yoga on ice

Ok, I missed one day, because it was my birthday yesterday! I still walked the path of a yogi, in fact, I am a yogi. Today...I practiced a few poses for fun on the frozen pond by our house...pictures to follow. What a beautiful sight to see all 3 boys sliding and crawling on the ice, and then my husband.starts to jump on it, just willing to make the ice crack! He is so young at heart, that is what I love about him, spontaneous and wondrous is he. The wind was blowing, the smiles were flowing, my feet were freezing, and our hearts were warm. The dogs were jumping and thrashing about, licking the cold ice, and pawing at the edges to lick the ice cold water below. A large water tunnel layed ahead of us, and the kids wanted to run through it. I could see the other side, so all 3 boys ran under the street, excited by the thrill of a black hole tunnel to run through. How fun it would be to have the heart of a child again. At what point does our heart change, or does it change at all? When do we suddenly lose the inspiration to run through tunnels, to get wet in the ocean, to get sandy, to run wild late in the night with only a t-shirt on? I suppose I would would be willing to go through the tunnel, but maybe it's the knowing what is on the other side that keeps me from going through. Or maybe it's the excuse.."I'll have to stoop over and it'll hurt my back", that keeps me from doing it. I did go sliding on the ice, I didn't lick it, but I attempted to do a running a slide! I think that's pretty cool! I'm a mom of 3 boys. I must not lose my child heart. I must remember to be a child, just like my children. If I look into their eyes, and listen intently to their stories they can teach me so much. It is in this awareness, in this mutual receptivity towards each other, that we both begin to grow, as parent and child, together, blooming.

a slow practice for fast times

Today's practice involved 3 poses. As I taught a private yoga lesson with my dear friend and student "S", we took time to just breathe and feel our body relaxing into the props below us. This is a "fast" time in my life, as I am raising 3 boys, work 20 hours a week, and have a husband who travels a lot. It seems the response from most people when you do get a chance to talk with them is "Man am I busy!" or "Life is just CRAZY!" Well, have I got a practice for you my friends. A restorative practice is considered an advanced practice. As we place our body in a supported restful position we must lie quiet with our breath and observe our mind. Many people find a restorative practice difficult, as they are not able to shut down the mind that is in high gear most of the time. If you are feeling stressed, and want to sneak in a little yoga, I highly recommend even just one of these poses. My goal is to post some pictures and get the blog more updated with more links as I go along this journey.


1. Supta baddha Konasana (reclined bound angle pose) 20 minutes with centering breath
2. Vipariti Karani cycle (Legs up the wall cycle) 15 minutes with natural nose breathing
3. Reclined twist with bolster (5 minutes each side)
4. Savasana (corpse pose) 7-15 minutes

Seeing the light in others

I am currently working on seeing the "light" in people that are difficult for me to love. How about the woman, handing out medicines, with a far away look in her eyes, occasionally gruff, not focused on who she is giving medicine to. For a few moments today, I stood in a point in the room, and just zoned in on her energy. Not judging, not criticizing, just open, and receptive to what she was feeling at that very moment. I let go of any prior thoughts or knowledge I had of her. After a few minutes went by, I saw a softness in her eyes, and observed her to be gentle with a person in need of a some tenderness. For one moment I saw her light shine! Smiling on the inside, which manifests into a wider smile and brightness on the outside, I went on my way of engaging people in their different occupational therapy tasks. Again I ask, "Is this yoga?" You tell me.

sweating

Today was such a treat! I didn't have to work, and I was so thankful for the quiet morning at home after traveling to catch up etc. After sending a big mailer about yoga activities and such, I reconnected with some friends, and settled in for a rigorous yogasana session. I felt the need for standing postures, as my hip has been tight, and virabhadrasana and trikonasana would be welcome friends to visit to discuss my body imbalances!
1. Suptapadangusthasana 1, 2, 3(Big toe pose)
2. Supta Konasana, supta baddha konasana (reclined wide angle, reclined cobbler
3. Dog 2-3 minutes
4. Balasanana (childs pose)
5. Dog walk forward to extended forward bend
6. Uttanasana (2 minutes)
7. Tadasanana (mountain)
8. Vrksasana (tree)
9. Trikonasana (triangle)
10 Vira 2 (warrior 2)
11. Utthita Parsvakonasana (extended side angle)
12. Uttanasana
13. Ardha Chandrasana (Half Moon)
14. Parvottanasana (Intense side stretch)
15. Dog-Plank-Dog X 5 breath holds in each
16. Ardha Navasana - 5 times with -3 breaths each
17. Plank with push-ups (5)
18. Dandasana (staff)
18 Suhkasana forward bend (easy seated)
19. Savasana

Letting Go

Today, my family traveled back from a wonderful trip to Atlanta over the New Year's Holiday. It was mostly a spontaneous trip, as we figured Matt (my husband) would not be able to be home in time to make the beloved countdown to New Years Day. Well, surprise, surprise, we made it, and at first I was really stressed out about this "shift" in what I expected to happen. Then, I began to realize that family and being together with my family is more important to me (and my husband) than spending my weekend of New Years doing all the things on my list. So I let it go. How good that feels but can be so very hard to do. I often have difficulty letting go of difficult emotions. There are times I may feel insecure about myself, and worry about how others view me. This is an awful feeling, that burns precious energy, and skews our perception of reality. Today, as I worked with that feeling, I looked into my heart, and looked into my spirit, and lo and behold, I had nothing to be ashamed of! It is funny how we can blow things out of proportion, and miss the boat entirely! Is this yoga? My vote is a soft "yes". How can we improve the shape of this world, if we are unloving towards ourselves? Yoga teaches self awareness, and seeing the divine not only in others, but in ourselves as well. I would be missing the boat, if in my insecurity, I grew impatient towards my child, or snapped at my husband, or hissed at drivers who drove to slow or to fast. The beauty of yoga is to allow ourselves to feel what we feel, and then let it go, so that we may view the world in a different light, a new light, with new eyes. Break our patterns of negative internal dialogue. Break our habits that are destructive. Break our ideas of who we think we are and how we think we ought to act. If we first seek our hearts advice, cast our eyes into our inner light, that is filled with a burning fire of love that is God's hand, we will act in the divine way. It sure ain't easy. I am definitely far from perfect, I occasionally snap at my husband, and get impatient towards my kids(I am sure there is much more to list all my shortcomings, but I'm trying to focus on the positive!). Am I trying to walk in the light? Yes, and hopefully you will too. Think of what our world would be if we all just loved ourselves a bit more. I'll end with a quote from Thich Nhat Hahn "breathing in I smile, exhale, I relax my body. breathing in to the present moment, exhaling I know this is a wonderful moment" Thanks for listening, whoever may be out there!

January 2, 2010

Ok, first let me tell you, I love the fact that I have made this committment to myself. I practiced asana, for 25 or so minutes tonight at around 9 pm. I felt the familiar pull of my body saying I didn't have to practice, especially being on vacation at my sisters house in Roswell, Ga. There was also many distractions. Kids fighting over the about 4000 lego pieces they rec'd for Christmas presents, Samuel asking me to chase him for the 50th time today, farting dogs, and men in tight pants (Ha Ha :)). Regardless of all that, I was able to squeeze in a small, but lovely routine, that brought warmth to my back body, and helped to keep the fire going in my heart, the fire of LOVE I have for yoga.

1. Uttanasana (standing for. bend)
2. Uttanasana with a twist
3. Uttanasana with elbows bent- 2 minutes
4. Dog -2 minutes
5. Vira 2-Warrior 2
6. Triangle
7. Warrior 2
8. Extended side angle pose
(I did poses 5-8 flow style first to right, then to the left)
9. Easy sated pose with a twist to the right and left
10 staff pose
11. staff pose with a twist
12. head to knee pose (with a sammy sand bag on my back for the left leg straight)
13. legs up the wall pose with 3 leg variations for savasana.

I must say this will be a challenge, to not only practice, but write about it as well, but what comes from challenges? Hopefully a stronger mind, a stronger body, and more open and flexible heart.

With Love
Cathy

Happy New Year

"Om Shanti shanti shanti" I said to the moon, full and bright against the indigo sky filled with stars. Holding my 3 year old Samuel's hand in the windy cold, for one or two moments, I felt the beauty of the sky, the cold, the little body that is Samuel, whose spirit is as bright as the moon is brilliant. I am excited to take this yoga journey, not only because I feel a calling from my soul, it will be interesting to see if I can progress with the many poses I would like to experience, even if only for 2 or 3 breaths. As our breath enters into our bodies, with awareness, perception, and compassion, it is there that our perception, our minds eye, touches our hearts, where true discovery begins to take shape. It is in that space, that bright burning light that is in our heart, our true essence, the creative force- GOD- that lives inside each and every one of us. I will attempt to see the "God " in everyone, take compassion on myself when I'm down, and practice asana to train my body so that it can be a proper vehicle for my spiritual path, to keep me strong when tossing my kids around, and to hopefully grow old gracefully, as long as I don't get hit by a bus!