Category Archives: Body Stiffness

Jul27

The Wise Way to Yoga On Kindle & Other News!

Posted on by
Standard

THE WISE WAY TO YOGA is now Available on Kindle, in color no less!:)
Get a special when you get the combo paper book and kindle.

I started receiving amazing feedback from people who read this book and got to the end already. Would love to hear from others who also read the book. So please don’t hesitate to share your experience of the book.

Soon, there will be a YouTube Channel for me to share the Wise Way to Yoga in 2 minutes slices! I will keep you posted. For those who signed up to my Free Webinar and could not make it, not only will I offer them again but a recording will be available for those who can’t make it. Still, those who make it will get a special offer at the end!:)

Yoga has become a widespread activity to help you handle your health and fitness. And you gain your best results when you practice yoga regularly, in a “Wise Way”. So far, you are all familiar with the “Hard Way” and the “Gentle Way” to practice.
However, the “Wise Way” to yoga is a new approach that enhances your practice and guides you to your best performance with optimal safety. It can be applied to all styles of yoga regardless of body type or fitness level.
The Wise Way to Yoga is the Yoga of the Future! It started the Movement of the Wise Yogi that has been long overdue! Be a part of it! If you resonate with this, go to the following link and ask for the Manifesto of the Wise Yogi Free Scroll!
Till we connect again,

Namaste!
https://offthematyogablog.com/the-wise-way-to-yoga/

Cecile Raynor has been teaching the Alexander Technique for over 25 years out of which came her Body Intelligence Activation Process™ (B.I.A. Process) to assist yogis in enhancing their practice towards best performance with optimal safety. She is also a Thai Yoga Massage Therapist and a Reiki Practitioner. Faculty at Akasha Yoga Teacher Training, she runs a 12 months Mastermind for Yoga Teachers with a Vision, and a 90 Day Live Online Program for trainees, new teachers and committed yoga practitioners interested in using their body more efficiently on and off the mat in a way not taught in regular training courses. She is also the author of a June 2018 publication called THE WISE WAY TO YOGA which is available on Amazon or from Cecile if you are local to Boston!

 

Jul25

Controlling Versus Mastering

Posted on by
Standard

Whether we are working on our BODY in posture-based Hatha yoga or on our MIND in meditation-based Classical yoga, it is common for yogis to attempt to control their body or mind. It is common to become a slave to the poses instead of letting the poses to serve us as best as our body can receive in each moment. And it is common to try not to think while meditating which creates more mind restlessness in the process. Are you familiar with any of these common behaviors? If yes, how is it working for you?

What difference do you see between controlling and mastering your body and mind?

The chart below is part of a bigger chart that illustrates the historical foundational influences of Modern Yoga.

No automatic alt text available.

In my own experience, trying to control the body brings about conflicts of interest between body parts and resistance creating excess tension. Mastering the body or mind includes working with them so all body-parts work in harmony with each other. Mastering the mind means being a witness of the activity of thinking without engaging with each passing thought.

Controlling limits our efficiency in whatever we do. Same as a controlling boss at work.

Mastering promotes the highest efficiency through cooperation. Same as a good boss at work.

Let me know what you think about this distinction.

What is your own experience with this?
Do you try to control your body or mind or do you try to master them?
What are the rewards and challenges of this very yogic process for you personally?

If you like this distinction, you can find more in my book The Wise Way to Yoga available on Amazon

Also, look for my series of Free Live Webinar starting again soon. And this time, when you register, if you can’t attend, you can still get a recording!:)

Cecile Raynor has been teaching the Alexander Technique for over 25 years out of which came her Body Intelligence Activation Process™ (B.I.A. Process) to assist yogis in enhancing their practice towards best performance with optimal safety. She is also a Thai Yoga Massage Therapist and a Reiki Practitioner. Faculty at Akasha Yoga Teacher Training, she runs a 12 months Mastermind for Yoga Teachers with a Vision, and a 90 Day Live Online Program for trainees, new teachers and committed yoga practitioners interested in using their body more efficiently on and off the mat in a way not taught in regular training courses. She is also the author of a June 2018 publication called THE WISE WAY TO YOGA which is available on Amazon or from Cecile if you are local to Boston!
Jul17

Yoga & The Hidden Dance in Your Practice

Posted on by
Standard

As the well-known children song reminds us, the foot is connected to the head and neck via a series of bones and they all work as one unit. So any movement of any body part affects us from head to toes.

Do you listen to this hidden dance of your body when you do your yoga practice? Do you notice how each move you make affects all your muscles and joints from head to toes?

In my own practice, observing and allowing that dance to do its thing is more important to me than getting the perfection of a pose. I let the ideal pose be a guide, not a goal. If I get there, great! If I don’t because I allow the natural functioning of my body to do what it needs to do, I’m fine with that too. It is what it is at that moment! It does not define who I am or the quality of my practice whether my knees are released into a bend in Downward Dog or not. That is provided my hip joints are released which lengthens my back automatically! And this is better for your body than to have straight legs and a rounded back!

 

This approach to practicing reminds me of my favorite Rumi poem so I will share it with you. Let me know if either my post or this poem resonates with you and why? What is your experience when you practice?

Seek the wisdom
that will untie your knot
Seek the path
that demands your whole being.

Leave that which is not, but appears
to be
Seek that which is, but is
not apparent.

Cecile Raynor has been teaching the Alexander Technique for over 25 years out of which came her Body Intelligence Activation Process™ (B.I.A. Process) to assist yogis in enhancing their practice towards best performance with optimal safety. She is also a Thai Yoga Massage Therapist and a Reiki Practitioner. Faculty at Akasha Yoga Teacher Training, she runs a 12 months Mastermind for Yoga Teachers with a Vision, and a 90 Day Live Online Program for trainees, new teachers and committed yoga practitioners interested in using their body more efficiently on and off the mat in a way not taught in regular training courses. She is also the author of a June 2018 publication called THE WISE WAY TO YOGA which is available on Amazon or from Cecile if you are local to Boston!
Jul3

Yoga & the Spirit of Discrimination

Posted on by
Standard

The recent study referred to in the article below concludes, based on emergency room reports, that only yogis of age 65 and after are at risk for practicing yoga. Why is this rather misleading?

                  https://www.yogauonline.com/yoga-research/new-study-charts-yoga-injuries-over-13-year-period

I personally do not think the conclusion of this study is accurate. The poster child for pioneer yoga teachers in North America, Diane Bruni, and many other teachers and practitioners have been injured when much younger in their practice. Their injuries and challenges motivated their deep commitment to start a yoga revolution to improve the practice of modern yoga as it is still developing. The current flaws are nobody’s fault. Among other things, they are part of the evolution of an eastern practice in a western world.

Injuries don t always make it to the emergency room and older yogis are more likely to report to the emergency room than younger folks who may feel invincible and trust their injuries will heal quickly. Also, I personally know loads of young teachers and practitioners who would not last without serious injury if they were not going to their chiropractor and massage therapist periodically. Lastly, yoga injuries do not always manifest while on the mat. When the body is not used in line with its whole-body intelligence, it promotes excess tension and injuries can happen anytime, anywhere!

In fact, yoga injuries are often caused by misuse of our body off the mat as seen in the pictures below. As a yogi, you may think that you can fix your “Daily Body” by engaging with your “Yoga Body” on the mat. The truth is that you only have one body and it is crucial to learn how to better handle your body in daily activities if you do not want to promote excess tension and injury down the road. Ignoring slouching in daily life hurts your yoga practice. And tensing your back to sit or stand straight on or off the mat contributes to your irresistible need to slouch. Just know that there is a more organic way to do this as you well did when you were children. And the ability to do so is still in you, available 24/7. You simply need to learn how to activate it!

In the meantime, let’s not close our eyes to the danger still present in the way many practice yoga today. Yoga is not the problem of course, how it has been taught since the 19th century and how we use our body practicing yoga is. How we bring harmful habits from daily life to the mat is. How our physical sensations rule our practice is as well given that yoga warns us to not trust sensations alone. Besides, it is not because we can do something to an extreme that it is good for all our body parts.

We need to develop discrimination! And with it, yoga injuries can decline steadily!

We must face the underlying roots of these injuries so yogis can practice yoga the wise way (regardless of their body type, age, fitness level or yoga style), and keep injuries at bay.

It is a given that younger people bodies are more resilient and can handle more misuse. But is that a reason to assume their practice is flawless and safe?

Studies are helpful up to a certain point. Yet studies proving opposite points can easily be found if we look carefully. So we must use our spirit of discrimination when we read the conclusion of studies. We must learn to connect with our whole-body intelligence in a way so it can be activated on demand and offer guidance for what is right for us, individually, in each moment. And questioning outside information no matter where it comes from is part of yoga!

Cecile Raynor has been teaching the Alexander Technique for over 25 years out of which came her Body Intelligence Activation Process™ (B.I.A. Process) to assist yogis in enhancing their practice towards best performance with optimal safety. She is also a Thai Yoga Massage Therapist and a Reiki Practitioner. Faculty at Akasha Yoga Teacher Training, she runs a 12 months Mastermind for Yoga Teachers with a Vision, and a 90 Day Live Online Program for trainees, new teachers and committed yoga practitioners interested in using their body more efficiently on and off the mat in a way not taught in regular training courses. She is also the author of a June 2018 publication called THE WISE WAY TO YOGA which is available on Amazon or from Cecile if you are local to Boston!
Jun28

How To Avoid Injury While Practicing Yoga?

Posted on by
Standard

Although the average yoga practitioner does not necessarily know about the 8 Limbs of Yoga, most teachers have been exposed to it. However, due to the spread of Hatha Yoga (Asana Yoga), very few teachers or students have a chance to follow the order recommended by the Sutras for their practice which has led to trouble for many practitioners and teachers.

As explained in the Yoga Journal magazine this month, the practice of asanas (posture yoga) is only the third limb. And there is a good reason for this, even though most yogis are led straight into asanas.

Image may contain: 1 person, text

The first Limb is Yamas which includes 2 important principles:
*  Ahimsa (do no harm to yourself or others) 
 *  Non-grasping (no attachment to outcomes)

Without learning how to not be attached to outcomes, it is difficult to be kind to ourselves and sometimes to others. And it is also difficult to practice yoga without straining because it is common to buy into the “No Strain, No Gain”.

The second Limb is Niyamas which also includes two important principles:
*  Santosha (learn to be happy with what is)
*  Tapas (learn to be disciplined especially about the principles taught in the first two limbs)

What’s the connection with injuries?  You cannot enjoy your best performance and optimal safety without integrating the principles of these two first limbs because they teach you:
1) To not strain (which places you in stress mode),
2) To not be attached to the perfection of the pose shape (which is a guide rather than a goal),
3) To embrace where you are at in the now instead of always wanting something else belonging to the future.

So whether you are a beginner or an experienced practitioner, keep reviewing and practicing the principles of the two first limbs if you want to have an efficient and safe life-long practice!:)

To assist you with this task, you can learn how to activate your whole body-intelligence. It helps you prevent harmful habits or free yourself from habits you already have. Check how you can work with me either privately or in a group, locally or online by going to the Work with Cecile Tab at the top of the blog home page.

PS: For Boston locals, check last June event Saturday, June 30 in the artist section of Boston (SOWA)

Cecile Raynor has been teaching the Alexander Technique for over 25 years out of which came her Body Intelligence Activation Process™ (B.I.A. Process) to assist yogis in enhancing their practice towards best performance with optimal safety. She is also a Thai Yoga Massage Therapist and a Reiki Practitioner. Faculty at Akasha Yoga Teacher Training, she runs a 12 months Mastermind for Yoga Teachers with a Vision, and a 90 Day Live Online Program for trainees, new teachers and committed yoga practitioners interested in using their body more efficiently on and off the mat in a way not taught in regular training courses. She is also the author of a June 2018 publication called THE WISE WAY TO YOGA which is available on Amazon or from Cecile if you are local to Boston!
Jun20

Challenging Yourself with Yoga The Wise Way!

Posted on by
Standard

Many yogis would tell you that they do not believe in the “No Pain-No Gain” paradigm. However, they believe in the milder and modern equivalent “No Strain-No Gain”.

What do I mean by that?

It is common for yoga teachers and practitioners to believe that a strenuous practice is a good thing, not realizing that strenuous and challenging are two different things.

1) A strenuous practice includes muscles and often joints strain. In a strenuous practice, you play with the stretch edge or the strength edge of various body parts. By flirting with strain, you are actually placing your body in stress mode. Excess tension is being created at the very same time you are working on helping your body. Reaching your maximum edge is not necessarily the best for every body part. Although it feels good in the moment, as time goes, yoga teachers and committed yoga practitioners develop pain or injury. Hence my saying “Strain is Delayed Pain”!

2) A challenging practice is a whole-body practice where the focus is on releasing muscles and joints instead of engaging them. As a result, your whole-body intelligence is back in the driver’s seat. It micro-manages your muscles and joints to perfection in every pose. And yes, you can release tension even when practicing a plank. And your Cobra or your Warrior One does not include neck or back compression. As a result, you are developing flexible strength instead of stiff strength. Your energy naturally flows through you in every pose.

This is the wise way to challenge yourself towards best performance with optimal safety. It is the wise way to a life-long yoga practice for both practitioners and teachers.

Interested in The Wise Way to Yoga? Check my blogs, read my June article in the Natural Awakenings Magazine, buy my book on Amazon, or come to one of my events if you can! Also, share this blog with the yogis in your life, they will thank you for it!

AMAZON BOOK LINK:
https://www.amazon.com/Wise-Way-Yoga-Intellig…/…/ref=sr_1_1…

ARTICLE ON THE WISE YOGI EMERGING MOVEMENT:
http://www.naturalawakeningsboston.com/…/The-Wise-Way-to-Y…/

Cecile Raynor has been teaching the Alexander Technique for over 25 years out of which came her Body Intelligence Activation Process™ (B.I.A. Process) to assist yogis in enhancing their practice towards best performance with optimal safety. She is also a Thai Yoga Massage Therapist and a Reiki Practitioner. Faculty at Akasha Yoga Teacher Training, she runs a 12 months Mastermind for Yoga Teachers with a Vision, and a 90 Day Live Online Program for trainees, new teachers and committed yoga practitioners interested in using their body more efficiently on and off the mat in a way not taught in regular training courses.
Jun4

Attention Yoga Teachers, Committed Yoga Practitioners, Big Picture Thinkers, and Spiritual Seekers!

Posted on by
Standard

Today Is the Amazon Launch Date of The Wise Way to Yoga!

Why do you want to order it? Read on and share with the other yogis in your life!

Yoga has become a widespread activity to help you handle your health and fitness. And you gain your best results when you practice yoga regularly, in a “Wise Way”. So far, you are all familiar with the “Hard Way” and the “Gentle Way” to practice. However, the “Wise Way” to yoga is a new approach that guides you to your best performance with optimal safety. It can be applied to all styles of yoga regardless of body type or fitness level.

The Wise Way to Yoga is the Yoga of the Future!

It is launching the Movement of the Wise Yogi that has been long overdue! Be a part of it!

If you resonate with this, go to the following link for the Manifesto of the Wise Yogi! Namaste!:)

https://offthematyogablog.com/the-wise-way-to-yoga/

To Order the Book, go to:
https://www.amazon.com/Wise-Way-Yoga-Intelligence-Performance

Cecile Raynor has been teaching the Alexander Technique for over 25 years out of which came her Body Intelligence Activation Process™ (B.I.A. Process) to assist yogis in enhancing their practice towards best performance with optimal safety. She is also a Thai Yoga Massage Therapist and a Reiki Practitioner. Faculty at Akasha Yoga Teacher Training, she runs a 12 months Mastermind for Yoga Teachers with a Vision, and a 90 Day Live Online Program for trainees, new teachers and committed yoga practitioners interested in using their body more efficiently on and off the mat in a way not taught in regular training courses.
May29

“The Wise Way to Yoga” Book Launch

Posted on by
Standard

Do you want to maximize your practice without straining (regardless of your yoga style, body type or fitness level)? Are you ready for the Wise Way to Yoga Book I have been mentioning to you for a while?

Then Mark your Calendar: June 4, 2018, is the launch date. This groundbreaking book has been a long time coming but it is finally here. It is finally being launched next Monday!

So many yogis told me they were looking forward to this date. I am too and hope you are as well. If you want to buy the book for its content or/and to support me to reach its best possible Amazon ranking, please order it on the launch date if you can. The number of orders and the number of reviews for the book is what affects the ranking. Not that it is a big deal but it does help to spread the book and its content which can help more people practice Yoga the Wise Way.

Be part of this Movement of The Wise Yogi!

I am convinced that it will become the Yoga of the Future!

In case anyone wants to buy more than one copy of this groundbreaking book, I was told that Amazon counts an order as one, no matter how many books you order! (Bummer)

All you need to order is the title and my name: The Wise Way To Yoga by Cecile Raynor.
Will post a direct link when I get one.

Such an exciting time after such a long journey!

This book helps you figure out where you stand in your yoga practice and why you do what you do. And to support you if you are or want to be a Wise Yogi, I also decided to create a Movement with a Manifesto of the Wise Yogi to assist you and others find the words to express your yoga experience and your yogic goals. This way you can make choices about your practice with more clarity. To access this Manifesto, you can check:

https://offthematyogablog.com/the-wise-way-to-yoga/

Cecile Raynor has been teaching the Alexander Technique for over 25 years out of which came her Body Intelligence Activation Process™ (B.I.A. Process) to assist yogis in enhancing their practice towards best performance with optimal safety. She is also a Thai Yoga Massage Therapist and a Reiki Practitioner. Faculty at Akasha Yoga Teacher Training, she runs a 12 months Mastermind for Yoga Teachers with a Vision, and a 90 Day Live Online Program for trainees, new teachers and committed yoga practitioners interested in using their body more efficiently on and off the mat in a way not taught in regular training courses. 
May14

The Wise Way to Yoga, Shiva Rae & Lama Tsultrim’s Wisdom Rising @ Kripalu!

Posted on by
Standard

The Kripalu Yoga Retreat center has been a Massachusetts mecca for yogis who want to be in an environment where yoga permeates everything. The building is on top of a hill, uniting wide spaces of green grass to the sunny skies. The landscape of mountains, woods, and lake seen from up high is breathtaking and humbling. When hiking through it, it is enfolding and nurturing.

Inside, you are faced everywhere with artwork and posters with quotes from Patanjali or other yoga sages reminding us why we practice yoga as a lifestyle rather than just an exercise form. And programs are offered all year long for yogis to train as teachers or simply enjoy yoga classes and workshops. They are ranging from asanas practice to mind and body health, meditation or special programs supporting an expansion of awareness and promoting a higher level of consciousness in everyday living.

Last week through yesterday, I attended one of these programs led by Lama Tsultrim and Shiva Rae which included a concert with Krishna Das on Saturday night. I had an enriching, inspiring and fun weekend and I want to share some of the highlights with you.

First, for those of you who know I have been on a book writing and publishing journey, you will appreciate that I had to have my first proof mailed at Kripalu and it was waiting for me when I got there which was exciting to hold the first paper copy of it in my hands. Also, I was able to apply for it to be carried by Kripalu bookstore and left a copy there for their review. So, keeping my fingers crossed and maybe it will soon be among these other books, a perfect home for books on yoga!

   
Kripalu Book Store

Second, I had the pleasure of discovering this wonderful Lama and her movement through the Mandala to promote Rising Wisdom (and her book by the same name) where she advocates for feminine and masculine energy to be better balanced in each of us and in the world as the best way to promote world peace and harmony at this point in time of our evolution. And it was fascinating to hear her comments throughout the weekend as the content of my own book is so in line with everything Lama Tsultrim explained although she came from a different angle.

Third, I also had the pleasure of discovering and connecting with Shiva Rae who I only knew from a distance before. She is an amazing woman, full of life and energy, creativity, and a very giving individual with a good sense of humor. Although we may differ in our current practice of yoga asana, I think it is only a matter of time before we align further. Why? In essence, we are totally on the same wavelength. Her interest in movement and deep spirituality along with things she said, as mentioned below, convinced me of this. Time will tell!


On the left, Shiva Rae and I before the Krishna Das Concert
On the Right, Lama Tsultrim signing books after the Concert
In the center, me holding the first paper copy of my book!

She explained to the participants how important it was to remain open-minded to what is new so we can develop new neuropathways as we keep learning and growing. She also was talking about modern yogis and how they often get so attached to practicing Chaturanga for its strength building potential that they forget it is meant as a pathway to prostration. She pointed out that our yoga community can get stuck in the ego perspective to practice yoga when there is a higher perspective which is more complete and beneficial.

Surrender rather than control. Have faith rather than second-guess in the hope to get it “right”. Trust your whole-body intelligence and learn to activate it to benefit from its full guidance 24/7. Allow it to rebalance your whole being, on and off the mat. As a result, approach any style of yoga with wisdom to perform at your best with optimal safety. All this is the core of my teaching. It is The Wise Way to Yoga and the content of my book with the same title to be available on Amazon very soon.

Ready to embrace the Wise Way to Yoga?
Go check this page on my blog for the Manifesto of the Wise Yogi and the lists of Boston events around the book launch:
https://offthematyogablog.com/the-wise-way-to-yoga/

You can also sign up for my FREE EMAIL SEMINAR.

Cecile Raynor has been teaching the Alexander Technique for over 25 years out of which came her Body Intelligence Activation Process™ (B.I.A. Process) to assist yogis in enhancing their practice towards best performance with optimal safety. She is also a Thai Yoga Massage Therapist and a Reiki Practitioner. Faculty at Akasha Yoga Teacher Training, she runs a 12 months Mastermind for Yoga Teachers with a Vision, and a 90 Day Live Online Program for trainees, new teachers and committed yoga practitioners interested in using their body more efficiently on and off the mat in a way not taught in regular training courses. 

And her book, THE WISE WAY TO YOGA,  is to be published in May 2018! To be followed!

 

May9

Hyper-mobility, Flexibility, and Yoga!

Posted on by
Standard

Have you ever thought about the implications of the act of stretching?

Stretching, even when it’s gentle, is forcing your muscles to lengthen. Yet, the more you force your muscles to stretch, the more it wants to tense. Think about how you feel when someone forces you to do something you don’t want to do. Don’t you at first recoil from the task? Similarly, you may strengthen and stretch in a way that keeps you feeling stiff and inflexible. It feels good in the moment, yet you are caught in a vicious cycle.

The solution is to always challenge your body as a whole, trusting your whole-body intelligence to step up to the plate as much as needed instead of trying to control its functioning. That is how you develop the art of flexible-strength. Although a natural happening, some unlearning may be needed to reclaim this innate skill.

Hypermobility can be impressive from an athletic viewpoint.
However, frontal expansion with neck compression is not in line with integrated functioning.

Hypermobility, a condition where joints easily move beyond the normal range, is a mixed blessing. It makes it that much easier to overstretch since there is less tension in the ligaments surrounding the joints. It’s easy to mistake hypermobility for flexibility. Because this compensates for the lack of stability in the joints, hypermobile people often have tense muscles. If you’re in this predicament, learning the art of flexible- strength becomes a necessity because it prevents you from overdoing, either while stretching or strengthening. It can help you regain better muscle tone and more stable joints.

The art of flexible-strength starts with allowing your joints to release which brings about lengthening in your muscles. However, it is also important to not sacrifice your skeletal height which keeps everything together yet in an expanded state as well. This combo allows your muscle tone to rebalance which creates stability around the joints. All this is the work of your postural mechanism at work. It is its job to handle your best coordination, posture, and balance when you do not interfere. It is an ambassador for your whole-body intelligence.

Learning to activate your whole-body intelligence via this mechanism you were born with is the most efficient way to function at your best, on or off the mat. And it is one of the golden keys to The Wise Way to Yoga which can be applied to all yoga styles.

Ready to embrace the Wise Way to Yoga?
Go check this page on my blog for the Manifesto of the Wise Yogi and the lists of Boston events around the book launch:
https://offthematyogablog.com/the-wise-way-to-yoga/

You can also sign up for my FREE EMAIL SEMINAR.

Cecile Raynor has been teaching the Alexander Technique for over 25 years out of which came her Body Intelligence Activation Process™ (B.I.A. Process) to assist yogis in enhancing their practice towards best performance with optimal safety. She is also a Thai Yoga Massage Therapist and a Reiki Practitioner. Faculty at Akasha Yoga Teacher Training, she runs a 12 months Mastermind for Yoga Teachers with a Vision, and a 90 Day Virtual Program for trainees, new teachers and committed yoga practitioners interested in using their body more efficiently on and off the mat in a way not taught in regular training courses. 

And her book, THE WISE WAY TO YOGA,  is to be published in May 2018! To be followed!