Third Eye Clarity

This past weekend brought work as a zen rock gardener, bamboo trimmer, astro turf raker, and debris removal assistant, all in the splendor of a sunshine filled day. It also brought awareness of the organic matter I was continually stirring up and inhaling. This, quite naturally led me into a mid-afternoon fantasy about irrigating my sinuses!

Neti Pot Demonstration

Whether you are a gardener, painter, have summer allergies or just finished sweeping the patio of pet hair, you will probably notice that your breathing becomes less than optimal after these activities. Air conditioning is another summer breathing irritant. It can create an overly dry and cooled environment which noticeably reduces the proper balance of your own nasal filtration system. The practice of rinsing your nasal passages with salted water will restore a proper breathing environment and a bring a sense of overall clarity to your mind & body! I'm convinced that the wisdom center known as the 3rd eye chakra is stimulated and refreshed by this soothing action as well. 

For those of you who already know how to use a neti pot, this is just a reminder to get it out and put it to use this summer. I love being a self-appointed spokesperson & coach for this effective yogic technique. I’d love to hear about how this practice has made a difference in your life.

Neti Instructions:

You could use a handmade ceramic neti pot, or just find a bendable cup for the task. Use a measured ¼ teaspoon of non-iodized salt and add it to your chosen vessel. Stir is a small amount of hot water to dissolve the slat. Then add cold water until the temperature is luke warm or slightly cool. Stir the solution again. To begin, tilt your head to one side, pour the water into the higher nostril while breathing only through your mouth. As you pour the water into one nostril, it will flow out the other side. If not, adjust the tilt of your head and try again until it pours easily.

Need more encouragement? Click the link below to find a handout describing the history, practice, and even more reasons to practice jal neti:

http://www.scribd.com/doc/153944019/neti-pot-edu-pdf

Pretzel Yoga

Slinging pretzels in San Francisco

     Traditional health care benefits do not usually accompany untraditional lifestyles, but there is hope that occupational happiness is good preventative care. At times, my "happy to be teaching yoga" habit asks to be supported by other odd jobs. This is not a problem, since I enjoy a varied work life. For some of us, occupational happiness means putting our skills, interests, and open minds into a hat for fate to choose. This past week I was offered something new in the gig department. I spent July 4th at Fisherman's Wharf behind a pretzel/churro cart. It was hard to stop smiling that day. Every person I encountered at the stand was kind, polite, and surprisingly grateful for their $3 snack. I felt like a summertime Santa Claus.

Have you ever had a chance to be playful at work?

The gig reminded me of one I had enjoyed as a kid. Twice per year, my uncle arranged for my brother and I to sell roses on the streets of small Minnesota towns. It was also reminiscent of years spent in the restaurant world. It's the kind of work where 10 hours pass quickly, due to the constant action. I spent the 5th of July on a couch recovering from all of the interaction, but was ready to go again yesterday for one more pretzel gig at the Alameda Antique Fair. It was amusing to watch people walk by with parasols, dressed in vintage dresses and suits, etc. Folks wheeled carts around containing giant plastic reindeer and many other oddities. I felt right at home. We are all so unique!

There is no doubt that yoga helped me through the slinging pretzel days. Mountain pose helped me avoid slouching, and the straining effects of leaning to one side. Breath awareness kept my energy level high and nerves calm, even when surrounded by mini-mobs of customers. Anytime I had a few moments to recover, I found a yoga pose, usually something addressing quads and low back. Just for fun (and upper back relief) I took full eagle pose a few times too, the one most associated with looking and feeling like a pretzel.

Cooling Wave Breath

Fisherman at Pacifica Pier

Try this breathing visualization with a chilled eye pillow to cool down in the summer heat:

First, Picture how all of the oceans are connected. There is no telling where one ocean stops and another begins. Now, become aware of your own divine body of mostly water, and imagine that there is no separation between yourself and any other body of water. As these fisherman stand on the shore, they are connecting to nature because they tooare nature. Replenish yourself and your surroundings with the awareness of your breath as connecting energy. Feel how the ebb & flow of your natural breathing pattern mimics the rhythm of the waves; extending to shore, then returning back to a limitless source. As you exhale, imagine your breath as a wave washing to shore, extending to touch your surroundings. The cool inhale returns us to our expansiveness, an ocean within ourselves. All of life energy circulates, as waves, as breath, as divine consciousness. The ocean and the wave are clearly inseparable, just as we are to the breath, and breath is to all. Watching the breath like this, we may start to feel contentment in "going with the flow."

Yoga Lessons from Trees

Tree Teacher

Some of the advantages of taking yoga lessons from trees are that the classes are on-going and open 24 hours a day!
A great way to begin is by observing any tree that catches your attention. When you feel ready, follow the silent instructions of the tree and move into the shape demonstrated by the tree. Move with inner guidance and intuition into your own felt interpretation of the shape. Extra Bonus:You might notice that you have more energy for sustaining dynamic yoga poses out in an oxygen rich forest setting!

Stay on the Path!

Rock art/inspiration.

     Traveling without an exact plan brings up some uneasy feelings from time to time. My basic need for security is challenged, which ignites some questions from the 'what if...' part of my brain. What if I am wasting precious time? What if I don't have enough of this, that, and the other? What if I loose this, that, and the other?

I'm taking a sojourn with trust that I will be guided along the way. I know that if I stay present and awake, it will be clear what to do (or not do) in any given moment.

Just keep breathing.

On the outside, the road I'm traveling doesn't look much different than the road I've always been on. It's my understanding that feels different. Life feels more interesting now that I'm not spending energy as 'Director of Every Detail and Outcome'. I have given that job back to The Universe. I appreciate the subtle, as well as the loud blaring signs that are guiding me along. Keep Going, read the rock. My instincts interpret this message as a reminder to keep tending to the inhale/exhale, as my path.

Oasis in the Concrete

The yoga studio in the mission district of San Francisco stopped me in my tracks. An entire day of walking around and feeling the street life had me drooling outside the door for a yoga class. I needed to land more fully in my body without trying to comprehend the state of the streets for an hour or so.

Once up the extra tall flight of stairs, I was not surprised by the beauty of the studio. I've never been to an uninviting yoga studio and this one was no exception. Sure, the outside looks like a prison, but inside was a stunning oasis of light, natural coloring, and space. The volunteer checking me in at the desk received unlimited classes as a barter exchange, which I imagined to explain the glow she had going on. Like many yoga studios, they provided the mats, and because it was a donation based happy-hour class, I felt extra grateful for the savings. I basked in this mind/body saving retreat for under $10.00, a real yoga deal.

I ended up being the only participant in the 4:30pm Friday class. I tried to let the teacher off the hook, but thankfully she didn't go for it. She said she'd be happy to teach for just me. I decided to believe her, and we had the private class. What a heart warming, body repairing session! I left the sanctuary ready to roam the streets for another several hours, this time with restored nerves and a centered mind.

Sound Medicine

http://www.exploratorium.edu/visit/wave-organ

     Even though my stomach was upset from the curvy road driving and lack of proper nutrition, having my close friend up from central California was still a favorite treat. After entertaining her children with trinket shops and talk of going to the wax museum, we wandered down to the wave organ to do some ocean listening. I recognized that the kids had lost some enthusiasm as we approached what looked like not much of anything, the wave organ.

The wave organ makes the best sounds during a full or new moon, but one of the pipes was still producing some ambient sounds from the sea during this particular half moon. To my grateful amazement, the deep and primal sound of the gurgling water had an immediate healing effect on my upset stomach! I was both surprised and not surprised by this. I know we are connected to nature and made mostly of water ourselves, but never had I experienced this kind of direct sound medicine from the sea! We all walked away feeling more attuned and balanced.