Fall in New England simply cannot be beat. The brilliance of the trees, the crisp smell in the air, the leaves that crunch under your feet, and the farm-stand bounty at every turn make this my favorite time of year.  Each fall we make the traditional trips to the apple orchard, and then the pumpkin patch, overloading ourselves with produce, emptying our wallets of cash. Completely worth it, when you think of supporting local business and creating happy family memories all in one fell swoop. 

This spring I decided to try my thumb at growing pumpkins, as the vegetable garden of last spring did not turn out as successful as I had hoped.  I have proudly harvested a total of three pumpkins. One fits snugly in the palm of my preschooler’s hand and one is a lopsided rectangle, so I’m beginning to think that growing things is not so much my talent. While out visiting the one decent size pumpkin yesterday, my eye wandered over to the forlorn apple tree in our side yard.  Where we live it is a constant battle to keep the wilds of nature at bay, and this tree was tucked into some overgrown weeds and had never really been given much thought since we moved in three years ago.  Upon inspection I found that although ugly, the apples appeared to be…well….apples, I guess.  Being brave, I mean really, who picks things to eat off trees that have gone un-noticed for years, I scrubbed it off on my jeans and took a tentative bite. Yup. Definitely an apple. An edible apple.  I called Miss Four-Year-Old over and said “start picking”. “Mommy, these apples are NOT beautiful like the apple picking apples.” I assured her, and then myself, that they’d work just fine for applesauce. 

So, inside we went with our half-full canvas bag of ugly apples, where we chopped and boiled and had a lovely conversation about how it’s hard to tell what an apple will look like on the inside from the way it looks on the outside, and how people can be kind of like that too. We talked about how the boiling apples made the kitchen smell good, and how this boiling water made the apples change from hard crunchy things to soft, mushy things.  When I pulled out the antique food mill, she asked me to show her how to turn it on, and was stunned to hear that there was no ‘on’ switch.  “Back in the ‘old’ days”, I found myself explaining, “people had to use their bodies for power. “ She is still working on understanding this concept of pre-electricity. It horrifies her a bit.  She took her turn at working the food mill, but decided that watching was more fun. When the apples were all sauced and she was eating a dish of warm applesauce, she looked at me with shiny eyes and declared me to be awesome. There is nothing more fabulous in the world to hear, than these words coming from the mouth of a sticky preschooler.  Today that applesauce was turned into cake.  And I think we can all agree, that as delicious as fresh applesauce may be, fresh applesauce cake is even tastier.

The whole process made me think about awareness. The process of harvesting the apples,  preparing them  for saucing, and then getting to finally eat the product was an exercise in awareness for my daughter.  That’s the great thing about being small is that you are able to devote all of your senses to learning so easily. As adults, our heads are always working on five or six things at a time, and stopping to smell the roses, or in this case, taste the apples, seems a luxury. For three years, although I knew we had an apple tree (actually we have three), I was never really aware that it produced apples. Sure, I admire the pink and white blooms in the spring, and I drive over the fallen apples with the lawn mower, but to be aware of them enough to make use of them? Nope, not at all. This made me wonder what else might be hiding out there in my yard waiting to be discovered.  After I finish my piece of warm cake, I just might go take a look.

I am overwhelmed. There is simply too much to do at the moment. After the last of the four foot deep snow melted from our yard and I meandered around reveling in the awakening wonders of nature around me, a list began to form in my head. Trim, mow, weed, rake, pluck, repair. Battle back nature and reclaim the yard. It’s like a commercial from Home Depot is going on in my brain. Of course the more time spent working outside means that the inside of my home has fallen apart. I keep walking over the same sticky spot on the floor. Furry clumps of dog hair roll like tumbleweeds under my tables. And the bathrooms…..well lets not even go there. The laundry is done and the dishes are clean (for now) and I’ve pretty much given up on the rest for now.

The problem with the list in my head is that I don’t really want to do any of it. I have no desire to weed flower beds or haul brush. I don’t want to pick up the rocks that the snow-blower used to decorated my lawn. In the three years we have lived here I have successfully avoided applying a coat of much needed stain to my deck, and it REALLY needs to happen. Mowing the grass I can do. I love mowing the grass. It’s a bit meditative for me. But the rest, pah! I’d rather creep to the edge of the pond and see how long before the frogs hop away. Or, hunt through the woods for interesting rocks to relocate to interesting places. Or, sit on a grassy patch with a good book, feeling the sun and breeze wipe that list of things that need doing from my mind. Or, throw down a mat on the deck that needs staining and get my yoga on.

Spring brings out the anxiety that I work to keep at bay. I grapple with the things that have to be done and the things that I’d rather do. The result is usually doing something in the middle and feeling like I have accomplished nothing. The list of what to do grows longer and I feel like I haven’t done anything enjoyable which does nothing for a positive attitude. Procrastination has always been my nemesis. A few years ago I read an article in a parenting magazine that suggested turning on a kitchen timer for 15 minutes and cleaning like a crazy person until the time beeped and then walking away. It works well. When you remember to do it. A friend of mine recently mentioned using the same method for making time in her day to exercise. Five minutes a pop. Times up and you move on to whatever comes next. The problem is that for some things five or fifteen minutes just doesn’t cut it. You can’t stain a deck in fifteen minutes. And that’s where the feeling of being overwhelmed begins. So instead of doing anything on the list, I, we, do nothing at all. We fall to our time-wasting activities like facebook, television, wandering about the house thinking about all we need to do.

It isn’t a horrible thing to waste time once in awhile. It’s when it begins to feed our anxiety that it begins to pose a problem. When we can’t find our way to the work that needs to be done. When we let all of it get in the way of our relationships with our families, friends, and kids. I know I’m not the only person to procrastinate cleaning my house and then telling my kids I’m too busy to play. We have to come back to the balancing act of it all. For me, getting outside is important in keeping my panic demons at bay. A long walk in the fresh air has a magical effect on the ‘too much to do and not enough time to do it in’ dilemma. It doesn’t diminish my list but it gives me time to re-group before I face it. It gives me time to appreciate the beauty around me and makes me breathe deeply. And sometimes a deep breath is all we need to keep on keeping on. Sometimes an hour spent playing with the kids makes the next hour of work that much more bearable (for everyone).

So, I’m not giving up on my lists. The trimming and raking and weeding and deck staining will happen. The sticky spot will eventually get mopped away and the fur-balls will be rounded up. But before it does, I will take a walk and have a little yoga time outside. I will count the turtles in the pond and eagerly await the opening buds on my tulips. Spring is a blessing. Its our chance to start fresh again. To experience the magic of nature waking up after a long winter’s sleep. No wonder it’s overwhelming.

Maybe you got the email already or saw the Facebook post, but if you didn't, let me fill you in.  The Spring Equinox is fast approaching. You know that day when, even if the ground is still blanketed in snow, we New Englanders begin to see the end of this frozen world in sight. The eve of spring.  The official date I'm referring to is March 20th.  This year we've had a particularly long and cold winter in Maine, so when a friend, and fellow teacher, suggested this idea I jumped on board.  108 Sun Salutations to welcome spring. 

So far when I have brought this up to my students (the adults) and friends and family I have been greeted with faces of disbelief and abject horror. "Why on earth would you do that?", they ask me. "Why 108?"

Well, in ancient yogi times 108 was considered to be the number of wholeness of existence. It is the average distance of the sun and the moon to earth (multiplication is involved here and I am no math whiz, so I'm going to trust the info given to me on this one). 108 is also the number of 'Upanishads' (ancient Indian texts). 108 is the number of beads on a mala (and a catholic rosary) so essentially, if a person completes 108 Sun Salutations that person becomes the mala.

Now that you have the reason for the number let me tell you why you should come and give a go with me.

1. I have never done this before so I am a beginner in this respect.  My sources tell me that training for this is not necessary. It isn't like running a 5K. I am putting a lot of trust into those sources. I'm letting go of any fear that I can't do this. I know I can, and I know you can too. 
2. We are breaking those 108 Sun Salutes into 4 sets of 27 with a break between each set to drink water, rest and use the facilities.
3. Yogis around the world are doing this on the same day, how cool is that! My husband referred to it as The Great Guinness Toast of the yoga world. Even cooler.
4. What else are you going to do to welcome spring? Clean your house? This is a great excuse to procrastinate cleaning. This is spring cleaning of the body, mind and soul.
5. Impress your friends and family. Ok, granted that is not a very yogic reason but I couldn't resist.  :)
6. Practicing Sun Salutations is very meditative.  We connect each pose in the vinyasa to our breath. Meditation has been proven very effective in reducing stress. If you are not someone who can sit still to meditate this might just be the ticket for you.
7. Think of the physical workout involved. What a great way to kickstart a healthy spring.
8. Completing this as part of a group has its benefits. A sense of community.  We will do the counting so you won't lose your place, we will support each other when it starts to feel like it will not end, and we will all celebrate together when we finish.
9. It is a valid reason to escape your kids for an afternoon.
10. It is a challenge. Challenging yourself is an important way to grow as an individual. The sense of accomplishment after a real challenge is a blissful thing.
So, come salute the sun and welcome in spring with us. Be part of the global mala on March 20th. For details, give a call or email. Now, who's with me?

A friend texted me the other day that her 15 month old could do down dog upon request. It made me smile because there aren’t many things that 15 month olds will do when you ask them. This little guy has two older sisters who have been in yoga classes since September and a mom who comes to class every week so he is certainly exposed to yoga. It started me thinking though, of how kids are naturally drawn to yoga, with or without formal instruction.

As a child, if you checked on me while I was sleeping, you would often find me on my back with my legs in baddhakonasana (butterfly pose). It just felt right to me. My yoga teacher recalls sitting in poses before she ever even heard the word yoga. Kids listen to their bodies in a way that we seem to forget how to do as adults. Kids move because it feels good, not because they are trying to get the recommended 30 minutes of exercise each day. They don’t care about the health benefits of yoga as long as they are having fun. Kids don’t care if they are in yoga clothes or on a mat, they’ll do yoga anywhere. Deep into a game of Candy-land, during one of our many snow days last week, my own three year old spent the time waiting for her next turn in the one-legged variation of down dog. I marveled at her ability pop back and forth between unintentional yoga and moving her red plastic gingerbread man down the rainbow path to the Kandy Kastle (their spelling not mine).

Winter in New England is tricky with little people. We can’t get outside as much as we need to. Schools are closed with no notice due to weather we can’t control. The sun seems to disappear for weeks at a time. Cabin fever begins to set in and once it does all bets are off. Most of us fight it, at least for awhile. We complain, we overeat, we exercise less. Our bodies crave hibernation. More than once I have wished I was a bear who could fall asleep around Thanksgiving and wake up in April. Even if you enjoy winter sports and activities there comes that moment when you have had enough. Kids don’t seem to fight it as adults do. Kids surrender to the joys of winter and all that it entails. They are blissfully unaware of the scheduling nightmares snow days create. They are happy to use their ‘outside voices’ inside. They make fun and find movement wherever they are, because that’s what kids do. This makes winter is the perfect time to bring yoga into your family. Kids crave movement. Movement is good. It’s too easy to curl up with a book on a chilly day.

If you are feeling the need to move, or even if you aren’t, but you know you need to, here are a few tricks to have up your sleeve as we watch January crawl slowly into February:

Musical mats: Just like musical chairs but with yoga mats and pose cards. When the music stops you hop on the mat closest to you and come into the pose on the card. (a Child Light Yoga game)

Toss-Across yoga style: Remember Toss-Across, the tic-tac-toe game played with bean bags? Using index cards draw poses on the cards and tape over the X’s and O’s. Chuck a bean bag at it and have everyone come into the pose that gets flipped. Three in a row and everybody wins. You could do the same game without the Toss-Across board, by mixing up the cards and placing them face down.

Down Dog Tunnels: This is a favorite with preschoolers. Take turns coming into down dog and the other person rolls a ball under you. Seem kind of boring? Not if you’re three. If you are three, it’s a hoot!

Yoga Flow Collages: Cut up all those old issues of Yoga Journal and put them to work. For younger kids the simple act of cutting and gluing is all that’s needed. For school-agers, challenge them to create a flow of poses with the pictures they cut out, and then try it together.

When all else fails and you simply need to get out of the house, come to a yoga class. Give the kids up to someone else for a little while where they can be loud and silly, put their feet on the walls and stand on their heads. Let a certified professional give you a break for an hour so you can re-group and breathe. And, in the off chance there isn’t a kid’s yoga class near you, there is an adult one. Yoga studios are EVERYWHERE. Find one that works for you and take your own class. Maybe it doesn’t solve the problem of entertaining the children, but after an hour or so of being in your own body, you’ll be recharged and ready to go. Movement is good. Just ask a toddler.

Soccer, football, field hockey and cheerleading are coming to an end. Hopefully everyone had a great season. As your sport finishes up in the next week or two, consider coming to try a yoga class. We are entering the holiday rush, it gets earlier every year it seems. Halloween drops us right into Thanksgiving and you all know what comes after that. A mad rush into Christmas.
 
While we can all agree that adding to family obligations this time of year is not the best idea, adding yoga can be a blessing. Yoga class can be the time in the week where you let it all go. The crazy planning and shopping, and for kids, the excitement. Excitement is stressful for little people. Think back to your own childhood. The aniticpation for the holidays begins to build as we head into the weeks before Halloween. The promise of buckets of candy followed by weeks of deciding what to ask the man in the red suit to bring lead to high anxiety for kids. High anxiety begins to breed negative behavior because kids don't know what to do with all the excitement in their heads. They bounce about the house, they can't sleep at night, you can feel the energy vibrating out of them.

  This is where yoga comes in. Yoga can be where time slows down for an hour or so a week. Slowing down is a good thing for busy minds. And, while we do celebrate the holidays in our kids yoga classes we do it in a mindful way, using the themes of each holiday to direct our poses, and discussions. Adults need classes just as much as kids do. You won't be asked to pose like a pumpkin or walk like a turkey, but to turn off your brain for an hour instead.  As moms we try to get it all done. And we know that there are a few dads who shoulder this burden, in most cases it is us moms who plan, organize, shop and cook our way to January, where we collapse, exhausted. And then, inevitably get sick. Our immune systems are depleted and when the stress subsides our bodies cave to all the germs our little darlings bring home to share with us. Yoga can be what gets a mom through the holidays in one piece.  Simply learning to breathe deeply can make a huge difference in the weeks of craziness. Things to think on.
In any case, come try a class, or come back to a class if you've been away, We've missed you. If you are a first timer we are offering a discounted, low committment way to try a class. 4 classes for $35 for any newcomer.  Instead of waiting for the new year to make resolutions about exercise, end the year feeling great.