Happy Holiday Season my Yogi-friends....

Wishing you all a wonderful, peaceful holiday season surrounded by friends and family. May the New Year 2011 bring you great joy and adventure.

Namaste...
Heidi

Aadil Palkhivala's Fire Burns Bright | Yoga Journal

This is a book that will definitely make it onto my book shelf and be a must read for 2011:Fire of Love: For Students of Life, For Teachers of Yoga by Aadil Palkhivala

Read all about it here: Aadil Palkhivala's Fire Burns Bright Yoga Buzz Yoga Blog Yoga Journal

One of the things in the interview that resonated with me was: "Yoga is not to be performed. Yoga is to be lived."

I love getting these newsletters delivered to my email box every day... makes the day start off in the right vein. Especially now during the holiday season when we are all running around, getting ready for family, friends, cleaning house, wrapping gifts... it is a good sentiment, to do for others and show our love for others but we can get a little carried away and forget to take the time for ourselves. This book feels like it will be one of those books that I grab, along with a cup of tea, and snuggle into a comfy spot to read.

What's your favourite book this holiday season?

Challenge Pose: Parsva Bakasana

This is a wonderful way to grow into the pose. Read and try it out. It is a good thing to challenge ourselves once in a while. If you are feeling a little shaky, ask your yoga teacher to "walk" you through it! Read on:

Challenge Pose: Parsva Bakasana Challenge Pose Yoga Blog Yoga Journal

Top 10 Reasons to Practice Yoga - #10

Today's reason... #10, and the final one in my series, is not only in honour of the season but also because I truly believe it:

10. Yoga is the GIFT you give yourself

We all know that blissful post yoga feeling and that is amazing, but the gift - the real gift - just keeps on giving. We enjoy so many benefits, not only to our physical health but also to our mental and emotional health. And this gift, these benefits, are transferred to those around us: Our family, our friends, our co-workers, our community. By taking care of ourselves we can take better care of those around us. In simple terms: if we are stressed, tired, angry or otherwise unhealthy, we cannot give anything GOOD to anyone. As one of my yoga teachers likes to say: The cup is EMPTY! We have to FILL it.

SO, go on.... give yourself that wonderful GIFT of yoga. Go to your local yoga studio, or better yet if you are in the Gorge, come and join me in a class. Or spread out your mat at home and practice. Take those baby steps towards your practice. Sometimes just sitting in Sukasana (Easy Pose) and connecting with your breath can immediately transport you to a better place.

For more reasons, read this article in Yoga Journal - Count on Yoga: 38 Ways Yoga Keeps You Fit

Namaste - The Light in me honours the Light within you.

5 Biggest Misconceptions About Yoga | Yoga Journal

Just read this and really enjoyed it:

5 Biggest Misconceptions About Yoga Top Five Tuesdays Yoga Blog Yoga Journal

It is so true, that there are NO absolutes in Yoga. Yoga is what you want and need it to be for YOU. There are times it is happy and easy and times it is hard work. But it is always worth it.

Read and feel free to comment below...

Top 10 Reasons to Practice Yoga - #9

Oh, this reason is almost a cheater but here it is:

9. That Yoga Glow... AKA Yoga Bliss...

The feeling that comes over me as I practice yoga and stays with me for a long time afterward. I can see it on my face, in my eyes and feel it in my heart. Looking at others in classes I attend or classes I teach, I know I am not alone in that feeling. That is one reason we keep coming back. I love the feeling I get when a wonderful piece of music starts to play and I feel my body moving into and out of the poses and a lightness of being overtakes me. The strength and grace and fullness of heart as I alternately hold and flow through the poses... THAT is one darn good reason, if I do say so myself!

(listening to Sade's "Flow" and the song "When Your Mind's Made Up" from the movie "Once")

One breath at a time....

This is what I come back to whenever the going gets tough, or whenever I just don't feel like doing something...

One breath at a time,
One pose at a time...
One foot in front of the other,
One day at a time...
Until the Rhythm helps me to find
The smile in my Heart.

Today I found my smile. My wonderful noon class was full of familiar faces, as well as some new faces and those I haven't seen in a while. I was filled with gratitude and humility and that smile came racing back. Sometimes I wonder who is the teacher and who is the student.

Thank you to all my yogis!

On NPR today - Just Breathe: Body Has A Built-In Stress Reliever

I just love it when I turn on my radio in the morning and hear more about yoga in mainstream media. WELL, let me clarify that... POSITIVE things about yoga! :)

Here is an excerpt of the piece here, courtesy of NPR.org. (Thanks to the author of this piece, Gretchen Cuda!)

"There are plenty of ways to relieve stress — exercise, a long soak in a hot bath, or even a massage. But believe it or not, something you're doing right now, probably without even thinking about it, is a proven stress reliever: breathing.

As it turns out, deep breathing is not only relaxing, it's been scientifically proven to affect the heart, the brain, digestion, the immune system — and maybe even the expression of genes."

Read more here: Just Breathe: Body Has A Built-In Stress Reliever .

Ahhhhh, take a deep breath and enjoy it!

Challenge Pose: Funky Pincha

My new FAVOURITE pose! Now if only I could get mine to look this beautiful. AH, but that isn't the point is it? To find the beauty in my version of the pose, the perfection in what is now.

Try the pose! Click on the link below for detailed instructions. (photo courtesy Yoga Journal)

Challenge Pose: Funky Pincha Challenge Pose Yoga Blog Yoga Journal

As I taught class today I thought of the beauty and the perfection within each of us. The feeling that literally emanates from our pores when we find that sweet spot in any pose we are in, whether it is our favourite or not. I looked around at my students, many of whom are friends and when I said: "Wow you all look beautiful" ... everyone's bodies relaxed and "smiled".

I love sharing yoga...

Namaste and LOVE the day you have today.

Top 10 Reasons to Practice Yoga - #8

Reason 8 is a really important one to me at this time of year... I just started the ski/snowboard season and normally my body would be so SORE after a day on the slopes... but yoga compliments the other sports that I do.

8. Cross Training

Yoga helps us supplement other physical activities and sports. We can prepare for sports as well as recover from overuse or overtraining. We can strengthen the muscles required for our sport as well as lubricate the joints to prevent injury and recover faster. Rodney Yee says:

“I was a ballet dancer and gymnast. Yoga helped me heal old injuries and prevent new ones. It helps with range of motion in every joint, and keeps the muscles supple but strong. It doesn’t just build a body for a specific activity, but brings us back into balance so our body can adapt to any movement. Yoga is cross-training.”

Many pro athletes practice yoga and know the benefits of yoga as cross training. Read Yoga Journal's article, Play At your Peak for more info about yoga cross training. on Gaiam Life, Julie Kailus wrote a great posting about the benefits of yoga as a cross training tool.

So come and cross train!

Great reads....

While cruising by some of the blogs that I read, I came upon this website and I love the content: The Magazine of Yoga. This will definitely be a new resource.

I was reading a posting (an interview with Linda-Sama Karl, whose blog I love) that resonated with me, especially the part about SLOWING down a yoga practice. This is so true: slowing down is far more of a challenge than constantly moving and flowing. There is a time and a place for both practices but at times, slowing down and just BEING is what we need in this time of constant MOVEMENT. Especially when we are always so connected to our various devices: computer, phone, etc... And I get caught up in that web as well.

And this next one was delivered to my e-mail inbox this morning and it, too, resonated with me! The Daily Downward Dog's posting about the holiday season is a must read. She talks about using the "Messages of Light" cards (on my Wish List) by Mario Duguay. The following quote was on one of the cards and I will be shamelessly adopting this mantra, which is important at any time of the year and in any situation:

"Attain Serenity

I no longer let myself be swept into the turmoil of my mind and emotions.

From now on I let go of all stress, tension, and worry so I may attain harmony and serenity.

I will do one thing at a time and savor each moment. "

Namaste and thanks for dropping by...

Top 10 Reasons to Practice Yoga - #7

Well, that break from my Top 10 list was a little longer than I thought it would be BUT sometimes it takes time to rest and rejuvenate... hence reason #7

7. Learning to Listen to Your Inner Teacher

Sometimes it takes me a while to tune into my inner teacher, to listen to my inner voice. That voice can be the chatter I hear but can also be my body talking to me. That talk can be as simple as a twinge here and there or the ahhhh feeling as I settle into a pose. It gets better as I get older (gosh I HOPE so) but as in most everything in life... it is a process with ups and downs and turn-arounds!

I teach my yoga students, and indeed my language and computer students (my other jobs), to trust their own instincts. Most often, once we have learned something, it is tucked away in that lovely brain of ours SOMEwhere. With yoga, I believe we create the necessary muscle memory and our bodies remember the poses, instinctively knowing what is right. Whenever we practice, we need to listen to those signals that are right there in front of us. Knowing when to push a little more, when to step back, ease off a pose... that is listening to ourselves and respecting our inner teacher. Sometimes our mind needs to step back a bit and let our bodies ease into a pose such as when we are trying out a new pose, for example the first time we fly in Crow or take that leap of faith in Handstand or allow our hearts to soar in Wheel.

The same thing can be said for listening to our inner voice as we travel through our days... we all know that feeling that comes over us when something "just doesn't feel right". Conversly that feeling we enjoy as KNOW that we are doing something that is SO RIGHT for us or when we meet people or see places that just resonate with us in ways that are often difficult to articulate. Learning to understand that voice and distinguishing the real message from the hidden message we can tune into that inner teacher.

Namaste and Happy Thanksgiving!

Twists....

There is something amazing about twists. Any kind of twist. We are all drawn to them in some form or another. I see people standing in line at the grocery gently moving themselves into twists, I notice my students as they warm up before class doing reclined twists, using breath to ease into them... and as I work on my computer and need a break, I am instantly drawn to a seated twist.

There is a reason for that. I was just re-reading Julie Gudmestad's Yoga Journal article on twists and she mentions how there are physiological benefits as well as structural and focus benefits to twists. She goes on to remind us that B.K.S Iyengar (there is a reason I am drawn to Iyengar... that's another posting for the future!) described twists as a "squeeze and soak"action... our organs are compressed while we twist thereby releasing blood filled with toxins and then as we release the twist, freshly oxygenated blood rushes in.... ahhhh, I can feel it now! And I know that for me just changing my orientation can be of benefit.... sitting at our desks, in a car or an airplane we are facing forward. Twists enable us to see around us. I always find my mood elevated as I relax into a twist. Afterwards things just seem a little more in perspective.

As we twist, we visualize our spine unfurling from the base and reaching upwards towards the crown of the head. Using our abdominal and spinal muscles to deepen the twist we can settle in an enjoy the pose. And then as we release, we feel our bodies smile....

Go on, do a twist!

Phillip Askew & Lydia Walker - Variations On Surya Namaskara (Music by Jonah Rank)

The beauty in this piece is amazing! Anyone who practices yoga and/or dances will appreciate the whole piece.... The music is so perfectly attuned to the performers and makes you hold your breath as you watch.

Namaste!

What's your favorite Yoga pose? What pose(s) do you avoid??

Taking a break from the Top 10 List. This topic has been percolating in my mind for the past several weeks...

What is your go-to yoga pose... the one that makes you feel good, the one that you can just settle into and know your body and mind will be at one? And on the flip side: what pose(s) do you seem to avoid? Come on, I KNOW I avoid some poses! And those are the poses that I know I need... because when I come into them, the feeling both in my body and in my mind tells me so,

As if to show me that this is the right posting for the day, I stumbled upon the following in Yoga Journal's blogs today... Read on my friends:

5 Ways to Embrace a Pose You Loathe - Yoga Blog Yoga Journal

And the more I search the Internet, the more I find things about favourite yoga poses.

On About. com: Show your Favorite Yoga Poses

And on FitSugar I found this: Readers Name Their Top 5 Yoga Poses

On Gaiam Life I read about what your favourite Yoga Pose says about you... hmmm.

Just discovered this blog and here's what Jehara had to say: 13 Favorite Yoga Poses

I really DO have some poses that I relish sinking into, settling into... Either for the relaxation or for the way my mood just soars.

Reverse Warrior AKA Exalted Warrior. This one is amazing. Everyone always looks wonderful as I scan the room when I teach a class! I also love the way I feel as I do this pose and afterwards I feel energized and happy.

Reclined Pigeon... ahhhh, need I say more? Some days it is more of a challenge to find that comfort in the hip area, but I KNOW I need this pose and that just feels right.

When I am tired and need to re-energize, I love Legs up the Wall pose... just allowing my body to settle into the floor, to feel my hips and spine release and sense the ease of blood flow in my legs.... Think I'll stop typing now and practice some yoga!

There are more... and I'll add them to my Poses Of the Moment as I find the time.

Oh, yeah, on the FLIP side... what pose(s) do I avoid? Welllll, anyone that knows me knows I am not so crazy about arm balances, although when I succeed I LOVE them. So I suppose you could say I have a LOVE/HATE relationship to Crane pose! Here is a great link to some arm balances in Yoga Journal... I now have this on my To-Do list for December...

Arm Balance Poses - Yoga Journal

Stay tuned and Thank You for reading....

Diane Hudock - Ahmanda Yoga Flow

Just watched this and it is more poetry in motion! It is Diane Hudock's Ahmanda Flow. Seeing that I am just home from a trip and don't feel like doing too much, today will be VISUALIZATION yoga.... ahhhh.

Happy Sunday!

Top 10 Reasons to Practice Yoga - #6

Why do I practice yoga? Sometimes life is beautifully serendipitous.... The subject of the Yoga Journal Daily Insight newsletter I received today is: Bring Balance Home... and one of the articles posted is entitled: Why Do We Practice?, written by Richard Rosen. Click on the link to read the whole piece. What really stood out to me right now was:

"... Sri Aurobindo, the great 20th-century Indian sage and progenitor of Integral Yoga, reminds us, "All life is yoga." ..."

The article goes on to say how Yoga is woven through our lives... We could seclude ourselves and ponder life but we need to LIVE and part of that is dealing with everything that life has to offer: family, friends, jobs, problems.... etc. It is in HOW we take yoga OFF the mat and into our lives that our practice becomes whole and part of our lives. Each breath and each movement becomes asana, or as I sometimes refer to it, a dance.

So reason number 6 is:

Because Life IS Yoga.

Cool.

Phillip Askew - New York City Vinyasa

Wow, just watched this video of Phillip Askew on another blog called (I love this name!) Devil Wears Prana and had to repost! SO so beautiful and INSPIRING! Watch and enjoy....

Top 10 Reasons to Practice Yoga - #5

Reading some of my online newsletters I came up with the next in the line of Top 10:

5. Clarity

I have been reading Deepak Chopra's Rules for Timeless Living on Oprah.com. He wrote one bit that resonated with me not for the obvious reason but I'll explain that after giving you the bit to read...

“I'm reminded of a therapist I know who gets patients whose lives seem out of control. He surprises them by saying, "Go home and clean your house. Make your bed every morning. Watch the sunrise for five minutes. Don't skip breakfast for a week. Watch the sunset for five minutes when you get home from work. Then come back and we'll discuss what's bothering you." He wants to see if they are capable of solving the simple disorderliness in someones awareness before addressing deeper psychological issues. Even a basic change can subtly re-tune the body.”

So in that vein, I thought of yoga, how we adjust, and re-tune our minds and our bodies as we practice and if we are lucky, that amazing bit of clarity and focus returns to us. We take the time as we practice yoga to listen to our bodies, listen to our minds, tune into the world around us...

Namaste.... the light in me honours the light in you.

Top 10 Reasons to Practice Yoga - #4

Today's reason came to me as I was teaching a class...


4. Learning to embrace the Present Moment

There are certainly days when being in the present is a challenge. As a society, we are always racing, always planning... or alternately looking at the past, perhaps in ways that aren't so productive. I notice it in the way that we walk, head thrust forward, charging ahead, or at times closing the chest, protecting ourselves from the onslaught.

As I was teaching on Saturday morning, I found myself momentarily lost, not queuing the pose correctly... already on the next one, and my breathing (always my barometer) was ragged and shallow. And so I came back to my breath, back to centre and admitted it to my class, telling them that we all have to occasionally bring (drag?) ourselves back to the present moment. A laugh, a knowing gaze from some of them and I was back in the moment.

And that reminds us that we need that yoga community to help keep us in the present moment!

Namaste. I am enjoying this journey through my Top 10 List...

Top 10 Reasons to Practice Yoga - #3

Now that I am thinking about my Top 10 Reasons to Practice Yoga I am SURE the list will be longer than 10 but number 3 came to me like a bolt of lightening last night:

3. Physical Benefits!

In my book, this one is the no brainer. Google it and you will be inundated with Top 10 lists. Yoga Alliance lists its own 10 Reasons to Try Yoga and the top 2 are:

Stress Relief &
Pain Relief!

Need I say more? Yes, I do... after that Yoga Alliance lists:

Better Breathing &
Flexibility

I won't go on any more today but you get the drift. The only question left is:

WHY NOT practice?

Top 10 Reasons to Practice Yoga - #2

Number 2 came to me today as I thought about my 2 classes yesterday:

2. Yoga Community

I practice yoga because of the wonderful yoga community that I am fortunate to be a part of. The yoga community is not only my physical one here in my home-town, but also out in cyber-space and in print.

Here, each class that I participate in, whether as a teacher or a student gives me SO much. The energy in the room is always different and somehow, someway what I need seems to make its way into my heart.... Some days it is physical, some days it is emotional. But it is never dull!

The many daily & weekly newsletters that I receive are full of interesting material... sometimes things I have experienced, sometimes things I need or want to learn. But always welcome in my in-box.

And I LOVE my monthly Yoga Journal for its articles and photos.... not to mention the online content! LOVE those videos.

Top 10 Reasons to Practice Yoga - #1

Starting today, I am compiling a Top 10 list & will add to it as I think of things...

1. Because I Can:

I can practice yoga, run, play, work, live.... And I do practice yoga for me but also for those who cannot. I honour them as I honour myself. I seek to do this in all that I do.

On my run this morning.... just as I was feeling that I wanted to quit... this is the song that played on my iPod:

I Run For Life by Melissa Etheridge

It's been years since they told her about it
The darkness her body possessed
And the scars are still there in the mirror
Everyday that she gets herself dressed
Though the pain is miles and miles behind her
And the fear is now a docile beast
If you ask her why she is still running
She'll tell you it makes her complete

[Chorus:]
I run for hope
I run to feel
I run for the truth
For all that is real
I run for your mother, your sister, your wife
I run for you and me, my friend
I run for life

It's a blur since they told me about it
How the darkness had taken its toll
And they cut into my skin and they cut into my body
But they will never get a piece of my soul
And now I'm still learning the lesson
To awake when I hear the call
And if you ask me why I am still running
I'll tell you I run for us all

[Chorus:]
I run for hope
I run to feel
I run for the truth
For all that is real
I run for your mother your sister your wife
I run for you and me my friend
I run for life

And someday if they tell you about it
If the darkness knocks on your door
Remember her remember me
We will be running as we have before
Running for answers
Running for more

I run for hope
I run to feel
I run for the truth
For all that is real
I run for your mother, your sister, your wife
I run for you and me my friend
I run for hope
I run to feel
I run for the truth
For all that is real
I run for your mother your sister, your daughter, your wife
For you and me my friend
I run for life

I run for your mother your sister your wife
I run for you and me my friend
I run for life

************************************

Makes you think, doesn't it?

Beautiful Day....

There is something just so wonderful about a crisp fall day... when the sun is shining, the colours are bright and the clouds in the sky are fluffy white and change is in the air. Oh and Halloween isn't too far away!

Standing outside you breath the air in and you just naturally feel like sweeping those arms overhead and gathering in all that is good to your heart.... well, at least that's how I feel on the nice sunny, fall days... when it's raining, I just want to curl up with a mug of tea and a good book, curling myself into a ball and keeping that heat at my core. That is what is so neat about this time of year though... every day inspires a different feeling, sometimes good, sometimes not so good. But FEELING is the key!

I have been taking the last weeks to read through more yoga texts, read through my mountains of amazing yoga newsletters, watch yoga DVD's and online classes as well as all my many yoga teacher materials and feel it all just percolating inside of me... Ready to share with all my wonderful students... AND anyone who would like to become a student. Please feel free to link to my blog or pass along my info to anyone you think may benefit from private yoga instruction OR who would like to attend one of my classes around the Gorge.

Lately I have been thinking a WHOLE lot about yoga and the workplace. I have put together a wonderful series of classes that I am eager to share with any business that would like to hire me to teach yoga to their employees... Contact me for details!

As the U2 song says:

It's a beautiful day,

Don't let it get away,

It's a beautiful day....

Namaste everyone

Matthew Sanford, Yoga Teacher

A few years ago I heard of this fellow on NPR and listened to the podcast many times afterwards. I still have it in iTunes... He is a truely inspiring man and helps us all keep our lives in perspective. Now I am hearing about him again on the YogaDork blog that I follow. Matthew Sanford, Paralyzed Yoga Teacher Inspires Disabled, and Everyone Else

If you are interested, check out his website at: Matthew Sanford - Waking Mind and Body

Whenever we think we can't... we need to remember that we CAN. One foot in front of the other, we can. We ALL have something to offer.

Food for Thought

Read a great blog posting this morning on Yogamint about cultivating non-attachment... one of the yoga Sutras... Read on:

http://www.yogamint.com/_webapp_3190128/Surf_Life

Grace & Gratitude

What a week so far:

Canadian Thanksgiving on the same day as my beautiful, amazing daughter's 18th birthday. The weather is crisp, clear and fall-like, making my every-other-day runs invigorating and inspiring.

Yesterday took a beautiful drive up to Mt Hood and marvelled at being in the moment, appreciating all the views, the sounds, the smells of the season.

Today we watched the HS Air Guitar routines (VERY big at our town's school), realizing it is the last one we will watch with one of our kids. BTW, the seniors rocked.

Oh, and I am waking up at night, sweating. Yeah. Yippee.

SO my yoga teaching this week has been centered on change and accepting that change with grace and gratitude.

I have been thinking about that a lot...

My daughter the HS senior, just turned 18 is looking at colleges all over the US (just not near us). And my 21 yr old son, a senior at university, is back at home, taking a break from school trying to figure out where he stands in the world.

It's been a big birthday year for us: 50 for both my husband and me, in addition to the kids' big days... all of us embarking on new journeys and stages of our lives. Exciting and yet.... makes me want to grab a cuppa tea and plunk myself down into bed!

Learning to find the calm amidst all the "noise" around me is key to getting through the turbulent times. Listening to my breathing, allowing the beating of my heart to be my music.

Posted this today on another blog in response to "things to know about yoga":

"A little yoga can go a long way. Make time each and every day for your yoga practice... that can be as simple as breathing mindfully as you wake up, or wait in line or on the phone. As simple as sensing how you are feeling inside and out as you stand under the shower. As simple as a few yoga poses as you brush your teeth, make your coffee... wait for a bus. Life is yoga, yoga is life."

Change....

This time of year is so amazing.... I always love fall. Well, maybe it is a love/hate sort of thing. I LOVE summer (OK, so that is not something that my friends and family will find as a surprise) and I am not ready to give up those wonderful warm rays of sunshine, the beautiful light, the flowers and the fun we have outdoors... not to mention wearing FLIP-FLOPS. But as an easterner, I simply love the reds, oranges and yellows of the trees, the crisp air, the CHANGE in the air. And Halloween. Thanksgiving: sharing & gratitude.

Also, I do so love winter... LOTS of snow: skiing, snowboarding, cold air making your nostrils stick together, hot coco, snuggling under the covers... even shoveling snow. I LOVE shovelling snow, yes that is strange. I know.

It is just such a bother to have to change from one to the other when I am not ready.

But when are we ever ready?

Change can be disorienting, so uncomfortable.... but also so exciting.

Transitions..... breathe through them... embrace the change.

In my practice I use this time to shake things up a bit. I find I need to look to different poses to engergize and engage me. In summer I look to cooling poses. At the change of seasons, twists are always good although I prefer them in the spring. However, I still am attracted to those twists... they are just slower and more meditative, perhaps reclined. Helps to increase the blood flow to vital internal organs.

In fall I focus on de-toxing, but my practice is more gentle. As always the yummy forward folds, energizing back-bends, the wonderful Warriors. The air-ways may need some support so I find I am also attracted to a deeper breathing, full and slow Ujjayi Pranayama.

Perhaps that is the urge to ponder, share and embrace the gratitude for all that we have in our lives. All that challenges us, all that makes us be the best we can be.

___Update after yoga class_______________________________________________

Somehow that topic of change came up in my noon class today, perhaps because a few of us were feeling a little creaky, maybe a little sore. So we had a slow, meditative flow practice, focussing on grounding through sitbones when sitting, through our hands & feet in other poses. Coming back to centre between sets. Moving mindfully through our sun salutations and when need be modifiying poses to make sure we were right where we needed to be..... ahhhhh....... ommmmmmmm.


I love my yoga community.

Namaste

This Just Sounds Right....

*

Loka samasta sukhino bhavantu.

means:

May all beings experience the blessings of great happiness.

*

It's All About Balance....

It's all about balance... balance in our lives: in our relationships, in our yoga, our work & play, even our diet.

Finding that sweet spot between effort & ease. Between challenging ourselves and being comfortable with where we are. Right here, right now.

Striving to be mindful as we navigate through our days can often be quite the challenge. I find that as I teach I can be so focused on my students that I am not as mindful of my own body, my own practice as I move through the poses alongside them. However I hope that as I share my vulnerabilities, it helps everyone to find that balance, that mindfulness & ease with being in the moment. At least it can make us laugh (balances!)... and we all need more of that!

The Only Constant in Life is Change....

Now that I have made my Blogger page look so good, I have decided I might want to change my blog to Wordpress... It has some great features.... but so does Blogger. Stay tuned while I work this out of my system :)

Taught Vinyasa yoga at noon today and of course had to bring up "change"... any kind of change and how we react to that change. Including the change of seasons, changing times of our lives (especially with regards to kids) and really wherever change occurs. Could be as simple as changing from cow's milk to soy milk.

Sometimes that change is welcome, sometimes not. And that old adage: "the only thing we can count on is change" is just so true. Especially during the change of seasons, things can get churned up and we need to sit with those emotions. Always come back to the breath....

On that note... I am liking Blogger a little more than Wordpress. Maybe I am resisting change. Or maybe I am happy with what I have?

Stick with me; I am finding my groove....

Precious Days of Sunshine and Warmth

The weather these last few days have been incredible. We are being bathed in sunshine and warmth and the whole Columbia River Gorge looks beautiful; people are smiling and getting out to play whenever they can. I was out SUPing with good friends and enjoying our inspiring environment....

My son, Matt, came out with me to take photos of me practicing yoga down by the water. Some of the results will be on this blog and later on my website. It helped me to do that "photo shoot".... ohhh, that sounds so professional! I am starting to formulate my mission statement... my yoga business plan so to speak.

I so love practicing yoga, and even more, being someone who brings yoga to people. I love seeing how students start their yoga journey, how their bodies and minds change. It is inspiring to me to watch that transformation and I want to experience that more. One on one sessions, or small groups are powerful and each and every session is different.

Stay tuned for more of a concrete plan of action! The ideas are flowing and I am excited!

A Shift in Perspective

Just home from teaching the 2nd in a pair of yoga classes for high school students.... interesting how it took me only one class to get into the rhythm of things! Quite a different atmosphere than that of your typical yoga class ;) No hush-hush here!

Teenagers are great and it is the ones that I least expected to that seemed to get the most out of practice today. If I imparted only a bit of the essence of yoga to them, I will have done my job. Seemed to me they needed a little bit of relaxation & centering (amidst the noise of the school) but also a little bit of a challenge (can you say Plank?) to keep them engaged and amused (Tree was enough to reduce us all to laughter). At least I hope some of them will want to take a class again sometime.

Hey, at least they said Namaste and Thanks....

Remote Posting

OK, I have decided that I must be really organized and able to remote post via e-mail AND via mobile phone. SO this is an attempt at e-mail posting. Mobile up next time.

This morning’s run was great... I’m only at 3 miles, but they feel good and I know I can up my pace. The whole thing feels like mediation in motion. I listen to my tunes and feel awesome as I glide through the run. (Bollywood makes it fun to run, rock makes it... well darn fun to run!)

Made me start thinking about how mediation in motion can arise in anything we do from folding laundry (seems I do a lot of that) to driving our car to teaching a really neat yoga class or competing in a triathlon (not yet). When all of the pieces of the puzzle seem to fit effortlessly into place and we find that spot where we feel.... just right.

Namaste

The Train Has Left the Station....

Well, once you make up your mind to do something, it is amazing how the ideas start flowing. I am writing and making notes all day and wish I had a way of making more notes in the shower and in my sleep! Next comes the task of looking at all those ideas, deciding what I really have a passion for and then fleshing out the ideas! Private sessions, workshops, corporate classes.... and more.

I really needed my yoga practice tonight and was happy that my students seemed in the same frame of mind... needing a mindful, restorative yet challenging practice. We did a "slow-flow" and took our time both transitioning and settling into each pose... feeling and being in the moment. Savasana felt SO good!

Ahhhh, now back to the buzzing in my mind... the ideas are piling up. I feel like I need to sculpt and mold them...

Piece of cake.... :)

Just DIVE in, the water's fine....

Well, I have decided I need to take a leap. As I am so fond of saying: do something everyday that scares the begeezus out of you! I have always wondered if I have it in me to keep a blog. I was never one to faithfully write in my diary... although as a teen I don't know if I would have managed to stay sane WITHout my beloved diary/poetry journal.

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Posted later in the evening....

Ironically as I was talking to friends tonight (at my husband's tri-buddies BBQ - some of whom are in the pic at the right) the conversation veered towards how we approach new things... whether we dive in or test the waters first... some of us just dive in all the time, no matter what... and some of us, like me, mostly test the waters first and if it seems nice, ease into it. But sometimes... we just dive in! So here I go....