From Yoga Journal’s Blog
Posted in Health & Wellness, Uncategorized, Yoga
Tagged Men's Yoga, Mens Fitness, Yoga
By Bethany Earls, RYT
Life is full of transitions. Some are major, like starting school, getting married or retiring from a lifelong career. Others are different, more private and not marked by a certain day or event, but known to you as significant and life changing. They may be things like transitioning from unhealthy eating (donuts, anyone?) to eating healthy, nutritious foods (fresh fruits and vegetables perhaps) or transitioning your inner life such that you feel worthy of dating the type of person you deserve (you are, you know).
Big or small, transitions can be daunting and exciting all at the same time. Some people hurl themselves toward the new and different aspects of their lives, some approach them with more trepidation and still others avoid them altogether until they are forced to confront them, laid off from a job or thrust out of the nest of college life. Then there are those who seem to move effortlessly through life transitions, keeping a calm and steady presence in their lives, keeping up with their responsibilities and even maintaining a cheerful attitude.
Yoga offers an opportunity to practice smooth and mindful transitions. In the midst of change, returning to your yoga mat can feel very grounding. Transitions between poses are just as much a part of yoga as the postures themselves. Staying mindful and grounded between poses helps you to feel mindful and grounded during transitions in life. If you can’t make it to yoga class and are feeling especially short of time, take five minutes to practice this slight variation of Warrior I pose (in Sanskrit, Virabhadrasana I):
From a standing position, take a giant step back with one leg to create a long stance, then step your feet hip-width distance apart. Point your front toes straight ahead and angle your back toes so they are at about 45 degrees from the wall in front of you. Use your hands to help steer your hips so both hips are pointing straight ahead and bend your front knee directly over your front ankle. Rest your hands together at your heart center and focus your gaze (in Sanskit, dristi) on a point directly in front of you.
Now, press both feet strongly into the floor, imagine that you have roots, like a tree, that are grounding you to the earth. If your back heel is lifting off the floor slightly, press through your back heel and the outer edge of your back foot. Relax your shoulders and release any tension in your face. Take five deep breaths. Listen to each inhale and each exhale. Feel yourself rooting to the earth and becoming more grounded with each breath. To transition out of the pose, slightly shift your weight into your front leg and step the back foot to meet the front foot. Take a few deep breaths. Then, mindfully repeat on the other side. Give yourself a moment to notice how you feel afterwards.
Happy Grounding!
Namaste,
Bethany
Posted in Health & Wellness, Yoga
Tagged grounding, Life Transitions, Mind-Body Connection, Yoga
By Bethany Earls, RYT
Life is full of transitions. Some are major, like starting school, getting married or retiring from a lifelong career. Others are different, more private and not marked by a certain day or event, but known to you as significant and life changing. They may be things like transitioning from unhealthy eating (donuts, anyone?) to eating healthy, nutritious foods (fresh fruits and vegetables perhaps) or transitioning your inner life such that you feel worthy of dating the type of person you deserve (you are, you know).
Big or small, transitions can be daunting and exciting all at the same time. Some people hurl themselves toward the new and different aspects of their lives, some approach them with more trepidation and still others avoid them altogether until they are forced to confront them, laid off from a job or thrust out of the nest of college life. Then there are those who seem to move effortlessly through life transitions, keeping a calm and steady presence in their lives, keeping up with their responsibilities and even maintaining a cheerful attitude.
Yoga offers an opportunity to practice smooth and mindful transitions. In the midst of change, returning to your yoga mat can feel very grounding. Transitions between poses are just as much a part of yoga as the postures themselves. Staying mindful and grounded between poses helps you to feel mindful and grounded during transitions in life. If you can’t make it to yoga class and are feeling especially short of time, take five minutes to practice this slight variation of Warrior I pose (in Sanskrit, Virabhadrasana I):
From a standing position, take a giant step back with one leg to create a long stance, then step your feet hip-width distance apart. Point your front toes straight ahead and angle your back toes so they are at about 45 degrees from the wall in front of you. Use your hands to help steer your hips so both hips are pointing straight ahead and bend your front knee directly over your front ankle. Rest your hands together at your heart center and focus your gaze (in Sanskit, dristi) on a point directly in front of you.
Now, press both feet strongly into the floor, imagine that you have roots, like a tree, that are grounding you to the earth. If your back heel is lifting off the floor slightly, press through your back heel and the outer edge of your back foot. Relax your shoulders and release any tension in your face. Take five deep breaths. Listen to each inhale and each exhale. Feel yourself rooting to the earth and becoming more grounded with each breath. To transition out of the pose, slightly shift your weight into your front leg and step the back foot to meet the front foot. Take a few deep breaths. Then, mindfully repeat on the other side. Give yourself a moment to notice how you feel afterwards.
Happy Grounding!
Namaste,
Bethany
Posted in Health & Wellness, Yoga
Tagged grounding, Life Transitions, Mind-Body Connection, Yoga
Om….a symbol of connection to the sacred and a resonant sound that seems to attune our inner self to deep peace and infinite possibility, especially when it is chanted. Frequently, utterances of om will accompany the closing of a yoga class or the opening of a meditation session. When a group of people “om” together, the vibration is profoundly beautiful and cleansing. Its also amazing as a solitary practice.
A recent article in Spirit of Change included how Swami Kripalu (of the now well-known Kripalu Center in the Berkshires) instructed around chanting om as a mantra. Here is a summary:
Relax and take in energy as you inhale fully.
As you exhale, allow the “Au” sound to flow out, allowing it to hang in the air until you naturally move into the “mm” sound. Experience the vibration throughout your body.
Repeating the mantra, let the experience evoke peace, joy and a deep calm.
Posted in Health & Wellness, Meditation, Uncategorized, Yoga
Tagged chanting, chanting om, meditation, om, Yoga, Yoga Class
By Debra LeClair Psy.D.
A few days ago, I attended the Yoga Journal Conference in Boston ( More on that later) and was able to absorb some great information. Here are just a few tidbits and added thoughts:
And a great T-shirt that was for sale for yoga instructors, simply read:
Yoga Dealer
By Debra LeClair Psy.D.
A few days ago, I attended the Yoga Journal Conference in Boston ( More on that later) and was able to absorb some great information. Here are just a few tidbits and added thoughts:
And a great T-shirt that was for sale for yoga instructors, simply read:
Yoga Dealer
By Bethany Earls, CYT
As a yoga teacher, people often say to me, “I would love to do yoga, but I’m just not flexible. I can’t even touch my toes.” I typically tell them that we all have flexibility, but as with many things, if we don’t cultivate it we lose it. The good news is that practiced regularly, yoga cultivates flexibility.
Yoga is a practice that’s about much more than flexibility, however. For example, in every yoga class you practice breathing. All of us breathe regardless of flexibility. With its emphasis on self awareness, self compassion and self acceptance, yoga is accessible to everyone. Even if you feel you’re not flexible.
For those less familiar with yoga, this may not make much sense, especially if you’re accustomed to seeing photographs of yogis in all sorts of unorthodox postures that require extreme flexibility. The truth is it’s rare to wander into a yoga class and actually see someone in one of those postures. When you arrive in a yoga class, especially the classes at Full Spectrum Wellness, you’ll see a lot of people who look and move a lot like you do. Some have tight muscles and less flexibility than others. Some bend their knees to touch their toes (which I often encourage, since it protects the lower back).
What I admire about yoga students is that they show up despite their apprehension about their body’s capabilities. They know there are many simple yoga postures and ways to modify them to suit their physical needs. They recognize that their yoga practice isn’t contingent on their flexibility and discover with each yoga class that their flexibility increases gradually. They relish the private victory of just showing up. Yoga honors showing up; increased flexibility is simply a fringe benefit.
If your perceived lack of flexibility is stopping you from practicing yoga, I invite you to join us for a yoga class at Full Spectrum Wellness. You’ll soon realize that you can practice yoga regardless of your level of flexibility.
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