I think my right hip is mad at me

Okay, my right hip is getting to be a real pain in the butt.  It has been bothering me for about three years--a lot of tightness in my right iliopsoas in addition to a very tight inner thigh.  I can just feel the muscles and ligaments tugging and almost itching when I move into some stretches after warming up.  Ugggg.  This injury has been an interesting challenge for me to negotiate as a mover, dancer and movement teacher.  I've tried physical therapy and chiropractic work, both of which have helped, but due to relocating recently, I have yet to find one here in Salt Lake.

Anyways, I thought I would use this little injury as a way to maybe learn a few things.  Like, for example, how much tension I hold in my right hip and don't even realize it!!  I'll be driving and all of the sudden, I'll take my foot off the gas pedal and feel my right hip flexor let go.  Why was it even working in the first place!  I'll be sitting down, watching TV or reading a book and I'll notice myself gripping my right hip.  The poor little guy--he needs a break.  Clearly, my muscles must be guarding against an injury, or perhaps I have developed some holding patterns.  I have done a lot of gentle moving and strengthening to bring back life and vitality to my little right hip so I know I am doing what I can to take care of it.  Of course, I could always do more.

Dear Laura,
I'm sorry I am so tight and that I cause you pain, but sheesh do you use me a lot.  I mean, can you give me a break.  Why don't you try choreographing something using your left side first for a change.  Mr. Left Side feels left out anyways (he told me this the other day after rehearsal).  Plus, I really think you need to seriously investigate and invest in finding a chiropractor/massage therapist or PT that can help me out.  I know you think you can do everything, but I'm telling you, you can't.  Give me a break.  Even right now, why are you squishing me into a crossed legged position.  Ahhh, that's better, thanks.  I have another idea, I think the back side of your right leg is a little bit weak--I mean, have you seen that thing try to do a hamstring curl?  No wonder I'm so tired out.  Strengthen the backside of you, girlfriend and release the front--especially me!! I'm dying over here.  Oh, yeah and your low back is a bit tight--it sure likes to work a lot.  Try doing some pelvic clocks everyday for a while and see how that feels.  Yoga has been really helpful--you really need to be more regular with your practice, by the way.  I know you are a busy lady, but it feels so good and it really gives us a chance to get along with each other, reconnect and communicate.  I love it when you are able to let your right femur release into the deep crease of me, the front of your hip.  Boy, does that feel nice.  Gentle twists give me a nice sense of unwinding--like drinking a fine glass of wine.  Speaking of wine, you deserve a glass.  Thanks for listening.  I am already feeling better.
With love, dedication and understanding,
Right Hip
p.s. I'm not mad at you.

Homage to my fellow yogis.

Homage to my fellow yogis.
As a recent graduate of a fabulous yoga training with 25 beautiful yogis and my dedicated teachers Jennifer Ellen and Matt I am still reeling in all of the life changes and beauty that was shared in those months together.  We meandered through learning to teach and practice the science of yoga together. Through the twists and turns and the fun and the sad times. I honor each of you. Thank you for letting me be a part of your learning and lives. What an amazingly "austere" group of women and men!
Here's to you!
During the teacher training I can honestly say that I was overwhelmed by material we were to learn in conjunction with the roller coaster of emotions that I personally experienced and witnessed others in the training go through. 
While learning the Sanskrit names for each yoga pose and pronouncing it correctly (which was harder than I thought it would be) and practicing Surya Namaskara A&B over and over and over and over and over...we honed our movement and teaching and skills. 
We were introduced to and read the Bhagvad Gita, Gita Wisdom and The Yoga Sutras and The Radiance Sutras (a favorite that I read from as I teach each day) among others.
Light reading...haha. Each text a map and deeply woven with life long lessons.   
We meditated daily and kept meditation logs.  We met Lorin and Camile and learned that meditation doesn't need to be as austere as most of us thought it had to be.  We learned that each one of us had misconceptions and struggles with meditation and that it isn't about having to clear our minds of any thought. It's a dance and a journey. As Katie so beautifully stated, it's about noticing a thought and gently following it, then lovingly bringing it back.  As Lorin pointed out, even the Buddha's mind wanders. It's how we interpret and treat that wondering that is the meditation. In fact, anything can be a meditation. As Carolyn recently mentioned on FB, daily life with family and friends is a yoga practice. 
Now that's powerful and beautiful! 
We were introduced to Aruveda, the ancient science of self healing and to Arun, an intelligent, intense and dedicated Indian teacher of Aruveda.  A part of this teaching is the practice ofdaily oiling of the body. This part I really liked when I took the time practice.  According to Aruveda and Arun I am a Pitta Vata. My favorite oils to use are coconut and olive and avocado oil. The practice of oiling the body is quite luxurious and can also be messy:-) We were taught how to start massaging our bodies sometimes from the feet up and from one side to the other. (There are many different techniques that one can research about why and how to oil). Whatever your method the idea is to let the oil seep into your skin for about ten minutes and then take a bath or shower. In the shower no soap is needed. Simply let the water run over your skin and when you're done you can step out of the bath or shower and towel off.
This practice leaves your skin feeling wonderfully soft and subtle and allows for the oil to penetrate the seven layers of skin discussed in Aruveda. Netti Potting is another practice that I learned during our training. What a crazy feeling. I enjoy it now but when I first tried it I felt similarly to Nancy. I felt like I was drowning. It took a few tries and I learned how to tilt my head just right in order to let the water move through my sinuses and not feel uncomfortable. 
We reviewed and learned anatomy from intelligent and embodied Jamie every Wednesday night. We played the adjective/letter yoga game...FUN! 
We all rocked! We were all humbled and we all learned.
As I reflect on my yoga training I am thankful to have been a part of such a beautiful group of people. Each person so willing to share and learn in their own way. 
I learned mostly about myself. I learned about patterns in my life and ways that I have tried to hide and protect myself in effort to avoid pain. I learned that true beauty comes when your love yourself. True happiness comes from opening up and letting your love and true self shine through. Moving into that terrifyingly beautiful fear. Introduce yourself to those fears. Go in and shake their hands. They might even become less scary and thankful that you're willing to be so bold to honor who and where they are.
With this healing comes the ability to let go. A practice I'm still very much working on and will continue to throughout my life.
Thank you to my fellow yogis, my family and friends. I am so very grateful. 
Here's to learning and growing each day and to more dance parties! 
Shanti, shanti, shanti

Sir Ken Robinson on the importance of nurturing and cultivating creativity

Sir Ken Robinson: Do schools kill creativity?

Play video http://www.ted.com Sir Ken Robinson makes an entertaining and profoundly moving case for creating an education system that nurtures (rather than undermines) creativity. TEDTalks is a daily video… 00:20:04 Added on 1/07/07 1,765,797 views

Check out this video on YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iG9CE55wbtY&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Reconnecting to our roots

We (Kea, Melissa and Laura) are excited about embarking on this adventure in self discovery together, here in Salt Lake City!
It has been our experience that our community would benefit from a safe place to explore and ask questions about movement.
As professional dancers and athletes, we have each experienced either being critical of our bodies ourselves or having others be critical of our bodies:  how they move, their inefficiencies, weaknesses and strengths.  Each of us has gravitated towards a more compassionate approach to our own bodies and to movement.  This is not to say that this is easy.  It is a huge challenge, just as it is challenging to accept yourself for who you are.  Our belief is that as you try to accept your body and embrace it, you are also embracing your spirit and vice versa.  This is a continual and endless process and journey, one, which despite its challenges, can be fun, rewarding and offer us a deeper sense of ourselves and gratitude for all that we are and all that we are not.

Having said that, and having looked at this gorgeous picture of Melissa's daughter Nell, our message for today is to be playful.  Just like a child explores new things daily with a sense of curiosity and non-judgement, kick up your feet and shake a leg.  To help you relax into this new playful state, experiment with this:

Remember, comfort and relaxation are the focus:

• Lie on your back (use a small pillow or book under your head if you'd like).
• Place a blanket or soft pillow underneath your sacrum or pelvis
• Allow your legs to rest on a chair (knees bent), or slide your legs up against a wall (straight or bent)
• Breath easily and deeply (let the breath be comfortable and allow it to deepen slowly and naturally over time).  Notice the space between the inhale and exhale.  Feel where the breath moves in your body.  Allow your belly to expand with the inhale and soften with the exhale.  Experiment with taking your breath into sore or tender parts of the body (even your hips, knees or neck)
• Do this anywhere between three and twenty minutes.  

Benefits

• Decompression of the lower back (this is a great posture for low back pain and/or injuries)
• Overall relaxation and rest:  it allows the parasympathetic nervous system (aiding digestion, lowering blood pressure, decreasing anxiety and depression and increasing relaxation).  Be like a whale, diving down into the deep, calm waters.
• A good posture to focus on deep breathing, which can calm the mind and body
• Shoulders can relax and open naturally with the help of gravity and a small pillow if your neck/shoulders feel tight.