Of course that means on the mat, we are more than our physical posture. Our Warrior pose is more than a lunge that tones the butt and stretches the hamstrings. Our Warrior becomes an opportunity to be in our power, to bring our inner strength and determination into physical play. Warrior brings us the chance to connect our inner power with the divine power of our community and our planet. A yogi would be hard pressed to lovingly hold virabhadrasana eka (warrior 1) and not feel a sense of inner strength being nurtured as much as their calves and quads working hard.

But what happens when we have a bad day? When our inner strength feels minimized by the rougher waves of life? What about a co-worker who inadvertantly strips you of dignity with a bad joke? Then someone pushes their way ahead of you in line as you run out of time on your lunch break? In the afternoon a great idea you had for a project fails to get funding? Your best friend moves across the country and the neighbors dog left a steaming gift in your garden? What happens when you show up at Yoga class feeling powerless?

To be whole and practice union we can not simply leave our emotions in the change room with our shoes. Maybe we unroll the mat and find our bodies invited into Warrior and our legs tremble and the the mind wanders off to a bowl of popcorn, the couch and a favorite movie. We may try and leave the losses of our day behind as we determinedly cast our gaze to the wall beyond the teacher and we think we are getting stronger, burning away our heart aches, being in the moment. Right?

Maybe. At least until Vira Eka is transformed to Vira Dwi (warrior 2), a hip opens, followed by the shoulders and there is a good chance those tissues ever present in the corner of the room are waiting to wipe away tears. Hip and heart openers have a grand way of freeing emotions. To practice Yoga, to find union in ourselves it is not possible to deny the emotional body that even when it seems invisible travels along with our physical bodies, especially to the Yoga mat.

It’s okay to cry in Yoga class. It’s why we invest in tissues.

It’s also okay to let your body out of the powerful seat of standing squat or warrior 1 and rest in the safety of childs pose with the tissues nearby. No one will think you are weird. Your teacher will not think you are being a wimp. Your teacher will likely know that you are practicing Yoga beyond the physical experience and I hope he or she will allow you to feel safe and comfortable doing so. Don’t be surprised though, if you leave Yoga feeling better, more open to the joy that allows us to appreciate the doggy gift as an opportunity to get out in the garden and smell the flowers after you have disposed of th poo, of course.

Here is a great blog on the same topic written by Julie Deardorff who says “The issues show up in the tissues”. She is not referring to the tissues that come in a box.

Could yoga make you cry?
Yoga as therapy: ‘The issues show up in the tissues’

In yoga, the hips do more than help us stand and move; they store some of our emotional baggage. Loosen them up through a series of physical postures, and you might feel an inexplicable urge to weep.

When it happened to me after a vigorous hip-opening class, I was bewildered; I had no idea where the tears were coming from. Read the rest here.

Most days students will excitedly ask after class, “What was that?!” followed by “Where can I buy it?”

China Gel is a topical pain reliever with active ingredients that include, menthol, camphor and lavendar. The result is a tingly sensation on the skin that wams and softens the muscles as well as a relaxing and refreshing aromatherapy.

China Gel was formulated by a chiropractor. The unique blend of ingredients will soothe tired muscles, relieve aches and pains, and the well balanced blend of aroma’s leaves you feeling open and inspired.

Preliminary research indicates that when China Gel is massaged into tight or sore muscles for five minutes or more, the body begins to release endorphins that not only relieve pain but stimulate healing in the body.

Dew Yoga is now distributing China Gel.

4 oz Jar China Gel $14.00
8 oz. Jar China Gel $28.00

Call Jen 524-2919 to pre-order, the first shipment should arrive by the end of the week. Or stop by the studio next week to purchase.

Prices above include CT sales tax. Cash or check only please.

Do you know that Webster’s has 32 definitions for the word grace? Here’s the definitions that pertain to my week.

Theology. a. the freely given, unmerited favor and love of God.
b. the influence or spirit of God operating in humans to regenerate or strengthen them.
c. a virtue or excellence of divine origin: the Christian graces.
d. Also called state of grace. the condition of being in God’s favor or one of the elect.
9. moral strength: the grace to perform a duty.

It has continued to touch me all week and continues to reveal it self still.

Someone very dear to me lost her husband after a long, diligent battle against cancer. To witness her go though this over the last five years, has been nothing short of grace. Her faith is as strong as titanium and as deep as the Mariana’s trench. (look it up-geography lesson). She has grieved publically and privately and will continue to do so for a while, but to watch her live her life in the very real and present moment, has been not only a testament to faith, but to life. She radiates in her faith from which derives this strength. If we could all live in faith, what a wonderful world it would be.

In class yesterday I was again blessed by grace. I had a new student who came to try my class. I was told at the front desk, she was here and had brought her son. Her 36 year old autistic son, who was also going to take the class. I entered the studio, filled with a lot of bodies and saw them. At the side of the room, mat by mat and all ready to go. They appeared to glow. The love between mother and son, the compassion and the grace. They did the whole class but it was in savasana that I lost it. Yes, dear reader, I lost it. The tears coming down my face as I watched this young man settle into savasana, head turned to face his mother, with such a look of love and gratitude. It was a privilege to witness this expression of grace in action.

As I think more about grace, I am convinced that all of life is grace. As Ramakrishna says “The wind’s of God’s grace are always blowing, it is for us to raise our sails.” We are alive through grace. If you don’t believe this, take one look at your amazing body and all that it is!
Rumi reminds us “Give up to grace. The ocean takes care of each wave till it gets to shore. You need more help than you think.” Sometimes the waves on the sea of life get rough. Life can get overwhelming, we find ourselves in situations that are more than we think we can handle, we lose loved ones, we grieve and we get depressed. Yet in the middle of it all, God is present. When we surrender to the divine, we can claim the exquisite consciousness that we are living in grace. The divine is steering our boat in the storm and we are safe. We are safe in the divine and grace is the natural state of our lives.

To leave a comment for Elysa, click below.

To read more about her click here.

Don’t you ever wonder which muscles lift the rib cage when we breathe? Or what moves when we contract the rhomboids? Okay, maybe students don’t come up with the same questions as Yoga teachers who want to keep their students safe. Perhaps, though, you have wondered why your shoulder tends to ache in Eagle pose and which muscle is responsible for the bodies cry for relief.

Bandhayoga.com has all the visual answers we could want – and more! This is the coolest site ever! The creators are Dr. Ray Long, Orthopedic Surgeon as well as student of BKS Iyengar and Chris Macivor a 3D Graphic Designer and Illustrator. Together they have created a series of 3D Yoga books that demonstrate the skeletal and muscular anatomy of the body. All the pics below are linked to their source, so go check out the real deal – animated and in depth.

The website is a bit of a marketing showcase for their books and it is one that works well because if I had the extra loot right now, I’d buy the enitre series of books. In any case, students and teachers alike can spy inside the body to see what the skeleton and muscles are actually doing in different postures and breath practices. Better yet, the web versions are animated so for instance, you can see this guy breathing in real time and zoom in on the muscle groups involved.

There is a wide range of postures to choose from in the 3D Pose Viewer that rotates the body 360 degrees.

Or Look at posture flows that focus on a certain muscle or group, for example the Psoas.

I wish I had this resource during my teacher training and I am very glad to have it now. Thank you Ray and Chris for sharing as much as you do on the web. I will definitely put your complete series on my reading wish list.

Yesterday, after taking a class at a studio I had never been to, I talked to the teacher and told her how much I enjoyed her class. As we talked, I mentioned I was a teacher and that’s when it happened. You may be asking “what’ it is?” It is one of the things that bonds teachers. It is probably the most important thing to all teachers, the first rule in my book….that rule, the reason I teach, like a doctor who has take the Hippocratic oath: FIRST DO NO HARM!

She could not believe there was a woman in class chewing gum! Yes, folks, chewing gum! Now isn’t one of the reasons we practice yoga is to focus on our breath and ourselves?! How may I ask, can you focus on a pose and allow yourself to drop into it, when your jaw is molesting a piece of Bubble Yum!??! Not to mention your breath!? How can you breathe and chew gum? I know this may sound easy to some of you, but in a yoga class, doing deep breath work, it’s not. Trust me! Think kappalabati…..need I say more?

That’s when the war stories came out……

The one about the pregnant woman who was 7 months pregnant doing belly down work, the woman who was paralyzed 3 years ago on her right side, the guy with rotator cuff surgery last week, the woman with the steel rod in her spine, the knee/back surgery last month, the every day pains and aches. Dare I go on?

We ask, because we care! We ask, because we don’t want to harm you and we don’t want you to harm you. Yoga is a non-harmful discipline. One that can spread into life off the mat. For as we live on the mat, we live off. Why would want to do anything to yourself or others that causes injury, harm, pain or loss??? Life should be lived joyously and without harm. It should feel good and when it’s not, you can make a decision to keep harming or change the situation. It’s really that simple. Look at your own lives. When things were not in a good place, you made changes. I did. Sometimes, I stayed with the pain until it got to F@#*ing painful, other times, I didn’t stay as long. Sometimes, I stayed because I liked the pain, it was a known, anything else was painful and scary. Same with the physical practice of yoga. A stretch should feel good, not awful. You know the kind where your face squinches up and you turn red……or your shoulders reach your ears as you are reaching for your toes for dear life. We see that and guess what, you are hurting yourself. Where’s the safety in that?

I am serious folks. The next time you are in a class and the teacher ask “Is there anything going on in your bodies I should know about? Injuries, situations, or anything I should be aware of?” PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE speak up. You don’t have to tell us out loud if you don’t want, call us over discreetly. You can also arrive early and talk to us before class. We aren’t asking because we are being nosey, we are asking because we care. If it was serious to you, than it should be something for us to be aware of especially if we offer adjustments.

Those of us who teach, really enjoy teaching and want you to feel safe, share your experience with us. If for any reason you don’t feel safe or if you had a questions, please let us know. We are here for you.

Elysa DeMartini is a Kripalu Yoga teacher in Stamford, CT. Read more about her here.

According to Annelise Hagen,”…it is a technique for beauty, wellness, and facial rejuvenation through Yoga and facial exercise.” Hagen is a Yoga teacher and author of the book, “The Yoga Face: Eliminate Wrinkles with the Ultimate Natural Facelift.”,

A Manhattan studio hosts Hagen’s Face Yoga classes where she teaches students to exercise the muscles of the face for better circulation, toning and stretching. The class is recommended for students who want to find outer and inner beauty.

It seems a bit of a stretch to me to consider this a Yoga class but I have not attended. It seems to be successful and is appreciated by students.

“Working in New York is very stressful,” Kathy Healey said. ”It’s a perfect way to end the week.” She was quoted in an MSNBC Skin and Beauty article here. In fact a bit of buzz on the topic has begun.

Of course with every buzz there are critics and skeptics. Even I am a bit torn on the topic. Without judgment, I accept that human beings do have ego, are vain and are subject to some societal norm of ‘beauty’. I also feel that taking Yoga classes solely for the purpose of trying to appear younger than you are is not so well alligned with certain Yogic principles; truth, acceptance, contentment and self study.

Apparently I am not alone. Renowned Yoga teacher Rodney Yee is quoted:

“That is the antithesis of yoga, pretending to be something that you’re not,” he says. “There is a beauty in becoming older.” From a Gaiam community article here.

Perhaps Leta Koontz from Schoolhouse Yoga in Pittsburgh has a more balanced or holistic approach by including face exercises in her regular classes. She reminds her students to keep facial muscles relaxed. “It’s very synergistic,” she says. “Whatever the body is doing, it continues into the face.”

Not surprisingly, the majority of doctors polled on the topic were skeptical, particularly, plastic surgeons as reported in New York Magazine here.

Which brings me to another wrinkle related buzz.

What is Botox?

According to the National Institute of Health, “Botox is a drug made from a toxin produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum. It’s the same toxin that causes a life-threatening type of food poisoning called botulism. Doctors use it in small doses to treat health problems, including:

Temporary removal of facial wrinkles ….”

Recent news about the life threatening dangers of Botox reminded me of how I felt when several years ago, I read about this great break through in cosmetic medicine. Cosmetic surgeons injected a strain of botulism to patient’s faces to cure wrinkles!

Are wrinkles a disease? And should we cure them by injecting poison into the face?

Around 2002, a husband and wife doctor team discovered that Botox, which was successfully being used since 1980 to treat strabismus, could be injected into the face to smooth wrinkles by swelling the tissue beneath. The story I know is that they tried it on themselves first.

There are also other, non-cosmetic, medical uses for Botox, including pediatric incontinence, chronic neck pain and other eye disorders. On a personal note, it so happens that in 1983 at 13 years old a nasty stomch virus left me with weakened muscles in one eye causing strabismus (I was cross-eyed). My opthamologist, Dr. Richard Banyard (an excellent doctor and a very kind man in Greenwich, CT) must have considered botox injections as a possible treatment protocol. By then it had been in use for 2-3 years. However, I am glad that he felt more confident in an attempt to surgically shorten the muscles of the weak eye, in hopes that the muscles could then be exercised and strengthened. It was a bit of an experiment and became a case study, and was a huge success. After fewer weeks than predicted performing eye exercises my ‘crossed’ eye was realigned. Surgery is traumatic but my body was able to recover and heal itself from within. The effects of Botox are temporary and maybe it’s my predilection for purity but I am okay with not having put botulism in my body.

There have been medical successes for patients with excessive muscle contractions. In these cases, without other treatment options, it is a miracle that a poison can be used to heal. As is described in this 1995 FDA article which concludes with the warning: Not for Wrinkles …such unapproved use as “an egregious example of promoting a potentially toxic biologic for cosmetic purposes.”

Then in 2002 Botox was approved by the FDA for cosmetic use.

A wikipedia article states that as of 2006 Botox injections were the most common cosmetic operation in the USA.

Now in 2008 the FDA is warning us that injections of the poison, botulinium toxin type A, could have life threatening consequences.

If you are now wrinkling your forehead in worry about that appointment you made for next week, educate yourself well. A Westport, CT plastic surgeon has rebutted this latest news, you can read his comments here.

I admit, I have moments when I don’t recognize the me in the mirror becase it seems overnight she has aged. My daughter and I are conflicted over the right light in the bathroom. I prefer a soft light, I call it ‘gentle’. She prefers the bright day light like bulbs right over the mirror, she calls it ‘truth’. We are human, we age, sometimes it is not so easy to accept the years gone by when we see them represented as lines in our faces, shiny scalps or silvering hair. But Botox, no thank you. Facial Yoga, I will probably pass on that too. I will however, keep up my practice of Yoga and with faith keep workng on my practice of non-judgment, self acceptance and purity.

This is Bruno, a 7 year old Bull Mastiff that is kind enough to share his house with my family.

Bruno’s worried expression, furrowed brow and droopy jowls make him unique. He gets twisted compliments, ‘he’s so ugly that he is cute.’ or ‘that is a face only a mother could love’.

Could you imagine if dog’s had human like ego? Would Bruno opt for cosmetic surgery? Would he attempt exercises to change his appearance.

I don’t know but he does naturally do a spectacular downward facing dog and I have observed him stretching in the morning, even stretching his face with some similarity to Lion Face.

I do know that if it feels good to stretch, then we should stretch, the spine, the shoulders, the face. I also know it feels good to release tension from the face. Throughout asana instruction in my classes, I often remind students to relax the jaw or soften the eyes.

People can hold plenty of tension and stress in the face and it probably serves our age lines well to keep worrying about the wrinkles that worrying will cause!

So maybe that is a good place to start, let go of worrying about wrinkles.

Then allow your inner beauty to radiate outward by appreciating your compassionate heart, your powerful mind and the miraculous gifts of a physical body that can do so much and is each unique.

What we might consider flaws, faults, scars or signs of old age might really be worn proudly as medals, mementos and reminders of our unique life experiences. Your laugh lines can be a sign of abundant joy in your life. My crow’s feet may be a memento of all the light I witness in my family, my students and of course the ever radiant sun.

Swamiji wrote a beautiful poem here.

“…Accept yourself as you are
Love yourself as you are;
Just be what you are
Just be what you are.”

Ever have a sinus infection? I am among those of you who raised your hand, nodded your head or clenched up as you recalled the experience of sinus pain, headache, sensitive eyes, stuffy head or that seemingly endless outpouring of mucous from the nose.

Gross. Yes. And very uncomfortable. Sinus infections affect men, women and children of all ages. They occur when there is a build up of mucous in the sinus passages. This can happen as a result of cold, flu or allergies. Once the sinuses become so clogged that infection has set in and the mucous being expelled from the nose has taken on technicolor green and yellow hues, it is time for a course of antibiotics.

There is help before you get to the fluorescent snot stage! For optimal sinus health and sinusitis preventions….Neti Pot to the rescue!!

Since I began Neti, I have not developed a sinus infection again.

If you are not familiar with the practice of Neti, take big breath and as you exhale, open your mind. Neti might seem like a strange thing to do. I assure you it is not uncomfortable and with practice becomes a pleasant and soothing experience.

Jala Neti is a Yoga Kriya. Kriyas are cleansing techniques that were described in the Hatha Yoga Pradipika, which is one of the three main Yoga scriptures.

Neti has been practiced in other parts of the world for a very long time. In India it is as common as brushing one’s teeth. Doctors here in the USA are starting to understand the benefits of this practice and they call it Nasal Irrigation. Which means that Neti pots are becoming easier to find and most pharmacies as well as health food stores sell them.

Neti is performed by pouring a warm solution of salt water into one side of the nose and letting it run out the other. The result is removal of mucous from inside the sinus cavities, a gentle cleansing of the nasal passageways and an instantly clearer head. When the sinuses and nasal passages are clear there is a greater exchange of gas that occurs when we breathe. After Neti, it is common to feel a burst of clarity and vitality. The same feeling one gets when taking in pure oxygen. Or if you ever visited a casino in Las Vegas, the same feeling as when you walk under their oxygen vents strategically placed in the entrance that leave you exclaiming, “Wow, I am awake, alive and ready to roll!”.

Neti is performed in three stages, I will only discuss stage 1 practice here.

1. Buy a Neti Pot. I advise against creating a homemade container to dispense water in your nose. A pot costs from $15-$25, are designed to hold exactly 10 oz. water and are made of ceramic to be washed and reused.

How much do we spend on each sinus infection for:

Sudafed (or other decongestant)
Antibiotics
Tissues

It’s a good investment even at $25.00.

You can find one at your local health food store, general pharmacy or order one online.

2. Wash out your new Neti Pot and then fill with warm water (about body temperature) and 1/4 teaspoon fine salt (non-iodized). You can buy Neti Salt for about $3 but any non-iodized finely ground sea salt is fine. Stir the salt into the water until dissolved.

3. Gently blow your nose to remove any loose stuff in the nostrils.

4. Lean forward over the sink. Place the spout of the pot into the right nostril, firmly enough that it creates a seal and tilt your head to the left.

5. Breathe easily through the mouth as the water pours in the right nostril, fills and rinses the sinus cavities and then streams out the left nostril and down the drain with all the gunk that’s been hanging around in there!

Note: if you are very congested or it is your first time using Neti and the water does not come through the other side of the nose, let the water pour in the right nostril and then remove the pot and let it come out the same side of the nose. Repeat on the other side, again and again until the water in the pot is gone. It might take time for some bigger blockages to soften. Persistence pays off and you will ultimately get it flowing in one side and out the other.

6. When the pot is empty, turn your head back to center and gently blow the nose through both nostrils, clearing out any water that remained.

7. Repeat on the other side.

8. Optional. If you know Kappala Bhati pranayama, it is a good additional practice after jalaneti.

Further Note: You might begin with half pot per side of the nose. It might take time to work up to a full 10oz per nostril.

Furthest Note: Be careful with recommendations to use a solution called Alkolol in your Neti pot. It is a menthol and eucalpytus mucous solvent that is sometimes sold with or recommended for use in Neti Pot. I tried this once. ONLY once. The directions on the bottle suggest using a 50% to full strength solution. I tried a 25% solution with warm water and felt as though I was filled with wasabi. After my gasping, eye watering, skull burning and horse like snorting subsided, I decided that Alkolol was a bit too harsh for me. Trust me, warm water and salt work just as well and are much kinder.

It is a gentle, soothing and wonderful health practice. It can be done every day. Or as a supportive measure when challenged by cold or allergy symptoms. It is very useful after contact with dust, dirt or pollutants.

And it seems far gentler than another Neti Kriya called Sutra Neti which is performed by threading a piece of cloth up the nose and pulling it out the mouth. Not sure the “west” is ready for that yet. I haven’t tried this yet (pictured below). I will let you know if I ever do.

Have questions? Let me know, leave a comment or send me an e-mail, I am happy to support the beginner.

Not convinced? Check out the results of a 12 month study done in Australia, read it here.

Lot’s of resources are available online too. Here is a whole website dedicated to jalaneti.

A wikipedia page here.

This is not Ganesha but a sweet little elephant to remind us of the Hindu Deity AKA the Remover of Obstacles and Blesser of Beginnings. I will let him walk over this post as a blessing for Thursday evenings on the lawn. Thanks to Sage for sending the animated elephant to me!

On the Summer Solstice a delightful group of Yogin showed for the first outdoor Yoga class. So did dark clouds, then rain, then thunder and finally some huge gusts of wind that took our breath away as well as leaves from the tree we took cover under.

Thank you all for attending, for braving the rain drops before they became rain storm and for smiling about it right to the end. If we couldn’t have laughed a little I don’t know if I’d have the courage to try this again. And yes, I will be there again next week and every Thursday until Labor Day.

We raised $40.00 for PETA, so far! Please, keep up the smiles and join us next week for another exciting installment of Yoga on the grass!

That brings me to Ganesha. (Sometimes Ganesh or Ganesa), a much loved deity who really looks like this:

Ganesha is the first born son of Shiva, an intellectual master, and a very popular Hindu God because he is said to remove obstacles, bless new beginnings in love, business, life, ventures, etc. Ganesha also destroys pride, vanity, and egoism and is sometimes called the Lord of Good Fortune. He has four arms with hands holding various symbols to bless and to rid devotees of obstacles. He is a man with an elephant head and rides a mouse. In some teachings the mouse respresents desire and some say it symbolizes ego, in either case, Ganesha rides upon it, keeping it under his control and using it to carry himself forward. He has a big belly, full from swallowing the sorrows of the world, big ears for listening well and a small mouth for speaking minimally. What’s not to love about Ganesha?

Call upon the symbolism of Ganesha whenever you begin a new venture, enter a new phase of life or face a challenge. He will bring us support, wisdom, courage and modesty in our successes.

Ganesha, bless our Thursday Yoga classes on the lawn, allow us to support PETA and one another throughout the summer.

Here’s a little more about Ganesh: