Healthy Happy Yoga

Deep relaxation to prevail over catastrophe, soothe anxiety and get serious about rest. Get warm and cozy and allow yourself to feel held by the earth. So while once we asked, how could we possibly prevail over catastrophe? Now we assert How could catastrophe possibly prevail over us? -Amanda Gorman, "The Hill We Climb" If you breathe, you belong here. Kate Lynch is a meditation coach and inclusive yoga teacher. She specializes in using meditation, breath patterns, mindfulness, relaxation and gentle yoga to build resilience to anxiety. This is NOT medical advice! Every Friday, I'll send you a free five minute practice to ease you into a rejuvenating weekend. Get on my email list to receive them all: https://healthy-happy-yoga.ck.page/choices As we do this empowering work together, we will embody self compassion, bringing our families and communities together in deeper truth and healing. I'm putting this podcast on hold temporarily while I focus on writing my book. The best way to stay in touch is through my email list.

Restorative Yoga to Prevail Over Catastrophe Part of a Series: Restorative Yoga for Better Rest Grab some blankets and couch cushions and get serious about rest. The beginning of the class invites you to consider "sleep hacks" which you have tried and they have been successful in your life to remind you that you are empowered to create better rest in your life. Inspired by a line from poet Amanda Gorman, you are invited in this grounding and down-regulating restorative yoga practice to prioritize rest and sleep. "So while once we asked, how could we possibly prevail over catastrophe? Now we assert How could catastrophe possibly prevail over us?" -Amanda Gorman, "The Hill We Climb" If you breathe, you belong here. Kate Lynch is a meditation coach and inclusive yoga teacher. She specializes in using meditation, breath patterns, mindfulness, relaxation and gentle yoga to build resilience to anxiety. This is NOT medical advice! Every Friday, I'll send you a free five minute practice to ease you into a rejuvenating weekend. Get on my email list to receive them all: https://healthy-happy-yoga.ck.page/choices As we do this empowering work together, we will embody self compassion, bringing our families and communities together in deeper truth and healing.

When you're overwhelmed it can be it harder to sleep. Yoga NIdra is a deep relaxation practice, and so much more. This guided practice invites you to toggle between different sensations within your body and scan your body from inner to outer and right to left. Once settled in your physical body, I'll talk you through your energetic centers so you can connect with their associated attributes. Nothing here is medical advice. Your 5 star review helps others find this podcast. Has too much stress and sitting tied your back in knots? Try this gentle 13 minute video to awaken your deep core and hip flexor muscles. Free Video: Quick & Gentle Yoga for Your Core & Lower Back https://healthy-happy-yoga.ck.page/022f9cb24b Join Healthy Happy Yoga to learn simple tools to build resilience to anxiety, breath by breath. healthyhappyyoga.com

Micro movements of your jaw and tongue can affect not only your jaw and neck, but on a deeper level your vagus nerve, and thus release tension more globally. This is a very subtle practice, done almost entirely in the restorative yoga posture 'legs up the wall', or viparita karani. Allow this gentle inversion to reverse blood flow and nourish you as you mindfully focus on the subtle movements of your tongue and jaw. Nothing here is medical advice. Your 5 star review helps others find this podcast. Has too much stress and sitting tied your back in knots? Try this gentle 13 minute video to awaken your deep core and hip flexor muscles. Free Video: Quick & Gentle Yoga for Your Core & Lower Back https://healthy-happy-yoga.ck.page/022f9cb24b Join Healthy Happy Yoga to learn simple tools to build resilience to anxiety, breath by breath. healthyhappyyoga.com

What longing has been living inside you, waiting to be more fully expressed? What intention is bubbling up from deep within you? Sankalpa is the practice of getting clear on your intention so that you are aligned with your highest potential. When your body can settle and you feel held, your thoughts and feelings can drop any doubtfulness that might be blocking your intention. Will you let self doubt cloud your inherent goodness, or will you feel supported by the earth and share your gifts with the world?

Stress release smorgasbord! We have plenty of practice with hypervigilance. Now we need to practice feeling held. Find emotional balance and mental spaciousness through a variety of techniques. Recall a cherished memory to soothe your stress and change the habit of hyper-vigilance, go through a RAIN meditation to develop self-compassion, and finally receive yoga nidra, a form of guided relaxation. Join a FREE New Year 2021 Celebration Flow!!! Saturday, January 2, 2021 10:30am This is a FREE class, but there are a limited number of spots, so you need to preregister. I can't wait to see you January 2, 10:30am! https://healthyhappyyogascheduling.as.me/FREE2021 Nothing here is medical advice. Your 5 star review helps others find this podcast. Has too much stress and sitting tied your back in knots? Try this gentle 13 minute video to awaken your deep core and hip flexor muscles. Free Video: Quick & Gentle Yoga for Your Core & Lower Back https://healthy-happy-yoga.ck.page/022f9cb24b Join Healthy Happy Yoga to learn simple tools to build resilience to anxiety, breath by breath. healthyhappyyoga.com

This year has been so stressful! Here's a progressive guided relaxation you can share with the biggest ball of nerves you know. That might be yourself! Or maybe it's not. Think of the most wound up person you know. Send them this podcast. Release Your Muscle Tension Squeeze and release your way to a calmer nervous system. Try this before sleep, or any time you feel like you just can't let go of accumulated stress. Nothing here is medical advice. Your 5 star review helps others find this podcast. Has too much stress and sitting tied your back in knots? Try this gentle 13 minute video to awaken your deep core and hip flexor muscles. Free Video: Quick & Gentle Yoga for Your Core & Lower Back https://healthy-happy-yoga.ck.page/022f9cb24b Join Healthy Happy Yoga to learn simple tools to build resilience to anxiety, breath by breath. healthyhappyyoga.com

This practice begins with a reading from Pema Chodron from 'When Things Fall Apart'. You can find any resting pose. Pema encourages us to find the middle way in order to observe our restlessness and spaciousness. We don't have to identify with victory or victimhood, but instead turn our fear upside down to awaken the bravery that exists in everyone. Then, begin a breathing practice from your center, to widen your circle of inclusion. Are you interested in my yoga videos? You can get a 30 day free trial with Yoga International, to try them. There's a practice you might like called Restlessness and Spaciousness: Mindful Backbends to Make Space for Inspiration http://yogainternational.oae6r3.net/c/2194793/839809/10875 Nothing here is medical advice. Your 5 star review helps others find this podcast. Has too much stress and sitting tied your back in knots? Try this gentle 13 minute video to awaken your deep core and hip flexor muscles. Free Video: Quick & Gentle Yoga for Your Core & Lower Back https://healthy-happy-yoga.ck.page/022f9cb24b Join Healthy Happy Yoga to learn simple tools to build resilience to anxiety, breath by breath. healthyhappyyoga.com

Restorative yoga fills your container and expands your ability to hold courageous space and experience ease at the same time. When our emotional container is small, we feel overwhelmed by everything. Please gather cushions and rolled towels or blankets. Begin sitting to tune in before coming into a supported reclined position called Supta Baddha Konasana. Cushions under your upper back and skull, soles of your feet together and knees apart. When we feel held in spaciousness, it doesn't feel like a burden to hold space for others. End with a short mudra meditation, and chanting Lokah Samastah Sukhinoh Bhavantu. We finish by spaciously wishing happiness and freedom to all beings everywhere. Nothing here is medical advice. Your 5 star review helps others find this podcast. Has too much stress and sitting tied your back in knots? Try this gentle 13 minute video to awaken your deep core and hip flexor muscles. Free Video: Quick & Gentle Yoga for Your Core & Lower Back https://healthy-happy-yoga.ck.page/022f9cb24b Join Healthy Happy Yoga to learn simple tools to build resilience to anxiety, breath by breath. healthyhappyyoga.com

Create a Circle of Protection and Courage Here's a meditation I've been sharing in class. I'm sharing with you, while acknowledging what was offered to me by teacher and mentor, Michelle Cassandra Johnson: social justice activist • anti-racism trainer • author • yoga teacher. https://www.michellecjohnson.com/ Many of these words are hers, and the framework is hers. She has given permission to adapt the prayer. I am seeking no gains from sharing this but to be in community with you. Each of us is finding our way to contribute to the greater good. This is my current personal practice leading up to the 2020 US election and beyond, for as long as necessary. This is my way of showing up in integrity right now. Of course I made a voting plan. When I see injustice, I will be standing up and speaking up. This meditation is how I'm remaining centered and in community despite our physical distance. Please join us, to add your power and courage to the circle. Free Meditation Download: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1XWT28uez_F6lew8XXlQM0Bd3lVPrFO16/view?usp=sharing

This warming and balancing flow is slow and mindful. We begin with cat and cow on hands and knees. Please center yourself with breath, and warm up your wrists before coming to all fours. Activate your warmth from within. Remember that it takes strength to keep your heart open and remain grateful and generous. Love is not passive, it is an action word. Rolling around on the ground, give your nervous system a soothing massage. Pay attention to your senses from a variety of perspectives. Explore nonjudgemental sensory awareness, and bask in loving kindness practice: both giving and receiving. Nothing here is medical advice. Has too much stress and sitting tied your back in knots? Try this gentle 13 minute video to awaken your deep core and hip flexor muscles. Free Video: Quick & Gentle Yoga for Your Core & Lower Back https://healthy-happy-yoga.ck.page/022f9cb24b Join Healthy Happy Yoga to learn simple tools to build resilience to anxiety, breath by breath. healthyhappyyoga.com

A mindful movement practice for pregnancy. Call on the source of your strength. End with guided relaxation, and a meditation to cultivate trust in your inner capacity. Nothing here is medical advice. Please join our community at healthyhappyyoga.com

Beginning with a gentle core & psoas awakening sequence on your back, ask yourself what you most want to feel in this moment. Use your breath to connect with that intention. In this slow, gentle flow, please begin in constructive rest: lie down on your back with your knees up. Breathe from your strong center, expanding your circle of inclusion wider. End with guided relaxation and self-compassion. As you listen, connect with your inner teacher and deepen into the present moment. Take refuge in the rhythm of your breath, and awareness of your body. Nothing here is medical advice. Find other ways to stay connected at healthyhappyyoga.com

I’m really grateful for the opportunity to go for walks. Walking meditation is something I can take refuge in right now. Feeling my feet on the earth, one and then the next. Sometimes I’ll simply listen. Sometimes I’ll use a breath pattern. Affirmation and mantra connected to my breath, in rhythm with my steps. I hope you’ll join me on the path of awakening, and experience a sense of gratitude, purpose and mindfulness during your walking meditation. https://www.healthyhappyyoga.com/

For my peers who are also parenting differently wired kids. Our culture can be unforgiving, and their future unclear. Here, I’m sharing a process I’ve found beneficial for my peace of mind, while having tangible results day to day. There’s a grounding mindfulness meditation, a visualization, and writing prompts. If you’re interested in learning more about growth mindset and my family’s process through many specific examples, listen to the longer version of this same podcast (December 2019.) There’s also a companion article on The Mighty: https://themighty.com/2020/04/visualizing-future-child-autism/ Please join Mindfully Parenting Atypical Kids Community on Facebook or Newsletter: https://www.healthyhappyyoga.com/mindfully-parenting-atypical-kids-1

And now for something a little different! My son Ocean suggested we do a podcast to help other kids with ASD who have been affected by the changes due to Coronavirus. He shares his strategies and what has been the hardest. At the end, try a few simple eye exercises, in case you are also experiencing stress and eye strain. Connect with other parents in the Facebook group: Mindfully Parenting Atypical Kids Community. Download the Mindful Meltdown Cheat Sheet & join my newsletter https://www.healthyhappyyoga.com/meltdown

“It’s not enough to experience suffering. We much also touch peace.” -Thich Nhat Hanh Restorative Yoga, breathing patterns, guided relaxation and self-compassion practice to touch peace within. Begin in a supported fish position. Lie back over cushions or blocks placed under your upper back and the base of your skull, knees bent and knocking towards each other with feet apart. Make sure you are warm. Nothing here is medical advice. Your 5 star review helps others find this podcast. Has too much stress and sitting tied your back in knots? Try this gentle 13 minute video to awaken your deep core and hip flexor muscles. Free Video: Quick & Gentle Yoga for Your Core & Lower Back https://healthy-happy-yoga.ck.page/022f9cb24b Join Healthy Happy Yoga to learn simple tools to build resilience to anxiety, breath by breath. healthyhappyyoga.com

Moving our bodies in unison with each other, and with breath, can happen even in the virtual space. After a short standing warmup, send lovingkindness to the world as you flow through simple sun salutations. Nothing here is medical advice. Find virtual connection at healthyhappyyoga.com

It’s normal to feel contracted right now. Yoga and meditation can help! On the day the gyms closed in NYC, I taught this down-regulating, calming practice to address the inevitable discomfort arising from Coronavirus anxiety. In this slow, gentle flow, we begin in constructive rest: lie down on your back with your knees up. As you listen, connect with your inner teacher and deepen into present moment. Take refuge in the rhythm of your breath, and awareness of your body. Nothing here is medical advice. Find other ways to stay connected at healthyhappyyoga.com

We’re all in this together. Let’s remain kind to ourselves and all beings. Let’s stay connected. In this unprecedented time, leaning into each other and our practice will happen in the virtual space. In this slow, gentle asana and pranayama flow, we begin in supported fish. You can lie back with your shoulder blades and head supported by a blanket, blocks, couch cushion, or simply lie on your back with knees up. Please don’t worry about perfection in your practice, and only do what feels right for your body. As you listen, connect with your inner teacher and deepen into present moment. Access sense memories of gratitude, contentment, and joy, to strengthen your neural connections to those emotions. Nothing here is medical advice. Find other ways to stay connected at healthyhappyyoga.com

This Meditation for Total Relaxation was given by my beloved teacher Hari Kaur in her wonderful book “A Woman’s Book of Meditation” You certainly don’t need to identify as a woman to gain the rejuvenating benefits! Please grab your blanket, get cozy, and join me for this practice visualizing and relating to the elements. Yoga Nidra’s traditional intention isn’t just about rest. Ultimately, it prepares us to completely surrender and merge with higher consciousness. Please join our community at Healthyhappyyoga.com

Do you feel resistance around getting sick? Do you judge yourself and others when pain, illness or dis-ease arises? What about caring for yourself? Do you allow yourself to be cared for? Living in a body is a precious opportunity to learn, feel and connect. If we strive to develop empathy, one way is by tolerating (or even welcoming) the temporary state of discomfort without resistance. Practice simple breathing and Tonglen meditation to awaken empathy and allow yourself to receive care. Of COURSE none of this is medical advice! Getting appropriate professional care is part of wholistic self-care. Find more self-care at healthyhappyyoga.com

Niyamas are guidelines regarding our internal relationships. Mindfulness can support Santosha, contentment in the present moment. Dhyana Mudra is said to bring tranquility to your mind. Set your intention and release your expectations. Remember: “I don’t have to chase extraordinary moments to find happiness. It’s right in front of me if I’m paying attention and practicing gratitude.” -Brené Brown I love hearing from you. Please reach out at: healthyhappyyoga.com

This simple practice of using your fingers to tap gently around your body can have profound effects on your nervous system. Decide for yourself whether tapping (Emotional Freedom Technique) helps you find a deeper connection with your body, or some relief from tension. If you notice you’re yawning, that’s a really good sign! The experience of pain doesn’t mean you’re broken. At the same time, we don’t want to add any additional suffering to what’s already present. Welcome all aspects of your body unconditionally into the wholeness of yourself. I love hearing from you. Please reach out at: healthyhappyyoga.com

Here’s a breath practice I’ve used to help me stay open and present when family of origin stuff hits the fan. Beth Spindler calls repetitive gratitude practices “tools for becoming better at life.” She says “The greatest gift that we can give to both ourselves and others is one of omission, the omission of resentment... and gratitude is a mighty ally against feelings of resentment.” My recipe for remembering what’s really important: Gratitude and generosity in equal measure, a dose of unconditional positive regard, simmering on low expectations for perfection. This one’s for you, Lolo!!! Here’s the book I quoted from: https://www.amazon.com/Yoga-Therapy-Fear-Beth-Spindler/dp/1848193742 Join our community at: https://www.healthyhappyyoga.com/

In this episode I’m speaking specifically to my peers who are also parenting differently wired kids. Our culture can be unforgiving, and their future unclear. When anxiety arises, how do you cope? Here, I’m sharing a process I’ve found beneficial for my peace of mind, while having tangible results day to day. There’s a grounding mindfulness meditation, a visualization, and writing prompts. I discuss my family’s process, and how we incorporate growth mindset and the biology of courage. This is a long one, and it gets very personal. Feel free to skip forward from minute 23 to the 40 minute mark. You will only miss my many specific examples. ***I’m building a new community: Mindfully Parenting Your Atypical Kid. Please join us: https://www.healthyhappyyoga.com/mindfully-parenting-your-atypical-kid-1 ***scroll to the bottom to sign up for the newsletter.

Experience Receptivity, Gratitude and Self Compassion. Giving thanks is a gift. We need to gracefully receive in order to keep the channel of generosity open, and show up as we are meant to in this world. A welcoming, receptive attitude of gratitude allows those who give to us to feel generous. Practice a balanced breath, a gratitude meditation and finally envelop yourself in compassion. This session was recorded live, and I had tech issues editing it. I would be grateful for your patience, and if you would join our community at healthyhappyyoga.com

As a parent, I have a vested interest in childhood trauma. An incident at my son’s school triggers questions, and some helpful suggestions. Keeping in mind that yoga is really about union, not poses, how can you integrate more equity and perspective into your life? Here’s a resource: https://childmind.org/guide/helping-children-cope-traumatic-event/

We can do our best to clean up our world and leave it better than we found it. We can do this in our own small ways. Clearing out and decluttering your environment can help your mind feel more organized. Inversely, when your mind is clear, the chaos of your external environment may not disturb you as much. Meditation is a way to clarify your mind, just as your physical body benefits from clean water, sleep and fresh food. Sa ta na ma meditation is known as the garbage cleaner of the subconscious mind. We owe it to ourselves to take out the trash.

This is self care that’s more than skin deep. Do you have the sense that you’ve got to hold it all together? That’s an overwhelming burden. What if, just for right now, you invite in one feeling? Would everything fall apart? Nonjudgemental awareness with inquiry can teach you the habit of embodying and caring for your feelings. You can give yourself the nurturing you need. RAIN is a process I learned from Tara Brach. This can be done in any relaxed position.

Coming to you from the start of the Unwind and Unfold Yoga and Mindfulness Retreat, I’m sharing my go-to anxiety zapper, 4-7-8 breath. Here’s what I do when I’m feeling nervous and need to ground myself. Please let me know if this helps, or if it doesn’t.

Trigger warning: descriptions of violent events. Everyone dies, and some die suddenly and senselessly. While we can’t make sense of it, we can take refuge in community and ritual. In my tradition, we chant Akaal (undying) 3 times together, to accompany the souls of our loved ones on their transition.

Change is inevitable, and there can absolutely be too much of anything, even a good thing. We can’t take it with us! We might as well loosen our grasp and invite ourselves to be with what is. Consuming more, especially at the cost of other beings, doesn’t generate real happiness. Next time you find yourself feeling anxious about a transition, or holding on tight, let go! Take a sacred pause, as taught by Tara Brach. Ground yourself in your environment, as you are, in your wholeness. Align with your values and authentic needs, and renounce the habits your fear holds onto. Meditation begins at minute 7.

When you tune into your inner knowing, the external fuzz of life can feel less irritating and intrusive. We don’t need to bother so much with outside stimulus when our nervous system is grounded in our intuition. When have you found yourself almost overwhelmed by a situation, and then discovered that although it was too powerful to control, you didn’t have to be tossed around by it? You may have discovered that, with trust in your highest self, you could ride that wave. This meditation from the kundalini tradition has repeatedly been reflected back to me as a useful visualization during the challenge of labor. During my own labor, I definitely found myself taking refuge in the strength I had developed through challenging meditations such as this. To go straight to the meditation: skip to 8:40. Please join our community at Healthyhappyyoga.com

Brahmacharya is walking the path of the divine. Knowing our direction, and responsibly cultivating our energy towards higher purpose. Access potential energy with three part breath, deep rest (Yoga Nidra), and a pranayama to widen your circle of inclusion. Please join our community at Healthyhappyyoga.com

Yamas invite us to recognize the interconnection of all beings. They can be seen as self regulation strategies which help us stay on track in our relationships, including with ourselves. Asteya, or desirelessness, is the third. Any time we’re taking without permission, it can come from a place of lack. When we know that we already have within us everything we need, we will take only what is freely given. Developing an Attitude of Gratitude, we feel fulfilled and merge with the blessings of our lives. This meditation is given by Yogi Bhajan through my teacher, Hari Kaur. Please join our community at Healthyhappyyoga.com

This meandering talk starts by examining tension, then asks what is health really? Happiness? We explore difficult emotions, reactivity, the limbic brain and the buffering effect of community. What would it be like to be seen in our wholeness? I describe a grounding, restorative pose and a simple activity for discharging stress. Please join me! Please join our community at Healthyhappyyoga.com

Satya is the second of the yogic philosophical restraints, which we gratefully impose on ourselves to guide us in our relationships. Speaking truth to power is essential in this world. When your wise heart is awake, you know when it’s appropriate to express your creativity, when to use your voice, while also understanding intuitively when to be quiet and listen. Roll out your mat and join this live class to attend to your integrity, and I hope you have some fun too! We end with a Meditation for the Blossoming of Your True Self. Please join our community at Healthyhappyyoga.com

What makes you happy on the deepest level? You can cultivate the feeling of joy or contentment and grow that within you. Practice a guided visualization to move toward tranquility. Find balance through a 4x4 breath pattern. Then, work with a self compassion practice of accepting your disowned or shadow self. End with deep relaxation and a chant/prayer that all beings everywhere be happy and free from suffering. Please join our community at Healthyhappyyoga.com

Live Session! How do you overhaul your subconscious habits when they no longer serve you? Samskaras are the psychic grooves we create by thinking the same thoughts over and over. Our mind has the potential to shift to a different groove. Sa Ta Na Ma Meditation is said to help us excavate and redirect our unhelpful subconscious patterns. Nothing here is medical advice. Your 5 star review helps others find this podcast. Has too much stress and sitting tied your back in knots? Try this gentle 13 minute video to awaken your deep core and hip flexor muscles. Free Video: Quick & Gentle Yoga for Your Core & Lower Back https://healthy-happy-yoga.ck.page/022f9cb24b Join Healthy Happy Yoga to learn simple tools to build resilience to anxiety, breath by breath. healthyhappyyoga.com

How do you overhaul your subconscious habits when they no longer serve you? In this live recording of a meditation session, we cover several techniques. Samskaras are the psychic grooves we create by thinking the same thoughts over and over. Our mind has the potential to shift to a different groove. You’ll learn variations of three part breath, and chant the Sa Ta Na Ma meditation. Finally, enjoy a grounding relaxation to continue the process of healing your subconscious mind. The edit is a little choppy, since I cut voices to maintain the anonymity of the meditation group attendees.

Yamas are the yogic values you can use as a guide in relationships. The first is Ahimsa: Non-harming of self and others. Where do you turn harm inward? How do you lash out or unconsciously cause harm? You’re not alone. Criticism, in my experience, doesn’t help. What has helped me develop empathy is self compassion, therapy, and, especially, meditation. Join me in this practice of unflinching self care. Please join our community at Healthyhappyyoga.com

If you breathe, you belong here. Join me in exploring the intersection of yoga and meditation with everyday life. I’m offering you the tools that help me get through the day. My core values are empathy, integrity, equity and respect. Your 5 star review helps other people find this podcast! Has too much stress and sitting tied your back in knots? Try this gentle 13 minute video to awaken your deep core and hip flexor muscles: Free Video: Quick & Gentle Yoga for Your Core & Lower Back https://healthy-happy-yoga.ck.page/022f9cb24b Join Healthy Happy Yoga to learn simple tools to build resilience to anxiety, breath by breath. healthyhappyyoga.com