Asanas/Posture of the month:

Getting into Viparita Karani takes some practice. Sit sideways on the bolsters with one side of the body as close to the wall as possible, lower your shoulder to the floor and then swings your legs up the wall with your shoulders on the floor. 

Try to bring your buttocks as close to the wall as possible.  

This posture is one of the most powerful of the restorative poses. Use a belt to bring the thighs closer together to help release the leg, hp and back muscles.

Place a folded blanket under the shoulders as a nice option. Also a sandbag on the feet helps to realign the head of the femur in the hip socket. Stay in this pose for at least 10 minutes. To come out of the pose, slide off the bolster in the direction of the head. Rest curled up on one side before proceeding.

Physical Benefits

Stimulates blood flow. Releases lactic acid build-up in the legs. Helps to rejuvenate your energy. This is an anti-aging pose. Alleviates menstrual cramps, reduces swelling in ankles and improves digestion. 

Spiritual Benefits:

Photo by Leslie Kahan

"When I let go of what I am I become what I might be"~Lao Tzu

This quote hangs written in green ink on the front door of my house.  It is one of many that have been displayed at the threshold of my childhood home, carefully chosen by my mother to provide guidance through the past few months of our lives. 

     In November of this past year, my father started acting strangely.  At 60 years old, he was a perfect specimen of health.  Ran five miles every morning, ate healthy foods, and played volleyball every night.  A man who was normally emotionally unavailable suddenly began to act very expressive and open, almost seeming drunk.  He began to complain of panic attacks and missing the ball during his games.  On a trip up to visit my sister in Massachusetts, he swerved all over the road.  Thinking that he was having an emotional crisis, I thought I had the a

nswer.  Yoga.  That would put him on track!  The next day I took him to Jean's Iyengar and it was a complete catastrophe.  My father was normally a very coordinated man and yet there he was, stumbling and fumbling all over the mat, nearly taking down an entire row of yogis in their trikonasanas.  Something was very wrong. 

     The next day he came home from work early and my mother knew something needed to be done.  After a few doctors visits and a several hours spent in the emergency room the verdict was in.  Glioblastoma Astrocytoma.  Not a tongue twister but a real live and extremely aggressive brain tumor. 

     Part of me wishes I could tell you about all of the discoveries and wisdom I found on my mat during this experience.  The trut

h of it is that most of my lessons have been found through living my yoga and bringing it into my life.  That's not to say that it has been easy.  In all honesty, some days the best medicine has been the company of an old friend, a pack of Marlboros, and a bottle of red.  But we'll keep that part hush hush...

     What I learned first (and continue to learn) is to let go of expectations.  I fully expected and envisioned a life with my father in it.  He would be there to witness my successes and failures.  He would be there to walk me down the aisle at my wedding.  He would be there to hold my children in his hands moments after taking their first breaths on this earth.  But things change.  And brain tumors do happen!  I remember sitting with a friend a few days after his first biopsy surgery, reality hitting 

me like a ton of bricks.  "This is not the path I expected to be going down at all!  I'm really scared!" I recall saying to her.  What I did not know at the time was that not only was I fully prepared for this path, but also that it would be the beginning of the most blissful time of my life. 

Elena's dad in a restorative yoga pose

When we begin to let go of our vision of what we think our life will be, we open ourselves up to the bountiful miracles that life can present to us.  All you have to do is choose to live through sweetness and ease instead of fighting and struggling.  It's easy to say: "I used to be able to do this or that" but what good is comparing ourselves to the past or who we think we should be?  You're only hurting yourself with this thinking.  Instead, be with what is.  My father may never run another marathon, but today I can look him in the eyes, take hold of his hand, and take him for a walk down by the water.  It may be a slow journey, but if we find the patience, find the breath, and find the sweetness, we are taking just the right steps to becoming what we might be. 

     I also learned to let go of feeling guilty for turning away from my practice on my mat.  Most days I needed to find the stillness in my own way, knowing that my mat would always be waiting for me whenever I needed it.  I found yoga would come to the rescue at just the right moments in my life. Many days what I needed most was a long walk down to the bay. When my whole life seemed to be spiraling out of control in complete free fall, I remembered to come back to my breath.  I felt the earth supporting me under my feet, knowing that it could take in all of the nasty bits of anger raging inside me, simultaneously uplifting and energizing me with every step.  I felt the wind in my hair, playfully guiding me towards the sun.  Once I came to the perfect spot, sun shining on my heart, I opened my arms wide, closed my eyes, opened my mouth and stuck out my tongue releasing all the built up emotions circulating through my body.  On my inhales I received the supreme love and healing power of our sun, that hot star up in the sky that brings l

ife to all beings on this planet.  All at once I felt my connection to the universe, feeling safe and protected, knowing that everything was in its right place. 

     What I've learned most over all is that I know nothing and everything.  I don't know what new challenges tomorrow may bring.  And that's okay.  What I do know is this:  I have love.  And that is everything.