Yoga Cures: Simple Routines to Conquer Over 50 Common Ailments and Live Pain-Free (57 page)

DAY 1: WRITE IT DOWN

Start your retreat in the morning. You’ll need a notebook and a pen. Sit up tall, comfortably, wherever

you most like to sit in your home. Take a long and deep inhale and exhale. Look around your home

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and take in what inspires you, and what doesn’t. Do you have a favorite painting, object, area of your

home that you are drawn to for inspiration? Are there other areas in your home that don’t particularly

inspire you and that you feel could use a little refresher?

Now close your eyes and begin to rest your attention on your breath. Begin to observe yourself

without getting involved emotionally. Do you feel inspired? Do you feel a desire to be inspired? What

can you do to change your life so you are more inspired? Open your eyes and write down whatever

comes to mind in your notebook. If you have specific ideas about how you would like to re-inspire

yourself, write those down, too.

INSPIRATION FROM DEEPAK CHOPRA

My friend Deepak Chopra always has something original, interesting, soulful, and thoughtful to say. I worked on a project with him that had at its center the theme of transformation. While at the shoot, which was in the beautiful Joshua Tree National Park, the director asked him to talk about motivating people to change their lives. Deepak stopped right there and said, “I don’t believe in motivation. I believe in inspiring.” He continued to explain that motivation is based on fear, and is not lasting. If you motivate someone it is coming from the outside. For instance: look at that person, don’t they motivate you to be better? Don’t eat that cookie, motivate yourself to eat broccoli instead. Motivation is forced, pushed, and even if it does work for one instant, it causes stress, builds tension, and is not sustainable.

Inspiration, on the other hand, comes from within and is a lasting, sustainable energy source that is inside of all of us. When we are inspired, we can accomplish anything. There are no limits, no boundaries to our creativity. It’s important to inspire ourselves by practicing yoga so we can get connected to our intuition, creativity, and the flow of nature.

The following are a few ideas to consider incorporating into your home to keep your inspiration

flowing. Take them or leave them. I always say in my yoga classes that everything is optional; all you

have to do is breathe. If you connect with any of these, run with it; if not, make up your own and have

fun.

Power Objects:
Don’t worry, I’m not talking about displaying anything complicated or scary like a big

sword to remind you to take charge of your life; think a bit softer. Do you have anything already lying

around your house that makes you feel great when you see it, feel it, smell it? I have a few favorite rocks

that I’ve collected, and a pair of money frogs (little frog figurines that are for good luck and good

fortune). If you have a few objects that inspire you, consider putting them together in a corner of a room

that feels good to you so you can see them more often.

Good Smells:
For a big boost of natural energy and creativity in the morning, try keeping a small bottle of eucalyptus oil by your bedside. Take a whiff of that to get you up feeling refreshed and energized.

Art:
You don’t have to be a collector of Monet and Van Gogh to be inspired by art in your home. You can even make your own paintings by picking up a blank canvas at an art supply store and a few of your

favorite paint colors. Painting can be a great project to inspire you to other endeavors, and when you’re

finished you’ll have something nice to hang on your wall.

Yoga for Inspiration: Morning Routine

Do this routine in the morning either before or after breakfast. If you practice after breakfast, give yourself at
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least an hour to digest your food before beginning.

Seated Meditation

Sit up nice and tall, however you can sit most comfortably. Relax your shoulders, so that they are away from your ears. Rest your hands on your thighs. Start to rest your attention on your breath. Watch your inhales come and exhales go. Settle your mind in the space between. Begin to lengthen and deepen your inhales and exhales setting a slow, easy pace of breathing. If a thought starts to enter your mind, simply observe it like a cloud passing by.

Continue observing your breath for three to five minutes.

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Standing

Stand at the top of your yoga mat. Feet are parallel and slightly apart, under your hip bones. Your hip bones aren’t at the outside of your hips so make sure your feet aren’t too far apart. You can check by placing two fists between your feet. That’s about the width of your hip bones. Close your eyes and bring your attention to your breath. Lengthen and deepen your inhales and exhales and continue breathing at this nice, slow pace for five full breaths. Gently open your eyes.

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Standing Arm Reach

Inhale and lift your arms out to your sides and up, filling all the space with your breath and your movement. Relax your tailbone and lift your chest. Keep your shoulders relaxed and down and look up while keeping your face and your forehead relaxed.

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Dancer

Shift your weight onto your right leg. Bend your left knee and grab the inside of your left calf with your left hand.

Gently press your foot into your hand to open your back. Reach your right arm straight up. Stay here for five long, deep breaths.

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Big Toe Hold

Hug your right knee into your chest and grab your big toe with two fingers of your right hand. Stay here for three long, deep breaths.

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