Happy Holidays!!

First of all, thanks to all who came to the open yoga session last Monday. It was fun to see everyone and have so much energy in the studio! I hope you felt re-energized for the upcoming weeks.

For the days that follow, let's remember to move at the speed of our bodies, not the speed of our minds. We practice this all the time while we're on the mat, so we can apply it off the mat. Don't allow your runaway thoughts to exhaust you. If you start to feel overwhelmed or out of sync, tune back into the body. What is it telling you? Rest? Relax? Breathe deep? Keep going and Enjoy?

In fact, we talked about stopping, closing our eyes, and taking 3 Long Full Breaths, whenever we need to reset.

Below, I've created a short sequence you can do each morning to unstick tight areas, slowly wake up the body & mind, and increase oxygen intake and circulation for the day ahead.
Remember to only do the poses that are appropriate for you. Modify where necessary.

Short Morning Sequence (try to hold each pose for 5 breaths)
For this sequence let's focus on compassion for ourselves and whoever may enter our lives today.

*Child's Pose (start deepening the breath, focus on the deep fold at the hips)
*Sit up (back on heels or cross-legged)
*Reach up and interlace fingers
*Seated Lateral Fold to the Right (then switch sides)
*Seated Twist (gentle-both sides)
*Downdog (knees slightly bent)
*Kneeling Plank
*Low Cobra
*Downdog
*Standing Forward Fold (feel at least hip width, knees bent, release the back)
*Sweep Up to standing slowly
*Exhale Hands to Heart Center

Pause and breathe here, until you're ready to move on to the next part of your day.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Namaste
Nance

***FYI: I did it! I shot the yoga video! I'll let you know as soon as the DVD is ready. If you're interested, please let me know (if you haven't already), and I'll get one to you.

Yoga DVD

Hi All!
Happy Thanksgiving!!

I have a bit of news...I'm planning to make a yoga DVD, but I need your help. I have had many requests to create a yoga video that can be used at home. If you're truly interested and willing to pre-purchase a copy, I can have it professionally done.If I have enough interest, the cost will be $20/DVD (hey, if I have a ton of interest, it could be cheaper).

It will be very similar to the in-person class: 60 min of stretching, strength, balance, and of course savasana:) (the final pose). If all goes well, hopefully I can make more in the future (different intensities, different focus, meditations, etc.)

If possible, please respond by early next week. I'd like to get the shooting of the video done mid-Dec. Who knows, maybe if the editing goes quickly, it could be ready by Christmas.
Thank you all for your on-going support and encouragement!

Namaste,
Nance

Fun and Healthy Holidays

This year practice moderation during the holidays, instead of seeing it as the beginning of months of overeating only to end with the arrival of guilt on January 1st.

All foods can be included in healthy living, as long as we pay attention to portion sizes and frequency. Fortunately, many traditional holiday dishes are pretty healthy and adjustments to preparation methods can increase their nutritional value.

1. Turkey – low fat, good source of protein

2. Stuffing – contains healthy fat, if prepared with olive oil vs. butter or margarine

3. Cranberry Sauce – fresh recipes are best, good source of vitamin C

4. Mashed Potatoes – depends what you put in or on them, watch serving size if you’re eating stuffing or sweet potatoes also.

5. Sweet Potatoes – generally a better carbohydrate source than white potatoes, good source of beta-carotene, vitamin C, and fiber.

Along with calorie intake, you also need to be aware of your physical activity level. I know things will continue to get busier as the holidays progress, but don’t forgo your workouts. Remember, they’re not only good for the body, but also the mind. Exercise can give you the personal time you need and help reduce your stress levels. If you can’t fit in the entire workout, break it into smaller increments or rearrange items in your schedule, but don’t skip it. Even a few extra walks can help. That said, if you are sick, please do not force a workout. Give your body some extra rest so that it can heal and you can get back to your exercise sooner.

What follows are a few tips to help with your goal of moderation:
* Eat a light snack (high fiber, fruit, veggies) before you go to a holiday celebration. If you arrive hungry, it will be very tempting to overindulge.

* Eat only your favorite dishes. Don’t feel obligated to try everything.

* Take your time when eating. Actually enjoy each bite.

* Drink plenty of water.

* If you have to try multiple desserts, take bite-size portions.

Source: Walter Willlett M.D.,D.P.H
Professor of medicine at Havard medical School, Chairman of nutrition dept. at Harvard School of Public Health

Approaching Each Moment As Asana (yoga pose)

This week let's practice living life as if each moment is a yoga pose.
Just like a yoga pose, some moments this week will be easy and full of joy and some moments will be more challenging.
And just like we do during our yoga practice, let's take time to breathe deep and bring our full awareness into each moment. Notice how the mind, body, and spirit our feeling, what they're trying to communicate.
As the holiday season comes into full swing, this will be a very useful tool to help us enjoy and thrive during the holidays and not just "survive" them.
I look forward to any insights you post regarding your experience with this.
Namaste,
Nance

Half Moon Pose

Hello! I know it's been awhile. I've been wrapped up in birthdays and 1st Halloweens and all sort of fun things like that. We are still meeting regularly for yoga though, Mondays 5:45-6:45pm and Tuesdays 10:15-11:00am. At the Tuesday morning class I suggested we all practice the balance pose "Half Moon" or Ardha Chandrasana (in sanskrit) every day this week. To help with that I said I'd post a bit of info on my blog, so here it is :) ......

This link at YogaJournal.com shows a picture of the pose and walks you through the steps. Please remember, it is a balance pose, so take time to flow with the breath and find a focal point for your gaze. We also talked about practicing this pose along a wall, so that you feel more freedom to open up. If you need a bit more room in the hamstrings, place a block (or book) under your bottom hand and remember if the shoulder feels tight, keep the top hand on the top hip (you don't have to reach the top hand up). Just breath and be with the pose, with the sensations, not the thoughts about the sensations. And whether you're able to be with the pose one breath or 10 breaths, enjoy that time, completely present.

Please let me know if you have any questions and I'd love to hear your comments about the experience.
I hope to see you at class next week. We'll work with some imagery in savasana (final pose).

Namaste,
Nance

September is National Yoga Month

Hello All!
I hope this message finds you well and that you’ve thoroughly enjoyed your summer! And whether you’re joyfully looking forward to the fall season or not, the good news is…

September is National Yoga Month

Let’s celebrate the benefits of yoga together, knowing that people around the nation are joining us!

“You can join millions of yoga and health enthusiasts in hundreds of events nationwide and around the world. Deepen your commitment to a healthy lifestyle by celebrating the transformative power of yoga. Yoga Month invites you to engage in an awareness campaign designed to draw attention to the many benefits of yoga and inspire our fellow citizens to live healthier, happier lives.´ -- YogaMonth.org

If you have friends who are interested in trying yoga, but are a bit unsure, now’s the perfect time for them to start. New students may come to two consecutive weeks of yoga classes, during the month of September free of charge.

Mondays 6:00-7:00pm Vinyasa Flow Yoga All Fitness Levels Welcome
**on-going, but no class Labor Day

Tuesdays 10:15–11:00am Stretch & Restore Yoga
**Starts 9/22/09 and goes 6wks, must pre-register.

****All Classes are held at PACE in the Spring Arbor Village Plaza****

Most of us are initiating a new routine come September, so…
* Whether you’re a new comer to yoga
* Ready to recommit yourself to yoga
* Intent on deepening your yoga practice
… now’s the perfect time!

There are many health benefits to yoga that may interest you.

· Secret weapon against belly fat (a high-health risk):
Studies show that yoga lowers levels of stress hormones like cortisol and increases insulin sensitivity — a signal to your body to burn fat as fuel rather than store it.

· Help you curb emotional eating:
Yoga relieves stress, so you may be less likely to mindlessly stuff yourself

· Sleep like a baby:
An Indian study found that daily practice may increase levels of the brain's sedative, melatonin, which decreases as you age.

· Keep your hips healthy:
Like stretching, yoga helps keep your muscles supple and flexible, and your body less prone to injury.

And if these benefits aren’t enough to interest you, how about the fact that, yoga enhances your experience with other forms of exercise and can help improve sports performance. Or if you’ve been trying to start an exercise routine, but can’t seem to get it going, this could be just what you need.

I hope you found this information helpful and at least a little bit intriguing.

If you cannot attend a public class, but would like to celebrate yoga month with a personal session, small group party, or a meditation session, please call me. I would love to be a part of it!

Namaste

Less Force More Rest

The last couple weeks I've been explaining to my daughter the importance of rest and not always using force when something doesn't seem to be doing what you think it should and as I hear myself, it starts to resonate with me. I think these are two important things that we want our children to understand, but they are also bits of information we set aside in our adult life.

I stress the importance of a good night sleep and a nap, for my daughter "so she can grow strong and healthy", yet I talk to so many adults who spend everyday exhausted, wondering why they can't focus on tasks, why they lose their temper, why they can't lose weight. We've forgotten the importance of rest. We've relegated rest to just the bare necessities, anything more is laziness and not a positive part of our "strive for more" society.

And this is a place where "force" comes in. Since we're overtired we force ourselves through every activity or maybe we force another commitment into the schedule. We can't figure out what we actually need, because we're so disconnected from ourself.

Here's an idea, let's take another look at our life schedule. Let's look for a new approach, not force a change. Let's take time out, and allow ourselves to enjoy the downtime, not spend it thinking about what we "should" be doing instead. It will take time. The change won't happen all at once. But it will happen, if you're willing to practice a little everyday.

This is something yoga can help with. Yoga itself is practice in listening to YOU. Being present, so you know when you need to rest and when you need to work a bit harder in a pose. Yoga allows you a space to reconnect, so that your body, mind, and spirit can work together with ease, like they're meant to.

I hope you found this post action-(or maybe non-action) provoking.

Namaste