Day 361 Intention ~ Get Reinspired

Day 361 Intention ~ Get Reinspired

 

 

I suffer from end-of-the-year-itus right now. I am excited that I have only three more classes in 2013. There is this thought in my head that come next Thursday when I am back to teaching, that everything will be new again just at the turn of a calendar page.

 

Why wait?!

 

Well, much to my surprise, instead of leaving 2013 feeling burned out and wanting to just hole up and hide for a month, I am already feeling renewed.

 

How did this happen?

 

Well, inspiration can come in the simplest ways. I needed to drive my husband to work this morning because his car is in the shop. I don't have class til later this afternoon, so I decided to watch a yoga documentary this morning. As I listened to different yoga masters talk about yoga, I started to feel that spark inside again. I started to realize that yoga is so important, not only for me but for millions of people. It is such a healing and growth tool. It is simply transformational and amazing.

 

Once the film was finished, I took George for a walk. As we walked through the snowy streets, I felt inspiration. Just being outside in the fresh air with a being who is so present there is no ignoring it.

 

I came home and started to write notes for an article that I have been struggling with conceptually for a long time now. I rolled out my mat and am warming up my little yoga room as I type this, and again, I am awed by the life I get to live and create and connect in.

 

Til tomorrow...

 

Shanti,

 

Marcia

 

 



Day 337 Intention ~ Root Down

Day 337 Intention ~ Root Down

Holiday season is upon us. Many of us not only feel rushed in shopping, travel plans, work parties, friends parties, making cookies, decorating and overall holiday plans, but can also feel money stress, emotional distress and as if you could slide out from under your feet at any moment. 

What happened to all is calm, all is bright???

It happens to most of us...me too. 

So, this week for my yoga classes and my own practice, I am focusing on the root chakra, the muladhara chakra, and the sacral, svadhisthana, chakra,  in an effort to stay grounded and emotionally stable this holiday season. 

The root chakra is at the base of the spine and covers our basic survival needs. Makes sense that it is called the root chakra, since when it is open and balanced, it protects us from feeling flighty and insecure. It's color is red, so wearing that color or focusing on that color is one simple way to start calming the uneasiness. Another way is to chant it's bija (seed) mantra, LAM. Exercises that can help are poses that root you down to the Earth. Really focusing on the feet and on your steady base. Mountain pose, tree pose, warrior poses with nice strong legs and bridge pose, where you not only root through the feet, but also in the shoulders, the backs of the arms and really feel the strength of the legs work in this pose. 

The sacral chakra is located from the lower abs to the navel and is not only related to sexual behavior, but also emotional connections, the ability to "let go" and how to keep balance in our relationships, emotions and life. You've probably heard a yoga teacher say that the emotions are stored in the hips. Well, at the end of the year, it's natural to start reassessing one's life and the year that has just passed. It can make us sentimental. It can make us long for past years or for something we don't quite have yet. Either way, hip opening poses are great for finding balance in the sacral chakra. Cow face pose, standing warriors, lunges, fire log pose, happy baby, bound angle...there are a lot. You may feel an emotional release if you are new to these poses that is unexpected. I have seen and have myself cried in classes focusing on hip openers. It's really quite amazing. If doing poses isn't your thing, focus on the color orange or chant the mantra VAM and see if that makes you feel balanced. 

The reality is, we function best when all of our chakras are clear, so doing poses and practices that help keep all of the energy channels flowing is the best idea. 

Til tomorrow...

Shanti,

Marcia 

Day 191 Intention ~ Step Away From the Computer

Day 191 Intention ~ Step Away From the Computer

Okay, and the phone. I recently got a brand new fancy smartphone and I admit, I am addicted to it! My last phone constantly had battery issues and just didn't have the capabilities like this fancy new one. So, besides constantly being "in touch" through email, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and text, I also have been spending a lot of time staring at the big screen of the desktop computer writing and working on marketing, etc. this week. 

My eyes hurt and with all of this "connection" going on, I feel...well...disconnected. So, getting all of this business online done early today, the plan is to step away from the computer and the phone and reconnect with the outdoors, with my dog, with the Earth in it's most basic format. Just like I did pre-internet. Step outside. Breathe it in. 

Disconnect to reconnect. 

Practice yoga. 

Til tomorrow...

Shanti, 

Marcia

Day 153 Intention ~ Rock the Park

Day 153 Intention ~ Rock the Park

In a yoga sort of way! Happy Sunday folks. This morning kicked off Cleveland's summer of Yoga Rocks the Park in Lincoln Park in my old neighborhood Tremont. 

Sometimes it's hard to get me motivated to leave the house, especially on a Sunday morning, but my fabulous teacher, Marni Task, was teaching this kick-off class & I really wanted to go. So, I motivated. 

So glad I did! Nothing compares to sunshine, birds singing, like-minded yogis practicing together with my amazing teacher and her kirtan band, The Enchanted Hearts, playing in the background. 

The connection to nature and Earth with the practice is just so much more potent when we can practice outside. It allows the awareness to expand to the bigger picture and feel so much more than when in a controlled studio environment (which, don't get me wrong, I love too.)

Ahhh, so much fun! Look for outdoor classes in your neighborhood, or just go to your backyard and experience this connection to the Earth for yourself.

Til tomorrow...

Shanti, 

Marcia

Day 42 Intention ~ Be Still

Day 42 Intention ~ Be Still

When looking back on the last month, things have been very busy, physically & mentally. Finding that calmness even when the winds are blowing wildly around you can be difficult. The breath and meditation always help to ease an uproarious mind and bring one back to steadiness. When we find this balance, it makes those around us also feel more grounded. 

Practicing yoga poses that make us feel grounded can help bring stillness to the body and mind also. They can help to bring balance back to the muladhara "root" chakra. This chakra represents our survival instincts and when it is balanced, it helps us feel grounded and calm. Focusing on the lower body, rooting and stretching the feet and opening the hamstrings or stretching and strengthening the thighs can help us feel more powerful in our base. Forward folds, mountain pose, warrior poses can help us feel strong while seated poses like cobbler's pose, and other seated forward folds or child's pose can help us reconnect to the Earth. 

Til tomorrow...

Shanti, 

Marcia