Side Bends and Windows

We had 7 yogis at last week's Pisgah Yoga! WOW!  We explored lateral bends, but I wanted to do a better job of explaining why stretching your side is beneficial.

Side bends bring balance to your entire body. They lengthen the abdominal muscles, hips, and thigh muscles, while improving flexibility in the spine.

Side bends also stretch the muscles between the ribs (the intercostal muscles). These muscles can get short and tight in daily life, due to time spent sitting and slouching. Tight intercostals can weaken your posture, resulting in neck and shoulder tension. They also prevent a full range of motion in the ribs, which can restrict your breathing. Stretching out the intercostals will open up the ribcage and lungs, which will improve your breathing capacity. It will also relieve respiratory conditions, such as asthma, allergies, and colds.

Additionally, side bends stretch the abdominal muscles and digestive organs. This aids and regulates digestion, elimination, and metabolism.
http://www.yogaoutlet.com/guides/yoga-side-bending-poses-for-beginners

I'm enjoying yoga with Deni at Edisto Beach!  This week she shared a fun quote that went something like this:  You are not in charge of the people who come into your life, but you are in control of who to throw out the window .  .  . What a hoot?!  She described "a friend" that called and hinted about visiting with her at the beach, and this person does this often.  But wait there's more .  .  .  this guest brings 2 dogs that are not house trained .  .  .  Deni shared that you have to throw some folks, gently and lovingly "out the window!"  What kind of cleaning up do you need to do?

If you get to Edisto Island, Deni Ashby teaches at the Education/Civic Center 8:30 on Tuesdays and Thursdays and 9:15 on Fridays.  Her classes are $12 and she's worth every penny.  :-)

Looking forward to stretching and strengthening with you in July!  Namaste,
D'Etta

Pisgah Yoga TODAY, 5:30-6:30, for fun and for FREE!

There's no charge tonight because it's our only yoga in JUNE!  Come explore "lateral bends" and Ecclesiastes 3 -- "To Everything There IS a Season!"

SuperStrech Yoga App Tweeted today:
Yoga sets us INWARDLY FREE. Happiness is our birthright. As we get older we get more closed, shut down, insecure, effected by opinions of...

Rick Warren shared in The Purpose Driven Life:  You discover your role in life through your relationships with others.

Come hang out with some good people this evening.  Breathe, stretch and GROW.  You may not feel like "a room without a roof" but you'll experience "freedom" and "discovery!"

Happy Wednesday!

Spring Cleaning

At Pisgah Yoga tonight, we talked about "cleaning up," inside and out.  Yogis call this "sauca," a personal observance or "niyama."  I shared a little about Marla Cilley, aka "The Fly Lady."  Her site is http://www.flylady.net/ and she has lots of tips to get you started on clearing clutter in your house and heart.  Her books are Sink Reflections and Body Clutter.  I appreciate the way she encourages "Fly Babies" to set a timer and focus on decluttering for 15 minutes.  There's only ONE WAY to EAT AN ELEPHANT and that's ONE BITE AT A TIME!  Fifteen minute efforts day after day add up to SUCCESS!

Our Jesus Calling by Sarah Young thought of the day was that God gives us His Peace in ALL circumstances, even the cluttered spaces of our lives.  Psalm 23:4 -

Even though I walk
    through the darkest valley,
I will fear no evil,
    for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
    they comfort me.

We also reviewed the energetic effects of backbending, grounding, and folding.

Backbending postures like bridge, snake, fish, and reaching back during extended mountain are mood lifters!  Mira (my teacher in Chicago) describes these movements as opportunities to dust the clouds off your heart.

Grounding postures like plank, triangle, warrior, and tree provide stability.  If you are feeling overwhelmed or scattered, these help with focus and concentration.

Folding postures like mouse, forward fold, wide legged forward fold, "poor man's massage" have a calming effect on the body.  These soothe the nervous system, encouraging "rest and digest" mode vs. "fight or flight."

Saturday is Family Yoga at Pisgah, 12:00-1:00. We'll celebrate Mothers!  It's $9 for adults and $4 for kiddos.  If you have a pass for the month or punch card, you may use this for payment.

June 4 Yoga at Pisgah is a FREEBIE CLASS!  Ask your friends and neighbors to join the fun!  We will not have classes for the remainder of June because of vacations and Vacation Bible School.  We'll be back in action Wednesday, July 2.

Looking forward to meeting you on the mat, sooner than later!  NAMASTE

What I've Learned on Day 2 & 3

Rabbits (and people) will live anywhere!

There is a cycle for all:  creation/birth, growth/maintenance, death/destruction.  If you hang on long enough, it will end.  In regards to an unpleasant feeling, don't stuff it, feel it.  It will end.

Where you put your attention is "where the flowers will grow."  Our conscious attention is creating our world.  What do you want your world to be?

Yoga is stilling the fluctuations of your mind.  It's effort and surrender, two wings of a bird.  Do your best.  Make an effort.  Let it be easy.

When I'm having difficulty with a relationship, I need to think about what I can do to change the experience.

Love connects.  Judgement and intolerance pinches off or separates folks.

We can make a choice on how we show up in a situation.

Some people share the teachings of Jesus as a wise person, not the Savior, the Son of God.

You can use your toes to pick up marbles, and it's fun!

Your breath can be a "softening agent."

Animals (and anything in nature) do not do anything against their own well being. "Trees are always telling the truth!" People do, all day long .   .   .

Every story is really one story, a Hero's Journey.  What is your story?

When the server asks if you want slaw and french fries, it's good to clarify if that's ON the side or ON the sandwich!

You can get a lot of exercise in the city.  I've walked 12 miles in the evenings so far (2 mi Thursday + 5 mi Friday + 5 mi today).

Yoga Trainings in Chicago give you a chance to catch up with good friends!  Tomorrow Maria and her husband are coming to the city so we can visit!
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Thank you, again, for your love and support in helping me be here to learn and grow.  Tomorrow I have to teach people "taller than me."  Send me some happy thoughts!  At this time tomorrow, I'll be two thirds done with this project!

Pisgah Yoga next week is TUESDAY, April 8 @ 5:30-6:30

I'll be off to Chicago April 9-14 for another four day training!  Thank you for your prayers.  I'm hoping I'll know more what I'm doing this time around .  .  . :-)

Tonight's topic was the TEN COMMANDMENTS:  1-4

Here's a catchy video I found online about the "Old School Rules":  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kq4h3Opy-Xc

We did the Handful of Quiet Meditation to begin class.  We discussed how we can't HEAR God's voice if we're always TALKING .  .  .

We discussed Cheryl Strayed's book Wild.  I was touched by how we try to fill the hole in our heart with all kinds of stuff -- food, shopping, relationships, drugs, alcohol, even "to do lists" -- these choices are self-destructive.  The good Lord is the only way to fill the hole .  .  . In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.  Proverbs 3:6

As we were singing I Love to Tell the Story at tonight's Lenten Service this line struck me:  it satisfies my longings as nothing else can do. So taking the time to be quiet and breathe affords God the opportunity to work in our hearts!

I'm kind of preachy for a yoga instructor .  .  . but  I love to tell the story!

On Tuesday we'll check out Commandments 5-7!  Come s-t-r-e-t-c-h, strengthen, breathe and G-R-O-W with us.

Meet you on the mat!

Body Confidence Practice #4

We enjoyed our wrap session today!  We reviewed the lessons we've learned during the past three weeks.  We divied up the yoga practice and had yogis teach the final practice together.

breathing/centering--Gabi shared "pinch your nose breath" and Sa Ta Na  Ma meditation

warm up--Olivia led cat/cow

Sun Salutations--Kaitlyn taught these!

work--Mrs. Broam shared "Freeze/Flow/Flop" and we took turns stopping the music.  We also shared "opposite" postures to remind ourselves if we have "stinkin' thinking" we need to turn those negative thoughts around:

bow/wheel, warrior/reverse warrior, snowball/star, plank/slide, boat/down dog

balance--Caroline shared tree and 3 legged dog

floor--Kaitlyn shared "rock the baby" and Ashton taught "Superman"

We closed with a twist and final relaxation.  Today's meditation was A Handful of Quiet by Thich Nhat Hanh.  Kiddos took home some pebbles to give this one a try at home.

We made "promises" before leaving today.  For example:  I promise to remember the folks I can trust and talk to when I have questions.  I will be honest with myself and others.  I have confidence in my body and spirit.  I am b--YOU--tiful.  I will talk kindly to myself and others.

Thank you to Gabi for sharing her yoga ball.  We used to modify some postures like warrior, rock the baby, wheel and plank.

I thoroughly enjoyed sharing these ideas with your young ladies!  I hope we will meet on the mat again soon.  Thank you, again, for participating in this series!

I'll be teaching Kids Yoga at Pink on Saturday, April 8, 12:00-12:45.  During Spring Break, if you are in town, I'll be doing a series on prayer, 12:00-1:15 on Tuesday, 4/15, Wednesday, 4/16 and Thursday, 4/17.  You can come to any or all of the fun!  :-)

Namaste!

Tonight's Yoga

Today we zeroed in on "faithfulness"-- our 8th fruit of the spirit!  We talked a little about Dr. Seuss' Horton the Elephant (Horton Hatches an Egg) and God's Daniel (The Holy Bible).  We touched on Rick Warren's The Daniel Plan.  This plan includes faith, food, fitness, focus, and friends.  We shared about the faith component.  Faith is the foundation of The Daniel Plan (and the foundation for every part of our lives).

We did some hip work:
Bridge
Windshield Wipers
Leg Stretches w/ strap
Warriors, Crescent Lunges
Side Angle
Seated Tree
Pigeon

I forgot to mention PRAY is the Lenten Word of the Week.  Next week is GIVE.

On Sunday, March 16, 2:00-3:00 we'll explore Leprechaun Treasure!  We wrapped up tonight with The Irish Blessing, kinda fitting for March's "Season of Green!"

May the road rise to meet you,
May the wind blow at your back,
May the sun shine warmly on your face.
May the rain fall softly on your field,
and until we meet again,
May God hold you in the palm of his hand.

AMEN and NAMASTE, Yogi Friends!