Category: Healthy Living

Reverie…

Post author By Kay T. Ananda
Post date December 3, 2014

Cocooning, Incubating, and Integrating … a Luscious Me-time:)

– Illustrations by Timmy Kucynda

More cocooning, better chance our chrysalis will transform into a even more beautiful butterfly:)
Let’s relax, restore and renew …

All the while holding fully supported yoga poses for spinal and internal organ health.
Each Pose is a “Meditation” … the ultimate ART of DOING NOTHING and LET IT BE GOOD FOR YOU:)

• Light “warm-up” of stretches to soften tightness and melt away tensions – it’s not Yin.
• Recover flexibility nano-millimeter at a time.
• rediscover how your body can feel more expansive and spacious, freed of blockages, the knots, the tightness.
• You find your healing breath that rejuvenates.
• Your sub-conscious mind to merge with your conscious mind yielding more creative juices to flow – inviting yourself to tap into your own pool of …nectar. Sweet:)
• Virtually a Dream state …No longer disconnected, Mind & Body finds peace within and harmony with what’s outside.

The regeneration of organic Self through this quiet practice of utter self-awareness…

I love this practice because…I have always felt we needed a safe sacred space, what you might even call a refuge for reflection, quiet, rest and mindfulness in our hearts and minds.

I too grew up to feel guilty about resting – we have been taught that resting is not essential. That, it’s boring, and the amount of shame and guild felt when we are imposed with the push to always get things DONE – to be productive and achieve. And if there should be any spare time during your 24/7 commitments, we need to be WORKING more and more and if not, either we are lazy or even sick. In fact, for some of us, we are only allowed to rest (not the same a sleep) when we are sick. This is when YOU = what you do, rather than, YOU = what you are.

Think we can give ourselves at least once a week, time to thoroughly digest, nourish and rest. It’s probably the most anti-aging medicine out there that you can dispense yourself. I say this as I listen to a lady tell me how sitting still is SO hard for her and that soothing, reflective, quiet time she found to be VERY challenging & asks me – why? I suggest – How about a sweaty Ashtanga class then ? – she quips – Yoga is just not for me – she continues – I need it to be fun and constantly be moving to beat – need to be more non-stop active! I NEED a WORKOUT ! she flung both arms up with shoulders up to her ears, looking very Nixon-esque as she said this… I noted how absolutely exhausted she looked. It’s interesting that despite looking so worn out and aged, she is driven to do more, rather than slow down and take care of our biological, primal need to move with grace, then, rest. Rest so that … we can again be the best we can be when it matters.

iRest because I deserve that “delicious idleness” purifying my senses to live more fully during the wakeful hours.

Beautiful Places Healthy Living

To the Beach…

Post author By Kay T. Ananda
Post date November 29, 2014

A dog running with an “I captured it!” expression. Owners running after him to get the red frisbee but he would not let go of it. Tugs and pulls but no matter what, this doggie is not about to give up the frisbee. Jaws in tight grips so intent on not letting go. Fun awaits if you let go, dear doggie – you can fetch again like this other cousin of yours – this dog fetches the stick floating in the waves and brings it right back to the owner, drops the stick by their foot, looks up with that longing look – begging – please, oh, please throw it again!!! He seems to be saying. Then the game starts again – fetching over and over and over …again and again. A fun game to play over and over …and … over if you let go of the grips on the red frisbee. Let the frisbee fly through the ocean breeze kissed air! Go after it again – it’s more fun that way! Let the red frisbee fly – you can get it back again. It won’t be lost; you can regain it – Release your tight jaws – Trust me on this. Let it go.

Danger? Still… I want to come on this pilgrimage every week. It’s beautiful here.

Anything Cute Beautiful People Beautiful Places Healthy Living Yoga

Post author By Kay T. Ananda
Post date November 28, 2014

Gratitude for a heart-warming vignette on Thanksgiving Day, teaching at Bay Club. For the class I was teaching came the cutest 8 year old who accompanied her daddy to his yoga class. She was SO adorable and a true yogini at such young age (Her dad reassures me that she can take the class because she does martial arts:) My heart melted when in sleeping pigeon, she held her daddy’s hand. Second time around on the other side, it’s noticeable that as good as she is, she’s still a child. Tremendously hard to hold a pose, probably an eternity for her – so got her to change into doing mermaid pose. She became a beautiful mermaid! Loved seeing the bond between this father and daughter.

Then today, a mom who was in yesterday’s class brought her twin girls – Witnessing the mother and daughters practice yoga together was just SO …sweet. I guess she realized upon seeing the 8 year old the day before, she could bring her middle school aged girls. Of course I said. If they want to do it, not because you are making them do it – if they want to be there, then, sure. Beautiful mom who looked kind of like Shiva Rea – yes, that golden Statute of Liberty look:) A little different from yesterday’s class, but she did not mind the little variation; then a lovely gracious lady from Bay Club, Marin. Don’t think I can travel to Marin County to teach over there – a bit far- but thank you for asking anyway. Very flattered and hope you can come back.

There were couples, friends, and solo practitioners, regulars and totally new faces. Sharing the practice for the Special Holiday and Black Friday – not knowing what to expect was good for me. I learned so much about what works and what doesn’t from these students. Thanksgiving morning and today, when I got on the freeway and the streets seemed deserted, I assumed I would walk into a small cozy class of handful. Shocked to find how wrong I was – had no idea the Club would be packed. Members taking care of their health when so much media coverage appears to be about over-eating (gluttony)and watching TV (foggy and dazed mind), or fighting the crowd at a shopping center (materialism), I was impressed by the show of family love and level of commitment for self-care by the members. Just surprised to see so many people there but with that bright resort-like atmosphere and amenities, why not spend the day? It’s a beautiful mini urban retreat.

As I walked out of the Club, I quietly thanked all my past and present teachers, my loved ones who supported me and allowed me to take hours and hours of training and workshops so that I may serve people with care and competence. Shanti, shanti, shanti.

Anyone practicing yoga anywhere – We are giving ourselves the most precious gift money cannot buy – that of our health. In yoga, unlike other exercises, it’s not just the body, the superficial and core muscles, facias, tendons and connective tissues and joints,you are tending to but so much more; it’s about stretching our MIND & body so that we can be more “flexible” and breathe with ease, freed from pain and aches. Have you ever met people who are not flexible (body & mind), not at ease – rather stiff, uptight … with furrows between their eye brows and noticeable TIGHT jaws… it does not matter that their waistline is super trim, or that they are size 2. Their movement has lost its fluidity and grace … because their whole body is hardened along with their heart and their arteries – ridden with tensions in all aspects of their lives… BUT we have a choice. One does not have to live that way.

Beautiful intentions set this week – beautiful American holiday when young and old gather together … witnessed so much show of love everywhere.