tulsa – Karen R Hoyt

Your First Meditation

If you’ve decided to find a quiet place in your head to relax and heal, here’s how to start. You’ll have a regular place in your house that feels like it’s your own place. Your first meditation will only be a few minutes. You can use a timer, like one on your phone or even an app is cool. A basic kitchen timer will work too. Maybe 3 minutes every day is a good place to start.

Sit Down

Now sit down with your timer and relax. So far, so good, right?

If you’re sitting in a chair, comfort is basic. It can be a hard backed kitchen chair or a big cozy one. Plant your feet on the floor. Make sure your back is straight. If you want to sit on a cushion, that works too. Cross legged or kneeling, pillows, props, and blankets all work. Get comfortable.

If lying down is better, fluff that pillow and go for it. I stretch out and meditate in bed a lot. The couch works too, as does a taco.

your first meditation karenrhoyt taco yoga karen — Cozy In Your Little Burrito Wrap

Now, imagine that your hip bones are being pulled toward the floor and the base of your head is being lifted. Did you feel your spine lengthen? Now, relax with your shoulders back and down…. all loose and heavy like angel wings.

Relax your arms and let your hands rest palms up or down. They can be on your knees, in your lap or however you want them – soft.

Relax your jaw and let your tongue rest on the bottom of your mouth.

Close your eyes, or find a spot a few feet away that is easy to stare out.

Here You Go

I like to start beginners off with a counting breath.

Breath in counting 1, 2, 3, 4.

Hold your breath counting 1, 2, 3, 4.

Exhale counting 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8.

As you inhale, let your belly be soft, fill up your back ribs, then notice your shoulders lifting. As you exhale, your shoulders move back and down – and the base of your head lifts toward heaven. Do a few breaths like this and then continue counting if you wish. You can also let your breath move to it’s own natural rhythm.

Do you notice any tension in your body? Scan from head to toe. Take your time doing this. Tight forehead or jaw? Tense back or neck? Stiff hips or ankles? No worries if there is tension or busy thoughts. Just notice and try to relax on the exhale.

Take notice of your breath moving in and out. What a miracle you are.

Sit inside of yourself and breathe. Let your heart smile. Keep breathing til your timer goes off.

This is meditation.

Creating Healthy Rituals: My Best Life Hacks

One of the ways that I front load my life for success is to take good care of myself. There are things I have done on a daily basis for years that helped me before, during, and after my illness. We won’t write about them all here, because this is a short blog. However, I AM going to write about my very favorite ones. You might call them routines, rituals, life hacks, whatever. Here’s my take on creating healthy rituals: my best life hacks.

st paul yoga tulsa karenrhoyt — Merry Band of Yogis

There. That’s it. This picture says it all. It’s what I’ve done since I was a child. I’ve done it all through my adult life. I doubled and tripled up on it after my illness.

Now that I think of it, this picture could be interpreted a few different ways. Let me explain how getting the people in this picture relate to my life long rituals.

Karen’s Best Rituals and Life Hacks

I get together with a group of like minded people. Like minded meaning that they are all dedicated to taking care of themselves in spirit, mind, and body. We don’t have to agree on anything else, but we love ourselves, so that we can live our best lives.
I move around with those people. It’s stretching, strengthening, invigorating, healing, calming, relaxing, exciting, and a lot of other things. We call it yoga.
I keep my priorities straight. Things like bad hair days, or running late don’t keep me from what’s important. You can tell that is true by the above messy pony tail, no make up look.
I am grateful. Gratitude is a must. You can also tell by the picture that we are ALL thankful for many things. You know, like being alive, having each other, being able to heal, change, move, and grow together, and as individuals.
I have a merry heart. Joy is the key to everything we do. I like staying joyful in the midst of trials. I can even find joy in a set-back or a tragedy. Seeking out joy in other people, and then spreading it around is one of the healthiest rituals I have.

These simple things, when done on a daily basis, over the course of time, can change your life. I feel so blessed to have found this group.

We share our favorite tips and life hacks each Monday at St Paul United Methodist Church yoga on Cherry St.

10:30 finds us doing pre-frontal cortex push ups, also known as meditation.

11:00 is when we start moving our body while listening to relaxing music. By noon, we have practiced not only yoga, but have also taken part in doing our healthy rituals together.

Join us. We’re a loving, growing, grateful, and joyful bunch who doesn’t let a little setback keep us from meeting on Mondays. If I can’t be there, Kim fills in with a gentle flow yoga and a sweet spirit.

Do Yoga with Me

yoga karenrhoyt st paul — osage forest of peace

Do Yoga With Me

I kind of came into yoga through the back door. Mind you, I discovered the benefits of stretching many moons ago. During the 80s, the aerobics craze had me warming up and cooling down from my high impact class. We piled in the floor and stretched before working out at Fitness For Her, where I managed the club and taught aerobics. Later, when menopause and health issues came up, I used long periods of stretching with classical music in the background as a way to zone out. It was one way to manage my mind’s stress and body’s aches.
The first time I attempted to do “real” yoga, I got a VHS tape from the library. It didn’t go well. My friend and I had on sweat pants and tank tops. We had just finished Billy Banks Tae Bo stood in my den. Yoga would be our cool down. The taped rolled and our instructor filled the screen reaching his arms up into Waving Palm Tree pose – wearing a speedo. I’ll leave you with that mental image for a few seconds. Needless to say, the first few minutes were spent in absolute jaw dropping shock. As he kept moving to the music – something close to yodeling backed up a marching band – we looked at each other and burst out laughing so hard that the only thing to do was turn it OFF.

Home Made Yoga
Fast forward 5 years and add in satellite tv. I was couch surfing one sleepless, hot flashy night and clicked to a group of men and women lying down in a forest clearing. They were stretching slowly on mats under the peaceful protection of tall whispering pine trees. The only instruction was softly spoken – breath in and relax your knees to the right side of your mat. now exhale. I was magnetically drawn down to the carpet in my den. Closing my eyes I obeyed the easy to follow instruction. The next hour was pure heaven. I was hooked!

I mentioned it to a few of my friends, thinking they might join me on my blissful adventures in movement. With raised eyebrows, they spouted phrases about how it didn’t seem to fit in a church, or Christian environment. I went underground, finding gentle music and movement in the privacy of home, or outdoors on my back patio. My body gained strength, my mind found peace, and my spirit was at rest.
Yep – in private, I was a full blown yogini. When taking long walks, I would stretch into warrior series. When waking up, I saluted the sun. Curling into child’s pose helped me ease into sleep.

When Nothing Else Will Do
During my battle with liver cancer, I ran away to my cousin Julie’s home in Arizona. There, I found my first Kundalini yoga class. Naomi Rose crowded a dozen people into the church fellowship hall. I moved some major muscles, and a lot of tension, out of my body that month. A year later, post transplant, I went back for a another month of daily yoga at Seven Centers Yoga Arts. The unlimited pass let me take advantage of every type of class available. I lunged, stood, leaned, stretch, restored, and even slept there, day after healing day.

Well, of course I went back. This time, I came away with my 200 RYT training. After a full Ayurvedic immersion school, I was a certified yoga instructor. I like to think of myself as a leader, because we are all learning together. Like teaching high school business or language arts, I find that my students are forever enriching my life with new things.

Do Yoga With Me
We do yoga together in a couple of places in the Tulsa area. I would love for you to join us! We are all sizes, shapes, and have different ability levels.

You can bring an offering that is easy on your budget, and helps a yogini buy the things she loves…. like hot tea, yoga workshops, books, darkest dark chocolate, and anything related to personal development that enriches my life – and hence the lives of those in my circle.

Use the provided mats, chairs, blankets, and blocks or feel free to bring your own.
Meet us here:
Monday’s -Yoga starts at 11:00 AM (meditation is at 10:30 am)

Thursday’s – 5:30 PM

St Paul UMC
1442 S. Quaker Ave.
Tulsa, OK 74120
North on Quaker off of 15th st.
Parking and enter glass door on the North.
Walk south toward the dining hall.
If we’ve started, that’s ok. grab a mat and a blanket and settle right in.
Wednesdays at 5:30
Anytime Fitness in Prattville
3802 S 113th West. Ave
Sand Springs, OK 74063
No membership required.