If you’re one of those yoga aficionados that can do all the crazy poses, like headstands and bird of paradise, this blog post will either bore you or amuse you, but if you are a yoga nerd like me and still working on the basics, hopefully this blog will encourage you to keep plugging away at your yoga practice.
I have a couple of yoga instructors who always ask at the beginning of class if there is a pose we would like to work on. I really appreciate this gesture, but, inevitably, the pose that always comes up is the headstand. I’m afraid to try a headstand because I don’t think my core and upper body are strong enough yet and, to be quite honest, I have a really hard head and resting all of my body weight on it really is not appealing to me. That and hearing the thud when class members fall out of a headstand is a little unsettling.
So, I always dread the part of class when we work on the designated pose because it forces me to go out of my comfort zone. I’ll try a few basic steps of the pose but always go to something more safe, like childs pose or goddess pose, to hang out and look busy until the rest of the class is done experimenting. I always figured one day I would get up the nerve to really try it out.
Well, that day came yesterday.
My yoga instructor must have known I needed a nudge, and she gave it to me. We were practicing tripod pose, and I got myself into the basic position just to see what it would feel like when she came over and pointed out the proper way for me to place my head. I had been doing it wrong all this time, and once she got my hands and head in the right position, it felt totally natural to pick my legs up and rest them on my arms.
I got into tripod pose (pre-headstand) with the help of my yoga instructor, Deirdre Sargent, and it felt amazing! I let out a little Woohoo! because this was a big deal for me. I was one step closer to a headstand. Hell, I think I probably could have raised up my legs with a little assistance, but I wasn’t going to push it; one yoga victory for the day was enough to put a smile on my face. I even got a few high fives from other class members. I’ll keep practicing the base tripod pose; my goal is to get those legs up in the air before the month is out for tripod headstand!
Thanks, Deirdre, for giving me the push I needed and doing it in such an encouraging way! I really appreciate everything you have taught me about yoga and myself.
I’ve been hearing this super mellow song about floating down the river quite a bit in my yoga classes. It’s sung by a dude with a sultry, soothing voice who is accompanied by something that sounds like a lute. The mystical sounds of a Japanese orchestra in the background and the dreamy mixture of soothing lyrics, like, “Maybe we could meet again further down the river and share what we both discovered…then revel in the view,” provide all the required elements for the ultimate savasana session.
It’s also a pretty damn seductive song, and it could very well make a sexy songs playlist, right up there with just about anything from Barry White.
I’ve always wondered who sang this song and figured it must be someone in the mellow yoga music genre, like Wade Imre Morissette. I needed to find out who the artist was so I could add it to my favorite savasana playlist, and my Google search for “Flowing Down the River” was not bringing the desired results. Not to worry. I knew I would hear it again in yoga class, and, sure enough, the song had its calming effect on me during savasana one day last week. I asked my yoga instructor about the song, and you can imagine my surprise when she told me it was performed by Incubus.
Incubus! No way…aren’t they an alternative rock band? Not the kind of group I’d expect to put out a mellow little ditty that is played in yoga studios around the world.
Check it out being performed live.
For those of you wondering, that funky four-stringed musical instrument being played by lead guitarist Steve Vai is called a pipa.
Unfortunately, the live version left out the nearly one minute of real frogs croaking like you hear on the 7-minute and 46-second recorded version. The frogs were recorded live right outside the studio in Malibu, California, where the album Morning View was recorded.
The lead vocalist, Brandon Boyd (who is pretty darn hot!), said that the purpose of the song was to make “the listener pee in his/her pants” from relaxation. Brandon, I haven’t seen anyone pee in their pants yet while listening to this song during savasana, but I do have to say that you hit the mark on recording a song that is synonymous with relaxation.
In case you’re curious about which songs have made my savasana song playlist, so far the list includes:
If you have the perfect savasana song—one that really makes you relax and get deeper into the pose—please leave me a comment with your suggestions so I can fill up my playlist with yoga songs that rock!
I want my MTV! Wow, I’m showing my age with this one.
Do you want your Daily Downward Dog (D.D.D.)?
Are you wondering what happened to my D.D.D.?
Well, something really exciting has happened (for me, at least). The D.D.D. was feeling a little cramped over at MariaMedia. It needed a bigger yoga mat to grow in its yoga practice. After months of URL hunting, packing, moving blogs, setting up the menus, and building new fixtures, the D.D.D. is ready to announce its new address at www.dailydownwarddog.com.
If you click on the D.D.D. at MariaMedia, you will be redirected to the brand-new Daily Downward Dog site.
With its cushy new digs, the D.D.D. will have a place to expand on special topics, like healing back pain with yoga, demystifying yoga, and the best yoga music videos. I’m also really excited that the Daily Downward Dog will feature a marketplace where you can find affordable yoga products. You don’t need a pair of hundred-dollar black stretchy pants to achieve bliss. The D.D.D. does all the work to find you outstanding yoga products with the best prices.
America, demand your D.D.D.! You don’t need to call your cable company; it’s free 24 hours a day and in stereo. Too much is never enough, so be sure to also follow the D.D.D. on Twitter (@downwarddog) and Facebook.
It’s time to pick up your mat and set it down at the new D.D.D.! We still have a few more boxes to unpack, so be patient as we settle into our new digs. We’re looking forward to seeing you.
Here’s one more MTV promo video, just so I could get a look at the younger tantra-tastic Sting (is that red hair he’s sporting?).
My yoga instructor totally made me laugh the other day when we were in pyramid yoga pose (parsvottonasana). She must have noticed quite a few of us struggling, because she said to us, “Don’t fight the pose; embrace the pose.” It made me think to myself, Yeah, why am I being such a dork, struggling to get my head to my leg, barely keeping my balance, and not enjoying the benefits of the pose? Putting a whole new spin on the pose by embracing it suddenly made all the difference in the world. I stopped thinking about how awkward I felt, the mildly uncomfortable stretch in the back of my leg, and just let myself enjoy the lengthening of my muscles as I relaxed into the pose. My head started to slowly move forward, I was keeping my balance, and I got a big smile on my face. I kept taking the instructors advice throughout the yoga class and let the love flow for each and every yoga pose.
The reason it made me laugh is because it reminded me so much of one of my favorite sayings: “I’m a lover, not a fighter.” I don’t know where I originally heard this, but I use it a lot, and it always makes me laugh.
So, next time you’re in a difficult yoga pose (or position in life), try being a lover, not a fighter. Open up your mind and embrace the situation; you’ll be amazed what a difference it can make.
One of my yoga instructors has designated the month of July as Hip-Opener Month!
We hold a lot of crap and tension down in our hips, and I, for one, love a great hip-opening pose in yoga class to stretch out those muscles and release the massive quantity of angst I’ve stored up in my hips over the years. Plus, I really think hip-opener poses help release tension in my lower back.
If you want to chuck some of the tension you’ve been holding in your hips, try pigeon pose (eka pada rajakapotasana), my favorite hip-opener pose. You’ll find directions at MyYogaOnline. Please warm up before you try this pose, and be sure to follow the directions and modifications.
I think we need to start a national movement and make Hip-Opener Month a worldwide event so everyone can let go of that nasty stress and angst building up in our hips.
There’s only a week left of July, so get out there and try some hip-opener yoga poses and leave me a comment below and let me know what your favorite hip-opener is.
