Wednesday, November 30, 2011

New Years in November

Why wait until January 1st to make a New Years resolution? Now is the time to start or get back to your yoga practice. This time between Thanksgiving and New Years Day can be stressful with end of year work deadlines, shopping, and holiday visitors. The shorter days can make us feel lazy, tired, and even a little (or a lot) depressed. The physical practice of yoga and the mental practice of meditation can help alleviate all of these symptoms. You also won't be home alone eating holiday treats and leftovers gaining those unwanted pounds that will require a New Years resolution of some sort. Get yourself back on the mat now and cruise blissfully into the New Year. Bring a friend and share the gift of yoga!

Monday, October 10, 2011

Kick Start Your Home Practice

"I don't have time to practice yoga at home."
"I don't know what to practice at home."
"I don't know how to practice at home."
Yada, yada, yada. Excuses, excuses. We all have them. Even me.

You "practice" yoga every time you stand up straight, roll your shoulders back and down, or become aware of your breath. Don't beat yourself up if you don't actually strike a pose during the day. When you can, build in 30-60 minutes of practice in to your day. When you can't, work the practice in throughout the day.

The following is a basic sequence that can be practiced from start to finish in 30-60 minutes or broken up into small sequences practiced throughout the day.

First thing in the morning while you are still in your jammies:
Adho Mukha Virasana - downward facing hero's pose
Adho Mukha Svanasana - downward facing dog pose
Uttanasana - intense stretch or standing forward bend pose
Hold these poses from 1-3 minutes each

If you can, follow this practice with some standing poses. If you workout, run, or walk, or just plain have a busy morning every morning do these poses after:
Utthita Trikonasana - Utthita Parsvakonasana - Virabhadrasana II
Extended triangle - extended side angle - warrior II
or
Parsvottanasana - Prasarita Padottanasana
Intense side stretch - wide legged forward bend
or
Virabhadrasana I - Utkatasana
Warrior I - Fierce pose

Work up to holding each pose 30-60 seconds (Utkatasana repeat 3-4 times).
As you learn more sequences in class you will learn poses that are often taught together.


At work, every couple of hours, do some shoulder work:
Urdhva Hastasana - get your arms straight up over your head
Urdhva Baddhanguliyasana - upward bound hands pose (both sides)
Urdhva Namaskarasana - upward prayer pose
Gomukhasana (arms only) - cow face pose
Paschima Baddhanguliyasana - backward bound hands pose
Paschima Namaskarasana - backward prayer pose
Invite your co-workers to join you.

As soon as you get home or to the gym and it's time to cook dinner, workout, or herd children get in some easy backbends for a quick pick me up:
Chatushpadasana - four footed pose
Setubandha Sarvangasana - bridge pose supported

Just before you slip in to bed, practice your shoulder balance, corpse pose, and some pranayama:
Salamba Sarvangasana I - supported shoulder balance I
Savasana - corpse pose
Ujjayi II - normal inhale - long, slow exhale
The last two can even be practiced in your nice comfy bed.

References:
Your teachers
Light on Yoga by B.K.S. Iyengar
Gem for Women by Geeta S. Iyengar
Preliminary Course by Geeta S. Iyengar
www.yogajournal.com - not specific to the practice of Iyengar yoga but a good resource for quick pictures of poses and has a "build your own sequence" tool

Monday, May 9, 2011

Kids Yoga - more details

Thanks to numerous inquiries, nudges, and support from many of you
moms, I am in the process of developing a kids' yoga curriculum. The
first opportunity for the little yogis to Stretch with Gretch is going
to be a combined yoga and art camp at Oil and Cotton:

Ages 6-10
June 27-30
9:00 - 11:00 AM
$120
For more info and to register go to:
http://shop.oilandcotton.com/product/yoga-art-4-day-summer-camp-for-ages-6-10

I have plans in place to start a couple of after school classes in the
fall focusing on elementary age children. If there is enough interest
in the teenage and/or preschool ages, I'll consider expanding. Just
let me know.

Children reap the same benefits from yoga as adults. Maybe even more
so given the hectic world they are growing up in compared to our 60s,
70s, and 80s. Here is a brief article describing some of the benefits.
http://www.pbs.org/parents/inclusivecommunities/yoga2.htm
You are welcome to contact me directly if you have more specific questions.

Friday, May 6, 2011

Kids yoga

When I started my yoga journey (I know, cliche to say journey, but truly it has been) I knew I would some day work with children. At last the day has come. I'm a grab bag of emotions: excited, nervous, eager, terrified. You name it, I'm feeling it.

So when can the kiddos Stretch with Gretch?

June 16 (tentative) at KPUMC Vacation Bible School

June 27 - 30 at Oil and Cotton - Yoga and Art camp with Kayli House-Cusick

Saturday, January 8, 2011

I'm not just a yoga teacher...

I am also a yoga student.

I put off taking my first class. My excuses: my family couldn't possibly live without me for 1 hour and 15 minutes on a Sunday morning and my back hurt too much. Hello! Isn't yoga all about making the body feel better? The truth be told, I was afraid. Afraid it would hurt. Afraid I wouldn't be able to do it. Afraid my classmates, or worse, the teacher would laugh at me. Afraid I would pass gas and embarrass myself. Then, I found out I was pregnant. Then, I found out I wasn't pregnant. I was on an emotional roller coaster. So, I set aside my fears and went to my first class. I'll share all of those details another time but to make a long story short, I found just what my body and mind needed. The pregnancy ended up being ectopic and I had emergency surgery just 2 days after my first class. Again, I was on that roller coaster this time with exercise restriction. It took me another month or so but I went back to that class. Four and half years later, my patient teacher is now my mentor and a very dear friend. She has taught me that I can do anything I put my mind to -- with the right props of course.

So to my current students, thank you for facing any fears you might have had and coming to class anyway. To my friends and acquaintances that always say they are coming but never do, what is stopping you? And to the casual reader that never intends to spend a single second on the mat, please find another activity that you can love. One that will treat you well, nourishing your body, mind, and spirit. Run, walk, bike, swim, lift weights, learn karate, the possibilities are endless.

Namaste!