Yoga was the first thing that helped me to change my life. My practice led me to meditation, which I now dedicate 15 minutes everyday to cultivating. Yoga and meditation have been two constants that have helped me to stay sane during this self-quarantine and I am hoping that it will help you. Anytime I suggest meditation to someone, the first thing they say is I can’t meditate, my mind has too much chatter or I can’t sit for that long. Trust me, I never thought I would be able to meditate because my mind is constantly racing, but meditation was just what I needed. I had to learn to let go of expectations and judgement and this meant if my mind was quiet for 5 seconds during the 15 minutes, that’s an accomplishment. There is a reason it’s called a practice and not a perfect. Reading “How to Meditate: Secrets to the Easiest and Most Effective Meditation Technique” by Lary Terkel was one of the first steps that I took on my journey to meditation. This book is perfect for beginners and I share one of my favorite techniques with you under the pranayama section.

I also found a meditation partner, someone to hold me accountable. We agreed a couple years ago to start meditating for 15 minutes everyday and we would text one another a thumbs up when we were done. When someone is holding you accountable, you feel more compelled to make the time rather than the excuse. I don’t think I would have made meditation a daily habit if it wasn’t for my friend.

Preparing a Space

Let me just start by saying you can meditate anywhere and with nothing but yourself. The main thing is that it’s a quiet space away from interruptions where you can get comfortable. One of my favorite places to go is my local park. I grab my headphones, phone (for my meditation app or music) and a blanket, find a nice tree to sit under and meditate out in nature.

Here is a list of things that I use to help make my space a little more peaceful and help bring me into meditation mode.

• Cleanse yourself by smudging with Sage, Palo Santo or Cedar. Cedar is a little different because it doesn’t come in a stick. With Sage and Palo Santo I like to light it, by holding it under the flame for at least 20 to 30 seconds or until it lights. I start by swirling the smoke around my heart center using circular motions. I then move it up to my head, circling the smoke around my head and then down the entire length of my body, front and back. I allow the smoke to surround these areas all while maintaining the intention that I am cleansing any and all negativity from my body and replacing it with love, light and peace. The most important thing with smudging is just the intention.
• Light candles
• Apply or Diffuse Essential Oils
  • Serenity (Doterra Blend)
  • Frankincense
  • Myrrh
  • Sandalwood
  • Neroli
  • Vetiver
  • Cedarwood
  • Lavender
  • Peace (Doterra Blend)
  • Align (Doterra Blend)
• Build an alter with some of your favorite photos, crystals and symbols of what you are manifesting in your life. Below is a picture of my altar on the bottom shelf of my book case to give you some inspiration on what to include.
• Have a cushion or blanket to place under your sacrum and help you get more comfortable.
• Crystals
  • Clear Quartz
  • Amethyst
  • Black Tourmaline
  • Rose Quartz
  • Selentite

Different people and different books will recommend contradictory stones and essential oils to use for various things. I’ve listed above some of my personal favorites but this doesn’t mean they are the best ones for everyone. When it comes to crystals and oils, much of choosing the right one is intuition. You can walk into a crystal store and one stone will just speak to you, you will be drawn to it for no explainable reason. The same can happen with oils. You just always find yourself gravitating to a certain scent, but it’s probably because that is what your body needs at this moment. If you have a crystal or oil at home that you love, meditate with it. There really are no rules.

Yoga

Fun Fact: Yoga was created to help people condition their bodies to be able to sit through meditation. So the ultimate goal of yoga is not about handstands and scorpion pose, but rather meditation. Quieting the mind and bringing stillness to the body. For this blog post I will switch things up share the yoga poses first and then my favorite pranayama method for silencing my internal dialog since this is the order you will use them.

Easy Seated (Sukhasana) is a simple cross-legged sitting position. For those new to yoga and new to meditation this is a great pose to start with.

• Sit on the ground with the legs extended out in front of you in Staff Pose (Dandasana).
• Sit up nice and tall, letting the crown of the head press up toward the ceiling.
• Arms at your sides, shoulders relaxed and away from the ears (Image 1).
• Bend the left leg, placing the soul of the foot along the inner thigh of the right leg (Image 2).
• Bend the right leg and bring the foot up and let it rest in front of the left shin.
• The left foot should be tucked into the crook of the right knee (Image 3).
• You can place a folded blanket under your sit bones to elevate your torso.

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Hero Pose (Virasana) is great pose for meditation that also offers the benefit of stretching the feet, ankles, quads and hips. This may not be comfortable for people with knee or ankle injuries and should be approached with caution.

Thunderbolt (Vajrasana) is a variation of Hero Pose where you sit back on your heels instead of between them. You can play around with both poses and see which one feels best for you.

• Start by kneeling with the toes untucked and the hips over the knees (Image 4).
• Keep the knees together and take the feet just wider than hip distance apart (Image 5).
• Lower the seat down, sitting back on the mat with the feet along side by your hips (Image 7).
• If your seat doesn’t comfortably reach the mat, place a block or rolled blanket between your feet before you lower down (Image 6).
• If you experience any pain in the ankles, place a rolled blanket under them before lowering down.

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Half Lotus (Ardha Padmasana) is a more advanced yoga pose that should only be practiced by those with some yoga experience. Even if you are not ready for this pose, it is a great goal to work toward.

• Sit on the ground with the legs extended out in front of you in Staff Pose (Dandasana).
• Sit up nice and tall, letting the crown of the head press up toward the ceiling.
• Arms at your sides, shoulders relaxed and away from the ears (Image 8).
• Bend the right leg, placing the right ankle on your left thigh, bringing it as close to the crease of your leg as comfortable (Image 9).
• Bend the left leg and tuck the left foot under your right knee (Image 10).
• After staying in this pose for 5 to 10 breaths, slowly extend the right leg out in front of you followed by the left leg.
• Switch sides so that your left leg is on top of your right thigh and stay here for 5 to 10 breaths.

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Corpse Pose (Savasana) – I’m not going to lie, when I meditate my favorite pose is savasana. I find that my mind wanders less if I’m not focusing on my back pain, feet falling asleep or butt cheeks tingling.

For additional cues for getting into Corpse Pose (Savasana) click here to see my blog about keeping calm.

Corpse Pose is said to be one of the most difficult postures to master. It is far more than just a chance to relax after a rigorous class; it is a chance for us to practice a type of conscious dying, a letting go of the things that no longer serve us. Savasana symbolizes not only the death of our physical practice, but the release of the tension in our bodies and the clutter in our mind which cause us anxiety and stress. As we allow our bodies and minds to relinquish any attachment that we may have to our problems, our self-doubt, our worldly possessions, we go through a process very similar to the one that we will all face when we die. This letting go in savasana allows us to release our preconceived notions of who we think we are or should be and enables us to focus on our core selves, our soul, which will live on long after our physical bodies are gone. In corpse pose we surrender, not only to death but to the unknown and to the changes we need to make in our lives. It allows us to release and prepare for our rebirth.

After emerging from savasana, it is common to roll onto our right side coming into the fetal position. Much like corpse pose signifies death, the fetal position takes us back to our bodies at the time of our birth symbolizing our resurgence. The fetal position is our reminder that each day is a blank page where we are free to start living the life we’ve always wanted. The past no longer exists and the future is never promised. The only thing that is real is this moment right here, right now. I challenge you to make this day count. Make today the best day it can be filled with new beginnings and happy endings.

Pranayama

This one is not necessarily a type of breath, but rather a little trick that I learned from the meditation book I mentioned above. For me, keeping my monkey mind from wandering is hard work. Once you are settled into the meditation pose that works best for you, you will close your eyes and start to focus on the breath. Start with one deep inhale through the nose, open up the mouth and sigh out the breath completely. Imagine you are on a swing. As you inhale, the swing is swinging forward. You are extending your legs out in front of you, leaning back and smiling big. As you exhale, envision the swing swinging back. You are bending your knees, pressing your chest toward the sky. Continue to imagine this image along with your breath for the duration of your meditation. If your mind starts to wander, acknowledge the thought and bring your focus back on the breath and back to your swing.

Meditation

If your are still finding it difficult to meditate, try a guided meditation. You can look for guided meditations offered in your area, many of them will be at yoga studios or a meditation center (yes, this is a real thing). You can also find audio recordings on your computer or phone so you can meditate in the comfort of your own home, favorite park or special place. Lizzo recorded a mass guided meditation that she shared on Instagram to help people calm down during the Coronavirus. Click here to listen to her beautiful gift to the world.

Click here for some guided meditations offered around Las Vegas (scroll down to All Results not the Sponsored Results).

With so much craziness surrounding us right now, I wanted to share these next two posts with everyone in hopes that it can give you some peace. We can all use a good calming ritual in our life, not just for times of excess stress, but as a daily practice. Whether we are preventing anxiety and stress or trying to relieve the overwhelming feelings we are currently having, these are habits we can always turn to. I’m a Virgo that tends to stress out and overthink everything, I can even manage to overthink my overthinking. Here are a few tried and true tools that I use to calm down. I hope you find them helpful!

Pranayama

Alternate Nostril Breathing or Nadi Shodhana can take some getting used to, but once you do it is a great calming breathing exercise. I always recommend blowing your nose before you get started because this one tends to get your sinuses activated.

• Come into an easy seated pose either in a chair or cross-legged on the floor.
• Relax the shoulders and sit up nice and tall with the crown of the head pressing up toward the ceiling.

Right-Handed People:

• Rest your left hand on top of the left thigh if you are sitting in a chair or on the left knee if you are sitting cross-legged, with the palm face up.
• Bring your right hand up and fold down the index and middle finger (Image 1).
• Rest your thumb on the right nostril and the ring and pinky fingers on the left nostril (Image 2).
• Gently close off the right nostril with your thumb (Image 3).
• Inhale through the left nostril.
• Gently block off the left nostril with the ring and pinky fingers (Image 4).
• Exhale through the right nostril.
• Inhale through the right nostril.
• Gently block off the right nostril with the thumb.
• Exhale through the left nostril.
• Inhale through the left nostril.
• Gently block off the left nostril with the ring and pinky fingers.
• Exhale through the right nostril.
• Inhale through the right nostril.
• Gently block off the right nostril with the thumb.
• Exhale through the left nostril.
• You may continue to breath like this for five more rounds, but you will end the breathing exercise on the exhale through the left nostril.

Left-Handed People:

• Rest your right hand on top of the right thigh if you are sitting in a chair or on the right knee if you are sitting cross-legged, with the palm face up.
• Bring your left hand up and fold down the index and middle finger.
• Rest your thumb on the left nostril and the ring and pinky fingers on the right nostril.
• Gently close off the right nostril with your ring and pinky fingers.
• Inhale through the left nostril.
• Gently block off the left nostril with the thumb.
• Exhale through the right nostril.
• Inhale through the right nostril.
• Gently block off the right nostril with the ring and pinky finger.
• Exhale through the left nostril.
• Inhale through the left nostril.
• Gently block off the left nostril with the thumb.
• Exhale through the right nostril.
• Inhale through the right nostril.
• Gently block off the right nostril with the ring and pinky fingers.
• Exhale through the left nostril.
• You may continue to breath like this for five more rounds, but you will end the breathing exercise on the exhale through the left nostril.

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For more information on the background and benefits of Nadi Shodhana, click here.

Yoga

Child’s Pose (Balasana) is great for calming as well as digestion. Closed-legged child’s pose keeps the spine convex or rounded over the legs, giving the back a nice lengthening and stretch.  If you feel any back pain, come out of it slowly and either modify or abandon it altogether.

*Do not do this version if you are pregnant. Avoid child’s pose if you have any knee injuries. 

• Start out kneeling on the mat and sitting back on the heels (Image 5).
• Bring the hands down onto the mat in front of you (Image 6).
• Start to walk the hands forward, folding over the thighs and bringing the forehead down onto the mat (Image 7).
• If your forehead does not touch the mat, place a block, rolled blanket or stack both fists and rest the forehead here.
• If you have any pain or tightness in the knees or your seat doesn’t reach your heels, roll a blanket and place it behind the knees.
• Extend the arms out in front of you or rest them along the sides of the body.  
• Take five to ten deep relaxing breaths here.
• Slowly walk the hands back toward you and press yourself back up into Hero Pose.

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Wide-Knee Child’s Pose is a variation of Childs Pose that gives the spine a concave stretch, arching slightly. Here you will feel the stretch in the hips and shoulders. Again, if you feel any back pain, come out of it slowly and either modify or abort mission.

• Start out in Hero Pose (Virasana) kneeling on the mat and take the knees to the outsides of the mat, toes stay together.
• Sit back on the heels (Image 8).
• Bring the hands down onto the mat in front of you (Image 9).
• Start to walk the hands forward, bringing the chest and forehead down onto the mat (Image 10).
• Extend the arms out in front of you, keeping the arms engaged and elbows lifted off the mat.
• Take five to ten deep relaxing breaths here.
• Slowly walk the hands back toward you and press yourself up.
• Draw the knees together and sit back on the heels.

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Both variations of Child’s Pose are great to take during yoga classes when you feel like your body needs a break or you need to regroup before getting back into the asana.

Legs-Up-The-Wall (Viparita Karani) – This pose is great if you’re having trouble sleeping. Doing this for 5 to 10 minutes before can help with insomnia. The benefits of Legs-Up-The-Wall seem unending, but a few of my favorites include alleviating migraines and headaches, lessens anxiety, aids with digestion, alleviates mild depression, calms the mind, refreshes the blood to legs and reproductive organs, helps with menstrual cramps and relieves lower back pain. Who doesn’t love one good pose that can do so many different things?

• Come to the wall.
• Sit down with your left side pressed up against the wall and the knees bent, souls of the feet on the ground (Image 11).
• Use your right hand to guide yourself down onto your right side lying in the fetal position (Images 12 and 13).
• Scoot your bottom until it touches the wall.
• Roll onto your back and gently swing your legs up so that the backs of your legs are pressed against the wall.
• Place the hands along side of you, on the heart or on the belly (Image 14).
• You can close your eyes and just relax here.
• When you are ready to come out of the pose, draw the knees in toward the chest (Image 15).
• Roll back onto your right side, coming into the fetal position (Image 16).
• Use your left hand to press yourself up.

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Corpse Pose (Savasana) or your final resting post after a yoga class. I’m sure you’ve seen the shirts that say, “I’m Just Here for the Savasana”. During a long, difficult yoga class, savasana is that light at the end of the tunnel. Students wait in anticipation for the teachers to cue them down onto the mat and onto their backs. This pose may be the most relaxing pose in yoga.

• Lay back on your mat, belly facing up toward the ceiling.
• Draw the shoulder blades down the back.
• Arms are along the sides with the palms facing up.
• Step the feet out to the edges of the mat and let the feet fall open like the pages of a book.
• Close the eyes.
• Let the mind be still and focus on the breath. Stay here as long as you would like.

To come out of your savasana:

• Stretch the arms overhead, stretching out the entire body from fingers down to the tips of your toes.
• Draw the knees in toward the chest.
• Gently, roll onto your right hand side coming into a fetal position, using your left arm as a pillow (Image 13).**
• Stay here for a couple breaths.
• When you are ready, press into your right hand and press yourself up to seated.

**If you are pregnant you will roll onto your left hand side instead to prevent the lying on the vena cava.

Self-Care

• Essential Oils – You can diffuse the oils into the air, smell them from the bottle, or use them topically. If you use them topically, make sure they are safe to apply to the skin and you use a carrier oil to dilute them as recommended. I use Doterra because they are therapeutic grade. I know that Young Living is as well. Some great places to apply essential oils are the insides of your wrists, your heart area, but my absolute favorite is the bottoms of the feet. It may sound strange, but our largest pores are on the bottoms of our feet which means the oils are able to absorb quickly. Not to mention, our feet are a road map to the rest of our body. If you’ve ever seen a reflexology photo of the feet, you know that every area of your body can be reached through your feet. Pretty amazing, huh? Here are my favorite essential oils for relaxation.
  • Lavender
  • Serenity (Doterra Blend)
  • Vetiver
  • Bergamot
  • Chamomile
  • Melissa
  • Rose
  • Melissa
  • Clary Sage

Playlist

Here is an hour long playlist with some of my favorite calming songs to relax me and put me in a good mood!

https://music.amazon.com/user-playlists/2d6ed3c4f6e8456a9748f67e30aa4740sune?ref=dm_sh_37fa-365b-dmcp-de77-3abf8&musicTerritory=US&marketplaceId=ATVPDKIKX0DER