Preparing for Spring Transformations?

In Art of Wellness, my next book, I outline how to incorporate yogic principals and practices into your daily life. Just as the asanas strengthen our bodies and quiet our minds, there are a number of other practices in yoga that help us create positive and lasting change in our lives and prevent unnecessary suffering. For instance the yogic process of transformation, known as Kriya yoga, involves three fundamental steps; tapas, translated as intention, enthusiasm, or passion, svadhyaya, described as self-awareness or examination; and finally isvara pranidhana, or the faith beyond belief. These fundamental concepts of intention, self-awareness, and faith, beyond belief, are the central principals of Kriya and the backbone from which all life experimentation, and true change, begins. When you follow these steps, no matter what issue you are trying to work through, you will see the patterns in your life that create suffering.

To help bring the Kriya path to life, I often advise students to find something they are passionate about changing and then decide to work on that for a two-week period of time. Perhaps you want to lose weight and improve your health and have determined that sugar is a culprit. I then will ask you to commit to eliminating it from your diet for just two weeks. Once you have found something you are enthusiastic about changing you can then move on to the next step of svadhyaya. During this phase, you must pay attention to the changes in your mood, relationships, behavior, eating habits, and body functions. Journal, illustrate, or make art to document your observations. If you decided to eliminate sugar from your diet, then notice how much energy it takes to shift out of a habitual pattern. Notice what happens in your body and mind. What changes do you see in your life and what impact does this change have in those around you. Notice if you’re losing weight by stepping on the scale or trying on those tight jeans. Are you less moody or emotional? Are you experiencing withdrawal symptoms? Once you get through this experiment phase, you will know for certain how powerful sugar is, and will have arrived at the third step, isvara pranidhana; first-hand experience which leads to faith beyond belief. You will know first-hand what a powerful drug sugar is and by going through withdrawal, you will understand how it contributes to weight gain, mood swings, or A.D.D. Kriya’s three-step process is a tried and true practice for creating successful and sustained changes.

Our current transition on the west coast between Winter and Spring is one of the best transit times to consider doing a two week long elimination experiment to prepare for deeper Spring cleansing in just a few weeks! Stay tuned for more cleansing ideas to come.

If you are interested in learning more about Seasonal Vinyasa Yoga for the Spring, please join me in Hawaii, March 20-27, 2010 at Kalani Oceanside Retreat Center! You can read more or register on my website:

www.melinameza.com

Namaste,

Melina

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

Top 10 Winter Vinyasa Tips

Top 10 Winter Vinyasa Tips
1. Adjust your day-to-day choices to align with what is occurring outside in nature.
2. Figure out your dosha to increase your awareness of physical and mental strengths/challenges during this season.
3. Daily ritual begins with getting up early and looking in the mirror to monitor your health.
4. Adjust daily routine based on how your skin, tongue, and eyes appear in the morning!
5. Eat your big meal in the middle of day (healthy high fat and oily foods).
6. Take a hot bath or shower to unwind and decrease stress vs. drinking wine or eating sugar.
7. Keep strong "jatharagni" by eating only when you are hungry.
8. Keep stong "pranagni" by doing yoga asanas and deep breathing.
9. Keep strong "managni" by meditating and spending time in nature away from artificial stimulation.
10. Awaken your "hridaya", spiritual heart with fire ceremonies and chanting or singing.

Namaste,
Melina Meza

Winter Vinyasa - Asana Practice with Melina Meza

Here's what I'm teaching this week:
Virasana
Virasana with shoulder openers (pg. 19 A.O.S. book)
Virasana with Gomukasana arms
Vajrasana
Balasana
Cat/Cow into with Lion's breath!
Down Dog to Uttanasana
Uddiyana Bandha and Kapala bhati
Prasaritta Padottanasana - regular
Prasaritta Padottansana E (pg. 38)
Surya Namaskar A variation: with low lunge and twist
Surya Namaskar B variation: twisting chair, warrior one, lunge with head at ankle (pg. 37)
Garudasana - repeat a few times
Prasaritta Padottansana with deep twist
Down Dog - Vinyasa to stay warm
Dhanurasana with strap (pg. 59)
Balasana - child's pose
Sirsasana - headstand
Ardha Matysasana - Purvottanasana with bent legs after both sides
Marichyasana B (pg. 53) - Purvottanasana with straight legs after both sides
Pascimottansana
Navasana
Halasana
Matsyasana
Savasana - brief
Sukkhasana - Right nostril breathing

Enjoy!

If you don't have your copy of Art of Sequencing, you can purchase it on my website by clicking the link:
www.melinameza.com

Seasonal Vinyasa - Winter You Tube Videos 1 & 2

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ad5Xfi2Z34M

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DDzY2_NG_YQ

Winter sequences in general should be rhythmic, warming, and invigorating. Try to find the right tempo to practice these suggested postures to increase your metabolism and circulation. What I offer in this You Tube video is a fast-forward version of poses I teach in classes. This does not reflect the whole class, just some winter friendly poses I'm currently teaching. Have fun! Filmed at 8 Limbs Yoga Centers, Seattle, on a sunny day!

Tapas - Part One with Melina Meza

Tapas: To cook or transform; heat; passion; to glow; the creative incubation phase; enthusiasm; asceticism.

Part One: Tapas is Step One in Kriya Yoga
Tapas is found in both the three-fold process of Kriya yoga and the Niyamas. Consider tapas as a catalyst or spark to initiate, as well as maintain, the energy for creativity, new beginnings, physical, emotional, and mental transformations; or alternately, as the electrical juice to overcome habits that are no longer beneficial.

Tapas in the Modern World
Living in harmony with nature means you embrace the changing world around you in all its seasons, ages, and states, including suffering and destruction, as well as, joy and renewal. If you are willing to truly embrace all the phases of life, then tapas will be a warm nudge to help you stoke the fire of inspiration and engage in the world as a dynamic participant rather than a static bystander. This first step of Kriya requires energy in the form of intention, enthusiasm, commitment, or passion. These act as catalysts to propel your creative endeavor—whether your wellness plan, art project, vegetable garden, or yoga practice—forward. This passion fires the creative muse in you to dream up endless possibilities. It’s the energy that inspires the farmer to envision a bountiful harvest, a parent to trust they are doing their best, and a yogi to organically detach from worldly desires.

Working with Tapas
Everyone needs a different amount of time, inspiration, incentive, pressure, and heat to prepare for the creative incubation phase. Start by accepting what stage of life (student, householder, retirement, or renunciate) you are in. While keeping in mind the particular demands of your life, look at any undesirable behavioral patterns, habits, or attachments you have and consider removing just one to help you change, enhance, or grow into a more conscious being. What is currently occupying your life energy (getting through college, raising children, planning your retirement), which part of yourself is likely to go out of balance (i.e., diet, spending habits, travel), and consider whether you have any goals on the horizon for the near future (graduation, exercising three times a week, buying a new car, or taking a vacation). This is where the “heat” and passion come into support your intention and keep you on track and motivated.

In my teaching experience, I’ve noticed the student must be truly enthusiastic about constructing change in their life or else nothing new will manifest. With that said, whatever lifestyle change you are willing to consider right now, make sure it is within reason and that you can accomplish it with very little discipline or support. It’s important that you succeed in your first experiments in order to build tapas for the more stubborn habits and behavior patterns down the road. For example if you wanted to add mediation to your daily practice, you would try and sit for five minutes a day rather than for twenty minutes. After successfully sitting for five minutes a day for two weeks, increase your time to ten minutes a day. Pay attention to the things you resist, they may be your most potent teachers.

At its root, Kriya yoga will help you find the insight and strength to compassionately reign in your mind and your energy from the objects or habits that have taken away or reduced your sense of power or happiness.

Next week: Part Two or read the whole article now: http://www.melinameza.com/Yoga_Articles.html

Seasonal Vinyasa - Winter Asana Sequence

Here's what we will be working on this week in my class...
1. Gayatri Mantra
2. Supported pranayama - Samavrtti (even breath ratio)
3. Neck and Chest move (p. 18 in Art of Sequencing book)
4. Abdominal crunches
5. Supta Padangustasana & Twist
6. Cakravakasana with lion breath
7. Down dog and Uttanasana on tippie toes
8. Uddiyana bandha
9. Squat
10. Straddle/Horse with Kapala Bhati breathing
11. Wide squat
12. Prasaritta Padottanasana
13. Surya Namaskar A with Salabhasana variation (p. 68 in Art of Sequencing)
14. Surya Namaskar B with revolved chair pose and high lunges
15. Parvottanasana - Parvritta Trikonasana - Prasaritta Padottansana variation - repeat
16. Handstand
17. Haunmanasana
18. Ustrasana
19. Tiryan Mukhaikapada Pascimottanasana - Purvottanasana variation w/ front knee down
20. Balansa or Mayurasana
21. Urdhva Dhanurasana Prep or full pose
22. Halasana
23. Sarvangasana
24. Closing poses....depends on the day!
Hope to see you in class. You can reference more of these poses in my book, Art of Sequencing, plus 34 additional classes to inspire your teaching or home practice.
www.melinameza.com/Yoga_Books.html