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Inspire and Be Inspired

Hi all! So many changes happening that I haven't taken the time to update this blog, but more on that in future posts. Today I'm writing about an idea that came to me while working with a living wellness program (www.hillaryrubin.com/livingwellness)

So many times, in looking for support and accountability, we try to find friends who are working on the same things, but it can be hard because people have different goals. Instead of worrying about finding some one or group of some ones working on the exact same topic, we need to remember, although we're all at different starting points, we're moving on the same journey, toward a balanced, healthy life.

Instead of trying to find support among friends based on one short term goal, let's find common ground admist all types of wellness goals, building on the one thing we all have in common, the desire to become more aware of and connected to our whole & healthy self.

To participate, simply decide what your goal(s) is for the week. Be specific.
You may be committed to making better food choices (ie: no over processed food this week, 1 less soda pop/day, 2 more servings of fruit & veggies/day), maybe you're adding 2 days more/week of 30 min of exercise, or focusing on getting to bed an hour earlier each night to get some needed rest or to make time for your morning meditation. You see it doesn't matter what your weekly goal is, just be specific, so you can support yourself & be supported by others.

Next, post your goal as a comment on this blog. Then, throughout the week or at the end of the week drop a quick note on what you experienced, highs & lows, changes made, and whether you're continuing focus on the same goals for the next week or choosing new ones. While you're posting take a moment to look at what others have experienced and maybe offer insight.

I really believe we will all benefit from the sharing and knowing there are others moving through this life with wellness, balance, and health as their ultimate goal. Plus, I think it will be fun!

Well, I'm in, so here's what I'm working on this week....
*waking up earlier to give myself the time & space to meditate for 10-20min & read (15-20 min) each morning.
*eating mindfully all week. This involves keeping a food journal, so I am aware of each piece of food I put in my mouth. Not to berate myself over calories, but because I've noticed a tendancy to eat from a place of stress lately.

I'll let you know how it goes, and I look forward to hearing all of your stories!

Namaste,
Nance

Yoga is More than Exercise

Spring is here! With Spring, most of us start feeling the need to move more & eat better, in preparation for capris, short-sleeve shirts, and swimsuits :)

I just wanted to remind you that yoga is great for all that ... and so much more than that.

Yoga helps us train the mind, body, and spirit to handle life's stressful situations in appropriate ways. It doesn't happen overnight, but with a committed practice and mindfulness within it, you will experience positive changes.

"...the physical challenge [of exercise] can trigger a full-fledged stress response in the body. But when physical demands are met with mindfulness and steady breathing, as they are in yoga, the nervous system responds differently: It maintains activation while keeping an underlying sense of calm. It remains skillfully engaged but without going into full-fledged fight-or-flight mode.
... You're enabling your autonomic nervous system to imprint that response and therefore allow you to return to it during everyday stress."

"Yoga also trains the nervous system to return to balance quickly after a challenge response. By alternating strenuous poses with gentler ones, yoga conditions you to move easily between states of challenge and rest. Letting go of all effort in Savasana pose, teaches the nervous system to let go once the challenges of your practice have been met."

source: www.yogajournal.com Article: "Tame Your Stress" by Kelly McGonigal

I hope you're able to give yourself time for yoga regularly.
Enjoy your Spring and please let me know if you have any comments or questions.
Namaste,

February

I just wanted to write a quick post to let you all know I'm still here. Many people have been practicing the meditation/quiet time daily and have committed to continuing through February. Yea!!! If you're trying it, but it's still hit-n-miss, just allow yourself to enjoy the "hit" days and notice if you experience the day differently when you've had time to meditate. Or maybe you notice it when you've taken the time for several days in a row and then miss a day.
Wherever you're at, find joy in your day today.
Namaste,

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.