It’s finally arrived! The time to take our first born off to college. Needless to say, this has put quite a load on this week’s to-do list. But I didn’t want this week to go by without giving you a yoga to-do list. Not all tasks need to be drudgery!

First,

This week’s podcast episode is the culmination of our “season of delight” on Jess on the Mountain, and the message is essential to your health and wellness. In it, I explore how an open and blooming sahasrara, the crown chakra, involves being part of a community, how as yoga therapists we’re trained to make sure our clients are connected to one, and why it makes such a difference to our overall well being, and a life that is healthy and delightful.

“Sahasrara is where we open to that deep sense of connection to a greater power–whether that’s god, humanity, consciousness, whatever. I’m saying that in many ways, it’s the combination of those present that...

I was having a beautiful conversation last night with a dear friend, and she told me something about SCUBA diving that I didn't know. I've never SCUBA-d, so there's a lot that I don't know. But apparently sometimes when you're down there, you can get discombobulated as to what's up, what's down, and right and left.

That sounds horrifying! But there is a way out of that discombobulation: 

Follow the bubbles. 

Bubbles are always going to go up. So if you're ever wondering what's up, what's down, or you're feeling a little lost, follow the bubbles to the surface.

This got me thinking: what are bubbles anyway? An exhale. And when we exhale and blow bubbles, we don't push it out forcefully.  We let it out. It's a relaxation. And the exhale takes longer than the inhale. This is actually a pranayama (controlled breath) that calms the nervous system and activates the Vagus nerve response, taking you to rest and digest, and out of fight or flight. 

For...

I hope your Thanksgiving holiday was delightful and fun, with a healthy dose of yum! Ours was lovely–a good balance of family, friends, and good conversation while eating the feast Nick prepared.  (I’m the prep cook and decorator/table setter, which suits me just fine.)  

Lucky for me I’m fairly extroverted, which gives me a broad bandwidth for chit chat and the high volume that comes with a room full of people. But I have to admit, my bandwidth has decreased post-Covid. I find myself daydreaming of my jammies way earlier than I did three years ago, and I know it’s not just a natural aging progression.  It’s a nervous system that’s out of shape for marathons of social engagement. 

Thankfully, we have tools for this.  I believe we can get back to pre-Covid party tolerance, if that is indeed what we want to do. Either way, I think these three things will help the most in navigating our way back to balance...

Whew!  If you're in the Northern Hemisphere, summer is here!  Even if you're in the cooler parts, you know the heat is on its way. So how can we get into the practice of cooling off before the heat builds up to a boiling point?

As I was moving rocks and pulling weeds in my backyard this weekend, I remembered my favorite tool for cooling off IN THE MOMENT.  Those of you who have been studying with me for a while already know where I'm headed: sitali pranayama. 

Pronounced shee-ta-lee, this cooling breath exercise may look a little silly, but it's well worth the embarrassment.  (And if you're tuning out like, "I got this. Moving on!" then I challenge you to do one minute before you click the back button and see how you feel :)

Here's how to bring the cooling magic:  

• Inhale through a rolled tongue. 
• Place your tongue on the roof of your mouth and exhale through your nose.  

That's it! It's an easy and ...

I don't know about you, but for me, time is starting to feel compressed. Like there's a lot to fit into a 24 hour period or a seven-day week. And when I start to feel that compression, what I've realized is that what I need is inner spaciousness.  

To get this feeling of inner spaciousness, start by doing all you can do about the outer world, like removing things from the calendar or reducing commitments as much as possible.  From there, try these things:

• Be only where you are.  Try not to look ahead where everything is coming at you.  Be right where you are, and bring your attention to your body, your breath, and your surroundings.  That future stuff isn’t here yet. Just be here.

• Practice inversions.  Flip your perspective, increase blood flow to the brain, and drain the lymphatic system to gain some clarity and reduce fatigue.  It’s as simple as lying on your back with legs up the wall.  Take...

Happy Winter Solstice!  

I like to think of this day as the end of Earth's very long (6 months!) exhale. You know that point where there's a brief pause before the inhale begins?  That's what today is.  The longest night of the year.  The least amount of sun, or the least amount of breath in the lungs.  

It's a beautiful time to get quiet and be present with what is.  It's a beautiful time to experience rest and get in the groove of what Mother Nature is doing in winter. 

Try this pranayama involving khumbaka, or breath retention:

• Take a slow, deep inhale.
• Let it slowly dissolve into an exhale. 
• Follow your breath with your mind.
• At the end of the exhale, pause.
• Rest in the empty stillness.
• After a few beats let the inhale return. 
• Repeat several times and notice how you feel.

Here's the thing: the inhale will always return.  So does the sun. So will the light. This too...