Fasly-Kam

Nothing about my teaching lately has drawn more controversy than my music choices. I mix up my class soundtracks, spinning (well, playing) everything from Queen, Sanskrit chanting, native rhythms, nature sounds, and classical guitar, to coffee shop soundtracks. Whatever seems to suit the mood, my mood the class, the day. Sometimes, I choose incorrectly, Sometimes I have to change it up during class. Sometimes I just have to turn it off. For flow-based classes I like to have music that moves us through our postures. Most of my classes, even if they have flow, include quite a bit of narration so I have to keep the music at a level that I can talk over it, not compete with it. Sometimes it conflicts, I admit, and sometimes it really elevates the tone of the class - really jives.  Sometimes I'll reference to the music to just help us get into the mood, get the breath flowing, open the heart, or build heat. You never know what will truly "work," but I'd like to think that ...

"Release what holds you back, and the universe will provide." - byomyoga (inspired by just about everyone she knows) Just a few shots from the amazing Yoga with Provisions class held yesterday at San Diego Creative Arts Project. 15 beautiful souls joined together to move, breathe, be, release, and welcome in the provisions of the universe (and a few cocktails providing by Polite Provisions afterwards). Thank you all for sharing the experience with me. Thank you Laura at San Diego Creative Arts Project , for the idea and the space, thank you Heidi at hphart.com for the photographs that bring out the joy, thank you Aaron at Polite Provisions for the whatever-it-was-was-delicious victuals! Starting savasana - cultivating body awareness and centering ourselves Adjustments in Durga-Go (cat cow sequence) Balance - ah yes, balance. Spinal flexion/extension Prepping our shoulder for poses to come in Urdvha Hastasana (upward hands pose) Anjanayasana - option on the knees, reach for ...

In a rare occurrence of lucidity, dream-me thought "shit, why am I whinging at the dream-person that is frustrating me? why am i being the opposite of who I want to be?" I woke up sad, but aware of the rarity of that "aha" moment. To that end, in a particularly challenging yoga class today I was actually brought to tears; not big sobbing ones, but hot weepy ones that come on stronger when you hold your breath. I was carrying the frustration of the dream and personal conflict, plus a sympathetic nervous system response (adrenalin surge and anxiety spur) to a particular difficult asana. I needed to STOP making my blissful practice the opposite of what I wanted it to be.I needed to be lucid about what I was experiencing and not victimized by it. So I sat my sweaty ass down, took a deep breath to loosen my throat lock that was just holding in all that negativity. I wanted this practice to be joyful, and I had to choose to make it that way.  I wiped away my tears, breath...

The last time I traveled to Sacramento I went to one of their local hot yoga studios. In fact, it seems like that's most if not all of what is up there, which is fine at least there are studios that I can afford. Don't get me wrong I enjoy a good sweat just fine, and luckily after 11 years I (usually) know how to gauge myself to keep it real and out of potential injury (and I guzzle more water than probably two or three hot devotees put together). I'll usually position myself in back and just do the class a lot slower, because I know that if I build up too much heat I just pass out, or I render myself unable to stand up for a day or two because I've overstretched. When the instructor asked who was new, I raised my hand as I hadn't ever attended one of her classes before. She started class with the usual "pace yourself, embrace the process" standard patter, but even though there were just a few newbies, neither she nor her unshirted mail assistant came by m...

If every yoga class you walked into started with the same breathing chants, same movements, same flow, same timing, same pattern from start to finish, would you be bored, or would you embrace the routine? Would the routine become dogmatic movements or could you, would you, keep refining and exploring your breath, your postures, your movements so that they were seamless and graceful, fluid and strong? Would you be able to vary your effort and modify the poses based on how you felt that day, or would you keep trying to "perform" the same every single day? Sometimes, you just have to change things up completely to break the ritual to prevent it from becoming habitual. No where that I have studied has it said that you MUST do Surya Namaskar A exactly as in a textbook. No teacher that has imparted their wisdom has faulted me for exploring different ways to express my movements. In order to make yoga mine (or, yours), it must fit what you need, integrate your essences and help you ...

I am not a doctor. Nor physical therapist. Nor any kind of licensed health worker. I am a certified yoga instructor. I am a science-curious, anatomy-fascinated, yoga practitioner who studied so that she could share information about yoga with other people in a safe, productive, interesting and functional way. I am learning about how the body works (or doesn't work) through my own practice, and self-study, and hope to inspire other people to do the same. That being said, I MAY have had an experience or studied about an experience that MAY be able to help you improve your practice AND prevent injury during it. I MAY, however, not be able to. Some yoga instructors in fact ARE PTs or MDs or PhDs in the health profession and may be able to not only diagnose a problem but also offer a route to wellness. So, if you have a condition/problem/ache/pain that has been bugging you for more than, oh, say, two weeks and hurts MORE when you practice yoga (or when you are still), PLEASE go see a qu...

"Yoga has always been hard for me - I get SO frustrated in some classes." "I hate that I can't touch my toes." "So, how long do I have to practice before I'll be able to (do some posture)?" "What level is this class because I have been taking beginner classes for a while and I want to make sure that I'm improving so I want to get to more advanced classes." Any of those sound like you? Or someone close to you? Or overheard in class? Yeah, probably. The thing is, we may just be "condemned" to wanting to constantly improve, hone, and perfect things we do. You may call that ego, but in some cases (like, running from predators or enhancing job skills for better wages) it may just be a function of biology, or financial survival (sociological impacts). Regardless, trying to turn that off can be difficult, even seemingly impossible. We are raised on superlatives (big-bigger-biggest, bendy-bendier-bendiest) and comparisons (grade poi...

So you woke up in a mood, and really wanted to get to your usual active vinyasa class to work out some stress, but the class was cancelled. Or had a sub. Or, you always decompress at that Tuesday night candlelit restorative class but it's full. Or, it's raining and you wanted to take a run. Or it's cold and you wanted to swim. The universe doesn't always cooperate to "allow" us to do what we want in terms of our self-care rituals. And there the lies the rub - the RITUAL. When ritual becomes compulsive, compulsory, obsessive, or unbending, it has shifted into HABitual and (should be) a sign to us that perhaps our kapha dosha is out of balance, or simply, we have gotten into a rut and need to switch things up. So today, drop into a yoga class you've never tried before. Or take a walk instead of a run on a new trail. Or just sit for 10 minutes and meditate if you don't have time for a full class. Observe the differences in your posture, your attitude just...

Folks seem to fall into four (broad) categories. (ok it's more than four, but bear with me on this): 1) those who do yoga and are happy to talk about it 2) those that like the idea but sheepishly laugh and say "Well, I hear it's good for you but I can't even touch my toes/I'm not flexible/I have injuries." 3) those that maybe tried yoga, but now shrug their shoulders and say they can't because "It was too boring/it was too hard/it was too hot/it was too weird/I hate all that quiet time meditating/breathing." 4) those who roll their eyes and give you a crossed-arm down glance while telling you they "DON'T do yoga." Let's acknowledge that Group #4 would be a hard sell, and frankly speaking if someone is dead set against even TRYING yoga, there's no point in trying to convince them (it's like politics). Group 3, well, might not be ready, and are set on the idea that any kind of regimen is to be faced with a frown. They MIGH...

Challenge question - how many of you go to a studio to practice yoga? Go ahead, raise your hand, no one is looking. But how many of you swing your body into Ashtavakrasana, or Balasana, or Tadasana (eight-bent limbed balance pose, child's pose, standing mountain) and just zone out, thinking about your job, or your grocery list, or your toenail polish, or the leaky faucet you have to fix? How many (of US) get grumpy when you have a substitute teacher? How many (of US) get upset when we fall out of tree pose, or our hamstring is too tight to allow a deep down-dog? First and foremost I want to say one thing: swinging you body into a pose, zoning out, worrying about life, getting grumpy or frustrated - THERE is NOTHING inherently wrong with experiencing those things. That's life! But I have to tell you something - if you experience those things but never move beyond them, never "forgive" or PAUSE or zone back in... then yeah, you're still doing ASANA but the actual Y...

Today is the day, that maybe, you change your life. Not drastically, but subtley. Mindfully. Gently. Authentically. Not by taking a yoga asana class, not by doing a power workout but by simply thinking about what (simple) things you need to create a sense of physical and emotional well being, clear cognitive function, spirituality, and ability to express your self creatively. SIMPLE THINGS. Like, providing your body with nutrition. Like, breathing. Like, reading something that inspires you. Like, connecting with a friend. Like maybe, ok, doing some asana, but more simply, how about just standing still, tall, aligned, grounded and connected, breathing in prana and exhaling to relax?  Make a list of all the things you value in life. Short or long list, no matter. Now, make a list of things you can do to SUPPORT those things (support the vitality, well being, spirituality, creative expression). And now, make a list of things (you may or may not do) that disrupt vitality, well being, s...

Yes yes a thousand times yes. I have these same messages going thru my head 9 years into my practice and hear them all every day. Teachers, please know how to help your students with these BASICS - your help with fundamentals (not just how to get into visvamitrasana http://www.yogajournal.com/practice/2149 ) will help them further their practice on and off the mat...and isn't THAT why we teach??? http://www.yoganonymous.com/10-messages-your-body-may-be-sending-you-on-the-mat-are-you-listening/

This week I started to experiment in one class with chair yoga, then even more in another class, and so next week I declare to be Chair Yoga week. You can get a surprisingly good workout EVEN IN A CHAIR doing yoga. It affords you the opportunity to take balance issues out of the equation (for the most part) and focus on alignment, creating space, engaging the abdomen, and breathing above and beyond all. For those that have injuries, physical limitations, arthritis, are pregnant or just want to try something different, having the chair nearby brings the floor closer to you (or you closer to the floor, however you perceive it) and may offer a little more security, as well as a multitude of modification options. We worked Warrior 1, 2 and 3 using the chair (virabhadrasana series). We did spinal flexion and extension (uttanasana, anuvatasana), forward, back and side. We used the chair to make reaching the floor not even a concern in Triangle Pose (trikonasa) and Half Moon (ardha chandrasan...

The Spring 2013 issue of Yoga International Magazine has a great article entitled "When Life Gives You Curves," and it's all about learning how to modify your practice to suit your body. The author does a great job of talking about some of the common issues in practice (for any body), like knee (alignment, pain), leg position (under hips vs. feet together), shoulder (flexibility), wrist (sensitivity), booty (position and size accomodations), belly (accomodating and LOVING it), breasts (accomodating and LOVING them), and in general, FEELING your yoga poses rather than concentrating on some perfect picture or even a mirror (or worse, trying to look like an instructor or neighbor in class). Yoga knowledge, yoga experience, yoga skills, comes from the inside - from listening to your body, from really tapping in to your inner wisdom (and allowing it to make mistakes, to learn and most importantly to be nutured). Whether you are 3 or 93, 30 pounds or 230, there is a way to modi...

I am pleased and grateful to let you know that I am officially on the schedule at the Jungle Gym and Cafe in El Cajon, teaching Mommy and Me Yoga every other Wednesday morning at 10:15 AM starting January 2, 2013. Classes are free with admission (awesome!) and welcome moms with any age children - infants to elementary school. I welcome prenatal and recent postnatal moms as well (provided your doctor is ok with you doing a gentle practice and you are not experiencing any complications from pregnancy/birth). Contact me with any questions. Mats will be provided if you don't have your own - come move, groove and soothe with your little ones and me!

Thoughtful article on listening to your body, removing ego, being mindful, and above all safe in your practice: http://www.yogajournal.com/lifestyle/908

I have a lot to cover on this post and I apologize for my blog absence. I am struggling with a low back injury (and consequential pain all the way up my spine) and how to modify my physical yoga practice and teaching to keep me healthy and continue to do what I love... teach. I have been under the care of two physical therapists that were treating different problems but with similar therapies. One expressed that I had some SI joint issues, and had me doing some nifty exercises to strengthen the core and stabilize the SI joint (hips). She also advised to forgo vinyasa-style yoga as the SI joint problems are MOBILITY issues... the dysfunction was happening when I moved (from neutral or extension to flexion). Hence, not doing fast forward folds was the way to go. One exercise worked the outer hip flexor (abductor) of the dysfunctional side well, and another worked, alternately, the adductors (inner thighs) and then abductors (outer). The interesting part her is that when I first did the...

Whenever I attend a vinyasa style class where there is (more or less) continuous dance-like movement, resonant music, lilting vocal instructions of a master teacher filtering through the spaces between the students like the tide on a pebbled beach, I almost always get caught up in the flow. And therin lies the problem. When it's all about the flow, I find, that something gets lost. Of course, yoga is not a static practice, as each posture (asana, or 'way of being') can be constantly tweaked, adjusted, enhanced and explored. A prescribed way of warming up the body is via the movement of Suryanamaskara, which translates to the words Sun Salute. If we start to (absent-mindedly) flow from one (complex) move to another without taking into consideration alignment, and properly controlling our movements with the appropriately activated muscles we cause ourselves injuries both subtle and gross. Ever watch a professional ballerina lifting a leg to vertical, slowly and deliberately, ...

Today was my first official teaching class at the Northbrook Yoga Center (NbYC) and I was presented with two terrific students: a woman and her 12-year old son. I asked them about their yoga experience, and the sweet mom said, almost apologetically, that her practice had been erratic but she had been doing yoga for many years. When I presented the question to the boy, inquiring as to what he liked, or wanted to work on, and he shyly offered (and with zero flippancy) "whatever works today." The mom added that he had spent most of the previous summer practicing yoga to videos. This took me by joyful surprise. I wanted to create a class that challenged the preteen, but not overwhelm him, and yet still be a class at a level that would (could) engage his mom. I wanted to open up the ideas of really noticing the intrinsic parts of your body doing yoga rather than just getting to any specific posture like a test of physical strength or acrobatics. So on this rainy day,...

Here are a couple of articles based on information from Judith Lasater (from whom I took a seminar at the most recent YJ Conference on just this issue). It's not always intuitive on how to prevent or care for SI injuries or pain in yoga, In fact often we'll hear gross adjustment cues like "Tuck the Tailbone" but this isn't always the best instruction. Examine your own practice and explore this information - see if it assists in relieving (or preventing further exacerbation of) pain in this sensitive locale. http://www.yogajournal.com/health/562 http://www.bayoga.org/2006/01/mysterious-sacroiliac-joint-judith.html http://thejoyofyoga.blogspot.com/2010/03/yoga-for-sacroiliac-si-joint-pain.html