In yoga and meditation this morning, as I wrapped my arm around my waist from behind, I hugged myself. Yoga teachers call this "bound." After today, I will always think of it as "hugged." I felt awash in love for myself, for continuing to practice meditation and yoga day after day after day, even when [...]
This morning in meditation, I was doing deep restorative yoga. I breathed in compassion to myself. Kindness toward the light, lovable parts of me as well as the darker, self-loathing parts of me. As I envisioned a warm yellow sunlight enveloping my middle, I heard the words, "Yoga... is a hug." Hug me. I went [...]
We rarely acknowledge the pelvic floor...It's like a dark room no one wants to talk about...and yet, it is a foundational element of the body. Pelvic floor meditation is meant to bring you emotionally, physically and spiritually into this oft overlooked area. Imagine Jizo, the Earth Womb Bodhisattva, holding this part of your body with kindness and patience, [...]
Most folks in the West don’t know who Jizo is; I don’t expect them to. They know even less about how the Buddhist bodhisattva relates to the health of our pelvic floors. Such things are never written about. But the relationship is much closer than even lovers of Jizo may realize. In Sanskrit, Jizo’s name, [...]
When we have a thought, do we respond to it as though it were true? Do we believe that our feelings tell us what is true about the world? Two big buzzwords these days are Emotional Dysregulation. It assumes that normal is, say, in the range of middle C, within an octave either higher or [...]
Today in yoga I became deeply aware of the dance of tension between my mind and body. I am only learning this lesson because I have to. After many experiences with somatic therapies, letting my body speak volumes about my life, my feelings, my experiences, I got it, in real time, that anger and hatred [...]
Meet Jason. I am embarrassed to admit I hate him. His name is not really Jason. That would not be kind. Hating him is bad enough. Jason somehow finds me in yoga class and throws his mat down too close to mine. Not just once, but for four weekends in a row. The first week, [...]
It took me five years of intensive yoga to get into Trikonasana, also known as triangle pose. My hips would not open up. My lower back screamed “No!!” And I had to listen to that no because I kept injuring myself when I didn’t. My vow is patience. Yoga, like wisdom, takes a long time. [...]
Hello. I am Valerie’s Ego and I am writing my first blog EVER. AREN’T YOU IMPRESSED? YES, WE JUST GOT BACK FROM YOGA AND I AM READY TO ROCK! Big breath. Let it pass. My mind is a yoga class in constant session. I hate the asana, I love the asana. I hate the teacher, [...]
I just had to get off the yoga mat to write this down this morning. I had not, until this very moment, internalized lovingkindness while I was doing yoga, or aerobics or Pilates mat work. I am always pushing myself to do longer asanas, more reps, better form. […]
