Emotional health, Meditation, Personal Development, Yoga

How Yoga Instruction Is Changing For The Better

Modern Yoga is changing, as you may be noticing during these pandemic times. I’m reluctant to claim any “new normal” is on the horizon. However, I will say that the changes I’m seeing in the Yoga world are positive and actually moving us closer to the main aim of Yoga. Read on to learn my predictions about the future of Yoga, and how I believe Yoga instruction is changing for the better if we’re willing to adapt.

Be sure to subscribe to this channel to get notified each time I upload a new video!

The 3 Ways Yoga Is Changing For the Better

Yoga in the U.S. has been quite different from the practice that was popularized in India and other parts of the East. And it’s changed even more over the last 20 years I’ve been teaching in the San Francisco Bay Area, and not for the better in my opinion.

Yoga was once embraced for it’s life changing benefits and the passing down of wisdom from ancient traditions. Here in the U.S. it was reduced down to:

strengthening and stretching the body to music
a way to temporarily relax in between stressful activities
a lifestyle where we get to wear comfortable, fashionable clothes
a trendy way to bring mind-body awareness to the community
social time with friends

Don’t get me wrong – I LOVE everything I just listed above.

I resigned long ago that this was enough to attract people to the practice. I let go of the need to try to teach everyone to the depth that I experienced as a student when I first started my Yoga journey. But I always tried to give them a taste of this depth to let them know that there was much, much more that could be experienced.

Now that we’re in these challenging times, we’re seeing another shift. Students and teachers who really value the practice are needing to make the following changes. Otherwise, Yoga will be of little help to them and they’ll most likely choose another form of exercise or vocation.

1. Prioritizing A Home Practice

When many of our states enforced a lockdown in March 2020, studios and teachers had no choice but to go online if they were to continue offering Yoga to their students. And if students wanted to continue practicing yoga, they were forced to create a practice space, to purchase their own props, and commit to doing the live or replay classes.

I had to pivot too. Even though it was stressful, I was pleased that students were needing to practice at home. A home practice is something I’m constantly promoting and that’s why I’ve written previous blog posts on the subject:

Should You Develop A Home Yoga Practice?

Resources to Guide Your Home Yoga Practice

The experience of Yoga becomes much more meaningful when you carve out time for it at home. You’re infusing your home with your personal intention. You’re modeling the commitment for your kids. The whole vibe of your home changes.

Once students see how easy it is to practice Yoga at home and experience greater depth, I believe many will start preferring it over studio classes.

We’ll see if I’m correct, but at least they’ll have the resolve to continue practicing Yoga in case their usual set up changes. (Unfortunately we are seeing many studios closing and teachers moving or quitting.)

Your home Yoga practice would not be affected by these external circumstances.

2. Moving Toward Private or Small Group Instruction

Even with studios and health centers now open, class size is limited (currently as I write they can only be open to 25% here in CA).

Though I’m really frustrated with the slow pace that gyms are reopening, I do think that small classes are lovely.

I long for my early yogini days when I’d meet my teacher and class at the Center for Spiritual Enlightenment. We felt comfortable in this intimate community, sharing our life struggles as we related them to our Yoga practice. I remember having class the evening of 911 and we all processed the day’s event together.

Many people are desiring community right now. Small group classes could be very healing if students are allowed to participate in deeper discussions and if the teacher is sharing classical Yogic wisdom.

I see Yoga classes returning to what they once were for me. And with that, I imagine that students will have a better understanding of how Yoga can help them in life.

This brings me to the biggest change happening with Yoga…

3. Return to the Classical Tenants of Yoga for Personal Development

Modern Yoga only goes so far with instruction the mind-body connection. If one follows the tenants outlined in the Yoga Sutras by a skilled classical teacher and commits to not only the physical practice, but investigating the mind and heart, there is a huge opportunity for growth. In fact, one may awaken to a completely different way of thinking and living.

Everything we’re experiencing right now – from fear of disease & death to social & political unrest – can be resolved inside of you through the process of Yoga.

It’s possible to experience inner peace regardless of what’s happening outside of you. Believe me, I’m pretty happy right now even though I know the world outside is chaotic. I’m not blind to it. I just know how to co-exist with it.

If you want to deepen your Yoga practice for personal development or want to be an inspiring light for others, I recommend reading the books in my home yoga resource article.

Or let me lead you gradually through the layers of your being in my 6 week course Self Healing Practices for Holistic Health. We explore the physical, energetic, mental, emotional, and spiritual layers in a very practical way, at your own pace, in this self-led program.

The majority of people in the world are lacking the insights of these teachings. Humanity will experience benevolence and peace if they are embraced and shared.

Yoga is going to be an important part of this new world we’re creating. Are you going to be living it and teaching it too?

Autumn, Emotional health, Parenting, Personal Development, Recipes, Seasons, Yoga

9 Super Special Ways to Celebrate the Autumn Equinox

Life is more fun and meaningful when you align your rhythms with nature. Plus, the seasons can teach you so much about how to approach healthy living! I’ve gathered some ideas for celebrating the Autumn Equinox that will help you connect to yourself, to your family, and to nature during this very special time time of the year.

What’s So Special About the Autumn Equinox?

The first day of Autumn is more than just a change in weather and pretty seasonal colors. The Autumn Equinox represents the balance of light and dark and a preparation for great change.

We can perceive the dark as being the absence of the sun since we’re continuing to have shorter days and longer nights until Winter. Symbolically, Autumn is a gradual letting go – a movement toward stillness, emptiness, and even death.

This balance of appreciating what you have (light) and letting go of what you no longer need (dark) is modeled for us in nature during this time as well. Deciduous trees undergo huge transformations by shedding their leaves. They trust that this needs to happen in order for renewal and more growth. Animals pare down their activity and focus on storing food and energy. Letting go is necessary and important in order to sustain life.

There can be a sense of loss during this season too, so it’s important for families to spend more time with each other and develop closer, stronger, more loving and supportive bonds.

Here’s some ways to celebrate Autumn by yourself or with your family and friends to honor the change in season.

9 Special Ways to Celebrate The Autumn Equinox

1. Go On A Nature Walk

Let’s start with the easiest way to appreciate nature: just walk among it. There is so much to notice, especially in Fall with the change in colors and falling leaves.

But what else might you notice when you walk? What’s the difference in smell? How are the animals behaving? Talk about this with your family and friends. Or if you’re doing this alone, maybe you can sit down and journal about what you’re noticing.

2. Make An Autumn Wreath

From your nature walk pick up what nature as discarded and add them to a wreath to adorn your home. Acorns, multi-colored leaves, dried berries and corn, grain grasses, vines, and dried end-of-summer flowers, can all be woven or glued onto a circular wreath and hung on your front door.

Each time you enter your home you’ll be reminded of the change we all need to embrace during this time.

3. Celebrate With An Autumn Equinox Feast

You don’t need to wait until Thanksgiving for a special feast! And all of Autumn can be a time for you to express gratitude for what is bountiful in your life.

Make a special meal with seasonal fruits, vegetables, and spices. These may be different than what’s around in November with Thanksgiving. Right now in California we have lots of figs, grapes, corn, and late summer squashes. The different food makes it more unique! You can talk about what Autumn means to you as your family gathers.

You might want to try cooking a dish with acorns which are known to symbolize strength, potential, fertility, and new beginnings. They are also a traditional food in many places in the world, so a good food for you to become reacquainted with!

Acorns can be fermented, ground, and made into a flour to use in many yummy recipes. Here’s an excellent article that will teach you just about everything you need to know about acorns.

Enjoy!

4. Do A Special Yoga And Meditation Practice

I love to do Sun Salutations to honor the Equinoxes and the Solstices alike. Surya Namaskara is traditionally done as a prayer, a prostration to the Sun, so fitting to celebrate the change in season and the meaning behind it.

I used to do 108 Sun Salutations in my younger years since it’s an auspicious number. Now that I’m 47 and a little slower-moving, I realize how ridiculous that is. Intention is most important, not how much you do!

Just do as many Sun Salutations of versions A, B, or C that you feel comfortable with, bringing your intention into each breath and movement.

Or if Sun Salutations are not your thing, you can choose to do this Autumn Yin Yoga practice that targets the Lung and Large intestine meridians that are associated with this season.

You can simply do a Gratitude Meditation instead.

Or, do all three recommendations! That’s what I like to do!

Autumn yin yoga poses — From upper left corner clockwise: Seated Meditation, Quarter Dog, Supine Twist, Twisted Child’s Pose.

5. Candle Ceremony

Light a candle in the dark to represent the balance of energy at the Equinox. You can write down all the things you’d like to clear from your life. Tear them up or carefully burn them in the candle. Then you can write down all the things you now want to bring into your life.

6. Have A Harvest Party With Friends

If you have a garden, is there any better way to enjoy your bounty than to share with others? You can get some friends and neighbors together who also have gardens. Each person can bring fruit, vegetables, flowers, grains – whatever they have plenty of. You can trade items and talk about what to do with them in Autumn while enjoying some seasonal teas and treats.

7. Clear and Bless Your Home

Bring balance to your home with an energetic clearing. This can be done many ways, depending on the healing practices you study.

I love to burn a Sage wand and go around to the corner of each room in my house, asking for all negativity to be cleared from our home and our lives.

Then I do the same with Palo Santo which has a more revitalizing energy to it. I go around and ask that we bring in more happiness, health, and prosperity to fill the space.

The same can be done with essential oils, though I do this more regularly and not as a special ritual. This diffuser blend is fabulous at clearing negative energy:

Clear The Space Diffuser Blend

2 drops Lemongrass
2 drops Clary Sage
2 drops Lime

Lemongrass clears stagnant energy and negativity. Clary Sage clears confusion and brings in more clarity and intuitive guidance. Lime cleanses the heart and mind, promoting more gratitude for the gift of life. The combination of these three also smells amazing!

Clear negative energy essential oil diffuser blend

8. Fallen Leaf Ceremony

This is a fun and quick one! If you have enough fallen leaves around your property, rake them all up into a pile. Pick up an armful of leaves and throw them up in the air, mindful of what you’d like to let go of this season to create more harmony in your life.

If you’re doing this in a group, it’s fun for everyone to shout out what their letting go of. Then afterwards you can all talk about what you’re making space for in your life, what you’re now wanting to bring in.

9. Honor A Tree In Your Neighborhood

Spend some time picnicking under a tree’s shade, or hugging a tree, or singing to a tree. You can bury special items like herbs or crystals in the ground near the tree with a blessing.

These suggestions may sound silly to some, but I don’t care. Our disconnection to nature is what’s fueling much of the dissent in our world right now and that needs to change.

One thing we can all agree on is that we have a symbiotic relationship with trees and we need more of them. So you can also use this special time to plant some new ones.

Want To Learn More About Autumn Equinox Celebrations?

You can check out my Pinterest Board here for more ideas and recipes!

Which of these Autumn Equinox Celebration ideas is your favorite? Do you have any other ideas of how you can celebrate Autumn in your home? Let’s hear about them in the comments!

Emotional health, journaling, Meditation, Natural Remedies, Personal Development, Women's health, Yoga

Join The Free Stress Less Holistic Health Challenge!

Are you looking for natural, impactful ways to tame stress? Is it becoming more challenging to manage it since we’ve been bombarded with one event after another this year? Want to stay ahead of stress and learn how to release it quickly? (Remember, there’s still U.S. elections to come!) If so, then you’ll want to join my free 5-day Stress Less Holistic Health Challenge starting September 28!

Recorded from a Facebook Live on Falcon Healing Arts 9/4/20

You see, mini vacations and beauty treatments will only do so much in helping you deal with the challenges of our times. And dropping back several glasses of alcohol, taking drugs that relax you, and loading up on sugar can provide temporary relief, but damage your health in the long term (which creates another huge layer of stress).

The most calm, composed, resilient people right now are those who are fully awake and aware of what’s happening in them and around them. And they manage stress daily by natural means, constantly trying to improve their holistic health.

Who Will Benefit From This Challenge?

This challenge is perfect for you if you want to:

Relax your body with natural, nourishing self-care practices
Clear your mind in order to focus on what’s really important
Open your heart to experience more love, patience, and understanding (with yourself and others!)
Learn how to take life in stride regardless of what is coming at you (thanks 2020 for the opportunity to practice this 😅)

You can’t control what’s happening around you, but you can control how you respond! I can teach you!

How Does The Free Health Challenge For Stress Work?

The challenge begins on Monday Sept. 28. Each morning (7:00am PDT) of the challenge, I’ll give you a practice that you can work on throughout the day to help you approach it in a more easy-going manner. Then in the evening (7:00pm PDT), I’ll be coming on LIVE in our community Facebook group to do a self-healing practice with you to help you release any stress that may have accumulated throughout the day.

If you’re not on Facebook, that’s fine. I’ll be emailing out these practices too. (The evening one will just be a little delayed since I’ll need to process the video replay to share with you).

I’ll be pulling from my expertise, sharing practices including yoga, meditation, breathing exercises, qigong, acupressure massage, aromatherapy, journaling, and more!

We’ll take some time to compare how your stress level has shifted throughout the week. You’ll then take what worked well for you and integrate it into your daily & weekly routine.

I know you will see a significant change! Your friends and family will probably notice too!

Join the Challenge!

I look forward to working with you!

I know this free health challenge is going to help many people manage their stress and find more joy in their lives! If you have any friends or family members who could use help releasing stress, who are open to natural healing practices and willing to do the work, please share this post with them and encourage them to join!

The world needs this shift in perspective, how we see and manage the challenges before us in a positive way. I’d love for you to join me in modeling what that change looks like!

Join the free stress less holistic health challenge Sept. 28 - Oct. 2

Emotional health, Personal Development, Seasons, Spring, Traditional Chinese Medicine, Yoga, yoga video

Hip Opening Yoga Practice for Liver and Gallbladder Balance

If you have tight hips or low back pain (which are usually related), then you will love this hip opening yoga sequence.

Not only will you get the relief you need, but the addition of Yin Yoga postures can help release stuck emotions that can be causing these physical imbalances in the first place. This is because we focus on mobilizing the energy in the Liver and Gallbladder meridians that run through the inner and outer legs, respectively.

You can learn more about how to balance liver and gallbladder energy in Spring Health Tips from Traditional Chinese Medicine . These organs and channels tend to become imbalanced in Spring, resulting in a condition we call Liver Qi Stagnation. It results in issues like:

eye strain
headaches
angry outbursts
tight hips & groin
menstrual irregularities
PMS
and much more…

Of course some people just have a this type of constitution and can be prone to these issues at any time. This makes this Yin Yoga Liver and Gallbladder yoga practice even more important so that you can do it regularly to find balance in your life.

Before you begin, make sure you have:

a blanket or cushion to prop up the hips
1-2 blocks

You may also want to download my Stress-Relieving acupressure guide. You can do these acupressure points while you hold some of the Yin Yoga shapes! This acupressure sequence will make the yoga practice even more effective and can help you sleep at night. You’ll love it!

Hip Opening Yoga Practice Video

Consider to subscribing to my YouTube channel for weekly wellness videos!

I hope you enjoyed this hip opening yoga practice! If you were experiencing issues with Liver Qi Stagnation before you began, did they resolve by the end? Let us know in the comments!

Ayurveda, Pranayama video, Seasons, Spring, Yoga, Yoga Kriya

Ayurvedic Techniques for Spring Health, Part 2: Kapalabhati Breathing

Are you hopping about with Spring fever? Or are you laying low with allergies and other seasonal discomfort? In this Ayurvedic kriya technique series, we’ve been exploring ways to stay well since the transition from Winter to Spring is challenging many of us, myself included! Last week, I showed you how to perform Jala Neti, or how to cleanse the nasal passages with warm salt water and a neti pot. Have you tried it? This week I’m teaching you Kapalabhati pranayama, translated as skull “shining breath”.

Kapalabhati pranayama clears energy and blood stagnation from the center of the body, where it can remain as a sludge that slows the body and mind. It also helps to break up mucus in the upper respiratory tract. Kapalabhati builds heat as it pumps and increases circulation.

This circulation of blood and energy is what’s needed to maintain proper gut health, immune function, and inflammatory response.

It’s a part of my Spring yoga practice to help lighten up my body, but you may find that it’s useful whenever you’re feeling lethargic or uninspired too! Read on or watch the video to learn how it’s done.

Kapalabhati Breathing

Subscribe to my YouTube channel to be notified whenever I upload a new video!

Benefits of Kapalabhati

Kapalabhati breathing is one of the 6 Yoga kriya exercises to promote health and wellness. It’s also an invigorating practice that is a wonderful way to start the day!

Here’s some of Kapalabhati’s benefits:

Invigorates the body and mind, removing sluggishness
It strengthens the lungs, liver, heart, and mobilizes the intestine
It tones the abdominal muscles.
Increases breath capacity
Clears mucus and pens the sinuses and airways

Contraindications: This technique should not be used if you have a headache, vertigo, high/low blood pressure, history of stroke, gastritis, hernia, or ulcers.

How to do Kapalabhati Breathing

It’s best to perform Kapalabhati on an empty stomach.

Come into a comfortable seated position.
Take a few deep breaths to settle your mind down into your body.
Keeping your mouth and nose closed, exhale forcefully by pulling in the abdominal muscles. Let the inhalation fill up the abdomen and lungs passively. This is one “pumping”
Start by doing 10 pumpings. You can build up to 50+ with time, but want to make sure that you don’t hyperventilate or get dizzy. Stop when you feel that you’ve had enough.
After the pumpings, inhale long and deep. Lift the pelvic floor (mula bandha) as you bring your chin down (jalandhara bandha). Hold the breath in as long as is comfortable.
Then let go of the pelvic floor and chin locks, and release the breath completely.
Breathe normally and repeat 2-3 more cycles if you wish.

Note that while these kriya exercises can help keep you healthy and vibrant, you still need to do other work to maintain it. They’re not going to erase the immune challenges that come with poor sleep, an unbalanced diet, or overwhelm & worry.

I hope you find this breathing practice useful! Let me know how it works for you, in the comments below! Well wishes to you..

Emotional health, Meditation, Personal Development, Yoga, yoga video

Meditative Yoga for Grounding | Lower Chakra Sequence

Are you caught up in fear as we deal with Coronavirus and social distancing? Or is something else threatening your body, heart, or mind? This meditative, grounding yoga practice will make you feel secure, adaptable, and powerful as we focus on the root chakra (Muladhara), sacral chakra (Svadhisthana), and solar plexus chakra (Manipura) respectively.

Chakra is a Sanskrit word meaning “wheel”. It refers to a physical space in the body that also forms an energetic bridge to our emotional development. Working with the chakras is a great therapeutic tool to confront your challenges whether it be with your physical or emotional health. There’s seven chakras in the body. In this yoga sequence, we’ll focus on the lower three. They address fear of physical illness, difficulty adapting to change, and feeling helpless. If you practice it mindfully, this sequence will help you enjoy your life more, regardless of what’s happening around you.

Another supportive tool is my Stress-Relieving Acupressure Guide that you can download for free. It will help you relieve tension and experience better sleep at night!

Meditative Yoga for Grounding and Peace

Props needed:

2 blocks
a blanket or cushion to sit on
yoga mat

This class is for all levels, and I offer modifications. You may want to skim the video first to know what to expect. It’s best to practice on an empty stomach, waiting at least one hour after eating.

I hope you enjoyed this grounding meditative yoga practice! How are you feeling? Please let me know in the comments! I would also love your help getting this out to people who really need it, so please share with your friends.

Namasté

Boost Energy, Meditation, Personal Development, Pranayama video

Morning Pranayama: Nine Clearing Breaths for Energy Balance

In this video I’m going to teach you a quick and easy pranayama or breathing practice that you can do in the morning before or after yoga and meditation or even by itself. It’s called the 9 Clearing Cycles and it’s an ancient Tibetan practice that help wake up your body, increase your vitality and improve your concentration skills.

This is the second post in a series of my personal morning rituals that I’m sharing with you. If you want to live a positive, intentional life, then starting your mornings with ritual is a where you should begin! Last week I shared a morning yoga practice for stiffness that you can do with this breathing practice.

Though I love doing this pranayama practice in the morning, it’s fine to do it anytime of the day. In addition to combining it with yoga and meditation, it can be part of your other self-care rituals like acupressure massage. I have a FREE self-acupressure guide that you can download below which will help keep you relieve tension and manage stress. You’ll love it!

Morning Pranayama: Nine Clearing Breaths

In the morning, most of us want to build energy, but it’s important to make space in the body and mind first. The 9 clearing cycles is a nostril breathing practice that was introduced to me by my teacher Sarah Powers over a decade ago.

These Nine Clearing Breaths help to clear the energy channels of the body as well as the “poisons” of the mind which impede energy flow and stall our development. This practice always helps me start the day with receptive awareness which is necessary to keep a positive, open mind, and attract good things.

Try it! I know you’ll experience the same as well if this becomes part of your morning practice.

Please “like” this video and consider subscribing to my YouTube channel if you enjoy it!

Clearing the Nadis and Energy Channels

In this practice, we’re going to be working with the breath moving through the left and right nostrils. These relate to the Ida and Pingala nadis or energy channels of the body, that circulate Prana, Qi, also known as our “life force” that is connected with the breath.

Ida Pingala Sushumna Nadis and the Chakras — The Ida & Pingala nadis serpentine around the main nadi, the Sushumna,
which contains the chakras or energy wheels of the body.

These channels help balance yin/yang, left/right, female/male energy, and certain habitual tendencies related to these energies. They serpentine around the Sushumna, the central channel, which contains the chakras or energy wheels.

You’re purifying these three channels as well as the chakras in this breathing practice. It also incorporates quick exhalations from the belly which awakens our main power center, Manipura, the 3rd chakra. This is where you’ll experience a burst of energy.

How to do the Nine Clearing Cycles

Come into a comfortable seated position and make sure your spine is long and lifted.

We’re going to use our right hand to control the breathing for this whole practice. Cross the pinky finger over the ring finger as you’re looking at the palm. Place the ring finger to the left nostril, the thumb to the right nostril. The other two fingers rest at the third eye, in between the eyebrows.

Pre-Clearing the Nadis

First we’re going to prepare the channels by doing a pre-clearing.

You can open your airways with essential oils like Peppermint or the Breathe Blend.
Then close the right nostril and take five deep breaths through the left nostril. See if the inhalation and exhalation can be about 5 seconds in length. The left nostril relates to Ida nadi, yin, and one’s feminine nature. The poison of the mind associated with it is attachment or greed.
Then close the left nostril and take five slow breaths through the right nostril. This relates to Pingala nadi, our yang, masculine nature. The poison related to this nadi is anger.

Nine Clearing Cycles

Now we’ll do the Nine Clearing Cycles working with the Ida first (left nostril), then Pingala (right nostril), and then through both nostrils. there’s three cycles for each nadi which equals nine.

Each cycle consists of four parts (see video above for demonstration):

Inhale through the nostril for ~ 5 seconds.
Exhale through the nostril for ~ 5 seconds.
Inhale through the nostril for ~ 5 seconds.
Exhale quickly through the nostril and with the belly pressing in toward the spine (not so hard that it’s like your blowing your nose).

Let’s start with opening the ida, the left nostril. Imagine that you’re letting go of your attachments and greed. This can be the way you’re physically holding on to material items, or old patterns and beliefs.

With the pingala, the right nostril, you’re letting go of any anger, hatred or aggression in your life.

Now bring the hand down and do the cycles through both open nostrils, imagining that you’re letting go of any delusion, misunderstanding how life is working around you.

After the nine clearing rounds, inhale and hold the breath in for 10 seconds. Exhale slowly and hold the breath out for 5-10 seconds. Finish with three slow, even, deep breaths.

I hope you feel more clear, awake, and maybe even more powerful after doing this morning pranayama practice! Please let me know in the comments if this is something you’d like to add to your morning ritual!

Natural pain relief, Women's health, Yoga, yoga video

Meditative Yoga for Stiffness: Starting Your Morning with Ease

Do you feel achy and stiff every morning too? Sometimes I wake up sore because of the way I slept. Certainly diet and age play a part in this physical discomfort too. But oftentimes it’s the result of emotional and mental stress that I experienced days before. If you’re like me, then it’s important for you to relieve this pain as soon as you notice it. You don’t want to carry it into the rest of your day! Check out this Meditative Yoga for Stiffness video which guides you to release tension consciously, mindfully addressing the root of pain and discomfort.

Remember that it’s the approach to your yoga practice that enables it to transform your body, heart, and mind. Please let yourself have a deeper experience and prioritize your breathing, which brings more life to your being.

To prepare for the practice, make sure you’re well hydrated and are wearing comfortable clothes. A sticky mat, two blocks, and a strap are helpful. If you’d like to include acupressure in with your session, you can download my stress-relieving acupressure guide. These acupressure points are also great to use in the evening before bed which can also help avoid stiffness first thing in the morning.

Download the guide for FREE by clicking here:

Meditative Morning Yoga Practice

Consider subscribing to this YouTube channel while you’re viewing!

I hope you enjoyed this guided Meditative Yoga for Stiffness video. Please let me know how it felt for you by leaving a comment here or on YouTube. Also, let me know if you’d like to see more yoga videos in the future, in addition to my other holistic wellness ones. Well wishes to you…

Seasons, Summer, Traditional Chinese Medicine, yin yoga, Yoga

Cool & Ground with this Summer Yin Yoga Sequence

Yin Yoga embraces the essence of Taoist philosophy: living in harmony with nature. It’s a calm, restorative, healing approach that balances the Yang, active, and often aggressive nature of being that predominates our society. Try this summer yin yoga sequence to stay balanced this season.

According to Taoism and Chinese Medicine, humans are actually microcosms of nature. Summer is related to the element of fire and to the Heart and Small Intestine organs in the human body, as well as the Pericardium & Triple Burner (which do not exist as functional organs in Western anatomy). When the energetic channels that connect to these organs are out of balance, we could experience more heat in the body which may manifest as:

headaches
high fever
high blood pressure
mania
delirium
anger
constipation/dry stools
rashes
sleep disturbances

and more.

Through yin yoga, we can increase energy flow in the Heart, Small Intestine, Pericardium, and Triple Burner channels. The slow, mindful, yin approach is cooling in nature and is the perfect solution to the problems mentioned above. By cooling and grounding in the heat of summer, we can also maintain inner harmony. Try this Summer Yin Yoga sequence to stay cool & balanced!

Cool Down With This Summer Yin Yoga Sequence

This Summer Yin Yoga sequence dilates the Heart, Small Intestine, Pericardium, and Triple Burner energetic channels (in addition to all the others that reside in the upper body). Hold each posture for 2-5 minutes while releasing with gravity. As you let go in the muscles, the stretch will move deeper into the connective tissue, which is where the energetic channels reside. Stretching the connective tissue is perfectly safe as long as you’re not moving quickly in and out of the shape.

You’ll experience more space and freedom in the chest, arms, upper back, neck, and around the scapula in addition to finding equanimity in the heart and a wider perspective in the mind.

Eagle arms forward bend

Stand with your feet hip joint width apart or slightly wider. Reach your arms out in front and cross them over your chest at the upper arms. If you have the flexibility, continues winding around the forearms and joining up the palms. Let your knees bend as you fold forward at the hips. Allow your arms and head to be heavy to release around the scapula, upper back, and neck where the Small Intestine channels traverse. After holding for 1-2 minutes, unwind the arms, allowing them to hang. Repeat on the other side.

Prone Arm Cross

Lay on your belly and start with your arms out to the side. Sweep them forward as you lift your torso away from the ground and cross deeply at the upper arms. Reach the fingers away from each other. Once at your maximum stretch, relax your weight down onto the arms. When ready to exit, engage your core muscles to lift the torso and gently unwind the arms. Rest in neutral, prone, until ready to cross the arms the other way.

1/4 Downward Dog

From hands and knees, place one forearm to the ground under the shoulders perpendicular to the spine. Reach the other arm straight out in front. Relax your chest down and forearm down. You may want to stretch in cat pose before going to the other side.

Prone Twist

Come down onto your belly again for a deep chest/front shoulder stretch. Bring one arm out to the side with the elbow bent and palm down (this position creates a deeper stretch than with the arm straight and palm turned up). Use your other hand to tip your body over to the side. Place your legs in a position that helps you stay sideways for the appropriate amount of time. Rest on your belly in neutral, then go to the other side.

Fish in Reclined Bound Angle

Sit up with the soles of your feet together and your knees opening out to the sides from your hips. Place your hands under your buttocks. Lift your chest, reclining onto your forearms. If it feels safe, slowly bring your head to the ground.

Reclined Twist

Lay on your back with your feet on the ground, knees bent. Lift one leg, crossing it deeply at the upper thighs. Continue bringing the knees over into the direction of the cross. Open your chest to the other side, letting your arm move over head or out to the side to open the chest. Turn your head in the direction that feels best for your neck.

Be sure that you’re moving out of the Yin postures just as slowly as you’re moving into them. In between postures, give yourself some time in stillness to observe the energy circulating through your body into the places that need it. End in Savasana or a seated meditation.

Let me know what you think of this sequence after trying it! How does it make you feel?

journaling, Meditation, Personal Development, Yoga

Resources To Guide Your Home Yoga Practice

Are you interested in developing a home yoga practice? I have some fabulous home yoga resources in this post that will get you going!

Doing yoga at home does not mean you need to go it alone. Certainly, you’ll want to listen to your body to guide the focus in your practice. Eventually, you can sequence the entire session by yourself. In the meantime, there are plenty of resources to get you started.

Below are the resources I turn to when I’m needing more guidance, inspiration, ideas, and focused attention at home.

Home Yoga Resources

1. Yoga Practice Books

I love learning from books because you can read up on techniques, philosophy, and learn sequencing in your own timing.

My favorite books:

Yoga: A Gem For Women by Geeta S. Iyengar

This is my favorite yoga book! It’s very therapeutic for women and is appropriate for students of all levels. Like her father B.K.S. Iyengar, Geeta Iyengar is very thorough in her explanation of yoga asanas (postures), pranayama (breath work), and meditation. I recommend this book to ALL women yoga practitioners.

The Women’s Book of Yoga & Health by Linda Sparrowe and Patricia Walden

Sparrowe and Walden offer modern health advice in addition to simple yoga asana sequences (particularly Restorative yoga). This book is wonderful for women of all ages and abilities.

The Heart of Yoga T.K.V. Desikachar

For an in-depth understanding of Yoga, this is the book to turn to. It’s heavy in philosophy (there’s even a translation of the Yoga Sutra in the back!), but Desikachar explains it in a way that is easy to comprehend, modern, and practical. The asana sequences are very basic and therapeutic. The style is ViniYoga, which is gentle movement linked with conscious breathing.

Ashtanga Yoga by David Swenson

Ashtanga Yoga is known for being the most challenging style of Hatha yoga. Though athletic types are attracted to the strong asanas, it’s actually a very deep, ritualistic practice, which is why I’m so drawn to it. David Swenson has a great sense of humor and is very down-to-earth. Even though he presents the whole Primary & Secondary series in his book, he also offers shorter sequences for practitioners to follow. He encourages students to listen to their bodies and to back off whenever necessary.

Insight Yoga by Sarah Powers

Sarah Powers is the teacher who has influenced me the most. I learned how to teach Yin Yoga from her and Paul Grilley, I attended many transformational silent retreats with her, and it was actually she who inspired me to get my Master’s Degree in Traditional Chinese Medicine. She moved to the East Coast a few years ago, but luckily I can use her book Insight Yoga. This book introduces one to Yin Yoga, Meridian Theory, Yang Yoga, and offers several practice sessions to choose from.

2. Online Yoga Classes & Magazines

Yoga Glo

For $18/month (less than the price of one studio class!) YogaGlo gives you unlimited access to classes from some of the best teachers. You can choose your level, body area focus, length of class, style of class, and the teacher you vibe with the best.

My favorite YogaGlo teachers:

Yoga International

For more online classes, check out Yoga International. Their membership fee is $14.99 and you can start with a free 30 day trial. There’s less selection of classes and teachers than YogaGlo, but all of their teachers are highly recognized experts in the yoga community.

Yoga International is also a magazine. With membership, you’ll receive access to articles not only about proper asana alignment and sequencing, but also more information about the philosophy of yoga.

Yoga Journal

Yoga Journal is the oldest and still the most popular magazine available. You can even find issues at your local library if you want to check a few out without purchasing from a store.

Unlike Yoga International, there is not membership fee required to view Yoga Journal articles online. They have videos too, as well as yoga playlists and other modern features.

For those new to the practice, check out the Yoga 101 section for foundational alignment advice, information on different yoga styles, popular Sanskrit (the language of yoga) terms, and more.

3. Important yoga props

Yoga props can help students practice yoga more safely. If you’re not practicing yoga mindfully, it is easy to push yourself too far and hurt yourself. This is not a problem for beginner students only – yoga injuries are very common and on the rise. Students of all levels can use props to deepen into postures appropriately.

There are many brands of yoga props out there. For good health & longevity, look for props made of safe, sustainable, high quality materials.

Types of Yoga props:

Mats – Sticky mats help to keep you from sliding in postures where hands and feet are spread out. I actually prefer to use a practice rug instead which requires me to recruit deeper muscles for stability. The Jade Harmony yoga mat is one of my favorites.
Blocks – Blocks can be used many different ways and are essential for any practitioner. They can be something to elevate the body on (in seated postures), to act as something to rest on (like a restorative bridge pose with a block under the sacrum), to make certain postures more accessible (like placing your hand down to a block in side angle pose if tight hips are preventing your hand from reaching all the way to the floor), or to create stability (like having one in between your hands with forearm balance). I recommend these blocks by Jade because of their durability and Jade’s commitment to sustainability.
Blankets – Blankets are used to cushion sensitive areas like knees against hard surfaces, but also serve as boosters. For example, in shoulderstand a blanket under the upper back elevates your torso so that the neck is not compressed. In seated postures, having your sit bones on the edge of a blanket allows your legs to relax down easier and opens your hips passively with gravity. These Mexican blankets work great!
Straps – Straps offer stability and also make certain postures more accessible. Staps like this one with metal rings are easy to use.
Bolsters – Bolsters provide a soft surface to rest against, elevated from the floor. They are commonly used in restorative yoga practices. Try this organic cotton one from Lotuscrafts.

4. Tools to enhance your yoga practice

These tools are nice to have as your home practice deepens. You’ll be spending more time investigating your habits, emotions, and intentions, and these items can help you process them.

I frequently use these in my daily home yoga practice:

Essential oils
A Yoga & Meditation Journal
Mala/prayer beads
Positive affirmations

I hope these resources help you feel more secure and interested in starting your own home yoga practice! You can read this article about the importance of a home yoga practice if you need even more motivation before beginning.

If you found this article helpful, please let us know in the comments! Also feel free to ask ANY questions about how to get started with your personal home yoga practice.

Page 1 of 212 »