March 8 Restore

Battle Royal
Toilet 1  Us  0


This won't be a How To advice column because frankly, we don't know how to do anything with our own personal nemesis, the Throne.  This has been our home for 7 years and for 7 years we have had constant issues with our half bath toilet, from it constantly running, gaskets leaking, valves malfunctioning.  We've put in band-aids galore to this throne but these last two weeks, no matter the band-aid we affix, it won't work.  Time to bring in the professionals.  

 So sometimes in life we are handed lemons, sour tasting lemons.  Lemons aren't all that sour tasting if you can make lemonade or per Ayurveda, lemon water.  It is what you do with the lemons where sweetness can lie.  We were given a lemon of a toilet with the purchase of one house.  How do we make lemonade from our lemon?  I begin with gratitude for my love, Peter and his valiant attempts to fix the toilet.  He persisted not with blind rage at the toilet but with the truest intention always to fix the thing.  Another ingredient for our version of lemonade is the lesson of going with the flow (literally, as I dry the floorboards!).  This could have been the end of the world but I (we) managed to take it in stride and deal with what is in front of us.  A final ingredient to our lemonade mix was the education that we received from the whole enchilada. We now know enough to be dangerous.

 **A Journal Opportunity**

 What in your life right now is sour?  Can you find a certain sweetness with your lemon, enough to make a delicious lemonade or lemon water.  Write down what sweet nuggets of come from difficulty or what you think may arise from your lemon?

 The Breath
Sitali Breath (Cooling)
This yogic breath will help calm the mind and soothe the emotions such as anger, anxiety and frustration. Also good for fevers or when you feel overheated. Will give you a feeling of contentment. Regulates digestive and sexual energy and detoxifies.
Open mouth and curl your tongue like a taco. 
INHALE through the curled tongue. Close mouth and EXHALE through the nostrils. Continue this cycle.
Sit up with a straight spine on the floor or in a chair. Hands in gyan mudra ( pads of thumb and index finger touching)

Practice this breath for 3 – 11 mins bring contentment into your life.

Sitkari Breath (For those whose tongue doesn't curl)

 Open mouth and bring the top and bottom teeth together, breath in deeply through the touching teeth making a hissing sound. Close the mouth and exhale completely through the nostrils.  You may add breath retention at the end of the inhale and breath cessation at the end of the exhale if that feels appropriate.

The Poses
EZ Spinal Twist

 Props: bolster, 1-2 blankets for the arms
Benefits: gently stretches the hip flexor, creates expansion in the chest for better breathing, organs get a mild twist promoting circulation, creates space in the intercostals making more room for the diaphragm to move.

 Place a bolster next to your mat and a blanket on the other side.  Come onto your back and bring the feet to the floor, knees bent. Lower the legs to the bolster so they rest easily.  Another blanket or neck roll can be under the neck or head. Extend arms out to the side or in goddess arms for more of a shoulder opener.  Stay for at least 5 minutes per side. Take time to bring some symmetry between sides by either bringing both legs in for a hug or extending both legs out to stretch.

 Reclined Bound Angle
Benefits: opens the hips and groin facilitating blood and energy flow to the urinary tract and reproductive organs. Opens the chest and abdomen benefiting breathing problems. 
Props:  2-3 blankets and eye pillow

Set up a blanket as a pillow for your head.  The other blanket is going to be wrapped around your feet. Spread open a blanket completely and begin to make folds about 12" apart until the whole blanket is rolled up. Wrap the blanket over your feet and wind the remaining length under your shins and in toward the groin. You can adjust the depth of the pose by pulling on the ends of the blanket to bring the legs in closer.  Remember the soles of your feet are together. Stay in the pose for 10 to 15 minutes

 Face Down Savasana


Props: bolster, 2-3 blankets
Benefits: excellent for grounding the body and the mind, gentle massage to the abdominals, release for the legs to reduce swelling, pain the feet

 Place the bolster at the end of your mat for your shins and feet to rest on.  One blanket will be folded into 12" to 15" width folds and laid across the mat horizontally. Come to all fours and lower down to your belly with the horizontal blanket under the pelvis and belly.  Add a blanket as a pillow. Your head can turn to one side and change sides when you feel necessary. Options for the arms are to bring them to a "T", have one arm by your side body and the other arm by your head or have both arms by your side either straight or bent.  

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