Everyday Yogini

Over at World Yoga Practice Month (Turned into Year), this month’s challenge is to work on a difficult pose of your choice for the entire month. This would include choosing 4-5 poses to support you in getting into the pose and working with them daily for the month of April.

At first, I read the challenge, and kind of blew it off. Really, just doing the basics of Yoga is wonderful for me and I don’t feel like “challenging” my needing-to-heal body. And, plus, it would be so hard to choose ONE to work on. I’ve always been a “strong” Yogi: inversions and backbends (considered very challenging) are not so hard for me. But my hamstrings? HA! And my shoulders? Double HA! I really can just focus on the basics and gain great benefit…

So today, I went for a long walk and while I was walking, the April challenge popped back into my head for some reason. All of a sudden, Hanuman, and his Yoga asana, were also there in my head. So, of course, I am taking the challenge. I will be working with Hanumanasana this month.

Until my early twenties, I could actually do this asana. Then years of sitting at a desk took priority over keeping my Hanumanasana fresh… I worked with it for the first time in a loooonnnng time today, and, I have, err, some work to do, to say the least. But, as Hanuman is considered invincible, immortal and super powerful, I look forward to channeling this energy by working with the pose that venerates his great strength.

Have you ever noticed how when you get tense or angry, you might tighten your belly or clench your jaw, or your shoulders come up around your ears? These reactions are, at their essence, body memories- habitual ways that our bodies respond to certain stimulus. Especially, I think, when we don’t express our negative emotions, they can get stored and compound our responses in the here and now. (ie; have you ever overreacted to a situation? I believe this is often a result of stored body memory)

About seven years ago, I was taking a wonderful series of online meditation courses through Wildmind. One of the things that the teacher, Bodhipaksa, shared with me was related to how we hold our bodies. I was expressing to him all the stress I was under at work and he, to paraphrase, basically told me to drop my chin when sitting at the computer and feeling stressed.

Well this was nothing short of a miracle. First of all, it worked. I would drop my chin, my neck would lengthen and all of a sudden I wouldn’t be a stressed out mess. Somehow, the simple act of dropping my chin and lengthening my neck allowed me to step back and be more mindful of the choices I was making. I had this total *aha* moment, “This is how Yoga asanas change our lives.” (But it took a Buddhist monk to show me!)

Let me explain. We learn these habitual body responses that “match” up with a neurological pathway that prescribe to us how we are going to respond in any given situation: remember our tight belly or our clenched jaw? By moving our bodies in new ways through consistent asana practice, we give ourselves the opportunity to rewire our brain’s responses. If our belly doesn’t tighten automatically (or we loosen it as soon as it tightens up), all of a sudden, we have shifted our habitual experience just enough to allow for a few moments of space in which to change our mind.

A relaxed belly, a soft belly, a long neck… all of these ways of being in our body are associated with relaxation, spaciousness, and perspective. Just as shallow breathing can bring about a stress response, so too can long, deep, relaxed breathing reverse that stress response. By changing the way we hold our bodies, we give ourselves the opportunity to change our mind. Practicing Yoga, we open and lengthen our bodies and the breath over and over again. Doing this, we are able to get past the layers of body-habit.

As our bodies move and respond in new ways, new neurological pathways are carved in our brains- this is one of the ways that the simple act of practicing asana over a period of time begins to spill out into our daily life. Organically, we find ourselves accessing our own wisdom, being able to step back and choose, which translates into being present and mindful. We find we don’t have to respond in the way we always have- through making space in our bodies, we magically make space for new ways of thinking and responding! We are, fundamentally, transformed.

Is there a way in which you respond physically that you can experiment with changing? Lengthening the neck, relaxing the belly? Uncrossing the arms? Loosening the jaw? Pick one and work with it for a week and notice if it changes how you habitually react. If you try it, let me know how the experiment goes for you…

Shannon at the Cole Mine posted this question earlier this week in regards to practice for beginners…

I have a question for you Yogini…In beginning yoga, how often do you recommend one practice? I am really wanting to get back into it again, but struggle to find the time. I want to take a class to learn to do the poses correctly (then maybe I can practice on my own at home) but really only have time for class once or twice a week. Any suggestions?

I am so glad that you are finding the time to take a class! Going to a class once or twice a week is a fabulous beginning and will give you a great basis for starting a home practice. After you come home from class, try to take a few minutes to jot down how you feel after your practice and also your favorite poses and key notes about those postures (this will help you develop your home practice).

As far as finding time at home, it’s hard. Just like anything else we choose to spend our time doing, we have to make time (especially when you have small children!). In this instance, though, it is easier than you might think. Once you have gone to even one class, you will have at least one or two asana (poses) that you remember and enjoy. Just do those. Whenever you have a moment, just drop into a pose, with all the attention you can bring to bear in the moment. Even better would be to choose a specific time each day that you will do your chosen asana. Do that everyday and now, you have a home practice! As time marches on, you will find more time on some days, and that will be a wonderful addition to your days!

If you have fifteen minutes, I have a simple sequence that you can download in Word stress-busting-sequence.doc. (I am working on technology to offer sequences on YouTube or by Mp3 files…) If you have an hour, there is a terrific site that you can go to for free Yoga classes that are offered daily (these are better if you are already familiar with the basic poses).

Let me know how it goes with your practice!

Okay, so I can see where my post yesterday might have offended some Yoginis who practice Ashtanga or even Bikram. So I wanted to go ahead and say a little bit more about this.

There was a time when I practiced vigorous, vinyasa Yoga 5-6 days per week for an hour to an hour and a half per day. I had been studying the philosophy of yoga for some time and also meditated, but decided (out of laziness, in my case) that I was going to call Yoga my exercise AND my spiritual practice. Multitasking, killing two birds with one stone… right? I’m here to tell you, it honestly took something away from the practice for me. AND I ended up injuring my wrist AND I gained five pounds AND, when I would go hiking, I had no aerobic capacity. It was truly a lose-lose situation.

All that being said, I think a lot of folks come to Yoga for the physical, which is a fine reason to come. Flexibility, stress relief, toning… but ultimately Yoga is a way IN. A way to connect with what is best in ourselves and also see what needs work, without judgement. To stop the war that rages inside of us against ourselves. It’s not about abs of steel or getting sweaty. What happens on the mat is just a reflection of who we are off the mat and vice versa. Meditation in motion.

So maybe for some folks, Yoga can be aerobic or can count as exercise, but I would say that is the exception not the rule. Carry on…

Surely we’ve all heard the most up to date information about exercising 4-6 days per week for 30-60 minutes. So, if you have a regular Yoga practice, does it “count”?

The simple answer is “No”. At least that is the answer you will get here, from the Everyday Yogini. In my experience, no form of Yoga works a body hard enough to elevate the heart rate to aerobic benefit. So if this is the case, why is there so much hype about Yoga and weight loss?

Although practicing Yoga will not burn enough calories to help you lose excess weight, it is widely recognized that Yoga asana and breath practices (pranayama) are great for stress reduction. Enter cortisol, a hormone produced when we are under stress that is now being linked to weight gain and/or ability to lose weight. A regular Yoga practice will reduce cortisol levels by reducing stress levels, therefore producing a positive effect on weight. Also, in my opinion, Yoga helps us maintain or lose weight by teaching us to be present to what we are putting in our bodies and to treat ourselves with kindness by not overeating!

So, if we are to maintain a personal Yoga practice and fit in aerobic exercise, what gives? Where do we find all this time lying around, waiting to be put to good use? All I can share with you is my formula for fitting it all in, because it is all important. I couldn’t do without my aerobic exercise and I certainly couldn’t do without my Yoga practice.

Now that Clara is a little older, I have more time to play with on this front. But even when Clara was small, I found ways to get my exercise in, with her along for the ride. Generally speaking, my exercise takes 45-60 minutes a day with both Yoga and aerobics included. I see this as a small investment in my own health and sanity and also Clara’s wellbeing. And I feel good that Clara is seeing me model a healthy relationship with exercise and my body.

Anyway, a typical week might look like this:

Monday: Walk or jog for 40 minutes, Yoga for 30 min. before bed, 10 min. of meditation
Tuesday: Yoga class- 75 minutes
Wednesday: Same as Monday
Thursday: Walk or jog 45 minutes, Yoga for 20 minutes later in day with Clara, meditate before bed
Friday: Yoga and meditation, 60 minutes
Saturday: Walk or jog 60 minutes, Yoga 30 minutes after jog, 20 minutes meditation
Sunday: Bike ride with family, Yoga for 30 minutes before bed, followed by 15 minutes of meditation

And, of course, this all falls apart sometimes and I fit in 10 minutes of jogging on the treadmill and 10 minutes of Yoga. It’s flexible and I don’t berate myself when it doesn’t happen, because those days are generally what I would refer to as “Intensive Practice Days” where I really get to take Yoga off the mat: someone is sick, or cranky, or some extraordinary circumstance has shown up and will no doubt teach me something!

So tell me how you fit it all in. Or how do you try to fit it all in? Can you make room for 10 minutes of each a day and see where that takes you? Can you accept that making room for both aerobic exercise AND Yoga is this incredible act of self-love and will benefit you beyond measure? Because really, it’s true.

YogaMum!

If you would like to participate in this love-spreading meme:

1. Dedicate your next practice to the designated blogger.
2. Check back with the designated blogger’s website/blog the next day to see how they experienced the power of group karma.
3. The designated blogger then chooses the next designated blogger (Tag!) and posts this text along with the day on which the Meming it Forward will occur. The only caveat is that the designated blogger cannot turn around and Meme it Forward to the blogger from whom their own tag was received. In other words, if I tag you, you can’t simply tag me back, lest we go round and round in circles.
4. Participants are encouraged to comment here to indicate their intention to participate, but one can, of course, participate without revealing that fact publicly.
5. If anything is missing, logically or logistically, from the procedure delineated, please note it here.

To YogaMum, on Tuesday.

Last week, Yoga Chickie posted a great idea for a “Pay It Forward” practice: to shower a “tagged” Yogi/Yogini with love through the dedication of a practice on a designated day. Well, I was excited to sign up to dedicate my practice, but it ended up being ME who was chosen to receive the benefits of the dedication.

Today, Sunday, was the day that others dedicated their Yoga practice to me. I am here to report, I had a lovely day and was filled with gratitude and felt connected to my community here and at large. I am deeply honored to have been the recipient of this dedication.

That being said, I would like to pass it on. If you would like to have a practice dedicated to you and are willing to dedicate a practice to a fellow Yogi, post a comment. I will choose someone to be the recipient tomorrow and practice will be dedicated to you on Tuesday….

Today was a grand departure for me. I was gone all day long, running around. It was wonderful, but after dinner, I was wondering when I was going to have time to get on the mat.

And then it dawned on me.

Bath time.

There are lots benefits to this kind of practice. Shut the door, and it’s hot Yoga, toddler style. Ask your child to name the poses you are doing. (Clara came up with “bird wings flying” for Warrior II, she knows a lot of the others…) But best of all, no matter how short, interrupted, or wet it gets, it is still time on the mat and time with your babies. I left the bathroom a little damp, but warm and stretchy and open-minded.

Where can you take your practice today?

I remember for a long time, I didn’t really know what Namaste meant. I just kind of went with the flow. It seemed like a respectful gesture toward my teacher at the close of a Yoga class and, umm, that was about it. I also recall one of my teachers saying something like, “I salute the divine within you.” Which sounded sort of nice to me, but wasn’t really meaningful, to be honest.

Then, when I was preparing to teach my first Yoga class some years ago, I decided to do a little research into this word and gesture that I use in my personal practice, in other teacher’s classes, and that I ask my students to use in my classes.

Wouldn’t you expect I would have done that sooner? Well, whatever. I’m a little slow. I’ve mentioned that before….

The gesture used when bowing in Namaste is the bringing of both hands together, palms touching, in front of the person—at the heart, or a higher level such as below the chin, below the nose, at the forehead, or, even above the head.

Technically, this gesture is a mudra, a symbolic hand position in eastern religions. One hand representing the higher, spiritual nature, and the other representing our everyday selves- foibles and all. In combining the two, the person is aspiring to meld these two aspects of self, and by bowing to the other person, they are honoring the same of the other, in respect and love.

The first thing that struck me about this is that the definition of Yoga is union, so in a very literal sense, the bringing of the hands together is a physical symbol of our practice- our desire to infuse our life with the spiritual wisdom we all inherently possess. The second thing that struck me about this is that when we salute another with Namaste, we are assuming that we reside on common ground with the other. It is an act of peace toward ourselves and the world around us.

When I practice, even by myself, I always bow deeply and say Namaste at the end of my practice. I envision that I am bowing to all my teachers- including, or maybe especially, the people that challenge me. Doing this echoes throughout my life. I find myself remembering my hands pressed together and my head bowed in respect…

One of my favorite quotes which I think embodies the meaning of Namaste perfectly, is from Mahatma Ghandi.

“I offer you peace. I offer you love. I offer you friendship. I see your beauty. I hear your need. I feel your feelings. My wisdom flows from the Highest Source. I salute that Source in you. Let us work together for unity and love.”

So, with a deep bow, to each of you, I say…

So the procedure went well. I’m home and feeling fine. For those of you who are curious, I had an ERCP to take a look at my biliary tree. There were no stones, but the little sphincter between the duodendum and the common bile duct was really inflamed, so they cut it open and took some tissue for analysis.

Okay, so all that being said, I took my Yoga mat to the hospital. Totally stashed it at the bottom of my bag. Before the procedure yesterday, I got in a bit of a practice, maybe, oh 30 minutes. It isn’t easy with an IV in your arm, but I managed some standing asana and also some yin asanas on the floor.

Then, this morning, they unhoooked me so I could get cleaned up and when they left, they asked me to push the call button when I was ready to be re-attached to the IV. Well, what a great opportunity to have a nice practice, eh? (Read: I was beside myself with excitement to be disconnected from the IV!!)

I was about 30 minutes into my practice and was actually in a headstand when the nurse came back to find out if I’d fallen in the toilet.

Ahem.

So, the poor nurse gave me a talking to (although I didn’t understand most of what she said) and put me back to bed with my IV. Once back in bed, I settled in to some meditation time, so it all ended well….

Thank you all for your good thoughts! I felt all the healthy energy you sent my way and obviously, it worked!