Day 345 Intention ~ Keep Learning

Day 345 Intention ~ Keep Learning

There is so much going on in this world, in this life, that there is no reason to not keep learning through it all. It keeps life exciting and new and helps us from becoming stagnant. 

Besides, nobody likes a know it all anyhow!

In yoga, I am still always learning. I have been teaching for just about 4 years now, and practiced for years longer than that, but yet, I still learn something every class I take. It may not be about a pose, but often, it's something about myself. How I react to certain movements, what it brings out in my body and my mind...and, yes, no day is ever exactly the same. 

When I was in teacher training, I remember it being said at one point that as soon as you think you know it all, you know nothing. I have always tried to keep that in mind as I teach and as I take class. I think it's a great mantra for beyond the class too. 

As soon as we think we know everything, we start to close ourselves off in a way. We aren't open to new ideas, we are definitely never wrong and we slowly become all about the ego again. I, me, mine. We forget that we are all living and breathing as one, it may appear we are living separate existences, and from certain angles we are, but in the grand scope of the universe and life, we are all part of the same beating energy and breath. What I do effects you and vice versa and on and on. So, let's try to keep open. 

Breathe deep, lift your chest and your heart and open your arms to the universe and all it has to offer. 

Til tomorrow...

Shanti,

Marcia

Day 336 Intention ~ Grant Permission

Day 336 Intention ~ Grant Permission

To myself...to be a little lazy today. I woke up with some congestion in my chest and a lack of energy and motivation. 

I have been lounging around all day pretty much, but can't shake feeling guilty about it. I always have stuff to take care of, but I need to grant myself permission to be a little lazy. Save my energy for the one class I have this evening. 

My body is asking for rest, so give it some! 

Why do we beat ourselves up for taking a break?!?!

So, sorry, lame post today, but I am off to lounge for a couple more hours before heading back off into the land of sun salutations and warrior series. 

Til tomorrow (when I have more energy)...

Shanti,

Marcia

Day 322 Intention ~ Open My Heart

Day 322 Intention ~ Open My Heart

Giving and receiving love, compassion, kindness. Accepting others and yourself with open arms. When we give love, it tends to swing back our way. The old "what goes around comes around" quote comes to mind here. 

So why do we close ourselves off sometimes? Usually because we've been hurt and it's hard to put ourselves in a vulnerable position again. We tend to guard our hearts. Physically, we may start to slouch or roll our shoulders forward in a protective posture. Unfortunately, this physical action over time can cause us lots of tightness in the shoulders or our backs start to hurt, our posture suffers, even our breath is cut off a bit. Mentally, the more we close off, the harder it is to open up again. 

What can we do? 

First, we need to forgive and let go of our past hurt. Learn that we can't move forward until this happens. Easier said than done, but at least affirm to yourself that you are deserving of love in this world. 

Physically, bring the shoulderblades onto the back, sit up tall and work on the breath for starters. Start to activate the lungs, letting the chest open. Backbends and shoulder openers are key to getting the chest and the heart open. Backbends could include a locust pose variation that includes clasping the hands behind the back, camel pose, or even just arching back in mountain pose. Just be mindful to draw the navel towards the spine and the tailbone towards the floor to protect the lower back. In camel and when arching back in mountain, really lengthen the spine, lifting the chest and let the backbend start from the upper back as much as possible. Shoulder openers could include cow face pose arms or eagle arms. I have also found that taking binds in poses like extended side angle or triangle pose (if available) have really helped in opening my shoulders over time. If taking the bind, particularly in these two poses, be sure to continue to lengthen the spine on the inhale and rotate the chest towards the sky on the exhale. 

Doing these types of poses will help give you energy and fill your heart with love and acceptance. 

Sending you all best wishes for an open heart that is ready to not only give, but also to receive. Remember, you deserve it. 

Til tomorrow...

Shanti, 

Marcia

Day 269 Intention ~ Practice Some Yin Yoga

Day 269 Intention ~ Practice Some Yin Yoga

In particular, yin for the lungs, large intestine, small intestine &heart. In yin yoga, the student holds the poses for 3-5 minutes and really gets into the connective tissue and allows the body to deepen in each posture. There is also a connection to the meridians of the organs and chi...more Eastern medicine. There is a lot to it & believe me, I am just scratching the surface, but I will tell you the emotional & mental reasons why I would like to work on these parts of the body in particular. 

Lungs and large intestine: the emotional qualities of their chi is courage and reverence...allowing us to be strong and present. Mentally, we are strong, have endurance and confidence. Also, we can think clearly.

Heart & small intestine: With healthy heart chi we find some inner peace and calm, we are joyful and feel nourished ~ inside and out. We feel connected to life. With the heart and small intestine working together, we feel happiness and love for the world and the people in it. We have purpose and find meaning in life. 

These are things that when I feel a little depleted or maybe negative about things, I need. Last week I was feeling tired and worn out...uninspired. This week, that will be changed (even though it is Thursday already!)

A great book for Yin Yoga is Insight Yoga by Sarah Powers. That is where I got the information shared with you today. 

Til tomorrow...

Shanti,

Marcia

Day 220 Intention ~ Get Hometown Proud

Day 220 Intention ~ Get Hometown Proud

It's one of my favorite times of year...football season! I do love my Cleveland Browns. As much as they lose and disappoint year after year, I still love them. And so do many people all over. With the largest group of backers in the country (don't quote me, but that used to be true I know!), I am not alone. 

Yoga is about creating connection and community & in it's own way, football, and other sports teams, create a bond and a community between people also. 

Especially in Cleveland. There have been many rough years in this rust belt city, not only with football, baseball & basketball. There have been years of population and job loss, run down buildings, business loss...c'mon we all have heard Cleveland jokes. 

But, these days, things are looking up here in Cleveland. Lots of new energy and businesses. Young people moving back into downtown. Many foodie chefs have come to sink their heels, or their forks, into this food city & have created a lot of buzz. 

There is a new excitement around this town and I am excited for it. 

And with the Browns pre-season starting tonight, it makes my Cleveland loving heart well up a little bit more. 

Til tomorrow...Go Browns! 

Shanti, 

Marcia

Day 192 Intention ~ Find Joy

Day 192 Intention ~ Find Joy

Finding joy in all that you do, whether it is work or play, whether it's rainy or sunny, hot or cold. Even if it seems as mundane as balancing your checkbook (although that is not always a joyous outcome!), try to just enjoy life, being thankful for each moment. 

If you hate your job, and hate every moment you are there, guess what?! It won't get any better until you find something there that gives you joy. The attitude in you has to change for things to turn around. 

It's amazing how just tweaking your mindset a bit can really change how things look. And then, when you are joyful and positive, joyful and positive things start to happen around you! The energy shifts. Misery loves company is the saying, and yes, if you wallow in the misery, it continues. 

Who really wants that? No one. 

So, today is the day, this moment is the moment, make a choice to find joy & start enjoying your life now.

Til tomorrow...

Shanti, 

Marcia

Day 183 Intention ~ Let The Vacation Begin

Day 183 Intention ~ Let The Vacation Begin

Although I have a laundry list of things to do before we leave for Virginia this evening, the vacation has begun! It has been pretty rainy and dreary here in Cleveland the last few days, but as I was heading home this morning, the sun burst through to give me that jolt of energy needed to get these somewhat tedious tasks finished so we can head out. 

This respite from work couldn't come at a better time. After teaching 20 classes in the last 8 days, I am fried. Also, after yesterday's fiasco with George, my shoulder is pretty out of whack and could use a few days rest. Now, just getting these tasks done, so that I can let my mind start vacation would be fantastic!

So, the next few days will be from the road! 

Til tomorrow...

Shanti, 

Marcia

Day 180 Intention ~ Put Myself In Another's Shoes

Day 180 Intention ~ Put Myself In Another's Shoes

Today marks the 16th class that I have taught since Monday. Exhausting to say the least. When I get to this point, the energy level starts to drop and rarely, but it can happen, I lose patience. 

As I dragged myself to class today, a new student was waiting for me at the door. She had many questions for me as I was trying to get her and myself set up with waivers, sign-in sheets, the pass book, and on and on. I could feel myself tensing up as I just needed about 2 minutes to get it together. And, luckily, realizing what was happening, I caught myself. I pulled the grumpy out of me and visualized myself in her shoes. I became empathetic to her concerns and needs rather than self-absorbed and childishly curt because I didn't get my pre-class "zen" time. It was her fault that I was running a few minutes behind my usual routine or that I had stayed up too late last night. 

The times that I have done this in the past throughout life, I always feel badly about it and beat myself up, feeling like a complete jerk. So, I am glad that I could stop it before I spoke today & saved any hurt feelings and possibly gained a new student from the situation.

Til tomorrow...

Shanti, 

Marcia

Day 155 Intention ~ Soak In The Practice

Day 155 Intention ~ Soak in the practice

There are just those days...I woke up in a fog, wondering how on earth I was going to teach class, feeling a little grumpy and out of it. 

Then, I practiced asana. It was just a quick hour long practice, but, man oh man, what a difference. Getting the blood flowing, moving around, breathing, and just letting the outside world go for that short time makes the day turn around completely. 

I know that I've said this before, but I will say it again. Those days that you feel stressed or tired, or just plain don't feel like practicing are the most important times to practice. You will feel better, more relaxed and even more energetic to get all those things done that you need to do. Even if it is only 5 sun salutation a's & 5 sun b's...do it!

Practice, practice, practice! You'll be glad you did. 

Til tomorrow...

Shanti,

Marcia

Day 136 Intention ~ Accept The Funk

Day 136 Intention ~ Accept the Funk

No, I'm not talking about George Clinton or Sly Stone, I'm talking about my mood and how I've been feeling the last few days. I've been reading Richard Freeman's book, The Mirror of Yoga, for awhile now. I savor each page and try to soak it all in. I only read it right before I go to bed, which I tend to go to bed when my eyes are struggling to stay open. Therefore, I only get 2-3 pages in a night. 

So, as yoga lessons always go, Monday night when I was noticing how uninspired I had been feeling, I open up my book before sleep to Richard Freeman talking about the gunas: sattva, rajas & tamas. He discusses how we need all three qualities to live and that they all give us balance in this world. 

Sattva, of course, is the most desired by people. It is when we feel we are most balanced, harmonic, smart, peaceful and happy. And that was how I was feeling just last week! It was fantastic. 

Rajas gives us our energy, passion, desire, motion and sorrow. It can definitely help us to motivate...perhaps when we are feeling tamasic.

Tamas is sluggishness, depression, laziness, dullness and inertia. This is what I was starting to feel take over my body. Ugh. But then I read on...

"When we are first in a sattvic mood our perceptions are clear and bright. The feelings of joy, love, compassion, empathy are right up near the surface of our awareness, and virtually everything we experience stimulates one of these "good" and satisfying feelings. Consequently we behave ,think, and react in ways that reflect this sattvic state of being. But after some time spent in a sattvic mood - and it can be a long or a very short period of time - we become desensitized to the joyful stimulation of the sattvic state, and usually without even being aware of it, we reduce the good state to a formula or image and begin to drift off into a state of complacency, dullness, boredom, and inertia; the state of tamas sets in." 

                                                                                    ~Richard Freeman, The Mirror of Yoga, p. 81

He goes on to say that eventually rajas kicks in, motivating us to do things and find our way back to that sattvic state. 

Once I read that, I realized that my own tamasic, dull state would pass, and not to lull in it too much. I (and we all) need it to appreciate those peaceful, harmonious moments when we are sattvic. 

By this morning, my tamas has seemed to kick back into rajas and I am looking forward to finding my sattva! 

So, just trying to accept whatever is going on with you at each moment. And realizing, nothing is permanent...even if you're in a funk.

Til tomorrow...

Shanti, 

Marcia

Day 127 Intention ~ Take a Quiet Moment

Day 127 Intention ~ Take a Quiet Moment

...for yourself. We all can get so wrapped up in doing the 3000 things on our "to do" list, that we forget to take a few moments to ourselves. Turn off, okay, maybe just step away from, the phone, turn off the radio, computer, television and any other outside distractions and just sit for a few moments. 

It's unbelievable how just this small action can help one feel rejuvenated and a bit fresher. Ready to tackle the next things on the list. 

Sit and listen to the birds or close your eyes and use your sense of smell. Maybe there is coffee brewing or you can smell the lilacs that are in bloom. 

Just breathing is another great refresher. Try to clear the mind and take a small meditation. Focus on your ajna chakra, or third eye, as you breathe in and out. The mind will start to clear and you will actually feel like you got a short rest when you are through. 

If we allow ourselves some moments to ourselves, especially when we spend much of our day taking care of tasks generally for others, we will find that we are calmer, have a clearer mind and even more energy. 

Til tomorrow...

Shanti, 

Marcia

Day 121 Intention ~ Juice It Up!

Day 121 Intention ~ Juice It Up! 

Yes, it's happened. I resisted for as long as I could, but I have started juicing in the mornings. Sure, there's been a couple times so far (it's been less than a week) that I've had to choke down the green a little bit, but it does feel good. 

Yesterday, as I was energetically telling a friend that I didn't think that I really felt anything, I had to stop and laugh at the fact that I was basically jumping up and down bouncing off the walls. So, now I realize, maybe there's something to it. 

To find the balance in your body, we need to eat more alkaline foods. We tend to be more acidic in our diets as most foods are acidic. Juicing is a great way to bring back the balance! For a list of more alkaline foods to incorporate, here is an alkaline food list. I tip my green drink to you ~ cheers to balance! 

Happy Wednesday & happy juicing! 

Til tomorrow...

Shanti, 

Marcia

Day 91 Intention ~ Laugh Out Loud

Day 90 Intention ~ Laugh Out Loud

Granted, this happens daily in my life, for which I am very grateful. I was going to try to write some witty joke and say "April Fool's" at the end, but, alas, I am just not feeling that witty this morning. 

But, I will laugh at your silly April Fool's Day jokes, and enjoy  it! 

Laughter is a wonderful tool. It makes us happy, it gives us energy and it just plain feels good. 

Just last week, I was writing about Laughter Yoga and its benefits. Why not try it out?! Worse case scenario, you get to laugh. So, crack some jokes with a friend or co-worker, or perhaps with someone in the grocery line...you may make their day (or yours).

I wish all of you a happy Monday, a happy April 1st, and a happy week ahead. 

Til tomorrow...

Shanti, 

Marcia

Day 55 Intention ~ Release Some of that Fire

Day 55 Intention ~ Release Some of that Fire

I was just reading about the manipura chakra, the navel or solar plexus chakra, and discovered that one of the characteristics if it is excessive is perfectionism. Looking back to how I have been feeling lately and this new type-A trait that I've been displaying, I think my 3rd chakra is out of whack. Over the past few months, I have been a little obsessive about core work in my yoga practice. All of this core work has had positive effects on my physical practice, but now, I think it's time to cool it off a bit for my mental practice. 

What to do? Well, if you find that you are feeling anger, stress or perfectionism taking over your life, you may have too much fire in the belly also. Try some nice gentle backbends to release some of that fire. A restorative bridge either on a block or bolster should do the trick. Hold it for several minutes or if on a block, do a few rounds. 

This can go the other way too, if you are feeling a lack of motivation or feeling insecure, or perhaps you are having some digestive issues (another thing this chakra governs), you may be lacking in this chakra. Working the core in navasana (boat pose) or performing some twists to stimulate the digestive system can help you regain some energy and confidence. 

So, I'm off to get a hold of my manipura chakra...til a more relaxed tomorrow....

Shanti, 

Marcia