On Not Teaching Yoga

I continue to receive messages from folks looking for my public teaching class schedule. For the record, I joyfully report that I am on a teaching ‘Sabbatical’ and spending some quality time in my home away from home, New Orleans.

It feels a little bit strange to not be teaching a regularly scheduled public yoga class. It is the first time in nearly seven years that I have taken more than a week off from doing it.

This break has been utterly restorative. It is giving me fresh perspective on my reasons and intentions for practicing and teaching yoga. In a nutshell it is that yoga provides a relief from suffering.

Until there is no suffering, I will continue practicing and teaching yoga to the best of my abilities, in the context of perpetually evolving life.

I am still meeting with private clients and working with folks in therapeutic and restorative applications of yoga. I really enjoy working one on one. sharing yoga in this format, I feel like I am really helping people identify with good practice techniques for relief from the individualistic physical pains that we all suffer. This teaching break has also been a great opportunity and time for me to re-commit to my studentship and finish the Therapeutic Anatomy training with Leslie Kaminoff.

Combining my love of the Classical Ashtanga Primary Series with training in therapeutic yoga (which, believe it or not really can integrate well), this Summer I am excited to present a workshop at The University of South Alabama Recreation Center in Mobile. And then there’s the retreat to Jamaica in September. All of the info for these events is on the website. One thing not yet posted on the website is a Fall one-day retreat at Camp Beckwith, Saturday October 26. Be sure to save the date for that.

I am enjoying being more active on Twitter (@yogabirds), Facebook, Instagram (@melaniebuffett), and sometimes Vine. If you’re on any of those platforms. I’d love to connect and keep in touch while I explore life outside of Fairhope and the yoga studio for a while.

Wishing you all the best Summer ever. And of course PEACE LOVE & YOGA!
xoxo Melanie

P.S. If you liked this post, please leave me a comment! I’d love to hear from you. Also, if you’re there, we can keep in touch on Social Media too!

May 1, 2013

Jazz Festing & Yoga (of course)

It’s festival time! Every year for almost 40 years, there has been at least one (if not more) member of my family present, out ‘in the Gumbo’ of music, food, art, and culture that is the New Orleans Jazz and Heritge Festival. This year my cousin Savannah and I are carrying the torch. We have been festing together since we were kids.

The fairgrounds can seriously tap energy stores if not adequately prepared. From experience and lessons learned we know to carry a bag of survival essentials to deal with sun, mud, port-o-lets, and logging miles on the track. It takes practice and stamina to work it right.

latenite — **(Very) Late Night Dance Party**

Along with the festival comes about ten straight days of incredible night shows all over town that run into the wee early morning hours. A big fest day can literally mean 18 hours.

Considering that one of the main reasons to be out in all of the wonderful madness is THE DANCING, it’s essential to keep our bodies feeling good and well. This year at the fest I heard more than a few folks talking about aching backs. And this just breaks my heart. No suffering allowed at Jazz Fest!

But, I can relate and it’s totally understandable. My back gets tired and aches after doing anything strenuous for an extended time and a New Orleans party is no joke! Whether it is the joyful occasion of a marathon of music and dancing, or any event that calls us into full mobile action for a considerable duration of time, we can and should participate fully without it taking a massive toll on our bodies. This is about enjoying life after all, right? So how do we do it all and still feel great for another day?

And yes, my answer is once again yoga. In this year’s scenario of epic Jazz Fest stamina, I have been extra diligent about weaving 5-15 minutes of restorative yoga breaks throughout my days. When I do the poses, if it’s possible, I give myself the full treatment of bolsters, blankets and an eye covering. If that’s not possible (or if I am out on the fairgrounds) I simply lie on my back with bent knees and cover my face with a hat or t-shirt or something. I turn the cell phone ringer off, and use the cell phone as a timer to make sure that I stay in the pose for a good amount of time–at least 3 minutes, but preferably 10. Using a timer actually helps to calm and quiet my mind more deeply and quickly which leads to the deep relaxation of the muscle fibers that restores them. Then the timer lets me know when it’s time to resume with activity.

fairgrounds — **The Pearly Festival Gates**

This past weekend I did a supported bridge pose for 10 minutes before leaving for the fest. After a full day of walking lots and dancing in the sun to funk, blues, and rock-n-roll, when I got home, my back was tired. I did legs up the wall and reclined cobblers pose. And voila, the ache-y tired back was completely restored in a matter of minutes and I was ready to go out for another round of fun. Saturday night required a few supported poses too, and the payoff was great. I had enough energy to stay up and watch one of the greatest music lineups of the year which started at 3am. Yes. Oh yes I did stay out all night long dancing! Which I have not done in as long as I can remember. My alarm clock (that wakes me up) went off before I went to bed. I can safely say that has never happened.

I even surprised myself that I was still up with energy to spare! No aching feet or back. And I am ready for another 4-day full weekend of it starting tomorrow. It hasn’t always been like this for me. There was a time when at this point in the festivities I was having to force and push myself into unhealthy places to endure the fun. That’s one way to do it, but I am much more happy and healthy (which is really what it’s all about) this go around. It’s all yoga and dancing and art and culture and most of all good company that fuels my fire.

At 40, I am more vibrant and have more stamina than I did in my 20’s and 30’s. This year’s Jazz Fest I feel better in body mind and spirit than ever. The longer I explore the art of restorative yoga as a daily practice, the more I believe in the healing and supportive gifts it offers in every scenario that life presents.

So…Get thee to a bolster, and then meet me ‘in the Gumbo’ for some dancing!

If you have enjoyed this post and photos, you’ll find more good stuff at the Yoga Birds Facebook Page, Yoga Birds Twitter Feed, and at Instagram. PEACE LOVE YOGA & KEEP IN TOUCH Y’ALL

April 24, 2013

It’s Pronounced KEEN-WAH Y’all

And it’s become one of my top favorite foods. Quinoa is satisfying, has appealing texture, is easily digestible, and is super versatile. Incorporating more of this magic grain into my daily fare is one of the lifestyle dietary changes that I attribute to helping me manage a healthy weight for these last 15 years.

I’m always on the lookout look for vegetarian sources of protein in my diet. Quinoa contains more protein than any other grain; an average of 16.2 percent. Some varieties of quinoa are more than 20 percent protein. Quinoa’s protein is high in lysine, methionine and cystine and is of an unusually high quality. It is a complete protein, with an essential amino acid balance close to the ideal nutritional complex similar to milk but without the effects of dairy.

Quinoa is light, tasty, and easy to digest. It is not sticky or heavy like most other grains, and it has a delicious flavor all its own. I used to love to eat rice, pasta, and white potatoes. But those foods were hard to process and caused me weight gain and lethargy. Quinoa can be substituted for almost any grain in almost any recipe. It looks and tastes great on its own, or in any dish from soup to salad and even as a sweet treat.

Quinoa is quick and convenient to prepare. A whole-grain dish of quinoa takes just 15 minutes.

Many people eat grains only during the colder months, but quinoa’s lightness combined with its versatility in cold dishes like salads and desserts makes it an ideal source of good summertime nutrition.

Here’s a quick and easy Quinoa Salad recipe that I make almost weekly. Enjoy!

Quinoa Salad

Serves 12

1 ½ cups quinoa
½ cup pine nuts
1 English cucumber, peeled and finely diced (2½ cups)
3 Roma tomatoes, seeded and finely diced (¾ cup)
½ cup chopped fresh parsley
¼ cup olive oil
3 Tbs. lemon juice
2 tsp. grated lemon zest

1. Bring 2 quarts salted water to a boil. Add quinoa, cover, and reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer 12 to 14 minutes, or  until quinoa is tender and small “tails” bloom from grains.

2. Preheat oven to 400°F. Spread pine nuts on baking sheet, and toast 3 to 4 minutes, or until lightly browned. Cool, then transfer to large serving bowl.

3. Drain quinoa, and rinse under cold running water. Drain again. Add quinoa to pine nuts, and  stir in cucumber, tomatoes, onion, and parsley. Fold in oil, lemon juice, and lemon zest, and season with salt and pepper, if desired.

If you enjoyed this post, please leave a comment below. Also, LIKE the Facebook Page and FOLLOW @YogaBirds on Twitter. Thanks for your support! PEACE LOVE YOGA,
Melanie Buffett

April 18, 2013

In Memoriam: Clarity In The Face Of Sadness

This week one of my oldest best friends died suddenly of a heart attack at 43. His funeral was yesterday. It has happened so fast that it has not even begun to sink in. In the midst of funeral planning and friends coming in from all over the country, the Boston Marathon was bombed maliciously in a terrorist attack. And a day later a factory explosion in Texas is still burning with untold casualties. Not to mention earthquakes, war, and giant sinkholes freakishly swallowing large tracts of land.

Unbelievable bad news continues to pile on. Meanwhile old friends bid the final farewell to a brother, his family, and then to each other as we return to the daily routines that run our lives.

When someone dies everything seems to come into a more clear perspective. We enter a heightened state of awareness of the preciousness of time and relationships. We complain less, are more forgiving, and show more kindness and compassion towards one another. These are traits of our true Nature.

Then, it seems, that the grasp on the splendor of our reality slowly fades. Not long after touching the sensitivity of Spirit, we find ourselves back in the fast paced, anxiety addled, harsh contexts from which we temporarily emerged. Once again we are separated from ourselves and the connection to the radiance of the forever-illuminated Light within.

The loss of life and limb awakens us to the actuality that life is utterly fragile and that we have a finite number of heart beats allotted to us, pre-determined by our Maker.

How can we stay more consistently connected to this precious certainty?

Humbly, I offer, from my own experience, yoga. Every time I come to a place of vibrant repose, awake and aware in relaxation, I become deeply still and internally quiet. This enables a connection to subtle realms of consciousness. Some call this the Higher Self or the part of us that is eternal, unchanging and luminous. I enter this brilliant and fragile state most often in Savasana, not ironically translated as ‘corpse pose’. Meeting this other-worldly part of myself on a daily basis is Yoga. And it’s from this place and experience that I can relate tangibly to the Spirits of those who have gone before me.

The physical loss of my friend hurts. Even more painful is thinking of the hole that has been left in his home amongst his immediate family. It’s almost unbearable and I can not stop crying for them and selfishly for myself at never being able to see his smile or hear his laugh again.

Life in the physical world stops for nothing. We must find ways to move through the days without being crippled by the unending tide of bad news and sadness.

We will all eventually be together in the blissful Eternal Light. Those of us temporarily left behind, will continue to explore ways to stay connected to the intrinsic goodness of life and Spirit. It’s simply impossible to ever forget those we have loved, and we must find the ways and means to peacefully soldier-on in true joy in their honor. PEACE LOVE YOGA

April 4, 2013

Jamaica Yoga Retreat w Melanie Buffett

CLICK HERE FOR REGISTRATION INFO

March 23, 2013

Fibromyalgia & Restorative Yoga

**Rest in ‘Legs Up The Wall’ gives relaxation & vibrancy to the body.**

Fibromyalgia is an arthritis-related condition characterized by chronic muscle pain and stiffness, aches, soft tissue tenderness, headaches, dizziness, nausea, fatigue, disordered sleep and more. Because the causes for it are unknown it is referred to as a syndrome rather than a disease. Approximately 11 million people in the U.S. are affected by it. Most are women ages 30 – 50.

If you or someone you know well suffers from fibromyalgia, you are more than likely aware of how debilitating it is. I have seen many women- loved ones and friends, suffer so badly from it that they can barely walk or prepare meals, let alone participate in any kind of joyful activity.

Often physicians or health practitioners will suggest yoga to fibromyalgia patients. Vigorous styles of yoga are obviously out of the question for those in the depths of chronic fatigue and muscle pain. More appropriate is restorative yoga, which is passive, yet vibrant, and adaptable to any individual including those with special conditions and needs like fibromyalgia.

Restorative yoga poses are supported by props such as bolsters, blocks, straps, blankets, and chairs. They emphasize relaxation of the muscles. The support helps the body let go of deeply held tension. By letting go of that tense energy, the inner body is spacious, more vibrant, and energized. The props also encourage good alignment which facilitates energy distribution throughout the whole body. By practicing good alignment, posture and balance improve.

**Restorative Poses in the chair encourage good alignment and posture for optimal energy flow in the body.**

I work with several students suffering from fibromyalgia. Some days conscious breathing in savasana is all they can do. Other days they have more energy to work in various poses. Across the board, those suffering who have made the practice a consistent part of their wellness regime have had major improvements in the quality of their lives. It is amazing and utterly gratifying to see this kind of healing happen.

Restorative yoga is not only wonderful for those in critical need of relief from the constellation of negative symptoms of chronic pain and fatigue. Everyone needs to recharge their energy batteries regularly.

We are a stressed out nation! What a wonderful world it would be if we all allowed ourselves to rest and restore as regularly as we truly need it.

Rest thee on a yoga bolster today! If you are interested in private or semi-private restorative yoga sessions in your home or mine, please click here to see my offerings.

March 1, 2013

It’s Official. I am Cooper Trained™

Yay! I am now officially a Cooper Trained™ Fitness Professional!

Last night I received my certificate of completion in education and testing in the Weight Management Leadership course from The Cooper Institute. Founded in 1970 by Kenneth H. Cooper, MD, MPH, the “Father of Aerobics,” The Cooper Institute, is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated globally to preventative medicine and to helping people live longer, healthier lives. The Cooper Institute is an esteemed organization recognized for customized training and courses for health and fitness leaders, including law enforcement, the military, and firefighters, and now, me!

My personal history with successful weight loss (and healthy weight management) through yoga has been a 17 year ‘one day at a time’ journey into a deeper relationship with myself, my behaviors, and my environment. The completion of this CI training has provided me with even more tools, methods, and vocabulary to help others tackle overweight and obesity and the behaviors and choices that contribute to it.

And just like with yoga, there is not one right way for everybody. Successful weight management – which is a trinity of not gaining weight, losing weight, and keeping lost weight off – is a blending of the three keys in a combination that is unique for each person.

I feel blessed and called to offer client-oriented, customized, one-on-one sessions that combine yoga with weight loss leadership skills learned at the Cooper Institute.

Super Happy Day!

December 3, 2012

Thank You God For Egg Nog And Yoga

YES IT IS

The first candle was lit on the Advent wreath yesterday in mass. I love the purple and pink candles against the dark greens. Thinking about it makes me calm… Of which I need frequent gulps right now. All of a sudden in a mere few weeks my world is stormy seas like I haven’t felt for years. Challenges abound in all directions of completely different qualities and ingredients. Maybe its just plain old stereo-typical holiday frenzy turned uber-stress. Maybe it’s the buzz (valid or not so) about the end of the Mayan calendar. Maybe it’s a mid-life crisis. Yeah, I’m that old now. Which is why I have some good tools for this season of challenge.

To find stillness amidst the places and times of confusion, anxiety, and over-whelm is a gleaming gift of a consistent yoga practice. Sometimes so much hard stuff happens at once, it is understandable why people break down—get sick, get depressed, give up on intentions, or give up in general. I believe that now would be one of those times for me but for my yoga practice and the immediate clarity it provides. The efficiency of entering the yoga zone is my pillar right now. My practice is keeping my spirits high, and my awareness tuned to the knowing that there is always Light. And I do believe that with the tasty treat of egg nog in my afternoon coffee, things are already looking up. PEACE JOY & LET THE HOLiDAZE BEGIN. OM SHANTi

October 28, 2012

Kirtan Happens

Birdsong brings relief to my longing. RUMI

The first incarnation of the Yoga Birds Kirtan Choir just happened at the studio! A huge thanks to all who participated. It was a sincere endeavor into the unification of breath, voice, tone, vibration, and mantra. We did breathing and simple movement exercises to warm up the body. We did humming and singing long tones supported by the harmonium for vocal warm ups. The highlight was singing a complete song, Ganesha Sharanam, in traditional call and response Kirtan with harmonium accompaniment. All judgements about our voices and blockages to the harmonious radiant inner Self were dissolved by breathing well and singing the words and melodies. It was so good! For me in kirtan, the real magic happens in the potent silent spaces between songs. The high vibration created by the voices and music is a tangible slice of the transformative powers of bhakti yoga.

We are vibration and we are all one.

We will be doing it again next Sunday.

Press ‘play’ on the video above to sing Ganesha Sharanam kirtan with Jai Uttal.

JAYA GANESHA!

October 25, 2012

Ashtanga Yoga Resources

Marichyasana D

We have been having a great time exploring the Primary Series of Ashtanga Yoga at the studio. I found some super valuable resources, or ‘cheat sheets’ in PDF form on the internet at AshtangaYoga.Info. The sheets have the opening and closing invocations, all of the poses of the Surya Namaskars, Primary Series poses, 2nd Series poses, and finishing poses. I copied them front/back and then laminated the sheet. It’s the perfect companion to my practice.

Use This Link To Go To The Cheat Sheets

PEACE PRACTICE & ALL IS COMING