Happy Earth Day!

Celebrate the earth..that gives us life...

If the Earth were only a few feet in diameter......

If the Earth
were only a few feet in diameter,
floating a few feet above a field somewhere,
people would come from everywhere to marvel
at it. People would walk around it marveling at its
big pools of water, its little pools and the water flowing
between. People would marvel at the bumps on it and the
holes in it. They would marvel at the very thin layer of gas
surrounding it and the water suspended in the gas. The people
would marvel at all the creatures walking around the surface of
the ball and at the creatures in the water. The people would
declare it as sacred because it was the only one, and they would
protect it so that it would not be hurt. The ball would be the
greatest wonder known, and people would come to pray to
it, to be healed, to gain knowledge, to know beauty and
to wonder how it could be. People would love it, and
defend it with their lives because they would
somehow know that their lives could be
nothing without it. If the Earth were
only a few feet in
diameter.

Joe Miller ~ Moab, Utah 1975

 

Namaste.

Pamela Nelson

www.plnyoga.vpweb.com

 

New Products in for PLN Yoga Studio

                                                  

 

 

So excited to now have the Pixie Glassworks aromatherapy pendants in at PLN Yoga Studio along with Young Living Essential Oils.

 

Enjoy the benefits of your favorite essential oil and the beauty of these hand-blown glass pendants.

 

If you are interested in either the pendants or the oils please contact me and I can make arrangements to meet you at the studio.

 

We will also be selling the pendants and oils at the Christopher Lake Farmer's Market which will be starting soon!

 

Please check out my Young Living Essential Oils website at:

http://www.ylscents.com/plnyoga/

 

You can sign up for my newsletter at the website regarding the oils. It gives alot of information regarding the benefits of oils and the other great products from YL.

 

 

Namaste.

Pamela Nelson

www.plnyoga.vpweb.com



 



Vibrational Energy...and You

Everything is in constant motion, containing energy and never at rest. Energy vibrates at different frequencies depending on the object.

Humans, having a body, mind and spirit, have many different frequencies in the body at one time. Each one will vibrate at a different level, with the emotional, mental and spiritual bodies vibrating at a higher level.
Anytime we introduce something into our body, physical (food, drink, etc.) or mental (positive or negative thoughts, emotions, experiences) we change these vibrational frequencies.  It has been found that certain frequencies can repel and destroy disease so raising vibrational energy can bring healing and positive outcomes.


Things that can enhance and raise vibrational energy:
 - yoga
-  meditation
- prananyama
- singing bowls
- pure essential oils
-  listening to high vibrational music
- chanting
- colors  
- crystals
- positive thinking, compassion for yourself and others
- eating well balanced food, produced in an ethical manner
- laughter
- connect with nature

Over the next few blogs I will explore some of these methods to raise vibrational energy.

Namaste.
Pamela Nelson
www.plnyoga.vpweb.com
 

 

Featured Pose - Vasisthasana - Side Plank

Mr. Iyengar writes in Light on Yoga that Vasisthasana, or side plank, strengthens the wrists, exercises the legs and tones the lumbar and coccyx regions of the spine.
I have started with some poses to warm up the wrists, shoulders and legs.
I have only shown the first stages of this pose, with some modifications.

To warm up, begin in Tadasana with feet either together or hip width apart if you have any back, knee, hip, ankle issues.  Keep the legs firm, kneecaps lifted, quadriceps engaged.

Press the palms together evenly at the chest, with the wrists in line with the elbows and roll the shoulders down the back. Hold for about 10-20 seconds, remembering to breath evenly.

Interlace the fingers and press the palms out away from you.  Keep the shoulders moving down the back. Inhale and raise the arms up overhead, keeping the window between the ears and shoulders.
Exhale and release. Repeat changing the interlace of the fingers.

 Another great pose for wrists, shoulders and neck is to stand arms length from the wall, palm pressing into the wall, fingers turned back 90 degrees.  Foundation firm, shoulders from ears, press into wall for 20 seconds each side.  Repeat on each side.

 Then do same pose, but this time point fingers up the wal towards the ceiling.

 From there try stepping away from the way.  Getting the idea of Vasisthasana without the full weight on your writ or shoulder. Stay at this pose if you have any shoulder or wrist issues.

As strength builds in the wrists, shoulders, back and legs try using a chair, keeping the balance to the hand and foot. Compact the hips, legs are firm. Don't let all the weight rest in the hand. Repeat on other side 1-2 times.

 



 Another variation so all the weight is not on the supporting hand is to keep the foot from the upper leg on the floor, pressing the help distribute the weight.
Begin on your right side on the floor, bring top (left) leg foot in front, press into bottom right hand, upper foot and right outer edge of foot as you lift up on the inhalation. Raise the top arm.  Repeat on other side.

 For the full pose, begin in Tadasana, bend forward bringing hands to the floor and step legs back into downward dog or plank pose.
Then turn the whole body sideways to the right, keeping the balance on the right hand and foot only.  Keep the body in a straight line with legs firmly together, draw the tailbone down towards the heels, kneecaps lifting up, hips firm.
Raise the top arm up, shoulders stack and look up to the top hand.  Keep diaphragm relaxed and breath smooth. Come back to downward dog or plank and repeat to other side.

At the start you can bring the feet into the wall to help with balance.

As progress you can come back to plank, do chataraga dandasana (four-limbed staff pose), press back up to plank and repeat side plank on other side.

Benefits:
Strengthens wrists, shoulders, legs and back.

Cautions:
Neck, shoulder, wrist injuries or issues


Namaste.
Pamela Nelson
www.plnyoga.vpweb.com

Book Review - Total Money Makeover

I read The Total Money Makeover, 3rd Edition in only a few hours. 
It is an in depth, yet easy to read book because Dave lays the the foundation for eliminating debt, learning to save and giving a right view of wealth in many "baby steps".

It is an important book to read for anyone, whether your debt load is high or you are just in debt "a little",  because it brings awareness to spending habits and makes one more responsible for their purchases. 

Dave Ramsey says we need to "Live like no one else now, so you can live like no one else later".
Once we realize if we live beyond our means now, the debt will follow into the future. 
Financial strain can creates problems in many areas of our lives and affect relationships when it brings feelings of overload, depression, anxiety, stress and inadequacy.

He writes, "if all you get from your wealth is the wrong view of it, wealth will destroy your peace. If you get from your wealth the idea that you are some big deal because you gathered some money, you missed the essence  of a Total Money Makeover.  The wealthy person who is ruled by his stuff is no more free than the debt-ridden consumer.."

Dave Ramsey gives some very interesting statistics and dispels many myths that run in our society.
From many of the stories throughout the book, including his own, it seems The Total Money Makeover can work...if you have that "gazelle intensity".

So even though the book can be a quick read, it will take hard work, but the gain in the end will mean freedom.

This really is in line with the first limb of Patanjali's Yoga Sutras...the Yamas.

Asteya means non-stealing, non-misappropriation, desirelessness and non-covetousness.
Not having any desire to have something that is not yours by untruthful ways of obtaining it.

Patanjali's Yoga Sutra II.37 says: asteyapratisthayam sarvaratnopasthanam
When abstention from stealing is firmly established, precious jewels come.

Mr. Iyengar writes in Light on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali,that upon the man who does not take what does not belong to him, all riches are showered. Being without desire, he effortlessly attracts what is precious, materially and figuratively, including the gem of all jewels, virtue.

Asteya does not just mean the literal sense of not stealing from others, it is also not taking more then you need or require. Often when we feel there is not enough of something to go around there is a sense of greed and we want to hoard it. When we sit back and look at what we would truly need to survive and prosper we would realize it is very little and that there is an abundance to go around for everyone.

I will end with a quote I often read to myself. 

Live Simply....

So others can simply live.

Namaste.
Pamela Nelson
www.plnyoga.vpweb.com

Early April Sale! Fancy Mat Bag and Studio Yoga Mat

+

= $50

With the start of the Spring Yoga Session I thought I would have a Spring Sale on Studio Yoga Mats and Fancy Mat Bags.

Regularly priced together at $58.50, on sale for only $50, plus tax.

Sale ends April 15th, 2013

If interested please contact me!
plnyoga@plnyoga.vpweb.com