Another Fabulous Yoga Lunch Sunday, June 10th

We had a lot of fun at the first yoga lunch and so we're doing it again. This one will be on Sunday June 10th from 11 to 1. Remember to check out Deb's School Woods menu for more details and make your reservations soon!

Celebrate Spring with Yoga and Lunch, May 12th!

My dear friend Deb is hosting this event at her School Woods Supper Club! Please join us for an hour of gentle Hatha yoga followed by a yummy lunch. For details check out http://schoolwoods.com/yoga.html -- and sign up soon, 'cause spots are going fast!

Spring Ahead!

It's warming up in Madison -- and the snow is melting. It's the time of year when you know that you made it through another winter and get to enjoy another lovely Madison spring and summer... which means lakeside activities, farmer's market and lunch outside in the sunshine.

Spring is a great time to energize your yoga practice and try something new. There are lots of great resources out there to experiment with -- you can take out books or a dvd from the public library, try a class with a different instructor or next time you're traveling, try digging around on the web to look for yoga studios at your destination and take a class on the road! A great place to start checking for other instructors or when you're traveling is the Yoga Alliance web site.

Winter, Warmth and Yoga

It's chilly as can be here in Madison this week with the highs this weekend promising to be just above zero. Yikes. It can be tough to practice yoga with a cold body - so here are a few thoughts on making your home practice successful (and safe) when it's chilly.

I'm a big fan of a hot bath or shower before I practice in the winter. Or, if it's an option, practice in front of the fireplace. A small heater can be extremely nice - making your yoga space warmer and more inviting. Dress in layers and remove layers as you need. Keep a wool shawl or blanket and socks handy for your final resting pose. And go slowly at first - it's easy to hurt yourself when your body is not warm enough and you move into a pose too deeply. Which is good advice no matter what the temp :-)

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.