Jul 28, 2015 |
A note from The Daily Downward Dog: This post originally ran on July 17, 2012. As I prepare for the Top Thrill Yoga Retreat at The Hotel Breakers this August 28-30, I pulled this out of the archives for inspiration and thought you might like to read it too!
I talk a lot in my yoga classes about taking your yoga off the mat, and I got to practice what I preach recently when I agreed to take my 12-year old niece to Cedar Point (one of the best amusement parks in the world, which just so happens to be in my backyard).
With over 15 roller coasters, Cedar Point is known for its thrill rides, and of course my niece wanted to ride the scariest one in the park – Top Thrill Dragster! I didn’t know this before, but Cedar Point has a rating system for its rides, and Top Thrill’s rating is “Aggressive Thrill 5” (the scariest on a scale of 1 to 5). Cedar Point is not messing around when they call this ride aggressive; this coaster simulates what it’s like to be in a race car as it launches you from zero to 120 MPH in less than 4 seconds, then shoots you up 420 feet into the air, then straight down a twisty slope and back to the finish line. Total ride time – 17 seconds, but each one of those seconds is power packed with pure adrenaline.
As we were getting strapped into the ride, I looked over at my niece and noticed her angst level had reached an all-time high, and I have to admit I was freaking out a little bit too. My natural yoga instinct kicked into gear, and I started to direct my niece and I through some deep pranayama breathing. After our fifth deep round of inhaling and exhaling, a dramatic change in our anxiety level had occurred. I can’t tell you that I was totally blown away by this transformation because I know the power of my breath; instead, I was comforted by the fact that our Top Thrill breathing exercise had effortlessly brought us so much peace and calm just seconds before the madness ensued.
Breathe in; breathe out – what a powerful tool we have the ability to harness both on and off our yoga mats.
Right before the ride took off, I looked at my niece and said, “Frannie, make sure you keep your eyes open so you can be fully present and enjoy each and every moment of this ride.” The reason I told her to do this is that the very first time I rode Top Thrill Dragster, I closed my eyes, and let me just tell you, when you close your eyes, this ride is a real drag, not a thrill at all. It’s only 17 seconds, and in those 17 seconds you can miss a whole lot.
We both kept our eyes wide open and had the ride of our life! I got to see the panoramic views of the park and Lake Erie as we crested the top of this 42-story rollercoaster. And I got to see my niece’s ecstatic, smiling face as we cruised into the landing platform high-fiving each other.
I ask my yoga students to close their eyes quite often in class, but it’s not because I want them to miss the ride. Rather, I want them to go inside and experience what is really happening inside their body and their breath. I want them to let go of the chatter in their minds, even if it’s just for a short while during class. Most classes I teach are only 60 minutes, and in those 60 minutes you can miss out on a lot if you don’t let go. I guess if you think about it, letting your mind wander in a yoga class is the equivalent of closing your eyes on Top Thrill Dragster: you’re going to miss all the fun. When you can truly “open your eyes” in yoga class and go within, that is when your yoga practice really begins to take off, when your yoga practice becomes a thrill.
As we walked off the ride, super charged with adrenaline, my niece turned to me and said, “Aunt Maria, that was so much fun I couldn’t wipe the smile off my face. I was feeling pure joy.” Another priceless moment of bliss courtesy of Cedar Point.
That same joy can be had each and every time you come to your yoga mat if you just let go and allow yourself to be fully present in the moment. Stop clenching the handlebars, let go of the fear, relax, tap into that powerful pranayama breathing, and just go with the flow.
Your breath can be such a powerful thing. I’ve used it in the dentist chair, the boardroom, and now I can add Top Thrill Dragster to my list of cool breathing experiences. Next time you’re in a stressful situation, instead of running away from it, give that pranayama breathing a whirl and let yourself go from stressed out to blissed out in less than 4 seconds.
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Oct 29, 2012 |
It’s no secret: I love writing about yoga! That’s why I started The Daily Downward Dog. So imagine my curiosity and delight to read a book that is completely devoted to writing about yoga. In Writing Yoga, Bruce Black has penned a beautiful guidebook on how to keep a journal about your yoga practice.
The book is part memoir and part writing guide, and I love all of the personal stories Bruce tells about his early yoga practice. From the embarrassment of walking into his first yoga class with his shoes on, to the exhilaration of coming into headstand for the first time, I could easily relate to his yoga journey. It made me wish that I had kept a journal during the early days of my yoga journey, but then I realized that many of my yoga experiences (or what I like to call yoga victories) have actually been captured here on this blog. Here are a few links to some of my early “yoga journal entries” that I am so happy that I took the time to record; now I can revisit them to see how far my yoga journey has taken me.
Boat Pose Mind Games – An important lesson on how to make it through boat pose. I loved reading this one because it made me realize how strong my core has become and how far I’ve come in my practice.
Favorite Savasana Moments – This is the story of a memorable experience during savasana.
Amazing Yoga Moments – An early yoga victory with tripod pose was fun to read, especially since I can now do tripod headstand and many other headstand poses.
My official yoga journaling began when I started my yoga teacher training. If you have not started to journal about your yoga practice, I highly recommend it. Writing down your yoga experiences can help you deepen your practice and understanding of yoga, and it is fantastic way to record and celebrate all those little victories you experience on the mat. It can also be used to record and work through the challenges you encounter on your yoga mat. If writing about your yoga practice alone doesn’t appeal to you, try using your journal to record all the brilliant ways you take the teachings of yoga off the mat and into your life.
Don’t worry if you typically clam up when faced with a blank page of a journal; Writing Yoga will fill you with inspiration, and each chapter offers writing exercises to get you on your way. Bruce covers a lot of ground and central yoga themes like moving past fear, finding your balance, learning to breathe, and listening to your voice. I found myself underlining many passages in the book and gained inspiration for quite a few yoga class themes. In fact, last week I used portions of the chapter about trusting the process in my yoga classes.
“One of the most difficult things to learn in life is trust—trust in yourself and in others, trust in the process of moving frompose to pose, trust that you’ll find what you need in each moment. If the practice of yoga has taught me anything, it’s that learning to trust isn’t a possibility, it’s a necessity if you want to reach your full potential.” – Bruce Black
This chapter is all about listening to your body and trusting what it tells you. During practice, we must always listen to our bodies and trust to know when to back away from a pose that’s too intense or a position that’s too challenging. We also need to trust our bodies and have confidence, knowing when we can move our bodies deeper into a pose.
Here is a portion from this chapter that I highlighted and will be using when I teach beginners classes:
“When you walk into a yoga class for the first time, not knowing anyone, not knowing what to do, you have to trust in whatever inspired you to take that first step, and then you have to take the next step and the next, trusting in the process of discovery. This abiding confidence in the process of life unfolding demands a certain amount of faith in yourself. You need to be willing to take risks, to make mistakes, to fail. Trusting the process gives you the ability to overcome setbacks and obstacles and, rather than despair, take joy in discovering the next step and the next.” – Bruce Black
And this is certainly one of the lessons we get from yoga that can be applied to pretty much every other part of life.
I think one of the reasons this chapter resonated with me is the statement Bruce makes about how we sit at our desks for hours, most of the time with aching necks and shoulders, and just ignore this pain. We don’t listen to our bodies and trust that they’re trying to tell us something. Our bodies tell us to get up, move, stretch, and breathe and are probably kicking us in the ass for not finding a more ergonomically correct way to sit. I ignore these pleas from my body every day. What about you? Are you listening to your body both on and off the mat? Close your eyes, take a good listen—your body has something to tell you.
Do yourself a favor and go out and buy yourself a journal (or open up a blank document on your computer, or create your own blog) and start writing about your yoga practice. I highly recommend picking up Writing Yoga as a companion guide. It’s full of unforgettable yoga stories, quotes, and inspirational exercises to capture the memorable moments of your yoga journey. There’s even a little surprise at the end of the book. I’m sure I will be writing more about this fine book in the future.
Fellow yoga journalers, what inspires you, what have you explored in your writing, and what are your favorite entries? Please leave a comment below to share about your experience in keeping a yoga practice journal.
May 24, 2012 |
I love it when a student tells me that they took something they learned in one of my yoga classes off the mat and into their world. I think that, for any teacher, this just may be one of the most gratifying elements – to know that you have passed on a valuable exercise or lesson that has helped a student grow.
I always start out my classes with breath meditation or a pranayama breathing exercise. For me it is the best way to quiet the mind, get in touch with the body and breath, and prepare for practice. One of the breathing exercises I teach and also practice on a daily basis is bhramari. The word comes from the Sanskrit name bhramar, which translates to “humming black bee.” One of the reasons I love bhramari breathing is that its list of super-power benefits includes:
calming the mind
reducing stress
improving concentration
easing tensions, anger, and anxiety
aiding in sleep disorders and insomnia
lowering blood pressure
That, my yogi friends, is one powerful pranayama!
One of my students has what I would imagine is one of the most stressful jobs around: an emergency room doctor. She came up to me after class a week ago and told me that she was experiencing a particularly stressful evening in the ER, filled with lots of traumas and a frazzled staff. She called her team together in a huddle and proceeded to teach them the bhramari breathing exercise she learned in class. She explained that, after they did the exercise and for the remainder of the evening, a renewed sense of calm was evident, and the good feelings remained as her co-workers would walk by her, smile, and then give her a quick “buzz.”
The power of pranayama can be applied off the mat, in the car, in the office, and even in a crazed ER room.
Want to get in on the buzz! Here’s how to do bhramari breathing:
1. Sit in easy sit pose or any comfortable seated position.
2. Firmly plug the ears by inserting both thumb tips into your ear holes with a little pressure.
3. Take your hands and cup them gently over your eyes, blocking out light and sight.
4. Fill the air in your lungs to the brim with a deep inhale, hold the breath for one count, and then exhale slowly through both nostrils, making a humming sound like a bee.
5. Keep the sound going as long as you can keep the exhale. The louder the better!
6. Repeat the bumble bee breath a total of five times.
7. After completing the fifth round, bring the hands to the knees with palms up, keep your eyes closed, and feel the vibrations of the bhramari breathing throughout the head and the body. Notice the calming effects of the breath and the calm, relaxed state that has been created. Let the yumminess of the bhramari breath just soak over you.
8. Spend a few more moments in silent meditation. Feel that you are at peace. You can focus your awareness on your third eye at the center of the forehead, the sides of the eyes, and can feel the warmness of the bhramari breath until the echo or vibrations fade away.
9. Gently open your eyes and take a few moments to observe your surroundings with full awareness and bliss.
This practice can be done at the start or end of your day, before a yoga practice, or anytime you need to clear your mind.
So much of what we learn on the yoga mat can be applied in our everyday lives: letting go of the ego and judgment, showing love for ourselves and our bodies, remaining present, and taking the time to pause, breathe, buzz, and enjoy the moment.
Bumble Bee Image: Andrej Sevelin
Aug 2, 2011 |
Take your yoga off your mat. You hear this a lot in yoga classes, but what does it really mean? Does it mean I should practice tree pose while I’m standing in line at the grocery store or to practice savasana and take a few more naps during the week?
Well, those are both good things to do, but the phrase and the teachings of yoga have a much deeper meaning, and here are just a few ways you can take your yoga off your mat.
- Breathing. As you learn the breathing techniques to help support and guide you through difficult poses, take this same concept out into the world with you. When you encounter a stressful situation, instead of trying to run away from it (you know that is how you feel sometimes in chair pose), take a deep breath, smile, and let the calming effects of your breathing carry you through the situation.
- Compassion. Yoga is about honoring your body and learning to accept and love where you are right now. Why not take some of this compassion off the mat into your daily activities? Try not to judge yourself and others. Learn to accept others for who they are, and understand and respect these differences. If everyone were exactly like us, the world would be an awfully boring place.
- Strength. If you are practicing yoga, I’m sure you are starting to see changes in your body and that you are growing stronger. You may even have taken a few risks on the mat and tried new and challenging poses. Why not take this newfound strength off your mat and try something different or more challenging today? Have some fun and don’t be afraid to take a risk now and then.
- Being present. If you think it is hard to stay present on the yoga mat, it’s even harder when you practice it out in the real world. We simply have too many distractions nipping at our heels. But I’d like you to try out a simple exercise today. When you are talking with someone (your spouse, child, coworker), try being completely focused on the person and the conversation. Forget about what you have to do next or the stressful meeting you just came from and give your full attention. Be a good listener and see how good it feels to be fully in the moment and how those on the receiving end respond to it.
- Gratitude. It’s not hard to find things to be grateful for while moving through asanas in yoga class. Heck, I’m grateful my body can just get into some of the poses and grateful for my breath for guiding me through them. I’m grateful to the teacher and the music and all the teachers who came before them. Whatever gratitude you feel on your yoga mat, take some of it off the mat today and show some gratitude for the people in your life. Call up a good friend and thank him or her for being a part of your life.
Hummm, there really is something more to all this yoga stuff than just stretching and standing on your head. I could go on and on, but I think you get the idea. Here’s hoping you continue on your spiritual path of growth both on and off your yoga mat.
Got an interesting way you take your yoga off the mat? Leave a comment below and share it!
Aug 31, 2010 |
I always love it when a yoga instructor starts out a class with a homily. It’s kind of like going to church and hearing a sermon. Hopefully, the message resonates and is something you can carry with you throughout the rest of class or take with you off the yoga mat into your daily life.
One of my favorite yoga instructors had a really great lesson for us last week. She talked about how our culture has become so rude. She quoted a recent study that proved that Americans in general have become ruder to each other. Think about it. The last time you went out and ran errands, did you find the people surrounding you being rude and discourteous to each other? Were you one of the people being rude? With our busy lifestyles, daily stress, and time constraints, it’s very easy to slap on a bad attitude as we interact with the public. I know I am guilty of this very behavior. Heck, in the past I’ve gotten upset at a store clerk if she was too perky or was just trying to help me pick something out. So, why do we do this? We all know mean people suck! It certainly doesn’t serve us, and in the long run, it’s always a hell of a lot more fun to be happy and do things with a positive attitude.
At the end of class, feeling great from an amazing yoga practice, we all sat with hands at heart center and heads bowed when the instructor asked us to lose the rude and, instead, spread joy and peace to others as we went through the rest of our day. What a great message—and one that I will remember. It is a practice I need to work on and one I will be taking off the mat. Remember, mean people suck, so don’t be one of them.
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