Paradise on a Pillow

 Reclined bound angle pose (lie on your back, soles of your feet together, knees drop to the floor, arms at sides with palms up) is one of my all-time favorite restorative and relaxing poses.  Just got a bolster for home practice today, because when you sit on the floor and put the base of the bolster at the base of your spine and then lie back on it, you go into deep relaxation.  The shape your body makes in this propped up version of the pose effortlessly opens your front body and naturally lifts your heart.  It leaves me joyful and full of space.

Judith Hanson Lasater is the ultimate teacher of restorative yoga.  I love her and will probably end up reading all her books.  Check out her website at https://www.judithhansonlasater.com/

 

Birthday Practice

 

Playing with new poses in honor of my birthday two weeks ago, adding a daily Surya Namaskar (Sun Salutation) to my daily practice (and yes, I practice #everyblessedday), and looking forward to some day getting the new camera that is now on my gift wish list.  Luctor et emergo.

10 Tips for Starting a Yoga Practice

Is yoga something you've been thinking about starting, but you're a bit intimidated by people on Instagram doing pretzel poses in string bikinis?  Or turned off by all the chanting and discussions of metaphysical evolution?  Maybe it seems like just another expensive obsessive hobby of a pretty narrow band of the demographic?  Well, I am here to tell you that you CAN do yoga, there's no need to buy incense, and like everything else it's as diverse as we decide to make it!

So, close your eyes, sit on the edge of your chair, plant your feet on the ground, take a deep breath and sit up as tall as possible.  There, you're doing yoga!  See, it's easy 😊  In case you were looking for just a *bit* more than that, here are some tips to get started.

1.  Find a good teacher.  There are some things that are going to be important to learn, mostly about alignment, that will allow you to get the most out of your practice and also avoid injury.  It's really important to find a yoga teacher who actually has been trained how to teach yoga.  If they have, they will be happy to share that fact.  I strongly recommend taking a Beginner Series, which most studios offer.  When you're looking for a series or just have a hard time committing, don't make this a perfectionist thing.  Pick one that you can afford and get to (in person or virtually) at the scheduled time, commit to the series, and see it through.  After that, if you don't love the vibe of that teacher or that studio, practice somewhere else!  But find and stick with a Beginner Series - I still, 13 years later, regularly come back to the things I learned in my Beginner Series class.  You really need a good teacher to lay a foundation before you before you start trying to follow YouTube videos at home by yourself.

2.  Remember you're a beginner.  It's like learning to type or drive or learn a new game.  If you're in person, stay in the back of the classroom so you can see everyone in front of you (hint: there are lots of modifications for yoga postures, so you'll be able to see others using them and can learn what might work for you.  This is another reason you want to take a class with an actual teacher who can share what those modifications are, whether it's in person or virtually, and beginning classes always cue the mods.  Oh, and by the way, advanced yogis use mods All The Time - no one will think less of you.  One of the fiercest yoginis I know, a hot yoga teacher, brings a special block with her to every class because one of her legs is slightly shorter than the other and another yoga teacher trainer I know uses blocks for about half the poses where her hands are on the floor because her arms are just that much shorter than normal.  Use the mods you need.  NO ONE CARES.  You're actually probably a better yogi, even as a beginner, if you're recognizing that you need some mods to practice for your body, where it is now, today.  SO much better than not even trying a posture or worse yet hurting yourself - yikes!  There is no pain in yoga!  In yoga, the practice is in the effort and when mods help you make that effort, then using them is a sign of wisdom and work.)  But look, no matter what, at first, it's going to be difficult and awkward and frustrating.  I promise it doesn't stay that way.  Bear with it, and BE KIND TO YOURSELF.  You are trying.  Again, the practice is in the effort, not the perfection of the physical movements.

3.  Arrive to your mat early.  This is true whether you're practicing at a studio or at home.  Give yourself a good 15 minutes to get all set up, collect what you're going to need for practice, store away all distractions.  You have time to take a couple of deep breaths and get mentally ready, do any stretching you might want to do to get physically ready, and you can introduce yourself to the people sitting near you and to the teacher.  Explaining that you are new will typically get you more warmth and help than you might think!  (If it doesn't, hey, you tried.)  And if you have any questions or concerns to raise with the teacher, before class is the perfect time.

4.  Explore the different kinds of yoga - there are so many!  When you're starting out, a restorative practice might be the best class to take to start to get comfortable in your body in a yoga class.  Try to expose yourself to some different options though: different class names, different teachers, different studios.  Even if you find one you love, every so often, stretch yourself to try something new.  You never know what you may be missing!  My only piece of advice here would be one of etiquette: if a class is marked as Level 2 or Advanced or Power or something similar, and you're just starting out, I would invite you to not attend that class.  There are plenty of Intro and All Levels classes, and most studios offer really thoughtful class explanations if you're ever not sure what you're going to get.  A Level 1 still likely will be a challenge in the beginning - that's okay!  That teacher is prepared to offer in that class the kind of tips you need, whereas you can disrupt other people's practice when you go to a level that you are not yet ready for.  Also, in those more advanced classes, the teacher needs to be able to provide safe support for people attempting some really challenging positions, and you pulling their energy toward having to explain everything to you could put those other students at risk ... or you could be at risk yourself if you try something you're not ready for in a setting where the teacher can't give you the attention needed.  There's not a lot of kindness toward anyone in you creating that situation.  Stick to the level-appropriate classes and know that the challenging ones will be there if that's the direction you decide to take your practice in the future.

5.  Take your time exploring the different studios out there.  Poke around the website, read their reviews, call or email them with questions, drop by to chat (if they allow that in these weird times) even if you're not ready to commit to a class yet.  Chances are, you will find a place that fits what you're looking for without having to exert an enormous amount of effort.  Practice there as long as it feels right and then move on, or make it your routine to take classes here and there on a regular basis.  Long story short: if you have a negative experience at a studio, don't quit yoga!!!  Just find another place - there are plenty out there.  And keep finding out about new/different places - you don't know what you don't know, and happy surprises happen.

6.  Be honest with yourself (and any teachers/studio folks you talk to) about why you want to do yoga.  Physical fitness?  Spirituality?  Bored and looking for something new?  People practice for a lot, and often a combination, of different reasons, and sharing your reasons will help those in the know direct you to a class and teacher that is a good match for what you're looking for.   You can find what you're looking for - you just have to ask for it.

7.  Keep a schedule.  Make it realistic.  Saying you're going to go to Hot Yoga Challenge every morning at 6 am if you're (a) not a morning person, (b) new to yoga, and (c) out of shape is just setting yourself up to be miserable and hate yoga and yourself.  Why do that?  You deserve better!  At the same time, you're not really practicing if you're dropping into a class once or twice a month when you have nothing better to do.  So, how about: one Beginner Series class a week for as long as the series lasts?  And then take it from there.  Or maybe a Beginner Series class and a restorative class each week.  Decide what something achievable for you is and then give yourself the gift of disciplining yourself to do it.

8.  Get the right clothes.  No need to break the bank or spend hours tracking down "the perfect" outfit.  Here's what you need: comfortable exercise pants or shorts that stretch (not, for example, denim), a slightly fitted T-shirt (anything too baggy will get in your way), and an athletic bra if you're a woman (something that will stay in place with no fussing through all kinds of bending and twisting).  Cotton or moisture-wicking materials are best.  That's it!  If you don't like bare feet and will be in a live studio, you can buy yoga socks (they are a bit sticky on the bottom) online for poquito dinero.

9.  Class won't be perfect.  You won't be perfect.  The teacher won't be perfect.  LET IT GO.  Remember why you're coming to class and that the practice is in the effort.  Also that life isn't perfect.  Use class as a time to not only work on your body and your breath but your ability to be compassionate, patient, and forgiving ... including of YOURSELF.  Again: the practice is in the effort.  Just the fact that you are on your mat and ready to go is a big win.  Keep thanking and appreciating yourself for the gift of bringing yourself there and trying.

10.  At its core, yoga is about breath.  A good teacher will cue you on this - lots.  But you can also cue yourself - keep noticing and coming back to your breath.  Yoga is all breath.  If you can't maintain a steady breath, you're working too hard - ease up.  In fact, there is a huge part of the yoga community that says if you can feel "the burn" in a position, you're working too hard.  Yes, you heard me!  Provided you are folloing a teacher's cues and aware of correct alignment and truly working to your own personal edge, find "the burn" and then come that half inch out of it so you don't - THAT'S actually where the work is and where the change happens.  Don't worry about what other bodies in the room or on the screen look like - this is your practice.  Where is your effort?  Where is your breath?  Those are the key questions.  Try to develop a rhythm, maybe In 1, 2, 3 ... Out 1, 2, 3.  In 1, 2, 3 ... Out 1, 2, 3.  Whatever tools work for you to keep you on your breath.  

Happy yoga, beautiful bodies!  If you'd like more info or would like to work with me as a teacher, please reach out - I would love to have the opportunity for the light in me to honor the light in you (that is what Namaste means :)).  Namaste!

Yoga/Meditation Podcast Coming Soon

 

Hi everyone!  Me again.

I want to tell you that I will be providing a podcast/audio practice on this website in the near future so you can tune in for yoga, meditation, and prayer.

Expect some podcasts to be about all three of those and some to be focused on one or the other.

Links for my RSS feed will be added my website.  You'll get an update when they're there so you can sign up for them and stay in the loop.

Thanks for visiting my website.  More posts to come - I have committed myself to daily.  And remember - tune in for meditation and yoga.

The Grace of Being in Flow: The Devil's Face

Consumption used to be my sin of choice until God had something to say about it.  And, well, a priest, a meditation app, and a yoga textbook.

Here's how it went.  I have been working (with the guidance of some amazing coaches I have reached out to) on my plan of action, my RPM (Tony Robbins' brainchild - can't recommend him enough!)  My homework for myself had been to craft the Results (my vision) and my Purpose.  They were powerful, and I was on fire!  And I was working on designing my MAP (Massive Action Plan), and I realized if I was going to overcome my biggest weakness I was going to have to own it and ask for help.  At that time (no longer true!), my biggest lifestyle weakness was consumption/gluttony.

"God, my biggest challenge is that I'm addicted to consumption."

That conversation forced me to consider what I most liked to consume.  Yikes, I knew that meant I would no longer be able to do these things, but I was committed, so I leaped.  Comfort food - any really, but pasta and chips and dip were high on the list - and any kind of boozy, smoky tasting cocktail, usually with a whiskey base, oh and buying anything online that I found beautiful or charming.

(BTW, this was obviously not an actual dialogue as in I heard a voice and responded out loud, but I wanted to give you a sense of the process I went through ...)

OK, Amanda.  What does comfort food do to your body?

"Well, not much that's good.  I've heard you can develop a tolerance to it, like to drugs and alcohol, that means you may need more food over time to feel the sense of wellbeing that is desired.  It can have negative long-term health effects.  For example, it can give you heart disease.  While it might make you feel better temporarily, it does nothing to solve the underlying emotional problem that is causing the craving.  Definitely has never helped my focus or ability to stay present."

So I closed my eyes.  And I thought about the number one underlying emotional problem that was fueling my consumption, and it was anger and a lack of ability to forgive.  I imagined that anger being poured into comfort food and alcohol during the manufacturing process ... just poured and poured ... I could see it.  It was endless, it just kept going.

"Wow, quite the image, got it."

OK, then I imagined it was being poured into shopping cart checkouts, out of a huge container, an almost infinite bag.  I saw it.

Actually saw it.

Now, I know this might sound too ... stupid (?) to some of you, but just bear with me.  I know what The Devil is.  He's a fallen angel that seduces people into sin, and that's who was driving all that anger in my life, mine, Amanda's ... not me doing it to myself, but The Devil, weaseling his way in.  And I stamped his face onto that HUGE bag of anger in my mind.  I saw it.

Wow, did I see it.

So I knew this was a powerful moment, but I had no idea how God would move to send this message to me.

There I am, just a few minutes after having had this prayer experience and working on my MAP, and I picked up a yoga book I bought last year and never read (can you say consumption?)  Part and parcel with changing my life is changing how I relate to my things (highly recommend!) and going back and finishing things I started or getting rid of them - as a professional organizer I can tell you that things can clutter our thoughts, emotions, and even spirit simply by being in our home - whether it's a pile of mail, clothes that are never worn, dog toys the pups have ripped the squeakers out of, some weird music an ex-boyfriend gave me ...

I opened this book, decided I would read, journal, and move through it from start to finish.  Not set it aside to do it later, start to do it right then.  What was the first topic in the book?  Forgiveness.  It's a collection of meditations and writing exercises and movement sequences centered around five topics, and the first was forgiveness - um, hello?!

Honestly, I laughed, thanked God, and I think I said out loud "Got it!  GOT it!  Anger is sin.  No more.  Time to forgive" and I did the journaling exercise in the book about releasing tension being a way to forgive.  Wow, God really does speak to us when we bother to listen.  I have regrettably gone so long in life without remembering that, but it happens more and more when I spend time with God and I actively work to bring my life and my dreams together.  But I'm not done.

The next day, I fired up the Hallow app, which I use for daily prayer and meditation.  I selected a random item from the playlist.  For Lent, I've been doing a morning meditation/prayer, an evening one, and then midday one from their Lent 40 series.  What was it that I chose that day (and didn't know what it was until it started) ... the Litany of Humility!  (A long list of requests for humility, like "From the fear of suffering rebukes, Deliver me, O Jesus ... That others may be preferred to me in everything, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it" etc.)  So not a chuckling moment, but an opportunity to thank God again.  Wow, God really wanted to get in my head this whole "you have nothing to be angry about, everyone suffers, even Jesus you ninny, welcome it, be humble, and let it go".  Got it: anger = pride = sin.

Fast forward one week, and I went to Adoration for the first time in almost a year.  (Yeah, starting to get an idea of how sin had managed to sneak into my life?)  I went in with an intent to be with God in silence and then go to Confession.  As we are all sitting there in the middle of the silence (Adoration is a silent time, other than some brief prayers when the Blessed Sacrament is placed on the altar and again when it is removed), in comes Father Nick and goes to the lectern.  "Sorry for the interruption!  We are livestreaming the Holy Hour tonight for middle school students and their families.  So I'm going to give a short homily for them."  What was it about?  Forgiveness! 

"Got it, God!" I wanted to shout.  (I didn't.)  But I did almost laugh out loud.  Wow, a Trinity of reminders, God's power in action, the beauty that is available when we meditate and do spiritual reading and go to church and PAY ATTENTION.  An infinite supply of overwhelming love and support.

You won't be surprised that the anger I was holding onto is gone.  Granted it has only been a few days since that last reminder, but I have a feeling it is gone for good this time.  No comfort food and no desire for any.  Nope, no boozy whiskey drinks and no desire for any.  I have placed things into my Amazon cart (including some gorgeous bins for storing some of the items/projects currently in progress), and I will be purchasing those things, but there's not the sense of compuslion about it, yet at the same time I of course do need things and I don't want to go in the opposite direction and become a fetishist about never buying anything (that whole Live for a Year with Only 20 Possessions thing is NOT me!)  So, when the actual need for something comes up, I will click on Buy Now, but otherwise I'm leaving all that stuff in the cart and not thinking about it.  Comfort food and whiskey and shopping all are very pleasurable, but all I need is a small serving and I can move on.

Life is more grace-filled, joyful, and unconstrained without my "addiction" to anger (BTW, we need to be careful about using words like addiction - they actually have very specific meanings and we trivialize the struggles of actual addicts and aggrandize our own foibles when we use words like that in an effort to amp up the drama of our own experience ;)).  Anyway, my mind is sharper, my emotions are more loving and inclusive, my body is healthier, and I feel so beloved in having another aspect of my new identity: woman-who-remembers-that-hurt-people-hurt-people-and-that-there-is-a-supernatural-power-available-to-help-us-forgive-them

TGIF: Certifiable Coach

Hooray!  I received my license and certification as a PAX coach this week.  Officially a coach.  Recognition.  Accreditation.  Partnership Nation.

Never mind that I have been coaching for more than five years.  Doesn't matter.  That's the old uncredentialed me.  No more strife and penance for coaching.  No more learning from mistakes - no more mistakes!  It's a soaring and joyous time for this coachess.

I am pulsing in this moment.  I am a COACH now.  I attend workshops at Esalen and go on super intense retreats at Our Lady of the Oaks.   I hug glowing, white-toothed motivational speakers.  I am sitting in full lotus on the cover of Garden & Gun magazine.  I am featured in meditation and prayer app ads.  I score organic cosmetics endorsement contracts.  My seminars are sprawling across the universe.  Everyone is perfectly spiritual, balanced, and readiant.  Everyone is going on partnership retreats.  I am a coaching star.  God has manifested my reality.  In this moment.  There is plenty of money, but it's not the point.  IHS my guide.

It's all sparking and actual and I'm certain to guarantee it ... to certify it ... some day just like I did today.

Deo Volente.

2021 - The Year of Maximalism - An Expressive and Vibrant Way of Living

 Maximalism.  What's with this new-old obsesssion?

With so many cookie-cutter and sterile, mass production places and items that surround us, it is no surprise that many people all over the world, who are spending more and more time in their homes, are yearing for a more personalized and creative way of life.  Meet Maximalism ... Go ahead and say goodbye to your white and gray farmhouse interiors!  Maximalism started in music in German speaking countries around 1890 as "a radical intensification of means toward accepted or traditional ends" but now embodies more a way of living and is moving into various art forms, including interior design where it has really taken hold in Britain.  It's an aesthetic of excess, the opposite of minimalism, a "more is more" way of enjoying the experience of your home.  

Picture contrasting prints, bold wallpapers, loads of various saturated hues, and not a reclaimed barn door in sight.  There is unforgettable extravagance and a full representation of who you are.  This is the embodiment of maximalism.  You are surrounded by the things you love, every corner of your home expresses your individuality, there's a sense of joyousness, you are expressing yourself.  So, what's not to love?

We are definitely getting down and LOVING this British obsession.  After all, we have always been a bit more keen on environments that powerfully mix different styles, include saturated tones, and embrace the knick-knacks over those that scream "I am stiff and  bleak and also just like every other neutral-palette midcentury modern home you've seen over the past 10 years!"

So how do you get your life more in line with maximalism?  Here are a few interior design tips that can help get you there!

Generous Color

While color (or the absence of it) is everything when it comes to all your other interior design choices, color in maximalism is key.  Think of a wall of ugly, terrible art that you have to have because it brings you joy, a hardwood floor, a velvet couch, a visually busy space, Florence + the Machine and Kate Bush on at high volume.  Now, are those walls and that couch and that floor and that art white or gray or raw wood?  No, you're thinking black walls, mismatched jewel toned seating, accent pillows with a distinct pattern that intentionally clashes with everything else.  That is the basis of maximalism: bold, loads of hues, colorful patterns.  Bold furniture that makes a statement with luxurious metallic finishes, somewhere a bright red shade (maybe in a powerfully different style of rug on that wood floor), floral print curtains bursting in shades of pink, rows of shelves with books in a rainbow of colors.  Telling your own story by displaying something from every place you've ever been, without being afraid of verging on kitsch, is a great way to add color!

Layering Patterns

Contrasting ornaments, highly detailed wallpapers (maybe a different one on each wall), anything Victorian.  The more of your favorite fabrics you can bring into the space and the fewer matched sets of furniture you can use, the better.  Get rid of the Scandinavian furniture and replace it with something abstract.  Replace the sleek futuristic (and eerie) soft lighting table lamps with something garish in a pattern with an accelerated rhythm, and opt for more drapery, bright and playful paintings, and side tables stacked with some of your favorite books.   Think funky throw pillows, patterned rugs, big framed photographs, a home completely full of plants, and mixed concepts of good and bad taste.  You get the point.  Create visual depth by using happy patterns.

Walls Of Art

When it comes to design, you don't want your spaces telling you a story: you want to be the storyteller.  Lean into gallery walls and treasured collections of photos on the walls - things that you would see in a vintage enthusiast's home.  If you look at a wall and it's not bright and loud, or it looks like something hypertrendy or mass-produced, steer clear.  You're aiming for a mix of high and low brands that is all about adornment and eccentricity.  Maximalist gallery walls can be tricky, so forget everything you've ever been told about coordinating frames, colors, styles, or subjects.  Don't pay excessive amounts of money for your gallery wall - instead, display family heirlooms.  Do not pick art that is simple in style or install a smooth simple backsplash behind your stove (go for colorful patterned tiles instead!).  The more liberated the imagination, the better, but if you need some rules on how to do this, decide on a uniform measurement between each item on the wall, and use that as your guide - the uniform spacing will hold together a random collection of jus about anything.  Just don't do the thing where you deliberately hang a couple of perfectly simple pieces of graphic art or you will be going the opposite way into minimalism.

Reusing Everything

Maximalism focuses on a powerful mix of different times (including the return of the 80s) and  the enjoyment of experiencing the space and allowing materials themselves to be the ornament.  How does this translate into how you curate your home?  Well, not only do we want things to be bold and speak volumes about our personality, but we want there to be a sustainability about our things too, and maximalism is actually very anti-consumerist.  So use or buy second-hand something in cheetah print and figure out a way to make it work for you instead of putting everything you own into a landfill and breaking the bank trying to duplicate the austere (and lifeless ... and boring!) home some celebrity lives in.  By surrounding yourself with iconic and charming staples from a bygone time, you also open yourself up to different cultural ideas about what is beautiful and can appreciate that the impossible reductive modernism of white Europeans is not the only answer to all aesthetic problems.  Be sure your home has signs of life, that it is possible to live in, and don't hold onto anything that brings up negative feelings or bad memories.  But remember that only the ultra-wealthy can truly afford those bleak minimalist homes, and they too are aspirational and deluxe and part of the consumerist culture.  (Did you know Marie Kondo, after she urges you to get rid of a large percentage of your stuff, then wants you to buy her stuff to replace it?)  Finding the right balance between maximalist decor and putting out everything (which can tip into clutter) can be tricky.  That is where we as professional organizers can come in and provide you helpful tips on how to declutter, something we will post about soon.

So go ahead!  Give maximalism a try and see how a few alterations to your space can bring some joy into your daily life!