Easy does it...

dear friends,
courtesy of Mary Abrams (check out her space! Moving Body Resources), I am reposting a part of her December newsletter for your reflection....

"Many of us know the word holiday comes from the root words Holy Day. Holy days in earlier times were days during which no work was done, and people rested, meditated, or celebrated. What does holiday mean to you? Is it a time of rest, leisure, meditation, and celebration? Or the anticipation of expectations of family, spending money on gifts you either don't feel like buying or can't afford, or the imposition of cultural and religious beliefs that have no meaning to you? 

When you feel in to the world "holiday," what do you notice in your body? When you feel into the words "holy days" what do you notice in your body?"

-Mary Abrams-

***

Please take a moment to actually NOTICE your body's response(s) to the words.

Feel free to share some of the words/descriptions that come to you in response to "holiday" vs "holy days"...and as a special treat, here is a Lift-Gift of a mini self massage to move you through your day with Ease! 

with love and many blessings ~ Jeni

widening the circle of compassion...

“A human being is a part of the whole called by us universe, a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feeling as something separated from the rest, a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty.”  ~Albert Einstein

may you enjoy the adventure of expanding your thoughts and beliefs...may you embrace more and still be energized...may you find that which is unlimited by time and space as you expand your "circles of compassion" to yourself and your world. blessings! ~jeni 

upside down part two....

As I mentioned in the previous post, I wanted to pass along another option for creating strength through inversions. If you're not ready to be upside down and doing handstand pushups, have you tried "down dog pushups"? If the pushups feel like "too much", you can always just maintain the down dog position for 5-10 slow breaths, rest and then try again!

A few pointers:

1. I recommend checking out your form from the side in a mirror if possible, just to make sure that everything is aligned in a safe way! 

2. Another point to check is to be sure that your hands fully feel the ground (all joints!). There is a tendency for some people to roll to the outside of the hand, thereby compromising the integrity of the wrist, elbow and shoulder joints.

3. If you would like a further modification (please choose form over "level of difficulty"!!!), you can place your hands on yoga blocks or even on a low bench or chair for support. This will allow you to get a nice stretch in the backs of your legs and along your sides while also strengthening your arms....without straining your back and/or shoulders!

‎"Let there be no limit to your desire for freedom and joy for your body, mind and spirit. But be aware that the two gates through which the fulfillment of all these desires must pass are your thoughts and beliefs. If these two gates are narrow and constricted, the fulfillment of your desires will be narrow and constricted. This is not said as a threat, but as a challenge, for you are able to expand your thinking and understanding." -G. Fowler-

feeling adventurous...

I was on a bike ride with a friend not too long ago and we stopped along the hudson to round out our ride with a little upper body workout. The pictures are for the more adventurous of you who would like to try supported handstand pushups as a means to get your full body working...

For those who are looking at the pictures saying to yourselves, "Are you freakin' kidding me?!", I'll be posting other variations in the next few days...until then, why not choose to try moving a little differently today? It can be as simple as hopping over a puddle or changing the pace of your walk...or marching around the living room with your kids/grandkids:)

Enjoy!

Awake My Soul...

Fall is my very favorite time of year! It's a reminder to me of the beauty of life/death/life cycles....leaves are falling, animals are readying for hibernation. As humans, we have a series of feasts and celebrations at this time of year-- in thanksgiving for what we have and in celebration of Light and Life, even in the midst of darkness.


In this and the coming season, what do you want to "die" so that it can be reborn? old habits of moving? of thinking? For myself, I am allowing new and more nurturing habits to be planted in my life. I'll be detailing that process via this blog so feel free to join me!


Lately I've been changing my good-morning and good-night rituals a bit so that I can ease more slowly into rising awake and falling asleep. Knowing that it takes some time for new habits to take root, I am just enjoying the process of cultivating my ideal waking/sleeping patterns. Yes, work schedules or other people's schedules can sometimes "interrupt the ideal" but nurturing those patterns as often as possible allows me to care more thoroughly for myself:)


For the past few mornings, I have included the following song as a part of my AM (brushing teeth, making bed, etc)....Enjoy!



Here is my current AM ritual thus far:
alarm (not needed about half the time--woo hoo!)
inspirational/reflective reading from the Center for Action & Contemplation
play the above song while i make my bed, brush my teeth, etc...
...and the day continues:)


I'd be happy to hear if you have any AM or PM ritual(s) that really allow you to feel at home in your day.

Thank you for sharing with me. ~Jeni

woo hoo!

the Lift website, with the generous help of Mindy & TAG Design, has been redesigned! Check it out: New Lift Site

it's been expanded to include special sections for Retreats & Workshops, Clients, and Community...plus a lot of other fun stuff:)

please check it out and feel free to send any thoughts, comments, etc via the site's contact form.

Experience Lift. Experience Life!

with gratitude,
Jeni

been a long time....

wow...it's been quite some time since I posted! there is a lot going on underneath the surface though, so hopefully I'll have much to share in the near future. For now, I'd like to surface long enough to pass along the following....

I was never in a hurry in my life. He lives long who enjoys life and bears no jealousy of others, whose heart harbors no malice or anger, who sings a lot and cries a little, who rises and retires with the sun, who likes to work, and who knows how to rest . . . 

~ Shirali Mislimov (166-year-old man)

Peace. Joy. Adventures. Lots of Love.

May all these things and more be yours!

blessings.... ~jeni

suddenly, my body...

dear readers, 

at times the subject matter of the following can be a little difficult....

but it is oh so worth it to take the time to listen!

 it's less than 15 min to share one woman's story that is many women's (and men's) stories. 

there is a challenge in this--i am offering this up as a way to see yourself in the world differently (or recognize that others see it as you do!)...
know that this is one of many perspectives....but hearing another's experience may very well shed light on your own.

 so please....listen, reflect, choose....and perhaps then again...

in healing and in life, 

jeni

Beauty...

There's no beauty in your life? INVENT IT! 

please take the time to watch this inspirational short movie: SOURCE, featuring Margie Gillis....one of my favorite dancers/choreographers/movers of all time:)

playing with silks....

Thursdays are my "aerial yoga" days. Class is just over an hour and involves a yoga based warm up and some "tricks" building toward choreography on the silks. My friend and instructor, Nikki Nasto, assists me with the following abdominal challenge designed for those of you who are interested in a firm flat stomach that not only looks good but supports a healthy and mobile spine!

playing with silks from Jennifer Ascosi on Vimeo.

*don't forget to check out Nikki's blog: livehealthybecreative.blogspot.com

embrace....

"To embrace one's brokenness, whatever it looks like, whatever has caused it, carries within it the possibility that one might come to embrace one's healing, and then one might come to the next step: to embrace another and their brokenness and their possibility for being healed." 

-Robert Benson

healthy abundance...

"A little child is cared for regardless of how improvident and careless he or she may be. Eventually, however, a child is expected to grow up and care for itself. It is much the same in the inner life. When we have grown a certain degree and are beginning to attain a higher awareness, the time arrives when, if we want health and abundance, it becomes our responsibility to be healthy and abundant."

 -G. Fowler

what daily steps do you take--both inwardly and outwardly--towards health and abundance?

Keep on Rolling...

A continuation of "dedication week 4", this week's video gives options for releasing the IT bands, the quads, hamstrings and the glutes. 
An excellent way of easing tension in the legs, hips and low back, using the roller for the above releases will allow for greater mobility and flexibility.


Keep on Rolling....dedication week 5 from Jennifer Ascosi on Vimeo.

Enjoy! -Jeni

Flashbacks....

Have you checked out past blogs recently? I have videos dating back to January and there may be one that is perfect for you...

Today! 

Enjoy the time, energy and gooooooood stuff that I put into those entries with You in mind.  

Happy hot Summer day!


lv, jeni

you're free to choose....

Everything is material for the seed of happiness, if you look into it with inquisitiveness and curiosity. The future is completely open, and we are writing it moment to moment. There always is the potential to create an environment of blame -- or one that is conducive to loving-kindness. 

~Pema Chödrön

what's your path?

roll it out! dedication week #4...

The foam roller is one of my favorite exercise & therapy tools. 

This week's dedication is to my dad...Happy Father's Day! 

Over the next few weeks, I'll be incorporating the foam roller into some of my dedications.  

If you don't own a foam roller, I highly recommend one! 

Stay tuned though...

I have some other suggestions for you non-rollers out there:)

roll it out! dedication week 4 from Jennifer Ascosi on Vimeo.

Foam rollers can be used to release and ease tension in the body, strengthen and tone the muscles, aid in attaining better balance and coordination, and to relaxxxxxx! 

Enjoy--Jeni

Wage Peace...

Wage Peace by Judyth Hill (08/14/2009)

Wage peace with your breath.

Breathe in firemen and rubble, 

breathe out whole buildings

and flocks of redwing blackbirds.

Breathe in terrorists and breathe out sleeping children

and freshly mown fields.

Breathe in confusion and breathe out maple trees.

Breathe in the fallen

and breathe out lifelong friendships intact.

Wage peace with your listening:

hearing sirens, pray loud.

Remember your tools:

flower seeds, clothes pins, clean rivers.

Make soup.

Play music, learn the word for thank you in three languages.

Learn to knit, and make a hat.

Think of chaos as dancing raspberries,

imagine grief as the outbreath of beauty

or the gesture of fish.

Swim for the other side.

Wage peace.

Never has the world seemed so fresh and precious.

Have a cup of tea and rejoice.

Act as if armistice has already arrived.

Don't wait another minute.

Source: Written in response to September 11, 2001

Putting this into practice in the small ways: for all those moments when someone cuts us off, speaks unkindly, treats us unfairly...We have the opportunity to choose to turn that negativity into something beautiful and positive for the world around us. Take the moment, whatever causes you anger, pain, heartache....and through your breath, create something positive so that you exhale goodness and peace! Try it....sometimes it takes quite a few breaths but it is possible. The author of the above poem gives us plenty of images to work with....what shape does your breath take in this world? 

Thank you for trying this out....and for waging peace in every small moment.  Blessings! ~Jeni

dedication week 3

Sometimes we feel tension and lack of mobility in our hips due to tightness in our legs, particularly stemming from the quadriceps and psoas muscle groups. These stretches address that issue as well as releasing tension in the low back and neck. Please watch the full video to see the modified versions of the stretches as well! Dedicated to my dear friend nicole....Enjoy! -Jeni



dedication week 3 from Jennifer Ascosi on Vimeo.

Beloved....

LATE FRAGMENT

And did you get what

you wanted from this life, even so?

I did.

And what did you want?

To call myself beloved, to feel myself

beloved on the earth.

-Raymond Carver- 

You are beloved. 
Has that really settled into your bones? into every layer of your being? 

You are beloved.  

In honor of you...with love, Jeni

for all you "tight hipsters";) out there....

dedicated to Laura H and all friends, family, & clients who want to open their hips, stretch their glutes and get a mini upper body workout in as well:)

...don't forget to Breathe!

dedication week 2 from Jennifer Ascosi on Vimeo.

if you would like an additional modification, feel free to contact me...Enjoy! -Jeni

On the move...

dear friends, i finally regained most of my voice so that i could start my video blog dedications:)  i've had several people mention to me that they have unusually tight hips.  in deciding what to share for the first of a series of hip opening exercises, i thought that it would be useful to not only give you something that will help open the hips but will also strengthen the pelvic floor.  i've been specifically thinking of several friends and family members who are moms-to-be and who may not only need hip opening exercises but pelvic floor strengthening work as well! this week's dedication is inspired by my friend jax...love, jeni

dedication week 1 from Jennifer Ascosi on Vimeo.

Enjoy!

Spring Cleansing...

"Travel light, live light, spread light, be the light."

I'm in the process of settling into a new space both personally and with my work....this can mean any number of things, but in the most physical sense it means that I've moved my home and business into a different neighborhood.  As anyone who has moved knows, it's quite a process and a time-consuming one at that! While a lot has shifted, I have also found this to be a wonderful opportunity for "spring cleansing"...going through my physical belongings and cleaning them out, cleaning and preparing a new space for my clients, and most importantly, finding ways in which I can let go of unnecessary baggage (not just physical!)--most of which I didn't know still had a hold on my life! 

I've been thinking about the above quote a lot as I've searched for apartments, gone through all the hassles of repairing, packing, cleaning, etc etc and finally moving, unpacking, cleaning, etc etc....I've also felt like I haven't been as connected to my journey with Lift (specifically through this blog) as I've been spending so much time and energy on the move.  The above quote is a gentle and life-giving reminder that no matter what is going on and no matter where I am (physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually), I desire for my life to be a shining light.  I have little opportunities at every moment where I can make the choice to let the darkness of whatever is weighing on me to close in or I can choose to "live light" and live life!

Thank you for reading...thank you for sharing in the moment with me....and Thank you for your presence in my life.

Blessings, Jeni

reaching out, reaching further...

"Nothing is lost. 

Everything is transformed."

-Antoine Lavoisier

Spring is a perfect time for transformation! It seems as if after a winter of hibernating, we are ready to reach out and embrace our world in a new way. Starting soon, there will be a "dedication" each week to a You: the client, friend, or fellow practitioner, that focuses on ways in which YOU would like to transform. 

You can send a message through the Lift website and then stay tuned for your special Lift-gift dedication in the upcoming weeks! 

No question, concern or curiosity is too small (or too complicated!) and I'm sure that there is at least one other person out there who will grow from your reaching out! 

www.lift-tour.com/contact.html

Looking forward to hearing from you!

Pura Vida!

Jeni

Lift Gift

After a day of hiking the Arenal volcano (and then relaxing in the hot springs!), Rebecca and I wanted to share this stretch with you.  The important part of this sequence is to keep breathing as you let go of the tension in your muscles and move through each stretch.


Lift Gift from Jennifer Ascosi on Vimeo.

*please note: Rebecca is using yoga blocks to assist her stretching but you're welcome to use a bench, stool, side of a sofa...or whatever else will assist your stretch so that you can move fluidly from one pose to another.

Pura Vida! Jeni

Hello from Beautiful Costa Rica!

Dear friends, family & clients,

I honestly don't even know where to begin to tell you about the amazing food, moving meditations, friendships, hikes, etc etc etc that are being experienced here at Finca Luna Nueva!!!  

My hope was to take many many pictures and videos to share with you but we have been so busy Experiencing Lift and Experiencing Life that I am overwhelmed with everything that I want to share and quite at a loss for words (and pictures) at the moment!

I hope to be better able to articulate the joys of our time here in the near future...

Pura Vida! (pure life!)

Jeni

rebecca  

darlene

after a morning of canyoneering and rapelling down waterfalls, rebecca and darlene climb the stairs of the lookout tower for a "Release" class. 


The Lift and Let Go"Release" class: easy-to-learn muscle and fascial releases that anyone can perform at home by themselves or with a partner to release and relieve tension and/or any areas of chronic pain. Today's class was geared towards releasing the head/neck/shoulders and concluded with a gentle massage! Aaaaaaaahhhhhhh....

Start your day the Happy way...

Play the video once just to watch and listen, then play again and Enjoy the Breath and Movement!!! …and then again once or twice more just to really FEEL it in your body!!!
(*if you ever need a password for the videos on this blog, please type in lift)


Start Your Day the Happy Way... from Jennifer Ascosi on Vimeo.

Keep smiling through your day....

Anywhere, Anytime...

A simple seated stretch that can be done anywhere, anytime...

A password is required to watch so that this video can be exclusive to my fellow bloggers plus a few clients and friends. The password, dear lift-life followers, is: lift
Please watch one time and then move through the stretches 3-5x each side, breathing deeply!

Enjoy!

Anywhere, Anytime.... from Jennifer Ascosi on Vimeo.

Oh the subtle joys of Life...!

"You will experience a subtle joy from properly caring for your body.  This joy is not unlike the one you get from high spiritual insights.  To deliberately select, prepare and consume foods you have come to understand to be good for your body and in no way harmful begets a unique sort of inner satisfaction.  So is the feeling you get from learning to take unrushed time for a pleasureable bath or for a book that has no practical purpose other than your enjoyment.  The body is not a mechanical device like a lawnmower that can be driven without love.  It deserves and will reward you in many ways for the loving care you give it."  -George Fowler

Our bodies are absolutely amazing and beautiful!  Why not treat them with the utmost care and attention?  We often spend hours, days, weeks, months painstakingly attending to our dreams of the "perfect" home, car, vacation, etc...and those are much more transient than our bodies!  

What fuels you...body, mind and spirit?

Are you willing to do the small things?

"Every act of love is a work of peace, no matter how small."

-Mother Teresa

Think about it...every time you make a decision to do something out of love, whether or not it is recognized or reciprocated, you are making a choice towards peace.  The seemingly smallest and simplest choice or action, with love as its intention, then becomes a powerful means of light and peace in the world. What a gift!

I'm sailing!!!

Last night my dad and I were talking about taking things one step at a time (we both have quite a bit on our plates right now) and were reminiscing about the movie, "What About Bob?" Have you seen it? 

In the film, Bob is always trying to follow his doctor's orders to take "baby steps" and at one point he finds the courage to go sailing…his version being much different than ours would be!  I've attached a link to the clip…think about how free and happy Bob is as he's "sailing"! It took a lot of baby steps for him to get to that point but he's absolutely thrilled with his progress.  I smile to myself as I imagine that as I conquer each small goal, it's as if I'm the one up there yelling to the world "I'm sailing! I'm sailing! Look, I'm sailing" with a big grin on my face hahahaha!

Bob is Sailing!

journaling suggestion: What is a "sailing" moment for you that stands out? (feel free to write more than one!)

 Now reach for the sky a few times and breath deeply….

Have an absolutely Sunny and Smooth-sailing day:)

To change one's life: Start immediately. Do it flamboyantly. No exceptions. ~William James

We always talk about what we want to do and even how we're going to go about doing it...but how often do we actually take real steps, those small decisions that happen every day, towards our goal(s)?


Remember the earlier blog quote from V.Havel? It is not enough to just stare up the steps, one must also step up the stairs!


Today we'll be taking a step towards time spent to move and breathe in a different way...it really can translate into other aspects of life....or just be exactly what it is...a moment of allowing our whole bodies to feel movement!


Put on some music, breathe deeply, and move your body!

Now keep that smile and continue dancing through your day! -Jeni

Dance can Heal the soul...How do You want to move today?!

PAUSE...

"…There is a deep prayer, the prayer of what was traditionally called "perfect union with God," going on inside each of us every moment. Learning to meditate is learning to slow down long enough to locate and take part in what is already happening." -George Fowler

The idea of meditating is often daunting…and there are a lot of methods out there to introduce one to the practice of meditation (but that's for another time)…For today, just think of it as hitting the PAUSE button…you are slowing down just long enough to notice something that is already happening. 

Go about the busy-ness of your day…and every now and then just hit PAUSE…(you can even set an alarm on your phone to help you if you tend to get wrapped up very easily)…PAUSE...how are you feeling? are you breathing fully? what does everything feel like in this exact moment? You've seen it in the movies so many times…time stops for just a moment and a single person looks around and seems to notice all sorts of things…a moment of true clarity. 

What a beautiful gift…and you can do it that simply…PAUSE…Take part in what is already happening deep inside yourself…Enjoy!

The First Step...

"Vision is not enough, it must be combined with venture. 

It is not enough to stare up the steps, we must also step up the stairs." 

-Vaclav Havel

We are all excellent excuse makers (yay for creativity?). We can always come up with a "valid" excuse/reason/call-it-what-you-will to avoid actually stepping up the stairs...and the first steps always seem to be the most difficult.
Remember, you only have to take one step at a time...but YOU are the only one who can step up the stairs!!! 

We at Lift, as well as your friends/family, are here to cheer you on:) 

today's challenge: Step up the stairs! What is your first step for today? Once you've taken that first step, feel free to leave a comment or email and let me know how you chose to actively participate in your vision!

Peace begins with a Smile:)

Play the video once just to watch and listen, then play again and Enjoy the Breath and Movement!!! …and then again once or twice more just to really FEEL it in your body!!! 

Smile at one another!

Visualize this...

"Visualize in detail the healed person you want to be, and know without any doubt you already Are precisely that person in your innermost Being.  Know that a beautiful person of grace and peace and power and joy awaits within, not to be made real--for it Is already eternally that--but to be recognized...Visualize and expect it with the gratitude of one who already possesses it.   Soon enough you will come to recognize that you already Are what you long to Be.  The inner longing you feel is Eternal Being's vision of you rising up within and trying to be recognized--trying to be Remembered."

-George Fowler

journaling suggestion: write down a few characteristics that you want to see more fully developed in yourself and place them under the category that you feel is most applicable (very often character qualities and dreams for yourself fall under more than one category; they are there mainly so that you can see an aspect of each developed over time). Write them down not as “I want” but as if those qualities already exist...because they do!  They are already a part of who you are but are waiting to be recognized!  

example from my own life below...  

physical:

healthy circulation throughout my entire body (especially the right side!)

mental:

ability to clear my mind of the excess “stuff” that comes my way 

spiritual:

discernment and wisdom

emotional:

ability to accept love from others

Start seeing yourself as you truly are....and know that you are Loved, utterly and completely!

“The real voyage of discovery is not in discovering new lands,but in seeing with new eyes.”
— Proust

Instead of “reinventing yourself”, why not Discover the You that already exists! See Your Self with “new eyes” and visualize the healed person that you want to be. Explore the interesting, creative, intelligent, strong and loving person that you already are through time spent with yourself and the Lift community. Join Lift- NYC and Lift- Costa Rica on a voyage of discovery...

Experience Lift! Experience Life!

Looking forward....

-Jeni

www.lift-tour.com