Last Days of Detox and Beyond

I was so excited for this detox to end.  During the final days, I was really craving fruit – I missed yellow mangoes and strawberries the most.  I also started watching Pasta, a Korean drama about love quadrangles at a fancy Italian restaurant, so I was also craving spaghetti (and pizza, salad, enchiladas, Indian food, cookies, and ice cream).

Fruit is so pretty!

On the last night of detox, I went to whole foods and bought all kinds of goodies in preparation for a weekend of eating without limitations.  I spent like $200 – yikes!  Then, I went home and got ready for the 2^nd panchakarma therapy, Basti (enema of sesame oil and dashamula tea).

I admit, I was kinda nervous about it, but it really wasn’t that bad.  A little uncomfortable, but pretty gentle compared to virechan the weekend before.  If you want to know more about Basti, click here for a simple explanation I found online.   So, I did Basti and then went straight to bed.

Saturday morning, after finishing my morning sadhana, I finally sat down to eat.  I started with fruit, but then an hour later started eating all kinds of randomness.  Crackers and guacamole, chapati, mango chutney, more chapati – I think I over did it on the wheat.  I felt so bloated and gross by dinner time.   I went out for Thai that night and everything tasted overly sweet, all the flavors overpowering me after eating only kitchari and veggies for such a long time.

My head started to get hot after that meal.  Was pitta was on the rise?  After all that…was it coming back up?  Stressful thoughts started to bubble up – did I just eff everything up?  I was then presented with coconut ice cream, and since I was feeling like I had nothing to lose at this point, I ate it.  It was yummy, but the sensation of yumminess was so fleeting, and the after taste of feeling like I just undid everything was so depressing.  I was so over it.  I just wanted to go back to eating rice, mung beans, and veggies again.

The next day, I ate an entire box of spinach and made dal for lunch.  I went to a friend’s birthday dinner at a pizza place where I ordered just a salad.  The pizza looked so good, better than what I had craved during the week, but all I could think about was this distended belly and all the wheat I had already consumed.   At this point, my cystic acne had started a comeback.  I rode the bus home feeling detached and unmotivated.  I missed being committed to something, and I felt a little defeated.

At this point I realized that Kapha is in the house – stuck, down, congested – allergies still mucking up my sinuses and Vata still  playing around in my digestive system.  After moping around for a bit, feeling this state of being, I decided that now more than ever, I needed to continue with my morning practices.

So today, I started life beyond the detox.  I’m taking what I’ve learned about myself to tweak my morning routine to help change my attitude and manage my health.  Here is what I came up with:

-          Wake up 5:45am, scrape tongue, wash face, neti.

-          Walk – 20 minutes

-          Abhyanga and shower

-          Pranayama:

• Kapalabhati, Agni Sara, Bhramari, Sheetali, Anuloma Viloma

-          Chandra Namaskar

-          Asanas:

• Utthita Parsvokonasana
• Prasarita Paddontonasana (twisting)
• Ustrasana
• Ardha Matsyendrasana
• Janu Sirsasana
• Baddha Konasana

-          108 Japa Mantra

-          So-Hum Meditation (10-15 min)

So, there you have it – the detox experiment has come to an end.  I’ve learned so much about how food affects my body and mind, the importance of slowing down, and how much I love seeing the sunrise everyday.

Thank you so much for taking the time to be with me on this two week journey.   I don’t know who is out there, but whoever you are, I love you, and I hope that I have been able to entertain you along the way.

Many Blessings, Om Shanti.

Sun and Moon Together

Days 8 & 9: Wanting

Days 8 & 9:

The first weekday after surviving the weekend started out well enough.  On my early morning walk, I got to see an amazing divided sky with the start of the sunrise on one end and a bright moon on the other.  That place of true transition is kind of eerie. I can see why it is such a time of unknowing.  It feels surreal and otherworldly.

This is the second and last (thank god) week of the detox, which requires a little change in diet and rituals.  I don’t get to eat fruit this week (sadness) and can only eat kitchari, which consists of rice, mung beans, spices, ghee, and veggies.  At least I can garnish with cilantro, lime, and coconut.  Doesn’t sound so bad, right?  I’m so over it.  I used to love kitchari, but eating it every day for every meal is making me feel wanting.

Kitchari...Sigh

My mind has shifted; I feel envious, even a little jealous, of what other people are eating. I am distracted by thoughts of food I want to eat when this detox is over.   It feels like all the doshas are playing out – distracted vata, attached kapha, jealous pitta.  My mind feels restless and stuck at the same time.

These feelings make me notice though how much food there is around us.  Walking down the street, there is someone who just bought lunch, or even someone eating while walking down the street; froyo and take-out containers abound.  I never really noticed it all before because I whenever I wanted something, I just went out and got it.

It made me feel kinda down because everyone around me had something that I couldn’t have.  All those people probably didn’t think that what they had was in any way special, or thought that there could be someone passing by that was wanting what they had.  It made me appreciate all the yummyness that we have at our fingertips.  I know that I take all the richness of food for granted sometimes.

East

to

West

Days 5, 6, and 7: First Panchakarma Experience

Day 5:

Day 5 did not start out as such a great day.  I woke up late and had to forgo my morning walk.  I finished off 5 tablespoons of tikta grita and felt a little nauseous afterwards.  I was very sleepy and did just a short meditation.

Ate All the Bitter Ghee

But then I remembered it was Hanuman’s Birthday (Hanuman Jayanti)!  And I was immediately happy.  I rearranged my alter to bring Hanuman front and center.  I chanted the Hanuman Chalisa with love and devotion to honor him and his amazing qualities of love, devotion, courage, and strength.  Then I played Hanuman songs all morning while I got ready for the rest of day.

If you are interested in mythology and have yet to read the Ramayana, I highly recommend the version by Ramesh Menon.  You can learn all about the awesome-ness of Hanuman!

The Ramayana by Ramesh Menon

Letting Go of Perfection

I became a little critical of myself because I woke up late on Day 5 and skipped my morning walk and asana practice.  After working so hard to get into this routine, slipping up made me feel a little guilty.  But part of this detox experience is to relax and rejuvenate, to remember acceptance instead of trying to go-go-go all the time.  The pitta in me was judgmental of myself; I know i need to let that go.  I ended up having a pretty happy morning with Hanuman anyways.

Progression of Day 5 into Day 6:  Here Comes the Gross Part

In the evening, I took it easy.  I prepared for next week’s food requirements and then hung out very leisurely and relaxed with a good friend.  We lost track of time – talking and catching up.  It felt freeing to just to enjoy myself, not knowing or caring what time it was.

But then I had to come home to do my first panchakarma therapy, Virechan, which is a purgation therapy.  I started it at 1am, per my instructions, by drinking ½ cup warm milk with 7 teaspoons of castor oil.

In Ayurveda: The Science of Self-Healing, Dr. Lad explains that Virechan is done to cleanse pitta and purify the blood of toxins.  It cleanses the sweat glands, small intestine, colon, kidneys, stomach, liver, and spleen.  Virechan is used for people with high pitta conditions, including allergic rash, skin inflammation, acne or dermatitis, which are issues that I have been struggling with for years.  Dr. Lad states that, “when much bile is secreted and accumulated in the gall bladder, liver, or intestines,” these types of issues can result.  The Ayurvedic treatment for this is Virechan. For more information about Panchakarma, click here.

Virechan is a very important therapy for my condition, and so I was very committed to doing it.  Of the two I have to do during this cleanse, I thought it would be the less intense.  Boy was I wrong.  Here is what happened:

-       I ate the concoction and started to get ready for bed.  I thought it would start working while I was asleep and I would have to get up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom.  Well, it started to happen within like 15 minutes.  It felt like my entire digestive system was in some sort of spasm.  It was very intense and at one point I felt like I was going to pass out.  I was in a cold sweat and my intestines were doing convulsions – its like my body was doing kappalabhati pranayama all on it’s own.

-       The intensity subsided after some time.  I went to sleep, I would wake up to go to the bathroom a half hour later, an hour later, 2 hours later, and 4 hours later.  Then I slept till about noon.  Everything I’d eaten in, I don’t know how many, days was completely out.  I’ve never had such an experience before, not even with a stomach flu or similar sickness.  There was nothing left in my system.

-       You’d think you would feel gross when you woke up, but I felt light, calm.  My energy was good.  I felt steady and even, and my mind was slow.  I did light pranayama (nadi shodona) and meditated.  It was like waking up after crying really hard the night before, you just feel better.  It was nice.  I did nothing all day.  Read a little, watched Downton Abbey, laid around, made food.

-       I had vegetable broth in the afternoon which was delicious and then made kitchari for dinner.  I ate a lot…felt like I just undid everything I went through, but the instructions say to eat kitchari, so I did.

Day 7:

I slept in to catch up on sleep from the night of insanity before, and then did abhyanga and took a hot bath – felt so relaxing.  Then did my pranayama, mantra practice, chandra namaskar, asanas, meditation, and ate more kitchari for breafast.

Now it’s time to head outside for some sun and fresh air!

The Best Thing about this Weekend:  Drinking vegetable broth after Virechan.

The Not-so-best Thing about this Weekend: The actual process of Virechan.  When you’re going through that in the middle of the night, all by yourself, its kind of scary.

Day 4 of Detox: Ahhhh-Choo! Sniff.

Day 4:

-       Feeling more tired today.  Kept dozing off during Pranayama.  Did bhastrika and kappalabhati to try to wake me up and clear my congestion.  It helped, but then I got sleepy in anuloma viloma.

-       Woke myself up with chandra namaskar and asana practice, but when I laid down for reclined twists, I got sleepy again.

-       Meditation was just me nodding off. Not doing so well in kapha time today.

• Kapha time is 6am to 10am.  Its a good idea to wake up before kapha time so that we get up before any of the heavy, sluggish qualities of kapha start to sink in.  I’m getting up before kapha time, but now I just get sleepy between 6:00am and 7am.
• Teaching at night makes it more difficult for me to get to bed before 10pm, which is probably why getting up early is getting harder.  I struggle with this every week.

By the Grace of Ginger

Tip of the Week:  ginger paste for allergies.  In Dr. Vasant Lad’s book, Ayurveda: The Science of Self Healing, he provides a listing of home remedies for common ailments.  For sinus congestion, he recommends applying ginger paste to the affected area.

“Ginger is the best domestic remedy for kapha problems such as cough, runny nose, congestion, and throat congestion.”

“Ginger alleviates inflammation of the throat, common cold, congestion, and sinus problems.”

I read this towards the end of last allergy season and gave it a shot.  It worked.  Back then, I was taking zyrtec, so I wasn’t having so much of a problem.  This year, no medication, especially because of this detox, so the past week has been a bit difficult dealing with allergies.  I neti in the morning and at night, which was working for a while, but the last two days have been monsters.

It’s interesting – I’ve noticed when the allergies kick in and when they just seem to stop.  They are strong during the day, but I don’t have much of a problem at night.  The worst is on my walk/bus ride to work…god help the people around me if I don’t have tissues.

Anyway, today my runny nose was out of control by the time I got to work.  I made the ginger paste and smeared it across the bridge of my nose (add water to powdered ginger root to make paste).  Within a few minutes, I was clear, runny nose stopped, congestion gone.  All day I had this stuff on my face and all day I had no allergies.  Ayurveda is amazing.  Even though this is a minor ailment, it totally eased my pain.

I wiped off the paste at the end of the day before I went home and guess what happened…the runny nose came back.  Boooooooooo….

The Best Thing about Today:  having one of my dear students from a prior yoga gig join my class today.  Her energy, openness, and laughter always lightens the room.

The Not-so-best Thing about Today: allergies.

Yes, I walked around the office all day like this.

Day 3: That is a Watermelon Elephant!

Day 3:

-       3 tablespoons of ghee – 2 bitter, 1 regular. Gotta save up for Friday

-       Fell asleep after eating ghee and struggled to get up to walk.  Walking was slow, but it did wake me up a little.

-       Getting my morning routine down better with cooking and dishes, fennel tea prep, lunch prep, and herbal shooter prep.

-       Feeling more comfortable with being slow physically, but my mind is distracted – vata mind…

-      108 japa mantra – Om Aim Strim Shrim Budaya Namah – for Mercury on his day, Wednesday.

Feeling a little more sluggish and distracted today, but seeing more of whats around me.

Exploration

For my morning walk today, I went straight down my street for 10 minutes and then straight back up the hill to my house.  I live in one of those embassy row neighborhoods where the houses are like millions of dollars, but I live in a tiny studio in an old apartment building that seems a little out-of-place.  I’ve driven up and down this street a million times but I’ve never really walked it very much.  I kept noticing new things on my walk this morning.

There was a house I’d never even seen before.  The design is different than all the other houses on the street, but yet I’d never noticed it.  It looked like it belonged in a California desert, I really liked it.

That is a Watermelon Elephant

And then there is the watermelon elephant.  The watermelon elephant is placed strangely on the side of someone’s yard across from the patch of dirt where a random grouping of sunflowers grows in the summer.  I never understood this person’s yard.  It has no grass, just brick and weeds, this elephant, and every summer – the sunflowers.  One time when my mom was driving me home she noticed it, and in the middle of our conversation, she yelled, “Ugh, that is an ugly elephant! That is a watermelon elephant!”  I laughed at how shocked she was by it.  Yes, I can see why she thinks its ugly, but it also makes the street kinda interesting.

Last, but not least, there is the dredlocked woolly mammoth/snuffelupagus in the yard next door that basically looks like many small animals could be living inside.  It’s feet are lumpy cement and it has this layer of stuff on top that looks like bird poop.  Maybe rich people have weird taste? Or maybe they just seem that way to me.  It’s all about perception, right?  I’m sure that there are things I like, or things that I do, that people don’t understand.

Strange Woolly Mammoth

We make judgments on all that we see, hear, taste, smell, and have an immediate reaction.  But maybe its worth taking time out to appreciate the difference or the weirdness of something and try to see it just as it is; just witness the thing captured by your senses.

Today, exploring this place where I live, I walked as a witness to my environment and got to see things in a new light.

Old can be made new, boring can be made fresh again.

The Best Thing about Today: An edible arrangements hello kitty fruit basket that I received from a dear friend (devoured it as soon as it arrived).

The Not-so-best Thing about Today:  Still can’t get over that herbal shooter I have to take everyday.  But, I guess if I can drink this, I can drink anything.

Day 2 of Detox: The Struggle to Slow Down

Day 2:

Similar to yesterday, but two tablespoons of bitter ghee, ekkk.  I sucked on a lemon afterwards to get the oily taste out of my mouth, but almost gagged from the acidity…too much lemon (if you think this is gross conversation, just wait till Saturday).

Is it possible to taste anything more bitter than tikta grita?   Apparently yes, that would be my herbal formula of manjuistha, neem, and kutki.  I don’t know what that stuff is, but jeeeeezus christ!  Thankfully, I reached for oranges after this one because sucking on oranges is much better than sucking on lemons.  Seriously, so delicious.

-       6:30am: Watched the sunrise after my morning walk.

• Did you know that most of the people who jog at 6am are women?  I only saw one dood out of like 15 ladies running down the street.
• Pre-dawn = no allergies, cold, quiet, dark, and lots of birdies chirping.

-      7:00am: Daily Sadhana

• Same pranayama as yesterday, but got tired after bastrika and kappalabhati.  Think I will take those out of rotation for a lil while.
• Love the morning light in my apartment for sadhana.
• Chandra Namaskar
• Asanas for 7 breaths:  salabasana,  matsyendrasana, janu sirsasana, jathara parivrttasana and baddha konasana

-       It seems that I’m starting to slow down and have less energy.

Giving Up Tango for Rest

I should have listened to how I felt in the morning; my body was telling me to slow down.  My body was saying, “ok, now we’re into this detox, so let’s take it easy,”  but my mind was saying, “aight, detox is cool, but we still have stuff to do.”

I taught after work, and I thought that I would get home early enough to still go to tango at 9pm, dance for an hour, and come home and be asleep by 11pm.  I thought it was a good plan.  But alas, I got home late and I wasn’t gonna make it by 9pm.  I wanted to go as fast as I could, and dance for just even half an hour.  But then I thought about having to wait for the bus, or for my friend to come pick me up, about the herbs I still needed to take…and now it was almost 9:30pm.  It stressed me out.

I struggled to let it go.  I really wanted to go, but knew that I should stay home.  I wanted someone to order me to stay home.  Then it wouldn’t have to be my decision. But I had to tell myself to let go of the potentiality of going and feeling bummed that I’m missing out on something.  On a regular night, I totally would have gone, but I know that I’m supposed to be taking it easy, and staying up dancing till midnight is not taking it easy, no matter how many blissful tandas there could have been.

I’m realizing more and more these days that slowing down  and resting is hard for me.  I feel like I’m going to miss something great, something sweet.

This struggle also made me realize how much I do on a day-to-day basis, especially during the week, and that I really do need to take time for rest on a regular basis – not just when its vacation time.  By the time its vacation time, I’ve had it with life, I want to get out of this city, and away from everyone.  When I was on vacation a couple of weeks ago, I really enjoyed doing nothing – not caring what time of day it was, creating a simple routine of waking up early, doing my sadhana, swimming, eating breakfast, laying on the beach reading, taking a nap, walking, wading around in the ocean or the pool…total relaxation.

But how can I have that sense of total relaxation when I’m not sequestering myself in Mexico?  When I’m here living my daily life?  That’s the part that I’m trying to figure out.  I’m hoping that this detox is helps me find the space to bring more rest into my daily life.

Best Thing About Today:  Watching the sunrise after my pre-dawn walk…and oranges.

Not-so-best Thing About Today:  Drinking that herbal mixture…twice.  It was worse than the Chinese herbal medicine my parents made me take when I was a kid…although i think the severity of that taste is probably blocked from memory.  If only they knew about the oranges.

Sunrise Over DC - April 3, 2012

Spring Ayurvedic Detox Experiment

My self-experimentation with Ayurveda continues with my first ever detox.  The Ayurvedic detox is an internal cleansing that clears away toxins in the cells and organs that have build up over the year.  Cleansing is recommended in the Fall or Spring.  Spring is a time for renewal, thus an ideal time for detox.  The idea, from what I understand, is to oil yourself up on the inside and outside to draw toxins out of the cells and tissues and then flush it all out.

My detox plan, prescribed to me by my Ayurvedic practitioner, will last for two weeks.  I’ll be writing about the experience as I go.  I’m a little nervous – don’t know what to expect, or how I will feel.  Will I get nauseous, hungry, and tired?  Or will I feel light, clear, and happy?  Will I finally know the joy and peace of waking up every day before the crack of dawn?  Will I get enough sleep?  I dunno….

But, regardless of what is to come, I’m jumping in with both feet.  Here we go….

Day 1:

Started my morning routine for this week:

-       5:00am: woke up, scraped tongue, washed face, and drank concoction of warm milk w/ cardamon and 1 tablespoon of bitter ghee (tikta grita).

• Holy hell that was bitter!  5 tablespoons on Day 5 is going to be awesome.

-       Laid down for about half an hour and tried not to fall back asleep.  It’s hard staying up at this hour.

-       6:00am: went for a circuitous walk around my neighborhood while the sun rose.  Going from dark to light seemed so subtle.  I wanted to pay attention more.

-       6:45am:  started rice to eat for breakfast.

-       7:00am:  daily sadhana

• Pranayama practice of Bastrika, Kapphalabhati, Agni Sara, Brahmari, Sheetali, and Anuloma Viloma.  (I was feeling congested, so added some Kapha reducing pranayama to the start of my routine)
• Chandra Namaskar – felt in sync this morning, I wasn’t rushing or moving too slowly.  It felt just right.
• Asanas held for 7 breaths – Virabhadrasana II, Trikonasana, Prasarita Paddottanasana, Salabasana, Matsyendrasana, Janu Sirsasana, Jathara Parivrttasana, Baddha Konasana
• 108 Japa Mala of Chandra Mantra – to honor the moon on her day – Monday.
• 10 minute So Hum meditation.

-       8:00am:  Finally steamed veggies so I can eat breakfast.  So freakin hungry.

-       9:45am: Off to work.  Funny that even though I woke up at 5am today, I still left for work late.  Ha!

Hunger and Cravings

What I'm Eating All Day, All Week

The rest of the day, I ate my rice and veggies and fruit, but I felt kinda hungry all day.  I also started to experience my cravings in a new way – not letting myself indulge them at all.  I’m starting to realize the difference between hunger and cravings.  I feel hunger in my belly, and cravings in my head.  Cravings are birthed in my mind, and then my mind tries to get my belly to say, “yes, I agree, we want sweets now.”

But today, instead of looking for a way to get sweets, I had to just sit with the thoughts of craving and the desire and figure out a different way to handle them.  Luckily, I was prepared today and had strawberries to be my alternative for cookies.  I started to realize that my craving for sweets in the afternoon is a deep samskara groove in the brain, and through this detox, I have the opportunity to re-pattern that groove for something healthier.  Witnessing and being with the cravings and having a suitable alternative on hand is perhaps the first step.

Best Thing About Today: The smell of fragrant rice and spices mixed with incense and fresh morning air reminded me of being at Shoshoni ashram – brought back memories of feeling happy and at peace.

Not-so-best Thing About Today:  Washing so many dishes so early in the morning.

Flow Like Jeremy Lin

Like many others these past two weeks, I have gotten caught up in “Linsanity” and have been excitedly watching the rise of Jeremy Lin, our first Asian American basketball hero.  What strikes me most about JLin is how easily you can see that he plays in a state of flow.  When the cameras pan to his face, the relaxed concentration is apparent.  His forehead is relaxed, his eyes are soft but intent, you know that his entire being is absorbed in the game.  His movements are smooth and strong all at the same time – he makes it look easy.  He is moving from a place where his body, mind, emotions, and spirit are in sync.  He is vibing from the inside out.  When I see any athlete, dancer, or musician flow like that, it is breathtaking.

Seeing such flow is a great reminder that we all have it in us to reach this state of embodied movement.  Any time you step onto your yoga mat is an invitation into the flow.  It may not happen all the time, but when you’re really feelin’ your practice, you know it, and you feel totally alive.

This is the difference between “doing yoga” and “being yoga”.  How we make the transition from doing to being is one of the most important teachings I’ve received.  The idea is to keep Prana moving through the body – to become aware of where Prana gets stuck, or lost, and to find ways to redirect it so we can enliven ourselves and move into an embodied practice.

First, we access Prana through the cultivation of the breath, calming down the nervous system and bringing us to the flow.  Then, we can start to incorporate pulsation into our asanas – subtle movement to keep the asana from becoming static – rooting and rising, or contracting and expanding.  As we start to get moving, we take time to relish in the transitions and try not to skip ahead to the next asana – either physically or mentally.  There is great strength and awareness that can be developed in the transitions.  We don’t want to miss it!

Also, noticing where and when we tighten-up in the practice is a great way to develop awareness of where we inhibit our flow.  Instead, we can try to relax the eyes, the jaw, the forehead, and soften those Frankenstein fingers in standing poses, like Vira II (I have found myself doing this on many occasion and softening my fingers really does help move energy back into the asana).

These are just a few suggestions of how I like to find my way into the flow.  So, although we may never be basketball superstars, we can still flow like JLin.  It’s all about the Prana!

Knowledge of Self – Starting in Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward Facing Dog)

Self-discovery begins with awareness.  For the physical body, knowledge of self starts with body awareness.  For the yoga student, what better place to start cultivating body awareness than in Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward Facing Dog) – the most commonly arrived at asana in any yoga practice.  But downdog is not an “easy” pose for your average person – not even for someone who is active, like runners or someone who hits the gym three times a week.

The geometry of downdog requires one to have strength and flexibility in the shoulders and the backs of the legs in order to stabilize a significant portion of body weight through the arms and wrists.  To do this safely requires activation of key muscles and an understanding of where parts of the body are in space, and in relation to each other.  It requires us to learn how to FEEL where we are so that we can adjust our alignment when something doesn’t feel right.

Adho Mukha Svanasana

But getting into this shape is not so easy.  We start somewhere like this:

And then we start to move closer…

and closer …

This is where a lot of people end up staying.  As we start to make our way further into the shape, sometimes we need a couple of tips to get all the way there.  So, here are some things to think about as you feel your way deeper into downdog:

• Take a hips-width stance – Instead of keeping your feet together, separate them at least hips-width distance apart to give your hamstrings some breathing room.
• Bend your knees – If the backs of your legs aren’t warmed up yet (ie. the beginning of class or if you have super tight hamstrings), be nice to yourself – bend both knees.  Then you can start to play with length by bringing movement into your downdog, bending and straightening the legs.
• Send energy through the legs and heels into the floor, but if your heels aren’t touching down, don’t force them.  As the backs of your legs open up, you’ll get closer.
• Pull your belly button into your spine (activating your deep core) and lengthen your tailbone towards where the ceiling meets the wall behind you (keeping your spine in alignment).
• Press index knuckle and base of the thumb into the floor to get the weight off the pinky side of your hand.  This also helps energize the forearms towards each other to help stabilize your hands and arms.
• Open shoulders away from the ears – external rotation away from the ears, create space between arms and ears.

Some additional modifications for your downdog:

• Floor Extenders – put blocks under your hands to give yourself more space.
• Keep your knees bent
• Practice pulsating in Anahatasana to open up your shoulders and your chest: round the spine and then lengthen the heart to the mat with forehead or chin on the floor depending on how much flexibility you have in your neck.

Anahatasana Pulse:

As you feel your way into a deeper shape, start to listen to what your body is telling you.  Tuning-in to what you’re feeling is the first step towards embodying asana.  Embodiment is our goal – to tap into ourselves at a deeper level through yoga; to feel energy moving through us in the shapes we create.

Music to Warm Up your Winter Practice

Winter Vata/Kapha Wake Up Playlist

Let Your Heart Be Known, Steve Gold

Resolution, Thievery Corporation

Give Me One Reason, Tracy Chapman

Desh Nayad Feat. Lital Gabai (feat. Lital Gabai), EarthRise SoundSystem

El Capitalismo Foráneo, Gotan Project

Dramastically Different, Beastie Boys

Little Nature, Chris Joss

Esta Noche, Federico Aubele

One Step Closer to You, Michael Franti & Spearhead

Cleopatra In New York, Nickodemus & Carol C

Este Momento, Federico Aubele

Solar Spirit, Asiatronic

You Gonna Love, Sacred Spirit

Universe & U, KT Tunstall

Diamonds In the Sun , Girish, Donna Delory, Hans Christian, Mario Abney, Jeremy Ruzumna & James Harrah

Om Namah Shivaya, Steve Gold

And a little something for Dr. King on his Day:

Karuna Sagari Ma, C.C. White

Tell Him, Lauryn Hill

Take Your Time, Al Green

Share Your Love With Me, Aretha Franklin

Georgia On My Mind, Ray Charles

Surrender, C.C. White