Paula's message    

When everything is going well, when all lights are green, when our days are filled with good news and good fortune it is easy to understand our connection with life. We tend to look forward to our daily practice with a light heart, a relaxed mind and an energized body. We feel more connected with our community and hold a sense of spaciousness within our Self. However, like a forever bending stream our lives continuously take on new directions.  It is at these times that we should remain consistent with our practice to focus the mind and find our connection with life.

Some days may flow with ease and others tend to bump and bang us over and around obstacles. At these times of struggle, when relief from stress seems unfathomable to whom or to what do you turn to for relief and support? Do you have the habit of withdrawing or running towards someone or something? Do you avert your practice or do you cling to it like a lifeline? These answers are easily found in the consistencies, or rituals of our daily lives.

Let’s focus for now on a ritual we follow every evening. Some enjoy a hot soak, a good book, a favorite TV show, or pleasant conversation with a friend.  For this example, our ritual will be enjoying a glass of wine.  Most every evening, whether it be a weekday or weekend, you partake in your favorite libation. You find pleasure in the aroma that fills your nose.  As you lift the glass to your lips, you savor the bouquet.  With every sip, you find your calm. 

Now, let’s imagine a day that is intolerable? Work, the kids, traffic, finances all seem to add to the demise of what could have been a good day. On such days do you still reach for that glass of wine? Of course you do. You reach for it on your unbearable days for the same reasons you reach for it on your perfect days.

Now turn that glass of wine into your yoga practice. Reach for it and hold onto it consistently so it will be there for you all the time; every time.  Practicing in good times lays strong ballast in our boat so that when the going gets rough we can skillfully keep ourselves upright.  It is exactly at these moments that we are excruciating close to discovering the truth of how reliable, tangible and real centeredness of mind is (“Bringing Yoga to Life”).

Our daily practice will not stop a flat tire nor will it keep us from falling ill but it will give us the tools to discriminate challenging situation accurately, find equilibrium and become centered.

By Paula Giglio 02/2008

Ethical Living, or well known as the Yama and Niyama of Patanjali’s eight-limbed path, has its foundation in Karma Yoga because it involves being actively spiritual.  A dedicated Karma Yogi dedicates his/her life to servicing others without attachment.  He/She acts for the good of others selflessly.  Like the roots and trunk of a tree, the yamas and niyamas provide the anchor and the foundation on which to build one’s spiritual path.

The yamas, or the roots, are the guidelines from which we develop our moral codes.  In other words, it is how we treat others through self control.  For example, as much as you might want to tell your excitable friend to lower the volume of her voice when speaking you would not.  If you did hush her you would be stealing her “zest”; that which makes her uniquely her.  Though you may be truthful (Satya); you would be practicing this yama in a violent manner.
The niyamas, or the trunk, are where we find the principals for how we treat ourselves.  The niyamas are how we interact with ourselves, our internal world. The practice of Niyama harnesses the energy generated from our personal discipline helping us maintain a positive environment in which to grow.    Take for example how present we are each day.  It is easy to focus on remaining in the moment during our yoga practice.  We enter our practice with an intention, hold that intention through our practice and remain connected and focused on our breath.  It is bringing this focus into our daily lives that requires discipline.  We should remember to feel gratitude for every moment of our days; whether they are pleasant or unpleasant.   Letting go of our preferences and expectations we accept what life presents us and we find contentment.  From the niyamas we can cultivate our dedication to developing our moral code.  

By Paula Giglio 01/06/08

One of the strongest desires humans feel is the need for safety.  Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs describes safety as one of the most basic needs that must be fulfilled in order to reach self-actualization. 

Safety can be defined differently depending on the situation; depending on the state of mind of a person.  Alarm systems, caller identification, firearms and so on all seem to diminish our interactions with our world for the purpose of creating a safe environment.  As children, we seek direct contact with others to feel safe around others and within our environment.  Being swaddled in a favorite blanket, holding hands with our buddy while on a class trip, or getting a bear hug from our mother when a splinter brings tears to our eyes can instantaneously make us feel secure.  In any case, whether we are being monitored from afar or right next to us, safety comes from knowing that someone is there for us.

As a new yoga instructor, I have made it a point to keep in mind that it is my responsibility to make my classes a safe environment for anyone to practice.  I attempt to reassure my students that they are safe to feel and to experiment with their practice with my support; without judgment.  The instruments I use to cultivate security are my words and my touch.  I attempt to connect with my class on a personal level by sharing stories with them, chiming in with the rhythm of their ujjayi breath, or by providing gentle assists when welcomed.  Yoga practice is a time to break down barriers, open ourselves up to interacting with others, and learn that security can felt without removing ourselves from life.   

The next time you find yourself in class maybe realigning your hips in Virabhadrasana 1 take a moment and focus in on what your teaching is saying.  Is he/she reminding you of the physical benefits of each asana?  Is he/she explaining which bhanda to activate and why?  Or, is the direction to simply breathe; reiterated over and over again?  Your instructor is there to help you, the practitioner, feel safe and comfortable in the body so that you can focus on following the breath in order to reach your mind and truly find safety within yourself.

By PAULA GIGLIO 11/12/07

Estimates reveal that 80% of health care costs are stress related, and these expenses go right to the bottom line.  According to CNN-Money.com, Americans spent more than $17 billion for anti-depressants and anti- anxiety drugs in 2002, up 10% from the year before and nearly 30% over a two year period. 

So, what is a business to do?  Use Yoga!

Corporations that make yoga part of their company policy find that they have healthier employees who take fewer sick days. The yoga sessions contribute to a sense of team building. Consequently team productivity increases with employees exhibiting better morale and stronger camaraderie. All of these factors add to an overall reduction of stress in the office. Among other benefits related to yoga, creativity at work, better mental clarity and improved focus are all mentioned.

Happily, today's insurance carriers are also getting the good news about yoga. Check with your health insurance carrier about the group-premium discount you will receive by offering yoga to your employees on a consistent basis.

By PAULA GIGLIO 10/18/07

To find out more about bringing yoga to your workplace contact Paula or Heike:

Paula Giglio (certified in yoga, Pilates, and personal training)

 www.yogasattva.com

(818) 292-3436

Heike McDoniel (certified yoga teacher) www.oceanthoughtsyoga.com 

 (910) 228-7052