Hello, Youthful Yogis!
Well, it's official: spring is in the air and the days are getting longer. I'm guessing this has everyone thinking about flowers, fishing, cookouts and canoeing...right?

Or maybe you're massively inspired to clean out your closet and update your wardrobe. Spring is about renewal, after all!

Cooler

Cool

Coolest...???

As for me, when the days get longer I get to thinking about...the sun, of course!  The sun, as you know, is with us every day and is responsible for life as we know it: the sun keeps us warm, provides us with light, allows plants to grow which helps fill the atmosphere with Oxygen...and due to the gravitational pull of the sun, our friendly little planet earth stays in place, thank you very much!

   

"We're a perfect distance apart, and that's why we get along so well!"

Over the course of history, many cultures have honored the sun: the Egyptians believed in Ra, the god of the sun and the "bringer of light." The Greeks had Helios and the Aztecs had Huitzilopochtli...say that ten times fast!  I'm sure you know where I am going with this, Youthful Yogis: if we're talking gods and goddesses, I just have to bring up Hindu Mythology!!

One of the most important deities (gods) in Hindu mythology is Surya, also known as the Sun God or "the supreme light." Surya is fantastic! Take a look:

Surya is often shown riding on a chariot drawn by 17 horses. He can also be seen riding with one horse who has seven heads! I read that the seven headed horse represents the colors of the rainbow, as well as the seven chakras, or energy centers, that illuminate the human body (I'll write more about the chakras another time.)

Surya and his seven headed horse

In Hinduism, Surya is worshipped at dawn when the rising sun fills people with a sense of strength and renewal. There are even temples throughout India dedicated to Surya. One very famous temple is in Konark, near the Bay of Bengal. It was built way back in in the 13th century...check it out:

"Ancient?...you bet I am!"

Here are a few more interesting things about Surya, the Sun God...he is often shown holding a lotus flower in both hands:

...but sometimes he is shown with four hands!

Also, Surya is said to have had three queens. One of the queens, named Saranyu, could not stand Surya's extreme radiance. Seriously, he was just too bright! So Saranyu created another version of herself from her shadow; the shadow was able to act as queen in Sarnyu's place and, as far as I know, this kept everybody happy.

"What can I say?...I am naturally brilliant!" 

Youthful Yogis, I'm sure right about now you are looking at the sun sinking low in the sky and wondering if I am ever going to get around to explaining if Surya, the God of Light, has anything to do with the poses that we practice on our yoga mats.

Funny that you should mention it (well, OK...I just did)...here are a couple of ways that you can bring the warm, bright energy of Surya into your yoga practice:

1) Try Surya Namaskara, also known as a Salutation to the Sun. Surya Namaskara is often practice in the morning to--you guessed it!--honor the rising sun. It is a sequence of eight different asanas (postures) that are practiced one right after the other. Sun Salutes are nice to practice both in the morning and late in the day; many people like to work up to practicing twelve rounds at once. Here is what Surya Namaskara looks like:

Here is another view:

And one more (I can't resist):

Of course, not everyone is comfortable doing all of the poses included in a traditional Sun Salute. A good yoga teacher can show how to practice Surya Namaskara in a way that is safe and satisfying for everyone.

"That Sun Salute looks like something I should try!"

2) Another way you can bring light and warmth into your practice is with Surya Mudra. Mudras, as you may remember, are gestures that we make with our hands. They are said to help direct the flow of prana (life force energy) within the body. 

   

Mudras are very ancient and there are many to choose from. Here is one example of Surya Mudra:

Here is another way I've seen Surya Mudra done (if your fingers are a little stiff, this way might be best):

Surya Mudra increases Agni, the digestive fire within us. It brightens the mood, improves digestion and can help us to feel more alert. It is important not to practice Surya Mudra if you feel over-heated or angry...it might make you feel worse!

I love mudras and use them a lot in my own yoga practice. Your can read more about mudras online, or in a great book called Mudras..Yoga in your Hands. Here is what the book looks like:

3) Last, but not least, you can honor the sun in your practice by listening to or chanting the Gayatri Mantra. The Gayatri Mantra is one of the most lovely and well known ancient mantras in Sanskrit. It honors the sun which, as it rises and sets, is known as Savitri (Surya is the name for the sun when it is above the horizon.) Here are the words to the Gayatri Mantra:

                                     Aum Bhur Bhuva Svah 

                                              Tat Savitur Varenyam 
                                             Bhargo Devasya Dhimahi 
                                            Dhiyo Yo Naha Prachodayat

I'm sure you'll enjoy listening to the Gayatri Mantra as well...simply click on the words "Gayatri Mantra" below to find a link to a lovely version of the chant. The link will take you to a YouTube site, so please check with a parent or adult to make sure that is OK!

    

Gayatri Mantra

It's been lots of fun talking with you about the sun today, Youthful Yogis. I hope you will take time out to appreciate the warmth and radiance of "Surya" as it illuminates our lives everyday.  Give Surya Mudra a try, and consider showing Sun Salutes to your friends and family.  When you're done, you can relax and enjoy the lovely sound of the Gayatri Mantra. 

Have fun and I'll see you again soon!  

Namaste

Hello Youthful Yogis!
You may be wondering what amazing adventures I've been up to since I obviously haven't been in Blogland for a while...have I been roaming with elephants on the African Savanna?

Discovering new species of slugs in the depths of the Rain Forest?

Yuck!

Maybe I've been working with scientists to figure out how to serve chocolate ice cream sundaes to the next crew of astronauts heading to outer space? That sounds like a pretty great idea!

"I could really go for a hot fudge sundae right about now!"

As it turns out, I have been on an adventure... but not the kind that takes you to the far ends of the earth.  Actually, I've been on an Art Adventure and my Youthful Yogis friends have been traveling along with me!

Take a look at some of the great artwork we've discovered:  

Camel pose

"Candlestick" (shoulder stand)

Lotus mudra

"Magic Carpet" (deep relaxation)

Tree pose

Seated twist

Cobra pose

Can you believe it? These drawings are great, they almost belong in a museum!  But of course here at the Youthful Yogis Blog we have the next best thing to a museum...it's the Youthful Yogis Art Gallery! You can find these drawings and many more by clicking on the Art Gallery link just to the left of this page. I have more artwork to collect and present, so stay tuned...it really is an adventure!

I hope you'll enjoy doing some artwork of your own,Youthful Yogis. Why not try drawing your favorite yoga pose? If you're happy with your masterpiece, get some help scanning it onto a computer then email it to me at youthfulyogis@gmail.com...I'll try to show it in the art gallery!

That's all the time we have for now...I've got lots of stuff to do, including finding out if they've already invented a way to send ice cream sundaes into outer space!

Yum!

Have fun, be creative and I'll see you again soon!

Namaste

 

It's time for another round of "Youthful Yogis Q & A"!!!

...you heard that right, Youthful Yogis, it's time for another round of "Youthful Yogis Q & A", also known as:  "There are a bunch of things I really don't understand and can you just please explain stuff to me so that I know what's going on in yoga class?"

"I have questions!!!"

As you may remember, our "Q & A" sessions work like this: I'll share with you some frequently asked yoga-related questions. See if you can answer each question on your own; afterwards, I'll share my responses with you and we can find out if our ideas match.

Let's get started!

1) Question:  "Sometimes I really feel like standing on my head. Is it OK to do this while the teacher is showing the class another pose...like Tree Pose, for example?"

2) Question: "Why can't I talk with my friends during yoga class?"

3) Question: "I stubbed my toe in gymnastics and it's still a little sore. Do I have to do every single pose that the teacher is showing today...even if it kind-of-sort-of-hurts?"


4) Question: "Come to think of it, I have a lot of stuff going on right now: there's my sore toe, my loose tooth, the fingernail I cut too short, my haircut which I hate and the second helping of chocolate pudding that I scarfed down at lunchtime...I think I should fill my yoga teacher in on all of this, don't you?"

"This is something I know my yoga teacher wants to see!"

                                                                          Answers

1) Headstand when the teacher is instructing Tree Pose: I have to admit, this first question almost makes me want to run out of the room screaming....

Seriously, Youthful Yogis, it is important to listen to your instructor in a yoga class. Teachers spend a lot of time thinking about something called "sequencing"....that's a word that means the order, or sequence, of poses that we practice.

Tree Pose and Headstand are very different poses...take a look:

Most yoga instructors offer gentle poses to warm up with and save super challenging postures for the middle or later part of a practice. You would never start a class with headstand! Headstand is definitely challenging and some people should not do it at all. If you have had eye surgery or neck pain, for example, you would definitely skip turning yourself upside down.

So, to answer your question...you should not practice headstand if your teacher is showing the class how to do Tree Pose! It's not safe, it will make your instructor uncomfortable, and the rest of the class will think you have wax in your ears and can't hear well!

Now that we have that out of the way, let's move on...

2) Talking with friends during class: This question is a little bit like the one I just answered in that both have to do with listening...did you hear what I just said?!

As it turns out, listening is very important in yoga. First of all, you need to listen in order to understand the teacher's instructions. 

"I'm pretty sure the teacher said to put my hands over my head...if not,  I'll feel a little funny!"

Secondly, you need to listen in order to know what your own body is telling you. The idea that our bodies might have something to say is kind of strange...but it's true! Our bodies let us know if we are tired, off balance, full of energy etc. But we have to pay attention in order to hear this information and that's hard to do if we are busy talking! 

Practicing yoga is all about paying attention: "tuning in" so that we become more self-aware, both on and off of our yoga mats. 

"I am so tuning in right now...can you tell?!"

Finally, people do yoga to quiet their minds and to relax their bodies. It may feel relaxing for one person to chatter with their friends, but I can tell you that someone else's chatter is not relaxing to other people!  

Please, Youthful Yogis, find time to talk with your friends before or after yoga class. If you are having fun doing yoga at home with a friend, it's definitely OK to talk. But when you are in a group, it's important to take other people into consideration!

3)  Yoga with a sore toe: You should never do a yoga pose if it hurts! If you have a serious injury, it's best to take a break from yoga class all together: try doing some relaxing stretches and calming work with the breath at home  instead.

If you have some minor discomfort, it's usually Ok to participate in a class...you might like to tell the teacher what's up so he or she can offer suggestions: with a stubbed toe, for example, you might skip certain poses that involve curling your toes under, like the two I'm showing here:

"I am so totally happy that my toes don't hurt!"

4)  Loose teeth, bad haircuts and what you ate for dessert: Please don't take this personally, Youthful Yogis, but yoga teachers usually do not have time to hear about every little thing that is happening to every single person in their class! If you plan on skipping certain poses due to a minor injury (like the stubbed toe situation mentioned above), it's good to let the teacher know. But honestly...fingernails, full stomachs and bad haircuts may be more information than your teacher can handle!

"Can I still do yoga with  a haircut that looks like this?!"

That concludes today's session of "Youthful Yogis Q & A"....how'd you do?

There's lots more to talk about, and maybe some of today's information has even raised new questions in your brain....

Feel free to email me at youthfulyogis@gmail.com   I'll enjoy hearing from you and will try to get your questions answered in our next session of "Youthful Yogis Q & A".

Have a great week, Youthful Yogis. Try not to eat too much chocolate pudding at one sitting and don't worry if you get a weird haircut...it'll always grow back!

"Truthfully, I just asked for a little to be taken off the sides!"

See you again soon,

Namaste