Chair Yoga?? What's that?

What is Chair Yoga?   

Chair yoga is Adaptive yoga; it is for people who cannot get down to the mat at all, or who need a chair to transition to the floor and up, or are confined to a wheelchair, but who want to improve their range-of motion for general health, body awareness and mental/emotional functioning. This is a large part of the population who need yoga more than the already fit athletic student. Often Doctors recommend it after physical therapy is completed. I have heard numerous stories from people whose yoga practice brought healing for conditions which they were told only surgery will heal. My own healing from a back injury was through yoga and I do very many things the doctors told me I would never be able to do.  These people chose to believe differently and took responsibility for healing and often made changes in lifestyle to support the healing.

Why do I teach Chair and Adaptive yoga? Because I want to share the practice of yoga and the vitality and joy it awakens.. I teach yoga to help people become aware of their energy body and to use the mind and heart for self-healing.  Understanding the mind-body connection and energy is why so many Eastern and ancient healing methods work. We are so much more than just matter, which science has proven. Western medicine is just beginning to understand this. The health benefits from meditation (the most important aspect of yoga) have been widely documented. It has helped people overcome depression, cope with ADD and ADHD, lower blood pressure and help with metabolism, and more.

The misconceptions of chair and adaptive yoga as being easy or ineffective are simply not true.  Of course if you do not practice regularly, or listen to your body you will not reap all the benefits from any yoga. The reality is if you don’t use muscles and your current range of motion you lose it and it is harder to get it back as we get older.  I’ll say it again and again- if you can breath – you can do yoga. I have seen people who are paralyzed on half of their body show up happy to try doing what they can and benefit so greatly. These are the students who surprise themselves with progress that seems “miraculous”.

So much of our day and live the focus of the mind is outside our bodies, when you quiet the mind, and breathe deeply you can understand your own body, and then it shows you how to heal.  The rhythms of the body return to harmony. The metabolic and systolic heart rhythms return to optimum harmony which is healing throughout our physical bodies. That is just the beginning. Sustaining the stillness of mind allows you to experience your essence which is joy, energy and beauty.  We remember our beautiful innocent selves, we remember being love and being one with all that is.  Commitment to yoga is life-changing, but like most truly life changing things it takes commitment and patience over time. I wouldn’t be teaching it if I didn’t believe in it wholeheartedly. Yoga is holistic, benefiting the mind body and spirit. I worked as a fitness trainer and aerobics instructor for years; if it was just about “getting physically fit” I wouldn’t be sharing it. I have been there, and done that. Yoga has been a path for me to find joy and peace, losing extra weight, having better skin and more energy are just added benefits.   Namaste, Christina

8 original Haiku poems

Ego shadowed soul 

when I was all that and more. 

Tripping as Buffoon

 

 Lost and confused

When you know the one true self

You’ll know what you want

 

Turned the other way 

Not participating now

Abandoned drama 

Enough of  sleeping  

Dancing in the vastness here, 

now be One with All

 Shhh, Quiet. Listen.

mind being still, Soul Dancing

Celestial Song

  

Turning into wind            

Everywhere nowhere wondering

Spinning into self

 

Out of the small mind 

 Immersed in heart via spirit

Not coming back soon

Rather be crazy

Wondering inside of heart      

Than function outside

Christina Bouajila, 2011

If You Can Breathe, You Can Do Yoga!

Breathing

 We breathe 20,000+ breaths a day, but rarely do we breathe deeply and fill our lungs completely and exhale completely. This is a basic need of our bodies. Bodies that live on earth, continuously in an exchange with the atmosphere, breathing in the oxygen that sustains us.  
This is meant to be harmonious, but we often get out of sync and only use a small part of our lungs. 

Deep breathing is so essential to health. The lack of proper deep breathing is the main reason why our elderly are hunched over, contracted over the small area they allow air into the body.

If you can breathe you can do yoga. I say this often, because deep breaths are one of the two most important elements of Yoga, that and quieting the mind.: becoming more focused, and deepening ability of concentration. 

When controlling and deepening the breath people use and strengthen dozens of muscles in the torso, increasing blood flow and oxygen to the torso, the organs and the muscles along the spine.  

Persons who are confined to a wheelchair or have limited movement are the people who need yoga the most, to breathe better and be more in touch with (aware) the whole body. 

Unfortunately, most of the information and attitude of yoga has left people with the idea that you have to already be fit, lean and young to practice it. This is so not true, though it is important to find classes and instructors skilled at teaching to persons who are limited by disabilities, excess weight, or recovering from  illness or injury.  

Dharma

Dharma

.

DHARMA The law of Dharma or purpose in life

"Everyone has a purpose in life...a unique gift or special talent to give to others and when we blend this unique talent with service to others, we experience the ecstasy and exultation of our own spirit, which is the ultimate goal of all goals" Deepack Chopra

If you have a problem wrapping your head around the idea; happiness is a choice, no matter what circumstances surround you, don’t bother reading any further.

Dharma is or your purpose in life.  It is easy to forget and view work as separate from life, especially if you are not using your best talents (yet).  But no matter where you work you have the opportunity to make a difference in a positive or negative way.  You have the choice to be happy in your work or suffer, just like in the rest of your life.  We sometimes see happy successful people and think oh, they are happy because they are successful, but usually, they are successful because they are happy. At some point they decided to enjoy what they were doing, they became more creative and built or expanded what they did.  They have more energy because of choosing to be happy, so even after work they have energy for friends, family and hobbies. They changed the way they spoke about the work, no negative projections or complaining but developed a habit of being grateful.  If you are serving you will feel purpose which can lead you to developing your right livelihood, using your best talents. Of course there are always “reasons" why this might not work for you and if that's what you focus on, it won't work for you. Try to put your thoughts and energy in the possibilities not the limitations, and of course persist and ignore the nay-Sayers.

 It is a sad habit to view success only by the money or title or status you have. We have all seen financially successful people with status who are miserable.  So it just makes sense to be happy first.

 You spend time at your work, why not make it joyful, bring your best self and spread good cheer, be helpful and connect to people. If you are persistent, this will make whatever you are doing have purpose. This will also help you and prosper and have energy to do more of what you love.

Another way to think of Dharma is; how do I serve? How are you serving? If you work in a field where you serve people, how are you connecting to them? Do you make eye contact, smile or find ways to make them smile? Try it more and notice how much energy you have, or the change in the type of energy. 

What stops us from being joyful?  Us. What stops us from generating and having abundant energy? Us

If we enjoy the people around us, enjoy preparing and eating healthy food, rest enough and get exercise. We are nurtured and can have abundant energy to deal with life and work.  Again start by loving you, nurturing you.  Fill up your soul or spirit in some way, so you have energy to give once the cycle of giving begins it creates more energy.

Think of Divine Abundance as a mighty, refreshing rain. 

Whatever receptacle you have at hand will receive it.

 If you hold up a tin cup, you will receive only that quantity.

 If you hold up a bowl, that will be filled. 

What kind of receptacle are you holding up to Divine Abundance? 

Perhaps your vessel is defective; if so, it should be repaired by

casting out all fear, hate, doubt, and envy,

 and cleansed by the purifying waters of peace, tranquility, devotion, and love.

 Divine Abundance follows the law of service and generosity.

 Give and then receive. 

Give to the world the best you have and best will come back to you."

Daya Mata quoting Paramahansa Yogananda