Namaste Yogis and Yoginis,

I admit it… I am a summer girl at heart. I wear my sandals well into autumn. It’s hard for me to let go of the season. Of course, I enjoy fall too and savor the crisp air and colorful foliage. But to me, these shorter days are an imminent sign of the colder months to come. And simply put, I’m just not a fan of winter.

We all tend to clutch what we like and resist that which we dislike. But it is our habitual rejections and inclinations that create our suffering, not the actual conditions. Trapped in our routine preferences, we miss the gifts of each unique moment.

Yoga Master John Friend speaks often on this subject. In a recent teacher training I took with him, he passionately shared the Tantric yoga view that “when you gain respect for time, each moment becomes more precious. Even the mundane can be transformed to a moment of grace…there is always some holiness to celebrate with in each and every day.”

Obviously, living this philosophy takes practice. It is a great skill to flow openly moment to moment, embracing life fully. But we can practice it on our yoga mats, as well as throughout or day.

May this issue of Yogalicious inspire you to delight in each minute with which you are gifted. As Omar Khayyam has said, “Be happy for this moment. This moment is your life.”

With great joy,
Jillian

"Put your heart, mind, spirit and soul into even your smallest acts. This is the secret of success."— Swami Sivananda

Sometimes getting my two year old son, William, dressed for a trip to the park can be grounds for war. Once there, getting him to leave the park can be the second war. After much trial and error I have become very skilled at guiding him through transitions. The trick is to make the ‘transitions’ as satisfying as the ‘destination’. For instance, leaving the park is usually initiated by an invitation to go on a ‘hunt’ for the car or to have a race. Riding in the car, we point out dogs, trees, trucks or what ever we pass. Climbing the stairs into the house we count steps or look at patterns in the carpet. Getting undressed we watch our pinky fingers disappear through the sleeves or enjoy the characters on his clothing. You get the picture. While I may have developed this technique trying to outwit the temperament of a two year old, it has been a great opportunity for me to practice too! It is like practicing yoga. Yoga teaches us that the wisdom is not in reaching a final destination of a pose but instead in cultivating mindfulness and creative spirit while moving and out of the pose. Yoga helps us learn that no matter how much we love a ‘moment’, pose, or situation we can’t hold on to it. It is forever changing. Resisting this natural flow of change will ultimately create pain or dis-ease for us. Instead, we aspire to go with the flow and fully experience the preciousness of each moment with whatever it brings. When traveling through the day with William in this way, the fruits of the practice are obvious. Things flow more gracefully and we enjoy many positive experiences together. He stays engaged and is inspired by even the simplest discoveries. It is much like Greg Anderson says, "Only one thing has to change for us to know happiness in our lives: where we focus our attention."  back to top

I often practice yoga during my sons nap. While William sleeps for about one hour and a half, he actually wakes every 15-45 minutes during this time and needs help to fall back asleep. Obviously, I can never know how long my practice will be. So by default, I’ve learned to approach each individual pose as if it were to be my whole practice. Trust me, when you only have one moment, you learn to make it count! Try it with your asana practice, even in a group class. After you center yourself, set an intention to put your fullest attention and effort into each single pose as if it were the only one you could do for that day. Every few breaths, take a moment to pause and embody the pose as if it were to be your whole practice.     back to top

I know I’m not the only one who is challenged by the cooler months… After all, according to Ayurveda (a 5,000 year old holistic science from India) November through February is Vata season. Vata is the principle of movement, coolness, and wind. Therefore the energetic quality and weather conditions of the season cause most of us to agitate more easily, become more anxious or “spacey” than usual, and have a harder time feeling grounded and calm. We can all benefit from incorporating some Vata balancing techniques during this time. Vata is subtle, light, cool, rough, drying, and variable. So we need to emphasize heavier, warmer, smooth, moist and more stable kinds of things to offset the increased seasonal Vata. Some simple recommendations are to eat more warm, cooked foods and less cold or raw foods. Stick to a regular routine; get more sleep, use less stimulants, and do daily yoga practice. A few poses that are good for soothing Vata are Uttanasana (Standing Forward Bend), Paschimottanasana (Seated Forward Bend), Balasana (Child's Pose), Supta Virasana (Reclining Hero), Dhanurasana (Bow), Virasana (Hero), Padmasana (Lotus), and Savasana (Corpse Pose). Of course, these are only general tips and Ayurveda is truly a science of individualized attention. It is best if you see a trained practitioner or do some more research. Here are few these good articles to begin: http://www.selfgrowth.com/articles/Coffey5.html Ayurveda and The Doshas http://www.yogajournal.com/health/858_1.cfm Does your yoga class not feel quite right? It could be because it's not a good match with your Ayurvedic dosha. www.yogajournal.com/health/55_1.cfm  back to top