Listening to my soul

It has been awhile since I have written a letter.  I have been taking time to myself to reflect on my journey as a mother, wife, friend, yoga teacher, massage practitioner, and the many other things I enjoy doing.  And what I have found is that I am all of those, yes, but more importantly, most importantly, I just am.  I am a soul who really needs nothing and asks for nothing.  Unfortunately on a practical everyday level I cannot just do nothing.  I find myself putting a load of laundry in, picking up the toys off the floor, cleaning up some spilled milk, wiping my boys hands, calling back a friend, kissing and hugging my boys and husband, running out the door to give massage, coming back home to teach a yoga class, whew!  My inner being, what about my inner being, I don’t even think I took a breath?

And so after reflecting and reflecting and more reflecting, I realized I was DOING to much, and I wasn’t doing enough of nothing.  Of just sitting quietly or lying in Savasana or breathing or writing in my journal or just simply sitting next to my children.  The things that feed my soul right now.  I realized my busyness (is that a word?) or business was getting in the way of my happiness and therefore my families happiness.

So I called up my yoga friends and told them I was taking a break from teaching and that I would no longer be teaching from my home studio.  I was making a changes so that I could sit quietly more often, so that I could do nothing more often.

I am still dabbling in teaching and massaging, of course, but not nearly as much as I was before and I am good.  I am enjoying my children and husband more than ever, I am doing things that I like to do and I am sitting quietly…things that feed my soul.

I am not sure where my soul will lead me but I am not concerned.  I am content.

Thank you for reading, listening, for being YOU.

With Love and Light and Soulfulness,

Shauna

Space equals freedom

Have you ever thought about how much space you have created in your life?  Have you ever thought of your life as space?  It is an interesting subject to think about.  How much space have you created in your home, in your mind and in your body?

When I look around my home, I think about the space I have created.

Stop and look around you right now.  What do you see?  Is there clutter and if there is, how does that make you feel mentally and physically?  Or Is it clean and how does that make you feel?  Does the space you live in reflect the space in your mind and body?  Maybe, maybe not.

Yoga postures create space in the body for the organs and systems to run smoothly, including the very important nervous system.  Just like in your home or office, if you have created an organized space then the home or office can run more smoothly.

And what about your mental state?  Have you ever thought about creating space there?  Space between thoughts means less thoughts, and less thoughts mean less stories we tell ourselves, less time spent in the past and future and more time spent in the moment. Try creating space when you speak.  It will change the way you communicate with yourself and with others.

If we create more space in our home, in our bodies, and in our mind, then what will that do to our spirit?

Love Shauna

Best Poses for Back Pain

I am often asked, “What is the best pose to do for my back, my neck, my shoulder?”  There is no right answer because each persons needs are different and usually one pose does not alleviate the pain or concern. But it got me thinking the other day…what is the one pose I would do if I had pain in my low back or neck, etc. Here are some common complaints I hear.

If I had pain in my low back  I would do Supta Padangustasana (the whole series).  Even though this is not really one pose because it has four versions, you don’t have to move from the lying down position.

For my shoulder, if it is my deltoid I would do Viparita Pasrva Hastasana at the wall.

For my neck and trapezius and upper back pain I would do backbend over two blocks or shoulderstand (if you practice regularly).

For hip or sacrum pain, I would do Eka Pada Rajakapotasana unless that is too difficult then I would do Sukhasana with forward bend.

For feet pain I would do Vajrasana the traditional way and then with toes tucked under.

For tired legs, I would do Virasana or if you have bad knees, then legs up wall.

For menstrual pain, I would do Supta Baddhakonasana.

For anxiety or sleeplessness I would do Savasana.

If I missed something that you are curious about or if you have any questions about the above poses, email me.

Love Shauna

Flow through the holidays with inner peace

My dear friend Mandy sent me a book the other day.  I was so excited when I got the package because I have been looking for a new book to read.  It is a book about getting in touch with your intuition.  Which is something  I do often but sometimes I find myself second guessing my own intuition.  Seems silly but it happens to me all the time.  After reading the first chapter I was reminded how important it is to stay in touch with your inner voice and really listen.  It often gets me out of situations that I “can’t beleive I got myself into” and if I really listen I don’t find myself in those situations at all.  When I listen to my intuition I flow through life.  I like that!

During Christmas time I find it harder to stay in tune with my inner voice but I couldn’t figure out why until now.  My body and spirit have to be clean and calm in order to hear my inner voice.  That means I have to eat well, exercise, and sit quietly everyday.

I find this harder to do during the holiday season.  But why? I think it’s because I am bombarded with ads on TV, the internet, the radio, and magazines to buy, buy, buy, shop, shop, shop, and eat, eat, eat.  I surely don’t have time to do yoga, to sit quietly, to cook a good meal if I am shopping, buying, and running around feeling anything but calm.

So I made a promise to myself this holiday season that I would eat good food, exercise, and sit quietly everyday so that I can stay in touch with my inner self and feel calmer and happier.  So that I can flow right through the holidays with inner peace.

Love Shauna

Birth = Power

We have been blessed with a healthy baby boy, Kai Everett Lay.  He was born on July 8th, he weighed 6 lbs 15 oz and is 21 inches in length.  He is absolutely beautiful!

The birth was an amazing experience.  It went very smooth and I am thankful for the Kaiser team in Antioch as they played a big part in the success of a smooth birth.

It is amazing to have another baby in my life; my children our my teachers and I have been blessed with another.  I look forward to the many teachings Kai provides.

There are certain instances in our lives where we are naturally more present, more alert, more aligned with each moment.  The birth and death of a human are among those.  They remind us of how powerful the universe is!

Yoga is not just about postures and breathing; it is also about how we relate to ourselves and others; it is about stilling the thoughts in our minds so that we can be at peace with ourselves and others; it is about reaching a state of ultimate bliss and happiness. These joyous and devastating moments in our lives bring us to this state naturally.  They remind me how important my yoga practice is because in times of pure joy or ultimate distress I am completely present and aligned with my inner-self.

Love Shauna

Restore, Relax, and Renew

I am quickly approaching my birthing due date, July 3rd.  My family and I are looking forward to meeting our son, Kai Everett Lay.  He has been a joy to carry.  He has a soft spirit and is really active in the womb.  I imagine him to be a mellow but adventurous little guy. My yoga practice has been very relaxing lately, lots of restorative poses and breathing.  I have been focusing on relaxing my mind and body in hopes of preparing it for birth.  This brings me to my topic for the month.  Yoga and Relaxation!

My last few yoga classes were focused on restorative yoga and breathing.  Every time I teach a relaxation class I remember its importance.  We spend so much of our time moving fast; whether it be driving a car, watching TV, working at a computer, or just plain thinking.  We live very active and stimulating lives.  I always strive for a balance in my life and part of that balance requires relaxation.  No not sleeping (although I love to sleep). I am speaking of a restorative yoga practice. This type of practice is relaxing for the body and for the mind but the mind remains conscious.  I was just telling my students tonight that our yoga practice reflects our life.  So if you are very active in your yoga practice you are probably live a very active life.  If you are lazy in your yoga practice you are probably lazy in your life.  Either way a good balance between relaxation and active poses is good.

What is interesting about yoga is no matter what type of practice you are doing, you feel more clear, more relaxed, and overall you feel better.  That is because each practice is relaxing in its own way.  Practicing asanas and breathing forces you to focus on your body for a period of time.  Such intense focus requires a presence of the mind; such presence creates peace; therefore, resulting in a quieter, clear, relaxed, and less disturbed mind. The more time you spend in the present moment the less you are affected by life’s ups and downs; you realize that everything is okay in every moment.

Love Shauna

Let's Breathe

After completing my first back care series, I realized that I haven’t written about the importance of breathing.  Beside the fact that we need to breath to survive, a breathing practice is an important part of a yoga practice and an important part of healing yourself; physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually.

There are so many simple observational practices you can do to create a healthy more consistent breath for yourself.  5-10 minutes a day of focus on your breathing can change how you breath on a regular basis.  This is such a small amount of time.  And it feels really good to breath. So instead of giving you a pose of the month, I thought I would challenge you to a breathing practice this month.

Some important reasons for changing your breathing habits are:

1.  Better breathing improves posture, better posture makes movement feel more fluid. An elevated rib cage give support to shoulders, neck, and head.  Reduced shoulder tension gives freer movement to arms and relaxed arms helps generate freer hip and leg movement. Wow, can you believe all that from just your breath.

2.  Good or poor breathing habits affect every aspect of our bodies functioning, from our mental state to out digestive system.  Breathing is central to our posture and to the way we move.  It has a huge influence on our appearance, health, mental outlook, emotional resilience, and capacity to manage stress.

3.  Expansion and contraction of your lungs massages your heart as you breathe.  At the same time, the diaphragm pulls and pushes on your heart from below, assisting in blood flow.  When your spine is extended by good breathing, the fascial envelope around the heart stretches, contributing to a balance of pressure around the heart.  For these reasons, healthy posture and breathing support the heart.

Love, Shauna

Back Pain - Six postural zones

Did you know, in modern America no one over the age of four squats because our hips aren’t flexible enough, we spend too much time in chairs. Have you ever tried to squat as much as a two-year old? One day, I decided to put this to the test.  I followed my son around doing the exact movements he did and after about an hour I couldn’t sustain.  I really couldn’t believe it; here I am a yoga teacher and I can’t keep up with the squatting and bending of my two year old. I made a promise to myself to never force him to sit in a chair at home, even at the dinner table (ironically we don’t have a dinner table).

So why is sitting in chairs a problem?  Because the body is engineered for movement. You can’t expect to sit for 40-50 hours a week without consequences.  The most common complaint I get in my classes is back pain.  Back pain is almost non-existent in the East, where they sit on the floor. 

As you know from my last newsletter I recently taught a Back Care Workshop.  It was a great success because I quickly decided to offer another Back Care Workshop as a series of classes. I am passionate about helping people get out of their rut and start paying attention to not only how much they move but how they move.

The series is 6 weeks and we will discuss the six postural zones: Floor of pelvis, feet, core (Transverse Abdominis and psoas), shoulders (serratus anterior), breath (diaphragm), and head.  I will show you how you can “wake up” these parts of the body through yoga and how a consistent yoga practice will help you live a healthier, happier, and pain-free life.

Love, Shauna

Why is yoga good for your back?

I am getting ready to teach a workshop all about yoga and your back.  And it got me thinking…why is yoga so good for our back?  I know it relieves back pain because I have experienced it first-hand.  I was diagnosed with scoliosis when I was a young child.  It wasn’t severe enough to wear a back brace or get surgery but I was always in pain.  I knew I needed to do something for myself and found yoga many years later.  After just a few classes I found relief in my back.

But why does it help?  In my very first newsletter I talked about postural alignment.  I believe most back pain is caused by poor posture.  Unfortunately our lifestyle has led us to sit on a chair and slouch forward for most of the time we are awake.  Everything we do is a forward action and often we bend from our waist which puts a lot of pressure on our spine, spinal muscles, and organs. I read an interesting quote the other day that said…”shoes our to our feet what chairs our to our pelvic floor.” Makes so much sense, shoes cause most of our feet problems and chairs cause our pelvic problems which causes most of our back pain. In fact, in the East back pain is virtually non-existent because they sit on the floor.

Yoga is instrumental in limiting back pain because the poses facilitate the lengthening and the strengthening of the spinal muscles. More specifically, strengthening the legs frees the spine, stretching and strengthening the Psoas muscle facilitates better postural alignment because it balances the torso, lengthening the spine prevents further uneven curvature , stretching the muscles surrounding the shoulders prevents rounding of the thoracic spine, and the breath brings balance to the lungs and stretches the intercostal muscles to balance the rib cage.The muscles that are weak strengthen and the muscles that are tight lengthen.  All of these actions decrease pain and create more alignment in the body.  Better alignment with gravity allows us to stand and sit with less effort.

Love Shauna

Re-commit

Happy New Year!

I find it very difficult to stay focused during the winter.  Why because the holidays are a busy time and the Winter is cold. The only thing I want to do with my spare time is curl up on the couch with a blanket and a hot cup of tea.  I constantly have to re-commit to my yoga practice.  I know the importance of practicing yoga daily and so each day I wake up and I commit to practicing yoga.  Sometimes I keep my commitment and sometimes I don’t but I always re-commit.

Some tips for practicing in the Winter:

~Practice during the early afternoon, the warmest time of day.

~Practice near a heater or fireplace.

~Start your practice with Standing poses or Sun Salutations to warm

  your body.  This months pose is a standing pose.

~Have several blankets handy so you can cover up if you are in a 

  restorative pose.

~Give yourself permission to re-commit!

Love Shauna