#yoga

The Power of Affirmations - Dancing with the Shadow

A long time ago I trained in the 3-year Phoenix Rising Yoga Therapy program. I don’t currently practice their techniques, per se, but I learned a lot. As a part of the curriculum, I was required to practice affirmations every day for a month. The assignment was to wake up a few minutes early every morning and practice writing and/or speaking out loud some affirmations. For example, “I speak and act in line with my higher ideals.” Right out of the gate, I felt a HUGE amount

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Chintamani

Eightfold Path of Patañjali

The Yoga Sutras of Patañjali is perhaps the most celebrated yoga text, and for good reason. While the text was compiled for serious yoga aspirants for the purpose of reaching enlightenment, the Sutras, and the 8-fold path within them, are powerful tools for anyone. The Sutras are mini-meditations that can be contemplated as stand-alone meditations, but they are also threads that make up an entire tapestry of the yoga practice. Contemplating them can help stabilize the mind, u

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Chintamani

Same Train, Very Different Rides

We may be on the same train, but we’re experiencing very different rides. Many of my colleagues are fond of saying things like “We create our own reality with our minds. We can choose not to suffer.” Sometimes when I hear this concept, I feel a bit sick inside. I think it can be used to invalidate someone’s experience and/or blame the victim. For example, if I were to break my leg, there would be very real physical pain and psychological stress. That is a fact. To say it

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Chintamani

Upper Back Tight and Stuck? Try This!

This Video was recorded in time lapse for amusement. The actual routine is done slowly with relaxed, even breathing. This routine decompresses and mobilizes the upper back, and stretches the chest. It is great for opening up, and reversing the effects of rounding forward over our work. I always feel energized afterwards, like I got "stuck" energy flowing again. This is also a great preparation for deeper back bends, like Ustrasana. I call this routine "flossing my backbon

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Chintamani

Are Backbends "Heart Openers"?

In addition to my personal classes and private clients, I teach at a yoga studio. Every month we have a "pose of the month" which I really enjoy. By focusing on a particular pose multiple times per month, we get the opportunity to study the pose from different points of view, explore in our own bodies, play with different experiences, and sometimes develop strength and skills with the pose. And if it's a pose we don't like, it gives us the opportunity to practice Muditā, s

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Chintamani

Everyday Mindfulness

The Holidays are upon us. Here are some simple everyday mindfulness techniques to help us take care of ourselves in the midst of what can be a hectic and emotional time. The Holidays can be joyful and they can also be stressful. It’s ok to have mixed feelings. The Holidays are a lot of extra work for many of us. In addition to the shopping, required parties, travel planning, cooking, organizing--there is more emotional labor. It can be overwhelming and exhausting. We may

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Chintamani

You Are Worthy of Love and Belonging

“You are imperfect, you are wired for struggle, but you are worthy of love and belonging.” This is a powerful quote by Brené Brown, Researcher-Storyteller. It comes to me today from one of our teacher trainees who shared with the group Brené Brown's TED Talk on The Power of Vulnerability. (Thank you, IM!) In the talk, Brené Brown talks about the true meaning of courage--how courageous people are willing to be vulnerable to say "I love you" first. She also talks about how

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Chintamani

Positive Psychology Leads to Happiness

Barbara Fredrickson, PHD has been called “The World’s Leading Expert in Happiness.” She says that true happiness is not completely tied to external factors. True Happiness comes from cultivating these qualities: Joy, Gratitude, Serenity, Interest, Hope, Pride, Amusement, Inspiration, Awe, Love. What is not listed: owning a lot of things, always having everything go your way. When I first discovered yoga, I was at a bad time in my life. I didn’t know what I wanted to do.

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Chintamani

Bhumisparsha Mudra: Unshakable Wisdom

This is an illustration of the temptation of the Buddha by Mara, the demon king (aka Lord of the Senses, aka Lord of Death). I am not trying to convert anyone to Buddhism! This story has a teaching that we all can enjoy and benefit from. Before I go into the story, I want to talk about Mudras, which are hand shapes that represent certain energies. Mudras are used in yoga, Indian dance, and other places as well. In this illustration we see many fearful things attacking the

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Avidyā, Spiritual Bypassing & Gaslighting

Chintamani

Avidyā, Spiritual Bypassing & Gaslighting

Avidyā = spiritual misunderstanding, not knowing, ignorance Avidyā is regarding the impermanent as permanent, the impure as pure, the painful as pleasant and the non-Self as the Self. --Sutra 2.5 the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali This sutra is essentially saying the same thing in many ways. God as you see it, the energy of the universe---is a cosmic vibration of joy and love that creates all things. We are all made of that energy. According to this philosophy, heaven is just ano

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Contemplating the Eightfold Path of Patañjali

Chintamani

Contemplating the Eightfold Path of Patañjali

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Chintamani

The Art of Śavāsana

Full disclosure: I am writing this post in a mad dash before getting ready to teach, so consider this a preliminary exploration. Śavāsana, (pronounced Shavasana) or Corpse Pose, is often said to be the most important pose of the yoga class, and yet we often run out of time and cut it short. Today, I am dedicating my classes to Śavāsana. Śavāsana is a powerful pose. It gives us what might be the only opportunity we have all day to help regulate our nervous system. We genera

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Chintamani

Osteoporosis: It Starts in Childhood

We think of Osteoporosis as something that only affects people over 50, but the truth is, we build most of our bone density in our teens! Many kids are not getting enough calcium and exercise, which means they don’t build as much bone density as they need in life. The average girl grows the fastest in height between the ages of 11 and 12 years, and stops growing between the ages of 14 and 15 years. About 95% of a young woman's peak bone mass is present by age 20, and some ov

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Chanting the 10 Perfections & 4 Boundless States

Chintamani

Chanting the 10 Perfections & 4 Boundless States

The Pāramīs The Pāramīs, or perfections are qualities the Buddha cultivated within himself in order to reach enlightenment. According to the story, the Buddha was reborn into different lifetimes, and he spent many lifetimes “perfecting” just one of each of the paramis. This story inspires and heartens me. Bringing the paramis off the cushion and into the world isn’t always easy. I love meditating on Maitrī--loving friendliness and genuine well wishes. It makes me feel con

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Mispronounced & Misused: It's Time We Get Clear on "Namaste"

Chintamani

Mispronounced & Misused: It's Time We Get Clear on "Namaste"

This conversation has been happening in the media for years, but for many of us, this is new. Namaste is mostly used incorrectly, and it's making South Asian people's "skin crawl." Even more embarrassingly, our pronunciation is horrible. How did we get it so wrong? I've been weening this word out of my classes for years, but I haven't been talking about it explicitly. I have been trying to teach by example. But my class participants are so accustomed to saying Namaste, t

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