Being fearful is not generally well-regarded. Scared cats are looked down on. Courage and bravery are rewarded, nervousness and uncertainty are not.
I’m reminding myself that it’s okay to be scared.
I think that many people are ashamed when they feel afraid. There’s this thing in our society that you’re not allowed to feel scared. You have to be a man and put on a brave face, but we all have fears.
~Eli Roth
Director, producer, writer, and actor
There is validity in being scared. It’s a normal, reasonable sense of self-preservation that makes us fear physical pain, emotional hurt, the unknown, and all the things we can’t control.
I don’t have to push those feelings away. I can acknowledge them and let them resonate… and know that they don’t have to control me.
I can be afraid and still be brave.
Courage is doing what you’re afraid to do. There can be no courage unless you’re scared.
~Edward Vernon Rickenbacker
WWI fighter pilot
Gorgeous weather calls for celebratory yoga. And what better way to honour the sun than with a salutation?
Sun salutations are sequences with easy to remember poses that flow into each other, allowing you to focus on the moment and the movement. When you’re not worrying about what posture comes next, you can let your breath dictate your transitions and let your brain zone out.
There are many different versions of sun salutations, most of which are based on the traditional Sun Salutation A. While I like the sequences of the traditional sun salutations, I most often adapt the flow depending on what body parts feel like they need more attention and the circumstances of my practice.
Modified sun salutations are great for travel; it’s easy to adapt the sequence to take up very little floor space or to do without a mat. I’ve done something like the sequence below on muddy trails, sandy beaches, between beds on hotel room floors, and even in the snow while wearing boots as shown in the photo.
Don’t worry if you miss a breath or two or forget what side you’re on. You can always come back to the start and re-group in Mountain pose. It’s really about moving and breathing… the poses and flow are just there to help get things going!
Hands-free sun salutation
This probably looks like a lot of steps, but it’s surprising how smooth the movements become and how quickly you can glide through a full sequence.
Why it’s good
Gets circulation going and works your cardiovascular system
good for warming up the body and generating heat!
Stimulates the lymphatic system
Strengthens and gently tones a range of muscles – from the ones along your spine to your shoulders & arms and into your legs
Stretches most muscles along the front & back body (abs, back, hips, hamstrings, shoulders, chest, calves, neck)
Works your joints – from toes & ankles up through your neck & shoulders – in a healthy way
Encourages balance and deep breathing
How to do it
Start standing in Mountain pose
standing tall, with even pressure on both feet
As you inhale, come into a Salute
raise arms above your head; palms facing, fingers reaching to the sky
As you exhale, bend backwards into a Standing Back Bend
look upwards, open your chest, and draw shoulders back
Inhale to bring yourself back to Centre
bring neck and back straight, arms stay up
Exhale slowly into a Swan Dive
gracefully lower chest towards thighs, sweeping arms wide
Hold a Forward Fold for a full cycle of breath
→ inhale to lengthen your spine & exhale to soften your torso
hold each elbow with each palm, hips lift upwards, torso relaxes
As you inhale, come into Half-forward Fold
back flat and parallel to ground, palms resting on your knees, look forward
Exhale into a Forward Fold again
chest towards thighs, fingertips towards the ground, bend your knees if necessary
With an inhale, bring your Right Leg Back to Lunge
shift weight to left side, keeping your left knee at 90° and directly over your ankle
Exhale to settle into the Lunge
sink hips your hips lower if comfortable and make sure pelvis stays even; rest your hands on your left thigh or at your sides
Inhale to raise your arms up into a Back-bending Lunge
arms are shoulder-width apart and shoulders stay relaxed; open your chest as much as comfortable
Exhale into another Forward Fold
let your shoulders and hips relax as your arms extend towards the ground and your feet come parallel and hip-width apart
Inhale to draw your Left Leg Back to Lunge
shift weight to right side, right knee bent at 90° and directly over your ankle
Use your exhale to settle into the Lunge on this side
keep your hips from sagging, rest your hands on your right thigh or alongside your torso, and feel the strength in your legs
Inhale, drawing your arms up into a Back-bending Lunge
shoulders relaxed and rolled back with your chest open
Exhale to bring your feet together into Forward Fold
torso relaxes towards thighs, arms dangle down, feet come together
Inhale and lengthen your spine into Half-forward Fold
gazing forward with a flat back
Exhale into the last Forward Fold of the sequence
bend your knees a little to relax your legs, relax your shoulders and let your arms hang down
With a slow inhale, sweep up to a Salute
bring your arms wide and palms facing as you raise your torso with a flat back
Exhale and draw your palms together and lower your arms into Mountain with Prayer
lightly press your hands together in front of your chest, relax your shoulders, feel both feet grounded
Repeat the series a few times, switching which leg moves back into the lunge first if you’d like. And, of course, find your own modifications dependent on what your circumstances are like!
I picked up a book from the The Best American Travel Writing series because I thought it might be like the travel story anthology Not so Funny when it Happened, which contains some of the funniest writing I’ve ever read.
The Best American Travel Writing series is not, however, a collection of humourous travel tales. There are some light-hearted stories, but many of the accounts are pretty austere. Essays include trips to Rwanda, Bolivia, Cuba, Bulgaria, and India – and not the clean, shiny, touristy parts of these countries, but the squalid, corrupt parts that most tourists don’t see.
Tom Sleigh’s essay The Deeds hit me hardest. He wrote about Israel, Palestine, and the Palestinians living in Lebanon with a raw humaness that feels surprisingly non-partisan. Amidst the narrative, Sleigh brings up this idea that everyone involved in and affected by the conflict in the Middle East is a victim; that people can choose to see the grief of others and recognize that the people on the other side are victims as well. Compassion and understanding can arise from allowing for joint-suffering rather than portraying the other side as villainous This concept that plays out in less intense situations closer to home as well.
This quote stood out to me, particularly as I’d just had a mini-skirmish with someone where I felt victimized.
Once you refuse to see someone else’s grief and focus on your own grievance, it becomes far easier to reduce your rival victim to a villan — someone you need to protect yourself against and, if necessary harm before he can harm you.
In that mini-skirmish, I chose not to see the other person’s hardships and focus only on my own. I established an ‘us versus them’ scenario that meant the other person had to be the villan who was trying to destroy my way of life and impede my happiness (in a much more trivial way than in the Middle East), rather than a fellow victim. Although we were both victims in that neither of us were getting what we wanted.
That mental switch from seeing the other side as antagonistic and combattive to also victimized reminded me that there is room for both people to be suffering. Both sides can feel hurt, neglected, and frustrated. I do not have a monopoly on those emotions and someone else feeling the same way does not negate my hardship.
The next time a conflict arises with someone, I hope I’m able to avoid seeing them as the villan. To recognize their grievances and understand that they are not trying to worsen my life, but improve their own… exactly the same way I am.
Sweet peas mean summer to me. And while the grey skies in Vancouver (and the flooding in Southern Alberta) might suggest otherwise, summer has officially begun.
The day of equinox or solstice that marks the division between winter, spring, summer, and autumn rarely feels like the actual commencement of the season. This summer solstice is no exception.
But at least the grass is green in the Pacific Northwest, the flowers are out, and we don’t need to worry about watering gardens and lawns!
There are lots of summer solstice celebrations happening today – including one at Bound Lotus Meditation & Yoga Centre that preempts my regular yin yoga class tonight. No yin bliss tonight… and next Friday is the last of the month, which brings with it a sublimely soothing yin yoga session with guided relaxation and an extra-long savasana.
Hope the first day of summer is treating everyone well and that you’re able to join me for some relaxation on Friday, June 28 at 6:30pm!
I really enjoyed teaching on my birthday yesterday. There’s nothing like lovely, appreciative students to make this birthday girl feel valued 🙂
It was great leading the class through some of my favourite yin postures while listening to some of my favourite yoga music (the playlist was heavy on Wah!, Snatum Kaur, and Deva Premal) and even more wonderful to chat with students over cookies afterwards.
As requested, here’s the chocolate spice cookies recipe.
On Sunday evening, I went to the Healing Circle Meditation at Bound Lotus Meditation & Yoga Centre, along with 30 or so other people and one dog! My dog, Sofie, is a skilled meditator and has participated in a number of group meditations at Bound Lotus.
During the meditations, which involve chanting mantras and sometimes use mudras (hand gestures), Sofie curls up in front of me and settles into a meditative state of her own. She helps bring out my meditative best and seems to create an even more calming energy for the group. And she loves getting petted and cooed at by students 🙂
Sofie regularly joins me when I practice yoga or meditate at home, so she’s very used to the process. Within minutes of rolling out my yoga mat, she’s on it. Sometimes I can convince her to provide assists, like applying a little pressure to my hips in swan/pigeon pose or letting me use her as a prop in child’s pose. And she’s always willing to rest next to me during savasana.
One of the challenges of any meditation or yoga practice is letting go of all the mental clutter and simply experiencing the present moment. Dogs are masters of ‘now.’ Sofie doesn’t understand ‘later,’ or ‘before,’ she’s entirely in the present. Exactly how I want to be when meditating!
The Healing Circle Meditation is a free monthly event at Bound Lotus. If you or someone you love could use a little healing boost and/or you’re interested in experiencing a group Kundalini meditation look for the next date on the Bound Lotus website. Hopefully Sofie and I will be meditating there with you!
Being fearful is not generally well-regarded. Scared cats are looked down on. Courage and bravery are rewarded, nervousness and uncertainty are not.
