Be a Beginner (And do it next weekend with guest Yogi Christina Sell!)

There is an awesome guest coming to Yoga Garden next weekend named Christina Sell. 

The amount of information she will pour into your body (across four different sessions, Friday – Sunday) will be impossible to absorb all at once. And perfect segue to this weeks topic:

Be a beginner!

Always be willing to be a beginner. Here’s the fun personal story that got me to this topic. I’m in the process of launching a little baby company called Entertainment Jill. I’ve managed and helped run several different start-ups and small businesses. But I’ve never actually owned one myself, and I’ve been working my way through a business plan since July. Anyone who’s started a business (in a relatively new field and new market) knows that the task list is never-ending. So I’ve been doing work in large segments, cause I like to work in streaks, which means some things go a couple weeks without getting touched. 

Like recording. The thing I’ve been doing since I was a teenager, and love to do. Except being away from it for the last two weeks while I’ve been editing, doing artwork, practicing, and teaching yoga, and now I’m recording not just singing, which I’ve done for years, but speaking which is a relatively new art form to me. 

So I got in the booth tonight to record some audition scripts, and freaked out because I felt stiff, 

and couldn’t seem to get rid of my mouth sounds until I realized I was holding my breath while I was talking! Duh, add breath, and suddenly it’s a nice crisp sound without all the mouth smacking. And I realized two things:   

1: Breath! We need it in all areas of our lives! 

   

      Breath brings more oxygen to everything which can make all kinds of things better: headaches, creative stuck spots, brain cognition, attention, focus, stiffness.  Oh breath. Oh yoga. What a teacher.

      2.  Of course its going to feel rusty if I haven’t done it in two weeks. Don’t freak out, just take some time to warm up, and play. And be a freaking beginner. We all are constantly learning, which means if you consistently expect to feel like a beginner at some point in your day, you’re much more likely to not get stressed out by it when it happens.

Breathe. And be a beginner.

So come to Christina Sell. She is going to make me feel like a yoga fool, but the point is what can I learn from her? How can I make my practice work better for me, and what can she offer me to take onto my mat, and off of it, into my life?

Yoga with Calley:

Sundays @ 10:00am - Abbreviated Ashtanga (for beginners!)
Tuesdays @ 6:30 pm - Full Circle Yoga


If you would like to schedule a private yoga session, or corporate yoga class for your company, please contact me:
p. 612.666.9183
e. calley@calleybliss.com

Love Yourself Into A Habit

As I discussed in my post last week, I learned (or reinforced) the idea that it can take up to 84 repetitions (daily!!) to make something a physical habit, with some lucky birds able to achieve “habit status” in as little as 66 days. 

Twenty-one days to form a new habit? Myth.

I also wrote about the need for P.E.A.C.E. in the world right now in my Tuesday e-mailer, reflecting on everything happening in the Middle East, and Africa with the Ebola outbreak. Even on a domestic level – turn on the news and there’s all kinds of stories of people hurting people. The world is definitely in need of more love. So where am I going with this? 

I’m talking about treating yourself well, so that you can treat others well.

I’m talking about the ever-popular topic of love, and patience (entirely emotional), from a tackling angle that is – you guessed it – PRACTICAL. (Practice…practical… DOTS CONNECTING EVERYWHERE!!!)

First, let me say that I’m not pretending to have a simple answer to all the world’s problems. But I do know with 100% of every part of me that is alive and conscious and thinking and feeling that small changes are a direct path to big changes, and science supports this: Even the slightest shift in energy flow can completely change the course of something. An obvious example is a car crash. A matter of inches or seconds can be the difference between life and death. Or a light switch. If the wattage output is too high for the wiring system, you get a short circuit, and no light. The practical yoga application? A simple change in alignment will change an entire posture, how your bones relate, how your muscles engage, and allow for a better-suited stretch to your body, deeper breath, more oxygen to your muscles and brain, release of more happy-causing hormones (serotonin, dopamine, oxytocin, and endorphins), increasing your ability to feel positive emotions, like LOVE. This stuff is not bullshit.

Now, wouldn’t it be great if we all had enough love to give all the time? We’d never be angry, we’d always be able to see things from the opposite perspective and be forgiving. We’d just spread our love everywhere, and people would feel it, and they would feel better, and then spread the love they are feeling and slowly everyone would be a little happier, feel a little more loved...

...and the world would be better because of all the unicorns shitting skittles.

Ok, so that is the ideal. Which likely won’t happen in our lifetimes. But, theoretically, it could work – and does work. You know what I’m talking about - think to an instance in your life where something GREAT happened to you: you got a promotion, your partner told you they love you for the first time, you conquered a long-awaited goal… the rest of the day was likely awesome. The crabby gas station clerk didn’t bug you, you assumed that the lady that cut you off in traffic was just in a hurry to get to her dying mother, you were even able to find forgiveness for your friend when you sensed a hint of jealousy over your awesome new life milestone. So its simple, we just need to feel enough love to be in a place to be dolling it out. Easy, right?

No. How to do this when you work a job that’s good, but maybe not great, and you have bills and debt from college or house, or kids, or LIFE? And frankly, the lady cutting you off really DID bug you…. There’s a lot of negative to focus on, and if you’re not actively being loved on by others, it can feel more like your love tank is just sitting there empty. It’s really hard to spread love, when you’re not feeling loved yourself.  

And my hippiest, hippie comment of all: you gotta love yourself. Can’t nobody take care of others, if they aren’t taking care of number one.

This can be a hard thing to do. But you know what makes it easier???  (I am SUCH a teacher dork.)

HOO-RAY FOR REPETITION!

Repetition!

Repetition!

Repetition!

Repetition!

Repetition!

Repetition!

Repetition!

Repetition!

…times 84, apparently.

As fall comes on, and the weather starts to turn, I invite you to start a new habit 

where you make a space to love yourself more. This isn’t about guilt-ing you onto the mat. And, as I will say over and over and over, it’s not about touching your toes. It’s about giving yourself time to truly check in with your body, your head, yourself. 

It’s about caring enough about yourself to show yourself a little love. It’s not about judging what you look like (I can’t reach my toes to the floor in down dog like that girl!), its not about worrying about what you can do (he can get up into a shoulder stand and I don’t have the first clue where to start!), its about showing up, and making a new habit.

It's allllllll about    L   O   V   E .

Meanwhile, if you reeeeeeally wanna show yourself some love, join me for this workshop coming up in two weeks with Austin-based amazing yogi Christina Sell. You will not regret learning the information she has to offer:

Yoga with Calley:

Sundays @ 10:00am - Abbreviated Ashtanga (for beginners!)
Tuesdays @ 6:30 pm - Full Circle Yoga


If you would like to schedule a private yoga session, or corporate yoga class for your company, please contact me:
p. 612.666.9183
e. calley@calleybliss.com

Simple Repetition

There has been a re-occurring theme that keeps surfacing in fairly different areas of my life this year: overcoming fear.

We all have fears. 

For some of us even admitting that we are fearful of something IS the fear. (ahem, not that I know anyone like that, because I'm always fearless and powerful, and amazing. Oh wait. That's a lie.) And if you're anything like me, the fear comes from a bad habit: comparing ourselves and our skill(s) with those of people who happen to be better at said skill than we are, and expecting that we should somehow magically be as good as said person, even though we are avoiding the very thing that would bring about improvement.  Sound familiar?

You'll hear me say it a lot: I approach yoga from a practical stance. One of the ways I have combatted some of my fears --- and an approach I used DAILY as a classroom teacher and private lessons instructor is this concept:

Overcome your fears with simple repetition.

I got the idea from for this post from reading this article today (thanks to the lovely yogini Laurel Van Matre of Yoga Garden), and I love this quote from the article:

Article courtesy of Fast Company 

"The notion that a habit takes 21 days to form if you stick to it every day is a myth, says psychologist Jeremy Dean in his book Making Habits, Breaking Habits.

On average, a habit takes more like 66 days to form, with more intensive habits like doing 50 sit-ups every morning taking around 84 days to form, according to research out of University College of London that Dean references in his book. 

But these figures will often vary greatly from person to person."

In its simplest form, repetition is how habits are created. If you really think about it, this is how we create our lives. Most of what we do every day is simply a series of habits: where you buy your groceries, what time you leave for work in the morning, who you call when you're having a bad day, the first thing you do when you walk in the door... Creating new habits is hard because its unfamiliar. But breaking it down into something simple. And repetitive

And repetitive

And repetitive

And repetitive

And repetitive

And repetitive

And repetitive...

...makes it easier to pave the way for a new habit. Enter my argument (again) that Ashtanga is GREAT for the following people: 

Avoiders stand proud! 

Procrastinators unite! 

There's-not-enough-timer-ers stay busy! 

The fearful, shameful, and trepidatious be meek!

If you already know this is who you are, why worry so much about changing? Find a yoga that works for you! 

Ashtanga IS simple repetition. 

It's the same set of poses, in the same sequence. So it's a little easier, in my opinion, to create a new yoga habit with Ashtanga because there's no room for "If I try to practice on my own, I don't know what to do next," which is when the demons and distractions take over. Of course if you look at an entire 90-minute Ashtanga Primary Series you'll freak out because it looks like alien behavior. But remember, people who can do an entire series of Ashtanga have been practicing for YEARS, and probably on a daily basis. It's OK to just learn parts of it, and repeat that. Progress happens because of repetition. Whatever you repeat is what progresses. So focus on something simple and it will be easier to stick with it.

Yoga with Calley:
Sundays @ 10:00am - Abbreviated Ashtanga (for beginners!)
Tuesdays @ 6:30 pm - Full Circle Yoga


If you would like to schedule a private yoga session, or corporate yoga class for your company, please contact me:
p. 612.666.9183
e. calley@calleybliss.com

Back Off To Move Forward

Its easy to get blinders when we’re aiming for something. But sometimes we try too hard, reach too far, and overextend, preventing us from attaining the desired prize. It might be the wrong timing, we might need a new resource, we might need to fortify a tool or a skill…

Sometimes taking a step back is actually what will get us to our goal.

So even though we’re all supposed to be good little yogis, enjoying the path, and not attempting to “get to” anything, its human nature to focus on the end product. Its a feat in and of itself to look at what you’re reaching for, take a step back, and do some honest observation of your efforts: this “taming of the ego” is not often encouraged in our culture of “achievement,” but it might be just the thing you need to take a step forward.

OK, so this is easy to say. How do you DO it on your yoga mat? I can help you with that:

EX. 1 - You’re binding, and desperately trying to get your belly button twisted far to the left - take an extra breath, and work on making your spine longer. Notice how much better it feels than trying to bind – this is your edge – this is where you are working to strengthen the minor muscles around your spine so that you CAN bind.

EX 2 – You’re standing on one foot, arms spread, reaching for the floor in Half Moon arda chandrasana – instead of reaching for the floor, plug into your shoulder blade, and try to make your arms as wide as you possibly can, and your spine as long as you possibly can. Ignore the floor. When your arms and spine are long and strong enough, they will bring you to the floor.

These are the kinds of things that bring strength to our bodies over time. Not over two months.

Step back.
Have patience.
Practice.


Yoga with Calley:
Sundays @ 10:00am - Abbreviated Ashtanga (for beginners!)
Tuesdays @ 6:30 pm - Full Circle Yoga

Expanding your bubble and ENJOYING IT

I’ve been on this kick lately about expanding your bubble. Some of us hate change – resist it before it comes, avoid conversations that might initiate it, never throw things away… there are lots of ways that we choose to do the same thing we’ve been doing. And, frankly, who doesn’t love the comfort of going to your favorite pub and ordering that amazing pulled pork sandwich with homemade pickles?? (Ifyou’re ever in Brooklyn, go here, get the pork sandwhich. You will. Not. Reget it. Taking nominations for great naturally-raised pulled pork Minneapolis-style.)

Change is hard… or is it?

Here’s the thing about change: when we anticipate it, we often tense up, nervously await its arrival, overthink and fret about it. And amazingly, when the change comes, sure enough we feel the pain of transition. No wonder the thought of doing something new causes so much stress.

So trying a new yoga pose, or trying yoga at ALL, can, ironically, cause all kinds of stress and worry, especially in a culture where “yoga” has increasingly come to be misunderstood as “already fit” (a load of shit), and “already flexible.” (a bigger load of shit.)

So really, the challenge lies in getting over this anxiety so that you can not only GET to yoga, but get enjoyment out of it. Because when we enjoy something, we tend to do more of it (ah logic). Healthy habit made.

ENTER YOGA MIND TRICKS. (MWA HA HA HA HA HA…)

Relate it to something or some process you already enjoy. You will have to do your own critical thinking about what it is that you enjoy in your life that could relate to yoga, but here are some generalities that everyone can apply (and remember, this is your IDEAL way of approaching something, so throw practicality out the window here):

What kind of pace do you enjoy in life? Maybe you like to bake/cook for hours on end or sit in a park with nothing to do but people watch. Maybe all that sounds like a waste of time, and you’re a thrill junkie, seeking a good adrenaline rush over agility and peace. Whatever pace on the spectrum of “speed” that you enjoy in your ideal state, I suggest mirroring that with the pace of your yoga practice. When your instructor says “take an extra breath or even childs pose if you need to,” they’re not saying it for giggles, you really CAN slow down if you want to. Even though its totally awkward if you stand up in the middle of a boring dinner party and stretch and yawn while everyone else is still on soup and small talk, it is absolutely part of the culture of yoga to go at your own pace, even if it means you’re doing something different from the rest of the group, faster or slower.

Are you a whole-to-part or part-to-whole thinker? Do you like to come up with a general plan, and then hand the small steps over to someone else? Do you get lost for hours in the process of painting a room with absolutely perfect edges? Ask yourself which way you lean on the “see how it all relates vs. learn one thing at a time” scale, and again, mirror that with your yoga. Yoga is ultimately a complex practice that unifies all the muscles, tissues, and bones in your body, in addition to plugging into your emotions, intuition, and any spiritual sense if you have one, but its ok to allow yourself to just focus on one thing at a time: this month, arms. Maybe next month, knees. Or perhaps you will enjoy it more if you let go of any specifics and just go for “relaxing” or “build up a sweat.” Creating a simple goal like this in a way that you enjoy is not only a good idea, it's the best way to learn.

Even folks who’ve been practicing their entire lives will tell you that the challenge of yoga will always be to somehow get all the pieces to work together the way you want simultaneously. But the true practice is just about showing up.

Once you’ve found something about it that you enjoy, you can then COMFORTABLY work towards pinky-toe-ing your way into uncharted territory, and make that bubble just a little bigger.

Yoga with Calley on Sundays @10am (Abbreviated Ashtanga), and Tuesdays at 6:30 pm (Full Circle Yoga)

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