Walking Meditation

One thing that is probably true for most people is that we are very busy in our lives. We are busy with work, family, school, and home practically from sun up to sun down. We devote much of our time "getting the job done." Unfortunately, we forget to devote some of that time to ourselves.

You may have heard your yoga instructor (if you even have time to get to a yoga class) state that we need to slow down, breathe, meditate. But you think to yourself, "I don't have time. I barely made it to this yoga class!" Here's the adendum to those yogic suggestions: make it simple and enjoyable. Slowing down, breathing, and even meditating don't really need to take that much time. A typical yoga class is likely an hour. Speaking as a yoga instructor, I don't expect most people to add an additional hour to a breathing or meditation practice. Each of these can take only a few minutes.

Here's something very easy for you to try. If you're at work, for example, take a moment to stop what you're doing, sit down, close your eyes, and take 5-10 deep breaths. Try it. See how long it takes and notice how you feel afterward. You may experience an immediate clarity and rejuvenation after taking that short moment for yourself.

Do you have a little more time? Try this. You're at home. Stop what you're doing, step outside, take a few deep breaths. Better yet, take a walk to the end of your walkway. Or, weather and time permitting, take a short stroll down your block and back. This doesn't have to take more than 3-5 minutes. While walking, just take deep breaths. To stay focused, create a rhythm of breath that matches the pace of your steps. This can be very meditative. And it didn't take that long. And it was probably enjoyable, too. You can incorporate simple practices like this on a daily basis. Even do it several times a day. It can help to clear the mind and calm the body so that you can return effectively to your work at hand.

I am offering a weeklong retreat in Costa Rica in May. Now, I know that not everyone can take a trip like that, but one of the yogic exercises we will be doing is meditative walks on the beach. Simple practicies like this can help you feel more centered, focused, in tuned, alive, and the list goes on. So, even if you can't get away to an international yoga retreat, create a retreat-moment right where you are, right now. It's as simple as taking a breath or going for a walk. Try it.

Namaste

Preparation

As we move toward another holiday season, some things are probably already coming to mind: travel, family dinners, shopping, gift giving, celebrations, etc. It can often feel overwhelming and challenging as we approach the end of another year. Stress levels tend to rise during this time of year. How are you preparing for this busy holiday season and stress management?

You can start now with a very simple yoga practice that you can do throughout this holiday season. It's easy!

Find a quiet moment for yourself. This might be at home, at school, at work, on the bus, etc. This only needs to take a few minutes. Close your eyes and begin to focus on your breathing. If it is difficult to notice your breathing, breathe a little louder with more effort. As you begin to notice the sound and feel of your breath, begin to control the pace of your breath. Take a nice long inhale followed by a slow controlled exhale. Do this for 30 seconds to 1 minute (see....that's not that long, right?)

This simple yoga breathing exercise does several things: 1) Focusing on your own breath makes you more aware of yourself. It helps you to tune out the things that are going on around you because you have to concentrate on your own breathing. 2) As you breathe slowly and deeply, you are bringing your central nervous system under control. In other words, your heart rate and pulse will gradually decrease. This ultimately makes you feel more calm and LESS STRESSED. 3) Also, this type of breathing helps you to bring balance to your mind and body. 4) And another thing, if you ever feel a bit drowsy, this can be a great pick-me-up. Sometimes, we don't get enough oxygen to the brain due to shallow breathing. Taking a few deep breaths can be better (cheaper and healthier) than chugging down one of those energy drinks.

As you can see, there are some great benefits to....well....just breathing. In and of itself, it IS a yoga practice. You can do it ANYWHERE at ANYTIME.

So, as you approach the holiday season, give YOURSELF a gift. The gift of a STRESS-FREE-HOLIDAY!

Namaste.

What Is A Yoga Retreat?

A yoga retreat is an opportunity to step away from your normal routine and engaged in a community where yoga is the main activity for that community building.

A yoga retreat offers you time to relax, unwind, re-group, and focus. If you live a stressful and busy lifestyle, a yoga retreat may be the perfect rememdy to ease the mind and body.

A yoga retreat allows you to deepen your yoga practice (or even start your yoga practice.) Yoga retreats often provide a theme or intention that guides the focus of your time together. Daily practices may range from flowing movement to stillness and meditation. A yoga retreat can help you to go deeper, connect, be more aware, to settle your active mind.

A yoga retreat may even feel like a vacation. Often retreats are held in nice facilities with beautiful inviting surroundings. You don't have to worry about cooking or cleaning or other household duties you may be used to at home. This is your time to get away - to retreat!

A yoga retreat can help you to clear your mind so you can solve problems, move forward on your life journey, answer questions, and even grow a deeper appreciation of yourself.

It goes without saying that you will meet other people on a yoga retreat. A sense of communty is established at a yoga retreat. You will creat bonds that can be long-lasting.

If you haven't attended a yoga retreat, consider attending one in the near future. I highly recommend it.

Where can you find yoga retreats? Perhaps a simple Google search can begin your quest for the perfect yoga retreat for you. Talk to your yoga instructors, visit a locak yoga studio. You can typically find posting and announcements of yoga retreats that would suit your intention.

I will be co-facilitating a Men's Yoga Retreat at the beautiful Blue Osa in Costa Rica in May 2015. For more information about this retreat, stay tuned in to this blog or visit my website. To whet your appetite, visit BlueOsa.com to see this amazing beach-side resort.

Rebirth

I taught a special Easter Sunday Yoga Practice that focused on Rebirth. As we enter the season of Spring, it's a perfect opportunity to shed the old and welcome the new. Here are three yoga poses you can do at home that will help you to release old feelings, thoughts, and sensations, to make room for the new. That new space also creates an opening to receive, accept, and live YOUR greatest potential.

Start by sitting on your yoga mat in a comfortable cross legged position. In stillness and silence set your intention. This intention is that thing (or several things) that you are now ready to release in your life. Take a few breaths to bring awareness to these ideas. Next, set the intention of what you'd like to welcome in your life. Take a few breaths to fully visualize yourself living in this new way.

Release The Old
Take your left hand and place it on your right knee. Take your right hand and place it behind you on the floor at the center of your spine. Press down into the floor with this hand in order to help extend your spine. Breathe in deeply to further help your body sit up taller. As you exhale, draw your navel in toward your spine then, from this lower region of your body, begin to twist toward the right side of the room. Do this for at least 10 breaths so you can feel a full twist in the spine.

Imagine what is going on inside your body. As you twist, you are wringing out your internal organs just like you would wring out the dirty water from a sponge. This is a wonderful way to cleanse your insides. Keep in mind what else you are intending to release with this yoga posture. On your final exhale, unwind the pose and face forward. Repeat this pose on the other side.

Death of the Practice
At the end of each yoga class, you may be familiar with the pose called Savasana. It means Corpse Pose. In Ashtanga, it can mean the death of the practice. As you move through your yoga poses, your body experiences many sensations. You may also experience various emotions. All of this with the idea of making changes and shifts in your body, mind, and spirit. The Corpse Pose symbolizes the death of the "old" you so you can now step into the "new" you. Take a moment now to lie down in Savasana. Stay in this pose for a few minutes to symbolize the release and death of your old ways.

Rebirth
After your moment in Savasana, bend your knees so your feet can press directly down into the floor. With an exhale, lift your hips into the air. Once you have lifted your hips, walk your shoulders together; squeeze your shoulder blades together. You are now in Bridge Pose which is a heart and hip opener. Remain here for 10 breaths. This opening can facilitate the welcoming of the new you - those new things you are now welcome to receive. You are opening yourself up to your greatest potential.

After Bridge Pose, feel free to take another few minutes sitting in stillness. The same sitting posture you were in at the beginning of your practice. Take note of how you now feel. Do you feel different? New? Reborn?

Namaste

Keep Yourself Healthy with Yoga while Traveling

I'd like to introduce a guest blogger for this next Yoga With Intention post. His name is Wes Vonn. He is the creator of I Vonn To Pump You Up and is a fitness and health enthusiast. Read this article that discusses how you can take yoga on the road. Enjoy! And please feel free to comment on your yoga travel experiences and be sure to visit Wes' blog. Namaste.

Keep Yourself Healthy with Yoga while Traveling

People who are on vacation tend to give up their healthy routines because they think that this is a treat for them. They avoid exercising and they eat whatever they want while they're with family and friends. The problems start when the person has to return home and find that they've gained a lot of week from their week vacation and is also having trouble returning to a more structured routine. Staying on track even while vacationing and traveling is so important for your health and well-being. There are many reasons why you should do yoga even while you're on vacation.

When it comes to health benefits while traveling, yoga really offers many of them to a variety of different people. If you're traveling by car to your next destination, your body is going to be sitting in the same position for hours. Gentle yoga can help to keep the body flexible and get it more aligned after you get out of the car. If you're a business traveler, just think of how soothing and relaxing yoga can be before a stressful meeting with clients or coworkers. Yoga really can be highly beneficial to all different types of travelers.

Another thing you need to think about is how easy it is to do yoga while you're traveling. More and more airports are putting in zen and yoga rooms for people to take advantage of. These rooms have mats, weights and pillows available so that you can just do yoga or meditate to your heart's desire. Most hotels, whether you are staying in an expensive Las Vegas hotel or a more affordable option, even offer morning yoga classes to their paying guests so that you can get a healthy start to your day without having to pay any extra money just to join in with the rest of the group.

Just think of how much easier it would be for you to make healthy choices for the rest of the day when you've started the day off with gentle and relaxing yoga. You will be less likely to grab for that muffin in the morning and you might make healthier choices the rest of the time you're on vacation. When you return back home, you will also find that you didn't gain weight or you gained a very small amount because you kept yourself quite structured. Vacationing and traveling does not mean that you should give up on healthy habits that you've developed over the years.

Wes Vonn

Wes is a fitness and living healthy nut. You can reach him at wesvonn@gmail.com. He recently started using a Paleo diet with his exercise routines and have noticed a huge change not only in his body but also in things like energy levels, ability to sleep through the night, and mood.

Turning Inward

We truly live in a society where we can be overly stimulated by what's going on around us. There is so much to see that it can be a challenge to take it all in and process. Walk down any street in Manhattan, step into a big-box grocery store, drive down the highway and see all the billboards and signs. It's a miracle that our brains can analyze all of these stimuli.

Too often, though, we turn to these outside stimuli to bring meaning to ourselves and to our lives. We think that if we buy the product that is advertised on that billboard we will somehow become a better person. We see the neighbor next door has a new car and so we may assume that we are not good enough with the "old clunker" we already own. We also turn to outside teachers, signs, symbols, remedies, quick fixes, and more to find our true identity - to figure out who we were are, or who we want to become.

What if the answers are not necessarily "out there?" What if the answers to who you are, what you are, and why you're here are "in here?" If we turn inward, we probably can discover our truest self. Look inside yourself, rather than outside the self, to find true meaning.

The following yoga posture will be a representation of how we can do just that - sit in stillness, pride, and gratitude and turn inward. Look inside ourselves to discover our truth.

Marichiasana


Marichi's Pose is a popular seated twisted posture. Marichi literally means "ray of light." Marichi is the son of Brahma and chief of the Maruts ("shining ones"), the war-like storm gods. He's one of the seven (sometimes 10 or 12) seers (rishis) or lords of creation (prajapatis), who intuitively "see" and declare the divine law of the universe (dharma). I think this is an appropriate pose to practice based on our intention. It is a way to intuitively see into one's self: to see your inner light.

Sit on your yoga mat with your legs straight out in front of you. Be sure you are sitting up so your spine is nice an long. Flex your feet, if you'd like, to ensure your legs are straight.

Bend your right knee, drawing your foot up toward your pelvis. Then step your foot over your left leg. Next, extend your left arm forward in front of you. With your right hand placed on the floor behind you for support (right at the base of your spine), bend your left elbow and begin to twist toward the right side of the room. Twist until you are able to "hook" your elbow on the outside of your bent knee. Inhale to lengthen your spine more. As you exhale, draw your belly button in toward your spine (creating an abdominal lock). This will create more room in your waist line as well as the ability to perhaps twist deeper into the pose. Hold the posture for at least 10 breaths.

While in this pose, imagine that you are turning inward, or looking inside of yourself. Sit in this quiet and stillness. No need to think about anything. Just focus on your breath. Allow this space you created to organically allow you to feel and experience your true self: your inner being.

Be sure to practice the pose on the other side.

Welcome

This blog was inspired by a yoga class that I taught at Centered City Yoga in Salt Lake City, Utah called “Happy Hour.” This was an hour-long yoga practice that involved introspective work during the progression of yoga poses. Each class had a theme that was related to everyday-life experiences. One learns to take the message from the yoga mat and apply it to real-life scenarios that are common to all of us.

The intention of this blog is to create a home yoga practice. You can even use some of the yoga techniques “on-the-go.” Use the lessons of this blog to guide you through challenging obstacles in your life and move toward freedom, alignment, and balance. The messages written in this blog will guide you toward a greater connection to self and stimulate change in your life.

The first yoga lesson will not involve any yoga postures. It will simply be a breath practice that helps you to discover relaxation, mindfulness, release, and awareness. Breath is considered the foundation of any yoga practice, so this is a good place to start. What is wonderful about this particular yoga practice is that you can do it anytime and anywhere. Think of it as a quick remedy to ailments that can strike us at anytime during our daily lives.

Read the practice then try it on your own. I welcome your feedback and self-observations as you engage in these lessons. Share with us how and when you used the practice and what were the immediate or long-term results. If you have any questions, please feel free to post them and I will try to answer them to the best of my ability. There is usually no one right answer. My comments will be based on personal experience with my own yoga practice and as a yoga instructor. Feel free to connect to your yoga community through this blog to receive a wide range of answers to your questions.

Before you begin this journey, let me thank you for taking the time to read this blog, try a home practice, and share your personal experiences. The yoga practice is one that can be done alone, but worth sharing with everyone.

Namaste.