Fall is here again...

The cyclical nature of our earth rotating on a tilted axis around the sun creates the seasons and the changes we see in our environment. When a portion of the Earth is tilted toward the sun we have summer and when a portion of the Earth tilts away from the sun we have winter. It's a gradual process and the in-between transitions make up our spring and fall seasons. As we head into another fall here in the Northern Hemisphere, I'm reminded how much change is rooted in the constancy of these cycles. As I grow older, and watch my kids grow older as well, I realize how precious all the little life moments are. My oldest recently had his last "first day" of high school and it feels like we are now on a fast paced roller coaster heading into a future unknown. The schedule is full with driving lessons, college tours, work, school, sports, music performances, family, and friends. Every part of me wants to freeze time and hold on to him a little longer. But, life keeps going and every past moment we have had has led us to now. I've spent much of my young mothering days reading books on how to stay calm and mindful. I started this blog 14 years ago when my younger son was born as a way to sift my thoughts into words and find clarity, to mark the days with intention, purpose, and presence. I wanted to have something tangible to read and look back on, something measurable to see how far we have all come. 

What a full circle moment this is. 

One beautiful constancy in my life has been my yoga practice. This little blog is filled with how my life has been tethered by yoga. I feel grateful for this practice that brings connection to mind, body, and breath helping me to feel whole when life brings scattered chaos, overwhelm, and anxious feelings. I started practicing yoga over 25 years ago to help manage my anxiety and I'm still here living my yoga in all the messy, imperfect ways as each day unravels. 

To practice with me, see my current yoga schedule below. 

I'll be sharing another FREE yoga series at the Melrose Public Library on Wednesday afternoons 12:00pm to 1:00 pm starting October 14. Expect a gentle/moderate mat yoga flow where we will move from seated to standing to lying down poses. Register for each class on the MPL website or call 781 665 2313. I'll share more details in October. 🍂🍂

I started a monthly 'Movement Challenge' one year ago this September. 

I learned a lot sharing these challenges with my weekly yoga groups and they continue to inspire the way I bring yoga into the community and into my personal practice. All challenges were posted monthly on this blog along with video shorts on YouTube.

You can find the first 2 here (September) and here (October).

Weekly in-person yoga classes:

Wednesday Chair Yoga (10a-11a) at the Melrose YMCA.

Thursday Mat Yoga (8:45a-9:45a) + Chair Yoga (10a-10:45a) at the Milano Senior Center.

I'll continue to sub in yoga classes at all Metro North YMCA branches in Melrose, Saugus, Peabody, and Lynn as my schedule allows. 

FREE yoga videos on YouTube

FREE guided meditations on Insight Timer

Mandala is a Sanskrit word meaning both "circle" and "center" representing the visible world around us and the invisible world within us. I made this nature mandala in celebration of the last new moon of summer leading up to the Fall Equinox, marking the beginning of fall, the harvest season, and the balance of day and night. A friend gifted me these beautiful pieces of sea glass and I arranged them around a few sea shells. This new season is filled with back to school energy, fresh starts, routine resets, and practical intention setting. These mandalas symbolize magic in the ordinary moments of the day and staying connected to the earth as the seasons change. Look around your home, go outside for a walk, get into nature, see what beauty you can gather. Nature mandalas are easy to create, follow your inner wisdom. 

August Movement Challenge

August is the month that completes my year-long movement challenges!

Since September 2025, I have highlighted 12 yoga poses with variations, adding on a functional movement component to increase awareness around how we move our bodies daily to get things done. The combination of creating movements that flow together bring adaption and choice into day to day activities. As a weekly yoga teacher, these poses and movements have provided a base for me to build from. I enjoy changing up a yoga flow often but having a foundation to grow from has been insightful. Each week can bring new perspectives which adds so much to the yoga experience. As I grow with my practice, I find movements that engage my brain as well as my body have the most sustaining power. 

For August, I'm focusing on Boat pose Navasana and the functional movement of core strength. This yoga pose is a core strengthening pose, so I've added in different ways to functionally build core strength using a chair and a yoga block. Core engagement is the foundation of functional movement as we move from center outwards, allowing enhanced range of motion in multiple planes of the body. In functional movement, the core acts as a 3D cylinder balancing intra abdominal pressure and muscular engagement. Key areas of awareness are the diaphragm (dome shaped muscle that sits under the base of the chest below the lungs and heart), the pelvic floor, the transverse abdominis (TVA), and the back of the body including the paraspinal muscles.

Navasana is the Sanskrit word for Boat pose, it represents the spiritual journey of moving towards wisdom and enlightenment. Your body is the vessel (boat), your mind is the sail, and the breath is the current. This pose activates the solar plexus or celiac plexus, which is a dense network of nerves located in the upper abdomen, behind the stomach, and wrapped around the aorta. This nerve network is the central processing area of the internal organs that regulate digestion, heart rate, and the body's "fight-or-flight" stress response. Energetically, it is known as the Manipura chakra, visually symbolized as a downward pointing triangle enclosed by a 10 petaled yellow lotus, that represents self-esteem, confidence, willpower, determination, and inner strength. Boat pose mentally and physically challenges stability, balance, posture, and the navigation of life's sometimes turbulent waters.

The videos below show accessible variations for building core strength with a chair, yoga blocks, and a band. These variations can progress into Supported Boat Pose.

My previous 'Movement Challenges' start here. This collection of yoga poses and functional movements provide inspiration for a short, daily, mobility routine. 

My current yoga teaching schedule is below.

Weekly in-person yoga classes:

Wednesday Chair Yoga (10a-10:45a) at the Melrose YMCA.

I'll be subbing Mindful Yoga Flow on Thursday 8/13 and 8/27 (5:30p-6:25p) at the Melrose YMCA.

Thursday Mat Yoga (8:45a-9:45a) + Chair Yoga (10:00a-10:45a) at the Milano Senior Center. *There will be no class on 8/27 due to construction at the center.

FREE yoga videos on YouTube

FREE guided meditations on Insight Timer

For the month of July, my family traveled to beautiful Jackson Hole, Wyoming where we had a 360 - degree view of the Teton Range, Jackson Hole Valley, and the surrounding mountain ranges including Gros Ventre. I'm sharing photos from our trip, which began with a gorgeous rainbow welcoming us after a light rain, the Grand Teton National Park, misty mountain tops, and the waxing crescent moon.

July Movement Challenge

 

Rooted in earth, the knee bends low. The back leg extends aligning space and time. Hips gently sink as the heart opens wide, slowing the rush, setting worries aside. Fingertips reach toward the vast, endless sky. As the breath deepens, the shape of the moon finds its way toward the spine. 

July is here, the heart of summer in New England, and it's America's 250th anniversary of independence from Great Britain. I was born on America's 200th anniversary, a bicentennial baby, so I'll be turning 50 years old later this year. I have a lot of thoughts and feelings about turning 50 and a lot of thoughts and feelings on the current state of our country, holding both is a full circle moment. I'm choosing to focus my energy towards collective action and mental/physical resilience. There are overlaps in these areas within my personal life, raising two teenage sons with my husband, working as a nurse, as well as understanding my role as a woman living in this challenging political time. In all I do, empathy and compassion are at the center. It definitely takes courage to start here and isn't always easy, but for me it's about connection. I try to stay inspired by reading and listening to individuals I admire that provide the knowledge necessary for me to continue to understand certain situations. This helps me define my role socially and collectively, so I can stand with my values and live my purpose. Maintaining mental and physical resilience is in my everyday self care rituals, the decisions I make for my health keep my body, brain, and heart strong for hopefully another 50 + years! I really admire longevity and folks that have quality of life as they continue to age. I'm truly inspired by the people I meet every week who attend my yoga classes and the patients I have the privilege to care for. As I continue to learn and grow, I'll keep going by sharing my passion for moving, breathing, and meditating. 

 Anjaneyasana ~ Low Lunge or Crescent Moon Pose

Anjaneya ~ Hindu deity asana ~pose/posture

Low lunge pose stretches the hip flexors and quadriceps while improving posture, and strengthening the core, legs, and spine. Once the low body is grounded, both arms can reach upward extending through the spine with a gentle arc that mimics the image of a crescent moon. Low lunge pose can be practiced with a knee down on a padded surface, or standing with a chair/short step stool to decrease knee and hip flexion. With or without the use of a chair/step stool, adding in the functional movements of spinal extension, flexion, and twisting within the base of this pose can bring in rotational, core strength and spinal mobility.  Anjaneyasana symbolizes devotion, gratitude, aspiration, and grace. The pose is named after Anjana, the mother of the Hindu deity Anjaneya (son of Anjana), also known as Lord Hanuman. The image of this pose reflects that of dedication and the desire to reach towards one's goals. The story of young Hanuman leaping into the sky to reach for the sun represents human ambition, effort, and confidence. With arms lifted, the chest, shoulders, and heart opens, surrendering into the moment. Enjoy this pose in one of the variations shown below, use your breath to coordinate the movement from side to side, and to stay present in the pose. 

My previous 'Movement Challenges' start here. As each month passes, this collection of yoga poses and functional movements allow creative opportunity to tie them together for a short, daily, mobility routine. 

Many thanks to all who attended our 'Yoga for Spring' sessions at the Melrose Public Library from May into June. Each week brought a full class, smiles, laughter, and moments of mobility balanced by rest. 

My current yoga teaching schedule is below.

Weekly in-person yoga classes:

Wednesday Chair Yoga (10a-10:45a) at the Melrose YMCA.

Thursday Mat Yoga (8:45a-9:45a) + Chair Yoga (10:00a-10:45a) at the Milano Senior Center. 

There will be NO CLASS on July 2. 

FREE yoga videos on YouTube

FREE guided meditations on Insight Timer

Mandala is a Sanskrit word meaning both "circle" and "center" representing the visible world around us and the invisible world within us. I made a nature mandala for the June new moon cycle that fell on my 23rd wedding anniversary marking years of love. Honoring these moments each month helps me to stay focused on what is important in my life while celebrating the beauty of the season.

June Blooms: Movement Challenge + Yoga for Spring at the MPL continues...

 

June is here, the month that leads us into summer! With all the rain we have had, my garden is blooming. With all that is going on in the world, I look to the flowers to bring me hope, cheer, and positivity. The sight and smell of flowers naturally trigger the release of 'feel-good' neurotransmitters like dopamine, serotonin, and oxytocin. Flowers can lower stress, anxiety, and agitation, I like to call it my garden therapy. For me, nature and movement go hand in hand. I love being outside and find beauty in the changing seasons. The inspiration deepens when I look closer and find connections in the way I want to move day to day. The energy of each season brings a shifting awareness to my mind and body that I've been sharing in my weekly classes. There is an upward momentum to the season of spring, from root to stem to leaves and blossoms, I find similarities in nature to the way I share my yoga practice. 

For me, it's all connected. 

Extended Side Angle Pose Utthita Parsvakonasana

utthita ~ extended/stretched parsva ~side kona ~angle asana ~pose/posture

The side bend in this pose is one of reaching, lengthening, and expansion. Like the climbing green ivy, flowering clematis, or unfurling fern, the body grows toward a source of energy, with a strong and balanced center carried by the breath.

This month, I'm sharing extended side angle pose and the functional movements of push and pull. Extended side angle pose is a foundational standing posture and lunge variation that builds strength in the legs, opens the hips, and stretches the entire side body. This pose creates stability and spaciousness, with a focus on alignment and softening, the breath opens the rib cage, further extending the stretch into the waist and shoulders. This pose is one of action, reaching, lifting, and lengthening with a firm, grounded foot base. Enjoy this pose as you connect to your breath before switching sides. 

Supported extended side angle pose with the use of a block or a chair provides options and accessibility. Adding in arm and shoulder mobilization with the addition of a hand weight creates an opportunity to work on the functional movements of pushing and pulling. Push and pull are movement patterns that allow you to lift, carry, and reach for objects. Pushing motions move a load away from your torso and pulling motions draw a load toward your body. See the videos below for details on how to add intentional push/pull movements into this yoga pose. 

My previous 'Movement Challenges' start here. As each month passes, this collection of yoga poses and functional movements are slowly growing, allowing creative opportunity to tie them together for a short, daily, mobility routine. My current yoga teaching schedule is below.

Yoga for Spring at the Melrose Public Library

Yoga for Spring will explore the connection of moving with the breath, from lying down poses to transitional sitting/kneeling poses into standing poses with a focus on strength and balance. Classes are free and open to all to join.

Weekly in-person yoga classes:

Wednesday Chair Yoga (10a-10:45a) at the Melrose YMCA.

Thursday Mat Yoga (8:45a-9:45a) + Chair Yoga (10:00a-10:45a) at the Milano Senior Center.

FREE yoga videos on YouTube

FREE guided meditations on Insight Timer

One of my favorite ways to connect to nature is to spend quality time pressing my feet into the earth. It only takes a few minutes to pause, breathe, and feel into the benefits of earthing or grounding to reduce feelings of stress, anxiety, and overwhelm. 

May Movement Challenge + Yoga for Spring at the MPL

May is here and I have so many memories wrapped up in this vibrant spring month. May in New England is for the lilacs. It's a scent that brings me back to my Grandmother's garden and her porch surrounded with lilac bushes. As a child, I loved to draw, paint, read, and dream on her lilac porch. I look forward to the scent and sight of these beautiful flowers each year. 

Staying connected with nature is a choice, one that brings healing and balance into my body, heart, and mind. Pressing my feet into the earth, spending time outside as much as possible, puttering in my garden, and staying tethered to the sunsets and moonrises ground me. 

The full flower moon shines on this first day of May that honors abundance, renewal, and fertility marking the transition of longer, warmer days. This season is symbolized by growth, planting, and nurturing new life. Since January of this year, the full moon cycles have started at the beginning of each month. May will change that by having a second full moon on May 31, a blue moon. This will carry us through the rest of the year with full moons at the end of each month, the last one being on December 24. 

Warrior 3 pose "Virabhadrasana" 

Connect to the earth, stand your ground, find your focus, and take flight.

May's movement challenge is a continuation from April with a focus on balance. This month, a combined hip hinge with spinal and single leg knee flexion/extension leads us into Warrior 3 pose, 'virabhadrasana'. Layering these movements with the support of a chair adds a level of possibility and progression to this challenging pose. Sensing the body in space, moving outward from the heart center, lifting up, rooting down, reaching forward and extending back all at the same time requires concentration and awareness. Warm up the body with a few hip hinges and standing single leg balance with opposite knee and spine flexion/extension, see the videos below. 

Hip Hinge Warrior 3 prep

Single leg spine/knee flexion and extension

Supported Warrior 3

My previous 'Movement Challenges' start here. As each month passes, this collection of yoga poses and functional movements are slowly growing, allowing creative opportunity to tie them together for a short, daily, mobility routine. Please find my current yoga teaching schedule below.

Yoga for Spring at the Melrose Public Library

Yoga for Spring will explore the connection of moving with the breath, from lying down poses to transitional sitting/kneeling poses into standing poses with a focus on strength and balance. Classes are free and open to all to join, registration opens on May 13.

Weekly in-person yoga classes:

Wednesday Chair Yoga (10a-10:45a) at the Melrose YMCA.

Thursday Mat Yoga (8:45a-9:45a) + Chair Yoga (10:15a-11a) at the Milano Senior Center.

FREE yoga videos on YouTube

FREE guided meditations on Insight Timer

April's nature mandala was for Earth Day, honoring the planet's beauty, natural resources, biodiversity, and advocating for environmental protection. This day is a call to action to support the sustainability of clean water, air, and soil to ensure a healthy and productive future for generations to come.

April Movement Challenge

April is here, the first full month of spring where mother nature starts her slow and steady growth. The name April is derived from the Latin verb aperire, meaning "to open", "uncover", or "reveal" symbolizing the opening of the buds on flowers and trees. The Pink Full Moon marks the start of this blossoming month, named by Native Americans that observed the changes occurring during different times of the year. The delicate, pink flowers of the early blooming creeping phlox is the visual start of spring. Other Native American names for this full moon cycle are Budding Moon, Breaking Ice Moon, and Awakening Moon. April is also Earth month, a global month-long celebration dedicated to climate action, environmental protection, and sustainability protection. Since 1970, April 22 has been known as Earth Day, a day that focuses on climate action/awareness, reducing waste and energy usage by creating educational events and community led programs to protect the planet for future generations. Earth month wraps up with Arbor Day (the last Friday in April) which is dedicated to the care and planting of trees.  

That's a lot of energy for April! 

As the weather warms, getting outside and into nature is a healing balm for the mind, body, heart, and spirit. Science has shown that nature has the power to reduce stress, boost immunity, lower heart rate/blood pressure, and reduce the sensations of pain, depression, and anxiety. Nature practices such as Shinrin Yoku also known as forest bathing, a Japanese practice of mindful, nature connection within a forest atmosphere and earthing/grounding (placing the body in direct contact with the Earth) may reduce inflammation and improve mental health/mood. The simple practice of going outside for a walk, a run, or a hike can greatly improve mental, physical, and social-emotional wellbeing.  

For those who are looking to stay active and find new challenges in movement patterns, I've been highlighting a monthly yoga pose combined with a functional movement exercise. This month, I'm sharing the Single Leg Balance exercise combined with Tree pose 'Vrksasana', in honor of spring. The beauty of Tree pose represents grounding and growth, both of which can be felt while practicing the single leg balance and progressing into Tree pose. Balance exercise requires focus and concentration, making it a challenge for the mind as well as the body. Tree pose is a classic yoga posture symbolizing grace, stability, and the rooted connection of a tree trunk. While standing on one leg, the opposite leg opens to the side with a bent knee and turned out foot pressing against the lower leg or thigh of the standing leg. Once balance is achieved, the arms extend outward, reaching up overhead or placing palms together in prayerful mudra. Press your standing foot in the floor and connect with your breath for 3-5 cycles of inhale and exhale, then switch sides.  Tree pose improves balance, stability, flexibility, and mental focus while strengthening the lower leg muscles and joints. If you are working with balance, stay close to a chair, wall, or other sturdy support to help you while you practice. Avoid gripping or clenching the toes of the standing foot, try to apply even pressure on all aspects of the foot. 

The Single Leg Balance Test is the fourth stage of the CDC's STEADi balance assessment that evaluates static balance, postural control, and fall risk. According to the CDC, the test follows a progressive sequence shown here. In general, single leg balance exercises improve posture, enhance stability of the hip, knee, and ankle joints, strengthen core and lower body muscles, and reduce the risk of falls by improving proprioception (spatial body awareness) and coordination. In addition, the brain is challenged with focus and concentration, improving cognitive functions of memory and neuromuscular control. Balance practice strengthens neural connections between the vestibular system (inner ear) and the brain, creating neural pathways that sharpen the brain's ability to coordinate multiple body parts simultaneously. Stand on one leg with a chair, wall, or support as needed. In yoga, a drishti (Sanskrit for "gaze" or "vision") is a specific point where you rest your eyes while practicing a pose or during meditation. Some common drishti points include the tip of the nose, the center of the forehead, the navel area, a hand or fingertip/thumbs, or the feet or toes. While practicing any standing balance, focusing your gaze down towards the ground on something that doesn't move can be helpful in the beginning stages of practice. Set a timer to see how long you can steadily stand on one leg, hands on hips or hands hovering away from a chair/wall without losing your balance.  Aim for 10-30 seconds on each side. A regular, consistent practice will show signs of improvement. 

Single Leg Balance

Vrksasana Tree Pose 

'vrka' translates as tree and 'asana' as pose or posture. 

My previous 'Movement Challenges' start here. As each month passes, this collection of yoga poses and functional movements are slowly growing, allowing creative opportunity to tie them together for a short, daily, mobility routine. 

Please find my current yoga teaching schedule below.

Weekly in-person yoga classes:

Wednesday Chair Yoga (10a-10:45a) at the Melrose YMCA.

Thursday Mat Yoga (8:45a-9:45a) + Chair Yoga (10:15a-11a) at the Milano Senior Center.

FREE yoga videos on YouTube

FREE guided meditations on Insight Timer

As if April isn't already full, the Jane Goodall Institute has established April 3 as Jane Goodall Day. Her birthday memorializes the legacy of her life's work and the hope that people will not only remember her, but continue her purpose through climate and local action.

March Movement Challenge

 

"An amaryllis is always waiting to delight and surprise you, even when your world seems cold and dark."

Susan Meissner

March is here, roaring in like a lion under a Leo waxing gibbous moon, with 20 more days until spring. February brought a lot of snow and cold here in New England. Large piles of dirty, white mounds line our streets and obstruct our sidewalks, which will bring a wet, muddy thaw this year. To carry me through this winter, I've enjoyed the unraveling of my red amaryllis blossoms. It was a nice surprise to see 4 big blooms on this one mighty stem. This flower is a symbol of hope and inner strength, two important virtues reminding us of the power of resilience and growth. The amaryllis is often called the winter rebel as it bursts into bloom despite the cold and dark season of winter. 

We welcome this new month with a full lunar eclipse on Tuesday, March 3. As the Earth sandwiches itself between the Sun and the Moon, casting its shadow across the lunar surface, it will create a "blood" color due to the longer red light waves that bend (refract) toward the moon. Waves of light come in various lengths and as sunlight passes through the Earth's surface, the shorter blue wavelengths will scatter and the moon will be visible to the naked eye as a deep red. During the 58-minute period of totality, the moon will be illuminated by the light of every sunrise and sunset that is happening in the world at that moment. I live in the Northern Hemisphere and the lunar eclipse will begin at 6:04 AM, peak at 6:33 AM, and end at 7:02 AM. Moments marked by these phases of events are special as they don't happen often, the next North American lunar eclipse won't be visible until New Year's Eve 2028. 

March is a month of hope, a placeholder for the transition of winter into spring. As someone who is directly impacted by the current events in my life (a working mother/partner raising teenagers), in nature (winter/snow/ice), in the news (tragedy/ongoing violence), and in the world (environmental devastation/climate change), the choices I make to stay calm, balanced, and focused are inspired by life's challenges and joys. Moving my body has always been a form of healing for me and sharing this knowledge with others fills my heart. 

This month's Movement Challenge is a foundational standing lunge pose that builds lower body strength, hip flexibility, and posture alignment. Warrior 1, Virabhadrasana, (vira meaning hero/warrior, bhadra auspicious/friend, and asana pose) symbolizes strength, fortitude, focus, and overcoming adversity. Combining Warrior 1 with Willpower Pulses, reaching the arms up overhead with open, extended hands, then pulling the elbows in towards the ribs squeezing the hands into fists, energetically harnesses confidence, power, and control. Mushtika (fist/closed hand) Bandhana (lock/seal) is the practice of opening and closing the fist. Rhythmically clenching and releasing the fingers improves joint health and grip strength. In addition, I've added in a functional movement exercise called kneeling step ups with the a chair and a weight. 

All the videos below have been posted to my YouTube channel. Start where you are, connect to your breath, and switch sides for a balanced practice.

Standing Warrior 1 Willpower Pulses

Seated Warrior 1 Willpower Pulses

Hand Clenches

Kneeling Step ups with a Chair

Kneeling Step ups with a Weight

My previous 'Movement Challenges' start here. As each month passes, this collection of yoga poses and functional movements are slowly growing, allowing creative opportunity to tie them together for a short, daily, mobility routine. 

Please find my current yoga teaching schedule below.

Weekly in-person yoga classes:

Wednesday Chair Yoga (10a-10:45a) at the Melrose YMCA.

Thursday Mat Yoga (8:45a-9:45a) + Chair Yoga (10:15a-11a) at the Milano Senior Center.

FREE yoga videos on YouTube

FREE guided meditations on Insight Timer 

February's new moon nature mandala honored the lunar new year, shedding the year of the snake and welcoming in the year of the fire horse. Red amaryllis petals for strength, luck, and fortune, dried calendula for healing and soothing with bound scolecite for peace, calm, and serenity during turbulent times. 

February Movement Challenge

 

The shortest month of February begins with the full snow moon. We are in the coldest stretch of winter, the halfway point from the winter solstice to the spring equinox with the reminder that the final push of winter requires endurance and patience. The light of the full moon is a beacon, a consistent, recurring force in the night sky, a reminder that as seasons shift, nature is resilient, and so are we. In the midst of all the chaos and violence filling our world, our hearts can feel heavy. Staying close to the cycles of nature brings with it a promise of hope, for change, renewal, and the return of light. When I look up at the moon, I feel at peace. Being in nature is healing, it fills me with sensations of calm and comfort. The shared experience of being able to gaze at the same moon across time and distance has the power to bind people together, fostering a sense of connection, love, and shared humanity. This concept carries and uplifts me when I'm sad, angry, confused, or feel like I'm losing hope.  

Nature is a great inspiration to me, I look forward to the beauty of the changing seasons and this is reflected in my movement practice. I have been teaching yoga for over 20 years now, sharing resources of moving, breathing, and meditating provides meaningful connection, creative expression, and fulfills my desire to help others. 

February's Movement Challenge offers shoulder and spinal mobility within Warrior II, Virabhadrasana. In Sanskrit, vira means hero/warrior, bhadra means friend/auspicious, and asana is the pose. In Hindu mythology, Virabhadrasana symbolizes the fierce warrior created by Shiva representing strength, focus, and courage. Warrior II is a standing pose with the front knee bent, thigh parallel to the floor in a lunge. The back leg is extended and engaged. The torso is centered over the hips and the arms extend out from the shoulders in a T-position parallel to the floor, palms facing down. Focus the gaze forward over the front middle finger. A strong and stable lower body in Warrior II will allow for fluidity in the upper body. The videos below show a few options for moving the spine in all directions and encouraging shoulder mobility, reaching the arms outward then upward (Reverse Warrior II) lengthening into a side bend, gentle twisting, moving the spine in flexion and extension, and adding in torso rotations. Using a chair for support in Warrior II may be helpful. Start where you are, find your breath, and see where you progress over time. Once you feel complete, switch sides for a balanced practice. 

Self holding techniques provide soothing regulation to the nervous system promoting feelings of safety, calm, and relief from distress. I learned these techniques through reiki, a practice of sending love, care, and healing through the hands. By using physical touch, such as wrapping your arms across the chest, clasping the hands to the opposite shoulders as shown in butterfly-hug below, cortisol (the primary stress hormone) starts to decrease, heart rate, and blood pressure lowers sending a calming message of self compassion to the nervous system. 

Karuna is Sanskrit for compassion, defined as a sincere wish to relieve the suffering of others. Karuna is a verb, an action of help, "karu" translates as "to do"or "to make" or "to act". Within the context of Karuna, compassionate action is alleviating the suffering of others. Karuna, compassion, mercy, empathy, or kindness is one of the "four divine abodes" along with "metta" loving kindness, "mudita" sympathetic joy, and "upekha" eqanimity, which cultivates an awakened heart and mind.

Compassionate action starts with the self. Try the suggestions above to cultivate self care and compassion. Check in with how you feel before and after.

My previous 'Movement Challenges' start here. As each month passes, this collection of yoga poses and functional movements are slowly growing, allowing creative opportunity to tie them together for a short, daily, mobility routine. 

Please find my current yoga teaching schedule below.

Weekly in-person yoga classes:

Wednesday Chair Yoga (10a-10:45a) at the Melrose YMCA.

Thursday Mat Yoga (8:45a-9:45a) + Chair Yoga (10:15a-11a) at the Milano Senior Center.

FREE yoga videos on YouTube

FREE guided meditations on Insight Timer

January Movement Challenge

"Everything in nature is imperfect, and it is because of that imperfection that growth is possible." Brianna Wiest from 'The Mountain Is You'

January has arrived, the first month of the calendar year, fresh and full of possibility. This is also a core winter month in the Northern Hemisphere, known for being the coldest period due to the earth's tilt away from the sun. Even after the return of light on the winter solstice, there is a thermal lag as nature takes its time (months) to rewarm. Winter is a time for rest, renewal, and recharging after the holidays. Finding rituals that sustain and support during the colder months can be helpful in navigating the balance of effort and ease. In general, slowing down in winter conserves energy and resources. Due to decreased temperatures in winter, the body works harder to maintain warmth causing faster fatigue. Our natural circadian rhythms shift as the sun sets earlier increasing our need for cozy comforts and sleep. Winter often brings a lack of motivation due to decreased sunlight which can affect our mood. Some people experience the "winter blues", a potential sign of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). Healthy lifestyles build resilience and discerning what is best day to day is a personal decision. Listening to what your body, heart, and mind need is a good place to start. Be gentle with yourself, seek out help as needed. To help shift your mindset and boost energy levels, move your body, exercise, get outside for a walk when the sun is shining, find ways to increase natural light in your home, and add moments of rest into your day.

For those who are looking to stay active and find new challenges in movement patterns, I've been highlighting a monthly yoga pose combined with a functional movement exercise. This month, I'm sharing Mountain pose and Sit to Stands, a fundamental movement of daily independence. Mountain Pose, or Tadasana (tada = mountain, asana = seat/pose) is a standing, upright yoga pose that builds body awareness and serves as a base for many other yoga postures. Grounding into your feet with earth energy represents the unshakeable nature of a mountain. The lower body's strong, steady base allows the upper body to reach towards the sky, creating expansive awareness and a receptive, open heart. 

The Sit to Stand exercise is a bodyweight movement (essentially a squat) of rising up from a sitting position to a standing position without the use of your hands strengthening the core and lower body muscles. As a nurse, I have performed the 30 second Chair Stand Test (also known as Sit to Stand) with many of my patients as a clinical assessment used to measure lower body strength and fall risk. I've combined this movement with mountain pose as it is a natural progression of where you land once you are standing up. From a sitting position, the action of pressing down through the feet, hinging forward with the hips, and lifting yourself up is an indicator of health and longevity. To perform this exercise, count how many times you can move from a full Sit to Stand in 30 seconds without using your hands. Normal values vary with age, gender, and medical history. You can read more about the specifics of this assessment and the scoring averages of the Chair Stand assessment on the CDC/STEADI resource page. Be gentle with yourself, if you find that moving from a sitting position to a standing position without the use of your hands is challenging, start where you are. Use your hands to push off your thighs or chair seat to get up. If you practice this exercise consistently, your core stability and muscles (glutes, quadriceps, hamstrings, and calves) will get stronger. 

 

For increased strength progression, try adding a weight as you move from sitting to standing mountain pose. For even more strength progression, try single leg sit to stands (not shown in video). 

My previous 'Movement Challenges' start here. As each month passes, this collection of yoga poses and functional movements are slowly growing, allowing creative opportunity to tie them together for a short, daily, mobility routine. 

This winter, I'm prioritizing moments of rest into my days. Start simple, listen to a guided meditation, enjoy a warm beverage, sit quietly with a sweet pup, or practice Savasana (Corpse Pose). Time is always a factor when adding more things into your day, but even 5, 10, or 20 minutes of rest can make a big difference for your nervous system. Rest allows our body to heal, repair, and strengthen which decreases mental and emotional stress, preventing burnout and overwhelm. Rest is true self care, a reconnection with what we truly need.

Please find my current yoga teaching schedule below.

Weekly in-person yoga classes:

Wednesday Chair Yoga (10a-10:45a) at the Melrose YMCA.

Thursday Mat Yoga (8:45a-9:45a) + Chair Yoga (10:15a-11a) at the Milano Senior Center.

FREE yoga videos on YouTube

FREE guided meditations on Insight Timer

"Instead of perfection, focus on progress. Instead of having something done perfectly, focus on just getting it done. From there, you can edit, build, grow, and develop it to exactly what your vision is. But if you don't get started, you'll never arrive." 

Over the holidays I read 'The Mountain Is You' by Brianna Wiest. This inspiring book of self discovery uses the metaphor of a mountain as being the obstacle between who you are and who you want to be. It's a guide, much like a compass, to help identify your own self sabotaging behaviors (procrastination, unhealthy habits, etc.) that are preventing you from finding your true north. Strategies are discussed to help manage and transform these internal mountains into paths of transformation and inner peace. I filled my journal with many notes and quotes from this book, it continues to be a resource for the inevitable ups and downs life throws our way.