Enjoying Silence

Recently a student thanked me for class and shared her love of the "silent moments" during our practice. She reflected that those moments of quiet are a rarity in our busy lives, something that I'm sure we can all appreciate.

Early in my years of yoga study, I too came to appreciate silence. At first, the intentional pauses during class would seem jarring, and the long-held silence of savasana was very near torture. The busyness of my mind seemed louder than any music or voice. It seemed that when the calm sound of the teacher's voice ceased, the real noise took over...what was up with that?

But slowly I got used to that silence. And funny enough, the noise in my everyday life, which I'm sure I had never even noticed before, suddenly became so obvious! The music blaring from the car radio, the chitchatting in the university cafeteria, the tv playing in the background even though nobody was watching. Where had all this noise come from? Surely I would have noticed this before!

During one especially significant moment I was speeding down the highway rushing to yoga class. As my mind raced "I'm late, I should have left earlier, I'll interrupt everyone" loud music blared from the radio. I hardly noticed. As I kept up this speedy inner dialogue my whole body tensed and my foot pressed more firmly on the gas pedal. Until suddenly I noticed the noise and turned the radio off. With that, my breath slowed, the car slowed and my mind switched to a more mindful, appreciative inner dialogue: "I'm going to yoga, I'm going to nourish my mind and body, it's ok if I'm a few minutes late, I'll enter quietly and everyone will understand".

Since then I've been very mindful of the effect sound has on our well being. Sounds of all sorts have their time and place. Loud isn't always bad, sometimes loud music is just what the soul needs! But the key is to choose how sound will be a part of your life rather than always having it in the background and just never noticing. If I want to listen to music in the car, I do. But sometimes I don't want to and so I turn it off and enjoy the silence. Sometimes I like to play music when I practice or teach yoga, but sometimes my well being or that of my students is better served without music.

Yoga teacher and writer Georg Feurstein says "it is in silence and as silence that we discover our authentic identity, the Self". Ultimately integrating moments of silence into your life will lead you to stillness, which is the ultimate goal of yoga. Here are a few easy ways to experiment with quiet:

- the next time there is a moment of silence during a yoga class, or even a longer silence as in savasana, notice your reaction to it. Don't judge your reaction or label it as "bad", just notice. This will help you understand your existing relationship to quiet. From that place of understanding you can begin to accept the silence. Use your breath as a point of meditation and follow the inhale and the exhale, letting thoughts go as you breathe.

- when you find yourself having a conversation with a friend or family member notice other sounds in the space. Is there music? Is the television on? Maybe you even notice the sound of a fan or a computer humming. If these are sounds you can control, turn them off and notice the change in your attention level during the conversation.

- take 10, 15, 30 or even 60 minutes out of your day and commit to the practice of mauna, or silence (not speaking). The beginning or end of your day, or beginning or end of your yoga class is a good time to practice mauna. Notice the effect that not speaking has on you and those around you. At first you may feel silly or anti social, but as you continue to practice, you and the people around you will come to appreciate the positive effects of silence (even in small doses!)

- turn off the stereo, car radio, television and/or any other electronic device that creates sound when it is not actively being used and enjoyed.

- before you fall asleep at night and before you get up in the morning take a few moments of silence to observe the natural noises during these inherently quiet times. Maybe you can hear birds in the morning or the sound of the wind. In the nighttime perhaps there's music coming from a home nearby or the sound of dogs barking. Acquaint yourself with these natural sounds and enjoy them for what they are. These are noises that already exist around you. When you speak, play music, or turn on the hairdryer these new sounds are being layered on top of the natural noises to create the everyday hum of life!

In silence and stillness,
Meaghan

Neti Pot on CNN

Here's a quick read from CNN that highlights a few success stories from first time neti pot users. As the article mentions, neti pots are wonderful for allergies and sinus problems. Something to think about as we move from winter cold and flu season into summer hay fever season!

Click here for the full article.

Happy neti potting!
Meaghan

Chair Yoga & Yoga for Older Adults

We're gearing up for our next session of Chair Yoga (starting April 9). This class is so much fun to teach - I love the social atmosphere, the "let's try something new" attitude and the awesome approach to a healthy lifestyle this group demonstrates.

Included in this group of Chair Yogis is my 85-year-old grandfather. He’s been missing his yoga so much since the Fall session that just last week he came to the studio for a private class. We practiced meditation and relaxation techniques, did supported asana (poses) and finished with a deep relaxation.

For many people, the idea of Chair Yoga or Yoga for Older Adults is pretty foreign. So I thought I'd offer an overview here...

This class is for anyone who wants to practice yoga but has limited mobility. Often this applies to older adults but it can also be great for people with conditions such as arthritis and fibromyalgia, regardless of age. During the class we use chairs as supportive props (using them to sit on or for support in some standing poses). The class begins with a relaxation to calm the mind and body. We practice breath techniques that enhance lung capacity and quality of breathing and then move into the physical asana practice. We tone and stretch the entire body using traditional yoga postures. My favorite in the series is Warrior 2, a strong pose that's wonderful for body and spirit!

This class is excellent for anyone who wants to improve their strength, flexibility and balance. It's also an excellent opportunity to socialize with like-minded people. Most of the people in our last session were new to yoga when they started, but by the end they were sold on the extensive benefits of the practice!

If you or someone you know could benefit from this gentle class please call or email us to register!

And just as a little encouragement, here's a few photos of the yoga "supergran", yoga teacher Betty Calman (age 83). But don't worry, none of these postures are pre-requisites for the class!





Image credit

What a wonderful reminder that yoga is something we can practice our whole lives :)

Namaste
Meaghan

Yoga For Insomnia

Most of us are so busy that we don't even think about sleep until we're laying in bed waiting for it to come. We rush through our days, taking care of the people around us, fulfilling the expectations of our jobs and making to-do lists so our waking hours are fully maximized. Maybe we daydream about an afternoon nap, or let our minds wander to the moment when our heads will hit that soft pillow - but we quickly snap out of it and get back to work!

Sadly, when the time for sleep actually arrives, we're too wound up to take advantage of it. Tossing and turning, thinking of what needs to get done tomorrow, revisiting today's reel of thoughts - it's exhausting, yet sleep just isn't coming naturally. It's a cycle of sleep deprivation, and for many people it's a reality.

This is of course, not healthy. A Reader's Digest article on the topic reports that "sleep is crucial to maintaining your health. Without it, you increase your susceptibility to an astonishing array of health problems, including heart disease, stroke, diabetes, obesity and depression." In addition, sleep deprivation severely affects immune system functioning. "The immune system works best when you're asleep," said Stanley Coren, professor of psychology at the University of British Columbia "That's when your natural killer cells are generated." These natural killer cells are what protect us from viruses and bacteria; a key reason to get enough sleep in the midst of the current H1N1 frenzy!

Thankfully, yoga can help the sleep-deprived and stressed (i.e. most people!). A regular yoga practice, like any exercise, is a wonderful way to begin the process of incorporating healthy sleep habits into your life. Taking a yoga class two or more times per week, and practicing a few asanas before bed can make an incredible difference to the length and quality of your sleep.

To help you get ready for bed tonight, Bobby and I have put together a short series of calming, restorative postures. These asanas are designed to slow the body and brain, helping you ease into a restful state of mind. The props we've used in the photos can easily be substituted for things you have at home such as pillows and blankets.

Start in any comfortable sitting position. Use a pillow or blankets to elevate your hips. Draw your focus onto the breath, slowly beginning to extend both the inhalation and the exhalation until you feel your lungs expand fully with each deep breath. Choose a mantra to focus on - to calm the mind I like to repeat the sound Om or the word Shanti, which means peace. Each time you exhale, hear the mantra in your mind, letting the sound and meaning relax your mind until all other thoughts fall away.

Once you feel grounded and calm, slowly move onto the hands and knees. Remove your sitting props. Place your hands about one palm distance ahead of your shoulders and the knees directly below the hips. Tuck your toes and take a deep breath in. As you exhale lift your hips toward the sky into adho mukha svanasana, downward facing dog. Make the movement slow and controlled. Continue to focus on your breath and your mantra. Using a block underneath the head will allow you to relax more deeply and feel fully supported.


Next, come into a well-supported forward fold, paschimottanasana. Seated forward folds calm the brain and ease anxiety. Rather than striving to be deep into the posture, stretching the hamstrings, allow yourself to be completely at ease here. Support your upper body, arms and head with pillows and blankets. Rest yourself at a height where you feel absolutely no strain. Remember, the purpose of this practice is to become sleepy - not to lengthen your hamstrings!

Slowly remove the props, draw your legs to the side and bring yourself to hands and knees. With a deep exhalation sink your hips towards your heels. Rest the belly, chest and head on a firm support, easing into a comfortable balasana, child's pose. Breathe into the hips, feeling them become more loose with each exhalation.

With as little movement as possible, reposition your firm supporting pillow or bolster next to a wall. Rest your hips on top as you lengthen your legs up the wall. Be sure to have the hips and heart slightly elevated in order to get all the benefits of this half inversion. Arms can rest by your sides, palms up or raised over the head, clasping the elbows. You can lay a blanket over the chest and arms to keep heat in. Let your eyes close and notice the calming effect this posture has on body and mind. This variation of viparita karani offers relief for tired legs and mild backache. It also eases digestive problems, the symptoms of menopause and uncomfortable symptoms during the menstrual cycle.

When viparita karani feels complete (approximately 2 - 5 minutes) gently roll to the side and prepare for your final sleep-inducing posture, supta baddha konasana, reclined bound angle pose. This asana requires some time to set-up properly but is well worth the effort (this is my absolute favorite restorative asana!).

To set up: sit in front of the cushion, bolster or firm pillow. Press your sacrum into the edge. Bring the soles of your feet together, drawing the heels as close to your groin as is comfortable. Wrap the blanket over the feet and pull the ends underneath your thighs. Bring both hands to the bolster behind you and gently lengthen the spine along it. You may need additional support underneath the head of you have a long torso (like I do - notice in the photo, I'm also using two foam blocks to support my head. Another pillow or some blankets will also do the trick). If you have tight hips you may also want to use support underneath the knees to bolster the work of the rolled blanket. Before settling in completely massage your temples and actively relax your jaw by removing the tongue from the roof of the mouth and letting the lips part.

Enjoy this pose for as long as you like, noticing your heart and hips gently opening, releasing tension and preparing you for sleep. Afterwards, take savasana, corpse pose for a few minutes or simply climb into bed.

This series can be practiced in as little as 10 minutes. If you have more time to linger, even better. Over time you will notice how your body reacts to these asanas - revise the sequence accordingly; spending more time on one, less on another or modify in any way that brings you greater relaxation.

Sweet dreams,
Meaghan

Jala Neti

Tis the season of cold & flu! From the basic sniffles to the Big One (a little thing called H1N1) - everyone seems to be prepping their bodies and minds for an onslaught of sickness.

Enter the neti pot. Although not just for preventing and easing symptoms of cold and flu - this ancient yoga practice can soothe your sinuses all year long - the neti pot is definitely useful during this precarious season. We've had lots of people asking about them at the studio so I thought I'd provide a little info here.

Jala neti is one form of shat karma: yoga practices for body purification. These practices are ways of keeping the body clean and healthy so that we can feel comfortable when we practice asana (postures), pranayama (breathing techniques) and meditation. In Western science, jala neti is becoming well-known and medical doctors frequently recommend the practice for people with sinus irritations.

For anyone new to jala neti, the practice can be a little daunting. However, it doesn't take long to feel the positive effects and people are often surprised by how easy it really is (I know I was when I started!). To help you get started, the Himalayan Institute offers this how-to video.



From personal experience, I'd say the hardest thing is getting used to breathing while you pour the water through the sinuses. As long as you relax and breathe through your mouth you'll be fine!

You can find neti pots at a few locations in St. John's. We carry the same ceramic pots you see in the above video from the Himalayan Institute. Natural health stores and even basic drug stores often carry them as well.

So before you concede to the winter sniffles and sinus stuffiness, try a neti pot. Once you get used to it, your sinuses can be cleansed as quickly as your teeth each morning!