Meditate for Your Health

You can start improving your health now by simply sitting and meditating for a few minutes each day. All the studies that have been published showing the benefits of meditation, are increasing peoples curiosity about how it can improve their health. Many of the benefits that come from meditating have to do with the reduction in your stress levels.

In yoga therapy we believe that stress is the root of all disease. When we're stressed out, our bodies shut down unessential systems of the body in order to make us more efficient for flight or fight. When we're under constant stress our bodies aren't running efficiently, it's like only part of the machine is working. This eventually leads to health issues such as poor digestion, IBS and other ills that a majority of our population suffers from. Eventually these weakened systems become vulnerable to more serious diseases such as cancer. But is meditation really the answer to all our woes?

According to the studies being done, yes. Since stress is the root of our medical and emotional issues, doesn't it make sense that reducing it would start us down a healthier path? Meditation is very simple, it's just sitting and breathing...but to some that's a difficult thing to do. We live in a world of technology, a world where we're constantly going and doing. Even when we sit down with our families for dinner or to watch show, we're not just focusing on one thing, but checking our email, texting or surfing the web. We no longer focus our minds on one thing, but many. This leaves us on edge and doesn't give our minds the much needed down time to reboot.

Trying to meditate for the first time is a challenge. When I first tried it I hated it. I couldn't get my mind to let go of all the thoughts swarming around. I'd open my eyes constantly checking the clock to see if my five minutes were up. When my time was finally up I swear I felt more agitated then when I started. Over the years I've learned a few meditation techniques that have helped me start a regular meditation practice. These are so simple you could do them on your lunch break at work or when you've got just a few minutes in-between tasks.

1. Walking meditation: In order to meditate we have to train our brains to relax. Just making yourself sit isn't going to be easy, so you can start off with a walking meditation. Find a place that you can walk uninterrupted. As you walk focus on each step you take or your breath. Each time your mind wanders, bring it back to the breath or the stepping of your feet. Focus on the sensations your feet feel, the noise your they make as they hit the ground or the feeling of the wind on your face. Find a way to connect with the nature around you.

2. Breathing meditation: Deep breathing engages your parasympathetic system. The job of this system is to calm the body. A calm body is a healthy body. Find a comfortable sitting position and place your hands on the sides of your ribcage. Closing your eyes take a deep inhale and feel your ribcage expand. On the exhale feel it contract. Continue this breathing pattern focusing solely on the movement of the breath in the ribcage. Imagine the breath like a calming wave moving up and down the body.

3. Counting meditation: Take a deep inhale and on the exhale count to one. Continue till you get to 10. If you lose track of which number you're on, start back at one. To make it more challenging, aim for a higher number or if you get to 10, start counting back down to one. Try not to get irritated if you can't make it to ten. That's just a sign that your brain really needs meditation. All the multi-tasking you've been doing has left your brain scattered and unable to focus on one task.

One thing you'll notice about these meditations, is they allow something for the mind to focus on. As you practice more, you'll need less distraction for the mind and you'll be able to sit and meditate longer. Over time you'll begin to notice the impact your meditation has on your life. You'll be more focused, less agitated and sleep better. Three things in life lead to good health; sleep, exercise and good food. If you're not getting enough sleep, you'll be too tired to exercise and will probably make poor food choices. Are you beginning to see how meditating can have such a profound affect on your life?

The key is the find the right fit for you. Perhaps you'll incorporate all three techniques depending on how you feel that day. Try to set an intention to practice every day for a week and keep a journal. Notice how your practice is affecting you and any changes you notice by the end of the week. Happy meditating!

How to Pick a New Years Resolution

New Years is right around the corner and I have yet to pick a resolution. Things are so busy this time of year, taking the time to really think about a resolution just seems like one more thing to do. However when the day comes that I do have time, once the chaos dies down, it's important to choose wisely.

One big mistake often made when picking a resolution is to plan too big. Often times when we aim high we can lose faith along the way because there are so many opportunities to stumble. It's like going to your first yoga class with plans to do a handstand finding out that you can barely hold a downward dog. If you do choose to plan big, make sure to set small goals along the way to keep your moral up.

It's good to review your resolution from last year before picking a new one. Did you follow through? If not, why? Take a deep look at your failed resolution and why it didn't make it. Be realistic and thorough. As humans we tend to have our quirks that keep us from achieving things. Be it laziness, boredom from lack of a serious challenge or not enough direction on how to achieve what we want. Learning why your resolution failed last year may teach you a valuable lesson and help you to conquer your goal this year.

If you can't figure out why you didn't follow through last year, ask a trusted friend or family member. Tell them to be honest. Those closest to us see us for who we are, good and bad. Things we choose not to see about ourselves are there for others to see, no matter how blind we like to be.

So what to do if you're clueless about a goal to set as your resolution? Make a list. What's working in your life and what's not. Are you happy with your work, family or social life? Do you feel healthy and happy? Don't try to change everything all at once, but chose one small aspect of your life and go from there.

Interested in incorporating yoga into your life this year? Yeah! The biggest obstacle to succeeding in a regular yoga practice is finding the right teacher. There are a lot of styles and teachers out there and finding the one that works for you is key. A great site to check out is Yoga Alliance.

There are many teacher trainings out there and all are not created equally. Yoga Alliance was founded to help regulate the field by requiring all its teachers to be certified in at least 200 hours of a Yoga Alliance approved school. By choosing a teacher that is certified here, you'll be getting a teacher who knows their stuff verses someone who did a weekend training and claims to know how to teach yoga safely. You can search by city, state, style or registered hours.

If you have any interest in becoming a teacher, or just taking some trainings to educate yourself more on yoga, this site is a great resource.

To make your transition into yoga easier, try the following:

Experiment a bit. Try out a few styles till you find the one that fits you. Just because a pair of jeans looks good on your friend, doesn't mean they'll look good on you. Were all different, find what works for you. Once you do, find the time of day that works best and a studio that's easy to get to. Yoga shouldn't be a chore. If it feels like one, you won't do it.

Buy a mat. By doing this you're committing yourself. You don't have to go out and buy anything expensive, but you'll want to get a decent one. A crappy mat can ruin your yoga experience. I love Manduka mats. Check out the link on the side of my blog. They make great stuff and have mats for all price ranges. The other good thing about having a mat around, is that when you see it, it will trigger your brain that you need to go to class.

Get the right yoga clothes. This follows along the same lines as the mat. If you aren't comfortable in class you won't want to go.

Find a yoga buddy. Doing things with friends is fun and healthy. It's nice to have a support buddy for those days you can't seem to find the energy to get to class.

Read about yoga. Yoga isn't just physical, it has a philosophical and spiritual aspect to it. It's a lifestyle if you chose it. There are so many great books out there that I couldn't possibly pick for you, so go to your local bookstore and see what pops out at you. True change through yoga comes from not just the physical practice, but how yoga changes our mind and the heightened awareness in which we see things.

Don't judge your body. Everyone can do yoga. Everyone, no if's and's or but's. If you go to a class and feel like yoga wasn't for you, the reality is that particular class wasn't for you. Find a different one. A different style or teacher. Don't give up. No matter your weight, state of health, sex, flexibility or experience, there is a yoga class for you. If you can't find a class in your area, find a video or online class. I recommend that you try at least 10 classes before you give up. If you have an injury or disease, check with your doctor first. Yoga is like any other activity, it can help you if done right and hurt you if done wrong.

Don't start a home practice till your ready. Having a home practice is hard. Unless you really like doing yoga videos, you''ll burn out quick if you don't know enough about yoga to put a sequence together. Go to as many classes as you can and pay attention to how the teacher puts a flow together. You can also check out Yoga Journal's website. They have some great flow sequences you can learn.

Whatever your resolution turns out to be, make sure to be patient with yourself. If you didn't stumble a bit you wouldn't be human. If you mess up, it's ok, but ask yourself why. What emotion were you feeling at the time? What else got in the way? Figure it out so you can avoid that obstacle next time. If you find your goal isn't working for you, change it. By doing this it doesn't mean you failed, it means you were smart enough to know that change was a good thing. Here's to a new year!

Happiness Is All About Perspective

I envy my five year old daughter. When something irritates her, she cries, screams or stomps her feet and she lets go of it. She continues on with her day as if the bad thing never happened. Somewhere along the way to adulthood we lose the ability to let go of things so easily. Our brains get in the way and our monkey brain goes into instant replay. Over and over we play the event in our minds. Trying to make sense of what happened and why. We’re generally left unfulfilled by an answer because there usually isn’t one. Bad things just happen.

Overall children are much happier than we are because of their ability to let go. They also tend to live in the moment rather than waiting for something better to come along in the future. They find fascination with everything they come across. Looking at things with fresh perspective rather than built up judgment or criticism.

The best time to see this affect is during the holiday season. Children are full of wonderment and excitement this time of year. While we’re irritated and bored waiting in line, they’re in awe at all the beautiful decorations that the store has put up. While we’re stressed about getting the house cleaned they’re excited that family is coming to visit. As adults we tend to dwell on the bad instead of the good. Happiness is all about perspective.

When your mind easily goes to the bad things in life, you’ve created in yoga what we call a negative samskara. A samskara is a pattern of thought. You get this pattern by repeating the same thoughts over and over. Imagine a flat plain and a trickle of water running through it. At first the trickle only creates a small grove. But over time that trickle could turn into a stream and eventually a river. One day there may be a canyon there. The river is our thoughts and the canyon is our bad pattern. We eventually create a pattern so ingrained we don’t even notice we’re doing it over and over.

 
Samskara’s don’t need to be permanent. Although it does take time to get out of them, with a little persistence and patience you can climb out of your canyon of bad habits. Every time you catch yourself doing something negative, replace it with a positive. I watched this movie last night where all these bad things kept happening to this woman. Rather than let it get her down, she chose to laugh at the problem. She chose not to care what others thought of her, but  rather how she felt about herself. There was a part where a bowl of punch spilled on her dress at the start of a party. Now if that happened to me it would ruin my night. But she chose to stay at the party, despite the ruined dress. She was able to laugh at the situation and she had a great time.

She reminded me of something I already knew, but had forgotten. Not every bad thing that happens has to ruin your day. Make the best out of it. Laughter is amazing at doing that. It’s all about changing your  mind set.
 

The trick is, as soon as a negative thought comes into your mind, immediately replace it with a positive. Once a negative thought takes root, it’s hard to get rid of it, so cut it loose before it can latch on. If something does manage to get under your skin, do what my five year old does. Have a good cry, scream or stomp. Get that anger and frustration out of your system right away so it doesn’t fester. Each time you think about it, smile and say, “I’ve let it go.” Better yet, instead of producing more anger, try laughing. See the humor in your situation. Sometimes you have to look pretty deep to find something funny about what you’re going through, but I’m sure there’s something in there to laugh about.

Happiness takes work at first, but with time, as you fill in your negative samskara, being happy will feel more natural. What will start to feel odd is your old negativity. You’ll wonder why you wasted so much of your life exhausting yourself with dwelling on the bad things. There is so much to enjoy this time of year, but it’s also the most stressful time of year, which makes it the perfect time to start filling in that canyon. Practice makes perfect!

Surviving Your Family During the Holidays

We all have grinches in our lives that are difficult to be nice to, or people that expect the perfect holiday atmosphere no matter how limited your budget or time is. The similarity between these people is a lack of awareness. They're so caught up in their own issues that they don't realize the effect they have on their loved ones.

The holidays can make these traits in people more pronounced, giving those of us who have to deal with them a major headache. We want to spend the holidays with those we love, but sometimes love isn't enough to help us get through without having a meltdown.

The Yoga Sutra's, an ancient book written by Swami Satchidananda, is a guide to living a yogic life. One of the sutra's that specially stands out to me this time of year is the following:

"In relationships, the mind becomes purified by cultivating feelings of friendliness towards those who are happy, compassion for those who are suffering, goodwill towards those who are virtuous, and indifference or neutrality towards those we perceive as wicked or evil."

The last verse is the one that applies to dealing with difficult loved ones. I'm not saying that they're wicked or evil, but they certainly don't bring out the best in us and can make maintaining a loving relationship a challenge at times. We try our best to be loving and civil but get worn down by the same old behaviors that they exhibit. We allow ourselves to get hurt over and over again. I'll use the relationship I have with my father as an example.

Growing up I adored my father. As I got older and was able to look beyond my own self, I began to notice more about him. I noticed that if I questioned something he was doing he could easily get offended. When we spoke on the phone he was often complaining more than he was just talking about life. He contained a lot of anger from his childhood and it was affecting his life and now mine. What he had kept hidden from me as a child, he now felt I was old enough to deal with. The loving man I remember as a kid was being replaced with this temperamental defensive man.

Over the years we have grown apart. I live on the other side of the US and don't get home often, but when I do I dread it because I know an outburst is a given. So what's a girl to do? My father is getting older and not in the best of health. I know when his time comes to pass I will regret not having spent more time with him.

Practicing indifference or neutrality is the key. Things can't bug you if you don't let them get under your skin. This takes practice of course. Don't think of it as giving in, but choosing to take the easier path. My father loves poached eggs, I find them disgusting. He was making me eggs one morning and asked if I would like some poached eggs. I told him no thanks, I don't like them. He of course took this as an offense. What he heard was, "dad, you eat gross eggs." He got angry and left to eat his eggs in solitude in front of the TV. I can't say that I would have eaten the poached eggs in order to avoid this conflict, but I could have chosen my words and facial expression better.

Generally the people we conflict the most with, we know really well. We know what will set them off. The best way around it is to pull yourself out of the situation if you see it coming, or if you're in the midst of it, choose your words carefully. Don't answer how you would, but how you feel the loved one you're dealing with would like you to. It's the art of communication. My dad is sensitive and I need to make sure when I talk with him, that I don't say anything that can be taken the wrong way. It's significantly more work on my part, but it's better than fighting and it makes us both feel good as we can actually enjoy our time together.

I swear I sometimes love to get a rise out of my father, just because I can. If I take the time to look at why I want to do this, it's because I'm angry that he's changed so much. He throws his hurt feelings at me, I want to throw them right back. But what do I gain out of that? Nothing. It takes more work to be kind to those that hurt us, to try and go out of our way to stop something nasty from brewing. But that extra work is easier than dealing with the hurt, anger and frustration that comes when conflict arises. By keeping our feelings neutral and not taking their offenses personal, we can avoid conflict.

This holiday season if you're going to be around a challenging loved one, prepare yourself. Read up on how to communicate with difficult people. There are lots of books out there on the subject. I have found that people are generally angry because they feel invisible. They just want to be seen and heard, so they act out. If I take the time to look my father in the eyes and really listen to what he's saying with no judgment, he opens up and we can have a great conversation. I get to catch a glimpse of the father I grew up with.

If an argument does happen, or your loved one is overwhelming you with their nitpicking and judgments, take a step back. Instead of engaging and starting a fight, excuse yourself for a few minutes and find a quite space. Take some deep breaths and center yourself. You never want to let yourself get bullied. If the situation arises that you do need to stand up for yourself, don't yell. Articulate your words in a way that will hopefully get through to the other person. If that person simply won't listen, let the situation go. Holding onto it will give you pain, letting it go will lighten your burden and leave you open to happiness.

Often situations with difficult people wear us down and we end up exploding at them, telling them in not so nice words what we really think of them. This won't do anyone any good. This again comes back to the art of communication. Our language is vast and there are many ways to say things, choose your words carefully, they can last forever.

Time passes and we never know how much we have with those we love. The frustration we feel with them will seem silly once they're gone. Take the time to make the relationship work. Know when to engage and when to step back and take a breather. When you're with them, really be with them. Remember, difficult people are often difficult because they feel so alone and unseen. Just looking into their eyes when they talk and listening without interrupting can be all they need to crack their hard shell. 

Fight Off Winter Skin with Ayurvedic Oil Massage

If you live anywhere with a winter climate, I'm sure your skin is starting to feel the effects of the dry, cold weather. Seems like no matter how much lotion you put on, your skin just gets drier and drier. I've had it on my to do list for weeks, but I finally broke down and deliberately drove to the store yesterday to get some oil for my Ayurvedic oil massage. Nothing I've tried works better to help alleviate dry, irritated winter skin.


Ayurvedic oil massage or Abhyanga, is a daily application of oil to the body that you do before you shower or bathe. You rub the oil in small circles all over your skin, from neck to toes (don't do the face, the oil will clog those sensitive pores), massaging it into the skin. You then shower as usual. Once out of the shower you won't even need to apply lotion. The heat from the shower helps the oil to absorb into the skin, leaving you with soft happy skin.

Benefits:

• Improves the color of your skin, nourished skin looks more vibrant.
• Decreases the effects of aging, moist skin is young skin.
• Nourishes the body and imparts tone and vigor. Our bodies love to be touched, it has a healing affect, even if we're the ones doing the massaging.
• Increases circulation, which is great for our immunity.
• Pacifies vata and pitta. These two doshas commonly get out of balance this time of year.

Not only does my skin feel great after doing this, but it is a nice way to start my day. I'm not losing any time adding this to my morning routine, as I don't have to put lotion on after my shower. I find the massage invigorating and some studies show that it helps boost your immune system and in winter we need all the help we can get.

The most common used oil is sesame oil. Since it's being absorbed by your skin you'll want to buy organic. Non organic will have impurities, I don't know about you, but I don't want those in my body. I have sensitive skin and have found with prolonged use (about a month) that the oil can start to irritate my skin. I take a week off and start up again and just do it every other day. Different dosha's use different oils. Find the right oil for your dosha here.

Technique:

The first few times you do this go slow and enjoy the process. Even once you get the hang of it, try not to rush through it, enjoy the process. Put a small amount of oil in the palm of your hand (room temp or warm is best) and begin to rub the oil onto your neck in small firm circles. Don't overdo it with the oil. Put on just enough so it will absorb into the skin. You shouldn't be dripping oil. Follow the list below till you get to your toes.

• Neck
• Right shoulder
• Right arms, hands and fingers
• Left shoulder
• Left arms, hands and fingers
• Chest
• Stomach
• Upper, mid and lower back (You'll get a good stretch while trying to get this area.)
• Butt
• Right leg
• Left leg
• Tops of feet (I don't recommend doing the bottoms of your feet as you will slip in the shower. You can do the bottoms, but make sure that you can sit while washing them and put socks on right away.)
• Carefully get into the shower and go about your usual routine. If you get out of the shower and have a lot of oil on you, you've used too much. Wipe off the excess oil with an old towel. Your skin should feel moist, not oily.

When not to do the oil massage:

If you have any area of the body with broken or cracked skin, do not do the massage there. Same goes for any swollen or painful parts of the body. It's also not recommended to do it if you have a fever or chills due to an illness. If you have any serious medical conditions, check with your doctor before doing this massage. I know it sounds so simple, but even an application of oil to the skin has an affect on the body.

Check out this article on applying oil. There's a video you can watch, details about the technique, when you should and shouldn't do it (according to Ayurvedic tradition), and how to adapt it to your dosha (which is important). It sometimes take a little trial and error to get it just right, but when you do it feels so great you'll wonder how you ever lived without it.

Backbends: Let Go of Your Inhibitions and Fear

Letting go and opening up isn't always easy. This holds especially true if you've had some emotional or physical trauma in your life. When people hurt us, we tend to close in on ourselves. It's a way of protecting us from anymore harm. We may be protected from the outside, but what about the inside? Those strong emotions that are created when we're hurt, be it from emotional/physical abuse, a bad breakup or the death of a loved one, can eat us alive if we don't let them go. The stress festers in our bodies, eventually leading to disease. We're letting the hurt that initially shut us down, keep us closed off from a truly happy life.

Letting go of these strong emotions is scary, as is allowing yourself to open up in order to release them. If you look at a person who is happy, you'll notice that their bodies are alive and open, verses a sad person who is slumped as if their shoulders are trying to wrap around to protect them.

We have energy centers in our bodies called chakras. Each chakra is a representation of emotional/physical issues that reside in that part of our body. Physical issues that arise in our bodies can be related to the state of our chakras. When the energy in that area is blocked, we're physically affected. Yoga helps to work with these chakra centers to open them up. An open chakra allows our body to be balanced, a blocked chakra can cause physical and emotional issues. Chakra's are in depth and I encourage you to learn more about them here.


When we're depressed our chest tends to cave in. This affects the throat, heart and solar plexus chakras. Each of these chakras represent something that we're lacking in our lives, which is why we're literally collapsing in on ourselves. The throat chakra represents expression. If we're  unable to express to others how we really feel, or when we do if no one listens, this chakra will shut down. We'll lose our voice and not feel the need to speak up anymore. The heart chakra represents love. If we're physically or emotionally abused we learn to distrust love. If we're hurt by a bad relationship or lose someone we love, we may feel that love is out of reach for us. This will cause us to give up and close ourselves off to prevent anymore pain. The solar plexus charka represents power. If you're abused you feel vulnerable and weak. You'll shut yourself off and your body will cave in as a way of trying to protect itself.

There are many aspects of healing, but one way to help heal the chakras is to open them up. You can physically do this with backbends. If you've ever been in a class and we're told to do a backbend, but noticed that you really didn't want to do it, or when you came into it felt emotionally uncomfortable, perhaps one of your chakra's is closed off. Backbends literally open you up and can leave you feeling vulnerable. However, when done in a safe and healing environment, backbends allow you to open up and realize that it's ok. No one is going to yell at you, hurt you or leave you. It helps to have a mantra to say while you're doing a backbend as well. A mantra is a positive saying that you repeat over and over. Such as I'm safe and loved. This will help to boost your confidence.

Any strong emotion that you feel as you're in a backbend, you want to feel fully. If you want to cry, scream or hit something, do it. That negative energy you feel needs to get out of your body. If  you fight or ignore it, it will stay stored in the body and continue to haunt you.  If you're working with a psychologist, you should discuss with them anything that comes up. It will help you process those strong emotions.

Before going into a backbend, warm up with some sun salutations. When you're ready to go into your backbends, ease into a  backbend and only hold it for a little bit. Eventually work your way into deeper backbends and try to hold them for longer. Physically they will be challenging as the front side of your body will be tight and the backbends will work on opening you up. Go slow and if something hurts, modify the pose so it isn't so intense. Use as many props as needed to feel comfortable.

Below are a few of my favorite backbends. Remember to breathe and say your mantra as you do these poses.

Fish Pose: You can do this one as shown or put a pillow or bolster underneath you so you can relax into the backbend. If it hurts your neck, roll up a towel and put in underneath. The goal is to be as comfortable as you can.














Upward Plank: This pose requires some openness in the shoulders and core strength. If your shoulders are tight, give it a try, as it will help to open them up. If it hurts to let your head fall back, tuck your chin to your chest. Your chest is going to want to cave in. Lift it up towards the sky. Feel how strong and open you are.

Bridge Pose: You can do this as shown, or you can put a yoga block under your sacrum for support. This will allow you to relax in the pose. Try to roll open your shoulders and expand your chest.

Bridge Pose: The picture of this pose is for an advanced student. You can modify by placing your hands on your lower back for support. If it hurts your neck to drop the head back, bring your chin to your chest.







The only way that you'll find peace with the trauma you've had in your life, is to let it go. You have to open up, show yourself that the world isn't all bad and that you'll be ok when you let yourself release that tight grip on your chest. Be patient, healing takes time. With a little bit of opening each day, you'll eventually be able to fully expand and let go. Opening yourself up to a full life. Don't let trauma shut you down, open up and live.

"The Reality of Your Life is Now"

I've been taking teacher trainings since 2006 and have been doing yoga well before that. One constant that's always been said in class is to be present. Over and over I've heard this saying, yet it's still a constant struggle for me to remember that. I tell my students throughout class a handful of times to be present, come back to the breath. I swear I can see it in their eyes when their mind is elsewhere. Instead of looking relaxed, they have this blank look on their face.

As humans, our minds love to wander. We flitter from one thought to the next. Some make sense, others are quite random. We're constantly needing reminders to be present. Our  minds tend to hang out in the past, trying to figure out how we could've done things differently, or wishing we were still there instead of our current situation. If we're not stuck in the past we're daydreaming about the future. We dream about how it will be better than the present moment because we'll have achieved some great thing by then.

Why is this, why aren't we content with where we are? Maybe if we weren't so caught up with being someplace else, our present moment could be amazing and the only place we'd want to be. Maybe if we focused on our current situation, even if it sucked, we could figure out a way to make it better, rather than suffer through it till something else comes along. What if that something else never come along? What then?

Nothing is worse than waking up from a great dream to find yourself in misery. When we don't live in the present, that's what we're doing. We're constantly checking out because we don't like where our life is in the present moment. If you check out, you can't fix what's wrong, therefore your future will be just as bleak and not the greatness you dream it to be. As Sam Harris says, "We're continually hoping the future will make us happy, but it never does." You have to open your eyes and see what's wrong and fix it. If your eyes are always closed and dreaming, nothing will change, your bad dream will continue.

Check out this video by Sam Harris. He talks about how important being present is. He says that; "The reality of your life is now. What we truly have is this moment." The images in the video, along with its words, immerses you in the present moment and shows you how powerful it can be. He talks about dropping the issues that don't serve you and enjoying the moment. To be attentive to the present because it will be gone before you know it.

By being attentive, we're living life rather than coasting through it waiting for the day it gets good. Life is hard and bad things happen. We have to face them and work through them, not just hope they'll work themselves out while we dream of a better life. That's the only way life will get better. Bad things don't go away by ignoring them and when we check out, that's exactly what we're doing. By being truly present, when good things happen, we can fully enjoy them and reap the goodness that emits from it. That way, when we're faced with challenges, we have some encouragement in us, knowing that not all of life is bad.

Time slips by so quickly. Do you want to look back on life and say, "where did it all go" or "I lived a full life"? We all know that you can't change the past, but you can control the present and how you react to it. Live it fully by engaging completely in everything you do. From important things such as your work all the way down to tying your shoes. The challenge about being mindful, is the ability to focus on one thing at a time. When you walk your dog, focus on walking your dog, not the calls you have to return or what's for dinner.

Live with intention, awareness and, most importantly, learn to let go. We often live in the past because we haven't let go of something. At the end of one of my teacher trainings, the students in the class had a lot of strong emotions come up.  Our teacher had us go on a short walk down to a nearby lake. She asked us to focus on each step we took, to walk with attention.

 Before we started our walk we all found a rock that we liked. As we walked to the lake, we were to put all of our negative thoughts and emotions that had come up during the training into our rock. Once we reached the lake, if we wanted, we could share what it was we were letting go of, otherwise we took our rock and threw it in the lake. We were literally throwing away our problems. The splash that the rock made as it hit the water was such a release. I felt the weight of my issues lift off my chest and watched as they sunk to the bottom of the lake.

There are a lot of rituals available to symbolize releasing your issues. I encourage you to try one, they do have quite an impact. They're not a permanent fix, but set you on a healing path. Sometimes we have to let go of something many times before it finally leaves.

What about daydreaming about the future? Turn it from a dream into reality. Make a plan outlining how you can achieve your dream. If the plan will take years, give yourself little deadlines to achieve each day, week or month. Having a goal to work towards will help keep you present and grounded. Work with intention on your plan every day, even if it's just for a few minutes. If you find yourself slacking and daydreaming again, revisit your plan, make sure it still fits what you want.

Life will pass you by and there are no guarantees how long your life will be. Live each moment so when the day comes that you're sick, hurt or just made it to old age, that you can look back and smile, knowing you lived a full life.



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Relief for Sore Feet

I love walking barefoot. It's especially good for me since I'm a Vata. Walking with my feet in the grass helps to bring my head out of the clouds and back to reality. Focusing my attention on the sensations of the earth beneath my feet calms and centers me. When winter strikes it's hard to go around in your bare feet. You often have clunky boots on and slippers on in the house. Your poor feet don't often see the light of day this time of year.

Because of this our feet can get cranky. When we cram our feet into shoes, the muscles of the foot are being underused. This can lead to atrophy and foot cramps. You know the saying; "If you don't use it, you lose it." Well, that applies to your muscles. The way our shoes are built these days they do all the work for us, so our feet basically just come along for the ride. They get to be lazy. If you work out regularly, imagine what would happen if you just stopped for the winter. What condition would your body be in come Spring?

To make sure your feet stay in shape this winter there are a couple of things you can do. The first is to walk around barefoot as much as you can. Don't do it if your feet will be freezing, but if a warm opportunity arises, your feet will appreciate it. Otherwise put on socks instead of slippers. Slippers are basically just another shoe, socks at least let your feet get a gentle workout. If you live most of your day in shoes, take them off whenever you can. At work I'll slip off my boots. No one can see my feet under my desk and it gives them some much needed freedom.

Atrophied muscles make for sore crampy feet. Giving your feet a massage can help. You can start by interlacing your fingers between your toes like you're holding hands with your foot. Come from underneath your toes, your palm should face the bottom of your foot. If this hurts at first, it's because the muscles in your foot are so tight and/or atrophied that they need some love. It will feel better the more you do it. Start to gently rock the ball of your foot back and forth with your hand. You can take your other hand and rub the arch of your foot with your thumb. Do this for a few minutes, then squeeze the fingers between the toes and pull out. Extend both legs, close your eyes and notice the difference between each foot. Amazing right! Do the other foot.

Another great way to get a massage is with a tennis ball. The squishier the tennis ball, the more gentle the massage. The firmer, the more intense. Don't use anything hard like a golf ball, you can bruise the bottom of your foot. If the pressure from the ball is too intense, try less pressure or just gently roll it along the foot.

Below is a list of pressure points on the foot to get with the tennis ball. Notice which ones are more sore than the other. This tells you how evenly you're standing on your feet. Most of us lean on one foot more than the other, which can bring the hips, back and neck out of alignment. The best way to stand for your posture is to be evenly balanced with feet a little bit wider than hip width apart.

You can do the tennis ball exercise either sitting or standing, but I find that standing is easier. Make sure that your knee is aligned and not leaning inward (it's bad for the joint). You can hold onto something for balance if you need to. For better balance stand in a lunge like position (with the foot on the ball in front). This allows you to easily apply more pressure on the ball if needed.

Start off by just rolling the ball up and down the foot. Notice where you feel "crunchy" spots. The crunchy spots are tight fascia and one of the reasons for your uncomfortable foot pain. You want to gently work these areas. Once you're done rolling stand on the ball on the following spots. Holding for however long you like. The longer you hold, the more it will release. If you're really tight at first, don't go overboard, ease into it by just holding it for a short time to start and work towards holding it longer.

• Heel
• Inner and outer arch (the left and right sides of the bottom of your foot)
• The space just before the ball of your foot
• Ball of the foot
• Placing your toes on the ball try to bring the ball of the foot down to the ground, this is a nice stretch for the toes. If you have short toes, you probably won't get the ball of your foot to the floor.

Make sure to do this on carpet or your yoga mat. It keeps the ball from slipping away. Close your eyes as you do this and take slow deep breaths. Try not to tense up the rest of your body if the sensations in the foot are intense. Never push through pain, if it's too intense, release. Try it again with a little less pressure.

For such a small body part, our feet have a hard job. Anything we can do to help them out will be appreciated by the whole body. Feet are our base and when they're sore and achy we don't stand on them correctly, and that can throw off the alignment of our entire body. By giving your feet a little love every day, you whole body could benefit.

Comfort For Your Cold

It's a busy time of year and with the change of seasons fluctuating from not so bad chilly, to down right cold, it's easy to get sick this time of year. No one likes to be sick and we all wish we could be comforted and pampered when we are. If there isn't anyone to take care of you when you're sick, there are a few things you can do to help yourself feel better. Below are a few of my favorite comforts when I'm sick.

A Mint Bath and Oil Rub

Mint is very soothing and being engulfed in a warm bath feels great when you're lethargic from your cold. There are a lot of great mint bubble baths, but my favorite is Aura Cacia Invigorating Ginger/Mint, Foam Bath 14-Ounce Jar. They also come in packets, but the jar is nice as you can pour in as much or as little as you want. The smell is nice and it leaves your skin feeling good. Another treat for the bath is to do an Ayurvedic oil massage before you get in. Sesame oil is perfect for this. The massage is soothing, and some believe healing. It will also leave your skin feeling wonderful, even if you don't.

Hot Tea

Ginger or mint tea is perfect for a cold. Put some honey in it to help sooth your throat. My favorite is Celestial Seasonings Herb Tea, Peppermint, 20-Count Tea Bags (Pack of 6). It's a bit more intense then some mints, but I like that way. I'm still looking for the perfect ginger tea, so let me know if you find one!



A Foot Massage

When we're sick our body aches. Either from the illness itself or from laying around and not moving much. The tension in our body adds to an already uncomfortable state. Our body is made up of bands of fascia. Fascia is energetic, so if you release part of it, you can release the whole band. We have a band of fascia that goes from the bottom of our foot, travels the whole length of the body and ends above the eyebrows. A good foot massage with a tennis ball leaves you feeling like you had a whole body massage.

Roll a tennis ball up and down your foot. You can be seated or standing. If you find any crunchy spots, push that spot gently into the ball by stepping on it. Do both feet.

Restorative Yoga

Gentle yoga is perfect for when you're feeling rundown. It gets your blood flowing and allows you to focus on your breath, which is helpful for those irritated lungs. Below are some of my favorite restorative poses to do when I'm sick.

Supported Bridge

I love this pose when I have a cough. By inverting my chest, I'm allowing any gunk that's in my lungs to work it's way out. It's the magic of gravity. The higher you prop your hips (don't go higher than you would in normal bridge), the more affect it will have. Take slow deep breaths, focusing on expanding the ribcage. This will help stretch muscles that are sore from coughing.

When you do get up you'll start to cough, which is good because the pose loosened up the goo in your lungs. This allows your cough to be more productive.

Supta Baddha Konasana

This pose helps you to relax and let go. We're often so tired when we're sick because we aren't sleeping well. This pose engages the parasympathetic system (the nice one that allows us to relax) and since we're propped up, we won't cough as much. This way we can perhaps get a few wonderful moments of sleep, which we all know we need to get better. The eye bags help to relieve tension in the eyes. 

Legs Up The Wall



Having the hips propped up in this pose has the same affect on your lungs as supported bridge. The change here is the legs are up and supported. This allows blood flow to get moving in legs that haven't seen much action lately due to you spending most of your day in bed or on the couch. It also helps to reduce any swelling you may have due to inactivity. Overall the pose has a great relaxation effect.

Stay in this pose as long as you like. Once you feel your feet tingling a bit (don't worry, this is normal), you'll want to come down.

Modern medicine has come a long way, but somehow still hasn't found a cure for the common cold. So suffer through we must, but it's nice to at least have some comforts along the way. Try as we might to avoid them, we all eventually succumb to one. When yours hits, you'll have some ideas to soothe and pamper yourself.

Take Your Life Off Auto-Pilot

I wake up every morning at 6:15 and I'm out the door by 7:45 to get my daughter to school and me to work. I head home at 3, pick her up at the bus, then go to swim team practice. We get home at 6, eat dinner, make lunches and by 7:30 I'm tucking my daughter into bed. Around 8pm I crash on the couch, another day done. Four more to go before the weekend. 

With that kind of schedule it's very easy to turn on auto-pilot and often times I do. I notice when this happens that I’m a pretty unhappy person, as I should be, because I’m living a life without meaning. I'm only taking care of the necessities, which doesn't always include me.

When we're on auto-pilot we don’t do anything with intention. We’re doing without thinking, caring or feeling. When we live a life without meaning we aren’t living, just existing. This can lead to depression and anxiety, especially in the cold and dark winter months. We can easily slip into this mode without realizing it. Next thing we know we're so far in we feel helpless and unsure of how to get out. We believe this is our life, it's just the way it is. But that doesn't have to be your reality.

Making small changes by living through all of your koshas, can have a meaningful impact on your daily life. It can prevent you from inadvertently turning on auto-pilot, help pull you out of it if you're currently there and help you live a full life that you look forward to each day. These are simple changes that you make in your daily routine and the impact is significant.

Anamayakosha:

The physical body: take time to take care of your body. When we're rushed for time or not home enough to make nutritious meals, it’s easy to eat crap food. Try to pack your own lunches and snacks so that you have healthy options. Yes, it's one more thing that you have to do, but you only have one body and the food you put in it has a profound effect. Also, make sure to exercise regularly. Studies show that exercise is a mood enhancer and helps to build your immunity.

Manomayakosha

The emotional body: instead of getting frustrated with your hectic life, try embracing it. I have weeks where I’m so tired of running around, but then I look at my 5 year old daughter, I know that in a few years I would give anything to have all this time back with her. So now when I walk her into school I cherish holding her hand. At swim team I love watching her practice and when I spend 30 minutes tucking her into bed and reading her stories, I relish every second. I know they’re going to be gone before I know it. 

When I do start to feel overwhelmed I deliberately slow down, even if I know it's going to make me a bit late. I do whatever I need to get done with intention, meaning I focus solely on that task and take my time to do it well. When we do things with intention, it gives them meaning. Doing things that mean something is fulfilling verse if we’re just rushing through something. Its meaning is lost in the chaos and we feel like we’re wasting our time.

Try smiling. Our minds react to the physical act of smiling and can actually make us happier. As mentioned above, exercise. It helps to improve your mood. When all you want to do is crash on the couch at the end of a long day, take 15-30 minutes to workout. Do a yoga practice or some strength exercises. Anything to get the body moving and the mind to release its anxieties.

Pranamayakosha

The energy body: when we're rushed we don’t always breathe properly. Often when we're stressed we hold our breath and breathe irregularly. When we breathe like this it leads to anxiety. The erratic movement of the diaphragm actually engages our sympathetic nervous system, which readies our body for fight or flight. This raises our blood pressure, tenses our muscles and puts our mind on edge. All these things are needed if we have to fight to survive, but aren’t needed to get us out the door each morning on time. 

This wears on our bodies, breaking them down and making them vulnerable to disease. Whenever your day gets hectic stop to check your breathing. Slow it down by taking a few deep breaths. As many as you need to feel calm. Close your eyes and picture your favorite place. Feel the elements in that place, perhaps the wind on your face or the sand between your toes. Notice the smells. My favorite place is the ocean so when I need to calm my breath I picture the water, hear the waves and can feel the ocean breeze on my face. I take a few deep breaths smelling the salty air. When I open my eyes I’m refreshed and ready to get back to reality.

Vijnynamayakosha

The spiritual body: you don’t have to be religious to utilize this one. Believing in a higher power is helpful because in times of stress we know that we can just give up whatever struggles we're dealing with to a higher power to resolve. This can be God or just the universe. Go with whatever you believe. Knowing that we don’t have to carry the weight of the world on our shoulders is a relief, especially as parents. It’s like you have your own caregiver taking care of you, you don’t have to do it all.

Anadamayakosha

The wisdom body: know when to take a break. When your brain is telling you that you're taking on too much, listen to it. Know when to break the mold of the routine. We had swim team three days a week and I teach yoga one day a week. That was four out of five week days that we were getting home late. It was starting to wear on all of us. So as a family we decided to cut something out. We stopped going to swim team one night a week and it made a significant difference. We decided down time as a family was more important than going to practice. A full life doesn't need to be a busy one. 

You'll still be a good person or friend if you don’t go to everything you are invited to. My daughter isn't aiming for the olympics. She joined swim team to stay active and build team skills. By pulling back on our schedule when it got overwhelming, we're teaching her how to bring balance into her life. You have to make the decision to make time for yourself, to nourish your body and mind.

Life is busy. That probably won’t change. But you can change how you move through it. Live with intention. Everything you do, do it well and with thought. Cherish each moment with your family and friends, so when you look back when you’re older you can smile and know that you lived fully. If you look at your current life and you're truly unhappy, make steps to change it. Write down what is making you unhappy and brainstorm on ideas to create a fuller life. The possibilities are endless, but you have to work to make them happen. 

No one is going to make your life better. You're in charge of making your life meaningful. Every little decision you make, be it waking up with a frown and grumpy disposition, to waking up with a smile and optimistic outlook on your day, is yours to make. Living with intention is what life’s all about. Turn off that auto-pilot and fly.

The Ten Minute Whole Body Stretch

I don't know about your mornings, but mine are hectic. Rushing to get my daughter and I out the door for the day leaves very little free time in the morning. The possibility of a full yoga practice just isn't practical for me unless I get up at 5am. As much as I would like to be, I'm not a morning person, getting up that early is torture. A morning practice has therefore not been in my life for years.

I believe the best time for yoga is in the morning. It wakes us up, works out all the kinks from sleeping and leaves you feeling light and refreshed, ready for the day. So what to do when you're pressed for time but still want to do your yoga in the morning?

If you stretch all the major fascia lines of the body, it will make a world of difference in how your body feels. With a little experimentation I came up with the following sequence. It feels just as good as a regular 30 minute practice. I do it every morning when I get to work. It relieves all the tension in my upper and lower back and helps to wake me up a bit. You will need an exercise ball for this (I have a ball chair at work, quite convenient).

Supported Back Bend 

 

Roll your back onto the ball, coming into a supported back bend. Push the side of the ball up against a wall if it keeps rolling away on you. Bend your knees and use your feet to support you. Slowly allow your back to bend over the ball, taking deep slow breaths. If your back is really tight, go slow. You may need to come back up and then release down again if you're really tight. Repeat this as many times as you need to till you can lay back like in the above picture. If you are new to back bends, it will take some time to be able to relax into the stretch. Just keep breathing (common to hold your breath when it's intense) and come out of the pose if you feel any pain.

 

Full Back Bend

 

Once you're fully draped over the ball you can start to straighten your legs and then your arms. Go slow with this, allow your body time to open up. If you feel any uncomfortable pressure in your back, bend the knees again. You can play with the position of your arms to get just the right stretch. Try extending them out to the side, straight up, like in the picture, or anywhere in between. Just make sure your shoulder joints are supported.

If you have dislocated a shoulder or have hyper-mobile shoulder joints, engage the shoulders so that the arms aren't pulling on the joint too much. If the pressure is to intense, just rest the arms on the ball. If your low back hurts, bend your knees. Hang out in this stretch as long as you like. Notice where you're feeling the stretch. The longer you're in it, the better the results.

3. Side Bend

Next move into a side bend. You can step one foot back for more balance. The nice thing about a ball is that it will also help to strengthen your core as you have to hold yourself on the ball. You're sneaking in a core workout as well. Side bends tend to be easier on the back then the full back bend. Again, any pain, come out of the stretch and work slowly into it. Repeat on the other side. Notice if one side is tighter than the other. If it is, pay attention to your body posture throughout the day. Are you leaning to one side more when you sit or stand?

Come off the ball and stand up nice and tall. Allow your spine to neutralize then come into a forward fold with a slight bend in your knees. Clasp your elbows and let your head hang. Slowly swing your arms from side to side. When your arms swing to the left, turn the head to the right. Do this a few times.

Slowly come back up to standing and take a few deep breaths. Smile, you're ready for the day.

Back bending over the ball can feel intense at first. This is because we're constantly bending forward. We're hunched over a desk at the computer, hunched over to read, write, check our smart phones or do homework. These back bends counteract that position and wake up the back. So if it's intense at first, don't give up as your back really needs it!

This short simple practice is a great way to get your body ready for the day without sucking a lot of your time. It's also great to do when you feel tension creeping into your body from sitting at a desk all day. I love yoga, but not enough to get up at 5am. This gives me the best of both worlds. I get to sleep in and I start my day feeling great.