Start Where You Are

Posted on June 11, 2019 by Susan Nelson

One of the original modern Indian yoga mentors, BKS Iyengar, advises yoga beginners to “start where you are.” There is incredible wisdom in this statement that allows for myriad entry points into the practice of yoga.

I am pondering this statement again as I participate in a social media conversation about the announcement by CVS that new stores will include space for yoga classes. The poster of this information asked opinions of the local teaching community. As expected, those responses are all over the map, from this is a disaster for real yoga to bring it on.

Bring it On

I sit in the Bring it On camp.

Many serious practitioners advocate for the student to seek out a single mentor/teacher to study under exclusively. This comes from the old-school Indian model where practitioners sought out a local yoga master with whom they forged an exclusive bond to study yoga from for life. This was their guru. Their guru taught them not only yoga postures, but yoga philosophy, Auyervedic medicine, and even religious doctrine.

This model allowed many famous teachers to learn and disseminate yoga wisdom, to our ultimate benefit. However, this model is expensive, daunting, and for most people, inaccessible. Also, it allowed some Indian gurus to grow huge followings, even attaining semi-divine status. Predictably at that point, several became serial abusers as their egos took over.

Excellence and Ineptitude

My personal journey started with a class at a local gym. I didn’t know where else to start and this was handy and seemed doable. I was lucky. It was taught by a serious yoga practitioner with a beautiful teaching method. She possessed a strong understanding of the mind-body connection which she effectively passed on to her students. It led me down the path to a beautiful studio, to teacher training, and into a strong personal practice.

I can say for sure that there are excellent teachers found teaching free community classes, and horrible teachers in expensive, big-city studios. And vice versa.

My career requires frequent travel, and I try to maintain my practice while I’m on the road. So I have taken classes in many towns, cities and venues. By far, the worst teacher I ever had was at a high-brow studio in a major metropolitan area. On the flip side, one of my all-time favorite teachers offers free classes in public spaces in my home town.

Excellence and ineptitude can be found anywhere. The key is to start somewhere – a studio, online class, community class, or with a book. If that first class doesn’t work for you try something else. Keep trying until you land on a teacher, method, style and venue that works for you. Study with that teacher for as long as it suits you, then move on when or if your practice requires it.

Start Where You Are and Keep Moving

I do have some reservations about classes at CVS, as I would about classes sponsored by any corporate giant trying to make a buck out of the “latest trend.” But I also think this will bring many people into this beautiful and life-saving practice. There are many ways to start a personal yoga practice.

So, start where you are, and move on from there.

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Do More Inversions

Posted on May 24, 2019 by Susan Nelson

A recent period of spending extra time on my feet resulted in some very uncomfortable swelling in my lower extremities. For the first few days I experimented with different shoes, putting my feet up, and foot massages from my husband. Pleasant, but of limited benefit. Then it dawned on me that what I really needed to do was legs up the wall.

I usually place a folded blanket or two under my hips for a little lift and extra space my hips and abdomen. It can also be done without any props at all.

Legs up the wall is a classic yoga pose categorized as an inversion. An inversion is any pose that positions your feet higher than your heart, and/or your heart higher than your head. Inversions are said to have many benefits, including increasing physical energy and mental focus.  

Inversions such as headstand, handstand, and forearm balance are advanced inversions that do both – position your feet above your heart and your heart above your head. But gentler and easier inversions, such as legs up the wall or downward facing dog, are also extremely beneficial. Legs up the wall is also classified as a restorative pose as it relaxes your nervous system and calms the mind. I find it extremely beneficial for relaxation. And I suspected it would ease my swelling as well.

I was right. Fifteen minutes of legs up the wall reduced my swelling considerably. I did it several days in a row and was back to normal. 

Inversion Therapy

Inversions can have a deeper effect as well, and can symbolize the act of turning other things upside down. At times we all feel as if we are stuck in a rut, can’t figure out a certain conundrum, or have that nagging feeling that a certain process isn’t really working. In these cases, turn it upside down. Do the unexpected. Look at it backwards or inside out. Answers are often hidden in plain sight, but we don’t see them because we are looking at them the same old mundane or prescriptive way.

Inversions signify the act of radically changing your perspective, turning yourself upside down and looking at the world from a completely different view point. A life-long contrarian, I have often used this approach, even before I practiced yoga. There’s even an old Seinfeld episode where George vows to do “the opposite,” everything from ordering a different lunch from his usual to telling people what he really thinks. It results in being offered his dream job. 

If you’re stuck in a rut, try inverting, literally and figuratively. Legs up the wall is a great place to start. Get the blood flowing to your brain, do the opposite from what you have always done. Change course, turn around and go back, turn left instead of right. And see where that new perspective takes you.

This variation known as legs up the chair is good for whatever ails you. One of my teachers refers to it as the “emergency release pose.”
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Backyard Citrus

Posted on February 25, 2019 by Susan Nelson

Here in north Florida this is a magical time of year. The weather is mild and breezy, the sky is blue, and the intense humidity has not yet arrived. The trees and shrubs are bursting with blooms, and the birds and bees are busy. It’s a brief period, to be savored and enjoyed.

Thanks to my yoga practice I have slowed my life’s pace a bit, allowing me to look around and savor these things. What I noticed this week was the smell of orange blossoms. Just about every back yard here has a citrus tree of some sort. They are in full bloom this time of year, and the breeze carries the intoxicating scent. It brings to mind spring times of my youth, a simpler time with fewer worries.

Our Meyer lemon tree is full of blossoms this time of year

I made it a point this past weekend to get outside in my yard. We have a Meyer lemon tree that has given us several January harvests of big, juicy, bright Meyer lemons. It is full of blooms just now. I spent a large part of Sunday afternoon breathing in the scent and watching the busy bees pollinate the flowers. I started counting the tiny little lemons that will slowly grow between now and next January. It was a stolen afternoon, and I make no apologies for that. It was so fulfilling somehow, to be enjoying those slow, simple pleasures.

Noticing, noticing, noticing

I try to pinpoint things that are uplifting, as well as things that drag me down, noticing the difference and the causes of each. It is amazing just how much of our time we will spend doing things we really don’t want to do and which bring us no joy. All those things we think we have to do or should do. If you aren’t careful those things will drown out everything else. Taking the time to stop and notice what you see, smell, taste, hear and touch, and notice how it makes you feel in your heart, is a bold step toward living your best life.

Today, begin to notice what you are spending your time doing and how it makes you feel. Bored? Frustrated? Unfulfilled? We likely can’t rid our lives of all those things, but we can whittle them down, and instead replace those things with some that bring us joy, fulfillment or peace of mind.

What things will you spend your time doing this week that bring you joy?

We’ve received so much joy from our lemon trees and our lemons, we planted a honey tangerine tree beside it, a gift from a friend.
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Yoga for Transformation

Posted on February 8, 2019 by Susan Nelson

After my very first yoga class the instructor asked me how I liked it. I honestly got tears in my eyes when replying “I loved it.” The words I used to describe that first class included “relaxing” and “calming.” Those word are accurate as far as they go, but beginning and sustaining a yoga practice has subtle yet profound effects that go deeper than those terms can describe.

I was hooked immediately, and continued taking classes from that instructor for years. At some point I began reading books about yoga, perusing the shelves of my local library and buying books online.

I wasn’t even really sure what I was looking for in those books. Information about poses? Advice on sustaining my practice and improving my technique? Something was going on at a very deep level with this yoga stuff, and I wasn’t sure what it was. Some inkling was stirring the soul, and I needed to put my finger on just what was going on.

One of the first books I read was Insight Yoga by Sarah Powers. In her introduction she speaks elegantly about yoga as a path for self-transformation. But transformation into what? Where? I believe it was Pattabhi Jois who wrote that once you start asking these questions, the transformation is already under way. Just keep coming back to the mat. “Do your practice and all is coming.” All what?

The closest thing to a real answer that I got during this stage was from a self-published e-book 21 Things to Know Before Starting an Ashtanga Practice by practitioner Claudia Azula Altucher. She describes the path as beginning with yoga as a way to cleanse and energize our systems, leading to a healthier body which helps the mind be more focused and efficient. This leads to clarity around our current life and relationships, which in turn leads to better decision making in our lives. This ultimately leads to better living conditions and better energy surrounding us.

So I kept coming back to the mat, not sure exactly where I was going but knowing I must continue. One of the results has been an increase in compassion for those around me. A few days ago I was walking to my parked car and passed a women sitting in another car who was wiping away tears. I paused for a moment in my thoughts and offered her a silent prayer for comfort, peace of mind, and the wish for good news to come her way. Instead of judging others I pause and offer understanding for lives and circumstances that I cannot know or comprehend.

For me, yoga is a physical practice that improves strength, flexibility and stamina. It is also a practice for the mind and soul. Calming, relaxing and stress relieving in ways that must be experienced to be understood. Ready for relief? Just keep coming back to the mat.

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Keep Moving

Posted on December 14, 2018 by Susan Nelson

If you read yoga books or blogs for any length of time, it isn’t long before you come across personal stories in which the yoga practitioner will say “yoga saved my life.” Kate Lebansky credits yoga for saving her from death by addiction. Chelsea Roff writes elegantly about how yoga saved her from anorexia. The singular Ana Forrest says that she was on the “suicide track” when she found yoga. Some version of the phrase “yoga saved my life” is even incorporated into the title of several books.

These stories are real and profound, but most practitioners simply want to improve their health and wellbeing, gain some strength and flexibility, or age more gracefully.

The Problem with Modern Life

Our modern sedentary lifestyles often result in tight hips and hamstrings, hunched shoulders, and neck flexion in a forward position. This can lead to lower back pain, tension in the shoulders, sore neck and poor posture. Years of neglecting these poor mechanics can sort of solidify, resulting in a permanent forward hunch. My elderly neighbor, bless her heart, is so stiff and immobile she is basically shaped like her recliner. She uses a walker and can no longer stand up straight. I’ve been next door to her for a long time and she wasn’t always like this. But years of staying immobile indoors has resulted in the posture of a comma.

It doesn’t have to end up like that. My motto is “keep moving.”  Keep moving so the body is energized, the muscles are engaged, and the nervous system is humming.

Keep Moving

A vital key to antiaging is circulation. Circulation of the blood and lymphatic fluids, circulation of oxygen throughout the body, circulation of nutrients into cells and toxins out of them, and circulation of fluids through our digestive and elimination systems. In short, circulation of energy. The less you move the less you move, in a downward spiral toward immobility, inflexibility and stodgy, sludgy tissues and fluids.

Sitting in the car/at the desk/on the couch will not promote circulation. Movement will. The simple but effective stretching, strengthening and balancing poses of yoga are the perfect system to correct postural problems, loosen joints, exercise the spine, and promote circulation.

Where to Begin?

If you are new to yoga and coming from a sedentary lifestyle, seek out a gentle yoga, Yin yoga, restorative yoga, or beginner’s class. Find a reputable studio with experienced and certified teachers. If the first class you take doesn’t spark your interest, try another. Yoga is an extremely personal experience, and different teachers with almost unlimited variations may mean there is trial and error to sort through. I was lucky to stumble into an excellent class on my first try, a class I took for the next four years before branching out. But I’ve taken enough classes that I didn’t enjoy to know that won’t be the case with everyone.

There are also great options on line – search for online yoga classes, and a plethora of options will pop up. YouTube.com has the ever-popular Yoga with Adriene series. And Silver Sneakers has a 7 minute yoga workout for seniors that is easy to start with. If you prefer the analog experience, many books are on Amazon or the shelves of your local library. Read reviews to find a good fit for you.

Whichever way you do it, just do it! Move, stretch and circulate.

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Palm Over Palm Over Heart

Posted on December 11, 2018 by Susan Nelson

One of my favorite yoga teachers, Dr. Kerri Johnson, often uses the instruction to place palm over palm over heart. This cue takes place once at the beginning of class after a brief warmup and before we begin sun salutations. We pause, take a breath, and set an intention while placing palm over palm over heart. She also gives this cue another time or two during class transitions or as we settle into final relaxation. We take a slow, deep breath, reconnect to our body and remember our intention.

Connecting to Joy

Placing palm over palm over heart while breathing deeply and connecting to my body and intention became a comforting mini ritual that quietly made its way into my life off the mat. Placing my palm over my heart started as an unconscious action that eventually I became aware I was doing periodically. I also noticed that when I did this, it was while I was doing something that brought me joy.

I began to connect to the action, noticing when I did it and in response to what action or situation.

Most recently, I placed my palm over my heart when adding garlic and curry powder to onions browning in oil. The smell was divine. I was preparing nourishing food for me and my husband, and it was a cozy winter afternoon in my kitchen. It brought back a feeling of many other times I received joy from the sacred act of preparing nourishing food. I noticed the deep sense of satisfaction I got imparting love and the nourishment of good food to my family.

I noticed other times as well. I placed my hand over my heart when spending time with my grandsons, watching their wide-eyed real-time take on the world. When I sat outside on a beautiful afternoon watching the birds enjoy my bird feeder. When walking on the beach in the sun. When listening to live music that I loved.

But first, you have to find your joy

This small connection to myself reminds me to take the time to notice what gives me joy. I spent many years ignoring what gave me joy, with the vague notion that my joy was irrelevant, a luxury I could not afford. I spent those years raising children, building a career, sustaining a marriage and paying bills. At some point I stopped long enough to ask myself what brought me joy. I didn’t immediately know the answer. It took many months, years even, to reconnect to my inner compass and notice where my joy lived.

Reconnecting to your joy is like going on an archeological expedition, digging through years of rock-hard armor surrounding the tender underlying heart. I noticed that much of what brought me joy were things I had connected to as a child or teenager, and that those things were still there, buried deep inside. Bringing them back to the surface, exposing them to light and dusting them off is a most satisfying endeavor, and helps bring your life into alignment and balance.

Whatever brings you joy, connect to it. Make time for it, nurture it, embrace it. But first, you have to find it. Feel it in your heart, with your hand, and bring it into the light.

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Meditation in Five Minutes a Day?

Posted on October 5, 2018 by Susan Nelson

You can hardly get through the day lately without hearing something about the benefits of mindfulness or meditation. The definition of mindfulness I reference is this one: “the intentional, accepting and non-judgmental focus of one’s attention on the emotions, thoughts and sensations occurring in the present moment.” Easier said than done.

How Much Time Do You Really Need?

Personally, I relied on yoga as a form of meditative practice for a decade. Actual sitting meditation came in fits and starts, as I could never stick with it for long. Until, that is, I read 8 Minute Meditation by Victor Davich.

The simple premise and helpful guided practices in this quick read made mediation accessible. Trying to find the time, presence and strong back needed to sit for twenty minutes at a time was overwhelming. But eight mintues? That was doable.

Then life got complicated as it often does, and even eight minutes seemed too much.

So, I ratcheted it down to five minutes a day. I made this last-ditch effort to instill a daily meditation practice after listening to a Yoga International podcast wherein editor Kat Hedburg said that meditating for five minutes a day was better than meditating for an hour once a week. I gave it a shot. And for the first time ever I have sustained a daily meditation practice.

Mindful Alternatives to Meditation

Will it extend to a ten-minute or twenty-minute daily practice? I don’t know, and I’m not beating myself up about it. Instead I’m patting myself on the back for the accomplishment I have made maintaining a 5 -minute daily practice, and we’ll see how it goes.

For those who cannot or will not commit to a sitting practice (trust me, I can relate), I refer you to Mark Sisson of MarksDailyApple.com for great ideas on alternatives to seated meditation. Mark’s theory is that meditation is our substitute for the mindfulness our ancestors practiced naturally as a result of much more time spent outdoors in nature. Accordingly, several of his alternatives to mediation are outdoor activities.

I have to agree with Mark. When I think of long lazy days spent on the beach, I think of how I tune in completely to the sand, sun, horizon, and the sound of the waves crashing on the beach in steady rhythm. Paddling down the Itchetucknee River tunes me in to the leaves rustling in the trees, the myriad birds crossing my path, and the mesmerizing clear blue water.

But when these activities cannot fit in to my 16 hour days, then meditation it will have to be. And five minutes is better than none.

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