Whelmed

The holiday season has officially started. I can already feel it: it makes me feel like there is more to do than hours in the day, more things to accomplish, more people to see/meet the needs of, more places to go. It's this time of year when I need yoga most of all, but feel like it is harder to fit in. I remember some tv show, it feels like a Seinfeld episode but I may be way off, talking about the feeling of being whelmed. Can one not overwhelmed or underwhelmed, but just be whelmed? I looked up the definition (thank you, thank you, Google dictionary) and apparently whelmed=overwhelmed. That's too bad. Really, right now, I would just like to be whelmed; feeling at peace in a stressed out season and hoping others can feel that, too.

In honor of made-up words, today's practice will be an attempt at whelm-ness. Remember to breathe!

Whelmed

Are you breathing in? Are you breathing out? In any situation, the breath can change everything. Come down into your body from the headspace you are currently occupying. How are you breathing?

1. Vajrasana (Diamond Pose)
2. Simhasana (Lion's Breath Pose)
3. Ujayyi pranayama (Ocean sounding breath)
4. Sasangasana (Rabbit Pose)
5. Threading one arm under the other to twist. Repeat other side.
6. Cat/cow
7. Pretend your spine is a jumprope and create circles. Circle other direction.
8. Kneedown Tadasana (Mountain Pose)
9. Parighasana (Gate Pose)
10. Table
11. Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward Facing Dog)
12. Three-legged dog, drawing circles with non-planted knee
13. Uttanasana (Forward Fold)
14. Tadasana (Mountain Pose). Raise arms above head. Hold for 10 breaths.
    
15. Virabhadrasana III (Warrior III Pose)
    
16. Virabhadrasana I (Warrior I Pose)
    
17. Simhasana in Virabhadrasana I
18. Adho Mukha Svanasana
    
19. Repeat steps 12-19
20. Dandasana (Staff Pose)
21. Paschimottanasana (Seated Forward Fold Pose)
    
22. Janu Sirasansana (Head to Knee Pose)
23. Parivrtta Janu Sirsasana (Revolved Head to Knee Pose)
24. Repeat steps 20-23 on other side
25. Baddha Konasana (Bound Angle Pose)
26. Tarasana (Star Pose)
27. Upavista Konasana (Seated Wide Angle)
28. Take both hands 6-8 inches behinds sitz bone, fingers facing towards toes, bend knees and lift torso
29. Setu Bandhasana (Bridge Pose)
    
30. Ardha Sarvangasana (Half Shoulder Stand). Move legs in opposite circles.
31. Halasana (Plow Pose)
32. Supta Matsyendrasana (Supine Twist). Repeat other side
33. Savasana
34. Nadi Shodna (Alternate Nostril Breath). Practice Nadi Shodna for 5-10 minutes.

Segovia from YogaHub.com

Today's post-Thanksgiving yoga sequence comes from the co-founder of YogaHub.com.I am a member, and a fan, of this website. It's a good forum for discussion and education and many members post their blogs on the site. On this page I found a couple of guest bloggers and am really psyched to post Segovia's sequence.

This sequence is, in his words, "a quick 10 minute morning energy boost." After a good, solid Thanksgiving meal, this sounds like a fine idea.

Segovia from YogaHub.com

1. Marjaryasana (Cat Pose)
2. Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward Dog Pose)
3. High Lunge
4. Samasthiti (Standing Prayer Pose)
5. Vrksasana (Tree Pose)
6. Extended Prayer Pose
7. Tree Pose (other side)
8. Uttanasana (Standing Forward Bend)
9. Ardha Uttanasana (Half Forward Bend)
10. Kapotanasana (Pigeon Pose). Repeat other side
11. Bakasana (Crane, or Crow, Pose)
12. Savasana

Happy Thanksgiving!

I am thankful for my family (Garbasana, Child's Pose)

I am thankful for my friends (Tolasana, Scale Pose)

I am thankful for shelter (Vrksasana, Tree Pose)

I am thankful for sustenance (Table Pose)

I am thankful for respect (Anjali Mudra, Prayer Hands)

I am thankful for love (Anantasana, The Pose of the Eternal One)

I am thankful for fire (Kapalabhati, Breath of Fire or Skull Shining Breath)

I am thankful for breath (Dirgha, Three Part Yogic Breath)

I am thankful for the ocean (Ujayyi, Ocean Sounding Breath)

I am thankful for dreams (Savasana, Corpse Pose)

I am thankful for the Earth (Halasana, Plow Pose)

I am thankful for Light (Tittibhasana, Firefly Pose)

I am thankful for Yoga (Yogasana, Yoga Pose)

Neti Pot

Full disclosure: all that travel made me a bit sick. Literally. I have a cold, stuffed up nose, swollen sinuses. I've been neti-potting on a regular basis and it helps, at least for the time being. It was the neti-pot that led to a strange, funny encounter in my folks house.

My younger brother, also home, and his friend come into the kitchen. My neti pot, recently being dishwashered (no, not a real word, but that's okay), is sitting out. Now, imagine for yourself my brother: sideways Yankees cap, way too large sweatpants, line cook, total dude.

"What the hell is this?," says Jake (brother)
"Ahhh... I'm not sure you want to know." Me
"No, really. I wanna know. Tell me." Jake

After some badgering, I explain Neti pot use.

"Wooooah! Can you show me that?," says Jeff (Jake's friend)

I show. Jake freaks out, hides in the pantry, makes disturbed noises.

Jeff: "That is the coolest thing I have ever seen. Can I try it?"

Jeff tries it, realizes the magic of Neti, convinces Jake to try. Jake, who is chronically congested, decides he hasn't felt this good in years. Both men continue Neti pot usage (Jake, again later that same day, Jeff the next day).

Huge victory.

In honor of the Neti pot, here are a few postures to do post-Neti pot usage. As regular users will admit/attest to, sometimes the water comes out way later than it should, later than you would have thought it could stay up there. These postures and pranayama should help make sure that doesn't happen, but no promises.

Neti Pot

Your homework for the day? Read this New Yorks Times article about never blowing your nose. And then go use your Neti Pot.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/10/health/10real.html?scp=1&sq=nose%20blowing&st=cse

1. Use Neti pot on one side
2. Forceful exhale through both nostrils
3. Kapalabhati (Skull-shining Breath) 10-12x
4. Repeat steps 1-3 on other side
5. Uttanasana (Forward Fold). Hold for 2-3 minutes, unless you have crazy sinus pressue. In that case, Ardha Uttanasana (Pike Position or Half Forward Fold) with the hands on the knees or shins should feel better
6. Tadasana (Mountain Pose
7. Prasarita Padottanasana (Standing Forward Fold)
8. Parivrtta Prasarita Padottanasana (Standing Forward Fold with Twist), bring torso to one leg in Forward Fold
9. Repeat other side
10. Prasarita Padottanasana
11. Interlock hands behind lower back to come up into gentle back bend
12. Gentle Trikonoasana (Triangle Pose). Play around with position of neck. What position would be best for sinuses and saline solutions?
13. Repeat other side
14. Yoga Mudra (Seal of Yoga)
    

Yoga Sequence for Glowing Skin by Lexiyoga

A guest post today comes from Lexiyoga Click any of the links throughout to go check out her website. It's a huge resource. Her sequence is for the skin (as obvious from the title). In the Northeast, I've been noticing what the lack of sunlight can do; I think I might be turning gray. A lady could use a little glow. Sounds nice and warm, in fact. I hope you enjoy!

Yoga Sequence for Glowing Skin

Practicing yoga is a natural method to attaining healthy glowing skin. Creams just mask the outside, while yoga works internally, bringing out your natural beauty from the inside out. People are catching on about the many health and beauty benefits that yoga provides. Therefore it is such a growing industry. The demand has been increasing over the years, and many more yoga studios are popping up. Since the affects are felt just after one class, many individuals become hooked. The hot yoga scene is also booming, as being in a heated studio provides the added bonus of detoxifying your body through sweat. You can find out what the hype is all about in Hot Yoga in Toronto. For those who aren't in Toronto or can't get to a studio, practicing yoga postures from home can also benefit you greatly.

Here are six yoga postures that should be practiced daily to achieve the greatest results. Be sure to hold each posture for as long as you can.

Headstand (Salamba Sirsasana)- All inversions are a great way to plump up your skin and enhance your facial glow. This is because when you're upside down, your blood rushes to your brain and brings nutrients to your face at a deep level.

Warrior I (Virabhadrasana I) - This posture stretches out your body and opens up your heart, which brings in increased circulation and oxygen to your face.

Seated Twist (Ardha Matsyendrasana) - Twisting and squeezing your body detoxifies and gets rid of harmful toxins in your body. The act of releasing a twist brings fresh nutrients and blood to your organs.

Fish Pose (Matsyasana) - This posture is awesome for your face, as you're stretching and toning your neck, throat and facial muscles. You're also stimulating your hormones, which in essence effect the nature of your skin tone.

Bow Pose (Dhanurasana) - This pose opens up your chest bringing in more oxygen to your face and neck, providing you with a natural glow.

Child's Pose (Balasana) - When your head is lower than your heart, you face receives more oxygen, which keeps your face soft and helps to erase wrinkles.

By Lexiyoga

Grounding

My two-week search for a new place to live (Part One) in the Pacific Northwest came to an end yesterday. At my parent's house, in time to beat the worst of the holiday travel rush. Being on the road did a lot to underscore how I am starting to feel the need to be settled somewhere and have a steady routine. As a recap, Chris and I have been on the road, more or less, since the end of May (with a month and half long break to house-sit for the folks). I know grass is always greener in this kind of situation: when I have a steady job, I can feel the need to hit the road, but cannot. Now that the road is mine to hit, so to speak, a 9-5 sounds kind of nice.

It felt like a good yoga practice to give myself a feeling of being grounded, even though I do not have a home base. Working with stillness and grounding, my head feels like it is in a better place. Home will come when the time is right.

Grounding

Begin your practice with a brief meditation. Imagine roots extending from the end of your spine into the floor behind you. As you inhale, grow your spine like a plant towards the sun. Imagine the heat of the sun crowning your head, running like hot water down your back. As you exhale, imagine the sun as nourishment, extending your roots deeper into the earth. Inhale towards the sun, exhale to root deeper.

1. Sukhasana  (Easy Pose)
2. Gentle neck rolls
3. Walk one arm out along your side, roll neck to opposite direction for neck stretch
4. Repeat other side
5. Cat/cow spine in seated
6. Table
7. Extend opposite arm and leg to balance. Repeat other side.
8. Vyaghrasana (Tiger Pose)
9. Exhale "Ha!" to extend leg back
10. Repeat 10-12x
11. Repeat steps 8-10 other side
12. Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward Facing Dog Pose)
13. Hold for 5 long breaths, bending and straightening legs, warming up
14. Plank Pose
15. Begin Kapalabhati (Skull Shining Breath) in Plank
16. Chaturanga Dandasana (Four-limbed Staff Pose)
17. Rest on stomach, return to normal breath
18. Push back up to Plank
19. Adho Mukha Svanasana
20. Uttanasana (Forward Fold Pose)
21. Tadasana (Mountain Pose)
22. Sun Breaths (see Sun Breaths post for how to do this pranayama) in Tadasana
23. Utthita Vaya Muktyasana (Standing Wind Relieving Pose)
24. Tadasana
25. Repeat 23 and 24 other side
26. Vrksasana (Tree Pose)
27. Patanvrksasana (Toppling Tree Pose) note: never knew the Sanskrit for this one? Me neither. Check out the Dharma Mittra resource to see a picture.
    
28. Urdhva Prasarita Eka Padasana (Standing Splits)
29. Virabhadrasana I (Warrior I)
30. Virabhadrasana II (Warrior II)
31. Trikonasana (Triangle Pose)
32. Ardha Chandrasana (Half Moon Pose)
33. Trikonasana
34. Utthita Tadasana (Five Pointed Star)
35. Tadasana
36. Repeat steps 26-35 on other side
37. Sukha Matsyendrasana (Easy Twist). Repeat other side
38. Tarasana (Seated Star Pose)
39. Matsyasana (Fish Pose)
40. Savasana
    

Failure

Sorry I skipped a day, folks. As warned, my travels caught up with me, and I didn't have time to put something down. As it is, my plane boards in, oh, 10 minutes, so if this one has typos, my deepest apologies. 


Someone once told me, and for anything I can't remember who, that balance poses give one of life's only opportunities for adults to fail in public without reprocussions or shame. Fall over, "fail" at balancing, and it is okay. I have also heard that as long as you maintain your dristhi (or focal point) you remain balanced. This is a call to not be so serious during balancing poses. The heaviness you feel may ground you, but without light and lightness the pose may never feel joyful.

If you need to, redefine "failure." See falling as opening your heart to those in the room; you are human, not weak or less than. If you come into balance in a pose as rote or routine, experience it differently. See falling as a fun and exciting new way to experience gravity. Huzzah!

1. Sukhasana (Easy Pose)
2. Uttana Shishosana (Extended Puppy Pose)
3. Thread the needle by threading one arm under the other on the ground and twisting in puppy. Let the head rest on the ground.
4. Table
5. Bend one leg at the knee, lifting demi-toed foot towards ceiling (should feel this in glutes). Repeat other side
6. Lift the opposite arm and leg to balance. Repeat other side
7. Garbasana (Child's Pose)
8. Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward Facing Dog Pose)
9. Bend and straighten knees (singularly and in tandem)
10. Uttanasana (Standing Forward Fold)
11. Tadasana (Mountain Pose)
    
12. 5 sun salutations, personal choice
13. Virabhadrasana I (Warrior I)
14. Parvottanasana (Intense Stretch Pose)
    
15. Trikonosana
16. Utthita Tadasana (Five Pointed Star)
17. Repeat steps 13-16 other side
18. Virabhadrasana I
19. Parivrtta Trikonasana (Revolved Triangle)
    
20. Utthita Tadasana
21. Repeat steps 18-20 on other side
    
22. Vrksasana (Tree Pose)
    
23. Grab big toe in yogi toe lock (pointer and middle finger around toe), straighten leg out to side, look in opposite direction
24. Bring straight leg out in front
25. Bring torso towards legs
26. Tadasana
27. Repeat steps 22-26 other side
28. Setu Bandhasana (Bridge Pose)
29. Either repeat Bridge three times, or Urdhva Dhanurasana (Wheel Pose)
30. Paschimottanasana (Seated Forward Fold)
31. Janu Sirsasana (Seated Head to Knee Pose). Repeat other side
32. Marichyasana (Marichi's Twist). Repeat other side
33. Savasana