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 - October 2023
Hello friends!
Here's what's new this month...
Chair Yoga Video - There's a new chair yoga video out - The Yoga of Awe. It's a 30-minute video that explores the idea of being very present. We work with breath and balance to stay in the present moment. Give it a try!
Schedule Change - There will be no classes this week. I'll be back on Monday, October 23.
Happy Yogaversary! - This month marks 12 years since I became a yoga teacher. I have learned a lot during these past 12 years and I know that there's still so much to learn! Thank you for joining me in your practice. My entire being is so happy to practice and share yoga with you.
Love & happiness,
Nina G
Yoga of Awe - Part II
Hello my friends!
“Awe is more than being amazed, and it is more than a feeling of inspiration or astonishment…awe involves a profound shift in cognition, a rewriting (or perhaps rewiring) of one’s cognitive framework, that occurs in the presence of something powerful and vast, something that illuminates the smallness of oneself.” (Ochadleus, 2023)*
We started our conversation about awe last week and there's still so much more to discuss!
Awe is a complex and important emotion. It is often described as a feeling of wonder and amazement at something that seems larger than life. And because that's the feeling that it evokes, awe has the ability to help us shift our focus from the self to others. We learn that we are a small part of something so much greater.
How can we continue this practice of awe, not only during our yoga practice, but throughout our week?
Here are a few ideas:
Take an awe walk. Take a walk with the intention of being curious and open to astonishment. Try a new route or notice new things as you walk on your everyday path.
Tune into the arts. Music and the arts can have an instant and profound effect on your psyche and your physiology. Find music and art that move you. Return to it when needed.
Spend time in nature. There is so much wonder in nature. Just like the arts, nature can have that same instant and profound effect on us. We don't have to go to the Grand Canyon or the South Pole to be awed, we can get the same effect looking at photos or videos.
Change your perspective. Look at things a new way – literally! Put your legs up over your head (on a chair or a wall) and notice the view.
Remain open to being awed. Opportunities for awe surround us. We distract ourselves with busyness and trivial matters. Put down the phone, drop everything, connect to the infinite.
In addition to our yoga, let's try some of these activities this week. Notice how it makes you feel. Revel in the awe.
Awe demands our presence.
Love & Awe,
Nina G
*Ochadleus, Cassidy et al. “It's awe-fully unfamiliar: The effect of familiarity on awe within a virtual reality setting.” Frontiers in psychology vol. 14 1096283. 22 Feb. 2023, doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1096283
Yoga of Awe
Hello friends,
I've been exploring the idea of awe.
What is awe? It is wonder, mystery, and joy. It is unexpected and indescribable.
And of course, the more that I try to grasp awe, the more that I try to define it, the less I actually understand. But I know that we all need awe in our lives. That feeling of awe connects us to something much larger than ourselves. The more time that we spend in awe, the more that we feel connected.
Awe demands our presence.
But how can we get there?
We cannot ‘stand in awe’ of anything unless we are truly present in the current moment. It is that presence that connects us and it is that presence that allows us to be an integral part of that which is so much grander than we are.
I’ve experienced moments of profound awe, whether in nature, at a musical performance, or with others. And while I would love to remain there and revel in those experiences, distractions often lead me away from awe.
Awe demands our presence.
And that leads us right back to our mat. What is the yoga of awe? It is the practice of presence. It is tuning into the breath and noticing its variations and fluctuations as we shift between poses. It is exploring the sensations throughout the body and welcoming them. It is becoming aware of the power that we have to move and change. We can practice this every time that we step on our mat.
The yoga of awe teaches us ways to find wonder. What happens once class is over and we step off the mat? Opportunities for awe surround us daily. We might distract ourselves with busyness and trivial matters. Our mindful yoga practice teaches us to put down the phone, tune out the background noise, and connect to the infinite.
Once we get a glimpse of the awe around us and notice how it changes our everyday life, we become hungry for more. Yoga teaches us how to remain in the moment and engage with the infinite again.
Awe demands our presence.
Please join me on your mat.
Love & awe,
Nina G
Welcome Autumn!
Hi friends!
It's fall - we passed the autumn equinox on Saturday. The leaves haven't really started to change colors here, but when I go for a walk, the sidewalks are covered in acorns. I hear them landing on the roofs of the homes and cars around me. The empty caps make a lovely crunching sound underneath my feet. Right now, the squirrels are so fat and happy!
A happy squirrel with lots of acorns!
And while that may sound like poetry, I found a much better poem by Mary Oliver. Enjoy!
“Fall
the black oaks fling
their bronze fruit
into all the pockets of the earth
pock pock
they knock against the thresholds
the roof the sidewalk
fill the eaves
the bottom line
of the old gold song
of the almost finished year
what is spring all that tender
green stuff
compared to this
falling of tiny oak trees
out of the oak trees
then the clouds
gathering thick along the west
then advancing
then closing over
breaking open
the silence
then the rain
dashing its silver seeds
against the house
”
Love & oak trees,
Nina G
PS For my pals that read last week's newsletter about the flamingos, here's an update from this past Friday. Our long-legged pink friends were spotted in Wisconsin of all places!
A Flamboyance of Flamingos
Hello friends,
There was an interesting news item this past week – wild flamingos, which normally live south of the United States, have been spotted up and down the East Coast. In fact, some people have reported finding flamingos as far north as Ohio and Pennsylvania! Bird watchers across the country are in a state of shock.
Hurricane Idalia is assumed to be responsible for this migration and relocation of the long-legged waders. The birds flew away to be in kinder climates during the storm. Audubon researchers say that eventually they will return to their homes. Flamingos are able to fly long distances and probably won’t want to winter up north. I feel the same way!
It’s fascinating to consider - the flamingos’ instincts told them to fly to safety. They left the area of danger and escaped the storm. They’ll return to their usual habitat when they are rested and ready for the return journey.
What a great lesson for all of us!
How can we better tune in to our own instincts and listen to the body’s messages?
You know that answer: yoga.
Yoga gives us the opportunity to tune in to the self. Using our breath, our body, our mind, and our movement, we listen to the wisdom within and we can find our center. We find balance. We are met with a constant barrage of obstacles in our day-to-day lives - some might even feel like category 3 hurricanes. Yoga can't get rid of those. Instead yoga gives us tools to help us find safety during the storm. And when that storm finally passes, yoga teaches us how to recover our sense of equilibrium - to rest and reset. To return to our usual habitat.
And it isn’t magic. It isn't easy. It doesn’t happen after just one yoga class. It’s our consistent practice that teaches us to listen to and trust our instincts. When we return to the mat and keep returning, that's when we are able to build our resilience.
When those storms come, we are ready. We needn’t travel far.
Please join me on your mat and let's turn within.
A flamboyance of love,
Nina G
News & Notes - September 2023
Hello dear friends!
Here's all the scoop for September...
New Chair Yoga Video - There's a new chair yoga video out - Release Tension. Something we all could use! We use a squeeze and release technique to release muscular tension throughout the body. It's about 30 minutes long and includes seated and standing sequences.
September is National Yoga Awareness Month - National Yoga Awareness Month was created to raise awareness of the benefits of practicing yoga. Let's celebrate by practicing our yoga. Join me in a class or try one of the chair yoga videos on my YouTube channel.
Seminar at The Well - I am offering Put Your Best Foot Forward at The Well in LaGrange Park later this month. It's all about the feet! We will meet on two Tuesday afternoons - September 26th and October 10th - and learn about the feet, our balance, and how our yoga practice can support their well-being. The one-hour sessions will include lecture and practice. Students can join me in person at The Well or via Zoom. Click here for more information.
Upcoming Schedule Changes - There will be no yoga the week of October 16 - 20.
That's all I've got for this month. I hope that you are settling in to your new routines as we turn towards fall. Take some time to join me on your mat.
Love & love,
Nina G
A Blessing for Work
Dear friends,
I hope that you are enjoying this long, Labor Day weekend. I want to share this blessing by John O'Donohue:
For Work
May the light of your soul guide you.
May the light of your soul bless the work
You do with the secret love and warmth of your heart.
May you see in what you do the beauty of your own soul.
May the sacredness of your work bring healing, light and renewal to those
Who work with you and to those who see and receive your work.
May your work never weary you.
May it release within you wellsprings of refreshment, inspiration and excitement.
May you be present in what you do.
May you never become lost in the bland absences.
May the day never burden you.
May dawn find you awake and alert, approaching your new day with dreams,
Possibilities and promises.
May evening find you gracious and fulfilled.
May you go into the night blessed, sheltered and protected.
May your soul calm, console and renew you.
All work has honor. Thank you for the work that you do.
Love & Respect,
Nina G
NO CLASSES ON MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 4 - LABOR DAY
Take the Shortcut?
Hello my friends,
We’re at a weird time of year. On the calendar, it’s still summer. It was super-hot last week, so that all checks out. Schools are open though. The high school and college kids went back to school in mid-August and it seems like all of the elementary schools were in session this past week. According to that metric, summer is over, especially for all of my teacher friends. Furthermore, if you walk into any retail establishment like a grocery store or warehouse club, summer is long gone…lots of fall items for sale including Halloween costumes!
So where are we? Is it still summer? Do we take that off-ramp into fall?
I’m saying we should remain in summer.
Our yoga practice asks us to stay in this moment. To be present right now. That means that for the next few days, we’re still celebrating summer.
Let’s decide what we want and need to do to fully enjoy this month. Some suggestions…dine al fresco as often as possible. Go to the pool or the beach. Wear sandals whenever you can. Embrace the warmer weather...it will get plenty cold here in no time! Whether or not you deal with a school calendar let's root ourselves firmly in August for the final days of this month.
There's no need to take that shortcut into fall. There will be plenty of time to enjoy all things pumpkin spice when autumn officially arrives.
Until then, please join me on your mat.
Love & sunshine,
Nina G
The Yoga of Summer
A light wind swept over the corn, and all nature laughed in the sunshine. – Anne Bronte
Dear friends,
We are headed into the season of such bounty! I took that photo of the cornfield just bursting at the seams. The farmers' markets are full of all kinds of wonderful, super-fresh produce. Nature is not only laughing in the sunshine, she's also telling us that now is the time to enjoy!
Let’s do just that. Find your favorite fruit or vegetable and indulge. Try something new or stick with what you love. Breathe in the freshness. Taste summer.
This is yoga too. Our first yoga sutra says: “Now begins the practice of yoga.” When we're present in the now, we are practicing yoga. As we inhale the aroma and then bite into the fresh produce, we’re using two senses that we don’t often get to use on our mats. Take your time and enjoy this exploration of taste and smell.
Let's be fully aware in this moment. Let's breathe in the smell of sunshine and let the juices drip down our chins. Let's enjoy this experience and all that it has to offer.
Let's practice the yoga of summer.
When you've finished enjoying your treat, please join me on your mat!
Love & sweet corn,
Nina G
News & Notes - August 2023
Hello friends!
Here's what's happening:
NEW CHAIR YOGA VIDEO - There's a new chair video out there today - Tune In. We tune into sensations in the body as we stretch and breathe our way across the midline. Give it a try!
PUT YOUR BEST FOOT FORWARD - I'm offering another program at The Well in LaGrange Park this fall. It's all about the feet! We will meet on two Tuesday afternoons - September 26th and October 10th - and learn about the feet and how our yoga practice can support their well-being. Our sessions will include lecture and practice. Students can join me in person at The Well or via Zoom. Click here for more information.
UPCOMING SCHEDULE CHANGE - There will be no classes on Monday, September 4th. Enjoy the long Labor Day weekend!
One final note - my husband and I honeymooned on Maui a long time ago. We fell in love with the island then and have visited a few times since. The wildfire devastation there is mind-numbing. As yogis, we can take right action. Do what you can do to help. Whether it's thoughts and prayers, donations to support services, or political action regarding climate initiatives, please act. Our small acts make a difference.
Maui no ka 'oi - Maui is the best!
Love & kindness,
Nina G
A Ferris Wheel Moment of Awe
“The first week of August hangs at the very top of summer, the top of the live-long year, like the highest seat of a Ferris wheel when it pauses in its turning. The weeks that come before are only a climb from balmy spring, and those that follow a drop to the chill of autumn, but the first week of August is motionless, and hot.”
Hello dear friends,
It's been a while since I was on a Ferris wheel - I think that the last time was at Navy Pier in the early 2000s (the old wheel, not the Centennial Wheel!)
As I remember it, the ride wasn't fast, but it was steady. It was a continuous load ride, the wheel kept spinning slowly and people exited as new riders got on.
Once we boarded, the wheel moved and our view shifted to reveal an overhead perspective of the buildings and the people in line. And then Lake Michigan became a central part of the scenery. The view kept widening, and we knew that the top was coming, the very top, where we could see across the lake, all the way to Indiana and beyond.
There was a moment at the top of the circle - a fraction of a second - where we were neither going up, nor descending, but fully present in that panoramic view. And for that single awe-struck moment, we were small. Just a tiny portion of the great big universe.
The wheel continued to turn slowly and the motion carried us back to earth. The moment had ended. It was time to disembark and be earthbound. But there had been a moment of awe at the top of the arc where we were a part of something much bigger.
We have the same opportunity to encounter the vastness of the universe in our yoga practice. Each breath we take offers us a Ferris wheel moment of awe. A moment to connect with everything that is a part of our selves and also greater than our selves.
Sometimes it's easy to find that connection. Other days it's harder. That's why I keep returning to my practice - to experience a moment of awe and to catch a glimpse of something greater.
Please join me on your mat.
Love & Awe,
Nina G
Quiet Corners of the Ordinary
Hello my friends,
I found this nugget of wisdom last week.
We are not saints, we are not heroes. Our lives are lived in the quiet corners of the ordinary. We build tiny hearth fires, sometimes barely strong enough to give off warmth. But to the person lost in the darkness, our tiny flame may be the road to safety, the path to salvation.
It is not given us to know who is lost in the darkness that surrounds us or even if our light is seen. We can only know that against even the smallest of lights, darkness cannot stand.
A sailor lost at sea can be guided home by a single candle. A person lost in a wood can be led to safety by a flickering flame. It is not an issue of quality or intensity or purity. It is simply an issue of the presence of light.
~ Kent Nerburn: Make Me an Instrument of Your Peace
This is what I've been trying to say over and over again in this newsletter. Mr. Nerburn says it a lot better! Our steps of right action are those tiny hearth fires - nothing very big. We don't know who will be affected. We don't know how.
What we need to know is that our light does matter.
Thank you so much for sharing your presence and your light with me.
Love & light,
Nina G
Uncommon Yoga
Hello my friends!
I hope that you had a wonderful week and are ready for this final full week of July.
As always, our yoga practice continues this week. I’m so glad to be a part of your busy schedule! Last week we released tension in the upper back and shoulders. This week we’ll work with both strength and mobility in that same area. It's a different approach, but still the upper back and shoulders.
The same, but different.
For those of you that have been practicing yoga for a while, you know that we often come into the same pose with each practice. For instance, most of my classes include a Warrior I and a Warrior II. We repeat poses week after week. Sometimes we even repeat them in the same hour. Each time that we step into a warrior pose (or any pose!), we're having a brand new experience though.
To a non-yogi, it might seem repetitive and commonplace.
But it’s never exactly the same. Our cells in our bodies are constantly regenerating and changing. We work and move our bodies in our day-to-day activities. We interact with our world physically, intellectually, and emotionally. As yogis, we know that each time that we step onto the mat we will have a distinct and unique experience.
That's what keeps me coming back to my practice. Maybe that's why you return too. We come back to those same poses that we do time and time again. We come into the pose and we take that moment to pause and notice who we are and how we are today.
“The invariable mark of wisdom is to see the miraculous in the common.”
Yoga is anything but repetitive and commonplace. We take the time to pay attention and be mindful in our practice. We might feel tingly, sparkly, or somehow different this time. We might learn something special about ourselves. We might have an insight. We might find something sacred.
Perhaps we'll see the miraculous in the common.
It’s yoga.
Please join me on your mat.
Love,
Nina G
News & Notes - July 2023
Hello Dear Friends!
Here's what's happening in July:
NEW CHAIR YOGA VIDEO - Last month we worked the top of the body (Head & Neck), this month we're starting at the bottom - Feet & Ankles. We explore movement in the feet and ankles to help us maintain balance and movement as we continue to grow with grace.
UPCOMING SCHEDULE CHANGE - No morning class on Monday, July 31. Join me at 4:15 CT instead. It's the same class as my 8:30 am class, but you get to sleep in!
LAZY, HAZY, CRAZY - The weather here and around the world has been crazy this summer. The haze from the Canadian forest fires is back and we've gotten a lot of rain recently as well. I recalled the quote that I included in my newsletter in June...
Where summer settles best is in the soul. In the part of you that remembers not to worry for the moment. To soothe the long ragged edges. To breathe. - Barbara Mahany
Give yourself a moment of freedom from worry. Let's let go of the crazy and the hazy and lean into the lazy. Our time on the mat can give us a break from the constant barrage of breaking news. Then when we step off the mat, we are better equipped to take right action and respond.
Join me on your mat. Let's breathe together.
Love & happiness,
Nina G
Just 60 Minutes
Hello my friends!
I remember when I first fell in love with yoga. I had some yoga DVDs that I enjoyed, but I thought that I wanted to try yoga ‘for real’. I knew that I wasn’t super flexible and I didn’t have any stylish yoga clothes, but I wanted to try a class with a live teacher.
I started attending a Stress Relief class on Wednesday nights. It was a small class – maybe just three people when I joined. We stretched and breathed for 60 minutes and it was magical.
I was hooked.
It was an hour each week that I didn’t spend worrying. It was one hour that all of the stuff that I had on my to-do list was tabled. I had 60 minutes to just be. It didn’t matter that I couldn’t bend over and touch my toes or do a handstand. What mattered was that I was there, fully present. My breath, my movement, my sensations.
It was amazing.
Every Wednesday evening when I got back home, my husband would ask how it was and my answer was always “GREAT!” Every time. Every Wednesday. Week after week, month after month.
I started to explore more classes. I went twice a week or maybe even three times each week. The more I practiced, the better I felt. Each time there was that same effect. That same wonderful feeling.
That’s when I knew that I needed to share this great feeling with others. We all can feel this way! That’s what made me decide to become a yoga teacher. I want to spread the word to everyone.
So here I am. I’m sending this note out to you to let you know that it doesn’t take a huge commitment. You don’t have to be super bendy or wear trendy leggings. We can all become more embodied, more mindful, and feel more human. We can all practice yoga.
Just try it for 60 minutes each week.
For those of you that already practice with me - thank you. I hope that the time that we spend together makes you feel GREAT as well!
In related news, I just renewed my annual Zoom subscription, so I hope to continue practicing yoga with you on Zoom for another year. Our little community has expanded slowly and I am always to overjoyed to see my friends log in for class. Feel free to invite some new friends as well – the first class is always free!
Join me on your mat - it's just 60 minutes.
Love & yoga,
Nina G
Interdependence Day
Hello my friends,
“If we succeed it will not be because of what we have, but it will be because of what we are; not because of what we own, but rather because of what we believe. ”
I found this great quote by LBJ from his Inaugural Address in January, 1965. It just screams yoga to me.
It’s been an interesting week. I spent lots of time on my new favorite website (airnow.gov) tracking air quality in the area. It put a damper on events outside. The good news is that we’re trending in the right direction this weekend. Hooray!
Given these current environmental challenges – air quality issues due to forest fires in Canada – once again we are reminded that we are all connected here on this earth. Political borders mean nothing to smoke.
That’s where the quote from LBJ comes in. If we are going to figure out these climate issues - any issues really - we need to work together with all countries, all people. Having more power or a bigger economy doesn’t matter. What matters is our willingness to work together globally, to see the big picture, and to strive for the greater good of ALL humanity.
It's yoga.
Each time that we step on the mat, we learn more about who we are and what we believe. Our efforts each week remind us of the connection to our best selves and to each other. We celebrate our independence and interdependence.
Then we act. We take right action for us. A kind word, a smile, a simple courtesy - something straightforward can make difference and make larger ripples in our community.
It’s yoga.
Enjoy your celebrations on Monday and Tuesday. Join me on your mat on Wednesday. Let’s practice together.
Let's change the world with our yoga.
Love,
Nina G
Yoga & The Senses
Hello dear friends!
Welcome to summer! I hope that you had a wonderful weekend and are rested and ready to take on the challenges of the week ahead.
This week, in our yoga practice, we will be exploring the senses. Mostly we will be noticing how we get so much sensory input from the eyes, but there is still a lot in our yoga practice to explore through sound and sensation (perhaps less from taste and smell!) It’s a fun and interesting way to practice yoga.
Beyond the five senses though, we will be exploring two lesser-known senses: proprioception (where we are in space) and interoception (how our movements make us feel).
Proprioception is the body’s ability to sense movement, action, and location. We need to know where we are and how to move without having to consciously think about the next step we need to take. Proprioception gives us coordination and balance. An easy example of proprioception is a field sobriety test…close your eyes, open your arms out wide and bring your right pointer finger to the tip of your nose. Then release that one and bring the left pointer to your nose. When all is working well (and unimpeded by alcohol!) the muscles, tendons, and joints are sending signals to the brain. The brain is receiving these signals and sending messages back to help steer the finger right to the tip of the nose.
Interoception is our ability to understand and feel what’s going on in our body. We receive signals throughout that day that it’s time to eat, to drink, to rest, etc. These signals come from the cardiovascular system, the lungs, the gut, the bladder and the kidneys. Communication is happening constantly. There are lots of automatic feedback systems – blood pressure, blood sugar – that we don’t consciously address. But we get other messages as well – tension in the muscles, clenching in the gut – that we can address mindfully.
This is where our yoga comes in.
Yoga helps us with balance and movement in space. We can work to strengthen our core, our legs, feet and ankles – everything that’s involved in staying upright. We work to coordinate movement across the midline of the brain – working to develop connections between the hemispheres. All of this contributes to easy movement in the body.
Yoga also helps us to listen to the body. Our time on the mat and the poses are important, but equally important is the pause between the poses. This is where we learn about the body and how it responds to our movement and action. This is where we can acknowledge the wisdom of the body and make the adjustments that we need. The more that we practice, the more effective the communication is between the body and the mind.
As we continue our yoga practice, we develop and hone both proprioception and interoception. We become more tuned-in, more self-aware. We build resilience.
Let’s come to our senses!
Please join me on your mat.
Love,
Nina G
News & Notes - June 2023
Hello my friends!
Here's the latest news...
NEW CHAIR YOGA VIDEO - There's a new chair yoga video out today - Head & Neck. We explore motion and sensation in the head and neck. Give it a try. Share it with your friends!
SUMMER SOLSTICE - The summer solstice happens on Wednesday. Enjoy those extra moments of daylight as we welcome the season. I am hearing the frogs croaking in the park behind my house - they have so much to say! I often just have to stop and listen to their cacophony.
SUMMER SCHEDULE - The 4:15 pm CT class on Mondays will continue throughout the summer. Please join me after a day at the beach or the pool!
“Where summer settles best is in the soul. In the part of you that remembers not to worry for the moment. To soothe the long ragged edges. To breathe.”
Let's allow summer to settle in our souls this week.
Join me on your mat and we can breathe together.
Love,
Nina G
Stillness in Motion
Dear friends,
I’m back in the Midwest and ready for some yoga! I hope that you are too.
I visited the Arboretum again over the weekend. In addition to the trees, we saw the new exhibit called Of the Earth by Olga Ziemska. Ziemska’s philosophy is that we are nature. Humans and nature are made of the same elements. There is no separation.
Stillness in Motion - Olga Ziemska
Here’s a photo of my favorite sculpture. It’s called Stillness in Motion. To me, it looks like she's positively buzzing. There's so much happening here with all of the sticks.
No separation!! Human AND Nature!
But when you change your perspective and look at the sculpture straight ahead, you can see the stillness.
Yep, motion and stillness, human and nature. The duality of it all is fun to explore and it's our duty to explore it. Ziemska does it in her art.
We can do it on our mat.
Please join me.
Love,
Nina G
Moving Towards Better
“Human beings are never going to be perfect. The best we can do is to keep asking for help and accepting it when you can. And if you keep on doing that, you’ll always be moving towards better.”
Dear Friends,
As you may recall from a previous newsletter (August, 2021) I enjoy watching the Ted Lasso show. The third season ended this past week and I enjoyed it immensely.
No spoilers here, but Leslie Higgins, the Director of Football Operations, offered the observation that I quoted above. I think he’s right. On our own, we will never be perfect. But we can move in that direction when we are brave enough to ask for, and accept, help from others. Working together, acknowledging and leveraging each other's strengths, we have unlimited potential.
We are not alone, my friends. We are all connected. My time on my mat reminds me of that every day.
Moving towards better,
Nina G