Thursday, May 2, 2013
Can't work your way out of a problem? Here are some fresh ways to find new perspective.
We’ve all experienced times where we feel stuck. We struggle to find a new way to approach a problem. It could be about money, relationships, career, family or even our schedule. In situations like this, we need an infusion of fresh energy around the issue as well as a new way of thinking. There is no way out of approaching a problem from the same perspective unless something shifts. Einstein said that the definition of insanity is “doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” So, how do we find this new way of thinking? 1. Exercise. When we feel stuck, we need to refresh our brain and move the stuck energy of feeling defeated through the body. The best way to do that is to move. Walk, run, practice yoga, hike…
Monday, March 4, 2013
Practicing yoga is great but how can we bring the lessons of yoga off the mat into our relationships to strengthen them too?
Yoga as a practice is a way to strengthen, stretch, balance and relax in our bodies. But there are many benefits of a yoga practice that can apply off the mat as well. One of the areas where yoga can be helpful is in relationships. Not just the romantic kind, but all relationships: those we have at work, with friends, with family and of course, with our romantic partners. What are some of these lessons and how do you relate each to yoga? Build a strong foundation. Every yoga pose starts with the foundation. If the foundation is unsteady, the whole pose falls apart. “Foundation” also refers to what is at the floor, so it speaks to things like “feet” in standing postures and the chest, or the shoulders, perhaps, in a pose on the floor. In …
Saturday, February 16, 2013
Injured but looking for a road back to wellness? Yoga's benefits are plentiful. Check out how to use this healing practice to manage pain, build strength and flexibility.
Over the past few weeks, I’ve been approached or have had conversations with people in class about how to best get started back with yoga after an injury. This also applies to starting yoga for the first time after an injury. I thought this would make a good topic for my next column. Maybe you’re reading this and like one of the people I spoke with, you’re afraid you’ll get hurt again. Maybe you have a memory of how fit you once were and now, faced with your injured body, you’re frustrated and feel there is no way you’ll be able to taste that feeling of strength and flexibility again. Maybe you have “good days” and “bad days” and have just given up on the idea of doing anything physical. The good news is yoga is the perfect exercise to do …
Thursday, January 31, 2013
Feeling like your healthy goals for the New Year have slipped away? Here are tips designed to get back on track.
Around this time of year, people start re-evaluating their New Year’s Resolutions. They either are still on track and feeling great or they’ve lost their resolve and are feeling frustrated and defeated. One of the common goals set at the beginning of the year is around weight loss. As a yoga teacher, I get questions about yoga’s effectiveness for weight loss. People want to know how many calories they’ll burn, is hot yoga more effective for weight loss than unheated yoga or how many times per week do you need to do yoga to lose weight. I usually say something like this: “Yoga, done regularly can be an effective tool for managing your weight. If you can get to a studio class three times per week and supplement that with 20 to 30 minutes at …
Monday, January 7, 2013
Forget about the same old goals around dieting and exercise. Take on a few of these and shake things up!
It’s the start of the New Year and with it, it’s time to set some resolutions. Perhaps you prefer to skip setting resolutions or don’t believe in them. I get it; who needs that kind of pressure? The truth is, you can set resolutions, goals, intentions or whatever you want to call them any time of year. It just seems to make sense to start something new at the beginning of something; whether it’s a day, a week a month or a new year. Face it; we like to feel like we’re gaining momentum and it’s easier to feel the momentum at the beginning of the year because we have the whole year ahead to look for in terms of results. Resolutions can touch on many different aspects of your life; career, relationships, finances or your health, for instance…
Tuesday, January 1, 2013
Despite the holiday season, many are feeling sadness after the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. Here are ten ways you can take action to start healing.
This past week has been a challenging one for all of us as we struggle to move through the holiday season after the tragic event that was the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting on Dec. 14. This column, my last for this year, was going to focus on New Year’s Resolutions and goal setting but I thought it’d be more helpful to focus on thoughts of healing. Many of the essential teachings of yoga talk about the struggle we have as humans and techniques we can use to ease our suffering. Many of these actions live in the mindfulness realm and emphasize things like meditation and attitudes of forgiveness and compassion. Along with these mindfulness-inspired ideas are other techniques that are inspired by medicine and general wellness. So, as we…
Saturday, November 17, 2012
Stressed at work? Here are ten tips to help decrease your stress and increase your productivity.
I worked for many years in the corporate world, both before and after teaching yoga. After I started teaching part-time, going to work seemed more and more unhealthy. The florescent lights, the constant stream of emails, the unpredictability of the flow of the day and dealing with stressful co-workers all made my blood pressure rise. Now that I work for myself, I can say with certainly that my stress level around those issues has decreased, while it’s increased over other things (nothing is perfect, right?) But now that I have the perspective of working in both environments, I can share some of the tips I have for decreasing stress while working in a corporate setting. Many of these tips have little to do with exercise (although that’s a …
Thursday, November 8, 2012
Your yoga practice is helpful for more than your physical and mental health. Here are some tips for bringing yoga's benefits to any presentations you do in your job or elsewhere.
Many of us have given presentations in our jobs. It could be talking to a group of people in a staff meeting, doing a sales presentation to a customer or giving a talk to a large group. Some of us are in jobs where our role is, literally, to speak in front of a people (as I do, in my job as a yoga teacher). For many, the prospect of speaking to a group brings on paralyzing fear. Yoga, as a practice, has many practical applications outside of all the wonderful physical and mental benefits you get when you practice. There are many things that you can take from your practice that can help you when you need to give a presentation. Feelings of being grounded, centered and relaxed are just a few. Here are ten ideas to think about: While these …
Monday, October 22, 2012
Confused about what kind of yoga class to select? Here are some tips so you can make a better choice.
As a yoga teacher, I write my class descriptions for the websites of the studios where I hold classes. I’m often asked what certain things mean in class descriptions and how to know what kind of class to select. Here are some tips to help you make a good choice for you: Finding a class that fits your needs and interests can take some time. I suggest that people with no yoga experience try a beginner’s class to start and to try at least 3 of these before moving to an open or all levels class. I also suggest that if you take a class and don’t have a great first experience, try it at least once more before you decide it’s not for you. Sometimes, it takes another try before you can decide completely. Lastly, if you’re really not sure from the …
Sunday, June 17, 2012
A quick reference to some of the common questions about yoga, exercise and feeling good.
I’ve been in the wellness business in one way or another my whole professional career. Certainly though, in the past 10 years as a yoga teacher, my focus has shifted specifically to yoga, running, mindfulness techniques and overall wellness coaching. Here are some of the more common questions about wellness that have come up in my work with people: 1. Is yoga a good way to lose weight? One of the wonderful things about yoga is its versatility. It can be practiced for varying lengths of time, in varying temperatures and with variety in terms of the poses that are done. Also, the pace of a yoga practice can vary as well. Generally speaking, exercise that raises your heart rate to your target zone and maintains that pace for at least 20 …
CC
9:41 pm on Wednesday, November 21, 2012
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