My number one strategy (and a couple of others) for getting my ass to class

Isn't the human experience amazing? We know exactly what we need to do to take care of ourselves and make ourselves feel good, and yet, we don't do it. We know how we feel after taking a yoga class, and yet we have to carry ourselves there kicking and screaming to make it happen some days. I bet you think as a yoga teacher that isn't the case for me.

Oh how I wish you weren't so very wrong!

Here's a recent experience of mine:

Decide to go to yoga class because I haven't been in awhile. Put it on my calendar (we'll talk more about that in a second). Day comes. Find myself still at the computer working on the studio website when my alarm goes off telling me it's time to stop and get going. Waste time trying to figure out where the heck my keys are. Get out the door and realize I've forgotten my water bottle (much needed for the class I'm going to). Finally get in the car and hit the highway only to be stuck in traffic. The "plenty of time" cushion I left myself starts to disappear before my eyes. Finally get to the area of the studio only to find that in the evening, parking is not so easy. Time continuing to evaporate. Finally get a spot, run to the studio and start removing layers in the elevator. Throw my stuff down outside the studio door only to hear the OMs begin. Ugh!

As quietly as possible, make my entrance and join in ("oh god, now I'm THAT person. You know. The late one). Of course, I've been running around like a maniac and my adrenaline is pumping like crazy so I sound like an opera singer with a horrific respiratory infection. Finally, I can make my way to an open space and quietly roll out my mat. As I join in the practice I'm still pealing layers (one sock, then the other, one leg warmer, then the other, now the extra shirt, now pull the hair back...) and trying to get my breath back under control.

Now as we really start to flow, since I haven't practiced in awhile I feel as though I'm either carrying an extra one million pounds or that I'm moving through mud. Everything is hard. Everything feels like it's taking more effort than I could possibly give. "Why the hell did I do this today?!" I start to ask myself.

Breathe in. Breathe out. Step the right foot forward. It takes some time, but something starts to shift.

And then the end comes. And as I bow forward to offer up my practice I remember why the hell I did this today.

And then it's time to get back in the car and drive home back to the every day.

Sound familiar? I've been to a good number of yoga classes in my life. And even the ones that, in my mind, weren't so great for whatever reason? I still feel that moment of openness, space and clarity at the end. I still feel that incredible shift that says "This is a good thing to do for myself. I should do it more often."

So then the question becomes, how do I make space in my life to get on the mat and practice?

My story above gives you a couple of strategies that may help. Let me make them more obvious:

1. SCHEDULE YOUR PRACTICE TIME LIKE ANY OTHER APPOINTMENT. This includes group classes, home practice and really, any other self care you need. If you make an appointment to go to the doctor you don't just say to yourself 10 minutes before it, "Eh. I don't feel like it today. I think I'll pass." You go. Because you've made a commitment to yourself and to that other person. What commitment could be more important than the one you make to yourself? So you have to decide, is getting to yoga an important part of your commitment to yourself? If the answer is yes than schedule your yoga appointment! I like to sit down with my calendar on Sunday evenings and look through my week and put my yoga class on my schedule. Then I know that time is "booked" and I can't schedule anything else during that time. Of course, life happens and sometimes the universe has other plans, but if you get in this habit you are much more likely to make the time you need to get yourself to class.

2. USE TECHNOLOGY TO YOUR ADVANTAGE. Do you have a To Do list (I love the Wunderlist app)? Maybe you put your class on your To Do list for the day or set yourself a reminder about your class. Just about everyone has some kind of alarm on their phone, computer, microwave or what have you these days. Do you find yourself rushing out the door at the last second? Set an alarm 15 min. (or more) before you have to leave. Give yourself that bit of time to wrap up whatever you were doing and get yourself out the door. In my story above I was still technically late, but I would have been a lot later if I hadn't set my alarm!

3. REMEMBER WHAT IT FEELS LIKE WHEN YOU TAKE THIS TIME FOR YOURSELF. The next time your in class and you find yourself at the end, maybe just take a moment to take a few last deep breaths and savor the feeling you have. That feeling of shift. That feeling of accomplishment. That feeling of joy and wonder at how your body has served you and how you have served it by making the time to nourish it in this most amazing way. Hold that in your mind and draw upon it the next time you just don't feel like getting off the couch. And when you do get off the couch, give yourself a little pat on the back. It isn't easy, but you did it! Good for you!!

Obviously, no one is perfect and certainly not me! I (obviously!) still have my days of struggle to get on the mat. But these little steps have made it easier for me to find the space in my day to make it happen. I hope they help you too.

Did you enjoy this article? Have another strategy that works for you that you'd like to share? Leave it in the comments! I'd love to hear from you!

See you in class!

Namasté!

New malas on Etsy

New #malas and #straps are up in the #etsy shop!

Check them out on Etsy

. Local pick up is always available! #foreveryoganh #mala #handmade via

Instagram

This is why we go to class!

Why go to a yoga class instead of staying at home to practice on your own? This is why!! There is nothing like the group energy of a class practice. We had some fun with "Rockette Warrior 3" today and I think everyone felt the difference. We practice together to experience community and lift each other up! Great job today everyone! You inspire me! <3#yoga #foreveryoganh #practice #uplifting #community #warrior3 #class #nh #wilton #smile #youareloved #yogaclass via

Instagram

Auspicious day!

Its an auspicious day! My mala broke! It's said that when a mala breaks you have released some karma that was binding you. A great blessing! I generally make all my malas with hand tied knots between each bead so that when this day comes you don't loose a bead and your mala can be restrung. Come to the studio to check out the current selection of malas for sale or message me and I'll make you one of your very own!  via

Instagram

Yummy Mango Smoothie with Spinach!

smoothie to work

Today I thought I'd share a smoothie recipe with you that I've been enjoying lately. Smoothies are a great way to get your green leafy vegetables and a great quick breakfast on the go. You won't even taste the spinach in this one, I promise! Add some warming spices this time of year and it makes a cold smoothie less of a shock to the digestive system. Or just really crank the heat in the car on the way to work like I do. ;-) Here's the recipe (All measurements approximate. Adjust to your appetite and tastes.): 1 cup baby spinach1 cup almond milk(Be sure to read your labels and stay away from brands that contain chemical additives. If you're really ambitious make your own!)1/2 cup frozen mango chunks1 heaping tablespoon almond butterPumpkin pie spices to taste(nutmeg, clove, cinnamon and especially ginger!)

If you have the holy grail of blenders you can probably just throw it all together and blend. Otherwise put your spinach, spices and some of the almond milk in first and give it a blend. Then add the rest of the ingredients.

Let me know what you think in the comments or at the studio!

Did you know...?

yoga training certificates

Coming to a yoga studio wall near you! Did you know that most yogateachers go through multiple trainings and invest thousands of dollars in their education? I have at least three trainings that immediately come to mind that I hope to take in the near future. More training for me = being a better teacher for you!! :-)

Thank YOU!!!

image

I just found out that Forever Yoga has WON the Best of the Souhegan Valley awards for Best Yoga Studio 2014!! I want to thank each and every one of you that took the time out of your day to vote for us!  I know your time is precious and to think you did this for us means so very much!

As most of you know, this has been a very challenging summer for me on a personal level with the back problem that kept me out of the studio for three weeks. The recovery to my health hasn't been easy and the recovery of Forever Yoga hasn't been easy either. I can't tell you how much I was holding my breath before that first class back. Would anyone show up? But you did. And you continue to do so.

Sometimes as a teacher it's hard to know if anything we say or do makes a difference. We show up day after day and do our best and sometimes it's hard to know what is "landing" and what isn't. It's hard to tell if what we're doing really matters. We (and, well, by "we" I mean me) start to question where we're going and what we're doing and why and it can be easy to start to feel very lost.

Perhaps an award like this is just a popularity contest. Perhaps you could say there really aren't many yoga studios in the covered region anyway. You could probably say a lot of things. But for me, today, what this award means is that a few people took the time to show they care and that Forever Yoga means something to them. Since Forever Yoga definitely means something to me, to those people, from the bottom of my heart, Thank You.

Welcoming the newest member of our staff - Sandra Merrigan!

Sandra Merrigan

I'm very pleased to welcome Sandie to the staff and family at Forever Yoga! Check out her first official class, Unwind Yoga on Wednesday August 20th at 7pm!

Sandra Merrigan

Sandra Merrigan is a Yoga Alliance Registered Yoga Teacher and Reiki Practitioner.  She was introduced to yoga in 2012 after a serious back injury sidelined her from her previously active life.  The regular practice of Vinyasa, Yin and Restorative Yoga nourished and healed her body and uncovered a more grounded, confident, powerful, balanced, healthy and happy self  – and a new passion was born.

Sandie’s desire to share the healing benefits of yoga inspired her to become a teacher.  She completed her teacher training through Riverflow Yoga’s 200-hour teacher-training program in 2014.   Her classes are appropriate for beginners and practitioners of all levels.  Special emphasis is placed on moving into and out of postures safely, correct alignment, and students are taught and encouraged to modify poses to meet their own individual needs.  

“My passion is anatomy and alignment, keeping students safe while teaching body awareness and connection to breath.  I'm inspired by my students and believe yoga is for everyBODY!”

You can follow Sandie on her Facebook page: www.facebook.com/everdaypplyoga

Five Minute Yoga Break - Live on the floor!

Chairs. They are something we don't even think about in this country. They're everywhere! We use them all the time without a second thought. But have you ever considered what they're doing to your body? I often ask people that come into the studio what they do for a living because it instantly gives me great insight as to why they might find certain things challenging. More and more, everyone's work involves sitting in a chair for long hours using a computer. The more we sit in chairs, the more our hips tighten up, our low backs get compromised and our core strength heads right out the window!

I know this first hand. I used to work in NYC at a job where I was at a desk working at a computer 7 or more hours a day. I did that for over five years. Add to that a long commute and I was definitely not feeling my best in those days!

So if you can't quit that day job just yet, what's the solution?

LIVE ON THE FLOOR!

In other countries they do just this. Furniture is sparse at best and they typically sit on the floor, play on the floor and generally live their lives on the floor. I recently had a student tell me they saw pictures of people squatting while waiting on line in India! I'm willing to bet you'd get some funny looks if you did that in the U.S.A. ;-)

But here's what you can do. Any chance you get, live on the floor. Sit on the floor to watch TV or read a book. Or try this pose:

sphinx1

This is Sphinx pose, a posture that we use a lot in our Yin Yoga classes at Forever Yoga. This is a great way to read a book or watch TV and do some yoga while you're at it! To get there, simply lay on your belly and then walk your elbows back toward your hips lifting your head and upper torso. Pay attention to wherever you feel sensations rise in your body. For most people you might notice this in your low back but it may be somewhere else. Wherever the sensation is most present, make sure that you keep it a mild to moderate sensation. If it's too much, walk your elbows farther forward. You can stay here for 3-5 minutes or more as long as you don't feel any sensations of pain.

This pose can help reset the curvature of the low back spine counteracting all that chair sitting we tend to do. For more information about this posture and it's contraindications (such as pregnancy), check out YinYoga.com's description of Sphinx pose.

sphinx2

And if you're in the Southern NH area and are curious about what Yin Yoga has to offer, check our Schedule Page. We offer 3 Yin Yoga classes throughout the week and would love to have you join us!

Yoga Nidra

Yoga Nidra is sometimes referred to as "Yogic Sleep" and is an incredibly simple and beneficial practice! If you can lay down and listen you can do Yoga Nidra! It's said that 30 minutes of Yoga Nidra is equal to 4 hours of deep sleep. In our crazy modern world of Go Go GO, who doesn't need that?!

This practice is similar to a guided meditation but here, instead of trying to sit up tall and still for the session, you should be laying down and totally relaxed. You can lay on the floor or maybe even your bed. You should try not to fall asleep but if you do? No worries! The practice still works and you obviously needed the rest!

During a session, you'll start with some centering and relaxation and then you'll be asked to set an intention or Sankalpa. This is another important aspect of this practice in addition to the relaxation. This intention setting with the body and mind relaxed is very powerful. The intention you set for your Yoga Nidra plants a seed deep in your subconscious that is bound to come true in your life. The relaxation of mind and body that you experience during the practice makes this possible. It's like preparing the soil before you plant the seed. You may wish to take some time and think about your Sankalpa before you begin the practice, but you can also discover one naturally as you begin. It's up to you.

After the Sankalpa comes a rotation of consciousness through different parts of the body. Here as you listen to the instructions you simply let your awareness move to each part as it is named without moving the physical body. After that there will be some time spent in awareness of breathing and visualization. Before you know it, it's time to bring back your Sankalpa and start to come back into an awareness of your body to end the practice!

Yoga Nidra is a very popular practice at Forever Yoga for good reason! Everyone just feels so wonderful and refreshed afterward! I like to try and incorporate it into the Wednesday night Unwind class at the end of each month. Can't make it to the studio to give it a try? Now you can purchase a recording I made during a live class!Check it out on our Shop page!

I hope you'll give this powerful practice a try and begin to incorporate it into your regular yoga practice!