Yoga for Headaches

Oof, tension headaches. I have been getting plenty, lately, due to an overloaded schedule. I keep taking stuff on and forgetting that, even though the boys are getting better at keeping themselves entertained, I can't take my eyes off of them. Let week, a deer pellet was sampled when I turned away in the backyard. I'm telling myself the little one is just building up his immunity...

But, to work on the headaches, I've been ingesting ibuprophen (need to do less of that) and working on some upper back openers (need to do more). These poses have helped a lot, by stretching out tense muscles, getting the blood flowing to the area and just making me focus on releasing tightness. Here are mine; what are your favorites?

Seated Neck Stretch: Sit in Sukhasana, making sure to have the shoulders and hips aligned and the weight of the upper body balanced over the lower. Try to keep the breastbone in line with the belly button (it's easy to end up leaning to one side). With the right hand resting gently on the head, tilt the head to the right, letting the weight of the hand help pull the head farther over. Don't force anything, just let the extra weight deepen the stretch. Rest the left hand on the mat next to the hips and slide it away from the body to increase the stretch.

Let the head roll forwards about 15 degrees, so the stretch moves off the shoulders and into the upper back. After a few breaths, let the head roll forwards another 15 degrees (not to the center) and feel the stretch next to the spine and in the back of the neck. Let the head fall gently forwards--without the weight of the hand---and lift the head back to center. Repeat on other side.(Old Picture...I'm not pregnant)

Garudasana arms: still in Sukhasana, raise the arms so the elbows are chest height. Bend the elbows and lift them to be even with the chest. Cross the left elbow over the right and center the elbows with your breast bone. Without hunching the shoulders, interlock the palms. If you can't do this with out hunching, rest the palms on the shoulders or try and grab the right pinky with the left thumb. Repeat with right elbow over left. This releases the muscles between the shoulder blades, a common place for tension knots.

Gomukhasana arms: If you're getting tired of Easy Pose, try shifting into Virasana (Hero Pose) to stretch out the thighs a bit. Place your belt over your right shoulder. Now stretch the right hand toward the ceiling and rotate it in the socket so your elbow is facing forwards. Bend the right arm and reach that hand towards your shoulder blades. Give the right triceps a gentle stretch by pressing on the right elbow with your left hand. Take hold of the belt with your right hand.

Bend the left elbow along side the body and reach up the back to take hold of the belt, or, if you have flexible shoulders, the right hand. When you adjust the hands, make sure they are lined up with your spine. Then check the alignment of the spine; its easy to start slouching when your are focusing so much on the upper body. This pose opens up the chest and moves blood around the shoulder joints.

Uttanasana (Intense Forward Bend) Soften both knees and fold forward from the hip creases. Let the weight of the body draw you down. For added traction, cross the arms above the head and feel the increased stretch in the upper spine. This releases the whole back and lets the spine hang free. It is also a gentle inversion, so the blood flow to the head is increased, which is calming.

Off the Charts

Yoga Dawg and I passed a few music ideas back and forth on facebook the other day. He is pressing for more jazz as background, rather than the usual flute/chants/bells soundtrack. Not a bad idea, thought I. So I'm listing some of my favorite atypical yoga class tunes, including a few jazz selections. Then, you can tell me what yours are and we're off to a new playlist!
Check it out:
Air Moon Safari
Brian Eno Ambient 1; Music for Airports
Phillip Glass Soundtrack from The Hours
Phillip Glass Uakti Aguas da Amazonia
Pat Metheny One Quiet Night
Rachel Portman Soundtrack from Beloved
Gustavo Santaolalla Roncoco
Jazz Vibes Mix tape of Theolonius Monk, Milt Jackson (above), Miles Davis (sorry, Dawg, this is kinda vague, but I'm not sure what albums I took stuff from, etc.)
Jazz Sax Mix tape of David Sanborn and T. Monk

Some more thoughts on the Headstand...

Both Jen and blogoyogo's comments about last week's post made me think about the mental challenges of a headstand. Or, maybe, how the physical challenges affect the mind. Anyway, I thought I'd dig into the archives for a sequence that helps prep the body for a handstand (here you go), but also offer a few more thoughts.

I always move very slowly into the pose, both for myself and with my class. You just never know what you're going to feel like, until you're almost there. In class, I have every one come into the tripod at the wall with their knees on the floor so they can adjust their hands and find the right spot on the top of their heads. Then I have them straighten their legs, so they are--sort o--in Dolphin pose, but with their shoulders pressed to the wall. Again, they check their hands and head and see how the additional weight feels.

Then they walk their feet forwards, towards their faces, so the torso comes in line with the shoulders--approximately. Once more, they check their base, how does the neck feel, how do they feel about being this inverted. Then we gently lift one leg and hop on the other foot to get the feeling of lifting off, but without committing the whole body to coming up. Okay? Not okay?

Finally, if all of that feels good and the body feels prepared, I have them kick one foot and then the other over head, so the heels come to the wall above. By now, the inverted feeling is not so foreign and, hopefully, they've made adjustment to their hands and head so the full weight of the body isn't uncomfortable.

I figure, this gives everyone a chance to bail if they want, but also it eases the body into the position, so even nervous students can give the pose a try. Sometimes I need to stop some one from going up, but I can keep an eye on everyone to see who might not make it. Many times I've had hesitant students go up and stay up, because they've felt prepared for the challenge.

See if this approach works for you. If you're relatively new to headstands it might still be a bit clunky, but this way you can ease into the inversion. Like I said, I always do it just to make sure I'm up for it (while I'm still down).

Inverted

Salamba Sirsana, King of all Asana, the Headstand. I haven't been doing enough of them lately, but they are so much fun when I do. Why? Because you get to be upside-down. The boys seem to spend at least a third of their time throwing themselves on the floor, heads down, butts up the wall/the back of the couch/the edge of the ottoman. Hilarity ensues. Gales of laughter. The baby does a sort of free-form Uttanasana meets Down Dog, and looks around at it all from that perspective.

A friend asked for my thoughts on her new teaching space: a conference room in a skyscraper with panoramic views out a wall of windows. How did I think she should teach headstands, so as not to disorient her students? I gave it some thought--I didn't want her to lose anyone. But it seems to me the whole point of a headstand is to disorient. You're upside-down, you're inverting your whole body, gravity pulls on the opposite end, blood rushes away from the feet towards the head. If you accept this topsy-turvy situation, it can be very freeing as you watch birds fly under trees and an ant scurry upside down past your forehead (hopefully, that won't make you lose your balance).

It's a treat and a trip to go head over heels. Make sure you cushion the top of your head and don't rush to get away from the wall. If you need the support to feel safe and comfortable, use it. If kids love to do it and do it repeatedly ad nauseum, it's got to be fun.

Embrace the new view and look around--who know what you'll see from this angle.

The Smell of Memory

I'll have to admit, winter got to be too much. I escaped to funny, sunny Austin, TX with son #1 to visit my sister for a long weekend. What a treat. We hit many a playscape, ate BBQ and Tex-Mex on the porch, and got caught up. It was sort of a reunion weekend, unintentionally. A few friends were able to sneak away from their winter quarters, a few more still lived in Austin, one had a meeting for work. Live-action Facebook.

I lived in Austin in the early '90s. It was the location of the first what-am-I-going-to-do-with-my-life crisis; leaving art history, a quick stop in fabric retail, then moving onto a Costume Design M.F.A. So, I revisited many memories: spied on old homes (all still standing, a bit more run down, one hideous paint job), visited the University of Texas Costume Shop, dined at favorite restaurants, wandered familiar Zilker Park trails. Meeting up with old friends was a trip, and it seemed as if no time had passed at all until Eamonn--the son--came wandering by, to remind us all that life moves on. "Mom, where's my Cars sticker book?"

What stopped me dead in my tracks was the smells. They say scent evokes strong emotional memories, and this trip was no exception. Flavors in the air kept catching me by surprise. High on the list of favorites was Mountain Laurel, a very purple-y smelling flower (like Grape Bubble Yum) that is a harbinger of spring in Texas. The most startling was the smell of the theatre building on campus (completely undescribable--dust+dancer sweat+grease paint+scenery paint+etc etc etc). I breathed it in as I climbed the stairs to the costume shop and I was immediately struck by a feeling of dread--deadlines, incomprehensible draping instructions, irritating student actors, imagined (hopefully) academic inadequacy.

Odd, since the costume world has served me very well in the decade since grad school, and yet that building smell reduced me to an insecure student. Instantly. It suggests that there are some unresolved issues from that period, although I'm not sure how I would deal with them. It was a very interesting moment.

This combination of smells and faces made it a vacation of much reflection. Interesting to unpack some of that baggage, but I was also glad to put it away once I got home. I keep being confronted with the past--my and other's recollections on fb--and this visit was another manifestation of that. I love checking in with things that happened in previous chapters, finding out how people's lives have unfolded, reestablishing contact. I'm a little rattled by the emotional responses still lurking.

Material for the book, I guess. I wish I could publish this in scratch-n-sniff:

Energy to Burn

I'm thinking about energy. High energy, low energy, energy to burn. I have two little boys, and I made the mistake of not going outside yesterday afternoon. I just didn't feel like wandering around the cold, wet yard, keeping people out of mud puddles and, inevitably, getting splashed myself. Big Mistake. So the lads were bouncing off the wall by the evening; I had dispensed enough time outs to shelve every single Hot Wheel and was researching boarding school once bedtime rolled around.

Not quite. But it got me to thinking about energy and why kids--boys especially--have so much. There was an article in the NYT yesterday about a teacher in MN who had designed special desks so that kids can stand, instead of sit, if they get too antsy in chairs. I can think of two candidates for that type of classroom. They say boys have so much trouble in school and get diagnosed/medicated for ADHD because of their inability to control their energy and channel it into schoolwork as successfully as girls. What is it about the metabolism of their molecules that is always in overdrive? Brain wired for hunting and gathering? Higher testosterone levels? Sheer ornery-ness?

I guess if it was known, you could "bottle it and sell it." Even when considering my own levels, it seems awfully mysterious--more yoga and exercise, more energy; lots of lounging and lolling about, zero energy. I suppose there's a dissertation or two in all of this. All I know is, rain or no, I better get these stinkers out there this afternoon or there will be Trouble Right Here in River City.

(P.S. We got all geared up and headed out, when it started to pour. I figured that would "dampen" everyone's enthusiasm. Noo--I got to chase a baby around the back yard, slipping and sliding on wet leaves and sodden snow. I finally had to corral them all after 25 min.s of 37 degree soaking. These guys shoulda been born in Britain!)

Another Review of the Literature...

Here's a list of (mostly) yoga blogs for you to check out. Some are new, some are just new to me. Nevertheless, take a look and see who's out there with us in the yoga blogosphere (in no particular order):

Ecoyogini Our girl is looking to save the planet, as well as align her chakras. There's lots of good ideas for greener living; products to try, attitudes to adopt, habits to change. I'm strangely intrigued by the Divacup...
A little dash of this a little dash of that This blog is exactly as is says...photos of Hawaii, pics of last nite's ginger chicken, etc. If noodlegirl likes it, she posts it.
Beantown Girlie Katie writes about a variety of topics, mainly about being appreciative of life and the opportunities it provides.
Yoga Is Being Present Ruben Vasquez has a very thoughtful blog that discusses his philosophy and how to apply it to your own practice. You can read it in English or Spanish.
Write on Yoga This is actually the new version of Melissa Garvey's blog, Yogapulse, in case you had trouble finding it. Same interesting topics, new streamlined look.
Babsbabble Yoga from Montana! Bab's blog is sweet, lighthearted and a fun read. Topics range from studio anecdotes, valentines' memories to fun things to do in Helena.
Blissful Body Yoga Teal has lots of yoga links and info on this blog from NC.
Inlimine A deep and considered discussion of yoga and Buddhism.
Dirty footprints is a delightful blog by an artist/yogini/teacher. She is an enthusiastic Etsy participant and has great posts on her kids (students), her projects and other artists to take a look at.
Mightier than any sword Anne-Marie is a journalist from New Zealand. She doesn't write that much about yoga, but she has wonderful posts about what is going on in NZ and Australia (right now she is travelling--yesterday she watched a kangaroo and her joey from her hotel door).
Five points yoga Barrett is a teacher in Boston. I interviewed her for the Yoga at the Gym article and found her to be as funny and sincere on the phone as she is in her blog. She is teaching a lot of prenatal yoga these days, and has some good insights into pregnancy, as well as resources, in her posts.

P.S. A big thank you to Jen, who gave me a Lemonade Stand award on her blog, McSmithleyville. I appreciate the props, m'am! A hug for the littlest McSmithley (I'd send a kiss, but there's an awful lot of yogurt on that little puss).

Simply Hatha

I had a class this weekend for Triathletes. I'm always glad to introduce people to yoga, so I designed a sequence that focused on core strength, lengthening thru the torso and using the breath to help maintain difficult positions. The students seemed responsive and I even had one sign up for my regular class. I had to keep reminding myself not to "leave the yoga out," even tho the crowd was there more for a workout than centering. By the end of the class everyone was more open, but they also seemed calmer and relaxed. Was it the simple work of the sequence or my teaching? I'm never sure...

My classes tend to focus mostly on the body; what is being worked or stretched, how the pose affects other actions, what should be aligned/relaxed/engaged. It's not a Yoga Workout, but it is asana-centered. We do a little bit of pranayama, but mostly as simple breathing exercises to help calm the mind. We don't chant or do intense breathwork or even vocalize Ohms. I like that stuff in other classes, with other teachers, but I would feel like a big phony teaching it. I don't do it much in my own practice and I haven't had any training aside from a few workshops.

Sometimes I feel kind of guilty about not wanting to include more of the "beyond-asana" elements in my classes. Iyengars tend to leave that study for advanced students and, since most of my crowd is pretty fresh, I don't include it either. Maybe it's my Midwestern tendency avoid other people's spirituality. I'd just assume they get there under their own steam...if the practice wants to move in that direction, they can pursue it with some one more qualified. Or maybe they are moving beyond the physical, just by coming to the class regularly and using some of my cues at home. With my regulars, I get the feeling they are beyond-asana, just by watching their faces in release poses or seeing how they cope with tougher positions (Gomukhasana tends to separate the wheat from the chaff).

When the dust of motherhood starts to settle (if it ever does) maybe I will add a more spiritual element to my practice and, eventually, my teaching. Until then, I guess it will have to be a subtle undertone for the most focused students. Even just sitting straighter becomes more than just sukhasana--there's something of the divine in that floating feeling you get when the upper body is exactly aligned over the lower...

Sucked into the Black Hole of Facebook

Like everyone one else over forty, I joined Facebook last month (as in three days ago, but, officially, last month). I resisted it for awhile, because I knew full well what would happen; I would get sucked in, obsessed, and shirk all my other extra-curricular activities to see who had responded, if anyone commented, and what they all look like these days.

I know this was invented for/by twenty year-olds, but it's an amazing gift to us "oldsters." What a great way to fill in your past (if you want your past filled, I guess). I feel about fb sort of the way I felt about email, when I finally figured it out back in 1994 in grad school--two floppy disks switched in and out of a single drive, long addresses entered, eternal waits for dial-up connection (beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, dong, dong, dong, kkkkkkkkkkkkk). Back then, I was in my twenties and couldn't believe how easily I could reestablish contact with "long lost" friends from 1991. And the emails were quick and breezy and you could feel connected to some one else's life without running up phone bills or writing long letters (remember, that was pre-cell phone)(and before cars were invented).

What goes around, comes around, altho this time it's people I haven't communicated with for 20 to 25 years. They have teenagers who look like they did, the last time I saw them. They have love and lost and had major successes and failures and put some mileage on the odometer. My friend Jeff calls it "one-stop shopping" because it's all the fun of a high school reunion, without the awkward cocktail hour.

Some of my friends shudder at the idea of "putting it all out there" or being available to whoever wants to look. I figure if you exist, you probably have an internet presense and if some body wants to find you, they will. I don't really understand posting anything you wouldn't want your mother to see (she could find it, too, if she wanted to), but chatting with your freshman roommate of 1985 is kind of a hoot.

I wonder what this will do for how we think of our past. I had regrets about people I have let slip through the cracks and figured I'd never hear from again (there's only so many pages of Google hits I feel like scrolling thru). I wondered how this kid and that work friend turned out...now, there's a chance I may find out. I suppose there's something bittersweet about the finality of a discontinued friendship, but I think the hope of rekindling is nicer.

We'll see. The chick I walked with for high school graduation sez the glow dies down after a few weeks and you can get back to work. I guess I have until Valentine's Day...

Variations on an Up Dog

Jen asked about the engaging the lower body and Anne-Marie asked about the arms. I did some research which was completely inconclusive (what did I expect), but here's what I found:

From the waist down, the body should be completely engaged, especially when first entering the pose. Light on Yoga sez tighten the legs; other sources say avoid tensing. The work of the legs is partially what makes it a dog pose (i.e. lengthening the backs of the thighs and calves), but I also think it's important to keep the legs and buttocks working to stabilize the lower back. My impression is that the important action of the pose is pressing into the hands and opening the chest while keeping the shoulders down...more than getting a deep arch in the lower back. I always do Up Dog with my toes curled under, but I see many pictures in the online resources with the tops of the feet pressed to the floor. Not sure that matters--but let me know what y'all think.

I don't see the issue of elbow placement addressed much, altho most pictures show the inner crease moderately or completely rolled forwards. I wish I could remember where I read the suggestion to have the the creases face each other to protect the wrists, because it really does prevent you from locking your elbows and more deeply engages the pectorals. However, if it is painful to do it this way, by all means, adjust.

Any other thoughts about all of this?

Let's be the Change...

Let's bask in the moment, its energy, our enthusiasm.
Let's lift the safe, protective veil of cynicism and get excited. Really excited.
Let's celebrate thinking and consideration and thoughtfulness.
Let's respect the differences and resist the urge to label.
Let's rise to the challenge and excel. Elite means "being among the best" and that is good, not an insult.
Let's turn the expectations back on ourselves and work to fix what is broken.
Let's harness the desire to be a part of the solution and start to solve.
Let's read books and play basketball and try new restaurants and keep our friends close.
Let's party. Happy Inauguration, y'all!

This post was inspired by the Suzan-Lori Parks poem "All the Love for the President-Elect"...here's an excerpt:
Oh, I just had to sing you a little something
Because you,
Mr. President,
You are embarking with Us on an awesome and beautiful
And potentially perilous journey
And so I am giving you
All the Love
All the Love
All the Love
All the Love
Mr. President
That I've got
Because I believe
In the dream
And I am ready
To wake up
And live it.

-3 ain't high by any stretch of the imagination

Tomorrow's "high" is supposed to be negative three degrees (Fahrenheit) in southeastern Wisconsin. Ridiculous. We've been having tons of snow, but at least we've been able to go outside and run and jump and shovel. Negative three means you get frostbite in 10 minutes, or something like that, so we're cooped up inside.

The trade off for all the snow and cold, if you want to be glass-half-full about it, is that we had the most wonderful full moon on Monday nite. The whole family went out to shovel after dinner and the Husb and I dragged the boys around in sleds for awhile. I love being outside at night in the snow. Everything has a strange glow and any noises seem muffled; very mysterious and magical. And with that full moon in the background behind all the snow clouds, the sky was especially pale and glowing that night--sort of like the daytime-at-night feel of Times Square from all the reflected light. I wanted to take a picture, but nothing about the sensory experience would have really been recorded, so I just absorbed it. It was very cool.

For the next two days we will have to enjoy the muffled glow from the living room, but the temperature may sneek above zero this weekend. Sun salutes and chest openers. Stay warm, y'all.

Unlocking the Up Dog

After class this morning, I stuck around to work on this week's pose--Urdhva Mukha Svanasana (Upward-facing Dog). I usually come to it from a Down Dog-to-Plank flow so I'm thinking about lengthening the arms and engaging the torso. Of course I couldn't hold it for 5 minutes (who thought up that dumb rule?), but I was there long enough to watch my elbows try to roll forwards and ease the work of the chest.

I'm not going to go into a long explanation here (because I already did here) about why you need to keep your inner elbow creases facing each other, but notice how much your inner creases want to twist forwards. This causes the elbows to lock and you rest the weight of your torso on the elbow joint, instead of keeping the chest engaged supporting the body with your pectoral muscles. Just try it and see...elbows roll forwards--easy, elbows face each other--arms start to shake.

A common instruction for Up Dog is to open across the chest and this action can easily lead to rotated elbows. As you open the chest, really concentrate on keeping the shoulder blades down in back, lengthening the neck and keeping the arms in line as you press your palms to the floor. Breathe into the work of the chest and upper arms...because, believe me, there will be work.

Then lift back to Plank and up (?) to Down Dog as a release pose. You bionic yogis may move into this from Chatturanga Dandasana, but I usually end up on my belly as my arms give out instead of curling up to Up 'Dog. I guess there's another goal to strive for...

(If you want to read more, here's an even earlier post on the wrist joints.)

Happy New Year!

Hey, everybody, remember me? That was one crazee holiday season, capped off with a major cold/cough situation that the entire crew at my house got to participate in (is still participating in, blah). We travelled, we celebrated Xmas about 4 different times with various family members and we are now awash in Hot Wheels cars...guess 2009 is going to be okay after all!

I've been catching up with everyone's blogs and checking out New Year's Rez, so I guess it's time to share mine:

1. The main overall Rez, is to exercise more. Move it, use it, push it. I've gotten into a rut both asana- and pranayama-wise and I need to spend a bit more time on the mat. Outside of teaching...being in front of a class is a different kind of practice and, while valuable, doesn't really count towards more exercise. Should probably work on my mental state a bit, too.

2. Get out in the yoga world. I've been using motherhood and location as an excuse to hunker down, but I'm really not all that far from busy, dynamic yoga communities (gotta use the term--sorry, Sama) that I could participate in on a montly/bi-monthly basis. Madison, Chicago, etc. Maybe some workshops away from home are possible...hello, Feathered Pipe.

3. Be a more regular correspondent. I think about this blog all the time and would like to write more. The short missive a couple times a week doesn't seem out of reach and it's nice to make contact. Less of a sermon, more of a conversation.

So, in the interest of Nos. 1 and 3, shall we try the Asana Project again? I think we left off at Urdhva Mukha Svanasana (Upward-Facing Dog)...

Pigeon, Triangle...is there a connection?

Last week we did hip-openers, which meant one of my more advanced evening classes worked on Eka Pada Rajakapostasana (Pigeon...technically, One-Foot King Pigeon Pose). It's pretty hit or miss because of the level of flexibility it requires in the hips and thighs. I try to get students to start in a lunge position (out of Down Dog), so as not to screw up hips or knee joints and then we settle onto a blanket to keep the pelvis balanced. Some students are respectful of their level of (in)flexibility in this pose, some need a gentle reminder not to corkscrew the spine trying to get the hips down.

Whatever...we did Warrior I and Hero to lengthen the front thighs, Down Dog to open the back thighs, Up Dog and Cow's Head to open the chest and Bound Angle to open up the hips. And then Pigeon. After all that, we stood up and released into an easy Triangle, not fussing too much about alignment, and just letting arms and legs extend and lengthening the spine. Hmmm, Triangle seemed so easy, so effortless and many of my students slid their hands farther down their legs than usual without losing the line up of the pelvis and spine. What up?

I looked back to an old post I wrote about the mechanics of Triangle. I'm guessing the extreme opening of the thighs and hips that happens in Pigeon, translates to a much looser pelvis area. This means you can keep the thighs rolled out more easily, while tipping the pelvis and torso to the side more deeply in Trikonasana. Who knew.

I always love learning new links between asana. It's a way to keep sequencing interesting, but also reveals the architecture of each pose. Do you have any surprising pose connections you'd care to share? Worms to Spice?
(Apologies to Frank Herbert...)

There's even a name for it...

It's tough staying caught up, and it's even tougher not beating yourself up about it. I'm talking about posting, of course (altho the same could be said about my personal yoga practice, these days). I've been thinking about this ever since I read an article about "slow blogging" in the NYT a few weeks ago, and I was reminded when I read that our dear Nadine is taking a break.

The article compares the many-posts-a-day model of blogging to eating at McDonald's (fast, fun, full of fat and salt), while the rest of us who choose to spend quality time crafting posts are more like Slow Food aficionados--lovingly creating delicious salads from the heirloom tomatoes we grew ourselves (yeah, that's what it is). This may be changing, since the update-every-hour crowd can now join Twitter, while the rest of us muse in fully-realized paragraphs on Blogger and Wordpress.

Whatever...it's nice to hear that I'm not the only once procrastinating until I have a full hour to think and write (which seems to be about--oh, once every 8 days). I've tried some quickies, but they just don't feel right. I like to come up with an idea, tumble it around in the hopper for a few days and then write. Guess I'll keep doing that and visualize delicately shaved parmesan nestled on a bed of organic greens, etc etc.

I'll get back to the Asana Project..meanwhile, let's hear it for Slow Blogging--and support good, clean, fair blog! (apologies to Slow Food USA)

A bit more about Yoga at the Gym

First of all, I hope everyone in the US had a lovely Thanksgiving holiday. We got back from St. Paul,MN yesterday to a couple of grateful cats and a chill in the air. Today the snow is swirling down and we are on the way to our first Winter Weather Emergency here in Wisconsin. 6-10 inches by tomorrow. Hello, December 1.

The YJ article is safely in San Francisco now, but I wanted to share one of Jason Crandell's thoughts from our interview. He is a regular YJ contributor, but also teaches and is the yoga director at the Bay Club in S. F. I think most teachers that continue to teach at gyms feel strongly about the experience and their role in introducing yoga to the masses (didya see all the comments?!); Crandell is no exception. I ended the article with this quote, and I've been reminding myself of it in class all week:

"It's important that, as yoga teachers, we don't buy into the whole gym yoga thing. It's important that we teach the essence of yoga as we understand it to the people that are in front of us. That really should not be different regardless of where one goes."

I love the concept of teaching the essence of yoga as you understand it. You train and practice in a particular style with its particular rules, but you will teach yoga as an individual in the way that makes sense to you. This allows for difference and variety in all their shades, good and bad, but it is what makes yoga such an interesting discipline. It's a language full of accents and slang, newly coined-phrases and old fashioned words; but, no matter how it is "spoken," there are benefits to be had and awareness to be created.

It's such an honest way to approach the practice and keeps you focused on your own technique, rather than worrying about what is better or more authentic or whether a new student will like it. It encourages confidence in your teaching skills, but also fidelity to your training. No showing off. Teach what you know. Keep it simple.

In these days of myriad certifications, hot yoga bods and "my yoga's better than yours," this is a nice reminder. I'm not saying there isn't always something new to be learned, but, as with any teacher, you should strive to teach the subject to the best of your ability/to the best of your understanding. That's why your students are there and why they stay.

Although, please, no Iron Yoga.

Yoga at the Gym

I'm in the midst of my next YJ article, so I've been a bit quiet (not to mention, lax in my daily Up Dog). I've enjoyed my interviews, tho, as this is a subject near and dear to my heart: Teaching Yoga at a Gym.

There is often the implication (from YJ, among other places), that the ideal place to teach and practice yoga is at a studio. That was even my attitude, back in DC, where the studios I went to were much more dedicated to the practice than the gyms (not that the gym experiences were bad, but they were a lot more generic). I wanted to write a piece that would show the benefits of teaching at a gym (variety of students, steady income), drawbacks to avoid (loud practice spaces, workout mentality) and suggest ways to make it pleasant employment.

I've been teaching at the Y for almost five years now, and I like to think that the yoga experience my students get is very similar to one they would get at most studios. I've found us a quiet space in the unused dance studio (lovely wooden floors) and I have a nice stash of props. The Y is very accomodating when I wanted to add new classes or try new themes; it's been a wonderful steady gig.

And, as several of my interviewees have stressed, at the start of every session there is at least one student new to yoga. Being some one's first yoga teacher is such an honor, with such great responsibility--you could make them fall in love, or you could drive them away forever. But it's so cool to be the yoga ambassador to these students and there is nothing more satisfying that watching some one become a "true-believer" during the course of a class. Usually with shoulder-openers (at least, that's what won me over).

So, I wanted show new teachers that all the wonderful enlightening they are ready to do upon completing a training could happen at a gym. Yoga is yoga, wherever it happens--as long as the intention is good, it will be a worthwhile experience for both student and instructor. Plus, the locker rooms are usually bigger...hello sauna.

Putting PJS to rest

As I've thought about it, I'm not sure I have anything else to say about Revolved Head-to-Knee Pose. There isn't much in the way of modifications...either you stretch down to your foot, or you use a belt. What I've found to be the most interesting about it this week is how variable it is. For me, the more straightforward poses (Tree, Triangle, Down Dog) are pretty easy to assume without a lot of warm up--altho check out Nadine's discussion of Dog to see what a difference a warm up can make. Parivrtta Janu Sirsasana, on the other hand, is all over the place depending on the time of day, muscle temperature, mood...

Of course, all poses benefit from being done in the context of an extended, focused practice--but some (most) days I have very little time to actually stop and do a hour of yoga. Excuses, excuses. So PJS can be clunky and frustrating, or smooth and elongating--even within the same 24 hours. Humbling. It works the best for me after exercising, with a careful progression into the twist and forward bend and then holding it while using the exhalations to lengthen the spine and deepen the twist.

Mostly, though, it made me think about how it's high time to let myself be taught. I'm dying for an outside class, but still haven't cleared a space in my life of freelance and little boys (I should take note of Heather's experience). There's my assignment for the next week, I guess. Go take a class.

And...since I've been doing chest openers all week with my students, let's do Urdhva Mukha Svanasana (Upward-facing Dog) next. Hello shoulder blades!

Revolved Head-to-Knee Pose

We did twists and spine lengthening this week in class. When I have a class that is a bit more advanced, I have them try Parivrtta Janu Sirsasana, for an intense arm/torso/hip/inner thigh stretch. Everyone tried it, but most of them groaned...especially when I demo-ed stretching the upraised arm towards the foot. "Oh, right," was the exact quote.

Once I had everyone stand up and move into Trikonasana (Triangle), though, I got to thinking about how similar these two poses are. Legs are spread, spine is lengthened and then twisted, arms reach down and overhead. The knee cap has to keep lifting so that the thigh engages and keeps the extended foot pointing up, tailbone stays pointed towards the floor.

So let's try Revolved Head-to-Knee this week. After a workshop a couple of years ago, I posted a long discussion of this pose, if you need some instructions. Since we did Triangle recently, see how this one compares. I actually prefer to do it at the end of my gym workout; I find that having exercised for 30 mins. beforehand really helps my ability to lengthen and twist.

If reaching overhead makes you groan, try wrapping your belt around the extended foot and holding on to both ends in the position. You can still twist and extend, but the torso won't be folded as much. And think about the actions of Triangle...it makes this pose less intimidating.

See what you think!

Tree-rific

One of my favorite vacation poses is Vrksasana or Tree Pose. When you're out in the wilds camping, on a lanai overlooking a Hawaiian sunrise, or even just visiting your parents for the weekend, popping into Tree for a spell is a nice way to realign, get your daily yoga fix and find some balance in your new environment. It's fun, it's pretty easy (except for the balancing part) and it just feels so yoga.

I teach it early, even to complete beginners, because it is easy to assume (modifications next post) and it gets people thinking about alignment. Plus, it's sort of the "international sign of yoga" (every time advertisers want to make a wellness connection with their product, inevitably they pair it with some cute chick doing Tree). Once you've tried it, you know you're in a yoga class.

Some things to think about:
-Yeah, it's a balance pose and is great for ankle strength, but it's also a hip opener. Try to keep your hips square, while still pressing the knee out to the side. There's a tendency to start twisting towards the bent knee, so keep the standing leg strong.

-If you approach it as a hip opener, you don't really need to have your bent knee foot at the top of the thigh. Even with it pressed to the calf or ankle, with the toes on the floor, allows you to square the hips and open the knee to the side. See if that helps with balance issues. When you feel grounded, you can always place the foot higher on the standing leg.

-Find something very still or, even better, nothing to focus on. You are looking, but not seeing, so your awareness is in the standing foot and the spine. My students can hold the pose for quite some time, if I make them turn around and stare at the wall. Try it.

It's week three...how's everybody doing?

House-breaking the Dog

Whoops, got a little side-tracked this week helping the husb. put together his tenure package. By Monday nite he was pretty fried and needed some help organizing about a million student evaluations and making everything look pretty. Those of you who are academics, or love an academic, know how lively things have been around our house. Now the waiting begins...

So, I've been hearing about the Dog, and thinking about my own Dogs. I've got some modifications for you to try that I often do, anyway, because it shifts things around in the pose and keeps it interesting:

Hands around a block at the wall-try placing a block between the thumbs and index fingers (the fingers will make an "L" around the bottom and side edge) and press the front edge of the block at the wall. Measure out your dog from Child's Pose, so your arms are stretched straight out from the shoulders before you come up. Lift up into Dog, letting the pressure of the hands against the block help stabilize the arms. Straighten the arms and torso first, keeping the knees soft and then open the backs of the legs as you straighten them.

Belt around the upper arms-make a loop with your belt and tighten it, so that it is about the width of your shoulders. Then slip this loop around the arms and above the elbows. When you come into Dog this also stabilizes the arms, by helping keep them straight. It is good for people with weaker arms. You have to fuss around with the placement, tho, because it can get in the way of your head.

Heels to the wall-This is a good shoulder opener, but is also nice for students whose heels don't reach the floor. Position yourself against the wall, so that as you come up the heels rest against the wall about 3 inches off the floor. This will create greater rotation in the shoulders, and give you more support in your legs. If the rotation is too much, walk the hands forwards to open up the "V" of the body, and lower the heels slightly.

Soften knees-I suggest this to students all the time, because if they have tight shoulders they tend to do a modified Plank, rather than Dog, making the pose much more difficult for the arms. As you come up, keep the knees bent until the upper body is in a straight line, then start unbending the knees (never think about forcing the heels down...better to visualize the legs lengthening). If the head starts to pop up between the arms, bend the knees again. I think it is better to keep the upper body aligned in this pose, rather than fixate on whether your feet are flat on the floor.

Whadaya think? Does any of this help? Give you ideas?

P.S. I got a massage on Monday (trading classes with a student...how excellent is that?!?), and was told that the tightness in my left shoulder extends diagonally across my back to the right hip. Totally logical, since I thrust the left hip out to support the baby, thus fouling up my alignment completely. That would explain why a long-held, twisting standing pose was not all that enjoyable...should we do Vrksasana (Tree Pose) next?

Dog, Baby, Dog

For starters, I'm going to revise that 5 minute nonsense. Anne-Marie was right when she commented, "ha ha ha ha." If you can hold these babies for 2-3 minutes, you're in the club (which means, I'm barely in the club). Whatever. Five minutes is an awfully long time to do anything except Supta (Reclined) poses. Even BKS Iyengar agrees...he suggests one-and-a-half, to two minutes for most standing asana.

So, Down Dog. Adho Mukha Svanasana. I've got to say, it's still my favorite. Everything get stretched; arms lengthen, shoulders rotate, chest opens, calfs/hamstring stretch, lower back gets released.

After about a minute or so, my arms start to get a bit tired and I find myself constantly having to remind my elbows and neck to lengthen. But they do, and the pose gets renewed energy and I can stay up.

How's your Dog doing?

(Here are some other Dog posts--I'm going to refrain from posting my Dog picture...I've obviously recycled it many times, already)
Ode to a Dog
Dog, Plank, Dog, Plank
Learning to Love the Dog (the toddler in this post is now 4 yr.s old, btw)
The Magnificent Wrist

What I learned from a Triangle

Well, the shoulder-neck thing is getting worse, not better. I did some research and there is a lot of discussion of hip and thigh tightness, stiff necks and weak abdominals, but not much about the trapezius muscle.

Julie Gudmestad has a thorough YJ discussion about Trikonasana and recommends working on scapula placement before folding (she also suggests spending some time in Padangusthasana (Hand-to-Big-Toe)beforehand to open up the hamstrings and hip flexors...maybe that would help your hip soreness, Ivete). She suggests, before folding, extending the arms and rotating the palms of the hands and elbow creases towards the ceiling, which engages the shoulder blades and draws them down--opening the chest. Then turn the palms back over, but keep the elbow crease rotated up.

When I tried this, I noticed the action in the upper back, but the same old pain started after about a minute. It is very interesting how spending serious time in a pose can be so instructive. I knew I had tightness, but I was surprised at how insistent it is. Luckily, I have a student who is a masseuse and I think we're going to work out some sort of trade of services (score!).

As far as modifications go, I did a couple Triangles with a chair, that would be helpful for people with tight hips, who can't fold as sharply at the pelvis. My upper arm did start to fall asleep during the long hold, which is probably due to the changed angle of arm to torso. Neck was the same.

I also tried with my back heel against the wall, which helps stabilize the back leg. It also reminds you to keep your back thigh rolled out and your hips square. I like this for students who have trouble keeping the pose narrow. Doing Triangle against the wall serves the same purpose.

Sooo, what did everybody else discover? Is it still your favorite pose? Do you have some tightness lurking? Any suggestions for my neck?

Next week: my personal fave (at least until now) Adho Mukha Svanasana...Downward-facing Dog!

A pain in the neck...

Okay, so holding a pose for 5 min.s is no easy feat. I can only stay in Trikonasana for about 2 1/2 minutes. It's not the leg strength or knees locking or holding the torso parallel to the floor. My neck can't take it. At about 1 1/2 minutes it gets very tight and even if I look forwards or down it continues to tighten until I have to stop. I tried the legs wider so I could touch the floor and I tried a block. No difference. What's that all about? (Actually, my left back shoulder has been giving me trouble for about 13 months and 2 weeks...hmm, that's the same age as a certain baby...)

It's interesting what you learn as you hold a pose for awhile. I'm so used to 5 breaths and then up, or just a demo in class, that I haven't been in a position (ha) to observe what is going on in my body for some time. So this is a good exercise to see what is up. And work on it.

How did you do?

(Next post, the modifications)

The Asana Project

I've been doing a lot of research lately, for my second blog, My Pig, My Cornfield. Goodness, the food blog world is huge: chefs, activisits, farmers, mom/pastry chefs, organ-eaters, art directors, etc etc. I thought the yoga bloggers were prolific, but I had no idea. Sifting through many of these, has given me some ideas for GTTSB...here's one of them:

I tried something like this a few years ago, but was waaay too ambitious (a pose/post per day--I lasted about four days), so I've scaled it back. I'm going to focus on a pose every week to ten days. Do it for a few days, report on my impressions and then do several modifications and report on those. I teach with an Iynegar-influence, so I'm big on finding a version of a pose--often using props--that everyone can do. But, I've never really tested my versions beyond just the demonstration: do they really offer the same benefits? do they open something else in addition? Are there better modifications that I'm not considering?

Obviously, the food crowd isn't doing poses, but they're sharing recipes--"Let's all bake this together and then compare notes." So I'm thinking, maybe we can make this a group project. We can all handle 3 poses (one pose, two modifications) a week for about 5-10 min.s (if doing 2 sides) right? I want to hear what you think of the initial pose (whether you teach it, or practice it); how you change it for yourself or students; if my modifications work or not; suggestions for other poses to try.

I'm writing way more about yoga thoughts than practice, lately, and I thought this might be a fun way to get back onto the mat.

SO, first pose for the Asana Project: Utittha Trikonasa (Triangle Pose). Do it, 5 min.s (or so) each side, for the next three days, see what you notice, and report back! Here is a thorough discussion of the pose from Namaste From Duluth.

Here are some older posts, for sequencing ideas:
-Yoga is a Language
-Hip to be Triangular
-Our Friend the Spine

Ambiently aware

Last week the "Build a Yoga Community" article came out on My Yoga Mentor. It is about the bricks-and-mortar relationships that come from belonging to a studio and/or practicing with other yogis. There are some useful tips (if I do say so myself), but I had to leave out any discussion of online communities because of space.

This is despite the fact that my online yoga community is the one I am actually more involved in as a yoga practitioner. Sadly, I really only have time for asana in the classes I teach and there isn't another studio in town (the only other Iyengar teacher in Beloit teaches at the same time I do). So the yoga student in me has to be satisfied with the occasional jaunt to Madison--which is great--but not regular. I certainly miss the regular contact with a teacher and being able to lose myself in some one else's instruction.

I am exceedingly grateful for the interaction I do have with the yoga bloggers out there. There seems to be a number of us practicing and teaching in smaller towns with few yoga resources, and it's nice to keep up and compare notes--heck, it's nice to keep up with those in big towns with tons of studios. The online yoga crowd is not alone...apparently, this "ambient awareness" is a byproduct of all the social networking sites, and has become a subject of study among digital communication experts

Ambient Awareness is the "weak ties" you have between other people through the internet. These are not the face-to-face, more emotional connections you have with family and close friends. You probably haven't even met most of these people, but you still engage in their lives and how things are going by keeping track of them through their blogs, Twitter, Facebook pages, etc. And they keep track of you.

Many of the scholars studying these relationships suggest that they are actually quite healthy, and help you develop a sense of belonging and connection (as long as they don't replace your strong-tie relationships). In the NYT article, a number of people mentioned that keeping a running log of their day-to-day activities was actually very calming. They were able to step out of emotional situations and evaluate their behavior in a way that lowered the temperature and gave them perspective.

I think that's how this blog has become a major part of my yoga practice. It is not so physical, but by thinking about how to describe poses and clarifying thoughts for my essays is a way of getting inside my head and quieting the "monkey brain." Not exactly pranayama, but some of the same end results. And, as I mentioned, it's great to be able to check on other yogis out there every few days and see how the baby is doing/what's going on in Melbourne/how the trip to India went/who's being taken to task/has it snowed in Duluth,yet etc etc etc.

I almost want to get a Twitter account...

Come one, come all, right?

Last Sunday, I taught a yoga class at Bushel and Peck's, the new organic/local food grocery store in Beloit. [And here's another blog I've started about that whole endeavor--too much free time, yeah, right!]

It was a really nice group, the "art gallery" wasn't too echo-y and dinner was delish. We'll do it again in October.

Every time I do a new class, for a different group, I get a little bit nervous, because I'm not sure who's going to show up and what their expectations are. There are usually a few familiar faces, and I always appreciate having regulars out there (so encouraging in their peaceful expressions), but I find myself watching the new people very closely--do they get it? are they enjoying themselves? is something bothering them physically?

Probably, there are times, that a student's bad experience has nothing to do with me--having a bad day, running late, trouble parking--but usually that kind of stuff gets ironed out in class. However, I feel strongly that a teacher is mostly responsible for a students' experience, and should make sure people are being reached--if they want to be reached. Even a gentle adjustment, can make some one feel like they have been noticed and cared about.

That's why something like this, astounds me. I love Suzi's insight and thoughts about yoga on her blog, and I imagine she projects that kind of energy in her practice. Why would a teacher single her out for such a pointless and ego-driven lecture. (I'm sure she's moved on and I should "put that lady down", but this drives me nuts). When I wrote about yoga and community a few months ago, I also got quite a few comments from people who had been made to feel completely out-of-place in a yoga class. I don't get it...how can you be standing in front of a group of people--your students, for pete's sake--and not notice that some one is having an awful time. Or not feel like you should reach out to them.

Even if it's other students that are creating the bad vibes, a teacher ought to figure out how to cool the temperature and get everyone to focus on the practice. I know I can't reach everyone or that my teaching method doesn't always resonate (which also drives me crazy--but that's my problem), but I want to feel like I tried to connect.

I dunno, maybe other teachers' classes are too big or over too quickly for them to reach out. Maybe there are bunch of cranky students out there, looking for a fight. But, surely, you can see my point...

Whadaya think?

Warrior Arms

We had a nice group at the store yesterday. A few regulars, a few new people. And the eats were great; I got my fave, the half-and-half (grilled cheese and soup), and tried the Black Angus stew.

I decided to teach the various Warrior poses: Virabhasdrasana I, II, and III. They are good for creating a little heat, and getting the blood moving. As I explained how they flow together (II into I into III), I made a joke about how the numbering system was off. This later got me to thinking: why are these poses tied together, anyway?

When you look at them, they don't really have all that much in common. The feet are in different positions, the hips and shoulders line up differently, the work of the legs is completely different, and one is a tricky balance pose, while the other two used firmly-planted feet. Not at all like Trikonasana-Parsvakonasana-Ardha Chandrasana (Triangle-Lateral Angle-Half Moon).

I think it's the arms. Altho they don't look exactly alike, they are all at shoulder-height or higher (thus raising the heart rate) and require shoulder flexibility to stretch the arms out and overhead without hunching. The chest should be open and the shoulder blades slightly drawn together and down. The thighs and belly do all the grunt work of lunging, bending and keeping the side body long, but the arms are what make them Warriors--rather than Lateral Angle or Parsvottanasana (Intense Side Stretch) or a standing lunge.

When teaching them, we usually focus on the work of the lower body, but what really makes a Warrior look beautiful and effortless is if the arms and chest are in the correct position. Then they look calm and powerful.

But that's just me...maybe somebody knows what the (not so) ancients were thinking when they named these poses. Any insight?

A Healthy Sunday Supper...

If you haven't decided, and need tempting, here is the "prix fixe" menu for tomorrow's Yoga and Dinner at Bushel and Peck's Local Grocery, from 3-5pm. Choose one of these items and a beverage (coffee, iced tea, cider, soda and, of course, water).
-Caprese Salad - Thick local tomato slices topped with fresh mozzarella slices, fresh basil, then drizzled in an herbed balsamic, olive oil. Served with a slice of bread.
-Bruschetta - An herb toasted hunk of crusty bread topped with seasonal veggies drizzled in herbed balsalmic oil and sprinkled with fresh Parmesan.
-Half A Simply Grilled Cheese and a Cup of Soup - Select one of the day's soups (Tomato Basil and whatever Sunday's soup is--Saturday was Potato, Ham and Bean). Half a grilled cheese made with Silver Lewis Edam.
-Black Angus Jo – Black Angus ground beef simmered in house made smoky barbeque sauce, chopped onions, peppers and topped with a slice of raw milk cheddar. Served with a choice of side salad from the deli case (potato, macaroni, tabbouleh, refrigerator pickles, corn/black bean salad, etc. etc.).

I'm thinking of doing a Warrior-based class, so that there's some strength work but it's not too challenging. I want everyone to feel energized and released at the end of class.

Hope to see you there!

Is it Just Me?

...or is this whole combining motherhood and work thing getting out of hand?

I'm all for women doing fulfilling work and, lord knows, mothers need something for themselves--especially when kids are young (why do you think I started GTTSB?). But do we really want to encourage pregnant women to jet set around to meetings while their amniotic fluid is leaking? Or zipping back to work, only three days post-partum? It's bad enough that the womens' magazines trumpet losing baby-fat in a month...as if cellulite should be your biggest concern when the baby is 3 weeks old.

Give the body a rest, y'all. We don't expect Teddy Kennedy back in the Senate three days after his brain surgery... Does Sarah Palin really believe that the Alaska electorate is so heartless, that they wouldn't let her lie down for a couple of days? Are they? What's wrong with this country that it can't accept that pregnacy and delivery is one of the most traumatic things that will happen to a woman's body. Why do women (want to) pretend that it's just a quick in-and-out of the hospital and then, back-to-business.

Dirty-footprints had a nice post, cautioning about too much multi-tasking. You can't avoid some multi-tasking with a family--if you want everyone to eat and still get to bed in time for Mama to do some blogging--but it shouldn't drive you into a frenzy. I can almost hear the health insurance crowd foaming at the mouth to get new mothers out of the hospital in 24 hours. ("Still bleeding? Well, here's an adult diaper. Good luck!")

I practiced, and taught yoga, through my own two pregnancies and I think part of the reason everything went so well was that I cleared space for myself and listened to my body. I practiced pranayama every nite for the last two trimesters and stayed home for 6 weeks after both boys were born (very grateful for that opportunity, of course). I slowed it down, because my body had to slow down--shouldn't every mother allow herself to do that? Shouldn't every mother be able to?

Jeez, Sweden is looking better all the time...

The Satisfaction of Sneering

The other night my mom asked me what I thought about the Republican vice-presidential candidate, Sarah Palin. I won't go into my full answer here--not really appropriate for a yoga blog--but I did say that she is some one who my crowd would have sneered at at our 20th High School reunion, three years ago. Being the know-it-all-journalism types, we wouldn't have approved of some one our age who tries to have library books banned.

But it got me to thinking about the act of sneering and how satisfying it is. And how often it is practiced (especially in the anonymity of the blogosphere). And, also, how it really says more about the sneer-er than the sneer-ee.

Boy, there's a lot of it in yoga-land. Which yoga style is better/more effective/more sustainable; Yoga Journal's cover models; the yoga supers stars' overexposure; the fact that there are yoga super stars at all; studying in India or not; etc etc etc.

Even the gurus themselves aren't above a mighty rant about their "competitors." This was something I found extremely distasteful at a conference last year, when just about every presenter at a teachers' workshop felt inclined to point how much better "their" yoga was than the others. Only David Swenson and Ana Forrest skipped the Sneer--hmmm.

I won't pretend for a minute that I am above commenting on a scrawny model butchering natarajasana (Dancer Pose)in an ad for HardTail yoga pants (what kind of a name is that?) or online teacher-training certifications. Some stuff deserves a skeptical eye. Even so, it says more about my Ego and its need to establish superiority than it does about the things I find fault with. Sigh.

BTW, apparently a sneer is also a freshly poured beer (?), which is something we can all find satisfaction in.

Yoga at the Store

If you're local to the Stateline area, this post if for you. I'm offering Yoga and Supper at Bushel and Peck's Local Grocery on Sunday, September 14 from 3-5. I'll teach class (haven't decided the theme yet) for an hour and then we will enjoy a meal from the cafe, featuring locally-grown ingredients. We haven't decided the menu yet, either, but everything I've eaten there is delicious--any requests? I'll bring all the props, you bring your mat.

The class will be limited to 15 people and the cost will be $20. You can sign up on the BP's website or at the store at 328 State Street, Beloit or call 608/363-3911. Let me know if you have any questions!

All of us are in the gutter...but some of us are looking at the stars

An interesting discussion is afoot on Linda's Yoga Journey, concerning the wages of yoga teachers. Are we paid too much? (hardly) not enough? (often) the same as aerobic instructors? (sometimes...but maybe we shouldn't). I've thought about it often, since I teach at the Y, where there are a variety of fitness classes offered alongside my yoga classes.

I think yoga teachers' fees ought to reflect their training. If you spend a year or two (or more) learning from a reputable source, your wage should be commeasurate. If you took an email test online and got "certified" in an afternoon--whatever that means--that lack of diligence should be acknowledged, too. Continued training ought to be rewarded, as well, but I suspect that is more rare. And, of course, there's the issue of market value...people pay more for yoga classes, so teachers can ask more (some chicken and egg at work).

The under-paid teacher complaint is an old one. Those that want to share their knowledge and expertise often have to take satisfaction in a job well-done as part of their renumeration, whether yoga instructors or college professors or kindergarden teachers. These are crucial positions, and vital to the improvement of a civilized population, but rarely is it rewarded as it should be. The world values lawyers, businessmen, movie stars and football players more.

As far as fitness goes, I'll bet it's the aerobic instructors that get the shaft, payment-wise, more than yoga teachers, tho. Maybe the training isn't as long, but the amount of prep that it takes to choreograph and learn the routines is time-consuming. A strong background in physiology isn't required, but there has to be some familiarity with how the body works and how you train it. And then there's the level of exersion necessary to serve up a useful, engaging class to a roomful of, perhaps, less-than enthusiastic participants. Cetainly worth more than minimum wage...

So, this is what I think about. I'm not sure I have an answer...life is not fair. I wish yoga teachers (most of them) made more money than than Lindsay Lohan. And people should want to invest in the instructors that help keep them hearty and hale. But they don't, so I suppose it's pointless to spend too much energy on it.

I read a quote that's pertinent: "Santosa (or contentment, one of the niyamas from the Yoga Sutras by Pantanjali) cannot be practiced; it has to come from within. We're all discontented. The trick is to be content with that."--B.K.S. Iyengar.

The Mind Games

I haven't been able to watch much Olympics (just swimming, yawn), but I've been reading about them. The amount of training these athletes go through is crazy (I'm not even going to touch on the pharmaceutical aspect), but what I find particularly interesting is the mental work they do to get themselves ready to compete. They train and lift and run for years, but right before the event it all comes down to the voices in their heads--either listening to them, or turning them off. I think that's fascinating, although, as a yoga teacher, I shouldn't be all that surprised.

There was a really interesting article in the New Yorker a few weeks ago about the brain chemistry behind inspiration and discoveries that come in an "aha" moment. Studies by several researchers found that a specific part of the brain in the right hemisphere becomes especially active about 30 seconds before the subjects had their moments, and that this fold of brain tissue communicates with the prefrontal cortex (the area of the brain that recognizes the problem has been solved); when a thought "just comes to you" the brain has actually been working on it for awhile. They found that this communication was especially efficient when they brain (and thinker) was relaxed and even thinking about something else when the connection was made. Think of all the times you figured something out or solved a problem when you were doing an unrelated task--that would be the relaxed mind at work.

I had an artist friend that used to put projects aside for a few days, when the creative juices stopped flowing--she called it "putting them on the back burner." She found that, upon returning to the projects after some time had passed, she was able to finish them to her satisfaction, as if the brain had unconsciously solved the problem while she was otherwise occupied. We used to joke about it, but now it sounds like that's exactly what was happening.

So, Pranayama. Calming the fluctuations of the mind. Make sure you spend some time breathing and releasing, in addition to your asana practice. I can't guarantee gold medals or masterpieces or (ahem) brilliant tenure packages, but the clarity and the focus that a quiet mind provides is fertile ground for all these achievements.

And you don't have to wear a goofy-looking wet suit...

Yoga on the Farm

Hectic Householderdom...and I have been neglectful. I hadn't realized it's been a whole 2 weeks since the last post, so my apologies. However, I've finished the YJ community article (more on that later), Eamonn's 4th birthday is out of the way and things have settled to a dull roar.

I also got a call from a local organic farm, Angelic Organics, with whom I've participated in their CSA shareholder program for several years. Eating locally-produced food is something I try very hard to do (not so easy in Wisconsin in the winter) and buying a "share" in a local farm means I write a check and, for most of the summer, I get a box of fresh, organic veg to get me through each week. Late summer is great when the box overflows with tomatoes, corn, squash, carrots, etc...early summer is nice, too, altho it gets hard to find things to do with lettuce. Still, it's fresh, it's from nearby and my pick-up is the farm itself so I get to see the fields up close.

As I was saying, they called and asked if I would be interested in teaching yoga to some of their staff. I agreed immediately because I am a big supporter of their cause, but I didn't realize what a treat it would be for me. We meet in the fixed-up, second floor of a small barn, with floor-to-ceiling windows, and practice with the full orchestra of early summer evenings (birds, bugs, frogs) filling the space. The whole enterprise seems so yoga-appropriate--healthy dirt, healthy produce, healthy farmers--and the Midwest in July and August is such a green, fecund backdrop for it all.

I'm having a great time doing it. Even the drive is a delight--all gently rolling hills, farm ponds, grazing cattle and willow trees. It's almost it's own yoga, if you can have driving yoga (seems a bit petro-chemically dependent, so a guilty please, I guess). I'm grateful for the opportunity and it's a nice change of pace.

Check out your own local CSA or farmers' market...there's a lot of delicious stuff and you make even hook up with a yoga class. Who knows?!?