Happy New Year-Pose of the Moment

It's New Year's Eve-2012, and I sit here in a quiet moment at my in-laws house just outside of NYC.  My little family and I have been away from home almost 2 weeks now, but it's been such fun to be able to gather both with my family and my husband's family for the holidays.  We feel so lucky that we can do that!  My sister married her love of the last 5 years 2 days before Christmas, which was a classy and fun affair down in Pennsylvania.  Plus Isak has gotten to play with his fun toddler cousins on my side of the family, and now his other cousins on his dad's side.  Nothing too stressful has evolved, but it can still be challenging to keep up with a decent yoga practice and healthy eating habits when immersed in so many other people's homes and schedules.  I think I've done a pretty darn good job considering all of those things.  It helps to bring a big bag of essential snacks, teas, tinctures, vitamins, yoga mat, and foam roller along.  Thank goodness we live close enough to family to drive so that I could do just that!  ;)
I haven't gotten in many long and full practices, but I have managed to fit in 20-40 minute ones at least every other day, plus random poses daily that have been calling my name.  One pose that has helped over these last 10 days of being away from home, is the one pictured below.  Thanks to my awesome friend, Checka, I discovered to combine Eagle Pose arms with Wide-legged standing forward fold!  Ooh, it's fantastic to de-stress all over the body.  My new favorite of the moment.  Try it today and tomorrow to freshen up your system as we cross over into a brand new year.  Maybe you'll continue it daily for weeks to come!
Tip:  If you have the time, it's nice to start out with a warm-up of sun salutations of your choice, and/or combine this pose into a sequence of lunges or warriors.

Step out into a grounded, wide-legged stance where you can press evenly through all corners of feet and keep legs active/knees slightly bent.  Set up Eagle pose arms.  

Deep breath in, then exhale to fold forward using your grounded legs.  Keep squeezing the arms or if you need to, just relax the upper body and let the tension melt away.  After at least 5 breaths, connect to your feet, then switch arm twist and try it again.  

*I'm back in Cambridge/Somerville to teach starting this coming Thursday, January 3rd to sub classes at Karma Yoga-Harvard (check my facebook for updates)...then my usual classes are back on starting Sunday morning.  Can't wait to be back and see so many of you then!
Also, remember I start Tuesday morning vinyasa classes at Bow Street Yoga on January 8th at 9:30am!
**And, I'm doing my Winter Body/Soul Recharge (Hatha Yoga) Workshop at Karma-Harvard on Saturday, January 12th from 2-4:00pm.  Check my website for description and details.

Here's to a moment of inner love and gratitude today for whatever 2012 has brought into your life, and then to more awareness, inner/outer peace, love, and strength for the new year ahead!  Many, many wishes and energy to you all.

Love,
Jenn