This time of year is known as the “Holiday Season,” especially in politically correct Seattle where I learned quickly to say “Happy Holidays” rather than “Merry Christmas” and “Happy Solstice” on December 21st.

In these times of wonderfully mindful recognition of diversity we honor the many types of holidays this time of year holds – Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Solstice, Christmas, and New Year’s.

What we find in most holidays this time of year is the theme of light. It is a time of darkness in the natural world – short days and long nights. There is great power in this veil thrown over more of each daily cycle. It connects us to deeper layers of our subconscious and often leads to great introspection and creativity. And it calls into greater relief its counterpart – illumination.

Throughout history, humankind has drawn inspiration from the amazing power of light and brought it into their Winter Celebrations. And whether we are bowing to the light of the Sun, the flickering glow of a candle, or the sparkle of Christmas lights, we all have what is called jyotismati, or inner light, which Patanjali, in Yoga Sutra I.26, says is free from grief or sorrow (visoka).

This Sutra is one of several in the first Pada (Chapter) of the Yoga Sutras that offer the practitioner suggestions for bringing about the state of yoga that is described in Sutra I.2 as citta vrtti nirodha, the reduction (cessation in some translations) of the fluctuations of the mind. If we concentrate on this inner light, our mind will be calmer, more at peace.

This season of lights, may you draw from all of the sources of inspiration and illumination within and without to send out a beacon of serenity to the world around you, a true gift to self and others.

May your Holidays be bright and full of love.

Posted by: Anne Phyfe Palmer

Listen to this sutra and a meditation on inner light on the Yoga Journal website.

Sukha, the Sanskrit word for happiness, is sometimes translated as “unobstructed space.” We don’t actually create joy when we practice yoga; we create space for it to flow more easily through us. The key to this approach lies in the mind/body connection. When life challenges us, we protect ourselves by withdrawing, constricting—in short, tightening up. As trust flies out the window, along with it goes the ease we once felt in our bodies. This physical reaction to emotional challenges builds a kind of body armor that ultimately separates us from the joy of being human.

The early yogis found that certain movements and breathing exercises can help dissolve this armor, releasing internal blocks so that we open up to the natural flow of our own life force, or prana, and to joy in all its abundance.

Sherry, a 40-year-old financial analyst and local radio host, came to our private yoga session one day clearly distraught. After many months of a painful separation, her former partner had just told her that he was dating someone else. More than missing her partner, Sherry deeply missed the person she once was. “I used to wake up feeling joyous at the new day,” she told me. “I’d be happy to greet the sun and my garden, and I’d feel content with my life. I wonder if I will ever feel that way again.”

In Sherry’s case, we “cleared the space” with a breathing exercise called the Breath of Joy, which promotes the flow of oxygen throughout the body. I encouraged her to practice her postures with a deep ocean sounding breath, inhaling for four, holding for four and exhaling with the mantra, “so hum,” meaning “I am that.” I suggested she add a visual image called a bhavana to the breath retention. Throughout the next month, Sherry visualized joyful images: walking her dog in the morning; spending time in her garden; drumming in her women’s circle. After several weeks of practicing with intention, she rediscovered her joy. She was ready to live unencumbered by blocks that might prevent her from feeling happy.

Anyone can help reset a joyless outlook with specific space-clearing yoga exercises that accommodate a naturally happy state. If you add images that nourish your spirit, and a mantra, you are pouring joy through the clear space you are.

The following two practices clear the inner space so that joy or peace or whatever you wish to manifest can course through the body unobstructed.

Bellows Breath (Bhastrika)
When to use it: Morning or afternoon on an empty stomach. (It may be too energizing to do in the evening.)
What it does: This breath helps clear the space by forcing air out of your lungs like a bellows. It creates a sense of clarity, energy, even mild elation, followed by a feeling of relaxation as prana flows more freely in your system. Space-clearing breath brings oxygen to your brain, stimulates the lymph nodes (which help support the immune system), and makes space for your own vision of joy.
How to do it:
1. Sit on the floor on your knees or in an easy cross-legged pose, or sit in an armless chair. Lengthen your spine.
2. With hands closed in fists, bend your elbows all the way so that your fists almost touch the front of your shoulders, knuckles facing out
3. Take a normal breath in and out.
4. Inhale vigorously through the nostrils, sending your arms straight up over your head, opening your hands with palms facing front, fingers spread wide.
5. Exhale with great force through the nostrils as you bring your arms back to the starting position in a swift gesture, again making fists with your hands (as if you’re grabbing something up high and pulling it down to you).
6. Continue at a moderate pace 20 times and then rest for 30 seconds. Practice two more rounds of 20 each, pausing between rounds.
When you’ve completed the practice, sit for several moments, observing the sense of space inside; visualize something that brings you joy.

Breath of Joy
When to use it: First thing in the morning, or whenever you’re feeling lethargic.
What it does: This easy, invigorating breath expands your lung capacity and brings more oxygen to your brain, encouraging the flow of prana throughout your body.
How to do it:
1. Stand up and spread your arms out into a downward-facing V.
2. Inhale to one-third of your lung capacity as you bring your arms in front of your body, palms facing each other at shoulder level.
3. In one fluid gesture, inhale to two-thirds capacity and stretch your arms out to the sides.
4. Inhale to full capacity and swing your arms over your head, so they’re both reaching straight up.
5. Exhale through your mouth as you lean forward and stretch your arms out to the sides and slightly behind you, as though you’re taking a bow. Imagine you’re releasing the obstacles to joy with each exhalation.
Repeat four more times. Close your eyes and experience the energy circulating through your body.

Posted by: Amy Weintraub, MFA, ERYT-500, author of Yoga for Depression
Amy Weintraub, MFA, ERYT-500, is the founding director of the LifeForce Yoga® Healing Institute and teaches professional trainings and workshops on yoga and mental health internationally. She is involved in on-going research on the effects of yoga on mood, edits a regular research newsletter and is featured on the award-winning, evidence-based DVD and CD series, LifeForce Yoga® to Beat the Blues. She is the author of Yoga for Depression and Yoga Skills for Therapists (forthcoming). Amy will teach LifeForce Yoga at 8 Limbs Capitol Hill the weekend of September 9 – 11, 2011.

For many of us in the U.S. Memorial Day means a long weekend and the start of summer. Historically, though, it is a day of remembrance for those who have lost their lives in military service. Now in another era of war, our country has lost many men and women to combat in the last decade. Memorial Day is our way to pause and remember those lives as we continue on our own journey.

The Sanskrit word Smrti means literally “that which is remembered.” It is one of the five Vrttis, waves or fluctuations of the mind. It is one of only five ways that our mind moves. The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali speak to these five thought waves in Sutras I.5-I.11. Each is said to be Klista Aklistah, colored or not colored. Memory can be colored by conditioning, ignorance, fear or attachment, or it can be pure uncolored memory.

Coloring the waves of our minds makes life interesting. My daughters and I went to see the musical Mary Poppins on Saturday. Some of the most memorable scenes involved bright colors, representing the magical places Mary could transport Bert and the children to (remember those horses that leapt off the carousel in the movie?). Mary could take the children from the greyness of their London life to a technicolor fantasy world, and make them “feel like I could fly.” But now I’m getting diverted to another of the five Vrttis, Vikalpa (imagination)…

The challenge of coloring our memories is that over time it becomes difficult to separate out the real from the unreal. This leads to Avidya, ignorance, and the other Klesas, the five causes of suffering. One of the practices of yoga is to become a witness to the Vrttis, our thought patterns, to progressively learn to remove the charge or coloring, from these waves as they move through our minds. Then they stay clear and we learn to see life as it is rather than through distorted lenses.

Even the American day of Memory, Memorial Day, can be colored, by aversion or attachment. Those who disdain the military and U.S. involvement in the affairs of other countries could refuse to acknowledge this day. Others could experience it as a tragic day of mourning for those lost at war and be upset that others are having a social BBQ. A Memorial without color might simply honor lost lives, with a moment of silence, or the decoration of a grave (Decoration Day was the precursor to Memorial Day).

Memory is powerful. It can shape our present in a variety of ways. If we can uncolor it, we let go of the drama that surrounds the past and arrive more fully present in each moment.

Posted by: Anne Phyfe Palmer

In the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna tells Arjuna “Yoga is skill in action.” For the many of us who practice yoga asana, this may be experienced as the bringing of awareness into the actions of the physical body. While reconnecting the mind with the experience of the body is a great start, and a challenging accomplishment, it is only just the beginning. To truly deepen our experience of yoga and gracefully navigate our lives we must learn not only to be present in the moment, but how to move skillfully through the thoughts, emotions and attitudes that surface and block our dynamic energy and inhibit the realization of our potential.

In practical terms this means that rather then just being aware of our tendencies to become agitated, angry, nervous, anxious, over-excited, sad or blue we develop the tools to move these energies through us without getting thrown off our center, distracted, scattered or put down. Rather then simply reacting or responding to whatever life throws our way, we choose the quality of our experiences by what we bring to the moment – not what the moment brings to us.

There are many ways this can play out in our lives. For example, you might have a co-worker or family member who is often agitated and seems to have an uncanny ability to spread the irritation around, or maybe you know someone who is often negative and spending time with him or her pulls you down. It might be that your spouse or children are getting on your nerves or that every time you get in your car you feel an intense dislike for the drivers around you. These moments not only cause shifts in our emotional field, but they draw our energy and attention away from whatever it is we set out to do. Aside from trying to let go of these disturbances after the fact, there are simple but effective measures we can take to prevent ourselves from being thrown off center in the first place.

If you are at all curious how you can target or develop your home practice to balance your energy and remain steady through the whirl of life experiences and emotions, check out my Yoga & Mindfulness Workshop at Capitol Hill on Saturday morning, April 9th. We’ll be examining the 5 root causing of suffering according the Yoga Sutras, developing the Buddhist technique of Mindful Awareness to view our sufferings with neutrality and compassion and looking at the system of Ayurveda to assess which asana, pranayama and meditation techniques help us keep our cool when things get heated, which ones help us spark the fires of inspiration and energy when feeling low and how to prevent bouncing back and forth between the two.

Posted by: Jen Yaros

Yoga & Mindfulness for Emotional Balance
8 Limbs Capitol Hill
Saturday, April 9, 2011
10:00 – 12:30pm
$35 through April 4, $45 after

www.jenniferyaros.blogspot.com
www.jenniferyaros.com

In Ayurveda, winter is the season associated with Kapha and all the imbalances associated with the earth and water elements. The Kapha qualities outside can make you feel heavy and lethargic and/or pull you towards foods that promote weight gain or the use of recreational drugs or alcohol to cope with depression, stress and the winter blues. The following tips from my new book, “Art of Sequencing – Volume 2” will help to balance Kapha, creating a more calming and grounding presence during the winter.

One of the ways you can prevent slipping into the winter blues is to be become more mindful about what you are eating when you are eating. This helps avoid overeating, which can lead to depression. Eating when you are not hungry is one of the easiest ways to dampen your agni (digestive fire) and put on extra weight, a special challenge during this time of year when many people reduce their level of invigorating outdoor exercise due to rain, ice, and snow.

What if you let eating become part of your meditation practice? When you eat, simply focus on eating-nothing more, not your emails or processing thoughts of the day, etc. Learn to savor how your food tastes and smells, pay attention to how well your body digests it, and tune into how much you need to satisfy your hunger.

Here are a few ways to begin:
• Choose one place to eat each meal, free of clutter and distractions.
• Slow down when you’re eating, putting your fork, spoon, sandwich or burrito down in between bites.
• Stop eating when you no longer have hunger.
• Chew your food until it becomes liquid to promote the first stage of digestion, which begins in your mouth.
• Avoid eating when feeling emotional or stressed out.
• Eat well-balanced meals with sufficient protein and fat to minimize hunger between meals.

In regards to your asana practice, consider incorporating the following postures to help ward off typical Kapha imbalances by raising your core temperature, enhancing your metabolism and increasing your circulation and spirit.
• Sun Salutations or rhythmic, Hatha yoga postures to promote circulation and emotional well being.
• A vinyasa flow practice that incorporates asanas like Plank, Caturanga Dandasana (lowered plank), Bhujangasana (cobra), or Urdhva Mukha Svanasana (up dog) in between forward bends and backbends.
• Forward bends with flowing transitions into backbends to keep your spine supple.
• Inversions and arm balances to promote blood flow throughout the whole body, invigorate the brain and reduce dullness.
• Twists to reduce inflammation around the organs, minimize weight gain and promote digestion, which can get sluggish or overtaxed in winter.

Posted by: Melina Meza

This month I have been writing every morning as a personal practice. Brush, floss, neti, and then write. I start by writing five things I am grateful for in a small red notebook 8 Limbs Managing Director Ashley gave me for Christmas. I note when I got up, how I felt, and any dreams that come to me. Then I turn to creative writing. This morning I wrote about the The Koshas, one of the subjects I teach in the 8 Limbs Teacher Training and that I will be sharing in the Virtual Yoga Conference and the Wedgwood Thursday Master Class in March.

The basic concept of this system from the Upanisads is that all beings have a true self, or soul, that exists deep within. Our atman is always there, shining and unchanging, but the realization of this pure and clear aspect of that Self can be covered, or sheathed, obscuring our true nature and diverting our attention to the coverings themselves. These coverings are called The Koshas, and go from gross to subtle in the following order:
Annamaya Kosha: the physical sheath
Pranamaya Kosha: the energetic sheath
Manomaya Kosha: the wisdom sheath
Vijnanamaya Kosha: the personality sheath
Anandamaya Kosha: the bliss sheath

The practices of yoga systematically address each these koshas, clearing the way for a lasting relationship with our true self. Asana, pranayama, chanting, meditation and prayer are tools that tend to these layers of the human condition and help us to access our potential.

One way to use begin one’s study of this construct is to take a personal inventory of how each dimension is operating. We can note what is working as well as what is stuck, or creating opacity, in each layer of our being.
How is your alignment? How is your metabolism? How curious and open are you? How well is your character navigating its relationships? What nourishes you and brings you bliss?

This model can also be stretched to the workings of our little yoga business. Like any living organism, 8 Limbs has to be cared for to function optimally. After launching some huge projects (Phinney Ridge studio, website revamp, 500-hour Teacher Training) in less than a year, we took time in the fall to look at how all of our systems are working and look at the big picture of our business and our place in the community.

We asked “how is our physical sheath (Annamaya Kosha), where can we make facility improvements in 2011?” We looked at how we spend our energy (Pranamaya Kosha) as a team, and are in the midst of a reorganization of admin staff (email info@8limbsyoga.com to hear about our Communications Director Job Posting!). The flow of information and institutional knowledge was audited to address our wisdom sheath (Manomaya Kosha). We underwent a branding exercise to clarify our personality as a business (Vijnanamaya Kosha), which helped us to remember with the bliss of why we are in this business in the first place, to create connections (Anandamaya Kosha).

Out of this investigation, we are pleased to announce our new mission: 8 Limbs is dedicated to creating community in Seattle with a non-denominational approach to yoga. And our call to action: “eight limbs, many paths, find/follow yours.”

Step by step, we keep caring for our organism.

Want to learn more about The Koshas? Next week I join 100 other speakers to teach from a virtual yoga classroom in the Virtual Yoga Conference, February 8 – 12. Be sure to use code APP219 to receive $50 off conference registration. Thursdays in March I will teach The Koshas at 8 Limbs Wedgwood during our “Master Class” series (this month Jay is teaching The Bandhas), 7:15-8:30pm. Class is included in memberships/class passes or open to drop-ins. See you there!

Posted by: Anne Phyfe Palmer

Winter Elements = Earth + Water
• Earth qualities: stable, rigid, grounding
• Water qualities: fluid, cooling, calming, graceful

Here we are again on the cusp of another winter. Are you ready? I hope so! In this blog and upcoming Seasonal Vinyasa Winter retreat in Mexico January 22 – 29, 2011, I will be sharing numerous ways to drop deeper into your sadhana (path of practice) and awaken your own potential for self-healing and bliss.

The cold, dark, wet nature of winter makes it the easiest time of year for me to personally drop deeper into my sadhana. My winter practice includes more silence, longer meditations, focused home practice, change in my diet, and boundaries around my social life. If I’m going to bed early and saying “no” to excessive amounts of sugar, caffeine, and alcohol throughout the day, I find it’s easier to sleep and maintain a healthy immune system, avoid seasonal affect disorder and decreases the chances of putting on too much extra winter weight. Keep in mind that the more imbalanced you get at this part of the year, the harder it is to get back on track in the springtime. I highly recommend over the next few months discovering what inspires you to stay healthy this winter and make that part of your daily sadhana.

Since we are part of Nature, you too have the opportunity to be graceful and let the seasons flow without clinging or grasping. It’s natural to have preferences for certain seasons, times of year that resonate with your core elements and make us feel more like ourselves. And yet, developing equanimity and contentment with all seasons—regardless of dosha, or where you live—is essential to well-being. This is where the art of sequencing can be instrumental and serve of great benefit. Here are a few suggestions from my upcoming Art of Sequencing – Volume Two book, to start weaving into your morning winter ritual:
• Wake up at 6:00-7:00am (the yogic version of sleeping in) and greet the day with gratitude for another opportunity to celebrate life.
• Wash your face, brush your teeth, scrape your tongue, do a neti pot, and lubricate your nostrils with oil or ghee.
• Drink hot lemon water with a little sea salt in the morning to stimulate elimination.
• Meditate 5-30 minutes (on snow, candle flame in the cave of the heart, or image of the sun).
• Do your active, warming asanas, Sun Salutations, inversions, and balance poses to promote circulation, or go outside, or to the gym, for a 20 minutes (minimum) cardiovascular workout.
• Sit in front of a light box if you struggle with seasonal affective disorder (S.A.D.).
• Exfoliate your skin and improve circulation with a gentle dry brush rub before showering.
• Perform abhyanga, a full-body self-massage, which calms the nervous system and hydrates the skin. In the winter, apply sesame oil (leave the oil on for 10-30 minutes) and then take a hot shower, which will open your pores and allow the oil to be absorbed into your skin.
• Enjoy a warm breakfast in a quiet space.

Stay tuned for more ideas to grow your daily ritual next month or register today for the Seasonal Vinyasa Winter Retreat at Haramara Retreat Center in Mexico.

Posted by: Melina Meza

When I talk to students about Pranayama I often share the story of how I started my own Pranayama practice. I was on retreat with Gary Kraftsow on Maui back in 2003 studying the Koshas, or sheaths of the human being. As we addressed the Pranamaya Kosha, the energetic sheath, or dimension, we turned in our discussion to the practice of pranayama, to which someone said “but I heard that pranayama can be dangerous.” Gary’s response was “No, it’s not, because you won’t do it.” A cynical response, but one that rang true to me.

I took it as a dare and started a simple but steady pranayama practice the week I returned. I would start my practice each morning for about a year by simply sitting and breathing: inhale for a count of 4, exhale for 4…then inhale for 6, exhale for 6…then 8, and 10, as I progressed, slowly, over the months. I used a slight ujjayi valving at the throat to make a smooth and even sound. I filled my upper chest and side ribs fully and relaxed my belly to invite the breath, then drew my navel to my spine to begin the even exhale.

Over time I began to add pauses at the end of inhale and/or exhale based on the time of day: energizing by pause after inhale in the AM, calming through pause after exhale in the PM, or a little of each to even out my energy.

I immediately noticed a change in the quality in my day. I couldn’t quantify it for you, but I just know that my life improved when I started this practice. All it took was a few minutes each morning or evening. It’s still a strong part of my practice.

While Gary’s response was funny, it is actually true (but really only if you are doing very advanced practices without preparation or supervision). Therefore the best way to learn pranayama practice is through a qualified teacher. This weekend you can join Jenny Hayo for a Pranayama Intensive at 8 Limbs Capitol Hill. You won’t regret it!

Posted by: Anne Phyfe Palmer

According to Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary, the term inversion involves reversing the position, order, form, or relationship of something. In Yoga, an inversion is typically classified as any posture where our pelvis is elevated above our head.

Did you know that by standing properly on your head, hands, forearms, or shoulders you could improve your lymphatic system functions, relieve symptoms of depression, move your bowels, improve your digestion, obtain mental clarity, AND (according to the Hatha Yoga Pradipika) conquer old age and death?!

Join Maygen McGrew Sunday Oct. 11th at 8 Limbs Capitol Hill to learn more about how you can benefit from inversions, the best times to practice them, and how to integrate them into your daily asana routine. Maygen will also teach a workshop on Arm Balances, teaching us how to “Fly into Fall” this weekend.

Posted by: 8 Limbs Yoga Centers

This month, Tias Little came into town and spent a weekend at 8 Limbs, dropping some serious knowledge on all of us who attended. I think I am still buzzing from that concentrated time of sitting and listening to someone so wise. I have studied with Tias for the past 6 years and it’s been so interesting to see how his teaching practice changes and where his true passion for yoga lies. Gone were all the straps and blocks and partner work of the past. His focus was on dharma and the Middle Way and the asana practice shifted to more of the subtle movements that I recognized from Rolf Movement and Feldenkrais.

As a Rolfer, I delight in this work that addresses the functional patterns in the body. After an hour of lying on our backs, slowly reaching an arm past our heads and gazing up in that direction (among other guided movements), I found my shoulder girdle had completely changed shape. My lungs had opened up and become vibrant after my arms had been differentiated from my torso. These kinds of shifts are the goldmines of my practice when I see this in Rolfing clients.

Next month, I begin the Back Care Series that Bryce Mathern, a Feldenkrais practitioner, so lovingly taught for the past few years. As he moves on to Colorado to study at Naropa, I am excited to be taking over this 6-week series.

Back pain can be such a tricky issue. Is it from an over-tensioning of the hips and hamstrings? Is it from an under-engaging of the multifidi and transverus? Bulging disc? Scoliosis? Post-surgery or post-injury? Postural habits that put strain on the whole spine? Energetic “backpack” where we store all the emotions we don’t want to deal with?

I hope to turn a light on to all of these questions during the course. After all, I had to examine all of these possibilities when my own back pain wouldn’t go away. When I finally found out via X-ray what was nagging (and then eventually yelling!) at me, there was sadness and then relief. A new chapter in my yoga practice and my daily routine.

The workshop this past weekend with Tias allowed me to really sit in that discomfort and explore it in a safe way. All the subtle movement work took loads of concentration and patience, but at the end, I feel like I have more tools in my toolbox to deal with this particular issue in my own back. And that is what I hope for each student taking this class.

Come as you are, and together we will explore yoga poses, Rolf Movement, postural (re)education. And hopefully, at the end of the 6 weeks, we will all have arrived at a better place.

Posted by: Kate Bradfield

The six week Back Care Series with Kate begins on Monday, October 4 at 7:15pm at 8 Limbs Capitol Hill.