tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-61724722352845513632023-11-15T22:28:10.989-08:00CreatyogaCreatyogahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00785387018060845506noreply@blogger.comBlogger30125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6172472235284551363.post-65724131867047757052014-11-23T14:27:00.000-08:002014-11-23T14:27:09.510-08:00Being gratefulThanksgiving is next week and as I reflect on the things I am grateful for my yoga students come into my mind every time. I am grateful for their desire and commitment to bring their intentions to class and be present with me as the days get shorter and the cold sets in.<br />
<div>
I have given my students the opportunity to post about what has stood out the most for them this quarter and what they have received from the classes.<br />
<br /></div>
Creatyogahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00785387018060845506noreply@blogger.com30tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6172472235284551363.post-77351326659279542372014-03-12T20:04:00.001-07:002014-03-12T20:04:03.673-07:00Winter Quarter 2014Hi everyone,<br />
While I was teaching yoga classes today I couldn't help but receive the blessings of the sun's warmth outside the windows of the gallery where I teach. The Synchronicity of having the sunshine during this final week of yoga classes for my CWU students inspired me to think of and sing an Irish Blessing to my students inspired by the following you tube video. Thank you internet for your 25 year birthday today, and giving me the ability to learn this song and sing it to my amazing students that I have this quarter. Thanks everyone for practicing yoga with me this quarter. <br />
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T8eoEv1tnTU<br />
<br />Creatyogahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00785387018060845506noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6172472235284551363.post-51716408851641466112013-11-24T20:48:00.002-08:002013-11-24T20:48:41.420-08:00Fall quarter 2013Hi there everyone,<br />
I am so grateful for my Fall Yoga Students this year. I am grateful to all the studenst who showed up to class and committed to being present with their bodies and their minds and for the courage to show up and let go. I was amazed at how well students listened to my instructions and followed directions. It felt so easy to teach because everyone seemed like they knew yoga already. I felt grateful to have this season of letting go, Fall, to share with the students who were in my classes. <br />
There is so much intensity and passion in a room full of committed yoga students to being present and in the moment with the yoga postures. <br />
What a beautiful time I've had with all of you:)<br />
Jai Bhagwan,<br />
Kristin:)<br />
<br />Creatyogahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00785387018060845506noreply@blogger.com26tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6172472235284551363.post-25395101605968426032013-07-22T12:25:00.003-07:002013-07-22T12:25:41.174-07:00Summertime Yoga!Practicing yoga in the summertime is wonderful for the body and mind! I have invited yoga students to share their reflections about their journey with yoga. I am so grateful for the small classes in the summer and the joy and community they bring into the yoga experience. If you decide to post, thank you for sharing:)Creatyogahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00785387018060845506noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6172472235284551363.post-24378277946846145242013-05-17T10:49:00.002-07:002013-05-17T10:49:51.640-07:00Spring has sprung!I am so grateful to all of the students who were able to practice yoga with me this quarter. I have given students the opportunity to post comments about their experience with yoga this quarter. Congrats to all of my students who are graduating. May the long time sun shine upon you!<br />
Kristin:)Creatyogahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00785387018060845506noreply@blogger.com63tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6172472235284551363.post-38341846020357119252013-03-04T10:30:00.001-08:002013-03-04T10:30:24.375-08:00Winter Yoga 2012-2013I am so grateful to my yoga students in the winter time and for their commitment to showing up to class and practicing yoga with me. I have given students the opportunity to reflect back over the winter classes and notice what stood out for them, how practicing yoga and meditation may have been helpful to them. Jai Bhagwhan:)Creatyogahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00785387018060845506noreply@blogger.com45tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6172472235284551363.post-34189826596251125932012-11-26T18:55:00.003-08:002012-11-26T18:55:59.759-08:00yoga class for fallHi everyone,<br />
I am going to miss you all when class ends this quarter. I don't know if it is the new building or what, but I feel like I have been on a journey with all of you. Please remember that whatever choices you make for your future, you can not f*&k up. Every choice will give you an opportunity to learn. So, don't be afraid, spread your wings and fly and remember that you are beautiful.<br />
Thanks for deciding to join me on my blog....<br />
Kristin:)Creatyogahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00785387018060845506noreply@blogger.com32tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6172472235284551363.post-255665968030026572012-05-25T10:25:00.000-07:002012-05-25T10:25:22.303-07:00Yoga Ends for Spring quarterMy yoga classes end for Spring quarter and I am giving students the opportunity to post about their experience, strength, and hope in yoga class this quarter:) So grateful to have the opportunity to meet and practice yoga with you all.<br />
Love and light,<br />
KristinCreatyogahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00785387018060845506noreply@blogger.com35tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6172472235284551363.post-27592926556856958912012-05-03T22:10:00.001-07:002012-05-03T22:11:04.692-07:00Yoga is for everybody!<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/02/11/yoga-nba_n_821384.html">http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/02/11/yoga-nba_n_821384.html</a><br />
<br />Creatyogahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00785387018060845506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6172472235284551363.post-81565718737805088562012-02-23T10:54:00.000-08:002012-02-23T10:54:07.105-08:00Classes end for Winter QuarterWe are approaching the end of Winter, and I have given students the opportunity to share what stood out for them in yoga class this winter. I am so grateful for my students, and for their willingness and openness to learn about yoga. May the long time sun shine upon them!!!<br />
Kristin:)Creatyogahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00785387018060845506noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6172472235284551363.post-83038725455702715032011-11-25T10:42:00.000-08:002011-11-25T10:42:55.856-08:00Yoga classes end for Fall quarterHi there,<br />
Yoga classes are ending next week for Fall quarter. I have given students the opportunity to post on my blog any reflections over the quarter about learning about yoga. It has been a great fall and I am very grateful to my students for practicing yoga with me and giving me the opportunity to share my practice of teaching yoga. Have a great break everyone....<br />
Jai:)Creatyogahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00785387018060845506noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6172472235284551363.post-42225650691800265352011-11-19T13:51:00.000-08:002011-11-19T13:51:47.133-08:00interesting study done on yoga as an intervention for depression<h1>A Yoga Intervention for Young Adults with Elevated Symptoms of Depression</h1><div class="content-tools"> <span class="tools-timestamp" itemscope=""><time datetime="2011-06-16" itemprop="publish-date">June 16, 2011</time> <span class="tools-author"> By <a href="http://www.integrativehealthcareinsider.com/authors/alternative-therapies-in-health-and-medicine.aspx">Alternative Therapies in Health & Medicine </a></span> <span class="tools-comments"><a href="http://www.integrativehealthcareinsider.com/articles/2011/06/a-yoga-intervention-for-young-adults-with-elevate.aspx#disqus_thread" rel="nofollow" title="comments">0 Comments</a></span> </span> <div class="content-tools-topics"> <span class="tools-posted-in">Posted in </span> <span class="tools-posted-topics"> <a href="http://www.integrativehealthcareinsider.com/articles.aspx" id="ctl03_vcTools_rpTags_ctl00_hlTag">Articles</a><span id="ctl03_vcTools_rpTags_ctl00_lblComma">,</span> <a href="http://www.integrativehealthcareinsider.com/topics/depression.aspx" id="ctl03_vcTools_rpTags_ctl01_hlTag">Depression</a><span id="ctl03_vcTools_rpTags_ctl01_lblComma"></span> </span> </div><div class="facebook-recommend"> </div><div class="print-story"> <a class="emailpop print-link cboxElement" href="http://www.integrativehealthcareinsider.com/PrinterFriendly.aspx?id=%7B1E624F63-5750-4F52-9A14-4049052B8EFF%7D" rel="nofollow">Print</a> </div><div class="main-article-content"> <strong>Context:</strong> Yoga teachers and students often report that yoga has an uplifting effect on their moods, but scientific research on yoga and depression is limited.<br />
<strong>Objective:</strong> To examine the effects of a short-term Iyengar yoga course on mood in mildly depressed young adults.<br />
<strong>Design:</strong> Young adults pre-screened for mild levels of depression were randomly assigned to a yoga course or wait-list control group.<br />
<strong>Setting:</strong> College campus recreation center.<br />
<strong>Participants:</strong> Twenty-eight volunteers ages 18 to 29. At intake, all participants were experiencing mild levels of depression, but had received no current psychiatric diagnoses or treatments. None had significant yoga experience.<br />
<strong>Intervention:</strong> Subjects in the yoga group attended two 1–hour Iyengar yoga classes each week for 5 consecutive weeks. The classes emphasized yoga postures thought to alleviate depression, particularly back bends, standing poses, and inversions.<br />
<strong>Main Outcome Measures:</strong> Beck Depression Inventory, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, Profile of Mood States, morning cortisol levels.<br />
<strong>Results:</strong> Subjects who participated in the yoga course demonstrated significant decreases in self-reported symptoms of depression and trait anxiety. These effects emerged by the middle of the yoga course and were maintained by the end. Changes also were observed in acute mood, with subjects reporting decreased levels of negative mood and fatigue following yoga classes. Finally, there was a trend for higher morning cortisol levels in the yoga group by the end of the yoga course, compared to controls. These findings provide suggestive evidence of the utility of yoga asanas in improving mood and support the need for future studies with larger samples and more complex study designs to more fully evaluate the effects of yoga on mood disturbances.<br />
To download the full article, originally published in <em>Alternative Therapies in Health & Medicine</em>, click <a href="http://www.integrativehealthcareinsider.com/articles/2011/06/%7E/media/BE8EAF15F08842A291DC88418F8F9BA5.ashx" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
</div><img border="0" height="1" src="http://www.integrativehealthcareinsider.com/lib/viewstracker.ashx?article=%7B1E624F63-5750-4F52-9A14-4049052B8EFF%7D&ts=8315293532" width="1" /></div>Creatyogahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00785387018060845506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6172472235284551363.post-88553698772918341352011-07-27T12:09:00.000-07:002011-07-27T12:09:41.676-07:00Summer yoga classesSummer yoga classes are coming to an end this week. I have given students the opportunity to reflect back over the session and share some of their experience of the process of yoga in their bodies and minds on this blog if they wish. I would like to thank all of the students who joined me in creating yoga this quarter. <br />
Kristin:)Creatyogahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00785387018060845506noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6172472235284551363.post-32970747063752325682011-05-24T13:33:00.000-07:002011-05-24T13:33:58.465-07:00Classes end next week for Spring YogaClasses end this week for spring quarter for my yoga students at CWU. I have given students the opportunity to share on my blog about any benefits or insights they have received during the quarter of yoga, and how yoga benefited their body/min,etc. <br />
<br />
I am so grateful to have the opportunity to share yoga with college students at the University. I first started doing yoga when I was a college student at CWU, I was also a mother of a 3 year old boy, who is now 20...wow! Anyway, it helped me clear my mind and relax deeply so that I could keep my focus on being a Mom and student. Now, I get to give back the gift that was given to me so freely:)<br />
<br />
Thanks again everyone for practicing yoga with me.....<br />
Have a great summer:)Creatyogahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00785387018060845506noreply@blogger.com44tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6172472235284551363.post-19406406385214705702011-05-19T22:49:00.000-07:002011-05-19T22:49:32.248-07:00The heart never liesLately I have been interested in yoga postures, stretches, etc. that help with opening the heart. <br />
In thinking of the shoulders in particular, I encourage my students to stretch the front of the heart as well as the back of the heart. In the back of the heart is where we hide all of the feelings that we don't have time for, or that we don't want people to see...grief, sadness,anger,etc. <br />
<br />
I encourage students of yoga to breath into; open; and melt away anything keeping a heart heavy. Many times we round our shoulders to protect the heart, because there seems to be so much that is painful to see....It's hard to breath deep that way:)<br />
However, the heart can take it all....and... once we begin to move the breath into the heart, it is like we are opening up a well that clears and flushes out any stagnancy and allows the heart to be free...so, we can see all the miracles and beauty as well as the pain...<br />
After all, isn't it our birth right to be happy, joyous, and free? In order to feel that sense of freedom and love means sometimes moving into the mud, and letting ourselves be afraid...alone...and alive in this world. <br />
<br />
One of the most powerful yoga postures you can do for yourself is to place your hand on your heart at night and say to yourself gently, "I am here for me"....because the heart never lies.<br />
<br />
Love and light on your sacred and blessed journey.......:)Creatyogahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00785387018060845506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6172472235284551363.post-40673533687087717062011-04-29T14:56:00.000-07:002011-04-29T14:56:35.453-07:00Time for me to flyI am currently up in the air flying to the city of angels, Los Angeles,, the city of angels:) Just taking a moment to be grateful for this ability to be online while in the air, it truly is amazing this gift of the internet. I am also reminded of how small I am...just a person in this craft, looking down at the state of Oregon. The balance, the beauty of being able to be part of experience. <br />
<br />
Some of the yoga poses remind me of flying...this ability to stand on one leg and allow myself to move into the present moment. Recently I was in Spokane listening to Sting's yoga teacher Ganga White and he spoke about how even when we stand it requires balance, and balance is not something to be mastered, but more to be explored. Just staying open to it, remaining curious with whatever shape you are in....<br />
Balance is a gift...a teacher...another opportunity to learn how to let go and fly. <br />
<br />
<br />
"Now I make you laugh, and you make me cry...I believe it's time for me to fly.." Reo SpeedwagonCreatyogahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00785387018060845506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6172472235284551363.post-56386073396696907982011-03-08T10:16:00.000-08:002011-03-08T10:16:30.908-08:00Yoga classes end for the Winter this week.Even though it snowed again today, yoga classes end for the winter. I am so grateful to all the wonderful students who showed up and practiced yoga with me. I have given students the option to post on my blog about what stood out for them in their bodies, minds, and energy through the winter in yoga practice. My yoga students have been a bright spot during this dark and cold winter...<br />
<br />
Thanks for making it a great winter!Creatyogahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00785387018060845506noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6172472235284551363.post-10662989379629601762011-02-25T01:04:00.000-08:002011-02-25T01:04:34.708-08:00Death becomes her....Living in a culture of narcissism to survive...be successful, be attractive, be healthy..hmmm... to deny death? People 100 yrs ago surely did not live as long as they do now, and even though we have made progress with technology and science, yet we still are powerless over death. In Buddhism, one of the ideas is that it prepares the mind for death. Every day is just a practice of keeping thoughts in the present..because that is all that is going on anyway. Thich Nhat Hhan, (sorry I may not have the correct spelling here) said that it takes all the conditions to be present to light a match. You need the wood, the stuff on the wood, the stuff to scrape the stuff on the wood to make the light...the air..the stuff in the air.....it all has to be just right for there to be a flame. <br />
<br />
I am thinking when it is our time to die, all the conditions have to be present for us to go. And, that is the great mystery..so deny it, I'm not sure it is helpful, but to live in the awareness of death is no party either.<br />
<br />
A friend of mine passed away earlier today. Someone found him at his home in the country where he was living a pretty ordinary life. He decided to live a clean lifestyle about a decade or so ago...and he most of the time went out of his way to help people. Someone said to me recently, "when it is your time, it is your time". Right now, that seems to make sense to me. When all the conditions are present then the mystery happens. <br />
Jai Bhagwan...(I honor the truth that resides in all of us)Creatyogahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00785387018060845506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6172472235284551363.post-33813237929853641122011-02-10T00:30:00.000-08:002011-02-10T00:30:53.209-08:00sit that's itI am always amazed at the complexity of meditation. Don't get me wrong, I am not saying people who make it complex are wrong, but people are pretty much just sitting. Isn't that what we are talking about? The majority of the activity happening in meditation is just that, "sitting". <br />
<br />
Now, there is this idea that if a person learns to sit with his or her self and be present with the breath, sensations in the body, etc....then that sense of presence can be carried out into daily life. Which is a great goal for many of folks who don't multi-task or work at a stressful job, or live in a super stressful environment. So, what my meditation teacher told me the goal is....well, to not have a goal. Watch your thoughts if you must, but let them pass through and treat them all the same. If you have some profound and peaceful experience...she said..."SO WHAT". The profound and peaceful experience is a side effect of sittting. If you need to cry, scream, shake, rattle or crow while sitting..."SO WHAT"...don't get up for 20 minutes and try not to move too much. You will get through it, you are alone...and it is okay to say to one's self..."There, there..now...everything is going to be all right"....<br />
Cuz' it's true...everything is going to be all right. Just sit:)Creatyogahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00785387018060845506noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6172472235284551363.post-23679811300875988372011-01-21T03:15:00.000-08:002011-01-21T03:15:34.042-08:00being Present in Mountain poseLife gives us many opportunities to be present....for example: being born, learning to walk, learning how to ride a bike, dancing, singing, making music, making love, giving birth...and the ultimate act of presence, dying. <br />
<br />
All the thoughts of the future and past are just that..in the future and past. I heard someone say once that if you have one foot in the past and one in the present you are pissing on today. So...bringing both feet into the present..just for today, right here, right now, in this very moment...is presence.<br />
<br />
In the practice of yoga, keeping both feet on the ground and standing in the very first posture of Tadasana-Mountain, that is the gift of being able to stand. Such a simple thing, Ah, but how lucky those of us who can stand, not everyone is able to stand....Creatyogahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00785387018060845506noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6172472235284551363.post-18594014914576431932010-12-24T12:16:00.000-08:002010-12-24T12:16:05.714-08:00Merry ChristmasMerry Christmas to all...<br />
I have friends who have different opinions about Christmas and I honor them all. I may not agree with them all, but I honor them all. One opinion, from a friend who is not from the United States, she finds living in Ellensburg that Christmas seems to be a commercial holiday. Another friend, from my hometown in Raymond wants to put the Christ back in Christmas and has strong opinion about the word xmas. I see all the Christmas photos of kids in Christmas plays on facebook, and Christmas trees....smiles...<br />
So, what is my opinion...and how does yoga fit into this day...well, Christmas to me about family and I will be heading down to a simple, tiny Lutheran Church in Rochester, WA to share a service tonight with my family. In honor of Jesus Christ, who was a hippie in my opinion, and chose to hang out with the sinners...and had a lot of respect for women as he chose to demonstrate to Jewish men that women had more worth than a second hand couch...as the jewish men at that time didn't have a clue how to respect women. So, I believe he was brought here to love, and be loved...he had the same kind of needs we all do.<br />
<br />
So, how does yoga fit into all of this? The word Yoga means "to yoke" to unite. It is a tool to bring everything together...to honor all people in all walks of life, with all beliefs, during this sweet..and tender holiday. Because Jesus did not come here to judge the world...but to save it. (That is a quote from Jesus...)<br />
<br />
And, I need to mention my one other friend..because she has been working down at the soup kitchen in Ellensburg...this is a new soup kitchen that serves those who need a hot meal dinner 4 x a week. Anyway, Shiela, is down there giving people coats and serving her fantastic food that nourishes and gives strength to every cell every organ in the place. Thank you Shiela, for being a light in the world...and to all others who are not interested in judging the world..but saving it.<br />
<br />
Jai Bhagwan (I honor the truth that resides in all of us)<br />
KristinCreatyogahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00785387018060845506noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6172472235284551363.post-21003007573635633492010-11-29T14:31:00.000-08:002010-11-29T14:31:06.330-08:00Rose's request:) Hi there,<br />
Rose, a student of mine, specifically asked for some yoga that helps with concentration during finals week. <br />
<br />
<br />
Here are four common yoga concentration techniques for the development of concentration (dharana) that you can experiment with:<br />
<h2>Trataka</h2>Trataka (which means steady gaze) is a technique whereby the eyes are fixed upon a certain external point such as the horizon of the sea, or the flame of a candle.<br />
<h3>Trataka1</h3><code><br />
</code><br />
<ul><li>Take a comfortable seated position outdoors, where objects at various distances between you and the horizon can be viewed.</li>
<li>Pick at least 4 objects (roughly spaced equal distance), the first being near the feet and the furthest at the horizon.</li>
<li>Beginning at the nearest object, concentrate upon it for 60 seconds.</li>
<li>Move you attention every 60-seconds to each successively further object until the final one at the horizon has been reached.</li>
<li>After focusing upon the last point for 60 seconds, reverse object by object (again concentrating 60 seconds on each) back to the first point.</li>
</ul><code><br />
</code><br />
<h3>Trataka2</h3><code><br />
</code><br />
<ul><li>Place a candle upon a small table, whereby the flame is at eye-level.</li>
<li>Sit a distance of between 6 to 10 feet away and place your concentration upon the flame.</li>
<li>Do not to blink and try to hold you concentration for between 30 and 60 seconds.</li>
<li>Close you eyes for 30 to 60 seconds and try to reproduce the image of the flame in your ‘mind’s eye’.</li>
<li>Repeat this process 3 to 6 times in one sitting.</li>
</ul><code><br />
</code><br />
<h3>Nasarga Drishthi</h3><code><br />
</code><br />
<ul><li>Take a comfortable sitting position and gaze open-eyed at the tip of the nose.</li>
<li>Hold this concentration until you feel tension in the eyes, then</li>
<li>Close your eyelids, but imagine that you are still gazing at the tip of the nose.</li>
<li>Hold this visualization for 15-20 seconds and then re-open the eyes.</li>
<li>Repeat this process several times.</li>
</ul><code><br />
</code><br />
<h3>Bhrumadhya Drishthi</h3><code><br />
</code><br />
<ul><li>Again, take a comfortable sitting position and turn the gaze to the base of the nose, creating a ‘cross-eyed’ position.</li>
<li>Raise the eyes slightly, so that this cross-eyed gaze now falls directly between the eyebrows, then…</li>
<li>Close your eyelids and hold this point of concentration ‘inwardly’.</li>
<li>Periodically open your eyes to see if this point is being maintained, then close them once again.</li>
<li>Hold this concentration for several minutes</li>
</ul>Specific yoga postures that help with this are:<br />
<br />
1. Half Goddess pose:<br />
<br />
Lie flat on your back and relax, especially in the legs, pelvis and lower back. Bend your knees, bringing your feet in close to your buttocks. <br />
<br />
Slowly allow your knees to part, allowing the weight of the legs to stretch the inner thighs. Try to relax. Do not push your legs farther than is comfortable. Hold this positions for two minutes or more.<br />
<br />
Bring your knees together again. This should be done very slowly and smoothly, at all times breathe deeply and remember to relax. <br />
<br />
2. Bridge Pose<br />
<br />
Begin lying flat on your back with our arms straight at your sides, palms down. Bend your knees, placing your feet parallele to each other, hip-width apart, so that your heels come just to the tips of your fingers.<br />
<br />
Press into the feet (without raising your body) and feel the earth energy bring solidity to your legs.<br />
Next, press your feet even more firmly into the floor so that your spine is lifted, vertebrae by vertebrae, much as you migh tlift a stand of pearls one pearl at a time, until you are resting on your feet and upper vertebrae. (Clasp hands together under the back, pressing the chest upward and the shoulders together behind you.) Ideally, the line from you r knee to your shoulders should form a straight plane.<br />
<br />
There ya go Rose:)Creatyogahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00785387018060845506noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6172472235284551363.post-13589909816812048742010-11-28T22:18:00.000-08:002010-11-28T22:18:44.490-08:00Classes end this weekClasses end this week for my students who attend Central. I have told them about my blog, and given them the option of getting dialed in and sharing what stood out the most for them this quarter while practicing yoga. It always seems that just when the quarter ends, a small community has been established. Perhaps if some could choose to be on this blog, then we could stay in touch about yoga offerings in the future, and also be in cyber community:)<br />
If you are a student of mine, and have chosen to post about what stood out for you this quarter in regards to your body/mind experience...or whatever else you feel like sharing about.....Thanks for being part of my class this quarter, and I hope you have a great holiday and rest of the year.<br />
Cheers!<br />
KristinCreatyogahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00785387018060845506noreply@blogger.com45tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6172472235284551363.post-82688013432847155062010-11-18T21:15:00.000-08:002010-11-18T21:15:12.288-08:00Being GratefulJust taking a moment to be grateful as Thanksgiving is approaching....<br />
I remember back in the day when I didn't feel like I had much to be thankful for and this friend of mine said, "I can always think of something, hell...I am upright and sucking air!". After years of practice, and the helpful reminder of Thanksgiving and making November a month to focus on being grateful. Since...it can get pretty hard to feel good when it gets dark early....<br />
So what are some of the things I have to be grateful for?<br />
My family and friends...<br />
My son who is a caring, kind, and loving person.<br />
A place to live, food to eat, a vehicle to drive.<br />
Music, Music, and more Music.<br />
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And, as the end of the fall quarter approaches I am particularly grateful to have the ability to teach yoga and to practice yoga. I am grateful for all the yoga students who have been in my classes... When they show up and just practice the simple practice of yoga with me, it is beyond words the gratitude I have for their presence and curiosity:)Creatyogahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00785387018060845506noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6172472235284551363.post-32849420840668638332010-11-10T19:28:00.000-08:002010-11-10T19:28:51.094-08:00in and out, in and outBreath deep....it will make life easier. 10 deep breaths in and out, and you will experience not only a change in perception, but a change in your para sympathetic nervous system. For the better I might add. You have important parts of your nervous system, and there are: para sympathetic, and sympathetic. Sympathetic often gets out of whack...which can make you whacked. Para Sympathetic is your part of the nervous system that loves you, wants you to experience total bliss. So how do you increase that Para S? Well, take ten deep breaths...the important thing....KISS (Keep it simple sweetheart) is to take a deep breath in-count to three..... THEN take a deep breath- count to three. Put the Missississippi's in if you need to...but slow it down....you will feel better after...I promise:)<br />
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Oh, if you are feeling anxious and you take 10 deep breaths and don't count to three and/or breath fully...well...you will feel like a train wreck after...it causes you to feel more anxious breathing shallow, which is how you got yourself worked up in the first place, shallow breathing....<br />
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Let your breath be a sacred guest inside your body......The Latin word for breath is espiritus (I think that is spelled right:) With the root of the word being Spirit. <br />
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You can even soften your belly right now, and just let your belly cradle the breath. Awe...there ya go:) Creatyogahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00785387018060845506noreply@blogger.com0