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!
Jul 19, 2011 |
It is mid-July, and if you have not gotten your yoga mat outside for a little outdoor yoga, you need to get on it. I have been practicing and teaching yoga outdoors quite a bit this summer, and, to be honest, I’m getting a little spoiled. It gets harder and harder to go inside to the studio. If you are wavering about whether outdoor yoga is for you, here are a few incentives to get you motivated.
1. Being outside. If you live north of the Mason-Dixon Line, you have got to take advantage of the opportunity to get outside and blow the stink off. Seriously, any chance you can get outside for any activity between May and the first freeze have got to be taken advantage of. ’Nuff said.
2. Amazing views. How cool is it to do a spread-legged forward fold and then, when you twist to the side, see a beautiful blue sky or the green leaves of a tree flapping in the wind? This is the view I had today during this very pose
3. Challenge. Anyone can practice inside but not everyone can practice with their feet in the sand or grass. The ground might be uneven, an ant might crawl across your mat, or the sun may be shining in your eyes, but that is what makes outdoor practice so rewarding. You get to go outside your normal routine, feel the earth beneath your feet, and make playful adjustments to your asanas.
4. Best yoga-class playlist ever! The music comes courtesy of chirping birds, flowing wind, and the waves lapping up on the beach. I couldn’t put together a better playlist if I tried. Close your eyes and it is sublime.
5. Special effects. You may get the unexpected delight of seeing a fish jump out of the water, an eagle soaring through the sky, or ducks waddling down the beach (if you are practicing by water).
6. Growing your practice. Said special effects in #5 can also provide extra challenges in staying mindful and present. Yesterday, while practicing on the beach, I kept spying sea glass around my yoga mat. I had to set those thoughts aside, resisting the urge to bend over and start collecting up all the sea glass and really focus on remaining present. Surely, this has to be good for building mental strength and clarity in my practice
7. Sunshine. There’s just something special about doing a sun salutation when you can reach your arms up and truly salute the sun.
8. Wind. Sometimes an outdoor yoga class can feel like Bikram yoga. It can get a little toasty out there. But when that cool wind brushes across your face, it is nirvana.
9. Incredible inversions. Getting into a handstand always feels pretty damn good, but when you get to do one and see a view like the one below, the pose takes on a whole new dimension.
10. High on nature. Yep, yoga can get you high when you practice inside, but I’m here to tell you the buzz you get from an outdoor practice is simply yogalicious.
11. (I never stop at 10!) Postpractice curriculum. Once your practice is complete, the postgame activity choices are pretty cool. My favorite is a little beach-walk meditation, or just sitting with your eyes closed while in meditation, letting the sounds of nature envelop you can provide an excellent way to seal in your practice. Or you may just want to wander off the mat and find a few pieces of sea glass…
No matter where you live, do yourself a favor and get outside this summer for a little outdoor yoga. Yoga is all about the union of the body and the mind, and when you add the extra element of the outdoors, you can also make it about becoming one with nature. Just a note of caution: Use sunscreen and maybe a dash of bug spray before you venture onto your mat!
Summer Beach Yoga Classes Bali Retreat – March 2017
Jul 16, 2011 |
Please join me if you can this coming Wednesday to not only support a great cause, but also to get the benefit of practicing yoga outdoors!
Yoga for a Cause
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
7:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Community Yoga Event to benefit
Stewart’s Caring Place
Where: Bicentennial Park, 3487 S. Smith Road, Fairlawn
When: Wednesday, July 20th from 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm
(please arrive by 6:45 pm to check-in)
Come together with other yoga enthusiasts and enjoy the practice of yoga in the open air! If it rains, no worries, there will be ample indoor space to utilize.
$10 suggested donation per participant on event day (all proceeds benefit Stewart’s). Bring a yoga mat or beach towel and wear comfortable clothing. All are welcome, no yoga experience necessary.
About Stewart’s Caring Place
A non-profit organization located in Fairlawn, Stewart’s Caring Place provides an environment of healing and support for individuals and families touched by cancer. Thousands of people from Summit, Medina, Stark, Portage & Wayne counties walk through their doors seeking FREE support and resources to guide them through their cancer journey. Additional information about Stewart’s Caring Place can be found at www.stewartscaringplace.org
Daily Downward Dog Yoga Class Updates
Just want to give a big shout out to all the awesome students that have joined me for beach yoga at the Firefly Beach Resort in Huron, Ohio. Thank you so much for coming to practice with me and allowing me to have the best summer job ever!
Beginning July 18 through July 31 I will be offering a special on yoga classes.
PURCHASE A FIVE CLASS PASS FOR $35!
That’s just $7 per class! You can buy as many as you like, but you have to purchase them by July 31. As of today there are still twenty-one classes left, so you will have plenty of time to use the passes.
“To watch a sunset is to connect with the divine.” – Gina DeGorna
SUNSET YOGA
Another sunset yoga classes have been added.
Tuesday, July 26th
7:30 – 8:45 pm
Join me for an hour yoga class with the most amazing views followed by a guided meditation session.
Hope to see you on the beach real soon! Click here for more details about summer beach yoga.
Jul 14, 2011 |
“You should sit in meditation for twenty minutes every day—unless you’re too busy; then you should sit for an hour.”
–Old Zen adage
I’ve had a crazy couple of weeks. I’m not complaining, because they have been filled with lots of wonderful summer activities, family visits, and good, fulfilling work. Summer is a busy time for many people, and the problem is that when we get busy, our regular yoga and meditation practices get pushed to the side, and that is precisely when we need it most.
We need to step away from the notion that we don’t have enough time and just carve out at least 10 to 30 minutes for a little breath meditation and yoga. You may not think this is enough to get the benefits, but your body and your mind will thank you for giving it a little respite from the incessant chatter and stress of your day. Just spending a few minutes sitting still, closing your eyes, and breathing deeply can be highly therapeutic. I can testify that the time I spend each morning meditating helps me stay focused, alert, and ready to take on the day with a joyful spirit.
One of the best places I know to get the instruction you need when you don’t have time to make it to the yoga studio is the web site My Yoga Online. The cool thing about My Yoga Online is that you just dial in the amount of time you have (under 15 minutes, 15–30 minutes, 31–60 minutes, or over 60) and shazam! a whole list of online yoga video classes come up in the search results.
My Yoga Online co-founder Michelle Trantina, courtesy MyYogaOnline.com
I just did a search for yoga videos that are under 15 minutes in length and found an 8-minute guided meditation focused on contentment, a quick 10-minute yoga class video that focuses on stretching and releasing your lower back and limbs, an 11-minute session great for people who sit at school or work all day, and an 8-minute routine to open the heart and the shoulders, just to name a few.
My Yoga Online has hundreds of videos covering different yoga styles from beginner to advanced, Pilates and dance, meditation, workplace wellness, and workshops that cover topics like anatomy, breathing, and the chakras. If you would like to learn more, read “My Top 10 Reasons To Try (and Love) My Yoga Online.”
One of my favorite videos on My Yoga Online (and I have a long list) is “Morning Yoga Flow,” with Neil Mark. Neil starts out the class in savasana and progresses to sun salutations, with a special emphasis on the lower back and sacral spine. The class takes just 36 minutes, but when it is done, my body is tingling, and that yogalicious feeling stays with me throughout the entire day.
There is nothing better than attending a live yoga class at a studio (or a beach!), but when you are short on time, don’t rob yourself of the benefits of a daily yoga practice. Just turn on your computer and spend a few minutes nourishing your body and your soul.
WIN A FREE YEAR OF MY YOGA ONLINE!
My Yoga Online co-founder Kreg Weiss, courtesy MyYogaOnline.com
Aren’t you glad you kept reading this post?! Yes, it’s true; because the yogis at My Yoga Online are so cool, one lucky Daily Downward Dog reader will win a free year of online membership to My Yoga Online. Here’s what you need to do to win: Visit My Yoga Online and take the site tour of all they have to offer. Maybe like them on Facebook or follow them on Twitter if you’re feeling a little love in your heart, and leave a comment below just letting me know what you would be most excited about trying if you had your very own membership to My Yoga Online. You will get an extra entry if you tweet or share this giveaway on Facebook (just be sure to let me know in the comments below). The contest is open until July 25, 2011, at noon, when I will pick one person from the comments below in a random drawing and they are going to feel like it is Christmas in July! Woot Woot!
If you already subscribe to My Yoga Online you can still enter. Just leave a comment below and let me know your favorite videos, so I can check them out too!
All images courtesy of My Yoga Online.
Jul 12, 2011 |
Yoga practice is like life.
Each circumstance in which we find ourselves is like a pose.
Some poses are hard to hold; others are pleasant.
It is how we hold the pose that determines whether or not we will suffer or grow
And whether or not we will listen to the drama of the ego or the wisdom of the spirit.
I found this lovely little quote on a Squidoo page that is full of yoga themes and quotes and liked it so much, I used it in my yoga classes last week.
The only thing we have any control over is how we will react to the situations in our lives. This same control can flow into your yoga practice, and you can take this concept off the mat as well.
We can either take things on with a negative attitude, letting our egos get in the way, or we can open our hearts and minds to situations with a positive attitude.
We can encounter a difficult pose with a frown and a desire for it to be over as quickly as possible, or we can open ourselves to the challenge, breathing into the pose and having the wisdom to know that, with time, our bodies will become stronger and more flexible.
I complimented a student this week who has really progressed in her practice. When she first started she hated downward dog pose, and now she is flowing beautifully into it. When I told her this, she smiled but was quick to note that she still couldn’t get her heels to the floor. I assured her that some people (me included) may never get their heels to the floor. You don’t get a special yogi prize when the heels finally reach the floor; instead, each time you practice with an open heart, you get a little closer, a little stronger, and that is the best prize of all.
