Tag Archives: Health

The Glow of a Yogi

11 Oct


Roughly quoted from my journal, June 27, 2012: “Beauty starts on the inside. Westerners have it all wrong with the attention they pay to hair, makeup and artificial things. When your internal systems are happy, it will give you a glow on the outside to make you truly beautiful”. – Yogi Charu

I’d just attended a yoga class in NYC led by Yogi Charu who voiced the above quote. He oozed a calm, compassionate, soul-rooted love. I later found out he’d spent several years in the Himalayas and taught all over the world. This guy was legit!

No question, living a wholesome lifestyle gives people a certain glow, particularly when eating healthy and treating their bodies to regular workouts. But there is something about yoga that amplifies it tenfold through consistent practice.

To read the full article, it’s just a hop, skip & a jump away on my Lebert Fitness page :) 

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5 MORE Ways to Deepen Your Yoga Practice

15 Aug

I’m excited to bounce back this week with five more ways to deepen our yoga practice. I started this topic not because I feel like an expert (far from it) but because it’s my hope that it will be a resource for those just beginning, or for those wanting to reach beyond what a practice of Asana (pose) can do to a more holistic approach that can lead to new discoveries time & time again. I’m still always learning & discovering all the time – aren’t we all? So, from one “beginner” to another:

5 More Ways to Deepen Your Yoga Practice

Be of Service
Have you heard of karma classes? Many studios hold them at cheaper prices once a week, donating the money to a chosen charity. But instead of viewing as a cheap ticket to paradise, why not flip your perspective and choose a karma-themed class that speaks to something you feel warm & fuzzy about? Dedicate your practice to the theme that day and send your loving vibrations into the Universe for those affected. You could also see if your local studio has a volunteer program where they exchange labor for free classes – a “win-win” for everyone.

Develop a Home Practice
The process of going to a yoga studio at the same time everyday can be a comfort in many of our lives, as Lisa at A Charmed Yogi recently blogged about where she includes suggestions for detaching from a studio-state-of-mind and developing our own practice. I loved this post because personally it was not until I was able to lead myself through a practice at home, or realized that I even desired to do so without the help of a teacher, that I felt I’d truly integrated yoga into my life (and not just into my ‘routine’). Personally, I still favor studio over home practice but I hope to continue practicing at home or in a hotel whenever money, time or place doesn’t allow for a class.

Set an Intention
In the first of 5 Ways to Deepen Your Practice, I ended with “practice like you mean it” meaning quite simply: practice, practice, practice over theory, theory, theory! But a different spin on “practicing like you mean it” is to actually set an intention. Everything we do in life has an intention behind it, so take time to turn inward at the start of your practice and think of a person, event, action or quality you want to honor, heal, embody or love. It will make your practice a moving prayer and you’ll be amazed at how you feel afterwards when you focus on something positive. The last intention I used was ‘love’ because I wanted everything I was doing on the mat to be embodied with utmost love for myself – no judgments or negativity allowed.

Attend a Workshop
If you have the money, many studios offer workshops (often on weekends) where you can go deeper into a certain theme. Whether of the mind-spirit realm like “Awakening to a Practice in Meditation” or a physical focus like ‘Inversions and Arm balances’, workshops are great ways to dish a little bit of extra money for a heartier look at interesting topics. They could range from $20-$200+ depending on what the workshop includes, who the teacher is and how long it lasts. Check your studio’s listings online for upcoming workshops, it’s such a great way to absorb more knowledge and practice.

Breathe Like You Mean It
Pranayama – or taking control of your breath – comes directly after asana (postures) in the 8 Limbs of Yoga. Some teachers will emphasize it and others won’t, but if there is one thing you do (aside from having a regular practice), this is what you want! It’s so hard to do at first and is something you constantly need to be looking out for, but its benefits are innumerable. Among many other things, it shoots us back into our bodies with present awareness, it helps our minds clear and hone in on the task at hand (not on the other million everyday things that want to leak in), it tells our body all’s ok – that it’s not in any danger, thus relaxing it into submission and it sends oxygen to our entire system.

These are just some more ways I have enjoyed deepening my yoga practice. Everyone’s path is unique and as our practices continue, we’ll find what works for each of us at the times we’re meant to. If you enjoyed this post, please stop by its predecessor: 5 Easy Ways to Deepen Your Yoga Practice.

Do you set intentions before classes? Anything else help you deepen your practice?

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5 Easy Ways to Deepen Your Yoga Practice

8 Aug

It’s safe to say if I challenged you to guess my favourite subject to write about – besides myself (kidding! :)) – many of you would say Yoga. Fact. And though many would be right, they may also be quick to assume that fireworks exploded during my first downward facing dog or rays of sunshine separated the clouds as angels “ahhhh’ed” from the gates of heaven:

Yoga is heavenly, but it took time.


This was not the case.

Yoga was the off-ice training class that every kid dreaded in my figure skating years. Maybe I secretly looked forward to the visualization aspect of it at the end (“picture yourself in a green, flowery field”…..I was a special 11 year old). But when high school / university happened, skating faded and so did yoga.

12 years later, when I reconnected with yoga, it took 2 Stop & Start years of experimenting different styles and ‘using it’ only when it was convenient for me to develop the relationship we have today.

If you’ve been yo-yo-ing in yoga for a little while and still can’t really see what ‘does it’ for so many people, have you ever considered that instead of throwing in the towel, maybe what you need is a little more?

5 (Easy) Ways to Deepen Your Yoga Practice via Tracks by Linds


1. START A YOGA JOURNAL
Look at it as your own little book of life lessons – one you’ll be happy to look back on. I started a yoga journal last summer and it has been the biggest game changer for me. After classes, I jot quotes from the teacher that resonated or feelings that arose during certain moments. It makes me more aware and challenges me think beyond the physical (though recording triumphs - yeah headstand!- is another fun way to playfully stroke the ego). A yoga journal will also help you see what means the most to you at any given time. I believe that if something “sticks” after class, there’s a pretty good indication it was meant to.


2. FIND A BUDDY
The journey of yoga can be a very inward one but it’s always nice when you have a friend who can relate to your interests and changes. They are great resources for book recommendations, words of advice and encouragement  or just for bouncing ideas. Sometimes the road to yoga gets lonely, especially when none of your friends or family are into it. I’m lucky to have a handful of people to message, call or roll out my mat with (if you don’t, feel free to email me anytime – I really could talk about it forever and I’m always up for a meet-up!) 


3. DEVELOP A (PLATONIC) RELATIONSHIP WITH YOUR TEACHER
A friend once said, “the relationship we have with our teachers is so special.” I’m finding that to be true in more ways than I can describe in words. It’s a precious relationship when you find the right one(s) and I’m blessed to have a few teachers who shine different parts of their light into different parts of my practice.

Don’t be scared to approach your teacher after class – I’m betting they would love to hear from you and get to know you as beyond being their student. A healthy student-teacher relationship can also be a great catalyst for dragging you out of the house on those days that you really don’t give a rat’s ass. If you don’t get that feeling, it might be time to consider trying a class from someone new.


4. READ YOGA BOOKS
In the beginning of this newfound yogic affair, I dove my nose into as much yogi wisdom as I could. It was a great way to comfortably get used to the vocabulary, welcome new knowledge and entertain diverse thoughts / perspectives. I haven’t even gotten through half of the books on my ‘to-read’ list. All this being said leads to numero cinco……

 

5. PRACTICE LIKE YOU MEAN IT
Whether your intention is mind-blowing flexibility, reverent patience or heart-pounding revelations - Yoga is 99% practice, 1% theory. Practice and all is coming - Guru Pattabhi Jois was not lying.

No matter how much I resisted believing in this in the beginning, I’ve realized that we can read & talk & debate about it all we want; we can pay as much money to learn from the ‘best of the best of the best of the best’; but unless our own practice becomes regular enough, we may only be abandoned by our own g00d intentions.

In the end, our practice is equal to no one else’s, and – much like our lives – every single person’s will be infinitely different. As you delve into yours, relax and let it flow. Do the things you feel like doing and refrain from the things you don’t. With consistent practice though, I can guarantee one thing: anticipate to be lead through so many unexpected places when you leave what you expect at the door.


Question: Do any of these things deepen your practice? What are some other things that do?

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