Mind-Body-Video Games?
My husband, who is in the video game industry, will be happy to hear about this new release from Deepak Chopra. Not another Seven Spiritual Laws book but, in a surprising announcement, a video game to enhance the mind-body connection.
Chopra has long been an advocate of using inner awareness to heal the soul and, ideally, the world. In an interview with CNN about his most recent endeavor, Chopra says, “I wanted to explore how you can use games to not only have a good time, but to increase that experience of flow and actually maximize your physical and mental capacity.”
The game will come out in November for the Nintendo Wii and Xbox 360. It will be titled Leela, the sanskrit word for “Play.” You can watch the trailer below. I’m pretty excited, how about you? Would you buy it?
10 Tips for Yoga on the Beach
If you take your practice to my FAVORITE studio … the beach … try these tips to stay safe and enjoy yourself:
- Bring a towel or blanket, not a mat. Your mat will not stay in place! It’s best to take a large towel or blanket so you don’t have to worry about whether you creep off center.
- Wear sunscreen and sunglasses. Find some sunglasses that can stay on comfortably when you’re moving between poses and upside down.
- Ditch your iPod. Use the sounds of the ocean as your background. Allow the rolling of the waves to remind you of your own rolling breath. The yogi breath, ujjayi breath, is often called the oceanic breath!
- Protect your wrists by avoiding too many poses on your hands. My video below describes some simple tips for keeping your wrists safe on the beach.
- Avoid too much flow. It is hard to keep your towel even and sand out of your clothes (or eyes) if you’re moving quickly. Aim for more grounding poses and not too many vinyasas.
- Use balancing poses. The sand will challenge the fast twitch muscles in your ankles and legs. If you can balance on the sand, you can balance anywhere!
- Try inverting. The sand is the most forgiving place to fall over. It can help you conquer your fears of flipping upside down, and you may just find yourself venturing into headstand next time you’re in the studio!
- Make room for meditation. If you have a hard time meditating indoors, you may find the fresh beach air helps you remain still and calm without feeling stifled. Leave time for a mid-length (5 or 10 minute) meditation before savasana.
- Bring a jacket or blanket. If you live in California, like I do, you will need a blanket for savasana even in the midst of summer. If you are in a warmer climate, you may be able to skip this step.
- Hydrate! The beach is actually a dehydrating place to practice due to the exposure to sun, wind and dry air. Always bring a water or coconut water with you to immediately hydrate after your practice.
Teaching Yoga Inversions
Inverting is the word used for any position where the head is below the heart. Most of us think of headstand, handstand or one of these more advanced asanas when we hear “inversions,” but there are a number of approachable inversions that can (and should!) be taught to an all levels class or a beginner. Here are some tips and ideas for teaching inversions in a beginner class:
- Explain the benefits of inverting. Many students will look at these poses and think, “Eh, not for me!” Tell them why these poses are important. Benefits include:
- Improved circulation
- Improved cardiovascular function
- Draining stagnant blood and fluid from the legs
- Improved gland function
- Reduction of headache pain
- Reduction of back pain
- Anti-aging - Let your students know there are a number of modifications and kramas (steps) in each inversion. They can find the position that is right for them on any given day. For example, when teaching headstand, offer clown pose (pictured below) as an option. When teaching pincha mayurasana, offer dolphin pose as an option. Use the wall when available, and make use of props.
- I find it helpful to demonstrate or have another yogi demonstrate an inversion before offering it to the class. Showing them how easy it really is to get into the pose can make them more comfortable trying it out.
Yoga for Cycling
I am thrilled to be working with the US Pro Cycling team today. As a lifelong athlete and sports fanatic, I love witnessing other athletes discover the power of yoga to tap into their greatest potential. Yoga works on two levels for an athlete: first, it helps restore and balance the body by undoing the damage of repetitive motion inherent in any sport; second, it helps an athlete tap into “the zone” mentally.
Today, as I work with the cycling team, we’ll primarily focus on the first issue. Cycling is a highly repetitive motion. Think about it – the entire time you are on the bike, your body is in one position, with your knees bent, hips repeatedly flexing to pull the pedals up and push them down.
Here, “flexing” describes the action of shortening a muscle or joint angle. This image shows the primary muscles involved, most notably the psoas and the iliacus (commonly known as the hip flexor).
When you cycle, these muscles are constantly in a “flexed” position. They are never “extended,” meaning they never stretch the opposite direction for more than 90 degrees. What do you think happens to a muscle that is always flexed and never extended?
It shortens. In cyclists, “tight” hips is a common problem. In fact, the motion can lead to tendonitis of the hip or even a stress fracture.We’ll work on stretching out the muscles of the hip to undo the damage of repetitive motion. Here are some of my favorite hip stretches in yoga:
Lizard Pose - Hold 3-5 minutes
Dragon Pose - Hold for 3-5 minutes
It is also a good idea for a cyclist to stretch the quads with a pose like vajrasana, gluteus minimus (upper butt/outer hip) with pigeon or gomukasana, and lower abdominals with bridge or wheel pose. In each pose, the cyclist is re-lengthening the muscles that have been shortened by repetitive motion.
Another great tip is for the cyclist to choose exercises that extend the hips on days off. For example, running or using an elliptical machine would not be a good choice since they also flex the hip. I’m partial of course, but I would recommend a yoga class on off days for any cyclist looking to conquer chronic pain in the hips or upper legs.
Before and after a day of cycling, you may not have the time to dedicate to fully stretching. Try this: every morning, perform classical sun salutations. These are designed to fully extend the whole body in a quick stretch. Try doing 3-5 rounds. Here’s a video to help:
If you are interested in learning more about addressing sports injuries with yoga, look into my Yoga for Athletes program this September!
Why Should I Meditate?
Guest post from Bethany Eanes
A lot of yogis (and people in general) question whether they really should meditate? Is it just a catch phrase? Does any body really do it right? And, if they do, what do they gain from it?
The truth is, for at least 5,000 years, people have known meditation holds the key to a unique power within us. Eckart Tolle, in one of the leading spiritual books of our time, The Power of Now, explains that power beautifully. He says the philosopher Renee Descartes falsely put forward the idea: “I think, therefore I am.” Tolle believes it is 100 percent possible (and actually, even necessary) to know you are a living, feeling soul even if you are not thinking. Thinking is an act we do as humans; it is ego-driven. There is a greater sense of being that comes from non-thinking, from simply experiencing, and from allowing our true purpose to come forth organically.
Have you ever had one of those moments where, despite days of looking for a specific answer, the right word or thought only came to you in a dream? Or when you were completely engulfed in another task? How did this happen if you weren’t actively thinking?
Tolle explains that the human brain is a great filter. It is excellent at sorting through many scenarios and categorizing things. This comes from thousands of years of evolution and the need to survive; quickly assessing a situation to determine if it is dangerous or not is key. In Dean Buonomano’s new book Brain Bugs, the author shows how our human survival instinct made us great at recognizing patterns, distinguishing enemies from friends and finding food but not so good at higher level thinking and reasoning.
So, if the brain isn’t designed to create, then why do we have so many creative souls out there?
The answer here, according to Tolle and many other yogic philosophers, is because we are, in fact, souls not brains. We have another part of our being that is connected to a different source, something other-worldly, that allows us to be creative, to be expressive, to achieve great things in math and science and art. We all have this power, but most of us are too bogged down in the day-to-day thinking brain to tap into it.
More often than not, our thoughts serve to weigh us down and hold us back rather than forward our purpose. We spend much of the day rethinking things we’ve already experienced or thought of or playing out future scenarios that may or may not occur. We expend energy by allowing our brain and thinking mind to take over. In doing so, we lose connection with the source.
Enter meditation.
Meditation allows us to take the time to shut off the brain. It is a time when we reconnect with our highest selves and highest purpose. We stop allowing the parody of life to play through our minds like a movie. We bring our focus to one thing only. Perhaps that thing is the present moment, perhaps it is a candle flame, perhaps it is the ocean’s waves or the voice of a meditation guide. Whatever it is, we stay fully present by telling the brain, “Give it a rest!” By meditating, we not only connect with the Divine in ourselves and in the world, we make space for new, creative thoughts to come through.
The first time you meditate, you likely will not experience any of that (you may, which would be great!). Instead, you will likely struggle with attempting to shut off the mind for perhaps the first time in your life. To help yourself, find a great meditation instructor, use a guide to begin with, and follow the steps to lead yourself into meditation:
- Go to a place dedicated to meditating where there are no other distractions
- Begin with simple breathing exercises. Becoming aware of the breath is the fastest way to get yourself present.
- Practice yoga asanas for 10 minutes to an hour to get your body relaxed and clear away any blockages or stale energy
- Sit in the “natural” posture. This isn’t a straight spine as many believe. The spine has four natural curves. Getting them to line up properly will leave you in a position where you have no tension in the body. If you need practice, seek a meditation teacher to help you out here.
- Begin with a simple mantra meditation to keep your breath and mind focused
- Only after you have become fully immersed in the one-pointedness of your meditation can you start to let go of the mantra and relax into your bliss
- Give thanks! To your teacher, your God and yourself, you did it!
Loving Kindness Meditation
For the past week, I have been taking a break from my regular teaching schedule to take care of myself. Without teaching power classes, I have a lot of time to reflect, relax and, my favorite, meditate!
If you haven’t checked out my meditation videos, here is a great chance to do so
US Women’s Soccer: Digging Deep
Anyone who knows me knows I am a HUGE sports fan. Other than yoga, my top sport is soccer. I played soccer throughout my life and into college, and I’ve always thought it is a beautiful game requiring both physical and mental strength. I was so inspired by the US Women’s Team’s victory on Sunday in the quarter final (and congrats to the women AGAIN today for their semi-final win.)
The women were playing a man down for most of the second half, and despite this challenge, and despite the fact no one thought they would win, these women just did not give up. They played with a sense of purpose and conviction that they were there to win the game.
Whenever I watch athletes perform at this level, I always recognize the role “yoga” plays in their practice. Yoga is not just the physical postures, it is the ability to achieve the famous mind over matter strength required to play soccer for 120 minutes at a very high level, kick the ball on the sweet spot even when your legs want to give out, or simply hold Warrior 2 for five minutes.
Your mind always wants to quit far before your body needs to. Digging deep and stepping into your own power, you may realize you’re capable of far more than you previously thought. Try this simple meditation – done in the middle of a practice – to see your full potential:
- Properly warm up the body with sun salutations or another warm up
- Begin to develop peak heat (whatever that means in your practice)
- Step into your fire! Prepare for Warrior 2
- Dig in deep. Hold the pose for two to five minutes, allowing the heat to build in your quad, buns and core
- In your mind, see yourself living the life you’ve always dreamed of. Picture it vividly. What are you wearing? How old are you? What does your hair look like? Who is there with you? Picture everything as you’d like it to be.
- Now, see anything that stands in the way of you and this dream. Maybe it is literally something in the way (you have an injury that must heal before you run a marathon, for example), or maybe the only thing stopping you is a story you tell yourself (I’m too old, I don’t have a significant other, I’m too fat, I’m not smart enough). Picture these challenges as brick walls standing between you and your dream.
- As the fire builds in your body, picture yourself breaking through each brick wall with a sledge hammer! Break it down, one by one, growing stronger all along.
- Wait? That was five minutes? How time flies when you’re deep in meditation!
Recess
As I was walking my dog by the elementary school this morning, I thought why don’t adults take recess. I remember being saddened by the fact that we wouldn’t have recess anymore when I reached middle school. An older friend assured me that I wouldn’t miss it. Maybe I didn’t miss it then because I was discovering that boys didn’t have cooties and were somewhat interesting. However, now I need my mandatory recess time back! Watching the kids run, swing and play made me realize I want to make time for fun daily. I petition for a daily recess to be taken everyday by every adult all around the world. Imagine how much more fun and peaceful the world would be if everyone played for at least 15 minutes once or twice a day!
Nurturing the Garden
Nurturing your garden is important if you want the plants to flourish. Last month on the new moon my yogini friend, Chelsea, helped me plant a beautiful vegetable garden and a few flowers. I’ve been loving my morning ritual of watering and tending to the plants. We planted a potted garden because it seemed to fit my needs. Also, there were over 20 perfect pots that were left on the property when we moved in which made the decision to grow in pots a no-brainer. Weeks later, we discovered that beneath the pots were slugs and the potential for root rot. I had never heard of root rot before, but it didn’t sound good! Chelsea and I, yet again, ventured to the Home Depot garden center to scope out our options. The mulch was the cheapest way to go, but the potential for the evil root rot was still an issue. We decided on paver stones which were beautiful and very heavy! After loading eight onto the cart, Chelsea and I sweet-talked a Home Depot employee to load the rest. Luckily we both have wonderful and strong men in our lives, both named Matt, who helped with the heavy lifting once the paver stones arrived home. The garden is now lifted off the grass on its own alter where it is be protected from the harmful root rot. It got me thinking about my personal seeds of intentions. Are they tended to properly? Do I water them with positive thoughts or is the negativity of rot root impeding proper growth? Everyday as I walk out to my vegetable garden I will check in with my mental seeds of intention as well. I intend to nourish my body, mind and soul with only nutritious and positive energy. 
in the zone…
Kobe Bryant is arguably one of the greatest basketball players ever. Derrick Rose is a contender for MVP of the league this year. Both are athletes who tap into “the zone” effortlessly and often lead their teams to victory. When players enter what is referred to as “the zone” it is similar to a meditative state. Both meditation and “the zone” lead to one-pointed awareness in which time stands still. In the case of basketball, players in “the zone” only see the basketball, and the basket.
To become an elite athlete requires discipline, hard work and tapping into “the zone” effortlessly and consistently. Kobe sprained his ankle and has refused to get X-Rays or an MRI to diagnose the injury. Derrick also sprained his ankle during game four of the playoffs. I believe people can shut off all sensory receptors to pain when in a meditative state or “the zone”. This seemed to be the case during game five of the first round of playoffs, as Kobe and Derrick both appeared to be playing injury free just two days after spraining their ankles. In yoga we teach to listen to the body and not to push to the point of pain. However, if these elite players are not feeling pain, is it denial or strength? The Lakers fan in me is hoping Kobe can remain in “the zone” until the game winning shot of the finals. However, as a yogi, I hope Kobe and Derrick are taking care of themselves and listening to their bodies.
