Notes from Nina
Each weekend I send out the schedule for the following week along with a quick update on all things Yoga with Nina G
The Truth of Yoga
Hello friends!
There's been lots of talk about truth in the news these past few weeks. What's true, what's false, and how do we determine which is which? Is truth different from fact? It has been interesting to watch the discussion surrounding this topic. Who knew that truth could be so fluid?
Truth is a part of yoga as well. At the very foundation of yoga are our yamas (restraints) and niyamas (observances). One of the yamas is Satya, or truthfulness.
How does truthfulness come into play in our yoga practice? Well, yoga is the exploration of the self - the true self. Who are we? What do we believe? How can we feel more comfortable in our own skin? Our time on our mat allows us to deepen our understanding of our own truths. We must seek our truth and speak our truth - with kindness - when asked. Truthfulness may not be safe or easy, but it always good.
“Truth has the power to right wrongs and end sorrows. It is fierce in its demands and magnanimous in its offerings. It invites us to places we rarely frequent and where we seldom know what the outcome will be.”
Truth isn't easy, but it is important. It demands our integrity. By returning to our mat, time and time again, we can identify our own truths. We can integrate truth into our lives.
As yogis, we must act from a place of truth. It is the very foundation of our practice. Let us explore together.
Love & truth,
Nina G
News & Notes - September 2024
Hello my friends!
Here's the news for September:
New Chair Yoga Video - There's a new video out: The Eyes Have It! We take some time to practice eye yoga before we move into our standing and balancing practice. If standing and balancing aren't for you, you can end the practice midway, at the 16 minute point.
Seasonal Transitions - With the new calendar page, we know that we are headed into autumn. The temperatures will cool, the days are getting shorter, the leaves will start to swirl around. Our practices this month will focus on the transition into fall. We'll work to ground ourselves in the present moment so that we can be fully aware of the changes that surround us.
“There aren’t many days that shake you from sleep, shout, “Wake up, take all the time in the world today.” Sometimes you have to make those days happen.”
The focus of our September practices will be to revel in each moment. We'll make those days happen!
I look forward to practicing with you.
Love in late summer,
Nina G
Yoga Month & Labor Day
Dear Friends,
Welcome to September!
We celebrate National Yoga Month in September. It's an opportunity to raise the awareness of yoga and its many health benefits.
We're also celebrating Labor Day this weekend. It's an opportunity to celebrate the social and economic contributions of workers and to remember that all work has value.
I'm all in favor of both celebrations!
Enjoy your long weekend.
Love & yoga,
Nina G
Yoga Month & Labor Day
Dear Friends,
Welcome to September!
We celebrate National Yoga Month in September. It's an opportunity to raise the awareness of yoga and its many health benefits.
We're also celebrating Labor Day this weekend. It's an opportunity to celebrate the social and economic contributions of workers and to remember that all work has value.
I'm all in favor of both celebrations!
Enjoy your long weekend.
Love & yoga,
Nina G
The Yoga of August
Hello friends,
We’re headed into the last week of August and there’s no better time than now to practice the Yoga of August.
What kind of yoga can we practice in August?
The yoga of sunshine – Wake up with the sun and bask in the light. Take your morning coffee or tea outside and observe the nature around you.
The yoga of color – There’s a riot of color in gardens, in parks, and in your neighborhood. Take a walk outside and find every color of the rainbow. Eat the rainbow with the bounty of in-season fruits and vegetables you can find at the market.
The yoga of fun – Take a moment to write a list of 5 fun things that you want to do before summer is over. List things that you really enjoy. Commit to doing at least one of those this week. Let’s infuse as much fun into our days as possible!
The yoga of non-attachment – We know that the warm weather and sunshine isn’t going to last forever here in the Midwest. Let’s enjoy the warmth and light of this present moment to its fullest so that we’ll be ready to welcome the transition to autumn when it arrives.
Yoga is more than poses. Yoga teaches us how to be fully present to the world around us.
Please join me on your mat and let's experience it together.
Love in the dog days of August,
Nina G
An Infinite Dance
Hello my friends!
We practiced balance this past week. We’ll probably be practicing it again this coming week. For those of you that were frustrated, fret not…the mere fact that we even attempt to find balance is amazing!
Consider just a few of the external factors affecting our balance: our earth rotates at about 1,000 miles per hour at the equator. That’s pretty darn fast. Let’s not forget that while the earth is spinning, it’s also moving in a big circle around the sun (at about 67,000 mph).
And here we are in our yoga class, trying to balance on one leg; trying to come up on onto our tiptoes; or kneeling down and extending one leg and one arm. The fact is, for the most part, we are successful. We learned to walk upright as babies. That simple act of walking is quite a balancing feat!
The laws of physics will be there the next time we roll out our mat. We have met the challenge and we refine our actions with each attempt. Perhaps our core and legs will be stronger tomorrow or maybe we'll be tired. We will keep adjusting and try again.
It's an infinite dance between movement and stillness.
Won't you please join me?
Nina G
News & Notes - August 2024
Hello my friends,
Here's the news that you need to know for August.
CHAIR YOGA - There's a new chair yoga video available - Balance & Resilience. We work with three pillars of balance: the vestibular system, the eyes, and our sense of proprioception. It's an interesting exploration, give it a try!
MAT YOGA - Speaking of balance...we'll be working with balance in our mat yoga practice this month. We all need to develop good balance to avoid falling. Balance also helps us to stay strong. From a yoga perspective, there are many factors that contribute to good physical balance - we'll play with those in August.
UPCOMING SCHEDULE CHANGE - No classes on Monday, September 2, Labor Day.
That's all I've got. I hope to see you this week.
Love,
Nina G
Peace Apples
Hi friends!
I attended a library program on Thursday night - The Chinese Art of Papercutting. Based on the blurb, I thought I'd be creating something like this...
Gorgeous Chinese papercutting example
However, when you consider that I'd be putting my kindergarten level scissoring skills to the test, this is what I created instead...
Peace Apples
These are peace apples.
The point of the class wasn't to teach us to become master cutters, but to learn more about the culture of China through one of its artforms - papercutting. When the Chinese are celebrating the new year or a life event, families come together before the party and create these (and other) symbols from paper. The gathering of family and friends before the party to create the decorations is an important part of their celebration.
The Chinese word for apple starts the same way as the Chinese word for peace. It has a 'pin' sound. So this cut out nestles the Chinese symbol for peace within the apple (it's a pun!). But it also means safety. The peace character is nestled safely and securely within the apple.
Our instructor said that 'peace means to feel nicely protected.'
What a lovely thought!
As soon as she said that, I started to trace and cut out my peace apples. I liked her definition of peace. I wanted a few peace apples in my home. Maybe someday, with loads of practice, my scissoring skills and patience will allow me to make that Chinese market picture. But now that's not important anymore. I can make peace apples. They offer me hope.
I wish you peace, safety, and that feeling of protection.
Love & peace apples,
Nina G
The Core of the Matter
“Let yourself be silently drawn
by the strange pull
of what you really love.
It will not lead you astray.”
Hello friends!
Last week we continued our exploration of the core. We talked about abdominal muscles stretching and contracting. We paid attention to the breath. We moved our bodies in unexpected ways. We learned that those core muscles all work together to move us and to stabilize us. It was all core, all the time.
We also connected to the core of our being. We found some stillness and silence and then tuned in and noticed. We noticed who we really are and what we really need. We took time to discern and recognize what it is that we love. Our practice allowed us to focus not only on the core muscles, but also on the core self.
Our connection to that center is the practice of yoga. It's more important than finding those external obliques or transverse abdominus. Yoga reminds us that deep within, there is a center that is uniquely us.
There's lots happening in the news right now. Lots of noise and interruptions - things that can distract us from our own intentions. But deep inside, underneath all of the noise and busyness that swirls around us, is our essence. Our being. Our core self.
Let's not forget that core.
Yes, we'll revisit the core muscles this week, this time with a focus on the obliques. We won't forget about our true selves either.
Please join me on your mat.
Love from the core of my being,
Nina G
The Yoga of the 5 Senses
Hi friends!
Many years ago, I offered a five senses meditation at the end of some of my yoga classes. I would bring a bag of Hershey Kisses with me to class. I would open the sealed bag of Kisses just as we began our meditation. The aroma of chocolate would immediately fill up the room (smell). I’d pass the Kisses to my students and we’d marvel at the silver wrapper and the little tag (sight). We’d notice the feel of the foil and the weight in our palms (touch). We’d get very quiet and begin to open the wrapper, noticing the tag crinkling and the foil opening (sound). Finally, we’d pop that candy into our mouths and enjoy it (taste).
It was a nice treat after our yoga class!
It was also a great way to connect to our senses. That is what yoga is all about – connection – specifically connection to something greater than ourselves. Through our movement, our breath, our awareness, we recognize our connection to our greater selves, to each other, and to the world around us. This is why we practice.
Summer is a wonderful time of color, aroma, and flavor in our farm markets of the northern hemisphere. If you have the opportunity, take time to explore the fresh produce in your area. Take a field trip to a blueberry farm, a cherry orchard, a farmers’ market - whatever happens to be locally fresh. Connect to the growers. Connect to the field workers. Savor the flavors. Practice the Yoga of the 5 Senses and enjoy the bounty!
So many fresh peaches! Can't you just smell them?
Love & Kisses,
Nina G
News & Notes - July 2024
Hello dear friends!
I hope that you have had a lovely weekend. Here's what's happening in July:
New Chair Yoga Video - There's a new video available today - Your Core Self. This all-seated practice is appropriate for everyone, including those recovering from illness or trauma. You could even do this sequence in bed!
July Focus - Speaking of core, our attention for the rest of July will be the core. We'll take a deep dive into the movers and stabilizers in the torso. We'll look at our core selves as well.
Survivorship Center - In addition to the Zoom classes below, I teach at the Survivorship Center at Advocate Lutheran General Hospital. There was an article in the Chicago Tribune this week about programs there. If you know anyone dealing with cancer (from diagnosis to post-treatment) there are many classes available, including chair yoga and mat yoga. You don't need to be a patient at Lutheran to attend. Call the Center for more information - (847)723-5690.
Another Vacation Photo -
Tree pose in tree!
Please join me on your mat.
Love & yoga,
Nina G
The Yoga of Glimmers
Hello friends!!
I’m back and I’m so excited to see you again. The past 4 weeks have been an incredible whirlwind of fun and now it’s time to return to our regularly scheduled programming.
There’s so much to share! I know that many of you are asking if I practiced yoga everyday, and the short answer is yes.
Here's the long answer:
Yes, I did full practices with seated, standing, and lying down postures. But not every day. Some of the hotel rooms were too small and some days I was just in the wrong time zone to figure it out.
But I did practice being fully aware. In everything I did, I tried very hard to be aware of the glimmers. Remember those? A glimmer is a cue, either external or internal, that brings one back to a sense of joy or safety.
There were so many glimmers during my travels.
I traveled to places in Italy that I’ve been before, but they still took my breath away. I ate food that was so good, it made me cry tears of joy.
Amazing bruschetta glimmer in Italy
I traveled to London, a place I’ve never been, and I was overwhelmed when I came up from the underground station and saw Big Ben in person for the first time.
Big Ben glimmer
And then there was Ireland. It’s a magical place to begin with, so you can be sure there were tons of glimmers there - including this rainbow!
A rainbow glimmer!
So yes, I practiced yoga - the yoga of glimmers. I tried to be open to and aware of the joy that was around me. Vacation is a great time to practice that - the challenge is to continue my yoga of glimmers now that I'm back home.
We know that our world is full of triggers - things that put our nervous system in the fight or flight mode - especially during this election cycle. But our world is also full of glimmers. We all have different glimmers - if you dislike tomatoes, that bruschetta wouldn't work for you! But our unique glimmers can offset the anxiety and apprehension that the triggers bring.
This is why we practice yoga - to return a sense of calm to the nervous system.
Please join me on your mat. I look forward to practicing with you.
Love & glimmers,
Nina G
The Power of the Pause
Hello my friends!
We are headed into Memorial Day weekend. It's our unofficial start of summer and a great time to pause our busy day-to-day schedule.
Often in yoga class we 'pause & notice'. I am very deliberate about putting those pauses into our practice. It's important to see what we've done and how it makes the body feel. We are making changes to the body and to the nervous system. It's a powerful thing - why not take a moment to notice it?
Once we realize how we feel or how we have changed things with our actions, we have the tools to return to that feeling again.
Our pause is just as important as the pose or sequence that precedes it.
We need pauses in our everyday life as well - an opportunity to stop and notice where we are, where we've been, and how we arrived here.
photo - N Ginocchio
And that leads us right back to Memorial Day. According to the USO, Memorial Day honors service members who have died in military service to the nation. It is a day set aside to pause, to recognize, and to honor. So, while we are at the parade or the cookout or the swimming pool, let's take some time to do just that.
Many of my students have family members that currently serve our nation. Please know that your strength of spirit teaches and inspires all of us. Thank you.
Pause & notice,
Nina G
The Resilience of the Lotus
“FIRST YOGA LESSON
“Be a lotus in the pond,” she said, “opening slowly, no single energy tugging
against another but peacefully,
all together.”
I couldn’t even touch my toes.
“Feel your quadriceps stretching?” she asked.
Well, something was certainly stretching.
Standing impressively upright, she
raised one leg and placed it against
the other, then lifted her arms and
shook her hands like leaves. “Be a tree,” she said.
I lay on the floor, exhausted.
But to be a lotus in the pond
opening slowly, and very slowly rising–that I could do.”
Hello my friends,
I don't know if poet Mary Oliver ever took another yoga class (there are no poems called Second Yoga Lesson!). I hope that she did. We know that after consistent practice we can converse with our quadriceps and hamstrings and we will eventually find a tree pose that suits our constitution. That doesn't happen after just one class.
Mary seemed intrigued by the idea of the lotus though.
If you practiced with me last week, you may recall that we explored Padma Mudra, the gesture of the lotus. We learned that this mudra is related to the heart and its core quality is unconditional love.
We see the lotus a lot in yoga imagery. The flower thrives in the muddy waters of lakes and ponds and reblooms each morning without blemish. It represents the idea of persistence despite life's challenges.
We can live like the lotus as well - living a resilient life, making a home in the muddy waters of the 21st century. The challenge isn't about how we can stand on one leg, it's about how we respond to the stressors around us. Some days 'in the pond' may be easier than others, but we wake each morning to try again.
Whether or not our poet returned to her mat, her first lesson was an important one - the beauty of the lotus is in its resilience.
Please join me on your mat. Let us open slowly and rise together.
Love & the lotus,
Nina G
The Yoga of May
Hello my friends!
There is a lushness outside my treehouse window. With all of the rain, everything is now rich and green! When I go out walking, there are more people out. Our days are lengthening so that I can even go for a long walk after dinner now.
That must mean that it’s time to explore the Yoga of May.
The yoga of moderation and awareness – Now that we can move to the outside, there’s so much to do - cleaning the deck or patio, planting flowers, bringing our outdoor spaces to life. But let's move mindfully and not cause harm to ourselves - just like when we practice yoga. We want to be able to enjoy ourselves after the work is complete and not have to spend lots of time in recovery.
The yoga of the olfactory – Walking outside is an amazing amalgam of smells. There’s the smell of damp after the rain. There are lilacs - so many lilacs! - that I can smell from so far away. Things smell new and clean and fresh. There’s also the smell of mulch as people begin readying their gardens. It’s a wonderful way to wake up the senses.
The yoga of sound - While we're focused on the senses, let's pause and listen. I spent some time at the Arboretum this weekend. There is a riot of sound right now. The birds are singing, there's rustling in the bushes as the bunnies, chipmunks, and squirrels seek shelter. You can hear the wind in the trees and the hum of the mosquitos and gnats. And that leads us into...
The yoga of cicadas – Those of us in the Midwest know that we’re about to have a cicada-pocalypse. This is my 3rd experience with the biblical swarms - not a big fan. However, there’s lots that we can learn from these large flying creatures too. Cicadas have a very short time here on the earth. They spend that time emerging, singing, mating, and laying eggs. By the time we turn the calendar page to July, the party will be over for the next 17 years. I think we can say that they act with purpose and intention. Not a bad combination!
Grab your mat or chair and join me for some yoga.
Love & yoga,
Nina G
News & Notes - May 2024
Hello dear friends!
Here's all of the info that you need for May...
NEW VIDEO - There's a new chair yoga video available on my YouTube channel. It's all about mudras - I'm calling it Mudra Mania. We've been exploring mudras in my live and on-line classes, but not in videos yet. Let's get started!
UPCOMING SCHEDULE CHANGE - Memorial Day is on Monday, May 27th. We'll have one Zoom class only that day at 8:30 am Central. The 4:15 class is cancelled.
LILACS - The lilacs are blooming! I changed the picture on this newsletter and on all of my headers. Take a walk and enjoy their fragrance this week.
Love & lilacs,
Nina G
Hands & Heart
Hello my friends!
For those of you that have been practicing with me for the past 6 weeks, you know that I have been adding mudras into our classes regularly. I introduce our mudra at the beginning of class and we sit quietly with our hands in that position. Then we release our mudra. At the end of class, we test our short-term memory and try to recall the gesture.
That’s always a fun challenge!
I thought I might shed some light on what we’ve been doing.
What is a mudra?
A mudra is a gesture or seal with the hand. Yoga mudras have purpose and significance, helping to promote physical health, psychological balance, and spiritual awakening. Mudras help to evoke our own inherent positive qualities, which are always just under the surface, waiting to be awakened.
How do you select a mudra?
Each week I select a mudra to share at the beginning of class. I’m working with a set of cards from Mudras for Healing and Transformation by Joseph Le Page and Lilian Aboim. Sometimes I select something at random but mostly I am guided by the theme of our practice. Last week our yoga practice was grounding, so we practiced the Bhu Mudra, a gesture of the earth.
Are mudras magic?
Heck no! But our hands are powerful tools. They can do so much.
We use our hands to care for others - to give, to receive. We offer a hand, we give a hand, we lend a hand. Our hands can help to heal and soothe others. We communicate with our hands. We can feed, we can share, we can create with our hands.
So why not harness that power?
Take a moment this week to notice all that you do with your hands. Notice the movement and the gesturing. Notice the change that occurs when you employ your hands to complete tasks, to serve others, to build something new, to learn.
Without realizing it, we use mudra every day - perhaps not formally, but in our own ways. While some of our gestures might have specific names and shapes, most of what we do is of our own design.
We are expressing our own inherent and positive qualities.
That’s not magic, that’s building a more loving world.
With hands & heart,
Nina G
Wild Yellow Song
“Forsythia
What must it feel like
after months of existing
as bare brown sticks,
all reasonable hope
of blossoming lost,
to suddenly, one warm
April morning, burst
into wild yellow song,
hundreds of tiny prayer
flags rippling in the still
cold wind, the only flash
of color in the dull yard,
these small scraps of light,
something we might
hold on to.
”
Hello friends,
There has been so much wind and rain and now everything is ready to bloom! There is a riot of color outside and the forsythia is bursting with its golden light.
We celebrate Earth Day tomorrow and April is also Poetry month, so what better way to acknowledge both of these events than with the above poem about the forsythia!
Our practice this week will be grounding and intentional. We will focus on our connection to the earth and the strength and support that we can draw from it.
Hopefully, our time on the mat will shift us away from feeling like bare brown sticks. Let's bring some motion and awareness into the body so that we might want to burst into wild yellow song.
Love & forsythia,
Nina G
PS Wishing a Joyous Passover to my friends who are celebrating this week!
News & Notes - April 2024
Hello my friends!
Here's the news you need to know:
New Chair Yoga Video - There's a new video out on the channel - Yoga to Help Build Resilience. While we use a chair to get started and to finish the practice, it is more 'mat-free' yoga. Give it a try and see how it feels to you.
Upcoming Schedule Changes - No class on Wednesday evening, April 24.
Another Trip Around the Sun - April marks our 4th year together on Zoom. Happy anniversary to us! As you may recall, last year I celebrated with a gift to World Central Kitchen. This group works to feed those without access to food and water due to conflict or environmental emergency. In light of WCK's recent devastating loss of life in Gaza, I have again made a donation to them in your name.
Thank you so much for your continued support! It is an honor to practice yoga with you.
Love in movement & in stillness,
Nina G
Sun Salutes
Hello my friends!
Let’s salute the sun.
The big event tomorrow is a total solar eclipse across North America. We’ve been waiting for it since our last solar eclipse in 2017. Scientists and civilians from around the world will be travelling to the path of totality to experience it live.
I did a deep dive on NASA’s website and found lots of great information there. The interactive maps are wonderful – you can plug in your zip code to learn about the timing of the solar eclipse in your area.
Let’s salute the sun.
And what about all of the news coverage that this has created (including in this newsletter)? It’s fun to watch the scientists get excited about the event and it’s more fun to watch the non-scientists get excited. There’s even a term for the act of travelling to experience the totality – astrotourism.
Face it, the current world news is frightening. Our national news isn’t much better. But the eclipse offers a breath of positive news that we can all share. This event connects us when there is so much that tries to separate us.
And here’s where we find the yoga of solar eclipses.
Whether we are at the totality or somewhere on the fringes, we’re all part of this historic event. A total solar eclipse is a rare occasion and something to commemorate. We are literally moving from light to darkness and then back to light. It is a shared positive experience – a glimmer perhaps? – and a chance to consider things that are larger than ourselves. It is a brief moment in time, but it is a moment that we can pause and notice our connectedness instead of our differences.
The more of these moments that we can string together, the better we will all be.
Let's salute the sun.
Let's salute the sun together!
Love & sunshine,
Nina G