This morning as I sat with my morning coffee and the dog on my lap, I listened. I heard the wind, a very soft, gentle wind, whisper through the trees. I heard the sound of a distant car. But then, but then I heard the birds. The sound of a tweedle song, a caw caw caw as a big black bird few by. I won't get all of the sounds right, so use your imagination. Another sound, a woop, woop woop. I don't know what kind of bird makes that lovely song. There's nothing like the sounds of the morning in the summer. Sometime today, If you can, go outside. Put your feet on the ground (no shoes, just feet) and listen. Be part of the beauty of nature. You'll be glad you did.
En-joy your day. by Vicki SchneiderI woke up about 6 am, a rather traditional morning for me. I went about my routine. I turned the coffee pot on, let the dog outside, then put her food in her bowl, and sat down on the sofa. I do this nearly everyday. As I sat on the couch it occurred to me that even though I enjoy sitting with a cup of coffee, it is becoming very very routine. This is a very mindless way of approaching my morning. It is mindless. It is mindless in that I’m not observing anymore. I’m not thinking anymore. And, I’m not present anymore as I go through this daily ritual a bit like a robot.
It is now 7 am. It is time to get ready to start my work day. I’m going to be mindful of the usual tasks involved in this traditional routine too – brushing teeth, taking a shower, and getting dressed. I’m going to be involved in these simple activities. That way I won’t show up to work with a blue sock and a brown one! Sasha and I hope you have a joy-filled, mindful day!
Warmly, Vicki by Melanie WoltersMany yoga students are hesitant to use blocks and modify poses. In the western mind we see using a prop as a sign of weakness. Using props and modifying poses, however, are important keys to building a sustainable yoga practice that you will enjoy for years to come. In the beginning, when you are just starting your yoga practice, it is important to modify poses so that you do not push yourself to the point of injury. One of the guiding principles of yoga is ahimsa, which means non-harming, extends to being kind to yourself as well as others. Modifying a pose does not make you weak or hold you back from improving in your practice. Just the opposite is true. When you modify a pose in a way that suits you, you are building the strength and flexibility needed to go on to the next version of the pose. BKS Iyengar, often referred to the “Father of Yoga” and one of the foremost teachers in the world, was the first yogi to introduce props to the practice of yoga. Iyengar was sick when he was young and became physically weak due to his sickness. He used yoga to gain strength and vitality. He had to modify poses and use props in order to be able to do yoga at all. If you look at the poses Iyengar did later in his practice you would be very impressed. It is hard to imagine he was ever weak. Here is a youtube video you can check out to see Iyengar doing poses - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8pIgs03TYo4 When we start a yoga practice, most of us start out weak in the body. Or, we are at least weak in the muscle groups that are needed to do a lot of the poses. It is okay to admit having a body that needs a little help and support. A good yoga teacher will guide you in what props to use and how to use them so that you can develop the muscles you need to grow in your practice. Yoga is a journey. And this journey can be exhilarating. Sometimes it is more adventurous to start from a beginner’s place and to experience the growth, your growth, that occurs in your practice. Modified poses have benefits that some may not realize. The other day I did a tree pose with my heel on my ankle with my knee out to the side. This beginner’s variation seems easy at first but as I held the pose, I felt my leg muscles working and exerting some effort to hold my balance. I realized then that if I held this pose for a length of time, I would develop some very key muscles to be able to do a fuller expression of tree pose very soon. Cobra pose is also sometimes seen as an easier version of the pose upward facing dog. Once again, if you hold cobra (or baby cobra) for a few breaths or longer your rhomboids develop and you will become even stronger and more capable of doing king cobra or upward facing dog. One of my teachers once said, “Nothing gets wasted in yoga.” It is true. Each pose builds on the next and has value. “Simpler poses” or modified versions of poses benefit the beginner and someone that is a little further in their practice. Props are a blessing for your yoga practice. Because I have shorter arms than some other yogis (once you get started you are a yogi!), in some poses I need blocks or straps to be able to do the pose. For example, in low lunge, if I don’t use blocks my shoulders are rounded. I use blocks under my hands so I can lift my chest and have a long line on the back body from my heel to the tip of my head and it feels great. I have been practicing yoga for over 10 years and I still use blocks. This doesn’t mean that I am any less of a yoga practitioner than anyone else. Quite the contrary, I think what makes someone an “experienced” or “advanced” yogi is their ability to take care of themselves in their practice - and that means using blocks or other props when necessary. It also means you don’t necessarily need to be able to do crow pose or a headstand to be an “advanced” yogi. You just need to know your practice and how to use props. I attend a class called Advanced Lab and there are students in there that have physical limitations. They cannot do the traditional full version of certain poses. But, they can get into their fullest expression of poses safely and reap the intended benefit of the poses by using props.
So, the next time you practice yoga, consider using props. Just try them out, feel the benefits. You’ll be glad you did. I hope to meet many of you in classes at Blue Horizons Wellness so I can show you the beauty of a yoga practice using props. I hope to be able to help each of you experience this practice in your own way and with your own beautiful body. Namaste, Melanie Wolters
Help us welcome Renae by stopping by, staying hello, and taking a class!
He says, meditation is the “Progressive quieting of the mind until it reaches the source of the mind.” He further explains that in “spiritual traditions, the source of the mind is the soul or the spirit.” So meditation is a process of bringing you to your source.
Meditation can also open the door to your spiritual life. It opens us up so we can experience the divine truths of kindness, love, joy, equanimity, compassion and deep peace. Chopra considers the spirit to be a field of infinite possibilities and God as the source of all creativity. Imagine unlocking your ability to be creative in a profound way.
Did you know that even though meditation is part of many spiritual traditions around the world, the practice and process of meditation really has nothing to do with religion, belief or doctrine. It is a simple technique to bring you to your source. Now let’s talk about another word we hear a lot these days – Mindfulness. Mindfulness is a particular type of meditation. It is best described by Jon Kabot Zinn; professor emeritus of medicine and the creator of the Stress Reduction Clinic and the Center for Mindfulness in Medicine, Health Care, and Society at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. He says mindfulness is “paying attention in a particular way: on purpose, in the present moment, and nonjudgmentally.” Mindfulness is usually done by bringing your attention or awareness back to the present moment. Noticing what is present in this moment, rather than worrying about the future or dwelling on the past will leave you feeling content and peaceful. When you live mindfully, paying attention to the here and now, you make conscious choices rather than living in a habitual fashion, and this is life changing. If you just stop for a moment, give yourself some space and time, you will make better life decisions, enjoy life more and make new memories. Memories are made by experiencing moments, one after the other. You can’t make a new memory when you are busy being in the past or the future. So why meditate? To improve your overall physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being. Life is better when you meditate.
Julia began practicing yoga after she was severely injured in an automobile accident. Yoga became a lifeline. Through yoga she gained strength and resilience. She found the ability to concentrate and learned to love life again - in the current moment. Not in the past, not in the future, but in the here and now. Julia took a teacher training course so she can share the amazing benefits with others, so that you too can become stronger and more resilient in body, mind and spirit. Julia is a newer teacher with wonderful skills. Don't wait for a potentially life-changing event, join Julia in one of her classes, offered to you for just $5 each class. She gains experience and you gain strength, resilience and the moment. |
Inspiration Blog
Archives
June 2021
Topics
All
|