the 10 Minute Holiday Reboot

Greetings and Happy December to all! We are in that season, of joy, peace and increased demands of our time. I know for myself, self care can become a back seat if I am not mindful about it. What do I mean by that? I mean that even if I have a list of things I feel I need to accomplish for others or for the holidays, I make a point of doing self care during the day or plan my week accordingly.

This week, it is the 10 minute Holiday Reboot! Each day, I am taking at least one if not several 10 minute breaks, which result in me
feeling more uplifted, energetic and positive. The holidays as fun as they are and as much as I enjoy them, can be emotional, demanding and sometimes melancholy. What is the first thing on my list, "my own yoga practice or class" that is a must each week! Pilates, yes, I love working with others but for me, getting my own time doing and playing with pilates props does me wonders!

Where did I get the number 10, well, as an exercise at work, we were asked to pick a number that meant something to us, I picked 20- that means 20 minutes of Shavasana(relaxation pose) everyday! The problem now, that 20 minutes can be hard to find, so it needs to be 10, and there are other things as well, that can achieve that uplifted, more energy and positive attitude as well, here are a few to inspire you!

10 minute Holiday Reboot

Walk - 10 minutes of fresh air or on a treadmill
Meditate - Breathing in I am aware of my mind, Breathing out I am aware of my mind(Thich Nhat Hanh)
Music - listening to something soft and closing your eyes can bring you present
Shavasana - relaxation pose
Read - something uplifting or inspirational- my new read Awakening of the Heart by Thich Nhat Hanh
Food - make something fun and good for you! It will restore your energy.

That is to name a few, then find something at least one hour a week, to fill you up, Yoga or Pilates class or maybe you need a private session!

Stay Mindful of your own self care and Happy Holidays to all. Namaste'

Experiencing Generosity through Yoga

It is November, and we as a community have much on the horizon ahead of us and behind us. The election is now upon us and I hope some of you have been feeding your teaching and yoga practice with mindfulness and positive energy to alleviate the stress that has impacted all of us. It also is the season of holidays for all, and as yogini's we must decide how we are going to show up each day or ourselves and our communities.

When we think of generosity we think of how we can show up for others, but how does that translate to ourselves? In the Secret Power of Yoga, Nischalla Joy Devi tells us to magnify our experience of Asteya(non stealing) to instead give- give to ourselves, give to others and give to the larger spirit. I heard it said this weekend, that "generosity takes us to a path of our true and best self". As we give to ourselves in our yoga practice, the food we eat, the actions we take and the thoughts that we carry with us, we can change our sphere of living and we can make better and clearer decisions. This in and of itself will impact those around you.

Enjoy this month of transition and move with the flow of Generosity in your spirit, Om Om Om, Shanti, Namaste'

Finding Stillness and Ease

Parsvottanasana: Pyramid Pose, is a pose that I have struggled with over the years. Why? Mild scoliosis and hip imbalance creates
challenge in forward folds for me. One of the asana related sutras we find in the Patanjali's writings is "to find ease in our posture".
As a teacher and student, it creates desire in me to find that in my practice. As you see in the pose, I am using two blocks, to support myself. Some days, I do not always make it to the blocks, I then need to find "ease" and contentment with that. Mindfully taking care of my back. The benefits of the posture are that it is a lovely opening for hamstrings, it builds posture-making our spinal muscles work and very quieting to the mind. Out of all of the standing poses I find the most serene quality once I settle in. It is a pose I have had in my practice on a steady basis. Finding the ease and steadiness transfers to the flow of life, which can be challenging now in our society.
There is much unsettled energy, feeling of instability and stress. I find doing those poses that give me ease, and help me quiet my mind are what I am relying on now, instead of a challenging practice, doing restorative, inversions and quieting postures that help ground me.
This practice helps, my 30 days of no news media and very intentional choices on what I allow in. Namaste' Denise