A Salty 108

This year I elected to start the New Year off with 108 sun salutations.  This was a perfect jump start to 2013 and an auspicious beginning.   I haven't done 108 in a while.  In the fall for the global mala I have been doing 108 minutes of yoga which is far different.  After finishing my start to the new year I went cross country skiing.  I'm a bit sore all over today.  It's a good feeling though and the right kind of ache.

New years eve we decided to go out for dinner.  We both wanted a quiet night with an early evening. We have a lot going on these days and a good meal and an early evening seemed perfect  After pursuing some menus and reviews we made our selection.  Giant mistake.  As I enjoy a meatless lifestyle the "special new years menu" had nothing for me.  I did manage to piece together a few dishes and felt OK with my selections.  Unfortunately I wasn't able to enjoy any of it, as the chef bathed everything in salt.  I did try, but found myself gagging through most of it.   I got home and spent a good deal of time drinking water, lots and lots of water. A celebratory glass of champagne was out of the question.  The idea of alcohol made me cringe.  Yesterday while doing my 108. I was soaked and dripping in perspiration, as the salt came oozing out of my pores.  

This restaurant was well reviewed and packed with many happy folks enjoying a night out.  I overheard the table on both sides of us comment on how much they liked the food.  I don't believe this was an issue of an over zealous chef with a salt love affair,  but a bigger issue with the American diet.  Americans like their salt, but large doses are detrimental to overall health and frankly mask the taste of food.  If the food is fresh and cooked with even minimal skill, you don't need to disguise the taste.

Salt in moderation is beneficial for the body but when overused leads to water retention, high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease.  If you feel you may have overindulged in saltiness this holiday season I recommend a little cleanse for the body. 

Three day salt flush:

• Drink 64 oz of spring water spread out in 8 oz glass of water.
• limit your salt intake.  Be mindful of what you are eating.
• Limit your carbohydrates to foods such as rice and oatmeal.  (no bread and butter)
• Exercise, choose activities that will allow you to sweat.  ( A little bikram yoga should do the trick!)
• Do not eat out, prepare all you meals at home. 

You'll feel better and your body and heart will love you for doing this.

Be well, eat mindfully and do your practice. ( and all is coming as Pattabhi Jois used to say) 

Happy New Year!

Yoga on the Beach

Throwing my yoga mat and suitcase with wild abandon into the trunk of the car I eagerly traveled to the seashore for some well needed healing and rejuvenation.  For several summers part of my summertime yoga consists of spending time with Don and Nancy, two fantastic teachers who through their teachings always provide me with whats needed to feel whole again.  This year all their classes are directly on the beach.  Classes on the beach previously have been on a deck overlooking the beach (which is quite nice as well) but this year we are directly on the beach.  It took a little maneuvering to figure out how to keep sand off my mat,  even out the surface a bit, and place myself  comfortably, but now with the logistics out of the way I am totally sold.  I love using the sand as a prop, meditating while gazing at the ocean, and the luxurious sensory experience of the feel of the sand, ocean wind, the blue sky's, and the peace and serenity it brings.  Each day I feel a little stronger and a bit more whole while simultaneously acknowledging how far I have slipped from vitality and life force.  As always the ocean's incredible life force rejuvenates me inwardly and brings out such joy. 

Hari Om and shine on everyone!

More Hip Action

When I'm in class these days my body craves hip openers.  When inactive or under emotional stress the hips become tight, blocked and overflow with emotional toxins. San Fransisco yoga teacher Stephanie Synder has an excellent explanation for the hip-emotion connection;  "We hold stress and negative emotions- such as fear, guilt and sadness- in our pelvis..... For this reason alone.... its particularly important to do poses that move prana ( life force) through the area.  You know your junk drawer at home?  The pelvis is like the body's junk drawer.  Whenever you don't know what to do with a feeling or experience you put it there."  

For a period of time I had a weekly Forrest yoga practice with an absolutely magnificent teacher.  Over the course of a little less than a year my hips released powerfully and stayed open and happy until last year when my father became ill.  I can see it's time again to wander into the Forrest.  Unfortunately that wonderful Forrest yoga instructor moved away and on to other adventures.  Its good for him, but too bad and really sad for those of use who took his class.  Forrest is intense, difficult, and the practitioner experiences a lot of physical sensation that's not easy to sit with.  Literally we would all at some point in the class be moaning.  He made the experience very OK for numerous reasons.  Nobody ever left feeling bad and we all returned week after week for more.  One of the reasons I stopped going was that when he left the studio there were no other teachers to replace him.  For some reason there are hardly any Forrest instructors in this area.  I have found one class  not too far from my home.  I'll venture out and see how it goes, I shouldn't count my chickens before the eggs hatch, but I have high hopes.  In the meanwhile here's is a nice little hip opener sequence from the magnificent Brenda P. Iyengar  yoga teacher, Grounding Through The Sits Bones.

  

Hip Opening Sequence
1. Sukasana (Easy Pose) Sit in a comfortable, cross-legged position with the sitbones on a folded blanket. Increase the height of the blanket if you can’t sit without rounding the lower back. Take a few minutes to really concentrated on balancing the pelvis and lengthening the spine.
2. Dandasana (Staff Pose) While keeping the spine long and the pelvis balanced, stretch your feet in front of you and press the soles of the feet away so that the leg muscles engage.
3. Paschimottanasana (Forward Bend) Wrap your belt around the balls of the feet and begin to pull yourself forward, leading with the belly button. You are now tipping the pelvis forward to lengthen the back of the legs. Don’t round your lower back!
4. Tadasana (Mountain Pose) Come to standing and realign the spine and pelvis.
5. Gomukhasana (Cow’s Head Pose) Stretch the arms into the Cow’s head position, while maintaining the neutral curve in the lower back. Do the stretch on both sides.
6. Virabhadrasana II (Warrior 2) Concentrate on keeping the hips squared so that the belly button faces the same direction at the breastbone. Roll the thighs out so that the knees are aligned with the tops of the feet. This pose is a powerful hip opener, because your muscles are working very hard to keep the hips squared and support the weight of the torso at the same time. Try to hold the pose for 6-7 breaths.
7. Prasarita Padottanasana (Wide-angle forward bend) Step the feet apart another foot or so from your Warrior stance. Check to see that the edges of the feet are parallel and the feet are grounded evenly between the inner and outer edge. Don’t let the ankle collapse. Keeping the spine long, fold forward from the hip crease and rest your hands on your block or the floor beneath your shoulders and breath into the length of the spine and the work of the ankles. Then release the back and walk your hands towards the feet, letting the head hang toward the floor. At your deepest bend, check that the ankles are still engaged and, if you want, tip your tailbone towards the ceiling to lengthen the back of the legs. This pose involves the same kind of work as Warrior. After a few breaths, re-engage the spine and then come back to standing.
8. Tadasana (Mountain) Let your body realign and check the curve of the lower back.
9. Baddha Konasana (Bound Angle Pose) Try this pose seated against the wall or, for greater relaxation, lie on the floor (See June 12 for more details).
10. Savasana (Corpse Pose) Release the belt and stretch out the legs. Take a moment to really align the spine before relaxing into the support of the floor.  ©Brenda K. Plakans. All Rights Reserved.

Memories from the Past

Trees I Love.

This tree holds a very special memory for me. One sunny and pleasant August day five years ago I sat under that tree with my YTT batch while Devarshi Steven Hartman taught us about the Bhagavad- Gita. An amazing memory, which I hold dear to my heart. This weekend while visiting a friend in the area I decided to stop in on the way home. I hadn't been back since I graduated. Just as I remember, Kripalu was bustling with activity. Yoga, mediation, art, song, chant, people coming and going and deeply involved or not at all. It's a wonderful place to get lost and find yourself.

The energy and consciousness of the divine
saturate the entire field of mind and matter.
Don't cling to limited forms and beliefs ….
Learn to investigate the truth directly.
See for yourself the nature of the world.
by Dadaji (Swami Kripalu's teacher)

Dharma Mittra

Dharma Mittra

I regularly enjoy Chicago writer Cara Jepsen's blog, No Sleep Till Mysore. Cara writes about her life as a yoga teacher, writer and dedicated student of Dharma Mittra. Sri Dharma Mittra is a yoga teacher, and a student of Sri Swami Kailashanda. He is best known for creating the Master Yoga Chart of 908 Postures. He has been teaching since 1967, and is director of the Dharma Yoga Center in New York City. He teaches Ashtanga Vinyasa and Karma yoga.

I often sees photos of him in headstand on rocks, pavement and other hard surfaces. He looks serine and quite enjoying himself. Although I have no interest in taking a headstand on a rock, he does seem a fascinating and dynamic teacher. When I discovered he'll be teaching a Hatha class in my neck of the woods I decided now is the opportunity to see for myself why so many are dedicated to his teaching. If your around In September come join me, I'll be here.

Jai bhagwan, peace and happy headstands everyone!

I am a Yoga Teacher, uh... I guess.

I did my first yoga teacher training five years ago at Kripalu. We were a large group and did our training on site at their beautiful campus. I had a bit of yoga under my belt and was ready to go deeper. The day I graduated one of my teachers gave personal words of wisdom to each of us. She told me "just go out there and teach." That seemed like a good idea. I taught my friends, my mum, and anyone who wanted a class. I got reviewed, critiqued and given suggestions by people I loved and trusted, then we had wine and cheese and kibitzed. I was ready to go deeper into teaching, but not in a studio. I didn't feel ready, and it didn't feel right. My evolution into teaching has been slow, unique and and it's not what pops into the mind when most people think of teaching yoga. Linda's Yoga Journey has a fantastic post on the subject of yoga teachers, yoga training programs and the influx of new teachers pouring out into the universe daily.

There are so many programs and it does seem every studio is now offering a teacher training program. It feels like there's some pressure out there these days to get into a teacher training program. So many students are entering these programs with unrealistic goals and expectations. I do become concerned when I run across someone who has lost their job and decided their next career will be teaching. It's really hard to sustain a living teaching yoga full time, work can be sporadic and the money is no good.

I do have a teaching practice. My practice is private and specific. I teach, give in-services on specific areas of yoga which relate to my profession and do some lecturing and research. I found a place to contribute, its my dharma and I embrace it. I would be frustrated, sad, and probably had the house foreclosed had I attempted to abandon what I have for full time teaching. Intention with clarity is essential. I'm not saying it doesn't happen, or can't happen, it's just a lot harder than it looks, and it will evolve quite differently for everyone.

Yoga Festivals

This weekend I attended BlissFest at the Baba Siri Chand Ashram. Once again I dropped my mat down and just stayed for the experience. Whoever came to teach, I was there to take it in. Yoga festival's are new to me and one of the aspects I am really enjoying is the opportunity to try things I have never tried before and discover new yoga teachers. One teacher led us through the 5 rhythms. I assumed this was another name for the 5 Tibetans, but it's quite something else.

"5Rhythms is a movement meditation practice devised by Gabrielle Roth in the 1960s. It draws from many indigenous and world traditions using tenets of shamanistic, ecstatic, mystical and eastern philosophy. It also draws from Gestalt, the human potential movement and transpersonal psychology. Fundamental to the practice is the idea that everything is energy, and moves in waves, patterns and rhythms. Roth describes the practice as a soul journey, and says that by moving the body, releasing the heart, and freeing the mind, one can connect to the essence of the soul, the source of inspiration in which an individual has unlimited possibility and potential." ( wikipedia)

The website is great! Check it out here.

BlissFest

Saturday the Baba Siri Chand Kundalini Ashram is having their second annual yoga and music festival, BlissFest. How can you say no to something called BlissFest! I don't know any of the teachers or performers but I really don't mind what I'm really looking forward to is having a visit and checking out the ashram. Guru Ram Das Ashram, founded in 1969 is a large and active community based on Sikh principles. People come to the Ashram to study and practice the teachings of Kundalini Yoga as taught by Yogi Bhajan, experience life in a spiritual community, or create a private retreat and get rest and relaxation in a country location.

As it turns out I will be unable to have a stay in the Sivananda Ashram in upstate New York. That will have to wait for another time. Perhaps a weekend retreat in the Fall. I'm OK with not being able to attend, I am just so grateful to have the opportunity to expand my practice and come back to center. Each day I feel stronger, healthier and calmer. I have made some radical lifestyle changes which will affect how I conduct business throughout the year.

Wishing everyone peace love and bliss!

End of an era

This is my mat, Mr. Cushy, actually its the bottom mat. The top mat is dark green with a drawing of bamboo's on it that my best friend gave me for my birthday one year. For a long time my cushy mint green mat was my main mat until it started to become slightly grubby, that's when it became a cushion. This was years ago, before I became a yoga teacher. My mat and I have had some powerful experiences and we've created many lasting memories. We went through yoga teacher training, traveled to several countries and had some pretty strong experiences which have included (on more than one occasion) me in a puddle of tears clutching the sides for comfort. I have rarely been without Mr. Cushy. He sits in the back of the car and I never leave home without him. The only big yoga occasion we did not have together was when I did teacher training in India. I thought he might be destroyed and have to be thrown away. Instead, I bought an orange cushy mat which I gave to a most excellent colleague when I left India. The orange mat was OK, but there was no comparison. I was happy to be back on my mint green mat again. Well..... truth be told Mr. Cushy's best days are behind him. He is perennially dirty, kind of stinky, probably a little moldy too. I know its time for that sad walk to the recycle bin, but it's hard to say goodbye. I remember finding this little gem at T.J. Maxx. This was the thickest mat I had ever found (still is to this day) and I couldn't believe my luck. Really! No one wants a generic, slightly ugly, mint green mat, Wow! I immediately clasped my arms around the box and that was it, kind of a love at first sight story. I have looked for other mats but they just don't feel right to me. Now it's just time to say goodbye, well not today exactly but really soon, which to be honest kind of hurts a little. I could talk about none attachment and mat etiquette which would include sage advice about why you should never step on any on another person's mat... but I won't, its not about that. Its about a a proper send off for a great little mat that served me superbly. Friday is recycle day and soon we'll part so I'll just say goodbye Mr. Cushy and thank you, you've been fantastic.

Back on the Mat

Aahh, Summer has arrived! I left work feeling a bit like a limp noodle, I managed to get to the couch and that was all she wrote! Having recovered a bit I am now planning my Summer schedule which includes a lot of yoga. I got a fantastic jump start at chantfeast which placed me back on the mat and wanting more. I rolled into chantfeast plopped down and and just stayed class after class. By the time I left I'd dropped a couple of toxic bricks and just floated on pure energy out the door.

One of the classes I took was a kundalini class. I have a DVD at home but have never actually taken a class. Somewhere between the gongs, chanting and breath work I got hooked. I got back and immediately took a class. Yep, I'm in! I found a studio and I'm hoping to explore a bit more. If all works out ( parking gods are you listening?) I'll bounce between my regular studio and this one. I've been getting back to a daily practice and I can't even begin to state the difference in my mood and general vitality. With my Dad's passing it's been a long and emotional journey and I seemed to have stored all my feelings in my hips. With each class I feel a release, sometimes uncomfortable, sometimes with a great whoosh, but always a feeling of having dropped something I didn't need to carry. I had a class in the late spring which opened up my hips with a great thunder, with it came the tears and a great relief as well. So here's to the summer, rediscovering my practice and beginning life again!
Hari Om and be well.

Get my Soul Free

Yep...this is about where I'm at, or more to the point where I'd like to be. I'm way on overload, packed to the hilt and wondering how I'm going to it all done. I've been on overload all year and I'm so wound up It's hard to believe I'll ever come back down to earth. That's part of the puzzle for me. Coming back to a place where I can enjoy a little of what these folks are doing.... relaxation and renewal. I want to let mother earth absorb me in her embrace and just let go, but at the moment there's so much to do and too many deadlines. This week was too filled, too much of a black hole and I'm twirling and swarming around ungrounded. I am thinking of my father, missing him, feeling lost. As a water child it's easy for me to find simile to my emotional states and water. In the beginning it was like wearing weights and walking on the floor of an Olympic size swimming pool, now its a swirling ring in an ocean and I'm in the middle of it just whirling without end. I whirl and whirl and every now and then I realize I'm spinning in a great foam of confusion and reality hits me, but then I whirl some more with papers, meetings, presentations, classes, a car repair, dinner, needs of loved ones, dinner to be made, bills to be paid, spinning, spinning, spinning.

I need to get back to "the farm." Perhaps that's why I have elected to go to Sivananda's Ashram in upstate New York this Summer. Yoga, meditation and contemplation. I need to let my inner soul child, mother earth, cosmic mother unloose and run wild in a field for a little bit. That side of me needs to be allowed to come out, she's been indoors for a little far to long.
Woodstock
I came upon a child of god
He was walking along the road
And I asked him, where are you going
And this he told me
I'm going on down to yasgurs farm
I'm going to join in a rock n roll band
I'm going to camp out on the land
I'm going to try an get my soul free
We are stardust
We are golden
And we've got to get ourselves
Back to the garden

Then can I walk beside you
I have come here to lose the smog
And I feel to be a cog in something turning
Well maybe it is just the time of year
Or maybe its the time of man
I don't know who l am
But you know life is for learning
We are stardust
We are golden
And we've got to get ourselves
Back to the garden

By the time we got to woodstock
We were half a million strong
And everywhere there was song and celebration
And I dreamed I saw the bombers
Riding shotgun in the sky
And they were turning into butterflies
Above our nation
We are stardust
Billion year old carbon
We are golden
Caught in the devils bargain
And we've got to get ourselves
Back to the garden
Joni Mitchell

Mud Season Blues

Mud Season in all its glory

Mud season is not a good time. In my estimation the only good part of mud season is the fact it's short lived and when it over the weather is glorious. Coming off a long hard winter this grimy pre-spring period does not inspire flights of fancy and a free spirit. Personally, my energy is low, I'm missing my father, and slogging through this crap is just another daily reminder of how grey my mood. I know its time to switch up my yoga routine and include some asana that provides an extra release of endorphins.

Endorphins are "feel good" chemicals that are known to be released during physical activity.
There are three different types of endorphins produced within the body, two of which are distributed throughout the central nervous system and one that is found within the pituitary gland. Practicing yoga can diversify your brain chemistry. Some yoga positions in particular are sufficient in stimulating the pituitary gland to release endorphins and to reduce the level of cortisol (the stress hormone) and help relieve the blues.

Inverted poses are an excellent little pick me up, emotionally, they guide the energy of the pelvis toward the heart center, enabling self-exploration and inner growth. Physically, they stimulate the immune and endocrine systems, thereby invigorating and nourishing the brain and the organs.

The following is a series of inverted poses with the exception of bridge. These should give a little boost if your feeling stuck in the mud mentally and physically. Stay in each pose for about 30 seconds, then rest in shivansana before trying the next one. I would like to add a small but important note here. If you are not familiar with headstand, have weakness in the neck or shoulders, do not include headstand in your regular practice, or need a spot to safely assume the asana DO NOT attempt headstand.

Yoga sequence to increase endorphins and banish the blues

shoulder stand (sarvangasana)

Plow ( Halaasna)
Bridge (Setu Bandha Sarvangasana)

Fish ( Matasyasana)

Headstand ( sirshasana)
Be well, smile a little, and let the sun shine in.

Miss. S

Feeling State

The slow passion
to that deliberate progress
Thom Gunn

Sweet Dreams

Can't quite put my finger on it but I think its a combination of a few things, mostly stuff going on in my head, but it's been a good long time between a solid nights sleep. I'm having a hard time falling asleep, staying asleep and wake up far too early. Intervention is needed before I have a mini crash. Swimming is always helpful for me and it looks like I'll be headed to the pool but my immediate solution is a little viparita karani.

Viparita karani or feet up against the wall position has profound restorative effects on the body. If your feeling a real need to rejuvenate and come back to balance its good to devote a practice to this one pose. A daily practice would be 20-30 minutes. As a general rule its not recommended a person should exceed this amount of time in this inverted position.

This position leads to an increase in blood flow to your upper body as well as to your brain which is very useful to maintain your blood pressure and calm your nervous system. It has numerous other benefits as well but for now that's what I'm aiming for a little calm and relaxation to get me to sleep at night.

Autumn Prescription

Today as we hiked in the woods there was a feel in the air and a noticeable increase in the number of leaves changing colors or already falling. The change is happening and before long we’ll be thinking about hats, gloves and scarves. September is still summer, late summer but an excellent time to begin to shift gears for cooler months to come. There are some very nice practices which ready the body for a shift in temperature and lifestyle.
Sleeping

This is a good time to ground the body through resting more and setting a regular routine. Ideally retiring at 10 and awakening at 5 or 6 a.m. From 11 p.m. to 2 a.m. the liver is purifying while you’re sleeping, so it’s important to help the system rejuvenate and cleanse by giving yourself a routine sleeping pattern.
Eating

Every season is associated with one of natures 5 elements. In Autumn the metal element is at its peak, which governs the energy of our lung and large intestine health. Consider adding some of these foods to support your lungs and intestines as well as help ground and nourish your mind:
Pumpkin, carrot, cabbage, cauliflower, winter squash, spinach, parsley, parsnips, kale, turnip, carrots, onion, garlic, ginger, daikon, radish, pickles, adzuki beans, millet, barley, brown rice, fennel, kuzu (Japanese arrowroot – clears and tones lungs/colon), watercress, seaweeds (excellent to regenerate mucous membranes) ie kombu/arame/wakame.
Flaxseed oil (use in smoothies or add to foods), fenugreek spice.
Stewed apples and pears (peeled) with brown rice congee/porridge.
Mandarins
Marshmallow tea, raspberry leaf tea, green tea.

The Fall is the best time to enjoy local fresh apples. According to Ayurvedic medicine, apples help draw heat out of the body that accumulates over the summer. Heat can dry out and cause digestive distress in the winter season. The pectin in apples also helps to clean and heal digestive mucosa. A fun autumn Ayurvedic prescription is to eat as many apples as possible over a period of several weeks.
Drinking

It’s wise to look after your lungs in preparation for winter. The lungs are sensitive during Autumn, as the air quality changes to more cool and dry. Keep up your hydration with sufficient warm fluids like herbal teas, green tea, fresh ginger tea and liquorice tea. Dryness also affects our skin, so massage yourself after showering with good quality oils.
Yoga
Beneficial yoga asana includes pawanmuktasana ( wind relieving poses), all inverted poses where the head moves below the waist, all twists as this helps to regulate the intestines, slow sun salutation with breaths in each pose and extended shavasana (corpse pose) for proper grounding.

The Road

There's a long way to go before I can kick up my heals and have a rest. Each year I generate strategies and try new techniques to make this crowded little over obligated time of the year a little less hectic. Things that have been effective over the years I keep and each year I try to incorporate other practices to make this period an easier transition as I anticipate the sweet days of Summer. What I have learned is that organization and following a daily schedule is key. Each week I make a schedule and add or amend it daily. I try to start projects a month ahead of time and schedule in regular blocks so I'm not crushed beyond capacity when things come due. This has been quite effective but the down side is always thinking in the future rather than the present moment.

One of the hardest things to incorporate into my routine is a consistent practice. There is so much to do, that by the time I have finished everything the only sane option is sleep. Yesterday after two weeks I finally made my way into a class and unto the mat and the difference in my energy level and attitude is astounding. There is no way for me to have the practice I would like to have this time of year. A home practice is out of the question. Too many distractions, I wont last ten minutes before my eye catches something and I remember a task and should really just do it and get it out of the way. It's better for me to be in a class where I can let those thoughts slide past me and focus on breathing and allowing myself to be present. That's a big piece of having too much to do. Always thinking forward about what needs to be done in the future and not being present in the moment or the day. This year I am scheduling in a small practice, an opportunity to be present and in the moment. A little time to soak up the gorgeous Spring blooming around me. The road can be long, but it doesn't have to be arduous.

Slow and peaceful feeling to everyone.

Closing

In one week I have found out two yoga studios in my neighborhood are closing or have closed. It's been a busy year and I haven't had any real chance to step out and explore. My schedule is tight and just keeping to that has been difficult. No opportunity for little visits or new explorations, so I had no idea these changes had occurred. I was shocked by the news. Both studios were community based and offered a wonderful variety of yoga classes. These spaces were a community for yoga enthusiasts at different levels and offered a healing space to relax and unwind. Both opened their doors to different types of yoga and were open to exploration. They were priced moderately and welcomed folks of all levels, ages and income.

There seems to be a change in the air. One studio seemed to be changing ownership but may continue as a small community but offers only one type of yoga so the teachers who taught are no longer needed. The other is a very commercial operation which offers again one type of class at steep prices. Gone are the funky signs, experimental workshops, meditation evenings and yoga dance. In come the advertising, emphasis on class size and no variety.

Very sad..... What's happening out there?

Time to wake up!

Winter Morning

Snowy days can be wonderful but as winter settles in, a little tiresome. One of my yoga teachers said in class the other day, "I think I'm coming down with February" Our bodies have a tendency to stiffen in cold weather and we're more than likely to not want to get out of bed in the morning. Sun salutations are a great way to greet the day and wake the body, but honestly when your tired and stiff and looking toward a long day, there always seems to be less time and interest to do a few rounds first thing in the morning. This little sequence is for those days when time is not available but the winter doldrums seem in abundance. This sequence is done seated or in supine (on your back) and requires less than 10 minutes. (best done in your pajamas with socks and a comfy sweater.)

Begin in a seated position and start with a simple breathing exercise:
Single Nostril Breathing /Surya Bhedana Pranayama
Sit in a comfortable position. For Surya Bhedana block your left nostril and inhale through your right. Then close the right and exhale through the left. Continue in this manner, inhale right, exhale left, for 1 to 3 minutes.
(Precaution: Surya bhedana pranayama should not be practiced by people suffering from heart disease, high blood pressure and epilepsy. )

A supported version of wind removing pose
This 'back bend' pose stimulates the adrenal glands which helps release energy in your body. It's also good to do if you've been desk-bound, to literally straighten you out.
How: If you don't have a block place a few folded towels or blankets on your mat, and sit on them, with your feet flat on the mat. Slowly lie back, so that your upper back rests on the mat, with your arms down by your sides. Be sure to keep your chin off your chest, so that your neck is in a neutral position. Take three to five deep breaths inhale and then pull your knees to your chest to stretch your back. Exhale and release. Do Three to five rounds for a count of 10 each.

Happy Baby Pose

This pose releases the lower back and opens the hips. This pose is known as a heart opener as well.
How: Lie on your back (remove towels or blocks) and bring your knees to your belly. Grab a big toe in each hand (or a foot, ankle or shins) and allow your knees to fall open wider than your torso. Next, bring your knees toward the direction of the armpits to allow the hips to release more deeply. Keep your ankles in line with your knees, so that your shins are perpendicular to the floor. Hold for several breaths.

Viparita Karani

Upside down, or inverted, poses are perfect for helping you feel both physically and mentally rejuvenated. Upside down poses bring fresh oxygen to your brain, warding off that sluggish, sleepy feeling.

How: lay down on a mat and place a block or blanket under you sacrum, lifts both legs in the air perpendicular to the ground. If you prefer find a bit of wall space and bring your legs to rest on the wall. Stay for two to three minutes with relaxed breath.

When you have finished bring your legs down and move your body to one side in the fetal position stay for three breaths then push yourself up to a seated postion.

That's it, finished. The day is yours. Go have a great one!

Western Research in Yoga

Sat Bir Khalsa

A growing number of clinical trials are being published investigating to what extent yoga is a benefit for psychological and emotional health. A PubMed search for "yoga and depression" yielded 25 clinical trials published in 2007, 2008 and the first quarter of 2009 relating to yoga and emotional and psychological health. In addition, three review articles and three systematic reviews published during this period investigated the effects of various combinations of yoga, meditation and yogic breathing on mental health.

Sat Bir Khalsa, PhD Assistant Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School is currently conducting a research study on evaluation of a yoga intervention for post-traumatic stress disorder on veterans of the war in Iraq. This 18 month study is hosted by Brigham and Women’s hospital and is funded through a grant through the Department of Defense.
The 10-week Kripalu-style yoga treatment will consist of 20 biweekly 90-minute group training/practice sessions. In addition, subjects will also receive CD's and written instructions for daily 15-minute sessions, which they will use to guide them through the yoga procedures to be done at home.

"The main objective of this study is to establish efficacy and feasibility of a yoga-based treatment for PTSD in military veterans. Secondary objectives are to evaluate PTSD characteristics that may also be improved with the treatment and acceptability and compliance with the treatment. "

( ClinicalTrials.gov)

This study began in August of 2009, as its an 18 month study don't expect to read the results for at least another year. There are many factors which gave me cause for celebration when I read about this study. There are a growing number of classes for veteran's with post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Research must be done to find the most effective techniques within yoga to address this disorder. Not only if a practice is effective in decreasing symptoms, but the safest and best medicinal practice for this specific disorder. There is another huge factor which makes this particular study so compelling. Funding is crucial in order to develop proper research conditions. If the data indicates treatment is beneficial, since the department of defense is funding this research, it's far more likely the the military will be open to using yoga as a form of therapy for it's veteran's.

It's an exciting time and I have high hopes for the very best outcomes.

Wishing peace to everyone.