Yoga

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Have you ever have one of those moments on your yoga mat when you just feel so darned good...your body opens, you feel firmly grounded in a posture, your alignment totally supports your body making you feel like you could stay in the pose forever (or at least longer than 5 breaths), you can't help but grin because you feel so joyful and full of happy energy? Oh yes, I've had many moments like that on my mat. And off my mat, for that matter. A little over a year ago, I was having one of those moments. I had just made a big life change that felt so right that I awoke each morning feeling pinch-me-I-must-be-dreaming giddy (yeah, it was that good!). I was at beginnings of a relationship that seemed solid. I was feeling healthy and free and abundant. I was beginning to become aware of old habits and patterns and committed to new ways of being. I was metaphorically in Warrior Pose, feeling powerful and open and strong. I was creating a life that I adored. At the time I felt like I had hit the sweetest of sweet spots, like it couldn't possibly get any better. The thing about moments is that they pass. And when we're having a good moment, we want to cling to it, to make it last beyond the moment. That's where the ouch comes in. It's like staying in a yoga pose too long or going to deep -- it feels good for a minute and then it doesn't. For every pose there is a counterpose which takes the body in the other direction to balance it out.  About a month of so after that moment I found myself still clinging to it even though it had passed. It no longer felt good or right or organic. Instead it felt forced and very, very wrong. Just like the counterpose, the next moment stretched me in a different direction. At the time it didn't feel all that great. But when I finally let go of that past moment and immersed myself into the present moment, things shifted. I went into the stretch, quieting my resistance, instead focusing on moving in a new direction. It feels like a lifetime of moments have passed since that time. The moment I find myself in now is richer, more joyful, more resonate with my soul. I could never have conceived of this moment when I was so wrapped up in that moment of seeming perfection. It reminds me of something a friend of mine said once (wise words passed down from her father): Life is like a spiral. You come around and view things full circle but from a higher elevation. I couldn't have said it better myself. In this moment I still find myself in that pinch-me-I-must-be-dreaming giddy state but it has that higher elevation feeling about it. How could I have possibly thought that that moment over a year ago was the sweetest of all sweet spots?!?!?! This moment isn't all that different in terms of the contentment and happiness that I feel and yet it is. It feels like so much more. It's like I've come into Wheel pose once again but this time my body is opened even more than it was last time and the energy is infusing my whole body. Oh yes, higher elevation it is. Yet I know that there's a counterpose and that at some point in the near future I'll think of this post and shake my head thinking that the moment I'm in is even richer and brighter and more powerful than this one. Just when you think you've hit that sweet spot, it gets sweeter. Not clinging to the sweetness of the moment opens you for even more sweetness in moments to follow. All you can do is be in this moment, regardless of whether it's bringing you sweetness or an uncomfortable stretch or even numbness. These days I'm grateful for all of my moments, for they add up to a merry adventure of a life. And in appreciating what the present moment has to offer, I find my life getting sweeter and sweeter. Here's to the spiral and coming back to higher elevations! Namaste!

Rod Stryker Yoga and Ayurveda: The Vital Essences Rod Stryker Yoga and Ayurveda: The Vital Essences. See full length yoga video here ... http://myyoga.tv/v4y3 This talk at Wanderlust Colorado with Rod Stryke... From: myyogaonline Views: 0 0 ratings Time: 09:51 More in Howto & Style

Before I begin this post, I should make a couple of disclaimers:(1) I probably have no business writing this post, all things considered. I don't know that much about ninjas (although I can at least claim an active interest in them; this blog, for instance, is named after one of my favorite kungfu movies, Ninja in the Dragon's Den. Also, when I was a kid, I wanted to become a ninja when I grew up. Well, I'm sure you know how that turned out...). I also don't know if being a ninja would make you a better yogi, or vice versa. But there are times when I just can't resist the urge to write about stuff that I know shit about. This is one of them. (2) I have nothing against Sadie Nardini, either as a person, as a yoga teacher, or as a ninja(?). I have nothing against her as a person, because I don't know her personally. I also have nothing against her as a yoga teacher, because although I have never taken any classes or workshops with her, she seems to know what she's doing asana-wise; at least, that's the impression I get from having watched a couple of her videos, even if I really don't get the ninja connection in her yoga. But more on this later. And I don't really have anything against her as a ninja either, because, as I said, I really don't know enough about being a ninja to say whether she is one, let alone a good one. But I do think I know a few things about yoga; at any rate, I think I know enough to be able to be genuinely puzzled at the ninja connections that she claims in her yoga teaching. Again, more on this later.Wow, that was a very long-winded couple of disclaimers. But I thought I'd put these out there, so that those of you out there who are fans of Sadie would (hopefully) refrain from leaving hateful comments or sending me hateful emails. Moreover, I of all people should know the pain of seeing one's own teacher trashed online. So I'll try to refrain from groundless trashing. No promises, but I'll try.So what on earth is this post even about? You might be wondering. Well, it's probably best to start at the beginning. Yesterday, I read this very interesting post over at the Babarazzi about the supposed ninja credentials of Sadie Nardini... Well, as with anything of such a controversial nature, it's best to hear it straight from the proverbial horse's mouth. Here is Sadie addressing rumors about her ninja credentials:Interesting. She says at 0:05--0:06 that she is a "baby ninja." But what is a baby ninja? Is it this: Which one of these is Sadie?[Image taken from here]Well, it doesn't look like I'm going to be able to answer the question of what a baby ninja is right now. So let's move on to something else for now. Whatever the ultimate credibility of her ninja credentials may be, Sadie definitely makes an active attempt to incorporate her ninja wisdom into her yoga teaching. For instance, check out her famous Ninja Salutations:A couple of things here. First, I fail to see what is so "ninja" about these yoga moves. I mean, she could easily cut out all references to the word "ninja" in her presentation in the video, and it would still make perfect sense. So what exactly is the concept of "ninja" adding to the yoga? Hmm... or maybe it is the invisibility of the concept that makes the yoga "ninja yoga" (after all, aren't ninjas supposed to have the power of invisibility)? Well, maybe... but wouldn't that mean that even I could be a ninja? After all, although I have yet to try the moves in the video above, I'm pretty sure they are not beyond my level of physical ability ("But ninja goes beyond the physical, it is a state of being..." I can already hear Sadie saying...).All this is very puzzling and, frankly, way over my head. Well, let me show you some ninja concepts that I can understand. Here's my favorite ninja video. Pay particular attention to the first thirty seconds of the video, where he lifts up into handstand from Upavista Konasana and then proceeds to do a bunch of handstand pushups, all the while balancing

As a yoga teacher, I have seen the looks of disappointment, contempt and even outrage that cross many people's faces when they realize their favorite teacher is not there. For many people, these emotions run so deep that they miss out on the awesome benefits that having a sub can provide for them. Benefits of a Sub Forces you to be present-when you get used to a teacher, you start to practice on auto pilot.   It is the same thing that happens when  you pull up in your drive way and you don't even remember driving home. You have done it so many times that you check out.  It is the same for your yoga class. All yoga teachers, even those who teach classes where the pose order changes, have a signature style and sequencing blueprint that they stick to.   If you really think about it, you could easily list the basic elements and order of your favorite yoga classes. This familiarity that we like also puts us into auto pilot and can sometimes take us out of presence. When you don't pay attention to your  body, breath, emotions, and thoughts while practicing, your opportunity  for injury goes up and  your opportunity for growth goes down.  You miss danger signals from your body and learning opportunities from the universe. You would think that I wouldn't say this because I practice Ashtanga. However, I see the same thing happen to Ashtanga students who are practicing a sequence that has gotten a bit too easy for them. They no longer pay attention and than it is time to add another pose or make their current poses a little more challenging. Check out this post from a fellow yoga teacher, Peanut Butter Runner, that talks about not being present during practice. Forces your body to move differently- Our bodies plateau when we do the same old movements the same why each time.  A sub, especially if they were trained differently then your current teacher, will approach poses in a way that your body is not used to and will awaken muscles you didn't know you had. Exposes You to Different Poses Unique insights-There have been many poses that I struggled with that became assessable to me because a teacher explained it, assisted me,  or demonstrated it in a different way. Gives You options-Discovering another awesome teacher to learn from gives you more options for classes to attend Opportunity to Put Yoga in Action- this is an opportunity for you to practice all that lofty stuff your teacher talks about like compassion, love, contentment, acceptance, letting go, & being with your emotions . If you think of any more benefits, leave a comment     Related articles What We Learn From Surpassing Our Limits in Yoga Yoga Teachers Guard Your Practice Ashtanga Yoga: The Mighty Ego Crusher Yoga As a Numbing Agent 5 Ways Practicing Ashtanga Has Made Me a Better Yoga Teacher. ~ Jean Marie Hackett

“What is Yoga?” Or how about, “What is religion?” These are the questions waiting to be answered at the trial of the yogallennium where parents are suing their children’s school over free yoga classes claiming it is unconstitutional religious indoctrination. Oh, the growing pains of society. Opening remarks on Monday came [...]The post What is Religion? What is Yoga? School Yoga Trial Seeks Answers appeared first on YogaDork.

If you are going to practice one pose in a day, let it be Downward Dog. A masterful pose as it strengthens and lengthens the muscles of the arms, the shoulders, core, legs and it also gives you the benefit of inverting which is beneficial to many of the bodies’ systems (i.e., nervous, endocrine, circulatory). We explore the most commonly practiced pose in yoga, Downward Facing Dog in this posture lab offered by YogaWorks teacher trainer and MyYogaWorks instructor, Melanie Metzler. Set Up In YogaWorks Teacher Trainings, we teach from the foundation up – what’s on the floor and taking the weight of the pose, then moving through the rest of the body.  We also start with a preparatory pose that sets up the actions of the final pose that we are focusing on to warm up the body first. A great preparatory pose for Downward Facing Dog is Child’s Pose.  Child’s Pose offers a great opportunity to learn the actions of the hands, arms and shoulders while resting the forehead on the mat and buttocks on the heels. Walk the hands forward toward the front of the mat. Hands are shoulder distance apart. Press the hands into the mat and feel the forearms and the elbows lift off the mat. Firm the outer arm muscles in toward the ears so you are already building strength and getting a stretch through the arms, chest and shoulders.  On the next inhale, press up onto hands and knees. On the exhale, curl your toes under and press up into Downward Facing Dog. Key Actions As you have already spent time setting up the hands, arms and shoulders, once in Downward Facing Dog, pay close attention to the feet. Step the feet mat width apart. As Melanie suggests, for the first Down Dog, bend the knees and begin to focus on pressing the hands down and lifting your hips up, so you are stretching through the shoulders all the way up through the spine. Let the breath travel up and down the spine.  Focus on the length and the firmness and support of the arms.  Take a break and rest in child’s pose. For round two of Down dog, begin by lifting up to the tip toes and focus on pressing the tops of the thigh bones back while on the tip toes so that you can work on straightening your legs, then slowly work the heels down toward the floor. They may not get to the floor which is absolutely fine. But as you are working the heels toward the floor, keep working the hips up off the wrists and shoulders, so you maintain that sense of length through the side waist. Modifications For students who have elbows that splay wider than the shoulders, you can offer them a strap to place above their elbows and teach the actions of firming into the midline by trying to make the strap loose.  You can also teach the actions of the legs firming in and up through the use of a block between the thighs. Risks The areas to pay close attention to in this pose are the neck, shoulders and the lower back. When the elbows splay wider than shoulder distance apart there is a lot of congestion that can accumulate around the neck. Another area of the body to pay close attention to as well is the lower back. There is a tendency to tilt the pelvis and splay the ribs on bendy bodies which end up arching the low back. In this case have the student work on lifting their forearms and soften the ribs to ensure they are working on strength and using their core. For those in stiffer bodies, tight hamstrings become an obstacle, so have the students work with knees bent, so they aren’t rounding their backs but working toward lengthening the arms and spine. Benefits Downward dog lengthens and strengthens the arms, opens the shoulder muscles, lengthens the entire back and spinal muscles, stretches the hamstrings and has the benefits of inversions as well. We hope you enjoy this educational video, brought to you by MyYogaWorks. Please enable Javascript to watch this video

One way to encourage your husband to join you on the mat is to just let it all be. Stop telling him he should stop smoking, lose ten pounds, not eat hamburgers or watch less football. He sees this as criticism and we tend to not want to spend time with those who criticize us.

By Joslyn Hamilton The phenomenon of “praying on Facebook”: when something terrible happens (like the recent horrific bombing of the Boston marathon or the tornado in Oklahoma), and the Facebook feed gets flooded with people posting things like “We’re praying for you, ” and “I’m going to get on my yoga mat and pray.” Maybe it’s because as a card-carrying Masshole*, we aren’t really into the touchy feely woo woo, but this rubs me ever-so-slightly the wrong way.I’m fairly confident the sentiment comes from a truly good place, and I understand how it feels. In the case of the Boston Marathon bombings, it was hard to be 3,000 miles away from a city super close to my heart, worried about all my friends and wishing there was something I could do. It’s a helpless feeling. Our hearts truly do “go out” to the people of Boston and Oklahoma (and Connecticut, and Haiti, and New Orleans, etc.)—maybe not literally, but in spirit. We want to be there to offer support, comfort, solidarity, what have you. Instead, we offer solidarity through social media. One of the best things about social media is its ability to connect us and make us feel closer to old friends and family and people who aren’t where we are. I don’t begrudge the idea of social media support. I am an avid champion of social media and our ability to communicate with people quickly and express ourselves easily. Social media can also be a powerful forum for activism. In the case of the Boston bombings, it helped spread bystander photographs and videos quickly, which may or may not have helped to catch the bombers. (It also ruined the reputation of an already-dead Brown student totally unrelated to the bombings, but that’s another story which The Atlantic told well.) Where I get tripped up is with the suggestion that praying, or worse, “sending good energy” is actually doing something for victims of tragedies. When I read these posts, it seems like the person on the other end has the false sense of having affected change or contributed in an essential way to help out. I would wager a guess that the person this post helps the most is the person who made the comment. After the bombing in Boston, I was having a conversation with my mom about the violence in the world today. She made a comment about how things started getting bloody in the ’60s and just keep getting worse, with no end in sight. My mom came of age as an idealistic young hippie during the Woodstock era. She has remained an idealistic young hippie through the Reagon era and the Bush eras and all the way up until now. My Facebook friends who talk about “praying for Boston” and “sending love and support” (presumably over the internet, although it’s possible they mean telekinetically) remind me of my mom’s generation of peace lovin’ longhairs: the intention is there, but not much meaningful action. Except, one could argue that my mom’s generation actually did try to get out there and make a difference. They didn’t have Facebook, so to make a statement, they actually had to march on things and make signs. At any rate, while love-ins and peace marches make a good statement, I’m not sure if they’ve ever made much of a difference. By now I think we’ve learned that simply voicing our opinion doesn’t necessarily effort change—and certainly not when we’re voicing it over social media, where most of our friends already agree with us. It’s an insular world, Facebook is. But here is who is not listening to your effortless Facebook post: the guy staying up all night learning how to make a crude homemade bomb in his basement so he can go commit a terrorist act that kills and injures innocent people. That guy is not paying any attention whatsoever to the Facebook messages pleading for peace on earth, because that guy is busy. He is motivated. He is ambitious. He is coming up with a plan and setting it in action. He’s getting shit done. And that guy is winning. Those of us who rally on the side of less violence and more peace’n’love are

Tina Turner chanting... Love this, even though it's a few years old