Om Om Om
Sit in meditation for several minutes to begin the practice. Focus on the inhale-exhale flow and being present.
Roll onto back and practice knee to chest hug rolling several times
Roll to table pose and practice cats breath several times, slowly, mindfully
Sit back into childs pose breathing several deep full breaths
Stand up, step forward and take…
Forward Fold-lifting sitting bones and breathing into back of body
Bend knees and practice powerful warrior (utkatasana) and forward fold sequence 5 times…
4 Sun Salutations series A-hold down dog 3 full ujai breaths each time-flowing with breath
2 Sun Salutations adding this sequence into standing pose part….
warrior 1-crescent warrior (heel up) prayer twist (over forward bent knee), lunge, then vinysasa and repeat other side, twice each side
Ardha Chandrasana, warrior 2, reverse warrior using strength and breath and mindfulness equally=equanimity!
Plank pose push-ups, 6-8 times feeling strength all over body
Baby cobra-several in a row-open the lift the heart…still the mind…relax knees and tailbone…bring buttocks into a neutral place
Garland pose (squat w knees to sides, heels down if possible) straight back….
Crow for those who can….half crow if still learning….skill over sensation
Jump back to chataranga. vinyasa forward and take
Mountain pose then eagle-each side once breath evenly….grounding
Sit down and practice seated twist, twice on each side, opening upper chest=creating space!
Deep Relaxation (Savasana) 5-15 minutes
Okay so I realize that being sick with pneumonia for many days might be making me a little cranky, but I just have to vent on the topic of why I believe that mixing yoga classes with a little wine or chocolate gathering afterwards is creepy. I’m sure I’m breaking all sorts of “blogging” rules (the one where you aren’t supposed to blather on and on about your opinions) and possibly may offend a person or two in this writing. I also realize that on a scale of 1-10 me being sick is less than zero when we consider world disasters and earthquakes. But when you’ve been laying on the couch coughing, sneezing and feeling sorry for yourself for a couple of weeks then you get to have a moment like this…right?
For the past couple of years I’ve slowly been noticing that more and more studios and teachers are offering “Yoga and Wine,” or “Yoga, Wine and Chocolate.” EEEEEEEK. Is nothing sacred? We live in a culture obsessed with getting high, being healthy, cool and beautiful all at the same time which is completely nuts. So why do we have to take something as healing, basic and simple as yoga and mix it up with booze and sugar…arghhh…
Humans need places and time to be quiet, aware, learn how to breathe and how to move with intention in their bodies. They also of course need time for play, laughter and socialization. Mixing yoga and wine drinking after yoga class just goofs up the boundaries in my opinion. If a group of people want to go to yoga and then go drink wine afterward…great..but over the years I’ve had several students recovering from drug or alcohol abuse in my classes, and know that they need a safe place to be practicing yoga, especially new to their recovery process. They need a place where the cultural calling to get high isn’t happening..and to me a yoga studio is a really sacred space that holds energy from class to class in a powerful way. The studio says…we just aren’t gonna be doing that stuff in here…there is a bar down the street.
It just really bugs me that yoga is now so exploited that it’s losing it’s ancient coolness, and it was never supposed to be cool but in our great capitalist society we find ways to make a buck like nowhere else in the world …for a long time now yoga has been morphed into weird little subculture groups and courses that take parts of yoga and mix it with parts of other types of exercises or workouts…argh! Everywhere now you see classes advertised called Yogalates or ButtKicking Power Yoga Flow or Core Ab Yoga or Yoga for the Abs or Yoga for Hard Bodies…come on people!
Hopefully like most trends in America..these new silly trends that make yoga seem silly will die off..and the old guard will still stand. Okay well I got it out..I guess it felt pretty good. Hopefully I didn’t offend too much. If you want to let me know your thoughts on it…that would be fun:) Comments are welcome! And no….yawn…I will not be watching the Oscars either…yawn.
Yoga Jane
Let’s try a “balancing/strengthening” practice today…..
Om Om Om
Sit on mat in a comfortable cross leg position-breathing and being present for 3-5 minutes
Roll forward to table pose and practice cat-cow breath flow several times, shift back into childs pose
From childs pose sit up on your legs in hero and practice side bending a few times, arms extending up side to side
Stand up and practice:
3 Sun Salutations series A-hold down dog 3 full ujai breaths each time
3 Sun Salutations series B (adding powerful pose and warrior 1 each time through vinyasa)
Triangle pose-hold several breaths
Revolved triangle pose-hold several breaths, release into the twist without forcing…
Stand in mountain feeling calm and centered for several full breaths
Balance and strengthen sequence:
Warrior 3
Warrior 2
Revolved Triangle
King Dancer Pose
Tree
Practice this sequence twice on each side, time permitting, stay present
Move to floor and practice bridge pose, 3 times working toward ease
Practice wheel pose if ya dare….come on! you’ll feel great afterward….watch for over efforting
Knee to chest hug
Twist with bent knees-each side held for 1 minute
Bada-konasana-2 minutes, soft tailbone and open chest breathing, let go through shoulders
Deep Relaxation (Savasana) 5-15 minutes in corpse pose, mindfully resting with unhurried breathing Om Om Om
Today…find some time for you… focus on your personal well being and health…and let go of your daily stresses and concerns….it doesn’t have to be a big deal, but if you have more time you can add more practice. Begin with a gentle inward intention..keeping your awareness on the moments…
Om Om Om
Tadasana (mountain pose)-breathing here for 3 minutes
Side Angle Standing Bends-each side for 1 minute, repeat twice, generous breathing into side waist area
6 rounds of Sun Salutations…slow and steady with focus on ujai pranayama
Vrksasana (tree pose)-each leg for 1 minute, repeat each side, grounding and opening
Prayer Twist-each side twice, holding 1 minute each, releasing through exhale
Balasana (childs pose) 2 minutes with deep breathing into upper back and back lungs
Camel Pose (make modifications) 3 times in a row, holding for 5 breaths, childs pose in between, be present
Seated Forward fold (paschimottasana) 3 minutes with deep intentional breathing, sink into legs, lengthen spine
Halasana (plough pose) 1 minute, creating space for shoulder stand (sarvangasana)
Shoulder stand (sarvangasana) 3 minutes, opening into space and mindfulness, be present
Release slowly and lay on mat with knees bent in for awhile, quietly reflect
Spinal Twist-each side twice held for 1 minute
Happy Baby-2 minutes, soft tailbone and open chest breathing, let go through shoulders
Deep Relaxation (Savasana) 5-15 minutes in corpse pose, mindfully resting with unhurried breathing
Om Om Om
What is strong and what is weak? Have you ever been crushed by a dirty look or melted by a smile? How is it that a blade of grass can crack through the sidewalk to grow up to the sun? How is it that falling snow can break a tree branch? How can we find the balance of both inner and outer strength? And how can our yoga practice be both physical and meditative?
Just as sitting meditation helps to calm and stabilize our busy minds, asana practice often begins with standing poses, which strengthen and stabilize our legs and arms. They are considered organs of action in yoga and when they are fully functional-strong and aligned-they provide the fluid, yet stable base necessary to support the heart, lungs, visceral organs and vertebral column.
Standing poses are physically challenging and it doesn’t take long before your legs begin to quiver, your body gets warm, and your arms feel very heavy. This natural process is what we humans have to go through to develop muscular strength. The problem that arises is that when we work hard on a physical level, we tend to get hard in our minds and hearts too. We tend to think that exercise is supposed to be intense and so we work too hard. Then the activity becomes too hard and so do we.
We know that some yoga poses are not easy; they take physical effort and concentration. So we have to watch our tendencies to grip, tighten and tense during the intense moments of practicing our pose. Often in class when we start standing poses we may react by feeling tired or bored or wanting to move on to something else! Eventually the standing poses will stimulate our digestive system, strengthen our heart and lungs, and purify our intestines, liver and kidneys. Internal toning. We learn to stay loose and open while we are exerting and finding our breath to relax into the pose, instead of pushing away.
The joy is to witness how we use our physical and mental effort evenly, during the standing poses. This type of focused exertion is called “tapas,” which translates to “fire or heat” and refers to the sustained discipline and commitment needed to walk the path of the yogi. Tapas helps ignite the hearth of yoga and connect to the brilliance of this beautiful practice. Just paying attention and being honest with yourself helps us stay balanced and in the middle ground we need to stay in, so that we don’t burn out and give up on our practice before we feel the lifelong benefits. The real challenge is to discover the exact amount of tapas-focus, effort and awareness-that allows us to abide in these positions without mentally or physically dropping out of the intensity of the experience altogether (burnout), or without putting our heart, mind and body in a chokehold and just hanging on until it’s over.
How can we cultivate the tapas of a warrior, not too hot and not too cold, that gives us the discipline to stay seated in the saddle of our pelvis and ride steady through the waves of craving, irritation and exhilaration?
I let the challenge of the warrior poses remind me of the path of the sacred warrior, an ancient code of conduct that, according to Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche, “is available to any human who seeks a genuine and fearless existence.” The inspiration of the sacred warrior invites me to cut through my negative thinking and have the courage to stay connected to my full range of feeling by using the warrior’s weapons of precision, gentleness, opening and natural intelligence.
In Shambhala: The Sacred Path of the Warrior: “The ideal of warriorship is that the warrior should be sad and tender, and because of that, the warrior can be brave as well. Without the heartfelt sadness, bravery is brittle, like a china cup. If you drop it, it will break or chip. But the bravery of the warrior is like a lacquer cup, which has a wooden base covered with layers of lacquer. If the cup drops, it will bounce rather than break. It is soft and hard at the same time.”
Om Shanti,
Yoga Jane
According to yogic philosophy, we’re born with a karmic inheritance of mental and emotional patterns—known as samskaras—through which we cycle over and over again during our lives.
The word samskara comes from the Sanskrit sam (complete or joined together) and kara (action, cause, or doing). In addition to being generalized patterns, samskaras are individual impressions, ideas, or actions; and collectively, our samskaras make up our conditioning. Repeating samskaras reinforces them, creating long term habits that are difficult to resist. Samskaras can be positive—imagine the selfless acts of Mother Theresa. They can also be negative, as seen in the mental patterns behind low self-esteem and self-destructive relationships. The negative samskaras are what hinder our positive evolution.
As a longtime yoga teacher I’m sympathetic to the struggle people have to stay motivated about doing things that create better health and well being. That could be anything from eating right, getting enough movement/exercise, sleeping, practicing yoga and meditation, or dealing with emotions.
It’s a big mystery why we get started on healthy things and then drop off after a short time. The answer is complex or “it’s complicated.” We live in very challenging times and some days the energy it takes just to “get through the day,” is huge.
I’ve witnessed for myself, and seen other people learn to make healthier shifts when they create and practice rituals on a regular basis. By regular I mean at least 3-4 times a week. 4 is ideal but 3 done consistently will bring change.
A ritual is something that is done in a similar way, consistently, is your creation, uniquely designed for your personal growth. For example I have a ritual that I practice every morning that if I don’t practice, I don’t feel well and may affect my entire day. After I wake up and take the dog out and give her some love, I fix my morning beverage and sit quietly with no talking, phone, internet, etc. for about 20 minutes. This is where I get to practice minimalism….simplicity. I try to use this time to get my head into a positive place. After sitting very quietly for awhile I go into my yoga/meditation space and light a candle. Then depending on how much time I have, I practice asana for at least 30 minutes followed by pranayama and meditation for 20-30 minutes. After I’m finished with that I take some time to read something spiritual.
The consistency of my routine is good for me because it keeps me grounded, on track and in the moment. During that time I am present, and reminding myself to stay present and open. To me that is the most important aspect of the ritual…being aware and present.
Rituals can be something that start small and build. Even 5 minutes a day over time makes a difference. Spend some time allowing yourself to create your own ritual…reflect on what time of day works best for you. Then commit to it. Use your willpower to stay with it for at least 40 days…the amount of time the yogis believe it takes to create a “new Samskara or pattern.”
Peace,
Yoga Jane
Sometimes it seems like we are overwhelmed with bad news about our planet, and crisis on the planet. We start to think that we can’t do much to help because it’s too big, too complex, out of our control. We might wonder, what can we do? How can we help?
Start small. Start with how you live your life. Each day…each moment. Consider mindful eating. What are you eating? When? Why? How? If we are fortunate enough to have the resources to eat well each day, then we can examine how to eat lighter and not use more than we need.
Paul McCartney and his daughters started a campaign several years ago called “Meat Free Monday.” It’s a great way to help our planet. It’s fairly simple to pick one day a week, and eliminate meat. Then see how it goes…and how it might grow. Happy eating:)
Link to the site to learn more!
Peace,
Yoga Jane
Just returned from “The Christine Center,” in Wisconsin where I was happy to host a weekend yoga retreat with so many open-hearted souls, all of whom braved the winter cold to attend our cozy retreat. The moon delivered as promised:) According to the moon experts, this particular “wolf moon” will be the brightest, biggest moon of 2010.
"Wolf Moon"
Sunset before the brightest moon of 2010
I’m always moved by the show of courage and adventure it takes for people to come to one of my retreats, especially if they have never met me. During our sessions we practiced asana, meditation, chanting and had a fun little dharma talk. We all got to practice learning something new while staying open and not judging. Many students were very new to yoga or felt a little out of practice. It’s moving and inspiring to see everyone doing their best to learn, grow and stay with the practice. It’s not always comfortable but everyone managed just fine.
During our dharma talk we learned how to be curious and stay open when we were feeling like grasping or clinging…the group was lively and offered various viewpoints. Stories were told and ideas were flowing.
I was especially joyful about a 12-year old girl who attended named Talula. She is well on her way to being quite a yogini! She was there with her parents and it was such a joy to see a whole family engaged in yoga.
At the end of the session everyone is a little sad for it to end. We all have to go back to our busy lives…and work toward keeping ourselves open and brave about continuing the practice in the thick of life.
The only bummer of the whole weekend is that I forgot my camera, and just had my little cell phone camera for pictures. It doesn’t take good people pics at all so I missed out on taking pictures of the many smiling faces that were there.
I reminded everyone how important it is to commit some time each day to staying on the path. Including one of my favorite mantras. SEEK JOY.
Peace,
Yoga Jane
To me one of the most helpful ways of opening to the joys of yoga is to cultivate LovingKindness. The picture above represents a perfect example of loving kindness as two of my favorite yoga students, Kristi and Mark Berg practice Ardha Chandrasana together. Notice how connected they are!
The Dalai Lama says there is no other way to cultivate compassion for others, than to begin with yourself. No other way. And I believe that is true. You simply cannot just skip that rung on the ladder and expect to be kind to others from a ground of self-hatred, or self-judgement. I like to remind students that yoga doesn’t always need to feel strenuous. Sometimes after a long day we just need to practice more gently to feel the benefits.
Try this at home to help you develop your personal practice in a gentle way!
Sit quietly and feel how you are breathing. The breath is the most immediate and personal reminder of the precious moments of our lives.
Feel your rib cage, every rib and the muscles in between, all the way to your collarbones, under your armpits and finally down the sternum. Often when we think of opening our heart, we get too harsh and end up pushing our rib cage forward which doesn’t really open anything and in fact, smushes the back of the heart area. We need to move in two directions (yoga, right? union = integration of oppositional energies) to create opening. To cultivate lovingkindness those two forces can be gentlessness and fearlessness, but never aggression.
To create more awareness of how to create a gentle opening of your heart try these poses:
Downward puppy, tread feet in place.
Kneeling side angle pose which also opens side ribs, hips and shoulders and your mind. Practice two times on each side.
Chest expansion, gently and really feeling the heart opening!
Several Sun Salutations with arm variations
Powerful warrior with prayer twists knees together
Now we are warmed up and ready to sit quietly for Maitri Meditation.
Most of the time we relate to things and beings in three categories:
1. Attachment: I love this/you. I never it want it to end. I never want this moment to change!
2. Aversion: I hate this/you. I wish it would stop. I can’t be happy until this person leaves!
3. Ignorance: I’m so spaced out that I have no idea what’s going on.
We tend to box up our methods of relating to others in these ways, and even in how we relate to ourselves. We like to blame things on others, too, in these ways. You know, my relationship would be perfect if it wasn’t for my partner…or my yoga would be perfect if it wasn’t for my short legs…etc. etc. etc.
Lovingkindness is a new paradigm that invites us to be unconditionally kind to all beings everywhere. That is a sea change for most of us so we have to practice it. And we can, beginning with mindfulness meditation. Mindfulness meditation is a way to clear the palate before we start to work with our thoughts.
There are many methods of meditation but they all fall into two major categories: mindfulness and contemplative or analytical. The first is a way to get to know our mind (”GOM, ” Tibetan for familiarization) so that we can work with it more effectively, and the second is a way to use the capacity of our mind, thinking, to develop ourselves in whatever ways we wish.
Here is a very simple Maitri (lovingkindness) Meditation:
May you be safe
May you be healthy
May you be happy
May you live with ease
Visualize someone you love unconditionally, then someone you are having a problem with, then a neutral person and each time say the above four lines. We extend this to all the people in the room, your neighborhood, the city and on out.
Then opening your eyes, just sit quietly and meditate for a few more minutes.
OM OM OM
Peace,
Yoga Jane
Beautiful shop with lavendar herbal products on the Via de Alighieri, Florence
Arrival day. Beautiful sun stole my jet lag:)
Tuscan trees and sun. Boboli Gardens Florence, Italy
Cortona, Italy
Sculpture outside the Uffizi, on the Arno River
Statue on the Piazza de Signoria
Picollo Cane (small dog) walking outside the Duomo
It’s been awhile since I’ve blogged. I just returned from an amazing trip to Italy. Got home Christmas Day. Even though I was only out of the country for almost 3 weeks I am still quite foggy…spaced out. Not in my body yet. For a yoga teacher that isn’t very comfortable. As I sat down to write this entry I was trying to figure out what wonderful inspiring direction to go in…and I got stuck. As a novice blogger this happens to me frequently. I want the entry to be useful, inspiring and creative and sometimes that makes me freeze.
Maybe we can start by knowing that sitting with our discomfort and not immediately judging or reacting is a great way to walk the spiritual path. We know that everything is always changing, it always will and there is nothing to attach to. I experienced this often during my travels. Traveling is a great opportunity to test our need to control and have everything our way. Especially traveling in a country with a different language and norms. Every outing and interaction is like a scene in a play.
My trip contained so many great moments…beautiful foods, colors, art, places, cities, countryside, people, conversations, animals and images of life in motion. All strung together with the same theme. People all over the world want to be loved and have a happy life. We are all the same.
As this year winds down many of us start to imagine what will happen in 2010. If 2009 wasn’t great then there is a feeling of great hope and anticipation for the coming year.
Take some time in the next few days to reflect and/or write about this year and what you learned. Let go of what needs to go. Then begin to move into 2010 and visualize what you would like it to be about. State it or write it or create your own ceremony about how to bring in the new year. Have fun with it. Be creative.
Felice Anno Nuevo!
Yoga Jane
