Woot! New home!

So excited, All Yoga, All the Time has a new home!  Come visit us at http://allyogaallthetime.com/, change your bookmarks and visit often :-)

Our new home has some exciting new features like the ability to search and categories!  Making it easier to find what might inspire your practice today.

We aren't quite all moved in yet.  Things aren't still are quite perfect. But, I figured, nothing's perfect in yoga practice, why should this be different, right!?  Bear with me as I add new features and rearrange the furniture a bit in the coming weeks.

I welcome your comments and feedback - let me know what you think, what you'd like more of, etc.

Thanks for visiting!

4 Things I Learned From My First SUP Yoga Class

1.  Surface area is your friend!  I knew this on land, but SUP Yoga takes it to another level... I really had to work to spread my hands and feet for better balance.

2. You can't, as my teacher put it, "half-ass" anything!  If you don't have the proper engagement, you might end up in the water.  This really helped me to see where I was normally slacking off in poses. (see #1)

3. Without relaxation, there is no balance.  You must engage properly (#2), you must find lots of surface area (#1) but if you don't have an element of relaxation in everything you do, you won't be able to move with/on the water.  I needed to soften into the movement that was happening below me, just as I soften into the movement of my breath on land.  Become too stiff and balance is no more!

4. Savasana can't possibly EVER be long enough :-)  Rocking on the gentle waves, sound of the shoreline in my ears, feet and fingers trailing in the water... I could have stayed there forever.  I have no idea if our savasana was 3 minutes or 30 minutes but whatever it was, I could have stayed all day.

Why work so hard in yoga? Thai Yoga Massage and your yoga practice...

Ok.  I have a confession... I'm always looking for the easy way out in my practice.  That's not to say I don't see the benefit of working hard and the safety that can come from muscular engagement in alot of poses but really is life all about hard work?

One of the things I see in my students all the time (and, of course, feel in my own body) is this need to work hard.  As if it doesn't count unless we are giving 163%.  But yoga is also about finding ease.  Patanjali talks about a steady, stable comfortable posture in the Yoga Sutras.  He also talks about using pain for purification but why do we seem to go out of our way for the pain but not the comfort?
This is why I look for the easy way out.  The easy way requires some level of comfort and some level of, dare I say... slack.  When we push ourselves, we often get in our own way.  We are so muscularly engaged that we limit our range of motion so much more than necessary.  Often we don't even know what our full range of motion is.  Often we physically cannot get there without engaging so much.

Enter Thai Yoga Massage.  Try letting a friend take you into cobra pose.  Don't help, let them do it.  The video below will talk you through it.  Note that if you have any spine issues, you should only have this done by a professional.



Now, did you notice anything about your range of motion?  I'm betting you just did the most super-humungous cobra of your life!  With no effort!

On to the next step... do cobra pose on your own but remember the sensation of your partner helping you and try to recreate some of that - the imagination is a powerful tool.

Great job! Notice the difference?  Less engagement, more movement.  Maybe even less "pain is purification" and more "steady, stable, comfortable"?  Keep practicing, it gets even better ;-)

This is one of the ways that receiving (and giving) Thai Yoga Massage can really impact your yoga practice.  Find a Thai therapist, take a workshop (I'll be giving one in San Diego this Saturday!), try it out... let me know what you discover!

The secret to getting things done... on your yoga mat and in life

I've always been a dreamer but, until recently, not so great with being a doer.  And sticking with something...  hmmmm... yeah, not so much.  Let me put it this way: I'm that person that always has to leave that last dish unwashed.
  

Last year, we did a huge renovation on our house. Talk about a learning experience!  One of the best things I got from that experience (other than a beautiful new house) was learning how to really get things done.

Most of you probably already know this, but it was a revelation to me... the secret to getting things done is just to do it; and keep doing it.  Now, I understood this on my yoga mat but somehow never made that small leap to understanding that I could bring it to the rest of my life. If you want a daily practice, you get on your mat no matter what.  If you want to learn a pose, you just keep doing it at varying levels of depth and success until you find the form. If you want to experience the benefits and mysteries of a pose, you hold it... longer than you think you can. The house renovation was just like that. With each room I understood the process better and I definitely held that pose longer than I thought I could. And I gained in soooo many ways.

So getting things done? How do I do it now? I still dream and there is alot of serendipity that comes as a result. I think that's important. But I also make my outcome goal important, learn all I can, focus my life around it, keep doing it longer than I think I can even when I shake, and you know? Shit gets done! More than ever before!

Then I take a vacation :)  Savasana is, after all, the most important pose in any complete practice session.

So, the latest thing I am getting done?  Well, I have multiple projects of course, but the main focus at this moment is learning to use wordpress and migrating this blog on over there.  I will be holding this pose, sticking with it and getting. it. done.

*Breathe, relax into it, you are capable of more than you think.*

The most relaxing yoga breath ever...

6:9:3 - There is a whole science behind using ratios in pranayama practice... different ratios of inhale, exhale and pause can produce dramatically different effects.  If you are interested in diving into it, I suggest finding resources from TKV Desikachar, AJ Mohan and Gary Kraftsow - they all speak to this in their books.  

I learned this particular ratio years back from Gary Kraftsow and I turn to it whenever I am in need of some serious relaxation... You can use your favorite pranayam or just breath as you institute the breathing ratios.  

(My pranayam preference for this ratio is to do a 3 part inhale from the bottom up and 3 part exhale from the top down in a variation of the Dirgha Breath that I learned at Kripalu.  This most closely matches my natural breath patterns (making it more naturally relaxing) but the awareness helps ensure I build my lung capacity and control.  I have also used this ratio to great result with Anulom/Vilom) 

In a comfortable position:

INHALE 6
EXHALE  6 
REPEAT 6x

INHALE 6
EXHALE 9
REPEAT 6x

INHALE 6
EXHALE 9
PAUSE 3
REPEAT 6

After your last pause, release the count as you continue to breath.
After the next exhale, release the conscious pause.
After the next exhale, release all conscious control of your breath and just be.

It is the systematic, progressive slowing of the breath that helps to slow the mind and bring the nervous system into parasympathetic mode (rest and digest more :-), thus creating the most relaxing breath ever.  *Note: It may not be wise to operate large machinery after this practice!

A compelling reason to do more yoga...

I spent last week at a Yin Yoga Teacher Training with Bernie Clark.  It was a pleasant surprise that we covered a huge range of yoga topics, much more than I expected and with alot more depth than I expected.  One highlight was this great video Bernie shared on the topic of "fuzz", the small adhesions that develop in our tissues when we are inactive.  You will understand why it was a highlight when you watch it. I just dare you to keep a straight face :-)  Fun as it is, it really illustrated why it is so important to move your body, especially through awareness-based practices like yoga.  I hope you enjoy it and I hope it inspires you as it has inspired me!

Spinal Health in Yoga

Yoga takes the spine and all the muscles attached to it into every conceivable position.  This is healthy for healthy spines.  If you have disc issues, osteoporosis, or other medical issues with your spine, you should always check with your doctor as to what movements you should and should not do.  And then... tell your yoga teacher.  Your teacher will then be able to adapt class to meet your needs.  This doesn't always mean that the teacher will no longer lead postures you shouldn't be doing.  Rather, they will be directing instructions specifically to you to help remind you to take care of your self.  I.e. if you shouldn't be rounding your spine in forward folds due to osteoporosis but the rest of the class is doing a pose that usually requires it, you may head your teacher say "Unless you have osteoporosis or other spinal issues, round your spine as you fold.  If you shouldn't be rounding your spine, please lengthen your spine while keeping it neutral."

One of my favorite warm-ups for a healthy spine (as my students can surely attest!) is to take the spine through its full range of motion with the "Six Movements of the Spine" - this include forward bending, backbending, lateral bending (to both sides) and twisting (to both sides), aiming to do just one movement at a time (i.e. no twisting and lateral bending at the same time).  If your back is a little achy or stiff, this sequence can be just the trick!  

I usually like to let it flow to encourage more ease of movement and better lubrication of the joints....

Inhaling into forward bend (Cat) then exhaling into backbend (Dog), moving between the two for at least 10 breaths. 

Cat

Dog

Moving to lateral bending - exhale to bring hip and shoulder toward each other, making a "c" with your spine.  Then inhale to center/neutral.  Exhale to the other side.  Moving between sides at least 20 breaths.

C-Curve

 Finally, twisting.  I generally let these be a little more static.  Reach an arm toward the sky into an open twist, bringing shoulders toward stacked.  Hold 10 breaths.  Then, take that arm underneath the other into a closed twist (threading the needle), bringing your shoulder toward the floor.

Open Twist

Thread the Needle

"Beginner's Mind" Class

I remember when I first started yoga and everything was a revelation... the poses and the challenge of staying present, the parts of my body that I never knew existed coming to the forefront, the joy of a newfound ease.  

Try this sequence to gain better awareness of sensation and the interconnectedness of your body's systems... just as you did when you started yoga.  

If you are new to yoga, use this sequence as an opportunity to dive in on your own, maybe even starting a home practice.  If you don't know the pose, just ask or google it.  Little known fact: many yoga teachers practice with books, notes and laptops strewn around their mat precisely for looking things up in the middle of practice :-)

Dirgha Breath throughout

Savasana
Feet to the floor, pelvic tilts
Puvana Muktasana
Active reclined Baddha Konasana
Bridge
Side stretch with arm circles
Maha Mudra
Supta Matsyendrasana
Figure Four
Cat/Dog
Lunges
Balancing table
Sphinx
Half Locust
Child
Gentle Twist
Savasana

Three forgotten yoga poses for the shoulders

Let's face it, life puts us in some awkward positions.  Many of them compromise our shoulders.  Whether we are holding tight to keep it all together psychologically or we are gripping a steering wheel, our shoulders can usually use some help.  So, we have an abundance of postures we do in yoga classes to try to bring relief.  Here are three poses that I find are super-effective but rarely done.  Try 'em out.  Work 'em into your routine.  Love your body.  Love your being!

1.  Sit or stand with your fingers interlaced behind your head.  
As you inhale, take your elbows back and lift your face toward the sky, head supported by your hands.  
As you exhale, take your chin toward your chest and bring your elbows forward toward each other.  
Repeat at least six times.
Be watchful of rising shoulders - this indicates disfunction in the Trapezius and through practice of this pose you can begin to correct it.

2.  Balancing mountain variation...
Stand in Mountain Pose, arms by your sides.
As you inhale, lift your heels (balancing!) while simultaneously lifting one arm into cactus arm and while turning your head to look away from that arm.
As you exhale, release back to where you started.
Repeat on the other side
Do at least six times on each side.
Don't go for a stretch in the neck or shoulder, this posture is about developing better communication between the neck and shoulders.

3. Warrior 2 variation...
Standing in Warrior 2, extend through your fingertips and s l o w l y rotate the back arm, moving from the shoulder, til the palm faces upward (more or less)  
Take at least 6 breaths to rotate the arm, then spend at least 6 breaths with the palm turned upward.
Repeat on the other side.

Stop and enjoy the sweet spots along the way, as you release connective tissues from one another and begin to stretch the lines of the nerves.

Stress-Relief Yoga Sequence

Stressful day?  Use the focus in this practice to let it go and come home to your self.

Let go of any holding, let each part of the breath begin to flow seamlessly into the next,  think of every exhale as an opportunity to let go.  

Complete at least 6 breaths in each pose.


Start seated with Dirgha Breath.  

Sun Breaths
Side Bends
Seated Cat/Dog
6 Movements of the Spine
Lunges
Tadasana
Tree Pose
Warrior 3
Arm Swings
Half Moon
Tadasana with Sun Breaths
Standing Forward Fold
Seated Twist
Supported Fish
Savasana - holding this pose longer than you think you should
Gentle Twist
Knees to Chest
Seated Meditation

How to do Cobra Pose in Thai Yoga Massage

Here's a little video action for you today... how to do a basic Cobra Pose in Thai Yoga Massage. This is one of the poses I usually teach in my Thai Yoga Massage workshops.  One of the things I love about Thai Yoga Massage is how it teaches you to use your bodyweight instead of muscles through the massage.  This creates a more relaxing massage for the giver which, in turn, creates a more relaxing massage for the receiver and allows us to create a greater stretch for the receiver than we would otherwise be able to provide.  Awesome all 'round!

(Heads up - I will be in Bentonville, Arkansas June 13 and 14. Sign up to learn this holistic bodywork form at www.nwahotyoga.com - hope to see you there!)

 

I just don't get meditation...

One of my students said to me recently "I just don't get meditation."  I can understand why he said that - there's often no immediate gratification when we start meditating.  Rather, beginning meditators often experience frustration, great discomfort, overwhelm.  It takes alot of trust that the process will yield results. With that said, I wanted to share what meditation does for me and some of the great research that has been done into the effectiveness of meditation. Who knows maybe it will inspire trust in your own process...

For me, meditation helps release the emotional attachments to thoughts so I can think clearly. I sit and the same thoughts cycle and cycle til they are almost meaningless, then a state of bliss descends. This is really nice!  If I stop then, I am happy for the rest of the day, but left feeling like I may have cheated myself of some meaningful exploration and am living in an illusion.    

If I stay past this blissful point, things change and I feel like rather like Dorothy entering the forest in the Wizard of Oz: scary creaks, darkness, unknown shadows all seeming to follow me... Except, unlike Dorothy, I KNOW this is all in my head and I know that the only way out is though.  That's not to say that its enjoyable, but I can watch it like I watch a scary movie - I feel my breath quicken, sometimes my body tightens, sometimes I cry.  Haven't screamed yet ;-).  But I can simply watch it.  And when its over, I can walk away; altered from where/what I was before but better for the journey.

In essence, my meditation practice most days is almost like I encounter the the Emerald City before the forest.  But that further (seemingly backward) journey, should I choose to make it, is like clicking my heels together and the magic of life happens in the most wonderful way!

There are HUGE health benefits to meditating on a regular basis, including stress reduction, lowering blood pressure, easing fibromyalgia, reducing anxiety, reducing insomnia and pain management to name a few.  Here are some resources to help you learn more:

Check out what the Mayo Clinic has to say about meditation, including the benefits to physical and mental health as well as some methods of meditation.

The National Institute of Health also has some great resources on the benefits of meditation, including links to reputable studies on the use of meditation.

For inquiring minds: No, I do not meditate everyday.  Self-discipline has never been my strong point and there is little that I absolutely do every single day.  Sometimes I can pull it off for weeks at a time, sometimes its a here and there practice.  But, you know what? I surely do notice the difference when I do sit, even just for 5 minutes.  ENORMOUS difference.  In times of great stress, I do find the discipline to do it at least once a day because it means the difference between being able to deal with the stress and succumbing to it.

Yoga for Strength and Balance

Each semester in my Slow Flow Yoga class at New Mexico Tech we work for weeks learning individual poses in depth and developing the skills for a breath-supported yoga sequence that culminates our semester's experience together.  This particular flow was especially challenging, requiring new dimensions of focus and self-acceptance as each day delivered a new challenge, even though we practiced the same poses.  More than any other semester, we needed some days to just step away and regroup.

This flow is based on a sequence I found online many years ago by Mark Giubarelli.  I think he called it Pigeon Flies to Tree.  Over years of practice, it evolved into my own unique take on that flow.  I think one of the parts of it that I like the most is the interplay between movement and stillness - holding a pose for *most* of the inhales and finding transitions on the exhales: the best of both vinyasa and static yoga :-)

For those of you, like me, that like to see a sequence written out... here you go...
Start standing - use your favorite pranayam throughout.  Use one leg as your dominate leg the first run though, then use the other for the second for a complete round and balanced flow.
Inhale arms up into Mountain
Exhale Half Moon
Inhale Mountain
Exhale Half Moon other side
Inhale Mountain
Exhale Lunge
Exhale Three Legged Dog
Exhale Proud Pigeon
Exhale Resting Pigeon
Inhale Proud Pigeon
Exhale Three Legged Dog
Exhale Lunge
Exhale Warrior 3
Exhale Standing Squat var. (cross ankle over thigh)
Exhale Tree
Exhale Lunge
Exhale Three Legged Dog
Exhale Proud Pigeon
Exhale Resting Pigeon
Inhale Proud Pigeon
Exhale Three Legged Dog
Exhale Lunge
Exhale Forward Fold/Uttanasana
Inhale Mountain
Exhale Half Moon
Inhale Mountain
Exhale Half Moon
Inhale Mountain
Exhale Arms Down

Why practice mindfulness?

We will be hosting a workshop entitled Exploring Mindfulness at my yoga studio next Saturday.  I've taken this workshop with Halli Bourne in the past and found it to be very helpful, filled with practical tools to enhance my life.  I know Halli well (I should after leading 10+ retreats with her!) but I wanted to give you an introduction so I asked her if she could briefly explain what it means to be mindful (something that we will be learning in the workshop)... Here's her response...

Many of us struggle with the overwhelm of multitasking and cramming our heads with thoughts that trap us in habitual, reactive, uncreative modes of living.  Neuroscience has shown that every thought we think has a physiological response, meaning that if we are thinking negative, restrictive, stressful thoughts, our body will react in a stressed way.   Mindfulness does not mean ridding ourselves of thoughts, but rather acknowledging and recognizing thoughts and choosing to remain non-reactive in relationship to them.  The more we practice non-reactivity, the more peaceful we become.  

Hmmm....  I thought, sounds alot like where meditation and yoga take me. A true dedicated practice requires that we be mindful.  Our time on the mat is just experimentation for how to live our lives off the mat, yes? I know, the more I practice, the more I can live in the moment, without letting stories with no basis cycle through my head and the more I can see when I am on the right track instead of flailing about with the appearance of knowing where I am going :-).  

I wondered how Halli came to mindfulness and she shared her story...

As a young person, sensitive by nature, I felt buffeted by society's demands to produce and to put forth stoicism regardless of personal cost.  In my early twenties I had a near-fatal car accident that led me through an odyssey of healing and recovery.  The physical rehabilitation grounded me in my body and put me in touch with the need to change my relationship to my thoughts.  The challenges of this life---which are by no means unique to me---caused me to initiate a daily meditation practice and have fueled a passion for the tools of introspection and their power to revolutionize personal experience. 

Wow - to hold up under such intensity, mindfulness is a powerful practice that seems to create a quiet power within the practitioner.  If mindfulness can help in such adversity, just think how it could enhance your life in times of joy... definitely food for thought and exploration.

If you are in the Lemitar area, please join us Saturday 5/16 3-5pm for this provocative and deep workshop.  You can pre-register and find more information on our website - www.yogadelsolstudio.com.  To learn more about Halli, visit www.true-self-coaching.com.

Wild Kingdom Yoga!

Saw a HUGE coyote on my walk this morning and I thought of the Howling Wolf Bastrika and said to myself, "I haven't done that one in a while!"  So, I tried it out again and, wow, what a great way to warm up the body and let out all the stress. 

How to do this pranayama?

1. Come into Child's Pose with your palms flat on the floor under your shoulders.

2.  As you inhale, use your breathe to push your belly away from your thighs as you press your arms to straight.

3.  As you exhale, bend your elbows, draw your belly in and use the pressure of your thighs against your belly to move all your breath out.

4.  Repeat steps 2 and 3 at least 10 times.

Cautions: If this practice makes you feel dizzy, I advise against this practice.

What in the natural world has inspired your practice lately?

Check out this lovely interview I got to do about our retreats...

Playing around at our first Belize retreat

I had a great time answering Bridget Hales questions the other day about Santosha Yoga & Meditation Retreats.  We talked about the origin and philosophy of Santosha Retreats, our upcoming retreat in Maui, why I love leading retreats and more.  Bridget is a beautiful writer and dedicated yogini and maintains the blog Hot Tea, Travel, and Thyme where you can read our interview, find fitness motivation and follow her extensive world travels (baby in tow!).

What is Thai Yoga Massage?

This post is about one of my favorite things to give, receive and share - Thai Yoga Massage - I get alot of questions as to exactly what it is, so I thought I better give you an idea...

Thai Yoga Massage is the most delicious combination of yoga and massage!  Its often called "the lazy man's yoga" because the receiver is guided into a variety of yoga positions while remaining completely passive.  Once in position, the practitioner works to release muscles and open joints while the muscles and connective tissues are in gentle traction.  Great for increasing range of motion, general relaxation and helping with aches and pains, its also a really amazing way to gain insight into your yoga practice.


As your therapist moves your passive body, you begin to gain a greater understanding of new ways to position your body for more ease in your poses, how to use your breath more effectively, and especially, how much you tend to get in your own way by working too hard and over-engaging your muscles and your mind.

Want to experience Thai Yoga Massage for yourself?  Locally, we have 2 therapists that are taking "practice" clients at Yoga del Sol Studio.  They are developing their skills and work on a donation basis.  Note that you will need a referral from a current client to book with them.  If you are not local, just google Thai Massage practitioners in your local area, no doubt there is someone great just around the corner!

If you are in Arkansas, I will be teaching a Thai Yoga Massage workshop for the general public on both Saturday, June 13 2-5pm and Sunday, June 14 1-4pm at NWA Hot Yoga in Bentonville.  No experience required.  Free and open to the public.  Learn to both give and receive this delightful form!

May you be well.
May you be happy.
May you be free from suffering.
Metta.