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
News & Notes - December 2022
Hello dear friends,
And now it's December. Here's what you need to know this month.
1. There's a new chair yoga video available now - Balanced Being. I created this to help us find balance in our nervous system - especially during such a busy time of year.
2. No classes the week of December 6th. Also, there are no classes between Christmas and the New Year. I'll send out reminders as we get closer to the holidays.
3. Last week I talked about finding the joy that exists all around us. We know that if there's 20-foot Santa across the street from me, there must be some magic in the air. Let's keep our eyes open for it in December.
“Instructions for Living a Life
Pay attention.
Be astonished.
Tell about it. ”
Love & Joy,
Nina G
Find the Joy
Hello friends,
It has been another brutal week in the news. Two more mass shootings within one week. The massacres continue and we run the risk of becoming numb to the endless cycle of violence that plagues our nation.
It brings me down. We were supposed to be gathering to celebrate, instead we mourn. This wasn’t the Thanksgiving weekend that I expected.
I sat in stillness for a while, considering the idea of ‘right action’ and what I could do this time. It’s frustrating and, at times, seems fruitless.
Then I went outside for a walk. The weather was beautiful and the fresh air would be invigorating.
This is what I saw when I walked out my front door…
This 20-foot Santa just about knocked me off my feet. It made me smile; it made me laugh out loud! My new neighbors had just set it up and it changed everything for me.
Many years ago, I read The Book of Joy by His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu. It is a wonderful book – basically a conversation between the two of them regarding why we’re here.
They ask the question “What is the purpose of life?”
Their answer: “To find joy.”
That seems to be a tall order on days when the world seems to be spinning out of control. How can we find joy in the midst of unspeakable sadness?
But there is joy around us. We need to find it and keep looking for it, even on our darkest days.
When we find that place of joy, we are able to see clearer, with a new perspective. It is from that joy that we can find compassion and serve our neighbor. From those small steps, healing can begin.
Let’s find the joy, my friends. Let’s find it, let’s share it. Let's begin to heal our broken world.
Please join me on your mat.
Love & Joy,
Nina G
Thanksgiving, 2022
“Let us remember that, as much has been given us, much will be expected from us; and that true homage comes from the heart as well as from the lips and shows itself in deeds. ”
Dear Friends,
Happy Thanksgiving to all of you this week! No matter how you will celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday this year, I hope that you enjoy your time with friends and family. The changes in our daily routine add some excitement (and busyness!) to the next few days and then the whirlwind will settle again.
During this bustling time (now and through December) don’t forget to take time for yourself. Yoga is there for you. I will be offering my Wednesday night Movement & Stillness class on Wednesday, November 23. If you aren’t on the list for that class and would like to attend, please respond to this email and I’ll add you to the list.
In all of my classes this month we have been practicing with gratitude. We create our ‘gratitude pictures’ in our minds at the start of class and then we bring that picture into our hearts. We embody gratitude within our heart and live that gratitude through our actions and deeds.
It’s a powerful practice.
It’s a simple practice.
It’s a gratitude practice.
Teddy Roosevelt had it right - simply saying thank you isn’t enough. But it’s where we can start.
Thank you, dear friends, for being a part of my yoga journey.
With love,
Nina G
Stillness & Silence
Hello dear friends!
In my personal yoga practice these past 3 weeks I have been finishing my practice by finding stillness and silence in my room. I finish my savasana and then I take a seat and try to get so quiet that I am able to hear the ticking of a small battery-operated clock that rests on my shelf. Once I am able to hear the sound, I stay for a few more breaths and then I end my practice and continue with my day.
It’s been an interesting challenge – especially due to my proximity to O’Hare airport! But despite the airplanes and the leaf blowers, I enjoy finding that silence in the stillness. Or maybe I’m finding stillness in the silence. Either way, it has been a satisfying practice for me.
Our yoga practice takes us beyond poses. Yoga offers an integrated system of connection to the infinite. We stretch, we move, we breathe, and then we can turn inward and focus. From that point we may feel a sense of connection to something greater than ourselves.
I find that after my practice – movement, breath, stillness, silence, and focus - I’m ready for the challenges of the day.
I love this poem/blessing by David Steindl-Rast. The stillness and silence that he references are beyond my current practice, but I think they're worth exploring.
“May you grow still enough to hear the small noises earth makes in preparing for the long sleep of winter, so that you yourself may grow calm and grounded deep within.
May you grow still enough to hear the trickling of water seeping into the ground, so that your soul may be softened and healed, and guided in its flow.
May you grow still enough to hear the splintering of starlight in the winter sky and the roar at earth’s fiery core.
May you grow still enough to hear the stir of a single snowflake in the air, so that your inner silence may turn into hushed expectation.
”
Please join me on your mat and we'll explore stillness and silence together.
Love,
Nina G
News & Notes - November 2022
Hello my friends!
Here's what you need to know for November...
1. There's a new chair yoga video out today - Joint Rotation Series. It is longer than most of my other videos because you have the opportunity to 'choose your own adventure'. You might opt to do the entire practice OR you could just do the sitting OR just the standing sequences. We move through the joints in the body slowly and smoothly - bringing hydration to the joints and a sense of calm to the nervous system. It's a great practice first thing in the morning or right before bedtime. Give it a try!
2. Election day is Tuesday, November 8. If you haven't already voted early, please remember to show up on Tuesday. It is my hope that every thing that we do in our yoga practice sends out ripples of positive energy into our world. Voting is another way to send out those ripples as well. Each vote is important. Each vote makes a difference.
3. As always, we turn our thoughts to gratitude in November. The Thanksgiving holiday is a great reminder that we have much to be thankful for. We will weave themes of gratitude into our practices this month. I am thankful that we are practicing yoga together.
4. In other news, the windstorm that we had on Friday night into Saturday morning had a big impact on the tree outside my window (last week's newsletter!) Here's what I see today. I'm so glad that I sat and stared last Friday!
View from the Treehouse
With love & gratitude,
Nina G
How can I possibly…
Hello dear friends,
I love my workspace. You may remember that I call my office/yoga room The Treehouse. I think it's obvious why. Here's the view out my window RIGHT NOW as I write this newsletter (I get started on Friday...)
View from the Treehouse
The question is:
How can I possibly write a newsletter while this tree is shining at me in all its glory?
I'm a little bit distracted.
I moved to my mat, thinking, okay, skip the newsletter, work on the yoga sequences.
Nope, same view, same question.
How can I possibly practice yoga while this tree is changing to gold?
Can't do it. And I won't turn away. I think that I'm supposed to sit here and be with the tree and watch as those leaves shift in the wind and the sun. Right now, I need to revel in the beauty that is literally just a few feet away from me. This tree will look different tomorrow - some of the leaves will fall, the colors will begin to fade to brown.
In this moment, with the sun exactly as it is, I need to keep my eyes on the tree.
And that is the yoga that I will practice today.
And that is the newsletter that I am sending.
Perhaps you could possibly find a tree to gaze upon as well!
All my love,
Nina G
Inner Calm
“in a world that is changing
and growing ever more rapidly,
inner calm is your most valuable asset
the type of calm that you can rely on
where there is turmoil around you
the type of calm that helps you
breathe deeply and make good decisions
when it is time for action”
Hello my friends!
This past week the wind was whipping through my neighborhood. The leaves didn't care though. They just kept dancing in the air as they floated to earth.
We'll follow their lead. We will find smooth movements and even breath on our mats despite the craziness around us.
We'll find that calm in the turmoil.
And then we'll dance.
Please join me on your mat.
Nina G
Bears & Yoga
Hi friends!
I kept hearing about Fat Bear Week this past week. Apparently, this competition has been around for a few years now to raise awareness of the brown bear population in Katmai National Park and Preserve in Alaska. Each year voters pick their favorite bear from about 12 that have been highlighted for the contest.
The before and after photos of the bears as they get ready to hibernate are amazing. The bears do what they are meant to do - they are being authentic to their nature. They need to pack on the pounds prior to settling down for the winter. There are webcams that follow the bears as they catch and eat all of the salmon that they can to prepare their bodies for the long, cold winter. When the bears wake up again in the spring (hundreds of pounds lighter) they will resume their daily activities of wandering throughout the preserve and eating salmon.
The annual contest is "a way to celebrate the resilience, adaptability and strength of Katmai's brown bears," according to the Katmai website.
Hmmmmm. Resilience, adaptability and strength with authenticity. It sounds a lot like a yoga practice.
Bears & yoga.
In other bear news, the Chicago Bears have brought a yoga instructor into their practices these past two weeks. The quarterback, Justin Fields, says that it has helped his play and helped him remain relaxed. And while that hasn't translated into a win on the field quite yet, let's remember that yoga isn't an overnight cure or a magic pill. It's a long term commitment to your self.
In a quote on the Chicago Bears website the QB says, "I don't even like doing pregame speeches because I feel like I'm so much calmer than everybody else. When the defensive guys are all juiced up ready to go, I just try to stay chill the whole time."
Hmmmmm. Remaining relaxed, calm, chill. All the things that yoga can do for us.
Bears & yoga.
Such an interesting combination!
This week in our practice, we'll work to develop our resilience and strength while maintaining that inner calm. Just like our friends the bears/Bears.
Please join me on your mat.
Love & yoga,
Nina G
News & Notes - October 2022
“How to stop time: kiss.
How to travel in time: read.
How to escape time: music.
How to feel time: write.
How to release time: breathe.”
Hello my friends!
The quote above is thought-provoking and I think it may be true.
In our yoga practice, the only time that matters is the present moment. What we do on our mats helps to bring us into that space and (hopefully) keeps us there throughout the practice. And as we continue to practice our yoga both on and off the mat, I hope that we can tune into that present moment more easily.
Here's the news you need to know:
1. A new chair yoga video is now available on my YouTube channel. This one is fun for Halloween. Give it a try!
2. There are no changes to the class schedule this month. Please join me on your mat.
3. Speaking of time, October marks 11 years now that I've been teaching yoga. Thank you to all of my WONDERFUL students for your support and encouragement. Thank you for practicing with me. And to all of my newsletter readers who may not yet practice with me, thank you for reading and joining me on this journey as well.
You know I love all of you!
Nina G
Healing Yoga
Hi Friends!
This has been a literal whirlwind of a week with Hurricane Ian hitting Cuba, Florida, and South Carolina. The remnants of the storm are trickling inland now. Everyone that I know has friends or family somewhere in the Southeast. We all have a connection there.
Hurricanes are big news. We hear all about them and get lots of chances to offer help. That's the reality of living in this connected world. We learn that others are hurting and we can offer our help.
Sometimes though, we don't know when our neighbors are hurting. It doesn't make the news. It might just be someone that's lonely or ill.
Years ago, I offered a class called 'Healing Yoga'. It was intended to be a slow, mindful class that gave students the opportunity to connect with the self. There was confusion about the class name though, and a few people thought that you needed to be diagnosed with a chronic disease or serious illness to attend.
A lovely young individual stopped me one day and asked if it was okay if she attended the class. She didn't suffer from any major ailments. I explained that we all need healing and that she was welcome to join the class. And she did.
We don't always know what others are dealing with. Their issues may not make the evening news - they might not even be visible to our eyes. But everyone is dealing something. We all need healing.
That's another reality of living in this connected world.
Our yoga offers us the chance to connect with the self and to begin healing. Yoga isn't a miracle cure, but it offers the body an opportunity to rest. It helps us to reduce stress and agitation, and to come back to that sense of balance. We can explore our breath and our movement. Yoga invites us to connect the mind, body, and spirit.
Join me on your mat as we begin to heal together.
Love,
Nina G
If you are looking for ways to help our friends and neighbors in the Southeast, here are links to two organizations helping in that area.
American Red Cross helps those affected by disasters.
World Central Kitchen (headed by Chef Jose Andres) is feeding those in need all over the world right now.
Let's also offer help to our friends and neighbors around us that might also be in need. Let's reach out to them in kindness.
Perspective
Dear Friends,
I was on a whirlwind tour of the Plains states this past week. I visited the three Presidential Libraries and Museums that are located there: Eisenhower (Kansas), Truman (Missouri), and Hoover (Iowa). Visiting these sites is a great way for me to learn history and understand a bit more about this experiment of democracy.
I wasn’t very excited about visiting the Hoover Museum. No one has anything good to say about Hoover. He probably got a page or two in my high school history book and that’s all I know about him. It’s all about the depression and it’s depressing.
But I was wrong. I learned that Hoover actually did a lot for the country and the world. Prior to becoming President, he coordinated relief efforts throughout Europe after WWI. Families and children were starving and he brought food to the continent and distributed it to those in need. He saved millions of lives. And he did it again domestically when the Mississippi River flooded in 1927.
I learned that Hoover was a humanitarian. That didn’t make it into my history book.
I was able to see him from a different point of view. One that I hadn’t imagined possible.
Photo credit - D Ginocchio
We see what we want to see. We see what we’re told to see. Maybe when we look at things from a new perspective, we can see them differently.
Yoga offers us a chance to develop this perspective. We spend time on our mats moving and breathing. We come with open minds, ready to learn about the self. We practice awareness and experience feelings and sensation as they arise. Sometimes we even look at things upside down! Yoga helps us to become more self-aware and more adaptable to the changing world around us.
Yoga expands our point of view. All that we can imagine becomes possible.
Please join me on your mat.
Love & Learning,
Nina G
Salute to the Sun
“Here comes the sun, doo-doo-doo-doo
Here comes the sun, and I say
It’s alright”
Hi friends!
The autumnal equinox is upon us. On Thursday the sun will shine directly on the equator and then we begin our journey towards the winter solstice. Another round for all of us!
Since the beginning of the month, I’ve spent some time travelling. As an early riser, I’ve been able to see the sun rise in all parts of the country. It’s been an interesting comparison.
I was in Seattle at the beginning of September. Every day I woke up to gray skies and lots of cloud cover and fog. A few hours later, it seemed like a curtain slowly opened to reveal the outdoors. It was beautiful when it finally cleared and the sun appeared. Sun of clouds and fog, we salute you!
In western Pennsylvania, the sun was different. There was a golden quality to it and it flooded the floor and the dark corners. I actually thought that there was a new lamp or something since the quality was so different from the sun that I know in the Midwest. It came up over the hills, pouring its golden beauty all around us. Golden sun, we salute you!
In Indiana and Illinois, the skies are dark and then they lighten to gray. Then I start to see some pink and orange and – just like that – the sun is up! It’s like there’s a switch that someone throws - and boom! - it’s daylight. The photo above was taken in Indiana just before the light switch was turned on. The sunlight is most beautiful when reflected on the high clouds. It’s light and bright and ready to bake the fields. Nurturing sun, we salute you!
Our sun salutes in yoga take many different forms – I try to offer variations that can serve all of my students. As we practice them this week, let’s be mindful of the fact that there are many different ways the sun joins us each morning.
Sun, we salute you!
Love & Sunshine,
Nina G
Reminder – the Monday afternoon class returns tomorrow at 4:15 pm.
Exclamation Marks Galore…
Hello dear friends,
“How It Might Continue
Wherever we go, the chance for joy,
whole orchards of amazement -
one more reason to always travel
with our pockets full of exclamation marks,
so we might scatter them for others
like apple seeds.
Some will dry out, some will blow away,
but some will take root
and grow exuberant groves
filled with long thin fruits
that resemble one hand clapping -
so much enthusiasm as they flutter back and forth
that although nothing’s heard
and though nothing’s really changed,
people everywhere for years to come
will swear that the world
is ripe with applause, will fill
their own pockets with new seeds to scatter.”
Several years ago, someone that I know reviewed my resume and commented that it seemed like everything I had written down was followed by an exclamation point - not an actual exclamation point, but the tone was such that it felt like an exclamation point. I looked at it again and had to admit that he was correct. And then I didn't change anything. I'm just an exclamation point kind of woman! If you know me, you know that is true.
Amazement and joy are contagious. Take some time this week to be amazed yourself. Then scatter a few of your own exclamation marks around.
As a reminder, I am travelling this week - classes will resume next Monday, September 19. The afternoon class (4:15 pm CT) will resume next Monday as well.
Love!!!
Nina G
News & Notes - September, 2022
Hello Friends!
Here's all the news you need to know...
1. There's a new chair yoga video out on my YouTube channel. Check out Hands & Feet - you'll need to have your tennis ball close by as well.
2. No class on Monday, September 5, due to the Labor Day holiday. I will still be teaching the Movement & Stillness class on Wednesday evening, September 7.
3. No classes the week of Monday, September 12. I'll be travelling to visit family.
4. Classes will resume on Monday, September 19. MONDAY AFTERNOON CLASSES RESUME on Monday, September 19th at 4:15 pm CT.
If you are interested in attending any of my Zoom classes (Monday morning at 8:30 am CT, Monday afternoon at 4:15 pm CT, Wednesday evening at 7:30 pm CT) and you do not already get a link via email, please reply to this message and I'll add you to my list. You are most welcome to join us!
Enjoy the long weekend. I look forward to seeing you again soon!
Love,
Nina G
Quiet Breath
“To Be Quiet and Still is a Special Thing.”
Hi friends!
I love the opportunity to be quiet and still on my yoga mat. It gives me an opportunity to connect and to just be. I spend time with my breath, with my body, with my thoughts, and with my true self.
The breath fascinates me. Our breath is the one system that is autonomic (happens without us thinking about it) and also able to be controlled by us. Even when we aren’t being mindful about our breath, we’re still breathing. But when we do take the time to be mindful of the breath, we tap into that network of possibility and growth. Yoga is a wonderful way to connect the breath, the body, and the present moment.
Another interesting concept about the breath is that we can’t ‘get ahead’ on the breathing. We can’t stockpile extra breaths today and then skip breathing tomorrow. That doesn’t make sense! We can’t do lots of deep inhales during yoga and save the exhales for something else. We have to keep breathing that same inhale-exhale pattern 24/7/365.
It’s not boring. It’s vital and life-giving.
We breathe to stay alive. We breathe mindfully to experience all that life has to offer in each breath.
It can be hard to find the quiet and stillness in our busy lives. There are many distractions and there is a lot of noise out there. To be quiet and still is a choice we can make. When we find the quiet, we can connect to the breath. When we find the breath, the quiet has a chance to expand.
Join me in the quiet and stillness on your mat.
Love,
Nina G
Upcoming schedule changes:
No yoga on Monday, September 5th Labor Day.
To Infinity & Beyond!
Dear Friends,
Once again space exploration is in the news! The first launch of the new Artemis mission is scheduled for this week. In mythology, Artemis was the twin sister of Apollo – thus these missions will bring us back to the moon. There is still much to explore there and the intention is to land astronauts on the moon in future missions. As of today, the rocket is at the launch pad, and soon we’ll be launching an unmanned rocket. We’re getting ready to explore the moon and outer space again.
Future Artemis missions will send humans to the moon and position us for deeper space travel. There’s a whole portion of the program that’s called Moon to Mars. And who knows what will happen after that?!?
We are actually travelling to infinity and beyond.
And I’m here on my yoga mat on Earth.
I like it here on my mat. Yoga is centuries old and I keep returning to it. It offers me a chance to release tension and to recover from the events of the day. It isn’t a ‘quick fix’ but I know that the more I practice, the more it does fix. I like the way that I feel at the end of my practice, so I’ll step on my mat tomorrow as well.
When I share yoga with my students, there are always new things we can explore. If we happen upon a moment of grace or insight or calm, we can use it as a jumping off place for more self-study. That’s why we take those pauses throughout our practice – to reflect, to notice, and to learn.
I keep returning to my mat and I keep learning more about myself and my place in this vast universe. There is still much to explore. I’m in it for the long haul.
We are actually travelling to infinity and beyond.
Join me on your mat – we can make this trip together.
Love,
Nina G
The Space in Between
Hi Friends!
Have you ever watched a trapeze artist? There’s the moment when they let go of the bar that they’re swinging on and reach for the arms/hands of the person that catches them. In that space between the two supports it’s just momentum that keeps them in the air. And when the catcher catches them, we all breathe a sigh of relief.
It’s that space in between, that fraction of a second, that takes our breath away.
Circus Arts Conservatory
Those spaces exist everywhere. We don’t often notice them. We see matter and finite conditions or things. We move between tasks and to do lists as time moves forward. We don’t pay attention to the spaces in between things and activities because, as humans, that has never been our focus. It is hard for us to comprehend the vastness of these spaces.
There is space between objects.
There is space between breaths.
There is space between thoughts.
This is where our yoga practice leads us.
When we practice, we pause and notice sensation. We make space for ourselves. Sometimes we pause after a sequence to notice the effect on the body. Sometimes we even pause between sides of a pose. These pauses force us to pay attention to the space in between. We have the opportunity to learn something here. Perhaps to notice a moment that takes our breath away.
Please join me on your mat. Let's explore those in-between spaces together.
Love,
Nina G
Stay Cool
“Just play it cool boy, real cool.”
Dear Friends,
We’re bracing for some hot days ahead. I think we need to be cool. Not just temperature-wise, but there are lots of definitions of cool…
When you talk about cool in terms of temperature, you mean a fairly low temperature, but not cold. The meteorologists also use it as a relative term. Especially if it gets into the 90s, then a night in the 80s seems cool.
If you’re using cool to describe a person, that might mean showing self-control…someone can be a cool negotiator. You might be cool as a cucumber – calm and self-composed. Cool, calm and collected is something we all strive to be.
Wanna talk about jazz? Cool jazz is restrained and relaxed. Talking to someone that’s over excited? Cool it means to take it down a notch or two. The song from West Side Story that I quote above refers to that meaning.
And what about the cool kids? That's the in-group, those that are always in fashion and setting the trends.
You can keep your cool and, unfortunately, you can also lose your cool.
It’s a fun dive into our language. We can use the word in lots of ways.
This week we’ll explore this idea of cool in our yoga practice. Physically, we will move with smooth and graceful movements so that we won’t overexert and get too hot. But we’ll also take the time to notice emotions that are hot (anger, hatred, frustration, resentment, anxiety) and try to cool those off as well.
Cool!
All the cool people practice yoga. Please join me on your mat and we'll be cool together!
Keep cool,
Nina G
Yoga is Everywhere
Dear Friends,
We were driving home from the city this past week and there was a bicyclist on the road in front of us. We were stopped at a light (as was he) and he remained balanced with both feet on the pedals of the bike. It looked like he had a heavy backpack on, it was super-hot out, but he was able to maintain his balance in stillness. I marveled at his focus and his core strength.
Then I decided that he was actually practicing yoga.
Once the traffic light turned green, the cyclist began pedaling again and the momentum that he created from the forward motion kept him upright easily. He was no longer a yogi, just a guy commuting by bike, weaving in and out of traffic.
When we practice yoga, we work with that same focus, stability, and balance. We’re on our mats, using those same concepts to keep us upright without momentum or extra support. We can continue that practice, even after we step off our mats, even if we’re riding a bicycle.
Yoga is everywhere. I love finding it in the most unexpected places!
Please join me on your mat and we can find some together.
Love,
Nina G
News & Notes - July, 2022
Hello my friends!
Here's an update for this month:
1. A new chair video is now available! Shoulder Strength. This video works to strengthen the shoulders as well as provide increased mobility. Why not give it a try?
2. Mobility & stability are what we are focused on this month. We need both to move safely through our lives.
3. This has been a hard week for all of us. Let us grieve and process in the ways that best heal ourselves and those around us. A friend of mine uses this quote to guide her: "Ask for what you need, offer what you can."
That philosophy of kindness and sharing sounds like what we all need right now.
Stay well, my friends. Please join me on your mat.
Love,
Nina G