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5 of the scariest yoga poses and practices { eeek! }

(photo credit: blogs.roanoke.com)

They're creepy and they're kooky, mysterious and spooky, they're altogether ooky  — not the Addams family, but a few choice chilling yoga poses and practices. This isn't yoga's doing. We are particularly practiced at getting ourselves worked up when we meet with shadows, dark corners, creepety sounds, and goosebumpy, hair-raising films. Somewhere beneath the surface, we know it's all in our trickery-treaty minds. The mind is mighty powerful, beyond that of witches' brews and love potions.

Make certain you peer over your shoulder before you read on. Just in case.

1. Kurmasana (Tortoise Pose) Not unlike a mummy, this pose sets off feelings of suffocation and triggers trappedness. The last time I took Kurmasana, I got stuck and am pretty certain my brain exploded. Something to work on. Have a Turtle Untangler nearby and breathe through it. Slow and steady wins the race.
2. Neti Pot This is an Ayurvedic practice often employed by yogis and yoginis to ease allergies and cleanse the nasal passages of primordial ooze. Many people cringe at the thought of pouring water into their noses ("But I'll drown!"). Imagine you are a crusty old pirate (fierce, feisty, and desperately needing a neti session). Yaaarrr! A little saline drizzle is nothing you can't sail through. Relax and float off into the horizon.
3. Chanting Putting your voice out there, even if it will commingle with many others, can be as scary as the shrill cries of goblins or a well-timed ghostly "BOO!" Know this: your voice has the power to turn darkness into light, regardless of its tonality. Come in to the light.
4. Inversions Handstand, Headstand, and the rest of the crew often strike fear into the hearts of many a yoga practitioner. Fear of falling, fear of getting hurt, fear of looking strange. You have a friend in the wall. Not like someone's IN the wall (goblins and such), but the actual wall. Begin there. The goblins, the wall, and I all believe in you. You can do it.
5. Meditation This may very well be the spookiest of all. Sitting alone. In the dark. In complete and utter silence. With. Your. THOUGHTS. Aaaaaccccckkkkkk!!!! They just keep coming, like the vampire or boogeyman who won't die! I won't lie, this one takes an inordinate amount of time and practice. I run into a lot of cobwebs and get tangled up regularly. But those few moments of peace, which will eventually grow into periods of peace, are worth it. So when the mind tells you to turn back, that it's just too terrifying in there — forge ahead, flashlight of calm in hand.

Sending you only the best scares — the kind that move you forward on your path,

i pitta the fool { 10 ways to soothe pitta energy }

photo credit: snarkerati.com

Mr. T and I pity the fools with too much Pitta energy — I am sometimes one of them. And so is Mr. T. He's Pitta through and through, if you ask me. :)

Pitta is the second of the three doshas { Vata, Pitta, Kapha } and summer is Pitta season: hot, fiery, with feistiness on the rise. So whether summer has come early for you, you are naturally a Pitta, or you've just hit a sticky patch of anger you're working through, I'm here to serve up a nice tall glass of Pitta-cooling tips. Not to worry, my sweaty bebes, I've got you covered (or uncovered, as the case may be. it's summer...take your clothes off!)

When in balance, Pitta is passionate and charismatic. Characteristics: focused, energetic, driven, and organized. Elements: fire and water. Governs: metabolism, digestion, and the production of energy.

Pitta goes out of balance when:

• you get overheated
• you are angry
• you're working too hard
• your diet is comprised of many sour foods

You, with a Pitta imbalance:

Now, stand still while I turn on the hose and spray your hot booty down...

1. Take a cool shower, hit the pool, run through the sprinkler, or bust out the Slip n' Slide. You can also freeze your bra (or undies/boxers) slumber party style — this is a relatively short-lived cooling mechanism, but it works!
2. Drink lots and lots of water. It'll feel extra refreshing (and spa-like) if you throw in cucumber slices, a lemon or orange wedge, mint, or cherries.
3. Eat fresh, juicy, ripe, sweet fruits — even better if you chill them in the fridge first. Watermelon is summery heaven! You can't eat it and not smile or feel like a kid again. :D
4. Take a slow, leisurely walk in the moonlight.
5. Avoid spicy and sour foods and caffeinated drinks.
6. Splash your face and neck with rose water or rub rose oil (i use this one from Weleda) on your pulse points. Rose is calming and cooling.
7. Practice Sitali Pranayam, an incredibly cooling, relaxing breath exercise. Your head and heart will feel light and your body will feel so very cool.
8. Cater your yoga practice to the season — practice during the coolest parts of the day. Also, be sure to include poses known to be cooling: Belly Savasana, Supta Baddha Konasana/Cobbler's Pose/Bound Angle Pose, Sarvangasana/Shoulder Stand, Halasana/Plow Pose, Seated Forward Bends, and Viparita Karani/Legs Up the Wall.
9. Wear light, cool colors: white, lavender, sky blue, baby pink, soft yellow, and other pastels.
10. Listen to waterfall, babbling brook, rain, or running water tracks. It's like letting your brain take a dip in the ocean. :) 

Stay cool, my friends. There's no other way to be.

sitali pranayam { cooling breath for 40 days }

artwork credit: ann marie maxwell { with colorful additions by YIFY } photo credit: life magazine

The cool factor. How to get it? Practice Sitali Pranayam — also known as Cooling Breath. If you're hot or hot-headed, this is your cure. :)

Benefits of Sitali:

• regulates digestive + sexual energy
• relaxes the body + mind
• cools anger + fever
• detoxifies
• brings concentration + clarity + calm

1. Sit in Easy Pose with a straight spine.
2. Take Gyan Mudra { first finger and thumb touching } and rest your hands on your knees.
3. Curl your tongue { like making a "taco" when you were a kid } by curving the sides upward. Let your tongue stick out just past your lips. 
4. NOTE: If your tongue doesn't curl, bend the sides up as much as you can and make a slight "o" with your mouth. You'll still get the cooling drag of air across your tongue exactly as intended.
5. Inhale deeply through the tongue and mouth. You'll feel a cooling sensation as the air glides through your tongue. Breathe into the belly, filling yourself up.
6. Exhale fully through your nose.
7. Repeat this cycle for 3 minutes. You can also do 26 repetitions in the morning and again in the evening, or you can commit to a full 108 repetitions for each day. Do what is right for you.
8. To close, on the last inhale, retain your breath. Exhale and relax.

Notes:

• The tongue may taste bitter at first — a sign of detoxification and purification. This is good! As you continue to practice, your tongue will become sweet.
• The shifts you'll feel after practicing Sitali Pranayam are profound, like stepping out of an old you and into a new, clear, purified self.

Sitali Videos, for the Visual Learners:

• Gurmukh (love her!)
• Narrated by Carolyn Cowan

On Wednesday, June 15th, I'll be diving in to 40 days of Sitali Pranayam — making it my next 40-day Kundalini Kriya. It's perfect for Summer and excess Pitta energy. Jump on the Sitali train with me! I guarantee it'll rock your world. I'm here to answer any questions you have along the journey. And if you want to send pics of yourself making the taco face, I promise I'll cherish them always. :D

Much Love + Coolness!

ehh, vato. sup? { 10 ways to calm your vata energy }

In case you were wondering, "vato" is Mexican slang for homie, dude, peep, pally, etc. So, my vatos, I am here to help you with your Vata. In a nutshell, Vata is the first of the three doshas { Vata, Pitta, Kapha } — the mind/body types in Ayurveda. Some of us have Vata as our primary dosha, meaning this is our main mental mojo + physical makeup, however we all have Vata energy.

When in balance, Vata is beauteous and dazzling. Characteristics: creative, energetic, quick, lively, fun, imaginative, intelligent, witty. Elements: Air and ether. Governs: Prana, movement, digestion.

No matter your dosha, everyone has shifts in their Vata, Pitta, and Kapha energies on occasion, and sometimes that energy careens out of balance. The most common one to go bonkers? Vata.

How does it feel when your Vata energy is off the chain? Like this:

Familiar, right? How do we add a little g-love and special sauce to balm it? I got ya covered.

10 Ways to Calm Your Vata Energy:

1. Practice a daily kriya.
2. Get Sniffing! Vanilla, sandalwood, and patchouli are especially comforting.
3. Good Eats: Warm, cooked { not raw }, sweet, salty, and sour foods are perfecto for balancing Vata. Add some olive oil to your cooked veggies, have a cup of hot tea or warm milk with nutmeg + cinnamon, nibble on nuts, and eat your oatmeal like a champ.
4. Sweet Feet: Rub warm organic sesame oil on your tootsies, slip on some snuggly socks, and hit the hay.
5. Routines are good. Vata derangement is akin to having your head float off into the clouds like a balloon. A firm sched will keep you in line and moving forward with flow.
6. Wear your calm on your sleeve: Dress in restful, soothing colors like lavender, greens, browns, and blues.
7. Don't hang out with assholes.
8. Stay Warm. How about a snuggie? Organic cotton socks, a nubby scarf, and a cute hat = just what the ayurvedic doc ordered.
9. Legs Up the Wall: Put on your fave mellow music and take Viparita Karani — the most calming pose in yoga, in my opinion.
10. Meditate.

Namaste, vatos and vatas. ;) May buttery calm be with you.