How goes the week

I have had many positive responses to the daily meditation idea. Some people were already on the same page and happy to have others come along side and others are excited to get started again after taking time away from meditating, still others are intrigued to try it out.

The one thing I've noticed so far is the permission this has given me. It's not that I couldn't or didn't in the past, but now each day, whenever I am wondering if I'm going to fit my meditation in, I remind myself that I've made a commitment and that has encouraged me to do it.

Saturday, I had an interesting meditation venue. Ming loves to play in the snow. In the past, I have not been a huge fan of the cold. I love snow throughout the holidays, but by the end of January I'm weary of it. But in an effort to encourage exercise and a love for nature, I purchased a pair of snow pants and some very well insulated gloves. Then on Saturday, Ming and I played in the snow and I stayed quite warm, so warm in fact that after playing for a bit, I layed back in the snow and gazed up at the the sky through the empty tree branches. I felt the warmth of the sun on my face and the coolness of the snow trying to permeated through my coat and pants. I could see how each branch was layered with snow. I looked at the intricate design of the branches themselves and how they stood out against the blue sky. It really was a simple state of being present and if it wasn't for my daughter, I'm sure I would have never even attempted it.

I would love to hear your meditation happenings.
Blessings on your week.

Meditation

I brought this up at Monday's class, but I wanted to post it here, to hopefully, get even more people involved and encourage those who have started (or keep meaning to start ;)

I propose we all take time to meditate each day, through the end of January (just to give us a target date). If you already do this, great job! Keep it up! For the rest of us, I thought it would be nice to know that others are using a part of their day to meditate, a bit of accountability, if you will. Whether it be 5, 10, 20 mins, we're all taking time to turn our awareness inward.

I also think it will be fun to notice the changes and keep each other updated, through blog comments, emails, in-person at class. It will be awesome to hear how different people experience the process.

I'd love to know how many of us are planning to practice this, so send me a comment.
And I'll keep you updated on my experiences as well.
Talk with you soon.

Namaste
Nance

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