Jayne's Yoga Blog

Going To The Edge

2012-01-14T11:47:00.000-08:00

We all have limits. The question is, do you know when you've pushed beyond yours? My thought of the week is just about that: finding the edge but not diving over it.

When I was a kid, I used to walk right up to the edge of cliffs and lookouts, particularly when we'd be on a family camping trip to a State or National Park. I had this curiosity about what it would be like to "fly" over the edge. It was common for my Mother's hand to be gripping the waist band of my shorts just in case I actually thought I could fly. I loved stepping up to the edge. It wasn't until I went bungy jumping off a bridge in New Zealand that my curiosity was satiated; it didn't feel exactly like the soaring feeling I thought it would offer. It felt like falling...really fast.

We all have our boundaries but unless we have awareness, we often don't know where that border begins and ends. In our physical practice of yoga our edge is the place where we can maintain steadiness of breath, move freely without pain and feel the effects of the pose. If we press beyond our edge, we often face discomfort, hold our breath, feel pain and increase our chance of hurting ourselves. Conidering that yoga is a way to deepen our connection through our physical experience, if we hurt ourselves, we hit a roadblock in that process.

Our edge can shift, often quickly. We may begin our practice feeling sluggish and unmotivated, but as we begin to couple our breath to our body, bring heat into our tissues and reach out of our daily habitual postures, we may find that our edge expands and begins to open. The opposite is also true. We may arrive on the mat full of great intentions for an ambitious session and realize that once we begin, we need to back off and go easier than we had originally planned.

The changes of how we feel move not only throughout our practice but from day to day, week to week and year to year. It's a great disservice to ourselves to hit autopilot and go through the motions. Our lives ebb and flow...things are constantly shifting and our experience varies. It is through paying attention to how this shift is taking place that deepens our practice. When we listen to what our being is telling us from a deeper place, we set foot on the path of transformation.

And only YOU can determine your edge. No yoga instructor has the ability to tell you how hard you should or shouldn't be pushing. Nobody knows your body better than you. Nobody. So get to know yourself a little better by listening to all the cues it's sending you.

Get curious...step up to your edge without pushing beyond it and see if you can avoid the temptation to fly!

Energy Out...Energy In

2012-01-07T14:13:00.000-08:00

Balance...that's one of the primary themes of a yoga practice. I'm not talking about being able to hold your tree pose for long periods of time, but about keeping our individual energy needs in check.

I'm also not talking about energy in the form of calories...we've all heard that to "maintain our weight, we need to take in as much energy in the form of calories as our body needs". They even have energy measuring devices on cardio equipment so you can see how many calories it takes to stride on your elliptical trainer for 20 minutes.

What I'm referring to is the vital energy that is housed in our bodies, the same energy that flows throughout the greater universe. This energy, prana, is a current that penetrates through our physical selves, our thinking minds and our spiritual being. We notice if this energy balance is out of whack when we over commit to things outside of us and under commit to keeping ourselves in good health.

We say yes to helping a friend, sitting on a committee, hosting an event or babysitting a child. All noble and loving acts...but in addition to all that we're already doing, we might be stretching ourselves a bit thin. We don't have enough reserve at the end of the day to meet more than our basic needs. Where's the time for you if you're always looking after things outside of you?

Many of us have had the experience where we push ourselves and slide right past the point where we need to say "no more" but keep going. regardless. For short periods of time, this is often easily managed. But, what if your m.o. is always turned to that switch? What if taking time for yourself feels like a luxury rather than a necessity?

Now is a great time to reflect on what you do to support your own needs. What are you doing to move and enjoy the power of your body? How many moments in the day do you notice how your breath is moving in and out of your lungs? Do you have at least 10 minutes in a day where you're not interrupted, asleep or connected to an electronic device? Do you think about how the food you eat is becoming part of your body? Is it nourishing you in the way you desire? Are you connecting to people who love and support you? Are you learning something new?

I was inspired to write about this topic because I've just come off a very intense 11-day work stint. It's been great on so many levels and by day 11, my inner voice went from a quiet whisper to a louder shout of "take time for yourself this weekend!".

So, I'm listening. Few plans. Good tea and green juices. Sunshine. Bicycling. No alarm clock. Time with Ed, Koele (my dog), and friends.

Ahhhh...back in balance.

Do Less

2011-12-23T18:02:00.000-08:00

I felt I needed to keep it simple this week. Many of us are in the middle of celebrating the various holidays that happen between November and the beginning of January and the last thing we need is something more to think about...or do.

So for this week here's my advice...keep it simple.

Do less. Take some time to sip a warm beverage. Snuggle into bed 15 minutes earlier than usual. Drive more slowly. Soak in the tub. Rather than putting something ON the "to-do" list, erase something instead. Take a leisurely walk after a meal. Spend less time checking your technology devices. Dig deeper into a conversation with someone you care about. Take an extra deep breath. Go to a Restorative or Gentle yoga class rather than your typical Power class.

Someone once asked me what would it be like for me to go at 70%. I said, "I have no idea as I never do...". Since then I have given myself the 70% experience and although it's not my default speed, I was actually OK with it. And don't tell anybody, I actually really enjoyed slowing down!

Can you be OK at 70%?

Try it out and let me know.

Darkness To Light

2011-12-17T14:30:00.001-08:00

Here in the northern hemisphere, the days are getting short and the nights long. The natural environment seems to be drawing into itself and shedding excess leaves and growth until a more opportune time to grow and bloom. We are approaching the Winter Solstice.

I love the idea of the Winter Solstice as it relates to light. The actual day in 2011 is Thursday December 22 representing the shortest day of the year as it relates to the number of daylight hours that we see. From December 23 the daylight hours begin to lengthen.

We step from darkness into light.

Isn't that what our own personal growth is about? Gaining clarity about our own life path and purpose? Moving from ignorance towards greater wisdom? Turning inward to see our own inner light's radiance?

One of the fundamental teachings in yoga is that we are all born divine. This divinity possesses a radiance that is often referred to as residing in the heart center. Just look at a healthy newborn and you can't help but see that they are divinely perfect beings. And the thing is, that never changes...it never leaves us. What happens is that we simply forget. We travel through our lives and begin to disconnect from this notion of being whole and beautifully complete.

What our yoga practice does, is help us to remember. It helps us to still the distracting chatter of our mind and to celebrate the magnificence of our physical body so that we can connect once again to the light that lives within.

Let's take a moment on December 22 and connect to our inner radiance and all the potential that is sitting within.

The word Namaste' describes this precisely.

"The light in me, sees and honors the light in you. When we are both in this place, we are one."

Peaceful Solstice.

Into The Future

2011-12-10T12:48:00.000-08:00

I've been living in the future...lately, that is. I keep thinking about things that are off in the distance-planning, planning, planning. I recently heard Bhagavan Das say, "we are so busy planning that the only time we stop planning is when we die...". Wow...that really struck me.

I've been thinking about things that haven't yet happened and in the midst of it all I've come to notice one thing. That I'm missing what's happening in the present moment. I've been so busy thinking about the next workshop, our upcoming tennis tournament, retreats in April and August, and in a more sobering tone, about death.

There...I said it. The big "D" word. Death is not a topic that people in our culture care to talk about. It's a subject that makes most of us uncomfortable. We hear about it on a daily basis, but it seems as though we're able to keep it at a comfortable distance away from ourselves, with a perspective that it's something happening outside of our own lives, until we are confronted directly by it.

Our eldest dog, Yindi, is almost 14 1/2 years old and if you know anything about golden retrievers, she's an old dog. Of late, she's been struggling with having an appetite, her energy is low and at times she's seemed indifferent to things that normally set her off, like a doorbell or phone ringing. My husband and I have been sitting on the precipice of "what's next" for our beloved girl. "Is it her time?". It's a difficult place to be when you see your pet at the precipice of transitioning.

Thankfully, we had someone who deals with animals in transition give us a huge reminder...she's still here. She's still present. Focus on her life and all the joy you've received rather than on an impending death.

It's inevitable...death (and taxes), right? We know it's going to happen to all of us at some point along our journey. And when we wear the mantle of always looking to the future, of planning ad nauseum, we can often forget the beauty of what is present. Take this moment to experience exactly where you are, fully present in this time of your life.

In this moment.

In this breath.

In this moment, Yindi is sleeping comfortably at my feet. She has inspired me ever since she was an 8-week old adorable puppy and continues to do so, including today as I sit down to write. She's here and so am I. I will stop planning just for a few seconds and I will breathe (and reach down to pat her head) in this moment.

One Good Story

2011-12-03T13:36:00.000-08:00

Not long ago, Ed and I were driving someplace at the end of a long day and we began to catch up with each other as to what had been happening in our separate worlds.

It seemed as though Ed's day was one that had "tough/bad news" strung throughout it...he met a guy that held fear around recovering from heart surgery, so and so was found to be acting inappropriately with student athletes, his nephew was about to undergo knee surgery, the stock market was down, he didn't hear back from an important client....It was as though the road he traveled that day was strewn with things that were really hard and challenging.

As I had come to the end of my own day that had a similar set of stories, I simple turned to Ed and said, "Please tell me a good story...".

What is it about drama in life that keeps us interested?

All you need to do is watch the news for a nano-second and you'll know exactly what I mean. Or switch on a "reality" TV program, or talk radio and you'll hear the tragic back stories of all the people involved. For some reason, it keeps us dialed into that channel..."What happens next? That happened to someone I know! I'm so thankful that's not MY situation. Wow...that person is really messed up..." and on goes our internal dialogue, our reaction that ties us to it all.

I once heard of a news station that tried to offer only "good" stories and it failed miserably. Do we need to hear the bad to realize how lucky we are? Wow...I hope not. Is it meant to spring us into action, to propel us into a different social consciousness? Two reactions to seeing or hearing about human suffering are:

1. Turn away and pretend it doesn't involve you; OR

2. Do something about it

I am witness to #2 often within the yoga community. Yogis gather together when they see or hear about a person, place or group that is suffering and will often use a collective energy to help elevate the situation or people into a better place.

I often hear people talk about how much something disturbs them, maybe it's homelessness, and then they move onto the next subject. How about changing the story? What would it be like when you have the awareness of something that bothers you, that really lights your fire and inner drive and do something about it? What can you as an individual or in a collective group do to affect or change it?

When confronted with a "bad story", what do you do with it?

Are you able to rewrite a "bad story" into a good one. Please...share with me your "good story"!

The Gift of Giving

2011-11-26T18:45:00.000-08:00

This week my thought is around the upcoming holiday season and how we approach our gift giving. This thought has been stimulated from a couple of different people-most recently by my friend Cheryl Thomas, a yogini extraordinaire based in Sebastopol who recently wrote a similar article in her weekly e-newsletter.

As a kid, I remember sitting down with the Sears catalogue, folding over the pages of each and every toy that I wanted; stuff I hadn't even laid eyes upon until they were displayed within this 400-page tome of goodies temptations. I would mark off page after page and exclaim with excitement to my Mom, "I want this! Oh...and look at this! I want this as well and this and this...". Of course, Christmas day would arrive and none of my ear-marked goodies were under the tree. I'm not complaining as I had abundant, memorable and exciting holidays with my family and was plenty satisfied at not only the gifts received, but being at home sitting amongst the low tide of wrapping paper scattered over the living room floor.

As I've journeyed along in my life, I have tried to find my own way of celebrating the holidays. It still includes some gift giving, but now my intention is aimed more at subtle ways of expressing how I feel about family and friends. Plus, being in a marriage where we also celebrate Hannukah adds a different element of what it means to give and receive.

I would like to think that I give what I can of myself always...throughout the year, not just at the holidays. So, when the idea of staying local with our gift giving came across my desk, I was intrigued. What is available in my local area that will give a gift to someone but also give to a local business as well?

Here are some ideas and I would love for you to share what you've heard about or have come up with:

1. Instead of going to a corporate store (Target, Macy's, Saks etc), buy from a locally owned shop. We have many of these in our area ranging from local artists, florists, foodies, clothing retailers and many more.

2. Buy a local service. Massage, car detailing, pet sitting, gardening, handy person or even a private yoga class for you and your friends.

3. How about a gift certificate from your local hairdresser, manicurist or barber?

4. Buy a series of yoga classes for someone wanting to step onto the mat.

5. How about a tennis or golf lesson with a local pro, or a round of golf at a local course?

6. We have some delicious local bakeries and coffee shops that would love to offer you their goodies.

7. Things need to be spruced up? How about hiring a cleaning person for a day or a professional organizer to help you streamline your life?

8. Get a computer tune-up with a local I.T. whiz.

9. Want some custom woodwork, garden beds or repairs-hire a local handy person.

10. Need some 1-1 support try a personal trainer or private yoga session.

11. Find a nutritional consultant to support better choices and options.

12. Offer gift certificates from local restaurants that encourage more plant-based, locally grown and organic foods.

13. More? Think of local musicians and bands playing at nearby venues and local craft/street fairs.

My list could go on but the whole idea is to think locally even if it might seem so much easier to shop online. If you're out and about in your neighborhood, stop in to see what your community has to offer. Not only will it support them and their businesses, but it will enhance the connection you have to your local community. Rather than buying something that is made overseas, see what a difference YOU can make by keeping it local.

We can all make adifference in our gift giving. May the holiday season be one of ease, peace and conscious giving!

If you wish to contribute ideas or names of services and businesses, please comment on the Desert Yoga Therapy Facebook page.

Gratitude

2011-11-19T13:18:00.001-08:00

It's the weekend before Thanksgiving which lends itself to an easy (if not obvious) thought of the week...that of gratitude. Recently, I was invited via Facebook to join a group that has set the intention of writing and sharing five things that you are grateful for, every day for a month. I thought this to be a great practice, one that I can share with a larger community, but more importantly, a practice that reminds me of how incredibly abundant my life is.

If we find ourselves trapped within the looping negative dialogue where nearly every thought and sentence begins with something like:

"I'm frustrated with...

I don't have enough...

I'll never get...

I'm mad at...

I'm not worthy and...

This country is in a..."

Then maybe it's time to undertake a serious gratitude overhaul!

One of the many striking things we noticed when traveling through India was that people generally seemed happy. Not only were they incredibly polite, but how they greeted us as well, as the day seemed to hold an authentic sense of thankfulness. So many of these people had much less in the material world than we here in the States, yet their industriousness seemed to hold an underlying sense of being thankful for the chance to make a difference in our experience.

When we sit each day and engage in an inner dialogue that conjures up all that we're thankful for, it's as though a switch is flipped. We shift our perspective away from what appears to be lacking to what is present in our lives. A practice of gratitude lets us remember all that we are, all that we have and all that we can do. It's more than enough when you get right down to it.

So, for this Thanksgiving and the next few weeks, I will stay committed to my daily gratitude practice. Feel free to join me...you'll be thankful you did!

Deeper Into The Breath

2011-11-12T12:33:00.000-08:00

Last week as I taught classes and sat with 1-1 yoga therapy clients I used breath awareness as a teaching point. As I did so, my own insight into the breath and its power became deeper. (If you missed last weeks "Thought of the Week" called Just Breath, click here).

The longer I practice yoga or converse with esteemed teachers, the more highlighted the breath becomes. It's not as though I never knew on an intellectual level the breath played an important role, but the actual practice of using the breath to alter attention, emotions, release tension and penetrate into my being continues to expand.

If we look at the Eight-Faceted Path expressed in Patanjali's Yoga Sutras they are:

1. Yama (universal moral principles)

2. Niyama (individual disciplines)

3. Asana (physical poses)

4. Pranayama (breath regulation)

5. Pratyahara (withdrawal of the senses)

6. Dharana (concentration)

7. Dhyana (mediation)

8. Samadhi (spiritual absorption)

From this philosophical perspective, if you engage in the above practices you create a framework for living a yogic based lifestyle. The importance of the breath is integral to the yoga way because if you didn't include it, it would make the other practices something other than yoga. If you did physical postures without the awareness of breath it would be calisthenics; if you didn't have the breath to anchor your attention it would be difficult to pull the senses inward, to concentrate, much less glide into a meditative state.

The breath is the thread that connects our body, mind and spirit. We are thought to have five "bodies", called the koshas (also translated as sheaths). Our breath takes us from our most gross and obvious sheath (our physical body), through our breath, mental, intuitive and, hopefully, out to our blissful body. And who doesn't want to live in a more blissful state?

We need our breath to take us on this journey.

The other amazing insight that came to light this week was asking the question, "What other organ/system in the body is both able to function whether you are unconscious or fully conscious?". Can you dilate your pupils upon request? Can you digest your food just by thinking about it? Can you ask your heart to speed up or slow down (without using the breath)? Can you alter your temperature? I know I can't! But what I can do, is to bring my full awareness, my full consciousness, into how I am breathing. I can also completely ignore it without dying...my body will still breathe whether I'm thinking about it or not.

Ultimately, isn't that what our personal evolution is about? Consciousness? We become more and more connected to how we are living this life in a physical way through our bodies, in a mental and emotional way through our thoughts and words and in a spiritual way through our disciplines and actions. As these practices unfold, we begin to recognize that the key that opens all these doors is our breath.

OK...exhale. Digest these words and then...dive deeper!

Just Breathe

2011-11-06T09:46:00.000-08:00

You're doing it now...as you read this. Your breath is most likely moving in and out of your body unconsciously, without you even noticing it. It just does what it does, minute after minute, day after day and year after year. In...out...in...out...

Now that it's been mentioned, perhaps you've begun to notice it. That's the amazing thing about breath awareness...we don't need awareness to breathe, but with awareness our breath turns into a powerful tool. Within a minute you can decrease your stress by paying attention to breath. You can stop yourself from blurting out words that you'll regret and can't retract. You can begin to calm and alter the voice of the harsh inner critic. You can begin to unwind tension in your body. You can notice subtle scents.

On a deeper level, the breath penetrates into the darker chasms of our consciousness, the place where we begin to become a witness to, rather than a participant in, our "stuff". If we have a feeling of confusion and begin to settle into our breath, we begin to unravel what is at the heart of the chaos. We can let ourselves "be" in the experience from a place of compassion and non-judgment. We begin to see what it's like to identify and sense the experience without feeling like a choice-less victim to it.

How do we tap into the power of the breath?

Through practice...over and over again.

You can begin now.

Sit tall with your back away from the chair if possible. Place your feet flat on the floor and rest your hands in a comfortable position on your lap.

Close your eyes and exhale as much of the air out of your lungs as is comfortably possible. As you begin to inhale, allow your navel center to move forward away from your spine and fill the lungs with air, expanding your rib cage. Hold the breath in for a couple of seconds and release into an exhale. At the end of the exhale, feel your navel center drawing back in toward your spine. Pause and repeat.

Breathe through your nose if possible.

Make the breath smooth and even.

Easy.

Don't just read about it...TRY IT!

Giving Unconditionally

2011-10-30T17:00:00.000-07:00

Have you ever given someone a gift, done them a favor or sent them a card and then heard nothing in return? Nadda...zippo...zilch. Not a word. How does this make you feel?

Typically in our culture when we give something to someone else, we are taught that it's polite to say something such as "thank you" in return. A non-response can leave us wondering if the person received what we sent and if so, why they hadn't acknowledged it.

Yoga teaches us about giving in a slightly different way. It's called SEVA or selfless service. When we attach an expectation to giving it can lead us toward disappointment particularly when we aren't acknowledged in return. The practice of seva goes deeper than giving and receiving. It's a simple practice of just giving. The giver offers a service and the act of giving is enough with no expectation of a reply.

It's a practice that teaches us to open our hearts, let go of expectation and feel what it's like to simple do something or give something to someone else. I'm not saying that this practice tolerates ingratitude, but it shifts our motivation for giving to just that...to give. If we can offer some aspect of ourselves to someone in need, or out of love and not bristle if that's the end of it, then we are stepping into the practice of unconditional giving.

This idea relates to last week's topic of holding space for someone else by being an attentive listener. Can we offer to listen without the lure of fixing the other persons problem or offering unsolicited advice? Can we make a donation at a charity event and not expect to get a goody bag in return? Can we let go of our attachments to words, items, time or even sharing our lunch by giving these freely away?

When we are in the practice of service, it has the potential to fill a deep need- to feel appreciated and helpful to others. It's to offer support in a way that doesn't have a monetary value connected to it. It's as though the act of seva teaches us to be rewarded by the act itself and not the resultant outcome.

Find some way this week to put yourself into selfless service. It may not put food on your table, but it will be a feast for the soul.

Me, me, me, me, me....

2011-10-22T14:18:00.000-07:00

Those of you who read this blog on a regular basis know that one of the messages that is a common theme is taking time to look after yourself. I'm big on that. I am often in classes encouraging people to make time for themselves, particularly amidst an often

hectic schedule. Getting yourself to a regular class is part of the strategy as is taking moments throughout each day to connect to your breath and dive deeper into your heart.

My thought for this week is looking outside of ourselves and being there for others. Have you ever been in a conversation with somebody, telling them about something that's been going on in your world and they reply by turning your story into their own, somehow shifting the conversation to being about them?

One of my favorite lines in the movie "Beaches" with Bette Midler and Barbara Hershey is when Bette's character says to Barbara's character, "OK...enough about me. Tell me, what do you think about me?". That's what I'm talking about.

One of the limbs of the eight-faceted path of yoga are the precepts of the Yamas. They include: Ahimsa (Compassion/Nonviolence), Satya (Truthfulness), Asteya (Nonstealing), Brahmacharya (Nonexcess) and Aparigraha (Nonpossessiveness). The topic this week relates to the third yama of Asteya, or nonstealing.

So how does flipping a conversation back to oneself relate to asteya? As Deborah Adele writes in her book The Yamas & Niyamas-Exploring Yoga's Ethical Practice, "asteya calls us to live with integrity and reciprocity." When we undertake "one-upmanship" on somebody we are stealing from them in not letting them be heard or express how they are feeling. We bring ourselves into a place of needing to speak our voice and not offering to be silent and simply listen.

And just as last week's topic was around leaving space for yourself, this week is the other side of that. Being able to hold space for others. Communicating from our hearts and being received by someone who listens is often a rare gift.

Is this a gift you can practice this week? Can you offer a safe place for people to be heard? Can you notice when you want to jump into the conversation and make it about yourself and resist?

This is part of the yogic practice of Asteya. It's part of the process of taking our yoga off the mat and into our day.

Try it...it feels amazing to be a great listener!

Leaving Space Space For Ourselves

2011-10-22T14:13:00.000-07:00

Traveling is a great teacher. When we step out of our ordinary and habitual schedules we reconnect to meeting our basic needs-food, shelter and getting from place to place. Where will we be staying? How do we get from the airport to the hotel? Is the food safe? Is the water clean? Can I walk or do I need some other form of transport?

Being in India was a practice in meeting basic needs and once we felt safe and settled, a space of open possibility was present. Once our most basic needs were met...what will we do with our time? For me, it meant meditation, reflection, reading, learning, exploring and experiencing all that my senses could handle.

So now that I've returned to my every day existence, I have asked myself the question "How can I continue to leave space for myself, particularly when I am facing a ramping up in my schedule?".

Are you someone who molds themselves around other peoples lives be it your family, kids, job, friends or significant others? Do you give of yourself to the extent that there's no time remaining for you?

One of my intentions is to remain in an awareness where I leave space for myself. It's an intention of not over-scheduling or over-commiting, but practicing being OK with no firm commitment. But more so, it's about having at least one thing that I do for myself everyday that's beyond my basic needs.

I have heard some yoga students say recently, "I need to get back to my yoga, or I know how important making time for my yoga is..." To me, that's leaving space for ourselves where we stay committed to doing something that nourishes and supports us on a deeper level of our being.

Perhaps this week is a good time to ask yourself the same question, "How can I leave space for myself?". And decide what that looks like within the framework of your daily life. If you need to, pencil it into your daily diary. Make an appointment with yourself. It will be the best gift you can give yourself because when we feed our own fire, we bring light to others.

Self Reliance

2011-10-08T16:03:00.000-07:00

One day during our recent trip to India, we were taking a tuk-tuk (auto rickshaw) out to Sarnath, the place where the Buddha was thought to have given his first sermon five days after his enlightenment. As we were bouncing along the road, our driver dodging and weaving to avoid cows, pot holes and other vehicles, I noticed this young child walking by himself along the road. He would have been no older than two years, partially clothed and seemingly quite at ease ambling along by himself, no apparent sibling or adult within sight.

I thought to myself, "Wow! You'd never see that in the States...a kid under two just walking down the road with no obvious care in the world". It would freak people out, just as the sight of this solo child made me stop and think about how different life was in India.

I realized that from as young an age as possible, many of the kids we saw were being taught self-reliance. Intentional or not it was a striking difference to what I knew.

It has led me to my thought for this week that of relying on others. If we need support, assistance or help, can we ask for it? Do we seek out people to do things for us or "fix" us to avoid our own responsibility of looking after it ourselves? How does the practice of yoga fit into the idea of self-reliance?

One of the many beautiful things about yoga is that you can do it anywhere. You don't need a sticky mat, groovy designer yoga clothes or soft lights. Yogis from way, way back practiced on dirt in not much more than a loin cloth. They did have a teacher (guru) to help open the doorway to the practice, but as soon as the door is even cracked open, the student can begin practicing on their own.

I know that when I started a more regular asana (physical) practice, my need for chiropractic adjustments all but disappeared. I no longer needed to wait until an issue arose to have someone adjust me into a better place. I was doing that myself through the practice. I'm not minimizing the need of a chiropractor, or any other health practitioner, but how much responsibility can we take for our own health? Unfortunately, our culture is awash in having an issue and solving it with a prescription for medication.

How can we own our own health without putting it into the hands of others?

We can do so by better understanding our relationship to ourselves...all aspects of ourselves-body, mind and spirit. Yoga is one way to deepen this knowing by putting through conscious connection to awareness of breath, to moving our body, and to changing our inner dialogue to one which embraces who we fully are.

Yoga teaches us to become reliant on our inner voice. To trust our instincts and intuition. We glean what is needed to open our hearts from its teachers and teachings so that we may ultimately be in a fully loving and compassionate relationship with our own self.

And just as this two year old Indian boy mosey down the road, we too can find a sense of freedom by taking wellness into our own hands and using the support of others to enhance the process.

Grateful For Choice

2011-10-05T20:26:00.000-07:00

Having just returned from my first trip to India, I was given so many different insights, gifts and experiences. What to share? Where
do I begin? How do you concisely summarize such a wild journey?

Overall, it was an amazing adventure with all of my senses being fully switched on and often into overdrive. Sights, smells, tastes and hyper-vigilance caused my being to become electrified with excitement. India is such an incredibly diverse place with rich history, vibrant colors set against a deeply embedded spiritual backdrop.

It has a busy-ness to it that is uniquely Indian and what appears to be untamely chaos, seems to flow smoothly in its own rhythm. As we traveled along the often pot-holed roads, catching glimpses of camels, cows, donkeys and the odd elephant, it gave me good time for reflection.

I often had the feeling of how fortunate my life is...not just through abundance, but primarily through having choice. It's my ability to choose how I live my life that really struck me. I saw creatively industrious people, working all angles to find a way to earn money often with the aim of simply feeding their family. My impressions of a male dominant society had me reflecting on how I am able to choose to create my own business as a woman. People would ask my husband what he did for a living, but wouldn't ask me what I did, perhaps assuming that I didn't have a career other than looking after my husband (which is quite a traditional and valued role in Indian culture with people we came across).

I realized that if I do work hard I can make a difference in my socioeconomic reality, that I'm not necessarily born into a role that I have to stay with throughout my life. That my choice for education is abundant and varied. I can become anything I set my sights on...I didn't necessarily get that impression with the people that I met along the way.

I left India feeling as though it gave me the gift of remembering and recognizing my many blessings. That I have been given opportunity in my life that is unheard of in other lives.

Thank you India...I look forward to returning to learn my next series of lessons.

And Away We Go...

2011-08-20T11:39:00.000-07:00

It seems as though when we have some plan sitting off in the future that it will never get here...and then-BANG-it's here!

Ed and I leave this week for Australia and then onto India. After setting our feet on Aussie soil, we will spend some quiet time adjusting to the time zone by staying at a resort just north of Cairns. Then the days that follow, I will be teaching at Sanctuary Retreat in Mission Beach, a magical place that seems to be sitting within an energetically healing vortex.

From Australia we then fly to Delhi, India...a maiden voyage for both of us. It's taken months of planning, emails, vaccinations, packing and re-packing and we hope that the pre-trip effort will make for a smooth and of course, adventurous journey. We spend 20 days touring India, fly back to Sydney, Australia for a stop with friends and rest before arriving back in the States September 29.

When people hear how long we'll be away, their jaw drops. It's quite unusual for Americans to take more than two consecutive weeks to vacation. Aussies and Europeans on the other hand see it as being quite normal. We are taking this time because we can...we are in good health, have gratitude that we can afford to go and more importantly still have an unquenched thirst for adventure and a curiosity to explore. We didn't want to look back and say, "I wish I would have done it when..."

So, away we go...to see more of this incredible planet, to taste things that are unfamiliar, to see a culture that birthed yoga, to meet people that are different to us and be fully immersed in each and every moment.

Love

Light

Peace

&

Namasté

Continuous Flow

2011-08-13T11:42:00.001-07:00

We recently returned from a short camping, yoga, music and white water rafting trip along the South Fork of the American River. It was the perfect combination of connecting to things that light my fire...the fire that resides not only deep in my heart, but within my soul.

The river was a metaphor for life. As I sat in early morning meditation, listening to the ripple of the rushing water it reinforced the ever-changing moments of our ordinary lives. It reminded me that nothing in life is permanent, but is constantly facing change and transition. As the river flows, it comes up against obstacles...often huge exciting rocks that create power and white water. When we're rafting, we face it head on most of the time, but sometimes hit them sideways or even backwards giving our hearts a rush of adrenaline, an instant of being completely absorbed in the moment with absolutely no distractions. Paying attention to anything other than the river could mean a harder journey, falling into the current and being at the mercy of something greater than ourselves.

The river gave the opportunity to simply let go. To allow its grace to carry us along its path as well as giving the gift of being able to absorb the beauty of the natural environs. The journey down the river provided contrasts of hot summer sun and cool river water. Of still pools and roaring rapids. Of peace and the deafening sounds of nature.

It is said that we never step into the same river twice. When your foot enters the water, if you were to remove it and step back into the exact location, it would be a different river than the moment before.

The river is life. It is our life.

It was a blessing to be with Mother Nature and realize even more deeply who I am.

Bumps In The Road

2011-07-23T15:23:00.000-07:00

Ever have one of those days? You know, the one that seems to have a string of events where you think, "geez, when it rains it pours. One more bad thing and I'll have to call it a day".

I had one of those days this past week where it all began with a lousy night of sleep, followed by a dog with malaise, rejected credit cards (unknown fraudulent activity alert), phone calls to the bank, clients canceling appointments and blah, blah, blah. On and on it endlessly unfolded. By the time I sat down at the end of the day, just before teaching an evening class, I said to Ed, "it's days like these that I appreciate getting on my yoga mat even more...". We agreed that when we look back, we won't remember the details only that we had some bumps in the road.

Life does cycle through highs and lows. It's as though all of our experiences are a pendulum swinging from one side to the other. What our yoga practice teaches us is where to find the middle, rather than to inhabit the extremes. I once heard a quote that went something like this, "when we can see both sides of a situation with neither of them being right or wrong, it's called wisdom."

In recognizing that both sides exist; joy/sorrow, hope/worry; hot/cold; happy/sad; satisfaction/frustration etc, we can fully appreciate where we are at and realize that life isn't static, but always changing. It assists in helping us to appreciate the present moment, to know that if this moment feels lousy, I know potentially the next may also feel lousy, but it may also shift into feeling better, even glorious. What keeps us coming back to the full experience of the moment is easy...it's the breath. There is nothing more present than the breath you are in the process of breathing.

So, when things seem more challenging than usual, know that this too shall pass. That we can connect to our center by paying attention to our next inhale.

Now...breathe in and ahhhhhhhhhh!

Have You Been To The E.A.C.?

2011-07-16T13:11:00.000-07:00

E.A.C.=East Australian Current...what you may be asking has that got to do with yoga?

I've just had my anniversary. It was five years ago this month that I began a relationship with my inner self. A formal commitment of sitting on my meditation bench or cushion every day. In the beginning, I had some resistance to getting up a half an hour earlier than my usual early morning rise. Sleep was such a tempting companion. But, I promised myself that I would stick by my vow to sit in quiet everyday.

Five years later I can report that not only am I still in this daily courtship, but it's gotten better over time. In fact, I am now aiming to lengthen my sessions aiming for a minimum of 45 minutes each morning. It seems I have once again been inspired to do so through reading Sally Kempton's book, "Meditation For The Love Of It". Now she doesn't talk about the E.A.C., but that's one of the things I thought of through her teachings.

The YouTube Scene above from the movie, "Finding Nemo" is where Marlin, Nemo's Dad, meets Crush, the sea turtle. Marlin tells Crush the story of how Nemo was taken to Sydney and he's on his way to rescue him and needs to find the fastest route which is the E.A.C. Crush, the Southern California inspired surfer dude turtle, tells him "Duuuude, you're in it" and to hold on tight. I thought of this scene as a representation of the flow of universal energy that is present and within all beings.

When we allow ourselves time to settle below the surface agitation of our thoughts, we begin to connect to this current of energy. The energy is subtle and is always present, but as we live our busy lives we often pile layers and layers of distraction on top so we forget it's even there. We might have glimpses of it as we play or listen to music, walk in nature or see the adorable face of our pet. Wouldn't it be amazing to know this feeling always?

Putting our backside on the meditation cushion is a practice that offers daily chances to experience this deeper, more subtle and sublimely opulent aspect of ourselves. It's the time where we touch "spirit" and begin to know who we truly are, not defined by what we do or the roles we play, but our true selves.

Before my commitment to my meditation practice, I was a theoretical meditator...I had read about it for years but rarely practiced. The most recent discovery I've had through my practice is creative inspiration coupled with a drive to put things into action. Fear is always part of the equation, but as I recently read, if you have more love than fear, you can do anything. And being at 51% love and 49% fear, still works.

If I add up five years of seated meditation it equates to 912 plus hours of getting to know me. And just think, I could have spent that time doing something else, like purusing Facebook or watching TV.

It's an adventurous ride, find your current and as Crush would say, "Dude...hold on tight!"

Me? I'm Too Busy...

2011-07-11T16:45:00.000-07:00

Do you save relaxation time for when you go on vacation? If so...read on.

This past week I was introduced to a new group of women who had a great assortment of backgrounds, professions and interests. A couple of them asked me what I did and I replied, "I work as a yoga therapist within a medical practice." The next question was, "what do you treat most often?". I hesitated for a moment to sum up the many challenges that come into the studio and I said, "What I see the most is women who don't make time to look after their own needs". Both women had a momentary pause and then began shaking their heads, agreeing in unison.

My restorative yoga teacher, Judith Hanson Lasater recently said, "There's a difference between sleep and rest. And you need both every day". Have you ever caught yourself saying, "I'll get rest when I__________...go to bed; go on vacation; finish the housework; write my novel; balance the check book etc...."

Is during sleep the ONLY time you rest? What if your sleep is interrupted or shorter than usual? What if this happens on a regular basis? If this is the cse, you are missing out on two key ingredients to balanced living---sleep and rest. It's during our down time that the body literally catches up with itself. It's able to process all that it's been exposed to throughout the day...cellular metabolism and breakdown, digestion, thinking, feeling, reacting and reading are just a few. If we neglect putting the brakes on to allow the time and space to regenerate we run a greater risk of breaking down...you can run from it, but you can't hide.

So this week I would suggest increasing your awareness of how you spend your time resting. When I was in kindergarten, I had a snappy napping mat, blue on one side, red on the other and edged in white piping. We had time-outs given to us during our half day at school, not because we misbehaved, but in order to recharge our batteries. Lights low. Quiet. No talking. No doing. Simply hanging out on your red and blue mat.

As adults we can do the same thing. Go into a quiet place. Lower the lights. No talking. No doing. Simply hanging out. If I could manage it as an extremely active five year old, I'm thinking you could as a grown up.

Get out your nap mat. Or better yet, take a restorative yoga class.

Choice

2011-07-03T10:36:00.000-07:00

With Independence Day approaching here in the United States, I was reflecting on what it means to me. What came up was having the ability to choose.

I remember an experience I had when I returned to western culture after spending 6-months in Africa. I was in London and headed to the supermarket to buy some basics. As I stood in the brightly lit and wide aisled store, looking at the enormous selection of cereals all I experienced was the feeling of being completely overwhelmed. There was just simply too much to choose from and my next reaction was to leave.

Yet at the same time, I was struck by how much we take for granted, particularly as it relates to the number of opportunities we have to choose from. In less fortunate countries, there may be only one cereal choice, if any at all. You might go for days and only subsist on bananas and maize meal. In the developed Western countries, we have created abundance and much of this began when people left their countries seeking other places in which they had more choice, more opportunity to live as they wanted and not as they were told.

The Fourth of July reminds us that we wanted to be able to create our own utopia with freedom to practice speaking, praying and expressing ourselves without oppressive censorship. It took a collective courage to realize the need and seek a path of creating a way of life that supported this ideal.

Our yoga practice is a way of seeking our own liberation and manifesting it into something that is greater than ourselves. But, we must first know what it is that we need to connect to, our own inner freedom and then trust the ancient methods that have been passed down through generations.

The Buddha said that suffering is a given in life and through making particular choices about how we undergo our daily existence we can move further away from this suffering to liberation. Brené Brown, Ph.D., L.M.S.W a research professor of Social Work (author of the book, "The Gifts of Imperfection") found that we can only love others as much as we love ourselves. Thus, if we have difficulty in tapping into our own hearts, how can we fully connect into the heart of others? By uncovering our own deeper need, one of which is love, we can begin to not only better our own lives, but more fully engage in other peoples lives...you know...spread the love from the inside out.

As we engage in the process of discovering what we need more of in our lives (peace, knowledge, freedom or socks), we can then begin to set in motion our plan of striving to reach it. Just as our forefathers knew they were suffering and sought freedom, we too can look at our own lives from a similar perspective.

This brings me back to cereal. We have so much opportunity sitting within reach. We have so much (sometimes way too much) to choose from that we often forget that having choices is a result of having freedom. For those less fortunate, they can still find freedom in their hearts and spirits. For us, we have the chance to not only choose between the high fiber/gluten-free granola or Captain Crunch but also how we choose to be in a relationship with ourselves, other beings and our planet.

I am grateful for being able to live in a country where I have the power to choose. Happy Independence Day to all!

Now let's go check out some fireworks!

Stepping Up To The Edge

2011-06-25T12:55:00.000-07:00

Every summer as I was growing up, my family would pile into our Ford station wagon, loaded with camping gear and head for some state or national park. As we walked the park trails and stop at the vista points, I would walk right up to the edge and peer over at what lay beyond or below. My Mom's hand was often felt holding onto the waistband of my shorts for fear that I might check out whether or not I could actually fly. These moments exhilarated me and terrified my Mother.

Over the years that same curiousity has brought me to the edge of where things feel safe and then start becoming scary. With the recent release of my CD, I have felt a similar sensation...that feeling of bordering on the fearful edge of the unknown. This place is slightly different to the primal fear of plunging over a cliff, yet it all boils down to the same basic instinct.

The CD experience is a new one for me: taking the seed of an idea, growing it into an actual product with the support of my brother Ken and then releasing it into the public arena. The most terrifying part is that of the release and the feeling of opening myself to not only judgment but failure. It could be a flop. People could think that I have no idea what I'm doing. What was I thinking?

So why do it? Why risk failure?

Why not! It's the experience as a whole, regardless of the outcome that is a fantastic teacher. It has offered an entirely new set of challenges and, hopefully, opportunities. We have a limited amount of time to change not only our own lives, but impact the lives of others. So why wait until it feels safe and holds no fear.

If we relate it to our asana practice in yoga, it's that moment of experiencing our first handstand, headstand or shoulder stand. When the support of the wall is no longer there and we're holding ourselves upside down all by ourselves! It's not as though one day we just decided to turn ourselves head over heals and found complete success and ease. All poses are built on a foundation and a set of progressions. We go through the basics to reach into a deeper place of each pose and one day, we find ourselves upside down.

Fear is what keeps us in check. It's what steps in front us and says, "hang on a minute...are you sure you want to go there?" When we can face the scary moments in our lives such as relocating, quitting our job, releasing a CD or kicking up into a handstand, it's as though we can acknowledge the inherent fear and ask it to simply step aside.

So what fearful voice is sitting in front of you at the moment? Have you laid the foundation to be able to feel the fear and do it anyway? Go on, step up to the edge and challenge yourself!

Play Date

2011-06-18T17:07:00.000-07:00

When I was a kid one of the main objectives in each day was to play. The sound of the bell ringing for recess was sweetly received and I'd rush out to the monkey bars and repeatedly flip myself over in circles, find an open swing, enter into a game of hotly contested dodge or kick ball or try to maintain my queen of the hill status as a tether ball maestro. I couldn't get enough of it. I simply loved to play.

When I saw the class schedule during my first year as a physical education major, I was curious as to the subject called PLAY THEORY...really? A class about play? What could that possibly entail? Well, quite a bit. as I came to learn more about the subject, I came to understand the distinctions between play and non-play (often referred to as work). Play is by definition undertaking something simply for the sake of the experience. It's an intrinsically motivated process where the outcome is irrelevant. No prize, no paycheck, no finish line, no personal best. As a result of being motivated intrinsically, we gain a deep satisfaction for engaging in something purely for the "fun of it".

As we transition from being kids into teens and adults, we are discouraged from playful behavior. "Quit fooling around. Focus. What's your goal? What are you going to do when you grow up?" are often phrases that confront us during this transition. If we replied back, "I don't know, I just enjoy learning, or sleeping, or swinging, or hoola hooping" we'd be seen as having no direction, being lazy or apathetic.

Now I'm not suggesting that we don't have goals or ambitions. But why do we need to let go of playing? What sparks your interest, makes you crack up laughing or drives you to dance and whistle? What are you passionate about that doesn't need to have a dollar sign attached to it? And if it does...isn't that a playful bonus?

With Father's Day arriving tomorrow, I am reminded of how playful my Dad was. We used to play catch or volleyball, go hiking or sit around and shoot the breeze. On the way home from church one day, we even had a skipping race down the hill to our house ...can you imagine a grown man skipping as fast as possible down a hill as he raced his daughter? I don't have to imagine it...I remember it as being one of those embedded highlights of his playful nature. With Dad racing down a hill, skipping no less, he was teaching me that it's ok to be playful as an adult.

And as my Mother used to say, "now go outside and play..."

Well then...off you go!

Shifting Gears

2011-06-13T19:01:00.000-07:00

Here in the northern hemisphere we are about to experience the summer solstice-the longest day of the year. What this signals in my world is a downward shift from high season to the lower gears of summer. Being desert rats, we get somewhat accustomed to three straight months of triple digits...we're a hearty and heat loving kind of people. As the temperatures rise, the seasonal people begin to flee, leaving us plenty of room on our roads, ease of getting into restaurants and a definite sense of a letting up.

I have been very blessed with what seemed liked my busiest season ever and, quite frankly, I now feel a bit beat up. Parts of my body have been aching, my energy is lower than the amped up speed of the season and I'm just getting over a cold. I find myself thinking, "what gives?". And then I begin to recognize an old pattern, one that I experienced during every semester break and holiday when I was at university. My studies and activities as a physical education major had me pushing myself both academically and physically. Add part time work into that mix and I would find myself getting slammed with some form of cold, flu or infection during every break. I felt as though I couldn't catch a break...time off was spent sniffling, taking decongestants and spending my "free time" feeling lousy.

Since we moved to the desert (a dry climate) and I dove deeper into my yoga practice, I can't remember the last time I got hit by a cold. Until now. I think it's a universal reminder that we need to keep ourselves in balance...the harder we push, the harder we fall (eventually).

I'm not complaining as I feel so fortunate to be doing what I love and to have abundance around it. I'm just aware that thinking I'm super-human is beyond me and I need to heed the warnings of overdoing it. So, my thought for the week is what do we do to keep ourselves in balance?

Sometimes we're going along and don't realize we've been doing too much until we get sick. It's as though our subconscious says "enough already, I'm taking you down because you're choosing not to do it yourself". For me, it means the following:

*Get enough sleep. That translates to at least 8 hours (yes, each night, not accumulated over two or three nights)

*Stick with my daily meditation practice. It sets the framework for each day

*Make healthy eating choices. Translation-plant based, organic and fresh

*Don't push hard when exercising if my inner voice is saying, "whoa Nelly...take it easy today"

*Stay committed to regular movement-yoga, walking, weights etc

*Find fun stuff to do rather than always feeling the need to "work"

*Practice compassion toward myself. I'm doing the best I can.

I'd love to hear from you as to how you keep yourself in balance, or what throws you out of whack. I hope you enjoy a blissfully nourishing week that connects you to body, mind and spirit.

The Symbolism of The Lotus

2011-06-05T15:37:00.000-07:00

This past weekend our niece graduated from high school. We took the long drive from the desert to the central coast of California to hear her Salutatorian speech and see her receive her diploma. Not only are we proud of how well she has performed on the academic stage but, even more impressively, how she has grown and evolved into a young adult.

Over the past several summers she would come and spend a week or so with us, without her parents and often accompanied by a sibling. We have seen her transform from a shy young girl into a still reserved, yet more confident, young adult. We have all experienced the turbulent times of adolescence and puberty...braces, pimples, bad hair cuts and the feeling of not belonging. And there is something completely hopeful and refreshing when you see the emergence of a young adult despite all those rocky and potential disruptive pitfalls.

I was amazed to hear the complexity of thought, the full circle and youthful wisdom as my niece bravely took the microphone in front of peers, family, and hundreds of strangers. I caught myself thinking, "Wow...I never knew the depths of her insight as she is so quiet on the surface. When did that happen?".

As a symbol of new beginnings and transitions, we gave her a necklace with a lotus flower etched in silver. I see her wearing it as a totem as she stands in the doorway of her first semester at The University of Notre Dame, to remind her that sometimes what transforms us is often the most terrifying. To step into this new phase knowing that it will hold the potential for incredible learning and opportunity, and yet it might just be like wading through muddy waters to reach a point of clarity.

The lotus is symbolic of this journey as it begins its transformation by taking root in the murky and stirred up waters, only to make its way to the surface finding clarity through persistence to realize its full and magnificent beauty.

As my teacher Judith Lasater says, "May we live like the lotus, at peace in muddied waters". My wish for all of us is that we find our own clarity through turbulent times and emerge in the full expression of who we are.

Our Own Evolution

2011-05-28T13:53:00.001-07:00

In class this past week, a student told me how much she was going to miss seeing Oprah on daytime TV. She said how Oprah has inspired her over the past many years to "become a better person". That conversation connects perfectly to my thought for this week, that of our own evolution.

I have often told people that I have two selves: the evolved self and the unevolved self. The unevolved self is the one that I've always known and if someone has "done me wrong", the unevolved self is the one that wants to seek revenge. She's the one who wants to plot ways in which to teach the other person a lesson and that I couldn't possibly be the one who is wrong. You know her, the defensive perfectionist.

Fortunately, through many years of seeking, I have also come to know my evolved self. She's the one who puts both feet on her yoga mat, sits her backside down on the meditation cushion, pauses before words leave her mouth and is willing to admit she's wrong and say she's sorry.

The evolved person is the one I seek to be all of the time and when I slip back into the alter ego of the unevolved self, it simply doesn't feel that good. The great thing about personal growth is that it has become easier to recognize when that's happening and even better when it's just about to happen and I interrupt the fire breathing dragon from bursting forth.

Part of our yoga practice is learning to be with what is present. Sometimes the unevolved alter ego speaks so loudly that we think we have no choice but to let her take over. That's where breathing really works its magic. If we have awareness, we can choose to deepen our breath, reason with the inner demon and release an exhale that doesn't contain actions or words that don't serve our higher self. It's creating space between the stimulus and the response. It's hard. It takes practice. Daily.

I'm thinking I'm not alone on this one...come practice slaying your inner dragon with me by coming to class, reading this blog or simply by taking a deep breath.

Building A Foundation

2011-05-21T15:08:00.001-07:00

This past week, the theme I was teaching in classes was regarding a surprising, yet beneficial, effect of doing yoga-that of building a strong foundation. I'm not only referring to a strong physical foundation that sets us up for more stable poses, but the more esoteric foundation upon which we live our lives.

I didn't realize this benefit when I first stepped onto the yoga mat. I was curious about what yoga was all about and remember that every pose sounded the same...blahblah-asana. Over time as my practice has unfolded, I have repeatedly experienced how the practice of yoga has kept me emotionally afloat. In the past, if I had an overstuffed schedule or an unexpected event occur I would physically (and emotionally) fall apart. As the foundation of my practice grew, so did my resilience to the unexpected. Instead of floundering and losing a sense of myself and that which centers me, I was kept afloat. Perhaps staggering and stumbling through it, but not crumbling...a big difference.

Recently, a dedicated yoga student of mine was facing major surgery. She has been doing yoga for at least four years and has attended three retreats. In addition to her practice, she used another tool of guided visualization, a CD created by my brother Ken and I, aimed specifically at preparing ourselves before undergoing any procedure or surgery. The day of her surgery, she was delayed approximately two hours and sent me an email to say...

"We're out on a lovely, shaded patio. I am about to tune back in to my Optimal Healing CD. Jayne, Thank You. It will be my prescribed therapy for anyone about to have or having had a surgical procedure. Calming, reassuring words, with just plain beautiful music."

This is the foundation I'm talking about. When we attend a yoga class it's as though we're sitting in a purposeful, comfortable and controlled lab. We begin to practice not only poses, but how to be centered in times that challenge us. When a pose gets challenging on the mat, what do you do? Leave? No...you find your breath, release as much tension as possible and hang in there. It's a relevant metaphor for life.

We practice yoga for so many reasons. One which is powerfully subtle, is that a consistent practice will build a foundation for our daily lives...all elements of it.

So why not try this week to lay another brick, another level, another floorboard...hop on a mat and get going!

Heart to Heart

2011-05-14T18:25:00.000-07:00

Have you ever had the experience where you are greeted by someone who gives you a hug and you're not sure if they meant it? You know, the one where they avoid eye contact, turn their head away, throw just one arm around you and keep at least six inches between the two of you? It's the hug that is the complete opposite to how a child who has missed you comes charging up to you, leaping into your arms and throwing themselves into a full on wrap around type of hug.

My thought for this week is around connection. The simple act of honoring the person standing opposite you. Now hugs aren't always appropriate and sometimes we simply don't wish to receive one. But I'm betting most of the time it's not the hug but the feeling of vulnerability that can often accompany physical contact.

A moment is felt when someone truly embraces us. For me, it's a feeling of being loved; of being supported; of surrender. It's allowing myself to let go into another persons arms without the need to control or judge the moment. It's when we soften our defenses and allow another person to communicate to us without words.

One of my teachers, Nischala Joy Devi, describes hugs as being the "pure connection of one heart to another". When you face someone and connect your heart centers you acknowledge and honor each other in a place of acceptance...even if it's for only a brief moment. It's as though you are saying "I see and honor the light in you and can connect to you on a level that isn't merely superficial"- in other words Namasté.

Having lived in both Australia and the USA, people greet others socially in slightly different ways. Aussies will often give a social kiss on the cheek (right cheek to right cheek, no hug). Americans will do the handshake or the slap on the back hug (no kiss on the cheek). And sometimes, people mix things up a bit in both countries depending on how well people know each other. An Aussie mate might throw in a bear hug and an American a peck on the cheek...whatever method, what is most important is the connection.

This past week I had a student return to class following the death of her husband. I gave her a big hug and welcomed her back to the class. To this she replied, "Thanks for the hug, I needed that. I can never get too many hugs."

So if in doubt, hug it out. It might touch someone in a place longing to be recognized.

Hip Hip Hooray!

2011-05-07T16:54:00.001-07:00

Often at the beginning of a yoga class I will ask students "What do you need from your practice today?" Sometimes this question is met with a small shrug of the shoulders or a comment of "whatever comes..." but often I hear students asking for poses that work on a cranky lower back or that open the hips.

My thought for this week is to chat about our hips. If you think about how our anatomy has evolved over thousands and thousands of years, we've become upright. Our hip and shoulder joints changed as we moved from four to two limbs. This transition alone meant that the front of our hip joints needed to open up and extend in order for our spine to find its way to be perpendicular to the earth. Thus, the distribution of our body weight put the weight bearing through our pelvis and legs.

Additonally, it is said that the hips and pelvis hold our emotional baggage. They become a dumping ground for unresolved issues...all the more reason to make peace with our hips.

It's no wonder that our hips can be a bit tricky-often tight and out of balance. The structure of our hip joint is a ball and socket being formed by the head of the femur into the concave space of our ilium. Our body's most powerful muscles are around the pelvis...the gluteals (our power house in the back), the quadriceps in the front thigh, hamstrings in the back thigh, our hip flexors lying deep within and our abbuctors and adductors that move the femur into and away from the mid-line.

With the low back settling itself via the sacrum right into the pelvic bowl, it's not surprising that they often have a cause/effect relationship. If our back is weak or tight, our hips suffer. If our hips lack strength or range of motion, our back compensates. You know the song...."the hip bones are connected to the back bone and the back bone's connected to the rib bone...". So, let's look at ways to keep our hips happy and living in harmony with its neighbors.

Avoid any sustained posture or positions. That includes sitting for hours on end without getting up or shifting in our chair, lying in bed (notice how we naturally toss and turn during sleep to interrupt the same held position) or standing for extended periods. If your job has you in one of these postures, learn ways in which to switch it up at least every 30 minutes.

Seated chair stretches are a worthwhile repertoire of movements. For example, place one ankle on the top of the other thigh, sit tall and let your knee open out wide. Lean forward with a long spine to enhance the stretch. Doing a seated cat/cow stretch (extending and flexing the spine) as well as simple seated twists help to interrupt sustained postures. Better still, get up and walk at any opportunity...to take a break, deliver a message, complete a task.

Yoga asana (postures) abound for opening the hips. To get a safe and full range of options, why not check out a class? I suggest during classes that in order to build a home practice to select just one pose per class and practice it for a week. You'll be amazed out how much you benefit and learn over a steady time frame.

And it might have you saying "hip, hip hooray" for your hips!

I Got Nothin'

2011-05-01T18:57:00.001-07:00

As I sat down to write this weeks message I had nothing. I was blank. Then I thought to myself...wow...isn't that the point? I'm trying to find nothingness everyday when I meditate and here I am, in the middle of the day, looking for something and all I got was nothing. And of course, that has now led me towards the thought for this week which has nothing to do with nothingness, but with layers of transition.

What I mean by layers of transition is our ever evolving understanding of something in particular. As an example, when you begin yoga, you are presented with many new ideas: breath awareness; staying present; poses. It can all seem a bit big and overwhelming...nothing subtle about it. But as we journey along our practice things that are initially unfamiliar begin to become more known as we peel away the layers of their complexity. We gain a subtle awareness that was lying within all along and it is time and persistent consistency that allows us to see things in greater detail.

This can be applied to anything...playing tennis, initially we just try to meet ball and racquet and as we progress we look to less obvious changes such as grip, spin and placement. The same can be said for any physical endeavor, intellectual pursuit or spiritual connection.

As we commit to any practice we can find ourselves in a deeper place that initially seemed unfathomable. So why not try this week, look to the next layer of discovery in whatever you're committed to doing...work, pleasure, relationship, nature or yoga. Go ahead...peel away another layer!

Change the Channel

2011-04-23T17:08:00.000-07:00

(Revised from April 2009)

One day I was in the gym beginning a workout with a client. As I stood next to her treadmill, one of the many TV's were on and the one in front of her was tuned to some news station. What I saw next, really hit me as a thought for the week. CHANGE THE CHANNEL! Even with the sound being turned off the TV, the images alone set a definite tone of fear, death and destruction. There were, count them, four images on the screen at the same time. I noted to my client that each one of them was about some terrific disaster. I then said, "what a great way to begin the week".

Our thoughts, images and words hold power.

If we don't have something to anchor us into a positive frame of mind, then the constant bombardment of negativity will lead us down a path of dis-ease and ill-health. I'm not suggesting that we become ostrich-like and bury our heads. What I'm saying is to stand firm in our connection to what is here and supporting us...Mother Earth and the greater universe. Perhaps we should be standing buried up to our ankles in the earth, grounding us into a fundamentally magnificent connection. Earth Day this past week was a timely reminder to do just that...connect.

My question to you this week is this. What do you do to practice keeping yourself in a positive and optimistic mind-set when we are challenged to think that the sky is falling?

Of course this connection leads me to the practice of yoga which has a set of guiding principles that keep us focused on the idea that if we look deeply inward and peel away obstructions we finds something quite simple. Love.

If you're curious and wanting to learn more...come to a class and step onto the path of yoga. It is so much more than lengthening muscles. It's expanding our consciousness and connections. I hope you enjoy a beautiful week!

Feet

2011-04-19T21:03:00.000-07:00

(This is a revised blog from 2009)

With the onset of spring here in the Northern hemisphere and the weather inviting us to spend more time outdoors has brought to the thought for this week.

Feet.

Think about the last time your feet actually touched earth. Soil. Dirt. Not concrete, tile, carpet, shoe-beds or socks. We live in a society that is smoothly paved for easier movement. We certainly notice potholes in our roads, but how often do we notice the actual earth under our feet?

Our feet connect us to the earth in the most primal way. We have a huge number of nerve endings in our feet and motion detectors within our joints to give us feedback on unstable ground. But from a yogic perspective, our feet are the reminder that we are supported by the earth-always.

I love the practice of standing barefoot and imagining that the soles of our feet are able to send energetic cables right into the middle of the earth. In return, the earth's energy travels back into our soles and through our body and out the crown of our head connecting us to the heavenly realms of infinite space. It's as though we are the conduit of this vital force simply by being in our body and walking upon the earth.

If you need to feel yourself in a amplified place of presence, kick off your shoes and walk barefoot in sand, soil or grass. Or really go crazy and get into gardening bringing this amazing tactile experience into your hands as well. That's right...I said it..."take off the gardening gloves and get some dirt under your nails". Not only will you connect to Mother Earth, but your soul will send a message of gratitude and remembrance.

31 Flavors

2011-04-09T14:19:00.001-07:00

You're at the store and you see the latest cover of Yoga Journal with a practiced yogini striking the perfect pose and you think...?

Some people might think, "Wow, that looks really hard. I could NEVER do yoga". Or, "Wow, that looks beautiful. I hope one day that I can strike that pose". Or, "I'd love to do yoga just because they wear such comfortable looking outfits". Or, "Wow...what the heck is that?".

When people say that they practice yoga, we often flash on the image that dons the cover of yoga magazines. We think of the flexibility that is often exhibited, how lean the yogi looks and what a physical undertaking it appears to be. But did you know that yoga has six systems?

Hatha
Raja
Bhakti
Jnana
Kriya
Karma

Hatha yoga is the umbrella term that covers all the different styles of yoga that are the mainstay of our yoga paradigm. Vinyasa, restorative, gentle, ashtanga, Anusara, Iyengar and Bikram are just a few of the types of classes you'll see on a typical yoga menu. Postures, breathwork and relaxation are the construct for many of these styles.

So, what are the other five systems?

Raja means royal and adds concentration after body and mind are cleansed and trained to stay calm and centered. It includes the eight-faceted path of yoga (yama, niyama, asana, pranayama, pratyhara, dharana, dhyana and samadhi).

Bhakti is the yoga of devotion. A new wave of enthusiasm has been expressed in the Western yoga world through the practice of kirtan (keer-tan), a call and response method of music and singing that opens the heart to the Divine. Music and yoga festivals have sprung up across the country, such as Bhakti Fest and Spring OMmersion that gather like minds in a celebration of music, yoga and dance. Check out the above link to the upcoming festival in Joshua Tree this April. This practice is not limited to kirtan, but is also the practice of selfless love, compassion, humility, purity and the desire and serious intention to merge with the Divine.

Jnana yoga is practical philosophy/metaphysics. It is both theory and practice. Jnana Yoga uses the intellect as a tool to understand that our true self is behind and beyond our mind. It is a quest for the self by direct inquiry into "who we are." It is, however, a mistake to think that the source could be found with the intellect alone. For the purpose of self-discovery, Jnana Yoga probes the nature of the self through the question: Who am I?

Kriya yoga is the yoga of action designed to rid the body and mind of obstructions. Kriya Yoga is a complete system including mantras, meditation, and other techniques towards controlling the life-force and bringing calmness and control over body and mind. These practices were the foundation of the Self-Realization Fellowship founded by Parmahansa Yogananda.

Karma yoga is the yoga of selfless service. It is the giving to others and the Divine without ego, attachment or expectation. Charity work is often a reflection of the practice of karma yoga.

(Reference: Zentrum Publishing's Self-Realization.com)

With so many items on the menu, which practice do you choose? As I have walked down this ever expanding path of yoga, I use the guidelines of Raja yoga to follow a lifestyle that encompasses the eight-faceted path. One of the main thrusts of yoga is to find what echoes within your own being. What is it that speaks to you? That feels right? Is it experiencing your body and breath through movement? Is it connecting to that deeper place within? Is it finding a sense of calm amid chaos? Or is it all of that?

Whatever it is...take that first step and begin to explore to find it.

Lag Time

2011-04-02T14:05:00.000-07:00

The practice of yoga is about enhancing our awareness and experiencing the connection between our body, mind and spirit. Many instances exist in which we experience this connection within the same moment.

We see the face of a golden retriever puppy and our heart melts. We have an argument with somebody and we feel our teeth clench, a tightness in our stomach and our shoulders rise. We get a phone call that we didn't get the job and we slouch forward and hang our heads. We catch an early morning sunrise that infuses light and color stretching across the sky and we have no words as our breath has been taken away.

Our senses perceive, our bodies react, our spirit soars.

But, when traumatic events happen all of these deeper connections might not occur simultaneously. We see the ravages of Mother Nature; a loved one passes away; we get a medical diagnosis that we weren't expecting; we lose our job; our beloved pet dies. In these moments of life that seem to hold unbearable challenges, we do what we need to do in order to get through it. We donate money, we volunteer, we grieve, we job hunt, we set a course of action.

My thought for the week is the idea that there is a lag time between traumatic events and their full unfolding. We get through the obvious but fail to recognize an undercurrent of emotional upheaval that comes with it. It may not even show up until days, weeks or months after the initial event. Here are a couple of examples of what I'm geting at...

My father passed away when I was 19 years old and I went through a tremendous grieving process at such an unexpected loss. Many years passed (24 in fact) when during a yoga training, I felt a different kind of grief over his death that seemed to arise from some deep place within my cells and soul. It was another layer of grief that had been stuffed down so deep, that it wasn't until years later that I was ready for it to surface and meet it face to face.

Another example is when my husband, Ed, had a heart attack in 2009. He went through the physical trauma of open heart surgery and recovery, yet it wasn't until we were in Australia some 4-5 months later that the emotional element of the event truly hit him.

With all this being said, the point is to always hold ourselves in a compassionate embrace. That the interwoven strength of our physical body, to our emotional/mental selves to our deeply held spiritual being cannot be denied, much less ignored. Our yoga teaches us to be with what is...whatever it is. To know that all feelings are valid and that healing on the different layers of our being takes time.

All of us are healing from something. Honor what it is and recognize that it is part of our human experience and there is no greater practice than the practice of love and compassion. Try it on yourself and see what happens.

The Sound of Silence

2011-03-26T14:12:00.000-07:00

Do you sleep with the TV on? The radio? Does your arm automatically reach out to find the perfect radio station, slide in a CD or plug in an iPod on your drive home? Do you feel uncomfortable when experiencing a pregnant pause in conversation?

We have become so accustomed to the inundation of noise that having a quiet soundscape at times can seem unbearable. It's as though the other forms of pollution get all the attention-food, soil, air, water (all worthy of our awareness) but it's not until we experience stunning silence that we recognize how noisy our lives can be.

Many practices exist that bring us into better relationship with silence. It is not uncommon for monks and renunciates to live in silence for extended periods of time, not speaking at all hence becoming better acquainted with the skills of deep listening. Of course, many of us would find that extreme but we can begin to lessen our noise by setting the intention to unplug at times throughout the day. Can you use opportunities such as sitting in a waiting room, in the car, whilst cooking dinner or being outside as times in which to not engage in any other noise than what is naturally occurring? This means not flipping through a magazine, reading your book or checking your email but simply to be as still as possible and observe.

Although I haven't intentionally spent extended periods in silent retreat, a daily meditation practice is a great place to experience not only being quiet but an opportunity to feel stillness. As we sit quietly, we begin to discover how much sound is present...our breath, our stomach gurgling, a distant plane flying overhead, the neighbors dog barking and birds tweeting make up the noise of a seemingly quiet sitting.

Two auspicious times to meditate during the day are in the pre-dawn hours and at dusk. Nature knows the changes of the day and transitions from inactivity to activity and back again in an unspoken, natural cycle. It is during these change-overs that the world seems to be at its most peaceful. As the external world begins to awaken, we can more readily tap into the awakening of our internal world...in relative silence, in stillness and peace.

A practice for this week is to simply notice how much noise permeates your daily living. See if you can turn the volume down or completely off for a few minutes and begin to open the doorway to your own internal dialogue. That alone can become quite loud so remember to focus on the subtle element of your breath, over and over again...

The Light Within

2011-03-19T17:26:00.000-07:00

What do birthdays, romantic evenings, no electricity and sacred services all have in common? These events are frequently marked by the lighting of one or many candles. We strike a match with its distinctive whooshing sound, hold our breath, move purposefully and hold our hand steady as we transfer the temporary light into a longer lasting flame.

Candles represent a significant moment in our day. Each morning, part of my meditation ritual is to light candles. It's a simple reminder of the light that is residing not only within my own heart, but within the heart of all beings.

With the Vernal equinox being tomorrow, March 20 in the northern hemisphere, we are stepping out of the winter darkness into the light of spring. Those in the southern hemisphere are doing the opposite and it's through the changes in our natural world of light and darkness that remind us that nature reflects the ebbs and flows of our own lives.

Moving from darkness into light is a metaphor often heard in spiritual circles. As we move into our own levels of deeper awareness, we slowly lift the veils of ignorance and bias. We become more light-hearted, the light goes off in our thinking and we see the world from a more illuminated perspective.

One method of meditation is a candle-gazing exercise, where you light a candle, sit quietly and with your eyes softly open, you simply focus on the flame. If you've never tried this...go dig through your cabinet and haul out any candle that's just been waiting to be lit.

You might have heard the word "Namasté" (nah-ma-stay) spoken at the end of a yoga class. It is said in response to one person bowing slightly and saying "Namasté" with the other person doing the same thing. I love this translation of the word:

The light in me,
sees and honors the light in you.
And when we are both in this place,
we are one.

And even when the light goes out in somebody's world, that eternal flame resides within the hearts of others. I bow to you who take the time to read my words and I dedicate this week's writing to a dear client who passed away this week. May you rest in peace, BSW, and know that your light lives on in not only my heart, but the heart of many.

Peace and Namasté

Do You Have A Pose For That?

2011-03-13T10:43:00.000-07:00

Many reasons exist why people step onto their yoga mat for the first time. They hear that yoga is great for increasing flexibility and reducing stress. They see their neighbor walking out to their car carrying a colorful rolled up mat wearing groovy and comfortable clothing and get curious. They hear that an NBA star was saying how much yoga has helped their back pain. They read in a weekly magazine about a celebrity touting how they keep their bodies lithe through practicing yoga. Oprah mentions its...

In our culture, most people perceive yoga as another form of exercise-that it's a physical practice with some side benefits and that's how most people step onto the path. It begs the questions, "Are we physical beings having a spiritual experience? Or are we spiritual beings having a physical experience?".

My thought for the week is around those very questions. Although we may be drawn to our mats for the physical benefits, we can't help but realize there's more to it that lengthening our hamstrings. The ancient teachings of yoga were from guru (teacher) to student, through an oral tradition in order to reach a deeper spiritual attainment. The poses (asana) were initially thought to be practiced in order for the practitioner to be able to sit more comfortably in meditation. Enlightenment didn't happen once your palms made it to the floor in a forward fold, but rather from moving to a deeper internal space, one that was disassociated with the physical self.

From this perspective we are definitely spiritual beings having a physical experience, that this embodiment was the vehicle to engage the physical world, the house to the soul. The physical is an important part of the journey, but it is only part of it. It is thought that we have five sheaths or layers, called the Maya Koshas that express our entire being.

Physical, breath, mental, higher consciousness and bliss are the five sheaths and we need to find balance in the outer three (body, breath and mind) before we can begin to tap into our deeper aspects of intuition, greater knowing and pure joy.

So when someone asked me recently, "Jayne, do you have a pose for losing belly fat?" I responded by saying that the pose is called "accept-asana".

When we look into another persons eyes, we don't see their belly fat...we see their heart and their soul.

What's Your Purpose?

2011-03-06T22:05:00.000-08:00

This past week the desert was fortunate to host the speaker Mimi Guarneri, M.D., a Cornell University trained cardiologist who established the Scripps Center for Integrative Medicine in San Diego. She has also authored the book, "The Heart Speaks" which describes not only her own, but her patients journeys to the connection of the heart from more of a non-medical perspective.

Aside from talking about the use of food as medicine and other lifestyle choices that can greatly impact our health (such as not smoking), Dr. Guarneri mentioned many other factors that contribute to a healthier way of living. This included having a purpose in life or as the yoga world calls it, your dharma.

Your dharmic path is more than what you do for a living. It's about what your soul's purpose is during this lifetime. Do you know why you're here now? Do you have a sense of your soul's purpose? We can begin to uncover the answer to these questions by asking ourselves:

"When I am serving the highest good, what am I doing?"

It could be the noble act of being an attentive parent, keeping a school district clean and functioning, teaching or working with animals. When we begin to feel as though we have a purpose, our health is better. If we feel disconnected to what is driving us on a deeper level, our being suffers on all levels. I truly believe it can take a long time to discover our purpose and many of us try different things to see how it resonates. The point is that we keep searching. If we have found our purpose then the point is that we keep doing.

I love the philosophical gems offered up in the Tom Hank's movie, "Forrest Gump". It's refreshing how Forrest's simplified perspective of life is full of so much wisdom. The one scene that sticks with me was when Forrest was standing at Jenny's grave...his lifelong "girl" and wife. This is what he said:

"Jenny.

I don't know if Mamma was right or if it's Lieutenant Dan.

I don't know if we each have a destiny

or if we're all just floatin' around accidental like on a breeze,

but I think maybe it's both.

Both happening at the same time."

It makes me think about my own life's purpose. How much of my energy is knowing my life's purpose and how much of my energy is spent just floatin' around accidental...I have to agree with Forrest. I feel my life has both elements that reflect living in the moment yet with purpose. Letting things unfold, yet living with intention. Letting go of having to do or be something and see where life carries me. To trust that my life will unfold as it's meant to unfold. I believe that my daily meditation practice has created the foundation on which my thoughts can rest with or without action...with or without noise...with my destiny in mind, or just floatin' accidental, like on a breeze.

Now go get yourself a "box of chocolates"...

The Lesson Lies Within

2011-02-26T18:33:00.000-08:00

Sometimes I get asked the question "Why do I keep attracting people/situations like this into my life?". Usually this question is posed when the asker of the question is confronted with something that is undesirable and/or challenging. Have you ever found yourself repeatedly living out familiar scenarios only to have the characters change? The familiar pattern of difficultly that pushes your buttons and sends you over the edge screaming, "Why does this always happen to me?"

We have repeated patterns of behavior, our inherent default program, that we step into time and time again. In the yoga framework these patterns or "brain ruts" are known as samskaras. It is thought that when we repeat the same choices we deepen these brain ruts. Over the years, these ruts become deeper and more established, until we recognize that we seek something to change. In order for the change to occur, we first need to be conscious of the behavior.

This is where our yogic path provides us with the many tools to begin to awaken to those beliefs and choices and allows us to ask the question, "Is this serving me? Is this supportive of who I am? Is this how I am choosing to be in the world?". Things won't change unless we choose them to do so. And this means that we have to pay attention to the sometimes very subtle cues that lead us into the same brain rut. We do have the power to create new samskaras by making consciously different choices.

More specifically we learn to pay attention to the quieter spaces in between all the noisy thoughts that crowd out intropsection. If we fill our days and nights with too many things to do or we clutter our minds with distractions of gossip, worry or attachment it makes it really difficult to recognize that our patterns, although familiar and falsely permanent, can be changed.

For example, take the driver who frequently displays road rage. They might be driving along and someone cuts them off or won't let them in. Wham...it's as if a switch has been flipped. They begin cursing, giving all others the clenched fist or "the bird" to help them feel vindicated. The "I'll show them" attitude might feel righteous in the moment, but what if every time somebody cuts them off or won't let them in, they react this way? Is that still serving them? Are they choosing to live their lives from a place of anger? And does it trickle into other scenarios so the person who has 16 items in the 15 item express lane triggers the same reaction?

Yoga teaches us to look at the lesson that lies within. It teaches us to ask the question, "Why do I react this way?" and "What is this teaching me?" For the road rager, the answer might be that the reaction is not about other drivers but by some unfulfilled need in another aspect of their lives. That they have issues around anger and that their practice is one of patience and compassion.

When we're faced with greater challenges such as natural disaster, the death of someone close or tough economic times we can ask the same questions rather than stepping into the familiar of "Why me?" and ask, "Why not me? What am I meant to learn from all of this?"

OK grasshoppers...see what lessons are lying within you this week?

The World Turned Upside Down

2011-02-20T10:46:00.001-08:00

It seems that over the past few weeks the world is being turned upside down and inside out...turmoil abounds in Egypt, Bahrain, Wisconsin...you can't help but think, is all this uncertainty and change a good thing?

Putting a yoga twist on the subject the idea of turning upside down is a very good thing. Yogic philosophy teaches that one thing is for certain: nothing is permanent. Everything is in transition. We might try to create the illusion of stability and security by having things line up somewhat predictably, but inevitably all things change. What this teaches us is to first, know that "this too, shall pass". Secondly, it reminds us to stay focused in the present moment...not to leap ahead into what is yet to unfold or ruminate on what has already happened. If we can practice being more in the present moment, life suddenly seems to be less overwhelming.

So how do we experience and practice being in the present moment? And how do we do it when things are seemingly facing the "wrong" direction?

We experience it by particular poses that keep us in the present moment. Inversions and balancing poses are especially effective in doing this. Try this and see what happens for you:

Stand on one leg and focus on one single point out in front of you. What happens when you're in this pose and you start thinking about your latest challenge or concern? Do you stay centered or do you topple over? If someone else is with you, can each of you stand on one leg at the same time and hold a conversation without hopping about the room? The simple act of focusing on ONE thing brings us more into the present moment. It narrows our ability to multi-task, keeping us in the NOW.

To turn your own world upside down placing your head below your heart works wonders. A simple inversion is to bend forward with your forearms on a chair, feet a comfortable width apart, knees slightly bent, head resting on your arms and your eyes closed. When we were in elementary school, we would "rest" with our heads on our crossed arms on our desks...withdrawing into ourselves and turning the volume down on the outside world.

If you're a more experienced yogi/yogini other beneficial inversions include: legs up the wall, supported shoulder stand, handstand, headstand, wide legged forward fold or hanging on your inversion table/chair. When we invert our physical body it calms and cools our brain's activity, enhances our immune system through stimulating the movement of our lymph, lowers our blood pressure and feels amazing.

So as our larger world seems to be turning itself upside down and inside out...why don't we do the same thing? Not only will it do us physical good, but part of life is being able to see the world from a different perspective.

Try it out and see if you can hang out upside down!

Are You A Brute or A Lover?

2011-02-12T21:22:00.000-08:00

Valentine's Day is upon us and so have been the seemingly endless prompts to shower our sweeties with goodies. Perhaps you take the time to honor your loved one(s) on this day but my thought for the week is what do you do to honor and love YOU?

It seems selfish to turn the focus onto ourselves and I'm not talking about the "it's all about me, tell me what do you think about me" type of attention. What do you do to truly nourish yourself on all levels of who you are...body, mind and spirit?

Can you bring to mind somebody in your life who really pushed you to do more and be more? The person who had the nickname of "the drill sergeant", "Genghis Kahn" or "G.I. Jane"? Perhaps you've seen celebrity personal trainers on their knees with contorted expressions pounding the gym mat and screaming at the reality show contestant to "give it all you've got...more, more, more...".

Or does your drill sergeant live inside of you and masquerade as your own personal self-critic? That voice that is telling you to do more and be more because you're not good enough and you'll never amount to anything.

Either way, the inner or outer brute doesn't necessarily yield better results. A recent study showed that people who were self-loving and compassionate were able to change whatever behavior they were focussing on better than those who called on the unforgiving, "push them till they drop" person to act as motivation.

What? Self-talk that is compassionate and not harsh? That seems nearly impossible! Well...it is impossible if you never practice speaking kindly to yourself. To understand change we need to understand that love is greater than everything and making ourselves feel belittled and lousy will likely lead to burn out along our own evolutionary path.

If you have a goal, coach yourself as a loving parent would speak to a child when learning something new...say "good on ya" or "yay for me" more frequently. Berating ourselves simply feeds the cycle of low self-esteem. Once you begin to hear the "drill sergeant" pipe up, notice who it is and ask them to keep the noise down. Breaking the cycle of beating up on ourselves begins with awareness and grows into understanding not only how human we are, but also how amazing we are.

Now that you're nicer to you...you'll be nicer to others as well. Try it out and let me know how it goes!

The Drive To Do

2011-02-06T10:34:00.000-08:00

As this weekend approached I was gleefully anticipating all the free time that lay awaiting. I had no plans. I didn't have to be anywhere at any particular time. I had visions of spending the day in my PJ's, lounging on the chaise as I sipped tea and read my book or lazily dozed off into a wee cat nap. What bliss. No "to-do" list.

And as the weekend loomed even closer, I thought I'd just say yes to one or two invites from friends...simply because I have all of this free time, what's the harm in adding in a social event or two? And now, as I sit and write this (still in my PJ's) I have this strong sense that I need to be doing more. I have the opportunity to sort through my closet, to dig through those books that no longer are of interest, to bake gluten-free bread, head to the farmer's market, get a pedicure, meet another friend for a movie or lunch, begin to organize my taxes, groom the dogs, re-decorate my husband's office and hell, why not...begin to learn how to knit!

What happened to the bliss? To the "not-doing" that seemed so inviting and simple?

My thought for the week is how it takes time to unplug. Have you ever gone on a vacation and it takes three days before you can even begin to relax and then the vacation is almost over? If we are always doing, accomplishing and getting things done then the concept of doing little is completely foreign. It doesn't feel right or justified to not do anything, so we keep our lives filled with things to distract us from stillness. Is it an unconscious fear that if we get too quiet all of the stuff we crammed down into ourselves will begin to percolate to the surface and that's a whole new kettle of fish to deal with that we're not quite ready to face?

My suggestion is to not wait until we have obvious breathing room, but to engage in moments of stillness, quiet, reflection, of simply doing nothing every day. It's as though we need to develop a habit of being ok with less...doing less, thinking less, earning less, buying less, talking less, eating less. Can we get comfortable with simply being who we are in THIS moment?

OK...so, now I'm going to simply breathe and crumple up my list of to-do's and throw the ambitious weekend out the window. I think I'll be happy to keep it simple and stick with the original plan of just a couple of things and let the rest unfold.

Wish me luck!

Seeking Sleep

2011-01-29T18:43:00.000-08:00

It's been a full week of working our annual tennis tournament. Up at 5:15 am most mornings, home somewhere between 6-8:30 pm for six days straight and then onto a somewhat lighter schedule for the weekend of finals.

It's a week where I feel that I "power through it" and at some point during the week, I hit the wall. Having run the tournament for six years now, I've come to expect the impact. What I've also come to learn is to respect what it means...staying with my yoga practice to keep me calm, energized and able to endure. That's not to say that moments don't pop up that I want to scream or collapse, but I've been using my yoga tools all week.

I have continued my morning meditations, packed healthy snacks for the day and brought along two yoga blocks to open my chest and stretch my back during moments of relative quiet (that are sometimes infrequent...but they exist). I also take a deep breath when confronted with someone who challenges me, try to make eye contact with people as I greet them at the desk and feel gratitude that so many people want to be part of this event.

One of the most beneficial practices is getting to bed early and getting the sleep I need to fuel me throughout the long days. It takes discipline and organization to do it, but the pay off is noticeable.

And that leads me to my thought of the week...it's bedtime!

2011-01-23T08:29:00.001-08:00

A view of the local San Jacinto mountains from Mission Hills Country Club, home to the Babolat World Tennis Classic.

This week we are hosting the Babolat World Tennis Classic, a large event seeing some of the best senior tennis players from across the country in action.

This annual event has grown in size since its inception but one thing has remained constant; the need for volunteers to assist in the running of the event.

My thought for the week is around those who donate their time and energy to helping others, whether it be for a tennis tournament, for charity or during a disaster, such as the recent floods in Australia. A few people may be recognized as the organizers or directors, but it does take a village of people for things to run smoothly.

I hold a deep sense of gratitude to all the people who step up this time of year and assist in making our tennis tournament possible. I have always held a strong sense of independence. So strong, that asking for help from someone else was always difficult as I felt it was either a weakness of mine or an imposition on someone else.

The great lesson that our volunteers have taught me over the past seven years is that THEY get enjoyment out of the process as much as I need their helping hands.

I try to apply this idea outside of the annual tournament in allowing myself to ask for help when I need it, and in asking others to help in relation to causes that are more dramatic or emergent than tennis. It IS ok to not be superwoman and able to do it all by myself. Besides, that can get lonely...

Thank you many times over to all who support us, now and throughout the year. We really couldn't do it, without you.

Cleaning Up Our Act

2011-01-15T17:56:00.000-08:00

It seems that with the onset of the new year, I keep hearing the word cleanse, not only in conversation but in the media as well. It's almost as though the volume on cleaning out our own systems is really loud at the moment...has this always been the case?

My thought for the week is how the idea of needing to undergo cleansing is so intertwined with many other fibers. As our awareness around illness not only to people but to the planet grows, we begin to look at what's making us sick. Why are water filtration systems everywhere? Why are there more kids with autism and behavioral disorders? Why is it that one out of two men and one out of three women will have some form of cancer diagnosis in their life? Why are green apples in the supermarket so shiny?

As one tries to make sense of, and answer, these often overwhelming questions, many people point to toxicity in our environment. Our food is only as good as our soil. If the soil lacks nutrients then so does the food that grows in it. We are dumping tons of waste and chemicals into our environment on a daily basis. Where does it go? For many of us, the awareness is limited to once it leaves our hands, we have no idea where it goes. If we have unused pharmaceuticals from a surgery that we no longer need and toss it in the trash can...what happens to it? If we use bleach to erase an unsightly stain, does the bleach create an environmental stain somewhere else down the line?

In our quest to provide food to more people, chemicals are added to slow down the deterioration process. The same applies to chemicals we put in ourselves via Botox or other "anti-aging" compounds. They are simply different forms of preservatives.

With our communities becoming toxic waste dumping grounds in the most subtle ways, it's no wonder that the conversation circles back to the idea of cleansing.

So what does cleansing look like? Here are some simple things to begin bringing into our awareness:

1. Movement. By moving our bodies as we are meant to (we evolved by being ambulatory) our internal systems function as they are supposed to. Our heart beats, pumping blood throughout the body carrying nutrients and oxygen. Our lungs exchange vital gases. Our immune carrying lymphatic system is activated. Our tissues, muscles, ligaments and bones carry, bend, extend, compress and stretch helping them to maintain their natural integrity.

2. Food. Clean water is vital for optimal health as are nutritionally viable food sources. Cleansing from this perspective can range from partial fasting (to give the digestive system a reprieve), to eliminating alcohol, sugar, caffeine, gluten, meat and dairy for one or more consecutive days allowing the body to re-calibrate.

3. Environment. Gravitate towards natural and organic cleaners for all surfaces...floors, countertops, clothes, body, face etc. Mindfully dispose of items that are difficult for the environmental landfill to digest (paint, oil, medication, plastic, glass).

4. Breathe. Our breath is the connector between our inner and outer physical environments. Obviously, smoking and air pollution challenge our ability to always take a fresh breath. What does that mean to you? Quit smoking? Drive less?

5. Relax. My final point is to do what you can. Small things add up to big differences. If all of us increased our awareness just a little bit, our need to cleanse our systems might become an easier thing to do.

As my Mom used to say, "now...go clean up your room!" Thanks Ma!

Community

2011-01-09T10:01:00.001-08:00

When I was studying yoga therapy at Ananda Seva in Santa Rosa, California I had a conversation with the 22-year old son of the couple that ran the center. He was teaching yoga classes at the local community college and I asked him, "How many people do you get coming to your classes?". He replied, "Oh it can get up to 40 people a class...not always, but that's not unusual." I then said, "Wow...I'm happy if I have four people in my class. It would be so much easier if I were teaching yoga in a community where it seems like everyone is doing some form of yoga."

And then I realized that perhaps part of walking my yogic path was to build a yoga community in my own small city where golf and tennis are king.

It's been a long building process. At times I have sat on my mat at the front of an empty yoga studio waiting for a student to arrive. I felt sorry for that first person that walked through the doors as I would be like a hyper zealous used car salesperson and pounce on them..."HI! How are you? Welcome! Can I help you set your mat up? I'm Jayne....blah, blah, blah".

The wonderful thing about being part of this growing experience is that since yoga isn't just a physical practice, people can stay connected to it through conversation, the Internet, thought, reading and breathing. As you read this weekly e-newsletter, you are participating in this community. If you take even one fully conscious breath, you are breathing with intention as are the millions of other yogis throughout the world.

The importance of being part of community is well known. The communities of The Blue Zones (Lessons For Living Longer From People Who've Lived the Longest by Dan Buettner), are people living vibrant lives well into their 80's, 90's and 100's and are part of a bigger community. Common denominators include: vigorous physical activity, spiritual connection, a largely plant-based diet and social engagement. Sounds similar to the intentions of a yogic-based practice. It does take a village to support our wellness on all levels and with our world facing seemingly insurmountable challenges nothing could be more powerful than a collective consciousness of positive intention and peace.

So thank you for being part of this growing community and staying connected to this vital and expanding social network. Simply by being part, not only are you helping to make the world a better place, but the quality of your own life will truly be enriched.

Pass it on. Pay it forward. Keep the ripple expanding outward.

Resolution Time...Again.

2011-01-02T16:38:00.000-08:00

I've already heard the words being spoken, those words that seem fundamental towards the end of each calendar year. "In January, I'm going on a diet! That's my resolution..."

When we make a resolution, we are making a promise to ourselves with the intention of doing something that yields change, generally in the direction of self-improvement. The fitness industry banks on us making these promises and anticipates the January onslaught of new member enrollments. They often will tempt us with a great deal for the entire year and in actual fact, know that a large percentage of the new members will stop attending within a few months. If people were able to hold onto their desire for change as of January 1, there would be more people than gyms could manage.

Why is it that we have such great intentions only to realize a few weeks later we've lost our way?

My thought for the week is to offer ourselves more compassion when trying to make a change. It is said that permanent change takes anywhere between 21-30 days to take hold. That translates into it taking time. We often lose our way because we become impatient with the process and perhaps don't see any change in the time we expect.

Change also takes conscious and consistent choice and practice. If we want to create a new way of being or doing, we need to practice it over and over again. You know, try it on. See how it fits. We need to shift the unfamiliar feeling to a familiar one and that takes repetition.

One of my favorite sayings is, "consistency is the key". If we go to a yoga class randomly, then what we get out of it will likely be momentary. If we want to invite a more centered way of living into daily life, we have to create ways of doing that...DAILY! The magic happens in the doing.

So if you are thinking about making a resolution I would suggest being clear on ONE thing. Design a plan that fits into your life and stick with it, without excuse, interruption or hesitation for at least a month. Avoid the trap of letting what you would like to shift, move down your list of priorities. Keep it in the top position until you feel that it's embedded--like brushing our teeth every day.

And if now isn't the time, then go easy on yourself and ask the inner critic to keep the noise down. In this moment, we are all as we should be; beautiful, unique beings with nothing that needs to be fixed.

Center your awareness into the middle of your heart, breathe into that space deeply and notice how incredible you are!

Happy New Year and may 2011 hold peace, growth, good health and deep joy for all of us.

Simplicity

2010-12-26T16:17:00.000-08:00

All Lined Up

2010-12-19T18:15:00.000-08:00

It's all lines this week...everything is lined up in perfect order. I'm not talking about the last minute holiday gift lines or those standing in a queue at the supermarket or post office.

Think bigger. Think cosmic.

Late on Monday night, December 20 and into the first hours of December 21 in the Northern hemisphere is the Winter Solstice. Not only that, it is also a complete lunar eclipse. Not only that, it's the first time in some 25,000 (yes, thousand) years that things are SO lined up with the galactic plane, the winter solstice and a lunar eclipse that some Vedic astrologers are saying..."woo hoo! We're in for a doozy!".

I know I wrote about stargazing a couple of weeks back and how miniscule it can make a person feel. But this is a bit different. It is thought that our cosmic energies of the body (represented by the earth), the mind (represented by the moon) and our spirit (represented by the sun) are in a uniquely harmonious state of being in the right place at the right time. "For what?", you might be asking...

Simply put - Transformation.

It's an opportunistic time both in the astronomical and astrological realms. In our lifetime, it's as though we won't have a better time to connect, to feel, to experience our greater wholeness, our own divinity than on this particular night. It's as though the cosmos has given us an invitation to go to the ball where the most beautiful things will be present. But that space isn't going outward, it's about turning inward.

Now, more than ever, is a pristine time to engage in reflection and meditation. During this brief period of the sun, earth and moon lining themselves up, we as a smaller reflection of the bigger picture too, can line ourselves up. What to do? I've just begun my meditation practice, or I don't have one...yikes! Will I miss it?

No. It's there for all of us. It's here for every being to take a moment to connect their breath to their heart. To connect the soles of their feet to the earth. To connect their eyes to the skies. Step outside Monday night and get up close and personal to something better than waiting in line at the Nordstrom's Semi-Annual sale.

It might just touch something deep inside. Go on...step outside!

Are You Health Un-Conscious?

2010-12-11T15:13:00.000-08:00

The simple matter that you're reading this blog likely reveals the answer to my question of, "are you health un-conscious"? In fact, you are likely to be a person who is seeking to deepen their consciousness around their health and may use regular reading about enhancing wellness as part of that process.

Last weekend we went to a restaurant that neither my husband nor I had been to more than once. As I scanned the menu looking for things to suit my choice around how I was about to nourish myself, I realized that the number of options suddenly became quite narrow. I was seeking a light, fresh green salad with some interesting bits thrown in, hopefully something in season like persimmon or toasted pecans and anything else that didn't have gluten in it. Oh, and it had to be vegetarian preferably leaning towards the vegan side.

Once our server came to the table, I began my usual barrage of questions about how things are prepared and what's in it. I've come to learn over the years that what's written and what arrives are often poles apart from what was in my imagination...so, I ask for clarification. I settled on one of their salad choices without the meat and without the croutons and enjoyed the meal.

As the server was clearing our luncheon plates, she said "you seem health conscious...are you even interested in the desert menu?" What was striking to me was the thought that flashed into my brain- "isn't everyone health conscious?" Does asking for a salad without croutons begin to slide you into the "health (nut) conscious category?

Perhaps I'm not the typical patron of such restaurants, but I'm certainly not an exception to the constant bombardment of media images telling us how to improve our lives through "losing the belly fat" or "10 lbs in 3 days" or "finding the perfect little black dress" type headlines. They are gracing the cover of just about every magazine. If you add in the recent news headline that kids won't live as long as their parents most likely because of the growing obesity and diabetes numbers, you begin to wonder how can we all not be at least a tiny bit health conscious...at least health-curious.

And if not, why not?

Are we in such a state of denial that we are choosing to ignore these seemingly obvious health challenges? Are we so disconnected from our deeper selves to no longer have the awareness that our body, mind and spirit are inextricably intertwined? Are we unable to pay attention because we're distracted by the deeper issues simply because we're trying to get through each day with food, any food, on the table? Faced with economic struggles does it seem a waste of time to "indulge" ourselves into a deeper place of recognizing what nourishes us?

To all of these questions, I have no real answers. All I sense is that we are facing an underlying issue of being pulled so far out of our awareness from our inner needs by extraneous decoys, that asking for a crouton-free salad labels me as being health conscious.

Perhaps this is why the gravitational pull towards yoga has increased its popularity and growth in the U.S. Perhaps people feel the need for digging a bit deeper and recognize that yoga and it's 5000 year old tools are a solid foundation for beginning this exploration.

Get curious about what living a health conscious life feels like...go ahead...let me know how it goes. And maybe, we can go out and grab a crouton-free salad to celebrate!

Starry, Starry Night

2010-12-04T15:21:00.000-08:00

We all have stars in our eyes...all beings on this planet have had the opportunity to look at the same stars in the night sky ever since we've walked the earth.

I was inspired last weekend when we spent an evening in Borrego Springs at a star gazing party (Borrego Springs is east of Palm Springs and a designated "dark sky" area). As I sat on our blanket with the dogs snuggled against my legs, I listened to astronomer, Dr. Jim, talk about the thousands of celestial bodies populating the dome of my vision. We watched Orion and his belt rise over the eastern horizon and located it's nebulae. We looked with our naked eyes and them through high powered telescopes for a completely different image.

As you sit in the night's darkness, you can actually see the stars twinkle. The same stars and planets that have been seen by Gandhi, Magellan, Cleopatra, Pythagoras and Galileo. The same sun and moon that can be seen by my friends in the Southern hemisphere within the same 24-hour period.

How many things can people in two different hemispheres see in the same day simply by standing outside and without the use of technology?

Starry nights, speckled with planets give us a different perspective of how much time we have in this embodiment. We are born, travel the journey of our existence and then transition out of this physical body, but the stars, moon and sun are eternal.

We honor these natural phenomena in yoga to keep in perspective how we are connected to something not only bigger than us, but within all of us. We salute both the sun and moon in an embodied physical prayer of asana as a way of bowing down to their magnificence.

When we connect to that amazingly divine and perfect energy of the sun, stars, moon and planets something deep within our hearts is ignited. Not only can I experience a sense of awe as I look into the dark night sky, but I can sense the same thing within my own being.

Step into the sunshine. Feel the warmth penetrate not only into your skin, but deeper into your spirit. Gaze into the night sky and recognize that the light that is within us also completely surrounds us.

And The Winner Is...

2010-11-27T13:07:00.001-08:00

This morning I was thinking about what yoga means to me and how that can differ from a generalized view held by our Western population. When people ask the question, "what is yoga and what do you do?" I begin by saying that from my perspective, it's not a short answer. That the root of the word yoga is "yug" meaning "to yoke, to bring together". The practice of yoga is a method for bringing into balance our body, mind and spirit.

This comment often draws a blank stare and is sometimes followed by the question, "yes...well...what do you actually do? What does that really mean?".

Keeping to the long winded answer theme, I can tell you what it doesn't mean. It's not simply another form of exercise. It often gets thrown on the menu of choices between a spinning class, body pump and Zumba. The fitness industry has added it to their list of classes to broaden their appeal and offer more "mind-body" options. Dedicated yoga studios will often have a different slant with a variety of yoga styles on offer-Vinyasa, Anusara, Asthanga, Iyengar, restorative, gentle, Yin and any other hybrid or lineage that seems appealing to the audience, but all have their roots planted in the yogic traditions.

I also firmly believe that yoga is not competitive. I have heard of so and so being a "World Yoga Champion" which causes me to slightly recoil as I have a difficult time understanding how the words "yoga" and "world champ" go together. Is a world yoga champ simply somebody who is really good at doing yoga tricks? If they win, do they become "the enlightened one"?

It's like saying that the Queen of England is the "World Royal Champion". Sounds somewhat ridiculous as she was born into her role and didn't enter a competition to see if she would bring home the title. It's an inherent part of being a royal...not something that you enter a contest to win. She just is Queen. That's it. (She's really good at being Queen. Better than any of the other competitors).

We practice yoga as a way to deepen our own awareness and connect to our inner selves. The physical part of doing postures (asana) and breath work (pranayama) are inherent in the practice but only represent a thin slice of the whole pie.

The entire practice of yoga is a complete entity. We don't need to go outside of ourselves to benefit from the practice. We need to be guided along the path, taught what to do and how it can be part of keeping our lives in optimal balance, but it's more deserving than simply being whittled down to an exercise option.

People are neither good or bad at yoga. If you can breathe, you can do yoga. I'm here to squash the rumor that you have to be flexible to do yoga. We simply practice yoga. That's it.

Robert Butera, MDiv, PhD recently wrote that in India "it's assumed that if you decide to do yoga that it's a lifelong commitment, not meaning that more people are apt to practice it, but that they have a basic understanding of Yoga as a path to enlightenment" ("Yoga Therapy in Practice". Yoga Therapy: East-West Synthesis. IAYT Journal - No 20 (2010) pp. 83-85).

In the West the current image is of a health-conscious woman in form-fitting clothes with a designer mat and bag on her way to class. A class might be the only time in her week that she practices yoga. I'm not placing judgment on the fact that this is our go-to image. I'm simply saying that yoga as a tradition has been passed along for thousands of years. Any doorway that somebody steps through to get onto his/her mat is one that can lead to a greater understanding of our connection to ourselves, others and this planet. It can be through the yogic practices of postures, devotion, meditation, service, breathing or all of it.

And The Winner Is....

All of us who choose to step onto our mats.

Make A List

2010-11-20T15:31:00.000-08:00

I don't know about you, but life seems a bit easier and more organized when I write things down. I figure that by putting it on paper (or in my iPhone) that my brain has more neuron space for things that I would actually like to remember, like a concept that I'm teaching in class that week rather than needing to remember to pick up organic beets at the store.

With Americans celebrating the Thanksgiving holiday this upcoming week, it's a great time to reflect. It's a time to recognize all that we are grateful for and to slow down, be with family and partake in the long tradition of creating and sharing a meal representative of abundance and prosperity.

But I think another way of expressing gratitude is to make a JOY list. Joy can often seem like something that we strive for, but is truly something that surrounds us constantly. As we acknowledge the seemingly smaller things that give us joy, we begin to feel as though we have so much to be thankful for.

As a practice, start a list with the header: "What brings me joy?". If that word doesn't work, then try inserting something such as "What lights a spark in my heart?". "What instantly brings a smile to my face?".

Keep it simple and small. We don't have to aim for grandiose occasions, but everyday, moment to moment happenings. Things on my joy list include:

1. Being greeted by my dogs the moment I come home
2. Seeing my husband's name on caller ID
3. Finishing a good book
4. Consciously slowing down and taking a deep breath
5. Lighting incense
6. Brewing chai tea
7. Seeing a yoga students evolution
8. Hearing great music
9. Saturday morning
10. Sunrises and Sunsets
11. Seeing a spectacular rose as it begins its bloom
12. Wrapping myself in a pashmina
13. Climbing into freshly laundered sheets
14. Taking a bath
15. Feeling the sun's warmth on my skin
16. Moving freely in my body
17. Talking with my brother

and...and...I feel as though I could go on and on...

The simple act of beginning to write this list has left a smile on my face and looking to all that I have in my life. As a result, I feel so incredibly fortunate and excited to be having each and every moment.

As we stop to say thanks this week, perhaps starting on your list will give it a deeper and surprisingly different meaning.

Now...paper, pen/pencil or iPhone ready?

Begin....

Musical Memories

2010-11-13T17:34:00.000-08:00

The other day I was icing down after my physical therapy appointment. It's a way to chill out, both literally and figuratively. My body is all wrapped up, ice bag snugly fitting over my shoulder, knees and feet elevated. My therapist places a a heating pad over my abdomen because he knows I tend to get too cold during my "chill out" sessions. Music is usually playing in the background and sometimes I pay attention, other times not so much. Since the ice is on for 12 minutes, I am guaranteed time to do nothing at least twice each week.

This past visit a tune came on the radio by a well-known Australian artist, Tina Arena with the song called "Sorrento Moon". I recognized it immediately and found it unusual to be hearing an Aussie songstress belting it out in my American desert oasis as she's not one who made it big in the American music market.

I've written about music a few times before in my weekly thought so it's not a new or unfamiliar theme. What was striking this time around was how I was immediately transported and transformed for the few minutes that the song played. I closed my eyes, tapped my feet and as Tina sang the lyric:

"I sang your praises daily
And we let ourselves get swept away"

and I was...swept away.

Lying wrapped in ice, I reflected on Sorrento, a beachside town on the southeastern part of Port Philip Bay, where we used to go to get out of the big city of Melbourne. Nearby was the landmark Portsea pub a great place to grab lunch and swim near the pier.

I was taken back to how Tina Arena started as a star on a show called "Young Talent Time" and grew from being a young vocal ingenue into a more sensual pop icon (much to the stunned bewilderment of many older fans). Her voice formed her career as well as created a filebox of my own memories.

So what's this got to do with yoga?

Music is another way we connect to our deeper selves. It's a channel not only of vibration and mantra repetition, but a way of expressing emotion. Think of your favorite movie soundtrack and how evocative it is even without any visual images. It's because we create our own feelings and inner images simply through hearing sound that truly strikes a chord within us.

As we continue along our path, we have our own soundtracks. We have music and songs that take us back to certain parts of our experience yet also provide a secure anchor when situations challenge us. Music can be a way to center ourselves, calm raging thoughts and evoke a feeling that everything will be alright.

How many times have you used music to make yourself feel better? Do you have an iTunes play list that lights your inner spark? If not...time to get busy writing your own musical score for your life and play it LOUD!

Rock On!

All Plugged Up

2010-11-07T10:32:00.000-08:00

Ever feel the need to get things moving? Living with stagnation and the feeling of being blocked can leave us feeling tired and uninspired.

As I journey down the yogic path, my awareness around how energy moves (or doesn't move) through us has grown as well as how it can greatly affect how we feel. When we have blockages as in our nasal passages, we can blow our nose, use a Neti pot or medication to unplug us. If it's the arteries of our heart, we have angioplasty, stents and bypass surgery (if altering our lifestyle hasn't changed it). If our digestion is backed up we've got all sorts of methods to get things moving again.

But what about if we have an "energy clog"? Then what? And how do we know if we have one? I'm not referring to the pep and vigor kind of energy, but the more subtle non-visible feelings of being more than simply a physical body. Most people have a sense of their own "energetic" field. In the New Age sense it might be known as your aura or in yoga, as one of the five koshas (energetic layers of our being). If this all sounds a bit "woo-woo" to you, how does it feel when somebody you've never met is standing just that bit too close to you? Does it feel welcoming and full of ease? Or, does it make you want to take a step back? That's the kind of energy I'm talking about.

The movement of this energy outside of us and throughout the universe is called Prana. When this energy flows into, through and out of us it's also called prana but with a lower case "p". Within the practices of yoga, pranayama is the practice of altering how we feel through engaging in breathing practices.

So, back to the original thought...how do we know if we're blocked and how do we get things going again?

Instead of intellectualizing it we need to move it. Get out and move your body-reach for the sky, dance, walk, hike, bicycle, grab a racquet or club, wrestle with your dog, play with your kids or get your hands dirty in the garden.

Engage with your breath either through physical activity or through consciously connecting to it with full attention for a few minutes. Singing out loud (whether in the shower, chorus, at home or in the car) helps us to regulate our breathing, clear our lungs, connect to our chords and voice.

In a more sublte way think of something that has been of concern for you lately. Perhaps making a payment, hearing about a friends who's unwell or an upcoming meeting that will likely be confrontational. Close your eyes and think about your particular concern. Try to keep your breath even and smooth. Do you feel any sensations within your body when thinking about this situation? Where? How would you describe the feeling? Does it have a shape, texture or color? If so, see if you can visualize shrinking it down to a size that fits within your next inhale and exhale it out of your body. It might take a few attempts to get it moving out of you.

Our bodies are a reflection of our emotional and spiritual selves. If we are challenged by things that are stressful, they will show up in your body...you can't hide from it. But you can alter it, move it and free up that clog giving it no chance to fester into something bigger.

Time for a cleansing? Begin with focusing on your breathing. Move your body. Think joy.

It's cheaper and probably more fun than a colonic!

Too Many Pumpkins

2010-10-30T21:05:00.000-07:00

When I was in elementary school, probably in the second grade, my class took a trip to the pumpkin patch. We loaded onto the big yellow school bus with the words "Timber School District" on the side in big black letters and slid our young bodies onto the smooth vinyl seats. I, like many of my classmates, was excited to be heading to the pumpkin patch as I had a fistful of money crammed into my "tough skin" jeans. It felt as though I had been given more than the usual field trip amount of spending money and I was ready to spend it.

I couldn't take my time to check out the many rows of pumpkins. It's not something that you can do at a leisurely pace as all the other kids are doing the same thing and they might find that perfect pumpkin before you...so, I had a sense of urgency to find the perfect orange orb.

It must have been my day as I came across not one, but two beauties. Plus, I had the cash to buy both and didn't have to undergo the agonizing process of picking just one.

We loaded ourselves and our pumpkins back onto the bus and headed home. I felt so excited as to what faces I could carve and sat dreamily bouncing along on our journey back to the school yard.

It was after regular school hours when we returned and soon I found myself feeling like I was the only one left in the parking lot. I didn't have anyone meeting me as I always walked to and from school. With great desire and determination, I picked up both pumpkins, one slung in each hand and began to walk home. It was at the end of the parking lot that I realized my desire had overcome my common sense. I wanted TWO pumpkins and my arms only could carry one.

Upon realizing this, I sat on the corner and began to cry. I had two glorious pumpkins that I had chosen out of thousands and now I had the dilemma of carting them six blocks home. What would I do? Roll them down the hill? Carry one, kick the other? Leave one behind (unthinkable!). With great determination and intermittent whimpering, I hauled the giant veggies home. It took me longer than I can remember having to stop frequently along the way. But I did it despite that hugely uncomfortable feeling of holding WAY more than you can carry.

My thought for the week is...are you still carrying around too many pumpkins? Is there something that you can let go of? Is it possible to ask ourselves before we commit...do I need all of this, or can I be more selective? Is my pattern set at always choosing to do (or strive, or eat, or sleep, or exercise, or complain, or...) too much?

Lighten the load. It's freeing.

Is Self-Help Selfish?

2010-10-23T21:55:00.000-07:00

You flip open your to-do list for the day either the old-fashioned way of an actual handwritten appointment book or via or mobile device. You have many things that need your energy and attention. Now, check to see if there is anything that is simply centered on you...not work, kids, family, charity, errands...just something for you. Is it there?

This week's thought was prompted when I was working with a client one-on-one and they said to me, "but spending time working on me is being selfish...isn't it?".

We all have threads that connect us to other people, obligations and responsibilities. Sometimes they take the form of our spouse, our kids, our job, our pets, our community, our house, our car, our environment...well...you get the idea. How do you begin each day? Do you awaken thinking about all of those threads of attachment, looking after "stuff" to find that by days end, the thread that attaches you to you, well, has been completed ignored?

Countless times clients share with me how they look after everyone else. Our culture admires people who are capable, responsible and busy. "She does so much. She helps so many. She has so much energy to give"...really...? If that's true, where does this seemingly endless pool of available energy come from?
And how long have they been accessing it? I would take a guess that if someone has boundless energy they are doing one of two things. Either taking time for their own needs, or two...on a collusion course with burn-out, resentment and fatigue.

With this cultural bias towards busyness, it can seem selfish to spend time on ourselves. If I'm spending time looking after me, then who's looking after everyone else?

Good question.

I recently heard a story about illumination. That if you place a single candle into a darkened room, you begin to see more clearly. If you add ten candles into the same room, it begins to brighten and the more candles that you light...the brighter the darkness becomes. One single candle can light many others. But if that first candle goes unlit, then the room remains dark.

When we take time to look after our own light, we begin to radiate not only into our own divinity, but it expands beyond us. Our illumination begins to touch others which can ripple outward and away from us generating more goodness than can be imagined. Without taking time to find our own inner light, not only do we remain in the dark, but we are unable to "enlighten" those that we connect with and care about.

It doesn't take much time to be in touch with our own center. Simply closing your eyes, listening to the quiet, finding our breath and hearing our inner voice is a great place to start. So, I say...go ahead, be selfish and make an appointment with yourself. Fan your inner flame and spread the light!

If I Only Knew Then...

2010-10-16T18:28:00.000-07:00

It seems to be all over the place that October is Breast Cancer Awareness month. Even NFL pro footballers and associated coaches are sporting splashes of pink that represent breast cancer awareness as are the social networking sites and so many other media outlets. People just seem more comfortable talking about cancer...that big "C" word.

This wasn't the case 28 years ago when my Dad was diagnosed with cancer. It was my first year of college and I was living 10,000 miles away in Australia when I heard him utter the words, "I've got cancer...". I was almost completely incapable of allowing those words to register in my mind. I remember thinking that with those words also came the likely death of my Dad. It's no wonder I didn't want my body to absorb the information. Unfortunately, my Dad died some four months after this initial conversation as his cancer was incurable.

Some 24 years later, I found myself studying Yoga Therapy and one of the topics was how to work with students who had cancer. My instructor was leading us through a class and demonstrating what type of language we might use and what type of postures might be beneficial. It was during the physical practice of this class that I began reflecting back into my Dad's experience and realizing how inadequately equipped I was to help him along this rocky and final part of his journey. As the practice continued, I found my inner voice saying, "I wish I knew then, what I know now. I might have been able to be with Dad in a completely different way". And then I started to sob from grief that had been stuffed down deeply into my cells and released some long held stagnation of emotion. It was quite a cleansing and "enlightening" experience.

What I have learned since is that I have become more capable at being with challenges, whether they be my own or those of others. That particular life lesson seemed at first to be cruel yet so incredibly powerful.

This week's column is dedicated to my dear friend, who underwent a lumpectomy yesterday. The surgeon "got it all" and didn't have to take any lymph nodes. Her prognosis is great and I know she'll make a full recovery as she faces her challenges through a sense of humor, realism and a ton of support from family and friends.

I know that my Dad would have been proud to know that I paid attention and learned yet another lesson from him. I feel as though I am better able to be with my close friends as they face that dreaded "C" word and hope that all of us can see that we learn so much no matter what sits before us.

One Door Closes, Another One Opens

2010-10-10T10:28:00.000-07:00

It's now been five months since I had my shoulder surgery and more than six months since I've been on a tennis court. I'm at the stage where people are asking me, "so you're back playing tennis?" to which I reply, "uh, no not yet. It'll be some time before I'm back. I just started physical therapy two weeks ago...".

Then the conversation tends to drift in one of two directions. The first is, "you must really be missing tennis...". The second "did you know beforehand that it was going to take this long?". Quite provocative questions for a competitive athlete. I guess I'm fortunate that I've had extensive time off the court in the past four years due to surgeries...wrist, appendix, shoulder. As I've stepped into my latest physical therapy experience, I find myself energized at the process of bringing freedom back into a stagnant joint. I realize that I've always been excited at the process of having a difficult challenge and finding a way to address it. I do so now from a more gentle place, than from one that has a deadline.

In some ways, it's no different to playing a tennis match. You have to find your way through it...different puzzle pieces, same type of challenge. I know that being off the tennis court has swung the door wide open for me to spend my former "tennis time" discovering other areas of my life. I recognize that there is so much to experience on this journey, that being thrown an unexpected curve ball is well...to be expected. It's a way to welcome the change as an opportunity to refocus my energy into something else.

Since I've been off the court, I've had more energy to spend exploring our natural environment. This past summer we bought passes for the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway to go hiking in our local (and cooler) mountains. I have had space in which to bring backburner ideas into the forefront of my thinking. My business feels as though it's had an infusion of attention leading to an expansive experience at the Australian Sanctuary Yoga Retreat in September and the upcoming Nourishment Program beginning end of October.

And yes, I do miss tennis. As I write this, the Tennis Channel is on in the background. But, I know that "it is what it is" and my shoulder will heal as it is meant to. If I lose patience and attach a timeline to that process, then I might miss the current lesson that I'm experiencing.

As one door closes, another door opens.

Are you ready to step through?

Nourishing Ourselves

2010-10-05T16:16:00.000-07:00

Over the past several months, I have been wanting to offer a new course and it has taken some time to take it from the idea stage to reality. In the past, I taught a "Fitness & Fat Loss" course both here in the U.S. and in Australia. As I found my own life evolving through yoga and being in my 40's, my drive to offer such a course had, well...been pushed off-course!

I found that by giving people the "information" of fat, carbohydrates, movement options, calorie expenditure, protein and blah, blah, blah that the usefulness and application was limited. We'd have to have our heads in a cave, be on a mountain (or rainforest) top yoga retreat or be unplugged from all media not to have the awareness around our growing obesity "epidemic" both here and in Australia. So, if we have all the "blah, blah, blah" information and we have groovy gyms with the latest programs, and we have the most effective sweat evaporative cooling garments on the market...why do we have this challenge? Why does it seem to be getting worse, rather than better? Don't we know what to do?

Apparently, knowing is not enough.

It's the doing that makes the difference. Not just knowing what to do, but actually...yes...doing it. And the "it" has gotten quite confusing. How many calories and reps did you say? It seems that the connection to our own needs has lost its importance. Can we hear what our soul is asking for?

Perhaps that's part of the reason The Nourishment Program has taken time to develop. I wanted to explore not only the research on why 85% of all diets fail, but to learn more about intuitive and mindful eating practices. As I dug deeper, I began to see the obvious connection that these practices have to practicing a yogic based lifestyle. Not that you have to be a yogi to participate, but the similarities and overlap have common ground.

As we breathe, we bring life-giving oxygen into our bodies. What we eat and put on our bodies assimilates into our bodies. So if I choose to nourish myself, I need to begin by understanding that it affects all aspects of my being and therefore my life. It's not a simplification of calories in/out or what's "good/bad" for you. It's about honoring that all of us are worthy of self-care and self-love...not in the future, but in the now of the present moment.

The Nourishment Program aims to give the participants tools of how to do this every day. It's another step in deepening and refining our own evolution. All are welcome. Come join us, it begins October 27, 2010.

Finding Confidence Through Fear

2010-09-25T17:22:00.001-07:00

It is often said that fear is at the root of much of our suffering. Not the type of fear we may have experienced as a kid, when someone would hide behind a door waiting for a sibling to walk past so that we could jump out and yell, "boooo". Not the white knuckled roller coaster ride, but something deeper.

I'm referring to that brand of fear such as facing something that is new, different, challenging and most likely uncertain and often out of our control.

On my recent trip to Mission Beach, I befriended a local health food store owner named Maria. From the moment we met, we connected and I would drop in to say "G'day" during the week prior to the yoga retreat.

One day, Maria said to me, "your retreat is going to be just beautiful". I looked at her as though she were capable of mind-reading and shared with her that during my meditation that morning, I felt intense fear. Fear of what other retreat leaders had offered and would I measure up? Fear that what I had planned wasn't going to be as exciting or unique or insightful of what others had offered in prior retreats. Fear that I would be inadequate to undertake running a full retreat program.

In the process of noticing that the thoughts I was experiencing were based in fear, I realized that it was ok to feel it. I also realized that I am not those "other" retreat leaders. I never will be them, I will never be able to offer what they offer and measuring myself against them was simply a choice. I relaxed into the revelation that the only thing that I can be is me and by doing so, bring my own flavor to the retreat through my personal unique experiences.

As I told Maria this she looked me in the eyes and said, "yes...you'll bring your own magic".

Expectations are difficult things to navigate. How often do we set a standard or scenario for how things "should" unfold and then find ourselves in a completely different experience? A great tool that yoga teaches us is to let go into the unfolding of each moment. Similar to when we're flowing through a familiar yoga asana sequence, we anticipate what pose is next. We jump ahead in our minds to what is coming and miss the present moment. Be here now...whether we're about to undertake running a yoga retreat or traveling through our daily activities.

The biggest lesson for me was to know that fear is present. I can't throw it into the back of the closet and close the door, thinking that'll do it! It's gone! But rather to honor and recognize its presence as part of my experience. As I felt my fear I had a feeling of confidence that my life, thus far had unfolded just as it was meant to unfold.

Trust your fear as deep within lies a potential lesson.

The Experience of Extremes

2010-09-19T10:08:00.000-07:00

One week I'm picking my way down a steep trail through a rainforest in Queensland as the birds chatter, calling back and forth to each other in a cacophony of their own language. The recent rain has left its trace on the leaves and vines that form the canopy above me. The humidity is higher than what I'm used to and I've got a comfortable sweat going by the time I cross the final bridge over the stream leading me closer to the beach.

The next week, I'm climbing up a sandy hill, navigating my way past prickly cholla cactus and towering Joshua trees as I hear off in the distance music riding through the dry desert air. I'm at Bhakti Fest, a yoga, kirtan and music festival in the high desert. At night, I see stars I don't usually see from my home in Palm Springs...the sky is brilliant and my mood is peaceful. It is during these four days at Bhakti Fest that I think about the experience of extremes.

Life presents us with shifts of momentum. One day we're in a rainforest, the next and arid desert, its complete opposite. One day we're down in the dumps because we have jury duty and the next, we're feeling joyous as they've dismissed us from sitting on a five day trial. We all have highs and lows. The pendulum of life swings from side to side from the day we arrive to the day we depart.

My thought for the week is, how do we find our center...the middle way in the midst of this ever shifting pendulum?

In my younger years, my experiences seemed to be more extreme. The highs were soaring and the lows were deep and seemingly dark. As I've traveled the path of my life the discrepancy between the extremes doesn't seem to be as wide as when I was younger. This is due to two things...life experience and my yoga practice.

The essence of yoga is "to unite"; "to bring into union"; "to find balance". We do so through using its many tools of breath, movement, awareness, on-going study, stillness and a surrendering to a source that is greater than us individually.

As we undergo its practices, we begin to get better at recognizing that everything is in transition, nothing is permanent. We begin to connect to that place within us that is deeper and all-knowing. It is always there, its presence never leaves us. It's that third piece of the body-mind triad...it's our spirit. Just as we recognize that our thoughts effect our physical selves, they also effect our inner soul. Having this growing awareness of the oneness between our body-mind-spirit, we begin to recognize that no matter what calm or chaotic situation is sitting before us, we know and can connect to our own middle path.

My question for this week is "what are you doing to stay connected to your center so no matter what situation arises, you don't lose sight of it?"

Being Home No Matter Where You're At

2010-09-12T16:33:00.000-07:00

Almost 14 years ago, I returned to live in the United States having lived in Australia for 17 years and gaining Australian citizenship. Before meeting my now husband, Ed who was living in Melbourne, I had no intention of returning to the USA as I was a fully assimilated Aussie. I have had the repeated experience that life can be somewhat unexpected and this was no exception. We often have our compass pointed in one direction that seems to be completely under our control and then..."whammo", we get bumped off course with our bearings nowt pointing us toward an unfamiliar place.

Prior to leaving Australia, I had a vision of my feet being buried ankle deep in Australian sand. I had felt grounded and connected to the place and here I was, choosing to up-root and return to the place where I had spent my childhood. It seemed like an adventure, I was seeking to create change in my life, but if someone had handed me a ticket back to Australia in those first few weeks of being back in the land of the free...I might have just taken it.

Without fail, my heart feels a bit achy as I board my return flight back to the States, wondering when I will once again, place my feet on Aussie soil. Now this all sounds a bit sad and melancholy, but things have shifted for me over the years of going back and forth between the two countries. I no longer hold that dreadful feeling of loss and uncertainty. I now feel completely at home in and connected in both countries.

An expert in cultural diversity and a friend of mine says that I am now a "bi-cultural" person having a feeling of equilibrium in both countries. In saying that, I feel a contentment that I thought I might never hold. I recognize and have gratitude for the uniqueness of each place, for the different circles of friends that I'm connected to and the ever expanding network of professionals that grow from my business in both places. Now that all sounds neat and tidy...it's not. It's taken over 30 years for this evolution. In the past 15 years it's been supported by my own personal growth and commitment to my practice of yoga. It's a result of listening to my sometimes seemingly silent inner voice, asking me to listen, trust and act.

As I have been challenged through my life of "having a lot of energy", I have found it difficult to sit quiet and listen. But, as I say to my students, the elements of our yoga and meditation are just that...a practice. We step into that space on a regular basis with an intention of committing to deepening our own awareness and self-inquiry. I know that have at greater sense of ease as a bi-cultural citizen has been made easier through these practices. The reason is that I have more peace within myself. So no matter what soil my feet have landed upon, I find myself at home.

I hope we have the opportunity to sit and practice together soon!

I Need A Vacation

2010-08-07T22:18:00.000-07:00

Phew...I have either been coaching gymnastics, doing personal training, teaching group fitness or yoga classes for most of the past 28 years as well as managing my own business. I find gratitude in that I have, over the years, evolved into my current role of yoga therapist and educator. I love teaching, practicing and endeavoring to LIVE my yoga. Part of my role is to be fully present for each person that I come into contact with, whether it be on the mat or in the gym.

What I have also gleaned over this time is that I need to step away from it every few months to keep my own fire and inspiration burning. My trip to Australia is for 26-days, which includes the 4-day yoga retreat at Sanctuary. The day after I return, I will be attending Bhakti Fest a 4-day kirtan, yoga and workshop gathering in the high desert near Joshua Tree, CA.

When I tell people I'll be away for a month the typical response is a look of surprise and a "wow...that's a long time!" Which it is by USA standards. It's unfortunate that the United States is ranked the lowest out of the developed world in giving its workers paid time off. The Center for Economic Policy and Research (CEPR), in No Vacation Nation, finds "that we're the only advanced nation that doesn't guarantee its workers any paid vacation or holidays. In fact, 1 in 4 U.S. workers do not receive any paid holidays or vacation.

But it's not just vacation. CEPR research shows that the United States comes in last when it comes to paid sick days and paid parental leave as well. And while some argue that paid leave leads to less competitive economics, CEPR also finds that paid sick days don't cause unemployment rates to rise."

Yowza!

In Australia, it's common for workers to be given and yes...to take, their one month of annual paid vacation, which no doubt, has stayed with me as it feels quite "normal" to have a month for my own personal retreat.

Given that most of my readers are in the States, what can we do about it? Staying on the yogic path and without getting political, it's about having an awareness of what can re-charge our own batteries and finding balance in our lives. If you're a busy parent, a 9-5 worker or running your own company, what is it that you do on a weekly if not daily basis that is outside of your obligations to others? What are you doing to feed the obligation to your mind, body and spirit? It can begin with something as simple as recognizing quiet moments in each day. Pausing before you begin eating or taking a deep breath before answering the phone. We need to take our own parental advice and put ourselves in a time out!

If your soul is screaming at you to do more, practices such as a weekly yoga, tai chi or meditation class can fill that role. But so can sitting quietly with a morning cup of tea, listening to the natural sounds in your immediate environment or reading an inspirational piece. It's intriguing that with economic challenges and lack of time, that the word "staycation" has made its way into our vernacular.

Being that a yoga class is symbolic of the cycle of our days and lives, we begin each practice through centering ourselves, progress onto doing "the work" of the class and finish in relaxation and reflection. Is it possible that your daily life can also look like that? Of course it is...if you intentionally set it up to be that way.

So I am off this Friday for a few weeks to connect with my Aussie "heart" family, revitalize my spirit, write, read, walk and video some yoga on the beach! I'm excited for what's ahead including bringing back the residue to all of you from such an experience.

My final two words on the subject of me being away is...home practice!

Connection

2010-08-01T22:09:00.000-07:00

Last week the thought was around "Alone Time", carving out space in our daily lives to simply be present with ourselves. That of course makes the assumption that everyone is surrounded by hectic schedules, traffic and no "me time".

But what about those in our communities who live by themselves, are retired or work from their home office? Do they have too much alone time?

Writing from the yogic perspective where the constant underlying theme is around recognizing imbalance, it would be remiss of me not to balance out my own writings by considering both solitude and connection.

We, as human beings, are social by nature. We seek the company of others. In the book, "The Female Brain" by Louann Brizendine, she talks about the various stages of hormones that wash through female brains, particularly estrogen and during the junior high school years, that result in young teens making it their mission to connect with others.

A strong memory from that period of my own life was how many people you could say "hi" to as you walked between classes. I was on a serious quest to up my number of hellos on a daily basis. I wasn't alone...the other girls were doing it too! The teenage popularity contest was well underway.

Research on longevity indicates that those people living in the identified "blue zones" around the world have a few common elements that have granted the population at large quality in their latter years. They include a largely plant based diet, regular physical activity, a spiritual affiliation and yes...a supportive and extended community of family and friends. Instead of elders living away from others, they are included as an integral part of the social networks.

They stay connected.

Living well means finding time by yourself everyday to explore your inner voice and need. It is balanced out with having relationships that support you on your path of evolution. We can't do it alone. It does take a village.

So, after your morning meditation, call up a friend and meet over a nice cup of tea...that'll do it!

Alone Time

2010-07-25T21:04:00.000-07:00

Over the past couple of weeks, my writings have been inspired through conversations with others. They have provided the spark that ignited a connection to writing about a certain topic from a yogic perspective. So this week, I asked my husband if anything was floating around in his awareness that I might like to approach for my weekly blog. Our dinner conversation was around how he's gotten into bicycling over the past few weeks. He started out riding with another friend, who has now left for the summer, and has continued riding by himself. I asked if he preferred to ride with someone or was it also good being alone."

He replied, "I'm fine riding by myself". I asked, "Does it act like think time?" to which he replied, "it does, but I also just enjoy the beauty of our surrounding mountains, blue skies and palm trees. Perhaps that what you could write about this week...being alone.

It sounded familiar. After going over my previous blogs, I discovered a version of the following and thought it worthy of a reprint. Particularly as we leave for Australia in the near future and I myself, am looking forward to having some serious alone time.

My question for the week is-How much time do you spend each day alone? Not with the radio on whilst you're driving, or lounging in front of the TV, but simple being in the act of sitting quietly...just you.

And then you might ask the question...why is this important? Good question. When we get to a place where we are completely at ease and accepting of who we are, with all of our unique imperfections, where we hold our own hearts in gentle compassion we can then begin to truly express this same feeling to all others.

This thought has been prompted by the upcoming yoga retreat to Australia. It's a time that is carved out of our daily busy lives, where we have the opportunity to hear our own inner voice, with no interruption or distraction. People who have attended retreats in the past have had many challenges and obstacles in getting there in the first place...kids, finances, travel, other obligations...things that initially might have screamed "NO", you really can't afford to go. But, many have found a way. They would all tell you that it was worth the "sacrifice" to feed their own soul, as they returned to all of the original objections with greater love, peace and appreciation.

I know that when we returned from our 9-day yoga retreat in Australia in October of 2009, even with me teaching the retreat, the residue from its impact lasted for almost three months. THREE MONTHS!! Through the feeling of unplugging, looking after my well-being on all levels of body, mind and spirit, I was able to hold onto that for weeks post-retreat.

You can too. Look into your heart and see if it's asking you to take some time for yourself. Even if it's not an exotic or extended retreat, but perhaps your own staycation retreat. It not only serves your own higher good, but those of others. It's an investment of energy that will continue to resonate well after the experience has finished.

Abundance...Is It About Stuff?

2010-07-17T20:46:00.001-07:00

What is it that you wish to have more of in your life?

Good health, peaceful environment, less busy time or freedom from worries around money? It's a good question to ask ourselves every now and again. What is it that I need to support me along my journey? What stuff do I need to fulfill my purpose?

Getting clear on our path and purpose can be found in the yogic teachings through uncovering our "Purusharthas", the four elements that help us to define our role in the world. They are Dharma (purpose), Artha (wealth, value), Kama (passion/joy) and Moksha (freedom). One way to begin to answer the initial question of "what do I wish I had more of in my life" is to gaim some level of clarity around our purpose and what we need to help us fufill it.

Answering questions such as:

"What is my role in the world?"
"When I am serving the highest good, what am I doing?"
"Do I have enough?"
"Are my things making me happy, or stealing my joy?"
"What am I passionate about?"
"What am I doing to free myself from activities and perceptions that me me unhappy?"

These types of questions are posed when we are trying to clarify what we need to do to enhance our dharmic path. When we begin to gain clarity, it seems as though the importance of material wealth is put into perspective. We begin to uncover and feel gratitude for elements in our lives that have no material value, but are laden with richness.

Acknowledging on a daily basis all that we are grateful for helps to point us in a direction of recognizing how much abundance presently surrounds us. Simple things such as friends, family, love, opportunity, free speech and good health. Gratitude is a bridge that connects us to our own abundance. Without having a feeling of thankfulness towards all that we are and all that we have, we may take for granted the many blessings that surround us. We may exhibit that "spoilt child" type of behavior of always wanting more and not being happy with what we have. Gratitude leads the way towards recognizing what is truly important and present in our lives...now, in this moment, today.

That's not to say, that being a modern day yogini that I don't need my computer and cell phone. They support me along my dharmic path as much as having students and a studio in which to practice and do what I am meant to do...share my love and knowledge of yoga to those who are willing to open themselves to it.

So? What do you need? What are you thankful for? Where does your abundance shine through?

The Girl Who Could Never Relax Her Shoulders

2010-07-11T20:21:00.000-07:00

Once upon a time in a land full of calm and beauty, lived a girl who could never relax her shoulders. Although the other kids never made fun of her, she felt certain that she stood out to be unusual. The other kids all seemed to stand, sit and walk as though they were carrying something precious on their heads. The girl (WCNRHS) on the other hand, felt as though she were carrying the weight of her world on not only her head, but yes...her shoulders as well. She dreamed of a time when she could experience what it would be like to let go of this burden. To release the uneasy feeling of such a load.

Then one day, a magical and loving yoga goddess fairy appeared before TGWCNRHS. She came to honor the beckoning calls of relaxation that could be heard through the land sent out from the heart of TGWCNRHS.

The loving yoga goddess fairy stood before her new student, engaged her eyes, exhaled a deep and soothing breath as she began to speak.

"I understand that you feel you are the girl who can never relax her shoulders. That you have been calling out from your heart that this is something you seek. That by relaxing your shoulders your life will improve. Is this true?" asked the yoga fairy.

"Yes", the perpetually shrugging girl replied. "This is what I seek. Can you help me?"

The yoga fairy replied, "I can only point you in the right direction and give you some practices, but it is only YOU who can make the magic happen. Are you willing to take that responsibility?"

"I believe I am ready. Please teach me beautiful yoga fairy." replied the girl.

The yoga fairy's lesson was this:

The tension you hold in your shoulders is tension that you carry in your heart, mind and spirit. When you recognize and honor it as such your awareness will grow each and every time this tension shows itself. When you notice the tension, exhale your breath and your shoulders will begin to relax. The tension is a reminder to hold compassion for ourselves, others and the planet.

The now wide eyed girl closed her eyes, opened her heart to a feeling of love, drew in a deep slow breath and as she began to exhale...something miraculous happened. She began to notice the space between her earlobes and her shoulders. She began to think about a new perspective (as well as getting some earrings).

The magical and loving yoga goddess bid her student "Namaste'" and levitated away.

They all lived happily ever after.

The Feeling of Freedom

2010-07-04T10:04:00.001-07:00

Having been born into the Western world, freedom has always been part of the vernacular. It's woven into the American National anthem, is seen on bumper stickers to support the troops, is contained within the US Constitution and reflected in the numerous speeches given by notable leaders. We annually celebrate freedom by marking July 4th, Independence day with the freedom to eat BBQ and watch fireworks. It's a day of national pride and celebration.

Writing each week from a yogic perspective, I wanted to sit with what the word "freedom" means within the paradigm of a yoga practice or from living a yogic based lifestyle. Within my own experience, the "free-est" I've ever felt is when I traveled to Africa without a predetermined amount of time. The only agenda that I had was a one-way ticket and no itinerary. I wanted to let the experience simply unfold before me without feeling that I had to be someplace at some specific time. I made the choice to be on "Africa time", resisting my more common practice of forcing my schedule into a place that might not see it from the same perspective.

Having given myself permission to "go with the flow", I had a completely unfamiliar experience...that of complete freedom. It was momentously liberating.

Freedom within yoga can be found on all levels of the practice. If we bring our awareness into the simplicity of our breath, we free our minds from focusing on things beyond our control. If we bring a feeling of opening and spaciousness into our bodies, we free up tightness within joints. If we allow whatever to arise during our meditation practice to simply come up, we begin to free ourselves from harsh self-criticism and judgment.

We in the United States and Australia are so very fortunate and blessed to have a free society. Within the society we are free to express ourselves and free to explore individual paths of spiritual pursuit. One challenge that living in these free societies are the self-imposed limitations that bind our bodies, minds and spirits. Although we may inhabit these countries, it is up to each individual within to seek their own boundless freedoms. Yoga is a way to pursue our deepest potential.

Find your own freedom as we celebrate the freedoms of our collective whole.

Staying Focused

2010-06-27T14:44:00.000-07:00

This past week was one that saw a new record set at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club-Wimbledon. For us tennis fans, it was an amazing feat, as American, John Isner and Frenchman, Nicholas Mahut engaged in an ultra marathon of a match that spanned three days and lasted 11 hours and 5 minutes.

Being a tennis player, albeit currently sidelined, it was this freak anomaly in that the longest match I've ever played lasted over 3 1/2 hours, and the longest one I or anyone else ever witnessed wasn't even close to the Isner-Mahut epic.

And what does this have to do with yoga?

Well...everything! We so often view yoga as a series of poses, some seemingly impossible or often ridiculous that we by-pass the thread that holds it all together. Breath and staying focused. The historical tennis match was a complete metaphor for staying present. When Mahut was asked how did he manage to keep coming from behind to hold his serve he replied, "I only thought about winning that game. The next point. That's it".

Both players needed to stay fully present to keep playing into a 70-68 fifth set final decision. If either of them projected themselves into what might happen in the future, or contemplated their past errors for more than a nano second, the seam would have been opened wide enough for the match to be just another "ordinary" match at one of the world's greatest tournaments.

Instead, each player stayed focused on what they needed to do in each moment. At the end of the second day of suspended play, they both had to go and focus on recovery through hydration, rest, nourishment and relaxation before picking up the thread yet again and resuming the match.

If we, as yoga practitioners can gleam just one lesson from this tennis match it's to step fully into what you are currently doing. That's it.

Beyond that, the other interesting impression is that after John Isner won and returned to play in his next match, his tanks were empty both mentally and physically and he lost. What that tells me, is that we often don't know how far we can push ourselves. We have tremendous potential to undertake seemingly impossible tasks and challenges. And to continue to do so...we need to honor the process of healing, recovery and nourishing our physical and emotional selves so that our spirits can continue to soar.

Thanks Dad!

2010-06-20T17:05:00.000-07:00

I wrote the following in 2009 for Father's Day and had the urge to reprint it (with some edits) for today. I hope you don't mind a repeat!

With today being Father's Day, I have spent part of my day reflecting on my own Dad and how he was one of my most valued teachers. He passed away almost 28 years ago from kidney cancer. He was 46 years old...younger than the age that I am as I write this. It makes me think how much more life lies ahead of me and it taught me to value every moment, as you never know when your moment will be met. But, instead of focusing on the feeling of loss, I choose to reflect on all that he was able to teach me.

My Dad was a brilliant man...not just a biased observance, but well established as he was a metallurgical engineer who was a researcher in aerospace. When I was young and he told me he was an engineer, I thought it meant that he drove trains. I even had a quick vision of his engineers hat, although I never saw him wear one. In my eyes what made my Dad brilliant was that he took time with me...to teach me. We played softball together, he kept my stats, measured off how many steps it was to the pitchers mound and coached my teams. He held me patiently as I was screaming with frustration at not understanding algebra. He took the time to explain, teach and support my learning. I ended up with A's in algebra by the end of the school year.

He supported my decision to travel to Australia as an exchange student and encouraged me to make decisions around my higher education based on interest of topic, not my interest in a boyfriend.

He taught me to get my fingernails dirty in the garden and in pitching a tent. To be the "tomboy" that I was without embarrassment but through embracing my abilities, even if others thought it to be "un-lady like".

My Dad embraced me for who I am and who he thought I could become. I miss him, but have his voice and eyes burned into my thoughts and heart.

Happy Father's Day to all of you and your Dad's. My thought for this week is to sit for a moment in gratitude for all that your Dad has given you.

The Leaky Boat

2010-06-13T11:52:00.001-07:00

One of the most interesting and innovative bands to come out of the Australian/New Zealand rock scene back in the 80's were called "Split Endz". Two brothers Tim and Neil Finn formed the band, wrote many hits, were hugely popular down under and eventually reformed as Crowded House (initially with Tim). What do they have to do with yoga, you might be asking?

It has to do with my thought of the week and as I have been thinking about it, it reminded me of a song Split Endz had called "Six Months In A Leaky Boat".

And you're still wondering...Split Endz...yoga...leaking boats...what's the connection?

Here it is. One of the keys to any pratice, including a yoga practice is consistency. Turning up time and time again on your mat, going through repeated exercises of breath, movement and awareness. It often begs the quetion, "how much is enough?". And that's where seepage comes in. As soon as you embark on the journey of a yoga practice, the moment you set yourself onto your mat, I believe you are forever on the journey. It is a process of unfolding, opening and growing awareness.

Even if you only practice yoga on an irregular basis, you will begin to have seepage. Some of the thoughts, ideas and practices will begin to ooze into your everyday awareness. We often procrastinate doing something because we are unable to fully commit to doing it...the all or nothing syndrome. But, once you begin to learn the tools of yoga, they begin to seep into your day.

Things such as:
1. Taking a deep breath before answering the phone.
2. Pausing before taking your first bite of a meal to inhale the aromas.
3. Thinking about your standing posture as you are waiting in line at the store or bank.
4. Allowing yourself five minutes to just sit and do nothing.
5. Recognizing when your self condemning thought is just that...a thought that can be shifted into a self supportive one.
6. Giving someone 100% of your attention when listening to them speak.
7. Feeling gratitude for someone or something.
8. Moving your body in a natural and easy way.

These are just a few simple things that can easily leak into your life. And what is the ingredient that they all have in common?

Awareness.

Obviously we do as much as we can. If we seek to dive deeper into our practice we can certainly dedicate more time to doing so. We can open the flood gates and let our practice become a way of living. But if that's overwhelming, try spending six months on a leaky mat instead...

The Blame Game

2010-06-05T18:40:00.000-07:00

When I was a kid, I became quite skilled at playing the blame game with my siblings. One of us would do something that we weren't supposed to do and when our parents would find out and want to know "who did it", the game would begin. You became the victor in the game if you did the forbidden act and managed to get one of your siblings in trouble for something they didn't do. And of course, there was no way you would ever take responsibility for it. "Who me? I had nothing to do with it" I would say with my innocent brown eyes.

My thought for this week is at what stage in our lives to we begin to "own it"? When do we begin to fully understand that our actions have consequences and that holds us in a place of responsibility? As we evolve, I believe we begin to accept more responsibility. We start being better skilled at separating out what is "our stuff" and what isn't. We gain courage in saying, "yes, it was me" and handle the subsequent consequences. But do we ever fully realize how our actions move away from our immediate actions into the greater community, world and environment?

Take for example the recent oil spill in the Gulf. People are hungry to put blame onto someone...BP, the government, corporations. But aren't we all responsible? Do we not live in a society that uses oil and fossil fuels to put into our cars and manufacturing? Doesn't demand drive the economy and if we're demanding low gas prices, does that not encourage oil companies to drill more and faster...perhaps recklessly?

Now, I'm not saying that it's right or wrong. I'm not laying blame. I'm just saying if we pull the lens back we can all offer up our support or lack of support for finding other ways to not dig into the earth for our mass needs. Can our individual and collective voices admit that we are all connected to each other and to this planet and in being so, we hold it in our hands to look after each other.

When an accident like this happens, it causes reflection and sadness. But if life is an experiential teacher, what have we learned and what ACTION can we take?

My commitment is to act like a big girl now and own my own actions. To become more aware of how I impact my world and all the other creatures that inhabit it. Big girl action takes awareness and a promise to keep doing the best I can. To stop pointing the finger at someone else. How about you?

Progress

2010-05-31T15:31:00.001-07:00

One of the most rewarding moments that I have experienced over years of teaching is looking at a class and having that inner voice scream "YES!" as I bear witness to the progress that each student has made.

At times, the changes seem barely perceptible. It can sometimes seem like forever before I notice any changes. We just keep applying ourselves and then what seems to be a significant overnight metamorphosis becomes apparent after weeks of seemingly little progress. It's quite a magical moment.

This perspective is what keeps us committed to our practice whether it be our golf or tennis game, a piece of art, writing or our yoga practice. If we can develop the awareness to open ourselves to the moment that we are currently experiencing, we begin to drop away our attachment to the outcome. As we let go into the process, we merge with the experience rather than the result. We enter a state of flow, the perfect balance of execution and experience that seems to unfold in an effortless manner.

And perhaps that why it's so striking to see students in poses that I hadn't witnessed before. As we focus more on being in the moment, the expectation of what is supposed to happen is shifted to the feeling of the experience.

Most of us know the saying that "it's not the destination, but the journey' that matters. What that really says is supportive of the notion of staying with what is. Knowing that who we are, what we have and what we do are enough. Can we be satisfied with that? I believe it is completely possible through surrendering to each moment as THIS moment is its own perfection.

The challenge is to stop striving for something outside of where you think you should be, toward some greater goal, something bigger and better and step into where you are. Bascially if we allow ourselves let go and commit to doing, progress will naturally unfold.

Breathe it all in. Now. In this moment...

Staying Centered

2010-05-23T13:21:00.000-07:00

It seems to have been a week filled with "bad" news. The huge enviromental impact of the oil spill, unexpected deaths of friends of friends, plane crashes, poor financial markets and blah, blah, blah. We are bombarded with this through our media sources and conversations continually. The bad news is always in the news. But at times it seems as though the volume has been turned up inside of my own head and awareness around the bad news. For whatever reason it seems to be more personal this week.

Being surrounded by so many challenges, how do I find that place of equanimity and balance? How do I remember all of the good news?

In our practice of yoga, we seek to find balance. A union of energy between our bodies, minds and spirits. When we are in a half moon balance (as pictured above) we strive to extend away from our middle, reaching through our limbs and crown of the head as we stay firmly planted on our standing leg. This pose is an illustration of my thought for the week.

If we focus on the extremes, in this case our extremities, and direct our energy away from the center, we topple. We lose balance. We disconnect from our center. But, if we build our pose from the ground up, from our foundation of support on the standing leg and reach out into the extremes, keeping our breath and eyes steady and focused, we are able to stay on balance.

Life is like this. If we put our energy into the extreme emotions and thoughts of good or bad, we can dwell in places that seem to be dark and hopeless. But, if we build a basic foundation of ritual and practices that maintain the essence of who we are and seek to be, we can begin to accept both ends of the spectrum as being an inherent part of living. Good and bad things happen. As aware individuals we have the power and choice to create our reaction to them.

Knowing this and having heard bad news this week, I come back to my yoga and meditation in order to find my balance. To find gratitude and in doing so I find my center.

What do you do as a practice to bring yourself back into the middle? What is your foundation built on?

On The Other Hand

2010-05-15T15:37:00.000-07:00

This is the second time in my life where I have had to adapt to using my left hand due to injury/surgery on my right side. And being a dominant right-hander, I have to say that the second time around has been much easier. I keep telling myself that when I switch to using my left hand as the dominant hand, that it's great for my brain.

Being right-handed, I hold many of the characteristics of a left-hemisphere, dominant brain. I'm methodical, linear in thought and often quite stoic. Many lefties that I've known in my life (and I come from a whole family of them...) often have the more creative, expressive and blissful sides of their brains active. Those lefties brains just don't seem to follow the same path as mine.

So here is my opportunity! As I heal from right shoulder surgery, I have the chance to spend more time in the right hemisphere of my brain...the more blissful, loving, expansive and creative side of me. It's not like I never spend time over on that right side, I do and my yoga practice helps me cross the border more now than ever. But, with my automatic pilot left brain in a holding pattern, my right brain can have first dibs!

I challenge you this week to look at your own automatic pilot of doing things on either right or left sides. Do you always step forward from a standing position with the same foot? Do you always step into your underwear with one particular leg leading the way? Do you always reach for an object with your dominant hand?

OK...so try this to give your mind and body a new perspective for a few days:

1. Move your computer mouse to the opposite hand.
2. Try eating with the opposite hand (yes...even with chopsticks).
3. Get dressed in a different sequence....usually socks on first, put them on last.
4. Brush your hair or teeth using the opposite hand.
5. Throw a ball or frisbee with your non-dominant side.

You get the picture. We tend to repeat familiar patterns of behavior, over and over throughout our lives. You can imagine that the brain has disconnected itself from many of our basic activities (and for the good reason of time efficiency), so why not shake it up a bit and offer the mind and body a different way of connecting and communicating?

Let me know how you do...I feel smarter already!

I Think My Dogs Meditate

2010-05-08T16:36:00.000-07:00

The other day I was talking to somebody about the challenges we face in the practice of meditation. How we can use breath, mantra, song, stillness and posture to narrow our attention in order to dive deeper into a meditative state. And then it dawned on me...how simply both of our dogs are capable of going directly into this state, not that they are necessarily sitting either in lotus or at all. Maybe they are never out of this state in the first place! Nevertheless they have the inate ability to become focused on a single thing almost instantly.

Our female dog, Yindi, sees me holding a treat and wham...her eyes don't leave it for a second. She doesn't blink, bark or move. She's focused. Our male dog, Koele, sees a cat out on our walk and nothing is in his attention more than where that cat went, what it was doing and how he's going to "catch" it. He becomes utterly oblivious to my gentle coaxing of "leave it". Focused.

Our dogs are both Golden Retrievers, smart, loving, playful and part of the family. It's in their nature. They have times when they are at home, eyes half closed, gently breathing and appear to be fully present. They are great teachers of knowing what they want and staying focused on it. If what they want isn't immediately present, they wait patiently until that walk, pat or food comes around.

Why then, is it so challenging for so many of us to not become distracted by the busy thoughts that swirl in our heads? Is it simply a canine/homo sapien thing? Perhaps. But my intuition tells me that the dogs are able to get to the heart of their feelings and are in a now, in this moment, present way of living. They show unconditional love and trust. They don't hide behind complexities or excuses, but just thrust their feelings out there for all to see and experience.

My thought for this week is to tap into my own inner downward or upward facing dog. To let go into the experience of life, including emulating the ease of becoming focused on a single, seemingly simple thing like my breath or a mantra.

If my dogs can do...perhaps so can I!

Idyllwild Retreat 2010

2010-05-02T16:26:00.000-07:00

With the weeks of planning that need to happen leading up to a retreat, one thing that I couldn't plan was the arrival of a foot of snow the evening before we landed in Idyllwild. As I drove the winding road up the mountain, the beauty kept growing and my jaw kept dropping. I had never seen it so beautiful on that drive! I passed large numbers of yellow flowers in bloom and as I gained elevation, the flowers gave way to snow. The sun was out, the sky was brilliant blue and it set the scene for a magical weekend.

The group, made up of three new retreaters and four repeater retreaters began the weekend with a walk in the freshly fallen, untrodden snow. I asked the group if we could walk as quietly as possible to engage our senses to the natural environment. We made our way to the perfect spot (pictured above) to undergo a quiet breath-centered, Tai chi like session. We found ourselves grounding into the cool earth, listening to the sound of the flowing creek and birds chirping and began to gently flow with our breath to greet our environment.

For those of us who spend most of our time in the dry desert environs, this was an unusual treat.

The remainder of the weekend, we were able to practice postures (asana), sit in quiet reflection and meditation, visit deep relaxation and eat fresh vegetarian (gluten-free) cuisine. In other sessions we got to know each other on a deeper level, learned about the Chakra energy system, were introduced to the practice of Kirtan (call and response singing) and looked at a deeper level of self-inquiry known as the "Purusharthas" (the four aims of life).

What I enjoy most from the retreats that I have offered, is seeing people open their hearts to the tradition and philosophy of yoga on a deeper and more personal level. It allows us a time and space to step away from our everyday commitments, take a deep breath and reflect.

I thank and say "Namaste'" to the fascinating women that I had the privilege of spending time with in Idyllwild. If you missed this retreat, know that there is more to come...

Australia September 2-7, 2010
Idyllwild April 29-May 1, 2011

Mark your calendars!

Earth Day Is 40 Years Old

2010-04-25T17:11:00.000-07:00

This past week you might have heard that it was Earth Day. From a yogic perspective, every day is Earth Day with the practices of yoga evolving from a connection to as well as a reflection of the natural environment. We salute the sun and bow down to the earth, stand like a tree or mountain and recline in a restorative posture named "flowing mountain brook".

With the availability of electricity and artificial lighting, we began to fall out of sync with the ebb and flow of natural light that in the past indicated when to go to sleep and when to awaken. As the earth has become more populated with the development of concrete and skyscrapers, we have lost our connection through bare feet into the earth. And as we live in noisy and busy environments, we often miss the sounds of the natural world.

Earth Day is a vivid reminder to honor Mother Earth (Gaia). That we, as humans, walk upon this larger planet with its own living energy. That Mother Earth is here to support us in every way. Earth Day is another opportunity to reflect upon how we individually impact the planet. What type of footprint are we leaving? Are we able to elevate our own level of consciousness to lessen that impact?

Here are a few reminders as to how we can continue to show compassion to Gaia and in doing so, we show compassion towards others as well as ourselves.

Tips:

1. Carry your own water bottle to avoid using plastic, one-use bottles.

2. Have your own multi-use lunch set for heading off to work, to avoid using one-time, throw away containers.

3. Remember to bring your own shopping bags to the store.

4. Check the tire pressure in your vehicle to enhance miles per gallon.

5. Use multi-use dryer balls in your dryer rather than a fabric softener in the wash or throw away dryer sheets. Or line dry your laundry.

6. Create your own compost for your garden.

7. Buy phosphate-free laundry detergent.

8. Turn off your tap when brushing your teeth.

9. Turn off your computer at the end of each day.

10....Send in to me any tips that you do in order to be part of the buzz around reduce, reuse, recycle and sustain!

Thank you Gaia!

Do, Re, Me, Fa, So, La, Tee...

2010-04-18T12:28:00.000-07:00

Wah!performing at Bhakti Fest September 2009

Ahem...I clear my throat as I begin to write this week's thought as it's all about singing. Yes..I love to sing and have always loved to sing. I have held the vision of being on stage in front of a throng of screaming fans, firing up their lighters as we all sing the chorus to my worldwide, #1 hit song...

I have no idea what the song is, or what it's about, but the image of leading people into an elevated and altered state is intoxicating. For those of you who know me, being a rockstar remains a fantasy as my career certainly didn't take that path. Or did it?

As a child I was very shy and unwilling to speak up. The actual idea of speaking, much less singing in front of people was simple- avoid it at all costs. As I have evolved, public speaking has become something that I enjoy and embrace. The singing has taken longer.

When I didn't know much about the practice of yoga, I heard that some classes had chanting. Given my history, I thought that was something that just wasn't going to be for me. As I began to dive deeper into the study of yoga, I was at a teacher training and was introduced to this unknown world...that of chanting and kirtan (call and response). I stood in the class, with my eyes closed, hands placed at my heart in a prayer posture and listened as Deva Premal's recording of "Om Mani Padme Hum" wove its way throughout the group.

In that moment, I decided to take a chance and let her fly. I sang softly, focusing on the unfamiliar words. The instructor said to focus on the energy, the "jewel" in my heart and allow it to rise up. I began to cry. It was so primal and beautiful. So fundamental to being human...hearing and expressing the sound of my own voice through song and vibration.

It was in that moment that I fell in love with chanting. I was the "anti-chanter", fully surrending to something I thought I would never enjoy. And truthfully, I have always sung, to songs on the radio, my favorite LP's as I studied the lyrics. I sing in the shower and even louder in the car. I've turned to music when lifes challenges seem insurmountable. I've taught group exercise classes for 28 years...all to music! I was a music lover who discovered her own voice. Have you discovered yours?

I may not be fronting a rock band, but I sing every morning prior to meditation. I attend concerts, listen to Sacred Sounds radio and seek out as much "yoga" music as I can get my hands on. The more I study mantra, chanting and kirtan, the deeper the connection becomes to something that has been spoken, sung and passed down through generations. I feel that my voice is perpetuating the same vibration that was first plucked thousands of years ago, far off in India.

The greatest thing about the singing is that I don't care if I sound good or not. It not only makes me feel good and puts a smile on my face, but it reaches down and touches my soul.

So, all together now...inhale and do, re, me, fa, so, la, tee...

Community

2010-04-16T07:48:00.000-07:00

Having taught group classes for 28 years I have learned and experienced many things. A certain feeling is present when a group of people come together and begin to move and breathe in harmony. Simply put, this feeling is one of a common connection and purpose. One of community.

What gives each group and class that special something is the collective energy brought out by the different personalities within the group. I notice when certain people are missing from a regular session...the energy shifts, not necessarily for better or worse, it's simply different.

I remember during my yoga therapy training, speaking with a younger yoga instructor who taught at the local community college. I asked him, "how many students attend your classes?" He replied, "oh, sometimes 40 or 50". I thought "Wow! I get excited when I have five people in my yoga classes...". I then said to him, "I know that if I lived in a more yoga-aware area, my classes might be bigger. But, I think part of my purpose is to build a yoga community in the desert."

Now granted, in my experience bigger is not always better. Perhaps from a bottom line perspective it is. When I was teaching at Melbourne University I'd often have over 100 participants in a Cardio Funk class that seemed to lift the roof with its sheer volume of energy...that was fun and cool! Numbers do matter, but that's not what always makes for the most enjoyable experience.

As my teaching has evolved into the the more subtle realms of yoga, I find the quality is better when the numbers are under 10-12 people. I am able to see and sense the individuals within the group, as opposed to seeing a sea of moving bodies.

My thought for the week is around the sense of community that is present in all group classes, regardless of size. Classes and retreats offer people with a similar objective the chance to support and be supported. When someone is out with illness, injury or grief, the collective group cares about that person and supports them through the experience.

As a group gets to know one another, they help to provide greater motivation for coming to class on days when we may not feel like it. The participants become accountable to one another for making it to class.

The reason I've taught group classes for so many years and to so many is that it's a dynamic process that continually challenges me as a teacher. Groups gain their own momentum and sense of support. After a while...I simply have to turn up and enjoy the ride!

So grab a friend and come along to a class. Join or begin the expansive experience of creating your own group!

To quote Jane Howard:

"Call it a clan, call it a network, call it a tribe, call it a family: Whatever you call it, whoever you are, you need one."

Getting Grounded

2010-04-04T17:29:00.001-07:00

With spring in the air and the seed having been planted that a trip to Australia with it's pristine beaches is on the horizon makes me want to kick off my shoes.

Yes...get the soles roughed up and feel the earth...move...under my feet!

My husband, Ed, and I were raised in two very different environments. He was raised in the Bronx, a borough of New York City and surrounded by a concrete jungle. I was raised in Southern California where we do have miles of concrete, but we also have warm weather, big yards and beaches. I asked Ed one day how much time he spent barefoot growing up. He said he couldn't really remember spending virtually any time without shoes on his feet. Much to my amazement, I recounted a summer of stubbed toes...I barely remember being IN shoes as soon as the weather warmed up.

My yoga thought for the week is how desensitized our feet have become as we house them in shoes and socks without our little piggies ever getting much of a breather. When people come to practice yoga with me with socked feet, I ask if they would be comfortable removing them and going au naturale. Why?

When we feel our feet on our mats, lift and spread our toes and transfer our weight from one to the other when balancing, we not only strengthen our foot structure, but we connect energetically to Mother Earth. As a species, we spent years running around with bare feet. We have evolved to sense the uneven surfaces, feel the varying textures of the soil, detect warmth and coolness and get sand between our toes.

I love offering the visual of standing on your favorite sandy beach, with the waves gently lapping at your toes and allowing yourself to sink deeper into the sand. If you simply close your eyes, you can go there right now....ahhhhhh....just like Mother Nature intended!

I have also come to notice that the healthier and stronger one's feet, the better their balance. So no matter what your age, or how unsightly your feet are...kick off your peds and give your feet some fresh air. Good for the sole. Great for the soul. And your spirit with give you a silent thank you!

I Am A Mountain

2010-03-28T11:41:00.001-07:00

Stand up straight.
She's a real pushover.
Those are tough shoes to fill.
Take a stand.
Hold your ground.
She crumbles under pressure.

Ever use, heard or been told the above cliches? I know that even if people haven't spoken those words directly to me, at uncertain times, I have certainly experienced them. And that's the beauty of yoga. It has the ability to teach us to take what we practice on the mat out into our everyday world.

We salute the sun. We bow to the moon. We stand with one foot sending its roots down into the earth as we hold tree pose. We stand, unwavering, solid and firm-fully connected in Mountain pose.

Yoga has been around for many years and continues to evolve into its current practiced form. How yoga relates to the natural world is evident in the number of poses that are directly named for the environment.

This week's thought is around the essence of mountain pose, or Tadasana (ta-DA-sana) in Sanskrit. The yoga studio in Palm Springs where I teach on Tuesday and Thursday evenings is named for this pose as Palm Springs rests at the foot of the San Jacinto mountains.

Often in class as we are transitioning through a Sun Salute, or standing Warrior sequence, we flow through or pause in Tadasana. It is said that Tadasana is the foundation for all other poses, in that we feel its presence particularly when we're inverted as though our feet are standing on the sky. For most yoga practitioners, paying attention to not only the physical sensation of Tadasana, but what it represents is my thought for the week.

My adorable and gentle male golden retriever naturally takes a "don't mess with me" stance by stomping his front legs into the earth, puffing out his chest and firming up his back when someone steps into our yard that he's uncertain about. It's an instinctive reaction to holding his ground. His own canine interpretation of Mountain pose.

Have you ever had to confront something that was scary? Something that if you could shy away from, you would, rather than facing it? Many occasions exist when we have this feeling but we would rather be a turtle, than a mountain. It's during these times, that we can better prepare ourselves by inhabiting not only the physical posture but the attitude of the MOUNTAIN.

As we stand with our feet firmly planted, our femurs slightly rolling in to stabilize our pelvis and activate our arches, we can visualize our chest, shoulders and head as being held directly above our foundation. I often suggest we have a positive charge on the crown of our head and the sky is the attractive negative charge that offers us a lifting sensation throughout our being. We stand with our hands and eyes soft, but with our chest and heart open. Just enough tension to create an energy flow throughout our being rather than a militaristic "TEN HUT" stance.

Stand in your feet.
Stand up to what you need to face.
Stand up for yourself or take a stance for something you believe in.
Don't just do Tadasana.

BE...Tadasana. Be the mountain.

Lastly, how easy is it to move a mountain?

Empty Nest

2010-03-21T15:32:00.001-07:00

As many of you have been following, we have had the somewhat rare experience of a hummingbird's nest inhabiting our ficus tree that sits outside our bedroom window.

About three weeks ago, we spotted the nest and "Mama H" sitting on it. When we peeked inside, what looked like a moldy peanut, wiggled...it was the chick showing signs of life! Daily we would open our curtains and watch Mama H sitting and sitting, rarely leaving for more than what seemed like a few minutes.

One morning during this time, I heard a thump on our window as I was getting ready for work. A stunned and splayed out hummingbird was on our outside rug. I panicked thinking it was Mama H and how was I going to raise this tiny chick? As I approached the stunned bird, it sped away as quickly as hummingbirds do.

This past Monday I looked at the chick and said, "You're getting to look like a big hummingbird. I don't think you'll be with us much longer". The next morning...the nest was empty.

For the next few days, I continued to look through our window at the empty nest with a mix of emotions- feelings of sadness that the daily growth of the chick was no longer visible; the ritual of Mama H feeding and sitting; but mostly how blessed we were to be witness to the perfection of nature. The nest survived windy days, people ogling, the threat of larger birds and all survived to continue on through the natural cycle of life.

My thoughts of the week are around being part of that cycle. Witnessing, appreciating, enjoying the process and ultimately letting go. From a yogic perspective, every thing is in transition and nothing is permament. It's human nature to seek stability by attaching ourselves to people and things, hoping this will give us a sense of security. We typically avoid uncertainty and the unknown, holding on as to give our selves a sense of permanence. Realizing that things change and shift on an on-going basis, allows us to appreciate the present moment to its fullest.

Take a deep breath and breathe in this moment, even as the chicks leave the nest and fly away into the unknown.

Feeling Sleepy?

2010-03-14T22:12:00.001-07:00

One of the most undervalued practices for maintaining optimal health is often overlooked - Sleep. Health practitioners talk about diet and exercise frequently...just pick up the latest fitness journal and it will be filled with the best way to strengthen the core, maximize nutrients, low-fat/high fiber recipes and how to sculpt various body parts.

Being a yoga educator, it would be remiss of me to not look at the entire being...body, mind and spirit. How they reflect, intertwine and are connected to each other. When something is out of balance, we see it reflected in how we feel, act and yes...sleep.

It is during sleep that our body rejuvenates itself on all of these levels. When we put ourselves to bed, we aren't simply physcially resting. We're restoring on so many levels: our hormonal balance, recovering from a busy day, easing our noisy minds and allowing ourselves to naturally find our inherent balance.

So, here are a few tips this week for getting a better nights rest:

1. Use your bed for just sleeping and intimate relations.

2. Make your room as dark and quiet as possible (decrease ambient light via TV's, cell phone chargers, lava lamps and the like).

3. Keep to a sleep routine. Go to bed within 30 minutes of the same hour and awaken at the same time each day.

4. The sleep routine may include ways in which to begin disconnecting from the computer, TV, stimulants (caffeine, scary movies or heated discussion) two hours before tucking in.

5. If you haven't fallen asleep within 20 minutes of turning off the lights, get up. Begin the routine again and include something that is somewhat boring such as a crossword puzzle.

6. Give yourself permission to let go of your day. You are completely capable of resuming in the morning (and more rested to do so!).

7. And if you ignored it above...no TV in the bedroom. Tough for many of us, but try watching in another room.

That's it. So for now...say good night!

It's Not Just About Me...

2010-03-09T16:46:00.000-08:00

Over the past few years around every spring the Rancho Mirage Women's Health Center hosts a fundraising luncheon called WOW - the Wonder of Women, whose sole objective is to raise money for Safe House of the Desert. Safe House is located in Thousand Palms and is exactly that...a safe place for at-risk youth that have either run away from or been thrown out of their homes. It's a safe place, a refuge from the unpredictable and potentially dangerous life on the street.

When I think about my own life, I am grateful for having always had a safe house. The only time that wasn't the case was when I was on my travels that sometimes found me in a less than safe place, but that was of my own volition. As my daily life goes along, I am not confronted by the unfamiliar situation of not knowing where I'm going to sleep that night or if I'll have a meal that day.

When our community reaches out to those experiencing challenges, offering fundraisers, financial, emotional or medical support it is a pure act of generosity. In yoga, this is called Seva or service. We act for others as we release all expectations of getting anything in return. It's the highest form of giving.

The thought and subsequent challenge for you this week is to see if you can give something to someone else unconditionally. It might be a simple act of letting another person have a parking spot, paying a bridge toll for the car behind you or simply giving a compliment to someone else who's doing the best they can. It doesn't have to be an exchange of money, but more an exchange of good intention and energy.

And to quote Benjamin Franklin:
"When you are good to others, you are best to yourself"

To Do, Or Not To Do...

2010-02-28T15:31:00.001-08:00

The other day I awoke with a long list of things to get done. I was wondering if I had enough time to fit it all in and was feeling a sense of urgency to get going.

One of the items on my to-do list was to get the dogs out for a morning walk before heading off for a full day of teaching. I leashed them up and set off at a brisk pace because I had places to go, things to do and yes, people to see. Within the first five minutes, I was struck by the beauty of the day. It really hit me as though the Universe was reminding me to slow down and take it in.

The sun was out, the temperature seemed to be that perfect blend between a slight chill and a day filled with potential warmth and the SKY... wow...brilliant blue, just as the background color to this newsletter! This awe struck moment shifted my sense of urgency, from getting things done to that of being in the moment and enjoying the experience.

How often do we get distracted by the mechanics of the day and miss the sometimes obvious and more often subtle and sublime moments of being purely present? Part of slowing down, becoming more mindful of individual moments and tasks is experiencing gratitude for that particular moment. Even if it's washing up dishes, sitting in traffic or doing our taxes.

If we shift our focus to accepting this moment for being what it is, for being a perfect reflection of where we are at in that moment without flying off into the future, we can begin to enjoy more and more moments of just being...not doing.

So, this weeks to-do list looks like this:

1. Write this newsletter;
2. Play tennis;
3. Go to the post office;
4. Go to work;
5. Just be

Endless Education

2010-02-21T17:31:00.000-08:00

I have spent this past weekend "attending" my first Virtual Yoga Conference. Yes...I initially asked the same question. It's a cool idea that seems to be reflecting our ever evolving methods of communicating and learning. I enrolled on-line, was given the schedule and a phone number to call or a link to click on and enter the classroom. Each session is an hour long and I have been going from one class to another on and off all weekend. Following the conference, I have two weeks to listen to any session I was unable to attend. Wow...all from the comfort of my own home office or whilst on my bluetooth...pretty amazing stuff.

As with any conference, my own way of thinking is given a bit of a shake up. I know having taught thousands of classes over many years, that I become somewhat stagnant and stale, even if it's not reflected directly into my class or evident to my students. When I hear that inner voice whispering, "hey...find some inspiration" I know it's time to look at what I'm doing from a different perspective.

What I also get from sessions such as the ones being offered via the virtual conference, is a reassurance of my own path and purpose. I know that what I am doing professionally and how I'm living my life personally is a reflection of my greater purpose, or what Buddhists might term my "dharma". It reinforces how blessed I am to be able to do the work that I do as it truly has potential to alter peoples lives, offering support for all beings to experience their own dharmic path and potential.

I also find it to be incredibly humbling in that my journey is one spent in a perpetual classroom...virtual or not. The learning never ends and I find gratitude in knowing at least that much!

This leads me to my thought of the week...what are you doing to fulfill your own purpose? What steps are you taking to remove your own obstacles to open the space for growth? I challenge you to spend just five minutes thinking about it...today.

All By Myself

2010-02-14T16:23:00.000-08:00

With today being Valentine's Day, it would seem odd that my thought for the week is about being by ourselves. But actually, it makes it even more potent, just like the elixir that exists on Cupid's arrow.

My question for the week is-How much time do you spend each day alone? Not with the radio on whilst you're driving, or lounging in front of the TV, but simple being in the act of sitting quietly...just you.

And then you might ask the question...why is this important? Good question. When we get to a place where we are completely at ease and accepting of who we are, with all of our unique imperfections, where we hold our own hearts in gentle compassion we can then begin to truly express this same feeling to all others.

My thought for the week has been prompted by the upcoming yoga retreat I'm holding in Idyllwild in April. It's a time that is cut out of our daily busy lives, where we have the opportunity to hear our own inner voice, with no interruption or distraction. Women who have attended in the past have had many challenges and obstacles in getting there in the first place...kids, finances, travel, other obligations...things that initially might have screamed "NO", you really can't afford to go. But, many did find a way. They would all tell you that it was worth it as by feeding their own soul, they returned to all of the original objections with greater love, peace and appreciation.

I know that when we returned from our 9-day yoga retreat in Australia in October of 2009, even with me teaching the retreat, the residue from its impact lasted for almost three months. THREE MONTHS!! Through the feeling of unplugging, looking after my well-being on all levels of body, mind and spirit, I was able to hold onto that for weeks post-retreat.

You can too. Look into your heart and see if it's asking you to take some time for yourself. Not only to serve your own higher good, but those of others. It's an investment of energy that will continue to resonate well after the retreat has finished.

How's Your Posture?

2010-02-07T18:20:00.000-08:00

One of the first things I tend to notice about people when I first meet them is their posture. Unusual perhaps, as many people might notice a person's face or what they're wearing, but I tend to get a snapshot impression of how they hold themselves physically.

Are their shoulders rounded to the front of their body? Is their head jutting forward?

Now, I know it sounds like something your mother would say to you as you were growing up..."sit up straight", but she had a point. As we age, we need to make more conscious choices around our posture. Checking in a bit more frequently with how our skeleton is lined up can have long lasting results, just as not checking in can find us in a slumped over position well before our time.

I believe improving our posture depends on a few things:
1. Awareness
2. Strength in the muscles that create beneficial alignment
3. Flexibility, or range of motion in the joints that contribute
4. Awareness...oh yes...I said that one already, but this one's the first step.

I teach postural awareness on a regular basis and still need to remind myself to engage better posture. When our body is held in a biomechanically disadvantageous position (that's a mouthful), we begin to create uneven stresses across the muscles and joints. If these imbalances are repeated over days, weeks, months and years, we begin to develop a less than ideal postural line which can lead to pain.

Try this to give yourself a postural check-up:

~Stand with your heels against the wall, feet evenly spaced about hip width apart, middle toes pointing forward.

~Roll your femurs (thigh bones) slightly in toward each other and see if you can slip your hand in the natural low-back curve between you and the wall behind you.

~Feel your shoulder blades against the wall.

~Place the back of your head against the wall without lifting your chin (keep it parallel to the floor).

~Place the BACK of your hands against the wall. Now hold it.

~Notice what part of your body is working to hold this position, yet embed this feeling of openness into your cells.

~Allow your hands to relax, but keep your shoulder blades against the wall.

~Now...walk away, relaxed, but with the same awareness of the wall being behind you.

You can practice this anytime you find yourself standing in line, or whenever you need a postural reminder.

And remember to listen to your Mother when she says..."eat your veggies".

Seeking Sleep

2010-01-31T17:23:00.000-08:00

It Takes A Village

2010-01-25T19:52:00.000-08:00

This week we are hosting the Babolat World Tennis Classic, a large event seeing some of the best senior tennis players in action.

This annual event has grown in size since its inception but one thing has remained constant; the need for volunteers to run the event.

My thought for this week is around those who donate their time and energy to helping others, whether it be for a tennis tournament, for charity or during a disaster. A few people may be recognized as the organizers or directors, but it does take a village of people for things to run smoothly.

I hold a deep sense of gratitude to all the people who step up this time of year and assist in making our tennis tournament and my subbed yoga classes possible. I have always held a strong sense of independence. So strong, that asking for help from someone else was always difficult for me as I felt it was either a weakness of mine or an imposition for someone else.

The great lesson that our volunteers have taught me over the past six years is that THEY get enjoyment out of the process as much as I need their helping hands.

I try to apply this idea outside of the annual tournament in allowing myself to ask for help when I need it. It IS ok to not be superwoman and able to do it all by myself. Besides, that can get lonely...

Thank you many times over to all who support us, now and throughout the year. We really couldn't do it, without you.

From An Idea, Grows A Story

2010-01-17T16:49:00.000-08:00

Recently I saw the movie Avatar and one thing really stood out for me, aside from it being an immaculately produced visual journey, was the realization of an idea.

This weeks thought has been inspired by the process of origination to manifestation. To have the seed of an idea grow from an intellectual beginning into a physical projection is something we all have the potential to experience.

The question is, how often do we have these great ideas but never bring them into reality?

A client recently quoted a book about every person having a novel sitting within them. We all have our different stories. The challenge is stepping into the process of making our vision come into existence.

If you have something sitting deep within that has been in your consciousness for quite some time, not just a flash of an idea, honoring that as valid is the first step. When we acknowledge our inner vision, we can then begin to take the steps of breathing life into it. I think it takes two vital ingredients to make it happen.

Courage and discipline.

To become more courageous we might need to seek a mentor or share the idea with someone who believes in our ability to bring it to maturity. We need to trust our inner voice. That might mean sitting quietly on a regular basis and giving our inner voice an opportunity to be heard, rather than covering it up with exterior distractions.

We then need to set a plan for how we're going to achieve our goal. It might mean establishing a daily practice whether it be for gaining better health, creating a business or writing a book.

Regular commitment to our goal will certainly bring us to a place of seeing all possibilities. Otherwise it just remains a great idea sitting in the back closet of our mind.

If you've had something bursting to get out, now is the time to think about how that can happen. Believe that you can do it. Breathe life into the process by beginning with your own breath.

Inhale deeply. Exhale slowly. Dare to dream...

This weeks thought is dedicated to my brother Ken, who recently finished the first draft of his first novel. I am currently reading his writings which also inspired my thought for the week.

Finding Compassion

2010-01-10T17:26:00.000-08:00

A few years ago, I went to a talk by His Holiness The Dalai Lama in Melbourne, Australia. It was held in the Rod Laver arena that is home to the Australian Open Tennis Championships, which translate into holding a few thousand people. It was striking to me how quiet such a huge crowd became when His Holiness entered the arena. That was the first thing I remember clearly...the hushed masses.

The second was the one word that was the theme of the evening and the on-going mission by His Holiness. Compassion.

Recently, the thought around the word and act of compassion has been prominent in my thinking. How can I, an everyday gal, find more compassion within myself and others? What I do know is that it's a great concept and extremely challenging to practice.

Pema Chodron, a well published Buddhist teacher has translated this theme into practical ways of enacting it. To begin to find more compassion for ourselves, we can try to put ourselves into the perspective of others. What is the experience throught their eyes? What is it like to be in their shoes? When we begin to create their experience for ourselves, we often have a shift in us being right and them being wrong.

I had this theory in my head and then, not surprisingly, was given an opportunity to test it out.

During the hectic holiday season, I was on my way to work enjoying one of those beautiful desert mornings with low light and crystal blue skies. I was stopped at a red light that had a "No Turn on Red" sign. So, I sat waiting for the light to turn green. As I came to this stop, I hear the guy in a truck behind me, laying on his horn and can see him yelling at me via my rear view mirror, wanting me to turn right on red.

I rolled my window down and pointed to the sign. His reaction was to continue yelling at me (which I couldn't hear, but could see his agitation). When the light turned green, I turned right. We both came to the next set of lights and he pulled up along side of me to make a left as I was going straight.

Once again, I rolled down my window. He did the same and before I could say anything he defensively says, "yah, yah, Ma'am, I saw the sign...". To which I said, "I was just obeying the law". My unevolved self wanted to call him a name and make some sarcastic comment, but my ever evolving self step in front and shrugged her shoulders.

It really struck me that in that moment, I had a choice to either feel that I was right and he was wrong (and impatient) or to find a lesson sitting within. The lesson rang out loud and clear and it was that the guy probably wasn't having a peaceful morning and was in a hurry. He might not have noticed the crystal blue sky. He needed to be some place. And I had a choice to either feed my momentary anger or to reconnect to enjoying the morning.

Once I realized the choice, I learned the lesson of practicing compassion. Not only for the impatient driver, but compassion for me, choosing to be how I wanted to be.

The challenge for you this week is before reacting, just step into another persons perspective, even if just for a moment. You might be surprised at what you see, feel and experience.

The Light In Me...

2010-01-03T16:50:00.000-08:00

The decorations, the music, the parties, the presents and the rushing around are now a thing of the recent past. The quiet after the storm. But is it really quiet?

Do you ever get the feeling that after the holidays we rush back into our daily lives that are just a different type of hectic to the holiday season? For those of us who live in a seasonal place, we are just stepping into the truly busiest time of our year. For the next 4-5 months, our roads are more crowded, we have to look for a "good" parking spot, we might have to wait to get a table at a restaurant and there seems to be one event/gala, golf/tennis tournament, seasonal parties and openings at least every weekend, if not many nights of each week. Phew!

It's no wonder we call it a season, because if it were year round, we'd be really tired!

My thought for this week is to keep the idea of balance in our awareness. That amidst the chaos, we stop to take a breath. But truly, that's underselling how beneficial finding inner quiet can be. It's giving a bit too much weight to keeping engaged and busy as though that feeds our soul more than being disconnected.

This is not a new theme or weekly thought from me, but a repetition of something that is so potent and underpracticed that reiterating it seems more than appropriate given what lies ahead.

During the first few restorative yoga classes that I have been teaching at Rancho Mirage Women's Health Center, you can see and feel the shift from how people begin the class, to how people leave the class. It's as though there is this unfed need for us to rest and renew. Once the class steps into that quiet space, it's as though they've realized how ravenous they have been for this type of nourishment.

It is so easy to get distracted by daily living. Our culture is about the best at doing it, so much so we don't realize it's taking us away from our inner selves. When we begin to open the space in our hearts and recognize our own Divine spark that lies within, we are in a better place to recognize that same connection in others.

That is truly the essence of the word, "Namaste" (Nah-mah-stay).

The light in me, honors the light in you.

If we stay overly busy, disconnected and distracted we don't hear the word "Namaste" within our own souls. When we get quiet, unplug, relax and engage our breath awareness we not only see it in ourselves, but it spreads outward.

In a time such as this, when peace is sought on so many levels, make more of a commitment to finding the peace that lies within.

I have a bumper sticker on my car from www.restorativeteachers.com that says, "Changing the world, one savasana at a time". For those unfamiliar with savasana, it is the final relaxation pose at the end of each class, where each student is supported in a lying down position on the floor. Just imagine if everyone spent 15 minutes in a relaxation pose every day...what a wonderful world this could be.

Namaste'

Resolution Time. Again.

2009-12-27T15:32:00.000-08:00

I've already heard the words being spoken, those words that seem fundamental towards the end of each calendar year. "In January, I'm going on a diet! That's my resolution..."

When we make a resolution, we are making a promise to ourselves with the intention of doing something that yields change, generally in the direction of self-improvement. The fitness industry banks on us making these promises and anticipates the January onslaught of new member enrollments. They often will tempt us with a great deal for the entire year and in actual fact, know that a large percentage of the new members will stop attending within a few months. If people were able to hold onto their desire for change as of January 1, there would be more people than gyms could manage.

Why is it that we have such great intentions only to realize a few weeks later we've lost our way?

My thought for the week is to offer ourselves more compassion when trying to make a change. It is said that permanent change takes anywhere between 21-30 days to take hold. That translates into it taking time. We often lose our way because we become impatient with the process and perhaps don't see any change in the time we expect.

Change also takes conscious and consistent choice and practice. If we want to create a new way of being or doing, we need to practice it over and over again. You know, try it on. See how it fits. We need to shift the unfamiliar feeling to a familiar one and that takes repetition.

One of my favorite sayings is, "consistency is the key". If we go to a yoga class randomly, then what we get out of it will likely be momentary. If we want to invite a more centered way of living into daily life, we have to create ways of doing that...DAILY! The magic happens in the doing.

So if you are thinking about making a resolution I would suggest being clear on ONE thing. Design a plan that fits into your life and stick with it, without excuse, interruption or hesitation for at least a month. Avoid the trap of letting what you would like to shift, move down your list of priorities. Keep it in the top position until you feel that it's embedded--like brushing our teeth every day.

And if now isn't the time, then go easy on yourself and ask the inner critic to keep the noise down. In this moment, we are all as we should be; beautiful, unique beings with nothing that needs to be fixed.

Center your awareness into the middle of your heart, breathe into that space deeply and notice how incredible you are!

Happy New Year and may 2010 hold peace, growth, good health and deep joy for all of us.

Winter Solstice

2009-12-24T12:19:00.000-08:00

Sitting in the middle of the busy holiday season is the Winter Solstice (Summer Solstice for my Southern hemisphere friends). For the past three years, we have held a small gathering to celebrate the Winter Solstice.

During the evening we sing mostly yoga based chants and mantras (but the Beatles got a good showing this year); we sit quietly in meditation and then we eat...vegan and vegetarian food that people contribute to the evening and drink tea.

This year we added something new. I asked everyone at the beginning of the evening, to write on a piece of paper what they would like to begin to manifest in the upcoming months. What is it that you want to bring into your life? What is it that you need? What is something that is completely supportive of you and feeds your soul?

At the end of the meditation, we all then placed our written intentions into the fire, symbolizing releasing the intention to the Universe, letting the idea be carried out of our hands and into something metaphorically bigger.

If we have these seeds of growth sitting in our consciousness without the source of light or energy, how will they ever come to be realized? It's like having all the knowledge of the benefits of exercise but never moving.

Until we begin to realize and then act upon our intentions, they remain as seed pods that are dormant. When we begin to recognize, honor and then feed these ideas they begin to grow, as does our own transformation.

I love the idea of the Winter Solstice as it relates to light. The actual day in 2009 is December 21 representing the shortest day of the year as it relates to the number of daylight hours that we see. From December 22 the day light hours begin to lengthen.

Stepping from darkness into light.

Isn't that what our own personal growth is about? Gaining clarity about our own life path and purpose? Moving from ignorance towards greater wisdom? Turning inward to see our own inner light's radiance?

Let's take a moment on December 21 and connect to our inner radiance and all the potential that is sitting within.

Peaceful Solstice.

Love and Light.

Extremes

2009-12-13T15:51:00.001-08:00

As I look up toward the snow-covered San Jacinto mountains here in the desert of California, wearing my fleece and long pants, I forget how hot it felt here just three months ago when my standard outfit was a pair of shorts and a tank top.

I sometimes wonder where those transitional months of basking in the high 80's and low 90's snuck by me so seemingly fast. It feels as though one moment I'm dripping sweat and the next, I'm shrouding myself in a wool wrap.

My thought for the week is recognizing when we are experiencing moments of harmony and balance. Our awareness of no longer being in balance is often heightened when we notice our extremes. When we have swung the pendulum so far to one side that we look back and say, "wow...I was really feeling good, or enjoying that. And now...I'm noticing how _______ I am."

You can fill the blank in with tired, busy, hungry, agitated or any thing that speaks to the notion of having to change something. And herein lies the practice...hearing what it is that is no longer in balance and knowing what to do about it.

Then the tough part. The doing something about it.

I know that last week I said we were "human beings, not human doings". But, sometimes doing something with a clear intention leads us to become better at being.

Here's an example. When I was in college, I got sick EVERY semester break. Every time without fail. The pressure would ease, my load would decrease and I'd spend 7-10 days managing some type of illness. My body was screaming at me to stop pushing so hard, but I would ignore it. Then during the break - WHAM- down you go, as though my body was saying, "I told you to take a break, but you wouldn't listen. Now...I'm going to make you slow down and take the break I have been talking about these past few months".

One of the great benefits of my yoga practice is that I've formed a better relationship with that inner voice. I listen more closely and use the tools that I have learned, to support my well-being all year round.

That brings me back to the extreme idea. One of my favorite sayings is that, "consistency is the key". This is an idea also present in the yoga texts. So instead of going to a class or doing a workout every once in a while, or going to the most challenging practice six days a week, why not think about what the place in between might feel like?

Consistently looking after ourselves means listening to our inner wisdom. It means finding someone or something that is able to teach us the tools of self-care. And most importantly, it means DOING it...not just having the knowledge, but stepping it into action.

Perhaps underlying this whole idea is that of treating ourselves from a place of compassion. Holding our own being in an embrace of self-love and acceptance. To connect to this, try placing both of your hands over your heart. Close your eyes. Feel the beat deep within your chest and notice the movement of your breath.

Equanimity...find it within.

24/7/365

2009-12-07T09:24:00.000-08:00

We are in a time when we have access to information and being available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. In the past, if we woke up in the middle of the night with burning questions we had only a few ways to find the answer...call somebody (but it's late), get up and check our Encyclopedia Brittanica or go back to sleep and wait until the morning to head off to the library.

Now if the same thing happens, we can roll over in bed and Google the question from our iPhone or Blackberry. We get the answer to our burning question almost immediately and can then roll over and go back to sleep.

My thought for the week is around finding the balance between humanity and technology.

It all began with the Internet and the increasing frequency with which we feel the need to check to see if someone has sent us a message. So much so, that we see people sitting in restaurants, medical offices, airports, driving and at the movies frantically sneaking a peak at their various devices. It's about time that being available 24/7/365 is added to things that are addictive in nature...right up there with television, drugs and alcohol.

I am fully aware of how beneficial rapid communication can be. I use it to connect with those of you reading this newsletter as well as with clients and friends, particularly useful for long-distance and overseas.
But I'm beginning to wonder: are we having better relationships with our devices than with people? I recently heard someone talking about all the cool "apps" for their phone and once they began to talk about it, they needed to show the "app" to someone else and proceeded to get energized, as though they had recently met someone knew. I know that new technology can be cool. What I would like to see become the new cool is sitting with someone and focusing on just one thing...them.

Sitting opposite someone, making eye contact and offering a compassionate smile holds great power and connection. It is fundamentally human. When we are present with other beings from a place of non-judgment, technology is the furthest thing from our minds.

We are human beings. Not human doings.

Let's keep humans and technology in perspective. One cannot replace the other. Part of the unplugging process and stepping into our own pool of stillness means shutting down our devices a bit more frequently and doing less multi-tasking.

As one of my teachers, Judith Hanson Lasater says, "let's become better at uni-tasking". In the process we can balance both our connection to people and the use of cool technology.

Ahhhh...the practice of yoga...finding balance!

Driving Ourselves Into the Ground...

2009-11-29T17:24:00.000-08:00

"Way to give it 110%"
"Atta Girl"
"No Pain. No Gain"
"Go For It!
"Don't Give Up...Keep Going"

Sound familiar?

It does to me. It was a revolving door of dialogue that was spoken to me as I was growing up and well into my adult years and words that I no doubt, spewed out to the thousands of fitness classes I've taught over the years. As a young athlete, it was ingrained into my being that if you didn't give it all you had, you weren't a team player or were "soft". You had to push it to your limits every time. You know, "leave it out on the court, or in the gym, or on the balance beam".

But what about the yoga mat? Do I need to give it 100% every time I step onto my mat in order to be a good yogi?

This past week, I asked the students who attend my more challenging classes what it would be like to give it just 70%. What would it feel like to dial it back a bit?

When I was asked that question, my answer was "I don't know, as I always give it 110%..."

With the holiday season in full swing, what would it be like to practice yoga (or anything else) at a lower intensity? Would this be a supportive way of helping you to not overdo it? I suspect it would. And for those high-reaching achievers, how about throwing in some restorative yoga where you are fully supported and allowed to rest. Yes. I said it...rest.

So when our natural tendency is to shove it into high gear, take a moment and put it on a 70% cruise control. It might actually be more challenging than stepping on the gas.