Pitta Balancing by Melina Meza

Summer is a pitta season, and as such, fire and water elements will be more predominant, and most people will feel the heat, sweat more, and seek refuge in cool water to help regulate their internal furnace. Relaxing is one of the best ways to decrease pitta’s hot, ambitious nature and prevent your elements from going out of balance in the first place. It’s best to take it easy, do less, and take frequent deep breaths in a hammock under the shade of your favorite tree.

In the Western culture, there is a tendency to try to be consistently productive all year round, without exception. On an intuitive level, most people know that taking downtime in the summer feels right because everybody needs and deserves a break. In the West, the work environment and ethics are aligned with the pitta elements and create a world for enthusiastic people to strive for perfection and power, reflecting the “like increases like” Ayurvedic sutra.

But when the Pitta elements are out of balance in your lifestyle or in your body, what you notice is often a feeling of being burned out, dried up, tired, and angry. You carry along companions like regret, especially if others around you are having fun. When it’s hot, bright, and perhaps dry or humid outside, it’s best not to take on too much responsibility or overplan your free time; rather, leave some time to be spontaneous and let yourself go with the flow.

Ideally, all these practices should be followed, but if the list seems overwhelming, choose just a few that resonate with you and commit to them for the whole season.

· Wake up before the sunrise at 5:30 to 6:00 a.m. (do your best!) and greet the day with gratitude for another opportunity to celebrate life.

· Wash your face, brush your teeth, scrape your tongue, do a neti pot, and lubricate your nostrils with oil or ghee.

· Drink hot lemon water with a little salt in the morning to stimulate elimination.

· Meditate for 5 to 30 minutes (on water, loving kindness, or blue sky).

· Do your aerobic exercises while it’s cool outside, balancing your exercise with restorative asanas.

· Perform abhyanga, a full-body self-massage, which calms the nervous system and hydrates the skin. In the summer, apply coconut oil (leave the oil on for 10 to 30 minutes) and then take a warm shower, which will open your pores and allow the oil to be absorbed into your skin.

· If possible, eat all your meals outside in the fresh air.

· Summer is the time to stay cool. Avoid overheating by eating salads and foods that are cooling (like cucumber and watermelon), sweet (like fresh fruit), and sattvic (like mung beans and basmati rice); drink lassis, a blend of yogurt and water mixed with fruit and/or Indian spices or salt. A small amount of chili or spice can promote sweating, which helps you cool down. Too much heat will create pitta irritation such as heartburn, diarrhea, or a skin rash.

· Do your cooking and meal planning in the morning when the kitchen is cool.

· Never skip a meal, especially if you relate to the Pitta dosha and are in the summer season. To avoid low blood sugar moments that fuel Pitta’s impatient, irritable nature, keep a stash of healthy snacks like energy bars, nuts, fresh fruit, seaweed strips, or coconut water around at all times.

From: Art of Sequencing - Volume Two - Seasonal Vinyasa by Melina Meza

YAMAS - Food for Thought

Here are a few examples of how to weave the yoga philosophy into your lifestyle and diet.

Ahimsa- Non-violence, reducing harm in thoughts, actions, and speech_____________

Example: Vegetarian, organic, cruelty-free, locally produced, prayer, and mindfulness

Satya- Truth, honesty______________________________________________________

Example: Asking the questions like: “Am I hungry or bored”, “Am I eating to distract myself”, “Is this good for me?”

Asteya- Non-stealing______________________________________________________

Example: Not taking the food from another’s plate or eating enough each day to not rob the body of nutrients

Brahmacharya- Appropriate use of one’s vital energy

Example: Moderation and learning what too much and too little food will do to you.

Aparigraha- Non-possessiveness_____________________________________________

Example: Learning to say “no” at a buffet line, stop eating when you no longer have hunger.

www.melinameza.com

Everyday Ayurveda

From Art of Sequencing – Volume Two – Seasonal Vinyasa

“Ayurveda is a Nature-based medical system centered on the conviction that physicians don’t heal the patient, Nature heals the patient. Ayurvedic physicians learn to tap into the ancient texts, recall wisdom passed down from their teachers’ teachers, cultivate a strong connection to their intuition, and experiment with plants, herbs, and foods before using them as medicine or suggesting them to others. Nothing in the natural world is labeled as good or bad in the world of Ayurveda, everything has the potential to be medicinal in the right dosage, and one person’s medicine is another person’s poison.

The philosophy of Ayurveda acknowledges each person as a soul, a one-of-a-kind expression of the divine. It is also believed that from the moment you are conceived, your unchanging Prakriti (yogic version of fixed DNA) is established. Despite the fact that we are all unique beings, we are each composed of the same maha bhutas (five elements: ether, air, fire, water, and earth). The elements will be arranged differently for each person, depending upon unique conditions like the physical health and well-being of your mother when you were conceived, and the karmas you’ve carried over from past lives into this life.

The more familiar you are with your Prakriti, the more you can prepare yourself for the physical and mental health issues that typically affect people with your constitution. For example, if your constitution is composed predominantly of ether and air, you would typically see health issues related to anxiety, nerve disorders, joint issues, or constipation. Knowing these strengths and weaknesses based on the elements, you might consider drinking less caffeine, consuming less sugar, eating more fiber, and booking regular massages to ward off the typical imbalances related to ether and air.

Prakritis with strong affiliation to fire and water will often experience heat-related imbalances such as skin rashes, diarrhea, digestive disorders, or high blood pressure. To help manage the fire and water elements, you might consider decreasing hot and spicy foods, meditating, and avoiding being outside in the hottest part of the day.

Earth- and water-based constitutions often discover swelling, depression, excess mucus, or challenges managing their weight and metabolism with a base Prakriti rooted in the heavy, wet elements. Often proper diet, nutrition, and exercise will keep the earth- and water-based constitutions healthy. Knowing your Prakriti and your physical and mental patterns—something you can learn by a consultation with an Ayurvedic practitioner—might inspire you to cultivate a more holistic lifestyle, one connected to Nature and her five elements.”

To read the more, order your copy today: www.melinameza.com

2010 Spring Vinyasa Class with Melina Meza from 8 Limbs Yoga Centers: www.youtube.com

Asato Ma Sat Gamaya Lead me from the unreal to the real,

Tamaso Ma Jyotir Gamaya From darkness to light,

Mrityor Ma Amritham Gamaya From death to immortality.

Yoga Class on Modifications

Here's a sample of a class I taught at Breitenbush Hot Springs called Sequencing for Level 1, 2, 3. I hope this comes in handy when considering your asana class.

Learn more about sequencing and yoga philosophy on my next retreat or workshop:
www.melinameza.com

Early Spring Seasonal Vinyasa

In traditional Chinese medicine, the passing of winter is seen as a great time to start sending some extra love and attention to the liver and gallbladder, organs that tend to get overloaded with extra socializing, large meals, decreased exercise, inadequate rest, and other behaviors typically associated with that time of the year. These two organs are extremely beneficial: they filter toxins from the external environment and the food that we eat; aid in the metabolism of carbohydrates, fat, and protein; break down fats in the body; and, on a more bio-energetic level, process emotions like anger.

Breaking habits—something that both spring and cleansing call us to do—is not easy, but it can be done. I have found it incredibly useful in my practice to do regular habit checks to see if the habit is driving my life, or vice versa. Since changing old patterns and habits can often lead to feelings of frustration or irritation, I find it best to spend a little more time alone when cleansing; if possible, I like to go on a retreat and let others support me. The more time and energy you can devote to your spring intentions up front, the higher your success rate.

For starters, try incorporating an inversion into your daily routine (Examples: Headstand, Handstand, Downward Dog, Standing Forward Folds, Shoulderstand).

Here is one asana tip from my recent book, Art of Sequencing - Volume Two:

• Inversions to turn your world and organs upside down. Think of your body like a jug of orange juice. If it sits in one position—upright—for too long, the pulp ends up settling to the bottom of the container. The yogis believe the same thing happens in our bodies, particularly in the organs. The pulp in this case is undigested, inorganic matter that we ingest through the air we breathe or food we eat. By flipping your body upside down, you create a gentle cleanse, where toxins or waste products get pulled by gravity from deep inside your tissues towards the center of the body. With sufficient hydration and exercise, these toxins can move out through the skin (via perspiration), exhaled breaths, urination, and bowel movements.

If you are looking for Spring retreats, check out: www.melinameza.com

Seasonal Vinyasa - Winter and Ayurveda

The Kapha qualities outside can make you feel heavy and lethargic and/or pull you towards foods that promote weight gain or the use of recreational drugs and alcohol to cope with depression, stress, and the winter blues; here we again see the precept “like increases like.” It’s not easy to break out of this cycle but it is possible.

If the Kapha elements go out of balance in the winter, consider using the “opposites decrease” sutra. How will you know if your elements are off balance? You will know if your Kapha imbalance is too extreme when it prevents you from leaving the house after you’ve filled your freezer with Ben & Jerry’s ice cream and rented multiple HBO series! If you find yourself in this situation (or even a milder version), consider finding a way to get up and exercise every day, no exception! It can be a home yoga practice, a gym work out, or a brisk walk or run, or a snow adventure such as snowshoeing, skiing, or sledding—whatever it takes to get the earth and water elements moving.

Need some inspiration to practice: Yoga for the Seasons DVD is $9.99!
www.melinameza.com

Thanksgiving - Nutrition and Mindfulness

From your own experience with yoga, you are probably well aware of the tremendous impact that an asana practice can have on your body. Like yoga, food creates specific alchemical changes in your body and has the power to both nourish and transform your unique being. Food has the magical power to become the foundation the body. It can build or reduce your physical weight and shape, depending on the amount of calories you consume. Different foods can stimulate or calm the adrenal glands, speed up the mind and heart rate, or cleanse the colon and gastrointestinal tract.

Now that it's Thanksgiving, you might wonder,“How will I know what the right amount of food to consume or yoga to practice is”? One way to think about your nutrition and yoga choices is in terms of sustainability, which means eat and practice just the right amount to fuel your svadharma (life’s purpose), so you can share your gifts, hear your calling, and do work in this life that comes from your heart. With too much food in your belly it’s easy to loose motivation and with not enough food, it’s hard to maintain focus or stamina to get through one the day, let alone answer your heart’s calling. Alternately, not enough asana will make the body slow, stiff, and sluggish. By learning to sequence mindfulness into your Thanksgiving ritual, you will discover a sustainable middle path, which encourages smooth rolling transitions from one activity to the next, and requires less fuel, calories, or muscular effort. At the end of the holiday, you are left with a feeling of santosha (contentment. Good luck everyone.

melinameza.com

Summer Seasonal Vinyasa Class with Melina

It's summer in the northwest! Time to celebrate, play, eat piles of fruit, swim, be outdoors, and cultivate your intuition in yoga practice by closing your eyes and moving from within. This week in class we've been working on doing our familiar poses with eyes closed, it's been super relaxing and grounds you deeply into the moment, not to mention your being. Give it a try! There are still a few spaces left to join me for the summer retreat at Breitenbush Hot Springs, OR. Call 206-325-1511 to reserve your space.

Pranayama lying on your back with a bolster supporting your spine, hold a comfortable amount after exhale
Tadaka Mudra
Supta Padangusthasana (hamstrings, balance, twist series)
Supta Baddha Konasana w/hands holding head curling up into abdominal curls
Rock and roll on your spine
Cat/Cow with knee to face on exhale, inhale leg lifts look up
Downward shifting back and forth into plank
Forward bend
Elevator squats
Flow 1: beginning with side arch, forward bend, step back to plank, salabhasana with legs opening and closing, up dog, downward dog, high lunge with arms raised, bring feet together for chair with arms up by ears, tadasana. second side.
Flow 2: Twisting chair, caturanga, up dog, downward dog, warrior 1, lean forward into warrior 3 variation "airplane", step up to the top of the mat, second side.
Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana
Prasarita Padottanasana with hand in reverse prayer
Standing neutral
Turn to one direction: Pyramid pose, twisting triange, other side
Turn to one direction: High lunge, revolved half moon
Samakonasana, wide leg splits
Plank
Vasistasana with variations
Childs pose
Headstand
Virasana
Ustrasana with one arm up, one down
Supta Virasana
Pigeon with bolster support
Dandasana
Roll back down to floor
Bride or Shoulderstand
Neutral
Closing ideas....
Cover eyes in savasana ( :

Enjoy. In just a week or two, my new video series with My Yoga Online friends will be available to download. Stay tuned for details. www.melinameza.com

Seasonal Vinyasa Summer Practice #1 with Melina Meza

Happy Solstice Everyone,
Today will be the longest gray day of the year! Hopefully you are being productive, enjoying good health, and spirits. In case you need a little inspiration to practice today, here is what's happening in class. You can find this practice in my new book coming out this fall, The Art of Sequencing - Volume Two!!!

1. Virasana - (visualize the sun up above the clouds)
2. Virasana - grab a strap, reach your arms up holding the strap, open your chest
3. Virasana - gomukasana arms
4. Bharadvajasana
5. Get to your hands and knees, drop your chest down by your thumbs, flow into Cobra, Up Dog, and finish in Child's pose with your arms out in front of you. Repeat many times.
6. Down dog into a lunge. Raise arms up by ears, squeeze arms by head, twist hands around one another
7. Down dog to Uttansana
8 Squat (cover eyes)
9. Tadasana
10. Surya Namaskar A with your eyes closed (repeat many times) move intuitively
11. Surya Namaskar B variation: Utkatasana, Uttanasana, High Lunge with arms reaching forward by ears, bend arms to open chest, drop hands...Vasisthasana, Down dog, Uttanasana, Utkatasana, Tadasana (repeat many times)
12. Vrksasana
13. Bound 1/2 lotus forward bend
14. Pada Hastasana
15. Prasarita Padottanasana variations, add handstands if you wish ( :
16. Down dog
17. Child's pose
18. Sirsasana
19. Rabbit or Child's pose
20 Spinx (like cobra but chill)
21. Bhekasana
22. Supta Virasana
23. Down dog
24. Krauncasana
25. Dandasana
26. Sarvangasana or Setu Bandha
27. Prep for Yoga Nidrasana
28. Whatever you like....

If you can't figure this out...come to class or on retreat where we will be going further into detail with these poses.

Light and love,
Melina

www.melinameza.com

Seize the Summer: Ayurvedic tips about keeping cool and staying balanced during the summer months

In the world of Ayurveda, we are now in the summer season (June-August), which means whenever summer arrives in your geographical location, you will have a stronger relationship with the elements fire and water for three months. Ayurveda views the physical body, along with everything in the Universe, as being composed of the five primary elements; earth, water, fire, air, and ether or empty space. These elements are expressed in the physical body as qualities of stability/support (earth), feeling/fluidity (water), heat and metabolism (fire), respiration and circulation (air), and space and lightness (ether).

When the fire and water element are out of balance, it creates a dosha called Pitta. In Sanskrit, dosha means, “that which spoils or causes decay” as they are not only the forces which produce and sustain the body in their normal condition but those which, when out of balance, serve to destroy it. Knowing the strengths and weaknesses of each element can help you make daily choices that reinforce health and wellness for the season. As my teacher Scott Blossom said, “It is important to work in a way that “feels right” but also consciously cultivates complementary traits, such as grounding and stillness for the air type, or coolness and relaxation for the fire type in order to strike a balance.”

To help create balance, consider one of the classic Ayurvedic sutras that says, “like increases like and opposites balance.” This ancient wisdom can be extremely helpful when creating your daily rituals around the seasons.

Asana Advice for the Pitta Season
• Let each asana practice be soft, intuitive, forgiving, creative, and emphasize surrendering in order to prevent overheating.
• Perform all asana or sports in a way that is non-competitive, nurturing, and playful! Practice vigorous sports or asana in the early morning.
• Incorporate counter-balancing postures for poses that create heat such as Sun Salutations, balance poses, strong backbends, etc.
• Practice with your eyes closed.
• Emphasize a cooling breathing pattering during practice where the exhalation is longer than inhalation. Holding the breath out after exhaling has a powerful effect to concentrate the mind, which stabilizes your agni, purified essence of fire.
• Practice shitali or left-nostril breathing after asana.
• Try the Metta, Loving Kindness meditation to release anger.

Summer Foods
• Never miss a meal, especially if you are have a Pitta constitution!
• Eat cooling, sweet, bitter and astringent foods (coconut, cucumber, watermelon, all the fresh fruit in season, steamed greens, multicolored salads, watercress, endives, mung beans, basmati rice) and avoid spicy and fried foods.
• Drink cumin, coriander, fennel and rose hot tea. Cilantro, cucumber, and mint are great additions to water for a refreshing beverage that will cool you down.
• Eat few dairy products and meats (unless you are doing intense physical activity)…they are too yang!

If your digestive fire is weak, try this for a week or two until your digestive fire improves: Cook together equal parts of: brown rice, lentils, and sun flower seeds. Eat 1-2 cups daily for 2 weeks. This will also improve body heat.

Daily Routine
• Give yourself a full body massage before showering. Coconut oil is best.
• Enjoy the rose, sandalwood, jasmine or lavender essential oils to relax the senses.
• Wear light colored clothing, loose cotton, linen and silk (ex. White, blue, green) so air can circulate between your clothes and your skin.
• Do inside cooking early morning in the morning before it gets hot.
• Spend time in Nature, swim, retreat, and enjoy the moonlight.

Visit: www.melinameza.com for summer You Tube videos and upcoming yoga retreats.

Winter Sequence - Valentine's Week "Feel the Love"

Namaste Yogi Friends,
Before I drive away to Mazama for the Yoga & Ski retreat, I wanted to leave you with a new yoga sequence for the week. I hope you feeling the love for your practice, life, and the ever changing nature surrounding you. Happy Valentine's Day (in advance). xxxxoxo m

2/8/2010
Standing meditation (5-10 minutes)
Joint rotations
Horse (straddle seat) - flow to one side for High Runner's Lunge, then twist
Prasaritta Padottanasana (in between sides) head toward side splits
Downward Dog - flow with raising a leg on inhale, exhale bring knee to your nose
Shalabhasana variation - lift right arm and left leg, turn head, other side
Child's pose with toes tucked under
Uttanasana
Tadasana
Surya Namaskar B with Revolved Chair pose and long Warrior One holds
Triangle pose with neck release/chest opener (p. 41)
Ardha Chandrasana w/block under hand, grab back foot variation
Downward Dog - Flip your dog
Plank
Bekasana (frog) or Ardha Dhaurasana (1/2 wheel) or both!
Child's Pose
Headstand
Dandasana
Maricyasana (bind arms around bent front leg) into Vasisthasana flow then Dandasana
Pacimottanasana
Purvottanasana (reverse table top)
Navasana - end up on your back
Bridge variations
Supta Padangusthasana with straight legs, head toward a twist
Happy Baby Pose
Releasing poses....Savasana

I'll be working on a few more You Tube Videos this weekend, stay tuned for asana sequences. More creative sequences can be found in my book, Art of Sequencing or Fall Vinyasa DVD.
www.melinameza.com

Fall - Seasonal Vinyasa at Breitenbush Hot Springs

You Tube Video:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=6kmWzEdflng

Join me in a spontaneous, short fall yoga sequence, surrounded by a luscious forest, in the heavenly Sanctuary at Breitenbush Hot Springs, 11/8/09. The full practice would include holding the postures for at least five breaths, three rounds of Surya Namaskar A & B, Mayurasana, Bharadvajasana, Parivrtta Janu Sirsasana, and Baddha Konasana before relaxation and meditation. More fall yoga sequences can be found on my DVD, Yoga for the Seasons, to help manage your Vata (ungrounded energy) all year round!
http://www.melinameza.com/Yoga_Products.html

Next year I will be leading yoga retreats with 8 Limbs Yoga Centers at Breitenbush Hot Springs in April and July of 2010! More information is available on my website:
www.melinameza.com

Enjoy!

Yoga for the Seasons - Fall Vinyasa DVD

Combining Hatha Yoga and Ayurveda, the Fall Vinyasa DVD includes creative asana practices and insightful instruction to prepare you for the fall season. The emphasis in the Fall DVD is devoted to managing two of the five elements, Air and Space, those that make up Vata. Vata is one of the three doshas – or energy patterns – in Ayurveda, which is the sister health science to Hatha Yoga. Vata naturally increases in the fall months, September through November, which means its helpful to embrace physical practices that compliment the Vata elements, Air and Space, with grounding, stabilizing, warming, flow sequences and daily routines.

"I hope you will enjoy my offering and touch, smell, hear, taste, and feel the unique gifts unfolding in nature from month to month." ~Melina Meza