Muse * Practice * Allay

Pulling Down The Moon is Bringing Yoga For Fertility to Allay Yoga

2012-01-03T10:26:00.000-05:00

Join us in Kensington, MD for Pulling Down the Moon's Six Week Yoga for Fertility session. The classes will be held at:

Allay Yoga 10419 Armory Avenue Kensington, MD 20895

Pulling Down the Moon’s six-week Yoga for Fertility program was designed by yoga teachers and former fertility patients Tami Quinn and Beth Heller to meet the needs of women who are trying to conceive.

As Featured in the New York Times...Read More Here!

This six-week class is a journey into the healing powers of Yoga and how this ancient practice can help calm and heal the body, clear the mind and lighten the heart. You will learn a series of yoga postures designed to improve fertility by increasing blood flow into the pelvis, releasing stress and anxiety and balancing life energy flow in the body. In addition to this physical practice we explore teachings from yoga philosophy that help us frame the fertility journey in a way that reveals our personal strengths, reinforces the joy of everyday life and empowers us to create the family we are meant to have. Through this class you will also join the wonderful, positive healing community of Pulling Down the Moon and enjoy the energy of all the amazing women who have shared their journey with us.

The program has been offered to hundreds of women in Chicago over the last eight years, and data from in-house follow-up surveys show that nearly 75% of women who take the fertility yoga program report becoming pregnant within six months of class. Cost: $210 for 6 sessions (1-1/2 hour) Pre-Registration Required.

Green Smoothie Demo With Allay Yoga's Leslie Edsall!

2011-11-29T13:15:00.000-05:00

Join Leslie for a Green Smoothie Demo -Sat., Dec. 3, 2011. 10 - 11 am. Learn how green smoothies can be fun and nutritious for the whole family. Come away with samples of new recipes for breakfast, on-the-go, post workout shakes and more! FREE @ Anytime Fitness, 4265 Howard Avenue, Kensington. No pre-registration required.

About Leslie:
Leslie has spent over 20 years in the health & fitness industry. Beginning as a long-time gymnast and head coach, she spent ten years as a personal trainer. Leslie has a B.S. in Exercise Science & Health Promotion from George Mason University and went on to become a Certified Health Education Specialist focusing on nutrition for woman, children and athletes. Leslie enjoys helping people develop a healthy relationship with food based on her background as a Board Certified Holistic Health Counselor. Leslie instructs yoga classes at Anytime Fitness, Mandara Yoga and Allay Yoga, holding an RYT 200 hr certification in Hatha Yoga. As a yoga teacher, she focuses on beginners yoga, level 1/2 classes and athletic flow. Leslie’s favorite aspect of teaching yoga is simply being in the moment, learning from her students. To learn more about Leslie, visit: www.LeslieEdsall.com.

Leslie teaches Beginner Yoga at Allay Yoga on Wednesdays from 6:30-7:30 PM

The Difference Makes The Practice

2011-11-20T19:41:00.000-05:00

I am on my way home from a weekend training in NYC. It has been an interesting weekend, filled with a number of challenges and breakthroughs physically, mentally, and emotionally (as many trainings are). I was very excited about this training because it was on a topic that you do not see often, but plays a part in many of my daily experiences as a teacher, student, and now studio owner. I came in with certain expectations of what I wanted to learn and how I would implement my new knowledge. But, of course, as life often goes, what I took from my practice over the last few days doesn't fit into the neat little package I had envisioned. As it turns out, the teacher and many of my fellow trainees had a different idea of what this training was about and what we were all supposed to takeaway.

As the weekend progressed, I found myself experiencing a range of emotions from anger and frustration to guilt for feeling angry and frustrated during a weekend dedicated to yoga, to excitement to awe to joy and beyond. Although I am still processing what occurred, I think that a majority of these emotions stemmed from my studying what is familiar and comfortable for me in a place that felt neither familiar nor comfortable in a way that felt neither familiar or comfortable.

As a teacher, I often invite my students to tune inward and let go of the comparison of their practice to their neighbors' because their body and their needs may be different than those of their neighbor. And, furthermore, I often propose that how they feel today may be different than they felt the day before or will feel tomorrow, and that recognizing this and listening to this is all part of their mindfulness practice. I do this with the hope that they can find ease in the moment, but also ease when the tendency to compare and judge arises off the mat.

This weekend was a true test of "practicing what I preach" or, more accurately, of living my yoga. At first, my reaction was to look at my "neighbors" and to say to myself, my practice does not look like their practice and to see this as a failing in some way on my part. I observed difference and turned that observation into right and wrong instead of acknowledging that our differences stemmed from the fact that we are in fact different, in different situations, with different experiences, and different needs and wants.

In this specific example, what I came to realize is this:

Each yoga studio has its own vibe, its own perspective on how a class flows, how poses are taught and assisted and its own unspoken language of how yogis interact before, during and after class. It is this unique vibe that draws us to certain studios and certain teachers. Another way of thinking about this vibe is authenticity. We are all different, with different experiences, different needs and wants and this allows us all to offer something a little bit different to our yoga community both as teachers and as students. And, the fact that we do all offer something a little bit different allows for a great diversity of options, great learning and growth, and great satisfaction with the connections that are created as a consequence of seeing and appreciating another individual's authentic vibe. My practice both on and off the mat is never going to be perfect because there is no perfect. The best that I can do is to keep my gaze (both inner and outer) open, and try to be authentic with where I am and what I can offer to myself and those around me in this moment.

I took so many valuable nuggets from this weekend's training. I may not implement them in the way that the teacher anticipated, but I will do it in a way that is right for me. Although I was resistant at first, in the end, it seems that the difference makes the practice.

MusePracticeAllay Welcomes Guest Blogger Jo Ann Kester: Jo Ann's November Bite: Savoring Harvest TIme (On the Time You Have)

2011-11-13T21:29:00.000-05:00

november is a good month for food. thanksgiving decorations appear with pictures of cornucopias and magazines show off perfect turkeys and glossy cranberry sauce. farmers markets are still overflowing with vegetables and i start thinking about what i will cook for thanksgiving. of course even though i am dreaming of pumpkin pie my time for full days in the kitchen are pretty much limited to thanksgiving. it can be frustrating to think of delicious meals only to end up with 20 mins to make dinner (when i am already hungry!) and realize making that nice dinner is just another thing that isn’t going to get done. some days i want to use up the tasty food from the farmers market in my fridge, but end up dialling up pizza delivery instead. while there is nothing wrong with the occasional pizza delivery (or more than occasional - just ask my husband) there are ways of enjoying the plenty of fall without elaborate dinners. my yoga practice helps me to remember that things don’t always have to be complicated to be good. sometimes simple is just perfect. on thanksgiving i will spend the day cooking with multiple dishes and new experiments. but not every day will i have the leisure to cook all day (and have grandpa to baby sit). so some nights we keep it simple (and some nights i will call for pizza without guilt).

some ideas for enjoying the harvest simply include making hot mulled cider, making a stew in a slow cooker, or roasting squash or sweet potatoes. eat a fresh local apple or pear! i recently tried black bean chili with butternut squash. it was tasty, filling, and made a ton of food. i froze some of it for a quick meal at another time. do you have a favorite fall recipe that is good and easy? let us know in the comments.

about jo ann:
jo ann is a full time mom and part-time yoga teacher who has been know to go to three different farmers markets on consecutive days. she tries to be a mindful eater of local foods (when she isn’t sneaking a piece of chocolate). collecting cookbooks and reading food blogs are things she loves even though she can’t follow a recipe without changing something. in 2007 she graduated from the tranquil space teacher training program where she also worked as a studio manager for three years. she teaches beginners yoga on monday nights at allay and writes the monthly “jo ann’s bite.”

MusePracticeAllay Welcomes Guest Blogger Marisa Martucci: Open the energy of your heart on 11/11/11

2011-11-07T16:32:00.000-05:00

On Friday 11/11/11 we have the opportunity to energetically enter the new era of Unity. What does this mean? Energetically talking, we have been living in the era of divisions/separation, between our human duality of good and bad. Starting Friday, with this energetic shift, we will all become aligned in the same shift of energy. This is why it is the era of Unity. Unity is based in love and its home in our bodies is the heart chakra.

In order to be open and receptive to this shift, take a moment this Friday (11/11/11) to connect yourself with the energy of the Universe. How can you do this? Just take some time to settle down, project yourself into this loving energy and allow your dreams to flow.

Here are some ideas how to connect and align with the Universal energy of love:

Take a moment and just slow down. Open your heart and let it shine.
Burn a candle; just take a moment to set an intention to the light of the candle, the same light that lives in your heart.
Go for a walk. Let your senses open and feel the love inside you connecting with your surrounding.
Practice some yoga. Connect your body and mind with your breathing, and feel the love and joy of your practice.
Practice any kind of meditation. At least 5 minutes to center your mind in your heart, and be there

No matter what you decide to do, just feel it with your heart and give space to your dreams to flow in your life.

About Marisa:

Marisa is an Usui Reiki Master Teacher who holds a 200 hr Yoga Certification from Tranquil Space Yoga, Washington DC. Marisa started her yoga path back in her hometown of Buenos Aires, Argentina, in 2003. When she came to the States, she expanded her yoga certifications to children and children with special needs. Marisa enjoys diversity, small steps and the combination of different techniques to approach quality and wellness in life. She believes that everything happens for a reason, and the reason is always found during the journey. Marisa can be described as a joyful, energetic and creative yoga teacher.

Marisa's classes at Allay: Open Flow (All Levels), Mondays 7-8 pm; Kids Yoga (ages 4-6), Tuesdays, 5-6 pm.

The Hum Sah Chronicles With Heidi Sohng: Just Perfect

2011-10-18T16:21:00.000-04:00

Just Perfect

Sometimes I feel like being a mom brings out the worst in me. On my bad days I am a nagging, selfish, materialistic, perfectionist worrier. And all without a sense of humor. So I’ve been thinking about having more compassion for myself, because I know I can be hard on the people I love the most, including the person I hang around most often... me :)

Having compassion for myself means truly listening to what I need. For me, it’s getting to a yoga class whenever I can, and letting my husband spend daddy time with Lucy. It’s looking for a baby-sitter that I’m comfortable with. Maybe then I’ll be able to give more of myself in creative, unexpected ways. But for now, I’m just taking it one step at a time. Giving myself a break can help me to be kinder to my family, so that in the acceptance comes the wholeness, the perfection that we are seeking.

Where does this myth of the perfect mom come from? A lot of my mom friends seem to want to raise their kids differently from the way they were raised. But is this ideal putting too much pressure on motherhood, already the most difficult job out there? How about asking ourselves, what are the good things about our parents that we cherish and can pass on to our children, and in the way we parent? My mother has a knack for seeing the beauty in the ordinary. Growing up, we were never bored. She was pointing out things we would not notice, like interesting cloud formations, the way a tree or plant was thriving, the vastness of mountains. I find myself doing the same with Lucy, as we greet the morning sun, marvel at a flower, or watch a spider spinning its web. Then I remember my mom and feel the connection and wholeness.

Now that Lucy has turned one, she is everything all at once - adorable and exasperating, ebullient and frustrating, amazing and crazy-making - and yes, she is just perfect. Everything is as it should be. Accepting our seemingly imperfect selves can help us to embrace the goodness, or the perfection, that is already there, no matter what.

Here’s a beautiful prayer from the Upanishads ( The Upanishads are ancient texts from which yoga philosophy was born) that encapsulates this feeling.

Om purnam adah purnam idam
Purnat purnam udachyate
Purnasya purnam adaya
Purnam evavashishyate.

That is whole. This is whole. From the whole the whole becomes manifest. From the whole when the whole is negated, what remains again is the whole. (Instead of the word “whole”, you can also try to substitute the word “perfect” or “goodness”.)

About Heidi:Heidi discovered yoga as a way to center and ground herself and connect with others when she began teaching young children in NYC in the late 90’s. Her practice started at Jivamukti where she trainined with Sharon Gannon and David Life, her first and most honored teachers, and expanded to include Alan Finger, Shiva Rea, and Molly Kenny. She completed her Jivamukti training in 2009. As a school teacher Heidi loved bringing yoga into her classroom. Now that she’s a mom, she finds herself inspired by her daughter to delve deeper into child development and teaching fun, creative yoga classes for families. She loves the balance of teaching little ones and adults. Her motto is to find the middle path. Heidi credits yoga for keeping her balanced and sane, and loves the journey! Heidi lives in Silver Spring with her daughter Lucy and husband Pasha.
Heidi teaches Open Flow (All Levels) Thursdays at 8:00 PM

a lesson from my favorite teacher

2011-10-06T22:03:00.000-04:00

I want to be completely honest with you. I am slightly obsessed with my dog Lola. Ok, completely obsessed. For many of you, this admission is probably no surprise.

But, really, who wouldn't be? She's adorable, she's sweet, she's always happy to see me, she's entertaining, she's smart and she is one of the best yoga teachers I have ever had. Although her down dog is impressive, I'm not talking about learning the physical poses from Lola. I'm talking about learning to be mindful, which, for me, is a constant challenge.

Often I move through my days so quickly, trying to meet each demand that comes my way. Finding time to just be, to take in the present moment for all its glory somehow doesn't make it to the top of my priority list, even when I try to schedule it in, which, yes, I have actually tried to do--more than once. I literally try to PLAN times to be present. And, if that is not ironic enough, I rarely actually take the time to DO IT because there is always something else to plan or schedule. It's a vicious cycle.

But, there's good news. With the right teacher, one, even a MEGAPLANNER like me, can learn to break the cycle. In fact, today, for me, the cycle was broken. And, it was Lola that taught me how.

Here's how it happened: One of Lola's favorite pastimes is to lie down on the guest bed and look out the window, keeping watch of the neighborhood. Usually, I walk by her doing this very thing several times a day. I'll stick my head in as I pass by and whisper random lovely dovey sentiments in a high-pitched voice that she has no way of understanding and continue on my way, often back to planning. But, today, Lola wagged her tail so excitedly when I passed by that I decided to take an extra moment to lie with her. I laid down on my belly, right next to her and almost instantly I became acutely aware of the warmth of her fur. I could feel her belly swell and release with each breath as it pressed against my side. And, then, all of a sudden, I was tuning into my own breath. I noticed Lola's intense focus on an object out in the yard, so I turned my attention to the yard. And all of a sudden the colors of fall flooded my vision. I was just taking it all in. Having a moment. Being present. I couldn't seem to find this stillness on my own, but Lola had shown me how.

It can be difficult to step off the merry-go-round of life for even a minute, especially as we are knee-deep in back to school time, no matter how good our intentions. But, if we look, we can find teachers all around us. Just because you're not on the mat, it doesn't mean you can't practice. You just have to find the right teacher off the mat and your practice will find you...

Allay Yoga Welcomes Modern Yogini Brittany Boden!

2011-09-28T15:49:00.000-04:00

I am that.

SO HAM. An ancient mantra meaning “I am that.”

Inhale SO.

Exhale HAM.

Repeat.

Few more times.

Relax a little.

When SO HAM is connected with the breath it helps to remind us of ALL that we are connected to.

SO HAM at your desk.

SO HAM in traffic.

SO HAM on the metro.

SO HAM at the DMV/MVA or DC version.

SO HAM anywhere and everywhere.

Because I am that and you are that. We are all that. And THAT is something that can ground us when the tornado comes and uplift when life is heavy.

You are a special and unique snowflake. Take time to connect with your breath. Even if only a few breaths. Everyday.

You deserve it.

SO HAM.

About Brittany:
Brittany began practicing yoga as a way to supplement her other exercise regimes as an athlete. Over the years she fell in and out of practice but was deeply drawn back to yoga after a string of illnesses in 2009. Realizing that stress was the heart of the issue she got her duppa back into the studio and started practicing restorative and vinyasa style classes.After witnessing profound changes in her own mind and body, Brittany became a teacher to deepen her understanding of the practice and thus share it with others. Along with yoga, she is also very passionate about health and is in the process of becoming a Holistic Health Coach through the Institute for Integrative Nutrition. Brittany recently began to blog as Modern Day Yogini – the tales of yoga teacher and health coach: a blend of yoga, health, practicality, sunshine and love. Stop in for a class or visit her at Moderndayyogini.com. Namaste!

Allay Yoga Welcomes Modern Yogini Brittany Boden!

2011-09-22T14:40:00.000-04:00

It was a blustery and beautiful day in Annapolis, MD on Sunday. Had the pleasure of sailing the great seas with my mumsy, her man and my man.

Of course yoga came up in conversation.

The beauty of yoga is that it is a living tradition. Like a coral reef – always growing, evolving, destructing and reincarnating.

On Sunday I discovered a new type of yoga:

YOGA FOR CRUISERS

Think yoga for full-time sea-living folk.

Kinda cool right?? Or at least something different.

Check them out: www.yogaforcruisers.com

Expand your horizons. And enjoy 

Mucho amor,

Modern Day Yogini

About Brittany:
Brittany began practicing yoga as a way to supplement her other exercise regimes as an athlete. Over the years she fell in and out of practice but was deeply drawn back to yoga after a string of illnesses in 2009. Realizing that stress was the heart of the issue she got her duppa back into the studio and started practicing restorative and vinyasa style classes.After witnessing profound changes in her own mind and body, Brittany became a teacher to deepen her understanding of the practice and thus share it with others. Along with yoga, she is also very passionate about health and is in the process of becoming a Holistic Health Coach through the Institute for Integrative Nutrition. Brittany recently began to blog as Modern Day Yogini – the tales of yoga teacher and health coach: a blend of yoga, health, practicality, sunshine and love. Stop in for a class or visit her at Moderndayyogini.com. Namaste!

The Hum Sah Chronicles With Heidi Sohng: The Balancing Act

2011-09-21T13:31:00.000-04:00

The Balancing Act

I can be all over the place somedays. Especially as a mother, I am always losing, forgetting, or breaking things. Why is this? Because my attention is on so many things at once - my toddler daughter who is more all over the place than I am, and whatever task I’m doing at the moment, while trying to plan my day. Yoga tells us that one can be balanced and focussed. But sometimes I wonder, is this possible as a mom?

Take for instance this morning. We were getting ready to go to our friend’s son’s birthday party. Pasha wanted to make Russian pancakes for breakfast. Great! What a yummy idea. But the pancakes turned out to be a big blob. Then Lucy had a blow out and had to have one of those diaper changes every parent dreads. And then I saw the time. We were supposed to be out the door in ten minutes. Oh no. So we ended up leaving half an hour late. We even got a little lost in the car. But I did not lose it. I was meditating on “hum sah” and visualizing myself gliding down the river of life, letting go of anything that could ruffle my feathers. And the day turned out to be a great one.

So what keeps me balanced? Practice and detachment. In the Yoga Sutras, Patanjali says that “Identification with the fluctuations of the mind is stopped by practice and non-attachment.” Sometimes you can feel really imbalanced, like a tidal wave is going to wash over you, but if you can keep up your practice of yoga, breathing or meditation, and not be attached to any outcome, then whatever happens is going to be ok. Maybe even better than ok.

I’ve heard that motherhood is a juggling act, which sounds like a circus to me. I prefer to think of it as a balancing act, where I’m flying along with my pair of wings, practice and detachment.

About Heidi:

Heidi discovered yoga as a way to center and ground herself and connect with others when she began teaching young children in NYC in the late 90’s. Her practice started at Jivamukti where she trainined with Sharon Gannon and David Life, her first and most honored teachers, and expanded to include Alan Finger, Shiva Rea, and Molly Kenny. She completed her Jivamukti training in 2009. As a school teacher Heidi loved bringing yoga into her classroom. Now that she’s a mom, she finds herself inspired by her daughter to delve deeper into child development and teaching fun, creative yoga classes for families. She loves the balance of teaching little ones and adults. Her motto is to find the middle path. Heidi credits yoga for keeping her balanced and sane, and loves the journey! Heidi lives in Silver Spring with her daughter Lucy and husband Pasha.

Heidi teaches Gentle Jivamukti Thursdays at 8:00 PM and Lil Omm Movers Tues at 10:30 AM

Allay Yoga Welcomes Modern Yogini Brittany Boden!

2011-09-16T09:05:00.000-04:00

How do we take yoga off our mats AND practice a healthy life?

The practice of yoga has evolved to accommodate need, changing times, new influences and expansion. The obsession with physical form and bodies in the West encouraged yoga to enter through the exercise and fitness realm versus the philosophical, meditative or transcendental worlds of yoga.

Turns out we are infatuated with ourselves. HA. Who woulda thought?? ;)

Adding yoga into the daily grind inevitably contributes to overall health. They are not mutually exclusive.

It isn’t rocket science but yogic, healthy, balanced living takes daily commitment.

Mindfulness.

Breathing.

Listening.

Awareness.

Imagine if you listened to your body as you prepared meals, maintained awareness about cravings and needs, breathed as you ate and tuned in to the adequate amounts of carbs, proteins, fats, vitamins and minerals that supports YOUR body??

How could that change your life??

Then you start to FEEL better on a daily basis.

How could this affect your clarity, decision-making, reactivity, stress??

Because you FEEL better you start to treat yourself better.

And those around you.

This creates a ripple.

See where I’m going with this??

Yoga helps to create and maintain balance. Balance helps to create and maintain health. Yoga helps to create and maintain health and balance.

Creating and maintaining balance in our minds helps us to nurture our bodies better.

Make wiser food decisions.

LIFE decisions.

Cleaning is a part of yoga.

And so is lack of clutter.

Think about those too.

It doesn’t take a mat to work towards a happier, healthier, more purpose-driven life.

But.

A little stretching doesn’t hurt either ;)

Mucho amor,

The Hum Sah Chronicles with Heidi Sohng: Life is Hard, Yoga is Easy

2011-09-12T23:22:00.001-04:00

My daughter Lucy is going through a phase. Which is teaching me a lot about life. Since she started walking, she has officially become a “toddler”. Yet at 11 months, I feel she is still a baby. Life for her is hard - falling again and again but always getting up, learning about the world and how she fits in.

A yoga teacher once said in class that “life is hard and yoga is easy.” Sometimes I wonder if perhaps I heard it wrong and it’s supposed to be the other way around, that “life is easy and yoga is hard.” In society, we get conflicting messages about living with ease yet working hard. Ever since I was a kid, I refused to believe my parents whenever they tried to tell me that life is hard. Ignorance was bliss. Since I’ve gotten older and have to deal with boring things like laundry, traffic and bills on a daily basis, I’ve begun to think “Gee, my parents were right!” And yet there’s so much to distract us away from these grim realities, like TV, movies, food, drugs, shopping....the list of addictions is endless. Life can be made a lot easier if you want it to.

And then there’s yoga. If one can be addicted to anything, yoga would be a good choice. Yes, one needs to be disciplined to practice yoga to get its full effects. Whatever form your practice takes, do it as often as you can, whether it’s meditating, going to yoga class or practicing breathing. Practicing with your highest aim in mind and with a devoted heart will keep you going, just like a toddler learning to walk, run and jump on two feet, navigating the world. Never lose your enthusiasm. My teacher Sharon Gannon says that a yogi’s progress is measured by how happy they feel. And that spiritual people are always connected to the source.

Lucy is going through a phase, but once the turmoil has settled, I tell myself she is going to come out of it empowered and secure, believing in herself and that the world is a good place. Isn’t that what we all want? Isn’t that what yoga brings us?

“The secret of genius is to carry the spirit of the child into old age, which means never losing your enthusiasm.” -Aldous Huxley

About Heidi:

Heidi teaches Gentle Jivamukti Thursdays at 8:00 PM and Lil Omm Movers Tues at 10:30 AM

Allay Yoga Welcomes Modern Day Yogini Brittany Boden

2011-09-09T10:20:00.000-04:00

And Here We Go...

“Happiness cannot be traveled to, owned, earned, worn or consumed. Happiness is the spiritual experience of living every minute with love, grace and gratitude.” ~Denis Waitley

Little bit about me. Well it’s going to be a decent bit so bare with me. It will circle back around. I promise.

As my first official blog post, beyond my intentions, I feel that I have to explain how I got to where I am. Why I’m writing to you. My story. It helps to explain my intentions, purpose, dharma.

Although I am young in trips around the sun I have been told many times that I’m wise beyond my years. Deep trips around the sun. But all relevant and important because it helped to shape who I am at this very moment and where I might be headed.

The decisions we make at a young age often have deep consequences due to the number of years ahead they impact. We are faced with small decisions every moment of our lives. As our perspective changes we begin to see and make the small decisions differently. Hopefully always leaning towards the positive evolution.

At the age of 3, I made a decision. To become a doctor. I don’t remember making the decision but my parents told me I did. Be the first in my family to go to medical school. Save the world. Cure cancer.

I spent the next 18 years of my life thinking, dreaming, working towards, believing that I was going to become a physician. And then something happened.

I backpacked through Europe the summer before my senior year of college and I changed.

A summer of freedom and mischief sent me back to the university with a changed sense of purpose. So in typical Brittany fashion I went full force into becoming a Doctor of Physical Therapy. I graduated from college and then wanted to become a Nurse. Elementary School Teacher. Chiropractor. Back to Nursing. Then Masters of Public Health, Health Administration. Back to Physician. Back around.

Welp. Those didn’t work. But I kept looking. And working. And looking.

And then something happened.

I got sick. Really really sick. It had been a stressful year. Life was POURING on this baby girl. I hadn’t been taking care of myself. Poor diet, little movement, Christmas cookies, too much partying and booze, not enough sleep, stress. It was just too much.

Heard of MRSA? Yea. Not fun.

But I skirted out. Relatively unscathed. Except for a nasty scare of the front of my deltoid. When I catch people staring I tell them I got shot. Wink.

Healing made me re-evaluate. Everything. As it should have.

So I started doing yoga again. And my life began to change.

Thing is, not much was REALLY changing but my perspective was shifting, falling apart and rebuilding into something more inline with ME.

So I became a yoga teacher. And made a yoga “baby.” A 9-month plan to transition out of my 9-5 and teach yoga – live my dream. It’s due October 1^st, 2011.

During the second trimester, the idea of Modern Day Yogini came to be.

Yoga is my thing. And so is health. I am trying to live it. And teach other people to live it.

I get weird illness, have strange injuries, and oddly enough I love to soak up medical information. Unusual yes but it has proven useful for myself, friends and family.

So I thought – What better way to broadcast this information than through the ether??

And why not combine the two??

Both are ESSENTIAL for happiness, quality of life, balance.

So here we are.

To sum this up – deciding at the age of 3 to become a doctor led me to blogging about yoga, health, practicality, sunshine and love?? Right?? Well I had a few curves along the way but that seemingly unrelated decision set me up to dig deep and far into the health field. Figure out what it’s about. And then try to impact it. I’ve always been a free spirit. So this is my way.

Through yoga teaching. Health coaching. Practicality making. Information nugget sharing. Via the Google. I hope to help you to live a happier, healthier, more balanced and purpose-driven life.

So much love,

Modern Day Yogini aka Brittany

About Brittany:

Brittany began practicing yoga as a way to supplement her other exercise regimes as an athlete. Over the years she fell in and out of practice but was deeply drawn back to yoga after a string of illnesses in 2009. Realizing that stress was the heart of the issue she got her duppa back into the studio and started practicing restorative and vinyasa style classes.

After witnessing profound changes in her own mind and body, Brittany became a teacher to deepen her understanding of the practice and thus share it with others. Along with yoga, she is also very passionate about health and is in the process of becoming a Holistic Health Coach through the Institute for Integrative Nutrition. Brittany recently began to blog as Modern Day Yogini – the tales of yoga teacher and health coach: a blend of yoga, health, practicality, sunshine and love. Stop in for a class or visit her at Moderndayyogini.com. Namaste!

The Hum Sah Chronicles with Heidi Sohng: The "Don't Do" List

2011-09-05T22:25:00.000-04:00

The Hum Sah Chronicles
The “Don’t Do” List

September is here and autumn with its hectic busy-ness is just around the corner. Autumn is the season of Vata, characterized by a dry, cold feeling of restlessness. And with school starting, families and students find themselves on a roller coaster that they can’t get off. Buzzing with activity, we find ourselves running around frantically, trying to get everything done on our ever-expanding “to-do” lists. That’s why I decided to come up with a “don’t-do” list. For everything I shouldn’t be doing, like “don’t freak out in the morning when your husband makes you oatmeal without the raisins, cinnamon and ginger you asked for”.

Having a “to-do” list feels like having a deadline looming over my head for the day. Which is not a nice feeling. And I usually end up putting things on this list that aren’t very important, like “get rubber-soled socks for Lucy”. (You see, she’s running all over the place and the floor is getting cold now, but I don’t want her to slip.) Having this on paper has an unusual effect, so that “getting rubber-soled socks for Lucy” becomes more urgent and pressing than “being” with my daughter Lucy. Who really needs me to just “be” there for her, rather than worrying about when I’m going to “get those rubber-soled socks” for her.

So I tried an experiment and put these things off. Don’t do this, and don’t do that. Letting the day just flow along, and meeting each moment for what it is. And guess what? I found myself relieved to be able to trust my feelings a bit more. Once I heard a wise meditation teacher say, that when making a decision about something you’re feeling unsure of, or apprehensive about, to put it off until the last minute. That way, you don’t give your anal retentive logical brain a chance to worry to death over things which you have no control. Being grounded in your yoga and meditation practice helps a lot, too.

Even when it comes to planning “big” things, like Lucy’s first birthday party. I’m actually not going to make a list. I’ve decided my intuitive, creative brain is going to take over and do the delegating. The logical, organized brain is going to be doing something else, which my creative brain hasn’t thought of quite yet. Maybe deciding what kind of sandwiches and side dishes to get for my family? Who knows. But am I worried? Nope. For in the words of John Lennon, “Life is what happens to you when you’re busy making other plans.” What’s on your “don’t do” list?

About Heidi:

Heidi teaches Gentle Jivamukti Thursdays at 8:00 PM and Lil Omm Movers Tues at 10:30 AM

The Hum Sah Chronicles with Allay Yoga's Heidi Sohng

2011-08-30T16:45:00.000-04:00

The Hum Sah Chronicles

I’ve decided to call my blog “The Hum Sah Chronicles” because I love the Sanskrit word “hum-sah”. It has several interesting meanings. “Hum” is the first letter in the Sanskrit alphabet and “sah” is the last letter. So when you put them together, “hum-sah” is like the alpha and omega, the first and last.

“Hum-sah” also has a semantic meaning in Sanskrit which is “swan”, that graceful bird that glides along through life, weathering it’s storms and what not (speaking of storms,Hurricane Irene hit last night). When I was at an ashram in upstate NY several years ago, a Sanskrit scholar was visiting from India who was known to give out Sanskrit names if you asked him. Out of curiosity I asked what mine would be. He asked, “What’s your name?” I said “Heidi”. “Heidi what?” “Heidi Sohng.” He thought for a split second, and answered plainly, “Hum-sah”, as if it was the most apparent thing in the world. I was a tad disappointed I wasn’t named after a Hindu goddess or whatever, but over the years this name seems to fit me.

Another interesting interpretation, “hum-sah” can be transmuted into the “so-hum” breathing meditation. This is how Dr. Vasant Lad explains it in his book, Ayurveda: The Science of Self-Healing. “Through breathing, you will become aware of the vibration of cosmic sound. This cosmic sound, which is the soundless aum, has two manifestations, one male, the other female. The male energy is hum and the female energy is so. During inhalation, you will feel the vibration of the cosmic sound so. During exhalation, you will feel the sound hum. In so-hum meditation, there is a union of individual consciousness with Cosmic Consciousness. Listen to the so-hum, hum-so sound through the breath. These vibrations are sound-energy which is one with the life-energy of breath. Your breathing will become quiet and spontaneous and you will go beyond thought, beyond time and space, beyond cause and effect. Limitations will vanish; your consciousness will empty itself and in that emptying, consciousness will expand.”

Breathe in “so” and breathe out “hum”. Yoga is a wonderful way to express and live in this life, spiritually, mentally, physically and emotionally. Simply through the breath, one can embody wholesome and life-sustaining values. As a mom, I need this and can definitely do this. Whenever and wherever I am, just breathe. Like in yoga practice, every breath counts. So in life, not one moment is wasted. Watching my ten-month old daughter grow before my eyes, I know there is no where else to be.

“So ham”, is also a mantra found in the ancient yogic text, the Upanishads, and translates into “I am that”. I am what? Something way bigger and better than my little self, that’s what. It’s very humbling to remind myself of this every morning, as I try to sit in silence and meditate. Whatever “that” means to you, be it, live it. But define what “that” is. My day goes a lot better when I define what “that” is. This morning as my daughter Lucy is napping and my husband is working in the basement, I am grateful for my family. I am love, I am grace, I am a swan gliding on the river of life (and through hurricanes). What does “that” mean for you?

About Heidi:

Heidi teaches Gentle Jivamukti Thursdays at 8:00 PM and Lil Omm Movers Tues at 10:30 AM

Finding Inspiration

2011-08-28T13:48:00.000-04:00

As I sit in my family room in the wake of Irene, grateful to have power again after several hours without, I am content. At least, for the moment.

The anxiety has been building as I prepare for the opening of my new studio, Allay Yoga. On a difficult night, just as I am about to fall asleep, a new flood of fearful thoughts rush into my head: did I remember to do this? Will that work? What am I doing? On a good night just as I am about to fall asleep, a new flood of excited thoughts rush into my head: I can't believe my dreams are coming true! I am so lucky to work with such wonderful and supportive people! I can't wait to go to work in the morning! And, of course every night, as the realization that my hampster (as my husband lovingly calls it) is running around my head in circles, comes the personal berating to pull it together, you're opening a yoga studio for goodness sake, if you can't stop your monkey mind, how are you going to help others?

I have found myself in this cycle, controlled by the "what if's" and the other creations of my overactive mind for several weeks. Knowing and recognizing that it is reasonable given the external circumstances of my life helps, but doesn't make it go away. Deep in the back of my mind, I have known that I needed to make a change, to get back to my core, back to what brought me to yoga in the first place, what made me want to teach and to open a studio where people could come and feel the magic of the practice. I just haven't been able to get there. Until this morning. This morning, I found my inspiration, from the unlikeliest of places (isn't that always the case?)

My grandmother has never done yoga. But, she knows that I am opening a studio and so when she saw this article in her local paper, she took the time to take a closer look. After reading it, she sent me an email explaining that she found it very "interesting and informative" and that she was cutting it out and sending it to me in the mail. So, this morning, on my way back from a long walk with Lola, I stopped by the mailbox, and there it was.

In this article, from a local Princeton, NJ paper, the author and the teachers she speaks with all convey the same message: The goal is not to focus on where you're going, but instead on where you are. Life (and yoga) is about accepting where you are and what you can do. At one point, the author jokes that, despite her 6 years of practice, she is still afraid to go upside down and consequently, has yet to do headstand. But she expresses her acceptance of being "an imperfect yogi" and conveys the very wise sentiments of her teacher that "you can actually go through your whole life and never do a headstand--and still have a good life."

I know that I'm not alone in that, when life gets hectic, when I embark on new journeys or go through periods of great change, my focus seems to always come back to the future. It can be hard to accept the present for what it is, an impermanent moment in time and yet all that we have. And, even though I can understand, mentally, what is happening and how I am contributing to my own cycle of anxiety it can be very difficult to translate that mental understanding into an emotional one.

What I learned this morning is that, if I remain open to it, inspiration will come along and reboot my system, clearing the way for action. My yoga practice gives me the tools to know how to act, when I'm ready. It gives me the tools to look at the process and to allow room for self-exploration. But, it doesn't make me immune to anxiety. And it doesn't mean that when anxiety strikes, I'm going to be able to apply an instant antidote. Just as the author of this wonderful article may never do headstand, but now, as a consequence of her practice, accepts this as part of her process and part of her experience, I may always face cycles of anxiety, especially as I am prone to load my plate until it's spilling off the edges, but I can accept that this is just who I am, this is my experience. I can't control what tomorrow will feel like, I can simply know that this moment, whether filled with happiness, anxiety, sadness, or frustration is all that I can deal with in this moment, and that it will not last forever. When I'm ready, inspiration will always come along.

We're Making Progress!

2011-08-22T17:39:00.000-04:00

Our new home is slowly coming together! Thanks to my very handy, patient husband and the extremely generous Gloria Capron, who loaned us that beautiful desk, our front room has become a beautiful, welcoming, relaxing space for yogis and dogis! We can't wait for Labor Day!

We're Back!

2011-08-17T12:11:00.000-04:00

Happy August!

This month we are focusing on our move to the fabulous town of Kensington! Everything is going well (knock on wood) and we are on schedule for our Labor Day opening!

I wanted to take a moment to thank all of you for your support and enthusiasm. Change is often both exciting and scary, and while this experience has certainly been both, your continued encouragement has made it such a wonderful, fulfilling journey. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

As we move into the second half of the month, our schedule is slowly becoming more concrete. Please check our website often for the most up-to-date offerings! In addition, please peruse our newly updated About Us page to learn more about our terrific new teachers!

Finally, don't forget to find us on facebook and join our email list so you don't miss any of our exciting announcements and events!

Namaste!

MusePracticeAllay Welcomes Guest Blogger Hannah Leatherbury: Weighing In on the Tara Stiles Debate

2011-03-01T14:54:00.001-05:00

I want to have a conversation about yoga as fitness. Coming from someone who came to yoga through Bikram-style classes, I get it. For some people, yoga is about pushing your body physically. It took me four years of hot yoga, the closing of my studio of practice, and the loss of my teacher before I got curious about what else yoga had to offer. I’ve since learned that yoga can be a practice and it can also be a lifestyle – but each of us takes our own journey and our paths are of different lengths. We should honor that.

I recently read the New York Times article on Tara Stiles, a model/yogini who champions the physical practice and whose book Slim, Calm, Sexy markets yoga as a tool for weight loss among other things. As I read some very disparaging quotes rejecting her style (and her as a person), I found myself rooting for her. She’s 29 and she’s teaching $10 classes to people who don’t want to ‘Om.’ She describes the NYC yoga scene as often feeling like a party that she was never invited to -- so she started her own party. The idea of breaking down walls is huge for yoga in this decade, it’s too bad that this spirit receives so much bullying.

I know now that yoga can become so much more than a physical practice -- it can fulfill us spiritually and emotionally. It can change the way that we live our life and the way we treat other people. But, each of us has to discover these benefits on our own time. I’m with Tara, “There are no rules....”

Hannah Leatherbury is a registered yoga teacher with the Yoga Alliance (RYT-200) and a blogger within the Yoga Journal Community. She received her training in Classical Hatha yoga in 2009 and has been teaching ever since. Her interest in movement and wellness evolved from a childhood filled with dance training in tap, jazz, ballet and modern coupled with a post-college urge to stay active and healthy. She has a B.A. in Creative Writing from Goucher College. You can contact her via her blog http://community.yogajournal.com/saturn_shows_up or at hleatherbury [at] hotmail.com

My First Yoga Class

2011-02-15T11:30:00.000-05:00

Last week, the lovely ladies at lil omm yoga asked the teachers to provide accounts of their first yoga experiences. It was so much fun, I thought I'd share mine here:

I took my first yoga class in high school. My mom had started attending a regular class so I tagged along one evening. It was a gentle or restorative class (to be honest I can't completely remember), so when we walked in the room was serene with candles and low-lighting and we were instructed to gather a number of props. I'm not going to lie, I did not enjoy it. The stillness was painful. Plus, it was clear this was not going to burn many calories. What was the point?

I went back a few more times, mostly just to spend the time with my mom, never really "getting it." I continued to dabble in yoga throughout college, mostly through video in my dorm room. But, honestly, I didn't fall in love until several years later, when I was living in New York as a grad student.

Usually, when I think about my first yoga class, I think of this class, where I walked away with that "yoga high" (literally almost getting hit by a car on my walk home). I think of this as the start of my yoga journey because this was when I first "got" yoga. But, this was just one step on my journey. Not liking yoga didn't mean I hadn't done yoga. It just meant I had done it and not liked it. And, in fact, continuing to open myself up to the possibility of yoga, even after not liking those earlier classes is simply further evidence that my yoga journey began all those years ago in that restorative class.

As a teacher, I try to draw on this experience by encouraging students to acknowledge judgments and opinions and let them go, allowing whatever it is that comes up as they hold that warrior II or that squat or a crying child to simply be part of their experience in that particular unique moment. I know, easier said than done.

The Wonderful Work of Lucky Dog Animal Rescue

2011-01-23T17:27:00.000-05:00

By now, you've probably heard me mention Allay Yoga's video doga classes, which are being offered Wed evenings from 8-8:30 PM right from the comfort of your own home for only $8!! Partial proceeds from these classes will benefit Lucky Dog Animal Rescue. To sign-up, click here

I thought it might encourage you to to sign online for 30 minutes of quality pup time for this great cause if you knew a little bit more about the phenomenal work Lucky Dog does each and every day. So here goes!

Lucky Dog Animal Rescue is an all-volunteer, non-profit animal rescue organization dedicated to saving the lives of homeless animals and educating the community on responsible pet ownership. Lucky Dog does not have its own facility. Instead, our dogs stay with temporary fosters (and occasionally boarding partners) while they wait to find their forever home. We hold adoption events each week where you can see the Lucky Dogs strut their stuff, and we also arrange private meetings for adopters who fall in love with a pup’s internet photo. Our volunteers are more than just volunteers, and our dogs are more than just dogs. We are a family. And we welcome you to become a part!

What is a “Lucky Dog?”

A Lucky Dog is a fortunate animal who we are able to rescue from a high-kill shelter or from an owner who needs to re-home his or her pet. Right now, “Lucky Dogs” are primarily of the canine variety, but Lucky Dog Animal Rescue plans to expand to help animals of all kinds. We consider any animal in need a potential “Lucky Dog”!

Where do Lucky Dogs come from?

Most Lucky Dogs come from high-kill shelters in Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina. We work with shelter partners in low-income and rural areas where hundreds of highly-adoptable dogs are euthanized each month due to overpopulation problems, lack of spay/neuter education and inadequate funding. With the help of our dedicated volunteers and supporters, Lucky Dog rescues as many of these pups as possible.

Where are the Lucky Dogs now?

The Lucky Dogs live in foster homes throughout the Washington, DC area, including Maryland and Northern Virginia. They live as far north as Baltimore and as far south as Burke and Woodbridge. Lucky Dog Animal Rescue does not have a shelter of its own. We rely completely on the generosity of our foster parents!

How do Lucky Dogs get Here?

We have wonderful partners who drive the Lucky Dogs all the way from their rural shelters to the DC area. These “transports” can be as large as 60 dogs and as small as 1 dog. A portion of each adoption fee goes to the costs of arranging these transports. We always need lots of help when the dogs arrive from the shelters – let us know if you’d like to be part of the welcoming committee.

How can I get a Lucky Dog?

It’s simple! Just fill out the adoption questionnaire to get the screening process started!

*This information was taken directly from the Lucky Dog Animal website. Fore more information visit www.luckydoganimalrescue.org!

Post-Christmas Blues by Hannah Leatherbury

2011-01-13T15:44:00.000-05:00

The days after Christmas are difficult for me this year. I am taking stock of what I didn't give and what I didn't receive. My self-employed status also has me worrying about the upcoming tax season and how I will fare. I returned to the principle of asteya today because I had just blogged on ahimsa and thought it was the next logical choice. It also turned out to be the best reading I could have asked for at this time of year.

Asteya can be thought of as non-stealing and non-coveting. It's easy to interpret this in material terms, such as gift-giving and receiving, being happy with what you already have and for what someone put the time and thought into giving you (even if it would not have been your first choice – thanks for those socks!) Some of the most interesting thoughts I read on asteya describe the ways in which a sense of entitlement in your yoga practice can betray this principle. For example, coveting the abilities of another practicioner instead of tuning into your own body and its abilities. I found this particularly comforting after reading about the world's youngest yoga teacher – she's six and teaches 5:30am classes at an ashram in India.

Another fantastic essay encourages us to think about other things that we take which are not ours like

time (being constantly late for an appointment with someone)
credit (taking praise without cause)
funds (buying on credit when we can't pay off the debt)
thoughts (assuming the outcome of an argument rather than listening to the other party)
food and drink (ingesting more than our body can handle)

All this to say, I'm reconsidering what I “take” and how that effects my life. I'm reminded to spend more time giving thanks for what I already have.

There is a fantastic mantra that my teacher told me to practice once: I am enough.

Hannah Leatherbury is a registered yoga teacher with the Yoga Alliance (RYT-200) and a blogger within the Yoga Journal Community. She received her training in Classical Hatha yoga in 2009 and has been teaching ever since. Her interest in movement and wellness evolved from a childhood filled with dance training in tap, jazz, ballet and modern coupled with a post-college urge to stay active and healthy. She has a B.A. in Creative Writing from Goucher College. You can contact her via her blog http://community.yogajournal.com/saturn_shows_up or at hleatherbury [at] hotmail.com

2011 Will Be The Year Of...

2011-01-03T10:22:00.000-05:00

Compassion, Process, and Patience

Every year I set goals for where I want to get to instead of where I want to be. This year, my only goal is to experience--be in the process with compassion and patience for myself and others.

Here are my new years resolutions:
- Be where I am--focus more on where I am than where I am going
- Keep an open mind--there is rarely one way of doing things--what is right in the moment is always changing.
- Nourish body, mind and soul through daily exercise, eating well, meditation, and journal writing/reflection
- Try something new every month--keep it if it works, let it go if it doesn't
- Nourish relationships--Listen as much or more than share
- Let go of expectations of others--see them for who they are and where they are

What are your goals for 2011? Do they focus on attainment or experience (there is room for both!)? How can you implement them in your day-to-day life?

Settling Into Doga

2010-12-15T16:28:00.000-05:00

When I bring up the idea of Doga, most dog-loving yogis express curiosity and excitement. Then, however, many quickly dive into the 101 reasons why they don't think their dog can do doga. I hear things like: "My dog is way too crazy." "My dog has too much energy." "My dog will be distracted the whole time." Contrary to popular belief, these aren't reasons against bringing your dog to the mat, these are reasons for bringing your dog to the mat!

Doga is a partner practice between you and your dog. It is not about good behavior or bad behavior. It is not about struggling with your dog's wavering attention span in order to move through a seamless sequence. It is about creating a mind-body connection with each other. It is about cultivating mindfulness, letting go of expectations, accepting what is, and being present no matter what comes up. These are many of the benefits we work toward in our own yoga practice. In doga, our pups simply help us to find them.

As the first step in your doga practice. Take some time each day this week to just be with your dog. Whether they're snuggled up on the couch, lying on the floor chewing a bone, or drinking from the toilet even after you've clearly expressed your disapproval of this action over and over again (LOLA!), just observe what comes up. Observe their experience of whatever it is they are doing. Are they wagging their tail? What is their breath like? Are they panting, licking their lips, yawning or showing other signs of agitation? Observe what their actions create in you physically and mentally. Do you tighten your belly, jaw, or fists when you observe them doing something you feel they shouldn't? What do you experience when they cuddle against you? Lick your hand, or even better, your nose? Work toward letting go of judgment and ideas of what your dog should do--both positive and negative. Just be with them in the moment.

There, you're doing Doga! What a great team you and your pup make!

Lola happily sleeping with a secretly stolen shoe

What's Ahimsa To A Puppy?

2010-12-10T14:29:00.000-05:00

Muse*Practice*Allay welcomes guest blogger Hannah Leatherbury! Hannah will be joining us online once a month and weekly in the studio! Welcome Hannah! Below Hannah examines how we can use the yogic principle of ahimsa to better understand and accept our furry family members.

What's Ahimsa To A Puppy?

I've known Daisy dog for all of four months and she continually amazes me. She's sweet, she's playful and she's smart. But there are two things that really unnerve me about Daisy: 1. She likes to chew on the edges of expensive rugs (sorry, slight tangent from my main point) and 2. She is EXTREMELY aggressive with her toys, especially the poor hedgehog in this video.

Reading "Inside of a Dog" right now, I am hoping to stumble upon a passage that will help me understand what the experience of destroying a feaux animal is like for Daisy so that I can reframe it as something other than pure aggression. Until I find that passage however, I am thinking of how my teacher describes ahimsa as non-judgement in addition to non-violence. It is that act of non-judgement - unconditional love - that reminds me not to expect my puppy to be a peacemaker, only to expect her to be herself.

Next on my list of things to do to better understand Daisy: doga...

Anyone else tried it?

Hannah Leatherbury is a registered yoga teacher with the Yoga Alliance (RYT-200) and a blogger within the Yoga Journal Community. She received her training in Classical Hatha yoga in 2009 and has been teaching ever since. Her interest in movement and wellness evolved from a childhood filled with dance training in tap, jazz, ballet and modern coupled with a post-college urge to stay active and healthy. She has a B.A. in Creative Writing from Goucher College. You can contact her via her blog http://community.yogajournal.com/saturn_shows_up or at hleatherbury [at] hotmail.com

The Universal Language of Yoga

2010-09-17T19:19:00.000-04:00

After a brief summer break, Muse*Practice*Allay is back!

I was so inspired when a friend showed me this article and video that I had to share!

From guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 15 September 2010
Photograph: Meta Penca/BNP

Now that we're embarking on a new season, it is a perfect time to commit to that daily personal yoga practice you've been thinking about all summer. Let go of preconceived notions of what the practice should look like and allow yourself to follow what feels good in your body and mind from day to day--you'll know! And, if you need a place to start, just follow Santra!

MusePracticeAllay Welcomes Local Yoga Teacher and Inspiring Blogger Kristin Adair!

2010-08-09T15:44:00.001-04:00

Yoga and Mindful Eating

We yoga teachers talk a lot about taking yoga off the mat: breathing through a challenging traffic jam, practicing compassion towards an individual who is anything but compassionate towards you, engaging in selfless service. But what about eating? Even some of the most dedicated yogis may not think about practicing yoga at the dinner table. How can you begin to make your daily consumption part of your practice?

Messages about what to eat have gotten increasingly confusing in recent years, especially for those of us who are health conscious, socially conscious, or both. We should be eating locally, low carb, raw, meatless on Mondays, sustainable, organic, and more. Even the most committed among us may find it difficult to sort through all of these messages and decide what to prepare for dinner.

Yoga provides us with an array of principles to guide our daily lives, some of which can be applied to what we eat. Additionally, Ayurveda, the traditional discipline of Indian medicine and sister science to yoga, offers its own unique teachings on diet and nutrition.

Here are a few ideas to get you started in your practice of mindful eating:

Listen to your body. This should always be the first step on the path to mindful eating. Your body will tell you what it needs, and when. Bring awareness to these messages. If you don't feel energized and healthy when you eat a certain type of food, it may not be the best thing for you. For me, it was only after several years of chronic digestive problems, doctors, and prescription medications that I cut out dairy products. I quickly realized that for so long my body had been trying to tell me that these foods were not for me. I am now both happier and healthier without them.

Eat with the seasons. If you're anything like me, you don't crave hearty root vegetable soup in July or gazpacho in January. There's a good reason for this: Ayurveda tells us that energetic forces shift throughout the year. Pitta energy, the energy of fire, is highest during the summer, and we are best suited to eat cooling, water-based foods during this time. Try cucumbers, avocado, and lightly seasoned foods. In the fall and winter, vata energy increases and we need more warming and grounding foods, like cooked vegetables and grains.

But if this doesn't make sense to you, revisit the first point: listen to what your body needs, because your unique composition may invite different eating patterns at different times of the year.

Consider your impact. As yogis, we believe that everything is interconnected. No matter what I do, my actions and intentions will impact the people around me, other beings, and the natural world. Ahimsa, one of the yamas (restraints) set forth in the Yoga Sutras, directs us to practice nonviolence and compassion, towards ourselves and others.

Listening to your body and eating more healthfully is an important way to practice compassion towards yourself. Eating food that is locally produced, seasonal, and/or organic can dramatically reduce your impact on the planet. You may also choose to remove some or all animal products from your diet to avoid contributing to the cruel and unsustainable practices of factory farming and reap significant health benefits. You should decide for yourself what ahimsa means to you and how it applies to what you eat.

Practice, not perfect. Committing to mindful eating doesn't mean that you have to give up a favorite indulgence for good. Even the most health conscious yogi may still have some french fries once in a while. You won't be able to fulfill your intention of mindful eating every meal, every day; modern life (and tempting treats) will most certainly get in the way. But that's okay. Let go and remember that yoga is a practice. Each day can teach us something about ourselves and bring us one step further on our journey.

And most importantly, when you sit down to eat, mindfully enjoy every bite.

About Kristin
By day, Kristin is an attorney with the non-profit Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine in Washington, DC, where she advocates for reform of federal nutrition policies. By night, she pursues her lifelong passion for yoga, teaching and assisting vinyasa flow classes around the DC metro area. Her classes incorporate the challenging flow sequences melded with powerful yoga philosophy that students can take off their mats and into their daily lives. In her free time, she loves to cook healthy dishes with vegetables from her organic garden.

The Many Sides of Passion

2010-08-05T13:37:00.000-04:00

As I sat down to dinner last night, I opened Pema Chodron's Comfortable With Uncertainty. I've had the book for several weeks now and have perused through a few times, pausing to reflect quickly on various short chapters. Last night, I decided I would start from the beginning. Immediately after the title page, Chodron presents the following:

May all sentient beings enjoy happiness and the root of happiness.

May we be free from suffering and the root of suffering.

May we not be separated from the great happiness devoid of suffering.

May we dwell in the great equanimity free from passion, aggression, and prejudice.

Heavy. After reading this I just sat there for a few minutes. For some reason, I found myself focusing on the idea of being free from passion. I regard myself as an intense person (and have been told more than once that this is the case). I am a firey aries afterall. Passion is a big part of who I am. In fact, it is passion that often guides my thoughts and actions.

And then something clicked. Maybe instead of leading me, my passion is actually holding me back. I've always regarded passion as essential. What do we have if we don't have passion? We are often taught to believe that a relationship should have passion. A career should have passion. Even hobbies should have passion. Without passion, we often feel that something is missing. Maybe we don't "want it" enough. Maybe our partner doesn't "want it" enough. But, maybe the real question is, what do we have if we do have passion?

We have strong attachment to the idea of something. But what do we actually have? Perhaps our passion blinds us from seeing what is "real" as we are so focused on our idealized version of what this something is or should be.

Passion is a feeling, not reality. It is not tangible. And, it is impossible to maintain over time. When it dies down, what are we left with? What happens if we acknowledge the passion we feel without letting it take us away? Sure, sometimes we will have strong feelings toward partners, work, etc. And, other times we won't. Is it possible to acknowledge both of these states as simply part of our life experience without judging or engaging them?

What are your passions? How do they impact your everyday experience?

Wasting Time Or Living Life?

2010-07-21T18:13:00.000-04:00

I've been thinking a lot about procrastination lately. I've also been practicing a lot of procrastination lately. Mind-body connection of course.

We often think of procrastination as wasting time. This can (and often does) result in a variety of negative emotions such as guilt, impatience, anxiety, etc. What I have noticed, however, is that a lot actually happens during procrastination. For example, if I did not procrastinate on writing my dissertation, I might never have started this blog. In fact, I might never have moved forward with my yoga practice, established Allay Yoga, or found the people that inspired me to begin writing a blog in the first place.

I will finish my dissertation. The time between writing sessions is not wasted, it is simply another part of my daily life. Well, it's actually more than that. It's time that I spend developing another part of myself. A part that I treasure and may have never found if I did not take a little time to procrastinate.

I'll leave you with a wonderful quote from Judith Lasater's Living Your Yoga: Finding the Spiritual in Everyday Life:

"What is really wasted? Nothing. All gives me the opportunity to live in the present moment. When I do, I am patient. This realization supports even the most mundane events of my daily life. I can wait in lines, sit in traffic jams, and understand when someone is late for an appointment. All of these times--waiting, sitting, and understanding--are valuable. I can choose not to experience them as wasted time by choosing to be present and actually living these precious moments. After all, to reject them is to reject life itself. The challenge comes in remembering that I can choose and that this choice is the most profound of freedoms." (77)

One Year Later

2010-07-19T09:00:00.000-04:00

Yesterday marked one year of incredible partnership with my wonderful husband. As a result, I found myself reflecting back over the events of the year. So much has happened! I finished collecting data for my dissertation, we moved to D.C. and then to Silver Spring into our first house, we got our darling pup Lola, I ran a half-marathon, I completed my yoga teacher training and embarked on a new part of my career and much much more! It's been quite busy these past 12 months!

But, perhaps the biggest change for me has been my daily approach to life. I used to yearn to be more mindful, more disciplined, work harder, practice more yoga, the list goes on and on. Instead of noticing where I was and what I was doing in the moment, I was so focused on what I should be doing, how if I was doing something else, something better, I could avoid all of the stress and frustration of daily life. Writing it here, it sounds silly, but I have a strong suspicion I'm not alone in having these thoughts!

This year, moving away from my life in New York, away from the security of a school/work life that I relied on to give my daily life structure and meaning, I was forced to let go, to rebuild. And, something magical happened. I became more mindful, I practice daily yoga, I don't know if I am more disciplined or work harder, but I found peace with who I am and my work/life "style." Sure, I still experience the daily stress and frustration of everyday life, but I also find myself feeling more gratitude, more happiness, and more freedom. When I let go of what I thought I should be doing and feeling, I began actually doing more and feeling more (than just anxiety). I look back at what we have accomplished over the last year, and I not only feel proud that we did them, I feel proud that I experienced them in all of their wonderful, scary, anxiety-provoking, frustrating, exciting glory.

Are there expectations, "shoulds" that weigh you down in your daily life? What happens if you let go?

I'll leave you with a favorite passage of mine from Jon Kabat-Zinn's Wherever You Go There You Are:

"When we let go of wanting something else to happen in this moment, we are taking a profound step toward being able to encounter what is here now. If we hope to go anywhere or develop ourselves in any way, we can only step from where we are standing. If we don't really know where we are standing--a knowing that comes directly from the cultivation of mindfulness--we may only go in circles, for all our efforts and expectations. So, in meditation practice, the best way to get somewhere is to let go of trying to get anywhere at all." (15-16)

Have a wonderful week!

Starting a Blog!

2010-07-16T10:25:00.002-04:00

When I've taken the time over the past few months to think about and list my goals for the future, starting a blog has always come up. I've hesitated out of fear of having nothing interesting to put out there or exposing too much about myself and my life on the internet, but I've come to realize that this is actually what it is all about. The bloggers that often inspire me (see Tranquility Du Jour, The Not So Big Life, The Recessionista Confessions ) exhibit a certain fearlessness about putting their thoughts and experiences out there and it is this openness and consequential camaraderie that creates the inspiration! Learning how others find peace, creativity, beauty, happiness, insight and much, much more in the mundane or, at times, the difficult, provides me with an invaluable set of tools to do the same in my own life. I hope the musings here help to do the same for you!

Muse * Practice * Allay

Pulling Down The Moon is Bringing Yoga For Fertility to Allay Yoga

Green Smoothie Demo With Allay Yoga's Leslie Edsall!

The Difference Makes The Practice

Muse*Practice*Allay Welcomes Guest Blogger Jo Ann Kester: Jo Ann's November Bite: Savoring Harvest TIme (On the Time You Have)

Muse*Practice*Allay Welcomes Guest Blogger Marisa Martucci: Open the energy of your heart on 11/11/11

The Hum Sah Chronicles With Heidi Sohng: Just Perfect

a lesson from my favorite teacher

Allay Yoga Welcomes Modern Yogini Brittany Boden!

Allay Yoga Welcomes Modern Yogini Brittany Boden!

The Hum Sah Chronicles With Heidi Sohng: The Balancing Act

Allay Yoga Welcomes Modern Yogini Brittany Boden!

The Hum Sah Chronicles with Heidi Sohng: Life is Hard, Yoga is Easy

Allay Yoga Welcomes Modern Day Yogini Brittany Boden

The Hum Sah Chronicles with Heidi Sohng: The "Don't Do" List

The Hum Sah Chronicles with Allay Yoga's Heidi Sohng

Finding Inspiration

We're Making Progress!

We're Back!

Muse*Practice*Allay Welcomes Guest Blogger Hannah Leatherbury: Weighing In on the Tara Stiles Debate

My First Yoga Class

The Wonderful Work of Lucky Dog Animal Rescue

What is a “Lucky Dog?”

Where do Lucky Dogs come from?

Where are the Lucky Dogs now?

How do Lucky Dogs get Here?

How can I get a Lucky Dog?

Post-Christmas Blues by Hannah Leatherbury

2011 Will Be The Year Of...

Settling Into Doga

What's Ahimsa To A Puppy?

The Universal Language of Yoga

Muse*Practice*Allay Welcomes Local Yoga Teacher and Inspiring Blogger Kristin Adair!

The Many Sides of Passion

Wasting Time Or Living Life?

One Year Later

Starting a Blog!

MusePracticeAllay Welcomes Guest Blogger Jo Ann Kester: Jo Ann's November Bite: Savoring Harvest TIme (On the Time You Have)

MusePracticeAllay Welcomes Guest Blogger Marisa Martucci: Open the energy of your heart on 11/11/11

MusePracticeAllay Welcomes Guest Blogger Hannah Leatherbury: Weighing In on the Tara Stiles Debate

MusePracticeAllay Welcomes Local Yoga Teacher and Inspiring Blogger Kristin Adair!