Great - you're asking! Now...what are you ready for? abundance? peace? ease?   Try this mudras (yoga poses for the hands): Sit comfortably with spine straight. Place your left hand on your left knee, palm down. Place your right hand on your right knee palm up - like a cup. Take several slow deep breaths and consider the law of opposite forces-grounded openness. Open your thoughts to the possibility that you are "all-ready" for anythings! This mudra is called Bhumisparsha Mudra- give yourself the gift of a few quiet minutes today to breathe, practice and consider this mudra.

"Be careful what you water your dreams with.Water them with worry and fear and you will produce weeds that choke the life from your dreams. Water them with optimism and solutions and you will cultivate success. Lao Tzu.

BE a lemon tree!  Consider practicing Tree Pose to promote balance and stability:
Imagine you're a tree - your legs are the roots, spine the trunk, arms the branches.

1.As you stand, feel length in your spine extending up and down at the same time. 
2. Select a focal point ahead of you to rest your gaze, hands in prayer position. 
3. Shift your weight from both feet to the right foot -rooting your right foot into the earth and lifting through the crown of your head. 
4. When stable, lift the left foot, rotate the knee outward, raising left foot up to the ankle, knee or thigh area - pads of the foot resting gently on the inside of the right leg.
5. Raise arms overhead and feel your breath entering and exiting your nose. Feel the strength and balance of the pose. Try maintaining the pose through several breaths.
6. Slowly lower arms and left leg. 
7. Repeat this sequence on the other side. 





 

How are you feeling today?? energized ...or depleted from the holidays??  - no judgement... just notice. Do your yoga practice regardless. Yoga's not about trying to change or hide who you are, but rather understand who you are!

Relaxation is the process of observing your tension... Hmmm...Sit or lie comfortably, breathe deeply and witness your thoughts, feelings, emotions - no judgement. Try this for 10 minutes today

Ego or egoism?? The ego can help set healthy boundries - but some push the ego to infinity and beyond. Hmmm...are you willing to argue your point or opinion just to be right?  AKA - "right-fighter." Do you NEED to be right?? Egoism is an unhealthy attachment to having it your way all the time. Let's experiment - holidays with family, extended family and friends can be stressful  - consider letting go of the draw (or maybe habit) to be the "winner."

Ujjayi Breath...not like garlic breath!
What is it?? It's ocean-sounding breath.
Why do it?? It calms the mind, promotes self-awareness, warms the breath as it comes into the lungs - which warms you! and it deepens the meditatiive experience in your yoga practice.
How do you do it??
1) Be aware of your breath right now, just as it is.
2)Breathe through your mouth like you're fogging a mirror (it sounds like the ocean).
3)Close your mouth and continue making the fogging  or ocean sound with the mouth closed -if you cup you hands over your ears it's more prominent.
4) Breathe...being present to the breathe in and out. Take a few minutes to just listen to your own breath - pranayama...your life force...
5) You're warmer, calmer and more in touch with

It's simple, breathe deeply and exhale completely.
Rodney Yee, a former ballet dancer turned yoga instructor writes, "Focusing on the downward movement in breathing can contribute to headache relief. Think of the lungs as being like a sponge which first needs to empty in order to absorb. Exhale as smoothly as you can, using your abdominal muscles to gently squeeze the air out. Then, rather than actively drawing breath in, let your belly relax with the natural downward movement of the diaphragm, allowing the body to relax and absorb breath."
So during this busy holiday season, take a few minutes to turn your cell phone off, find a quiet spot, sit comfortably and just breathe!

Traffic backups, roadblock, detour ... breathe!...behind and cement mixer...home to fine the dog didn't make it outside in time...argh...breathe! After sleeping on it I see that the Universe was my teacher of patience!