anything vs. everything

A quote by David Allen reminds us that, "You can do anything, but not everything." An obvious dig at our over-scheduled, under pressure, multitasking lives, most of us can relate to the fact that we can only do a certain amount of things or to a certain degree before quality and sanity begins to degrade. But think about how these words apply to your yoga practice. Are you okay with not achieving certain goals? Do you happily sit out certain parts of a yoga class? Really?

It's easy to answer, "yes," if you're just picturing a bunch of humdingers that you have no desire to work toward. When you see something as completely unachievable, of course you won't care if you don't do it. However, what about a pose that you have been working toward or a pose you've always struggled with? What if some poses are always a struggle for your body or just not appropriate for you to practice?

When you're enthusiastic about something like yoga, it's natural to strive toward progress. Finding more space in your hamstrings, deepening a hip-opener pose or nailing that first arm balance might feel like little milestones that have defined moments in your yoga. That's great if the progress is gentle and genuine. Yet there are times where we all feel frustrated and we might do well to focus on a few important reminders.

1) Prioritize meditation. Physical progress can only go so far without deep awareness and self-control. Eventually, you will hit a wall and if your mind is not where it should be, you will push through anyway, usually resulting in injury, frustration or perceived failure. I've been there! Early on in my yoga practice, I was focused on seeing and feeling physical changes. Little did I know how changing my focus would change my life. If everyone put their mental state first, there would be no such thing as a "yoga injury."

2) There is no competition. Though it might be obvious to control your frustration when you don't achieve a pose, remember the equal importance of avoiding patting yourself on the back when you do achieve a pose. I know it feels great when you're finally comfortable with a pose you've worked long and hard to pull off, but if we truly acknowledge this lack of competitiveness, it works both ways. 

3) Yoga is a lifelong journey. We all know this. Progress doesn't happen overnight, we need to have patience, take it slow, be content...etc. To embrace a yoga lifestyle is to know that we need to be gentle and tuned in to our bodies, but it's all easier said than done. 

4) Practice alone. When you first begin to practice on your own, I believe that it's one of the first steps toward accepting your real practice. When there are no cues from the instructor, no friends or classmates to impress, your mind and body come first. Nothing can replace a studio practice either, but practicing on your own can be a great way to bring things back to basics and simplify.

"You can do anything, but not everything," is a powerful phrase to meditate on. You can only push your mind and your body so far before you are compromising something. It's better to do a little bit of mindful yoga than a lot of mindless yoga, as with any other task in your life. So pay attention to wherever you are and let yourself be ALL there. Namaste!

5 fab hip opening postures

Our hips are a very important part of an overall healthy alignment. Many a knee or back complaint is actually a result of tight muscles surrounding the hip. Especially for those of us who are stuck at a desk all day, it's important to pay attention to the hip muscles, which often shorten and tighten from being in the contracted position for far too many hours.

Take a gander at a few of my favorite hip opening poses below and give the names a click for Yoga Journal's specific how-to. (The tips below just include the most common mistakes and modifications) Practice them carefully and mindfully, breathing deeply and being sure to not overstretch.

5 fab hip opening yoga postures

1.) Stacked Log - This one can be uncomfortable or too deep for some, so pay attention. Make sure that the top ankle is out over past the bottom knee. Both sets of toes should remain flexed toward the shins and if your hips are tight, tuck the bottom foot in a bit. For more, fold forward, leading with the chest. For less, don't do it.

2.) Reclined Cobblers Pose - Let everything really relax here. It should feel great, but if it's too much, prop the knees up a bit with blocks or blankets. Hands can rest on the inner thighs like little weights, stretch up overhead, or take one hand to the ches and one to the belly to notice your breath.

3.) Dead Bug - Allow the knees come out as wide as they can, soles of the feet reaching up. For more, press the feet down with the hands, knees toward the armpits. For less, use a strap or a towel to hold the feet in the air. Wherever you are, be sure to press the navel down toward the mat, flattening out the lower back. From there, you may gently rock from left to right for Happy Baby Pose. 

4.) Low Lunge - Make sure that the knee is stacked over the ankle, not past the ankle. (You should be able to see your toes) If you need more, walk the back foot toward the back of your mat. If the grounded knee is sensitive, roll your mat or place a folded blanket underneath for support, or go eat a snack.

5.) Lizard Pose - The knee should be over the ankle again, here. You'll get more from it and protect the knee joint if you keep it that way. Don't worry about coming down far enough to make this look like you're in Cirque du Soleil, but do stop whenever you feel a nice, deep stretch. Keep the shoulders and neck relaxed wherever you are.


Stay tuned for a full breakdown on the glorious and infamous Pigeon Pose, which is also a huge hip-crowd-pleaser, but deserves its own post for those of you who think you hate it. Keep yoga-ing!

3 common mistakes in 3-legged dog

3-Legged Dog has always been one of my favorite yoga asanas. I think it's a great way to lengthen the spine and warm up the legs for practice. But if you feel like there's something missing from your 3-Legged Dog, you might be making one of a few common mistakes.

1.) Twisting the foot/torso: As we raise the leg in 3-Legged Dog, it might be tempting to twist the foot or pelvis, thereby achieving a bit more height for the leg. Although it is appropriate sometimes, leg height is not a goal of this pose and for beginners, twisting the foot or hips can create instability and loss of balance.

"The alignment instructions for Downward Dog also apply to this uneven variation: Even though you are standing on two hands and one leg, the shoulders and pelvis must remain square. This is the key to finding stability when you begin to lift one leg." -Yoga Journal

When we keep the hips square and toes facing the mat, we're engaging the deep lower back muscles and glutes. When we allow ourselves to twist open, we lose some of the spinal stretch in favor of stretching the front of the hip and side body.

2.) Rocking backward: As in Downward Facing Dog, stable hand position is imperative here. When we challenge our balance by lifting the leg, a common mistake is to compensate by shifting the weight slightly backwards, putting more weight into the grounded foot. Though this might feel more stable, it's actually bringing the entire spine out of alignment, usually collapsing and pinching the upper back. With this shift, the knuckles might curl ever-so-slightly and the hands are no longer grounded into the mat, so we totally lose the spinal extension.

3.) Rocking forward: As with rocking backward, coming forward onto the hands defeats the goal of the pose. Not only does it put unnecessary pressure on the wrists and shoulders, but rounding the upper back will create tension in the shoulder blades/scapula. Coming off balance as you move forward will also prevent the leg from reaching it's full height, thereby, again, losing that spinal extension.

3-Legged Dog

So when we focus on our Downward Facing Dog position before floating the leg into 3-Legged Dog, our hips, shoulders and hands stay grounded and aligned. From here, when the leg rises, we experience a deep spinal stretch and opening of the hamstrings.

One of the best tips I can offer to feel the full alignment of this pose is to flip it! Take the balance challenge out of the equation and lie on your back. 

Practicing 3-Legged Dog on the floor will help you to take note of how your body is aligned. Stay here for a few breaths, really being mindful of how each muscle feels before taking it back to hands and feet. Namaste!

5 steps toward full wheel pose

Having goal poses to work toward can be a healthy part of your yoga practice. Whether you have your eye on a certain asana for a physical or emotional release, taking steps to achieve a special posture is exciting if you're mind and heart are in the right place. That being said, please always check with your doctor before embarking on any new yoga posture, no pose should ever be forced or uncomfortable and if you have any doubts or questions along your journey, please seek the help of a certified yoga instructor.

Now that that's out of the way, we're going to explore one of my favorite advanced postures: full wheel pose, upward facing bow or Urdhva Dhanuasana in Sanskrit. Perhaps one of the more popular goal postures, wheel has a special way of making the practitioner feel strong, open and energized. Usually thought of as a deep back-bend and heart-opener, wheel can also provide amazing wrist opening, arm strength and relief for back pain.

Steps 3 (bottom) and 4 (top) of full wheel pose - Photocredit, fitsugar

If you are comfortable with poses like Camel, Bow, Bridge, Wild Thing Pose and Reverse Tabletop and if you're free from back injury, carpal tunnel syndrome and high or low blood pressure, wheel might be a wonderful pose for you to work toward. After thoroughly warming up the hips, wrists, spine and arms, here's where you might start:

1.) Lay on your back and bend the knees so that your feet are flat on the floor. Tuck your feet as close to your tailbone as possible, knees together. Open your fingers wide and rest your palms on either side of your head, fingers facing toward the body and elbows toward the ceiling.

2.) Inhale deeply and on the exhale, ground into your feet, engage the abdominals and lift your hips off of the floor until your thighs are parallel to the floor (a modification of bridge pose). Try to keep your knees close together. (You might hold a block between your thighs to help.) Hold here for two deep breaths.

3.) If you're comfortable, on your next exhale, press into your hands and focus on lifting your shoulders, tipping your head back and gently resting on the back of your head. Make sure that your arms remain active (do not allow the elbows to splay out to the side) and hold this position for two deep breaths. If you feel unstable or your arms are shaking, you may want to stop here. Keep working on steps 1-3 until you feel more confident in your arm strength.

4.) Once you feel satisfied with step 3, you're ready to enter full wheel. If you're concerned that your hands will slip, please either practice with a spotter or place your wrists up against a wall before lifting up.

On an exhale, press into your hands and feet, straightening the arms and lifting your head. Press the chest up and back and be sure to keep the elbows and legs parallel. Continue to breathe deeply, holding as long as you're stable and then mindfully reversing these steps to exit the post. (Start by tucking the chin in to the chest carefully, and lowering slowly down)

5.) It is very important to balance this posture, so please be sure to practice a counter-pose for your spine, such as hugging the knees into the chest.

Keep in mind that this pose is advanced and will not come overnight. Please do not feel discouraged if you seem to plateau at step 3 or even step 1. We all start at our own beginning, but how satisfying it can be to struggle and gain strength through a challenging pose! If you'd like a bit more information, here's a great post on what NOT to do in wheel pose such as clenching your bum, lifting the heels or turning the fingers/toes...all common tendencies at first. Take your time working up to this post and enjoy the process.

Please contact me with any comments, experiences or questions.
Namaste :)