Toni Kuhn

There is something about these frogs that make me smile! They look so peaceful and content. I hope they make you smile today.

“Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony.” – Mahatma Gandhi

Tadasana ( Mountain Pose) is the foundation pose for all yoga poses. It teaches us  how to activate the body for proper alignment. It stacks the bones correctly and maintains the natural curve of the spine. This in turn creates a sense of stability and imprints a sense of balance and symmetry in the body. This pose promotes  stillness, strength and power that is associated with mountains. As it connects us to the floor, we begin to feel more grounded physically and mentally.

How to do the pose:

• Stand with feet together or hips distance with the feet parallel to the mat.
• Have your heels in line with the second toes.
• Press down with all four corners of your feet and engaged your thighs.
• Lift your knee caps.
• Spin your inner thighs back and firm your hips.
• Release your buttocks towards the floor.
• Melt your shoulders down.
• Hold five breaths.

Enjoy!

Here is some more information on Tadasana  from Anne Asher, About.com Guide

Kinetic Chain
In tadasana, one stands upright against gravity in alignment. The feet are planted firmly on the floor. As the feet provide the foundation of the pose, even the smallest shift in their position will create posture changes further up the kinetic chain, affecting the legs, pelvis and back. Conversely, standing with a stable, balanced foot alignment will help you address imbalances of muscles that cause back pain. This is done when, in order to come into the pose, tight muscles stretch, and/or weak muscles work harder than usual.

There are three points on the bottom of each foot that should feel anchored into the floor: the mound of the big toe, the mound of the little toe and the center of the heel. (Mounds are located behind the toes themselves, and you can feel and see them as rounded masses.) Doing mountain pose with correct foot position and attention to the legs, arms and torso will begin to address postural and muscle strength .

In my Arthritis Workshop this weekend at Yoga Works I will be discussing Vinyasa Flow. This type of yoga links the breath with movement and often incorporates a vigorous practice. Additionally, teachers tend to use the cue “Vinyasa” as a way to verbally cue students to run through the sequence Plank >Chaturunga>Up dog> Down dog  in between other poses. This sequence of poses can be very challenging, but invigorating. Also, this “Vinyasa”can be modified, shortened, and has many variations. All of which I will be discussing and teaching in my workshop this Saturday.

Below is part of an article that Shivea Rea wrote for Yoga Journal.com. I hope it sheds a little light on what Vinyasa means, both physically and spiritually. 

Consciousness in Motion

By Shivea Rea

Vinyasa yoga teaches us to cultivate an awareness that links each action to the next—on the mat and in our lives.

Sit back and relax. Take in these images and see if you can sense the underlying pattern: the flow of the seasons, the rise and fall of the tides in response to the moon, a baby fern unfurling, a Ravi Shankar sitar raga or Ravel’s “Bolero,” the creation and the dissolution of a Tibetan sand mandala, the flow of Surya Namaskar (Sun Salutation).

What do these diverse phenomena have in common? They are all vinyasas, progressive sequences that unfold with an inherent harmony and intelligence. “Vinyasa” is derived from the Sanskrit term nyasa, which means “to place,” and the prefix vi, “in a special way”—as in the arrangement of notes in a raga, the steps along a path to the top of a mountain, or the linking of one asana to the next. In the yoga world the most common understanding of vinyasa is as a flowing sequence of specific asanas coordinated with the movements of the breath. The six series of Pattabhi Jois’s Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga are by far the best known and most influential.

Applying vinyasa in your yoga practice and daily life has many parallels not just to building a house but also sailing a boat. Like sailing, moving through life demands a synchronization with natural forces that requires skill and intuition, the ability to set a course yet change with the wind and currents. If you want to sail, you have to know how to assess the conditions of the weather—blustery, calm, choppy—which constantly fluctuate, as do our physical, emotional, and spiritual states.

The teachings of yoga include a view called parinamavada, the idea that constant change is an inherent part of life. Therefore, to proceed skillfully with any action, we must first assess where we are starting from today; we cannot assume we are quite the same person we were yesterday. We are all prone to ignoring the changing conditions of our body-mind; we often distort the reality of who we are based on who we think that we should be. This can show up on the yoga mat in any number of inappropriate choices: engaging in a heating, rigorous practice when we’re agitated or fatigued; doing a restorative practice when we’re stagnant; going to an advanced yoga class when a beginning class better suits our experience and skills. In order to avoid such unbeneficial actions, we need to start out with an accurate assessment of our current state.

So what are the observations a good yogic sailor should make before initiating a vinyasa? Like checking out the boat, wind, and waves before you sail, an initial survey of your being can become an instinctive ritual. Ask yourself: What is my energy level? Am I raring to go? Holding any tension? Am I experiencing any little physical twinges or injury flare-ups? Do I feel balanced and ready to sail into my practice? How is my internal state? Am I calm, agitated, focused, scattered, emotionally vulnerable, mentally overloaded, clear and open?

These questions are relevant to how we begin any action, not just our asana practice. In choosing what foods we eat, when we sleep, our conversations and our actions with others—everything that we do—we must understand where we are coming from and choose actions that address any imbalances.

In teaching my students about vinyasa, I offer them ways of checking in with their current state at the start of their session. I also will suggest specific strategies for addressing impediments that may break up the flow of their practice. For example, on the bodily level students can choose a more calming practice or one that provides them with a more invigorating opening. If they have a twinge in the lower back, they might want to modify certain postures, perhaps substituting Bhujangasana (Cobra Pose) for Urdhva Mukha Svanasana (Upward-Facing Dog Pose). If they’re suffering from typical urban tensions in the neck and shoulders, they can use a small series of stretches—a mini-vinyasa, you might say—to encourage softening and release. On a more internal level, agitated students can focus on releasing tension by relaxing the face and breath; if their energy is more lethargic and diffused, they can focus on their drishti, or gaze, to increase their concentration.

The same insight that we use on the yoga mat can be applied to the way that we initiate actions elsewhere in our lives. Are you feeling anxious on your way to a big appointment? Drive more slowly and listen to some calming music to ensure that this imbalance doesn’t carry over into your meeting. Such adjustments do not show an unwillingness to accept what is or a compulsive attempt to fix everything until it is just right. Rather, they are evidence of a deep awareness of and appropriate response to reality. A yogic sailor embraces the changing winds and current and the challenge of setting course in harmony with the ebb and flow of nature.

From Yoga Journal.com- By Donna Raskin

If you’ve lost the manufacturer’s directions or aren’t sure who made your yoga mat, here’s a primer from Sara Chambers, founder of Hugger Mugger yoga products.

If your mat is lightly soiled, use a spray bottle, damp sponge, or terry cloth rag to apply a solution of two cups of water and four drops of dish soap. Rub the soiled areas. Wipe the mat with clean water; then rub with a dry terry cloth towel. Hang to air dry.

If your mat is heavily soiled, submerge it in a solution of warm water and mild detergent; use very little soap as any residue may cause the mat to become slippery during future use. Thoroughly hand wash the mat and rinse in clean water. After squeezing out the excess water, lay the mat on a dry towel and roll the mat and towel together. Stepping on the rolled up mat will squeeze more moisture out of the mat and into the towel. Then unroll and hang to air dry.

Many students ask me what is the best way to wash their yoga mat.  I hope this information was useful. Happy Cleaning!

Namaste

From Yoga Journal.com- Daily Insight

Healthy ambition requires us not to push ourselves so hard that we are incapable of having a balanced life, but not to take it too easy, either. This seems like a fine line, and in fact, in yoga practice it’s often referred to as “the edge.” It’s the place where you’re working at the top of your body’s ability on that day. If you worked any less, you’d be slacking off; any more, and you’d be risking injury. What yoga can do, experts say, is help point the way toward healthy, balanced ambition, both for people with lots of drive and for people who feel they lack it.

To attain balanced ambition, your goal should not run afoul of the yama, or principle, of ahimsa, or nonviolence. Interpreted literally, this means your goals shouldn’t harm other living beings. But it also has a broader meaning. It means not running over other people in an attempt to get ahead, and not harming or neglecting yourself when you’re trying to accomplish things. So you may have to change the way you go about pursuing your goal, perhaps by shifting the time frame for accomplishing it. The key to balanced ambition is to focus on the process, not the outcome of your actions. In yoga terms, this is detachment, or non-grasping.

This Saturday I will be giving the first workshop in my Yoga for Arthritis Series at Yoga Works in Valencia. In this workshop I will teach you how to utilize a chair to enhance yoga poses and to use the chair to help support your poses to accommodate your arthritic needs. Additionally, I will teach you how to stretch right in your chair at work. In just five minutes you can stretch and breathe to help you get through your day. Below are three things you can do right at your desk.

So instead of reaching for that afternoon fix of caffeine or sugar, try these simple stretches.

Seated Twist– Sit tall in your chair with both feet touching the ground. Inhale reach both arms above your head, exhale and slowly twist to one side. Place your back arm on the arm of your chair and front arm on your thigh. Hold 5 breaths and slowly unwind the body. Repeat the twist on the opposite side. See the picture above for a variation with crossed legs.

Seated Forward Fold– Sit tall in your chair with both feet touching the ground and have your legs a little wider than your hips. Inhale reach both arms above your head, exhale and slowly fold forward over your legs. Allow your upper body to rest in between your legs. Let your arms float freely towards the floor and allow the crown of your head to reach towards the floor. Hold five breaths and roll back up slowly. Sit upright with your eyes open for a few breaths to avoid getting dizzy.

Seated Relaxation– Turn off your computer screen. Sit tall in your chair and close your eyes. Quiet your mind by letting go of all the things you need to do. Pause and just breathe. You may try a simple deep breathing  exercise cycle. Breathe in a count of three. Pause. Exhale slow and controlled until your air is completely exhaled. Pause. Now allow your breath to be effortless for a few moments. Repeat the cycle two more times.

Enjoy the rest of your day!

Namaste

From Yoga Journal.Com Newsletter

Our asana practice can have a positive impact on our lives because it constantly asks us to become more sensitive, more conscious, and more aware of our bodies, minds, feelings, and emotions. As our sensitivity increases, life becomes more rich and enjoyable because we can taste the unique flavor of each individual moment. More important, we also become more aware of what moves us toward our dharma, or life path, and what takes us away from it. This awareness makes us clearer and more peaceful, more able to elegantly handle life’s endless dilemmas without feeling overwhelmed or fearful. As a result, we become more effective in all of our actions, and our presence begins to inspire and bring out the best in people around us.

The awareness that we develop on the yoga mat, though seemingly small, affects all that is. As we become more aware in our yoga practice and in our lives, as we move away from force and violence and toward sensitivity, feeling, and awareness, we change our individual consciousness and actions. In turn, these changes influence the consciousness and the actions of everyone we meet. Slowly, we shift the direction the world is taking. As we practice each asana, whether it be a challenging twist such as Ardha Matsyendrasana II (Half Lord of the Fishes II Pose) or a simple standing pose such as Tadasana (Mountain Pose), we have the opportunity to become the embodiment of peace and to make our practice a prayer for harmony in the world.