Gotta Laugh

One of my favorite yoga teachers is Paula Puopolo at Ocean Yoga because she makes me laugh....I need to go check out the fabulous new digs at the Beach where she teaches.

Anyhoo, laughing during yoga is a must. So says the New York Times! Check out this article about serious yoga and goofy, laughing yoga...and definitely check out Sadie Nardini's chant practiced in the ever-so-cool NYC yoga studios.

I love it when I already know the words to the chant!

More, Better, Different

Nothing, absolutely nothing, happens. -- Chogyam Trungpa

I am attending a meditation retreat this weekend at Discovery Yoga in St. Augustine. We started talking about boredom.

I really understand the desire for more, better, different. I really do. I get bored easily.

As a former English teacher, I also know that the first sign of a student who does not understand the meaning of the words in a passage is when they say, "This is boring!" That means they really don't understand what is going on at a basic, fundamental level-- the level of vocabulary, most likely.

And I've heard so many times people say, "I didn't do well in school because I was bored." As if to say, "I was too smart for school to begin with."

I've found that boredom is often just a desire for entertainment. The kind of thinking which provides learning and the kind of learning which provides growth requires much more than entertainment. It requires discipline.

Meditation practice teaches me to be bored. What it is like to be bored and what it means to be bored. Meditation is all about being okay with boredom and developing a relationship with boredom. Learning to be bored is a beautiful thing. It is teaching the mind to slow down and stop its search for more, better, different.

But there must be some sense of discipline if we are to get beyond the frivolity of trying to replace boredom. -- "The Myth of Freedom and the Way of Meditation" by Chogyam Trungpa

Sunday Mornings at Lululemon

Last Sunday I went to Lululemon at St. Johns Town Center at 9:30am for a free yoga class. It was great. Ken Revell, a wonderful teacher, led us through a series that loosened my hips and strengthened my quads.

Each month a local studio gets to show off its style by leading the practice. Ken represented Bliss Yoga Shala in San Marco. I'm a huge fan of Bliss as it has been a blessing in my life.

Runner's Flow

Thanks to Mike and Joy at Renaissance Healing Center for helping develop the following sequence. It is great for a post-run stretch.

Start in a wide stance with hands on hips. Keep feet parallel.
Bending from the hips, come forward with the chest. Allow hands to drop toward feet, floor, wherever.
Keep a micro-bend in the knees-- locking them is not advised.
Hold for as long as it feels appropriate.

Walk the hands to one foot or the other and bend that knee.
Come into low lunge with back knee on the mat.
Walk the front foot to the side or farther forward.
Make sure the knee is parallel or behind the ankle (not in front of ankle which can compromise the knee).
Hold for as long as you like.

Walk the foot to the opposite hand, preparing for pigeon pose.
If you like, in pigeon, reach back for the foot and give the thigh of one leg a stretch and the hip in the other leg a stretch.

From pigeon, move to seated Half Lord of the Fishes pose by swinging that back leg all the way around the front, bent knee.

Repeat the above on the other side.

To finish out, try a supine spinal twist by laying on the mat, placing the right foot on the left knee, placing the left hand on the outside of the right knee and gently guiding the bent knee across the body. Repeat on the other side.

Look out for Mike's post-run posture flow soon. He's getting his notes together....