Mandy Ingber's YOGALOSOPHY

Seeing Your Future

2012-02-20T08:22:00.000-08:00

Something has happened astrologically to the collective consciousness. The planet Neptune, which rules all things not seen, psychic and artistic, poetry, film and insanity... the place where the lines are blurred and everything is dreamy and water color... has moved into the sign that it naturally rules, meaning it has returned home. Think of the ocean's vast mystery. Or imagine looking at your hand when it is underwater. Tangible images, yes. But part of the beauty of this energy is that it's non-linear, creative, intangible, it is endless and quite psychic.

My mother used to give me TAROT card readings when I was a child, and we became interested in the intangible thread that weaves all information together. At age 14, I went to my very first psychic with my mom. It was her first reading as well. She was the first to go in, and emerged in tears due to a prediction that her 17 year marriage to my dad was ending because of an 'outside energy'. (In psychic speak, that means another person: an affair.) I went in next and the psychic, Norma, told me that I needed to learn to 'detach with love'. She told me that I would be an actress for 8 years, and then I would have a career in the healing arts, teaching exercise. That was NOT what I wanted to hear at the time. I was just beginning my budding career and going to Broadway. I wanted to hear that I would be a famous and successful actress! Somehow this information seemed correct even though I couldn't quite imagine how it would coexist with my own dreams of being fully and artistically expressed. Soon after the reading, my parents divorced, as predicted by the psychic, and thus sparked my belief in psychic powers. It would be years later when the prediction came clear for me: as a health and wellness expert.

It happens like a flash... is it a memory of the future? We get these flashes sometimes, and in an instant we can understand and absorb the future and the as yet unseen. I have explored many tools, from I Ching and astrology, to philosophies, energy workers, healers and tinctures. I am a believer in whatever works, and that we all have these instincts; this knowing from within. My New Year's Resolution is to follow my instincts. Going with my gut is essential. I tend to second guess myself, assuming that if I organize and arrange my actions in a particular way, things will manifest as I want them to. However, this planner is linear. This part of my brain fails to make the quantum leap. After all, the young girl with a dream of being an actress couldn't deny the years of wonderful jobs up ahead. Just as the teacher in me could not be quelled by my fears of returning to the public, or my childhood resentments that turned my nose up at yoga and the yoga community. Somehow, everything came together to make perfect sense.

What do you sense is happening around you? We are in a phase where each of us is way more tuned in psychically, and tapped into the collective unconscious. Use your tools. Follow the signs, and trust your intuition. You know where to go. Even if it doesn't make logical sense. Leap into the unknown and watch... your dreams will come true.

Be (in love with) Yourself

2012-02-13T09:00:00.000-08:00

Fall in love with yourself! My journey in finding my individuality started at a very early age. I have never been in sync with the way society says we are supposed to do things. I went to a mobile school for experiential learning. And yoga in the 70's - it just wasn't cool back then. It was weird. I was raised to question authority and think different. Now that authority has come into it’s own and yoga IS the mainstream! Talk about everything being inverted! I started acting and moved to New York to do a Broadway show when I was 15, never lived with my family again, and did not have a real boyfriend until I was 30 years old. Imagine how out of sync I felt every February 14th!

This year I find myself just fresh out of a 5 1/2 year relationship with a man 9 years younger than me, so for Valentine's Day, I am taking myself out on a date. Romancing myself. Finding the love from within. This is a day to fill your own cup and to fall in love with you. That crazy creature, that lovable, adorable, "special being" - YOU!

Let's face it, nobody loves you like you can. Nobody gets your jokes like you do, and you never need to wonder what you are really thinking thinking about you and you know you are going to go home with you! Just look right in that mirror and say, "I get you, I am committed to you, and I am going to be with you the rest of your life". One thing that will always be with you, the one relationship that you have to the end is your relationship to your body. In all my years of teaching, I've come to realize that there is no 'typical' body. We each have such a unique package, and it's time to treat yourself like you are special.

When I was a child, my dad was a great example of self-care. He was in a definite relationship with himself. Dad brought yoga into our home and turned our household upside-down. Literally. He had no shame. If he felt he needed to do a headstand in a restaurant or a handstand at the gas station, he did it. Dad was big on the inversions. Anything upside-down. Sometimes his example made me feel neglected, and so I did not want to be like him. I have a tendency to completely discount and forget about myself, due to the idea that it may be too selfish. It occurs to me that on this Feb 14th, Valentine's Day, I need to take the contrary action. It's time to be bold and get selfish! Who knows who may benefit. After all, dad may have been self-absorbed, but I became a yoga teacher, and now it's connecting me with all of you!

I remember when I became an instructor and would share personal stuff about my family, talk about sexual energy, and discuss radical ideas, including astrology. It felt SCARY! But it was the only way I knew how to be. I was not a super hero icon fitness guru. Nor was I an uber-spiritual, exclusive, devotional yogi. So... I just decided to risk being myself. Imperfect. Radical. Irreverent. And, oh my great joy is witnessing you being yourself among the collective.

EXPERIMENT: Write yourself a love letter, and take yourself on a Valentine's Date that you wish someone else would take you on. Fall in love with you!

Humanitarianism

2012-02-06T08:20:00.000-08:00

Ghandi said, "You must be the change you wish to see in the world". Speaking out and helping others, not turning the other cheek on atrocities, is unusual. After all, how did we get this far? Sometimes it is easier to keep ignoring things and maintain status quo, as opposed to reeducating ourselves. Each of us has a unique perspective, angle and voice. We have a duty to speak from that truth, which may be unpopular at first.

Lifestyle can make you an activist. Growing your own foods, choosing locally run businesses rather than large corporations. "Opting out" of the full body RAPISCAN at the airport. There are many small changes you can make. Even selecting the companies from whom you purchase your goods is quite political. It may be your greatest power. By speaking up and bringing awareness to causes, we help to educate each other and ourselves. We discover what is truly important. It even gives us the chance to face being unpopular, which is strengthening. It moves us past right and wrong towards what is intrinsically true. There are many sides, and they are all valid, but your voice must be counted. No one else can tell you what is true for you. See my below list of great organization and charities. Oh, and here's a station identification break:

When Jennifer Aniston was filming “Marley and Me”, I went to visit her, and she directed me in this skit that was designed to bring more awareness to the atrocities in Burma. Even though I was terrified at first, I felt so lucky to be able to participate, and it turned out to be really fun. The fact that it was to help others, got me out of my self and into action.

Here are some worthwhile charities and organizations. Put your humanity into action! Share some of your favorites organizations by responding below. Voice Yourself!!!

Human Rights Action Center (HRAC)
Ghetto Film School
Americares
Building schools, and providing education in Malawi, Africa: Jacaranda Foundation.
Joyful Heart is Mariska Hargitay’s community for women who have experienced violent crime.
Occupy Wall Street
Millions Against Monsanto
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital (which Jennifer supports)
Healthy Child Health World
Business of Being Born is Ricki Lake's amazing documentary on the birthing industry
Alicia Silverstone wrote a great cookbook and has created this vegan movement: The Kind Life
The Water Filter Project

Surprises! Expect the Unexpected

2012-01-30T09:10:00.000-08:00

"When we change the way we look at things, the things we look at change." ~Wayne Dyer

I have recently had some sudden changes. A break-up of a 5+ year relationship, a move from a very urban setting to a very secluded mountain retreat, and a work trip that took me through London, Madrid, Berlin, and back through London to Los Angeles from Monday to Friday. I feel like the Universe has invited me to a party, and involved me in a child's game where I have been blindfolded, spun around several times, and now the blindfold has been taken off so that I can reorient myself to a completely new perspective.

When I shift my perspective, even a little bit, my entire life changes. I am a person who has learned to thrive on change. I am a believer that all change is good. I get another angle on life and it's experiences, which allows me to relate to others even more. We never know how a small shift will create a big change, so I encourage you to do things differently this week. Change it up and break up the same old routine!

Here are some practical guidelines for shifting your perspective this week:

TRY A GROUP CLASS. You know that class in your community? It's time to take the risk and be among others who are taking care of themselves just the way you want to take care of yourself. You are ready. You can be exactly you. Notice how that group inspires you. You may be inspiring the person right beside you, just by showing up. If you are already taking that group class, change your spot in the room. That's right, I know you get attached to that comfy safe spot, but it's time to make a bold move. Try the front row, or give someone else a chance and step to the sidelines. You never know who you may meet. I have met two of my major relationships in a group class.

Jenni, my assistant and friend, in Scorpion

GO UPSIDE-DOWN. They say reversing the blood flow is the fountain of youth. Inversions include: head stand, handstand, shoulder stand, wide-legged forward bends/down dog, forward bend. I do not do inversions with my clients due to my personal sensitivity to the compression of the neck/spine. However, that does not mean you should not try it. Teachers have their limitations too, and you should never let the limitations of a teacher stop you.

If you have an injury and cannot go upside down, watch my video (above) for inversion alternatives.

DO IT DIFFERENTLY. Take an alternate route to work. Try a different market, or a new spot for lunch. Order a different hot beverage at your coffee place. Routine can put us in habitual patterns which make us go on automatic pilot, and we miss the moment. One of the greatest benefits of travel is the adventure of a new place. Even the most mundane activities become exciting as we travel to a new environment.

OBSERVE YOUR OWN PRACTICE. It is now a proven theory that the observer of an experiment actually changes the outcome of the experiment. Imagine that you are a scientist performing an experiment. Once you begin to watch yourself exercising, it effects the result. I find that my results are more potent when I stay present. Is it my mind changing my body or my body changing my mind? What the bleep? Thats right.

Community vs. Individuality

2012-01-23T09:19:00.000-08:00

There is power in the group. It's the collective that creates the trends of society, as well as the revolutions. We invent our world together, co-creating and sharing ideas and energies. It is undeniable that even within a group, each of us is a unique individual that adds his/her own personal energy, and has a perspective that nobody else has. We each experience the exact same event from a slightly different angle. It is each of our jobs to contribute exactly who we are.

As we look around and see how much our world has changed, we can see that our voices have a power collectively that they do not have alone. With the internet, the Occupy Movement, and our social media, suddenly what we say and declare really matters. Your voice has a real influence and a power. So now is the time to get super clear and declare yourself. You matter. A great example of this is Wikipedia. The protest they created by going dark for 24 hrs to stop censorship makes it clear that this site, which anyone can add to gives the power to the collective through giving each a voice.

One of my very favorite things about being a teacher is the unique energetic imprint of each class that I teach. There are no two classes exactly alike, with the same configuration of energies, the same day, mood, music and emotional and societal undercurrents. Participating in a collective energetic group is a palpable experience. There is an energy and a dynamic that is undeniable and, as the leader, I have the grace of being able to contain and witness it. Generally, I feel that I am simply conducting the energy. It's YOU that make the class. This spills over into other groups as well. Never underestimate the power of even a small group.

I know that it can be very scary to speak your truth. I have had to work up a lot of courage to speak out as a teacher. A teacher of mine told me to say out loud what I say to myself. I encourage you to join my Facebook community and VOICE YOURSELF on the WALL. We all get something from your questions and comments. Furthermore, find a fitness class to get connected to group energy, and notice how each day has it's own identity. It may start as just an exercise class, but you can use that energy towards any movement.

This was my birthday spin. We had a blast! We had been doing a 40-day countdown which represented each year, going back in time. People were up in arms when then couldn't get into the class. Turning people away was hard. I was stressed, but then I realized: "Oh. It's 1968. Of course there's tension!" I knew I was on the right track.

This was a relaxing weekend at the Mandarin Oriental in Miami. We came together for a weekend retreat, supporting self-care by taking care of yourself. I love being in a class setting because I am in communion with others who are doing the same.

Be Your Own Authority

2012-01-16T10:30:00.000-08:00

I am such a rebel. Nobody likes to break the rules more than I do. Believe me, the moment someone starts telling me there is only one way to do something, I want to find the out. My father (who rebelled against his father) introduced me to Iyengar Yoga. This is a very specific practice that uses props and focuses on alignment. While this is wonderful to have as a foundation, as I have grown up and come into my own with yoga, I have found that being a little less rigid is important for me. What feels right for my body may be very different from what feels right for someone else’s body type.

We all must take authority over our own lives. Each of us must connect from the inside out. Whenever I am defining myself within a structure, it is important for me to find freedom from within. Discipline is actually the flip-side of freedom. To be really free in my body, I have to have discipline. This is a secret that only those who have a consistent regular practice understand. Nothing feels better than working very hard and then finding the freedom within the work. I do encourage you to draw inward this month to ruminate and become the authority on what your authentic goals and desires are for this year. Think about what you can eliminate, and where you would like to improve, as well as what you have done well. That is true sovereignty.

BOAT POSE

The center of your body connects you with your identity. This is your original cell. It's where you were connected to your mommy when you came into this world. It is what nourished you and kept you alive in the womb, and it is directly connected with your will to live. Trusting your gut, and knowing what you want are essential to survival. Boat Pose will activate this area of your body. My New Year's Resolution (intention) is to follow my instincts and go with my gut. Yogi Abdominals for me, please.

Recognition

2012-01-09T11:40:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday to me! Yes, 1-11 is my New Year. I like to come right out and say it, sing it, write it. Everything is special on my birthday. When I was a little Capricorn girl, I was quite shy. I kept to myself and was almost afraid of being seen. I used to be afraid to call "TIME" on the phone even though it was a recording, for fear that just one time, there may be another person on the other end of the line, requiring me to speak up! Many times I felt the fear that I might fail, so I did not complete something I started. Other times, I let fear of the unknown keep me from taking a risk. I have had a fear of being seen for much of my life. Fear that people may not like me if they truly knew me, or that I would disappoint and not live up to expectations. Fears that I did not have enough knowledge, or enough to give, or did not deserve success. Yet somehow I found a voice within that gave me strength - an encouraging voice that would cheer me on (often by encouraging others to keep on going!). There has always been a mysterious something in the Universe that reached back to me. With all those number 1's in my birthday I had to declare myself a pioneer and a leader at some point. It seems that no matter what area I approached, I was called to be a leader of a pack. And I was seen. I have since learned that this gift is something to be treasured, acknowledged and shared!

We each have an inner voice. Mine has told me that there is plenty for everyone, and that it doesn't take away from anyone else for me to be as big and bold as possible. In fact, it is contagious. People LOVE it when you do well. It means that they can do well too! People are rooting for you! And you know it! That is why the below quote resonates with so many. It is in fact our BIRTHRIGHT to be awesome!

So CHECK ME OUT! This is just the tip of the iceberg!

These are some of my accomplishments that have been public. I assure you, if this shy little girl could grow up and live out loud like this, surely you can too. Join me! All for one and one for all!

Click here for a free birthday download!

Resolutions

2012-01-02T11:36:00.000-08:00

If you are like most people, you have already started the year breaking your New Year's resolutions. Congratulations! You now have an entire year to accomplish your dreams. I have learned to keep an open mind when setting myself up for the year, because I want to set the stage for blessings to surprise me, not just go with my rigid and limited idea of what I "should" be doing. This calls for intention, more than a 2012 to-do list. What theme would I like to encompass my year? I dubbed 1997 the year of JOY, in which I felt happier than I have ever felt. Regardless of what was happening, joy absolutely permeated my existence. In 1998, I vowed to feel LOVE everywhere, all around me - the love that was already present everywhere. I absolutely fell in love with myself, my world, and what do you know, by April I was in my first ever long term love relationship!

For me, a resolution is a decision to commit to a view. It's different than goal-setting. I enjoy goal-setting, but it is a different art. Sometimes I will decide “I am going to practice yoga for 30 days and see what happens” or “my goal is to touch my chest to my thighs”. One of the most common mistakes with goals is that we set our sights too far ahead and get discouraged because we do not see the results. That's why I believe in short-term goals. All goals begin in the present moment. Starting in this moment, in this body, as it is RIGHT NOW. In truth, the primary reason to have a goal is to be able to have the experience along the way. Which brings us back to resolutions....

One New Year's Eve, the year before I became a yoga instructor, I was in my yoga class and the teacher gave each of us a handout of a quote to choose. The one I chose was very poignant to me, because it was a quote I used to hold in my heart as a young actress and it goes:

This was very prophetic , and has unfolded in the most fulfilling and surprising ways. Words and intentions have power, so take your time and center into not only what you would like to create, but the lens you would like to look at it through. Some dreams are so large, they take longer than a year, however they happen in an instant.

The practice of yoga is a process... the destination is the journey, right? Since January 11th is my birthday, I don't try to accomplish a lot at the beginning of the year. Instead, I ease into it, taking stock over the first 10 days, to set up my shot for the year as best I can. Winter is the time of ruminating and inner work that the hibernation period offers. It is at this time that I create a vision for myself.Take some time this week to watch for the signs, and align yourself with your highest good.

Happy New Year!

Oh, by the way...this year, my theme popped into my head quite early and unexpectedly: 2012 the year of following my impulses and trusting my instincts. POW!

Respect Your Limitations

2011-12-26T10:00:00.000-08:00

As we gear up for 2012, the enthusiasm (and sometimes pressure from the outside world) we sense at the close of the year has up chomping at the bit to do a complete overhaul of our lives. The body, career and relationship areas are highlighted as we compare and contrast where have been in the years past, and the urgency and expectation of the upcoming year nips at our heels. We see it all around us, a commercialism that sells us on a sense of lack, showing us what we must have or don't have or should have. This can put us in constant pursuit of what something looks like rather than what is actually good for us, even if our bodies are telling us to stop. If a light on your dashboard was blinking, you would not hesitate to take your car in for a tune up, and certainly you would not drive around ignoring it, as if it would simply disappear by itself. So why do we ignore our aches and pains, and our fatigue?

One thing I have learned through the years is to take a step back. If you are feeling worn down (and even if you aren't) I encourage you to take one thing off the to-do list. Instead of powering through to the next accomplishment and skipping the process of rumination that the Winter time allows us, perhaps we can go with the flow of nature. Hibernation is such a natural and neccesary part of the growth process. Without taking a step back and assessing where we would like to direct ourselves, we could end up exactly where we are headed. Unconscious goal-setting is actually damaging. Rarely does our society take into consideration the individual human being. From the perspective of the field of wellness and health, I see over and over again the cycle of punishment/reward when it comes to my students, but what I recognize on a deeper level is the response that people have to the notion of being easy on ourselves. Being good to ourselves and the need for self-respect is powerful! That may be what attracts many to yoga. Yoga is about knowing when to work through and face the edge, but also when to step back and repsect that the body has a language, which includes a part of ourselves that says slow down.

Child's Pose

I am a very physical person, so I am used to feeling in control of my body, and expressing control through my workouts and diet. I have excelled athletically by being strong and flexible. It is easy to get cocky and to feel invincible. Therefore, some of my greatest gifts have come in the form of injuries. Each injury has given me some very valuable education about my body. My torn meniscus and my knee surgery taught me patience and trust, as well as the ability to rehabilitate. My bulging discs have taught me to respect my body’s structure and limitations. Having dental work has taught me to accept my genetics. These experiences pin me to my body so that I become extremely present and grounded, and it is through this that I have learned the resilience that is truly within me. It is also how I have learned to understand bodies that are different from mine. I know how intimidating and frustrating it can be when it seems that everyone around you can do a pose that you can't. So this has taught me humility, respect, and acceptance.

As we wrap up the year, let's respect where we truly are. Your body knows. Allow it to speak to you.

For some modification tips for various limitations, see my TIPS and LINKS.

Positivity

2011-12-19T11:14:00.000-08:00

What you focus on expands. Have you ever been told, "Wow, you look like you've lost weight", and you say "nah", and before you know it the pounds start to creep on. Or the flip-side of that coin, when you make a decision to really celebrate your body and appreciate yourself, and then suddenly your body begins to fall right into place. Where would you like to put your attention? The mind is very powerful, and staying positive can be a challenge. But by focusing on the positive, our lives become joyous, and the little irritations matter less.

When I first started to watch my mind during yoga or spinning, I began to notice the way I would speak to myself. If I started grunting and complaining about how hot and sore I was, my body seemed to get more tired. When I focused on how good it felt to get my heart pumping blood to my extremities, and I remembered that the intensity is actually the feeling of my body falling right into place, I grew not only to look forward to my workouts, but the results turned out to be better.

During the holiday season, or whenever there is a marker of time, generally we fall into a pattern of comparison. We compare to what other people seem to have, or judge our insides by another person's outsides. I have often fallen prey to being jealous of myself! What I used to have or what was happening last year, as opposed to this year. Things were very different. Last year I was off to spend the holidays with my boyfriend and his family, and this year, I am experiencing heartbreak and the loss of that relationship.

It is very easy to focus on what we do not have or what used to be, however, I am experiencing that I can take that very same circumstance and surrender to exactly where I am, that it can be correct, and even joyous. I had a break through the other morning where I settled into the feeling of heartbreak, and appreciated it for exactly what it is. It actually feels very good to be human and have my heart break open. I began focusing on how grateful I am for having had this love, and now for the loss of it... which includes this pain in my heart and the beauty of that surrender.

I have created a positive affirmation for myself:
I surrender this relationship to God, so that I can feel closer to God and have faith that I am being carried to exactly where I need to be.

This has been incredibly expansive for me and I am feeling very good, even amidst change. Don't take my word for it. Try each day this month to come up with a positive affirmation to live by, and watch what happens.

A Teacher is the Ultimate Student

2011-12-12T16:04:00.000-08:00

As a teacher, I consider myself the ultimate student. I began as a student, and my passion for learning and understanding is where my drive arises from. I have always loved pulling from the resources that a variety of teachers has to offer. Each of us has a different perspective and knowledge-base, and when we explore together and share our findings, we can touch on the whole picture. I may not enjoy one instructor's philosophy, but I may love their cuing or energy. We each have something unique to offer.

Many times, students in a class will wonder if they are practicing "correctly". What is the "right" way to do a pose? What is the "real" yoga? When I hear a teacher claim there is only one right way to do anything, I get suspicious. I am way too rebellious to just simply follow along because someone tells me to. Have you noticed that different body types look unalike in the very same pose? I cannot tell you how many times I have been injured because an instructor kept urging me to move into the correct position, occasionally placing me in the pose, assuming that my body was ready to go there. No matter how much experience or how much of an expert your teacher is, it is essential to be confident in your own body's wisdom.

Almost everything that I truly know and understand has come through experience. No one person can tell me exactly what is right for me, but they can provide me with some guidelines, and once I have moved through it on my own, I am on my way to self-mastery.

One of my students have told me what a 'bad student' they are, how they are uncoordinated and slow-learning, rebellious and unruly. My reply: "Oh. You're a teacher's teacher." It's very true. When I am faced with someone who has their own way, it stretches me to be a better teacher. To face my own ego, and to see something from an entirely new angle!

Here is a list of my favorite teachers over the years:
* Alan Watts
* Ram Dass
* Baron Baptiste
* Vinnie Marino
* Bryan Kest
* Erich Shiffman
* Steve Ross
* Master Ni
* Bikram
* Denise Kaufman
* Mark Griffin

Here is a list of must read books:
* Mastery of Love by Don Miguel Ruiz
* The Art of Happinessa by the Dalai Lama
* Way of Peaceful Warrior by Dan Millman
* Grace and Grit by Ken Wilbur
* Henry Miller
* The Diary of Anais Nin
* The Kin of Ata Are Waiting for You by Dorothy Bryant
* Autobiography of a Yogi by Paramahansa Yogananda

***

When I was a young student, I was one of those kids who actually liked school. I went to a school for experiential learning, and was taught to be an explorer and to break free from the limitations that exist within the illusion of four walls. So I have always seen teachers as mentors who are on the path, just like me, and are here to help inspire me to find my own way. There are no two people with exactly the same path, and a teacher is here to open up your mind, and help to support and hold space for you as you find YOUR way.

The below is a book about the incredible school that gave me such respect for AND from the teachers.

Energize & Relax with Yoga

2011-12-04T09:56:00.000-08:00

Yoga practices the art of bringing the body, mind and emotions back to balance. There is a time for energizing as well as a time for relaxing, and we require both. Holiday time makes it easy to look around and become distracted by the outside world. Finding what feels right is deeply personal and internal, so developing a routine to keep you stabilized during this time is essential. Some ways that we may energize: going to parties, shopping for friends, eating and drinking taboo foods. Some ways that we may relax: reading a book inside by the fire, taking a walk, reviewing and taking an inventory of your year, focusing on your internal rhythm through breath.

Here are several ways to tune up or tone down your yoga for the season.

POSTURES:
The following yoga routine begins with a standard yoga posture and a tune up or turn down version. Depending on your mood, you can opt for the energizing version, or you can mellow the effect with the relaxing version. Generally, poses where we open the heart and expand the chest and lungs will energize, while the forward bends, have a way of relaxing the nervous system and calming us down.

Bridge Pose:
Come to your back, legs bent and feet hip-width apart. Start with your arms by your sides. Bring your heels up to your tush. Make sure your feet are straight and parallel. Take a deep inhale. On the exhale, pull the belly in and rotate your pelvis under, keep peeling your spine off of the floor, one vertebrae at a time. Push the feet down in order to lift the hips up. Keep your chin tucked (see image below, top).
Energize: Extending each leg, one leg at a time (see below, center).
Relax: Place a block underneath your sacrum (see below, bottom).

Bridge Pose

Bridge Pose - ENERGIZE

Bridge Pose - RELAX

Forward Bend:
Separate your feet about hip-width apart and hang your upper body down, folding over the legs. Allow the crown of the head to dangle down towards the floor. Feel the spine release and elongate. Press the thigh bones backwards. Lift the kneecaps up. Dangle and breathe.

Energize: Place finger tips on floor, on the inhale extend and flatten out or back, on the exhale fold. Repeat 8 times (Images below, top and center).

Relax: Try bending your knees slightly, and "rag doll" the upper body (Image below, bottom).

Forward Bend

Forward Bend - ENERGIZE

Forward Bend - RELAX

Triangle:
Step your feet about four feet apart. Turn the right foot out, and slightly angle the left foot in. Arms are extended out to the side. Breath in. On the exhale, extend and reach outward through the right arm, as you press the hips to the left. Keep opening the chest as you elongate here. Try to create a straight line from the hips to the fingertips. Keep the length after hinging from the hips. Now keep the chest open, and drop the hand down to the shin, the ankle, or maybe even the floor. Keep opening the chest. 10 breaths. Try to extend and reach through the top of the head. Try to keep the crown of the head and the tailbone in alignment (see image below, top).

Energize: As you open your heart and extend both arms out to the side. Allow your core strength and trunk to support you (see image below, center).

Relax: Try it with a block or even a chair, if you want to ease up a little (see last two images below).

Triangle Pose

Triangle Pose - ENERGIZE

Triangle Pose - RELAX

One Arm Balance:
Begin in Plank. Bring the feet together. Move the right hand directly below the face. Rock your body to the side, so that you are balancing on the right hand and the outside edge of the right foot. Feet are flexed and the underside of the waist is lifting up so that your top hip is lifting up towards the ceiling. Press the bottom hand into the floor, so that you are not dumping into that right shoulder. Keep the right arm straight (but not locked). If you are super flexible to the point of hyper-extension, stay aware of not locking the elbow (see image below, top).

Energize: Lift the top leg (see image below, center).

Relax: Rest the lower knee on the floor (see image below, bottom).

One Arm Balance

One Arm Balance - ENERGIZE

One Arm Balance - RELAX

BREATH:
Breathing is all about expansion and contraction. The art of breathing in yoga is called Pranayama. There are two basic breathing exercises I will share with you here. The first is the energizer called breath of fire, or skull shining technique. The second is called alternate nostril breathing and is designed to bring the energy down and calm the nervous system.

Breath of Fire:
Try this for about a minute, sitting Japanese-style, with your spine straight.
1. Relax your abdomen. You can place your hands gently on your belly, as you start to get a feel for the breathing.
2. With your mouth closed, exhale strongly and quickly through your nose, contracting your abdominal muscles to push the air out in short bursts.
3. The inhale should happen relatively automatically, as the focus is on the exhale breath.

Counter-indications:

Avoid this type of breathing if your nasal passages are blocked.
Also avoid this breathing if you are pregnant, or have any heart problems.
Benefits:
Detoxifies the lungs
Energizes the body

Alternate Nostril Breathing:
Start by doing this for three rounds, from a seated position.
1. Use your right hand and close right nostril with your right thumb. Inhale through the left nostril for a four-second count.
2. Immediately close the left nostril with the right ring finger and pinky finger, as you remove your right thumb from the right nostril. Exhale thru this nostril for an eight-count.
3. Then, switch. Inhale thru right nostril for a four-count. Close the right nostril with the right thumb and exhale through the left nostril for an eight-count.

Counter-indications:

Avoid this type of breathing if you have a cold. Do not force the breathing if the nasal passages are blocked.
Benefits:
Increases brain functioning, creativity and reasoning ability
Calms the mind
Calms the nervous system

Overcoming Excess

2011-11-28T08:16:00.000-08:00

December usually brings a lot of celebration and expansion, but it can also mean an expansion of the waistline and a tendency to overindulge in pleasure. I love a good party. In fact, I feel that with yoga and exercise: there's a party happening in my body! I feel so lucky to be able to be physical and move, yet I constantly take this for granted. Celebrating the ability to move freely in the body helps me find much more presence. If I am truly present, one bite of chocolate will do the trick. Savor it and indulge!

A few guidelines I have during the holidays:

1. Meditation. Stopping and being still is a wonderful practice all the time, but especially during the Holidays, it helps me to be exactly where I am and helps with the practice of mindful breathing. Mindfulness when transferred to partying can mean mind-full-ness! It helps to pay attention to when I am full!

2. If it's made with love, taste it. That's right. If I am going to indulge in sweets during December, I make sure that it was something prepared from scratch, by a person that I can thank immediately. This rules out alot of processed and packaged foods and sugars, and helps to remind me to be selective while indulging. I tend to eat just the right amount when I am consciously tasting. Plus, love is a very healthy ingredient.

3. Start fresh the next day. There is a tendency to fall off of the exercise wagon when we are over indulging. The next day, simply start fresh, and you will see that the number on the scale will not move that much if you maintain your healthy exercise habit. Burning calories, building muscle and burning stored fat will increase your metabolism. It also helps mentally to press the reset button and stay present in your physical body.

4. Eat your greens. Make sure that you continue to eat healthy foods. Do not replace meals. Have a salad before you go off to a feast. Drink 16 ounces of water. You will feel delightfully satiated, and will not be so hungry that you overindulge in too many empty calories.

I write this on the heels of a Thanksgiving feast! Off to take a walk now. Happy and healthy!

TRANSFORMATION

2011-11-21T06:57:00.000-08:00

The process of transformation is incredibly powerful, but it is not easy. There is a quote that I love that I used in my VISION MAT that says:
"Make no mistake about it—enlightenment is a destructive process. It has nothing to do with becoming better or being happier. Enlightenment is the crumbling away of untruth. It's seeing through the facade of pretense. It's the complete eradication of everything we imagined to be true."

In my lifetime, I have gone through many little deaths in order to shed my skin and experience rebirth. Collectively, this is happening all around us. In the west, it seems our entire system is turning upside-down. Mostly because we are taught always to be number one; at the top of our game. Even within the new age spiritual community, there is a fear of the dark and an addiction to light. I have found that my deepest, most intimate moments with myself, have given me the most power. I have come through the very darkness that I have been taught to disclaim. As long as I perceive it as "out there", I can blame it on everyone else and be a victim. When I claim it, I own the power that comes from facing it within and developing the skills to use its power to transform.

My need to connect and to feel deeply has been satisfied by the confrontation that occurs during periods of intensity. While exercising, there is often a point when I feel that I want to give up. It is at that exact point of challenge when the part of me that wants to break through, gets stronger. This has happened when I hit my threshold physically, emotionally and spiritually. So, I say that if this feeling brings me closer to my goal, bring it on!

During my trip to India, I found that many of my most valued securities seemed to dissolve right before me. This feeling of letting go and being out of control has not been my favorite, but I have learned to face the devastation of my own structures with a humble thank-you. Surely witnessing this process first hand in the face of less-than-cushy circumstances is a great teacher that even the lowest and the darkest may be infused with great light if met with humility. Destruction of the old structures is necessary if we are to build new, more useful vessels. So, if things around you start to fall away, let them. Release what is no longer needed and watch what will arise in its place. Easier said than done? Yes. Am I in it with you? Yes. On the path. Right beside you.

Many thanks in gratitude this month, for the loss...and whatever comes next.

Sexuality

2011-11-14T07:30:00.000-08:00

This is a top secret, no fail motivator. When all else fails, think about sex. Seriously. Sexual energy is creative energy. You can create an entire person with that energy. Have you ever noticed that when you have a crush on someone, you can stay up all night and not get tired, that you are not hungry, and everything rolls off of your back? Tapping into this aspect of yourself is both energizing and completely entertaining. And, guess what.. No one needs to know what you are thinking. Plus, as an added bonus, it is a fact that you burn more calories when you are thinking about someone you have a crush on!!

This is a picture I drew of my ideal relationship. I drew this picture right after my heart was broken in my first relationship. It took about 4 years, but this art project looks alot like my current relationship. Until I was in it, I found crushes, and developed a bit of a crush on myself. I flirted a little bit, and wore fun and cute workout outfits, and changed my hair occasionally, and just tried feeling sexy from the inside out.

Even at my heaviest, I tried to imagine that I was carefree, and I would wear shorts and feel sexy in general. This increased my confidence levels, and my body responded accordingly.

If you are in a relationship, you have homework: make out session.

If you are not, homework is: get out there and get a crush on someone.

The last time I gave this homework assignment, I gave it to a spinning class I was teaching. One of the students decided to get a crush on me. And the above art project came to life. You never know the power of creative energy....

The second chakra is the point just above your genitals, and it is the place in the body where we relate to one another. It is connected to our passion and our deep desires. Connecting to this area of the body directly relates to the bodily fluids and is supposedly the secret to a lot of mystical powers. Sexual energy is the most potent energy we have. We can create an entire person with that energy. The deepest sense of intimacy and connection to god and to another can come from healing this place within. The practice of Tantric Yoga touches on this. There is also a Taoist version of yoga that reveals we can heal ourselves with this energy. (SEE MANTAK CHIA)

Sexual energy, being the most potent and powerful energy that we possess is not to be taken lightly. Transcend the superficial, and use it as fuel. To transform and recreate your body, mind and spirit!

Intensity Empowerment

2011-11-07T10:04:00.000-08:00

What if every single thing you are living right now, no matter how painful or difficult, is here to help you become the most empowered and deepest soul you can possibly imagine? The phoenix rising from the ashes, represents the ability to die and emerge with far more perspective. As low as we can go, is how high we can get.

Coming out on the other side of loss has given me the sense of true empowerment every single time. After many experiences that were less than desirable (and certainly nothing that I would've signed up for!), I am learning to view the intensity of loss as a gift, without understanding "why". Life has not let me down so far. One of the greatest challenges to my faith is loss, but I am learning to accept it in the moment: I get on my knees and I get thankful for the exact thing that is happening and causing me pain. I accept it and I would have it no other way. Yes. Yes. Yes to losing my career and my sense of identity. Yes to my body falling apart. Yes to my break up. Yes to being fired. Yes to 9-11. Yes to my father's cancer. Yes. Yes. Yes. Imagine this “secret”: you are already doing it! Your spirit and soul want it exactly this way.

The next thing I do is I get present in the moment.
I take a bath.
I go for a walk.
I make myself a cup of tea, share with a friend, or go to look at the ocean.
I practice yoga and I work it out.

Life has been an amazing example and teacher as to how to deal with pain and intensity during exercise! During exercise, there is often a point when I feel that I want to give up. It is at that exact point of challenge when the part of me that wants to break through gets stronger. This has happened when I hit my threshold physically, emotionally and spiritually. So, I say that if this feeling brings me closer to my goal, BRING IT ON.
With that fresh perspective I have been able to emerge and focus the energy in a completely new way. Many of my creations have appeared as a result of loss. From the DVD I created, to the book I am writing. SO I now say YES to the intensity, in my relationships, life circumstances and on a lighter note:

This is a picture I drew when I was very angry at being fired. Shortly thereafter, my apartment burned down.

The saying whatever doesn't kill you makes your stronger is in my bones. That is intense AND empowering!

Darkness and Destruction

2011-10-31T09:59:00.000-07:00

There have been several times in my life where I experienced a breaking point; a feeling that I am up against a wall, or that everything I thought I had I must lose. When facing death or loss, my survival instinct sometimes places me in a position of wanting control or being possessive.

"What you resist, persists". This is a truth that I have experienced several times in my life. I have tried to muscle my way through, forcing solutions that don't suit the situation.I have even imploded and turned it in on myself, wreaking havoc on my own body and emotions by resisting that truth.

As a child, I was so afraid of the wicked witch (the epitome and personification of darkness) that my mother cut all the pictures of the witch out of my story books! We are generally taught to ignore the darknesses, both out in the world and within ourselves. Some worry that even if you entertain a negative thought you will bring it upon yourself, or it may be contagious. I have found a better way. What if it is okay to not be at the top of your game 100% of the time? What if these phases of darkness and destruction, loss and death are actually there to help us to experience release and surrender, to see that we are indeed powered by something far larger than our mere desires?

Letting Go Into the Unknown is challenging for most (to say the least!).The process of letting go is extremely intimate and personal. Each individual has a path and a way that only they themselves can find. This can be scary for a control freak like me, who wants the answers and the quick fixes, however this process of letting go can lead us to an area of mysticism where we may find some sort of transcendence from the earthly world. Many people find this magical place through the practice of yoga or through some type of transformational ritualistic work. I have found many different ways to explore the reliance on a power that is greater than myself. Astrology has been a good guide, giving me a blueprint of insight into my own journey.Life moves in cycles and destruction is an integral part of life. We must sacrifice certain attachments in order to change and grow. If I can see my life as a symbolic journey, it begins to give meaning to these archetypes that feel unsafe or unfamiliar.

The god SHIVA is a symbol of destruction. There is a DESTROYER archetype that exists. I had an altar once with all kinds of symbols. One day I came home and my house was on fire and the entire chest had been burned. There was nothing left on that altar that was recognizable except the symbol of Shiva. Though I did not know it at the time, my old self, was dying and I was becoming an entirely new person. My job is to channel that destructive energy and to aim it towards the aspects within myself that I need to annihilate. Throw it all into the mix and use every bit of it as fuel.

True yoga is including and honoring even the darkness and destruction. Even exercise is a destructive process, the muscles are broken down, in order to repair and rebuild themselves during rest. Flexibility can come from creating micro tears in the fascia. So make no mistake. We need this aspect in our lives.

The process of transformation is incredibly powerful, but it is not easy. There is a quote that I love that I used in my VISIONMAT that says:

Make no mistake about it - enlightenment is a destructive process. It has nothing to do with becoming better or being happier. Enlightenment is the crumbling away of untruth. It's seeing through the facade of pretense. It's the complete eradication of everything we imagined to be true.

During my lifetime, I have gone through many little deaths in order to shed my skin and experience rebirth. Collectively, this is happening all around us. In the west, it seems our entire system is turning upside-down. Mostly because we are taught always to be number one; at the top of our game. Even within the new age spiritual community, there is a fear of the dark and an addiction to light. I have found that my deepest, most intimate moments with myself, have given me the most power. I have come through the very darkness that I have been taught to disclaim. As long as I perceive it as “out there”, I can blame it on everyone else and be a victim. When I claim it, I own the power that comes from facing it within and developing the skills to use its power to transform.

Transform Yourself With Yoga

2011-10-24T09:34:00.000-07:00

Without pain there is no change. But I tend to adopt the attitude of this saying: "When I truly accept where I am, I begin to transcend the feeling of pain." One of the most beneficial aspects of yoga is learning how to find that threshold, and move towards it, rather than shy away from it.

I, like most people, am a feel-good junkie. Why else would I be attracted to a job where I am paid to wear comfortable clothes, wear no make up and lead people who are taking a time out to care for themselves to the ultimate moment: savasana, where they get to float off into bliss, as they lay down for five to ten minutes. This is the "yoga" that we all imagine, right? Hugs and sitting peacefully in a cross-legged position with no earthly desires. But make no mistake, in order to truly transcend, the very darkness we resist, must be embraced. The part of ourselves that wants to be comfortable must die and be replaced with the part of ourselves that demands growth. There is no growth without change and there is no change without discomfort.

How can we reframe these old ideas we have about the sensations that we label 'torture?' Perhaps to spin the old: I'm dying! Into: "I know this is my body transforming," or "If this difficulty takes me closer to my goal, then Bring It On!"

There was a point in my personal journey with my body when I was using my very powerful energy to be hard on myself. In a sense, my destructive energy was misguided. When I became an instructor, I suddenly was using the very same force that I had been using to take myself down to uplift and fuel an entire community of individuals towards wellness. Exercise is, in some sense a destructive process. We break down the muscles in order for them to rebuild and strengthen. We face our breaking point in an effort to find the powerful voice that emerges with new sense of determination. We overcome our darkness and recreate our bodies, and mind. We send a new message to the body and our DNA knows now that more is possible.

This practice can be a guiding force in our lives, as well. The workout is a great place to experiment with this edge. I have learned from and used it as a template for how to survive a break up, my father's passing and loss of a job that I loved. The physical is a wonderful experiment for even deeper moments when we must endure emotional and psychic pain with grace and equanimity.

The six advanced Power Moves below are meant to push the envelope a little. Avoid forcing, but, try to allow your body to go a little farther than you thought possible, and notice what happens to your mind, as you metamorphosis and literally transform. The key to going deeper is not to push past the pain or to force your body, but to tolerate the feeling by staying with it rather than backing off. Once you have surrendered to the feeling, the body will settle in and transcend it without effort.

EAGLE (See image above)
Start with your feet together. Shift you body weight into your left leg. Bend you knees, then lift your right leg up and over your left leg. If possible, hook your right toes behind the left calf muscle. Wrap your right arm underneath your left arm, crossing once at the elbows, and again at the wrists to bring your palms back together. Raise the elbows toshoulder-level, and keep your upper body lifted, as you continue to twist your legs and sink your hips down. Breathe. Repeat on the other side.

BIRD OF PARADISE (See images above)
From Warrior 2, place your right palm to the inside of the front heel. If your hand is inside, use your arm to open the leg out to the side. Next, you are going to wrap, so reach the top arm up and back. The bottom arm wraps underneath the front bent leg. Clasp the hands, so that you are wrapping. Keep leaning the torso back as you rotate the chest open towards the ceiling. If this is enough for you, just stay here, and breathe. If you are ready to try a challenge, shift the body weight slightly forward into the front foot, while maintaining the bind, and step your left foot up to meet the right. Move the body weight into the left foot, as you slowly start to stand up. Once upright, try extending your right leg.

KING PIGEON (See image above)
Sitting on the floor, bend your right knee in front of you and bring your left leg behind you in a straight position. The heel of your right foot is in towards your left hip. Make sure to rotate the left hip down, so that the front of your left thigh is on the floor.

For the next stage of the this posture, moving into King Pigeon, it is important that your spine and shoulders are warmed up. Bend your left leg, so that the toes are pointing up towards the ceiling. Take hold of the foot with your left hand, arch the back, and draw the left elbow up towards the ceiling. Then extend your right arm arm and lower the hand to reach the foot. Draw both elbows in and up, as you continue to arch your spine, bringing the sole of your left foot to the crown of your head, if possible. This can be very intense, so breathe deeply, 5 breaths.

SPLITS (See image below)
Start standing on your knees and extend your right leg straight out in front of you so that the heel of the foot is on the floor. Bring both hands to the floor on either side of you. Begin crawling your hands forward, as you slowly slide the right foot forward, allowing the back leg to straighten behind you. Stop at the point of intensity, where you can still maintain a comfortable breath. You may need to continue to use your hands to support you on the floor, or you can also prop a bolster or a block underneath you. For those of you that can come all the way down, extend both arms overhead, and touch the palms together.

LOTUS (See image below left)

Begin sitting on the ground, with your left leg bent in, as if you were sitting cross-legged. Lift the right foot, and draw it towards the left groin, resting the top of the right foot on the left thigh. Sit up tall, lengthening through the crown of the head. This may feel very intense for some of you, so if this your posture today, then great. Stay here, and breathe. To move into Lotus, keep your right foot on the top of the left thigh, and draw the left foot out from underneath the right thigh. Move mindfully, as you bring the left foot to the right thigh. Breathe deeply into any intensity you feel here. If you feel acute pain, release the posture immediately.

FROG (See image above right)
Start in table top position, with your knees directly under your hips. Keeping your hips and knees in one line, walk your knees away from each other and slowly lower down onto your forearms. Bring your shins perpendicular to the thighs and flex your feet. Draw your navel slightly in to your spine to maintain length in your lower back and breathe. To deepen the experience, move your knees farther away from each other. Breathe. Feel your hips and groin muscles opening. Breathe.

FIREFLY (See images below)
With your feet hips-width apart, crouch down and place your hands flat on the floor, directly behind your feet. Rest your hips onto your triceps, as you slowly begin to shift the weight back, while at the same time press firmly into the floor with your hands. As your feet come up, hook your toes together. Once you get comfortable here, and start developing more upper-body strength, you can extend both legs straight. Use your abdominal muscles for strength and stability, and continue to press firmly into the floor until your arms are eventually straight.

Beauty

2011-10-17T09:40:00.000-07:00

I remember being a child, and wondering what I would look like as an adult. Would I be beautiful? Growing up, Disney characters and Barbie dolls colored my view of what was beautiful and didn't give much room for anything too unique. My mother always taught me that there was such a thing as inner beauty, and being authentic. Although it took me years to accept myself as is, part of what I grew to notice was that I was somehow attractive enough to gravitate people that I too found attractive. Even without blonde hair and blue eyes. Even without make up or perfectly straight hair. Even at the gym. Sweaty!

Beauty is something that emanates from within, and certainly is in the eye of the beholder. So behold your beauty. See beauty in everything. Notice what is already beautiful about your body, and see the beauty in what's around you. Even the most seemingly tragic situations hold beauty, if you look at them through loving eyes.

Meditate or practice in nature and beauty. When I am feeling unlovable, I remember that everything in nature is beautiful. I don't look at a roly poly puppy and think it's "fat" or "ugly" if it has a marking on it's face. There are no imperfect flowers in nature. I see the beauty in all of my students in much the same way. We come in such a wide range of shapes colors and sizes, but I always say that if aliens came down and saw us, we would all seem basically the same. Beauty is a matter of perspective.

Try listing 3 things that are beautiful about yourself. This month, find the elegance and grace in your practice. For some tips on loving yourself this month click here. Also, check me out on Beauty Bean's Make Up Free Monday for more tips on feeling beautiful from the inside out.

Creating Balance With Yoga

2011-10-10T07:39:00.000-07:00

Developing a healthy relationship with the body is as important as our relationships with our friends, lovers, parents and children. It requires balance. And it's the alignment of the heart, mind, body and spirit that allows us to feel unified and present. For me, the demands of my outer relationships sometimes tend to take a priority over my relationship with my own body. However, this body is the one relationship that lasts a lifetime. Carving out space and making a date with myself to practice the following balance routine is essential.

Yoga translated means union. We all contain opposites that demand integration. Too much tension and there is no flexibility, not enough energy and nothing gets accomplished. Balance poses are an ideal way to unite these energies. The Balance poses requires us to be 100 percent present in the moment. When attempting a balance pose, notice that when you over-think it, it doesn't happen. Try to do tree pose while you are thinking about what you need at the grocery store later. Energy flows where the mind goes, so if your mind is at the market, there is no attention to your pose. Imagine how this translates into the rest of your life. Below you will find seven balancing poses. Do each pose three times; everyday and see how you progress.

Here are some key things to remember when you are balancing:

Gazing point: They say when the gaze is still, the mind is still.

Breath: When you focus on your breath and the natural rhythm of your body, the mind begins to relax. The mind needs a focus, so the breath can be a soothing solution.

Extension: Balance is largely about extension. There is a dynamic energy in balancing.

TREE
Place most of your weight on your right leg and draw your left heel to the inner thigh of the right leg. Steady your gaze and connect with your breath. Keep the left knee turning out, and gently tuck your tailbone, as you extend out throughout the crown of the head. With the hands in prayer position, press the palms together, at the same time press the inner thigh and the sole of the foot together (below, left).

HALF CHAIR
Step the feet together. On the inhale, arms extend up over the head, as you bend into the knees, reaching back with the tush, as if to sit in an imaginary chair. Then extend your torso out over your legs. Use your lower abdominal muscles to hold you in position (above, right).

DANCER'S POSE

From a standing position, shift your weight into your left leg and grip your right foot behind you. Extend your left arm, and slowly begin to tip forward, while kicking your right leg back (below, left).

HALF MOON POSE
Look down to the ground. Exhale, as you bend your right leg and slide your left foot closer to your right. Place your right hand onto the floor as you bend your right knee. Place the fingertips of the right hand about 6 inches out in front of the right pinky toe and start to lean out so that you are balancing on your right leg and fingertips. Stack the hips on top of each other. Just float the back leg up so that the leg and torso are in alignment. Press the right foot into the floor and extend the left arm to the ceiling. Try to open and spiral your chest to the ceiling (above, right).

ONE ARM BALANCE
Begin in Plank. Bring the feet together. Move the right hand directly below the face. Rock your body to the side, so that you are balancing on the right hand, and the outside edge of the right foot. Feet are flexed and the underside of the waist is lifting up. So your top hip is lifting up towards the ceiling. Press the bottom hand into the floor, so that you are not dumping into that right shoulder. Keep the right arm straight (but not locked). If you are super flexible to the point of hyper-extension, stay aware of not locking the elbow (below, left).

CROW
Start with you feet hips width apart. Place your hands on the floor just in front of your feet, palms spread wide, wrists parallel to the front of your mat. Hook your knees into your armpits, or just to the outside, and slowly tip your body weight forward until your feet begin to come off the floor. Keep pressing firmly into your hands. Once you are balancing, bring your feet together and up towards your tush (above, right).

BOAT
Balance on your sit bones. Extend your arms straight out in front of you, parallel to the floor, and lift your chest and sternum upward as you gaze up. Extend your legs so that your toes are at eye level. Balance here, using your lower abdominal muscles (below).

Relationship

2011-10-03T07:52:00.000-07:00

My body is my primary relationship. Love affairs end, children grow up, parents pass, friends drift apart, the workplace and coworkers change. All relationships come and go, but the one constant in my life that is with me through all of it is this body. I consider it my primary relationship, and it has had many different incarnations. At times I have been demanding and hard on myself like an abusive lover, trying to whip myself into shape with punishment. I have been a patient mother, sitting with injuries as they heal, and even my own best friend, listing the things I love about my body.

Notice the type of relationship you have to your body. When I am practicing yoga, I cultivate more patience and self-love. I begin to notice the voice in my head, and how I speak to myself when I am challenged by a pose. Imagine the way that you would want to be treated by your ideal mate, and treat yourself just that way. The workout is the exact place where I am asked to show up for that relationship and challenge myself in the most loving way to grow and be the best I can, without judgment. If you notice that you are being hard on yourself, that is good. You have noticed. Now see if you can replace negativity with more encouraging thoughts.

Having grown up in a family where there was divorce, the idea of marriage really scares me. This fear that full commitment may lead to loss has pushed me to choose something where the loss would be good... weight loss! I am married to exercise as a part of life. Marriage (I hear) is not always easy. For me, it is a loving commitment to my body, and to fulfill my “vows” I exercise consistently, whether I feel like it or not. I try to treat my body with the respect it deserves. When practicing yoga or exercise, some of the qualities I experience are:

Acknowledgment for a job well done
Gratitude for a healthy body that can move and breathe
Communication, as in asking my body what is okay and modifying when necessary
Feeling and sensing
Playfulness and being able to enjoy my body
Perfecting and cleansing with diet
Finding balance and learning through turbulence and my body's breakdowns

Setting short term goals, and sharing with my community are a part of my spiritual practice, which is another aspect of being married to my body. Music is the great spirit that connects my physical body to something greater. Click here for my music mixes this month which revolve around love. And Click here for a free audio download: Balance routine.

Union

2011-09-26T10:00:00.000-07:00

Yoga literally means union. A fellow yogini reminded me that the linear world of either/or is not the path of Yoga. Yoga is the path of both/and. As practitioners, we are bringing together our light and dark, masculine and feminine, Yin and Yang. It is as important to embrace and honor the less appealing aspects of ourselves, as well as the strengths. We tend to mask the darker side of our nature, yet this is as potent and vital a part as the light within. The judge in me and the scorekeeper tries to stay safe by separating, however, I feel safest and most honest when I look for the similarities. When I notice myself particularly repellant to a certain behavior or person, I tend to try it on for size. For example, I dislike cat-callers so one day I howled out my window at a few people... and it felt amazing! I totally get why they do it. I remember being disgusted by some gum stuck under my seat at the movies. “Who does that?”, I thought. Then I decided to try it myself: “I do”. I have done neither of these actions more than once, but it was helpful to see the flip side of the coin.

In striving to unite my opposites, I find even more joy. There is really no joy without grief. There is no good or bad. We all possess polarities within us that demand integration. I feel that I am a blend of both my parents. I have my father's drive, but also his temper. I have my mother's humor and kindness, but also her defensiveness. How can I bring this blend together? I am here to completely accept and work with ALL aspects of myself. The more I can bring these qualities into the open, the more I am able to access their power. Yoga can help us to detach and watch both our dark and our light. Often when I am trying a posture, I feel that I want to give up, or I may judge myself for not being good enough, but then I also find this incredible strength and power when I stay with it and observe. The power of owning all of who I am, dark and light, brings me a sense of wholeness and Union and Balance.

Balance is two opposing forces extending in opposite directions. Balance is not static. We tend to think that balance is stillness, but the truth is that finding balance is being in constant flux. Balance poses require me to be one hundred percent present in the moment. When attempting a balance pose, notice that when you over think it, it doesn’t happen. Try to do Warrior 3 while you are thinking about what you need at the grocery store later. Energy flows where the mind goes, so if your mind is at the market, there is no attention to your pose. Imagine how this translates into the rest of your life.

Below are some guidelines to help you with these challenging poses:

Gazing point
They say when the gaze is still, the mind is still.
Breath
When you focus on your breath and the natural rhythm of your body, the mind begins to relax. The mind needs a focus point, so the breath can be a soothing solution.

Extension
Balance is largely about extension. There is a dynamic energy in balancing.

Watch a sample of my Balance Challenge.

Detoxifying Yoga Workout

2011-09-19T07:51:00.000-07:00

What if I told you that you already have a perfect body? Look in the mirror: It's within you. I have given health and fitness advice to women with some of the best bodies in Hollywood, including Jennifer Aniston and Kate Beckinsale, and you are equipped with the exact same components of your favorite stars: a body, heart, mind and spirit. The key to getting the body you want is aligning these components. A great place to start is by cleansing and detoxifying. Follow my step-by-step guide below, and you'll begin your journey to having the body you deserve.

1. Detoxify the mind. First, I recommend you lose toxic self-talk. Let's perfect a new perspective: "Even if nothing changed, I have a perfect body." In fact, your body's natural state is health, and its job is to constantly eliminate what is no longer necessary. I should know: Having spent a lot of my life being hypercritical, forcing my body and depriving myself, I had actually convinced myself that this was motivation. It turns out that when I remove that slave-driving voice and replace it with healthy choices, my body falls into place effortlessly, and I actually begin to develop the loving relationship with myself that I crave. My food cravings subside because I am getting the right kind of nurture, and it isn't through ice cream.

Each morning, start the day with a short meditation. This literally means five minutes of mindful breathing -- simply inhale and exhale. While doing this, set an intention. "I love my body exactly the way it is today" or "I am taking care of myself today."

2. Notice your breath. The breath is the pathway from the mind to the body, and when you breathe, you are going to feel more. Breathing brings us into the present. Use this during your meditation or come back to this at the beginning of your practice or when you sit down to eat. During exercise, some emotions may come up, and they are all good, because that is your fuel. And that is what you have been stuffing down with those desserts and beverages. There is no difference between negative and positive emotions; they are simply energy for you to use. The breath will eliminate what is no longer needed, which is alchemy for transforming your anger, grief or even joy into pure energy. Use it as you like.

3. Move your body. The mind/body union can happen during any physical activity -- not just yoga. But try to bring yoga into your walk, run, cycle or elliptical routine by bringing intention and awareness of your body and breathing into all your exercise. Today is not the one time you are going to exercise. It is a routine you create because your body craves it. Anything you care for -- kids, pets, plants -- they all need consistency. Follow my detoxifying routine below, and you'll start seeing big changes!

THE DETOXIFYING ROUTINE:

1. Warm up with 20 to 30 minutes of your favorite cardio (walking, cycling, elliptical training and dancing are good examples).

2. Set an intention. Consider something like this: "I am letting go of what is no longer serving me" or "I am loving my already perfect body."

3. Follow this yoga routine. These are must-do poses for detoxification. Twists literally wring out the toxins from the body, while balance poses connect you with your core, and abdominal work targets and activates the midsection.

DOWN DOG
Come to your hands and feet, with your hands shoulder distance apart and your feet about hips width apart.
Press your heels down as you lift your hips up (see image above left).
Shift your body weight forward toward your hands as you draw your right knee in toward your forehead (see image above right).
Use your abs to hold.

TWISTING LUNGE
Step your right foot forward between your hands and come up onto the toe of your left foot as you press your heel back.
Try to straighten the left leg.
Bring your left hand to the floor on the inside of your right foot.
Twist your right arm up toward the ceiling and look up (see image above).
Make sure your arm is extending out from the base of your spine through the crown of your head.

PLANK
Bring your right hand back down to the floor and step your right foot back to meet the left foot, staying up on your toes (see top image).
Hold here in a high push-up position for three to five breaths.
Move into FOREARM PLANK (middle image).
Stay on your toes and slowly come down onto your forearms. This is where you will really need to stay connected to your core to keep your back straight.
While here, lift your right foot off the floor just a couple of inches and hold using your abdominal strength (bottom image).
Repeat on the left side.
Press back up into PLANK POSE, then back to DOWN DOG.

WARRIOR THREE TO EXTENDED LEG
From DOWN DOG, step your right foot through between your hands.
Press gently off of the back leg and shift forward to balance on your right leg (image above left).
Extend your arms out to the sides or back alongside your body. Balance here (image above right).
Without putting your right foot on the floor, bring your hands to your hips, slowly hinge back up to standing and extend your right leg straight out in front of you.

CHAIR AND CHAIR TWIST
With your feet together, bend both knees and sit your hips back into an imaginary chair.
Extend your arms up toward the ceiling, tuck your tailbone slightly and use your core to lift your body away from the thighs (image above left).
Bring your palms to a prayer position and hook the left elbow on the right knee.
Press your palms together.
Look up toward the ceiling (see image above right).

BOAT
Balance on your sit bones and extend your legs upward and your arms out in front of you, parallel to the floor.
If it is too challenging to keep your legs straight or if you have a lower back issue, you can bend the knees (see image above).

V SIT-UPS
From boat, cross your arms over your chest and slowly lower down, using your abdominal strength (see top image).
Hover with your feet and shoulders a couple of inches away from the floor.
Then extend your arms and use your core to bring you back up to boat (see bottom image).

SEATED TWIST
Bend your left knee on the floor in front of you.
Cross your right leg over to bring your right foot to the outside of the left knee.
Hook your left elbow on the outside of the right knee and press your right hand into the floor near the base of your spine (see image above).
Inhale as you extend your spine up, then exhale as you twist back.

RECLINING TWIST

Lying down on the floor, extend your arms out to the sides and bring your right foot on top of the left thigh.
Slowly lower the right knee toward the left and look over your right shoulder. Relax into this twist (see image above).

September 11th- Remembering

2011-09-11T09:11:00.000-07:00

As we mark the 10 year anniversary of the attacks on the World Trade Center, we all remember where we were when this tragic incident occurred. We all have a story. And this is mine...

I was in New York City for the U.S. Open. There was really no reason for me to be at the U.S. Open, as I am not particularly knowledgeable about tennis, but my dear friend and student at the time, Helen Hunt had planned a trip and wanted me to go.

The week was very interesting in New York. It was fashion week. The weather was moody. A random thunder shower on Sept 10th, got me drenched, because I could not catch a cab. This was our last night in NYC and we had decided that we wanted to get up early before our 11am flight on Sept 11th, so that we could have breakfast at Bubbie's, the deli downstairs. As we walked downstairs at 8:30am,Sept 11th I remember saying "What a beautiful day" aloud. It was so clear out. Not a cloud in the sky. Where should we sit? By the window, so we can see the view. My view was facing the World Trade Center. I heard a sound above me in the background (in retrospect, a plane) and I heard what I thought was thunder, before remembering what a clear sunny day it was. Then I saw what looked like confetti and glitter exploding everywhere. "What's going on?" Was it an explosion? Or maybe a celebration? The shattered glass and papers that filled the sky almost looked like a parade to my unknowing eyes. We went outside to see what was going on. Simultaneously, the TV in the deli was turned on, and the two towers stood there, one seemingly punched in with a hole.

I went out to witness it with my own two eyes. There was a hole in the side of the WTC. People could be seen waving out from the top story windows. The buzz of people talking on the street informed me that there had been a plane crash. "You can see the tail", said one man, as he pointed it out to me. I could see it. I saw the tail of the plane. When I heard that it was a plane crash, I thought good... it was an accident. And, disoriented, we went back to our breakfast, with this happening in the background. Matthew, the third person in our trio, decided to go check on our car to the airport while we spaciliy ordered breakfast.

I was facing Helen, with the World Trade Center in the background, when I witnessed the second hit. The explosion on the other side of plane crash #2. The waiter buckled to his knees, and it was clear that this was more than an accident. We exited the restaurant. I remember talk of "why doesn't someone come to save the people at the top?"... "Forget it", I thought. Somewhere, I knew. We darted off to get our luggage and get out of NYC.

While we gathered our things, we turned on the TV, and got the word that the Pentagon had been struck, and then a call that the airports were closed. We were in shock. I watched as both buildings burned. Don't ask me why, but I knew as I watched that we would witness these buildings coming down. I later heard that considering the structure of the buildings that this was an unlikely outcome, and noone expected it, but for some reason I knew. I was spooked that the entire city had bombs planted underneath it, and that perhaps this was the end for me. Our trio decided to stay put in the loft where we stayed. With windows closed. I was reminded of my ancestors and relatives who had not survived the Holocaust, and those who had spent time locked in attics and closets, etc. I felt trapped.

I began preparing myself. Praying. Literally at the edge of the bed meditating and praying, saying "Please let me be safe. Even in my death, let me be safe". And I began to visualize a shaft of white light protecting me.

When the buildings crashed down, we could feel the rumbling, like a rocket ship taking off. This was 3D TV for sure, being able to feel physically what I was viewing. We remained in the loft for the next 6 hours. Lucky for the city, the wind was blowing in the other direction, so we could still see out, but what was happening for the next several hours had me on edge. I could not relax. It felt like any second more of the city would be under attack.

We were 9 blocks away from the scene of the crime, and the entrie neighborhood was covered in a layer of dust, and death. There were pieces of the building and bodies found 2 blocks away from the scene. So 9 blocks is about as close as I could handle. I wanted to get the F out of there. I did not own a cel phone at the time, but I kept my running shoes on, and my credit card and cash in my hip pocket. I was ready to dart.

Towards the afternoon, I was looking out the window, when building 7 went down, and a group of people went running by our place. At the same time the doorman evacuated our building, and I was down those stairs so fast! (Thank God for being in shape!.. By the way, another great argument for being physically fit.) We found ourselves outside in surreal chaos. I managed to obtain a mask (asbestos poisoning, i thought... but do those things really work. Was it aleady too late?), and we started running Uptown.

I noticed that as we got farther away from the scene, it had an eerie feeling of this billowing smoke in the background, but not the same urgency. No others around us were wearing masks, and I was a bit embarrassed, not wanting to scare the children in the park on the swings. So I put it away. We saw a Hum V military truck, and men with camouflage and guns ride by. Is this what it was going to be like from now on?

Some friends of ours let us come by their place, and we sat together in trauma, fear, relief and shock. Not the least of which was some televised retaliation that resembled 4th of July. We went out for dinner that evening. It felt sweet to be alive, among the community. Later a friend of Helen's, Bill Gerber, took us in and nurtured us. It seemed like we had awoken to a kingdom of riches when we got to the Upper East Side. The incident was no longer visble, but you could smell it. The air traffic was shut down, and so the island of New York City felt like some haunted house. Every several hours there was another scare. I was glued to the television, which I had not watched in 20 years. Suddenly it seemed very important to see what was going on and to hear each individual's story. It took us 2 days to hit a clearing where we jumped a plane and had the shortest plane ride of my life. I was intent on getting back to Los Angeles, as my father was dying of cancer in the background, getting his first chemotherapy treatment.

We arrived home to LA on a Thursday night, and I had a 7am spinning class scheduled to teach. I taught my classes in my pain, and shared that raw 9/11 moment with Santa Monica as best i could. The only 2 musical artists that I could tolerate were U2 and Peter Gabriel. I believe it was my personal pain, and the understanding of this incredible mass pain that dictated my limited musical preference for the next several days. This collective wound that is shared among all people who have been both sheltered from and devastated by war crimes created by governments.

When it happened, I didn't care what it took, I didn't even care about my own freedoms in that moment - I just wanted to feel safe. I so wanted to feel safe again, but in that moment, I felt that a veil had been lifted from my American eyes. This is what much of the world goes through, and it had never happened to us. Not here. It had certainly never happened to me. Not in the global sense. And the words: "what was I thinking?" echoed and wailed in my heart/mind. "what was I thinking? what was i thinking?" I wondered that day how many more would have to see tragedy with their own eyes. I wondered how I would ever go back to feeling safe. Somehow I knew that in time, this would just be another story.

And this is it.

In rememberance of the families that still suffer and the women and men who lost their lives on that random Tuesday ...may we all be free.

Practice Imperfectly

2011-09-05T11:19:00.000-07:00

September is YOGA MONTH! Many people want to begin a practice. But where to begin? What I hear asked again and again is "What KIND of yoga do you teach?" or "What TYPE of yoga should I do?". Talking about yoga will not allow the true discovery. The experience will, so stop asking, and start acting! We all have places in our live and our practice where we hesitate because we feel like we have to wait until we can execute with perfection. You don't have to wait! In fact, it's essential to our growth to feel challenged, uncomfortable and like a beginner. On the one hand, this can be awkward for someone like me, being an instructor! When the opportunity arose to become an teacher, I didn't feel 'ready'. The expectations that I placed upon myself to be perfect were right there on the surface. However, what I have come to realize is that a teacher is simply a student who has taken the responsibility of being a guide. So what if I am imperfect!? That's why feedback from the students and the teacher-student relationship is so vital. We are all finding our way together.For the long-time yoga practitioners, perhaps it's time to mix it up and become a beginner again. Have you gotten stuck in a rut of doing the same classes again and again? Come along... You don't have to wait until you are 5 lbs. lighter, have more money, or are in the perfect relationship to start enjoying what you have. You can start exactly where you are.

When I was a child first finding yoga and discovering my body, I put a lot of pressure on myself to be perfect. I felt that in order to be happy, I had to keep striving for a level of perfection that would fulfill that feeling. The catch was that once I felt that I had achieved a level of perfection, I felt the burden of maintaining it, and could not be satisfied. After incurring some injuries, I had to shift my perspective. Rather than reaching a specific goal, I tried to adopt an attitude of finding the perfection in what already existed. There is a way to find what is perfect in each pose, each moment... not just the result. I have even had to modify my practice, be less rigid in my form and be open to new ideas of perfection. It is my imperfections that allow my vulnerability and accessibility. Perfectly imperfect!

For a fresh perspective, explore a yoga that you have never done before. Since it will be new, you will have an opportunity to PRACTICE IMPERFECTLY! Here are some choices: KUNDALINI, (lots of breath work, and moving energy along the spine.) HATHA, (most yoga postures are based on Hatha, the yoga of force. This means exerting effort), IYENGAR (expect props, talk of proper alignment and lines of energy - this is the first yoga I ever tried), BIKRAM (this is the hot yoga, a series of 26 postures done 2 times in a row, very little upper body work, for those with wrist and neck issues), VINYASA (flow yoga with Sun Salutes, fairly active, stringing sequences of posture with the salutes which connects movement with breath), ANUSARA (lots of heart opening and backbends - this is a yoga I have never tried), YIN YOGA (much more stretchy and slow).

Each day, before you tackle a new type of yoga, or as you are exploring yoga for the first time in your life, try this exercise: list 3 things that you can see as perfect already. In your practice (and we all know what practice makes....), see if you can remind yourself that everything is already exactly as it should be.

Try Consistency, Get in a Routine

2011-08-29T07:15:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite things about teaching is helping people to create routine, primarily because routine is something that I need in order to feel my best, however, it is not something that I gravitate toward naturally. I tend to take a different route daily. I wish I could do the laundry just once, or take a shower and that would be that - done. Sometimes routine can feel so boring! But maintenance requires consistency, and believe me, there’s no one that is more resistant to it than myself. It's taken me a long time to understand that it is this consistency that allows my body to fall into place and feel safe. If you think about it, anything that grows responds to routine: plants require a certain amount of light and water on a regular basis, children need routines for sleeping and eating, and pets need consistent walks, water, and mealtimes. My body and my fitness routine is the one thing that I come back to consistently. Through my father's passing, my breakups, my house burning down (yup), losing jobs, even my greatest celebrations like my DVD launch party... I always come back to exercise to stabilize myself.

If we simply show up on a daily basis and practice, the body has a way of organizing itself and actually falls into place naturally. I encourage you this month to create a routine for yourself, whatever that is. We are what we do consistently. It's not the one piece of cake that we have which makes us gain weight, it's what we put into our bodies daily that really counts. So what if you have a cookie! Wake up the next morning, have a glass of warm water with lemon, meditate, take a walk, practice your yoga and have a healthy breakfast... and then get back on the loving yourself train!

On the same note, try creating your own set of rituals and watch how quickly your body responds. I actually read somewhere that they did a study of octogenarians. The one thing that they had in common was not that they lived pristine lives, but they had regular habits that they followed the same time in the same way each day. It’s about consistency and moderation.

I can't say that I can follow a routine for my entire life, but for this week, certainly I can create my own routine and experiment with how the results feel. Then, even if I don't always follow it, I know what it feels like, and I know what works.

My routine this week:
7:00 a.m. - wake
7:30 - meditate
8:00 - walk, or some form of cardiovascular exercise
9:00 - breakfast
10:00 - yoga with clients
1:30 - lunch
2:30 - sauna
3:30 - clients
5:00 - writing
7:00 - dinner
8:00 - relax (not in front of computer), read or recreate

Follow me on Twitter and Facebook for some detoxifying poses this week to add to your routine.