Here are some easy things almost anyone can do to feel less stressed out and healthier.
Eye Strain: If you look at things close-up (e.g., books, computer screen, crafts) you may want to take some time to do this. First find something far away to focus on. Maybe look out a window and focus on a tree or building that is far off. Then to work the eye muscles look up for a few breaths, then imagine you are the hands of a clock and move to each number. This will work the eye muscles and help to restore balance.
Stress Reduction: If you are worrying about something that actually is not happening at that moment then take time to shift your thoughts to something more calming. Imagine a sunset or looking at a beautiful flower.
Breath! Most of us stay with a shallow breath all day. Rodney Yee is a famous yoga teacher and he states that the body interprets a shallow breath as a gasp. Enjoy a moment or two of long, gentle breathing. You will instantly feel better.
Ground: When you are worrying or have a tight deadline at work take time to focus on your feet connecting to the ground. Settle in and be still for a few moments.
Move: Lift your arms over head, swing your arms side to side for a gentle and fun twist, move through your ankles, knees, hips, shoulders, elbows, wrists and neck. Round and then arch your spine. Wiggle your fingers and toes. If you want more specifics please post a comment and I would be happy to provide more details.
Easy? Great! Too easy and want more? Let me know. Namaste.
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Restoring Yoga
This past week I was invited to Portland General Electric & offered a workshop on this topic. Here are my thoughts on a restoring yoga practice:
Effort vs. Ease - Effort in a practice; or anything you do in life including exercise like running, or even how you play with your kids or pets REALLY MATTERS. If you don't enjoy what you are doing or are pushing too hard to achieve something, then what you are doing is destructive; not restorative. This means you need to feel at ease with the moment. If you don't like what you are doing consider why and make some changes to bring more joy and ease into your day. I believe one of yoga's most important teachings is to find ease. The Yoga Sutra's which are ancient texts do not talk about any yoga postures but does mention that in the poses one should find a balance between effort and ease. This may sound like a contradiction but in fact this teaches us to strike a balance between push and pull.
How you think - When you are doing your yoga practice (or exercising, playing with kids, etc) what are you thinking about and how do you feel? You can focus your mind on the pleasant aspects of almost anything. In a challenging (but safe) yoga pose you can focus on the shaking muscle or you can focus on the freedom of the breath or other areas of the body that aren't working (at ease). As I work on training our new puppy I find it can be easy to feel discouraged when we fail but when I stop to think about the successes I relax a bit. I am learning new lessons about practice and patience from my puppy then I ever have from my years of yoga practice.
Being Present - If your mind is thinking about something else when you are practicing then you have lost your vital connection with the present moment. You may think that does not matter but it does as it relates to restoring vs. destroying. Obviously there is always a time for thinking about the past and future but if you always do it then it is simply a bad habit. Practice being present. Savor a good meal or take time to see the beauty around you.
Ease in the body - Tight and/or weak muscles pull on the joints so you need to stretch to find ease. For most of us we are tight in the hips and shoulders from sitting (or activities like cycling, running, gardening, etc)and weak in the back and abdominal muscles. Find a yoga class that will help you stretch. FYI - There are lots of advanced classes out there so do your research and if you have questions please ask me. I would love to help you find the best type of class for you.
It's not just about ease and rest but also finding the adventure and joy in your yoga and life challenges. Embrace life and live it to it's fullest.
All the best.
Effort vs. Ease - Effort in a practice; or anything you do in life including exercise like running, or even how you play with your kids or pets REALLY MATTERS. If you don't enjoy what you are doing or are pushing too hard to achieve something, then what you are doing is destructive; not restorative. This means you need to feel at ease with the moment. If you don't like what you are doing consider why and make some changes to bring more joy and ease into your day. I believe one of yoga's most important teachings is to find ease. The Yoga Sutra's which are ancient texts do not talk about any yoga postures but does mention that in the poses one should find a balance between effort and ease. This may sound like a contradiction but in fact this teaches us to strike a balance between push and pull.
How you think - When you are doing your yoga practice (or exercising, playing with kids, etc) what are you thinking about and how do you feel? You can focus your mind on the pleasant aspects of almost anything. In a challenging (but safe) yoga pose you can focus on the shaking muscle or you can focus on the freedom of the breath or other areas of the body that aren't working (at ease). As I work on training our new puppy I find it can be easy to feel discouraged when we fail but when I stop to think about the successes I relax a bit. I am learning new lessons about practice and patience from my puppy then I ever have from my years of yoga practice.
Being Present - If your mind is thinking about something else when you are practicing then you have lost your vital connection with the present moment. You may think that does not matter but it does as it relates to restoring vs. destroying. Obviously there is always a time for thinking about the past and future but if you always do it then it is simply a bad habit. Practice being present. Savor a good meal or take time to see the beauty around you.
Ease in the body - Tight and/or weak muscles pull on the joints so you need to stretch to find ease. For most of us we are tight in the hips and shoulders from sitting (or activities like cycling, running, gardening, etc)and weak in the back and abdominal muscles. Find a yoga class that will help you stretch. FYI - There are lots of advanced classes out there so do your research and if you have questions please ask me. I would love to help you find the best type of class for you.
It's not just about ease and rest but also finding the adventure and joy in your yoga and life challenges. Embrace life and live it to it's fullest.
All the best.
Monday, April 5, 2010
What is wellness?
How to accomplish wellness can vary based on your individual likes and dislikes. Wellness comes from a state of wellbeing and requires an overall sense of satisfaction in your life. It's more of a state-of-mind that comes from seeing the possibilities and having a sense of hope.
In general our society is suffering from a lack of wellness. Everyone focuses on what is wrong and on what they do not have. This is not wellness.
If for example you start to shift your thoughts from what you do not have to the blessings in your life you will begin to feel better. From here you may then feel more relaxed and as the tension leaves you can then begin to focus on other self improvements that interest you.
If you then include goals to improve your physical fitness such as exercise or nutritional changes then you will feel even better. There is so much marketing for different products it can get confusing but you can keep it very simple. Make one positive change like taking a short walk or having an apple instead of a candy bar each day. Little changes are easier and are more likely to become long lasting life style changes. Then you can set more goals later on if you want.
Our country deserves a better healthcare system. And it must start with each and every one of us. Take care of your health. You can do it. No one else can.
In general our society is suffering from a lack of wellness. Everyone focuses on what is wrong and on what they do not have. This is not wellness.
If for example you start to shift your thoughts from what you do not have to the blessings in your life you will begin to feel better. From here you may then feel more relaxed and as the tension leaves you can then begin to focus on other self improvements that interest you.
If you then include goals to improve your physical fitness such as exercise or nutritional changes then you will feel even better. There is so much marketing for different products it can get confusing but you can keep it very simple. Make one positive change like taking a short walk or having an apple instead of a candy bar each day. Little changes are easier and are more likely to become long lasting life style changes. Then you can set more goals later on if you want.
Our country deserves a better healthcare system. And it must start with each and every one of us. Take care of your health. You can do it. No one else can.
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