Super Easy Yoga Chair DIY

Original blog post from www.lotusheartmindfulness.com

Yoga chairs can be an expensive investment! So, instead of buying yoga chairs for $70 each, I followed a tutorial on YouTube, and transformed ordinary folding chairs into backless yoga chairs that Iyengar himself would be proud of.

HERE’S WHAT YOU WILL NEED:

1. Folding chairs. I used these…they are really sturdy, and come in beige, silver or black!
2. Gloves. I didn’t have leather gloves like the man in the video, but used some thick gardening gloves.
3. Pliers or vice grips. Amazon sells all sorts of them here or here.
4. Large screwdriver. It needs to be super-sturdy…you will use this the most to pry the backs off.
5. File or Dremel. My husband had a Dremel with an attachment that sands metal…so I saved a TON of time/arm strength using it! If you don’t have one, this kind of file should work.
6. Athletic tape or spray paint. I opted for athletic tape…thought the grip would be nice to have around the top of the chair. And, it is SO humid here in Florida, that I thought it might take WEEKS to dry.

HERE’S WHAT TO DO!: 

Use your pliers or vice grips, grab the lower edge of the chair back, and pull it away and back from the tube. Do this on both sides.This takes a bit of strength!!

Use the screwdriver to pry metal back off.

Next, using your screwdriver, wedge it between the tube and the chair back. Rock the screwdriver back and forth until you see the light of day… Make sure to have a vacuum handy…there is a lot of paint chipping off!

Keep wedging and wiggling your screwdriver in, and then all around the edge of the chair back…you will hear loud “POPS” when the welds break. some are MUCH easier to remove than others! I may or may not have cussed all the way through the chair below:

Once you take off the backs, there are super-sharp parts all along the tube (where the tube was welded to the back) that need to be filed down. My husband was nice enough to do some of the sanding for me…(lots of sparks!!). If you have long hair like I do…PULL IT INTO A PONYTAIL if you Dremel. Be safe people. Oh, and this is DEFINITELY an outside job.

Once the backs have been sanded and feel smooth to the touch, then take your athletic tape, and wrap it around the tube in the back.Once again…my husband was SUPER helpful! It’s a little tricky to keep the tape smooth around the corners…but it’s stretchy, so it wasn’t TOO bad…my husband is WAY more of a perfectionist about these things…so he was the best one for the job!

Voilà! My yoga chair is ready for use!all iAll in a neat little stack in my studio..ready to use!!

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Super Easy Yoga Chair DIY

Original blog post from www.lotusheartmindfulness.com

Yoga chairs can be an expensive investment! So, instead of buying yoga chairs for $70 each, I followed a tutorial on YouTube, and transformed ordinary folding chairs into backless yoga chairs that Iyengar himself would be proud of.

HERE’S WHAT YOU WILL NEED:

1. Folding chairs. I used these…they are really sturdy, and come in beige, silver or black!
2. Gloves. I didn’t have leather gloves like the man in the video, but used some thick gardening gloves.
3. Pliers or vice grips. Amazon sells all sorts of them here or here.
4. Large screwdriver. It needs to be super-sturdy…you will use this the most to pry the backs off.
5. File or Dremel. My husband had a Dremel with an attachment that sands metal…so I saved a TON of time/arm strength using it! If you don’t have one, this kind of file should work.
6. Athletic tape or spray paint. I opted for athletic tape…thought the grip would be nice to have around the top of the chair. And, it is SO humid here in Florida, that I thought it might take WEEKS to dry.

HERE’S WHAT TO DO!: 

Use your pliers or vice grips, grab the lower edge of the chair back, and pull it away and back from the tube. Do this on both sides.This takes a bit of strength!!

Use the screwdriver to pry metal back off.

Next, using your screwdriver, wedge it between the tube and the chair back. Rock the screwdriver back and forth until you see the light of day… Make sure to have a vacuum handy…there is a lot of paint chipping off!

Keep wedging and wiggling your screwdriver in, and then all around the edge of the chair back…you will hear loud “POPS” when the welds break. some are MUCH easier to remove than others! I may or may not have cussed all the way through the chair below:

Once you take off the backs, there are super-sharp parts all along the tube (where the tube was welded to the back) that need to be filed down. My husband was nice enough to do some of the sanding for me…(lots of sparks!!). If you have long hair like I do…PULL IT INTO A PONYTAIL if you Dremel. Be safe people. Oh, and this is DEFINITELY an outside job.

Once the backs have been sanded and feel smooth to the touch, then take your athletic tape, and wrap it around the tube in the back.Once again…my husband was SUPER helpful! It’s a little tricky to keep the tape smooth around the corners…but it’s stretchy, so it wasn’t TOO bad…my husband is WAY more of a perfectionist about these things…so he was the best one for the job!

Voilà! My yoga chair is ready for use!all iAll in a neat little stack in my studio..ready to use!!

Follow Lotus Heart Mindfulness for more inspiration and tips!

Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Pinterest

5 Ways to Teach a Better Yoga Class

Original blog post from www.lotusheartmindfulness.com

I just got home from taking what I would consider a terrible yoga class. It was bad on so many different levels. I KNOW, I know, we aren’t supposed to be judgmental….but it got me thinking about what I would have told my teacher today, had she asked for input. This doesn’t come from a place of ego…there’s no “my teaching style is better than yours”….promise! This ultimately comes from a place of concern for the safety of the students in the  yoga class that I took today.

SO, here is some unsolicited advice for my yoga teacher today (which may or may not include a mini-rant about the importance of savasana)…and hopefully it can help you teach your class with a little more awareness and sensitivity to those taking your class.

1. Open your eyes. Not figuratively, LITERALLY. Literally open your eyes and look at the class. Are they able to do the simple warm-ups? Do they seem extra stiff? Are they young and fit? Super bendy? Or older and less flexible? My teacher today had her eyes closed…a LOT…and when they were open, she was fully engaged in her own practice at the front of the mat. How do your students look when they are in the poses? Are they getting close to blowing out a knee? Can you give them a verbal adjustment to help avoid a knee-blow-out-situation? You have to open your eyes to see.
2. Teach people not poses. It’s almost a cliché among teachers, isn’t it!! It starts with that “open your eyes” step in #1. Look at your students!! And THEN determine what you are going to teach…that might mean that your super-challenging class needs to be thrown out the window. Teaching Ardha Chandra Chapasana (sugar-cane pose) to a group of mostly 55+ women who can’t hold Ardha Chandrasana (half moon), AND who can BARELY do a lunge with ease is NOT a great idea. This is what my instructor did today. Yes, I was impressed that she could go smoothly from one balance pose to the next..but her students were frustrated, and more seriously, had an increased risk of injury because they were ATTEMPTING those poses with little to no instruction, and absolutely no modifications.
3. Be logical in your sequencing. Work up to your challenging poses. Working toward Bakasana (crane)? Make sure you do plenty of core so that it helps your students learn how to use their abs in a way that will increase their chance of success in this pose. If you don’t have a peak-pose, think about the progression of poses…You learned this stuff in teacher training, I hope. My teacher today had the following poses SPRINKLED in her class: ustrasana (camel), matsyasana (fish), baddha parsvakonasana (bound side-angle), virabhadrasana 3 (warrior 3), supta virasana (reclining hero), ardha chandra chapasana (sugar cane pose) and bakasana (crane). There was no logic to her sequencing…ESPECIALLY considering her class’ abilities. There should be no sprinkling of challenging poses in a yoga class.
4. Watch what you say. Please can we stop the yoga-speak? Don’t just say something because it sounds “yogic”. Take the phrase “let it go”. When you say “let it go” what do you mean? What do you want us to let go? I think it would be more beneficial to cue our breath or alignment than to tell us to “let go” in Virabhadrasana 2 (warrior 2). That happened in a class this week. Soften through the shoulders? Sure! Unclench our jaws? Absolutely! Not just a generic “let it go” please. Today we were told to “inhale love…and let it go”. I’m not so sure that I wanted to let go of love today. But…maybe it motivated me to do this post…I’m feeling extra snarky.
5. Let your class savasana. Come ON teachers…you KNOW this is important, don’t you?! Then shut the hell up while I’m trying to savasana, and give me more than 2 minutes. Seriously! Guide me to relaxation, and then let it be quiet…or, as quiet as it can be…I can relax to the sound of weightlifters slamming their giant weights to the floor upstairs MUCH more than I can with you reading some passage from a book you like.

Follow Lotus Heart Mindfulness for more inspiration and tips!

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5 Ways to Teach a Better Yoga Class

Original blog post from www.lotusheartmindfulness.com

I just got home from taking what I would consider a terrible yoga class. It was bad on so many different levels. I KNOW, I know, we aren’t supposed to be judgmental….but it got me thinking about what I would have told my teacher today, had she asked for input. This doesn’t come from a place of ego…there’s no “my teaching style is better than yours”….promise! This ultimately comes from a place of concern for the safety of the students in the  yoga class that I took today.

SO, here is some unsolicited advice for my yoga teacher today (which may or may not include a mini-rant about the importance of savasana)…and hopefully it can help you teach your class with a little more awareness and sensitivity to those taking your class.

1. Open your eyes. Not figuratively, LITERALLY. Literally open your eyes and look at the class. Are they able to do the simple warm-ups? Do they seem extra stiff? Are they young and fit? Super bendy? Or older and less flexible? My teacher today had her eyes closed…a LOT…and when they were open, she was fully engaged in her own practice at the front of the mat. How do your students look when they are in the poses? Are they getting close to blowing out a knee? Can you give them a verbal adjustment to help avoid a knee-blow-out-situation? You have to open your eyes to see.
2. Teach people not poses. It’s almost a cliché among teachers, isn’t it!! It starts with that “open your eyes” step in #1. Look at your students!! And THEN determine what you are going to teach…that might mean that your super-challenging class needs to be thrown out the window. Teaching Ardha Chandra Chapasana (sugar-cane pose) to a group of mostly 55+ women who can’t hold Ardha Chandrasana (half moon), AND who can BARELY do a lunge with ease is NOT a great idea. This is what my instructor did today. Yes, I was impressed that she could go smoothly from one balance pose to the next..but her students were frustrated, and more seriously, had an increased risk of injury because they were ATTEMPTING those poses with little to no instruction, and absolutely no modifications.
3. Be logical in your sequencing. Work up to your challenging poses. Working toward Bakasana (crane)? Make sure you do plenty of core so that it helps your students learn how to use their abs in a way that will increase their chance of success in this pose. If you don’t have a peak-pose, think about the progression of poses…You learned this stuff in teacher training, I hope. My teacher today had the following poses SPRINKLED in her class: ustrasana (camel), matsyasana (fish), baddha parsvakonasana (bound side-angle), virabhadrasana 3 (warrior 3), supta virasana (reclining hero), ardha chandra chapasana (sugar cane pose) and bakasana (crane). There was no logic to her sequencing…ESPECIALLY considering her class’ abilities. There should be no sprinkling of challenging poses in a yoga class.
4. Watch what you say. Please can we stop the yoga-speak? Don’t just say something because it sounds “yogic”. Take the phrase “let it go”. When you say “let it go” what do you mean? What do you want us to let go? I think it would be more beneficial to cue our breath or alignment than to tell us to “let go” in Virabhadrasana 2 (warrior 2). That happened in a class this week. Soften through the shoulders? Sure! Unclench our jaws? Absolutely! Not just a generic “let it go” please. Today we were told to “inhale love…and let it go”. I’m not so sure that I wanted to let go of love today. But…maybe it motivated me to do this post…I’m feeling extra snarky.
5. Let your class savasana. Come ON teachers…you KNOW this is important, don’t you?! Then shut the hell up while I’m trying to savasana, and give me more than 2 minutes. Seriously! Guide me to relaxation, and then let it be quiet…or, as quiet as it can be…I can relax to the sound of weightlifters slamming their giant weights to the floor upstairs MUCH more than I can with you reading some passage from a book you like.

Follow Lotus Heart Mindfulness for more inspiration and tips!

Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Pinterest

What's the Deal with Intention Setting in Yoga in Class?

Original blog post from www.lotusheartmindfulness.com

It took me a while to get it. I think my first yoga-intention, at one of my very first yoga classes, was “to make it through class without looking like an idiot”. Really. I had NO idea what the woo-woo instructor was talking about.

Here’s what I know now:

• Intentions are not goals. An intention is all about what’s happening now. A goal is something you want to do in the future. So, in a yoga class…an example of an intention would be: “let me be non-judgemental”. A goal would be: “I want to nail headstand”.
• Focus on the journey, not the destination. Sounds cliché, I know, but focusing on the JOURNEY is what you are doing with an intention. It’s not about nailing that headstand, yoga is about turning your awareness inward: noticing your breath and feeling the way your body is aligned in the poses. It’s all about how you are doing things on your way to your destination…and setting an intention helps you find a personalized focus during your practice.
• An intention on the mat can also be applied to life…off the mat. An intention of “compassion” for your yoga class, for example, is also a great life-intention. You can be compassionate to yourself in class by not pushing yourself too far, or by giving yourself a break when you topple over in tree pose. And, I’m sure you get how being more compassionate OFF the mat is a good thing, right?! Yeah. Thought so.
• To set an intention, ask yourself WHY. I think this is an easy place to start…WHY did you decide to practice yoga today? For stress relief? To look better in yoga pants? To be more flexible? To get away from the kids for an hour? We have plenty of SUPERFICIAL “why” reasons for yoga class…but take a DEEPER look at those whys, and you may find that you REALLY intend to find more ease (instead of stress), peace (getting away from the kids), more acceptance (look better in yoga pants), or more flexibility (not JUST the stretchy-touch-your-toes kind).
• Your intention is your heart’s desire. This is where I get all touchy-feely…so I might lose you on this one…but that’s ok. All these deeper WHY questions can be answered by what your heart truly desires…you just have to take a moment, and ponder what that heart of yours really wants. Chances are, it’s going to be a little more meaningful than busting out a tricky arm balance.

See? Setting an intention doesn’t HAVE to be a woo-woo-esoteric-hippie-mama thing…(ok, well, maybe a LITTLE bit)…Ask yourself why, look into your heart to find those deeper reasons, and keep your intentions with you as you go about your day. Easy peasy.

Original blog post from www.lotusheartmindfulness.com

What's the Deal with Intention Setting in Yoga in Class?

Original blog post from www.lotusheartmindfulness.com

It took me a while to get it. I think my first yoga-intention, at one of my very first yoga classes, was “to make it through class without looking like an idiot”. Really. I had NO idea what the woo-woo instructor was talking about.

Here’s what I know now:

• Intentions are not goals. An intention is all about what’s happening now. A goal is something you want to do in the future. So, in a yoga class…an example of an intention would be: “let me be non-judgemental”. A goal would be: “I want to nail headstand”.
• Focus on the journey, not the destination. Sounds cliché, I know, but focusing on the JOURNEY is what you are doing with an intention. It’s not about nailing that headstand, yoga is about turning your awareness inward: noticing your breath and feeling the way your body is aligned in the poses. It’s all about how you are doing things on your way to your destination…and setting an intention helps you find a personalized focus during your practice.
• An intention on the mat can also be applied to life…off the mat. An intention of “compassion” for your yoga class, for example, is also a great life-intention. You can be compassionate to yourself in class by not pushing yourself too far, or by giving yourself a break when you topple over in tree pose. And, I’m sure you get how being more compassionate OFF the mat is a good thing, right?! Yeah. Thought so.
• To set an intention, ask yourself WHY. I think this is an easy place to start…WHY did you decide to practice yoga today? For stress relief? To look better in yoga pants? To be more flexible? To get away from the kids for an hour? We have plenty of SUPERFICIAL “why” reasons for yoga class…but take a DEEPER look at those whys, and you may find that you REALLY intend to find more ease (instead of stress), peace (getting away from the kids), more acceptance (look better in yoga pants), or more flexibility (not JUST the stretchy-touch-your-toes kind).
• Your intention is your heart’s desire. This is where I get all touchy-feely…so I might lose you on this one…but that’s ok. All these deeper WHY questions can be answered by what your heart truly desires…you just have to take a moment, and ponder what that heart of yours really wants. Chances are, it’s going to be a little more meaningful than busting out a tricky arm balance.

See? Setting an intention doesn’t HAVE to be a woo-woo-esoteric-hippie-mama thing…(ok, well, maybe a LITTLE bit)…Ask yourself why, look into your heart to find those deeper reasons, and keep your intentions with you as you go about your day. Easy peasy.

Original blog post from www.lotusheartmindfulness.com

Everything You Need to Know About Mindfulness Meditation

Where did mindfulness originate and what’s it all about? Read more in my blog!

Are you stressed?

Do you often find yourself trapped in your own head, worrying about silly details that end up being meaningless anyway?

Well, ameditationpractice that has been around for millennia may be exactly what the doctor ordered.

In fact, Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn brought mindfulness meditation into the Western world in the late 1970’s and used it as a treatment for rising stress levels in the work force. His program is called Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) and has been practiced and scientifically studied ever since.

Jon Kabat-Zinn’s work is probably the reason why you have heard the term “mindfulness”! His MBSR program is taught worldwide, and is incredibly helpful for anyone who wants to reduce the amount of stress in their lives.

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WHERE DOES MEDITATION BEGIN?

Meditation is a practice that’s been around for millennia! The truth is that we don’t have an exact date for the beginnings of mindfulness meditation, but we can attribute its start to several different sources:

• THE BHAGAVAD GITA
  • a portion of the Hindu scripture which discusses yoga practices as well as Vedic meditations and is possibly the oldest source;
• THE BUDDHIST CONCEPT OF SATI
  • translated as mindfulness, which is the first step towards enlightenment in the Buddhist philosophy;
• AND JON KABAT-ZINN
  • a teacher at the University of Massachusetts who is credited with first bringing mindfulness meditation into the US.

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WHAT IS MINDFULNESS?

Mindfulness is the practice of consciously focusing on the present moment rather than your worries over what your kid brought to school for lunch, or what deadlines need to be met at work.

Mindfulness allows you totake inventoryof what is causing you stress during your day so you can either flip the mental switch on things that don’t need to be stressed about or know what you need to target and tackle during the rest of your day.

“You can’t stop the waves, but you can learn to surf.

— Jon Kabat-Zinn

TRY IT WITH ME RIGHT NOW.

1. Sit somewhere comfortable and quiet either sitting on a chair or on a cushion on the floor.

2. Pay attention to the way your body feels as you sit, getting a sense of gravity pulling you into the support of the chair, or cushion.

3. Bring awareness to your breath, the way it feels as it comes in through your nose and out through your mouth, or in your lungs, or your belly. Nothing to change…simply noticing

4. One of the biggest tenets of mindfulness meditation is to not judge whether a wandering thought is good or bad, but to take note of it and to let it go. Gently, kindly, bring your attention back to your breath.

5. If a thought carries you away… remembernot to judge yourself #1 you’re just starting, and #2 it happens, you’re human. Refocus on your breathing.

6. Slowly open your eyes…if they were closed…and go on with your day!

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LET’S KEEP THE CALM GOING!

Lotus Heart Mindfulness home studio in Tampa, FL.

At Lotus Heart MindfulnessI believe that mindfulness meditation should be a central practice to the workday, or any day.

If you are looking for a meditation class in Tampa, there’s no place better to start than with my mindfulness workshop for stress reduction.

If you aren’t in the Tampa Bay area I offer plenty of online meditation classes, as well as mindfulness meditation online classes for 30 or 60 minutes.

I offer corporate meditation classes for those struggling to reduce stress in the workplace, as well as promote company morale.

If you aren’t already sold have a look at a few scientific studies that have shown positive links between mental health, stress reduction, increased focus, and mindfulness meditation here:

https://www.forbes.com/sites/jeenacho/2016/07/14/10-scientifically-proven-benefits-of-mindfulness-and-meditation/#7e34c26763ce

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3679190/

https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2018/04/harvard-researchers-study-how-mindfulness-may-change-the-brain-in-depressed-patients/

Original blog post from http://www.lotusheartmindfulness.com