Serenity 101: Open this to learn how to breathe

If 2019 is the year you're creating more Serenity in your life, the first important thing you need to know is how to breathe.

A 10-year-old boy in my Mindfulness for Kids class told me last week that he already knows how to breathe because he breathes all day. :) He's right, we do breathe all day, BUT... our natural, unconscious breathing is different from purposeful, conscious breathing. It's the latter that helps us manage stress and find our peace.

Here's what you need to know to get started with conscious breathing:

1. It's a great idea to cultivate a daily breathing practice. Make a routine out of it by setting a specific, convenient time every day for your breathing.

2. Sit comfortably, possibly on a chair. Keep your spine erect.

3. Inhale and exhale through your nose. Focus on making each inhale and exhale smooth and steady.

4. Set a manageable goal. If you're new to breathing, start with just a few breaths. Increase when you feel comfortable.

That's it! Go ahead and start your breathing practice today! I'd love to hear from you on this. Please email me your observations or questions, or just let me know how your breathing is going.

Hope to see you soon!

All my best,

Our Word for 2019: Serenity

This year, the team at The Yoga Room decided we'd like to have a theme word to help us live consciously in 2019. We've decided our word is Serenity.

Serenity describes the way we'd like to live, the state of mind we'd like to foster. We think it fits very well with Yoga Sūtra 1.2 - The purpose of yoga is to quiet and calm the mind.

In our very busy world, it's so easy to get caught up in activities, responsibilities, and commitments. At certain stages of life, we may even feel like our life is out of control and we're just getting dragged along.

This year, we want to do differently. We want to consciously move toward Serenity. This means making little changes in our mindset, our routines, and our actions.

Throughout 2019, you can expect to see the theme of Serenity in this newsletter, in our workshops, and in our classes.

If you want to hop on board and join us as we shift toward more Serenity, you might want to read (or re-read) last week's newsletter, which outlines New Year's Resolutions for Yogis.

And if you're interested in learning Meditation as a tool to help you on your path toward Serenity, join us tomorrow (Saturday) for Intro to Meditation with April, from 2:00 - 4:00 p.m. Please make sure to register to reserve your spot.

We look forward to seeing you soon.

All my best,