| The holidays often bring us to a place of marking our grief. Experiencing our first holiday without a loved one, their absence seems to be everywhere. Our traditions seem to have glaring gaps. Celebrations feel flat without that extra voice we know. That special something that we all bring with us, unique wherever we are, just won’t be there. No one is exempt from grief, not even the King of England. Many of your know that last year I had several dear friends leave the planet, to find myself attending a grief seminar hosted by AARP. The major concept I took away from the session that helped me process grief is in the chart below. Instead of believing that time heals all wounds, and that my grief would grow smaller, I learned that grief remains the same — while life grows larger to surround it. |
Grief has led me into a larger life. In retrospect, I see how death of my father opened me up to going to college in my 30's. The loss of my mother put me on the path to walk my first, and to date only, marathon in Ireland. The decline of our newsletter’s prospects spurred me to leave publishing and follow my passion to become a yoga teacher.
While we mainly associate grief with death, in fact there are many faces of grief besides the permanent loss of a loved one. Divorce comes immediately to mind. Not just the loss of a marriage, but the loss of all our expectations of that union which will never come to be. In fact, the loss of any relationship, for whatever reason, can also leave us mourning. Losing a job or home — even when it’s a positive life move — can also cause grief.
As my 75th birthday approaches, I find I need to grieve physical things that have already departed — like my hips and shoulder, replaced over the last 14 years. Or just the gradual slipping away of other abilities, like being able to sleep through the night. Poses that I once did with ease in what seems like only yesterday, are now difficult or even impossible. However, these losses led me to expand and develop Chair Yoga. Now bringing the benefits of yoga to students who have lost mobility or are unable to come down to the floor.
What I know is that every loss deserves its time of recognition and grief. Sorrow needs to repair itself — whatever your loss — allowing your grief to bring you present with your Self. Hugs, a.
Since yoga is over 5,000 years in the making, it seems that science is now catching up to why yoga's been around so long. A fascinating look at the benefits of simple squats is at BBC Reel. According to the BBC the up-down movement is like testing the shock absorbers of your brain.
In my Chair Yoga classes we affectionately call these squats "Tush Taps." It's a variation of Chair pose (Utkatasana).
While the BBC does a great job showing diverse squats, Reel fails to address form that works no matter your shape. Here's how you get good form, so you get all the benefits of this pose.
When you sprinkle squats into your day, you'll find coming down lower will evolve for your practice. Yoga is even better, and more fun, when you practice. Subscribe to my YouTube channel for more tips on how to sprinkle yoga. (Don't forget my DVDs are now on sale!)
One trick to this sprinkling, of course, is to attach your squats to another activity that you do often. Watching TV? Squat during commercials or between each show. Reading a book? Get up and do a few squats after a few chapters. In the kitchen? While the tea is steeping or coffee is brewing, add a few squats. Or add a few deep belly breaths, or add a favorite balance pose — you will find a little sprinkling of yoga throughout your day will add up to big benefits in the long run. Heap O Hugs! a.
