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Angelina-asana

She’s got a leg, and she knows how to shave it!

Angelina's leg, yoga, ardha chandrasana

Like many folks who watch the Academy Awards, I love to see the ladies’ glorious gowns. Not so much the figures in the gowns. Since most female movie stars are built along the same uber lean lines, I find the lack of variety boring, and a bit creepy as well. But I have to admit, Angelina Jolie’s leg has, well, grown on me. Ever since she awkwardly stuck out that ungainly gam during the 84th Academy Awards and the leg followed up with its own Twitter account (“Get a load of me!”), I’ve been a fan. 

Within days after the late February Oscar broadcast, Angelina’s right leg had covered more ground than my two legs in a lifetime. Her leg has flown over the earth as a wing of a jet plane, traveled back in time to gatecrash the Last Supper, and joined Neil Armstrong on the moon and George Washington crossing the Delaware. 

I’ve read that Ms. Jolie practices yoga–presumably with both legs–but since I haven’t seen her right leg practicing any other pose besides the now famous Oscar stance, I invited it to try some asana. (Personally, I think that asana would help that leg muscle up a bit.) Attached to me (shown above), the leg tried its hand at Ardha Chandrasana (Half Moon Pose), a beautiful balance pose that strengthens thighs and ankles. And how about a Handstand in high heels? Angelina’s leg can do anything, even in a spiky heel! 

angelina's leg Photoshop, angelina's leg handstand, angelina asana

 

Yoga practices can give you a healthier leg to stand on.  Asana can stimulate, stretch, and tone leg muscles; circulation can be improved; weary legs can perk up. Yoga won’t make your legs famous or stylishly (and stupidly) thin, but a healthy leg is a happy one, whether clad in a designer gown or your favorite comfy pants.

 

Handstand photo: © Pixattitude | Dreamstime.com

Leg manipulations courtesy of  Fyne Lyne Ventures

 

Tuesday, March 13th, 2012

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Posted in Blog, Body Image | 1 Comment »

When Is a Chore Not a Bore?

Nothing spells yoga to me like a sink full of dirty dishes

 

To open my yoga classes this week, I’ve been asking students to think about a chore they enjoy: a mundane, simple task that you do regularly and actually like. Think about what supplies you need to get the job done, and what you focus on while you’re doing the task. Consider, too, how you feel with the chore is done–reflect for a moment on your shiny, clean results. 

When I do a chore I like–such as washing dishes–I can feel fully rooted in the moment. I focus on the simple, repetitive movements of sudsing the sponge, scrubbing the dish, rinsing with clean water.  It’s a time to set aside the wouldas, couldas, and especially the shouldas, and focus on the task at hand. And how I love the gleam of a clean plate, and seeing all the glistening items stacked neatly in the dish rack for drying. 

Maybe it’s the tangibility of completion that is so satisfying. So much of what we do at work and in our lives doesn’t yield results we can see, and the road to completion is long. Web sites take months to design; sales goals might only be met at the end of a year. And then there’s always another project or goal on its heels. A clean plate is more finite–I did what I needed to do, and now I can rest.

For me, yoga practice is a bit like washing the dishes. As I mindfully go through each move in each asana, I can remain in the moment: rooted on the mat, present in my mind. Distractions don’t matter. And at the end, I feel all shiny, just like that gleaming, squeaky-clean plate. 

I invite you to think about a chore that you enjoy. Washing windows?  Weeding your garden?  Think about the satisfied, peaceful feeling you receive at the end of your task, and savor that feeling for a while.

 And if by the way your favorite chore is dusting, give me a call: I have a shelf full of tchotchkes waiting for you.

Tuesday, February 21st, 2012

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New Year’s Resolution: “Unitasking”

Make It a Lifestyle!

While mulling ideas for a theme for my first-ever New Year’s Day yoga class, I came across a number of New Year’s superstitions and traditions, including the following gems:

  • The New Year’s midnight smooch helps ensure that your loving relationships will stay with you through the coming year.
  • Lucky New Year’s Day foods include lentils, pork, and black-eyed peas. In some Latin American traditions, eating 12 grapes in a row at midnight can also be a good omen: each will bring a month of happiness.

    Want to get rid of a creepy ghost boyfriend? Make lotsa noise!

  • Also good luck: Making noise (hence the worldwide traditions of noisemakers and fireworks) scares away bad energy  and evil spirits (including, for all you American Horror Story fans, creepy basement-dwelling Frankenbabies and even creepier ghost boyfriends).

What’s no so lucky? Lending money or paying back loans on New Year’s Day is a no-no; it guarantees you’ll be shelling out simoleons all year long.

  • Even more unlucky: Breaking things on January 1st may wreak wreckage down the road–so be extra careful when handling your Hummel collection.
  • Terribly unlucky: Lock up your laundry detergent, because doing the wash on New Year’s Day means that someone you love may “wash away” in the new year. According to Chinese superstition, sweeping the floor on New Year’s Day is also a bad choice, as you may sweep away your good luck along with the crumbs.

I could use a lucky year, so I’m planning to eat black-eyed peas on New Year’s Day while listening to my Black Eyed Peas “Energy Never Dies” CD–at top volume–thereby doubling my chances for a fortunate start. And to be on the safe side, I might skip doing the laundry for a week.

Next, I’m going to practice my New Year’s resolution of cultivating the fine art of unitasking. We often pride ourselves on our multitasking abilities: We juggle work deadlines, doctor appointments, and child care with one hand, while vacuuming with the other. Yet at the end of the day, we often feel that we haven’t done enough. Sound familiar?

If your “to-do” list never gets done, consider making it shorter to begin with. (Setting the bar high is one thing, setting it “stupid high” is another.) And allow yourself some time each day to “unitask”–do one thing only: relax. Make doing nothing, in a sense, your focus. Turn off your busy mind, swing your legs up on the couch or chair, and close your eyes.

  • To keep your mind off the “gotta dos,” focus on your breath.
  • Notice the inhale: how does your belly or chest move with the inhalation? Does the breath make any sound? Do you feel any sensation in the nose?
  • Likewise, observe the exhale. What sensations do you feel in the belly, chest, or shoulders? Can you hear the breath leaving the body? Can you feel movement of air around the nose or mouth?

As you focus on your breath, you will quiet your mind. That, in turn, will soothe your overstimulated nervous system. Even five minutes of this multitask-free timeout will help relieve fatigue and frustration. The laundry can wait. Let the machine answer the phone. And maybe you don’t have to work quite so hard.

Give yourself a gift in 2012–make time for you. Don’t let it be a cliche; rather, make it part of your lifestyle.

Happy New Year!

Saturday, December 31st, 2011

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Good Stuff

Warning: Cutesy Alert!

In yoga, we often “counter” a pose by following it with a posture that offers contrasting benefits. A forward bend, for instance, is a counter pose to a back bend. Consider this blog entry a counter pose to my last one. Several of you told me that my tribute to Severus made you cry, so I thought I’d offer something cutesy this time. (I apologize in advance if this entry makes you want to barf.) Inspired by The Sound of Music, here are a few of my favorite things. How many would make your top-ten list?

Movie musicals! Who doesn’t like brown paper package tied up with strings? The Sound of Music, Gypsy, West Side Story, Bye Bye Birdie, for starters.

Bobby Rydell in Bye Bye Birdie: dreamboat, or heartthrob?

Chocolate. So yummy, it got its own blog entry!

Kittens! Introducing Albus and Selena, our new family members. So sweet, they hurt my teeth. (And my toes, when the kitties bite them.) We adopted them from Pet Rescue, a non-profit Westchester-based volunteer organization that has many fuzzy critters in need of homes.

Picnics–in the yard. Why schlep? Spread a blanket on the lawn, and enjoy farmer’s market bread and cheeses along with home-grown tomatoes.

Playing with dolls. Here some of my vinyl lades are dressed for the Fourth of July: patriotic and oh-so-pretty!

Being silly. There’s nothing like living with an 11-year-old boy to make you see the fun side of burping and passing gas. (Not that you really needed to know that.)

Breezes. Cool whispers from heaven–much appreciated on hot summer days.

Guys with English accents. Alan Rickman, Colin Firth, Tim Roth, John Hurt, Gary Oldman,  Clive Owen . . .

Savasana. I’ve always been especially adept at this yoga pose–sometimes I skip the whole asana practice just to get there!

Dragonflies. I usually run from bugs, but make an exception for these fast fliers.  They don’t bite people, excel at killing mosquitos, and come in really pretty colors.

Okay, your turn. Get your cutesy on and give yourself some of that good stuff.

Thursday, July 14th, 2011

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Women Who Walk With Cats . . . because running with wolves is just too tiring

We discovered that Severus loved the great outdoors when we took him with us to Montauk, just several months after adopting him from Elmsford Animal Shelter (now known as Pets Alive Westchester) in 2004. I was sitting on the front step of our rented house, reading, when a bolt of black lighting streaked past me. It took a few seconds to register that I’d left the front door ajar, and our cat was tearing down the street. I gave chase and caught him as he began to veer into the road, but Severus was forever hooked on open-air adventure.

Despite kitty’s best efforts, he didn’t escape again while we were on vacation. Back home, I let him explore our yard, explaining that he had to stay by my side. At first, it worked, and I boasted to Mike that Severus definitely understood me and that I had him yard-trained. I felt pretty cool–a peaceful warrior walking with her faithful animal companion!

But Severus was biding his time, looking for a weakness in the perimeter of hedges that separate our yard from our neighbors’. One September afternoon, he made his move. Subtle and crafty, he remained near me until we reached a spot where a thinning hedge offered a barely there, cat-sized passage. Severus sped through, and I yelled for help. By the time I got to a person-sized break in the hedge, he was across my neighbor’s lawn. Mike, a speedy runner, caught kitty this time–two backyards away and still going–and brought him back with a “told you so” shake of the head.

After that, I was afraid to take Severus outside. He protested loudly: crying “Mo…mo…mmmmoooo….” as he paced at the back door. Thankfully, he lost interest in the outdoors with the arrival of chilly air–and we got a break from the woeful “mo’s”. But as summer approached, our chatty cat was at it again, his “mo’s” even louder.

After consulting our vet, I decided to try a leash. As I wrestled kitty into a teeny tiny, paw-print patterned harness, I offered the compromise: “You get to go out, and I don’t have to worry about you running away or being carried off by a hawk.”

Bounding was out; boundaries were in. What’s a house cat to do? Though Severus wanted to explore at will, he learned that the only way out was via leash. He made the best of it, sniffing and chewing grass, staring sinisterly at birds, and curling up in cool leafy places–all while tethered to me. Every summer we’d follow this routine, which became so familiar that all I had to do was show Severus the leash and say “Outside!” and he’d dash to the door.

Inspired, my friend Lynn bought a leash for her cat Shelly, a former stray. This feisty feline hated her harness. “She’d resist and resist, but the urge to go outside was almost always stronger,” Lynn remembers. Men can walk with cats, too: Mike; our son, Harrison; my neighbor Ted; and my father-in-law all enjoyed some leash time with Severus.

Dzedo and Severus in Montauk

When Severus was diagnosed with kidney disease in April 2010, I vowed to give him the best summer ever. I took him out often, and he found new favorite places, like the creek that runs behind our yard. By then, he was so used to staying near me that I detached his leash. At first, Severus didn’t notice. But he caught on, and by the final days of summer was back to his favorite outdoor game: Making Mommy Run After Kitty Through Other People’s Yards. Whee!

We were grateful that Severus was still with us this spring. When it was warm enough to tempt him, I jingled his leash and called. Failing kidneys aside, Severus sped to the door. Outside, he padded gingerly to the creek. He took rest breaks on the way, looking sleek velvety black against the bright green grass. After just a bit of creek play, Severus curled around my legs, mewing–his “pick me up!” signal. He purred in my arms for a long time, content to view his kingdom from above.

A few days before Severus passed away, I took him out for an evening stroll. We had been in the yard earlier that day (no longer able to sprint, Severus was now 100% leash-free), and his furry face showed happy surprise when I called “Outside!” He walked low to the ground with his body long, absorbing the unfamiliar scents and sounds of his yard at night. He tired quickly, so I carried him to the creek where I stood, cradling and singing to him for a half-hour I’ll never forget. Before falling into a deep sleep with his head tucked into my neck, Severus looked up at me with that sweet, sleepy-lidded stare that every cat lover knows well.

We buried Severus in a cozy spot in his yard, the paw-print patterned leash beside him, just in case God wants to take him for a walk and is too tired to play chase.

Severus, unleashed

Friday, May 27th, 2011

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Posted in Blog, Kitty love | 3 Comments »

Confronting Your Inner Sourpuss

Have you ever seen how horrible you look when you’re frowning? Several years ago, while shopping in Kohl’s, I noticed a young couple walking toward me. As they passed, I heard the guy say something like, “Whoa, did you see her face?” as if he’d just spotted a possessed Linda Blair from The Exorcist.

I knew he was talking about me, and made a split-second decision to freeze my expression. Don’t move a muscle, I told myself. I turned to one of the jewelry department mirrors, and–yikes! Think Maleficent, only without the horns. I didn’t think I could possibly look as bad as I did that day–angry and mean–and that was many frown lines ago.

Recently, while in the parking lot of the Scarsdale A&P, I caught myself scowling up a storm in the rear view mirror. To calm my nerves and soothe my face, I thought of how I’d feel if I ran into one of my yoga students while shopping and they saw me looking so hostile. Just thinking about my students brightened my face with a natural, honest smile. Sure enough, I ran into several people I knew at the store, including one of my students, and thankfully did not send them running from the produce section in terror.

We all go a bit mad sometimes, and frowning, grimacing, and the like (personally, I’m rather fond of seething) are natural reactions to our emotion. Denying anger isn’t healthy, but neither is letting the effects of anger linger–whether they etch lines on our face or help trigger illness in the body.

Is your smile eluding you these days? Do you feel grouchier than Frau Farbissina? If so, try this exercise to brighten your mood and your face.

Meditation on a Smile

Sit quietly and let your hands be still. Close your eyes. Think of someone who you like to smile at. Someone who, if you ran into her on the street, you’d want to greet with a joyful expression, even if you were in a bad mood.

Are you smiling? Maybe a little?

Notice the effect of your smile on the shape of your mouth. Your lips might feel softer, or tingly. They may part slightly, the teeth separating.

Observe how the smile makes your cheeks feel. Allow all tension in the face to release.

Perhaps you’ll sense the effect of the softening on your forehead. A little smoother there, maybe?

One of my students told me she could feel the smile in her eyes. Can you?

Imagine how your belly would feel if it were smiling…

Bring the smile to your heart–how does that feel?

Can you allow your lungs to smile? Your brain?

Thank of a place in your body that could use a little extra love, and send your smile there. Ahhh . . .

During the course of a busy day, it’s easy for some of us to get lost in our worries. If this sounds familiar, pause, especially while running routine errands, and take a few minutes to steer your thoughts to a smile. Not only will your troubles feel a bit lighter, you’ll also be less likely to scare the neighbors.

Saturday, January 22nd, 2011

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Love, Oatfully

What comes to mind when you hear the phrase “comfort food”? For me, it’s something warm and soothing–a bowl of homemade soup, perhaps. I also find nutty and grainy foods comforting: chunky peanut butter on a slice of whole-grain bread can cheer me up big time. This is the season for comfort food: tender turkey teamed with gravy, crispy stuffing infused with chestnuts and mushrooms, smooth pies and puddings. Ding! The Yum Meter just shot up to 11!

I sometimes use the image of “comfort food” to describe yoga, particularly the restorative practice I offer privately and on Sunday mornings (and some Wednesday evenings) at Yoga Haven in Tuckahoe.  Restorative yoga is reward without effort: with the help of sturdy bolsters and rolled-up blankets, we place ourselves in nurturing asana, then receive the benefits of the poses without expending muscular effort. Definitely high on the Yum Meter, and calorie-free to boot!

Some effort is required, however, to get a home-cooked, healing meal. I’ve never made a turkey, but I can share an easy recipe for a delicious and nutritious breakfast dish that will warm your tummy on a chilly morning.

I adapted the following recipe for oatmeal pancakes from one clipped from a book about 20 years ago. Soluble fiber, which is found in oat bran, oatmeal, and oat flour (oat bran has the highest soluble fiber content of the three), is a cholesterol-lowering champ, and these petite pancakes, with their tasty and textured oatmeal filling, pack a fiber punch.

A sprinkling of flaxseed adds an extra fiber boost. While I’ve only made the pancakes with whole seeds (I like the crunch) grinding the seeds first may be a better choice: several articles I’ve read note that whole flaxseed can pass through our system undigested, taking their benefits with them. Another option: substitute flax meal for the seeds.

Although my son grumbles when he’s served oatmeal cereal, he downs these pancakes with gusto. I love watching him enjoy a healthy meal, especially one that offers, to put it delicately, elimination-enhancing properties. So the next time you’re in the mood for comfort food, vote for oats–your body will thank you!

Oatmeal Fiber Pancakes

  • 3/4 cup cooked Old Fashioned oats (not the cooks-in-minute processed kind)
  • 3/4 cup oat flour (spelt flour also works really well)
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tbsp flaxseed (see above note re: flax meal)
  • 1 tsp cinnamon (or to taste)
  • 1/4 tsp nutmeg
  • 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 cup water
  • 1 egg
  • 2 tbsp pressed oil

Cook oatmeal and set aside to cool.

In a large bowl, mix eggs and oil.

Add dry ingredients, one at a time; mix well.

Add water to moisten ingredients, but don’t let batter get runny.

Add oatmeal and mix well; add more water if needed.

Spoon small amounts of batter into greased frying pan (or use griddle)

Cook until golden and firm.

Makes about 20 small-size pancakes.

Saturday, November 27th, 2010

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Chocolate Kisses and Wishes

A yogini discovers, in an unexpected place, a guilt-free way to enjoy her favorite food

Hershey bar on plate

Can a passion for yoga and an obsession for chocolate coexist peacefully? Or will an essential thread of a yogini’s self-worth begin to unravel if she indulges in chocolate treats?

As a yoga practitioner and instructor, I often question how I live my yoga. The most recognizable component of yoga–the physical practice, or poses (“asana,” in Sanskrit)–is just the visible tip of a massive yogic iceberg comprised of tantalizing philosophical crystals that date back to ancient times. A key concept for yoga practitioners is non-attachment (in Sanksrit, “Vairagya”), described in The Yoga Sutras of Pantanjali (one of the most important yoga texts) as a freeing of the mind “from craving for objects seen or heard about.”

The pioneers of yoga science were more concerned about desires for achievements and wealth than a yen for a Hershey’s kiss, but any desire can distract and trouble the mind, causing unhappiness.

I didn’t always desire chocolate as much I do now, yet it seems I’ve lived my life to its bittersweet tune. As a child, I walked with friends to the corner candy store, jingling the coins in my pocket and thinking about M&M’s.  The older I got, the finer the chocolate treats became. (Chocolate mousse, anyone?) The best dessert I ever had was the freshly made chocolate-chip cake served at a long-defunct restaurant on the Upper East Side back in the 1980s–a memory all the sweeter because I’d meet my best friends there after work for girls’ night out.

More recently, I’ve started pondering chocolate, craving chocolate, and guzzling the stuff. (I’ve tried blaming it on hormones, but that only goes so far.) So when my husband suggested a trip to Hershey, Pennsylvania, I was afraid–very afraid.  “The hotels give you chocolate candy at breakfast!” one of my students told me happily. Could I resist the temptation?

Before we left for Pennsylvania, my 10-year-old son, Harrison, read up on Hershey’s offerings. He was especially psyched about the Chocolate Tasting Adventure at Hershey’s Chocolate World attraction. “Taasting!” he said, savoring the word and its chocolatey implications.

Harrison had the right idea. A sticky-fingered, kid-friendly version of a wine tasting, the “adventure” blended bits of chocolate’s rich history (the Aztecs, we learned, drank a spiced, cocao-based beverage, believing it gave them strength) with tongue-teasing treats. Each participant received a paper bag filled with miniature Hershey’s bars, an illustrated placemat to arrange them on, and bottled water (the palate cleanser). No gobbling allowed! Bar by bar, we explored the chocolate jungle, observing each bar’s color, texture, and aroma. We tasted each bar with one small bite only–no chewing–allowing the chocolate to melt on the tongue. We were given suggested words to describe each bar’s distinctive flavor: Was it bitter or sweet? Smooth or granular? Earthy? Nutty? Buttery?

Mike and Harrison at Hershey

Enablers! My husband, Michael, and son, Harrison, tempt me with a Hagrid-size Hershey bar.

As I slowly ate, savoring flavors, sitting by my son’s side and enjoying his thoughtful expression, I realized that I was fully in the moment: joyful and content; not attached or expectant. Chocolate without worries–what could be better?

Post-Hershey, I’ve continued to make eating chocolate a fully aware, sit-down affair, and not a gobble on the go. If chocolate is your favorite food, consider trying the following routine for your next nibble.

  • Place a small amount of chocolate on a beautiful dish. Stay present. Don’t think about the chocolate you had the day or week before, or your expectations about the piece in front of you.
  • Lift the chocolate to your nose and inhale. How would you describe the scent?
  • If you are eating a solid piece of chocolate, hold it to your ear and break it in half. Notice the sound. The more milky the chocolate, the softer the sound will be. (Dark chocolate, you might notice, breaks with a wonderfully assertive snap!)
  • Resist the desire to devour. Take one bite only, and let the flavor bathe your tongue. How would you describe its taste?
  • Continue to eat, bite by bite, savoring your treat to the last.
  • When you are done, close your eyes and allow yourself to feel gratitude for the sweetness you just enjoyed. If you feel giddy enough to chant, do so: join your palms and sound “Yum,” letting the “mmm,” like the taste on your tongue, linger.

Like yoga, the cocao bean (from which chocolate is made) has been cherished since ancient times. They were born on different continents, so combining them truly yields the best of both worlds. And, like me, you may discover that you can have your calm–and eat your chocolate, too.

Thursday, October 7th, 2010

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Posted in Blog, Food | 3 Comments »

Welcome to YogaBright.com

Greetings, and welcome to my new home on the Web. I’ve wanted to set up an Internet site for a while, mainly to provide my students with a place to check my schedule for classes and workshops. My plans have grown, however, and I’m now working on offering additional information, including pointers on basic poses that students will encounter in my classes (you will be able to refer to this information when you practice on your own), and resources for yoga practitioners.

I am also inviting friends and colleagues to offer their expertise on various topics related to care of body and mind.  I believe that if we pool our knowledge and share what we have learned, we can help each other, and our days, be a little brighter. Yogabright’s first exclusive article was written by Peggy Altman, a licensed massage therapist and esthetician. Click on the link to read her article, “Brighten Your Skin With the Basics,” for useful tips on perking up your complexion.

When I was mulling a name for my site, I thought about what words describe how I typically feel after taking a yoga class.  “Taller” came to mind. Also “spacious,” “relaxed,” “softer.” And then, “brighter.” Ahhh!  That word seemed to encompass all the others. It also perfectly describe the look I see on the faces of many yoga students after their practice.

I hope that your yoga practice helps brighten your day, and that your practice brings a smile to your lips.

Namaste

Louise

Thursday, April 22nd, 2010

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