This year I am playing with the idea of stressing less.  In fact I’m making it an adventure in less stress! When I am less stressed I feel better in my body and in my mind.   I’m just a happier person.

One of the things I have been thinking about lately is how much we push ourselves in trying to do all the things we think we should do.

The life style we lead teaches us that we must do more and be more, in order to achieve success.  So we push ourselves.  We push ourselves to be better parents. We push ourselves to be thinner. We push ourselves to do more at our jobs.  We push and we push, and in the process we manage to cause ourselves all kinds of stress!

In our day to day lives there are many opportunities to challenge and “push” ourselves. Sometimes it is necessary, we have a project due, or there is a limited amount of time to finish a task.  Challenges can be a good thing, they serve to build our confidence and prepare us to move on to the next thing.  However, if we are constantly pushing ourselves to” be more” even when it isn’t a necessity, we limit our ability to rest and recover from the stress we inflict on ourselves.

Yoga provides a place not to push

When students come to me for yoga I am often met with the task of teaching them to rethink the idea of “no pain no gain”.  For so long they have been taught that the right way to do something is to push, even to the point of pain, that’s how they know they are working hard enough.  Excersise should be hard, right?

You will find lots of yoga classes out there that encourage you to work a little harder, stretch deeper, or align more precisely, all in an effort to help you achieve the perfect yoga pose.  However the act of achieving the perfect yoga pose does not guarantee the best benefits.  In fact pushing to get into the proper form of the pose when your body is not ready can actually get you hurt.   To get the very best benefit from the yoga poses you need to practice the pose in the way that is best for your body.  This will vary from person to person.

When you come to yoga, you need to lose the idea that you should push yourself in order to achieve the benefits. Instead of thinking of yoga as another exercise routine, just another way to push yourself, try thinking of yoga as movement.  

Think of the physical poses of yoga as bringing movement to your body with mindfulness, attention, and intention.

When you move with mindfulness you slow down. You stop moving without thinking. Habitual movement patterns are often dysfunctional and can cause stress in your body.

When you move with attention you gain the ability to listen. You can then resist the temptation to push through pain, push through fatigue, and honor your body’s request to "stop doing that". Your body knows exactly what you need if you just listen.  

When you move with intention you move with purpose.  You begin to understand which movements are beneficial to the needs of your body. This introduces the opportunity to begin to move in new ways that will transform your dysfunctional movement patterns to more functional ones.

By approaching yoga this way, it becomes an opposing force to stress rather than a contributor.  It allows you a place to rest as you learn to listen to what is needed, rather than all the “shoulds” that are bouncing around in your head.

As you refine this skill of listening, you will gain a clear perspective of when it is appropriate to push, and when it is not.  Using this ability in your yoga practice  and in your day to day life will bring about a more balanced way of living.

If you truly want a challenge, try this experiment;

-Just for today, stop pushing through everything you do.

-When you find yourself feeling overwhelmed or stressed about something, find ways not to push.

Note; This may prove more of a challenge than you expect.

Give yourself permission to say, ”Not now.”  Give yourself permission to say, “I’m going to lay here and do nothing.” Allow your body the opportunity to rest and recharge so you will have more energy to give your family, friends, and even your job. 

Note to foot; I mean foot note~ I have observed that I have a tendency to push through everything, even when I feel so exhausted I think I might fall down. I realize that this contributed to the anxieties of my past.  Always pushing to finish this one thing, and then of course just one more thing.  As I have allowed myself to stop “pushing myself around” and honor my body’s requests to stop, there has been another sift in the direction of balance in my life.  Give it a try and see for yourself.

New Year’s Resolution Evolution

It’s that time of year again.  You know what I’m talking about, because everyone’s been talking about it, the dreaded New Year’s Resolution.  The advertisers have begun their annual push to get you started on their version of the “cure” for being fit, fab, and swimsuit sexy!

Oh bother! Do we really have to do this again? To me the annual “resolution” has always felt like a wolf in sheep’s clothing, a trap waiting to catch me and prove that I’m a failure. I am SO finished with that.

Last year I took a class on business building and the teacher (the wonderful Sheri Mortko) told me that my mode of operation was very organic. Meaning-rather than setting a lot of concrete goals, I just kind of go with the flow, and build around what is happening, and because that resonates with who I am, it works really well for me. 

So last year instead of a resolution, I started a New Year’s Evolution!  And I love it because it feels so much more,.. organic! I found that allowing a natural evolution through my year, saved me a lot of energy and time feeling bad about not meeting a specific expectation.

So here I am in 2011, and as I evolve this year I wanted to come from a different angle.  Rather than think about what I would like my year to look like, I am thinking about what I want my year to feel like, and that got me pondering my past.

As a girl who has spent years dancing with chronic anxiety, I recognize that over the years I have developed some strong reactive patterns to stress. I carry unreal amounts of tension in my body (which is kind of silly for a yoga teacher), and my mind has a mind of its own. In fact my mind takes delight in starting lovely conversations like, “Oh! What was that? I’ve never felt that before! Am I gonna die now?” Which only adds to the tension in my body, and is never an appropriate topic in my opinion. These old patterns make me feel uneasy, worried, and stuck.

After revisiting my past stress pattern, I’ve come to an understanding. In the New Year I would like to evolve my reactions to stress and how those reactions make me feel.

This year I want to feel happy, joyful and peaceful.  I want to feel safe, and free from pressure and fear of failure. I want my body to feel relaxed wherever I am, and I want to enjoy trying new things, and being in new places. I want this year to be an adventure!  Yes, an adventure where I stress less, a "Stress Less" Adventure!

You can follow play along with me as I embark on my secret not so secret mission to “Stress Less” in the New Year.  I will be sharing my progress, and offering tips to manage stress along the way.

Note to foot~ I mean foot note; It’s totally ok if you would prefer to “resolve” instead of “evolve”.  You can still play along and enjoy the benefits of sending your stress on a long vacation to the Antarctic. Evolving seems to match my organic personality so I choose to evolve, and I promise not to evolve into a fish, or a penguin or anything silly like that. Although I may consider evolving into an otter because they seem to be pretty laid back, and they get to spend all day floating around in the water and stuff.

If you would like to post a comment, be aware that for some reason it will look as if your post did not go through, when it acutally did. You may want to check that your post posted, before trying to post again.  Thanks!

Symphony of sympathy-Part 2-Your nervous system and stress

In the last post we talked about the Autonomic nervous system and its parts the sympathetic-fight or flight response and parasympathetic-rest and repose. We talked about how together these two parts act as a security system to keep you safe and how when working together they orchestrate a perfect symphony of balance between the call for action and the call for inaction.

Getting on your nerves

Sympathetic and parasympathetic activation happen automatically, as a response to an emergency, and then to activate recovery. In our society it is becoming more and more common that the sympathetic or fight or flight response is triggered by your own emotional disruptions, your worries. Rather than actual physical dangers, you manage to create a never ending list of stressful situations that get on your nerves. These situations may only exist in your head, however they manage to fill your mind with “emergency” situations, and depending on your level of sensitivity it could be happening almost non-stop.

Your brain decides that there are too many important things happening at once, like having a project due that isn’t finished yet, phone calls to return, emails to write, or your kids asking you to be three places and once. Even something as simple as the person in front of you driving too slow can trigger your alarm system. This is referred to as “stress” and it is a result of your sympathetic nervous system activating in an effort to keep you safe. Sometimes your alarm system can get sort of stuck in the “on” position and it may become hard for your body to activate the rest and repose response. When this happens your body does not get the needed time to recover from a stressful situation and that has the potential to make you sick.

It’s rather inconvenient and annoying when your alarm won’t turn off!  Gosh!

It’s safe to say that when your neighbor’s car alarm goes off for two hours it can be pretty darn annoying, yes? So what happens when your own inner security alarm gets stuck in the “ON” position for long periods of time? The flood of emergency reactions continues to flow in to your body and your system may not get a chance to rest. Let’s review what happens to your body when your alarm has been triggered;

~Heart rate, blood pressure and breathing increase

~Blood flow is diverted to your muscles so you can move with strength and speed.

~Cognitive and sensory become sharper so you can be more aware of what is happening in your surroundings and think fast to get out.

In addition other functions are halted so that energy reserves can be focused on the matter at hand;

~Digestion in inhibited

~Growth and tissue repair are curtailed

~Immunity is inhibited

~Pain perception can be blunted

If your body gets stuck alarm mode for long periods of time it can come at a cost, it is likely that the elevated blood pressure you experience when in a sympathetic reaction will stay elevated for longer periods of time, which puts you at greater risk for heart attack. You may also begin to notice problems with your digestion, with your body’s ability to heal and protect itself from infections, interrupted sleep patterns, and you may experience a high level of sensory impute which can cause agitation and anxiety. With all of this there is now more stress on your body’s systems and it can begin to cause you to feel tired and lack energy.  Your sympathetic nervous system was designed to protect you, but long term exposure may actually begin to deplete you to the point of exhaustion, and make you susceptible to illness.

Yoga and Rest

In a world that encourages a fast paced, high stress lifestyle it is important that you take some time to explore ways to help your autonomic nervous system stay in harmony. Yoga offers incredible tools that are excellent for helping you balance an over active alarm system.  It can help you activate your parasympathetic or rest and repose response.  Participating in  yoga classes will teach you tools that you can use combat stress in your day to day life. 

In addition to yoga, here are some other tools that help me stay calm.

- get enough exercise

- schedule play time away from stress

-taking a bath (I like to add essential oils like lavender

- read a good book that makes you smile

-get out and enjoy nature

-spend time with uplifting friends

-get plenty of rest and down time

 Find things that nurture you and help you feel recharged. Then make the time to enjoy them.  Be good to yourself, and leave stress behind.

Note to foot I mean foot note; I am not an expert on the nervous system.  What I share here is based on my own understanding of the reading I’ve done on the subject combined with the personal experiences I’ve had with my own active nervous system. Years of sever anxiety led to years of study on ways to help myself, and that is where my perspective and understanding comes from. If you’re interested in learning more about how your nervous system works, I suggest reading Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers by Robert M. Sapolsky

Symphony of Sympathy- Part 1Your inner security system

These days many of us have a home security system to protect our home and help us feel safe. And all around you will see and hear security systems to protect cars, banks, and businesses. At the first sign of danger the alarm will sound. You know the sound. It definitely gets your attention and you look to see what the problem is. Did you know that your body came equipped with a built in security system? When danger is present it sounds the alarm, but it isn’t the type of alarm you hear, it results in reactions within your body and is related to your nervous system.

Systems of the Symphony

Your nervous system has two parts. There is the voluntary nervous system which has to do with conscious movements and actions. You decide to move your arm, and it happens. You decide to have a sip of tea, you sip your tea, it’s pretty straight forward.

The other part is your autonomic nervous system. This system controls all those things we rarely think about like blushing, getting goose bumps, sweating, and other necessary functions like those of your organs. The autonomic nervous system also comes in two parts, the sympathetic and the parasympathetic.

The sympathetic nervous system is known as the fight or flight response and kicks in when there is an emergency, or at least what you perceive as an emergency. This is what I am referring to when I talk about your inner security system. When your brain perceives a potentially dangerous situation it sounds the alarm by releasing hormones into your body that trigger a series of reactions. You are in danger you need to be able to act quickly on your feet in order to get out of the situation. You can flee or you can fight, but in order to do either your body must be prepared to do it fast because it could be life or death!

A call for action-Your body prepares to run;

~Heart rate, blood pressure and breathing increase

~Blood flow is diverted to your muscles so you can move with strength and speed.

~Cognitive and sensory functions become heightened so you can be more aware of what is happening in your surroundings and think fast.

In addition other functions are halted so that energy reserves can be focused on the matter at hand;

~Digestion is inhibited

~Growth and tissue repair are curtailed

~Immune function is halted

~Pain perception may be blunted

Whew! Your sympathetic response helped you escaped your potentially dangerous situation and now it’s time to activate its counterpart your parasympathetic nervous system.

The parasympathetic nervous system is commonly known as the rest and repose response. When you brain perceives that the danger is over, it reverses the previous process helping your body calm down and creates an environment that promotes rest, repair, and energy storage. The danger is over and now you need to recover.

A call for inaction-Your body prepares to rest and recharge;

~Heart rate, blood pressure and breathing decrease to normal levels

~Blood flow is diverted from your muscles back to vital systems.

~Cognitive and sensory function return to normal levels.

In addition other functions return to the task of repair and energy storage;

~Digestion is returned to normal

~Growth and tissue repair are reinstated

~Immunity processes are restored

~Perception of pain is put back in place.

The rest and repose response is like the “OFF” switch on an alarm. It signals your body that you are out of danger and allows your body to return to a normal state.

When working together the two parts of your autonomic nervous system orchestrate a perfect symphony of balance between a call for action and a call for inaction. And in the process manage to keep you safe from harm, and ready for the next emergency.

Read about your nervous system and stress in Symphony of Sympathy Part 2.

Note to foot I mean foot note~ I do not claim to be an expert on the nervous system.  What I share here is based on my own understanding of the reading I’ve done on the subject, combined with the personal experiences I’ve had with my own active nervous system. Years of severe anxiety led to years of study on ways to help myself, and that is where my perspective and understanding comes from. If you’re interested in learning more about how your nervous system works, I suggest reading Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers by Robert M. Sapolsky

Anountcment! It’s official! Even though I don’t have all the details yet

This is a super exciting and kind of frightening announcement. My URPS is retiring. Yes the time has come to let the poor thing off the hook and stop making it come to a job that aggravates and irritates the otherwise feeling pretty good neck and shoulder injury (Unrelenting RePetitive Stress injury= URPS).

How is it gonna happen?  I don’t know.  How’s it gonna work?  I don't know. But that is part of why I am blogging about it.

So this all came about last weekend when, after years of saying “I can’t do this anymore” while working at the dog grooming job it finally stuck.  For some strange reason it sunk deep inside me and clicked!  “I can’t do this anymore.” Hmmm.

When stop means stop

So the following work day I had another conversation that sounded all too familiar because I have been having it for the last two years!  It went something like this.

“Well, I could just let the dogs that stress me go. And then I can keep the ones that are easy and don’t stress me out. And then that will help pay for stuff, and I won’t be working so hard and it will all be great!”

This all sounds totally acceptable until this starts;

“ So I can keep Cupcake because she is here a lot, and I can keep Oda because her parents don’t speak English and I don’t want to have to explain everything to them, and I could keep Odie and Ursala because they are supper easy, and I really like Mo so I will keep him, and oh Matilda is easy I will keep her and, Max and Char are super easy and they are so cute so I will keep them, and I like Pompoms family so I will keep her, and,…..”

You can see the problem because soon the list is so long that it’s like, well it’s like I’m still grooming dogs!

Yet other all too familiar conversation is as follows;

“If I keep grooming just a little longer, then it brings in a little extra money and I can use it to pay for stuff like my new business, college, paying extra on the house, buying a new car, having the house remodeled and,…

Again you see where this is going, there is an unlimited amount of ways the money could be used, and in the end, the realization is,…

“I have to quit does not mean I have to slow down, or that I can keep just a few.  It means quit, cold turkey, end of story, because if I don’t stop, it doesn’t stop!”

The Hows and the Whens

Well I could stop this month, or I could stop next month, or I could stop the next month which would be September.  Stopping this month isn’t really possible because there are a few things that must be paid for, and also it isn’t really enough time to get all my affairs dogs in order.

Now I promised myself that when this day came I was gonna have a big party with flowers and cake. Since I sometimes play with flowers and find it a lot of fun, I will do the flowers, and since I sometimes play with cake, I could do the cake, but do I really want to? Hmmm.

Anyway all of this happens to coincide with my birthday.  My fortieth birthday~ The day I declare my independence. The day I start to run my business enterprises instead of them running me. And I am starting a new chapter in my yoga business too.

 So now it has turned into the “Retiring from dog grooming, starting new yoga stuff, 40^th birthday party!” And there will be flowers (Sunflowers and bright greens button mums), and cake (yes a cake and I really want a wonky cake), and sushi I adore sushi (the veggie kind, that is unless I can talk my friend into making real sushi Tahitian style!)

Okay so the party is all shaping up. Whoo hoo party on friends!

The Stop Date! Oh how to choose.

Well if my party is on my birthday that means I don’t want to be grooming after that date because I will be officially retired! So that means not stopping in September. And if I am making my own flowers and maybe my own wonky cake, then I will also require time to prepare for my party! (oh the house is a disaster!  Much work to do there.)

Quitting in July is kind of a non-choice because I have to get all the puppies through at least one more time, so, that leaves August. Interestingly, my dog schedule just kinda stopped in my calendar in August. There are no dogs on my books past Aug 24^th so I could set that as my final day, or I could set the Saturday before as my final day.  I will have to work that out!

It’s a date!

I officially resign from grooming dogs on or near Aug 24. And until then I will work like a dog with the dogs.

Unhappy thoughts are floating around with my happy thoughts of freedom.  This feels weird. I feel guilty. Those poor doggies, who will make them look pretty now?

No guilt! You must do this for yourself, for your health and the betterment of mankind growth of your healthier business.

Time to set the plan to paper! Set the plan to action! Oh and to get comfortable with the plan. That may be the tricky part.

Note to foot~ I mean foot note- I love my doggie clients and this is really hard for me.  I built this business from nothing, and it’s like I am letting my little thing just go away. On top of that all my little doggie clients who are so sweet and their way awesome parents who have been so supportive through the whole process. I love and appreciate them all and will do whatever I can to help them find a good replacement. Hugs to you all!

This is an ongoing saga, a tale of woe and triumph!  It is an analogy, a metaphor, a made up story, that mirrors something real. 

The made up story- A princess finds her castle, her boundaries, befriends a dragon, and lives happily ever after.

The something real- chronic anxiety, fear, doubt, unhappiness, not functioning, being afraid, feeling stuck, feeling like you’re gonna be sick, and generally not feeling awesome.

The situation

Once upon a time there was a girl. She was a mostly normal girl who took great strides to do everything her best. She pushed herself to do things right and P-E-R-F-E-C-T. She pushed and pushed, and after years of pushing, she found herself precariously locked in a tower. The tower was dreary and unpleasant. It was guarded by dragon who was fearsome and scary.

Interestingly, the girl was never actually “locked” in the tower. She stayed there of her own accord because, no matter where she went, the dragon was following; oppressive and daunting. When she was in the tower, sometimes the dragon would go to sleep and she would not have to witness his oppressive behavior and listen to his lame attempts at show tunes. She would stay in her tower where it was safe, and the dragon would sleep very nearby.

Now then, life does not make it possible to exist in a secluded tower. Alas, there are things one must do in order to survive. It requires leaving the safety of the tower to go to the grocery store, the doctor, a friend’s house, a restaurant, but it mattered not where the girl went; the dragon was always lurking close by. In order to survive, the girl discovered that by simply paying attention, she could know when it was safe to leave the tower. She would observe which days the dragon was at his worst and which days the dragon was very pleasant. She found that she could get out and about with greater ease on the days the dragon was in a better mood. This is how she was able to do those things that had to be done. She used this strategy to navigate situations that might otherwise be impossible.

So it begins. The girl had learned to observe the dragon, and in doing so, found some safe boundaries. This is how this mostly normal girl became a Prin-cess.

Note too foot~ I mean foot note! If this story makes no sense to you I'm really sorry.  I tried to make it make sense.  It might be helpful to know the players.  The part of the girl/princess is played by Trish. The part of the Dragon is being played by Chronic Anxiety. The part of the tower is being played by the bedroom. I hope that helps.

For many of us the word ritual conjures up images from popular movies of human sacrifice, evil chanting and VOODOO! Much of our culture has missed the meaning of this word, so I think it is important that we revisit it's basic meaning and get an idea of what we are really talking about here.

What is ritual? Wikipedia defines ritual as; any practice or pattern of behavior regularly performed in a set manner. This could include behaviors regulating social conduct like a gentleman raising his hat, or the shaking of hands in greeting.  Ritual could also include an established procedure for a religious or other rite, including graduation, and praying over a meal.

If you look at your daily activities you may find that your life is filled with ritual that you didn’t even know about. Much of our ritual is simple repetition of things that are a necessity to living life; your morning coffee or tea, your morning exercise program, the simple act of brushing your teeth. Life is filled with ritual.

Ritual becomes a dedicated practice when we perform these actions with intention rather than simply repeating them out of habit. For example, I brush my teeth every day because I appreciate them and want them to stay healthy and strong. I move my body every day because I am grateful to have a body that can move and I want it to be a happy place to exist. I pray every day because it helps me stay connected to what is important to me.

I grew up in a place where the word ritual was not used, but we did have traditions. Often these traditional type practices are passed down from one generation to the next. As I began my family I felt an urge to continue the same family traditions I grew up with for certain holidays or events.  The yearly pattern of performing your family holiday traditions is a ritual. Ritual is very personal. It is something that you can use to keep your life filled with meaning, whether it is religious or not you will find your life enriched by starting simple rituals in your life.

Think of some areas of your life that you may want to improve. Then set an intention to begin a ritual to support that goal. For example if you want to stay in better contact with friends you might begin a ritual of meeting for lunch on the 4^th Tuesday of each month. If you want to deepen your yoga practice you might begin your practice by lighting a candle and set an intention that your practice be a light to guide you in your daily activities. The act of taking your dogs out every morning can be made more meaning full by taking a deep breath of fresh air when you step outside and being grateful for it!

I hope this has given you an opportunity to reflect on the rituals you already use in your life.  And that it has opened a door for you to explore other ways to incorporate meaningful rituals into your daily practices. Enjoy!

Note to foot~I mean foot note~ These are very simple ideas for adding ritual to your life, there are endless others, so many that there is no way I could possibly mention them all. Play with this idea yourself and see what happens.

They say that you can search high and low for your true purpose in life, but in the end it is your purpose that finds you. That’s what happened to me.

The drama began in my 30’s. I was in a lot of pain from an unrelenting repetitive stress injury related to my work as a dog groomer. I lived on Ibuprofen! Along with the pain in my neck and shoulder I was also dealing with this unhealthy relationship I had formed a long, long time ago with a monster chronic anxiety. This relationship had evolved over a long period of time, and I suddenly found myself in an almost constant state of complete insanity anxiety. I almost never felt comfortable going out and doing normal things. In fact, I almost never felt comfortable at all. Between the chronic pain and the anxiety, I spent most of my free time in bed, “resting”.

Then it found me! Viniyoga was pretty simple to do, yet the results I was getting were highly amazing! I’ve been practicing almost daily since Dec 2006. I continue to notice changes for the positive as I travel down my personal Viniyoga road. I no longer live on Ibuprofen, I rarely feel anxious, and I can go out and do things I have never been able to do before! I fly all by myself to California (and I don’t die!), and drive all by myself across the country (and I don’t even die!). I can even leap small buildings problems in a single bound! (Oh, AND I don’t die!!!) Sometimes I amaze myself! What I’m most amazed by are the little every day things that I was missing before.  Like the other day, when I walked into a convenience store (nasty anxious places for me in the past) and bought myself a drink, anxiety free! Three cheers for meeeeee~!!

I had done yoga before, but there was something different about this type of yoga. It felt so right in my body. I recognized from beginning that this was something I needed to go out and share, because not enough people where aware of its total awesomeness! So, I began to study. In the beginning, I studied on my own and through conferences and workshops with my teacher. My first yoga “class” was a 14 hour workshop with Gary Kraftsow! Since that first class, I have completed my 500 hour teacher certification, and am now working towards certification as a Yoga Therapist (which is another 500 hour program, can you say “exhausting?”). It seems there is always more to learn, and I anticipate my studies will continue throughout my life.

I have personal experience with the deeply profound and transformational benefits side effects of yoga. I believe that no matter who you are, there is a yoga practice that is just right for you. Just a few minutes a day, or even a few times a week, can make a huge difference in your life!

“If you engage in simple practices consistently, you will be amazed at their capacity to create deep change.”  -Gary Kraftsow

Note to foot, I mean foot note!~  I poke fun at anxiety in this post, but that doesn't' mean I don't take it seriously.  I still "wheel and deal" with mine from time to time, and yoga has been a powerfull tool in helping me do that!  Some other tactics I have used are bodywork and acupuncture.

This is my very first blog.  It may be incredibly just a tad long. 

Disclaimer, this blog talks about things that work for me.  I mostly will talk about my yoga practice, and sometimes I will just talk about my life, or other random stuff,.. whichever happens to hit me first.

A Good Fit

I love Viniyoga.  We’re just a good fit! What do I love about Viniyoga?  Well, first of all, it is so very doable.  In all my studies I have never been asked to do anything my body could not, or would not do, AND I have been offered options, YES!  Options like when you buy a car you get to choose cool options that work for you, like satellite radio, or that cool switch that starts your car while you are still in the house, or a sunroof so you won’t feel claustrophobic, or those awesome seats that keep your butt warm (you know what I’m talking about)!  It’s like that, Viniyoga gives you options, options like how to use your arms so your shoulder feels better instead of worse, options like using a different pose entirely because your body doesn’t get along with the one pose that everybody else is doing (there are way more options but I don’t have the time to go into them all).  You choose the options that work for you.  Another thing I really love about Viniyoga, and I confess this really got me from the get go, there isn’t a predetermined “list” of things you “just have to have” on hand in order to practice, like,.. Oh I don’t know let’s see,.

-1,2,3,4,5 wool blankets

- 1,2,3 blocks

- a 6 foot strap AND

-a 12 foot strap

- a super duper eco friendly yoga mat, oh and some

-sand bags 5lb and 3lb and an

- eye pillow filled with flax and lavender

Okay, after getting all this stuff,..I am tired already, let’s just Savasana and get it over with!   Using props may be your thing, and I am not knocking it because it can be really great, but we are talking about me here remember.  (Don't get me wrong, we do use props in Viniyoga, and I use props in my practice when necessary, but most of the time it's just not my thing.)   I love that Viniyoga meets me where I am, with what I have.  In fact for my first 6 months doing yoga I didn't even use a mat, but I confess they are really nice and would recommend that you get one. 

My Parts Of Me

Viniyoga came to me as a tool to help me take care of ME (Did I mention that this blog was about me?).  It works on all my parts; my body, my energy, my mind, my emotions, my heart and spirit.  Now sometimes it is an instant fix, kinda like that pudding that you just mix with milk and it’s all ready to go (yummy coconut cream!), and sometimes it takes some time, like that other pudding (Rice pudding with cinnamon OH YUM!) that you have to cook like for hours (days-years).

Meet The Urps

So one of my parts that needs special attention is my body (now,... I DO possess a few extra pounds, but that is not what I am talking about here). I have this unrelenting repetitive stress injury (hereafter to be referred to as Urps, as in “erps” like Wyatt, Virgil and Morgan). My Urps injury is really hideous (it does not LOOK hideous, it just FEELS hideous like ouch! all the time ouch!).  It’s my shoulder and the most annoying part about it is that it comes from my current job as a dog groomer.  (You know the job, the one that brings home the bacon).  This time of year, I have lots of busy days getting all those dirty doggies all fluffy and purr-ty for the holidays, and my Urps injury really gets revved up.  So much so that, well,… “YOU CAN BAKE YOUR OWN DANG COOKIES OK!”  

 Halleluiah Holiday!!!

Along with aggravating my Urps, this time of year offers me something to look forward to, my Halleluiah Holiday!  This is where I get to scream out loud, “Halleluiah!  Praise the lord! I don’t have to groom any dogs!”  I do this several times a year, but this time of year is best because I do nothing but have a Holiday! No school, no traveling, and I don’t groom any dogs, NONE for like two whole weeks!  (Isn’t that exciting!!!)

You Don’t Get Something For Nothing

So, now I find myself on my most best “Halleluiah Holiday” of the year, no doggies to fluff, and no constant repetitive stress-ey motion to make my arm all goo-gooey.    And since I am not continuously re-injuring, I can focus on healing my Urps.  (Hooray!) 

Feeling better sometimes requires you to do something.  Here are some things I must do to help my URPS to feel better.

1-      I have to stop (or reduce) doing what hurts.

(You know what they say, if it hurts don’t do it? I’m still working on explaining that to my paycheck!)

2-      I have to do MY yoga practice. (The one that fits me)

3-      It can’t be just any old yoga practice.   It has to be a well designed practice, especially for my Urps.  I have to think about what my poor repetitive-ly stressed body needs, and then I have to put together a practice that carefully addresses those needs. 

Talking to My Body

I’ve learned through Viniyoga (which I love!) that it really pays to listen to what your body is saying. So sometimes I just have to sit down and have a conversation with my body.  Note~ at least for this installment of “talking to my body”, the part of “body” must be read as the boy in “Charlie bit me“, because that makes sense.

Body: Lady, that really hurts!   

Me: Okay so maybe we won’t do that for a while.

Body: Thanks for that, but quite possibly you are too late, I feel pretty awful. I think I may die.

Me:  You won’t die, we are just going to rest, and then maybe we will move a little, how does that sound?

Body:  That sounds stupid!!!!  I mean I’m not sure I CAN move!  That REALLY hurt, and you used up all my energy.  I feel faint.

Me: Well let’s just see how we feel after a good rest and some gentle movement and we will go from there ok.  I promise if it REALLY hurts we won’t do it.  Is that a deal?

Body:  You promise if it REALLY hurts we won’t do it?

Me: Yes I promise, and I also promise a hot bath, a massage, and ibuprofen if necessary.

Body: Well, okay, but you have to be gentle with me because I am near death.

Me: You will be fine, stop being a baby!

So as agreed, I stopped doing that (the dogs cause it really hurts).  I listened to my body and carefully designed an appropriate yoga practice, implemented the practice and Voila!  I start feeling better. Hmmmm,….. Despite my repeated experience with this same scenario, I am still always amazed at how much better I feel when I am doing the right things for my body. (DUH!  Where have you been all my life?)

The Love Story

So here is the story.  I love Viniyoga and, Viniyoga loves me!  Over the years, it has become more than just yoga.  It has become MY yoga, my friend, what I need, when I need it (told you it was all about me).  The Viniyoga tradition emphasizes developing a personal practice.  Something just right for you, like a donut, (~note to self, don’t blog when you are hungry.)  blueberry cake or maple bar, warm glazed or chocolate cream filled, which one do you want?  Take your pick!  Your practice can be long, strong, and sweaty, it can be slow, meditative, and loaded with positive affirmations, it can be short and deceivingly effective, or silent and full of stillness.  Different strokes for different folks and it may change from day to day. 

To get to a place where you can practice yoga on your own safely and deeply, you have to practice and study.  As with anything it takes time, dedication, and diligence.  Great books can be helpful, but it is always best if you can work with a well trained teacher who can support you on your journey and help you tailor a personal practice that fits your needs!    

Anyway I was talking about me, (so back to ME!) I am 3 days and counting into my most favorite Halleluiah Holiday, (Three days?  But I feel so much better!) and what brought me to write my first blog,… my amazement at the simplicity and effectiveness of Viniyoga.  When you do the practice that is just right for you you get awesome results!  My Urps is feeling pretty darn good, my practice is supporting the healing of my injury, and I am enjoying the massive benefits of a true yoga practice, one designed just for me, just as yoga should be.

Note to foot, I mean foot note~I will return to work in just a few days and most likely my Urps will be back at it bugging me. But what I have learned on my Most Best Halleluiah Holiday Ever!! will help me to manage the "ouch factor".  One day my Urps will retire (and I will throw the Urps a great big retirement party with cake and flowers!) until then I will do my best to take care of my body using what I have learned from my yoga practice.