Every breath you take comes from a tree (sorry if I just planted an earworm in your head). Think about that.It’s easy to forget, isn’t it? Every breath you take is oxygen that was released from a tree. We have a symbiotic relationship with trees. Our every exhale is an offering to them. It’s like a constant gift exchange! It’s easy to forget that ourContinue reading “Your Cousins”
Category Archives: Awareness
This won’t happen quite like this ever again.
Noticing.Paying attention. Are you noticing . . . the trees changing, their color show just beginning. The birds are migrating and doing funny bird things. I’ve seen squirrels outside my window performing crazy acrobatics to get the farthest berry on the limb. The light’s becoming more golden, the sun lower in the sky, blinding meContinue reading “This won’t happen quite like this ever again.”
Your Home Yoga Practice
Think of your home yoga practice as basic self-care. Self-care is taking care of yourself physically, emotionally and mentally. As well as attending to the body, mind, and emotions, regular yoga practice creates a container for developing interoception – your ability to hear your body’s signals, messages and intuitions. Remember that yoga means the unionContinue reading “Your Home Yoga Practice”
Breath-Centered Meditation
Using Your Breath as the Focus of Your Meditation Breath-centered meditation is one of the most common forms of meditation. In this sequence below, I point out aspects of the breath to pay attention to. Focusing on these subtle sensations will pull your attention inward and help to keep you from wandering off. Notice theContinue reading “Breath-Centered Meditation”
Slow down, you move too fast.
One of my yoga class participants recently said that she’s never still – she’s always busy doing something, gardening, cleaning, community projects, etc.. This is all great, but it left me thinking about our cultural programming around stillness and busyness. We’re taught to value constant productivity. It’s not okay to just be still. What IContinue reading “Slow down, you move too fast.”
Sleep is a Beautiful Thing
Sleep is like the secret sauce. It affects everything – mood, focus, mental clarity and your general sense of well-being. So why are so many of us not sleeping well? For many, the culprit is the dreaded BUSY MIND! How do we fix that? It might help to understand some brain science: when your mindContinue reading “Sleep is a Beautiful Thing”
A Happy Body
I’ve been writing about gifts to give yourself and this month I’m writing about the gift of a happy body. What’s a happy body? I think of it as a body that can move with ease and has no, or only small, discomforts (those are normal). I also think that a happy body means youContinue reading “A Happy Body”
Is Night Chatter Keeping You Up?
I recently heard someone describe the mental chatter that keeps you awake as “night chatter.” I think that’s a very appropriate term. Many people talk to me about their struggles with sleep and most are complaining about night chatter – the mind that won’t turn off. So, what to do? My main suggestion is toContinue reading “Is Night Chatter Keeping You Up? “
Why I’m Grateful for My Problems
I’m grumbling about my challenges today: too many things to do, not enough time, not enough money, can’t make headway on my projects, gaining weight, menopause weirdness, sprained my ankle . . . but then I pause. I take a breath . . . I’m actually grateful for my problems. Yes, you read that right.Continue reading “Why I’m Grateful for My Problems”
How is Yoga for Cancer Different Than Other Types of Yoga?
I’m often asked this question: “How is yoga for cancer patients different than other types of yoga? “ There are many ways we’ve adapted yoga to serve cancer patients. Here are the main points . . . Physical Ability. The first issue to address is the participant’s physical abilities and limitations. Through a pre-class interviewContinue reading “How is Yoga for Cancer Different Than Other Types of Yoga?”
Michelle Stortz 