My Yoga Journey

You only get better with practice #yoga

Viparita karani, perfect pose for holiday travelers!

Benefits include:

• Regulates blood flow
• Alleviates menstrual cramps
• Relieves swollen ankles and varicose veins
• Improves digestion
• Restores tired feet or legs
• Stretches the back of the neck, front torso, and back of the legs
• Relieves mild backache
• Provides migraine and headache relief, especially when done with a bandage wrapped tightly around the forehead and back of the skull
• Helps keep you young and vital
• Calms anxiety
• Relieves symptoms of mild depression and insomnia

Happy Christmas, Joyeux Noel & Happy Festivus for the rest of us!

Already worried about those holiday calories? Start your year off right with yogagurl & our 30 Day Wellness Challenge: http://eepurl.com/h1JOo

Free to participate when you sign up for a yoga package.

Sign up with a team of 3 people to receive a goody bag and enjoy a 15% discount if you all sign up together …

It’s that time of year again, a time of good tidings and cheer. Inevitably though, we succumb to the pressures of the holiday season and forget about the simple pleasures in life. Here’s a little something I read at the end of my class to remind us all that right here, in this moment, we have enough.

Thank you Life
by Gary van Warmerdam

Thank you for this breath
Thank you for this inhale; Thank you for this exhale
Thank you for this Life

Thank you Heart
Thank you for this pounding; Thank you for this pulsing
Thank you for this Love

Thank you feet
Thank you for this walk; Thank you for this run
Thank you for the Dancing

Thank you Eyes
Thank you for the Sunrise; Thank you for the Sunset
Thank you for all the Colors

Thank you Ears
Thank you for The Music; Thank you for the Rhythm
And Thank you for the Stillness

Thank you Hands
Thank you for the Caressing; Thank you for the Clapping
And Thank you for the Holding

Thank you Mouth
Thank you for the nourishment; Thank you for the Wine
Thank you for the Kisses

Thank you Nose
Thank you for the Flowers; Thank you for the Pines
Thank you for the Sniffles

Thank you Arms and Shoulders
Thank you for the Carrying; Thank you for the Burdening
And Thank you for the Hugging

Thank you Voice
Thank you for the Expression; Thank you for the Word
Thank you for the Gift of Creation

Thank you for this Day; Thank you for the Light
Thank you for the Stars; Thank you for the Night

Thank you Self
Thank you for the Laughter; Thank you for the Play
Thank you for You

Thank you for the Emotions
Thank you for the Joys; Thank you for the Tears and Sorrows

Thank you for the Richness
Thank you for the Abundance that is.
Thank you for the Abundance that is given.
Thank you for the so many experiences and so many things

Thank you for this Dance.

Thank you Life.

Source: myrevelment.com via Melinda on Pinterest

yogapractice:

Have you signed up for the 2012 21-Day Challenge yet? New this year - track your goals, form a team & select a level!http://www.yogajournal.com/21daychallenge/

by: Dr. Seuss

Congratulations!

Today is your day.
You’re off to Great Places!
You’re off and away!

You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes
You can steer yourself
any direction you choose.
You’re on your own. And you know what you know.
And YOU are the guy who’ll decide where to go.

You’ll look up and down streets. Look ‘em over with care.
About some you will say, “I don’t choose to go there.”
With your head full of brains and your shoes full of feet,
you’re too smart to go down any not-so-good street.
And you may not find any
you’ll want to go down.
In that case, of course,
you’ll head straight out of town.

It’s opener there
in the wide open air.

Out there things can happen
and frequently do
to people as brainy
and footsy as you.

And when things start to happen,
don’t worry. Don’t stew.
Just go right along.
You’ll start happening too.

OH! THE PLACES YOU’LL GO!

You’ll be on your way up!
You’ll be seeing great sights!
You’ll join the high fliers
who soar to high heights.

You won’t lag behind, because you’ll have the speed.
You’ll pass the whole gang and you’ll soon take the lead.
Wherever you fly, you’ll be the best of the best.
Wherever you go, you will top all the rest.

Except when you don’t
Because, sometimes, you won’t.

I’m sorry to say so
but, sadly, it’s true
and Hang-ups
can happen to you.

You can get all hung up
in a prickle-ly perch.
And your gang will fly on.
You’ll be left in a Lurch.

You’ll come down from the Lurch
with an unpleasant bump.
And the chances are, then,
that you’ll be in a Slump.

And when you’re in a Slump,
you’re not in for much fun.
Un-slumping yourself
is not easily done.

You will come to a place where the streets are not marked.
Some windows are lighted. But mostly they’re darked.
A place you could sprain both your elbow and chin!
Do you dare to stay out? Do you dare to go in?
How much can you lose? How much can you win?

And IF you go in, should you turn left or right…
or right-and-three-quarters? Or, maybe, not quite?
Or go around back and sneak in from behind?
Simple it’s not, I’m afraid you will find,
for a mind-maker-upper to make up his mind.

You can get so confused
that you’ll start in to race
down long wiggled roads at a break-necking pace
and grind on for miles across weirdish wild space,
headed, I fear, toward a most useless place.
The Waiting Place…

…for people just waiting.
Waiting for a train to go
or a bus to come, or a plane to go
or the mail to come, or the rain to go
or the phone to ring, or the snow to snow
or waiting around for a Yes or a No
or waiting for their hair to grow.
Everyone is just waiting.

Waiting for the fish to bite
or waiting for wind to fly a kite
or waiting around for Friday night
or waiting, perhaps, for their Uncle Jake
or a pot to boil, or a Better Break
or a string of pearls, or a pair of pants
or a wig with curls, or Another Chance.
Everyone is just waiting.

NO! That’s not for you!
Somehow you’ll escape
all that waiting and staying.
You’ll find the bright places
where Boom Bands are playing.

With banner flip-flapping,
once more you’ll ride high!
Ready for anything under the sky.
Ready because you’re that kind of a guy!

Oh, the places you’ll go! There is fun to be done!
There are points to be scored. there are games to be won.
And the magical things you can do with that ball
will make you the winning-est winner of all.
Fame! You’ll be famous as famous can be,
with the whole wide world watching you win on TV.

Except when they don’t.
Because, sometimes, they won’t.

I’m afraid that some times
you’ll play lonely games too.
Games you can’t win
‘cause you’ll play against you.

All Alone!
Whether you like it or not,
Alone will be something
you’ll be quite a lot.

And when you’re alone, there’s a very good chance
you’ll meet things that scare you right out of your pants.
There are some, down the road between hither and yon,
that can scare you so much you won’t want to go on.

But on you will go
though the weather be foul
On you will go
though your enemies prowl
On you will go
though the Hakken-Kraks howl
Onward up many
a frightening creek,
though your arms may get sore
and your sneakers may leak.

On and on you will hike
and I know you’ll hike far
and face up to your problems
whatever they are.
You’ll get mixed up, of course,
as you already know.
You’ll get mixed up
with many strange birds as you go.
So be sure when you step.
Step with care and great tact
and remember that Life’s
a Great Balancing Act.
Just never forget to be dexterous and deft.
And never mix up your right foot with your left.

And will you succeed?
Yes! You will, indeed!
(98 and 3/4 percent guaranteed.)

KID, YOU’LL MOVE MOUNTAINS!

So…
be your name Buxbaum or Bixby or Bray
or Mordecai Ali Van Allen O’Shea,
you’re off to Great Places!
Today is your day!
Your mountain is waiting.
So…get on your way!