Growing Pains

In life you trip, you fall down, you get back up. Well I didn't exactly fall down; tremble a little bit on a shaky pose maybe. This yoga practice I noticed a lot of things, like for instance, deep breathing isn't a trifling matter. The meditations seemed to be more taxing then the physical movements during today's practice. I could actually feel pain, but it wasn't anything tangible. Still it was there. Perhaps some bits of trapped negative energy from my many gloomy childhood memories, or maybe it was an old pre-programed thought process that needed to leave my body and mind. Whatever it was, it was reaching out for nourishment. I really had to pace myself during my Kundalini. I was definitely pushing my self-imposed boundaries today. I'm right at the edge of a precipice that I'll admit feels a little daunting. I can tell I'm headed for a breakthrough. I could actually feel my heart chakra opening up. It's an unusual sensation. I'm sure for everybody, releasing the holds on their chakras is a different experience. For me it was almost as if in the center of my chest there was this tired spot.And as I stretched further, and let healing light into it, it was expanding, being pried open just a bit more like a slow yawn. This is what it would feel like if my heart could yawn. When I think about it I guess my heart has went through a lot to make it weary. It's been hurt, broken, sad, confused, joyous, disillusioned, inspired, exercised, on various diets, discouraged, loved, warm, cold as ice, and a myriad other conditions. It's also been serving my body for 33 years of life, and I haven't always given it the pampering it deserves. So yeah it's a tired heart. It's entitled to a little TLC, a little space to sit back and say 'now I can just relax and let go'. Kundalini allowed me to do that today for which I'm eternally and divinely grateful. Each day yoga reminds me to be thankful for the little things and to cherish the gifts that I have right now, despite the hard times. This too is part of healing.

Slow And Steady...

Yoga, being the something like an extended marathon while other western exercises are sprints, has made me exercise patience. But as I breathe into each pose, I know that the long-term benefits are well worth it. Today I split up my workout into two parts. I used Comcast On Demand with their handy programs on Exercise TV. I've gotta love Tom Morley for taking yoga a bit out of it's breathe and chant routine to create Yoga For Abs. Jennifer Galardi's Zen In Your Den, rounded out the end of my 30 minute practice session with a more standard repertoire of movements. My focus today was more on meditation and Ho'oponopono though. Every challenge throughout the day was met with this mantra. 'I'm sorry. Please forgive me. Thank you. I love you.' I also experimented with manifestation methods. My favorite videos to this end are at www.visionboard.org.au. I love the one on Courage, it's perfect for when you are faced with an obstacle to your goals. Practicing the Kundalini 'Fire Breath' meditation pushed harder and harder against my willpower. It's amazing how just the art of breathing can try your endurance. The key word for today is 'exploration'. I sought to test my body and mind's limits, which as far as I can tell are endless. I'll keep simply looking ahead in Warrior 1 pose; standing strong and tall. I'm stretching, breathing with each arm opposing, chest jutted out proudly, fingers trembling a bit from the effort. Ahhh... There it is, just on the horizon. Nirvana.

Taming The Serpent With Kundalini Yoga

I feel a breathe of fresh air flowing through my entire spirit! Day 8. Outside there is a sunny and clear blue sky. It matches my optimism and the level of my enthusiasm to be present and awake with what I am bringing to this morning. I got an early start at 6:15 am with Kundalini Yoga With Gurmukh. Her yoga practice is absolutely incredible! Kundalini literally means "the coiled" or "Serpent Power". It challenges you to look beyond the part of yourself you thought wasn't capable, and see into the realm of life where everything is possible and your abilities are boundless. Imagine that the energy beginning at the base of your spine where the root chakra is located is spiraling up all the way to your crown chakra like a snaking cord. Kundalini explores the energetic mind-body-soul healing within you. This is no a yoga session for the faint of heart. Even so, anyone can participate if they are mindful of what their body is telling them. Gurmukh will push you to stop contemplating your limits and just do. Her soul is calm and her spirit wild as she executes a series of movements that awaken your inner child with abandon. You feel playful, light-hearted, yet grounded. Gurmukh says, "the most important thing to do each day is sweat and laugh." I can acknowledge the truth of her words as she guides me through a series of active poses. I certainly found myself hilarious while performing this unorthodox method of yoga. At times my body protested to the verge of giving up, but I did as Gurmukh said and worked through the difficulty to surpass myself. Towards the end of the practice I was panting heavily, but energized, awesomely alive and ready for the peaceful meditation  to the resonating sound of a gong which closed out the session The word for the day is 'perseverance', and it is really paying off in spades! To learn more about Gurmukh, watch the 'Visual Inspiration For The Day' below the postings, or visit her yoga studio The Golden Bridge's website.

3 More Weeks Of Yoga Challenge And Beyond...

My key word today is consistency. I've made it through an entire week of bends,twists, and adjustments to my body and posture. These last 7 days have been very eventful. They have changed the way I look at my personal goals, my body, my physical and mental health and my spirituality. My days are now less stressful, more focused, and by body feels at ease and beautiful within itself. I can't imagine how I ever let my yoga practice go astray. Even when I was practicing regularly before, my sessions were only 3-4 times a week, an adjunct to my "real" exercises such as the treadmill or the elliptical. Now I'm practicing about 1 hour of yoga per day, and I'm going to use my cardio as a 30 minute addition. I think I'm going to rediscover Billy Blanks. I've used his Focus Series - Abs & Glutes because even thought it's a VHS, it's arguably one of the best workouts I've ever done that targets the common problem areas of waist to hips. Tae Bo is always a tried, true and effective cardio routine that gives me endurance and burns a lot of calories. I will combine traditional training with yoga for even more results. I know that even after this month is over, I will continue my daily 60 minutes of mat time. I honestly don't remember how I used to get by without it. 20 minutes of chakra meditation each day goes a long way toward balancing out my body's systems and will only increase my mental and spiritual awareness. I couldn't be more pleased with the path I've chosen. My soul is smiling right now. The path ahead only becomes clearer and clearer with each passing sunset.

Moving Past Barriers

I'm beginning to see a small circle of light at the end of the tunnel. I'm not saying that I was particularly discouraged before. But while I've been consistent and for the most part felt very positive about my whole experience, now I really feel for the first time that I can see my feet taking one step ahead of the other. Today it was me, the mat and Rodney again for another divine hour-long session. I made great strides in my practice My transitions from asana to asana were more seamless, my body even more limber and I noticed a considerable increase in my strength. All this and it's only 6 yoga practices later! And as for the difficult pose of Urdhva Dhanurasana, it is getting further within reach. Today I tried it and was able to lift my body up and away from the ground, although my form and the time I was able to hold it pretty much sucked. The important key here is progress. I can't believe how far I'm getting. That is what's encouraging me to stick with it. Well both that , and the fact that my chakra meditations are also improving, thanks to the isochronic recordings I'm using. Oddly I'm noticing old emotions and negative thoughts coming to the surface and then being purified away. Only more good can come of this process, and I can't wait to see how much longer the road to enlightenment will get!

Photo Credits: Sura Nualpradid

5 Days And Counting...

Unexpected discoveries must be my theme for the weekend, because today I just experienced another one. Yesterday evening I saw a late night movie, a fabulous film that I highly recommend, called The Adjustment Bureau. I ended up staying up past my bedtime and combined with the fact that I had to go in to work early, missed my regular yoga time. My Rodney Yee Power Yoga was left at home, so I had to use Comcast On Demand's Exercise TV at my office and was able to complete a 45 min yoga session with Rainbeau Mars. Namaste to Rainbeau Mars for creating the inspiring routine of her DVD Yoga for Beauty with Rainbeau Mars: Dawn. It is an incredible vinyasa that floats effortlessly from one pose to the next. I was able to loosen up the stuck energy in my lower back and hamstrings and warm up my spine. Rainbeau must be a yoga angel, because those graceful and limbering asanas were just what I needed for my busy day. At the end of the session, I felt radiant inside and out. It was a lovely feeling. I love yoga flows that don't intimidate and are completely devoid of ego, allowing me to grow in a non-judgmental space. Even though life is not always like that, I've found a little piece of heaven that is right on my non-slip mat. It's my 5th day of my commitment to yoga everyday for the next 30 days, and I haven't slipped yet!

An Unexpected Breakthrough

Today I was really feeling the wear and tear of my newly developing yoga practice. I've discovered that my hamstrings can be particularly tight. That spot just above the knee joints on the backs of my legs was killing me. Thanks to a little Mineral Infrared Therapy, I've put a lot of the discomfort at bay, and now it's just an absent reminder that I've indulged too much over the winter.Appropriately my cell phone's daily horoscope message read, "Sagittarius, if you can't get revved up to start the day, don't fret! Energy is coming later on." I did have a bit of a trial today. I contemplated not doing yoga this morning and postponing it until this evening. But everybody knows how that works. If you wait until later, there's a good chance that it won't get done. So I dragged my lazy butt out of bed and decided on the lesser of two evils. I practiced Rodney Yee's ABS Yoga For Beginners for 30 minutes. Boy am I glad I did, because I ended up dedicating the remainder of my 30 mintute practice to chakra meditation! That was a wonderful decision. I lay present, yet relaxed in Savasana pose, my thumb pressed to middle finger in the traditonal stance of inner contemplation. I started at the root chakra which was a pretty dim red, and worked my way all the way to the crown chakra. I recently came across an amazing advancement with chakra balancing isochronic tone meditation. I listened to the recording as I tuned in to each chakra deeply. I could feel surges of energy pulse through me from the base of my spine to the top of my head. It was really wild! Afterwards I felt completely at peace. I know that I made great progress today with a combination of yoga that focused on my lower chakras (the areas I have issues with) and the isochronic recording. Try out an isochronic recording during your next chakra meditation and experience the same benefits I did. It was a soul-searching experience for me. I've never felt more in synchonicity with my own body and mind connection. So slacking off was actually to my advantage today. Tommorow morning it's back to my 1 hour session of sweating with Rodney Yee.

Photo Credits: Salvatore Vuono