Walking a New Path When the Old One is Comfortable

You are a creature of habit. I mean, we all are - so don't think you're an exception.

Sometimes we try to learn a new habit on purpose - like brushing and flossing twice a day, not eating animal products, or doing yoga every day. That's really hard to do and sometimes people talk about how long it takes to build a new habit. That isn't always the way it works, really. Some of us (like me) just don't seem to learn new habits. I can learn to do something the same new way for 3 years and then just stop doing it one day. No matter how much better I felt for it or loved doing it - it's suddenly like it never happened. Why? 

Michelle Dawson by Robert Sturman

Some of us, it turns out have worn such a distinct path with our original habit - that the new one just can't compete. So it's not so much that you don't form a habit - you just formed the last one soooo well that it's harder to UNDO it than anything. It can be done, but it's going to be a more difficult journey.

What's my point here? Do I have one? I thought I did when I started.

If you're having trouble picking up a new habit - like doing yoga regularly (or ever) - go easy on yourself, but keep trying. Rome wasn't built in a day, and neither was your habit of not doing yoga.

Webinar Series with Alanna Kaivalya

Alanna Kaivalya has announced a potential Webinar Series to help you engage in and energize your practice and your teaching. Depending on the response to this first course, She'll be scheduling more over the next week... Myths of the Asanas (explained!) and Crash Course on Yoga Sutras. All of these courses qualify for Continuing Education Credits with Yoga Alliance and are suitable for both yoga practitioners and teachers.

At only $15 it would be silly not to sign up for the first class! Don't get caught up in the idea that sequencing is only for teachers. Understanding how to sequence a class will help you create a functional and playful home practice for yourself as well.

The Art of Intelligent Sequencing

Thursday, Feb. 21 from 2 - 4 pm EST

Total Cost only $15 

This 2 hour webinar will cover Intelligent Sequencing Techniques helping you to learn how to stay true to the original intentions of the vinyasa system while creating a framework that will allow you to create engaging, creative and safe classes for your students.

With the information in this webinar, you will learn:
 * Creative ways to sequence
 * How to plan for peak poses within a class
 * What pitfalls of sequencing to avoid
 * How to safely sequence a class for all levels of practitioners
 * Ways to teach your students even the most challenging poses
 * Clever techniques to keep your classes fresh and fun!

 During the webinar, you will be able to ask questions and interact with Alanna, just as you would in a live workshop. This webinar will count for 2 hours of Continuing Education Credit with Yoga Alliance.

Click Here to Register Now!

Recycled Post: Stress Relief

Only 11 days 'til Christmas, so it must be time for a recycled post.

Stretch Out Your Stress

Shoulder stretches, for really any time of year, come in particularly handy in December.

Rainbow Chakra Chart

This great chart from Yoga Inspiration is a keeper.

Drop Backs for Beginners

If you want to work on improving your backbends and working towards drop backs - this video from Kino MacGregor is for you. I've been sorta stalled out on the 3rd option with straight arms for a long time. Mostly 'cause I'm a slacker and I don't work on it very often, but I do the first two versions all the time for fun.

Readers via Email - Click Here for the Video

Books for New Yogis

October's almost over which means the weather is perfect for settling in with a blanket, a hot chocolate, someone to snuggle with, and a great book. That book can totally further your yoga education if you pick one of my top 10 beginner-friendly books. Listed in no particular order.

• Yoga Body, Buddha Mind. Some philosophy and a lot of practice. Has little stickman sequences in the back.
• My Body Is A Temple: Yoga As a Path to Wholeness. Mostly philosophy, and I really like the author.
• The Mirror of Yoga: Awakening the Intelligence of Body and Mind. Haven't read it, but I hear it's accessible and humorous.
• How Yoga Works. Pretty much covers the yoga sutras, but in fictional story form.
• Yoga: The Spirit and Practice of Moving into Stillness. Constantly declared one of the best hatha yoga books ever.

via http://www.cutestpaw.com/images/need-him/

• Yoga Beyond Belief: Insights to Awaken and Deepen Your Practice. Really good book. Hard to explain quickly... theres a long description on the amazon page.
• Jivamukti Yoga: Practices for Liberating Body and Soul. Lots of philosophy, also some sequences and poses with plenty of pictures.
• Myths of the Asanas: The Ancient Origins of Yoga. Fun stories teach you where poses came from.
• Living Your Yoga: Finding the Spiritual in Everyday Life. "off-the-mat practices to guide you in deepening your relationships..."
• The Secret Power of Yoga: A Woman's Guide to the Heart and Spirit of the Yoga Sutras.

There are a lot of great books that are considered yogi must-reads that didn't make this list because of their ability to overwhelm newcomers. Leave your suggestions in the comments.

Find Your Yoga - Infographic

A fun little infographic for those of you that love them as much as I do. National Yoga Month is almost half over - this is the perfect time to try out a new style. Give the flowchart a go and see where it takes you. 

via YogaTrail

Backbending Tips from Briohny Smyth

Readers via Email - Click Here for Video

Divine Feminine Yoga Telesummit

The Divine Feminine Yoga Telesummit: Transforming Ourselves, Transforming the World
The event is happening live September 4th - September 11th

Attending is FREE!
Learn More or Register Now: Click Here

In this inspirational and practical event, you will: 

• Improve your physical, mental, and emotional health by honoring your deep feminine nature 
• Invoke Goddess Kali to awaken the most intense form of bliss 
• Heal your money wounds with Goddess Lakshmi 
• Navigate the modern world with the wisdom of Goddess Durga 
• Understand how women lost our core power, and how to recover it 
• Embrace your gifts as healer, yogini, and priestess 
• Understand the secrets of the yoga sutras as a contemporary woman 
• Apply the power of yoga to heal trauma in women
• Learn why being vulnerable is the highest form of leadership
• Break through self-doubt and make a HUGE contribution to healing the world

Learn from an extraordinary lineup of top teachers, including: 
Judith Lasater
Sally Kempton
Sianna Sherman
Amy Weintraub
Nischala Joy Devi

And best of all, participation is EASY and FREE.
You can listen live on the web, call in on your phone, or Skype from wherever you are.

This news provided via the Open to Grace Newsletter

Photos from http://pinterest.com/cosmiclila/yoga/

June is LGBT Pride Month

Pride month is half over, and while I don't generally mention it - I figured I should show some pride and avoid looking like I'm in the closet. 

I'm Bisexual. Always have been. Always will be.

Due partially to the issue of Bisexual Invisibility - I think it's important for bisexuals to be as out as they can reasonably be. People need to know that bisexuals are real (we totally exist) and we are all over the place. You know bisexuals. You watch them on TV, you work with them, and you read their blogs from time to time.

Free Online Yoga Resources

To qualify for this list pages had to meet a few "requirements":
Have at least some free stuff all the time and not just a free trial
Post more than just a couple times
Not set off my anti-virus software
Most have been widely recommended by others.

This is nowhere near an exhaustive list. Just a jumping off point.
Heart-felt thanks to everyone that is making all this magnificent yoga available to the world.

Asana Videos:

Youtube - Sadie Nardini, Yogatic, Tara Stiles, KinoYoga...

Vimeo - Kripalu
http://www.artofattention.com/videos/
http://yogayak.com/ - full classes, meditation, pranayama, etc.
http://www.learnitlive.com/
http://www.yogajournal.com/video/

http://www.doyogawithme.com/

http://www.yogatoday.com/ - some free

http://www.yoganonymous.com/take-a-class/ - weekly free class through GaiamTV

http://www.yogacards.com/

http://erichschiffmann.com/category/medium/audio/

http://pinterest.com/pin/267049452874333658/

Podcasts (mostly iTunes):

http://elsiesyogakula.com/
http://hillarysyogapractice.wordpress.com/

http://www.yogadownload.com/Resources/Podcast.aspx
Faith Hunter
Eoin Finn
Les Leventhal
Kinndli McCollum
TeriLeigh Schmidt
Sofi Dillof
Live Love Teach Yoga School

http://www.omlightphotography.com/2011/11/aubrys-class/

Free PDFs of major texts:

http://www.yogavidya.com/freepdfs.html

Meditation:

http://www.meditationsutras.com/
http://www.fragrantheart.com/cms/free-audio-meditations

Other:
http://bighappyday.com/ -short fun videos for philosophy, motivation, education, etc.

Yamas and Niyamas

Sometimes we all need a little reminder of the Yamas and Niyamas. Maybe post this on your wall.

Clean Nutrition for Yogis

I've made no secret of my love of cake and really all things delicious. I'd be one of those really lean muscley yoginis if I actually made a stronger effort to eat less dessert and snack food.

All that aside - I otherwise eat clean. In my house we've completely sworn off frying foods and as someone who grew up in Texas - that's kind of a big deal. I've wanted to write more about the topic of food for a long time. It's just such a deep topic and I'm sort of lazy about writing sometimes.

So when I saw this post called "Eat Clean: Nutrition for Yogis" over at Alive in the Fire - I figured I'd pass along this great article "on ways to maximize the benefit of the foods you eat before and after class in order to get a great yoga flow." instead of having to write my own. No point in reinventing the wheel.

Go read it.

Source: http://justwanttobehealthyandfit.tumblr.com/

Chakrasana - Working On It

By working on it I mean failing miserably. I spoke a while back about the Kino MacGregor Ashtanga DVD I received for Christmas. I haven't been using it for a long time now, but there's a motion in that DVD that's been haunting me still. I had never seen Chakrasana before, and for whatever reason I absolutely cannot do it without assistance. I saw this video that breaks it down, but it's no help. I just can't get over at all. Adam, on the other hand, just pops over like it's as easy as the video makes it look.

If there are any Ashtangi's around - I'd love some pointers.

Readers via Email - Click Here for the Video.

10 Tips to Green Up your Yoga Practice for Earth Day

Sunday will be Earth Day so here are 10 Tips to Green Up your Practice

via http://pinterest.com/cosmiclila/

1. Carpool - better yet, ride a bike, walk, or practice at home.

2. Upgrade your mat to a natural rubber model. (Donate or Upcycle the old one)

3. Stop buying bottled water. Drink your water from a reusable bottle like a Klean Kanteen.

4. Choose clothing made from organic or recycled materials.

5. Go to a non-heated studio sometimes. It takes energy to artificially build that much heat all day.

Source: http://www.michellemyhre.com/

6. Keep your post-yoga shower short, or at least buddy up.

7. Go online for your magazines, books, etc so trees can create oxygen not trash.

8. Use potted flowers instead of cut, so they don't have to die for you to keep sunshine on your altar.

9. Don't buy crap for your practice that you don't need. That's really the best option.

10. Practice outside to connect with nature.

Canadian Sign via http://pinterest.com/cosmiclila/

Meditation Education

Spring Cleaning for Yogis & Hoopers

Today is the first day of Spring! A little more sunshine and a little rain to wake up outdoor life. I officially started my home spring cleaning two weeks ago... then I lost motivation and stopped about halfway through. Hopefully I'll finish this week. Today I want to cover a little spring cleaning that tends to go overlooked. Sping cleaning for your hoops, mats, yoga accessories, and practice space.

Source: http://visboo.com/smiling-owls.html

Hoop Care:
Reshaping: If your hoop has gotten out of shape, if you can, let it sit in the sun for awhile. At the very least, get it to room temperature. Once warm, push down on your hoop gently to reshape it. Be careful not to press down with your toes by standing on the hoop as you CAN crush it.

Cleaning: A slightly damp sponge or washcloth with a small amount of soap is the best way to get smudges off. Be careful not to use anything abrasive on decorative tapes.
- via YourHoop

Source: http://wins.failblog.org/2011/01/03/epic-win-photos-snowman-cookies-win/

Mat Care:
Even if you regularly wipe it down - give your mat a little extra TLC for spring. Maybe treat it with a nice essential oil cleaner. If you haven't been cleaning it regularly - then please take a day to give it a BIG WASH. Having a clean mat is like slipping into crisp clean sheets at night. For detailed mat care info click here.

It's also the perfect time to assess if your mat or accessories need replacing. If your practice is leaving you covered in bits of mat, your non-slip yoga towels are looking stained and losing their grip, or your strap is looking threadbare - it's time to find new uses for the old items and bring in new (hopefully eco-friendly) gear.

Clearly from Desperate Housewives

Yoga Accessories Care:
Straps: Usually washing machine safe. Throw it in with a load of towels.
Blocks: Give em a good scrub with a damp cloth and essential oil spray just like your yoga mat.
Non-slip Towels: Hopefully you wash these often - make extra sure to do it today.
Blankets: Wash/Dry just like any other blanket.
Bolsters: Most have a removable cover that can be tossed in the washing machine and hung to dry. The inside can usually take a ride in the dryer to freshen. Especially if you have a steam sanitize option.
Eye Pillows: Most have a removable cover that can be washed. Otherwise you can try spot cleaning them with a damp cloth. Careful though - most are filled with something you really don't want to get wet.
Make/Buy: a new bottle of mat cleaner.

Source: http://pinterest.com/

Dedicated Yoga Space at Home:
Take special care when cleaning your sacred space. Put on some kirtan tunes or chant a mantra while you clean it. You've infused everything with good sacred energy - don't throw that away by getting haphazard with your actions today.

Take everything out and give the floors a hardy cleanse. Wipe down altar figures and shelves, cleanse all the ashes from your incense holders, wipe the pictures, freshen the candle supply, and hand wash any delicate altar cloths or curtains. Sweep out your prop closets and make sure your light bulbs and windows aren't grimy. Make sure your prayer flags aren't gathering cobwebs and rinse/wipe your offering bowls. Remove any funky plants and bring in some fresh marigolds or something. Open a window to allow some sunshine and fresh air to circulate through if the weather allows.

Bonus Tip: Asana!
If you've made it this far then you will likely enjoy a little asana detox work. Spring is a great time to incorporate more TWISTS into your sessions.

Why Do We Lie on the Right Side After Savasana?

I came across this little post recently about WHY we lie on the right side after savasana. Everyone in yoga wonders it eventually because it's consistent across pretty much all classes. It's a great discussion to have, and a nice concise post about the topic.

The articles lists three reasons, and I'm going to make you go there to find out what they are because I try to avoid all out plagiarizing of content. Personally I've always heard we did it because it balances out the masculine and feminine energies. I've always been content with that answer even if there's not exactly a lot of scientific evidence to back it up. I'm going to just stick with that because the other reasons given, to me, just sound like a bunch of trumped up hokum. Maybe all three reasons will resonate with you... or maybe you think the whole thing is BS.

Read the whole thing for yourself at International Orange.

Breathing Practices for Anxiety

I was asked a while back about pranayama (breathing exercises) for anxiety. Especially quick practices you can use during a mild panic attack or to calm jitters just before a performance.

I wanted to share my answer with you here today:
I'd suggest a few minutes of belly breathing through the nose with eyes closed and make sure that you take long slow complete breaths, but make your exhales twice as long as your inhales. For example... breathe in for 4 counts and exhale for 8 counts. Works wonders on the nervous system. Keep this going for anywhere from 2-5 minutes+ and it should relax your entire system quite effectively.
(This practice is also great for regular meditation practice.)

All About Belly Breathing:
Ultimately it's like filling and emptying a balloon over and over. Start by finding a comfortable seat of course - Eyes closed. Lengthen your spine from your seat through the top of your head.

Begin by exhaling completely. Then as you inhale focus on filling your torso with breath beginning all the way at the bottom - in the floor of your pelvis. Allow each piece of you to expand gradually as you slowly inhale... from that bottom piece up. As you fill upwards - expand in the lower belly, the navel region, the ribcage expanding outwards, the chest filling out and up... All this should happen on the one inhale, but don't force it. If you have trouble just breathe in and follow it best you can. The longer/more you do it - the easier it will get.

Then on your slow exhale - slowly empty your breath in reverse - empty the chest, the ribs, then the belly... all the way down to the pelvic floor which you can feel lift at the very end of the exhale. Just inhale and exhale this way. Watching your breath fill and empty over and over like waves on a beach rising and falling.

There should be no straining or trying too hard because you CAN injure yourself with breathing exercises. If you feel that you're struggling just return to normal breathing and observe it without controlling it.

If your concentration/focus wanders that's totally normal. You will generally find that it happens less the more you practice... but there will always be days when you're just not focused and that's okay too. When that happens just take a few normal breaths and begin again. Allow yourself to return to normal breathing for a bit before you completely stop. It's best for your nervous system.

Still Hooping

It's been forever since I last wrote about hooping. Some of that is because I didn't really do it much for a while, but it never completely went away and I still love it. In fact, this winter I've finally gotten a decent hold on some things like shoulder hooping that I'd been struggling with for what felt like an eternity. This year for my birthday I ordered a new lighter hoop that hasn't quite arrived yet and a pair of mini hoops. Mini hoops work a lot like spinning poi which you may recall I tried and hated a couple years ago. However, spinning mini hoops is about a million times more fun for me than spinning poi. I'm having a blast. Occasionally hitting myself in the face with something has never been so fun.

I've been spinning pretty constantly lately. Since the mini hoops are new to me my hands get pretty bruised up from playing with them for too long, but it's not too bad. When I get too bruised up I just take a day or 2 to play with my big hoops more while I heal.

Hooping "blasts 400-600 calories per hour... and has been proven to shed as many calories as cardio kickboxing." - says the postcard I got with my minis.

These days hoop dance is my accidental cardio. I've decided that while I do enjoy running - My body doesn't recover from it as quickly as I'd like and I'm just not gonna do it anymore. It interferes with my yoga and yoga comes first. I found a hoop dance class at a nearby studio. I hope to attend one of these days and see what the hooping class is like.

This post is rambling and not all that coherent, but I just wanted to say - Hey, I'm still hooping.