YOGA BITES : Make the most of gnarly waves and little ones

Everything everywhere moves in waves.  Wave motion is the movement of life.  Everything in the universe vibrates in wave-like patterns: sound waves, light waves, radio waves, ocean waves, seismic waves, heat waves, brain waves, peristaltic waves, even our breath, blood and heartbeats move in waves.

Here on the coast summer equals Lake Pacific, and deprived surfers tend to go a bit bonkers.  (Thank goodness this is also the Wild Rivers Coast where summer also equals river season!)  In perfect surfing paradise head-high waves would peel for miles, one glassy peak after another.  But in surfing, as in life, you've got to have the flat spells and micro swells to appreciate the excitement of the wild and epic rides.

Life is like a wave.  All waves come with crests and troughs, ups and downs, highs and lows.  These ups and downs are the constant play of the polarities of life.  Day follows night, fortune follows misfortune, and rain follows sunshine.  It is our attachment to having the “good” and our aversion to the “bad” that creates suffering.

Yoga is the art of riding the waves of life skillfully, of finding our balance and keeping our poise amidst the turbulence of life’s ever-shifting waters.  We can learn from our reflections on the mat so that we can surf the waves of life more gracefully, flow with change, and ride high on opportunity.  As we surf the waves of life we will have some epic rides and some gnarly wipeouts, sunny days and stormy days, long quiet lulls and swells of immense pleasure and pain.  We cannot control any of this.  What we can control is our response to each unfolding moment.  We can create some spectacular rides by responding positively to whatever waves come our way.  And remember, good or bad, no wave lasts forever.

If we are the surfer, life is the wave, and yoga is how we ride life’s rhythms, then our attitude is the surfboard.  Which attitude do you want to pull from your quiver today?  Can we stay centered in a state of observation, acceptance, and appreciation?  Can we face our fears, focus forward, paddle like the dickens, and commit to the drop?  Can we remain grateful for the lessons that each wave presents?  Can we truly allow life to unfold as it may?  Each day we practice we get stronger, we get smarter, and our intuition tells us which way to flow.  Through consistent practice we prepare ourselves to enjoy the good waves with all of our energy.

The next time you are on your mat, imagine that you are floating on a surfboard out at sea, gently rocking and rolling on top of the water.  Focus solely on the present moment with all of your senses.  Mind-surf perfect waves as you lay on your belly centered on your “surfmat.”  Paddle for the coming wave; breathe deeply as you use your whole body to propel yourself toward shore.  Arching your body like a banana, stroke one arm over the other and dig deep.  Feel the water between your fingers.  You can belly-ride this one or pop up to your feet by bringing hands under shoulders, pull the navel in toward the spine while pushing up to a half push-up on knees (hips in line with spine), activating and accessing your deep core lines place both feet under your hips as smoothly and quickly as possible.  One foot will naturally lead.  Start here.

Practice makes possible.  For Silver Surfer Pose press into Warrior II with the front knee over the ankle, back leg straight, feet grounded, toes in line with knees, and spine tall.  Let your tail and shoulders become heavy while your low belly, heart and head remain buoyant.  Bring hands together at chest, and exhale to turn and dive deep onto or inside the front thigh (maybe as low as the ankle) with your upper body.  Press strongly into your feet and inhale to float up.  Spin your heart to the front as you reach your arms, palms still together, overhead, now in a side bend over your back leg.  Allow your body to express itself naturally, fluidly.  Repeat seven or more times, then ease back onto your belly again, paddle, paddle, paddle, and pop-up switch-stance, now with opposite foot forward.  Remember alignment rule numero uno: if it feels good it probably is good, and if it feels bad it probably is bad.  Trust your body’s wisdom and flow in a way that makes you smile from the inside out.

If life was only paddle, paddle, paddle and charging big waves, when would we take the time to watch the pelicans soar, the osprey dive, or the whales breach?  When would we watch the sky’s colors dance like liquid light on the ocean’s undulating surface, smell the pure sea salt air, feel the offshore breeze tickle skin while the sun’s rays bring warmth?  When would we listen to the woosh of the waves breaking on shore, the chattering of the birds, the splashing of the fish, the barking of the basking sea lions?  Feel the tides and fog roll in and out like the breath.  Gazing beyond the horizon to limitless potential, then back to land where cares and woes now seem so far away, appreciate a fresh point of view.  Let’s celebrate the waves of life in all their glorious diversity, offer thanks to the Ocean Gods, and have faith that there’s always another wave coming.  Carpe fluctus!  Seize the wave!

YOGA BITES : Cow and Cat: 2 poses can help to keep spine supple

Yogis say that we are only as young as our spine is supple, and there’s a lot of truth to that.  I need not tell you about the rigors of life and the toll they take on your body, especially the spine.  Yogis practice poses that decompress and lubricate the spine to create and maintain elasticity and durability, which is the pathway to a more youthful and energetic body.

A common warm-up and cool-down move in yoga practice is Cat’s Breath.  This simple flowing sequence, or vinyasa, consists of two complimentary poses alternating fluidly back and forth.  Don’t be fooled by the simplicity of this power-packed vinyasa, it brings heaps of treats to the party.  The two poses that make up this flow are Cow (Bitilasana) and Cat (Marjariasana).  Let’s begin on hands and knees, stacking shoulders over wrists and knees under hips with a neutral spine.  If this hurts your knees, place a folded blanket, mat or towel under them.  Spread your fingers and palms.  Broaden the soles of your feet.  You might like to smile.

Let the breath be the invitation to move.  Inhale as you curl your heart and tail to the sky, dropping the belly toward the earth, like a contented purring cat.  On the exhale curl the tail down and allow the spine to respond naturally to this wave as it ripples all the way up the spine.  Press what’s down down more and feel the corresponding lift that creates at center as you draw your navel in toward the spine and round your back high like a Halloween cat.  Allow all of your worldly concerns to exit right out the top of your head, down into the earth to be transmuted.  Continue this spinal dance letting the breath lead.  Move slowly and gently as you follow your breath’s natural rhythms.

When arching in Cow keep the energy in your shoulders looping back and down, encouraging the shoulder blades to integrate fully onto your back ribs, which then lifts your heart and opens your chest from behind.  Press down into your fingertips while drawing energy up through the center of your palms, up into your shoulders, keeping the head of the arms bones engaged in their sockets.  Hug muscle to bone.  Practice this for three to five minutes a day this week, and observe the effects of this healing tonic for your three treasures, your body, mind and spirit.

Mooing and meowing are optional.  Many yogis like to add Lion’s Breath by reversing the breath and exhaling fiercely through the mouth when arching into Cow, sticking the tongue out and down with wide eyes.  Feel free to roar here.  Let your neighbors hear it.  Be playful, let go, and let flow.  If you’re craving more adventure today, continue this vinyasa with your knees lifted one inch up off the mat for several breath cycles.  Enjoy the release and relaxation these moments of self-care offer.

YOGA BITES : Yoga walking; A simple path to better health

Did you know that the best form of yoga is walking?  By applying yogic breathing and meditation techniques to simple walking, one can practice a form of walking, Yoga Walking, that delivers even more benefits with each and every step.  When we incorporate yoga principles into walking, it becomes not only good for the physical body, but good for the soul.

The health of our powerful legs, which include the biggest and strongest muscles in the body, is very important to our circulation, digestion, bones, inner state, fitness, coordination, blood pressure, and much more.  As we draw energy up from the earth into the body, our legs are our roots and our mobility.

Yoga means union and the practice aims to unite ourselves with our innermost selves and the universe at large.  Staying present with the breath in yoga on a mat or yoga on a walk offers us access to a deep inner reservoir of calm, balance, and strength.  Yoga happens whenever we feel fully present in the here and now.

Yoga Walking can be done practically anywhere, anytime by anyone.  It’s safe, convenient, economic, and enjoyable.  Health experts across the board agree that walking is the perfect exercise.  Our bodies are built for movement, especially for walking specifically.  If you could bundle the effects of a regular yoga walking practice into a pill, you’d have a miracle drug on your hands.  Research shows that walking four miles burns more fat than running the same distance in less time.

To go on a mind-expanding walk, begin walking and feel into the right pace and rhythm for your body today.  Just like Goldilocks, not too fast and not too slow.  Walk at a pace that feels invigorating.  Gently pump the arms naturally with each stride to integrate the whole body into the movement, powerfully and fluidly.  Breathe in and out through your nose as much as you can during the walk.  Let your breath be full, long and rhythmic.  Breathing through the nose strengthens the lungs, filters the air, increases energy, and stimulates the production of endorphins (feel-good hormones).

Focus fully on the present moment.  Easier said than done, I know.  One simple and effective way to achieve this is to use your senses.  Begin to notice the sky, the trees, the ocean, the cars, the people.  Tune in to the birds, the wind, the rhythm of your feet and breath.  Feel your feet meet the earth, the air moving in and out of your lungs, the sun warming your face, the air moving through your fingers, your hair.  Absorb the energizing negative ions from the trees and ocean air.

Enjoy this gentle practice that generates total health and keeps us connected to our bodies and souls as often as you can, ideally for at least 20 minutes four times per week.  You’ll feel like you meditated rather than exercised, with the added bennies.  Incorporate yoga walking into your daily life; park a little further away from where you’re going, take the stairs, walk to the park for lunch, walk after dinner, walk with a friend (two-legged or four-legged).  Look for opportunities to create your yoga anywhere and everywhere.

YOGA BITES : It's spring; Find your roots and strike a tree pose

Ask a non-yogi if they know any yoga, and they will invariably come into Tree Pose, standing on one foot with the other tucked to the inner leg, arms raised overhead.  This recognizable pose strengthens your legs and spine, opens your thighs and hips, builds balance, and increases confidence.

In honor of Spring’s gifts of renewal let’s be a tree.  This standing balance posture can be practiced with a wall, chair, or tree nearby if you would like support.  Plant your feet down by spreading and grounding your toes as you root into the four corners of your feet.  The front of your thighs, knees, and shins should be in line with your second and third toes in from the biggies.

With your palms together over your heart, press down into one foot as you inhale the opposite knee up in front of you.  Lightly draw your low belly, low back, and pelvic floor muscles in and up.  Scoop your tailbone down and forward to align your pelvis at neutral.  Aspire skyward through your crown, reaching for the golden sun.

Imagine that you are sending roots down through your foot to the ground and deep into the Earth.  Activate and lift your standing foot’s inner ankle and inner arch, zip this energy up the inside of your leg, and lengthen up through your spine.  Gently open the bent leg out to your side and rest your sole on the inner thigh, calf, or ankle (toes may even touch the floor).  Avoid placing your foot on your knee as we don’t want to push that joint sideways.

Keep hugging in to center with muscular energy while finding ease and length with every breath.  Rest your eyes on one spot, gazing with a soft focus.  Breathe as you express and offer anything you wish here.  Lift your arms and branch out.  Sway in the breeze, host a bird, bloom.  Open your heart and arms to the sky in a universal YES!  If you fall, simply try again.  We are building more than strength and suppleness; we’re also developing patience, persistence, humility, and good humor.  Stay here for five deep breaths or more, then switch sides.  By the way, it is very common to feel fairly different side to side.

If you’d like more of a challenge try turning your gaze up to the sky or close your eyes all together.  You might also stand on a squishy surface like sand or grass, or fold your mat a few times and give your ankles the workout they really crave.  Observe how the breath and inner state affect your balance.  It becomes mighty difficult to stay centered and balanced when the breath is sporadic and the mind is scattered.  Try tree pose with a friend by facing the same direction, standing legs together, an arm around the other’s waist, and opposite knees and arms up.

To increase the benefits of tree pose include the following meditation, or simply sit comfortably and practice this visualization alone as tree pose for the brain.  Visualize yourself standing in a lush, green forest surrounded by all different kinds of trees and plants.  Take a moment to imagine your green environment; all of the various trees, plants, foliage, vibrant green leaves, many shades of luminous green.  As you breathe naturally and deeply imagine that you are inhaling the grounding, calming, healing energy of the verdant forest.  You might picture yourself inhaling emerald green light into your belly, infusing every cell in your body with the forest’s energy.  As you exhale, dispel any stress or tension out into the dense forest to be transmuted into energy for the plants and trees.  Enjoy this for as long as you like.

YOGA BITES : Twisting can wring out the toxins and tension

For many people, the word yoga conjures up the image of a human pretzel.  It’s true, yogis do often enjoy a stretch with a twist.  When practiced with care and mindfulness, twisting feels invigorating and calming at the same time.  Rotating the spine helps to maintain its length, resiliency, health and suppleness.  By squeezing and stretching the entire torso and its contents, including organs, muscles, glands and nerves, we wring toxins and tension out of the body.  Imagine squeezing dirty water from a sponge.  The poetic irony here is that as we twist and wind up our outer bodies, the inner body and mind unwind more easily.

Bharadvajasana (bah-ROD-va-JAHS-anna) is a Simple Seated Twist that can be practiced on the ground, in a chair, or even a parked car.  Sitting in a comfortable position inhale as you float your arms overhead.  Exhale as you twist to the right opening arms out to the sides, gazing over the back hand.  Pause and soften.  Relax your mind.  As you inhale wave the spine ever taller.  As you exhale press into your foundation and spiral around a little deeper.  Allow these waves of breath to wash over and through you bringing an easy quality to your effort.  Imagine that you are suspended by a golden thread from the crown of your head up to the sky.

Wrap your shoulder blades more onto your back ribs.  Now place left hand on right knee, and right hand on the floor behind your right hip.  Gently use the arms to help you lengthen up and spin more.  Intelligently work to your edge, and not past it.  The head and neck may want to lead here.  Don’t let them.  They are simply passengers.  When you feel challenged allow yourself to be curious.  Feel free to experiment and explore what works for you at any given moment.  If it feels good, go for it.  If it feels yucky, change it or skip it.  Breathe here for fifteen seconds to one minute, and gently unwind on an exhale.  Rest at center before switching sides.

Seated in a chair you can hold onto the backrest as you twist for support and gentle leverage.  Broaden into both your upper back and chest.  Turn your head over the right shoulder.  Include your eyes in the twist by taking them to the upper and lower right corners of your eyes.  Hold for at least five full breaths in and out.  Slowly unwind and repeat on the opposite side.  Rest, re-center, and breathe into the sensations that arise as all of the tissues in your torso are flushed and flooded with fresh, oxygenated, nutrient-rich blood.

Twisting the torso squeezes and compresses the breathing diaphragm muscle, which can lead to a feeling of suffocation in beginners.  Remain mindful and tall as you soften, relax, and slowly drink in deep, healing breaths.  Elongate your exhalations.  By breathing as fully as possible while twisting (even untwisting slightly on inhalations to create space) we are resistance-training our lungs for increased strength and capacity, which enhances all things on and off the mat.  Let your energy be easy.  There is no need to push or rush.  Here we practice staying present with the breath, and simply observe the mind’s reactions to uncomfortable or unfamiliar sensations without attachment or aversion.  The trick is to simply be your breath and watch as the knots untie themselves.

(Note:  If you have a spinal disc injury, consult your health-care provider before practicing twists of any kind.)

YOGA BITES : Receive every breath like the gift it is

Are you still breathing?  I bet you inhaled a tad deeper just now after I brought it to your attention.  Most of us are aware that we spend far too much time being unaware of our breathing.  Conscious breathing is a simple and powerful way to increase vitality and clarity, decrease stress and anxiety, regulate moods, enliven and even enlighten.  Breathing exercises can be practiced anywhere at any time.  Becoming aware of the breath instantaneously shifts one into a higher consciousness, and profoundly into the present moment.

Pranayama, the yogic practice of breath control, is much more than breathing exercises.  Prana is Sanskrit for the energy and life force that permeates the universe at all levels.  Yogis feel that we are breathing in much more than life-sustaining oxygen with every inhalation.

There is a secret to deep breathing, and it is this: begin at the end.  Deep healing breaths begin with a complete exhalation.  Try it: inhale deeply through your nose and let it out effortlessly, then squeeze your abdominal muscles to press out even more.  Afterward you’ll naturally drink in a deeper inhalation.  With practice over time, mindful breathing will soon become second nature, and revolutionize your wellbeing.

When you feel anxious or worried, how do you breathe?  Quick and shallow, almost as though struggling to keep your head above water, right?  How about when you feel calm and content?  Slow, deep and full, as though being embraced by a beloved at sunset.  Throughout most of each hectic day our breathing fluctuates erratically in reaction to a myriad of physical and mental stimuli.  Yoga teaches us that we can control our emotions and mood by breathing consciously, just as our erratic auto-pilot breathing can effect our mind.

Lie on your back and place one hand on your belly and the other on your chest.  Breathing in and out through your nose, begin to gradually deepen and lengthen each respiratory cycle.  Feel the breath effortlessly lift your belly and float your chest.  Imagine on an inhale that you are drawing oxygen deep down to the very bottom of your lungs.  Drink it in and fill up to the middle of your lungs, then sip in even more air into the very top of your lungs.  Pause calmly at the top of the inhale before exhaling slowly through the nose, as you press out every last drop.

Continue breathing fully here for as long as you like.  How do you feel?  Now place both hands on either side of your ribcage, and feel your inhalation expand you from the inside out, and then the exhalation hugs you into center.  Breathe easy and free.  Breathe in positive, healing, loving light, and breathe out anything you don’t want, any outer or inner body tensions, all negativity.  Can you feel as though you are being breathed rather than “doing” the breathing?

Now release your hands out to your sides, soft palms turn skyward.  Feel the ebb and flow of each breath wave.  Imagine that your belly is the ocean and your chest is the shore.  Feel the breath wave rise effortlessly in the ocean of your belly, and washing wash up onto the shore of your chest.  Now allow the breath wave to recede naturally down the shore of your chest, back into the ocean of your belly, giving rise to the next breath wave cycle.  Ride the waves.

Commonly we are told to “take” a breath.  Let’s shift our perspective and view each breath as the precious gift that it is.  The gift of life.  A life with no guarantees of another breath or moment.  Receive the gifts of each new moment with a thankful, open heart, and breathe easy.

YOGA BITES : Getting down and happy as a playful pup

A teacher of mine said, “On the grand spice rack of yoga poses, Down Dog is the salt.”  As we explore and experiment with various ingredients in our yoga lab, much like a kitchen, we can concoct a savory stew of sensations throughout the body while nourishing ourselves on the deepest levels anytime we step into the “kitchen” by stepping onto our yoga mat.

Adho Mukha Savanasana (AH-doh MOO-kah shvah-NAHS-anna), Downward Facing Dog, is at once calming and energizing as it stretches the whole back side of the body while strengthening the front.  Down Dog helps relieve stress, mild depression, menopause symptoms, headache, insomnia, back pain, fatigue, sciatica, and much more.

Come onto all fours.  Place your hands directly under your shoulders, fingers spread evenly, wrist creases and middle fingers face forward.  Meet the ground evenly through your palms and activate your finger pads down as if you were grabbing a handful of soil or sand.  Knees are directly under the hips, toes curled under.  With a long spine root down into hands and feet as you send your hips high and back.  Breathe and soften.

Spiral your inner thighs back and wide through your sitting bones with knees bent at first.  Roll your shoulders away from your face to keep lots of space around the neck, and let your head hang like a ripe fruit on the vine.  Gazing at your feet double check that the feet are facing forward and hip-width apart.  Now bring your ears in line with your upper arms, in one long line with your spine, as you lengthen all sides of the neck evenly.  Begin to walk your feet in place, straightening one leg and then the other.  Relax your jaw.  Soften your face.  Receive smooth, steady breaths in and out through the nose.

If you’re confused about your arms here, try rotating your arms in one direction and then the opposite.  One way will feel compressed around the neck and “yuckasana.”  The other will feel spacious between the shoulders and “yumasana.”  The trick to a blissed-out pooch pose is sending your weight back over your powerful legs, and allowing the arms to remain light and buoyant.

On an inhale come up onto the balls of your feet, bend the knees a lot, and send your belly back toward your thighs.  Widen your shoulder blades and drawn them toward your tail.  Without losing the alignment of your upper body and hips, begin to send your legs back toward straight (never locking the knees here), and sink your heels toward the earth slowly.  Draw your hip creases back and wide.  Imagine your heels are full of lead.

Continually breathe life into your pose with each inhale and exhale.  Feel free to wag your tail and shimmy your hips, wave long through the heart, unravel your spine, and unwind your mind.  On an inhale, float one leg to the sky for Dog Splits.  Roll that hip open, bend and release that leg over the straight one for Wild Dog or “fire hydrant pose.”  The key is to find an enjoyable asana, one that feels juicy.  Stay for three to five full breaths.  Come down onto your knees and rest back into Child’s Pose.

If you struggle with Down Dog, be compassionate and patient with yourself.  You are not the first person with tight hamstrings or weak arms.  Meanwhile, stay dedicated to your unfolding and diligent in your practice.  In time, unfurling your body into this pose, long and lithe like a pup stretching after a good nap, will feel so delicious that you’ll experience the whole-body joy dogs exhibit in the pose.  Have patience, young grasshopper.  Practice and all is coming.

Be like a good dog, and enjoy stretching many times throughout each day.  Seek sensations of pleasure in your body.  Imagine the innate joy, patience, loyalty, devotion, playfulness, and unconditional love of a dog.  Stick your head out the window and enjoy the ride.  Howl at the moon.

YOGA BITES : Here's how yoga may aid in weight loss

Folks in the fitness industry know that January brings many people to the gym or yoga class in order to shed unwanted pounds (holiday or otherwise).  People often ask me if yoga can help with weight loss.

First of all, we must understand that many factors play into this subject such as age, genetics, lifestyle, individual willpower, and possible food addictions.  We also know that in order to achieve and maintain a healthy weight we must eat well, hydrate, and regularly raise our heart rate to torch more calories than we take in.

There are as many styles of yoga as there are individuals on this planet.  It’s true that more gentle forms of yoga practice won’t do much for your waistline, while more vigorous yoga styles can burn calories that rival most other athletic exercises.  Yoga can be a killer workout.

Any style of yoga helps tone, strengthen and lengthen muscles, which can sculpt the body but not necessarily make it thinner.  Also bear in mind that muscle tissue is denser and therefore heavier than fat tissue.

Physiologically, a faster flowing practice with more demanding postures builds inner-heat which in turn burns more calories.  Practicing yoga asanas (physical postures) builds lean muscle which revs up our metabolism and fat-melting ability.

Having said all of that, you don’t necessarily need to speed through several rounds of Sun Salutations or delve headlong into a “power” practice to see a sleeker you in the mirror.

Practicing yoga helps to reduce stress (which can mess with health and weight on many levels), improve digestion (assimilation of nutrients and elimination of waste), and enhance circulation to major endocrine glands (such as the thyroid and pancreas) that control your appetite, moods and sleep patterns.

The most well-known benefits of yoga include loosening muscles that have been tightened and shortened by inactivity, tension, and stress.  Asana practice also improves joint mobility, increases flexibility, and can correct postural problems that may have resulted from weight gain.

Psychologically, weight issues often bring a big dose of harsh self-judgment.  Yoga helps us balance this by creating a safe, positive environment to reconnect with our bodies and quiet the counterproductive messages that often arise in our minds.  Engaging the body mindfully can be deeply empowering.

The self-acceptance, physical confidence, increased body awareness and inward reflection that often comes with regular yoga practice also helps one achieve and maintain a healthy weight, whether you are slightly or significantly overweight, or if you are struggling with body image issues despite being at a healthy weight.

I believe yoga has the potential to be very transformative on many levels, with the physical body being a doorway to the more profound gifts of the practice.

Yoga can also help with weight loss for the mind.  We tend to carry a lot of heavy mental and emotional “stuff” around, and a good yoga practice can help us to dissolve fear, anger, blame, resentment, guilt, self-punishment, negativity, old hurts, expectations, agreements with others that we’re not enough, and other junk that creates suffering.

Remember that as long as the body is aligned to stay balanced, energetic, and healthy, according to Patanjali, author of the formative yoga text, the Yoga Sutras, it is yoga.  Yoga is not what we do, but how we do what we do that makes it yoga.  Invite mindfulness into all of your actions to be yoga (rather than do yoga) anytime, anywhere.

Can yoga help you lose weight?  Maybe.  Will it change your relationship with your body?  Most likely.  And probably for the better.  All you need is a yoga mat, bare feet, and your dedication, to make a major difference in your health from the inside and out.

YOGA BITES : We regenerate our bodies, why not our minds?

You are younger than you think you are.  People tend to think of their body as a fairly constant structure, however the majority of your body’s tissues are in a state of continual renewal, as old cells are discarded and new cells are generated in their place.  Each type of tissue has its own rate of turnover, some regenerating in a few days, some over many years.  On present evidence, the only tissues that last a lifetime seem to be the neurons of the cerebral cortex, the inner lens cells of the eyes, and a woman’s oocytes (eggs).  The average age of the cells in an adult body may be as young as seven years.  The entire human skeleton rebuilds approximately every ten years.  Why, then, can we not renew forever?  This is attributed to the slowing of cellular turnover and the degradation of DNA as we age.

Honor your body’s need to rest, reset, and renew by enjoying Viparita Karani, Supported Legs-Up-the-Wall Pose.  Close the door and tune into music that soothes you.  Gather some blankets, towels, a pillow or bolster, and clear a space by a wall.  Lay down a blanket or two, fold or roll two blankets together lengthwise, and place parallel to the wall.  If you are stiff, the support should be lower and placed farther from the wall; and if you are flexible, you can use a higher support that is closer to the wall.  Also if you are shorter, move closer to the wall, and if you are taller, move farther from the wall.  Experiment with what works best for you.

Begin with your support a few inches from the wall.  Sit sideways on the end of your support with your side against the wall.  Exhale soulfully as you slide your legs up onto the wall using your hands for support.  Settle your back, shoulders and head lightly onto the floor.  Allow your tail to dip down into the space between your support and the wall.  Feel the gentle arch of your torso as you release the base of your skull away from the back of your neck, and soften your throat.  Rather than pushing your chin against your chest, lift your chest toward your chin.  Take a rolled towel or shirt under your neck if the cervical spine feels flat.  With a broad back and open chest, release your hands out to your sides, palms up in a gesture of receptivity.  Keep your legs gently reaching up as you drop the heads of your thigh bones and your belly down deeply.  Relax your eyes and gaze down into your heart center.  Breathe.  Surrender.  Soften.  Feel the support of the whole Earth beneath you.  Stay here five to fifteen minutes, or until the pose has emptied your soul of any tension.

Swim beneath your surface to a sea of tranquility.  When your body signals that it’s ready to flow back into action, slowly bend your knees into your chest, and pause before pressing your soles into the wall, sliding onto the floor, and rolling onto your side.  Take your time reacclimating to and rejoining the world at large.  Inversions (when the hips are higher than the heart) are often called ‘fountains of youth’ in yoga.  Viparita Karani is believed to be good for most everything that ails you.  As you enjoy this gentle stretch, take the time to remember that only You are the writer, director, and star of the movie of your life.  You can create whatever you like.  And it is never too late to start a new scene.  This is your hero’s journey.  Observe the connection between the thoughts you think and the things you feel.

Say ‘goodbye’ to the old and ‘hello’ to the new by creating a new New Year’s ritual.  Write down anything you wish to release.  Then make a list of experiences and traits you'd like to cultivate in place of the old ways you’re letting go of.  Burn both lists as the Earth completes another trip around the sun, and allow the smoke to deliver your wishes to the universe.  Happy New Year and Happy New You.

YOGA BITES : Treat every moment as a 'miracle'

‘Tis the season to be merry.  Ho ho ho and go go go.  The winter holidays can be exciting, magical and fun-packed.  They can also be stressful, depressing and pressure-packed.  As with everything, the only control we posses lies in our attitudes and reactions (or ideally non-reaction).  We can use these challenges as opportunities to practice our yoga off the mat, and keep calm at center even in the storm of the holidays.

Take a moment to ground yourself.  Sit or stand comfortably and place your palms together in front of your heart in anjali mudra as you breathe in and out slowly and consciously.  Think about the things in your life that fill you with warm fuzzies and joy – your loved ones, your pets, your home.  Turn the corners of your mouth up.  We have eighty muscles in our face, and a single smile sends signals to the brain that trigger feel-good chemicals.  Smiling is a mood-enhancer.

Yogis say, “Where thoughts go energy flows.”  Let’s use our thoughts and creative energy to accentuate the positive.  Let’s play a game called Rampage of Appreciation.  There’s no right or wrong way to play.  Simply allow your mind to find something pleasing and consciously practice appreciation by thinking of how wonderful, beautiful, or useful it is.  “I love and appreciate...”  Think it or write it for as long as it feels good.

Here’s another easy game to help us embody an attitude of gratitude.  Stand at ease, alert, aware, and ready for the grand unfolding called life.  Beginning on the left side, wake up your ankle as you flex, extend, and circle your left foot.  Take your time and move in your body’s way today.  When you’re ready move your focus up to you left knee as you bend and extend your lower leg.  Use your mind and breath to direct thankfulness, blessings and love to each piece of you.  Thank your body for its many years of dedicated service 24/7/365.

Allow the rest of your body to respond naturally.  Hold nothing back from yourself.  You can make this as dynamic or as easy as you want and need in the moment.  Open your hip by circling your left thigh all around.  (It’s perfectly natural to stumble around like a drunken sailor here.)  Next flex, extend, and circle your hand and fingers.  Bend, extend, and swivel your forearm.  Swirl your upper arm all around.  Bend your spine from side to side, front to back, then twist left and right.  Gently turn and circle your head.  Now activate down the right shoulder, elbow, wrist, hip, knee, and ankle.  Listen within and notice what areas are asking for more attention.  Last move all thirteen major joints simultaneously in a spontaneously creative funky turkey dance.

Albert Einstein told us, “There are only two ways to live your life.  One is as though nothing is a miracle.  The other is as though everything is a miracle.”  This quote is a fantastic reminder that gratitude is a choice.  When we choose to be grateful we focus on what’s working in our lives instead of what isn’t.  When we appreciate what we already have we attract more good-feeling things into our lives to appreciate.  Gratitude is empowering.

As you eat, drink, and merrily indulge this holiday season, release any self-imposed guilt.  Marinate in juicy goodness as you cultivate thankfulness and peace.  “Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life,” said Melody Beattie, “It turns what we have into enough, and more.”  Happy Holidays.  Be good to yourself and be of good cheer this holiday season.

YOGA BITES : It's autumn; Build warmth, burn the trash

Here we are again, cycling into the season when crunchy leaves fall and you can feel the crispening of the earthy air at earlier and earlier sunsets.  We are entering the time of year when practicing heat-building yoga postures can help us stoke up a bonfire at center to increase warmth and circulation throughout the body, as well as burn “the trash,” whatever we do not want or need any more.

Remember as a child how being fully present was all you knew?  Around this time back then you were usually planning your next greatest costume.  Let your childlike nature emerge as you pretend to be a valiant Warrior-Sage.  Stretch your arms out wide to your sides, and step your feet out about as wide as your hands into 5-pointed Sea Star.  Starting with feet parallel, turn your right foot out 90 degrees and your left foot in 45 degrees.  Rooting down through all four corners of each foot, exhale as you bend your right knee deeply, pressing the left leg toward straight.  Arms keep extending to the sides as your head turns to gaze over the right middle finger.  Roll your shoulders back, and activate your shoulder blades firmly onto your back.  Keep the right knee centered over the right ankle, and keep that knee tracking over the pinky-toe side of that foot, using your thigh muscles to externally rotate the bent thigh.  This is Warrior 2, Virabhadrasana II.  Hold here for five full breath cycles.

On an inhale find center again, 5-pointed Sea Star with arms overhead now.  Switch and find Warrior II on the other side.  Hold again.  Let your arms rotate as you press the palms toward each other up at center, and turn them to press earthward as you find Warrior II.  Flow fluidly and powerfully from posture to posture, initiating each movement from center with the breath.  Move like a ninja, tai chi master or dancer.  Feel your aliveness and vibrancy with each breath.  Soften your skin, drop your mask.  Allow your outer body to drape over your skeleton.  Feel the strength of your bones.  Can you find the suppleness and serenity in the midst of power, the dynamic ease?

Take a break in between cycles when needed by pouring the torso long over wide legs, straight or bent.  What do you need to shed right now in preparation for the seasons of thankfulness, hibernation, death and rebirth?  After resting in Wide-Leg Forward Fold, or Fan, bend your knees and slowly roll your spine up to standing.  Get adventurous and flow faster, switching sides with each breath.  Exhale into a Warrior, inhale back to center, and exhale into Warrior on the next side.

Breathe slowly through the nose to warm and harness the breath.  As you play and dance, create your own variations of poses, or new postures that suit you spontaneously.  Allow your arms to be creative and expressive.  Use the breath wind as a billow, continuing to stoke the bonfire at center, burning away what no longer serves the highest vision you have for yourself, and transform by moving through your inner fire.

By activating and holding these muscles while pumping fresh oxygen through our system, we can heat and light ourselves up from the inside out.  Tapas is the Sanskrit word for the heat or glow that arises from a vigorous yoga practice, and the burning desire to live life more fully.

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Morning Salutations

Good Morning Sun, Thank You for this New Day!
(standing tall, inhale, touch sky)
And Thanks for those rays, I needed that.
(exhale, fold from waist, touch earth)
Good Morning Mother Earth, it's Great to be Alive!
(inhale, rolling spine up to standing)
May I be as grounded & soaring as a mountain,
(exhale, fold from waist, with straight or bent legs)
May I be as supple as a reed,
(inhale, exhale and step back into a high push-up)
May I be as strong as a plank,
(inhale, exhale down to the ground)
May I be as humble as a worm,
(place forearms and tummy on ground, inhale chest and head up)
May I remember my eternal nature,
(press back into child's wisdom pose)
May I be as wise as a child,
(press up and back into down dog, breathe)
May I be as playful as a downward-facing dog,
(step into lunge, inhale raising torso and arms, exhale to twist toward forward leg)
May I be tuned in, tapped in, turned on.
(switch sides for lunge with twist, flow slow)
May I find sensible & delightful ways to appreciate life today,
(flow into down dog, letting head hang like ripe fruit on a vine)
May any negativity pour out of me now, while positivity flows in,
(step or jump forward into a standing forward bend)
May I remember the connection between what I am thinking and what I am experiencing,
(inhale, roll up to standing)
May I always be in alignment with who I *really* am.  Thank You.  Namaste.