Toxic Productivity?

This picture came from an article with tips on how to improve business productivity. I thought it was fascinating because the woman is sitting in a “yoga” pose while she’s doing different things with what looks like 8 arms!

What do you think of when you hear these terms: “high performer” or “optimized schedule”? These are popular terms in the business arena, and even in our everyday world. We often think of a productive person as someone who gets things done and stays on top of everything, someone to admire.

Personally, I am rethinking this concept as I am now operating (temporarily?) in a semi-retired mode. I was so used to filling up my schedule with classes, administrative tasks, and house work that slowing down has me feeling off. Even writing this blog was pressing on me last week, until I decided it wasn’t urgent.

It’s helpful to recognize that rest and relaxation IS also productive and useful. It’s how our minds and bodies get a reset, and it gives our nervous systems a break from the busyness of the world around us.

I’m slowly warming to the idea of taking my time to do things when I feel like it, doing some things properly instead of rushing, and skipping other tasks altogether. My perspective is gradually changing, and my new favorite thing is just sitting on my lanai with a beverage while observing nature in my own back yard.

From a Vogue article: What Is Toxic Productivity:

“Toxic productivity describes an unhealthy pursuit of constant productivity that goes beyond healthy limits,” says German psychologist Eva Elisa Schneider. “Those affected have the urge to make the most of every minute of their day.”

The problem: When you’re not constantly productive, you quickly start to feel guilty or worthless, restless, and unable to truly relax. “Unexpected free time, such as a canceled meeting, is not used for a break, but is immediately filled with other to-dos,” Dr. Schneider continues. A pattern of such behavior can lead to “health being neglected and important signs of exhaustion not being taken seriously.”

Personal update:

I’m headed to Mexico next week to help my father move back to the U.S. after 20+ years living there when he retired. I hope that my husband and I have time to explore and enjoy the area, and I really look forward to seeing him - it’s probably been 6 years since I spent time with him in person.

If you’ve read this far, I thank you for entertaining my thoughts. I’d love to hear yours if you care to reply.

Be Well,

Eva

January Blues?

Courtesy of Positively Present

This picture came from Positively Present with an article titled When You Have the Winter Blues.  Here’s a link to the article.  

I’m settling into my new (to me) home in Palm Bay, FL, and beginning to explore the area a bit. After the flurry of activity to buy, move, unpack, and sell the former house it’s good to relax. I do have to admit that it feels strange to not have a full teaching schedule during the busy Florida winter season, but I still have bookkeeping work and private clients to account for some of my time.

When I lived in cold climates January was usually a tough time for me. After the bustle of holiday season, I would begin the new year with so much excitement for good things ahead. Then reality would set in: bad weather, little sunshine or outdoor time, and more cold months. I would struggle to find motivation.

After I moved to Florida I began to look forward to January, because it’s the best time of the year! However, even with warmer weather it’s still normal to feel unmotivated or lethargic - after all, there are so many big / scary things happening in the world right now.

Please take time to acknowledge how you feel, nurture yourself, and go easy on unrealistic expectations.

Be Well,

Eva

Sliding Into 2025

My family moved to Palm Bay, FL (the Space Coast) about 2 weeks ago. It was a big and exhausting move, and now we’re beginning to settle in to enjoy our new home. After 9 years in Palm Beach County it will be a big adventure to learn a new area.

I really don’t have any specific teaching plans yet. I have some private clients continuing on Zoom and some bookkeeping work, but otherwise my schedule is a blank page. It’s definitely an interesting way to start a new year!

When I lived in Germany I learned the wish used for the new year: Guten Rutsch. The longer version is Einen guten Rutsch ins neue Jahr! My German friends may correct me, but I believe it means: May you have a good “slide” into the new year. I like the visual of us coming down a slide into 2025.

The future is unknown and can be scary; it’s easy to fall into worry. I truly believe that we must continue to connect with each other to sustain our communities and put good out into the world. Thank you for being part of my community!

Wishing you peace, joy, and good health,

Eva

Hello December

I am in the midst of packing and coordinating our family’s move to Palm Bay, FL in just over 2 weeks, so I will keep this very brief. No sales pitches here!

In the busyness of the new month, and end of 2024, I hope that you can take some time to remember what’s important in life, and enjoy those special moments with loved ones. (Yes, I need to take my own advice too!)

Be Well,

Eva

I Appreciate You!

Thank you for being a part of my community, in whatever way we’re connected!

Last week was a flurry of activity for me, and I’m sure next week will be the same, but in a good way as I wind up classes and prepare for our upcoming move to Palm Bay, FL.

It has been my honor to offer mindful yoga since 2014, starting in Dallas/Fort Worth Texas, then south in Mission TX where my husband and I moved. (If you’re keeping track, yes I’ve moved a lot!)

I arrived in Palm Beach County, FL in summer 2016, and I immediately set out to find studios where I could teach and become part of the community. I’ve come a long way from the 1st days of riding my bike 2 miles to a local studio (my husband and I shared a car at first) to teach Gentle Hatha to a few students.

Once I recognized my enthusiasm and skill for teaching adults over 50 - like me - I realized this would be my niche, where I shine. I devoted myself to training in techniques that would be beneficial to us “grown folks,” and my career took off.

I’m amazed at the enthusiasm for yoga once people experience its benefits; this has enabled me to go into private communities, addiction treatment facilities, doctor’s offices, private clients’ homes, and to even start my own “studio” in rented karate studio space.

I find it fascinating that practicing yoga in a group offers both individual and collective energy. You can be completely immersed in your own practice on your mat or chair, and at the same time feel the uplifting energy of those around you.

I’m grateful to have connected with literally hundreds, if not thousands, of students over the years. I’ve also learned that it’s not really about me, or even the shapes we make in class, but the shared experience of building community. It is my hope that this community will be our safe haven and support as we move together through uncertain times ahead.

I really don’t know what my next chapter will look like, but I plan to continue to share inspiration and resources here. I hope you can make some time to move, breathe, and stay connected with me.

Be Well and Happy Thanksgiving Week,

Eva

Change Is Constant

"Change is the only constant in life that you can rely on. Everything flows and changes with time. Believe me, quite often it’s a blessing. " from Life Quote Positivity

“The Only Constant in Life Is Change.”- Heraclitus

One constant since the beginning of time might be change, however, the fear of change is also a constant. Since times immemorial, humans have liked routine. It makes us feel in control of our lives. (Link to the article)

___________________________

I recognize that not all change feels positive. Many external factors are out of our control, and that can be stressful because we resist unwanted change.

Personally I am both excited about our upcoming move and new home about 2 hours north, and at the same time sad and sometimes anxious about leaving my in-person classes and good friends I’ve made over the years in South Florida. Being able to make connections and build community has been my mission and greatest honor.

I will continue to use tools from my self-care toolbox to manage my mental and emotional fluctuations as well as physical tension: mindful yoga and Foundation Training, breathwork & meditation, EFT tapping, self-massage, etc. My wish is that you also have your own “toolbox” of care to draw from as well.

I hope you can make some time to move, breathe, and stay connected with me this week.

Be Well,

Eva

Return To Center

The yoga pose shown here is called Samasthiti, translated as “equal standing” pose. The intention of the pose is to bring balance, stability, and a sense of feeling centered. It can also be practiced while seated in a chair.

If you close your eyes in the pose, you may notice how your weight is distributed in and between your feet, the pressure between hands, and visualize the center line of your body dividing left from right (and/or front to back). You may even observe a very subtle sense of swaying as your body makes adjustments to stay upright.

The concept of feeling centered is an important one in yoga, and in life. This is because staying in a state of chronic stress is harmful for our physical and mental health, whereas being able to return to center helps us feel and function better.

I don’t discuss politics or religion in my class because I want everyone to feel welcome and safe, regardless of beliefs, size, shape, age, abilities, etc. However, I think we can all agree that last week’s U.S. election activity probably stressed out a lot of people (including me).

Because of this, in classes last week I had everyone focus on grounding, literally feeling the ground beneath us, and getting our minds away from chaos and into our bodies. When we are doing poses on one side of the body, I often say “come back to center,” and have everyone pause to notice the effects before we continue to the other side.

I hope you can make some time to move, breathe, and stay centered with me this week.

Be Well,

Eva

Don’t Be Scared!

The pose shown above - I have no idea what it is called - was featured on Self magazine’s article titled 17 of the Most Impressive Yoga Poses on Instagram. It may be impressive, but you won’t see me attempting this, or ever teaching it, because it is not appropriate for me or most of my students.

The article calls these kind of poses as more “advanced,” but as you may know if you’ve attended my classes, a truly advanced yoga practitioner is one who listens to her body, and chooses how to move, think, and breathe in a way that best suits her needs.

Besides frightening yoga poses, this may also feel like a scary time for other reasons. Between Halloween and All Saints’ Day, end of Daylight Savings (we get to sleep later, but it will get dark earlier), and the U.S. General Election Day coming, there’s so much happening that can affect our mental stability.

Don’t worry - we will get through it all and practice calmness by remembering breathing techniques, and staying present in the moment. Here’s an article that might give you some good tips to handle changes and uncertainty:

How Yoga Helps with Uncertainty & Disappointment.

This article was from 2016, and is still very relevant today. My favorite quote:

“In the uncertainty and disappointment of the election, I’d forgotten to appreciate the moment, to inhale and let the air fill my chest with hope…if not for the future, then for the present, for this moment.”

I teach simple relaxing and centering techniques in my classes. I hope you can make some time to move, breathe, and stay grounded with me this week.

Be Well,

Eva

When Your Mind Is Spinning. . .

I feel as if I come back to this topic often. If you have no issues with a busy brain, feel free to scroll on by (and accept my admiration).

Personally, that crazy mind is one of the main reasons that I practice yoga and meditation. I hear the same from many of my students as well.

Whether you have lots of new things happening in your life, or just tend to worry a lot, the fact is that our modern world and life events can feel overwhelming.  

I sometimes wake up in the middle of the night with my mind spinning with future plans. If I let it continue, I may never get back to sleep, as my brain then tries to solve the world’s problems!

Here are my simplest go-to techniques to settle my brain:

1. Acknowledge that thinking is not useful in that moment. No amount of worrying or planning is effective at 2:00 am, or whenever you’re tired and/or stressed.

2. Get into your body: feel whatever you are resting on beneath you, the clothing on your skin, the temperature of the room. If it appeals to you, tighten and release different parts of your body from head to toe.

3. Watch your breath. Simply observing the in and out rhythm may be enough; otherwise, try a count of 4 in, pause, and 4 out, pause (your count may be different).

4. When your mind wanders again, as it may, start over without judgment.

I teach simple relaxing and centering techniques in my classes, including these and more. I hope you can make some time to move, breathe, and practice with me this week.

Be Well,

Eva

Forward Bending Poses

Some of my favorite poses involve bending the body forward at the hips - called forward bends or folds. This can be done standing, seated (ground or chair), and even reclined. Personally I find them relaxing, and helpful to stretch my back.

Here’s more info according to this article by Yoga Basics:

“What are forward bending yoga poses?

Forward folds are a type of yoga posture that brings the front of the upper torso closer to the lower body. These postures can be performed in standing, supine or sitting positions. Forward bending poses are considered calming, soothing and introspective. Forward folds are very helpful in stretching out tight muscles and releasing tension in the entire backside of the body.”

Some benefits of forward bending may include:

• Promoting spine length and flexibility

• Reducing back tension (when done mindfully)

• Mental stress relief through a sense of “surrender” to gravity

DEEP forward bending (attempting to bring chest to thighs, as in the photo above) isn’t for everyone: if you have low back issues, it’s best to start gently and only go as far as you can keep the spine long vs. letting it round. Standing forward bends are also contraindicated for certain conditions (e.g. glaucoma, vertigo, untreated high blood pressure), when they take the head below the heart.

I find that bending the knees can help with this in standing and seated positions, as well as taking the legs wider apart. Even drawing bent knees in toward the chest while lying down can produce similar results.

I hope you can make some time to move, breathe, and practice yoga with me this week.

Be Well,

Eva

Life Goes On. . .

How’s life been for you? The last 2 weeks were quite interesting for me. I took one week off to travel to Texas with my husband, to visit family and friends and explore. Although we flew into DFW we drove all over the place: north to Wylie, south to Waco, Austin, and New Braunfels, west to San Angelo, then back to Grapevine and Dallas. The weather was quite a change from what we were experiencing in south Florida: warm and dry (plus cool at night) vs hot and humid here.

As we arrived back home Hurricane Milton was forming, so our efforts went into storm preparations. I am grateful we didn’t receive much of an impact, but still watched anxiously to see its path and effects, and recovery by those affected. Needless to say, most of my classes got canceled for the week.

As I thought about what I was going to write this week, the words popped into my head “life goes on,” reminding me of the Beatles song Ob La Di, Ob La Da. Here’s a link to the song and lyrics.

The song is lighthearted, but illustrates that life goes through phases, and continues to move forward. I don’t think it’s uncaring to get back into our routines after a catastrophic event. We can show compassion to people who are hurting and help when we can, yet we keep going.

I hope you can make some time to move, breathe, and practice yoga with me this week.

Be Well,

Eva

A Mobile Life

The picture above comes from an art site, advertising a class for how to make mobiles yourself.

The word mobile is used in so many ways: a mobile placed over a baby’s bed for visual interest, or our mobile phones, for example. Someone who climbs the social ladder is called “upwardly mobile.”

One definition of mobility, according to the Oxford Languages, is the ability to move or be moved freely and easily. Basically, most of us care about mobility as it affects our ability to do what we want in life. This can be general, like walking from one place to another, or specific, such as how well your shoulder gets through the normal range of motion (ROM).

Mobility of the body has become a big topic in the yoga and fitness world, especially when it comes to working with people over 50, but older people aren’t the only ones impacted by less mobility. Anyone who’s had an accident, injury, surgery, or just general stiffness is affected at some time in life.

Yoga motion, including breathwork, can help us explore and mindfully move all parts of the body. Pain-free movement is essential to keeping everything functioning so we can enjoy our lives.

I hope you can make some time to move, breathe, and stay mobile this week.

Be Well,

Eva

No Headstands Required!

Last week I took some time off to catch up on personal things and have a little down time for my birthday week. As much as I love teaching yoga, my brain and body sometimes need a break from planning and traveling to classes. I even made it to the beach for a bit (picture below).

The picture above comes from a birthday card I received from a good friend and client, and I literally laughed out loud when I opened it. She must have remembered that I often make the joke in class about stretching and getting our legs behind our head! It always gets a laugh.

My message for you today is that it doesn’t matter how far you can bend, how long you can balance on one leg, or whether you can get down to the mat in order to practice yoga.

Yoga only requires that we stay present to our body’s sensations, and practice mindfully with movement and breathing. That’s it! How you choose to move is always up to you, regardless of what is being taught, or what anybody else is doing.

I hope you can make some time to move, breathe, and practice yoga this week.

Be Well,

Eva

Rest & Refresh

This year I decided to take a week off as a birthday present to myself. I’m not planning anything big, but wanted some time for leisure, catching up on personal stuff, getting to the beach, and maybe even taking some yoga classes for ME.

I found that as soon as I made that decision, my body felt lighter. When September began I started small by taking moments to slow down, read a book, and even nap a little. I’m the kind of person who usually fills every spare minute with chores and planning - what a taskmaster!

Daily Practice Tip

Last week I wrote about the benefits of chair yoga, and creating a habit of doing a little bit every day. If you missed that post, here’s a link.

What can you do in your daily life to build this beneficial habit? I suggest that you simply set aside a few minutes and find a favorite spot to roll out your mat, lie in bed, or sit in a chair. If you feel resistance, or think you don’t have time, just tell yourself you’ll give it 5 minutes, and can stop whenever you want.

Start by getting comfortable and paying attention to your body and mental state, observing how everything feels . Notice your breathing for a few breaths. If you remember a favorite stretch or movement, do that. Maybe you keep going, maybe you just rest, then get on with your day.

That’s your daily practice! After a while it can become an important part of your life to help you handle whatever life throws at you.

I hope you can make some time to move, breathe, and take some personal down-time this week.

Be Well,

Eva

Chair Yoga IS Real Yoga

I’ve heard people refer to chair yoga vs “REAL” yoga, usually meaning yoga on the ground (on a mat). I think there is a perception that yoga has to be hot, sweaty, fast, and difficult to be effective. That style of yoga leaves a lot of people out, including me, because I prefer a more thoughtful approach.

Even though chair yoga is accessible to more bodies, we can get the same benefits from the practice: increased mobility, flexibility, stability, and a calmer nervous system.

Even in mat yoga we use props, such as blocks or straps, to make poses more useful and/or accessible. A chair is really just another prop. This can be so helpful for anyone who doesn’t want to be on the ground, for any reason. We can do movement while seated on the chair, and use the chair as support for standing poses.

Because I specialize in working with beginners and people over 50, my career virtually exploded once I learned how to teach chair yoga. I even teach chair yoga to younger people in a corporate setting, and incorporate so much of what I learned into my mat classes, too.

This CNN Health article titled “Chair yoga is not just for older people. It’s good for everyone, especially the desk-bound” outlines the many benefits of chair yoga, for all kinds of bodies. I loved this quote:

“Five minutes of chair yoga a day is better than doing it once a week for an hour,” Dooreck said. “You want to create a habit. Once you do five minutes, people often want to do more because they feel better.” (More on this topic next week)

I hope you can make some time to move, breathe, and practice with me this week.

Be Well,

Eva

When Your Mind Needs A Break

Have you ever wondered how people who meditate for hours a day can just sit and be still for so long? Me too, because I’m really one of those busy brain people who always has things in the works.

But what do we do when it’s all too much, and we need to calm our minds and nervous system? Sure, we can binge on Netflix, scroll on social media, play games, or call/text a friend. But that’s all still mental stimulation, not rest.

One of the easiest ways I get centered is simple, and can take as little as 1 minute:

• Sit or lie down in a comfortable position. Move whatever you need to get settled.

• Close your eyes, if possible, and tune into your body’s sensations. Become aware of the support of the ground, chair, or bed beneath you.

• “Watch” your breath. Observe what happens when you inhale, and then when you exhale. Notice the pause in between.

• If needed, give your brain a simple “task” by creating a mantra (word or phrase) to go with the breath. Example: as you inhale think “I am ______ (peaceful / joyful / strong); as you exhale “I let go”.

I hope you can make some time to move, breathe, and give your mind some peace this week.

Be Well,

Eva

Keeping It Simple

I’m out of town this weekend, and my brain is resisting a discussion of any complex topic, so I’ll keep it simple.

I’m sure you’ve heard of the KISS principle before - the graphic above comes from an investment article (read more here) and features an acronym usually representing Keep It Simple Stupid. I much prefer Super to Stupid, don’t you?

Anyway, the principle comes from the design world, and indicates that the simplest solution is often the most effective one, and adding complexity can be unnecessary. This can apply to almost any system or discipline, including yoga.

I have to remind myself of this from time, because I get so fascinated with subtleties of yoga poses, all the muscles involved, etc. When I start to feel I’m overexplaining, I pull back and remember to let students just FEEL and BREATHE.

I hope you can make some time to move, breathe, and simply move your body this week.

Be Well,

Eva

Celebrate Your Imperfect Body

Just because I teach Yoga and Foundation Training (FT) doesn’t mean that I have no body issues. After all, I am a curvy 60+ woman, and I definitely don’t move like I did even 10 years ago.

Even though I do my best to eat right, get plenty of exercise, water, and rest, I still have times when things aren’t functioning well. Some of it is out of my control, but other issues are due to bad habits.

For example, last weekend I slouched for too many hours on a sofa that needs to be replaced, and my right hip started hurting. I saw my nurse practitioner, and she thinks it’s bursitis. It could have come from slouching, or even overdoing some of the poses I teach. The pain/stiffness is still there, but I’m working through it with yoga, FT, self-massage, ibuprofen, and extra rest. Plus making myself sit up right on the sofa, and getting up often to stretch.

My body is not my business card; instead I offer my experience, training, and compassion in helping you work with your unique body’s needs. I may not know what it’s like to be in your body, but I do watch and listen, and conduct research if I need to learn more.

I hope you can make some time to move, breathe, and celebrate your beautifully imperfect body this week.

Be Well,

Eva

What Do You Stand FOR?

Do you find yourself getting frustrated lately with negative events in the news and daily life? We are certainly bombarded with information everywhere, and so much of it is attacking someone else’s actions, beliefs, political campaign, etc.

When we place most of our attention on something we don’t like, that is where our energy is going. While it’s important to keep up with current events, I believe it’s best to focus on what want, what we stand for, and put our efforts there.

Yoga is about connecting our mind, body, and breath, true. But as we move beyond the physical, yoga is also about our connection to others. It’s about the energy we have, and what we put out into the world.

Next time you post on social media, or respond to someone’s comment, please consider whether you are promoting what you stand for, or reacting to what you dislike.

I hope you can make some time to move, breathe, and find mental peace this week.

Be Well,

Eva

Put Your Best Foot Forward

Recently one of my lovely students gave me an article she saved from the The New York Times. If you’re an online subscriber, here’s the link. The article, dated 7/23/24, was titled “For a Strong Body, Get Strong Feet.” It also included a 12 minute workout.

If you were in any of my classes last week, you heard me share some excerpts from the article, and lead a class with special attention and exercises for the feet. Here are a few key excerpts from the article:

“Your feet are responsible for mobility and balance.”

Did you know that you have a “foot core - a network of tiny muscles in your feet that create balance a provide stability - every time you stand or walk”?

“Poor footwear often cramps the toes and stiffens the midfoot” - this includes shoes that are too tight / stiff, as well as flip-flops that your toes have to grip to keep from falling off.

“If the muscles within the foot or lower leg become weak and out of balance, this can create a chain reaction of problems in your feet, ankles, knees, hips and lower back.”

A few things we tried out in classes were:

1. Press your big toe into the ground and attempt to lift the smaller toes. Repeat with the reverse: small toes stay down while big toe lifts. This demonstrates how much toe dexterity you have.

2. To test your toe strength, while seated with your knee over your ankle, press your big toe into the ground on top of a credit card (or similar flat object). Try to hold it down for 3-5 seconds while someone tries to pull it out. Repeat with other side, and with the card under the smaller toes.

3. Heel and toe raises for toe and ankle mobility. We did these both seated (chair classes), reclined (mat classes), and standing. Alternate between lifting the toes off the ground (just the toes, not the whole front of the foot), then the heels. Observe what muscles you are using, and how if affects your balance when standing.

If you tried these out, how did you do? You can still work on building that toe strength! I hope you can make some time to move, breathe, and care for your feet this week.

Be Well,

Eva