Quote: Meditation

"When we speak of meditation, it is important for you to know that this is not some weird cryptic activity, as our popular culture might have it.  It does not involve becoming some kind of zombie, vegetable, self-absorbed narcissist, navel gazer, 'space cadet,' cultist, mystic, or Eastern philosopher.  Meditation is simply about being yourself and knowing something about who that is.  It is about coming to realize that you are on a path whether you like it or not, namely, the path of your life.  Meditation may help us to see that this path we call our life has direction; that it is always unfolding, moment by moment; and that what happens now, in this moment, influences what happens next."

-Jon Kabat-Zinn, Wherever You Go There You Are

6 Tips for a Fall Detox

Toasting fall with a carrot, beet, cucumber, & apple juice in Boston.    

This may come as a surprise, but I'm not so keen on cleanses.  If I'm feeling toxic or low energy or- let's call it like it is- like I've gone hog wild with red wine and chocolate lately, then I curb my overindulgent ways by erring in the direction of raw fruits and vegetables and plenty of water.  I go for a run.  I meditate.  I spend some time in the steam room of my gym.  I don't endure days of a liquid-only diet.  I don't condone grown ups eating baby food for any reason.  And when students or friends tell me they're on the Master Cleanse, it makes me completely anxious.

'Please don't faint in my yoga class,' I think.

'Please don't end up with an eating disorder.'

I see the merit of giving one's system a rest and healthful restart, especially during certain times of the year and with proper supervision, if your organs need it.  However, more often than not, I watch cleanses used as starvation diets, with the virtuous disguise of a yogi ritual.

On the other hand, I am a junkie when it comes to lifestyle cleansing.  I would detox my home, thoughts, and habits all darn day if I could.  Give me a stack of junk mail, and I'll happily go to town.  Show me a bulging, bloated closet, and I'll delight in extracting the Mrs. Roper dresses and trucker hats until what remains is a functional wardrobe of wearable clothing.  Plop me down on a meditation cushion to consider my toxic thought patterns, and I am IN.

Cleansing of this kind is essential.  De-cluttering like this energizes us.  Evaluating the pollutants in our lives (both physical and psychological) helps us reconnect to our power source.  No forgoing of solid foods necessary . . .

To help you feel re-energized and inspired for the new season, here are my 6 Tips for a Fall Detox: 

• Closet Cleanse: Each season, it's important to review your wardrobe and shed items that no longer fit, you don't wear, or could be put to better use at a local homeless shelter.  If your duds seem too posh for the castaway pile, try consignment, perhaps using the earned money for a fun, fall purchase. 

The fruits of a previous closet cleanse, heading off to Goodwill.  

• Technology Diet: Pratyhara is the fifth limb of Patanjali's 8-limed yogic path, and I've been thinking about this guiding principle a lot lately, especially as it relates to technology.  Pratyhara teaches us a "withdrawal of the senses," as a way to hone our abilities of delving inward and examining our inner lives.  Before you kick off your newest chapter of 2010, try unplugging for a day or weekend.  Turn off all iPods, iPhones, Blackberries, TVs, laptops, etc., and experience the quiet and clarity that comes from this simple experiment.  You'll immediately notice that you, as well as your devices, will be recharged afterward.      

Recharging my laptop and myself at the Denver airport this summer. 

• Natural Supplement: To truly appreciate a change of the seasons, no matter how subtle, get outside!  Be with nature.  Supplement your daily routine with a trip to the mountains, a beach, lakefront, local park, or garden patch.  Even the smallest doses of time spent in nature can clear nervous energy and make you feel rooted.  

A stolen moment during the Natural Living Expo this weekend, Sturbridge, MA

• Feel the Burn: Sounds like I'm going to tell you to try Crossfit or some other calorie-scorching activity, right?  Nope.  (That's for another post someday).  Fire is one of the most cleansing elements, and integrating it into our lives can be effective for clearing old energy.  An aromatherapy candle easily calms, while the first sparks of a campfire excite.  Recently, I received the gift of a sacred piece of wood from Peru, known as a palo santo, which is said to purify and protect when lit throughout one's home.  I can't wait to try it.  The woodsy smell alone is enough to snap me back to the present moment.
• Play with Your Food: Too often conventional cleanses are restrictive and rigid.  Why not have fun with your food?  To savor the new season, bake apples for breakfast.  Be the first on your block to carve a pumpkin.  Try a new recipe using seasonal ingredients to connect you to the time of year.  
• Go Organ-ic: While I recommend buying organic whenever possible, I'm referring to your organs, here.  Twisting yoga poses bring attention to your organs, helping to cleanse internally.  No joke.  Try adding more twisting poses to your practice right now, such as twisting triangle (parivrrta trikonasana) or a seated twist (ardha matseyendrasana), below.

Have your own surefire ways of clearing old energy and making way for the new?  Share them here, and happy fall to you!

Fieldhouse of Dreams: Yoga Reaches Out/Global Mala Boston at Gillette Stadium

In what you might call the Battle of the Beautiful Quarterbacks (also known as the New England Patriots vs. the New York Jets game), Tom Brady's team fell to  Mark Sanchez's 28-14 yesterday.  Despite the Patriots' loss, there was much rejoicing on its practice field, in the Dana-Farber Field House.  Sadly, this had nothing to do with football*.

Instead, hundreds of yogis convened for Yoga Reaches Out/Global Mala Boston, a daylong event featuring talented yoga teachers and musicians to benefit Children's Hospital Boston and Yoga for Single Moms.

I was honored to emcee the whole event and teach during the morning session's Global Mala celebration.  Boston has participated in this worldwide yoga event (the brainchild of Shiva Rea) since its inception four years ago.  10 of Boston's favorite teachers treated yogis to a 108-minute practice that included everything from Vinyasa, to Hip Hop, to restorative yoga.  The featured instructors were (in order of appearance): Brian Lam, Chanel Luck (co-creator of Global Mala Boston), Me, Jacqui Bonwell, Roberto Lim (co-creator of Global Mala Boston), Lynne Begier, Christine Raffa, Amy Leydon, Bo Forbes, and Bonnie Argo.  Here's a video clip from Lynne's Hip Hop Yoga sequence, to one of my fav running songs.  It still makes me think of Heartbreak Hill whenever I hear it (but, in a good way) . . .

Global Mala concluded with music as well, though, not the hip hop variety.  Daphne Tse performed an interlude during sivasana, followed by a set of kirtan chanting before lunch.  After lunch, Ana Forrest, creator of Forrest Yoga, took the stage to lead a challenging, heart opening, thigh scorching, toxic energy releasing practice.  She began the class by invoking the spirits of all four directions: North, South, East, and West (Ana derives much inspiration from Native American culture and philosophy).  I thought you might enjoy seeing a portion of the sacred ceremony.  



In between my emcee and teaching duties, I still found time to enjoy the company of my fellow yogi friends (new and old), soak up the experience of being at Gillette, and goof off a bit.  Shocker, I know . . .

Fellow Boston-based teacher Bo Forbes and me.  (The matching outfits were an accident).  

Feeling the turf between my toes.  

The 40-yard line, like never before. 

Coconut water, anyone? 

The event concluded with another stirring musical performance and guided meditation by kirtan and indie-pop rock performer Wade Imre Morissette.  Keep an eye out for his forthcoming movie musical, "Ultimate Boon," shooting in India soon.

Finally, it was time to go, and the gratitude among us was profound.  The event's key organizers, all inspiring women whom I am proud to call my friends: Chanel Luck (left), Bonnie Argo (not pictured), Sarah Gardner (center), and Laurin Panzano (right), took the stage.

Tomorrow, the New England Patriots reclaim their practice field, and I can't help wondering if there will be some residual love and gratitude in air.  We'll have to ask Tom Brady . . . For more photos of the event, please visit the OmGal.com Facebook fan page, Facebook.com/omgalblog.

*I fully acknowledge that there are certain subjects about which I cannot be neutral and unbiased.  Among these are: Boston sports teams (staunchly loyal), yoga (constructively critical), and mayonnaise (I hate mayonnaise of any kind).    

Get Your Global Mala On!

For more information about the Global Mala tradition around the world, each September, and to find a celebration near you, visit the Global Mala Project's website.  To sign up for the Boston event at Gillette Stadium, where I'll be teaching, please visit the Yoga Reaches Out website.

The clip below, featuring my friend and one of the event organizers Bonnie Argo, offers more details regarding the festivities in Boston, including a workshop with Ana Forrest.  Bonnie's accent is way cooler than mine, too.  Enjoy!



Peace,
Rebecca

Prima Laugha-rina

When I was young, I did ballet, and like many young girls (and some boys), I loved it.  I had high hopes of living in New York City one day and dancing professionally, no doubt mentored by Barishnykov or the elegant, eclectic troupe at Alvin Ailey.  I would wear tattered jeans over my tights and live in a studio apartment (which, at the time, conjured up visions of an urban dwelling that resembled a spacious dance studio with an open layout and hardwood floors . . . oh, the irony).

In truth, a studio apartment is a shoebox; I could never live in NYC (the Yankees play there), and I'm built more like a beach volleyball player than a ballerina (without an ounce of volleyball related skill), not to mention my second toe is abnormally long and, therefore, a nuisance in pointe shoes.  I digress . . .  I loved ballet, and soon after I stopped dancing regularly in high school, I started doing yoga.  At that stage, my flexibility came in handy, and I naturally gravitated toward yoga's gracefulness and precision.  And, I haven't danced since.

While I've toyed with the idea of an adult ballet class here in Boston (heck, I live a few pirouettes away from Boston Ballet), I never make it past the mental check list of "where does one buy ballet shoes?" and "how ridiculous will I look in a leotard?"  

Fortunately, I was able to bypass the check list and experience a glimmer of my ballet days last night at the gym.  Yup, the gym.  Perhaps you've noticed that ballet-inspired workouts are leaping into popularity right now.  Some are fused with weights such as Equinox's Barre Burn or yoga and pilates (a la Barre3- Madonna is a fan), and all aim to let you plie your way to long muscles and a tutu-worthy tush.

I had a blast.  I looked ridiculous.  I can't wait to do it again.  

Quote: Henry David Thoreau

"Only that day dawns to which we are awake."

-Henry David Thoreau, Walden 

Photo: Yogis arriving on Boston Common the morning of Global Mala Boston, September 2009. 

The Evolution of Yoga Events

When I was in college, I would often wake up at the ungodly hour of 8:00 a.m. on Saturday mornings (the college equivalent of roughly 5:00 a.m. for the rest of society) to attend an ashtanga yoga class in a church basement off campus.  It was an incredibly challenging 2-hour class, and I was younger than the other yogis by a decade or more.  I still recall how peaceful, reverent, and special these classes felt, and this Saturday morning ritual became my first idea of a yoga "event."  I would look forward to class all week, and, for me, it took on the air of a special occasion.  

My peers, of course, thought I was a weirdo, and I can scarcely blame them.  I would slip out my apartment's front door, past the beer pong table, while my three roommates slept.  One sunny Virginia morning, I trotted toward my car, yoga mat in tow, surprised to see that my neighbors were awake, along with their entire fraternity on the front lawn.  Just a few hours earlier we'd heard them "sledding" down their carpeted stairs on cookie sheets, so I suspect they probably hadn't gone to bed yet.  This might come as a shock, but they weren't going to yoga.  They were getting an early start on tailgating for the football game that day.  Now, that's an event, especially in the South.

I winced when one of them asked me where I was going.

"Yoga," I offered sheepishly (a hint of a question in my voice).

To which there wasn't so much of a response as a confused and drunken expression (without being drunken, the expression would doubtless remain confused: what the heck is yoga? said the expression), followed by the generous offer of a huge red plastic cup filled with jungle juice.  I politely declined, waved good bye, and drove away.    

This was ten years ago, and, oh my, how yoga and the criteria for its events have changed.  From stealing away for my makeshift Saturday morning yoga parties in 2000 to joining 10,000+ other yogis for a class in Central Park this June, to flying to Colorado for the newest yoga and music festival in July, big yoga and wellness events with broad appeal are now the norm.  

This month, there are several events on my radar: 

Yoga Reaches Out/Global Mala: The largest yoga event in New England to date, this daylong yoga benefit for Children's Hospital Boston and Yoga for Single Moms will be held at Gillette Stadium, home to the New England Patriots.  This event coincides with Global Mala, an annual yoga event, wherein yogis around the world gather in their respective cities to practice yoga and support local and national charitable organizations (is your city participating?).  I'll be teaching at Boston's Global Mala at Gillette, along with featured om gal pals such as Chanel Luck, Bonnie Argo, and Amy Leydon.  The day's headliner will be Ana Forest, creator of Forest Yoga, who is sure to bring her A-game.

Reach the Beach: It's not a yoga event but a 200-mile adventure relay in New Hampshire.  I ran it a few years ago with an inspiring team of gals (that's us at the finish line, below), and this year I'm honored to help teams feel more zen before their 24-hours of running (at times with a head lamp to light the way), riding in a van (praying that the elected teammate-driver knows the way), and not sleeping (which makes the way a little delirious).  The sheer fact that this hardcore endurance race, in its 11th year, is offering a yoga session the night before race day shows you how far yoga events and experiences have come in the last decade.  I can't wait to help these "om athletes" gear up for the adventure!

Natural Living Expo: The focus of this annual event in Western MA is more holistic than strictly yoga, but you can bet your Birkenstocks there will be plenty of yoga types in attendance.  Myself included.

Beauty, Fashion, & Wellness Event in conjunction with Boston Fashion Week: I'm looking forward to seeing the photo exhibit associated with this event (I'm featured along with other talented yoga teachers and friends) by photographer Arturo Martinez.  The posh party benefits the Zakim Center for Integrative Therapies at Dana-Farber, which provides new approaches to cancer care such as meditation, acupuncture, and more.  

Which yoga events do you plan to attend this fall, and in your opinion, what makes a great yoga event?  The size?  The venue?  The teacher(s)?  The jungle juice?  The kombucha samples?  Share the inside scoop here by posting a comment.  

Quote: Vimala Thakar

"When the state of observation is sustained, it changes the quality of your biological structure.  The nerves are steady, the chemical system has an equilibrium, and there is relaxation, equipoise.  You live in the clarity of knowing who you are."

-Vimala Thakar, The Eloquence of Living

Photo by Jonathan Pozniak, for lululemon. 

Back to School, Yogis!

My pal and marathon training partner Cara (right) and I love to read.  Here we are with some of our favorite books.  Post your most inspirational reads below!

Few months of the year hold the same anticipation and excitement as September, largely because of its association with going back to school.  Right now, pencils are being sharpened, new clothes selected, notebooks organized, and class schedules reviewed.  College roommates are getting acquainted, study partners scouted, and attendance policies surveyed.

Even those of us who aren't hitting the books often wish we were.  As an admitted nerd and one-time English teacher, I can't help feeling a tad envious when Boston crawls with co-eds, again.  I get wistful at the sight of a bookstore window freshly arranged to display curriculum classics like "To Kill a Mockingbird" and "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn."  And don't think for a moment that I'm not jumping on the knee sock fashion trend this fall.  Who says you have to enroll somewhere to dress schoolyard chic?

Likewise, who says you have to enroll somewhere to be a student?  We're all students in some capacity, right?  Some of us are students of yoga.  Others study favorite sports or hobbies or strangers in coffee shops.  Many of us, at any given time are learning a new chapter of life, such as a relationship, business venture, marriage, or parenting.  As we age, too, studies show that minds that continue to learn new skills later in life stay more agile, longer.  For yogis, svadhyaya (study) is a key principle of the practice, cited as one of the niyamas within the 8-limbed yoga path of the Yoga Sutras.

All of this school year nostalgia got me thinking about my favorite books for spiritual education-- literary companions that have bailed me out, lifted me up, or awakened me to some new insight or duh-how-could-I-forget-that! wisdom.  Here are a few of them organized to correspond with a school curriculum.  In other words, depending on which subjects you liked best in school, you might enjoy the corresponding book that pertains to yoga, wellness, or spirituality.  Happy reading!

The OmGal.com Syllabus: Fall 2010 Semester*

Anatomy: 

• Yoga Anatomy, Leslie Kaminoff: If you enjoy sitting your gluteus maximus down and analyzing the architecture of the body in colorful illustrations of muscles and bones, you'll love this yoga-oriented anatomy book.  It's a helpful text for teachers.  

Art: 

• Creative Visualization, Shakti Gawain: Truthfully, this book is an excellent resource for anyone willing to tap into their imagination to "create what you want in your life;" however, creative types might find it particularly inspiring.  I did.     

Botany: 

• New and Selected Poems: Volume One, Mary Oliver: With the exception of "The Buddha's Last Instruction," this book isn't outwardly about spirituality, but it is, nonetheless, a marvel for the soul, especially one that loves nature.  

Classics: 
The following books are among the most referenced and revisited in my yoga library.

• Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, various translations
• Yoga: The Path to Holistic Health, B.K.S. Iyengar
• Living Your Yoga, Judith Lasater

Home Ec.:

• Care of the Soul, Thomas Moore: This "guide for cultivating depth and sacredness in everyday life" encouraged me to think more carefully about how I arrange my home, work, and relationships to evoke happiness rather than happenstance.  

Phys. Ed.

• Mastering Your Metabolism, Jillian Michaels: Confession?  I just dig Jillian and her no-nonsense, tough-love, tackle-life-with-abandon approach, so she made the list.  The book is good, too, and will seriously cause you to reconsider the chemicals and habits that hinder your overall wellness, not just your weight.  

Physics:

• Seat of the Soul, Gary Zukav: Zukav is said to have a "scientist's eye and philosopher's heart."  If you can relate to either, you'll enjoy this book.  It's one of my most heavily underlined and highlighted (a true sign I want to remember its contents).    

Political Science: 

• Bhagavad Gita, various translations: This ancient text about a warrior prince headed into battle provides a literary scavenger hunt.  Each time one reads it, there are new insights to uncover.  It inspired the likes of some of my favorite American writers of the transcendentalist era, including Henry David Thoreau.  New Age quips and contemporary sound bytes seem to pale in comparison to this essential resource from the first century.  How's this for a timeless tidbit: "Your own duty done imperfectly is better than another man's done well."  Gets me every time . . .

Pre-Law: 

• Seven Spiritual Laws of Success, Deepak Chopra: These laws set people free rather than imprison them.  Reading this book might enhance your life for a maximum sentence.   

Pre-Med: 

• The Eloquence of Living, Vimala Thakar: If you're pre-med, you don't have time to read.  Ergo, I prescribe a little 109-page dose of peace.  You can pick up and put down this tiny treasure at your own pace, and each vignette stands alone, as a poem.  No elaborate plots or heady dissertations--just a sweet, small book filled with "freshness, fearlessness, and compassion."  

Psychology:

• The Road Less Traveled, M. Scott Peck: I'm pretty sure this book shepherded me through a sh*t break-up years ago, and judging from its status as a bestseller for more than two decades, I guess I'm not alone.  You'll love it.  Promise.      

Sociology:

• Return to Love, Marianne Williamson: Speaking of love, this book is a bit like having tea with a sage aunt who knows all the answers to life's big questions.  It's a very healing and heartfelt read, which contains an incredible passage often misattributed to Nelson Mandela.    

Theology:

• When Things Fall Apart, Pema Chodron: I cannot say enough about this book by Buddhist nun Pema Chodron for its ability to provide people with peace during difficult times.  You will treasure it.  

*All books available on Amazon.com.  

Om Gal Seeks New Intern

It's September 1st, which means my sweet city of Boston has been invaded by U-Hauls and SUVs brimming with futons and mini fridges.  New and old residents alike, particularly of the collegiate variety, know it as Moving Day.  It's a festive and frustrating harbinger of fall that welcomes scores of incoming students to Boston's many college campuses (including Boston College, Boston University, Emerson, Harvard, M.I.T., Northeastern, and more) and causes lots of traffic jams.  It's also a massive moving date for the recently graduated set (someone needs to vacate the plum apartments for all those late-night "study groups," right?).  Among those flying the college coop is Erin the Intern (sniff, sniff) [insert hysterical sob], bound for the "real world" or, in this case, NYC.

Perhaps you've followed the adventures of Erin this summer.  She contributed ideas and insight to many posts on OmGal.com, including popular pieces on fashionable fitness apparel and cheap, health food options, attended and assisted some of my workshops, and even provided me with an earnest explanation of the buzz surrounding Twilight so that I wouldn't be a pop culture outcast.  Now, she's gone, and I'm forlorn . . . and likely back to being a pop culture outcast.

If you're interested in being the next Om Gal Intern, send me an email at rebecca@omgal.com.  It's a fun, creative gig that doesn't involve any coffee runs (I don't drink coffee).  Yoga OR media experience required.  Video and podcasting skills might elevate you from intern to superhero.  Details regarding time commitment and upcoming projects available via email.

Happy trails, Erin!  OmGal.com will miss you.