Bending back.

I started my day teaching backbends to my Yoga class. They are an enthusiastic group of beginning Yogis... and I was excited to share with them what I know about the physical and energetic nature of these postures. Backbends allow us to be present with our own vulnerability. This can be an emotionally liberating experience. Through the physical challenge that are backbends we find that are strengths lie with being able to allow ourselves to be open and accepting. Living in this receptive way encourages true strength.

Neti Pot

Recently, my friend Emira asked me about my experiences with Neti. The Neti Pot is a form of nasal irrigation that has been practiced by the Yogic and Aryuvedic community in India for thousands of years. When I read about it in one of my Yoga books last year, I was anxious to try it as I have suffered from allergies my whole life. It is a pretty simple process. You fill a small neti pot with warm salt water and pour into one nostril. The water will flow through your nasal cavity and out through your other nostril. This can work wonders for people who suffer from upper-respiratory problems, allergies, and sinus infections. It can help if you live in an area high in air pollutants. From a spiritual perspective, the jala neti is believed to redirect your energy and it can affect your level of clairvoyance and clarity of the mind. 

I was really shocked that after complaining about my sinuses to my doctors for decades, and even having seen an allergy specialist, no one recommended or even mentioned this practice. The Neti comes from a compilation of ancient Indian wisdom called The Vedas. Again... it is THOUSANDS of years old. It is crazy to me that I was encouraged to take Sudafed, Benadryl, Claritin, Allegra, and about a dozen different nasal inhalers. I even was asked to consider getting the costly and time consuming (potentially 5 years) allergy shots. But conventional medicine somehow overlooked this very practical and affordable wisdom. This practice has helped to improve my breathing and congestion issues. After the first two weeks, I could smell again! It was miraculous!

And times are changing. Oprah's Doctor Oz introduced the neti pot to thousands of Western viewers on her show... and netis are now available at your local drug store. 

I encourage my readers to use the Neti- particularly those that suffer ENT ickies. Give it a week, and you will go from "Ew" to "Ooo."  ;)

Somatic Awareness

Working at the Body Therapy Institute has put me in this really amazing environment working with some very grounded, centered people. One thing I noticed right away was this concept of "somatic awareness" that was being referenced all the time. My new colleagues were happy to give me literature to catch me up to speed. Here is a passage from my latest reading material that I found enlightening: "A primary goal in working with someone therapeutically, artistically, or educationally is to bring them into contact with their energy, that is, into the experience of their lived body. The first step is to have the person identify with what they feel, to place their attention on what is occurring in their bodily life. Attending to what we feel takes us out of our heads and into the energetic currents of our body. Living in our bodies means living in the moment. Our energy and attention weave the tapestry of who we are- bodily, emotionally, psychologically, and spiritually." -Richard Strozzi Heckler, The Anatomy of Change