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Archive for the ‘Mandy’s Yoga Blog’ Category
Friday, February 3rd, 2012
Dec. 6, 2011
11 weeks pregnant
Sometimes at the best of times we don’t feel like practicing yoga or any other exercise we normally enjoy; we can be tired, busy or just not in the mood. It can be even more of a challenge to keep up a regular practice when you are pregnant. Pregnancy exhaustion, cramps and moodiness can be huge deterrents to making it to the mat the gym or the great outdoors. Exercising is an important part of a healthy pregnancy (if given the go-ahead from your doctor). It can increase energy, reduce aches and pains, reduce stress and increase your self image while your body goes through major changes. Keeping up some sort of routine, even if it is a scaled back version of your usual workout, can be very helpful in having a comfortable pregnancy.
For those of us who are given the green light by their doctor to continue regular exercise, pregnancy is a time to maintain your fitness regime. Whether you are practicing yoga daily, running, hiking or doing Zumba, you should be able to continue as usual. This is not the time to up your weight levels at the gym or begin training for a marathon. Exercise at this time in life is for the benefit of you and your babies health, not to out-do yourself. If you are more of an adventurous athlete, pregnancy is a time to tone things down and perhaps try something new. Activities such as surfing, snowboarding and mountain biking are probably not the best for your body and that of your tiny growing child.
For me, the past 5 weeks since I found out I am pregnant have been a struggle as a yogini. Within the first few days of knowing I was “with child” I was told not to do anything but rest. What?!! How is that even possible when I have to teach a class, finish painting my kitchen and unpack my entire house? Well, when your Dr. tells you to rest, you rest. Even though many things are left undone at home, I have been very busy building a baby. Accepting this, and that things will never be quite the same can be quite difficult. Acceptance, however, is a major teaching in yoga. Being able to accept where you are in your practice on a given day, not giving in to competition and being at peace with the way things are is key to living a happy and healthy life.
Luckily even though I am resting, I am still able to teach my restorative yoga classes here at Anamaya . We are continually running yoga retreats and one of my favorite things in life is teaching yoga to our guests. I find that even though I am not able to practice asanas right now, I can continue practicing certain breathing techniques, relaxation poses and also practice teaching with just my words and very minimal demonstration which is always a challange!
I am very excited to be pregnant and to be able to share some of my experiences with you, if you have any questions or would like to find out more about our yoga retreats or yoga teacher training programs here at Anamaya please feel free to contact me here by email at mandy@anamayaresort.com
Tags: Anamaya, prenatal yoga, yoga retreat
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Saturday, September 17th, 2011
I have just started writing some educational articles about yoga for Anamaya’s website and I really think I am going to enjoy this project! My first subject is Patanjali’s 8 limbed path of yoga, which is a structured breakdown of all of the practices of yoga that come together to create a well-rounded way of life for a yogi. Today I wrote the introduction, and over the next few weeks I will be writing detailed articles on each path, breaking down the meaning behind the practice and using examples from my own life to demonstrate.
As I think about going into detail about each of the paths I really start to consider what it means to live a life of yoga. For many people the physical practice of going to a yoga class and moving through asanas is what yoga is to them. Before learning about this well-rounded way of life that is yoga, I was very much the same. I went to a few classes here and there and always enjoyed the physical benefits, but also had an inkling that there was much more to this yoga business.
Slowly but surely, through my education at my yoga teacher trainings here at Anamaya, and through my own reading and study I have come to know yoga on a much deeper level. I find that my opinions on things are shifting and I see the world in a different way. I have begun to really study myself and have patience with my self while I sort out the inner-workings of my being. I could go on for hours about the many things that are different for me now, but there is one thing that has stood out for me and I think about often. It’s something that I kind of battle with myself over because being non-judgmental is a part of being a yogini, but let’s face it, I am nowhere near “enlightened” and I’m very much human! What I have been thinking about is the moral duties we have as yoga teachers (if we do indeed have moral duties and to what extent). The old adage says “do as I say and not as I do”, but in my opinion, that can only go so far when you have moral responsibilities as part of your job.
I have encountered many yoga teachers in my day, as well as being one myself and I often wonder if others think about these things in the same way. I have witnessed regular yoga practitioners and teachers doing and saying things that are definitely not in alignment with the teachings of yoga, and I myself have also questioned my own behaviors. Where do we draw the line on these ancient teachings? How are they applicable in this day in age and in the western world?
Do we have a responsibility beyond our behaviour with our students during class? If we meet a student by chance at a party, can they expect us to behave a certain way? I believe that as a person, I hold myself to a higher standard now that I am teaching yoga, not just for my students but also for my own peace of mind. Do others feel the same way?
Mandy Lawson
“Be where you are: Otherwise you might miss your life” Buddha
Tags: 8 limbs of yoga, Yoga, Yoga Teacher Training
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Tuesday, September 13th, 2011
One of my favorite classes to teach, actually, my absolute favorite, is restorative yoga. I came upon teaching this style by chance and have never looked back! I was scheduled to teach a “light yoga” class here at Anamaya and remembered some of the training I had had in restorative yoga. At the same time, my love for building forts surfaced and I decided it would be great to take all of the pillows, bolsters, cushions, blankets, blocks and other “supplies” out onto the yoga deck and see what we could do!
What resulted was a super relaxing and healing class. The 90 minute class generally consists of about 8 poses held for 5-7 minutes each after a gentle warm up, then a long, luxurious 20 minute savasana. I use a lot of hands on “adjustments” which are basically making sure your form is safe and then a nice little massage, this tends to be most students favorite part of the class!
The purpose of restorative yoga is to bring some stillness and relaxation to both body and mind. By staying in each pose for an extended period of time the body has a chance to really release any tension being stored and let go of stress. By being fully supported in each position one feels safe and comfortable and the mind can come into a state of calm and quiet giving the body an opportunity to heal and regenerate. In many cases, a restorative practice is the only time one has to fully relax and enjoy some peace and quiet, many of the breathing techniques and visualizations we work with can be used every day to relieve stress and increase relaxation.
Some of my favorite poses to include are; fully supported child’s pose (balasana), supported forward fold (paschimottanasana), superior pose (jyestikasana) and reclining bound angle pose (supta baddha konasana). Most of these positions are easy to come into on your own and don’t require much assistance to get into. I always make sure though, that each student uses enough support so they can fully relax into the pose without straining any part of their body. The head is supported, arms are resting down on the floor or a cushion and nothing is left hanging or uncomfortable. This can be difficult for many students as it can be hard to fully let go, to surrender and allow yourself to be supported completely.
Some poses though, can be a little harder to get into on your own. Once such pose is reclining hero pose (supta virasana). With this position I come around and make sure the student is fully supported so they can completely relax into the posture. This often means building a “castle” of cushions and soft blocks from the floor up starting between the feet and behind the body and coming all the way up so the body can fully relax back onto the castle at a depth that works for their body in that moment. It takes a little time to get into position, but once there it is heavenly!
Typically the restorative classes take place in the late afternoon with the sun going down during the class. The experience of moving from light to dark and often sun to storm during the session usually proves to be quite magical! One of the first classes I taught saw a fierce lightning storm come in part way through the class. We could literally feel the energy in the air, it was absolutely awe inspiring and something I will always remember. Another great moment was when two rainbows appeared right in front of us as we held a nice long pigeon pose. If you have yet to visit Anamaya to practice yoga and enjoy the beautiful area, I am telling you, there is no better place to practice! The yoga deck here looks out on lush jungle and an expansive ocean view. It is not uncommon to see monkeys, rare birds and even whales during practice.
Restorative yoga is a deeply relaxing and restful practice. Most students leave the yoga deck feeling calm, serene, relaxed and cozy. I enjoy sharing this experience with as many people as possible, and hope that some of the relaxation techniques are taken home to become part of people’s busy lives.
Tags: Anamaya, costa rica, relaxation, restorative yoga, Yoga
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Wednesday, June 8th, 2011
 It may seem that what I’m about to write has nothing to do with yoga. It’s not about a pose or a style of practice or about the latest fabulous bra to come out at Lululemon (not that I would know about that these days). It is however, about noticing and noticing has EVERYTHING to do with yoga.
Today as I was working at my other Anamaya job as hostess/assistant manager, I was looking at one of our cordless phones. The phone had a message on the screen that read “Searching for base”, so I put it in its cradle but the message stayed on the screen. What came out of my mouth had a profound effect on me and I was compelled to share it with you today. I simply said (to the phone of course), “stop searching for your home, you have already found it”.
The reason this effected me so, is that it really seems to me that most of us (myself included at times), always seem to be searching. Searching for the perfect car, house, t.v, partner or job, in essence, we are looking to the outside world to bring us happiness. Think about it though, does finding any of those things really MAKE us happy? No, at most they can make us more comfortable or bring us pleasure, but true happiness comes from inside ourselves. It is the root of our being and is always there, so really we need to look not to the outside world to feel complete, but inside ourselves. As I said to the phone so poignantly,
“Stop searching, you are already home”.
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Friday, June 3rd, 2011
 Yoga is a way of life for many people, to others it is a once a week activity, for the masses though, yoga is something totally new and unknown. Even though yoga studios can be found on nearly every corner in many North American cities, it is still a world unfamiliar to many. It can be quite intimidating for a person new to yoga to enter a studio for the first time, especially when everyone there seems to feel right at home. Every studio has it’s own way of doing things, such as; providing mats or not, what to do with dirty mats, offering of tea or other refreshments, lockers or storage systems for your stuff etc. but there are many things that are consistent with almost anywhere that offers yoga classes and being armed with information about those things can get you one step ahead of the game of yoga etiquette.
1) Take off your shoes. Upon entering the studio you will see that there is an area for entry, and the area beyond that is almost always shoe-free. Most studios will have cubby holes or lockers to keep your shoes and coat. Bring your socks into class with you as you may wish to put them on for savasana. OR you can always come to a yoga retreat at Anamaya and you can go shoe-less the entire week!
2) Turn your cell phone off! Or better yet, don’t even bring it to class at all. A ringing phone will earn you the spot of most irritating person in class very quickly. Please be respectful of your teacher and your fellow students by keeping your phone out of class. Oh, and if you HAVE to have your phone for emergencies, keep it that way… do NOT be tempted to text message in between or during poses, ESPECIALLY savasana. Not only does this defeat the purpose of practicing yoga but it is very annoying for your instructor!
3) Be on time. Most instructors or studios will have a late arrival policy, follow it. The general rule is that if you arrive late (10-15 minutes is acceptable), come in quietly and join in. Do not announce loudly how sorry you are that you’re late because Starbucks got your coffee wrong and had to make you another triple shot caramel latte.
4) Be quiet. Unless you are taking part in a high energy hip-hop yoga class, laughter yoga or some other rowdy type of yoga, please keep your mouth shut. I am totally guilty of laughing in class, whispering about fake-made-up names for every pose and groaning when we have to do yet another down-dog, but in this case, do what I say and not what I do.
5) Come to classes that suit your level. If you are an advanced student and the only class that fits your schedule is a beginners class, work at a beginner level. The teacher will generally offer a couple of options for different positions, work with the more difficult one, but don’t go ahead and bust out all of your advanced moves. This is confusing and potentially intimidating to the beginners in the class.
6) Don’t leave early. If you MUST leave early, always inform your teacher before class and always take a savasana before you go.
There are many other guidelines that will allow you to participate in classes as a respected member of yoga society, but these are the main things. Just using your common sense will get you a long way, and if you don’t know something, ASK!
Tags: Anamaya, Yoga, yoga retreat
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Monday, May 30th, 2011
“Do I have enough time to pick up the kids?”
“What am I going to make for dinner?”
“Do these pants make my butt look big?”
“Is the teacher looking at me… no really, is he?”
Does this sound your mind during the final pose of a yoga class? Savasana, also known as “corpse pose” is usually the final posture in hatha yoga and is meant for deep relaxation. However, as I have noticed with the students in many of my classes and also experienced personally, it can be really tough to quiet the mind during this sometimes 20-30 minute posture. Now I know that when practicing outdoors, like out on the yoga deck here at Anamaya , the occasional (or not so occasional) ant or fly may interrupt relaxation, but isn’t part of true relaxation letting go of small annoyances and just “being”?
My goal with this blog is to talk about the “how” and “why” of Savasana and also to provide some tips on how to achieve the relaxation and healing that is meant to result from this ancient pose.
The picture above demonstrates the body positioning for savasana. It is important that the body be able to fully relax in this posture. Proper relaxation is essential for the health of our mind and body and for clarity of thought for making good choices.
To place your body in the correct position lie down on your back. It’s nice to use some props to help you be more comfortable which will allow further relaxation of the body. As a minimum, use a small pillow or rolled towel under your head, and perhaps some support behind your knees. If you are prone to catch a chill, cover up with a small blanket and put on some socks. Sometimes it’s also nice, and in my opinion, very luxurious, to cover your eyes with an eye pillow. Your arms should be beside your torso and spread fairly wide, your upper arms should not be touching your rib cage. Your legs should also be spread wide, at about hip width distance, feet rotating out if comfortable.
When I’m teaching, I often use guided visualizations at the beginning of savasana to help with the relaxation of the entire body. By working through the parts of the body and calling attention to any tension being held, it is easier to find a release. Let’s try something right now, bring your attention to the muscles in your face, focus on your forehead and relax, your eyes, relax, your cheeks, relax, your jaw, your tongue, your ears, all relaxed. Go through your whole head and notice how much tension you were holding there. Now take in a deep breath, hold for a moment, then release all of the air fully from your lungs. How do you feel? Did you become more aware of stress that you hold onto without even being aware of it?
This process is done throughout the entire body during savasana, helping the tension wash away. Once your body is relaxed into the position it’s good to follow your breath for around ten breath cycles, just being aware of your breath and it’s movement through your body. At this point you can just let go. Any thoughts that pop into your mind are simply observed without reaction. Your brainwaves will slow down and your awareness will be disconnected from the outside world and your body can begin to repair and restore itself.
Once it’s time to come out of savasana, any time between 15-30 minutes is beneficial, I instruct my students to give the fingers and toes a little wiggle, bringing awareness back to the present moment and the physical body, then stretch the arms up over head and legs down away from the body. From here we roll onto the right side into the fetal position and rest for a moment before slowly pushing up into a seated position.
Many people think that savasana is not important or that it’s a waste of time in our busy lives. But truly when we are relaxed we react better to daily life and are generally in a better mood. Taking the time to relax in savasana not only does us a favor, but also everyone else around us. If you have been “to busy” for a proper savasana, I challange you to try it today! You are sure to feel great afterwards!
Tags: Anamaya, Yoga
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Monday, May 23rd, 2011
 I remember visiting the home of a friend of mine in elementary school. She was of Indian descent and her home was decorated very ornately with pictures of various gods, goddesses and other colorful images. There was also music playing that I had never heard, it definitely was not the Bruce Springsteen or Bryan Adams that I was used to. I had never seen anything like this before, and like a lot of new things I was interested in it, but also a little afraid.
Looking back on this experience, which stands out vividly in my memory, it reminds me that just because something is different or you initially react with fear or apprehension it doesn’t mean that it is not beautiful.
When first presented with the music that came along with some yoga classes or meditations I thought, “what the heck is this weird music?” I was not enjoying it nor did it help me relax in any way. It was different and “weird”, and I wanted nothing to do with it.
These days I have found myself enjoying the sounds of some of this music. Not all of it appeals to me of course, like any genre of music, but I have especially warmed up to a type of music called kirtan.
Kirtan means “to repeat” in Sanskrit, and the music played by various instruments is accompanied by chants or mantras repeated over and over again, often with increasing speed. Coming from India, Kirtan is used as a method to quiet the mind. The ancient mantras that are chanted are said to evoke healing energies which help us bring ourselves back to our center, taking us out of our heads and into our hearts. Kirtans, gatherings of people to participate in this collective musical experience can offer an extremely unique and amazing experience. People report feeling a buzz or a sense of connectedness and peace during the chants. It is rare that people in any given space are all on the same wave-length and vibration. During a kirtan everyone is breathing and resonating at the same time, which creates a wonderful energetic experience.
My favorite Kirtan artist so far is Wade Imre Morrisette, the twin brother to fellow Canadian Alanis Morrisette . His music has more of an Indie rock feel (my favorite genre), but includes the chanting and mantras associated with Kirtan. I enjoy his music along with other artists’ during my personal practice, and also when I teach. (I am not teaching this week, as we are hosting a yoga teacher training here at Anamaya, and we actually hosted a kirtan event on May 18, which included music and some AMAZING food. It was a fabulous time full of love and warmth). It’s interesting to research the different mantras that are sung to find out their meanings. The one that resonates most with me right now is “om namah shivaya” which basically means, “I bow to Shiva”. Shiva being your higher self, your true being and highest consciousness.
I encourage you to check out some great kirtan music online, here is a great video of a kirtan lead by Krishna Das, a very popular musician in the kirtan community.
Tags: kirtan, music, Yoga
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Saturday, May 21st, 2011
The first “official” yoga class I ever took was in 2001 at a gym that I was working at as a receptionist. I had done yoga before (we all have in one way or another), but never in a class setting. One of the other girls I worked with convinced me to try it with her so I thought I would give it a try. Now as you will get to know, if you don’t know me already, I can be a little silly, I can neglect to take serious things seriously, and I can laugh in inappropriate situations. This yoga class was one of those inappropriate situations. I don’t remember if I had downed three shots of espresso prior to this class or if I was just in a goofy mood, but I just could NOT stop laughing! Not only that, but my giggles became contagious and soon my friend was laughing too. Much to the chagrin of our teacher this display didn’t end anytime soon.
The class I attended that day was not intended as a laughter yoga class, but as you may have heard, such a thing exists. According to the website for Laughter Yoga International, laughing yoga was the brainchild of Dr. Madan Kataria, a Physician from Mumbai, India. She launched the first Laughter Club at a Park on March 13, 1995, with merely a handful of persons. Today, it has become a worldwide phenomenon with more than 6000 Social Laughter Clubs in about 60 countries.
I first tried a real laughter yoga class as part of the Camp Moomba Yogathon and Blissfest in Vancouver, B.C. in 2008. This yogathon was a lengthy class which encompassed the teaching of many different styles of yoga by a plethora of wonderful teachers. I remember feeling nervous before the laughter segment, questions kept popping into my head such as;
“Will I look stupid?”
“Will I be able to laugh?”
“Is this for real?”
“WILL I LOOK STUPID?”
The truth is, I probably DID look stupid, but so did the other 1500 people practicing along side me. Also, it was so much fun!! Being part of a class where you were instructed to do silly exercises and laugh, really brings back an element of childhood. A time when you didn’t care if you looked stupid and when laughter came easily. I have to admit that I really enjoyed that class and have done other laughter classes since. Including a segment of laughter yoga in my yoga teacher training program at Anamaya (which had the entire staff of the hotel in stitches as well).
The laughing classes have not always been successful in changing a funky mood, but they have ALWAYS been a source of enjoyment by taking me back to child-like play. I really believe that the majority of us, as adults are missing something. That spark from child-hood that leads to playing, pretending and just plain silliness. I highly recommend trying out a laughter yoga class to remind you to play and to enjoy the simple things in life such as laughter.
Tags: Anamaya, laughter yoga, Yoga, Yoga Teacher Training
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Wednesday, May 18th, 2011
 Yoga can be extremely intimidating. It’s a whole world of body contortions, chanting, strange language and eclectic music, not to mention the seemingly “perfect” bodies scantily clad performing every pose just so. To a beginner, heck, even to a seasoned yoga pro, entering a new class or studio can be a will testing experience. Part of my goal with this blog is to make people more comfortable with yoga by teaching the meanings behind some things which may seem obscure at first glance, and by demonstrating that yoga is a personal practice. It is not a competitive sport, nor should you be comparing yourself with others. Let’s face it though, we are human, and this is not always easy to remember, so while we work on cultivating our non-competitiveness I will share some information to help you feel more confident in your yoga knowledge.
You may have noticed your instructor, yoga students or random yogis in the street saying the word “Namaste”. What in the world does this mean?! Many of my students have told me that they either just took for granted that it is some strange yoga term and never wondered again about the meaning behind it, or they have always wondered about its meaning but were too afraid to ask.
In my yoga teacher training at Anamaya , I learned about the meaning of Namaste for the first time. It was described to me by my teacher Sasha Dae, that it is a gesture combined with the word “Namaste” as an acknowledgement to another person.
“The light in me recognizes the light in you”.
I liked this idea that there is something universal inside of each and every one of us that can be the “recognizer”, this presence inside of us that can see that presence inside of another person.
My favorite description of “Namaste” that I have found so far comes from an article that I discovered in Yoga Journal.
“The gesture Namaste represents the belief that there is a Divine spark within each of us that is located in the heart chakra. The gesture is an acknowledgment of the soul in one by the soul in another. “Nama” means bow, “as” means I, and “te” means you. Therefore, Namaste literally means “bow me you” or “I bow to you.”
I always make sure that I tell my students about this so that they too can feel a little more comfortable when they say Namaste at the end of a class by knowing what they were saying and doing when they make the gesture. It’s a beautiful acknowledgement which I enjoy richly now that I know what it means, and now you know too!
Tags: Anamaya, Namaste, Yoga
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Tuesday, May 17th, 2011
 I have been told many times that I make the most annoying sounds when I am working on the computer. Apparently I hold my breath until I can’t possibly hold it any longer, then I let it out in short, irritating spurts. When I was made abruptly aware of this behavior I started to pay much more attention to my breathing and realized that there are many situations where I find myself either holding my breath, or breathing very shallow.
When I attended the yoga teacher training at Anamaya , breathing became part of our course work. It was mandatory that we take full breaths using our entire lungs! Imagine that, actually breathing deeply and being aware of the air moving in and out of our bodies. This practice became very useful to me in bringing my nervous system into balance and also making me very aware of the importance of feeding our bodies the oxygen needed to provide our cells the ability to create energy.
In yoga there are many breathing exercises which can be called pranayama . Pranayama is “the extension of life force through breath”. Prana, the essential life force, is taken in to the body through breath, and so these exercises are intended to bring more prana, ie. life force into the body. The ancient yogis in India were very aware of the connection between our breath and our mind, so they developed breathing techniques to help control our breathing, and in turn, eventually control our mind.
When I teach a class I generally start out with one or two breathing exercises. These exercises help increase our attention to our breath, provide relaxation, and help us focus internally. The first one I generally use with beginners is “sectional breathing”. Sectional breathing is when you breathe with the three parts of your chest. Below are some instructions on trying this technique:
- Sit in any comfortable pose and then lift both arms up and bend them backwards at the elbow to touch your back below the shoulder blades. Now take a few deep breaths through the upper chest. You can feel this part working in this posture.
- Now place your hands on your side chest, just under the nipple. Take a few deep breaths through the middle chest.
- Now place your hands on the sides lower chest where the rib cage ends. Take a few deep breaths through the lower chest.
- Place one hand on the navel. Take a few deep abdominal breaths.
- Now try to take a “tidal breath” involving inhalation and exhalation through all these parts.
This type of breathing will make you much more aware of your breathing habits. Do you generally breathe through the top portion of your chest? How often to you take full breaths? Do you find yourself holding your breath like I do?
Making yourself more aware of your breathing habits is an important part of your yoga practice and also of good health. Pay attention, and BREATHE!
Tags: breathing, Health, Pranayama, Yoga
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