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Aug
07

My Little Peeee-geon!

I like birds OK… I admire the little hummingbirds that flit and feast from the feeder at our window and I will always stare in awe when I see one of the lovely birds of prey and the herons… well, their long legs dangling, gangly, from their otherwise graceful bodies always make me smile.

That said, there is one bird that drives me a little crazy…  The Pigeon!

It’s a bird that sorta creeps me out… and it’s a posture that I… endure.

It could be said, I suppose, that Pigeon is probably the posture from which I can achieve my greatest growth and expansion, both physically and spiritually.

And I get that.  Really… but damn, it hurts.  I breathe.  I adjust.  And I breathe some more.  Like I said, I endure.  Despite my willingness to expand my yogic horizons through this posture, my hips are not as amenable.  They continue to resist.

So, the trick is to respect the perspective of my tight hips, but slowly, gently ease them into opening just a little further each time.  It means managing my own expectations, of course.  I don’t get to tell them what to do.

It’s yet another exercise in surrender… for both of us.

Pigeon is a posture I would just as soon avoid, in favour of others I prefer (hello, Child’s Pose!) but I don’t.

I don’t let either of us off the hook!

For the low-down on how to get your pigeon on, here’s a lovely variation.

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Category: health, Postures, Practice, Spirit, surrender, yoga  Leave a Comment
Sep
11

Oh Those Canadians: Yoga… ‘Cannabis Enhanced’

Leave it to the Canadians and their legalized marijuana to find yet another excuse to get high:  yoga class!

I suppose to some, yoga and pot are synonymous anyhow.  But to those of us who practice regularly, the high we get from a practice, any practice, from more mellow Iyengar to balls out Bikram, is just so satisfying and remarkable on its own, it keeps us coming back to the magic of the mat as often as we can.

But, apparently there is another faction of yogis that feel there’s just that much more can be achieved through a practice enhanced by the ganja… the herb… the tea… by the cannabis that they’ve developed a series of classes incorporating the hallucinogen to maximize their yogic experience.

Dee Dussault, founder of Follow Your Bliss center and Ganja Yoga classes, told Relaxnews that she has “been smoking marijuana for four years, practicing yoga for 15 years” and “teaching cannabis-enhanced yoga for about one year.”

Classes range in participation from four to fifteen students, and along with mats, towels and water bottles, it’s a strict policy of  BYOP: Bring Your Own Pot.  There is no sharing or mooching and there is certainly no buying or selling.

Classes include “a vaporizer café and chat (approximately 30 minutes), followed by a profoundly trippy yoga class, set to mystical music (approximately 75 minutes). Light munchies served afterward” for about $15 CDN.

Most of us don’t live in the Toronto area to take advantage of this unique approach to yoga, but if you’re interesting in experimenting with your own ganja infused practice, Dee Dussault offers a few pointers:

-  Focus more on the sensations that one feels in the body than on trying to achieve more intermediate or advanced postures while high.
-  Really slow down, focus inwards, let go of your idea of what “yoga” is supposed to look like. Just “be” in different poses. Hang out there, let the ganja take you to new realms of experience. Notice your breath. Notice how the body moves and feels. Do some simple stretches, whatever your body calls for.
- Always listen to your body, and err on the side of doing less than you think you can.
- Stay away from balancing poses unless you are used to them, as marijuana can negatively impact balance for some people. Spend a lot of time in meditative poses.
- If your mind wanders, just come back to your breath. If thoughts interrupt or distract you, see if you can commit to focusing on the breath and the feeling of the body.
- Marijuana is great for making us super-interested in things for the short-term. Be super-interested in things you’ve never noticed about your body before. Continually commit to coming back to the breath, to the body.
- If you feel anxiety or cannabis-induced paranoia, try “Child’s Pose” – kneel on your knees and lower legs, with your hips reaching down towards your heels, and your forehead on the mat. You can have your arms extended over your head, or by your sides. Child’s pose reduces mental tension and anxiety.

Category: Articles, Class-y, health, Just Crazy... In A Good Way, news, Practice, yoga  One Comment
Sep
04

Me Likey… Ultima Replenisher: A Sports Drink With A Difference

… the biggest being, NO sugar!

My biggest victory as a parent so far (and as the second-guessing, guilt-ridden parent that I am, that’s sayin’ somethin’) is from the moment they started drinking from a sippy cup, they drank water.  No juice, NEVER soda and no sports drinks.  In fact, while when my two younger kids get the chance to swig orange pop they are like little junkies selling their precious Pollys and XBox games for a hit, my eldest rejects everything that isn’t water.

So, the interesting thing when I introduced Ultima Replenisher to the family was getting eldest to open his mind to the possibilities of flavour and getting my younger to open the mind that a “treat” drink doesn’t have to tickle your nose!

While I’ve been tempted to offer sports drinks to my kids during sickness and now with all of them so active in sports, but the amount of sugar was just not worth the compromise to get them anything other than simply hydrated.

Ultima offers a NATURALLY sweet alternative to everything else out there, so you and your child can get valuable electrolytes without also getting jacked up on endless tablespoons of sugar found in other brands.  It’s vegan friendly and gluten free with NO artificial ingredients.  It’s great for everyone, from athletes to pregnant moms and is even recommended by the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute for keeping cancer patients more effectively hydrated.

Ultima “contains a full complement of electrolytes, not just a ton of sodium. Ultima also contains complex carbs for energy, water-soluble vitamins and vitamin enhancers for day-to-day health maintenance, and antioxidants to protect body systems from free radicals (toxins).”

The flavours are wonderful.  Subtley sweet and just so… so drinkable. Try the assortment pack and get all of them: Kiwi-Strawberry (my fave!), Wild Raspberry, Grape and Lemonade (recommend adding a squirt of lemon juice to amp up the lemon) and then commit to a favourite and go for the 30 or 90 serving cannisters.

I love Ultima packed in my fanny to keep me fresh during long runs and have it closeby for my flow practices.  The younger kids, of course, love it and I feel good allowing a sweet drink occasionally, knowing they’re not over-doing the sugar.  And while eldest still chooses water as his first choice, he surprised me by requesting the Wild Raspberry for swim practice!

Category: Eating, health, Kids, Products, running, Tri training, weight loss, yoga  Leave a Comment
Mar
24

Yoga For Teens… And Credit!

teenFinally… a school district that has actually taken on the “higher” in higher learning!

A British Columbia school district has approved, among other courses such as Musical Theatre and Outdoor Pursuits, yoga in an effort to address kids’ interest and demand.

According to Superintendent Jan Unwin, “the wide variety of courses is intended to keep kids in school by offering them something they will be interested in.”

This marks a new era in education (finally!?) as those interests that were once considered ‘alternative’, particularly given the spiritual component to something like yoga, are now seen as so positive and constructive as to be considered part of a public school curriculum.

Yoga has proven benefits in the areas of self-esteem and healthy body image, two critical aspects of children’s development, particularly for girls.

Introducing adolescents to the power and beauty of yoga really only introduces and reinforces the power and beauty in themselves…

which is something everyone needs!

Good on School District No. 42 for recognizing it!

Category: Articles, health, Kids, Spirit, yoga  Leave a Comment
Dec
12

Fertility God? Heck No… Fertility Ball, If You Please!

fertilityI guess yoga isn’t the first thing that comes to mind when it comes to makin’ babies… and surely, I don’t think I ever thought of massaging my innards with a ball when it came to the months we spent trying to conceive the energetic little pip that is my second son.

But then again, I’m an old fashioned gal, who until now, believed it was just a matter of charting cycles, analyzing cervical mucous and otherwise good timing in creating energetic little pips.

That said, I pride myself in having an open mind and when I came across the growing trend of yoga geared to enhancing efforts in conception, well, I decided to have a look-see.  After all one never knows….

I don’t know if you remember the girlfriends of Seinfeld, but one in particular has been making a name for herself beyond the mega-successful TV show.  Brenda Strong, formerly best known as Sue Ellen Mischke the “bra-less wonder”… oh, and the dead lady neighbour narrator on Desperate Housewives – hel-llooo!- is a yoga teacher and expert, specializing in helping women get pregnant through the ancient practice of yoga… and a few new-fangled props, such as her trademarked Strong Fertility Ball.

fertilityball According to her website, Yoga4Fertility, The Strong Fertility Ball Method, created by fertility yoga expert Brenda Strong, is a way for women to empower themselves to:

- Stimulate Circulation/Blood Flow

- Massage Internal Organs

-Use Acupressure Points for Fertility

-Help to Regulate Gynecological Function

-Detoxify and Cleanse

-Decrease Stress

-Open Connective Tissue/Fascia.

The ball acts as a tool for acupressure, and when combined with yoga…

…you get the benefit of two ancient healing systems working together to help your body release tension and balance it’s natural ability to function.
Use of mind/body practices help support your doctor’s protocol by lowering stress and help you feel more in charge of your chances to conceive.

The beauty of this program, or any other yogic practice in trying to conceive or during pregnancy, is that if nothing else, it offers a means to maintaining flexibility and a certain level of fitness while, most importantly providing a valuable tool in stress management essential for effective coping during what can often be a time of stress and fatigue.

Category: fertility, health, news, people, Products, Trends, yoga  2 Comments
Dec
09

The Balancing Series… Love on One Foot. Part 4: Dekasana… Airplane!

bal-split-bLovely, lovely… and, despite the exertion involved a nice relief from the previous posture, Dekasana- airplane.

The support of one, or two hands if you wish, certainly helps.  The support of the arms provides leverage, allowing for greater extension through the lifted leg, with that foot active and energized.

With a last inhale in airplane, getting a little bit more from the slight backbend, heart reaching forward and up, maintain straight back and exhale, hinging at the hip, draw the torso forward down the long line of the thigh.

Be conscious of the line, making sure to keep the trunk turned to lay against the supporting leg.  With the forward bending motion, the extended leg reaches, long and upwards, the toes eager and active towards the ceiling or up the wall to the rear.

This is an energetic posture and the torso extends long down the leg, pulling in the opposite direction of the reaching toes.  Long, long… oh so long!  The arms are engaged, with hands either on the floor, on the ankle or one of each, pulling offering assistance to the extension happening through both the torso andhttp://www.mommyom.com/wp-admin/post.php?action=edit&post=761 leg.  A block is absolutely encouraged to offer assistance in support with the hands, to keep the torso properly aligned, if the floor isn’t going to happen without it.  That leverage is important in maximizing the benefit of this posture.

Regardless the height of the leg, the idea is length and energy… down into the floor through the supporting leg and foot and the hands and up through that long, extended leg into and beyond the toes.

Breathe, breathe… BREATHE!!

Feels good, don’t it?!

Category: Postures, strength, yoga  Leave a Comment
Dec
07

Hula Hoop vs. Yoga… The Beginning of a Backlash?!

hulahoopIn time for Christmas, I turn to the the OM-nipresent, the OM-nicient, the OM-nipotent and the ever OM-nificent… to guide me through the minefield that is holiday shopping. And, in case there’s some confusion to whom I might be referring, let me be clear… I’m talking about Google, of course… the arbiter of all things… all things.

Where I, in my Mommy-OM-ness would trend towards the yogic in my gift-giving preferences, it seems that Google is telling me otherwise.  According to an article in Canada’s National Post, when it comes to most searched items this year, “yoga” is lucky to squeak into the top ten as Google Zeitgeist, the empire’s trend-tracker tells us that “hula hoop exercise” emerged at number two… second only to P90X exercise program (been there, done that… not for wimps… and sure, feel free to call me a wimp!)

Despite some growth, such as Lululemon, the Vancouver-based clothing giant, with its annual revenue increase by roughly 30% from 2008 to 2009, these recessionary times are sending us looking for less expensive means to our physical fitness and fat-burning ends.  And, if you can resist the attempts to cash in on this trend, with companies offering all flavours of hula induced spending from hoops encrusted with fat burning marbles to full service hula fitness kits, you still only pay about $5 bucks for this not-so-modern marvel.  And, hey, anyone can do it!

You’ll also do your part to support what might appear as something of a yoga backlash:

Is yoga now on a downward trend? Or has the uber-trendy exercise suffered some sort of backlash due to expensive studio classes or, as Antonia Richmond says in a 2006 article in the San Francisco Chronicle, a growing sense of insecurity from the non-yoga inclined masses:

“These are the yoga people. And they’re better than you…They don’t have the haggard appearance or sensitivity to bright sunlight that I do as I stumble down the street in search of coffee. They appear to … glow.”

Yoga-hater and creator of New York clothing company “It’s a Sickness”, Barnaby Harris went so far as to create an entire f— yoga clothing line.

Harris elegantly summed up the history of the ubiquitous trend, saying:

“Yoga has survived for thousands of years and will survive for thousands more. It’s just that it has gone unopposed for too damn long.”

Category: health, news, Trends, yoga  Leave a Comment
Dec
06

Breakfast… And Yoga. The Keys to Success

We’ve all known for ever the importance of a healthy breakfast to children’s learning, but one British primary school is also recognizing the benefits of incorporating yoga and meditation into education.

Riverside Primary in Rotherhithe

Riverside Primary in Rotherhithe

According to a recent article in The London Evening Standard, the children of Riverside Primary in Rotherhithe were provided with not only a proper breakfast heading into their primary SAT’s but also,  under the guidance of a local yoga instructor, exercises in breathing and yoga.

The results astounded as the school, serving an area of considerable social disadvantage, found themselves ranked top of the Evening Standard’s league tables today, helping pupils soar more than a year ahead of their peers between the ages of seven and 11.

While the school made a concerted effort not to merely teach to the controversial tests, contributing to the remarkable results, the additional support in the form of healthy breakfast and relaxation exercises without doubt paid off this year.

Category: health, Kids, Meditation, Spirit, yoga  2 Comments
Nov
30

The Balancing Series… Love on One Foot. Part 3: Dekasana… Airplane!

airplane Back from Thanksgiving and, Idon’t know about you, but I’m finding the need for balance, in diet- navigating my way from abundant meat and cheese (until Christmas, creamy fondue and Calabrese salami!) and back to hot rice cereal, greens and lean protien…    and practice!  Whew! Moving on in the series we find ourselves moving from grasping our toe as though for dear life long, extended and upright, into Dekasana, or Airplane Pose… I’m guessing (cuz I don’t really know) a modern, 20th century evolution of Virabhadrasana III, or Warrior III.  Regardless, a welcome relief from the intensity of Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana, or Extended Hand-to-Toe! From the extended leg, hand-to- toe, the leg is brought forward briefly yet again where the toe is released, controlled of course, not dropped… the hands grasp the hips and that extended leg is lightly, strongly extended forward from the hip.  Alternatively, that leg can be supported by the hands, fingers intertwined below the hamstring- my preference, in fact. more »

Category: health, Postures, Spirit, strength, surrender  Leave a Comment
Nov
17

The Balancing Series… Love on One Foot. Part 2: Utthita Hasta Padangustasana or Grab Your Toe and Don’t Forget to Breathe!

bal-legraise-sketchJust when you thought all was well with the world… you’ve successfully unwound yourself out of Eagle and with a long, delightful exhale are ready to take it down a notch.

Well, nope.

The series continues, long and extended, as we head into a remarkably high energy posture, Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana, or Extended Hand-to-Toe, requiring strength along with steadiness and focus. The good news is that for beginners, or if the day- and the joints- say, “let’s just not” there is a lovely modification that still fosters knowledge and understanding on one leg, but offers a little break in the intensity.
To modify, rather than grasping the big toe and extending the leg, merely keep the knee bent.  Keep the hands on the hips and hold the knee forward for five breaths, foot flexed and supporting foot grounded into the floor to maintain the stable foundation.

After five breaths, keeping the knee bent, move the knee to the side of the body and hold.  If you’d like to intensify this a little, challenging the balance, turn the head to settle the gaze on the opposite wall to the bent leg.  After five breaths bring the bent leg back to the front, with hands still on hips, hips square, extend the leg forward and hold at whichever height your leg and hip allow for a breath or two before releasing to the floor to switch sides.

If you’d like a little more challenge, actually working towards extending the leg and maintaining that extension, consider using a chair on which to support that leg for the five breaths.  Props are always strongly encouraged!

As with all of the balancing postures, this provides wonderful strengthening and lengthening in the supporting leg, and certainly that which is extended should you take it in that direction. As always, here’s a little more info…

Lovely.  Lovely.  Lovely.

Category: Postures, Spirit, strength, surrender, weight loss  One Comment
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