Christine Malossi - Blog

A Turning Point - Yoga for the Winter Solstice

12/16/2016

Yesterday morning I looked out my frosty windows at the stark-naked trees and felt the 19-degree air that snuck through the cracks in the window sashes. This morning, I looked out those same windows at rooftops and sidewalks blanketed with snow. It’s hard to believe it’s not even winter yet!

The official first day of winter this year falls on Wednesday, December 21. There will be a moment on this day (5:44am here in the Northern Hemisphere) when the Earth’s axial tilt will be farthest from the sun. That one moment is the Winter Solstice, and it represents a turning point: the juncture where the seasons change and autumn turns into winter.

The winter season that is about to unfold brings with it frigid temperatures and long hours of darkness. Nature stops its outward growth. Without the colorful blossoms of spring, the leafy greenness of summer, and the vibrant foliage of fall, it may look like the earth has shut down and closed up shop. But beneath the barren stillness of the frozen ground, the earth is restoring its internal energy reserves.

Our own bodies reflect this cyclical slowing and turning inward of the natural world. On a purely physical level, the darkness and cold force us to spend time indoors. Snug in our homes, we seek warmth, shelter, and comfort.

On a more subtle level, the winter season is a time for us to restore ourselves energetically. This is the time to pause, to breathe, to draw our attention deep within. It’s a time to let the body be still and replenish itself.

Unfortunately, the winter solstice occurs each year smack dab in the middle of a very busy holiday season. We may find ourselves moving at a frenetic pace: shopping, partying, decorating, socializing, and traveling.

When our hectic schedules fall out of sync with the cycles of the earth, we end up feeling stressed, anxious, and worn out. We become vulnerable to illness and injury.

It’s vital at this time of year to counterbalance the busyness by taking the time to be quiet, calm, and self-reflective. Our yoga practice gives us the space to honor the natural energy of the winter season by practicing poses that ground us and invite introspection and inward reflection.

In my classes this coming week, I’ll offer a practice that acknowledges the turning point of the Winter Solstice. We’ll move slowly and hold strong poses for longer periods to build internal heat and counteract the cold. We’ll practice inversions, turning ourselves upside down to shift our perspective. Finally, we’ll move into some longer held supported forward folds, which invite introspection and reflection.

Even if you can’t make it to class, give yourself some time to slow down…to be quiet…to listen.

Wishing you and yours a very happy and healthy holiday season!

Turning to Yoga in These Stressful Times

11/12/2016

This isn’t the November post that I expected to write, but I just couldn’t bring myself to write about avoiding neck pain during your asana practice when the attention of our nation and the entire globe has been arrested by the events of the past few days.

While I have strong opinions about the outcome of the election, this post is not about my opinions, or your opinions, or the opinions of the millions of Americans who turned out to vote this past Tuesday. Each and every one of us is entitled to our own opinion. I fully respect your right to have yours, even if it’s radically different from mine.

Regardless of your political affiliation and your feelings about the election results, it’s unlikely that you’ve been immune to the stress of the last few weeks and months. You may feel like you’ve been riding an emotional roller coaster – steep climbs, sudden drops, sharp turns, little bursts of exhilaration and dark moments of fear.

As yoga practitioners, how lucky we are to have the opportunity to come together and share a practice that is specifically designed to bring us back to balance in an unbalanced world.

The various practices of yoga – pranayama (breath control), asana (postures), dharana (concentration), dhyana (meditation) – weave together to form a discipline that leads us towards equanimity. These practices allow us to experience peace, even when we’re hanging on, white-knuckled, as we ride the roller coaster of our ever-changing emotions.

You don’t have to do anything fancy or complicated to reap the benefits of yoga. Something as simple as a breathing exercise is one of the most potent tools for dealing with stress.

By working with our breath through pranayama, we can regulate our emotions, enhance the activity of our nervous systems, and optimize our bodies’ response to stress. The stressors we encounter may be the physical trials we intentionally create for ourselves on our mat, or the challenges that are unexpectedly hurled at as us as we navigate our daily lives.

Below this post is a breathing exercise you can practice anytime, anywhere. All you need is a little space in which to sit or lie down, and the desire and discipline to turn your attention inward.

Whatever you’re feeling this week, remember: you can turn to your yoga practice. I’d love to see you in class! I’m offering free passes to anyone who’d like to take my Friday night 6:15 Open Flow at Sacred Sounds or my Sunday morning 10:45 Vinyasa Basics at Exhale for the rest of November. Please email me at christinemalossiyoga@gmail.com if you’d like a pass.

If you can’t make it to class, clear a space on your bedroom or living room floor and lie down, breathe, maybe move. Remember that whatever winds may toss you this way and that, there is a place deep inside of you – a place of stillness, of peace, of calm. When you breathe, and move, and pay attention, you get little glimpses of that place. You can return to it whenever you feel surrounded by darkness or when you’re tempted to give into despair. That place is always within you. You just have to give yourself the space to find it.

I’m not saying that yoga can solve the problems of the world. That kind of thinking is too simplistic. But it can help you to find a few moments of peace. It can calm your mind. It can soften your heart.

By turning inward and connecting with that quiet, still, peaceful place within, we gather the strength to move forward with a clear mind and an open heart; to continue to fight for what we believe is right; and to hold on to hope and love, come what may.

A Breathing Practice

This simple pranayama is called sama vritti in Sanskrit – in English, “equal breathing”. Those of you who take my class regularly are very familiar with it! It’s something I include in virtually every class I teach, because it’s so simple, yet its benefits are profound.

• Sit or lie down in a comfortable, relaxed position.
• Become aware of your breathing. Notice that you’re breathing in, and notice that you’re breathing out.
• Little by little, begin to breathe more deeply.
• Let your breath gradually settle into a steady rhythm. Breathe in for the same amount of time that you breathe out, matching the length of your inhale with the length of your exhale. It might help to count as you breathe, inhaling for a count of perhaps five, then exhaling for five. Find a length of breath that feels deep but comfortable.
• Spend anywhere from one to several minutes breathing in this way.
• When you’re finished, let go of the equal breath and allow your breath to resume its natural pace and rhythm.
• Notice how you feel.

BENEFITS

Deep, steady, even breathing reverses the effects of the sympathetic nervous system, or “fight or flight” response, which is the body’s habitual reaction to stress. It also activates the parasympathetic nervous system, sometimes referred to as the “relaxation response,” which slows the heart rate, lowers blood pressure, and calms the body and mind.

A Meditation for the New Year

12/31/2015

Happy New Year’s Eve! Once again we find ourselves on the precipice between the year that has been and the year to be. New Year’s resolutions have never been my thing, but I do usually find myself more contemplative and reflective on this day. It feels like the perfect juncture to look at my life with clear eyes and an open mind and heart.

This morning I found a beautiful meditation online by mindfulness teacher Melli O’Brien. In it, she guides us towards discovering what really, truly matters to us as we move forward into 2016. This is not a meditation about self-improvement, or creating resolutions, or becoming stronger or richer or thinner or better in the year to come. It’s about digging down to the essence of our lives, to that which is most meaningful and most important. If you’re looking for some inspiration as you prepare yourself for the new year, then settle into your meditation seat and click here to listen.

I wish you much love, peace and happiness in the year to come.

Practicing Gratitude

11/26/2015

“If the only prayer you say in your life is thank you, that would suffice.” — Meister Eckhart

When I was twenty-one and fresh out of college, I had no clue what I wanted to do with the rest of my life. I took advantage of my lack of direction and responsibilities and hopped on a plane to Morocco.

I lived in Marrakesh with a few young Moroccans around my age. There were six of us sharing a small two-room flat. It was a pretty standard apartment for Marrakesh, which meant there was no hot running water.

There were many wonderful and enjoyable aspects of daily life in Marrakesh. There were also many challenging ones, and not having a hot shower whenever I needed one was among these. By the time I arrived back in New York half a year later, I felt incredibly thankful every time I turned on the faucet and warm water came gushing out. I told myself I would never take a shower for granted again.

So do you think that now, fifteen years later, I still say a small prayer of thanks each time I step under a stream of steaming hot water? I wish I could say that I do, but I’d be lying. For a few months after I returned I still felt that appreciation, but gradually it faded. Hot water became just another one of the many things that I paid little attention to as I went about my everyday life.

Every so often I remember what it was like to not have it. That experience was priceless for me because when it does come to mind, it’s a reminder of how much I take for granted every single day that I could be giving thanks for.

It’s so easy to forget to appreciate the simple things. We tend to focus instead on what we want that we don’t have. We wish that we could be stronger, smarter, sexier, prettier, or richer. If people or situations don’t live up to our expectations, we feel disappointed and dissatisfied.

It’s worth taking a step back occasionally to acknowledge and appreciate what we do have, just as it is. Pressing pause on the ceaseless wants and worries of life's unfolding drama, even for just a minute or two, can be liberating and invigorating.

The cultivation of gratitude goes hand in hand with santosha, or contentment, which is the second of the five niyamas (personal observances) that Patanjali outlined in the Yoga Sutras: “From an attitude of contentment, unexcelled happiness, mental comfort, joy, and satisfaction is obtained.” Santosha is essentially the opposite of desire, or lack, or feeling that we need things to be different before we can be happy.

The Yoga Sutras were written approximately two thousand years ago. Science is now proving what Patanjali taught way back then: the more people appreciate what they have, the happier they are. Study after study has shown that if people actively work towards being more grateful in their day-to-day lives, they become happier and healthier as a result.

Recent research has provided evidence that feeling grateful increases feelings of optimism, joy, pleasure, and enthusiasm; reduces anxiety and depression; strengthens the immune system; lowers blood pressure; improves sleep quality; strengthens relationships; promotes forgiveness; and makes people more helpful, altruistic and compassionate. [Visit the Greater Good Science Center to learn more about these studies and more.]

It’s all too obvious these days that our world is in turmoil. Right now we desperately need the optimism that thankfulness has been proven to promote! When we’re constantly confronted with the darkness, hatred and violence that blare from the headlines, it’s not hard to be sucked into a downward spiral of sadness and hopelessness.

Practicing gratitude is a powerful antidote to this despair. We don’t need to put blinders on in order to shut out all negativity; rather we can recognize that for every heinous act of violence and terrorism that occurs, there are many small acts of kindness and love between friends, family and neighbors to feel thankful for.

We mustn’t lose sight of all the goodness in the world. Taking a few moments every day to remember this goodness and give thanks for it increases our own happiness, which then impacts every life that we touch and enables us all to work towards positive change around and within us.

Aparigraha - Greedlessness

12/30/2014

This month we continue our limb-by-limb exploration of the eight limbs of yoga as delineated by Patanjali in the Yoga Sutras. It’s appropriate that on this last day of 2014 we’ve reached the fifth of the yamas (universal ethical observances), aparigraha. Sometimes translated as greedlessness, aparigraha encompasses the concepts of non-hoarding, non-possessiveness and non-attachment.

This precipice on which we stand between the old year and the new is the perfect point at which to practice aparigraha: to notice where we can let go and where we should hold on. It’s an opportunity to pause and reflect on what the past year has wrought and what we wish to see the new year bring. This practice can be done on multiple levels: physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual.

On a physical level, aparigraha encourages us to not covet objects or possessions that we don’t have. It can be a useful practice to look at one’s material possessions and determine what really needs to stay and what can go. In this way we can reduce clutter, organize and simplify our lives.

This same practice is useful on mental, emotional, and spiritual levels as well. Particularly as we approach the new year, we might take the time to sit quietly and take stock of what’s working and what’s not…to notice where we can soften and relax, and where we should focus more attention and energy…to observe what emotions, thoughts, and actions we want to bring with us into the new year, and which we can let go.

Sally Kempton describes a beautiful ritual for releasing the mistakes and regrets of the past year and setting your intention for the new year in this article from Yoga Journal: http://www.yogajournal.com/article/yoga-101/old/

Wishing you so much happiness and health in the year to come!

Brahmacharya - Established in Divine Consciousness

11/7/2014

This month we continue our limb-by-limb exploration of the eight limbs of yoga as delineated by Patanjali in the Yoga Sutras.

The first limb consists of the five yamas, or universal ethical observances. The fourth of these, brahmacharya, may be the most confusing of the yamas in the context of our modern world. The word brahmacharya literally translates from Sanskrit as “being established in divine consciousness”. This has been interpreted in many different ways. At one end of the spectrum, it’s considered complete celibacy. On the other end, it’s a moderation of one’s indulgence in sensory pleasures.

Patanjali favored a very strict interpretation of brahmacharya as total abstinence. The Yoga Sutras reflect his opinion that not engaging in sex and retaining this energy increases vigor, vitality, and stamina. Patanjali explained that celibacy engenders disgust for the human body and for intimate contact with others, which he considered positive developments in one’s spiritual progress.

This interpretation may have been appropriate in the time of Patanjali. Over two thousand years ago when the Sutras were written, many yoga practitioners were sannyasins (renunciates) living in India who shunned the material world and dedicated themselves entirely to a spiritual life. But where does it leave us today, when the practice of yoga has spread to all corners of the globe and to people of all walks of life engaged in many kinds of pursuits?

BKS Iyengar, who died this past August at the age of 95, was one of the most highly respected and revered modern yoga gurus. He wrote in his seminal book Light on Yoga, “Brahmacharya has little to do with whether one is a bachelor or married and living the life of a householder. One has to translate the higher aspects of brahmacharya in one’s daily living. It is not necessary for one’s salvation to stay unmarried and without a house…Without experiencing human love and happiness, it is not possible to know divine love.”

Iyengar, TKV Desikachar and Pattabhi Jois are three teachers who were instrumental in transmitting the practices of yoga from India to the West during the twentieth century. Desikachar himself was the son of Krishnamacharya, who was the guru of all three men and is often referred to as the “Father of Modern Yoga”. None of these men were sannyasins, but instead were householders who married and had several children. They lived and practiced yoga in the world rather than turning away from it. They did not share Patanjali’s strict interpretation of brahmacharya as abstinence.

These and other modern yoga scholars believe that the practice of brahmacharya does not rule out responsible sex. They interpret it as moderation, monogamy or restraint. They advocate using one’s sexual energy with mindfulness, clarity and a sense of respect for oneself and others.

Yoga is a practice of awareness. The steps we take along the path of yoga should lead us to a clearer understanding of ourselves and the world around us. Whether you choose celibacy or partnership, renunciation or immersion in the world of sensory pleasures, awareness is key. Are you aware of why you made these choices? Are you clear on how they affect you and those around you? Are you mindful of how these choices align with the previous three yamas: ahimsa (nonviolence), satya (truthfulness) and asteya (non-stealing)? When brahmacharya is practiced with this awareness it becomes, in the words of Iyengar, “the battery that sparks the torch of wisdom”.

Asteya - Non-Stealing

10/7/2014

This month we continue our limb-by-limb exploration of the eight limbs of yoga as delineated by Patanjali in the Yoga Sutras. These eight precepts are intended as guidelines to living a life with meaning and purpose. They may be seen as a kind of map for seekers of greater happiness and spiritual fulfillment.

The first limb consists of the yamas, or universal ethical observances. The third of the five yamas is asteya, or non-stealing. On a superficial level this means abstaining from taking things that are not yours. But asteya’s deeper meaning is far beyond this. It also means not taking that which is not offered, including not just material objects but also time, thoughts, energy, emotions, and ideas. Its fundamental implication is that we should refrain from looking outside ourselves to other people, things, and situations to make us happy and fulfilled.

The urge to steal, whether material things or otherwise, often comes from the subconscious belief that there’s not enough to go around. This fear of lack or scarcity leads to greed or hoarding.

How does asteya come into play in our asana practice? You may keep it in mind when you’re practicing in a room full of advanced yogis gracefully flowing from asana to asana with perfect form and you find yourself wishing you could look just like the practitioner in front of you. You may turn to it when you find yourself holding back from really finding your edge in a pose because you’re afraid you won’t have enough energy to get through the class if you do.

We can practice asteya on the mat by honoring our bodies as they are here and now even while we work towards goals and aspirations. We can acknowledge that coveting what another has only leads to suffering and works against us in our practice and our lives. We can shift from a mindset of lack and scarcity to one of abundance and gratitude. We can act based upon the belief that the source of happiness and fulfillment lies not outside us but within us.

Satya - Truthfulness

8/11/2014

This month we continue our limb-by-limb exploration of the eight limbs of yoga as delineated by Patanjali in the Yoga Sutras. These eight precepts are intended as guidelines to living a life with meaning and purpose. They may be seen as a kind of map for seekers of greater happiness and spiritual fulfillment.

The first limb consists of the yamas, or universal ethical observances. The second of the five yamas is satya, or truthfulness. Like building blocks, each yama rests upon the foundation that the ones before it create. Satya follows ahimsa (non-violence), the first and most important of the yamas. Hence we cannot practice truthfulness without first considering the principle of non-harming. In telling the truth we should aim to cause the least harm possible. If speaking the truth will cause pain or suffering, then it may be best to remain silent.

So the practice of satya is not about blindly and heedlessly telling the truth regardless of consequences. It is much more about restraint: about taking our time and carefully considering our thoughts and words so that the way in which we express the truth is in harmony with ahimsa. Yoga is first and foremost a practice of awareness. Practicing satya in accordance with ahimsa requires awareness of the effect our words and thoughts have on others and ourselves.

We may bring this practice of satya onto our mats by always assessing ourselves honestly. We look at all parts of each pose that we assume, the parts that flatter us and the not-so-flattering parts. We practice the asanas we shine in as well as those that humble us. We face our strengths and our weaknesses with the same curiosity and kindness. We always work at our own level and honor where our bodies are each day.

Ahimsa - Nonviolence

4/23/2014

This month we begin our limb-by-limb exploration of the eight limbs of yoga as delineated by Patanjali in the Yoga Sutras. These eight precepts are intended as guidelines to living a life with meaning and purpose. They may be seen as a kind of map for seekers of greater happiness and spiritual fulfillment.

The first limb consists of the yamas, or universal ethical observances. The Sanskrit term yama more specifically translates as "bridle" or "rein". Just as a rider places a rein on a horse to steer the animal in the proper direction, the yamas are restraints that we willingly and intentionally place upon ourselves in order to direct our efforts towards creating a full, happy and meaningful life.

The first yama is ahimsa, or nonviolence. In its most literal sense, nonviolence may be interpreted as not hurting or killing other people. Most of us don't need to muster up too much discipline to refrain from murdering our neighbor. But to truly embody ahimsa we must extend past this literal interpretation to include not just these violent actions but also thoughts, feelings, and words. We must pay constant attention to our propensities towards unkind behavior, harmful thought, and hurtful speech. We must practice compassion towards all living beings.

Many yogis practice ahimsa by eating a vegetarian diet. They believe that killing another living being for any reason, including one's own sustenance, is a violation of the first yama. Others adopt a looser interpretation: they choose to eat meat mindfully by investigating where and how the animals they eat are raised and supporting farms that cause the least amount of animal suffering and environmental devastation.

Whichever interpretation one chooses, in practicing ahimsa it’s necessary to examine one's choice to eat or not eat meat and to acknowledge, honor and respect the suffering of animals that surrender their lives for human consumption.

Nonviolence as a practice is not just outwardly focused. We must also turn in upon ourselves and treat ourselves with kindness and compassion. For some this may prove even more formidable than being kind and loving towards others.

This is a challenge that often comes up on the mat. You may find yourself constantly pushing yourself to work harder, to stretch further, to go beyond your edge in a constant pursuit of perfection and progress. This kind of striving is a form of aggression and violence towards oneself.
If you observe this tendency in yourself, work towards awareness rather than aggression. When you feel the urge to mindlessly push past your boundaries, consciously pull back and tune in to what's going on in the moment. When you feel compelled to do something your body's fighting against, see if you can stay in that space just before you reach your edge rather than pushing beyond it.

This doesn't mean you should be complacent or lackadaisical; on the contrary, you must be constantly aware and attuned to where your edge is in each moment. Your edge is that place where you move away from your comfort zone and challenge yourself, but can still maintain your alignment, your skill, and a calm, steady breath. Mindfulness of one's edge is key to practicing ahimsa on the mat.

The most important quality of ahimsa is not the negative injunction not to kill but its broader positive message of love. Love towards oneself and all beings is the very first step and the foundation for the entire philosophical system of classical yoga.

The Yoga Sutras

3/12/2014

If you’ve been practicing yoga for a while you’ve undoubtedly heard your teachers make reference to Patanjali and the Yoga Sutras. Perhaps you’ve wondered exactly who Patanjali is, what’s this book he wrote, and what’s a sutra? All good questions, and ones which may not be addressed in the limited time span of an asana class.

Surprisingly little is known about the great Indian sage Patanjali, considering he wrote one of the most influential works of yogic literature. There is debate over who he was and when he lived. It is generally believed that he wrote the Yoga Sutras at least 1,700 years ago.

The Yoga Sutras consist of 185 sutras (an Indian term for aphorism, or words of wisdom) that collectively systematize and elucidate the discipline of classical yoga. In the second of four chapters he describes the eightfold path, or ashtanga (ashta=eight, anga=limb). These eight limbs are intended as guidelines to living a life with meaning and purpose. They may be seen as a kind of map for seekers of greater happiness and spiritual fulfillment.

Most yoga classes in the west focus predominantly on the development and honing of asana (posture) technique. However, asana is just one of the eight steps described in the Sutras. It is possible to derive great benefit from asana practice without ever paying heed to the other seven steps on the eightfold path. But if you do choose to dig deeper and explore the philosophical underpinnings of yoga, your practice and consequently your life will undoubtedly be richer, fuller and more gratifying.

The eight limbs are:

1. Yamas - universal ethical practices
    a. Ahimsa - nonviolence
    b. Satya - truthfulness
    c. Asteya - non-stealing
    d. Brahmacharya - establishment in divine consciousness
    e. Aparigraha - greedlessness
2. Niyamas - personal lifestyle observances
    a. Saucha - cleanliness
    b. Santosha - contentment
    c. Tapas - heat, spiritual austerities
    d. Svadhyaya - study of the self
    e. Isvara Pranidhana - surrender to God
3. Asana - posture
4. Pranayama - breath control
5. Pratyahara - sensory withdrawal
6. Dharana - concentration
7. Dhyana - meditation
8. Samadhi - enlightenment, transcending the Self

In Light On Yoga, B.K.S. Iyengar explains how each step on the path prepares us for the next. He describes the first three steps as the outward practices (bahiranga sadhana), enabling the practitioner to control his/her passions and emotions and rendering the body a healthy and fit vehicle for spiritual development.

The following two steps are the inner practices (antaranga sadhana). They teach the practitioner to regulate the breath and thereby tame the mind. The senses can then be freed from the objects of desire.

The final three steps are the quest of the soul (antaratma sadhana). They take the practitioner on an inward journey to the deepest recesses of his/her soul in order to achieve peace, harmony, and enlightenment

In the months to come we’ll explore these eight steps one by one and examine ways to apply them in and out of the studio, on and off the mat.