Namaste Yogis and Yoginis,

Burrr. I don’t know about you, but for those of us on the East Coast it has been a very chilly winter. According to the Farmers Almanac it’s going to stay icy through March! These darker, colder months can be a challenge to keep our spirits up since the lack of sunlight inhibits the production of serotonin, which helps regulate our moods. So this issue of Yogalicious is filled with ideas to lift your spirits, defrost your body, boost your immune system and open your heart.

With great warmth,
Jillian

A philosophy professor began class. He wordlessly picked up a large empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with rocks about 2 inches in diameter. He asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was. So the professor picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles, of course, rolled into the open areas between the rocks. The students laughed. Again, he asked if it was full. They agreed, now, it actually was. The professor picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled everything else. "Now," said the professor, "I want you to recognize that this is your life. The rocks are the important things - your family, your partner, your health, and your children - anything that is so important to you that if it were lost, you would be nearly destroyed. The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house, and your car. The sand is everything else. The small stuff. If you put the sand into the jar first, there is no room for the pebbles or the rocks. The same goes for your life. If you spend all your energy and time on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that are important to you." — Author Unknown

Clearly, you don’t have to be a parent to have difficulty finding time for yourself or your yoga practice. In fact, lack of time is the number one reason my students report for not getting to their yoga. I know your pain. The doctor gave me the green light to practice 6 weeks after William’s birth. I laid down my mat for that long anticipated session, and barely had 10 minutes before I heeded to his cry for me. As I attempted to practice throughout the week, I would get anywhere between 3 and 45 minutes in before he beckoned. Finally, I got wise and began do my practice more quickly. However, as I hurried to fit in my yoga, I found that I was feeling more agitated instead of relaxed and centered. I began to realize that under this self imposed pressure to finish a ‘complete’ practice, I was actually sacrificing the ‘practice’ so I could DO the poses. This is not yoga. The yoga is not in doing the poses, it’s in the practice of becoming more present, clear, centered, and balanced with each moment. To help regain my yogic approach, I now begin each practice with a few rounds of my new mantra, "one breath at a time, one asana at a time". I pay acute attention to the spaces between my breath to help me stay present and feel complete in each moment. I resolve no matter how long I practice, it all counts; each breath makes a difference. And this is how I got my practice back. Now, when William lets out his first call, I am already feeling more balanced and centered whether I practice for 2 or 20 minutes.   back to top

No time after work? Try these two sites for stretches you can do at your office desk.
http://www.yogajournal.com/practice/231_1.cfm?ctsrc=sectnav
http://www.yogaeverywhere.com/keyboard/keyboard_tips.html   back to top