start with sitting up comfortably on your mat and press your hands together at your heart center. rest your thumb knuckles into your chest and begin to deepen your breath while meditating on the power of the heart center or chakra. set your intention here to release yourself from the grip of fear. 

roll over onto your hands and knees and move through a few rounds of cat/cow. on the inhale, drop your belly toward the ground and lift up through your head and tailbone. focus on lifting up through your chest. on your exhale, pull your bellybutton up, round your spine towards the sky and tuck your chin and tailbone inward. take as many as you need to warm up your body and spine. 

from hands and knees, walk your hands out past your shoulders and start to sink your chest towards the ground. move slowly, and lower down with your exhales, taking your time and moving into a place where you feel a comfortable sensation. if your body allows, melt your chest down until it comes to the ground. hold here for anywhere from 3-5 breaths. 

after those few breaths, walk your hands further out until your belly rests onto the floor. relaxing your legs, lift yourself up onto your forearms and press your chest forward. move up only as it feels right for your body.  sit here for another 3-5 breaths. 

press back onto your hands and knees and move through a few more rounds of cat/cow.

afterwards, roll onto your back. bend your knees and bring your heels in towards your hips. reach your hands down by your sides. roll your shoulders underneath your chest and lift up your lower back. (placing a block underneath your back is a wonderful variation that feels amazing!) stay here for as many breaths as you comfortably can and focus on keeping your heart open. 

Last weekend, during my kundalini practice, I was lead through a powerful kriya (kree-ya) that released an immense amount of heaviness from my mind and body. A kriya in Kundalini is a set of poses and meditations and this one focused on releasing anger.  

Our teacher guided us through it.  He encouraged us to really release.  To really get pissed.  To really go for it!  And once I got that permission, I had a flood of emotion come up.  I became so entrenched in that kriya that I almost didn't hear him as he guided us out of it.  I have been dealing with some stressful situations and I never realized how much anger I was storing about it.  It was one thing to get all pissed off in the moment and when having to deal with the frustrations that kept coming up, but when I wasn't directly dealing with that particular stress, I didn't think I had any anger within me.  Turns out.... joke was on me because a sh*t storm came up!  And it was one of the most powerful releases I ever experienced.  My arms shook afterward, my body felt exhausted and my mind felt clear.  It was a beautiful moment of peace.  And since then, I've been practicing this kriya with amazing results!  

It got me thinking back to when I was anxious.  I know there's a lot of fear that clouds our minds and bodies when we're dealing with intense anxiety, but I think it can even go deeper.  Sometimes we're just downright pissed! 
 
"why me?" "why can't I be strong enough to let it go?" "why do I always have to deal with this?"

If any of this sounds familiar, don't be surprised.  I can sometimes forget how much anger I used to have towards my anxiety.  

So I wanted to share this clip from Maya Fiennes on a kundalini practice to release anger. This isn't the exact one I did, but it's very close.  Pay special attention to the mantra and breath. Anxiety creates frustration and frustration creates anger... so it's an important part of our practice to work on letting it go.  Mentally, I believe forgiveness does this too, but sometimes that's a hard thing to offer when your body is riddled with angst.  When you practice this, AND forcus on forgiveness (remember, its for YOU, not them!), miraculous shifts can occur!

xo,b 

My class theme this week has been the intention of love.  There are so many different types of love we offer out every day.  However, the one person that always seems to be standing at the back of that line is... US!  
Ever notice how you're often hardest on yourself?  People with anxiety are naturally type-a and have perfectionistic tendencies.  Those two traits sometimes lead us to be even harder on ourselves than we even realize.  
Here are some heart-opening poses that will help alleviate depression and ease anxiety.  These poses also focus on the intention of love by expressing our hearts outward and allow us to share this intention with the universe. 

COBRA/UPWARD FACING DOG
-Start on your belly, press your palms down underneath your shoulders and hug your arms into your rib cage with elbows up
-Begin to press into your hands and curl yourself up. Lift up to full upward facing dog pose by straightening the arms gently, looking up to the sky and lifting your knees off the ground (toes stay down, pointed).  If your back is tight or injured, only lift halfway up into Cobra. Lift only up to your ribcage and focus the lift from your back rather than your hands. 
-Practice a few rounds of this, inhaling up and exhaling back down onto your stomach.
*keep your shoulders back and spread open through your collarbones to keep your heart open and shining!

BOW POSE
-Start lying face down with your hands resting by your hips.
-Bend your knees and reach back to hold your ankles or the tops of your feet.
-Press your feet against your hands and begin to lift up off the ground.  Take your time lifting. Use the energy between your hands and feet to lift deeper into your backbend. 
**before you lift up, roll your shoulders back. as you deepen your backbend here over time, begin to roll into your belly and feel a lift through your thighs.you can roll forward and backward if you have that available to you.

FISH POSE
-Lie on your back and reach your hands by your hips
-Tuck your hands under your hips, palms facing down
-Lift onto your forearms and gently begin to ease your head down
-Some might stay here for awhile. If you have more range of motion, release the top of your head down onto the ground/mat, crown of your head to the floor. 
-Keep your legs pressed together. Lift up through your chest and feel your heart expand.
**focus on the lower back here as you create this pose. If your back doesn't support this alone, keep your forearms on the ground to help give you lift


Another super quick heart opener you can do is interlace your hands behind your back and pull your knuckles towards the ground.  Feel your shoulders roll back, begin to backbend and look towards the sky. 

Make sure your back is warmed up and stretched before moving through any backbends!  

Set your intention today to create self love. Be mindful of your thoughts. Be aware of your energy.  Notice how you're showing up for yourself on a daily basis. Shift your perspective and be first on line to receive your love and acceptance!

with LOVE,

xo b  

It's funny how the thought of inversions tend to conjure up images of handstands and balancing on one's head.  Inversions are actually very calming poses, but the initial thoughts about them cause anxiety and stress to plenty of people!  So let's shine the spotlight on INVERSIONS today.  

Why do inversions?  From just a general health perspective, inversions reverse blood flow and improve circulation, they increase our immunity, prevent illness and even energize us!  From our perspective of being over-stressed and anxious, inversions calm our nervous systems.  Inversions trigger our parasympathetic nervous system which enables us to feel calm and balanced.  Our sympathetic nervous system is responsible for our stress response, so the more we activate the parasympathetic nervous system, the more grounded and stable we'll feel!  

Now, not every inversion is built the same.  Yes, you can pop into headstand for a couple of minutes and enjoy the benefits of flippng your world upside down, but what if that's not in your practice yet?  Are you out of luck?  Nope!  Here are some beginner-friendly inversions that you can try today:

These are all gentle inversions that most of us feel comfortable trying!  Next time you're stressed, literally flip yourself (and your world!) upside down! Change your perspective, change your life. 

**contraindications: unmedicated high blood pressure, some heart conditions, neck injuries, recent stroke, detached retina, glaucoma, and epilepsy are common issues that should be addressed before inverting. Always talk with your doc if you're unsure before adding something new into your practice and life!  

xo b 

My class theme this week has been Totally Tapas.  I created a flow that focused, quite literally, on heat.  The heat we create physically AND mentally. I felt it was appropriate after talking with someone about her journey with anxiety.  

I think the most important thing I've ever shared with my students and clients is that we don't lose our anxious tendencies overnight. We weren't born anxious.  We didn't come into this world with OCD and phobias.  It took time for us to create them through our perceptions and experiences.  The same is true for us to heal from anxiety.  It takes time.  There are so many times I see people have monumental breakthroughs, only to feel they are "cured" and then they slide right back into old patterns- which in turn cause the same anxieties to arise.  I know it gets frustrating when we find relief through yoga, breathing, EFT, etc. and it doesn't stick around that long.  Healing from anxiety is literally a practice, just like yoga.  There's no such thing as a "cure" because anxiety is an emotion. Just like happiness and anger.  We don't just eliminate it.  We learn how to work through it.  Similar to when we step on the mat in yoga.  Perhaps you're being challenged with a tough sequence full of poses that you struggle through.  You don't just step off your mat and leave, right?  At least I hope you don't!  You find a way to make the pose work for you!  Maybe you modify it or even just sit it out and take a child's pose.  Whatever it is, you figure it out.  And you go back again the next day, or the day after that. You keep working, practicing, and opening up new experiences.  I remember when I used to find headstand traumatizingly scary!  Now I love it!  It took patience, perserverence and commitment to get to that place.  Same with anxiety.  We will constantly be challenged along the way.  We just have to remember to stick through it and find a way to cope.  

So a tapas themed practice really called to my soul this week.  Tapas is the Sanskrit word for heat.  In yogic philosophy it is the fire that burns within us.  It is our self control, our focus, our drive, our discipline.  It is the discipline that we need to obtain a goal when we are faced with struggles along the way.  

So tap into your Tapas this week.  Identify your challenges and open up the space within you to have the discipline and mindfulness to keep pushing through.  Whether kicking into handstand or conquering a fear, you have the power within you to make it through! 

xo b


photo cred
https://www.google.com/search?q=handstand&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=uSqAUe-WHqaT0QGgnYDQDg&ved=0CAoQ_AUoAQ&biw=1366&bih=667#imgrc=BynKu219vE0doM%3A%3BGnUIE-hqXBinFM%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.yogirose.com%252Fwp-content%252Fuploads%252F2010%252F07%252Fhandstand.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.yogirose.com%252F%253Fp%253D30%3B333%3B500

If you're new to yoga, you may find yourself staring mystified at the schedule for your local gym or studio and trying to make sense of names like 'iyengar' and 'vinyasa.' Wondering which class is best for you?  Let me break it down for you and point you in the right direction!  There truly is a style of yoga for every body!  


Restorative The focus here is relaxation. If you're looking to de-stress, or you're just simply not up for a fast-paced yoga class, this is the place for you.  Blankets and bolsters do the work for you while you melt into your poses for anywhere from 3 to 10 minutes.  

Hatha This class blends many forms of yoga and allows students to alleviate stress and tension while holding their poses and finding time to explore them.


Anusara While these classes also focus on alignment and use of props, they integrate more personal creativity and lightheartedness into the practice. Students are encouraged to express themselves and have fun.  There is an emphasis on opening your heart throughout this practice which is great for relieving depression. 

Iyengar  This is a class focused on alignment. Props such as blankets, blocks and straps are utilized to help students move perfectly into poses. This is a great place to start if you're interested in learning the rudiments of poses.  


Bikram This style entails a series of 26 poses done in a highly heated room. It's a great style for sweating and grounding (it helps to move inward during practice so you don't think about the heat), so long as you can stand hot temperatures.


Vinyasa This class is focused on connecting movement and breath. You'll move through poses on inhalations and exhalations, and these classes tend to be a quick pace. It's ideal for people who crave a more challenging yoga class and enjoy the creativity and movement within a flow. 

My personal faves for:

anxiety relief- restorative, hatha and vinyasa (yes vinyasa moves faster, but I find that the faster pace helps keep my mind present with the movements and I love the importance on the breath) 

depression relief - anusara

releasing energy (that could build into anxiety)- vinyasa

people nervous to try yoga- restorative, hatha and iyengar  

Now that you feel more empowered to find the right class for you, grab your towel and mat and hit the studio!  enjoy yoga-ing!

xo b

Before we go any further down this yogic path together, I think it’s a good idea to chat about what yoga actually is.  I’ve met a ton of people that become super resistant when they hear the word ‘yoga.’ 

“Yoga isn’t for me, I’m not flexible.”

“Isn’t yoga a religion?”

“It’s too spiritual for me, I’m not into chanting.”

“I don’t understand the other language the teacher uses when she talks about poses.”

Yep.  Been there, heard that.  I get it.  Anything new is scary.  And when we’re trying to reduce our stress, the last thing we want to try is something that actually causes us additional stress.  So here are some quick yoga FAQs, courtesy of Yoga Journal, to help you understand a bit more about this ancient practice we call yoga.

What is yoga?

The word yoga, from the Sanskrit word yuj means to yoke or bind and is often interpreted as "union" or a method of discipline. 

The Indian sage Patanjali is believed to have collated the practice of yoga into the Yoga Sutra an estimated 2,000 years ago. The Sutra is a collection of 195 statements that serves as a philosophical guidebook for most of the yoga that is practiced today. It also outlines eight limbs of yoga: the yamas (restraints),niyamas (observances), asana (postures), pPranayama(breathing), pratyahara (withdrawal of senses), dharana(concentration), dhyani (meditation), and samadhi(absorption). As we explore these eight limbs, we begin by refining our behavior in the outer world, and then we focus inwardly until we reach samadhi (liberation, enlightenment).

Today most people practicing yoga are engaged in the third limb, asana, which is a program of physical postures designed to purify the body and provide the physical strength and stamina required for long periods of meditation.

What does OM mean?

Om is a mantra, or vibration, that is traditionally chanted at the beginning and end of yoga sessions. It is said to be the sound of the universe. What does that mean?

Somehow the ancient yogis knew what scientists today are telling us—that the entire universe is moving. Nothing is ever solid or still. Everything that exists pulsates, creating a rhythmic vibration that the ancient yogis acknowledged with the sound of Om. We may not always be aware of this sound in our daily lives, but we can hear it in the rustling of the autumn leaves, the waves on the shore, the inside of a seashell.

Chanting Om allows us to recognize our experience as a reflection of how the whole universe moves—the setting sun, the rising moon, the ebb and flow of the tides, the beating of our hearts. As we chant Om, it takes us for a ride on this universal movement, through our breath, our awareness, and our physical energy, and we begin to sense a bigger connection that is both uplifting and soothing.

Do I have to be a vegetarian to practice yoga?

The first principle of yoga philosophy is ahimsa, which means nonharming to self and others. Some people interpret this to include not eating animal products. There is debate about this in the yoga community—I believe that it is a personal decision that everyone has to make for themselves. If you are considering becoming a vegetarian, be sure to take into account your personal health issues as well how your choices will affect those with whom you live. Being a vegetarian should not be something that you impose on others—that kind of aggressive action in itself is not an expression of ahimsa.

How many times a week do I have to practice?

Yoga is amazing—even if you only practice for one hour a week, you will experience the benefits of the practice. If you can do more than that, you will certainly experience more benefits. I suggest starting with two or three times a week, for an hour or an hour and a half each time. If you can only do 20 minutes per session, that's fine too. Don't let time constraints or unrealistic goals be an obstacle—do what you can and don't worry about it. You will likely find that after awhile your desire to practice expands naturally and you will find yourself doing more and more.

How is yoga different from other forms of fitness?

Unlike stretching or fitness, yoga is more than just physical postures. Patanjali's eight-fold path illustrates how the physical practice is just one aspect of yoga. Even within the physical practice, yoga is unique because we connect the movement of the body and the fluctuations of the mind to the rhythm of our breath. Connecting the mind, body, and breath helps us to direct our attention inward. Through this process of inward attention, we learn to recognize our habitual thought patterns without labeling them, judging them, or trying to change them. We become more aware of our experiences from moment to moment. The awareness that we cultivate is what makes yoga a practice, rather than a task or a goal to be completed. Your body will most likely become much more flexible by doing yoga, and so will your mind.

Is yoga a religion?

Yoga is not a religion. It is a philosophy that began in India an estimated 5,000 years ago. The father of classical ashtanga yoga (the eight-limbed path, not to be confused with Sri K. Pattabhi Jois' Ashtanga yoga) is said to be Patanjali, who wrote the Yoga Sutra. These scriptures provide a framework for spiritual growth and mastery over the physical and mental body. Yoga sometimes interweaves other philosophies such as Hinduism or Buddhism, but it is not necessary to study those paths in order to practice or study yoga.

Can I practice yoga if I’m not flexible?

Yes! You are a perfect candidate for yoga. Many people think that they need to be flexible to begin yoga, but that's a little bit like thinking that you need to be able to play tennis in order to take tennis lessons. Come as you are and you will find that yoga practice will help you become more flexible.

Ok, I’ll try a class.  What do I need?

All you really need to begin practicing yoga is your body, your mind, and a bit of curiosity. But it is also helpful to have a pair of sweat pants, leggings, or shorts, and a t-shirt that's not too baggy. No special footgear is required because you will be barefoot. It's nice to bring a towel to class with you. As your practice develops you might want to buy your own yoga mat, but most studios will have mats and other props available for you

*full article can be found here

Xo b