Simple Meditation Techniques

Even when there seems to be no time to get on the mat and do a little yoga, a brief meditation session can be centering and calming -- a mini meditation is the perfect break in a hectic day or week. If you don't normally do any kind of meditation here are a few ideas for creating a practice. Begin by making yourself comfortable. Don't sit in a position that you can't easily sit in for 5 to 10 minutes. It's fine to sit in a comfy chair if that's nicer for your body than sitting on a mat. If you do sit on a mat or on the floor, put a folded blanket or cushion under your bottom and sit at the edge of it in simple cross legged position to help tilt your pelvis forward a little and make it easier for you to sit comfortably.

Once you're comfortable, focus on your breath. Try counting each breath -- inhale 1, exhale 2, inhale 3, exhale 4 etc. up to 12 and then start again at 1. You may find your mind starting to wander to grocery lists, work projects or the new James Bond flick. This is our notorious monkey mind at work -- your brain doing what we've trained it to do -- stay busily in contact with us about all the things on all our lists. Gently bring your focus back to your breath with a smile and acknowledge that your job at the moment is to be present with your breath -- feel the air as it enters your body, relax your mind -- you can get back to lists and laundry after you are done with meditation time.

If you are interested in exploring meditation there are plenty of classes and groups around that you can practice with and you can explore a few more methods by browsing this Yoga Journal article on meditation practices and techniques.

Taking Time to Enjoy the Holidays

I was on the phone with my lovely sister Aviva yesterday and we were both bemoaning the busy schedules that seemed to be unfolding in front of each of us. Even though it's exciting to have lots going on it can also be a little daunting and can make days flash by awfully quickly. We made a pact to try and slow down and enjoy the holidays, and I invite you to do the same. So here's to more yoga, more bubble baths, more snuggle time and less plastic!!!

What does Namaste mean?

At the end of each yoga class most teachers bring their hands together in front of the heart, bow their head and say "Namaste" and the students bring their hands together and respond in kind. Have you ever wondered exactly what Namaste means? A good definition of Namaste would be "I bow to your true self". The true self might be seen as the deeper, more essential you, less connected to ego, social expectations and pretensions. So the exchange of Namaste at the end of class is a wonderful way to honor the true self in each of us, and recognize that all life is interrelated. For a more in depth explanation take a look at this piece in Wikipedia or a shorter piece in Yoga Journal.

The Yoga of Everyday Life

I try my best to keep in mind that for me the most important part of my practice happens off the mat a lot of the time. Our friends Katie and Nick, who live right in our neighborhood, had a little heating disaster in the last few days -- their furnace gave out and while they were waiting for everything to be righted, Rudy and I hustled over to help them with some wood for the fireplace and a couple of small heaters. The fireplace had a weird grate with a rather yucky blower thing in it that basically seemed to prevent making a decent fire and so Rudy pulled it out and gave them an extra grate that we had and then we all sat around the fire and had some wine and cider and talked about how sometimes really irritating events suddenly take a turn and blossom into something good. And it made me remember how our lives intertwine in wonderful ways with others and that the most important part of yoga is staying open to the present as it unfolds.

What is Restorative Yoga?

Restorative yoga uses props to help support the body while you are in yoga asanas. The pose I'm doing in the photo is reclined supported Baddha Konasana (also known as cobbler's pose). By using a bolster (the firm red pillow I'm lying on) and two rolled blankets the pose becomes blissfully comfy.

In a restorative yoga class poses are held longer -- about 3 to 5 minutes in the classes I teach. Sometimes I hold these poses much longer at home, especially when there's a fire going in the fireplace and some soft music on.

Understanding your sacrum!

The bones of the lower back include this very important bone -- the sacrum. It is a triangular bone at the bottom of the spine, which is tucked between your two hip bones. You can check out this brief overview of the sacrum on Wikipedia.

So why is it important to better understand my sacrum, you may ask yourself, and how might this understanding impact my yoga practice? Well one good reason is that many of us suffer from lower back pain, and in some cases that pain is caused by an "out of whack" sacroiliac joint, the point where the sacrum and the pelvis join. This very nice article in Yoga Journal by Judith Lasater helps explain both what can cause sacroiliac pain and how your yoga practice can also help heal the problem.

Restorative yoga this weekend

This Sunday (December 3rd) I'll be teaching a 2 hour restorative class from 4:30 to 6:30 at Body in Balance in lovely Madison WI. Please feel free to email me with any questions -- it's a very relaxing class, half gentle Hatha yoga and half restorative yoga, mostly inspired by Judith Lasater's work. Hope to see you there!