Shapeshifter Yoga

July newsletter is now out!

noreply@blogger.com (andrea drugay) — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 00:18:00 +0000

Yoga, news, recipes, music, and more! Curious?? Sign up here:

http://www.shapeshifteryoga.com/newsletter.html

Enjoy!

July iMix now available! 1-hr. Vinyasa Flow. Click below to preview & download. Enjoy!

noreply@blogger.com (andrea drugay) — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 22:09:00 +0000

June Newsletter is now available!

noreply@blogger.com (andrea drugay) — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 19:25:00 +0000

Curious? Sign up here:

http://www.shapeshifteryoga.com/newsletter.html

Enjoy!

Yoga retreats! Quick survey, please

noreply@blogger.com (andrea drugay) — Wed, 27 May 2009 18:53:00 +0000

Are you interested in going on a yoga retreat? Do you have five minutes to fill out a survey?

I've been wrapping my mind around leading retreats for a while now, and would love your input so we can start getting our asanas out of the city. The survey is geared towards San Franciscans, but input from those outside of the Bay Area would be super-helpful, too!

If you could take a minute and fill out this simple survey, it would really help a lot!

The results are anonymous, so please feel free to be candid where necessary :-)

Click here to take survey

Thank you a million and may you have a wonderful day filled with light and love!

As always, feel free to email me if you have any questions about this.

R.I.P. Sri K. Pattabhi Jois

noreply@blogger.com (andrea drugay) — Wed, 20 May 2009 19:12:00 +0000

The modern guru of Ashtanga yoga died on Monday of natural causes, at the age of 93. He taught right up until the very end.

Guruji's influence on modern yoga in the West can hardly be comprehended. He will be sorely missed in this world. We wish him all the best in the hereafter.

More on the story here. And here. And his Wikipedia entry is here.

A pose a day keeps you practicing ~ hooray!

noreply@blogger.com (andrea drugay) — Thu, 07 May 2009 00:09:00 +0000

If you're not a regular practitioner of yoga, it may be intimidating to start going to a weekly class. Even if you have had a regular practice in the past, it might be hard to stick to a schedule or to work in an entire 60- or 90-minute practice into your day.

In my experience practicing and teaching yoga, students get the most benefit by incorporating small amounts of yoga on a regular basis, rather than one long class per week.

An easy way to do this is to resolve to do one yoga pose every day. That's right, just one. This way, you will keep yourself in the yoga flow without getting burned out or feeling like you "have to" make it to class or break out the full-length DVD.

Of course, more advanced poses like Upward Bow (Urdhva Dhanurasana) and Lotus (Padmasana) require "prerequisite" poses to warm up the muscles and strengthen the body ~ I would strongly recommend you do not jump right into an advanced pose without proper warm-up.

You may find that your body is calling out for:

a full-body stretch like Downward Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana)
a seated twist like Half Lord of the Fishes (Ardha Matsyendrasana)
a restorative pose like Legs Up the Wall (Viparita Kirani)
or another pose that you personally love and can do with relative ease.

Standing poses such as Warrior II and Triangle are energizing and are great poses to use as breaks throughout your day.

If you're feeling more energetic, try moving on to one Sun Salutation (Surya Namaskara) per day.

Keep your awareness focused on the pose and on the moment. Keep your breath smooth and even. Allow yourself to be fully IN the pose for several breaths before releasing and moving on.

Be careful, though ~ you may find yourself inspired to continue on to a full 90-minute practice!

May iMix is now available! 1-hour Vinyasa Flow Mix

noreply@blogger.com (andrea drugay) — Mon, 04 May 2009 17:06:00 +0000

Change your perspective: invert!

noreply@blogger.com (andrea drugay) — Fri, 01 May 2009 22:34:00 +0000

Sometimes it's hard to see the good things that are right in front of you. Sometimes it feels like life is stagnating. Sometimes life needs to be turned upside-down in order for the sludge on the bottom to reach the top, so it can be filtered out.

One solution is to work some inversions into your practice or simply into your day! Reversing the flow of gravity increases blood flow to your brain. Creative ideas are stimulated and new solutions to old problems seem to flow freely and easily, rather than stagnating at the bottom of your shoes. Stimulating your brain in this way can even help relieve mild depression!

Inverting also helps to reduce nervous tension, alleviates fatigue, improves digestion ~ pretty much everything that helps you feel better.

Some traditional and hard-core yogis say that women should not invert while they are menstruating. They feel that reversing that particular flow of blood can have negative effects, that it's unnatural to "hold the blood in" when it should be flowing freely downward. Based on my own experience, I suggest what I always suggest: listen to your body. If it feels right and feels like it could relieve your headache, cramps, or bloated appendages, then do it. If it feels uncomfortable or in any way not right for your body, then don't do it. That simple.

On a more metaphysical note, inverting daily can help you put your world in perspective. Turning yourself upside-down can literally release negative energy back into the earth, allowing space for more positive thoughts to flow through your crown once you are upright again. So get your heart above your brain and see what new ideas and joys begin to flow into your life!

If you're not ready for Handstand (Adho Mukha Vrksasana) or Headstand (Sirsasana), here are some other inversions you might want to try:

Legs Up the Wall (Viparita Kirani): Simple, gentle, and restorative
Legs Up the Bed (my own name): Knees bent, lower legs resting on the bed mattress or couch cushion. Even simpler, even gentler, and for some, even more restorative.
Plough (Halasana) or Plough with legs resting on a chair/couch/bed behind you: Releases tension in the spine and shoulders, great after sitting at a desk all day
Shoulderstand (Sarvangasana): The Queen of Postures, is calming and stimulating at the same time

If you have never inverted, please enlist the help of a good teacher.

Once your perspective has changed, it may never return to its old ways again!

Shapeshifter Yoga April 2009 iMix now available!

noreply@blogger.com (andrea drugay) — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 16:03:00 +0000

Click below to sample & buy the mix!

Welcome, Spring!

noreply@blogger.com (andrea drugay) — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 17:25:00 +0000

(This image of the Goddess Ostara is from http://www.mickiemuellerart.com/)

Today is the Vernal Equinox, the first official day of Spring. Welcome to the new life blossoming all around us and welcome to the promise of rebirth.

It's also the the pagan Sabbat of Ostara, from which the Christian Easter also came, and today celebrates the Persian New Year.

It always made more sense to me to start the new year in Spring, at the Vernal Equinox, instead of in January, in the dead of winter. It's also the start of the astrological year, Aries, the pioneering ram who sets things in motion. Starting the new year in Capricorn (January), the hardworking goat, is like walking uphill in the snow. You might get where you're headed, but it will likely be a struggle!

There's a reason we're drawn to do Spring cleaning! Our vital selves know that now is the time to release the old so we have space to allow the new to enter.

Now would be a great time to set your "new year's" resolutions in motion! Let your intentions blossom like the daffodils and Lilies of the Valley, which are blooming all over here in Northern California. Spend some time today to set your resolutions down on paper and ask for the assistance of the fresh Spring energy to drive your dreams, wishes, and plans into motion.

And while you're at it, spend some time outside and breathe deep the new essence in the air. Allow yourself to be reborn and start this year anew!

New iMix for March now available! 1-hr. Vinyasa Flow Mix

noreply@blogger.com (andrea drugay) — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 22:24:00 +0000

What is yoga?

noreply@blogger.com (andrea drugay) — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 01:54:00 +0000

Since I started teaching, I've been asked this question more times than I ever expected. I started writing this abbreviated answer to the Question of the Month in my February newsletter, but decided to share it here, too, for those of you who aren't newsletter subscribers. It's a short answer and definitely not comprehensive, but hopefully will help you to better understand the basics.

What is yoga?

The short answer is, the unification of mind, body, and spirit. The word "yoga" comes from the Sanskrit "yuj," meaning to join or unite. The practice of the physical and mental disciplines of yoga is meant to unite the inner and outer worlds, bringing peace, health, spiritual connection, and mindfulness to our lives.

The longer answer is, well, it depends who you ask and where you look. According to the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, yoga is "the restraint of the modifications of the mind-stuff." To be fully present, thus, is to practice yoga. To reach this state, there are 8 "limbs," or paths, to follow. These include abstentions, observances, physical practice, breathwork, withdrawl of the senses, concentration, meditation, and merging of consciousness with the All.

But according to the Bhagavad Gita, the ancient sacred scripture of Hinduism, yoga is the paths of devotional service, action, meditation, and knowledge - specific ways of living and being, which lead to a surrender of our attachments to the material world and a connection with the Supreme. To follow these ways, then, is to practice yoga.

Hatha yoga is the physical form of yoga made up of asanas, or a series of poses. This is the type of yoga typically practiced in the West, at gyms and studios. The asanas were developed to purify the body, which further allows for purification of the mind. The poses were meant to prepare the body for long periods of seated meditation.

These are important distinctions to keep in mind. A person who can place her foot behind her head is not necessarily "better" at yoga than one who is consistently fully present in her life. A practitioner who meditates every day is not necessarily more attuned with yoga than one who devotes his free time to those in need.

Find the yoga that works for you. Explore! There are many paths to unification and hatha yoga is not the only righteous way. The style that matters most is the one that works best for your own soul.

For more information, you can try Googling "yoga," or check out the Wikipedia entry and follow the links within to learn about the different styles. It can be a lifetime study, so don't expect to know and understand it all in a day! :-) Cheers, and Namasté

Shapeshifter Yoga February iMix is now available!

noreply@blogger.com (andrea drugay) — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 01:51:00 +0000

Click below to sample & buy the mix!

Shapeshifter Yoga January iMix is now available!

noreply@blogger.com (andrea drugay) — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 18:32:00 +0000

Click below to sample & buy the mix!

Welcome, 2009

noreply@blogger.com (andrea drugay) — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 09:04:00 +0000

2009: The Year of Peace

Om, shanti, shanti, shanti

Why New Year's Resolutions Might Not Work

noreply@blogger.com (andrea drugay) — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 21:02:00 +0000

(Gorgeous photo from http://www.fbuzz.com/)

It's that time again - the "end" of the "year" according to the Gregorian calendar by which we in the U.S. live - when we settle into reflection about the past year and resolve to do better in the next one. Only, we're not always very good at keeping these resolutions. The reason isn't so much that we're weak-willed or that we aimed too high - it's because mid-winter is simply not the right time to start anew!

Think about it: January first falls in the dead of winter, when all other facets of nature (in the northern hemisphere) have closed down, buried themselves under the soil, shut their eyes and gone into hibernation. It's the yin time of the year, the introverted, introspective, dark, restful time of the year. It's a great time to reflect, to write in a journal, to contemplate and plan and prepare.

But according to nature and the natural rhythms of life, it's not a great time to put plans into action! The time to do that is the start of the new year according to the seasons, according to Nature (and according to other calendars, too, not just pagan and witchy ones :-) - wait until the spring equinox, March 20 this year.

That's when Nature yawns and blinks and lets new light spring forth and sprouts buds and melts the snow and welcomes warmth and rebirth into the world. That's when the new year really starts. That's when plans and decisions and preparations turn into action and can really stick.

So think about giving yourself a break this January 1. Give yourself a few more months to mull things over while you contemplate the non-active side of your own nature. Let Nature take her course and let your true resolutions blossom in the spring.

Forward bends in the yin months

noreply@blogger.com (andrea drugay) — Sat, 27 Dec 2008 19:57:00 +0000

I've been spending a lot of my yoga time the past few weeks in restorative poses and very gentle flow, but recently returned to my regular, pretty vigorous practice - lots of Sun Salutations, standing poses, balance poses, warm and juicy and sweaty and deep twists and Urdhva Dhanurasana and Sirsasana, the whole gamut.

But what has stood out the most is how deeply I have been getting in my seated forward folds: Janu Sirsasana, Paschimottanasana, Double Pigeon, and any other that I come up with. Forward folding is so calming, such a great release, that I will sometimes hold the poses for several minutes, focusing on my breath and feeling my hips and hamstrings and back inch open wider with every exhalation.

It's a great way to balance my active, yang practice - with all the activity and sweating and movement - to restore balance to my body and my mind and soul with these long periods of folding into myself, allowing release to happen. The deeper I connect with my breath, the more my body allows itself to open, and paradoxically, the more my body is open, the deeper I am able to go within. Forward folds are a wonderful companion to the shorter, darker days of these months, a great way to let myself go within without going down but going deep. Balancing the light and sweat and activity with rest, contemplation, and quiet.

Happy Solstice!

noreply@blogger.com (andrea drugay) — Sun, 21 Dec 2008 22:10:00 +0000

I've always loved the solstices, welcoming the polar opposites of summer and winter, yin and yang, darkness and light. So I'm celebrating today by acknowledging the darkness and the possibilities endless depth holds. Taking time today to go within, to retreat inwards and rest in the velvety darkness of my deepest self ~ finding the abundance and limitless depths of an inner world as rich and endless as the universe. Occasionally glimpsing a star; sometimes, a planet; space creatures; energies; light beings on the astral plane. Closing my eyes and allowing the yin state to manifest, draping over me like a down blanket, promoting vital rest, revitalization, and rebalancing the yang, the outward me.

Giving thanks to the darkness for intuition, dreams, and subconscious connection! May you all have a beautiful solstice!

Being present, being light

noreply@blogger.com (andrea drugay) — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 03:52:00 +0000

We're two days into December, and as last year, I'm celebrating Advent in my own way, a modern-yet-pagan ritual celebrating darkness and the rebirth of the sun. As last year, I'm using each image from my Advent calendar as a daily meditation, a metaphor for those things I need to focus on most in my life. It's my hope that these meditations will inspire you to create your own ritual during this time of seasonal darkness and social light.

Yesterday's advent calendar image was a present. How appropriate! I can't think of a better reminder to be present in all aspects of my life: in my teaching, in my practice, in my relationships. Also being present with myself, listening to my body, learning from my cells and the subtle energies. Staying with my breath. Not wandering into fantasies and illusions, but not berating myself if I go there. Just being. Now.

Today's image was a candle. Even better! There are some dark corners in my psyche that need light in order to heal. That light can only come from within. When I teach, when I practice, when I'm with my partner or a friend or my family, it is my responsibility to nurture the light of my soul. To let it be still as a candle, flickering gently with soft movement, but always staying steady and strong. Providing the flame with essential oxygen so it glows brightly. And again, it always comes back to my breath.

Breathing. Being present. Nurturing the light within. These are the days of winter. Listening to the stillness, not the chaos. Keeping a watchful eye over my inner candle. Returning, always, to my breath.

Shapeshifter Yoga December iMix now available on iTunes!

noreply@blogger.com (andrea drugay) — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 17:31:00 +0000

Shapeshifter Yoga November iMix now out on iTunes

noreply@blogger.com (andrea drugay) — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 00:05:00 +0000

Check out the track listing below:

November Newsletter now out!

noreply@blogger.com (andrea drugay) — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 22:04:00 +0000

Curious? Sign up for the free Shapeshifter Yoga e-newsletter here!

The yoga of being "good"

noreply@blogger.com (andrea drugay) — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 00:31:00 +0000

It doesn't happen often, but every once in a while, I'll have a student who is very concerned with whether I thought her practice was good (it's always the female students who've asked me, btw).

Typically, the practice will end and right after meditation and "Namaste," she will look at me with wide eyes, expectant, and ask, "Was that good?" or "Did I do okay?" or even, "How was I?"

My standard response - because I believe it's true - is, "Only you can answer that."

Now, I've debated whether this answer is mean. How hard would it be for me to just say, "You were great"? But I realize that part of my job as a teacher is not only to encourage my students by using words of praise and peace, but also to encourage them to find those words of praise and peace within themselves.

I believe it does the student the most good to ask herself whether she "did good" - and not worry so much what I thought. A yoga practice is not about pleasing the teacher - it is about finding peace, joy, and acceptance within your own self. As a teacher, I don't care whether you can put your foot behind your head or if you can't touch your toes - none of that matters to me. What matters to me is whether you are allowing yourself to be in the moment, with your breath, listening to your body.

There's a saying in surfing that the best surfer out there is the one who's having the most fun. The same goes for yoga. If you're practicing to please anyone BUT yourself, you may want to reexamine your priorities.

Healing one's self takes patience

noreply@blogger.com (andrea drugay) — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 21:56:00 +0000

... and unconditional love from within! I'm learning this in the moment, as I heal from a surfing injury I got when I was in Hawaii last week. I collided with another surfer and his 10-foot longboard slammed into my leg, causing a Grade 2 quadriceps contusion - a.k.a., a really f-ing bad charley horse. Yeowch! The muscle likely tore a bit, though there was very little bruising and nothing to "show" for it - which has been kind of funny, because it could easily look like I'm faking it. Believe me, I'm not!

For the last week, I've been walking with a cane, resting my leg, and staying off of it as much as possible. Plus, I have been giving it Reiki every day, which I know has helped. The last week has been quite a challenge! I'm very used to go-go-go. Very used to independence and mobility. Very used to practicing yoga!

Today is my first day in a week walking without a cane, and I am so grateful and happy that I can do it! I'm able now to bend my knee past 120 degrees, which is a humongous improvement. And tomorrow I will allow myself a yoga practice - yay! We'll see how it goes, though. If my quad starts hurting, I'll take it easier or stop if necessary.

For now, I'm just remembering to stay grounded, stay rested, eat lots of protein, potassium, and vitamin C to heal the muscle, and most importantly, stay positive! A healthy, happy mindset will heal me the quickest and keep my head together when my patience is tested. Later today I will try walking down and up the stairs to my 3rd-floor apartment withOUT a cane. I know I can do it! It will have to be slow, though. But I have faith and positivity. Send some good vibes if you get a chance, and I'll be sure to keep ya updated as things heal!

Peace :-)

The art of breathing

noreply@blogger.com (andrea drugay) — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 23:09:00 +0000

(this **awesome** painting is from http://www.listenforjoy.com/)

Swimming, Sun Salutations, cardio work, sweet love, long giggles, belly laughs, even walking up these steep hills near Chinatown to get to my latest freelance gig... all make me so deeply appreciate BREATHING! How this simple, autonomic action can be so liberating - to release a negative thought or a negative energy or a negative pattern in your life, just breathe. Inhale deeply through your nose, then exhale and release. Exhale deeper. Exhale fully. Then inhale slowly, pure, clean breath! Releasing old patterns, gaining new life.

It reminds me of when I was in grad school, translating Rainer Maria Rilke's poetry, and the beauty of the Sonnets to Orpheus, particularly the one I spent an entire quarter working on. Here's C.F. MacIntyre's translation... maybe someday I'll share mine, too :-)

Breath, you invisible poem! Pure
exchange unceasing between the great
ether and our existence. Counterweight
in which I rhythmically occur.

Single billow whose slow degrees
of ocean take place
in me; most frugal you, of all possible seas--
winnings of space.

How many parts of this space already were
within me! There's many a wind
like a son to me.

Do you know me, air, full of places where I
used to be?
You, once smooth rind,
roundness and leaf of my words.

... I couldn't have said it better, myself! It's so easy to remember throughout the day... Just breathe. That's all you've got to do - just breathe.