:: YogiSutras: Yoga Blog - Journeys into Yoga ::

Here’s a story about a runner, who travels to Kiev for work. The runner is me, and I am an agile product manager for a software company that does development in the Ukraine. About every 6 weeks, we put out a new release, and I travel to Kiev work side by side with the developers to “harden” the release.

I first traveled to Kiev in early September. The weather was perfect, 70’s to 80’s, with the last heat of summer upon us, and the hint of fall on its tail. The horse chestnut trees were in their full beauty, with big leaves and full fragrance. Of course, as a runner, you notice all these things.

I stayed in an apartment, just a block away from Independence Square. After the long day it takes to get here (um, it takes a MINIMUM of 18 hours, if you’re lucky), I wondered out on a Sunday morning to find some food. Kiev is Eastern Europe, it’s not part of the EU, and it would usually be easy to find food. Except for the fact that Ukrainian/Russian alphabet is so different than ours, so, well, you may understand how hard it was to understand any of the signage and storefronts.

After I cleared my sleepy fog, I realized that I’d better exchange money, and then to find food. I found a bakery (by peaking into windows), and after pointing to a few things, found some joy in what I think was apple strudel, procured some eggs that I could boil in the apartment, and managed to get some water, not caring if it was “bubble water” or not. (I was advised to only drink bottled water, because of hepatitis A worries).

After fueling the runners belly, I ventured out for a run. It was Sunday, and Khreschatyk Street was closed to cars. So, people could walk (or run) in the street! It’s only about .08 miles one way, so not knowing the turf, I just ran up and down a few times. No one gave me a second look, but I stared in awe at all the young people drinking their beer at 11am on a Sunday morning, in public.

That was day 1 of running. Day 2, 3, 4, and 5 lead me on more diverse paths, going up and down the stairs to the underground tunnels (which can also include shopping malls!), as you don’t dare to cross the streets, as drivers are a cross between mad and insane. This is really a good workout for anyone.

Now, I’m back in the Ukraine in mid October for another release, and my story this time isn’t as adventurous. I have yet to venture out for a run because two of my colleagues (on separate occasions within the past two weeks), got stopped by police, who quickly started interrogating them about their passports, found something wrong (which probably wasn’t really wrong), and wouldn’t let them go until they paid them some cash. Now, I’m sure I could do the same by paying my way out of a situation, but I just don’t feel like it! There’s something about a runner in the Ukraine. You DEFINITELY look out of place. No one runs here. Runners look like, well, probably clowns. I realized this after I went clowning around for a week in September.

So, this time, I’m doing my morning callestics in the apartment (much to the despair of those below me), yoga, and walking a lot so at least I feel like I look like I fit in. Maybe I’ll get the nerve up to go out one morning before I leave this Saturday.

That’s all from Kiev. If you ever go, go with someone you can run with. At least there’s safety in numbers! I’m not knocking Kiev in any way. It’s a beautiful and important independent nation that is newly finding their way with their independence, culture and society. It’s just that when you travel, it’s probably wise not to draw attention to yourself as a naive visitor.

Jennifer Fawcett
(not running in Kiev, this time!)

Kenyon Yoga is honored to offer:
Integrative Yoga Therapy for Athletes
An 8 week program, with Laura Yasuda, CYI

*Free “Preview” class on Thursday, October 4th, 5:30-6:45! Call or email to reserve your space: kenyonyoga@yahoo.com, 303-506-1826

Learn specific yoga techniques that help you relax your mind and body, reduce stress, increase breath capacity and awareness, and stretch and open your body.

What
8 weeks of 75 minute classes (1 class per week) that include the following guided exercises:

• Yoga Education (yoga philosophy, chakra training, the effects of stress)
• Body Awareness (body scan and energy awareness)
• Breath Exercises (pranayama, mudras)
• Asana Practice (the physical yoga practice)
• Yoga Nidra (guided relaxation)
• Meditation

When
Thursdays, from 5:30pm-6:45pm beginning October 18th.
Special “free” preview class offered on October 4th.
(no class week of Thanksgiving)

Where
Kenyon Yoga
2861 Kenyon Circle, Boulder, Co
Call: 303-506-1826 or email: kenyonyoga@yahoo.com to reserve your space.

Pricing
$55 for 8 classes. First come first serve. Kenyon Yoga is a small, private neighborhood studio that has a maximum capacity of 9 students. Monday 5:30-6:30 evening vinyasa flow classes are also offered.

I am about to embark on a yoga retreat to Amansala, in Tulum, Mexico. This week long retreat comes after a 3-day business trip to Palo Alto, California. Starting yesterday (Monday) morning, I took off for DIA at 6:30am with my boss, Dean. We traveled the usual route, and arrived a good hour and 1/2 before my plane left. But, I did not plan on the long lines at the airport. Long story short, I made my plane with 30 seconds to go, running down concourse A, while they were calling my name for last boarding. I’ve never been the last one to board a plane. It took a while to come back to my yoga breath after that event.

We arrived in Santa Clara, and were blessed with a car that smelled like dead fish. I mean, DEAD FISH. Sasha, our agile team leader, said it smelled like he was riding on the wrong end of a camel. He asked me what camel was in sanskrit , and I replied Ustrasana. He enjoyed knowing the sanskrit name that appropriately represented the smell of our car.

Tomorrow, (Wed), I head back to Denver, where I can rest for 8 hours before my plane to Cancun, Mexico. I’m not taking my computer, so I apologize for not blogging next week, but I did pack my journal, so I will come back and blog my yoga retreat details when I return. Check back in one week!

Namaste,

–ifer

In case you ever wanted to know, it is hard to overcook a hard-boiled egg. Every other day, I boil four or five eggs to eat as my ever-so-hurried breakfast. Yesterday, I put four on the stove, and FORGOT ABOUT THEM. I left them on for at least 40 minutes, until I went down stairs and found 4 eggs, almost bone-dry, sizzling in the bottom of the pot. My immediate reaction was to throw them out, but then my curiosity got the best of me. Why don’t I try one? So, I did. The egg white was not much harder then a regular hard-boiled egg, and the yoke was nice and yellow. The only odd thing I noticed was that there was a slight greenish tint surrounding the yoke. Between yesterday and today, I actually ate all four, and my stomach is fine.

In case you ever wanted to know.

~Namaste

In my little studio (Kenyon Yoga), I often have the honor of guiding students who are completely new to Yoga as a practice. They come because their wives ask them to, or because they are a runner, golfer, neighbor, or just because they have heard of yoga and wanted to try it in a small, unintimidating environment.

After the initial conversations and introductions (”don’t laugh at me!”, “I’m not flexible at all!”, “She made me come to this”), the class begins in Child’s Pose. This is where the transformation begins, where they all come to their breath, center themselves, calm their minds, and retreat inward. Somewhere in Sun A, they realize, that they can do Yoga, and that no one is looking at them other than themselves. The giggling stops, and all you hear is their beautiful, synchronized breath. As they continue through class, there’s often a time or two where you lose one or two students, their gaze pops up, their eyes bug out, and their lips turn down, and in those instances, some positive, kind words, bringing them back to the breath and guiding them slightly out of an asana into perhaps a more comfortable modification works wonders.

Somewhere along the way, time gets lost. I have a watch, but the vinyasas and breathing really guide the tempo and timing of the class. I can feel when their bodies are ready to release into their surrender poses. This part of class is very much the reward, the goal, or the physical and mental release for students. They realize they did it, and that no one but themselves had any critical reaction to them being there, and that the love and light was present the entire class. It’s this moment, as an instructor, that my heart just glows, and I watch them melt into Shavasana with a special joy.

Here is a beginner’s class that even advanced students enjoy. I’ve omitted Bakasana (crow pose), Ustrasana (camel pose), Setu Bandha Sarvangasana (bridge pose), and other perhaps challenging asanas, and rather focus on gentle vinyasas and the breath.

Balasana (Childs Pose)
Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward facing dog)
Rag Doll

Surya-Namaskara A (Sun A)
Uttanasana - Flat Back
Uttanasana (forward fold)
Tadasana (Mountain Pose)
Uttanasana (forward fold)
(repeat 3 times)

Chaturanga Dandasana (high plank to low plank)
Urdhva Mukha Svanasana (upward facing dog)
Adho Mukha Svanasana
Jump or walk forward
Tadasana
Samasthitih (standing hands at heart center)
Tadasana
Uttanasana
Uttanasana - Flat Back
(Chaturanga Dadasana, repeat 3 times, end in Adho Mukha Svanasana)

Surya-Namaskara B (Sun B)
Adho Mukha Svanasana
Utkatasana
Uttanasana
Uttanasana - Flat Back
Chaturanga Dadasana
Adho Mukha Svanasana
Lift Right Leg High
Low Lunge
Crescent Lunge
Spine twist towards the right (open up both arms, right arm reaches towards the back, left arm toward the front)
Virabhadrasana II (Warrier II) Lead with left arm, circle it up and over the head, spin left heal to mat, right arm reaches forward.
Extended Side Angle
Reverse Warrier
Chaturanga Dadasana
Adho Mukha Svanasana
(repeat left side, flow through Utkatasana, Chaturanga Dadasana, one mor time, and repeat basic flow 3 times)

Utkatasana
Prayer twist right side
Gorilla Pose
Prayer twist left side
Forward fold
Halfway Lift
Chaturanga Dadasana
Walk or jump feet through and roll onto back

ABS! (take a little breather, and flow into abdominal sequence of your choice…bicycles are a nice choice, ending with Boat Pose)

Chaturanga Dadasana
Adho Mukha Svanasana

Lunge and Trikonasana series
Lift Right Leg High
Low Lunge
Crescent Lunge
Virabhadrasana II (warrier II)
Reverse Trikonasana
Trikonasana
Prasarita Padottanasana (using variations, bending knee, walking hands from side to side)
Virabhadrasana II
Chaturanga Dadasana
Adho Mukha Svanasana
(Left side, and integrate hands clasped behind back for Prasarita Padottanasana )

Standing Series
Garudasana (eagle pose, 2 times both sides)
Natarajasana (dancer, both sides)
Vrksasana (tree pose, both sides)

Chaturanga Dadasana
Adho Mukha Svanasana
(High Plank, slowly lower to belly for low back series)

Bhujangasana (low cobra, 2 times)
Airplane Pose, arms to side, lift heart, chest and legs
Superman Pose, arms to front, lift heart, chest and legs
(modification, if low back pain, separate legs)

Adho Mukha Svanasana (modify with embryo pose, bringing legs together)

Ardha Kapotasana (half pigeon, both sides)
—alternative, Runners Lunge, both sides

Walk feet forward and come on to a seated position, legs in front

Paschimotanasana (seated forward fold)

Roll onto back

Ananda Balasana - Happy Baby Pose

Spinal Twist

Shavasana

End with what ever mantra you feel!

With honor,

Jennifer

I’m sure you’ve all experienced the “yoga teachers rut.” You teach anywhere from 2-10 classes a week, and you feel like you’re teaching the same thing, over and over again. Not only that, you SAY the same thing over, and over.

Well, I’m there. This week, I taught 4 classes, and I think I repeated the same words over 100 times, and somehow, even though I didn’t plan it, I taught the same vinyasa sequence, with minor options.

My original strategy to combat the “rut” was to go to other classes. Take seminars. Learn from other mentors. Seems easy, right? Yes, you can easily learn and teach someone else’s class, but I’ve found that in order to be yourself, a better strategy is to practice your own practice.

Now, this is hard. There’s no one else in the studio! There’s no external prana to help you go within! But once you get beyond that, and find your mind/body connection and meditation, you’ll find some beautiful vinyasas that really work, and that your students will enjoy.

Here’s a little tip (that I learned from one of my mentors, Shiva Rea). Find the vinyasa within the asana. Find the mini-movement (whether it be arm, hip, leg, a hop, etc), and integrate that into your asanas. Here is an example:

Utkatasana. (This is one of my own personal nemisis’). Awkward Chair Pose, or Thunderbolt Pose. Start with moving your hips side to side. Then, add your arms, and sway your hips side to side while your arms are swaying in the opposite direction. Have some fun with music with a beat! Or, simply switch your weight from heal to toe, while gently moving your hips forward and back. You’ll find perhaps a deeper Utkatasana, and settle into the pose. Not only that, you’ll find new words to guide them through this mini-vinyasa within the asana.

I’d love to hear your strategies for combating the “rut.” I’ll share more later.

~Namaste,

–Jennifer

Greetings Yogi friends,

I often document my vinyasa sequences. Would anyone be interested to see them posted? Just wondering…

Namaste

–Jennifer

Last week, The Wild Divine Project introduced their newest product, Healing Rhythms. As a user of their current products: The Journey to Wild Divine: The Passage and Widsom Quest, (and a yoga instructor) of course I was completely intrigued and inspired to purchase right away.

The first thing that impressed with me, and immediately got me grounded with the product, was the guided meditation training. Wild Divine creatively used world-renound experts Deepak Chopra, M.D., Dean Ornish, M.D., and Andrew Weil, M.D., as well as other leaders Sharon Salsberg, Stephen Cope, Nawang Khechog (who we all know from The Journey!), and Joan Borysenko as mentors and meditation trainers throughout the 15 step guided meditation and biofeedback training.

After using the game, The Journey to Wild Divine for over a year now, I found it very refreshing to have the ability with Healing Rhythms to go right to my training, without having to navigate a “passage”. As a mom, career person, yoga instructor, and overall over-busy person, this ability to go RIGHT TO A MEDITATION PRACTICE was incredible. I could chose either “Guided Training”, which leads me through a 15 step practice, or “Self Exploration” mode, which allowed me to go right to the activity or practice I needed at the moment. Of course, I went right to “Self Exploration”, but then soon bounced back to “Guided Training” to make sure I wasn’t missing any golden nuggets of information that I could use in my day-to-day activities.

The new biofeedback device, the IOM, was much smaller and than the previous lightstone that shipped with The Journey. The finger sensors also seemed more comfortable. It has lights on it, which are meant to help you understand when your body and heart rate come into “coherence.” Healing Rhythms also comes with an integrated Grapher, which has enhanced graphics and monitors, that show you your progress as well.

Overall, I give this product an A+. I can see using it with my yoga practice, as well as on a daily basis to help reduce stress, anxiety, and overall wellness. To learn more, visit www.wilddivine.com.

Just like the wind, seasons, water, and earth’s rotation, my diet went through a HUGE change last week. In short, I just lost it. I frequently will have a day where I’m off, but last week, I had a WEEK that was off. Potato chips, crumb cake, cookies, candy, crap, crap, crap.

Sunday, I made a conscious decision to pull it back together. Part of the reason I went off track was because I got lazy with my cooking. So, I pulled out my Chopra Center Cookbook and planned my meals. The day started with a trip to Whole Foods to gather all the ingredients for the recipes I selected. Here’s what I decided I would have:

Baked Yams and Tofu (although, I changed the Tofu to Chicken, and it worked great)
Granola (to snack on throughout the day)
Pumpkin Muffins (because I knew I would want something sweet)
FRUIT throughout the day.

And, a cleansing ayurveda staple that I like to make monthly (or even more often), Kitchari . it’s really delicious, and brings my cravings back in line.

So, today, my diet is back on track, and I started with my Pumpkin muffins, which have the following ingredients:

2 cups whole wheat pastry flour or spelt
1/2 cup turbinado sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup sliced almonds
1/2 cup raisons
1 cup low-fat soymik or rice milk (I used rice milk)
1 tbsp canola oil
1/4 cup maple syrup
3/4 cup mashed pumpkin

Mix the dry together, and separately mix the wet together. Then, mix them all together and pour into a muffin tin. Bake for approx 25 min at 350.

They are yummy, and only have 200 calories per muffin, 3.7 g fat, .6 g saturated fat, 37.9 g. Carbs, and 3.7 g protein

My yoga class enjoyed them after practice this morning

~Namaste

–Jennifer

On my continued quest to make my little mark in saving the world by reducing my personal and family oil consumption, I drove the Toyota Prius last night.

It’s not an Audi (BUT!), it is a really nice car. The edition I drove had leather seats. It was a hot evening, and the air conditioning kept us very cool. The dash was somewhat spaceship-like, which I got used to it very quickly. No key is required, which is a programmable-brain-shift for most humans, but I’m sure we can all adapt.

The next thing that it took getting used to was the “nob” that you use to shift from reverse to drive to park. It’s literally a little nob. Not a shifter like we’re all used to, but a single nob on the dash. I think of it as “cute”.

Backing up, I used the Backup monitor, which gave you a 3D look of everything behind you. Very cool. I took the car down a windy-road, and it hugged the road very well. Then, I took it down the highway, and while there were no twin-turbos, the car accelerated well, and the continuous shift system delivered a smooth ride.

The interior of the car is quite spaceous. If I fold down the seats, I can easily fit my three large dogs, and some Costco groceries.

The purchasing process is much like adopting a child. Yes, there is really a wait-list for this car. The process goes like this: Select your preferences, and pay a deposit (the Boulder Toyota dealer offers a REFUNDABLE $500 deposit, because the line is so long). They get on average, two Prius’ in per month. When the cars arrive, the dealer goes down the list and matches the car’s features to the right buyer, and that lucky buyer gets a call. When I was at the dealer, there was one white Prius awaiting it’s owner. Within the time it took me to test-drive the car, that lucky owner came and adopted his vehicle.

I’m getting on the list. Can’t wait to adopt my new child.

~Namaste