yoga humor, yogini style, yoga personality, yoga tips - Y is for Yogini

be my yogitine { 7 things to do for YOU on Valentine's Day }

photo credit: squee.icanhascheezburger.com

Self-love is never unrequited. Let that roll around in your mind for a bit. It's a neverending amour fest...like you've got a kick-ass hearty pink sparkly pinball machine inside you going pling-ding-kajing-aling with lurve. Yeeeeah. Now you're on board.

I want you to do something for me today, seeing as how it's Valentine's Day and all. I want you to DO something for YOU today. Sure, you can deliver a cup of sugar naked to Mr. Hot Sauce next door. And yes, make sure to give the fur babies extra snuggles and treats. If you have a sig other, by all means, V-day it up like bunnies (whatever that means to you). But you're MY yogitine, too. And my gift to you is this: a reminder to show yourself some love.

7 Things To Do For YOU On Valentine's Day:

1. Hugasana - Take a cue from Mr. Kitty above and do what my friend Maria calls hugasana...hug yourself!

2. Spend Time in Your Fave Yoga Pose - Or perhaps a looong, languorous set of restoratives is in order. I'll be hanging out in Eka Pada Koundinyasana I, waiting for James Franco to come over.

3. Tend to Your Heart Chakra - Breath of Fire cleanses the heart chakra, while Cobra and Fish Pose open it (amongst other delicious asanas).

4. Write a Love Letter to Yourself - Make a list of all the beautifully brilliant things about you and OWN THEM. You're fierce. Better recognize.

5. Just Breathe - The breath is ever-intertwined with prana, your life force. Self love means standing in your truth and receiving the blessings that are life and breath. Nadi Shodhana is pure magic.

6. Dance Like No One's Watching - You heard me. Crank up the booty-shaker you love best and boogie like a mo fo. Get crazy with it. I never feel more free than when I'm dancing. It's booty-quake time.

7. Snuggle Up and Read - How luxurious does it feel to do this?! Pick up a book you can lose yourself in.

Happy Valentine's Day, my lovelies. Make sure you do at least one of the above or I'll be forced to show up at your door, dressed like Yogini Cupid. You don't want my arrow in your asana, do you? Go forth and be good to yourself! ;)

nine merry mantras { the 12 days of yoga }

On the 28th day of December, yoga gave to me

nine merry mantras...

{ eight gifts for giving }

{ seven chakras shocking }

{ six sirsas bobbing }

{ five moody mudras }

{ four heavy breathers }

{ three third eyes }

{ two turtle yogis }

{ and a yogini in the pose tree. }

This, my friends, is the time of the year you need your mantra most. The new year is right around the padded cell corner, you've spent the last week cheerfully greeting one and all, deftly answering probing questions from fuzzy ol' Aunt Roberta { "what's that? you're not sure you ever want to get married?!?! why, that's not ladylike! preposterous!" }, and whipping up treats guaranteed to make Grandpa's false teeth quiver. All without breaking a sweat. That's yoga. So don't feel poorly if you didn't "practice," because believe me, you practiced.

Now that you're free to breathe — and talk all the shiz you wanted to, I've got nine glorious gems to cleanse your tongue and purify your soul.

9 Merry Mantras:

1. Sa Ta Na Ma { "Infinity. Life. Death. Rebirth." }

2. Sat Nam { "Truth is my identity." }

3. Lokah Samastha Sukhino Bhavanthu { "May all beings everywhere be happy and free, and may the thoughts, words, and actions of my own life contribute to happiness and freedom for all." }

4. Gayatri Mantra: Om Bhur Bhuvas Svaha, Thath Savithur Varaynyam, Bhargo Dheyvasya Dhimahih, Dhyoyonah Pratchodhay-yath { "May all beings reach enlightenment." }

5. Adi Mantra: Ong Namo Guru Dev Namo { "I call upon the divine wisdom. I bow to the divine teacher within." }

6. Mangala Charn Mantra: Ad Guray Nameh, Jugad Guray Nameh, Sat Guray Nameh, Siri Guru Devay Nameh { "I bow to the guiding consciousness, I bow to the wisdom through the ages, I bow to the true wisdom, I bow to the great, unseen wisdom." }

7. Har { "Creative infinity." }

8. Siri Gaitri Mantra: Ra Ma Da Sa, Sa Say So Hung { "Sun, Moon, Earth, Infinity. Totality of infinity, I am thou." }

9. Aum 

Bonus mantra: "COOKIES!!!! Ummm-Nummm-Nummm-Nummmm." — Cookie Monster

What will your mantra be?  :)

{ 3 more days of Decembery goodies! }  

{ yoga nidra } yogic sleep ... uh, not exactly

photo credit: ballet.co.uk

I am notorious for my insomnia. My friends get super late/early emails and respond back with, "Really?! 4am?!" But they know it's par for the course. Some of my Tweets are being sent out just as my East Coast yoga pals are waking up to start their day. 

On the first day of TT, we sat in a circle and intro'd ourselves. I made a crack about how I hadn't slept since I was in the womb. Now if people can't remember my name they say, "You're the one with insomnia." Yeah. Could be worse, though. We have a colorful (and mouthy, lol) group. But however true, dishing isn't yogic, so I'm going to halt there and purify my mind with salt collected by virgins. :)

Back to the sleepy biz. A few thoughts on my own personal brand of yoga nidra:

1. When I do sleep, I often wind up in Vrksasana or Virabhadrasana 2. Yup, I'm a bed hog. (BTW, you should check out this funny post by my homegirl Erica, aka Spoiled Yogi for more yoga poses done sub/un/consciously.)
2. At times, I wake up doing some sort of mudra in my boyfriend's ear or armpit. It's good to have a bendy girlfriend, but there are unexpected downsides.
3. When you rarely snooze, you have lots, and I mean lots of time to read. I'm working on Light on Yoga, The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, The Heart of Yoga, Kundalini Yoga, and a bazillion others.
4. During those few precious hours of sleep, I'm still too busy in my mind to rest. I have wildly vivid dreams which are often quest or adventure-based. Sometimes I dream of yoga sequences and YTT. The other night I was balancing on my head, Iyengar-style.
5. Everyone always asks if increasing my practice also ups the sleep count. Not really, but I will say that YTT does help me nap. Small win!
6. The one time I fell asleep in Viparita Karani (at home) was a joyous event! Then I woke up and thought someone had vice-gripped my head while turning my legs into plywood. Ouch.
7. If you need a sleep doc, I'm an expert in all the things that are supposed to make normal people sleep, but don't work on the weirdos like me. Warm milk. Cool room. Lavender essential oil. A mallet.
8. My #1 fantasy includes the expected: bf, candles, soft nature sounds (waterfall), and my snuggly fluffy cloud-bed. But that's where the normalcy ends. The fantasy also includes the pleasant sounds of snoring (mine) and drooling (also mine, the kind you produce during the deepest, most delicious sleep).

Someday I hope to be able to get enough Z's to fill a country full of Alphabet Soup. Until then, I'll have to daydream and dream about it.

To get yourself schooled on the real Yoga Nidra, check out my yoga sista Abby's awesome post at her blog, Perusals & Peregrinations!

{ legs up the wall } my most favorite yoga pose

Having practiced yoga for quite some time now, my collection of poses to choose from is pretty vast. While my type-A-ness loves the challenge and push of Crow (and its many variations), my MOST favorite pose is Viparita Karani. Good ol' Rodney Yee was the first to introduce me to it and it really was love at first pose. In Legs Up the Wall, I feel most myself, sort of like I'm coming back into who I am. It is THE most refreshing pose for me and sometimes I like to end my practice here, instead of in the traditional Savasana.

I've also fallen asleep in this pose, which speaks volumes considering I'm an insomniac! :) However I don't recommend letting yourself fall asleep here unless you enjoy the ouchy pins and needles effect. Yikes!

Benefits: calms the mind, eases backaches and tired or swollen legs and feet, cleanses and restores the body and mind.

If you've never tried it, you absolutely must. I guarantee it will become a part of your practice. I always work it in, sometimes just by itself anytime during the day, and there really is no better restorative pose.

 photo credit:  dailymail.co.uk