Sick? Stay home & rest. Why you shouldn't come practice at the studio when you're sick.
At Yogalife, to reap the full physical and mental benefits of practice, we encourage all our students to come on a regular basis. Yoga has been known to be paramount in maintaining a healthy lifestyle, but in recent times, people have been practicing as a means of alleviating the symptoms of every day illnesses. This has been met with some mixed reviews. So the question remains, should you practice while sick?
From the viewpoint of our studio, our immediate answer is “no”. Our goal is always to provide the best experience possible for our students, so coming to practice while sick compromises that aim. While hot yoga is beneficial for detoxification, the humidity and heat, along with the closeness of clients can accelerate the spread of illness in the room. Pathogens thrive in a hot yoga room, no matter how well we try to maintain the cleanliness of the studio.
Consider this: we spend a significant portion of our class forcefully exhaling, and if ill, any airborne pathogens can travel quickly to nearby practitioners who, at the same time, are inhaling deeply. Heat also has the physiological effect of opening up the skin’s pores, further exposing our bodies to the environment, so any physical contact with bacteria or other viruses can result in immediate illness.
Practicing hot yoga while sick may also aggravate any symptoms one may be experiencing. In the online article, “Yoga and Your Immune System”, Kreg Weiss explains:
“[In yoga] the energy highly needed for your immune system is instead being transferred to the muscles to create movement. This energy is depleted from the body either as mechanical energy (movement) or as heat. This transfer of energy strips the immune system of precious energy resources and begins to limit the immune system’s capacity to produce antibodies.”
So while practicing in the heat may temporarily alleviate symptoms, and provide that feel-good high that only Hot Flow can provide, it may be short-lived and, in the process of healing, make things worse.
So before practicing at the studio while feeling ill, consider your fellow students and whether it may compromise their yoga experience. Also consider whether the practice will benefit your body. For more information on practicing while sick, read the full article by Kreg Weiss: http://kregweiss.ca/2011/11/11/yoga-and-your-immune-system/.
Foundation Friday: Balasana
This post is yet another instalment in a series that delves into the basics of yoga—looking at its postures (asana), breath (pranayama), philosophy, and all the other essentials—giving you the foundations upon which to build a solid practice. Today's posture is another great addition to our Grounding Series.
Foundation Friday: Balasana
Pose, or Asana Child's Pose bah-lah-sah-nah
Mmm. Child's Pose.
Don't you just love it when your teacher says those words, offering you the chance to retreat inside, to turn inwards, to shut off all external noise and simply breathe? Child's pose, or Balasana, is frequently offered as a break within sequences, a time to re-establish steady breath, calm the heart rate, or return to intention if we've gravitated away from what we've set out to do.
Why is child's pose so grounding and calming?
- First of all, the shape of the spine in a child's pose mimics the shape of the spine in a fetal position—and our time in utero was, for most of us, the most stress-free, comforting, and grounded environment we've ever known. It's a gentle reminder to our bodies, and then our minds, to return to that calm, quiet state.
- Secondly, all forward folds are—in their physical nature—calming and quieting as our bodies are literally turning in towards themselves. The anatomical action of folding our bellies, chests, and faces into our legs—or in this case, the floor—seals us away from whatever is going on externally so we can only look at ourselves.
- Further, the action of resting the forehead down on something (the earth, stacked fists, a block) gently stimulates the vagus nerve. The vagus nerve helps to regulate the parasympathetic nervous system (the part that allows us to rest and relax), and in doing so it naturally lowers our heart rate, blood pressure, lessens tension and the stress hormone cortisol. That's why child's pose is also an excellent bed-time posture!
Balasana may help…
- Opens through your hips, thighs, and ankles
- Open the shoulders (especially in the traditional variation)
- Calm anxiety, soothe stress, and relieve fatigue
- Help move your nervous system into a more relaxed state
So, how do I get there?
- From Downward Facing Dog, lower your knees down, about mat-distance apart.
- Touch your toes together, and rest your seat back on your heels.
- Fold your torso forward. Let your belly rest in between your thighs.
- Extend your arms forward, palms facing down.
- Find someplace for your forehead to rest—if the ground is not available, you can use a block, a folded blanket, or even stack your palms or your fists.
- Breathe.
We hope this helps you better understand balasana, or child's pose. Please feel free to comment on our Facebook with any further questions. And let us know if you have something you would like to see featured in Foundation Friday!
Embrace the Spirit from Within: Yogalife's Fall Retreat 2014
***We have had ONE LAST SPOT open up for a Teepee on this upcoming retreat! Please let us know if you'd like to fill it—who knows, it could completely alter the course of your life... ;) Next week, Sean Forchuk, Keia Dreger, and an eager group of Yogalifers will be making their way west to Golden, B.C. for this year's fall retreat. As we've been referencing on the blog this month, fall is such an awesome time to slow down, stay still, and re-connect with your roots—and what better opportunity to do so than amongst the great tall trees and majestic mountains on our own soil?! The five glorious days of this retreat will be spent immersed in yogic philosophy, asana practice, hiking, raw-chocolate-making... even fire walking! Plus Sean and Keia promise to entertain with their antics—if you haven't gotten to know these two already in their classes, this video has everything you need to know...
Embrace the Spirit from Within will run this September 24th-28th. Retreat-goers, we wish you safe travels, and a balanced mix of craziness and calm!
Foundation Friday: Malasana
This post is an instalment in a series that delves into the basics of yoga—looking at its postures (asana), breath (pranayama), philosophy, and all the other essentials—giving you the foundations upon which to build a solid practice. Today's focus will be on Malasana, or Garland Pose.
Foundation Friday: Malasana
Pose, or Asana Garland Pose, or "Yogi Squat" mah-lah-sah-nah
In conjunction with our monthly theme, Malasana is one of the ultimate grounding yoga postures. The rooting through the feet, the closeness of the pelvis to the earth, and the general feeling of heaviness and surrendering to the weight of gravity in this posture all encourage a downward flow of energy. Malasana's energetic qualities are calming, soothing, and quieting for the busy mind, as this asana activates a flow of prana down through the body, towards the ultimate source of grounding—the earth.
Many Eastern cultures are accustomed to sitting on the floor for meals and meetings, or squatting comfortably as they go about their daily activities— whereas In our Western world, we spend so much of our lives seated in chairs, car seats, or on couches. We lose the softness and suppleness of our hips, calves, and ankles, and the strength of our low back, thighs, and core. Physically and energetically, malasana helps to counteract these losses.
Malasana may help…
- Tone your thighs, glutes, and calves
- Strengthen your low back and abdominal muscles
- Open through your hips and inner thighs
- Aid in digestion and elimination
- Soothe anxiety and promote calm
So, how do I get there?
- Start standing with your feet about mat-distance apart. Turn your toes slightly outwards.
- Lower your hips in between your legs. Keep your heels on the floor if you can, or support them with a folded mat or towel. You might even try this posture with a prop—like a block, or bolster under your seat.
- Draw your hands into anjali mudra (prayer position) and slide your shoulders back. Press your outer elbows into your inner thighs, and vice versa. If this is too much, keep both of your hands on the floor in front of you for support.
- Lengthen your tailbone down towards the earth—like gravity is pulling it lower—but lengthen the crown of your head higher to elongate your spine.
- Broaden the front of your chest.
We hope this helps you better malasana, or garland pose. Please feel free to comment on our Facebook with any further questions. And let us know if you have something you would like to see featured in Foundation Friday!
Meditation 101 (Guided Meditation Audio Included!)
Starting a meditation practice can be daunting - where do you start? How do you sit? What exactly does it mean to be "in meditation" anyhow? How can you navigate through your inner landscapes with more depth and authenticity? Who am I, beneath all these layers of body and mind? This workshop with experienced yoga & meditation practitioner and instructor, Amanda Ings, provides a space for you to explore each of these questions, and much more. A simple, easily approachable 4-step meditation will be shared and broken down, both in practice and in discussion, step by step. Exactly what we are doing in each step and why, how it works in the body-mind-energy-consciousness field, and how each step can be integrated into your daily life to bring more presence, power, and stillness, in yourself and your relationships with others. This workshop is appropriate for everyone; those wishing to deepen their current practices (in yoga or meditation), and those completely new to meditation and/or yoga. Everyone always takes away exactly what they need.
Amanda will be leading the first workshop of a 2-part series, Meditation 101 this coming Sunday at our North location. Find out more here!
Bonus—for a sample of what you'll learn this weekend, try out one of Amanda's guided meditations here: Guided Meditation with Amanda Ings
Learn to Fly: This Saturday with Sara Cueva
This weekend, Yogalife Instructor and Karma Coordinator (and co-host of our current Instagram challenge!) Sara Cueva is leading her popular Arm Balances and Inversions workshop at Yogalife South. Check out the video we shot with Sara last year to learn a little more about why she's so passionate about taking flight within yoga practice—and gain some insight into the goodies you'll learn in Saturday's class!
Arm balances and inversions with Sara from Yogalife Studios on Vimeo.
Learn to Fly with Sara Cueva runs this Saturday, September 6th at Yogalife South from 2:30 p.m.-5:30 p.m. Sign up here.
Yogalife in September: Grounding
Happy Labour Day, friends and fellow yogis!
We hope you've enjoyed the last days of the warmer rays here in Edmonton—what a spectacular summer it has been! As the sunshine slows and school begins, it's a great time to reflect on and give thanks for all of the good things warmer weather has brought—opportunities to break from routine, to take time away, to share extra laughs and love. And as we progress towards fall, for many of us it's back to school, or back to a more steady pace of life. That's why our Media Team this month is focusing on grounding—re-connecting with our roots, finding our calmly abiding centre within. We'll focus our Foundation Fridays on some poses that will help you find your steady seat, and share some tips and techniques to help if you feel like you're stuck with your head in the clouds and nothing on the ground beneath you.
In tune with our theme of grounding, today is also Day 1 of our #HappyHips Challenge on Instagram! Hips are an area of your body that are totally connected with your legs and feeling of being stable and connected to earth. By practicing each pose that we post daily on our Instagram, you'll not only explore new spaces within your asana practice, but you might notice you also feel a little more steady within yourself. Check it out, and don't forget to tag us @yogalifestudios when you participate!
Foundation Friday: Yoga for Better Sleep
This post is an instalment in a series that delves into the basics of yoga—looking at its postures (asana), breath (pranayama), philosophy, and all the other essentials—giving you the foundations upon which to build a solid practice. Today's focus is a little bit different—we're looking at how yoga can be beneficial in sleep. Because what could be more foundational for your yoga practice, your day—your life!—than a good night's rest?!
Foundation Friday: Yoga for Better Sleep
We all know the symptoms—dark half-moons under the eyes, lion-sized yawns, a lowered level level of alertness. If you've ever spent a night—or a string of them—tossing and turning, clock-checking, and worrying yourself awake, you're certainly not alone. According to the CHFA, one in seven Canadians have insomnia, or trouble falling asleep or staying asleep. And sleep deprivation is one of the leading causes of stress among American adults. As anyone who's spent a night sleepless in bed knows, counting sheep may be a somewhat entertaining attempt to lull yourself into a sweet slumber—but it's not always the most effective.
Bed-time yoga has been proven as an effective method of lessening the time it takes to fall asleep, and lengthening the time it takes to stay asleep—so much so, that even the U.S. Department of Defense has been using a yoga nidra derivative to help treat its soldiers sufferrering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder—an ailment that shares similar symptoms with insomnia, like anxiety, or the inability to sleep at night. While sun salutations and vinyasa are not particularly recommended, some gentle, calming yoga postures—done next to, or even right in your bed may help to soothe your mind and body into a sleep-state. Check out our top five yoga postures to help with sleep, below.
You'll notice that this list includes plenty of forward folds—forward folds, or extension promote a turning inwards, helping to rest and soothe the brain. Forward folds stimulate a cooling sensation in the body, and also help the digestive system to assimilate whatever hasn't yet been digested, whether physically or metaphorically.
1.Downward Facing Dog, or Adho Mukha Svanasana
Start from all fours, or a Tabletop position with your wrists outer-shoulder distance apart and your knees under your hips. Tuck your toes under, and press your hips skyward. You might need to bend one knee, and then the other to find some space in your back body to make this posture more comfortable. Bend both knees, and send your belly back towards your thighs. Lengthen your ears away from your shoulders.
2. Seated Forward Fold, or Paschimottanasana
Sit up with your legs extended in front of you. Remove the flesh from underneath your sit bones by manually sliding it out from underneath your seat. Extend your heart forward towards your legs, and then fold forward. Relax your arms beside your feet or legs and let your head be heavy. Use the physical feeling of turning inward to help guide your mind inward as well—turning your thoughts off from the day behind or ahead of you, and instead focusing on calm breath and the physical sensations you feel inside your body.
3. Supine Twist, or Supta Matsyendrasana
Bend your knees, scoot your hips slightly over to one side, and then lower your legs to the opposite side of your hips. This should help your hips to stack over top of each other. Turn your head opposite your legs if it's okay for your neck. If your knees are lifted uncomfortably away from the floor or your bed, you might support them with a blanket or pillow (bonus since they're so close!). Again, breathe deeply into your belly to invite a gentle compression into your internal organs, facilitating digestion both physically and metaphorically—helping yourself to integrate the happenings of your day so that you can rest and prepare yourself for the next. This posture may also help to alleviate any back and neck discomfort that prevents you from falling asleep.
4. Child's Pose, or Balasana
Fold your torso forward between your legs and allow your forehead to rest, on either your bed, or stacked palms or fists. Take slow, deep belly breaths. If you like, you can massage your brow by gently rocking your head from side to side.
5. Corpse Pose, or Savasana
Set yourself up into a final resting posture—you might try lying down with your arms right alongside your body and feet hip-distance, or maybe you feel more comfortable extending your limbs further away from your torso. Once you're completely comfortable and at ease, try a yoga nidra technique:
Work through your body slowly, one piece at a time—draw all of your awareness to that part, starting at your feet. Notice the way your feet feel, and if there is any tension or muscular engagement in your toes, the balls of your feet, your arches, your heels, your ankles. Consciously relax that part of your body, using your long, drawn-out exhales to soften. Work your way up through your legs, your arms, your torso, and your head. Once you've covered all of the areas of your body—if you've made it through all of them without dozing off!—notice the way you feel now, and see if you can tell your mind to relax in the same way you have your body.
Use these postures alongside a deepened, calm breath. If thoughts are giving you anxiety, or preventing you from falling into a sleepy state, you can try writing them down in a bed-side journal, or try to let them pass by you without getting attached. If these postures aren't enough, you might try making some small lifestyle changes—like avoiding caffeine after lunch, turning all your screens off at least an hour before bed, or settling into a nighttime ritual to help tell your body it's time to rest.
Let us know what's helped, and what hasn't in your journey to easy rest. Sweet dreams, yogis!
Taylor Nystad: On Completing the Ironman
Before completing her shifts at the studio, we just had to get one last story from Taylor regarding a major accomplishment in her life, completing the Ironman Triathlon. Taylor gives us a detailed account of what it's like to be in one of the most esteemed triathlons in the world. Congratulations Taylor!
4am:
My alarm goes off, but it wasn’t necessary as I had maybe slept for 30 minutes total since 9pm the night prior. Cue the anxiety attack. Everyone is now awake and getting ready. Me, on the other hand, am crying and considering handing in my timing chip. At this point I’m too afraid to race, I don’t feel ready. I force myself to eat something but I think I might vomit.
6am:
We’ve finally reached Alta Lake via the shuttle busses. There are athletes everywhere in the transition area. I feel a little better but still want to bawl my eyes out every few minutes. We get our bikes ready and put our wetsuits on. It’s time to say goodbye to our friends and family as we head to the lake to warm up.
6:55am:
It is 5 minutes to the swim start. Everyone is floating in the water. I then realize I have misunderstood the swim course and am at the front of the line. In reality I wanted to be near the middle as I am an average swimmer.
There are people everywhere, so there’s no chance for me to move farther back.
The swim:
The cannon goes off and instinctively I start swimming. I am literally in a human washing machine; there are people everywhere. I’m getting kicked, pulled, grabbed, and shoved. I know I have to stand my ground or else people will swim over me. The course is a two-lap rectangle, so I know I just have to endure this until the first turn. Once there, I decide to swim on the outside of the course. I know it might slow me down, but it’s a better alternative to swimming in the flurry of people. I end up swimming 4.5km, and am 10 minutes slower than what I originally wanted.
Swim to Bike transition:
Everyone is running out of the water to his or her transition bags but I decide to walk. In the swim I didn’t use my legs so I’m still feeling a little shaky. I grab my bag and make it to the change tent.
Let me just say now that the volunteers for this event are absolutely amazing.
A volunteer finds me and helps me with whatever I need. Trying to put on compression socks out of the swim was probably a bad idea. I don’t think I’ve ever had that much difficulty putting socks on. I get the rest of my gear on and run out to find my bike. Volunteers lather my arms with sunscreen.
Now it’s off to bike 180km.
Bike Km 1, Alta Lake to Callaghan:
There are cyclists everywhere. This was my first triathlon and cycling event so I was for the most part, unaware of what was in store. I pass people, and people pass me. The first portion of the course was mostly downhill which gave me enough time to settle into the new demands that my body was putting on me. I started off easy on my nutrition, waiting for my body to adjust.
Km 25 Callaghan- Whistler:
This was the first real climb of the race. 12km uphill to the top of Olympic village where the ski jumping venue is. But what goes up must come down. I had biked this portion once before in May so I knew what to expect.
What I didn’t know was how my body would fare going 180km. The farthest I had biked before in training was 100km, once.
I went with the philosophy of taking it one hill at a time, and to not push myself too hard.
I made it up Callaghan at a good pace. Going downhill Callaghan was a nice break for the legs. Once at the bottom of Callaghan was the climb back up to Whistler. This wasn’t too hard as you had some downhill moments to rest. I made sure to maintain my nutrition plan: 2 gels, 1 bottle of electrolytes every hour. If I had any inkling of a muscle cramp or GI issues, I took a sodium capsule right away.
Whistler to Pemberton:
Biking through Whistler was the first time I saw my friends and family since leaving Alta lake. You only see them for a few seconds, but it gives you a boost of energy. At this point I was three hours into the bike and was on track for my goal time. Whistler to Pemberton was essentially all downhill with the exception of a few small climbs. 1500ft drop in elevation to be exact. This was once again an opportunity to rest the legs to prepare for the 80km you had left once you reached Pemberton.
Pemberton Out and Back:
I finally received my special needs bag. Mine had an endurance drink, dried mangos, ibuprofen, sodium capsules, gels and skittles. You’re probably questioning the skittle part, but if I was in serious risk of bonking, I needed a rapid sugar dose. Skittles do the trick. I took everything from my special needs bag and put it wherever I could on my bike.
Once you leave Pemberton there is a 25km out and back of dead flat road in the valley.
This was the most boring part of the course. That turn around point could not come soon enough. I knew I had to fuel and pace properly on this portion because the last 30km of the bike was the most difficult. I wanted to bike at my original goal pace, but I knew if I pushed too hard, the rest of the bike would be a suffer-grind fest. It felt as though a hundred people passed me. I just had to remind myself that I was doing my own race and I was on pace to make the cut-off.
Pemberton to Whistler:
I have been dreading this all day. I had done this portion of the course back in May, and let’s just say it went less than ideal, as in I had to walk up a few hills. There was one last aid station before the climb so I stocked up on everything that I could. I had saved a few espresso gels from the special needs bag. These gels would be my saving grace: just enough of a caffeine boost to keep you going when there’s no fuel in the tank. I went into the climb saying I would take it one hill at a time, just as I had done earlier. Everyone who passed me in Pemberton, I caught up to.
It was 32 degrees and there was no shade. People were dropping like flies.
There were people on the side of the road, walking, vomiting, and a select few receiving medical help. My legs felt good and I knew to just take it easy. I ended up staying with a few other cyclists. We all talked to help distract us from the constant stream of hills that never seemed to end. I kept drinking as much fluid as I could. At one point even my water was so hot that drinking it made me feel uncomfortable. I just knew I had to keep going.
Reaching the final aid station was like finding water in the middle of the desert.
I knew I only had 10km to go and that the end was near. I just kept biking but by this point I felt like I was going to bonk. I ate whatever fuel I had left and popped sodium pills like they were candy. I finally saw my family back into Whistler. I had made the bike course before the cut off; I was ecstatic.
Bike to run transition:
I don’t think I have ever been so excited to get off of a bike in my entire life. If you ever want a free bike you should wait by the athletes at the end of the bike course on an Ironman.
After being on that bike for 180km you don’t want to see it ever again.
The volunteer who relieves you of that bike is an absolute savior. I get into the women’s change tent to switch to my run gear. Once again the volunteers are incredible and help you with whatever you need. I change my gear and head out onto the course.
Run Km 1-21:
I get out onto the run course and am surprisingly jogging. Well, more like shuffling. My jog pace was a fast speed walk at best.
I had 7 hours to do the run, but I forgot to put ibuprofen and sodium in my bike to run bag and I needed it badly.
I wouldn’t get any of those items until the halfway point, in my special needs bag. I just knew I couldn’t stop moving. At every aid station I drank pepsi or chicken broth for sodium and ate a gel. There were people everywhere on the course cheering you on which helped.
Km 22-41:
I finally have my sodium and ibuprofen, which helped immensely. Every step I took pounded into my knees. I knew I had done some damage but I wasn’t exactly sure to what extent. I had done the first half in just over 3 hours so I knew the odds were in my favor to finish. I had just less than four hours to do a half marathon.
They were going to have to pull me off the course before I would willingly quit.
By KM 30 my dad had caught up to me (he was also racing). We sped walk the last 10ish km and ran on every downhill. We were close to the finish line and could hear the music and crowds going wild. We were so close but it all felt so far away.
The finish line:
We had finally made it into the village area. I tried to jog but I could barely sustain it, even with everyone cheering me on. I made the last turn and there it was, the finish line. Suddenly any pain in my body had disappeared. After over 16 hours I had finally made it to the runway of the finish line.
Everyone was cheering for me.
One person stuck out their hand to high five me, and the next thing I knew everyone was doing the same. Running down that finish shoot was Euphoric, a culmination of raw emotion and exhaustion. Cameras are flashing everywhere to capture your golden moment and the announcer tells everyone your name. I crossed that finish line, and for the first time in over 16.5 hours, I could finally stop moving.
Crossing that finish line is an experience that I will never forget. It makes all the hardships endured completely worth it. I believe that it will be a source of inspiration for the rest of my life; if I can make it through an Ironman, what can’t I do?
-Taylor Nystad
Catching up with the Yogalife Crew: SUP Yoga and BBQ Carnival
This past Sunday, the Yogalife crew got together for a little fun in the sun to wrap up this amazing summer we've had in YEG. We started off the afternoon with SUP (Stand Up Paddleboard) Yoga on Lake Summerside with Waterman5. We learned a little about the background of SUP, practiced on land, and then it was off on our boards to play! The sun peeked out from behind the clouds, warming our backs and the water. We posed and flowed and found out you can do quite a lot on a SUP board—so long as you're not afraid to fall... we even discovered that some of our yogis just may have been surfers in their past lives as they took to the water like fish!
(If you want to give SUP Yoga a try, Waterman5 runs classes at Lake Summerside with Yogalife Instructor Kasandra Bracken and Karma Instructor Chris Shewchuk. This season ends soon—call 780-497-7558 or email programs-ssra@shaw.ca for more info!)
After drying off, our Studio Director Lindsey Park hosted us for a BBQ and mini-Carnival. We uncovered some of our yogis' more competitive sides with games like Plinko, the Potty Toss, and Ladder Ball.
With pay-a-play action, we raised $357.50 for the Stollery Children's Hospital Foundation.
Nice work, Yogalife crew!
All bets were off when it came time to eat, as we shared burgers (veggie too, of course!), and tasty contributions from our creative crew.
A big thanks to Lindsey (and family!) for hosting, to Sara for organizing, to Dean for taking photos, and to our team for being all-around awesome and up for anything. Big love to you, crew <3
Foundation Friday: Anjaneyasana
This post is an instalment in a series that delves into the basics of yoga—looking at its postures (asana), breath (pranayama), philosophy, and all the other essentials—giving you the foundations upon which to build a solid practice. Today's focus will be on Anjaneyasana, or Crescent Lunge Pose.
Foundation Friday: Anjaneyasana
Pose, or Asana "Crescent Lunge Pose" ahn-jahn-eh-yass-a-nah
Anjaneyasana, or Crescent Lunge Pose is a posture you'll find in nearly every yoga class. You might find yourself in an Anjaneyasana variation with your back knee lifted or lowered, toes tucked under or not, perhaps in a slight back bend, or with your arms reaching back like you're a runner about to leap off your starting block. Lunges strengthen and stretch the feet, legs, hips, core, back, and even the shoulders and arms—this posture gets your whole body involved!
Anjaneyasana may help…
- Relieve symptoms of sciatica
- Build stabilizing muscles in your legs
- Open through your hips, shoulders, groin, armpits, and neck
- Strengthen your thighs, calves, arches, back, shoulders, and arms
So, how do I get there?
- From Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward Facing Dog), step your right foot up in between your hands. Or, from Tadasana (Mountain Pose), bend your knees and take a long step back with your left leg. Ensure your legs are hip-distance apart.
- Lunge into your front leg—bend your front knee to a 90-degree angle, while ensuring your stance is long enough that your front ankle lines up directly underneath your knee.
- Choose to lower your back knee (low lunge), or keep it lifted (high lunge). *If lowering your back knee bothers your knee joint, you can place a foam composite block underneath that knee, or fold your mat over to offer the joint extra padding.
- Press your front foot down strongly to lift your torso so that it's vertical, stacking your shoulders over your hips.
- Squeeze your inner thighs towards each other to press your right hip back and your left hip forward, so your hips are square.
- Root your tailbone, but lengthen up throughout your spine to the crown of your head.
- Reach your arms skyward, slide your shoulders back and down your spine, and fan your fingers out wide.
We hope this helps you better anjaneyasana, or crescent lunge pose. Please feel free to comment on our Facebook with any further questions. And let us know if you have something you would like to see featured in Foundation Friday!
Brandon's Final Words
Brandon's final classes were today, Saturday, August 16, 2014. He felt compelled to write one last thank-you to the Yogalife community.
Gratitude.
I am thankful that Yogalife was the very first studio that I was able to teach at. It’s actually the only studio I have taught at so far. I am thankful that a chance was taken on me, even though I was very early in my teaching career. I am thankful for you, all of the students, who have generously allowed me to guide you, share with you, and grow with you. Even share a quote or two. I am thankful for all of the knowledge I have gained over the past two years.
I am thankful for all of your support.
For attending my classes so diligently. For following me to the North Studio when I would teach there. For coming to my Warriors of Change and Art of Massage Workshops. For joining my wife and I in Nicaragua.
I am thankful for your trust.
Thank you for trusting me enough to feel as though I had something to offer you. My hope is that I have helped even one of you in your journey through yoga and life. Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to be even a small part in all of it.
I poured my heart and soul into this studio and everything I was involved in, and I promise to continue to do that for the yoga community.
If you want to connect with me, or find out where I end up and what I am up to, please follow me on Facebook at Brandon Jacobs Yoga.
“Letting go and moving on means to come to the realization that some people and some places are a part of your history, but not a part of your destiny.”
Highest Regards,
Brandon
Foundation Friday: Pada Bandha
This post is an instalment in a series that delves into the basics of yoga—looking at its postures (asana), breath (pranayama), philosophy, and all the other essentials—giving you the foundations upon which to build a solid practice. This post focuses on one of the "bandhas", or "locks"—in what might be our most literal "Foundation" Friday yet!
Foundation Friday: Pada Bandha
Lock, or Seal ("Bandha") Foot Lock, or “Pada Bandha” pah-dah bahn-dah
First off—what is a bandha?
The sanskrit word "bandha" translates to lock, seal, or closure. During asana (postural) or pranayama (breath work) practice, bandhas help to energetically "lock" in energy and prana (life force), consciously sealing it inside of our bodies so that it can aid us in our practice. There are three main internal bandhas, one "mother" bandha, and two stabilizing, grounding bandhas—pada bandha, as we'll look at today, is of the stabilizing, foundational variety.
What then, is pada bandha?
Pada, in sanskrit, means "foot"—so pada bandha, is then a "foot lock," or "foot seal." It is a sealing of your connection—or a rooting—with the earth beneath you. It is a solid foundation upon which you can balance. It's a way to get acquainted with all the tiny, underused muscles in your feet (all twenty of them!).
Pada bandha may help…
- You to feel more energized by "locking" your energy in
- Give a sensation of "grounding" while simultaneously lifting (may aid in anxiety or depression)
- Protect your knees
- Support your balance
- Alleviate problems with fallen arches
- Strengthen your legs
- Activate mula bandha (more on that to come!)
So, how do I get there?
- Take a good look at the bottom of your foot.... get really up close and personal! Notice its curvatures, and its raised and recessed areas. Thank them for all the work they do—these feet are what support you, day in and day out!
- Find the four corners of the sole of one foot—the mound of your big toe and pinky toe, and your inner and outer heel. From standing, place your foot down on an even surface and press each of those four corners down evenly.
- Pick up all five of your toes and spread them away from your foot and as far apart from each other as you can.
- While still pressing down through your "four corners," and with your toes lifted, draw, or squeeze the ball of your big toe mound towards your inner heel, and your inner heel towards the mound of your big toe in a way that lifts your arch. Without releasing through the inner edge, do the same with the mound of your pinky toe, and your outer heel. Perhaps you might notice your ankle lift slightly, or feel like you can draw the strength of your feet up your whole leg.
- Keeping all of the engagement you found in Step 4, place your toes back down—one at a time if you can—still spread widely, almost as if you had webbed feet, or spacers in between your toes (this is what we like to call "yogi toes!").
- Do the same with your other foot.
We hope this helps you better understand the concept of pada bandha. Please feel free to comment on our Facebook with any further questions. And let us know if you have something you would like to see featured in Foundation Friday!
Brittany's Final Words
Brittany's final classes at Yogalife Studios Edmonton were on Sunday August 10, 2014. She wished to say a few words as her parting gift to the Yogalife community.
Yogalife was one of the first studios that welcomed me in my infancy as a yoga teacher. I was so willing and excited to play a role in the growing community and taught a lot that first summer. So much has shifted since I began teaching at the studio over 3 years ago. Not only have I witnessed the growth of the community and studentship at Yogalife, but within our city as a whole.
We are truly so lucky to have such committed students and teachers of this practice just within our beloved Edmonton.
I’ve been lucky enough to have had such fun, inspired and lively people in my classes at Yogalife. It would not have been such a memorable and enriching experience if not for the students. From putting holes in the walls in Power Upside Down to bringing us chocolate covered bacon, or even giving me (the yogi on the bus) a lift to the train after class. I’ve laughed so hard, felt so loved, so appreciated and so very inspired by everyone I’ve had the privilege of meeting in my time here.
Teaching the Tuesday night hot flow class has become one of my favourite teaching memories.
That class was truly unique from week to week, and I always loved showing up to that class knowing you would be making wild animal sounds, dancing in the dark, doing ridiculous amounts of core and purely delighting in your practices. I always felt uplifted after teaching that class, and for that, I am forever grateful.
Thank you for allowing me to be but a small piece of your practice these last few years. Words are not even close to being able to express the love I feel for this community. If you would like to reconnect, please follow my Facebook page, Yogi on the Bus.
I whole heartedly welcome the notion of crossing paths with each of you again one day.
In Love and High Spirit,
Brittany
Sean and Keia's Upcoming Retreat: Video
Have you met these two? After getting to know these loving goofballs throughout this video, it's pretty tough to pass up on an opportunity to go on their upcoming retreat this September in Golden, B.C. Yes, there will be plenty of silliness, but time for serious stuff and stillness, too.
Check out their video, enjoy all of the bloopers (there are many!), and if these two speak to you, head on over to our Retreats page to learn more or sign up for some sweet time away!
Embrace the Spirit from Within with Sean and Keia on Vimeo
Embrace the Spirit from Within runs Wednesday Sept. 24th-Sunday Sept. 29th at the Quantum Leaps retreat centre in Golden, B.C. Visit our Retreats page for more details, or send us an email with your questions.
Foundation Friday: Downward Facing Dog
This post is an instalment in a series that delves into the basics of yoga—looking at its postures (asana), breath (pranayama), philosophy, and all the other essentials—giving you the foundations upon which to build a solid practice. This post focuses on the ubiquitous downward facing dog.
Foundation Friday: Downward Facing Dog
Pose, or "Asana" Downward Facing Dog, or “Adho Mukha Svanasana” odd-oh mook-ah shvah-nass-ah-nah (not to be confused with savasana)
Why do we practice downward facing dog?
Downward dog is probably one of the most prevalent of all yoga postures. Though it may not feel like one when you first begin practicing, downward facing dog is actually a resting pose, and is often offered as a break between sequences, or as a starting and finishing point in a flow, or vinyasa. This pose will likely be taught in your first-ever beginner's class, and will carry you through as you advance your practice—downward dog is a quintessential pose, so it's important to get your alignment, er... down!
Downward dog may help…
- Calm the mind, relieving stress and mild depression
- Energize your body
- Stretch your shoulders, hamstrings, calves, arches, and hands
- Strengthen your arms and legs, which acclimatizing you to weight-bearing in your arms
- Improve digestion
- Offer relief for sinus pain, headaches, insomnia, back pain, and fatigue
- Ease conditions of menopause, high blood pressure, asthma, flat feet, and sciatica, and prevent osteoporosis
Traditional Chinese Medicine and acupuncture tend to favour Downward Facing Dog for its activation and extension of the Bladder Channel, the longest channel in the body. According to their perspective, elongating the spine throughout this posture aids in strengthening immunity, among a host of other benefits.
How do I get there?
- Start from a table top position, on your hands and knees. Place your hands slightly wider than shoulder distance apart and spread your fingers wide.
- Turn your hands so that the space between your pointer finger and your middle finger points to the top of your mat.
- Press down through the four corners of your hands, especially the mound of your thumb and pointer finger, while gripping your mat with your fingertips.
- Tuck your toes under, and press your hips up so that your body looks like an inverted pyramid from the side.
- Squeeze your forearms towards each other, and roll your upper arms away from each other.
- Ensuring your feet are hip-distance apart, take a soft bend into your knees and press your heart back towards your thighs.
- Roll your inner thighs back and wide behind you.
- Tilt your sitting bones skyward, and draw your tummy in towards your spine.
- Hug your shins towards each other, and press your heels down towards your mat (but it's okay if they don't touch!)
- Look between your feet, shins, thighs, or upwards at your belly.
If this position is uncomfortable, you can:
- Place your hands on blocks if your shoulders are quite tight
- Prop a towel, rolled mat, or some small sort of padding underneath your palms to alleviate pressure on your wrists
- Take a bigger bend into your knees if your legs are tight
- Support your head with a bolster or a block
- Or, start from standing with a wall or chair in front of you, then bend at your waist and press your palms into a wall or chair instead of the floor. Progress by walking your hands lower towards the earth as the posture becomes more accessible.
We hope this helps you better understand the concept of downward facing dog. Please feel free to comment on our Facebook with any further questions. And let us know if you have something you would like to see featured in Foundation Friday!
We Are Not Here to "Fix" Each Other
Adapted from Kate Bartolotaon
“If the world were merely seductive, that would be easy. If it were merely challenging, that would be no problem. But I arise in the morning torn between a desire to improve the world and a desire to enjoy the world. This makes it hard to plan the day.” ~ E.B. White
Most mornings as I wake up, a large part of my heart longs to save the world, to heal hurts, to fix people where they are broken.
Maybe I'm too sensitive. I think I was absent the day they taught how to do that whole “close your heart off” thing because I don’t seem to be able to do it.
When I was a child, I hated being in crowded places; being near so many people dealing with difficult emotions overwhelmed me. I was much happier curled up with a book.
As I got older, I found ways to deal with it, to deal with all of the emotions bouncing around from people, to deal with all of the anger, the sadness, the pain in the world. I drank. Experimented with drugs. And even used simpler things to push it away, to distance myself, to not feel all of the world’s pain. I needed to stop seeing it because the fact that I couldn't fix it hurt so much.
As I grew up, I sought out careers instinctively that afforded me the opportunity to help others. I taught. Volunteered in an AIDS hospice. Worked with Habitat for Humanity, Oxfam, Foodshare. Used my spare time from my jobs that paid the bills to do work that made a difference. Yet, it never seemed like enough; that drive to fix things was still there like a permanent ache in my chest.
When my vocation shifted toward health and healing and I entered massage school, I realized something striking and nearly quit. As I would touch people, I’d feel where they were hurting and it took my breath away. I could feel their brokenness stuck in their elbows that wanted to hug tightly to their sides. I could feel the shame in the small of their backs. I could feel the profound sadness stuck in their shoulders, tears that needed to melt away and be shed.
I didn’t think I could take it. How could I work on people day in and day out and feel their pain, yet live with the fact that I could never completely fix it?
It’s taken me years to realize this one true thing: We are not here to fix each other.
Recently, I was giving a friend an impromptu acupressure session. I would get to a spot on each of his arms, and the deep sadness I felt there made me get choked up and want to pull away. At the same time, it made me want to solve it, fix it, tell him why life was beautiful. Tell him not to be so sad. We talked about it, and he acknowledged what I noticed. I fumbled for something to say or do that would make it go away. Seeing someone I care about experience pain ripped me up inside, and I wanted to make it better.
But I couldn’t. I can’t. And more importantly, I shouldn’t. It isn’t for me to do.
We look at the drive to save the world as something noble or heroic, and maybe it is to a certain extent. We look at the idea of Tikkun Olam, or healing the world, and set out on a quest to save the world, but I think we often get it wrong.
I’ve been getting it wrong for years.
If I look at you and see your sadness, I can’t cover it or make it go away. I cannot fix you. There is no magical Utopia where everyone is happy and whole. But that isn’t the end of the story. This is the place where cynics give up hope and decide that all is futile.
But I’m not a cynic. I believe we are hard-wired to care for each other. It’s why we are here: If there was a place to get to where everyone was happy and whole, we’d stop making art. There would be no music. There would be nothing left to write about. It would be a flat, expressionless existence instead of the one precious life we have.
The struggle is where we find the beauty.
People aren’t problems to solve. It’s not my job to fix anyone, but to love them. The heart can stretch to hold all things - even the difficult things. When it breaks, the point is not to reach out to each other and patch it closed again, but instead to fill each other. We don’t need to pretend each other’s darkness doesn’t exist or push it away.
And so I’m done. I surrender. I’ll say to the world:
I am not a hero; I cannot fix you. I am not strong; I cannot save you. I am weak; I cannot melt the frozen, broken places in you. I am insufficient; I cannot heal your pain. But I have hope, because I can do much more than that.
I can love you.
We need to seek out people who do not want to fix us. We need to seek out those who want to love us unconditionally while we fix ourselves.
Self-Love Revolution!!! Eliminate This Word From Your Vocbulary!
These are statements we often hear throughout the year from friends and family:
I should attend that function tonight.
I should feel more excited to see my partner.
I should feel happier over the holidays.
I should spend more time practicing mindfulness.
I should eat better foods.
You can probably discern the common word: should. As soon as a "should statement," is made, it signals that someone is suffering from an externally imposed expectation, and inevitably comparing her or himself to a cultural ideal of "good" or "right" behavior.
Let's take the statement: I should feel more excited to see my partner. We carry a cultural idea that says that if you're away from your partner and not pining for him or her, it's an indication that something is wrong or missing from the relationship. Our minds then go to: I'm not in love enough, or I'm with the wrong person, and the anxious spiral begins.
But you can see that the anxiety originates from a "should" statement, which, again, in an indicator that you're holding yourself to an external standard of "right" feelings or behaviour. There are no right feelings in relationships; there is only what works for the two of you.
Let's explore another "should" statement: I should spend more time practicing mindfulness. While mindfulness is proven to increase well-being, if you're practicing mindfulness because you "should" do it and not because you truly want to do it, you'll quickly find the practice dwindling away into a sea of self-created resentment as you resist what's good for you because you now feel controlled by your own externally imposed requirements for being a "better" person!
Since so many people grew up listening to a litany of rules, when the word "should" infiltrates into your own running commentary, you will likely respond to yourself the same way you responded to your well-meaning caregivers and authority figures: with resistance (since no one want to feel controlled).
And yet another "should" statement: I should attend that function tonight. A few weeks ago, a friend of mine was invited to a holiday function at her husband's company. She hadn't had a day off from work in weeks and she was exhausted, but she felt obligated to attend because she knew it was expected and her husband would feel disappointed if she declined. "I just want to go home and have a hot bath," she told me. "
So why don't you?" I asked. "That's clearly what you really want to do."
But her sense of should-derived guilt overrode her heart's desire and she ended up attending the event, then picking a fight with her husband on the way home (I imagine this sounds familiar to many of you). Since she wasn't able to find a way to attend with true good will, I'm sure her husband would have preferred to deal with his own disappointment rather than spend the evening with a wife who didn't want to be there.
Can you imagine how much more lovingly she would have received her husband when he returned home had she spent the evening lovingly attending to her own needs?
What's essential to understand is that actions derived from "shoulds" aren't loving to anyone.
Since my friend attended the function because she was trying to be a "good" wife, she was betraying not only herself but also her partner. Now, this isn't to say that there aren't times when we do need to assess the greater good and put our individual needs aside—especially in marriage—but when we repeatedly ignore our "inner no" to please others, the results are ultimately disastrous.
To heal from the addiction to should, start to notice how often the word populates your self-talk, and then notice how you feel inside when you fall prey to believing the should statement. When you hear the word should, ask, What would be most loving to myself and others right now?
Then listen closely for the answer.
How Yoga Broke Me Open - And Revealed a Beautiful Mess
They say there’s beauty in chaos.
When some people look at a Jackson Pollock work, they see pandemonium. It might seem like a turbulent, splattered mess of paint. It might even throw off your equilibrium.
Just think what a great ad it would make for a yoga studio:
“Two Weeks Of Unlimited Yoga! Come Untangle Your Hideous Guts For Only $40! It's unlimited!”
I find it weirdly comforting, this abstract expression of mental instability, overwhelming fear, sadness and alcoholism. All of which many have experienced (remember, that you are NOT alone). It’s a dance with the devil, a sexy mess of paint and emotions run amok and pain. It’s mass hysteria.
There’s honesty there. And the truth can break your heart, more so than a photo of a hot yoga chick posing on a desert rock while the warm wind is giving lift to layers of bedazzled chiffon. Those photos are gorgeous, but I just can’t relate… I’m pretty much never in Virabhadrasana III in a pasture, with a majestic sky behind me. At sunrise. Hair flowing, like a river.
It just ain’t that pretty sometimes.
We all have a dark side. We all wear masks.
The power of yoga can be just as intense and earth shaking, like a nervous breakdown. It comes in like a lion, roaring it’s head off, resistant, over-caffeinated and on the war path toward some Advil and an epsom salt bath after too many Chaturangas.
It’s more than being able to bend down and touch your toes. It’s better than a boatful of chocolate, and it rules the school, like a Pink Lady. It’s cunning, in a good way. It’ll break your neuroses down, kick ‘em around like a hacky sack and it’ll build you back up. And in that vulnerable space in between, that’s when things really start to get interesting.
At first, you’re thinking: why am I so oversensitive lately? What is going on here? I thought yoga was supposed to be funner…can’t I just get high?
Before long: This sucks! Where did I go wrong in life? And right before the breakthrough: F*?$! I hate doing stuff that’s good for me! How late is that hot dog truck outside open? But there’s a method to the madness. Yoga will incessantly nag you and nag you and nag you, until you realize you’re happier, more connected to others and less of a maniacal, self-centered freak.
After a lifetime of always being on the outside looking in, I can tell you that before long, if you stick with your practice, something starts to shift.
It can be subtle. Picture yourself on your mat, breathing and sweating for at least an hour. By the time you’re in your hip opener, you’re bowing your head down toward something you really don’t understand, but you know it’s there, inside and all around. Somewhere, in a place between heaven and earth, there’s a sweet ocean of liquid light moving with you and through you. Beckoned by the moon, that ocean tide rises and falls and tangos with the watery gods. And yoga goes out like a lamb.
The pose is never just a pose, just like it’s not just paint drippings, now is it? There’s always a bigger picture.
Ask anyone who’s taken a Rorschach Test or has been in a deep conversation with someone with a Psychology Degree.
There are those awful parts inside all of us that are probably much better off buried in an unmarked grave, where they belong. Sometimes it’s just too scary and confrontational to deal with. Cry over it, shake your fist in the air, have a good old-fashioned temper tantrum. And in the end, embrace it. There’s nothing to be afraid of, really. Look up. There’s a spectacular view from that precarious perch where you can let yourself fall apart, and ultimately find yourself.
I remember the words of my teacher: practice no matter what.
For those of you who have experienced this, I imagine you remember exactly where you were in that moment. The moment, between the gap, when you felt the shift.
In 2006, Jackson Pollock’s No. 5, 1948 sold for $140,000,000. Count the zeros. That makes it the most expensive painting in the world. Damn, it pays to let it all bleed.
We are almost into February. New Years and those brand new resolutions are gone. Let go of regret and all those bad decisions. Be vulnerable, get down and get dirty. Don’t worry, the practice will pick you up and put you back together. There’s real, unshakable love out there.
Tell the people in your life how much you love them. Go crazy, run through the sprinklers, laugh like a maniac and be willing to make mistakes, tons of them. That’s what makes the masterpiece.
How Being Mindful Can Help You Stick With Your Goals or Resolutions
Adapted from Angela Mulholland from CTVNews.ca.
If New Year’s resolutions are notorious for one thing it’s that they’re easy to break. Our resolve to eat healthier gets thrown by the wayside when we are stressed by work or home life. Our plans to go for more walks are pushed aside when more important matters compete for our time. Ahhh, time.
It's always about not having enough time. Some days I imagine that is entirely true. Most other days it's the easy excuse, especially since we all are allotted the same number of hours in a day.
Of course children, shift work, family, etc. may get in the way. However, taking more time for yourself isn't selfish. Again, it is NOT selfish. You need to love yourself enough to realize that you can take even an hour for yourself in a day.
If you are always giving to others and do not receive in like kind (or even close to it), eventually your mind and body cannot keep up.
Often by the time March 1 rolls around (or February 1st - and it has been stated that after just one week, 20% of people have already given up on their "resolution") - we’re left wondering how we’ve managed to fall back into our old habits.
Breaking habits is never easy because, by their nature, they are ingrained in us until they have become automatic reflexes. It’s easy to mindlessly reach for snacks when we're bored, or sit down after dinner rather than go for a walk if that‘s how we‘ve done things for years. My wife and I just recently watched the following documentary on Doc Zone - (http://www.cbc.ca/doczone/episodes/slaves-to-habit). If you have some time, it has some interesting insights on habits/addiction. Three main people are sited: habitual eaters, habitual smokers, and habitual shoppers. All groups are border-lining on possible addiction.
Perhaps the key to ending unhealthy habits is developing a skill called mindfulness.
What exactly is mindfulness?
To psychologists, mindfulness means being fully aware of what is happening at this very moment. One of the ways of maintaining this awareness is through mindful meditation, or mindful practicing (of which our studio offers a quite a few classes).
In practical terms, mindfulness meditation involves sitting quietly and focusing the mind on one thing -- often the feel or sound of one’s breath. Then, as thoughts enter the mind, the idea is to take notice of the thoughts but not react to them; simply return the focus to the breath.
On the surface, it’s a simple technique; but it’s a skill that takes time to learn. Yet once mastered, mindfulness can have powerful effects, as a growing number of studies show.
Research over the last several years has found mindfulness meditation can help with depression by turning off the negative self-talk that often starts the spiral into deeper depression. Other studies have shown it can help with chronic pain and anxiety disorders.
Those who regularly practise mindfulness say it does more than just relax them during the meditation itself; over time, they begin transferring the mindfulness technique of “quieting the mind” into their thought processes throughout the day.
Sarah Housser is a psychotherapist who teaches mindfulness techniques to those with depression and anxiety at The Mindfulness Clinic in Toronto. "People often ask, 'Okay, I'm going to follow my breath and then that's supposed to make me less depressed? What's the connection?'" She explains that mindfulness forces us to be aware of what’s happening right now, to fully experience the moment -- and not judge it.
While that sounds simple enough, it’s not easy to do, particularly when our minds are used to multitasking or focusing on several things at once.
"Usually, our minds are worrying about the future or the past, or criticizing something or wanting something or judging something," she says. "But what that means is we’re not really awake to the moments of our life. We’re just getting ready for the next thing. Instead of enjoying what we're eating, for example, we're thinking about what we're going to do after we eat. And we miss a lot.”
By focusing only on this moment right now, Housser says it gives our minds a chance to take a break and reset themselves.
"It's like de-fragmenting the computer or tuning an instrument; it just kind of settles you back to something that is more real -- so that those moments carry on,” she says.
Ending negative self-talk often key
Mindfulness also urges us not to react to thoughts that enter the mind during a meditation. When thoughts begin to creep in and distract, instead of getting irritated, the idea is to simply notice the thoughts, send them away gently and re-focus on the breath.
With enough practice, this ability not to judge or react to intruding thoughts becomes a habit in itself.
Housser explains that many of us, especially those with depression or anxiety, have a loop of negative self-talk playing in our heads -- even when many of the worries are neither helpful nor even true. PLEASE remember, it does not have to be PERFECT. There are glimmers of perfection in everything, but your changes should not, and cannot be in pursuit of perfection. Since we are always in progress of growing and changing, there is really no endpoint (much like your yoga practice). So give yourself a break!
"So mindfulness is a way to come back. We can say to ourselves, 'You don't need to fix everything'," she says.
"The concept I like to think about is that the mind is going to pump thoughts the way the heart pumps blood. We can't stop our thoughts. We just don't need to take all of them so seriously. They're just thoughts and they're constantly changing."
Learning to use mindfulness to slow the mind, to take notice and appreciate each moment, and to recalibrate when we are over-reacting to thoughts are all skills that can take a little time to master, Housser says.
Self-awareness as a way to shift habits
When it comes to New Year’s resolutions -- which are often about habits -- the first step is awareness of our habits and what compels us to slip back into them (again, watch the Doc Zone) . The next step is convincing ourselves to resist that urge.
Housser says mindfulness can help with both.
“People can use mindfulness as a way to shift habits because what you're learning is the ability to notice a sensation or a desire, and to just sit with those sensations without reacting to them. If you just sit with the sensations long enough, they will pass,” she says. I have heard it is for as little as 5 minutes, but again, the documentary goes even further.
Mindfulness can also help when we fall off the resolution wagon by reminding us not to beat ourselves up over our misstep and by renewing the resolve to try again. A key principle of mindfulness meditation involves acceptance. When the mind wanders during a meditation, the key is to accept that it will. As Housser says, that’s just what the mind does -- just as the heart pumps blood.
“Instead of judging yourself, the instruction is just to bring yourself back to the present. The same is true with making goals for change,” she says.
“You can try and promise to go the gym more often. But if you find after a time that you've fallen away, you can just start again if you let go of the judging story of: 'Oh God, here I go again, failing at this.' Instead you can say: ‘Okay, I've kind of lost my way with my goal. But I can just begin again,’ ” she says.
“What you'll find is what you get is more time. If you’re really awake moment to moment, you get to have each moment of your life instead of missing most of them.
“It’s about waking up to your life.”
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