New Year's Eve I spent 2 hours in a room meditating to the sound of singing bowls and chimes. I was bathed in vibration and as the different sounds clashed and meshed together. It took some time to settle into a good space. In fact for the first 45 minutes I was pretty uncomfortable, but the next 75 minutes passed in what seemed like 10. It was a ending and beginning that truly resonated with me.
The next day I was back at the studio for the annual New Year celebration at the Breathe Together Yoga Studio in Los Gatos, Ca. Jenn Prugh is one of my favorite teachers and the owner/manager of Breathe Together. She offers a free New Years Day class. Jenn is one of those teachers who has the ability to push you right to the edge of your comfort zone and often way beyond it. It was a shock for me at first. I was angry, embarrassed, ashamed, and really raw about the experience she first provided me. It has taken years of yoga to finally enter her space and find the joy of yoga, but I have and I am so grateful to her for the journey.
The challenges of yoga on first entry are physical, but the essence of the practice lies in the mind and the spirit. Jenn has the ability to push you to the point you must deal with your mind and spirit or you will just live through the pain and continue to think that is the point. The practiced is steeped in opportunity for practicing Ahimsa or non-harming. This is one of the first rules of yoga and should be applied inward and outward. Jenn's class is an opportunity to find kindness for your suffering. It is an opportunity to be present with your pain and uncomfort and find the joy. But honestly for a a long time it just felt like torture.
During this New Year's Day torture session Jenn instructed us to choose a word for the practice. We should use this word with our breath to help us stay present and joyful not just during our two hour session but throughout the year. My word for 2017 is Freedom. Later in the class we partnered up and were offered the opportunity to join our neighbors word with our own. My neighbors word was Letting Go. Perfect.
The seeds are planted now to tend the soil and nurture the growth.
Showing posts with label yoga. Show all posts
Showing posts with label yoga. Show all posts
Monday, April 3, 2017
Thursday, March 3, 2016
Yoga
Ok, what happened to February! Time is flying by...
Last month I graduated from my 200hr hatha yoga teacher training course. My teacher was Daniella Ambika Cotreau who runs Body Temple Yoga. She is an alignment based practitioner with an emphasis on heart opening. I love her and I am in love with my yoga practice. It has helped me in so many ways. In both my physical body and my state of mind. If you are looking for a tool to help you carve your own path I can't say enough about incorporating a yoga practice.
I decided that a fun and supportive way to practice my teaching skills would be with my friends at our homeschool park day. I am so fortunate to have such an amazing group of parents, mostly women, who are willing to engage in new ideas in such thoughtful ways. What a fantastic group of people I get to practice with, lucky me.
I know most mom's do not have a lot of time on their hands during the day and trying to find time to nourish ourselves is a challenge. Even when you do find yourself with a free 20min. how do you choose what to do!! The busy life of a mom can be pretty overwhelming. I can tell you from experience of an overwhelmed, stressed out, yelling, crying mom that taking time to do a small amount of yoga and meditation has changed my life for the better.
I have made the changes in my life to add that free time to the beginning of my day, but that does not mean you need to do this in the morning. It can happen anytime during the day, just do your best to make a commitment to carving this time for yourself everyday. You deserve it!! 20 minutes to yourself is not too much to ask and all the stuff that isn't getting done...it will wait. So, the first job is for you to explore your day and decide where you can commit to 20min. (after lunch? before dinner? after dinner? before bed? morning?) Find the time.
Once you find the time here is where you start. Start by creating a physical foundation for your well being. The easiest place to start in that process is with your body. The physical foundation of our overactive bodies is our feet. So, lets start by giving our feet some attention. Stand with your feet hip distance apart and just play with your feet on the earth. Give your feet some attention and notice how you stand where does the weight fall. Is it evenly distributed or do you tend to lean back or forward, inward or outward? Just notice and breathe. Then notice your inner thighs and hips, your low belly and pelvic bowl. Just notice how you are standing. Play with tilting your hips and working your inner thighs. See how different positions feel. Just take time to stand with complete attention on your body and your stance, and breathe. Once you have established a connection with your feet and lower body bring your attention to your shoulders, lift them toward the sky and bring your shoulders back and your shoulder blades onto your back. Keep a slight hug between your shoulder blades to keep your chest lifted and open. BREATHE. Keep your chin level with the earth and bring your head over your shoulders so it is supported by your spine and not pulling you forward. BREATHE.
Now you can take that work down to the floor. Find a comfortable seat where you are able to keep your lower belly engaged, your spine elongated, your chest/heart open and your breathing easy and deep. Sit and breathe and just let you mind monkey mind race in mediation for 5 minutes. Focus on your breath. Don't berate yourself...let the thoughts come and go. Change your thoughts to thoughts of love and charity towards others and towards yourself. Let go of the idea you will be sitting in complete quiet and that you will have a 'quiet' mind. It takes decades of practice, so just let go, and be where you are now and breathe.
Just doing this practice for 5/10 minutes is powerful. Connecting with your body, engaging your breath and connecting to the earth is yoga. Use it.
Last month I graduated from my 200hr hatha yoga teacher training course. My teacher was Daniella Ambika Cotreau who runs Body Temple Yoga. She is an alignment based practitioner with an emphasis on heart opening. I love her and I am in love with my yoga practice. It has helped me in so many ways. In both my physical body and my state of mind. If you are looking for a tool to help you carve your own path I can't say enough about incorporating a yoga practice.
I decided that a fun and supportive way to practice my teaching skills would be with my friends at our homeschool park day. I am so fortunate to have such an amazing group of parents, mostly women, who are willing to engage in new ideas in such thoughtful ways. What a fantastic group of people I get to practice with, lucky me.
I know most mom's do not have a lot of time on their hands during the day and trying to find time to nourish ourselves is a challenge. Even when you do find yourself with a free 20min. how do you choose what to do!! The busy life of a mom can be pretty overwhelming. I can tell you from experience of an overwhelmed, stressed out, yelling, crying mom that taking time to do a small amount of yoga and meditation has changed my life for the better.
I have made the changes in my life to add that free time to the beginning of my day, but that does not mean you need to do this in the morning. It can happen anytime during the day, just do your best to make a commitment to carving this time for yourself everyday. You deserve it!! 20 minutes to yourself is not too much to ask and all the stuff that isn't getting done...it will wait. So, the first job is for you to explore your day and decide where you can commit to 20min. (after lunch? before dinner? after dinner? before bed? morning?) Find the time.
Once you find the time here is where you start. Start by creating a physical foundation for your well being. The easiest place to start in that process is with your body. The physical foundation of our overactive bodies is our feet. So, lets start by giving our feet some attention. Stand with your feet hip distance apart and just play with your feet on the earth. Give your feet some attention and notice how you stand where does the weight fall. Is it evenly distributed or do you tend to lean back or forward, inward or outward? Just notice and breathe. Then notice your inner thighs and hips, your low belly and pelvic bowl. Just notice how you are standing. Play with tilting your hips and working your inner thighs. See how different positions feel. Just take time to stand with complete attention on your body and your stance, and breathe. Once you have established a connection with your feet and lower body bring your attention to your shoulders, lift them toward the sky and bring your shoulders back and your shoulder blades onto your back. Keep a slight hug between your shoulder blades to keep your chest lifted and open. BREATHE. Keep your chin level with the earth and bring your head over your shoulders so it is supported by your spine and not pulling you forward. BREATHE.
Now you can take that work down to the floor. Find a comfortable seat where you are able to keep your lower belly engaged, your spine elongated, your chest/heart open and your breathing easy and deep. Sit and breathe and just let you mind monkey mind race in mediation for 5 minutes. Focus on your breath. Don't berate yourself...let the thoughts come and go. Change your thoughts to thoughts of love and charity towards others and towards yourself. Let go of the idea you will be sitting in complete quiet and that you will have a 'quiet' mind. It takes decades of practice, so just let go, and be where you are now and breathe.
Just doing this practice for 5/10 minutes is powerful. Connecting with your body, engaging your breath and connecting to the earth is yoga. Use it.
Thursday, January 7, 2016
New Year, new opportunities to learn
So, the fall did start off with less stress than the previous year. I had a better sense of what to expect and how to ease into the process. After her summer school trial my daughter did decide to stay home for school this year. I was very happy with her decision to stay home, but there was the added challenge of creating more room for her learning process on top of meeting my sons special needs. After a month of wiggling and playing around with different timing, curriculum's and approaches we finally settled into a decent routine around mid-October.
I started with just the basics and have continued to focus on those as the main part of my 'teaching' responsibility. I have explained to the children I feel responsible for ensuring they receive a solid foundation in the basics of reading, language, mathematical (logic) thinking, and social emotional ethical spiritual learning. This part of my job is not always 'fun'. I am not the best at coming up with games and playful approaches to learning basic math facts and spelling but they seem to learn despite my dry approach.
We did sign up for a few classes with a local homeschooling group that offers age grouped classes. My son took a lego robotics class and my daughter took and art and a science class. We were 'on campus' for lunch twice a week and we enjoyed being part of the homeschool community. We also have become regulars at one of the local homeschool park days which provides the kids with a full day of free playground play with lots of different children. We love Wednesdays!
Overall I am feeling much more relaxed and happy. I am coming to the end of my year long yoga teacher training course and I feel the practice of yoga (meditation, breathing, chanting, study, and asana) has really helped me find my calm center. It has given me the tools to allow me to sink into the chaos of learning how to 'school' my children. I am learning how to let go of being in control and figuring out how to go with the flow. I am learning how to work through my uncomfortable feelings with grace and ease of mind. I am carving a path to learning with my children and it feels great.
I started with just the basics and have continued to focus on those as the main part of my 'teaching' responsibility. I have explained to the children I feel responsible for ensuring they receive a solid foundation in the basics of reading, language, mathematical (logic) thinking, and social emotional ethical spiritual learning. This part of my job is not always 'fun'. I am not the best at coming up with games and playful approaches to learning basic math facts and spelling but they seem to learn despite my dry approach.
We did sign up for a few classes with a local homeschooling group that offers age grouped classes. My son took a lego robotics class and my daughter took and art and a science class. We were 'on campus' for lunch twice a week and we enjoyed being part of the homeschool community. We also have become regulars at one of the local homeschool park days which provides the kids with a full day of free playground play with lots of different children. We love Wednesdays!
Overall I am feeling much more relaxed and happy. I am coming to the end of my year long yoga teacher training course and I feel the practice of yoga (meditation, breathing, chanting, study, and asana) has really helped me find my calm center. It has given me the tools to allow me to sink into the chaos of learning how to 'school' my children. I am learning how to let go of being in control and figuring out how to go with the flow. I am learning how to work through my uncomfortable feelings with grace and ease of mind. I am carving a path to learning with my children and it feels great.
Tuesday, April 7, 2015
Unfolding the Self
I started my year long adventure of yoga teacher training the other weekend. I fell in love with the physical practice of yoga at the YMCA a few years ago. When my hunger grew larger than what the YMCA had to offer I was lucky to find a great studio in my neighborhood offering a wide variety of classes and quality teachers. After a year of attending classes with one teacher I decided I was ready to absorb the teacher training.
I always knew I had poor posture and it was one of the reasons I was so interested in yoga. I had these visions of myself walking around at 80 slumped over caving in on myself and not able to fully lift my head. I didn't like that picture of myself at 80 and I started creating a new vision of myself at that age. My vision included great posture and a smiling generous heart. So this teacher and her philosophy were/are a great fit for my future self. The practice with my particular teacher is very heart centered and deeply alignment based. The physical practice revolves around pulling into your midline strength so you can open your chest and breathe. Good posture also allows good breathing.
So, what in the world does all of THIS have to do with homeschooling you may ask???? Well, I have found the experience of homeschooling very mentally exhausting. I have so many questions and theories and fears around education. How will I know if I am doing it right? How do I ensure I am giving my kids the best education? The education they deserve? The education they are capable of? Am I giving them challenge? Am I giving them too much? Should this be 'fun'? Do I need to be 'fun'? Should we 'learn' something everyday? How much evidence do we need to provide that we are 'learning' and what evidence is truly reflective of our process?
It is a nightmare inducing thought thread that had me tied up in knots, literally. On top of all the emotional scars and baggage from my past here I am trying to figure out my present and focus on the future all at the same time. Yikes. Recipe for disaster is what that looks like. So the practice of yoga is all about BE HERE NOW. It took a year of breathing and consciously letting go of the past and the future to finally be able to take a look at what is in front of me RIGHT NOW. I am starting to feel the weight lifting off my back. I am starting to feel my shoulders turn up and my heart opening. I am starting to feel the possibility of engaging in my present moment without holding so tightly to the past and being so fearful of the future. It feels amazing!
I can't say that I have homeschooling figured out. What I have learned is like all of life it is a process. You have to start somewhere and you have to realize that where you start may look nothing like where you will end up. I have learned to forgive myself for being such a bad teacher and to recognize I am a great parent. I have learned that by letting go of my fears I am starting to feel my heart again and I can feel the depth which I am engaging with my kids. I can feel that this is just the beginning and that our time together will deepen and expand. I have realized by being my true self with my kids I am giving them the greatest gift they will know and it feels awesome.
I always knew I had poor posture and it was one of the reasons I was so interested in yoga. I had these visions of myself walking around at 80 slumped over caving in on myself and not able to fully lift my head. I didn't like that picture of myself at 80 and I started creating a new vision of myself at that age. My vision included great posture and a smiling generous heart. So this teacher and her philosophy were/are a great fit for my future self. The practice with my particular teacher is very heart centered and deeply alignment based. The physical practice revolves around pulling into your midline strength so you can open your chest and breathe. Good posture also allows good breathing.
So, what in the world does all of THIS have to do with homeschooling you may ask???? Well, I have found the experience of homeschooling very mentally exhausting. I have so many questions and theories and fears around education. How will I know if I am doing it right? How do I ensure I am giving my kids the best education? The education they deserve? The education they are capable of? Am I giving them challenge? Am I giving them too much? Should this be 'fun'? Do I need to be 'fun'? Should we 'learn' something everyday? How much evidence do we need to provide that we are 'learning' and what evidence is truly reflective of our process?
It is a nightmare inducing thought thread that had me tied up in knots, literally. On top of all the emotional scars and baggage from my past here I am trying to figure out my present and focus on the future all at the same time. Yikes. Recipe for disaster is what that looks like. So the practice of yoga is all about BE HERE NOW. It took a year of breathing and consciously letting go of the past and the future to finally be able to take a look at what is in front of me RIGHT NOW. I am starting to feel the weight lifting off my back. I am starting to feel my shoulders turn up and my heart opening. I am starting to feel the possibility of engaging in my present moment without holding so tightly to the past and being so fearful of the future. It feels amazing!
I can't say that I have homeschooling figured out. What I have learned is like all of life it is a process. You have to start somewhere and you have to realize that where you start may look nothing like where you will end up. I have learned to forgive myself for being such a bad teacher and to recognize I am a great parent. I have learned that by letting go of my fears I am starting to feel my heart again and I can feel the depth which I am engaging with my kids. I can feel that this is just the beginning and that our time together will deepen and expand. I have realized by being my true self with my kids I am giving them the greatest gift they will know and it feels awesome.
Friday, March 13, 2015
Balance
The hardest poses for me to do in yoga are those requiring a lot of balance. I have strength and my flexibility is pretty good but balance, not so much. It is so interesting how the struggles we have with our bodies often mimic the struggles we have with our mind/self. There are so many directions to go at one time, so many things to be done, to do, to explore how do I know what to do next?! I feel pulled one way then I change my mind and go another. Unbalance.
If you have not tried yoga before I think you will be amazed at trying this simple exercise. Stand up with your hands at your sides take a strong stance but soft and close your eyes. If you can, great, next just take a moment to feel your motion your gentle sway. The next challenge is to try and do it on your toes, then standing with one leg lifted. For me these exercises take a lot of focus. The key to success in these posses is to let go and center in on the core of your being. Balance does take flexibility and strength, but it must be used gently to balance your core. Then you will feel the solid sense of all three powers coming together and you will be like the trees who can stand tall and balanced on this earth, whose roots are firmly planted in the earth, whose branches reach for the sky, and are able to sway with the breeze while remaining strong and rooted in place. I love trees.
Of course I find all of this a metaphor for my journey in home schooling. I feel like I have been in a storm and my roots were not quite deep enough. Luckily there have been enough calm periods between the storms to give my roots a chance to deepen and hold me standing strong. I have not toppled. I am becoming more balanced and my roots are getting deeper. I can see how this journey can work without seeing every stop along the way. I am trusting my roots, my strength and my core to provide the balance my kids need in their education.
If you have not tried yoga before I think you will be amazed at trying this simple exercise. Stand up with your hands at your sides take a strong stance but soft and close your eyes. If you can, great, next just take a moment to feel your motion your gentle sway. The next challenge is to try and do it on your toes, then standing with one leg lifted. For me these exercises take a lot of focus. The key to success in these posses is to let go and center in on the core of your being. Balance does take flexibility and strength, but it must be used gently to balance your core. Then you will feel the solid sense of all three powers coming together and you will be like the trees who can stand tall and balanced on this earth, whose roots are firmly planted in the earth, whose branches reach for the sky, and are able to sway with the breeze while remaining strong and rooted in place. I love trees.
Of course I find all of this a metaphor for my journey in home schooling. I feel like I have been in a storm and my roots were not quite deep enough. Luckily there have been enough calm periods between the storms to give my roots a chance to deepen and hold me standing strong. I have not toppled. I am becoming more balanced and my roots are getting deeper. I can see how this journey can work without seeing every stop along the way. I am trusting my roots, my strength and my core to provide the balance my kids need in their education.
Tuesday, March 3, 2015
Trying too hard
Yesterday at my son's eye therapy appointment I had a discussion with the therapist about my son not wanting to wear his glasses. She explained to me that the glasses are meant to help him relax some of his eye muscles. When he is reading he is relying on a set of strong muscles he already has developed to do all of the reading work. The glasses give those overworked muscles a break. The trick is it takes time to get the eyes to stop working so hard and relax so the glasses can do the work. Wow.
I walked away on the verge of tears, as usual being highly emotional, and realized that could have been a description of my parenting. I feel so bound up and tight in my approach to teaching these amazing kids. I feel like I am working hard, maybe too hard. Everyday I am trying to find a way to 'teach' them. What have we accomplished today? What are we learning with this activity? How can I document this or blog about it in a way that will help me feel successful. My mental, emotional, and spiritual muscles are working so hard to be 'successful' that I can't seem to relax enough to let the other parts of me (creative, easy going, light hearted, humorist) take over and just enjoy the journey.
Recently I discovered the joy of yoga. I am pursuing it with passion. I love it. I think the parallel of trying to relax my muscles and trying to relax my mind are exactly what I need. It helps me consider the possibility of letting go, of balance, of play, of relaxing into the moment and then letting it go.
This journey I am on as a homeschool mom has opened so many places inside of me. I realize I have some trauma from my own schooling and childhood that I am processing. It is challenging to separate my past with our present. Yoga is helping me open my heart and begin to see the journey in front of me not the path behind me. I am starting to trust myself. I am beginning to heal the wounds and let myself believe in all the good that can come.
Until then I will be sharing our stories of struggle and uncertainty. Although I feel hopeful I don't feel anywhere near successful. I am so grateful for the wonderful homeschool and gifted communities for the support and stories of families on similar journeys. I know I am not alone and I know in time we will find our rhythm. If you are out there feeling the struggle and slight hopelessness I hope you will find some comfort knowing you are not alone. I do believe this is only going to get better!!
Blessings,
Shauna
I walked away on the verge of tears, as usual being highly emotional, and realized that could have been a description of my parenting. I feel so bound up and tight in my approach to teaching these amazing kids. I feel like I am working hard, maybe too hard. Everyday I am trying to find a way to 'teach' them. What have we accomplished today? What are we learning with this activity? How can I document this or blog about it in a way that will help me feel successful. My mental, emotional, and spiritual muscles are working so hard to be 'successful' that I can't seem to relax enough to let the other parts of me (creative, easy going, light hearted, humorist) take over and just enjoy the journey.
Recently I discovered the joy of yoga. I am pursuing it with passion. I love it. I think the parallel of trying to relax my muscles and trying to relax my mind are exactly what I need. It helps me consider the possibility of letting go, of balance, of play, of relaxing into the moment and then letting it go.
This journey I am on as a homeschool mom has opened so many places inside of me. I realize I have some trauma from my own schooling and childhood that I am processing. It is challenging to separate my past with our present. Yoga is helping me open my heart and begin to see the journey in front of me not the path behind me. I am starting to trust myself. I am beginning to heal the wounds and let myself believe in all the good that can come.
Until then I will be sharing our stories of struggle and uncertainty. Although I feel hopeful I don't feel anywhere near successful. I am so grateful for the wonderful homeschool and gifted communities for the support and stories of families on similar journeys. I know I am not alone and I know in time we will find our rhythm. If you are out there feeling the struggle and slight hopelessness I hope you will find some comfort knowing you are not alone. I do believe this is only going to get better!!
Blessings,
Shauna
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