Reindeer Games

It's the Holiday season, and for alot of people, it means things get busier.  You might find yourself Dashing through stores to get things you need. Or Dancing late into the night at a party. Maybe Prancing through the aisles of the grocery store looking at all the holiday candy & other treats.

Ok...enough with the Reindeer games...seriously...

The holidays get busy for us too.  But my intention is to move through the holidays with ease & grace.  My intention is really to move through my whole life with ease & grace.  That's my intention. Doesn't always play out that way:)

It may sound silly, but I like to take something as abstract & maybe intangible as "move through the holidays with ease & grace" and make it attainable by focusing on the practical.  It's what I do when I teach.  I don't teach people to sit & meditate.  Not because I don't think there's value in it.  But because I know how challenging it is for me. And because I know that given a choice between physical exercise & seated meditation, most people (not all!) will choose exercise.  So I teach a very physical yoga class, but I teach it as a meditation in motion. Creating a practical & attainable way to meditate.

So....back to ease & grace.  How does one move through the holidays with ease & grace? Here are my 5 suggestions:

1. I say, start small.  Don't worry about everything you have to do between now & Christmas - focus on today.  Take it one day at a time.

2. That being said...a little planning goes a long way. And it's hard to feel at ease & full of grace if you're hungry. In our house, hungry leads to hangry (you know, hungry...angry...hangry).  So I never leave home without a snack.  And I love the healthy snack options offered at nuts.com.  Healthy snacks that taste good - stuff that you're actually going to want to eat when you're .

3. Make time for yourself.  The busier you get, the more important it is to make that time for yourself.  If you can't make it into the studio to take class, try a podcast or a youtube video.

4.  Set yourself up for sucess.  This ties the last 3 together.  Don't say you're going to move through the next 3 weeks with ease & grace & then loose your temper & beat yourself up about it & abandon your intention.  When you leave for your mega-shopping trip at the mall, don't pack those healthy snacks that have been sitting in your pantry for 6 months because you don't really like them. And don't say you're going to go to a 90 minute yoga class every day for the rest of the year, even though you've never, ever done more than 15 minutes a day.  You're not setting yourself up for success.  Make your goals practical & attainable.  Set yourself up for success.  Get through a meeting with ease & grace.  Let your snacks be tasty & healthy.  Commit to getting into the studio for 1 yoga class a week & do shorter practices at home the rest of the days.

5. Start now.  Don't wait until the New Year.  Don't wait until next week.  Don't wait until everything is just right.  Just start now.

For great, healthy snacks that you want to eat, check out the healthy snacks page  at nuts.com.  There's too many to mention here, but I do love pistachios, dried strawberries & trail mix.

If you can't make it into Sanctaury Power Yoga to take class, check out my podcasts on itunes.  Search for me: Heather Rems Korwin.  My podcasts are free!

Off My Mat

This summer I started practicing handstand on a daily basis.  I've been practicing handstand for quite a while, but never with any real consistency.  I like handstanding, it's fun, it's just not the focus of my practice.  I was also posting my handstands every day, but that got to be too much.  It went from practicing yoga in a handstand to "oh no! it's 10pm & I haven't posted a handstand today - quick, lets do a video so I can go to bed".  So it was a handstand, but there was no yoga involved.

I've continued to practice handstand - not everyday - but alot.  I practice it within the framework of my yoga practice.  For me, that means not just throwing my legs up (although sometimes it looks & feels like that).  But being in my body, feeling my hands as my foundation, using my breath, focusing my gaze, connecting all the parts of my self to bring myself into a handstand.

It may look the same, but for me, it's different.  It's a pose, just like any other.  For some (me included) it's challenging.  For others, it's effortless.  It's another pose, another opportunity, to practice yoga. 

When you think about it, our days & our lives are made up of poses. You can call them moments, but aren't poses moments?  Aren't those moments then poses - it's just that they happen off our mats.  Sometimes I practice handstand within my daily physical practice.  But most of the time I practice it as I'm getting things ready to teach in the studio, or as I'm leaving.

For me, it's become a good reminder to keep the continuity of my practice - breath, focus, full body awareness - even when I'm off my mat.

It's No Secret

Back in August, I picked up a copy of The Secret for $1 at a library book sale.  I'd never read the Secret.  I'd heard about it & I had read The Law of Attraction & other books by Abraham/Esther & Jerry Hicks.  But I figured, for $1, how could I go wrong.

We left all the books we bought that day in a pile in our den & I just sorted through them the other day.  There was The Secret again.  I pulled it out & put in the bathroom, so that maybe I could read a page (or even just a paragragh!) here & there. 

Like I said, I had never read The Secret, but I had read books by Esther & Jerry Hicks, with the teachings of Abraham, including The Law of Attraction.  So it wasn't that I thought I would learn anything new in The Secret.  I was just curious.

I talk about the Law of Attraction alot.  I share it in my classes, I teach it as part of my Yoga Teacher Training.  It's a practice that has become as much a part of my life as my yoga practice.  For me, they go hand in hand.

When I started the reading The Secret, I suddenly realized that I haven't been practicing the Law of Attraction for the past few months.  I thought I had been.  It was pretty subtle.  I simply realized that my thinking wasn't aligned with my actions & my intentions.  I had been worrying more & even giving attention to things that weren't going to quite right.  Instead of focusing my thoughts on what has been going right & creating more of that.

The Law of Attraction & The Secret (and other works) say, quite simply, that what you think about, you bring about.  And I know that.  And it's not that I'd been walking around thinking how bad things were & complaining & being unhappy.  It was much more subtle. 

Thoughts can be big & thoughts can be small & we all have thousands of them every day!  This was a reminder to me to watch the small thoughts. To watch my intention.  To intentionally create my thoughts.  To intentionally shift & focus & refocus my thoughts every moment of every day.  And to take space from my thoughts at least once a day.

Which is the same as being present.  Which is what Yoga teaches us.  

It's not a secret.  It's another piece of your practice to take off your mat. 

My handstand Practice

I've been practicing yoga for over a decade & practicing handstand for almost as long.  Mostly on & off practice of handstand, nothing really consistent.

Last week I decided I would practice my handstand every day & post my progress on social media (instagram, FB & twitter).  Partly because I wanted to try to attract some more followers, partly because I wanted see what would happen with my handstand.  Partly because I don't post my daily practice & I wanted to give folks something tangible to "see" each day.

For me, practicing handstand every day isn't about perfecting the handstand.  It's about practicing every day to see what happens.  I have a daily yoga practice, it just doesn't usually include handstands.

In the 5 days since I started, I missed one day.  I've noticed what happens when I rush it, just to get it done. I've noticed the difference between practicing on my mat in the studio & outside on the grass.  I've noticed the difference when I'm focused & present, and really distracted.  I've noticed how I can feel super graceful or totally out of control.  I've noticed I can laugh at myself when I fall.

As I'm writing this, it occurs to me that I need to encorporate my handstand practice into my daily yoga practice, instead of seperating the two.  Only trouble is that I often practice first thing in the morning.  No sure I want to show up on FB with bedhead in my pajamas:)

My daily practice has become a part of my day & my life.  It allows the opportunity to notice how I feel. To slow down, get grounded & get connected with myself & my Source.  It's a commitment.  My physical body benefits from the physical practice, but my whole being benefits from the whole practice.


There's a whole lot that goes into a handstand.  It's not just the physical.  Especially if it's part of your yoga practice.  What you see in my posts are really just physical.  But it represents a daily practice of commitment, breath, focus, meditation in motion, intention.

It's my practice on my mat.  But I do my best to carry all of it off my mat.

If you'd like to follow my practice, you can find me on Facebook (heather rems korwin), Instagram (heathersanctuary) & Twitter (heather rems Korwin @sanctuarypower)

It's All About Attitude

 

 

 

The other morning as I was walking into the studio, I noticed a clean cut, grey haired gentleman pulling empty bottles out of the dumpster next to our building.  He had his bike parked along him, with a basket & a bunch more bottles in the basket as well. 

We collect alot of recyclable/returnable bottles in our studio (www.sanctuarypoweryoga.com) - sometimes my family returns them for the deposit, sometimes they just go out with the recycling.  

I waited for a few minutes to talk to the gentleman.  I told him I had a bag of bottles in the yoga studio - would he like them?

 

He said he would absolutely take the bottles. He then enthusiastically told me that he was 63 years old, retired, and collecting Social Security.  He has a roommate who "sits in the front of the computer all day", while he himself takes his bike all around town collecting bottles (people leave them out for him).  He told me he takes care of an older gentleman (90 years old).  He told me "I'm so lucky - I feel like a kid!".

I ran up to the studio & grabbed the bottles for him & told him I'd leave them for him as we collected them.  We talked for a few minutes - and he repeated how lucky he felt.  And then he was off to continue collecting bottles before it got too hot.

 

Now, I don't really know much about this gentleman & the "truth" about his life.  I'm sure some people think he's a little crazy, collecting bottles on his bike.  But I know that running into him that morning pretty much made my day.  He was pulling recyclable bottles out of dumpster & he was happy.  He was clean, polite & articulate.  He's 63 but he feels like a kid & is taking care of an "older" man.  He clearly was enjoying his day, his life & not letting anything slow him down or get him down.

 

If that's not yoga off your mat, I'm not sure what is.

 

If you change your thoughts, you can change your world.  But you also have the opportunity to change someone else's world too. 

 

Not Enough Pillows? That's Easy

We spent the night in New York City, just for fun.

We didn't have enough pillows, so I called down to the front desk & asked if we could get a couple more.

" no problem, we'll bring them right up" was the reply.

Wow...so easy.  I said to my husband " wouldn't it be great if everything was that easy?"

One of my students told me he was going to new York state for a week or two.  He used to live there & wanted to make a change, so he was going to see what was going on there now & if it would work for him.

The next time I saw him, he told me he had a bought a house, reestablished old connections & got work...all in a week.  "it was so easy!" ( his words)

So....why can't it all be that easy?

I know what you're thinking..."Heather, this is all well & good, but it's not my reality.  I have a mortgage, I have kids, I hate my job...but I've got do it if I'm going to live."

It is your reality.  But I believe we create our own realities.  Including the reality that everything is hard, not easy.  Having to work harder & more to have a better life...well, it's cultural reality.  And by that I mean our culture has conditioned us to believe that this is our reality.

So how do you shift it?  Quit the job? Run off & join an ashram?

It doesn't have to be drastic.  It starts small.  "Today is going to be a great day."  Period.  No matter what.  "Today is going to be a great day."

Hate your job?  There has your something about it you like.  Something.  Find that thing that you like & focus on it.  And then focus on finding that & more in your next job.  It'll happen. The more you shift your thinking, the more you shift your reality.

I am repeatedly stunned & amazed by what I manifest in my life.  The things that I create in my mind & give thought to...sometimes they manifest quickly.  Sometimes, it takes years (like my studio).

I know I am creating my own reality.  I know that the more I believe that something is possible, even if the whole world thinks its impossible, it's going to happen for me.

Think about about airplanes, cell phones, cars...all these things were deemed impossible at some point in history.  But the person who created it believed it was possible.  They didn't buy into group think.  They believed & created & manifested.  And no, they really weren't any different or better or luckier or smarter than you & I.

Start to believe that too.  That you are smart enough, amazing enough & worthy of all the good things you desire.  And then it'll be easy.

Yoga? Religion? Harry Potter?

It's funny, because as I started to upload this blog, I saw my last blog which was about a quote tying together yoga & religion (and Harry Potter).  And that's what this blog is about too, in a different way.

I recently read an article in which a yoga teacher was quoted as saying yoga is a religion.

Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but I was pretty surprised by this.  In my time as a teacher, teaching & learning, I don't recall hearing anyone describe yoga as a religion.  And for me, I certainly don't teach yoga as a religion.  (I'll talk about "namaste" & prayer hands next week.)

Yoga as we are most familiar with it here, in this culture, is a focus on the poses, or "asanas".  But there's certainly more to yoga than the poses.  That's what I try to get at in this blog...I'm not suggesting you take your yoga poses off your mat (although that does help sometimes!).  I'm suggesting you explore the other pieces of yoga & take them off your mat.

What are the other pieces of yoga?  The poses, or asanas, are part of the 8 Limbs of Yoga as laid in the Yoga Sutras by Patanjali.  If this is new to you - hang on!  Stay with me!  "Sutra" can be translated as "thread" & these "threads" talk about the practice of yoga.

In these threads are the 8 limbs.  And asana is one of them. I'm not going to list the others now - you can easily look them up & each of them is worthy of their own blog.

For me, the best description of the Yoga Sutras & the practice of yoga, is that it is a practical guide for overcoming daily suffering.  Not a religion.  A practical guide. (and yes, if you have knowledge of the Sutras, I realize this is a pretty simplified description).

You might say "daily suffering?! I don't suffer daily!". 

Do you worry?  Are you stressed?  Do you gossip?  Are you distracted?  Are you missing the joy in the moment & in your life because of these things?  If you answered yes...you're suffering.  Or at least, there could be more joy in your life.

And that's part of how I approach & teach yoga.  As a practical way to improve the quality of your life.  Even if you just come for the physical practice, the poses, the asanas, & you feel better because of those.  You feel better - you're not suffering - you're improving the quality of your life.

I say that it's part of how I approach & teach yoga because I also mentioned in my last blog that yoga is about opening yourself up.  And for me personally, yoga is a spiritual practice.  I bring as much of the Sutras & the 8 Limbs as I can into my teaching.  But I also bring in the Law of Attraction & other ideas that are important for me - I think every teacher does that.  But I also try to keep it practical.  And my hope is that some of what I practice & teach lands with you & you can take it off your mat.

Harry Potter & Yoga

One of my students recently shared an article on my FB page "Yoga Leads to Satan, Says Northern Ireland Priest".

I don't usually respond to articles like this. For me, it's the practice of the Law of Attraction.  I don't want to focus on negative stuff because I don't want to give it energy.  I want to focus on the positive & give energy to that.

But this article had a few interesting comments that I couldn't resist responding to:

1.  Reading Harry Potter leads to evil.

2.  A yoga teacher from Derry, Ireland who was quoted saying "In all the time I've been teaching, not one person has ever expressed an interest going deeper into the spiritual elements of yoga"

3.  The one that really caught my attention & got me thinking: "those enjoying yoga...are taking risks with their spiritual health opening themselves up..."

Ok, so honestly, I included #1 just because I think it's funny.  I've read some of the Harry Potter books (not all) & I definitely don't feel inclined to evil.  But maybe I missed the turning point because I stopped reading just in time!

#2 makes me a little sad.  I love the physicality of yoga, especially the power practice that I /we teach at my studio.  But there's way more to it than that.  And to hear that someone has been teaching & never been asked by students about the spiritual piece?  I don't know...maybe shes only been teaching for a couple months (joking!).

And then #3.  The most-noteworthy for me.  Because for me, a big piece of yoga is all about opening yourself up.  And it sure is risky all right!  Seriously.  Obviously, you open up your physical body - nothing too crazy there.  But you also open up your mind & question the way you live your life.  You open your eyes & see things differently or things that you've never seen before.  You open your heart - that's the riskiest of all.  You let yourself love others, you let others love you, and you love yourself.  Unconditionally.  And that's something this world needs more of.

I'll take it.  Yoga & the risks.  And I'll continue to encourage everyone I know to do that same.

(and I may even finish reading the Harry Potter books too!)

Winter Wonderland?

Yesterday morning I attempted to post the above photo & video to FB.  My plan was to join my fellow New Englanders in complaining about the cold, snowy winter.  I couldn't do it - it wouldn't post.  FB didn't stop me & it wasn't for lack of trying.  It was most likely, as we say in my house, operator error:)

I took it as sign.  Stop complaining.  It's New England & it's winter - what'd you expect?

I've definitely been complaining about the weather.  We returned home from Florida just over a week ago - that's been a really challenging adjustment!  Snowpants, hat, gloves vs. shorts & a t-shirt.  What do you think?

But, here we are....again!  I wrote a blog last winter about why it's great to live in New England in the winter.  For many of the same reasons I'm writing this blog.  To create a shift.  Now, I can't say I've totally managed to embrace the weather & do a total turnaround, but I sure am trying. 

It was cold outside today.  But it was bright & sparkly & sunny outside too. Our son, like so many kids his age, loves the snow!  We have a warm, toasty home to come inside to after being outdoors.  This morning, I saw cardinals in a bush behind our house - the contrast of the red bird in the white snow was beautiful.  Everywhere we go, things look different & it's interesting to reflect on that.

Alot of beauty, alot to be grateful for.

I'm not saying it's easy.  But it's a practice.  And just like my yoga practice on my mat, when I focus on what's going right & what I have to be grateful for, life is better.

Pixie Dust

One of my friends recently completed a week long yoga training.  We talked about it when she was finished & she told me how much she loved it.  She loved the training, she loved learning about yoga...and even more than that, she loved being surrounded by people who love yoga.  She said it was like "yoga pixie dust".  Everyone was kind & open & supportive.  It was a wonderful experience & it was wonderful to be part of that kind of a group of people.

If you've never experienced it, the best example I can think of is in contrast: being part of a group of people who complain all day, talk about others behind their back & think that nothing is going work or get better.  Sadly, most of us have had some kind experience with this example.

I've been teaching for over a decade now & so there's an abundance of yoga pixie dust in my life. Most of the people I know are covered in it, carry extra on them at all times & sprinkle it liberally wherever they go. 

Ok - sounds ridiculous right?  Or does it? 

Well, I don't really know about the pixie dust, but I do know that my life changed when I started practicing & teaching yoga.  Maybe I was sprinkled with pixie dust when I wasn't looking!  I am now surrounded by people who support each other, encourage each other, believe in themselves & others.  People who believe that life can be full of joy & abundance & that you can do anything you want. 

You don't have to take a teacher training to experience this (although a teacher training does takes it to a whole other level). 

Find the right studio for you & you'll find it.

How do you know it's the right studio?  Look for pixie dust in the corners:)

"Let's buy some Thyme"

I started this blog the day after Thanksgiving...

It's Friday after class.  I just taught.  I left the studio to pick up some posters, only to get to the Print Shop & remember that he's closed today.

I left the Print Shop to head home & remembered I had to go back to the studio.  Tomorrow is our Open Studio event & I don't know how to issue gift cards in our system (sounds ridiculous, doesn't it?).  I have to call tech support from the studio because I need to have access to the gift cards & scanner during the call (usually I call from home in the early morning or late night, when they're less busy).

 

So now I'm in the studio & I'm on hold with tech support.  I have a limited window of time because I have to get home so my husband can leave for work.  I do not like being on hold.  The box in the picture has a printer in it that I ordered.  It's been waiting to be unpacked for a few days now.  If I have to be on hold, I might as well get something done, right?  I want to unpack the printer & get rid of the box, so the lobby looks neat tomorrow.  I want to tip the box over & pull the printer out - easy.  Or not...all those darn styrofoam popcorn bits in the box will make a mess!  They go everywhere, they break into little bits...it'll be more work.  So I grab a garbage bag & start pulling the styrofoam out in small handfuls.  It's painfully slow.  I feel very impatient.  I haven't even gotten that far when tech support takes my call.

I want to rush & get stuff done.  I still have one more stop before I head home.  And a bunch of loose ends to wrap up before tomorrow.  But I know rushing won't help.  Stuff will just be a mess...not just the styrofoam popcorns, but everything.  And I'll just feel more stressed.  Instead, I'll do my best to take my time.  But I wish I had more time!!!

When I started this blog, I wasn't sure of my point.  And then when I got back to it tonight, it made me think about one day, just before the Holidays, when we were in the grocery store.  I had a recipe that called for Thyme.  As we walked through the produce section I started saying to my husband "Where's the thyme/time?  Can we just buy some Thyme/time?  I really need some thyme/time."  And it became a bit of a running joke for me/us for the next week (I'm not sure how funny my husband thought it!).  When I opened the refrigerator & saw the Thyme I'd say "Oh - I really need this time!  Just a little more time!"

I held onto to the idea of not having enough time for quite a while...most of the Holiday season, I now realize, a little sadly.  And then I listened to some Abraham & Law of Attraction & realized (once again!) that if I keep talking about what I don't have (time), it's not going to help...I was stuck in an attitude of scarcity.  Talking about all I had to do & how little time I had.

Listening to Abraham helped me shift.  I looked at my affirmations & found one that I hadn't looked at in a while "My life is full of abundance.  Today I have time to do what I want - to channel my energy where I want"

The days aren't any longer.  I don't have any less to do.  But my attitude & approach is different.  And it's my practice that's helped me do this.  And today I had the time to teach, play, write & more...

Let me ask you something....

"Let me ask you something. If someone prays for patience, you think God gives them patience? Or does he give them the opportunity to be patient? If he prayed for courage, does God give him courage, or does he give him opportunities to be courageous? If someone prayed for the family to be closer, do you think God zaps them with warm fuzzy feelings, or does he give them opportunities to love each other?" - God (played by Morgan Freeman) from the movie Evan Almighty

I love this movie & I love this quote...and I'm not even comfortable with the whole "God" thing.  (You can substitute in "the Divine", "Universe" - whatever works better for you).

Sometimes we ask for alot - as well we should.  We are all children of the Universe & Nature & abundance is ours for the asking.

But sometimes, what we ask for doesn't arrive in quite the way we expect it.  And we wind up complaining about it.  That gift that you are expecting may not arrive wrapped in bright paper & ribbons with your name written in big letters on it.  Instead, it might be lying in a ratty old brown bag on the sidewalk.  If you're not present & you're not paying attention, you might just trip over it & keep on going. 

Yoga is a great place to practice everything you are asking for.  Be it patience, love, compassion, balance, strength, focus, abundance....the list goes on & on.

Every challenge that you encounter on your mat gives you the opportunity to practice finding, experiencing & receiving whatever you are asking for in your life.

Don't be afraid to ask - and ask for alot. Ask for abundance.  Ask for love.  Ask for joy.  But then, be ready to practice finding (and receiving) it in the most challenging moments on & off your mat.