October 01, 2007

Our Yoga Mats Are Connected.

After completing several days of yoga, meditation and dance at the Yoga Journal Conference a few things come to mind.

The conference was filled with people from all over the country, Mexico and Canada. From different backgrounds, sizes, ages, genders, with & without health problems, battling cancer, mental health issues, trying to learn how to prevent future illness, married, single, divorced, heart broken, happy, sad, you name it, they were there.

Looking around the room filled with hundreds of people doing downward dogs, the smell of incense, the faint sounds of drums and chanting, I thought about how when I have taught yoga classes in the past how I have noticed people sometimes get territorial even within the space they practice yoga. Almost as if their mat separates them from everyone else.

We are not separate, we are all very much connected. When I am out in the world it always strikes me how people tend to be competitive and almost welcome conflict. Wouldn’t it be great if we all took the time to compliment those we know, those we do not know and even those who may annoy us or have caused us hurt.

The conference seemed to evoke this beautiful behavior of being complimentary to one another. I watched strangers helping one another, teaching, crying, laughing, sharing stories, it was beautiful.

Our mats are connected, and so are we.
Gather hundreds of people together with the same intention, it WILL make change happen.

I felt it. I felt love. I felt a shift towards peace for our world. 

September 27, 2007

Even Animals Meditate!

Hello from the Yoga Journal Conference in Estes park, Colorado!

I am engulfed in yoga, dance and meditation workshops, yet I wanted to write a quick note and let you all know that I will have some new blog material in the next few days on my experience here at the conference that you won't want to miss.

There are people from all over the world, who came to do yoga and learn how to eliminate stress from their lives.

I have to admit I was suprised to see the little cute furry animal (photo on the right) when I drove in to the conference.  He or she was simply sitting on the side of the field taking a moment and sitting in the basic yoga posture - it appeared that this furry being was meditating.

I guess animals have stress like the rest of us! 

September 24, 2007

Hair Pulling Can Do More For You Then You Realize!

Yoga has been a great help in relieving headaches for centuries. A few of my yoga students have told me they started yoga initially to get some headache relief. The pattern was the same – the headaches would start mid-afternoon and stick with them all the way home from work! They tried over the counter pain medications, which helped at first. But, when they got tired of their desks looking like bathroom medicine cabinets, they knew something had to change. That’s when they looked into finding a more balanced, fit lifestyle.

Not everyone’s athletic, so the idea of doing anything that sounds like yoga might be a bit daunting at first. But most beginners agree that these exercises are really easy. It’s so relaxing at the end of the day. You can get complete relief in just a few minutes, without having to swallow a pill.

Here’s our routine: We start by sitting in a chair with pillows in our laps. We lean over the pillows and let our heads hang down towards our knees. We take a few deep breaths there. We slowly roll up.

Next, we make soft fists and tap our bodies from our heads down to our feet. Then, we gently pull our hair; just like the hair dresser does before they wash and cut it.

We end by lying on the floor or in bed on our backs. We put our legs straight up the wall and just hang out. The whole thing only takes us 10 minutes! Deep breathing and putting your head so it’s below your legs really helps the pressure. If you do it regularly, you’ll find yourself having headaches less and less often, until they become just a memory.

September 19, 2007

Calling All Yogis & Yoginis!

Exciting News for all yoga enthusiasts!

Held locally in beautiful Colorado, the 12th Annual Yoga Journal Conference in Estes Park, CO. will run from September 23 – October 1, 2007.

I will be attending this conference and taking numerous yoga, dance and meditation courses with world renowned yoga masters....Seane Corn, John Douillard, Ana Forrest, Shiva Rea, Gary Kraftsow...the amazing list goes on.

If you are going to the conference, send a note and tell us about yourself!

Check back next week for 'my' personal notes, along with some humor, plus photos from the conference posted here on the WILD DIVINE Blog! I promise to make it interesting (smile).

September 17, 2007

Learn to Breath Correctly. Mom is relaxed, even in traffic.

If you’ve ever flipped through the pages of a yoga book, you might wonder if there’s some sort of mystery to all those breathing exercises. “Why can’t I just breathe?” you ask.

A friend of mine had the same question. Then she went with me to a pranayama workshop. Learning to guide her breath opened up a whole new world to her.

The first one was interval breathes. We breathed in for a count of 4, held for 4 and then exhaled for 4. When we did the exercise, all we thought about and noticed was our breath. It was so relaxing. Then, we inhaled for 4 and exhaled for 8. Again, relaxation.

It was so simple.

She told me that now she uses both techniques when she’s trying to get to sleep at night and to help calm herself down during rush hour traffic. She said that even her kids have noticed a difference. Her 13-year old son said, “Mom, you’re much more chilled when you pick me up after practice.” That’s the best motivation to keep breathing!