Breakdown Video- Cooling Breath

YaoW! It's hot!
Here's a breathing technique
you can use to cool your system.

Remember -
NEVER STRAIN THE BREATH!
You can easily cause yourself
a panic attack by pushing to hard.
Find a breath speed that's comfortable for you.
Especially with MS-
we want to soothe your system
not aggravate it!
Smooth Steadiness & Ease.
Please honor your body!

So this technique-
You wanna be cool not look cool :o)

Find your easy seat.
Spine straight and tall,
hands on knees or in your lap.
Roll your tongue or pucker your lips
like you're sipping through a straw.
Inhale- tilt the head slightly looking up
as you breathe in coolness at the lips.
Exhale- tilt the head slightly looking downward
with your tongue at the roof of your mouth
breathing out through the nose.
Gently tilt the chin up & down
not causing any strain.

Practice this technique for 10 breaths
or 5 minutes- whatever you've
got time for - even doing just
a few breaths should help
cool you a bit.

Hope this helps you Stay Cool!
Rock Your Practice!
Xo- Suz


Many thanks to
Red Square Yoga Studio
in Seattle, Wa.
for donating the space to film for you!

Ps- This breathing technique
can be used to
bring coolness to your system,
to calm the nervous system
and to quell hunger or thirst. :0)

Yoga is Not Just Asana...

 Yoga is not just asana.
Asana is a part of yoga.
Yoga is also breath work, meditation,
self-study and ritual.
Describing yoga is like describing the sky.
Yoga is there- so's the sky- both limitless.

Physical poses (asana),
meditation, breathing exercises (pranayama)
  and more encompass the Practice of Yoga.
Asana, what most recognize as Yoga,
is done in most group yoga classes.
The practice of bringing your attention to your breath and movement-
of maintaining that awareness through that breath and movement-
even manipulating your breath and movement to produce specific results
(like preparing for sleep or to provide energy)
is all Yoga.

Asana provides a beautiful place to learn and practice this
awareness of your body and breath.
Asana prepares the body and mind for pranayama. 
Pranayama prepares the body and mind for meditation. 
You can do more introspective practices like applying 
the Yoga Sutras, the 8 Limbs of Yoga or other teachings to your life.
All of the above prepare our body and mind to better
control the random fluctuations of the mind.
Especially important for those of us
who need to listen
to our bodies rather than fight it or ignore it.

Living with Mutiple Sclerosis myself
(or any dis-ease that presents chronically)
is a lesson in patience, compassion and more.
It's easier many times to just give up as we feel not so hot and
many of us have experienced doctors, friends or ourselves even
doubting our ability to be all that we can be.

Yoga is a practice.
A life long practice.
You can practice one day- yes, but
your practice will grow with you if you continue to practice.
It's not called Got it-
it's not called Mastery-
it's called Practice for a reason.

A book I was reading recently summed up what being a teacher means to me.
As a yoga teacher- you point to the stars.
Teach how, what, why maybe
but You are the one who Owns the experience.
What will you do with it?!

The journey of Yoga is to each his/her own.
Having the tools isn't enough-
they must be practiced
with diligence and a good heart,
with smooth steadiness and ease.
A persevering Practice-
doesn't mean it never flails.

Sometimes my practice lacks so I practice more intently.
Over and over.
Just like listening to my breath.
Over and over.
Just like honoring and listening to my body.
Over and over.
Repeat.

Honor Your Practice-
Honor Yourself!
Rock it!
Xo- Suz

Self Study- Compassion

I've been working a lot lately with compassion.
Rather than getting frustrated at myself or others-
I'm instead trying to practice compassion.

What exactly is compassion?
I had to look it up to be sure and
I found many definitions but adopted my own.
Compassion, to me,
is being aware of others' suffering.
Being aware without falling into it or feeling sorry.
Being aware of suffering without letting it suck the energy from me.
Being aware of the suffering of others, of the world
while maintaining my own personal space
but still doing what I can to help.
Almost a sense of acceptance & urgency all at once.
Seeing suffering, if I can help- I will.
If I can't-
(a family member addicted to drugs,
a student struggling with a co-dependent relationship,
a government erupting & slaying it's people)
I can still send out compassionate energy
and reserve the energy I need for myself
to be healthy.

I've been meditating on compassion for myself & my body.
As my body suffers in its own way-
rather than getting mad at it
or myself
I'm practicing being aware of it and holding love for it.
Rather than becoming upset or falling into the suffering piece of it-
I'm becoming aware, just noticing and making no judgment.

I ask that of my students throughout their yoga practices.
To notice their breath- make no judgment-
if the mind wanders to whatever (and it will)-
notice it- make no judgment and return your awareness,
your focus to your breath.

I realized this practice of watching the breath
can be used for practicing compassion.
I watch my breath quicken in more challenging poses -
I notice it & bring it back to that smooth even place.
I watch my breath quicken in my day
as I get more flustered at my body's limits-
I notice it & bring it back to that smooth even place.
Actually- isn't this the same as practicing compassion....
I care for a suffering friend & want to help-
I notice it & bring my emotion back to a
place where I can make an even decision.
I notice a person acting out at me though I know they're really
frustrated at something else-
I notice it & bring my emotion of now anger or frustration
for their actions into simply noticing they are suffering too.

Funny that.
All this breathing practice- of noticing, smoothing,

evening, lengthening, moving at the speed of....
I can apply it to being more compassionate.

Can you?
What does compassion mean to you?
Rock Your Practice!
Xo- Suz

Breakdown Video- Beginning Breath Awareness

Number One- always honor your body.
Never push the breath.
Talk to a doctor before beginning.
Don't sue me.
Got it?!

Bringing your awareness to your breath is key.
We breathe all the time yet pay so little attention.
Let this become a practice in your life.
Pay attention to your breath.

Watch the video for a how-to.
In a nutshell-
1. 3 out breaths.
2. notice the 4 parts of the breath
3. use full torso breath
inhale- fill the collar bones,
the rib cage-
softening the belly at the very end.
exhale- pull navel to spine,
like zipping a zipper in a pair of tight jeans.
4. take four or more natural breaths
before exiting your practice.

By inhaling this way-
the breath facilitates a natural lift in the spine,
creating length & lifting the heart (rib cage).
By exhaling this way-
you build strength & stability
in the low back, sacral & belly areas
(who doesn't need that eh?!)

Take this practice into your life.
You can do it every time you think about it-

notice how often you find yourself
holding your breath.
It always surprises me.
But make no judgment- just notice.

Any questions or concerns-
shoot me a line.
Rock YOUR Practice-
make it YOURS!
Xo- Suz


Thanks to
Red Square Yoga Studio
Seattle, Wa.
Yoga Revolution!

Breath Awareness is the biggest, strongest most potent tool for those of us living with Chronic Conditions!

The work of yoga is what we put in.

We breathe in and out.
Whether we like it or not-
we're all a bunch of breathers stuck on this planet together.

Something so intrinsic to our being...
Something we do without thinking...
Breath Awareness is the biggest, strongest
most potent tool for those of us with Chronic Conditions!

Just bringing your awareness to your breath  throughout your day is
a phenomenal and powerful thing you can do
to begin to help yourself.

We'll get to asana.
We'll get to meditations.
We'll get to ritual and more...
The most potent thing you can do now to help yourself is to begin
bringing your awareness to your breath!

Notice if it's a reflection of your day-
Notice your breath when you are relaxed and calm-
notice how the breath is longer and fuller.
Notice your breath when you're stressed or aggravated-
notice how the breath becomes more shallow and rushed.

This exercise can be practiced for lifetimes.
By noticing your breath you can begin to see for yourself how, why and when it
would be beneficial to actively smooth and even the breath taking 
not only the breath but
your anxious, spun mind and body to a place of more comfort and ease.

The idea is to create a smooth even inhale and exhale.
Making your exhale a little longer is more calming and relaxing.
Never ever strain the breath-
Never feel as if you're pushing the breath.
The idea is to find a place of comfort and ease in the breath.
Sounds easy... well in theory- yes it is.

A wise friend said-
Work on Yoga and it will work on you.
See what you find just being aware of your breath...
 
Any questions-
please don't hesitate to let me know
it's what I'm here for.
Xo- Suz

Ps- Breath awareness
calms the nervous system.
Breath awareness activates the relaxation 
response in our parasympathetic nervous system allowing 
a body and mind stuck in fight or flight mode
to release from stress.

Coming this Fall!

Coming this fall!

Yoga Empowered for Multiple Sclerosis
classes in Seattle

and
Yoga Empowered for MS Online!

This has been a dream of mine for a few years now.
I started training to be a yoga teacher over 2 years ago
in hopes that it could help me
manage my MS symptoms along
with it's ups & downs.

It's helped more than I could've imagined
so here we are...

I want to teach you the tools
you can use to empower yourself
to live your life being the best version
of yourself YOU can be!!!
See how Yoga Empowers YOU!

More to come...
Xo- Suz

How to Help: Yoga & Living with Multiple Sclerosis

Practicing Yoga can help
those of us living with MS
and Chronic Illness
in innumerable ways.
It can help improve fatigue, muscle spasms,
stress levels, coordination, balance and more.
Most importantly, Yoga can help
with all of the stressors that come
with living with MS & chronic illness.
We have similar yet different symptoms &
courses but we all have stressors.
For me, the ability to practice Yoga
to help myself when I need it
makes me feel empowered.
Living with MS,
there are a lot of things I can’t control.
Being able to practice Yoga
is empowering and within my control.

When practicing Yoga,
(remember Yoga is not just
practicing postures but breath work,
meditation, self-study & more)
we begin by smoothing & evening
out the breath.
Whether an asana or
a meditation practice is to follow,
we begin here.
We watch the breath as we move in & out
of postures (asana) or
we watch the breath as we meditate or
practice breathing exercises (pranayama).

Bringing our awareness to our breath
over and over forces body awareness.
In time this body awareness
helps us to listen and hear
what our bodies are telling us.
Sometimes I feel as if
my body is screaming
yet I don't wanna hear lalalalala...
but if I don't listen to my body
then I can be stuck on my butt for 3 days
because I "over did it".
Sound familiar?! :o)

Listening to the breath,
forcing this body awareness,
teaches us to listen to our breath & body
and to give ourselves what we need
regardless of what we want.
Sounds easy- some days it is-
the hard part is to continue to practice
diligently and passionately
to bring us to this point.
We can do one Yoga practice & feel more calm.
Imagine if we built upon that.
If your practice becomes a part of your day,
think of how much calm will be added.

When getting MRI tx or steroid bouts,
I use my breath to calm myself.
When I feel a lull in energy,
I use my breath to energize myself.
When my body feels anxious,
I use my breath to relax myself.
When I can't sleep,
I use my breath to imagine
healing and compassion within.
By learning Yoga tools
we can help manage the symptoms of MS
& chronic illness
as well as the ups and downs...
no bill to follow!

In this blog will be many different practices
for you to try.
We all learn in different ways &
different things with resonate
within each of us,
just as it should be!
Find what speaks to you.
Have an open mind about all this jazz
and give it a go.

Here's a few more technical articles
expressing the
benefit of a Yoga practice for MSers...
Great articles from
the Rocky Mountain MS Center-
Yoga and MS- Living Well with MS
Web MD- Yoga for MS video
Yoga therapy Ireland- How Yoga can Help MS
National MS Society- Welcome to the Yoga Jungle

Always consult with your doctor before beginning!
This is never meant to be a substitute
for your doctor's advice
but a resource for information.
Please leave comments with questions or concerns-
that's what I'm here for!

Rock Your Practice!
Xo- Suz

Add Yoga to Your Day- Breath

Yoga breath is a tool we can use not just in our practice
but in our everyday lives.
In your yoga (asana) practice you breathe in & out of poses-
letting your breath tell you if you've pushed too far
or if you're right at your edge.
By listening/ being aware of the breath-
you then back off or go deeper into the pose
depending on the quality of your breath.

In your yoga practice-
the idea is to maintain that smooth even breath
throughout your practice.
Finding your smooth even breath takes practice
as well as maintaining it through each practice.

In daily life-
listen/ become aware of your breath
at points throughout your day.
Notice how in certain situations your breath
will again let you know if
you've pushed too far or if you're right at your edge!

Notice it- make no judgment
(as in your yoga practice)
begin to smooth & even out the breath-
creating a breath cycle (length of each inhale & exhale)
that you can maintain throughout YOUR moment.
This is not an asana practice but it is a way to add yoga to your daily life.
Focusing on your breathing, slowing,
even-ing & smoothing out your breath is yoga.
This is breath work.
Try and maintain that focus on
just your breath for a time- that's meditation.

For MSers-
the practice of breath awareness can help manage energy levels.
Notice how your breath becomes more shallow and
hurried in a notso pleasant moment.
Notice how long & smooth the breath becomes
when in a more relaxed mellow state.
Learning to read this & then manipulate the breath
to give you what you need is empowering.

Even if you are bed-ridden ill- you can do yoga!
Meditation and the yoga breath we use in our practice serve
as irreplaceable tools that go with you
where ever you are,
how ever you are.
It's available 24 hours a day 7 days a week.

The breath alone is a great companion when you aren't feeling well.

What is Yoga?

Yoga is a 5,000+ year old system used to bring
the body, mind and spirit together- into balance.

In America, we tend to think of Yoga as just asana or physical postures, poses.
But really- the physical postures we've grown to know so well are just a part of the whole.
Yoga includes asana, meditation, breathwork and other practices 
to bring the breath, body, mind and spirit into balance
(to control the random fluctuations of the mind). 
 
There are many styles of Yoga and many schools of thought on Yoga.
Check them all out- find what you want to practice and what works for You- 
the Practitioner.

A common untruth accompanies Yoga-
that it's a religious system or that you must follow or believe in a certain religion
or be a vegetarian buddha on the mountain top vegan hippy nutball pretzel person.
This is not true.

There are yogic texts (such as Patanjali's Yoga Sutras)
that may be interpreted as a religious script but again
that is a misrepresentation.
The Yoga Sutras speak of ways to experience Yoga-
through mind, body and spirit-
not through one religion or deity.

If anything- Yoga encourages individual growth of self and
self examination in a loving and accepting way.

Any questions you have- let me know.
Xo- Suz