Five Points Yoga

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Eating for New Moms

Posted October 29th, 2008 | 3 Comments » | Bookmark and Share

 

 

One of my favorite classes all week is my Postpartum class on Thursday mornings.  All the moms I’ve grown close to in Prenatal class suddenly disappear once they have their babies. Over the past year that I’ve been teaching this postpartum class, I’ve been able to stay in better touch with my students and continue to observe and support their entry into parenthood (even if they’re already parents to older children).  Plus I get to hang out with cute babies 🙂

 

New parenthood is hard!  Most of my students are smart, organized professionals who have a fair amount of resources, and still they can really struggle with the first few months postpartum.   Not only do babies require a lot, but so do moms – proper physical exercise after carrying a baby for 40-some weeks, nourishment for supporting feeding a baby, learning to cope with a new sleep pattern, figuring out a new work/social schedule, etc. 

 

So, anytime a new resource comes up that can help new moms, I’m all about promoting it.   My dear friend Christi Collins has written a fantastically practical and super helpful Ebook called “How to Eat to Survive Motherhood.” 

 

I learned a lot by reading it, some of which I’m excited to impart to my students – for example, what the most important nutritional needs are in the postpartum period, and practical foods to have on hand for those needs.   

 

But if you are a new mom, or looking to help out a friend who is a new parent, I highly recommend you buy this Ebook.   This Ebook has recipes and worksheets that I think will take the important informational content and make it actionable.

 

Check out Christi’s site here to buy the Ebook.   Even if you’re a new mom who has it pretty together, this book will help you feel even better.   And I can’t emphasize enough, that if you’re a friend of new parents, please consider giving something other than a cute outfit for the baby.   I know it’s fun to pick out those things, but parents really need a good home-cooked meal, or a massage, or a yoga class, or an afternoon of babysitting or help with chores.   This Ebook could be the perfect gift.   

 

Also, my new mom’s class is Thursday mornings from 10-11:15 at Black Lotus for any mom.   You are welcome to bring babies up to crawling (usually 6-7 months).

 

Namaste,

 

Barrett

 

 

Posted under Education, Health and Wellness, Upcoming Events, Yoga

Pranayama – Breath Techniques

Posted October 28th, 2008 | Leave a comment » | Bookmark and Share

 

I’m teaching a workshop this Sunday in Pranayama.  It’s the first time I’m teaching a whole workshop with breathwork as the focus, which I’m really excited about!  As a result, I’m finding that I’m practicing more Pranayama myself.  I have a “formula” of the pranayama that I use that are really helpful for me.  It’s just what I’ve found works best over the years I’ve practiced. However, I’ve tried to expand my own practice this month in preparation for the workshop this weekend.   I’m telling you, Pranayama is such a key to an ongoing yoga practice!  I have really felt energized this month!   Also, I’ve managed to travel and not get sick even though it’s become cold season.  Finally, I’ve felt a few things freeing up physically over the past month that had felt a little stuck (one of my hamstrings has been a little unhappy).  Though there are other factors to all of these things (just general self-care), I really have felt the difference because of a more dedicated pranayama practice. 

I’ve been reading up on Pranayama as well, particularly enjoying Richard Rosen’s Pranayama: Beyond the Fundamentals, and my all-time favorite, Donna Farhi’s The Breathing Book.  In her book, Farhi writes:

 

“Breathing is the most readily accessible resource you have for creating and sustaining your vital energy…The process of breathing is the most accurate metaphor we have for the way that we personally approach life, how we live our lives, and how we react to the inevitable changes that life brings us.”

 

I think it’s true.  I’m feeling it in my practice every day.  Revisiting my experiences over the past year with scuba diving (see yesterday’s post) reminded me of how much my breath mirrors my life. 

 

If you’re interested in the workshop this weekend, it’s at Black Lotus in Cambridge, MA on Sunday November 2, from 1-3pm.  

 

Namaste,

 

Barrett     

Posted under Personal Experiences, Upcoming Events, Yoga

Fasting

Posted October 8th, 2008 | Leave a comment » | Bookmark and Share

 

I’m fasting tomorrow for Yom Kippur.  Although I’m writing this before the fast gets underway, I can project what it will feel like, having done this many times 🙂  It’s hard at the end!

 

But there is something about the fasting that is designed to help us focus and get really present.   I remember in college someone saying to me that the way they got through Yom Kippur every year was by sleeping all day.   If they weren’t conscious, then basically they wouldn’t feel the hunger pains and they wouldn’t suffer as much. 

 

You might guess, correctly, that I think this misses the point.  If the point of life is to sleep through our challenges, then that’s pretty pointless!   Yoga helps us wake up!   Wake up and go through the challenges with our eyes wide open, learning the whole way.

 

I think a spiritual fast can do something similar – help us be present with difficulties, not to shut them out or shut ourselves down.   And for sure it helps us wake up from the mundane act of eating by withholding food for a day.  

 

So, tomorrow, at long last, when I break the fast, I hope the act of eating feels more conscious and sacred, and I hope I am filled with gratitude for how amazing the simple joy of eating can be.   In all things, we can eventually become awakened to and appreciative of the world around us.  

 

If you’re fasting tomorrow, I hope you don’t sleep through it – napping is different 🙂  Of course, we might grumble a bit when the going gets tough, but see if you can use your yoga breath in those moments.  And for those of you not fasting, I hope you can make each meal a conscious and sacred joy.   

Posted under Personal Experiences, Upcoming Events, Yoga

Yin Yoga

Posted September 26th, 2008 | 2 Comments » | Bookmark and Share

 

I don’t teach Yin Yoga, but I certainly end up practicing in a Yin style quite often. The hallmark of a Yin Yoga practice is that you hold postures longer than you might otherwise, for 3-5 minutes on average. This feels Looooonng if you’re not used to it, but it is a great challenge for us vinyasa yogis who are used to flowing through postures more quickly. I just did a lovely Yin practice today (so nice on a Friday afternoon!), and it’s inspired me to write a bit about it.

 

Here is some more information about why Yin Yoga may be helpful, from the June ’07 issue of Yoga Journal:

 

“On a physical level, Yin enhances the natural range of motion in the joints. By keeping your muscles soft, you release deep layers of connective tissue, creating more ease in any style of yoga and in seated meditation. On an energetic level, Yin enhances the flow of prana (life force) in the tissues around the joints, where energy often stagnates.”

I often start or end my practice with some Yin postures. You can also do a completely Yin practice, with no active flowing postures.

 

My introduction to Yin Yoga came years ago, with Paul Grilley’s book Yin Yoga . You can read an article he wrote about Yin Yoga here.

 

Here’s one of my favorite Yin Yoga postures, one of the few I actually teach. It’s called Saddle Pose and you can see it demonstrated here.

 

I use this frequently if I’ve just taught a sequence of hamstring lengthening postures because Saddle Pose emphasizes lengthening the opposing muscle group, the quadriceps. I also teach this posture in my new mom’s class. It’s very helpful in the postpartum period to help the pelvis realign in general, and the tailbone specifically to move back into place. Moms love this posture.

 

If you try to practice this posture, start by leaning back on the hands. From there, move down to rest on your elbows, and only if that feels good should you try the full posture as pictured. Be mindful of your knees and ankles if you have particular sensitivities in those joints.

 

Lastly, you might consider finding a teacher who knows the principles behind Yin Yoga. For local Boston folks, consider attending Jenn Goodman’s upcoming workshop at my favorite studio, Black Lotus. The workshop is in October (I have a Pranayama workshop in November and an Arm Balances workshop in December as well).

 

You might also check out my friend and former teaching colleague Biff Mithoefer. He has a book, the Yin Yoga Kit, and teaches some occasional workshops.

 

Enjoy your practice!

Barrett

 

Posted under Upcoming Events, Yoga

Enlighten Up!

Posted September 25th, 2008 | 2 Comments » | Bookmark and Share

I saw a really great documentary two weeks ago called Enlighten Up!  It was made by some professional filmmakers from Boston and thus has some great shots of local yoga studios.   Mostly the documentary is about a yoga newbie experiencing the wide world of yoga choices.   He’s funny and authentic, and the documentary shows a lot of the beauty in the yoga world and a lot of the silliness and egotism.  I thought it was really honest, which is interesting seeing as I saw it at a pre-screening for yoga teachers.   We laughed a lot, including at ourselves, which I think is a good thing!  

 

I was hoping to get this blog out while the movie was still in town, but I couldn’t (technical difficulties!).  I sent an email to a good number of my students encouraging them to attend.  4 students went with me this past Tuesday, which was really fun for me to see it again, this time with students. We had a drink together afterwards to discuss the ideas that the documentary explored and our reactions to it. 

 

Each of us found the movie interesting, and we really loved the tone of the movie.  It’s not preachy, it’s able to question yoga and its place in the modern world, and overall it feels pretty honest in terms of the protagonists’ struggle to find meaning in the yoga practice, and ultimately, in life.  

 

Here’s the trailer for the movie:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kKQw0-IlJiY

 

And here’s an article from the Globe:

 

http://www.boston.com/ae/movies/articles/2008/09/12/a_skeptic_goes_to_the_mat/

 

I hope if you weren’t able to see it this time around, that you’ll see it when it comes around again, or when it’s out on video!  To be on their mailing list, check out the website for the film:  www.enlightenupthefilm.com

 

Namaste!

 

Barrett

Posted under Upcoming Events, Yoga

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