Up cycling yoga pants

So.... its basically been the long weekend of my dreams.  I've had lots of extra time to sleep, dream, eat, practice yoga, paint, create, research, read, practice yoga, play games with my kids, play ukulele and try something new.  Well.......new to me, anyway.

I've been checking out all kinds of upcycled goods on Etsy and this weekend I decided to jump on the bandwagon and create one of my own.  I stumbled across some wonderful soft jersey knit yoga pants and a bamboo blend yoga shirt packed away from the move 7 months ago and that was just the jump start I needed.

When I discovered them, I realized hadn't worn either in over 2 years.  I think there is some kind of rule on that.  If you haven't worn it in a certain amount of time, get rid of it.  (I probably heard that from Oprah or one of her guests)  But I hated to ditch them.  They were so comfy and lovely, but just not practical for my everyday yoga practicing wear.  (Someone really needs to figure out the whole yoga pants and underwear dealio, you know what I'm saying????)

So, I took a deep breath, inhaled some courage and cut them apart.  Oh, man!  It was way scarier than I thought it would be....I was plagued with doubt....with what ifs....but once I started, I felt empowered.  Through destruction there is creation.  

So, I created one of those knotted, messy, no-sew, infinity, a little bit braided and a little bit spaghetti t-shirt scarves I know you've seen on the internet.   

........Except......... I thought I was awfully clever because I decided to use my yoga foldover waistband with the lovely embroidery to create a nice cowl and I also got out my hot glue gun and embellished it with tiny flowers.  

To be honest, I'm not completely sure this scarf is my style.

(It sure does look cute on my girlie, though, doesn't it?)

But I enjoyed the process and learned a lot.  You might not catching me wearing this one, but I will be busy concocting and hatching plans for my next upcycled yoga pants concoction because its all about the process.  Living and learning and evolving....

Namaste~

Tammie

Simple Tricks to Help Children Who Are Overstimulated

My lovely daughter accosted me today while I was practicing.  She has a fiery personality with boundless energy and a quick mind.  I love her dearly, but sometimes her energy is not easily compatible with mine, especially when I'm attempting to decompress while practicing.  We'd already had one blow out for the day and I could feel her energy was agitated (probably from the virus that was about to overcome her), so i stopped what i was doing and attended to her.

Before:  Being silly in Warrior 3.

"Do something relaxing to me, mama," she said.  

This means she wants me to do some therapeutic yoga techniques (basically I do yoga to her, instead of her doing it herself) which also sometimes includes massage and accu-pressure.  I agreed and began by "grounding" her.  Grounding is an important technique for relaxing children or any person who is overly stimulated and/or not able to process normal sensory input.  Learning to ground myself changed my life and I hope that exposing her to it early will change the quality of her life as well.

Grounding is a really simple idea.  Its about getting into your roots.  Some simple things, like massaging your back body against the floor (visual:  think of dog enjoying rubbing its back on the grass) or putting weight on your front body while you lie back, can be enough to calm the nervous system.  These things take the focus away from your front body and all the sense organs and allow you to sink away from the source of over stimulation.  

Now, those are great techniques, but I like to use my super yogi mom knowledge to take grounding to a whole new level for my baby, so:

1.  I lay her down in a savasana position on her back, smoothing and pulling down her back body and stretching out her limbs.  

2.  I stand on her.  Yes, you heard me right.  (I'm careful.)  

I found out many moons ago in my yoga teacher training that if a person carefully places their heels in the center of the crescent of your groins and then places their palms on your shoulder joints, the weight of their body is evenly distributed right into your joints that most need grounding (the hips and shoulders).  If the person is in savasana properly and the placement of the hands and feet is done properly and slowly, the effects of this procedure are miraculous.  I'm not kidding.  Not even a little bit.

3.  I breathe with her.  This is a valuable tool.  I breathe slowly and diaphramatically with great awareness and through our touch and energy sharing, she begins to follow into the same pattern of breathing with me.  My lovely daughter is usually phenomenal at this, but.....

On this particular day, she was reverse breathing (gasp!)....which was I'm sure adding to or causing the agitation.  Reverse breathing is a breathing pattern where you are breathing the 180 degree opposite of how you were designed to take in oxygen.  (Its a lot like a gasp, actually.  Catch my keen play on words?)

During reverse breathing, your belly sucks in and you pushes all of the air into your chest and upper respiratory muscles that aren't designed to engage in that way.  The result is agitation from not breathing into your pelvic floor and abdominal region (your roots -- think grounding!) and tightening of the chest and secondary respiratory muscles that aren't designed to work as primary muscles.

She was giggling and nervous as she struggled to join me in diaphragmatic breathing.  It took much longer than normal, but I stayed there, hands on her, firm and insistent in the energy I was sharing with her and finally, she broke the pattern.  I felt her body immediately release to the ground in a significant way when she was able to break the pattern.  I could see and feel her relief and the relaxation was palpable.  That's when I had two thoughts. 

1. "Whew."  
2.  "Boy, I bet this could help a lot of parents, especially those with kids who might have special sensory needs.  I better blog about this."

Namaste~
Tammie
      

AAAAHHHH....after some grounding.

Muting the Negativity & Teaching Updates

Hello, all.

I hope you are well.  It has been a "noisy" week in my life and I suspect many of you have experienced the same thing with the political season reaching its climax on Election Day.  I am working hard this week to surrender judgement of other people's viewpoints and instead focus on the our mutual desire for an improved society.  There are some people who I've just had to "mute" this week in order to keep myself on the path.  Pressing "mute" and withdrawing from the negative energy surrounding some people is important to your own health, vitality, and frame of mind.  Don't be afraid to tune out the negativity-- it doesn't mean you're not seeing all points of view or that you've lost your empathy or compassion.  It simply means you're not going to accept negative emotional states with your information.  Think about where you get your news from and how often.  Check facts across several sources.  Try reading articles instead of tuning in to television broadcasts.  Read only the things that concern you being a better, more informed citizen.  Don't get caught up in the stream of missing women and murders paraded across the television in a subjective manner designed to frighten and anger.  Yes, we should be outraged sometimes, but not all the time.

That being said, I'm going to embark on a meditative journey today.  I have some extra time as I am home with a sick little boy.  I'll be wishing you peace, love, and contentment as I do.

• CLASS UPDATE:
• My next class will be offered on Saturday mornings in April & May 2013.
• It will be located on the main campus of RVC in the dance studio.
• Watch for the upcoming RVC Spring Catalog for Community & Continuing Education to sign up!!!

As always,

Namaste~

Tammie

Are you off the grid?

Girl, pull your kneecaps up!   

Sometimes you just need a little wake up call during the day...you know,  a little something to wake you out of your walking dead, zombie- like trance.  Instead of grabbing a coffee or coke, I often say to myself, "girl, pull your kneecaps up!" 

Yes, I understand that this may sound a bit silly.  
But, I like to be silly.

This phrase is perfect for me in 2 ways.  First, it makes me giggle.  Secondly, it reminds me to "plug in" to the immense grid of universal energy that is always readily available to me. 

In yoga, we call that universal energy prana.  Other traditions refer to it as chi and ka.  

What do you call that thing that makes life alive?

No matter what you want to call it, its there.  Its constant.  Certain.  Amazingly reliable.  (unlike our aging power grid.)

Sometimes I discover myself walking around letting all my prana leak right out of me.  And one tell-tale sign is flabby kneecaps.   

When I remind myself to seal my feet to the ground with rooting action that begins at the pelvis as I pause and stand for a moment, I receive a "kick back" of prana that is drawn up through my legs like colored water is drawn up through celery in a childhood science experiment.  

My quadriceps engage and pull prana up into my spine.  (This action is detectable physically by the lifting of the knee cap, so even if you aren't yet connecting to the feeling of energy lifting, look for that flabby knee cap to become pert -- and, I mean, really, it feels great to restore perkiness to body parts, doesn't it?)  

From there, I can lift the energy flow even higher with conscious breathing, visualization, and a nice kegel.  Yes, ladies I said kegel -- if you're not sealing the pelvic floor and drawing up; you're leaking more than the occasional urine.   

If I can establish that flow for just a moment or two, the effects of that increased energy flow stay with me for much longer. 

So, I say:  Plug in.  Power up.  

You'll need it this winter.

Don't forget other great ways to protect  and/or increase your prana flow:

your asana practice
living foods (plant-based and as whole as possible; not processed)
diaphragmatic breathing
drink warm or room temperature beverages
wear a scarf, hat, gloves during winter
alternate nostril breathing
lymphatic massage
accupressure points

Namaste~
Tammie

Turn Your World Upside Down with Urdvha Dhanurasana

This weekend I got out of town.  Not far, but far enough.  Far enough to have a good time and get a fresh perspective.

When is the last time you got out of town? (Oh, maybe you're some very distinguished world traveler -- good for you.)  If you're not....like me, you can do a yoga pose for a few lovely moments, turn your world upside down, and come back a little closer to fine (blatant Indigo Girls reference) or, at least, closer to sane.

Here's whatcha need to do to get into Urdvha Dhanaurasana or Upward Facing Bow (the granddaddy of backbends) and experience great joy, a heart pumping rush, and a fresh view of the world.  

Keep in mind, this pose may not be accessible to you -- its intense!  This pose requires a strong practice and a lot of preparation opening through the shoulders and hips and muscle lengthening along the quadriceps.  It also requires amazing grounding strength from your core.  Its a big pose with a big pay off.   Don't jump in if you don't already have a strong practice.  However, some form of this pose is  probably accessible to you with the right modifications:  think exercise balls, blocks, straps, a wall, a spotter.  Do your research or feel free to comment with any specific questions.

First and most importantly, make sure you have thoroughly warmed up your body with several rounds of sun salutations and standing poses.  

Next, lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet close to your hips.  Your knees and feet need to be aligned with your hips; not turned out (this is the most common alignment issue I see in people-- be careful!)  For this reason, I strongly suggest placing a yoga block on the floor between your feet.  This gives you a physical cue to know if your feet are slipping away from the mid line.  

Place your hands on the floor next to your ears, fingers pointing at your shoulders and feet.  Here's the second tricky alignment issue:  Can you get both hands on the floor and maintain solid contact across the entire hand at shoulder width -- no slippage?  If not, you can get an assist from a block and strap, a special wedge, or a friend's ankles -- but certainly don't go any further without without some modification.  Really.  

Push into your hands, starting with your elbows bent in line with the shoulders.  Try just pushing up so that the crown of your head can rest on the floor.  Recheck your alignment from this vantage point.  Are hands, shoulders, hips, knees and feet all in alignment with each other?  If so, and you feel comfortable and strong enough to do so, you can move on.  If not, go directly back to modifications. Do not pass GO!  Do not collect $200!  

It is important to remember, you are building this pose (and all poses) from the ground floor up.  Think earth, floor, hands, and feet.  Push into the floor beneath you for grounding support and then engage your core muscles.  (Maybe you just practice this isometric action without seeing any or much movement of the body through space.  Remember that's okay.  Its valuable practice.) 

Your core muscles will pull your belly toward the sky while your feet and hands root down into the earth.  Hover in a balanced way between earth and sky as you inhale and exhale.  

Your sacrum will have to be mobile enough to move toward your front body if you are going to straighten your legs and arms fully.  

In this pose the entire front body is opened -- chest, neck, and thighs especially.  You will literally feel the energy coursing through your heart, quickening your breath.  It's exhilarating.  You are literally open to the world.  Try to sip on the experience instead of gulping.  Open your eyes and look at the world; experience it with child-like joy and wonder.  You are upside down and the world looks different and you feel different.  Changed.  For the better.  

 And when the pose is over, lie back and let those mega watts of energy flow through your body for several moments, lengthening your exhalations, hugging your knees to your chest, rocking, rolling, and maybe twisting. 

Notice how you wanna run right out and hug someone?  You should totally do that. 

Namaste~
Tammie             

Embrace the Season

One of the most valuable lessons I have taken away from my yogic studies is this:  Embrace each moment; each season. 

Struggling against a pose is a fight you never win.  Instead, each moment should be about finding comfort, ease, and stability within the circumstances of the pose.  How do we stop struggling?  How can we find a way to be grateful for whatever we are experiencing right now, knowing that it will not last forever?  Nothing in this world lasts  forever.  On Earth, cycles and seasons and transitions rule.  What if we embraced them; instead of struggling against them?  This is essentially what the yoga pose is preparing us for.  If we can adapt physically and release our struggling, then we can take that knowledge into our emotional life and ease our struggles there as well.    

We all pretty much acknowledge the seasons of nature, but do you really embrace them?  Do you dread one and feel that you are enduring it, rather than experiencing or embracing it????  Are you pining for summer or dreading winter instead of embracing autumn?  I've discovered that is a huge waste of time -- as an adolescent I denied winter existed.  I didn't wear a winter hat, gloves, or scarf.  Wearing such gear was not deemed cool or stylish.  No wonder I felt I was suffering through winter.... I was freezing!!  I was in denial and, thus, poorly equipped to deal. 

Although I am not as fond of winter now as I am of summer, I realize its a cycle that demands introspection and reflection.  That is what its designed for -- the soil is blanketed and quiet and resting; so it will be prepared for new growth in the spring.  This is, perhaps, what we, as humans, need to be doing more of in winter:  basking in a more quiet time. I now also realize that we must insulate ourselves (I recommend North Face and Uggs) as the Earth does, to hang onto our heat (life energy) -- instead of foolishly letting it escape.  These slight changes in attitude make a huge difference in how I experience winter as an adult. 

There are also "seasons" of our lives -- different stages and phases -- childhood, young adult, single, married, divorced, caretaker, young parent, older parent.....Perhaps we will not love each cycle.  Perhaps we are better suited to one than another; but there is beauty in each of these seasons:  growing, working, tending, letting go, resting -- these are the same concepts that the Earth models for us.  

In autumn, Earth models surrender for us.  I'd like to share an excerpt from one of my favorite passages concerning this topic:

 

"There are so many leaves.  Piles of them.  I take pleasure in their abundance.  More saints than you could ever dream of.  Each one singular.  Each one itself.  Yellow, red, orange, parchment.  They sail down in the autumn air like fearless sky divers.  They are so trusting -- letting go completely.  Not questioning as I do... Will it be safe?  Will I understand?  Will it hurt?  ....stalling, qualifying, questioning, instead of releasing and taking to the air...................Sweet and wild is the experience of surrender.  There is nothing more intimate."

----Gunilla Norris
Journeying in Place



Sometimes I look out at a yoga class and I see students struggling in Warrior.  Its obvious they are encountering difficulty.  Their muscles are gripping.  Their face is strained.  Their shoulders are tensed.  They are working too hard to hang onto something-- like a leaf that won't shake loose from the tree in the fall.  And I think of that passage. 

On an exhale, I remind them to surrender that gripping and let it roll down and off their back bodies.  I ask them to release the tension to the ground; like the leaves falling.  When they let go of the hardening of their faces and shoulders, they can redirect that energy from a fruitless endeavor into strengthening their roots and core; which is where it is needed it for Warrior.  

Through surrender, they find strength and comfort.

When's the last time you surrendered?  Not to a child's tantrum, or an impulse buy because you were tired, weak, and brittle....but to something greater than yourself because you are strong, attuned, and flexible.  

Right now, all around you, the leaves are changing colors and readying to surrender because it is their time.  I say, let us marvel at this beautiful process and contemplate what we might surrender in this season; knowing that letting go of a struggle will not weaken us, but allow us to strengthen some other aspect at our core. 

  
  

Play Dead with Savasana

If you've ever attended a yoga class, or practiced along with a video at home, you've heard of Savasana (pronounced Shavasana).  No yoga teacher should ever leave out, or forget it.  And a yoga student who scoffs at it or skips it is only cheating herself.  That would be a bit like mixing up all the ingredients for a cake and then not baking it.......or eating it! 

Savasana translates to "Corpse Pose".  

(Um, yeah.  I said corpse.  As in death, coffins, funeral parlors...).

I'll admit, its not exactly the most appealing name or inspiring reference.   Why would you want to play dead like a opossum?  Well, the short answer is:  Its really, really good for you.

Yes, death is good for you.

Savasana means death to:

• old habits
• outdated modes of operating
• unnecessary movement, holding, tension, and gripping of your muscles, heart, and mind
• any and all things that limit you from being your effortless, truly inspired self

Truly surrendering to Savasana is not easy (maybe it has something to do with the death thing?), but the rewards are great.  Recently a true surrender to savasana has been eluding me. I used to dissolve into Savasana.  Literally.  I mean it!  I would feel myself not being so "self" and instead, more a part of my surroundings.  Those moments are still precious to me.  When I would return from my relaxation, the world appeared different.  My mind was clear.  My body was refreshed.  My heart was wide open.  I suddenly had creative solutions to problems that had been plaguing me, so much so that I wondered why I had ever labeled it a "problem".

That, my friends, is "good stuff".  The Best Stuff.  You want some and I want more.  So, here's a few tips, reminders, and inspirations for you and me.

1.  When you lie down for your relaxation, you are essentially taking Tadasana (Mountain Pose) and laying it down on the floor.  So, don't just "flop" down like you're hitting the sack at night.  Take your time aligning your body.  Start with your knees bent and be sure the spine is neutral, so that its curves allow you to rest comfortably on the floor.  If you're spine is neutral, the shoulder blades and the sacrum (3 smooth, flat, triangle bones) should make even and full contact with the floor.   If your spine is neutral, the curve of the neck and the small of the back will be slightly slightly lifted off the floor.  (Just enough space for your hand.)

2.  Sometimes it helps to use your hands and actually pull down the shoulder blades and back body -- like your smoothing the sheets before you get into bed at night.  I also like to place my thumbs at the base of my skull and pull the skull away from the neck before resting my head on the floor.

3.  Covering the body with a blanket can be grounding.  So can strategically placed sandbags at the groins (crescent shape where the thigh meets the pelvis) and shoulder joints  so that those joints can release, open fully, and invite your whole being to return home.  If you have someone you really trust available, they can actually place their hands and feet on those spots and then balance on you for just a moment, giving you the Savasana experience of your life!!  I promise, if they are in the right spots -- this doesn't hurt at all.  In fact, its delicious pleasure.


4.  Roll the fleshy part of your upper arms gently underneath to open the chest.  Then lengthen  your arms down at your sides by extending from your shoulders out to your fingers.

5.  Extend your legs away from your pelvis before allowing your feet to drop open. 

6.  Withdraw your sense organs and sink into your "back body".  Your sense organs are all at the front of the body.  They keep your conscious mind turned on if they don't release and that interferes with full relaxation.  For example: let your eyeballs sink deeper into sockets -- use an eye pillow if you have difficulty experiencing this.

7.  Consciously guide the body to relax all its parts (perhaps start at the feet and slowly guide yourself up to the skull).  And don't forget all those parts you don't normally think of relaxing, like your skin and especially your tongue, which magically releases the internal body's tension!!

 8.  Let your exhales lengthen -- and enjoy for as long as you like.

 9.  I like to read "The Avowal"  for inspiration right before I get settled in:

"As swimmers dare 
to lie face to the sky
and water bears them,
as hawks rest upon air
and air sustains them,
so would I learn to attain
freefall, and float
into Creator Spirit's deep embrace,
knowing no effort earns
that all-surrounding grace."

---Denise Levertov
from Oblique Poems;
reprinted in Spiritual Literacy:  Reading the Sacred in Everyday Life, 
by Frederic & Mary Ann Brussat


Namaste~
Tammie