Online Yoga

If only we lived in a world where we had the time, and perhaps the money, to go to a yoga studio whenever we needed a yoga class. With life as busy as it is and in some places the lack of yoga studios or classes, getting to a daily yoga class is a rarity for most but it is possible with the internet.

With the market flooded with yoga teachers and studios, teachers have had to get creative with finding a place to teach. Eight years ago when I graduated I was told not just to look at studios for teaching but hospitals, businesses and recreation departments. Now days new teachers have another option, teaching online. If you have a fast enough internet you can open up a yoga studio online. The beautiful thing about this is that the cost is close to nothing. For a student, an online class or video is a fraction of the cost of going to a local studio. Just to point out, I don't want to take traffic away from the studios, since I can't teach online I would be stealing my own students! My goal is to share the love of yoga for those who can't make it into the studios for their practice.

Some teachers would argue that this isn't true yoga. Part of being a teacher is being present with your students. Being there to make adjustments, to have your eyes on the students to make sure that they are practicing safely and to just feel the vibe of the room. They say by teaching online that you are not honoring the true essence of yoga.

But what about that mom that used to do yoga all the time before she had her baby and now can't find the time to get to class? What about the yogi that lives out in the middle of nowhere and is getting tired of the same old videos and wants to take a class with a live person? What about the yogi who just hasn't found a teacher she can connect with and is thinking of giving up yoga entirely?

Online yoga can bring yoga to those who otherwise may not have access to it or have a busy schedule and have limited time to take a class. It's a safe place for a new student to explore the practice without the worry of how they look and they can pick a class that is appropriate for their skill level. You can change your videos to match your practice as it changes over the years. Yoga is not a one size fits all so having a variety of yoga videos to choose from is essential.

For teachers it considerably broadens their student base allowing them to teach more classes. By not having to drive to various studios the teacher can just turn on his or her computer and they are at class within seconds. One thing I love about the video classes is the learning opportunity. I'm inspired by new sequences and techniques from the comfort of my own home once I put my daughter to bed.

I would love to teach online, however where I live doesn't have a fast enough nternet connection so I will have to live through others. As a student check out Gaiam Yoga Studios. This site is full of videos of all styles and levels taught by Rodney Yee and Colleen Saidman. Whether you are a beginner or an advanced student, have 15 minutes or a hour and a half, you will find a video to suit your practice. I'm partial to Rodney Yee as his power yoga video is the first yoga I ever did. His videos inspired me to become a yoga teacher.

If you are looking for a live person rather than a video check out Powhow. You can connect to a live yoga teacher or class and participate from the comfort of your own home. If you are a teacher this is a site where you can set up your own class. This site isn't yoga specific and includes all kinds of online lessons. A high speed internet connection is required so check your system to make sure it is up to speed before you make any purchases.

Yoga is so good for you whether it is in person or via the internet. There is nothing better than being in a live class, feeling the energy and having a teacher at your disposal, but that isn't always possible. Online classes and videos give you the next best thing. It may bring yoga into more people's lives, allowing them to lead a balanced life without the hassle of trying to carve out time to get to class, find parking or a get a babysitter. I hope to someday join the online community, but till then I hope you can enjoy it for me.

Add Some Playfulness to Your Practice and Your Life

Have you ever been to a yoga class and just felt like it was the same sequence over and over again? Perhaps I just described your home practice...yoga burnout happens to all of us, it has happened to me many a times. I am actually in the middle of one. Some people thrive on repetition, think Bikram lovers. Other get bored, we like to change things up. I never plan a class, I make up the sequence as I go, but even with that I can sometimes get in a rut and do the same poses.

I went to Kripalu last month and was inspired by one of the teachers there. Some of the poses he linked together were fresh and fun. I loved how he taught us the sequence then let us do it a few times to the rhythm of our breath. It was liberating and fluid once I figured out my rhythm. It personalized the class. I also took some yoga dance classes there and loved the playfulness of it and just how great it felt to let my body move wherever and however it wanted to the music.

Often times when I look at my students faces in class they look so serious. They are focusing on their breath, their alignment and what they are going to have for dinner. Many times during a class I will remind them to smile. Yoga is there to enlighten you, not weigh you down with worries. Don't worry if your pose isn't perfect, don't worry if you lost track of your breath and don't worry if you can't keep your mind present. Even as I teach my mind can wander. The important part is that you keep coming back to the breath, back to the body and back to the present moment. If you get behind the flow, who cares, you will eventually catch up. Do what is most needed for your body.

Bring some creativity into your practice. Pick out some of your favorite poses and figure out how to link them together with the breath. Hold each pose for one breath before flowing into the next. Imagine it like a dance. Below is an example.

Chair Pose

Stork Pose, stand tall with feet slightly apart. bend and lift your right knee so it is parallel to the ground, engage your abs. For more challenge extend the leg out but make sure to keep the spine long and strong.

Warrior III or airplane (airplane is the same as warrior III but the arms are out to the side. If that is too hard you can put your hands on your hips. Focus on leveling out the hips.

High Lunge

Stork Pose

Tadasana

Flow through 3 to 5 times on the right side (meaning your right leg will come up in stork, back in warrior III and high lunge) before you move to the left. Move slowly, with intention and with the breath. Focus on your alignment, especially the hips. Flowing sequences like this when incorporated with the breath are very calming and can create a lot of heat to warm up the body so are good at the beginning of a class. The sequence above is a strengthening sequence for the hips, legs and core. As you do the sequence don't think about how hard it is just focus on the breath and smile. Studies show that even if we don't mean it, a smile can still trigger happiness so fake it till you make it.

You can link just about any pose together. The trick is that it shouldn't be too complicated a transition and it should be safe for your body. Don't link too many poses as you don't want to forget half way through the sequence where you're going next.

Get creative and have fun. When we are bored with things we need to change them up a bit. Bring out your inner child, lighten up a bit and dance.

Do You Need an Adjustment?

I'm not much of an adjuster. I was taught how to give students adjustments but it was never my thing. Some might say this isn't a good practice as a teacher and that students need adjustments in order to learn proper alignment. I feel there are a few ways to go about this. If a teacher has lots of experience with adjustments and knows their students well that they should adjust, but always with the students permission. By knowing your students well I mean their body type, flexibility, injuries and health risks. However, if you are a new teacher and you are eager to try out your adjustments on students you are at risk of hurting your students. For students and teachers there are a few things to consider.

I find that students are incorrectly in a pose for three reasons. One is that they physically can't get into the pose and adjusting them into it will pull on something that just can't give. Even a minor adjustment can be too much and could pull a tight muscle. Every adjustment I've ever had has been applied with gentle, but generous force. I've even had to ask teachers to back off.

The second reason an adjustment may be needed is lack of awareness. Students may think that their body is in the perfect position. When an adjustment is given it will bring awareness to the student that their body isn't where they think it is. This type of adjustment can be given verbally by a teacher. I will typically give a few verbal cues and if the student just isn't getting it I will go over and ask if I can adjust them. I feel that if the student has to move the body part themselves it sticks with them more so than having a teacher do it. Having the student adjust themselves will hopefully lead them to be more curious about their practice and get them to consider what else they can adjust.

The third reason is for the student to go deeper into the pose. I'm on the fence about this one. Hyper- flexibility is a major issue in yoga and is starting to gain exposure. Pushing our bodies into these hyper-flexible positions isn't good for our joints. It causes our bodies to lack in stability and can lead to arthritis, tendinitis and bursitis. The targets for these types of adjustments are always the flexible looking yogi's. If you are in a pose where you aren't feeling a stretch, you have gone beyond your stretch point (the amount of stretch that is healthy for a muscle) and you are just putting yourself into dangerous territory. The more you push the more likelihood that you will be stretching tendons and ligaments instead of muscle. If this is you, don't focus on the stretch in the pose, but the strength. If you are unsure how to do that, ask your teacher how you can adjust the pose. The good side to this one is that if you aren't hyper-flexible, a gentle nudge into the pose can feel great.

A teacher should always ask if you want an adjustment. Your body and mat are your space and the teacher should ask to enter into that space. It is ok to say no and it is so important to tell the teacher if the adjustment they are giving is hurting you. I was taking a class once with a friend and a teacher, without asking, pushed her deeper into down dog. My friend was new to yoga and didn't know to speak up. She pulled her calf muscle because the teacher pushed her past her edge.

If you are a teacher, make sure that the student is fully into the pose before you ask to adjust. Some students take their time getting into poses, going through their checklist of alignment issues. Don't be in a rush to adjust. If you're the student and this is happening to you, let the teacher know you aren't ready to be adjusted yet.

Adjustments have their benefit, but they can also cause issues. To get the best out of your adjustment you need to speak up. Let the teacher know if you are ok with an adjustment. Let them know if they are pushing too hard. Let them know if the position they put you in is uncomfortable and by all means ask questions and give feedback. A teacher may not know they are doing something wrong unless it is pointed out to them. If you need a little more help in a pose than can be offered in class, speak to the teacher afterwards. They may be able to help you then or can set up a private session. A good adjustment can really make a difference in your practice, but a bad one can prevent you from practicing at all.

Play with making adjustments of your own. You can make a pose new each time you enter into it. Focus on a different part of the body each time. For example in triangle, it is common to go into the same position each time, like on auto pilot. By doing this you won't get any benefit from the pose. Instead, next time you go into the pose focus on your legs. Are they engaged? Are your knees locked or is there a subtle bend? Is the position of your feet correct? The time after that focus on the hips. Are they opening up or is your pelvis twisting towards the floor? Bring your hand to your mid shin instead of the floor and see how your hips react. Each time you come into a pose, try a subtle adjustment, change it up a bit and see what you find. Remember if you can't find a stretch, work on strength.

The key to a healthy yoga practice is to keep on discovering. Finding new and better ways to get into a pose. Your body is different everyday and you need to explore that in your practice. No matter who makes the adjustment, remember to always listen to your body and decide if it is right for you.

Why You Need a Daily Practice

I'm not a morning person, as much as I try to be, it's a major struggle to peel myself out of my warm cozy bed. My daughter recently started school so I need to have her at the bus stop by 7:15, which means my day starts at 6, or if I want to get my yoga practice in, 5:30. Yuck.

Deciding that 5:30 just wasn't for me I let my daily practice slide for about two weeks. It was a rough two weeks. I was irritable and my fuse was short. I wasn't as happy and calm about things as I ususally am. I didn't like feeling rushed from the second I got out of bed till I fell back in it at night. I wasn't starting my day with calm so the choas I created in the morning seemed to stick with me all day. All the little aches and pains I woke up with progressivly got worse throughout the day. I felt emotionally and physically worn out. It was time to bring back my practice. A daily yoga practice is like a morning cup of coffee (feel free to inject whatever your morning beverage is here). When you don't get your coffee you are tired, have a headache and your whole day seems off. God help me if I miss my coffee and my yoga practice!

A daily practice is a great way to start your day. It allows you to slowly wake up the body with suble movements and gives you a quite moment to say good morning to yourself. You can check in and see how you are physically and emotionally. It's like a little self evaluation. Your brain can start on a quiet note rather than a got to go now mode. Your practice can be something as simple as 15-20 minutes (that is the extent of mine as getting up at 5am, well that's just not physically possible for me right now) or it can be a full length practice of 60-90 minutes.

A good daily practice should include enough poses to generally warm up the body and stretch all of your trouble spots. For example, I wake up with tight hips and shoulders. So I incorporate poses into my practice that will help open those areas up. Also allow at least 3-5 minutes (more if you can) of meditation or savasana to allow your body to get set for the day.

Mornings are the best time of the day for a daily practice, it gives you a quiet, solid start to the day. I find when I say I'll practice later, I never do, something else comes up. You will want to practice before you eat and try to do your morning constitution before practicing as well. Wash your face and brush your teeth so you feel fresh as you practice. Try going to bed a half hour early. Getting enough sleep is essential so you may have to adjust your schedule a bit. Belive me, it is worth it.

Below is a sample of my morning routine. It is very simple and can take 15 to 20 minutes. I usually hold each pose for 3-5 breaths, longer if it feels really good. Giving myself that little bit of time in the  morning, no matter how hard it is to get out of bed, is so worth it the rest of the day. No matter how rushed I am for time, I'm able to hold on to the sanctuary of calmness that I created with my morning practice.

Morning Practice: Move with your breath, focus on alignment. You can click on the links below to get more details on the poses. Try to keep your mind focused on the breath and the movement, you have all day to think, take this time to just feel and be present.

1. Repeat this sequence 3-5 times.

Childs Pose
Down Dog
Plank
Up Dog
Down Dog

2. Repeat on each side.

Down Dog, inhale right leg up
Low Lung
High Lung with back bend
High Lung with opposite arm arching over (if your right leg is in front, your left arm and side body arch over to the right)
Intense Side Stretch
Plank
Cat/Cow Pose
Up Dog
Down Dog

3. Repeat of each side.

Down Dog
Warrior II
Extended Side Angle
Triangle
Plank
Up Dog
Down Dog

4. Do each pose once.

Supine Twist: Lay on your back with your knees bent, arms extended out to the side. On your exhale drop your knees to the right, relax. Inhale bring the knees to center, exhale drop them to the left, relax.
Four Square: Lay on your back with your knees bent. Place your right ankle on your left knee. Reach through your legs and grab your left shin. Pull your left knee into your chest. Repeat on the other side.
Happy Baby
Savasana

Brahmacharya: Getting Rid of All the Clutter

I opened my kitchen drawer this morning to find my avocado slicer. I found it next to the pineapple cutter, hamburger press and the melon ball slicer. I had a little chuckle when I realized how many kitchen gadgets we had acquired over the years. Although handy, these gadgets were a bit excessive.

Brahmacharya is one of the yamas and means nonexcess. Cutting out all the things in your life that aren’t essential. It doesn’t mean that you have to live like a monk, but along the lines of mindful living and spending. Do you really need that cute shirt in four different shades? How about all the wonderful things from Sky Mall that lure us into thinking the more gadgets we buy, the easier our lives will be (insert use of avocado slicer here)? By cutting out all of the excess in our life we will be conserving our energy that can then be applied to other things like a daily yoga practice. 

Excess can apply to things other than possessions. Food is something we often eat in excess. Restaurants servings are huge and we end up eating the entire meal leaving us feeling crappy. When we are bored we snack, when we are sad we seek out comfort food. This is all excess food our body doesn’t need.

Relationships can be in excess as well. I think about those weddings where there are 8 bridesmaids. I’m sure you are friends with them all, but are you that close that you need them all in your wedding? Are they genuine friends who you talk with daily and turn to in a time of need?

Emotions can be excessive and only become an issue if they start to rule our lives. Depression, anger, frustration and even happiness. One would think too much happiness would be a good thing, however anything in excess leads to imbalance. Life is all about balance.

To find out if your life is full of any excess take the time to evaluate. Start with your living space. Is your attic full of boxes of stuff you just can’t seem to let go of, but never go up to see? Is your closet full of clothes you never wear? How about the things around your house? Do you have so many things that you can’t really see what you have?

The digital world is a lovely tool. Take pictures or scan all of your favorite drawings from your kids. The same applies to any medals or other such items around the house or in a box in the attic. Take the pictures and make a photo book out of them that you can leave on the coffee table. Not only will you make room in your attic, but you will have a nice memorable photo book that you can look at often.

Clothes, nick nacks and other items that you haven’t used or looked at in years put in a box. Take the box down to your basement and leave it there for a few months. Set a time limit. After that limit is reached if you haven’t wanted or needed any of the items donate them. Give them to someone who will use them. As for your display of various things around the house, take a hard look and see which ones you really adore. Make a space just for those and put the others in a box to give away later.

As for your relationships, take the time to list who is in your life. Make three categories, the people in your life that build you up, the people who just kind of exist and the ones that tear you down. From there focus your attention on strengthening the relationships with the people in your life that build you up. You don’t have to let go of the other people, just don’t let them suck any extra time out of your life. For example if you have had a long week and just want to relax when you get home and you get a call from someone who falls into your "just kind of exist" list, feel free to say no and that you'll get together some other time. 

When you choose to live your life in nonexcess you will find that you have more clarity and peace in your daily life. You literally have more space to breathe. Next time you are at the store or someone offers to give you something, take a moment to think if you really need it. If you meet someone new and they want to hang out with you again, evaluate the situation to see if you feel it would be an asset to your life or if it would just drain time you don’t have. It is ok to say no to things and people. You will be honoring yourself by keeping your physical and emotional space clear of clutter.

Who's Pain is Worse, Yours or Mine?

Pain is pain. No matter what the severity or cause. The person who is suffering it is feeling it fully and it may take over their perspective on things. To an outsider it may appear trivial and they think that the person is blowing it out of proportion and may recall a time when their sickness, injury or emotional event was much worse and that the person should just suck it up.

However it isn’t that simple. I’m finally starting to recover from a bad head cold. A few days ago I was feeling pretty sorry for myself. I was grumpy, tired and my nose leaked like a faucet. I couldn’t think straight to save my life and of course I had a very busy week ahead. While all this is going on I get a call from my mother, her MRI had come back with some issues, they needed to run more tests. Suddenly having a bad head cold didn’t seem so dire.

As humans we like to be noticed for our pain. My five year old loves to tell me about her little cuts, ones she often can’t even find to point out to me. When I recognize these owies, no matter how small, you can see the look on her face of appreciation for being listened to. Even as adults, no matter the size of our boo boo’s, we like to be noticed.

So what to do when your pain isn’t being recognized or in my case when my mother’s situation is obviously more serious than mine? The first thing is that your pain is real and you are experiencing it. It is not something to be dismissed just because someone else is worse off. That being said it is important to be respectful of the other person as well. Be considerate for what they are going through. You don’t need to minimalize your pain but you also don’t need to shout from the roof tops to be recognized. Sometimes we feel guilty about feeling bad. We think that we shouldn’t feel as awful as we do because others are worse off. But you can feel like crap, it’s ok. The key is not to linger. In order to heal you need a positive outlook and truly believe it.

When I was on the phone with my mom she caught on to the sound of my voice and the constant blowing of my nose. She was able to look beyond her diagnosis to ask how my health was. In respect to her feelings I thanked her for asking and kept my answer short, said it was a bad cold but I’ll be on the mend soon. I then proceeded to ask more questions about her. The fact that she thought to inquire after my health, considering her recent diagnosis, meant the world to me and I wanted to offer her that same recognition.

We're all different, some need more love and care when they are sick than others. Being able to read people is an essential tool. Keeping your ego in check but not letting yourself fall into the shadows to be forgotten about is important. Like I said in the beginning, we all like to be noticed for our suffering, it’s about receiving and giving. If no one notices that you are sick, notice yourself. Give yourself a sick day to recover. Next time a friend or family member is sick, take the time to notice and ask if there is anything you can do. In the end we will all feel better.

Roll Out Your Mat to Sucess

I went to the Grace Potter concert this weekend with my husband. If you  have never seen her in concert, or heard her music, you are missing out. One of the things that I love about her is her spunk. When she is on stage she gives it her all. It doesn't come off as a fake act, but as someone who is genuinely in love with what she is doing.

I'm always inspired when I see her. She makes me want to dust off all my old ideas that I let go of and give them another try. Making it in the music business is no small feat. It takes hard work, determination and a strong will to stay true to yourself. This rule applies to everyone, no matter what you are trying to achieve.

Self doubt and frustration can stop anyone from achieving all that they want. The difference between someone who is successful and someone who isn't, is believing that they can do anything and not being nieve that it will always be easy. When self doubt creeps into your life it can wreck the best laid out plans.

Whether your plans are simple, like to start a daily yoga practice, or bigger such as getting that career you've longed for, you need a plan. Just thinking about things in your head won't bring anything about. You have to write it down and make it happen. Start with the small stuff and work your way up. There are times when I'm horrible about my daily practice, especially when my schedule gets hectic, but that is when I need it the most. Even if I can only practice for 5 minutes, that time I give myself, along with the satisfaction of knowing I'm sticking to my plan to practice every morning makes my day better.

We all hit a wall, I'm sure that Grace Potter hit many, but we need to go on. Success isn't handed to you, you have to achieve it and work for it. You have to dust yourself off when you get knocked down. I once read that implementation is the key to success. Every day you must work towards your goal, even when you don't want to. You have to define what success is to you and then plan out the steps to get there. The space you create on your yoga mat offers you the time to think about your life and put it into perspective. It calms your mind so that you can think clearly, it allows you to let go of judgments and builds encouragement. It's like having a daily meeting to check in on how your plans or life is going.

When you are stuck, roll out your mat and decompress, it will get the creative juices flowing. As you move through your practice set an intention. Perhaps it is to think about what your life plan is, what are your goals and how can you get there. One sun salutation at a time you will get closer to where you want to be.

Asteya: Don't Take What Isn't Yours

I remember vividly the moment I learned about stealing. I was four and grocery shopping with my mom. She was in the cereal aisle picking out our Coco Puffs and I was wandering nearby. A bin of candy caught my eyes, it was like Halloween, candy for the taking, so I did. I stuffed a handful of chocolates in my pocket, thinking nothing of it. When we got to the car I started to munch on my candy, enjoying the yumminess of it all when I got "the look" from my mom. She marched me back into the store and had me hand over the contraband to the store clerk. I was mortified. Lesson learned.

Stealing has its shades of grey. It can be anything from taking something from a store, a friend or stealing an idea or identity. No matter how little or insignificant the thing is, if it isn't yours and you don't have permission, it's stealing.

Asteya is one of the yamas, it means non-stealing. We know the obvious ones, but what about the not so obvious things that we steal. Like the shirt we borrowed from a friend and just never got around to giving back? You may not think much of it, but I guarantee every time your friend opens up her closet looking for that shirt she does.

Stealing, especially when it comes to identity, not as in identity theft, but in following another persons ways instead of being true to yourself, is subtle but can have its affects. It is important to be authentic. Be true to who you are, don't take your cues from someone else, following the cool crowd just to fit in. Talking how they talk, wearing what they wear. Instead find out who you are, not who you think people want you to be. It may not be the easy road, but in the end you will like yourself more.

Everyone has their guidelines on what they believe to be stealing. Those who were raised in a strict religious household feel guilt over any type of stealing, while others may not see an issue with taking something, like the extra pens at work. It's all about how you were raised and what your conscience believes. You can live firmly in your beliefs, as you choose your life and how you want to live, but you can't change others.

When you see someone stealing something it may rub you the wrong way, but it isn't up to you to tell that person that they are wrong, there are of course exceptions to this depending on the thing that is being stolen, more action may be appropriate. Confrontation on the small stuff can potentially lead to a fight. People may not care that they are stealing, but they certainly don't want to be called out on it. Instead lead by example. If it is an issue that keeps happening over and over again, try to find a nice way of pointing it out. Don't blame, but perhaps just question. Find out why the lady in your office keeps taking the pens, perhaps she doesn't think of it as stealing, perhaps she isn't paid enough and she thinks it is her right.

People like to watch and judge other people. If you are living in a way that sets an example that you are proud of you can go through your life happier as you have nothing to worry about. Your beliefs are solid. Some people will figure things out, others never will and you have to be ok with that. As much as you are willing to change, unfortunately not everyone is as pliable. Live with an open heart and an open mind. You'll be a lot happier. Karma will take care of the rest.

Satya: Give It To Me Straight

The truth isn’t always an easy thing to hear. This realization of truth may be coming from another person or from you. For example, I don’t always love to teach yoga. The first time I realized this truth I felt pretty awful. How could I not love yoga, all the hours I’ve spent training, all the students who I’ve helped. How could I not love it?

Satya is one of the yamas. This one falls in the category of how you treat yourself, the people around you and the planet as a whole. Being truthful is so important because dishonesty ties into guilt and we all know that guilt can eat away at us till we are empty inside.  Even the smallest of guilt, although not always in our forethought, can have repercussions. If we don’t resolve this guilt, our body will store it and it can affect the rest of our koshas.

One of the first steps to truthfulness is to figure out why you are being dishonest. You obviously have your reasons, or maybe you don’t, but in order to become honest you will need to do some digging. Journaling and meditation are great for this. If seated meditation isn’t your thing, try a walking meditation.

Allowing your mind to focus on one thing, and one thing only, will give you the time and space to find the root of the issue. When I sat with why I didn’t always love teaching I found out that during the times I wasn’t loving it, I was usually really busy. I saw teaching as yet another thing that was zapping my free time and energy. I still loved yoga, but it was adding stress to my already busy schedule. When I became aware of this I was able to shift my thoughts from not loving teaching to taking the times that I teach to slow down. The time I spent in the classroom teaching didn’t have to be a time sucker, but a time for me to stop and take a breath, to draw energy from the yoga. I found the positive in the negative because I took the time to find the truth.

Dishonesty generally stems from a situation we find ourselves in that we just don’t like. We want to make it better so we lie. These lies can be little white lies all the way up to a major one. No matter the size, it is still a lie. Telling the truth can be scary. You never know how the person that you lied to will react to your sudden telling of the truth. There may be consequences. The best you can do in these situations is be honest with the person, tell them why you lied and that you will be honest with them in the future. If they get so upset that they cut you out of their lives, perhaps they have some truths that they need to face themselves.

Life is full of situations that are constantly challenging us. The yamas and niyamas give us pause, allow us that split second to make a decision that is ethical and will give us peace of mind. Peace of mind gives you peace of body. Your relationships will be stronger because your family and friends will know that you are who you say you are and that when you speak, it is always from truthfulness.

Rejection Sucks!

At some point in our lives we've all been rejected. Whether it has been in a relationship, a job or anything else that was important to you, it just plain sucks. Lots of emotions come up when you are rejected. Anger, frustration, confusion and doubt, just to name a few.

As much as rejection hurts, it's a good time for self evaluation. When I get rejected the first thing I want to do is blame the other person. I will think awful things about that person, like how could they be so naive not to notice how great my work was and what an asset I would be! I choose to blame because it is easy, it's a lot harder to look to myself for the reason I was rejected. Just to be clear, it isn't always your fault that you were rejected, sometimes it is the other person. However, for the times when it is you, self reflection will help you to better understand the situation and come out of it a better person.

In order to really reflect on a situation you will need to shut off your inner critic first. Our critics are loud talkers, they interrupt and will speak over our voice of common sense. So instead of just thinking about why you were rejected, write it down. Write down all the reasons you think the situation didn't go your way. Write everything down that comes to mind, no matter how small and trivial. Set a timer and write for at least 5 minutes. This will make you think more about it when you otherwise may have stopped. Don't just write the faults of the person that rejected you, but yours as well. You can do cluster writing, which is just random words that come to mind.

Once you have it all written down, circle the words that stand out to you. Begin to notice if there is a pattern. If you notice one, especially if it is about you, journal on that. Dig a bit deeper. For example, as a writer I get rejected all the time. I often get mad at editors because most editors are grammar geeks who can't write to save their lives. They love to pick things apart and in the process can lose sight of the heart of the story. If I'm really evaluating myself I will see that this comment is broad and mean. That perhaps they are rejecting my story because the content is either not what they are looking for or they don't like the way it is pieced together. I could journal on how to take criticism better and make it more constructive. I could give up writing for that company or I could work harder to conform to their writing styles.

You will come to a point when you are rejected that you must decide what is important to you. What you are willing to change in order to be accepted and what you will not budge on. Journaling will help you with this. If you do decide that the rejection was caused by something you've done, then it is time to put your ego in check. Chalk it up to a learning experience. Get the most out of it that you can. Don't let it be a thing that drags you down but something that lifts you up and makes you a better person, so that next time instead of getting rejected, you will be accepted.

A Guidebook On How to Live

How you choose to live your life is totally up to you. When we find ourselves in “sticky” situations it is nice to have a guidebook on how we should act. If you are religious you might follow the ten commandments or whatever religious doctrine within your religion gives you advice. Many traditions in yoga follow the Yamas and Niyamas.

These are 10 ethical guidelines that act, in a sense, like a how to manual for your life. The Yamas cover how you should act, towards yourself and to others. The Niyamas are more about you personally and how you should take care of yourself. They are quite simple, but their meaning, and their impact if followed, can have a significant outcome.

The Yamas are how we treat others, and to some extent ourselves. This can be through speech and our actions or inaction. This can apply to people, animals or our planet, basically anything living. Some people base their diets (vegetarianism is one) on the Yamas.

Ahimsa: non-violence, be kind.

Satya: truthfulness, don’t lie.

Asteya: non-stealing, don’t take what isn’t yours.

Brahmacharya: non-excess, only use what you need to survive, this one is hard for those who like to shop.

Aparigraha: non-possessiveness, share with people.

The Niyamas are how we treat ourselves. In order to be happy, we need to treat our body, mind and soul with respect. The Niyamas help us to do that.

Saucha: purity, take a shower and clean your home regularly.

Santosha: contentment, do things in your life to be happy, but not at the expense of others.

Tapas: self-discipline, don’t let yourself run wild.

Svadhyaya: self-study, introspection, find out what is going on in your head.

Ishvara Pranidhana: surrender, give up to a higher power those things that are out of your control.

Most of these are pretty self explanatory. I’m not going to go into great detail here, but in later blogs I will cover each of the Yamas and Niyamas. If you want to explore deeper before then, there are numerous books and online articles out there.

If you are religious, you will notice the Yamas and Niyamas are pretty similar to other religious doctrines. The basic goal is to be good to yourself, your community and the environment. If this is something that you are interested in, don't feel the need to make the change overnight. Start with one Yama or Niyama and work your way through. It may be hard at first, but eventually it will just be the way you live. People will notice and perhaps even follow suit.

When Did My Body Get Older?

I dusted off my rock climbing shoes this morning and took my five year old rock climbing. In my twenties I used to climb all the time. At the gym, outdoors top roping or bouldering. I loved it and could do it with ease.

As we packed up our gear and headed off to the rock climbing gym I was reminiscing about some of my favorite climbs and how great it would feel to get back on the wall...well lets just say I enjoyed myself, but it wasn't the same. Somewhere over the last 10 years my body got older. I don't recall rock climbing shoes ever being comfortable, but they seemed to hurt a lot more. My joints protested as I climbed up the wall and I noticed I didn't like heights as much as I used to.

It's not that I'm out of shape, yoga and cardio training has kept me in great shape. Rock climbing is it's own beast, those of you who are, or used to be climbers, will attest to this. My climbing today woke me up to the realization that even though I'm not old, my body is showing signs of aging. Specifically my joints. I assume this is due to all the abuse I put them through in my younger years and because I am hyper-flexible.

I was pretty disappointed when I realized I didn't love rock climbing anymore. I'm at the point in my life that if it hurts, I don't feel the need to do it. But then joy spread through me as I watched my daughter fall in love with it. She spent two and a half hours climbing. I literally had to peel her off the mat and take her home. She was exhausted and still wanted to climb. My passion will live on through her.

Letting go of parts of us doesn't have to be sad or painful. Take a moment to relish the thing that you had and then let it go. It will open you up for something else. I don't know what will replace my rock climbing, but I do know that something will. Till then I will belay my daughter with a wide grin on my face and find pure joy in her adventure.

Ahimsa: Incorporating Non-Harming Into Your Life

I remember my mother's voice quite clearly telling me as a kid to just be nice. Whether I was being rude to a friend or trying to annoy my brother, my mother was teaching me about ahimsa. Now that I'm a mom I find that I am teaching this to my daughter as well, but not just with how to treat her friends and family, it involves every aspect of her life.

Ahimsa means non-violence or non-harming. This is a broad definition as there are  numerous ways in which we find to hurt ourselves, the people around us and the planet. From the physical activities we do, the diet we eat, how we talk and act towards people, the products we buy and the amount of trash we produce, it all has an effect.

Ahimsa is a Yama which is part of the Niyama's all of which are 10 ethical guidelines that you can choose to live your life by. They are the first two limbs of the eight fold path found in many yoga traditions. They are like a how to list on how to live your life and take care of your body.

Some of the ways we harm are pretty obvious, but what about the subtle ones. The bad thoughts that play over and over in your head telling you that you aren't good enough. Doing something at work that saves you time but will make more work for another person. Not recycling. Eating meat from farms that are cruel to the animals. These are all things that hurt someone or thing.

Fully practicing ahimsa takes awareness and patience. You need to take the time with each action or conversation you have to see if it is going to hurt someone or thing, even if it is inadvertently. Some choices, like the food or clothing we buy, are affected by the amount of money we have. Buying organic and locally sustained products isn't cheap. You can't beat yourself up if you can't be pure ahimsa, but you can feel proud if you at least try. You can only do what you can do.

My mother taught me ahimsa, even though she didn't realize it at the time that she was. I will pass this on to my daughter. The lessons I am teaching her are also a daily reminder to me as to what choices I chose to make and why. Nothing is more pure than a five year old asking you why you do something. The yama's and niyama's give me a pretty straightforward guide book to follow. It's the best parenting advice I've received so far.

Living Up to the Yogi Persona

I’m having one of those days where I feel like my brain is in a fog. Answers come slowly to me and my multi-tasking skills are at a bare minimum. If you didn’t know me and tried to have a conversation with me you would think I was rather special.  It's days like this where coffee is my best friend. Oh how I love my coffee!

As a yoga teacher, especially at parties where food is involved, if the topic of diet comes up I’m always labeled as a vegetarian. As I go to take a bite of my steak I get this puzzled look followed by the comment that they thought I was a vegetarian.  Many traditions of yoga have you follow a vegetarian based diet, this is due to ahimsa, do no harm. This not only applies to eating meat but to digesting anything in your body that would do it harm (such as the lovely caffeine in my coffee). Of course ahimsa’s meaning is much broader than just applying to food, and I will cover that in a later blog.

The point I’m trying to get to, and it may take me a bit longer today than usual so bear with me, is that as a yoga teacher sometimes people picture you living a specific lifestyle. The longer you do yoga the more affect it tends to have on you. Your diet or lifestyle may begin to change. These tend to be for the positive. But we are all different and we need to respect that. Not all yogis are the same. We're about as varied as the various styles available. For example, did you know there is "swearing yoga".

When I first started teaching I was doing a lot of reading into the philosophy of yoga, specifically the Yoga Sutra’s. This text explained about the life you should be living as a yogi. This led me to try vegetarianism. It wasn’t for me. No matter how much vegetable protein I put into the diet I was constantly hungry, my body needed meat.  I felt a bit defeated at first, but then realized that by judging myself I wasn’t following the Ahimsa rule. I was hurting myself. So to follow the rule I got creative. I only ate meat that was sustainably raised. As for the coffee, well we all have our vices and I’m ok with that.

My advice to you, if you are trying to live up to the yoga lifestyle and finding that it's not a perfect fit, teak it. You must do what feels right for you and make sure that if someone is watching you that you are proud of the example you will set. I talk with teachers all the time about wanting to teach online classes and some will give me this look like I’m breaking the sacred code of yoga. Instead of getting offended I explain my reasoning (spreading yoga to places it otherwise may not ever make it to) and hopefully broaden their view a bit. I don’t personally care if they agree or not as I’m happy in my views (as are they) and the way I live my life. We agree to disagree.

I truly believe that the secret to happiness is living a life you choose. One that makes you proud to face the world each day. If you aren’t to that point perhaps you should figure out why. Write down things in your life that you love and feel make you a better person. Then write down the things you think you need to change or work on. Start with small changes and eventually you will get to where you want to be.

You can't expect to change someone, they believe what they want to believe and it is good to respect that. People have their reasons. We can share our views about life, but how they choose to live is up to them. Stand up for who you are and what you belive in, just make sure you know what and why that is. Also make sure to finish chewing your steak before you start explaining...

Hyperlordosis: Could Be The Cause of Your Lower Back Pain

When we think of correcting our posture we often focus on our upper body. Pull the shoulders down and back, expand the chest, so on and so forth. Our spine is our base, it affects our entire body. So if we are only focusing on the upper body we are only getting half the picture. There are many postural issues that can originate from the lower half of the spine, one of which is hyperlordosis.

Hyperlordosis is the inward curvature of the lower portion of the spine. It causes a major curve in the low back. This can cause some consistent back pain and if left untreated can cause damage to your discs. It is very common in people who are hyper-flexible such as dancers or yogi’s.

To see if you have hyperlordosis check out the picture below then stand sideways in front of a mirror to compare your image to the photo. Another way is to lay on your back and see if you can slide your hand under your low back. If you have hyperlordosis then the hand will easily slide under, you may even have some clearance. Also check your knees to see if they are hyper-flexible. To do this sit with your legs extended out and press your knees into the floor. If you heels come up off the floor more than a half inch your knees are hyper-flexible. This leaves an unstable pedestal for your pelvis and can cause hyperlordosis.

To correct your hyperlordosis you will need to do some strength and stretching. You will need to stretch the low back, hip flexors, quads and psoas  and strengthen the abdominal muscles. Below are a few poses to get you started.

Standing lunge is great for stretching all of the above mentioned muscles. To add to the stretch, arch to the side. So if your right knee is bent, place your right hand on your knee with the left arm straight over your head, start to arch the left side of our body over to the right. This stretch can also be done with the back knee down for more support.

Another good stretch for the hip flexors is reclined pigeon pose, which is pictured below. Relax and lengthen your spine as much as you can. Try not to kink your neck. After doing this pose extend the legs out straight, engage your lower abdominals and press your lower back into the floor. Hold it as long as you can, release and repeat a few times.

To stretch your psoas, lay on your back and place a block under your SI joint, the flat bone at the base of your spine. Make sure the block isn't on your spine. Extend one leg out with the heel resting on the floor, flexing the foot like you are pressing into a wall. The chic in this picture isn't flexing her foot...by doing so you will intensify the stretch. Bend the other leg, bringing the knee into your chest. If you don't feel a stretch, adjust the block on a higher setting. 

To strengthen your abs I love plank and side plank. Make sure that your shoulder is stacked over your wrist and that you aren't bunching up your shoulders. This pose is good because it targets all of your abs, especially the inner abdominals that are essential for supporting the spine. 

To correct hyperlordosis takes time and you will need to do these poses daily. Do this throughout the day if you are sitting for a long time. You will know it is time to stretch if you feel your lower back start to ache. Your goal isn't to get a flat lower back, that causes issues of its own, but to have a slight curve and no back pain.

Does Your Yoga Teacher Talk Too Much?

Instruction in a class is essential and important, especially if you are new to yoga. A good teacher will give you guidance on how to safely get into a pose and how to make any necessary adjustments. They remind you to breathe and to relax. However, if they are constantly chatting it is hard to get to the relaxing part.

Teaching is a balance. Giving just the right amount of instruction while allowing your students the space to relax. We try to create an atmosphere of relaxation and safety. A place where students can come to let go and hit their reset button. This is hard to do when your teacher is constantly talking.

There are various reasons why some teachers talk so much. It may have been the way they were trained. They were taught to give specific instructions on how to get into poses. My initial 200 hour training taught me that I needed to give 2-4 cues on how to get into each pose. In a vinyasa class that can be a lot of talking. Another reason may be that some teachers, especially new ones, are nervous and they feel more comfortable filling up the silence. When I first started teaching I felt like I was talking the whole time. Now that I'm comfortable with being in front of people, I enjoy the quite parts, I don't feel the need to fill it up with words.

If you love your teacher's class but wish that they talked a little less you need to speak up. Don't come out and just say they talk to much, but perhaps mention that you love their class and wonder if they would consider a little more quite time throughout the class. Give them reasons why you would like this. Time to focus on your breath or process the information that they are giving you.

As teachers we are always learning, mostly from the students that we teach. They teach us our own limitations but also show us how much we can grow. We are always open to hearing how we are doing and how we can make the class a better experience for you. We won't necessarily change for every request, as how we teach is an extension of who we are, but a good teacher should be open to listening.

A yoga class is a sacred space. If you aren't getting all that you need from a class, it may be time for you to search out another one. If you don't have other options, then try to make the best of the class you have. Learn to tune out the excess noise, learn to find peace in your chaos and judgments. This will come in handy in your daily life. Check your perspective, is the teacher really talking too much or are you just not open to the instruction. If so, why?

Whatever your outcome with your teacher, make sure that it doesn't let you lose your love of yoga. Every challenge you meet in your life will make you better and potentially lead you to greater things.

What's the Point of Yoga

Why do you do yoga? This can be a simple or in depth question for you. You may just have a physical practice or it may be a deeper experience for you. If you are new to yoga you may be wondering what the heck I'm talking about.

Yoga is a vast practice. There's a lot to it, much more than just the asana's or poses that you practice in class. Generally people are drawn to yoga through the physical practice, but what they find if they keep their practice up over the years is so valuable.

In order to have an all encompassing yoga practice it must reach all of your kosha's, for review on specific kosha's see my earlier blogs. Our bodies are made up of physical, emotional, energetic, philosophical and spiritual bodies. In order to have a balanced body, we need to have a balanced yoga practice.

A balanced yoga practice should include the following. If you are new to yoga, don't feel stressed about making sure your practice has all these aspects. Start with one and add in the next as you are ready. It is best to do one well before adding another.

The physical: Learn your poses and learn them well. Proper alignment is essential to an injury free practice. Know your physical limits. Don't do a pose if you aren't ready for it or if you have a health issue or injury that would make practicing the pose unsafe.

The energetic: This is your breath. Make sure not to hold your breath in an intense pose. Keep a regular breath, even inhale and exhale even when your heart rate goes up and you are working hard. This type of breathing takes practice to master so be patient. Your breath gives you life and energy. If you don't have a good yoga breath your practice can leave you feeling fatigued rather than energized at the end of class.

The emotional: What are you thinking about during your practice? Are you leaving your day behind and giving yourself the gift of being present? If your mind is anywhere but on our practice you may as well not even be on the mat. One of the beautiful things of yoga is the fact that it pulls you out of the past or future and puts you in the present moment. You can't worry about things if you are being present and this gives your mind a much needed break.

The philosophical: Yoga is old, it's been around for thousands of years and has a deep philosophical background. If you are interested in learning more about it check out the Yoga Sutra's by Patanjali. There are many versions out there, ones that go deep into the Sutra's and others that just give you the basics. Reading about these will give you a deeper understanding of yoga and maybe adjust your views on why you practice.

The spirituality: If you are religious you can bring that into your practice. If you aren't you can bring in a sense of a higher being. Life is easier to manage when you aren't carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders. By believing in a higher power you allow that weight to be carried by someone or thing else. It allows you to let go and just hope for the best.

Wherever you are in your practice is perfect. Where you choose to go with it is up to you. Your practice should leave you feeling refreshed and relaxed both physically and emotionally. Over the years your practice will change and you will find yourself incorporating new aspects of it. Wherever you are on your yoga journey enjoy the beauty that it brings.