Early Spring Cleaning:

"Be like Michaelangelo and remove the unnecessary "marble" to expose the statue within. Take away distractions and impediments to find the "current of your life." Marc Lesser

Kicking the Winter Blues!

In Ayurveda, winter is the season associated with Kapha and all the imbalances associated with the earth and water elements. 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 or alcohol to cope with depression, stress and the winter blues. The following tips from my new book, “Art of Sequencing – Volume 2” will help to balance Kapha, creating a more calming and grounding presence during the winter.

One of the ways you can prevent slipping into the winter blues is to be become more mindful about what you are eating when you are eating. This helps avoid overeating, which can lead to depression. Eating when you are not hungry is one of the easiest ways to dampen your agni (digestive fire) and put on extra weight, a special challenge during this time of year when many people reduce their level of invigorating outdoor exercise due to rain, ice, and snow.

What if you let eating become part of your meditation practice? When you eat, simply focus on eating-nothing more, not your emails or processing thoughts of the day, etc. Learn to savor how your food tastes and smells, pay attention to how well your body digests it, and tune into how much you need to satisfy your hunger.

Here are a few ways to begin:

• Choose one place to eat each meal, free of clutter and distractions.
• Slow down when you're eating, putting your fork, spoon, sandwich or burrito down in between bites.
• Stop eating when you no longer have hunger.
• Chew your food until it becomes liquid to promote the first stage of digestion, which begins in your mouth.
• Avoid eating when feeling emotional or stressed out.
• Eat well-balanced meals with sufficient protein and fat to minimize hunger between meals.

In regards to your asana practice, consider incorporating the following postures to help ward off typical Kapha imbalances by raising your core temperature, enhancing your metabolism and increasing your circulation and spirit.

• Sun Salutations or rhythmic, Hatha yoga postures to promote circulation and emotional well being.
• A vinyasa flow practice that incorporates asanas like Plank, Caturanga Dandasana (lowered plank), Bhujangasana (cobra), or Urdhva Mukha Svanasana (up dog) in between forward bends and backbends.
• Forward bends with flowing transitions into backbends to keep your spine supple.
• Inversions and arm balances to promote blood flow throughout the whole body, invigorate the brain and reduce dullness.
• Twists to reduce inflammation around the organs, minimize weight gain and promote digestion, which can get sluggish or overtaxed in winter.

Art of Sequencing - Volume Two (now available!)
Art of Sequencing - Volume Two includes over 450 new asana photos, twenty five unique asana sequences for beginners, intermediate, or advanced students, a brief overview of yoga history, the stages of life, and a full section devoted to Seasonal Vinyasa classes and Ayurvedic routines.

Melina Meza, BS Nutrition, 500-RYT
Melina has been exploring the art and science of yoga and nutrition for 20 years. She combines her knowledge of Hatha Yoga, Ayurveda, whole foods nutrition, and healthy lifestyle promotion into a unique style called Seasonal Vinyasa.

What is Seasonal Vinyasa - Yoga for the Seasons?
Seasonal Vinyasa describes an artistic style of sequencing asana and seasonal daily rituals. The main inspiration for Seasonal Vinyasa comes from the Hatha Yoga and Ayurveda traditions, two complementary sciences that promote health in body, mind, and spirit. While inspiring the self-knowledge to adjust your day-to-day choices and align with what is occurring outside in nature, Seasonal Vinyasa emphasizes the teachings of the yogis—that there is no separation between humans and nature.

February 2011 E-Newsletter

http://myemail.constantcontact.com/Seasonal-Vinyasa-Yoga-News--Art-of-Sequencing-Volume-Two--New-Winter-Videos--Workshops-and-more.html?soid=1101324786017&aid=s7PdhHocMjw

Ekhart Tolle Quote:

This caught my eye today...

"If you can be absolutely comfortable with not knowing who you are, then what’s left is who you are—the being behind the human. A field of pure potentiality rather than something that is already defined. Give up defining yourself—to yourself and to others. You won’t die—you’ll come to life."
Ekhart Tolle

I think its great practice.

Kriya Yoga in Action

Incorporating Kriya Yoga into your New Year’s resolutions, seasonal practices, or lifestyle goals:

1. Tapas: Decide what you want to change. Set an intention, one that will create a positive change in your life. Create a plan for action.

2. Svadhyaya: Discover who you are moment-by-moment, in the midst of change. How do you respond to change, cravings, old patterns?

3. Isvara-pranidhana: Let go of your attachments and expectations, be present to “what is”. Seek the place where your heart-mind is at peace, in that place you will find your inner teacher.

Kriya Yoga Practice in Action
Example: New Year’s Resolutions
Each new calendar year inspires new possibilities. It’s never too late to improve your health.
1. One habit I wish to break is______________________________________________________.
2. I notice I respond this way when I crave the object I am eliminating_________________________________________________________________________.
3. When I leave room to let go of my old habits, I can see the new opportunities and experiences such as___________________________________________________________.

Example: Seasonal Experiments
Try making seasonal adjustments to align with nature and the five elements.
1. During the winter season, I am going eliminate__________________________________.
2. I feel or notice more/less________________________________________without__________________________.
3. Now that I know how_____________________affects my body, I will/will not include this back into life once the season is over.

Example: 2-Week Habit Check
Is the habit driving me? Or am I driving the habit?
1. I am letting go of________________________________for 2-weeks.
2. I crave? My energy level is more/less stable? I am more/less emotional without__________________________________ in my life?
3. On the 15th day when I tried__________________________ I felt better/worse? Now that I know____________________helps me maintain my health, I will keep doing it! Now that I know___________________made me feel less healthy, I may keep going with the experiment!

Winter Seasonal Vinyasa Yoga Retreat in Mexico

“I do believe it is important to get ample amounts of sleep, rest, meditation, and retreat space in the winter. After all, most of the natural world becomes dormant during this season. Since it’s not possible for most of us to crawl into a cave and sleep for three months, take whatever quiet space you can and sit in the cave of the heart, meditate, and reflect as often as possible on your spiritual nature, nurturing your sacred being. The more imbalanced you get at this point, the harder it is to get back on track in the springtime. Discover what inspires you to stay healthy!” From the Art of Sequencing – Volume Two Seasonal Vinyasa

Join me from January 22-29, 2011 at Haramara Retreat Center near Sayulita, Mexico!

While reveling in the backdrop of the Pacific Ocean in one of Haramara’s yoga pavillon’s, we will practice asana sequences that increase core temperature, circulation, metabolism, and your spirit! We will also engage in mini-workshops to learn ancient philosophies that can be woven into today’s lifestyle and alignment principles to strengthen the body’s inherent tendencies toward seasonal imbalances. We’ll enjoy creative time together near the beach to awaken the muse, and also get to
enjoy silence while resting in the “cave of the heart.”

Included in the retreat:
Accommodations, three delicious meals a day, daily guided meditation, Seasonal Vinyasa yoga classes, and mini-workshops.

Mention my blog and receive a $100 discount off the room of your choice.
Single: $2,600
Double: $1,850
Triple: $1,725
Casa Grande (sleeps 6 women): $1,475

Read more: www.melinameza.com
Register with 8 Limbs Yoga Centers: 206-325-8221

Happy New Year!

Namaste,
Ready to start your new year on the right track? If so, please join me at my first workshop of the year this Saturday in Houston:

Kriya Yoga and Winter Seasonal Vinyasa Yoga with Melina Meza
at Cura Yoga, Houston, Texas

Saturday, January 8, 2011
1:00 – 4:00PM
Register with www.curayoga.com or 713-839-9642.

This workshop presents the profound ways in which you can incorporate many aspects of the yogic path into your daily life. Students will journey into the ancient Indian yogic philosophies, ethics, and physical practices discovering a deeper knowledge of their own body and mind. In an accessible and approachable format, this workshop and practice aims to teach students how to achieve lasting personal transformation via such practices as Kriya (the yoga of transformation) from Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras and Seasonal Vinyasa yoga insights that connect you to the rhythms of nature and foster a sense of gratitude and interconnectedness.

Read more or register: www.curayoga.com or 713-839-9642
Pre-order your copy of Art of Sequencing - Volume Two Seasonal Vinyasa and receive free shipping!