December Meditation Escape

/
 
Photos via CarCrashCheapHit on Tumblr.

Next time I take lotus pose on the living room floor, this is where you can find me... wandering among the magical glowing orbs, transfixed under the long lights tunnel, and staring up at the big, beautiful Christmas tree. Let's float away. :)

Happy Wrists

/



Are you working on your handstands yet?


Whether you're hanging out upside down a lot or you just want to strengthen your hands, palms and wrists for a more steady downward dog, this video has some great tips. (Warning: her boobs are a bit much at certain points, but it's still worth watching for the movements and instruction.)


For another great wrist move, try Sadie Nardini's wrist clear. Or do her supersets to build overall body strength (works wonders for inversions, bow and standing bow, as well as full wheel.) Enjoy!

Wholesome Eating

/
Photos via Orangette.

After spending Thanksgiving on a farm in Minnesota for the last few years, I find myself thinking more and more about the importance of eating whole foods. The difference between a healthy, homemade meal and a boxed dinner is tremendous. Plus once you've tasted broccoli grown in the garden and eggs from the chicken coop, there's just no going back.

There really is a difference between the food we buy in chain stores and the good, wholesome organic stuff.


I have a huge passion for eating well, but sometimes I am limited by specific resources. Generally my budget for groceries is a little lower than what Whole Foods costs, plus the amount of time I have to spend in the kitchen dwindles when work gets crazy (as it has been lately). Being an apartment dweller makes it nearly impossible to grow my own vegetables... although I am determined to try my hand at a porch box garden at some point!  And then there's the planning factor, and a lack of creativity sometimes.

Excuses aside, I've decided it's time to work harder to eat well.

Here's my plan.
  • Plan meals around healthy ingredients. Check out Whole Food sales, and then look up recipes based on what I can find for cheap.
  • Cut as much corn syrup as possible. Start read the labels a little more closely for this.
  • Utilize the crockpot! I'm definitely going to be relying on this incredible blogger, who used hers every day for a year.
  • Watch more documentaries. These never cease to inspire. Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead was such an eye opener.
  • Get back to the juicer! We have fallen off the bandwagon what with all those crazy flavors. My friend at work is going to share a few more palatable recipes to try.
 

Do you guys take care to eat clean, nutritious foods? I'd love your thoughts on the simplest ways to do this :)

PS Everyday meal planning from Real Simple, plus some important cancer prevention tips.

Yoga Teachers to Be Grateful For

/
Photos via Lululemon on Flickr. 

What do you most admire about your favorite yoga instructor? Is it his calm voice to bring you in and out of the asanas? Her strong and compassionate presence throughout class?

What draws you to the classes you keep returning to? Whether you practice Bikram or Ashtanga, Vinyasa or Hatha, it makes a huge difference how your instructor leads you through the postures. They could be celebrity teachers on a DVD like Rodney Yee, Seane Corne, Shiva Rea, and Rod Stryker, or the owners at your neighborhood studio.

What do you love about their teaching style?

I'd love to hear :)

Stories from a Bikram Yoga Teacher

/
Photos courtesy of Shavon Hutchinson.

One of my favorite Bikram bloggers recently returned from Bikram Teacher Training. Congrats, Shavon! You are rockin' the hot room already :)

I couldn't resist sharing Shavon's story about how Bikram yoga has changed her life for the better. Even in the few weeks since Shavon returned from the Yoga Bubble, she says she's noticed a difference in the way she feels and how people perceive her. Plus, she's started to make the world a better place, one person at a time. How amazing is that?!



People Talk to Me
By Shavon Hutchinson

It is interesting. People, even strangers, talk to me now. I've noticed this since being back from training. 

 As I was reminded by a fellow trainee Facebook friend, Boss told us our friends, families and relatives will see us differently after training. I think this is true, especially since I feel so different after training. 

 I still can't quite put my finger on it, but there is something different about me now and I like it. I feel softer, calmer, more at peace with me, flaws and all.

So I am back to a day job now. A coworker of mine came to talk to me about stuff and it got me thinking. She was saying how she wants to be a better woman so those characteristics would reflect in her children. 

I immediately thought of yoga of course and then also about my negative world views. See, I think there is a lot of change that our society can benefit from. 

If we were a closer knit community of people rather than a bunch of individuals then I think we would treat others and the earth differently. When people have a regular yoga practice they often take the principles they learn in class off the mat and into the real world. 

That's what so cool about yoga is that it makes you better so you can go out into the world and treat others better.

Qualities like patience, acceptance, tolerance and focus can't help but foster and spill over into our everyday lives. We could all benefit from a little dose of those qualities from time to time. It is nice to see I am possibly projecting those qualities outward. Making the world a better place one person at a time.



Namaste to you, beautiful lady. Keep it up!

Do you have a story about Bikram yoga teacher training you'd like to share? Email me at aliveinthefire at
gmail dot com today!

Hug Your Mom

/
Photo via Andrew and Carissa.

Something about being a little under the weather has me missing my mom extra this week. When is the last time you gave your mom a good hug?

Nothing says I love you better :) xoxo

Photo via Andrew and Carissa. She is seriously an awesome mom! 
If you're considering adoption or want to be inspired by adoptive parents with hearts of gold, read their story.
Photo via RosenCrown.
Photo via Andrew and Carissa.

Love for Little Ones

/
Photos via The Colemans in Love.

I recently discovered a beautiful blog by a family called The Colemans, Mindy and Daniel. They recently welcomed baby Isaac into the world. Isn't he precious?

The Colemans have a unique story to tell. Their baby boy has fanconi anemia, a rare blood disorder. 


Little Isaac has already undergone surgery and he faces a list of anomalies that will make for a challenging childhood, including kidney troubles, slow or stunted growth, missing thumbs, and an imperforate anus.

The Colemans could use your help! Please pray for them or make a donation via PayPal to their medical fund for Isaac. You can click the photo or link above, or go to their blog to learn more.

My heart and prayers go out to you, Colemans. May you continue to find strength during this difficult time, and may the small moments of joy with your son bring you peace. xoxo!

Throw a Yoga Party

/
Photo via Lululemon.

Have you guys heard of throwing a yoga party?

It's this fun idea where you invite a bunch of friends over, hire a yoga instructor to come to your place, and then enjoy a relaxing hour or two of asanas and meditation together.

What's great is that a party like this appeals to beginners and experienced yogis alike. Your friends who are already dedicated to their practice can spend time doing something they love, plus newbies can try out poses in a comfortable and non-threatening environment.

Here are some ideas to make your yoga celebration extra special:
  • Chat with the instructor you're hiring before the night of the party. Decide what sort of practice you want to host -- something easy and laid-back with restorative postures? Or something more energizing? By planning ahead, you'll be able to let your guests know what to expect.
  • Light candles for the practice. How cute are these ones?
  • Leave a few yoga books on your coffee table so friends can peek and learn more. I recommend the Bandha Yoga series, Stephen Cope's The Wisdom of Yoga or Bikram's guide. They are all fascinating!
 
Photos via Pinterest and Blue Kite Photo.
Sounds like a wonderful party to me!


PS How cute is this yoga party for kids?

With a Calm Face

/
Photos via Pinterest, here and here.  

There's this little saying I've heard in yoga many times (especially Bikram classes). It goes, "You can't do the posture with your face."


As in: go ahead and relax your facial muscles, relax your mind, relax everything you can, all those muscles that you don't need to do the posture!


Because furrowing your brow and straining your forehead aren't going to help much. Plus, it's so much more calming to do a challenging pose if you can let go of tension in your face. It's a great little instant relaxation technique.


I was reminded of this during my bike ride to work this morning, as the wind pushed hard against me, taking my breath away and keeping me in the 1-5 mile per hour speed range. I realized, hey, I can't ride this bike with my face! and figured I might as well stop trying :) It worked -- I enjoyed the rest of the windy way there much more after that.


Photo via Pinterest.


PS For some other cool ways to relax, try a massage or let yourself drift far, far away in savasana. You can also choose not to suffer in the midst of chaos. Namaste.

Deepak Chopra and a Video Game for Yogis

/
Photo via Net News Publisher.

It's rare to think of yogis playing video games... but there's one that's just been released by Deepak Chopra that may change that. 


Have you guys heard of Leela? It's a ground-breaking game featuring relaxation and meditation techniques which spotlight the chakras. Kinect technology also allows you to use the game to track and monitor your breathing during meditation and gentle, restful body gestures. Now I'm not usually a video game person, but that's one I'd love to try!


To celebrate the release of the game, Leela is launching a Mandala Creativity Contest through their Mandala Facebook app. If you enter a customized mandala drawing into the contest, you could win the Leela videogame or the Leela CD soundtrack.


Photo via SC Eyelines.

A “mandala” is artwork that expresses an individual’s unique essence and intentions. With the Leela Mandala app, you can create, customize and share your own personal mandalas with friends. Then, from November 15th 2011 to December 9th, 2011 you can submit your mandala to the Leela Mandala Creativity Contest for a chance to win prizes. Winners will be chosen each week by a committee which includes Deepak Chopra himself.


Photo via Leela by Deepak Chopra.

The Art of Flight

/

Have you had any adventure in your life lately?

After watching this inspiring -- and also insane! -- documentary, I am totally motivated to try something new and exciting. I'm not sure I have the daring to ride a snowboard down mountains in Alaska and Patagonia, but hey :) I figured I'll start small and maybe take an art class or try tai chi or Ashtanga at a new studio.


As star snowboarder Travis Rice says in the film, "Adventure is what you make it."

What sorts of daring things do you do, readers?

Qigong and the Warrior Breath

/

I recently experienced my first few qigong classes, courtesy of a lovely friend who just completed her level 2 teacher training.

Have you guys heard of it?

Qigong is a breath and energy movement practice with roots in Chinese medicine and martial arts. The object of qigong is to move and balance qi, or life energy.

While much of the philosophical aspects of qigong elude me (and aren't my primary goal for trying the practice), I found it to be an amazingly meditative class... and a really great arm workout! You spend just about an hour with your arm muscles engaged, which increases circulation and muscle strength, and at the same time has a very relaxing effect.

Today I did a little more reading about the principles of qigong and discovered these core tenants courtesy of Wikipedia:

  • Intentional movement: careful, flowing balanced style

  • Rhythmic breathing: slow, deep, coordinated with fluid movement

  • Awareness: calm, focused meditativ state

  • Visualization: of qi flow, philosophical tenets, aesthetics

Pretty great stuff, right? In a lot of ways, its roots are similar to yoga, and qigong offers a lot of the same relaxing benefits.

The other practice that my friend Lindsay shared is called breath empowerment, and it's part of the qigong training she's done with Qi Revolution

. Now this was an altogether incredible experience... and definitely not focused on relaxation! You spend 

about 35 minutes doing the "warrior breath," which is a forceful, fast and deep nostril breath in and out of your chest.

At first, I was a little nervous even just thinking about trying this breath empowerment thing. I've experienced anxiety before, even to the point of a panic attack, so the thought of breathing so intensely for so long triggered worrisome possibilities in my imaginative mind.

"I'm not sure I can lay on the floor and hyperventilate like that for so long," I told Linds, trying to hide my fear. "We aren't hyperventilating," she reassured me. "We're hyper-oxygenating!"

And man, she was right. We took our savasana positions on my living room carpet, and began listening to the guided meditation. Minute after minute, I continued breathing big, fierce breaths and before long my whole body was vibrating.

I could actually feel energy circulating through my system, swirling in circles in my face and cheeks, through my arms and legs, and throughout my abdomen. What a rush!

I enjoyed the recording we listened to, because Jeff's delivery of the dialogue is inspiring. He encourages you to keep going even after you think you can't, and his calm, steady voice keeps you from freaking out. Afterward I felt revitalized and awake, little jolts of energy still running through me.

Now I'm motivated to try other breath techniques and maybe even a tai chi class. It's great to mix up the yoga routine with other healing practices.

Have you guys done qigong or tai chi? What did you think?

Yoga for Sleep

/
10_sleep.png

All sleepy photos via

Pinterest

.

Has holiday stress impacted your sleep schedule? Here are some tips for easing into deep sleep, plus a lovely at-home yoga practice for you to try. Beginners through advanced students can incorporate a restful nighttime routine for better Z's.

Before I get into any specific postures, I highly recommend you try some 

yoga nidra

 and schedule yourself a 

retreat day

. Guided relaxation has saved me on many nights when I felt restless, anxious, or unable to wind down. And for the long-term, it's important to incorporate rest and relaxation into your life on a regular basis so that you can give yourself time to cope with the ups and downs. 

Yoga Practice for Soundless Sleep

When you practice yoga before bed, incorporate these tips in order to create a safe, comforting environment leading up to when you crawl under the covers.

  • Practice in a quiet, warm space. 
  • Wear loose, comfortable clothing -- preferably layers if it's chilly in your house.
  • Move slowly between postures. Hold each asana for a bit longer than you might normally, and think about letting your body rest within a pose. Let the pose find you.
  • Back off if you experience pain or discomfort. This isn't the time to push yourself as hard as you can.
  • Rest in between postures. Child's pose is a great spot to return to for a few breaths before you try the next asana.
  • Concentrate on your breath. Breathe slowly and deeply from your abdomen.

Postures for Relaxation and Restoration

Photos via

Love to Know Yoga

,

Yoga-Vidya

on Flickr and

Lululemon

on Flickr.

  • Wide Legged Standing Forward Bend: Stand with your feet three to four feet apart. Turn your toes slightly inward (pigeon toed). Lean forward from your hips. Cradle your elbows in each other and let gravity hold you. When you stand up, engage your core and leg muscles strongly before hinging up from your waist.
  • Standing Forward Bend: Stand with your feet hip-width distance apart. Hinge forward at the waist and let your arms hang toward the floor. If you are less flexible, letting your weight rest on your thighs is a good starting place.
  • Downward Dog: From hands and knees, push into your widespread palms and lift your knees away from the floor, sending your tailbone up and back. Lengthen your tailbone up and away, lifting your sitting bones toward the ceiling as your body takes a triangle shape. Keep a soft bend in the elbows and knees as you work to draw your shoulder blades down your back.

Photos via

Yoga with Heidi on Flickr

 and 

Yoga Journal

.

  • Seated Forward Bend: Sit on the floor or on a folded blanket with your legs stretched out in front of you. Sit tall on your sitting bones, spine straight into the air. Reach your arms overhead and slowly bend forward, keeping your spine long. With each exhale, fall a little deeper into the pose. With each inhale, picture your body becoming more still.
  • Reclining Bound Angle: Think of this as doing a butterfly stretch while you are laying on the ground. Start in bound angle pose (seated). Sit with your legs out in front of you (add a blanket if your hips are tight). Exhale, bend your knees, pulling your heels toward your hips as you drop your knees to the sides and press your soles of your feet together. Now place your elbows on the floor and lower yourself all the way down onto your lower back. You can place blankets under your knees or a bolster under your torso for added support.
  • Crocodile: Lay on your stomach with your arms above your head, bending at the elbows so that you stack your forearms on each other. Rest your forehead and take slow, deep breaths, letting the floor hold you and melt away tension.

Photos via

Gaiam

,

Hearts Expanding

 and

Yoga Mama

on Flickr.

  • Legs Up the Wall: Start with your hips about 4-5 inches away from a wall. If you like, you can place a bolster or rolled up towel under your low back for extra support. Sit sideways on the end of the support, or just on the floor, and swing your legs up onto the wall. Lay your shoulders and head down on the floor. Keep your legs steady and your gaze soft. For info on alignment in this posture, see Yoga Journal's post.
  • Bridge: Lie on your back with your knees bent, feet parallel on the floor next to each other and pulled in as far as is comfortable. Press into all four corners of your feet (feeling pressure in your big toes) and exhale as you lift your hips slightly off the ground. Scoot your arms under the body, interlinking fingers and pressing down with your forearms.  Feel your weight grounded in your shoulders as you arch your low back. Strength in this pose comes from the inner thighs and arms, not the buttocks. And be sure to keep your knees from splaying out or coming close together.
  • Shoulderstand: Lay on your back with your arms alongside your body. Bend your knees and set your feet parallel on the floor, heels close to sitting bones. Exhale, pushing with your arms to raise your knees up into the air and toward your face. Stretch your legs into the air, and your arms along the floor. Press down through the arms, then bend the elbows so you can walk your hands up the back for support. For details on getting into this pose safely, check out Yoga Journal's post.

Here are a few short-term sleep aids to try in addition to yoga:

  • Taking a low dose of melatonin. It's a naturally-occurring compound that can help regulate sleep cycles and has been used to treat a variety of disorders, including insomnia. Melatonin is sold as a dietary supplement (you can find it in the vitamin section at Whole Foods). Please be sure to consult your doctor before beginning use of melatonin, and of course follow the instructions about its use (large doses can be counterproductive).
  • Use lavender lotion or hair conditioner before bed.
  • Drink a mug of warm milk or chamomile tea as you wind down. I also recommend Yogi Tea in the Calming or Relaxed Mind flavors.

Sleep well, yogis! xoxo

Meditation Escape

/
Photos via Honestly...WTF.

When you meditate, you can go anywhere you like. The next time I sit down for a few minutes of peace and quiet, I think I'd like to visit this incredible lodge in southern Chile. 

It's a structure with a waterfall at the top, moss and vine-covered rooms, and hot tubs carved from tree trunks. Plus you have to walk across a little monkey bridge to get to it! :) 

A perfect little summer or winter escape, don't you think?





Here's another meditation escape to try.

Curious Yoga Beginners (What Questions Are You Asking on the Mat?)

/
Photos via Urban Yoga Girl on Tumblr. 

As a beginner, yoga leaves you asking a lot of questions.


They can range from questions about your physical practice to deeper emotional or mental insights.

Photo via Urban Yoga Girl on Tumblr.


Am I doing this right?
How's my alignment in this posture?
Why does it hurt? Does this hurt too much?
Am I capable of trying this posture? How can I do yoga if I am not flexible?
Will I lose weight if I keep up with yoga?
Are there other people staring at me?


Photo via Miss Fit Bliss.

Why am I here?
What is my intention for practicing yoga today?
What can I let go of?


Introspection is at the heart of yoga. The key is learning how to question without judgment, and remembering to enjoy the journey, the process of yoga, instead of focusing on any difficulty within a present moment. 


You begin to learn that as you are patient with yourself and your body, and as you are open to what is true for you in the present, the answers will come.


Photo via Hearts Expanding. 

Which questions have you found yourself asking on the mat?


Do you have questions about a specific style of yoga? Here are a few links to some FAQ and general info pages to help you find answers: