I was at dinner last night, and someone asked me if I just teach the same thing over and over again, or if I'm always coming up with fresh ideas for each class. "A little of both," I replied.

I'm always seeking; bringing shiny new tidbits that I've learned to my students, like a bluebird adding pieces of holiday tinsel to its nest. My workshops are like snowflakes: instantly recognizable, yet no two are exactly alike.  Even so, I cultivate and maintain a voice, so that in addition to the differences, you'll always hear my language, main teachings, and perspectives on yoga.

When I do trainings for yoga instructors, I encourage them to continue their education, not only through yoga classes and other modalities, but also by paying rapt attention to life itself. Everywhere you look you'll see a signpost pointing back to yourself, and the aware yogi will begin to see patterns within the seeming randomness of it all.

My students learn to discover what I call their own "core message," the major, overriding aspects of spirit they feel called to express. Then, in taking action from their message and living in alignment with it, they become experts in some unique perspective that has been formed by their experiences, interests, and studies, and that they alone are qualified to share with others in a powerful way.

All the master yoga teachers have made it clear what they stand for, and their voice is recognizable. For example, if I say "kidney loop" or "inner body bright," you're going to think of John Friend and Anusara Yoga. Teachers like John have honed in on what they were meant to do, and they don't veer from that path by teaching wildly different styles or presenting different messages. Even if you're not a yoga instructor, you can look within yourself and see that you have your own recognizable voice and message.

Yogis might call this dharma, or life's path. There may be more than one path for each of us, such as having kids, being a painter, and taking care of an elderly parent. And your dharma can shift according to the different seasons and cycles of your life. Yet if we're still, and practice listening beyond the cacophony of life and the mind, it becomes easier and easier to detect where the currents of life energy are taking us and to follow mindfully along.

To me, this is one meaning of yoga: to unite--not just with the universal, but also with the personal. We can open ourselves up to serve the greater energy by streaming it through our creativity and personality in a vibrant way. As we transform, so does our unique song, yet some elements will remain the same. Those are the sutras, or threads that run through our lives.

We all have our own sutras, core values that provide some cohesion to our lives, helping to explain the things that attract us, illuminating the lessons we've learned, and also moving us into the path of challenges that keep appearing over and over until we bring them into line with our core values. One of my sutras is self-realization. I call it "core strength" to make this concept more accessible to the masses, but what I teach is so much more than an abdominal workout. It's a road map to find the way home to ourselves, and a process of turning away from over-reliance on things outside of us. I teach students to circle back to their own inner knowing, through movement, philosophy, cheerleading, and sometimes, by simply sitting back at the right moment.

My spiritual sutra stems from my own lifelong journey towards deeper understanding of my true nature, often sparked by massive challenges and discomfort, other times through the organic breeze of inspiration. As I teach, I learn about others and about myself, and become more skilled in discerning the ego from the soul.

To find my current sutras, I ask myself: To what or whom am I dedicated with all my heart? And, to distinguish all the other mind chatter from my core message and the ribbons of action that spool outward from it, I might also inquire, "If I had only one sentence I could say to all the world, what would it be?"   

When an answer comes that expands my heart and makes me feel more alive instead of less, I follow it to the end. And I trust that if one thread ever runs out, if I simply quiet down and look inside, I will find the next sutra waiting for me to pick it up and run with it, as far as it will go.

Core Pose: Uttanasana (Standing Forward Bend) with Side Stretch

Next time you're in Uttanasana, try this variation. It will help you pick up the sutra of your side body, and follow that line into more freedom as you gain flexibility along your outer shins (peroneal muscles), outer thighs (Iliotibial, or "IT" band),  side waist and ribs (obliques and intercostals) and more!

Come to the front of your mat. Bend your knees and fold forward over your legs. Cross your left ankle over your right and ground both feet fully into the mat. With bent legs, begin to walk your fingertips on the floor (or palms onto blocks) over to the left, sidebending your spine as the hips stay facing the front of your mat. Your right hip may want to push forward, but keep it anchoring back as if you were in your regular forward bend. This will cause a more dynamic lengthening through the right side.

As you breathe into the right ribs, straighten your legs until you access a stretch along the outer right leg. See if you can connect it all the way up into the side waist and perhaps even under the right arm. Take 10 breaths or more here, releasing tension and enjoying the new space and energy that you're creating by following the thread. Come back to center, come up, and then repeat on the other side.

 

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I often tell students, if you've decided to be in a posture, be in it with full dedication. Otherwise, rest completely in Child's Pose. Either way, you're giving it your all, whether that "all" is a more active, participatory state, or a surrendered, introspective one.

Whichever you choose, you're there, totally rocking it and getting what you need for your growth and transformation. When you realize that either choice is valid, both action and seeming inaction can move you unerringly forward and serve to support you in maintaining a healthy balance.

 

What strikes me about the practice of asana is how many practical tools and hints it reveals to us about how to cultivate a life lived more in the experience of our inherent equilibrium than in the wild and destructive storms of suffering. Often, I see students doing one of two things on their mats. They meet a challenging pose and instead of surrendering enough to allow the intensity to flow through the body and breath, they fight it.  Their breath gets louder and faster as their faces redden and muscles tense against the onslaught of sensation. It seems they would rather die than take a rest, even when it's obvious that rest is needed. Bottom line: They are trying to confront something that would be so much easier to accept, soften into, and allow.

 

Or the opposite reaction occurs. If the challenge appears too great, a student might just hang out in the pose limply, not even attempting instructions that might empower them. Instead, they enter into Child's Pose too soon or, they simply give up, plop on the mat, no more alignment or yoga breath in sight, because they're stuck in the mantra, "If I can't do it all, why even try?"

In both situations, have they missed the opportunity to engage at their next level, where transformation occurs? I can't say, but each of us can examine how our choices either serve our greatest good or keep us existing in a diminished state.

 

How often do we avoid doing the very work that would shift us toward our life's greatest expression or engaging in the sometimes-uncomfortable conversations that might take our relationships to that next place of honesty? This resistance to taking courageous action causes disconnection from one's core truth.

 

On the other hand, sometimes we engage too aggressively, trying to control every outcome by worrying about it, leaking energy by resisting reality, or over-focusing on other people's actions without realizing that these are the times when we are in danger of becoming out of alignment with our own integrity. In this state, we shut down to the teachings that are right in front of us, whether joyful or painful, that constantly ask us to decide: In this moment, what is most needed now? A conscious push or surrender?

 

Yogis come to realize, through practice and inner inquiry, that when they are faced with a choice, whether it's to do with a career move, a relationship, staying in Crow Pose for three more breaths or taking a rest, or anything else, that there are two options that have a good chance of paving a clearer path to peace. If you choose to engage, do it completely, serve the person or situation with love and respect, and do your absolute best to move forward. This can help quiet the anxiety of inner struggle than can occur when you don't fully commit to the choice you've made, at least for now.

 

If you choose not to participate, then sweetly but firmly exit the situation with love.  This helps you avoid becoming the victim or bearing the oppressive weight of grudges. Instead you'll learn the art of forgiveness so completely that you realize there is ultimately nothing to forgive.

 

You can always change your mind, but when you learn to strategically engage and disengage, what remains unwavering is you, living from center; capable, present, and inviting yourself again and again into the awesome flow of opportunities for growth that surround you, right where you stand.

 

 CORE POSE: Revolved Lunge with Variation

 

As you'll see when you play within Revolved Lunge, bending the knee may provide the twist or heart opening you desire and lengthening the leg could help you to gain flexibility. Learn to modify the pose through more or less action to suit your needs.

(Remember, in yoga poses, stretching more is not always desirable.)

 

Come into Low Lunge with your left foot forward, back heel up, and fingertips framing the front foot. If this feels too low, place a block under each hand.

 

Lift your belly on an exhalation, and inhale to wave your spine longer. Begin to twist from your right ribcage as you spin your heart to the left, and reach the right arm to the sky. Slide your left hip back and down, and take slow, deep breaths to open the chest and wring the inner body through the twisting action of the upper torso. Maintain a stable stance as you begin to draw the hips back, lengthening your front leg until you begin to feel sensation in the side of the hips or leg. Your heart may not open much at first, but you'll get a sweet stretch right where you need it most.

 

Stay in each variation (or choose the one that works best for you) for 5 to 10 breaths then step your back foot forward and switch sides. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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I'm here in Manhattan, awaiting my mini-retreat at Omega Institute this weekend. Until then, I have a rare opportunity to do something I rarely do anymore: take yoga classes from other people.

As an instructor, you'd think it would be easier to make it to the studio, but I find that life (and teaching at the same time as many of your peers) easily gets in the way. Not to complain, but after teaching yoga for two hours, or four, or six, the last thing I want to do is find a class I might like, and then start the process over again.

Sure, I have a home practice. But how sweet it is to have a few days I can dedicate to sitting on the mat, making inner space, and letting someone else teach me. After all, I know what I know. These days, I'm more interested in finding out what I don't know.

I was able to take two classes this weekend at the same studio but different instructors. The difference between them was immense. The first teacher led us through the postures with no mention of living from center philosophy, intention-setting reminders, or the like. I got a great workout and was happy for it.

The second teacher, Mercedes Rodriguez-Bermejo, began with a sitting reflection and teaching on transformation, pointing out the changing tree just outside our city window. She encouraged us to search within our poses for what we wanted to shift or let go of. We sang rich Oms and chanted along with her gorgeous voice. And yes, we did Tree Pose (Vrksasana).

Then she moved us through the asanas in a living dance, returning to the theme of transforming yourself ("not into someone else, or something better or worse; just different, according to your intention") with a Temple Pose where we took Venus Mudra overhead, then swept forward with a "Ha!" and low-belly activation that truly made me feel that I was releasing something deep. By the end of class, I felt like I'd been on a real journey.

The poses were not that different between the two instructors, and I would never say that one class was good and the other wasn't. But it was marvelous to be able to surrender into a teaching that spoke to me and awoke my whole being.

When I have a teacher who is offering something from Source, I feel I've come into the presence of a true Sadhu, or spiritual person. Though I believe every one of us is inherently spiritual, some people actively live in devotion, consistently committing to do the uncomfortable, rewarding work of finding their innermost nature and therefore, their deepest truth.

You can tell by how they express themselves, on or off the mat, that they have found the inner knowledge of the oneness of all beings and the capacity we all hold to be, quite literally, in love with our lives. When I step into class with a teacher like that, it inspires me, infuses me, and lets me slip more easily into my own core relationship.

Life goes fast, and it's often compelling to make the easy choice ("Oh, I'll just take the class around the corner") rather than taking time to find something that might really excite you and give you something new. I was in a position to make that choice myself just the other night. In the middle of my Next Top Model marathon, I had the urge to learn something. So, I switched to the Science Channel. Now, is knowing about piranhas, Amazonian tribal culture, and why the Japanese coastline was recently overrun with gigantic jellyfish better than knowing who won the CoverGirl contract? Who knows? Both are enjoyable at different times. But I crave Science Channel to expand my knowledge of the world in a deeper way. I also had a lot more epiphanies about spiritual things while watching it, which I take as a sign that a universal teaching is underway.

Understanding what's true for you each moment (and it will change!) will help you more effectively create the inner and outer environments that support you and those around you. What you project through your attitude, intention, and attention to details makes a huge difference in how harmonious your relationships are. The central question becomes: Are you living as a holistically integrated Sadhu or are you living from just one part of yourself, such as your body, mind, fear, or ego? The yogi will take steps to reunite the mind, body, and spirit regularly so that she maintains equilibrium.

So, the next time you're choosing a class, a teacher, a relationship, a career move, what thoughts you're going to believe, what foods you're going to bring home from the grocery store, or even, yes, what TV show to watch, take a moment to consider what will increase your health, vitality, and innermost empowerment. Soon enough, when you look around, you'll realize that every minute of your day is an opportunity to do this.

Core Pose: Tadasana (Mountain Pose)

To bring yourself into different states in a situation that appears similar, try this experiment. Let's do the same pose in two ways:

Pose 1: Come to stand anywhere on your mat, feet separated two-fists-distance apart. Lengthen your tailbone and draw your lower belly gently up toward your sternum. Widen your shoulders and reach the crown of your head higher. Bring your palms together at the chest, and breathe slowly and deeply through your nose. Remain here for 1 minute.

Pose 2: Come into the posture using the same alignment points from above. Close your eyes, and envision a bright, warm sun in the center of your belly. As you inhale, let the breath drop down slowly to stoke this heat even more. It will spread and warm your hip joints, sacrum, and pelvic floor, widening and softening any stuck, stuffed, or old energy found there.

On your exhalation, activate the bowl of muscles inside your pelvis as you hug around the sun and lift it up the spine. This action will bring light and heat from the root through the belly, solar plexus, heart, throat, and head, clearing your central channel, or shushumna, of any resistances to your vitality and inherent energy flow.

These main areas of resistance to your prana, or life force, moving freely, are called granthis, and are found in the form of tension in the belly, chest, and head. When we bring awareness to the inner life of our poses, we not only get a strong and supple outer body, we begin to unravel the granthis and experience an ever-greater movement and stability in the mind, heart and spirit within the body.

Breathe here for 1 minute or more as you experience this pose on all levels at once.

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I'm back in New York City for a long stay while I recoup between teaching dates. And I have to say, there's nothing quite like the Big Apple. Yes, it's crowded, not the cleanest place in the world, and oh boy, can it be loud. But it's also really, truly alive.

This city is lived in, that's for sure. It's a constant reminder to grab life with both hands, be who you have to be, and say what you came to say. Most of all, it's a place to experience all that life has to offer, whether it's a rooftop yoga class, a walk on the pier as the sun comes up, voyaging to Ellis Island for a taste of history, or catching one of the hundreds of live shows that artists, musicians, and other performers put on every day.

It's also a lesson in humility. After all, there's no way one could do everything the city has to offer in one day, or even one year. And tonight, sitting on a couch, enjoying dinner with one of my best friends, Bari Koral, I was discussing just that concept.

Bari is a busy singer-songwriter with a skyrocketing career in children's music. I'm a busy yoga instructor. We both are the originators and ultimate directors of our careers, and we are both called upon to be continuously creative.  Whatever you are involved in, I can bet that you've got a lot going on, too.

Stress builds the moment we try to do more (or feel like we should be doing more) than we have time to actually give. As we cross the threshold from "I can give this" to "I have to give this in order to succeed, even though I have nothing more to give," we become trapped in a cycle of giving out until we burn out.

Granted, sometimes we all push it a little bit, to get that presentation done, or to take on a project that asks one more late night of us than we'd like. We have kids, which can be as draining as it is joyous; or we say yes to relationships that cycle into their own challenges, like illness or emotional struggle. Even if what we do is our life's work, and we love our interactions with others, there is still no way to be everything for everyone. In yoga, prana, or life force, is also the drawing in that which nourishes us. Apana, literally down breath, is also letting go of things that are potentially toxic.  For example, an inhalation is prana, an exhale, apana. Eating healthy food is prana, and excreting the waste created by that same food is apana.

Yoga, first and foremost, is a practice that bring us into a state of inner growth and transformation. It comprises conscious choices you make in every moment that lead you toward an experience of harmony--the balance between taking in what serves you and letting go of what doesn't. Knowing this, you can look around and see where you're being nourished and where you're participating in that which takes a bite out of your ability to love your life and be free. Sometimes you'll be surprised by what you find.

For example, you may think that offering your time to watch your neighbor's child once a week is an offering of support for her, and it is. However, what if those few hours are time you could, and need, to be spending on your own creative projects, or just taking a bath and a nap or a yoga class? Is there someone else in the area that could watch her child properly, or is it forever up to you? If you really think about your life, you may see places that you're taking up the space meant for someone else, and by not giving up your placeholder status (apana), you are actively blocking yourself from filling the spaces that only you were born to inhabit.

It's a fine line, but once you get used to making space to move toward your best dreams, you'll see that the exact right person will step into the void you left behind. Trusting that it will happen, and gathering the courage to make a nourishing move, is a skill and a process.

In the same way, in your yoga practice, seek out opportunities to bring in new energy and stop saying yes to old, limiting behaviors, or habits that aren't quite fitting you anymore. If you've always come up from Low Lunge into High Lunge with a supremely arched back, and you hold the pose with the front of your heart open wide but the back of the heart and the ribs frozen, and your back tight and cranky, perhaps it's time to move into the pose with new awareness. Try coming up by drawing in your belly and front ribs and waving up the front of the spine as well as the back. Now you're not giving everything away through the heart, but equally giving out and giving in.

In each moment, you can ask yourself: "Is this choice serving my health and happiness or moving me away from it?" When you step into your own power whenever possible (hint: it's always possible!), you'll create a wave of wellness, vitality, and goodness that will optimize your experiences both on and off the mat.  

Plus, when you balance prana-apana in your daily practice, you're more likely to be sensitive during your whole day. That way, when the scales begin to tip toward draining, resistance-oriented decisions, you can more quickly pull back, choose again, and live with your inner tank on FULL more often than not.

Core Pose: Down Dog Lifts into Down Dog Waves

It's so easy to get imbalanced in Downward-Facing Dog. The heels over-stretch, the back arches, and the hip and shoulder joints become pressured and congested.  Dropping your weight toward the floor is going to make the pose heavy. To lighten it up, open your joints and allow your prana to flow along with your nerves, circulation and detoxifying lymph fluid, start with one thing: Lift your heels.

It's counterintuitive, perhaps, but lifting your heels lets a wave of buoyancy move up from Earth to sky, releasing your hip joints higher, engaging the low belly and front ribs slightly upward, lifting the shoulder joints forward and higher, and finally, rippling the spine and crown of your head forward and longer between your arms.

There's a lot to understand about this movement. So, I've included a video this week to teach you how. Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CDBx6OUKC2c&feature=channel

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