Conscious Reading: Bossypants

I chose this book as a light read to balance out the heaviness of the last book I read about childhood trauma and how it affects brain development. Tina Fey's Bossypants was alright. Just alright. Sure, there were the laugh out loud parts that you would expect from a talented comedy writer like Tina Fey, but there were other parts that I felt were irrelevant  or unnecessary- like reprinting scripts of her shows. Publishing multiple scenes from both 30 Rock and Saturday Night Live came across as a cheap way to "bulk up" the book because if you're a real fan of either show, you've likely already seen the episodes and don't need to read them, and if you haven't seen the episodes and don't have a sense of character development, then the context is lost on you. All in all, it was just okay. I wouldn't rush out to pick up a copy, but I didn't dislike it either. Purchase here through amazon.

PS- Other books I've enjoyed include The Happiness Project, How Doctors Think, and Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail.

Yoga Tip: Yoga for Sculpted Abs

Core strength is essential for a number of yoga poses so I thought I'd put together a routine for abs. I made an ab video in the past, but this one is a little more intense. It's just under 10 minutes, and while you might feel discomfort (does anyone enjoy the lactic acid feeling in their abs?!), you will notice improved core strength with consistent practice. Let me know how it goes. And as always, if you have any questions or suggestions about what you'd like to see on the blog, feel free to get in touch.

PS- A yoga practice to warm you up, a recipe for a vegetarian Mexican dish, and what you need to know about your first yoga class.

On The Yoga Pose I Hate to Do

Confession: There are a couple poses I reeeeeeally dislike.

A few months ago, I sustained a forearm injury and had to stop practicing what I love (inversions), and start focusing on things I didn't love (like this wide angle seated forward bend) aka splits. My legs were stiff. It hurt. Ok, it didn't hurt, but it was supremely uncomfortable. It stirred up feelings of anger and frustration- the exact opposite of how you want to feel when doing yoga. But you know what? 

Only doing the poses I enjoy is like choosing to eat a cookie instead of a salad. It's okay once in a while but if it's all I ever do, I'm going to be off balance. The difficult poses are what I probably need more of. They are the poses that will benefit me the most because I'll experience those less than desirable feelings, work through them, and learn how to cultivate a sense of comfort as I ease into the posture.

So the next time I find myself in a pose I truly dislike, I'll take a deep breath, think of it as my daily serving of yoga vegetables, and try to find the joy in what is, before moving on to the poses I love. Will you join me?

PS- 3 things to be learn from an injury or illness, a few tips for your best downward dog, and my favorite reading.

Yoga Practice: Drop backs

Here's a short vid from my practice the other day. It's been about 20 years since I've done a proper drop back. Somewhere along the way I developed a fear of putting my hands over my head and dropping back. Instead had to put my hands by my sides, walk my fingers down my legs and at the last second, rotate my arms to meet the mat. I realized that it was seemingly more dangerous to do it the "incorrect" way because I was finding it hard to rotate my arms that fast and it could mess up my wrists and arms if I didn't get there in time. So, it was time to change. After a few practices with a spotter, I realized I had the physical strength to do it and the fear was just in my head. Moral of the story- face your fear and do it anyway.  

To do a drop back- first and foremost make sure you are warmed up! Never go into this cold! Then, stand tall, rooting down into all four corners of both feet and lengthening up through the crown of the head. On an inhale, raise your arms up overhead, and engage the quads. Exhale and engage the abs as you drop back with control, keeping a microbend in the knees.