Top Five Fav Poses

I have always wanted to write a little post on my top five favorite poses. Of course those top five poses change on the daily, but as of TODAY these are my top five!

If you need a little energy boost in your day, try these few poses. Hold each pose for three to five full breaths and allow the magic to happen.

Downward Facing Dog 

If for some reason, I was only allowed to do one pose for the rest of my life, this would be the pose. It hits all of the tight and overused areas in my body. What I love most about this pose is it shows me how my body is progressing though my practice. For example, I can see my heels get closer to the ground each time I flow into it. Of course, my heels have never landed on the ground gracefully and I have accepted this as my pose. Remember, it isn't about your heels getting to the ground, its about their journey to the ground ( very poetic and of course applicable to life).

Things to focus on in this pose:
1. When you first enter this pose, do with bent knees and focus on lengthening through your spine by pushing your hips to the ceiling.
2. Heels don't have to touch the ground, they just have to aim for the ground.
3. Lengthen through your neck so your shoulders don't scrunch up.

Puppy Pose

Shoulder tight? Chest tight? Puppy pose is your pose. If you have a dog, this is a very familiar pose to you because dogs wake up their body with this pose. Let's take a lesson from our furry friends and include this pose into every practice, you will not regret it.

Things to focus on:

1. Hips stay above the knees please. 

2. Hands should be right outside shoulders

3. For more lengthening in the front body and neck, try to get your chin to the ground. 

Butterfly Pose

Simple, easy hip opener that is familiar to almost everybody. 

Things to focus on:

1. Do not scrunch your body forward by rounding through the spine. Keep spine long and then fold forward. 

2. If knees do not fall to the floor gracefully ( don't worry, mine rarely do), try by putting blocks or pillows under your knees to help RELAX your hips versus's forcing your knees to the ground. 

Forward Fold

Another simple pose to integrate into any practice, but please please please take care of your back while in this pose. 

Things to focus on:

1. DO NOT ROUND! When folding over, keep a long spine. I bend my knees to keep length in my spine ( as you can see in the photo). 

2. Focus on bringing your ribs to your thighs, helps to keep the length. 

3. It's about the journey. When I first started practicing yoga, I could not touch the ground, so please take care of your body and be patient. 

Supine Shoulder Twist

Yes, one of the best shoulder openers I practice. Love it and you will too! 

Things to focus on:

1. Start on your stomach and then roll into this pose. 

2. Keep your chin toward your chest, helps to not put tork on your neck. 

3. Be patient, the first time your go into this pose your shoulders are going to scream WTF! So slow and steady.

Hope you all enjoy!

Peace and Love

Namaste

How My Yoga Has Changed Through Pregnancy

I had a lovely baby shower this past weekend, and there were many people who commented, very politely, on how my yoga has changed over the course of my pregnancy. I can not argue with them, the asanas ( poses) have definitely changed. Months ago I was posting my progression into handstands and fun crazy arm balances, and now I am posting strong simple standing poses.

January 2015

September 2015

What I wanted to say to my friends and family, is yes my asana has changed but my YOGA has not changed, if anything it has become more enriched.

For those women who have gone through or are going through pregnancy, you will understand this statement, YOUR BODY IS A MIRACLE. It is still crazy to me to think that I am currently growing a human being inside my body, that if need be could come out right now and live without major medical assistance in our world. Not only do you house the miracle of life, your body begins to do things it never did before. The changes in our physical being are almost just as miraculous as the human which is growing within you.

Noting all of that, of course your physical practice is going to change through pregnancy. Those deep binds and bends that I used to do so effortless now seem unreachable and those fun to practice arm balances, forget it! I have seen some awesome yogini's continue to practice arm balance and backbends through out their pregnancy and I say " Go for you!" But for me, I will continue to honor my body and do exactly what it does or doesn't need, which is the practice of yoga.

As I stated above, my asana has changed but my YOGA has not. In Patanjali's Yoga Sutras, the book in which the practice of Ashtanga yoga is defined, sutra two states that yoga is the cessation of through waves in the mind. Let us all remember that the practice of yoga is far beyond the physical practice. The physical practice of yoga is only one of the eight limbs of Ashtanga yoga, only one! There are seven more amazing limbs, including the restraints and observances of ethical guidelines, breathing practices, concentration, meditation and enlightenment.

So in some ways I feel that I have actually progressed in my yoga practice through this pregnancy, because for the first time, I think ever, I have truly learned to honor my body, give it what it needs and not push through poses that do not serve me or my babes. I focus on poses linked with my breath, to reduce anxiety and bring focus to the present moment. My breathing practices will also help both me and my babe to tackle the biggest challenge of our lives, birth. I use my practice to focus on the amazing things my body is doing versus the things my body can not do anymore ( which is a lot).

Forward Fold Modifications for Pregnancy 

 In conclusion, yes, for now I will not be posting cool handstand pictures on my instagram. But, I will continue to post the amazing shapes my body can practice. Though there may only be a few as we near the end of this journey we call the creation of life, I know that my practice has progressed in so many other ways and I feel no shame in that.

Yogash-citta-vrtti-nirodhah - Yoga is the cessation of thought waves in the mind.

Namaste.

Why Yoga During Pregnancy?

I have endured 33 weeks and 2 days of this miracle of life that we call pregnancy. To be honest, the journey has had its highs and its lows, and I am sure it will have just as many of both as labor day comes. 

I have definitely learned alot about myself and my body through this process, and one thing I have grown much greater appreciation for is my practice of yoga. As so many of you have already heard, prenatal yoga is recommended for many reasons; builds strength, increases circulation, breath work practice and so on and so forth. These are all very true and I would love to give you my take on the Top 5 reasons why I practice prenatal yoga and will continue to practice it for all my pregnancies.


#1 - All those aches and pains seem to go away

I have heard of so many women who suffer through many different pains during pregnancy, back pain, hip pain, leg pain, neck pain, etc. I am here to tell you that with a daily practice of just a few asanas ( poses) those aliments will begin to decrease, if not go away completely. Up to about week 26, I didn't have too many restrictions to my practice ( besides laying on my back and a few forward folds) so the ease of practicing what I needed for my body was much easier. Now that I am in the thick on my third trimester, my movements have definitely become slower and I choose to practice only a few poses, due to range of belly motion and energy level. With only practicing a few poses, I have yet to suffer from back pain, neck pain, or hip pain. The joints my fingers are beginning to become sore but with a few stretches through my hands and arms, they seem to go away. I have practiced yoga through out my pregnancy and have experienced a little amount of discomfort/pain. My biggest suggestion, start as early as possible and find a routine that works for you! 

*That being said, of course not all pains of pregnancy will simple go away by doing a few stretches. And I absolutely know that every womens body is different and pregnancy will treat it differently for sure. 

#2 - Mat time is MY time

During pregnancy, there is so much focus on you AND your baby. Your family, your friends, and the lady in the grocery store line will want to know how you are feeling and every stat on your future child. Your whole being in consumed with the safety and protection of your unborn fetus. That is all you think about! And not going to lie, this constant miracle that is growing within you sure can take a toll on your own personal well being at times. This is why mat time is my time. I use this time for me, my body and my needs. If my hips are feeling tight, then I will focus on my hips. If my shoulder is wonky, I will focus on my shoulder ( the emphasis on MY here).  It is time for me to breath and come back to my personal intentions. All mamas need their own personal time and especially to practice this before babe comes. If your mat becomes a routine before babe comes, then hopefully it will stay a routine after baby comes ( HOPEFULLY!) 

#3 - Breathing Practice (Pratyahara) for Birth

There is no greater time then on your mat to practice your breathing. Before I begin my asanas, I always go through different breathing exercises that I will use during labor and birth. They are ujjayi breathing and the 3 step yogic breath. Just as we practice poses, we must also take time to practice our breathing especially if we are choosing for them to help us through the intensity of labor. Coming back to my breath also helps to decrease my anxiety ( which has heightened during pregnancy). Life is dependent on our breath, and now another is too. It is a beautiful connection that I will cherish until I finally get to met her in person. 

#4 - Helps to keep those pesky pounds off! 

The practice of yoga is also a great form of exercise for mamas to be. The continual movement of the body and breath will help to bring your heart rate up, strengthen your muscles, lengthen your hips and lower back and bring a physical purpose to your practice. This is one of the many benefits to processing yoga, pregnant or not. Yet as we grow, we begin to gain those pesky pregnancy pounds whether we like it or not and let me tell you, just a few poses a few days a week can still bring strength to your body. Especially in the first and third trimester, when walking down the hall is an accomplishment, just throw your mat down and go through five poses that make you happy. If anything, you will feel much more accomplished in the end and perhaps they'll deliver a smile to your face. 

#5 - Setting an intention for your Babe

I know they can't really hear us, or see what we are doing, or realize how much love we bring to them everyday, but I feel by practicing yoga through out your pregnancy, you are setting up the framework for a well developed spiritual relationship for you and your babe. Yoga goes so far beyond movement, it is a personal path that we take to help us understand our purpose and intention in life. By practing this, we are bringing this reality to our babe, and with guidance, I hope my babe will continue this practice in her own life. We can't predict or force a future for our children, but as long as we love them in the moment, then their lives will continue to flourish and be filled with love as well. 

Those are the reasons why I practice during my pregnancy. Of course, this is my first, I have not gone through labor yet and I have yet to raise a child ( stay tuned for posts in regards to all three of those!). But, I choose to live in the moment of happiness and love and in this moment these 5 reasons ring true to me. I am grateful for each blissful moment on my mat, for me and for my future babe. 

Hair Om Tat Sat - Let go, Let God. 

Namaste. 

To Post or Not to Post? That is the Question.....

I was asked the other day why I haven't posted on my blog lately. I, of course, shot out the regular excuses; tired from being pregnant, taking care of the house for selling, etc. etc. Later, I really started to think about why I had let this little piece of my social heart go to the waste side and I realized, it was my own insecurities.

Now, as so many of you know, when you choose to put private pieces of your life out into the social stratosphere, there will always be "haters". I absolutely knew this going into the process. I am not saying that I have received any hurtful responses to my posts, but I began to realize that when I put my authentic self out there for the world to see, my insecurities on how others would portray me sky rocketed. I began to care about what people may or may not think of each post, will they get it, will they judge me? I began to spiral down into the rabbit hole, listing off insecurity after insecurity on why NOT to post. 

One of my major set backs was the opinion of the Yoga community. The practice of Yoga is meant to be a sacred, personal journey, a practice that began thousands of years ago, and truly is a very special and important piece of my life. With the uproar of social media, Yoga has also began to ride that roller coaster of social media hierarchy. Instagram is full with beautiful yogi's and yogini's posing in theses elaborate challenging poses with such grace and ease. I absolutely believe the increase in the popularity of Yoga in western culture over the past several year is greatly due to the popularity of social media. I am not saying these posts are bad or shameful toward the practice of Yoga. Those that I follow, such as +Kerri Verna (Beachyogagirl)  and +KinoYoga are always inspiring and their words always coming from a place of love. And what I  began to realize was what stopped me from continuing to post on this blog was their opinion of me! 

Once I realized this, I immediately began to laugh at myself. Why am I trying to impress Instagram stars, who to be honest, will probably never read my posts or have one harsh thought toward anything I write AND if they did, why is that so important to me?! Why do I care? That doesn't change as a human being or would it define who I am. As long as I continue to come from a place of love, Ahimsa ( non violence), Satya ( truthfulness) and FUN, then why not post? Why not share? 

I write this post as a return to the blogger-sphere, unattached to the the fear of what others will think. I am committed to being a part of this social media world to spread love, happiness, kindness and truthfulness to all of those to choose to read it. I want to share my voice and I am committed to doing this for all of you and also, for myself. Make it easy, simple and fun. 

Namaste.

Not every day is...

Not every day is perfect. Not every day is beautiful. Not every moment is happy.

Today, I had an off day. I think most of us have those days, where things just feel off. Is it the pregnancy? Maybe. Or the hormones? Possibly. Is it anxiety starting to rear its ugly head? Totally possible. Either way, today was an off day.

Not to say I didn't have a "good" day in the grand scheme of life. I hung out with my parents, read a part of my parenting book ( always so riveting), had dinner with my mom ( in which I had a sip of her Rhombuer Chardonnay, and oh it is so good! Cant wait to get my hands on that in 16 weeks and 5 days, who's counting!?) Needless to say, if someone else were to look at my day, they would say "Not half bad." And for some reason, I couldn't get myself out of this funk. I couldn't get myself to appreciate my day. On my drive home from my parents, I threw on some Zac Brown to lighten the mood and made myself think of what I am grateful for. I won't bore you with the details, but I have ALOT to be grateful for. And still... in a funk.

I got home and planned on vegging on the couch until bed time but forced myself, literally FORCED myself, to practice pranayama and meditation. My body literally ached as a sat on my mediation pillow but I knew if I could just breath that maybe I would feel better.

After all of that, I wish I could say I am feeling great, but I am still not. AND, I will tell you that I now have accepted my sadness and acknowledged it is there. And, I am okay with it. Honestly, I can't tell you why it is there but I can tell you that I will be okay. You will be okay.

I guess what Im trying to say is, it is okay to be sad, to be down and out, to be blah. It is a part of life. What the challenging part is, is to be okay with it and not dwell on those feelings for long. It is so easy to dwell, I get that. And it is 100 times harder to realize your potential and come out of it. I get that too.

A quote from Everyday Peace, Letters for Life by Baba Hari Dass, really helped me acknowledge my sorrow. "Life is for living and then leaving. As long as you live in this reality, accept it. Sometimes you may feel sad, but it's all part of life." It is all part of life.

Again, this blog isn't meant to be right or wrong, it is just a place for me to share and maybe to connect.

Om Shanti, Shanti, Shanti. Om Peace, Peace, Peace.

Namaste.

When Yoga Becomes REAL Life

I know I am not regular on my blog. I am not a writer, an author, a well known yogini, or a super star instagramer. I am just a wife who loves her husband, soon to be mama, dog lover, first born daughter, over bearing sister, yoga practitioner, meditator, nature enthusiast, and someone who may seem a bit more relatable as you read on. I do this for fun and as an attempt to spread love, truth and happiness to all those to read it. I do not write for fame or recognition. I write because, well I can. And, if I can touch just one person through my words, then I am doing my job as a human being.

I have been browsing a few articles lately arguing that the practice of yoga is bad, wrong or sinful. Everyone is entitled to their opinion which is the beautiful thing about living in America. Saying that, I did not like the content of these articles. My egotistical side came out while reading through them. I was refuting each argument with a well supported response ( in my mind of course) and felt the sensations of revenge, anger or spite begin to boil within me. How could these people speak so poorly about a practice that is so dear to my heart?

As that moment, I realized, this is when the practice of yoga truly begins. In moments of human weakness such as anger, this is the moment that I need to be applying the practice of yoga. Ahimsa, the sanskrit word meaning non-violence or compassion, in both a physical and mental form. Ahimsa, one of the Yamas (constraints) of Ashtanga Yoga. Yes, these words may seem foreign to many and can be a reason why many people are scared off by yoga at times. And, just because they are foreign to you, does not take away from the meaning of the words. Ahimsa means non-violence or compassion towards others and one's self. And in my moment of anger while reading these articles, I began to truly practice Ahimsa.

To bring compassion or non violence toward a person or group of people who are saying words that are intended to hurt, is true human kindness. There are so many reasons others preach hate, and there is one reason for us to practice Ahimsa, to continually spread love. Now, I know this practice is not easy. Heck, I am still struggling with giving compassion to those to choose to write harmful words behind the safety of a computer screen. I think this will be a practice for me for the rest of my life. And, knowing that yoga has brought me this far in my awareness of this world and  myself, it brings me hope that not all is lost.

We can choose kindness, or happiness, or compassion towards others. It is always a choice, no matter what transpires in our lives. I will always love the practice of yoga for what it has done for me, my body, my mind, my relationships and my soul. I will continue to share this beautiful practice with anyone who wants to listen with an open heart and open mind.

Let us all be open to love, wherever and however we receive it. Spread this. Spread love.

Namaste.

Forgivness, The Struggle

As I was meditating today, I stumbled upon something I was holding onto that I truly want to get rid of but for some reason cannot forgive. I tried to clear my mind and set aside this issue in order to be present to my mediation, but I realized this "thing" would not go away. I ended my meditation not fully satisfied ( as is totally normal with my over active mind) and I thought, I need to write this out and figure out why I can not forgive this issue/person. So, here I am, completely vulnerable to the process. I figured it may be more powerful to share with others my thoughts on conquering forgiveness, mainly for support and to relate to others. 

There is a quote that I hear often, "Apologizing doesn't always mean that you are wrong and the other person is right. It just means that you value your relationship more than your ego." I 100% believe in this. I feel that if you are in a fight or argument with another and know that it probably won't go any further, than apologizing is the best solution. Not because you are surrendering or giving up but because you value the relationship between you two more than some pity fight. But of course, it is easier said then done. 

With my issue, I feel unappreciated, overlooked and disappointment with something. I struggle with this issue in many ways. I am mad at a person for not showing appreciation for my hard work and dedication. I am frustrated with a group for not making an effort to show love and kindness to me. And mainly, there is this sense of sadness that I am holding onto because I feel I may have not been as big of a support to others as I thought was. Every time I sit down and try to bring forgiveness to this situation, I continually run through this loop of frustration, disappointment and unappreciation, and I get stuck. I can never get past it. 

Unfortunately, I know exactly what is holding me back from forgiving, it is my ego and sense of entitlement. There is this crown of entitlement I have set on my head that I feel I should of been acknowledged for everything I have done for this something and I know this should not be. Having entitlement, or wanting something doesn't warrant its existence. All I need is love and I have so much of that in life already, so why do I hold on to this something and those feelings of sadness? Honesty, I have no answer to it and I know that I will come to forgiveness with this situation in time. I will stop stroking my ego and put aside that crown of entitlement in the future. But what happens now? 

For now, my choice is to allow those thoughts and feeling to exist BUT to not give them encouragement. When I feel them, my action is to acknowledge they are there, BECAUSE I AM HUMAN, and instead of feeding the beast, I will node my head and say these words until the thought passes " Peace, peace, peace. Forgiveness, Forgiveness, Forgiveness." 

As you can see, I have no answer that this issue as many of us don't. I am human, and no matter what external things will affect me. It is my job to figure out why they do, take ownership of that and then make a plan to get me through it without placing blame on anyone else. That's the key, do not place blame on others. Take ownership of you and only you, because that is the only thing you can change. 

That is my story for today. It is definitely a rough draft in my mind put on paper and not complete in thoughts but I really wanted to share and hopefully this may touch someone who may need it today. And if not, all is well.

Namaste.