Etiquette of yoga

With the new year, comes new yoga students. Perhaps someone is attending yoga for the first time in my class, which can be quite daunting, but I feel very honored to be a yoga ambassador.

New students seem to also bring up old, yoga etiquette issues. My biggest pet peeve is when people arrive late to class. The beginning of class is when I steer everyone to turn inward and quiet their minds. The other day, I think I had seven people arrive five minutes late to class. Completely distracting and not in line with yoga whatsoever!

So what's a yoga instructor to do? I'm half tempted to pin up a list of etiquette on the bulletin board outside of the classroom that I found in this month's Yoga Journal magazine. I've also read you could hand the student a list of expectations directly, but I could see that hurting the person's feelings and hindering them from ever returning which is obviously not my aim.

New students aren't the only ones to blame for this etiquette misstep. One woman has been attending my classes for almost three years, and she still seems to come in late EVERY time. It annoys me to no end, as well as many other regulars, I'm sure! Don't get me wrong, I understand the OCCASIONAL tardy, but when it consistently happens, it's just downright annoying and rude.

Any advice on how to address yoga classroom etiquette is greatly appreciated.

Got inspiration?

I've been teaching a few yoga classes at a local YMCA for about 2 1/2 years now, and for the past few weeks I've been feeling a little stale and feel like my students sense this. Perhaps a lot of it has to do with being overwhelmed with being a new mom and not getting enough sleep per baby girl. I also know not having much of a home practice in conjunction with not attending live, studio classes since I was in my second trimester of pregnancy last year hasn't helped. But I'm not sure if I can change this because there are just not enough hours in the day, especially to go to a 90-minute yoga class.

So what's a yoga teacher to do when she isn't feeling as inspired as she once was? I would love to hear any and all feedback.

I searched Yoga Journal's Web site and found an article called "Teaching Spiritual Practice" that gave me a different perspective on how I can change things up and find another way to inspire myself. Maybe I shouldn't focus so much on the asanas or the creative way the postures flow but increase the spiritual side of my class. The author had also been a YMCA instructor and gave very insightful ways to include spirituality without offending, such as "instruct the students to breathe in goodness and other universal virtues in order to more fully embody Spirit. Regardless of their religious background, students embraced these yogic teachings as a way to deepen their connection to God."

Breathe out stale, breathe in inspiration.

Back to work - waaaaa (that's me crying; not the baby)

Started back to work after eight weeks of maternity leave. The moment I've been dreading since I had baby, I must admit. Although I will say, after three weeks I said to myself, "Self, you gotta stop thinking about the future and focus on the present moment." It really did help me to enjoy my time with Brijin so much more and let go, which I couldn't do anything about at that point. It's not like I want to be a stay-at-home mom, but I wish I had the flexibility to have the choice. Oh well!

Luckily my manager is allowing me to work from home part of the mornings for the first three weeks I'm back, which has really helped. Plus Brijin continues to sleep through the night, and I began Tuesday so it's been a short week. Thank goodness tomorrow is Friday because even with Brijin sleeping, I'm still exhausted. Took a "nap" at 7:30 p.m. last night when baby did, and Daddy had to shake me awake to feed her. I think all I'll do this weekend is sleep and play with Brijin!

How do working moms do it? Tell me your secrets. My yoga practice is definitely taking a backseat, although I've been trying to take advantage of breast pump time at work by meditating. I must be a mom - I'm multitasking! Supposed to resume teaching yoga in about a week. Not sure if I'm ready, but I can't find a substitute. I'd hate to give it up, but I don't want to be away from my daughter from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. at night two days per week. Guess I'll have to just see how it goes; I do miss my students and they seem to miss me so I should at least give it a try.

Well, I better go check and make sure baby girl is still sleeping. Almost time for her last feeding and then night night.

Thankful Thursday - my yoga students

My Thursday post is dedicated to expressing or communicating the importance of gratitude in life. Yesterday was my final time teaching my power yoga class before maternity leave begins. (I am teaching on Saturday though, just in case any students are reading!)

I must admit to being relieved this commitment is winding down since I am so HUGE and run down, but I didn't realize how bitter sweet it would feel. For about a year and a half, I've been teaching at the YMCA and have created friendships and a sense of community within my classes. Several people attend regularly, and I've been fortunate enough to get to know glimpses at a time of many of them.

My Wednesday night class can be hit or miss with attendees, but last night it was full to the brim, I guess because they knew it was my last one! So that felt really wonderful to have so many share my final night with me before maternity leave. Plus several gave me baby gifts. I really wasn't expecting it, and it overwhelmed me with gratitude.

The best "present" I "received" was from Dave, who has been attending with his wife Shannon for several months now. When he started, he told me he was new to yoga, but I assured him anyone can do it, and I'm glad he believed me! :) Anyhow, Dave's "gift" to me was saying, "If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't have stuck with the practice." That really meant a lot to me; although I hope it doesn't deter him from continuing the practice of asanas while I'm away. I hope they keep going to class, but I also hope they consider practicing at home together. I think it's wonderful when a couple can share this experience.

So this post is dedicated to my PV YMCA students - you guys rock!

Thank you God for bringing these amazing people into my life - I'm truly grateful for the opportunity to teach them and for the blessing of their presence in my life.

Yoga for the Second Trimester

Whether you're in your second trimester or you're a yoga teacher, you should read the Yoga Journal online article "Tools for Teaching Prenatal Yoga: The Second Trimester."

It's written by the author of one of my favorite yoga blogs, Grounding Thru the Sit Bones, and gives clarification on what poses are available and/or modifications (such as backbends against a wall versus on your stomach) during the second trimester of pregnancy.

One of the article's suggestions is to begin focusing on pranayama or breath exercises during this trimester to prepare for labor and maybe even utilize during delivery. One such practice is alternate-nostril breathing. Found a short clip on YouTube to demonstrate - it's a little weird at first, but you will feel the calming effects afterwards. Great for opening up your sinuses too.

Prenatal yoga pranayama: Alternate-nostril breathing (1:40)

Thankful Thursday

Focusing on gratitude is a great way to bring more abundance and joy into life. What better way to reiterate this focus but to blog weekly about it, whether it is my own personal list of gratefulness or the value of being thankful in life. And what better day than Thursday? Get it? THankful THursday - again, utilizing alliteration. It's a bit cheesy - sue me.

What I'm grateful for today:


My husband sprucing up our first-floor bathroom. He figured out how to change the light fixture and painted! What a man.


A yoga student telling me last night she had an awesome savasana - yay!

My healthy baby and all his or her little kicks and wiggles.

Our first baby shower today with my work friends at Bravo - I've been looking forward to it all week.

Baby 101 class, which helped me feel more prepared and confident.

People telling me I look wonderful for eight months pregnant and that I'm so active for how far along I am.

My manager Lori, for loving to cook and sharing her yummy morsels with our team. Yesterday was a WONDERFUL egg casserole.

Our dog Charlie for not being hyper last night and chilling like a good doggie.

Hubby landing another radio station production gig yesterday - his business is growing and growing!

My blog for being a cathartic outlet and a way to share my thoughts, experiences and joy.

Spending Easter with family, including our cute little neice!


My health and yoga - I've had such a smooth pregnancy and I attribute it all to my yoga practice.

Thank you life for EVERYTHING~

Namaste.

YJ is a great resource for the yogi in you

Yoga Journal magazine is an invaluable resource for anyone interested in learning more about yoga. I received it as a gift about a year prior to teaching yoga and have had a subscription ever since. It's so cheap considering all the information provided such as suggested sequences, health benefits, meditations, etc.

YJ's Web site also is a great receptacle of knowledge for yogis and recently had a redesign and added some new features, such as a new weekly podcast and a sequence builder where you can create a practice with correlating photos of postures. I also love reading blog "Teacher Tells All," by a yoga teacher just starting out who I nominated for an "E" for excellent blog award a while ago.

Also on YJ.com is a ton of online newsletters to sign up to receive, and I recommend "My yoga mentor," which is written with the yoga teacher in mind. The last edition had a wonderful article, "Tools for teaching prenatal yoga: the first trimester" by another one of my favorite bloggers - Ground thru the sit bones author. Very good advice for teachers and for the expectant yogini.

Prenatal yoga pose: squat
Squats are great for opening up the hips and preparing for birth. You can do it against the wall or on a block.

One of my music playlists for yoga

Many of my YMCA yoga students comment about how much they love the music I play in class. I've created a few different mixes (I love the mixed tape! HA!), and last night I dug up one I hadn't played in a bit. A few people said how much they enjoyed it so I thought I'd share it today:

Yoga Mama's yoga playlist #1

1. "Silent Morning" - Feng Shui: Music for the Harmonious Spirit
2. "Imagine" - John Lennon, Imagine
3. "Om Prelude" - Daphne Tse, Jala
4. "In the waiting line" - Zero 7, Garden State
5. "Conroy" - Cake
6. "Let Go" - Frou Frou, Garden State
7. "Sweetest Thing (Mahogany Mix)" - Lauryn Hill, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill
8. "I just don't think I'll get over you" - Colin Hay, Garden State
9. "Save me" - Aimee Mann, Magnolia
10. "Remembrance" - Benjy Werthemer, Jala

I am missing a couple songs in the middle from a CD my friend had loaned me that didn't copy over the artists or song names - sorry. Still a fairly solid yoga mix. Some songs do have words to them, so if you don't like having that in the background of your yoga practice, this mix isn't for you.

Rock-star parking

Although it was a gloomy, stormy Monday, I didn't mind because I knew I had a rock-star parking spot waiting for me at work thanks to my little jelly in the belly!

People at the office told me I could request parking for expectant mothers, but I just kept forgetting to follow up. I finally remembered to send an e-mail Friday - the contact told me my own personal spot would be ready for me on Monday - even has my name on the sign! It's all mine and is about 15 steps away from the front door. A huge improvement to the parking I typically find at work by the time I arrive at 8:30 a.m.
I also saw these two geese walking together tonight as I left work. Thought they were cute...

After a week off from teaching yoga due to the wood floors being redone at the YMCA, I returned to the mat. Boy what a difference a week makes. I teach power vinyasa-style yoga, and at 30 weeks it's getting more difficult for me to teach and demonstrate various postures. The hardest part is talking as I'm doing even the simplest things, which causes me to easily lose my breath. Plus, I'm just getting large enough to be uncomfortable. Don't get me wrong, yoga is still doable as a pregnant woman and very beneficial, but power yoga is probably not the best type, especially in the third trimester.

Here's a great posture to do for your hips and groin - plus it's nice and relaxing. Cobbler's pose against the wall; feels so good!

If someone says FLEXIBILITY one more time...

"So yoga's all about flexibility?"

I loathe when people ask me this... sorry Maria (my friend/coworker who attended my power yoga class for the first time Monday night. Apparently I didn't teach a lot of "power" last night if she only felt her hamstrings stretching.).

I believe it was Maria's second yoga class in her life (Another friend/coworker and I took her to a hatha-flow class at a wonderful yoga studio in town called Yoga Gallery.) and was hoping she would enjoy it. She's been a faithful reader of Yoga Mama and requested to come to one of my classes with her friend Angie so I was delighted at the chance to share my passion.

The next morning at work, Maria and I began our IM banter when she asked me the age-old, misconstrued question about yoga that makes me cringe (again, my apologies Maria!). To the yogis and yoginis out there in cyberspace, obviously there is so much more to yoga than the physical postures or asanas - it's only one of the eight limbs of yoga. Yet for the sake of a more simple discussion, let's concentrate on this one limb.

So how did I answer Maria? Probably not very eloquently, but I did find an article on Yoga Journal listing 38 medically proven benefits by Timothy McCall, MD. I probably jumped to the "OF COURSE it's not ONLY about FLEXIBILITY" defense, yet it's so hard to put into words to a person only beginning to explore the power that is yoga.

Once a person begins practicing asanas consistently for a month or so, you begin to notice changes not only in your physical body such as increased flexibility and strength (My friends marveled at my arms after I began conquering chaturangas.). However there are noticeable changes in your mind (Better sleep anyone?) and the interconnection between the two, which isn't surprising since the word yoga is derived from the Sanskrit word yuj to "yoke or bind."

This is really a question one can only truly answer for yourself through the consistent practice of yoga. If I could sum the benefits of yoga in one word, it would be balance. The balance yoga allows you to make: spiritually, mentally and physically. I didn't know what yoga could "do" until I felt how it helped my back and tailbone that wouldn't heal with drugs and physical therapy. I didn't know what yoga could "do" until I realized after a month my depression was beginning to lift. Only until I invested a little of my time did I understand the magic of yoga beyond the assumed benefit of flexibility and this has kept me coming back for five years.

Keep in mind, you don't need to have an ailment to appreciate yoga. All you need is a mat and the patience to keep returning to it and discovering new awarenesses and appreciations within yourself.

Waking up early brings a hodge podge of info

When I first visited the doctor to confirm I was pregnant, I received a packet of information, including a card to subscribe to a magazine called American Baby. I received the "welcome" addition in the mail yesterday, and it has tons of great information for a newly expectant mother. I highly recommend it, especially considering the first six issues are free.

Also found a great Web site for finding a baby name called Nymbler. Basically it finds names based on ones you like and don't like. I was fairly amazed at some of the names that started popping up based on my selections because some were my favorites! Check it out.

As you can see from my time stamp, I'm up way too early this morning. This is the first time I've woken up and couldn't fall back asleep since my pregnancy began. Practicing yoga usually helps me get a good night's sleep, but I think I allowed my mind to get too riled up yesterday due to things at work and then at my yoga class. I actually received my first negative comment card at the Y about the music I had in class Monday. I played a sitar CD given by a "friend" over in India I had worked with during my day job. I knew it was a little risky but thought I'd give it a try. I think the negative comment resonated with me even more since I left my 9-to-5 job a little pissy. Here's a fine example of the law of attraction working - what we put out there, we attract. So I allowed negativity about something that doesn't even matter, and I received more of it. It's so hard to stay positive, but it is worth it in the long run.

I'm going to try and go back to sleep with some happy thoughts... wish me luck!

Pregnant ladies Everywhere!

While walking to lunch yesterday during work, a coworker and I saw not one, not two, not three, but four very pregnant women on our short jaunt to the cafe. We both thought it was so odd because neither one of us had seen a pregnant person in our workplace let alone four VERY expectant mothers-to-be. Seemed very auspicious but had no idea what I was supposed to learn.

The pregnant-woman ambush continued on today at the YMCA. I taught my Saturday morning hatha yoga class, and a woman arrived in the middle of savasana, where we began the class. Once she popped up, I thought she was pregnant, but I wondered how to broach this subject with her. Since I didn't have a chance to speak with her before it began, I didn't want to assume (which spells ass out of you and me!) she was pregnant and hurt her feelings if she wasn't. So I took the safe route and just said what I was doing and told them "not" to do it... in a way telling her to do it.

Luckily after class she asked me when I was due so I knew we were both in "the club," and I admitted wondering about her status but didn't want to risk inquiring and being incorrect. We had a nice chat afterwards about our pregnancies and prenatal yoga, when another woman walked by and asked if we were talking about prenatal classes and if we had any at the Y. I said no I don't know of any, but perhaps if there's enough interest we can get one started. I'm excited to talk to my YMCA manager and see what he thinks. Maybe even have a "special" class to weigh interest and go from there.

So God, is that what you're trying to tell me with all these pregnant people surrounding me?

Lego my Ego please

Taught my Wednesday night, YMCA power yoga class and had a full room, which is always exciting (I can't help the ego sometimes.) I've been trying to guide the class more with my voice than by demonstrating physically up in the front, to prepare for when my bump grows so big I won't be able to touch my toes. I'm feeling more comfortable with this teaching style and feel like I am helping as well. If I do "correct" students, I usually try to do it verbally or demonstrate next to them how to alter what they are doing for the best alignment. I'm still not super comfortable with touching people, but every once in a while I will lightly touch to show the area that I'm talking about if verbal cues don't seem to be getting anywhere (i.e., between the shoulder bladed in down dog so they'll release more deeply.)

Any suggestions out there on what's right or wrong, good or bad? Keep in mind, I teach at a YMCA, not a yoga studio, however these people are kind of hard core yogis and know their stuff more than you might think so I don't think they'd mind physical adjustments. But I just remember how I felt when I received my first adjustment and wasn't expecting it - plus it kind of hurt my ego - there's that pesky ego again.

Oh my goodness, I didn't realize it was so late - better hit the hay.