Musings of an Yoga Instructor: Overwhelm, Gardening and Yoga

By Janine L. Agoglia

I do not have green thumbs. I have the furthest thing from green thumbs possible. My family recently moved to a new house that has a beautiful flower garden (the former owner was an avid gardener), so I was both excited and overwhelmed with the task of managing it. I called in reinforcements (my mother, who is a great gardener) who was also a bit overwhelmed, so I realized I needed to figure this out for myself.

I was dealing with a lot of transition: unpacking, new commuting routes and timing, driving the kids places, plus the weather wasn't cooperating; it was about 6 weeks before I could actually tackle the garden. You can imagine what it looked like, much closer to a jungle than flower beds. The weeds and misplaced grass were everywhere! I couldn't tell what was flower, what was weed, it was just a huge mess. I was in a state of complete overwhelm and had no idea where or how to start.

So I used my yoga wisdom: Breathe. Come into the present moment. Just focus on one spot at a time. You don't need to finish everything, just do what you can. It doesn't need to be perfect, just do the best that you can.

So I decided to start with the front beds. I started pulling weeds. Some I knew were weeds. Some I wasn't sure. I decided in the end, it didn't matter, I was just trying to tidy up to see what was there. I could always fill in gaps later with flowers that I could choose. Or not. I focused on my breath. I just pulled out one weed at a time and didn't worry about the rest of the yard. Whatever got done, got done. I wasn't trying to impress anyone, just trying to de-jungle my yard so that my family and I could enjoy it. In the end, I did most of the front yard (4 beds), battled some nasty vines, grass, errant oak tree saplings and thorns and ended up with a yard that doesn't look half bad!

I focused on one thing at a time rather than worrying about doing everything. I just started with one spot which gave me the momentum to do almost the whole front yard. I didn't worry about doing it "right" or "perfectly," I did the best I could and was pretty happy with the result. I don't know if some of the weeds I pulled were flowers, or if some of the plants I left were weeds. I will figure that out as I go. I can always add or subtract at a later time, but for now, I like how things look.

Sometimes a task seems so big, that we can't even start, don't know how or where to start. The overwhelm is too big and too, well, overwhelming. Yoga and meditation teach us to be in the moment. To just focus on what is happening now. If you can find just one step to take, that might be enough, or it will give you some momentum to do more than you thought was possible. I still have more yard to do, but now I feel like I can handle it. I just have to breathe and take it one step at a time.

Janine L. Agoglia has been teaching Vinyasa yoga since 1998. Her yoga journey started in 1995 with Iyengar Yoga and she stumbled upon Vinyasa yoga in 1997. The combination of breath with proper body alignment is what fuels Janine's practice and the classes that she teaches. She believes that yoga should be safe as well as challenging, creative and fun. She always emphasizes proper alignment within the flow, as well as focus, breath and humor to help students find the balance between strength and ease. Deepening one’s physical awareness helps one strengthen his/her spiritual awareness and mind-body connection. Janine loves being able to help people deepen their own practices, finding yoga in everyday life, on and off the mat. Her DVD, “Vinyasa Yoga for Regular People” is available for purchase at the front desk at Lumina Mind Body Studios in Wayland, MA.

In addition to being Director of Yoga at Lumina Mind Body Studios in Wayland and Natick, Janine is also a Licensed acupuncturist and Chinese herbalist who practices at Integrative Therapeutics in Natick. To contact Janine, please email her at acuyogamama@hotmail.com or visit her website www.acuyogamama.com.

Lateral Standing Poses: Warrior 2

By Janine L. Agoglia

This will be the first in a series of posts discussing proper alignment in lateral standing poses (standing poses facing to the side). All of these poses have a similar foundation and use similar alignment principles, so each subsequent post will build on this one. Hopefully you will feel the connections in your yoga practice.

Warrior 2/ Virbhadrasana II

Begin by standing with your feet a little wider than a leg length apart. Rotate your right foot 90 degrees to the right, and rotate your left foot in the same direction, but only about 10-15 degrees. Your right knee should be aiming forward toward your 2nd and 3rd toes. Bend your right knee to stack it over your right ankle. You should be able to see your big toe to the left of your right knee; if you see your small toes on the right side, press your knee to the right until the big toe is visible. This alignment of the knee is most important. If the knee folds in to the left, it will eventually lead to strain, pain and injury. Many people practice this pose with the incorrect assumption that their hips need to face flat to the side. Unfortunately, because as humans we are not built with 180 degree external rotation, we can't do that without having a negative impact on the knee. Give the knee priority by keeping the right shin perpendicular to the floor, then rotate the hips open the the left as far as they will go without disturbing the knee; they will end up facing on a diagonal. Use your Glutes (especially the "outer hip" muscles). Lastly the pelvis should be level with regard to the floor; each hip is the same distance from the floor and the shoulders should stack directly over the hips. The tendency is to lean over your right thigh when you bend the knee; resist that tendency in order to keep the torso vertical. This will also help you distribute the weight evenly between the two feet so that the front leg doesn't have to do all the work.

Now that the lower body is established we can work on the upper body. The arms should be parallel to the floor, level with your shoulders. Think about pressing your arms down to horizontal rather than lifting them up, that way you engage your Latissimus Dorsi (Lats) rather than the Trapezius  (Traps) muscles. To feel your Lats, press your shoulder blades downward toward your waist. To feel your Traps, shrug your shoulders. People tend to hold tension in their Traps in general, and you don't need to encourage that while practicing yoga. The more you drop the shoulder blades downward, the less tension you will feel in your neck. Once you press your shoulder blades downward, try to reach them outward toward your fingertips. It should feel like you have giant wings expanding outward from your upper back.

Gaze over your right 3rd finger and breathe. Then try it to the other side.

Warrior 2 is the foundation pose for Side Angle, Side Crescent (Reverse Warrior) and Triangle pose, as well as Half Moon. Once you understand Warrior 2, all of these other poses will make more sense, both intellectually and physically.

Janine L. Agoglia has been teaching Vinyasa yoga since 1998. Her yoga journey started in 1995 with Iyengar Yoga and she stumbled upon Vinyasa yoga in 1997. The combination of breath with proper body alignment is what fuels Janine's practice and the classes that she teaches. She believes that yoga should be safe as well as challenging, creative and fun. She always emphasizes proper alignment within the flow, as well as focus, breath and humor to help students find the balance between strength and ease. Deepening one’s physical awareness helps one strengthen his/her spiritual awareness and mind-body connection. Janine loves being able to help people deepen their own practices, finding yoga in everyday life, on and off the mat. Her DVD, “Vinyasa Yoga for Regular People” is available for purchase at the front desk at Lumina Mind Body Studios in Wayland, MA.

In addition to being the Director of Yoga and teaching yoga classes at Lumina Mind Body Studios.   Janine is also a Licensed Acupuncturist and Chinese Herbalist who practices at Integrative Therapeutics in Natick, MA.

To contact Janine, please email acuyogamama@hotmail.com or visit her website, www.acuyogamama.com.

Body Image: What Really Matters

By Janine L. Agoglia

The main "body" of this post was written by Jennifer Houghtaling, a yoga friend and colleague who, like most of us, has struggled with body image through her life. The Media, both social and otherwise, puts a lot of unrealistic pressure on people, especially girls and women, to be something that we are not: to look a certain way, to act a certain way, wear certain clothes, use certain make up, listen to certain types of music, etc. A lot of mental illness, specifically depression and anxiety, stems from trying to fit yourself into someone else's ideals which are out of alignment with who you are. No one is perfect, but we are perfect just as we are. 6 pack abs aren't the definition of strong, as Jennifer says, surviving adolescence, that is strong. Carrying a child and giving birth, that is strong. Surviving not being able to get pregnant, that is strong. Being up all night with a sick child then having to work the next day, that is strong. Getting through your day despite pain, depression, anxiety, chronic illness, whatever it may be, that is strong. True strength comes from within, not without.

Shared with Permission, written by Jennifer Houghtaling:

I belong to a group here on Facebook that encourages dialogue around yoga, movement and teaching. Today a woman posted about her experience as a newer teacher and about her anxiety around “looking a certain way”. She feels strong in her body, but doesn’t “look” strong by the standards that are sold to us by current media outlets. She particularly expressed concern around teaching a “core class” and feeling like her students might not take her seriously because she doesn’t have a six pack.

A few weeks ago, in this same group, someone commented that they found the trend of women posting their yoga to social media outlets while dressed in their bathing suits, to be disturbing and overtly sexual.

Both of the above make me feel sadder than sad. For fuck’s sake. Is it any surprise that so many women hate their bodies in way’s big and small? I don’t know a single woman who hasn’t struggled in some way—I’m too fat, I’m too skinny, I’m too tall, I’m too short. My boobs are too big or small. I can’t get pregnant. I can’t stop getting pregnant. My body hurts so badly when I bleed. I don’t bleed with any regularity. I can’t stop bleeding. My body is my own. My body. Is. My. Own.

There was a time when I would never have put a video of myself out to the world in these shorts and top—and that time was when I was a smaller version of myself, literally. I have always had a belly, since I can remember identifying what a belly was, and that basically, it was “bad” to have one. I still have a belly. I’m also strong and can press up into a handstand and have zero fucks left to give. Deep strength, both physical and otherwise isn’t something you can see or identify from the outside. It’s sneaky that way. Stealthy.

I’ve lived through adolescence (which is a battle field that I think women aren’t given enough credit for), sexual assault, painful periods due to fibroids, difficulty getting pregnant, infertility treatments. Surgery to remove a cyst from an ovary. Pregnancy…..miscarriage and a D & C. Pregnancy (wonderful, healthy, happy and successful!), and a caesarean section birth. Issues related to fibroids and ultimately, this fall, a partial hysterectomy. My body has been cut open from one hip to the other—twice. I’m not dead. If that isn’t enough to make you believe in the power of a woman, then you’re a lost cause.

You don’t like seeing me practice in these short shorts and bra top? Look away. No one is keeping your eyes hostage. I’m not moving or practicing or posting to be “sexy”. It’s July in Massachusetts and I carved out a minute to practice outside. It’s hot. And even if it weren’t…not your concern. It’s for me. It’s not for you……

Women have to embrace each other and love one another so there isn’t so much silence…. and of course just below the surface of that silence—deep shame. Why is it that these experiences are hidden in the darkest corners of our heart? Because we are made to feel ashamed. Enough. I am enjoying an ever evolving celebration with my body. If you feel inspired and have had any experience with the struggles mentioned above…………I got you.

Teaching yoga has been a practice and a privilege for Jennifer for over a decade. She has been a student for twice that long. A life long commitment and appreciation to the study and teaching of Yoga has been a gift, allowing her to feel more at ease, alive and connected with others. Jennifer first tried Yoga as a way to mix up her regular exercise, but found that what she was returning for was the sense of clarity and peace she felt in the aftermath of a class. “I remember there would be times in those early days, when resting in Savasana, that I would just cry and cry, not even knowing what for or from where it was all coming, but experiencing so much relief afterwards. It was virtually the only place I could feel truly present and at peace, and it ultimately made me fall in love with the practice.” Her classes draw from different styles and influences but will always include flow, strength, opportunities to be gentle, invitations to be present and a healthy dose of humor and lightheartedness! Jennifer is most grateful to the students who come to Shanti and roll out their mats in her classes, as they provide her with the opportunity to do the thing that has enriched her life so beautifully—to teach, to relate, and to connect to others in a real and honest way. Jennifer is also grateful to her two primary teachers, Rolf Gates and Shawn Shaw, for their early guidance and continued influence. Jennifer is a devoted mother to her son Tanner, and wife to her husband Alan, and feels blessed to be able to wake up to the incredible journey of life with these two beautiful beings, day after day.

Is this Exercise Good for Me?

By Janine L. Agoglia

We can all agree that part of being healthy is regular exercise. Exercise can help strengthen your muscles, improve your mood and immune system, reduce stress and help you feel good in your skin. But how do you know if the exercise you are doing is actually helping you or hurting you?

There are many types of exercise, just as there are many types of people. Not all exercise is good for all people, based on body type, overall health issues and age. First, figure out what your goals are. Are you trying to get 6-pack abs or are you trying to stay healthy? Are you looking for a way to be social? Are you trying to make up for your "less than perfect" diet? Each goal will have a different strategy attached to it. In the end, you want a form of exercise that reduces stress rather than creates it.

Mindfulness can be very helpful when it comes to exercise. Notice how you feel before, during and after exercise. The information gained from this type of noticing might adjust how you seek after and achieve your goals. It will help you determine what your body actually requires and this may or may not be in line with your goals. Do you notice that every time you exercise you are wiped out for the rest of the day? Do you notice that you feel sluggish until you exercise? Do you look forward to moving your body or do you dread it? Are you sore for a week after exercising? Are you injuring yourself frequently? Are you only doing one type of exercise or do you mix it up?

Ideally, exercise shouldn't hurt. If it does leave you sore, that soreness should only last for a day or 2. Exercise should energize you, improve your mood and lower your stress levels. If you find that after exercise you don't feel these things, you might not be doing the right routine for you.

For someone with a lot of energy and high stress, something more active would be great. Running, biking, weight lifting, swimming, Vinyasa Yoga, Pilates, Nia, something that makes you sweat and gets your heart pumping is great. That being said, if you push too hard and too fast, you are actually creating stress for your body, rather than reducing it. You don't need to run for 10 miles to make it count. If you are always recovering from injury or exhausted afterward, you need to back it off a bit, either by giving yourself a day or 2 of rest every week or by doing less per workout.

For someone who has low, sluggish energy, like you are carrying a 100 lb gorilla around with you wherever you go, you will also benefit from moderate exercise, like in the list above. This type of sluggish energy usually responds well to moving the body, but most likely you will need to find something you really love to do. Maybe dancing around your living room singing at the top of your lungs (or just dancing without singing), walking or hiking in nature, going ice or roller skating/ roller blading. Once you move, you will feel so much better, so finding something that you look forward to will be a great motivator to keep it up.

For someone with low energy where it feels like someone pulled your power cord, gentler exercise will benefit you more. The more you push through a workout, the more depleted you will feel and this will raise your body's experience of stress. Activities such as Gentle Yoga, Tai Chi, Qi Gong, even Meditation, can help nourish the body's energy and help you feel better without straining.

So pay attention to how you feel and do what is best for your body, because it's the only one you've got!

Janine L. Agoglia has been teaching Vinyasa yoga since 1998. Her yoga journey started in 1995 with Iyengar Yoga and she stumbled upon Vinyasa yoga in 1997. The combination of breath with proper body alignment is what fuels Janine's practice and the classes that she teaches. She believes that yoga should be safe as well as challenging, creative and fun. She always emphasizes proper alignment within the flow, as well as focus, breath and humor to help students find the balance between strength and ease. Deepening one’s physical awareness helps one strengthen his/her spiritual awareness and mind-body connection. Janine loves being able to help people deepen their own practices, finding yoga in everyday life, on and off the mat. Her DVD, “Vinyasa Yoga for Regular People” is available for purchase at the front desk at Lumina Mind Body Studios in Wayland, MA.

In addition to being the Co-Director of Yoga and teaching yoga classes at Lumina Mind Body Studios  Janine is also a Licensed Acupuncturist and Chinese Herbalist who practices at Integrative Therapeutics in Natick, MA.

To contact Janine, please email acuyogamama@hotmail.com or visit her website, www.acuyogamama.com.

Twisting Safely in Yoga

By Janine L. Agoglia

Twists are a movement inherent in daily life, whether you are reaching for something, driving or getting out of bed. But twisting while practicing yoga can be problematic if you are doing it incorrectly. Repeating an incorrect movement can lead to injury and is something about which people with lower back conditions and pain need to stay aware. Use extreme caution with conditions such as osteoporosis, spinal stenosis or herniated lumbar discs. If you have any questions about whether twisting is safe for your body, consult with a qualified healthcare practitioner.

When it comes to the yoga asana practice, there are many opportunities for twists done sitting, standing, balancing and reclining. They are all different, but have one thing in common: the core. A proper twist is done by keeping the spine perpendicular to the pelvis and rotating the rib cage. Problems come when there is side bending or the pelvis moves with the rib cage. If the pelvis comes "along for the ride" in a twisting pose, it can create problems at the sacroilliac joint (SI Joint) which leads to lower back pain. Knowing how to twist properly can be the difference between a beneficial pose and a damaging one.

Twisting should always start with a stable pelvis, no matter what position you are in. If you are seated, make sure you feel both "sit bones" on the floor and that they have equal weight. From there make sure the pelvis is vertical and then the spine can be more vertical. If your hamstrings are tight, this may prevent you from being able to get your pelvis vertical and you may need to bend your knees (if your leg or legs are extended). Once your spine is vertical, rotate your rib cage in one direction. Be sure to use your core muscles (your obliques) to rotate, rather than forcing yourself around with your arms. Let your gaze follow your twist (if twisting to the right, gaze over your right shoulder).


With reclining twists, many instructors cue to move your pelvis an inch or so to one side then twist in

the other direction. I don't like this cue because it is too easy to over or under adjust. Instead, I recommend lying on one side with your knees pulled toward your chest; your pelvis should be perpendicular to the floor in this position. Keep the hips stacked and rotate the rib cage like you did when you were seated. If your shoulder doesn't reach the floor, rest it on a block or blanket to remove the strain. Again, your gaze should follow the twist.

Revolved lunges can be the most problematic, since it is very easy to get disoriented in terms of alignment. They are great poses, but it is very easy to twist from the pelvis instead of the ribs. Start with a stable lunge, where the front knee is directly over the front ankle creating a perpendicular line with the shin. The other knee is either on the floor or off, but both hips should face straight ahead. Tip the pelvis forward, lengthening into a flat back. Keep the pelvis still and rotate the rib cage. The opposite elbow might find the front knee, but shouldn't at the expense of your spine or pelvis. If bringing the elbow to the knee creates pain or misalignment, just bring your hand to the floor or block to the inside of the front foot (if the right leg is forward, your left hand comes to the left of the right foot). There should be equal space between the base of the ribs and hips on the right and left sides of the waist. The tendency is to shorten the side of the leg that is forward rather than rotate the spine and ribs. Try to keep the spine straight as you twist. Noticing what the front knee is doing can often help you determine the pelvis position. If the front knee is leaning to the left or right, chances are you are not keeping your pelvis "square" and are turning it as you twist.

Twisting properly may take some practice, but a little bit of mindfulness is always better than injury.

Janine L. Agoglia has been teaching Vinyasa yoga since 1998. Her yoga journey started in 1995 with Iyengar Yoga and she stumbled upon Vinyasa yoga in 1997. The combination of breath with proper body alignment is what fuels Janine's practice and the classes that she teaches. She believes that yoga should be safe as well as challenging, creative and fun. She always emphasizes proper alignment within the flow, as well as focus, breath and humor to help students find the balance between strength and ease. Deepening one’s physical awareness helps one strengthen his/her spiritual awareness and mind-body connection. Janine loves being able to help people deepen their own practices, finding yoga in everyday life, on and off the mat. Her DVD, “Vinyasa Yoga for Regular People” is available for purchase at the front desk at Lumina Mind Body Studios in Wayland, MA.

In addition to being the Co-Director of Yoga and teaching yoga classes at Lumina Mind Body Studios Janine is also a Licensed Acupuncturist and Chinese Herbalist who practices at Integrative Therapeutics in Natick, MA.

To contact Janine, please email acuyogamama@hotmail.com or visit her website, www.acuyogamama.com.

Ageless Grace: Fun for Mind and Body!

By Amy Podolsky

I hadn't read Tuesday's memo. 

Freezing temps?  Black ice warnings?  Totally oblivious. As always, I ran out the front door in typical hurried fashion, only to find myself sliding uncontrollably toward the three steps leading down to the driveway (Did I mention I was wearing rain boots with little traction? Oy...). In that terrifying split second, I simultaneously screamed (probably obscenities, I'll admit), flailed my arms around, and noticed the "stop-making-a-scene-you're-embarrassing-me" look on my fourteen year-old's face. I could just hear my dad's voice: "Slow down or you'll crack your head open!" And then suddenly, inexplicably, I managed to catch myself and regain balance, just before hitting the ground. I made it cautiously down the steps, where I then skate-walked over to my car, and practically hurled myself across the hood as if hugging a long lost relative. I was safe.

Cut to: Ten minutes later. I've dropped my son off at school, regular, rhythmic breathing has returned, and I think my sympathetic nervous system has finally realized we are no longer in a fight or flight situation. Phew! As I drove along, wallowing in what-ifs (I could have broken a bone!  Or gotten a concussion!  Or broken a bone and gotten a concussion!), it suddenly dawned on me: AGELESS GRACE. I'm ok, because of AGELESS GRACE!  

Come again? 

Well, I've been practicing the Ageless Grace Brain Health Fitness program for ten minutes a day, most days, for the better part of three years. And this program, by design, is based on the cutting edge science of Neuroplasticity - the ability of the brain and central nervous system to change its form and function over the course of a lifetime, specifically when activated by movement involving play (think of how you used to play as a kid), and by challenging the brain to do something it doesn't already know how to do.  So? What's all that got to do with my Tuesday tale of woe? Everything, really. By practicing Ageless Grace's 21 simple tools for lifelong comfort and ease each day, I've been increasing my brain and body's ability to respond, react and recover (the 3R's).  Simply put, my reaction time is quicker than it used to be, my balance is better, and I can recover from "the unexpected" more easily. Pretty cool, huh? Especially when you consider that all I've been doing is listening to great music while moving my body and having fun, in the comfort of my own home, for ten minutes a day. There are many more benefits of practicing Ageless Grace, and I look forward to sharing them with you. 

Join me for an Ageless Grace Workshop on Saturday, February 3, at Lumina Mind Body Studios, Wayland Campus! 

This program is for EVERYBODY!  (No previous experience required - just come as you are!) "It's never too late to begin, and it's never too early to start."  

To sign up, click here:  https://clients.mindbodyonline.com/classic/ws?studioid=89481&stype=-8&sTG=33&sVT=20&sView=day&sLoc=2&sTrn=81&date=02/03/18

Amy Podolsky is a Certified Ageless Grace® Trainer and Educator, as well as a Nia Black Belt Instructor. She is at her best when sharing the joy of movement with others.