Being "selfish"

As many people may know, I have been very busy lately.  I already work a 40 hour week at a job that I don't particularly find inspiring.  I spend about three to five hours every week working on my Belly Dancing.  I recently started the Yoga Teacher Training.  It is a 200 hour course over 10 weeks, so essentially I am spending 20 hours a week working on the yoga stuff.  It's like a part time job.  Add on top of that the usual stuff of wanting to spend time with my husband and family, and I am getting run down.

I am having to re-evaluate most things, including work.  My PTO bank is extremely high because I never take time off.  Even when I am sick, I work.  I constantly feel like I am letting someone down in my life, because I aim to make everyone else happy.

With this YTT, I am learning that I need to take care of myself, and some people will just have to deal with it.  I need to learn that what other people think of me doesn't really matter.  I know I am smart and a hard worker, and if taking a few days off from work makes me look like less of a hard worker, that's not my problem.  We have PTO for a reason, and I should be able to use it.

This past Monday I came into work and requested two days off in the beginning of the week next week, knowing that I am getting tired.  I waited too long, and now I am sick again.  I very rarely get sick, so I know this is related to stress, and most of it is job stress.

So I am going to take my two days, despite issues that are coming up and meetings that I should attend.  My co-workers can handle it without me, and notify me of any changes when I return.

It's time I put myself first, even if that seems "selfish" to others.

Namaste,

Chess

Fourth Chakra

One of the funniest things about this chakra is there is a woman in my class that said she couldn't see her heart chakra, but could see all the others.  She kept saying that she doesn't have a heart chakra, but she is one of the sweetest, nicest, most caring individuals that I know.  I honestly believe that her heart is so big and so bright, that she is just having a hard time seeing it herself.

The fourth chakra is the heart chakra and it is called Anahata.  It is associated with the element of air and the color green, or sometimes purple or pink.  It can bring compassion and balance to ones life, and is involved in service or giving, and receiving.

When this chakra is in balance, physically one might find a healthy heart and lungs, good circulation and blood pressure, good posture, and that the fine motor skills are working properly.  Emotionally one might be able to show affection well, have compassion for others, be able to take care of oneself and accept him or herself.

If the chakra is imbalanced, physically one might see breast cancer, heart disease, lung disease, and shallow breathing.  Emotionally, one might be grieving, feeling fear or self-loathing, jealousy, envy, indecisiveness, or have issues with attachment.

In order to bring the heart chakra back into balance one could chant the word "yam" or meditate.  There are a few options for meditation, including visualizing light in heart radiating out, or using mudras during the meditation such as the lotus mudra or Anjali mudra.  Most pranayama is good to explore, especially alternate nostril breathing.  One might focus on the mandala, which is to the right (link).

Physical activity that one could do would include selfless sevice (Seva), self-care, prayer, massage or making something.  The asanas that one might practice are poses that open the heart, such as fish, bridge, wheel, venus arms, airplane, dancer, tree and cobra.

Love and light my friends,

Chess

Third Chakra

So far, through the few classes I've had on the chakras I haven't really found anything I am connected too.  I keep waiting for the right thing to pop out, but so far nothing has.

This third chakra is is the navel chakra and is called Manipura.  It is located at the navel or solar plexus.  The color associated with this one is yellow and the element associated with it is Fire.  This chakra is where we find out willpower and self-mastery, our self esteem, the ego.

When this one is balanced, one might find a healthy digestion and liver function, a strong core, stable blood pressure and vitality.  One might also find good discipline and self-responsibility, and that you are able to manifest your desires and like yourself.  If this chakra is out of balance you might find ulcres or gall stones, heartburn, diabetes, eating and digestive disorders, or adrenal burnout.  One might also feel stress, victimized, anger, guilt , poor self-esteem, jealousy, or even over controlling.

To try to balance this chakra one can use the Breath of Fire for pranayama work, or chant the word Ram. The mandala to focus on is given to the right (link).  You could try exercising, heated yoga, spending time in the sun, socializing, or working on a problem at hand.  You could even meditate in the sun.

Different asanas that you can use include Warrior II, Floor Bow, Challenging Twists, Boat, and setting the navel point.

Love and light,

Chess

Second Chakra

The second chakra is the sacral chakra.  It is also called Svadisthana.  This chakra is located in the lower abdomen and genitals.  The element associated with this chakra is water and the color associated with it is orange.  This chakra brings pleasure, desire, creation and procreation to ones life.

When this chakra is in balance, one can experience a normal sex drive, a strong lower back, good circulation, and hormonal balance, creativity, sensuality, enthusiasm, devotion and charisma.  When it is out of balance, one might experience kidney and bladder conditions, reproductive disorders, an abnormal sex drive, obsession with oneself or money, or a creative block.

If this chakra is out of balance, there are many ways to work on getting it back in balance.  One can use a specific pranayama technique called Nadi Shodhana, which is alternate nostril breathing.  There is focusing on the mandala at the right (link). One might chant the word Vam and meditate.  One could try more physical activities such as swimming, giving or receiving a massage, taking a bath, or even doing something more creative.

Finally, the poses that one might do in yoga that would help balance this chakra include twists and pelvic rotations, cat/cows, frog, reclining bound angle, and omega pose.

Namaste my friends,

Chess

First Chakra

This last week we started learning about the chakras.  There are 7 major ones that run along the spine.  The first one is the root chakra or Muladhara.  It is located at the base of the spine, and usually has a red to brown color.


Muladhara is associated with the Earth element, survival, grounding, instincts, the sense of self, and belonging.

When this chakra is balanced one can experience bowel regularity, a strong lower back, endurance, acceptance, calmness, security, and stability.  When it is out of balance one can experience knee problems, weight issues, constipation, sciatica, rigidity, resentment, insecurity, panic, fear, feeling unsupported or ungrounded.

If one is feeling unbalance here, he or she can work on becoming more balanced through meditation, asana (yoga poses), pranayama (breath), chanting,  mandala focus (visual), and exercise.

Through meditation, one would focus on grounding and rooting.  With pranayama, one might focus on the breath and extend the length of exhalation.  The mandala to focus on would be the image provided above (link). Chanting would use the word Lam.  Different types of exercise or activity might include stomping, kicking, jumping, running, sleeping, and being with nature.

Finally, the yoga poses one might use include bridge, locust, head to knee, table, yogic squat, and corpse pose.  Anything that might provide rooting or grounding.  Balance poses might seem counter-intuitive, but they are great for this as well, as one has to root into the earth to remain stable.

Until later,

Chess

First week

I am in the middle of the first week of my yoga teacher training.  So far, we have worked on the sequence a little, getting through the integration.  I have practiced almost every night guiding someone through that.  I am more comfortable with it, and am beginning to get a feel for this.

We are required to take 10 classes at the studio during this course.  I managed to get one in today.  Now, only 9 more to go.

We learned some about the theory of Vinyasa sequencing. I have a better concept of what to put together to create a good flow.  That will take some time and experimentation, but we have a sequence to start out with, which I can always change up a little once I start teaching.

We also started looking at Chakras.  We started off that course of study doing a guided meditation, looking at each of our chakras.  I didn't see anything, but others in the class had more success.  I honestly think Tuesday nights are going to be the hardest (Chakra nights) because I will have already put in a full day at work.  So far we have learned about the first chakra, the root chakra.  Maybe I will do a post on that in a couple of days to see if I can process the information a little more.

For tomorrow, we have to memorize the Sun A section of the sequence so that we can lead it without a book.  That will be a little more difficult.  I feel like my memory is shot anymore.  I already did my little bit of homework we had, responding to a question that was posted in our forum after reading an article.

For Sunday, I need to answer some questions about the book How Yoga Works.  We will be having our first book club.  I completed the book, so I just need to go back through it some to refresh my memory.

Until next time,

Chess

Oh the excitement!

Tomorrow will be my first day of class in the yoga teacher training.  I'm extremely excited and a little nervous.  I can't wait to take this first step and learn so much more about yoga.  I finished the required reading already, and have started on my book for the book report.

I'm a little worried about the sequence we are supposed to have memorized already.  I have a little bit of the beginning memorized, but not all of it.  This is after reviewing it every day for a month.  I talk to one of the instructors about that and she said not to worry, that a lot of people really get it down when they start working through the sequence.  I know I learn best when I actually go through the motions, so maybe I should have been going through the asanas to begin with.  Regardless, I feel a bit better after talking to the instructor about it.

There will be a lot of memorization, on top of other things that I am working on, such as belly dance.  I know it will be a great challenge, and I hope I do well.  I really feel like this is the right time in my life and see things differently now, than in the past when I was contemplating this.  I'm feeling good about this decision.

Namaste my friends,

Chess