The Sounds of Music

I teach yoga with music. And not just a random compilation on my iPod, but a mix that ebbs and flows with the pace of class. I start the music slow, pick it up around the first sun salutation, and by the time, we’re stretching, the songs are light, positive, winding down towards savasana. I spend more time preparing these mixes than I do the sequences, which is why I was pleased, when a student today said, “That song was so beautiful, it made double pigeon easy.”

Yes! That’s the point! Because double pigeon is NOT easy. It doesn’t matter how open your hips are, or how far forward you’re able to stretch. Hip openers are hard.  And thank goodness, Jake Shimabukuro was there to lighten that struggle.

I love listening to music while I practice. It’s like walking down a crowded street with headsets on, or watching a movie with an awesome soundtrack. When I enter a yoga studio and press my palms against the mat, I only have one goal: to have fun. I close my eyes, flow through the poses, and let the music fill me, as if I’m dancing on an empty stage.

And yet, understandably so, many believe that playing music defeats the purpose of yoga–the music distracts you from listening to your breath, calming your mind and meditating on the present. Music helps you ignore your surroundings and escape to another place–both challenges that you should do on your own in order to achieve a deep, spiritual practice.

I agree with all this, too, but accessibility is more important to me whether with yoga or writing stories or life in general. When I write, I use simple language. I want everybody to read. And in the same way, that’s what music in yoga means to me, too. I want everybody to have fun.

If you’re curious to hear my next yoga mix, drop by the Hub this friday, 4.27.12 from 12-1. (2001 S Barrington Ave, Suite 150, Los Angeles, CA 90025-5363) We’ll be in the room with the good tunes.

The Universe tells me: “We’re not young”

This video parody hit way too close to home: “College was ten years ago,” “Time to start that blog,” and around 2:45, the real zinger: “Yoga teacher training tonight.”

Dare I confess that after my 10 year college reunion, I started my yoga teacher training and yoga blog? Yup. Thank you, Yahoo! Parody. For turning my last year into a cliche.

But I don’t say that in a “woe is me” way. In fact, this music video cracks me up. And even the second time I saw it, I couldn’t help but laugh. The lyrics perfectly encapsulate a specific generation that’s in their late 20′s/30′s with big dreams and no family, yet. We’re chugging along believing that one day we’ll do something great– finish that novel, bring back that band, produce an indie flick, sell a start-up for millions. As we were building up from our post college momentum, the 2008 recession hit and many of us humbly regressed back to our early 20 professions– bartending, unemployment, copywriting.

For me, this year is about hitting the reset button. I recently spoke with a woman, who called me out. She said that when I talk about my writing career, I often start statements with “but I’ve tried that and…” Apparently, I often point out my efforts and in doing so I’m assuming that the universe owes me something.  That’s a good point. Times have been challenging, but the universe doesn’t owe me a thing.  And that’s what’s so hilarious about this music video parody– eventually, you reach a certain age where you give up on your dreams.  You try and you try and you try, and at some point, usually 10 years out of college, you stop trying. I’m not saying that is me now, but I understand that plight. This  song cracks me up in that tragically honest, self-aware way.

Speaking of the “universe,” this also leads to a yoga-language pet peeve of mine. As yogis, we’re told to let go and relax into a posture– a metaphor for dealing with life’s greater struggles. Don’t resist the changes that are occurring; if you let your mind settle, you’ll have more clarity to see your opportunities. I agree with this ideology wholeheartedly, but it also makes less enlightened yogis desperate for signs.  On a weekly basis, I hear: “That’s the universe trying to tell you something.” I could be walking across the street and find $20 and suddenly, the universe says, “you deserve more money.” Or after I sprained my ankle, that was the universe telling me to “slow down.” Or when I met someone inspiring, that was the universe telling me “you need inspiration.” Is the universe really sending me messages all day? Because I kind of feel like it has better things to do than worry about little ‘ole me.

I believe in karma– if you do good to others, you’ll receive goodness in return. But I also believe that we’re in control of own lives. The universe doesn’t owe me anything and the universe isn’t telling me any messages.  I see what I want to see.

Yoga Teacher Training with Jay Co

If you’re in the LA area and interested in improving your yoga practice, I highly recommend this program with Jay Co. This is the program I enrolled in this fall, except this summer Jay Co is donating all proceeds to Charity water. I know! What a cool guy. He’s a big believer in giving. Period. No catch. Even if you don’t want to be a yoga teacher, this is a great way to learn more about anatomy, yoga and the spiritual practice of balance and meditation.

Yoga Bruises

This week, I created two new yoga bruises. I know what you’re going to say: yoga’s about healing; yoga’s about listening to your body; yoga’s a safe fluid form of movement that’s completely ego-free. I get that. I really do. But sometimes, I just want to have fun.

I’ve been taking these extra hard classes that focus on arm balances and inversions with teachers that fly through postures, teaching in calm voices, as if gravity doesn’t exist on their mats. They’ll say, “jump from downward dog to crow,” or “float back from forearm balance to chataranga,” or “transition into a handstand.” Usually, I’m the person in a yoga class who can do the harder postures, but in these classes, I’m humbled by the teacher and other students. I practice next to yogis, who float upside down effortlessly, who activate their bandhas in order to hover their feet  barely off the mats, and while I watch this in complete awe, I can’t help but smile. I love seeing yogis do postures I never imagine even trying to see that it’s possible. Because that’s the biggest challenge with advanced postures: getting over the fear. 

For example, I tried a forearm balance to chataranga and ungracefully landed on my face. I giggled. It didn’t hurt. I was kind of proud that I even bothered to try. When people ask me about how to get over their fear of falling, I say the best way is to fall. I’ve lost count on how many times I’ve crashed in a thud. I fall. I bruise. I laugh at myself embarrassed. But it’s all part of the learning process. 

Who’s the best yogi? Me vs. Me. And I win!

A Day 62 commenter brought to my attention a Tittibhasana competition–the winner will be the yogi who can hold Firefly the longest with the best form. I’m flattered by this reader on two levels: 1) She bothered to comment on my blog (thank you!), and 2) that she thought my practice was ready for competition.  Firefly/Tittibhasana is one of my favorite poses, but my form is far from perfect. True masters of this pose drop their butts, raise their legs, and straighten their arms.

Here’s me and here’s an expert:

 

 

 

 

 

 

But this raises an interesting question about yoga competitions, a practice that has been in India for over 1,200 years, and has had a resurgence the last seven by the founders of Bikram.  Competitions are a controversial subject among the community, who believe that yoga is a spiritual journey of self-awareness and non judgement. Asanas, the physical practice of yoga, is just 1 out of the 8 skills that make up a strong yoga practice. Advocates of yoga competitions, who’s goal is to see yoga as an Olympic sport, believe that the interest created through international games, will bring more people to a yoga mat, thus spreading the benefits of yoga to a wider audience.

I was a competitive swimmer for fifteen years.  If swimming had been just for the sake of swimming, I never would’ve tried as hard.  My competitiveness was what drove my ambition, and that ambition was what won me medals. In my teens, when I was trying to figure out who I was and what made me special, swimming and winning gave me that higher purpose.

In many ways, we’re all still in competition– for jobs, for romantic partners, for the affection of our friends. We compete with others in order to separate ourselves from the masses. And if that’s what competitive yogis get out of victories than I say, go for it. Feel special. I’m not one to tell them that it’s wrong and I’m definitely not the one who has the ability to beat them.

For me though, yoga is a sanctuary from judgement. The other day, I was in an evening class and instead of participating in the whole class, I laid in savasana for the last half hour. I was tired and didn’t need to prove my practice to anyone. Of course, there are moments when I wish I could do a pose better than the flat-abbed, Lululeon-dressed girl next to me, but leaving behind that need to compete is part of improving my practice. Letting go of my ego is more challenging than any yoga pose.

But what are your opinions on yoga competitions? Are they fun and healthy, like a sporting event, or do they go against the principles of yoga?

Hola, mi amigos!

To my surprise, during that three month gap where I didn’t post a single entry, my blog has been increasing in readership. What the? Who are you people? 

WordPress gave me some clues: 1. United States, 2. New Zealand (thank you, Claire), and 3. Peru.

Peru?! Well.. gracias a mis amigos Peruanos. (Or diyus pagapusongacheh if you’re Quechuan.) I’m assuming you are all here to learn more about yoga, and if that’s the case: I’m delighted. Yoga has been an amazing influence in my life ranging from improving my physical health to increasing my self-awareness and appreciation. 

I created a Chellis Ying Yoga page via Facebook, too. Feel free to “like” and be a part of my mini-community. 

And although I’ve never been to Peru, I have climbed a Mayan pyramid in Tikal, Guatemala– quite a stretch to make a connection, I know. But now we have the Internet. We’re all connected. 

The Yoga Teacher

Hello, there! Chellis here and it’s been three months since I finished my “98 Days of Yoga” challenge. For those just tuning in, I presented one pose per day for the 98 days of my teacher training with Jay Co. That was a wonderful experience. Looking back now, I can visibly see how my practice has evolved and improved during that training. Three months later, I continue to move forward in my yoga trajectory and am now resuscitating this forum for my yo yo yoga musings.

Now that I’m a certified yoga teacher (hold the applause, please), I’ll be presenting more yoga here with my teaching schedule and mini-yoga revelations.

For example, I had one last week while practicing my “float” through. Floating in yoga occurs during the sun salutations: you float up from downward facing dog to a forward fold, or float back from a forward fold to chataranga. In both cases, you want to land as softly as possible, which requires a ton of core strength. I have always been able to “jump” my hands or feet where they need to be, but the precision and articulation of floating is a whole other complex and beautiful challenge.

Advanced practitioners are able to float to handstand in between their downward facing dogs and forward folds (see video). To do this, you must bring your hips over your shoulders, a mental challenge due to the falling back fear.  At this juncture in my practice, I either float or I thud. It’s a crap shoot. That’s part of the process in moving forward in your yoga practice. Sometimes you’ll be able to do a pose and other times not, and the key is to slowly improve that ratio.

And here’s the cue that improved my float to thud ratio: focus your gaze one foot in front of you instead of at your toes. Woah, what a difference! This simple cue helped me pull my shoulders away from my ears and lift my hips. I’m not saying I can float fully every time, but because of this slight shift in focus, I float more often.

I don’t have a visual of my amateur float, but I do have this pretty picture Leota Higgins took of me at the beach doing bakasana. This is definitely an example of an improved yoga pose ratio, because six months ago, I never did an arm balance. There you go. Point proven: anything’s possible.

THE END: Day 98! Corpse pose (Savasana)

I made it! Today is Day 98 of my 98 Days of Yoga blog. And I’m amazed of all the benefits I’ve received. I can’t fully articulate how positive this experience has been for me. The consistent yoga practice and full immersion into the physical and spiritual education of yoga has changed my outlook on life.

Let me list the Top Five ways:

5. Community
Appropriately so, this morning Claire and I took a class at Yummy Yoga, the studio in Los Feliz where I first started practicing consistently three years ago. I stumbled into Yummy Yoga my first week in Los Angeles, and through this little studio, I met Mary, I met Tremor, I met Claire, and I met my yoga practice. Because yoga opens your heart, hips, body and mind it’s a place that easily forms community. This incredible teacher training experience brought me closer to some wonderful people. A shout-out to my fellow classmates: Jimbo, Jino, Courtney, Kate, Julia, Claire, and of course, my teachers, Christine and Jay Co.

4. Physical health
After three months of yoga four to five times a week, I feel fantastic. This training reminds me of my competitive swimming days, where once I reached a certain level of athleticism things became fun. Subtle improvements in my practice have also boosted my confidence. Yoga isn’t all about being in shape, but feeling good about my body and health sure makes trying on clothes easier.

3. Awareness of Body and Self
The biggest downer during this course has been my dang ankle, which nine weeks later is still swollen and sore. I’ve tried my best to be positive, but sometimes I just can’t help it: spraining my ankle sucked. But the silver lining is that injuries are our best teachers. I didn’t realize how much I used my ankle until using it hurt—the back leg of a warrior 2, the front leg of my triangle, resting in child’s pose. Our bodies are complicated pieces of machinery and when you’re healthy, it’s easy to take for granted all the little processes that occur to make our bodies move in the way we’re used to. Spraining my ankle showed me how amazing my ankle has been the majority of my life.

Also, in this course, I learned about muscles and bones, which was an exhilarating experience to finally, after 32 years in this body, understand which muscles do what. Every yoga pose feels different knowing the particular muscle that needs to be activated.

2. Appreciation
All life is connected through breath. We inhale and we exhale; we give and we take. I appreciate that for the last three months, I had the opportunity to take. I was hesitant to enroll in a teacher training program, because it felt indulgent—the course is expensive and I don’t plan to teach yoga as a career. And it’s true: this program has been one huge gift to myself, but I’ve loved every second. All this learning has been an act of receiving, and because of that I am prepared to give. A fellow classmate of mine, Jimbo, had one goal in this course, and that was to reach a level of generosity where he would give a man in need the shirt off his back. I like that. Everything in life has a push and pull. I appreciate that balance, and this opportunity to give to myself.

1. Open-mindedness
For the last three years, I’ve had a bad case of wrist tendonitis. There was rarely a moment in the day where my wrist didn’t ache. I wore a wrist guard for yoga and a different wrist guard to type. And on most nights, I put an ice pack on my right wrist. I resigned to the fact that I had a chronic injury that would pester me for life. Turns out, I was WRONG. After changing my yoga practice (I press the root of my hand into the floor instead of my palm) I’ve gradually increased the flexibility in my wrists and strengthened the muscles in my hand and fingers. Now my wrist doesn’t hurt. Yoga healed a three-year injury. I was convinced that something was one way and yoga proved me wrong. In the same way, I never thought I would be able to hold crow, or forearm balance, or firefly or handstand, yoga has proven me wrong. Achieving these small accomplishments on my mat has expanded my belief on what else is possible–with my writing,  my career, my relationships. Yoga has directly showed me that anything is possible.

Now it’s time for me to say farewell to my 98 Days of Yoga blog. A yoga class is like a full life: you begin as a baby and end in a corpse. Here I present to you savasana, or corpse pose, which is how every yoga class ends. Your body is in a neutral position, completely relaxed in a meditative state, where you stay for at least five minutes.

A huge shout out to Jay Co for being an amazing instructor. There are a ton of TT programs in Santa Monica, and I’m stoked that I picked this one. Not only was the coursework thorough, but I loved the structure of his syllabus–we read an extra book a week, trained with the best yoga teachers in the world, learned in an intimate small group setting and, above all, Jay Co’s a cool dude. We laughed as much as we learned.

I also want to thank my yoga models: Mary, Claire and Mom. And most importantly, Tremor, who, even when busy, reluctantly took 80% of these photos. He also volunteered every Sunday to be our teacher training guinea pig student, and helped quizzed me and Claire for our final. When it comes to Tremor, appreciation is an understatement.

Thanks for reading. Namaste.

Day 97: Legs-Up-the-Wall Pose (Viparita Karani)

Here is an inversion that everybody can do– resting your legs on the wall or Viparita Karani. Inversions such as handstand and shoulder stand require muscle strength and balance, but there are other options for receiving the benefits of having your hips over your heart. First off, inversions increase the blood flow to your heart and brain, calming your mind and giving your heart a rest. They also increase the circulation of lymphatic fluid, which is an important component of the immune system. Unlike the circulatory system, the lymphatic system does not have a pump, so it relies on gravity and muscle contractions to keep it flowing throughout the body. In inversions, the lymph  can flow more fluidly, which in turn increases your immune system and prevents sickness. Most importantly, inversions reverse aging. Yes, it’s true! Being upside down fights gravity, temporarily suspending all the parts of our body and face that slowly sags,  including wrinkles.  So, the next time you’re in Downward Facing Dog, Headstand, or have your Legs on the wall, remember all the wonderful ways you’re taking care of your body.

Day 96: Eight Angle Pose (Astavakrasana)

Eight Angle Pose, or Astavakrasana, is the last arm balance for the blog. To enter this pose, begin with One Hand Over Arm Balance (see yesterday), then hook your feet together and lean all your weight forward lifting your feet off the ground from your abdomen. Similar to the other arm balances, Eight Angle Pose strengthens  the arms, wrists and core.

Day 95: One Hand Over Arm Balance (Eka Hasta Bhujasana)

This is the second photo Claire took of me doing One Hand Over Arm Balance or Eka Hasta Bhujasana, because the first photo she took of me looked like I was dropping a deuce–lips locked tight, eyes squinted shut, breath held in. I lifted my legs off the floor with just enough time for Claire to take the picture. Then on the second attempt, I smiled, and to my surprise, I held the pose longer. What do you know? I learned something! Smile and your whole body will be lighter.

In this arm balance, the extended leg in front provides a heavy weight, so this posture requires strength in the arms, wrists, shoulders and abdomen. Unlike crow though, you only have to lift a tiny bit off the ground and if you fall, you fall on your bum instead of your face–nothing to be scared about.

P.S. It’s day 95! Three more days! Stay tuned!

Day 94: Single Leg Swan Balance (Eka pada hamsa parsvottanasana)

If Warrior 3 and Standing Splits had a baby, it would look like Single Leg Swan Balance, or Eka pada hamsa parsvottanasana. The challenge with this pose is mainly with balance, which is why it’s important to focus on a single point or drishti–in this case, a spot on the floor. You can either bring your palms together in a prayer, such as I have done here, or in a reverse prayer behind your back, which stretches your shoulders. Make sure the hips are leveled and really activate the back foot to maintain a straight line of energy.

Day 93: Half Frog Pose (Ardha Bhekasana)

Half Frog Pose, or Ardha Bhekasana, is a massive stretch in the quadriceps and iliopsoas, while strengthening the arms.   When bending your knee back, press your pelvis into the floor as you push up with your arm.

Day 92: Crocodile Pose (Nakrasana)

Ahhhh…. here we are winding down in a yoga class and in this yoga blog with a restful backbend, Crocodile pose or Nakrasana.  Unlike other heart openers that open you up to the world, this pose opens your heart to turn inwards.

In other styles of yoga, Crocodile is a dynamic chataranga jump, where you’re lowered down in a push up position and jump forward like a crocodile. Obviously, I’m not doing that here, in my jeans and plaid socks. Here I am calming my breath, stretching out my shoulders and relaxing into the pose.

Day 91: East Stretch Posture (Purvottanasana)

I just learned that the reason this pose is called the East Stretch Posture, or Puvattanasana, is because in India they perform this stretch facing East. As a counter pose to any seated forward fold, East Stretch Posture opens up the heart and stretches out the front of the body, wrists, arms and shoulders. Puvattanasana is also commonly called Upward Plank Pose. If you have sensitive wrists, such as I do, feel free to face your wrists away from you.

Day 90: Cobbler’s pose (Baddha Konasana)

Cobbler’s pose, or Konasana, is a gentle hip opener that stretches the groin and thighs, and provides therapeutic benefits for those with sciatica, a common lower back injury where the sciatic nerve is compressed. Make sure to root your pelvis bone into the floor, and stretch your spine long and straight. Bend forward into your ankles for a deeper stretch.

Day 89: Fish Pose (Matsyasana)

Here Claire executes a gentle heart opener, Fish Pose, or Matsayasana. This pose stretches your neck, shoulders, chest and spine, and stimulate the organs in the belly and throat. Matsayana was once deemed the “destroyer of all diseases” for all it’s amazing therapeutic properties.

Day 88: Spinal Balance

The goal in Spinal Balance, as indicated here, is to maintain a long straight line from hand to foot. This requires you to bandha up in your lower abdomen to maintain a straight spine. Lift one arm forward, pressing the other firmly into the ground, as well as your opposing leg. This pose strengthens the back and shoulders as well as works on your balance. As you breathe into this pose, imagine someone pressing a (unplugged) iron on your spine to keep it straight.

Day 87: Locust (Salabhasana)

Although considered a “baby” back bend, Locust Pose, or Salabhasana, is actually very challenging.  Locust not only helps strengthen your lower back, where nearly all spinal ailments occur, but also tones your glutes, hamstrings, and the back of your arms and legs. Locust pose also improves your posture by opening up your chest, as well as stimulates your abdominal organs. And the best part is that the challenge isn’t in the coordination, so nearly everybody can do locust. If you want to be challenged, hold Locust  for 1 or 2 minutes, and I guarantee, you’ll feel your entire body shaking.

Day 86: Hare Pose (Sasankasana)

Hare pose, or Sasankasana, is a relaxing pose best done on top of a washer. No, I’m just kidding. It’s better done on a dryer. This pose stretches the neck, shoulders, back and arms, all while stimulating the immune and endocrine systems. Hare pose is also a great pose if you’re not quite ready to do a headstand. Here you can practice feeling the weight on your head, and the sensation of being inverted.

Day 85: Handstand (Adho Mukha Vrksasana)

You’re probably thinking: Wow, Chellis, you look great! Check out how much weight you lost…. except, there’s one catch. This picture is of Claire Robbie, my former neighbor, fellow yoga teacher trainee, and current “business” partner. I’m nearing the final days of the blog and promised to let her model these last entries. And folks, isn’t she doing an excellent job?! She’s here executing a handstand, or Adho Mukha Vrksasana, against the wall.

Handstand in yoga is like the Subjunctivo for Spanish.  It’s the coveted 9th form of verb conjugation that I have yet to reach. I actually had a little goal for my teacher training course and that was to execute an unassisted handstand. I’ve been close for 3 or so years, but it’s still not a pose I’m comfortable doing away from the wall. But, oh well, ego be gone. Claire’s doing a lovely job here.

Handstand is a detailed pose that’s not impossible to reach. Start on the wall. Kick up gently. Activate those bandhas. Press the root of your hands firmly into the ground and lift. Handstands aren’t about strength, but coordination, balance, and physics. If you notice here, Claire’s gaze is in front of her hands; she’s one long line from hands to feet. That’s the goal– to use your arms like leg and stand effortlessly.

Day 84: Reclining Bound Angle Pose (Supta Baddha Konasana)

Here is Claire executing a relaxing hip opener: Reclining Bound Angle Pose, or Supta Baddha Konasana. This pose gently opens the hips and adductor muscles, easing digestion and reproductive issues while opening up the chest.  Feel free to use a blanket under your lower back or knees. Breath into the pose and allow your knees to fall to the ground, relaxing your groin.

Day 83: Sun Salutation B (Surya Namaskara B)

Introducing… (drum roll, please) two talented yogis, Claire and Tremor, executing Sun Salutation B, or Surya Namaskara B. Here is a break down of this sequence.

Day 82: Eagle Pose (Garudasana)

Eagle Pose, or Garudasana, is a hip opener, shoulder opener, and balancing pose combined in one. Due to  the twisting in the shoulders and hips, eagle pose should be performed after you’re warmed up.

Place your weight on one leg and cross your other leg on top of that. To put your arms properly in this pose, hold your arms out in front of you, spreading your scapula wide across your back and place one arm over the other to intertwine them. Eagle pose developes the ankles, removes stiffness in the shoulders and improves concentration and balance.

Day 81: Head-to-Knee Forward Bend (Janu Sirsasana)

The goal in a Head-to-Knee Forward Bend, or Janu Sirsasana, is to lay your breast bone directly over your knee. Start by sitting in dandasana, legs forward in front of you, resting on both sit bones. Bend one knee out to the side, and square both of your hips. Before you fold, twist from the abdomen. Then breathe, letting go of any tension in your hips or hamstrings. This pose tones the liver, spleen, kidneys and calms the brain.

Day 80: Cow Face Pose (Gomukhasana)

To nobody’s surprise, I also used to hate Cow Face Pose, or Gomukhasana. In this pose, you stack one knee on top of the other, something I used to find excruciating.  To enter this pose, sit up with your weight forward, stack the knees on top of one another, then gently sit down on your heels.  Similar to pigeon, this hip opener is about letting go. Most importantly, breathe.

Day 79: Double Pigeon (Agnistambhasana)

Double pigeon, or Agnistambhasana, is also a pose I used to despise. It took hours of practice to let go of whatever I was holding on to in my hips. In this posture, you want to line up your shins parallel to the mat, which may mean that one knee will pop up. Before folding forward, sit up tall on your seat bones, straight spine. Slowly fold forward, releasing on the exhalations. Resting your head on a block also helped me, because I found that I couldn’t relax my hips unless I relaxed my shoulders, too. No matter what, breathe. This is particularly important for hip openers.

The Automatic Nervous System (involuntary) can be broken down into two branches: 1.) Parasympathetic, and 2.) Sympathetic. The parasympathetic branch triggers rest and relaxation–the heart rate lowers, digestive juices flow, and there’s an increase production of white blood cells. Meanwhile the sympathetic branch triggers fight or flight–this is how the body readies itself for action and impact. When moving into hip openers and dealing with the negative emotions stored in the thickest muscle in your body, you will either react calmly or aggressively. And that’s why surrendering to the posture is so important. Would you rather be hit once with a big slap, or lightly slapped repeatedly? It’s impossible to “try” and relax, because relaxing doesn’t take any effort. You have to let go.

Here’s a funny yoga music video:

Day 78: One-Legged Pigeon Pose (Eka Pada Rajakapotasana)

The first time I heard a yoga teacher explain that we hold “emotions in our hips,” I was skeptical. I’m not into that hippity-dippity stuff.  I hold my emotions in my head and when my hips are tight, that means so are my hamstrings, quadriceps and external rotators. Right? Right!

To my surprise, I wasn’t completely right. Creating flexibility in the hip joints can ease aches in the back, improve circulation in the legs and  eliminate future pains in the body.  In nearly every movement, ranging from sitting to running, we use our hips, which is why when we become stressed, that’s the first place we hold tension. Hip openers are about letting go. We have to breathe through the stress in order to let go of whatever may be bothering us.

The first time I did a One-Legged Pigeon, or Eka Pada Raja Rajakapotasana, my hips screamed with resistance. I found it easier to do a full splits then open one knee to the side. I’m pretty flexible, so I was surprised that this pose was causing me so many issues.  I assumed that this resistance was a limitation in my body and told the teacher I had knee problems. After awhile, I began thinking there had to be a reason why this wretched pose was a staple in every yoga class, so I dedicated my efforts to figuring out how to do pigeon pose properly.  For a full month, I used two blankets: one under my hip and the other under my back knee. I needed the blanket under my butt cheek in order to fully relax my weight into my open hip, and the blanket under my knee in order to not bruise my knee cap. This was the only way I could breath into the pose confidently.

Pigeon is always held for 1-4 minutes, because after awhile, your body stops fighting the resistance. In pigeon, you can feel a dramatic difference in openness, and that’s the act of letting go. The  shift from resistance to relaxation is what made me realize that there’s more to hip openers than muscle stretching.  I went from hating pigeon to loving it. After doing a strong hip opener, you feel lighter, relaxed, as if a huge burden was lifted off of you.  Turns out I need to redefine hippity-dippity things.

Day 77: Headstand sequence

In this headstand sequence, I move from Bakasana (crow) to Salamba Sirsasana (tripod headstand) to Urdhva Dandasana (upward staff posture) to Prasarita Padottanasana (wide-legged fold). As you may notice, by day 77, the poses are all starting to look the same. Dandasana, sitting with your legs straight in front of you, can also be done on your head. Even though gravity is working against you, you still need to activate the same bandhas and core to ensure that the spine is nice and straight.

Whew. I’m finally caught up. If you follow my blog closely, (all 1-5 of you), you may have noticed that I lapsed on a few days. I was in San Luis Obispo over Thanksgiving and didn’t have access to internet, and before that I was in Colorado for ACTFL, where I fell behind on my practice. Chellis! Two slaps on the back of the hand for you. Good news is that all this rest means my ankle and wrists are strong. But bad news is that my yoga practice has weakened. I have two more weeks until the course is over (so sad!) and in that time, I will prioritize my practice, my yoga education, and provide some killer, thorough, erudite blog posts. Stay tuned!

Day 76: Side Crow (Parsva Bakasana)

Side Crow, or Parsva Bakasana, is another arm balance that strengthens the arms, wrists, and works the core. As with Crow, you want to lean way far forward in order to counterbalance the weight of your booty.  In side crow, you rest both of your knees against one arm, twisting completely to one side. As you can see from my side crow, there’s still lots of room for improvement. I need to activate my bandhas, lift my hips higher and twist with the obliques in order to lighten my body and straighten my arms. Here’s a beautiful side crow on the Yoga Journal website:

Day 75: Ear Pressure Pose (Karnapidasana)

From Plow pose or Shoulder stand, you can fold into Ear Pressure Pose, or Karnapidasana, which is a strong forward stretch that demands a lot of flexibility in the neck and spine. Once achieved, relax into this  nurturing pose, cover your ears with your knees, shut out the rest of the world and completely fold your thoughts and actions within.

Day 74: Happy Thanksgiving!

Today’s pose is gratitude.

Day 73: Shoulder Stand (Sarvangasana)

Shoulder stand, or Sarvangasana, is one of the easier inversions, in comparison to headstand or handstand, but even so, it’s an intermediate pose that should be  approached with caution. Due to the pressure placed on the neck, it’s extremely important that you not look around the room. Keep your head in one place and focus your attention inward. This inversion helps with concentration and stress, by stimulating the thyroids and abdominal organs. As with other upright pose, the goal is to keep the spine straight. To do so, you need to bring the elbows in, the pelvis forward and lift in your abdomen. Hold for at least 30 seconds.

Day 72: Plow Pose (Halasana)

Plow pose, or Halasana, is an inversion that sets you up for shoulder stand, which is often placed at the end of a class in order to receive the full benefits of introspection. Besides calming the mind, this pose also stretches the neck and back.

Day 71: Revolved Half Moon (Parivrtta Ardha Chandrasana)

I’m back from Colorado after an amazing time with my favorite kids. Tired. Happy. Ready to get back to my yoga practice and life. Today’s pose is a Revolved Half Moon, or Parivrtta Ardha Chandrasana.  More tomorrow!

Day 70: The Six Minute Free Dance

In a kundalini class, a yoga teacher may often present, something that my friend Claire and I resisted and then learned to love,  The Six Minute Free Dance. Last week, when the free dance was offered to us, we danced around the room lifting our arms and legs, big smiles on our faces, sweat gathering on our brows, and the teacher said, “it’s impossible to be depressed in this position.” What wise and simple words. The free dance brings energy to the heart,  warms your body and limbs, and is the most cardio aspect of a yoga class.

Earlier I mentioned that children laugh on average 300 times a day, while adults laugh only 15 times. I’m in Colorado visiting my favorite kids in the whole world and can easily say I laughed over 300 times in the last 3 hours. Here’s Jasmine, Josie and me dancing to a song Jamison made up:

Most importantly in any yoga practice it’s important to smile, have fun and treat your practice with the openness and effortlessness of a child. This is definitely something my wise nieces and nephew are teaching me.

Day 69: Forearm Balance (Pincha Mayurasana)

Just now, on the elevator, a Native American woman said to me, “You must be a foreign language student. What college do you go to?” I was so flattered by her assumption that I was in my early 20s that I responded, “Sure. I’m Chinese.”

It’s day 69 and I’m now ready to present you CY’s #1 Favorite Yoga Pose: Forearm Balance or Pincha Mayurasana. Inversions are awesome, because they bring blood to the brain– the favorite part of my body– relieve stress, promote balance, and when you land that center of equilibrium, you’re filled with a sense of accomplishment. The reason shoulder stand is my favorite inversion is because I don’t have to rely on my weak wrists for support, such as in handstands, or put too much pressure on my head, such as in headstands, or use my ankle, which has been healing nicely. Forearm balance is also a nice stretch in the shoulders and upper back.

Day 68: One-Legged Pose Dedicated to the Sage Koundinya (Eka Pada Koundinyasana)

Today, I showed my 5-year-old niece a picture of me when I was her age and she said, “Hey, that’s me!” I said, “No, Jasmine, that’s me when I was your age.” Then I showed her a picture of herself, and she said, “Hey, that’s you!” And I said, “No, Jasmine, that’s you last year.” And then she said, “I can’t tell. We look alike.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jasmine, and her siblings, are the cutest things in the whole wide world, so, of course, this aunt beamed with immeasurable pride.  I’m pretty sure we don’t look that much alike–she’s way way way cuter, has big eyes like her mom, but I have always been told that I look like a hapa (half-Asian). If anything, what a cute exchange.

Today’s pose is One-Legged Pose Dedicated to the Sage Koundinya, or Eka Pada Koundinyasana, often called scissors in class or a one-legged arm balance. As with the other arm balances, you want to lean forward, which will bring your legs higher in the air. I’m working on bringing my legs higher, and still rest my back leg on my elbows. Eventually though, you should be able to hold yourself up, and rest your bodyweight entirely on one tricep. (See link on how to get into this pose.)

Day 67: Revolved Triangle (Parivrtta Trikonasana)

Revolved Triangle or Parivrtta Trikonasana works your ankles, legs, hips, groins, lower back, abdomen, shoulders and spine. Like all twists, this pose helps with digestion and massages the internal organs.

Today I landed in Denver for a conference. Eyelids heavy. Must sleep now. Talk tomorrow.

Day 66: Side Plank (Vasisthasana)

This is an important post, because in the last 24 hours, on day 66, my total number of email followers increased by 200%. (Claire, Erika, I wont disappoint you.)

I also feel like I have a lot to say today, and if I weren’t 6:48 pm and I didn’t have plans to celebrate with friend at 7:30, then I would go into rambling detail of all the things on my mind.  I’m also leaving for Denver tomorrow morning for ACTFL and to visit my brother and his adorable family. Life is moving fast and I’m moving along with it, so I’m just going to dog ear some points for later blog posts, such as: 1. chakras, 2. central nervous system, 3. six minute free dancing, 4.  Pure Potentiality, and 5. my thoughts on Hollywood.

Today’s pose is an arm balance, side Plank or vasisthasana. Here I’m demonstrating this pose with a variation, but you can also drop your leg and stack your feet on top of one another.  On the right side, I practice this pose on my forearms due to wrist sensitivity. No matter what variation you take in side plank, it’s important to activate the core and lift up with the hips.

Also, you may have noticed that I just mentioned that I’m off to celebrate. What a wonderful word to say, because it means good news has been bestowed on a  person close to me. And it’s true. The most wonderful, amazing news occurred yesterday to my dear friend Ransom Riggs, who found out that Tim Burton is interested in directing the movie adaptation of his book. Wow, right? Ransom’s just a normal dude, like you and me, who’s stumbling upon some well-deserved success. He’s gracious, humble, hardworking and awesomely talented–there’s is nothing to be jealous or envious of for a guy like Ransom. That means feel free to celebrate along with us, and remember that: good things do happen to good people. Cheers!

Day 65: Wheel Pose (Urdhva Dhanurasana)

Another amazing heart opener is Wheel Pose, or Urdhva Dhanurasana. In this pose, you want to press firmly into the earth with your hands and feet to lift in your back and shoulders. A common mistake for beginners is that the knees will splay open, which compresses the lower back. Be conscious about keeping your hips neutral, and if necessary, you can tie a strap around your thighs. Most importantly, in this inversion, breathe.

Day 64: Bridge Pose (Setu Bandha Sarvangasana)

As with other heart openers, Bridge pose or Setu Bandha Sarvangasana, improves digestion, decreases stress and anxiety, and strengthens the very important muscles along your spine. The best part about bridge pose is that it’s easy for all levels and ages. When lifting the hips into a bridge pose, you want to shimmy the arms so they’re underneath your shoulder blades. You want to lengthen the line that connects your knees to the top of your head, in order to place the emphasis on your back and less on your glutes. To do bridge pose correctly, you want your butt to be relaxed, a muscle coordination that I’m still working on. There’s always something to work on, no matter the difficulty of the pose. Also, thanks to Tremor for taking this lovely picture, which shows the Santa Monica skyline in the background.

Day 63: Supported Headstand (Salamba Sirsasana)

Today’s lecture was on inversions, which I confess to wishing were a 13 week course. Inversions are a blast! They refer to anything where the hips are higher than the head, so that includes downward facing dog, crow, wide-legged forward fold. Inversions in a yoga class refer to: shoulder stand, headstand, forearm balance and handstand. What I love about inversions is how they energize the body. If you’re feeling lethargic, just kick up into a handstand and it’s like a jolt of espresso.

Similar to arm balances, inversions are poses that are long term goals. If you keep practicing these advanced poses, you will achieve them, and that sense of accomplishment is a healthy high that will affect other areas in your life. Here I am demonstrating a supported headstand, or Salamba Sirsasana. That means that the hands are laced together behind the head. In all headstands, the arm and head form a triangle for stabilization.  In this particular video, I was having a problem popping up at an angle on the beach. Try a headstand on a flat surface, and feel free to cushion the top of your head if you’re new. Activate those bandhas and straighten the spine as much as possible. The hardest part with headstands is the fear of crunching the neck or falling backwards. To avoid crunching the neck, make sure to balance on the top part of your head, no wrinkles on the back of your neck. And if you’re afraid of falling, try a headstand at the wall and gradually practice balancing by removing one foot off the wall at a time. No matter what, keep breathing and practicing. There’s nothing to be afraid of. It will happen.

Day 62: Firefly Pose (Tittibhasana)

Today’s pose, is another arm balance, Firefly or Tittibhasana, which similar to crow, strengthens your wrists, arms and works on your balance.  As with the other arm balances, this pose is way easier than it looks. I’m also on the sand so if I fall, which I definitely did, the landing is gentle. Remember to lean forward, press firmly in the root of your hands, and breath deeply.

Day 61: Dancer’s Pose (Natarajasana)

For this week’s reading, we read Quantum Enigma, a book about Quantum physics. At this point in the course, we’ve reached the eighth and final limb of yoga,  Samadhi, or enlightenment.

The eventual goal of yoga is a state of Samadhi. More specifically, the ”non-dualistic state of consciousness in which the consciousness of the experiencing subject becomes one with the experienced object.”  This means that our minds become one with our surroundings–the ocean, the mountains, the keyboard I type on. According to physics, everything in the world consist of atoms, and those atoms either become particles or waves to form things. But when is something concrete, touchable, and when is something an invisible movement in the air? The answer to that, according to quantum physics, is through observation. Objects, gravity, temperature, wind, colors, everything in the entire world, is defined by our collective observation. If that’s the case, then what’s stopping us from observing our bodies lifting off the ground? Or observing a cup of ice as warm? This is the key idea behind quantum physics and a yogi’s Samadhi: mind over matter.

What separates me from being able to levitate is the knowledge of it happening. I believe it’s possible on a cerebral level, but because I’ve never seen it done, I don’t know it’s possible, no matter how much I focus on it. I believe in mind over matter, but my mind isn’t strong enough to lift a feather.

So, how does quantum physics help me on a day-to-day basis? As cliche as this sounds, it kind of shifted my way of thinking. We hear on a daily basis that “anything is possible,” and this week, I learned that this belief is backed up by science. Anything is absolutely possible.

Today’s pose is a dancer’s pose or Natarajasana. This challenging standing pose, strengthens your thighs, hips, feet, ankle (!), as well as stretches your hamstrings and back. Most importantly, poses like this force you to work on your balance by bringing your focus on a concentrated point. I looked out onto the flat ocean, and focused my drishti on a floating bird, which I don’t recommend doing, because as soon as that bird flew away, so did my balance. Focus on a fixed spot and breath into it. The challenge of holding this physical posture will clear your mind and bring you one step closer to levitating completely off the floor.

(This photo was taken by Tremor Temchin, who convinced me it’d be a good photo if I climbed onto that cement platform.)

Day 60: Crane Posture (Bakasana)

At Sunday’s lecture on arm balances, we spent the most time talking about Crow, or Crane posture, or Bakasana, a pose that I promised my dear friend Peter Rock, I’d talk about. If you don’t know Peter Rock, the person, the author, the writing professor, the father, the swimmer, the bbqing master, then you’re missing out. He truly, no pun, rocks. But I digress, Crow is an important pose, because its usually the first pose a yogi can hold entirely on their arms. That sense of “floating” with your feet in the air, defying gravity, doing something totally unlike how you normally carry your body, is about breaking boundaries and personal expectations. And the secret to this is, again, leaning forward. If you’re someone like me, who has a lot of weight in the trunk (what up, butt?), you need to balance that out by leaning your weight forward. Arm balances are about physics and coordination, and less about strength and flexibility. A strong crow pose is when a yogi can straighten their arms and rest their knees into their armpits, lifting up in all their bandhas, and pressing their feet to their butt. I’m still working on my wrist flexibility, so slowly and surely, I hope to build up to that. There’s always ways to improve oneself and one’s yoga practice.

Day 59: One Legged Sage Balance 2 (Eka Pada Koundinyasana)

Isn’t Mary Dignan a beautiful yogi? Here she’s demonstrating a challenging arm balance, a variation of side crow, or Eka Pada Koundinyasana. This week we worked on arm balances, and I learned some very important tips. Most importantly, lean forward. Its all in the physics. If you’re going to lift a leg back, you need to counterbalance that weight by leaning forward.  This has always been hard for me due to my weak wrists, but I’m slowly strengthening them. Arm balances aren’t just fancy parlor tricks, and they aren’t poses that you should be afraid of. Everybody can do them with practice, no matter your strength or flexibility.  Arm balances are long term goals that can totally be achieved through building coordination, balance and physical ability. When I first held crow or a headstand or a forearm balance– poses that I thought were impossible–I found myself caught by surprise. That ability to surprise oneself is an important aspect of yoga, because it transfers over to other areas in your life. If you can do something on your mat that you never thought you could, what else can you do?

Day 58: Half Spinal Twist (Ardha Matsyendrasana)

I’m back! Last night, I took my first yoga class since my ankle injury. I participated in Jay Co’s class, so that I could make the necessary modifications without feeling self conscious. My ankle is still swollen, but it’s healing well after a week of rest and icing.

My apologies for lapsing on my blog the last few days. I could’ve carried on with the blog with a guest yogi, (Doesn’t Mary have a beautiful practice?) but I wasn’t in the mind space for yoga.  I’ve been frustrated. If you recall, I also have a wrist tendonitis, so between bandaging my wrist and bandaging my ankle, I might as well be sponsored by McDavid.

The worse part about an injury is never the actual pain, but the reminder of how delicate our bodies are. I can walk, I can jump, I can stand on one foot, but I do so with the wariness of a hypochondriac. I’m afraid of hurting myself again. That’s been the problem with my right wrist, too. After my right wrist tendon swelled into a tennis ball in 2008, I gave up arm balances– crow, eight limb pose,  scissors, handstands. I’m only getting back into them now with proper form, (pressing the root of my hand into the floor) and I’m being gentle, very gentle. Building back after an injury takes patience and time, even years. A physical injurie may heal, but they often turns into mental blocks.

But with that said, I’m working on this new injury with a positive mindset. One thing that was said in a yoga class that really hit home for me is that we create habits. In the same way that exercising regularly becomes a habit, so can complaining, losing your temper, and feeling self-pity.  Our bodies get used to whatever we do regularly. I have a good friend, who went on a Broadway tour, where she was required to cry on cue, every week, for 9 months.  When the tour ended and she went back to her regular routine, her body still wanted to cry.  Crying, although she was acting, became a habit.

Today’s pose is a Half Spinal Twist, or  Pose Ardha Matsyendrasana, translated as Half Lord of the Fishes. I’m demonstrating this pose with a bind. Binds stretch the shoulders, but shouldn’t be taken if they compromise the twist, which should always occur in the lower back and spine. All twists, as I mentioned before, massage the organs, aid in digestion, and help with sciatica.  If binding isn’t a part of your practice, feel free to press your forearm into your knee and twist from there. Always twist more on the exhale.

Day 54, 55, 56, 57: Intermission

Unfortunately, due to injury, I haven’t practiced yoga in a week. Sad face. But my ankle is feeling strong and I hope to be on the mat tomorrow.

Day 53: One-Legged Pigeon Pose (Eka Pada Rajakapotasana)

It’s a good thing that Mary’s here to demonstrate the next pose, because my back isn’t actually flexible enough to do this variation of pigeon pose or (Eka Pada Rajakapotasana).  Actually, I take that back. Once, in a particularly warmed up Ashtanga class with a tough teacher, I reached over my head and grabbed my toes. But that was a fluke experience. I rarely even go for it. Hmmm…. I’m actually having a mini-revelation right now. The reason I think I can’t do this pose is because I never try for it. That’s also because this pose is kind of scary. Every time you have to drop your head back in a heart opener, such as in camel, or wheel, there’s the fear-factor. And pigeon stretches the thickest muscle in your body, which is the reason why this pose produces the most tears. We hold emotions in our hips, which is why in every yoga class you attend, you’ll do hip openers. Let it all out.

Day 52: Camel Pose (Ustrasana)

Today, Mary Dignan is demonstrating a beautiful camel pose, or ustrasana. As you can see here, the bend comes from the upper back, not the lower.  Camel pose is an interesting pose for me, because sometimes, I don’t want to take it to it’s full extension by reaching for my ankles and dropping my head back. Sometimes it feels good to just press my hands into my glutes and bend back slightly. As with everything in yoga, listen to your body. Every day is a new day– some days your body’s tighter and some days you feel as flexible as a noodle. No matter what though, press your knees firmly into the floor and press your pelvis forward.  Lift from the ribs to avoid compression in the lower back.

I’m still taking time off from my yoga practice (and walking), but yesterday, I ran some errands at the Target.  I was apparently limping too slowly, so Tremor convinced me to ride in one of those automatic handicap carts. I was so embarrassed that whenever I ran into a Target employee, I explained, “I sprained my ankle!” Here’s me humiliated:

Day 51: Bow Pose (Dhanurasana)

Due to my sprained ankle, I’ve been forced to take the week off from yoga. I am definitely frustrated, but keeping a positive mindset about things.  It’s just an ankle. It’s healing quickly. Things could be worse. But due to my injury, Mary Dignan is my guest yogi for today, executing a beautiful Bow Pose, or Dhanurasana. A better way to think about backbends is as heart openers. You don’t want to bend from your lower back, which can easily lead to injury, but lift into your upper back.  The reason this pose is called a bow pose is because it looks like an archer’s bow. Dhanurasana stretches and strengthens the back, stimulates the organs of the abdomen and back, and prevents fatigue and anxiety. Anytime you do abdominal exercises, you want to counteract that with a nice heart opener.

Day 50: Half Revolved Abdomen Pose (Jathara Parivartanasana)

Today’s pose is a Revolved Abdomen Pose, or Jathara Parivartanasana, a wonderful twist that proceeds Savasana (or corpse pose). In this twist, make sure to keep your shoulders flat on the floor and allow gravity to pull your knees down. Close your eyes and breath through the stretch. I often hear a few clicks in my spine, which always feel wonderful.

I woke up this morning and it’s official: my ankle is sprained. Now I really have to learn how to relax. I suspect that I’ll be fine in a couple of days, but today, I forced myself to rest– yoga’s most challenging pose.

Day 49: Toe Balance

Today, it happened: after 49 days of intense yoga, losing weight, building strength, pushing my handstands and flexibility, I, regretfully, injured myself.  We worked on heart openers today, and I was extra careful about not pushing myself unless I was fully warmed up. And I was successful at being mindful of my body’s limits, not bending in my lower back, up until the last 5 minuttes. I went to the bathroom and on my way back I rolled my ankle down the stairs. There were three steps. Jesus.

So, I drove myself home (slowly), and have been icing my ankle for the last few hours. I don’t know if I sprained it, but I definitely have to give it some rest for a couple of days. Isn’t life funny that way? Out of all the crazy stuff I’ve been doing the last month, I hurt myself coming back from the bathroom?

To celebrate, this ironic “twist” of fate, I present to you a pose that I can’t do right now: toe balance. In this Utkatasana variation (chair pose) you remain on your tip toes and drop your seat to your calves, making sure to keep your spine straight and hips stacked over your ankles. This pose stretches your feet, quads, as well as challenges your balance. Feel free to smile, too. And everybody cross your fingers that I wake up in the morning able to walk, jump, and fall down the stairs as good as new.

Day 48: Marichi’s Pose (Marichyasana III)

Today’s pose is another twist, Marichi’s Pose or Marichyasana. As with all twists, you want to twist with your spine completely straight– less with your shoulders and hips. This twist is a challenging pose, and should only be done if you can sit in dandasana (legs out in front of you) comfortably. The benefits are also infinite, aiding in digestion, massaging the liver and kidneys, as well as strengthening the abs and back muscles.

Day 47: Crescent Twist (Parivrtta Anjaneyasana)

Twists are simple movements with complex benefits. They massage your organs, improve digestion, cleanse your body of toxins, improve strength and flexibility and those little click-cracks in the spine feel fantastic. With any twist, whether on the ground or standing in a more challenging pose, you want to twist from your spine and abdomen, not you shoulders, neck or upper back, which is a common challenge.

In this video, I demonstrate (in apologetically low lighting) a Crescent Twist or Parivrtta Angjaneyasana, with arm variations. In this twist, you want to keep your hip bones facing forward. You start in a Crescent Pose, bring your hands together in prayer and then tuck your elbow and forearm against your adjacent thigh. With your hands in front of you, you want to, with relaxed shoulders, line up your thumbs with the middle of your chest. Then if you’re comfortable, you can extend your arms or take a bind. In this video, you can see me lose my balance–that happens ALL the time. And when it does, just get back in and keep trying.

Day 46: Half Moon Pose (Ardha Chandrasana)

Today’s pose is a Half Moon Pose or Ardha Chandrasana, which I recommend you don’t attempt on a brick ledge! That was scary. And also the reason my hips aren’t stacked on top of one another. The other picture was taken at Malibu Surfrider point a couple of years ago with Mary. When performing Half Moon, picture you’re stuck between two panes of glass.  You want to be completely on your side, hips stacked on top of one another. This pose will strengthen your ankles, thighs, butt, and core, all while sharpening your balance and focus.

Day 45: Wide Legged Forward Fold (Prasarita Padottanasana)

This week we read The Zen in the Art of Archery, took a 2 hour archery class and attempted to use our yoga skills towards a new activity. The experience was surprisingly applicable. I’ve shot arrows before in Guam (insert silly stories here), but never associated the activity as spiritual. Experts in the art of archery focus on themselves, not the target. If they are truly in line with their inner self, the bow and arrow, are merely extensions of their instincts. In the book, a German philosopher travels to Japan to study Zen through the art of archery and for the first three years of intense study, he never aims a bow. The release of the strings have to be done without intentionally releasing them. And when you succumb to the process of the arrows leaving your bow and hitting a target, you don’t need to look at it. That’s zen.

Needless to say, I didn’t reach zen in my afternoon of archery, but do believe that I’m moving towards zen in my yoga practice.  It’s the only place that calms my mind and brings inner stillness. Day 45 and I’m addicted.

Today’s pose is a Wide Legged Forward Fold (Prasarita Padottanasana). Similar to any standing forward fold, make sure not to hyperextend your knees. Fold inward into your thoughts, breath evenly and this will be a solid stretch of you lower back and hamstrings.

Day 44: Standing Splits (Urdhva Prasarita Eka Padasana)

Today’s pose is a Standing Splits or Udhva Prasarita Eka Padasana, which stretches the hamstrings, calves and thighs and calms the brain.  Make sure to keep the pelvis neutral by keeping your hips rolled inward. In fact, having your knee face the ground is more important than how high you lift your leg.

Day 43: Pyramid Pose (Parsvottonasana)

Last Sunday, during our lecture, I scared Jay Co. I didn’t mean to. We were doing savasana adjustments, which is the final relaxation pose in a yoga class where you just lay there. Our class was running behind, we were about to get kicked out of the yoga room, we were all tired after an eight hour lecture, and when he reached behind my ear to demonstrate how to help a student relax, I jumped up. He pressed on my steel plate. This is a scenario that rarely happens. In fact, the only time anybody touches behind my ear is during a yoga savasana adjustment.

If you’ve read my blog closely, or know me well, then you know that I’ve had brain surgery twice—back in 1998 and 2000.

Day 42: Tree Pose (Vrksasana)

Today’s picture is again brought to you by the talented Evan Temchin.  This is Tree Pose or Vrksasana, which is a balancing pose that strengthens your thighs, calves, ankles and spine as well as relieves sciatica. This is a popular pose that’s presented in most yoga classes that’s fun and basic. Feel free to keep your hands in prayer or reach your tree towards the sky like branches. If you’re struggling with standing on one leg, try focusing on a fixed point. Balance is all about your drishti or soft gaze.

Day 41: Reverse Warrior (Viparita Virabhadrasana)

Lucky for me,  the talented Evan Temchin helped me take some yoga pics! Today’s pose is a Reverse Warrior or Vibarita Virabhandrasana, which is a variation of Warrior 2. In this pose, you rest your hand on your back leg, making sure not to add pressure on your knee, and then reach back towards the sky. This pose strengthens your legs, back, core and forces you to focus on your breathing.

I’m busy studying for my midterm, but I promise to write you a nice juicy blog tomorrow.

Day 40: Extended Side Angle Pose Variations (Utthita Parsvakonasana Variations)

This Extended Side Angle Pose Variation or Utthita Parvakonasana Variation, binds the hands together behind the back. The goal, similar to Extended Side Angle is to roll the ribs towards the sky and open the heart in a deep stretch.

Day 39: Bird of Paradise

I confess to have reached that point: I’m annoyed with this blog. My intention when I started this writing challenge was to commit every day to reflecting on my yoga practice. I wanted to engage in a dialogue with myself in a regimented, disciplined way. Be introspective. Educate myself about myself. But then life happened. And I missed a day (screw you, Day 26!) and then I missed another day (damn you, Day 37!) and slowly, I was disappointing myself.

But I can’t change the past. And I’m deciding right now to surrender to imperfection. I’ve been busy lately. I can’t change that. And it also explains why I’m posting this blog at 12:51 a.m., still in my yoga clothes, unshowered, slightly sweaty, and wanting nothing more than to be in bed.

With that said, let me get straight to today’s pose, which is Bird of Paradise. Because this is a challenging pose that I’m only able to do warmed-up, my friend Claire took this video after our class tonight. You start in Warrior 2, move to extended side angle pose, take a bind, slowly bring your feet together, shift your weight to one foot, lift your leg, and then extend it.

Day 38: Extended Side Angle Pose (Utthita Parsvakonasana)

Today’s pose is an Extended Side Angle Pose or Utthita Parsvakonasana, which is really a Warrior 2 variation. The goal in this pose is to stretch your side obliques, by rotating your heart to the sky in a nice deep twist.

Day 36: Upright Big Toe Sequence (Hasta Padangustasana)

Lucky for me, Angelique Myrick took a bunch of photos of me and Mary last year executing the poses I’m learning this week. This pose is an Upright Big Toe Sequence, or Hasta Padangustasana. This is a challenging pose that requires not only strength and flexibility, but balance, too. Activating the gluteus medius is especially important for leveling the hips.

You’re probably noticing that the poses are increasing in difficulty each week. Next week, I will officially be half way through the course (it’s passing too quickly!), and also taking our midterm. To study up, I typed up our weekly quizes. Feel free to look over what we’ve learned so far. This doesn’t include the main bones of the skeletons, the actual yoga poses, or our weekly readings. As you can see, my brain’s being thoroughly challenged.

Day 35: Warrior 3 (Virabhadrasana III)

Warrior 3 or Virabhadrasana III is a tough pose. You have to raise your leg and your body into a flat line all while activating your gluteus medius (the butt muscles on the outer pelvis) to maintain leveled hips. I personally struggle with this pose, because I have a long torso. Even in this picture below of me and my good friend, Mary Dignan, my hips aren’t leveled. There’s always room for improvement.

Day 33: Chair Pose (Utkatasana)

It’s a fact. Nobody in the history of yoga likes chair pose, or Utkatasana. The goal in chair pose is to make two 90 degree angles, which as you can see from my example, I still have more angles to go. Utkatasana requires strength in your quads, hamstrings, calves, and of course, core. Make sure to really firm up your belly, tilting your pelvis towards the floor, and reaching towards the sky with your shoulders relaxed.

Day 32: Standing Frog

Today, I learned that I have a new blog fan. My dad. That puts a smile on my face, because he’s a pretty swell guy. I talked to him about yoga the other day, and he asked, “You get tired in yoga? Isn’t it just stretching?” This is a valid question and I don’t judge. In fact, I was so overwhelmed on where to begin on explaining the benefits of yoga that I merely answered, “Yoga’s hard.”

One of the concepts of yoga that I abide by is that yoga is about self-discovery. You can’t talk or preach about the benefits; you have to let someone discover those themselves. What I love about yoga is that it doesn’t matter what age you are, you can start it anytime. You can be out-of-shape or an Olympic athlete. Yoga doesn’t discriminate on age, race or sex. Everyone can receive the benefits.

And what are those benefits, you ask? Yoga, in it’s current form, conjures images of lean women in capri pants or gym classes taught by personal trainers/yoga instructors. The modern focus of yoga is to lose weight and stay lean, which is definitely one aspect of yoga. But what differentiates this practice with other forms of exercise is that yoga’s been around since the 3rd millenium BC.  Each pose, whether standing or laying on the floor, has a purpose that’s vital to the body’s needs. There are roughly 800 muscles in the human body, and the goal of a diverse yoga practice is to strengthen all of them. The only resistance you have is yourself.

But besides strengthening your muscles, yoga forces you to be still and focus on your breath. Whenever someone says, “I’m upset about ______, so I’m just going to keep busy,” I worry that they’re not addressing the real issue. Being still allows the body and mind to reset, giving you the strength to deal with life’s challenges.

Now I say all these things and I’m fully aware that I sound self-helpy– a voice I personally don’t appreciate. And that’s why I encourage you to try it yourself. And be patient and kind to your body during your first few classes. There’s no race to reach a place, or a bar that you’re supposed to already be at.

For me, it took a long time before I realized what yoga was doing to me spiritually.  I didn’t think of yoga as a therapeutic experience. I just liked how I felt afterwards; I’d get a shot of happy endorphins. Even now, after some studying, I realize that the more I learn, the less I know. Yoga’s been around a long, long time, and if you practice it consistently and correctly, you’ll be surprised by it’s ability to heal wounds.

Today’s pose is standing frog, which I can’t seem to find in my yoga book or on the Yoga Journal website. Basically, it’s like Warrior II, except both of your feet are facing outwards, knees over ankles. It’s like a sumo squat that works your inner groin and hamstrings.

Day 31: Triangle Pose (Utthita Trikonasana)

Today in yoga class, I had a physical revelation. My wrist have become stronger in the last few weeks, while focusing on pressing my fingers into the floor and activating my bandhas, which has allowed me to not always use my push up bars. This also means that I can go for some of the poses that I’d usually pass on like flying pigeon, crow, handstands, floating. So today, I just went for it all and the result: I had a blast.  Today, I tried a handstand in the middle of the room. I held it for a few seconds and then toppled to the side in a thud. Turns out that falling over, even when you’re in the front of the room, isn’t that embarrassing. I’ll try that again.

Today’s pose is triangle pose or Utthita Trikonasana. This twist is a great posture that strengthens the legs and stretches your torso to allow for deeper breathing.

Check out this video for more information on the posture.

 

Day 30: Warrior 2 (Virabhadrasana II)

Well, hello there! You’re probably wondering, what’s the deal with these super short blog posts? And, Chellis, don’t think I didn’t notice that you missed Day 26, October 7th, 2011. I know, I know. I can’t pull a fast one on you.

Things have been busy. I went up to San Francisco last week, my parents didn’t have internet, I spent time with my friends, I’m writing for a website, I hadn’t written the script pages for my screenwriting group, I’m behind on reading for Yoga class and my secret book club… I can list some more excuses, but the truth is that I had to prioritize my activities and my yoga practice and yoga blog slipped down the list.  And I feel bad about that, too. I love yoga and I love how calm it makes me feel and if you want me to be totally honest, I feel stressed out right now having not gone in a few days.

So, there. I learned my lesson. You gonna keep holding this over my head?

One of the requirements in my yoga teacher training, besides an 8 hour lecture every Sunday, practicing yoga 4-5 times a week, studying the anatomy and learning the poses, is that we have to read one book a week and meet up for a discussion group. As a ravenous reader, I find this part awesome.

Structurally, our book list is themed by the 8 limbs of yoga: 

1. Yama, 2. Niyama, 3. Asana, 4. Pranayama, 5. Pratyahara, 6. Dharana, 7. Dhyana, and 8. Samadhi.

Most people know yoga just for the Asanas or physical poses. But actually, yoga composes of 7 additional disciplines.  You’re not required to follow each of these to have a strong practice, but if you want to reach enlightenment, you have to train each limb.

So, far, we’ve read 3 books. For Yama, (or the do nots), we read Huston Smith’s The World Religions. As a 400 page academic book, this was definitely the hardest one to read in one week. But it was well worth it, breaking down in detail the major religions: Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism, Islam, Judaism, Christianity, and native religions. Religion is a huge part of our global cultural landscape, and a cause for major strife and political conflict. But what I realized after reading this book was that the religions aren’t that different.  Every religion has the same purpose and that’s figuring out a way to be a better person.

For week 2, Niyama (or the do’s) we read Hagakure: The Book of Samurai.  This book was written in 1709 and detailed the code and honor of Japanese Samurai. In this book, we learned about discipline and committing to a rigorous practice, which in our case is yoga.

For week 3, Asana (or physical poses) we read The Toa of Pooh. In this book, we learned about Taoism and existing in the present moment, like Winnie the Pooh. I loved this book. It was super digestible,  a quick read, and translated a complex topic into a form we all understood. While practicing yoga, it’s important to be like Pooh, and focus on the present moment, not our fears, or our plans for tomorrow, or failures of yesterday. Just be.

Speaking of asanas, this leads me to today’s pose: Warrior 2, or Virabhadrasana II. Warrior 2 is one of my favorite poses, because I feel like a warrior, stretching my arms outward and planting my feet strongly against the floor. A common mistake in Warrior 2 is not to spread the legs far enough apart, or not bending the knee to it’s fullest potential. The goal is to have the front leg at a 90 degree angle, which most of you know is a challenge, all while keeping the back foot pressed flat against the floor.

Day 29: Warrior 1 (Virabhadrasana 1)

Today’s pose is Warrior 1 or Virabhadrasana 1.

Day 28: Crescent Pose (Anjaneyasana)

Today’s pose, Crescent Pose or Anjaneyasana, is a nice stretching lunge pose that works your iliopsoas muscle and the muscles in the front of your thighs.

Day 27: Sun Salutation A (Surya Namaskar A)

As I sit at the San Francisco airport awaiting my flight for LA, I present to you Sun Salutation A or Surya Namaskar A.  Sun salutations are a series of poses that warm up your body, by flexing and folding your spine, and are transitioned according to the inhalation and exhalation of your breath. Spiritually, the Hindus believe that the sun is the “eye of the world,” that unites all selves in itself. And to honor this pathway to the divine, they honor the sun through a series of physical postures.

Day 25: One Legged Downward Facing Dog (Eka Pada Adho Mukha Svanasana)

I’m currently in San Jose visiting my jet-setting parents, so I had to bring back an old photo taken by the very talented Angelique Myrick a year ago. If you need to get a hair cut, make-up or a photo taken, give her a call. She’s pretty great.

Today’s pose is One Legged Downward Facing Dog, or Eka Pada Adho Mukha Svanasana. One Legged Downward Facing Dog is usually a transition pose between Downward Facing Dog and a lunge. Even so, it’s an important pose that can often be held for many tortuous breaths. In this pose, keep your arms and shoulders active and maintain a neutral pelvis. That means that when you flex your foot, it should be facing straight down, which may require you to lower your leg to keep the hips aligned. This pose works on  asymmetrical balance, so if you find yourself leaning more on one side, strengthen the other side to compensate.

Day 24: Plank Pose

I’m very proud to present today’s guest yogi, who is performing an impressive Plank Pose. Check out that spine! Perfectly straight! Originally, she was behind the camera taking a picture of me, but when none of those pictures turned out, she took over and showed me how to get it done. And when she was done, she said: “I can hold plank for a minute. Easy.” You see what just happened? I totally got Yoga served!

Plank pose is part of the Sun Salutation sequence after Downward Facing Dog and before chaturanga. For most (besides my mom), this is a challenging pose that activates your core, shoulders, wrists, back, and thighs. When you flow into plank, make sure that your shoulders are directly over your wrists and that your shoulder blades are tucked against your spine to eliminate dipping in the upper back. And don’t forget to firm up those wonderful abdominal and back muscles by activating your magic bandhas. The goal is to keep the spine straight, as exemplified so awesomely by the yoga-model here.

Day 23: Four-Limbed Staff Pose (Chaturanga Dandasana)

Today’s pose, chaturanga dandasana is, as you can see from the photos, hard to hold. In fact, as soon as Tremor snapped the picture, I fell to the bar in a thud. Thats also because, I wasn’t warmed up this morning, and I was in a huge hurry to get to work. But don’t you worry about me. The photo, the thud, this blog entry are all worth it for my faithful blog fans. (I’m talking to you, mom.)

Chaturanga is part of the Sun Salulation sequence after plank pose. You lower down from plank as if doing a push up. Except the big diference between a regular push up and a yoga push up is in the placement of your hands. In a yoga push up, your hands are near your ribs, elbow tucked tightly against your body. You lower down without sagging in your shoulders or lower back– a long straight line.

Day 22: Upward Facing Dog (Urdhva Mukha Svanasana)

Today’s pose, Upward Facing Dog or Urdhva Mukha Svanasana, is a pose that strengthens the shoulders, wrists and back. This pose is part of the traditional Sun Salutations sequence or Surya Namaskar A, which is what I am gearing up to show you this week.

You begin Upward Facing Dog lying face-forward on the ground. Then you bend your elbows, press your hands firmly against the floor, around your waist, and press up arching your back. Once your arms are straight, your pelvis and thighs will naturally lift off the ground especially when you activate your quads and bandhas. Your goal is to press your hands into the ground and stretch your head to the sky, opening up your chest.

Sometimes, like when I’m tired or when my wrists ache, I replace Upward Facing Dog with a nice Cobra Pose. Of course, it’s up to you what you choose to do.

Day 21: Downward Facing Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana)

Downward Facing Dog or Adho Mukha Svanasana is a pose with many facets. You can use it to warm up and you can use it to rest.  You can use it to strengthen your lats, shoulders, and core, and you can also use it to stretch your hamstring, ankles and lower back. No matter how many years, you’ve practiced Downward Facing Dog, you can still learn something new about it.

For example, today I learned that you need to activate your quads by lifting your thighs to your pelvis, think lifting your knees away from the floor. This may seem like an easy thing to do, but you’re also tucking in your pelvis, lifting the sitting bones to the ceiling, and rolling your outer arms inward while pressing your fingers into the floor. The goal is to create a long, straight line of energy from your hips to to the tips of your fingers.  A common mistake is to sag in your shoulders or lower back, which is the reason why you need to activate all these parts of your body. And if you’re doing it right, your body should be warming up fast.

Another major revelation that has improved my practice is pressing into the four corners of my hands. I’m not used to this and after awhile my fingers get sore, but the result has been relieving the pressure of my injured wrist. Lately, I’ve been finding that if I activate all the bandhas and lift the pressure off my wrists, they don’t hurt as much. What do you know?! I’m learning.

Day 20: Gate Pose (Parighasana)

Yay, day 20 and only 78 more days to go! Today’s pose is a Gate Pose or Parighasana, which helps bring openness to your practice. Make sure to keep the hip and knee aligned, and shoulders relaxed away from your ears.

 

Day 19: Yogi sleep pose (Yoga Nidrasana)

Appropriately so, I present to you today’s pose: yogi sleep pose, or yoga nidrasana. You’re probably thinking, “No way, I could never do that,” but to be honest, it’s not as difficult as it looks. In fact, once you’re able to relax in, it’s very comfortable, allowing your mind and body to fold within. Hence the name “sleep pose.”

And sleep sounds great right now, because truth be told, I’m exhausted. I’m learning an intense of amount of stuff during this teacher training– we read a book a week, as well as learn the poses and anatomy.  But what’s really wearing my down is all the hard yoga classes throughout the week. Yesterday, a fellow yogi-in-training thought I was twenty-four. Oh, how great that would be. I can hide my age to my peers, but not to my body, which is screaming, “Chellis, you’re old!”

But then I started thinking, I’m really not THAT old. I just like to complain, because I used to be younger. (I believe we all have that in common.) And if anything, yoga is ageless practice. In fact, for inspiration, here’s a yoga teacher who’s 91 years old. Check out that shoulder stand.

Now back to Nidrasana. Before entering this pose, make sure to be warmed up first, with plenty of forward folds. I’m only able to enter this cradle, after a long, sweaty class, where my hips and hamstrings are open.  Once you’re loosey-goosey and ready, fold over into plough pose (halasana), extending your feet over your head and touching your toes onto the ground. Breath into that, as always. Now the hard part for me in Nidrasana is hooking my ankles behind my head. Usually one foot wants to go, but not the other one. But once you get a sturdy hook, you can slide your shoulders and head between your shins and rest there in a nice little pretzel.

Day 18: Double Toe Hold (Ubhaya Padangusthasana)

Today’s pose is a Double Toe Hold (Ubhaya Padangusthasana). As with boat pose, this posture requires you to activate your core and back muscles and also, stretches out your hamstring. Since it’s important that you maintain a straight spine, this is also an opportunity to activate your bandhas, in particular your uddiyana bandha, by sucking in your belly button to the back of your spine.  Feel free to bend your knees.

Day 17: Monkey Pose (Hanumanasana)

The Monkey Pose, or Hanumanasana, is the pose in yoga that impresses people the most. But to be honest, it shouldn’t receive any praise at all. The right splits is something I’ve been able to do since I was a kid.  In fact, when I first started practicing yoga, I found the splits easier than pigeon. This just goes to show you that our bodies have areas of natural flexibility, which is the reason why it’s important to have diversity in your practice. If you only work on the things that you’re good at, then you’ll only develop muscles that are already strong.

I ran into this problem this winter when I severely strained my left hamstring in ballet class. I was only doing ballet, no yoga, for about 5 months. And during that time I took for granted the flexibility in my hamstrings, which caused an overdevelopment in my quads.  I liked to jump high, but wasn’t as great with the landings. And after one grand Jeté too many, my less flexible left hamstring forced me to hang up my ballet shoes. Sad times for this old lady body.  I’ll be back in the dance room, one day, but next time with more full body responsibility.

Hunamanasana is a pose that you shouldn’t be afraid of no matter the flexibility of your hamstrings. You can always roll up a blanket, or use a block, or prop up your knee and lean over your leg. Either way, listen to your body and breath through the tension. Try as hard as you can to have your back knee facing the floor. It’s tempting to roll the knee to the side to fall further into the posture, but that wont allow you to receive the full benefits of the stretch and you should try to keep your hips in a neutral position. No matter what, let go of your ego, because it doesn’t matter how far or close you are to the ground. Just have fun with it. If you’re doing this pose right, you should feel a wonderful stretch in your hips and hamstrings.

Speaking of fun, here’s a blurry picture of me when I was 11 (I’m the one in the turquoise) flying like a monkey. 

Day 16: Boat Pose (Paripurna Varasana)

Despite Tremor’s long day at work, he came home and helped me take these pictures of boat pose, or Paripurna Varasana. I appreciate the extra help, because as you may notice, the poses are becoming more challenging.  Varasana is a strong pose for your core.  Even though you’re leaning back, it’s important that you stay seated on your sit bones and work those bandhas to keep your spine straight. As with yesterday’s pose, feel free to bend your knees if you feel your spine curving.

Day 16: Heron Pose (Krounchasana)

Krounchasana is a pose that we learned in teacher training that I’ve never done in a yoga class before. You begin this pose in Dandasana (staff pose), sitting upright with both your feet out in front of you. You then bend one of your knees into Adra Virasana, making sure to sit firmly on your seat bones. And when ready, you grab the other foot with one hand and slowly pull it towards your body. It doesn’t matter how high you lift the leg, but make sure to keep that spine straight. In fact keeping that spine straight is more important than anything you do with your leg, so bend it if you need to. Namaste!

 

Day 15: Tortoise Pose (kurmasana)

At my teacher-training lecture today, I started thinking about my very first yoga class. Allow me to reminisce.

2004: The Beginning

I went to my very first yoga class and confess that I hated it. But not for the reasons, you’d expect. I spent the whole time super dizzy. I’d never spent so much time upside down, in particular in downward facing dog. There’s a long story behind my fear of dizziness, but to make a long story short, four years prior, I had had my 2^nd brain surgery. Dizziness wasn’t just something I felt coming off a merry-go-round; dizziness was, to me, the scariest symptom a person could experience. I confronted the teacher afterwards, and asked if there was a way to do yoga without downward facing dog, and she said, if I breathed into the pose, it would help me with the lightheadedness. I walked away thinking the instructor didn’t understand me. In hindsight, she was probably right.

2004-2006: I still don’t like it.

Despite my fears of yoga, for the next two years, I went to classes off and on. Yoga was booming in San Francisco, so I went mainly as a social thing. Kind of like hiking with your girlfriends.

2007: I’m starting to like it.

For a while, attending yoga class was this expensive thing I did with my girlfriends. Costs were a big deal to me, so out of frugality, I bought a huge pass at Yoga Tree. And suddenly, I was going to yoga, by myself, all the time. Around 2007ish, I don’t even remember when it happened, but something shifted in me. I stopped feeling dizzy upside down and I found that after yoga, I was unusually calm.

2008: I fall head over heels.

In 2008 I spent half the year overseas. (Travel blog here.) And during that time, yoga, as the only form of exercise that was mobile, went everywhere I went. I practiced yoga via CD, by myself, in an artist colony in Costa Rica. I took yoga classes in Santa Teresa near the ocean, where I executed my first handstand. I took a yoga class in London with a bunch of old ladies. And it was then that I realized that with all the instability in my life, my practice was my only constant. I didn’t just love yoga; I needed Yoga.

2008: Yoga finally becomes a committed practice.

In 2008, I moved to Los Feliz in Los Angeles, a block away from the cutest, boutique yoga studio: Yummy Yoga.  Yummy Yoga changed my life. When I moved to LA, I didn’t have any friends, but almost immediately, yoga became my emotional and actual community. After  a few weeks, I was in a book club, I went out to dinner and drinks with new people, and I had a place to spend my lonely evenings after a long day of work. I practiced yoga 4-5 times a week for nearly two years. And in doing so, my practice improved dramatically.

2009: I hurt my wrist.

I was practicing so much yoga during this time and on my computer writing that I severely injured my wrist. My tendon swelled up to the size of a tennis ball, and the pain was so severe, I struggled with every day tasks. That moment, despite affecting my practice, was one of the most important things to happen to me in yoga. I learned to listen to my body and be aware of my limitations. Before, I couldn’t discern the difference between good and bad pain, and this injury forced me back off. The wrists are a huge part of nearly every pose, and I had to swallow my pride and only do what I could. I wore a wrist guard (still do), I bought push up bars (still use them), and I don’t do every pose unless it feels right (sorry, no crow or scissor for me). I realized that yoga wasn’t about hitting every pose to the max, but about doing what I could at that moment.

2011: So much more to learn.

Although I’m only three weeks into this teacher-training course, I already know that it’s not enough time. There’s so much to learn, and I’m loving every second of it—the reading, the in-depth study of anatomy (bones, tendons, muscles, etc), and even the spirituality. For me, partaking in the physical postures on a consistent base makes me calm in all aspects of my life.

Speaking of poses, today’s pose is the Tortoise Pose, or kurmasana. This is the first moderately advance pose, I’ve presented in this blog, and don’t advise you to do it unless, you have the guidance of a teacher. Kurmasana helps lengthen back muscles and release any tightness in the sacrum. The positive effects of this pose can also be achieved from a Seated Angle Pose, or Upavista Konasana.

Thanks for reading! Namaste.

Day 14: Garland pose (Malasana)

Before I even had a chance to respond, this mother-son duo dropped down and volunteered to be guest yogis on my blog. So, here they are, helping me on Day 14, presenting an impressive squat, or Malasana. Thanks team! 

Day 13: Lion Pose (Simhasana)

When Jay Co taught us this pose in class, a student said, “He’s joking.” The reason: because Lion’s pose, or Simhasana, is hilarious.

You sit up tall, either in virasana or sukhasana, and lean forward. You inhale through your nose a complete yoga breath, and when you exhale, look up at your third eye, stick out your tongue to your chin, and roar like a tiger. This pose helps work all the muscles in your face and is often described as a way to reduce wrinkles and stay young. I took a video of me performing this pose and unlike every other pose I’ve presented here, I don’t look funny. Ironic, really. So in my place, my friends from Youtube will demonstrate:

A matter-of-fact Indian dude breaks it down, teacher style. 

A scary, hairier Indian dude unleashes a serious roar. 

An 80s aerobics instructor with lion-like hair roars to an upbeat tune. 

Adorable little kids show off their roars. 

A pretty Korean celebrity shows off her lion’s roar as a dare on a talk show. 

Day 12: Hero Pose (Virasana)

You may have noticed that the last three poses have been published rather late, like dangerously close to missing my daily deadline. And you’re probably thinking: “Ooooh, Chellis is slacking. It’s day 12 and her endurance is waining.” Well, first off, I’m appalled by your lack of faith in me. And secondly, you’re kind of right, but not entirely right. Mainly these post have been late, because I’m realizing my limitations with self-portraits. Truth be told, it helps to have my dude around, and he’s been working long hours.

But I digress, again, and I blame my cozy bed just 100 feet away staring at me with it’s pillowy softness. So, let’s get to it: Today’s pose is Hero Pose or Virasana. In this pose, you sit with your knees and thighs pressed together, feet spread slightly wider than your hips, in between your calfs and ankles. If you have any knee injuries or struggle with this pose, (I do often, too), sit on a block or on top of your ankles. This pose should be a solid stretch for your quads.

Now time for bed. But as a bonus, to prove to you that I’m not slackin’, here is me this afternoon, oooommmm-ing my way out of a traffic jam. That’s the biggest effect I feel when I practice yoga regularly. I have less road rage.

Day 11: Seated Staff Posture (Dandasana)

I realize that it’s very un-yogi of me to be on the phone during this pose, but, man, it’s been a long day. In my defense, I was talking to my dear sweet mother, whose finally back in the US! Woohoo. They’ve been in China for the last year and that’s been weird. Weird because from 2001 to 2008, I was either living in China or frequently visiting the place. And then suddenly, here comes 2009 and my parents are always there and I’m here. I’m taking that as a hint: China can’t handle too many Yings at once.

Today’s pose is a Seated Staff Posture or dandasana. In our yoga course, we’re gradually building up in our poses, starting from the basics. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t something to learn in a simple dandasana. Remember to sit on your seat bones, roll your inner thighs towards the ground and focus on the those bad ass bandhas.

After an amazing yoga class tonight, I told Jay Co that the bandhas were a “game changer.” I felt so balanced today, especially in Warrior 3, which is always a hard pose for me due to my shoulder weight and long torso. But today, I activated those bandhas, took full complete yoga breaths and felt stable.  What a nice feeling. Of course, Jay Co predicted that I’m going to say this every week, which reminded me that last week, I said, “Conscious breathing is a game changer.” Well. Looks like my yoga practice is changing every week. Namaste.

Day 10: Perfect Pose (Siddhasana)

Day 9: Easy Pose (Sukhasana)

(Side note: Remember in my blog post, “Ego free zone,” when I said that I wouldn’t alter any unflattering pictures of myself, because looking my best in yoga shouldn’t matter? Well, I lied. I tried to alter this picture. I mean, I like it because it shows me balancing on a ball, but my tummy’s looking a little too… protrudy. And I was doing it for all of you, anyway, because the way my belly just hangs over my pants isn’t really activating the Uddiyana bandha in the lower abdomen. Oh, whatever. This confession is completely useless, because my Photoshop skills are limited and my attempts at altering the photo just changed the color of my shirt. So, here you go, protrudy and all. I meditate through this insecurity. Oooooooommmmm.)

Today’s pose is Sukhasana, or Easy Pose. Most likely, you’ve sat in Sukhasana as a kid without thinking about it, because there’s only so many ways to sit on the floor. In the US, we nicknamed this cross-legged sitting position, Indian Style, after the Native Americans, who sat this way.

I’m assuming you all know how to sit in easy pose, but the next time you do it, try activating all the bandhas.  You’ll find that your spine will naturally straighten, and that’s the most important thing to remember in any seated position. Keep that spine aligned.

Here’s a less protrudy picture of me next to my yoga classmate Jino. Bandha success!

Day 8: Bandhas

Today’s pose doesn’t have a picture of me, because it requires you to activate areas that I can’t show you: the yoga bandhas. In Sanskrit, bandha mean to lock, hold or tighten. The goal in a yoga class is to activate all three bandhas at the same time, which results in an aligned spine.

Now you probably know from reading my blog that I’m not into the whole hippity-dippity-spiritual stuff. I’m an engineer’s daughter raised with pragmatism. But this bhanda-thing, it’s legit. In class, I tried to sit cross-legged on an exercise ball, which led to a fair amount of falling over. But then after learning about the bandhas, just like that, I was balancing. These yogis are on to something.

The three bandhas are:

1. Mula Bandha, or “root lock,” is located at the base of your spine. By activating this bandha, you keep the energy inside of you flowing up, not down and out. To do so, you lift the perineum or your bathroom muscles. The best way to explain this is activating what you use when you have to pee really badly.

2. Uddiyana Bandha, or the “flying up lock,” is located around your lower abdomen. To activate this, you must pull your belly button to your spine, as if you’re wearing a corset. You want to activate the trasversus abdomus, which are the muscles underneath your “six pack.” So, if you’re just flexing your abs, you’re not going deep enough. Really bring it in from the front and back.

3. Jalandhara Bandha, or “chin lock,” activates the anterior neck muscles, by dropping the chin slightly and lifting the chest. This engages the neck muscles and helps manage the flow of air through the respiratory passages. Picture yourself wearing a shirt that still has a coat hanger in it.

Learning about the bandhas has been eye opening.  I do believe that I’ve been subconsciously activating something similar to bandhas during my years of swimming and ballet dancing, but I wasn’t aware of their importance energetically and anatomically. Actually, activating the bandhas while practicing yoga reminds me of swimming, which requires you to simultaneously resist and release. If your body is too tense, you’ll sink, but if you relax, you won’t move anywhere. And that’s the kind of coordination you’ll need to activate your bandhas while moving through your postures. I’m looking forward to how this physical shift will affect my practice.

Also, thank you, Jay Co, for the fantastic lecture! He’s really smart.

Day 7: Breath of Fire (Kapalabhati Pranayama)

There’s probably some law out there that says you can’t complain about yoga. Yoga is about acceptance, letting go, reading your body and the universe. But unfortunately, I’m an opinionated person, which leads me to Yoga Pet Peeve #1: when teachers get preachy.

Last night, I took a breath work class by a teacher who called me out, even though he said, “I hope you don’t feel called out.” That’s the same as starting a sentence with, “I don’t mean to be bitchy, but…” followed by something bitchy. I went to this class super-duper excited, because I’ve been learning breathing exercises, reading about the respiratory system, and I’ve never taken an entire class focused on breath work. So, I showed up early for the Friday night class, (ahem, nerd) and was there looking forward to a transformative experience.

We sat around in a circle and introduced ourselves. When it came to my turn to explain why I was there, the teacher’s eyes were wandering all over the place. He was looking at the door, he was looking at another person setting up their mat, he clearly wasn’t focused on what I had to say, which wasn’t that big of a deal, because I wasn’t saying anything interesting. But when the room settled down, he said, “Do you ever find it hard to talk when there’s a distraction? You need to learn how to command a room. Like now. Like I just did. See?”

What the? The only reason I was distracted was because the person who asked me a question was looking all over the place. He was so calculatingly using me as an example to support his point that he immediately lost my trust. Here was a guy who loved to listen to himself talk. Here was a guy who believed he was more enlightened than us.
I don’t mean to harp on this particular teacher, who I believe has a lot to offer other students. But for me, I don’t respond to patronizing teaching styles. Teach me the postures, teach me the philosophy, but don’t tell me how to live my life if you don’t know me.

This is also the reason why the tone of this blog is personal and not overly philosophical. I’m going to tell you what works for me, but I’m never going to assume what’s best for you.

Along the same note, check out this hilarious essay by novelist Sarah Miller, “Why Yoga Can Be So Irritating (Although You Should Go Anyway!).”

Today’s pose is another breathing exercise called the Breath of Fire, or Kapalabhati Pranayama. Thanks for reading.

Day 6: Alternating Nostril Breathing (Nadi-Sodhana)

I just spent the last few hours talking to an incredibly grounded, strong, amazing person dealing with a huge blow. And that got me thinking: it doesn’t matter how smart or kind you may be—shit happens.

I mean, sometimes, life just sucks. You can be going along doing everything right—you always tip 20%; you call your parents every week; you’re honest with your partner and friends, but then WHAM! Somebody dies, somebody gets cancer, somebody loses their job, somebody gets depressed. Life doesn’t protect those who are virtuous.

You’re probably thinking, “Chellis, you must be in one of those moods.” But I’m not bummed out or anything. I just keep thinking that we can’t control the problems that arise in our lives, but we can learn how to deal with them in a healthy way.

Yogis prioritize balance. Whether it’s standing on one leg, or eating the right amount of nutrients. Yin and yang, the balance of polar opposites.

To support the need for more balance in our lives, I bring to you today’s pose: Alternating Nostril Breathing or Nadi-Sodhana. I created a short instructional video on my living room floor. Feel free to join me or laugh at me, but as long as you do both. Balance, remember?

Day 5: Cobra pose (Bhujangasana)

If you plan on doing a yoga pose on a surfboard, I recommend bringing a board proportionally larger than you. For example, if you’re 5’10, such as I am, don’t bring a 7-foot board, such as I did today. But lucky for me, Cobra Pose, the only pose I could manage, is a nice and appropriate pose for Day 5.

Cobra Pose or Bhujangasana in an energizing and strengthening pose. Feel free to arch your back more than I’ve demonstrated here, but make sure to relax your shoulders away from your ears and press your hips firmly into the mat. Even if I weren’t on a surfboard, this is usually as far as I’ll go in Bhujangasana, but that’s how I like to do this pose.

This pose is also one of the reasons I believe that surfing and yoga are so physically intertwined. Yoga builds strength in the shoulders and back, which is absolutely necessary for paddling. I’ve only been surfing for a couple of years, although prior to moving to Malibu, I took a surfing trip in Costa Rica. It wasn’t until I started dating my “surfer guy,” that I began surfing more regularly. He is a true surfer. When he sees a swell, it kills him not to be out there. And when he gets out there, he suddenly has an unlimited energy to catch waves. He understands the ocean internally, beyond reefs, point breaks, marine life. He rides the waves and its touches him spiritually.

We all have the “things” that bring passion in our lives. And no matter what that is, whether it’s surfing, yoga, writing or making money, I hope all of you are able to prioritizing them.

Day 5 Bloopers: 

And here’s an impressive WipeOutAsana:

Day 4: Standing Forward Bend (Uttanasana)

My very helpful and handsome assistant helped me take this picture of today’s yoga pose: Uttanasana, Standing Forward Bend.

We went outside our apartment looking for a beautiful, nature-inspiring background and came across colorful flowerbeds, palm trees, an artisan brick wall. But then we saw this blue post office box and thought: that round top kind of looks like my butt.

So, I folded inward and sure enough—post office box meet butt, butt meet post office box. You two have a lot in common. And this got me thinking: I miss sending letters. I’ll be the first to admit that I’m dependent on modern technologies—emailing, text messaging, Skyping, Facebooking, Yelping, Daily dealing, blogging, translating, mapping, and as the list goes on, so do my doubts. I wonder: has my standard of living improved or am I merely more distracted?

When I was in eighth grade, my best friend moved to Hawaii and for an entire year, we sent each other letters once a week. Nothing gave me more pleasure than checking the mail and seeing my name handwritten on the envelope. For me? No way!

Skip ahead, nineteen years (woops, you know my age now), and that best friend is still my best friend, except we don’t correspond in the same way. Although she’s perfectly capable with modern technology, she refuses, on principle, to lose herself with gadgets. She’s not on Facebook; she shares a cell phone with her husband, and watches a minimal amount of television and movies. When she came to visit me this summer, she wasn’t constantly on her cell phone checking her email or text messages; she wasn’t impatiently yelling obscenities when stuck in traffic. In fact, the thing that stuck with me the most is that she rarely got bored. You could leave her for an hour on the street corner and she’d pass the time doing something.

Unfortunately, that’s not me anymore. If I leave the house without my cell phone, I’m naked, vulnerable, and on the verge of a panic attack. But I believe that once, in my youth, I was capable of standing still.

Yoga is about standing still. It’s about taking a step back from your busy life and letting the distractions sink to the bottom. Yoga can be about increasing flexibility and building strength, but the whole point of participating in poses is to quiet the mind. When you’re standing on one leg, twisting to the side, breathing with full consciousness, there’s little room in the brain to be thinking about your next tweet.

As with all things in life, there’s a balance. And that life balance, as well as physical balance, is the reason why I’m excited about embarking on this journey.

Day 3: Cross-Legged Forward Bend (Sukhasana variation)

It’s Day 3 and I’m in a rush, which is probably a good thing that today’s pose requires me to fold inward and look within. Sukhasana is a great pose for opening the hips, glutes, and focusing on one’s breathing.

Day 2: Mountain Pose (Tadasana)

This morning, I tested out my teaching skills on my most devoted fan. We walked across the street from our apartment, sat in the sand and practiced the 5 breathing exercises of yoga: 1.) Ujjayi, 2.) Cleansing breath, 3.) Balancing breath, 4.) Lion’s breath and 5.) Breath of Fire.

The Pose of the Day is Tadasana, mountain pose. This pose may look merely like standing, but remember to evenly distribute the weight on the balls and heels of your feet.

96 more poses to go! Namaste.

Day 1: Child’s Pose (Balasana)

In class today, Jay Co explained that a yoga class is like a lifetime. You start as a baby, end as a corpse, and in between, you just do the best that you can.

I like this metaphor. It philosophizes the fumbling that occurs in my life and in my yoga practice. It’s not the destination, but the journey, right?

So, to begin DAY 1 of my yoga blog, (drum roll, please) I present to you: Child’s Pose. Balasana is a resting pose that occurs in the beginning of class or in between strenuous poses. The body folds inward resting the heart on top of the thighs. The result is a centering effect and the opportunity to focus on breathing.

Breathing. I do it all the time. In fact, I’m doing it right now as I type. But, man, it wasn’t until today that I realized how complex our respiratory system is, and how intertwined our emotions are to inhaling and exhaling.

In nearly every class, a yoga teacher will say, “Breath through the pose.” Of course! What else would I be doing? If I held my breath, then I’d pass out and fall to the floor. But, turns out, there’s a difference from breathing and consciously breathing. Breathing normally, we use about 35% of our lungs, but if we take full inhales, or a complete yoga breath  we can use up to 70%. When we do that, we metabolize more efficiently, oxygenate our organs, cleanse our bodies, release our stresses, etc. You get the point. Breathing = Awesome.

Also, the other thing I learned after reading Yogi Ramacharaka’s 70-page book, The Hindu-Yogi Science of Breath (published in 1903), is always breath out of your nose. Breathing through your nose warms the air, filters the germs, retains moisture and calms the nervous system. And mouth breathers are, according to Ramacharaka, disease spreading, over-civilized ignoramuses. I’ll spare you the 70-page read: just breathe out of your nose.

On another note, children laugh on average 300 times a day compared to adults who laugh only 15. For some reason, as we age, we forget how to laugh and we forget how to properly breath. That’s too bad. Laughing and breathing is fun.

More about the Yoga breaths.