Keeping It Positive

In business, as in the rest of life, it can be a challenge to keep things positive. Present global economic woes are making for some highly tense office environments, but they also present an opportunity to bring our yoga "off the mat", and into our daily lives.

Yoga can provide not only a personal refuge from these pressures, but an opportunity to calm down, refocus and re-enter the group with positive energy and patience. Imagine bringing a spirit of peace and healing to your environment, rather then adding to the discord and din.

Go to your office, or even a stall in the bathroom, or step outside, anywhere you can be alone for a few minutes and withdraw from the energy of your office. Take a few deep breaths and follow your inhale and exhale. On the inhale say, "I breath in peace", on the exhale say, "I breathe out all tension." Before you return to your office group say to yourself this simple Metta meditation of lovingkindness...

"May all beings be happy, May all beings be free from all suffering."

It is amazing how much a simple break can help us calm down, and regain perspective.

Let me know how you bring your yoga off the mat, and into the world.

If you are looking for more ways to bring the positive back to your office or business check out the blog Emergence Business Coaching written by business coach and writer, Charrise. She has great advice and resources for building business for success, with heart and positive energy.

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Rise and Shine with Sun Breath

Rise and Shine!!!

It's morning, and a new day full of possibilites is before you. Wake up your brain, raise your prana, and get ready for a beautiful day with this seated variation of Sun Breath.

1. Sit in Sukhasana (simple cross-legged pose), or Lotus Pose.

2. Start with your hands by your hips, palms turned out. Inhale and sweep the arms overhead – reach out through your finger tips as if your arms are the rays of the sun – keep stretching upwards to the sky, and bring the palms together over your head. Exhale.

3. Keeping your arms raised, look up at the sky, lift your heart to the heat and light of the sun – inhale the prana of our ancient sun – feel this new expansion in the chest. Turn the palms out, reach through the finger tips and exhale the arms down.

4. Repeat on the next inhale, and use the mantra:

Breathing in, I breathe the light of the sun into my heart.
Breathing out, I give the light of the sun to our world.

5. Repeat at least 3 times.

Namaste, and may you have a radiant day!
Go out and shine!

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Healing Mandalas

This is a terrific post and invitation to meditation on a beautiful mandala from a blog I visit frequently, http://thezeninyou.blogspot.com.

Take a five minute break from your busy day to come back to mindfulness and peace. Enjoy!


The Zen In You: Healing mandalas

Meditation-In-Motion: a Kripalu Yoga Experience

Image via Wikipedia In this post I am going to set the stage for you to experience Meditation-In-Motion, which is a unique aspect of the Kripalu Yoga tradition. This type of "prana awakening" will open doors to new body wisdom for you. First a little background, and explanation.

Kripalu Yoga comes from the lineage of Kundalini yoga and so it is all about cultivating, releasing and harnessing prana, which is energy or life-force. (I will discuss the concepts of prana and Kundalini in greater depth in up-coming posts.) The idea is that as we practice the different components of yoga, like asanas (postures), prana is strengthened and focused. This in turn has great and far-reaching effects in every area of our lives.

Meditation is often an elusive term for most people conjuring pictures of yogis cross-legged in full lotus for hours, but really it is a mental, physical, and biological event that occurs quite naturally when the conditions are right. Creating the conditions is key.


If you have ever been so totally absorbed in work that hours passed without you realizing; have felt the absorption of oneness with a beloved; walked in the forest and had a sense of oneness with all things; participated in an ecstatic dance class, or just danced with reckless abandon by yourself (one of my favorite things to do!) then you have experienced a form of meditative absorption, or Dhyana.

Spontaneous posture flows are something that can occur as prana is released during these deep states of meditative absorption. In fact, this is how yoga asanas were developed. 5000 years ago, yogis living in seclusion, spending hour upon hour in meditative absorption, began to have spontaneous movements as a result of their increased prana. They began recording some of the most common movements, and I would speculate the ones that seemed most effective in harnessing prana, and helping the body to deal with excruciating hours spent in sitting meditation. These were eventually refined into common sets of postures and practices that moved forward with the evolving yogic tradition.

So... what Meditation-In-Motion is, simply, is to allow yourself to come into a relaxed, meditative state and then let your prana move you.

Not you doing yoga...yoga doing you.

To begin...

Find a space where you have room to move around, and lay out a yoga mat (if you have one-it's not required for this experience.) You can use music if you like, BIJA by Todd Norian is a favorite of mine for MIM. Begin on your back in Corpse Pose. Inhale and exhale deeply through your nose.

Feel the breath as it moves into your body and imagine it swirling in a spiraling motion in the center of your body. With each new breath, let this spiral expand, moving out into your limbs. Let the energy flow and grow with the breath as you inhale and exhale. Keep expanding until the energy is moving out through your finger tips, toes, and the crown of your head.

Now let the breath and the energy begin to guide your movements. Forget what you know of yoga postures, or dance movements; follow the waves of sensation and energy. There is no wrong way to proceed.

You may find yourself, moving a lot, or a little, staying on the floor, or transitioning to standing movements. You may sway, arc, make shapes, find yourself in long, holding positions - anything is possible, everything is good.

Notice your breathing, and feel free to release any sighs or vocalizations that may come through. Continue this way, riding the wave of sensation, allowing your prana to awaken and flow, for as long as you like. When you feel complete, make your way back down to the floor and end with a five to ten minute Sivasana (relaxation and integration time), in Corpse Pose.

I hope you enjoy dancing with your prana-
Blesssings,
Teal