Conscious Reading- Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail

Cheryl Strayed's memoir Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail takes us on a trek from southern Nevada all the way up to the border of Oregon and Washington. The Pacific Crest Trail, or PCT, is the parallel cousin to the better known Appalachian Trail- no small feat for anyone, nevermind a 20-something Minnesota girl going through a quarter life crisis. The eldest daughter of a family completely destroyed, in a bad romance with heroin and having ruined her marriage, Cheryl figures she has nothing to lose and everything to gain from this journey. She sets off with the REI gear the sales associates helped her choose crammed into Monster, her giant backpack. The book explores her life mistakes and coming to terms with her mother's death, to reveal a better version of the Cheryl she once was. 

This was a quick read, and really interesting for me. I found myself comparing my experience in Thailand to Cheryl's experience on the PCT often. She felt alone and scared at first- no one around save for the coyotes and snakes. I felt alone and scared during the first week in Thailand when I was there completely by myself- not knowing a single soul in the entire country. She met wonderful people, and learned more about herself- much like I did- during her journey. Overall, an uplifting read, though dark at times. Snap it up by clicking the link above.

Class Reading

Last Saturday I read an excerpt from the following poem that moved a few of my students. I was asked to share it on my website, so here goes. I hope it moves you, too. 

The Invitation, by Oriah Mountain Dreamer

It doesn't interest me what you do for a living I want to know what you ache for and if you dare to dream of meeting your heart's longing. It doesn't interest me how old you are I want to know if you will risk looking like a fool for love for your dreams for the adventure of being alive. It doesn't interest me what planets are squaring your moon... I want to know if you have touched the center of your own sorrow if you have been opened by life's betrayals or have become shrivelled and closed from fear of further pain. I want to know if you can sit with pain mine or your own without moving to hide it or fade it or fix it. I want to know if you can be with joy mine or your own if you can dance with wildness and let the ecstasy fill you to the tips of your fingers and toes without cautioning us to be careful be realistic to remember the limitations of being human. It doesn't interest me if the story you are telling me is true. I want to know if you can disappoint another to be true to yourself. If you can bear the accusation of betrayal and not betray your own soul. If you can be faithless and therefore trustworthy. I want to know if you can see Beauty even when it is not pretty every day. And if you can source your own life from its presence. I want to know if you can live with failure yours and mine and still stand on the edge of the lake and shout to the silver of the full moon, "Yes." It doesn't interest me to know where you live or how much money you have. I want to know if you can get up after a night of grief and despair weary and bruised to the bone and do what needs to be done to feed the children. It doesn't interest me who you know or how you came to be here. I want to know if you will stand in the center of the fire with me and not shrink back. It doesn't interest me where or what or with whom you have studied. I want to know what sustains you from the inside when all else falls away. I want to know if you can be alone with yourself and if you truly like the company you keep in the empty moments.

Yoga Tip: Chair Yoga |pt 2|

Today we have a continuation of last week's Yoga Tip: Chair Yoga |pt 1|. These can be done right in your office chair at work or at the kitchen table at home. 

Seated Piriformis Stretch

This is a great stretch for the glutes and the lower back. 

Step 1: Sit towards the edge of your seat. Look down and make sure your left ankle is in line with your left knee. Tilt your pelvis slightly forward to lengthen from the tailbone all the way through the head. Inhale and bring the right ankle to rest on the left thigh. Exhale the hands to anjali mudra, prayer position. Inhale and lean forward about 45 degrees, being sure to maintain the length in the spine. Breathe here for three to five breaths, and go out of the posture as gracefully as you went in. Repeat on the other side. 

Upward Dog |on a chair|

Step 1: It's urdhva mukha svanasana, for all you Sanskrit learners out there, but upward facing dog is how we'll refer to it here. Start on your hands and knees in front of the chair. Be sure your knees are in line with your hips, legs hip distance apart. Place your hands on the chair shoulder width apart.

Step 2: Inhale and pull yourself up, lifting your knees off the ground and rolling onto the tops of the feet. Be sure your wrists, elbows and shoulders are in one long line. Exhale and look up, feeling one long line of energy from the tips of the toes all the way up through the crown of the head. Be mindful of the shoulders- bring them away from the ears. Engage the arms and the legs. Breathe here for three to five breaths. 

Hamstring/Back/Shoulder Stretch

A triple threat stretch, my friends! Great for waking up the entire body after being seated for a long time. 

Step 1: Start by standing behind the chair, hands on the back of the chair, shoulder distance apart. Walk yourself back until your body is at a 90 degree angle and ankles, knees and hips are in one line, feet are hip distance apart. Inhale to find length up the back legs, exhale to find length from the coccyx through the top of the head. Feel the back very light and weightless (ie try not to let your back become the letter U). Inhale and bring the shoulders away from the ears, feeling the shoulder blades lengthen down the sides of the back and exhale, feeling length from the base of the shoulder blades all the way through the tips of the fingers which are spread and energized. Take a few more breaths here and come out as gracefully as you went in.

Hope you enjoyed! 

Thought of the Day: Perpetual Kindness

Yoga Tip: Chair Yoga |pt 1|

Do you ever find yourself sitting at work and feeling run down or achy? Here are a couple yoga postures you can do right in your office chair for quick rejuvenation.

Cat ~ Cow

As the name implies, there are two parts to this posture. First, we'll start with the cow. (I have no idea why it's called the cow. The cat name I get, but the cow leaves me puzzled. Anyway.) 

Step 1: Start by sitting at the end of your seat. Tip your pelvis forward to straighten out the lower spine. Feet and knees hip distance apart. Ankles in line with the knees. Inhale feeling long and tall. Exhale. 

Step 2: Imagine there are strings attached to the center of your chest and the back of the head. Inhale and feel those strings pull- your head goes back as your chest comes forward for an arch in the back. 

Step 3: Exhale into cat pose (imagine a scared cat that lifts its spine up when spooked). Your head comes forward, chin to chest, and your spine rounds like the letter C.

Step 4: Inhale back into cow, exhale into cat. Do this a few times.

Chair Pose with Side Twist

This is a great pose to strengthen the spine and shoulders, stimulate the abs, diaphragm and heart, and help aching feet (when done properly). 

Step 1: Sit on the edge of your chair, feet together, knees together. Squeeze the thighs together. Inhale and send your body forward at an angle, lifting the arms. Be mindful to keep the back straight- do not sway the back. Energized arms and fingers. Exhale the shoulders away from the ears, pushing into all four corners of the feet, continuing to hold. Hold for five deep breaths, then ....

Step 2: Exhale, bringing the hands to your heart center in prayer position. Breathe here for three breaths, continuing to push into all four corners of the feet, staying mindful of the back. One final inhale and then...

Step 3: Exhale and twist from the navel, to the left, hooking your right elbow to the outside of the left knee (or intending to get it there without straining). Breathing here, feeling one long line of energy from your ankles all the way up through the left elbow. Intend to get the elbows in a straight line, perpendicular to the floor. Exhale to the center, inhale, and then exhale to the right side.

Conscious Reading: The Happiness Project

{Via}

This past week I read The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin. As the self-explanatory title explains, the book is a culmination of Rubin's commitment to spend one year focusing on various areas of her life to increase her happiness. She wasn't depressed or particularly sad before, but she felt how many of us probably feel- stressed and a bit out of control. 

The book is broken down month by month as she explains the areas she wishes to focus on. Were we to create our own happiness project, she claims, our specific areas of focus would probably be different since not everyone needs help in the same areas of life. 

For Rubin, the little things went a long way. Amont other things, she focused on organization, preparedness and lightheartedness, identifying ways in which she could improve upon these problem areas. 

 While I didn't see eye-to-eye with her on everything, I did find the book inspiring and think it's worth reading in order to examine your own life's happiness and ways in which you can fine tune it for a better experience. Pick it up online by clicking the link above.