Challenge Yourself to Create Balance

What have you been avoiding because it looks difficult or pulls up emotional funk? Is there something you've been ignoring that you could be working towards?

People tend to get all too cozy in their comfort zone. They don't focus on their weaknesses very often (if ever) - which allows them to get weaker and weaker. In the meantime your strengths get stronger and stronger. This creates an ever-expanding gap in your abilities. Sounds like a huge imbalance. The more advanced your yoga practice gets the more your imbalances can come back to haunt you. The smallest weak spot can completely throw off a pose and lead to injury. Easily avoidable if you just do the work - all the work, all the time.

via FuckYeahAshtangaYoga

Take a good look at your practice. Is there an entire direction you aren't moving? Is there a category of poses you avoid? Is there a tweaky chronic pain that needs to be addressed?

Don't think that being a beginner or an intermediate practitioner excuses you from this. That's exactly when you need to be creating good habits of introspection and filling in the gaps.

Challenge yourself by looking into those spaces before you have the Grand Canyon of imbalances staring you in the face.

via Yoga, Water, Sun, Light

Week 3 Practice Video - 30 Day Yoga Challenge

Today marks the beginning of the 3rd week of the 30 Day Yoga Challenge (for National Yoga Month). If you've been following along then you know I've been digging up a new video each week you can practice with to keep things fresh and interesting. The first couple weeks I featured yoga practices for absolute beginners that were about 20-30 minutes in length. This week I'm bumping it up to an All Levels Vinyasa Flow class with Ally Hamilton that is just shy of One Hour long.

All levels means that it is suitable for beginner, intermediate, or advanced students. There's something for everyone here. However, since it's a flow class it helps to be at least vaguely familiar with some basics. If you've been practicing with the earlier videos posted here you'll be prepared. If this is your first class ever - you'll still be ok. You'll just have to look at the screen more often to know what the heck they're doing all the time.

I really like this sequence and the fact that this video includes a guided savasana instead of dropping you off to do it yourself. Lovely full instruction and a great Ganesha painting made this video my top pick for this week. Enjoy!

One Hour Vinyasa Flow - All Level - with Ally Hamilton from YogaEarth on Vimeo.

These videos are all being added to the original 30 Day Yoga Challenge page, so if you've marked that post then you'll easily have access to all videos.

If you are just hearing about the challenge: You can begin at anytime, so start today!

Readers via Email - Click Here for the Video.

7-Day Detox with Yoga Journal

Yoga Journal is having a 7-day fall detox program created by Ayurvedic consultant Scott Blossom. Anyone can join and I signed up, but I'm not really going to do the whole program. It's not one of those detox programs where you fast or live off juice for weeks. Instead it's one week of cleansing kitchari (a rice, beans, veggie mix), hot tea, lots of self care, yoga, and meditation.

However, I'm not really a detoxer. I don't do that kind of thing... but I do intend to slow down my days, follow the self care techniques such as abhyanga (daily self massage with oil), yoga classes, and meditations. I'm even going to try kitchari which is a cleansing but nourishing dish. I'm turning off my cell phone for the week and I'm essentially going to treat this week as a retreat at home.

The detox program has officially started today with daily emails going out to guide you through it with guided meditation and yoga sequences with awesome teachers like Sianna Sherman. It's all pretty spelled out for you, so it would be good for those that have never done a detox of any kind before. They even provide a shopping list (for recipe ingredients and the like) which is pretty helpful. However, the list is incomplete, so be careful with that.

Go Here for a basic breakdown of the plan and HERE to sign up. You can join at anytime, but if you want to slow down with me - start today!

Noah Maze Collection - (Videos)

My apologies to the readers that don't watch the videos... but here's a whole set of videos I stumbled across sometime last week. They're all Noah Maze a couple years ago at an Intensive. In the videos he does various little yoga tricks and fancy moves (some of which I cannot imagine how to do). I've only gotten to attend one weekend of classes with him, but he is a great teacher and practitioner. From what I can tell - Noah Maze is a god. Just look at that magnificent bastard.

If that doesn't inspire you to Join the 30 Day Challenge to build a home practice, I don't know what will.

Readers via Email - Click Here to see the four videos.

My Home Practice - What it Looks Like

I've mentioned that I'm really into my yoga, and I do a lot of it... often. I do my morning yoga routine in about an hour just to get me ready for the day. Then later I do my real practice. My full practice. I'm sure you've heard me mention these terms. It's not to say that my morning practice isn't important, but it's not the one where I really dig deep. It's not the one where I stop answering phones and just get into the zone for the afternoon.

The big practice I do each day can take anywhere from 1 - 3 hours. It usually ends up being right around 3 hours because that's just what I'm comfortable doing. I have a lot of things I intend to do and it takes a while to fit them in. Just this morning Adam was saying how I will sometimes sit down intending to stretch for a couple minutes, but then I keep adding one more thing and one more thing until I've accidentally done a full practice and 3 hours have passed. Yes, sometimes it happens that way... but I also have a notebook full of pre-planned sequences I really like to do. Someone asked me last week about my practice - what it looked like, how many asanas I did... soo...

Here's a sequence I wrote - a year or two ago. It's kinda old now. I wrote this sequence purely for Anjaneyasana with mermaid arms. I wanted to nail that pose, so I built a sequence that would get me there. Since then I've added a lot of things and I often ad lib a bunch of stuff as I go that doesn't get written down too. In fact, now this sequence has been altered to get me to Eka Pada Raja Kapotasana 2. This particular sequence takes me 2 - 2.5 hours, so it's pretty standard for me. Not the longest or shortest practice I do... just average.

This isn't for you - don't do this.

As you can see, my personal sequences are kinda involved and full of pictures, abbrevations, names or descriptions that are nowhere near official (it just helps me know what I'm talking about), and little symbols that denote flows or repeated things. Most of these poses I do 2 - 5 times each and the Sun Salutations at the top (looks like SS) I do 2 - 4 of depending on the day.

I'm not suggesting this sequence to anyone - it's all sorts of personalized for me and me alone. This is just an example. A little peek into what it is I do in my personal practice.

Forward Bends for Flexible People

Today's post is for intermediate/advanced students that are comfortable in their back, shoulders, and hamstrings. This post is not for the timid. I'm not going all contortionist on you - I can't do most of the craziest forward bends, but I know some modifications if basic forward bends are getting boring for you.

This sequence is NOT for just anyone. Don't try this sequence without speaking to your Dr. first if you have any medical/physical problems and/or do not already have a comfortable capable intermediate level yoga practice. Seek Peace At Your Own Risk!

Warm Up First.

Yep, that's a forward bend.

Elbows out to the side, side body long, shoulders back.
Clasped hands or holding a wrist around the feet are further options.

One 4 inch cork block.

Two 4 inch thick cork blocks. Don't hurt yourself.

I wouldn't suggest doing the last couple very often. In fact, maybe just don't do them at all. I generally don't. It's just a little something I know I can do. If you're more comfortable in your forward bends than I am - maybe do them once a week.

Have questions about these modifications? Did this post only confuse you? Send me your questions and I'll always do my best to answer them.

What is Already Yours

"Our desires presage the capacities within us; they are harbingers of what we shall be able to accomplish. What we can do and want to do is projected in our imagination, quite outside ourselves, and into the future. We are attracted to what is already ours in secret. Thus passionate anticipation transforms what is indeed possible into dreamt-for reality." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

You may recall Adam had not really been practicing until he got laid off from his job in March. With a little coaching he's made it a long way in only a couple of months. He always learns things so fast that it can inspire jealousy, but as his teacher and wife I'm super proud.

Home Practice - All By Myself

Adam is out of town for a couple days for a job interview in Texas, so I'm left to see how much yoga I can really do. Since I declared last week that I was taking some time to rest and then a slow progression into my real practice again - I've only done one full practice. It wasn't a pre-designed sequence and it wasn't very long or difficult. The real challenge was making sure not to overdo it. I will definitely be doing some full practices while I'm home alone. I do my best work all by myself. Today I'll do a sequence I put together specifically for sore backs, so hopefully it will feel great. By the way, my back feels 99% fine now. I'm just being cautious so I can keep it that way.

This pic was taken a couple weeks ago. I like the morning darkness to it.

Strong is the New Skinny

Vote! Vote! Vote! Like a Baby Goat!

This week is the final stretch of the Yoga Journal Reader's Choice Talent Search, so I'd like to finish strong. Post it on facebook, tweet it, send a letter to your best good friend - just remind everyone to vote for me every day this week at the following link:

http://talentsearch.yogajournal.com/view/1891

Simply choose 5 red stars and click "Rate" to submit your vote.

You can vote daily through this Friday ---> April 15th, 2011

As soon as it wakes up this baby goat is going to Vote for Me.

Voting for me doesn't stop you from voting for others, so be generous with your votes.

(Start with me though, in case your voting finger gets tired.)

Photo Source: I snagged this adorable tired goat pic from Guerito's Flickr Stream.

Yoga Journal Talent Search - Vote! Vote! Vote!

Yoga Journal is holding a Reader's Choice Talent Search. To quote their website: "The top five finalists will win new stylish yoga gear from Athleta and the winner will be flown to San Francisco for a photo and video shoot to be featured in our September 2011 issue."

You know I'm no stranger to Yoga Journal or to taking piles of yoga pics, so I entered! If you like my blog, or my photos or my yoga advice... or just my hair... anything... Please take the time to give me your vote! Remind your friends to vote, help the technologically challenged vote - whatever. Just Vote for Me!

Here's a link to my page/submission:

http://talentsearch.yogajournal.com/view/1891

Simply choose 5 red stars and then click "Rate" to submit your vote!
You can vote once a day, every day until April 15th

Special Skills

So I mentioned that Adam got laid off and I was looking for a "day job". I was trying to fill out applications in a way that applies yoga teaching to other things. Then I came across this section on an application that asks about my "Special Skills". What does that even mean? Like in job search terms. All I could think was... does this count?

I Doubt It.

Toe-ga: Yoga for Toes

A picture heavy post. If you hate looking at feet - look away. (But know that you'll be missing out.)

As creatures with feet - we demand a lot of our feet. They carry us and do ridiculous things like wear shoes. Yoga works muscles and fascia that we otherwise pay no mind to. Sometimes you need to do a little yoga for your toes - to show them a little love and generally bring your feet to the forefront of your mind. I've taught entire classes based on toes. Really tuning in to your toes can give you insight in all poses - whether your feet are supporting you (mountain pose) or your feet are reaching out into space a la Eka Pada Koundinyasana. These are exercises to help with toe dexterity and strength. I suggest you do this with a friend.

First take a seat on your mat, cushion, bed... whatever. Just sit down and look at your poor neglected feet.

Start with a basic foot massage. (If you're not going to follow this up with asana practice then oils or lotions would be nice.) Run your thumbs from the center of the heel up the center line - to the middle of the ball of the foot. From there run your thumbs toward the big toe mound and pinkie toe mound simultaneously. All that as one continuous motion. Do that 3 - 5 times. Now rub each of the 4 corners of your foot with small circles (big toe mound, inner heel mound, pinkie toe mound, outer heel mound). Give it one more solid rub top and bottom.

Squeeze your fingers in between all your toes (like so). It'll be a lot like using toe separators, but more intense if you have thick fingers. If your toes are really strong/flexible and are used to spreading all the time - they will not be the least bit impressed by this, but do it anyway. Now rotate your hand/toes in little circles... clockwise and counter-clockwise.  Then bend your toes straight back. Only as far as is comfortable.

Remove your fingers from your toe spaces and stretch the top of your foot by pressing the toes and top of the foot down a bit. I have a pretty flexible foot - this pic is just a general guideline. All this is to relieve tension and bring a general awareness and liveliness to your toes. Some spring in your step maybe?

Now for some individual toe attention. Rub the mound of each toe in small circular motions. Then hold each toe firmly but kindly and give each toe a little twist in each direction. You don't wanna break it or injure yourself in any way so tread lightly here. Just a mild twist to wake it up to new tricks. Go through and repeat all of this on the other foot before moving on to the last couple steps.

Place one foot on the floor in front of you. Make sure there are no distractions as this part is actually hard. Lift and spread all your toes - now place them on the floor One at a Time until they are all on the floor. One right after the other. If you started with the pinkie toe - now do it starting at the big toe. Like a little domino-toe effect. Sounds simpler than it is.

Sometimes you might have to help it out a bit with your fingers. Now do the same thing but starting with all your toes on the floor. Lift one at a time from left to right until all 5 are up. Then right to left.

Now for the grand finale. Lift one toe at a time. Period. Just this one. Then just that one. Each toe gets its solo chance to shine at being able to stand up without any help from its cronies. You may have to discourage unnecessary assistance from neighboring toes. Then do the same thing with lowering each toe while the others hover (if you dare). Everything before these last couple exercises suddenly seem trivial.

Once you've done all these things - you might feel the urge for a final massage... or a foot soak with some epsom salts. It won't burn off your love handles or win you any medals, but practicing toe-ga will certainly test your focus and maybe set off a case of the giggles.

Don't Disturb the Eels

This week I touched my toes for the first time ever in this pose. Yay!

Funny story about that. Well, I thought it was funny. I find that people don't find my "funny" stories funny very often, but dammit this is MY blog and I'll tell an almost funny story if I want to.

I was working toward this pose and I'm on my knees head resting on the floor... walking my fingers toward my toes. In that general direction because I didn't expect to actually reach them. Then I felt something. I don't even know what part of my body noticed it, but I touched *something* which startled me. Like the feeling you might get when something brushes your leg in water you can't see into.  For a second I scared the shit out of myself. Then I pressed down again and realized - OMG - that's my fingers touching my foot! I laughed and laughed. Minutes later Adam came home and I made him take my picture.

Evolution of A Practice

On occasion I get a question/comment that I feel I should just answer to everyone at once. This last weekend Flo commented:

"I love this and I am just curious. Is most of your practice at home on your mat and at workshops or do you have a steady practice with a teacher? You seem to have mastered some pretty advanced postures; and of course I am intrigued :)"

First of all - Thank You ♥... I'm sorry my answer is unreasonably long. (TL;DR at the bottom)

My practice has evolved through many stages. I have practiced for 11 years now - the first 6 years being On Again, Off Again. During those years I had literally just heard of yoga and I took a college class that met once a week. My very first class I had the epiphany that "This was for me." I had found my purpose. Then I sat around wishing I knew how to do something on my own. I lived in a small town and had no idea what to do or where to start. Eventually I found out that Rodney Yee came on at like 4am on TV, so I occasionally got up for a freakishly early practice. I remember the first time he got me to meditate. I was sitting on a blue foam block on a cold white floor in the dark... and something lit up inside me. I bought a power yoga DVD that I rarely used, but throughly enjoyed.

I was still in college and my husband had recently finished his degree - so we moved to Denver where he was offered a job. I signed up for more classes to hopefully finish my degree soon and grabbed another college class. I took the class which I thought was too easy, and I also practiced CorePower Yoga which came on at like 4pm on TV which was much better than O-Dark Thirty in the morning. My practice kinda came naturally to me, but I wanted more. I wanted to teach. My teacher that taught the too easy class had assigned us to write what we had learned about yoga and where our practice would go from here. I wrote that I desperately wanted to teach, but was shy. She told me that when we are passionate about things - we can overcome anything. She suggested I go to teacher training. So I Did.

During training in 2007 (4 months or so) I was at the yoga studio every single day. Sometimes I went to 3 classes in a day. I started to learn some fun little tricks. The last day of training - I got in a car accident. My yoga practice died. Eventually, with a lot of determination and willingness and education - I started over. Completely. I had to start from scratch... couldn't touch my toes, couldn't do downward dog, couldn't do a backbend.

After I had been slowly painfully therapeutically practicing alone for many months - I started teaching. I taught constantly and was lucky if I got to attend a public class once a month. Otherwise I almost had no practice at all. I'd never liked practicing at home, so I just didn't do it. Eventually, my husband got another new job in Oregon - so we moved here. No jobs, no prospects, the yoga community had died before I got here... so I was just alone. I hated practicing at home, but it was all I had... so I started writing class plans. I started practing at home by myself occasionally. Over time it grew into a full on all day everyday type of thing. I grew to love it. Sometimes I fall away from that, but I do practice at home by myself all the time.

I have taught myself tons of things. I get my inspiration from my Yoga Journal subscription and from reading  and videos online. I've recently started trying to go to workshops, but it's not reliable because we often get snowed in.

Back in the day - yogis would leave the world and go practice in a cave. This house has become my cave. I have been forced to go it alone... and I have taken this time to Dig Deep. My practice has grown by leaps and bounds... I have come far and I don't think I ever would've achieved what I have - if I'd stayed in the city and taught.

So I ultimately just have a home practice, but I sometimes take a class or a workshop to assess how I'm doing and get some new info. I think this is ultimately what everyone should do. Home practice should be your lifeline while public study should be supplemental - not the other way around.

TL;DR: I've had teachers occasionally in the past, but for years I have simply practiced at home by myself every day.

I'm Having an Affair

If you've been around a while or you've looked through my Flickr photos - you likely know that I am in a love affair with backbends. They're just super liberating and blow my world wide open. For the last year or so I've been flirting with dropbacks. Coming from a standing position in tadasana and dropping backwards into a full wheel or urdhva dhanurasana pose. I've wanted to do that for a very long time, but in the beginning my arms weren't strong enough - then my shoulders weren't open enough.

For a long time I practiced at the wall. I did dropbacks with a partner at Wanderlust and I've been psyched about the fact that I can totally do that. However, I am fully aware that I tend to be all about expansion - so I don't always ground and root my feet into the earth. So what's the most likely thing to happen in that case? If I drop back without rooting down - my feet aren't going to stay connected with the ground and I'm going to fall - and ugly.

I know how to root down. I've been practicing. I can bend backwards and keep my feet firmly planted. Now I just need to muster up the courage to actually Drop Back. It's 100% a fear thing now. Fear has it's place. Fear can be a useful tool - it's what led me to work on rooting down. I can't allow it to live in the forefront of my mind though - or I'll never show my full potential of dropping back.

Is fear (unfounded or not) holding you back? What are some steps you can take to overcome that fear and embody your fullest potential? Something to think about.

Kathryn Budig Beat Me

I've had a post on Vashistasana B planned for like, a while... and I guess I sat on it for too long because Kathryn Budig totally beat me to it.  It's one of my top favorite poses, and I think everyone should learn it. She did a fantastic job of it and all while wearing the LOVE tank I included on my Yogi Gift Guide, so please please please go learn this pose From Her Post over on Nectar at Yoga Journal.

Call it a Christmas present for yourself - learning something new. If you think it's beyond you - work on the prep poses (and your confidence) and by next Christmas you'll be able to fly with us.

P.S. For those of you that had the pleasure of knowing the Late Great Corwin - today would have been his 6th birthday. Take some time today to eat some butter, yell at people you don't like, and be generally adorable in his memory.

top photo source: totally snagged it from the YJ Blog Post.

Pie Binge Detox

If you over-indulged for Thanksgiving (or like me spent 2 days eating nothing but pie) - than you'll really benefit from a detoxifying yoga sequence today. How do you make your practice into a detox? Twists!

Just sprinkle a few here and there to feel the benefits. The organs are compressed during a twist, pushing out blood filled with metabolic by-products and toxins. When we release the twist, fresh blood flows in, carrying oxygen and the building blocks for tissue healing. So from the physiological standpoint, twists stimulate circulation and have a cleansing and refreshing effect on the torso organs and associated glands.

There are tons of different twists in standing poses, seated poses, supine positions, inversions - every level of practitioner should be doing twists. Just remember when twisting to Lengthen the spine as you Inhale... and move deeper into your twist on the Exhale. Take it easy and slow - and you will find freedom in your twists.

Yoga Dreams

Today I want to talk about dreams - yoga dreams. I don't mean the kind of dreams where you dream to one day be a celebri-teacher, or you can only dream of one day doing an advanced pose like Shayanasana. I mean nocturnal visions - subconscious stories about yoga.

I generally don't dream about yoga which is odd considering my world revolves around my practice. I remember when I was in teacher training they said - "Get ready for Yoga Nightmares." I didn't immediately pick up on what they meant, so it's a good thing they elaborated. Once you're a teacher it's a common issue to have actual nightmares about teaching. Sometimes you're having bad dreams about students not listening to you, telling you they hate your class, or even just about trying to teach in a space with terrible acoustics. I thought - am I going to have nightmares about teaching!???! Weird.

It was a long time before I ever had one, but I have definitely had my share of yoga nightmares. I don't remember them, but I know I've had them. I thought of this because recently I had a pleasant dream about my yoga practice - in the dream I was effortlessly drawing my foot up to my head in backbends. So far that I could see my foot in front of my face before I reached for it with my hands. It was strange because I've NEVER dreamed about my yoga practice before in 10 years. It inspired me to get back to my daily practice 'cause I've been slacking recently.

When I did finally practice and do a deep backbend - I did accomplish new things - I easily did full pigeon without a strap. I was psyched. Studies have shown (sorry I have no sources at the moment to back that up) that simply visualizing yourself practicing does bring you some benefits as if you were actually doing it - maybe it works with dreams too.

Tell me my fellow yogis - Do you ever have yoga dreams?

Phillip Askew NYC Vinyasa (Video)

I'm always excited to share with you guys - videos that I find around the interwebs of inspiring yogis doing their thing. I love this video of Phillip Askew (yoga teacher) practicing vinyasa flow in New York and India. It's only about 4 minutes long so please watch it - it's artistic and beautiful.

I'm also extra intrigued by this video because he practices in public places surrounded by people - something I'm always self conscious about.

Readers via email - Click Here to watch the video.