legged Downward Dog
4. Virabhadrasana II (Warrior II)
5. Take the arms into Gomukasana arms (Face of Light)
6. Keeping arms as they arms, lean backwards in reverse warrior
7. Release arms, revolved Warrior II
8. Straighten front leg, revolved triangle
9. Trikonasana (Triangle Pose) 
10. Virabhadrasana II
11. Repeat steps 1-10 on other side 
12. Adho Mukha Svanasana
13. Garundasana (Eagle Pose)
14. Natarajasana (Dancer's Pose)
15. Utthita Padangustasana (Extended Hand to Toe Pose)
16. Standing split
17. Matsyendrasana (Seated twist)
18. Firelog pose
19. Jump back to Downward Dog
20. Repeat steps 12-19 on other side

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Tuesday's Yoga Thoughts

Last week I told a "Cliff Notes" version of my asana journey. I'd like to share some of my spiritual journey, but feel overwhelmed about how to put the whole thing into words and speak accurately to my experience. So, to share here are some of my favorite quotes (in no particular order) to inspire your practice for today.

We shall not cease from exploration

And the end of all our exploring

Will be to arrive where we started

And know the place for the first time

~TS Eliot

Men occasionally stumble over the truth

but most of them pick themselves up and

hurry off as if nothing happened.

~Winston Churchill

This above all: to thine own self be true.

~William Shakespeare

The purpose of life is a life of purpose.

~Robert Byrne

Your task is not to seek for live, but merely to seek and find all the barriers within yourself that you have built against it.

~Rumi

Believe those who are seeking the truth. Doubt those who find it.

~Andre Gide

Sometimes your joy is the source of your smile, but sometimes your smile is the source of your joy.

~Thich Nhat Hanh

My life is my message.

~Ghandi

Do you have any favorite yoga or mindfulness quotes?

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Wii Yoga

When I taught at the yoga dance camp for teenage [mostly] girls a month or so back. I opened with a general introduction, and then asked the room how many people had tried yoga before. About half the hands in the room went up for the 14-16 age group. When I asked where, most had tried yoga in gym class. Awesome!

For the younger group, 12-14, about half went up as well. When I asked where, a lot said gym. One girl, however, said "I do it at home on my Wii!" After ascertaining that, yes, Wii yoga did count, about 5-8 more hands went up. Therefore, because of the Wii generation, more of the younger group had done yoga than the older group.

This, frankly, made me feel incredibly out of the loop. The fact that Wii has a yoga program registered on my radar, and then passed on by. I don't think I gave enough credit to this "game." After teaching at dance camp, I came to the realization that many of my new students may, eventually, have had their first exposure to yoga be with a Wii. How can I accept this experience as valid and beneficial, but maybe see the practice as more than a game or fitness program?

As I understand it, part of Wii fitness has you weigh yourself. While that can, for some, be a benefit of yoga, others will find benefits without weight loss. After Wii-ing, I hope it isn't seen as a detriment if in -person yoga classes aren't a weight loss program. I also hope doesn't create a generation that sees yoga as an exercise class and has a hard time getting past that. Many of my older students coming to yoga for the first time talk about stress reduction, inner peace, and relaxation; will the new generation?

No one I know has a Wii. I've never tried it for anything. Has anyone else? If so, any advice on how to be a better yoga teacher to the Wii generation, looking for points instead of peace?

For those as in the dark as me, the video is a sequence from Wii. So, for today's sequence, we're going meta-digital! Yeah! Readmore »»

If you have a spare intention...

I should have thought of this earlier, but better late than never.

A friend's father has stage 4 cancer. While visiting him this past week, her healthy 14-year old nephew (her father's grandson) drowned in Lake Erie. It's all the terrible-ness you could possible imagine, and she's been in my thoughts a lot. Just realized that, at my computer, I have a connection to a whole network of beautiful, practicing yogis who can send their thoughts to my friend. So, if you take a class this week and are asked to set an intention, if you have a spare intention, send it to my friend. She is beautiful and lovely and life feels shitty and psychotic right now.

Here is a metta/loving kindness meditation practice:

1. Imagine someone you love very much. Hold an image of them in your mind's eye. Send them your light, your love. Tell them: may you be happy, may you be healthy, may you be peaceful. Repeat 3x, or more if it feels powerful.
2. Imagine someone you are having personal difficulties with. Hold an image of them in your mind's eye. Send them your light, your love. Tell them: may you be happy, may you be healthy, may you be peaceful. Repeat 3x, or more if it feels powerful.
3. Imagine yourself. Hold an image of yourself in your mind's eye. Feel your light and your love. Tell yourself: may you be happy, may you be healthy, may you be peaceful. Repeat 3x, or more if it feels powerful.
4. If you have the space, repeat for my friend. You don't have to know what she looks like, just know she is out there.

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Guest Post from Alexis Bonari

For Beginners: Embarking On Your Yoga Journey

Most beginners will tell you that yoga can be intimidating.  Yoga encourages a lifestyle change, a commitment to self-awareness.  Classes range widely in price and difficulty.  Instructor philosophies vary, and there are several different styles to consider. Here are four simple steps to make your initial foray into yoga a little bit simpler:

1.    Read the basics.

While the Internet and Yoga for Dummies-style books won't necessarily make you an amazing yogi, they do offer many resources for beginners.  General philosophies and terminology are covered on a variety of websites.  Familiarizing yourself with some of the culture behind the practice of yoga will allow you to make better decisions concerning your yoga path.

2.    Study the styles.

From Hatha to Asthanga, there are a variety of yoga styles and traditions to choose from.  Speak with a variety of yoga instructors and yoga practitioners.  Learn about the philosophy behind each style.  Different styles will appeal to a different audience.  A person who enjoys physical exertion for its own sake, for instance, might enjoy an Ashtanga class more than the slower-moving Hatha class.

3.    Choose your venue.

Decide whether you will be doing most of your practice at home, in a gym, or at a traditional yoga studio.  Doing yoga requires a great deal of focus.  Choosing the venue that contributes instead of detracts from your focus will allow you to progress faster and will make the experience much more enjoyable.

4. Take a class

There's really no substitute for taking a class with a yoga instructor.  Most instructors will take the time to help you perfect your poses.  Also, yoga instructors generally pride themselves on helping you reach your full potential.  Yoga tapes and books aren't interactive. Without instruction, it's easy to develop bad habits.  Ingrained bad habits contribute to injuries and an inability to proceed to more difficult poses.


Bio: Alexis Bonari is a freelance writer and blog junkie. She is currently a resident blogger at College Scholarships.org. In her spare time, she enjoys square-foot gardening, swimming, and avoiding her laptop. Readmore »»

Guest post from Lyndsey McLaughlin

Benefits of Yoga

Yoga is a form of exercise which is fantastic for toning the body, improving health, and creating inner peace. The meaning of yoga is ‘union’ and it is followed as an ancient practice, dating back as far as 5,000 years ago and originating in India. The great thing about yoga is that it can be practised by people of all ages and levels of fitness, as the main principal of it is stretching and holding poses. Many people do not enjoy high impact cardio exercises, particularly those with health problems, overweight or older people, as these can prove very difficult, so yoga is an ideal alternative to this.

There are various types of yoga, including integral, which essentially focuses on the breathing side of yoga with meditation and even chanting featuring as part of the classes. Hatha is another type of yoga, which focuses on slow stretching, with some meditation involved. There is even a laughter yoga class which, as the name suggests, involves laughter techniques to create a sense of happiness and wellbeing throughout the body. There are a variety of other types of yoga which share the same principal.

All yoga classes require participants to undertake poses which vary in difficulty. Moves start as basic positions for beginners such as the sun salutation, downward facing dog and the bridge pose. With practice, these can quickly progress to more challenging positions, as the partaker advances, with poses being held for longer periods of time.

Yoga can really benefit people who have conditions such as arthritis, as the positions stretch the muscles and improve the core of the body, whilst increasing the blood flow and circulation throughout the body. It can also help to prevent other conditions such as osteoporosis and boost antioxidants throughout the body. In addition to this, yoga relies heavily on specific breathing techniques which are carried out as the moves are composed. These entail inhaling and exhaling at specific times throughout the pose, and holding the breath as required. This can really have a calming influence on the body, akin to taking part in meditation and allows the pulse to decrease and the mind and body to relax. This can also help people have a better quality of sleep and promote energy throughout the day.

Yoga has become increasingly popular throughout the years, and classes can usually be found in leisure centres and gyms. Yoga is also available on the popular wii fit, which means you can take part in the exercises in the comfort of your own home.

There is a more recent alternative to yoga called Pilates, which involves movements to focus on building core strength. Unlike yoga, Pilates is more about exercise than mind and body. Both are fantastic for completely toning the body and vastly improving flexibility.

Lyndsey McLaughlin is a freelance writer. She is currently a resident writer for Online Schools, which researches areas of higher learning, how to pick an online school, and education. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, writing and socialising.

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The Joy of Thursday

Wale-den-de-bobo-den-di-bili-d­an-lo-no
Wale-den-de-bobo-den-di-bili-d­an-lo-no
Wale-den-de-bobo-den-di-bili-d­an-lo-no
Wale-den-de-bobo-den-di-bili-d­an-lo-no
Wa-damm-de-dumm!
Happ-tili-lula-domm

The Joy of Thursday

Thanks to Ms. V over in Chi-town for reminding me of this beauty. 

1. Sukhasana (Easy Pose)
2. Kapalabhati (Breath of Fire). Three sets.
3. Taking hands to knee, open chest in slight backbend. Exhale, cave chest backwards. Move with the breath
4. One hand above head, other to floor. Stretch arm above head and over for side stretch. Repeat other side
5. Move between alternating side stretches
6. Cat/cow in table pose
7. Knee-down Tadasana (Mountain Pose)
8. Parighasana (Gate Pose). Stretch alternating sides of the torso (like step 4): first time, grounding arm is on outstretched leg, for the other side the grounding arm is on ground next to bent leg. Move between alternating side stretches
9. Repeat steps 7-9 with other leg
10. One armed Ustrasana (Camel Pose). One arm in air, one grounding on foot, shin, or on lower back (whatever version you practice)
11. Repeat other side
12. Ustrasana. Imagine the chest lifting with each breath, the heart pressing towards the ceiling
13. Sarvangasana (Rabbit Pose)
14. Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward Facing Dog). Press the heart forward here, too, as you open the chest
15. Tadasana
16. Warrior lunges: from Tadasana step forward into Virabhadrasana I, hold for a complete breath, and step back to Tadasana. On next step, come forward with opposite leg
17. Repeat 10-16x
18. Pause in Virabhadrasana I
19. Interlock hands behind back for gentle chest opener
20. Repeat steps 19 and 20 with other leg
21. Sun Saluations 4-6x
22. Vinyasa to floor
23. Paripurna Navasana (Upward Boat Pose)
24. Ardha Navasana (Half Boat Pose)  
25. Upavishta Konasana (Seated Wide Angle Pose) 
26. Matsyendrasana (Seated Twist Pose), repeat other side
27. Setu Bandhasana (Bridge Pose)
    
28. Either repeat Setu Bandhasana or move into Urdhva Dhanurasana (Upward Bow Pose)
    
29. Savasana (Corpse Pose)

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Krishna Das

Excuse me while I laugh so hard kombucha comes out of my nose.

But.. first the back-story. Today was the last night of one of my summer Cornell classes (they start back up again in the fall, but with a new schedule... definitely ignore any "current" schedule I have posted). It started off a little crazed: I had a rough idea for a class planned, but when I showed up, there were no mats. They had been taken away to be washed and forgotten to be returned. Oops. So class was a mixture of floor and blanket. It ended up working out great. I think people feel confined to their mats in their practice (drawing inside the lines, in a way) and having no mat led to a really liberating class for me as a teacher, too. I had to think on my toes, while not having them slip on theirs. A different class than I've ever taught.

Feeling all yoga dopey, a regular (ridiculously awesome) student comes up to me at the end of class. He wanted to know: who sings the last song you played?

I get music questions pretty much every class, as I use atypical yoga music. Today, however, was all Krishna Das. The savasana song was "My God is Real" (a beauteous, beauteous song). After I answered his question, he follows up with,

"Oh, I thought it was the guy from Hootie and the Blowfish."

Oh, hahahahaha hee hee, ho. Ho. Ho. Except that he's kind of right.





As for the class, it was a lot of warm ups on the back, core strengtheners to build heat (Eagle crunches, legs extended towards ceiling coming side to side like a pendulum, etc), Janu's, table balancing, Extended Puppy Pose, thread the needle, child's. Then we came to standing, hoping they were a bit warmed up. Standing was: Triangle, Extended Side Angle, Warrior II, Prasaritas, repeat. Then Warrior I with arm variations, Pyramid, repeat. Balancing. Coming back down onto the back, I ended with a series of restorative poses using lots of props: Tarasana, Supported reclined twists, Supta Baddha, Savasana.

And, finally, Hootie. Readmore »»

Allow me to reintroduce myself, Part One: Asana

Emma so graciously has let me come back as a weekly post-er on one of my favorite yoga blogs - this one!  I love all the inspiration shared here and am excited to return to guest post.  I write a lifestyle/yoga/exercise blog called Blissful Body - the tag line is really what I live by: "Be Fit. Be Well. Be Happy."  I so enjoy finding ways to discover happiness in my own body and what makes other's feel blissful in their bodies.  I love that it's unique to everyone.  I thought I'd share a bit about my personal yoga journey (and why I am contemplating it so greatly at the moment.)

I went through a 220 hour teacher training in 2003 right after graduating college.  I had been taking yoga classes and was inspired to become an instructor.  I had wonderful teachers who have me a fantastic base to begin my journey as a teacher.  I now know that during that time I was encouraged to do asana that probably wasn't the best for my body.  You see, I am a modern dancer and learned at a young age to "fake it til you make it."  Translated as "do the moves, make them look good...regardless of whether you are using the right muscles + proper form.)  The thing was - I looked as if I was strong enough to do the poses...especially when the instructor is looking at a group of fifteen plus people.  I also looked good doing the poses because I am hyper-mobile. (Not that that's a bad thing at all - please know I honor my teachers greatly and appreciate my flexibility...it's all part of my journey!)

I taught and practiced fairly vigorous vinyasa-inspired sessions during that time.  I then began to dance with a professional company whose founders also owned a Pilates studio.  They invited me to take affordable sessions at their studio and I fell in love.  They were pointing out alignment issues to me that no one ever had before.  I realized the right side of my pelvis was elevated and linked it to my work (at that time) as a nanny - I was always holding the babe on that hip.  It was the start of my fascination with anatomy, alignment, and how it all translates into our everyday life.  I also realized that my hyper-mobility also meant instability in most of my joints - Pilates helped me "reel it in" and understand how to bring stability to my body.  I discovered scoliosis patterns in my thoracic spine.  

After several years, I moved and became the fitness director of a country club.  It was a big time, busy gig and I began my comprehensive certification in classical Pilates.  That training solidified my love of movement and that I would be doing this work for a lifetime.  I eventually got a second comprehensive certification in Pilates in a rehab based program.  I instructed mostly private sessions and over time developed a reputation to work with older and post rehab people.  I learned so much from my clients.

During this time, I was still dancing and created a show where I was a siamese twin - it was pretty amazing, but being the twin on the right, I was constantly shifting my ribcage to the left.  This combined with my already existing scoliosis patterns and (what I now believe to be) way too much posterior pelvic tilt (flattening my back into the mat while lying on it) from a lot of Pilates put my body into a tailspin which eventually lead me back to yoga.

I left my oh-so busy director job and opened my own studio space complete with Pilates equipment, yet I found my most profound movement work with clients was yoga based.  I began studying at a local Iyengar-based studio and was asked to instruct a Back Care Yoga class.  I took some privates with a few teachers who helped my understand my scoliosis patterns and hyper-mobility with genuine interest and love.  They helped me develop the home practice I hold to this day and I am ever so grateful.  My practice now consists of personalized asana for my body.  See...I am finding my happy body!

This leads me into the question of the day.  I recently moved to California (for husband's work) and am exploring the yoga scene and trying to find my fit.  It's hard.  Way hard.  I am open to experiencing new classes and new teachers, but finding it challenging to find the right fit.  Any words of wisdom?  I haven't found a good fit yet - to teach or take class.  I'll keep you posted.  

Look for my posts every Tuesday.  I'll bring some sequencing, alignment and other yoga thoughts.  Cheers! 

--
Katherine Dowdney
www.blissful-body.org

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