Money isn't the object

Get off your _____ and get on your mat!
Here is a list of places, besides One Love Yoga San Diego, where you can get donation based or discounted prices on your yoga:

San Diego Yoga Loft
Downtown San Diego a lot of offernigs at a Donation.

Red Lotus Society
Downtown San Diego, lots of offerings, meditation, etc.

Poses-Yoga, Eastlake
I work here, one of the best deals is for local, Eastlake or Chula Vista residents, 7 days of yoga for $7.  It's a smaller studio, smaller classes, gives you more of an intimate feeling and more attention than the big "churn and burn" studios.  Local owners, beautiful studio, worth your time to check out. 

Akasha Yoga, La Jolla
Yes, I work here too, but obviously not all of these places I work.  First time students can get a 3 class for $20 pass.  That works out to be a little less than $7 a class and it gives you a month to try out the studio.  They also have different membership levels,offering great discount.  This is a small studio, classes never get too big so you have a more intimate feeling and it's locally owned. 

UCSD Recreation Department
I know a lot of people who work in the La Jolla area by Torrey Pines in the Biotech 'farms' up there.  Rather than get into your car and spend the next hour sitting on Genesse to get to the 5, go take a yoga class up the street.  Most of the classes are in RIMAC, as a part of the FIT LIFE program there.  Yes you have to pay for parking, but sometimes you get lucky and find a spot nearby.  And trust me, everyone is trying to get out of there so you're more likely to not pay.  The cost varies depending on what class you want to take.  But for example, one of the Saturday classes cost $55 for the quarter.  That was 8 classes for $55.  Do you need me to do the math on that?  There are also unlimited class passes available for the quarter.


I'm going to do a little more research and keep posting these things that I find.  Stay tuned....

Rolling with the waves

If change is inevitable, then why do I panic sometimes?
Einstein spent about 7 years struggling with failed attempts and dead-ends. 
Why is it when we "fail" at something that it can become a stuggle to keep our chin up.
Can we learn from our mistakes? 
Or can we view them differently.

Bringing balance

This afternoon I practiced the first in the Ashtanga series with Jennifer.

It's the first time this class is offered.

It's not my first time doing Ashtanga.  

I practiced for a bit in 2006.   I went to classes and tried to practice at home.   My monkey-mind would not take it.  I didn't understand the dedication to the same postures, same sequence, etc.  I thought "this is going to be boring."  I moved on to Vinyasa.  We move.  We move a lot.  Breath and movement.   I thought "yeah, this is what I want.  I can't be bored here."

As I practiced today and I had to modify a lot because of a knee issue.  As I went into one side, modified, I then went to do the other side and realized that if I didn't modify as well on the other side that I might be overdeveloping one side, going deeper in to one side and therefore bringing further imbalance to my body.

Hmmmm.....

I then thought of what I was doing and the point of the practice that I was doing.  To bring balance.  The description of the class is Yoga Chikitsa, which means yoga therapy, realigns the spine, detoxifies the body, and builds strength, flexibility and stamina.  So if I'm this class, I'm here to heal.  

Still boring???  I don't think so.  There's the intention.  There's the reason.  That's the practice.  

So I'll be modifying...and practicing. 

Repost of Blog, check Susan's blog out

This is Craig's sister-in-law, Susan Foxley, and a great article on Self-care.
Change your thoughts and you change your life

http://www.susanfoxleyyoga.com/Contact_/Blog/Entries/2010/5/9_%E2%80%9CSupreme_Self_Care%2C_Part_2%E2%80%9D.html

Article from the NY Times

Got this forwarded to me, interesting article, Yoga To the People was one of our inspirations...

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/25/fashion/25yoga.html?emc=eta1

To "hot" or not

There is a lot of discussion around hot yoga and it's benefits and drawbacks. I can only draw from my own experiences of it and what works for me. As always, the opinion of your personal doctor and your experience and knowledge is what counts.

Not all yoga is good for all people.
Oh...let's repeat that.
Not all yoga is good for all people.

We all come from various backgrounds and experiences. Some of us have had health issues that prevent us from doing certain types of postures. That doesn't mean that yoga is bad or that we may not overcome some of these issues. But what it does invite us to do is be very in-tune with our bodies and what's going on with them.

Some of hot yoga benefits are detoxification, improving joint mobility, flexibility, increased circulation. There's even studies going on that tout the benefits for diseases such as Hepatitis C. (Squires, http://www.yogajournal.com/health/585)

Some of the downside are potential for dehydration, heat exhaustion, heatstroke, and overstretching muscles.

My experience with hot or heated yoga came through my own teacher training. Learning vinyasa in a heated room was at first a really aggravating experience. My first experience with heat was overwhelming, the river of sweat that ran off me in down dog was embarrassing. Over time, I got used to it, and even "enjoyed" it for a while. I enjoyed the flexibility that I got when I was in a heated room versus not being in a heated room. I went to an early morning class once that wasn't heated and I could barely go into some postures, I just wasn't warmed up enough. When in heated rooms, my muscles were already warm and it enabled me to go into postures and hold them longer. I went into the hot style classes a few times but really became overwhelmed and experienced dehydration and heat exhaustion.

In reading more about it, and learning more about myself, this type of yoga isn't recommended for someone like me with my dosha type, nor is it recommended for people who have experienced heat exhaustion. Hot yoga is also not recommended for people with the following conditions: Pregnancy, high or low blood pressure issues, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, respiratory disease, eating disorders, sleep deprivation, a history of heat-related illness, and being overweight. (Waxman, http://www.yogajournal.com/practice/1186)

Would I do "hot" yoga again? Yes. Under what conditions? I have found that on a very cold day, if I start the day with a heated vinyasa class, it warms me from the inside out. I actually do enjoy it. But I have to take precautions. I make sure that I am properly hydrated, not just that morning, but the entire day before. I make sure that when I'm in postures experiencing that extra stretching capability, that I am firming the other muscles to make sure I don't go too far. And I since I don't attend heated room classes on a regular basis, I lessen my risk for heat related conditions. And how hot is too hot for me? Anything over 80 degrees. Most heated vinyasa classes go from 93-100 and 40-60% humidity, hot style 105 with 40-60% humidity. Too hot for me. I have to stay in tune with what works for me. Not "if it's hotter I'll go farther" but what is the benefit of this type of yoga for me? Does this really work for me? Why do I need to do this today? Is this my ego talking or is it that I really would enjoy the warmth? Am I experiencing any muscle strain that might be aggravated if I go too deep?

A Spiritual Choice

Elizabeth Lesser from the Omega Institute:
"....Everyone one of us longs for something more than just getting up and battling our way through life. We have a sense that there is something more, something more meaningful in our journey. This longing is spirituality. Religions formed to try to answer these questions, who am I, what am I here for, what does this all mean."

We all have that inner tug which draws us to different belief systems that help us on our journey. Those belief systems, whether it's Christianity or Buddhism or Atheism, are our individual choices to make.

In a yoga class, we aren't actively participating in a religious practice. A goal in class may be to unify mind, body and spirit. There are many ways we do this. First by focusing on the breath or a mantra to help quite the mind from all of the mind chatter. Second, we bring ourselves into our bodies by focusing on anatomical alignment or stretching and strengthening areas that are holding a lot of physical and psychological tension. Third, we come to yoga because something in our spirit takes us there. We want something different. We want to feel different. And if you practice on the previous two things, you will be different at the end of a class. This is where your journey comes in. It's your unique choice and expression. It's your spiritual choice.

Often times, students come in and are afraid or refuse to go into savasana because it might contradict their religion. There are a few things to consider. One, the physiological benefits of a savasana for your body is what is most important. By lying down, closing the eyes and simply bringing awareness to the breath, a person is slowing down the flight-or-fight response in the body with their breath. They are also taking away all of the information that the central nervous system tries to process through the eyes. These are putting the body into a relaxed state, which reduces stress, relieves tension and may lower blood pressure. Secondly, taking time to put oneself into a relaxed state, whether it's a nap or it's a savasana, is a great demonstration of self-care. It's been proven that people who take naps are more effective after taking a nap than those who don't. By taking time out for yourself, you become more effective at caring for others. You can call savasana meditation or you can call it focused relaxation, it's your choice with those few moments on the floor.