Dec. Yoga Mamas...Shanti, Shanti, Shanti

[eastkygal]

It's been a few months since we had a thread. I thought that with the holidays it's a good time to have one for fellowship amongst us. This is the season to find peace. It's the time when the darkness of winter causes us to go inward. I hope for all of us that our practices reflect that.

I'm still practicing Kundalini Yoga and I love it. Still without a teacher. I'm now guiding myself through my practice instead of using a DVD. I finished 40 days of doing the Maya Fiennes DVD and loved it. Guiding yourself poses some challenges especially when you aren't sure of what you are doing. But, we all have a teacher in our soul - right?

I'm excited that a new Hatha yoga program has started in the neighboring county! There is only one intermediate class, and I can't make that night, but I'm going to the beginners classes one night a week or so to supplement my KY practice. They don't have a studio, but they are making the best effort to start something special.

Also, I've found the music of Snatnam Kaur... Wow!

[mama crane]

Hi....I feel a little silly posting on this thread as I don't really consider myself a "yoga mama", but I have been consistently practicing using a DVD at least twice a week for a few months now. I have taken classes, when possible, here and there for the last 10 years or so.
Right now, I am really grooving with the Vinyasa flow/ power yoga (?) style. I use 3 different DVDs depending on what I feel like. My DH tries to practice with me as well and he really the prefers the less 'dancey' DVDs...
I run about 36 miles/week in the morning before the kids wake up and practice yoga at night after they go to bed. I would love to be able to take a class more often, but living here an hour outside of Fairbanks, the times do not mesh with my schedule....
I do enjoy how my body feels while practicing but what I really crave are those (few ) moments when my mind is really there. You know?

[funkymamajoy]

subbing, I'll be back

[lil_earthmomma]

Hi!

Yoga has changed my life. I started a Hatha class on mondays about 6 weeks ago, and I also do an ashatanga class on thursdays now. I yoga.

[MamaE]

Originally Posted by eastkygal

Also, I've found the music of Snatnam Kaur... Wow!

Yes, yes, yes, isn't her voice the most beautiful sound on earth? (Or one of?)

I was introduced to her music in a kundalini-inspired yoga class. Kundalini is the holy grail of yoga to me - I also want to find a teacher and take a real Kundalini class in the New Year. Good to know about the DVD, eastkygal.

I didn't know there was a thread for yoga mamas - glad to find you guys. I'll check in later when I have more time.

Namaste!

[eastkygal]

Originally Posted by MamaE

I was introduced to her music in a kundalini-inspired yoga class. Kundalini is the holy grail of yoga to me - I also want to find a teacher and take a real Kundalini class in the New Year. Good to know about the DVD, eastkygal.
Namaste!

There are lots of Kundalini yoga DVDs available, even weekly podcasts/webcasts. I am completely absorbed in Kundalini yoga right now. I love it really! I have been listening to Snatnam Kaur on YouTube. I have to buy a CD. I bought my girls' her kids yoga DVD for Christmas.

[eastkygal]

Originally Posted by lil_earthmomma

Hi!

Yoga has changed my life. I started a Hatha class on mondays about 6 weeks ago, and I also do an ashatanga class on thursdays now. I yoga.

Don't be shy. Join right in. Yoga has changed my life to both physically and spiritually. I it.

Originally Posted by mama crane

Hi....I feel a little silly posting on this thread as I don't really consider myself a "yoga mama", but I have been consistently practicing using a DVD at least twice a week for a few months now. I have taken classes, when possible, here and there for the last 10 years or so.
Right now, I am really grooving with the Vinyasa flow/ power yoga (?) style. I use 3 different DVDs depending on what I feel like. My DH tries to practice with me as well and he really the prefers the less 'dancey' DVDs...
I run about 36 miles/week in the morning before the kids wake up and practice yoga at night after they go to bed. I would love to be able to take a class more often, but living here an hour outside of Fairbanks, the times do not mesh with my schedule....
I do enjoy how my body feels while practicing but what I really crave are those (few ) moments when my mind is really there. You know?

Those moments with the mind is what I strive for too. I have difficulty centering myself. You might like Kundalini yoga, since you run and such. I like Vinyasa as well. Baron Baptiste is one of my favorite teachers for DVDs.

[GreenGranolaMama]

Originally Posted by eastkygal

Also, I've found the music of Snatnam Kaur... Wow!

Love Snatnam! We listened to 'Grace' in my prenatal Kundalini class, so I have very warm feelings associated with it. DS was in the NICU for 5 days because of severe jaundice after he was born and I could only hold him to breastfeed him. The only thing that could get him to stop crying was playing this album for him! I think he remembered the chill yoga vibes

[lil_earthmomma]

Originally Posted by eastkygal

Don't be shy. Join right in. Yoga has changed my life to both physically and spiritually. I it.

Thanks!

It's definitely taking me on a spiritual and physical journey. Today I started my morning with some sun salutation sequences, and it totally invigorated me, centering me and preparing me for my day. Wow!

[SugarAndSun]

I have been doing yoga on and off for about three years now. I love it! I started doing various vinyasa type classes, but switched to Ashtanga. I didn't go for a while when we were a little short on cash, but I just spent the last month+ going to Richard Freeman's Yoga Workshop in Boulder. I hit mysore just about every day. DH did as well. I think we will continue a self practice now even though we aren't in that area.

[bronxmom]

I just started a vinyasa class once a week at Yoga to the People, which is a studio with HUGE classes (like 50 plus pple to a class) but in a beautiful place and it's purely donation based (with no pressure) so I can actually afford it. I'd love to go more often but it's so far away that it's hard to fit in.

Any recommendations for a good yoga podcast I could use as a beginner that really talks you through the poses and series the way a teacher does in class? I don't like videos for yoga (hard to focus) but I was thinking a podcast could be really cool.

[eastkygal]

Originally Posted by bronxmom

Any recommendations for a good yoga podcast I could use as a beginner that really talks you through the poses and series the way a teacher does in class? I don't like videos for yoga (hard to focus) but I was thinking a podcast could be really cool.

There are a few different places that you can get a web/pod cast of yoga.

www.yogajournal.com (Jason Crandall) He is excellent at explaining and not disruptive at all.

www.yogatoday.com Several different styles are represented here.

Kundalini Yoga (which I believe is the easiest to do on your own)

http://www.kundaliniyoga.org/classes.html

www.gurukaur.com

[dewlady]

bronxmom,
yoga to the people actually have quite a few podcast classes on itunes...I started out with those and have moved on to preferring several other itunes instructors more. I have done yoga on and off for 13+years and now I have been practicing consistently for an hour to and hour and forty minutes at least 6 out of 7 days a week if not everyday. I was jogging a lot before hand but my ankle was giving me problems so I just switched over. I feel like a different person. It is so good for me and I can't imagine what I did before...
It's like my daily gift, the time I look forward to.
most of the podcasts I do are baptiste instructors. seems similar to ashtanga and other yoga styles I have done too... I just really love the baron baptiste yoga. it is really powerful, challenging in the upperarms, and hips for me but always that calm stretchy backbendy stuff afterwards and really I wish I had time to do two hours every day, but my kids already make fun of me for my hour and a half!
anyway...joining. Ive never felt or looked better that I do now..not running or anything else has sculpted my body like yoga does, bonus!

[greenmom4]

I've been going to a yoga class twice a week at the Y for the past 2ish months now. I have been doing Anusara yoga off and on until we moved and I'm really enjoying my classes now. I'd like to look for something more, y'know what I mean? There aren't any stand alone yoga studios in my area, but I think there is a guy who teaches kundalini practice at the college up here. What dvd's would you recommend for and intermediate-type person?

[eastkygal]

greenmom4 - I'd recommend anything by Baron Baptiste or Shiva Rea for Hatha styles. Kundalini it doesn't matter... for the most part it would all be the same levels. Look for DVDs by Gurmukh, Maya Fiennes, April Bernardi (Nirankar Kaur).

I'm so excited!!! I think I'm going to get my childbirth educator certification and then go get trained in teaching prenatal/postnatal yoga at the end of April! I can hardly stand myself.

Otherwise...

[TinyFrog]

Hi. I am not a mama, but I am a yogini. I took a teacher training last year and just recently started teaching a private prenatal class. I feel so blessed to be a part of this mama and baby's life.

I have mostly been practising on my own, but I definitely love when I can get into a class, especially from the teacher I took my training from. Unfortunately my schedule makes it hard to get to her classes. I really need to make the time as it has been a few months. It brings me such peace to see her and take her classes.

[pixiepunk]

Originally Posted by GreenGranolaMama

Love Snatnam! We listened to 'Grace' in my prenatal Kundalini class, so I have very warm feelings associated with it. DS was in the NICU for 5 days because of severe jaundice after he was born and I could only hold him to breastfeed him. The only thing that could get him to stop crying was playing this album for him! I think he remembered the chill yoga vibes

that is such a cool story!! it is amazing what they are aware of in utero and what they bring with them to the outside world. wow.

Eastkygal - how cool about the CBE/prenatal trainings! I have a prenatal/L&D/post-natal cert and when i lived in the city that was my main area of teaching focus. but now i live where there isn't enough interest so i mainly teach a pretty basic hatha style (most of my students are at least 50 yo, many are well over 60)

speaking of schooling/training, i'm going back to school to be a physical therapy assistant. i'm very excited about how this will fit with the therapeutic yoga i've been teaching for the last year, i think there will be many opportunities to use my yoga while i help people heal. in fact, i'm probably insane, but i'm taking on more therapeutic clients in the new year in addition to school. i just love doing it so much! there's a chance i might be able to work as a PTA in the same wellness center where i teach, once i'm done with school. i see the two blending very well. and i hope that my yoga practice will help me to handle the stress of school, too. since i am teaching already 2 mornings a weeks (and two evenings) i'm going to try to get to the center at least one or two other morning per week to use the space for my own practice. it's so much easier for me to practice when i'm away from home with no kids or other distractions! and i know it will help to keep me motivated and focused.

it's been 13 years since i graduated from university, and while i've done lots of yoga training since then, it's quite a different experience than a traditional classroom. but much of the work is hands-on, and i'm really looking forward to that. DH is looking forward to me learning, and needing to practice, the massage techniques this coming semester is mostly anatomy and physiology, and as a yoga teacher it's always great to learn more about that, i'm somewhat of an anatomy nerd already so i'm really excited about it.

on a side note, i've been working privately with a woman who has advanced multiple sclerosis. it has been such a challenge, but such an amazing experience. it feels wonderful to be able to help her maintain some flexibility and mobility in her body, as she's largely wheel-chair bound and her muscles are very spastic, tight and weak. i'm planning on doing some yoga nidra with her in the new year, i know she'll love that

[MamaMelis]

Hello Yoga Mamas!

I'm thrilled to wake up to see this thread here. I am a long time Yoga Mama (I did work study at my first yoga studio 13 years ago now........that is a scary number to me!!!) I go through times of more and less, and currently am thanking yoga for keeping me happy, well and sane throughout this pregnancy and the holidays! I practice Ashtanga and hatha yoga, though I am open to anything and frequent other classes as well. Right now I am taking my regular yoga classes and simply modifying my poses to accomidate my ever growing belly. I have added in a prenatal yoga class on monday night, and a meditation class on Sunday mornings this pregnancy and have found them to be wonderful additions to my practice and to my life. I find that they are the two hours of my week where I feel closest to my baby in utero ~ which are priceless as my almost 3 and almost 2 year old keep me busy.

I'm considering starting a whole round of certifications in the next year ~ I used to be a labor doula and a LMP and I am thinking about becoming a doula again, then perhaps entering into the world of either lactation or childbirth education. I also really really have a passion to get certified to teach yoga. It's a lot, and I don't know exactly how or when it is going to start or in what order, but lately I feel that that is the direction that my heart is leading me in.

I do yoga with my kids all the time, they LOVE it and it has become our pre bath ritual every night

Look forward to "meeting" all of you and hope that I can learn from you!

(We have a beautiful windy raging snowstorm going on at the moment, and all that I can think about is how lucky I feel to live so close to the gym so that I can still get to my 90 min yoga class this morning! Namaste!

[daisymama12]

subbing!

I have been taking a yoga class that I really like. It is sivananda yoga - is that common? I don't see it mentioned often. I went on a 2 night yoga retreat at a yoga center, and really loved that.

I am very comfortable with the postures, and I'm getting more comfortable with the breathing - we do quite a bit of it at the beginning of the class. However, I find that even after a year and a half, I'm not very good at getting my mind to be still and quiet.

I my yoga teacher, and it is a 10 minute walk from my home.

[eastkygal]

I too struggle with quieting the mind. My mind is constantly racing. In Kundalini Yoga and I believe this is true for all yoga it is a battle of the ego. Fear comes from the ego. For me it is the constant planning ahead and trying to fix things. The constant striving to make things better - even some things that really don't need fixing. I find it helps me to focus on the breath, or to have a mantra that I say over and over in my mind until I can quiet it. Mine now ebbs and flows. I can quiet for a few minutes then it is off thinking again, and I just refocus and try again. It's a process. The in breath is "sat" the out breath "nam". The in breath relaxes you and the out breath grounds you. I believe our lifestyles today lend themselves to more mind racing. Yogi Bhajan has a comment about it on YouTube in the video Discovering Your Soul. How we have so much information available to us, but do we or are we able to process it all?

I've also decided to get certified as a childbirth educator and am getting certified for Hatha prenatal yoga in April!!! I'm so excited. Yoga is a beautiful thing.