It Doesn’t Matter What They Think

One time I attended a large neighborhood Christmas dinner that was beautiful. It took place in the mountains at a huge hidden lodge decorated with big Christmas trees, miles of garland and an enormous crackling fire. My husband and I sat next to some neighbors we did not know too well, but were happy to meet a fun couple in our area. When it was time for us to line up to fill our plates with traditional Christmas foods I heard our new friend whisper to his wife, “ugh, the smell of this ham is giving me a headache.” Thinking nothing of it, we filled our plates with potatoes, rolls, ham and salad, while our neighbors filled theirs with all but the ham.

Yes, our new friends were vegetarians. After we sat and talked for awhile we learned that he was very involved with ashtanga yoga. He had studied with some of the best in the world and shortly after attending a retreat where they were fed only vegetarian meals, they had decided that this habit of eating suited their family the best. Feeling a bit embarrassed I finished the last bit of ham on my plate while my husband announced, “oh, Carolyn is really good at yoga, she even has a DVD out.” I then explained the type of yoga I am involved in (ashtanga as well, but with a little more of a western kick to it). I did not want him to think I was a nobody who just thought yoga was cool. I wanted him to know I was smart and really knew my stuff when it came to yoga even though I still eat meat (not to mention refined sugars.) But then I reminded myself of one of the great laws of yoga. Yoga is what you want it to be. It morphs with your lifestyle, your religious convictions, your physical abilities, whatever. This is the reason I like it so much. I don’t have to worry about what other people think of me when I practice yoga, in fact in yoga classes it is important to only focus on what is happening on your mat- no one else’s. I resolved at that moment that I didn’t care if he had studied longer or with more gurus, I knew I was at a level I was proud of. Through this experience, I learned once again, that it does not matter what others think of you, as long as you’re happy with what’s inside.

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Winding Down

Have you ever had those nights where you are so tired and all you want to do is close your eyes and fall asleep, but something in your brain refuses to turn off? Lately my husband has been having some problems with getting himself to forget about the heavy stress he has running a business and leading a household. I knew last week it was pretty bad when he called to say he’d be home in a half an hour but showed up two hours later saying, “after I locked up and turned out the lights I sat on the couch for a minute and fell asleep.” He needs to get some rest, so I tried to show him some of the things I do to clear my mind and fall asleep.

First I do a couple poses that make my muscles work- like warrior 1 and 2. These are “power” poses that I hold for longer than normal, so I feel like the muscle has been worked and needs a break. Then I stretch. I love stretching at night because your ligaments and tendons are already loose from the day and when you stretch it helps to relieve tension. After that I turn on some low yoga music or I have a small fountain in my room that sounds like rain falling. I lay on my bed with my head and back slightly elevated from pillows, and I breathe. I inhale deep through my nose for 3 seconds then I slowly release my breath for 3 seconds. All I try to think about is my breath. I try to control it, I make it feel hot, I think about sending my breath to my toes, then my knees, and continue it up my body. After I send my breath through my whole body, I just breathe normal. By this time, I am usually sound asleep. It may take longer if you are not used to making yourself relax, but practice makes perfect. 

I hope that this helps some of you out there, suffering through sleepless nights (especially my husband). I know you and those around you will love to see the change a good nights rest makes.

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Yoga and Weight Loss

I have a good friend that, like many women, has struggled with losing weight after her first baby. She feels like she’s done everything. She watches what she eats, she goes walking , she drinks water, she doesn’t eat late at night, she uses her elliptical when she has time, but she still can’t get the weight to where she wants to be. I, of course, have been trying to get her into yoga but I am having a hard time convincing her how it will help with weight loss. So hopefully sharing this knowledge with all of you will strengthen my case. 

Yoga helps with weight loss in a few ways. First, building muscle mass. We’ve all heard that muscle burns calories quicker than fat right? Well, it is true. When you build up your muscle mass you also increase the amount of calories you burn in a day. Yoga provides a great way to strength train without the gym or the trainer. Just do some simple poses every day. Warrior pose, squats, boat pose, plank. These are all great beginner poses that anyone can do. Second, flexibility. As you practice basic stretching poses, like forward fold, lotus, or straddle you will feel tension release through your body. You will recognize your ability to improve in this area and it will help you gain self confidence in yourself. Finally, stress reduction. Stress is a big factor in weight gain. Use relaxation and breathing techniques to help you relieve stress. Teach your body how to deal with stress in ways different than eating, watching TV, or sitting on the couch. 

I know that with the help of yoga, along with a good wellness plan, we all have a better chance of losing that extra baby weight.

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Wake Up

The past few nights have been difficult for me. I have a 1 year old who has never slept very well, but lately he’s been worse. He has a heart problem that causes his heart to beat really fast, like you are sprinting all the time. At night it will wake him up abruptly and is uncomfortable so he screams. I go and comfort him, then end up sleeping in the rocking chair by his crib so I don’t have to walk back and forth from our rooms all night. So- I am TIRED! I know you other mothers can relate to sleepless nights that turn into groggy days, so today I want to talk about some quick “wake up” poses we can do.

Sun salutations are perfect for getting a little energy and waking up your body. I like to do sets of 3 when I don’t have a ton of time. Start standing with your hands at your heart in prayer position. Bring your hands up over head and with a flat back, move to forward fold. Take a big breath in and look up, lengthening your spine, then fold deeper to your legs. Walk your feet back into plank position, move to up dog and then push yourself into downward facing dog. Hold down dog. In the morning it hurts more but as you breath and get heat going through your body, you can go in deeper. After a few big breaths walk your feet back in between your hands, straighten your legs, and with a flat back rise to standing. Bring your hands to prayer position and go again. Getting the blood flowing early in the morning and stretching really helps energize your body.

Wash your face by rubbing your hands together very quickly to create heat. Then lightly rub your hands over your face to “awaken” it. I do this a few times.Triangle is an exhilarating pose. It opens up your heart and chest giving you a chance to breath deeper. When ever you get more oxygen into your body, you will “revive” it. Triangle is a great way to do that.Instead of grabbing the first sweet snack you see in your pantry to help you wake up, next time try one of these. In fact, I think I’ll close this blog and do that right now, otherwise the chocolate cookies on my counter may not make it through the rest of the day.

(If you need to see what a sun salutation or triangle look like, check out my yoga dvd, Yoga for Your Moods or look online at “http://www.yogasite.com” www.yogasite.com under POSTURES on the yoga resources menu.)

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The Breath

When I went to my first yoga class, I was skeptical. I had gone to the gym to hit a high intensity kick boxing class, but got there too late. I joined the yoga class just to check it out and it was TOUGH! The class I had was called power yoga. Power yoga is kind of a beefed up Ashtanga yoga. It is pretty vigorous and uses the Ashtanga techniques of flowing from one pose to another with your breath. I was amazed that I not only got a strength training, stretching, and relaxation workout, but also a brand new workout for my inside; because of the breath. Let me explain. In Ashtanga yoga, the type I practice, you link dynamic, challenging, fast-paced poses together with an ujjayi breath. It is a deep inhale through the nose that you slowly release by swirling it in the back of your throat and back through your nose. You actually want to make noise when you exhale, sounding like your slightly congested. This breath produces heat and puts more oxygen in your blood. It relaxes you but at the same time energizes you as you’re challenged to continue this breath through every pose, no matter the difficulty. For me, the breath in yoga is the most important. It is a technique I can use during my yoga practice, sitting in a traffic jam, before I close my eyes at night, and even during labor pains. When you discover the benefits of an ujjayi breath it will change the intensity of your yoga workout, as well as your ability to cope with daily trials and stresses.

P.S. There are so many different types of yoga you can practice, so find the type that is best for you!

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