We had a snow weekend! Fortunately, we didn’t get as much snow as was predicted, and it’s not nearly as bitterly cold as was predicted either. Because of the snow and the cold, we held yoga classes online. It was so much fun to see who showed up for class, and I think some were encouraged by my “Zoom is not scary” email. 

Today I want to share with you a meditation I offered in restorative yoga class. Several people told me they found it to be meaningful and helpful, and I wish the same for you. 

As we begin a new year we are usually encouraged—even expected—to make resolutions or set intentions for the year ahead. These are always meant to be active projections for making our lives better, being more successful in our business, or working on relationships. And on the surface this doesn’t seem like a bad thing. Who wouldn’t want to experience better things in the coming months? 

But if you look below the surface of these resolutions you will see something concerning—they are built on the assumption that something is lacking in our life, or that there is some flaw in our character that we have to fix. A resolution or intention is really only needed if all is not right with our world.

As you look at the resolutions you’ve made in the past you might ask yourself two questions: “Am I better off for having made these resolutions in the past?” and “How quickly did I abandon my resolutions?” 

This year I recommend trying a different kind of resolution, one that is rooted in loving your life and accepting yourself. Here is how it showed up for me this week: The past two weeks have been challenging for me because we lost heat at the studio. We haven’t been able to meet there so I have had to cancel classes and appointments or move them online. And we had a major winter storm move into the area this week with all of the preparations that required. As a result, I felt anxiety amid the uncertainty. 

If I was doing a traditional resolution I could isolate anxiety as a character flaw I needed to work on. If I just work on the anxiety I’ll feel better, right? But is that realistic? I can pretty much guarantee that I will feel this anxiety again in another situation because no one escapes it! Instead, I accepted that anxiety was arising for me and tried to lean into it, get on the edge of it, peer into the other side. And when I did that I discovered it is not as scary as I thought it was. I set this resolution:

“I will allow anxiety to just be. I lean into it and accept myself as I am.”

Let’s meditate on this: Sit or lie down in a quiet place where you will not be disturbed. Think back over the past week or month and look for ways in which you felt overwhelmed or otherwise struggled with your life. Pick one thing that arises for you, something that you might normally want to “fix” because it embarrasses you or because you think of it as a character flaw. Rather than push it away or try to fix it, lean into it. Get right on the edge and peer into the other side. Set your resolution:

“I will allow _______ to just be. I lean into it and accept myself as I am.”

Remain here for 5-10 minutes, then take three deep breaths, slowly get up and move back into your day with confidence, acceptance and peace.

​Ahimsa means “non-harming” and is considered one of the fundamental values of Yoga. Even more, in Yoga philosophy ahimsa is the first yama (or observance), which means that it colors every part of Yoga. Wow, consider what it would mean to bring non-harming to your yoga postures, your spiritual practices, how you think about and care for yourself, and all of your interactions with others? It would truly change the world, I think.
 
Ahimsa is also defined as “nonviolence,” a fitting topic on this day when we celebrate the birth, life and legacy of The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. His teachings and life example are also worth reviewing in light of world events at home and abroad. Every day there are bombings and war, threats and abusive behavior from leaders and law enforcement, disagreements and misunderstandings that tear apart nations, communities and families.
 
This news can bring forth so many difficult emotions—fear, sadness, anger, despair. How should we think about these things? Dr. King said many inspirational things to encourage us:
 
“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”
 
“The time is always right to do what is right.”
 
“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.”
 
“Law and order exist for the purpose of establishing justice, and when they fail in this purpose they become the dangerously structured dams that block the flow of social progress.”
 
“The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.”
 
“We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools.”
 
“People fail to get along because they fear each other; they fear each other because they don’t know each other; they don’t know each other because they have not communicated with each other.” 
 
“Returning hate for hate multiplies hate, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”
 
“Forgiveness is a catalyst creating the atmosphere necessary for a fresh start and a new beginning.”
 
Dr. King was clear that thinking is not enough—there also needs to be ACTION. His choice was nonviolent direct action, where protestors willingly receive the physical abuse of the opposition, willingly accept being arrested for standing up to unlawful actions, never returning violence for violence, always responding to hate with LOVE.
 
How many of us today would be able to do the same?
 
Today, in honor of an inspirational teacher and moral guide, consider how you could put ahimsa into practice in your life, at home, at work, and in your community. The world needs this message and these actions more now than ever.

As a new year begins, we often think about letting go of the past year and embracing a new year. It’s a process as old as time and one that is deeply engrained in our physiology too:

When we breathe out, we release; when we breathe in, we fill up again. 

Here is an effective yogic breathing sequence you can do to activate both the physical and psychological benefits of this releasing/re-filling cycle.

Pranayama is best practiced in a seated position, on the floor or in a chair. Let the pelvis tilt slightly forward so you’re sitting at the front of your sitting bones. This brings the spine into a long position and creates space for breath to move.

Bellows, or bhastrika, is a warming breath, perfect for cooler winter days. Place your hands on your thighs with elbows open to the sides. Remember to relax your shoulders and neck. As you exhale, begin to round your spine, bow your head, and let your elbows swing slightly forward. As you inhale, slowly straighten your spine, lift your head, and bring your elbows back to the starting point. Practice for a minute at a pace that is comfortable for your body and breath. Rest at the end. If you have the time and inclination, practice for another minute.

Downward-releasing, or apana, breath is grounding and settling, perfect for the fast-moving energies that want us to go, go, go at the beginning of a new year. Rest the backs of your hands on your thighs with elbows slightly bent. Remember to relax your arms, shoulders and neck. Begin by breathing naturally and feeling your body connect to the earth through your feet or your seat. Inhale, feel the breath enter through the nose and flow into the lungs; exhale, imagine the breath could continue down through the feet or seat and into the earth. Continue to breathe like this for a minute or two, gradually increasing to 5, 10 even 20 minutes. 

As you rise from your seat, experience balance and ease, feeling confident and settled. Take this into the rest of your day, and the rest of the year!

Check out the previous two posts about letting go. It’s just as essential for our mind as it is for our body.

​Welcome to part two of our discussion of the systems of elimination and how Yoga helps rid our body of toxins in a safe and healthy way. This is a continuation of the series “Your Body on Yoga” as we systematically go through all the systems of the body. 

According to Ayurveda—Yoga’s sister science devoted to physical health—there are three wastes the body needs to eliminate every day. They are feces (solid waste), urine (liquid waste), and sweat. Here’s a little bit about each one:

Let’s start with the easy one—sweat. A lot of people think yoga does not make you sweaty, but it’s a good idea to do enough strenuous work in your yoga practice to bring some sweat to the surface of the skin each day. Sweat expels toxins from the body, such as heavy metals and chemicals found in plastics and cosmetics. Sitting in a sauna works as does drinking hot, spicy teas. You can also practice yoga in a specific way.

Try this: Begin your day the traditional way with 5-10 rounds of Sun Salutations. Not only will you wake up tight muscles and loosen stuck joints, you’ll also begin to sweat. 

Or try this: If Sun Salutations are not your thing, squat in chair pose, hold lunging poses like Warrior and Side Angle, and do a 2-minute plank and locust pose. Strength poses will make you sweat too.

Next let’s talk about urination. As a reminder, we should be drinking enough water to have clear urine that has no odor. If your urine gets dark, cloudy or smelly, that’s a sign you haven’t been drinking enough. Fresh filtered water and herbal teas are best because caffeine acts as a diuretic, meaning it makes the body produce more urine causing water leave the body faster. And it’s worth mentioning too that sweat also removes water from the body, so if you’re doing a lot of sweating you’ll need to drink more water than usual.

Try this: Twisting poses will squeeze the bladder to stimulate urination, while the back bending pose Sphinx will lift and stretch the kidneys to keep them functioning well.

Here’s the truth about feces—we are supposed to have at least one, if not two or three, bowel movements per day. When you eat you should poop, it’s that simple. If you have a cat or a dog or other animal in your family you certainly observe this behavior in them; they eat and then they immediately eliminate. Ayurveda teaches that when feces stays in the body it becomes ama (ah-mah), putrified toxins that make us sick from the inside out. Two tell-tale signs are irregular bowel movements and a white coating on the tongue. 

Try this: Wind-relieving pose. Lie down on your back and pull your knees into your chest. Moving the knees away from the body and pulling them back in several times can be helpful in stimulating the downward movement of the colon. 

And try this: Squatting. The full yogic squat is a great position for the act of elimination because it reduces stress on the rectum. This position will often stimulate the bowels as well. 

Taking good care of your elimination systems will make you feel free and unencumbered, just what you need to make a fresh start in the new year.