Aug 1, 2010 |
“Why do people do yoga? To clear their minds? I embrace the clutter in my head.” —Chris Rock, Comedian
You gotta love Chris and, yes, we all have a lot of clutter in our heads, but it is amazing how great yoga and meditation can make you feel and what a relief it is to clear out some of the junk that is bouncing around inside our heads.
I’m going to have a little garage sale this weekend for my mind and clear out some of the clutter with a yoga Nidra meditation session. If you want to learn more about yoga Nidra, read my blog about my yoga Nidra out of body experience or visit the Amrit Yoga website at http://www.amrityoga.org/yoga-nidra.htm.
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Aug 1, 2010 |
I was away from my yoga studio last week and without a good yoga DVD, so I decided to lead my own class. I’ve never self-directed myself through yoga, and I wondered if I would have the self-discipline to keep it up for an entire hour. Typically, when I exercise at home, I’m really good at talking myself into fewer repetitions of the exercises I dislike (which is just about anything abdominal). I also somehow manage to get too comfortable lying on the floor after doing sit-ups and end up taking little power naps, so the resting yoga poses had me a bit concerned.
I started out my self-guided yoga class with a few variations of sun salutations, did some balancing poses, and then went to the floor for some abdominal work, bridge pose, and hip openers. So far, so good and no nap lapses.
To help me get through the class, I did have a few environmental advantages. I was doing yoga while I gazed out at Lake Erie, with a cool breeze, the sun had started to set and was glistening on the water, and the sound of waves provided the perfect soundtrack. These special accoutrements kept me from looking at the clock and helped me get totally immersed in the moment.
Of course, I had no trouble getting into savasana pose, and I finished my class off with a few moments of meditation with the sounds of the waves crashing on the shore. When I finally stood up and looked at the clock, more than an hour had passed, and not only did I have a great yoga high, but I had the satisfaction of knowing that I had directed myself through a peaceful and productive yoga practice.
Wow, yet another benefit of yoga, it has helped me achieve self-discipline while working out at home!
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Jul 31, 2010 |
Well, despite all my great intentions after my yoga Nidra sessions with Gurudev Shri Amritj, I have not been meditating or practicing yoga Nidra nearly enough. Last week, in my haste to get caught up from my vacation (and the glorious beach yoga and meditation I was able to do!), I never found the time once to just sit still and clear my thoughts. So, this week I’m taking a mini vacation for my brain. I’m setting aside a 15-minute time slot every morning to breathe deeply and meditate. If it’s nice enough, I’m going to go outside and enjoy the sensation of the sun, a cool breeze, and the sounds of birds for my white noise.
What have you been slacking on? Find that one thing that makes you happy, restores your calm, or reduces your stress and figure out how to put it back into your life, even if it’s just for a few minutes every day.
Jul 31, 2010 |
We all have catchphrases we use to help us through difficult situations.
In the past I had quite a few favorites:
No worries
Don’t worry, be happy
Hakuna matata
Life is good
Last night I picked up a new one from my yoga instructor…”Bliss out.”
According to the Free Dictionary, “bliss out” is a slang term that means to go into a state of ecstasy. To me it means extreme happiness and spiritual joy.
Bliss out your mind and have a beautiful day!
Jul 31, 2010 |
When I did my beach yoga class this week, I used a beach towel to stand on. As I moved through the practice, I noticed that the sand formed under my feet, making it a little tricky to find balance in some poses. When I went into Downward Dog, the sand that had collected under my feet made an excellent cushion, and because of it I was able to get my feet all the way down to the earth. I can never get my feet down to the earth in Downward Dog! Thank you sand!
