Stand Up! Simple Tips for Improving Confidendce

     I never thought about it much, but at the Naval Academy, if you were being inspected (or possibly, being in trouble) you stood at attention, just like my classmates on the left. If someone was talking or giving you information to remember, you were put at parade rest. To my teenager eyes, parade rest looked a lot like Wonder Woman and felt really silly. Really, stand with your feet spread, elbows wide, hands crossed at the small of your back. How unnatural is that?
     Come to find out, the military knew what it was doing.  Amy Cuddy and her fellow researchers discovered that standing in a powerful position, like Wonder Woman, actually changes your brain chemistry to make you more confident (original publication here). As little as two minutes can boost your testosterone, making you feel more confident and in charge. It also reduces your cortisol. This improves your ability to deal with stressors and decreases anxiety.
     When I went through my photos to create the video, it was actually hard to discard some. I had so many images of both high and low power poses. It is amazing what you can see once someone opens your eyes.
     Her video changed my life in other profound ways. I am so aware of how I sit and stand now. Sometimes it is in that scolding way, you know, the inner voice that nags "stand up straight, shoulders back." More often, it is "look at how you are standing or sitting. That must mean you are uncomfortable here. Need to change that."
      I'll give you an example. I have been taking voice lessons for about three years. I was so incredibly shy about singing in public that joining the choir had ruined my appreciation of the liturgy. Something needed to be done. About six months ago I was having a lesson in the practice spaces of a local music academy.  This meant that everyone could overhear all my mistakes on this difficult peice. I felt wildly out of place. After singing the song for the final time, my teacher said "That is the best I have ever heard you sing." I immediately crossed my legs, crossed my arms and tucked my head down. Basically I got into the lowest power pose I could do without quivering in the corner. It made me realize how far I still have to go.
     Think of body language as a great diagnostic and power posing as the miracle cure. Those admirals knew what they were doing. Who knew?

In No Particular Order...

  Spend any time with me and you are bound to hear the phrase, "I am reading the most interesting book ..."  followed by how the particular book can shed light on whatever it is we are talking about.  The discussion generally devolves into a search for pen and a scrap of paper to jot the title and author.  This is invariably lost in the depths of a pocket or purse. So here it is, in no particular order, a list of the books, videos and articles that are influencing me this week...





God: A Story of Revelation  By Deepak Chopra

    Have you ever wondered what it was like to meet a saint?  To talk with someone who interacted with God on a daily basis?  Deepak Chopra has.  Each chapter is devoted to a great spiritual leader, from Job to Julian of Norwich to Rabindranath Tagore.  He reveals the story behind the story for each of these great leaders.  It has introduced me to several great thinkers that I only knew in passing and also reveals the underlying structure in our story of divine revelation as seen by Chopra.

The Maslow Business Reader Edited by Deborah C. Stephens

Maslow was standard fare in the leadership courses I took at the Naval Academy, but somehow I just applied his pyramid to those I lead, not myself.  This book has really helped me to see where in my life my needs are fulfilled, and why I am unhappy with some of the things that I have that everyone wants (hint: look to the base of the pyramid)

      This TED talk from Nicholas Christakis describes how social networks (the ones in the flesh and blood world, not Facebook) can help detect epidemics earlier than ever.  It made me wonder why I ever wanted to be popular because the people with the strongest social networks (which I think probably describes me) are most likely to catch the flu earliest.  As I am working through my third cold of the year, I do begin to wonder...

Pranam: Sianna Sherman DVD Review

      I have been teaching yoga for nearly 9 years now and one of the most common questions I am asked before and after class is "Do you recommend any yoga videos?"  Until now the answer has always been not really. I enjoyed the Rodney Yee yoga for back care that was on VCR (of all things!) but am not as fond of the new one.  So many videos just name and demonstrate the asana (poses) but don't give adequate instruction to prevent injury at home.
     Now I have found a DVD that I can recommend without reservations, Pranam with Sianna Sherman. I have had the video for a few months and I just love it.  The flow is very carefully crafted to open each part of the body before it is extended into more advanced poses. It also cleverly acknowledges the flow of life and our need to both surrender to it and move actively with the flow. The practice is divided into four sections;

1. East/ air/ inspiration
2. South/ fire/ courage
3. West/ water/ flow
4. North/ earth/ grounding and gratitude

       Most poses are visited several times throughout the practice with progressively more difficult options. Though she does not offer easier variations using straps and blocks, I found it very easy to modify the more advanced poses to my level .  What I really love is the vocal instructions for the advanced poses.  I will continue to perform a variation that is at my level, but her instructions allow me to move more deeply within my body as I perform the same pose.  For example, Urdhva Dhanurasana (full backbend) is out of my practice for a few weeks while I heal an injury.  As I listen to the DVD, I lay on my back with hands and feet where they would be for the pose and perform all of the inner motions without moving up to full wheel. So, I connect the hands strongly, root the tail bone, press the shoulder blades into the heart, and so on.  This allows me to do the internal work without aggravating an injury.

     The nice part about having these more difficult variations is that it reminds us to keep adding to our practice.   For example, bakasana (crow) jumping back into chaturanga dandasana (low plank) has just entered my world.  Now I'm going to apologize first,  I couldn't find some free professional pictures, so this is me in jeans and a tshirt after judging a Speech and Drama meet most of the day.  But wow! What a gift Sianna gave me!

chaturanga dandasana

bakasana

Just jump
from here...
             ... to here!


    The best praise I can give this video is that I could listen to her talk and not do the yoga, just to have her remind me of the inspiration all around, the courage that is already with in us to use the inspiration, the fluidity to allow change and the peace to remain grounded.  I highly recommend this DVD!

Power vs. Force

    Last night, much as I hate to admit it, I was on YouTube watching cat videos.  If my day has not had quite enough laughter, this is the sure cure.  My first cat, Farley, was the wedding gift that kept on giving.  She's the orange one on the right.  The gray and black kitten is Charlie. (Yes, the names are almost to precious for words, I was young).  Back to the cat videos. Among the cute kittens and the explanations of Schrodinger's cat (a physics mind experiment that I liked until I realized they kill the cat), there was a perfect demonstration of the difference between being powerful and being forceful.
      I was given the book Power vs Force, by a friend in 2005 and been fascinated ever since.  The book describes the different levels of emotion and thought moving from completely powerless (shame) through forceful (fear, desire, anger and pride) to the power that does not need to force it's views on others (love, joy, peace and enlightenment).  I use this awareness in daily life to change the things I'm going to do anyway (the dishes and making dinner) into acts of love and happiness.  If you are walking fast to do errands, why not do it with a smile on your face?

    What is so interesting about this movie is the calm cat.  The deer is stomping and doing other threat displays.  The cat just watches, only moving when necessary to stand it's ground.  The perfect demonstration of how to stand up to bullies.
     The cat is intrinsically powerful mentally, though clearly outclassed physically.  It is such a great thing to remember in daily life.  The person who is well off is not the one with the most money, she is the one with the most peace. One of my favorite quotes from the book...

Facts are accumulated by effort, but the truth reveals itself effortlessly...This book will have been successful if by the end of it you exclaim, "I always knew that!"

Finger Tips 2: the Video

         Recently I've written a couple of blog posts about Jin Shin Jyutsu and have been using it in my yoga classes.  Here is a video with a simple explanation and a mnemonic to help you remember which finger is associated with each emotional state.

      

Set Your Mind Free

    If the theme this week is all about play, today's yoga class was just right.  We played around with different ways to mobilize the joints, looking for freedom rather than rigid stability.  One key to looser muscles, however, lies right between your ears.  When the mind is free, so is the body.  This is the meditation with affirmations that I used to both begin and finish the class.

Synergy at its best

   Earlier today I talked to a friend who recommended this video to me.  I have always loved the Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) because first you honor where you are today.  After watching the video tonight, I realized where my first step in changing a belief came from....
    I hope you enjoy.

See the World a Whole New Way

    This week's quote about serenity really got me thinking.  As will be no surprise,  I had to research the author.  I had never heard of Thomas Szasz before yesterday.
    He is a psychiatrist and academic.  The thing that struck me the most was his questioning of the current order, turning the world upside down to see if it works better that way.  I knew right away the video I wanted to make!  Learning to look at the world upside down by learning handstand in a doorway was made for this week.
    The downside is I don't have a doorway in my house that I could film it in.  Either the sight line was bad or the light insufficient.  Here is an offering from Yoga Vidya.

     I find that the most important thing is to be careful getting your head and upper back into place before walking the feet up the doorway.  Go into it slowly and allow your arm strength to develop before going all the way up.
   As I've mentioned in class, handstand is accessible.  This is the method my mom used to learn handstand the year she turned 70.  Just be patient and persistent.  Look at the world a whole new way.

Vriksasana: Give Your Tree Solid Ground

     Today's practice focused on relaxing the hips and thighs by finding proper alignment.  Though we tried all types of fun things, here is the one that translated to video best.  And, for all of you afraid of falling,  I fell at least 3 times in the video.  My gift.

Such a Pain in the Neck!

One of my most requested classes is for pain relief in the neck and shoulders.  I love the request because there are many ways to approach it.  This video is geared to increase blood flow and mobility, then find the correct shoulder and neck alignment.  There is a brief cameo appearance by my cat, Joy.  She would not leave the room for the hour and a half it took me to shoot and edit this (yes, I am that slow).  I think she just wanted to make sure that she did not end up on the cutting room floor.

The funny thing is, when iMovie "optimized" the video, it cut off my feet so you can't see her moving around nearly as much as she did.  Though Joy is not nearly the rock star she was hoping to be, please enjoy this gentle but deep practice to open and align the upper body.

Sitting Forward Bends

Well Friends,
      Here it is my first YouTube video.  Last week I received some very sage advice, "better good than nothing at all."  So, I have stopped trying for perfect and will accept good enough.  This video is about how to use a strap to safely deepen your forward bends.