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Ep. 80 Memory As The Precious Gift of Meaning: A 90 min Level 2-3 Yoga Class

30 May
Mom and Dad love the baby

Remembering our little gift šŸ™‚

I donā€™t think that I can truly convey how moved I was when I heard Dr. Dienstag relay his experiences leading a creative writing course for people who had been diagnosed with early stages of Alzheimerā€™s. What gripped my heart was the importance of the patients physically writing down memories and as they left the class, gifting the physical memories to the teacher, as the majority of those folks would forget those memories the next time that they came to class.

That absolutely hit me.

They entrusted their memories. They gave them away, never to have them back.

Remember and Celebrate

I had never viewed memory as something alive and tangible. In fact, I donā€™t believe Iā€™ve ever thought about memories as ā€˜gifts.ā€™ As I thought about this concept I realized that when I remember something from my childhood or come across a scent I hadnā€™t smelled in a long time, or find an article of clothing I haven’t worn in a long time, it is like receiving a gift. Those memories are gifts I get to open every time I encounter them. They always serve to remind me of what I give value to in my life.

One answer that emerged from the Lifelines group is that we should surround people who are forgetting with acts of remembering. People in the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease are in danger of forgetting that they can still remember, as are those of us who work with people with Alzheimer’s. – Dr. Dienstag

Something affected me about this sentence. Yes, it is about folks that have been diagnosed with Alzheimerā€™s, but did you catch the last little bit of that quote:

as are those of us that work with people with Alzheimerā€™s.

To me that means everyone.

Then it becomes about something completely different.

How about you? Are you in danger of forgetting that you can still remember? Are you surrounding yourself with acts of remembering?

This episodeā€™s online yoga class is a Level 2-3 class.

The yoga class is a journey of imprinting your mat with those memories. Writing your desires, your deepest wishes, your meaningful longings with your body, NOW. May we acknowledge and gift them NOW, as the blessing of memory is just that, a blessing.

The class itself is more energetically paced than usual. The first half of the class involves lots of standing poses and vinyasas. It is also accompanied by yours truly chatting up a storm (imagine that!) šŸ˜‰ Ā I was deeply inspired by the subject matter. My energy grounds as the class goes on, as the quiet grows.

Something else to note about the class: I ran out of batteries for my H2 Zoom recorder during savasana, so you will have to bring yourself out of the pose on your own! šŸ˜€

Dr. Dienstagā€™s article is a fantastic read . If you are interested in listening to the entire interview with Dr Dienstag you may check it out here.

This class was recorded at BYS Yoga Studio in Pittsburgh on May 13, 2010

Remember to listen to the podcast to get the 15% off coupon code for Prancing Leopard Organics my magical sponsors šŸ˜‰ and go shopping!

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The Sequence of Yoga Poses for this online yoga class:

Downward Facing Dog/Eka Pada Downward Facing Dog/ Spiderman Lunge

downward facing dogone legged downward facing dog with hips squaredstraight legged lunge

Adho Mukha Svanasana

Uttanasana/Ardha Uttanasana

uttanasanaardha uttanasana

Surya Namaskar C Variation (without vinyasa)

urdhva hastasana transition into uttanasana uttanasana ardha uttanasanaLunge with bent leg downward facing dogLunge with bent leg uttanasana ardha uttanasanatransition into uttanasanaurdhva hastasanatadasana

Adho Mukha Svanasana

Vinyasa

plank pose chattarunga dandasana cobradownward facing dog

Parsvakonasana/Virabhidrasana II

Parvakonasana with forearm on thighparsvakonasana prepParsvakonasanawarrior II

AMS

Plank

Chattarunga (hold)

chattarunga dandasana

Bhujangasana

cobra

Side Angle Pose/Warrior II

Parvakonasana with forearm on thighparsvakonasana prepParsvakonasanawarrior II

Vinyasa

plank pose chattarunga dandasana cobradownward facing dog

Trikonasana/Triangle with side angle arm

trikonasana

Uttanasana

Utkatasana

Uttanasana

Vinyasana

plank pose chattarunga dandasana cobradownward facing dog

Virabhidrasana I (with arms interlaced behind the head)

AMS

Warrior I (with arms interlaced behind the head)

Vkrsasana

Garundasana

Eagle arms in Tadasana/Uttanasana with Garundasana arms

Baby Dancer

Uttanasana

Pigeon

Pigeon Prep

Ekapadarajakapotasana prep with thigh stretch

Eka Pada Rajakapotasana with a thigh stretch

Downward Facing Dog on tip toes/Plank on tip toes/Upward Facing Dog/Downward Facing Dog

chattarunga dandasana on tops of the feet

Uttanasana vinyasa to Tadasana

Urdhva Dhanurasana with or without blocks at the wall x 3

urdhva-dhanurasana-with-blocks-stage-1-medium.JPG urdhva-dhanurasana-with-blocks-misaligned-stage-1-medium.JPG urdhva-dhanurasana-with-blocks-stage-2-medium.JPG urdhva-dhanurasana-with-blocks-misaligned-stage-3-medium.JPG urdhva-dhanurasana-with-blocks-stage-3-medium.JPG urdhva-dhanurasana-with-blocks-stage-4-medium.JPG

Knees to Chest

apanasana

Supine Twist

Balasana

Downward Facing Dog

Uttanasana

Tadasana

Savasana

How To Deal With Negative Criticism – YoGeek Advice

23 May

Elsie Escobar at Anusara Therapeutics Pittsburgh Yoga Workshop

Handling Negative Criticism

Itā€™s not easy to get criticism. I think itā€™s a little better received when itā€™s quiet and in private, by someone you love.

Wait, I take that back.

I know when the closest people to me give me some constructive criticism I tend to bite their heads off, not by my words but by my, um, shall we say, attitude? Yes, I admit it. I have a hard time listening to it, although to my credit I have gotten a *tiny* little bit better šŸ˜‰

Looking straight into the eyes of my own shortcomings is no simple task. I had the opportunity to look straight into these mighty eyes (again) a couple of days agoā€¦more on this later on in the article. šŸ˜‰

Itā€™s even harder when the criticism is public for everyone to read! OMGoodness gracious!

When I started podcasting in 2006 I was so fired up, I could barely contain myself. As soon as I had all my gear together I so wanted to get my first yoga class up on my feed immediately! I was so proud of all my work. I immersed myself in podcasting, asked questions as necessary and got myself going all by myself. I told all my yoga students I had a podcast, and sent them all over to subscribe. I was in heaven.

Until the next day. I went over to my iTunes page and lo and behold I had a review of my podcast.

It was scathingly critical.

Of course, it was 1 star.

I was devastated and mortified. My primary fear was of others seeing this. It was the only review in iTunes and it ripped me apart. I allowed that review to make me feel horrible about myself and it really shook my confidence as a teacher. I could not let go of the negative comment.Ā I felt the negative words and harsh criticism for quite a while. I felt them when I closed my eyes. I felt them when I taught. I felt them when I meditated. The negative words consumed me.

I finally was able to let go of their power over me. How you ask? šŸ˜‰

Almost 4 years later…

The Strength of Softening

When we get criticized the first thing that happens is that we get rigid, hard and dense: Itā€™s a survival/defense mechanism. When criticism cuts to the core, it literally does that, cuts to the core = cor= heart.

The layer that gets rigid and hard is our outer layer. We do our best to tighten it all up, but while weā€™re doing that we are allowing our most valuable part to stay unprotected. Our inner layer, our essence, our desire, our love, that which we value, stays unprotected. We send all of our resources away from the source. In doing so we become less sensitive, and even dry, like desiccated barren terrain that crumbles from strong and pointed pressure.

Whatā€™s curious about our inner being and our ability to navigate through criticism, is that the softer, more receptive and expansive we are, the steadier and more unwavering our Heart becomes. As we soften and our sensitivity increases, it is much easier to connect to our own goodness, our innate wisdom, and our own courage. We are more able to discern whether the criticism coming at us is something worth recognizing in order to refine our worldly expression or, itā€™s something that holds no value to us. All of our resources are gathering around the Heart, allowing it to expand brightly, strong and unyielding.

The Courage of Listening

That whole softening thing is really just the first step to mold ourselves into the best that we can be. The next step is all about listening. Listening with every part of yourself. We listen with our ears, our eyes, our bodies, our gut, our root, our head, our breath and our heart. We listen. We donā€™t speak. We remain quiet.

That remaining quiet part is the hardest part for me.

ā€œBut..ā€

ā€œButā€¦ā€

ā€œBUTā€¦.ā€

I guarantee that if I stay quiet longer than my need to express, I will receive a deeper sense of recognition and understanding.

We listen so that we may align with the Highest. We listen so that we can recognize what serves us, and in serving us, serving all those around us. It is in this listening that we can begin to courageously choose to act in ways which will more efficiently communicate and deliver the best of ourselves, in truth, without making ourselves less than, nor more than we are, but fully as we are.

I use the word courage because that is whatā€™s needed, an unbounded desire and discipline for continual self-affirmation, regardless of the situation. We see the beauty, we see the goodness, we see the steadiness. Now we move into action.

Sustaining Action

Sustaining courage is something that Iā€™m always cultivating. When the situation is immediate, I can muster it up pretty quick šŸ˜‰ but as time goes on and the outward immediacy of the situation has subsided, my courage slowly dissolves.

I am content in staying right were I am.

At least that is my ā€˜comfortā€™ zone.

In order to truly evolve and transform there MUST be action: action which is grounded in the best of ourselves. Action that takes responsibility to refine, to grow and expand from our remembrance that we are the stuff that stars are made of – all the time. It is our duty to step in and engage even when it becomes uncomfortable and gosh darnit, really hard.

We have to follow through with our actions, taking responsibility for ourselves, always.

Criticism + Discerning Doing = Opportunity To Shine

I said that I had to look into the mighty eyes of my own shortcomings just a couple of days ago. I happened to go into iTunes again to check on my reviews. I do like to read the reviews. It helps me to feel connected to you guys as the online yoga kula, and it also informs me whether or not the podcast is effective and itā€™s being received in the way that I intended.

This is what I found.

Well, that was not exactly what I was hoping to find.

I was surprised upon reading the words that I was not affected by them in the same way that I was when I first started podcasting. I read this personā€™s experience and recognized a lot of what she said to be true. I was able to stay soft and abiding to my heart. I was able to fully listen, and not defend myself. I am able to do something about it.

I see everything she spoke about as an opportunity for me to be a better teacher.

I absolutely talk way too much when I teach. I believe that Iā€™m getting better at it, but I have a lot further to go. Quiet holds within it, a deep power for a teacher. I remember when Ross Rayburn gave me the note to pause in between sentences and to say less, because it has more of an impact. He told me to distill my words so that the students ā€˜get itā€™ clearly. This is a challenge for me, and an art form that I absolutely aspire to cultivate.

I also donā€™t give students enough time to experience their own quiet. I crave it when I practice. I must grow the quiet within myself when I teach also, not just when I practice.

Now, Iā€™m not so sure what in the world she was talking about butt crack in spanish business… I suppose I did say that, and I totally forgot. Kind of embarrassing!

When it comes to my ā€˜energyā€™ within class and the way that I use my voice and what notā€¦I believe that is something of a preference. I get very excited when I teach and there are times when I look around the room and folks need a little pick me up šŸ˜‰ I teach to what I see, and to who is in the class. As long as Iā€™m tuned into my physical students and choose the best way to serve them, in that class, Iā€™ve done my job. I do crack myself up. I do. You can ask any person that’s close to me. I also do make tons of noises…All the time. That’s just me šŸ˜€

A podcast and so many other people practicing along side at their own time, thatā€™s a whole other ballgame. My intention is to put out classes that are fun, uplifting, encouraging, and that keep my students safe. This comes from the best of myself. Once the are offered, Ā I have no control of how they are received.

The Power of “Thank You”

Iā€™m very grateful for this review. It was a great reminder that thereā€™s always more and that what I do is important. It was also a sweet opportunity to see that I am steadier in my heart. I am getting better at discerning and staying sensitive to enhance who I am so that I may serve better.

How do you ā€˜dealā€™ with criticism?

Do you have tools that you use?

Why not share them with the kula?

xoxoxoxxo

NOTE TO SELF: Must replace first episode of Elsie’s Yoga Class: Live and Unplugged Podcast…

PS:

So how about joining my goofy discerning self to truly be quiet, listen and breathe?

EYK Episode 3: Yoga App, Muscular Energy and The Best Yoga Mats

17 Oct

Yoga At Pond House

Sharing Enlivens The Heart of the Community

listen here button

The voice mail that is played at the beginning of this episode is why I decided to do these episodes that I call Elsie’s Yoga Kula. There is so much power to sharing your journey. This practice of yoga can take you to so many absolutely fabulous places, not only on the mat but off the mat. I know that my yoga practice opened up so much for me, in fact it was the catalyst for gigantic growth in my life, and I’m in no way talking about the poses. They are the icing on the cake šŸ™‚ They provided me with the first courageous steps towards something more! Thank you sooo much for sharing Jeanne (sp?) ! I am thrilled when I hear stories like yours, those that are all about stepping deeper into your self, to see the vast goodness that dwells within! NICE! Oh, and I would be honored to have you come to my class! Even though I only teach 1 public class a week…but more to come, promise!

As you can hear, this message was actually sent ‘quite’ a while ago. I’m trying to go back and honor you guys that sent me messages long ago šŸ™‚ And if you haven’t sent a message to share with me and the kula DO SO. I’d love to help all of us stay inspired and feel that we are truly part of a world wide community! So call me to share at 310 651 6238

Hello everybody and welcome to Elsie’s Yoga Kula episode #3! Happy Autumn šŸ™‚ Oh man is Pittsburgh gorgeous when the leaves start to change! My most favorite changes, that of the ivy, it’s like fire snakes climbing up trees and buildings. So beautiful! So much has happened this year it’s unbelievable. truly. Last year right around this time I became a mother. Yep, my lovely Hunter is 1 year old as of October 2. Happy Happy birthday my baby girl! You have shifted me to become someone I honestly never knew was inside. I’ve gotten…sturdier, that’s for sure šŸ™‚ I started to finally teach public classes, I was laid off of my job last November, man! and now I’m in the process of developing my own consulting business. As soon as I get all my stuff in gear I’ll let you all know all about it. You can venture to YoGeek.Me, to see a gradual development of posts delving into the world of yoga and technology šŸ™‚

It has been an incredible fortifying year, full of everything you can imagine, calm, love, fear, angst, courage, meltdowns, you name it. I have LIVED! You guys have made this year for me a sort of life line. Your emails and messages and support have provided me with hope and strength. If you are listening to the podcast I now read an email from Maria Rose from Vermont šŸ˜€ and my response to her email!

Listen to the Podcast!

EYK News:

Remember how I mentioned the cool personalized bottle from the company SIGG on EKY Episode 1? Well, I take that back. I used to love those bottles but the practices of their CEO has left me less than pleased. Here’s the quick scoop: SIGG CEO Steve Wasik recently announced that SIGG water bottles did in fact contain the toxic chemical bisphenol A (BPA) in its liners until August 2008. That means that any bottle that you purchased before 10/08 contains BPA. They are allowing customers that purchased a bottle prior to this date (you would know by the bronze liner instead of the pale yellow liner that are the new ones) to exchange their bottles.

But the Environmental Working Group is not satisfied with this. Here is letter sent by the President of EWG to SIGG:

On behalf of the Environmental Working Group (EWG), I write to ask that you issue an unambiguous apology for misleading consumers and retailers about whether SIGG bottles contain the toxic chemical bisphenol-A (BPA).
I further urge you to modify SIGG Switzerland CEO Steve Wasik’s recent announcement of a SIGG voluntary bottle exchange program. Consumers should be able to take SIGG bottles that contain BPA to an authorized SIGG retailer and receive a refund for the full retail value of the product. The cost of the refund should be covered by SIGG.
The announced exchange policy, which forces customers to accept a replacement SIGG bottle, puts them in the untenable position of having to trust Mr. Wasik and his team about the composition and safety of the replacement product.
It is our view that SIGG’s reputation will be difficult to restore while Mr. Wasik remains at the helm of the company.
Sincerely,

Kenneth A. Cookā€ØPresidentā€ØEnvironmental Working Group

In case you want to exchange your product you can go to http://mysigg.com/bulletin/ to read all about it. I’ll post a link in the shownotes.

Just last week I was interviewed by David Spark about my new iPhone App! It was such a cool experience. He’s a really great guy. What was crazy about the whole thing is that I scheduled it specifically so that Hunter was in an optimal mood and she could keep herself occupied. The interview was supposed to take 10 min. Of course none of it went as planned. As we signed on in Skype, my camera decided not to work…ggrrrrrr. I had to trouble shoot for about 10 minutes! I did have an opportunity to see my lovely friend Inge’s face as I had my mini freak out. I asked her to help me but at that time she had no solutions for me. I figured it out FINALLY! then of course, the moment that David started recording the podcast Hunter fell down and conked her head. yep, of course she did. anyway, the whole thing ended up going really well. I’ll put a link in the shownotes for ya’ll.

And speaking of my iPhone/iPod Touch app…Have you gotten a chance to buy it yet? It’s $3.99 and what you get is the ability to stream all of my content, all 70+ classes without downloading anything at all, at the push of a button! Plus, I’ll be adding a PDF of the sequences of my classes a little bit a time, so you can have it with you as you practice! Occasionally I may add little videos here and there and some other bits and pieces of content. Now, I have to clarify that if you happen to have an iPod Touch, the only time that you can stream the content is when you are connected via Wifi. Thank you Lisa for helping me be clear about this šŸ™‚ Full disclosure, there have been some issues with the 1st version of the app (the classes not streaming and the app itself not opening). The new version HAS been released which fixes the majority of the bugs. If you have downloaded the app and still experience problems, please feel free to contact me via email so we can get the issues resolved!

If you have wanted to support this podcast, this is a wonderful way to do it. I do get a teeny bit of money from the sale of each app. I’d like to take the opportunity to thank all of you that have already downloaded the app, from the bottom of my heart, and I’d also like to thank all those of you that have donated to Elsie’s Yoga Kula. I’ll share that last months donations allowed me to make our car payment. It was a blessing. I’ve been doing this podcast for 3 years and I have never put up a donate button, until now. At this moment, I feel that I can and I have had requests from you guys, so it’s helped me make the decision. If you’d like to donate to the podcast please feel free to do so, if you’d like to donate to the podcast in another way other than in a monetary way, I have put up a page telling you of all sorts of ways in which you can ‘donate’ that don’t include money. Check it out. Any little thing totally helps and like the page says, Support the Podcast, support the family!

We have another voice mail from a listener! So listen up if you wanna hear šŸ™‚

Here’s Vanessa Best’s Web site: The Spinal Space

Thank you Juli from Atlanta! I know it was a while ago, but she very kindly sent me an email and told me that I had inadvertedly tagged episode 69 with an ‘explicit’ tag, YIKES! Totally did not want to do that. I went in there and fixed it as soon as I could, although I know that a few of you got that episode with an explicit tag, and of course there was nothing explicit about it…

It’s all about listener emails!

Carli from Kansas

My 16 year old son talked me into trying Yoga with him. He plays football and his coach got them started on Yoga. I am a runner and lift weights, I took a yoga class once but it never stuck. So I started looking for yoga podcasts and came across yours. I loved it. It was very hard for me to follow at first because I am not familiar with the poses. So I went online and found your website! I flipped out when I realized I can look at the poses to the episodes online and follow that way. I’m so stuck on yoga now! I love your classes and how you describe things. You Rock!

Thank you so much Carli šŸ™‚ You know, I totally keep forgetting to tell you guys to come check out this site! The pictures are there, there are a couple of times where there are corresponding videos and extra links at times, especially when I mention an article or something like that in my theme šŸ™‚ oh, and the EYK episodes will be transcribed as a blog post (hence this post šŸ˜‰ ), so if you wanna read, what I said, then all you have to do is go to the corresponding blog post!

Marie from Ol Miss

Hi Elsie!I hope you are well. I’ve just started listening to your podcasts, and they are so great! I have a random question for you. What kind or brand of mat would you recommend to someone who is just beginning yoga? I have a mat that I have had for a long time, (I’ve started and stopped yoga a few times), but it is starting to kind of thin and I’ve found a few holes. Also, do you have any other advice for a newbie like me? Thank you so much and have a great weekend! Marie

Here’s my answer to Marie

Hello Marie šŸ™‚ Great questions! Regarding the yoga mat…I’m a very big fan of the Jade Yoga Mats. At times they can bunch up a little bit off the floor, as they are not as ‘sticky’ as the yoga mats that you would purchase almost anywhere. My fave from Jade is The Encore because I like my mats to have a bit more substance when I practice. The Encore is the one that I have (at least I have the prototype as they sent it to me before it was released. Also love Beinjoy yoga mats. They are soooooooooooooooooo pretty šŸ™‚ That gets some bonus points from me. They feel very good. Also I own 2 Manduka ā„¢ mats, the purple PROlite and the Black Mat PRO. They have some eco friendly versions that are also available, which I’ve been meaning to try. My purple mat has lasted me for about 5 yrs! and it looks almost the same as when I bought it. The only thing thats wrong with it now is that my kitties got to it and scratched the tar out of it šŸ˜‰ They also have a mat that supports an organization called ‘off the mat into the world’ which I think is pretty darn fabulous organization. Another company that I love is Prana. They have a FANTASTIC mat that I want to purchase the is wider than most mats out there. When I practice in order to have my shoulders properly aligned I honestly have to widen them so much that my pinky fingers end up being off the mat. I don’t mind, but their new Revolution mat takes care of that! Plus it’s eco friendly šŸ™‚ A lot of the mats that I have mentioned are pretty pricey, $60+ and UP! It is a lot of $ I know. You can get some mats from Prana, or Jade or even Lululemon that are eco friendly for between $35 and 40. I know that I have not needed another mat after buying my purple mat so long ago. I just like to try out other mats, and share about them šŸ™‚ Let me know if I can help you with anything else! As a beginner practitioner, I would merely say to take your time, to listen to yourself, and to choose to always be honest and open with yourself every time you get on the mat. Choose to step in deeper and enjoy your own body, with all it’s ‘limitations’. They make you the unique beauty that you are. If you get through a class and you haven’t smiled….I would make that my priority šŸ™‚ Smiling and laughing truly allows for a deeper moving into your heart to see what really matters!

Marie’s answer:

I ended up getting a Manduka Black Mat Pro and I love it!!! I’ve been practicing for three weeks and it has been really awesome to see how my body is responding. I also wanted to let yo u know that I started a blog about my yoga journey, girlmeetsmat.blogspot.com. I am wide open to any comments or suggestion šŸ™‚ Thank you so much for everything!!

NICE! I do love the Manduka Black mat. That thing is hardy, the thing for me is that I now tend to leave that one at home as trekking around with that puppy on a bike, or a bus, or any amount of walking that isn’t just a block or so, is soooooooo hard on my back. That mat is HEAVY šŸ™‚ Just to let you all know, there is a fantastic article by one of my Twitter/Facebook buddies, the mighty Nancy Alder and it’s all about this same exact subject. It really gets in to more detail about the mats and especially pricing and it’s a great read!

Meaghan Message šŸ˜€

Hello! How are you on this beautiful day?! I am a fellow yoga teacher, brand new, and IN LOVE with your site. It is so inspirational and moving and every detail means so much. Thank you for keeping us involved with your journey.

I wanted to take a moment to personally invite you to take a peek at my website. I am training to run a half marathon to raise money for research towards Crohns, a disease incredibly close to my heart, which my boyfriend has struggled with for more than 20 years.

My website is : meaghansrun.net

The first ten people to raise 500 dollars in the next week will be matched 500 from a local company! So, if you are thinking you may be able to donate (any amount, big or small) — now would be a perfect time! And, it is tax deductible

.

Lots of love and thanks,

Meaghanxo

I saw the other day mighty Meaghan or Megan ) sorry if I mispronounced your name that you reached your goal! Congratulations, and if any of you would like to donate to the cause follow the link above! and thank you so much for sending this along!

Kate in Italy!

Hi Elsie, I am a Canadian living in Italy and have just started using your podcasts for my daily practice. Thank you! You say the phrase “scissor your legs asymmetrically together” quite a few times and I am very confused what this means…is it possible to get some clue about that? Thank you again for beaming your classes out for the world to access. In Italy classes are in Italian which makes English speaking me a little lost. Your classes are a big help. All the best.

You know what I wanted to do to answer this question? I wanted to ask my students to tell me what that means to them, as often times I (I think all teachers) tend to relly on saying things one way, and you guys may just have ‘better’ ways of explaining this. OK, so here goes a bit of an explanation. Isometric movements according to wikipedia:

Definition

Isometric exercise is a form of exercise involving the static contraction of a muscle without any visible movement in the angle of the joint. This is reflected in the name; the term “isometric” combines the prefix “iso” (same) with “metric” (distance), meaning that in these exercises the length of the muscle does not change[edit]
Isometric resistance
Resistance in isometric exercises typically involve contractions of the muscle using:
ā–Ŗ the body’s own muscle (e.g., pressing the palms together in front of the body)
ā–Ŗ structural items (e.g., pushing against a door frame).
ā–Ŗ free weights, weights machines or elastic equipment (e.g. holding a weight in a fixed position)
ā–Ŗ pressure plate type equipment that has a digital readout of maximal force.
Depending on the goal of the exercise, the exertion can be maximal, or sub-maximal.

Basically, you are engaging your muscles even though the poses are ‘static’. There is an action that is involved always everytime that you are in a pose. In Anusara the principle that best describes isometric movement (or scissoring the legs together) is called Muscular Energy. Here’s the definition according to the Anusara Teacher Training Manual….( you’re just gonna have to listen as I’m NOT typing this whole thing out ;).

One way that I teach these actions, I learned from one of my teachers Noah Maze, is by getting 2 folded blankets, placing them on a non carpeted floor, placing one foot on one blanket and the other foot on the other blanket. Once you’re all set there, widen your feet apart and do a standing pose, like Warrior 2 for example. If you don’t pull energy to the midline, I guarantee you that you will be doing the splits! It’s a pretty cool exercise that teaches those actions, just for fun!

Well, that was a bit of a long explanation! I hope that makes sense Kate! And reaching out to yoga teachers out there, how about you sending me some ways in which you teach pulling to the midline, or muscular energy? It would be awesome to share you wisdom with the Kula šŸ™‚ email me or send call me 310 651 6238 (put that number in your cellphone!!!)

Ok, just 3 more things to address, as it looks like we’re running a bit long! Ahhhhhh

.

I got an FB message from Isabella, she just wanted to say thank you to me, but she also mentioned that she was looking for a fan page for me. Well, I do have a Facebook Group! Search for Elsie’s Yoga Kula, I haven’t started a FB fan page….yet….I’m still figuring out what is best for me and for you guys. I know how crowded FB has gotten with soooooo many fan pages and groups and all sorts of other stuff, and I honestly don’t want to add to all that. When I feel that creating a Page will add value, and I can honestly keep it up and have it be a place were you guys and myself can participate more fully I’ll do it. I gotta really see how Fan Pages work. When and if I do that, I’ll send y’all a little not in the FB Group, OR post something on my blog!

This episode’s art work is a class that a long time listener Tracee Sioux hosted at her Bookclub weekend getaway. How cool is that???? LOVED it! It was podcast #10 from El Salvador and it was all about authenticity. She said “We were touched and those of us out of practice or beginning were also a little sore. LOL” Thank you sooooo much Tracee for sharing that picture, and it really warms my heart to know that these classes are being used it such fantastic ways!!!! If you wanna know a bit more about Tracee, check out my blog post on my other blog YoGeek.Me. She’s a pretty phenomenal woman with an incredible Web site calle The Girl Revolution, all about empowering girls, and I’m ALL FOR THAT!!!

And lastly, I’m going to close by letting you know about an Affiliate that I’m working with. I will only work with people and organizations that I whole hearted believe in and whose products I absolutely USE AND LOVE. Floracopeia is one of the most incredible companies that I have had the gift of coming into contact with. I’ll tell you more about the organization in a future episode, but right now I’d like to share with you 2 products that I use almost daily:

Hormonal Essential Oil Blend

Directly from the Floracopeia Website: For women who are interested in optimizing their endocrine health for long lasting vitality and radiance, the Hormonal Blend is a valuable addition to your every day pleasures. Two drops in the palms with a deep inhalation will deliver the healing benefit of this blend directly. In addition, the subtle floral perfume of this blend is a beautiful fragrance for any occasion. Its benefits include relaxant, aphrodisiac, anti-anxiety and mood enhancing effects. BUY THE HORMONAL ESSENTIAL OIL BLEND!

Relax Essential Oil Blend

Directly from the Floracopeia Website: Use the Relax Blend in times of stress or potentially stressful situations and environments. It is a lovely diffuser blend when you want to create a relaxing and pleasant environment in your home or elsewhere. It is a wonderful blend to diffuse around children, to apply on the car seat on long rides or the pillow before bedtime. Working people will gain great benefit from the Relax Blend and should consider it for use during the morning commute or before important meetings; there are rarely times when it is not useful. It has beautiful anti-axiety and mood enhancing effects that are subtle and intoxicating. BUY THE RELAX ESSENTIAL OIL BLEND!

Do consider purchasing either or both of these products. They are amazing AND they go to support a MUCH larger vision. MUCH MUCH larger, so the purchase is not only supporting your health, me (a teeny bit) and also the world LITERALLY. I’ll put links in the show notes so you can read a bit more about Floracopeia but do stay listening as I’ll also have a special show sharing more about it myself! If you DO want to buy these products, please use the links provided in this post, as when you purchase via that link, I get a little support for the podcast šŸ™‚

Thank you guys for listening. I can’t tell you how thrilled I am to have such a wonderful community!!!!! Please continue to give me feedback, questions, problems. I still have so many more questions to get to, I should do these more often…! phone number, email, FB (profile and Group) and Elsie’s Yoga Kula!!!! It would be lovely if you’d consider leaving me a review in iTunes, those are deeply appreciated! Meet you on the mat later!

Episode 57: Live in Your Heart, 1 hr, level 1-2 yoga class

3 Nov

Hillary’s Yoga Practice

Mudra Moments Facebook Group

this is Elsie's profile

The Sequence:

Tadasana

Urdhva Hastasana

urdhva hastasana

1/2 Sun Salutations x 3

Sun Salutations x 2

Really fast Sun Salutations x 3

Crescent Pose x 3!

crescent pose

Vira II/ Bowing forward onto the front leg

warrior IIParsvakonasana with arms interlaced behind the back

Trikonasana/Ardha Chandrasana/Trikonasana

trikonasana ardha chandrasanatrikonasana

Vashistasana

vashistasana prepvashistasana

Deep Lunge on forearms

Deep Lunge with back knee on the floor deep lunge with forearms on the floor

Pigeon

Pigeon Prep

Pigeon with a twist

Pigeon with a twist

Lunge with Thigh Stretch

Lunge with thigh stretch

Cobra on Fingertips

cobra on fingertips

Dhanurasana

dhanurasana

Parsva Upavista Konasana

parva upavistha konasana

Baddha Konasana

baddha konasana

Supine Twist

Savasana