Kriyas - coming closer to truth

All yoga practices are a cleansing of sorts - releasing stiffness from the body, releasing the mind from cycling thoughts.  There are several Kriyas with a capital K in tantric yoga; these are often intense practices for cleansing the areas most congested, one of the most common is simply using the neti pot.

Through repetition, all of our asanas become kriyas.  Consider this next time you practice.  Move in and out of your postures with your breath multiple times feeling how this affects your body and beyond.  Practicing in this way (much like we do in Slow Flow Yoga) shows us absolutely how our physical practice affects the metaphysical.  Its an internal housecleaning that changes the atmosphere around and within you, bringing harmony to even contradictory aspects of yourself as you come closer to your own truth.

May the truth set you free!

Nature Inspired Yoga

Thirteen miles in from the Grand Canyon's South Rim on a backpacking trip this May, we encountered this tremendous scene - Ribbon Falls.  Overwhelmed by the beauty, it seemed necessary to do some yoga in celebration.  My good friend Lee Dalton snapped these gorgeous pictures (thanks Lee!).

What beauty inspires your practice?

Coming back to Center

Sometimes life gets away from us and it feels like we are traveling at the speed of light unable to focus and unable to stop.  Yoga can be an incredible tool for bringing us back to center.  Use this audiofile to put on the brakes and coast back to center in your life, leaving you more productive, more aware and maybe just bit more able to handle whatever is coming at you.  Centering is a great way to begin or end a practice or to find a moment of calm anytime during your day.  I hope you find it helpful in your life!

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Yoga Practice for Sciatica

This is my tried and true practice for Sciatica prevention.  The "sciatica" most people suffer from is the result of nerve impingement by the hip rotators, deep in the buttocks.  This practice helps to release that tension, lengthening and strengthening the muscles to help prevent flare ups.  If your sciatica is acute (meaning it hurts like crazy right now!), this is not the best practice for you.  If your sciatica comes and goes and is currently "gone," now is the time for this practice - practice faithfully and it may never come back!

If you are unclear on how to do any of the postures mentioned, just shoot a comment my way and I will be happy to elaborate :-)  Hold each pose a comfortable length of time.  Don't push the poses, remember that this should feel good!

Start Reclining:
Savasana - Final Relaxation Pose
Dirgha Pranayam - Full Yogic Breath (to be continued for the remainder of the practice)
Puvana Muktasana - Knees to Chest
Jathara Parvrtti - Abdominal Twist
Roll onto belly and rest
Table Pose
6 Movements of the Spine - Cat/Dog, C-Curves, Thread the Needle
Fire Hydrant - lift one leg, knee bent, foot flexed and circle the leg in the hip
Warrior 1 --> Warrior 2 --> Revolved Triangle --> Repeat Other Side
Tadanasana - Mountain Pose - be sure the insides of your feet are parallel, this is one of the best poses for preventing sciatic pain!
Garudasana - Eagle Pose (legs only to be gentler)
Adho Mukha Savanasana - Downward Dog
Lower Onto Belly
Shalabasana var. - Locust Pose variation, opening and closing straight legs
Kapotasana - Pigeon Pose - lift torso up and down on breath several times (working the action from the hips and with the legs as much as possible) before folding into Resting Pigeon
Roll Onto Back
Setu Bhandasana var. - Rolling Bridge - rolling spine up and down with every Exhale
Puvana Muktasana - Knees to Chest
Jathara Parvrtti - Abdominal Twist
Savasana :-)