Why use Yoga Blocks?

Also known as bricks in the yoga world, blocks are tools yoga students can use to make certain asanas (postures) more accessible.  Since every human body is different, poses will look and feel different for each student.  Blocks can assist in improving the feeling of the pose.

The main physical aim of asana practice is to find freedom in the body and the primary path of doing so is by focusing on lengthening the spine. Props such as blocks can aid in keeping yogis not only aligned properly but also assist in honoring the integrity of the spine and length in the sides of the body (from the waistline to the armpits).  Remember, it’s not what the pose looks like in your body, it’s what it feels like.

Pay attention the next time you’re in Trikonasana (Triangle Pose) or Ardha Chandrasana (Half Moon).  If you feel congested in the spine or collapsed on one side of your body, that’s a sure sign a block can help.  If you have trouble breathing in a standing twist (i.e. Seated Prayer Twist) with the arms open, consider using a block.  The block might just give you the little lift you need to open your chest and ease the flow of breath along the spine.

Blocks come in different shapes, sizes and materials.  In addition to blocks, other props you might consider using are straps, bolsters, blankets and chairs.  Yoga practice should be playful.  Mix it up by using props to explore.  For instance, try doing an entire practice with a block.  You might be surprised what you learn.  More importantly, you might be surprised how much better your body feels.

Happy Thanksgiving!

May you enjoy peace today and everyday by expressing gratitude from your heart for all the things you can do and have done.  Be thankful for every step you can take.  Be thankful for the taste of food and clean water.  Be thankful for family and friends. Be thankful for being able to open your eyes and see all the good that surrounds you.

If you’re reading this entry I thank you.  Enjoy your day of thanks.  Shanti (peace).

Breathe

It dawned on me recently that we’re never taught to breathe.  No one teaches us how important it is to actively breathe when we’re young.  There wasn’t a class on breathing in elementary or high school.  And unless we practice yoga, or play with holding our breath under water, we are often unaware of the importance of this essential bodily function.

The flow of our breath is just as important us proper flow of blood. Without the breath our blood can’t flow.  Without breath our organs can’t function.  Without breath, we can’t move.  Every moment of life relies on breathing whether we actively engage it or not.  The point is breathing is the essence of our being.  As yogis say, breath (prana) is our life force.

Lack of breathing is a huge contributor in making a stressful situation more stressful while ultimately taxing the body.  When encountering a stressful situation, a long breath in and out can completely alter how you react.  And how you react impacts your physical, mental and emotional sates.  For many people, lack of breathing in a stressful situation creates layers of tension in the body and worse, overburden the heart.  Overtime these layers can accumulate into unbearable knots and pains.  That’s usually the point when many people turn to their massage therapist, yoga mat and/or meditation cushion.  While others seek harmful alternatives –drugs, alcohol and/or nicotine- or overindulge in food.  Instead of seeking out help, go within.  Everything you need, especially the breath, is inside of you.

Breathing is the gift of life.  It’s the prize for being alive.  Every moment of your life can be changed by it.  It’s up to you to pay attention and learn to actively use the power of breath.

Why Set an Intention?

In Sanskrit, sankalpa means intention.  An intention is a promise you make to yourself about what you intend to do, be, say, etc.  An intention is a way to put positive thinking and desires into action.

At the beginning of each yoga class I teach, I offer my students a few moments of silence to set a personal intention for their practice.  I often make suggestions such as set your intention around something in your life you’re grateful for.  Or set it based on a quality you want to improve (patience, breathing, listening, right effort) in your life and/or yoga practice.

I wonder “do they set an intention?”.  And if not, what is going through they’re heads during this moment of silence.

A consistent yoga practice has the power to transform not only your physical body, but your life.  When the body starts to change, your mind and heart begin to open up in ways you can’t imagine.  Top your practice off with an intention and you’ll really start to feel a new meaning to your yoga on and off the mat.

Intention setting is an invaluable tool and one that takes little time, but does require commitment and focus.  It’s also best to keep it simple –one word or phrase.  Let it become your mantra for the practice or your day.

If you’re seeking a change in your life, intention setting might assist in the process. Try it!  What do you have to lose?

Reasons to Do Yoga Barefoot

Our feet crave space and air (reason #1 to practice yoga barefoot).  Think about it.  We enter this world barefoot, kicking and wiggling about happily.  Some remain barefoot (in many third world countries) and happy for life.  Others (most Americans) cover their feet and as a result have an array of unpleasant foot problems –inflamed bunions, painful plantar fascitis, and throbbing hammer toes.  I once read 70% of people will suffer from foot problems many of which can be prevented.

Human movement starts with the feet.  The feet are the roots of the human body.  They not only provide our connection to the earth but they’re connected to all parts of our body (feet connected to leg bones, legs connected to hip bones, etc).  If you’ve ever visited an orthopedist for knee pain, the first thing he does is take a look at your shoes.  The feet can tell a story…how a person moves, stands, etc.

So why practice yoga barefoot?  Yoga makes your feet stronger (reason #2). It also can make them more mobile/flexible (reason #3), which can be great for preventing sprains (reason #4).

Though awareness (reason #5) and alignment are probably the two main reasons why yogis practice with naked feet. Practicing barefoot makes you more aware of how you stand on your feet and how they feel in relation to the ground below.  The health of the feet is central to healthy alignment (reason #6), which is key not just in yoga but also in keeping us physically healthy and stable in our day-to-day movements -walking, running, skipping and jumping.

The foundation of many asanas (yoga poses) start with the feet so a barefoot practice will make it easier to notice how the soles of the feet feel, from heels to toes, as they spread into the mat (reason #7).  For instance, in Tadasana notice if you spread your weight evenly into your feet or do you put more weight on the inner vs. outer edges.  In balancing poses, notice how rooting all corners of the feet into the mat gives you more stability and greater connection to the ground below.  With shoes and socks on, awareness of the feet is almost non-existent.  Additionally, confined feet make it very challenging to flow smoothly from one pose to the next (reason #8).

Lastly, it just feels good to free the feet (reason #9).  Try it for yourself. Give your feet a vacation and notice the change in your step on and off your yoga mat.

What I Believe

I believe my life will be long.  I believe there’s a purpose for me being here.  I believe I am on a journey to help others.  I believe I will have many side trips on my life’s journey.

I believe I haven’t figured out my life’s mission.  Though I believe what I am doing today (my current side trip), is what I should be doing –teaching yoga in people’s homes and offices.  I believe there are some people in the D.C./Arlington/Alexandria, VA area who want to try yoga but can’t make it to the yoga studio due to the stresses of city living, daily commuting, family responsibilities, work travel, etc.  I believe we are in charge of our priorities and some are more able to make the yoga studio a priority.

When I look back on the strong beliefs I’ve held, most of the ones I’ve pursued have supported me.  I believed there was more to my life than a 9-5 job.  I believed that serving corporate shareholders was not my destiny.  I believed I had more to offer.  I believed in my beauty and power as an individual and yogini.  And I believe there’s so much more, I just need to keep journeying and more beauty and power will be revealed.

What do you believe?  Do you listen to your beliefs?  If not, why?

Do Backbends Make You Sensitive?

In the yoga asana practice, backbends are known to be heart-openers.  Poses like Ustrasana and Wheel, truly offer us freedom across the entire chest wall by stretching muscles, energizing circulation, expanding our lungs and bringing space around our hearts.

So it occurred to me as I was telling one of my students about the heart-opening benefits of backbends, are people who do yoga more sensitive?  As we bring more space around our heart center, does that increase our capacity to love?  Have there been studies done to show that yogis tend to be more caring, compassionate individuals?  I doubt there is research to support this, but think about it.

Yoga has the power to open us up to something greater within ourselves and to what surrounds us.  Yoga teaches us about self-acceptance, aka self-love.  When you view yoga from this point, it makes sense that yoga can make us more sensitive and more open-minded individuals.  Focusing on ones’ self in yoga asana (particularly during backbends) by devoting full attention (100%) to breath and movement, we start to become more aware of subtle physical sensations, shifts in our thinking and the space we’ve created in our hearts and minds.

Ultimately, backbends teach us how to react more calmly and clearly to dramatic, and often unexpected, sensations/situations that life throws our way.  And the more we practice, the better prepared we become at gathering the grace required to act compassionately, calmly and centered when our lives are tossed upside down (kind of like a backbend).

All of this leads me to think yoga is a type of pain/sanity management minus the medication and therapist.  Hmmm…sounds like a start to another blog entry.  TBD.

Things to Check Out

For some reason, my life crazy busy right now…two weddings in the last month, doctors appointments of all types (dentist, chiropractor, GYN, vet), teaching yoga, managing my business, visiting family in DE one weekend, catching up with long-lost friends on facebook (which I’m so behind on), dining with friends locally, staying on top of the house.  The list is endless.

I feel like the one thing keeping me sane is my daily yoga practice.  As crazy busy as I feel, my yoga offers calm.  Unfortunately, my blog has been neglected.  I hope to get back on track post-election day.  Until then, please enjoy the following links…

thePeaceAlliance.org
YogaMomMagazine.com
EvenKeelYoga.com