Setting Intentions

A few months ago I started taking a yoga class for the first time in about 17 years.  I’ve always struggled with holding poses in yoga.  I’m not so good at the stillness, so I’ve often stayed away from yoga.  For the most part, this power yoga class moves pretty fast and the moves are fun and challenging but manageable.  I’m really enjoying the class even though it requires me to get up early on a Sunday.  One of the aspects that I’ve come to really appreciate is setting an intention at the start of each class.

Focus

It gives me a focal point that I can return to when my mind wanders or I’m frustrated on my progress or discomfort in a pose.  I think, “Well, Maggie, your intention was to breathe, so focus there and see if it helps or what you notice” or “your intention was to find comfort, so ease off today and let it be comfortable”  This is a simple idea and no shocking surprise that it’s a way to refocus, but I definitely never appreciated that concept years ago.  And in a world that moves at a […]

Setting Intentions2019-01-16T15:00:48-05:00

Move More

Just me trying to get my feet behind my head and stay relaxed at the same time.

I love to move. I’m always looking for ways to move more throughout the day.  This month on a whim I’ve been doing an Instagram challenge to try a different, assigned yoga pose every day.  Some of the moves feel great.  Other days I look at the way I’m supposed to contort myself and I just laugh.  I haven’t been able to get my feet behind my head since I was six months old.

Most days I play with movement.  I have some monkey bars and I experiment with what I can do with them.  I try to feel what my clients say they feel on certain exercises.  While taking a walk, I check to see if my butt is involved in each step.  When I breathe, I experiment with where I can send my breath.  When watching television, I roll around on Yoga Tune Up balls.  Movement is a game for me.  Discovering what, where and when can I fit movement into my day makes me happy.  I enjoy the challenge.

To some degree this […]

Move More2018-05-04T09:57:18-04:00

Ashtanga Yoga: More Like Pilates than I Expected

Slowly perfecting my headstand.  Slowly perfecting my headstand.

After agreeing to attend an Ashtanga yoga class for the first time, I recieved an email of the movements we’d be doing.  When the attachment opened, I started laughing.  Half the starting positions looked impossible.  I had visions of the teacher helping me into a headstand and walking away as I toppled over taking out the other participants in a domino effect.  Sometimes I worry when people presume I’ll be good or like a certain type of movement.  I think because I’m good at Pilates people think I’ll be good at yoga, kick-boxing—all of it, but I’m not.  When I was younger and was good at field hockey people presumed I’d be good at other sports, but I wasn’t.  It requires a lot of practice to get good at anything.

I went into the class with all sorts of preconceived notions and misconceptions. Chanting turns me off because I can’t carry a tune.  I’m worried about over-stretching, and I presumed the class would have a lot of over-stretching.  I was wrong.  The client who told me about the class mentioned that the instructor […]

Ashtanga Yoga: More Like Pilates than I Expected2017-12-29T21:37:10-05:00
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