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 2024
Hello my friends!
Welcome to December. Here's the news you need to know:
New Video - It's a busy time of year, so this new video follows the Yoga Break format. It's called Yoga Break: Head, Neck & Shoulders. The entire video is about 15 minutes long and can be done seated OR standing. This one is great to release tension in the upper body. Everyone can give it a try!
Upcoming Schedule Changes - There will be no yoga the week of December 8th and no yoga between December 24th and January 1st. Looking for something to do? Click on my new video!
December Yoga - Since we are so busy during the month of December, our practice will focus on deep rest and relaxation. That's never a bad idea.
Take good care of yourselves, dear ones.
Love & yoga,
Nina G
The Feast of Each Moment
“Truly, we live with mysteries too marvelous to be understood.”
Dear friends,
When I first started to practice yoga, I thought that there was something magical that happened each time I took a class. I felt different. I felt more connected. I started to call my yoga mat my 'magic carpet'. I hadn’t done anything special – I wasn’t doing handstands or levitating - I was just going to yoga class.
It was a hard feeling for me to describe, so I kept going back to the mat to experience it again.
And again.
And again.
And even though it has been more than 20 years since my first yoga class I still can’t define that feeling. But now I realize that I don’t have to. This sacred mystery doesn’t need to be solved, it doesn’t need to be understood, it just needs to be experienced.
So that’s what I do.
And I invite you to do the same.
I call it the feast of each moment.
We step onto our mats or sit in our chairs and become mindful of our present moment bounty. We are aware of each breath, each movement, each opportunity for wonder and awe. Every time that we return to our practice, we develop this habit. We savor each moment. We feast on the splendor of this time, this place, this sensation.
We don’t need to analyze it, we just need to experience it.
That’s all.
Let us celebrate the feast of each moment together.
With love & mystery,
Nina G
PS - Happy Thanksgiving to all of you!
Steady & Unshakable
Hello friends,
I usually begin planning my classes for the next week on Thursday or Friday. I teach between 8 and 10 classes each week and once those are finished, I pause and consider what's next.
This coming week I have decided to focus on the idea of Steady & Unshakable. We know that life is a series of unexpected twists and turns. We also know that yoga helps us to find our calm and unshakable core. So, I created a grounding practice to support us as we navigate the unexpected.
Of course, once I got everything planned, I found out that I DO have to report for jury duty on Monday!
While it's not completely unexpected, it's a twist. We can handle it though. We're yogis - we're flexible!
Here are some ideas for a grounding practice that you can do without me:
Take some time to check in with the breath and the body. Wiggle your toes and turn your feet at the ankles. Bend your knees and then circle your hips.
Spend some time walking - it could be indoors or outside. Tune into sensations in the feet, ankles, legs, and hips, as you move mindfully. Notice the connection of each step to the earth.
When your walk is over, find stillness in your mountain pose (tadasana).
Acknowledge that steady calm deep within yourself.
Don't worry, I've saved my notes...we'll be practicing steady & unshakable together soon!
Unshakable love,
Nina G
News & Notes - November 2024
Dear friends,
Here's the news for this month:
NEW VIDEO - There's a new Chair Yoga video on my YouTube Channel - Align the Spine. We follow the vertebrae from the sacrum into the skull and back down again. Give it a try!
UPCOMING SCHEDULE CHANGES - There will be no class on Wednesday evening, November 27th (Thanksgiving Eve). I'll remind you as we get closer.
In other news, I might have jury duty on Monday, November 18th. I am on standby, so I won't know for sure until this Friday evening. Look for an update in next week's newsletter.
OUR YOGA - We celebrate Thanksgiving later this month - let's continue to practice our yoga of right action within the greater community. What's the right action for you? It might be any number of activities, including making a donation to a food bank, or helping at a food pantry. It might be a kind word, a smile, or a simple courtesy. You know what's appropriate for you.
Without a doubt, these small steps will send out ripples of love into our world - love that is so desperately needed at this time.
Love & yoga,
Nina G
The Yoga of November
Hello dear friends,
Welcome November! It got a lot cooler this weekend, so as part of my yoga of November, I'm pulling out my warm sweaters now!
Here are some other ways that we can practice yoga in November:
The Yoga of Right Action - There's a big election on Tuesday and as connected citizens in our local community, our state, and our nation, we vote. Take the time to learn about the issues at every level and cast your vote accordingly.
The Yoga of the Sun - We all had an extra hour of sleep last night due to the time change. The northern hemisphere is tilting away from the sun and our daylight hours are getting shorter. Let's try some sunshine yoga - wake up with the sun; spend time outdoors as the weather permits; treasure those fleeting moments of sunshine!
The Yoga of Falling Leaves - The leaves are making their annual trek down to the earth. They offer no pretense - they fall when it is time. They aren't afraid to let go of the tree either. They just dance! Perhaps we could learn from them and enjoy the freedom that comes from letting go.
I found this great poem called the lesson of the falling leaves
“the leaves believe
such letting go is love
such love is faith
such faith is grace
such grace is god
i agree with the leaves”
With that, enjoy the week ahead and your practice of the Yoga of November.
Love & leaves,
Nina G
Fun Activities for the End of October
Dear friends,
Believe it or not, October is almost over. Here are a few fun things we can do as we wrap up this month:
Go outside and kick the leaves. I spent lots of time outside this weekend enjoying the crisper weather and the steady tumble of leaves around me. It was wonderful!
Forest Preserve on Saturday afternoon
Election day is fast approaching. Vote early this week or make a plan for Tuesday, November 5. I went this past Tuesday and got my sticker. Done!
I am all about that sticker!
Halloween is Thursday - I'm a big fan of M&Ms and Milky Way Bars. Take a moment to enjoy your favorite candy treat this day. Savor it.
All the favorites
And, of course, join me for yoga! Our focus will be on the spine and its healthy movement. I might even throw in a spooky pose or two!
Love & light,
Nina G
Yogaversary!
Hello my friends!
I'm back and I'm looking forward to practicing with you again this week.
It's October, so that means it's my YOGAVERSARY!
Yep, 13 years of teaching yoga and I STILL LOVE IT! (Yes, I need to say that in all caps!) I am so happy to be sharing yoga with all of you. Thank you so much for joining me.
This past year we added a weight bearing component to our practice with our resistance bands. Yoga adds value to the exercise by encouraging us to be in the moment with each movement. We also take the time to tune into the body and notice how the movement makes us feel (interoception). By connecting the movement with our breath, it's all yoga.
Another piece that we've added to our practice this past year has been mudra - a sign or seal with the hands. There are so many different mudras available to us and it has been fun to select an appropriate one each week to incorporate into our practice. It's always interesting to note the subtle changes in the mind/body as we focus on our mudras.
Looking forward, what's next? As always, I am studying about ways to age well. Most recently, I took a course about functional movement and exercise within the realm of yoga. Next weekend, I'm enrolled in an on-line class about somatic subtle body yoga. In my regular weekly studies, the focus is on yoga for chronic fatigue this month. I love to learn about how yoga can serve every body and then I can hardly wait to incorporate those new ideas into a sequence that I can share with you.
Thank you, dear yogis, for allowing me to guide you in your practice. It is an honor to share yoga with you.
Love, love, & love!
Nina G
News & Notes - October 2024
Hello my friends!
Here's what you need to know for October.
Chair Yoga - There's a new video out - The Gesture of the Protective Shield. If you practiced with me live last week, you know that we used a mudra of protection. We created a shield around ourselves and sent out messages of love and kindness to those in need. That's never a bad idea.
Upcoming schedule changes - There will be no classes the week of October 14th. Regular class schedule resumes on Monday, October 21.
VOTE! - In case you haven't noticed, there is a big election coming up soon! Please make your plan to vote. If you are unsure of where to mail your ballot, where your polling place is, or when early voting begins in your area, the League of Women Voters offers help at Vote411.org.
Thank you to all of you that attend my classes and read this newsletter. It is a joy to share yoga with you each week!
Love & joy,
Nina G
Right Here & Now
Hello friends,
I found this beautiful poem about being present and I thought I'd share it with you.
Centering
Here.
Right here, right now, bring your mind to this place and time. Invite it, even if it resists, to sit and witness what it is to be alive. Let there be no ulterior motive in this moment but to be.
Rest on the waves of breath and choose to experience all of it.Let thoughts float through and leave again, as the mind slowly settles like snow inside a shaken paperweight.
This is all there is.Here.
Right here and now.
- Danna Faulds
Please join me on your mat.
Love & presence,
Nina G
Steady & Comfortable
Hello my friends,
We've been working on our transitions these past few weeks - working to stay in the present moment so that we can weather the changes that surround us. We have been focusing on our breath, paying attention to our foundation, expending energy, and yet finding calm in each moment.
One of the yoga sutras (writings about the theory and practice of yoga) explores steadiness and ease.
“Sthira sukham asanam.”
Sthira=steady; sukham= comfortable; asanam=posture. Or, a rough translation into our own language would be: "Asana is a steady, comfortable posture."
It makes sense! When we are on our mats, we want to find stability in the pose - we certainly don't want to fall. That's why we focus on our foundation before we start adding in anything else. Steadiness in our physical body translates to ease in our breath.
After we've found the ease in the breath, it is time to relax into that moment. This is where the real change can occur, our parasympathetic nervous system can turn on and we might see a shift in the nervous system - a movement towards calm.
Now what happens when we take these concepts off our mats and out into our world? It's the same idea, but a different platform.
Once again we need the steadiness to ground us - but not just physically. Off the mat, we want to be grounded in our true selves. We want to offer ourselves honestly to those around us. In this case, sthira will keep us focused and anchored.
The more time that we spend anchored in our own truth, the more sukha or ease we feel in external situations. Each social interaction that we have offers us the opportunity to fine tune the balance between our steadiness and our comfort. It's that balance that allows us to remain fully present in our daily lives. From that place we can begin to shift towards calm.
Join me on your mat and let's find steadiness and ease together.
Love,
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