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Dec
17

The Balancing Series… Love on One Foot. Part 5: Natarajasana… Dancer’s Pose. Oh Yeah.

bal-dancerI’ve been known to wax enviously about this posture and those who are able to enjoy its full potential… but despite my own challenges in the posture… ILOVE IT!

I consider it the most beautiful- strong, graceful, intense.

Myself, it takes some time resting in Tadasana- Mountain Pose to gather myself before I embark upon this energetic journey that is Natarajasana.  Breathe… fix gaze… breathe…

With gaze fixed, supporting foot- let’s say, left- is grounded toes spread, weight centred throughout all points from heel to balls (ahem…;)  Reach for the right foot with the right hand, gently grasping around the inner arch.

In tandem, the torso and leg being raised pull in opposite directions simultaneously out and up, the heart reaching forward.  The left arm is extended forward guiding the torso.  There should be a delightful energy- a blissful tension- as the leg and torso work to extend opposite one another, while engaging a graceful arc in the back.   Ooooohhhhh… tingles!  Yes, tingles… I said I LOVED this posture!

The supporting leg is strong and long, the head of the thigh bone pulled up deep into the hip as it provides solid foundation.

If you’re more ambitious, or more flexible, the arm extended forward can also reach back to grasp the outer arch of the foot, drawing the shin again, both out and upwards. Strong.  All the while, the heart reaches up… as though a string is attached pulling towards the ceiling.  Yum.

Category: health, Postures, strength, yoga  One Comment
Dec
12

Merry Christmas to Me!! Come to Mommy, Mandy!

It’s out and hopefully landing in a dvd player near me… hear that hubby- I mean, Santy Clause!?!

Category: news, people, Products, Trends, weight loss, 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
08

If I’d Known Bikram Was Coming….

I’d have cranked the heat… but it is Canada, after all!

bikramIn our neck o’ the woods we’ve seen celebrities of all stripes, most notably the whole Twi-hard phenomenon as they make their homes locally (roughly) to film the monster vampire franchise.

Anywho… a celebrity nearly as big, at least in his own mind, and certainly more interesting, recently graced our northern shores.  With mouth, cocked and loaded, attitude and cash in abundance, the ‘bad boy’ founder of Bikram, Bikram Choudhury, did Vancouver.

“It takes six hours,” the Los Angeles-based yoga mogul said, before laughing: “And I buy all the junk. I love it, you know?”

Here to conduct a lecture as well as judge the Western Canadian Hatha Yoga Championships- who knew?!- Master Bikram, whose efforts and commitment have manifested in a veritable empire founded on heat, sweat and just plain balls(!), boasts more than 350 affiliated studios around the world and the devotion of millions.  Without doubt, were it available to me and given my penchant for celebrity yogis, I’d probably be sitting sweaty and happy on the Bikram train as well.

The roots of Bikram’s methodology lie in a childhood devoted to hours of practice, where he became more and more aware of the positive effects of heat on his body and it’s response to yoga.

“When room is more hot, then I can sweat more, I can stretch more, I can push more, I can go more deeper and deeper and inside the body, it hurts less and you never get injury,” he said, recalling early days in India when he’d shut doors to keep in the heat.

“So I developed this with my own practice,” he said. “Years and years and years and years.”

Guru to any number of celebrities, Shirley McLain chief among them… oh, and Tiger Woods as well, along with the likes of Madonna, Elle Macpherson and the lovely George Clooney.  Despite his roster of notable clientele, when it comes to giving them the celebrity treatment, Bikram states emphatically,

“This is the way I run my kingdom: my way or the highway,” he said in a tone that leaves little room for dispute. “I don’t listen to anybody. You need my help: Come to me, shut up, forget who you are. I will take care of you. And I do my job.”

For anyone perhaps considering taking Bikram to a more competetive level, take a peek… Here’s Mari Dickey, number one woman at the competition.  A little inspiration:

Category: news, people, strength, Trends  2 Comments
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
25

Sanctuary… Clean, Organized & Tidy? So What If It’s Not?!

homeI mean, some people swear they function best when they have to rifle through piles to find what they’re looking for… they even maintain that unless they are rifling through piles, they couldn’t possibly actually find what they’re looking for.

Really?!  I’m always struck a tad incredulous with those claims… but hey, who am I to judge?

What I know for myself is that when my home, particularly those spaces in which I need to be productive… ie. kitchen, office, bedroom- ahem!… is tidy, clean and efficiently functional, I’m all the better for it.  I’m more comfortable in these spaces and therefore enjoy spending more time in them.  This is especially wonderful for me in my office… for my kids in the kitchen, and in the bedroom… well, I suppose hubby is the lucky beneficiary there!

Surely you’ve heard Oprah and her lovely Nate Berkus frequently wax poetic about your home “rising up to meet you…”; or her Australian guru of all things tidy and organized, Peter Walsh, making some mighty strong statements about the reflection the condition the home makes of one’s true state of mind and mental health.  Then again, the people he’s dealing with are dealing with some pretty big issues beyond just some unruly piles of mail and magazines and general untidiness.

As I’m tidying and cleaning to prepare for this fast approaching holiday weekend and seeing piles disappear to whence they came- where they actually belong or the trash!- there’s a sense of calm and peace come over me that I usually only know after a cycle of sun salutations.  There’s a feeling of all being right in that moment and I revel in each and every clutter-free space.  Even the hallway downstairs where I’d been piling clothes to go to my sister’s kids, clothes to donate, seasonal items to be put away (yes, I have those infernal to-be-put-away piles that grow and grow until you have company coming to stay and finally PUT the stuff AWAY!!), ski suits to be tried on, car and boat batteries, the new light fixture for the dining room… I could go on….

Anyways, the feeling of satisfaction at having finally dealt with the various piles, the various messes, the general disorganization, is so worth the effort once the day is done.  So, in honour of Thanksgiving… despite the stress that always accompanies these holidays, I wish everyone gratitude and peace of mind, whether it be from digging through your organized piles, or getting rid of them.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Category: Good Intentions, gratitude, health, Meditation, Spirit, 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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