This site exists for You to discover how to use Yoga tools to help manage chronic health challenges to live more fully + mindfully.
I invite you to see how Yoga Empowers You!
We have to begin somewhere. Sometimes we begin many times. Sometimes we do it once and it's on!
This video reminds me that we all start somewhere.
Your Yoga Practice begins with You. Often I'm asked by students- when can I do it, does it have to be in the morning, does it have to be in silence and many other "logistical type" questions.
A teacher I studied with once told me she would practice every evening at 11pm when her kids were in bed and when she could put the day behind her. Another teacher of mine practices every morning. I practice every day when I wake up, in the middle of the day and at some point throughout the evening.
Here's the trick- Pick a practice time that works for you. A time you can devote to your Yoga Practice. Whether it's 15 minutes 3X a day, an hour once a day or when your babes are napping. Pick a time that works for you. Don't judge yourself & let go of the "shoulds".
Let your goal be to Grow Your Practice. Practicing every day for even just 5 minutes will lead you to WANT to Practice more. Start small with a Practice you will do. The success and confidence you build within from achieving this seemingly small goal will give you the confidence and desire to continue.
Things change. Living with chronic illness brings this simple truth into a blaring new reality.
As time goes on, the changes become part of your new reality and time begins to heal the initial shock of a diagnosis and life after.
As I'm taking my own life by the horns I've had two other blaring new realities recently to face that weren't so scary but dare I say bizarre.
Since a child & my first whiff of sauerkraut- we've not been friends. I would pretend to vomit if my mother dare feed it to me (Mom- really, pretend is a nice way of putting it :o).
It's been a family joke for years. Everyone knows- Suz and Sauerkraut should not be in the same room. About a year ago, a bunch of us were celebrating my bros graduation from college after a long and dedicated self funded ride. It was wonderful to celebrate his success!
We were at a German Pub and the tables were covered in trays of schnitzel and the Kraut. I decided to give it a try as the faces I make entertain my boyfriend to no end. I tried it & LOVED it! I took some home and ate it for weeks. I even bought my very own jar the other day to my surprise and to my boyfriend's.
Another shock came recently. I am not a fan of chanting. In Yoga study it serves a large purpose for learning and also honoring the lineage in which I've been training for the last
four plus years. It makes me uncomfortable especially when I don't know what I'm saying as
most is in Sanskrit. I had teacher training friends that thought it was the bomb & got super into it. I've always shied away. Until last week, I met with some of my teacher training friends and one of them brought her harmonium and a chant sheet. We were going to do a kirtan. I wasn't really sure what this was- all I've seen are the hippy-nutballs chanting and
rocking back and forth and yah- not for me. Give me a punk show any day. Kirtan- my throat hurts and uh... I gotta go!
I wanted to be a good sport, after all what harm could befall me so I sat and participated and
it was amazing! The vibrations from the group chanting was incredible. My friend gave us translations and a brief history on each chant. And what a voice she has on her! I found myself tentative at first and then singing so loudly & with conviction! I used to sing in a band before my diagnosis, after, it never seemed the same. It got bottled up somewhere along my path. It felt so liberating and enlivening to let-er rip! I'm sold.
Things change as illness creeps in or forces it's way onto the main stage of our lives. I've learned to expect, accept & take in those changes as kindly as I can. It was a refreshing change to see other things that had once been so fixed melt away and re-form as new loves.
Rather than dwell on all I can't do or what I can't do anymore- I'm excited for the natural changes occurring in me. Making me better, stronger and more like the flow of water.
Sauerkraut & Kirtan. Huh?! A blaring new reality indeed.
Consider some of the changes that have crept into your life. The ones that may have snuck past since they weren't marked by a health challenge. Welcome them & Celebrate them!
In 2004 my whole world got rocked by migraine disease.I was averaging 6-8 attacks a month and suffering from Chronic Daily Headache as well.Fear, pain and suffering were the leading forces in my life.And though I didn’t see a way out, I chose to believe that it was possible.It was possible to find a way out of this madness.It was possible to ease my fear, pain and suffering and even eradicate it all together.And with the belief that it was possible, I set course to do the best I could to live out that possibility.
I quickly realized that my healing path would be best paved with self care practices that supported me in creating greater intimacy with my body, mind and emotions.So I started to practice Yoga.
My yoga practice taught me that how I show up on the mat is exactly how I need to show up in my day to day experiences—creating focus, clarity, and equanimity with myself, my illness, others, and the world around me.Yoga conditioned me to hearing the early warning signs of emotional, mental and physical stress and pain long before these potential threats could reap any significant havoc.
I was becoming much like the dog who could sense the earth quake before it strikes and managed to escape the destruction.
My yoga practice has far exceeded the expectations and desires I had in the beginning of my practice. Here’s what I got in the end…
- A physical form of exercise that can be modified to fit my specific needs and limitations
- A natural healing practice that made me deeply sensitized to muscular tension I was
carrying in my body and simple poses and techniques for turning my tension into relaxation
- The perfect anti-pharmaceutical prescription for my once chronic daily tension and
headaches
- More control over my pre-curser symptoms of a migraine attack than I ever could have
imagined!
- A deepened ability to maintain a relaxed body, balanced nervous system, and peaceful mind
- Greater physical strength, flexibility, and health
- A practice that daily supports my ability to show myself compassion, love, and acceptance
- Inspiration to continue to know, love and appreciate myself, others, and the world around
me more deeply
- A healthy practice I can escape to that I can trust will bring me inner peace, help me gain
clarity and focus on what is truly necessary at any given moment
- The bliss of knowing how to create equanimity in all my experiences (regardless of whether
I choose to or not.) Just knowing I can rocks!
- A perfect practice to discover the fears and negative self-talk that I might otherwise have
remained unaware of. And since you can’t change what you don’t acknowledge, this is truly
an added bonus to my practice!
- A daily habit that has taken ona life of it’s own—continuing to guide me and show me
exactly where I need to grow, stretch, risk, and heal a little more…PRICELESS!
I will continue to ROCK my practice as it continues to ROCK my healing in all the right ways.
It's dark, cold and gloomy and it makes you feel sad, apathetic and depressed. Yup sounds about right. That's it- it's human. No disparaging. Make No Judgment! Here's another opportunity to Practice for you!
Warm up, get moving, be proactive. I'm not here to hold your hand or pamper- I'm here to teach. Practicing is key. Practicing means doing. Practicing means active learning, challenging and being creative with yourself. No one else can do it for you. If the season's got you down- do Something!
Here's a Yoga Practice you can begin right now and add to your day up to a million times or more.
A Practice you can do when it's cold to brighten the spirit. A Practice you can do when you feel utterly blah to feel life & vigor. A Practice you can do when you feel depressed to feel less depressed.
As a teacher, all I can do is point to the sky, teach you how, teach you the tools but ultimately it's up to You! You must Practice. You must care about Yourself enough to do so. Your breath is there. You can always Practice!
All I have to do is sit here for X amount of time and not go crazy then I'll be more calm & enlightened like. I sat.
I kept myself from going crazy. Sort of... I followed the thoughts about dinner, about conversations, about random things that really made no sense, I followed all the tinklings in my body but since I was "meditating" I thought all the thoughts that flooded my mind sitting there day in and day out was just me toughing it out. Come to find out- that's not meditation.
Meditation is not easy. Meditation is simply a one pointed focus- bringing that focus back to it's place over and over and over... and over... You can meditate on many things- your breath, a candle flicker or a quality you'd like to increase in your life (joy, compassion, etc). There's many types of meditation but what you are doing is simply- bringing your awareness to something- every time your mind strays- making no judgment & coming back to that place of awareness. A constant tending to our monkey mind & bringing it back with loving kindness. It's not easy. Meditation is work.
For some the practice of sitting and bringing your thoughts back over and over is infuriating. Honestly, sometimes it's been infuriating to me but I've noticed with time (with a cumulative & consistent practice) my reactivity has lessened, my mind isn't so overwhelmed with thoughts, especially negative thoughts, and it's really not so infuriating anymore. And not just when I meditate but throughout the day I notice these things in myself, my surroundings and even in my relationships. I've begun to look forward to and even need that meditation each day.
Start here.
Find a comfortable seated position (it's hard to focus if you're not comfortable) or lie down if seated isn't an option right now. Try meditating on your breath. Just bring your awareness to watching your inhale & exhale. As you inhale- say to yourself I am inhaling one, as you exhale- say to yourself I am exhaling one. Repeat counting your inhales & exhales like this from 1-10. When your mind wanders (and it will- you're human)- Make No Judgment, bring your focus back to your breath and begin at one. Repeat repeat repeat.
or Try. Lighting a candle and meditating on the flame (this is my favorite). Just look at the flame. Watch it- study it- when your mind wanders- gently (gently meaning make no judgment) bring your awareness back to the dancing flame. Repeat repeat repeat.
If you prefer to meditate with your eyes closed- try the counting meditation. If you prefer to meditate with your eyes open- try the counting meditation while gazing at a candle flame. Start with 5 minutes a day for a month- then add 5 more if you want to...
What a purrfect time of year to begin a meditation practice or to reignite a stymied one.
Don't hesitate to ask questions and give it a try! Rock Your Practice! ^o^
You know what I mean ladies. There's a lot of confusion about what to do or not and frankly it's a to each her own kinda thang so in honor of always honoring your body here's a few things to keep in mind.
In all the trainings I've taken, all the books I've read and all the people I've asked seems no one really agrees on acertain what to do and not do whileyour menstruating. Here's my thoughts.
Your body is working hard to shed what it needs to each month. Rather than power through- why not treat yourself like the goddess you are and take it easy allowing your body todo her thing.
Inversions aren't generally recommended asit impedes the flow as gravity takes herdown and out- I say don't mess with that. Now, technically downward facing dog is an inversion asyour head is below your heart (as is bridge pose) so already you can begin to see where the not-so-clearness comes in.
My thoughts are if you're used to a strongpractice continue to practice as you do leaving theinversions out. Go into downdog as more of atransition than a pose you hang out in for days. I believe a gentler practice is best.
Gentle twists are great for moving things along as areforward bends in your asana practice. However- you may not want to stimulate this area at all for the first couple of days. If it doesn't feel right- it most likely isn't so here's yet again another opportunity to listen to your body.
Cakravakasanais a great pose to move in and out of to ease cramps. Widen the knees so your belly can hang in child's pose. Breathe in child's pose for several minutes toease pain & discomfort.
If you feel liketaking someone's head off... make no judgment first then lovingly remind yourself that yourbody needs to do this so support it and have a little giggle with/at yourself.
In your meditation practice- welcome a heating pad to your belly (for cramps, bloating & other eew-gly feelings) and make it simple. As you inhale- say to yourself I am breathing in one. As you exhale- say to yourself I am breathing out one. Repeat this from 1-10 and thenstart over. This is a fantastic beginner's meditationtechnique that allows you to remain focused. When your mind wanders and it will- make no judgment and begin counting from 1 again.
For those who're not being visited anymore. Although menopause is challenging- I welcome this timein my life!!! (I know a few women who will slap me for saying this. :o) For hot flashes- try thisCooling Breath technique. You may not look cool doing it but you will be cool!
Another great breathing technique to practice for some mental ease :o)is the alternate nostril technique.
Above all, be kind to yourself. Let your body do her thang and treat yourself extra kindly. Another warm cup of tea, a nap, eating healthy and honor your body for the amazingthings she does. You may find Aunt Flow becomes a bitless shrewy when you taker easyand adapt your practice to your needs.
Some of my friends are making their way to Yoga Empowered to share more about how Yoga Empowers and how You can Empower Yourself with Yoga especially living with chronic challenges.
That's it- that's my tease :o)
I rarely share my story so here goes... I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in 2003. A pink haired bass player in a rock band, hair stylist by day & party girl by night. I started feeling "not right". After about 2 years of covering up more and more things that weren't "right", I answered the phone at work and soundedcompletely drunk. I was stunned & scared to death! I got outta there canceling my appointments and ran to Barnes & Noble. I sat in the health section for hours, in tears, tearing through medical books looking foranything that sounded like the symptoms I was experiencing. I had no medical insurance & until this point, I thought whiskey & Robitussin would cure anything. I found Multiple Sclerosis, called & cried to my dadand began the medical maze of "finding out".
I moved back in with mom & dad. Over about 3 years, I made my full time job learning about MS. This job was the toughest I've ever had. I learned how to give myself shots, how to deal with Drs., how to get through to who I needed to, that Doctors aren't God andmany many many other things. The one consistency I found wasthat stress reduction & lifestyle modifications tolimit stress helped- other than that who knew.
I'd never tried Yoga but heard it was good for stress. I figured now would be a good time to check it out. So much felt wrong, strange & scary then butpracticing Yoga made me feel better so I stuck with it. I began reading more about Yoga. I couldn't afford classes so I bought books instead and kept practicing on my own.
Eventually I moved to Seattle, Wa. The Doc in my folks' area had 2 MS cases and was an hour away. I was still a young woman who wanted to feel young. As soon as I met Seattle- I never left. I settled in with MS Specialists here, started practicing Yoga at a gym and on my own at home. A teacher of mine suggested I teach. I thought she was out of her nice but wacked out mind! Me?! I could barely make it through her classes. I run into walls. My mind doesn't work right. I can't commit to much because I never know whenI'll need to rest but I did know I needed rest! That lesson alone took me long enough to learn! Eventually I sat down with a Viniyoga teacher whotold me Yoga wasn't just about the physical form. She explained that Yoga was meditation, breathing exercises, self study and more. She wanted to teach me to teach. Always up for a challenge & as my boyfriend put it- Yoga had done nothing but good things for me so far so why not?!
I took one training and then another. I learned a lot of what I was already "practicing" was Yoga. I began to feel and allow myself to feel EMPOWERED. In time, I began to feel more Empowered than Disempowered in this skin. I still have MS but it doesn't have me anymore.
My practice has taught me to listen to my body, to give myself what I need when I need it (rest, food, water, meds, relaxation, silence...) but most importantly for me, it taught mecompassion for my body, for myself and for others as they are. My practice has made me, in time, wantto eat better and take better care of what I put into my body. I no longer waste time & energy on negative people or things. I no longer see myself through a cloudy lense. I'm nicer to myself. I honor myself. I don't care so much about "fitting in". I just want to be the best version of Me that I can be. My mind is calmer, more serene and lessjudgmental. I learned to listen to and love my body & myself.
Sounds simple but it's the best thing I've ever done for myself! I can't imagine ever stopping my yoga practice as the longer I continue to practice the richer the rewards become. When I attended my 1st class I'd hoped to feel better. I did and I continue to.
Yoga Empowers me to Love myself,take care of myself and havecompassion for this body that sometimes just needs a freakin break, MS or not.
See how Yoga Empowers You... ^o^Suz rockin Le Perrier New Years Eve 2010
