Author Archives: sandra
Yoga Cleanses The Mind And We Are Happier
Sanda at 72 years young
We think of Yoga as cleansing the body of physical and emotional toxins.
However, because of the relationship between our bodies and minds, cleansing our bodies of toxic stress also cleanses our minds of habitual conditioned thoughts. Our minds are then happier.
Or, on the other hand, after Meditation, when our minds are quiet, our bodies are also more serene and happy.
This is so true that the relationship between the body and mind is often referred to as body-mind. What happens to our bodies also affects our minds and vice-versa.
This is why practicing Asana makes our minds calmer, more alert and present, and we are happier.
Aligning Your Bones
Aligning bones is a Principle of Asana. It lifts you up
and out ofyour joints. 
SO important for all of us; but ESSENTIAL for the hyper-mobile body.
CONSCIOUSLY aligning bones, lifts you UP and OUT of your joints. You then extend UPWARDS, your body ELONGATES, inches fly off your hips—no need for hips to widen at menopause!
Also, aligning bones sends PRANA through your body.
At the SERIOUS YOGIS RETREAT last weekend, I am ecstatic to see two of my hyper-mobile (joints) students— Elayne Anderson and MInami Kato —with different body types— UP and OUT of their joints.
They are NOT trying. Because of observing the Asana Principle of aligning bones, their bodies are naturally graceful and balanced.
What You Need To Know About Yoga
Yoga is different than exercise. The word exercise comes from “ex” or”outer”. Yoga’s focus is inward. Yoga transforms ex-ercise into INNER-cize.
Sandra at 71 years young.
Yoga uses breath to pull us inwards. CONSCIOUS breathing heightens Prana (energy) and Prana releases emotional blockages, thereby quieting our minds. A tranquil flow of mind is valuable because it helps us KEEP OUR GOOD INTENTIONS.
We all strive to improve aspects of ourselves. Yoga increases Prana—this stills our minds—allowing what is IMPORTANT to us to rise to the surface.
CALMING and BALANCING our bodies with Yoga our good intentions stay ‘front and center’. This leads to REAL change in our EVERYDAY lives.
For INNER-cise try the following:
- While practicing asana (Yoga positions) or ANY activity feel the breath IN your body. This increases Prana.
- With a focused but OPEN mind allow whatever is there to move through your mind. Delete what is NOT important.
- Re-do what YOU deem to be negative right away; or later in your mind. Re-do the negative the way you wished it had happened. ACT on this awareness in your DAILY LIFE.
- FEEL the positive aspects of yourself (what is working for you IN your life right now) and let YOURSELF feel the goodness of this awareness IN your body.
- Stay connected to your breath all day long. Prana IN your body releases blockages and increases your awareness GREATLY assisting you in KEEPING YOUR GOOD INTENTIONS.
This is YOGA.
(I know this sounds simple. Important things are simple. They are NOT complicated.)
Please leave a comment or a question. Do you practice Yoga from the inside-out? How does this help you IN your daily life?
Cheer Up With Yoga
Sandra “Cheering Up with Yoga” 71 years young.
Yoga takes you out of your head and places you in your body.
Sinking into your body feels SO good. Those never-ending thoughts, FINALLY, STOP.
You feel better and better and better. TRY IT. And then TRY IT again and again and again.
- Sit in a comfortable position and close your eyes.
- Breathe in slowly and widen your lower ribs.
- Exhale through an open throat with a soft Sound.
- Imagine all of your thoughts streaming out with each Sound.
- Allow your Sounds to be what ever they wish to be.They could be soft deep sighs that grow into deep mournful Sounds.
- Continue for several minutes.
Return to: “My breath breathes me. I am being breathed by my breath.” Sit with your breath for as long as is comfortable.
Sound and your breath empties your thoughts, giving room for the WISDOM OF YOUR UNCONSCIOUS to inform you through INTUITIVE FLASHES, INSIGHTS and IMAGES.
What comes through may be of no consequence—then let it to pass right on by. Or it could be useful—then ACT ON IT IN YOUR DAILY LIFE.
Acting on intuitive insights, you DEVELOP and GROW as a person. Eventually SELF-GROWTH becomes a way of life.
THIS IS YOGA.
(Please leave a Comment. Do you like it?)
Take Your Vitamin Pills
Sandra at 69 years young
Asanas are like vitamin pills—we RECEIVE benefits from them.
Sitting Forward Bends offer CALMNESS and from Shoulderstand, TRANQUILITY. We turn to Standing Positions for STRENGTH, CONFIDENCE and STABILITY. And, to keep our BALANCE—physically and emotionally—there are the Balancing Asanas.
Being upside down in Standing Forward Bends or the Headstand provides us with VITALITY to process and move forward in spite of desperate situations. When our life is turned upside down, we survive!
Backbends deserve gold stars for CLEANSING our bodies, while Tadasana and Savasana provide us with the time to INTEGRATE the changes.
Practicing asanas on flow—from our intuition—assists us in choosing asanas that support our unique daily lives. For example, when life is overwhelming, a long and extended forward bend series greatly CALMS us, without repressing our emotions.
Instead, increasing CALMNESS helps us PROCESS our issues.
At other times, Twists create incredible BALANCE and SENSITIVITY in our bodies and minds.
Asanas are like vitamin pills. We take the ones we need to support us at any given time
Let Your Grief Flow
Sandra (71 years young) & her Mom, Antoinette (94 years young.)
I was sitting in my car when the phone rang. My heart stopped. My mother had passed.She was 94, close to death, had survived several brushes with death in the past year. I assumed she’d go on forever even though I hoped for her sake (and sometimes for mine) she’d pass.
But now, she was comfortable and peaceful, how could she die, just like that? She was ready, but I wasn’t.
I gasped, stumbled out of my car and ran towards the care home, screaming and yelling at the top of my lungs: hardly the picture of a dedicated yogini for the past 40 years. My body heaved, the sobs rang out; the staff ran towards me and guided me into my mother’s room. Hardly the image I wanted to portray.
There she lay, looking like she did yesterday, sweet and peaceful. I wailed. I heard someone say, “It’s good to grieve.”
I threw myself at my mother. She was warm, soft and peaceful. I cradled her in my arms and wailed. The energy (Prana) from her body flowed through me. I felt her anxiety release through me. I cried. She was peaceful.
I remembered telling my mother how good it is to cry; tears are healing I said as finally, after 7 ½ years, she wept for my father. Because of losing her mother as a toddler, she had trouble crying and grieving, so much so that when my brother died 20 years ago, she ended up in the psych ward. After eight electric shock treatments and no improvement, the family finally released her to Bob and myself. Three months later we sent her home. She went on to have 15 good more years.
Then, my father died. She didn’t cry. She didn’t appear to miss him. Then just two weeks before she passed, I, once again, asked, “Do you miss Dad?” Tears rolled down her cheeks. She said she wasn’t crying. I told her, “It’s good to cry. Tears are good. They heal us.”
After that she got very peaceful, with an inner sweetness. Bob, my brother and myself noticed it. And then she died. She was awake, spoke to the nurse: her heart stopped, and she passed peacefully.
Yes, wailing is good. Grieving is healing. Tears are good. Tears are healing. Wailing is good. Emotions stay in motion. Otherwise they get stuck in the body, where they cause havoc. I still cry.
To see Sandra with her mother after she has passed, click here and scroll down.