yoga for everyone!

was reading kimberly wilson' s yoga/lifestyle blog (i am a big fan of her book, hip tranquil chick, and fab yoga podcast), and she recently highlighted this quote, which rings so true.

yoga is about making friends with life and with yourself. there is no lifestyle, no occupation, no situation that cannot be greatly enhanced by yoga. yoga is not something that should be set apart from one's life. rather it should become the taproot from which the other aspects of your life are nourished and regenerated.
- godfrey devereaux

In several of the yoga classes I've been teaching lately, I have students new to yoga and their newfound excitement and passion for learning more: about yoga, about their body, about life, really lights up the yoga room with positive energy. To see a spirit awakening, to see transformation glowing from within, is so incredible.

I remember when I first had the idea that I should become a yoga teacher, when I was just a new yoga student, taking a weekly yoga class at the Y back in the mid-nineties. One afternoon was sitting on a rock on the edge of a river in New Hampshire, sitting in easy pose, just doing some simple twists, and then sat tall, grounding down in my seat and lifting up in the spine, the crown of my head warmed by the sun. I felt a surge of energy travel up my spine, and right then the thought flashed into my head "i should be a yoga teacher and share this feeling with others." Well, it took me about ten years to start to walk that path, but here i am today.

Not just a yoga teacher, I'm a student as well, taking as many classes as I teach. In my personal practice, I leaned toward power flow / Ashtanga - style. I had taken a Bikram class last spring and the heat (105+ degrees farenheit) just knocked me out, and I thought hot yoga wasn't for me. A few weeks ago I went to a free Sunday class at the Lululemon showroom and the guest teacher was from a Bikram studio. She led us through the Bikram sequence, although the room wasn't heated. It's a whole different story without the heat. Afterwards I talked to her about my inability to deal with the heat, she said, give it two or three tries, and see. Usually it takes just a few sessions to acclimate. Given a free class pass, I went to the Bikram studio. I walked into the heated room with trepidation, thinking I might feel the crushing sensation in my chest I felt the first time, feeling as if I couldn't even breathe. But no. It didn't feel terrible at all. I could breathe deeply, and I felt great. I felt like I had plenty of power to last the entire practice, and to sweat profusely felt amazingly detoxifying. Now I'm hooked! I have doubts that the static Bikram 26-pose sequence will be able to hold my attention in the long run, but my inner thermometer has been reset, and now I love the intensity of the heat, and feel like I'm craving hot yoga every day, and it feels like a lasting addiction.

life, and yoga: full of surprises.

fresh + organic

A Saturday morning highlight for DC and I has been the Morningside Farmer's Market. We had a few ambitious mornings when we biked over (approx. 3 miles?), or we carpool. There are maybe a dozen farmers/vendors that have the most delicious organic produce. Heirloom tomatoes have been AMAZING, along with bell peppers of all colors and sizes. Last week I canned some habeneros and scotch bonnets, a fiery mix to await on a dark shelf until December.

It's amazing how dynamically different and alive the organic farmer's veggies taste compared to what you buy at the store, including Whole Foods. I've also found the costs to be the same if not a bit less. Last week DC bought a whole free-range chicken that he's fixing to grill beer-can style. He's psyched for the taste test (he's tried organic chickens from Kroger, Publix, Whole Foods, and Trader Joe's - I don't eat chicken) to see how this chicken compares. I've also been growing sweet bibb lettuce in containers in our back alley, and its almost ready to be eaten.

In August, we visited my family cottage in the Leelanau Peninsula, Michigan. My family has had a place up there since the 1930s. As you wind away from the lakeshore, you'll find rolling hills of working farms, orchards, and wineries. My parents bought a share in an organic farm this year and we went crazy with just-picked organic tomatillos, carrots, lettuce, tomatoes, fresh eggs, cucumbers, potatos, everything just so delicious, every week a new haul. We also went into Traverse City on a Saturday for their Farmer's Market, and it was huge. Seriously, there were probably 100 vendors, including several Amish farms, and everything from flowers, honey, cherries, (Cherry Capital of the World) corn, veggies of every variety. I guess these experiences really reignited our passion for finding outstanding veggies in our urban existence.

We've made the choice that in this current freaky and scary economic climate, that we are going to take pleasure in simple things. No matter what, we are going to eat healthy, good foods that nurture body and soul. Clearly, I'm all about de-stressing with yoga...come join me anytime.

visit the Morningside Market
go early!

do you need an eco yoga mat?

do you know what your mat is made of?

If you are not using an eco-yoga mat, which are a fairly new, non-vinyl concoction, your yoga mat is made of vinyl or PVC, a petroleum-based, non-renewable source, which continues to give off gases throughout its existence.

Vinyl contains phthalates, or plasticizers, which have been linked to a host of health risks, including damage to the liver, lungs, and reproductive system. Phthalates, which can be inhaled or absorbed through the skin, have veen banned from some products by the European Union , but not by the US or Canada.

Eco-mats are made with other materials, such as polymer envrionmental resin, natural rubber, or blends containing natural fibers such as jute. They are free of heavy metals. And being biodegradable, they'll revert to their origins at the end of their lifecycle.

source: envionmnet.about.com; PVCFree.org; Grist.org

Hafiz Rocks!

Suspended Blue Ocean

The sky
Is a suspended blue ocean.
The stars are the fish
That swim.

The planets are the white whales
I sometimes hitch a ride on,

And the sun and all light
Have forever fused themselves

Into my heart and upon
My skin.

There is only one rule
On this Wild Playground,

For every sign Hafiz has ever seen
Reads the same.

They all say,

"Have fun, my dear; my dear, have fun,
In the Beloved's Divine
Game,

O, in the Beloved's
Wonderful Game."


From: 'The Subject Tonight Is Love'  translated by Daniel Ladinsky

Men's Yoga Workshop: Smart Guys do Yoga

Mens' Yoga Workshop, Wednesday, September 17th, 5:15 - 6:15 pm, @ Rejuvenate, in the Sun Trust Gardens Building, Lobby Floor, Downtown Atlanta. Parking Garage under the building.

Guys, here's an opportunity to give this "yoga thing" a try. I've designed this Power Yoga workshop to explore your dynamic power, balance and finesse, as well as destress and unwind. Yoga is an excellent complement to any sports or fitness activities you are already doing.

You will sweat. You will test your body. I promise, yoga won't kill you, it will make you stronger, and a more mindful, enlightened dude. There will be no judgements. It will be fun!

Special pricing - $10/class includes mat and all materials.

Pre-registration is required for attendance.
Call 404.577.4877 or email info@rejuvenatespas.com to register.

Read "Where are all the men?" in Yoga Journal

brain food

last Friday DC and I walked down the street to the fabulous sushi restaurant in our neighborhood, Wasabi. It is a small, narrow spot, and we were there early, so we had nearly all to ourselves. We are crazy about sushi and for some reason, haven't had it in months. We always get seaweed salad, which is awesome brain-stimulating food that gives you crazy dreams. Then it's on to our recent favorites, amaebi, which is a whole shrimp head, tentacles, eyes, brains and all, flash fried. It's crazy crunchy, with some sweetness to it. We also love tobiko (fish eggs) with a little quail egg on top. For some reason that always makes me think of Dr. Seuss - I guess it's the "green eggs". I could eat tobiko + quail every day. We get a roll I think is called Bulls Eye, and assorted nigiri. We left supersatisfied, and just strolled on home.

If you love sushi, you must go to Wasabi. Sit at the bar. Enjoy.

let your light shine

Our worst fear is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.

It is our Light, not our darkness, that most frightens us.

We ask ourselves: Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented or fabulous? Well, actually, who are you not to be?

You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you.

We were born to make manifest the glory of God within us - it is in everyone.

And as we let our Light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.

As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.

-Marianne Williamson

read this over, and over, and over, until it is embedded in your heart.

yoga news: yoga makes you feel groovy

How does yoga improve mental health?

On a physical level, yoga postures are designed to massage the internal organs, increasing and decreasing blood flow to targeted areas. This circulates the blood and lymph, thus removing stale bodily fluids from vital organs and helping flush toxins. The physical movement can also stimulate certain hormones and neurotransmitters, leading to positive feelings and emotions.

Additionally, according to the Eastern medical model, yoga exercises are also designed to specifically move the “prana” or life force energy in the body (traditional Oriental medicine calls this “chi”). Keeping this life force fresh and alive is vital to well-being, according to Eastern philosophy.

Yoga poses stimulate certain aspects of the body's energetic system, comprised of “chakras” (energy centers) and “nadis” (the yogic term for “meridians” or energy channels). As stuck prana is moved and energized, old emotional wounds manifesting as blockages in the energy centers and channels can be released. This may explain why so many yoga practitioners experience a sense of emotional release from practicing certain poses, such as a spontaneous expression of tears, providing a sense of extreme relief and peace afterwards.

The special breathing exercises that go along with yoga (called “pranayama”) also serve to energize the body by bringing fresh quantities of prana in through the breath. These breathing exercises can also alleviate anxiety and create a sense of calm and well-being.

from naturalnews.com, read more...

new downtown yoga class

Starting in September, I will be teaching yoga again at Rejuvenate in the Sun Trust Building. I'm glad to be back on the schedule at this innovative spa/studio, and their yoga room has the best view of downtown Atlanta!

Wednesday nights, 6 to 7 pm, Rejuvenate, Sun Trust Building, Lobby Floor.
Parking garage underneath the building.

check out the Rejuvenate site

lululemon free yoga

i taught last Sunday's free yoga session at the lululemon Morningside showroom. It is such a fabulous resource - free yoga! every Sunday, 10:30 to 11:30, with guest teachers from studios all over Atlanta.

The room was packed and the vibe was upbeat. I am going to try to fit it into my schedule when possible -- I often have private clients on the weekend. Bring your mat, come early for a spot, and enjoy quality, FREE, yoga!

directions to lululemon atlanta

sage naturalceuticals, organic body+beauty boutique in atlanta

This Saturday I was walking around my neighborhood, Castleberry Hill, and I stopped into a little store I've been meaning to visit: sage naturalceuticals. Cindy, the owner, has made a bright, welcoming shop full of organic products: haircare, skincare, bodycare, perfumes, and soy candles. I bought a John Masters Organic detangler, citrus and neroli (smells aaamazing). Next I'm going to try a Pacifica solid soy perfume. And if I need a gift soon, I'm definitely buying a Skeem candle, blended soy in gorgeous silkscreened glasses that can be reused. Stop by the store- there's lots of testers to try - or shop online - I highly recommend it!

Sage Naturalceuticals

design your own eco-yoga mat

yogamatic.com

now you can design the graphics to inspire you on your yoga mat! As a designer, this is right up my alley. You upload your image, a .jpg or .tif file, and it is printed on an eco-friendly yoga mat.

Brilliant!

anti-aging, upside down

Aging: flip it and reverse it.

After years of combating gravity, all the organs, especially the heart and the rest of the circulatory system, grow sluggish, which results in less nourishment to our cells and leaves us vulnerable to heart disease, fatty deposits in the blood vessels, varicose veins, and other effects of aging.

Though the effects of gravity are inevitable, we can do a great deal to counteract their impact. Like the original yogis, we can cleverly beat gravity at its own game by turning the body upside down. This simple action benefits the whole body. Early yoga masters stressed the importance of inversions and said that Headstand and Shoulderstand could conquer old age. Entry-level inversions: downward facing dog, or a half-headstand on the wall, or simply lying down with the legs up against the wall.

I was terrified of headstand for many years. For a while I even thought my head was too pointy to balance on. I would get into position against a wall, but I was scared to kick up -- I always thought I'd come crashing down. Then, a few years ago I had a breakthrough. I think partially it was due to better arm/core strength - the head is no factor, and also a moment of alignment enlightenment. Now I'm working on balancing unsupported, anywhere. My friend Alison, who lives out in Colorado, does a headstand on top of every mountain she climbs. Soon, that will be my peak ritual too. Hiking + headstand: beats any anti-aging remedy.

yoga shown to positively affect your genes

Researchers have discovered how meditation and yoga improve health, reports The Washington Post. "It's not all in your head," said Dr. Herbert Benson, president emeritus of the Benson-Henry Institute for Mind/Body Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital and an associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School. "What we have found is that when you evoke the relaxation response, the very genes that are turned on or off by stress are turned the other way. The mind can actively turn on and turn off genes. The mind is not separated from the body."

"We all are under stress and have many manifestations of that stress," Benson added. "To adequately protect ourselves against stress, we should use an approach and a technique that we believe evokes the relaxation response 20 minutes, once a day." - from YogaJournal.com

It always seems when we are "too busy" for yoga, that is when we need it the most. I am going to design a 20 minute yoga routine and post it here on my blog in the next few weeks. Surely we can carve out 20 minutes to rejuvenate and refresh amidst a chaotic day.

free yoga this sunday

this sunday, august 10th, 10:30 - 11:30 am, I will be teaching a FREE yoga class at Lululemon Atlanta! Bring a mat, bring a friend!

Directions to lulemon atlanta morningside showroom

start with a smile...

nuture yourself

in times of uncertainty, rather than stressing about what you can't control, find peace in simple things: nature, laughter, family and friends. It's also especially important to take some time to nuture your body and spirit.

i took my own advice the other night and booked a massage with Atlanta's best masseuse, Jeanetta Lambkin of Spa Flow. She has a massage room on Moreland on the outskirts of Little Five Points, or- for a very worthy indulgence, she will come to your home or work. She also will do spa parties. I can't recommend her enough. Every month or so I see her to get all the knots in my shoulders worked out, she's super professional, and has the magic touch. I also love the massage lotion she uses, it isn't greasy so you don't leave oily -just super loose, mellow, well-moisturized. The perfect attitude adjustment!
check out Spa Flow's website

staying hydrated

approximately 55 -65% of your body weight is water. Proper balance between water and electrolytes determines how our body functions. Staying hydrated is extremely important, especially when exercising in the summer. A few facts:

watery foods, such as soup, yogurt, and fruits (an orange is 90% water) count toward your daily water needs.

if you are properly hydrated, you should have to use the bathroom every 2 to 4 hours and your urine should be light in color.

your body hides mild dehydration very well. Headaches and cramping are common late signs of dehydration.

a 2% drop in body water can cause dehydration, and a 3 to 4 percent drop can cause physiologic changes, such as an increase in heart rate and body temperature.

-excerpted from Living Well, Atlanta Medical Center

even keel

when you turn your yoga up a notch, you gravitate towards highly wicking, highly breathable materials. I've got my eye on these shorts by Even Keel.
I dig the foldover top, the color combination (especially a chocolate/pink combo) and they are made of 70% Bamboo / 25% Organic Cotton / 5% Spandex. Sounds luscious. The great thing about bamboo is that it feels cool and silky on your skin and is antimicrobial - it never takes on a sweaty aroma.

Even Keel is a small company run by a yoga teacher, and their line is made in the USA. Check them out!

Atlanta Pet Food Bank

For the past few months, I have had the honor of working with Ann King at Blooming Cookies, a creative cookie/gift company that ships nationwide. We've been working on a line of eco-friendly gifts, which fabulous. Also Blooming Cookies are all-natural, preservative free, in biodegradable wrappers, and very, very, tasty. If you're going to indulge, I recommend the Oatmeal Raisin Cookie.

The Blooming Cookies office is a very dog-friendly environment. Ann is very involved in Animal Rescue and there's always a posse of dogs with her. Just a few weeks ago, after hearing that folks in Atlanta are abandoning their pets because they can no longer afford their food and care, that Animal Rescue and Control facilities are beyond capacity, she rallied pet rescue groups, volunteers, and pet businesses to support a brand-new Pet Food Bank. Donations are accepted at many companies and shelters around Atlanta, and the food is distributed at PALS Atlanta for needy pet owners. Support already has been huge, and Ann was on WSBTV news last night, drawing more attention to the issue.

More information on how to donate, volunteer, or pick up pet food: See "Animal Activism"
WSBTV clip

advanced yoga classes

Currently I have been teaching some group yoga classes that are "open" level, with students ranging from brand-new to yoga to more advanced students, all coming to the mat with different expectations and goals for the hour. You don't want beginners to be overwhelmed, nor do you want advanced students to be bored. The challenge for me as a teacher is to find a happy place for everyone: getting newbies aware of foundation poses safely, and cuing more advanced students on finessing their practice further and providing more difficult modifications. The great thing about yoga is, that no matter how an advanced/flexible/strong yogi you are, there is always something new to learn. It could be a new pose, it could be uniting your breath with flowing movements, it could be patience, with yourself or other students. Every moment, every day of practice is different.

This article from the NY Times addresses the need for separate, advanced level yoga classes: Yogi, Take Me to a Higher Place. My suggestion, if you're not finding the challenges you crave in regular studio classes: rally a few like-minded yogis and schedule a private session package with me. We could meet monthly, bimonthly, whatever works with your schedule, and work the advanced poses you are missing in class. I can also put together a sequence so you can keep working on the advanced poses at home.

yoga one-on-one

why take private yoga lessons? here's 2 compelling reasons:

it's all about you.

In your private lessons, I create an entire sequence of poses that are tailored to your specific needs, on that particular day. If you are the mood for relaxation and stretching, then that will be the session's goal. If you want to be challenged with balancing poses or powerful poses, those are options as well. There is more time for me to answer questions and to provide you with more hands-on adjustments in a private setting.

convenience.

Your lessons can take place in a studio, in your home, or at your office, on your schedule. Private lessons are good for students who can't fit public classes in their schedules, have physical conditions that need special attention, want to progress faster, or just prefer the comfort of privacy.

recycle, cut + sew

when i'm not teaching/doing yoga, i'm usually creating and making stuff. In 2004, on a whim, I started a business called teddylux cashmere, based on teddy bears I was making from recycled cashmere sweaters. I sell online and locally around Atlanta. In 2006 I shot an episode of the HGTV show "That's Clever", showing how I make a bear. It aired in 2007. In 2007 I was commissioned to create a custom cashmere polar bear for the Coca Cola Museum store in Atlanta. In 2008 I added a line of recycled cashmere headbands, glitzed with vintage rhinestones and reworked costume jewelry. This spring I changed the bear shape to the cuties you see here, and added elephants and bunnies to the mix.

Everything I make at teddylux cashmere is recycled, one-of-a-kind, and earth friendly. I have always been so fortunate to have a core group of customers who value handmade gifts. If you are looking for a unique gift for a new baby, child, or girlfriend, please take a look at teddylux!

farmer's markets in atlanta

this morning my husband and i rode our bikes to the Piedmont Park Green Market. It's on Saturdays, and features local organic produce, breads, pastas, cheeses, honey, granola, and more. The market was buzzing with people shopping organic and supporting local farmers and artisans.

Normally I have private clients on Saturdays, but i had today off, so it was a special treat to bike on over to the Park, shop the market, and do a lap around the park. We bought some tasty looking tomatoes from 2 Doves Farm and a big bunch of basil and cucumber from another organic farm. We're going to make a killer cucumber salad, and I'm going to put some of the tomato on portobello burgers we're grilling Sunday night.

I found this resource, georgia organics, for a list of farmer's markets in Atlanta - there's a lot!

lululemon atlanta

have you been to the lululemon store in atlanta? it is a mini-showroom on Highland Avenue in Morningside, not quite a full store, but they carry plenty of options for yoga tops, pants, and activewear. They use technical, sturdy, stretchy, wicking fabrics, and welcome feedback on how to make their gear even better. lululemon is rather pricey but their items definitely wear well, and of course I am in yoga gear as much as possible!

Recently I've been wearing the groove pant, which has a colorblock waistband on one side, and solid black on the other - it's reversible. At first, I thought the reversible concept was silly, but now I love it. I'm also trying out an ujiyaii tank and an organic cotton tank.
I'm hoping that more yogis and fitness folks shop the store so it can expand into a full-blown store with the full lululemon line - they don't sell online.

A fabulous thing about lululemon atlanta is that they offer free weekly pilates + yoga classes every weekend, often led by studios around town. They also offer free health-centric workshops to the community - i went to a very groovy one in May on journal writing. The philosophy behind the company, based out of Canada, is very uplifting and empowering... check out their manifesto.

check out lululemon in atlanta. my friend from teacher training, Missy, is usually working there, and she'll get you all set up with what you need. It's so important to be comfortable in your yoga clothes!

out of the darkness, into the light

When I'm not teaching, and I take a class as a student, I've been tending to really enjoy an intense, challenging, power/Ashtanga blend practice. Which means sweating like crazy during class. I ride my bike there in the Atlanta heat, so I'm hot before we even get started. Afterwards, I'm walking on air - I can feel a marked difference in my body- more space in areas where there was tension before.

My parents gave me a Yogitoes Deity Towel for my birthday. Yogitoes are great for any practice where you generate a lot of heat, or if you tend to have slippery palms. Topside is towelling and the backside is covered in eco-friendly silicone nubs that grip your yoga mat so it stays well anchored. My Yogitoes is silkscreened in gold with the image of Kali Ma, up at the top, for your drishti, or focus point. Kali Ma is The Black Goddess who takes the darkness away from devotees who strives in the path of perfection. A portion of the proceeds from the Deity towels, and there's a rainbow of colors and gods/goddesses, goes to various international charitable organizations. I've been "needing" a Yogitoes for a while now, making do with a little camp towel, and instead of snapping one up, I waited for my birthday, so it would be a special treat, reminding me of my fab parents, and useful gift.

I believe, that as people are becoming more conscious in their consumer choices, that they are going to be more selective in their purchases, and look for products that are meaningful to them. Eco-friendly products are a priority, and also the practices and the values of a company is going to be a greater consideration in purchasing. Overall, I've been trying to purchase less and when I do buy, to buy quality, optimally of an artisanal level made in the USA in a conscious way, maintaining what I have by reworking, reusing and recycling. It seems like this movement is growing, and I think that is a positive change.

staying hip + tranquil in the heat

ah, summertime in Atlanta. Hot, hot, hot. Steamy, steamy, steamy. I've been riding my bike a lot to teach classes and it's been so fun. My '82 Benz lacks air-conditioning, so i prefer pedaling through traffic, possibly creating a little breeze, rather than sitting in traffic in a hot car.

fabulous DC-area creativity maven, yogini-businesswoman, and eco-yoga-clothing designer Kimberley Wilson, "The Hip Tranquil Chick" (check her out, she's so inspiring) recently blogged about staying relaxed and happy in the summer heat. Her suggestions:

- drink oodles of water
- don fabulous sunglasses
- wear a flowy dress
- enjoy the complimentary hot yoga
- apply waterproof mascara
- surround yourself with people who make you laugh
- go for a swim
- stay locked up in AC with a yummy book (for an even better dose of tranquility, add in a yummy cupcake)
- don open-toe shoes and get a pedi
- drink more water
- eat a yummy spinach salad with strawberries
- focus on all you have to be grateful for
- call someone you love and thank them for being in your life
- meditate on a comfy cushion
- write it out in your journal

for me, i love to eat tons of fresh fruit - i just got a big bag of cherries, which I'm hoping came from northern Michigan, near where my cottage is - they grow the most and best cherries in the US.

I also tend to make a lot of fruit smoothies. I worked at a vegetarian restaurant many, many years ago and came away with this simple recipe:
in a strong blender,put
organic apple juice (approx. 3-4 cups)
1 banana
handful of frozen fruit of your choice: cherries, blueberries, strawberries, mangoes
a few teaspoons of organic vanilla yogurt
Blend well. Take a test taste. If you want more sweetness, drizzle in some honey or agave nectar and reblend. Also, for a thicker smoothie, add a few ice cubes.

yum.

independence

this july 4th i declared myself independent of clutter. my zodiac sign is cancer, and i have been a collector and also tend to feel sentimental about all the things i've collected over the years. I'm also big on recycling, and an artist/designer, so i've always got lots of craft materials around, and tend to hold onto things that i can rework and reuse later. My husband has been known to complain (rightfully, unfortunately) that I've covered every surface with stuff.

as i studied yoga philosophy in the past few years, i tried to be more mindful of letting go, non-grasping. The past few months, I have gotten more aggressive with weighing what i have/need and weeding out many, many things - donating to charity. My parents just moved out of the family home of 40 years and we had so much stuff to go through, things that were held onto for years and years but never really used, it sparked me to go through what my husband and I have and reassess.

it feels really good to look across our loft (it's mostly one big, wide, open space, after all) and just see LESS. It feels relaxing, peaceful, and freeing.

the battle for independence over clutter is looking positive- this is a work in progess...

deeper backbends

I was watching the Olympic Women's Gymnastic Trials a few weeks ago and was so blown away with the amazing balance, and especially flexibility of the young gymnasts. The arches in their backs are so amazing, they are practically folding in half. Great flexibility in my back has always been a challenge for me. It is easier for me to be flexible in my hamstrings and legs, and I need to spend more time backbending.

Maybe you've been in a yoga class and looked around and seen fellow yogis in some really fabulous wheel poses. Greater flexibility in backbends just takes practice, according to Yoga Journal. The only way to learn a new pattern in the body and mind is to practice it consistently. And it's important not to force a biggie right off the bat. Start small, breathe, and gently test your edge. Repeat regularly. Do backbends that feel appropriate to you as often as possible.

Yoga Journal had this advice that I found interesting: Incorporate backbends into your daily life. You can do small backbends—like clasping your hands behind your back, lifting your chest, and simply stretching—while sitting in your chair at work, waiting for the train, or standing in line at the grocery store.

so easy! i just backbended right now!

yoga for seasonal allergies

ah, springtime in atlanta. the good news is the trees are blooming beautifully. the bad news is the trees are blooming beaurifully and spreading pollen everywhere. it's so thick here anything outside is carpeted in green pollen dust. sometimes i can feel a burn in my throat when i take a deep inhale outside. lots of us are feeling sinus blockage and breathing issues with seasonal springtime allergies.

yoga can alleviate some allergy symptoms. i'm going to share a few, starting with the most mellow:

supported savasana: lay flat on your back on your mat. place a bolster (see my sidebar for purchasing this prop if you don't have one - they're heavenly) under the spine. the bolster should run from the lower back up to your head so your head is supported. hips are on the floor. spread the arms out in a t, palms up. you should feel gently supported and can relax in this for a long time. the bolster helps to open the chest, and gently allows you to stretch the abdominal muscles, intercostal muscles of the side body, and the diaphragm, which helps breathing.

supported shoulderstand: see detailed description of this pose at Yoga Journal. shoulderstands and inversions open the nasal passages for improved drainage.

backbends:bridge or camel, for example, expand the chest and lungs, increasing breathing capacity

other options include using an eye pillow. (see sidebar at the right to purchase one) ususally filled with organic flax seed and a bit of lavender. lay down in savasana, or in bed and drape the pillow over the eyes and bridge of the nose. relax for 5 - 15 minutes. i find the gentle pressure on my sinuses is really soothing.

also, try a neti pot or nasal wash with saline solution. you can buy these at CVS. for me, it took a few tries to run the liquid through my sinuses instead of down my face, but it's a lifesaver during allergy season.

will eat for world peace

when i went through my teacher training at Peachtree Yoga, we students spent a lot of long lunches at various veggie-friendly establishments around Sandy Springs. one of my favorites is the World Peace Cafe, located at 220 Hammond Drive NE
Suite 302, City Walk, Sandy Springs. It is volunteer-run by the Rameshori Buddhist Center, so the chance that a Buddhist monk dining nearby is high. The cafe is light-filled and has some beautiful large-scale murals, and the vibe is happy and relaxing.

I think the Peace Burger is delicious. I'd love the recipe - apparently it involves grains and veggies. I like to have the Peace Burger salad, which is a lovely mixed-green salad with a burger on top - best of both worlds. To warsh it all down, (east-coast spelling intentional) my favorite options are either 1. a mock mint julep - so summery refreshing yum, or 2. Velvet tea, which is perfect if it's chilly or rainy. The Velvet tea is made by The Art of Tea, a luxury tea outfit from California, and has chocolate or cocoa nibs in it, and is truly plush, organic, and caffeine free. the menu is much more extensive, but i tend to find a favorite and stick with it. i recommend sitting upstairs - if you haven't been yet, do check it out soon.

ode to boo and spooky

we have 3 dogs, all of them rescue dogs, two are "sisters", beautiful junkyard shar pei pit bull mixes that someone in our neighborhood abused and then abandoned. Despite their bad reputation, Doug took them in about 7 years ago, (we were dating at the time) and they were mean, mean, mean. Strangely enough, their names were Petite and Babette. Doug changed their names to a more befitting Spooky and Boo. Upon meeting me, Spooky promptly bit me in the leg - from behind- a sneak attack. Luckily things went uphill from there and with a stable home, regular meals, nature hikes, and lots of love, the girls have mellowed out considerably. A sneak attack is more like dogbreathy licking. Dog #3 is a ridiculous Katrina rescue puppy, a small wirehaired terrier mix that runs circles around the big girls. More on him later.

our dogs expand my heart constantly. this quote, by the Dalai Lama, on people, animals, and our big, happy planet:

the creatures that inhabit this earth--be they human beings or animals--are here to contribute, each in its own particular way, to the beauty and prosperity of the world.

cultivating consciousness

reading today's "daily insight" email from the definitive yoga magazine, Yoga Journal, i was reminded of how rewarding and powerful yoga is, and how taking yoga off the mat into everyday life can positively affect many.

from the daily insight:

Our yoga practice can have a positive impact on our lives because it constantly asks us to become more sensitive, more conscious, and more aware of our bodies, minds, feelings, and emotions. As our sensitivity increases, life becomes more rich and enjoyable because we can taste the unique flavor of each individual moment. More important, we also become more aware of what moves us toward our dharma, or life path, and what takes us away from it. This awareness makes us clearer and more peaceful, more able to elegantly handle life's endless dilemmas without feeling overwhelmed or fearful. As a result, we become more effective in all of our actions, and our presence begins to inspire and bring out the best in people around us.

The awareness that we develop on the yoga mat, though seemingly small, affects all that is. As we become more aware in our yoga practice and in our lives, as we move away from force and violence and toward sensitivity, feeling, and awareness, we change our individual consciousness and actions. In turn, these changes influence the consciousness and the actions of everyone we meet.

Slowly, we shift the direction the world is taking.

As we practice each asana, whether it be a challenging twist such as Ardha Matsyendrasana II (Half Lord of the Fishes II Pose) or a simple standing pose such as Tadasana (Mountain Pose), we have the opportunity to become the embodiment of peace and to make our practice a prayer for harmony in the world.

i keep reading this over and over. the peaceful revolution can start with you and your yoga. wow, huh?

warmheartedness

In October of 2007, Emory University in Atlanta welcomed the Dalai Lama as an Emory University presidential distinguished professor. My husband Doug and I went to see his wonderful lecture at Centennial Park. All day it threatened to rain, which was unfortunate because the program was outside in the park. Ultimately, the skies were ominously dark, but it didn't rain. His Holiness the Dalai Lama was truly charming. He spoke of "warmheartedness" as the way to cultivate inner peace and happiness, and then reflecting that spirit to the world to foster peace.

My awesome friend Barb gave me a page-a-day calendar of Insights from the Dalai Lama, with a new concept to consider every day. I'm saving so many of them and putting them in my journal. This one reminded me of his speech:

"It is quite simple: if you do not smile at people, but frown at them, they respond similarly, don't they? If you deal with other people in a very sincere, open way, they behave similarly. Everybody wants to have friends and does not want enemies. The proper way to create friends is to have a warm heart, not simply money or power."

can yoga make you taller?

one of my yoga students' favorite sequences involves laying on the back and deeply stretching one leg at a time with a yoga strap. The sensation immediately following the stretch is that the leg is lengthened. Lengthening and extending through the spine is also a common theme in classes. Certainly I've walked out of many classes, as a teacher and as a student, walking taller and feeling lighter in my body.

can yoga make you taller? In subtle ways, yes. What makes up a person's height is largely the length of bones. And yoga cannot lengthen the bones (although weight-bearing poses may prevent bone loss). But, certain yoga positions help stretch and elongate your spine. This in turn creates space in the spine and with continued practice, you develop muscle memory and lengthened alignment, and you will most likely appear taller.

Perhaps more importantly, yoga also creates body awareness, and you'll notice how to carry yourself, how you stand and sit naturally and this factor alone will increase your awareness of your own posture. With continued yoga practice and more body awareness, you feel how you can breathe more deeply, more easily with strong, tall, posture. The difference between slouching and caving in around the lungs and heart, contrasting to positively opening the chest and extending in the torso are great to a practicing yogi. It becomes natural to have good posture and walk taller.

tuneup your mind/body fitness with yoga

Physical Benefits of Yoga
Gain Flexibility: Stretching your tight body in new ways will help it to become more flexible, bringing greater range of motion to muscles and joints. Over time, you can expect to gain flexibility in your hamstrings, back, shoulders, and hips.

Build Strength: Many yoga poses require you to support the weight of your own body in new ways, including balancing on one leg (such as in Tree Pose or supporting yourself with your arms (such as in Downward Facind Dog). Some sequences require you to move slowly in and out of poses, or hold them for a while, which also increases strength.

Tone Muscle: As a by-product of getting stronger, you can expect to see increased muscle tone. Yoga helps shape long, lean muscles.

Lose Weight: If you are practicing a vigorous, flowing yoga style regularly, you can lose weight.

Pain Prevention: Increased flexibility and strength can help prevent the causes of some types of back pain. Many people who suffer from back pain spend a lot of time sitting at a computer or driving a car. That can cause tightness and spinal compression, which you can begin to release with yoga. Yoga also improves your body alignment, both in and out of class, which helps prevent many other types of pain.

Better Breathing: Most of us breathe very shallowly into the lungs and don’t give much thought to how we breathe. Yoga breathing exercises, called Pranayama, focus the attention on the breath and teach us how to better use our lungs, which benefits the entire body. Certain types of breathwork can also help clear the nasal passages and even calm the central nervous system, which has both physical and mental benefits.

Mental Benefits of Yoga
Mental Calmness: Yoga practice encourages listening to your body and feeling sensations of stretching, extending, bending, lifting, and dynamically moving. Focusing on what your body is doing has the effect of bringing a calmness to the mind. Yoga also incorporates meditation techniques, such as watching how you breathe and disengagement from your thoughts, which help calm the mind.

Stress Reduction: Physical activity is good for relieving stress, and this is particularly true of yoga. Because of the concentration required, your daily troubles, both large and small, seem to melt away during the time you are doing yoga. This provides a much-needed break from your stressors, as well as helping put things into perspective. The emphasis yoga places on being in the moment can also help relieve stress, as you learn not to dwell on past events or anticipate the future. You will leave a yoga class feeling less stressed than when you started.

Body Awareness: Doing yoga will give you an increased awareness of your own body. You are often called upon to make small, subtle movements to improve your alignment. Over time, this will increase your level of comfort in your own body. This can lead to improved posture and greater self-confidence. Your outer, and inner strength is more apparent.

Ready to dive deeper? visit totallyoga.com or call (404) 312-4872 and sign up for a demo yoga session or package - we design perfect yoga sessions for your needs, and travel to your location in the Atlanta metro area, at your convenience.

atlanta tornado

i live in downtown Atlanta in a 100+year old former rug factory my husband (with a bit of help from me) developed into our home and work space, a process that took a tremendous amount of blood, sweat, tears, ingenuity, and stamina - and we're still not done yet...

i was shutting my computer down Friday night when I heard some lightning in the area and the power went out. Our dogs are terrified of storms and all three needed to be in the bed or right next to it. Gorgeous but stinky brindle dog Spooky was shivering through the night and kept licking me with her fuzzy-yucky tongue. Once in the night I heard some short bursts of hail.

Woke up in the morning - still no power. My husband hooked up the generator to the fridge and then television and learned a tornado had struck downtown just as we lost power in the evening. The Georgia Dome and CNN, less than a mile from our house, had sustained a large amount of damage, as well as Centennial Park, many downtown buildings and hotels, and residences in nearby Cabbagetown and East Atlanta were affected. We climbed up on our roof and saw the eerie sight of broken windows in many of the downtown skyscrapers, emergency lights flashing, and drapes billowing from broken Westin windows on the highest floors. Later in the afternoon, another tornado watch and some serious hail, and we gathered up the dogs and went down to our basement grotto with candles and waited out a brief storm. It was a long, quiet day. Our power was restored at 10:30 pm.

My mom gave me some prayer flags for my birthday this past summer, a string of colored flags that say peace in several languages. We hung them on the front of our building. They were always getting tangled in the wind and twisted up, when I wish they would hang nicely. But Tibetan lore says when prayer flags flap in the wind, prayers are released out into the world. We were beyond lucky to be just outside the path of the storm, that the elements somehow spared our home and work. I thought maybe the prayer flags had a small part in our good fortune. Now our prayer flags are flying for the rebuilding and revitalization of downtown Atlanta.

corporate yoga

a fabulous trend that has taken hold in Atlanta. Many large businesses having a gym onsite with yoga and exercise classes scheduled in the mornings, at lunchtime, and directly after work hours. I have the privilege of teaching some yoga classes at several of the best corporate gyms in Atlanta. It's so important to schedule some time to sweat, stretch, and dynamically move every day, especially when it's a crazybusy workday. If you can do it in the morning, it gives you a new perspective on the day. If you can get away for a yoga class at lunch, the afternoon runs so much more smoothly! And after work, a yoga class lets you put work concerns behind you and it's a nice transition between work and home life. Write yoga/exercise time into your work week schedule. The gym is just a quick elevator ride down a few floors, and the benefits of recharging positively affect your whole life.

drink.more.water.

one of my 2008 mantras.  in my 20s, i used to be thirsty all the time. i had a nalgene water bottle i was constantly filling up and taking with me everywhere. somehow that trailed off, and now i have to keep reminding myself to hydrate more. some days i am just having a few gulps all day long, and that's troubling.

Water is a curative element for headaches, stomachaches, low-energy levels, and general malaise. It's key to a healthy immune system and for efficient body function. Most of us are walking around dehydrated all the time because of all the sugar and caffeine we consume. Often, when we think we're hungry, we're actually dehydrated!

now i have one of those stainless steel SIGG bottles that i recommend - i like the way water tastes coming from it, very fresh. i guess now there are studies that plastic bottles may leach a bit into the water, which sounds like a bad idea, and stainless is supposed to safer. SIGG has all kinds of groovy silkscreened bottles, and though it's rather expensive for a water vessel, if you are mindful and don't leave it behind at the gym or yoga studio, it will last a long time. According to their website "Using a premium reusable bottle like SIGG greatly helps reduce unnecessary environmental waste caused by plastic PET water bottles. Sadly, Americans add over 30 million plastic water bottles to our nation's landfills – everyday!" On the website you can choose the design you like best with the top that works best for you.

smoothing the wobble

i've battled bouts of shyness since i was a child.  i was a creative, quiet, artistic bookworm, yet i was also athletic, and always part of a team atmosphere.  Mid-gradeschool, i started to cultivate a crazy self-consciousness that's taken me years to shake.  However, I always have been and continue to push myself into situations and towards goals that demand a more gregarious persona than my usual low-key self. I can gather up my resources, cheerlead my inner strength, psych myself up - which sometimes involves a sushi dinner, but most importantly, I take a deep breath and GO FOR IT. Last year, I filmed an episode of an HGTV show that I'm really proud of.

here's a horror story of mine from an earlier time. one of my first real jobs was working as a designer and public relations coordinator for a ski resort. my design skills and writing skills were solid, but my pr savvy was a bit sketchy. I was sent to a seminar with senior management folks from ski resorts across the US for a public relations crisis response prep session. The imaginary scenario was that a terrible accident had happened at your resort and there was a media frenzy unfolding. The whole thing was acted out with fake journalists and you were miked and videotaped and the pressure was escalating by the second. I was a wreck, totally self-conscious in front of a room filled with slick pr old-timers who had the perfect answers, and all I had was a racing heartbeat, ringing ears, and a mind suddenly erased of any knowledge.  Standing under hot lights, I managed to grasp a lame sentence from thin air, but I could barely speak!  My voice was thin, wobbly--that is not how I wanted to sound!  More importantly, that was not where i wanted to be, feeling deeply embarrassed and stupid, completely bombing. 

One of the seminar leaders had told me earlier, recognizing my struggles, to take a deep breath, but that day, that was beyond me.  I myself was in crisis mode.  Anyway, a few weeks later, the videotape of my crash+burn arrived in the mail, everyone was sent their rolls "to review and see what points you can improve on."  I had that tape in my possession, unopened- of course I couldn't bear to see my epic self consciousness- until it resurfaced a few years ago in a move. I took a deep breath. and threw it away.

Sometimes there will be a student in a yoga class, trying for dear life to hang onto a pose, clenching and wobbling like crazy. "don't forget to breathe" I say. Because deep breathing smooths the wobble.  But sometimes that takes time.  Especially if you're in crisis mode.

This one's for all my office peeps

As I'm recovering from a severely desk-bound graphic design position, I know how it feels to become one with an office chair, eyes burning from spending unblinking hours at the computer, crumbs in the keyboard because you worked right through lunch.  So, in honor of that icky feeling, here's wisdom I'm passing on from a fellow yogi.

Five actions at or near your computer to do to Feel better Now!

1. Smile. Turn up the corners of your mouth for 2 to 2o seconds.

2. Move. Choose one or two of these movements or design your own:

Lift your arms over your head

Dance in your chair

Stand up and do a yoga pose

Stretch in any way that feels good

Walk around your office or to another room.

3. Drink 8 ounces of the best tasting water you currently have access to.

4. Take 5 deep breaths of the freshest air available. Open a window or go outside and breathe deep.

5. Think of five things you are grateful for in this moment.

-Gary Halperin, creator of the "Feel Better Now Yoga" DVD and author of "Feel Better Now Meditation"

benefits of yoga

1. building strength and toning + weight loss 

lifting your body weight in poses builds and tones lean muscle.

2. decreasing stress

forward bends cool the brain. 

deep breathing sends oxygenated blood through your bloodstream, calming the mind. 

3. deep stretching

after a hectic day at work, on your feet or hunched over a desk, 

there's no better feeling than unlocking tight spots in your shoulders and hips with a yoga session.

4. energy boost

the dynamic combinations of flowing poses and restorative stillness I love to teach leave you feeling recharged and refreshed.  Ever notice how much easier it is to motivate yourself to go to yoga rather than the gym?  Instead of just slogging away on a treadmill, you're exercising your mind, body and spirit.

5. conquering life's challenges

the poses that you find difficult, with practice, will become second nature. through yoga, you can reconnect with your physical and mental potential and apply that to obstacles in every day life.

  you are powerful.

6. the yoga glow

you feel so good after yoga classes it shines through you.  

your energy is positive, your heart is open. 

karma is cultivated when you share your light and spread the love!

Rejuvenate!

Have you heard the buzz on Rejuvenate yet? It's in the Sun Trust Gardens Building downtown. The philosophy is enlightened and awesome: To offer a place where busy office workers or business travelers can unwind and rejuvenate from the work week.  De-stressing options include daily yoga classes in a serene room with inspiring views of downtown Atlanta (and where I teach - Tuesdays Power Flow Yoga, 12:15 to 1:15), massage, or space-age nap pods.  Check out the website for more information.

www.rejuvenatespas.com

Also, check out the scoop on Daily Candy

(photo courtesy of Rejuvenate)

where it all began

my first experiences with yoga...

as a very young child, maybe 3 years old, Lilias yoga came on the PBS station right after Sesame Street.  The longhaired lady in tights in front of a groovy 70s background, sadly meant the end of the puppet shows and naptime was coming.  My mom liked yoga, though, and I remember accompaning her to a class one time. I just watched and was scared by the women in leotards stretching in a neighbor's rec room.

later on, as a 6th grader, I had an eccentric teacher who was always dimming the overhead lights and delving into topics not a part of the standard public school ciriculuum, like reading us the entire Tarzan series, and deeply studying the Hawaiian islands, where she had an "adopted son", and of course, YOGA.  We did poses in the aisles, mainly tree, some warriors, and lots of eye exercises, which involved stretching your arms out wide and rolling your eyeballs back and forth to look at your thumbs.  This worried me, as I wore contacts and thought for sure they'd pop out.  Everybody dogged yoga but probably secretly liked it - and the highlight was when a boy split his pants wide open in forward bend, which was 6th-grade humor overload.

Fast forward to 1996, when I was living in New Hampshire desperately seeking diversions, and came across a Yoga Class at the YMCA.  I don't recall the teachers' name, but he was Kripalu trained and always wore white.  Class was held in a circle foundation in the preschool classroom - tiny chairs and tables were pushed aside and the walls were covered with construction paper masterpieces.  I think it was the second class where we held a shoulderstand for a reaaaaally long time, and then folded our legs over our heads in halasana/plough, and then sloooowly rolled out flat, when I felt a deep, awesome heat seep down my spine.  

It was luscious.  And I was hooked.  Now I think that was my Kundalini energy activating. Or else I had just been wicked tense for far too long.  

Anyway, I haven't had that blissful surge since, but I've had hundreds, maybe thousands, of fantastic yoga experiences, across the United States, from fabulous teachers, and have recently been passing on the light and teaching as well.