Reflections on "13 Poses to Break Bad Habits" from Yoga Journal

In the January issue of Yoga Journal (2015) is a fantastic article on how to break bad habits through a series of yoga poses. The title of the article is
13 Poses to Break Bad Habits. The article suggests you give this sequence 40 days to really get your willpower working and your energy increased. I was particularly intrigued since it focused on setting intentions, or sankulpas, and since its the new year, I thought why not give it a try!

I began on January 5 with vigor. It didn't take me long to realize that I've really let my core muscles go. I was able to do all the asanas; however, not at the duration they suggested. As of today, I am close to the duration of the core strengthening poses, and I feel terrific. My stamina continues until bedtime. Usually during the week, if I can sneak in a short nap, I take it. My body seems to not need it now. I have not had a nap since mid-December!

A couple of nights ago, I was cuddling with my oldest son before bed and we have this lovely ritual that we do nightly. He asks me how my day was and the best and worst parts of it, I then ask him the same thing. For four days in a row I did not have a bad part of my day. He would nudge me and tell me to really think, but I came up with nothing. He commented, "Wow, Mom, four days in a row!" Could this be a coincidence? I think not!

My attitude is quite a bit brighter than it has been the last couple of years and the level of energy that I've been able to sustain hasn't happened since I was in my 20s. I truly believe this practice has shifted my view on life and has motivated me to continue. I will definitely make this a part of my practice--for much longer than 40 days. Namaste.

Final Reflections on Youthful Glow

It amazes me that no matter how many times I show up for my yoga practice, I experience something new with each pose if I'm mindful during the process. This is especially true for the poses I do on a daily basis. I've been doing the sequence from the Master Class section of Yoga Journal for a couple of weeks now and I notice different sensations in my body, I am very aware of what my mind is doing, and how I feel afterwards.

A couple of the times I did this sequence, I was unable to get into a relaxed supported shoulder stand. I adjusted and readjusted to hit that sweet spot, but nothing worked, and I left the practice feeling frustrated. However, a few days before that, it seemed that the supported shoulder stand was effortless. I did not keep track of the time I was in the posture, but I would guess it was between five and seven minutes. And I felt so light and free when I came out of the pose.

My biggest hangup with doing yoga is my expectations of my practice. I "expect" that I'll feel better after yoga, that my muscles will soften and respond, that my mind will remain peaceful throughout my practice. What I find frustrating is that when these "expectations" do not turn out as I want them to, I become disappointed. So, what I continually work on is to just be with my body, my thoughts, and allow my practice to unfold as it should. If I can remember the saying, all in good time, that helps me to put my practice into perspective.  So when I have days where my practice doesn't leave me feeling better or freer, I just need to remember, that maybe just showing up for my yoga practice is enough. I also think when my practice becomes more challenging, I may actually be experiencing new levels of deepening into the stretch, and my body is trying to make the adjustments needed so that my body will be safe.

For all those who celebrate Thanksgiving, I hope your day is filled with many blessings. Namaste.

More Reflections on Youthful Glow

In my previous post on Youthful Glow I shared each pose that Yoga Journal had published in its Master Class section of the periodical. Now, I'm just going to share my feelings after each day of practice rather than going into each individual asana.

Sunday I was stiff! I had taken Saturday off due to the fact we were running around, and quite frankly did not make the effort to take 15 minutes out of my busy day. What I noticed is that my shoulders stiffened again. I tried to remain optimistic by reassuring myself that this is a process: some good days, some days where I need to practice more self love. Sunday was one of those days.

Monday I felt sooooo good that I practiced the sequence again in the evening! Too much of a good thing? I don't think so. It just reaffirmed what I felt on Sunday: some days good, some days challenging.

Tuesday OK, so today I squirmed in the Supported Shoulderstand with a chair. For some reason, my lower back did not like the chair today. My cushion either wasn't positioned right, or I may just have had one of those more challenging day.

But overall I have to say! My upper back pain is not so intense as it has been. I can sit at the computer for longer stretches now without having to take physical breaks. I really do love this sequence!

Reflections on "Youthful Glow" from Yoga Journal

In the November 2012 issue of "Yoga Journal" Leigh Ferrara along with Desiree Rumbaugh share a sequence in the "Master Class" section of the magazine. As a person who has dealt with chronic pain much of my life, this sequence looked like it held some sound possibilities to incorporate into my daily yoga practice.

The area of my body that is most affected by pain is my upper back and shoulders. and this sequence focuses on opening the heart center and releasing tension in the shoulder region.

So three days ago, I started the following sequence:

Sequence: Prasarita Padottanasana: Wide-Legged Standing Forward Bend, variation

Chair Twist

Chair Shoulder Stretch

Dhanurasana: Bow Pose

Salamba Sarvangasana: Supported Shoulderstand, with a chair

Click on this link: Youthful Glow and you will be taken to the Yoga Journal website where you can read the article and see the poses. You will see how the pose is supposed to look. Make sure you are physically able to do these asanas before trying these. Be gentle as you proceed...


OK, now my reflections:
When I started this sequence on Wednesday, I noticed that my back was quite stiff. I was able to clumsily get into chair positions and notice that my tightness started to soften, but only a bit. My upper back cracked and I had an endorphin rush. It felt as if I were in a chiropractor's office and she was adjusting my upper back. AAAAHHHHHH.

On Thursday morning, I felt a sensation in my shoulders during the Chair Shoulder Stretch that felt oddly painful. I backed out of it slightly and tried breathing into my shoulder tightness. I stayed for only two minutes (maybe less--we tend to expand time when we are in uncomfortable situations.)  But I got up feeling a bit better than I did on Wednesday.

This morning, Friday, I noticed something completely different. My shoulders no longer had the pain in the chair shoulder stretch. It felt as if I had been doing this posture for months, but it had only been three days! I also varied the supported shoulderstand with a chair, by gently lifting my legs off the back of the chair and held them at a 90 degree angle to the floor. I was able to get into a deep relaxation in that posture. However, one thing I did not expect: I was feeling my emotions without panicking. I have been dealing with some uncomfortable emotions for a while, and it felt completely safe today to feel those feelings. So this is what is meant by having an open heart. I do not have any expectations for the day, and that right there is freeing.

So for those of you who struggle with upper back pain and tension, I suggest you try this. I am thrilled I found this sequence. I will continue in the next few weeks documenting my reflections of this sequence. I am very optimistic for some very positive results!