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Savasana, Voted Most Favorite Yoga Pose

By the end of today's Gentle/Stretch class, every available prop had been taken down from the rack. Bolsters, blankets, blocks and straps are what's needed in a restorative yoga  class.

Those who have discovered ways to quiet their bodies and minds, find restoratives very peaceful and enjoyable. Every once in a while, I throw in a pose that is a bit of a challenge with the intent of increasing the benefits to these gentle practitioners.

The one pose that they have nearly mastered is Savasana,the Corpse Pose pictured above. No matter how full the class might be, everyone finds their own piece of heaven just inches away from another.

When I scan the room and observe the stillness, with no one fidgeting or glaring open-eyed at the ceiling, I feel that I have done my job. I give thanks to all of my teachers, thanks to Savasana as "proof of the pudding", and thanks to all who offer their trust and faith in me by attending class. Namaste.

The Lights Are On Because Somebody's Home

People are like stained-glass windows. They sparkle and shine when the sun is out, but when the darkness sets in, their true beauty is revealed only if there is a light from within.
Elizabeth Kubler-Ross

"Thank you for bringing such interesting people together in your classes", a woman said to me on Saturday. Yoga for Women, follows a novel format in that it lasts for two hours because we gather in a circle for the first thirty minutes to introduce ourselves and discuss a chosen topic before the experience of yoga postures.

This past week, each participant was asked to share something about themselves that others might find "interesting". What prompted me was the fact that we have many part-time residents in our classes who come away from very different settings and lifestyles when they enter the studio.

Carole Kaeding is one example. She'll be returning very soon to Michigan where she owns Gratiot Lake Basketry. When she retired (many years ago, she says) and took up basket making, she found a need for a consistent supply of materials. She became that supplier and today has a successful business staffed with the most capable people, which allows her the time to come back every year to Kona and yoga.

Surrounding Carole were some other very special women who varied in age and life experience. They have travelled the world solo or taken up a new language. They are exploring different cultures and art forms or discovering hidden talents and hobbies. They seek the excitement of exploring lava tubes, beginning a new service for the elderly or just having fun in life playing and travelling.

I then introduced a restorative yoga sequence meant to alleviate fatigue by soothing and then energizing the adrenal glands. Some of the dozen or so postures had to be modified for the varying degrees of yoga experience and physical limitations but once everyone reached their perfect position, it was a sight to behold! When we learn how to be comfortable in our bodies, wherever life might position us, we can remain calm and peaceful; everything flows and everyone glows. It doesn't matter what it looks like from the outside, the light is on inside because someone's at home!

At the end of class, phone numbers were exchanged so that conversations could continue. I doubt that fatigue is something that these women experience very often...they seem to balance their lives quite gracefully.

Photo of the Duomo in Florence, Italy: GeneBurch. com

Waiting Your Turn

I love all of my classes for reasons that differ. For example, most of the people who attend my Gentle/Stretch classes have been in attendance since Day One at Kona Yoga (my mom has been a student since I first began to teach!) and their progress is enormous but they continue to view themselves as just  "gently stretching". 

The women in the PreNatal classes are there for less than nine months and their goals are more focused and realized rather quickly.All of my classes make it such a joy to be a teacher!

The three women in the photo above (left to right:Dani, Kater and Dana) all sit comfortably in Baddha Konasana with the most relaxed and open hips. There is a beautiful flow of respect between the women in this class; the exalted, being the one "most expectant" so the focus is on Kater, who is due in a few weeks.  As soon as a woman "graduates" and stops coming to class, she is happily released and the new are welcomed with open hearts. As their bellies grow, so do their confidence and calm.

When class ends at 10:30am on Friday, we open the door to find the Parent(s) and Babies class waiting to enter and there is a magical blending of expectant moms, newborn moms/dads and happy yoga babes...all waiting for their turn.

Be Present to Win

You can clutch the past so tightly to your chest that it leaves your arms too full to embrace the present.
~Jan Glidewell

A print of this Diego Rivera painting, Nude with Calla Lilies, hangs on a wall at home as a symbol, and reminder, of being present. If I hold on to the past, I would be turned away from the present; just as I'd be if I only grappled toward the future. My present, is the gift.

I am also learning that how I feel in the present, determines the quality of my gift. If the memory of a past event or a pleasant wish for the future makes me feel joyful in the present, all the better.

Now and then, I'll pull out my EmWave to make sure that what I think I'm feeling is being translated throughout my physical body. The most elegant yoga practice in the world cannot serve the cells within a body held in fear or anger as effectively as one that is coherent.

As I observe the woman, on her knees and embracing a basket full of flowers, I'm reminded of all that I have within my reach. The more that I'm willing to accept and allow into my life and the wider I open my arms...the more life rushes in to fill the space. But I must be present to win!

"Nude with Calla Lilies" by Diego Rivera, Global Galleries

A Gentle Balance

One aspect of serendipity to bear in mind is that you have to be looking for something in order to find something else.
Lawrence Block

I read an on-line article from the New York Times this weekend about the importance of our sense of balance. There are three main sensory factors that decline as a consequence of aging: vision, the proprioceptors on the bottoms of the feet and the tiny hairs in the semicircular canals of the inner ear. Together, they send gravity and motion information to the brain which then sends back neural messages to our muscles which hopefully have the strength and flexibility to respond and keep us in balance.

As I read through the tests and suggested exercises to improve balance, I thought about our Wednesday morning Gentle/Stretch classes with an average age hovering somewhere in the mid-to-late 60's. We often go into a flow of poses while balancing on one foot:

• Utkatasana (with both feet on the ground) rising up into:
• Garudasana, then unwinding the arms and legs and remaining on one foot, go down into:
• Virabhadrasana III, rising up and placing two feet back onto the floor in order to sit back down into:
• Utkatasana

There are injured shoulders, artificial hips, obstinate knees and sore feet scattered about the room. Not to mention the fact that we're often filled to the brim, with mats only inches apart from each other. Some of these graceful yogis move with physical and visual challenges and while the poses look as varied as the unique bodies within the room, by the time we've repeated the postures six or seven times, everyone's movements are much more fluid and deliberate.

The serendipity of it all? While they are earnestly practicing the sequence and moving in tune with, and in rhythm to, their breath, there are so many imperceptible improvements being made. Maybe another definition of serendipity could be "positive side effects". Advertisements for yoga may start to resemble those of pharmaceuticals:

CAUTION: The practice of yoga may cause your muscles to strengthen and/or increase in flexibility. Prolonged use of certain postures may make it difficult for you to lose your balance while standing, sitting, walking or all of the above. Do not do yoga if you do not wish to interrupt your aging process and/or looking forward to a steady decline in your physical and mental capabilities. Extensive use has been known to cause altered states of joy, peace and tranquility. Do so at your own risk of enjoyment.

Read the New York Times article: Preserving a Fundamental Sense: Balance

Photo: BBC News

Block Poster of a Blog Poster

Recipe: One blank wall, one new printer, 20 letter sized sheets of photo paper, one photograph of choice,and Block Posters.com. Upload your photo of choice (no larger than 1MB) and they will in turn give you a PDF file to print.

I used a photo of myself taken by Jerrie Stafford, turned it into a "watercolor" and took the 20 sheets and taped them together. You could cut off the borders of each print to eliminate the white lines, but I wanted the window pane effect. Five binder clips hang on picture frame hooks on the top and I added another five on the bottom just for balance and weight.

I took this photo before 6am this morning while my optic nerve was still asleep. I decided to use it anyway to give you an idea of what it is like to be near-sighted with astigmatism.

Block Posters: easy and FREE.

Focus: Far and Wide

I find hope in the darkest of days, and focus in the brightest. I do not judge the universe.
-Dalai Lama

What an ethereal photograph. I can see the edge of darkness descending and light ascending! It is also an illustration of my last two weeks of posting the Twelve Nights of Christmas. I would focus on the theme for the day and look for a picture to match my thoughts. What I ended up writing was just a short recapitulation of my thoughts, but it became an omen of the days to come.

Light moved across uncharted territory and I could see well enough to focus far and wide:

• Dec. 25-RECEPTIVITY. What gifts from the universe have you declined to accept or acknowledge?
• Dec. 26-GENEROSITY. Think of three people and what you can give of yourself to them.
• Dec. 27-HUMILITY. Think about how humility can become a great source of strength and power for you.
• Dec. 28-NOBILITY. Make a list of people from whose noble qualities you can learn.
• Dec. 29-SOLIDITY. For 12 minutes, simply feel your soul's solidity.
• Dec. 30-FLUIDITY. Consider the importance of flow to your well-being and happiness.
• Dec. 31-LUMINOSITY. Look back at your darkest moments of the last year, and remember what qualities in yourself and others lit the way for you.
• Jan. 1-REFLECTIVITY. Let an image from the outer world settle in your mind and write down five thoughts you associate with it. Reflect on it and how you might transform it.
• Jan. 2-EQUANIMITY. Pick a recent event and review it in light of various possible emotions like happiness, anger and fear.
• Jan. 3-FECUNDITY. Celebrate the richness of your imagination. Hold this vision and then plan tomorrow's activities. Keep it alive during the day.
• Jan. 4-SAGACITY. Think of yourself as an elder who has learned from the trials and triumphs of experience. What are some profound lessons?
• Jan. 5-UNITY. What ideas, yearnings, themes or insights have come together for you through the holidays?

Photo: Homepages IUS.edu

Not YET

My first e-mail message of the day was from my brother Jason, about a conversation between his wife and Kai, their seven year-old son:

I thought of you today, when Kai was bugging Heidi about how to use the Chinese ink/brush set and what the different pieces mean.

She said "I don't know, why don't you look it up?"

"I can't!" was his response.  "You want me to drive to China?"

"No," she chuckled, "you can't drive to China..."

"Yet!" he interrupted.  "I can't drive to China YET."
Now whether that means he can't drive yet or will one day build a bridge to China, I don't know.

I think Jason had recalled an earlier post about baby James, Not Full Grown...yet . I couldn't help but wonder if Kai remembered a conversation we had nearly two years ago when I visited them in New Jersey. I told him that I thought he was going to be tall enough to be a good basketball player and he promptly explained that he didn't have the muscles to be a ball player.

I said, "Yet".

He said, "Huh?"

I said, "You don't have the muscles, yet."

I swear that a team of CSI-types came out of him and took pictures, asked me to repeat what I'd said and taped my voice, measured his arms and legs, made me sign a written statement and then retreated back into Kai.

Kai is a remarkable person and I don't doubt that one day he could build a bridge to China, play basketball and drive to wherever he chooses to go. There are many things he's already capable of doing but I think he's just waiting for the acceptable age. The world's not ready for him....YET!

Photo:Kyle Reed

January 5- UNITY

Twelve Nights of Christmas: #12, Unity.

What ideas, yearnings, themes or insights have come together for you through the holidays?

We come into this life with all that we need, and all that we need to know.

When we leave this world we take nothing with us, and that is all that we need to know.

We exist in physical form, in the space between those two statements.

Happy New Year to all of you!

Photo:a COWsignal from outer space

January 4-SAGACITY

Twelve Nights of Christmas: # 11, Sagacity.

Think of yourself as an elder who has learned from the trials and triumphs of experience. What are some profound lessons?

Think of myself as an elder? I only have to stand in front of my Prenatal Yoga classes to see myself as an elder. Many of the women are younger than my son!

I don't think profound lessons really exist. It's all about remembering: where we came from, why we're here, and what we're supposed to do.

When we paddle upstream, kicking and screaming and find the answer, it must be profound. Otherwise, we've wasted so much time.

As an elder, I would say, "Go downstream! It's simple, yet a challenge to imbue. You came from Joy, you wanted to experience it in physical form and you will return to Joy."

Imagine a stadium full of people urging you to go upstream and a small chorus inviting you downstream.  Life is the dissonance, your journey is the result of your choices: stadium or chorus? upstream or down?  Measure your success by the degree of happiness in your life. Rejoice to the sounds of your heart and not to the screaming masses.

"Wise Woman" by Gerbug Garmann