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I came to yoga as medicine.  Medicine for a broken spine, medicine for a broken heart, medicine for a broken spirit. Yoga is slow powerful medicine that continues to transform me.  And, after 23 years of yoga practice, there were still some pockets of my body and mind that needed deeper medicine.  While researching medicine for PTSD I came upon tremoring.  Tremoring has become the latest addition to my yoga practice.  Daily shaking seems to be healing the overuse injuries of my hips, the last of the whiplash from last December’s car accident, and deeper ptsd related issues that I have lived with most of my life.  I’m ready to share this yoga medicine with you and I’ve developed a new class, Shaking Shakti, that I will offer on Wednesday nights, 5:30-6:45pm, starting June 12th, 2013.

Shaking Shakti will incorporate the Tension and Trauma releasing exercises movements from studying Dr. David Bercelli’s Trauma Releasing Exercises and Dr. Bradford Keeney’s Shaking Medicine.  Dr. Bercelli’s work draws on the neurologic study of trauma to release the body’s innate healing mechanism.  Dr. Keeney’s work is based on the shaking medicine he has studied with indigenous shamans and healers around the world. Both of these methods invoke spontaneous movement that releases tension and trauma, from the small every day tensions we accumulate in our shoulders, low back, jaw or stomach to the big life changing traumas that result in depression, anxiety or PTSD.

We will begin with familiar poses that work and stretch the muscles of the lower body and in particular the psoas muscle.  The psoas muscle holds trauma deep in the body and with the right exercises we can encourage it to release through tremoring.  Once the psoas begins to release the rest of the body will follow.  The body’s release may be small and quiet or large and energetic. It is always fun.  And, be forewarned, savasana after tremoring is one of the most delicious and relaxing experiences ever.

I’ll also be teaching Dr. Dr. Bercelli’s Tension and Trauma releasing exercises in private sessions.  Dr. Bercelli developed a specific set of exercises that anyone can use to safely release tremors.  It takes about an hour to learn the sequence for the first time.  A regular tremoring home practice might last 10 to 30 minutes a few times each week. The results of this simple practice are revolutionary.

Sign in for Wednesday 5:30-6:45pm class here.

Book private Yoga sessions with Lisa here.

As I’ve practiced yoga over the years, I’ve found that right about the same time I realize that there is a stuck spot in my body, is right about the time I start to bring it to balance or heal. It doesn’t matter whether the “stuckness” is physical, emotional or spiritual – when the awareness comes – then I can take the steps to bring it to balance and harmony.

For myself, I’ve discovered that some things don’t seem to want to shift too easily! Although the yoga poses and the meditation practice starts to bring things to balance – sometimes I feel like I’m ready to move a “stuckness” more efficiently.

The subconscious mind holds on to some interesting things even when consciously we feel ready to release. Just like in order to feel nurtured we might eat, or to feel macho a guy might smoke, or we might manifest pain in order to avoid a vulnerable situation. But at some point these defense mechanisms may be outdated. Through the cultivation of awareness of self – we may have the mature skills to nurture ourselves, or feel self-confident or address a vulnerable circumstance, but there can be a feeling inside that stops us from actually doing it.

Enter Hypnosis. With hypnosis, we can gently go into the specific programing of the unconscious, and update the hardware. Just like we update the operating system of our computer when the information is outdated, we can do the same thing in our mind.

Hypnosis, then is about bringing the conscious desire for change into the depths of the subconscious mind so that the underlying program supports us in creating a life that works well.

Elizabeth Weber, CHP
Certified Hypnosis Practitioner,
Bikram Yoga Instructor

Book your session here

Ayurvedic herbs are a gentle suggestion for your body towards optimal health. Ayurvedic medicine is the indigenous healthcare of India and provides a more natural alternative to traditional western medicine. Live Well carries a variety of products that can aide immune support, digestion, joint support and help regulate blood sugar. Lisa and Angie provide Ayurvedic Lifestyle Consultations.  Each consultation consists of information gathering, followed by personalized yoga, meditation, and lifestyle recommendations for your Doshas.

One 90 minute session is $100.  You can register here or call us to make an appointment at 541 224-6566.

Spring has sprung.….began a poem I once wrote in elementary school.  It continued about the flowers popping up to say “hello! while the worms stay down far below.”  Or something like that.  For me, growing up, spring meant not only poetry, but the dreaded spring cleaning as well.

“Many hands make light work!” my mother would declare as she firmly welcomed us into her world of washing windows and vacuuming things I didn’t know could be vacuumed. Yet, I had to admit, clean windows gave us a view to a world coming alive with color after a barren winter.  All of nature was singing pink, rapping yellow and burping purple….burping eloquently, of course.

The changing seasons outside provide opportunities for us to pause and ponder what is happening within us. “Just as there are seasons in the world around us, so there are in our interior life.” Teresa of Avila wisely observed.  “We cannot expect it otherwise.”

So, it is good to pause and notice the season within.  Is our inner land still a bit barren and frozen? Is there a desire for renewal somewhere in our lives? We may not trust the stirring of life if our winter has been long and lonely. Emotional clutter and old growth may hinder our ability to see clearly and hopefully  possibilities for our living and loving. On the other hand, spring may find us ready for new growth, but we are not sure where or how it will come to blossom.

It is through stillness that we create space to hear our truest selves speak. At a time when our activity increases with warmer weather, balancing activity with quiet can be a wonderful and even essential gift we give ourselves.

Spring cleaning is easier with help. A gentle gardener helps prepare the soil. A predictable timetable ensures the garden is ready.

I invite you to join me during this month for a May Meditation series I am calling “Spring Cleaning:  May Meditation”. Join a weekly small group where we will explore some themes of spring in our meditation: Waiting, Clearing, Awakening and New Growth. The class will beginning with a brief and gentle body warmup, followed by guided meditation and an opportunity to process the insight using various tools such as art, writing, continued silence or conversations with another student or myself.

It’s time to Spring Clean our minds! Summer is just around the corner and we don’t want to miss it!

Peace,

Sharon

Sharon Edwards, Spiritual Director, Yoga Teacher

Wednesday-6:45-7:30pm, 5/8-5/29, register here, $45

Thursday 9-9:45am, 5/9-5/30, register here, $45

Live Well Studio carries mats as unique as you are within the Manduka product line. The Manduka Black Mat PRO and PROlite mats come with a Lifetime Guarantee, making them a great investment. In a variety of beautiful colors and extra long for those with long limbs, you’re sure to find a mat that fits your needs. Purchase your Manduka mat at Live Well Studio and you skip the costs and time associated with shipping.Have a membership? You’ll save 20% on the purchase of a mat (and any other retail).

From a recent Pilates Chair Student,

“It was extremely challenging.

I have a regular yoga and weight lifting practice, yet the chair woke up muscles I had forgotten.

I’m very excited to use the chair to help work on deep, subtle muscles that we can easily overlook.

The chair put a laser beam on my deep hip muscles; I could really feel effective strengthening.

I loved the exercise called elephant, I know the deep core work it required will help me with my handstand practice.  

I’m already scheming on how to make this part of my regular routine!

Alignment help from Cristy was dramatic. Who would have thought just a little adjustment could change the whole exercise?”

Come check out a class for only $10 thru the end of April!

New schedule:
Monday, 5:30-6:30p with Mishele Mennett
Wednesday, 9:30-10:30a with Cristy O’Connor
Wednesday, 5:30-6:30p with Miranda Knox
Thursday, 5:30-6:3p with Mishele Mennett

Chair Class Passes, mix and match the dates you want to attend!
20 class pass $300 (just $15/class!)
10 class pass $190 ($19/class)
5 class pass $120 ($24/class)

Try it today for just $10!!  Click here, enter promotion code, ‘PilatesChair’ and sign up!

As I was driving to Bend over the Santiam Pass last year, I was taken by the view. There, just ahead of me, the heavy grey clouds abruptly ended and blue sky began.  It looked like God had drawn a line in the sky with Her crayons. It was dramatic. Behind me was darkness and compression. Ahead of me lay the promise of spaciousness, light and breath.

This is what it feels like to emerge from depression.

We all get the blues from time to time. We all have stories to tell. When we get stuck in our story and let the story get stuck in our bodies, this is depression.

It seems strange to say that I am excited about a workshop dealing with depression, but I really am. I am so excited to share with you tools that I use myself. In Yoga Body Mind Skills for Depression, we will learn poses, breath work, and meditations designed to move energy up, out and around our body. We will explore ways to bring our story out of shadow and into the light in order to become more whole beings.

James Gordon states on page 1 of his book Unstuck, “I understand depression to be the beginning of an unfolding process of self-awareness, not the grim end of a disease process….depressions’ signs and symptoms can be used as opportunities rather than viewed as catastrophes.” The process is still unfolding for me, but with this understanding of depression I do not have to leave the grey clouds behind. I just have to see where they lead.

Are you ready to start your journey?

This 8 week series begins on April 2, 7-8:30pm, and lasts thru May 21st.  Click here to register!

Yoga asks us to use our breath and awareness to tune into sensation in the body.  When backpacking, my husband and I will sometimes ask each other “should we continue on or stay in this spot”?  Before answering, a body scan is useful.  How does my back feel?  How do my feet and legs feel?  What is the upcoming terrain and how will that affect my body?  In yoga class the same dialogue can happen.  Should I go deeper into a pose, should I back off , or should I stay where I am?  By diving into bodily sensation and the rhythm of my breath, my body will tell me the answer to that question and it is my job to listen!

Yin yoga is a practice that I find useful to work with these questions.  Yin yoga is a style of yoga where floor supported postures are held for 3 to 5 minutes (or longer) at a time.  It differs from restorative yoga in that these poses can be quite intense, though that is up to my body and my breath to determine!  As I settle into the pose, I know I have some time to figure out my answers to these questions.   This gives me the tools I need in more active yoga classes, and my life, to ask and answer similar questions.

If you are wondering what you would say to these questions, or are wondering what this style of yoga is about, try out my upcoming Yin Yoga class on March 30.  We will spend about an hour doing yin yoga poses, with additional time for pranayama, meditation, and relaxation.   And the next time you are at a trail crossing, you will have the tools to say “let’s sit and enjoy the view” or “let’s go for it”!

Contentment.  Yoga philosophy teaches us that practicing Santosha, contentment, is one fundamental piece of the foundation of enlightenment. Practicing contentment, mmmmm.  Practicing contentment I find myself not worrying about enlightenment.  I arrive at the here and now of today and take joy and pleasure of what is.  A warm day. Daffodils.  Petting the dog.  Walking.  Talking with a friend. Life is full of sensory pleasures waiting to be appreciated.  This is how we practice Santosha.  Enjoying and appreciating the pleasures of the moment.

In our Asana practice we return again and again to the awareness of the flesh. Opening the mind to the wisdom and guidance of the flesh to learn Santosha.  My body will tell me when it is appropriate to push my flesh into a challenging or unfamiliar pose and when it needs the rest of a restorative practice. I let my body guide me to what it needs. Where the body goes the mind will follow.   My body can teach my mind Santosha.

I offer you these practices because I value contentment and these practices have taught me contentment, with a wonderful side effect of radiant health and wellbeing.  If you are in need of deep rest, try the Restorative Yoga Class on 1^st and 3^rd Fridays at 7:00p.  If you are ready to turn your world upside down, try Angie’s Inversions Laboratory tomorrow 3/3 at 2pm.  If you are need of a firmer foundation, come to my Pelvic Floor lab next week, 3/10 at 2pm.  Ask your body what it needs. It won’t answer in English, but in the subtle language of the body, with images, sensations, colors, and intuition.  It will speak to you if you listen.

Your body can teach you Santosha.