Ocean Soul Yoga-Claire Petretti Marti
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Documenting the ride...

musings on life, health, and whatever strikes my fancy!

Yoga!

The Time is Now...written for The River Power Vinyasa Yoga

10/7/2014

4 Comments

 
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A few years ago, I had a dramatic reminder that now is the time to live life to its fullest. Not tomorrow. Today. All we have is the present moment, and that point was reinforced for me on January 2nd, 2010, when I found a lump in my right breast.

On January 1st 2010, I was on top of the world; my dream career of teaching yoga and writing full-time was taking off. I was in a happy and healthy relationship. Life was beautiful. Cancer changed everything overnight. Over the course of that year, I had two surgeries, lost my hair to six rounds of aggressive chemotherapy, and endured 7 weeks of radiation.

The time is now to live your life. You’d think I wouldn’t need a reminder, especially not one in the form of cancer. After all, in 6th grade I’d won a contest for writing the best essay entitled “The Time is Now”. Seriously. The dubious reward for this honor was reading the essay over the morning announcements to the ENTIRE school. Not my best day in the lunchroom.

Before cancer, I lived my life in the here and now. I already knew first-hand that your loved ones can be snatched from you too soon. I’ve lost 3 brothers, 2 to AIDS, and my sister is a 9-year breast cancer survivor. I know loss. I know grief. So, I never hesitated to take risks, to make changes, to shift gears, switch careers, you name it. I’ve always squeezed all that I could out of every day.

And, then, I got cancer.

I’m not going to lie. Treatment sucked. Being forced to slow down and alter my busy schedule drove me crazy. I am a DOER and I felt stagnant. Often, when I was recuperating after a particularly debilitating round of chemotherapy, I felt like the world was passing me by. I felt stuck in neutral: not moving forward, unable to look back. Some days, I felt like the only person on earth.

I embraced the yogic wisdom that I taught daily to my students and did my best to live in the present through my cancer journey. Teaching and practicing yoga kept me sane.

“Being able to lose myself in the joy of stepping onto the mat or guiding my students through practice was a blessed escape from my own story, which at times was very dark.”So, I scheduled positive experiences to balance out the dark. To live my yoga off the mat, if you will. While going through chemo myself, I earned my certification to teach yoga for cancer recovery. For the last 3 rounds of chemo, my boyfriend and I took some great trips together. I didn’t want to postpone travel and pleasure; I wanted to live in the moment, despite the baldness and pain.

Often, you hear survivors describing cancer as a gift. This description doesn’t really resonate with me: I would have been just fine without unwrapping this surprise, thank you very much. Nonetheless, cancer did bestow upon me an incredible lesson: I learned how to accept love and support.

I’ve always been independent, always taken care of myself, and always prided myself on keeping it together. Well, I got to the point where I couldn’t keep it together, where I couldn’t take care of myself, and something profound happened. When I let go of control, a huge groundswell of support, love, and generosity enveloped me. Not just my wonderful boyfriend, not just my family and close circle of friends. No, acquaintances, strangers, blog followers, you name it. People’s incredible kindness and caring humbled me. Letting go of control gave me the biggest gift: learning to truly receive.

Living in the present moment, regardless of circumstances. Accepting that I can’t do everything myself. Receiving love and support without feeling like I owe anyone in return. Lessons from cancer and lessons from yoga. For me, the two are now forever entertwined. We only have one life this time around: live it without restraint.

Written by Claire Petretti-Marti RYT-500 Yoga teacherwww.oceansoulyoga.comPlease check out Claire’s memoir, Come Ride with Me Along the Big C on Amazon  or pick one up at the River!



4 Comments

Would Hemingway do Down Dog?

8/23/2014

1 Comment

 
Writers often seem to be seeking that magic formula that will allow them to sit still and finish the next bestseller, if only they could sit still. I can’t guarantee that adding yoga to your schedule will launch you to the top of the NY Times Bestseller list, but I believe that you will be able to sit still, focus and get into your writing “zone” on a more consistent basis.

After returning from the Writer’s Digest Conference in New York City, my mind was bursting with ideas and inspiration for my writing projects. My body, however, felt stiff, uncomfortable and desperately in need of a deep-tissue massage. Sitting down at my computer to write did not appeal. 

As a yoga teacher and a writer, I’ve published several articles discussing the diverse conditions that yoga can address. From yoga for athletes to yoga for those battling cancer, I am confident that yoga can help anyone! Especially writers!

The practice of yoga is designed to strengthen and open up the body to enable you to sit still for prolonged periods of time to meditate without getting distracted by physical aches and pains. Just as the physical yoga postures can prepare us for meditation, they can also prepare us to sit down to create the next The Sun Also Rises or The Fountainhead.

I don’t know about you, but after I’ve sat at the computer for a while, no matter what a comfortable or ergonomically correct chair I use, my lower back is stiff as a board. When I stand up I resemble a turtle with a stiff shell where my spine used to be. Not good. Yoga has been instrumental in keeping me pain-free and flexible.

When I sit down for my scheduled writing time (you do have a writing schedule, don’t you?), I often fidget and am challenged to remain still.  Once my body settles, the “monkey mind” pops up and my mind races off in a million directions, attempting to escape from actually doing the work! Grocery shopping! Work out! Feed the cats! Check Twitter! Yoga can help here too. 

The definition of yoga outlined in the Yoga Sutras, is to learn to direct the attention of your mind, to control the wanderings and focus on what you choose. Imagine if you could turn off those to-do lists and other distractions and actually immerse yourself into your fictional world long enough to tap out that masterpiece? 

With regular yoga and meditation, you can learn to be in the zone.  We’ve all experienced it:  that place where you are no longer thinking about doing something, you are just doing it. As writers, we want to be in that creative zone as long as possible. 
************
Here is a 5-minute basic practice to open up your spine and hips so that you can sit at your computer for longer periods of time.

First, move away from your desk and find a comfortable seat on a yoga mat or if you don’t have one, a beach towel. Close your eyes and shift your focus to how you are feeling in the present moment. 

1. Take 3 cleansing breaths: Inhale, filling up your lungs all the way up to your collarbones. Exhale, empty out to the base of your spine. Repeat 2x.

2. Inhale, sweeping your arms out to the sides and up overhead. Exhale, lower them back to your sides. Repeat 3x. 

3. Inhale, leave your left hand on the floor beside you, sweep your right arm up, reaching up and over toward your left, stretching the right side of your body. Exhale, lower the arm and switch sides. Repeat 3x.

4. Cat-cow: shift onto your hands and knees. Spread your fingers wide and press into all of your knuckles. Inhale, tilt your tailbone up, gaze forward or up and allow your belly to relax downwards. Exhale, curl your head and tailbone inward as you draw your navel into your spine for cat pose. Repeat 4x, connecting with the breath and enjoying that release in your spine.

5. Kneeling-Lunges:  Press up onto your knees. Step one foot forward about 2 feet, ideally with your knee directly over your ankle. Place both hands on your thigh and shift your weight forward and back a few times, opening the front of your hips. Pause and lift both arms overhead. Take 5 deep breaths here. Switch sides.

6. Bridge Pose: Move onto your back. Bend your knees, place your feet flat. Reach your fingertips to your heels, make sure you can touch them so legs aligned properly. Rest your arms by your sides. Inhale, press your hips up as you press your feet into the earth. Take 5 breaths here. Slowly roll your spine down until your tailbone touches. Repeat 2x.

7. Supine Twist—Lie on your back. Hug your right knee into your chest and extend your left leg. Press the right knee across the body with your left hand until you feel the stretch in your waist and right hip/lower back. Hold for 5 breaths. Unwind to center and switch sides.

Finish by hugging your knees into your chest, rolling to one side and pressing up to a seated position.

This series is a small sampler of what I do when I need to open up my back after sitting for a while. Try it! 

If you’d like to learn more, please get in touch! claire@oceansoulyoga.com
1 Comment

Would Hemingway do Down Dog?

8/15/2014

4 Comments

 
Picture
Writers often seem to be seeking that magic formula that will allow them to sit still and finish the next bestseller, if only they could sit still. I can’t guarantee that adding yoga to your schedule will launch you to the top of the NY Times Bestseller list, but I believe that you will be able to sit still, focus and get into your writing “zone” on a more consistent basis.

After returning from the Writer’s Digest Conference in New York City, my mind was bursting with ideas and inspiration for my writing projects. My body, however, felt stiff, uncomfortable and desperately in need of a deep-tissue massage. Sitting down at my computer to write did not appeal.

As a yoga teacher and a writer, I’ve published several articles discussing the diverse conditions that yoga can address. From yoga for athletes to yoga for those battling cancer, I am confident that yoga can help anyone! Especially writers!

The practice of yoga is designed to strengthen and open up the body to enable you to sit still for prolonged periods of time to meditate without getting distracted by physical aches and pains. Just as the physical yoga postures can prepare us for meditation, they can also prepare us to sit down to create the next The Sun Also Rises or The Fountainhead.

I don’t know about you, but after I’ve sat at the computer for a while, no matter what a comfortable or ergonomically correct chair I use, my lower back is stiff as a board. When I stand up I resemble a turtle with a stiff shell where my spine used to be. Not good. Yoga has been instrumental in keeping me pain-free and flexible.

When I sit down for my scheduled writing time (you do have a writing schedule, don’t you?), I often fidget and am challenged to remain still.  Once my body settles, the “monkey mind” pops up and my mind races off in a million directions, attempting to escape from actually doing the work! Grocery shopping! Work out! Feed the cats! Check Twitter! Yoga can help here too.

The definition of yoga outlined in the Yoga Sutras, is to learn to direct the attention of your mind, to control the wanderings and focus on what you choose. Imagine if you could turn off those to-do lists and other distractions and actually immerse yourself into your fictional world long enough to tap out that masterpiece?

With regular yoga and meditation, you can learn to be in the zone.  We’ve all experienced it:  that place where you are no longer thinking about doing something, you are just doing it. As writers, we want to be in that creative zone as long as possible.
************
Here is a 5-minute basic practice to open up your spine and hips so that you can sit at your computer for longer periods of time.

First, move away from your desk and find a comfortable seat on a yoga mat or if you don’t have one, a beach towel. Close your eyes and shift your focus to how you are feeling in the present moment.

1. Take 3 cleansing breaths: Inhale, filling up your lungs all the way up to your collarbones. Exhale, empty out to the base of your spine. Repeat 2x.

2. Inhale, sweeping your arms out to the sides and up overhead. Exhale, lower them back to your sides. Repeat 3x.

3. Inhale, leave your left hand on the floor beside you, sweep your right arm up, reaching up and over toward your left, stretching the right side of your body. Exhale, lower the arm and switch sides. Repeat 3x.

4. Cat-cow: shift onto your hands and knees. Spread your fingers wide and press into all of your knuckles. Inhale, tilt your tailbone up, gaze forward or up and allow your belly to relax downwards. Exhale, curl your head and tailbone inward as you draw your navel into your spine for cat pose. Repeat 4x, connecting with the breath and enjoying that release in your spine.

5. Kneeling-Lunges:  Press up onto your knees. Step one foot forward about 2 feet, ideally with your knee directly over your ankle. Place both hands on your thigh and shift your weight forward and back a few times, opening the front of your hips. Pause and lift both arms overhead. Take 5 deep breaths here. Switch sides.

6. Bridge Pose: Move onto your back. Bend your knees, place your feet flat. Reach your fingertips to your heels, make sure you can touch them so legs aligned properly. Rest your arms by your sides. Inhale, press your hips up as you press your feet into the earth. Take 5 breaths here. Slowly roll your spine down until your tailbone touches. Repeat 2x.

7. Supine Twist—Lie on your back. Hug your right knee into your chest and extend your left leg. Press the right knee across the body with your left hand until you feel the stretch in your waist and right hip/lower back. Hold for 5 breaths. Unwind to center and switch sides.

Finish by hugging your knees into your chest, rolling to one side and pressing up to a seated position.

This series is a small sampler of what I do when I need to open up my back after sitting for a while. Try it!

If you’d like to learn more, please get in touch! claire@oceansoulyoga.com

4 Comments

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    I am passionate about living life to the fullest every day and couldn't do so without love, friends,yoga, the ocean, nature, animals and laughter.

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