Seattle Yogini

Pregnancy and Neck Pain

Today's post is on Prenatal Yogini, where I've offered some recommendations to alleviate neck and throat tension during pregnancy, and insight into why a relaxed throat is so important as labor draws near!

Standing Poses During Pregnancy

I posted on Prenatal Yogini today.  Learn how to take care of yourself (or your pregnant students) during a standing pose practice!

Teaching: Pelvic Floor Workshop

My annual Lifting the Pelvic Floor workshop is coming up in July.  Below is an article I wrote for the Yoga Centers e-newsletter, entitled "Why I Teach the Pelvic Floor Workshop".  If you'd like to join the workshop, click on the link or contact Yoga Centers (425-746-7476) to register.

If you have questions or comments, leave a comment so everyone can learn!

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People are sometimes surprised that I have such an interest in a part of the body that is so “private”; an area that may seem irrelevant to everyday life. We often speak around the pelvic floor but not directly about the pelvic floor. This may be in part due to a desire to be discreet. After all, in order to properly discuss the pelvic floor, one must be willing to utter words like “genitalia” and “anus”. As a prenatal yoga teacher and a doula, I use words like that in a professional setting surprisingly often!

I have found it very helpful to speak frankly about seemingly discreet topics. For me, it all boils down to one simple fact: we all have a pelvic floor. We all have those nearby body parts. We all benefit from building our awareness of the pelvic floor and learning to strengthen it. I have taught women and men about the importance of the pelvic floor and how to care for it for years. I continue to feel passionately about it...particularly when I see the wonderful results people have from using some basic knowledge and exercises, like those I teach in my workshop.

I first became interested in the pelvic floor after a visit to my midwife years ago. I went in for a well woman check up, and the midwife did the usual exam, during which she said “squeeze my fingers”. I did as instructed, and she responded with an enthusiastic “Whoa! I love yoga people's pelvic floors”. I didn't really know what she meant, because it hadn't occurred to me that my pelvic floor might be any different from anybody else's. So I started to look into it. I considered the daily activities in which I consciously use my pelvic floor (particularly during my yoga practice, but also in everyday situations such as coughing, sneezing, walking, or climbing the stairs). I started researching books on the topic. The more I learned, the more interested I became. Eventually I realized that I had an awareness and a knowledge base that might be helpful for other people – especially considering the many unfortunate consequences of a lazy pelvic floor. So I developed a workshop dedicated to the pelvic floor.

As far as I know, my pelvic floor workshop is the only workshop of its kind. It's a very liberating experience for participants, as we create a space in which everyone can ask questions, trouble-shoot, and discuss what's going on “down there” freely. There are often a lot of questions, and we all learn a lot as we work through the material and the exercises together. It doesn't matter what stage of life or which sex a student is, everyone can improve their health by learning how to properly use the pelvic floor.

Try this: go back to the top of this article and read the whole thing while lifting your pelvic floor. Relax for a couple of minutes and then do it again while reading the article out loud. Why out loud? Well, do it and feel the difference. Are you intrigued? If so, then I hope to see you in my workshop this July!

The Name Thing

Juliet:
"What's in a name? That which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet."

Romeo and Juliet (II, ii, 1-2)

Juliet was right about roses.  They smell sweet, and would likely smell the same even if they were called "pinks".  Roses, however, are not people.  Roses do not engage in personal growth and development.  They do not strive to become better roses.  They are not empowered to make choices about their lives.

Thankfully, people do...and are.  In fact, it is in the making of choices, the endeavor to become ever more * I *, and the growth that comes from that path of Self-development that we grow.  We change.  We evolve.

Names can help us in that process.  Words carry meaning.  Names (especially for people) are important.  They carry intention, hope, direction, legacy, and sometimes the baggage of those who bestowed the name.  One may use a name to identify oneself with a particular ethnicity, or to honor a deceased person.  Expectant parents take a lot of time to name their children precisely because a name is important.

As that child grows, however, the name may prove untenable.  It may not "fit" the adult the child becomes.  They may no longer identify with that heritage, or may have been burdened with the memories of the honored dead.  The adult may find that, having learned more about who she is and what she's about, the time has come to let go of the old name - and the persona it identified - and assume a new name that will help her along her personal journey.

Aside:  I wish that we had naming rituals for adults.  Since our names are often chosen by our parents before they meet us, I think that a coming-of-age ritual in which an adult determines his or her own name would be fabulous.  It would recognize the significance of one's name while honoring the growth of the person.

A few years ago, a name came to me in meditation and prayer.  It was very clearly a name, and an important message, but I didn't understand whose name it was.  At that time, I was not even thinking about changing my name, though many people in the yogic community do so.  The name stuck with me, though, like a guardian spirit, always hovering somewhere nearby in my consciousness.

It wasn't until my grandmother passed away in 2008 that I began questioning the appropriateness of my given name (Kelly).  Kelly became uncomfortable, like too-tight shoes.  It was another family member's name before it was mine; an aunt who passed away at the tender age of three-and-a-half.  The feeling behind the name (which means warrior, war, strife, conflict, and "bright-headed" [whatever that means]) no longer applied to my life and, in fact, represented a very long stage of my life that I was glad to have worked through.  It did not feel like my name, and I did not want the very word meant to represent me to be one that literally evoked conflict & war every time it was spoken.  My warrior days, at least in the literal sense, are behind me.  I realized it was time to assume a new name - one that would help me rise to a fuller expression of my Self with each utterance.

The name that came to me in meditation was not exactly my first choice.  When I realized that I needed a new name, my mind got really excited and started offering many options.  It was a lot to sift through!  In the end, though, it was so much chaff.  It took a few more weeks of meditation and prayer to discern that the name was, in fact, for me.  Then I had to do a lot of inner work to help me let go of the name Kelly.  After all, I had that name for 34 years.  It isn't as simple as going to the courthouse and changing the name.  The mind, body, energy, everything about a person has to let go of the old name and welcome the new one.

This takes time.

But making the change has been such a wonderful step for me.  It is a beautiful name, and for me it holds the energy of nobility (especially a sense of feminine power, strength & grace).  It calls me more deeply into adulthood - the kind of adult I want to be.  Kelly represents my childhood and adolescence, much of which stayed with me into my thirties.  My new name calls me into the fullness of adulthood, with its responsibilities, integrity, joy, and strength.  Kelly led me to this place, and I will always be grateful for that.  Kelly cannot take me further, though, and so I've let it go.

My name is Arya.  I had no idea what it meant when it came to me.  It isn't as if I looked through a baby name book.  I have learned, however, that it is a very powerful name for me.  I am so thrilled to finally be ready to share it - and myself - with the world.

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If you're interested in name meanings, read this for a great background on the name.  After reading this, a friend of mine pointed out that the phrase, "who strives and overcomes all outside him and within him that stands opposed to the human advance" sounds perfect for me.  I was so grateful to him for having pointed that out.  It really helped me assume the name even more.  Thanks, S!!!

Upcoming Awesomeness, Seattleyogini Style!

There are a bunch of upcoming events about which I am very excited!  One of my students suggested I post them all, so here you go!  The links will take you to further information.

March 20:  Hathor Unveiled:  An Homage to Seattle's Bellydance Origins , 8pm

March 21:  inFusion Tribal and Saltana Band at Navya Lounge, 7 pm

    Live music and improvisational belly dance.  A double dose of Awesome!

March 26 - 28:  Cues & Tattoos, a belly dance workshop event + performances

    Instructor Showcase on Friday at 7pm

    Serpents Muse (Participant/Student Show) on Saturday, time TBA

April 9 - 10:  Meditation for Christian Women, A Retreat in New Harmony, IN

    I will facilitate this overnight retreat for Christian women interested in meditation.  We will explore breath, scripture, and learn the tools of Purna Yoga meditation to enhance one's ability to hear God's guidance.  For information, please contact me:  seattleyoginiATcomcastDOTnet

May:  I'll offer some yoga and/or meditation workshops in May, so stay tuned to www.mlcyoga.com updates to the workshops page!

Maple Leaf Community Yoga video

Hello!  Since returning from the UK, we have been very busy preparing Maple Leaf Community Yoga for the holidays, with special classes, workshops, and prop sales.  It's been wonderful to brainstorm new offerings, but it has taken up every bit of creative, mental, and emotional energy...and I still have to publicize December's fun!

Tonight I wanted to share this lovely video about our studio, the power of yoga in real people's lives, and the (non-) effects of the "economic downturn" on our corner of the yoga world.  Remember when I wrote about our decision to opt out of the recession?

Okay, without further ado:

Please leave a comment on youtube about this video (you can navigate there by double-clicking on the image above).  Does it inspire you?  Does it motivate you to get out your sticky mat?  Are you a student who wants to chime in?  Let us know how yoga at MLCY has affected you...especially during this financially challenging year.

A great big hug of thanks to: Erica (one of our fabulous teachers!), Jim , Christian & Josh (kind students who shared their experiences), Sandra (a colleague shown teaching at Yoga Centers in some of the footage) , Marchella for the beautiful music, and the cameraman, Joel.

Yoga on the road - Suggestions for maintaining your yoga practice while away from home

Maintaining a yoga practice while on the road can be a challenge.  By expanding your definition of yoga, however, you will find numerous opportunities to put the practice to work.

• asana: Some basic and poses are easily done in a hotel room, park, or even an airplane aisle. The sun salutations and the mroning series require minimal space and props (you might want a mat or something clean to lie upon, and you might need a strap or similar aid for the hamstring stretch). Simple standing poses can be done on the airplane, upon landing, or during a walk around your hotel's neighborhood:  a lunge for the hip flexors, calves and ankles, use a wall or the back of a chair for half forward bend to release the hamstrings and back, or a little shoulder stretch. Garudasana (eagle pose) and gomukasana (cow face pose) can be done in the car, on the train, or in a plane.  Neck stretches, simple seated twists, the wrist series and the foot series can by done anywhere there's room. 

• nutrition & lifestyle: Just because you're away from home doesn't mean you should give up your healthy choices! It's still a good idea to avoid alcohol, caffeine, tobacco and sugar. In fact, if you avoid those things at home then you really should continue to do so, lest you feel the shock of sudden change while you're away. Continue to hydrate, get enough sleep and take good care of your body, and it will run more smoothly as you explore new places.  If you use further support for your health, such as Alaskan Essences, Young Living Oils or Sunrider Herbal Foods, then pack whatever you feel necessary in order to maintain your customary regimen as closely as possible.

• applied philosophy: Travel offers excellent opportunities to put this aspect of yoga to use in new and interesting circumstances.  Stay joyful, flexible, patient and present.  Maintain your center even if you find yourself in a storm of jetlag-induced confusion. 

• meditation: Purna Yoga's meditation "snacks" are perfect during travels because they each take only a couple of minutes and their results can last for hours. Since travelling can be over-stimulating, the mental centering and cocooning snacks are especially beneficial.

I find it very helpful to maintain as many of my yogic practices as possible while I'm away. It helps me feel more grounded to keep a little sense of connectedness to the familiar.  My yoga practice, which is so much more than asana, offers me tools for staying centered and present during any situation - even when I'm somewhere as busy and different as London.

So here's to our fearless exploration of the mind, body, spirit AND world! May your yoga practice support you wherever you land.

What are your tips for keeping up your yoga practice(s) while you're travelling?

*** Check out my Facebook page for the London Trip 2009 photo album. Look for Kelly Pretlow.

August Sabbatical - a Productive Rest

I take the month of August off.  By "off", I mean that I close my yoga studio, letting it, nay making it - and myself AND my students - take a little break.  When I opened the studio I was working on my 2,000-hour Purna Yoga Certification and we had 4- to 5-week intensives in August, so keeping the studio open simply wasn't an option.  I made it a tradition, and now it's something that the community knows and expects.  We close in August.  See you in September!  I try to use the time to regain perspective, refresh myself, get bigger home projects taken care of, etc.

This year I am spending the first two weeks in training with my teacher, Aadil Palkhivala, and the second two weeks are unscheduled.  Oooo, what a wonderful word:  unscheduled.   Yesterday afternoon we wrapped up a 4-day Intermediate Asana & Philosophy Immersion, and today we begin a 10-day Therapeutics Training.  I am really looking forward to this opportunity to deepen my therapeutics understanding and practice, as it is a part of my work that I particularly enjoy and really want to grow.

This past weekend's immersion was SO lovely!  There were only 12 students, which is very rare for a workshop or class with Aadil.  As a local Certified Purna Yoga Instructor I get to work with and learn from Aadil quite often, but it is always a treat to get back-to-back days with him.  I have been looking forward to these two weeks for some time.  He did a great balance of philosophy lecture/discussion, chanting, story telling, poetry reading and deeeeeep asana work.  We started off with spinal releases using traction (hanging upside down) in various positions, then there was iliopsoas stretching:

That's me in Supta Virasana.  My friend Amanda is helping me by putting weight on my thighs so that I can focus on the iliopsoas work.  I'm holding two bungee ropes attached to the rope wall.  On each exhalation I life one side of my POA (pit of the abdomen/lower rectus abdominis) toward the armpit and on toward the wall, alternating sides with each exhalation.  It was awesome and a huge stretch for the iliopsoas.  Please note that it is NOT a beginner's pose.  Don't try this without appropriate education, preparation experience & supervision.

throat opening/cervical curve work, side-waist work with Prvrtta Janu Sirsasana (see picture below) and more.  It was delicious and, as always, inspiring.  It reaffirms my belief that going deeper within a tradition and with a particular teacher is critical to one's development on this path.

Here I am in version 3 of 6 (or so, I lost count!) Prvrtta Janu Sirsasana.  I'm using the wall ropes to help create even more length in the spine, as well as the side of the torso.  In the "final" pose, the spine rests on the extended leg, with belly and chest rotating upward.  In this photo, the left side of my torso is atop my left thigh.  My left shoulder blade is touching my inner left knee.  This is the only pose that can so deeply open the sides of the torso.  It's soooooo nice!

I don't know how much writing I'll be able to do while I'm in the training.  The schedule isn't too draining, but there is a commute, and regular family/home things going on so not much time left for sharing it on the blog.  I'll try to at least post tidbits here and there.  August is a time for me to focus inwardly, to be "productive" in my life and spirituality rather than in the outer/commercial world.  It will be interesting to see if I discover a way in which I can share outwardly while maintaining my inner focus...

A Woman's Yoga Practice - Honoring your cycle & your needs

I participate as a moderator on a forum called Namaste Knitters (found on ravelry).  Recently a question arose that is relevant to all female practitioners, and poorly understood.  A yoga student wanted to know what poses are contraindicated by menstruation and why that might be.  Following is my response, adjusted for this post:

"For this discussion (with reference to poses contraindicated by menstruation) an inversion is any pose which puts the pelvis over the chest, no matter where the legs are. That could even be a standing forward bend (Uttanasana) if the practitioner can do the full pose. Plow pose (Halasana) is an inversion, as is Downward Facing Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana).

As a long-time (female) practitioner, I have learned how to tailor my asana practice for my needs, throughout my cycle. As a long-time teacher, I have created numerous workshops focused on women’s health, particularly during the childbearing years. So, speaking from experience as well as years of study, I’ll share a couple of things that many women find helpful:

• Take it easy during menstruation, including PMS days if you have them. I have found that by planning ahead and making sure that I have a slower, more quiet pace in preparation for - and during - my period, I hardly have cramps anymore (they used to be awful). When I don’t back off, the cramps return and ensure that I must.
• Menstruation is a time of cleansing. The blood could be considered “unclean” not because it comes from women, but because it is believed to hold toxicity intended to leave the body. It is waste, like any other excretion, and should not be held in the body but rather encouraged to run its course. Eastern medicine believes that - at least in part - women live longer than men because we have this inborn monthly cleanse. It is a wonderful process inherent to the female body, but it does come with some important requirements (such as slowing down, taking it easy, staying very hydrated, etc., etc.) which, in our modern “never let them see you sweat” society, have been left by the wayside.
• Because we are cleansing during menstruation, our bodies are working harder than usual. During any cleanse it is important to save energy and not over-exert. That’s why restorative yoga or a gentle, flowing practice is generally preferable to a vigorous practice during this time.

We don’t need to keep up with anybody else, we need to turn inward and discern what our individual needs are. Menstruation is a wonderful time to do just that!

This Shawl & Surrendering "The Plan"

This is a photo of the new lace shawl that I am working on...intended as an August 15 gift for my teacher, Mirra.  That yarn is just a teeny bit heftier than thread.  My plan is to knit at least two pattern repeats per day.  That's 6 rows per pattern repeat, and each row is progressively longer.  Right now it takes me about 30 minutes to do an entire 6 rows, but it will take progressively longer to meet my goal as the shawl grows.

This newest "knitting under deadline" project comes at an interesting time.  For the last two weeks or so I have been focused - in my meditation, my prayer, and in daily living - on surrendering attachment to my plans, time lines, goals and generally having things my way.

I harbor resentment for plans I laid many years ago that are not working out the way that I wanted.  This resentment is getting in the way.

When I can let go of the plan - and the residual resentment for what appears unfulfilled - I have clarity for the beautiful plan of the Divine.  I can see that there is a path for me that is much more beautiful than what I tried to create on my own.  I don't always understand the path or the plan, but I have faith that as I learn to surrender my plans, I will feel the inner guidance toward greater plans and loftier goals.

My plans were created by my mind, not by my heart.

I want to live from my heart.  In order to better do that, I must continually practice stilling and silencing my mind, my ego, those inner voices that lay out plans, goals and time lines that are self-serving rather than Self/God/Creation-serving.

I don't know if I will be able to complete this shawl in the amount of time I believe that I have.  I do know, however, that I will finish it.  It will be gifted in its time.  Along the way I will continue to practice letting go of that plan.  Each opportunity to practice helps in the bigger struggle of releasing bigger attachments.

And if it's late?  Well, I know that Mirra will understand.