A New Look

As you may have noticed, my web site and blog are now one and the same! I've also changed my email address, but the old one will work until the end of March. I hope you enjoy the new look. Please let me know if there are any issues with getting to information or downloads. As most of us do, I fell into the habit of doing nothing instead of keeping my internet ducks in a row. I spent too much money on a domain name, email and web hosting service. It just seemed too painful to look around and take a chance on something new. Sound familiar? Well, as is the case with me, when I don't do what I need to do, life gives me a little (sometimes big) nudge: in this example, my web hosting service decided to drop that part of their service. Without it, I couldn't justify over-paying for email. And since I was changing things up, I looked around for a new domain name registrar. (By the way, if all of this sounds like a foreign language to you, you are not alone! Just know that there are a few steps involved with creating a web site.) So now I've "cleaned house", in my electronic world... rid myself of old emails, costly services and my website looks leaner.

As all of this was happening, I received another nudge. One night, I was driving my family around and my daughter noticed that my yoga bag was wet: my water bottle had leaked all over it, and some cough drops that I always keep in there (to avoid disturbing students in a relaxed pose with my occasional scratchy throat) melted all over the bag. This was not the first incident, but definitely was the worst. I just couldn't salvage it. I was sad, because that bag was very helpful for carrying all my extra things to class, like cough drops, hair bands, backup CDs for my iPod, writings, notes, etc. As I was pulling the paper mache mess apart, I realized how I really didn't need all this extra stuff. I now have an older, handmade bag that has 1 small pocket for my iPod. That's it. I feel more streamlined when I walk into class now.

Both of these separate events happened without my conscious initiation, but because I was aware, I was able to see them for what they are: an opportunity to streamline, lighten up, and focus on what really matters. I hope your opportunities come along, too, and that they don't involve web sites or cough drops!

Namaste,
Lorien

What we are practicing now...
I love the pose that yoga teacher Kira Ryder has named Compassion of Christ pose. It's a beautiful shoulder stretch and a twist. It opens the heart, lung and pericardium meridian lines, which can become congested this time of year. Here is a wonderful video of her performing this pose. Enjoy!

Schedule updates and events... see Schedule for complete schedule...

• Donation-Based Restorative Yoga at Soula Power Yoga in downtown San Jose on FRIDAY, March 5 7:00-8:30pm. Come to this relaxing class for gentle stretching and long, luxurious poses draped over props. All cash donations will be accepted ($15 suggested). For more info: www.soulapoweryoga.com
• Coming soon... Yoga enCHANTing, a yoga and chanting workshop... stay tuned for details.

Stress, Health & Yoga

It always surprises me when I meet someone who has not heard about the effects of stress on health... it shouldn't, but it still does. So, in case you or your loved ones haven't heard, here is the deal with stress: it's a necessary part of our existence. You need stress to grow and strengthen. When it becomes damaging to your health is when the stress is chronic. Here is a very simplified explanation.

Our bodies are amazing machines, and they are constantly taking in sensory input to determine how to operate. If it determines that there is some threat, your nervous system will initiate the "flight or fight" sequence of events. These events are automatic and will occur whether the threat is real (a car is about to hit you) or imagined (you have a nightmare). If our threats are simple and our responses are simple - get out or get ready to battle, then the responses use up the hormones, muscular contraction and other effects of the fight or flight reflex, so the end result is that our bodies return to normal mode. However, when the process is not completed - for example, you get yelled at by your boss, but it's not appropriate to fight or flee the situation, then the body does not return to normal and all those tensions and hormones are still around. If this happens chronically, then the body cannot fully restore itself to its normal healing modes. This is how chronic stress can open you up to disease.

There are many ways to reduce the effects of chronic stress. Yoga is a well-advertised form of stress-reduction, but not the only one out there. There are also many forms of yoga. Which one brings about your return to relaxation depends on your nervous system. When I first began yoga, I studied the Iyengar method, a very detailed system that taught me about the pulleys, levers, gears, pumps and valves of my body. I then moved into Vinyasa yoga, which taught me to move and breath and sweat the effects out of my system. As my levels of chronic stress reduced, I moved into more static forms of yoga: Yin and Restorative. These forms allow me to access the effects of my stress in very subtle ways and has brought me into my best form of relaxation: meditation.

Please share this information with anyone who doesn't understand the connection of stress and health. Be well.

What we are practicing now...

Parvritta trikonasana (revolved triangle pose) is one of those poses we all detest. But, like leafy greens, it is good for your health and worth making friends with. Click here for instructions on how to get into the pose. Remember to use a block under your hand if you cannot reach the floor while keeping your back flat.

Schedule updates and events... see www.yogabylorien.com for complete schedule:

• Mondays Restorative Yoga at Soula Power Yoga in downtown San Jose will continue! This relaxing class meets each Monday night 7:00-8:30pm for gentle stretching and long, luxurious poses draped over props. For more info: www.soulapoweryoga.com
• Sunday, February 7th, 1:00-2:00pm: introduction to yoga for the Willow Glen community. This FREE class is open to anyone new to yoga and will be held at Willow Glen Yoga. Send your friends along who are interested but reluctant to join the yoga craze!
• Sunday, February 7th 2:45-3:15pm: introduction to restorative yoga for the downtown San Jose community. This FREE class is open to everyone and is part of Soula Power Yoga's open house to introduce their healing modalities to the community: acupuncture, Ayurveda, massage and Restorative Yoga. Come on down and check it out!
• Coming soon... Yoga enCHANTing, a yoga and chanting workshop... stay tuned for details.

Time, Bread Dough and Yoga

It is the beginning of a new decade, and I have been pondering Time. I've let go of the concept that time is linear; it must have been all the time-traveling books or movies I've experienced, or perhaps it's that I have lived long enough to recognize the connections and wonder about the near misses. I now see time as malleable, like bread dough. Every now and then, it gets folded in on itself and I'll witness the fruition of some long-lost decision, or fit some disparate concepts together, or happen to be in the correct location to "bump" into an old friend. My yoga practice isn't linear, either. This past year, I became a beginner again. I began to study again with my first yoga teacher, Denise Wendler, and experienced the newness of muscles, bones and philosophy through my current teacher, Tias Little. It made me curious again, just like I was over 10 years ago! It's made me want to go back and relearn everything again, but this time with less ego... and maybe that's the purpose of these folds in Time. What folds have you experienced, and what are they telling you?

What we are practicing now...

Virabhadrasana II (warrior II pose) is a wonderful pose to bring you fully into the present moment. I direct you to Yoga Journal to describe how to practice this pose, but consider this when you have arrived: your back arm is reaching into the past and your front arm is reaching into the future, but you and your breath are resting patiently in the present.

Schedule updates and events... see www.yogabylorien.com for complete schedule:

• New class on Mondays! Restorative Yoga 7:00-8:30pm at Soula Power Yoga in downtown San Jose; relax and rejuvenate as you rest your body on props and release the effects of stress. Join us on Mondays in January (if the class is well attended, it may be added to the regular schedule).
• Intro to Yoga 6-week series: An in-depth look at yoga breathing, postures and sequences. The next series begins January 14th and meets for 6 weeks on Thursdays at 7:45pm at Willow Glen Yoga. You must register for the entire series and attendance the first night is mandatory. Class fills up quickly!
• Beginners 1-Day Workshop on January 30th: For those who are interested in a refresher or cannot commit to a 6 week series, this workshop will cover the basics in a condensed setting. Saturday, January 30th 1:00-4:00pm at Willow Glen Yoga. Class fills up quickly!

The Music of Yoga & Meditation

I am often asked about the music I play in class. The soundtrack to the yoga experience is quite important to me, so I am very careful in my selections. I find that music can really help to calm an active mind or uplift a sluggish body, deepening the yoga or meditation experience. In general, I prefer music that does not have vocals, especially in a meditative practice. Sometimes, if the practice is more introspective, I will practice simply to the music of my breath, or the sound of ocean waves. The practices that are intended to uplift and move energy will have heavier beats and some singing - sometimes it will even be popular music (gasp!). Here are some favorite CDs that I recommend... just in time to put them on your holiday wish lists:

• Shamanic Dream by Anugama: good "chill" instrumental for slow flow, yin/restorative or meditation
• Anjali by Benjy Wertheimer & Michael Mandrell: good instrumental for slow flow, yin/restorative or meditation
• House Made of Dawn by Coyote Oldman: beautiful wind instrumental good for yin/restorative or meditation
• Shaman's Vision by David Gordon, Steve Gordon: mellow chanting and rhythmic beats good for slow flow, yin
• Dakshina, The Essence, Moola Mantra all by Deva Premal: incredibly beautiful vocals good for uplifting flow, yin/restorative (this is the artist I am most asked about)
• Drala by Drala: good instrumental for uplifting flow, yin/restorative
• Bali Dua by Jalan Jalan: Eastern "chill" with a few dreamy vocals good for yin/restorative or meditation
• Yoga Rhythm by Soulfood: mild vocals and rhythmic beats good for uplifting flow
• Deja-Blues by Steven Halpern: hypnotic beats good for slow flow, yin/restorative

Meditation tool

So Hum is a mantra, a tool to help with meditation. It is an easy way to settle your mind to one thing, listening for the sounds that already exist in the breath. Begin by taking a meditation seat (see last month's blog) and start to breathe slowly and easily. On the inhale, gently hear the breath creating the sound "sooooo"; on the exhale, gently hear the breath creating the sound "hummmm". This tool anchors an active mind, giving it discipline and direction as a you would when training a puppy to heel. Detach your internal critic and have patience with your puppy mind. For more information about this mantra and others, please click here.

Schedule updates and events...

Saturday, December 5th 1:00-3:30pm Soothe Your Soul, a Therapeutic Workshop for ALL! Part restorative yoga, part gentle yoga, part meditation, this workshop is all about dissolving stress. Open to all levels and abilities and no previous yoga experience necessary. $40 pre-reg, $50 day of; register at Willow Glen Yoga. Consider this workshop a gift to yourself or a loved one. Register now, only a few spots left.

Why Meditation?

I have been practicing and teaching yoga for over 10 years, but my meditation practice is still in its infancy. Nevertheless, I curl my legs under me, lengthen my spine and close my eyes each week to explore the meditation process. (I hesitate to use the verb, because "to meditate" doesn't seem like an action to me - I set the stage for meditation to occur and then sit back and watch... sometimes it occurs, sometimes not.) Why is meditation so important? It's an elusive practice, so why strive after something so challenging? Some people practice to achieve enlightenment, some to connect with their higher power. These are very noble reasons to practice, but they are not mine... at least, not at this stage in my meditation practice. My intentions are much more self-involved.

For me, meditation is therapy. It's work, it's confrontational, and it introduces you to yourself on whole new levels. The mind is reflective, and we are often so clouded by our surroundings that we do not "see" what is real, only the distorted reflection. Through meditation, we can recognize those illusions as well as the truth. Meditation improves focus, memory and creativity. A regular practice lowers stress levels, blood pressure, cholesterol and decreases substance abuse. It also improves relations, productivity, and self-concept. The challenge is that you need to keep at it, and you need to want to improve. If you are interested, one of my favorite teachers, Erich Schiffmann, gives meditation a whole section on his website: movingintostillness.com. Try it... and then try it again.

Meditation Seats

There are many different meditation positions, but the most important thing to remember is to be comfortable and alert. If you are too uncomfortable, you'll be distracted by it; if you are too relaxed, you'll fall asleep. Here are some different seated positions for meditation:

Chair: sit forward on the seat of a chair so that your back does not rest against anything, knees over your ankles, feet flat to the floor.

Seiza: come to all fours, place a block or cushion between your heels, then sit back on it. elevate your hips as high as you need to be comfortable.

Sidhasana: a cross-legged position where the heels are aligned in front of the groins; click here for a picture and instructions; elevating the hips on a folded blanket or cushion can help tight hips.

Half Lotus/Lotus: the classical meditation position, this pose requires some openness of the hips and a deep bend in the knees; click here for a picture and instructions (half lotus instructions are under Modifications); again, elevating the hips on a folded blanket or cushion can help tight hips.

Once you have your preferred seat, rest your weight into your seat, making your feet, shins, thighs, hips and buttocks heavy. Place your hands in your lap, lengthen your torso and melt your shoulders down your back. Lengthen the back of your neck so that your face tips down subtly and close your eyes. Let your chosen meditation process guide you from here, but come back to these steps anytime you find yourself slumping or drifting off.

Schedule updates and events... (see Lorien's schedule for all ongoing classes)

• Saturday, December 5th 1:00-3:30pm Soothe Your Soul, a Therapeutic Workshop for ALL! Part restorative yoga, part gentle yoga, part meditation, this workshop is all about dissolving stress. Open to all levels and abilities and no previous yoga experience necessary. $40 pre-reg, $50 day of; register at Willow Glen Yoga. Consider this workshop a gift to yourself or a loved one.
• Private therapeutic yoga sessions: this is a one-on-one 60-75-minute session with Lorien that includes some restorative yoga, guided imagery and breath work that is tailored to your needs. The first session is FREE, and subsequent sessions are $60-$80, depending on location and frequency. Please see Lorien's private yoga schedule to sign up for an introductory slot today!

Yoga Poison, Yoga Nectar... You Decide

I recently had a conversation with another teacher as we were leaving a class we were both students in, and it made me think. I mentioned to him that I had trained and was teaching Therapeutic yoga, and he commented that all yoga is therapeutic. I agreed with him... to a point. There is a saying that one man's nectar can be another's poison. Those of you who have been in my classes know that not all poses are appropriate for all students, and the same is true for classes, teachers and entire schools of yoga. It is challenging to know which one is right for you, which is why I always recommend people try a class on and see if it "fits".

It's important to remember that subtle changes are happening during our practice. Sometimes, we need to be still and quiet in order to sense these subtleties, and sometimes we just need rest. For example, I can perform some of the more challenging postures that make me look like a member of Cirque du Soliel, but my personal practice leans more towards the yin or restorative to balance the rest of my life. The balance is how we make yoga a therapeutic

application, along with slowing down and listening.

So is all yoga therapeutic? Yes, no, and it depends is my answer... today's poison may be tomorrow's nectar.

What we are practicing now...

Resting Half Moon pose is a restorative pose that brings about some subtle changes to the spine's supporting muscles. It stretches the intercostal muscles (the muscles between the ribs) and the serratus posterior inferior and frees the diaphragm, benefiting respiration; lengthens the quadratus lumborum, freeing adhesions in this often tight muscle; creates a squeeze and soak for many internal organs, such as the stomach, liver, and kidneys. You will need one bolster and one or more blankets. To come into the pose:

• Place your bolster with one or more blankets stacked on top to your right. Position the support perpendicular to the spine. Sitting on your right hip, use the left hand to ensure the right rib cage lengthens as you extend the torso up and over the support (if it feels too intense on the shoulder, check that your waist is on the bolster, not armpit). As you come deeper into the pose, slide the right hand out and along the floor straight above the head. Your head may rest on your right arm or a folded blanket.
• Slide the left leg forward and the right leg back behind you to create a scissor shape. Or, just extend both legs straight, one resting on top of the other. Stretch your left arm over your head and bring the palms together, or clasp the left wrist with the right hand to deepen the stretch through the left side. Be here for 2-5 minutes.
• To come out of the pose, place the left hand on top of the bolster. Bring the legs together with the knees bent. Using the strength of your arms slowly press up to a seated position. Change sides.

Schedule updates and events...

• Saturday, October 17th, 1:00-3:15pm: Seva Workshop with Lorien & Debora Cohen at Willow Glen Yoga in San Jose. Join us for a vinyasa and yin yoga class, followed by guided meditation. All donations go towards Tina Tran's Seva challenge for humanitarian efforts in Uganda; please click here for more information. If you are not available for the workshop, but wish to donate towards her efforts, please go to Groundspring and select "Seva Challenge" and "Tina Tran". Thank you!
• Saturday, October 4th, 3:00-4:30pm: Qi Gong with Larry Wong in Campbell. This is where I learn all those fun energy moving techniques. Come learn from my teacher. See the GGBC website for more information. Hope to see you there!