Hi Youthful Yogis!
I hope everyone's been having a great summer. Many of my Youthful Yogis friends have been wondering just what exactly I've been up to lately, since they haven't seen much of me in Yogis Blogland. Well, let's see...there are those frogs I told you about (I need to check on them everyday); the goats (they're getting big); the garden (it's out of control, how much zucchini can one Youthful Yogi eat, anyway?!); and then there is a little activity I call "where did I put that?"

"I know it's here somewhere!"

Here is what this activity sounds like: "I can't do headstands on the lawn right now because I've lost my iPod/cell phone/wristwatch/add your own important item here... and it's really driving me nuts!"

No kidding, losing things can drive you nutty!

Youthful Yogis know that memory is an important function of the brain. Memory allows us to keep track of prized possessions like iPods, cell phones, and watches; it's what helps us to remember our friends' names and it's why teachers expect assignments to be turned in on time...

"Problems 2-100 are due tomorrow...please do not forget!"

"I think I just forgot..."

Let's get serious, Youthful Yogis...there are a lot of things you can do to keep your brain in good shape: eat healthy food, get lots of rest, and exercise everyday. A healthy brain supports good memory, which means you'll be able to finish those 89 math problems on time...or was it 99?!

Youthful Yogis know that yoga poses, or asanas, are also great for the noggin. Here are a few you might like to try:

Head to Knee Pose

Forward Fold

Downward Facing Dog

Last, but not least, I'd like to share some mudras with you that are great for memory.  Mudras, as you may remember, are positions or gestures that we make with our hands. They are said to help direct the flow of energy, or prana, within the body. Mudras can activate particular areas of the brain; they also feel good and they're really fun to do.

Here are two mudras that I love a lot:              

Gyan Mudra

Hakini Mudra

Gyan mudra quiets the mind; it's good for concentration and can help us to maintain a positive outlook on life. Youthful Yogis often enjoy practicing Gyan mudra while sitting quietly in meditation.

Hakini mudra is said to be good for memory as well as for finding things that are lost...no kidding! As I'm sure you can imagine,  I've been practicing Hakini mudra a lot this summer. The good news is that I found my iPod and my wristwatch. As it turns out, my cellphone was never really lost: it was right where I left it in the bottom of my purse, but it's good to have it back in any case!

I hope you'll have fun trying yoga poses and mudras for the brain, Youthful Yogis. There are a lot of good books you can look at to learn more, and also some information online.

Stay healthy, enjoy life, and I'll see you again soon!

Namaste

Hi there Youthful Yogis,
I was crossing over a babbling brook today and you'll never guess what happened... I almost fell in! Luckily, I caught my balance and didn't end up going for a very chilly swim, but it did get me to thinking...

Life is full of tippy situations: like jumping from stone to stone across a raging river (well, OK, a babbling brook),  carrying ten pounds of swim gear from the car to the house while trying to unlock the front door with one hand, or standing on tippy toes to reach that baseball cap that we just know is on the top shelf of the closet, unless mom gave it away with all that other stuff that she calls "clutter."

"If this isn't clutter, I don't know what is!"

It's true...we perform balancing acts everyday and we often don't even realize we're doing them! But here's the good news: balance is something Youthful Yogis know a lot about. They practice yoga poses like Eagle, Tree Pose, Warrior Three and Dancer to improve their balance, and they look to find steadiness off of their yoga mats as well.

"I am so balanced!"

Let's take a look at these yoga poses that challenge our balance. They involve standing on one leg, so here are a few things to keep in mind:

1) Stand near a wall or a chair if you feel tippy.

2) Relax your face, it's really easy to tighten around the mouth and the eyes when something is challenging!

3) Try not to hold your breath...keep breathing!

4) Have fun!

"Are we having fun yet?!"

                                                   Youthful Yogis Balancing Poses:

Dancer Pose

                                                                         

Tree Pose

Warrior Three Pose

                                                                                     


                           

Look-at-me-I'm-a-pretzel-pose

I hope you'll have fun trying out these poses, Youthful Yogis. They can be really challenging at first, but once you do them for a while you'll be amazed at how fun they feel! Make sure you notice what's going on with your body off of your yoga mat too. I bet after practicing Eagle and Warrior Three you'll be able to cross babbling brooks with ease. And you may even get higher up on your tippy toes to find that old baseball cap in the closet.

That is, unless your mom did ....YOU KNOW WHAT!

"Mommmmm!"

On that note, I need to say goodbye for now, Youthful Yogis. Remember to take time to appreciate having two feet on the earth, but have fun standing on just one foot sometimes, too.

Have a great day, see you again soon!

Namaste