Dance with delight as often as possible. Play in the colors of my freedom to choose. Laugh out loud. Scream in the middle of silence. Dig my hands into sand. Dive into waves. Get lost. Allow myself to be found. Be scared a lot. Plant seeds and tend to them but do not worry if some seeds never break through. Trust in the Universe. Learn to let go of control. Honor physical bodies as holy temples for spirits to grow and reside. Dream always and never stop dreaming. Do what I love. Let my heart’s song be sung. Feel the pulsation present in all things and all peoples. Live in wonder. Wander. Accept my parents. Accept myself. Accept others. Know it’s okay to be disappointed. Forgive and let myself be forgiven. Cry when I have boiled over with life’s blessings. Live in gratitude. Take risks that might make me experience loss or sadness or both. Fight my way, at least once, out of the dark. (* remember, if I haven’t been there in a while, I’m not fully living) Learn to walk in another’s shoes. Practice ahimsa, non-harming, in all ways. Remember that being truthful doesn’t mean being hurtful. Believe that I am, have been, or one day will be every character in the story. Open my eyes and be blown away and blown open at least once every day. Look at the moon and know the moon’s fullness to be my own. Live as if the whole world is watching, without judgment, with only love. Lead a life of integrity. Do what I say I’m going to do or at least try. Let my story be told. Let it be big. Hold nothing back. Trust I’ll be back for more. Leave imprints on the hearts of many. Have children so that a part of me dances intimately with the spirit of my beloved and from that intimate commingling of souls a new spirit will be brought into this world. Open every pore that is a part of me and FEEL, radically and greedily, FEEL. Revel in silence. Never be afraid of the dark. Believe in the unknown. Believe in the mystical and the mystery. Have faith in something. Only look back when I need to. Honor the artist within all beings, including myself. Begin now to paint the masterpiece that is my life. Every so often hang it on a wall, step back and smile at the mastery found and seen when I recognize my gifts and share them with the world. Hope for the best. Believe in peace. Be ready when it’s time. Say all that my heart needs to say. Hold nothing back. Take the leap. Step two feet in. Let go of the bank of the river. Trust I’ve learned along the way to swim. Soften. Open my heart. Take it all in. Be overcome with remembrance of everything – every face, every voice, every touch, every embrace, every color, every feeling, every expression, every love, every loss, every place I’ve ever been, every journey I’ve ever traveled, every moment of darkness, every time I fought my way back to the light, every death, every birth, every breath, every day – I remember it all.
Dance with delight as often as possible. Play in the colors of my freedom to choose. Laugh out loud. Scream in the middle of silence. Dig my hands into sand. Dive into waves. Get lost. Allow myself to be found. Be scared a lot. Plant seeds and tend to them but do not worry if some seeds never break through. Trust in the Universe. Learn to let go of control. Honor physical bodies as holy temples for spirits to grow and reside. Dream always and never stop dreaming. Do what I love. Let my heart’s song be sung. Feel the pulsation present in all things and all peoples. Live in wonder. Wander. Accept my parents. Accept myself. Accept others. Know it’s okay to be disappointed. Forgive and let myself be forgiven. Cry when I have boiled over with life’s blessings. Live in gratitude. Take risks that might make me experience loss or sadness or both. Fight my way, at least once, out of the dark. (* remember, if I haven’t been there in a while, I’m not fully living) Learn to walk in another’s shoes. Practice ahimsa, non-harming, in all ways. Remember that being truthful doesn’t mean being hurtful. Believe that I am, have been, or one day will be every character in the story. Open my eyes and be blown away and blown open at least once every day. Look at the moon and know the moon’s fullness to be my own. Live as if the whole world is watching, without judgment, with only love. Lead a life of integrity. Do what I say I’m going to do or at least try. Let my story be told. Let it be big. Hold nothing back. Trust I’ll be back for more. Leave imprints on the hearts of many. Have children so that a part of me dances intimately with the spirit of my beloved and from that intimate commingling of souls a new spirit will be brought into this world.
Open every pore that is a part of me and FEEL, radically and greedily, FEEL. Revel in silence. Never be afraid of the dark. Believe in the unknown. Believe in the mystical and the mystery. Have faith in something. Only look back when I need to. Honor the artist within all beings, including myself. Begin now to paint the masterpiece that is my life. Every so often hang it on a wall, step back and smile at the mastery found and seen when I recognize my gifts and share them with the world. Hope for the best. Believe in peace. Be ready when it’s time. Say all that my heart needs to say. Hold nothing back. Take the leap. Step two feet in. Let go of the bank of the river. Trust I’ve learned along the way to swim. Soften. Open my heart. Take it all in. Be overcome with remembrance of everything – every face, every voice, every touch, every embrace, every color, every feeling, every expression, every love, every loss, every place I’ve ever been, every journey I’ve ever traveled, every moment of darkness, every time I fought my way back to the light, every death, every birth, every breath, every day – I remember it all.
More than a snap judgment, discernment means, “going past the mere perception of something, to making detailed judgments about that thing. As a virtue, a discerning individual is considered to possess wisdom, and be of good judgment; especially so with regard to subject matter often overlooked by others” (www.wikipedia.com). Last month, I had the unexpected opportunity to help a friend of my husband’s out with yoga for her Life Beyond Limits fitness retreat. One of the things we did over the weekend was a vision board. I had not updated mine for several years and took the unexpected moment to reflect on where I had been since then and where I am going now. My last vision board a few years ago came out a surprise. When I put everything down and looked at it at arm’s length, I was horrified to discover I had inadvertently made a pie chart. A PIE CHART! What a crappy vision, I thought. But a gem emerged. All of the different sections of my life were united in a quote in the center about authenticity. "Let the world know you as you are, not as you think you should be, because sooner or later, if you are posing, you will forget the pose, and then where are you?" ~Fanny Brice That quote was really the only thing that needed to be on that board. At that time, I was stuck in a place where I thought I had to do what I thought I was supposed to, and be who I thought I was supposed to be. I didn’t have much internal capacity to discern what was actually me, and my life was as compartmentalized as my board. Rather than look at things in my life that may be in conflict, I just kept it all separate, which reinforced everything I “needed” to do and everywhere I “needed” to be. In fact, each time I “completed” a piece of the board, I would actually cut it out and throw it away. That should give you come clue as to how I was living my life… When I stepped back and looked closer, I realized this: In my efforts to be everywhere all the time, I was completely unable to be anywhere at all in any given moment. My vision became to unite the different aspects of my life so they could come into alignment. A hard process of looking at every piece to see what worked and what didn’t. It was a painful and less than perfect process much of the time, but also very freeing. When I had a chance to sit down and make a new vision board last month, I felt like I had something to say about my future. I cut out a ton of stuff that struck me and felt overwhelmed when I went to put it onto a 16×20 board – much smaller than what I had to work with last time! I thought about taking it all home and making a bigger one, but then I thought some more that maybe I could be a bit more targeted and a little less, uh, everywhere, and my board quickly evolved into two clear sides. One side of the board is united by love, confidence, sustainability and growth in the areas of life most important to me – my yoga business, my garden and my relationships. There are phrases that overlap all areas like “the hard work was worth it” and “yumminess”. There is a space for travel and friendship. There are phrases that inspire me to be strong but still soft, stable but flexible, to know when to strike and when to walk away – the process of discernment I have been working so hard on. On the back are the questions that are left – what will I celebrate this year? These are questions I am still working through in my mind and heart. Whatever it is, I want it to be what is natural – to evolve from the spirit of everything on the other side of the board – if I do all that, I am confident I will find my way in the questions that I still have left. Now, when I catch myself trying to be everywhere, I stop, take a step back, and ask myself if I have space and if I want to fill it in that way. I am still in many places – my work on this part of me is not yet done. However, when I decided to take 2 weeks off this December, something magical happened. I subbed out my classes, blocked the time out on my calendar as time with my family and for travel, and felt not one ounce of guilt. Now that’s what I call getting somewhere. I offer you this, which was helpful for me: • Make a list of all the places you ARE • Write down HOW MUCH TIME you spend on each • Write down what return you get, and whether that be emotional, physical, or financial fulfillment. • Make a list of your goals, the places you WANT to be, short-term and long-term • Include time and activities to nurture that which INSPIRES you • Ask Yourself: Are you investing your time in the places that serve your goals?
By Sarah Wolfgram
Sarah Wolfgram carves space for growth as an activist, teacher, seeker, leader and co-creator of inspired transformations through the practice of yoga. Co-founder of Yoga for the People and serving as its current director, Sarah blends more than 15 years of nonprofit management experience with her love of yoga. Deeply passionate about making the practice available to everyone, Sarah believes that yoga has the power to change lives and transform communities, and can’t imagine a better gift to share. Read more about Sarah at carvingspaceyoga.com. Classes from Sarah Wolfgram coming soon to Yogadownload!
Twisting Out Negativity and Doubt – Nancy Nielsen The Fearless Heart – Michelle Berman Marchildon Living in the Present Moment – Salvatore Zambito
How Yoga Helps the Runner's Body Ana Forrest once said, “I don't teach yoga to help people to transcend. I want people's spirits to reside in their body.” I’ve come to realize that’s how I, too, approach teaching my yoga class for runners class. We learn about our bodies and ourselves through our bodies. In many ways I have an easy task as a yoga teacher for runners, as good number of runners and athletes come to yoga for the physical benefits– to lengthen their hamstrings, stretch their calves, and strengthen their core. And indeed yoga as physical culture is a wonderful complement to running for better pace, form and injury prevention. In a yoga asana class the arches of our feet and ankles are strengthened and become better shock absorbers by working barefoot. We correct uneven foot patterns through samasthiti (equally placed and weighted feet), while one-legged balancing poses align our feet, knees and pelvis while strengthening the inner quads. Our hamstrings and calves lengthen with each downward dog. Standing warrior postures are great for hip stability while they strengthen the gluteal muscles to prevent unwanted pelvic movements that can lead to pain in the low back or IT band. And, of course, seated poses, twists and restorative postures performed with deep healing breathing help undo muscular tension. They also help us regain range of motion that we lose through the repetitive and imbalanced muscle action that we develop from clocking up the miles. Beyond the Body Yoga for runners offers more than just practicing postures. Yoga asana practice teaches us a deep physical awareness and provides us with knowledge about how our body works like a machine. And if we know how something works we are better able to look after it, and know how to fix it when something goes wrong. Yoga’s emphasis on staying in the present moment also helps with running-- long distances in particular. Looking ahead to the marathon finish at mile 3 can lead to starting too fast and burning out. Looking back at how far you’ve come at mile eighteen can be draining. Be where you are – it’s where you are meant to be or you wouldn’t be there. Yoga can also help us get past disappointments in a goal-oriented culture and learn to appreciate the rewards of pure process. What’s the point of a sub 3:00 marathon time if you wrecked your knees forever to get there? The Bhagavad Gita teaches us that “the wise man lets go of results whether good or bad and focuses on action alone.” Yoga is skill in action! During a race, as yogi runners we can focus on doing our very best work rather than racing the clock only to be slowed by tension. So to get back to my dad’s question: Yes, as Patanjali teaches us, “Yoga is the restraint of the fluctuations of the mind”, but that surely means the restraint of the useless, disruptive fluctuations that break our concentration on the present, and not silencing the cognitive abilities needed to listen and respond to reality and physiology. As yogis we learn to tell them apart. Through our practice we can develop strong and flexible bodies, good posture, and a clear, calm but attentive mind …and from there we can start to tune into the soothing, repetitive, rhythmic qualities of synchronized breath and movement, and enjoy the more peaceful, meditative aspects of running – whether there’s a medal at the end of it or not. Marathon and Yoga Training Program As a yoga teacher and marathon runner myself, I always incorporate yoga, pranayama breathing, and cross training into my schedule. I’ve now put together a marathon and half marathon training program that mixes running with some of Yogadownload’s practices for body conditioning, balance and preparing the mind – including some of the free 20 minute classes which are great for fitting in around your running. By Laura Denham-Jones Laura Denham-Jones began practicing yoga in the mid-1980s and has been teaching for over 10 years. A keen marathon runner and triathlete, she teaches specialized Yoga for Runners and sports classes in London, UK. Laura has also written for several yoga and fitness magazines, and contributed to the books, Real Women Run and Triathlon Made Easy.
Yoga for Runners – Dawnelle Arthur Yoga for Back Pain #2 – Jackie Casal Mahrou Hip Opening Flow – Lisa Richards Stay tuned for Yoga for Runners #2!
Each mother and each baby and each birth is different. But the potential for a powerful, transformative, normal, and natural experience is there in each and every birth. “Giving birth as nature intended is not “biting the bullet and letting it happen. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1595040/ Preparing for the birth of your child takes time, commitment, and education. I've been teaching the Bradley Method of Natural Childbirth for 16 years. The one thing you can count on in childbirth is the unexpected, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't have the loftiest goals paired with the ability to be flexible. Read on for steps to set your intention for your birth and create the best "Birth Day" ever. "If you were told you could have one of the most physically, emotionally, and spiritually transcendent moments of your life and here's the map to get there, would you really say no?" Elizabeth Davis, BA, CPM From the documentary Organic Birth One definition for intention is: "to have in mind a purpose or plan, to direct the mind, to aim." Take responsibility: transform the conversation around labor and birth from your fears and doubts, to hope and possibility, then take these steps and see results: 1. Get clear about the birth you want and write it down. Examples: - "I want to give birth to a baby who has no drugs in his/her system" - "I will stay home so that when I arrive at my birth place, I will be completely dilated." - "I will be patient with labor and know it can take a long time." - "I plan to have a natural birth but I will be flexible since a healthy baby is the ultimate goal." - "I plan to stay home as long as I possibly can I will go into labor at 9 Am and give birth at 4 PM" Write down YOUR OWN INTENTION: 2. Share your intention with someone who will support you, but also hold you accountable. - Write it down - Share it with your doula - Share it with your coach and anyone else who will be at the birth - Share it with the medical staff when you arrive at your birth place. Give them a copy of your birth plan and ask, "Can you help me have a natural birth?" - Write a birth plan. Have your doctor sign it. Have a copy at the doctor’s office, at the birth place, and with you when you arrive at your birth place. - Say it out loud and talk about it and discuss it with your birth support 3. Do something today to demonstrate your commitment to your intention. - Ask yourselves if your caregiver and birthplace truly support the outcome you want. - If you ‘re not sure go to: Questions to Ask Your Care Provider. If you don't get the answers you want, find another care provider and/or birth place. - If medication is the usual way of dealing with pain in labor, tour alternatives: - Do a Google search for birth centers, nurse midwives, licensed midwives, doulas, natural birth - Read Positive Birth Stories - Visualize your birth - Meditate on it - Pray about it - Write your birth story ahead of time and re-read it every day. Include every detail. - Write your birth plan 4. Acknowledge that you did what you said you would and then, take the next step. - Write your fears down - Look at each fear-one at a time, and brainstorm how to get past it - Take one small step at a time "By setting an intention, you make it clear to yourself and others, just what you plan to do. Set an intention to redefine what it means to be serious about your dreams." Marcia Weider by Liza Janda E-RYT 200, AAHCC Liza Janda, has valuable experience as a Certified Fitness Instructor for 27 years, Bradley Method Certified Childbirth Educator for 16 years, and Yoga Alliance Certified Yoga Instructor for 10 years. She has worked at some of the world's leading spas: The Golden Door, Cal-a-Vie, and Rancho La Puerta. Liza Has a passion for yoga, especially Prenatal Yoga. Her dedication to helping women during pregnancy, labor, birth and post-partum is a top priority. In addition to her educational programs she provides support, information, and fellowship for mothers-to-be and new mothers. Liza feels blessed to be doing what she loves and is excited to share the gift of health and contentment through yoga with her students and friends.
Prenatal Yoga 1 Liza Janda Prenatal Yoga 2 Liza Janda Prenatal Vinyasa Flow Jennifer Lux
Love muses us into big ideas and inspires us to meet those ideas with passion and effort.
Love can help us take up more space in our own bodies and our own lives.
Love can shift us from sadness to joy and from fear to courage.
That we feel the emotion is one thing; that we can participate with it to the fullest of our being is quite another.
Love, in all her forms, is the greatest teacher.
I invite you to step into your relationship to the sensation, feeling, and emotion of love.
How do you love?
Do you love out loud and tell those you that you love that you do?
Do you let them quietly sense it while you hold them in sleep?
Do you listen for love and let it fill your soul like the greatest song you’ve ever heard?
Are you willing to let love fill your calendar, your days, hours, and weeks?
And those loves you have lost, are you ready to close your eyes for at least an instant and say thank your for being in my life, for the lessons, for the reflection of grace left behind.
Love shows us what we are made of.
Love, it shows us how…
Love, Shan By Shannon Paige Schneider Living fully as an author, sacred activist, motivational speaker, dedicated teacher of Shiva Rea’s Prana Flow, and founder of Anjali Restorative Yoga; Shannon is an expressive student of the symbolic nature of Tantra and mystic poetry. She interweaves her student’s unique purpose driven inspiration into the divine play of body and breath to unlock the secret wisdom held within the heart. Her classes are dedicated to a sense of mystery and wonder within a vinyasa of self-honoring, self-cultivation, and radical self-participation. Shannonis the founder and director of om time yoga centers, tours, teaches and speaks nationally and internationally.
Asymmetrical Backbending Prana Flow Arm Balancing Prana Flow
The first one is the easiest of all. Whenever you sit-on a chair, in the car, on the couch, sit with your hips elevated higher than your knees. You can do this by rolling up a towel or a blanket and placing it underneath your “sit bones”. You can replace your desk chair with an exercise ball. These exercise/therapy balls are great for labor and birth. If you don’t have one, get one! Just make sure your knees are lower than your hips. It will be more comfortable to sit up straight, and it will also help your uterus align properly in your pelvis. And most importantly, according to Spinning Babies it will help your baby get into the right position for birth. The second thing you can do is lots and lots of pelvic rocking. Start on all fours with knees under hips and hands under shoulders. Tilt your tail bone up, then tuck your tail bone under, so the only part of the back moving is the low back and the pelvis. This is different from cat/cow where the upper back moves. This isolates the lower back and belly. When you get in your third trimester, it feels even better as it takes pressure off the pubis and the pelvic floor and improves circulation. Doing 100-150 each day is best. Now, I know that sounds like a lot but it will only take a few minutes out of your day. Your back will feel so much better. This exercise stretches and strengthens the belly and the back and has also been touted as helping your baby get into the right position for birth. Opposite arm and leg balances are helpful in strengthening the lower back and belly muscles. I have my students do these in every prenatal yoga class. Start on all fours. Make sure your hands are right under your shoulders, and your knees are right under your hips. Inhale as you extend your right leg and your left arm in the opposite direction. Hold for three breaths. Exhale and place your hand and knee back down on the floor and round your back into a cat stretch-tuck your chin and your tail bone toward the floor as you round your back up toward the sky. Repeat on the other side. Do about five on each side daily-or more if it makes you feel better. Follow these with Cat/Cow poses. Inhale and arch your back. Exhale and round your back. You can also twist around to look back over your shoulder as many times as it feels good to do it. Seated twist. Sit sideways on a chair facing the side of the chair. Take hold of the sides of the back of the chair and inhale, and as you exhale, twist toward the back of the chair. Do the other side by sitting on the other side of the chair and repeating. Wide legged forward folds feel great but if you find it uncomfortable as your belly and baby get larger, then rest your arms on a chair bringing your torso parallel to the floor.Let your belly alternately relax with each inhale and gently contract with each exhale. You can also do a wide legged forward fold with a twist. If you are comfortable in the full forward fold, then go for it. It feels very relaxing and helps to stretch the back of the body. Just remember to keep a tiny bend in the knees. The more you bend the knees, the more you release the lower back. And lastly, do squats every single day. This will help you prepare for labor and birth by making your legs stronger and ready for second stage labor. If you round your back and curl around your baby it can also be a great back stretch while you squat. Instead of bending over to pick something up, squat down to get it. Use your legs. Take your feet wider than your shoulders and hips. Turn your toes out at a 45 degree angle. Bend your knees and place your hands on your knees as you tilt your tail bone up. Then squat down fully. If your heels are off the floor, you can roll up a towel and place it under your heels or you can take your feet a little further apart. by Liza Janda E-RYT 200, AAHCC Liza Janda, has valuable experience as a Certified Fitness Instructor for 27 years, Bradley Method Certified Childbirth Educator for 16 years, and Yoga Alliance Certified Yoga Instructor for 10 years. She has worked at some of the world's leading spas: The Golden Door, Cal-a-Vie, and Rancho La Puerta. Liza Has a passion for yoga, especially Prenatal Yoga. Her dedication to helping women during pregnancy, labor, birth and post-partum is a top priority. In addition to her educational programs she provides support, information, and fellowship for mothers-to-be and new mothers. Liza feels blessed to be doing what she loves and is excited to share the gift of health and contentment through yoga with her students and friends.
Its during this postpartum time, and in the midst any other radical life transition, that it’s critical to stay connected to one's practice. Especially as women, who are natural caregivers, it’s easy to forget that we must always secure our oxygen mask before helping another. Often that breath of oxygen, that deep inhale, is found only on the mat amidst the chaos of new motherhood. Perhaps in mastering the transition from hovering half moon to Warrior II, one can also start to conquer the uncertainty and challenge that accompanies any change in life, especially those related to life as a new mom. Committing to time for self-reflection on the mat allows one to move from a human being in transition, to one in transformation. Transformation is intentionally. Is it the choice to change with a certain power and decisiveness. Those qualities of strength, power, and fearlessness gestate on the mat, so that they too can be born into one’s life. Considerations for your Postnatal Yoga Practice Always consult your physician before beginning any form of postnatal exercise. The most common discomforts after having a baby include a weak pelvic floor, loss of endurance, aching neck and shoulders, weak abdominal muscles, and fatigue. Although any yoga is better than none at all, there are certain poses that better facilitate recovery from pregnancy and childbirth. Unlike prenatal yoga, where the focus is usually on opening the hips and stretching the side bodies, postnatal yoga has different goals and intentions, and includes hip neutral and hip closing positions to help bring the pelvis back into stasis. Beneficial standing postnatal poses include: Forward folds, standing splits, chair pose, crescent lunge, warrior I, warrior III, pyramid, and eagle. Additionally, focus on poses that open the heart and stretch the chest, shoulders, and neck. Many hours are spent holding and feeding a new baby, which results in rounding the upper back, collapsing the shoulders, and straining the neck. Beneficial shoulder opening poses include: Forward folds with hands clasped behind the back, cactus arms, creating big circles with the arms, standing backbends with hands behind the head, dancer, bridge, camel, bow, plow, and wheel. Abdominal work is another important focus for new mothers and required especially to weave the rectus abdominis muscle back together if the common separation or diastasis of this muscle occurred with the expanding uterus. Beneficial abdominal poses include: Boat, side plank, knee to chest from downward facing dog, plank. A weakened pelvic floor and associated discomforts are common concerns for the postpartum mom. There are several poses in which we employ a root lock, mula banda, or kegel contraction for stabilization. Beneficial poses to tone the pelvic floor include: child’s pose, downward facing dog, tree, triangle, extended side angle, fish, pyramid, chair, and hero. Its no surprise, the that best poses for fatigue are already listed on this page and offer benefits to not only the postpartum body, but also to a new mother’s mind and heart. On a final note, if you are breastfeeding, it may be uncomfortable to lie on your stomach in cobra and spine strengthening exercises. Instead, come to all fours and take the variation from a tabletop position. Lastly, avoid deep hip openers such as runners lunge, humble warrior, and malasana. By Jennifer Lux Jennifer Lux is a yoga instructor, birth doula, and mother. She teaches for Warrior Academy Yoga, with the philosophy that creating powerful bodies and open hearts on the mat will serve to improve the world around us. As a doula, Jennifer encourages women to use aspects of their yoga practice, including the breath, mantras, visualizations, vocalizations, and poses to ease and invite labor.
Prenatal Vinyasa Flow by Jennifer Lux Restorative Flow by Jackie Casal Mahrou Gentle Hatha #4 by Jackie Casal Mahrou