Thursday, May 2, 2013
Can't work your way out of a problem? Here are some fresh ways to find new perspective.
We’ve all experienced times where we feel stuck. We struggle to find a new way to approach a problem. It could be about money, relationships, career, family or even our schedule. In situations like this, we need an infusion of fresh energy around the issue as well as a new way of thinking. There is no way out of approaching a problem from the same perspective unless something shifts. Einstein said that the definition of insanity is “doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” So, how do we find this new way of thinking? 1. Exercise. When we feel stuck, we need to refresh our brain and move the stuck energy of feeling defeated through the body. The best way to do that is to move. Walk, run, practice yoga, hike…
Friday, March 22, 2013
Do you drag yourself out of bed each day? Read on and take these tips to heart to make your mornings better!
Over the years as a yoga teacher, I’ve had (and currently have) early morning classes that require me to get up before 6 am. This never gets easy. The funny irony about it is that I am not a morning person but yet I teach several early morning yoga classes. When I was growing up, my father would call me “Lucy” (from the Peanuts comic strip) because I was so grouchy at breakfast. I was thinking today as I checked in students for the 6:30 am class about how we motivate our body and mind to get up early. There are certainly better ways to do it than others. I see people on their way to work pounding energy drinks, while running to the bus. This is, of course, an awful way to start the day. So what are the best ways to ensure you’ll get up on …
Monday, March 4, 2013
Practicing yoga is great but how can we bring the lessons of yoga off the mat into our relationships to strengthen them too?
Yoga as a practice is a way to strengthen, stretch, balance and relax in our bodies. But there are many benefits of a yoga practice that can apply off the mat as well. One of the areas where yoga can be helpful is in relationships. Not just the romantic kind, but all relationships: those we have at work, with friends, with family and of course, with our romantic partners. What are some of these lessons and how do you relate each to yoga? Build a strong foundation. Every yoga pose starts with the foundation. If the foundation is unsteady, the whole pose falls apart. “Foundation” also refers to what is at the floor, so it speaks to things like “feet” in standing postures and the chest, or the shoulders, perhaps, in a pose on the floor. In …
Saturday, February 16, 2013
Injured but looking for a road back to wellness? Yoga's benefits are plentiful. Check out how to use this healing practice to manage pain, build strength and flexibility.
Over the past few weeks, I’ve been approached or have had conversations with people in class about how to best get started back with yoga after an injury. This also applies to starting yoga for the first time after an injury. I thought this would make a good topic for my next column. Maybe you’re reading this and like one of the people I spoke with, you’re afraid you’ll get hurt again. Maybe you have a memory of how fit you once were and now, faced with your injured body, you’re frustrated and feel there is no way you’ll be able to taste that feeling of strength and flexibility again. Maybe you have “good days” and “bad days” and have just given up on the idea of doing anything physical. The good news is yoga is the perfect exercise to do …
Thursday, January 31, 2013
Feeling like your healthy goals for the New Year have slipped away? Here are tips designed to get back on track.
Around this time of year, people start re-evaluating their New Year’s Resolutions. They either are still on track and feeling great or they’ve lost their resolve and are feeling frustrated and defeated. One of the common goals set at the beginning of the year is around weight loss. As a yoga teacher, I get questions about yoga’s effectiveness for weight loss. People want to know how many calories they’ll burn, is hot yoga more effective for weight loss than unheated yoga or how many times per week do you need to do yoga to lose weight. I usually say something like this: “Yoga, done regularly can be an effective tool for managing your weight. If you can get to a studio class three times per week and supplement that with 20 to 30 minutes at…
Monday, January 7, 2013
Forget about the same old goals around dieting and exercise. Take on a few of these and shake things up!
It’s the start of the New Year and with it, it’s time to set some resolutions. Perhaps you prefer to skip setting resolutions or don’t believe in them. I get it; who needs that kind of pressure? The truth is, you can set resolutions, goals, intentions or whatever you want to call them any time of year. It just seems to make sense to start something new at the beginning of something; whether it’s a day, a week a month or a new year. Face it; we like to feel like we’re gaining momentum and it’s easier to feel the momentum at the beginning of the year because we have the whole year ahead to look for in terms of results. Resolutions can touch on many different aspects of your life; career, relationships, finances or your health, for instance. …
Tuesday, January 1, 2013
Despite the holiday season, many are feeling sadness after the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. Here are ten ways you can take action to start healing.
This past week has been a challenging one for all of us as we struggle to move through the holiday season after the tragic event that was the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting on Dec. 14. This column, my last for this year, was going to focus on New Year’s Resolutions and goal setting but I thought it’d be more helpful to focus on thoughts of healing. Many of the essential teachings of yoga talk about the struggle we have as humans and techniques we can use to ease our suffering. Many of these actions live in the mindfulness realm and emphasize things like meditation and attitudes of forgiveness and compassion. Along with these mindfulness-inspired ideas are other techniques that are inspired by medicine and general wellness. So, as we…
Monday, December 10, 2012
Feeling stressed due to holiday madness? Check out the list below for ways to stay healthy and have fun!
It’s that time of year again- the holiday season. There are gifts to buy, parties to attend, family to visit and it all happens around your existing crazy schedule. This can be a time for joy and celebration but it can also be a time where people experience sadness, anxiety, stress and exhaustion. Here are ten ways to stay healthy this holiday season: 1. With the exception of one night a week, stick to the same sleep schedule. Don’t try to make up for lost sleep by sleeping late. Instead, try to nap once or twice during the day for 15 minutes. Drink lots of water or other vitamin infused drinks. Use cold compresses on your eyes to decrease swelling and increase brightness. 2. Set a limit for gift giving and stick to it. Use cash as much as…
Monday, November 19, 2012
Stressed at work? Here are ten tips to help decrease your stress and increase your productivity.
I worked for many years in the corporate world, both before and after teaching yoga. After I started teaching part-time, going to work seemed more and more unhealthy. The florescent lights, the constant stream of emails, the unpredictability of the flow of the day and dealing with stressful co-workers all made my blood pressure rise. Now that I work for myself, I can say with certainly that my stress level around those issues has decreased, while it’s increased over other things (nothing is perfect, right?) But now that I have the perspective of working in both environments, I can share some of the tips I have for decreasing stress while working in a corporate setting. Many of these tips have little to do with exercise (although that’s a …
Thursday, November 8, 2012
Your yoga practice is helpful for more than your physical and mental health. Here are some tips for bringing yoga's benefits to any presentations you do in your job or elsewhere.
Many of us have given presentations in our jobs. It could be talking to a group of people in a staff meeting, doing a sales presentation to a customer or giving a talk to a large group. Some of us are in jobs where our role is, literally, to speak in front of a people (as I do, in my job as a yoga teacher). For many, the prospect of speaking to a group brings on paralyzing fear. Yoga, as a practice, has many practical applications outside of all the wonderful physical and mental benefits you get when you practice. There are many things that you can take from your practice that can help you when you need to give a presentation. Feelings of being grounded, centered and relaxed are just a few. Here are ten ideas to think about: While these …
Yoga Love
6:33 am on Monday, January 7, 2013
Great post! I think many people will like to follow the instructions given above and will be able to maintain mind-body alignment. Nayeema Akter www.anamayaresort.com more ›