Jean's Yoga Lovenotes

Here is a great article on unplugging from technology and regenerating from my yoga teacher, Shiva Rea. Read it here  Peace!

As the days are getting longer and we are all eager for springtime weather I find myself working with springtime athletes who are starting to get their game on and helping them incorporate yoga and mindfulness into their practices. Here are a few nuggets worth remembering as you start a new sports season. * Remember that if you are starting up an activity after not having done it for a while to start slow and be sure to stretch before and after practice to help alleviate soreness and injury.  It doesn't have to  be long, maybe 5 - 10 minutes each but consistency is KEY! * Drink water and lots of it.  Try to remember to hydrate about an hour before practice so your body has time to absorb the fluid. * Think about what your goals for the day. How are you going to be better today than you were yesterday?  What can you do to be a great teammate? * Have fun!  The journey is the adventure! "If you're trying to achieve, there will be roadblocks. I've had them; e...

“ Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others. ” by Marianne Williamson  

  Enjoy!  Peace!

People sometimes say things to me like this: “I can’t touch my toes so I can’t do yoga.”   "I am not fit enough to do yoga." “I am not good enough as the others in class so I can’t do yoga.”     “Yoga has a lot of weird terms and is hindu based so I don’t agree with that.”   “I know I should do yoga and it would be good for me but it will be hard.” “I think it is just a bunch of mumbo jumbo.”   I even had someone recently, who has never taken a yoga class,   say to me that they “hated” yoga. Wow, wow, wow, it never ceases to amaze me. Would it be worth a look at these words and see if they really resonate.    Could there be something else that makes one hesitate to give yoga a try?   Was it a previous experience made your body sore so therefore yoga is bad?   Or maybe you moved your body in ways you don’t normally and it didn’t feel right.   Or maybe you felt something that freaked you out a little.    I get tha...

Saints Bowing in the Mountains Do you know how beautiful you are? I think not, my dear. For as you talk of God, I see great parades with wildly colorful bands Streaming from your mind and heart, Carrying wonderful and secret messages To every corner of this world. I see saints bowing in the mountains Hundreds of miles away To the wonder of sounds That break into light From your most common words. Speak to me of your mother, Your cousins and your friends. Tell me of squirrels and birds you know. Awaken your legion of nightingales— Let them soar wild and free in the sky. And begin to sing to God. Let’s all begin to sing to God! Do you know how beautiful you are? I think not, my dear, Yet Hafiz Could set you upon a St...

Let me tell you, the last few weeks have been some serious challenges going on around me (and inside of me!).  Most of you know that when I am not in “yoga teacher” mode, I also work in a school district as a techno nerd queen aka network administrator.  Working with students shows us that kids can be our biggest teachers sometimes.  We really have to never forget to love our kids each and every day, (especially when they upset us and we do not want to) because that is when they need it the most.  Take time to check in with your kids or some student you may know and find out what’s up with them.  It can be hard sometimes to peel that onion down and get to the real story but when you do, you will find all kinds of interesting thoughts and things going on that may surprise you. When I was recently going through a rough patch with my teenage son, (yeah, those happen! Remember when you were a teen???)  I was having a really hard time getting him to share what...