Working with Grief

Holidays can be a difficult time of year for people dealing with a loss of a loved one. This week we work on ideas to make this time an opportunity to forgive those we have lost, forgive ourselves, and feel well.

One idea comes from a dear friend of mine who lost her younger sister this year. For Christmas, her family put up a stocking for the sister who had died in a hospice. They filled the stocking with gifts for the hospice and after the holiday, they donated these items in the sister's name.

Anything that you can do to honor and celebrate the life of a loved one can be beneficial. Ignoring the loss is the worst thing you could do.

We used backbends to open our hearts and uplift our spirits, such as a variation on Camel pose (Ustrasana).

The affirmation we used during meditation was based on Louise Hay's suggestions for dealing with almost any emotion tied to relationships:

"I forgive you. I forgive myself. All is well."

Happy Holidays,

Kris Kramer
www.TotalHealthYoga.com
http://www.TotalHealthYoga.Blogspot.com

Today is the first day of the rest of your life!

Watch the breath - and - Change your environment

This week we find flexibility and calmness by exploring the breath and its effect on movement.

Candles and soothing music (at the end of class) enhance the relaxation experience. Create your own environment at home and in the office to feel happier and more content. For example, use candles, incense, pictures, photos, statues, screen savers, or even a drawer (at work) of special items that uplift your spirits. This is a great way to alleviate mild depression or general anxiety.

For insomnia we're working with the passive exhale and bringing focus to the breath with an awareness of the role of the abdominal diaphragm, intercostals (between each rib), and the abdominals (for an active exhale).

Namaste,

Kris Kramer
www.TotalHealthYoga.com
http://www.TotalHealthYoga.Blogspot.com

Today is the first day of the rest of your life!

Floating Bones

The diagram to the left is complements of wikipedia. Mary Bond, author of two books on movement and alignment in the Rolfing method, says,

"It is the tensional force of our softer tissues that keeps us erect, not the compressional strength of our bones. Floating within a sea of fluid tissues, bones are internal spacers for the body rather than beams that resist compression."

In class, we'll tap into enhancing our awareness of the freedom and space within our own bodies by using extending postures such as Tadasana/Mountain or Chaturanga/Four-Limbed-Staff and bone breathing. As we find more openness and room in the physical, we begin to notice ourselves becoming a bit more open minded and accepting of others. The idea of abundance is no longer foreign. As John Friend, founder of Anusara Yoga, advised,

"After practicing Yoga for a year, take a look at your life. If you are not living with more compassion, then you're not doing Yoga and your practice needs to change."

Use your practice time as "me time" in order to find freedom and compassion for yourself. After rejuvenating yourself, share this sense of love and acceptance with those around you. That's the real Yoga.


Namaste,

Kris Kramer
http://www.totalhealthyoga.com/
http://www.totalhealthyoga.blogspot.com/

Today is the first day of the rest of your life!

Finances

What do your personal finances have to do with Yoga? Ask yourself: What is a spiritual person? What is a financially wealthy person?

Are your views on this very different or did you see the same person? If you saw the same person, then this week's theme may not speak to you. If you saw two very different people, then be aware of this. Check out this post regarding Money and Spirituality.

It takes money to provide our space to practice Yoga in. It takes money to educate ourselves or to travel and experience other cultures. It takes money to eat or enjoy some quality entertainment.

A wise person once said that money didn't make you greedy or evil; "Money makes you more of who you already are."

In our Yoga, we practice to expand our awareness and remove blocks. One of those blocks just might be how you view money. Taking your practice to find peace and reflecting on all the positive that money can do (such as Oprah or Bill Gates demonstrate) is an important part or removing that block.

As requested by a wonderful student Monday night, here is a brief overview of what the beginning classes are up to:

Center - molecule breathing
Joint Mobility - especially in the neck, chest and shoulder areas
Sun Salutation - dynamic and then static with each pose

Warrior I / Virabhadrasana I - hands on hips, lean forward, hug sacrum, and bring torso upright
Warrior III / Virabhadrasana III - using wall
Mountain / Tadasana - with shoulder integration

Bridge / Setu Bandhasana - block under the sacrum, heads of arm bones back, and externally rotate arms
Cross-legged Twist - keep the spine long
Cross-legged Forward Bend - keep the sternum (heart center) lifting away from the navel

Corpse / Savasana - use soothing music
Ujjayi 1:2 - breath of sound with exhales twice as long as inhales
Lotus flower meditation

Peace and Joy to all beings,

Kris Kramer
www.TotalHealthYoga.com
http://www.TotalHealthYoga.Blogspot.com

Today is the first day of the rest of your life!