Take a class with me this week!
NoHo: Tues 10:30 a.m. or 7:30 p.m.; Sat 10:30 a.m.; Sun 10 a.m.
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Last chance before I leave for Summer Solstice!
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Yoga Bits Morsels of yogic wisdom and information
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June 4 - 10, 2012
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For complete information on class days, times and locations, please visit
http://yogabits.wordpress.com/
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SUMMER IS HERE!
I'm heading out to the high desert of New Mexico for

NO CLASS
JUNE 12
to
JUNE 25
(including Yoga at the Armory)
CLASSES RESUME
TUESDAY, JUNE 26
(Yoga at the Armory resumes July 22)
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Let's Get Physical Help out your body by giving it a little credit
"If you talked to your friends the way you talk to your body, you'd have no friends left at all."
-- Marcia Hutchinson, author
Driving past an intersection this week I saw an elderly man in a wheelchair, waiting at a bus stop. One of his legs was missing. I don't know if he was actually waiting for the bus or simply taking advantage of the shade but something about his face captured my attention. I don't presume to pity this man. I believe it would be rude to take a glance and someone and think I know how they perceive their own life, for good or for ill. But seeing him inspired me to reflect with gratitude on the state of my own health and all the things my body does for me every day. It's so easy to notice all the things about myself that are "different" (read "unsatisfactory") as a result of growing older. The indestructible body I had until the age of 30 is no longer. Now things sag and ache and occasionally just don't work anymore.
My girlfriends and I laugh about the "sleeping injuries" that come with the aging process. I'd never had a "sleeping injury" until I was 42, when I woke up having severe pain on the right side of my chest. Apparently I had popped one of my ribs out of place and as my chiropractor put it back where it belonged -- yes, it hurt like hell -- he theorized that it likely happened while turning over or sneezing in my sleep. What the...what??? I didn't even know that could happen. It was, pardon the pun, a rude awakening. |
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I could construe that and similar events as a depressing or funny or scary commentary on my physical debilitation -- and, hey, I do because I can't really resist laughing about something I find this absurd. It's just too good to pass up as fodder for self-deprecating comedy.
But I also have come to insist that I honor my physical body with awe and respect for all that it does for me, every day, all day long, often with relatively little support or attention from me.
If we stop and think about what our bodies regularly endure with slumped spines, overburdened digestive tracts and overstimulation of our senses, it's a wonder any of us can function at all. So why not take a moment today -- or better yet every day -- to notice something your body does for you? No matter how health-conscious you are, there is probably something you have taken for granted that is really essential (breathing comes to mind immediately). But this task is even more challenging when faced with illness, infirmity or other physical limitations. No matter how angry or disappointed you feel with your body, chances are if you direct your attention to gratitude you will be able to find something truly miraculous in your physical form (again, breathing comes to mind immediately).
If you find this task extremely difficult, consider making a gratitude list every day for a week. Each day write down ten things you appreciate about your body. It just might offset the criticisms that come all too easily. Noticing something good doesn't erase pain, but it does create a more realistic and balanced perception of any situation, physical or otherwise. Join me for yoga this week:
Home studio, North Hollywood: Tuesday 7:30 p.m., Saturday 10:30 a.m., Sunday 10 a.m.
Burbank YMCA: Wednesday, 8:30 a.m., Friday 10 a.m.
For more information about classes, email me or visit the class schedule on the Yoga Bits blog.
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The techniques and suggestions presented in Yoga Bits are not intended as medical claims or to substitute for proper medical advice. Consult your physician before beginning any new exercise program. If you are elderly or have any chronic or recurring conditions such as high blood pressure, neck or back pain, arthritis, heart disease, and so on, seek your physician's advice before practicing.
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