Living a Yoga Life - Being Present

It took me a long time to understand that one can practice elements of yoga off the mat. It's not just about exercising and breathing for an hour, and then lying down on the mat for a nap (although that's pretty awesome). I'm learning to implement elements of yoga in my everyday life, and to help others understand what it means to live a yoga lifestyle, I'll share an experience I had in the last couple of weeks.

For my Yoga IV class, I get to read the text, Yoga: The Spirit and Practice of Moving Into Stillness by Erich Schiffmann (affiliate). In the beginning of chapter one, there's a line that reads, "When you are not wholehearted, when you'd rather be someplace other than where you are, parts of you shut down and begin not to participate." In application to my regular life, I noted that on the days I'm home with Lincoln, without the interruption of work, school, or other obligations, I have a hard time sitting with him playing for 12 hours. It's a loooooong day. We butt heads and I don't get a moment's peace. I sit on the floor with him and just wish away the time until he goes to bed. I love him, and I'm so grateful to be his mom and have so much time with him, but playing with a two-year-old all day is sometimes super boring and exhausting.

So I experimented with something after reading this chapter from Schiffman. I sat with Lincoln and told him a timer would sound in a little while (usually 20-30 minute increments). When we heard it, I'd take a break from playing with him. My break might consist of taking a shower, brushing my teeth, doing homework, working from home, or just sitting on the couch and not allowing myself to be bossed around for a few minutes. We kept it up for most of the morning, and by afternoon Lincoln could no longer handle the timer dictating our interactions (which is understandable since he's two). Giving myself those guidelines helped me be present during the time I was spending with my son. It helped knowing we were putting limits on how much time we'd be together, and how much time I'd have "on my own" (which I put in quotes because there were times I was trying to work and he'd stand at my side repeatedly asking when the timer would beep so we'd play together again).

Being present in the moment can be difficult for me. There's so much going on in my head; school and work assignments, church responsibilities, ideas for the yoga community I'm nurturing, family responsibilities and so much more. I have lists and a planner and notifications in my phone to remind me of all the things I aspire to do in a day... and I get distracted by those tasks looming before me. That affects the quality of my attention for the task I'm actually involved in.

So this little exercise gave me an opportunity to be present. To forget, for twenty minutes at a time, about what was next on my list. I hope it will continue to work in some form for me, and that perhaps the transitions will be more organic in the future (i.e. I won't need a timer to tell me to stop and move on to the next thing).

Self-Practice Journal, Week 2

For one of my RYT classes this semester, I'm required to keep a weekly self-practice journal. This is for yoga practices I do on my own, not guided in a studio, gym, or via video. Each week I'll have a post that details at least three of my self-practices.

Week 2
Practice 1
Date: January 21, 9a-10a
Intention: Practice for the class I'd be teaching later in the day (for Practicum hours). I wanted to feel confident and prepared and ensure the sequencing made sense. I knew I'd probably end up improvising based on the requests of the students, so I kept my outline basic and beginner.
Content:
Seated warm ups: shoulder rolls, gathering up the breath with the arms, gentle seated twists and folds over the crossed legs (each way), cat-cow, and downward dog with the knees bent, pedaling the feet.
Sun Salutations A & B with variations // Surya Namaskar A & B
Warrior II // Virabhadrasana II
Reverse Warrior // Viparita Virabhadrasana
Pyramid // Parsvottanasana
Revolved Triangle // Parivrrta Trikonasana
Pigeon // Kappottasana
Prone arm stretch
Supine spinal twists
Happy baby pose // Ananda Balasana
Seated Eagle variation on the back // Supta Garudasana
Reclining Hand-to-Big-Toe Pose // Supta Padangusthasana
Savasana - Read the linked quote HERE

Reflection: I'm nervous to teach again, since it's been such a long time. But I think I have a group of poses that will offer a lot of options for those who attend my class today. I know most of them say they're at a beginner level, so I want to be sure they feel challenged but not overwhelmed. Additionally, if they have specific requests, I'll be able to use some of the poses as jumping off points for variations or other poses that meet those needs. I also deliberately have a longer Savasana planned (than I would have done in the past when I taught regularly) and I hope it's well-received.

Practice 2
Date: January 22, 945p-10:05p
Intention: Relieve neck tension from shoveling snow
Content:
Seated warm ups: butterfly arms, bow and arrow, lateral stretches, neck rolls, shoulder rolls.
Cat-Cow // Durga-go
Downward Facing Dog // Adho Mukha Svasasana
Plank // Chaturanga
Chaturanga Dandasana
Bow Pose // Dhanurasana
Child's Pose // Balasana
Hare Pose // Shashankasana
(Repeated the above three times)
Downward Facing Dog // Adho Mukha Svasasana
Warrior I // Virabhadrasana I
Plank // Chaturanga
Chaturanga Dandasana
Bow Pose // Dhanurasana
Child's Pose // Balasana
Hare Pose // Shashankasana

(Repeated the above three times)
Prone arm stretch (arms to a T)
Supine Hand-to-Toe Pose // Supta Padangusthasana
Happy Baby // Ananda Balasana
Supine spinal twists
Savasana
Revisited the seated warm ups to check in with the neck.
Reflection: Sometimes my natural tendency is to avoid movement if I'm sore from some activity. I don't want to feel the discomfort leftover from the hard work I previously did! But tonight I knew I'd feel better if I focused on my neck. Building up heat in the body and going from Bow to Hare was really good for my neck and upper back muscles. It helped work out the kinks and soreness I'd been holding onto since yesterday. It was worth taking the 15-20 minutes even though I was ready for bed!

Practice 3
Date: January 23, 9:50p-10:20p
Intention: Prepare for a LovingKindness meditation
Content: Kneeling Moon Salutation, Meditation
Seated warm up: shoulder rolls, neck rolls, lifting arms with the breath.
Kneeling Prayer Pose // like an elevated Virasana
Kneeling Back Arch
Extended Child's Pose // Utthita Balasana
Extended Cat Pose // Utthita Marjaryasana
Downward Facing Dog // Adho Mukha Svanasana
Extended Cat Pose // Utthita Marjaryasana
Extended Child's Pose // Utthita Balasana
Kneeling Back Arch
Kneeling Prayer //
Repeated the above twice, three breaths per pose. On third round, substituted Camel Pose for Kneeling Back Arch.
Child's Pose // Balasana
Seated Spinal Twists
Seated Bound Angle Pose // Baddha Konasana
Spinal Rolls
Waterfall Pose // Viparita Karani
Supine Spinal Twists
Knees to chest
Savasana
Loving Kindness Meditation from Grow Well 
Reflection: I want to continue to grow familiar with the concept of Moon Salutations. It's not what I usually practice, and the cycle appeals to me. This kneeling series (from The Yoga Bible) always feels restorative to me. It was good prep for the LovingKindness meditation.

Self-Practice Journal, Week 1

For one of my RYT classes this semester, I'm required to keep a weekly self-practice journal. This is for yoga practices I do on my own, not guided in a studio, gym, or via video. Each week I'll have a post that details at least three of my self-practices.

Week 1
Practice 1
Date: Friday, January 13 9:40p-9:55p
Intention: CALM MY BRAIN

Content: Meditation, Kneeling Moon Salutation
-Started seated on a bolster to find the breath
-Seated: neck rolls, shoulder rolls, bow and arrow (arms), gentle spinal twists
-Kneeling Prayer Pose // Anjali Mudra
-Kneeling Back Bend // Ardha Ustrasana
-Extended Child's Pose // Balasana
-Stationary Cat Pose // Marjaryasana
-Downward Dog // Adho Mukha Svanasana
-Stationary Cat Pose // Marjaryasana
-Extended Child's Pose // Balasana
-Kneeling Back Bend // Ardha Ustrasana
-Kneeling Prayer Pose // Anjali Mudra
-Supine Waterfall Pose // Viparita Karani
-Happy Baby Pose // Ananda Balasana
-Supine Bound Angle Pose // Supta Baddha Konasana
-Supine Spinal Twists
-Corpse Pose // Savasana

Reflection: I'd been stressed all day. My youngest was very needy, even when his sister came home from school and two playmates joined us. He just wanted me to watch everything he was doing and listen to everything he said... for 11 hours. I needed quality me-time at the end of the day, and also wanted to help put myself in a good state for going to bed. I've been having trouble falling asleep this week so I planned a Moon Salutation series to help calm my brain and my body.

I enjoyed moving and playing around with the poses. I didn't force myself to stick with the outline I designed, and I let my body move a little differently (like from Cat to Cow, or from Cat to lateral side bends) each time through the Moon Salutation.

The best part was Savasana. The clothes dryer was rhythmically circling in the room next to me so I let the thumps become part of the meditation. I imagined a heart beat, calming and strong and steady. With a towel over my eyes and warm slippers on my feet, I was so relaxed. All the stress of catering to the demands of my minions melted away and I wanted to roll over and go to sleep on my mat. I spent about five minutes in Savasana before coming to a comfortable seated pose and allowing for a few more deep breaths, concluding my practice.

Practice 2
Date: Friday, January 16 7:51p-8:22p
Intention: Relieve sore muscles from practice on 14th (21st Yoga)
Content: Meditation, Standing Moon Salutation
Seated Warm ups: warming breath, forward folds, bow and arrow, gathering the breath, cat-cow pose, leg extensions from hands and knees, downward facing dog.
Mountain Pose // Tadasana
Standing Half Moon Pose // Urdhva Hastasana
Goddess Pose // Utkata Konasana
Star Pose
Triangle Pose // Trikonasana
Pyramid Pose // Parsvottanasna
Low Lunge // Anjaneyasana
Side Lunge
Squat // Malasana
other side
Side Lunge
Low Lunge // Anjaneyasana
Pyramid Pose // Parsvottanasana
Triangle Pose // Trikonasana
Star Pose
Goddess Pose // Utkata Konasana
Standing Half Moon Pose // Urdhva Hastasana
Mountain Pose // Tadasana
Janu Shirshasana
Baddha Konasana
Supine Spinal Twist
Savasana
5-minute guided meditation (via YouTube)


Reflection: I've been sore since the Power class I took on the night of the 14th, and wanted a gentle flow with lots of deep poses. The lunges, Goddess Pose, Triangle and Pyramid all gave me a chance to release the tension in my hips and thighs I had a result of that Power class. I haven't done a lot of Moon Salutations before now, and I enjoy using them for a short but effective practice. I like the cyclic flow. Being really new to deliberate meditations (beyond a few minutes in Savasana), I was worried it'd be difficult to sit still and focus for five minutes, even following a guided meditation. I was surprised the five minutes FLEW by and it was over before I expected. I love the opportunity to breathe more intentionally and do remind myself I'm capable of overcoming trials, both big and small. And thanks to the deep stretches in my Moon Salutations, my hips were ready to sit in meditation without complaint.

Practice 3
Date: Wednesday, January 18, 8:55p-9:15p
Intention: Open the shoulders
Content: Forward Fold variations (knees bent, twists)
Plank // Chaturanga
Cobra // Bhajungasana 
Child's Pose // Balasana
Cat-Cow Pose // Marjaryasana
Downward Facing Dog // Adho Mukha Svanasana
Hero's Pose // Virasana
Child's Pose // Balasana
Repeat with deeper variations
Supine Bound Angle Pose // Baddha Konasana
Savasana
 
Reflection: My shoulders tend to draw forward so this practice was intended to open them. I focused on opening the chest, and using my back muscles deliberately. It was rewarding to go deeper into Hero's Pose after a couple of rounds, reclining slightly, stretching my quads and chest. I always enjoy a few moments to focus on my shoulders and encourage better posture.

Avoiding Wrist Pain in Yoga - With Plank and Downward Facing Dog Variations

I have a few more suggestions today for taking unnecessary pain and pressure off the wrists in common yoga poses. Two poses I used to struggle with regularly are Plank // Chaturanga, and Downward Facing Dog // Adho Mukha Svanasana.

Pictured below are two uncomfortable versions of Plank. The body is swayed in one direction or another. This disrupts the flow of energy from the crown of the head to the heels, and that can actually affect how good or bad the pose feels. We don't want to block or lose our energy; we want to use it to be strong and balanced in a pose!

Shifting the body too far over the hands is another common misalignment in Plank. When we draw the head forward, more weight is put on the hands than the feet and that pressure is uncomfortable on the wrists. This is a transitional pose for moving from Plank to Low Plank // Chaturanga Dandasana, and is not meant to be held for extended periods of time.

To give the wrists a break, take a look at the photo below. It's not perfect, but it's a little more comfortable than those above. The weight is more evenly distributed between hands and toes, and there's a long line from the top of the head to the heels. I'm trying to get my body to look like an actual PLANK. When my weight isn't pressing too far forward over the hands, I'm able to work on lifting up away from the mat. All ten fingers are engaged and pressing into the mat, as if I could push off the mat and float into the air. Having that mindset can help this pose feel less heavy on the wrists. My heels are also actively pressing behind me, lengthening the legs and engaging the large muscles in the glutes and legs. I didn't include a photo, but Plank can be done with the knees on the mat instead of the toes, or even on the forearms and toes. These are great alternatives to allow the upper body strength to build up before doing Plank on hands and toes.

In Downward Facing Dog, common misalignment is found in the shoulders, hips and knees. If the shoulders aren't pressing back to allow a long line from the hands to the hips, we're putting extra weight on the wrists. If we don't keep the shoulder blades spread apart and the elbows rotated toward the ears, we're putting extra weight on the wrists.

If the tailbone isn't extending up toward the sky, we're putting extra weight on the wrists. If we're so focused on straight legs with heels touching the floor, we may be keeping the hips too far forward, putting extra weight on the wrists. Pictured below, you can see how far forward my upper body is, and the amount of pressure my wrists experience as a result.

When I'm in a more comfortable version of Downward Dog, I can actually lift the heels of my hands off the mat. Before I learned how to properly shift my weight, this pose hurt my wrists SO MUCH. It's called a resting posture, and is meant to be a place for catching the breath and regrouping in a sequence. But it NEVER felt like that to me. Then I learned more about it and how to make it work for my body!

I generally have tight calves, and that prevents me from connecting my heels to the mat in Downward Dog. I thought I had to make my heels touch, though, and I struggled. When I realized I could bend my knees as much as I wanted, it was a huge breakthrough for me. Bending my knees helped me lift my hips higher, which helped me lengthen my spine and drop my head and take weight off my wrists. Now I no longer dread Downward Dog.

These aren't the only ways to implement variations in poses, so if these tips don't help you find something that works for you, feel free to let me know. I'd love to explore other options and help you enjoy yoga!

Avoiding Wrist Pain in Yoga - With Upward Facing Dog Variations

I received a question in the Facebook group (Liv Namaste) about wrist pain during yoga, which is something I have personal experience with. When I first started doing yoga, my wrists hurt a LOT. Every pose that required me to be on my hands was uncomfortable.

In time, I learned it was largely related to my alignment as well as my strength. When our muscles aren't yet developed to provide enough strength to hold us in a pose, we often end up relying on our joints. We sink into the wrists, the shoulders, the hips, the knees, etc... and let those bones do the work for our muscles. So I had to work on accepting variations of poses and understanding that doing so didn't mean I wasn't good at yoga. It meant I was honoring my body and helping it take a step forward on my yoga journey.

Today I'm sharing a few pictures to show some alternatives to Upward Facing Dog // Urdhva Mukha Shvanasana to help relieve pain and fatigue in the wrists. These are great choices as you continue to develop upper body strength. Pictured above is Baby Cobra, or Bhujangasana. There's barely any pressure on the hands, and the lift comes from the abdominals. Pictured below is Sphinx, or Salamba Bhujangasana

Sphinx puts the weight in the forearms rather than directly on the wrists, and it's a great way to open the chest a little more without going into full Upward Facing Dog or full Cobra. Now, if you're ready for full Upward Facing Dog, that's great! Pictured below is uncomfortable vs comfortable alignment for it. In the top photo the shoulders are hunched, the back is dipping, the legs are heavy, and weight is pressing down on the hands. This puts stress in the wrists and doesn't feel good. In the lower of the two photos, notice the elongation of the neck, the space between the shoulders and the head. There's also a subtle, perhaps imperceptible shift of the chest; try drawing it forward without bringing the shoulders beyond the hands.

The goal of upward poses like this isn't to gaze up at the ceiling. These heart-openers are meant to draw the lines of energy through the chest, and allow the body to inhale. In a well-aligned Upward Facing Dog, there's lift out of the hands and and the tops of the feet. There's extension through the spine although there is a slight back bend. The thighs are lifted off the mat. Watch a dog do this stretch and you'll see it's about reaching the hind legs and creating length in the whole body.

Hopefully this helps you make adjustments. Don't be afraid to have someone snap a pic of you in a pose so you can be more aware of what you look like. Mirrors are great, but sometimes just turning our heads to see ourselves can change how we were actually holding the pose. Please let me know if you have more questions about these poses or others! I'll have more variations coming to the blog/Facebook group later this week.

Yoga for Beginners

A friend recently asked for advice regarding getting better at yoga. She was wondering how it can get easier for her, and how often she should do it. My response is based on my own experiences with yoga, as well as the training I'm undergoing for my 200-hour RYT certification.

As a beginner, it can feel overwhelming and exhausting to practice yoga. My first suggestion is to set a goal for how many times a week you'd like to do yoga, and not to worry about how often you think you should do it. For me, I have delayed onset muscle soreness (which basically means I feel sore TWO days after working out, and not the day immediately after), so doing an every-other-day schedule for my exercise works well. It means I can pay attention to the muscles that are telling me they're sore or tired and target them with specific yoga poses. But that's my maximum; I don't actually do yoga every other day because I'm lazy. And I took advantage of my winter break between semesters to focus on other things before school starts again and I have to do a lot more yoga. Right now I'm doing once practice a week for myself.

To get started, maybe you'd like to do one practice a week. That's awesome! To feel successful, find someone, or a video (mine coming soon, I promise!), or a gym, or studio that caters to beginners. Many facilities have schedules available online and make mention of whether or not a class is good for all levels. Or make it known that you're a beginner so the instructor can give you lots of options to help you feel comfortably challenged instead of frustrated.

I also recommend starting with the basics, like Sun Salutations or Moon Salutations. By themselves, they're a great warm up and workout. You don't have to do a long, complicated practice to benefit from yoga. Especially if you're just starting out! Get your body and mind familiar with the poses; learn the rhythm of your breath; find confidence in the repetition. If you do the same series of poses each week (whether once a week or multiple times) you'll see and feel the changes being made in your body. There are a lot of variations, too, so you can increase the difficulty in just the Salutations when you're ready.

Warrior II variation // Side Angle variation // Triangle variation

In general, poses can be adjusted with a couple of changes. Standing poses like Warrior (I and II) or Side Angle can feel less strenuous if the lunging leg is kept more elevated. Don't go as deeply into the bend. Instead of extending the arms, keep the hands at heart center. In a pose like Triangle, invite the body to stay more upright rather than trying to reach the leg, or foot in the side bend. For Standing Forward Fold or Downward Facing Dog, keep the knees significantly bent. In all my years of yoga, I still keep my knees bent in almost every Downward Dog I do. It just works better for my body. There's no rule that says you have to go 100% into a pose every single time in order for it to be successful. Yoga is a journey, and I like to think every practice you're starting from the beginning.

Also, use props. I talk about it in my videos, but I'll give you a little tip here: props can be anything you have on hand that helps make a pose more enjoyable. A towel can be used as a strap to extend your reach; a pillow can be used to elevate the legs in a seated hamstring stretch; a wall, table or chair can provide stability in balance poses, folds, lunges and more. Embrace variations! I used to smugly think props were for people who weren't able to do the "real" version of a pose. But that's not true at all. Props help us learn what our bodies are capable of, and they can keep us better aligned in our poses, which affects the circulation of breath, blood and energy in the body.

Forward Fold variation // Downward Facing Dog variation

I will have a video that breaks down some of the most-used poses, as well as an entire practice that uses props so you can see how beneficial they are. There's also a practice that goes slowly through each pose, allowing for variations and adjustments. I include Sun Salutations at the beginning of each practice, and my producers and I have discussed eventually making bonus videos that include multiple variations of Salutations that can be a stand-alone practice or a warm up.

I believe yoga is for every BODY, from kids to seniors, able-bodied to differently-abled. I wish I could give everyone a personal yoga session to show how many options are available. Hopefully if you're local you can attend one of my free classes; if not, thanks for being patient while we work on preparing my videos for release!

PS Thanks to my 6-year-old for snapping photos of me this week ;)