Compassion towards Mother Earth

This week marked the annual observance of Earth Day. With all of the marketing around this event, it simply reinforces a wonderful principle or guideline to follow and that is Ahimsa or non-harming. We hear it so much in relation to being kind to ourselves and our fellow man and showing kindness towards animals. But we can't forget about showing loving kindness to our home.

There are so many simple ways that you can help reduce our collective planetary carbon footprint, like recycling, composting, changing to energy efficient lightbulbs, etc. If you are feeling really resourceful, check out your local library or bookseller for books and activities on how you can go "green."

As a yogi, you can practice Ahimsa during your yoga session with a few of the following suggestions, along with helpful links:

1) Give up bottled water. How many of those plastic bottles end up in landfills? According to the Sierra Club, 1.5 million barrels of oil are used to make plastic water bottles. Switch to a PVC free stainless steel water bottle and fill it with tap water. http://www.kleankanteen.com/

2) Change out your PVC yoga mat for an eco mat. I, for one, have used the traditional yoga mats you find at Target, etc and have stopped using it in favor of my rubber yoga mat from Jade. I love it! It gives me more stability and cushioning, plus, I'm helping the environment. No need to throw out the old yoga mat though. Repurpose is as a lining in your car trunk, under a litter box or potted plant, etc. http://www.jadeyoga.com/store/home.php

3) Practice in organic cotton, hemp or bamboo clothing. http://acaciacatalog.com/default.asp, http://acaciacatalog.com/default.asp, http://www.gaiam.com/

4) Use a recycled bag to carry your yoga mat or clothes. These can also be used for grocery shopping too to replace plastic or paper bags. I used these and love them!!! http://www.envirosax.com/

I hope you find these suggestions helpful. It's definitely a step in the right direction as we take care of ourselves and our momma...earth.

Namaste,

Susan

Spotlight on the Spine

Lately I've been getting many "messages" about the spine, mainly the lumbar spine or the lower back. Whether it's feeling tight in my own body or hearing about other people's major back issues, I thought I would focus this week's blog on the all important back.

"You are only as young as your spine." One yoga teacher and maybe more have said this over time. And isn't it true. When you are in devasting back pain don't you feel like you are 106? But when your back is feeling strong and healthy, it's like we're kids again and we can do anything. The health of the spine is so important to the overall health of your body. And this includes the strength of the abdominals as well.

On the positive side, our bodies are all interconnected. On the negative side, our bodies are all interconnected. Meaning if you are misaligned in your back somewhere, you will feel it elsewhere in your body. Like skipping a stone on a pond, the ripple effects extend out. For example, let's say you have a problem in your lower back. If not addressed, you could begin to have pain and misalignment that could travel up your spine causing pain in your shoulders, neck, jaw and head. In addition, it can travel down your body causing pain in your hips, knees and feet. All because one thing is out of whack.

Do you see how important it is to address the problem right from the beginning? Do you see how important it is to stay physically fit and exercise on a regular basis? I'll say it again. You are only as young as your spine. So start today. You don't have to have a major yoga practice to benefit from yoga. You can incorporate simple poses like twists or back strengtheners like cobra or sphinx pose into your daily stretches. There are lots of gentle stretches you can do to keep your spine healthy and supple as you age. And by keeping your spine healthy, you create a stronger abdominal core. Keeping these bones and muscles strong and flexible allows you to grow older gracefully. And you'll still feel like a kid, even if you don't look like one.

Namaste,

Susan

Surrender

“I’ve learned to trust what I call the Braille method of living – relinquishing grand plans and schemes in favor of an intuitive approach, feeling my way from tree to tree, relinquishing my attempts to control the world and learning, instead, to trust a discerning surrender.”
Stephen Cope

I've been using this beautiful quote in my yoga classes this week. It really resonated with me at this time of year as I contemplate this faith-filled time of Easter and Passover. What does it mean to surrender? For some, it depicts weakness, resignation or giving up, but for me, surrendering marks that pivotal point when deep down you know that you need to call on something higher to get you through. To surrender means you allow something to be sacrficed so it can be transformed into something "better."

Is there something in your life that you need to surrender? Do you need to let go of mental or emotional habits that are keeping you stuck? Do you need to let go of physical habits that are keeping your body from feeling it's blissfully best? Do you need to surrender a relationship that is no longer feeding you? What do you need to lay on the perverbial "alter"so you can be free from what is holding you down?

From this standpoint, surrendering is not such a bad or scary thing. If you are willing to let go to get something more beautiful, wouldn't you do it?

Have a wonderful and safe Easter or Passover holiday. Enjoy the spring. Enjoy your family.

Love and Light,
Susan

Asana Spotlight: Tree Pose

As a yogi, I may not be the most flexible person in the universe, but I do love the balancing poses, whether they be hand balances or balancing on one leg. And so one of my favorite poses of all time is Tree Pose or Vrksasana (vrik-SHASH-anna) It's deceptively challenging but a beautiful pose if you can hold it even for a few seconds.

This pose aides in focus and balance (literally and figuratively). It's a nice grounding pose, so if you are having a stressful or chaotic day and need to take the time to get grounded, to harness leaking energy and bring it back into your heart center, Tree pose is an excellent way to do this. As with many yoga poses, it's a balance of opposites. You ground down through your feet into the earth as you stretch up towards the sky. (This is me in Vrksasana)

Benefits of Vrksasana:

• Strengthens thighs, calves, ankles and spine



• Stretches the groins and inner thighs, chest and shoulders



• Improves sense of balance



• Relieves sciatica and reduces flat feet

Contraindications or Cautions:

• Headache



• Insomnia



• Low blood pressure



• High blood pressure (Don't raise arms overhead)
  

With all the beautiful blooming trees around, I hope that you will incorporate this pose into your practice. When you focus on your breath and still your mind in this pose, it's bound to bring more stability and groundedness in an otherwise fast-paced world.

The attached link will help you get into the pose.

http://www.yogajournal.com/poses/496

Blessings,

Susan

Cleaning House

While the weather outside may not necessarily reflect it, spring is here. It's a great time to clean your house, purge things you no longer need or use and get organized. But it's also a great time to clean your figurative house...your body. It's time to throw out the trash so why not take this time to toss what no longer is serving you....junk food, soft drinks, negative thinking.

I recently received a nice email of simple ways to welcome the spring, courtesy of Yoga Journal:

1) Shed the winter weight by adopting a vigorous vinyasa home practice. If you don't know what vinyasa yoga is, there are many classes offered in studios around town. Vinyasa is linking the breath with movement. You'll create lots of heat in the body and begin to burn off those toxins and unwanted pounds.

2) Incorporate a twisting sequence in your practice for an internal cleanse. Twists aide digestion and massage the internal organs. They are also a great way to get the kinks out.

3) Try a juice fast to reset your digestive system. If you are new to cleanses or fasts, definitely consult your doctor first and research the appropriate cleanse for you. If you are new to it, try it for one day, where you take in only liquids: juices, vegetable broths, herbal teas and 8-10 glasses of water. Maybe you can build to 3 days. If this seems too extreme, try #4

4) Incorporate the bounty of nature, but eating more fruits and vegetables and "simple" foods and weaning yourself off of junk food, fast food, food drowning in gravy or cream...you get the idea.

Embracing some simple yogic techniques can help you celebrate this season of rebirth and possibilities. So get out there. Enjoy the weather, breathe in fresh air, practice yoga and be happy.

Blessings,
Susan

http://www.yogajournal.com/newsletter/myj_353.html

Walking Meditation

As the weather gets warmer, I find I do want to spend more time outdoors...and not just outside, but outside in nature. I love shedding my winter clothes and my body loves feeling the light and warmth of the coming summer months. One way you can take your yoga practice outside is by going on a meditation walk.

If you can find a nice trail or even path, walking mindfully outside is a great way to incorporate your yoga and mediation practice into your hectic schedule. It's easy to do but deceptively difficult too. It's walking with complete awareness of each step and being mindful of the breath as it comes in and out. And as you focus on your breath, you begin to focus on your thoughts and the dialogue or chatter that comes up as well. Being mindful of each step, you begin to slow down your monkey mind and become completely absorbed in the sound of your breath or the sounds of nature and trees all around you. You may even silently say a mantra to yourself as you walk.

With the budding of new life flourishing all around you, take your practice outside. If you walk with a friend, try to walk in silence for a bit and just enjoy the experience. There are great nature trails all over the city or just walk in your own neighborhood. One of my favorites is Red Bird Hollow, introduced to me during my yoga training. So, enjoy the spring and I hope to see you on the trails AND on your mat.

Namaste,

Susan

A Yogic Spring Forward

It's almost officially spring. Daylight savings has already hit and it's staying lighter a little bit longer. A lot of people take this time to do a little spring cleaning in their homes and offices, but what about a little spring cleaning for your body, for your mind and your spirit? If you are feeling like you've failed at your attempts for a New Year's Resolution, why not change your intentions and take a spring forward, yoga style?

Yoga studios do stay open during the warmer months for those yogis who must get their fix to stay toned, vibrant and healthy through the spring and summer months. But it's also a fabulous time for beginners to put their big toe in the water and try a class or for novice yogis who want to try a different style of yoga or try a class that's completely different from what they've been doing.

Why do I suggest this? Because there is a strange phenomenon that occurs every year when it gets warmer. People naturally want to spend more time outdoors and they start to abandon their practice. They stop doing what was helping them feel so good in the first place and go on to other things. And the yoga studios have smaller class sizes or must cancel classes altogether.

So, if there are smaller class sizes, then perhaps you won't feel so much fear or angst about trying yoga. There's less pressure there, plus you'll get more personalized attention from the teacher. Now is the time to do it. There are so few things out there we can do for ourselves that are really good and healthy, and yoga is one of them. You'll be rewarding your body with a practice that has been studied for thousands of years and you'll be supporting local studios who need you.

Blessings,

Susan

ps you can also check out my teaching schedule below.

http://www.radiantfitness.com/index.html