Category Archives: Guest Writers

“Dog Breath” or Kukkura Pranayama

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Today’s guest author  is yoga teacher Amber Polo who writes dog-shifter fantasy to relax readers. “Recovered” (The Shapeshifters’ Library Book 3) is her latest in the series. She’s also known for Relaxing the Writer, a book filled with suggestions to keep your writing and your life in a healthy balance and Relaxing the Writer Relaxation a CD (or MP3 download) a how-to-do in 20-minute relaxation.  She can be contacted at am***@*******lo.com and http://amberpolo.com/.

As a yoga teacher who specializes in relaxation techniques I’ve taught Kapalabhati, Viloma, Ujjayi, and my favorite Alternate Nostril Breathing (which will help you survive many crises).

As a dog lover I know dogs are great relaxation aids and enrich body, mind, and spirit.

Walk a dog to get your body moving.

Sit and pet a dog to calm you.

Play with a dog to create joy

Here are instructions for a Dog Petting Breathing Technique – Kukkura Pranayama

  • Find a quiet comfortable spot
  • Place hand on dog’s head
  • Inhale
  • Begin to Exhale.
  • Slowly move your hand down the dog’s neck and back while silently counting to three
  • When you reach the end of the dog begin the inhale
  • Repeat

It may take a few breaths to settle the dog and to find your pace. Breathe in with the inhale and out with the exhale. Begin to lengthen both the exhale and the inhale to at least a count of three for each. Let your belly move with your breath. Close your eyes if you wish. Continue as long as necessary.

Your dog will enjoy these breathing practice timeouts as much as treats.

Notes:

Adapting for the size of the dog – Breathing with a Chihuahua will differ from breathing with a Great Dane. For tiny dogs the movement has to be very, very slow. Or alternatively experiment with more than one petting movement on the exhale. Exceptionally large dogs may take more than one breath to complete the journey.

No dog? Borrow one or use this practice with cats, horses, and other warm blooded pets (or a human friend.).

Enjoy and Keep Petting!

Amber Polo

Find RECOVERED on Amazon! 

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Wanting it all, Getting away from it all … And finding my center: An indie-folk musician’s yoga journey

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This week’s blog entry was written by guest author Mary Bue. Mary is a graduate of Whole Life Yoga’s 200 hour yoga teacher training program. She can be contacted at ma*****@***il.com

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I’ve always wanted to be a rock star.  In high school I bought an electric guitar with a hot pink strap.  I’d sit in my bedroom writing songs dripping with adolescent poetry. In the midst of this rock star fantasy,  I found a short yoga practice in a teen magazine and started incorporating simple practices into my 15 year old life.  

Eventually I had my own gigs, recorded and took my music on the road (leading to four CDs and performing in 38 states) .  Yoga has been a parallel path.  It helped to soothe my nerves and assisted in “keeping it all together” in this one-woman-band enterprise.  

In Minneapolis years later,  I was working with a booking agent to plan my tours – a dream come true.  I’m not sure if it was Minnesota’s winter that made me lose my cool, a relationship ending or fear of putting my heart on the line – but on NYE of ’07,  I made the decision to leave it all behind.  Indie artist responsibility, insecurity of not being good/talented/cool enough, desire of getting what I hoped but not feeling like I deserved it – all inner signs pointed to running.  

Months later I moved to Seattle.  I met my teacher – Tracy Weber at Whole Life Yoga.  Music took the back burner while I delved into my 200 hour teacher training.  

As Viniyoga’s breath-centered asana began to penetrate my cells, it started to soothe my being.  Looking back, the move was stressful.  Things got worse before they got better as I moved deeper into the process of  “going internal.” I was healing myself.  I spent three years studying at Whole Life Yoga. 

Yet, I started to feel the siren’s call of music.  And what a better place to pursue it than the city where I got my start – Duluth, Minnesota.  Again, I chose to leave it all behind and follow my heart’s desire.  

This brings us to NOW.  Depths of winter.  Too often, it is 20 below zero. The mind starts rattling.  I want to get away from it all.  My home morning practice has become paramount to my sanity.  I start looking into 500 hour yoga teacher training programs,  feeling called to learn & evolve.  My teacher is already in the thick of her training. I research other programs and eventually settle on Gary Kraftsow’s in California.  In talks with the student advisor, she kindly offers the possibility of work study.  I am pumped; I am filling out applications;  I am … CRYING EVERY DAY.  

Finally, after weeks of turmoil,  I reach out to Dona (student advisor) and Tracy who had given her blessing for further study.  I say that I must devote myself to music and give it the focus it deserves.  In healing words, they offered me two great gifts:  Time and the root of yoga: Union. 

Tracy: “Mary, you have a very long life ahead of you and nothing is in your way from doing the training when the TIMING IS RIGHT.”  Dona: “You are STILL DOING YOGA as you share this gift from a place of great awareness.”  

With a blown mind,  I am off to practice the guitar … and simultaneously practice yoga.  

May you carry your yoga practice with you and find it – with great awareness – in all that you do.  

Mary

Come visit Whole Life Yoga in Seattle, and check out Tracy Weber’s author page for information about the Downward Dog Mysteries series.  MURDER STRIKES A POSE is available now from Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Whole Life Yoga, and other retailers!

Pain: Turning “Weaknesses” into Strength

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This week’s blog entry was written by guest author Katie West. Katie is a graduate of Whole Life Yoga’s 200 hour yoga teacher training program and a student in our advanced teacher training program. She can be contacted at vi*******@***il.com.

Many of us have been conditioned to believe that “feeling” is a sign of physical or emotional weakness. Our culture has conditioned us to put people who elicit feelings of sadness, anxiety, or pain into a category of being “weak,” projecting a negative self-image and association with these feelings onto those who endure them. In reality, physical, mental and emotional conflicts can actually give you strength. When you can recognize, accept and control them, you will gain more power and clarity about yourself and the world around you than you ever thought possible.

Growing up, I was conditioned to look at pain as a weakness and to always push through it. Like everyone else, athletes have a pain threshold. Most hover just below it, where the body is screaming at you, telling you not to go any farther and you quiet it just enough to push through your practice, game or day. The problem is, once you have gone over that threshold, it is incredibly difficult to get your body back to “normal.” I broke my pain threshold, multiple times. I created injury on top of injury, until muscular and structural issues within my own body literally stopped me in my tracks.

Discouragement, pain pills and anti-inflammatories were thrown at me from all angles, providing me with zero resolution, only masking my pain and shoving me farther into the depths of my mind. When you are in physical pain, your mind and emotions suffer as well, causing depression, anxiety, negative thinking and poor sleep quality. These conflicts are normal, but no one tells you this. I’d like to invite you to embrace this. Our bodies tell the story of our lives. Learn to empower that story. No matter how tragic or lost you may feel it is, it is beautiful and unique to you. Make your “weaknesses” your strength. It is a long journey that requires perseverance. When I started, I was still attached to my negative conditioning of pain. I didn’t want to talk about it; I just wanted to hide it.

You may receive discouragement, resulting in self-doubt and feelings of weakness. When that happens to me, I slow my thoughts down, quiet the mind, and think of all the positive things my pain has brought me. I think of how it defines me, and only I can define my Self. Yoga has provided me with a completely different outlook on life that yes, I have this mess of a body, but I have a choice. I can sit back and let my “weaknesses” overcome me, or I can embrace them, empower them. I chose the latter and I have let my “weak” body become my teacher and my strength, allowing me to pass my gift of yoga along to others through teaching and sharing what I have learned.

By embracing your “weaknesses,” you will learn to appreciate, love and hopefully share your story so that others can do the same, knowing they are not alone.

Namaste Friends,

Katie West

Come visit Whole Life Yoga in Seattle, and check out Tracy Weber’s author page for information about the Downward Dog Mysteries series.  MURDER STRIKES A POSE is available now from Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Whole Life Yoga, and other retailers!

Book Launches, Parties, and Blog Tours, Oh My!

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January is the launch of my first yoga mystery, Murder Strikes a Pose, and I will be going blog crazy!   Through January 20, my Whole Life Yoga and Killer Hobbies blog posts will be devoted to the blog articles and events below.  After that, it will be back to articles on yoga tips, research, practices, and techniques, with an occasional writing blog thrown in for good measure.

Murder Strikes a pose will be available on Kindle, Nook, Kobo, and other e-readers as early as January 1.  It will be available online at Amazon as well as retailers and bookstores everywhere on January 8. You can pre-order any time!

Thanks to Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours for sponsoring the blog tour below.  Each stop will provide unique content, so don’t miss any.  You might just learn some of my deep, dark secrets!

A free autographed copy of Murder Strikes a Pose will be given away at each stop!

And, for those of you in Seattle, a couple of in-person events. 

Hugs and prizes will be available at both events–and at Whole Life Yoga, vegan chocolate mousse cake! I hope to see you there!

Tracy Weber

Come visit Whole Life Yoga in Seattle, and check out Tracy Weber’s author page for information about the Downward Dog Mysteries series.  MURDER STRIKES A POSE is available for preorder now from Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Whole Life Yoga, and other retailers!

Just Be this Holiday Season

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This week’s blog entry was written by guest author Katie Burns. Katie is a graduate of Whole Life Yoga’s 200 hour yoga teacher training program and a student in our advanced teacher training program. She can be contacted at ka***@*****************th.com.

As this holiday season approaches, many of us increase our doing. There are cards to write, gifts to buy, homes to decorate, parties to attend, and many other events and tasks demanding our attention and energy. We participate in many of these activities because we care deeply about the people in our lives, and the holidays present an opportunity to let them know that we love them. We become so busy that some of us begin to cut back in other areas. We sleep fewer hours each night. We run non-stop from work to activity to activity. We buy new underwear because we have three weeks’ worth of dirty laundry in the hamper, and it’s faster to buy new undergarments than to go to the laundry mat. However, this constant state of doing and cutting back our healthy habits may not be the only option for making the holidays special.

During my early twenties, I moved to Chicago to volunteer with an inner-city teaching program. After a brief stint of student teaching summer school, come September I quickly found myself with a second grade class of my own. I felt for these new students. They were stuck with me, a brand new teacher who wasn’t sure what she was doing those first few months. To compensate for my lack of experience, I worked hard. I stayed up late and woke up early to grade papers, write lesson plans, and acquire materials for projects since this low-income school had limited resources. I wanted to give my students the best second grade year that I could. I felt exhausted daily, but I believed that it was worth it.

Then one night, on a fluke (or likely due to exhaustion), I went to bed early knowing the next day would be a struggle since I wouldn’t be fully prepared.  I slept for eight hours that night. When I went to school the next day, I discovered that even though I was less prepared, I felt energized. I was flexible and had more patience with my students. I noticed that my enjoyment in working with these kiddos increased. I was actually a better teacher. It seemed that by taking care of myself, I could roll with the punches and see the joy in the small moments. The rest of the year, I made it a priority to get more sleep.  I learned that I needed to let go of doing in order to really be present with my students.

As we prepare for the holidays this year, I encourage you to continue the activities that allow you to be present with the ones you love. Go to bed early. Attend that yoga class that you’ve been eyeing. Take ten minutes to meditate even if it involves hiding from your family by staying in the bathroom for a mini-meditation post-shower. By letting go of the “need” to do, you may find that you are more peaceful being around loved ones.

Namaste and Happy Holidays,

Katie

Come visit Whole Life Yoga in Seattle, and check out Tracy Weber’s author page for information about the Downward Dog Mysteries series.  MURDER STRIKES A POSE is available for preorder now from Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Whole Life Yoga, and other retailers!

Growing Gratitude

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This week’s blog entry was written by guest author Katie Burns. Katie is a graduate of Whole Life Yoga’s 200 hour yoga teacher training program and a student in our advanced teacher training program. She can be contacted at ka**********@***il.com.

As we awake from our Thanksgiving food comas, the mind quickly transitions full swing into the holiday season. We know our next Thanksgiving—aka, day of the double Gs: gratitude and gluttony—is a good 350+ days away. Daydreams of gifts we would like to receive enter our conscious space, and brainstorms of presents for those we love occupy our thinking. As we move forward, I invite you to carry the spirit of gratitude from Thanksgiving into your daily life.

In the field of positive psychology, researchers set out to investigate wellness, the good things in life, and factors that contribute to overall well-being. Gratitude is one of their areas of focus. After collecting the results from multiple studies, researcher Christopher Peterson concluded, “Counting your blessings on a regular basis makes you happier and more content with life.” Based on this statement, Peterson, along with fellow researchers Seligman, Steen, and Park, conducted a research study in which they asked people to record three things that went well during the day everyday for one week. From their study, they discovered that attuning to positive things in life and expressing gratitude “increased happiness and decreased symptoms of depression for up to six months.”

I invite you to reap these benefits by keeping a gratitude journal for one week. The instructions that the researchers provided for their participants are below.

Gratitude Journal Instructions

by Seligman, Steen, Park, & Peterson (as published in A Primer in Positive Psychology by Christopher Peterson, 2006)

“At the end of each day, after dinner and before going to sleep, write down three things that went well during the day. Do this every night for a week. The three things you list can be relatively small in importance (‘my husband picked up my favorite ice cream for dessert on the way home from work today’) or relatively large in importance (‘My sister just gave birth to a healthy baby boy’). After each positive event on your list, answer in your own words the question, ‘Why did this good thing happen?’ For example, you might speculate that your husband picked up ice cream ‘because he can be really thoughtful’ or ‘because I remembered to call him from work and remind him to stop by the grocery store.’”

You can follow their suggestion or adapt your gratitude journal to fit you. Regardless of the form that your gratitude journal takes, you are planting the seed to focus on the positive moments in your life. Watch to see how that seed grows, and if you are willing, share your experience by leaving a comment below.

Wishing you a happy holiday season filled with gratitude!

Namaste,

Katie Burns

Come visit Whole Life Yoga in Seattle, and check out Tracy Weber’s author page for information about the Downward Dog Mysteries series.  MURDER STRIKES A POSE is available for preorder now from Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Whole Life Yoga, and other retailers!

 

 

 

A Yoga-Centered Holiday

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Mike Manning has been a healthy living and fitness aficionado for ten years , but he started practicing yoga two years ago at his wife’s urging.  He uses yoga as a tool to help approach life and relationships in a healthy, balanced manner.

While we all love the holiday season, this time of year also serves its fair share of stress. With all of the shopping, extra get-togethers, cooking, visiting, and coordinating, there is often little time to relax and enjoy. Even though these holiday festivities and responsibilities are enjoyable activities and are most often associated with positive thoughts and energy, the truth is our bodies cannot differentiate between positive and negative stress. So, whether you are feeling it or not, your body is likely welcoming an additional guest this season, and I don’t mean your favorite aunt.

Whether you are planning your family’s holiday meal or not, you deserve a holiday season that is happy and bright. So, how are you going to avoid the fatigue that is so often the season of merrymaking and enjoying? My best advice is to put yoga on your daily to do list and make it a part of your holiday tradition. Follow these simple steps, and enjoy a happy, yogic holiday.

1. Make time every day. While you may not have an hour to set aside every day, try to set aside 15 to 30 minutes to de-stress and center yourself through meditation. Scheduling this time into your day before it even begins is the best way to ensure that you will get to enjoy this time. Whether you need to complete your practice in the early morning or late evening, do not neglect this time. Spend this time breathing deeply, focusing, and centering yourself. Your practice is important. It is a part of you. I make sure to take some time every morning to meditate and center myself and have found it is a phenomenal start to my day.

2. Create a yoga sanctuary. During this time of year especially, our minds and bodies (let alone our houses) often become cluttered with the hustle and bustle. Make sure you take time to find your “sanctuary” within your home. Find a room in your home where you can separate yourself from noise and clutter. Dim the lights and light a few candles and relax into your practice. Consider writing in a journal reflecting on how you are feeling and listen to soothing playlists.

3. Let your practice overflow into your life. Nurturing yourself enables you to nurture those around you. So, be committed to your practice and let the peace you find there overspill into your holiday season. Showing your gratitude and thankfulness toward your family and friends is one of the most rewarding gifts of the holidays. Making gifts very personal to each person on your list is another great way to reflect on your relationships and to help others experience the peace and joy you have found in your practice. For our 1st anniversary my wife gave me a personalized piece of wall art that had a tree on it with out initials carved in it. She got this from a gift-giving site called RedEnvelope that has very customizable gifts for loving couples. This art still hangs in our yoga room and is a symbol of our bond and relationship. These types of gifts are the best to think about when trying to find something memorable for a loved one.

4. Maintain a healthy diet. While it is easy to overindulge during the holidays, overeating and being glutinous only adds more stress to your body. Be selective of what you indulge in (but do let yourself have a treat). Focus on the time spent together rather than just the food of the holidays.

While the holiday season is very much about giving to others, don’t forget to give back to yourself too. Listen to your body and maintain your practice throughout Thanksgiving and the rest of the holiday season, and see what a difference it makes in your holiday. Let your practice transcend your mat and enter your home and holiday.

Come visit Whole Life Yoga in Seattle, and check out Tracy Weber’s author page for information about the Downward Dog Mysteries series, available January 8, 2014.  MURDER STRIKES A POSE is available for preorder now from Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Whole Life Yoga, and other retailers!

It Took. Words.

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This week’s blog entry was written by guest author Jenny Zenner. Jenny is a graduate of Whole Life Yoga’s teacher training program and a promising writer. She  can be contacted at jz*****@***il.com.

It took language to undo the language lashed at me, to make me raw, exposed, weep, alive, aware. Tracy’s words were not tender. No. Tracy Weber is perfectly matter-of-fact. Hearing her voice of honesty broke open my heart and awareness to recognize the earlier words said to me that I believed true. That I was not wanted. That I was an ungrateful, selfish slob. A burden. Three and a half months into Tracy’s yoga teacher training program, I awoke in a new year with the obvious realization of my truth, my completely un-unique experience that I’d accepted as true and denied as existing.

Hearing girlfriends share their own experience, several years of yoga on the mat, several more years of meditation on the cushion, and finally, through Tracy’s open disclosure of words said to her, it added up. By writing the sutra paper assignments, I finally revealed the experiences I had let grip me. Words hysterically sobbed at me stuck. Finally, unstuck, I put pen to paper, finger to keyboard, and began to release the load, letting new language lead me.

It took sitting to find some stillness. It took vinyasa to begin the loosening. It took breath to recognize the shallowness. I was taken. At my tipping point primed by the practice, I arrived to Tracy ripe. Through the language of the sutras, the language of Tracy’s experience, the language of the instruction, I found my own story.

I don’t have to repeat what all words were uttered or by whom. The only finger pointing required is to give credit to those who spoke and wrote the words that healed.

My practice began as an undergrad. As a philosophy minor, I studied eastern religion and finagled an independent study of Living Buddha, Living Christ byThich Naht Hanh (aka “Thay”). Thay’s words paved the way from my Catholic upbringing to Buddhism. Off to grad school, I sought a meditation group led by Pam Perrugi Marraccini in Thay’s lineage. I read and heard speak Tara Brach, Robert Thurman, His Holiness the Dalai Lama, and whoever happened to be on Oprah. A dear friend, Allison Parry Leach introduced me to Hilary Steinitz Jackson’s juicy vinyasa flow yoga classes, our girls night out breakup cure. All this prepped me to arrive at Whole Life Yoga to begin becoming whole.

It continued. It took finding love. Getting dropped on my head. Losing my asana practice. Fawn’s physical therapy. Burnstein’s traditional therapy. Bibliotherapy. Acupuncture. Massage.

Putting words to what is, I continue to write. Some stories take manual extraction. Moving through sun salutations, twisting, compressing, and holding poses, yoga unleashes. A jog jars stagnation. Ginger lovingly maneuvers me to necessary insights on her massage table. Touch. Recognition. Connection. The union of rejection and acceptance. Beyond forgiveness to compassion. The words at me. The words with me. The words forward.

Jenny Zenner, MEd, MBA, RYT © 2013

Come visit Whole Life Yoga in Seattle, and check out Tracy Weber’s author page for information about the Downward Dog Mysteries series.  MURDER STRIKES A POSE is available for preorder now from Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Whole Life Yoga, and other retailers!

What I’ve learned in My First Year of Teaching

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amandaAmanda Moore is a health and wellness coach, blogger, and yoga teacher working with people who are ready to let go of self-limiting beliefs, bust through fears, and begin living their biggest, most wild dreams. Through carefully crafted one-on-one or group coaching sessions, she empowers her clients to reach big, dig deep and dissolve what’s holding them back so they can build their best lives. Amanda is a graduate of Whole Life Yoga’s teacher training program.

You can reach her at th************@***il.com or find her on her blog, The Savoury Soul or Facebook.

When I enrolled in the Whole Life Yoga 200 hour teacher training program I couldn’t even wrap my head around the idea of actually teaching at the end of the 10 months. How was I, little old cautious, timid me going to get in front of people and teach them for 75 minutes?

What I admired most about my favorite teachers were the insightful words that effortlessly left their lips and left a mark on my soul. I wanted to be THAT kind of teacher.

The October after graduation I taught my first class. I showed up, script in hand, wise words ready to be said. I was ready to make a difference in others’ lives. However, when I opened my mouth to speak these profound words, nothing inspiring came. I found myself just going through the motions of teaching.

I continued to show up, and so did my students.  I continued to teach off of my script. I wasn’t a bad teacher, I just didn’t feel connected to what I was doing. Something felt off, and I found myself dreading class because I wasn’t able to deliver what I thought I was supposed to.

What was going on, I wondered? This wasn’t how it was supposed to be.  Did I really want to teach yoga? Was there something deeper tugging at my soul? I continued to teach, but I still felt stale.  I used the proper language, spoke like a true yogi and came ready with my class tailored around a certain theme. But still, something was missing.

On a cool morning late last spring, I drove to the studio, exhausted from subbing, being back in school and surviving the chaos that life sometimes brings.  I sank down in the driver’s seat and sighed, thinking that I just didn’t have it in me to put on my ‘yoga teacher show.’  Then it hit me.  No wonder I was exhausted!

I climbed out of my car with new found energy and peace in my heart. I had found the missing link. I had been so consumed by the idea of being a perfect yoga teacher that I forgot to be myself.

“I’m done,” I said to myself.  I’m done trying to be someone I’m not. As my students and I sat in silence that day, I silently whispered to my inner guide, “Give me the words that need be heard and help me to speak directly from my heart.”

What came out of my mouth surprised me. It wasn’t something profound, but something that made us all giggle. A lightness  fell over the room. My students filled the room with tiny smiles.

My teaching was forever changed.

I now connect with my students in a deeper, more authentic way.  And isn’t that the goal of yoga anyway? Finding your authenticity, letting go of the filters in which we perceive ourselves and others?

For those of you just starting to teach or exploring the idea of teaching, here’s my advice: Give up the goal of being the perfect teacher and let your own personality come through. Speak from what’s yearning to be said from deep within. Listen to yourself; ask yourself for wisdom and the words need to be heard. Or heck, don’t say much of anything other than the instructions needed to keep your students safe.

Don’t try to teach like someone else because it will feel untrue and yucky and heavy on your heart. Teach because you believe in the power of yoga and the power to share an important message with others.

Give your students, and most importantly, yourself that gift.

Namaste.

Amanda

Come visit Whole Life Yoga in Seattle, and check out Tracy Weber’s author page for information about the Downward Dog Mysteries series.  MURDER STRIKES A POSE is available for preorder now from Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Whole Life Yoga, and other retailers!

Motherhood and Viniyoga

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This week’s blog entry was written by guest author Shelley Curtis. Shelley is a graduate of Whole Life Yoga’s teacher training program and a yoga teacher at Whole Life Yoga. She can be contacted at sa***@*******nk.net.

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If you’d told me in my 20s and 30s that I would someday be both a yoga teacher and a mother, I would’ve giggled myself silly. But yoga – and motherhood – found me when I needed them the most.

In our late 30s, my partner (now husband) and I were quite content with being childless; watching in amusement how chaotic and out-of-control the lives of our friends with children appeared to be. But at some point we began to feel that having children would bring more joy than chaos. We were ready for a change in our lives that would bring self growth and a new perspective.

At about the same time, I injured my back and began practicing hatha yoga to rebuild my strength and flexibility.  Once I conceived, my growing belly made practicing the asanas I was used to more challenging. A friend (later one of my viniyoga mentors) invited me to come to her prenatal yoga series at Whole Life Yoga.  I didn’t know anything about viniyoga, but I was eager to find a yoga practice that I could continue through my pregnancy.

Turns out, viniyoga was the exact thing my body needed. At the time, I had no idea it was also exactly what my mind needed. I focused on the physical aspects of my practice, but little by little I began to connect breath, body and mind.

My transition to motherhood wasn’t quite as smooth.

I felt overwhelmed, isolated and I struggled with my new identity. I realize now that I was completely attached to the outcome of my actions. I measured my success as a mother by how well my child nursed, slept, ate, and behaved. I loved my son with all my heart, but my mind was often occupied by thoughts of the future and planning for what was (maybe) to come. Sometimes being in the present moment was too painful and scary.

Even though the first couple of years were a struggle at times, the joy of being parents overcame us and we decided to have a second child. My pregnancy coincided with my teacher training at Whole Life Yoga. What a gift! I loved learning about the physical asanas, sequencing and anatomy (ok, maybe not anatomy). But the real joy was learning how to quiet my mind – how to stay present with my breath and my body. As a result, my transition to motherhood the second time seemed way less overwhelming. Yes, I had done it once before, but I truly believe my attempts to internalize the principles of yoga made the difference.

My viniyoga practice made me a better mother.

The effects of viniyoga on motherhood come in many shapes and sizes. First, I am able to be in the present moment more often and more fully. Second, I am better able to practice non-attachment, which frees me (to some degree) from the outcomes of my mothering. Third, paying attention to my breath and trying as best I can to live in the present moment make me less reactive and more patient. Finally, my yoga and meditation practices teach my kids about the importance of self-care, even if they don’t know it yet.

Motherhood and yoga practice are both life-long journeys that teach me to slow down, breathe, and be more fully present. I can’t think of a better combination.

Shelley

Come visit Whole Life Yoga in Seattle, and join Tracy Weber’s author mailing list for updates on MURDER STRIKES A POSE, available early 2014 from Midnight Ink!