Yoga at Home for Absolute Beginners!

Yoga at Home for Beginners: Nude Yoga Ads Don't Inspire Me- They Irk Me!

Now, although I have been practicing yoga for DECADES, I have never practiced yoga "unclothed."  It just doesn't appeal to me and I don't see what advantages I could gain from it.  I have heard there are groups of yogis out there who enjoy practicing yoga in the "raw." Just don't expect me to follow their lead and execute my daily regime in my birthday suit anytime soon or ever!   

And, it's not because I am a super prude or anything - although maybe I AM a tad inhibited.  But, while I admit that I appreciate the artistic beauty of a toned, ethestically pleasing physique, I have to say that those nude "Toesox" yoga ads that appear far too often in the monthly publication, Yoga Journal,  do NOT inspire me. They irk me!

I am all about presenting the benefits of yoga to the average "real, regular person" and motivating them to practice daily.  Yoga is not just for movie celebrities, athletes, and singers like Madonna and Sting.  For this reason, the Toesox ads that feature an always nude and super-toned, super athletic-appearing and comely yoga instructor Kathryn Budg (with NOT ONE centimeter of excess flesh on her frame!) are off-putting.  They present an instructor doing a complex, advanced pose, that real, regular, klutzy people like me, could never hope to master.  And to add insult to injury, the poses are done nude.

Yes, the ads have an artistic appeal and panache that grab your attention...BUT, if I were a beginner yogi and thumbing through the Yoga Journal for the first time, I would feel that I had an impossible standard to live up to - a perfect body in an pretzel pose.  Really!  I don't believe these ads inspire people to learn - they're just they're for shock value and to take advantage of the cliche that "sex sells."  It just would not sell me on yoga....I would believe that yoga was beyond reach!

And the idea of practicing yoga "sans vetements" (that's French for without clothes) except for socks that grip the floor is absurdity to the max!  I would have included one of the ads here in this blog, but didn't want to risk infringing a copyright.  You can easily find scores of them (I see it now already - the male readers of this blog haven't even finished reading this post because they are already typing these keywords into Google) by typing in "Toesox Kathryn Budig nude ad."  Tell me what you think!  Do they inspire you or anger you?  Or neither?  And, no, I don't want to hear from men telling me how tantalizing they find such ads!  I am addressing solely the perspective of their value as an inspirational and instructional tool.

Yours for practicing gentle yoga with clothes ON,

Laura Venecia Rodriguez, the Beginners' Yoga at Home Coach

Yoga at Home for Beginners: Visualize to Stretch Farther -It Works!

Plough Step 1

Plough - Step 2

Plough Step 3

The above 3 photos show me executing the plough pose (also known by the Sanskrit term as "halasana"; hala means plough).  It's not the easiest pose, although I believe virtually anyone (unless they have had severe neck injuries or disc degeneration), can with practice and time, get into the final part of this pose.

Age is not an issue - really!  Although I can usually touch my feet all the way to the ground in back of my head in recent years, I could not do this in my 20s, 30s, or 40s....!  Nope.  Maybe I had tight hamstrings from jogging for 2 decades.  I just could not get my feet to reach the floor in back of my head!  

No - not until I decided to visualize my feet getting there while I was in the pose!  And, it worked within a very short time! I have learned visualization through several different types of courses.  In 1992 or 1993, I attended an all-day "unleash your power" seminar from motivational speaker Tony Robbins at Constitutional Hall in Washington, DC.  One of the exercises we did was to swing our outstretched arms behind us to see how far we could go. We did that once with no preparation.  Then we followed by just doing the exercise in our minds and imagining that we were able to stretch much further than we originally had.  Finally, we did physically stretched back again and I believe EVERYONE found that they were able to move at least 50 percent farther than they had initially!

It did not occur to me until about 3 years ago (duh) to apply this technique to my yoga practice!  When I did, I found that within a few days or a week or so I was able to touch the ground while doing the plough - something I had previously never accomplished!  However, I tweaked  and revised my process just a tad from the Robbins approach.  I visualized AS I did the pose rather than doing a before and after sequence. It worked!  Who said a "more seasoned" dog can't learn new tricks!  I proved to myself that I could do something physical in the present time that I could not do when I was 25!

Visualization is an amazing tool that can be applied to all areas of your life, not just yoga.  For more info on how to use visualization for areas other than yoga, check out the trainings of the Queen of Visualization, Ms. Carole Dore, my spiritual mentor by clicking the link on my blog banner above that says "Power Exercise/Vision."

Yours for stretching farther with visualization,

Laura Venecia Rodriguez, the Beginners' Home Yoga Coach

Yoga at Home: Flexibility - Yoga Motivational Maxim

A few years ago I found a delightful yoga quotation - or maxim to be most accurate.  In a few words, It capatures what you gain from a regular yoga practice.  The quotation is:

"Blessed are the flexible, for they shall not be bent out of shape!"

A frequent (preferably daily, in my not so humble opinion/view) gentle yoga practice increase your fleixibility not only in your body, but also in your mind and spirit.  Why is this so important?  Well, I believe it's because flexibility  leads to overall resilience!  

Consider the willow tree as shown above.  Willow trees can withstand high winds better than virtually any other trees. Their branches don't snap off as frequently in the middle of severe wind storms as other types of trees because willows have more "ecological resilience," a quality that allows them to maintain and renew themselves in the presence of stressors (the strong winds).  Willow trees bend and sway but rarely break in the midst of strong winds because their branches are more flexible.

When you practice yoga regularly, your flexibility increases as does your resilience to the often chaotic or stormy world around you.  Events and experiences that used to "get you all bent out of shape" no longer do, or to a much lesser extent.  You often find it easier to just let them go and move on and stay calm and happy as the willow tree allows the strong winds to pass through without damaging its limbs.

Just another tip to keep you motivated to do your yoga practice consistently.

Yours for staying resilient and flexible with yoga,

Laura Venecia Rodriguez, the Beginners' Yoga at Home Mentor

 

 

Yoga at Home: Niños, adolecentes y yoga

Laura Venecia Rodriguez, en sus casa, haciendo el egg roll calentamiento

Greetings! Saludos!

I thought I'd take a break from English and share a post in Spanish for Spanish-speaking yogis and readers. With my Spanish surname, I'd love to claim that I wrote the following in Spanish.  However, I cannot lie.  My Spanish is not good enough to do that and translation into a foreign language is a high-level skill.  The truth is that two years ago I wrote an article for an online health magazine.  A few months later, the magazine editors had the article professionally translated into Spanish.   So here it is - it's about the value of yoga for children and teens.  I love reading my writing in Spanish!

Hasta luego!

Niños, adolecentes y yoga

Por:Laura Venecia Rodriguez
Green Monkey

Cuando el yoga se empezó a hacerse popular en Estados Unidos, yo tenía 15 años y aprendí un tipo de Hatha Yoga, obtuve muchos beneficios, entre ellos la flexibilidad a través de la práctica diaria, así que la he seguido practicando con el paso de los años.
La infancia y la adolescencia son un excelente momento para empezar a adquirir hábitos saludables, así como un cuerpo alerta y en tono de por vida. Los beneficios pueden ser grandiosos.

Por ejemplo, en uno de los artículos que publicamos anteriormente en el boletín de Green Monkey, escrito por un joven yogui : Charlie Nelly de 18 años, quien empezó con el yoga para ayudarse en su entrenamiento para una competencia de escalar. Además de hacerse fuerte como escalador de rocas, el hacer yoga y meditar dos veces por semana, le han permitido a Charlie enfrentar presiones de examenes finales, aplicar para los examenes de la Universidad, todo con mas equilibrio y calma.

El también se siente mas confiado en todas las areas de su vida. En sus palabras el se siente “magnífico” y en situaciones estresantes Charlie dice: “Tengo la seguridad de no caer en el stress, tengo el yoga.”
Charlie Nelly no dice donde y como aprendio el yoga, pero las oportunidades actualmente son muy extensas para aprender esta práctica ancestral. A partir del año pasado, he encontrado mucha información de clases de yoga enfocadas a niños, desde infantes de 12 semanas hasta adolescentes.

En Marzo de 2010, Lil Omm Yoga, un estudio enfocado a enseñar a los niños junto con sus papás, abrió en el noroeste de Washington D.C.- Las clases de yoga que ahí ofrecen, ayudan a los papás a crear una unión con sus hijos y aprenden a relajarse. Algunas simples poses que enseñan a los infantes como aliviar la incomodidad de los gases, tan comunes a esa edad.

En adición a estos estudios de yoga, la técnica del yoga también se enseña en algunas escuelas. Hace un año leí que en aproximadamente 26 escuelas en Estados Unidos se usa el yoga en los salones de clase para aliviar el stresss. Algunas escuelas ofrecen cuidado a los niños despues de la escuela con clases de yoga para adolescents en riesgo, con dificultades de concentración, que sufren baja autoestima y que viven en casas plagadas de violencia. Los estudiantes están aprendiendo como enfocarse mejor y relajarse a través de sumergirse en un ambiente pacífico.

Rita Geller, una maestra de 3er. grado de la escuela Parkside Elementary School en Coral Springs, Fla., incopora 5 minutos de ejercicios de yoga dentro de su sistema, para ayudar a sus estudiantes a concentrarse, ¡maravilloso! Cuando le pregunté acerca del uso del yoga en su clase Ms. Geller me dijo: “El yoga es una herramienta poderosa para estudiantes y maestros, ayuda a soltar el stress y adquirir fuerza interior y concentración. La sesión es corta pero específica y efectiva y se utiliza según se necesite, una vez que los niños están concentrados, te ahorra tiempo.”
Solo imagínate mas escuelas siguiendo ésta práctica todos los días!! Es gratis y toma solo un poco de tiempo, esto estimulará a los estudiantes en su concentración. En una nación donde el deficit de atención parece ser una epidemia, en lugar de rellenar a los niños con Ritalin o Aderall, enséñales yoga, ella aconseja que se guíe a los estudiantes a la técnica del yoga de relajación que los beneficiará dentro y fuera del salón de clase.

Si tú tienes hijos, también los puedes introducir de manera simple, divertida y efectiva a la práctica del yoga en casa. Yo tengo un hijo de 13 años, ha estado recibiendo calladamente a través mío la meditación varias veces por semana.
Las siguientes son técnicas de calentamiento y ejercicios faciales, como ejemplo, de éstas técnicas te recomiendo el libro que uso con mi hijo: “Yoga for the non-Athlete: Savy steps for you to become Slim, Supple and Serene”.- Es lo suficientemente simple para enseñar a tu hijo rapidamente. Hazlo como un “momento especial” entre tu (s) hijo (s) y tú. Recuérdales el cuento de Aladino cuando hizo salir al genio de la lámpara a través de sobarla de una manera especial. Diles que juntos van a aprender y a hacer técnicas, movimientos y ejercicios de respiración, para ayudar a sus cuerpos a liberar al “YO FELIZ” que vive dentro. Crea con ellos un momento divertido y ligero y verás como responden.

EGG ROLL CALENTAMIENTO/DESCANSO:
Objetivo (partes del cuerpo) : Espina dorsal, hombros y muslos.

Como hacer ésta pose :
1. Acuéstate en tu tapete en posición relajada: las piernas juntas y los hombros relajados.
2. Inhala y jala tus rodillas a tu pecho.
3. Envuelve tus rodillas con los brazos.
4. Inhala y mécete suavemente adelante y atrás sobre tu espina dorsal, jalando tus rodillas más cerca de tu pecho.
5. Exhala y empuja las rodillas lejos de tu torso, así tu cuerpo se puede enrollar hacia adelante.
6. Mécete y enróllate varias veces suavemente y despacio sobre tu espalda de 3 a 5 veces. Mantén una respiración constante en un mismo ritmo de inhalaciones y exhalaciones relajadas.
7. Después de completer de 3 a 5 Egg Rolls, suavemene retira tus brazos de tus rodillas y estirando tus piernas, regresa a la posicion inicial sobre tu tapete.
8. Suavemente estira todo tu cuerpo alzando tus brazos hasta atrás sobre el tapete y e-s-t-i-r-a tus brazos hacia atrás como si fueras un nadador haciendo nado de espalda. S-i-e-n-t-e el suave estiramiento reforzado por entrelazar tus dedos y estirar tus brazos hacia atrás una pulgada o mas.
9. Dobla tus dedos de los pies adelante y atrás para reforzar el estiramiento de tus piernas.
10. Inhala y exhala profundamente.

Los beneficios de esta pose:
1. Es un calentamiento efectivo antes de la sesión de Yoga.
2. Ayuda a trabajar el stress de tu cuerpo, especialmente en tu espalda y piernas.
3. Es divertida!! Te sientes como un niño haciendo ésta técnica.

Tips especiales:
Como ésta pose require que te mezas con tu espalda, trata de conseguir un tapete grueso o una alfombra, nunca sobre el piso directamente o superficie dura como la madera.

LEON:
Aunque esta pose la usan los adultos para cuidar su complexión y disminuir las arrugas, también es magnífica si tus hijos sienten que el dolor de garganta les va a atacar, generalmente hará que tus hijos se rían.
Objetivo (Partes del cuerpo) : Cara y Garganta

Como hacer ésta pose:
1. Siéntate en una posición cómoda en tu tapete, en posición de medio loto o Japonesa o en una silla con tu espalda derecha.
2. Arquea tu espalda ligeramente hacia adelante y estira tus brazos, estira los dedos de las manos y sepáralos.
3. Inhala profundo y después exhale fuertemente, forzando todo el aire de tus pulmones.
4. Abre tu boca tanto como puedas y abre los ojos tan grande como puedas.
5. Saca la lengua lo más que puedas como si quisieras tocarte la barbilla.
6. Sostén ésta posición por 10 segundos sin moverte.
7. Despacio, mete la lengua, cierra la boca y relájate completamente. Permite a tus manos relajarse sobre tus muslos. Inhala y exhala profundo.
8. Repite el ejercicio.

Tiempo de práctica: Comienza por sostener la pose 10 segundos, agrega 5 segundos a la semana hasta que llegues a 30 segundos.
Número de repeticiones: 3 en una sesión de practica. También se puede hacer a cualquier hora del día para despertar tu cara!!

Beneficios de esta pose:
1. Incrementa energía y vitalidad en la cara y garganta. Estimula la cara.
2. Incrementa la circulación y estimula los nervios de cara y cuello.
3. Puede parar o aliviar el dolor de garganta.

Tips especiales y experiencias de Laura con ésta pose:
Exhala completamente cuando saques tu lengua. Puede parecer chistoso (a los niños les encanta), pero algunos maestros de yoga, sugieren rugir y sacar la lengua para crecer la pose. Mantén tus ojos abiertos durante la pose.

LAURA VENECIA RODRIGUEZ es la autora del libro “Yoga for the non-Athlete : Savy Steps for yo to Become Slim, Supple and Serene”. Para más informacion, visita www.laurasathomeyoga.com
Ella se considera una mala consumidora ya que solo aprendio a ser yogui. Y dice que si ella pudo hacer yoga, tu también puedes.

www.greenmonkey.net

Mucho éxito con yoga!

Laura Venecia Rodriguez, Beginners' Home Yoga Coach

 

 

Yoga at Home: Excellent Beginner's Yoga Video! - Mountain Pose Demo

 

Greetings.  To date, I have rarely found videos for beginning yogis that are well done.  Too many jump right into showing the pose with very little explanation and assume a base of knowledge that few beginners have.  However, a couple of days ago, my email in-box brought an excellent video for the beginner which shows you how to do the moutain pose.

Here is why I think this youtube video (which only has just under about 500 views so far) of the yoga mountain pose is ideal for the beginner:

1)  The instructor, Robin Downes, speaks clearly and slowly.

2)  She explains the purpose of the pose and shows how to do it step-by-step, literally from the toes to one's head.

3)  She doesn't just toss out the yoga sanskrit terms (in layman terms, sanskrit is an ancient language of India) rapid fire (as so many yoga instructors do) and assume the beginner is following along.  She links them effectively to her demonstration of the mountai pose.

4)  She emphasizes the importance of proper breathing and shows you how to do it.

4)  She has "real, regular people" in her video.  She appears "real" herself.

5)  In short, she makes the pose accessible to the beginners.

6)  I enjoyed watching this succinct explanation of a basic yoga pose.

Watch it now! It takes less than 3 minutes.

 

 

 Yours for learning how to do yoga at home with clear, succinct explanations!

Laura Venecia Rodriguez, the Beginners Yoga at Home Mentor,

 

Yoga at Home: Move Your Booty with Yoga On the Hour Every Hour- a la Denise Austin

Yesterday's Washington Post Express paper featured  "Memo to Staff:  Get Moving," an article about local exercise expert, Denise Austin's efforts to get the staff of a company to move their booties on the hour every hour.  I enthusiastically agree with Ms. Austin's statement, "I'm a true believer that sitting still is our enemy."

Ms. Austin, known for her incredibly rock-hard abs (that she always invites people to touch), the result of her workouts, is a well-known exercise instructor with DVDs and television programs.  I have had one of her books for years.  It doesn't have yoga in it, but she offer many useful ideas for staying fit.  Although Ms. Austin didn't mention yoga office breaks during her visit to this particular local firm, you can apply her philosophy to your yoga practice.

Granted, you can't do every yoga pose at the office, unless you have an office to yourself, can change your clothes, roll out your mat, and can close the door without fear of interruption for a few minutes. However, there are many yoga poses and moves that you can do at your desk such as neck rolls, facial and eye yoga, forward bends, arm and leg stretches, backward bends, and so forth to avoid the dicomfort of too much inactivity.  My job is sedentary to the max.  Most days I could work nonstop in front of my computer like a hermit if I chose to. 

Fortunately, I know better and I make every effort to rise about every 30 or 60 minutes and move around.  I just have to make sure I do it every hour!  As I I have divulged in prior posts, I will often do a yoga stretch like the one shown above in the ladies' room when no one else is around.  When Denise Austin visited the local company to guide them into more physical activity, she advised the employees to take a physical movement break at least every hour on the hour. She said whereas this didn't obviate the need for a regular workout, frequent mini-exercise breaks help keep your body conditioned and your head clear.  It also helps eliminate the afternoon dip in energy that many people experience after lunch.

So get your timer out and do a yoga stretch every hour on the hour to feel your best!

Laura Venecia Rodriguez, the Beginners Home Yoga Mentor

Yoga at Home: Yoga Home Practice Basics-Guest Post by Shar Ray

Doing the Half-Locust in my home studio

Below is a guest blog post by Shar Ray of Dahn Yoga.  Thank you, Shar, for sharing a helpful overview of the basics of doing a home practice!  You can use this article as a checklist.

For more details on each of individual suggestions, check the archives of this blog.  One point I would like to make- I personally do not use any props such as blocks. I just stretched as far as I could with the poses when I began yoga and allowed my body to gradually acclimate to certain poses over time. However, many people these days may find props useful - just do what is comfortable and enjoyable for you!  

Also, probably many people would benefit by first attending classes before doing a practice on their own. I just didn't do this myself.  Although I have attended classes off and on (much more "off than on") and incorporated some tips and techniques I learned from the class into my home practice,  I am 95% self-taught. But, classes are wonderful for people who enjoy the camaraderie of practicing with others.I am just too much of a klutz to keep up with a class!  Because I have practiced yoga carefully and slowly, I have not had an injury from  yoga in over 40 years.

Creating your own home yoga studio will inspire you to practice often - by Shar Ray of Dahn Yoga

Do you love the relaxed, serene yet energized feeling you have at the end of a yoga practice, but sometimes miss your favorite class or don't want to spend the money on a pricey studio package? Perhaps it's time to adjust your mindset, because you can practice yoga right in your own home.

Remember that it's a good idea for beginners to attend some sessions with trained instructors before trying yoga at home. These experts can give you important guidance on how to properly perform poses, thereby helping prevent injury and ensuring that you get the most physical benefits from the positions. But once you feel like you have a solid base of knowledge about yoga, you can begin to practice on your own. Better yet, consider inviting a friend or two over to join you, as this is a great way to form common bonds. Additionally, you and your workout partner can teach each other things and watch to see if it looks like one is straining during a pose.

Perhaps the one thing holding you back from trying this at home is the lack of a calming space in which to exercise. It might take a little bit of work, but most people can create relaxing areas in their home. Take a moment to assess all of the potential spaces around you, looking for one that is relatively free of distraction, noise and has plenty of room for you to stretch and move around. Also, take into consideration whether you plan to use candles or incense in this area. If so, it should be well-ventilated and not have curtains or other things that might catch on fire. It's a good idea, especially for people who are elderly or have certain conditions, to keep a phone nearby when practicing yoga, whether it is landline or cellular.

Next, make sure that you have a good-quality mat. This will not only cushion your wrists, feet, knees and hips while doing yoga, but the non-slip surface will provide stability. Moreover, it's helpful to use the shape of the mat as a gauge with which to align yourself. Blocks are a great prop, especially for people with limited flexibility. For instance, bending poses that require the practitioner to stabilize themselves with their hands on the ground may be difficult for people who don't have this kind of flexibility. In these instances, a block comes in handy.

Even though it has a reputation for being more calming than anything, yoga can make you sweat. As such, you should always have a bottle of water and a towel near you while practicing, and it may also be a good idea to have a fan in your yoga space so that you can cool down easily if things get too hot. Dahn Yoga is one of the largest yoga and tai chi companies in the world with its own unique style and brand of yoga. Dahn Yoga is rooted in the rich history of an ancient Asian mind-body practice, Sun Do, and in the wisdom of the Chun Bu Kyung."  - Guest post submitted by Shar Ray of Dahn Yoga

Yours for a joyful home yoga practice,

Laura Venecia Rodriguez, The Beginners Home Yoga Mentor

 

Yoga at Home: Increase Your Flexibility-Do Yoga AND Drink More Water!

About 5 months ago when I had a physical checkup, my new holisitc doctor advised me to bump up my water consumption from about 8 glasses a day to 14 a day.  Fourteen????!!!!  Yes - that many.  She said I was a bit "dry."   I thought I'd be running to the bathroom every few minutes with such a prescription. But no, I found that my body welcomed the additional hydration and acclimated easily to the increased water intake.

Physical therapist Sue Falsone has stated that water "is the single biggest factor to increasing flexibility from something you can take into your system."  Consider water as your "flexibility drink!"  Water lubricates your joints and keeps your body fluid and flexible.

Yoga expert and instructor, Lucas Rockwood says, "Literally 70-80% of people are dehydrated and constipated,and the combination means your connective tissues are going to feel stiff and stuck all the time." Consequently, it seems logical that drinking more water will make it easier to do execute yoga poses.  Drinking lots of water if you practice yoga is significant for another key reason. Because of the scientific way in yoga stretches and twists your body, toxins are released.  And, the best and fastest way to flush those toxins from your body is to drink lots of water! 

So, how do you put this into practice?  If you're a home yogi - it doesn't mean you imbibe glasses of water only immediately before, during, and immediately after your yoga practice. And then go on your merry way. (Actually, unless you get really hot or dehydrated during yoga, I find it's best NOT to drink water DURING yoga practice.)

No, it means you drink fresh water throughout the day.  One of the first things I do in the morning is drink 12 ounces of water.  When anyone awakens in the morning, he or she is fairly dehydrated because 6-8 hours of sleep means no water intake for a long segment of time.  After I meditate I drink another 12 ounces of water before beginning my aerobic exercise on my mini-trampoline. After those aerobics, I drink another 12 ounces of water to re-hydrate.  I follow with a steamy shower and then (25 minutes later) begin my yoga routine.  By the time I leave for work,I have already imbibed 36-48 ounces of water. I continue drinking about 8 ounces every hour or so the rest of the day.

What has this done for me?  Well, my body feels fluid and my mind seems clear. And, I do feel that my bodily functions better regulate themselves.  For the next 10 days, conduct your own experiment - consistently increase your water intake each day and look for any differences in your yoga practice and in your day-to-day well-being.  Report back!

Yours for increased flexibility by doing yoga AND drinking lots of water,

Laura Venecia Rodriguez, the Beginners Yoga at Home Mentor

 

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: Meditation/Power Exercise to Release Stress-Book Excerpt

 

 Printed with permission by Marci Zaroff, http://www.fasethefuture.com

I love the above photo of Marci Zaroff, eco-fashion trailblazer and founder of FASE (Fashion-Art-Soul-Earth) who I heard speak and met almost two years ago at a business conference in Miami, FL.  She's about to begin meditating and she just beams and radiates bliss to the max, doesn't she?!

Meditation is a wonderful way to how relieve and release stress and it need not be complicated or difficult. Enjoy the following excerpt on a simple, yet powerful active form of meditation from my book, Yoga at Home:  Gain Energy, Flexibility, & Serenity in 20-30 Minutes a Day.

"If you have never meditated, start by sitting in silence for no more than 3 to 5 minutes. You may wish to use a quiet timer. Add a minute or two a week until you can sit comfortably for 15 to 20 minutes without feeling restless. Notice and follow your breath as you inhale and exhale slowly. Seek only to drink in the quiet surrounding you.  Don’t strive for “enlightenment” or special revelations in the beginning.

As you start feeling comfortable with the above process, consider focusing on inspirational words or thoughts as you inhale and exhale deeply.  Another meditation practice you can do is to contemplate simple statements such as, “I am,” as you inhale and then, as you exhale, contemplate “relaxed” or “joyful” or “love” or any adjective or quality you’d like to imbue.  I learned this technique from prosperity writer and teacher Carole Doré.  Carole developed the “Power Exercise,” which emphasizes focusing on the heart as you silently or audibly state and contemplate “I am” phrases.[1]  I just added linking the breath to the statements.

It’s easy to make meditation your daily mini-retreat!  Find a quiet, comfortable spot in your home whether on a straight-backed chair, couch, or easy chair. No, you don’t have to meditate in the lotus position or sit cross-legged, with your hands in a mudra—a specific hand position such as the thumb and index finger forming a circle that is designed to direct energy flow during meditation. However, you may find such techniques helpful as a trigger to get you into a meditative state when you establish the habit."

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[1] For more information about Carole Doré’s Power Exercise, go to. http://www.1shoppingcart.com/app/?af=1439487.  She teaches the power exercise in her audio recordings, teleseminars, and audio and print versions of her book, Emergency Handbook for Getting Money Fast!  And yes, to be totally transparent and above board, I love Carole's programs and products so much that I joined her affiliate program.  This means that if you buy something from Carole using the above link, I will receive a small commission.  Just know, I don't ally myself with any product or service that I have not used myself and found excellent.

Yours for releasing stress through yoga and easy meditation practices,

Laura Venecia Rodriguez, the Beginners' Yoga at Home Mentor