HEAR ME ROAR!

I love when Karen growls in class.  Well, she's the lead teacher and studio owner, so can pretty much do whatever she wants to in class, but roaring is my favorite of her sweetly unorthodox teaching techniques.

She started the class by offering the idea that all of life is a gift.  I immediately thought of Christmas just past, and the gifts under the tree wrapped in shiny paper and big bows.  So pretty.  But as schmaltzy as it sounds, none of those gifts compared to the gift of my family gathered together to share food, laughter, and connections with each other.

I also thought of the gift I was giving myself of coming to yoga class today.  I've attended sporadically lately and I can feel it.  I have some "remedial yoga-ing" to do to get back where I was -- fairly strong, flexible, and balanced.  Any ego that wanted to shout out that I was a damn fine specimen for having just turned 66 years old has been silenced by the realization that it doesn't take long to lose all of those attributes if you don't keep up the practice with regularity.  I vow now to  patiently work to regain my sense of body well-being.

What does any of this have to do with roaring?  As we rose up from a low lunge into Warrior I pose, then into Warrior II, Karen began to growl.  Then she roared!  Repeatedly!  Then she reminded us (a class of only women today) that we need our strong Warrior Woman in the world now more than ever!  Stand strong!  Grrroooowl!   Rooooaaaarrr!   I thought of Maurice Sendak's classic children's book "Where the Wild Things Are" as we all roared together.

I decided the gift I'm giving myself with yoga now is the gift of strength, stamina, mindfulness, compassion, dedication, and perseverance.   I'm in training for the activism on the horizon that will begin with the Women's March in Seattle the day after the presidential inauguration.   It seems there are so many human rights for which we must diligently work to improve, to uphold, to ensure; our planet needs our action in order to survive; our country needs compassionate healing.  The job is enormous.  I can't just keep eating my daughter-in-law's amazing Chocolate Toffee and drinking Peppermint Mochas and expect to be able to rise up with my sisters and brothers and work for the values we share -- those which will progress a vision for a healthy, strong, compassionate, peaceful, equitable world.

The ultimate gift may in fact be the gift of ourselves, standing and speaking as Warriors for Peace...gnashing our terrible teeth, roaring our terrible Yoga-Warrior roars.  We are the wild things.  And we are here!©

Namaste,  donnajurene

AN INTENTION FOR SELF-CARE

At the studio last week our teacher, Carly, began class with a time of silence and invited us to set an  intention for our practice.

I have been practicing sporadically lately -- for several weeks I was sick and had a lingering bronchitis that caused me to cough every time I took a deep breath, then we were out of town for a bit, then we had extra childcare duty, then the holidays came along and that wrecks havoc with regular schedules.

My intention was just to be gentle with myself; to be not judgmental and just relax into my body with acceptance.  I was mostly successful.  The inner critic scolded me when it was obvious how tight my muscles had become and how relatively difficult some of the asanas were to do.  I had to focus instead of go on auto pilot; a good thing, actually.  That's what the asanas are for -- to focus the mind, not to get a yoga butt (although a nice side-effect.)

I started to wonder what my day would be like if I set an intention every morning for my whole day?  At first this just felt like acknowledging my "to do" list, but I realized that a grander intention would make that list more meaningful.  The next morning I sat up in bed and took a few deep breaths, eyes closed, and set the intention for peace in my day.  As I went about the usual tasks I tried to keep this mantra of peace in my mind.  If I felt myself getting agitated or rushed, I remembered "peace" and calmly took a breath and went on.  At the end of the day, I realized I felt calmer, less overwhelmed.

The next day my intention was "helpfulness" and I looked for opportunities to be helpful to another that day, which was easy -- almost cheating really, since it was a "granny nanny" day for me and my job description is basically to be helpful to my almost 2 year old granddaughter.  But I found with that intention in mind, I was more patient and attentive with her, and realized my helping her and encouraging her was modeling the important learning she is doing right now.

I've been talking to people about what they do during the holidays to take care of themselves since this can be a hectic, stressful time.  I've heard about massages, bubble baths, time with friends, yoga, meditation, an afternoon cup of tea, a warm fire and a favorite book....all terrific ways to do self-care.  For me, the setting of intention has become a self-care tool too.   Finding a theme for the day, a gentle reminder of a greater plan than getting to the grocery store or wrapping a few gifts makes those tasks less onerous and more enjoyable.

This is a fun, hectic, meaningful, and sometimes sad and frustrating time of year.  All of us need ways to care for ourselves both during and after the holidays.  Some years I've felt I'm running a marathon and the finish line is out there on December 26th.  I used to say that was my favorite day of the year!  If December 26th looms large for you, I totally get it!  And self-care is awaiting you then too.  Karen offers her annual free Restorative Yoga Workshop that day; come bask with the intention of release, renewal, and reward!©

Namaste,  donnajurene

Photo Credit: pixabay.com

DO AS I SAY - 12 STEPS TO A HAPPY HOLIDAY

Falalalala!  It's December and there are a plentiful number of holidays to celebrate!  People will gather!  People will eat!  People will give and receive gifts!  But first there is planning and shopping and cooking and wrapping....  There are performances and religious services to attend.  Families far and wide will be visited either easily or with considerable effort.  December is a month that can easily exhaust a person while the pressure is on to create a Norman Rockwell Hallmark Holiday experience.  Whew!

That's why I hope you will follow my lead.  I have a few tips for you:

1.  Never, ever miss a yoga class.  EVER!  It's so important to stick with our normal physical, mental, and spiritual routines. We must continue to move our bodies with intention, focus our minds and "be" in the practice now more than ever.

2.  Always sit in silent meditation at least 30 minutes each day.  60 minutes is preferred.  Your mind will calm and you will find yourself refreshed at the end of your meditation and your energy will expand.

3.  Always do some aerobic exercise to keep your big, generous Christmas heart pumping along -- as above, 30 minutes minimum, 60 preferred.

4.  Add some weight-bearing exercise to your physical routine.  Three 40 minute sessions a week of free weights or resistance machines will do it.  There are heavy boxes to lift and carry.  Be strong!

5.  Shop early.  Better yet, make your own gifts.  Stores will get more crowded as Christmas nears, so, really you should be completely finished by now and on to wrapping.  Set a few days aside to make homemade jams, baked goods, cookies, cakes -- maybe even homemade soaps and lotions!  Your friends will appreciate a homemade gift so much more!  Whatever you do, choosing just the right gift for everyone on your list (and some "extras" for those times you may need to give but forgot to buy something) is of upmost importance.  Don't be a Christmas Scrooge.

6.  Send real, old-fashioned Christmas cards.  Don't cave to the modern tech e-message culture.  Everyone loves your Christmas letter and family photos.  They can pick them up and read these over and over!  What a thoughtful gift from afar to your cousins and old college roomies.

7.  Take the kids or grandkids to see Santa, the Nutcracker, neighborhood Christmas light displays, concerts, plays, library programs...you know.  Also, crafting, baking, building Gingerbread Houses; provide some childcare for sick days, snow days, and festive sleepovers.  Be a terrific parent/grandparent and make sure they don't miss a single magical moment!

8.  Volunteer!  Do as much as you possibly can to be out in the community helping others and donating your time to untold worthy causes.  Christmas is selfless.

9.  Eat healthily.  This is no time to weaken your resolve.  Bake, but don't indulge.  Time to switch from Peppermint Mochas to an Americano (no room for cream!)  Just say no to fudge (re-gift).

10.  Be sure your home is decorated beautifully for your family with just the right combination of sophistication that will appeal to discerning adults coupled with a home that is welcoming to a 2 year old.  Make everyone who visits comfortable and happy.

11.  Stay calm.  No one wants to see you angry, exhausted, overwhelmed, frustrated, and stressed.  The holidays are about peace, love, and joy.  Act like it.  (Getting 8 hours sleep each night will help.)

12.  Don't drink too much.  No one wants to see that either; it's unbecoming to end the party with a sob-fest or a raging diatribe.

I hope you find these tips helpful.  I'm not saying I'm actually DOING any of these.  In fact, none of them.  Except #12, because I don't drink alcohol.  My diatribes and sob-fests are not chemically induced.  They are the natural result of trying to live up to #1-11.

Happy December!
Namaste,  donnajurene

Photo Credit: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/141159769544377842/

MINDFULNESS

My husband and I hosted a Meditation Mini-Retreat at our house this morning for a group of 10 friends, led by our friend who runs Meditate Seattle.  She did a great presentation of why meditation is so good for us:  mind, body, and soul.  She gave us lots of scientific evidence for the power of meditation to keep us healthy physically and mentally. The data is compelling.  We did several meditation practices -- using a mantra, focusing on taste, doing a body scan, focusing on listening.  With mindfulness meditation there is never a moment too short to "meditate" or be mindful of the moment you are inhabiting; it is, after all, the only real moment that exists.  The past and future are just products of the mind: memories and projections; regrets and worries; if only's and what if's.  Right now is ... well, whatever it is.  And actually right now, this split second!, is usually pretty fine.

Yesterday in class I was still trying to find my strength and balance after a long hiatus due to illness and found myself struggling a bit.  As we stood to do a pose where we raised first one arm then the other in the air to do a side stretch, it turned into a bit of a flow motion.  Suddenly I got out of my own critical way, and opened my eyes to what was around me.  I saw the class of 15 women, moving in perfect symmetry.  All ages and body sizes, all ability levels, fitness levels, baggy pants and t-shirts, lycra and sports bras, friends and strangers meeting together in the tranquil, beautiful studio.  Hues of green, blue, purple, red, yellow -- clothing and yoga mats and curtains -- flowing into a river of beauty surrounding and accentuating our movements.

It no longer mattered that I felt weak and uncoordinated, frustrated, or exhausted.  The only thing that mattered was being there in the company of others committed to breathing through whatever challenges they'd brought through the door with them, finding a space of welcome, of community, of breath and life.

Can you open your eyes to the beauty around you even in the midst of struggle?  Can you accept whatever is happening, knowing our minds tell us stories that may not be true?  "If only" can't be changed; "what if" may never happen.  Be. Here. Now.©

Namaste,  donnajurene

FINDING BALANCE ON UNEVEN GROUND

How's everyone's balance these days?  Strong and steady?  Or, like me, are you feeling like the world tilted a bit off its axis in the past week and the ground beneath us is more like quicksand?

This blog is about yoga, not politics, but I will reveal I'm not at all happy about the outcome of the presidential election.   I am reminded that life often throws us a curveball (yes, the sports analogies will still be de rigueur with a guy still at the helm) and what we do with it is what counts.  We can keep swinging wildly until we strike out, maybe we'll get a base hit and rely on our teammates to see us home, or gloriously, we might hit one out of the park and make everything right in the world again.  My response so far is to swing wildly.  But I haven't struck out yet.

Coupled with the election result and the shockwaves it has sent through my nervous system, I'm STILL battling a cold/bronchitis that struck on October 23rd and has only subsided enough to plague me with a lingering hacking/gagging cough -- exacerbated by breathing deeply or lying down.  I don't sleep well at night and I have not yet been able to return full speed ahead to my yoga practice and strength/aerobic classes.  I'm just a mess!

But last Thursday I did venture back to the studio and it felt so amazing to be held in the graceful beauty of a safe place for body and soul.  The class teacher,  Carly, led us in a deep and gentle practice that was perfect for tender emotional state and my tentative re-entry into physical practice.

Here's the part I loved the most!   Carly had us stand in Goddess Pose for an extended period of time. While we held the pose, she told us that this and other "big power poses" have been found to decrease cortisol (the stress hormone) by 25-40% and to increase testosterone by 20-25% (based on the work of Harvard's Social Psychologist, Amy Cuddy.)  How about that?!?   I think we will need all the calm and strength we can muster in the days ahead, so I may be hitting my Goddess Pose (or Warrior Pose) at unexpected times -- in line at the grocery store and Starbucks; waiting at the post office or doctor's office;  cooking dinner and chatting with friends.  Wouldn't that be fun?  (Choosing to find my power in Goddess pose feels appropriately subversive to me right now.)

Being back in class last week reminded me of how quickly I lose strength and balance when away from my practice for awhile.  Rising up from a low lunge into Crescent Pose I lost my balance and tumbled to the floor.  I lay there a little embarrassed and sort of chuckling.  I forgave myself immediately for not being "good enough" and picked myself up and was successful the next time through the sequence.  I found I couldn't do any of the lying down on my back poses due to my cough, so I found other ways to move my body.  I sat upright in meditation instead of lying down for savanna.  I coughed a little bit.  I cried a little bit.  I relaxed a little bit.  Sometimes baby steps are the only steps we can take when the ground beneath us feels uneven. ©

Namaste,  donnajurene

Photo Credit: summer78@123rf.com
Copyright: <a href='https://www.123rf.com/profile_dimol'>dimol / 123RF Stock Photo</a>

CURE FOR THE COMMON COLD

I'm trying to remember if I've ever been away from the studio for a whole week unless I was out of town.  But here I am on Thursday and have not made it in.

I'm sick.  Nothing horrid.  Certainly nothing life-threatening.  Not even enough to make me have to stay in bed all day.  But enough to feel the creepy crawly skin, the chills, the cough, the sore throat, the fatigue of the "common cold".

I know I could make myself get dressed in "public" clothes to go and do a slo-mo practice at the studio, but my consideration of others is keeping me home too.  Who wants the woman on the next mat snotting and coughing through class?  Nope.  Not me.  This time of year it's easy enough to catch a "bug"; no need to purposely show up and spread those yucky viruses around amongst good-hearted yoga folk (or anyone else for that matter.)

So, I've been hunkered down with tea and honey, a thick soft blanket, and my Kindle.  It's actually kind of nice to call a halt to the goings and doings of life.   I looked up Yoga for a Cold and found this resource:  http://www.yogajournal.com/article/health/feel-better/  So, every once in a while I'll tip into a forward fold or do a twist just to be sure my body will still move.  But I'm too tired to do more than a few easy poses.  I'm sure I'll have to work on regaining flexibility and strength when I return -- atrophy sets in quickly!  But for now, a different kind of self-care is called for.  Yoga has taught me to work my edge and honor my body -- even when that means laying off yoga for a few days.

I miss you all.  Carry on.  Stay healthy.©

Namaste,  donnajurene
Photo Credit: pixabay.com

PEACEFUL WARRIORS

Whoo-Boy!  This election season has been a doozy!  So many times I've shown up at Yoga Circle angry and agitated about what I just saw on social media, read in the newspaper, or heard on the morning news.  There has been plenty to react to and reactions have been swift and at times dramatic as people supporting either of the Presidential candidates have become more and more polarized.  I've been grateful for the respite yoga allows my spirit.

I guess the public perception of Yoga is that it is some hippie-dippie woo-woo thing, all peace and love and chanting Om while sitting on the floor cross-legged.  It is pretzel-y shapes and patchouli, yoga butts and buff biceps.  It is assumed to be divorced from the "real world" of rough and tumble politics, policy-making, the art of compromise, and fighting for change where change is needed.

To quote one the of candidates for President, leaning into the microphone, "Wrong".

Yoga is so much more.  It serves the deepest desires of humanity -- the union of mind and body, the the desire for connection.  There are varying schools of yoga, led by various teachers, emphasizing one or another aspect of the ancient tradition, just as there are various parties, politicians, and ideas about how best to address a collective desire for safety, security, and human potential in a world that seems at times to challenge more than nurture.

Our response to these challenges comes from our own desires, our own experiences, our own vision.  To take a step back from habitually responding in the same way to the same stimuli requires focus and attention, the desire to break old habits and to see things anew.  This process applies to asana as well as our pattern of mind.  Yoga teaches us we can try a new way; it serves us in all aspects of our lives, on the mat and off, and especially in the political realm where common ground seems impossible to find.

I attended the first ever "Spark" event last week, hosted by the Snohomish County Arts Commission.  Twelve local artists from various artistic genre spoke about what stimulates their creativity.  Karen Guzak, owner and teacher at Yoga Circle, spoke of her life as an artist, yoga teacher, and politician.  She drew parallels between each endeavor, pointing to a desire to unite disparate people and ideas in a union of common experience and shared humanity.

Can we find this union in the next two weeks and beyond as this presidential campaign finally comes to an end and the work of governing anew begins?  Can we find compassion?  Understanding?  Forgiveness?  Can we come together, rather than scream each other apart, to find a way forward?

Can we, all of us, set aside stereotypes, break molds, ditch old habits,?  Can we strike a Warrior Pose -- strong, solid, and steady --  standing up for fairness, equality, and justice for all living beings?  Can we be Warriors for Peace?

Yes, because we are stronger together, in union, in compassion, in peaceful community.  Yoga leads the way.©

Namaste,
    donnajurene

PEACEFUL, EASY FEELING

"Move from your shoulder blade..."  What?  Nothing's happening!  Focus.

"Don't move from the shoulder joint; don't move the arm or wrist.  Just concentrate on making tiny micro-movements of the shoulder blade."  How is that even possible???
Well, it is.  Because about every fourth time I do it, I am able to isolate the movement and feel the subtlety of moving ever so slightly and can almost "see" the shoulder blade sliding around, the skeleton adjusting, the muscles loosening.  I trust that the more I do these little moves, the more adept I will become.

Some days I leave yoga class feeling like I've barely moved at all, but my body is "floating" as if I'm walking on air, as my joints and muscles have loosened enough to allow a feeling of freedom that is so often locked tight with old body habits taking over without my noticing.  My scoliosis fools me into thinking I'm standing or sitting straight when I'm actually jutting out one hip and lifting one shoulder.  To become aware of that is to shift what feels "natural", but one look in the mirror proves I'm not "tipping" with the adjustment; I'm actually now standing straight!

I'm so loving finding therapeutic benefit to yoga.  Elizabeth's interest and expertise in this area is motivating me as she has helped me make tiny adjustments that wake up my body awareness and move me out of living in my body in a habitual (and not always beneficial) way.

I wrote recently also about Karen's approach to using restorative slow poses to bring us into a place of peaceful rest...so often neglected in our hustle, bustle lives.

I was thinking of this on Friday afternoon at my strength class.  I mentioned in a previous post that I've started a Stretch and Strength class for older adults.  After a few weeks the instructor must have identified me as an advanced student (ha), because she asked if I'd like to join her "semi-private lessons" with 4 other students.  Sure!  I was eager, since the class I was taking was starting to feel way too easy.  I wanted a bit more challenge.  Be careful what you ask for.  I'm challenged PLENTY in the new class.  It's a circuit training course; the activities change each week and target different muscle groups.  She has us rotate through the stations for 40 minutes of almost non-stop resistance training and aerobics.  I actually love it, but what a contrast to the slow, subtle yoga movements I'm also appreciating.

Last Friday, as the music blasted and I tossed a 6 pound medicine ball in the air simultaneously leaning back on the bench in a "boat pose" for ab work, I looked longingly 4 stations ahead at the mat on the floor where I'd get to "rest" in a Spinal Balance pose for one minute -- holding 30 seconds on each side.  I love when she throws in some familiar yoga asanas!

When I got there I settled in, tuned out the pounding beat, and let my breath carry my mind to Yoga Circle, where the soft sounds of Jami Sieber's cello music, the swirl of flowing fabric and circle mandalas surround us and the mat is my whole world.   I held my pose easily and with gratitude for my body and all it can do, whether it's gripping an 8 pound dumbbell for a bicep curl or a lying on the mat almost imperceptibly moving my shoulder blade.

So grateful for all my teachers, for the opportunity to practice, for the health and vitality I work to maintain, for the weights and the mat and the peaceful, easy feeling of walking on air. ©

Namaste,  donnajurene

Photo Credit: Copyright: <a href='https://www.123rf.com/profile_ostill'>ostill / 123RF Stock Photo</a>

SLOW WAY DOWN

Slow way down.

Often when fewer students show up, Karen will ask if it's OK to do a gentle class, a class where poses are restorative rather than uber challenging.  Rarely is there a protest or complaint in response to this suggestion.  It's easy to understand why.

Our lives are chock full of "doing".  We have homes, families, gardens, careers, volunteer commitments; we shop, we drive, we cook and clean up, we pay bills, and chauffeur children.  We plan and organize and keep all the balls in the air every single day from the time we get out of bed in the morning until we fall back into it at night.  I've found retirement makes some difference in the content of my schedule, but often the schedule is just as full.

A yoga class that allows us to put down the burden of doing and just "be" is a welcome respite.  I find every yoga class, gentle or challenging, lets me quiet my mind as I focus on the poses and my breath, but a gentle, restorative class also lets me quiet my body.

Karen often admonishes us to "slow way down" in moving through our poses.  This is good advice about life too.  The rush of busyness becomes the norm and we forget how to relax.  Going slowly feels antithetical to getting everything done we have to do!  Hurry, hurry, hurry is usually our inner mantra.

My husband and I had a conversation just this week about the trickiness of finding balance in our lives -- time alone, time for fitness, time for family, time for meditation, yoga, for yard work and housework and friends and ... well, you know.  I find most days fly by, whether they are "busy" or whether I've been able to take time for quiet.  But I know that slowing down at least puts me in a place of mindfulness so that balance is easier to recognize.

Today I was up at 6:00 a.m. to greet my 18 month granddaughter who is spending the day with us.  I went to Yoga and then to a strength training class while "grandpa" hung out with our girl.  Then I was home to some housework, more childcare while my husband ran his errands, took a few moments for this blog post, and soon will gear up for our other granddaughter to arrive after school and both will spend the night.  The balance between child-centered energy, sometimes joyful and sometimes chaotic, hopefully will be struck by my yoga and fitness classes and trying to keep a lid on the entropy all around us that little ones can create.  Tomorrow afternoon I imagine more balance will come when I spend a quiet few hours reading!  Through it all my goal is to slow way down, to stop  anticipating what will come next and just be in the moment of what is.

Slowing down is a restorative practice no matter what's going on in our lives.   And that's a good thing.

Namaste,  donnajurene

Photo Credit: pixabay.com

SICK BED YOGA

It's no fun to be sick.  Over Labor Day we took a trip to Idaho where we planned to meet up with friends for a few days of outdoor adventuring and lots of food and laughter.  My husband and I got there a couple of days ahead of our friends and prepared the space to welcome them.  But the night before they arrived, out of the blue, I was struck by a wicked intestinal virus.  The details are not pleasant so I won't recount them.  I trust you've likely had some similar experience with this scrounge in your lifetime.

Unable to sleep a wink, up all night, I sat in the living room bundled in a blanket noticing in my best "mindfulness" manner my sore back, headache, chills, and cramps.  I talked to my body and reassured it all was well; I breathed deeply; I closed my eyes; I opened my eyes; I took some medicine; I drank lots of water to stay hydrated.  Nothing seemed to help.  I was miserable and it seemed the whole ordeal would go on forever.

Desperate times call for desperate measures.  I decided to do some yoga.  Seriously.  I Googled "Yoga for Diarrhea" and stunningly there are actually several sites that address this situation.    Here's one:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mV67aFURSxw&feature=youtu.be

I've never done a full headstand in my life, so the beginning of this video was of little use to me.  I was able to do the shoulder stand for a bit and I'd already tried the pranayama breathing thing; it's my go-to for anxiety.  None of this helped.

I decided to focus on my headache.  But what I found were poses purported to work great for headache, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/08/15/yoga-for-headaches_n_3574848.html but were to be avoided if one had diarrhea. AND the site for what NOT to do if you have the tummy yuk  https://www.yogajournal.com/poses/contraindications-modifications/diarrhea said NOT to do Shoulder Stand, which the other guy in the video recommend you DO do.   This type of conflicting advice might be commonplace in western medicine, but in yoga?  Oh no!

I felt Yoga was starting to fail me in my hour of need.   But it did distract me and by dawn I was feeling a smidge better.  I went to bed and slept most of the day, missing a lot of the socializing with our friends, but I was in no mood for that anyway.  Not my best weekend, all in all, and it took several days for me to regain my usual vim and vigor.

I have not, however, completely lost faith in yoga as a curative because I also discovered this guy and have found laughter to be the very best medicine: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bDtfHl1v9xI ("advocate yoga as a cure for everything"... LOL!  That's me!) ©

Namaste,  donnajurene

Photo Credit: pixabay.com

I'M A STAR

I don't think I've become insufferable now that I'm famous.  But I guess you'd have to be the judge of that.  I find myself to be, you know, charming and very welcoming of my public.  If anyone ever asked for my autograph, say, or a selfie with me, well, I'd be most accommodating.  I think neither has happened yet because people can be so intimidated by famous people.  Hey, we're just like you!  Don't be scared!  Come on over and say hello!  Introduce your grandchildren to me.  I'm happy to pat them on their little heads and give them a moment to remember.

OK.  You may be wondering if I've totally gone bonkers.  Maybe somehow you were so absorbed in your own pedestrian life that you missed my big videographic debut.  Well, lookie here:  http://www.yogacirclestudio.com  (Who Does Yoga?)

Yes.  That little ditty has been up on the Yoga Circle website for over a week now and I'm sure the post office is storing the fan mail until they can find a truck large enough to deliver it.   I will, of course, answer each letter personally and include an autographed photo (framable).

When Karen asked if I'd be willing to be interviewed, I said yes, because promoting this blog and the studio are two things I love to do.  Besides, it had been years and years since my glory days of being hounded by the press when I headed up a local activist group and found myself being interviewed on the TV news dozens of times.  The issues were important; the TV stuff was fun!  I am one of those introverts who can perform.  Put a mic in my face and some "other" me jumps  into action.  You always hear about performers who say they are introverts and you want not to believe it, but it can be true.  I've emceed, done performance poetry, led services at a church I used to attend, made speeches.  Very little stage fright.  It's weird.

The experience with this interview was fun too.   The studio was empty.  The director tested for where to set up, what the background would look like, got the shot framed, the sound checked and then "action!"  He asked me a series of questions (none known to me previously) and I answered with animation and articulateness.  I was in the flow!  I could tell I was hitting it out of the park!  When we finished I was sort of euphoric.  Then he said, "I'd like to do it again while other students are coming in."

"WHAT?  I nailed my first take!  I can't duplicate that brilliant performance!", I thought.  I might have mumbled a less startled protest that I thought maybe perhaps we had the footage we needed.  But nope.  A director has his vision.  So I went all Meryl Streep inside and told myself, "You can do this.  Multiple takes?  Sure.  Be a professional and do it again."

So we did.  Some of the questions were the same.  Some different.  Editing cut the whole interview down to just over 3 minutes (the attention span of the average viewer, I guess) and I'm sure some of my best work ended up on the cutting room floor (or wherever digital editing goes), which is the lament of every performer.  But I'm pleased with the end result, with one exception:

When I was asked what posts I like best, I went on and on about the ones where I am klutzy.  I do like those, for the reasons stated, but I wish I'd also mentioned the ones where I get a big "a-ha" on the mat.  Some learning happens that moves me emotionally.  I've actually written about those moments far more often than the klutzy moves I do.  And for me, they are the reason I want everyone to practice yoga.  Yes, for all the physical benefits, but also (and perhaps more) for the benefit to our spirits.

Maybe I can work this teaching into my NEXT interview, because, "Mr. DeMille...I'm ready for my close-up."

Namaste,  donnajurene

P.S.  "I'd like to thank my producer, Karen Guzak, and my director, Warner Blake, without whom I never would have won this award.  I'd also like to thank everyone who has ever read this blog.  You are the wings beneath my Pigeon Pose."  (Just practicing my speech.) ©

Photo Credit: pixabay.com

YOGA: A TRANSFORMATIVE PRACTICE

"Yoga is a transformative practice," Elizabeth told us at the beginning of Saturday's class.

How often do you come in to class with your mind racing with thoughts, your muscles tight, your emotions run amok?  By the end of class do you feel the same?

I would venture, generally not.  Generally spending 90 minutes in the studio moving with the breath, focusing on the form of asana, letting thoughts come and go like clouds passing in the sky allows a transformation to occur that is of benefit to mind, spirit, and body.

But maybe not at first....my first many, many yoga classes were exercises in transforming me from one who was overweight, stiff, and uncoordinated into someone who was sad, frustrated, and self-critical because I "couldn't do it."  Couldn't do yoga.  Those pretzel-y shapes were impossible, balancing a disaster, bending and stretching an exercise in futility.  My racing mind went from the to-do list at home to the "I'm such a klutz; I can't do this; this is dumb" list of ways in which I was putting myself down in comparison to others.

But for some reason completely beyond my understanding, I stuck with it.  Eight years into a regular practice I can do most of the poses offered in class, touch my toes in Forward Bend, and calm the racing mind fairly easily.  When I am clumsy or can't find the pose, I mostly laugh and accept that on THAT DAY the pose is not mine to do.  Maybe another time.  Maybe not.  I've learned the transformative power of self-acceptance on the mat.

And, since Yoga is Life, that transformative power of self-acceptance is available to us off the mat as well.  I may have written here of my battle with depression at times and a teeny tiny affinity toward anxiety.  Neither of these states are conducive to self-acceptance. I hate them both, and that means I also hate a part of me.  I had quite the struggle with these Twin Demons last winter and ended up in talk therapy for several sessions.  My most basic learning there was to practice "radical self-acceptance"; even accepting those parts of myself I want to change and improve, but recognizing that in that moment they were a part of me and had lessons to teach;  lessons in compassion, humility, vulnerability, and connection.

I started to see the parallels to my "real life" and life on the mat.  Transformation takes time and patience; we are not star yogis at our first class.  Learning a new pose often puts us in touch with humility and vulnerability.  We reach out to teachers for support and expertise.  We slowly put together a few simple poses; we move into deeper stretches one inch at a time; we breathe deeply and fully learning that the breath is the root of life and a naturally calming balm to anxiety and fear so that our backbend becomes a place of joy rather than terror.  Just like life.

Do you have stories of transformation?  Do you show up at class with all the human concerns of life and it's craziness and leave feeling looser and lighter?  Yoga is a transformative practice.  Let it be your guide into a new way of living your life off the mat as well. ©

Namaste,  donnajurene

Photo Credit: pixabay.com

DUMBBELL YOGA

I've decided to take up weight lifting.  Maybe seeing all those ripped bodies in Rio at the Olympics has motivated me; maybe it's the increasingly flabby, baggy bits on my body; maybe I could lose a pound or two of belly fat.  Whatever.   A few weeks ago I registered for a "Lift to Lose: Senior Strength and Balance" class at a local rec. center.

May I just say, the whole "senior" thing is starting to grate on me.  When you hear that word, what images pop into your mind?  Yep.  Why can't we just say "older adults"?  It might sound like semantics, but you have a whole different picture story in your head when you use those words, don't you?   But I digress....

The class allows everyone to lift at their own pace, choosing free weight dumbbells that are appropriate to them.  Most choose between 2 pounds and 6 pounds, I've noticed.  I'm starting out with 4 pound weights.  The instructor does easy movement warm ups before we even pick up the weights.  When we do, she moves us through a wide range of motion in the upper body, targeting all the arm, chest, and back muscle groups.  We do squats, bends, and folds holding the weights.  Sometimes we use exercise bands or balls.  Sometimes there is more emphasis on aerobics.  There is always a balance component to the class.

What does any of this have to do with yoga?  Well, here's the braggy part.  My yoga practice has made me the most flexible and balanced girl in class.  At least it seems that way to me.  I rarely have to hang on to the back of my chair for balance; my squats, folds, and bends are far deeper than those of others; my breathing is deep, slow, and measured....

Wait.  Am I comparing myself to my classmates?  Is my Ego running amok with "yay me!" self congratulation?  Hmmm...I guess the true meaning of yoga abandoned me there for a moment.

My point is...I am so grateful for yoga being one component of a well-rounded fitness program for me at this older adult stage of my life.  I am a yoga proselytizer and see it as a spiritual practice with the happy side benefit of encouraging fitness.  Combining the asana limb of yoga with a ramped up aerobic and resistance weights program, worked out after a consultation with the Lift to Lose instructor, and I will soon be setting up a Go Fund Me site to raise money to send me to Tokyo in 2020.  I'm sure my Olympic career is just about to take off. ©

Namaste, donnajurene

Photo Credit: Copyright: <a href='https://www.123rf.com/profile_kakigori'>kakigori / 123RF Stock Photo</a>

SOAPY YOGA

When I heard Karen in class today advise that we practice yoga all the Days of Our Lives,  I immediately flashed back to my uncle.  My Uncle Ryan's hope was based in his firm conviction that we only have One Life to Live, and that too quickly that life passes like sands through an hour glass or spinning on its axis, As the World Turns.  First we are The Young and the Restless.  Later we mature in the The Bold and the Beautiful.  But as time marches on we soon find ourselves fighting a Secret Storm, and eventually following that Guiding Light toward The Edge of Night.  There is no time to waste wishing for Another World.  I remember him saying, "I hope that All My Children will know that this present moment is more important than a futile Search for Tomorrow and that choosing health and vitality, especially through practicing Yoga, is all that stands between an active life and a trip to General Hospital."

My uncle was a wise man.  He also watched a lot of daytime TV.  ©

Namaste,  donnajurene

Photo Credit:  General Hospital, ABC.com

BE THE CHANGE

I had a little epiphany at Steve's yoga class Wednesday.  Well, first, let me say he did this really cool thing where he wove a poem into our practice.  Every so often, while we held a pose, he'd recite (from memory!) a stanza from The King's Ring, a poem about impermanence.  I'll copy and paste it below for you.

So anyway, he also quoted Gandhi at one point -- the famous "You must be the change you want to see in the world".  I always find that admonishment a bit jarring.  My brain immediately conjures up a greatness I can't quite imagine myself being.

Like Gandhi's many hunger strikes that led to the eventual overthrow of English rule.  I'm sorry.  I can pledge to go on a cleansing fast in the morning and by 3:00 p.m. I'm lightheaded, sort of nauseated, and binging on Triscuits dipped in butter.

Or Martin Luther King and his March on Washington that moved the Civil Rights Movement into the public consciousness so profoundly.  The only dream I could speechify is the one where I forgot to study for the final exam and I show up unprepared -- and naked.

Last night at the Democratic National Convention Hillary Clinton accepted the nomination of the first woman ever to be the nominee of a major political party in the U.S.  She said in her speech that when she was four years old her mom made her go back outside and face the bullies who were taunting her because no cowards lived in their house.  Whoa.  I was about the same age when a strange man came to our door (strange to me, but maybe someone known to my mother, but unwelcome), and I remember hiding with her in the bedroom until he went away.  I handle conflict about that well today.  So you see, I've never thought of myself as any kind of example for "being the change".

Yet, here's the power of meditation and yoga and paying attention (and, OK, therapy) -- I really AM an agent for change!  The idea behind the quote, of course, is that in a million small ways we each can be the change we want to see.  I want everyone to grow veggies and flowers -- tasty and beautiful.  So  I finally planted a garden.  I want everyone to do the inner work it takes to understand themselves and their motivations, so I've immersed myself in a couple of decades of personal growth work and helped others on the path.  I want aging to be a natural, beautiful, joyful process with older people feeling good about themselves, healthy, vital, and giving.  So I facilitated a group for women over 60 and I practice yoga and love my family and cherish my friends and practice mindfulness.  I want a world where optimism, ingenuity, kindness, humility, and generosity are how human life is lived.  So ... well ... I try for all those things; it's a practice.

Does any of this matter?  Well, The King's Ring might lead us to believe that in the big picture, in the Cosmic, Giant Universe way, everything "passes away" and our life's pursuits are ultimately of little consequence, so don't get too attached.  Still, we live.  We contribute one way or the other. We are spiritual beings on a human journey.  I say, let's live like the beautiful beings we are while we're walking this earth....and be the change today. ©

Namaste,  donnajurene

The King's Ring by Theodore Tilton

The Sexton's Tale, And Other Poems.
Copyright 1867
Sheldon And Company, New York.

DONKEY AND ELEPHANT POSE

I confess.  I'm a bit of a political junkie -- and certainly more so during presidential election years.  I get obsessed and a bit overwrought.  I get super excited and super dismayed.  I get angry and confused.  I get optimistic and hopeful.

All good opportunities to practice equanimity.  A good opportunity to practice deep diaphragmatic breathing.  A good opportunity to practice lovingkindness meditation.  But really, really difficult.

Last week was a tough time for me.  Yes, I'm a Liberal.  A Democrat.  So watching the Republican National Convention, which I did because it interests me what Republicans stand for and believe in for the future of our country, gave me ample opportunity to practice mindfulness and acceptance of what "is".  I also occasionally dropped to the floor and did a few Downward Dogs just to stay in touch with my body, cuz my mind and spirit were busy trying to comprehend and not freak out.

I bet some readers of this post will find they have the same challenges this week as the Democrats gather at their convention.  To people who support the Republican candidate and see things from a different perspective than I, their frustration and confusion this week must be just as acute.  I say to you:  breathe, move, be with what "is" this week too.

Listening to our respective party nominees we have the ability to sort out what is a campaign promise and what is actually doable.  Just like I can say I'll do a Lord of the Dance pose tomorrow while warming up for class and look like a Yoga Journal cover girl while doing it.  The reality is I'd be pretty off-balance at best, and fall on my butt at worst (and most likely).  And my track record isn't that great.  I tend toward simpler, more doable poses.  You'd be forgiven for betting against me.  But if I really, really mean to achieve the pose, I'll call upon the very best teachers, put my mind and body to the task over and over, and eventually I may get there, but it won't be easy or pretty.

Patience, compassion, unity, passion, optimism, hope, kindness, and love.  Isn't that what our practice is about?  Can that also be what what we model in the world?  The true test may be in politics.  Keep breathing.  It's where Spirit lives.

Namaste,  donnajurene

Photo Credit: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.vexels.com/vectors/preview/77885/republican-and-democrat-party-symbols"> Republican and Democrat party symbols </a> | Free vector by <a target="_blank" href="https://www.vexels.com/">Vexels</a>

ASANA AND THE BIKINI

You have to be a very special and confident woman to go into a fluorescent-lit dressing room, strip down to undies, pull on a new swimsuit and not sort of groan at the image in the mirror.  I am all about positive body acceptance (see clipart, which I love!), but really, for me the true test is swimsuit shopping.  Turning this way and that, looking for sags, bags, and bulges where bulges shouldn't be.  It generally takes trying on a rack full of suits to find one that makes me say, "Ahhh..." Finally!

So, when Elizabeth taught class one morning and explained that the yoga poses she was about to lead us through were offered as an "invitation to try on a pose", just like trying on a new outfit.  Some fit better than others.  Some fit perfectly.  Some not at all.  We may each decide which to try on, which to keep.

If you are like me, some outfits look way better on the hanger than they do on me.  I think of this when I'm thumbing through my monthly issue of Yoga Journal magazine.  Headstands look great on those models.  On me, well, I'd be happy with a Leaning Tower of Pisa version of the pose, but I don't come even close.  Does that make me wrong?  Or bad?  Or a lousy yogini?  No.  It offers me an opportunity to know myself, accept myself, decide for myself if I want to inch my way into that pose over time, or to just let it go -- not for me.

I think of my knees too, which I've written about before.  I simply cannot do poses that require "knee strength".  I don't do Hero's Pose without a prop under my bottom.  I am cautious about Low Lunge or Crescent Lunge.  I grab extra cushions for my knees, but some days there is just too much pain to do the pose at all.  The lesson for me is not to force myself to endure pain, but to accept that there are poses I cannot do.

Just like I do not wear clothing that is formfitting in the waistline.  I carry my extra weight right in my midsection -- the dreaded "apple" shape inherited from both my mother and father.  I don't force myself into clothing that binds, looks unattractive, or is so baggy I feel like I'm wearing a tent.  I find outfits that "fit" and look decent.

I find yoga poses, from the menu of offerings, that fit too.  I find those that bring me the maximum strength, flexibility, balance, and well-being that are right for MY body.

What about you?  Are you trying to fit into a bikini yoga pose when really a nice little one-piece would be much more comfy?  Then knock it off and be kind to yourself.  You deserve it.

Namaste,  donnajurene

BREITENBUSH MAGIC

First you get naked.  Well, not first maybe, but fairly soon after arriving at Breitenbush Hot Springs in Oregon, you head for the hot spring-fed pools, strip down, and step in.  Ahhhh.....warmth radiates, muscles relax, waters trickle down a gentle rocky wall as you lie back, eyes closed. You can let yourself float in the shallow pool or nestle into the curved rocks.

Breitenbush is a mountain retreat center, 50 miles east of Salem, that feels a bit like an old hippie commune, but one that is well-organzied and actually works. http://www.breitenbush.com  (Click through the photos on the website to see the glories Breitenbush!)  The focus is on health, nutrition, personal growth, and community connections.  The ancient natural hot springs have been corralled into beautiful natural pools where "soaking" is mostly done nude.  You get used to it.  It feels good.  You can wear a swimsuit if you want and no one will judge you.  You'll be in the minority though.

My husband and I visited earlier this month.  We go every year, usually in April when snow is often still on the ground.  Mostly mud and rain are the norm, along with a welcome warm spring afternoon on occasion.  We go for Kirtan retreats, most often with Jai Uttal, but he didn't come this year, so we signed up to go in June to chant with Benji and Heather Wertheimer, local Kirtan legends who play under the name "Shantala", inviting other musicians to join them on their numerous CDs released to date.  I've written about Kirtan in this blog before. Click here: Make a Joyful Noise  It is a practice I find deeply moving and deeply joyful, most particularly in a group like at the retreat with 30 others singing and chanting together.

At the June retreat, Yoga was an added component with Seattle yoga instructor Elizabeth Rainey (known as "Rainey") leading us in asana and meditation.  She has offered workshops at Yoga Circle studio and is an experienced and inspiring teacher, seamlessly blending poses with meditation resulting in subtle mind and body changes that leave one feeling terrific.   Steve Gorn, another extraordinary musician who was part of the retreat and who plays Bansuri flute provided "live" music to accompany our practice.

Mountain air, deep forest, lush gardens, spring-fed pools, natural sauna, rock-formed labyrinth, delicious and creative vegetarian fare, comfy wood cabins, the rushing Breitenbush River, miles of hiking trails, opportunities for massage, on-site yoga, a star-studded sky, and a vibe of deep respect for nature, humanity, and the possibilities and potentials for the life-giving force within us all make Breitenbush a special place.

Rainey will be leading her own Yoga Retreat there November 18 - 20.   Consider going.  You may find yourself deeply grateful for the gift of this quiet, magical place to kick off the holiday season.  It's likely to be chilly then.  Bring your boots ... and a towel.

Namaste,
   donnajurene

TEARS OF THE HEART

Here we go again!  I seem to write a lot about crying in yoga class.  I think it's a good thing, really.  It means something is getting shaken loose on an emotional level.  One of the things I LOVE about yoga is that it is not just an exercise for the body.  As our teacher, Elizabeth, said in class last week, "Yoga is a reflection of life."  We strive, we back off, we ache, we heal, we work, we rest, we love, we feel anger, frustration, and disappointment.  All of it is welcome on the mat.  And we are reminded over and over -- again, taking to heart Elizabeth's wise words -- "We are not our thoughts."  We are so much bigger, so much more, than the Monkey Mind that rules our lives and sends our nervous system into orbit with strong emotions and a continuing cycle of thought, emotion, thought, emotion that sometimes accumulates to our detriment.

Take me last week, for instance.  I've already been a bit on the stressed side from a life that feels too busy and too chaotic due to a number of issues and situations that are all potentially good.  But... ya know how you have to break a lot of eggs to make an omelette?  Well, I'm swimming in raw egg lately.  Wet, sticky, gooey, and not particularly healthy until "cooked".  Add to that the usual bit of angst around the state of our world, which recently found focus in the Orlando shootings.  Once again, everybody had an opinion about guns.  I voiced mine on a friend's Facebook post and was immediately "shot down" by a woman who vehemently disagreed with my stance and invited me to shut the heck up since I was obviously no "expert" about the topic.  Sheesh!

Since I had this exchange just before class, I spent the whole drive to the studio perseverating about my angst, anger, hopelessness, anger, anger, anger....  did I say anger?  By the time I walked in the door and was greeted by Elizabeth, I had tears in my eyes.  It didn't take much for her to realize that when I said I was "OK" in reply to her "How are you today?", I really wasn't.  She immediately put her hands on my shoulders, looked me in the eyes and grounded me in the moment, reminding me that the exchange was in the past and all that was happening now was that my nervous system was in overdrive.  She promised yoga would help.

It did.  With deep breathing, focus, reminders about our true natures as beings beyond this experience, I felt by the end of class a huge relief and got a big "a-ha".  Fear.  We are all acting out of fear.  I fear gun violence, not just at the hands of the "bad guys", but through accidental shooting, suicide, and just plain easy availability as a problem solving tool for some.  My nemesis on Facebook is also afraid of gun violence, but her response is to arm herself and be ready to defend herself and her loved ones with her own weapon.  Fear is the common denominator.  I don't know if we can find common ground on how to address this difference in response, but I do know that on the mat I was able to put her outburst toward me in perspective.  We are both afraid.   When I realized the common emotion we share, tears sprang into my eyes again -- this time tears of compassion for her, for me, for all of us in the struggle to survive and thrive in this life.

I've read that tears vary in chemical composition depending upon the emotion which elicited them.  My anger tears had turned into compassion tears.  If I had a microscope, it would have been interesting to see if there were daggers in the former and hearts in the latter.  That's how I picture them in my head.  More often than not, yoga gets me to a place of compassion for myself and others, with me often giving in to tears of the heart.

Namaste,  donnajurene

Photo Credit:  clipart-library.com

YOGA NIDRA or "SLEEPING" IN CLASS

Yoga Nidra means "Yoga Sleep".  It is gaining in popularity as a deep meditation practice, a way to emotional healing, a remedy for insomnia, a relief from PTSD symptoms.  Sounds like something we should all do!

I walked into the 4th Wednesday at 10:00 am class knowing I would experience Yoga Nidra -- again.  I've tried it on two previous occasions with different instructors and didn't find it satisfying.  But I trust Elizabeth, the Wednesday morning teacher, and her enthusiasm for this practice made me come back to give it another shot.

I told her I hadn't liked it before because I was uncomfortable and impatient.  She said she'd help with the the comfort issue and that would likely help address the impatience.  So, off I went to unroll my mat, skeptical, but willing.

We started with a regular asana practice before taking time to gather all the props we'd need to make our personal Nidra Nests.  Of prime importance is to be comfortable.  Elizabeth made a beeline to my mat, ready to fulfill her promise to help me be as comfortable as possible.  She is aware of my scoliosis and explained that lying flat isn't really flat for most people and especially those with some physical issues, like mine.  All the spots that are unsupported in that classic savasana (corpse) pose need to be filled in.  She used three blankets, two blocks, two bolsters, and a whole basket-full of soft eye pillows to pad my mat so that my body was cradled in a soft supportive cocoon.  Ahhh....better already.  (I'm sorry to the rest of the class for using all the available props -- I hope you were able to muddle through.)

Then Elizabeth began to lead us in a guided meditation that had us focus on our bodies, breath, mind, emotions, connecting with the greater universe.  I wish I could tell you exactly what she said.  She talked us through every aspect with specific focus, mental images, feeling states, emotional access, divine connection.  I have no idea how long this lasted -- maybe 40 minutes?  I was "out"...  In a good way, I think.

Even though this is Yoga "Sleep" the idea is to hover in that space between awareness and sleeping -- the twilight zone where the magic happens.  We have access to our minds, but also transcend everyday thoughts.  I know it sounds confusing.  I think I might have crossed into real sleep a couple of times, since I'd rouse and realize she'd moved on to a different focus.  It was a bit of a struggle to stay awake and not just start snoring.  (I may have...sorry.)  But I was also aware of being deeply relaxed and time seemed to shift, stop, start again.  I lost track of what Elizabeth was saying several times and felt some pressure to pay attention.  But when she began to "rouse" us it seemed like the time had flown by.

Putting away all my props, I made myself move more slowly than usual.  I recall my meditation teacher years ago recommended taking one-quarter the amount of time to "return to the real world" as we had spent in meditation, so I did that.  Otherwise, I think I'd have been a little spacey to drive and would have a hard time explaining to the police officer my driving deficiency was due to a Yoga Nidra hangover!

Did I like Yoga Nidra this time?  Yes, at least more than my previous experiences.  I think I still struggled a bit with impatience as the guided verbal instructions went on, but I also was very relaxed. I think as with anything, this will take practice.  I'll be back for another session next month!©

Namaste,  donnajurene

MAKING THE FAMILIAR NEW AGAIN

I'm doing a lot of reading about how we can create our own more peaceful and accepting reality by changing our thoughts and that our brains can continue to adapt, adjust, grow, and improve if we challenge them with new thoughts, new experiences, new ideas.

So, when I walked into class today expecting the familiar, I immediately silenced the itty bitty groan of protest I felt when I discovered we'd have a different teacher  -- one who I didn't know at all.  Plus...he was a man!  I've only taken one other yoga class from a male teacher.  There are relatively few of them in the Yoga World -- at least in my yoga world.

He came up and introduced himself to me right away with a friendly smile and made sure we all had the props we would need.  He passed out little wooden disks that said the word "Assist" on one side. If a student is open to the teacher assisting with a pose (laying hands on for adjustment) we were to put the "Assist" side up.  If not, the other side up.  No ambiguity about what is "OK" for the teacher to do.  Good idea, I thought.

I loved how he started out with having us hum an opening "om".  I've said it before -- I love chanting.  I don't even consider the "om" a chant really -- more like a centering sound, and it was just that for me today.  I felt myself come fully present just with that simple resonance.

Steven then led us through asana practice that was both very familiar and totally new.  Every teacher has their own style and we find those who challenge and those with whom we settle into a routine that feels nurturing and familiar.  Whenever I have a class with a new teacher, I'm challenged, even if the poses are familiar, just because the instruction can feel so different.  Steven led us into familiar poses with very precise instructions that made the pose sound like some new pretzel style, but ended up being Side Angle, or Warrior II, or Mountain Pose or whatever, as he described the alignment in detail.  I found myself at first feeling confused, then "getting it", and focusing on more precise alignment that both challenged and enhanced my practice.

While setting up for Savasana, Steven gave us the instruction to put our right hand on the stomach if we'd like him to bring us a blanket; bend the right knee after lying down if we wanted a bolster; cry a little bit if we'd like a back rub; stick out our tongue if we'd like a hot fudge sundae....  OK, I might have made those last two up, but I loved the idea of the non-verbal cues being so clear and easy and something new.  We ended the class with a closing "om" which felt like a fitting tribute to the ancient practice.

It's fun to experience a new teacher sometimes and I am grateful that our studio has some of the very best to learn from!©

Namaste,  donnajurene

Photo Credit: pixabay.com

IF NOTHING ELSE, JUST BREATHE

I just got home from yoga class after a two week "time-out" from practicing.  I tried to Google "How long to get back to normal in yoga?" and got a bunch of hits for coming back after pregnancy.  That definitely wasn't my issue.  I was merely slothful....my most deadly sin.

Granny Nannying often keeps me out of the studio two-three days/week and sometimes other appointments and commitments interfere too, but I'm usually there at least twice/week.  But we just took a 10 day trip, so vacation got in the way on top of everything else.  There was a Yoga class at the resort where we stayed, but I ignored it.  I have not had the most positive experiences with "vacation yoga".  On the other hand, it would have likely helped me stay close-ish to where I was in terms of strength, flexibility, and balance.  Because where I was today was almost back to rank beginner!

I was shocked at how stiff, unbend-y, and off-balance I was.  Things that should have been easy-breezy were a challenge.  My wrists hurt, my shoulders wouldn't move, I tipped off balance just doing a simple rise onto the balls of my feet in Chair pose.  I even wobbled in Warrior I -- both feet solidly on the ground!  And stamina?  Half-way through class I was ready for Savasana!  But I hung in there and was grateful for it being a pretty gentle class with lots of emphasis on Pranayama (yogic breathing), because that calmed the shout-y, judge-y voice in my head that wanted to scold me about my "performance".   And breathing seemed to be the only thing I felt competent and confident about today.  Pretty basic.

So, how long does it take to start to backslide?  For me, I guess two weeks.  I know that getting back to "normal" is just a matter of showing up, being patient, listening to my body, finding my edge, and breathing through it all.  Also laughing.  And resting.  And loving the process.  If you see me grabbing the wall for balance for awhile, come on over and join me!   We'll have a good chuckle.

Happy to be back!!!©
Namaste,  donnajurene

Photo Credit: spreadshirt.com

ROCK N ROLL

Have you noticed those big hard foam rollers popping up from the baskets in the yoga studio over there near the blankets and blocks?  Occasionally you'll see someone grab one and start rolling around on it as a precursor to yoga class.  I've noticed it doesn't look very comfortable and my preferred warm up is a good long Child's Pose.  I try to ignore the over-achievers whilst burying my face in my mat and taking a short nap...

But one day, in a small class led by Karen, there was the suggestion we all grab a roller and "work on our fascia".  Huh?  Which body part is a fascia?  Is it connected to the thigh bone?  The ankle bone?  Oh well, a dutiful follower of instructions, I grabbed a roller and headed back to my mat.

Fascia is the fibrous tissue stuff that surrounds all our muscles and organs.  Here's a gross photo that illustrates this perfectly (think chicken leg, not human body, if that helps).

It acts sort of like a rubber band in that it helps pull he muscles back into place after being elongated. Stretch and "bo-ing" back into its original spot.  But sometimes an injury will occur and the springing back action will get sort of bunched up, fascia thickening, causing the body to hold onto the injury and not being able to move freely.  Chronic pain is often due to a build up of thickened fascia and scar tissue.  What to do?

Thin the bunched up fascia by stretching it!  How to break down the bunched up spots and stretch it?  Massage therapists do it and...those rollers!!! Yay!  You will be happy to know that the fascia is not connected to our nervous system, so no pain receptors are located there.  But keep in mind the fascia is covering our muscles which protest loudly when poked, prodded, and rolled upon too vigorously.  Take it easy.  Find a foam roller that has at least a little give to it.  (Some are hard as cement, in my limited experience!)

In class we rolled around on those foam tubes for over an hour -- hips, thighs, calves, buttocks, back, arms... I truly hated it at first.  It was a little hurt-y and my judge-y brain was yelling all kinds of "This is dumb!" insults at my body.  But then I told myself to shut up and just be in the moment.  I adjusted when it hurt too much and loved when it felt amazing.  The only moment that truly concerned me was when we were doing upper back and my hoody got caught under the roller and and pulled my shirt taut, nearly choking me to death, but that was a wardrobe malfunction rather than any problem with the body work.

By the end of class, I was a believer.  Rolling around on those foam things helps create stretchy, healthy fascia which allows us greater flexibility, improved posture, moves lymph, and clears out toxins.  And you don't even break a sweat!  No crazy pretzel poses to learn and hold!  

Try it!  You'll like it!

Namaste,  donnajurene

Footnotes/Resources/Pictures of how to do it:

http://goop.com/fascia-the-secret-organ/

https://www.thegeniusofflexibility.com/resistance-stretching/fascia.html

BUDDHA'S BRAIN, PART 5.

I'm going to end this book report with this short post.

Let me offer at this point a big disclaimer -- I gave you only the very briefest of overviews, filtered no doubt by those sections which I found most interesting.  You might read the book and find something entirely different to report on.  I highly recommend you do get a copy and dive in.  It's very reader-friendly and the neuroscience is so well explained you don't need a Ph.D. to get it.  It's incredibly interesting and encouraging to learn that our brains CAN change and we are in charge making our own brain more alert, more content, more wise.  We have this amazingly complex organ that calls the shots for us, but often those are not the calls that serve us any more, even if they once did.  We can change the message!  We can become who we want to be!

The last few chapters explain the idea of Mindfulness.  Our brains are constantly trying to hold onto information, update awareness, and seek stimulation.   Our job is to steady the mind to keep these activities in balance and focused.  How?  In everyday life we can prepare by slowing down, talking less, focusing on breathing, adopting a calm attitude when with other people, simplifying our lives from the familiar "too busy" state.  We can literally tell our "monkey minds" -- the racing thoughts swinging from branch to branch -- to "hush".  Have a little talk with your inner voice and tell it to quiet down for just a little while, sort of like the shushing the gallery at a golf tournament, tell it to  whisper (or just shut up) while you are "putting" (aka meditating).

Our brains are wired to help us be mindful.  We can employ the compare and contrast portions of our brain to help with setting a goal for focusing attention during meditation and gauging if we are meeting it.  We can ask the language centers of our brain to count breaths. We can call on the compassion centers to help us appreciate our efforts by sending loving thoughts to ourselves.  We can filter out distractions by employing our senses to attend to each and every sensation, then to watch as they eventually fade away -- itches, thoughts, cold feet, stinky socks -- it will all pass like clouds.  Boredom means stimulation seeking is "up" and we can address that with a few tricks like walking meditation, mantra meditation, and pranayama (breathing techniques that require some effort and thought).

Mindfulness is a meditation but also a way of life.  Finding the empty space between the thoughts in every moment of the day is an outcome of being mindful.  There is no past or future, which is where our thoughts reside.  There is only the vast spaciousness of now.

The very last chapter of the book deals with the idea of "apparent self"; the "I" that we think we are and identify with.  This is always a difficult concept for me and I'm not going to go into much detail here.  You can wrestle with it.  I've read and heard from many teachers that the ego doesn't really exist; that we are all part of a vast and openhearted spaciousness that is all inclusive and not individuated.  I am the tree and the tree is me.  OK.  Still working on that....but I'll get there.

Thanks for coming along on this journey into Buddha's Brain, where happiness, love, and wisdom abide.©

Namaste, donnajurene

Photo Credit: pixabay.com

BUDDHA'S BRAIN, PART 4.

I've read two books in the past month, both of which devoted a considerable amount of time to this story and what it has to teach us:

A Native American Elder, when asked how she had become so wise, so happy, and so respected answered: "In my heart, there are two wolves; a wolf of love and a wolf of hate.  It all depends on which one I feed each day."

Well, that about says it, doesn't it?  How about you?  Does your "wolf of hate" roar when you make a mistake? Or do you hear that roar when the neighbor mows his lawn at 8:00 a.m. on a Saturday morning?  Or the guy in the pick-up truck cuts you off on the freeway?  Or maybe, just maybe, when a presidential candidate you are not supporting surges ahead in the polls?  Every time we fall into the habit of snarling and growling, we are feeding the wolf of hate.  That doesn't serve us or our Buddha Brain.

As it turns out, the "wolf of love" has evolved to be much more powerful, even if we don't hear as much about it on the evening news.  Empathy and compassion helped our species survive and thrive.  We have neurons that fire and brain sections that light up like a Christmas tree when we feel what another feels, when we act on compassionate impulses, all of which makes us want to attach to another, which is love, which feels darned good.

The "wolf of love" sees all as interconnected.  The "wolf of hate" sees "us" vs. "them" -- also a survival tool, but one that so easily gets out of whack.  We might want to howl at any hint of threat, but we must gain some experience in restraining the "wolf of hate" when there is no threat at all, when "different" is just "different", not dangerous.

Empathy paves the way; being comfortable with closeness, strengthening the brain circuits for compassion, and learning to communicate clearly and effectively will help us find places of connection and calm where before we saw only anxiety and fear.

One way to practice this skill is to practice a Loving-Kindness Meditation.  It's easy, but not so simple.  Here is the beginner version:

Sit comfortably and breathe deeply.  Call into your mind's eye someone you love to pieces -- spouse, child, friend -- and say, "May you be safe.  May you be healthy.  May you be happy.  May you live with ease."

Next, call into your mind's eye someone who is sort of neutral to you, perhaps the Safeway checker or the guy you nodded to in the elevator.  Holding this person in your sight, again repeat, "May you be safe.  May you be healthy. May you be happy.  May you live with ease."

Now the tricky part:  Call into your mind's eye someone you don't like, someone who is your nemesis, or enemy.  You know where this is going, right?  Yep.  Hold this person in your meditation and say, "May you be safe.  May you be healthy.  May you be happy.  May you live with ease."  Whew!  Tough one, huh?  But really, if that person lived in a fully happy, peaceful, healthy way, would they have to be a jerk?  No; so let's wish them well; maybe it will help.

One more person is worthy of your Loving-Kindness, of course.  You. And sometimes it's hardest to give ourselves the gift of love.  Try it.  Repeat, "May I be safe.  May I be healthy.  May I be happy.  May I live with ease."

Ahhhh....doesn't that feel good?  Feed your "wolf of love" and your Buddha Brain will get stronger and stronger.©

Namaste, donnajurene

Photo Credit:  pixabay.com