How to Calm Your Life Down

When I had just finished graduate school and started my first "real job" (a teacher), I felt like there were two worlds. There was the real world, and then there was the yoga world. The real world was pretty much a never ending loop of the tornado scene from The Wizard of Oz except instead of debris revolving around me there were constant looming deadlines for bills, rent, papers to grade, meetings to attend, appointments to schedule, and my first year of teaching to get through. I functioned on little more than cheerios and M&Ms (but that's a story for another day), too little sleep, and a constant nagging feeling that I was always late for some important meeting.

And then there was the yoga world. Road rage taking over, I'd drive like a bat outta hell from staff meetings to get to yoga class on time. I'd walk in--sorry-- run in, kick my shoes off, speed walk into the room, unroll my mat and finally, FINALLY exhale the breath I didn't know I was holding. The energy in the studio would melt away all the stress, and the class would begin. There was the yoga world- a world where constant calm seemingly prevailed- and then the real world. And the two never seemed to merge. But a lot has changed.

There are so many aspects of yoga that I love, but what I appreciate most is the way yoga can be a tool for self-inquiry. The practice, the poses themselves and the breath, reveals so much about our behavior, our inner dialogue, and our current emotional state. Each time you step on the mat to practice you're given the opportunity to be an observer of your body and mind. I realize this sounds a little out there so let me break it down.

Say you're in a challenging yoga class. What you do and how you react on the mat is a direct reflection of who you are. So pay attention to your thoughts and behavior.  

When I look back on that crazy time in my life, I would go through a variety of reactions. Even though I was happy to be in class getting my little dose of the yoga world, my first reaction when the class didn't go as I had envisioned would be frustration with the instructor. I'd have an internal argument going on about why the flow didn't make any sense, or how her tone of voice got under my skin. I'd get annoyed when she'd keep us holding a challenging pose while she would adjust someone and ask the student a few follow up questions while the rest of us were sweating our faces off holding the pose.

The second reaction would be annoyance with myself. When poses weren't immediately accessible to me whether due to an injury or just the simple fact that I wasn't flexible or strong enough, I'd blame myself. 

And the overall reaction blanketing the entire class would be a million thoughts about anything other than what we were doing in the moment. I need to make sure I call so-and-so back, I need to grade those papers, how long is she gonna make us stay in downward dog, I wonder if I should confirm my dentist appointment, dammit rent is due next week, woohoo payday tomorrow, happy hour maybe, ugh my wrist is hurting, I'm sweating so much I'll definitely need to shower immediately, how many more minutes until this is over? 

So what did this say about me? Besides the obvious, that I essentially wasn't ever in the moment whether it be in yoga world or the real world- I was also quick to blame others and myself when things weren't going smoothly in the class. Was that true of my life at that point in time? Absolutely. 

So what can be done to quiet the Wizard of Oz tornado in your life and merge the yoga world with the real world?

I think the first step is recognizing and taking mental note of what's going on. The next time you're on the mat, picture yourself separate from your body and your thoughts, and check in with how you feel and what the internal dialogue (if anything) is saying. The next step to keep practicing, keep being mindful when you're on the mat, and eventually everything will quiet down - both internally and around you. It sounds pretty simple, and it is, but I think it's one of those things where our lives are dominated by complicated schedules/deadlines/things to do, that we forget how to just do something simple. We make simple things complicated. Yoga is a meditation in motion. It takes discipline and practice to get back to simplicity. But stick with it because then the two worlds - the "real world" and the yoga world can merge and you'll find the calm. 

3 Ways to Use Visualization in the Yoga Practice

There are numerous articles and books on the power of visualization in sports psychology, so it shouldn't be much of a surprise how well it worked for me with this pose. The best part of this process is how easy it was to implement and how it worked almost instantly. I thought if I shared the process I went through that it might help someone else, so here goes.

This pose is chin stand - and the only parts of my body touching the ground are my chin and my hands (most, if not all of the weight of my body is in the hands - placing the chin down just sort of helps you balance). Anyway, I've wanted to do chin stand for a while but something was holding me back from trying. I knew that I had the strength and ability to do it, but I just couldn't seem to get myself into the pose. What helped me most was visualization. I think a lot of people get caught up in how difficult certain poses look, but I think if we put that label aside and use visualization, poses that we never dreamed of ever being able to do would become accessible.

1. Let go of preconceived ideas

Confession: I avoided chin stand for the longest time because I don't like how it looks on the neck. I mean, if I hadn't told you that most, if not all of my body weight are in the hands, you would've thought that the chin is holding a lot of weight, right? That's kind of scary if you think about it that way - the way the neck really shouldn't be bent very far back and how it might hurt to have weight there... but the fact is, these fears are all made up. Since there's little to no weight in the chin, we can forget about our imagined fears.  

As for difficulty - I think the best thing to do is to stop looking at things and saying, "That looks so hard." Immediately that just reaffirms that it's out of your reach. Let that go. Stop labeling. Everything is within your reach if you approach it from the right perspective. 

2. Visualize

I know it sounds a little out there to visualize your best self creating the pose you want, but relax. There's no need to sit under a bonsai tree and light some incense in a far off land. Do it from your desk, your bed, wherever. Keep it simple. Visualize your body physically getting into the pose, holding it and breathing in it, and then getting out of the pose. You might actually feel the muscles you'll use begin to engage. 

Chin stand becomes bow pose

3. Set the foundation

Now that you have a completely clear mind and you've visualized yourself in the pose- make sure you've got the foundation for the pose you're attempting. Be realistic about your flexibility, your strength, endurance and mental focus. Find the perfect blend of dedication, determination, and being gentle with yourself. Then, look at the pose and see if you can mentally rotate the posture to be in a way that is accessible to you. For example, if you rotate my chin stand picture so that my stomach is on the ground, you've sort of got a bow pose variation. Can you physically do that pose? If you've got the flexibility for that, try some arm balances and see where you're at with your arm strength. Experiment with putting your chin down. Close your eyes, and visualize your body in the correct position, and then try it.

I hope this helps!

3 Ways to Take Yoga to the Next Level

A recent question from a reader: How can I take my yoga practice to the next level? I'm kind of in a rut. I do the practice, but I'm not inspired. I don't feel the post-yoga high I once felt. How can I get out of this funk?

Answer: That happens to me from time to time. No, you're not doing anything wrong. This is all part of the journey. Sorry, I know that sounds like a cheese fest, but these highs and lows you feel- it's all part of the experience. But I know what you mean, and I think it happens to all of us- you feel like you're learning so much, progressing so much, and then all of the sudden you're kind of at a plateau. You've scratched the surface and it seems there's no where left to go. But there is. Here are three ways you can jumpstart your practice and go a little deeper.

1. Commit

I once heard yoga described as the martial art of the soul, where your biggest opponent is your ego. Yoga, like with any great art, takes dedication and practice. You need to show up to the mat consistently and put in the work in order to reap the rewards. Commit to a consistent schedule, and think of it in your head as a meeting with the boss. You don't cancel on the boss. 

2. Be inspired

Try something different to inspire a great practice. Create a playlist, light incense, start with a reading or a guided meditation, try a new breath-work technique. Sign up for an arm balance workshop or an introduction to meditation. Do something out of your comfort zone and see what that brings up on the mat. Observe your thoughts, but don't hold on to them.

3. Acknowledge the pose

Instead of going through the motions of your regular practice, slow it down just a bit and give yourself a chance to acknowledge every pose you do. Take a mental note of how the pose is affecting your mind, your breath, and your physical body. Observe, and move on to the next pose.  Consider recording your observations after the practice to look back on later. 

I hope that helps! Do you have any other ideas for going a bit deeper into the practice? Share below in the comments section or let me know on twitter.

PS- How to create a home yoga sequence.

Pain in the Abs: A Lesson

I have a pulled ab muscle. I felt it a few weeks ago doing russian split squats, and I paid attention to it and backed off a bit. But the other day I was doing russian twists (what is it with the "russian" exercises?!) with a 25 pound weight (the most weight I've done..oh, ever), and I knew immediately after the first set that I was hurt.  

So what do you do for a pulled ab muscle? Mostly rest, (I didn't leave the house for a full 48 hours- that was a nice little dose of cabin fever), ice it, and try not to use the abdominal muscles, which is so difficult to do it's almost funny. I mean we use our abs just to keep ourselves upright, so...a lot of laying down is in order with an ab injury. Anyway, once the initial pain went away, I applied heat, and a few days later started doing very gentle stretching- nothing that would aggravate it. That's where I'm at now. It is feeling much better, but still not 100%, so I'm taking it really easy, doing some reading (Gone Girl, so good!), meticulously folding the posters that will accompany my Sweat dvds when they ship, and overall just trying to relax.

Ohhh injuries. A pain in the ass (or in this case, the abs), but our greatest teachers. I've finally learned to accept injuries if they come, crawl into the discomfort and understand that they're the body's way of letting me know I need to slow down and be more present. 

The Drishti

In yoga, we practice a focusing technique called drishti.  Simply put, it's just finding a focal point to softly gaze at while you're doing yoga. The reason for this is because we're visual creatures. We get distracted easily - the person on the mat in front of you has a cute top on, there's a car driving by, whatever.  By maintaining a fixed gaze you kind of turn all that extra stuff off (or at least put it on a visual mute) and enable yourself to better focus, and most importantly, go inward. If you were to put two people next to one another during a yoga practice - one who had a drishti and one who did not - it would be very obvious to you which person was which. The person without would be distracted, easily agitated, unstable in balancing postures, easily frustrated and would tire quickly. The person with the drishti would be moving effortlessly, powerfully and with a calm, quiet expression. Of course there are other factors to consider - the drishti isn't the magical thing you do to have perfect focus and clarity while practicing - but it is the one thing you can do to make the most out of what you're working with. 

Because yoga isn't just about what's happening on the mat, you can use a drishti anywhere. Give it a try the next time you're going for a run, or at the gym lifting weights. Find one place to gaze in front of you, keep your expression soft, and breathe fully. I notice that when I do cardio with a drishti the run feels effortless. I'm sweating and working hard, but I feel calm and focused. You can even try it at work, while driving, or while cooking- the drishti is like the foundation for a meditative state in whatever you do. 

A Leap of Faith

As often happens when you dream and believe, the stars have aligned and I have this great opportunity in front of me. It's something I want, something I believe in, and I know I'm prepared for it. But it's a bit of a risk and I don't know the outcome. And while I realize that no one ever really knows for sure the outcome of every little thing that happens in their lives, it's still hard for me to stay in the moment and not worry about the what ifs.

When this happens, this feeling of uneasiness, I turn to this book I have about yogic philosophy. Last night I opened it up to the chapters about individual discipline, and flipped to saucha. Saucha, according to the niyamas, talks about purifying the mind of negativity and fear of the unknown to reveal sheer commitment to the practice of yoga and to all things in your life. It speaks to the importance of living mindfully and without hesitation, and dedicating all your energy and attention to whatever it is you're doing. If you're sitting there in stillness, sit completely in that stillness. If you're grocery shopping, grocery shop with full awareness and presence. That idea of being committed to what you love, what you believe in, what you're all about - it reminded me of this article about how to live without irony. 

"Observe a 4-year-old child going through her daily life. You will not find the slightest bit of irony in her behavior. She has not, so to speak, taken on the veil of irony. She likes what she likes and declares it without dissimulation. She is not particularly conscious of the scrutiny of others. She does not hide behind indirect language." 

How beautiful is that passage? To essentially commit yourself wholeheartedly to what you love and not worry about anything?

So I'll do that. Pursue this opportunity without hesitation, and take a leap of faith that it'll all work out.