So, Andrei brought to me a fun beginning yoga book called, Yoga For Wimps by Miriam Austin. I glanced at the pages – my kind of book – lots of photos and not too much detailed instruction unless warranted for the “Fix It” self-healing section. I read the introduction and Author’s notes and was on board with all she said. Then on the last page before the “Instant Yoga” poses she lost me. Folks let’s be clear. Hatha is a wonderful practice.  We have all felt it healing, strengthening, and relaxing our bodies. The benefits are very individual and too numerous to list! But it is only one path or practice in the 8-fold path of yoga.  I agree with Miriam Austin that we do hatha so that, through the concentration on the activity, the mind quiets a bit. (I am guilty of chat which keeps our neo-cortex wicked active. This is something of which I am painfully aware and working on!) Through the practice we often become quiet, inwardly focused on the body, on the breath and the mind can simmer down a bit. However – and here is where she and I disagree – there is no substitute for sitting in meditation. Period. We need it. It cleanses the mind of old habits and long-seated reactions to similar stimulus (aka “knee-jerk” or conditioned respnses). Hatha prepares the body for meditation by removing the obstacle of physical discomfort as we sit. So, our lovely author has done the world a service by producing a non-threatening introduction to Hatha.  Perhaps she discounts meditation in order to draw students in – meditation seems scary at first so some folks are turned off to yoga altogether because of it.  “It’s hard to do.”  “My mind is too busy.”  “My back hurts.” And sometimes the fear is religiously based – “Is it Pagan?”  “Anti-Judeo-Christian?!”  Of course, it isn’t.  In the Bible God says, “Be still and know that I am…”   Why do we reisist?

So how to begin?

Try it two minutes before you get in your car or drive from your home.  Two minutes in the parking lot before work,  two minutes at lunch – in the transitions of your day.  Try it one day – see how it goes – and maybe you can begin a scheduled time daily.  Just like brushing your teeth, meditation is another healthy habit to practice. Be not afraid of stillness. Stillness is the counter-pose for every day life.

I look forward to hearing your thoughts on this.

Namaste, my lovely students, jean

So much beauty unfolds daily around us at this time of year it feels renewing to spend time outside walking or sitting and breathing deeply the fragrant plants, freshly mown grasses and blooming trees and flowers.  Of course, if you suffer with pollen allergies you may need to increase your neti pot nasal cleansing to compensate, but deep exhalation can help to clean allergens out of the lungs and nose.  Here is a nice easy practice to try the next time you walk your dog or just walk to your parking garage:

First: Stand and feel your feet anchoring into the earth. Notice the skeleton aligning itself over your feet.

Second: Begin walking and inhale to the count of two steps.  Exhale to the count of four steps.

Third: Enjoy the new greenness of the earth as you draw in all of that lovely, fresh oxygen.

Wishing you peace this Earth Day Month!

Ok, so that title could be a joke!  Of course we have to breathe to stay alive, but wouldn’t you like to give your body breath that will help ward off disease?  Taking full diaphragmatic breaths releases pressure on major blood vessels that run through the diaphragm muscle.  Taking little chest breaths restrict the full expansion of the chest cavity and the release of those vessels.  It’s difficult for us to monitor our breathing, but the more we indulge in full inhalations that expand the torso and full exhalations that contract the abdominal muscles we actually increase our oxygen intake, improve circulation between upper body and lower body which lowers blood pressure (!), and tone the abdominal muscles!  In addition, complete breaths expel all waste gases so our inhalations give our bodies a real “breath of fresh air!”  The yogis tell us that breathing consciously and fully can actually improve our immunity to all things viral by keeping the respiratory system clean.  GIve it a try and send me results of your experiment!  Of course, breathing may not be as effective as a flu vaccine but it should make you feel great everyday!