Daily Dose of yoga philosophy

We all have our stuff, for lack of a better word (and not wanting to expose you to profanity). Meaning, we all face challenges on a daily basis: some really big, some not-so-big; some we take on gracefully, others not as well. I've blogged before about my back trouble, which adds insult to injury in that I feel it to be so unjust for someone who takes good care of herself. Not to mention, someone who has made sharing yoga and healthy inspiration her job. How can debilitating back pain happen to me, a yoga instructor, active outdoor enthusiast, and otherwise very healthy person? Well, that is the question I hope to have answered someday. It would be easier if my body would offer up better clues; there's no hard physical evidence other than my pain. Sometimes I wonder if it's my body's way of forcing me to slow down and rest.

On a normal day, my back is really good to me. It stands tall and supports the rest of my body, it comes along for whatever crazy ride I'm taking it on, it enjoys big, juicy backbends (pictured here: my back on a much better day). How can a spine so flexible suddenly become so immobilized? Again, one of my own personal bodily mysteries.

This round of back trouble, I keep thinking of a Yoga Sutra. Sutra 2.46 describes how asana, the physical practice/poses, ought to be: Sthira sukham asanam. The yoga posture should be both steady and comfortable; a balance between effort and ease that feels delicious and challenging at the same time. (For those of you new to yoga philosophy, the Yoga Sutras were authored by the ancient sage Patanjali. Written at least 1,700 years ago, the Sutras are made up of 195 aphorisms (sutras), or words of wisdom.)

My interpretation of this Sutra is the following: we cannot challenge ourselves and grow if we only do what we’re good at, in yoga and in life. So when we are challenged on the mat, we don’t give up (cue the common in-class tactic of, “I can’t do this pose so I’ll head to the bathroom now”) but rather dig deep to find the comfort and ease amidst the effort. It’s the yogic equivalent to seeing the glass half full. If we can focus on the inner strength that is our foundation and tap into it, then we’re more likely to experience positive results. That means staying grounded while feeling threatened (or experiencing pain).

So exactly how does this apply to my back trouble? Well, it’s finding a way to stay grounded when faced with the physical challenge of say, getting up off the floor to take care of some basic needs like the bathroom and eating. Allowing myself to be open to the opportunities that come out of the necessary quiet, healing time, but not letting it shake my foundation that I can't do things the way I normally do. Sthira sukham asanam – establish that strong, steady and joyful connection to the earth, your surroundings, and whatever it is that this day has brought you. It requires effort, but there should also be ease. When faced with my own personal crisis, I must adapt, find comfort somehow (despite all the discomfort of back pain), and trust that the most healing will come from staying grounded.

Find ease amongst all the effort, daily. Definitely words to live by.

Yellowstone for the Day: because I can

I had thought that last week was going to be quiet. I had plans to catch up with friends, put the finishing touches on our upcoming Cowgirl Yoga season, and spend some quality time with my daughter. I ended up doing all that, but also enjoyed a surprise visit from a cousin I'd only met as a baby (I was the baby), and went on a whirlwind day trip through Yellowstone Park with Morgane. As much as I love planning, it's often the unplanned events that feel the most thrilling.

Reason #491 why I love living in Bozeman: you can go to Yellowstone Park just for the day. We went through the North entrance and came out the West entrance, which is a route I often recommend to our retreaters that add on extra days here. We experienced all 4 seasons while in the park (although it was a little light on summer, I must say). I tell our retreaters to pack with this in mind, no matter what time of year they are coming. They often think I am kidding, but being prepared for all 4 seasons in one day, any day of the year, is the best way to enjoy Montana.

It's baby time in Yellowstone, and we saw a black mama bear with 2 tiny cubs, lots of buffalo babies (check out this recent NYT article about Yellowstone buffalo and Ted Turner), and an elk cow with the cutest little guy who had super spindly legs. Our main event of the day was the Lower Falls, Yellowstone's highest waterfall at 308 feet. We also joined the Yellowstone Association. Hoping to bring you many more pix of this amazing park in the months to come.

On healing & horses

Thanks to Diane, guest blogger and 2010 Cowgirls vs. Cancer scholarship recipient. She is pictured here with her horse Pepper.

When I was released from the hospital after my mastectomy, I came home with lots of instructions on exercises that I needed to do. These exercises were designed to help me get mobility back in my arm, and to keep scar tissue from forming where the muscle had been removed.

While I understood the reason for the exercises and wanted to do them, the method and the location suggested seemed just a bit silly. The instructions were to walk my fingers up the wall of the shower, reaching higher each time. This made sense to me, but it wasn't very motivating to try to reach the next highest tile.

I decided that it would be a whole lot more fun to go to the barn and groom my horses. There I would get the circular motion that was needed; I could reach to brush their forelocks and cleaning hooves would help with the weight that I gradually needed to lift.

With combs and brushes in hand, I made my way to the barn. As I heard the nickers and whinnies of the horses, I was unexpectedly overwhelmed. The smells of my horses, Sweetie, Pepper and Buckwheat, mixed with the typical smells of hay and manure assaulted my senses. I realized just how much I had missed this whole experience. I cried for my losses but I also cried tears of gratitude that I was able to come back to the barn, smell these sweet smells, bury my face in Pepper's velvety muzzle as he searched my hand for a treat and lay my head against Buckwheat's broad hips when I was tired.

Gradually, I was able to reach just a bit higher to clean the tip of an ear, brush an entire horse without tiring and clean all four feet at one time. I got 100% of my range of motion back, and though I am not as strong as I was, in many ways I am so much stronger. The love for my horses gave me another reason to get up and get moving. It was a bit unconventional, but it was the motivation that I needed. My horses didn't notice (or if they did, they didn't let on) that my body was altered, nor did they stare at me when I was bald. They quietly accepted me as I was, and that gave me confidence as well as inner strength.

It has been said that the outside of a horse is good for the inside of a woman's soul; I have found that to be so true. Surgery, chemo and radiation have healed my body many times, but horses have always healed my soul.

One-pose wonder: Boat pose

I have to admit, navasana has never been on my list of favorite poses. But as your yoga practice matures, you slowly accept that maybe those poses are the ones you need to work on the most. Perhaps it was the 5 in a row (with lift-ups in between) in my Ashtanga practice that caused me to lose the love, but I have grown to like it, after I learned how to be less serious about it and play more. Ashtanga is a beautiful practice that encourages many positive qualities to emerge, but it can also be rigid. Anyhow, after 4 days on a sailboat in the Caribbean the other week, I simply had to do boat pose on the boat. It gives me a little thrill to share these pix. Please note that they were taken while we were sailing, so I had the ultimate balance challenge!

Boat pose strengthens your core, your back, and your balance.

The how-to:

• Start in a seated position, firmly grounded through the sit bones. I like to reach back and get my bum cheeks out of the way to be more grounded. Start to lean back, and bend your knees, just touching your toes to the floor.
• Use your hands for balance as you engage your core by drawing your navel in towards your spine. Lift the toes off the ground a few inches, and notice if your low back starts to sag. This is one of your biggest challenges in boat pose: how to keep the low back stable and lifting. Practice stabilizing through the low back here before taking it further.
• Lift your feet up so the shins become parallel with the floor, extending the arms along side the shins. Check in with your low back. You can modify by taking your hands underneath your knees for support (not pictured), which should help you be able to lift your low back more if it was collapsing.
• For the full pose, point your toes and straighten your legs, drishti at your toes. Arms stay parallel to the floor.
• Hold for 5-10 breaths. Repeat 2-3 times. A fun thing to do in between boats is to cross your ankles, lean forward and push off your hands and feet to lift your seat into the air. I know, hard without a visual, but read it a few times and see if you get it.
• When you finish, take a neutralizing downward dog for 5-10 breaths.

I also really like this detailed exploration of navasana by Yoga Journal. Namaste.

Caribbean Cowgirl

Here's a little Caribbean eye candy from my trip last week...teaching yoga on the beach, snorkeling on a daily basis, and sailing around St. John are pretty tough to compete with, but I have to say that my favorite thing may have been the iguanas. I fed them fruit, and one of the girl iguanas even hopped up on my lap. The iguana's "lipstick" in the picture above is actually a flower she is eating - they love brightly colored flowers, as I found out when one was trying to bite my hot pink flip flops. Stay tuned for boat pose on the boat - navasana will be the next one-pose wonder. I had just the right inspiration.

Back OM on the range

I'm back hOMe on the range - sorry I didn't say goodbye. I spent last week in St. John - would you believe for an event for husband's work? I got to teach his colleagues yoga on the beach, and we spent a few days circumnavigating the island on a sailboat. But more on that in the next few days, after I dig myself out a bit from under the piles of email and laundry...

Meanwhile, I've got a new article on the Athleta Chi that I think you'll enjoy, on Cowgirl Yoga. As in, real Cowgirl Yoga: poses for horseback riding. Learn how yoga improves saddle time, and maybe even become inspired to join us for a CY retreat this summer...but don't delay on signing up, we are approaching sell out for all 5 retreats. And yes, we really do tie yoga mats to the back of the saddle! Yeehaw & Namaste.