You’ve laid the golden egg, now what?

Recently, a subscriber asked us for recommendations for postpartum yoga. While we are in the process of increasing our prenatal yoga content, we have yet to film any classes specific to the postpartum time. However, with some modifications, postnatal yogis can return to the mat and experience significant benefits from the Core focused yoga videos on YogaVibes.

How? Allow me to over-share and use myself as an example.

Three weeks after the birth of my first child, flush with inner pride that I had continued a rather vigorous yoga practice throughout my pregnancy, I decided it was time to hop back on my mat. The trauma of my first downward facing dog haunts me to this day. Ladies, I will try to put this gently, but your abdomen is not the only part that expands and opens through the miracle of birth. Lower regions may become…lax. I’m confident some super yogis jump right back into their practice with no after-effects, but such was not the case for me. My ego was wounded, and the memory kept me from coming back to the mat for three years.

Newborn #1 son

Yes, three years.

My eldest, age 3 – don’t wait this long to come back to your yoga

It does not have to be that way.

At the time, I was not a yoga teacher. I had predominately practiced one style, and I didn’t know how to modify. Despite being rather body aware, I also didn’t really know what was going on down there. If you’re in the same boat, it can be difficult to figure out how to adjust your time on the mat to gently help your body return to ground zero. Because I know more now, and I love you, I have compiled a few tips.

1. Excuse your ego and begin gently. Many yoginis who have enjoyed a vigorous style of yoga expect their postpartum experience to mirror their prenatal days, forgetting the rather major dividing line event. Your body just did something most literally transformative. Give it a break and ease off your expectations. Know that you may experience sensations (and/or noises) which are new to you, and instead of fearing them, recognize that they are temporary and part of the process. Your pregnancy journey didn’t end when you gave birth. If you think of yourself as a level 2-3 yogi, take a deep breath and enjoy level 1. And then modify. It’s gonna be okay.
2. For a period of time, a table top position may be preferable to downward facing dog. In this position, you can focus on pulling your navel upwards, towards your spine, and your shoulders in and back, away from your ears. An integrated core is essential to discovering your new you. Seated forward folds can help you lengthen your back body without overly opening your pelvis.
3. As you move through each practice, give special care to cultivating an awareness of drawing in, reawakening your connection to your core, back body, and pelvic floor.
4. Pregnancy hormones, some of which are responsible for allowing your joints to loosen, may remain in your system for a period of time. Be mindful of your joints and take care not to hyper-extend or over stretch.
5. Enjoy the mental benefits of yoga, which can be especially essential in the whirlwind of emotions many women experience after birth.
6. Most of all, practice kindness to yourself. You are physically (and probably mentally) not the same person who peed on a stick 10+ months ago. You have changed, and it’s okay. The essential you remains, and deserves your love.

For a great starting point, try Cora Wen’s Abdominal Series with Onesies (no, not the ones you use on the little).

Best of all, remember, it’s gonna be okay. In fact, it’s gonna be better than ever.

Blessings,

~MA

When an Injury Stops the Yoga Process

By Jeanne Heileman

In 2008, after spraining my ankle so many times that it started to feel as if my foot was no longer connected to my leg, I saw a doctor and he recommended surgery as soon as possible. I had basically torn the ligaments so that there was almost nothing left. When I did have the surgery, I had to have my leg raised for two weeks and then spent three months in a cast, a boot, or some concoction to continue the healing process. I knew in advance that I would not be able to practice yoga the way that I understood yoga to be. I also knew that if I did not find a way to practice, and ended up getting weak muscles and extra weight in my torso, that I would have even more problems with my back than already exist. So, I turned my upcoming recovery period into a laboratory to create a different kind of practice. Knowing myself, I knew that I would probably go through some dark phases where I just wanted to lay around and feel sorry for myself. So, wisely, I made a commitment to teach a workshop of whatever I created months later at a studio to ensure that I’d stick to my intention.

Thus, I began the journey of getting on my mat and noticing that I could lay down on my back. What can you do laying down? How can it be energetic instead of sleepy? I could also lay on my belly. Ugh! That means some Salabhasana work; a pose that has brought up so much anger and frustration that once I had the gall to tell my own teacher, Rod Stryker, that I didn’t like his sequencing and I didn’t think his class was a very good one. (!!!) With my limited range of abilities, I had to come up with a way to bring some heat and energy. Adding to my challenge, I was living in an old apartment that was colder inside than outside while this work took place over October, November and December.

After some clumsy attempts, I began to realize that doing forms of abdominal work not only helped me with digestion, it also increased heat and helped my breathing. By exhaling so much old air out, it was fulfilling to inhale. By sitting up in Upavista Konasana (the cast was big and heavy, so I couldn’t cross my legs in a normal cross-legged position) I found that I could do lots of lateral stretches and strengtheners that helped me breathe even more. Laying on my belly, I began to feel the benefit of Salabhasana. Being on your belly makes your diaphragm work harder to move down while inhaling. Once I got over the shock and started to play with the work, I found the digestive/eliminative organs got more stimulation. And then I found that I was able to fill my lungs and upper body with more breath. By doing both, my Salabhasana became more of a form of Pranayama than a physical pose. I put so much energy and attention on the inner activity, that, -gads!- I actually liked the pose! It lead to other belly backbends I could do much easier. And I could hold them for 1-2 + minutes with peace.

The results were fantastic. I found myself sitting taller in my meditation. I four that I was able to face the world, regardless of how unstable things were becoming. And I found that even thought I didn’t do “arm work,” nor standing poses, my legs and arms got strong.

I discovered that even with an injury, you CAN do yoga. You just have to adjust it. There is more to yoga than Sun Salutations and Standing Poses. I love my new practice and am excited to share it with others. Many tell me that they are able to go deeper into backbends. Students who have back injuries share that this is the only way that their back feels better. Those who have knee, ankle and hip injuries express their gratitude that there is still a way to pracice.

My teacher, Rod Stryker, has often expressed that Pranayama can happen IN a yoga practice, in addition to before or after. I realized I was doing just that and fully agree with him. Try the Core Yoga for Healing practice on YogaVibes and don’t let the abdominals scare you. There’s more to our core than just the front. And by working all areas, you end up breathing and living much brighter!

Lucky for y’all, Sarah Starr has sent us this fantastic guest post. Even taking a few of her ideas can help you move from flop to fly as you play with arm balancing. Enjoy!

Understanding vs Force in Your Arm Balance

It’s perfectly natural to feel a bit anxious when your yoga practice enters arm balances. For one, it’s just not natural to use your hands to balance, and two, the odds of landing on your face are pretty good. Many times when it looks harder you may also tend to grip or force, which only creates more contraction and inflexibility.

Yes, arm balances do require a certain amount of effort and force, but they also require relaxed attention to detail and a willingness to play. I know for myself, it’s easy for frustration to set in. I’ve also found out the hard way, you don’t get better at these poses by forcing.

The key is to move from a space of ease and understanding rather than force. Arm balances can be a way to see yourself in a new light as you seek to understand the nature of your own being…

• What kind of mental response is your practice evoking? Are you aware of your tendencies to push through or back off, instead of just being with it?
• To navigate through difficult poses masterfully and gracefully, consider activating the part of you that looks forward to life, the eagerness, the “childlike” qualities we all possess.
• As you move through a challenging pose, do you allow your breath to help you maintain presence and clarity?
• Do you rush through difficult poses just to check them off your list of things to do?
• Can you be with the sensations in your body, attuning your awareness to the sensory nature in each moment?
• Are you invested in the outcome of your practice, caught up in striving and achieving? If I choose to respond through the ego in my practice, I will only struggle. I choose to remember that whatever I am experiencing right now I am also being given a chance to create something new.
• What does getting into an arm balance mean to you? Can you let go of any significance and simply enjoy the process?
• What would it feel like to be in total allowance of any emotion that arises?

As you pause, your body has time to understand and feel its relationship to the pose. Many times you also have to be willing to allow the confusion your body may experience.

Same goes in life. Have you ever hit your threshold in a stressful moment and try to power through rather than pause and reassess? When you pause, you can go deeper into and through it, creating a clearer understanding of yourself and how you relate to the world around you. Can you allow more space in your life? Can you allow others to be just as they are without judgement? Can you allow frustration to arise without judging yourself? Are you attached to your expectations of how life “should” be?

When you come to a crossroads, go to the part of you that looks at life with objectivity and clarity. In each moment, you have a choice as to how you respond. As you practice yoga, savor the joy and elation and allow that to simply be as well. Be with it all and let it go. If the yoga practice becomes a proving ground, it often brings more suffering. Cultivate letting go of all judgments – even if it’s incredible joy and excitement – allow it all to come and go. As you practice this deep surrender to all that is, you move into a state of oneness, allowing yourself to see that everything in your human experience will eventually fade away.

Thanks so much, Sarah! To take an online yoga class with Sarah, click here.

~MA

Do you jump up and run out of class before final relaxation? Do you skip it when you’re practicing at home? Do you sort of wonder what the point is, anyway?

YogaVibes partnering instructor Joan Hyman wants you to know – there’s a reason yoga classes include savasana! Read on to find out why. (Really. Do it. Now. I know you and your early leaving ways. I have my eye on you. Three minutes! Just give me three minutes! Come on, sweetness! Thank you.)

The Benefits of Savasana…

I get it. You are a Type A, on-the-go, two-page to-do list super-human kind of student. But give yourself a break and really explore the benefits of your practice; give yourself the gift of savasana. As a yoga teacher in Los Angeles it’s always a challenge to communicate to my students the benefits of savasana. A lot of people consider savasana a dispensable little nap after the physical exertion of their practice. I’ve seen more and more students leaving before savasana and complaining to me that they just don’t have the time. But you can make the time, even if you have to leave early.

Savasana is the completion of our yoga practice. More importantly, during this rest we allow our bodies to replenish while the nervous system moves into a parasympathetic state. This is otherwise known as the relaxation response, wherein your breathing slows, blood pressure lowers, and energy is drawn from the extremities of the body toward the vital organs. It is highly nourishing and regenerative and has a cumulative effect on your entire system, far more replenishing than normal sleep. How do we get there?

1. Quiet your body by lying in a comfortable position on your back. If you experience discomfort, roll up a blanket and support the back of your head or place the roll under your knees to support your lower back. If your Type A brain is still ricocheting around the room, an eye pillow is beneficial to help quiet your mind and move inward. I certainly use one.
2. Focus on your breath, feel the heaviness of your legs and the back of your body spreading on the floor. Let all that go and relax into a place of peace. You are in a super conscious state, experiencing the oneness of the mind and body.

Don’t beat yourself up if this is hard for you. Practice. Remember, it’s a posture just like any other! Practicing savasana will help you feel more connected to a quieter, more peaceful you!

Thanks so much, Joan! To practice with Joan, check out her online yoga classes on YogaVibes!

~MA

I shall paint you a picture! It’s late at night and you’re lying in your egg-shaped pod bed, waves lapping gently in the background, and yet! You can’t slumber. Your mind, it whirls. Gently cast your thoughts back to the online yoga sequence you watched earlier today. Twist, sigh, stretch, settle. Sleep well, my pet, sleep well.

It’s morning. You wake to birdsong and sunbeams. You’re refreshed, ready to begin your exciting day! But your body runs a little behind your mind. You feel a touch…creaky. Never fear! Whip out your in-bed yoga sequence and rejoice as the physical you catches up to the advanced, awesome mental you! Stretch, twist, smile. It’s time to go get ‘em, tiger!

Okay, so maybe parts of my story don’t quite mesh up to your life. That doesn’t mean this new quick sequence from Sage Rountree doesn’t feel darn good and help you settle down or get going. It’s multipurpose! Yoga victory!

Give it a try! Let me know what you think. I’m pretty sure you’ll love it.

~MA

Or maybe this?

Perhaps you don’t have those sorts of issues, but you’re still feeling like this?

It’s true, I don’t know your life, but I can bet you need a break!

Allow yourself to surrender to your experience and trust the flow of your breath with Ashley Albrand’s new hip, psoas, and shoulder opening online yoga class. Postures such as baddha parshvakonasana (bound side angle pose) and supta virasana (reclining heroes pose) will open your channels and connect you to your highest. This stress releasing flow leads to hip-opening, arm balancing, and grasshopper pose. Enjoy music provided by Shaman’s Dream.

And, if nothing else, be glad you’re not being attacked by an angry panda.

I’ve got pandas on the brain…

~MA

Have you heard of Teachasana yet? If you’re a yoga teacher, it’s a must-stop place for advice, insight, business tips, and inspiration. But even if you’re not a yoga teacher, you can still find loads of useful information that will deepen your practice (and give you a glimpse into what your teacher has on her mind!).

The brainchild of Anna at Curvy Yoga and Nancy at Flying Yogini, Teachasana is a gathering place for teachers to share their experiences, thoughts, and suggestions with other teachers. Have a question? You can submit it to their Dear Teachasana column and receive excellent advice from experienced teachers. Stuck on which modifications to use? Search through their archives for those things that slipped away after you completed your training. Wondering how to make yoga your full-time business? You’ll find great information to help you make your dream a reality. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg!

I’m thrilled to be posting today on Teachasana about how I’ve used online yoga to improve my teaching. I hope you’ll pop over and give it a read!

You’ll get to see my picture…

~MA

Core Fusion Boot Camp!

Get ready to sweat, tone, and tighten with this amazing new Core Fusion class, filmed at exhale Miami.

What is Core Fusion Boot Camp and how is it different from other Core Fusion classes? I’m glad you asked! (Because I know the answer!)

Exhale Core Fusion co-creators Elisabeth Halfpapp and Fred DeVito have crafted an entirely new approach to Core Fusion training, enhancing and accelerating the strength and flexibility benefits of traditional Core classes through the addition of multiple power moves. Class participants will recognize moves signature to both Core Fusion and the more recently released Core Fusion Yoga, Core Fusion Cardio, and Core Fusion Sport classes. Boot Camp integrates the use of core balls, weights, and a mat abdominal series with a new, highly-challenging cardio program. Jump-backs are just part of the cardio enhancement – expect your heart rate to be up throughout the hour-long workout as you burn calories at an unprecedented rate! Participants will experience body-shaping results – lean abs, sculpted legs, and high rounded butt – as well as an incredible boost in stamina through repeated class participation. This class is open to all levels and no experience is required. Socks are optional but not required. You will need light weights and a ball. Enjoy the live deejay in this high-energy class with Julie Wiesman.

Prepping this video for you, I could hardly stay in my chair – Julie’s energy is infectious! You’re gonna love this class!

~MA

Psst! She’s not real…

Have you heard the legends? The legends of the yoga butt? (Not to be confused with the legends of the Kung Fu Panda.)

What’s not to love?

I’m here to tell you, attaining yoga butt is not for the faint of heart.

Yet, if you’ve got those eyes-of-the-tiger intentions, we’re here for you with Core Fusion classes. Core Fusion blends the disciplines of core conditioning, Pilates, the Lotte Berk Method, interval cardio training, and yoga to deliver body results you never thought possible. Tuck these intense fusion workouts into your weekly regimen and get ready to see drastic results.

Already addicted to Core Fusion? Let us know! We’re adding new Core Fusion classes to our online videos rapidly, to satiate your need. We’d love to hear what you’re looking for!

~MA

What helped? Yoga. And chocolate. And cupcakes. But I can’t give you chocolate and cupcakes, so here’s some great yoga for the back pain so often associated with incubating your fetal wonder.

In three minutes, Jenny Neuville’s free yoga sequence will have you sighing with joy, as the kinks of fecundity dissolve. Tuck this sequence into your free time (if this is your first, relish it!) for an immediate boost. Want more? Try Jenny’s full-length online yoga classes! And take heart. If you’re not glowing and bopping and dancing along, it’s worth it. Back ache and all.

~MA