Yoga in Somerville

As a part of their "Commit to be Fit" campaign, I was invited to Brendan's office to share some yoga with the staff. Having worked in a Social Security office for many years, I can certainly empathize with the stresses these workers deal with on a daily basis. And, I had forgotten how stressful the morning commute could be! That being said, I was welcomed ever so graciously by everyone and enjoyed this mini yoga session.

We began with the Lion Pose - a stress-reliever if I ever saw one! This pose "broke the ice" so to speak and we proceeded with some breathing techniques. From there, we warmed up the body. Working hunched over at a desk and staring at a computer screen for hours at a time can wreak havoc on a body. The class responded well to the warm-ups and can do these at their desk in just a few short minutes.

As the folks were dressed for work - and not working out - I geared the poses to standing only. We practiced Mountain, Chair, and then Downward Dog using the chair for support.

We closed with a nice relaxation exercise. One of the women in the class is from Barbados and is getting married there next month. I used the beach in Barbados theme for the relaxation and played some steel band music.

As with all new experiences, I was a little nervous at the start. But, that soon disappeared when I looked at the relaxed smiling faces around me. Especially Brendan's.

Self-Acceptance

I'm preparing a class for some office workers and so, last night I spent some time reading from a delightful book called Desktop Yoga by Julie Lusk. This book was printed about 12 years ago but it is still a timely resource. It offers some clear, easy explanations of various yoga poses that can be done while seated at a desk.

In one chapter, entitled Twelve Yoga Secrets for Managing Stress, I found a message that seemed to be meant for me! Regarding self-acceptance, Lusk says "It is not helpful to be either critical or complimentary toward your ability to do yoga. It is much more important to accept yourself for who and how you are. Being yourself is enough. It is a lot less stressful if you are able to stop putting yourself down all the time..." (See yesterday's post) It really doesn't matter that I'm not as flexible as Gumby. What is much more important is that I accept myself - as is!

Coordination Conundrum

Take a look at the pose on the left. Looks relatively easy to do, doesn't it? But, for some reason or other, I'm having difficulty with my coordination - or lack of it.

First, my left arm doesn't quite reach the floor. I tried using 2 blocks and this seems to help. I may need the chair for this one.

Second, I think I'm just a little nervous. Sure looks like you could twist and shout if you're not paying close attention!!!!

The funny thing is that I know once I get the hang of it, I will come to like - no, maybe even love it!!!! At least that's been my experience with poses that just seemed too confusing for me.

Motivated...and accountable!

Not too long ago, Pat from the Yoga Librarian Blog posted a hearty recommendation for the book shown on the left. I have osteoporosis and I practice yoga. And so, of course, I bought the book and have been studying it ever since. This book is chock full of solid medical information, detailed descriptions of poses, and promise.

At http://www.sciatica.org/, I learned that there was a study in place which "attempts to prove that properly chosen yoga poses can reverse osteoporosis without having negative effects on the joints." Participants in the study received a DVD which demonstrated these poses. I sent an email to the organization with the hope of being able to purchase the DVD - and received a reply inviting me to join the study! And so, this is where the motivation kicks in...

The folks involved with the study are most responsive and helpful. Using the book as my guide, I began the exercises on June 10. I just received the DVD and this has helped me to fine-tune a couple of the poses. As a member of the study, I am making a commitment to do these exercises daily. I am keeping a log and have just completed week 1. I'll try to post regularly now so that I can keep track of my progress here. All about accountability!!!

"If you build it, they will come"

Here's a photo of the entrance to the condo complex called "The Pars" where we're renting a unit for January and February. It really is that beautiful - maybe even more so. Anyway, we arrived here on January 2 and it's felt like "home" ever since. We were welcomed from day one by so many friendly people! And, there are lots of activities ~ bocce, exercise, book club, line dancing, parties, dinners, etc. I noticed something missing, though, and that was YOGA!!!!! So, I found out the name of the woman in charge and promptly called her to offer my services. She agreed to introduce me at the next exercise group and see if there would be any interest in yoga classes. Any interest????? Wow!!!! People were excited about this and the first class that I taught had over 30 people in attendance. I guess they like it because it's been packed ever since. It kind of reminds me of the famous saying in that movie, Field of Dreams: "If you build it, they will come."

How I Celebrated the Winter Solstice

Today we celebrate the Winter Solstice which is considered to be the shortest day of the year. Yes, it's the time of year when the days are short and the nights are long. But, it also marks the beginning of the return of the sun. Each day from now on means a little more sunshine for us. Longer daylight hours mean an increase in positive energy. I sure hope so since we just recently had a snow storm here, lost power for a bit, and in general, everything looks pretty gray and funky out there! But, that being said, I decided to practice sun salutations this morning in an effort to get myself in a positive position!

Double Tree

In just about every yoga class I have taught - or attended - we practice some balance poses. The one you are probably most familiar with is the "tree" pose. In "tree", the standing leg is firmly rooted on the ground. Bending your other leg at the knee, slowly raise the foot so that it is pressing against the standing leg's inner thigh. Press the knee back to help open the hips. When you are ready, your hands come together in Namaste position. Then slowly raise your arms up and balance.

The fun begins with "double tree" pose...otherwise known as "partner tree". Paul has been practicing yoga with me pretty regularly now and is becoming quite limber and flexible. He doesn't think so...but he's really improved a lot! The picture above shows two "tree huggers" doing the partner tree pose. We've included this pose in our practice and find it's really helped with our balance. We sometimes end up wobbling a little, though, then laughing a lot!