How to be a hero in hero’s pose

meteor-shower 1I absolutely LOVE summer and one thing I look forward to every year will be at it’s peak this Friday morning- the Perseids meteor shower.  Click here for more about this spectacular celestial event.  This meteor shower is named after Perseus who, according to Greek mythology, was a hero for ridding the world of Medusa.  Enter Hero’s pose into this week’s yoga classes.

As you may know, because of Medusa’s ability to turn people to stone Perseus had to be very cautious and creative when approaching her.  This is the same approach we will take in this week’s practice when approaching hero’s pose and it’s variations.  Despite its unassuming nature, this pose reminds us that it’s not necessarily the most physically impressive poses that are the most “heroic”.  This pose requires quiet stillness, focus and body awareness as well as the ability to check our ego. A tall order, indeed!

I look forward to seeing you on the mat this Friday from 2-3pm for a community hot vinyasa class at Towson Yoga Works!

Core strength = Inner strength

Side plank with Joe 2 FBPracticing yoga regularly will build the muscles of our core, protecting our spine and keeping us upright and healthy. This is important for our well-being but when I refer to strengthening our core when teaching yoga, I’m talking about more than our muscles.

Side plank Joey assist FBAs I’ve said in past posts, in both yoga and TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) the body, mind and spirit are so interconnected that what happens to one, affects all three. The practice of yoga strengthens our physical core and expands our inner strength. This allows us to literally and figuratively Side plank with Joe FBstand up for ourselves and gives us the physical, mental and spiritual strength to follow our true path.

Can you guess what the theme for my yoga classes will be this week? Join me on Friday from 2-3pm at Towson Yoga Works for a community hot yoga class that will get you in touch with your core on all three levels.

Got Jet Lag?

Shanghai, China. Bangkok, Thailand. Perth, Australia. Auckland, New Zealand. And then back home to the USA again. In total, I have been in six times zones during the past two weeks. And what a wonderful whirlwind of a trip around the world!

Before leaving for my trip I made sure to make an appointment with my acupuncturist for my Jet lag FBreturn stateside. Although there were no jets, and therefore no jet lag, 5000 years ago when Chinese Medicine is thought to have its roots, there are plenty of acupuncture treatments to help with the symptoms of jet lag.

In ancient China, people were not jet setting around the world but their circadian clocks still got out of sync for various reasons- pregnancy and having young children probably tops that list. In modern times, add shift work, certain medications and changes in your routine and you’ll notice that you can experience the symptoms of jet lag without even leaving your time zone.

If you have a big trip planned or have noticed that your sleep-wake cycle is confused and acting like it’s somewhere in the southern hemisphere instead of here in Baltimore, try acupuncture. You’ll be back in sync in no time!

A Tsunami of Love

Are you, like me, wondering what you can do to change the tide of fear and violence that seems to currently dominate our global community?

Well, here’s my plan: Cultivate and grow so much love in our own homes that it infects our Me and Solis FBneighborhoods, even overflowing to encompass our entire state.  From there, it can flood into our country, sending a tsunami of love around the world. Once our world is saturated, and can hold no more love, this wave will infuse our universe and beyond.

Are you with me?  If not, and you think this plan is overly simplistic or  too idealistic to effect change, consider these words from the Dalai Lama, “If you think you are too small to make a difference, try sleeping with a mosquito.”

Hamstrung?

According to Traditional Chinese Medicine and the practice of yoga, our mental state greatly affects our physical state.  And vise versa. Mind, body and spirit are strongly linked and constantly influence each other.

You have probably heard the phrase “to be hamstrung” before. The word is defined by the Hamstrung FBMerriam Webster dictionary as “unable to act or achieve one’s purpose”. Here are some synonyms for the word: cripple, hinder, impair, weaken and immobilize. This brings me to the theme for my yoga classes this week- opening the hamstrings!

Check in with the state of your hammies. Are they feeling tight? Inflexible and shortened?  Is it possible that leaving this powerful muscle unattended is in some way hindering your ability to achieve your purpose, your ability to play an active role in your life?  Hmmmmm, food for thought.  Or maybe your tight hamstrings are *just* causing your low back to ache?  Either way, come explore your hamstrings at my community yoga class this Friday at 2pm at the Towson Yoga Works studio.

By the way, here are some words that have the opposite meaning of “hamstrung”: encourage, strengthen, cure, heal.  Unwind your hamstrings and watch what happens to your life!

 

What I learned about Yoga (and life!) from a baby bird

Last week I had the luck to watch a tiny baby bird fly for the first time.  As I watched, this little creature with great courage and perseverance, leapt from the ground furiously flapping her wings only to levitate about a centimeter from the ground.  But did this small creature with Baby Bakasana FB1 enormous heart give up? Not a chance. Within minutes she was perched on the shutter hanging over a window box, flying higher and higher, Then, suddenly from great heights, she tumbled down into the flower padded window bow below. After a moment’s rest, she was back at it.  Flapping her wings, fearlessly leaping into the air over and over again until, at last, I watched her take flight into the dusk. Inspired by my baby bird friend, this week’s yoga class will offer baby crow as a peak pose. Bring your heart, courage, perseverance, and sense of humor and join me in flight this Friday from 2-3pm at the Towson Yoga Works studio.

Cool down with hot yoga?

You may have heard of Sun Salutations in yoga but have you ever heard of a Moon half moon  FBSalutation (Chandra Namaskar)?  This week’s yoga class will warm you up and then cool you down with some poses and sequences that emphasize the lunar (cooling) aspect of the yoga practice. Are you wondering how a hot yoga class can be cooling?  Join me this Friday at the Towson Yoga Works studio and you’ll find out! As the weather heats up here in Baltimore, you’ll leave class feeling refreshed and in sync with both the sun and the moon!

 

Yoga Glow Flow

real fireflyThere are about a million things I love about summer and one of the most magical is the appearance of the bioluminescent beauties, fireflies! Also known as lightning bugs, these creatures are so amazing they have a yoga pose named after them.  Now, my firefly pose will most likely never grace the cover of firefly butt FBYoga Journal and is definitely still a work in progress, but after watching these incredible creatures light up my backyard this weekend, I couldn’t resist creating a yoga flow to prepare our bodies to attempt one of the versions of Titibhasana (firefly pose).  Not ready for the full pose?  No problem!  Check out beginner firefly FBthe version below using yoga blocks. Regardless if we can actually do firefly pose, a vinyasa flow class that opens the hamstrings, strengthens the shoulders and core and, most importantly focuses on the breath and having fun, is sure to make us glow!!!  Take flight with me this Friday from 2-3pm at the Towson Yoga Works studio and you’ll leave glowing from the inside out.

Eat this to stay cool this Summer

Recently, many of my acupuncture clients have asked which foods are best to eat to stay cool this summer.  Below is a list of foods to add to your diet to help you cool down this season.strawberries!FB

Apples, bananas, pears, strawberries, broccoli, cabbage, eggplant, spinach, Swiss chard, celery, buckwheat, papaya, watermelon, grapefruit, tomatoes, asparagus, cucumbers, summer squash, romaine lettuce, seaweed and barley.

Can you tell which cooling food is my personal favorite from the big smile on my face?

Happy Summer!

Yoga for the Summer Solstice

Every week I choose a theme for the yoga classes I will teach.  This week, as we are on the cusp of the longest day of the year, I have planned a fiery, heart opening flow to keep us in alignment with the change of season.Mermaid dancer FB

Traditional Chinese Medicine tells us that the summer solstice represents the beginning of the season when life and energy are at their peak.  Summer is closely linked to the element of fire and the heart meridian.  The heart, mind and spirit are all ruled by the fire element and, when all are in balance, the season of Summer evokes the emotion of joy.

Want to start your summer right? Open your heart, feed your fire element and experience the joy that summer brings! Interested in learning some heart opening yoga poses?  Check out my community yoga class ($6!!!) Friday from 2-3pm at the Towson Yoga Works studio. http://charmcityyoga.com/schedule

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