Yoga at Home with Laura, Self-taught Yogi!

Yoga at Home: Yoga Practice-Put the "Fire of Love" into It!

I LOVE the following quotation by yoga instructor and author of Fire of Love, Aadil Palkhivala.  "True yoga is not about the shape of your body, but about the shape of your life.  Yoga is not to be performed; yoga is to be lived.  Yoga doesn't care about what you have been; yoga cares about the person you are becoming. Yoga is destined for a vast and profound purpose; and for it to be truly called yoga, its essence must be embodied."

How DO YOU approach and do your yoga practice?  I have found  that when I infuse my practice with quiet, calm, a sense of sacredness, and complete focus - qualities that to me embody the holisitc spirit of yoga, I gain infinitely more energy, flexibility, and serenity for the entire day than if I do yoga in a mechanical way, just to get it done, and out of "obligation" to complete a workout.  I have been guilty of the latter. But, in the past 6 years I have done my best to practice yoga with my entire body, mind, and spirit. When I do so, my yoga practice spills over into my life.

For me, yoga IS a lifestyle.  It's about approaching everything in life with grace, serenity, flexibility, heart, and spirit.  It's about taking time to pause and appreciate even the most microscopic wonders of life and recognizing that my body is a magnificent temple that serves me best when I treat it with tenderness and care.  My yoga practice is more of a "work-on" than a "work-out."  I "work-on" myself on my mat to be my best self.  Are you embodying the essence of yoga into your life?  How is the shape of your life?

Yours for putting the "fire of love" into your practice,

Laura Venecia Rodriguez, the Beginners Yoga at Home Mentor

 

Yoga at Home for Beginners: Short on time? Still practice at an easy pace!

Doesn't it seem that our modern lives are ruled by time?!  Especially those of us living in large metropolitan areas. We're always rushing to beat the clock to complete our work, chores, and family obligations. Our lives proceed at warp-like speed and when unexpected monkey wrenches (car breakdowns, overtime at work, colds and stomach aches and other annoyances) are thrown into our schedule, we have to cut back on our yoga practice.

When this happens every so often, don't beat yourself up or feel guilty. That doesn't help you at all and it contradicts the spirit of yoga. About once a week I abbreviate my yoga practice -maybe cut it in half because I need more sleep because I was up late the night before working on my never-ending to- do-list.  However, even if I scale back my  practice time to 12-15 minutes, I adhere to the following rules to maintain the spirit of yoga and to gain the maximum benefits from a shorter practice:

1)  I maintain my special rituals that take only a moment or two like setting the mood by lighting my battery operating candles and touching my heart with my hands before I begin to set the tone for a heartfelt practice;

2)  I shorten the hold times for each pose but I still enter and exit every position SLOWLY and GENTLY and I consciously put everything I've got into doing the pose and keep my focus on all that I am giving myself;

3)  I make sure to pause the usual amount of time (at least 3-5 seconds) between each pose so that I am not rushing along and to ensure I allow the requisite recovery time that prevents injury and that enables the energy stirred up to move throughout my entire body;

4)  I feel gratitude for the time that I am investing that very moment into my yoga practice and I smile as often as possible as I stretch.

In short, even when your time for a particular day's practice is shorter than your norm, you CAN still reap the same relaxation and benefits from yoga that you usually do.  I recently told a reader of my book who said that her schedule had been especially busy of late and sometimes she had only 5 minutes to practice, "that is fine."  Even though you may practice only 5 minutes one day, that 5 minutes maintains your commitment to include yoga as part of your daily lifestyle. That alone  goes far. Just consciously relax during those 5 minutes - never rush and you'll make the most of whatever time you can give!

Yours for always taking an easy pace during your practice, whether it's 5 or 25 minutes,

Laura Venecia Rodriguez, the Beginners' Yoga at Home Coach

 

 

 

 

Yoga at Home for Beginners: Morning Yogis - Take a Warm Shower First!

If you have decided to begin a yoga practice and plan to do it in the morning - here's one practice that I have found helpful.  It's not essential, but experiment to see if it makes a difference in your personal practice.  This is it - I take a cozy warm shower before I do my gentle yoga practice and follow it by smoothing Neutrogena sesame body oil all over my body and then spraying just a bit of my favorite perfume.

If you begin your yoga practice within a few minutes after you awaken you may find it more dificult to do the poses, even the warm-ups, because you are naturally a bit stiff after hours of sleep and little movement.  A warm shower helps warm you up so you can more easily do your yoga warm-ups!

Because the kind of hatha yoga I do and advocate in this blog is a gentle, slow motion form, you do not work up a sweat.  Thus, you won't have to take two showers!  Taking a warm shower before yoga practice helps awaken my body-all my muscles, tendons, and joints.  Smoothing the sesame body oil over all my body makes my skin feel very silky and spraying a tiny amount of perfume add a touch of sensuality to my practice.  These several steps create a multi-sensory esthetic ritual that boosts my enthusiasm and anticipation for my practice.

Although on occasion, I do yoga before my shower, 95 percent of the time or more I take my shower first which also makes me feel clean, fresh, and pure for the practice.  Another side benefit I have noticed from taking a shower before yoga is that my hair comes out much better - it seems to more volume to it! So I have fewer bad hair days!  Not a bad side benefit!

Yours for taking a warm shower to ease you into your yoga practice,

 

Laura Venecia Rodriguez, the beginners' yoga at home coach with heart

 

Yoga at Home: Do Yoga Sans Jewelry! - A Mini-Rant

The above photo shows only part of my upper body and head as I do a yoga eye movement, but look ma, no jewelry!  Except some post earrings which you can barely see.  I have temporarily misplaced the issue, but I subscribe to the renowned Yoga Journal which recently celebrated its 35th anniversary and I was shocked by the cover of a recent issue!

No, it didn't feature a yogi in the buff demonstrating the benefits(?) of nude yoga...But, it was almost as bad! It showed a woman in a yoga pose wearing a long necklace. Why is this so bad, you ask?  Granted, the necklace matched her peach yoga outfit. But, I just could not believe that a yoga instructor/cover model would dare to do a pose wearing jewelry - especially a necklace that can dangle and strangle you in certain poses.  I also saw the same mistake made on a youtube video by a yoga instructor showing a pose decked out in huge dangling earrings and a heavy necklace.  What?

Years ago my mother gave me a short gold necklace that is one of my favorite pieces. I wear it all the time. Several years ago, however, I discovered that wearing even this short necklace during yoga practice could catch around my chin when I leaned forward in the downward facing dog pose.  It became a hindrance. Even rings can get in your way and make you uncomfortable when you do certain handclasps.

My rule when practicing yoga:   No jewelry at all except maybe post earrings.  Ever since I lived in France during my junior year of high school and my French "mother" said a "lady" never went out in public with naked ears, I always wear earrings except when I sleep.  But, that is it!  If you want to enjoy your yoga practice to the max, forget jewelry of any kind - except the post earrings!  You see, even "professionals/experts" like Yoga Journal can lead you astray!

Yours for practicing yoga safely sans jewelry,

Laura Venecia Rodriguez

Your YogaAtHome Coach

 

 

 

Yoga at Home: Thanksgiving - Do You Appreciate Every Part of Your Body?

 
Wow - another Thanksiving holiday is just around the corner!  I listened to a program this morning that discussed a meditation process involving focusing on and mentally stopping and appreciating every part of your body from head to toe. The speaker recommended doing this the moment you awaken in the morning.  Instead of jumping up and scurrying about to head for the shower (or to do your yoga I hope!), you slowly and deliberately awaken by acknowledging every part of your body (including your internal organs) and all that they do for you and how they allow you to express your innate spiritual essence.  If you do this, the speaker almost guaranteed that your day would go more smoothly and joyfully and that you'd feel great.  Even if certain parts of your body are aching or have a challenge at the moment, this process is still beneficial.  Gratitude always raises your energy and can enhance the healing process.

You can also adapt this practice to your yoga regime!  A year or two I wrote a post on expressing gratitude for your body as you do yoga.  The process described above takes it a step even further because you consciously focus your attention on every part of your body, not just your body as a whole. This morning as I did my yoga poses (with the inspiring music of John Tesh's 2004 Red Rocks concert playing in the background), I consciously appreciated each specific part of my body (inside and out) targeted by the particular pose. My energy amped up even more than usual.  Since Thanksgiving is just a few days away, be thankful for your body temple and consider adding the appreciation process to your practice.

Gratefully yours,

 

Laura Venecia Rodriguez

Hatha Yoga for Beginners: Hatha Yoga Poses: How Much Time and How Many Repetitions?

The first yoga books I used to teach myself prescribed 2-3 repetitions for each pose.  If I followed that suggestion, it would take at least 60 to 90 minutes to complete my daily regime.  While such a regime would benefit me, I would not be able to carve out that much time daily for yoga practice.  What is important is that I put everything I got into the stretch or hold.  When I do, I feel I can benefit from doing the pose once as much or almost as much as repeating twice or three times.

In general, let your personal fitness and body needs as well as time constraints dictate how many repetitions you choose to  do of a particular hatha yoga pose.  Most days, I do a pose once.  Other days, I repeat certain poses twice or three times if my body guides me to do that. For example, one afternoon I was not paying attention and I sat in an awkward position at my office desk for hours.  Boy did my lower back become sore and stiff!  Luckily, I remembered that hatha yoga could resolve the situation!  The next morning I repeated the cobra and the bow twice each to work out the kinks. Voila - problem fixed! Some days, though,  I choose to repeat certain poses just for the joy of it! Everyone has different bodies, issues, and preferences.  

Concerning the time you hold the poses, I have been surprised that many books neglect to tell you!  However, I hold most poses for the time recommended by my first yoga books.  Of course, when you begin, you will be holding the poses for a few seconds maximum.  Thus, initially your daily practice may take only 10 minutes or so.  That's ideal.  You want to adopt the yoga habit gradually.  Starting out with 5 or 10 minutes a day is an excellent strategy for creating the discipline of a daily practice.  Experimenting and working your way up gradually is the key to long-term success with your at home yoga practice.

Wisdom of the Day:  "Put everything you've got into a hatha yoga pose."  Laura V. Rodriguez

Beginners' Hatha Yoga: Always Pause Between Poses

Pausing between yoga poses is vital for optimizing the results from your practice. The first yoga books that I ever read, Yoga for Beauty and Health and Yoga, Youth, and Reincarnation repeatedly stressed the importance of pausing between poses.  Pausing helps you assimilate the energy that has been released.  Also, pausing between poses cultivates serenity and a wonderful relaxed pace to offset the hustle and bustle that many of us have in our daily life.  I believe we need to practice flowing and transitioning slowly between activities rather than rushing to and fro. Rushing often wreaks havoc, leading to mishaps that could have been avoided.  

I pause for 5 to 10 seconds between most poses.  But, play it by ear and listen to your body. You may need more time to catch your breath between strenuous poses such as the bow and the locust that require you to lift your body weight.  I do!  When you schedule your yoga practice, allocate sufficient time in your daily yoga regime to pause between poses.

 

Wisdom of the Day:  "Composer Claude Debussy said that music is the space between the notes.  Likewise, much power comes from the pauses between hatha yoga poses."~Laura Venecia Rodriguez

 

Simple Savvy Steps to Yoga Success: Yoga Week in Washington, DC

 

The annual DC Yoga Week (May 2-9) is coming up!  Many free and low-cost yoga classes are offered daily throughout the Washington, DC metro area.  It's an excellent opportunity to begin or renew your commitment to a daily yoga practice.  Many of the local yoga studios are offering special incentives for regular attendees of the classes.

Consistent practice I have stressed so frequently in this blog.  As John Shoemaker, founder of yoga studio, Unity Woods, states so clearly, "If you want to learn to play the piano, you need to practice every day.  It's the same with yoga."  And, that is a key focus of DC's yoga week.  So, view next week as a time to celebrate your yoga practice whether in a class or in your home studio!

Wisdom of the Day: ~Yoga is 99% practice and 1% knowledge.  ~Sri Krishna Pattabhi Jois

Simple Savvy Steps to Yoga Success: Your Daily Mini-Vacation

I just finished a wonderful, rejuvenating practice a few minutes. I feel so serene - it's a quiet, Saturday morning and I feel so blissful. I realized that you can indeed convert your daily yoga regime into a mini-vacation whenever you choose.

This morning I chose to practice in silence.  It's my favorite time of year, early Fall.  I opened a window to enjoy the refreshing cool air.  Good ventilation and fresh air enhance your practice.  The birds were singing and I reflected on various scenes from vacations from years ago. Whenever I have traveled to special places like the islands of Kauai and Martinique, I have freeze-framed my memory of moments when I was taking in vistas of thousand-mile high mountains plunging into the ocean.  Well, this morning, I went back to special moments when I was either lying on the beach in Kauai and just taking in the sun, sea, and idyllic environment there or touring Martinique by bus and gazing out at the mountains by the clear blue ocean.

As I visualized these scenes, I still focused on the poses.  I just imagined that I was doing the poses by the ocean in Kauai or out on a grassy area overlooking the mountains of Martinique.  I also focused on the word, "serenity."  I relaxed and felt absolutely spectacular as if I were on A restful vacation. If you haven't yet had the good fortune to travel to a relaxing vacation spot, just borrow a National Geographic or travel magazine from the library and soak in some beautiful photography of idyllic spots and imprint them on your mind. Yes, you can make your daily yoga home practice into a mini-vacation!

Wisdom of the Day:  "The response of even the most stubborn areas of the body to the ingenious Yoga movements is truly astonishing." ~Richard Hittleman

Simple Savvy Steps to Yoga Success: More on Yoga Attire

Americans spent about $1.04 billion on yoga apparel in 2007!  Adidas recently announced its spring 2009 launch of a new activewear line for yoga by renowned yoga instructor Rainbeau Mars.  The line will include apparel made from sustainable fabrics such as Tencel with ecalyptus, a natural biodegradable material. 

Yoga practice requires that you wear comfortable clothing to allow full, unencumbered movement in every direction.  Clothing with no belts, buckles, or buttons.  Yoga catalogs and online yoga apparel stores offer myriad collections of attire in a wide range of prices (usually high)  Do you have to spend a lot to dress for your yoga practice?  No. You could just practice in your jammies assuming they have no constrictions. 

Some yoga instructors criticize the recent move toward baggy clothing and I can see their point.  You want your clothing to be comfortable, but not too loose or hanging off you.  Otherwise, it will get in your way and prevent you from monitoring your progress and seeing your body lines.

In a recent interview, famed yoga instructor Rodney Yee, criticized the spread of baggy yoga clothing.  He said, "It's crazy.  You can't see your body, so you can't correct the nuances of it because there is all this garment hanging down."  He added thast he thought yogis should wear clothing that shows their knees and that allows a few few of their bodies, "especially the knees, ankles, and the quadracep...The skin tells you so much about what the body is doing.  You want to make the skin receptive and overt."

I agree.  Although sometimes my jammies are my yoga attire du jour, other times, I really want to see what I am doing.  Form fitting but not constrictive clothing allows this.  You don't need to dig out those old leotards (if you still have them!).  But, wearing some flattering yoga attire can keep you inspired and motivated to stick to your practice.  Of course, those of you who take Yee's advice totally to heart might opt for nude yoga instead - that should really allow your skin to be receptive and overt!  And, it costs nothing!  But, for prudes like me, that probably won't work....

Wisdom of the Day:  "Your exercise clothing should allow for complete freedom of movement."~Richard Hittleman