Pacific Elements

Vinyasa Krama: The Art of Mindful Class Planning

2013-05-06T21:00:48Z

Vinyasa is a Sanskrit word that essentially means “ to place in a special way”, and Krama means “sequence” or “stage”, and so Vinyasa Krama refers to a mindful sequence of actions. As a yoga teacher when I sit down to plan my classes it means I am taking the time to create a thoughtful sequence of actions that will ideally take my students on a journey that allows them to receive the yoga in a way that is accessible, fun, and ultimately empowering. As I’ve said before I find class planning to be a creative art, as well as a tool that I can use to teach what it is I really want my students to know on any given day. It is not the only tool that we employ in the classroom to create memorable classes, but it certainly is a key one.

Now please understand that I do not plan out every class I teach, but I do plan the majority of them. I think it can be fun to come into a class without a set plan in mind and simply riff off of whatever is arising in the moment as the students and I come together- but I also think this is a skill that is developed over time. As a newer teacher I often didn’t plan my classes, or I planned them very loosely, and in truth I would find myself teaching the same basic class, with a little variation, every single time. By not taking the time to plan out where I wanted to take the students ahead of time, and how I would get them there, I would find myself falling back on what I knew over and over again. And while repetition is a powerful teaching tool, and we certainly don’t need to re-invent the wheel each time, I found that when I started planning my classes I began to expand the syllabus of poses that my students were working with while challenging my own ability to teach new things. This renewed focus on what I was actually teaching resulted in my students getting more interested and engaged in their practice while I became more interested and engaged in what I was teaching.

So though it is sometimes absolutely appropriate to simply lead your students through an experience of yoga and go on an unmapped journey with them, when it comes to trying to teach them how to do a new pose, or refine their technique, or cultivate a certain mood or quality of heart in practice then a clear class plan will be needed. From my own experience of class planning I have found that the primary benefits of mindful sequencing are;

Creating more of a teaching environment in the room
A better ability to teach refined actions and alignment principles
Being able to work towards peak poses with more clarity
Being able to plan classes that are truly all levels, with modifications and variation of key poses chosen beforehand
Using the sequence to create a specific mood (ie: Focus, Playfulness, Faith….)
A greater ability to tell a story through the practice
Having more opportunity to create therapeutic sequences (ie: yoga for depression, yoga for back pain, yoga for anxiety….)
Being able to create powerful special focus classes (ie: chakra inspired yoga, yoga for the doshas, seasonally inspired yoga…)
Greater ability to create truly full spectrum classes that include pranyama, meditation, partner work, restorative work etc
Creating classes that have a better sense of timing and overall balance

There are many approaches to sequencing out there and each of them is beneficial. I myself have learned a number of approaches in my years as a student of Ashtanga, Vinyasa, Anusara, and Hot yoga and I find each of them to have certain benefits, which are ideal for certain students, as well as certain drawbacks. There really isn’t one right way to sequence a yoga class and as teachers we must instead look at all the variables that come into play when planning our classes. For instance your class plan and approach to sequencing will be entirely dependent on the age and ability of your students, their level of practice, the style and length of the class you are teaching, and to some extent the time of day and even the environment in which you are teaching.

Below is a list of some of the more common sequencing strategies that you will find in yoga classes and the benefits and drawbacks of each of them.

Set Sequence: using a set sequence means the students do the same set of postures, in the same order, each time they come to class (with perhaps some minor variations). This is an ideal technique for teaching yoga to newer students and the idea is that over time they will become very skillful through the use of simple repetition. Another key benefit of a set sequence is that it becomes meditative as the students don’t need to think about what is coming next, and so it frees up their minds. I certainly loved the flowing dance that my Ashtanga practice became once I knew the Primary Series well. The drawback of this approach, if it becomes the only one you use, is that the students can begin to move on autopilot and stop listening to your instructions, thereby not advancing in their practice through refining their postures. As well it can become imbalanced over time as students become very adept at doing that one set of postures but find themselves struggling when they are asked to do something that is new or unfamiliar to them.

Popular Styles That Use a Set Sequence: Bikrams, Ashtanga, Moksha, Hot

Full Spectrum: a full spectrum approach is essentially a potpourri approach, meaning it includes a little bit of everything. This is a great approach to foster an overall sense of balance in our students bodies. You will most commonly see this approach in Flow and Power type classes, though it is certainly used elsewhere. The idea is that by including a wide range of posture types, but not going too deep in any one direction, the students will strengthen different areas of their body and improve their range of motion in all directions. This appeals to a lot of students as they know they will be challenged to do some types of postures that are hard for them, as well as get to do some they find easier. The drawback of this type of sequencing if we use it exclusively is that because we never take our students deeper into one group of postures they may never advance beyond the basic syllabus. I like to use this approach whenever I am teaching to a new group of students for the first time as it allows me to asses how they move through different posture groupings and see where their strengths and challenges lie. I like to do this on the first day of a retreat and then use the following days to teach peak posture or specific focus classes that will serve them best.

Popular Styles That Use Full Spectrum Sequencing: Ashtanga, Flow, Power, Hatha

Peak Pose: a peak pose strategy is one where the teacher chooses a destination for the class ahead of time, and then takes the students on a journey to and from that place. The peak pose is generally a more challenging or complex pose that lies at the evolving edge of the students’ abilities. This approach to sequencing allows you to introduce new postures to your students as well as educate them about the technique required for them to access the pose. In my experience students love the thrill of working towards something new and if the class is planned and taught well than the students are empowered in their practice, whether they get the full pose or not. The drawback of this type of sequencing is that it does require you to pick a focus of the class and if for example it is a backbending day and someone comes that doesn’t enjoy backbending they may not love the class!! But personally I like to blend full spectrum and peak pose sequencing together in a way that allows even very strong peak pose classes to be well balanced. Meaning that even though my students will be challenged doing the poses that don’t come naturally for them I will be sure to include other poses that balance them out so they leave class without feeling that they have strained their bodies in one direction exclusively.

Popular Styles that May Use A Peak Pose Strategy: Anusara, Iyengar, Power, Flow, Hatha

Theme Based: designing a class around a theme is a great way to weave the deeper philosophical teachings of yoga into the movement practice. I think one of the greatest benefits of this is that it creates a larger context for the physical practice so on the days where our students are struggling with the postures because of fatigue or injury the can still cultivate the heart quality that is inspiring the class. I personally have found this approach to be very inspiring both as a student and as a teacher and when I began planning more complex theme based classes I found my students began to ask more engaging questions before and after class and became more interested in the other aspects of yoga practice and lifestyle beyond the asanas. The drawback of this approach is that if the class is not well planned then the teacher can be so focused on story telling that their dialogue overshadows the clarity of their movement/alignment instructions and the students become distracted or annoyed by the theme.

Popular Styles That May Use Theme Based Sequences: Anusara, Flow, Hatha, Power

This is certainly not an exhaustive list of common sequencing strategies but these are the ones that I am most familiar with and have personal experience with. And I love them all!! I would hate to have to use only of them exclusively and instead prefer to challenge myself to become skilful at teaching all of them, and knowing when to choose which approach is the right one on any given day. Planning and designing creative and intelligent class plans is an aspect of teaching yoga that I find endlessly inspiring and challenging and like all aspects of my teachings is one that I am constantly refining and evolving. I hope you have found this article helpful and I welcome your questions and comments below.

If you would like to learn more about sequencing I will be offering an online workshop series on the art of sequencing starting on June 2^nd, as well as a live class in collaboration with White Gold Yoga right here in Whistler on June 8^th.

Detoxing and Evolutionary Health Care with Cate Stillman

2013-04-07T21:50:41Z

Today I interviewed my teacher Cate Stillman as part of my Yoga Lifestyle Coaching Program on the topic of seasonal cleansing and how it can shift our health and wellness. Cate has been a teacher, and mentor of mine for a few years now and her passion for evolutionary health has had a huge impact on not only my health, the health of my family, and the health of my yoga students. In our chat today she spoke candidly about her own journey with Ayurveda and detoxing and how it changed not only the way she is showing up in the world today, but how her whole extended family and her own yoga community is showing up. Cate has had over ten years experience leading folks through seasonal detoxes through her Yogidetox program and so to hear what she has witnessed and experienced is deeply inspiring.

Though seasonal cleansing would have been a natural rhythm for our ancestors, whose lives were governed by the agricultural calendar, it is a practice that those of us living in the modern world are having to cultivate and reclaim as part of our evolutionary health care. We have access to an abundance of food (and information!) that our ancestors could never have dreamed of, and though it has allowed us a great many advantages it can also lead to congestion and toxicity on every level of our being. We all need to take time periodically to simplify, reduce, and clarify so that all the substances and information that our body-minds have not been able to digest can be cleared out. In my personal experience this leads to not only a reduction in physical imbalance but also mental and emotional imbalance as well. Some common signs that you may be ready for a detox are:

you are suffering from low grade but constant anxiety
your joints are inflamed
you have brain fog
your body aches and you feel old when you get up (regardless of your age!)
your breath, body odor, and excretions stink
you have bad skin (dull, congested, overly sensitive, or inflamed)
you lack clarity and a clear sense of purpose and direction
your digestion is poor (gas, bloating, constipation)
you are carrying extra weight that you can’t seem to lose
you frequently have powerful cravings for things you know are no good for you
you aren’t sleeping well
you feel bored and depressed about life

The ideal cleanse is one that takes into account all aspects of your being from the physical to the spiritual and that is why I love Cate’s Yogidetox, which is an online program that hundreds of people from all over the world participate in each spring and fall. It is rooted in Ayurvedic wisdom, led by a cutting edge teacher who is passionate about a living and wild foods diet, and it incorporates yoga and meditation to help shift old patterns of stuck behavior. I have personally gone through five cleanses with Cate, and will be doing them again this April and October. I cleanse seasonally because regardless of the fact that I eat well all year and maintain health promoting daily practices, detoxing is a time that allows me to create space for reflection and renewed clarity regarding my vision, while giving my mental and physical digestive systems a break. And after chatting with Cate today I am even more inspired to get my family on board for this seasons cleanse!

I’d love to share the conversation Cate and I had today so you can listen to the recording here. Please add your comments and questions in the comments box below as I’d love to hear what the conversation sparked in you. Some of the topics we addressed were:

Why do yogis cleanse in the spring?
What is ama (toxins)? and how do we know if we’ve got it?
How do we find time for cleansing?
Is there a one size fits all cleanse?
What are the benefits of cleansing?
What are the larger implications of cleansing for our own health and the health of our families and communities?

Again here is the link to the recording. Enjoy!

My Favorite Spring Cleansing Recipes

2013-04-03T00:54:58Z

I am working in Vancouver at the moment and the cherry blossoms are in full bloom, multicolored tulips are popping up out of the damp earth, and the air has been warm, full of the smells of springtime. For many of us in the yoga world this is the season of 30 Day Challenges, renewed activity and intention in our practices, and spring cleansing. This is a natural response to the rising energy of the spring season and according to Ayurveda is entirely in synch with seasonal rhythms.

I have a number of blog articles on cleansing, and spring wisdom, which you can read here, so in this post I will focus on simply sharing with you some of my personal favorite spring cleansing recipes to help you lighten up with the season.

I do not lead spring cleanses personally, but for those of you who do want to undertake a full spring cleanse with the support of a professional teacher and a supportive community, check out my teacher Cate Stillman’s Yogi Detox. I have done this cleanse seasonally for the last few years and it is transformative to say the least.

I hope you enjoy these recipes and if you have some of your own to share please add them in the comments below!

Beet Soup

Beets are great for cleansing your blood and lymph, and this soup has the astringent and pungent tastes that make it perfect for Spring. A gently detoxifying and nourishing option.

4 cups water stock

2 medium beets chopped

2 tomatoes, chopped

2 tablespoons ghee/oil

2 red onions, chopped

2 carrots, chopped

2 stalks celery, chopped

1 can white beans

1/2 head green cabbage

1 lemon, juiced

1 tsp fennel or caraway seeds

salt & pepper to taste

fresh dill to garnish

Directions:

Saute onions and fennel seeds in oil. Add chopped root vegetables and saute for 5 minutes. Add celery and cabbage, stir for another 5 minutes. Add stock, tomatoes, white beans and lemon juice. Bring to a boil, turn down and simmer low until vegetables are tender. Take off heat and let sit for 2 hours for the most flavor.

Red Lentil Soup

Beans and legumes are astringent in nature which are ideal for the damp spring season and the addition of carrots and beets makes it extra hearty, while the spices help to turn up your digestive fire.

2 cups red lentils, rinsed

1 medium beet, cubed

1 large carrot, shredded

3 cups water

1 medium onion, cut fine

2 tsp ground coriander

1/4 tsp asafetida (hing)

1/2 tsp ground turmeric

1 tsp ground sage

1/4 tsp black pepper

1 Tbs lemon juice

2 tsp salt

Directions:

Rinse lentils and soak in cold water for 30 minutes then strain. Put lentils, beets, and water in a saucepan. Bring to boil stirring occasionally. Saute onion in ghee or coconut oil with spices and salt. Add onion/spice mixture to beets/lentils with the lemon juice. Boil for a few minutes. Stir well and turn down low. Simmer for about 45 minutes or until very thick. Add extra salt to taste.

Spring Smoothie

A satisfying and detoxifying springtime smoothie. ( I drink a variation of this every day!)

1 Pear ginger

1 small handful dandelion greens

1 small handful cilantro greens

I inch ginger root grated

1 TBS raw cacao nibs

Blend with water to make this a more cleansing smoothie, or add almond or other nut milk to add a little more fat and protein to it.

Spring Green Juice

This juice is an alkaline tonic that will clear out excess heat from your blood and make your skin glow!

2-3 sticks of celery

2 handfuls of spring greens (your choice)

I inch ginger root

1 -2 sprigs of fresh mint leaves

1 green apple

1/2 a lime

Run through your juicer and enjoy.

Spring Cleansing Juice

This is a super cleansing juice. And with the addition of pungent fresh garlic it is not for the faint of heart.

1-2 small beets

2-3 small carrots

2 handfuls of dandelion greens

1 pear

1 inch ginger

2 cloves fresh garlic (if you dare!)

The Wisdom of Spring: Cleansing and More!

2013-03-11T20:00:51Z

Though there is still snow on the ground here is Whistler the expansive energy of Spring is unmistakable and with it comes a shift in what I am eating, how I am working and they way I approach my yoga practice. They rhythms of nature are endlessly inspiring to me and so last night I offered a free Spring Wisdom webinar (technology is so fun!), and was thrilled to have over sixty-five people sign up to learn about how Ayurveda can help them feel their best in the springtime. If you are new to me, and the work that you do than you might be curious when I mean by Spring Wisdom. Spring Wisdom is something I’m defining as a conscious utilization of the tools of Ayurveda, and Yoga, to create optimal health and wellness in the spring. It’s about deepening our understanding of the elemental qualities of this season so that we can make informed choices regarding diet, and lifestyle, in order to achieve balance. And truly this is about aligning with the rhythmic cycles within nature so that you we can access the gifts each season brings, and minimize the challenges each season offers.

If you would like to watch the recast of the video you can check it out here. In it I talk all about the spring diet, spring lifestyle practices, and spring cleansing. Below I have included some handouts you can download that support the info I talk about in the workshop.

If this kind of knowledge interests you be sure to sign up for my newsletter on the homepage of this site so that you can be alerted to when I do more free workshops like this, and for when my next Yoga Lifestyle Coaching Program starts this fall.

If you are interested in going deeper with your spring cleansing this year and want the support of a skilled teacher and a vibrant community I heartily recommend my teacher Cate Stillman’s Yogi Detox. I have done this cleanse with her three years in a row and I love it.

Spring Wisdom Handout

Spring Wisdom Recipes

Home Remedies for Spring

Simple Cleansing Guidelines

If you have any questions, comments or insights please feel free to connect in the comment box below.

Have a happy, healthy spring season!!

Practice With Me On Yogo.TV

2013-02-27T00:55:05Z

I have been busy with Yoga Teacher Training and a full travel schedule so have not been as active on my blog. However I did do an afternoon of filming with Yogo.TV earlier in February and so you can catch up with me there. Yogo. TV is a local BC company run by my friend Lauren Roegele and her business partner Carli-Jean Loptson. The classes on Yogo.TV feature BC yoga teachers teaching raw and unscripted yoga classes. I had so much fun filming with them and will definitely be doing it again. In the meantime you can check out my classes which include a Vasistasana Inspired Vinyasa Flow, An Awaken with Breath class featuring pranayama to energize your morning, and a Trip Around the Hips to help you release excess mental activity and loosen up your lower body.

Let me know what you think of the classes and if you have requests for further offerings please let me know.

Enjoy!

The Freedom of Discipline

2013-01-06T03:27:08Z

Yesterday afternoon I drove down the snowy road from Whistler to One Yoga For The People in Vancouver to catch some classes with Ryan Leier, who has just returned from a month of study with BKS Iyengar in Pune, India. I will assume that if you are reading this blog that you have an interest in yoga, and so will also assume that I don’t need to explain who Mr Iyengar is, but if you were at all unsure he is one of the greatest yogis of our times and to study with him is to study with a master. I have been keen to check out one of Ryan’s classes for a while and was thrilled to see he was hitting Vancouver after his time in Pune. There were about fifty or so students that gathered for the workshop last night and we all sat close as Ryan shared his stories about his time at the Iyengar Institute, and his experience with the Lion of Pune , who at 94 years old is still fiercely committed to a daily practice of pranayama, asana, and study and as a result has the powerful presence of a much younger man. Ryan is obviously already a passionate yogi, and someone who has been devoted to practice for a long time, and yet you could see that his time with Iyengar had sparked a renewed commitment to sadhana, or daily practice, that was thrilling to be around and I could have listened to him talk all day!

All of my teachers have always stressed the importance of a daily practice, done with devotion, over a long period of time. Regular practice they told me is the most effective method for clearing mental/emotional obstructions in life, healing the physical body, and deepening connection to source. And my own commitment to practice has been inspired by their devotion to theirs. When I was new to the practice of yoga I was carried along by a faith in the practice that was inspired by my teachers, and ten years later I can say without a doubt that that commitment to practice has changed the trajectory of my life for the better. The discipline of regular practice has allowed me to access a freedom from conditioned behavior and self-destructive habits that I never would have dreamed possible in my life prior to the introduction of yoga.

Yoga studios are full of people that want to make changes in their lives. They want to heal a broken body or a broken heart, they want to access greater peace or manage their stress better, they want to become more skilful in adapting to the pressures of life and move with greater ease and grace. And yet the concepts of both discipline and commitment are still seen as too steep a price to pay. We have become a culture of instant gratification, shallow relationships, and easy rewards, and yoga simply doesn’t work like that. It offers lasting change, but it is not a quick fix, it can offer us so much, and yet we won’t get it for free.

In this mornings class with Ryan he spoke at length about the value of having a personal practice of yoga, independent of the classes we enjoy at studios, and strong enough to withstand fluctuations in our schedules and changes in our lives. I was thrilled by this conversation, as it is one that I have always felt passionate about and so I loved it when he asked everyone to get into groups and identify their obstacles to practice and make a commitment to just three asanas for daily practice. He didn’t say do three hours of practice a day, he said start with just three poses, but do them everyday. This is so key in creating change. Start small, identify your obstacles, and create a strategy for dealing with them. Another key is sharing your intentions with others who support you, (like the folks in your yoga community) and spending time with people who are more disciplined than you are (like your teachers!).

Each year I have a key word that is a distillation of my personal focus for the year and this year my key word is Inspiration. I want to be immersed in a stream of inspiration that uplifts me and continually calls me to evolve, and I want to be channel for inspiration that I can offer to others. In order to both receive and offer inspiration I must be plugged into something larger than myself, and the best way that I have learned how to do that is to practice. Every day. And because I have found this to be so valuable in my own life and have seen that many people struggle to maintain momentum with it in theirs I will be making a commitment to offering more programs that will support people in integrating yoga, and it ‘s related practices, into the fabric of their everyday lives. Programs such as my Yoga Lifestyle Coaching Program done online, my master classes for yoga teachers done locally and on the Island, my teacher training programs, and my retreats (specifically my Living Foods~Living Yoga Retreat and the Autumn Illumination Retreat, which I am really excited about), have all been designed with this in mind. If this is the year that you want to make the shift to empower your own practices I hope that you will join me at some of these events. In the meantime please share in the comments below what small steps you are committing to in 2013 to deepen your personal practices of health and wellness. Let’s spark a conversation around this and support each other in making change!

Calm, Clear & Inspired: Detoxing in January

2013-01-04T16:33:19Z

This morning I woke up earlier than usual, and scraped the frost off my car under the light of a still bring waning moon in a clear, starlit sky, so that I could make it to the studio for Julia McCabe’s January Detox Series. Julia is a longtime Sea to Sky yogini who has been teaching, traveling, and studying yoga for over a decade. I love her powerful classes which are a perfect blend of focused stillness, fluid movement, and fiery strength so I was super excited when I heard she was offering a three week early morning series designed to detox our winter heavy bodies and minds. As we gathered close to open our class in the pre-dawn darkness this morning she looked at us (with her sneaky little smile) and said “ I am really excited about 2013″…..and this is where she really got my attention….. “ I think it’s because I have such a sharp vision for this next year”. And I thought YES! Exactly.

We all know this is the time of making resolutions and impassioned vows to get healthier, and though I am all for folks getting healthier and more active, I have found that if we come at it from a place of trying to make up for the sins of overindulgence we often fail at creating lasting change and can exhaust, deplete, and disappoint ourselves. Because the truth is that January is not a time for extreme cleansing or aggressive exercising. According to Ayurvedic wisdom we are still in the darker time of the year meant for nourishing and restoring and stronger cleansing is ideal when the land and our blood heats up in springtime. However January is a great time to dream big, nourish desire, and vision the future. And if we then bring into being practices, rituals, routines, and relationships that take us in the direction of our dreams and visions than we will find that the habits and attitudes that are not nourishing us will generally fall away on their own. So when Julia said she had a sharp vision I caught her excitement too, and it made me want to reach further as I could feel the momentum of her vision and it made all my own heaviness, doubt, and distraction fall away.

Because this can be such an ideal time of year to create more clarity in your life I have included some tips for “detoxing” your inner and outer environments so that there will be an increased feeling of spaciousness in your life, and some room to receive inspiration and insight.

Cleansing Your Outer Environment

Get rid of clutter. Go through closets and drawers, clean off your desk and get rid of anything un-needed.
Go through your clothes and give away anything you really won’t wear again.
Clean up your inbox. Unsubscribe from any newsletters you don’t read and deal with unanswered mail.
Organize your paperwork and file folders so you know what needs attention and what has been dealt with.
Clean up your kitchen. Go through the fridge and cupboards and get rid of “foods” that don’t nourish you or that have been collecting dust. Organize your spice rack and make room for new ideas.
Throw out all the old toiletries and other junk that collects in your bathroom drawers and medicine cabinet. You won’t miss it, I promise.
Give away all the books you are never going to read. (and buy yourself one that inspires you!)

Cleansing Your Inner Environment

Commit to meditating each morning for at least 10 minutes. And when you’ve done that for a month add another 10 minutes at the end of your day. Minds get cluttered just like junk drawers and a cluttered mind is rarely an inspired mind.
Create guidelines about how much screen time and media time you want to engage in each day. We live in an era of information overload. Make space for silence.
Don’t overdo anything. Slow down and resist filling every minute with activity.
Do yoga!! Move your body each day and get a sweat going. This is the best way to clear sluggish lymph, detox your blood, and stimulate your digestive system so that it can process food quickly and efficiently and release wastes.
Eat clean. Focus on whole foods that are in season such as root vegetables and squashes, and nourishing foods such as whole grains, nuts, beans, and good quality fats. This will allow your body to release toxic buildup while still providing the warmth and nourishment you need. For more on this watch my Winter Wisdom Webinar.

Get Inspired

Hang out with inspiring people. I’ve heard it said we are an average of the five people we hang out with most. If that makes you despair than renew your commitment to spend more time in good company with folks that encourage you to be your best self.
Read uplifting literature. You don’t have to give up your romance or crime novels but add in some texts that shift your perspective, especially if you are a student (or teacher!!) of yoga, which I am assuming you are if you are reading my blog. Some of my favorites are The Bhagavad Gita, The Yoga Sutras, and The Upanishads.
Spend time in nature and re-connect to your sense of wonder and awe.
Meditate. Really. Just do it.

I made some simple home cleanse handouts this fall that you can download here as well. As always thanks for reading and I wish you all the best in 2013. May this be the year that you manifest your highest visions, live into your deepest desires, and expand your horizons into new realms of possibility.

Vision, Desire, & Intention: The Art of Becoming

2012-12-30T04:18:09Z

Historically I have always done my yearly vision and intention work in the autumn, around the time of my birthday. But this year with our big move to Whistler, and all the change that brought I am just now taking the time to sit down and re-evaluate the course of the last year and begin to plant the seeds for next year’s dreams. Of course the New Year is a common time for setting intentions and making resolutions and I have always found that the days from Solstice to the first week of January feel like a limbo time that make pausing, and taking stock easier to do and so it can be a great time to get clear on what it is you want to bring into being.

I have always felt strongly that I wanted to craft my life, and choose my lifestyle, and I attribute the fact that I am living the life of my dreams to the practices of clarifying my vision, cultivating my desires, and setting my intentions, which I do on a regular basis. To me these practices support the art of becoming and have allowed me to feel engaged in the creative act of shaping my future for as long as I can remember. In today’s blog post I will share with you my thoughts on these practices as well as some tools on how to bring them into your own life.

Vision

“The act or power of anticipating that which will or may come to be”

Clarifying our vision as I am defining it here means taking time out from our regular routine to step back and look at the bigger picture of where we are now, where we have journeyed from, and what are we moving towards. This can be done monthly, seasonally or annually and for the practice to be effective you do need to give yourself some time to do it without feeling hurried or rushed. For instance I will be taking a full day mini retreat right here at home so I can focus on the process, which means I will be clearing my calendar of other obligations at that time to make space for the vision work I want to do. I will turn off my phone, take a warm bath, make a cup of tea, and after doing my personal practice of yoga and meditation I will take out my journal and begin. Generally my process is pretty simple, I reflect on the greatest accomplishments and challenges of the last year, I identify my greatest obstacles in the key areas of my life and I identify what lessons I’ve learned and what qualities I’ve gained to take forward into the next cycle. I use my journal to do this work and allow myself to write without censorship as I find that’s when the real wisdom and insight arises.

“The first step toward creating an improved future is developing the ability to envision it. Vision will ignite the fire of passion that fuels our commitment to do whatever it takes to achieve excellence. Only vision allows us to transform dreams of greatness into the reality of achievement through human action. Vision has no boundaries and knows no limits. Our vision is what we become in life. ” ~Tony Dungy

Desire

“To wish or long for”

The next step in my process is to allow myself to dream big, and really feel into what it is I most deeply desire moving forward. Desire is a key ingredient in shaping your ideal life and is not to be underestimated, because without it nothing happens. In the yoga traditions desire often gets a bad rap (at least in the Classical traditions) as it is seen as a cause of distraction and self-serving behavior and it is very true that there is a marked difference between selfish or ego driven desires, and the larger, more expanded desires of our most authentic Self. When I allow myself to really feel into the desire of my deeper Self to evolve, serve, and engage I often feel a sense of being plugged into something really big. It can often be scary and has many times taken me right out of my comfort zone or forced me to do some disciplined work on my habits and behaviors, but it always feels like there is a larger force supporting my efforts. Sitting down with my desires I will ask myself what it is I feel most excited about, what keeps showing up in my life demanding my attention, and what can I identify as my evolving edge. Typically I will have key desires for different areas of my life such as my relationships, my sadhana or personal practices, my teaching work, and my business. While each desire will demand certain actions or attitudes to be cultivated, when I am in the process of empowering my desire I try not to jump ahead, but rather stick to focusing on the strength and quality of the desires themselves as it their potency that will fuel my efforts to realize them. This can be a hard step for many people as we are often afraid to dream big in case of failure, but in my experience if my dreams are not powerful enough than I find myself falling short of my potential.

Acting from the authenticity of your desire, that is the beginning of your happiness.”~ Douglas Brooks

Intention

“An act or instance of determining mentally upon some action or result”

Only now that I have a big picture vision, and my desire for growth has been awakened, do I actually begin to set my intentions. Intention setting as I see it means to make a commitment to align your outer actions with your inner values, in order to manifest the desires that will lead you to greater states of fullness and integrity. So at this point in the process I map out the action steps that I will take in each area of my life where I have identified a key desire to evolve. The intentions we set should ideally encourage personal evolution and at the same time I think it is key to recognize how they will contribute to the whole as well. For instance if I have an intention to improve my health and wellness, born out of a desire to experience life more fully, than I would also write out how my enhanced wellness would benefit the people in my life such as my family (less exhaustion and moodiness = more energy and a greater ability to be supportive), my students (less fatigue and minor health complaints= more inspiration and generosity), and the people I work with (less sick days = more productivity). This helps me stick to the big picture of how the work I am doing as an individual is key in evolving my community as well and that larger perspective keeps me committed even when the going gets tough. I should say as well that the way that I define intention is that I see it differing from a goal in that it is not oriented only towards a future outcome but rather is a practice focused on the way that I am acting in the present moment. So it is a process of embodying, enlivening, and awakening my values and my desires in order to grow and evolve, rather than simply a goal that I can accomplish or fail at. Framing it this way allows me to make small steps on a daily basis and keeps me from adopting an all or nothing attitude (which tends to lead to total disappointment).

So after you have identified some action steps that you will begin to incorporate into your daily life I also recommend mapping out any obstacles that you can identify that might arise as you begin to embody your intentions. And then come up with some ideas and solutions on how you might counter them. I’ve found this to be extremely helpful in anticipating the resistance factor that seems to come up whenever we begin to make positive changes in our lives.

At this point in my process I close my journal and sit quietly, allowing myself to feel all the wild and wonderful emotions that have come up as I have clarified my vision, made space for my desires, and mapped out my intentions. This is where you let yourself feel into the desired outcome of this process, where you let yourself experience that which you are becoming on a visceral level, so that your cognitive mind doesn’t hijack the process. Don’t skip this step as I have found it to be key in cementing my forward momentum.

‘Each decision we make, each action we take, is born out of an intention.” ~ Sharon Salzberg

I hope that this post has been helpful or inspiring. Please let me know in the comments below or connect to me on the Pacific Elements Facebook page. I also made a very simple Year In Review & Intention Setting Worksheet to help you get started, and if you are looking for further support in manifesting real change this year please join me for the upcoming Yoga Lifestyle Coaching program starting January 6^th.

Solstice Blessings & Winter Wisdom Gifts

2012-12-23T01:02:19Z

The holiday season has officially arrived with Winter Solstice tomorrow and here in Whistler we have been blanketed in snow. It’s coming down in fat flakes outside my window right now and the trees are frosted in white, yet inside the house is warmly lit and fragrant with the smells of Christmas baking. I truly love the richness and the beauty of this season…..

2012 has been an incredibly full year and as the solar year comes to an end I am awed by how much has happened in my own life, and the lives of so many I know. I hope that each of you may find some time in the days to come for a moment or two of stillness in which to reflect on all that you have received in this last cycle, both wondrous and challenging, and to vision your hopes for the cycle that is to come. I will be sitting with my family tomorrow night and we will be sharing with each other all that we are grateful for, all that we hope for, and all that we are wanting to work on, and receive support from each other in. It’s a ritual my husband and I started doing together last year and it has added a new layer of strength and power to the intention setting I have always done on my own. This will be the first year in a great many that I will not be celebrating the solstice with my community in Tofino, doing 108 Salutations to the Sun, yet I will be doing the ritual on my own and thinking of each of them. I want to extend my gratitude and my blessings to all of the wonderful yogis I had the opportunity to meet, and work with, and share in yoga with in 2012 as each encounter enriched my own life deeply. I wish you all the best for 2013 and beyond.

Instead of a blog article about Ayurvedic Winter Wisdom this time I recorded a live webinar that you can watch and enjoy. As well below I’ve included a handout on Winter Wisdom tips to print that includes the key teachings and practices as well as some meditation and yoga ideas. And for those of you who want inspiration in the kitchen there is a packet of recipes to try out. And finally there is simple Holiday Thrive guide with some tips on how to stay connected and healthy during the busy holiday season as well as a very simple guide to reviewing your year and setting your intentions. I hope that these offerings are of some value to you and that they support you in thriving during this season of the year. Please let me know in the comments section below if you have questions or found them valuable.

2012WinterWisdom.pdf

Winter-Wisdom-2012-Recipes.pdf

HolidayThriveGuide.pdf

YearInReview&IntentionSetting

Best wishes for a joy filled holiday season full of warmth and good cheer!

Much love, Natalie

Sequencing For Success: Tips For Yoga Teachers

2012-12-15T05:31:34Z

I’m working in Victoria right now, teaching Part 2 of a three-part teacher training and some workshops. In the teacher training the students are at the point where they are designing and teaching 1 hour yoga classes to each other, which is always a lot of fun, and as I taught both a mixed level and an advanced workshop this week I have had sequencing on my mind. Creative sequencing has always been one of my favorite aspects of teaching yoga and I believe it is one of the most valuable tools we have to help our students learn asana (and so much more) in a fun, safe, and empowering way. I believe that a mindfully sequenced yoga class can help to establish a clear teaching environment in the classroom as the teaching objectives can be chosen ahead of time, and though the class you plan may need to be adapted somewhat based on who actually shows up, the very fact that you have walked in with a plan and an intention means that you are much more likely to offer something of real value, rather than simply leading your students through yet another repetition of what they are already familiar with. Now while I certainly don’t plan every single class I teach I do plan most of them, and especially when I have a specific pose or lesson I want my students to learn.

It has been my experience that when I take the time to plan out and sequence my classes in a mindful way then I am more able to -

Support my students in gaining greater leverage into intermediate or advanced postures
Teach principles of alignment and action that will empower their practice
Give them tools to avoid common misalignments
Establish a mood for practice such as Clarity, Celebration, or Mindfulness
Help them embody inspiring philosophical teachings or practical wisdom

So how can you use sequencing as a skilful tool to deepen your students learning experience in the classroom? Here are some things that I have found helpful and that I train my yoga teacher trainees to think about.

Things To Think About When Planning Your Classes

When sitting down to plan your classes ask yourself the following questions to help in planning a class that is suitable to your student base and has a clear focus.

Who am I planning this class for?
What is the general level of the students attending this class?
What is my primary intention with this class?
What am I trying to teach?
What do I want the students to walk away with?
How long is the class?
What style is the class?
What time of day/year is it?

3 Primary Doorways for Choosing Class Sequences

There are many doorways into class planning but I have found that one of three primary entry points are most useful in planning my classes and they are.

Moving towards a peak pose
Based around an alignment principle
Inspired by a philosophical or heart based theme

While some of your classes may have all three of these primary elements in them picking one as a framework to get started with is helpful. Below are some tips for each category.

Tips on Sequencing to a Peak Pose

Sequencing to a peak pose means to choose a destination for the class, and to then build your class around how to get there safely and effectively, and how to get back. Students love the thrill of working towards a goal and they value learning something specific as well as being challenged to try something new. Below are some tips on sequencing to a peak pose.

Pick a pose that is appropriate to the general level of the class
The pose should be challenging, but not absolutely impossible, make sure that everyone has a stage of the final pose that they can work on so nobody is left out
Take the time to really think about what will be needed to access the pose and then design a class that will enable your students to cultivate whatever that is, this way you are teaching them key actions and alignment principles rather than simply shapes of poses
Build towards the pose in a logical and progressive way and always try to get there in the shortest time possible, while still ensuring that you have opened the key muscles groups needed, or taught the key actions that will allow them to do the peak pose
Cut out all filler postures that don’t directly enable the opening required for the peak pose, be specific and efficient in your posture choices
Make sure to leave enough time to do the appropriate counter poses in order to bring them back from the peak towards Savasana with a relaxed body and mind

Tips on Sequencing Around An Alignment Principle

Designing a class to highlight a key alignment principle, or to address a common misalignment, is a great teaching technique and really allows your students to get the lesson firmly in their bodies, and minds, through repetition and practice.

Identify an alignment principle that will help your students to access greater ease, connection, or power in their practice
Choose simple and familiar poses that will help them to learn the alignment principle clearly and explain it to them so they know what it is, and what it’s benefits are. Ex: in Tadasana instruct the proper placement of the feet and let them know that setting a good foundation will take care of 90% of the misalignment problems in the body of the pose and creates a grounded, mindful state of mind
Weave in a few poses that are more challenging to maintain the alignment principle in, but which are greatly benefited by the principle itself Ex: doing Urdhva Danurasana without letting the foundation of the feet turn out or lift so as to avoid back pain, feel greater connection in the pose, and access more of a clear opening in the front body
Make sure to repeat the action enough times, and in enough different types of postures in the class that the students understand it clearly- even if they can’t yet maintain it all of the time. This gives them something to work towards and they will remember the lesson in their bodies.

Tips on Sequencing Around a Theme

Sequencing to a philosophical or heart based theme can add a lot of power to your classes and though I could write an entire blog post about how to skillfully weave a theme into your class the primary things to think about once you have chosen a theme for class are-

Once you have chosen an inspirational theme for your class try to distill your theme into one or two key words that represent the main lesson you want to impart and that you want your students to be able to embody or cultivate
Now choose poses that will help your students to embody the theme, or the mood that you want to cultivate in class, and think about how you are going to sequence and instruct the poses so that your choices support your choice of theme
Think about what breath exercises (pranayama), meditations, partner exercises, demonstrations, readings, or visualizations you might also want to include that will help support your theme
And finally write down 3-4 instructions you might use in class that allow you to touch on your theme and even though you may not end up using the exact instructions you wrote down when you are actually teaching the class I’ve found it helpful to have thought about how I will deliver the theme ahead of time (and if you can’t think of 3-4 instructions with your theme choice than you should probably try a simpler theme!)

I hope that you find some of these suggestions helpful and that they may inspire you to plan your classes with more specificity. If you have questions about sequencing or want to share your insights please feel free to comment, as I love hearing from you.

Happy sequencing!