Motivation - starting home practice - acknowledge your successes!

So, you've watched the couch potato video, and you've been to yoga classes. you know you'd like to have a home practice....now..... you're looking at your yoga mat, it's way over in the corner, calling your name.... Day 1 You don't unroll it, but you lie supine, supported on vertical roll, focus on your breath, let your shoulders relax with gravity and your chest open. Wow. Acknowledge your success! High five! You did a little home practice! Day 2 Your mat is now away from the corner, where it's easy to reach. You unroll it! You do 3 standing poses, and 3 shoulder openers! big success! Day 3 You get reinspired by going to class. Phew! All you have to do is show up! yay! Day 4 You practice some of what you learned in class. You end with the Savanasa (corpse pose) track 9 "Extended Body Relaxation" on joniwellness CD Volume I. Day 5 You make a date with a yoga buddy to practice together. It sure is easier to practice together! bravo! Day 6 You are still so inspired from your first 5 days, you may as well keep going so you start a 7-day record. Practice your favorite poses. pat on the back! Day 7 You can't break your record now, but you're a little tired. You take our your rolled mat and start with the supported chest openers. You feel so good you keep going with easy, soft, restorative poses. You thought you would do just a few minutes, but the poses feel so good, you spend over an hour just being present with yourself in simple asanas, tuning into your thoughts, your feelings, your True Self.
It feels so good, no applause needed....

NH Workshop with Patricia Walden and Edwin Bryant Sept 6-9, 2007

This getaway in New Hampshire was rich with the teaching of Patricia Walden and the third pada (chapater) yoga sutra study with Edwin Bryant. Especially after coming home from Enlightened Warrior Camp! (see facebook for our group in Ellenville Aug 20-26). The accomodations were in the largest structure ever built by the Shakers (not the Quakers - I took the museum tour to refresh my memory, and got to ring the bell in the cupola!), with a peaceful and beautiful energy - from the wood structure, the loving care of our NH organizer Janice Vien, the fresh New Enlgand air, and to make it complete for me, a dip in the lake and view of full sky of stars, with shooting stars to boot! If you have a regular practice (level 2-4) , I would highly recommend you consider this workshop next summer (sometime next August - dates not firm yet). Drive is 4.5 hrs from NYC, 5 hours from NJ side of the Hudson.