Last Monday I had a conversation with someone who said they HATED Mondays. "I don't know why but I am exhausted, even though I did nothing", he complained. I have heard many times from clients that their worst night sleep is Sunday night. For many, it is restless, with the mind taking control and going over every detail for the next day's schedule. For others, there just hasn't been enough downtime to really feel like they had a break.
Realistically, most of us are happy with Sunday + Sunday + Sunday + Sunday + Sunday = Vacation.
But one day, what to do with that? We are so revved up Monday through Friday. Often, Saturday has housework, homework, yard work, or other duties in it, so even if it is a different pace from the other days, it is more like the orange light, we slow down, but don't always make a full stop. By Sunday, we may be too exhausted to do anything, too busy doing what we did not have time for on Saturday, or we get out and do every single leisure thing possible and come home and feel unrested and gypped.
I think some of it has to do with structured and unstructured time, and how you satisfy your needs for both.
Some of us have schedules: here for 9 there for 10:30 and the other place for noon.....and others have a 9-5 in one place. That is structure. Maybe you like that on your weekends, maybe not. Maybe you get unstructured time and can't change gears fast enough to figure out what to do with that time. Maybe you feel unproductive when you do "nothing". These are all questions to promote you finding good options and balance for yourself.
I don't think there is one answer for anybody all the time. It is a little week by week. If you have had a seriously overbooked week, it might balance you out to start your Suncation on Saturday afternoon. It is really good to touch base with yourself about these things on Friday night. Set a kind of intention for your weekend.
Naturally a "make the best out of it" kind of approach and honoring what comes up is helpful.
As for Sunday night restlessness, well, a little deep breathing or a soothing bath or something that breaks out of your usual Monday-Friday routine might work. You can also join me in my Sunday night Yoga Classes in which you will give yourself the gift of feeling re-energized, re-balanced, and relaxed, hopefully encourage a healthy sleep and great transition into your next week.
Sunday 27 November 2011
Tuesday 22 November 2011
The pause that refreshes
The title of this blog is inspired by an iced tea commercial that used to air in summer. Visualize- HOT summer day, perspiration, a hand from off camera hands you the only thing that can save you - a cold glass of iced tea - which you gulp down and then splash into your swimming pool backwards. You don't actually own a swimming pool, and there is no magical butler to prepare this drink for you but somehow, it works : you are saved from the heat, all your problems melt away and you are magically able to get over your fear of falling.
NICE ~ but that isn't exactly what I am suggesting. What I am referring to is that life seems to have two speeds: Fast and Stop. What happened to the pause that refreshes? On a computer, when you are running all your programs at once, the system can crash, from being overloaded. It is running everything at once then you see that little bomb and you know, it isn't good. It isn't iced tea on a hot day.
In non-cyberspace life, things are also full-throttle - work, family, social relationships, social media, duties, bills, schedules, staying healthy. It's stressful. You are going full out and then poof! sore throat, huge headache, burned-out, you become a 'groucho-couch-o' (can't get off the sofa or out of bed).
Now that you are identifying, let me make my point. ADD THE PAUSE. You already know how - it's like the button on your DVD player. You press it to stop the movie, go to the bathroom, the refrigerator, answer the phone. On the computer it means, shut down a few programs that you aren't using at the moment. So you have the ability and the technological savvy...why not do it with your brain? I was so happy I paused before leaving my apartment today. It allowed me to do my checklist before going on my walk: turn off the stove(check), take my phone(check), take my keys(ooooops). In other words, the pause means turning from autopilot to mindful, from fast to relaxed and observant. In relationships or at work, it means being able to respond versus reacting, which is empowering, to be on top of emotions rather than held captive. The list goes on.
Ok, so how? you ask. Well, I am not trying to convert you to try YOGA, learn how to relax, release muscle tension in one blog (well- ok, kind of, let's be honest). What you can integrate in your day is the following breathing practice. You put aside less than 60 seconds. You close your eyes. You inhale. You pause for a nano second. You exhale. You pause for a nanosecond. You count: one. Repeat 5-10 consecutive times. You can put this pause in while you are waiting in line, at your desk. Just practice.
In Yoga terms, the pause is a gateway or corridor to the soul, to the infinite, the creative force. Try it at least once a day for a week. See if it leads you to new discoveries and hidden energies that you were too busy or too burnt out for before you learned about the pause that refreshes!!!
NICE ~ but that isn't exactly what I am suggesting. What I am referring to is that life seems to have two speeds: Fast and Stop. What happened to the pause that refreshes? On a computer, when you are running all your programs at once, the system can crash, from being overloaded. It is running everything at once then you see that little bomb and you know, it isn't good. It isn't iced tea on a hot day.
In non-cyberspace life, things are also full-throttle - work, family, social relationships, social media, duties, bills, schedules, staying healthy. It's stressful. You are going full out and then poof! sore throat, huge headache, burned-out, you become a 'groucho-couch-o' (can't get off the sofa or out of bed).
Now that you are identifying, let me make my point. ADD THE PAUSE. You already know how - it's like the button on your DVD player. You press it to stop the movie, go to the bathroom, the refrigerator, answer the phone. On the computer it means, shut down a few programs that you aren't using at the moment. So you have the ability and the technological savvy...why not do it with your brain? I was so happy I paused before leaving my apartment today. It allowed me to do my checklist before going on my walk: turn off the stove(check), take my phone(check), take my keys(ooooops). In other words, the pause means turning from autopilot to mindful, from fast to relaxed and observant. In relationships or at work, it means being able to respond versus reacting, which is empowering, to be on top of emotions rather than held captive. The list goes on.
Ok, so how? you ask. Well, I am not trying to convert you to try YOGA, learn how to relax, release muscle tension in one blog (well- ok, kind of, let's be honest). What you can integrate in your day is the following breathing practice. You put aside less than 60 seconds. You close your eyes. You inhale. You pause for a nano second. You exhale. You pause for a nanosecond. You count: one. Repeat 5-10 consecutive times. You can put this pause in while you are waiting in line, at your desk. Just practice.
In Yoga terms, the pause is a gateway or corridor to the soul, to the infinite, the creative force. Try it at least once a day for a week. See if it leads you to new discoveries and hidden energies that you were too busy or too burnt out for before you learned about the pause that refreshes!!!
Sunday 20 November 2011
Off the Yoga mat, then what?
Many times after a therapeutic treatment or the final relaxation at the end of a yoga session, my students will say, "I don't want to leave, it feels so good". True, the studio is cozy, and the massage table warm but that isn't it. Well, maybe a bit! (yoga humour)...
What they are expressing is a deep connection with comfort, peace and relaxation that comes when we feel connected to ourself and/or to nature. The space, the smile in the mind. So good, of course we want more of those endorphins!!
I think two things to internalize is that when you experience all those good feelings, really KNOW and FEEL and INTEGRATE how you are wired for bliss. Too often we focus on the other half of the nervous system, the stressed out one! That way, you cultivate a well of positive and healthy energy for when times are not so easy. Dishes, plumbing problems, power outages, laundry, job, family, schedules etc. When you feel overwhelmed, focus - just like biofeedback, on your magical umbilical cord into the bigger picture, and just a few moments of deep yogic breathing can do the trick.
The other thing to keep in the forefront of your consciousness is that the people and circumstances we encounter on a daily basis are our teachers in the school of life. The days that everything is wired for crazy and crumby it may not look like it, but they actually embody great wisdom - maybe to find patiece, compassion, perseverence, honesty, letting go, generosity of spirit, unconditional love...it's all there in the classroom of day to day.
I heard that! You want to graduate already! Ha ha ha ! Well all I can say is that is why it is called "practicing" and learning and growing! So, keep practicing on your mat, or walking in nature, or connecting with yourself in a way that is meaningful to you. We need the practice to balance and center ourselves, to keep resilient, strong and open-hearted. It keeps a compassionate understanding simmering like a great pot of soup. Off the mat will start to make new sense to you...
As Jack Kornfield says in After the Ecstasy the Laundry,
"With spiritual maturity the basis for these practices shifts away from ambition, idealism, and desire for self-transformation. It is as if the wind has changed, and a weather vane-still centered in the same spot- now points in a different direction: back to this moment. We are no longer striving after a spiritual destination, grasping for another world different from the one we have. We are home. And being home, we sweep the floor, make nourishing meals, and care for our guests. When we have realized the everlasting truths of life, what else is there to do but continue our practice?"
What they are expressing is a deep connection with comfort, peace and relaxation that comes when we feel connected to ourself and/or to nature. The space, the smile in the mind. So good, of course we want more of those endorphins!!
I think two things to internalize is that when you experience all those good feelings, really KNOW and FEEL and INTEGRATE how you are wired for bliss. Too often we focus on the other half of the nervous system, the stressed out one! That way, you cultivate a well of positive and healthy energy for when times are not so easy. Dishes, plumbing problems, power outages, laundry, job, family, schedules etc. When you feel overwhelmed, focus - just like biofeedback, on your magical umbilical cord into the bigger picture, and just a few moments of deep yogic breathing can do the trick.
The other thing to keep in the forefront of your consciousness is that the people and circumstances we encounter on a daily basis are our teachers in the school of life. The days that everything is wired for crazy and crumby it may not look like it, but they actually embody great wisdom - maybe to find patiece, compassion, perseverence, honesty, letting go, generosity of spirit, unconditional love...it's all there in the classroom of day to day.
I heard that! You want to graduate already! Ha ha ha ! Well all I can say is that is why it is called "practicing" and learning and growing! So, keep practicing on your mat, or walking in nature, or connecting with yourself in a way that is meaningful to you. We need the practice to balance and center ourselves, to keep resilient, strong and open-hearted. It keeps a compassionate understanding simmering like a great pot of soup. Off the mat will start to make new sense to you...
As Jack Kornfield says in After the Ecstasy the Laundry,
"With spiritual maturity the basis for these practices shifts away from ambition, idealism, and desire for self-transformation. It is as if the wind has changed, and a weather vane-still centered in the same spot- now points in a different direction: back to this moment. We are no longer striving after a spiritual destination, grasping for another world different from the one we have. We are home. And being home, we sweep the floor, make nourishing meals, and care for our guests. When we have realized the everlasting truths of life, what else is there to do but continue our practice?"
Friday 18 November 2011
simply-imuni-tea
This is a magic potion :-)
Fresh ginger (about 1.5 or 2 inches)
Fresh lemon (1/2)
Honey or agave to taste
Water (about 2 cups)
Cut ginger in slices, add water . You can play around with proportions.
Bring to a boil.
Squeeze in lemon juice.
Strain (unless you like the crunch and bite of ginger slices)
Add sweeter.
*honey is known as a miracle food, containing anti-microbial properties that help heal the throat and sinuses, can help at bedtime to promote good sleep.
*ginger is a super food, known to calm the tummy, relieve gas and bloating, aid digestion and protect against ulcers
*lemon is rich in vitamin C and some reports are saying it has anti-cancer potential
*water is something every system of your body needs to carry out normal functions
so simple!
Fresh ginger (about 1.5 or 2 inches)
Fresh lemon (1/2)
Honey or agave to taste
Water (about 2 cups)
Cut ginger in slices, add water . You can play around with proportions.
Bring to a boil.
Squeeze in lemon juice.
Strain (unless you like the crunch and bite of ginger slices)
Add sweeter.
*honey is known as a miracle food, containing anti-microbial properties that help heal the throat and sinuses, can help at bedtime to promote good sleep.
*ginger is a super food, known to calm the tummy, relieve gas and bloating, aid digestion and protect against ulcers
*lemon is rich in vitamin C and some reports are saying it has anti-cancer potential
*water is something every system of your body needs to carry out normal functions
so simple!
Wednesday 16 November 2011
Driving the Speed Limit
This is a subject that was on my mind for awhile, but more prominently so today. I was crossing the street on a green light, when a car literally whizzed by -turning right, 10 seconds away from knocking me over like a bowling pin. It was obvious that they wanted to make the green light, but at what cost? As it is, the street has 5 schools on it and so is a 30km/hr zone, not 50 or 60 which is what the average person does-unless the cops are out on a sting operation. Then, it is slow and steady, well, slower and steadier, until one feels free from radar detection.
Most people hit the ground running in the morning. The pace of today is speedy, crammed, and continuous. In the yoga sutra 1.2 , Patanjali says: "yogascittavrttinirodhah" which is understood as "yoga is the ability to direct and focus mental activity". In other words to tame the mind. It needs taming because it is like a wild monkey!
So basically if this racing mind is what is driving you, you may tip the speed limit, and that has obvious repercussions. Maybe you are also someone who grips the wheel, clenches your teeth, drops your head and shoulders forward...? At any rate, those are habits that wind up causing headaches, stiff necks, back pain and more! The issues are in the tissues! Yes, the racing mind never drives the speed limit.
So what can you do? Well, there are a few things you can try. Try to wake up a few minutes earlier- not to loud music or CNN but something quieter and melodic. Ease into a rhythm by taking a few centring breaths. Set your coffee or tea up the night before so it is readier for enjoyment. Make a to -do list so you are organised rather than frantic...Try a few yoga poses and a short meditation, a walk outdoors, read something uplifting, spend a few quiet moments alone and count your blessings,..
Learning how to tune in to your own inner rhythm and relax is a skill set that has side benefits throughout your day. Having a more inspired mindset and feeling connected to yourself is really powerful awareness. Maybe you will get into the car, use the headrest, relax your shoulders, turn the ignition, and be driven by an alert relaxation which is really preventive medicine, not only against speeding tickets, but other health concerns.
The Essence of Yoga, Bernard Bouanchaud
Most people hit the ground running in the morning. The pace of today is speedy, crammed, and continuous. In the yoga sutra 1.2 , Patanjali says: "yogascittavrttinirodhah" which is understood as "yoga is the ability to direct and focus mental activity". In other words to tame the mind. It needs taming because it is like a wild monkey!
So basically if this racing mind is what is driving you, you may tip the speed limit, and that has obvious repercussions. Maybe you are also someone who grips the wheel, clenches your teeth, drops your head and shoulders forward...? At any rate, those are habits that wind up causing headaches, stiff necks, back pain and more! The issues are in the tissues! Yes, the racing mind never drives the speed limit.
So what can you do? Well, there are a few things you can try. Try to wake up a few minutes earlier- not to loud music or CNN but something quieter and melodic. Ease into a rhythm by taking a few centring breaths. Set your coffee or tea up the night before so it is readier for enjoyment. Make a to -do list so you are organised rather than frantic...Try a few yoga poses and a short meditation, a walk outdoors, read something uplifting, spend a few quiet moments alone and count your blessings,..
Learning how to tune in to your own inner rhythm and relax is a skill set that has side benefits throughout your day. Having a more inspired mindset and feeling connected to yourself is really powerful awareness. Maybe you will get into the car, use the headrest, relax your shoulders, turn the ignition, and be driven by an alert relaxation which is really preventive medicine, not only against speeding tickets, but other health concerns.
The Essence of Yoga, Bernard Bouanchaud
Monday 14 November 2011
Are you in YOGA?
I know! Usually someone asks "do you DO yoga?" as if it were just another activity. True enough, to most people, the word does connotate some kind of posture, or someone sitting cross-legged, meditating. My friend used this expression the other day, and I just LOVED it! It sounded like, "are you in Love?" so what is not to like?. Anyway, I have since adopted it. In fact, in order to get to know the expression a bit better, I took it on a walk with me the other day, to reflect and sort of dive into how I could blog about it.
Here's the thing; we all know people who are exceptional friends, devoted parents/spouses, compassionate listeners, light up a room with a joke, a smile, a good heart. Have reflective souls, looking for ways to help you/me/humanity, they exude warmth, make you feel comfortable, are accepting...but are not card-carrying members of a yoga studio or may not own a mat. They may even say "it's not for me!".
I hate to break it to you, but they are all yogi(ni)s. Jnana yoga is the Yoga of study/wisdom, Karma yoga is the yoga of positive actions, Bhakti Yoga is the Yoga of devotion, Raja Yoga is the Yoga of kings- the eightfold path. One of the eight steps is physical.
So for all you amazing people out there, do what you do, be how you are, many of you are more in-yoga than you are letting on!!
Here's the thing; we all know people who are exceptional friends, devoted parents/spouses, compassionate listeners, light up a room with a joke, a smile, a good heart. Have reflective souls, looking for ways to help you/me/humanity, they exude warmth, make you feel comfortable, are accepting...but are not card-carrying members of a yoga studio or may not own a mat. They may even say "it's not for me!".
I hate to break it to you, but they are all yogi(ni)s. Jnana yoga is the Yoga of study/wisdom, Karma yoga is the yoga of positive actions, Bhakti Yoga is the Yoga of devotion, Raja Yoga is the Yoga of kings- the eightfold path. One of the eight steps is physical.
So for all you amazing people out there, do what you do, be how you are, many of you are more in-yoga than you are letting on!!
Friday 11 November 2011
Are you YOGA'd-in
The modern yogi(ni) is Linked-in, Facebook, Twitter, Texting, Emails, Facebook connecting to twitter, the blog, Linkedin. Joining groups (you know and don't knw), Liking and Un-liking pages, connections with people you know and their connections who you may not know...Comments from the groups you are connected to and know but not personally, connecting through cell phones and apps and sync-ing with your computer, your laptop, ipad...Sigh. Incredible. We have adapted to technology and it is unbelieveable how much we can connect just by learning what is available (I am still a novice).
The word YOGA is from the verb, yuj, meaning "to yoke, harness"(Feurstein). In the Upanishads, it also meant "spiritual endeavor" (Feurstein) and later, in the Bhagavad Gita - we are talking 3rd or 4th century BCE- it denoted "spiritual discipline" or methods of "self-realization (Feurstein). Check out this beautiful verse from the Gita (Stephen Mitchell): "Strong in the practice of yoga,with a mind that is rooted in me and in nothing else, you will reach the Supreme Person that I am." We commonly say YOGA means union, connecting...mind+body+spirit, because in this fast-paced world, they don't always feel in the same place at the same time.
So I ask you, are you linked-in and plugged-in professionally and personally? Or could you benefit from turning off cyberspace connections for a moment and tuning into the one link that unites body and mind=the Breath. Go ahead, try. Breathe in calm, breathe out tension...Feel YOGA'd-in....
The word YOGA is from the verb, yuj, meaning "to yoke, harness"(Feurstein). In the Upanishads, it also meant "spiritual endeavor" (Feurstein) and later, in the Bhagavad Gita - we are talking 3rd or 4th century BCE- it denoted "spiritual discipline" or methods of "self-realization (Feurstein). Check out this beautiful verse from the Gita (Stephen Mitchell): "Strong in the practice of yoga,with a mind that is rooted in me and in nothing else, you will reach the Supreme Person that I am." We commonly say YOGA means union, connecting...mind+body+spirit, because in this fast-paced world, they don't always feel in the same place at the same time.
So I ask you, are you linked-in and plugged-in professionally and personally? Or could you benefit from turning off cyberspace connections for a moment and tuning into the one link that unites body and mind=the Breath. Go ahead, try. Breathe in calm, breathe out tension...Feel YOGA'd-in....
Thursday 10 November 2011
ONE THING
I like a word - OPTIONS - I find it a very spacious word, and a very empowering one too.
We do not always feel we have them, and so, start to feel a little smaller than necessary.
For the last few weeks I have been looking at this one unhappy plant in my bathroom. I thought I was giving it light, a perfect corner, plenty of water, but it would not cheer up. It subconsciously played on me, every time I would see this one wilting plant, "why aren't you happy?" but I did nothing because it was the perfect decoration for that space...And then, the other day, I did one thing, moved the plant. Immediate plant nirvana...Of course, that got me on a roll. I went through each rooom, moving one thing, here a desk, there something else. You dont always know you have options until you try something, one little thing adjusted in a new way. The side benefits to the mind are freeing too. So try it, spread out, do one thing.
We do not always feel we have them, and so, start to feel a little smaller than necessary.
For the last few weeks I have been looking at this one unhappy plant in my bathroom. I thought I was giving it light, a perfect corner, plenty of water, but it would not cheer up. It subconsciously played on me, every time I would see this one wilting plant, "why aren't you happy?" but I did nothing because it was the perfect decoration for that space...And then, the other day, I did one thing, moved the plant. Immediate plant nirvana...Of course, that got me on a roll. I went through each rooom, moving one thing, here a desk, there something else. You dont always know you have options until you try something, one little thing adjusted in a new way. The side benefits to the mind are freeing too. So try it, spread out, do one thing.
Wednesday 9 November 2011
My guest blog
I was asked by a friend to write a guest blog, so technically I feel it can be considered mentionable :-)
Silence and the Modern Yogi
Your are saying to yourself "WHAT?" silence, what's that - it's for mystics and meditators not me, no time!
WRONG answer. Here's the thing. I spent 3 years living underneath Mr. Motorcycle Boots and his girlfriend (she did file a restraining order on him but that is another subject) and their older dog, a boxer (these dogs have scratchy nails I am told). Please do not think I am not an animal lover but the intermittent sleep thing created much dis-ease for me. My theme, with the courtcase was "peaceable enjoyment". Now, out of that situation, new apartment, pretty quiet, sleeping well. I can actually feel the benefits of quiet time. And it got me thinking...so much more free energy, the ability to hear myself think, the ability to practice yoga and have an uninterupted meditation, what a luxury. You are thinking "well she is lucky"...but again, here is the thing. You can create more silence for yourself by turning off your cell for a minute (not vibrate-OFF) or opting to get into the car and not play music, or listen to a book on tape, or talk on the phone. You can carve out 60 seconds, to hear not only yourself think, but take it a step further and listen to the "still voice within"- the wisdom voice that is the voice of instinct and intuition. Try it. Disconnect. You will feel more plugged in. I know it.
WRONG answer. Here's the thing. I spent 3 years living underneath Mr. Motorcycle Boots and his girlfriend (she did file a restraining order on him but that is another subject) and their older dog, a boxer (these dogs have scratchy nails I am told). Please do not think I am not an animal lover but the intermittent sleep thing created much dis-ease for me. My theme, with the courtcase was "peaceable enjoyment". Now, out of that situation, new apartment, pretty quiet, sleeping well. I can actually feel the benefits of quiet time. And it got me thinking...so much more free energy, the ability to hear myself think, the ability to practice yoga and have an uninterupted meditation, what a luxury. You are thinking "well she is lucky"...but again, here is the thing. You can create more silence for yourself by turning off your cell for a minute (not vibrate-OFF) or opting to get into the car and not play music, or listen to a book on tape, or talk on the phone. You can carve out 60 seconds, to hear not only yourself think, but take it a step further and listen to the "still voice within"- the wisdom voice that is the voice of instinct and intuition. Try it. Disconnect. You will feel more plugged in. I know it.
Tuesday 8 November 2011
Time
Whatever happened to the actual minute? Everything is SO FAST these days, it takes a nano second to send a "tweet" or an email or a text message. I used to teach the mastery of the one minute meditation. Is even the present moment outdated? HMMMM. This modern Yogini feels that INTEGRATION is the key. BEING relaxed, we don't necessarily need to say "I will meditate on it" we just know what to say and how to say it or whatever we do is just fine OR we have the presence of mind to say, "you know, I am going to need more time! I will get back to you!" and then we head off to our favorite peaceful place and take a TIME OUT...
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