“Wax on, right hand. Wax off, left hand. Wax on, wax off. Breathe… in through nose, out the mouth. Wax on, wax off. Don't forget to breathe. Very important. Wax on, wax off. Wax on, wax off.”
-Mr. Miyagi in The Karate Kid
If you’re a fan of movies from the 80s, you know the line in the quote above! If you don’t know Karate Kid, then in a nutshell: Mr. Miyagi teaches the Kid through practical daily actions how to do karate. Here he is mimicking waxing a surface by using the palm of his hand open forward, drawing a circular motion as if waxing a surface.
That’s been at the heart of my adventures as a Yoga Mama. How can I best find moments of yoga and mindfulness in everyday actions and tasks? How can I nurse the baby and feel that it is yoga, carry him around and feel that I’m finding physical/spiritual/emotional balance, play with him and his older sister and know that I am constantly on a yogic path?
These are my thoughts as we rise up through the waxing phase of the moon. I always do something for the full and new moon, sometimes an elaborate ritual, sometimes a simple one, and if I can’t do a ritual I at least close my eyes, breathe, and sense into what’s most important in the moment. Sometimes I meditate, sometimes I pray. But it’s not just the full and new moon that are important; the moments in between offer us the chance to explore what it means to wax and wane. And anyways, I sometimes take forever to get around to doing certain things, so it’s in my character to post about the new moon the day after!
So, in the days after yesterday’s new moon, I am working with finding ways to bring yoga asana in short bursts throughout the day.
I’ve read that a great way to practice mindfulness or to incorporate a new habit is to choose an action you do several times a day and pair it with the new habit or a mindful action (for example, if you want to incorporate more deep breaths into your day, do them every time you wash your hands).
Many of you know that I’m in the midst of writing a Yoga Mama Manual (yoga inspiration for busy moms!). In it, I mention some mindful ways to use asana to go from sitting on the floor to standing up. Don’t we all need that? At least I make a point to get down on the rug to play with my littles now and then. I might as well find ways to practice asana when I get back up. Here are some rough ideas:
Any seated pose - table top - downward dog - walk hand to feet (or feet to hands) to bent-knee uttanasana - hands on thighs and push slowly up to standing with a lengthened spine.
Any seated pose - table top - step forward to a gentle anjaneyasana (lunge) - hands on the front (bent) leg - push down into hands and feet into standing (unless you have sciatic or pubic bone pain, then #1 might feel better).
Any seated pose - dandasana, shake legs out and wiggle toes - bend knees and use hands behind to push up to malasana (only if this pose feels good to you without props) - hands forward and lengthen legs into prasarita padottanasana - hands on thighs, knees bent and slowly push down through feet and hands to standing.
Get down on the floor and play around - make up your own mini getting up sequence! It doesn’t have to look pretty; my only recommendation is that it feels good in your body.
Here’s a tip: it’s helpful to practice stretching out the toes to make the transition from table top to downward dog and from anjaneyasana up to standing more smooth. Here’s a little snapshot on how to stretch the toes (and bottom of the foot). The first photo shows a deep stretch that requires a lot of flexibility while the second photo shows how you can modify with a bolster or folded blanket or towel if there is a lot of tension in the knees or feet.
I hope this inspires you to bring some yogic moments into your day! Practice some mindful ‘getting up’ sequences and embody that rising movement that reflects our ‘ascent’ from the new moon to the full.
Here’s a video of flow number 1 above. You’ll see me shaking out tension in the end, which I often like to do. Sometimes when I practice asana, just the effort to move with control sometimes brings a little tension, so a little shake of the limbs can be really freeing.