Spring is Here??!!

Here is the view from our balcony in Boulder this morning (April 5th). I was hoping for flowers but I will settle for the beautiful blue sky, highlighted by the white snow.

Yoga's Reach (poem by Danna Faulds)

I recently read this yoga poem by Danna Faulds from her book, From Root to Bloom, Yoga Poems and Other Writings, and it expressed the way I feel. Sometimes we just need to become quiet and let yoga enter into all of our "nooks and crannies".

Yoga's Reach

It is a wonder
how a simple stretch
deepens breath,
and an elegantly held pose
grows to touch the
whole of me.

Like sugar stirred into tea,
the potency
of yoga spreads
from body into mind
and heart, revealing
an ocean of energy
that heals and opens,

holds me close
and sets me free
all in the same moment.

STRESSED??!! OVERWHELMED??!!

It's that time of year when I want to just burrow under the covers and come out in a couple of months. It's cold, it's dark, it's busy at work, my skin is dry, my car is a new color (dirty brown), I'm not getting enough exercise, on some days my yoga practice consists of taking one deep breath!! What's the answer?? For me, it's about baby steps and forgiveness. I try to remind myself that I have choices and I have the ability to change things and change my attitude--and sometimes that actually works!! I try to do some little thing--another deep breath, listen to good music, my favorite yoga pose. I also try to forgive myself -- after all, it is winter in Minnesota and spring will be here eventually and things will be better!

It's My Birthday!

I celebrated a birthday this weekend. The weather was cold and dreary but my heart was warm and grateful!

Flowers Bring Me Joy

I took this picture of tulips at the Pike Place market in Seattle. When I see one tulip, it brings me joy but to see so many beautiful tulips in one place--I was very joyful! I was recently asked the question, "What brings you joy?' I responded that "I feel joy when I feel that all is right with the world." When I see beauriful flowers, I get that feeling. What brings you joy? Can you bring that experience into your life today? Namasté.

Sneaky Memorable Moments

Sometimes we can have a memorable moment when we least expect it. I had one a few years ago and I still remember exactly where I was and I think about it often. I was driving to the yoga conference in Estes Park (from Boulder) and as I was driving through the town of Lyons, I was listening to a CD by Jon Kabat-Zinn and he recited a poem by Derek Walcott. This poem had such an effect on me that I have a copy of it in my notebook that I carry every day. It gives me some insight into what we mean when talking about our "true self" and it gives me an understanding that I have a true self that is accessible to me. Although the yoga conference was very memorable, the drive to the conference was actually the most memorable. So be present and be aware of those sneaky memorable moments!

Love after Love
by Derek Walcott (from his book Sea Grapes)

The time will come
when, with elation,
you will greet yourself arriving
at your own door, in your own mirror,
and each will smile at the other's welcome,

and say, sit here. Eat
You will love again the stranger who was your self.
Give wine. Give bread. Give back your heart
to itself, to the stranger who has loved you

all your life, whom you ignored
for another, who know you by heart.
Take down the love letters from the bookshelf,

the photographs, the desperate notes,
peel your own image from the mirror.
Sit. Feast on your life.

At Ease

I recently had the wonderful experience of spending two days in a Judith Lasater workshop. She is one of my favorite yoga teachers (www.judithlasater.com) and I love the way she combines a physical yoga practice with her insights on yoga and life. One of the days, we thought about the Yoga Sutra 11.46, "Steady in your intention, you'll be steady in your posture. Asana can come naturally." (from the book, Yoga, Power, and Spirit by Alberto Villoldo. She had us think about that sutra as we did our practice and she talked with us about how we can take the meaning of this sutra off of our mats. She encouraged us to think about those things that make us uneasy throughout our day and try to understand why we are feeling uneasy. I have been trying this over the past few days and it is amazing how often I start to feel that sensation that starts in my belly and moves up to my brain--anxiety, anger, frustration, defensiveness. It may be while driving, waiting in line at the grocery store, during a conversation with my husband, or during a meeting at work. Just bringing my awareness to the feeling is the first step in letting it go and will often cause the feeling to dissipate. When it doesn't, I try to shift my thoughts, feeling compassion for the root of my uneasiness (the other driver, the clerk in the store, the person in the meeting, my husband)--but....that's another blog! Namaste

SEE The View

I find looking at mountains, like those in this picture of the Flatiron mountains in Boulder, Colorado, a way to find energy and inspiration. To actually be there in person is ideal, but I also find it is possible to get some of those same feelings by looking at a picture of the Flatirons. I think the key to this is taking the time to really look at the picture, not a brief glance, but stopping whatever else I am doing, taking a deep breath in with a long slow exhalation and bringing myself to the present moment. I look at the picture and allow myself to let those feelings of peace and calmness wash over me. To do this, I need to let go of the other things in my mind, including my mental definition of a mountain--looking at the beautiful details of the things in the picture.

My mountain picture is my "reminder" but it can be anything that works for you. Think of something that evokes a feeling of inspiration and calm. A feeling that "everything is right with the world." It may be a picture of your children, a lake or maybe it is a fresh flower on your desk. Look at it with fresh eyes--as if you are seeing it for the first time. Namaste

Needlepoint for the Mind

I think one of the best things I can do to help me maintain my energy and enthusiasm at work is to do things outside of work that help me calm my mind and all of those "work thoughts" that creep into my head at all hours of the day and night. Doing something that is creative and artistic helps me and needlepoint is something that is almost meditative for me. Many of my friends and colleagues knit for the same reasons. It isn't about the finished product but about the benefits of the process. Here are some of my needlepoint pillows. Namaste

Deskasana: Pushup

Join me in doing pushups at your desk to increase your energy and strengthen your arms!

Deskasana: Pushups

Deskasana: Shoulders and Neck I

Join me to learn how you can release the tension in your neck and shoulders after sitting too long at your computer.

Deskasana: Shoulders and Neck I

Yoga at Work

Join me for my new series of Yoga at Work. Learn to do a brief yoga practice as you sit in meetings or at your desk. I developed these podcasts to share my own Yoga at Work practice with you.

For the first podcast, I will lead you through a hip stretching "meetingasana" that you can do anytime and others will not even know you are practicing yoga during your meeting!

Meetingasana: Hip Stretch

Yoga All The Time

I discovered yoga only 7 years ago, in my quest for something that would help me relieve my stress. I was already exercising (running) regularly but it wasn't helping my mental stress from my work life. Initially I thought that yoga was all about taking a class once a week and I loved it but after a couple of years I discovered two things: I could do yoga poses just about anywhere and that yoga was much more than the physicial poses. That's when I realized how it could change my life. In my blog, I want to share more about both of these aspects of yoga. Namaste.