Confessions of a Yoga Instructor: Stress, Breathing, and Chanting? *repeat questions

Confessions of a Yoga Instructor: Stress, Breathing, and Chanting?

By Erica Harris

Q: How can I relieve stress? I have so many things to do and not enough time to do them!

I think we have all had a cluttered mind at one time or another.  I think its important to live a clutter free life and mind.  Is your house cluttered?  Simplify.  For me this means once a year I donate used items and de-clutter the house.  This can also make shopping a mindful experience.  I can think to myself, “Do I really need this or do I just want it.” Can I see myself using it in the future? or will it just make the ‘junk pile’ in a year.  This means all areas of ones life: the car, the house, the purse or wallet, and the workplace.

Keep a to-do list and choose your 6 most important things to complete each day.  If you finish all six then you can always advance to more.  If you have such a list put it away at least 30 minutes before bed.  Allow the items to just 'be' and realize you can always start them again tomorrow. To start winding down for bed, try dimming the lights and lowering noise volumes about an hour before bedtime.  Try reading before bedtime or some pranayama breathing.  For example, try equal breathing while lying down on your back with your eyes closed.  If it feels natural, allow your right hand to rest on your heart, and your left hand on your abdomen.  As you inhale count to 5 and exhale count to five; concentrating on making each breath easy, smooth, and equal.  You may find that this may be difficult at first, just keep practicing and remind yourself that with each breath you are releasing negative and gaining peacefulness.  

Q: What does “Om” mean?

A:  I remember the first time I was in a yoga class and the class chanted ‘om’.  The sound took me by surprise as it echoed in the tiny studio.  The sound that it produced wasn't too unfamiliar.  As a kid I saw a cartoon character, like Donald or Daffy Duck, sit in a lotus position and sing out "oooooommm" as he looked like he was about to go into a deep trance (or hover off the ground).  But other than this, I had no idea what it meant or what it was for.

It wasn't until I really started getting serious about my practice that the meaning of om came up again.  "Om" most accurately means "to sound loudly".  It can be found in many different cultures and languages: in Chinese as 唵 and of course, in the ancient Sanskrit writings known as praṇava प्रणव.  The act of chanting om can be of spiritual nature, such as before reading sacred texts, used in personal mantras, or even a symbol of one's spirituality (or God).

As you can see, there is no clear answer of what om means--since it can mean many different things to different people. Sometimes I have students that ask me if yoga is a religion or "Do you have to be Hindu" to properly practice yoga.  I heard another instructor answer this question perfectly, "Yoga can be a spiritual practice, but its not a religion, because it does not dictate the nature of a God to be worshipped". 

You'll find that some instructors will chant om at the end of a yoga practice.  This is a nice way to bring an end to class and to focus on the harmonic vibrations that this powerful sound creates.  So, on the next inhalation, chant om once, if you choose, or just sit and listen to the beautiful sound it makes, noticing how you feel.

My Holiday Picks:

Massage Therapy- What can a massage do for you: reduces anxiety and stress, reduces pain, increases the immune system, improves blood circulation, and is the perfect compliment to your yoga practice. Invigorations is a great full-service massage, skin, and holistic spa right here in Cortland.  Services are well-priced, staff is kind, and the atmosphere is zen.

www.invigorationswellness.com

Cortland Health Foods- Feeling a little under the weather this holiday season?  Try Slippery Elm throat lozenges to relieve a sore throat or grab a multivitamin.  This health food store has some hard to find items like gluten-free products and freshly dried fruits.  I like keeping a bag of raw walnuts and pineapple for a day time snack.

Cortland Health Foods is located next to Blue Frog Coffee on 64 Main St.

Erica Harris has been practicing yoga for 5 years.  If you have a question for me I can be reached at mrs.ericaharris@gmail.com.  For past “Confessions of a Yoga Instructor” check out my blog:  http://EricaHarrisYoga.blogspot.com

Week 5

I am slowly venturing away from pizza this week.  I started off the week with a wonderful trip to Uno's Pizzeria.  I was delighted to discover they have healthy options.  I devoured the whole grain flat bread veggie pizza: spinach, mushrooms, broccoli, tomatoes and low-fat mozzarella.

So far I have only craved healthy food.  Most people crave candy and high-fat foods.  I've never really been like most people.  Even when I was a child adults would offer me cookies which I would politely decline.  Don't get me wrong, I do enjoy cookies, ice cream and chocolate cake--just rarely.  I also find that with a regular yoga practice, anything BUT healthy food makes me feel either sick (from other-eating) or lethargic.  So the theme for this week and to keep it simple by increasing fruits and vegetables.  I don't think most people eat their daily 5 and 5.  I also don't think pregnant women can have enough!  I find myself craving spinach and mushroom especially.

This week I dug through the refrigerator looking for something creative.  I came up with Soy 'Chicken' Lettuce wraps.  Grilled soy 'chicken', yellow rice, fresh organic tomatoes, topping with ginger dressing and wrapped in crisp organic lettuce.  Vegetables, check.  And for dessert? Amy's Organic Apple pie...yum!

week 4

8am

Lots of changes happening but I feel fine, almost as if nothing is different.  Woke up this morning and had a whole wheat (In the last couple of months I have switched to whole wheats/whole grains) bagel and cream cheese.  I smelled peanut butter this morning and I was half tempted to call my neighbor and ask her if she was making a peanut butter sand which.  I thought about it and then convinced myself that I in fact needed a peanut butter sand which.  I had a slab of organic peanut butter on Eziekel bread with raisins.  if you've never had Eziekel bread its awesome!  It contains live grains which significantly increases valuable nutrients.  Plus, its biblical: Ezekiel 4:9., "Take also unto thee Wheat, and Barley, and beans, and lentils, and millet, and Spelt, and put them in one vessel, and make bread of it..."

12pm

Had some chicken and cheese tortellini soup with veggies.  Had to get out of the house because all I could smell was stinky feet, don't ask....

Went for a walk with the dogs..then off to yoga.  Had a great class!

5pm

Had a egg white veggie flatbread at Dunkin Donuts. Some snacking in between including a peanut butter energy bar,Stoneyfield super fruits organic yogurt (pomegranate and acai) and pumpkin loaf at a Mary Kay meeting.

11pm

Finding myself with the largest desire for pizza.  Luckily I had one in the freezer: Kashi thin crust pizza, mushroom trio & spinach.

Bun in the Oven

so, for once I'm not talking about food....but I'm going to have a baby!  I thought I'd transition my blogging to being pregnant and my yoga practice.  

My husband and I started trying about 2 months ago.  I wasn't expecting to get pregnant so quickly since most women take anywhere from 6 months to a year on average.  Perhaps I can credit the foods I eat and fertility-friendly yoga.  

A few days ago I took a home pregnancy test.  I stared blankly at the test's results in disbelief.  So many emotions were racing through me: excitement, joyfulness, terrified.  I've already read a lot of parenting books, pregnancy, and delivery methods.  When asking those that I know that have recently giving birth they all say "go for the drugs!"  I barely take Tylenol.  Do I change everything about my lifestyle on the day of my delivery to escape pain?  Don't get me wrong, I don't deal with pain very well...I loathe shots, I get dizzy when my blood is drawn, and even a paper cut hurts for days.

Finding out I was pregnant was interesting.  For the last week or so I have felt out of breath, dizzy, bloated, and I suddenly started breaking out like a teenager.  When I was teaching my classes I could barely catch my breath and I wasn't even completing a full vinyasa!  My sense of smell also became border-line werewolf-like.  I could smell popcorn from a building away, someone making chicken noodle soup, and old vomit (when I walked into a convention center at a hotel).  On the plus side of smelling everything..I'm smelling EVERYTHING!  This is great because it makes life seem fuller and food taste fantastic.  In fact, that is probably one of the main reasons I keep eating.  The final clue was that I experience my own implantation, which is when fertilization takes place.  Before a morning yoga class I noticed some spotting.  I came home to take the test and voila!

Currently, I would like my future child to know that we are really excited even though your life is just beginning.

My workout program is continuing as usual: 3 times per week for 1 hour of yoga.  Then, at least 30 minutes every day of some sort of excerise such as raking the leaves, vacuuming, walking up 5-stairs that make me winded now, etc.  I'm listening to my body, slowing down when I need to, drinking more water, and increasing calories.  I can still do all yoga poses in the first trimester so I will take advantage by getting as many headstand as I can before my 2nd trimester approaches.  This is my all-time favorite pose!  By 12 weeks I plan on finding a local prenatal yoga class.