Living Yoga

Last week I took an AntiGravity Yoga class at Crunch for the first time.  Wow!  (No pun intended.)   I always joke around on my podcast exclaiming, “I’m flying!” in the some of postures, but this AntiGravity class taught me how to really fly!  Here is the class description on their website:

“Wings” is the AntiGravity Yoga movement sequence which is exclusive to Crunch. This one hour workout was designed especially with Crunch members in mind. It’s challenging, it’s fun, it’s affective. The AntiGravity Hammock acts as a soft trapeze, supporting you as you master simple suspension techniques leading to advanced inverted poses. AntiGravity yoga is unique; it is unbelievable for relieving compressed joints and aligning the body from head to toe.”

With the use of a hammock securely hanging from the ceiling, participants do everything from back bends, leg stretches, flips, and many variations of inversions in one hour.  I was literally hanging like Spiderman in the beginning of class and resting comfortably in my hammock for savasana at the end of class.  Things that I thought were scary and looked impossible at the beginning of class were fun and exhilarating about twenty minutes in.

If I can fly, you definitely can too!  For more info on AntiGravity Yoga visit http://www.antigravityyoga.com/

Thanks to nymag.com for the photo.

I remember in elementary school thinking that I couldn’t wait to be grown up, done with school and having to do assignments.  In high school and college I fantasized about the freedom I’d have from studying once I was in the real world.   Needless to say…ha ha ha ha ha and ha!

It seems that the older I get, the bigger my to-do list gets.  The more free time I manage to obtain, the more projects I take on to fill up that time.  Probably most women today can relate, but last week somebody said something enlightening to me, “No matter what, you aren’t going to get it all done.”

No matter what, you aren’t going to get it all done.

It was a relief to hear.  To know that I’m not just a crazy person, that it is of my own making giving me the power to change it, and releasing the burden, knowing it’s okay to not do everything.  If this sounds like you, release yourself from that burden this weekend.  It is perfectly okay not to do everything on your to-do list.  That it’s okay to take time out for your self and to have fun.  Do something you enjoy this weekend without having it on your to-do list.

Have a beautiful weekend!

For those of you that are very flexible, here are some tips to get the most out of stretches.

In my ongoing effort to plug Spinning Nation, the first national fundraising indoor cycling event in history this Saturday June 28th, I thought I’d give a little tip about avoiding the “painful crotch” syndrome on the spin bike.

First of all, yoga practitioners always look the most comfortable on the spin bikes because of their breath awareness, posture, core strength and flexibility. All of which make for a better, longer and safer work out.

However, the thing that is the hardest for most people to adjust to at first is the feeling of the seat going up the crotch, which can be painful. My advice to is keep your core strength engaged, as you would in a downward dog or plank pose, and keep your butt very light on the seat by focusing on pushing down into the pedals. This will keep you energetically, but not literally, lifted so there isn’t so much weight on the seat.

Phew!  Now that that’s solved there’s no reason you can’t enjoy a spin this Saturday for 1, 2, 3 or even 4 hours if you’re really into it! For more info on Spinning Nation, visit spinningnation.org.

I know, I know…you go to the gym or a yoga class and the last thing you want to do is be STILL!  I mean, aren’t we supposed to be moving around to burn up some more calories or something like that?

Many times people leave my yoga classes right before the final relaxation pose, Savasana.  Yes, I too am guilty of doing that occasionally and I sometimes skip it during my personal practice at home.  But I keep reminding myself and others that it is probably the most important part of the whole practice.  It is the “letting go.”  You can build all the strength you want and get as flexible as you want, but if you skip the “letting go” portion you are just holding everything in your body which can create more tension.

Savasana also allows your body to cool down after your practice, especially important during the summer, and calm your mind.  So the next time you’re tempted to skip the final relaxation, give yourself at least a minute in the pose and see if you feel different afterwards.

Happy savasana-ing!

The reason why I’ve become so connected to yoga and fitness in the last seven years or so is not because of the way it makes my body look, but the connection that is has to my every day life.  I believe this physical/mental connection is why anyone keeps practicing an activity of any kind long term.

At the closing of my yoga classes I reiterate to my students that their yoga practice is a mini reflection of their life practice.  For example, as you feel your legs have become stronger in a Warrior One pose, you have also become stronger and more grounded in your principles and goals.  As you feel your hips become more open in a Pigeon Pose, your attitude and heart have also become more flexible.  Same goes for headstand, tree pose, etc.

So the next time you practice yoga or do any work out, acknowledge the strength you have gained and thank your self.

Once again I want to announce that I’m thrilled to be participating in the first ever national Spinning fundraising event in history, Spinning Nation.

On Saturday June 28th, spinning facilities all over the country are hosting 4 consecutive, one hour spin classes to raise money for Athletes For A Cure, Aids Research Alliance, & Cancer Schmancer.  Riders can spin in one or as many of the spin classes as they would like.

If spinning isn’t your thing but you’re interested in donating to the causes, you can visit the donation page by clicking here, and selecting an instructor you’d like to sponsor from the drop down list (for example, Dina Prioste).

But why miss out on all of the fun?  I certainly hope to see you spinning in New York City!

Not the usual name for an exercise, but it is a great hip and shoulder stretch nonetheless.

Last week I felt particularly anxious about something personal going on in my life and just couldn’t bring myself to do my usual yoga routine. My anxiety combined with the heat wave in New York City brought my usual 40 minute yoga practice down to 5 minutes, and was awoken in the middle of the night with leg cramps as a result. It was a reminder that my body physically needs to do exercise, anxiety or not.

Well, you can always do yoga and, in fact, it will most likely ease any anxiety (had I given it more of a chance those two days I’m sure it would have helped). Breath exercises, like slow deep breathing through the nose, help to naturally calm the body and mind. Shoulderstand, lying on the back with the legs raised in the air, also has a calming effect.

And there’s always corpse pose, lying flat on your back with the eyes closed, well…like a corpse. As peaceful but still alive.

Whether it’s a heat wave or a difficult time it’s important to take the time to restore your body and those are just a few simple exercises you can do to keep your body and mind calm.

Thanks to http://www.holisticonline.com for the image.

The practice of yoga is all about creating new, healthy habits in the body, but it’s equally important to create healthy habits in the mind, too, which is why I read a lot of books.  One of my favorites is The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey.  This book should be required reading in high school.

I’m on my second read and the latest habit I’m working on is habit number 2, being proactive.  Stephen reminds readers that being proactive is not to be confused with being aggressive but is about accepting responsibility for not only your actions, but for living your dreams, and for relationships both personal and professional by not putting blame on others but by asking, “How can I resolve this?”

This self-proactiveness (if that is a word) allows one to be in control of her own life by taking the power out of external circumstances and other people.  This applies to just about anything in my life including my business as a yoga instructor and being a yoga practitioner.  It brings me into the present pose I’m working on, not what I’m unable to do yet, which is what yogi’s aim to achieve.

So I highly recommend putting The 7 Habits in your bag next to your beach reading; and I’m sure you’ll continue to read it many summers to come!