Those of us who practice power vinyasa on a regular basis know there are simply some days when the practice seems to knock the stuffing right out of us.  When you feel fatigue creeping up on you perhaps it's time to take a more gentle approach.  Coming to a less rigorous class doesn't mean 'skipping your practice'.  It is yoga in it's truest sense when you have the wisdom to listen to your intuition and take your practice to a different level.  Giving the body a break is often just the ticket to allowing mind and spirit to take center stage in your practice.  Focus your full attention on your breath and linger in the vibrant feeling of complete surrender.  Give yourself the gift of occasionally shifting the focus of your practice away from the 'work-out' mentality and you just might find a stronger, better you on and off the mat.

If you've ever been in one of my classes you've heard it many times and yet it's still a challenge to simply "be in the moment" and not anticipate the next.  In our culture we are extremely preoccupied with where we are going, what's coming next.  Being completely present exactly where we are takes a great deal of concentration and practice.  The next time you're in class, observe your natural tendencies in each pose.  Are you always arriving in a pose ahead of the breath or instructor's cue?  Are you always rushing the pose and breaking it down to move on before you've really felt anything in it or been instructed to move on? 

You've taken the time come to a "guided yoga class", try putting your patience and your trust in your yoga instructor and moving when and where they instruct you (obviously using any modifications you need.)  Let go of anticipation and expectation and allow yourself to be led safely through the experience so you can FEEL EVERYTHING.

 Even though you know where you're going, be where you are...and enjoy.
~namaste 

Over the weekend I participated as a teacher, a yoga student and a volunteer at the first annual "Stretch 4 Survivors" event benefitting Sisters 4 Survivors and their great works helping women during treatment for breast cancer and after.  It was 24 hours of back to back yoga, pilates, meditation and kids yoga classes.  Very special to be part of something that was so empowering to all of us.  We are all touched by this disease in one way or another and Tiffany Cruikshank said it so well in her event opening class.  While I can't quote her exactly, the message I took away from her class was this,  'we all have dark places we've been to or are in, in our lives.  Yoga gives us the chance to look at those dark places rather than avoiding them.  Its when we look at them squarely and breathe there that we have the ability to move through them and come out on the other side, into the light.'

A personal thank you to all of the amazing teachers I had the opportunity to take classes from.  And thank you Tonya Priestly for creating Sisters-4-Survivors and putting on this wonderful event.  I look forward to being a part of it again next year!

We've been working on our January Challenge for the past few weeks here at the studio, 5 classes per week for 4 consecutive weeks.  It has been wonderful to see the commitment of yogis and yoginis as they dedicate more time to building a strong practice.  The jokes around the lobby about the importance of those goofy little stickers on our progress chart have made the experience so much fun.  Incentive is a powerful thing.  Who knew a little heart sticker, in frankly "girly colors", could make such a difference in our motivation.  So, what will happen when the challenge ends and the progress board and stickers are put away?  Perhaps it's a matter of realizing the way we feel when we practice yoga is the simple motivation.  The smiles on our faces are the best stickers in the world!

YOGA CURBS WEIGHT GAIN

Stretching yourself thin?  By Selene Yeager (article from Prevention Magazine)

The average American adult gains a pounds a year.  New research suggests that yoga may help stave off that middle-age spread.  A survey that tracked weight gain in 15,500 adults from age 45-55 revealed that the normal-weight-people who practiced yoga at least 30 minutes a week for 4 of those years gained 3 fewer pounds (9.5 versus 12.6) than those who didn't.  Even better, overweight yogis lost 5 pounds over the decade, while their non-yoga-practicing peers gained an additional 14.

"Yoga may not be a big calorie burner, but it helps you become more aware of your body, so you're more sensitive to feeling full from overeating" says lead researcher and yoga practitioner Alan R. Kristal, DrPH, of Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle.  "Yoga also relieves stress, so you may be less likely to mindlessly stuff yourself."