Where Have I Been?

I have been creating a new blog (actually 2)...leading my first retreat in Costa Rica...preparing for a new radio show...signing a contract to publish a book...designing a new, dynamic program called "Ignite Your Life"...and continuing to expand my new company musélan.

My apologies for my lack of attention here! I have now combined my blogs to be in ONE place at StudiesWithLaura.com. Please join me there!

Grounding: Ground Your Feet

Continuing my series on grounding yourself physically. You already learned about what it means to be grounded and how to loosen up your feet more to allow for more spring in your step so you can receive and send out energy more effectively. Now, let’s look at placing the foot so you can feel more grounded.

If you haven’t already, I recommend beginning with the work from the previous post. The massage really opens up the feet to receive more energy and makes the next step more powerful.

Stand in Tadasana (Mountain Pose). Although Tadasana (Mountain Pose) is traditionally done with feet touching, it can be difficult to feel grounded with the feet together. There is a feeling of being off balance. So, for the purposes of this exercise, separate your feet about sit bone distance apart. Set your feet as close to parallel as you can without feeling torquing in your knees. Take a moment to feel your feet. We want to compare how they feel now versus once you have established the grounding.

We will start with your right foot. Lift the toes and stretch out the soles by walking the ball of your foot out slightly from your heal. You will only move maybe a millimeter, it is an important millimeter. Keeping the toes up, now find the inner edge of the ball of your big mound. Catch that spot on the mat, sticking it down on the mat and then broaden across the ball of your foot. With toes still lifted, stretch the toes out long and set them down one by one, lengthening them out.

Now feel the difference between your feet. My guess is the right one feels more grounded, heavier. Repeat to the left foot.

How do your feet feel now vs what you noticed before we began? I do set my feet mindfully each time I move into Tadasana. Of course, it doesn’t take very long, just a moment really, once you have done it awhile. Enjoy the grounding!

Next time we will move up the legs.

Groundedness Series:
Teaching Groundedness
Wake up Your Feet

Feet: Wake Up Your Feet

Our feet are the most powerful part of our body for creating groundedness. If you aren’t using your feet well, you can’t be truly grounded. Or, said in a more positive way, the more effectively you use your feet, the more grounded you will feel in life! The more grounded you are, the more energetic and vibrant you will be, the more authentically you will show up in your life.

The foot has 26 bones, 31 joints, and 20 intrinsic muscles (meaning the muscles start and end in the foot and do not cross the ankle). The feet are meant to be used and to have fine movements to them. For most of us, though, our feet have become relatively rigid. (For reasons beyond the scope of this post!) When our feet are rigid, we walk like a car without shocks; we land hard on the ground rather than rebounding lightly. We don’t yield to the energy with the ground.

So, the first step to becoming more grounded is loosening up the feet to bring back the bounce in your step.

Before you begin, sit briefly in Dandasana (Staff Pose). Notice how your feet feel right now. It is illuminating to compare how they feel now versus after waking them up.

Step 1: Massage the Feet

• Sit in Sukhasana (Easy, Cross-Legged Pose)
• Hold your right foot with your right hand and lace the fingers of your left hand into your toes. If you can, lace all the way to the root of your fingers. (If your toes are particularly tight, just lace the tips of your fingers. The tips are smaller than the root of your fingers.)
• 
• Hold your arch strongly with your right hand to steady the foot.
• Gently rotate your toes with your left hand. You are only rotating your toes, not the ankle so be sure your right hand is holding firmly.
• Rotate a few times in one direction and then change direction.
• Sit in Dandasana (Staff Pose) and compare how your feet feel.
• Now repeat the massage to the other foot.
  

Step 2: Stretch the Toes

• Come to all fours. Tuck your toes under.
• Slowly begin to sit back on your toes, stretching your toes and the soles of your feet. If you toes are very tight, this stretch can be intense. (My students accuse me of Yoga Torture with this one!) Just sit back as far as you can and still be able to breath and enjoy the stretch. You may be able to sit all the way on your heals.
• Sit for 10 breaths then come out.
• Return to Dandasana (Staff Pose) and compare how your feet feel. Ahhhh!
  

Next time we will learn to place the feet to be more grounded in Tadasana (Mountain Pose).

Groundedness Series:
Teaching Groundedness
Grounding: Grounding Your Feet

Teaching Groundedness

Help your students become more grounded this year. Remember, what you do on the mat is reflected in your life and vice versa. I am going to write a series of posts on becoming more grounded in the body, from the feet up. When we engage our body well, it will align and energy will flow more fluidly through it. When energy flows more fluidly, we feel more energetic and vibrant. We also feel stronger and more courageous both on the mat and off! Enjoy the series!

Groundedness Series:
Wake Up Your Feet
Grounding Your Feet

A Study in Cross-Legged, Seated Poses

I had a very interesting session in my Master Class recently. We spent an hour and a half comparing and contrasting easy, cross-legged poses. The three we studied were: Siddhasana, and Swastikasana.

Swastikhasana:

Sukhasana

Siddhasana

We came up with some questions to further investigate these poses in our bodies. They are fun to take to class as well. Let me know what you discover:

• We tend to lean forward in these seated poses. How do you get on sit bones without gripping hip hinge?

• Sit for a long time:
o Can you get to psoas and release hip flexors?
o What does Mhula Bhanda do for you?

• In which pose are you most grounded?

• How does adding a lift under your sit bones help you? Hinder you? Can you release the hip joint without a lift?

• Here is a fabulous adjustment: Drop your tailbone to elongate your lower back. Helps you ground and releases tension in the lower back. Remember that you can drop your tailbone and keep the chest lifted. We also found the drop helped us engage the transverses abdominus (your core). (I felt a huge energy zing up my spine! Spectacular!)

Pose of the Month: Parsvottanasana

So, in my last post I mentioned that my yoga community (musasana) and I are studying Parsvottanasana this month. I decided to teach it in every class this month. I may use it as part of a flow series or teach a part of the pose. Last night in class I focused on the work of the legs, especially the back one. I find that back leg begins to "relax" as we move into the pose and then hold it. When the back leg lacks energy, the heart sinks and the energy of the pose is lost. Instead, keep the energy and strength in both legs equally throughout the pose. I use two variations to teach this idea.

1. Place the back heal at a wall so the student can press the heal to the wall to keep the back leg engaged.

2. This variation places the hands at the wall so the student can push into the wall to keep weight in the back leg. Have them face the wall and do a "wall push" (hands shoulder height, stepping the feet back to get about a 90-degree angle at the hips.) Then have them step the right foot forward a bit and the left foot back to put their feet in the position for the pose. Now they can reach for the wall and get really long in the body and press their weight into their back leg.

Pose of the Month: Parsvottanasana

The pose of the month is Parsvottanasana (Stretch of the West). I am going to teach it in every class this month to challenge me to learn more of this pose!

Spiritual Practice

In Marya and my Awaken to Joy Program, we are exploring our Spiritual Practice for the month of November. How do you define Spiritual Practice? And what do you do for your practice? We would love to hear from you! Here is the blog to go to.

New Pose of the Month

Welcome to November! We are studying a new pose on ...musasana.... This month we are studying Parsvottanasana. Want to join us? Use the month to practice it, think about it, see what it has to teach you this month. There are also ideas on the blog for studying it more deeply if you aren't sure what to do. Then let us know what comes up for you!.

Resting for Connection

This weekend I am off to my spiritual renewal weekend. My spiritual path has a huge gathering two times a year for a weekend. My family and I go every time. My time is focused on my connection to my Higher Self and what I will do when I leave to maintain that connection. I take the weekend very seriously because I am still learning how to take time for that connection the rest of the year. Just stopping to relax is challenging in our society with the frenetic energy we have as our norm.

I once heard that the ideal for relaxing/off time is:
• 20-minutes daily
• one day each week
• one weekend a month
• 2 weeks a year

I do the 20-minutes daily well, but the rest are still a work in progress. I have also heard a great coach say we should all take “federal holidays” and have 10, 3-day weekends a year as well as 4 weeks of vacation. I couldn’t agree more! I know I would be more inspired than ever. So, why is it so difficult?

I know as a teacher, I have a sense of responsibility to my students. Yet, when my teacher took vacations, I didn’t mind. No, that answer is too simple. I truly think the energy our culture discourages breathing space. I also think we have the power to change that old way of thinking! Judith Lasater recommends a 20-minute Savasana (Relaxation Pose) daily, making one day a week of restorative, and one-week of restorative each year. Our calming energy can change the energy of the world. Changing the world, one yoga student at a time!

Help for the Savasana (Relaxation Pose) Challenged

Do you have any students who simply cannot relax in Savasana? In our culture, it is simply not unusual to find those who cannot surrender in that position. Savasana is actually stimulating to our nervous system! Now I don’t mean stimulating like backbends or headstands, but a bit. The back body is about stimulating (hence the effect of backbends) and the front body relaxing and surrendering (hence the effect of forward folds). We do Savasana on our backs to keep us a little alert. Savasana is supposed to be conscious relaxation, not falling asleep. But when someone already has a very stimulated nervous system (in other words, stressed. Not uncommon in our world!) then Savasana can further stimulate it, rendering relaxation impossible.

If you have a student who needs help, place her in Asavasana. (Whenever an “A” is placed in front of a Sanskrit word, it changes the word to its opposite.) You place her on her stomach over a bolster. You can see me here in the photo demonstrating it. I like to hang my head just a bit over the edge (letting the forehead have a downward angle helps relax the brain) but if that is uncomfortable for your student, have her rest her head on the bolster, turning it to the other side halfway through the relaxation.

Top 100 Yoga and Meditation Sites

Thank you X-Ray Technician Schools! They compiled the 100 best yoga and meditation sites for us. They have a brief description of each so you can find what fits you. Enjoy!

Savasana

So, in my yoga group: "The Muses", we are studying Savasana for the month. Ever have a hard time convincing your students Savasana is necessary and not a waste of time? Here are a few "Did You Knows" about Savasana to help you.

Yoga Retreat in Costa Rica

Want to join me in Costa Rica for a fabulous yoga retreat? I will be at Samasati Yoga and Nature Retreat Center January 24-31st. You will enjoy 3 daily yoga sessions with me (a early morning wake up, a before dinner stretch, and an evening relaxation.) You will also be able to enjoy eco-tours such as a waterfall trek:
A zipline ride through the canopy of the jungle:
Or spend an afternoon strolling on black or white sand beaches:
Or reading in the hammock on your veranda:
Or sitting in the hot tub overlooking the Caribbean sea:
You will also enjoy 3 gourmet, vegetarian meals daily in their open air restaurant and regular visits from toucans and monkeys!

Class Outside

Last night I taught a class outside by the lake. The weather was perfect, not too hot and not too cold. Ahhh.... And did I mention I taught a silent class? It was transformative for all of us...

Inspiration for your Business

As I have discussed previously on my blogs, I have created a new company whose premise is we should all be working from a place if inspiration, fulfilling our purpose in life. Next Saturday I am taking them through the process of creating our vision. To prepare, I am having them answer for themselves these questions. Please do do yourself! What is your dream business? Are you already doing it fully or is it possible to express it more deeply? These questions will help you through the process of deciding...Leave answers at the ...musélan... blog:

What does success look like to me? To me, success means:

What is it I love to do that lives at the heart of my dream business? My dream business is a vehicle that allows me to do:

What feelings do I want to experience as a result of my dream business? Because of my dream business, I get to feel:

Because of my dream business, I arrive at the end of the day feeling...

Opening the Upper Back

(Sorry I haven't posted for awhile. Frankly, I have been enjoying the summer with my children!)

I recently met with my Master Class (a group of teachers who gather together to talk yoga.) We discussed helping our students get movement into their upper backs. I thought you might enjoy a few of the gems we came up with!

Getting movement into the upper back is tricky for a few reasons:
1. It is the only area on your body you cannot see without a mirror. As a result, you do not have a direct connection with the area, just a reflection.
2. The area is tight from the forward slump many of us wear with our posture. Ironically, the tension is really from stretched out muscles that have grown chronically weak.
3. There isn’t much movement in the area anyway due to the attachment of the ribs. The ribs are attached to each of the thoracic vertebrae (the vertebrae that run from the base of your neck to your upper lower back) and therefore restrict the movement of those vertebrae.

I read this fabulous metaphor at some point years ago and it has remained a vivid image for me when working with the spine. Think of your spine like a bicycle chain. Like a bicycle chain, it can get stuck links. When links get stuck, the looser links on either side of the stuck spot get all the movement and the stuck place remains stuck. The same concept occurs in our spines. We get stuck between a few vertebrae and the joints on either side of the stuck place get all the movement. Without consciousness, we continue to move from the loose places, creating more flexibility there and sometimes instability and the stuck places remain stuck. We need to bring more thought into our upper backs to loosen the chinks.

These first suggestions bring attention to the upper back and warm up the muscles.

• Shoulder Rolls – Make them really big so you are thinking of moving from the shoulder blades rather than the arms. (Of course, the shoulder blades always move when the arms are moving, but when you move them the shoulder blades rather than the arms, you can make bigger movements and you can feel the spot in your upper back as well.)

• Standing pose variations -- In both Parsvottanasana (Extended Side Stretch Pose) and Virabhadrasana I (Warrior I Pose), you can do a variation with the arms behind the back, hands clasped. It brings attention to the upper back.

• “Cactus Arms” (as we call it – “stick ‘em up” is also fun) -- can be done standing or lying down. Start with arms at 90 degrees, hands down. Rotate the upper arms outward, bringing the hands up to the position in the photo. The action draws the shoulder blades strongly into the back.

• There are many variations of Salabhasana (Locust Pose) that help bring more awareness into the upper back.
o Arms out to the side

o Arms overhead: This variation is a bit tricky and probably warrants its own post. For now, suffice it to say the lift needs to come from the mid-back, not the upper trapezius (across the top of your shoulder). If you life your arms and your shoulders contract (bringing them to your ears), you are not using the correct muscles. Stay tuned and I will write more later on this one.

o Lace fingers behind back:

The next variations will help you get movement directly into those stuck spots:

• Of course, backbends over various objects such as blanket roll, chair, or ball are helpful. My favorite variation of this one is backbend over roll a block. I can slowly move the block bit by bit up my back to use the edge to bend at my “stuck” spots. (It feels MUCH better than it looks!) You can do it at any of the heights of the block. If you are at the two lower heights, you can sit on your buttocks and keep your knees bent with feet on the floor. If you are at the highest height, sit in Vajrasana. You can see me in the photo. I lifted up off the floor to get into the pose and then allow both my hips and my upper body to move down into the pose.



• Sphinx: Another excellent variation for “awakening” the upper back. Placing your arms in a variety of positions helps you really get into the upper back.




• Maricyasana III – In this variation, you place your hand on the wall. Use the wall to help you really get the shoulder blade in and to get the twist higher into your back.

What We Teach is Just Our Opinion

One of the best messages I ever received from a yoga teacher came from Barbara Benagh about a dozen years ago. She said whatever a teacher teaches you is only her opinion about a pose based on how it feels in her body. I love to remind myself of this observation whenever my “control” button gets pushed when one of my students has the audacity to do something other than what I have taught her (Note: last sentence must be read with dripping sarcasm.) Perhaps she has decided that what works in my body doesn’t work in hers!

77 Surprising Health Benefits of Yoga

Check this out! What a fabulous, and thorough, list! It should keep you doing your yoga for years to come...77 Surprising Health Benefits of Yoga.

Plus, some fun facts to share with your students to keep them coming back...

Honor Other People’s Reality:

We all have beliefs about our bodies. (And beliefs, by the way, are just an opinion, a thought, that we have held for a very long time. Read more about them here.) We may see ourselves as flexible, tight, injured, weak, strong, unable to go upside down, unable to balance, etc. My guess is if you sit for a moment you will come up with half a dozen beliefs you have about your own body. What is most interesting about our beliefs is others usually see through them before we do. And, as teachers, we often see that our students are capable of so much more than they think they are.

As teachers we need to honor other people’s realities and at the same time, hold the door open for something more. Beliefs create the reality in the body, not the other way around. If you think you are tight, you will be tight. If you think you can’t do a handstand, guess what? You’re right! We can best help our students by first helping the student feel safe by honoring what they think about their body. I think we have all experienced at one time or another a teacher who led us to feel less than or even stupid by not understanding what he/she was trying to teach us because we weren’t ready or were still too mired in our belief and so still afraid to try. We need to be there with the student in the place the student is, not where we want the student to be.

Then, at the same time, you can hold the door for the student for something more. You can gently guide them to use different language to describe their body, to see that anything can change, that they are capable of anything. Gently remind them they are strong enough, flexible enough, whatever. Then they will fly!