Happy Halloween!

Have a Happy Halloween weekend everyone! I'm still really sick so I'm just kinda phoning in today's post, but I plan on watching lots of Halloween movies this weekend. The scary variety and the funny kind. I plan to begin today's movie watching with "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown"  which you can totally watch on ABC.com. Today's pic is from the pumpkin I carved last year. Ganesha!

Armed & Dangerous

Keep your spiritual practice armed and dangerous.

Your mental afflictions should pee in their pants when they see you coming for them.

~ Lama Marut

Exuberant Giveaway

After all this meditation talk, I'd like to take an off topic day. As I mentioned a week ago - I've reopened my Etsy Shop Mayhem Arts, and I've been filling it with eye pillows that I make myself. This post is primarily about a specific pair of eye pillows. They're not sold as a pair, but they inherently exist together.

I have two eye pillows listed under the "Upcycled" category in my shop - they're hand tie-dyed organic cotton (not dyed by me) and they once led a completely different life. Well not completely different. Before they were eye pillows - they were my favorite pair of yoga pants. Shining Shakti "Exuberant" pants in bright yellow and pink. See, I love my Shining Shakti pants. I own a couple different pairs, but the Exuberant pants were too long for me. I chopped off the bottoms to a more appropriate length and was left with a fab pair of pants and two circles of fabric. I wasn't sure what I'd do with them - I figured I'd wear them as headbands or something, but I set them aside because I felt like the answer was something other than "chuck em". Finally one day after I'd started on this crazy eye pillow-making spree I came across them again and realized that they were the perfect size to make eye pillows! That was that. The Pink and Yellow Shakti eye pillows are the softest in my shop and I seriously considered keeping them for myself.

In non-me news - The Dainty Squid is having another giveaway! This time she's giving away something from someone else's shop, but it's still amazingly cute stuff, so check it out. Here's the details:

What? $25 gift certificate from This and That from Japan. They sell tons and tons of super cute crafting supplies including fabrics, Japanese craft books, trims, clay molds and more!

When? October 25th- 28th

How? Leave a comment telling us what your favorite thing in the This and That from Japan shop is! (Make sure there is a way to contact you if you win!)

Extra entries? Of course! You can earn one extra entry by posting about this giveaway on your blog, tumblr, myspace, twitter, etc. Just leave a SEPARATE comment with the link for each place you mention the giveaway.

Who can win? ANYONE, anywhere in the world!! Winner will be announced Friday morning.

GO HERE TO ENTER

P.S. I'm Sick. Have been for a couple days, and I don't think it has peaked yet. Blech. Think I'll lie around and watch scary movies all day.

A Tree for You, A Tree That's Me

Since I've been talking about meditation for days maybe you guessed that I would be leading up to an actual meditation.  I hadn't planned ahead what meditation to use 'cause I like to just "wing it" when it comes to my blogging, but I found this one that I had written about before (back when I had a different blog) and someone else had blogged about it in return. So as Thanks to Teri Rees Wang, for preserving some of my past writing, go Visit her Blog.

This is a Grounding Meditation that anyone can do. It's great for beginners, and you do it in a standing position. I love it, my students love it - it's popular.

Stand with your feet hip distance apart (feet together if you have good balance). Bring your palms together in "prayer pose" at the center of your chest. Root down through your feet while simultaneously reaching tall through the top of your head. Draw your shoulders back away from your chest and down away from your ears. Close your eyes and watch your breath in it's natural state. (This is the position you stay in the entire time.)

Imagine that you are a tree. It can be any tree at all. A tiny sapling full of possibility, or a giant Ponderosa pine - stable and wise. Any tree. Does your tree have needles, large leaves, flowers, or fruit? Now imagine that those around you are trees as well (unless you want to be a lone tree). Choose a setting for your tree. Is it in the middle of a busy groomed park? At the top of a snowy mountain? Maybe in a parking lot? Really SEE your surroundings.

Feel the four corners of your feet ROOT down into the earth. Grasping downward for stability and taking nourishment from the soil. Feel your leaves and branches reaching for the sky. Searching for the sun... forever optimistic that you will grow and touch the clouds. Start to fill in even greater detail... are there birds in this tree? Are there pine needles all around or a sea of tiny purple flowers? People meditating beneath you perhaps? Squirrels playing?

Notice that there is a slight breeze blowing through your leaves. Allow yourself to wave with that breeze. No tree is completely still... it is always in motion. Watch your breath as you take in these tiny movements throughout your trunk and roots. Feel the sun shining on your skin (bark)... warming you... enveloping you in golden light. Soak in the life it gives you... reach for more light. Allow yourself to truly become one with nature. Allow yourself to JUST BE.

Continue to fill in the details of your tree experience and settle into your "treeness" for as long as you like. I usually teach this meditation in ten-minute intervals, but this would be a great LONG meditation of twenty minutes plus.

Now - Go and do this meditation. You can wing it, or you can have a friend guide you through it - spacing out the instructions. If you try it, let me know how it went. And whether you try it or not tell me in the comments - What kind of tree are you?

Time for Meditation

Another frequently asked question regarding meditation when outside of a class setting is - "How do you time yourself?". To me, timing yourself doesn't really matter as much later on. For myself I keep a cell phone nearby so I can glance at the time just as I'm going to begin, and again when I'm done. Just for curiosity's sake and to see if I'm meditating for a longer or shorter amount of time than yesterday. Overall I don't think the actual TIME you spend meditating in a given session is all that important. The very fact that you're meditating counts and is progress.

In the beginning, however, it can be helpful to keep up with time because you may have an initial goal of, say, 5 minutes. If 30 seconds in, you feel like it's been 30 minutes - and you keep checking the time - you're going to defeat the purpose and just irritate yourself. Setting a timer can be helpful. There are special meditation timers all over the internet that will play bells, chimes, or nature sounds to gradually draw you out of your meditative state, but they are crazy expensive. If you're going to be a few rooms away from it - a kitchen timer could work in a pinch. Just don't be too near it or it will startle you when it goes off. The same goes for most alarms.

When I need something like this timed I occasionally use the husband. Sometimes I find myself being paranoid that he's gotten "into" what he's doing and isn't paying any attention to the time, but I figure worst case I'll get a few extra minutes meditation or Savasana and that can only be a good thing. Another method I've employed is to listen to a playlist that I am familiar with. Most songs are about 3 minutes long, so if I can sit through 3 songs then I'm right around 10 minutes in. If I get all zoned out then great - I'll just pick up counting where I left off. 

Once you're sitting for at least 5 minutes just fine - you can pretty much stop timing yourself if you want. I like to set an intention to sit longer today than yesterday, but I listen to my body more than anything. I time myself these days by checking the time, beginning meditation, and staying under as long as my body can take it. When my legs eventually become uncomfortable I remind myself that "It's not pain, it's just different" and this buys me some more time. Eventually I say - it's just different, but I can't take it anymore! and I slowly draw myself out and straighten my legs out in front of me. This method has helped me to lengthen my comfortable sitting time (most days) from 5 minutes to 30.

On another note, there will be new items listed in My Shop every morning for the next 3 days!

Take a Seat for Meditation

I mentioned yesterday that a great way to prepare for meditation was to do an asana practice. That way when you sit down you can say "My hips are open, my shoulders are back, my back doesn't hurt, and my knees aren't complaining." One of the major questions that keeps coming up with novice meditators is - "Do I have to sit in lotus pose to meditate? because I can't even do lotus." The answer is an easy one. No you don't have to sit in lotus pose, in fact, you can sit any old way you're comfortable as long as you have a straight tall line from your tailbone through the crown of your head. Feel free to prop yourself up on pillows and blankets. They work well supporting knees, butts, backs, and sometimes arms. Seriously - do whatever you need to - to find a comfortable seat you can maintain for at least 5 minutes.

On that note, I wanted to share a few of the 5 most common seated positions you can adopt for your meditation practice. Click on any of the pictures to see larger versions, adapt the postures with cushions, and if you have any questions - Ask!

First is Sukhasana (Easy Pose), which many of you know as Indian Style. Lots of beginners do this, but it may put undue pressure on your feet.

Next is Virasana (Hero Pose) which can be really good for your knees if done properly. Done poorly it can be really bad for your knees. I recommend this pose when seated on a cushion between your feet.

The one whose reputation presedes it - Padmasana (Lotus). If you have open hips and open knees, give it a shot. Personally, I like this pose, but not for meditating. This is a poor picture of it, but it's the best I had going that day.

Ardha Padmasana (Half Lotus) is much more accessible for everyone, but still requires open knees and hips.

Finally, the way I sit all the time - Siddhasana (Perfect Pose). I sit in this pose everyday for meditation because it's just the way I sit. I sit in this pose everytime I'm sitting on the floor and half the time that I'm sitting in a chair. It's just what I do.

Questions? Comments? Please.

On Monday I plan to continue with Meditation being the main topic - Perhaps for the entire week. If you have any burning questions related to meditation - this is a great time to ask.

Fit Body, Clear Mind

Often times people think of meditation and asana practice (the postures) as completely separate. I beg to differ. For some, the flow of their asana practice is meditative, and for me (and many others) the asana is just a jumping off point to leap into meditation.

Each morning I do about 30 minutes of inversions and sun salutations just to open the body and get myself in the yoga groove for the day. It really clears my head, energizes me, and loosens any tight spots my body gathered over night. I immediately follow that tiny yoga practice with seated meditation. Why? Because the whole point of asana practice is to condition the body and prepare it to be able to sit comfortabley for long periods of time in meditation. Asana also leaves you with the perfect mental atmosphere for quiet self-study. Especially if you do a full practice with savasana. Savasana-head anyone? Perfect for meditation.

Some people ask how practicing yoga postures is supposed to get you to enlightenment. Well, it's not really supposed to. That's what the meditation is for. I'm not going to say that asana practice won't get you there, because I don't know, but that's not its intention. Yoga is a complete system - it's a lifestyle. Just going to yoga class is a fine start... and who cares if you're going there only for the yoga butt. Eventually though, you might want to delve deeper - and that is the point.

Stay tuned for more meditation chatter tomorrow and into next week. Tomorrow - The Meditation Seat.

Mayhem Arts Grand Reopening

You may or may not know that a couple years ago I ran an Etsy Shop called Mayhem Arts - where I sold fantabulous handmade malas for meditation and general accessorizing. I had an entirely different blog at the time too, so a lot has changed since then. Nonetheless, I've recently been busy making eye pillows of various sorts and have decided to Reopen My Shop.

Eye pillows are a must have for any yoga studio, practitioner, or anyone that just wants to truly relax for a bit and destress. There are currently 3 different types of fillings and 3 different colors to choose from. They vary in weight and price... and there are more options coming soon. This is just a starting point, so please check out Mayhem Arts and contact me if you want different colors, certain fillings, or a bulk order.

That's all for today - but tomorrow I shall return with a little chit chat about meditation!

It's a Moo Point

I recently ordered some new business cards for my yoga teaching endeavors and they arrived yesterday. I am super excited about them. I never thought I'd ever be that psyched to buy business cards - I've bought quite a few before and always been like - meh. Now that I've finally spent some real time and thought on building myself some Moo MiniCards - I'm totally psyched. I don't know about anyone else, but I will be proud to hand these things out.

They're MiniCards, so they're tiny at only half the size of a standard business card. (70mm x 28mm or 2.75" x 1.10"). I think they're fabulous and I love that the entire rainforest didn't have to die for me to hand my name out to people. The little box they came in is made of recycled pulp and is 100% recyclable so I appreciate that too.

I wanted to have a more creative, upbeat, colorful card this time. I was sick of feeling like my business cards were stupid. So I sat down and looked around at other cards and I was seriously considering letterpress, but do you know what letterpress cards cost??? A lot more than $40 for 200 cards. So I decided that Moo.com was the way to go because I could put my happy dappy asana pics on one side, and in a very simple format put my details on the other side. I also listed my job title as "Full Time Yogini - Certified" because it seems like the truth, plus it's more fun than "Certified Yoga Teacher".

I really just wanted to show off my snazzy new cards, but I guess if you want some cards too you could head over to the site. I won't mind. 

Moo.com

I promise I wasn't paid or asked to do this post - I really am just that over-excited about my cards.

Strange Reminder

Random strangers rarely speak to me. Maybe it's the fact that I tend to be in my own little world and not notice other humans when I'm out and about... maybe it's because some people have told me I tend to look angry (because I have really dark eyes)... either way I just kind of go about my day with minimal stranger interaction.

This weekend I was at the grocery store - and a man was just standing there - watching me. I was like, why is this dude staring at me - it's creepy. So as I got closer to where he was (on my way to find flour) he spoke. He said "You have a purpose." I smiled politely and walked on. My mind spent an inordinate amount of time trying to figure out what he had said. When I figured it out - all I could think was - that was weird.

Turns out - it stuck with me. As I wandered through the store, this tiny exchange was all I could think about. Eventually I was like - "You know what... I DO have a purpose. F*ck Yeah!" So thank you random creepy guy, for that reminder.

8 Ways Yoga Is Like a Long Term Relationship

Tomorrow is my 8 Year Wedding Anniversary ♥ That being the case I wanted to write today about how your yogic journey is just like a long term romantic relationship.

1) Finding the One is work

You may experiment around, try a bunch of different styles, teachers, or partners before you find The One for you.

2) You'll probably Break Up before you Commit

There's bound to be some back and forth, off and on, and you'll probably just call it quits at least once before you come back declaring - "You're the One for Me! I'll never leave again."

3) You'll still want to Experiment
Just because you found The One doesn't mean you don't want to try other things, so just make sure your partner or style of yoga is cool with it before you go to another studio/bedroom. Some people work really well with monogamy - some work better with polyamory.

4) Bhakti
Bhakti is the path of love and devotion - it really should be part of your practice. My husband is 500% devoted to me - I could easily be his yoga practice.

5) Those Days

No matter how devoted you are, no matter how awesome your practice/partner is - there will be Those Days that you really just don't want to bother. Like - oh yes, there. you. are. *sigh* But you show up and you do the work anyway and the blahs blow over.

6) An Exercise in Self-Study

The point of your yoga practice should on some level teach you more about yourself. Whether it's that you're a quitter (something you should really work on) or that you tend to throw yourself into things 9000% until you get hurt (something else you should work on) - it really boils you down to the most honest version of You. Being with someone for like - ever, does the same thing. If you're paying any attention, you'll see what you're really like - at your best and at your worst.

7) Seasons

Your practice/relationship should evolve with you. Over time you need different things. Different levels of nurturing, tough love, consistency, playfulness, laughter, serious thought - your needs change and matter.

8) Steady Ease

It shouldn't be THAT hard. It should feel like something you can maintain for a while. If you're gritting your teeth and ready to scream - you're making it harder than it needs to be.

PS - We got married at the Zoo ♥

Edibles and a Giveaway

I mentioned recently that I'm a big fan of pumpkin products. I'm sure that extends beyond food, but what I ultimately mean is bread and pie. I made some super delicious pumpkin bread a few days ago. The recipe makes 2 loaves of bread, so I make one loaf and a ton of muffins instead. That's for 2 reasons:

1) I only have one loaf pan

2) muffins are super portable and cute and fast.

Rather than me putting in the work to give you the recipe myself (because I'm feeling super lazy) I'll give some link love to Lisa Roy who just happens to use the exact same recipe I do. She also makes handbags and blogs about design that inspires me to keep my house from getting too bogged down in minimalism and hippydom.

In the spirit of more blog love (and full disclosure - my interest in winning) I'll also take this opportunity to tell you about a Fabulous Giveaway by the one and only The Dainty Squid whom I've written about before. Here are the giveaway details:

What? One of three handmade pencil pouches that I've made exclusively for ShanaLogic.

When? October 14th - 17th

How? Leave a comment! (Make sure there is a way to contact you if you win!)

Extra entries? Of course! You can earn one extra entry by posting about this giveaway on your blog, tumblr, myspace, twitter, etc. Just leave a SEPARATE comment with the link for each place you mention the giveaway.

Who can win? ANYONE, anywhere in the world!! There will be three winners chosen.

So go Enter the Giveaway and then make some pumpkin bread - because it's autumn and it might be cold outside.

Photos from Lisa Roy and The Dainty Squid's own posts on these topics.

The Bhagavad Gita on Reality

"Fear not. What is not real, never was and never will be.

What is real, always was and cannot be destroyed." 

- Bhagavad Gita

5 Poses to Wake Up With

After talking about evening yoga for weeks I think it's time to devote a little time to a more energizing discussion. Morning Yoga. There are primarily 2 types of morning yoga - the slow quiet yoga where you gradually awaken the body with gentle movement - and the uppity hop skip jump -- leap out of bed into a handstand type. I'm a big fan of melding the 2 together into a balanced approach.

I've put together this morning practice sequence for you guys - these are some of my favorite poses. Fun Fact: these brightening poses are great to fend off depression. Just like the evening sequence - it's only 5 poses. Technically. I do repeat one of them a couple times, but it's still only 5 poses with an optional happy 6th pose to finish. (Click on any of the photos to see a larger version) Keep it simple, try it out... you'll love it.

Optional finish: Handstand (at the wall if needed) OR Donkey Kicks

In general, this sequence is for anyone, but please don't try this sequence without speaking to your Dr. first if you have any medical/physical problems. Seek Peace At Your Own Risk!

John Friend on Anusara Yoga (Video)

Here's a spectacular video about Anusara Yoga from the AnusaraVideos YouTube Channel. It's got some lovely Anusara yogis practicing throughout with voice-over from John Friend himself talking about what Anusara Yoga really is... and is all about. It's only 2 minutes long, and has enjoyable background music by Todd Boston... so please watch it. ♥



Readers via email - click here to watch the video.

Tanutara: Making of the Anusara Syllabus Poster

The Anusara posture syllabus is a 3 part series... and there's even a poster of the whole thing. Some of the postures in the syllabus are amazingly advanced. Often you see these poses and you think - How did he even get into that pose??? This video I found is the "making of" video for that poster. If you want to see some super-cool asana skill, or want to know just how some of these poses are physically possible - it will show you. Enjoy!


Tanutara: Making of the Anusara Syllabus Poster from Ross Evans on Vimeo.
Late in November 2005, we concocted a crazy plan. 1) Darren Rhodes would perform every asana in the Anusara Syllabus in two days. 2) He would do all of the poses of each type (backbends, armbalancing, forward folds etc) in each level as an uninterrupted set (for ross' video purposes). 3) Michael would photograph every pose for output to a syllabus poster. This is some footage from the process.

Better Sleep in 5 Poses

I put together a short asana sequence for you guys to try in the evening. It's super short - only 5 poses. Technically. Hold each pose "for a while" - take it slow. Give it a shot tonight after you brush your teeth and just before you climb into bed - let me know how it works out.  No pose names, no instructions, just pictures. (Click on any of the photos to see a larger version) For an optional 6th finishing pose see my post on Legs up the Wall, and for further evening yoga tips - click here.

In general, this sequence is for anyone, but please don't try this sequence without speaking to your Dr. first if you have any medical/physical problems. Seek Peace At Your Own Risk! 

Birthday Rituals

Today is Adam's birthday! For those of you that are new around here - that's my splendiferous husband. Yay! He has taken the day off from work and will be sleeping in (if my typing doesn't wake him up). I spent all day yesterday making him a nice basic cake 100% from scratch. I did the same thing last year, but the cake was "fancier". Either way, I'm happy. I love to bake and birthdays are a great excuse to do it.

When I was in teacher training, when we were learning about rituals, puja, meditation, and blessings we were told that the "thing to do" on your birthday is to light 100 tealight candles and let them burn until they completely burn themselves out. It's like a little ritual of your life lasting 100 years+. Whatever you do don't blow any out early - it robs you of years of your life.

I really like it and it creates the best light (and a lot of heat), so I highly recommend you adopt this ritual for yourself. Just don't put all the candles too near each other and within smoke-shot of a smoke alarm. We totally freaked out the smoke alarm the first year we did it and it was hilarious, but annoying.

Dos & Don'ts of Late Night Yoga

A couple weeks ago I posted about insomniac yoga, and evening yoga seemed like a new idea to many of you so I thought I should post a bit on the Dos and Don'ts of doing yoga at night.

Do:

• Forward Bends
• Shoulderstand, Plow pose, Legs up the Wall (cooling inversions)
• Restorative postures (floor work in general is good)
• Light Twists
• Neck Rolls - or any stretches that ease neck/shoulder tension
• Wear layers
• Meditate
• Keep the lights low (think candles)

Don't:

• Backbends - they're  super energizing. If you want to be wired into the wee hours of the night - go ahead.
• Warrior Poses (if you have some serious energy to burn this may work for you, otherwise stay away from big energizing standing poses)
• Ashtanga - if there's a lot of jumping in your evening practice - you're way off base.
• Get Naked - an evening practice should be very cooling, so unless your home is amazingly warm - wear layers to avoid getting cold.
• Practice for a long time - keep it to maybe 30 minutes to avoid waking up too much.
• Turn on every light in the house - too bright is too stimulating.
• Negate the whole thing by promptly watching TV afterwards. Try to actually go to bed.