Alicia King's Blog

Posted by Alicia King

Aparigraha, the yama usually associated with abstention from greed or possessiveness also applies to the thoughts, beliefs, or stressors in our lives that we do not need or that no longer serve us.

Just as I was asked gently to scan my body in this morning's Supta Baddha Konasana to locate and release any tension I was holding onto, we must learn to release the worries, cares and concerns of our lives to the universe.

Surrendering to the support of the floor, the bolster, and pillows supporting me and keeping me safe and comfortable, what was I supposed to do? There comes a point when we can no longer hang on to the things that are harming us.

This holds true for every part of our lives.

As I wrote in an earlier blog entry, I've been struggling a great deal with depression. Those clinging, grasping, cloying thought patterns of "not good enough" and "never getting better" are one example of thoughts and beliefs I had to let go of.

Now, thanks to the safe vulnerability of yoga, I'm able to surrender to the Universe the other things I worry about in constant refrain: money, weight loss, finding my life's calling....

Posted by Alicia King

During the past few days away at a Yoga as Muse writing workshop led by Jeff Davis, author of Journey from the Center to the Page, I learned too much about the embodied mind to fit into a single, tiny blog entry.

One of the lessons that continually occurred to me there on my yoga mat, my laptop warming my quads, was the idea of gentleness.

Jeff is a warm, gentle teacher. He approaches the world as a yogi, and behaves and carries himself with the calm and poise of a yoga teacher. Which he is. RYT Davis has studied with Sri Desikachar in India as well as other schools of yoga and meditation.

When he helped me with an adjustment in an intense twist on Wednesday morning, the thought coalesced. I never want to study with a writing teacher who does not possess the gentleness of a yoga instructor. Entrusting my writing is just as sacred, just as important as entrusting the safety of my spirit or body is in a yoga class.

Author and memoirist, University of Connecticut Writer-in-Residence, Daniel Asa Rose was a special guest in this particular workshop. Rose also exuded kindness and wisdom. Yes, they were still real people, just like the other twelve attendees, we shared meals together, learned and taught one another.

I have an overriding sensation that attending this retreat will reverberate as a turning point in this part of my life. I learned that I still enjoy performing on stage, that I still have a yen for it, and that I still have the presence and talent to be able to pursue it…. I see my next great adventure beginning to take shape.

Posted by Alicia King

I’m currently working to unlock poses and interview beginning yogis and yoginis about their experiences with the Wii Fit. (only two more to go!)

I have a series of articles that will probably rise out of the work I’m doing now:

• The first one is about the first four poses that are automatically available when you start up the system
• Another article will include important safety notes and modifications for the 7 poses on the Wii that you unlock and use the balance board to perform
• A third will cover the final four poses available on the Wii Fit, as well as the yoga-inspired lessons in the Strength and Balance portions of the game
• The fourth one I'm drafting will be posted under Video Games, and is my response to skeptics and yogis who think that the Wii Fit is altogether a bad idea. (My opinion, a little bit yes, a little bit no...)
• A fifth will eventually outline a yoga “class” using the Wii fit, allowing players to practice a complete yoga routine that does not follow the poses linearly, but rather in a sequence more like what you would find in a studio yoga class

Important Safety Notes: If it hurts, don’t do it.

There are already blogs and reviews that complain of sore and strained knees. I’m beginning to understand why that is.

Please read the detailed articles for more information about saving your knees and protecting your neck while using the Wii Fit!

Posted by Alicia King

I'm indebted to Decatur Healing Arts for a warm and welcoming introduction to Qi Gong (or qigong, the “q” is pronounced with a “ch” sound) this evening, where my boyfriend and I attended a one-hour class.

He went in feeling sluggish and tired from workday and commute. I was curious and very nervous.

I have tried Tai Chi in the past, and I found the fluid standing motions to be daunting, especially in sequence. I know that I attach a bit too much to the outcome - concerned with being graceful, with moving in slow, soft lines. I also know that my inherent goofiness prevents me from this finesse.

Susan's Qi Gong class was taught in the lineage of Master Chen of the Wu Dang Monastery, and we practiced a series of movements called "Wu Dang Yang Shen Gong" in tonight's class. I was enchanted.

Much of the focus of attention was on the breath, which took my attention off of my oafish feet and hands and allowed me to simply follow the movements. We pushed and pulled the energy, and built a lot of heat in a powerful standing meditation pose that circulated energy and attention across horizontal and vertical planes.

By the end of the class, I had worked up a light sweat and felt far more graceful and relaxed than I'd started out. Brett felt a lot more alert and awake, and we were both hungry!

This is definitely a practice I'd love to explore. The movements were simple enough to learn, the real challenge was being aware of the breath while performing them - a true Mind-Body experience!

Posted by Alicia King

Between the Healthy Kids Expo announcements coming from the Suite 101 home office in Canada, to reading and reviewing kids yoga books like Yoga Calm and Itsy Bitsy Yoga, it seems like I’ve been bombarded with the idea of children’s fitness and health concerns.

I also learned this week that there is going to be a wellness initiative here in my hometown led by Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, which is one of my favorite in-town non-profits. I’m applying for a position with the team that will be creating their new web portal. What an exciting opportunity to do something that can help shape the lives of children and families!

Include the Kids Every Day

Right now, I’m frustrated about my own weight gain, and I knew that the key to getting myself up and moving would be to have support from my family. Getting the boys on bikes and out rolling around the countryside has been a great motivator!

Plus, it's easier to make healthy meal decisions when the whole family is eating something nutritious together. There's nothing that drives me crazier than cooking separate meals for everyone!

So, whether your concerned about your own fitness, your spouse's or the kids' - the solution is to support one another as a team, and to learn about choices you can make together, as a family. Starting or joining a community garden is a great way to ensure that your family has a ready supply of fresh, local organic vegetables!

We all know that children learn best by example, so it makes sense to include your children in the choices you have to make for everyone on a regular basis!

Posted by Alicia King

At first, I was startled to find Barbara DeNatale's article "Organize Your Kitchen and Get Fit" here in the Mind / Body Fitness category.

Then I began to consider how our food choices reflect so many things about the rest of our lives, and I realized that her wonderful article belonged here after all.

Self-Care

Above all, eating is an act of self-love. It is the most nurturing thing we do for our bodies every day. What we choose to eat, how we prepare it, the thought and effort that goes into our food is reflective of the amount of care we choose to pay ourselves.

Some people undertake special diets or fasts to cleanse their bodies of toxins, and if that's what your body is asking for, then that's what you should do.

My body doesn't like wheat. I've been eating wheat-free, gluten-free for about three years now, and I can tell a huge difference in my health and sense of well-being. In honor of this particular brand of self-care, the articles I posted this morning were actually in the Baking section, regarding flour conversions and binding agents for wheat-free baking.

Raising Consciousness

As environmental awareness grows, consumers are increasingly concerned whether produce is organically and locally grown. We are protecting our bodies from chemicals and pesticides, as well as protecting the earth from the impact of shipping large quantities of food across long distances. These choices also reflect the kind of impact we are willing to have on the world around us.

You might take a moment to consider again the old adage "you are what you eat" in terms of how well you treat yourself, or your world. Think about how you might be able to be kinder to yourself in terms of what you eat.

Posted by Alicia King

I have written a few articles about Mindful Speech, and Complaining Mindfully. Mindful speech reminds us to ask ourselves if what we are about to say is true, kind, and necessary.

I've been a bit behind in my article postings - and my blogs - because for the past few weeks I've been depressed. I didn't know how depressed until my boyfriend made me promise him I would go see my therapist....

These topics are far more closely related than most people realize. The thing is, ahimsa and satya apply to our self-talk just as much as they speak to how we treat the rest of the world.

Depression is caused by habitual thought patterns that repeat themselves like destructive mantras. We hurt our own feelings with these thoughts. The trick is to slow down, and examine the thoughts. Approach each one individually and assess it, just as you would some comment that you were about to make:

• Is it True? Look at the false logic, pick it apart, then you can discount the thought!
• Is it Kind? Depression is caused by unkind self-talk. Tell that snarky voice in your head to back off!
• Is it Necessary? It's your brain's job to think. You aren't going to be able to stop the stream of thoughts swirling around in your head. Using Yoga to slow them down and look at the thoughts objectively will allow you to discern which thoughts help you, and which ones hold you back.

Wow, there’s way more than a blog here! Stay tuned for more articles on Yoga and Depression

Posted by Alicia King

Yesterday, I went to a pottery studio to try throwing for the first time. Under tutelage, I wasn't bad. The instant the instructors stepped away, things got wonky.

I've never wrapped my knees around a wheel before. Wrapping my mind around the effects of centrifugal force on my little tea mug was tough enough, let alone considering how to maintain the structural integrity of the whirling white glob in my hands.

Centering

The first lesson in pottery is Centering. In pottery terms, this is how one ensures that the unformed clay is in the exact center of the spinning wheel. The palm of one hand is providing firm strength and stillness, while the outer edge of the other hand is guiding the top of the clay downward.

The position of the two hands in this act made me think of Tai Chi’s “Jug of Life” position. Perhaps that’s not such a strange analogy, on further consideration.

When clay is perfectly centered on the wheel, you can curl your hands around the outside of the whirring unformed object-to-be, and feel no wobbling, no distortions, nothing but smooth roundness and a solid, firm base for your work of art.

Staying Centered

It turns out, my personal pottery challenge is not in getting the clay centered, but in keeping it centered as I work the form into a new shape. I can create the base of the peice. Trouble begins when I start pulling at the edges to bring them higher.

In yoga, this is similar to the transition of taking the meditative awareness generated in Sukhasana (Easy Pose) and maintaining it as you lengthen and straighten your spine in Tadasana (Mountain Pose).

Posted by Alicia King

According to this report, the World-Wide Yoga Championship has already written the rules on winning at competitive yoga. Yogis perform a series of postures "for 120 to 150 seconds each" (I'm a little confused by the coverage at this point. Are the poses held for two minutes, or are the "routines" 2 - 2.5 minutes long?).

Scored on a ten-point scale on flowing movement, steadiness, alignment, and... serenity? Apparently, if the contestant shows effort or stress they are marked down.

Competitive Yoga Causes Injuries

Granted, yoga does not have to be a pathway to spiritual enlightenment for every person who sits on a mat. I can accept that for some folks, it's just a relaxing, low-impact workout that makes doing other fitness activities easier. To some people, yoga is just stretching with music. I get that.

However, trying to force your body into any pose is an easy way to hurt yourself. Paying attention to what you could do yesterday instead of what your body is doing today is dangerous. Let alone trying to out-bendy the gymnast two mats down.

As far as the "spiritual path" side of the argument goes, there are Martial Arts in the Olympics, as well. (Though you don't see non-combatant sorts clamoring for a medal...) I'm not going to string that harp.

Like Giving out Gold Medals at a Scrimmage

My yoga teacher once pointed out that the greatest gurus refer to yoga as "Practice". It's not Yoga Perfection. It's not Yoga Mastery. It's PRACTICE.

If this mentality helps us to relieve ourselves of just a little bit of stress... isn't it worth it?

Posted by Alicia King

Yesterday, I felt glum. I had called off work with a migraine, and after I woke up with the headache subsiding in the early afternoon, I proceeded to sit in the dark and berate myself for all of the things I wasn't accomplishing.

As the afternoon grayed into twilight I realized I was getting nowhere with these blue thoughts, so I decided to run through a brief relaxing yoga routine. I hoped to do something to get me out of my head; maybe I could even relax my tense neck and shoulders.

By the time I began my first Downward-Facing Dog pose I was crying. Bending my knees and sinking back into Child’s Pose, I curled in on myself in the fetal position and let the tears flow. Consciously, the only thing I concentrated on was keeping my belly soft, and observing the emotions as they washed over me.

I have never responded so strongly to down-dog before, but I’ve known other yoga poses to affect me emotionally. Sometimes inversions, sometimes backbends are what bring subconscious feelings bubbling to the surface; at other times it’s a hip-opener that cracks the façade.

Consciously, I could only allow myself to feel sad and a little sluggish. I wasn’t able to tap into these deeper, more raw-feeling emotions until I slowed down and listened. The beauty of Mind / Body practices such as yoga is that it provides a safe, gentle place to feel whatever we need to feel, and to be whomever we are in that specific moment. It allows us to become more real.

Posted by Alicia King

First and foremost, Mind-Body Fitness is a personal and experiential topic. Everyone is going to experience a class or session differently, and every individual is going to find some nugget of wisdom to share with the world.

For a while, I've felt like I was pushing my articles out into the enormity of the internet without a good understanding of what my readers are looking for, or whether or not they found it here.

Joy, our Editor-in-Chief just sent an email to the writers to announce the new "Comments" feature that will be added to the articles we write. Unlike the previous "Discussions" capability, contributors to the comments fields do not have to be logged in as members, so it opens up the field of conversation to anyone browsing here.

How does it work?

"Following each article or blog post, your readers will now be able to post a comment. When they click “add your comment” button, a comment thread is started for this article or blog post below the article/post in chronological order, i.e. most recent to first."

Where to begin?

While folks don't mind emailing a writer with kudos about particularly helpful articles, I would love to know about any articles that might leave your questions unanswered. Where do you coverage of topics might fall short? Are there areas where you'd like to see things explored in greater depth?

Do you have insights or similar experiences to share?

I'm so excited! I feel like this new update to the Suite 101 capabilites is really going to help us improve the Mind-Body Fitness section!

Posted by Alicia King

Practitioners of the Feldenkrais Method hear that Rolfing hurts and they stop there. Rolfers see that the Feldenkrais folks aren't necessarily addressing the body's "war on gravity", and turn a deaf ear.

Moshe Feldenkrais taught that learning cannot take place in the presence of pain. In Feldenkrais "Awareness Through Movement" classes, students systematically learn the easiest way for their bodies to move through various positions and situations.

The bodywork system is hinged on the fact that everything in the body is connected, and that creating ease in one area of the body will in turn generate ease, relieve pain and teach students new ways of thinking and responding to change.

Ida Rolf also determined that everything is connected, and she took it a step further. She identified the tissue element in the body that actually connects everything together: the fascia. By stretching the fascia, Rolfers are creating freedom of movement, release and ease.

Pain? That's mainly a matter of perception.

I can remember a yoga instructor leading us into an intense stretch and reminding us that the body's natural response to sensation is to send a message of pain. If we relax, we can discern intense feelings that are not painful at all.

My experience with Rolfing was that of intense sensation and the revitalization and freedom of getting a deep internal stretch.

Many thanks to Mike Waefler of Atlanta Body Therapy for taking the time to speak with me personally this week. Mike is one of very few certified Rolfers who is also a certified teacher of the Feldenkrais Method.

Posted by Alicia King

I have bicycles on the brain with the spring sunshine and longer days. My bike is named Rachel, and the guys at the bike shop swear it isn't unusual for a bicycle to be given a name.

My boyfriend and I hitched up the half-bike trailer for his six-year-old son. I’m not sure if it is due to the overflow of enthusiasm or the wonderful weather, but together they rode a total of 25 miles this past weekend.

I’ve ridden a bit more than they have in the past few months, and have thoroughly tested out my bike route home from the new office. I look forward to the weather being a bit more consistently cooperative with my seasonal urge to pedal around town.

What does this have to do with Mind / Body Fitness?

I’ve never formally learned “good form” on a bicycle. The last bike I’d ridden before Rachel had been during the pre-ergonomics days when bicycle seats were low enough I could touch the ground with my feet at an intersection. But from what I know of intrinsic equilibrium (or "Primary Control" as Alexander called it) I do know that I shouldn’t be straining to ride a properly fitted bicycle.

In honor of the season, I've put together two articles that bring together two of my favorite activities:

• In Mind / Body Bicycling, we explore how to use the awareness and alignment components of mind/body fitness programs in a biking routine.
• In Internal Focus while Cycling, we explore synchronization of breath with movement and intention setting for cyclists.
• And in Yoga Poses for Cyclists, I've gathered some suggestions for strengthening and stretching the muscles that need it most when you spend a great deal of time pedaling.

Posted by Alicia King

I first studied the Alexander Technique in college as a former stage actress, budding yogi, and varsity foil fencer.

I had heard a few things about it helping free the breath and teach better posture, and that it could help my game, so I signed up for the elective taught by my school's intimidating voice and music professor. Given that this coursework was undertaken no less than a decade ago, it's a testament to the depth of the lesson that I still recall Alexander's work so vividly.

• My first "body map" included no neck at all
• I vividly remember the day I stopped trying to drill holes in the ground with my heels and started to ride the sidewalk with lighter steps
• To this day, I do not “sit up straight” by jutting my chest forward and up, and arching my lower and middle back. .... instead I think about the crown of my head, and I take a series of nice belly breaths. Between my yoga training to breathe fully and clear my pathways for that air, and the concentration of leading with the head, I am able to grow into a natural, comfortable position that resists downward pull and allows me my full breath.
• Whenever I’m dancing, doing yoga or tai chi, or just want to pretend to look graceful - I remember two things, lead with the head, and flick the motion of my limbs through the wrists and ankles and off the ends of my fingers and toes.

Posted by Alicia King

In my article aimed at explaining Mind/Body Fitness, I outlined the 5 components of Mind/Body Fitness practices, as defined by the International Dance and Exercise Association (IDEA):

IDEA states that a mind/body program includes one or more of those components.

Technically speaking, practices such as the Feldenkrais Method, Alexander Technique or Rolfing include a considerable concentration on muscular movements and actions, as well as kinesthetic awareness and attention to alignment. The Alexander Technique, in particular, is focused to a large extent on freeing up the passage of breath. Why are they often considered "bodywork" rather than mind/body?

And, on another extreme, weight-lifters synchronize movement with the breath, pay special attention to their alignment and form, and concentrate a great deal on muscular action. Why isn't weight-lifting considered mind-body fitness?

The difference rests in the intentionbehind the activities. In mind-body practices, the mental focus of the practitioner is an essential element. Fitness is almost a happy afterthought in terms of classical mind-body practices like Yoga or Tai Chi, where the focus is more on internal self-study and meditation.

Couldn't we then argue that Pilates belongs among the "bodywork" sorts of practices? Sure, we could. But who wants to be that cantankerous?

Posted by Alicia King

In my article demystifying Mind-Body Fitness, I explored the factors that make practices such as Yoga and Pilates alike, as well as the things which differentiate them.

So many choices....

I've often lamented that the "Yoga Pilates" topic was too narrow a focus, when there were other ancient mind-body practices like Reiki, Tai Chi and many martial arts practices that were excluded. Also left out of this exapansive category were bodywork, movement and dance styles like the Alexander Technique, the Feldenkrais Method and Rolfing. Newer hybrid styles like Nia and Gyrokinetics were also left out!

It will take a little while to build a substantial amount of articles in this new, exciting topic - but the possibilities feel so much more limitless, don't they?

Posted by Alicia King

At the New Year, I shared with everyone the changes that were taking place in my career. Now, the part-time web content copywriting job I accepted as a stop-gap has developed into a full-fledged, full-time position!

I love my work, though writing all day makes it a little less inspiring to come home and write some more.... hence the title. I'm feeling a little overwhelmed.

In honor of my own blah feelings, here are a few quick moves to refill the energy stores that work for anyone who's been cubicle-bound all day long:

• Every Hour on the Hour: Stand tall in Tadasana and stretch your arms up overhead with a yawn.
• Lion Face: While you've got your mouth wide open, open your eyes wide, and exhale with a roar-like sigh. Stick your tongue out as far as you can to loosen the muscles of the face and jaw.
• Look at the ceiling: Take a small backbend while you're standing up. Without straining or pushing it too far, just look up and back a little bit. Protect your neck by imagining you have to hold a large grapefruit under your chin.
• Shake it out: Shake your arms out and down, your legs, your head and neck. It loosens muscles and helps you work out areas of tension you might not have noticed.
• Chair Twist: Use the arms of your desk chair, or the edge of your desk for a seated twist. Remember, inhales get you taller, exhales sink you a little further into the twist.

There, don't you feel more awake and alert!? No trip to the soda machine required!

Posted by Alicia King

It’s easy to find medical reports citing that yoga is good for any number of physical and mental ailments. Yoga classes have been cited as helping with depression, hypertension, heart disease, arthritis pain and menstrual cramps.

Studies have shown that folks who lose weight can keep it off with a regular yoga practice. And that there are immune system benefits with regular exercise.

Yoga's centering, grounding and relaxing effects almost seem like a panacea.

Dr. Orrin Devinsky, author of recently release third edition of “Epilepsy: Patient and Family Guide” notes that stress can bring on an attack of epilepsy. If that's the case, you would suppose that a regular yoga practice might help stave off a seizure. Unfortunately, there are no studies yet to prove whether or not this is the case.

Dr. Devinsky states that there is more research desperately needed in the area of complementary medicine for the ongoing control of epilepsy.

Posted by Alicia King

Among the Niyamas, "Shauca" - purity or cleanliness - seems pretty straightforward.

My house looks like a disaster because I’m cleaning out closets and junk drawers and I’m freecycling or donating every last bit. I want this stuff out of here! I can’t continue to struggle to keep my small space clean around so much extra STUFF. To me, this is one way of practicing both Aparigraha (non-hoarding) and Shauca at the same time.

Another way that I practice Shauca each month is to menstruate. I don't say that with any intention of being gross or shocking, though in most cultures I've crossed a line. Even using the verb form of "to menstruate" in an active sense, rather than in a passive, disassociated manner sounds odd to most people who refer to menstruation as if healthy women are afflicted by a curse or abducted by an alien power.

In order to do my small part in counteracting the negative press menstruation gets I've decided to write:

Why I Love my Period

• A regular cycle serves as an accurate barometer of my overall health
• I clean out my body naturally each month (it never fails to inspire me to do more housekeeping)
• Not to sound too “woo-woo”, but I feel more connected with my femininity, the cycles of the tides and the phases of the moon when I'm menstruating
• Connecting with this "taboo" part of myself opens me up to my whole body as a yogi, and I understand how all of my systems work together in harmony
• (Not to mention the relief it provides with a birth control scare!)

Posted by Alicia King

Back Breathing

One of my favorites is actually a children’s excersize detailed in the book “Yoga Calm for Children” that is called “Back Breathing”. Back Breathing is a wonderful activity to increase compassion, as well as a calming sense of stillness and connection.

One partner goes into Child’s Pose. She relaxes completely with a full, even breath. The other partner places his hands on her lower back where he can feel the wave-like rise and fall of her breathing. Closing his eyes, he tries to synchronize the waves of his own inhalation and exhalation to match hers.

Variations of this pose could include drawing pictures or writing messages on your partner’s back with your finger to relax even more beforehand, or giving your partner a gentle lower-back massage while she is curled up in Child’s Pose.

Don’t forget to swap places and repeat the process!

Let’s Twist Again

For a gentle and cooperative seated twist, sit indian-style facing one another knee-to-knee. Both partners wrap your right arms behind your backs, reaching palm-outward at the waist.

On an exhale, twist to the right, bringing your hand closer to your partner. Reach with your left hand and graps your partner's right. Then provide gentle resistance for one another as your inhales get your spine longer, and exhales pull you gently farther into the twist (being careful not to put too much pressure on the middle-back). Repeat on the left side.

Posted by Alicia King

I'm not a mom. My boyfriend has a 5-year-old son who I see once each week. I love Ethan with all my heart, but I'm not responsible for his well-being, except as a member of his village, so to speak.

"Can I help?"

If the boys are playing video games, I go in the other room and make a sculpture out of clay. It never fails that when they walk through for a break, the little guy is drawn to my quiet, creative play. So, I toss a lump of gooey clay into his little hands, if even for a minute.

"What's Yoga?"

When I saw Ethan instinctively curled into Child's Pose to self-soothe after an arguement, it occured to me that I would love to share Yoga with him. But I've been stymied as to how I could describe the poses in terms he could understand.

The book I've just reviewed, Yoga Calm for Children really helped with that challenge! What a great approach, and simple, clear ideas for giving children the ideas behind the poses using archetypes and metaphors.

Emotional First Aid

Another thing Yoga Calm taught me about was what to do as a caring adult in Ethan's life when he's experiencing big, strong emotions. His dad's really good about that stuff, but I had honestly grown fearful of the responsibility of being left alone with him. Now, I feel more secure about dealing with whatever comes up in a way that is healthy and supportive for Ethan, which is what any quasi-step-girlfriend-parent-ish person would want.

Posted by Alicia King

Sorry for the brief delay between my blog posts recently. I've been doing a lot of soul searching.

With strains of Frankie Avalon singing in the back of my head, I feel like I need the pink bouffant hairdo. I've decided that now is not the right time in my life to pursue my RYT-200 Certification Training.

When I enrolled last fall, I was certain that this was the right school for me, that I was learning from the perfect teacher… but I ultimately spent more time convincing myself of these things than seeing the truth for what it was.

For now, I'm a writer who practices yoga,. I'm a yogi who writes, and I'm not going to be a yoga instructor anytime in the relatively near future.

That's not to say I'm not ever going to pursue teacher training. I think it is definitely a course of action for me at some point in the future.

What I am saying is that where I am in my life right now, and with that particular teacher, this is not for me. Perhaps I needed a more structured curriculum, a few milestones so I could build momentum and see how far I’ve already come. Perhaps I just need to wait until the rest of my life settled down a little bit more.

Staying with something for the sake of commitment even though it was not working for me is tantamount to saying I'm not capable of learning what I need or want. It goes back to that old definition of insanity about continuing to do something the same way and expecting different results.

I’m not a certified yoga instructor, but I’m still fairly sane.

Posted by Alicia King

I take my pets in for their booster shots and vaccinations every year, yet I figured I didn't have any more of those left to take. I'm no longer a student; I don't live in a dorm. Why on Earth do I need a booster shot?

Tetanus boosters are due once a decade?! Go figure.

I've had a welt the size of a poached egg on my right shoulder for the past three days, and that didn’t hurt nearly as much as the swollen lymph gland that was working overtime just under my arm.

Being a yogi, (and forced to sit out of class due to my inability to raise that arm above a 45-degree angle) I decided to practice some Santosha, and be content with the brief reprieve. If I can’t attend yoga class then I certainly can get out of doing housework for a day or two, right?

Not only did I have a few days off, I also managed to be inspired by my quandary, and wrote an article about our strange, wonderful bodies – this most recent Yoga Anatomy article focuses on the lymphatic system – to give us all something new to think about next time we check for swollen glands.

If you like Anatomy lessons with a Yogic twist, You might want to check out a few similar articles:

• The Diaphragm
• Spine Safety Series (there are several articles about the various parts of the Spine)

Posted by Alicia King

I have uncovered a recurring theme in my writing lately.

From New Years Resolutions to my articles on Yoga for Weight Loss and its benefits for people suffering from Arthritis Pain, I keep writing about tenacity. General Stick-to-itiveness.

One of the things that I highlight in both of my most recent articles is how it’s more likely for Yoga and Pilates (and Mind-Body practitioners in general) to stick with their regular routine over the long term.

The reason for that is because it feels so good. It’s something we do for ourselves, by ourselves or with a group of like-minded folks, and it’s something we enjoy. There is a euphoric high that comes right after a yoga practice that cannot be matched.

There is the sense of deeply rooted calm that comes from finding the spaces in between our thoughts.

Yesterday was my last day of work at a place where I showed up from 8 – 5 for the past 8 years, 5 months and 23 working days. I closed the door on a huge part of my own sense of security.

Richard Nelson Bolles, the author of the hugely popular book “What Color is Your Parachute” said this in an interview: “…our culture… gets absorbed with a single question: What's changing? Nobody remembers to ask the other question, What's remained constant?”

What’s remained constant? Who I am. My yoga practice. My home. My boyfriend. My pets. My friends and family. My writing.

When we’re adrift in Savasana, my guru likes to say “There is a great sense of Freedom and Courage that comes with deep relaxation.”

Try counting your blessings as you move from one asana to the next this week. That’s what I’ll be doing.

Posted by Alicia King

I already realize that 2008 will mark a huge amount of change in my career. Last year, I set into motion a series of events that will now allow me to pursue my calling rather than continuing to labor away at a job that I’ve ceased to enjoy.

It’s a huge leap of faith, and I waver between feelings of elation and panic.

I know that it is vital for my sanity and sense of well-being to maintain a sense of the changeless. I know that in order to give my life room to expand and grow in the direction I’m headed, I need to create space.

My New Year’s Resolutions this year reflect this need for grounding: in a daily yoga practice, a daily writing practice.

The daily practice commitment will support and encourage me to meet other goals – like finish my teacher training to obtain my RYT Certification, or finding a studio in my area where I can teach yoga this year.

A daily writing practice will ensure that I meet my goals for Suite 101 – I want to have at least 101 articles posted by the end of this year. We are also working on creating a larger series of articles that depict and describe specific yoga poses!

They also give me room to grow: I’m going to write myself permission slips to explore new areas and to go on new adventures.

I am going to continue to clear clutter from my home, continually purging anything that I don’t need, love or cherish from closets, bookshelves and desktops.

New Year’s Resolutions don’t have to be set in stone. I prefer mine to be a little more like clay.