This is a great meditation that you can practice for just a few minutes or more. Find a candle that you can easily see the flame. Sit on the floor or at a table with the lit candle in front of you. Take some breaths and begin to quiet yourself and focus inside. Look at the candle with relaxed eyes as you continue to breath. Enjoy what you see in the flame. End your time with the candle with breaths and a time of gratitude and/or prayer.
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Last Thursday as we gathered outside the exercise room waiting to start our class, it was mentioned that a lawmaker in Montana wanted to outlaw yoga pants! What? I immediately looked it up on my phone! Montana state representative David Moore was quoted to say yoga pants should be outlawed! The whole class had a big laugh! This reply all came from his response to a nude bike race. Mr. Moore wrote a state law that would outlaw exposure of nipples and genitals or any clothing that would accentuate those parts. Law 365 stating “any device, costume, or covering that gives the appearance of or simulates the genitals, pubic hair, anus region, or pubic hair region” was tabled by the legislature. This story made a lot of venues on TV and in print. I even found a story from BBC! This proposed law comes from a state that has a law that gives life in jail and up to$10,000 for being convicted of indecent exposure three times! I get the idea that Mr. Moore's goal was to protect citizens from seeing nude bike rides. Personally, I don't need to see people hanging out as they ride. Everybody has there own sensibility for what should be worn in community. But I am concerned about laws that tell us how to dress. What most concerns me is his quote, "Yoga pants should be illegal in public anyway.” The idea behind this is that tighter clothes is distracting to people, especially to men looking at women. This has been seen before when some school systems have banned yoga pants as not to distract male students. I hope we are not heading back into the early days of the United States when women had to cover their bodies. During the class I could not help but think of this yoga pants ban as we did downward dog and other asanas that might be distracting to people like Mr. Moore. Luckily for yogis in Montana, yoga pants will still be allowed on the streets! What do you think? Here are some links: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/compost/wp/2015/02/12/absurd-things-that-almost-happened-montanas-yoga-pants-ban/ great satiric response! http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-31447905 http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/02/11/david-moore-yoga-pants-montana_n_6661216.html In my morning yoga classes we do Side Plank Pose as part of our Sun Salutation.
{Swan Dive, Forward Fold, 1/2 Forward Fold, Runner's Lunge, Plank, Upward Facing Dog, Plank, Side Plank, Plank, Downward Dog, Runner's Lunge, Reverse Swan, Mountain} The following web page has a good picture and description of the Side Plank Pose: http://www.sexyyogaschool.com/yoga/yoga-poses/side-plank-pose-vasisthasana/ Options: - Instead of stacking feet, put one in front of the other in a line. - Do a Half Plank Pose by bending your lower knee, resting it under your hip at a right angle to your body. Plank and Side Plank Pose are poses that give our arms weight bearing exercise that helps us build our arm bones. Stuck inside because of the blizzard? Looking for a chair yoga video?
Give this video a try. As with our class practice, always listen to your body, and don't do anything that gives you discomfort. This is gentle yoga workout. Give it a try....in between shoveling snow! As always, listen to your body as you participate in this practice and avoid positions that cause you discomfort. Enjoy!
We have been talking in class about being more intentional about finding times of quiet in our day.
We have talked about finding a few minutes in a quiet spot...(even if that quiet spot is the bathroom!) to practice a breathing technique. For a few weeks we practiced the "1 to 2" Breath. sit in a relaxed position begin to focus on your breath note the length of your inhale and your exhale (count the length) if your exhale is shorter than your inhale, gently lengthen your exhale so they are equal. Gradually lengthen your exhale until it is up to 2 times the length of your inhale Mindfulness is being focused on what we are doing. For example as I wash the dishes, my mind is often going over my plans or things I need to do. Mindfulness is noticing how the water feels running over my hand, how the bubbles look, maybe even feeling the steam coming off the hot water. Recently Thich Nah Hanh posted the following statement on his Facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/thichnhathanh (January 15th) "When we go home to ourselves with the energy of mindfulness, I love this quote. We have talked in class about the positive affects we receive on taking time to focus. This quote tells us that when we apply energy to mindfulness, ie be mindful, the energy we need or use in suffering does not feel as overwhelming. The side affects of mindfulness is to ease our fear of expending energy in more challenging situations. Through mindfulness, we are able to look into ourselves in a more useful way. Then we are able to respond to all that goes on around us with compassion.
What do you think about this quote? Tao Prochon-Lynch is a 96 year old yoga instructor who teaches around the world. Tthe Guinness World records lists Tao as the world's oldest yoga instructor. Tao has said she wants to teach until she stops breathing. Tao has had a long successful life starting yoga at a young age. The resources below state Tao also competes in dancing. Tao is an inspirations to me as a person and as an instructor. The following are articles and a youtube video about Tao. Health Today article "Five Secrets for Staying Positive From World's Oldest Yoga Teacher, 96!" http://www.today.com/health/worlds-oldest-yoga-teacher-96-i-dont-believe-age-1D80381254 Tao's website: http://www.taoporchon-lynch.com/ Wikipedia Bio: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tao_Porchon-Lynch In classes last week we talked about how the practice of yoga before bed helps us sleep. One student shared that she practices the 3-count breath once she has tucked herself into bed. It quiets her so she can falls off to sleep. Another student shared that once in bed, she pictures each body part starting with the feet and relaxes the part, like we do in our shavasana practice.
What yoga practice do you do to help you sleep? I live in cranberry country. There are lots of cranberry bogs wherever I drive because the land is sandy and there are lots of bodies of fresh water. In early November, the cranberries are picked. It is common to drive behind a large truck full of cranberries during picking time. Cranberries are tasty and also provide health benefits. Thanksgiving meals oven include cranberry sauce. Cranberry bread is fun to make and eat. Dried cranberries are tasty when added to cereal, trail mix and muffins. I found a few articles that write about the benefits of cranberries.
http://www.yogajournal.com/article/lifestyle/sweet-tart-2/ "Sweet Tart" Cranberries prevent many problems plus a recipe. http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/features/cranberries-year-round-superfood "Cranberries, Year Round Super Food" Only blueberries have a higher antioxidant count! http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/269142.php "What are the Health Benefits of Cranberries" This is a more technical article, but good. |
AuthorI enjoy yoga as it brings peace to my life. Teaching yoga has brought joy to my life and given me a chance to encourage others in learning yoga. Archives
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