I Am A Mountain

Stand up straight.
She's a real pushover.
Those are tough shoes to fill.
Take a stand.
Hold your ground.
She crumbles under pressure.

Ever use, heard or been told the above cliches? I know that even if people haven't spoken those words directly to me, at uncertain times, I have certainly experienced them. And that's the beauty of yoga. It has the ability to teach us to take what we practice on the mat out into our everyday world.

We salute the sun. We bow to the moon. We stand with one foot sending its roots down into the earth as we hold tree pose. We stand, unwavering, solid and firm-fully connected in Mountain pose.

Yoga has been around for many years and continues to evolve into its current practiced form. How yoga relates to the natural world is evident in the number of poses that are directly named for the environment.

This week's thought is around the essence of mountain pose, or Tadasana (ta-DA-sana) in Sanskrit. The yoga studio in Palm Springs where I teach on Tuesday and Thursday evenings is named for this pose as Palm Springs rests at the foot of the San Jacinto mountains.

Often in class as we are transitioning through a Sun Salute, or standing Warrior sequence, we flow through or pause in Tadasana. It is said that Tadasana is the foundation for all other poses, in that we feel its presence particularly when we're inverted as though our feet are standing on the sky. For most yoga practitioners, paying attention to not only the physical sensation of Tadasana, but what it represents is my thought for the week.

My adorable and gentle male golden retriever naturally takes a "don't mess with me" stance by stomping his front legs into the earth, puffing out his chest and firming up his back when someone steps into our yard that he's uncertain about. It's an instinctive reaction to holding his ground. His own canine interpretation of Mountain pose.

Have you ever had to confront something that was scary? Something that if you could shy away from, you would, rather than facing it? Many occasions exist when we have this feeling but we would rather be a turtle, than a mountain. It's during these times, that we can better prepare ourselves by inhabiting not only the physical posture but the attitude of the MOUNTAIN.

As we stand with our feet firmly planted, our femurs slightly rolling in to stabilize our pelvis and activate our arches, we can visualize our chest, shoulders and head as being held directly above our foundation. I often suggest we have a positive charge on the crown of our head and the sky is the attractive negative charge that offers us a lifting sensation throughout our being. We stand with our hands and eyes soft, but with our chest and heart open. Just enough tension to create an energy flow throughout our being rather than a militaristic "TEN HUT" stance.

Stand in your feet.
Stand up to what you need to face.
Stand up for yourself or take a stance for something you believe in.
Don't just do Tadasana.

BE...Tadasana. Be the mountain.

Lastly, how easy is it to move a mountain?

Empty Nest

As many of you have been following, we have had the somewhat rare experience of a hummingbird's nest inhabiting our ficus tree that sits outside our bedroom window.

About three weeks ago, we spotted the nest and "Mama H" sitting on it. When we peeked inside, what looked like a moldy peanut, wiggled...it was the chick showing signs of life! Daily we would open our curtains and watch Mama H sitting and sitting, rarely leaving for more than what seemed like a few minutes.

One morning during this time, I heard a thump on our window as I was getting ready for work. A stunned and splayed out hummingbird was on our outside rug. I panicked thinking it was Mama H and how was I going to raise this tiny chick? As I approached the stunned bird, it sped away as quickly as hummingbirds do.

This past Monday I looked at the chick and said, "You're getting to look like a big hummingbird. I don't think you'll be with us much longer". The next morning...the nest was empty.

For the next few days, I continued to look through our window at the empty nest with a mix of emotions- feelings of sadness that the daily growth of the chick was no longer visible; the ritual of Mama H feeding and sitting; but mostly how blessed we were to be witness to the perfection of nature. The nest survived windy days, people ogling, the threat of larger birds and all survived to continue on through the natural cycle of life.

My thoughts of the week are around being part of that cycle. Witnessing, appreciating, enjoying the process and ultimately letting go. From a yogic perspective, every thing is in transition and nothing is permament. It's human nature to seek stability by attaching ourselves to people and things, hoping this will give us a sense of security. We typically avoid uncertainty and the unknown, holding on as to give our selves a sense of permanence. Realizing that things change and shift on an on-going basis, allows us to appreciate the present moment to its fullest.

Take a deep breath and breathe in this moment, even as the chicks leave the nest and fly away into the unknown.

Feeling Sleepy?

One of the most undervalued practices for maintaining optimal health is often overlooked - Sleep. Health practitioners talk about diet and exercise frequently...just pick up the latest fitness journal and it will be filled with the best way to strengthen the core, maximize nutrients, low-fat/high fiber recipes and how to sculpt various body parts.

Being a yoga educator, it would be remiss of me to not look at the entire being...body, mind and spirit. How they reflect, intertwine and are connected to each other. When something is out of balance, we see it reflected in how we feel, act and yes...sleep.

It is during sleep that our body rejuvenates itself on all of these levels. When we put ourselves to bed, we aren't simply physcially resting. We're restoring on so many levels: our hormonal balance, recovering from a busy day, easing our noisy minds and allowing ourselves to naturally find our inherent balance.

So, here are a few tips this week for getting a better nights rest:

1. Use your bed for just sleeping and intimate relations.

2. Make your room as dark and quiet as possible (decrease ambient light via TV's, cell phone chargers, lava lamps and the like).

3. Keep to a sleep routine. Go to bed within 30 minutes of the same hour and awaken at the same time each day.

4. The sleep routine may include ways in which to begin disconnecting from the computer, TV, stimulants (caffeine, scary movies or heated discussion) two hours before tucking in.

5. If you haven't fallen asleep within 20 minutes of turning off the lights, get up. Begin the routine again and include something that is somewhat boring such as a crossword puzzle.

6. Give yourself permission to let go of your day. You are completely capable of resuming in the morning (and more rested to do so!).

7. And if you ignored it above...no TV in the bedroom. Tough for many of us, but try watching in another room.

That's it. So for now...say good night!

It's Not Just About Me...

Over the past few years around every spring the Rancho Mirage Women's Health Center hosts a fundraising luncheon called WOW - the Wonder of Women, whose sole objective is to raise money for Safe House of the Desert. Safe House is located in Thousand Palms and is exactly that...a safe place for at-risk youth that have either run away from or been thrown out of their homes. It's a safe place, a refuge from the unpredictable and potentially dangerous life on the street.

When I think about my own life, I am grateful for having always had a safe house. The only time that wasn't the case was when I was on my travels that sometimes found me in a less than safe place, but that was of my own volition. As my daily life goes along, I am not confronted by the unfamiliar situation of not knowing where I'm going to sleep that night or if I'll have a meal that day.

When our community reaches out to those experiencing challenges, offering fundraisers, financial, emotional or medical support it is a pure act of generosity. In yoga, this is called Seva or service. We act for others as we release all expectations of getting anything in return. It's the highest form of giving.

The thought and subsequent challenge for you this week is to see if you can give something to someone else unconditionally. It might be a simple act of letting another person have a parking spot, paying a bridge toll for the car behind you or simply giving a compliment to someone else who's doing the best they can. It doesn't have to be an exchange of money, but more an exchange of good intention and energy.

And to quote Benjamin Franklin:
"When you are good to others, you are best to yourself"