Women's Circle Podcast Episode 1

Introduction Welcome to the Women’s Circle. Monthly discussions by women, for women, on topics related to nutrition, wellness and health. These talks are hosted by Emily Gold and Claudia Kaiser.

Emily Gold holds a Masters in Public Health and is a registered yoga teacher as well as a certified doula. Her yoga work focuses on women’s health and wellness including pregnancy, fertility, reproductive health and mental health as well as Hatha, Yin and Restorative Yoga. Originally from New York, when Emily isn’t on her mat she can be found with a book or knitting needles in her hand or exploring Brussels with her husband and Dog, Puddles. To learn more about Emily and discover opportunities to enhance your own wellness through yoga visit her website today: www.emilygoldyoga.com

Claudia Kaiser is a certified Nutrition Counselor & Metabolic Typing Advisor and currently studies for an Eating Psychology Coach certification. She offers customized & holistic mind-body nutrition coaching for individuals, workshops for groups, and nutrition consulting services for companies. She also runs a shop for nourishing & sustainable Real Food in Brussels & online. Claudia particularly enjoys working around preconception and hormonal balance, but you are also welcome for concerns around energy, fertility, weight, body image, general well-being… She can attend you in EN, FR, NL, DE and ES. Originally from Germany, Claudia is passionate about good food and cooking and loves spending quality time with her partner and cat. To learn more, visit: www.metabolance.com.

We welcome any feedback and would love suggestions for future topics. Episode #1: Stress:

[audio mp3="http://www.birthbreathbeyond.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Womens-Circle-1-Stress.mp3"][/audio] This month’s talk is all about STRESS. A common complaint for most of us in the western world Claudia and Emily talk about what stress is and how you can manage it with yoga, meditation and nutrition! Listen to the end for a special Relaxation Response meditation to reduce stress today!

Enhancing your Practice: Yoga Books

I’ve been writing about various ways to bring your yoga off the mat. Today I am writing about Yoga Books, which combines two of my favorite things, yoga and reading! Here are some insights for taking yoga off your mat and onto your bookshelf! I’m an avid reader. My husband and I gave out our favorite books as wedding gifts. Not being in the middle of at least one book is a real fear for me, I can’t think of the last time I wasn’t reading at least one novel and one non-fiction book. And of course this includes books about yoga, spirituality, meditation, Ayurveda and more. Many Many books. But not all books are created equal and not everyone wants to invest half their incomes in books like me. So I’ve narrowed down my top 5 favorite yoga books to share with you. Would love to hear your thoughts. And read on to the bottom to find out about my new yoga book club!

Relax and Renew: Restful Yoga for Stressful Times., Judith Hanson Lasater, PhD, P.T. If you’ve done restorative yoga before you know the magic created from strategically placed blankets, pillows and blocks. If you haven’t I highly recommend spending some time on restoring yourself. And if you don’t have time for a class this book is a great way to learn how you can place yourself in some delicious restorative yoga poses. Complete with pictures and inspiring quotes on every page this book is essential for those times when you wish you had a magic tool to help you relax! I had the great pleasure of getting to take a training with Judith last month and I’ve regularly returned to this book to create ideal restorative yoga sequences for myself and my yoga students.

Science of Yoga: The Risks and Rewards, William J. Broad. This book caused quite a controversy when it was first published, accompanied by an article in the New York Times detailing some of the negative sides of yoga including physical injuries and false health claims. Since along with being a yoga teacher I am a Public Health Scientist I LOVED this book! I love data and when it doesn’t show what I want it to show that is all the more reason to encourage dialogue and continued research. The book isn’t all negative, in fact it details the very many amazing benefits of yoga and have they have been proven effective. If you are a yoga nerd (like me) you'll love this book!

Cool Yoga Tricks, Miriam Austin. I am going to right away say that I HATE the title of this book. Its content, however, is amazing! A compilation of tools and yes, tricks to modify yoga poses to better fit your body. As a private yoga teacher I use this book all the time to help my clients come into a pose in a way that best suits their bodies. And as a practitioner I am constantly consulting this book to enhance my own practice and work into more advance poses. With just a few props and perhaps a helpful friend you can enhance your hope yoga practice.

The Complete Guide to Yin Yoga: The Philosophy and Practice of Yin Yoga, Bernie Clark. This is my favorite Yin Yoga book. And I have a great deal of Yin Books! Bernie Clark has been studying with the founders of Yin Yoga for years and has created a book that combines the philosophy, anatomy and science behind Yin Yoga. The book includes a breakdown of all the Yin poses with modifications, appropriate counter poses, and reference to the comparable Yang pose. It also includes an accessible breakdown of the meridian lines and how you can use Yin Yoga to work with the meridian lines. If you are interested in deepening your Yin practice this is the book to get

Bringing Yoga to Life , Donna Farhi. Donna Farhi’s book provides advice for how you can take your yoga practice into “real life”. She writes for each reader to become their own teacher, in order to utilize yoga to create new patterns in their mind, ultimately evolving how they live their life. A teacher read from this in class one day, after class when I asked her about it she gave me the book! A heartfelt gift is always the best and I’ve cherished this book ever since. That is why I’ve made it the first reading for my Yoga Book Club.

Yes that is right! I am starting a Yoga Book Club right here in Brussels. If you’ve ever wanted to learn more about how to enhance your yoga practice but not sure where to start, or you want a group to discuss yogic texts, this is the place for you. The first club meeting will be 23 May. Join the Facebook Event to stay up to date on location and additional details. Hope to see you there!

Enhancing Your Practice: Yoga Retreat

Hi Yogis. You may have noticed I took a break from blogging for a while. I have been working on moving into some other media, likely podcasting, but as I continue to work on that side of information sharing I’ve missed connecting with all of you. SO I am hoping to return to regular blogging while I pursue the podcasts. For the next few weeks I will be covering various ways you can enhance your yoga practice. This week is about what, in my opinion, is one of the most fun ways to delve deeper into your practice, a yoga retreat. Below I’ve noted some common questions/misconceptions about yoga retreats and tried to clear them up. And read on to the end for a very exciting announcement!

Commonly Asked Questions:

What if I am not good enough at yoga to attend a retreat? First of all let me just say, there is no way to be “good” at yoga. Yoga is a continual way of being that involves a physical practice of Asana as well as many other limbs of mental and spiritual practice. Often people feel they are not strong or flexible “enough” to attend yoga class, let alone attend a retreat. There are two things I have to say to this: 1) You don’t reach enlightenment by touching your toes! Those of you who have taken a yoga class with me know that when my hamstrings are angry I can barely touch my toes! Yet I and others still seem to think I am a good yoga teacher. The physical practice of yoga often gets overemphasized by people trying to sell you pants or get you to follow them on Instagram. But in reality yoga should be about how you feel, act and perceive the world. Touching my toes or falling into a backbend isn’t the parts of yoga I use every day, when I am stuck on a crowded bus or frustrated with my husband. I call on a deeper mindfulness practice for that!

2) I went on my first yoga retreat when I had only had a regular practice for about a year, and it was one of the best things I could have done for my practice! I got to spend a whole week with 2 teachers and only 7 other students, I got tons of one on one assistance and expertise and got to learn a great deal more than I would have learned in another year of group classes. Was I the least experienced and least flexible person in the group? Probably, but I was feeling so good I didn’t even care.

I want to rest when I take time off. Isn’t a yoga retreat too much work? The level of strenuous activity you do on a yoga retreat is a bit influenced on what kind of retreat you go on and a bit on what you make of it. If you are looking to completely chill out I wouldn’t suggest a “Yoga and Bootcamp” Retreat! That said one of the great things about a retreat is that it is ALL ABOUT YOU! So you get to decide if that sunrise meditation will be healing or really if what you need is another three hours of sleep.

Isn’t a retreat a fancy luxury experience? Much like the last question, this is all about what retreat you choose. Some people love to lounge in luxury while others feel more centered with minimum provisions. This will of course effect the budget of the retreat but the good news is there is something for almost everyone.

Can I afford a retreat? Well I don’t know what your budget it! But retreats are often more affordable than people think. While 5 star luxury centers are often out of reach, many retreats often opportunities to share a room with another participant and cut down on costs by making cooking a shared activity that people can bond over. Taking some time for self-care is always important and doesn’t have to break the bank!!

Can I attend a retreat if I don’t know anyone going? Yes! A retreat is a great place to meet people from your neighborhood and around the world. After a few days of grounding and growing together you may even make friends for life.

Exciting News: I am co-hosting a Yoga and Wellness Retreat with Yoga Teacher and Medi-Spa Practitioner Obe Jones-Darell of Sound Body Health! We will be spending a long weekend in Poro de Mos, Portugal where we will be offering two yoga classes a day, a daily guided meditation, medi spa services, Bliss Yoga (an amazing combination of restorative yoga, acupuncture and massage) home cooked meals and more. The retreat will be June 3- June 6th. For more information please contact me and get more information and sign up here.We are offering some limited time early bird deals so if you are on the fence get some more information today.

Home Yoga Practice Part 2: Creating your Practice

Last week I wrote about setting up a space for a home yoga practice. This week I'll provide some tips on how to create your home practice. The below rules apply to someone who is also practicing in a yoga class setting or with a private teacher. If you've never practiced yoga before or if you have bene off your mat for awhile I recommend checking out some classes or private sessions before you start your personal home practice. 1) Choose a time. In last weeks post I wrote about the importance of practicing in the same space, as much as possible. Today I add to that, as much as possible try to set a time for your practice. Whether it is first thing in the morning, when you get home from work, setting a time will help you keep your practice regular and also help you figure out what kind of practice to have. It also helps you establish yoga as a ritual, which can help ensure your practice becomes regular.

2) What to practice- This is one of the tricky things of starting a home practice, deciding what to practice.  Here are a few rules of thumb: a) The first rule of thumb would be to work on what you like. If you groan every time a teacher puts you into pigeon pose practicing it on your own may not be the best move, because without the teacher there you are less likely to hold the pose at all. You may also be holding the pose improperly for your body, which is why you don't like it in the first place. Stick with poses and sequences you know you enjoy, they are most likely to keep you on the mat.

b) Target areas that could use a bit of extra love. This may sound a bit contradictory to the above point, but try to spend a bit of time on the areas of your body that could use a bit of extra stretch or strength. This doesn't mean going into the full extension of a pose you hate, but if you know your hamstrings are tight do a few forward folds. This is a great chance to work on these areas in-between classes where, depending on the class, you may not get to target them completely.  If you aren't sure what areas need a bit of extra loving consult a knowledgable teacher.

c) Do what you know. A home practice is not the time to try new poses. If you've been working into a "peak pose" (like a handstand or camel pose) your home yoga practice is probably not the time to practice it. Instead continue working on what you can to prepare for this pose, going as far as you've gone in class, as long as you feel comfortable. This will prepare you to practice again in class and continue working into more advance postures.

3) Listen to your body! This is a big one, and really it applies in a class or private setting as well. If something doesn't feel right it probably isn't! Monitor your energy level as well. If you are feeling exhausted perhaps you should practice a more gentle practice. This can relate to the time of day as well. If you go to a studio in the mornings but have an evening home practice you may want to practice slower than you do in class.

4) Expect a shorter practice. For most people, myself included, it is much more challenging to stay focused on a home practice, as opposed to when a teacher is holding space in a class or private session. Set a timer for about half the time of your usual class practice, and take it from there. And if you get distracted by a text, a pet or the front door return to your mat.

5) Don't skip Shavasanah! It is easy to think of a Shavasanah as an extra luxury that can be skipped if you are short on time but really it is one of the most important asanas (poses) of any yoga practice. It is a time to relax and an opportunity to notice where your body or mind can't or won't relax or let go of tension. To encourage your home practice I've created a free short guided Shavasanah that you can feel free to use at the end of your home yoga practice.

6) Take advantage of the internet, but do so responsibly. There are countless yoga videos online, both for free and charge. From a safety point of view I don't recommend yoga videos to those that don't have a strong yoga practice, or if you've never heard of the teacher and their aren't any reviews. If you do, my favorite site it Gaia.com where, for 10$ a month you can get access to thousands of yoga videos, guided meditations and more.

7) Remember, no one is perfect and practicing at home is difficult. My home yoga practice is constantly interrupted by my dog or my growling stomach. This humorous video is a great reminder to not take yourself to seriously.

8) Talk to a teacher. If you are struggling with your home yoga practice, or still not sure where to start, speak with your regular teacher, who may have some great tips.He or she may suggest a few private sessions, which are a great way to have a personalized practice designed just for you that you can build on and practice on your own. I offer a "Home Body" Private Yoga Practice where I work with clients to design and create a personalized practice that they can feel confident working with and building on on their own.

Creating a Home Yoga Practice: Part 1

I recently had several people ask me how to create or improve their home yoga practice. This makes sense. It is cold (and often rainy) here in Brussels out and with short days when you wake up and it is dark, come home and it is dark it is difficult to find the motivation to head to a yoga studio. A home practice is also a great way to keep you keep your practice up when you day is busy and you can’t devote an hour or an hour and a half to class, plus the time it takes to get there and back. You can also use a home practice to establish a yoga or meditation routine, especially a morning or bedtime practice. If you practice firs thing in the morning you can practice in your PJs (I often do) and an evening practice means you can drift right from Savasanh to your bead. A home yoga practice isn’t without its challenges. One of the major challenges of creating a home practice is space. Ideally, when you walk into a yoga studio you immediately start to relax. The lights are soft, it smells good, and maybe there are candles or essential oils. Even if you practice in a gym or community center, the space is typically quiet and the lights are low. This may not be the case in your home. Unless you are lucky enough to have your own yoga room you are likely practicing in a bedroom, living room, guest room or playroom. Just because you aren’t at the studio doesn’t mean you can’t create a soothing space.

1)The first thing to do is claim your space. In our old home, where I didn’t have a dedicated yoga space, I’d practice either in our living room or our balcony. My husband knew that first thing in the morning that is where I would be, and he would know this space was “mine” for the time.

2) Add a ritual to establish your yoga space. Roll out your yoga mat. Spray some room mist, diffuse essential oils or light some incense or candles. If you like music in your practice set up a special yoga playlist. Even if you don’t typically enjoy practicing to music you may want to set up some sounds (like chiming bells or waves) to establish your place and to cancel out outside noise.

Embrace distraction.

If you don’t have a private space (or even if you do) a home yoga practice means there will likely be distractions during your yoga class. I’ve never had a dog lick me when I practice at a studio but if I am practicing with my door open at home, every time. Puddles hears the sound of “ohm” as “come” and she does every time, and if she sees me on the ground she assumes it is play time. While she has learned I won’ t give her attention and doesn’t stick around, she still tries almost every time. At first I would get annoyed but I’ve learned to embrace it. Try practicing mindfulness while there is a dog wiggling in your lap. And embrace the freedom when there is space, Chatarunga feels easy when I don’t have to balance myself over a dog! If you have children and they show interest in your yoga practice you can ask if they want to join you. Depending on their age it may not be the same practice but you have the chance to introduce them to yoga and the practice of mindfulness.

If something that can’t be ignored distracts you off your mat, when you are done, come back. Sit back down and refocus. You don’t need to be exactly where you were, just bring awareness back to your breath. When you are ready continue your physical practice.

One of the perks of practicing at a studio (or at my house) is all the props! The blocks, straps, bolsters etc. If you’ve practiced with me you know I love props! But they can be expensive. Unless you are planning a very regular home practice you don’t have to purchase all these toys. Rather you can use what you have around your house to make your own Prop cabinet!.

Instead of blocks, use a couple big books. We are bookworms so there are always numerous books lying around. One or 2 hardcover books work best.

Instead of a strap, use a scarf the belt from a rope or a regular belt. Just be aware the resistance may be different than what you are used to at a studio.

Instead of a bolster, use a couch pillow or another firm pillow. You want to make sure you use something firm so you are supported.

Instead of a blanket, use a blanket. This one was easy ☺

Instead of sand bags use bags or rice or grain. Just make sure they are sealed properly and aren’t too heavy.

Instead of eye pillows- use a folded scarf. You can even spray it with some infused essential oils.

Setting up a space for yourself is the first step in your home practice. Next week I will cover the “how”, with tips on the best way to design an effective practice you can do on your own.

I am now offering a "Home Body" Package Private Yoga Series, 3 Yoga sessions plus lots of personalized tips and resources to start or upgrade your home practice. Don't worry, the dog isn't part of the practice.