yoga for kids

Last month I attended an awesome workshop with Donna Freeman, an amazing and passionate woman who teaches yoga to kids. Our fun filled weekend together zoomed past and once again I'm left needing more! I am passionate about the environment, and my niece and nephew provide the impetus to fight ecological injustice and ensure that their children have a clean and healthy environment. And now thanks to Donna I have a new set of skills and the ability to share my passion for yoga with them. As adult yogis we are blissfully aware of the benefits of yoga and our kids deserve to reap those benefits too.

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Yoga provides a fantastic foundation for child development because it refines their ability to express themselves, to concentrate and cooperate with their peers, as well as improve fine motor and locomotor skills. I had never thought about these basic skills that make us functioning Homo sapiens, largely because they are second nature, but it's a fascinating process. As an aunt, I absolutely love watching my niece and nephew discover the world around them. I love facilitating and then watching the "eureka!" moment.

A simple, secular approach to yoga philosophy teaches kids to be kinder, well rounded individuals through principles of non-violence, non-stealing, honesty, respect, compassion and patience.  These principles are universal across the world's religions and are important characteristics for kids and parents to embrace. And most importantly, yoga gives kids an opportunity to be a kid, to have fun and be silly, the yoga teacher included!!

ahhh...sana

Since taking the therapeutic intensive with Susi Hately and more recently an online anatomy course, my practice and teaching style has changed. As my knowledge of biomechanics improves and I continue to embrace yogic philosophy I evolve as a yogi. Currently, the word asana is catalyzing my perspective. Asana loosely translates into sitting still, comfortably and at ease, and in the past I used asana generically for yoga pose. This more authentic definition of asana has big implications for me because more often than not, I took my poses into the deepest modifications available. By no means is this a bad, but these modifications restricted my breathing and I forced me to compensated with muscles other than those intended for the movement(s) associated with a pose. Hmm.

I've also started to think about what causes my discomfort, how I can improve movement, and the difference between form and function. I can't address this in a single blog entry but it's certainly foremost in my mind when I practice and develop my classes. Lately, I'm thinking about how my cues land and how I can help my students find ease in their poses while improving their movement. But as always, I'm enjoying the challenge of sharing my revelations with my fellow yogis while refining my own yoga philosophy around some key principles of movement.

peaceful mind, open heart

Yoga evolved from an ancient meditation heritage with origins in venerable Brahman texts called Vedas. As Brahmanism evolved into modern day Hinduism, revelations and teachings from the Upanishads defined yoga as a means of achieving liberation from suffering. Modern relics from these texts are found in karma (action or ritual) and jnana (wisdom and knowledge) yoga, as well as the practice of connecting the breath and mind with the symbol om.  The most recent, influential text is Patanjali's Yoga Sutras (100-500 B.C.E.) which comprises 196 aphorisms (basic tenets or ideologies) and details an eight-fold path (or 8 limbs) of yoga.  

www.yogalifestudios.ca

The different limbs of Patanjali's yoga are yamas (ethical disciplines), niyamas (observances), asana (classic poses), pranayama (breath work), pratyahara (withdrawl from the senses), dharana (concentration), dhyana (meditation) and samadhi (complete surrender to the Absolute). The five yamas transcend race, country, age and time and include ahimsa - non-harming or non-violence, satya  - truthfulness, asteya - non-stealing, brahmacharya - moderation and aparigraha - non-coveting. The five niyamas are saucha - purification of our body and mind, santosha - contentment and detachment, tapas - austerity and self-discipline, swadhyaya - self study and ishwara prandihana - dedication or surrender to the higher Self (Absolute) and letting go of the ego (self).            

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Do not be overwhelmed by the seemingly impossible path outlined by Patanjali. Remember the importance and value of intention and honor that. I view the yamas and niyamas as qualities of an ideal role model. Depending on the day and even the moment, some of these qualities are easier to cultivate than others  As an avid reader who loves knowledge, swadhyaya is relatively effortless. On the other hand, my humanity (and addiction to chocolate) represents a formidable obstacle to brahmacharya. Ahimsa is a non-harming, violence-free doctrine applicable to our relationships with people, nature and ourselves. Loving who and what we are without self-deprecation, self-criticism and self-hatred is ahimsa, and by far one of the more challenging disciplines.


Asana and pranayama constitute most modern styles of yoga, thereby honoring the ancient practice of mindfulness by connecting the conscious (asana) with the

ahimsatrust.org

subconscious (pranayama). Although the limbs of yoga are intertwined, the remaining four limbs follow a logical sequence. For example, in order to surrender to the Absolute (samadhi), we need to master the art of meditation (dhyana), which in part emerges from our ability to concentrate or remain steadfast (dharana). As yogis, we develop our ability to concentrate by withdrawing from our senses (pratyahara), quieting our minds, and letting go of that which doesn't serve us.

The evolution of modern yoga is entrenched in an ancient history, and philosophical ideology which can't be summarized in a single blog entry. To truly appreciate its depth, beauty and authenticity, as well as to discover how and what resonates with you, a more thorough exploration of yoga's history and philosophy is necessary.


Books are infinite in number and time is short, therefore the secret to knowledge is to take only what is essential. Take what is essential and try to live up to it. - Sri Swami Vivekananda

How do you embrace the eight limbs of yoga?
Enjoy your exploration!

Namaste













Sources
Carrera, J. Rev. 2006. Inside the Yoga Sutras. Integral Yoga Publications, Buckingham, VA.

Iyengar, B.K.S., 2001. Light on Yoga. Thorsons, Hammersmith, London.

Jois, P.K., Yoga Mala. North Point Press, New York, NY.

Sparrow, L., 2008. Yoga. A Yoga Journal Book, Universe Publishing, Berkley, California.

yoga for your feet

Keeping our mind still and free from chatter and negative thoughts is challenging for everyone. Quieting my mind and centering myself are two reasons why I practice yoga, and although each day is different, lately I've been struggling with my balance. The foundational strength of our standing balance poses are linked to a number of physical, physiological and emotional factors e.g. tight hamstrings, an unstable pelvis, sleep deprivation, anxiety and depression. A consistent practice with careful attention to moving within our pain-free range of motion will undoubtedly improve our balancing poses, however; a little extra TLC such as toe yoga can go a long way too.


Come into Tadasana (Mountain Pose), stand tall, relax and a let your arms hang by your side. Ground the three corners of each foot equally into the earth. (The big and pinky toe pads as well as the centre of the heel represent the three corners of the foot.) Close your eyes, and imagine 

inhaling length into your spine and exhaling into the space between each vertebra. With each full breathe ground your feet into the earth. If it helps, imagine there are roots growing from your feet deep into the ground. Stay in Tadasana for 5-10 breathes with the intention of grounding and balance starting with your feet, moving up your legs to your spine and core. Your arms, shoulders, neck and crown are relaxed and your mind is  quiet. Inhale calm, exhale ease. Inhale smile, exhale release.

 When you are ready, quietly come out of Tadasana and sit in a chair or on the floor, take your left foot into your lap, and give yourself a mini foot rub/reflexology session. I'd recommend using your favourite foot lotion, I like The Body Shop's Cooling Peppermint Foot Lotion. It feels good and you deserve it!!  After a few minutes take your right hand and place a finger in between each toe. Spread your fingers separating the toes. Relax your fingers and spread them out again. Repeat these actions a couple of times and then use your hand to rotate your toes in circles. Makes sure to change directions after a short while. (Use your own discretion (intuition, desire etc) to determine how manyrotations you think your tootsies need.) Keep the rest of your foot relaxed

and ankle still. Once you have circled your toes in both directions, use your hand to rotate the entire foot starting with the ankle. You can do this with your fingers between your toes or with your hand. Before you switch and repeat these exercises on your right foot, feel free to massage your foot a few minutes more. Ahh... true bliss.


When you have performed foot yoga for both feet, come back into Tadasana. Take a few minutes to settle into this pose and take note of any differences you feel. Are you more aware of your feet on the ground? Do you feel more balanced? And even if you don't feel any differences, don't sweat it, nothing bad comes from foot rubs! 


Thanks for reading! Namaste. 

less is more!

This March I spent an incredible 10 days workshopping the fascinating world of therapeutic yoga with Susi Hately. Saying that my world has changed would be exaggerating but in many ways it has. My biggest "a-ha" moment was the realization that slow, subtle movements will lead to faster progress i.e. pure movement. The subtlety and pace we (I) move through in life has a profound impact on the everyday and more momentous aspects of our (my) life. For those of you who know me, this is especially relevant. I move through life in a whirl, feet barely touching the ground. I'm always losing things, making silly mistakes and at the end of the day not feeling like I'm getting anywhere. The answer is simple. Slow down and move slower than what you think slow is.

This simple adage is integral to therapeutic yoga as it allows for greater ease in our classic asanas. By slowing down our practice, we are able to identify signals our body sends telling us that something is wrong e.g. pain, strain, twinge, popping, grinding etc. These signals or yellow lights tell us that we aren't moving in an optimal, pain-free range of motion.  From a therapeutic perspective, we don't want to blow through these lights because we increase the probability of blowing past our

 red lights which could potentially cause serious injuries. (Think back to the NY Times article questioning the safety of yoga.) Think of your optimal, pain-free range of motion as moving between your green and yellow lights. This analogy differentiates the therapeutic from the fitness based model of yoga. Neither is necessarily better than the other, rather they are dependent on a yogi's personal and fitness goals. Slowing down and listening to your body is also reflective of the yogic concept of ahimsa or non-harming stands reminds us to practice more mindfully and avoid hurting ourselves.

To demonstrate this new perspective on yoga, let's use Virabhadrasana 1  as an example. Please excuse the cluttered apartment and lack of photographic quality. I won't bore you with my excuses <cough> Mojo <cough>.  From a fitness, intermediate yogi perspective, my Virabhadrasana 1 is fine. There aren't any visible alignment issues, and I'm (relatively) mobile. Admittedly, there was always a tweak or crackle here and there, and often an ache in my right sacroiliac joint (SI). Without too many details, my chest is a little tight which is why my elbows are near hyper-extension. If they were any tighter my

Pre-Susi Virabhadrasana I

shoulders would be up by my ears. A shaky, unstable pelvis contributes to my SI ache, and my sore knees are in part attributable to years of hard work compensating for my Elvis pelvis.

My post-Susi Virabhadrasana 1 looks very different, and some may argue that it's no longer the same asana. And maybe they're right, but my goals and perspective have changed, and after a few customized exercises to address these issues my Warrior 1 one will be even better.

Post-Susi Virabhadrasana I

My teaching style will definitely evolve with this new information.  I found myself cringing in some yoga classes before...

I think the real challenge will be breaking old habits and by slowing down I can already feel a difference and catch my self (almost) before a yellow light. If anything, I more excited about yoga and have found new inspiration to share with my students. Stay tuned and thanks for reading.









Breathing in I calm the body and mind
Breathing out I smile
Dwelling in the present moment
I know that this is the only moment
-Thich Nhat Hanh

sometimes less is more...

I subbed my first yoga class in Calgary and it felt great to teach again. Whether or not it will lead to something remains to be seen, but it doesn't really matter because I still love it! And as usual, I am feeling anxious and impatient because things aren't happening fast enough. However, the first bundle of courses with Susi Hately starts in 2 weeks, which doesn't help me patience-wise but makes me feel OK about my account balance.

Finances aside, I use my time wisely and take as many yoga classes as I can. The trouble is finding the right class with the right teacher. Calgary like most cities is saturated with yoga and it's hard to tease out the commercialism and pretense with the kind of yoga that I'm looking for. Lately, I've been having trouble finding a class that's challenging so I either take an Ashtanga class or do a double header - ah... the joys of unlimited time and an unlimited yoga pass. With all the training I plan to do I'm starting to wonder how I'll be able to maintain and challenge myself in my own practice. I imagine once I'm more financially stable I can try new studios and but when I really think about it there are a ton of poses that I still have to master, such as  

Visvamitrasana (yogajournal.com) 

Hanumanasana (yogajournal.com)

 Pincha Mayurasana 

(yogalifejourney.com)

Hmmm... looks like I'm going to be busy for along time!

Yoga in Cowtown

Well, here I am, in the big city. Not quite as overwhelmed as when I first arrived but I'm still adjusting. There are yoga studios everywhere and they offer classes all day! It awesome, I love it! There are classes and styles I haven't heard of before, and there's workshops happening most weekends. The classes are often huge in comparison to the classes I taught in Prince George and Cranbrook which is a little intimidating and if you don't have your mat you can rent one for the class. What?! Really? What happened to please wipe your mat down after you use it? Ah, well come to the city... :)

As a budding yoga teacher, it's hard not be hyperaware of how a class is taught and I often catch myself making corrections to a cue or how something is pronounced. I also take lots of mental notes about how I can incorporated what I'm learning into my own practice and future classes. I'm realizing that everybody makes mistakes! I already know that but I really want to be a great yoga teacher and like everyone else get caught up in the ego, but the deeper my practice becomes the more I recognize this. And the more classes I attend, the more confident I become because it funny when you tell your students to come into dead baby pose when you really meant to say happy baby or dead bug pose, just like it's funny when someone else gives the most anatomically impossible cue. It's yoga after all and my Self, the source of Light which I draw from has a great sense of humor.

It is better to do your own duty badly than to perfectly do another's. Bhagavad Gita

Yoga an extreme sport?

Of course not but check out an awesome rebuttal by The Awl writer Sarah Miller

6 Reasons to Ignore the NY Times Yoga Article

Another great article by Sarah

Why Yoga Can be so Irritating

And Here's the original NY Times article

ENJOY!

Distractions

I've been feeling pretty distracted lately... not so much from tangible things like Mojo playing with the string on my yoga pants or either cat resting on my back in any pose that allows it. But from the usual mental and emotional baggage that get in the way of the day to day, especially with my big move on the horizon.

 

All the more reason to practice, and  prepare. And try to tire the kitten out before I start practicing or should try and remain focused no matter what life throws at me as demonstrated in this funny video.

I could also just cut the single, non-functioning string from my pants but that would just makes sense!

I'm distracted by things like selling my truck and finding an affordable place but also by all the fantastic opportunities waiting for me. There are some workshops I'm planning to take in March, the first of many to becoming a therapeutic yoga teacher! How exciting!!

And then I get distracted over worrying about my teaching style... as many of you know I'm a mumbler and at times inarticulate. I'm also excitable and chatty but people come to my classes, and it is getting easier. When I first started training in Costa Riica I was overwhelmed with an incredible amount of new and fascinating information. Is till don't know what to do with it all! But I do know is that enjoy teaching and I'm really looking forward to growing as a yoga teacher and a life time student. 

Trends and the high ground

Shit Yogis Say is a pretty funny video by Lululemon in response to a PR project gone bad. I remember when Lululemon was a small store on 4th (or was it Broadway) in Vancouver. The clothes were cute and expensive but not overly so. You didn't mind spending the money because you knew you were paying for quality and something somewhat unique. I don't begrudge Lulelemon's success, it is a Canadian company which is awesome and their clothing is high quality, but I resent the inaccessibility of quality products and services to those of us who can't spend $100 on a pair of yoga pants. I think this is attributable to the popularization of yoga and is evident in other trendy items such as iPods or X-boxes. Unlike these technological gadgets, yoga has the potential to heal society's mental and physical ailments and in my utopian worldview anything that heals or just makes people the world a better place should be accessible to everyone!

This is of course more of a rant since yoga is fairly accessible through online streaming (see Yogis Anonymous and YogaGlo), DVDs, books and classes at community centres. And sometimes I find myself belittling the trend setters and questioning their motives because yoga isn't about how good you look. It's about being in the moment and surrendering our attachments to materialism. "Letting go of that which doesn't serve you." is another important aspect of yoga and criticizing other people's choices and reasons for doing whatever doesn't serve me in the least! In fact it's not very yogic at all. It's just like what the yogis say "Nobody owns yoga!"

And hell yeah I saw his handstand!

New Beginnings

Happy New Year!

I'm glad 2011 is behind me, just like I was glad 2010 was behind me and so on... So what have I been doing wrong to feel so unsatisfied? I could ramble on analyzing and debating the potential reasons but that would and has got me nowhere. It's time to take action and this year that means BIG change.

I am an Ecologist by trade and more importantly PASSION. Unfortunately, in my experience that isn't enough to make in the real world, maybe in a perfect world but not this one. In all fairness, there are fabulous people doing awesome things and I WILL continue to crusade for the planet. I am a tree hugging hippy and that will never change. I'm just changing my approach and taking my passion for yoga to a new level.

 Last February, I went to Costa Rica for an intense 3 week yoga teacher training course with Frog Lotus Yoga (http://www.froglotusyoga.com/.) Needless to say, it change my life and after a year of teaching part-time I've decided to pursue a career as a teacher and yoga therapist! I LOVE it and I'm so excited to get started. The first step is to move to the city where there are more studios and opportunities to advance my own practice and learn the fine art and science of yoga therapy. So look out Calgary (YIKES!!) here I come!