Total - Health - Yoga - and more

SCHEDULE AND CONTACT INFO

2009-09-14T12:28:00.004-05:00

Due to difficulties with the Total Health Yoga web site host, Stokia, the previous email and web site are no longer available. I realize this is a fraction of what was available on the site, but here is some of the most pertinent information:

Contact

TotalHealthYoga@wi.rr.com

414-708-5750

Private classes available in Menomonee Falls or where you live

$10 off for multiple 1-hour classes paid for at once

$65/hour at the Menomonee Falls Home Studio

$75-105/hour, based on distance from Home Studio, at your home or workplace

More than one person? Add $5/extra person

To schedule or ask questions, please call Kris at 414-708-5750 or email totalhealthyoga@wi.rr.com.

Group Schedule

Mondays 5:30-7:00 pm @ First Unitarian Milwaukee 414-273-5257
Tuesdays 5:30-7:00 pm @ Menomonee Falls Home Studio 414-708-5750
Wednesdays 9:00-10:30 am @ First Unitarian Milwaukee 414-273-5257

Please call the numbers above or Kris at Total Health Yoga (414-708-5750) to verify class schedule or for rate details. For the Tuesday night class you may also email totalhealthyoga@wi.rr.com.

Who is Total Health Yoga

Total Health Yoga is a small business owned and operated by Kris Kramer. Here's a short bio about myself:

I am a Certified Yoga Teacher from Deep Peace Yoga with Todd Norian in a Yoga Alliance approved program. Yoga entered my life around 1999, and I began teaching in 2002. Throughout my studies, many teachers have shared pieces of their knowledge with me. The ones that have really stuck out are Donna Farhi, Erich Schiffmann, John Friend, Rodney Yee, Doug Keller, Aadil Palkhavala, and Rod Stryker.

In 2008, I began to move towards the Viniyoga style which involves moving in and out of positions with the breath. Viniyoga has a very therapeutic nature about it and stresses the individual. As a matter of fact, most Viniyoga classes are done one-on-one. In group classes everyone is encouraged to listen to their body and adapt the poses to fit them--not the other way around.

I've had the privilege to work with Gary Kraftsow, founder of the American Viniyoga Institute, on a couple of occasions and have studied this style with literature by the Mohan's, Desikachar, and Kraftsow.

Aside from Yoga, my interests and studies involve other walks of life, such as Tai Chi, Native American Spirituality, and living a conscious and aware life. All of this is reflected in my teachings. As new knowledge comes my way, I share it in classes.

Testimonials and Class Descriptions

Available upon request.

Policies

Classes at First Unitarian: If, for any reason, a class is missed during a session, you may make up the class, at any location, within 8 weeks of the missed class. If you are unable to attend a make up class, you are welcome to bring a guest or “give” the missed class to someone else.

Classes at Home Studio: These classes run on a package system, which already has built in time to miss a class or more, depending on the package you select. If you miss and want to make it up, you are welcome to attend a class at First Unitarian within 10 weeks of the missed class.

Snow or Inclement Weather: If the weather is questionable, call 414-708-5750 to verify if a class has been cancelled. Class cancellations will be determined at least one hour prior to class start time.
Cancelled classes due to weather will NOT be re-scheduled and package passes will NOT be extended. They will be treated like any missed classes; see above procedures for options in this case.

Refunds: There are no refunds. If you are signed up for a session or package and simply cannot make the classes, you are allowed to transfer your session or package to someone else.

Love Much,

Kris

Today is the first day of the rest of your life!

Asthma Help - Love the Exhale!

2009-09-14T09:15:00.000-05:00

Every year it seems more people I know have asthma. I'm not sure if it's age, diet, environment, or something totally different.

Regardless there is a quick breathing technique that can be very helpful:

Inhale through the nostrils and take long slow exhales through the mouth with a straw. The inhales remain through the nose, but each exhale imagine a feather on the end of the straw and breath out so smoothly and slowly that this imaginary feather barely moves. Use the abdominals to gently lengthen the out breath. Then release the belly and let the inbreath come in naturally. Do this 10-12 times.

Many people diagnosed with asthma focus on the inhale which is the first mistake. An inhale has nowhere to go if a full exhale hasn't preceded it! So exhale deep and long first. This will also slow the heart rate and lower anxiety which easily aggravates an asthmatic condition.

Finally, when inhaling don't force it; just relax the belly and the breath will deepen as the exhales deepen.

By the way, this technique is wonderful for anyone looking to calm down and release tension.

Best of luck!

Kris

Taking a Break

2009-06-22T09:07:00.003-05:00

To all of you that have checked in, commented, or followed this blog, thank you. Currently my life is taking on some transitions and I find transitioning easier when my energy is on where I am going and taking more time to clean up--literally, I'm talking the piles on the desk, at the bedside, and spewed about the kitchen counter. Between that, the kids being home for school break, and our wonderful--all too short--summer finally here, I find taking time to blog is like a task instead of a joy. Being someone that likes to limit tasks and increase joy, this blog will be inactive, at least for the time being.

If you're looking for an inspirational and authentic yoga blog there are many out there. Doug Keller at www.doyoga.com gets deep into the philosophy and is one of the kindest gentlest people I've ever met. Nadine Fawell at http://nadinefawell.net/blog-posts/ is filled with love, honesty, and really embodies (in my opinion) what the yogic path is about. There are other wonderful ones out there, these are just two with very different voices on similar paths.

My facebook (through extras@wi.rr.com) and my email are still up at least for now.

Thanks again and may I part with these words from Yogi Tea,

Travel light,
live light,
spread the light,
be the light.

Follow your own path, everyone elses is already taken,

Kris
www.TotalHealthYoga.com

Today is the first day of the rest of your life!

I CHOOSE LOVE

2009-06-08T16:54:00.005-05:00

(Photo from http://shawngallaway.com/)

This is amazing! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AMOMgQCRAqM

Choose Love,

Kris
http://www.totalhealthyoga.com/

Today is the first day of the rest of your life!

Spiritual Beings

2009-06-03T12:46:00.004-05:00

My son, Jake, just posted the following on Facebook:

"Man and god are one and the same. Man need only strip away the illusion of god as we see him now and see the truth. Man is not god.......god is man. - Jake Kramer(to the best of my knowledge)"

He's 14.

Love Much,

Kris
www.TotalHealthYoga.com

Today is the first day of the rest of your life!

Master Yoda

2009-06-01T10:00:00.000-05:00

Is Yoda a Yogi?

Okay, so he's short, green and has three toes--not your typical yogi. I've yet to see him doing trikonasana (triangle) or suyra namaskar (sun salutation). However, his wisdom is profound and universal.

So what is a yogi? Just because someone practices asanas (hatha yoga postures) or teaches a yoga class does that make them a yogi? Krishnamacharya (the father of most yoga practiced today) said, "Anyone who claimed to be a yogi, wasn't." (pg. 23 Yoga and the Living Tradition of Krishnamacharya) Even though this great master, who only allowed the title "Professor" to be bestowed upon him, may not have called himself a yogi, those around him would say he was. Looking to his son, T. K. V. Desikachar for a definition of yogi we find the following: "[A yogi is] someone adept at yoga." (pg. 242 The Heart of Yoga)

Pantanjali laid out a concise definition of yoga 2000 years ago in the Yoga Sutras. "Yoga is the restriction of the whirls of consciousness." (pg 215 The Yoga Tradition) So to be precise, perhaps no one alive today is truly a yogi. But Yoda does move entire ships with shear concentration and oneness with his surroundings. That's gotta count for something!

Additionally, notice some of the wise words that this sage brings us and the correlations to yoga wisdom:

"Try not. Do or do not, there is no try." (Simply "do your work in the peace of yoga, free from selfish desires, not moved by success or failure." pg 223 The Bhagavad Gita in Yoga Masters)

"Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering.” (Fear stems from thoughts of loss--loss of materials, relationships, respect, or life itself. To see that we are not our things, relationships, attitudes, or even our physical bodies is part of the self-actualization that yoga brings. When we know this, fear disappears.)

“Death is a natural part of life. Rejoice for those around you who transform into the Force. Mourn them do not. Miss them do not. Attachment leads to jealously. The shadow of greed, that is.” (We practice savasana -- corpse -- at the conclusion of almost every class to remind us that death is part of life. To bring us back to Source and temporarily release the physical body.)

“Named must your fear be before banish it you can.” (Svadhayaya, self-study, is one of the attitudes Pantanjali cites as part of the practice of yoga.)

"Energy surrounds us and binds us. Luminous beings are we, not this crude matter. You must feel the Force around you; here, between you, me, the tree, the rock, everywhere, yes. Even between the land and the ship." (Samadhi--the highlight of meditation--is to merge with an object.)

"[Luke:] I can’t believe it. [Yoda:] That is why you fail." ("The mind controls the body." pg 44 Japanese Yoga)

"Feel the force!" ("We are one with the universe, we are therefore imbued with the energy of the universe..." pg 27 Japanese Yoga)

So what do you think? Is Yoda a yogi?

Kris
http://www.totalhealthyoga.com/

Today is the first day of the rest of your life!

Daily Words of Wisdom

2009-05-21T10:57:00.002-05:00

Thanks to Heather Walton in California for typing all these words of wisdom from Yogi Tea bags. I took the liberty to omit two of them, due to word choices that didn't resonate with me. Several of the ones below touch my heart deeply, and my hope is that you, too, will gain from these reminders of who we are and how to live.

"The purpose of life is to enjoy every moment."

"Delight the world with compassion, kindness and grace."

"Laugh because that is your purpose in life."

"Happiness is every human beings birthright."

"Real happiness lies in that which never comes nor goes, but simply is."

"Travel light, live light, spread the light, be the light."

"Bliss cannot be disturbed by gain or loss."

"Compassion has no limit. Kindness has no enemy."

"Appreciate yourself and honor your soul."

"Grace brings trust, appreciation, love and compassion."

"Love is where compassion prevails and kindness rules."

"An attitude of gratitude brings opportunities."

"Recognize that the other is you."

"Life is a flow of love; your participation is requested."

"Where there is love there is no question."

"The best way to life is to be, simply be."

"When you know that all is light, you are enlightened."

"Your head must bow to your heart."

"Your greatness is not what you have, it's what you give."

"Your greatest strength is love."

"Fall in love, stay in love, and it will decide everything."

"All that is needed is surrender and gratitude."

"The soul is projection. Represent it."

"To be calm is the highest achievement of the self."

"There is nothing more precious than the self."

"The universe is the stage on which you dance, guided by your heart."

"There is no love without compassion."

Dare to Love When You Think You Cannot,

Kris
www.TotalHealthYoga.com

Today is the first day of the rest of your life!

Ashtanga Yoga - Jois leaves the world of form

2009-05-20T13:34:00.002-05:00

Thanks to Nadine Fawell for bringing it my attention that Sri K Pattabhi Jois passed away on May 18, 2009 after gracing this earth for over 90 years.

Jois studied with Krishnamacharya, the father of most yogas today. Taking his own views on hatha yoga and using the knowledge he had acquired, Ashtanga Yoga was born.

Today Ashtanga Yoga is one of the most popular styles in America. While questing for a style that suited me over the last decade or so, Ashtanga was one of the paths I followed for a brief period. Although it did not speak to me personally, the impact Jois had on the world and thousands of people is commendable--his dedication and strength, admirable.

I know that my next practice--regardless of what style I choose--will be dedicated to this devoted and much loved man.

Namaste,

Kris
www.TotalHealthYoga.com

Today is the first day of the rest of your life!

Japanese Yoga

2009-05-11T12:31:00.003-05:00

A friend and I have been emailing about the authenticity -- or lack thereof -- in many of the world famous yoga teachers today. I wonder if those that have fame and appear to have lost the true meaning of yoga and living a life of ahimsa (non-violence) began with inner peace and the challenges of being in such high demand threw them or if they never really "got it" to begin with.

The teachings found in Japanese Yoga by H. E. Davey align with what my heart tells me is true. This book crossed my path quite unexpectedly which makes it all the more divine.

A month or so ago, my son's Japanese class requested that I come in to teach them some yoga. After making sure they understood that Yoga was from India, and not Japan, I agreed. While investigating to see if there was any correlation between Japan and Yoga, the name Dr. Nakamura Tempu came up. He is known as "the father of yoga in Japan." Davey's book provides an interesting, if not fascinating, story of Dr. Nakamura's life.

I am only about a quarter of the way into the book, but so far it's very impressive and rings true to me. Here are a few excerpts that will give you an idea of the foundational mindset and attitude behind this style of yoga:

"I absolutely reject [the role of guru or spiritual authority]. To look to another for the truth is to miss the Way of the universe that's eternally right before our eyes. It's to attempt to see through the eyes of another person, and it is destined to result in delusion--the follower believes he's seen the truth, but he's only seen a reflection of the truth at best, and the leader believes he or she is doing something right because of the worshipful attitude of the followers." (pg 11)

"[We] are one with the universe, we are therefore imbued with the energy of the universe (ki in Japan, prana in India), and, as a result, we can learn directly from the universe itself." (pg. 27)

"[The] body acts as a reflection of the mind." (pg. 44)

The premise is that truth is only known when you experience it yourself. Davey continuously stresses the reader to perform the exercises repeatedly to see for yourself what is happening. The exercises I've used so far are about discovering for yourself the power of the mind in the body.

It's refreshing to find a teaching that truly guides the participant so that they may discover for themselves what is true instead of claiming it must be true because some yogi with a lot of experience or even an ancient text says so.

To finding your own inner guru,

Kris
http://www.totalhealthyoga.com/

Today is the first day of the rest of your life!

Is Ear Candling Safe?

2009-05-09T22:58:00.007-05:00

Is ear candling safe? Being into complementary and alternative medicine, I decided to try ear candling. It felt odd and was fun in a strange "let's-do-something-different" kind of way, but I really wondered if all the crap left in the candle could possibly have come out of my ear. Reputable sources claimed great concern over this procedure and warned against doing it. On the other hand, folks working at the local health store said it helped them greatly over the years.

So I decided to run an experiment to uncover the truth regarding this practice. The nice clean glass below served as the inside of a nice clean ear.

Next I placed the ear candle over the cup and lit it--just as you would do over your own ear if you were so inclined to use ear candles. The first thing I noticed was a large amount of sooty smoke filling the glass (our ear for this experiment). When it was done here's how the glass looked (remember this is what could be left inside your ear canal.

To give you a better picture, here's a clean spoon.

Now here's the same spoon after scooping out the gunk from the bottom of the glass (this is the junk left in your ear after candling).

Additionally, ear candling proponents claim that the inside of the candle will suck up the wax from your ear thus cleaning it out. To "prove" this, you can cut the candle open and see all the supposed ear wax. Below is a photo of the ear wax that was sucked up.

Of course, the only problem with this is that wasn't even over an ear!! But rather a completely clean glass!

So take my advise and stay away from this detrimental hoax.

In good health,

Kris
http://www.totalhealthyoga.com/

Today is the first day of the rest of your life!

Yoga is no laughing matter!! Or is it.... - Laughing Yoga

2009-04-27T10:14:00.000-05:00

"My karma ran over my dogma.... "

"Some people talk about finding God, as if He or She could get lost."

"When two psychic friends met, one said: 'You are fine. How am I ?' "

(Jokes complements of http://www.swamij.com/jokes.htm.)

Reader's Digest reminds us in it's monthly column, "Laughter is the Best Medicine." This is not just a catching title; it's true!

Mayo Clinic sites various benefits of laughter such as stimulating the organs, increasing endorphins, relaxes the body while giving it a work out, increases circulation, aids with digestion, improves the immune system, and acts as a natural pain killer. Not to mention the fact that it's just plain fun!

In Hal Urban's book, Life's Greatest Lessons, he shares stories of how Thomas Edison and Albert Einstein used humor and play to break the tension of too much thinking. "[Edison not only maintained] hundreds of notebooks full of scientific equations, he filled several others with nothing buy jokes." As for Einstein, just take a look at the above photo and tell me this man didn't know how to have a good time.

So we all could use a good dose of laughter everyday, but what it that's just not happening? One suggestion is to do Laughing Yoga or go to the bookstore and find a comic book that really tickles you. (I've checked the web for joke sites, but found that the majority of them focused on slamming others.) Laughter Yoga offers a means to see if there is a Laughter Club near you. If not, think about starting one or at least rent some funny movies. One of my all time favorites is The Princess Bride.

Ho-Ho-Ho-Ha-Ha-Ha,

Kris
http://www.totalhealthyoga.com/

Today is the first day of the rest of your life!

What do Being Sick and Meditation have in common?

2009-04-23T09:29:00.003-05:00

Dealing with my first cold in three years--ironically I came down with it at the tail end of a Florida vacation--I've noticed something odd about illness. Everything else seems to disappear. If someone has a fever, stuffy nose, or constant cough, there's little (if any) energy to think about anything or anyone else. The mind seems to crave relaxation and quiet. Personally I find a bath with my ears submerged while repeating inwardly, "I allow my mind to relax and be at peace," does wonders to relieve mental congestion.

Point is our typical thoughts disappear, at least mine do. Things that used to seem ever so important drop away as all inner resources are about healing. I realize this is only true for those that stay home from work to nourish themselves. I've been sick while caring for a baby and a toddler; let's just say that paints quite a different picture. But to stay in bed with some tea and allow your eyes to shut when they like and just to focus on the bodies needs is somehow meditative.

Now before you think I've gone off the deep end, let me explain. When we meditate, there is a hum or lightness to the body. The observer or witness takes over and thoughts are seen, but no longer control us. As meditation continues, a sense of calm inner peace soaks through us.

If we fight being ill, which I've done, the resistance builds and tension is felt everywhere. If we allow the illness to be there while focusing on nourishing the body and bringing it comfort, along with this acceptance is that same meditative detachment from the body, that same observation and peace.

Since I've been healthy for quite a while and love being in Florida, this particular illness baffles me. Being one that likes to learn from all of life's experiences, I look back on the vacation. I stretched my body every morning, skipped through Disney world (literally!), and enjoyed my mom's company. So, why get sick? Deepak Chopra advices we stop asking "why". Sound advice, yet I ask--slow learner I guess.

Thinking about it I realize that during the vacation, I didn't practice any hatha yoga or meditation. Days were packed and my mind and body were running on "excitement mode" for almost seven days straight. The adrenaline kept me moving and jumping; I felt like a kid again. This is all cool, but maybe, just maybe, my body and mind craved that down time. Peaceful time found during meditation and moving slowly with the breath. I was too busy having fun to even notice this lack of quiet--to busy loving the sun and warm temperatures--so my body decided it would force the time for stillness by getting sick.

I might not be correct in this reasoning, but just in case next time I'll just meditate!

Love Much,

Kris
www.TotalHealthYoga.com

Today is the first day of the rest of your life!

What Is Success

2009-04-09T08:43:00.006-05:00

What constitutes a successful life? Society, parents, peers, and perhaps even our own minds frequently use the term 'success' synonymously with financial wealth, living in upscale neighborhoods, driving expensive cars, and holding certain jobs. I believe this idea hinders us in the path of true success.

This brings us to the question, then what is success? When we are stuck in the thinking mind, it is helpful to first still this inner chatter and preconceived ideas through yoga, meditation, or even a walk in the woods. So to determine what success meant to me personally, I took a long savasana (deep relaxation) after a hatha yoga practice and cleared my mind. Then I pulled out a journal and just wrote whatever came to me regarding the subject of success. This technique is a great way to let your inspiration and insight come through on any topic.

The result of this free-form idea gathering combined with some word changes brought out the following in acronym:

Success
S - Silence
U - Unite
C - Creativity
C - Character
E - Excel
S - Solutions
S - Surrender

Silence: Take time to be in stillness and silence. This is were our inspiration and insights bubble up.

Unite: Unite your intentions and actions. First you must know what your intentions both globally, locally, long-term, and short-term are. Coming to a place of silence helps to set these intentions without ego getting in the way. Then observe your actions; do they align with your intentions?

Creativity: Don't be a cookie-cutout; be your own person with your own unique contributions to the world. Honor what works for you and remember that we each have an individual purpose or dharma. Be true to yourself and allow others to be true for themselves. (Yes, moms -- including myself -- this is really important for us to remember!)

Character: Act and live with character. Thomas Lickona has written a wonderful book -- if you can get past the preaching and strictness of it -- called Character Matters. Do you live, speak, think, and act with integrity, honesty, respect, honor, and gratitude? These words mean different things to different people. What do they mean to you? Do you find that you treat others with respect or honor, but not yourself?

Excel: Do your best. I hesitate to use the word "best" as you could do your "best" at work by never coming home. You could run a race and pass out from attempting to reach higher performance continuously. Sounds exhausting, right? Instead view "best" with the wise advice of the Chinese, "Do everything 70% of your maximum. Run 70% of your fastest. Eat 70% of what you can." The guideline isn't 30% or even 50%. So put forth effort without killing yourself or stressing out beyond your limits.

Solutions: Focus on solutions, not problems. It's wise to bring awareness to potential obstacles or challenges. But to stop there is where we may fail. To succeed, we must look at these issues and brainstorm for solutions. Free-form all ideas with wild abandon; you can always go back and remove ideas that you know won't work. But when we brainstorm in a a free format (no judgement) some pearls of insight just might surface.

Surrender: The Bhagavad Gita councils us to do our dharma (purpose) and then let the outcome go. When we act with integrity, awareness, and wisdom, that is enough. That is success. The result of our actions are none of our business. I've heard it said, "There's your business, other people's business, and God's business." The outcome of your actions pure of heart are God's business, not ours.

"Success is not so much what we have as it is what we are." ~ Jim Rohn

"Truth, self control, asceticism, generosity, non-injury, constancy in virtue — these are the means of success, not caste or family." ~ Mahabharata

Love Much,

Kris
http://www.totalhealthyoga.com/

Today is the first day of the rest of your life!

Yoga at Home

2009-03-30T12:59:00.004-06:00

"Have you ever unrolled your yoga mat with the best of intentions to flow from one yoga pose to another, only to find that no ideas come to mind? You sit on your blanket and stare blankly into outer space waiting for inspiration to strike, or you search through the recesses of your mind trying to recall what the group yoga class did yesterday. Do you hear yourself saying things like, “Let’s see what posture came after that forward fold?” “Okay mind, now would be a fine time to remember what we did in class yesterday?” Do you plan to practice between classes, but when you sit down and get ready to begin, nothing happens? Does your body just sit there waiting for your mind to tell it what to do?" ~ except from Creating Your Own Yoga Practice

The spring air has giving me the oomph needed to complete some past projects and toss others out. With this in mind, I created an electronic (pdf format) book called, Creating Your Own Yoga Practice. The birth of this idea came almost three years ago after attending a teacher workshop and discovered how few people had any knowledge of the importance of ordering yoga postures. Additionally, it never fails when a new class starts up that the next week a handful of people wonder what to do when they get home. Even those of us with years of experience may find it difficult to come up with a flow of postures that move the body in a wise fashion.

There are numerous theories and opinions regarding the topic of sequencing, Creating Your Own Yoga Practice, contains elements of Anusara, Iyengar, and Para Yoga, which are all quite similar.

If you're interested in seeing sample pages, click here and here. The cost is $10, and you may order by emailing me at Kris@TotalHealthYoga.com.

Love Much,

Kris
www.TotalHealthYoga.com

Today is the first day of the rest of your life!

Improving Mental Health - Maintaining Weight Loss - (or gain)

2009-03-30T11:44:00.004-06:00

Last week's post was based on admiration of Dr. Dyer's quote of the day; today I'd like to share with you another new blog--new to me--that has a great post suggesting Top 10 Ways to Protect Your Mental Health.

The American Diabetes Association says, "Approximately 64% of American adults are overweight or obese...." We all know that if we eat right and exercise, our bodies will respond. In high school, my 5' 1" body reached over 145 pounds. I refused to step on the scale again until I knew I had lost some weight. By the end of college, I was down to 96 pounds and had the child-sized wedding dress to prove it!

My weight and food problems stemmed wide and far. They were rooted in deep childhood issues. It wasn't until I began to love and appreciate myself and Life that the weight reached a comfortable zone (~115-120) and I felt fit and healthy. The point is, my body responded with I changed on the inside. Sure exercise and consciously considering what when in my mouth were a big part of it, but the yo-yo shifts in weight stopped when the reason I took care of my body was because I appreciated it and myself and not because I wanted to look or even feel a certain way.

In summary, physical fitness and watching what we eat is great, but until we pay attention to our mental health, attitude, and mindset, our physical health will, at best, be temporary.

Love Much--take care of yourself because you're worth it!

Kris
www.TotalHealthYoga.com

Today is the first day of the rest of your life!

Power of Intention

2009-03-24T07:53:00.003-06:00

As many of you know, I admire Dr. Wayne Dyer and the wisdom he shares. Not that I agree with all of it, but overall his words resonate as Truth, and as Gandhi said,

"There is no God higher than Truth."

As usual, something Dr. Dyer wrote struck of chord of inner peace with me and thus I'm compelled to share it with you:

Practice the Power of Intention
"The power of intention is the power of love and receptivity. It asks nothing of anyone, it judges no one, and it encourages others to be free to be themselves. Remember:
You were intended out of love,
so you must be love in order to intend."

If this speaks to you, feel free to check out his 'quote of the day' page, as this is where it came from.

Love Much,

Kris
http://www.totalhealthyoga.com/

Today is the first day of the rest of your life!

Acid Reflux Relief - Gerd - Heartburn Relief

2009-03-23T12:33:00.004-06:00

We do our best to let our yoga teacher's know what ailments we have, but sometimes it's hard to keep up! Recently a gal mentioned, in passing, that she'd had acid reflux for some time now. She didn't tie it to yoga or think that her practice could help or hurt this condition. Depending on how the practice is, it could do either.

Here are some basic suggestions to watch out for if you (or someone you know) is dealing with acid reflux, gerd, or heartburn during a yoga session:

* Wear loose comfortable clothing.
* When on the back (especially savasana) use blankets to keep the upper back and head higher than the belly.
* No strenuous backbends; deep stretching in the abs can bring on too much stimulation.
* Any activity that calms and sooths the belly region is helpful--this could be passive breathing, meditation, and gentle movements.
* Avoid active exhales; do not pull the belly in tightly.
* Gentle forward bends (with a passive relaxed exhale) can help to relax the abs.
* Gentle slow stretches of the abs or side body are fine--you may want to start slowly and stay in each position a breath or two even if in a group class we're moving in and out with each breath.
* Think "is my belly calm in this pose". If the answer is "yes", precede; if not, lessen the degree--that is, don't go into the pose so far.
* Feel free to use chairs to support you in standing forward bends of any kind to gently massage the belly without deeply compressing it. Also, you could widen your legs in forward bends to lessen compression while still getting the benefits.
* Do your best to avoid eating 2-3 hours prior to class; if you need something try something small (preferably fruit) 30-60 minutes prior to class.

Love Much,

Kris
www.TotalHealthYoga.com

Today is the first day of the rest of your life!

Mind Body Connection

2009-03-16T08:32:00.002-06:00

What we think about directly affects our bodies.

A bold and new idea such as this would have earned you the label of "quack" thirty or forty years ago; yet today we accept this notion as common knowledge, or at least I thought so.

A dear friend of mine is about to return (after a long medical leave) to a job that she abhors. Every cell in her body screams to not go back; yet logic, the economy, and her husband encourage her to ignore the body's pleas and to return to a situation that goes against everything that feels right in her heart. Not surprisingly she has dealt with countless major health issues, including cancer, and metal issues. In interest of her privacy, I won't include the long list, but let's suffice it to say that the issues are not minor and I am concerned for her well-being and at times for her very life.

This woman is talented, intelligent, funny, kind, educated, generous, and a hard worker. She has much to offer the world including her true passion of spiritual growth and awareness. However re-entering into this particular job is draining her of the few reserves she has left; how could a husband demand she go back? If he loves her, then why would he risk her well-being?

Simple: He doesn't believe that the stress and unhappiness have anything to do with all of the diseases she has experienced in the last couple of years.

Let's see what Mayo Clinic has to say:
"Mind-body techniques strengthen the communication between your mind and your body. Complementary and alternative medicine practitioners say these two systems must be in harmony for you to stay healthy. Examples of mind-body connection techniques include:
Meditation, Yoga , Biofeedback, Prayer, Hypnosis, and Relaxation and art therapies, such as poetry, music and dance."

Neurobiologist, David Felten, at the University of Rochester comments:
"[Science has] provided irrefutable data showing [that our minds and bodies are connected.]"

Rita Effros, professor of pathology and laboratory medicine at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, and a member of the Jonsson Cancer Center, Molecular Biology Institute and UCLA AIDS Institute, describes the relationship between stress and the immune system:
"When the body is under stress, it boosts production of cortisol to support a 'fight or flight' response. If the hormone remains elevated in the bloodstream for long periods of time, though, it wears down the immune system."

So the question is can we feel good, or at least okay, with our lives? Do you enjoy your job, or at least not feel repulsed by it? Are you're relationships overall loving and nurturing? How do you view life--as welcoming and wonderful or frightening and tragic?

Is there a connection with how you view the world and live your life with your health? It takes raw honesty to admit that we might be our cause of illness, but evidence is strong enough to at least consider that maybe--just maybe--we all have the power to shift our attitude, thoughts, and/or surroundings to live a healthier and more meaningful life.

Additional sources of information may be found at:
http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/id/ART02741
http://www.news.harvard.edu/gazette/2008/03.13/03-harrington.html
http://psychcentral.com/news/2008/07/02/genetic-study-supports-mindbody-connection/2540.html

Love Much,

Kris
www.TotalHealthYoga.com

Today is the first day of the rest of your life!

Presense - Living in the Now

2009-03-09T20:01:00.004-06:00

Have you ever had unwanted thoughts creep in throughout the day? If there's a conflict that needs resolving or a life-altering decision to be made, does your mind replay possible scenarios over and over again?

Last week, I found my thoughts running a muck leaving me unable to enjoy being fully present with my friends and family. One of my goals is to live a conscious life and be fully in the moment at all times--hey, it's a goal. The question arose: how does one stay present when strong emotions or thoughts fill the mind and draw attention to another time and place?

Eckhart Tolle suggests three techniques to live in the now: breathing consciously, noticing the inner body, and asking what is my relationship with the present moment?

This final method worked wonderfully for me last week. Throughout the day, I'd question:

"What is my relationship with the present moment?"

This question alone, brings your attention to the now and you become the observer instead of being sucked into the mind's drama. The follow up question below really cinched it for me.

"Can I make space for this moment?"

You may interpret this query differently at different times. Can I accept the situation? Can I step back and allow my feelings to flow? Can I allow someone to be different than I think they ought to be? Can I see the bigger picture? Can I be present without identifying with any given role?

When we can make space for our emotions to exist, a fascinating thing happens; we become the witness and watch emotions rise and fall while maintaining a sense of peace and objectivity. By making space for the current moment and our habitual reactions to it, we can see how silly and repetitive some thoughts are. We can give sadness or anger the room it needs to run its course. Then we are free to move on without the stagnation and distraction of continuous thoughts bringing us out of the current moment.

So I ask: What's your relationship with the current moment? Can you make space for it?

Kris
www.TotalHealthYoga.com

Today is the first day of the rest of your life!

Setting Personal Boundaries

2009-03-06T12:35:00.000-06:00

Laura (name changed) has mastered the art of setting and living with personal boundaries. In doing so she no longer needs blood pressure medication or her inhaler. I've known Laura for about four years and am inspired by her ability to use the lessons of yoga to change her life for the better on a daily basis. Following are three short anecdotes demonstrating her personal power. Hopefully, these stories will inspire more of us to realize the value of honoring thyself.

Laura's children are grown and have kids of their own. Her grandkids are quite young--below the age of five, I think. One set of grandkids lives on the west coast and the other on the east; whereas Laura resides in the midwest. Every year Laura and her husband would fly out to both coasts for Thanksgiving and Christmas. You may imagine the expense financially and time-wise of doing this. Finally this past year, Laura began to honor her own limits and spent Thanksgiving on one coast and Christmas on the other. Initially, the grandkids were upset at the change, but Laura stuck to her decision and used skype (or some such video abilities) to "be" with the kids on each coast. Already her life was simpler and, well, more sane.

Laura's high pressure job demands much of her time with last minute meetings and requests cropping up on a continuous basis. It also demands a lot of travel. Her blood pressure and breathing patterns reflected this stressful life. Over the past several months, she began to actually say, "No," to her boss. When told that "she had to fly out early for a meeting" the morning after returning from a trip, Laura simply told her boss that was not good for her body, but she would be happy to hold the meeting over the phone. Her boss was flustered, but ended up agreeing that the phone made more sense.

One final story about personal power and how one woman utilizes it in her daily life. Laura used to spend the majority of her weekends with her blind and single mother helping out with chores, reading to her, and just being together. When Laura stepped back and looked at her life and considered why it felt so off-balance and stressful, she realized that part of that was from spending so much of her out-of-work time caring for her mom. Now she spends about three hours most Sundays with her mom. Initially, her mom was upset by this shorter schedule and (from my view) tried to guilt-trip my friend into sticking with the old way. But Laura stuck to her guns, told her mother she loved her, and kept the new time limits. Within a few weeks, her mom had met other people and even began dating.

What I find so inspiring about this dear woman, is her ability to exhibit personal boundaries and power in all facets of her life. Just as importantly, she does it with a loving and compassionate heart. Never once did I sense her resisting a situation--not since she began working with her yoga breathing and mindset. Instead of fighting and struggling with potentially challenging situations, she thinks creatively and with love and calm in her heart. I believe that because her intentions are pure and honest, in the end everyone benefits.

May you release guilt,
honor yourself,
and
experience the personal freedom of setting boundaries,

Kris
http://www.totalhealthyoga.com/

Today is the first day of the rest of your life!

Wholeness

2009-02-24T14:13:00.003-06:00

What is it to live a "whole life?" Gail Straub suggests in her book, The Rhythm of Compassion, to see balance as the inhale and exhale of every breath: "I've come to think of [the] relationship between soul and society much like following the in-breath and the out-breath, as in meditation practice. There's a natural time for the in-breath of caring for self and family, and a natural time for the out-breath of caring for the needs of the world. The challenge is to become skillful in following our rhythm--knowing when it's time to go inward and when to go out into the community." (Page1.)

Wholeness is found when we reflect and nourish within while balancing that with giving and taking action. A full life is all about balance, and yoga is a tool that can be utilized to find this state of harmony.

A yoga sequence can be customized around the ideas of balance or wholeness. Ideally any yoga class adheres to the guidelines of bringing equanimity and fullness to life, but a focus on twists uncovers imbalances rather quickly. Whereas a whole body practice, sarvanga sadhana, involves all parts of the body including the internal organs. The Viniyoga tradition advices such a complete sequence at least once every 20 days. I find this guideline useful in avoiding burn-out from spending so much time with the poses. It enables you to have a specific focus during the week, while still checking in with the entire system periodically. This is a wonderful way to catch something before it gets out of hand and to maintain the body as a whole.

The body and mind are inseparable. So this endeavor may appear on the surface as strictly physical; when in reality working with the body and the breath directly impacts the mind and thus our lives.

Love Much,

Kris
www.TotalHealthYoga.com

Today is the first day of the rest of your life!

Book Review of In Defense of Food

2009-02-23T11:20:00.004-06:00

I devoured the book, In Defense of Food, with the zest of a desert dweller upon a new-found water source. Author, Michael Pollan, manages to intrigue, enlighten, and inform. Pollan manages to stay, for the most part, objective in relaying the state of food in America today. His witty, humorous, and deeply passionate personality shine in every page encouraging the reader to stay up till the wee hours of the morning to absorb this fascinating tale of history, health, and truth.

Pollan covers it all: why, where, when, how, and what of the food industry and its impacts on our health. He mentions organic versus chemicals; his approach is wonderfully fact-based and not a drop of preaching. Studies are cited. Names, places, and dates are given. Vegetarianism is mentioned a handful of times, but for those meat-lovers do not fear. Pollan also eats meat and stays away from directing anyone to eat or abstain from animal-eating. He does diplomatically point out the necessity of vitamin B12 and how amino acids interact and "play together" in the body. Something a non-meat eater might like to consider being that this is a challenge for some vegetarians.

With courage and integrity Pollan stands up for food in the face of politics, agriculture, food companies, and even nutritionists. Investigation takes center stage as the author plays sleuth to uncover and reveal links behind what claims to be food on grocery store shelves and disease. He questions how things are and offers suggestions on taking steps today to alter what goes in your mouth and to see that what you eat is actually food! Not only that, but Mr. Pollan writes about the process of eating, how much, with who, and where.

This is not a book with recipes and strict rules to adhere to. You will not find a food protocol to be followed blindly. Here you will find education, guidelines, and inspiration. You will be well-armed to make healthy and intelligent choices when buying, making, and eating food.

Eating is here to stay; if we follow Pollan's advise, real food will be too.

Enjoy and Bon Appétit!

Kris
http://www.totalhealthyoga.com/

Today is the first day of the rest of your life!

Spirituality and Aging - Concept of Yin and Yang

2009-02-19T10:27:00.003-06:00

Photo complements of http://z.about.com/d/taoism/1/0/0/-/-/-/yinYang.gif

What does it mean to have balance in our lives? Is it possible to find balance while living in a fast-paced and goal-oriented society?

The Chinese describe balance with an elegant and simple shape, the yin yang symbol pictured above. The dark side represents masculine, active, and energetic qualities. While the white stands for the female, receptive, and calming attributes. These opposing energies are found all around us and within us.

Notice how the symbol demonstrates how nothing is all yang or all yin by including a small circle of white in the black area and visa versa. As yang or action grows, yin or reception lessens. They flow naturally and wonderfully together in harmony.

As the sun rises in the morning and finally reaches it's full height in the middle of the day, the energy of the earth warms and movement is encouraged as we get out of bed and take action. During the later part of the day and into sunset, the energy begins to calm and stillness is felt; this is the yin energy entering and coming into full force in the middle of the night.

Life itself begins with birth, a yang quality, and continues to strive, grow, and expand. Ideally, after reaching midlife, yin begins to take over and we slow down coming closer to and finally reaching death of the physical body. In America, the mass majority does not honor, and definitely not look forward to, the yin slowing of activity. Some of us fight it tooth and nail with face lifts, botox, and power yoga practices far into the later parts of life.

Humankind is part of nature. We're an animal like any other. Yet we attempt to fool ourselves into thinking that because we have the ability to reason and analyze that we can stop aging. Our so-called civilized culture can take a lesson from the past Native Americans who honored, even revered, their elders for their spiritual knowing and years of experience. Wisdom and insight comes with age only if we let it. If we continue to deny the natural cycle of life--yang to yin--then we miss out on one of the greatest gifts life has to offer. The gift of wisdom and knowing that comes with embracing our later years, is a gift America and much of our world is missing.

Love Much,

Kris
http://www.totalhealthyoga.com/

Today is the first day of the rest of your life!

Where's your focus?

2009-02-16T08:50:00.003-06:00

Dr. Wayne Dyer's web site just offered a "thought for the day" that I found simple, applicable, and useful. Hopefully you will too.

"I focus on what’s really important in life.

Quality rather than appearance . . .

ethics rather than rules . . .

integrity rather than domination . . .

knowledge rather than achievement . . .

serenity rather than acquisitions."

~ Dr. Dyer

Love Much,

Kris
http://www.totalhealthyoga.com/

Today is the first day of the rest of your life!

Don't Worry, BE Happy!

2009-02-10T14:25:00.000-06:00

Mark Twain (complements of Wikipedia.com)

Mark Twain once wrote, "I’ve been through some terrible things in my life, some of which actually happened." This profound and witty point is well taken. Others have shared the same sediment, such as Bobby McFerrin in his upbeat tune with a message, "Don't Worry, Be Happy!" And, "Worry is a prayer for what you don't want," says Kris Carr, author of Crazy Sexy Cancer Tips.

Now let's be careful with the word "happy." Happiness as the opposite of sadness is not what I'm talking about. That type of happiness is fleeting and ever changing. Don't worry, be happy is not about acting happy or pretending to feel happy; it's true inner contentment or bliss. The yoga sutras describe this in the yogic attitudes or niyamas as samtosa which best translates as a state of contentment. I would add a state of acceptance of what is. If we don't want was is to continue, that's cool; we can act and think in such a manner at to change it. But step one is a peaceful recognition of the present moment and state of affairs.

"Great," you might say, "but how do I get there?" Reaching a state of inner calm amongst potential chaos starts with understanding that real lasting joy has no opposite. As the Buddhists and Hindus describe, it is like the center of a wheel. Generic happiness, sadness, anger, enjoyment are on the outer edges of the spokes; whereas bliss, real happiness, samadhi, acceptance, and inner peace are at the center. All the emotions spin around on the periphery, but that tranquil knowing is at the core.

There are no words that fully describe this state; sure words can point to it or attempt to illustrate what pure unadulterated happiness is. But it's an experience that is beyond language and the thinking mind. Most of us have at least had glimpses of inner bliss. Musicians may sense this state of being while playing, an artist while creating, or an athlete while running. Nature is always in this truly present state. You may have felt it when watching the sunset or perhaps when standing in an open meadow filled with grasses and flowers swaying with the breeze. A moment when your thinking mind pauses; there is no analysis or labeling. There is simply being. This is true happiness. And what's awesome is that with practice you can connect to it at any time.

So stop worrying about tomorrow, or yesterday for that matter. And start being with those around you--no labeling and no thoughts of how things "ought to be different." Then you'll see what I mean; happiness--real happiness--cannot be bound by words; it's too limitless for that. And when you stand in the center of joy, you know--really know--that everything is okay just the way it is.

Love Much,

Kris
http://www.totalhealthyoga.com/

Today is the first day of the rest of your life!

Alzheimers Cures

2009-02-04T14:25:00.002-06:00

Fascinating discovery concerning Alzheimers. Check out what Dr. Newport found: http://www.tampabay.com/news/aging/article879333.ece

Love Much,

Kris
www.TotalHealthYoga.com

Today is the first day of the rest of your life!

The Guru is YOU!

2009-02-02T20:57:00.003-06:00

About a year and a half ago, I posted on the subject of gurus - http://totalhealthyoga.blogspot.com/2007/09/are-you-my-guru.html. Here again I'd like to share a few thoughts on the subject.

Contemporary spiritual leaders such as Eckhart Tolle, Byron Katie, and Wayne Dyer claim to not want to be anyone's guru. Dyer points out that if something he says inspires you or guides you to a deeper knowing, it's not his doing. It's your readiness and openness that sheds more light. He takes no credit for any progress you make; nor does he take blame for your blocks.

In the past I thought that anyone who brought light and understanding where there used to be darkness or confusion was a guru, but I'm beginning to see that the only one that can truly dispel suffering and bring joy is each one of us for ourselves. As Jesus said, "The kingdom of Heaven is within."

There is a Zen saying: "If you meet the Buddha on the road, kill him!" The idea here is that Buddha is not something or someone outside of you. Buddha can only be found within, so something outside of you must be an impostor.

Another wise man, Lama Surya Das wrote, "We can always learn from others, but finally each of us can only trust our own intuitive heart." This is important, especially as students of yoga. Even alignment that is perfect for one person, may not suit another. We each have to decide for ourselves what is best--what is true for us. This takes courage, discipline, and trust in who we are.

Finally, some words from Byron Katie, "You can't free yourself by finding a so-called 'enlightened' state outside your own mind. When you question what you believe, you eventually come to see you're the enlightenment you've been seeking." Like Dorthy in the Wizard of Oz, the answers are already within you. How cool is that?

Love Much,

Kris
www.TotalHealthYoga.com

Today is the first day of the rest of your life!

Life Choices

2009-01-28T06:57:00.008-06:00

Ever so often—more often than I’d like to admit—I’m reminded that “I’m not all that.” I’ve been on this spiritual journey as long as I can remember. There’ve been slips and stagnations—sometimes taking a decade or longer. But when I see the totality of how I viewed and participated in this thing we call Life ten, twenty, or thirty years ago, it becomes immediately obvious that I’ve grown spiritually and am a kinder and more understanding person.

Life no longer happens to me.

I am responsible for all events in my life.

There are lessons in each and ever one of them.

Even when it’s challenging to find gratitude, I find it.

Everything is okay.

I see my ego, most of the time, instead of being lost in it. Sometimes old habitual patterned responses based on fear, anger, or righteousness come storming out. And like a storm, the best thing to do is ride it out. However, these storms are getting shorter and less frequent. Sounds like a "good" thing to me. Yet there are time I feel temporarily out-of-control with a rant that just pours out of my mouth. This is quite humbling. Even as I've progressed along a spiritual path, vulnerable spots remain. Some of my "buttons" continue to trigger an automatic reaction.

A few months back at a training, students were asking the teacher numerous questions. There were questions that I had "already figured out and didn't want to waste my precious time with them." After all the opportunity to study with that particular teacher was a rare and valuable event. As my patience grew thin--masked with a calm exterior--I thought about how much "further along I was than these other people." During a break I shared this with Mike; telling him of my effort to be more tolerant of these less evolved (for lack of a better word) people. In his gentle manner Mike said, "Maybe you're not as far along as you thought." The simple fact that the classroom situation bothered me at all was very telling and humbling.

Yesterday I found my mouth exuding a mini-speech defending the idea that we all have a choice. Deep down I wanted acknowledgement for my own efforts to lead a fuller, happier, and more meaningful life. Anger reared its righteous head when someone said, "Life is just harder for other people." My list of struggles and obstacles swirled in my head. Like two burly men one-upping each other with scars from the fights they'd been in.

Typically I see Life as offering lessons and challenges to help us to grow as human beings. While ranting yesterday, I found my mind using words like struggles and obstacles. This is a habit from over ten years ago and rarely comes up anymore. But I was so sick of people making excuses for their Lives and complaining about how miserable they are. Then to point at me and say it's just easier, still brings out this immense ego that I thought was in better check. Awareness flew out the door and ego took over. One day later, I reflect on this conversation and realize that "I'm not all that." Humbled and knowing there is still so very much to learn.

Usually I would place these ideas in my private journal with pen and paper at my bedside, but something urged me to publicly blog these feelings instead. I'm not certain why, but would like to share with you that:

We all have lessons and challenges in Life; you are not alone.

You can complain about how tough yours are continue living that way.

Or you can take the lesson, say 'thank you', and move on.

It's a choice.

Your view of Life is a choice only you can make.

If you view Life as "out-to-get" you, you'll attract more obstacles and perhaps get stuck.

If you see Life as a friend, you'll attract lessons and flow through them faster.

You create your own Life.

When you say, "My Life is harder than yours," you are living in the past and allowing yourself to stay stuck and attract more suffering.

When you say, "My Life is what I make it," you release the past and start making choices today because you know these choices in thought, word, and deed determine your tomorrow.

How much do you want to suffer?

You can see Life as a struggle and fight it tooth and nail. As Tolle says, when you can't take the suffering anymore, you will change.

You can show gratitude now, live with conscious awareness, be completely honest about your own attachment, and take responsibility for everything that happens in your life--yes, everything.

Having a spiritual practice is essential for true happiness.

This practice can range from a daily silent walk in nature while admiring the beauty around you to studying and practicing the ideas from modern day spiritual leaders, such as Byron Katie.

Spirituality and religion are NOT the same thing.

Spirituality is a practice, not something you just read about.

My intention is that one day I'll be able to hear the complaints from anyone, regardless of their circumstances and how they might compare to mine, with an open and loving heart. That I can gently remind them Life is a Choice and then let it go.

Today I still feel steam rise when someone making a lot more money than I do whines to me about their financial situation--honestly I want to smack them upside the head!! Or when someone mourns over their tough childhood that was "better" than mine, I think "get over it already." So, I guess here's another lesson. One of those wonderful opportunities to grow spiritually. I might always want to smack 'em, but I'll willing to make a different choice.

"I'm not all that," I guess. But I'm willing to wake up every day and strive to live a richer, more understanding, and compassionate life. This will mean stop comparing my life to others when determining how much compassion I'm willing to give. Thanks for indulging me in this blog entry, as I honestly had no idea where it was going and now I feel as if the real lesson has just been uncovered.

Many Thanks,

Kris
http://www.totalhealthyoga.com/

Today is the first day of the rest of your life!

Healing -- What's in Your Healing Toolbox?

2009-01-25T11:15:00.000-06:00

Thousands of years ago Glen, the caveman, was frustrated while attempting to open a coconut. In his anger he threw a heavy rock at it. To his utter amazement, the fruit cracked open! Soon Glen was the most popular caveman in the tribe. He discovered--through trial and error--that attaching the rock to the end of a sturdy stick made a useful tool. Eventually the tribe called this tool "hammer" and everyone had one. It was all the rage.

Over the next couple thousand years the hammer was adapted for another use--to pry items apart. This required a split curved wedge on one side of the hammer. The people were very satisfied and convinced that they would never need another tool. Until one day, Sam from the next village came to visit with the "pliers." Very impressed, the town's people included that pliers to their tools.

Eventually there were many types of pliers all specialized for various purposes and other tools were created.

Today one could spend a small fortune on carpentry tools. The toolbox has definitely grown.

Healing is a lot like our imaginary story of the hammer. We may discover a wonderful healing modality; for thousands that modality is yoga. This "tool" serves us well and may even prove useful for various issues. However to think that one healing modality is the most appropriate in all cases, is as silly as thinking the hammer is the only tool you need.

I've spent almost a decade questing for the Holy Grail of healing. Along this path many wonderful techniques have proven useful, but the best lessons of all are:

There is no Holy Grail of healing.

One size does not fit all.

Different techniques may or may not be useful to all of us and one time or another. It's key for each of us to be open minded and to be willing to try new ways--especially when previous systems aren't working any more. Here are some methods that you may find useful:

* Spending time in nature

* Yoga postures

* Energy medicine

* Pranayama

* Meditation / Prayer

* Affirmations

* Awareness

* Aromatherapy

* Steam baths

* Bubble baths

* Extras sleep

* Supplements

* Journaling / Reflecting

* Dancing

* Laughing / Being less serious

* Byron Katie's "the work"

* Diet / Food consciousness / Spices

* Acupuncture

* Visualization

* Transcendental Meditation

* "Learning from the heart: Lessons on living, loving, and listening" by Daniel Gottlieb

* "The Four Agreements"

* Slow food / Cooking

So, what's in your healing toolbox?

Kris
http://www.totalhealthyoga.com/

Today is the first day of the rest of your life!

Pranayama - Breath

2009-01-13T09:16:00.002-06:00

"Technically pranayama doesn't mean working with the breath," as a Swami Rama devotee, Nina, reminded me. Pranayama is a Sanskrit term meaning "to extend life force." Depending on how you break up the letters, it could mean "to control life force." I don't think we can completely control life force or Prana; however we can guide it or influence it.

Frequently this yogic technique is simply viewed as breath-work because the easiest means to work with life force is via the breath. As a basis for exploring the breath, it's important to have a foundational understanding of the four stages of breathing. They are as follows:

Inhale - When you emphasize the incoming breath in the chest and then some in the belly it has an energizing and expansive quality. If you mainly breath into the belly, it is calming and can even become depressive over time. On the other hand, only breathing into the chest can bring on anxious feelings and quicken the heart rate. Experiment with these different ways to inhale and find a balance of bringing it from the chest to the belly while stressing the chest and invigorating your body and mind.

Retention - Holding the breath after an inhale has a similar effect to the inhale itself. Use this technique with some caution; if there are any signs of lightheadedness or dizziness, then shorten the pauses or omit altogether. You may notice that when we are shocked, fearful, or horrified the body's tendency is to gasp air in and then hold it. This is NOT the feeling we're going for in pranayama. Instead look for a feeling of gentle expanse, giving the body time to absorb all the oxygen of that breath and for a soft stillness to be experienced.

Exhale - The most natural exhale is a passive one; the abdominals are relaxed and the diaphragm releases upward. This is the most tranquil method of breathing out. It fills the body and mind with surrender, calm, and acceptance. During an asana (posture) practice and for some pranayama techniques the abdominals engage while exhaling. When the abdominals progressively draw in and slightly up, the out breath becomes active and there is a grounding and stabilizing feeling.

Suspension - Pausing after the exhale and not hurrying on to the next in breath, accentuates the effects of the out breath. When this technique is used the body must rely solely on its inner resources. This is one of the reasons to practice hatha yoga; through the postures, focus, and breath-work, the prana storage within the body grows enabling longer suspension of breath and providing greater health and vitality. If your body experiences asthma conditions, it is advised to avoid long suspensions and focus more on the out breath. This is a pretty safe part of the breath; because if you really need to inhale, the body will do just that. According to Gary Kraftsow this phase of the breath cycle "can bring up repressed emotions [and memories].... That is why [he] likes to call this technique the 'open secret of pranayama.'" (Pg 114 Yoga for Transformation) A peaceful suspension of breath is one of the best ways to know the stillness that is always part of you, even when life seems chaotic.

Best of luck exploring!

Kris
www.TotalHealthYoga.com

Today is the first day of the rest of your life!

A Happy New Year - Cultivating Gratitude

2009-01-05T09:28:00.010-06:00

What better way to start the new year than by being grateful for the past year?

Here's my list of 100 things in 2008 that I'm grateful for:

1. Learning to be okay with the mystery.

2. Beginning to understand the power of visualization.

3. Reading books on prayer by Dr. Larry Dossey.

4. Taking the Oprah and Tolle online class about the New Earth.

5. Meeting three wonderful like-minded women.

6. Continuing to get together with these women almost every week to share ideas and what's happening in our lives.

7. Spending New Years with song, dance, friends, and wonderful laughter.

8. Healing in body, mind, and soul.

9. PBS and their fabulous spiritual specials.

10. The Soul Series by Oprah.

11. BJ turning 16 and really developing into an outstanding young man.

12. Jake turning 14 and bringing amazement (via card tricks) and laughter everywhere he goes.

13. My mom coming to visit for the best 5 days we've ever had together.

14. My mom telling me she was proud of me.

15. Becoming a bit wiser; understanding life a bit better. And being okay with what I don't understand.

16. Having a working computer.

17. Receiving the kindest and most sincere thank you notes from dozens of students.

18. Each and every student that crosses my path.

19. Each and every teacher that crosses my path.

20. Friends--old and new.

21. An updated vitamin regime.

22. Outpost natural foods and the organic locally grown food.

23. Penzeys and their awesome aromas.

24. Milk and Honey--locally owned, great staff, healthy products, and great source for info.

25. Hanging out at the Brookfield Farmer's market almost every Saturday this summer.

26. Pippin's long adorable yawns!

27. My partner Mike's devotion, support, understanding and love.

28. Stocks going on sale.

29. Gas prices dropping to $1.69--which I paid on Dec 30, 2008!

30. Knowing how to read.

31. Half Price Books and all the wonderful deals there.

32. Family vacation to Oregon.

33. Delicious restaurants--new and old.

34. Growing yoga business.

35. Living life with more integrity.

36. Being able to inspire others by sharing what I've come to know.

37. Baths in the middle of the day.

38. Impeccable immune system!

39. (Re-)discovering Viniyoga.

40. Having the courage and flexibility to try new paths.

41. Hanging out till Midnight with BJ, Jake, and Mike at Barnes and Noble for BJ to get a new book.

42. Mochas at Cup of Java.

43. Creating a plan for re-doing the living room.

44. Enhancing the right side of my brain.

45. Learning about plasticity of the brain--thank you science!

46. Getting my first Calphalon pans.

47. Being more present.

48. Books on CD.

49. Hearing Ram Dass on youtube.

50. Speaking from my heart and being accepted for it.

51. Slowing becoming less judging and at least realizing (usually) when I am judging.

52. Growing in awareness.

53. Seeing my part in "bad" things and not playing the victim; rather seeing every experience as a lesson--some tough and some easy.

54. Dar Williams and her insights.

55. Dr. Wayne Dyer sharing his wisdom with the world.

56. Eckhart Tolle and his unique explanation of "living in the now."

57. Libraries allowing us all to explore countless topics for free!

58. The internet and researching on it.

59. Creating a useful yoga newsletter that tends to get rave reviews.

60. Opening my heart to religions that I used to veer away from.

61. Walking outdoors.

62. Having an elliptical and actually using it a couple times a week when the weather is rough.

63. Finding a better "exercise" method for my body.

64. Powell books where I found half a dozen books on breathing all with different views.

65. Obama winning.

66. Caring about an election.

67. Some films from Spiritual Cinema; a thoughtful gift from my older sister.

68. Laughter!

69. Having the ability to train with great yogis--Gary Kraftsow and Aadil Palhivala.

70. Being loved and supported by so very many.

71. Having a working hot water heater and dry basement.

72. Opening up continuous group classes in the Home Studio.

73. Starting a meditation class.

74. Meeting new private and group students.

75. Seeing my father and his wife for the first time in about 6 years.

76. Getting along with my father!

77. Taking long walks along Lake Michigan.

78. Enjoying coffee outside at Altera by the Lake.

79. Realizing that feeling the sun on my skin is more valuable to me than overcast, yet warmer, days.

80. Discovering Agave, thanks to Trader's Joe, for sweetening while maintaining balance in the blood sugar.

81. Marcus Buckingham's suggestion of focusing on my strengths.

82. Also using his phrase, "How can I contribute today?" (Which feels better to me than "How can I serve?")

83. Learning the "AH" meditation technique from Dr. Dyer--very powerful.

84. Cooking with the whole family while sipping on red wine and enjoying Edith on the stereo.

85. BJ and Jake helping out so much with the snow!

86. Playing family games, like Cranium, by the fireplace.

87. Jammie days.

88. Letting Pippin run free in the park and watch his entire being flow with happiness.

89. The sound of birds on a winter's day.

90. Sitting on the deck and hearing the wind rustle the leaves in the nearby Maple.

91. Creating a new "Zen" space in our backyard with a swinging bench and flower pots.

92. Meeting Mike for lunch.

93. Netflix and the ease of movie watching at a reasonable fee.

94. Quality movies, like The Simple Life of Noah Dearborn.

95. Every moment that I feel aligned.

96. Every inspiration that feels like a small miracle.

97. Having such a close and open relationship with my children and partner.

98. Being alive another year.

99. All of my senses working.

100. With more frequency I see the Universe working with me, and this is the most beautiful of all--to experience connection with something bigger and feel its truth in my bones.

If I had one intention for 2009, it would be to experience this connection more often until one day it is simply a way of life.

Love Much,

Kris
http://www.totalhealthyoga.com/

Today is the first day of the rest of your life!

The Christians and the Pagans

2009-01-01T12:07:00.002-06:00

Holly Haeberg introduced me to this song many years ago. Dar's words immediately touched my soul. Hopefully you too will find some meaning in these words. (For the audio, please click here.)

ARTIST: Dar Williams
TITLE: The Christians and the Pagans

Amber called her uncle, said "We're up here for the holiday
Jane and I were having Solstice, now we need a place to stay"
And her Christ-loving uncle watched his wife hang Mary on a tree
He watched his son hang candy canes all made with red dye number three
He told his niece, "It's Christmas eve, I know our life is not your style"
She said, "Christmas is like Solstice, and we miss you and it's been awhile"

So the Christians and the Pagans sat together at the table
Finding faith and common ground the best that they were able
And just before the meal was served, hands were held and prayers were said
Sending hope for peace on earth to all their gods and goddesses

The food was great, the tree plugged in, the meal had gone without a hitch
Till Timmy turned to Amber and said, "Is it true that you're a witch?"
His mom jumped up and said, "The pies are burning," and she hit the kitchen
And it was Jane who spoke, she said, "It's true, your cousin's not a Christian"
"But we love trees, we love the snow, the friends we have, the world we share
And you find magic from your God, and we find magic everywhere"

So the Christians and the Pagans sat together at the table
Finding faith and common ground the best that they were able
And where does magic come from, I think magic's in the learning
Cause now when Christians sit with Pagans only pumpkin pies are burning

When Amber tried to do the dishes, her aunt said, "Really, no, don't bother"
Amber's uncle saw how Amber looked like Tim and like her father
He thought about his brother, how they hadn't spoken in a year
He thought he'd call him up and say, "It's Christmas and your daughter's here"
He thought of fathers, sons and brothers, saw his own son tug his sleeve saying
"Can I be a Pagan?" Dad said, "We'll discuss it when they leave"

So the Christians and the Pagans sat together at the table
Finding faith and common ground the best that they were able
Lighting trees in darkness, learning new ways from the old, and
Making sense of history and drawing warmth out of the cold

Love Much,

Kris
www.TotalHealthYoga.com

Today is the first day of the rest of your life!

Mealtime Prayers

2008-12-23T09:40:00.004-06:00

As I sit an pause to look at the bounty before me, whether it be a single scrambled egg or a Christmas feast, my mind wanders to the origin of this food.

The chicken scrambling about the yard and laying an egg while the farmer slept. How this new life is given up to provide protein and life for my family. Thank you.

The wheat fields shimmering in the sunlight as a gentle breeze helps them to dance and sway. The soil providing a foundation for the tall stalks and the rain giving life. Hundreds of tiny grains milled and brought together with yeast and water to bring the slice of bread now on my plate. Thank you.

The list goes on and on. There is no doubt that I am connected intimately with the earth. Each bite that enters this mouth and is broken down by these teeth is a reminder of the gifts that the earth offers. I have no choice but to offer back. Thank you.

Just before that first piece of sustenance enters this physical form, I silently whisper, "May this food provide this body with health, vitality, strength, flexibility, and balance. Thank you." This is not a rote ritual, but rather a conscious consideration and appreciation.

Then the first few bites are savored with closed eyes and all focus goes to the taste buds, the sounds of transition, and the marvelous texture of this gift. Taste explosion. Even the simplest of foods take on new flavors as I simply notice. Just notice and say thank you, really thank you.

Love Much,

Kris
http://www.totalhealthyoga.com/

Today is the first day of the rest of your life!

Reaching Out

2008-12-21T19:51:00.003-06:00

Story of this unexpected couple at http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-481601/The-abandoned-monkey-love-pigeon.html.

Reach out and touch someone in need.

Love Much,

Kris
http://www.totalhealthyoga.com/

Today is the first day of the rest of your life!

Acceptance

2008-12-09T11:04:00.000-06:00

Being a summer bunny at the start of what is predicted to be the snowiest winter yet, I find myself reflecting on acceptance. That much overlooked and yet vital element to true happiness. Acceptance cannot exist in the state of complaining which keeps us stuck (ironically) where we don't want to be. When we fight with Life, it's a never ending battle--well almost.

Nicole Kidman was on Oprah the other day for her new movie, Australia. At one point she voiced her desire "to live life fully. I want to look on my life and know, really know, that I lived. I want to embrace it all: the happy times and the painful times." This is the only way to live completely--to take it all in, not just select pieces.

Accept was is.

Make space for reality.

Allow emotions to be felt.

Surrender to the moment.

Become aware of what is.

Positive change only comes from seeing things as they really are.

Love Much,

Kris
http://www.totalhealthyoga.com/

Today is the first day of the rest of your life!

Coping With Holiday Stress

2008-12-05T14:02:00.000-06:00

Here are some ideas provided mostly by students on how to enjoy this potentially busy time of year.

1. Focus on the giving part of the holidays. Gather old books and take them to the local shelter or get the family together and bring no longer used goods to a non-profit organization. It's fun to get together with the intention to give.

2. Shop early!!

3. Instead of cramming a number of celebrations into a day or two, spread out the festivities through January and February. You can get gifts after the official holiday when they all go on sale and have more time to spend with loved ones.

4. Avoid the malls as much as possible. If you're fed up with the commercialism and Christmas music before Halloween, then stay out of the mainstream stores for a month or two. You just might find more meaning and peace during the season.

5. Take a hatha yoga or meditation class!

6. Spend time to meditate and follow the breath even if just for a few minutes.

7. Take Vitamin D3. For more information on this vital supplement check out

http://mayoclinic.com/health/vitamin-d/AN01558 and

http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/id/QAA358211.

8. Shorten your gift or card giving by omitting folks that you are no longer close with. A guideline for determining this is to ask, "If I was nearby this person, would we get together for lunch?"

9. Shop online. Here are a few places to consider:

http://cdbaby.com/cd/kriskramer

http://store.gxonlinestore.org/

http://www.worldgoodsgb.com/

http://www.gaiam.com/?gcid=S18376x028&keyword=giam

http://www.amazon.com/

10. If you enjoy spending time baking cookies, go for it! If you're feeling like it's "one more thing to do", purchase home baked goods from retirees or non-profit groups. You'll help someone out, enjoy fresh treats, and have a lovely gift to offer a friend.

11. Take a bath scented with lavender.

12. And finally, DRINK MORE WINE!

Have a blessed holiday season,

Kris
http://www.totalhealthyoga.com/

Today is the first day of the rest of your life!

Am I Enough ....

2008-12-02T09:55:00.004-06:00

As I ate breakfast this morning and felt the sun shining through the window and warming my skin, I felt grateful: Grateful to be able to live such a peaceful life. Here it was, 9 a.m. and I was enjoying hot eggs with homemade whole wheat biscuits and an orange directly from Florida. In the quiet of my home, I could choose to sit in the sun light and watch the birds flocking about the freshly filled feeders. The snow, albeit too early in the year for my taste, was stunning; the sun's rays sparkled like the finest diamond on the snowflake covered tree branches. What a sight!

Again, I was filled with gratitude. Not so much for the snow, but for the ability to just sit and enjoy what many only have on the weekends--a peaceful and lazy breakfast.

Does this make me a bad person? Shouldn't I be contributing more profoundly to the world? What gives me the right to just enjoy and not give?

These questions began to bother me and distracted my mind from the beauty all around.

Doesn't it make sense to offer more? Is teaching a handful of yoga classes a week enough? Couldn't I do more? Shouldn't I do more?

My sense of worth faltered a bit as I questioned my lifestyle. I began to picture other people taking on the morning traffic, having a boss to please, and giving their time and energy to accomplish something. While here I sit, feeling the sun and watching the gem-like reflections on the snow.

To be honest every moment is not as bliss-filled, and there are activities that I "have" to do for work and home. But is it enough?

Am I enough?

That's the real question. Am I enough? Do I do enough, offer enough, live enough? What determines who's worthy and who's not?

Eckhart Tolle spent two years of nirvana living is poverty and homeless spending most days sitting on a park bench watching the birds and absorbing nature. Now he's a best selling author and an internationally known spiritual teacher.

Was that wasted time? Millions of his fans would say, "No." From Tolle's books, such as the Power of Now, it seems that he never questioned his worth while sitting on that park bench.

Is it better to be in a situation or job that you dislike or be in an environment doing things that you really enjoy? Sounds like a no-brainer to me: Enjoy life!

But what if you enjoy sitting on the couch and watching TV all day long? The question may be, "Do you enjoy it because it's an escape from reality or because you feel peaceful, thankful, and more connected to the world around you?" If it's an escape from life, then that's not truly enjoying life.

I wonder:

Can the trick to a happy and "worthy" life be to simply do whatever fills you with gratitude and peace at any given moment?

Is that possible? Sounds a bit pollyanna; but consider having lunch with someone that is depressed and miserable. Are you left feeling upbeat or drained? Now imagine sitting across the table from a person filled with gratitude and joy. Notice how his or her happiness can fill a room and bring a smile even to a stranger?

Perhaps this is the greatest gift we can give.

Perhaps our greatest contribution to the world is to be happy and share that happiness with others.

Maybe relishing in the peace offered by the glistening sun on a snow-filled day is exactly and precisely the best place to be.

Love Much,

Kris
http://www.totalhealthyoga.com/

Today is the first day of the rest of your life!

A Day With A Master

2008-11-25T15:07:00.004-06:00

This was written a few months ago after working with Aadil Palkhivala:

The two hour drive from Milwaukee to Chicago took closer to three hours on a Tuesday morning in September. Fortunately I had left early with the idea of getting to Aadil Palkhivala’s workshop with plenty of time to set up my mat and release any tension from the city traffic. I envisioned calmly entering the room and creating a sacred place with my mat while slowly transitioning my mind from stop-and-go traveling to gaining a deeper understanding of yoga. Instead I stumbled in with literally two minutes to pee, toss down a mat, and grab a pencil for note taking. But this article is not about me, it’s about Aadil.

Picture a tall, large, and bald man, with a voice that can fill the room with tone, depth, and grandeur all at once. He always manages to maintain a sweet odor about him even when he sweats. As Aadil took his place at the teacher’s seat, the room of approximately fifty yogis grew respectfully quiet. As he sat on a foam block in virasana, his eyes closed and his breath steady and expansive. An energy lingered in the room that told me, this was not for show. He was going within to speak from a more meaningful place than the mind. He spoke from the heart.

We began with warming up our breath and joining the energy of the mind and pelvis to the heart center. The Gayatri mantra set the tone for higher truth to be a focal point of the practice.

Throughout this two hour workshop and then a three hour class several days later, Aadil did a fine job of intermixing lecture and asana. The first class included the use of the five vayus in standing poses. What amazed me was that we only did four standing postures and yet I felt the work in my legs and core for two or three days. It was not the quantity or difficulty of the poses that made this experience so unique. The poses were quite basic: trikonasana, parsvakonasana, virabhadrasana I, and virabhadrasana II. It was the quality and awareness that he skillfully guided the students to realize.

The vayus, or subsets of Prana, are directly related to the five elements: earth, air, ether, water, and fire. As Aadil encourages us to connect our bones to the earth with solidity and to lift from the arches through the perineum with fire, my body came alive and brought a new energy to the entire pose, which by the way I’ve been doing for almost a decade now. He showed how water gave the spreading action in parsvakonasana and virabhdrasana II contained all elements at once.

With a booming tone and zeal in his eyes as he curled his fingers and commanded, “Feel the fire!” My energy blazed and the connection of the body and environment was readily apparent.

Unlike dozens of other teachers I have worked with, Mr. Palkhivala does not just give lip service to the steps he outlines for asanas: mindful awareness, breath, and light. Plenty of yogis say something similar, but then focus mainly on taking the postures deeper and deeper with no real focus on what the mind or spirit are doing. As Aadil shared during our third, or so, time into a pose, “If you do not intend come into this asana with joy, you have no business doing it!” How very true and how frequently overlooked. One of the fundamental principles provided to us by Pantanjali is that of non-violence. If you cannot come into a pose with joy, violence comes all too easily. With joy, there is no violence.

Although these workshops provided a wonderful and articulate way of experiencing energy, breath, and life in the body, the real gem of working with Aadil is his life wisdom. Pearls of truth were released all throughout the class; constantly reminding the students of how asana is only a small part of yoga. “Yoga must use asana—if at all—to uncover and then live dharma. Otherwise asana is at best an exercise and at worst a means off your path.” All too often, I have seen popular yoga teachers lost in their own egos claiming that if we chant om a few times, their classes are spiritual.

Classes with this unique man include a reminder that asana is only a small part of yoga. Perhaps in an attempt to balance an asana-loving nation, I felt he downplayed the postures to the point that one might wonder why do them at all. (This is something I question with frequency in my own practice.) As if he read the question in my mind, during the opening of the second class, he shared, “Asana is done to connect to the energy all around us…. The purpose of asana is not to do more and more asana. It’s to do more and more life!” His voice rose with emphasis on the word life and I could feel a zest to be more, to live more fully growing inside of me.

Finally, Aadil quoted Mikhail Gorbachev as he prompted us all to discover and live our life’s purpose now, “If not me, who? If not now, when?”

Love Much,

Kris
http://www.totalhealthyoga.com/

Today is the first day of the rest of your life!

Individual Career Planning - What Am I Good At

2008-11-17T04:14:00.000-06:00

I've always thought someone's strengths were something they were good at--even if they hated doing it. That's why I get stuck cleaning the bathroom every week. It's definitely not a love affair with the bathroom--remember that's with the kitchen floor. I just do a more thorough job than anyone else in the family.

This view may not be a big deal when it comes to divying up household chores, but when selecting a career this view is a great way to really mess things up!

Marcus Buckingham, author of Go Put Your Strengths to Work and presenter on Oprah and a PBS special on strengths, has a different take on the definition of a personal strength:

"A strength is an activity that makes you feel strong."

Not necessarily something that you're good at. To help us realize what our strengths are Marcus has some suggestions: Keep a notebook with you at all times and write down things that make you feel strong. Don't do this at the end of the day. In order to maintain the details and a vivid description, write it down right away. When you do this the underlying likes and dislikes become more evident than just a generic quick description at the end of the day. For example, "talking on the phone with Mary" is not anywhere near as insighful as "calling Mary to discuss the school policies and brainstorming on ideas of how we can get them to consider the needs of the students more." For more details on this, check out Marcus's work (via book or videos).

In your stength notebook, create two columns: "I loved it" and "I loathed it". Things that made you feel empowered go in the loved it list and ones that left you disempowered go on the loathed it side. There are some rules to follow (again I'm just overviewing here, but Marcus's work with Oprah and PBS--and I imagine his book--provide more thorough suggestions). One "rule" is to only write down events that you did--not something that someone did to you. For example, being complimented by your mom might feel nice, but you didn't do it. However, helping out your family and giving your time may make you feel wonderful inside. Only the latter of these two scenarios would go on the list.

Here are the four SIGNs to help you determine if something is worthy of the loved it list. Look for all four before adding to the loved it side.

S - Success. If you think you’re good (being effective and in control) at it, then you’re a success at it.

I – Instinct. This includes things you look forward to doing; you can’t help but to do them.

G – Growth. Time stands still and you’re completely focused on the activity; if you’re distracted easily then it goes in the loathed column.

N – Needs. It fulfills a need. You feel fulfilled by it.

When I did this for a week, what I thought were my strengths originally were not always empowering for me and things I used to classify as not important enough to spend time on left me feeling wonderful inside. This has shifted how I make decisions on where to put my time and energy every day.

Once you've identified your strengths, Mr. Buckingham suggests starting every day with the question:

"How can I volunteer my strengths today?"

Focusing and devoting more time to my real strengths has brought more joy and meaning to every day of my life. I truly believe that this exercise has helped me to give more and contribute more of what I was meant to in this world.

Thank you, Mr. Buckingham!

Kris
http://www.totalhealthyoga.com/

Today is the first day of the rest of your life!

What is Prayer?

2008-11-14T10:57:00.008-06:00

I used to think meditation was listening and prayer was talking to some higher force. As a child, prayer was a part of my evening ritual; I had even made up a bedtime prayer to use along with the Lord's Prayer. This "home made" one had more meaning to me as the church's version of the Lord's Prayer was not very relatable for a 7 year old.

As time passed, I came to realize that the prayers felt completely empty and void of any meaning. I could recite them backwards, forwards, and sideways while not actually paying any attention to the words. By high school, the ritual had become worthless; so I stopped.

Almost 20 years later, I became interested in meditation. After struggling all day to control everything around me, this practice of letting go was just what I needed. Prayer felt like one more attempt at controlling and meditation was being quiet and allowing things to be.

Now after a relatively consistent meditation practice for 5-10 years, I'm ready to check out this prayer-thing once again.

Just as there are many definitions or viewpoint of what meditation is, there are different mindsets regarding prayer. Gary Kraftsow lists prayer as one of the important elements of yoga. When I asked him how prayer was differed from meditation, he said, "It's a subset of meditation."

After doing a little research, I'm beginning to see what he meant.

In his book, Awakening the Buddha Within, Lama Surya Das describes prayer as "sacred speech." "In non-theistic Buddhism, as we pray, we are not petitioning for something so much as we are reaffirming our intentions and asserting our vows," (page 183).

One of the most useful ideas was uncovered in The Energy of Prayer by Thich Nhat Hanh. He points out that "in prayer there has to be mindfulness, concentration, insight, loving kindness, and compassion," (page 40). This points to the uselessness of "worry prayers." You know when you bargain with the divine while in a state of panic to have things go a certain way. Thich goes on to suggest the two most important elements in "effective prayer." "The first is to establish a relationship between ourselves and the one we are praying to. It is the equivalent of connecting the electrical wire when we want to communicate by telephone.... When we meditate on [the connection between ourself and the one we are praying for], communication is realized.... The second element we need for prayer is energy. We have connected the telephone wire, now we need to send an electric current through it. In prayer, the electric current is love, mindfulness, and right concentration," (page 41-43).

Finally, I would be remiss to talk about prayer without mentioning Dr. Larry Dossey. His books, Healing Words and Prayer is Good Medicine, can be used as a foundation to understanding and inspiring a regular practice of prayer.

I pray you are well and filled with love, compassion, and peace.

Kris
http://www.totalhealthyoga.com/

Today is the first day of the rest of your life!

Self Awareness - - Forward bends and How do you view the world?

2008-11-07T08:09:00.010-06:00

Last week, a friend and I were having coffee when she shared her dismay at couples shopping together. "The men are so controlling. I watch them walk around the market dominating their wives and pushing them around."

Now this is interesting to me; I tend to have a great time grocery shopping with or without my partner/husband. A matter of fact, when Mike and I go together we operate like a well-oiled machine cutting the time spent gathering goods in half (or almost half), and it's nice to chat about upcoming dinners and "plan as we go." Other couples in the store appear to get along just fine. If anything, the women tend to run the show with lists in hands--which is exactly what happens in our family.

So how can two women shopping notice such different couples? I really doubt they differ that much from store to store. The hint lies in the fact that my friend is in the midst of serious marital troubles: her husband is very controlling and is attempting to manipulate her so that it stays that way.

Since I currently see relationships as comfortable and overall agreeable, that's what I experience while out and about. In my friends present situation, she sees men as controlling and bossy; this is what is brought out when she is shopping.

Our present state of mind determines what we notice. If you see the world as basically good and peaceful, you'll pay more attention to what is good and peaceful. On the other hand, if you believe the world is a scary and gloomy place, then that's what you'll find around every corner.

Don't believe me? Take a look around your room and just observe what's there. Now pause and close your eyes. Think of the color brown. Look around again. Now think white and check out your environment. Odds are what stands out is based on the thought you just had. It's like when you get married, get pregnant, or get a dog. Suddenly it seems like everyone is getting married, having babies, or hanging out with their dogs!

When we do forward bends in yoga, from an emotional standpoint, we are looking within. If your intention is to learn more about yourself and thought patterns--which is a huge part of yoga--then you can take advantage of the surrendering and pensive nature of forward bends to understand and witness what comes up for you in times of silence and drawing inward.

This is all well and fine, but knowing how to bend forward in a safe and effective manner is important as well. Here are some tips according to the Viniyoga tradition:

1-Prior to bending forward, inhale and lift the chest away from the belly. This prevents the chest from collapsing over the belly.

2-Align the head so the ears are over the shoulders and the chin is slightly down to omit any additional tension in the shoulder and neck region.

3-As you begin to bend on an exhale, you need to know something about your hips. If they are tight (see clues for this below*), then emphasize tilting the pelvic bowl forward and lifting the sit bones away from the legs. If the hips are flexible, then start all forward bends by engaging the insertion of the rectus abdominis --which is located at the pubic bone. This will align the lumbar (low) back area.

4-As you continue to come forward, tone the low belly from the pubis to the navel keeping the low back long and supported.

5-Come out of the pose on an inhale by lifting the chest and keeping some tone in the low belly. This supports the back and prevents over-rounding in the upper back.

*To test for hip flexibility, sit against a wall with the sacrum and upper back touching the wall. Straighten the legs our in front of you into staff (dandasana). It's easy to "cheat" and let the sacrum slide away from the wall. If you need to keep the knees bent (even a little) in order to maintain the sacrum and upper back at the wall, then follow the guidelines for tight hips in step 3 above. Otherwise go for the flexible hip directions.

Once you develop enough openness in the low back to come into deeper forward bends, the inward journey deepens. This is not the only path to self-reflection, but it's a mobilizing and enjoyable one for many people.

Best of luck and love much,

Kris
http://www.totalhealthyoga.com/

Today is the first day of the rest of your life!

Viniyoga - One size does NOT fit all

2008-11-01T17:58:00.015-06:00

Nadine Fawell recently wrote a fantastic post regarding injuries and yoga. This has been a subject of great interest to me for four years now--since injuring my back through various means and then going downhill from there. I am a devoted yoga practitioner and yet have experienced back pain, neck tension, joint inflammation, insomnia, constipation, and knee difficulties. Oh yeah, there was foot pain as well. I even wrote an article about this topic that the International Association of Yoga Therapist was kind enough to publish.

For the longest time I thought I was alone; as Nadine alluded to some teachers may not be admitting their aches and pains. But when Gary Kraftsow shared at a workshop in Indiana this year that, "All the well-known yoga teachers in the US have had injuries and most have had surgery" I suddenly felt that I wasn't alone in this "dilemma." I don't know how much truth there was to that statement, but Gary struck me as a honest guy and that was his assessment after 30 years involvement with yoga.

The question is: How many injuries are due to the asanas, ego, or being a teacher? I think it depends on the person. In my own case I think a lot of my injuries are related to "experimenting" with various alignments in order to be a better teacher, demonstrating in classes, and from some personal challenges this body was born with.

Regardless of the cause, the sense of integration and peace yoga brings keeps me coming back. Over time my focus has shifted more heavily towards pranayama, meditation, and way of life. Asana is still there, but with a different emphasis.

There are so many styles of asanas--hundreds--and theories on alignment and sequencing; the one thing I know for sure is that no one really knows the right way. Perhaps this is because yoga is not a "one-size-fits-all" methodology. Maybe it's because yoga is meant to grow with you--not to keep you the same. So when you mature, so does the practice.

I used to think that asana involved mastering (or at least moving towards) more and more challenging postures. It wasn't an ego thing, it was an honest presumption that this would mean a deeper release of blocks, a strength of discipline, and a focused mind. This may be true, but does it make sense to even ask the body to become stronger and more flexible in your 40's, 50's, 60's, etc compared to the 20's and 30's?

Viniyoga has a strong foundation in respecting (and accepting) what stage of life one is in. Traditionally this style of yoga suggested a more intense and challenging asana practice for folks up to about age 25--the sunrise of life. Then from 25 to 70 or so, the midday of life, asanas were really to service pranayama, or the breathing practices. Finally comes sunset after 70 years old. This focused mainly on meditation. With that said all three stages may include all three elements: postures, breathing, and meditation. However the drive that is so frequently seen in western yoga classes to do the "next pose" and push further each time was (and is) definitely not what yoga was meant to be.

I admit to thinking in the past that if I was a "good" yogini I must be able to do more and more complex postures or I must be failing somehow. How ironic is that? To feel like a failure in a modality that is all about accepting who you are!

It's all a journey and the key is to "do better, when you know better." In my desire to "do better", I've been reading Yoga for Transformation by Kraftsow and here are just a couple of quotes that lead me to believe he's on to something and my practice is going to change again:

"...the transformational potential of practice is furthered by progressively adding other elements --such as pranayama, chanting, meditation, prayer, and ritual--to do the same or similar core postures, without having to master progressively more complex or difficult postures." (page xxi)

"And just as our bodies change through time, the ancients suggested that the purpose and methods of asana practice must also change." (page 5)

"...if we are the high-paced, hyperactive type, we might be drawn toward a very active practice--one that makes us sweat and that generates lots of heat--whereas what we may really need is a more soothing and calming practice. Or, if we are the slow-moving, sluggish type, we might be drawn to a very gentle and relaxing practice, whereas what we may really need is a more active and stimulating one." (page 26)

Love Much,

Kris
http://www.totalhealthyoga.com/

Today is the first day of the rest of your life!

Stress Reduction - Slow Down!

2008-10-21T08:51:00.004-05:00

This past weekend I had the honor of attending a workshop with Gary Kraftsow at City Yoga in Indianapolis, Indiana. Gary is the founder of the American Viniyoga Institute with a strong therapeutic approach to Yoga.

"Increasing breath threshold is something that can benefit almost everyone, aside from someone on a respirator," Gary commented. I have to agree with this whole-heartily. Time and again I see people push themselves into down dog even though they have carpel tunnel or take a deep twist with back troubles. (I've been guilty of this last one....)

As wonderful as asana can be, the breath is the doorway to real change and greater health. No doubt about it.

Back to Gary's comment regarding "breath threshold": Breath threshold is the capacity that you have to slow your breath. Another way of putting it is 'to slow your breath without strain is one of the healthiest simplest actions you can take.'

The average person breaths 15 times per minute--that's 15 inhales and 15 exhales in 60 seconds. A healthier person may be down at 8 breaths. A trained yogi may be 4.

The idea is to practice slowing your rate once or twice a day for 10-12 breaths. Then breathe normally throughout the day. Over time your "natural/normal" breath rate will slow down. Right now my breath rate (without controlling or intentionally altering it) is 8/min. Usually it's 6, but I had some dried fruit at breakfast and sugars tend to quicken my rate. You can see how the breath rate is impacted by your environment, diet, thoughts, and actions. Being in a state of fear may cause the breath to be held; this is a natural reaction, but for positive health we're talking about the continuation of inhale and exhale at a slow, deep, and even pace.

Slower breathing means: Lower heart rate, reduced blood pressure, regulation of hormones, calmer mind, improved digestion, and increased immunity.

Swami Jnaneshvara offers an easy method for lengthening the breath while maintain dirgha(steadiness):

"Imagine that you are driving a car, and that you quickly accelerate by firmly pressing the gas pedal with your foot. Imagine that when you want to slow down, you sharply press your foot on the brake pedal. In both cases there is a firm pressure being exerted. Now, imagine that you very gently press the gas pedal to accelerate, and that you very gently press the brake pedal to slow down. You are using less force in both accelerating and decelerating. That backing off, or slowing of the amount of force is what is done with the exertion towards exhalation and inhalation (vichchhedah). Through that slowing process, there is an expansion of awareness of the entire field of prana, which is called pranayama." ~ http://www.swamij.com/yoga-sutras-24953.htm

Thank you, Swamij!

Kris
http://www.totalhealthyoga.com/

Today is the first day of the rest of your life!

Tao Te Ching - Mindfulness Exercises

2008-10-14T08:26:00.003-05:00

When you look at this bird, what do you think? If you paused to explore the colors, poise, uniqueness and wonder of this creature than you have a knack for being mindful and connecting with everything around you. On the other hand, if you do what I've done countless times in my life, and said, "Oh, there's a robin." Then you have some work to do. Or shall I say "undo."

As a young child, you may have looked upon robins with wonder and curiosity. Perhaps you even tried to flap your arms like wings to see if you could fly. I remember watching intently after a spring rain, as robins hopped about the lawn munching on worms and other grub. I was fascinated.

Then our parents or teachers inform us that the name of this unique creature is "robin." With this label some of the wonderment disappears. Did you ever walk in the woods in different part of the world and notice how interesting the unknown foliage and critters are? When we name things, there's the underlying notion that we have it "all figured out" and some of the interest may diminish. Of course, the use of words are vital to our current form of communication, but the question is "how can we stay connected and still use words?"

When we label a group of people we separate ourselves from one another, unless they are part of "our group." When a doctor labels the patient with a condition or disease, frequently the symptoms worsen and panic sets in. Labels have the very strong ability to limit us in how we perceive things, people, and ourselves.

Did you ever notice how judgements about a person are really labels that we've put on someone? Are we limiting those relationships with this naming? When we determine a child is smart or not, are we setting boundaries for their own performance?

Do we need language? Yes. Do we need to attach ourselves to it? No. A matter-of-fact, I would propose being very careful not to. As Eckhart Tolle suggests, go into nature and see it, smell it, hear it, feel it, taste it, but do not name it. When you do this, a mystery unfolds and connection begins to return.

Consider the opening lines in the Tao Te Ching (The Way of Life--tao translates to the way or path):

"The tao that can be told is not the eternal Tao.

The name that can be named is not the eternal Name.

The unnamable is the eternally real."

Namaste,

Kris
http://www.totalhealthyoga.com/

Today is the first day of the rest of your life!

Muscle Strain - Finding Happy Muscles

2008-10-07T08:45:00.000-05:00

As much as I'd like to say that practicing yoga has only left my body feeling joyous, strong, and fluid, this is not always the case. A matter of fact, there have been times that I've pulled or strained a muscle so severely that the pain lasts for days and, if I'm not careful, weeks!

Here's a remedy that has proven useful. Hopefully you'll find relief with it as well:

~2 cups of Epsom Salts

~5 drops Lavender essential oil

~5 drops Rosemary essential oil

~5 drops Peppermint essential oil

Mix the above ingredients in a warm bath and soak for at least 10 minutes. I tend to stay for 20 along with candlelight and music or a good book.

Love Much,

Kris
http://www.totalhealthyoga.com/

Today is the first day of the rest of your life!

Compassion - Can You Care Too Much?

2008-10-02T07:41:00.000-05:00

A dear friend came to me the other day upset after a visit to the doctor's office. It seems that yet another ailment has reared its head. Her list of serious illnesses continues to grow and even her doc's think stress has a lot to do with it. Lori (not her real name) has difficulties with her family. Lori is a giver. It's that simple. The other day I went to visit her and told her I'd bring lunch--the idea being she'd have to do nothing. I even brought plates and silverware, so she'd have no dishes. By the time I arrived, she had more food already on the table than a small army could finish. Well, maybe not that much, but way more than we could tackle!

Oddly, she knows that all of this giving is bringing on countless health problems. Members of her family flock around her--even her mother--in part, I think, because Lori is just so easy to be around and does so much for others. Like an alcoholic with liver disease who takes another drink, Lori just can't stop giving of herself. She gives and gives until there's nothing left, and then she gives some more.

When I suggested she stop doing so much for others, she voiced concern. "How can I stop doing so much and still be a compassionate person?"

Does compassion imply giving what you no longer have to others? Is it compassionate to injure yourself for another's sake? Are you really helping that other person?

Since her family acts like energy vampires hoovering around her and demanding everything she has, I question if Lori can learn to give less in such an environment. Over the last 40 years, it's only gotten worse, not better. Sort of like a drug addict trying to heal while staying in a drug house.

My suggestion was to separate from these draining relationships until she felt stronger and healthier. Then with awareness of how much to give, slowly re-enter these people into her life. However, it's challenging (if not impossible) to tell your mother, kids, spouse, and sisters that you're taking a break from them all!

I don't claim to have the answer; maybe there's a different answer for each of us. But it does make sense to me that to be compassionate means to honestly look at what is best for all involved--including yourself! Once you have learned what you can about yourself and done what you can for the other person, if the situation remains draining and unhealthy, it's time to end it--maybe not forever, but for now. End it with love and compassion in your heart, but end it. I do believe this is the most caring act -- tough love.

Kris
http://www.totalhealthyoga.com/

Today is the first day of the rest of your life!

Spiritual Growth - The private relationship between you and God

2008-09-22T09:29:00.006-05:00

GOD: Now there's a loaded word! If you want to see an argument break loss bring up religion or politics.

My relationship with this label has had its ups and downs over the years, but in the end it's just a word. Stick in any combination of sounds that works for you, be that Universal Consciousness, Higher Self, Jesus, Buddha, etc. What's important is NOT what you call it; rather that you understand that I'm referring to the part of you that is within and beyond--a calm and peaceful place void of ego. This is what I'll call Spiritual Source--I could just as well call it Buga-Buga, but to avoid too much silliness, we'll stick with Spiritual Source.

Dr. Douglas Brooks shared a story about three years ago at a yoga teacher training in Massachusetts saying that his teacher "never shared his spiritual beliefs with his family. Not even his wife." Yet, this master spoke of his private practices with Dr. Brooks. This is because Douglas asked. The Indian culture was set up in such a way that

one's spiritual life was private but not secret.

This concept aligned deeply within me. As soon as one is off yakking about their beliefs to others the ego (or attachment) gets involved, and in a severe case people are attempting to shove their beliefs onto others. Did you ever have someone ring your doorbell over dinner to tell you about "their God?" Oh, pleeeeease! These are total strangers invading someone's home-time to push ideas. Tell me that's not ego driven.

As a teacher of yoga, which is by definition a spiritual practice, it is the teacher's responsibility to guide others spirituality. This is not to be confused with religion--the rituals and traditions. This is about helping others to experience for themselves what Spiritual Source is for them. In a class or in the student-teacher relationship, this is part of the agreement. However, this does not give the yoga teacher license to even attempt to guide those that do not want guidance. It took me almost seven years to understand that when I tried to help my sister with issues by providing my outlook on Life, I only drove her farther away; she hadn't asked for spiritual guidance, she had only wanted a listening ear.

Dr. Wayne Dyer, one of America's great spiritual leaders today, reminds us again and again to stay private and keep your relationship with Spiritual Source sacred and just within your own heart. I've never quite gotten this, until last Friday. Why not share your profound inspirations with a close loved one? I'm not talking about knocking on doors and telling my neighbors--who quite frankly could care less. I'm talking about expressing the excitement of spiritual growth with your most intimate partner.

Well, I did this last week and awoke the next day in doubt--the thinking mind had stepped in. I believe this is why Dr. Dyer advises so strongly to keep your personal spiritual path just that--personal. No words can accurately describe the spiritual realm. Language can point to it, but not fully explain it. So the simple act of attempting to describe a remarkable spiritual experience, is always lacking. Also, one must consider the reaction of the other person. It's like telling someone the name you've chosen for a baby while still pregnant. If the reaction is hesitant or someone tells you why/how they hate that name, then it mars the joy of using that particular name. When I attempted to describe my spiritual life and shifts in it to my partner, the thinking mind slipped in and took hold. This is in part due to simply using words for something that words can not be truly used for and in part due to a conversation that ensued regarding where inspirations come from and what the results mean. Suddenly the peaceful surrender that I had been experiencing was replaced with worry, doubt, and "trying" to figure it out.

Admittedly, a stronger person may be able to share how the universe works through them and how sometimes the most perfect actions or words just appear, but this was not the case for me. For now I will focus on returning to that place of peace and hold my tongue until the desire to share stems only from knowing it is the right time and not from anxiousness or excitement.

Love Much,

Kris
http://www.totalhealthyoga.com/

Today is the first day of the rest of your life!

Yoga Asanas -- What's the point?

2008-09-12T07:41:00.012-05:00

Lately I've been questioning the usefulness of asanas. When a teacher, usually in the Anusara style, says to "open your hamstrings in order to let the divine in" I (sort of) want to puke. (I must disclose here, that I studied Anusara--and received my hatha yoga certification from Todd Norian--for 2-3 years.)

There are plenty of people out there that can forward bend and place their head between their legs and there's nothing divine about them. Let me rephrase; their egos are so huge that their actions and words are far from divine. Yes, we're all divine--I really believe that. But some of us hide it better than others.

These same teachers--that tout being a better person by opening your hips--speak frequently of "taking it to the next level." I'd like to think that means growing closer to self-actualization, but unfortunately they are usually referring to a more difficult pose. Perhaps these folks heard it from their teacher and something was lost in the translation--or maybe the teachers of the teachers have gotten so caught up in the "glamor" of beautiful poses that they themselves have forgotten why we do them at all.

In the west countless people associate yoga with asana, which is almost laughable. There are many types of yoga that don't even consider postures, such as the yoga of devotion, chanting, or self-less actions. Hatha yoga is a subset of yoga as a whole, and this subset includes the use of body movements and positions. Yet, even here the intention is to take the "path of the higher life" (Lectures on Yoga by Swami Rama, pg 12). Let's be honest, that doesn't mean to get your feet behind your head! Really, will that bring you closer to God or a deeper knowing of the authentic self? Admittedly, you might just get those feet back there along the way, but it's NOT THE GOAL. Not only that, from personal experience I can say some of us are not meant to do such challenging poses.

On the other hand, when I began hatha yoga just over 10 years ago, if the teacher had sat us all down and said, "Close your eyes and we'll begin with a 20 minute chant. Focus on the Om sound and simply let your thoughts drift by," I would have been out that door so fast no one would even know I had been there at all. For starters I couldn't sit still for 20 seconds, let alone 20 minutes! Now I enjoy, even relish, in the quiet solitude of meditation; but it's taken a number of years to get to this point. In the silence I commune with God, higher consciousness, or a deeper awareness of what is (whatever you want to label it). This has become a valuable, if not necessary, part of my daily life.

Did asana help me get to this point? Most definitely. I remember the first time a teacher had us lie in savasana for over 5 minutes. I wondered when he was going to finally let us get up. "Antsy-ness" was setting in. It took almost two years of practice until I could remain relaxed in comfort for 10 minutes or more. Perhaps a slow learner, but as mentioned earlier I couldn't even sit still for 20 seconds! So, 10 minutes without moving was pretty amazing stuff.

Upon honest reflection, my beef with asana is not asanas fault. It's a wonderful tool when used correctly. Just as a hammer is great to drive a nail into wood; thus connecting items together. However that same hammer may be used to harm another human being or animal. It's powerful, but how you use that power is more important than the tool itself. Asana may be used to embody your breath and mind, to bring awareness within and quiet all the distractions of everyday life. Used inappropriately it is nothing more than a means to cause more separation from everyone else and to enhance your ego. "Yoga" literally means to yoke or bring together. So you see, anything that separates us from each other is NOT yoga!

Aadil Palkhivala put it beautifully last week in Chicago,

"Yoga must use asana--if at all--to uncover and then live dharma. Otherwise asana is at best an exercise and at worst a means off your path."

So, to asana or not to asana? That is the question. Only you can decide what works for you, but most importantly be willing to change that answer! If the answer never changes, you are not growing. And to live is to grow. And to practice yoga is to live.

Speaking for myself, 3 years ago asana was a big part of my practice. Sometimes to feel fully alive I would do 2-3 hours of asana and 30-45 minutes of pranayama and meditation; I did this 5-7 days a week.

Today is different; I begin and end every day with meditation. Sometimes pranayama finds its way into this set aside "connection" time. Asanas for about 1 hour 3 days a week, and that's mainly because I teach asana I feel a responsibility to keep up with it. More walks outside and tennis with my family. The body thanks me for this. The mind enjoys being on the mat and the energy pulsing through the body is wonderful, but the body complains and some of the ligaments have been compromised over the years. To honer what is, I work more on integration and strength building than opening. This is today. I cannot say what will be tomorrow. Yoga brings awareness, if you let it. So, tomorrow I will listen and hopefully respond to my body, my mind, and my soul with or without asana.

Love Much,

Kris
http://www.totalhealthyoga.com/

Today is the first day of the rest of your life!

It's not what you do, it's how you do it that matters.

2008-09-11T14:17:00.005-05:00

We've all heard the expression,

It's now what you do, it's how you do it that matters.

Aadil Palkhivala brought this statement to life earlier this week. Aadil is a yoga master and commonly referred to as "the teacher of teachers." He's been practicing yoga with Iyengar since the ripe age of 7 and has taught some the better known teachers today, such as Shiva Rea.

This week he is in Chicago (a mere 2-3 hours depending on traffic from me). So I attended one of his classes/workshops. The title was The Five Vayus in Purna Yoga™ Standing Poses. In this 2 hour standing posture class, there was some lecture, warm up, cool down, and only 4 standing postures. I hadn't noticed how few there were, until later reflection on the class. All of them were done first to the right and then to the left and a couple of them were done twice, but what shocked me was how hard I worked and how my entire body responded. Two days later my butt and legs still feel the effects--which translates as they're sore as hell! Well, the "good" kind of sore. The one that let's you know that you've challenged yourself and grew some muscle tissue.

As I sat on the couch last night I wondered, how after a measly 4 postures (trikonasana/triangle, parsvakonasana/side angle, virabhadrasana I/warrior I, and virabhadrasana II/warrior II) could I feel so much? After all, I do plenty of poses like these--or even these--2 or 3 times a week.

The answer came, "It's not what poses you do, it's how you do them that matters." I'm mindful and breath steady and easfully (like the sutras instruct) through my practice, but what was missing was the "huspa". You know, the oomph! Now I've practiced with plenty of energy in the past, and usually it ends in a lack of awareness and injury. Aadil led us in a different manner.

Here are the two main vayus (winds) that made the biggest difference. First there is apana which relates to the earth element. As you exhale root your legs like rocks heavily connected to the ground. Then inhale with samana vayu. Samana is like fire lifting vibrantly up from the arches in the feet and through the perineum. To keep up with sincerity in awareness of these opposing forces while maintaining a position for about 6 breaths, provides amazing energy and centering to the body. Between postures, pause with the feet together and notice the effects. Notice if your central nadi/channel is humming or more alive than before. Mine sure was.

I can only speak for myself, but using the imagery of earth and fire along with the breath was magical in my body--much more so than simple alignment and mechanical muscular actions.

Best of luck in your practice,

Kris
http://www.totalhealthyoga.com/

Today is the first day of the rest of your life!

Spiritual Seekers

2008-09-02T11:32:00.002-05:00

Do you find yourself looking for answers or simply looking? I've been a "seeker" for many years and quite frankly, I'm getting a little tired of it. Maybe it's simply a case of sheer laziness, but I like to think it's a glimmer of enlightenment.

People frequently get "stuck" in search mode. It's like googling for the word "house" and the search engine hangs. Being that google never "just keeps going" and gets stuck in the questing of a subject or word, does that make it smarter than us self-proclaimed "seekers?" Now there's a scary thought!

I met a gal, let's call her Mary, at a Yoga class two years ago. Mary was a bit put-off by any advice or spiritual suggestions. "I've been questing for so long, I'm just worn out and need a break," she lamented.

This sounds like progress. No, really, it does. Think about it, when we're constantly looking outside ourselves for answers and meaning with the mind, the heart (the soul) can be easily forgotten. Ironic but true.

Two options exist, as far as I can see:

1. Keep reading and looking for meaning or understanding while allowing your mind to take over and risk getting lost in the search.

2. Pause and listen to your breath. Stop long enough to hear or feel your heart beating and the blood circulating. Observe. Be present. From this place, and only from this place, read and observe new ideas.

Do you see the difference? Option 1, you are driven from a point of lack and trying to find meaning. This is a fine place to start, but over time we must move onto option 2. When you do, the mind is useful, but no longer controls the show. The heart does. A detachment begins to occur and when you run across something that is true for you, you will feel it inside as if a wave of peace has just washed over you.

To seek or not to seek? Tempting to say, "That is the question." Instead let me summarize with a quote from Dr. Wayne Dyer,

"Stop the chase and be a witness."

Love Much,

Kris
www.TotalHealthYoga.com

Today is the first day of the rest of your life!

3d Eye - not the music group

2008-08-12T14:09:00.003-05:00

I wonder is the music group, Third Eye Blind, realizes that this is the state that many of us walk around in all the time--with a loss of connection to Higher Awareness.

In yoga, the third eye is referred to frequently in meditation as a means to encourage a connection with the Divine or Higher Awareness. The Bible says,

“When thine eye becomes single, the whole body fills with light.” ~ Matthew 6:22

In the yogic tradition, this "single eye" is the third eye, also known as the sixth chakra. When opened, you may have a deeper sense of knowing what is true--not because you read it or it makes sense, but you simply know in your heart. Inspiration and intuition stem from this energy center of the body. If you struggle with trusting yourself, work with asanas and meditations geared for this area.

Interestingly, balance poses are recommended to tap into the freedom and wisdom of the third eye. To be honest, I am not sure why. My best guess is that you have to be still and centered and trust in yourself in order to stand on one leg.

Be sure to add at least one balancing posture to your day and work with a teacher and great body awareness to level the hips somewhat while following a deep and steady breath. Allow the head to float skyward like a helium balloon. Enjoy the combination of rooting and "flying" at the same time.

Namaste,

Kris
www.TotalHealthYoga.com
www.TotalHealthYogaClasses.Blogspot.com

Today is the first day of the rest of your life!

Lotus Flower Symbol

2008-08-11T15:15:00.002-05:00

The beautiful strong, and yet delicate, lotus flower is the perfect analogy for our growth as human beings.

Life begins with the roots growing deep into the mud at the bottom of a pond. There is a density and heaviness, just like our material or physical world.

As we grow and experience life, our thoughts come alive vibrating at a higher frequency than the physical body. This is the water where the stem reaches towards the light above.

Finally, the flower opens above the water's surface basking in the light and freedom of the open air.

This is our spiritual journey. To begin with the physical, mental, and at last enlightenment. Here you come to know ease and spiritual truth--the least dense of these three realms.

Love Much,

Kris
http://www.totalhealthyoga.com/
http://www.totalhealthyogaclasses.blogspot.com/

Today is the first day of the rest of your life!

Yoga Breathing

2008-07-29T13:22:00.002-05:00

Have you ever noticed that the quality of your breath, thoughts, and actions are directly related? In times of stress the breath and thoughts quicken and the breath becomes shallow. Actions tend to be rough, and in extreme stress, even shaky. The breath also follows an irregular pattern and feel rugged.

When you are feeling blissful, the body moves with steady grace; thoughts slow and calm. Inhales and exhales are deep and long.

This is one of the miracles of using the breath. Just as our thoughts can impact our breathing or motions, the reverse is also true. The trick is to guide the breath without strain. When there is strain, there is force. Forcing the breath can have negative results. So, check in every 6 or so breaths to see if your experience is one of more calm or increased agitation. If it's the latter, then return to a natural (non-guided) breath.

The Mohan's say in Yoga Therapy, "...there should be steadiness or uniformity (dirgha) and smoothness or fineness (sukshma).... Dirgha and sukshma are interrelated characteristics: Dirgha is long and sukshma is deep." [p132-133]

To reap the benefits of Yoga more fully, begin every hatha practice with checking in with your breath. Is it steady, subtle, long, and deep?

Maintain these qualities throughout your practice. Remember this is a practice! Over time it will be easier to find smooth, quiet, slow, and full breaths throughout the day. Even set aside a few minutes two or three times a day to check in with your breath.

When you guide the breath to flow in this manner, your thoughts and actions will follow suit.

Love Much,

Kris
www.TotalHealthYoga.com
www.TotalHealthYogaClasses.Blogspot.com

Today is the first day of the rest of your life!

Yoga Diet Food - Olive Oil

2008-07-24T09:38:00.003-05:00

Earlier this week, we got to taking about the benefits of fat in our diets. Ayurvedic science advocates ghee (organic clarified butter), and most western nutritionists promote olive oil for good health.

I was under the impression that sauteing with olive oil was harmful due to the low smoking point. So, years ago I began using canola oil (recommended by the Okinawan Program) for medium to high heat. Saving the extra virgin olive oil for no or low heat.

A wonderful student, M.C., questioned this and looked into it further. She forwarded an article: http://www.oliveoilsource.com/cooking_olive_oil.htm touting the ability to heat olive oil to almost 400 degrees.

This caused me to look into it a bit further, and if you're interested here are some additional links to consider when looking at the healthiest fat available:

http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/ART02970/OliveOil.html

http://www.realage.com/ct/tips/3184 http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/id/QAA400093

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/4469370.stm

Tasty-looking recipes!! -- http://mayoclinic.com/health/food-and-nutrition/NU00203

In summary, Dr Weil is a HUGE proponent of cooking with only olive oil. On the other hand, the Okinawa Program sites canola oil as the healthiest (pg 30). Chopra is a fan of ghee and olive oil.

So, what's best? Consider the smoking point. http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=george&dbid=56 describes the importance of not heating an oil to the point of smoke.

In the end, it sounds like the answer lies in what type of oil and how it was processed to determine if it's wise to use with heat. A good rule of thumb could be: If the oil smokes in the pan, it's too hot.

My sister used to save her extra virgin oil for salads and flavoring after cooking. The "regular" olive oil she used when it'd be heated. Her reasoning was cost and flavor. Perhaps, without knowing, it was healthiest too--http://whatscookingamerica.net/OliveOil.htm.

Now time for some fresh whole wheat bread dipped in some herbed extra-virgin olive oil!

Love Much,

Kris
http://www.totalhealthyoga.com/
http://www.totalhealthyogaclasses.blogspot.com/

Today is the first day of the rest of your life!

Pure Essential Oils - Lavender Oil

2008-07-21T16:14:00.002-05:00

There's nothing like an eye pillow scented with lavender after a yoga practice to bliss out. In the interest of easy washing, I use wash cloths scented with lavender for students, and today a question came in:

"What do you do to get the lavender scent in those towels? I wanted to do that with my pillow cases and wasn’t sure if you bought special detergent or just put lavender oil in the wash." J.D.

It's as simple as sprinkling a few drops just before bed.

The cool thing about this wondrous plant is that for most people it can be safely applied directly to the skin. A matter-of-fact lavender is a well-known burn remedy. If you have your own eye pillow for savasana (corpse, the final relaxation of most yoga classes), store it in a zip-locked bag and periodically add a few dashes of this essential oil. Avoid getting the oil in your eyes; once it's well soaked into the pillow (baring any skin sensitivity) you may use the pillow as usual.

The aroma produced is a natural relaxer. To take advantage of this when going to sleep at night, simply sprinkle a few drops on the pillow edges before laying down.

NOTE: Lavender perfume or a product that says "lavender" in its title does not mean there is any essential oil in it at all. This is just marketing and perhaps a nice smell. However, only the essential oil of lavender has the biological calming and healing benefits. You can find essential oils at just about any health food store.

Peace,

Kris

http://www.totalhealthyoga.com/

Prana - Prana Breathing

2008-07-15T14:30:00.004-05:00

Odds are you've heard the word Chi or Prana. From China there is Tai Chi and Qi Gong ('qi' is another spelling for 'chi'). India brings us Yoga which involves removing blocks in order to allow Prana to flow.

Both of these terms, Chi and Prana, translate loosely to life force or energy. There isn't an exact translation into English, but life force or energy are very close.

Prana is necessary for the body to function. Yogi Ramacharaka describes the importance of this energy in Science of Breath, "One who has mastered the science of storing away prana, either consciously or unconsciously, often radiates vitality and strength which is felt by those coming in contact with him, and such a person may impart this strength to others, and give them increased vitality and health.... prana [is] carried to all parts of the nervous system, adding strength and vitality.... the supply of prana taken up by the nervous system is exhausted by our thinking, willing, acting, etc., and in consequence constant replenishing is necessary."

How do we replenish our storage of prana? The easiest and most common method is through the simple act of inhaling.

To expand your capacity to bring in air, and thus prana, and thus health and vitality, use lateral stretches to open the small muscles between the ribs. These muscles are called the intercostals.

As an experiment, you may take a tape measure around the rib cage and exhale naturally. Note the measurement. Now inhale comfortably an see how much the rib cage grew. Do this before and after a practice involving side bends--remember to first warm up. Using poses, such as gate (parighasana), held for several breaths is particularly beneficial for increasing your inhales. After your practice, re-measure and see if the inhale can expand further than before the practice. Depending on how intense the asanas and how open you were to begin with will determine the difference you may find.

Love Much,

Kris
www.TotalHealthYoga.com
www.TotalHealthYogaClasses.Blogspot.com

Today is the first day of the rest of your life!

Dealing with Depression - Backbends

2008-07-07T14:44:00.002-05:00

Remember the great Beatles' tune, All You Need Is Love? Not knowing Paul or John personally, I don't know for sure, but wouldn't be surprised if they really meant it.

The notion that all we truly need is love is popping up all over. Joe Vitale writes about the importance of love in his book, Zero Secrets, based on a Hawaiian system for health and peace.

Dr. Larry Dossey wrote in his book Prayer is Good Medicine, "In the scores of scientific experiments dealing with prayer and a prayer-like state of consciousness, one of the most crucial qualities appears to be love—compassion, empathy, deep caring. Love implies letting go….” (pg 142).

Psychology Today says, “Love is the best anti-depressant.” Perhaps this why volunteer work is such a wonderful means to pull oneself out of sadness. PT goes on to describe love, “Love is as critical for your mind and body as oxygen. It's not negotiable. The more connected you are, the healthier you will be both physically and emotionally. The less connected you are, the more you are at risk.”

I believe love to be a state of consciousness, not to be confused with affection or lust. When we are in a state of love, we are naturally giving, compassionate, peaceful, and well.... loving.

In Hatha Yoga backbends are a wondrous physical motion that opens the fourth chakra and thus our hearts--literally and figuratively. In many ways a backbend puts you in a vulnerable position, the heart is an organ you simply cannot live without. Not only does this put your physical body out in the open, but your emotional self as well. There is a reason we use the term "heart ache." To let go and experience love, we must be willing to go through a state of vulnerability. When you reach your chest high and open the fronts of the shoulders, it's difficult to not release some pent up grudges. Add to that the mental intention of forgiveness and connection with others and you just might feel your heart grow a bit bigger.

Love Much,

Kris
www.TotalHealthYoga.com
www.TotalHealthYogaClasses.Blogspot.com

Today is the first day of the rest of your life!

What is Yoga

2008-07-01T15:52:00.004-05:00

“A journey of 1000 miles begins with a single step.”

~ Lao Tzu

Have you ever felt overwhelmed with an asana or feel frustrated with your body or life? Heeding the wisdom of Lao Tzu, remember to start with a single step, a single breath. All great feats were accomplished breath-by-breath. One at a time. If a task seems daunting, stop and breathe: three deep abdominal breaths. And then begin, one step at a time.

Our Yoga practice is a wonderful time to practice staying with the journey breath-by-breath. As the second sutra of Pantanjali's Yoga Sutras states,

"Yoga is the ability to direct the mind exclusively toward an object and sustain that direction without any distractions." ~trans. TKV Desikachar

How do we do this? With the breath. When each movement flows with a mental and physical tying of motion and breath, it is easier to slip into a Yogic state of being. This state is one of being centered, balanced, accepting, and at peace.

Unless you are fully enlightened, it is a practice!!! So, when the mind drifts or we forget to breath, just get back on the horse -- so-to-speak. No judgement, no analyzing. Just return to the steady rhythm of breath and movement as one. This is Yoga.

Blessings,

Kris
http://www.totalhealthyoga.com/
http://www.totalhealthyogaclasses.blogspot.com/

Today is the first day of the rest of your life!

Third Chakra - Empowerment

2008-06-24T11:11:00.002-05:00

Picture two people walking into a room. One seems to glide across the floor with balance in her center. She bends down to pick a pencil off the floor and maintains excellent posture. As she turns and moves you notice how stable her core remains. The other one comes in dragging her feet slightly. Her shoulders bow forward towards the front body as if she had spent too many years behind a computer. As she stoops down to pick a paper up off the floor, her low back curves demonstrating the lack of core support. As she continues to move about the room, you become aware of a lack of struture or integration--her body seems to flop about haphazardly.

Who do you think feels better about herself? Who is empowered and more likely to be living their own truth? Which lady would you guess stands up for what she believes in and acts from a place of courage?

It's a pretty good bet, that the first woman is the one living with self-integrity and power. Odds are the second one is simply going through the motions as she truges along in life.

Of course, this is not always the case, but think about it. Do you feel better emotionally when your body is slumped and dragging? Or when you are fit and strong? I'd be surprised if you choose the former of the two.

Hatha yoga is directly related to the strength in your body and thus your mind. In Anatomy of Hatha Yoga, David Coulter says, "...concentrate at first... to build strength and to do this from the inside out, starting with the central muscles of the torso...." (page 18).

When you increase core strength, you open the third chakra and grow in personal power. As yogis it is our responsibility to use that power to live our own truth as well as to nourish and inspire others.

Check out these core strengtheners at Yoga Journal.

Namaste,
Love Much,

Kris
www.TotalHealthYoga.com
www.TotalHealthYogaClasses.Blogspot.com

Today is the first day of the rest of your life!

Ujjayi - Yoga Breathing

2008-06-16T09:07:00.004-05:00

Ujjayi (pronounced oo-jI-ee) breath is frequently misunderstood. Several years back, I had a teacher that encouraged us to breath very loudly--"the louder you breathe, the more I know you are paying attention to your breath." He viewed it as an "advanced" yogic state.

Then there are others, like a local energy worker that says, "Pranayama [using the breath to extend life force] should feel as graceful and silky smooth as a ballet dancer."

Further still, I had a meditation student that absolutely loved Ujjayi breathing. She took the practice home with her and returned a couple of weeks later to say that her heart rate actually increased during the practice and was wondering why. I watched and listened to her Ujjayi and it was not a toning in the glottis (in the throat area), but rather a tight constriction.

Ujjayi breathing, meaning victorious uprising, is NOT about constricting to the point of raising the heart rate and blood pressure. Quite the opposite. It is a method to automatically slow and steady the breath. It also greatly enhances awareness of the quality of your breath--and thus your energy and mind. As you steady your breathing and motion, the thoughts in the mind follow suit. This is one of the wonderful benefits to practicing pranayama; Ujjayi being one of the many pranayama techniques available and a foundation for many of the more advanced life enhancing exercises.

If you'd like to grasp the details of Ujjayi check out this amazing article by Doug Keller. He explains and understand the true art of this wondrous practice more than any other teacher that I've run across.

Love Much,

Kris
www.TotalHealthYoga.com
www.TotalHealthYogaClasses.Blogspot.com

Today is the first day of the rest of your life!

Benefits of Yoga - Inversions

2008-06-09T15:10:00.006-05:00

There are many health benefits of yoga that cover the gamut from flexibility, strength, peace, confidence, balance, to awareness. One of the many aspects that makes Yoga so unique is it's incorporation of inversions.

Inverting your body (and sometimes your way of thinking) can help in numerous ways, such as the following:

Gives the heart a break.

Stimulates the endocrine system.

Calms the mind.

Strengthens the core.

Enhances ability to concentrate and remain focused.

Increases body awareness.

Helps with circulation.

To include all of these gains to their fullest, you need to remain inverted 3-5 minutes (according to Yoko Yoshikawa at Yoga Journal).

Yoga Journal's web site offers steps of the most common inversions. If you are a beginner, then too be honest, I wouldn't recommend any of these. They all involve, great core strength, some flexibility, and great awareness. These are wonderful states that come with practice of easier postures.

A common pose used in the sun salutation and found in almost all Hatha classes is called downward facing dog (adho mukha svanasana). This is a partial inversion, as is a standing forward fold. Already you reap some, albeit not all, of the benefits being upside down can bring.

How can a beginner take advantage of these postures? Or what if you have a shoulder injury, or simply don't feel safe inverting while supporting yourself? There are options. Here is my favorite: Legs on wall pose (viparita karani)

One of the keys to remember is that this is a restorative posture; you are not necessarily looking to stretch the backs of your legs. So, feel free to scoot farther away from the wall.

Getting into it, is the toughest part. But once you've figured it out, it's really quite easy. Just start by sitting sideways close to a wall. As you turn, place one leg up and then the other.

Feel free to modify. If the supports cause any discomfort at all, then adjust them, remove them and/or seek out an experienced teacher to help you place them.

Rumor has it that this pose heals whatever ails you. As long as inversions are contraindicated for you (glaucoma, pregnant, heavy menstruation, etc), then give it a try for at least 5-10 minutes. (I usually go for almost 20 minutes.)

Love Much,

Kris
http://www.totalhealthyoga.com/
http://www.totalhealthyogaclasses.blogspot.com/

Today is the first day of the rest of your life!

Mindfulness Meditation - Being Mindful of Your Thoughts

2008-06-03T07:53:00.003-05:00

The other day Jake, my youngest son, was playing soccer in the rain. Wanting to see the game, but not wanting to stand in the rain, I parked my car in a prime spot to watch the game. The windshield started out clear and the view was great. Within a few minutes a smattering of rain drops sat on the window, but I could still see what was happening although the clarity was diminished. After five minutes or so, the view was almost completely obstructed and I'd have to flip on the wipers to clear away all the water and see clearly again.

Like the mind and thoughts. When we remove (or release attachment) to our thoughts, we can see clearly and know our source and live from a place of wisdom. Each thought that we hang onto becomes the raindrop on the windshield--gather enough of them and we cannot see (or even remember) our spirit that connects us all together.

Meditation, breath awareness, Hatha yoga, and walking in nature are a few methods to turn on the wipers and return to a place of knowing. Sometimes life is like being in a thunderstorm and that place of knowing is only a glimmer and disappears quickly. At other times it is easier to clear away the grasping thoughts and be in peace for longer periods.

If you find yourself attached to thoughts or just not "getting it", you might try Eckhart Tolle's suggestion of periodically throughout the day notice your thoughts and ask these two questions:

1. Am I the thoughts running through my mind?

2. Or am I the observer of these thoughts?

Finally, one last bit of wisdom from Tolle:

"Don't take thoughts too seriously."

Love Much,

Kris
www.TotalHealthYoga.com
www.TotalHealthYogaClasses.Blogspot.com

Today is the first day of the rest of your life!

Shoulder Workout

2008-05-28T07:57:00.003-05:00

Danna Faulds is a gifted poet and yogini. In her book, One Soul, she writes the following:

Two Myths Take a Hike

Atlas is always shouldering his load.
You know that feeling -- the weight
of the everything pressing in, suffocating.

And there is Sisyphus pushing the
boulder uphill, over and over. Two
poster boys for ceaseless effort.

But what if (now here's a radical idea,)
the way of transformation is not a
long or tortured change?

What if it's just being here, this moment,
now, complete and whole? What if you
could whisper in Atlas's big ear, "It's
time to let go. Really. The heavens will
not disappear if you put your burden down."

Imagine him thinking about it. Imagine
him believing. See him set the load down,
straighten up, stretch, smile, stride over to
Sisyphus and say something you can't hear.

See the stone roll down, and Sisyphus
choose not to follow. You are the witness
to the shouts of joy, the head shaking
wonder and relief -- you mean it's this easy?

Imagine the spring in their step, the lightness
of their laughter as they climb that hill and
disappear from view.

What it we all took time to put down our responsibilities? During an asana practice, put down the weight of "having to do it all", of thinking everything will fall apart if you simply take a break and allow yourself to simply be in the moment.

When you do this, notice how the shoulders relax as the blades slip down the back.

Due to gravity, our most typical actions, and tension of feeling the heaviness of the world upon us, many people carry their shoulders in poor alignment. Release the tension, watch your actions, strengthen what's weak, and stretch what's overly strong or tight.

It's all about balance.

Properly aligned poses to strengthen the shoulder girdle:
Virabhadrasana II (Warrior II)
Trikonasana (Triangle)
Parsvakonasana (Side Angle)
Phalakasana (Plank)
Vasisthasana (Side Plank)

Find some great stretches with:
Tadasana (Mountain) with the hands clasped behind the back
Binds with various poses such as with Trikonasana (Triangle) or Parsvakonasana (Side Angle)

Love Much,

Kris
www.TotalHealthYoga.com
www.TotalHealthYogaClasses.Blogspot.com

Today is the first day of the rest of your life!

Chakras - Second Chakra

2008-05-16T09:46:00.002-05:00

A couple of weeks ago, we talked about the first or root chakra which brings about stability and grounding. While it is necessary and important to have a sense of safety and security, it is just as vital to be free and mobile. This is where the second chakra comes into play.

The second chakra or energy center is located in the low belly and encompasses the organs with in the pelvis. If it is off balance or the energy is not flowing in a healthy manner then you may experience the following: chronic low back pain, sciatica, ob/gyn issues, pelvic pain, sexual potency, urinary troubles, blame, guilt, money problems, power and control in a one-on-one relationship, creativity issues, troubles with ethics and honor in relationships

To return a flow to the second chakra you may find the following useful:

Meditate on water; imagine drinking it, bathing in it, floating on it, standing in the rain, and returning the the womb.

Using awareness and breath, open the hips with some hip openers (stick figures of lots of poses) or click on 'slideshow' here.

Remember to finish all practices with 5-10 minutes laying on the floor and relaxing the spine.

Namaste,

Kris
www.TotalHealthYoga.com
www.TotalHealthYogaClasses.Blogspot.com

Today is the first day of the rest of your life!

Acceptance - Forgiveness - Finding a loving heart

2008-05-13T13:39:00.005-05:00

The other day I was reminded why I got divorced almost 8 years ago. Let's just say, my former husband and I have extremely different values. When it comes to raising two kids, this shows up a lot!

To accept someone the way they are and accept myself, has been a journey that still continues. Yoga is a big part of that journey. To be honest, part of me wanted to punch this man in the face, but the other part knew I needed to deal with my feelings in a healthier way. This is not always easy, and I definitely have days (or weeks!) where the punch in the face sure looks good tempting.

Either way, at some point, we all have to live with our own emotions and thoughts. In order to allow my feelings to flow and find openness (if not love) in my heart for this man, I found the following practice useful.

Centering

Take a seat and focus on the inhales and exhales. This will bring you to the present moment. If a thought comes into the mind not related to the breath, simply say "breath" as you return focus to it. If an emotion is strong, feel it and notice it without the accompanying thoughts. See the emotion as a vibration and not a definition of who you are or the "fault" of someone else. Just a vibration or form of energy. Stay with this 3-10 minutes.

Asanas (Postures)

Warm up the body by moving the joints. Do this to the rhythm of your breath.

Move slowly through a couple of sun salutations with the intention to have the breath lead the motion every step of the way. Ujjayi breath is advised if you are very comfortable with it.

Crescent pose (Lateral Mountain). From standing with toes pointing forward and inhale the left arm overhead; right arm at your side. Exhale and reach the top (left) arm far to the right; the hips may sway slightly to the left. Repeat on the other side.

Warrior I (Virabhadrasana I) with the hands clasped behind your back. Visualize a bright light shining in all directions out of your heart center as the bottom of the sacrum releases away from the low back. Repeat on both sides.

Standing half frog (standing on one leg with the other leg bent and holding onto its foot behind you) or Dancer (Natarajasana). Again focus on the openness and freedom in the heart. Let it shine with a sense of love, forgiveness, and compassion.

Take a short rest laying on your back with the knees into the chest.

Do some abdominal strengtheners, such as leg lifts or bicycle.

Either come into the following: sphinx, prone half frog, and bow; or use: downward facing dog, king pigeon (and any variations you like), downward facing dog.

Take child's pose or a bowing position.

Triang Mukha Eka Pada Paschimottanasana with a twist and then forward bend; or Ardha Matsyendrasana with twist and then forward.

Supine with the knees to your chest. Spend a few minutes feeling the back melt into the earth and grow broad.

Savasana

Love Much,

Kris
http://www.totalhealthyoga.com/
http://www.totalhealthyogaclasses.blogspot.com/

Today is the first day of the rest of your life!

Chakras - First Chakra

2008-05-05T11:13:00.003-05:00

After a long massage, my body felt like melted wax and there was a low hum flowing through my limbs. Sally, the massage therapist, handing me a tape about energy centers. "This is really good. I think you'd like it. Feel free to borrow it and let me know what you think."

This was the first time I was exposed to the word chakra and to be honest I thought it was a bunch of phooey. Almost 15 years later, I not only find chakra work beneficial, but can sometimes feel the movement of energy within my energy centers.

Anodea Judith says, "the original meaning of the word chakra as 'wheel' refers to the chariot wheels of the invading Aryans [who were entering India on chariots]." on page 9 of Wheels of Life. Today chakra typically refers to seven energy centers in the body.

The first and lowest of these centers is located at the base of the spine affecting the pelvic floor and legs. It provides a feeling of stability and grounding. Walking in thick mud would stimulate this chakra. Whether or not you like the term chakra, you will most likely see that feeling your feet literally sink into the earth would provide more grounding.

As an experiment, picture an elephant using as many of your senses as possible: smell the natural odor, feel the thick and rough skin, see the trunk swaying and the heavy body steps firmly along a path, taste the dryness in the air, and hear the chewing of grass. Now stand up or come on all fours and walk like an elephant. Experience your weight being dragged down and the firm planting of each foot. After a minute or so, stop and notice how grounded and stable you feel. If nothing else, you most likely will be able to sense your feet and legs more.

In Yoga, we use forward bends to stimulate the first chakra.

Working with the first chakra, also known as Muladhara, provides grounding, survival, support, stability, security (mental & physical).

You can work with this area via forward bends, massaging the foot, focusing on a rich and deep red color, using the affirmation "I am worthy & deserving", animal protein (eggs, dairy, meat).

A hint that this chakra could use some attention would be if you have weight issues, hemorrhoids, constipation, sciatica, degenerative arthritis, knee troubles, feeling unsafe or unable to provide for your needs, inability to stand up for yourself, or feeling unworthy or as if you don't belong.

Namaste,

Kris
www.TotalHealthYoga.com
www.TotalHealthYogaClasses.Blogspot.com

Today is the first day of the rest of your life!

Spices for your Health

2008-04-28T15:04:00.002-05:00

Lately breakfast has turned into my most interesting, healthy, and delicious meal. This inspiration started with Dr. Northrup explaining why 9 servings of fruits and vegetables a day are important, if not vital, for stellar health. Then Dr. Oz did a whole program on diet and the direct impact it has on your well-being. So, I began looking into this further and re-discovered the value of spices.

Over the past 20 years, my cooking habits have gotten lazier. Other than pepper, I don't add a lot of herbs or spices. This has changed quite a bit in the last few weeks; not only my body, but my taste buds are better off!

For example, I mixed waffles with cinnamon, anise, nutmeg, maple syrup, and walnuts. The next day I had bananas with cinnamon, anise, ginger, wheat germ, flax, honey, and raisins. All I can say is TASTE EXPLOSION!!!

The spices selected above were based on my own health challenges and taste preferences. Here are some other ideas on specific issues and spices that can help with them:

Aches/Pains: basil, ginger, chili pepper, turmeric
Alzheimer's: ginger, turmeric, sage, curry (yellow)
Anemia: cinnamon, turmeric, cumin
Antibacterial: basil, black pepper, oregano, garlic
Antioxidant: oregano, sage, parsley, turmeric, rosemary, ginger, paprika
Arthritis: ginger, curry, turmeric, sage, cloves, chili powder/peppers
Asthma: sage
Cancer: ginger, turmeric, red chili peppers, parsley, black pepper, curry, rosemary, garlic, paprika
Cholesterol: cinnamon, turmeric, garlic
Circulation: paprika, cayenne, cinnamon
Common Cold: garlic, black pepper, basil, thyme, sage, oregano, rosemary, cinnamon, cardamom, cumin, ginger, chili peppers
Concentration and memory: rosemary
Crohn’s: turmeric
Diabetes: cinnamon
Headaches: rosemary
Heart Disease: ginger, garlic, cinnamon, rosemary
Hypertension: garlic, ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon, allspice, pepper, cayenne pepper
IBS: peppermint
Immune System: garlic, ginger, chili pepper
Indigestion/Gas/Bloating: fennel, anise, cinnamon, cardamom, cumin, ginger
Inflammation: turmeric, ginger, cinnamon, sage, rosemary, cloves, chili powder/peppers, paprika
Nausea: ginger, cinnamon
Night Sweats: sage
Ulcers: wasabi

If you're interested in a personalized mix just for you, let me know.

As a meditation, close your eyes when you chew (not recommended when on a date) and take a least 30 chews for 1 bite of food. Take the time to be with the experience of the texture, taste, sounds, smells, and joy of eating.

Bon Appetit!

Kris
www.TotalHealthYoga.com
www.TotalHealthYogaClasses.Blogspot.com

Today is the first day of the rest of your life!

Neck Tension - How to Breath

2008-04-21T16:42:00.003-05:00

When I was in kindergarten, my teacher used to warn us that she had "eyes in the back of her head." Considering how many times she knew just which student was misbehaving, we all came to believe this was truth.

At age 43, I'm no longer convinced this was the case. However, the eyes and the back of the head have a definite connection. Take your fingers tips and place them on your occipital ridge (at the top of the neck just beneath the skull). Touch only lightly. With the head still, move your eyes up, down, right, left, and in circles. See if you can feel a subtle movement beneath your fingers. Now stare intently at an object and notice the level of tension under your fingers and around your face. Soften your gaze and widen the peripheral vision. Notice what happens to the tension at the top of the neck and face area.

Throughout the day, watch your eyes and pay attention to how frequently it's piercing and realize this impacts not only your eyes, but your muscles in the face and neck as well.

Also, when the eyes are tight, the breath moves up into the chest and becomes shallow. As the eyes relax, so does the chest allowing the breath to deepen down to the belly.

Keep a soft gaze and enjoy the day,

Kris
http://www.totalhealthyoga.com/
http://www.totalhealthyogaclasses.blogspot.com/

Today is the first day of the rest of your life!

Halasana - Plow Pose

2008-04-15T08:04:00.004-05:00

Last week, the continuing and deepening classes that I teach worked on halasana (plow pose shown above). Folks were wondering why they could come into a deep forward bend, such as paschimotanasana, but not plow?

What's interesting is that even though the pose takes flexibility (seems pretty obvious), it also take strength (less obvious). Even simpler poses, such as janu sirsasana (head to knee pose shown below) take some strength.

Taking a look at plow, we can break it down by what is required to perform such an asana with integrity and benefit to the body and mind:

1. Flexibility

Flexibility is needed in the backs of the legs, neck, low back, chest (to keep from collapsing), shoulders, and gluts.

2. Strength

To get the lift and maintain this pose, there must be strength in the shoulders, back, and backs of the legs.

3. Risk Factors

Plow is a more challenging pose and not recommending when you're starting out. Be certain you are comfortable in shoulderstand before attempting plow. Physical risks to watch for are in the neck, shoulders, and low back.

Knowing all of this, if you struggle with a posture, such as plow or janu sirsasana, break it down into where flexibility, strength, and risks for that pose lie. Then use simpler poses to determine where you can use more muscle building, lengthening, or integration. Also, based on past injuries or physical challenges you might face, some poses might do more harm than good; take a look at the risks.

Love Much,

Kris
http://www.totalhealthyoga.com/
http://www.totalhealthyogaclasses.blogspot.com/

Today is the first day of the rest of your life!

Open Your Heart

2008-04-08T10:30:00.005-05:00

You might not have guessed it, but this is a sketch (complements of wikipedia) of an electromagnetic field. PBS recently hosted a program by Dr Christiane Northrup on menopause. (Don't worry, men, this applies to you too!) During her lecture, she mentioned that the "heart's electromagnetic field is 60x larger than the brain's."

This really caught my interest. Many people use affirmations or attempt to "think" their way into meditation without success. With only thoughts the magnetic current generated is 5000x weaker than the magnetic qualities of the heart.

As described by The Awakening Project: "The heart's ECG measurements are about 60 times as strong as that of brain EEG measurements. The magnetic component of the electromagnetic field is about 5000 times stronger than the brains and can be measured several feet away with a SQUID (Superconducting Quantum Interference Device). Rollin McCraty, Ph.D. "The Energetic Heart: Bioelectromagnetic Communication Within and Between People". "

The Institute of Heart Math comments on the power of the heart: "The heart's electromagnetic field--by far the most powerful rhythmic field produced by the human body--not only envelops every cell of the body but also extends out in all directions into the space around us. The cardiac field can be measured several feet away from the body by sensitive devices. Research conducted at IHM suggests that the heart's field is an important carrier of information."

A backbend practice is a wonderful way to open the heart area both physically and energetically. Check out Yoga Journal for a listing of various backbends. For beginner's, I'm particularly fond of Bridge; if you have more experience and are feeling strong and flexible, Upward Facing Bow is wonderfully invigorating and opening.

Love Much,

Kris
http://www.totalhealthyoga.com/
http://www.totalhealthyogaclasses.blogspot.com/

Today is the first day of the rest of your life!

What is Meditation

2008-04-01T07:53:00.002-06:00

A couple of weeks ago, a small group of Yoginis were discussing meditation.

"I'm so bad at meditating."
"We all struggle with thoughts going through our heads."
"I try, but it just doesn't work."
"Can anyone really meditate?"
"It's hard."

Interestingly, so many people seem to be under the impression that if you think, you're not meditating. This is not necessarily true.

There are various forms and definitions of meditation. On one extreme the mind is to be completely void of any and all thought--good luck with that! The other extreme is to daydream and "go to your happy place." This is not truly meditating, but some would disagree with me.

Visualizations and meditations are different. Yet, many of us, me included, frequently use the word meditation to describe what is technically visualization. In the end, the word is not as important as what benefits you find from the method you use.

Posture is another element up for debate. When working with a disciple of Swami Rama, she recommending sitting in full lotus (padmasana) on an animal skin and a prayer shawl wrapped around the meditator. The skin and shawl were intended to keep the energy (Prana) inside the body. On the other hand, Erich Schiffmann once suggested meditating in a hammock under the shade of a tree in the summer time. Thich Nhat Hahn talks about mindfulness throughout the day, which in my opinion is like bringing meditation to every day life.

So what does meditation "do"? What are its benefits?

On a physical level, the heart rate slows, the breath becomes deeper without effort, and the whole body copes with stress in a healthier manner.

Mentally, you develop the ability to focus. With that said, if your mind is scattered all over the place like a messy house, then meditation will not immediately bring complete calm. Just as when you clean your home, it's a process to create order and structure within the chaos and disarray. If you continue to pick up, over time the house will become a bit cleaner and eventually, with discipline, it will be a more serene environment. The mind is like this too. The more you practice focusing your thoughts; over time they will begin to work for you and not against you. You will begin to choose what thoughts you'd like to maintain and what thoughts do not serve you.

Like magic, many people take up meditation to ease pain, be it physical or emotional, yet the spiritual benefits sneak in. With proper guidance and growing awareness, you begin to know you are not your thoughts or emotions. As you gain the ability to separate from thoughts, you experience oneness with others and sense a connection with the universe.

What's cool about this is that you are no longer controlled by negative things your parents or past lovers might have said about you. You are no longer sucked into the false belief that you are not good enough. Calm in what appears to be craziness is easier--not always, but it's a practice. Be patient.

Finally, what is "proper" meditation? Whatever works for you. Does repeating a mantra just become a drone in the back of your head while your thoughts take over? Does looking at a candle flame strain your eyes to the point of strong discomfort? If so, these techniques might not be best for you. On the other hand, if lying in a hammock brings you into complete awareness of the stillness in the ground below you and the sky above. If you feel the breeze on your skin and the aroma in the air sooths your soul, then you just might have stumbled upon a wonderful technique.

A teacher can help you to find a method that works, or you might find it on your own. My suggestion: Be very leery of anyone that tells you they have all the answers for how you should meditate. Only you will know when it's right. And be flexible with yourself. For years, I benefited from a longer early morning seated meditation. Now two brief periods a day with various focus objects each time work best for me.

Enjoy the practice. Don't beat yourself up. There is no "wrong" way; just sitting in silence for even a few minutes while watching your breath can have a positive impact on your life.

Love Much,

Kris
www.TotalHealthYoga.com
www.TotalHealthYogaClasses.Blogspot.com

Today is the first day of the rest of your life!

Living in the Now

2008-03-27T08:48:00.005-06:00

A few weeks ago, I took up knitting. To begin this adventure I collected about a dozen books from the local library and stopped by the craft store to purchase needles and yarn.

Sitting by the fireside, I pulled out the books thinking this would be easy. Within the first few minutes I realized that learn to knit via a book wasn't working very well for me.

My sons recommended YouTube. This proved to be a great idea. Mrs. Moskowitz's videos were very helpful. However, there was no mention of the importance of taking the yarn from inside the skein! Needless-to-say, I started knitting with the yarn on the outside.

Half-way into my first scarf, the yarn began to knot up; which I now know comes from starting on the outside of the skein. Information I could have used earlier.

As I'm struggling to de-tangle the messed up yarn, with only one end to work with, I found myself sighing (a lot). Finally Mike, my partner, came to help, but it seemed futile. He was patient; I was not. All I wanted was to knit, and all this de-knotting was getting in the way.

Finally, I took a break from this frustrating experience and read some Eckhart Tolle. As fate would have it, Echkart talked about three hindering viewpoint regarding time. That is, thoughts that take us out of the now. They were:

1. Viewing time as a means to an end (like the yarn incident).
2. Seeing time as an obstacle (such as when waiting for someone or something).
3. Time is the enemy resulting in complaining about whatever you are doing or your surroundings.

This may not be new news, but I needed to hear it at that moment. I returned to the project of detangling the yarn with a new perspective; instead of straightening out the yarn just to continue knitting, I considered the enjoyment of creating order out of chaos, the sight of the beautiful colors in the yarn, and the texture at my fingertips. Suddenly this "chore" became almost fun (I didn't say fun; almost fun). Without all the resistance I had brought to the table earlier, this time I was able to progress at a more rapid rate. Within 10 minutes the whole job was complete.

It's this attitude of accepting the current moment and being in it that our Yoga practice enhances. During a practice, we grow in awareness of the body, breath, and thoughts. This week in the classes I guide, we'll focus on this very idea.

Stop periodically and ask these three questions:

1. What is my body experiencing? Scan from the crown of the head to the tips of the toes. Is there tightness or pinching? Can you move or adjust in some way to create more comfort and expanse?

2. What is my breath like? Be the observer; do NOT judge, rather notice. Is the breath moving from the upper chest all the way to the navel? Is the breath free to fill the front, back, and side body?

3. What are the thoughts running through my head? Take a few moments to be still and just pay attention to what is going on in your head. Do not "run away" with the thoughts; rather watch them. As if the thoughts are a play and you are in the audience. You are not the thoughts; you are an observer of them.

Love Much,

Kris
www.TotalHealthYoga.com
www.TotalHealthYogaClasses.Blogspot.com

Today is the first day of the rest of your life!

The Sounds of Silence

2008-03-21T14:19:00.003-06:00

Communicating is a wonderful thing. Sometimes a phone call to a dear friend is just what the doctor ordered. Anyone that knows me, knows that I love to talk--maybe a bit too much!

At 43 years of age, I'm realizing the need to be quiet more. To listen. It's only when I'm silent that I stay fully aware of the moment and am truly open to receive what is around me.

Inspired by Eckhart Tolle, Deepak Chopra, Anodea Judith, and Dr. Wayne Dyer, I have been and will be blogging less frequently than in the past. Perhaps this will change one day, but at this phase in my life I want to hear more clearly; frankly I feel pretty sure that it's time to "just shut up" for a while. Less opinions and more openness. Less outpouring and more incoming.

Less thinking and more being!

Sounds like perimenopause talking; regardless here are some thoughts on silence to ponder:

Silence in the doorway to the soul.

“We need to find God, and he cannot be found in noise and restlessness. God is the friend of silence. See how nature - trees, flowers, grass- grows in silence; see the stars, the moon and the sun, how they move in silence... We need silence to be able to touch souls.” ~ Mother Teresa

“Silence is a source of great strength.” ~ Lao Tzu

“See how nature - trees, flowers, grass - grows in silence; see the stars, the moon and the sun, how they move in silence...we need silence to be able to touch souls.” ~ Mother Teresa

"It has been said God’s one and only voice is silence. No matter how you attempt to slice it up, silence is always silence. This indivisible root source of oneness is where the act of creation originates. " ~ Dr. Wayne Dyer

Love Much,

Kris
www.TotalHealthYoga.com
www.TotalHealthYogaClasses.Blogspot.com

Today is the first day of the rest of your life!

Benefits of Yoga - The Twist

2008-03-19T14:30:00.007-06:00

Monday morning making small decisions seemed difficult. A close relative was undergoing heart surgery and had just recovered from carotid surgery on Saturday. Overall, I'm blessed to stay pretty positive and faithful in challenging times. My belief is that things happen for reasons.

As Oriah says (something like this), "The best you can do is be there for people. There are not always words or cures. Maintaining a high vibration is the most valuable gift you can give."

However, come Monday my steadiness was hidden behind a muddle of cloudy thoughts and feelings. Twisting is one of the best ways I know to return to center and find balance in life. Here's a portion of the practice that brought me so much balance and that we're working on in classes this week:

Start with equal breathing, either 1:1 (inhale is the same length as the exhale) or 1:1:1:1 (pauses are the same length as the inhales and exhales).

Warm up the body with some joint rotations and a sun salutation.

Follow with twisting sun salutation. Use your imagination; here's one suggestion:

Start in Mountain and lift your heels. Keeping the heels lifted exhale and twist to the right. Inhale to center. Exhale to left. Continue alternating sides a few times.

Exhale into standing forward bend and hold the outside of the left ankle (or leg) with the right hand. Inhale, both hands on the ground. Exhale, left hand to outer right ankle/leg. Repeat a few times.

Exhale to a lunge with the left leg back and left knee on the earth. Inhale hands to front knee and on an out breath twist to the right. If you're more flexible, take the left elbow to the outside of the right knee. Stay for 2-4 breaths. Release the twist on an inhale.

Exhale both legs to plank. More experienced Yogis may take side plank on each side.

Laying on the front body, inhale to cobra and exhale as you look over a shoulder. Each in breath look forward and each out breath alternate shoulders to look over. Repeat several times.

If you need a break, come into child's pose until your breath is steady and even.

Exhale to twisting down dog on both sides. (From down dog, walk your right hand a bit to the left and lift the left hand off the mat--be certain that you feel strong and integrated in the right shoulder. Reach the left hand to the outer right leg/ankle. Let your head dangle and release the neck.)

Exhale to lunge with the left leg forward. Just like before, drop the right knee to the ground and hands onto the left leg. Inhale lengthen in the spine like a growing lotus flower and exhale as you twist to the left. Stay for 2-4 breaths. Inhale to release the twist.

Exhale to standing forward fold. Take the twist here as described above.

Next exhale come through a squat and lie on your back.

Rest here.

Enjoy the wonderful balanced sensations from the miracle of twists!

Kris
http://www.totalhealthyoga.com/
http://www.totalhealthyogaclasses.blogspot.com/

Today is the first day of the rest of your life!

How to Cook Steel Cut Oats

2008-03-14T11:10:00.003-06:00

(Sorry, no picture. I was too busy eating!)

Check out this delicious recipe for steel cut oats. Before you run the other way, if you like rolled oats, trust me, this is worth a try. Years ago, I actually tossed a large container of steel cuts oats because they took to ridiculously long to cook and the taste was so-so. Not anymore!

The trick is the crock pot. No more stirring and cleaning up the oven after the inevitable boiling over when you're trying to get the oats to soften enough for eating.

Trick number two, is the delicious added ingredients. Thanks to Stephanie Gallagher for this fabulous recipe. (I've made a few changes below.)

Oh So Good Oats

2 cups steel cut oats
8 cups water
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 Tbs. vanilla
2 apples, diced
1 cup raisins

1 cup sliced bananas
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (Toasted walnuts are extra yummy, but watch them closely to prevent burning.... Hum, wonder how I figured that out.)

Add the first 7 ingredients (oats to raisins) in a crock pot. Stir. Set the pot on low and go to sleep. (This is what makes it so cool!) Wake up and brush your teeth. Shower, etc. Go to kitchen and enjoy a wonderful bowl of steel cut oats with some banana and chopped walnuts sprinkled on top.

Love Much,

Kris
http://www.totalhealthyoga.com/
http://www.totalhealthyogaclasses.blogspot.com/

Today is the first day of the rest of your life!

Anger Management Tips

2008-03-10T07:40:00.004-06:00

When BJ (my firstborn) was an infant, there were days that I would call Scott (BJ's dad) and tell him to get home soon or I just might throw BJ through the window. (Don't worry, I never followed through!)

Looking back, and even at the time, I was filled with guilt and shame at not being able to calm this baby. He cried most of the time and suffered from chronic 3d degree colic. It was over four years before we actually slept through the night.

At the time, Yoga and meditation were foreign to me. I led a relatively unconscious life. I fully identified with my thoughts and emotions--not realizing they were not who I am.

Today, I believe that I would handle a challenging baby very differently. And I did handle my second child with more patience and centering.

What do you do when your emotions get the better of you? As one woman put on her blog, "What do you do when you can't take it any more?" The suggestions this blogger suggested in her poll are as follows:

I leave the situation.
I talk about it to whomever will listen.
I seek counseling.
I just suck it in and accept it.
I get it worked out on the spot.

I'd like to suggest some other ideas. In order to live a conscious life, which is truly what Yoga is about, consider other options to address feelings that storm in and want to take over:

Lie in savasana (on your back) and watch the feelings as a curiosity. See them for the energy that they are; not who you are but rather an energy passing through. Allow the feelings to pass and flow.

Meditate and find yourself re-connecting to Source. When you act from this place of peace, you separate yourSelf from emotions and act with more compassion and love.

Take a warm bath with the focus to renew. Use candles and soft music.

Take a walk in nature. If you stay present and notice the trees, birds, dirt, clouds, and sky, then you will begin to re-connect with who you really are.

In the throw of things, so to speak, stay aware. Resist getting pulled into your emotions. Watch them. Witness them. But always remember, you are not your feelings.

This all comes easier with a strong meditation practice. One might compare it to attempting to sail for the first time during a turbulent storm at sea. Odds are you'll sink. However, if you've been sailing in smooth waters and perhaps choppy ones, when the big storm comes you'll stand a good chance of surviving.

Love Much,

Kris
www.TotalHealthYoga.com
www.TotalHealthYogaClasses.Blogspot.com

Today is the first day of the rest of your life!

Pranayama Techniques - CD Review

2008-03-05T08:30:00.000-06:00

Have you ever wondered if your breathing "right" in your Yoga class? Some teachers encourage the Ujjayi (victorious uprising or breath of sound) to be loud enough to be heard across the room; others suggest maintaining a low gentle hum.

In Doug Keller's Pranayama CD, his soothing and gentle voice leads you into a state of deep relaxation and awareness by using the breath. There are 8 tracks on this CD taking about one hour. You can use any of these tracks on their own or together.

The CD opens with a mantra and then gets into the Ujjayi breath. From there Doug teaches a modified Viloma (interrupted breath) and 3-part breathing. Finally, he incorporated Kumbhaka (breath retention).

Mr. Keller's explainations are deeply rooted in philosophy. His poetic, yet practical, instructions offer the perfect means to deepening your pranayama practice. If you have never practiced pranayama, this CD is a wonderful way to start. At the same time, after years of devotion to pranayama, Doug enlightened me to many new aspects of this fine art.

Love Much,

Kris
http://www.totalhealthyoga.com/
http://www.totalhealthyogaclasses.blogspot.com/

Today is the first day of the rest of your life!

Inspirational Story

2008-03-04T08:39:00.000-06:00

A dear and wonderful friend just emailed this to me. Perhaps you've seen it before, but if you're like me a reminder is always nice.

John is the kind of guy you love to hate. He is always in a good mood and always has something positive to say. When someone would ask him how he was doing, he would reply, "If I were any better, I would be twins!"

He was a natural motivator.

If an employee was having a bad day, John was there telling the employee how to look on the positive side of the situation.

Seeing this style really made me curious, so one day I went up and asked him, "I don't get it! You can't be a positive person all of the time. How do you do it?" He replied, "Each morning I wake up and say to myself, you have two choices today. You can choose to be in a good mood or...you can choose to be in a bad mood. I choose to be in a good mood. Each time something bad happens, I can choose to be a victim or...I can choose to learn from it. I choose to learn from it. Every time someone comes to me complaining, I can choose to accept their complaining or...I can point out the positive side of life. I choose the positive side of life. "

"Yeah, right, it's not that easy," I protested.

"Yes, it is," he said. "Life is all about choices. When you cut away all the junk, every situation is a choice. You choose how you react to situations. You choose how people affect your mood. You choose to be in a good mood or bad mood. The bottom line: It's your choice how you live your life."

I reflected on what he said. Soon hereafter, I left the Tower Industry to start my own business. We lost touch, but I often thought about him when I made a choice about life instead of reacting to it.

Several years later, I heard that he was involved in a serious accident, falling some 60 feet from a communications tower.

After 18 hours of surgery and weeks of intensive care, he was released from the hospital with rods placed in his back.

I saw him about six months after the accident. When I asked him how he was, he replied, "If I were any better, I'd be twins...Wanna see my scars?"

I declined to see his wounds, but I did ask him what had gone through his mind as the accident took place. "The first thing that went through my mind was the well-being of my soon-to-be born daughter," he replied. "Then, as I lay on the ground, I remembered that I had two choices: I could choose to live or...I could choose to die. I chose to live."

"Weren't you scared? Did you lose consciousness?" I asked.

He continued, "...the paramedics were great. They kept telling me I was going to be fine. But when they wheeled me into the ER and I saw the expressions on the faces of the doctors and nurses, I got really scared. In their eyes, I read 'he's a dead man'. I knew I needed to take action."

"What did you do?" I asked.

"Well, there was a big burly nurse shouting questions at me," said John. "She asked if I was allergic to anything 'Yes, I replied.' The doctors and nurses stopped working as they waited for my reply. I took a deep breath and yelled, 'Gravity'" Over their laughter, I told them, "I am choosing to live. Operate on me as if I am alive, not dead."

He lived, thanks to the skill of his doctors, but also because of his amazing attitude...I learned from him that every day we have the choice to live fully. Attitude, after all, is everything.

"Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." Matthew 6:34.

Love Much,

Kris
http://www.totalhealthyoga.com/
http://www.totalhealthyogaclasses.blogspot.com/

Today is the first day of the rest of your life!

To Do Lists

2008-02-28T08:08:00.000-06:00

What's worse than throwing up? Worse than diarrhea that feels like Niagara Falls of the colon? How about both at the same time?

That pretty much describes my weekend a couple of weeks ago. After spending 48+ hours in bed (and in the bathroom), I was 5 pounds lighter and had a "to do" list that had grown to monstrous proportions.

Not only were there emails, phone calls, and bills coming in, but ideas constantly floated in my head as I lay on my bed in this half-dream state. I found myself jotting these thoughts down on dozens of post-its which are now all over my desk and bedroom floor.

So, what do you do when your inbox is overwhelming? My first impulse is to go out for a walk, coffee, tea, or anywhere but having to deal with the daunting task of an impossibly large inbox. This doesn't get anything done, but at least my mind can relax.

Can you help with this? What do you do when snail mail, email, phone calls, requests or ideas from friends, and inspirations from your own mind pour in at a rate much too fast for you to keep up with? When there are literally a hundred plus ideas to be carried out, how do you determine which ones to pursue and scarier which ones to let go?

I find that frequently there are so many ideas or suggestions that instead of letting them go, I become paralyzed and unable to fully follow through on any of them.

This is not how I want to live my life and I turn to you for ideas on handling ideas. Ironic, I know.

Any suggestions regarding shortening that inbox so that the real gems can become reality are much appreciated.

Love Much,

Kris
http://www.totalhealthyoga.com/
http://www.totalhealthyogaclasses.blogspot.com/

Today is the first day of the rest of your life!

Exercises for carpel tunnel syndrome

2008-02-26T01:00:00.001-06:00

If you suffer from carpel tunnel in the wrists, Yoga can be a blessing or a curse. Avoid hand balances and keep the base of the wrist lifted in poses such as downward facing dog (adho mukha svanasana). If it's not possible to lift the wrist base, then just keep the hands off the floor--no, not a down dog with no hands! Rather, no down dogs at all until you build the strength to lift the wrists.

Following are some great poses to help with this syndrome. Remember, I am not a doctor and don't claim to be one, please verify with your doctor prior to any exercise program.

1. Take a comfortable seat and bring the hands into anjali mudra. Keeping the fingers together, slowly draw the base of the wrists slightly away from one another. Hold for at least 6 long steady breaths.

2. Come into staff (dandasana) with the palms on the ground. If your arms are shorter, then place the palms on blocks. Stay about 6 breaths.

3. Stand in mountain (tadasana). On inhale lift the arms overhead, as if your arms are hands on a clock and they are pointing at the 11 and the 1. On exhale, bring the arms back down to your sides. Do this 6 times.

4. Standing or sitting bring the arms out straight in front of you. Palms facing down, widen the fingers as if you are wrapping your hand around a basketball. Hold for 6 breaths. Keep the shoulders relaxed.

5. With the arms still in front of you, inhale and bring the fingers together and point them at the sky; exhale making gentle fists and face the knuckles downward. Repeat 6 times. On the 6th time, pause in each of these positions for a couple of breaths.

6. Rise the arms over head and interlock the fingers; palms facing away from you. Hold for about 6 breaths.

7. Come into eagle pose (garudasana). If balance is preventing the arm position, then skip the legs and focus on the arms today. Hold each side for 2-3 breaths.

8. Take half forward fold (ardha uttanasana) at the wall for 6 breaths. Keep the fingers, especially the root of the index finger and thumb, against the wall as the center of the wrist base is lifted.

9. With or without the legs move the arms with relaxation into warrior I and then warrior II (virabhadrasana I & II). Move back and forth with your breath about 6 times. Pause the last time in each position for 2-3 breaths.

10. Downward facing dog (adho mukha svanasana) on a chair for 2-6 breaths. As before, keep a lift in the carpel tunnel (the center of the wrist base).

11. Sit on a chair and twist from side to side. Twist as you exhale and release the twist on inhale. Repeat on one side 6 times and then 6 times on the other side.

12. Take anjali mudra behind your back.

13. Relax in a supine position (savasana) for at least 10 minutes.

Note that some of these postures may be difficult. Instead of forcing or frustrating yourself to do them, take your time and start with a just a few that you find simple. As you gain flexibility, awareness, and strength, the others will come easier.

Enjoy and the best of luck to you!

Love Much,

Kris
http://www.totalhealthyoga.com/
http://www.totalhealthyogaclasses.blogspot.com/

Today is the first day of the rest of your life!

Relieve Neck Tension

2008-02-22T08:10:00.000-06:00

A lovely neck release that your puppy might love as well!

Lay out some pillows or blankets at least 4 inches high and lie on them. Let the shoulders and head come off the support. Place a rolled up hand towel under the neck for support and enjoy the inversion. Stay for 5 to 15 minutes. A little Mozart in the back ground and an eye pillow do wonders for this restorative.

Love Much,

Kris
http://www.totalhealthyoga.com/
http://www.totalhealthyogaclasses.blogspot.com/

Today is the first day of the rest of your life!

Great Blogs

2008-02-21T07:00:00.003-06:00

A great post at Just Breath reminds us that it takes courage to make decisions that bring us closer to our "real" Self. Sometimes what appears to be running away is really finding what we need in order to return to our true nature and share that with others. I salute Nadine's courage to move across the globe and to spread the news about South Africa. Here is the comment I left on her post:

"Very touching post. Your comment "I am in some ways less than I thought, and in other ways more."It is commendable to make efforts to help the world as a whole; one thing Yoga teaches us over and over is that we must feel inside what we strive to bring to the world. So to safety and faith; only then can you truly offer them."

Nadine's issues are global and something we can all take concern with, but this same principle applies in all of life. I maintained a friendship once because I thought this lady "needed me." It was very draining and took almost six months, before I realized that I wasn't helping anyone by staying in it. After breaking the ties, my energy returned and not only did I feel better, but my ability to share these great feelings with those around me spread.

Do what brings you closer to God/Self/True Nature;

not what you think you are obligated to do.

Love Much,

Kris
www.TotalHealthYoga.com
www.TotalHealthYogaClasses.Blogspot.com

Today is the first day of the rest of your life!

What is this ?

2008-02-18T07:48:00.002-06:00

What is this a picture of? Could it be anything else? Is it too hard to tell?

Over the weekend I was reading The Healing Path of Yoga by Nischala Joy Devi. In her introduction she says,

"In the space and aeronautics field as a spaceship goes up it gains altitude. If you look out of the window you may not see the moon. If the ship rotates it is called changing attitude. With an attitude change you can now see the moon."

This is so perfectly said, I don't think I can add more to it. If you'd like a change in attitude and see the picture above from a different viewpoint, click here.

Love Much,

Kris
http://www.totalhealthyoga.com/
http://www.totalhealthyogaclasses.blogspot.com/

Today is the first day of the rest of your life!

And now for something completely different.....

2008-02-17T08:50:00.002-06:00

WARNING: Swearing and an unusual tone for me follows!

I wrote this last summer while sitting on my back porch after being hearing a group of people talk about how hopeless life is; how there are no real choices. As you can tell, this got my goat.

Why take over six months to post this? Because it was a rant: an out-of-control rant. Sometimes I find it healthy to just get all my frustration out on paper (instead of in someone's face) and then go to exploring my feelings and finding compassion.

I debated on posting this, but I remember once how a student was amazed when I talked about losing it with my dog one day. She commented what a relief it was to see her Yoga teacher had bad days too.

So, here's my very human and angry rant. Anger at my own fears, hesitations, and uncertainties. Anger at those around me that encourage or justify these limitations. I don't expect you'll see a lot of these as fortunately meditation has helped them to become fewer and fewer.

****************************
Belief, Man, that’s where it’s at.

Forget the crap about hard work and nose to the grindstone. What were these guys thinking? If you don’t have faith, if you don’t believe in yourself and what you’re doing, you don’t stand a chance. Why bother to pour your sweat and tears into something that you don’t even have believe in? It’s insane. The way we’re raised is insane. What the hell is going on here?

Life is more than working for the Man. It’s being the Man! You heard me, being the Man. Wrap you’re brain around that one for a minute. You. The Man. One in the same.

Don’t bail on me just yet. Think about it. You have the power. You make the decisions. You create the plans. You show your creative genius!

It’s there, trust me. I know you’re a creative genius. You know you’re a creative genius. So, what’s stopping you?

Fear, I tell you. Fear that you’re not good enough. Fear that you don’t have any new ideas. Fear that it’s all been done before.

Bull shit!

There are new ideas and discoveries cropping up every day. Just this year a whole new breed of shark was discovered off the coast of New Zealand. Scientists thought they had it all figured out and then quantum physics came in and questioned everything. Literally, everything! Even the way we think.

How’s that for new shit?

Pretty powerful stuff and here you are sitting on your ass saying there’s nothing new to be said.

Again, bullshit!

Take a chance. Follow an impulse. Do what makes your heart sing.

And don’t you dare tell me, you can’t. Family to support, not enough time, pension, whatever.

Stop the excuses now. Grab life by the balls and go for it!

Kris
www.TotalHealthYoga.com
www.TotalHealthYogaClasses.Blogspot.com

Today is the first day of the rest of your life!

Yoga Therapy

2008-02-14T12:52:00.003-06:00

Yoga Therapy by AG Mohan and Indra Mohan is a truly wonderful book. It describes a "true" Yoga; not one that forces and demands. A Yoga rooted in breath and honor of the body and mind.

The style is Viniyoga, one of my personal favorites. This style emphasizes a therapeutic approach and stressed the need for individual classes. As popular as group classes are in the West, a personalized class becomes even more important when dealing with specific therapies.

I think this book is a wonderful collection of suggestions that can be applied to any practice or style. The first chapter is an introduction followed by the second chapter detailing breath and asana. Here's a quick example demonstrating how your breathing affects posture:

Start your inhales from the top of the chest and then continue inhaling all the way down to the navel. Emphasize the chest expansion. This helps to straighten out rounding in the upper back. As you exhale, begin in the belly and then work your way up to the collarbones. Focusing most of the exhale in the belly brings length to the low back and prevents sway back or over-arching the lumbar area.

Chapter 3 suggests methods of assessing a body. When developing a personal practice, assessment guides you away from what you just "like" and into what will provide you with the most benefits. This is key is creating a successful practice and injury prevention.

Next comes sequencing, which is a whole topic unto itself. I've worked in a Iyengar, Anusara, and Ashtanga--all with differing opinions on sequencing. What I've learned is that no one really knows for sure the best route. Some things, like ending with a symmetrical posture, make sense; but each situation is different. One thing unique to Viniyoga, and paramount in my opinion, is to rest periodically between postures. Take mini-savasanas ever so often to release tension before moving on.

Chapter 5 is about personalizing the practice and taking into account someone's fitness level, age, and condition. Next comes pranayama followed by Ayurveda, covering diet, doshas, and the mind.

Chapter 8 is a collection of case studies. Personally, I prefer the case studies in Gary Kraftsow's book, Yoga for Wellness; because Gary outlines why each and every posture/movement is chosen. Mohan's do this to some extent, but not as thoroughly.

Overall a great reference to gaining a deeper and practical understanding of breath and movement.

Love Much,

Kris
http://www.totalhealthyoga.com/
http://www.totalhealthyogaclasses.blogspot.com/

Today is the first day of the rest of your life!

Change the World - Commit Random Acts of Kindness

2008-02-11T08:26:00.000-06:00

I ran into a couple of great quotes the other day:

"You write in order to change the world, knowing perfectly well that you probably can't, but also knowing that literature is indispensable to the world.... The world changes according to the way people see it, and if you alter, even by a millimeter, the way .... people look at reality, then you can change it." ~ James Baldwin

"I feel the vacuum, the loneliness, the silence, the dehydration of the soul as people who want desperately to save our constitution, country and planet still wander the streets without knowing how to say hi to one another." ~ Sam Smith

Every time we perform a random act of kindness to a stranger, we have the potential to shift their view of the world as a more loving and kind place.

In the last year or so, I heard a story of a family that had a bicycle stolen from their front lawn. The police were unable to find the thief and the family was told there was nothing that could be done. So, they posted a sign on in front of their house expressing their disappointment with the person(s) that took the bike and asking for its return.

The bike was never returned. However, an anonymous envelope with money for a new bike and a note was left at the front door. The note said something like this:

"Please don't think the world is just made up of thieves and criminals. There are many more open-hearted and kind people all around you."

What can you do to shift someone's experience and see the beauty all around us? Buy the checkout gal at the grocery store a bag of apples? Pay for the person behind you at a toll booth? Give flowers to a neighbor? Hand out $5 bills to strangers?

Go ahead; Change the world!

Love Much,

Kris
http://www.totalhealthyoga.com/
http://www.totalhealthyogaclasses.blogspot.com/

Today is the first day of the rest of your life!

Healthy Brownie Recipe - Garbanzo Beans

2008-02-07T10:29:00.000-06:00

It's true, you didn't misread the title of this post! Brownies that use garbanzo beans and are actually relatively healthy! A student and friend, Kathy G, made these brownies over the weekend and they were spectacular. I hope you enjoy them as much as we did, and thanks Kathy!

Best Ever Brownies

Preheat oven 350 degrees

1 and 1/2 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips

15oz. can garbanzo beans (drained & rinsed)

4 eggs

2T coffee powder (optional)

2T canola (or vegetable) oil

1t vanilla

1/2 c brown sugar

1/2 t baking powder

1/4 t salt

1/2 c chopped nuts (walnuts or pecans optional)

Melt the chocolate. Combine eggs, coffee powder and beans in food processor until very smooth. Add remaining ingredients - oil, vanilla, sugar, baking powder and salt, process until well blended.
Add melted chocolate and process briefly to mix, add nuts (if using).
Place batter in greased 9 in. square baking pan. Bake 350 for 35 to 40 min.

Kathy used Hazelnut Nutella as a frosting. Super yum!

Enjoy the best darn brownies ever!

Love Much,

Kris
http://www.totalhealthyoga.com/
http://www.totalhealthyogaclasses.blogspot.com/

Today is the first day of the rest of your life!

Yoga Benefits - It's not just the body and mind

2008-02-06T10:19:00.000-06:00

Check out this video on the global importance of Yoga.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NMh8RfqAF1s&eurl=http://www.yyogamovie.com/awareness/video/index.html

Love Much,

Kris
http://www.totalhealthyoga.com/
http://www.totalhealthyogaclasses.blogspot.com/

Today is the first day of the rest of your life!

Yes We Can! - Hope for Peace

2008-02-05T09:52:00.000-06:00

This reminds me of Martin Luther King's speech, I Had A Dream. Hope still reigns, keep it strong!

Video Clip Here.

UPDATE: Just found the story and source behind this video. I believe many of us feel the same as Mr. Will.I.Am. Be inspired!

Love Much,

Kris
http://www.totalhealthyoga.com/
http://www.totalhealthyogaclasses.blogspot.com/

Today is the first day of the rest of your life!

Inspiring Story

2008-02-04T10:11:00.000-06:00

My younger son (age 13) shared with me The Sniper by Liam O'Flaherty. I'm grateful to his teacher for exposing him to this short story as it touched his heart and mine.

In the interest of not spoiling the story, I will not comment directly on it here. Instead check out The Sniper by clicking here.

Love Much,

Kris
http://www.totalhealthyoga.com/
http://www.totalhealthyogaclasses.blogspot.com/

Today is the first day of the rest of your life!

Obama For President of the USA

2008-01-31T07:15:00.000-06:00

Anyone who knows me knows that I avoid political comments unless asked. So, after 43 years of life, this is a first for me.

Most of our votes, here in the US, are a selection of the lesser of two evils. 2008 has the potential to be a unique and promising year. Thus I am compelled to voice my political viewpoint without being asked.

After watching Obama's Ebenezer speech, I was left impressed. His call for unity of all people makes a lot of sense. Unlike many speeches, Obama did NOT criticize other candidates. I think he really hit the nail on the head when he spoke of a moral deficit and an empathy deficit in our country. In my own life and in those around me, I see a need to look at the underlying causes of physical or superficial issues. I believe this is true in our country as well. Until we have a mindset as a nation that is not based in fear or strong egos, I do not believe we will be a positive force in the world.

The notion of looking at the root--emotional root--of our nation's mistakes and bullying attitude makes perfect sense to me if we are up for real positive change.

This is only the beginning, but an area that I've never heard a politician address before. To then do some real work and shift the policies and current course of our country (diminishing privacy and personal rights, questionable wars, out-and-out lies concerning presidential decisions) is in order.

Obama has been a civil rights attorney on the south side of Chicago standing up for the less fortunate. He's a man that understands the needs of the people--he's been working to help them his whole career.

As for the war in Iraq, check the record. Hillary voted to allow Bush to pursue this endeavor.

After researching both Democratic candidates, there's positive and negative on both sides. It's tough to filter through what's fact and what's fiction. But in the end, Obama seems like the best choice.

Here are some reasons Mike (my partner) is supporting Obama:

- He has a history of helping diverse groups find common cause.

- His policy ideas seem to be based on morals earned through personal experience, not from campaign focus groups.

- Of all the candidates, Obama as president could do the most towards repairing America's image around the world.

Additionally, Obama works from the bottom-up, not top-down. Clinton is does the opposite. Check out this article from the Washington Post.

Also, check out the Wall Street Journal article where Clinton now wants FL and MI to count--after agreeing five months earlier that they wouldn't. Hum, do you suppose her winning in those states has anything to do with it? Where's the consistency and standing by your word in that? Perhaps, Obama has also turned back on his word, but I've been researching and haven't found it yet. It's just possible we have what may be a stand-up guy running for president!

Clinton said (see Washington Post article above), "I know how Washington Republicans think, how they operate and how to beat them." This doesn't sound like unity to me, and is a divided country what we really need?

Love Much,

Kris
http://www.totalhealthyoga.com/
http://www.totalhealthyogaclasses.blogspot.com/

Today is the first day of the rest of your life!

Emotions - An opportunity to learn

2008-01-30T16:08:00.000-06:00

Years ago I decided to stop shoving "negative" emotions out of the way and instead exploring why they came up. This change in direction has made a huge difference in my life, mostly by encouraging me to take personal responsibility for my feelings instead of blaming others.

This not only makes me feel better, but I'm sure my partner and kids appreciate it!

In the recent past, I've run across a number of thoughts that agree with this path of emotion exploration. The most structured method is offered by Byron Katie called The Work. Basically you start by writing out what has pissed you off (or upset you or frustrated you, etc.). Then you ask four questions:

1. Is it true?
2. Is it really true?
3. How do you react when you believe this thought?
4. Who would you be without this thought?

Katie's web site is very helpful. Additionally, she's written a number of books, my favorite being Loving What Is. The questions appear "too simple". Yet, reading more about her ideas shows you how to delve in deeper to see what's really going on. Yogis -- used to the idea of quieting the ego and mind -- will find an easier time hearing the inner voice that offers honest and true answers to the four questions.

Gary Zukav also promotes the importance of learning from your emotions. In Soul to Soul, he says:

"The painful experiences that you encounter, such as resentment, anger, and vengefulness, are the parts of your personality that your soul desires to heal. They are the parts of your personality that are not aligned with your soul. Your soul wants to create harmony, sharing, cooperation, and reverence for Life.... Your painful experiences are signposts that point directly to parts of your personality that need healing.... learn about yourself from your experiences and change yourself rather than continue to have the same painful experiences again and again. That is spiritual growth." (page 224)

Even Ester Hicks (Abraham) stresses the value of being honest regarding your feelings. She speaks of "feeling good" all the time, but not by denying your current state; rather by finding ways to transform yourself to a place of joy.

I believe Byron Katie's work and emotion exploration is one of many ways to do this.

Love Much,

Kris
http://www.totalhealthyoga.com/
http://www.totalhealthyogaclasses.blogspot.com/

Today is the first day of the rest of your life!

Anatomy of the Spirit

2008-01-27T16:44:00.000-06:00

I realize this book has been out since 1996, but am still inspired to offer a few comments regarding it's usefulness and wisdom.

The first time I began reading Anatomy of the Spirit, by Dr. Caroline Myss, I got 20 or so pages in and decided she was a nut job. I quickly put the book back on the Barnes and Noble shelf for fear that some of her nuttiness would rub off on me.

Years later, I saw it at a used book store, Half Price Books, and felt compelled to buy it. On the way home, I stopped in a coffee shop and began to read. This time the ideas didn't seem so far fetched or crazy. A matter of fact, a tear rolled down my cheek as I read the Introduction. Something inside told me this book would change my life.

If you are opened minded, or already have an alternative mindset, it's a great read. Caroline talks about the seven chakras or energy centers of the body. She directly relates each center to historical ideas of various religions. Her knowledge, after studying religion, is vast. She, also, works with medical doctor, Norm Shealy, and relays interesting stories about their cases.

What I've really enjoyed about this book is the reference aspect. Over the past five years, I have used the table on pages 96-101 to help get to the root of various issues or feelings.

This table lists the following: Chakra (energy center), related organs, probable mental or emotional issues, and physical dysfunctions.

When I'm feeling off in any area, this chart pinpoints the associated chakra. From there I go to the self-examination questions at the end of that chakras chapter. Usually that's enough to provide an insight regarding what's going on. Sometimes I need to re-read the chapter.

If I'm just feeling "off", but can't put my finger on a physical dysfunction or mental issue, then I scan my body. It's really pretty simple. I lie in bed (usually in the morning just before rising or during savasana after a Yoga practice) and rest my awareness for a few moments at each energy center. They all vibrate differently. If any area feels numb or blocked, I go to the chapter for that energy center. Like clockwork, I've discovered issues that need addressing.

I believe using Anatomy of the Spirit in this fashion has prevented problems having to show up in my gross physical body. If you catch a disturbance in the subtle stages, it can prevent them from ever showing up in the physical body.

Overall, well worth every penny I paid for it. Thanks, Dr. Myss!

Love Much,

Kris
http://www.totalhealthyoga.com/
http://www.totalhealthyogaclasses.blogspot.com/

Today is the first day of the rest of your life!

Oral Hygiene Care

2008-01-25T11:18:00.000-06:00

Look closely and take your time. Can you guess what this is?

Wrong! Try again.

Still not sure? Well, technically it's a cheese knife sitting on my kitchen counter. However, it hasn't been used for cheese in years.

Its usual home is my bathroom drawer, and I use it religiously every morning to clean my tongue. At first it was gross and I wasn't sure I could scrap off all that crap that formed in my mouth while I innocently slept through the night.

But the alternative--leaving it there to be swallowed back down or worse yet rubbed onto my honey's tongue (your welcome for the visual)--was far worse than scraping it out and washing it down the sink.

I first heard about tongue scraping in an Ayurvedic text. The idea is that ama--icky stuff that your body is eliminating--rises to your tongues surface. To aid in the removal of this goo, you have to clean it off. Using a tooth brush sounds good on paper, but I have found there is still a lot left over. I've never had the balls to clean my tongue prior to brushing. Trust me, it's gross enough to do after brushing.

An added benefit to tongue scraping is fresher breath--which my 13 year old thanks me for!

Finally, why the cheese knife? Pretty simple really, the shape is perfect. It has a diagonal end somehow the shape of it makes the cleaning process thorough and easy. I've tried using a "professional" scraper that took two hands--they make better ones now. How is needing two hands convenient? It was awfully difficult to see past my hands and into my mouth! Also, a spoon can work; the shape is nowhere as useful as my precious cheese knife though. The spoon just didn't clean off as much goo.

Now before you go into your kitchen and grab a serrated sharp knife and wonder why there's blood all over the bathroom floor..... my wonderful "knife" is for soft cheese and is firm, but not sharp.

Enjoy the wonderful world of hygiene!

Kris
http://www.totalhealthyoga.com/
http://www.totalhealthyogaclasses.blogspot.com/

Today is the first day of the rest of your life!