The Possibility of Solstice

Hello my friends,

Ever so slightly, our days have begun to lengthen again. We're now at that point in the year where we are moving forward towards the light. We've completed this last revolution around the sun and we are beginning the next.

Think of it as a giant exhale from the earth and now the inhale begins again.

Yoga for our planet!

Our yoga teaches us to find that space between the inhale and the exhale, as well as the exhale and the inhale, and to be present there.

In this silence, in this stillness, we know that we can change direction or stay the course. We might explore tiny adjustments to our pose or we might settle in deeper. We have the opportunity to make that decision with each breath.

It's just a brief moment, but it is ripe with potential.

Anything is possible in this space.

We just need to decide what we want to do next.

No classes this week. Enjoy the break. Revel in the possibilities.

Love & hope,

Nina G

The Light of the Season

Hello dear friends!

This is it - we’re headed into the darkest days this week. The shortest day of 2023 will be this coming Thursday - just over 9 hours of daylight!

The darkness invites us to linger with it. And perhaps that’s what we should do. Stay in bed a few extra minutes each morning, if your schedule allows. Wait for the return of the light to begin your day. Head to bed a few minutes earlier each night to spend some extra time with the stillness, with the darkness.

After Thursday, the days will begin to get longer. The light is returning. It’s the same revolution every year. And every year, I am in awe of the change that is taking place.

There are lots of lights to be found – quite literally. Just driving down the street is a riot of twinkling and sparkling.

Our days get darker and we turn on more lights. It’s not a bad response.

Our yoga practice invites us to do more though. From within the stillness of our practice, we are able to connect with our true self and begin to make those tiny ripples of good that will help to change the world. This can happen regardless of the season, regardless of the hours of daylight.

This quote arrived in my inbox this week. It speaks perfectly to the season and to our practice.

“Look for it in the wintertime, if you want to find The Light Of The Season — the real light, not the Hallmark one. Look for the location of resistance. Look for the darkness in which you can be a spark. Look for the opportunity to be bright, to light someone else’s way, to warm their hands, to shuttle them safely through the dark. Look for the crack you can fill or the shadow you can dispel by bringing a little bit of the light of resistance, carefully and tenderly, to just the place where it’s needed.”

— S. Bear Bergman

While we wait for those longer days, we have the opportunity to be the 'light of the season'. Thank you for continuing to bring your light to where it is needed.

Love & Light,

Nina G

Glimmers for the Grinch

Hello dear friends,

One of my favorite Christmas TV shows as a child was the animated How the Grinch Stole Christmas, narrated by Boris Karloff. It’s a great show based on the story by Dr. Seuss. I like the music, the rhythm and rhyme, and I love the story. It’s a classic redemption tale and I’m pretty sure that I’ve watched it every Christmas since it first aired in 1966 (including last week!)

And, as is my way, I thought that maybe the Grinch could be a little less ‘grinch-y’ if he practiced yoga. Obviously, he has some issues and triggers. The story mentions that it could be his heart or his shoes. It is clear that too much noise really sets him off!

Noise is definitely a trigger!

By the end of the story though, the Grinch changes. Something changes his heart and he celebrates Christmas with the Whos.

What changed his mind? What changed his heart? I’m going with a glimmer.

Glimmers are cues that cause the body to calm and relax. Glimmers are the opposite of triggers.

The glimmer for the Grinch was the sound of the Whos down in Whoville singing Welcome Christmas. Hearing the song gave him pause. It allowed him to soften and relax. It shifted his nervous system from fight or flight to rest and digest. We know that the song caused his heart to grow. At the end of the story – spoiler alert! – the Grinch is an honored guest celebrating Christmas with the Whos.

Our yoga practice gives us the space to look for the glimmers. It allows us the time to recognize those things, people, events, or places that help us to soften, to calm, and to relax. We all have glimmers – the Grinch’s glimmer was that particular song.

When we’re feeling particularly grinch-y, our glimmers might help us shift out of it. It might not be as dramatic a change of heart as the Grinch, but it's a shift nonetheless. It’s worth exploring.

If the Grinch had spent more time on his yoga mat, he could have identified his glimmers earlier. He could have saved all of that time stealing and then returning the presents. He could have enjoyed his time playing with his dog, Max, and making new friends with the Whos.

Of course, then it wouldn’t have been a Christmas classic!

Join me on your mat this week. Let’s find ease and calm together.

To my friends that are celebrating Hanukkah - Happy Festival of Lights!

Love & light,

Nina G

News & Notes - December 2023

"Within each of us there is a silence, a silence as vast as the universe. And when we experience that silence, we remember who we are.”

- Gunilla Norris

Dear friends,

There's lots of busyness clamoring for our attention in December, even as we head into the darkest days of the year. Take some time to find calm and quiet in the darkness.

In the meantime, here's what's happening this month.

NEW VIDEO - I'm calling this one a Yoga Break. It's a short practice (16 minutes!) to get you moving and bring you into the present moment. I'm not calling it 'chair yoga'...I'm calling it 'mat free' yoga. Give it a try!

SCHEDULE CHANGES - There are no classes this week. I'll be back the week of December 11th. Additionally, there are no classes between Christmas and January 1. Classes will resume on Tuesday, January 2nd. Watch this space for reminders and updates.

Find some silence this week. Revel in it.

I'll see you on the 11th.

Love,

Nina G

Glimmers of Joy

Hello my friends!

One last Happy Thanksgiving to you! I hope that you are enjoying this extended weekend with family and friends.

I received lots of feedback after last week's glimmer post, including this poem that was shared with me by two different people!

Joy

Joy does not arrive with a fanfare,
on a red carpet strewn with the flowers of a perfect life.

Joy sneaks in, as you pour a cup of coffee,
watching the sun hit your favourite tree, just right.

And you usher joy away,
because you are not ready for it.
Your house is not as it must be,
for such a distinguished guest.

But joy cares nothing for your messy home,
or your bank-balance,
or your waistline, you see.

Joy is supposed to slither through the cracks of your imperfect life,
that’s how joy works.

You cannot invite her, you can only be ready when she appears.

And hug her with meaning,

because in this very moment,

joy chose you.

By: Donna Ashworth

My across-the-street neighbors have erected their giant Santa again. He brings me an abundance of joy each time I walk out the front door. There's a smile on my face every time I look at him.

Giant Santa

I hope to see you on your mat this week. Let's be ready for glimmers of joy.

Love & joy,

Nina G

Glimmers of Gratitude

Hello Dear Friends,

There’s a relatively new term in psychology (coined in 2018) - it’s glimmer. We might understand glimmer as an unsteady light, but in psychology a glimmer is defined as a cue, either external or internal, that brings one back to a sense of joy or safety. It’s the opposite of a trigger, which is a cue that gives one a sense of fear or unease.

While you can’t control triggers, you are in charge of your glimmers. Your glimmers can be ANYTHING. It might be a favorite scent, it could be watching a sunset, listening to your favorite song, being with your best friend, or playing with your pet. The list is infinite.

A glimmer might be just a moment (think about that unsteady light), but the longer that we can keep our focus on the glimmer, the more effective we are at changing our state from fear to safety; from unease to joy.

I love this idea of a glimmer. It’s not a thing that you have to store or dust or even pay for, it’s just a thought or an idea. We all have glimmers; we can identify our glimmers and we can recall them when we are feeling removed from our sense of joy or safety. As we bring our attention to that glimmer, we can shift the nervous system and change how we feel. The breath will slow and the nervous system can shift from fight or flight to rest and digest.

As with all things related to our physical and mental health, there are no quick fixes. But finding and identifying our glimmers is one good way to start. How can we do that?

The mindfulness of yoga.

We have been practicing the yoga of gratitude this month, creating mental pictures of those things for which we are grateful. Let's take that a step further this week and notice if anything in that picture will serve as a glimmer.

Then, if things start to swirl out of our control, we know where to go to bring ourselves back to a sense of calm, a sense of joy, a sense of safety.

It's a glimmer. It's your glimmer.

With best wishes for a peaceful and loving holiday weekend.

Love & gratitude,

Nina G

News & Notes - November, 2023

Dear Ones,

Here's what's happening!

NEW CHAIR YOGA VIDEO - There's a new chair yoga video out - Grounding & Balance. It's a short video that lets us practice finding and feeling connection even when things seem to be swirling around us. All you need is your chair and you're all set! Give it a try.

UPCOMING SCHEDULE CHANGES - There will be no yoga on Wednesday evening, November 22nd. Also there will be no yoga the week of December 4th. Stay tuned to this newsletter for reminders and updates.

THE YOGA OF GRATITUDE - As the holidays approach, schedules get busier and more complicated. There's lots of planning, organizing, cleaning, and maybe even some cooking and baking. It can be a lot! Let's not forget to take time to center ourselves in our yoga practice. It's another great way to prepare for time with family and friends.

Please join me on your mat.

With love & gratitude,

Nina G

The Yoga of Gratitude

Hello my friends!

We're in November and we all had an extra hour of sleep last night. Life is good!

I love to practice the yoga of gratitude in November. In addition to the 4th Thursday, I like to spend these shorter blustery days with that 'attitude of gratitude'.

How will that manifest itself in our practice? As always, it starts with the breath. The breath is the gateway to our nervous system and we will use the breath to both nourish and calm us. As we continue our centering practice, we will create a gratitude picture in our mind. As we move through the grounding sequences and poses, we will have time to welcome and explore the sensations that we're feeling.

When class is over, we can take that feeling of appreciation with us. It might translate into more happiness, more awareness, and even more joy, in our day-to-day experiences.

Gratitude begets kindness and, wow, the world sure could use some more kindness. So please join me on your mat (or in your chair!) this month, and let's change the world together.

I am so thankful for all of you.

Love & gratitude,

Nina G

The Beauty We Love

Hello my friends,

It's been another horrifying week of news. Once again I am reminded that there are people in our nation and our world that wake up worried and frightened every day.

How can we change that for them? How can we change that for all of us?

I found this poem by Rumi - perhaps something to consider.

Today, like every other day, we wake up empty and frightened. Don’t open the door to the study and begin reading. Take down a musical instrument.

​Let the beauty we love be what we do.

There are a hundred ways to kneel and kiss the ground.

— Rumi

I think that the ancient mystic is saying that we need to be aware of the news, but not consumed by it. Amidst all of this fear and ugliness, we need to create the beauty we love.

Beauty can ease heartbreak.

Beauty brings hope.

Beauty will help the world to heal.

Love & beauty,

Nina G

Love & Awe

Listen with your heart, you will understand.

- Disney’s Pocahontas

My dear friends,

I had a hard time coming up with a newsletter this week. I usually look at what’s happening in the news, in the weather, or on the calendar. I might find a poem or quote that I want to share. But this week, each time that I sat at my computer I was frustrated with what I was writing. I was overwhelmed by all of the sadness and hatred happening right now. You don’t need my take on current events, the news outlets have that covered.

Yep, there’s a lot of terrible stuff happening right now. I can’t ignore it. I also know that I can’t fix everything that’s wrong with the world, our government, or the environment.

It feels too overwhelming.

So I decided to write what I know about instead. Yoga.

Yoga reminds us that we are all interconnected. Our time on the mat teaches us to connect body, mind, and breath. From those connections within, we are able to connect to our higher selves, our greater selves. And then with our community and our world.

We are focused on the yoga of awe this month. That idea of being very present and aware. Let’s continue that practice. When we're experiencing awe, we might feel small and insignificant when confronted with something so awe-filled. This is the place where we begin to understand that we’re all connected to something bigger, something more important. This is the place where we can start to work towards a common outcome. This is the place where we can begin to make changes.

We are not helpless. We can continue to take tiny steps to change things. We can offer kindness; we can send those ripples of love out into the universe. It's never easy, but each step that we take can make a difference. Whether we use our checkbook, our words, or our actions, we can change the world around us.

And then the overwhelming feeling can be subdued.

Awe demands our presence.

Be present.

Be aware.

Be in awe.

Love & Awe,

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
​”

— Mary Oliver

​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