Intention

Intention. 
I used to hate when in a yoga class the teacher would say "if you would like to set an intention for class today..."  I didn't get it.  I was in a yoga class to work out.  My intention was to exercise.  And I really didn't like the feeling of not being "deep enough".  But now I have a new perspective on intention.  I think it is probably a result of continuing to practice and study yoga philosophy that now I do set an intention for my yoga practice and it's not just to "get a yoga butt" :)
Yoga is my preferred method of "loving movement" or exercise but it may not be for you, and that's obviously fine.  I'm not trying to convince you all that yoga is the best way to get your bodies moving.  We are all different and enjoy different things.  I always say, find what YOU like to do so you will stick with it.  It is easy for me to want to work out because I thoroughly enjoy the practice I have on my yoga mat.  Yoga is what I have found to be the best for me.
But whether you have a yoga practice or not is besides the point of this post.  I wanted to share with you a new practice I have started about two weeks ago. One day  I woke up before Isla, sat up bed and did a short meditation.  Just sat and listened to my breath.  And as I was doing that the thought occurred to me to set an intention for the day.  For me, for this particular day, the intention that I set was to slow down and be patient. And throughout the day before I spoke or did anything, I was reminded of that intention.  It made my day so....nice.  I was so excited how taking that simple moment before getting out of bed to make a promise to myself and others about the way I wanted to show up in the world really allowed me to be in a way that was useful.  So I tried it the next day too.
And I was humbled.
I didn't set as clear of an intention.  Really  I was just mostly kind of hoping to recreate what had happened for me the day before.  But it didn't work.  Because the intention was unclear I found it difficult to remain as in balance as I did the day before.  So I re-learned the lesson of letting go of expectations, and staying in the moment.  The flimsy intention of trying to feel the way I did yesterday wasn't right for today.  So now everyday I do try to really listen in.  To let myself be open to what I feel for this day.
And sometimes the intentions are the same.
And some are different.
Some days it's easy to step into the space of being wholly present with my words and actions so I may align with the best possible version of myself, and some days it's really challenging.
I have learned to try my best, to see those challenges as teachers.  To know that whatever is being presented to me at this moment is something I need to learn.  An opportunity to test my practice.
So I know that it may seem hard to sit in silence for a few minutes in the morning when most of us wake up to the alarm, to get ready for work or a child crying to be fed, or any number of  responsibilities to get to right away when waking up.  And I do too, and it can be hard on some days.  When I don't get to have those moments in bed when I wake up early I take them once breakfast is ready and Isla is eating or whenever I can find time. I try to do it in the morning but there is no reason why you can't get started half way through the day.  Maybe on your lunch break at work, or during nap time.  Anytime is an opportunity to set an intention for the way you want the rest of the day to be.  And if not today, there's always tomorrow. :)

Why not try to set a morning intention for your day today?

Let me know how it goes!

Peace, Love, Light.

The nose is for breathing, the mouth is for eating.

Breathing.  We do it all day, everyday, involuntarily and most of the time we have no awareness that it's happening.  You can go for about a week with out food, a few days with out water, but without your breath?  To quote Ana Forrest, "you're dead meat in TEN MINUTES".
When we breathe properly, in and out of the nose, taking in as much air as possible, some amazing things happen!  First of all, breathing through the nose filters and cleans the air of most of the impurities before it enters our bodies.  (Nose hairs have a purpose!)
Try this: Take a few breaths in and out through your mouth.  Feel how the air moving over your tongue feels a bit cold?  When we breath through the nose the air is in the body for just a bit longer and therefore the air is warm.  When we are breathing in warm air we increase our metabolism and burn free radicals.  Just from breathing!  Cool, right?
And as for breathing deeply, well, most of you probably know that as adult humans we rarely use our lungs to their full capacity.  When we don't fully inhale and exhale completely air can settle into the bottom of our lungs and become stale.  Kinda gross?  So by taking in air fully and expelling it completely we are insuring the health of our lungs and our entire body.  Our cells need oxygen as a source of energy to perform the functions for which they are designed.  The more oxygen we take in, the more for our cells to use for energy!
Our breath is our life force.  And even though we don't have to be aware that we are breathing to stay alive, when we are aware that we are breathing we can fully LIVE.  Bringing awareness to the breath brings you immediately into the present moment.  Your breath is not caught up in what is was just doing, what it's about to do.  It goes with the flow.  In and out.  It's going to happen whether you observe it or not, but when you observe your breath, your mind starts to clear.  The chatter inside your head gets quiet if only for a moment, one breath.  BUT the more you observe the longer the stillness in the mind can stay with you.  The mind is wild, but when you can control the breath you can begin to control the fluctuations of the mind.
Pranayama is a branch of yoga focused on breathing techniques to create different sensations in the body.  Prana is translated to "life force" and yama is "to control".
If you are feeling sluggish and want to increase energy in your system close off your left nostril and breathe in through the right nostril only.  Then block the right nostril and breathe out of the left side.  Close your eyes and continue breathing like this for a few minutes and see how you feel!
If you want to wind down, if you're having trouble sleeping or just want to relax, try the opposite.  Block the right nostril and breathe in through the left then to exhale block the left and let the air out through the right.
After trying either of these two exercises, be sure to take a few normal breaths through the nose, to take the time to see how your body feels after trying and to bring you back to balance.

There are many ways to control the breath to feel different things, this is just a simple one.  I hope you try it, let me know how it goes!  And always when you breathe, give thanks and don't take your breath for granted.

Eagle Arms

If you're like most people(myself included) you might spend your time doing any number, or all, of these things:
Sitting hunched over a computer keyboard
Looking down while chopping veggies and stirring pots
Gripping the steering wheel with less-than-perfect posture in traffic
Finding yourself with tense shoulders because of holding and nurturing babies (yours or otherwise)
The list can go on and on and the result is a pain in the neck! Well, the neck and shoulders. BUT, there is a remedy, a quite simple one, to help ease your pain. This is a great one that can be done anytime, anywhere: Eagle Arms.
I LOVE EAGLE ARMS. The stretch is really wonderful and goes deep into the middle of the upper back and shoulders.

To practice Eagle Arms bring one elbow on top of the other and continue winding arms around each other until your palms touch or you touch your wrist. Then press your shoulders down away from your ears and lift your elbows up towards your face. Play with the amount you press the shoulders and lift the elbows until you find a juicy stretch in between your shoulder blades and HOLD for 3 to 5 breaths or more. Then repeat on the other side.
If your shoulders are tight or it is hard for you to get into the position of Eagle Arms, don't worry! You can get the same benefits of the stretch by stacking your elbows and wrapping your arms around yourself like a big hug.

If you want a little bit more of a stretch throughout your back and in your neck you can drop your chin to your chest and round down through the spine. This can be done in either variation. Breathe all the way down your spine and feel how the entire back of your ribcage expands.









This is definitely a pose in practicing self love. By taking good care of yourself you are more equipped to take care of others around you. This goes for people you know and love and those you don't! (Ever smile at a complete stranger?) One of the reasons I love practicing yoga is that it is a form of "loving movement"(to use a FLY Lady term ). A lot of other exercise programs are harsh and seem almost violent, pushing hard through the workout in hopes of certain results. In yoga we are encouraged to turn inward, listen and feel, soften and experience, to be in the moment intimately with our own life force; our breath. The practice brings awareness to every moment that we are alive, that we are able to move our bodies and to be deep in gratitude for that fact. And sure, with the practice may come strength, flexibly and muscle tone, but that is not why we do it. We practice to be connected more deeply to ourselves, at our deepest core, so that we may more fully connect with each other.
I hope that you take time away from whatever may be causing you tension in your shoulders and practice this pose.  Like I said, it can be done anywhere, at your desk, in the kitchen and even in the car.  You have no excuse not to try!  Let me know how much you love Eagle Arms too! (Or not....and that's okay, too.  As long as you TRY.)

Energize!

We've all felt that mid-day lull. When you feel like you want to take a nap.  But because you're working or otherwise unable to do that you reach for a coffee, or red bull, or candy, or a soda or....you get the picture.  And maybe that fix helps you feel that little extra burst to get you through the next few hours.  Then you get home and all you want to do is crash.  Just the thought of making dinner or doing anything, really, makes you want to sink into the couch a little bit deeper.
Let's rewind.
You feel the sleepiness of the 3:00 hour and instead of running to the nearest Starbucks you try a heart opener.  A mini back bend with a side of a few deep breaths.  You feel your chest expand, your mood lifts, and you are filled with liveliness!  This helps remind you to stay aware of your breathing, bring mindfulness into the rest of your day.  With a calm mind and energized body you arrive home, happily prepare a delicious meal for yourself and your family, joyfully clean up after eating and relax the rest of the night with a good book.
Here's how:
Start by dropping your chin to your chest to release the back of your neck and tops of your shoulders.  Take a few breaths here moving your chin from side to side and exploring where there is tension, and consciously let it go.  Carefully lift your gaze and do a few shoulder rolls.  Now you're ready.

And you have a few options.  If you can, stand up, plant your feet firm into the floor, about hip distance apart.  Interlace your fingers at the small of your back.  Squeeze your elbows together as you start to straighten your arms moving your shoulder blades in toward the front of your body.  If that feels okay for you start to lift your arms towards parallel to the floor.  Keep your throat open yet the back of your neck long.  It is easy to bend deeply into the low back here, so keep you abdomen engaged and your tailbone tucking in.  Breathe deeply into the center of your chest accepting feelings of love and joy.  Take this only to the degree that you can hold it comfortably and breathe easy.   Hold for 3-5 breaths and repeat as often as you like!

If your chest and shoulders are tight or it's hard to interlace your hands behind you, try this variation.  Sit up tall in a chair or on the floor.  Place your hands behind you and lift your chest up.  Again, keep your throat open and the back of your neck long.  Feel the expansion of your chest as you inhale and try to keep your chest full and wide as you exhale.  Imagine your heart flying high out of your chest.  Hold steadily and ease-fully for 3-5 breaths and repeat as many times as you want.

It might feel good for you to counter this back bend with a forward bend, like Child's Pose, Standing Forward Fold, or if your sitting just folding forward where you are, just for a moment or two and slowly come back up and feel the bliss move through you!
Also, you don't need to save these heart openers for the midday.  They are a great way to get you energized when you wake up as well!  Let me know how you feel after trying this one!

Namaste.

Take Child's Pose

The other day I had a funky day. The type of day where there were constant blocks, in the form of stress, clumsiness, worry, etc. They kept popping up, trying to tell me something, I'm sure, but I was unable to hear the message. I was unable to find my breath, to use my yoga to get through the day with more sukha(ease). I was happy that that very night I was able to attend a Yin yoga class. Yin yoga is a very slow moving, deep stretching, grounding practice. Pretty much the exact opposite of a strong vinyasa class, which is an energetic, faster pace, sweaty practice. They compliment each other very well. I took the Yin class and left there feeling wonderfully relaxed and balanced. It didn't occur to me until later what I was able to do there in that classroom. I let go completely. The day that was so bothersome was dissolved. I poured the emotions of the day onto my mat, and that is where they stayed. And I thought how kind of my mat to take that stress from me and never complain. :)
A great pose to try this type of letting go is Child's Pose (Balasana). It's an inward-turning, quiet, restful pose that can be performed by anyone, even if you have never tried yoga before. Come down to the floor and sit on your heels keep your big toes touching each other. You can keep your knees together or separate them apart a bit. There are a few variations you can try; first, pictured above,is with the arms stretched out in front of you, which has a more energetic quality.

Second, is with your arms along side your body which is more rounding in the back and a bit more restful.

If your hips don't reach your heals, or your knees are troublesome, try using a folded blanket, towel or even a pillow between your heels and hips. Like this:

If your forehead doesn't reach the floor try stacking your fists one on top of the other, or stack a few books or pillows to lift the floor to you.


Resting the forehead is ideal so try your best to make that happen using even a chair if your body is quite stiff.

Remember, there is no shame in using props to make the pose more ease-ful and comfortable. We are practicing to let go of tension, not create more of it by worrying we're not flexible enough, or something less because we need help. Let yourself be supported to completely surrender to calm. Let any emotions, thoughts, feelings, discharge into the mat, blanket, carpet, pillow, whatever is beneath your forehead. Imagine as though there is a hole drilled into your Third Eye Space (The space between your eye brows) that anything that is not serving your body, mind and spirit can leak out of. Some days you might feel it's difficult to let go and other days you'll feel things flooding out of you. Just stay connected to your breath and use each exhale to chose something else to liberate.
Try Child's Pose today. Stay as long as you like and let me know how you feel! Don't be shy, if you have any questions I'm happy to answer!




Namaste.