These online yoga classes are taught through Physiic.com. “Receive interactive fitness instruction from certified professionals, right in your own home. Take a group exercise class alongside friends or family members, no matter where they live.” That’s my favorite thing about it- my family and friends are spread all over the country, but this gives us the opportunity to see each other online and connect through my yoga classes!

It’s free to become a member, and they’re having a Labor Day weekend SPECIAL where you get 15 points for signing up, instead of the usual 11! All you do is go to their website, www.physiic.com, provide your name, e-mail, and create a password, and then your first class is FREE. It’s that simple!

My first online class is Monday night, Sept 6th from 6-7pm EST…only 15 spaces, so sign up for the class at Physiic.com ASAP, so you don’t miss out!  And please let me know if you have any questions…

Choose love,
Grace

PS I know this isn’t much advance notice, being that the class is tomorrow, but I wanted to just fill you all in about this new opportunity and the Labor Day weekend special.

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But I am still swamped, and I still whine all the time about never having enough of that magic thing called time.  I still race through my day from home to work to home to yoga to home.  My pace would probably give some people whiplash!  And being the conscious yogi that I am, I am well aware that a regular meditation practice would absolutely help to balance out my energy and provide some additional peace in my frantic days.  But I’ve been hesitating.  I’ve had so many preconceived notions about meditation- that I should  sit in lotus or sukasana the entire time, that I needed at least 30 minutes for it to be effective, that I must allot specific time for it each day…etc.  Does any of this sound familiar?      

So I’ve started a new practice of incorporating what I’ve coined “meditation moments” into my day.  They are very intentional, but they’re never at a set time.  I just plop down on the floor or into a chair in between “events” for just a few minutes, a few breaths.  You could also refer to them as “breath bridges”, as they link the events of my day through conscious breathing.  I close my eyes and reflect on the past few hours or minutes, identify how I am feeling, observe my thoughts bouncing around, and then set a positive intention for the near future.  I do not set a timer.  I do not try to clear or empty my mind.  I DO try to build a simple bridge, or a transition, in order to keep my spirit chill and happy, giving balance to my day.  I open my eyes when I feel the scattered buzzing subside and the relaxed openness unfolding.  

Will you incorporate some breath bridges into your day today?

Choose love,
Grace

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My normal, everyday home practice happens right when I wake up in the semi-darkness of our studio apartment with the whirring of the fan as background music.  I listen to my bones groan as my body slowly wakes up, and I focus on my breath for a brief 30-45 minutes before hitting the shower and readying myself for my day job.  I try to relax into this practice as I spiritually prepare for my day, but often there is an underlying sense of rushing present.

I was so looking forward to this week-long vacation and the vast expanse of free time that lay before me.  I envisioned lengthy, uninterrupted yoga practices each morning outside on the deck, overlooking the beautiful trees surrounding the property.  I projected there being plenty of time to teach yoga to my entire family each day and share the joys of the practice with them.  I daydreamed about yoga, yoga, yoga: because that is my bliss.

But the universe, and my family, had other plans.  I do indeed chuckle when I think back to that first morning in Vermont.  The temperature dropped down to the 50′s overnight, and I had only brought summery clothes, so I reluctantly opted to practice indoors.  There was an open loft overlooking the great room, which connected with the dining and kitchen areas.  People were sleeping in the loft, and the great room floor was super creaky, so I carefully unrolled my yoga mat on the kitchen floor, shoulders tense lest I make an unexpected noise and wake someone up!  I had just barely finished sun salutations when my sister appeared in her pj’s, excited to see me and give me a morning hug.  I continued to practice even as she whispered to me her excitement for the day.  The baby monitor buzzed, and suddenly my 2-year old niece started mumbling her morning hello’s.  Then everyone else started to wake up, and voices rose.  By this time I was doing seated postures, and somebody started the coffee, and people started to step over and around my body.  Rather than grumbling, I just got up and moved my mat to a far corner of the room, out of the way of the sudden chaos, and attempted savasana.  I couldn’t help but smile as I lay there, trying to “melt into the floor” while my family happily prepared breakfast, drawers and cupboards opening and closing noisily, creating a mildly chaotic environment.  It’s good practice to find stillness in the eye of the storm…

The following mornings followed a similar pattern- I would wake not long before everyone else, and my peaceful practice would be laced with the loving presence of my family.  But rather than be upset by the buzz, I embraced our time together.  I learned that there are so many ways to practice yoga- none of which are right or wrong. 

My niece amazingly slept in a bit one morning, giving my sister and I some time to practice together, which was lovely and unexpected.  I taught my Mum some pose modifications to help her ease into some tight areas of her body.  I did a spontaneous short sequence that I found in Yoga Journal magazine with my future sister-in-law.  While my family was napping one late afternoon, I dissolved into some yin postures, allowing myself to sink into the shaggy carpet.  And when my adorable niece lay on her back, grabbing her tiny feet, I lay down next to her and mirrored her child’s pose.

I often hear the phrase “think outside the box”, but my vacation truly showed me how to “yoga outside the box”.

If you’ve ever practiced yoga in a crazy environment, what did you learn from the experience?

Choose love,
Grace

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Certain yoga traditions call for specific anatomical alignment in all poses.  Fingers are open and spread wide, or fingers are closed.  Head is looking up, or head is tilted down.  There are endless variations, so it can be a bit overwhelming when attending a new class, unsure of what is “correct”.  My personal approach is to gently guide my students with verbal adjustments (physical adjustments mainly when safety is compromised), but let them explore the pose on their own to find their own version, their own comfort level.  I encourage them to try new things, listen to their bodies, and adjust accordingly. 

Here are some ideas to try in ‘down dog’ (one at a time would be best, so you can take note of the effects):

Open your feet wide to outer edges of mat.
Walk your hands forward a bit.
Bring your feet together.
Bend your knees a lot.
Turn your heels out to the sides (toes in).
Play with bringing your heels to (or closer toward) the floor.
Press your weight into different fingers.
Shift your gaze to a different spot.
Life high onto your tip toes.
Drop your heels to the side (so the sides of your feet touch the mat).

Change one thing from the list above, and then hold for 3-5 breaths.  Notice how your center of gravity may shift, or you may feel the stretch in a different place.  Then reset back to the traditional down dog.  Then next time you come to down dog in your practice, change something else on the list. Changing just one small thing can make a big difference in a pose and in your practice. Explore carefully, and find the joy in something new!

How do you switch things up in your practice?

Choose love,
Grace

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So what brought me to Yin NOW?  Well, I suppose the stars finally aligned correctly!  I’ve started teaching at a wonderful studio where Yin is offered by one of my favorite teachers.  I figured it couldn’t hurt to check it out, and I’m so glad that I did!

In yin practice you are passive: you completely let go of all your muscles, holding poses for at least 5 minutes each (GASP!), allowing the connective tissues between your joints to softly stretch and strengthen.  This practice focuses on the lower body- mainly hips and lower back.  I think that might have been an additional reason that I didn’t take a yin class before- my hips are so tight that I was afraid to really stretch them deeply.  Just a simple half pigeon pose during a flow class can leave me sore for days! 

Some characteristics of yin energy: female, cold, and earthly.  This was all reflected in the yin class as my body got really cool (shivers even! next time I will definitely wear socks and long sleeves!), and the postures were all seated on the floor, so I felt very connected and rooted down.  The balancing yang energy is male, hot, and heavenly.  My Ashtanga yoga practice is much more of a yang experience because with stretching and strengthening my upper body, I create internal fire in my muscles.

So back to the class…

I was nervous.  I felt like a 100% beginner.  I didn’t know what to expect- I’d heard it was supposed to be relaxing?  We started in downward facing dog for a breath or two and then she said to step into half pigeon pose.  “IS SHE SERIOUS?” I thought.  I looked up, and realized that she was, in fact, serious.  My monkey mind immediately started to resist.  “No!  I’m not warmed up yet!  You can’t possibly expect me to stay here for FIVE MINUTES!  Are you trying to destroy me?  I can’t do it.  I won’t do it.  Do you have any idea how much I’m going to hurt tomorrow?”

Seriously, five minutes is a long time to have to listen to your mind whine and complain, so eventually you start to focus on the breath, the lulling sound of the teacher’s voice, and trying to just be present to what is happening.  One of the biggest challenges for me was that I have developed some pretty strong yoga “habits”.  I am trained to align my body to protect my joints when moving through a vigorous asana sequence.  I scan my body to do things like square my shoulders, tighten my tummy, and lengthen my spine.  I make these adjustments almost unconsciously, so when the teacher kept reminding us to let go, it was almost like re-training my mind.  Release, release, release.  Don’t fight it.  Feel your body get heavier, and feel yourself melting into those tight spots. 

And boy, were there tight spots!   

Let me just say- there were moments when my feet got all tingly.  And there were moments when I wanted time to move MUCH faster.  And you’d think that when this “torture” had ended I would have said “No, thank you” to ever consider going back to it again. 

But you are wrong! 

I feel like this practice is exactly what I need to feel more centered again.  I can’t even begin to describe the sense of peace and calm I felt at the end of the experience.  I was just PRESENT.  I was so relaxed.  I was IN MY BODY.  My rough, stressful, crazy day at work had dissolved, and Yin Yoga had brought me back down to Earth. Wow.

This morning I read a wonderful article about the benefits of a Yin practice to help your seated meditations be more comfortable.  This concept definitely resonates with me because when I try to sit for more than half an hour in seated meditation, my back starts to round, and my hips are incredibly unhappy.  This physical discomfort gives me an excuse for not meditating…but I really want to!  Yin Yoga might be the magic trick that I need to make it happen.

Will you join me in saying yes to yin?!

Choose love,
Grace

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