Check please?

I remember taking class with my friend & mentor, Alyssa Sullivan, at her studio in Rhode Island (http://www.synergypoweryoga.com/).  One day she talked about a friend of hers from way back who waited tables.  And how, when he waited tables, he was totally in the flow.  He made it look effortless.

I found myself mentioning this to a few new teachers during a practice teaching session.  One of them elaborated on this.  He said there is a flow, a rhythm.  The drinks, the food, the check - the pace at which you bring each of these.  You can turn your tables quickly, without rushing people, if you are in the flow.  And if you lose the flow - you can mess up your whole night.

A fellow mother talked about getting out of the house with her little one.  They could be in the flow, things going smoothly, and as soon as she rushed it (in an effort to get out of the house on time) everything would fall apart - they lost the flow.  I can confirm this - we've been there.

Abraham-Hicks likens it to being in the current of the river.  You can fight the flow - paddle upstream.  Work so hard to get where you want to go & make something happen.  It's a struggle - and it doesn't work.  You can do this for part of your day, all of your day...you can do it your whole life.  But when you recognize it, you can pull in your paddles, allow the current to turn you around & you're flowing.  Maybe in a different direction, but it's effortless.

At one point in my life, I spent the better part of a year looking for a new job.  The job I had wasn't bad, I just wanted a new, better job.  I tried & tried to find a new job.  I went to a bunch of interviews - nothing was right.  Then I realized I needed to practice my yoga & go with the flow.  I stopped trying to find a new job.  I started enjoying the the job that I had.  And within a matter of months, a new job found me.


I've said it before, the type of style I teach is a flow - vinyasa means flows.  There is a rhythm to the movement & breath.  To the delivery of the cues (if your the teacher).  And when you're in the flow, as the teacher or the student, it looks & feels effortless.  It's a practice for life.  Life is a flow.  Each day has it's rhythm, it's flow.  If you feel like you're paddling upstream, you probably are.  Ask yourself why?  Are you afraid to pull the paddles in?  Worried about where the current will take you?  Take a few breaths, feel the rhythm of your breath.  And try, just for a few moments or maybe a whole day, not resisting, not paddling...just going with the flow. 

A special thanks for my friend & mentor Alyssa Sullivan for all that I learned from her & all that she has shared with me.

 

10 Practical Tips to a Successful Practice

1.  Know where you're going
I'll admit, I get a little nuts about this.  I like to take a look at mapquest first, because my GPS has been know to make mistakes.  I like to be sure I'm going to the correct place & know where to park, if that's an issue.

2.  Arrive early
Especially if you're new to a studio, leave yourself enough time (15-20 minutes) to get oriented to the studio.  To talk to the teacher or whoever is manning the desk & get your questions answered.  There's usually a waiver to fill out & that takes time too.  Be considerate.

3.  Invest in a good mat
There's nothing that will complicate your practice faster than a cheap, slippery mat.  I've had countless students buy bargain mats at big box stores, only to wind up investing in a good mat after a couple of slippery practices.  I'm a huge fan of the Jade travel mat - you stick to it & it's easy to clean.  And the Manduka ProLite is great too (it's more expensive, but come with a lifetime warranty)

4.  If you have a serious injury, let the teacher know.
Teachers like to assist students - they like to help students find stability in poses & get more out of the practice.  But if you have an injury, an assist can make your injury worse & make a teacher feel like they've hurt you, rather than helped you.

5. Be prepared - take a mat, towel & water.

6.  Hydrate
What more can I say...hydrate.

7.  Listen to your body.
I've heard stories of teachers banging on bathroom doors telling students they need to come out & rejoin the class.  I prefer a more compassionate practice - a teacher is just a guide.  Even as a brand new student, no one knows your body better than you.

8.  Get a friend to commit with you
Like anything, if you have someone to help you along & motivate you, you'll be more inclined to stick with it.

9.  Be consistent
Patanjali says yoga is meant to be practiced with love, enthusiasm & consistency.  If you want real results - mental, phsyical & emotional, you need to practice several times a week.

10.  Have fun
Yes, yoga can be intense - especially if it's a heated, power class (like we offer at Sanctuary Power Yoga).  But it's also meant to be enjoyed.  Have fun.  Lighten up.  Don't worry about mastering it.  It's a practice after all.

Do One Thing a Day That Scares You

"Do one thing a day that scares you" - Eleanor Roosevelt

The other day in class, we practiced some pretty challenging poses:  bakasana (crow pose, an arm balance), bird of paradise (a standing balancing pose) & headstand.  Challenging poses that can also be scarey.

As a teacher, I'm mindful of when & how I teach these challenging poses.  I teach not just the "culmination" of the pose, if you will.  But also many variations that can be practiced along the path to the culmination.  (for example, for crow pose, it may be enough to have your hands & feet on the ground, but have more weight in your hands - so you begin to feel what it could be like to balance on just your hands). I like to make each pose accessible to students of all levels.  I like everyone to feel successful.

As I taught, I talked about what these challenging poses can trigger in different people.  Some people hear the name, see the pose & immediately decide they can't do it.  Some people think they're not strong enough, not flexible enough.  Some people get scared.

The poses I taught were challenging, yes.  But truth is, the whole practice is challenging.  Each pose has it's own challenge.  Some people love crow, some hate it.  I was never afraid to try headstand - I didn't give it a second thought the first time it was taught in a class that I was in.  But for many years, wheel/backbend frightened me.  I was scared I was going to get hurt (how? I don't actually know).  It was more just a feeling of fear that came over me when I attempted the pose. 

Trying challenging poses & noticing what comes up & how you deal with it - that to me is the point of the challenge.  Do you get agitated off because you can't "do it"?  Do you feel defeated, unsuccessful?  Do you criticize yourself or the teacher who's teaching?  Do you avoid the challenge entirely?  Can you practice working through it?  Your response most likely carries over into your everyday life & how you deal with challenges there.

Years ago, I went on vacation with a friend & 2 other couples - I didn't know the other couples. One day, we rented mopeds to go touring.  Everyone but me had driven one before.  There were 6 of us, but we rented 3 mopeds & everyone took turns driving.  I was asked if I wanted to a turn to try, but I declined.  I was scared.  I think not so much of crashing or getting hurt.  But of looking silly in front of people I didn't really know.  I look back & see a missed opportunity.  It was a growing edge.  Not a huge one, but still.  A chance to try something new & different & not care about how I looked or what others thought.

Kind of like my wheel pose & the fear that went with it for years.

I missed the opportunity to drive the moped - I know I'll have another opportunity & when it comes along, I'll take it.  Now on my mat, after years of practice, I take wheel pose with gusto.  I have fun.  I love how it feels to open my heart & stretch my body & play my edge. 

Every challenging, scarey pose is a chance to practice.  Every challenge, every fear is a chance to practice.  That's yoga that you can take off your mat.

My Vinyasa

Downward facing dog.

Breathe in.  Breathe out.  Breathe in.  Breathe out.

"Mommy!  Mommy!  I need water!"

Breathe in.  Breathe out.

Chair pose.

Breathe in.  Breathe out.

"Mommy!  Mommy!  I don't like this show!"

Breathe in.  Breathe out.

Triangle pose.

Breathe in.  Breathe out.

"Mommy!  Mommy!  I need to blow my nose!"

Breathe in.  Breathe out.

Half pigeon

Breathe in.  Breathe out.

"Honey - could you please get off of me so I can get up?"

This is my yoga.  This is my vinyasa...my flow.  I've said it before - I practice at home alot.  Where I am in the life of my practice, 2 hours every day plus seated meditation would be wonderful.  Where I am in my life, 20 minutes of moving meditation is a gift.

My breathing, my practice has to come off the mat with me.  Otherwise, well...why bother?

All of it is yoga.  It's my flow, it's my life.  It's my yoga.  And I'm grateful for all of it.

It's too crowded!!

 


When I was teaching yoga in the Boston area, there were times when it was really busy at the yoga studio.  And when I say busy, I mean 30-40 people jammed into a small lobby & standing on the sidewalk waiting to sign in for a class that starts in 15 minutes.

I always loved the energy of this.  So many yogis!  New people, people returning to the practice, people committed to the practice & themselves.  For me, it was exciting to be a part of all that.  I loved teaching in classes that were so full I had to carefully navigate my way through the room so as not to step on someone.  I loved practicing in classes so full that sometimes I was in the hall!  I still love this.  A crowded yoga studio!  What could be better than to be a part of so many people coming together for something as great as yoga.

But of course, not everyone shared my sentiments.  I could see the agitation in the faces & bodies of some of the people waiting in line to get in to class.  Would they get in to class?  Would it sell out?  Where would they put their shoes & coats - the hangers were all taken.  Where would they put their mat?  What if "their spot" was taken.  There was a line for the bathroom!  There were too many people!  I watched (and listened) to these people & their concerns.

In this situation & others,  I like to remind everyone that yoga is not something that happens only behind the closed door of an uncrowded, calm & peaceful yoga studio.  Yoga isn't something you practice just when things are going your way.  Yoga is something that is meant to be practiced in the lobby, in the line for the bathroom, in the parking lot, in traffic....at home, at work....everywhere.
 
And, of course, I also like to remind everyone of how cool it is when lots of people show up for yoga.  More people practicing yoga - on & off the mat.  That always means a better world for all of us.

You can now find my blog at the Register Citizen: http:http://www.registercitizen.com/blogs/life/

Tadasana

Tadasana - Standing Mountain Pose

Asana can be translated to mean "take your seat".  Obviously, you're not seated in this & many other poses in this practice.

"Take your seat".  It means get comfortable.  Settle in.  Not just into the pose, but into your body.  Get in sync with your breath & your energy.  In Tadasana, become the embodiment of a moutain.  Deeply rooted in the earth & in the moment.  Solid, grounded, steady & reaching for the sky.

Such a simple pose, when you look at it from the outside.  Yet there's so much going in when you bring your attention & energy fully into the moment & into just what you are doing.

Try it.  Try standing in Mountain Pose for 5 minutes.  It's unexpectedly challenging - again, if you are fully present & committed to bringing all of your energy & attention into the moment.  You start to notice the sensations in your legs & arms change.  You notice how much your mind wants to wander.  You notice your breath.  You notice the air on your body & how the ground feel beneath your feet.

Everything you do can be Mountain Pose.  Washing dishes, brushing your teeth, folding the laundry.  Simple actions, everyday actions.  But when you bring your energy & attention into your breath & into the moment, it changes everything.  You can really notice what you are doing & how it feels.  It's a shift - a different way of doing things.  It becomes a practice of meditation - it's yoga off the mat.

Live a Life Less Ordinary

 
"live a life less ordinary, live a life extraordinary...."

I love this line.  It's the opening song in a Curious George movie my son loves - I love the movie too.

I sang this line (off key) to my husband the other day & he laughed at me.

I don't actually know why he laughed.  Maybe because I can't sing.  Maybe because from the outside our life looks anything but extraordinary.

My husband works in Boston & we live in CT, which means we're often apart for the better part of the week.

We're in our 40s & we live with my mother.

We drive two beat up, old cars.

Not exactly what a lot of people would call extraordinary.

But it is to me.  Our life is extraordinary.

We love each other - a lot.  We love to spend time together - working in the garden, grocery shopping, doing not so extraordinary things. We love my mom.  We love our son & our grumpy dog.  We love that my Mom watches our son when we are "working".  We love living very close to our extended family.  We love not needing a lots of stuff or money to be happy.  And we love that we let our dreams drive the choices we make, rather than public opinion or even practicality.

To me, this is extraordinary.

 I've seen a lot of unhappy, unloved & unloving people in my life.  People who care too much about what others think.  People who worry too much about the past or the future & miss out on the joy of the present.

Sure, there are things that we wish we're different.  But we do our best to enjoy the things that are.

It's extraordinary that out of all the people in world, we found each other.  Extraordinary that my mother is so generous.  Extraordinary that our son is so amazing.

Live a life less ordinary.