Transform

My travels have taken me to the beautiful countryside of Tuscany, Italy. I am traveling with others from the United States to enjoy a relaxing yoga retreat led by some very special friends. We are staying at a 14th century farmhouse called Ebbio. As we journeyed along the speedway, we noticed villas on the hillside, lush vineyards, and even vast fields of sunflowers. At our retreat location, we have an amazing hilltop view of Monteriggioni Castle and the surrounding national forests. We have been treated to fresh vegetarian meals, a lush garden, farm animals, and lovely hosts.

The theme of the yoga retreat is borrowed from the famous poetic story written by Dante Alighieri called The Divine Comedy. It is divided into three parts: Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso. Dante is exiled to these distinct territories and is forced to rediscover himself through a series of adventures. He experiences through his journey a transformation of himself.

We, too, can experience transformation; discover new parts of ourselves or even re-invent ourselves. Sometimes yoga can be thought of as a process of birth and rebirth. We move in and out of postures to tap into parts of ourselves that we did not know existed. We can use yoga poses to experience a sense of healing and cleansing. All of these, and more, can be thought of as transformation.

Seated Twisted Pose

Twisting postures in yoga can provide that sense of changing, shifting, transforming. In twisting positions, I imagine a wet sponge being wrung out. When we unwind, a freshness enters our being. It is a release of the new to invite the new. Try this posture to experience that sense of cleansing and becoming anew.

Sit on your yoga mat with your legs extended straight out in front of you. Bend your right leg, and hub your knee up toward your chest. Then, step your right foot over your extended left leg so that now your right foot is on the outside of your left leg. You're welcome to keep the left leg extended or bend this leg so the foot draws near the right hip bone. (Your left knee will be lying on the floor.)

Inhale and extend your left arm out in front of you. As you exhale, wrap your left arm around the bent right knee twisting your torso toward the right side of the room. As you complete the twist, hug the leg closer to your body. Inhale again to ensure a long spine followed by another exhale to twist more as the body allows. Hold the posture for at least 10 breaths.

As you remain in this seated twisted pose, imagine the internal and external changes your body is currently experiencing. Some changes may be subtle, some will be more apparent. Feel free to move into this pose with the intention of desiring change and shift in your body, mind, spirit, life. As you release the pose slowly, return to Staff Pose (legs extended out in front of you), and experience the body opening up to new sensations. Repeat the pose on the other side.

Even if you don't set a specific intention while practicing this yoga pose, your body, mind, and spirit can be open to change and transformation if you are open to receive it. 

Written on July 23, 2013 in Italy.

Arrive

I have had the fortunate opportunity to travel to the historical European country of Italy.  The first few days in Europe were spent in the art-centric city of Florence. Surrounded by the historical backdrop of gardens, galleries, cathedrals, and museums, we were immediately introduced to Italian living: post-Renaissance art and architecture, Michaelangelo's David, piazzas, sculptures, paintings of the Madonna, da Vinci's Annunciation, Chianti wines, and expressos!

Traveling to a new place can leave one a little unsettled at first. New foods, an unfamiliar language, a different bed, a different time zone, etc. All of these and more can make you a bit confused and disoriented. In order to feel at ease and at home, one must pay close attention to the new details that surround you: the signs in a different language, maps and directions to your destinations, prices and currency exchange rates. Paying attention to these types of details requires one to be in the moment. If you become distracted, it is easy to get lost, turned around, and even more confused.

A good way to stay in the moment, to orient yourself to your new and current surroundings, is to be still, open your eyes, and breathe. Bring your awareness to the object you are focusing on. Creating this mindful attention brings you to the present. It allows the mind to be filled with what it needs to absorb; acquainting yourself to what is happening right here and right now.

We can do this even in our most familiar of settings: home, work, school. It is easy to run through the motions of our daily lives because we become so accustomed to the routines of our daily activities. So, in the midst of the routine, try this very simple yoga practice that allows you to arrive in the moment.

Arrive Home

Make it a conscious decision when you get home, for example, to arrive there as if it is your very first time to this residence. Take out your keys, slowly unlock the door, step through the threshold and pause. Take a look at what you see...for the first time. Open your eyes wide. Scan the room you have entered. Pay attention to the signs and symbols, the pictures, the plants, the aroma, the colors, etc. Take it all in. Truly arrive in your home as if you were the foreigner arriving in a new town. Notice something in the room that appears new to you. Pay attention to a painting or picture on the wall that you normally walk by. Take a breath. Be in the moment. Absorb. Arrive.

This may not seem like a regular yoga practice. You didn't have to unroll your yoga mat and move through various poses. Yoga can be thought of more as a way of life. It can be the practice of being more aware and present; arriving at the place where you are. So, this simple yoga practice of arriving at home (or at work) as if it was your first time, can truly be a yoga practice with intention.

Written in Florence Italy, July 22, 2013.

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.

Set An Intention

I have been working as a Yoga Life Coach for the past few years and I am always amazed at the wonderful work my clients make on their journey toward improved self development.

People generally come to me feeling stuck: unable to move in their relationships, careers, with their lives. One assignment that I give my clients is to set an intention for the day and then to remind themselves of that intention throughout the day.

I believe that if you have a positive attitude, then the activities, responsibilities, and daily living also move forward in a positive direction.

One of the first things we do when we get up in the morning may be use the restroom, make the bed, or put on a pot of coffee. As you are starting your day, try setting an intention that will carry you through the day. Make it simple. Choose one or two words that you can easily remember. Here are some examples that I have used for myself:

Clarity & Vision
Connection & Love
Openness & Acceptance

Repeat these words in your mind several times like a mantra. Then throughout the day, remind yourself of your intention by repeating them in your head. Afraid you might forget the words or forget to repeat them? Try this....simply write down your intention and carry it with you. Also, set an alarm on your phone or watch to sound two times during the day to remind you to recall your intention.

My clients have found this exercise to be very effective. It keeps them on track during the day and it reminds them to return to a positive attitude while moving through their day and eventually moving through their stuck life position.

Try it this week and let me know how it works out for you.

Namaste.

You Are Fierce!

I can honestly say that the yoga classes I teach are challenging. Students sometimes are breathing heavily, struggling with some poses, and definitely sweating during the practice. My intention is not to harm or discourage my students. On the contrary, I am teaching them to believe in themselves. I show them, through the challenging yoga classes, that they have the ability to get through very difficult circumstances. Yes, they may be a little sweaty at the end, but they got through it. They learn they are able to support themselves, live with integrity, develop and practice great strength, and feel calm throughout the entire process.

There is a particular pose that can embrace this experience: Utkatasana. The Sanskirt word literally means powerful or fierce. The nickname given to this posture is Chair Pose because the physical body looks like it's sitting in a chair. While sitting in an actual chair may not produce power and strength, practicing Chair Pose can.

Because of the balancing nature of the pose, the core engagement, the arms lifted over head, lifting your toes, and sitting deeply onto nothing at all can definitely generate confidence, power, strength, and fierceness.

Utkatasana: Chair Pose
Start by standing in Mountain Pose. Be sure to have your feet about hip distance apart with your toes pointing directly forward to form a secure foundation while standing. Inhale to extend your arms into the air. Exhale and sit back and down as if you were sitting into an actual seat. To begin with, there is no need to sit down too deeply. Just bend at the knees and hips to establish the sensation of beginning to to sit down into a chair.

Before going any further, be sure to engage your core. Tilt your pelvis so you can feel you navel draw in toward your spine. Do this action with an exhale. This will help you connect more solidly to your core. It establishes a stronger base and support of self. As you're able, with core engaged, sit back and down a little deeper. Be sure to keep your arms extended over head. (Have your arms extend past your ears.) This is your posture. To make it more demanding, shift your weight more toward your heels so you can lift your toes off the floor. The challenge here is to remain stable, balanced, and calm in the posture. You want to have a full sense of supporting yourself without actual support (like sitting in a chair.) After about 5 breaths, stand up tall to Extended Mountain Pose with an inhale. Exhale to lower your arms down by your side.

The intention behind a pose like this is to remind you that you can rely on your own strength to support yourself in many difficult and challenging situations. It may not be comfortable like a chair, but you'll have the strength, power, and fierceness that the pose declares.

Namaste.

Slow Down....Again

Our bodies and minds are constantly on the move and the result can be exhaustion, disorientation, confusion, etc. So, take a moment to slow down. We all deserve those few moments of stillness and quiet. It only takes a few minutes to re-group, re-connect, and re-charge.

Why not try this very simple exercise and see how you feel afterward. Try it TODAY, and if you walk away with positive results, try it again tomorrow.

Find a quiet place in your home or office. I know, sometimes this can be a challenge. Maybe just find a room, close the door, and take this moment to simply relax. It will only take a few minutes. Sit comfortably on your yoga mat or on the floor. Perhaps sit on a folded blanket or towel to feel more comfortable. If it feels ok, fold your legs in a crossed-legged position. Rest your wrists on your knees. Allow your neck, shoulders, arms, and hands to completely relax. Ideally, the room should be quiet. But if there is outside noise, do your best to not allow it to distract you. This is YOUR time. To help drown out the sound, maybe turn on some light meditative music. Close your eyes.

Once you are seated comfortably and relaxed, hold still for a few moments and focus on your breathing. After 5-10 breaths, begin a very simple movement. Inhale and extend your arms over head. Move at the pace of your in-breath. As you exhale, bring your arms slowly back down. Again, move at the pace of your out-breath. Do this simple motion 5-10 times.

This exercise keeps you totally in your body. You only need to focus on your breathing and simple arm movement.

See! This only took a few minutes! When you're done, sit still for a moment longer. Then make a slow transition back into your day. Try this same exercise again tomorrow....and the next day, too! I'd love to hear how this made you feel. Make a comment on this blog.

Namaste