Back on the Beach

Just a quick note that I'll be teaching in Indian Shores again. You can find class at the community center (next door to Salt Rock Grill on Gulf Blvd) on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 9:00. It's only $6 and I'll be subbing for Tom through March 4th. I look forward to seeing you there!

Meditation, anyone?

I've been asked for suggestions on introductory meditation books. Here are a few:

The Joy of Living : Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche

Meditation for Beginner's : Jack Kornfield

Breathing, The Master Key to Healing : Andrew Weil

Breath by Breath : Larry Rosenberg

Local libraries carry most of these, not only in print but as an audio version as well. I would also suggest checking out the iTunes store for dozens of free meditation podcasts. And lastly, there is Buddhist meditation class at the Yoga 4 All studio (http://www.yoga4all.com/).

Remember that reaching a meditative state is the purpose of our yoga practice. When the body is settled, the mind can settle as well.

2-10-10 Spine Care

Poses are not always what they seem - sometimes the simplest poses make the most difference. This is the case for poses we practiced tonight, like Rock the Clock (while on your back, knees bent, slowly tilt your tailbone from the 12 o'clock position to the 6 o'clock several times, then from 3 to 9 several times, and then go around the clock face). This movement acts as a pump for our spinal oils, moving them up and down the spine, bathing it with these most precious oils. Subtle movements can provide huge benefits - remember it is a yoga practice, not a yoga performance!

Quote from the class: "It is not death a man should fear, but he should fear never beginning to live." - Marcus Aurelius

Thank you, Indian Shores!

I wanted to take a moment to thank the wonderful students in Indian Shores that I've had the privilege to teach for the past month. It truly was an honor to work with you. Your enthusiasm and positive energy were contagious, and I believe the opportunity helped me grow as a teacher! I look forward to practicing with you again, soon. If you have any questions, concerns, funny yoga stories, please drop me a line. Until then, I wish you all the best life has to offer. Be well. Be happy. Be at peace.
Namaste.

2-8-10 Core Stability

Oh, how we love to hate doing "core" work! It's such a crucial part of our health, but such an effort to strengthen. Remember to use your abdominal bandha (energy lock) to protect your back. Check this out in the photo below: see his belly pulled in and under his ribs? Also, try to keep your upper body open - no collapsing in or leading with the neck into poses. And, most importantly, BREATHE! I wanted to include this illustration of downward facing dog to emphasize how everything is active, even in seemingly static poses. There is always lots to do!
Quote for the practice: "Trust. Your difficulties will make sense someday - steel, to be tempered, must enter the fire; grain, to be bread, must enter the mill." -Aadil Palkhivala

2-3-10 Chakras and Inner Focus

Tonight's practice was designed to stimulate and realign your chakras. Chakras are energy centers of your body - like spinning wheels connecting different energy channels (called Nadis). Even if you aren't interested in chakras or other yogic philosophy, this series of poses provides a well-rounded yoga practice. On the sketch above, I colored dots in the squares to denote which chakra we were focusing on: Red (root, tailbone), Orange (pelvis), Yellow (solar plexus), Green (heart), Blue (throat), Indigo (third eye), White/lavendar/gold (crown).

Here is a representation of your chakras:
Each chakra is represented by a sound, a symbol, a color, a physical trait, a spiritual/psychological trait, and the list goes on and on. Check out the "chakra" entry on http://www.wikipedia.com/ or Google "chakra" to learn more (be forewarned, there is a lot of information!). Also keep an eye out for a workshop on The Five Tibetans at the studio (http://www.yoga4all.com/). It is practice focused on realigning your chakras that only takes a few minutes everyday - very intriguing. Judy Kovatch offers the workshop every few months.

Today's quote is from Washington Irving: "Great minds have purposes. Little minds have wishes."

2-1-10 Sciatic Nerve

We have all experienced back pain, and most of us have had to deal with sciatica. This usually feels like a shooting pain through one buttock and radiating down the leg. Often, sciatica is caused by a pinched sciatic nerve (one of the largest nerves in the body) and the piriformis muscle usually is the culprit.

This drawing illustrates how closely the sciatic nerve and piriformis muscle are related:

As you can see, any tightness of the piriformis muscle can impinge on the sciatic nerve. So, in practice Monday evening we spent time stretching the area as well as building strength and stability.

Quote for the practice: "He who has a why to live can bear almost any how." Freidrich Neitzche