happy (belated) new year sweet yogis!

after a nearly two month hiatus, which included all the fullness of the holiday season, and two weeks without internet service in our home, i am finally back and ready for a new year of sharing omwork with you all.

this is the time of the year when many of us are in full swing with all the changes and shifts we dedicated ourselves to at the new year.   my yoga classes are fuller than ever  and i’m seeing more and more people out in golden gate park when i go out of my morning runs.  january offers a new beginning, a chance to refocus and reconnect.

with that in mind, let me challenge you to go beyond the standard resolutions of eating better, exercising, etc., and resolve to begin reconnecting with the gifts that you already have – right now.

our culture encourages us to always have at least one foot in the future and the other in the past.  we seem to often be striving and reaching for what could be or replaying what was. but what would life be like if we stood with both feet in the present?  what if we stopped looking forward or backward and  just observed what actually IS happening, right now,  breath by breath.

when we replay stories or future trip or we are tripping over our present reality.  we miss what we have to offer, to ourselves and the people around us, because of the story we have about where we’ve been or where we need to get to.  ironically, i find that when i consciously stay with what’s arising, that my life unfolds in ways bigger and better than i could have ever calculated them too.  instead of trying to become someone who is more balanced, healthy and loving, if i make conscious choices in each moment that resonate with my spirit, then i slowly morph into that more balanced, healthier person – without all the effort. the future will always be abstract and out of reach and the past will always just be foggy stories we tell ourselves and others about what happened.  we will never arrive anywhere but where we are.

so, what are the practical ways to stay present, letting go of what’s over and releasing our drive to become something ‘better’ and different from who we are.

challenge yourself to say goodbye to your goals that connect to measurable results such as:

*attaining certain weight or clothing size

*running a certain distance or speed by a certain time

*having specific job or salary by a certain date

*feeling free from any pain or discomfort, emotionally or physically

connect to goals that are behavior based, like:

*carving out some part of your day for movement or mediation practice

*practicing slow and mindful eating, without distractions and with lots of chewing

*shifting view of food to fuel, rather than reward

*using cues to trigger mindfulness, for example: “every time i see a clock (or whatever other cue works for you) i’ll take a deep breath and notice how my body feels”

make an intention to practice self-compassion.

all too often, especially around this time of year when we might be less connected to our resolutions than we had hoped to be, we become punitive with ourselves.  if we didn’t reach our ‘goals’ or stick with our resolutions, we beat ourselves up and say it’s because we aren’t good enough or strong enough and will never have enough will power.  or maybe we feel like we are just living out the same cycle,or thought pattern, like a bad habit.

what would happen if we stayed in the present and realized that every single moment was a chance to make a choice?

what if we realized that our bodies and spirits are wise beyond our understanding, and every single choice, even unconscious ones, are made for a reason? maybe that cookie was because the body needed quick energy or wanted to stop feeling something painful and feel something pleasant and familiar…. or maybe you slept in because of a belief that you aren’t strong enough to wake up and exercise or that you’ll be tired all day if you do. perhaps your spirit had a deeper layer of understanding to come to before you could let go of a certain thought process or behavior.

you are doing further harm  to yourself by being mad at yourself.  if you made a choice that had consequences you’d rather not repeat, check in with the motivation, give yourself some loving self talk, and see if you can make a different choice, with that motivation in mind, next time.

you are a beautiful, strong person with unique gifts that you will continue to uncover throughout your entire life.  remember that every day, loving and forgiving yourself first,  and your new years resolutions will turn into a new year of evolution!

hari om!

vanessa

in many ways today is my favorite holiday… a time set aside to celebrate and honor all the abundance and connectedness that our life is full of.  but sometimes we have loaded our plates too full, literally and otherwise, and we need some assistance to help digest it all.

the following are a few little tips to help your body and spirit deal with the food and emotions of the day today.  enjoy!

there is an acupressure point, STOMACH 36, about four finger widths below the knee, on the outside of each leg,  often referred to as the “three mile point” … they say after stimulating this point you’ll be able to run three miles.  i don’t know about that — but i do know that rubbing this points brings energy into the digestive organs, helping you to process the meal you  just ate.  it is energizing in general — so it can help combat the groggy, heavy feeling that often comes with eating big meals.  do this while you’re still at the table… or anytime you need a little burst of energy throughout your day.

another trick while you’re still at the table is stimulating the CENTRAL VESSEL MERIDIAN… this is the energy line that runs down the middle front of the body.  especially helpful is the area around the 3rd chakra, right over the solar plexus.  when we hold this area, which also happens to be directly over your stomach, we bring digestive juices to the stomach and help relax all the abdominal muscles and organs.  the most discreet way is to make one hand into a fist and cover it with the other hand and gently lean into the edge of the table.

the other method,  which requires stretching out a bit more, is shown below.  lie on your belly (with some support under your head and feet if you like) and bring one or both hands under the belly at this same point.  for both methods, take slow, deep breaths into the belly.

the ultimate pose for digestion and rest is side lying shavasana on your left side.  you can do this on the floor, with rolled blankets or pillows in between your legs, arms and under your head or on the couch, on your left side. lying your left side closes on the flap that allows acid reflux to rise up… it also allows gravity to work in harmony with the path of your large intestine. this pose is good for indigestion, nausea, or just general rest.. it’s also good to prepare the digestive organs – so try it if you are taking a pre-meal snooze.

finally – remember to eat slow and mindfully (lots of chewing!) and keep your awareness on your breath.  most of all, take time to savor the day, however it presents itself to you.

today, and everyday, i am so grateful for YOU!

with warmth and love,

vanessa

hope this month is going well for each of you.  instead of drawing pictures this week, i thought i’d test out the capabilities of our new computer and record some live footage. i admit, it’s pretty low-fi — but hopefully these exercises, which last less than ten minutes, will be something that you can easily do every day.  they are designed to awaken all the meridians, or energy lines, of the body – leaving you feeling more awake and refreshed.  they are great to do first thing in the morning – but gentle enough to do any time of the day!

essential qi exercises with vanessa

let me know if you like the live video… if so – there will be more to come!

namaste,

vanessa

soon, you'll be deep into sleep, dreaming about your headstand in the clouds!

good morning yogis!

how did  you sleep last night?  if you are like many people in this over stressed, over stimulated culture of ours – not very well.  when life throw’s us stressors, we often invite them into bed with us… or out of bed, as the case may be.

when you are exhausted the idea of getting on your mat, or your meditation cushion, or even just to work, can seem daunting.  so – here are a few things to incorporate into your days to help your nights be more restful:

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1. WHAT YOU PROBABLY ALREADY KNOW:

*avoid stimulants and depressants during the day (this includes coffee, tea, alcohol, etc.) – if we are constantly calling our adrenals to immediate attention and then drowning them out trying to quiet them down, they are bound to get worn out.  caffeine, even early in the day, trains our body to need something external to wake up – alcohol triggers relaxation, but affects our sleep cycles, so that, even if we fall asleep, we are less likely to have a full or restful night of sleep.

*exercise during the day.  using our body is one of the best ways to ensure we tire it out enough to trigger a deep night of rest.  avoid exercising late at night, since there is typically an immediate energizing effect.

*avoid screens for the last couple of hours before sleep – this includes television and computer.  try a bath (especially with bath salts), reading or listening to relaxing music/podcast instead

*go to bed when you’re tired.  listen to your body’s cues and when possible, if your body is ready for bed – follow it.

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2. WHAT YOU MIGHT NOT KNOW

*that doing viparita karani (legs up the wall) pose with your eyes covered just before bed for 15 minutes or so can help induce sleep.  (see the earlier post “nothing sympathetic about this” for instructions on this pose)

*also, doing 1 to 3  slow, meditative sun salutes shortly before bed will also unwind the tension of the day and trigger sleep

*if you are having trouble quieting your mind while lying in bed, try listening to a guided meditation meant to calm the body or induce sleep.  here’s one of my favorites to fall asleep to at “themeditationpodcast.com”

*if you keep waking up at a certain time in the night, it may be connected to some disturbance in the meridians.  in chinese medicine there is a body clock, where two-hour time periods are connected to specific meridians.  the ones that are most likely connected to sleep disturbances are:

GALLBLADDER: 11 pm-1 am //  LIVER: 1-3 am // LUNG 3-5am // LARGE INTESTINE 5-7 am

if you wake up during one of these times, try doing some of the specific exercises for these meridians (given in earlier blogs listed under their names).  also, for this and all sleep issues, acupuncture can be incredibly helpful.

*self-massage, especially of the hands, feet, head, face and ears are all great ways to help trigger restful sleep.  for some specific acupressure points to help sleep, check this out:

(taken from www.healthy-ojas.com)

*finally – a trick i learned from my ayurvedic guru eleni gekas is to drink a glass of warm  milk with nutmeg, and other warming spices (like cinnamon and turmeric).  not only does it taste delicious – it sends you right into dreamland!

rest well sweet ones!

“The goal is not to tie ourselves in knots … we’re already tied in knots. The aim is to untie the knots in our hearts. The aim is to unite with the ultimate, loving, and peaceful power in the universe.” – max strom

this is (k)not (necessarily) yoga

this is the first blog i’ve written for a few weeks. over labor day i went to the desert, and came home (after several days of inhaling the playa dust) with a respiratory illness.  not having been sick like that in years, it brought me back to a much simpler practice.  i know all the things to do to take care of myself, but what do i do when i don’t have the energy to even do those?  several days  my morning practice simply involved sitting in mediation for five or ten minutes, trying not to fall asleep.  the thought of asana, or much physical exertion at all was exhausting to me.  shavasana was the most complicated asana i even attempted.  my practice is always, but especially this past week, just staying present with the whispering wisdom of my body.

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i teach a lot of beginning and gentle yoga classes. one of the most common things i hear from my new students is “i’m not flexible.”   i typically respond with something like, “good, then you’ll have no choice but to feel what’s happening.”

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somewhere along yoga’s journey into the west, an idea developed that “yoga” means “asana” …. and that “asana” means “impressive body tricks”.   and while i’ll admit that some of the postures, in some of their expressions, do require a bit of contortionist skills, that is certainly not what i understand yoga to be about.  in pantanjali’s yoga sutras, the only mention of asana is “stirham sukham asanam” – which basically means finding ease (or relaxation) and stillness in the posture.  the postures are just tools we use to help focus the awareness and learn how to be in ease.  how many of us approach anything in life, including our yoga practice, with the search for ease?

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when we look for ease we are not necessarily looking for total comfort – rather, we move toward a place where we can notice what’s happening without judgement … without the thought that there needs to be more or less.  sometimes we feel uncomfortable things, physical and emotional, on the mat and off.  our practice is to  acknowledging what is and without harming ourselves, being present with it…  breathe into it…  recognize that it is, as all things are, temporary.

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this week, my assignment to you is to do make everything you can be your practice —  your every day tasks like cooking, eating, dishes, cleaning, showering, conversations, driving, biking, etc.  you don’t have to be on a mat to do things in a very intentional, mindful way.  while you are doing these things, let your intention be to refrain from doing anything else.  specifically notice the sensations of your body and emotions that come up while you are practicing these things mindfully.  don’t judge, just notice.  if you notice physical tension or pain or challenging emotions, just notice.  if you notice openness, expansion, ease and more desirable emotions – just notice.  if you notice judgement arising, just notice it.  give it permission to move on, but don’t create more judgment about having it.

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may you find the peace and ease to allow the knots to be there, while allowing space for them to let go.

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blessings on our journey of healing,

vanessa

if you’ve ever taken a yoga class – especially a vinyasa or flow style class – you are probably quite familiar (and perhaps quite in love with) “BALASANA” or child’s pose.  this is one of the simplest and kindest postures for our body and mind. there are lots of ways to practice it – supported and unsupported – as a quick rest between more active postures – or as a long restorative – symmetrically or asymmetrically.  however you do it – i recommend it as an integral part of every practice you do.

UNSUPPORTED (great to do during an asana class, as a resting pose between more active postures, a warm-up or cool down, or as a counter stretch to backward bends)

*MORE ACTIVE: toes curled under, knees bent and separated, hips toward heels, arms outstretched, head hanging, elbows and forearms lifted off  floor and fingers spread wide and active.

*MORE PASSIVE: top of feet toward floor, knees bent and together, hips towards heels, arms by side with palms up and fingers relaxed, and forehead resting on floor.

ASYMMETRICAL (this is an awesome on for lower back pain- especially involving SI joint or herniated discs.)

*get into the unsupported child’s pose, with knees close together, and then slide one knee slightly forward (1-3 inches ahead of the other). bring hips to heels and breathe into the side you feel a deeper stretch in (the side that corresponds with the knee that is back).  hold and breathe for about a minute and then do the same with the other knee forward.  if it feels very challenging to come back, or the weight falls over to one side, then bring the knee slightly back closer to the other.  if you don’t feel a deeper stretch on the one side, then slide the knee further forward.

SEMI-SUPPORTED (great to do during an asana practice if you have props near by and will be in the pose for more than a few breaths)

*rolled up blanket beneath your ankles, or folded blanket underneath your knees and ankles, block or folded blanket underneath your forehead.  also, sliding just one bolster between your knees and straddling it works well.

FULLY SUPPORTED (great to do during a restorative practice or at the end of a class for yoga nidra (deep relaxation)

*place a rolled blanket underneath ankles, criss-cross two bolsters (couch cushions or rolled firm blankets work), open knees and straddle diagonal bolster, while hugging it with your arms, and place one cheek on the bolster (switch to other cheek halfway thru for equal stretch on your neck).  if you are lucky enough to have a yoga sandbag lying around, place it on your back, either along the length of your spine, or across your lower back (or, if you have two – do it both ways!)

have fun!

p.s.  as you may have noticed – as part of my own time management and self-care, i‘ve slowed the blogging down to bi-weekly.  i may do it more frequently every once in a while – but, in general my intention will be to pass along some info to you every other thursday or friday.  i love your comments and feedback… if you have suggestions for future blogs or experiences with trying these assignments – please do share!  -vanessa

"if you lived in your body, you'd be home by now"

greetings sweet yogis,

this past week we’ve been house sitting for our dear friends who live on the other side of town… while at the same time entertaining out-of-town guests staying in our home.  all this home switching has involved more planning than usual – mostly around making sure we had the right food, clothes and whatnot at the right house on the right day. my regular morning practices, commute time and general familiarity are all up for grabs this week.  it reminded me how glad i am that my real home is in my body…like my favorite bumper sticker says:

“if you lived in your body, you’d be home by now”

what does it mean to live in your body?  of course,  as long as we are alive, we have no choice but to be walking around in the skin that we are in.  but many of us have checked out of our body and are spend much of our lives residing in our heads.    when are body talks, we tend to either ignore it or take pills or food to shut it up, hoping that our vital functions will continue operating automatically.  our bodies sometimes feel like the enemy – causing us pain, carrying extra weight, aging, etc.

so – this week, my assignment for you is to start building a better relationship with your body.  here a few practical tools to begin this process:

1. LISTEN TO THE WHISPERS:  your body is consistently speaking to you.  at first it whispers, and then, if you ignore it, it will continue to speak louder and louder – resorting to screaming if necessary.  when your body speaks to you this week, either thru tension, headaches, tiredness, poor digestion, etc… rather than just “fixing” it  - look as what you did that day… this week… this year… that might have led to the discomfort and find small ways to begin to change.

2. CHECK IN AND BREATHE: throughout your day, take moments to stop, (with your eyes closed and your hands on your belly if possible) and breathe.  take at least a few slow, deep breaths and just notice the sensations in your body.  don’t judge. don’t fix.  just listen and acknowledge (perhaps even out loud) what you feel.

3.  FUEL YOUR BODY WITH PREMIUM GRADE: for some strange reason many of us have a better understanding of how to fuel our cars than how to fuel our bodies.  our bodies are smart and gracious and do the best with what we give them.  but if you continually fill your tank with caffeine, processed food-like substances and white sugar, don’t be surprised if a less than efficient response comes out.  junk in – junk out.  try a week of eating only REAL food (nothing from a box or a can or with more than three ingredients) and drinking mostly water and notice how different you feel.  (of course, if this is a new way of eating for you, expect a short period of detox for all the years of crap to make its way out… but once it’s gone you will feel better than ever!)

4. DON’T OVERFILL YOUR TANK: staying on this fuel analogy, do your best not to give your belly too much to deal with. eat when you are hungry (not just when it’s meal time) and mindfully (not while watching tv or doing anything else) and slowly. if you burp – stop – that’s one good way our body tells us it’s full.  also – often when we think we are hungry, we are actually thirsty, tired or stressed.  if you’ve already nourished yourself well that day, try a big glass of water, restorative yoga (nap), and/or a deep breathing first.

5. REST: believe your yawns.  i can’t say it enough.  one of the very best things you can do for your body is to get a full night of rest and then, at least once during each day take 10-20 minutes of restorative yoga (either laying flat on the ground or with your legs up the wall are the best).  this alone, will make the ‘home’ of your body a much happier place to reside in.

6. TRUST THE RESIDUE:  rather than believing me, the latest diet craze, your yoga teacher, your doctor, or your mother – trust yourself.  you are your best teacher.  experiment with what others suggest, and see how it feels in your body, in the long run.  of course eating chocolate cake often feels better, in the moment, than say riding your bike up a hill…. but an hour later how do you feel?  trust that.

7. PRACTICE GRATITUDE:  each night, before going to sleep, tell your body thank you for something it did for you that day.  we ask SO much of these vessels of ours – take a moment to specifically acknowledge that.

happy living!

try this every day for one week and notice if your low back, legs and hips feel any different!

supta padangusthasana "supine leg stretch"

STRAP METHOD (great to do at the gym or in class)

1. lie flat on the floor with your head supported by a folded blanket or pillow.

2. bring the right knee toward the chest and take a strap (a belt works just fine) and place it around the sole of the right foot, with one end of strap held in each hand.  allow either the arms to fully extend (no bend in the elbows) or the upper arms to rest completely on the floor (to keep the shoulders as relaxed as possible)

3.  extend the right leg fully straight, even if that means it’s at an angle less than 90 degrees in relationship to the floor.

4. allow the left leg to stay straight and active on the floor, actively drawing the left thigh bone toward the floor (unless there is pain in the low back when you do this, in which case modify by bending the left knee and bringing the left foot to the floor).

5. flex both feet and stay active in the legs, feet and toes.

6. relax the jaw, shoulders and over all upper body as much as possible.  yawning, sighing and moving your jaw around helps.

7. hold for 12-36 deep, slow breaths – closing your eyes and focusing on your right femur bone dropping heavily into your pelvic joint.

8.  at this point, if you want, you can bring both straps into your left hand now and draw the straight right leg over toward the left for a hip stretch and twist.

9.  release the strap and lie flat on the floor, noticing how the right leg, back and hip and feel.

10.  repeat all these steps on with your left leg extended up.

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DOOR FRAME METHOD (perfect to do at home)

1. come to a door frame – open the door

2. with your head supported, lie on your back and bring the left leg thru the open door space and the right leg up the door frame – resting the heel against the frame.

3. scoot toward the door, keeping your hips even, until you feel a little bit of stretch in the back of the leg (not too much at first, since we will be holding it for awhile).

4. stay active with both legs and feet – flexing the feet and bringing the left thigh bone down toward the floor.

5. let arms open out to your side completely relaxing your upper body

6. close your eyes and breath for 12-36 long, deep breaths

7. go to the other side of the door and do the same with the left leg up the door frame.

of course, after all of ooo’s and ahh’s, you will also be happy for this exercise’s effect of your body.  one of the roots of shoulder tension lies within the subscapularis muscle.  it can be challenging to access – but this next action will  help to stretch it – hence creating ‘longer’ arms.  i taught this pose to a class of mine last you week and you’d think i had just revealed a secret of the universe.  who knows – perhaps the universe will begin to become revealed more clearly once you shoulders drop a little.

*start either standing in tadasana (mountain pose), or sitting in comfortable, supported seated pose.

*place your left hand over the right side of your chest, so that your left fingers wrap around your right armpit. this will help to remind you to keep your shoulder right over your hip (in other words – don’t lean to the side), and also offer some resistence.

*starting with your arm externally rotated (palm facing forward, thumb facing up), stretch your arm and fingers very actively, as if you are trying to touch the side wall

*resist the temptation to look toward your arm. keep your eyes closed, or gaze forward, and head/neck neutral and relaxed.

*you can stop here, or to deepen it, then internally rotate the whole arm/hand (so that the outside of the arm is facing forward, palm back, and thumb down). continue to actively reach the whole time.

*finally, you can stay here, or if you are able, you can keep the arm internally rotated and just move the hand back into external rotation (so that you would end up with the back of the arm facing forward, the palm forward and the thumb facing up)

*hold for about a minute (12 breaths) or longer is you want.  keep the shoulders relaxed and the hand in line with shoulder (not higher).

*as you hold it, continue to visualize the fingers reaching the side wall

*when complete, release arms – and place arms next to each other, fingers facing toward the ground.  notice that one arm is longer than the other?  wah-lah! parlor trick complete.

*of course, repeating the ‘trick’ on the other arm is crucial to avoid walking around lopsided. so make sure you do the same with your left arm now.

…wanna learn more tricks?  subscribe to my blog and/or come to my september retreat in calistoga!

before i get to today’s yoga lesson… i want to let you all know about my upcoming retreat.  jeremy and i will be leading a weekend of gentle and restorative yoga, qi gong, self-massage, singing bowls and more, up in calistoga september 10-12, 2010.  it’s a lovely retreat center that serves some of the most amazing tasting food you’ll ever eat.  for more info, or to register, you can email me at vanessav@vanessaverlee.com  – also here’s the link to the invitation for it on facebook…

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/event.php?eid=142610912421245&ref=ts

or, for those of you not on facebook… just email me and i’ll email you all the details.

now… here a couple of my favorite poses for releasing tension in the shoulders.  i suggest doing them in this order… or, if you just have a couple of minutes, 1/2 eagle pose (the second one) is a great one to do throughout your day to keep the creeping shoulders away from your ears!

GOMUKHASANA: “cow-faced pose”

can you see the cow's face? the knees are supposed to form the mouth, and the arms, each ear (one up, one down). i admit, it's a little stretch...pun intended.

to come into this gomukhasana…

1. start sitting on some support (a yoga block works  well, but a folded blanket or narrow couch cushion could work too.  bring the right foot to the outside of the left hip. cross the left leg on top of the right, so the left foot lands near the right hip.  if possible line up the knees on top of one another, but if that causes pain, or too intense of a stretch, keep the right foot on the floor, and the top of the knee facing the ceiling.

2. lift the right arm in the air, hoping a strap (a belt or tie will work).  take the left arm behind the body and grab the other end of the strap (if your hands reach each other easily, without having to round your spine, then you can forgo the strap.

3. lift chest, bring ribcage in and breath.  to stretch the neck, look slowly toward the left side of the room, stopping as soon as you feel a stretch.  then, bring the head back to neutral and bring the left ear very slowly toward the left shoulder, keeping the gaze forward, throat relaxed and shoulders passive.

4.  to deepen the stretch in the hip, come off of the support and/or release arms and slowly come into a forward bend. hinging at the hips.

5. hold the pose for 2-5 minutes and then repeat on the other side.

ARDHA GARUDASANA: 1/2 eagle pose

to come into ardha garduasana:

1. stand with your legs wider than hip distance apart (about mat width, if you are using a yoga mat).

2. draw the right arm in front of the body (straight and at a diagonal with the palm facing up) and place the left arm, in the same position, directly on over the  right, like an “X”.  make the cross of the “X” as high up the arms as you can.

3. bend both elbows, so that the fingertips are facing up toward the ceiling.

4. if possible, make contact with the palms – or, at least the fingers of the right hand on the palm of the left, or whatever contact you can make.

5. keeping your arms like this, come into a forward bend. (bend knees if there is any pain in the back or back of the legs

6. breathe in to your upper back and neck for about one minutes

7. come up, with knees bent, and arms still in this position.  raise arms a little higher on the inhale, then exhale thru the mouth, letting the arms extend out to the sides – imagining that you are throwing all the tension from your shoulders and upper back out.

8. shake out your body and repeat on the other side.

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