Wrist Pain

From my experience poses like adho mukha svanasana (downward facing dog) and cataranga dandasana (push-up pose) can irritate weak/injured wrists and shoulders. Stay away from these poses and other poses that put undue weight on your wrists and shoulders. There is such a fine line between challenging yourself and endangering yourself. Only a regular practice can help you to gain the kinesthetic intelligence to understand your body and your Self better. And of course, please seek medical help, too!

Great alternatives are child's pose with active and energized arms or dolphin pose (forearm pressure). If dolphin still places undue pressure on your shoulders, talk to me about other poses you could do. There are so many possibilities!

If you're sitting and typing at a computer all day, take a brief break at least once every couple hours. Gently stretch your shoulders, your wrists, your neck. Take a walk down the hallway. These little things can really make a difference.

New UUA Students on Wednesdays

(Please also read my previous post for UUA Students.)

Welcome to Yoga at the UUA! Below are a few helpful tips for making your experience more enjoyable and productive in class:

1) Wear comfortable clothes that will allow you to move freely. Avoid wearing baggy clothes (too loose-fitting) and jeans (too constricting).

2) Ideally, every student should have a yoga mat, block, and belt. Yoga mats are most important to have. Two phonebooks can replace the block. As for the belt, it's probably best to get a real yoga belt. If you email me by Wednesday, 2/28/07, 9am, I can pick up these props for you if you don't own them or if you just lack the time to get them.

3) Yoga is practiced in bare feet. Be prepared to take off your socks.

4) Some students sweat a little. You're welcome to bring a towel and water.

For those of you who are brand new to yoga and/or who are a little "apprehensive" about your first experience, no worries! I'm starting everyone on the same page. In addition, poses will be modified for any of you who have physical limitations.

That's about it for now. I look forward to meeting you tomorrow!

Ending Class on Time

Anonymously written message to me:
"You might cut down on some (not all) early departures from class by ending class on time...This respects people's time."

My thoughts:
Definitely. I will be better about ending class on time. I realize that ending class even just five minutes late can inconvenience students who are rushing off to work or to other commitments. Thanks for your input!

UUA Yogis and Yoginis

Today's class was great. I look forward to helping your yoga practice blossom into something both physically and spiritually fulfilling.

Below is a recap of a few points I made at the beginning of class:

1) Continuity is important for your yoga progress. In a perfect world, you would be able to attend all classes in the session ;) But we all know that other things also require your time and attention. At least find some time for yourself at home to do a mindful 20-minute practice, or ask me about other great teachers and studios that you could experience outside of the UUA.

2) Please bring a yoga mat, belt, and block to class. You can benefit greatly from the support that these props give you. And remember that phonebooks can make for great blocks!

3) Poses need to be joyfully challenging. Modifications are encouraged and probably more beneficial for you than struggling and straining through poses.

That's about it for now. See you next week!

Etiquette

The following guidelines are meant to make class experience more productive and enjoyable for everyone.

1) Take off your shoes upon entry. Shoes track dirt onto the studio floors.

2) Turn off/silence mobile phones, pagers, and watch alarms. The sounds can be from distracting to jarring when fellow students are in deep concentration.

3) Late entry is discouraged. We are trying to practice moving meditation. Here are a few disruptions that can happen as a result of arriving late:
a. Making shuffling noises while you unload your belongings, gather yoga props, and/or get situated.
b. Making students shift around in order to accomodate you after they have already settled and started practice.
c. For Cambridge YMCA: Allowing cold winter air to blow into the room.

4) Leaving class before we are finished is also discouraged, but if you must, then please situate yourself near the exit door throughout class. Do NOT put up your props before you leave - I'll be more than happy to put them up for you. This minimizes the amount of noise and shuffling around the room.

5) If you have strong body odor, please wear deodorant or shower before class. There is a variety of natural deodorants sold at health food stores such as Whole Foods.

6) Refrain from socializing and conversing with fellow students during class.

If you object to any of the above guidelines or if you feel I should add more, talk to me after class, email me, or post comments to this blog. After all, every rule has an exception. I will appreciate your honesty!

Thank you all so much for your hard work and dedication. By observing these etiquette guidelines, I hope to cultivate the best environment possible for your practice.

Namaste.

New Class at Cambridge YMCA

Wow! The Cambridge YMCA has now added another Thursday morning class to accomodate the growing attendance numbers in my classes. This will give members more personal space in class and more wall space for fun wall poses. :)

Please remember that the life of this new 8am class depends greatly on attendance since it was, after all, members who requested the addition. If you are one of the 10 or so people who petitioned for this class, please keep in touch to let me know if you won't be coming to class.

Welcome to the Yoga Sublime Blog!

I'm excited about being able to stay in touch with all my yoga students through this blog. Here you can stay updated on my teaching schedule, substitute teachers for my classes, my candid thoughts on yoga, special yoga events, etc. Also, I encourage students to interact with me through this blog. If you have a sensitive yoga-related issue that needs to be addressed privately, then email me.

My latest project is organizing a special yoga workshop with a fellow teacher named Jessica Abelson. We plan to hold this workshop in March or April. More information to come!