I really wish you could come to one of my yoga classes with me, especially yesterday morning’s class.  The class was taught by Daniel, a wonderful yoga teacher at the studio to which I belong who has recently taken his teaching to a whole new level.  To say that I look forward to each and every one of his classes would be a sheer understatement.  Daniel has this amazing way about him.  He’s upbeat, gentle, full of passion and his soft nature can make the grouchiest of people smile.  But, he can also teach a kickass class.  And yesterday’s class was exactly that.

Class started off pretty easy.  We did some breathing, moved onto some light stretching and then began flowing.  Within 15 minutes, the room become incredibly hot and I was starting to drip with sweat.  While we primarily focused on our hips and hamstrings yesterday, there was one series of stretches that blew my mind and nearly had me crying like a little baby.  I’m not sure if there were technical or sanskrit names for these poses (the word ‘insanity’ does comes to mind), but what I do know is that I felt every ounce of them.  Essentially, we did a series of quadriceps stretches with one leg bent and lunging forward, foot flat on the ground, and the other leg kneeling and bent backwards with the foot moving forwards.  It was supposed to look like this:

Image Credit – yogaplexus.com
(this is actually the teacher I talked about from this post)

Needless to say, these stretches were no cake walk.  In fact, I was in quite a bit of discomfort, if not pain.  We don’t usually do these stretches in class and therefore, my muscles were just not used to them.  As I was taking slow and deep breaths to calm my mind and to tell myself that I wasn’t in fact being tortured, my teacher chuckled and said, “the feeling you are experiencing right now is called enlightenment.”  While a good portion of us sort of laughed, most were still grimacing in distress.  Daniel went on to tell us that being able to find pleasure in pain and discomfort is what some would consider enlightenment.  To be able to find the beauty in what we so often see as disaster is how we transcend and grow as humans.  I thought about Daniel’s words for the rest of class and for the rest of the day.  What he told us in class made so much sense and really struck a nerve with me (HA!  I totally didn’t mean that one!).

Image Credit – chopra.com

As I looked back on my life, I tried to remember the times when I experienced the most pain, both emotional and physical.  Those times in my life certainly weren’t fun, and I certainly did not laugh as I was experiencing them.  But once I overcame the pain and worked through the severity in what I was feeling, I somehow felt better.  In a sense, I felt free.

I remember learning to ride my bike as a kid for the first time and how I constantly fell and got countless bumps and bruises.  It hurt and for awhile, I just didn’t want to ride.  I know think I may have even cursed my bike.  But soon enough, I learned how to ride without falling off and the bumps and bruises healed and were forgotten.  I also remember the pain of having my heart broken for the first time and how I never thought I would get over it.  Everything reminded me of him, and the thought of moving on just didn’t seem possible.  But as time passed, I did get over him and I did move on.  I also remember how I felt when I found out my parents were separating.  I never thought it could happen to me, and the realization that their story wasn’t going to be happily ever after, crushed me.  But seeing that they both are now in a better place and living happy and full lives brings me comfort, and makes me understand that things really do happen for a reason.  And when my grandmother passed away when I was 10 years-old, I discovered what grief was and what it was like to lose someone you love.  It was pain like I had never experienced, and made me see just how cruel life could be.  But feeling those raw emotions toughened me, and I learned that life is truly precious.

Image Credit – lifevesting.com

In every situation, I experienced pain and while I didn’t think I could ever rise above it, I somehow flourished and emerged a stronger person.  There’s no doubt that while I was in the midst of my suffering, whether it was physical or emotional, there was pain.  It was real, and I certainly was not at ease.  But when we can find a shred of pleasure or comfort when we are in distress, we can somehow manage to find peace.  Pain doesn’t have to be something from which we hide; it can actually be something that brings out the true warrior in us.  We can conquer the pain by finding the power that lies within it, and use it to help us stand tall, versus standing in the darkness.  And when we find the key to accomplishing that, we have truly found enlightenment.

Image Credit – lenayoga.com

What moment in your life has taught you the most about yourself?  And if that’s too personal, what’s your favorite stretch or your favorite way to stretch?

***Interested in trying some delicious fruit snacks?  Check out Morgan’s giveaway – they really sound too good to be true!***

Namasté,
Nicole

I’ve been reading more and more about people challenging themselves with fitness goals.  The runners and cyclists out there have been signing up for races and thus, gearing up for their training.  Others have been hitting the gym hard. They’ve been trying to go as often as they can, taking classes varying from Body Pump, kickboxing, spinning and Budokon.  I’ve also encountered people who have been committing themselves to getting at least an hour of cardio close to every day, along with some strength training.  And then there are the ones who are challenging themselves to practicing yoga for a pre-determined set of days.  I love the perseverance and dedication from all the people I’ve been reading about – regardless of the activity they are committed to doing.  I don’t know if it’s because of New Year’s resolutions, if the winter doldrums are forcing people to want to be active in order to stay warm or if it’s because people are just in need to get into shape.  But whatever the reason is, I support it 100%.

Image Credit – walkmoreeatless.com

I guess the fitness fever is contagious because I’ve been doing my hardest to practice yoga as much as I can.  And when I say, ‘as much as I can’, that means every day.  I’ve been trying to get myself to the studio every day of the week to get my daily session of hot power yoga.  In theory, being able to get on my mat every chance I can get is a glorious thing.  But, that is theory, and not reality.  Because I’ve been without a car for the past few weeks, Patrick and I have been having to share his.  Thus, going to class whenever I want hasn’t been entirely possible.  Patrick and I have been working on several exciting projects and while I am grateful for that, I’ve been quite busy and have had to adjust my schedule.  And naturally, there are just some days when I’m tired, sore or just plain not in the mood to go to class.  In other words, I just haven’t been able to practice yoga as often as I would like.

Image Credit – ehow.com

When I couldn’t meet my self-prescribed challenge, I’ll have to admit I was a bit bummed.  I kept asking myself questions like, ‘what is wrong with me?’, ‘why can’t I do it?’, ‘why am I so lazy?’ and ‘why can everyone else complete their goals but me?’  But none of those questions were making me feel any better and they weren’t helping me accomplish my goals any faster.  In fact, I was feeling worse.

I love how I feel in my body, mind and soul when I’m practicing yoga.  I feel strong, happy, healthy, love for my self and for all those around me and I feel capable.  I’m relaxed when I’m on my mat and I’m at ease.  I’m not critiquing myself, I’m not upset if I don’t meet a certain mark and I’m not putting myself down.  In fact, I’m at peace with myself when I’m practicing yoga.  So why can’t I have these same emotions and feelings when I’m off the mat?  Why is it that when I’m not practicing, I can’t seem to achieve that same level of peace?

Image Credit – businesspundit.com

This dilemma has plagued me for quite some time, and I’m still not sure if I’ll ever have the complete answer.  But what I have come to realize is that there shouldn’t be a beginning and an end to one’s yoga practice.  Yoga should be something that is practiced everyday, but that doesn’t mean one needs to be on their mat.  The lessons we learn in class about life and about ourselves should be something we practice on a consistent basis, not just for 90 minutes a day in a bamboo-floored studio.  Just like the transitions we utilize in yoga flowing from pose-to- pose, our actions and thoughts we have on and off the mat should be seamless.  We grow and transcend when we can mimic what we accomplish in our yoga practice, in our daily lives.  As my yoga teacher tells us, “our mats should be a practice space, not a performance space.”  We shouldn’t reserve all of our positive energy and emotion just for the times that we are able to make it to class or to our mats, and shine for those short moments when we are in the studio.  By using the time when we can practice yoga as time to teach and prepare ourselves for our day-to-day lives, we are truly practicing.  And when we can make how we conduct ourselves while we’re practicing yoga be virtually the same as when we are not, then the need for making challenges and for criticizing ourselves when we aren’t able to meet our own standards suddenly aren’t as important.  We can practice every day because the practice of yoga is something that can be done in our minds.  We don’t need to be on our mats or in a studio, we just need our breath and the knowledge that peace can be achieved at any time and any place.

Image Credit – path2innerpeace.com

Do you like setting goals for yourself?  How do you keep yourself motivated?  What do you do when you can’t meet your goals?

Namasté,
Nicole

How many times has this happened to you? You’re in a rush and need to meet a deadline.  As you’re banging away at your computer, trying your hardest to get everything finished, your co-worker comes by.  He starts talking and talking about something unrelated to work and won’t even take a breath to notice that you’re working harder than James Brown.  But instead of taking a few minutes to give him your undivided attention, you ‘yes’ him and half listen to what he’s saying.  In fact, you’ve heard all that your co-worker has been saying one too many times, as he seems to go on this rant several times a week.  So, instead of engaging your co-worker and thoroughly listening to his words, you basically just nod your head and answer his questions in your mind before he even asks them.  Sound familiar?

Image Credit – creativeenergyblog.com

Well, I don’t want to admit it, but I am totally guilty of this.  I used to think it was me being a fabulous multitasker, but that was just me trying to convince myself that I could do no wrong and that I basically had everything figured it out.  Sometimes I get so focused on what I’m doing in my own life, that I tend to shut out the rest of the world.  I’m not trying to say that I walk around like a zombie and that I don’t communicate with humans.  In fact, it’s the complete opposite.  My goal is to look and act as ‘normal’ as possible on the outside, but to be completely engulfed in my own self-thought on the inside.  Actually, I’m so good at this little charade that at times, I tend to fool myself.

The other day in yoga class, I was having a difficult time keeping up.  I’m not sure what the issue was?  Perhaps I wasn’t hydrated enough?  Maybe I didn’t get enough rest the night before?  Was I hungry?  Did I have too much on my mind?  Whatever the case was, I just wasn’t feeling it.  But instead of listening to what my body was telling me, I told my body to keep going.  After all, I had been practicing on average about 6 days a week for the past two years.  I knew my body could hack it.  The poses that we were doing in class weren’t hard.  I knew them all like the back of my hand and it didn’t seem as if anyone else in class was struggling.  I just kept ignoring what was going on inside of me and plowed through the rest of the class.  I felt like crap, but I didn’t care.  My goal was to just finish – how my mind and body felt didn’t play a factor.

Image Credit – somethingbruins.blogspot.com

As I was pushing through another pose, my teacher started talking about having a ‘know-it-all’ mind.  She asked if we were treating ourselves like so many other people we interact with on a daily basis.  Were we fully listening?  Were our bodies trying to have a conversation with us that we just couldn’t pay attention to?  Did we think we already had everything figured out?  Like in almost every class, I thought my teacher was talking directly to me.  I had the ‘know-it-all’ mind and I was definitely not listening to what my body had to say.  I was treating myself the way I was treating my chatty co-worker.  That kind of treatment wasn’t fair to my co-worker and it wasn’t fair to me.

After having my revelation, I finally decided to let my body do the talking and my ears do the listening.  Even though we were coming towards the end of class, I decided to make the every last minute count.  I listened to what was going on inside of me and walked over to the wall and just let my legs rest (viparita karani).  It felt amazing to completely let go and to feel the support beneath my legs.  While I wasn’t feeling 100% for most of the class, I felt completely at ease while I was resting.  Once I allowed my body the chance to speak and to be heard, the ‘off’ feeling I was having started to disappear.  For the last few moments of class, I was at peace – physically, mentally and spiritually.  I wasn’t pretending as if I knew what was going on with my body and that I had everything figured out.  For once, the ‘know-it-all’ didn’t want to know anything.  I was glad to have the opportunity for my mind to learn as much as possible from my body.  All of the information was available for me to soak in, it was always there.  I just had acknowledge it.  But when we train ourselves to constantly be the best at everything, we don’t leave room for growth or improvement.  For that reason, we need to understand that it’s important for us to be both the teacher and the student.  As soon as we start thinking we know everything, that’s when we’ll find just how little we know.

Image Credit – thehealthylivinglounge.com

Are you a fan of Lost?  I am!  And I’m so psyched that the new season has started.  If you are a fan, what did you think of last night’s episode?  If not, are there any television shows on right now that you just have to watch?

Namasté,
Nicole

Do you ever feel as if you’re always in a rush?  Or that you’re always putting yourself on ‘fast’ speed?  I do.  It seems like I rush out of bed to get up, so I won’t be late.  I rush out of the shower to get dressed, in order to leave the house on time.  I get annoyed when I’m sitting in traffic because I want to get to wherever I’m going, faster.  When I’m walking along a crowded sidewalk, I begin to move quicker because I don’t want to be caught amongst the slow people.  And more often times than I would like to admit, I’m eating my meals at such a rapid speed that I don’t even remember tasting what I’m eating.  Is it just me?

Image Credit – justicebuilding.blogspot.com

The other day when I was in yoga class, my teacher spoke about this just as I was quickening my breath to get to the next pose.  The pose was revolving crescent lunge (parivrtta anjaneyasana) and while I can hold the pose, it’s just not that comfortable for me.  Instead of enjoying the fact that I can actually get into the pose, or enjoying the process of getting into the pose, I just force myself into it and rush through my breathing until the next pose is called.  It seems as though I’m never happy with just getting into the pose, I’m just always looking for what’s next.  I seem to anticipate the next pose, rather than appreciating the current.  My teacher talked about how he and a bunch of others went on a hiking trip a few months back and how they spent hours climbing a mountain.  Once they reached the top, the others practically did a pivot turn and started walking back down the mountain, while my teacher stood at the peak and simply enjoyed the view.  He couldn’t understand why his group would spend so much time getting to their destination, and then not take a moment to enjoy what they had accomplished.  It was as if they just wanted to move on to their next challenge without acknowledging what they had just achieved.

Image Credit – pasturegreen.co.uk

I then realized that not only was I in a hurry for many of the poses throughout my yoga practice, but I was also in a hurry throughout many parts of my life.  For example, I would much rather throw together a salad or press a sandwich versus taking the time to prepare more of a home-cooked meal.  I like to flip through the pages of a magazine and glance at the pictures versus taking the time to actually read the articles.  When someone stops to talk to me at the yoga studio as I’m trying to leave to go home, I tend to half-listen to what they’re saying in anticipation of the things on my to-do list.  And when sitting in the car, whether I’m driving or just a passenger, I’m thinking about how much sooner we can get there and what will happen once I get there versus appreciating the time I have in the car.  I can’t seem to fully embrace what is going on at the exact moment; I’m just always thinking about what’s next.

When Astrid recently mentioned in her blog post that the anticipation of something, whether it be an activity or an event, often times exceeds the actual experience, it totally hit home with me.  She talked about how she viewed her life as something that was going to happen, as opposed to something that was currently happening.  Astrid made a promise to herself that she was going make more of a conscious effort to live in the now.  This is something I want to strive for as well.  I realize that putting myself constantly on fast forward just means I’ll eventually end up going on rewind.  When life moves too quickly and we move too quickly, nothing is gained and everything is missed.  Taking the time to appreciate what we have, who we are in life and how we got to where we are, is one of the most significant things we can do.  After all, your life won’t mean anything, if you can’t remember it.  So, what’s the rush?

Image Credit – zenhabits.net

Do you have any holiday traditions?  If so, what is your favorite?  Or, do you have one you’d like to create?

Namasté,
Nicole

My lips are chapped.  My hands are starting to get that roughness that only comes around once a year.  I no longer have my summer glow.  My coats are no longer lightweight and stylish.  Gone are the sandals and here are the LL Bean bean boots (man, I can’t believe I’ve had the suckers since college).  And my zest for being outside is quickly dwindling…

Image Credit- llbean.com, ioffer.com and freefoto.com

Doesn’t this sound so sad? Well, I thought so…

If you’re not new to my blog, you’ll know I’m not much of a fan of winter.  I’ve mentioned it here and here.  And if you are new, first and foremost, welcome to Healthy Chow! And yes, I really do not like the winter.  But, crazy as it may sound, I live in Massachusetts.  Yes, I live in the Northeast.  I don’t live down south or far west where snow and freezing cold temperatures are less likely.  And no, I don’t ski, ice skate, snowboard, sled or build snowmen (or women) in my spare time.  In fact, I love the hot weather and I love summer.  For me, a bad day at the beach (which doesn’t happen IMHO) is way better than a great day on the slopes (sorry all you ski bunnies).  So why haven’t I moved, you ask?  Well, of course I’ve thought about it.  But, that bright idea only lasts about a minute or until I realize that I would miss my friends and family way too much to be miles and miles away from them.  So, what’s a gal to do?

Image Credit – zazzle.com

When I was at yoga class yesterday morning, I remembered being quite tired and sweaty by the time we got to the middle of class and saying to myself, “please don’t say dancer’s pose…please don’t…I really don’t have the energy…and I really don’t enjoy it…please, please, please.”  And of course, my teacher asked us to go into dancer’s pose.  The law of attraction brought it to me, versus taking it away, because I was focusing on it.  Duh! And that’s when I started wondering about some of the other wrong things on which I’ve been focusing my energy.  The first thing that sprang to my mind was winter.  Ever since our first snowfall this past Saturday, the snow, cold and the upcoming brutal weather are some of the main things taking over consuming my mind.

Image Credit – taiji-star.com

But as soon as I stopped thinking about how much I didn’t want to go into dancer’s pose and just went with the flow (pun intended) by just going into the pose, things seemed easier.  We ended up repeating the pose three times on each side, and each time I tried to not have any negative thoughts about it.  I told myself to find something I liked about the pose and that my distaste for the pose was just a waste of my time and energy.  I then focused on how open my chest felt in the pose and how deeply I could breathe and envisioned myself standing on top of a huge cliff overlooking the ocean.  In other words, I focused my mind and energy on something positive and soon my dislike for dancer’s pose shifted.

On my drive home, I realized that if I could shift my thinking and reaction to a yoga pose, perhaps I could shift my feelings about winter?  If the winter months and weather are going to last from now until early April, then why fight it? Winter in New England is pretty much the same every year.  It’s never going to be sans snow and it’s never going to be hot and balmy, no matter how much I bitch and moan.  That said, I’ve decided to try my hardest to change my thoughts on winter.  I’ve decided to try to find as much beauty as I can in these next few months and I’ve told myself that I would do my best to not complain.  Just as there are poses in yoga that are not my favorite and not the easiest for me to hold, both physically and mentally, I have to endure them because they are a part of my practice.  If I were a runner, I would imagine that there would be parts of my route that would be more challenging than others.  If I were a basketball player, I would imagine there would be some drills that would always get the best of me.  If I were a cyclist, I would imagine there would be hills that would take every ounce of my energy to conquer.  However, in all of those instances, I would never stop.  I wouldn’t stop because I would know that I would find joy on the other side of that challenge.  Similarly, there is spring and then summer on the other side of winter.  By embracing a challenge, a difficult time in one’s life, an unfavorable situation or even something as silly as winter, one can turn their mindset around.  This is exactly what I plan to do about my feelings on winter.

Image Credit – running-mom.com

By finding some charm in this change of season and by finding some positivity in my thinking, I believe I can change my attitude.  Telling myself that I hate the freezing wind, the ice, the cold, driving in the snow, shoveling the snow, walking the in the snow  and dressing for the snow, doesn’t help me one bit.  But reminding myself that we have winter for a reason and that it’s Mother Nature’s way of hibernating and preparing for the spring, helps me to better appreciate the earth’s ways.  And it helps me to release some of my negative tension, something that isn’t helpful to anyone.  I need to remind myself that I am the one that is in control of the way I feel.  I am the one who can ultimately make myself a happier person.  Thus, I am putting an end to my hatred towards winter!  I can’t say that I am going to automatically fall in love with the cold and snow, but at least I’m not going to keep telling myself how much I abhor it.  And hopefully, I’ll soon be able to identify with the term, ‘winter wonderland’.  Now, any one up for some hot cocoa?

What’s your fondest memory of winter?  Or, what’s your fondest memory of your favorite season?

Namasté,
Nicole

Huh?  What’s that? Healthy Chow, are you making up words again?

Are these the questions you’re asking yourself right now after reading the title of my blog post?  Well, I wouldn’t be surprised if you said yes.  I, too, was wondering just what in the heck was ‘chaordic flow’ when I saw the class listed on my yoga studio’s schedule.  It certainly intrigued me, but since the class was being held at a time when I usually don’t practice, I didn’t think too much more about it.  However, when my own schedule went a bit topsy-turvy last week due to my cold, I had to tinker with my usual routine.  I wasn’t feeling so hot on Wednesday morning, but by Wednesday night, I felt well enough to attend a yoga class.  The only class that was available on Wednesday night was this chaordic flow class.  I had heard from people that it was a unique class and like no other yoga class that had been previously taught at the studio.  To me, unique can be good.  Since I’ve been practicing yoga for quite some time now, I thought that this class would be easy and that ‘unique’ just meant not as difficult as the regular vinyasa flow classes.  Uh yeah, WRONG!

Image Credit – innerstrengthyoga.com

When I walked into class, there were only a few students.  I didn’t recognize any of their faces and figured that they must be new to the studio.  And since I assumed they were new, I assumed that the class was going to be taught at a beginner’s level.  Yeah, not so much.  When the class started, the instructor, Aaron Cantor, introduced himself and told the class that this wasn’t going to be a traditional flow class and that it was going to be more of a body movement class.  Interesting…That said, class began and things started off pretty slow.  We practiced shifting our weight from one foot to the other and then from one arm to the other.  And then we were asked to close our eyes and balance on one foot and to keep switching back and forth from one side to the other.  And then with our eyes still closed and while standing on one leg, we had to bring the other leg to the front and then swing it to the back.  We did this for about a minute and then switched to the other side.  I felt so silly doing this and I immediately started to giggle.  While the idea of balancing on one leg and then the other with our eyes closed didn’t seem that difficult, in reality, it truly was.  Aaron said for us to feel as if we were ‘mildly drunk people’ trying to find our way.  This is exactly how I felt!  I kept stumbling over myself and having to drop my leg down to catch my balance.  I was embarrassed that I just couldn’t keep up.  While I was laughing on the outside, I was starting to panic on the inside.

Image Credit – theschoolfortao.com

After practicing a number of different sequences of balancing on one leg, we began getting lower to the ground.  We then started gliding back and forth on our hands and feet (think crab walk) and doing these moves that certainly did not remind me of yoga.  It felt more like a combination of breakdancing and capoeira, neither of which I know how to do or have ever practiced (well, I did bust a few pop n’ locks when I was about 10 years old, and not very well, but that doesn’t count).  Needless to say, I was lost and felt confused watching Aaron demonstrate these movements and then trying to recreate them myself.  My body just wasn’t used to moving that way and I felt awkward.  I was used to being in the front of the class and being able to nail just about every pose.  But in this class, the poses were nailing me (TWSS).  To top it all off, my heart began racing, my breathing quickened and I was sweating my buns off.  But Aaron kept reminding us that it was normal to feel out of place and that we often times try too hard to control our movements and our environment, and that when we let go and just let our bodies do their thing, it’s not easy.  Yowzers, you can say that again, Aaron! I felt like a jellyfish floating around in the ocean;  I was all over the place!

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Image Credits – runboard.com &  sites.google.com

This class that I thought was going to be ‘easy’, actually ended up being one of the toughest yoga classes I’ve ever taken.  The postures and sequences themselves were not difficult; I just wasn’t used to feeling out of control.  As Aaron had mentioned in class, much of the yoga that is taught in this country is very linear and static.  We tend to move from front-to-back and from pose-to-pose without there being much fluidity or flow in between.  Aaron’s goal was to help us find the balance within us, not by forcing it, but by really feeling it.  I’m used to putting my body into poses that I know I can do and with which I am familiar.  I wouldn’t say that I ‘force’ myself into my poses and into my flexibility, but I certainly have an idea in mind as to what I’m supposed to ‘look’ like.  Thus, while I was feeling my way through these new movements, I felt some chaos occurring in my body and in my mind.  But for me to be able to find my balance and to find some peace and order in my whole self, I had to just let myself go. Even my ujjayi breath, which I’m so conditioned to turn on as soon as I step foot on the mat, had to be changed.  It was humbling to feel like a complete beginner in class.  I had to truly devote myself to listening and learning.  Everything was new to me and I had to see the class with different eyes.  I had to take my skill and strength that I’ve developed over my years of practice and combine it with a desire to learn.   It wasn’t easy, but it’s certainly an act worth balancing.

Random Question: Do you like bagels?  If so, what is your favorite way to eat one?  Or, what is your favorite flavor of bagel?

***Wanna win ‘The Ultimate Indulgence Tower’?  If so, go check out One Fit Foodie and see how it can be yours!***

Namasté,
Nicole

Because I was a child who grew up in the 80’s, I’m a fan of the music and movies from that generation. One of my favorites is and will always be, The Karate Kid.  Not only was a it a feelgood type of movie, but there were also some important lessons taught. I remember walking out of the theater feeling empowered and also enlightened.

Remember this scene?

I remember watching Mr. Miyagi’s zen-like focus as he concentrated on catching those flies with his chopsticks. Even as Daniel walked in and was pestering him about what he was doing, Mr. Miyagi kept his eyes and mind on the task at hand.  Albeit Daniel caught the fly within the first few tries while Mr. Miyagi relentlessly tried over and over, it amazed me that a person could have so much dedication and concentration to attempt to catch something as small as a fly mid-air, with something as delicate as a pair of chopsticks.  I still actually wish I had that focus.

When I’m practicing yoga, there are constantly a million distractions taking place.  Whether it be distractions in my head or distractions in the studio, they are always hard for me to ignore.  I wish I was able to simply block out the internal and external ‘noise’, but for me, it’s just never that easy.  For example, there is this lovely woman who I see in class pretty regularly.  We’ve chatted with one another on more than one occasion and are even on a first name basis.  However, when she’s practicing next to me, I can’t help but be distracted by her.  To say the least, she’s quite fidgety.  She’s constantly fixing her hair, wiping the sweat from her face, getting in and out of poses, sighing from frustration and has even tapped her fingers against the bamboo floor during savasana.  And when she’s fidgeting, the only thing that I can think about is why she’s acting this way.  I try not to watch her; I try to only focus on myself and my breathing.  However, she then starts moving around restlessly again.  My thoughts then come racing back as to why she can’t just stop moving, why she just doesn’t seem to understand that what she’s doing isn’t helping her practice and how if she just relaxed, things would fall into place.  I kept analyzing her in my head and wondering why she was so unfocused.  But as I’m asking myself all these questions about this woman, my practice begins changing and all of the sudden, I’m the one fidgeting.  I’m now doing the exact same thing that this woman is doing.  The only difference is her anxiousness is manifesting itself on a physical level versus mine is happening mentally.  Either way, we both weren’t focusing on the one thing we needed – our breath.

Image Credit – Oprah.com

Why was I so consumed by these thoughts? Why was I so concerned about what this woman was doing? Why did I care that she had all this nervous energy?  How was this something that I needed to be worried about?  Sometimes I think we take on the stress of others when we don’t necessarily have to.  We force ourselves to be weighed down by thinking about what others are doing in their lives versus concentrating on what is going on in our own.  My teacher told us in class one day that we need to stop carrying around other people’s baggage.  Our own baggage is heavy enough; we don’t need the burden of someone else’s.  These words of wisdom rang so true for me.  I have the tendency to worry about other people and to be consumed by what is occurring in their lives to the point where it starts affecting my own.  It’s not healthy and it’s definitely not necessary.  If we can only use the energy we burn on others and the insignificant distractions that happen in our lives and turn that energy onto ourselves and the things that mean the most to us, I think we would be much happier and not feel as ‘heavy’.

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During today’s practice, I remembered what my teacher had told us in class that day and tried not to listen to my distractions.  Obviously, the distractions were there and I was aware of them.  But this time, I made a choice.  Did I want to let my thoughts get the best of me or did I want to have the best practice that I could have?  Did I want to carry around all this unnecessary weight or did I want to be set free? As soon as I made the choice to focus on me and to put emphasis on what was going on in my practice, the distractions seemed to stop.  All of the sudden the noise had been silenced and there was no more fidgeting.  By letting go of my own baggage, I had the capacity to go deeper in my mind and thus, I had the ability to shut off the clatter.  It wasn’t a difficult thing to do, I just had to try and allow myself to do it.  And it’s probably much easier than using chopsticks to catch flies.

What’s your biggest pet peeve?  How do you deal with distractions, mental or physical?

***Have you joined Project Feed Me yet?  If not, there’s still time to be a part of this great cause.  You can register here.  Just buying a couple of food items a week can help so much.  And, it’s so easy!  Check out this week’s recommended food item.***

Namasté,
Nicole

Aside from the common questions and comments like, “why do you practice yoga so much?“, “you must be like a pretzel by now with all the yoga you do,” “can you put your leg behind your head?” and “I can’t practice yoga because I’m not flexible“, people are generally pretty intrigued whenever I talk about my heaven on Earth.  They are generally quite curious as to what it is about yoga that draws me in.  They want to understand my passion; they want to see why I am so in love with my practice.

Image Credits – fitsugar.com

It’s difficult for me to put into words the way I feel when I am on my mat.  It’s not that I don’t have the words in my vocabulary to describe my feelings, it’s that there just isn’t one way I feel when I’m practicing.  Sometimes I will walk into the bamboo floored studio and onto my mat and feel like I’m going to have the most amazing practice and after about five minutes into class, I feel less than stellar.  And sometimes, I will walk into class with only having four hours of sleep and a growling stomach and I will think class will definitely be a challenge and I end up having a strong and invigorating practice.  There isn’t a recipe or formula (at least not one that I am aware of) that makes for having the ‘ideal’ class or practice.  Every time one steps onto the mat, it’s a completely separate event from the previous practices.  And while I’ve been practicing for over eight years, I never find a yoga class to be ‘easy’.  But then again, if it was easy, I might not find the journey so worthwhile.

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Because the type of yoga I practice is heated (the average temperature of the the studio is 95 degrees), I tend to sweat - a lot.  And while sweating helps to detoxify the body, allows for deeper stretching and increases the heart rate for a better cardiovascular workout, it can also make you feel uncomfortable.  But just how uncomfortable you’ll be or what degree of discomfort occurs will vary from one person to the next.  For me, it’s never the same and I’m never 100% comfortable.  Whether it be the sweat that is dripping from every orifice from my body or the fact that I can no longer hold a pose because the muscles in my thighs are burning, my practice is never a cakewalk.  Even if I do come to class almost every day, it never gets any easier.  But, I don’t believe that we, as humans, can truly find ourselves until we are pushed to our edge.  For that reason, I revel in my discomfort.

Image Credit – macabrefitness.wordpress.com

In life when we get too comfortable or things get too easy, we have a tendency to not want to challenge ourselves.  But then again, when in life do things get too easy?  When do we find ourselves being too comfortable?  And because life isn’t predictable, we just never know what is coming our way – good or bad.  Thus, when we do find ourselves in a situation where things may not be as comfortable as we would like and we are experiencing discomfort, we need to find a way to work through what is going on in our lives and find peace within the chaos.

Many people who practice at the studio to which I belong complain about the heat.  They feel that the extreme heat takes away from their practice and makes them lose focus.  At first, I agreed and felt that when it is too hot or when we become so drenched with our own perspiration, that it does become harder to concentrate.  However, I have noticed that when I am in class and I am tired, overheated, maybe even a little nauseous and I feel as if I can’t push myself anymore, that is when I learn the most about myself and when I find my inner strength.  It is at that moment, when I feel so completely outside of my comfort zone, that I have that split second to decide how I want to proceed.  Do I want to surrender? Do I want to panic? Or do I take a deep breath and figure out how I can achieve peacefulness amidst all the disorder? No matter which answer I choose, I know I am choosing based on what my body feels, and not on an involuntary reaction.  And if the heat is too overwhelming or I am just too exhausted, I know I can take child’s pose and give myself the time I need to refocus.  Regardless, I make my decision according to how I feel and what I feel is right for me.

Image Credit – bodybynamaste.com

It is my yoga practice that helps to teach me that life is not always going to be seamless and without conflict.  I have learned that even though I practice close to every day, the poses are not going to all of the sudden be easy for me.  I may be able to transition into them with less difficulty than when I first started my practice, but it certainly will not be without effort.  As in life, if you are constantly being placed in a predicament that makes you feel awkward, you are not going to suddenly like that situation just because it happens on a frequent basis.  Instead, you learn how to deal with your surroundings and the feelings and emotions that come along with that situation.  You learn to find pleasure within the displeasure and how you can grow from your current state in order to proceed with your next stage in life.  And while for some that might not be their idea of fun or something they want to experience every day, but for me, I find it quite comforting – almost as comforting as putting my leg behind my head.

Do you feel as if you can learn something about yourself when you’re put in a difficult situation? What have you learned about yourself (or about life) through exercise?

Namasté,
Nicole

When I was watching the news the other night, I saw a story on this little girl who was walking by what looked like a convenience or grocery store when all of the sudden, a car comes flying into the air and crashes into the store.  When watching the video from the store’s surveillance camera, you immediately think that the little girl has been struck by the car and thus, pinned against the wall.  Because you don’t see her running away or see any evidence of her at all on the video after the car crashes, you can’t help but think the worse.  However, there was a row of parking poles separating the little girl from the car.  And those poles were what saved her life.  When the driver recklessly backed up her car at a high rate of speed, she hit one of the poles first before actually landing on the pole.  But because the little girl saw the car coming at her, she ran out of the way.  If she ran a few feet more to one side versus the other, she may not have been so lucky.  This four year old little girl escaped with barely a scratch on her.  It was truly a miracle that neither the little girl nor anyone else got hurt.  The little girl’s father even said he thinks someone must have been watching over her that day.

Image Credits – khq.com

This story really had me thinking about miracles and how there must be a higher being that watches over us and protects us.  I started wondering why miracles don’t seem to happen too often but when they do, they seem to be quite significant.  I started asking myself when was the last time I witnessed a miracle and why one had never happened to me.  I realize that that was a pretty self-absorbed question but it’s not as if I was asking for a miracle to happen.  I was just wondering why it happens to some and not to others.  And then it hit me, miracles do happen everyday.  They might not necessarily be as dramatic as a little girl narrowly missing her death, but they are meaningful and they do happen.  You can find them; it’s just a matter of perspective.

While I was in yoga class one morning, my teacher, Chanel, decided to tell us one of her inspiring stories just before we were about to go into savasana for the final portion of our class.  She told us a story about her little sister who is adopted from China.  Chanel mentioned that she went to China with her mother and a bunch of other families from the New England area to adopt infants and to bring them back to their new homes.  Since this happened about 10 years ago, many of the families had lost touch and unfortunately, many of the infants, who are now grown children, didn’t even know each other.

But this past summer, Chanel’s sister went away to a new day camp where she wasn’t going to know anyone and would have to make new friends.  She told Chanel that while she was nervous, this wasn’t going to prevent her from being friendly and meeting new people.  After the first day of camp, she came home to tell her family that she had met a girl that looked just like her and that they were now best friends.  But as little children often times are forgetful, she couldn’t remember her name.  So the next day after camp, she raced home to tell her family her new friend’s name and that she had come from the same orphanage and that her mother wanted to speak with their mother.  It turns out that not only did these two little girls come from the same orphanage, but they shared the same crib.  And after all these years, these two girls had somehow found each other and were now connected again.  If Chanel’s sister went to her new camp with her mind and heart closed and let her nervousness get the best of her, she may not have ever met her long lost friend.  But because she was willing to be open to the possibility of meeting new people, she allowed for a miracle to happen.

And then I started thinking about my own life and some of the events that occurred that could be considered ‘everyday miracles’.  This stayed in my mind for most of the day and quite honestly, I came up with more than a few.  One in particular that came to my mind happened close to four years ago.  It was when Patrick and I were just about to move into our condo.  Because we purchased our home at pre-construction, we could only hope that our condo was going to be ready to be moved into when the lease on the apartment that we were previously living in had ended.  Needless to say, our condo was not ready and wasn’t going to be ready for at least another month.

A month?  What were we going to do?  Where were we going to store ALL of our belongings? And most importantly, where were we going to live?  Fortunately, I have a kind and considerate sister who invited me into her home.  However, her home at the time was a studio apartment that was about 400 square feet.  While she would have loved to have both me and Patrick live with her, she really only had room for one (if that).  On the week that I was about to move in, my sister had some unfortunate circumstances occur to her and was thus, was going through a very difficult time.  She needed someone to support her; she needed someone to get her through this tough time.  She needed her sister.  So while I needed a temporary place to live, she needed a shoulder to cry on.  It was as if a higher power had somehow worked to bring us together while we both were in need.  If our condo had been ready on time, I might  not have been able to be there for my sister in the capacity that she needed me.  But because we both needed each other so badly at that time, an everyday miracle happened.  While my sister’s futon served as a place for me to lie my head for the next several weeks, it was her heart that gave me comfort.  Knowing that I could be there for her and knowing that I could help to mend her broken spirit, was enough for me to see that God has a unique way of making things work out.

There are little miraculous occurrences in life that take place all of the time.  And as I said previously, it doesn’t have to be something as life altering as almost getting struck by a car.  However, I think it’s our duty to find the magic, the monumental moment and the miracle that happens day-to-day.  If we don’t see or find the extraordinary, then that is just what our lives will seem – ordinary.  We need to be grateful for each day, for each day can in fact produce a miracle.

When is the last time you experienced an ‘everyday miracle’?

Namasté,
Nicole

Do you remember in a recent post when I talked about how I don’t like change?  I said I was a creature of habit and wasn’t one for surprises.  Well, in relation to that, I’m also one who prefers to stay inside her comfort zone.  I don’t like when I feel out of place and I don’t like when I’m caught off guard.  I guess it’s just that safe warm, feeling I enjoy and that I’ve gotten used to.  For that reason, when someone gives me a challenge or there’s a situation presented to me where my surroundings will be new or foreign to me, my first reaction is to shut down or to say no.  I know it’s really not the ‘healthiest’ way to conduct my life.  I realize that by living this way, I will miss out on many opportunities and for that reason, I decided this weekend to move as far away from my comfort zone as I possibly could.

My usual routine Sunday mornings is to get up at 6:15am for my early morning yoga class.  When I can’t go to class for whatever reason, I get that uneasy feeling inside.  It’s that feeling that arises when my routine gets broken and all of the sudden, I can’t expect the ‘norm’.  A few weeks ago, one of my yoga teachers, Chanel Luck, made an announcement after class about an event she was planning and leading that was going to take place on a Sunday morning.  It was Global Yoga Mala – Boston; a day where ‘the Boston area yoga community will gather for a day of yoga practices to bring awareness and raise consciousness for peace and Mother Earth‘.

The purpose of the Global Mala is to unite the global yoga community from every continent, school or approach to form a “mala around the earth” through collective practices based upon the sacred cycle of 108 on Sept. 21st and 22nd, Fall Equinox as the yoga world’s offering to further the UN International Peace Day. Each center offers their form of a Yoga Mala according to their yoga tradition and inspiration:

* 108 Sun Salutations (or variations of 27, 56)
* 108 rounds of mantra such as the Gayatri or Maha Mrityanjaya
* 108 rounds of a kriya
* 108 minutes of meditation, kirtan, movement meditation

Proceeds from this event will go to a local and a global charity. (***Trees for the Future and the Food Project)

Chanel was inviting us to attend.  It sounded like a wonderful cause and something so unique and incredible.  However, it wasn’t like anything I had participated in before and was totally going to take me out of my norm.  I immediately told myself, “this isn’t something you’d want to do.  It’s not you.  You’ll feel out of place.”  And besides, how the heck would I ever do 108 sun salutations?

But the more Chanel talked about Global Mala, the more I became intrigued.  Something inside of me told me that this time, I needed to be forced out of my state of complacency and this time it was going to be totally worth it.  Man oh man, if that wasn’t the understatement of the year, I don’t know what is…!

Yesterday, I participated in an event so extraordinary, that I’m still beaming from all the excitement and energy.  I am proud to say that I was a part of Global Mala Boston 2009 (can’t you just feel my giddiness?)  My excitement (and a bit of nerves) started the night before.  I had to be at the Boston Common, where the event was being held, at 8:30am.  That meant I had to be out of bed by 7:15am (which meant I had an extra hour to sleep per my usual Sunday morning wake-up time) and out the door no later than 8:00am.  But for whatever reason, I just kept waking up in the middle of the night.  I kept thinking I was going to miss my alarm.  I kept dreaming of what the event was going to look like.  I kept wondering how the yoga teachers were going to demonstrate the 108 sun salutations.  And, I kept pondering if I was going to be able to keep up.  My nervous energy was at an all-time high, but because I made a commitment to attend this event, nothing was going to keep me from going.  And besides, the wonderful Patrick gave me a ride to the Common, so my morning was already starting off on the right foot (thanks Patrick!).

Getting ready for the big event…

The bare necessities (mat, Yogitoes towel, water and snacks)

Because I got to the Common in about 5 minutes, I was one of the first people to arrive.  Luckily, I found another early bird yogi and we became fast friends (it was fun hanging with you, Kerry!).  My nerves were pretty much put to rest once I saw Chanel and the other yogis started arriving.  Within a few minutes, the event started.  Because I was one of the first on the premises, I had the chance to get the front and center spot (literally).  At first, I was going to move my mat a bit farther back.  But because this was going to be my full immersion into my ‘dis-comfort zone’, I chose to stay.

Squirrels can do yoga, too…

Roberto Lim, co-founder Global Mala Boston

The message of the day…

Image Credits – omgal.blogspot.com

Yup, that’s Healthy Chow sitting in the front row…

Words cannot describe the energy and power that filled the Common yesterday.  The smiles on both the teachers’ and the yogis’ faces were enough to illuminate the darkest of skies.  Even though it was a rather chilly morning, the spirits were high and the fire in our hearts were enough to keep us warm.  It was awe-inspiring to be surrounded by so many individuals who were all so inviting and friendly and who were all there supporting the same cause – peace.  And to know that close to 400 Mala events were occurring in 35 countries around the world on the same weekend, made me feel even more special and grateful for this opportunity of which I made the most.

Chanel welcomed us and briefly gave some opening words.  What struck me the hardest was what she said at the end.  Chanel said that there were going to be different teachers leading us and that each had their own way of teaching and that it may not be what we are used to.  But instead of having a closed mind, we should be open to the differences and welcome the change.   Hello?  I felt as if she was speaking directly to me!

Yogis gettin’ their stretch on…

Where’s the sun?

Chanel Luck, co-founder Global Mala Boston

Our goal was to complete 108 sun salutations, meaning each of the nine yoga teachers were going to lead us through a series of 12 sun salutations.  I thought that things would be a tad repetitious, considering we were doing so many of the same thing.  I was so wrong! Each teacher had their own style, personality and charm and truly excelled at leading us through our practice.  It was if they were honored to be guiding us.  They were all so grateful for being able to be a part of the Global Mala and just wanted us to share in that compassion.  The mood was so uplifting and the atmosphere was so inspiring.  We practiced yoga yesterday morning as if we could solve all the world’s problems as that moment.  And when it was time to dance and skip around the Common (something Healthy Chow could never previously picture herself doing), we laughed and smiled as if it were the last day of school. I didn’t get an official headcount, but I am guessing there were over 100 attendees.  However, on Sunday, we were acting as one and breathing as one.  We were united by this one cause and although we all were unique in appearance and came from different backgrounds, we were all the same that morning.

Chanel and Rebecca

As we saluted the sun, the sun began rising over the tall buildings and tree tops.  It greeted us with its warmth and we certainly welcomed it.  I’ve always thought that one of the best feelings is to have the sun shining on your face; yesterday was definitely not an exception!  We had onlookers stroll by and watch us throughout the three hours and they too, could feel our power.  Just being able to see their smiles along with their admiration and intrigue in us, empowered me to make it to the end of the 108 (Healthy Chow’s arms and shoulders were getting a bit tired, you know what I mean?).

Image Credits – omgal.blogspot.com

Saluting the sun…

Finally, Chanel took center stage (or mat) again and led us through the last sun salutation.  I couldn’t believe it had gone by so quickly.  Being able to gaze at the sky, the green grass and trees and of course, the sun, made me feel as if I was practicing something I had never done before.  My senses were completely wide open and I was open to receiving anything and everything.  Gone were my fears of being able to keep up.  I no longer had my nervous energy.  I didn’t want to shy away from my discomfort, I welcomed it.  Giving myself the chance to experience this event was something I never thought I would do.  But seeing how amazing I felt during and after the event, makes me realize that perhaps my comfort zone shouldn’t be so comforting.  By playing it safe and never wanting to change my routine, I’m really just being a danger to myself.

When Rebecca Pacheco guided us through the first sun salutation, she told us a quote that resonated with me and it was something that stuck in my mind during the event and throughout the day.  She said to us, “when you were born, a possibility was born.  And that possibility will stay alive as long as you are alive.”  We have the possibility and the ability to be and to do whatever we want in life.  It could be as huge as creating peace on Earth, or as small as finding peace from within our minds and souls.

So how do we look after completing 108 sun salutations?

Healthy Chow’s t-shirt and souvenir from the event – love that burnout embellishment!

Tom Lena and musicians leading us through kirtan

Gaura Vani and As Kindred Spirits jammin’ out

Peaceful…

What an amazing day!

Have you ever participated in a Global Mala or an event for peace?  If so, how did it make you feel?  If not, would you ever consider it?

Namasté,
Nicole