Life Lessons of Yoga

As I finish up my final blog post for my certification I wanted to focus on gratitude. Gratitude for this entire process, for what I have learned not only from the curriculum, but what I have learned from my students, from my mat, and from myself. Yoga has and will continue to teach me more about life than I could have ever initially imagined. I am grateful for the emotional and tedious process this journey has been.

Through the process, I have learned to surrender to the greatest teacher there is: my mat. There is an art to surrendering in yoga. To be willing to listen to your body and what it needs and to be able to step onto your mat and figure that out as you move through poses and postures. Through my own personal practice I have been able to gain confidence in all aspects of life, including teaching yoga.

I have learned to honor and learn from each one of my students. Each individual in my classes brought new energy. Learning to honor each one of them in their own unique way was a challenge at first but something that I have learned to cherish as a teacher. I am grateful for them and their willingness to be part of this journey with me. Learning to be more aware and in tune with others and their needs has helped me on and off the mat.

I have learned to step outside of my comfort zone. I almost felt as if I was being “called” to this role as teacher. It was something that in the long run, I knew I would love doing, but scared to death initially. The feelings that I felt before I taught my first class were that of fear and doubt. Since then, I have found a new profound respect for myself and what I am capable of.

I have learned to embrace and honor the emotions that are released during yoga. I have learned to surrender to these feelings, acknowledge them, and then let the ones that no longer serve me go and move forward. It has most definitely been one of the most healing journeys of my life.

And most importantly, I have learned the valuable life lesson of when to push your self and when to surrender. Yoga, just like life, is all about finding that balance; that balance between the yin and the yang (these seemingly opposite and powerful forces of life). There are times in yoga where you feel the energy to power through difficult poses, to push yourself to your limits. At other times you are impressed to release and yield, relax, and let go. There were times over the last year and a half where I had so much motivation to finish this certification. I was accomplishing so much and was determined to be finished in a matter of months. Then, to my surprise I found out that I was pregnant with my second child. During the pregnancy, and after the pregnancy, I had to learn to step back and focus on other things. I had to surrender to the role of a mother of two babies under the age of two.  Eventually, when it was a more appropriate time in my life, the certification process found its place and I began to push through it again. Through yoga, I have found balance in all aspects of my life, on and off the mat and have learned to honor the life energy within myself.

Thank you all for following me on my journey.

Namaste

www.gobodiyoga.com

Boosting Immunity this Winter With Yoga!

With cold and flu season fast approaching it seems like many of us want to hide indoors until springtime. And while that might be tempting, especially as winter approaches, I have a better and more practical solution for you. That’s right, you guessed it…. YOGA! Many of us might want to consider stepping on to our mat more often this winter to help boost our immune systems. Yoga, and more specifically, inverted and supported poses can help move lymph (a clear watery fluid that circulates through the body picking up bacteria and viruses) to lymph nodes in the body where the toxins can be filtered out.

Lymph is different than blood (which moves and is circulated by the heart pumping). Instead, lymph is moved by muscular contractions. That is why physical exercise such as yoga can be so beneficial. Gravity also affects the movement of lymph, hence why inversion poses can be great for helping fight off sickness.

Here are a few poses that are great for boosting yoru immunity this cold and flue season!

-       Downward facing dog

-       Childs Pose

-       Standing forward bend

-       Headstand

-       Plow pose

-       Sholder Stand

-       Bridge Pose

Stay healthy this winter!

-Namaste

www.gobodhiyoga.com

Yoga: A Catalyst to A Better You

Everybody has heard me talk about the physical, mental, and emotional benefits of yoga. By this point, we all know that yoga is good for us….I think I have driven that point home pretty well.  What I want to talk about in this post is the indirect effect yoga has on your health and how yoga can help you improve your overall well being and improve other aspects of your self-health. Yoga in general makes individuals more aware of their health and well-being. Being more in tune with what your body needs makes you more able to make healthy lifestyle decisions. In short, yoga can be a catalyst causing you to continue to make healthy decisions throughout the day. For example, starting your day off with a yoga practice and or meditation can lead you to make a healthier choices for food throughout the day, be better at managing stress levels, and be more mindful of being active.  A consistent yoga practice can help individuals struggling with addiction or other habits that they wish to break. Incorporating this single practice into your daily life can indirectly help you with many other aspects or goals. So go give it a try. Everybody has room for improvement!

-Namaste

www.gobodhiyoga.com

The Yoga Community

I have been practicing yoga for nearly 10 years now and have been to countless yoga classes during this time. I’ve been privileged enough to be taught by many different instructors, and to experience yoga from many different approaches. But while teacher, style, and environment can vary, I have found one underlying commonality to each class that I have attended and that is the sense of community that it creates.  Yoga brings people together. Regardless of age, ethnicity, or background, in the classroom we are all the same. We have all taken on the role of “student” and have come to learn from our practice. What also amazes me is the sense of friendship and love that you feel for others around you during yoga. Not only are we more connected to ourselves during our practice, but also I personally feel that we become more connected with others around us. We become more aware of their feelings, their needs, and are more conscious of our similarities rather than our differences.  Yoga practice creates a sense of community and peace that is difficult to find elsewhere. Just this week I attended a new class and afterwards each person introduced themselves and I felt like I had made new friends, even though we had only spoken one or two words to each other. It is especially fun to see the friendships that are formed in my prenatal yoga class. All the women enjoy meeting and seeing each other progress in their pregnancy and some of them even keeping in touch long after the birth of their babies.

 So if any of you are looking for a place to “belong” or to form a few new friendships, come join the yoga community!

Namaste

www.gobodhiyoga.com

Letting Your Body Move You

In my opinion, one of the most crucial aspects of yoga is to listen to your body. Let your body be the teacher.  The instructor is merely a facilitator, one who gives instruction, but ultimately it is you to you to decide what you and your body need during each practice. One of my favorite classes that I ever attended was one in which the instructor spent a few minutes teaching us a basic vinyasa routine and then allowed us to branch out on our own. She told us to use the routine that she taught us but to add whatever we felt we needed at the time. We were able to go at our own pace, adding asanas as they seemed appropriate. It allowed us to really explore ourselves, and find what was right for us. At the end of this class I remember feeling more in tune with myself and my body than I had during a long time. This particular practice was able to really serve me as an individual. As I reflected back on this class I wrote down a few things that made it different and came up with a few suggestions as to how you can learn to listen to your body can really make your practice your own.

First, I suggest that you start your practice off with meditation. Often in yoga, we traditionally end with savasana and or a meditative session. However, I suggest starting your practice off this way as well. This way you are really able to focus in on your individual needs that day and quiet your mind in order to get the most out of your practice.

Second, I suggest using your breath as a tool and with purpose. As you start each practice, use your ujjayi breath to sense any tense or tight areas in your body. Send your breath directly to those areas and take a mental note as to what poses might be beneficial to help alleviate any tension.

Third, go with the flow. Once you get going on your practice, let your body be the guide. If something feels right, do it; and if it doesn’t, don’t. I like to remind myself that my body is the teacher and I am merely the student. When I go into my practice with this mindset I often feel as if I find a deeper appreciation for my body.

My last piece of advice is to honor yourself.  Honor your body, its capabilities, and all that it does for you. Focus on gratitude and respect to yourself and as a result you will find that your practice will be transformed into something greater than merely a workout.

-Namaste

www.gobodhiyoga.com

Life and Death in Yoga

In one of my yoga practices this last week I found myself contemplating deeply about life and death and all that encompasses these topics. I came to the realization that yoga, in an abstract way, can be very symbolic of both life and death. Prana, is an ancient Sanskrit word meaning “life force.” It refers to a cosmic energy that connects all aspects of the universe. During a yoga practice, you use breath and movement to create prana. In essence, you are creating life, creating energy within your body. At the same time however, yoga can be very symbolic of death. With your yoga practice, you are taught to let go of what doesn’t serve you. You release negativity, pain, anxiety, guilt, emotions, and anything else that may no longer have a place within yourself.  Yoga is about a balance of these two elements. We even see this symbolism with particular asanas and vinyasas. For example, during your traditional sun salutation or any vinyasa series, we are creating energy. At the end of our practice we typically end with savasana in corpse pose, (dealth).  We become grounded and physically and mentally let go of tension, heartache, pain etc. After savasana, I typically have my students roll to one side, hugging their knees into their chest, much like you would in the fetal position (birth).  We finish by coming to seated and using our breath to center ourselves, creating new prana, new energy, and new life.

Sometimes in your practice emotions or feelings that may be repressed or hidden can come to light (birth) and then just as easily they are acknowledged and released (death). Yoga is about finding the delicate equilibrium of these two principles; creation and elimination. It is finding a healthy balance and using the two to best serve you at that moment in time. In my opinion, yoga makes you “whole.” If used correctly, it can help you feel more peace, and many would point out that one common definition of peace is “to make whole.” It is no wonder that people feel so revitalized and at peace after a yoga practice; it essentially represents the natural life cycle that we all do, and continue to pass through. Your personal practice is tailored to you, it helps you make use of what will benefit you and let go of that which doesn’t. So next time you step on your mat, honor this process, honor not only the birth, but also the death. Let yoga serve you, accepting what it brings to light, and finding the ability to let go of things that no longer serve you.

Namaste

www.gobodhiyoga.com

The Bodhi Flow

 A lot of people ask me how my class differs from other types of yoga. I tell them that I have been certified to teach all types of yoga but that I specialize in a flow series called the Bodhi Flow, which was created by the founder of Bodhi Yoga, Syl Carson. The philosophy behind Bodhi Yoga is basically a yoga practice that honors the three primary ways that Mother Nature manifests herself into the physical world (Rajas, Sattva and Tamas).  Rajas, or Rajasic energy is a forward-backward movement. Its movement is dynamic, insistent and passionate. 

Sattvic energy is a side-to-side movement. It is light, delicate, clear and graceful. It is steady and balanced. 

Finally, Tamasic energy is an upward-downward movement that is strong, deep and internally focused.

The specific vinyasa series that I mainly teach (the Bodhi Flow) honors Sattva with a movement of yoga poses that flow together in an inspired way.  It moves more slowly than a traditional vinyasa series. Its primary focus is releasing the core tightness of the body, which is achieved by focusing on slow, steady movements in which individual postures cease to be one, but rather mold into each other.  This slower pace allows us to achieve our desired goal with fewer repetitions than your traditional faster paced vinyasas.  Not only are we are able to experience the realities of our mind, body, and spirit connection more deeply, but we are also able to more fully breathe with each movement when we don’t have to shorten our breath to keep up with the faster paced and more repetitious vinyasas.

I teach elements of the Bodhi Flow in all of my classes, however I modify it slightly to make each class unique.  For example, in prenatal yoga we generally modify some of the more difficult poses, cut out some of the deeper twists, and then finish with some more restorative poses that help to address many of the negative side effects of pregnancy. The great thing about this flow series is that it can be modified to fit any class level.  It can easily be made more or less intense, depending on the energy of the specific class or individual.  So come on out to one of my classes and experience Bodhi Yoga for yourself!

Namaste

www.gobodhiyoga.com

A Personal Post: Learning to Experience Rather Than Merely Recite

As I was progressing in this journey of becoming a yoga instructor, I started to notice that my personal practice was getting neglected. I was used to practicing yoga daily, including a much-needed meditation at the end of each practice. This practice kept me balanced and started my day of right. However, the more classes I started to teach the more I felt slightly “burnt out” and started to replace my personal practice with my classes. I soon realized what a destructive mistake this was.  I didn’t have that collectiveness that I used to have and my days seemed more stressful. But to me, I was the only one that was suffering from my lack of personal practice, or so I thought…

I have learned that as a teacher, keeping a regular personal practice on the side is vital not only for yourself, but for your students.  In the end, your success as a teacher comes down to your personal practice. It starts on your own mat.

Once I realized this, I started to feel like a failure as a teacher. How could I preach to others the importance of personal practice, when I myself wasn’t doing so?  It wasn’t until I started to be more diligent about stepping on to my own mat that my opportunities as a teacher skyrocketed. I was able to experiment with different asanas that I could use later in my classes. I was learning to experience both the physical and emotional reactions that many of my students were experiencing.  I transformed from merely reciting a routine, to living the practice with my students.

One of my most rewarding classes was when I started to mold my classes around my students. One individual came to me with questions about a sore lower back. That night I came home and experimented with poses to help ease her pain and strengthen the muscles at hand. The next class I was able to teach a vinyasa series that was tailored to her needs.  I was able to give her what she needed through experimenting first on my own mat.

Needless to say, once learned this “secret” to teaching yoga, my classes were transformed. It helped me to have a new vision and appreciation for yoga and for my students.  It also helped me to have more compassion for my students as I was experiencing it with them rather than merely instructing them. Finally, I feel as if it has helped me to establish my own unique style of teaching. To me this is one of the most valuable gifts I could have received during this process. It has planted a seed of confidence in myself; confidence that I hope can keep me going in this journey, long after my certification is complete.

-Namaste

www.gobodhiyoga.com

Motivational Monday!

Just because we all need a little motivation some times. I hope yoga can help you achieve your greatest goals!

"Never underestimate what you can do when you believe in yourself."

Namaste

www.gobodhiyoga.com

Yoga and Mental Illness

So we all know that yoga obviously does the body good, but according to many studies it also has many benefits on the mind as well.  On this post I want to address the potential benefits of a regular yoga practice for those with mental illness.

Yoga has recently become such a cultural phenomenon that physicians and researchers are having a difficult time differentiating legitimate claims from hype. Recently, researchers from Duke University Medical Center explored the effects of yoga on mental health by examining over 100 different studies.

It is well known that yoga can produce a calming effect. It also can produce that “feel-good” feeling that people do after physical exercise. But what else was interesting is that they found that yoga does in fact have positive effects on mild depression, sleep problems, eating disorders, and psychiatric disorders  such as schizophrenia and ADHD. It has also shown to help individuals cope with the side effects of PTSD. The findings suggest that yoga may influence brain chemicals such as serotonin, which is known to boost levels of happiness. In addition, it can lower inflammation, reduce oxidative stress and produce a healthier balance of lipids and growth factors.

Doctors have been encouraging yoga as a complementary treatment for mental disorders for years. And while research is promising, it is not recommended to replace their medications with a yoga practice. Rather, researchers and doctors are encouraging patients to add it to their existing treatments and take advantage of the shown benefits.

As a little added bonus I wanted to include 6 asanas to help cope with depression or anxiety. Incorporate these warming, comforting poses into your daily practice and enjoy!

-                       

          childs pose

     forward bend

    legs up the wall

  cat –cow pose

   backbends

  headstand

-Namaste

www.gobodhiyoga.com

Hands On Adjustments

In my past experience with yoga, I have found that many teachers are afraid of touching their students, and also some students decline adjustments in their practice.  But as I have nearly completed my certification and have progressed in my journey as a teacher, I have found a tremendous benefit to hands on adjustments.  In this post I would like to share some of the guidelines and benefits of hands on adjustments that I have learned.

Hands on adjustments bring a new element to a yoga classroom. It is a traditional means of passing knowledge from teacher to student.  This is a powerful teaching tool.  Not only can that it help students to go deeper into a stretch, but it can help the student learn the proper alignment and positioning for the asana. On a different level, hands on adjustments help to create a trusting bond between teacher and student.

In my practice as a teacher, I have come to find 3 reasons for adjustments. They are as follows:

1.     Offer Support or Balance.  I have found that some reassuring hands on adjustments during more difficult asanas can really help the student to feel more confident in the pose.  It helps them move into the pose correctly and prevents risk of injury caused by improper posture during an asana. The students learn to trust in me as a teacher and in their own body’s capacity.

2.     Suggest Direction. This can be achieved with light acupressure or through movement of my hands in specific directions. This can be used as a gentle reminder to the student to expand deeper into the specific pose.

3.     Help Students Experience the Pose Differently. Oftentimes with a small adjustment, the student can have a completely different experience in the asana. With assistance, they may be able to go more deeply into a pose with less resistance.

There are some occasions where I choose not to do hands on adjustments. Sometimes my energy level is lower or the energy of the class is taking me in a different direction. As a teacher I have learned to honor myself and my students, and respect where the energy is taking us.

Most of my students appreciate the hands on adjustments. By offering these adjustments, and respecting the trust each student places in me, I have seen my students more fully comprehend the asana and their yoga experience.

-Namaste

www.gobodhiyoga.com

Find Your "Wild" Side With This Invigorating Pose

So lately I’ve been trying to incorporate some different poses into my routine and classes. One of my new favorite poses is Camatkarasana, also known as “wild thing.” This pose is fun and challenging, as also comes with some awesome benefits.

Anatomically, this pose focuses on the arms, hips, thighs, and spine. It belongs in the back bend family of poses and might want to be avoided by anyone with a spine injury.

Here is how to get into the pose:

1.    I find that it is easiest to start in downward facing dog. From here, bring your weight onto your left hand and roll onto the outer edge of your left foot (similar to a side plan pose)

2.    On your next inhale, lift your hips and your right leg, stepping it back and placing your toes on the mat behind you with your knee slightly bent

3.    Next, bring your right arm up and out, opening the chest to the sky as much as you can

4.    On your next inhale; curl further into the pose by reaching the right arm behind you and out and flattening your right foot on the mat

5.    Hold for 5-10 breaths before returning to down dog and repeating on the opposite side

This pose is a great chest opener, as well as the shoulders and throat. It also can open and stretch the hips and hip flexor muscles.  Finally, it can build strength in the core and upper back muscles. Aside from the physical benefits, this pose has some therapeutic benefits as well. Wild thing can help revitalize you by fighting fatigue. It is the perfect pose for when you are stuck in a routine and need new life in your practice. Finally, in light of the fall and winter season that is fast approaching, this pose can be great at helping ease the side effects of mild or seasonal depression. So next time you need a quick pick me up, try unrolling your mat and working your way into this awesome pose!

-Namaste

www.gobodiyoga.com

Yoga For Every Athlete!

All to often when I invite people to my yoga classes I encounter responses such as “I prefer more high intensity workouts” or “I need more cardio than what yoga offers.” It is almost as if people consider yoga a waste of time, especially if they only have an hour to work out each day. Well I’m here to tell you, that it is not a waste, and in fact, every athlete, regardless of sport or discipline, has the potential to enhance his or her performance by adopting a consistent yoga practice.

Benefits of Yoga For Athletes:

1. Improved Strength. Studies have found that a consistent yoga practice that incorporates various asanas (poses) can help to build strength and improve lean muscle mass; (especially the muscles used for many of the high intensity sports such as running, cycling, and swimming). In addition, yoga helps strengthen the under-developed and less-used muscles that surround the more utilized muscles, and in return can improve overall stability and prevent injury.

2. Improved Flexibility. There is no doubt that yoga improves joint and muscular flexibility, which is vital to the body’s overall structural whole. Enhanced flexibility will lead to greater range of motion, which can lead to more conditioned muscles.

3. Improved Coordination and Balance. Yoga can help increase both of these tremendously. Better balance and coordination means enhanced control over the body. This can lead to better technique and form in nearly any sport or practice. Whether it is a baseball swing, swim stroke, running stride, or dance pose, yoga can help you refine it.

4. Improved Mental Control. This is, in my opinion, the most important aspect of any well-trained athlete. Most people think of yoga as simply a great “workout” or a means of tightening the core or toning their stomach. Of course it does do that, but it also does so much more.  As soon as the rigorous vinyasa portion of the class is finished, we close class with savasana and a meditative period. As an athlete, it is easy to brush this portion of class off as the less important part, when in reality it may be the exact opposite. The mind is what distinguishes the best athletes from the mediocre ones. I think it is safe to say that regardless of how hard you train physically, if you don’t have control over your thoughts, have the ability to remain focused, and the capacity to visualize success, you can only go so far. Just like any muscle, the mind can and should be trained. By doing so, you will find that you will be able to achieve goals that you never thought fathomable.

So next time you find yourself tempted to skip out on a yoga practice in exchange for your regular mundane cardio routine, think again! You will be amazed at what your body can achieve, on and off the mat!

-Namaste

www.gobodiyoga.com

Time To Take It Outdoors!

Summer has just come to an end and Fall is upon us and If you haven’t taken your yoga practice outside yet you are missing out! There are only a few more weeks of my twilight yoga class so please take advantage of it while its here and the weather is nice! There is nothing more therapeutic than practicing yoga as the sun is setting and the day is unwinding!

Even if you can’t make it to my twilight class you should consider taking your own practice outdoors. Studies show that when compared to indoor exercise, outdoor exercise led to increased mental benefits with greater feelings of revitalization, increased energy and decreased stress and depression. They also report that outdoor yoga can lead to an improvement in spiritual, emotional and psychological well being, as opposed to studio yoga or indoor exercise.

Benefits of Outdoor Yoga:

-      It’s a challenge. Anybody can practice yoga inside on a mat but it adds a completely different element when you put your feet on the sand or on the grass. The uneven ground and the wind in your face require you to make adjustments to your asanas and can add new life to your practice.

-      Vitamin D! Get it the natural way. Vitamin D can have a profound effect on mood; so if you are feeling down, take your mat and practice outside for the day. There is just something to be said about doing a sun salutation outside.

-      The best free soundtrack ever. Next time you do yoga outdoors take time to listen to the wind, the bird, or the waves on the beach. There is nothing more relaxing than tuning into nature!

-      Improves your focus and mindfulness. Taking your practice outdoors will help you get out of the same routine that you have been doing. By allowing yourself to experience something new, you are able to really focus on your experience at hand.

-      Meditate and cultivate gratitude. Nature helps facilitate a sense of peace and reminds us to be still. It is the perfect place to quite the mind for meditation. It can remind us that we have everything that we need: air to breath, the sun for warmth, flowers for beauty, fruit and vegetables to eat. Contemplating on these things and finding stillness can bring much peace.

Namaste

www.gobodiyoga.com

Children's Yoga: Discovering the World Through Yoga!

One class that I plan to add to my schedule in the near future is a yoga class for children.  In the past few years, there has emerged a growing number of  children yoga classes being taught in schools and studios all over. For some, this might seem strange, but in this post I will tell you how yoga can benefit not only adults but children of all ages.

Our children are growing up in an extremely fast paced world. Their schedules are often packed with rigorous school curriculums, music lessons, and competitive sports; not to mention family responsibilities such as chores etc. The bustling pace of our kid’s lives can have a profound effect on their happiness—and sometimes not for the better.

Introducing a yoga practice can help counter the pressures of every day life. Yoga can help children to learn techniques for relaxation, inner fulfillment, and self-health, which can result in them being able to navigate life’s challenges with less stress.

Some surprising benefits of kid’s yoga are:

-       Improved fine motor skills

-       Improved mental acuity and focus

-       Improved hand—eye coordination

-       Improved mind/body developmental awareness

-       Improved coping skills

-       Increased awareness and sense of self

-       Lots of Fun!!!

 Yoga also encourages self-esteem and body awareness in an activity that is noncompetitive.  Now I don’t see anything wrong with a little healthy competition, however kids seem to get more than their healthy dose of it these days.  By incorporating noncompetitive hobbies into our children’s lives we encourage cooperation and compassion, instead of opposition—which is a great gift to give to our children.

Yoga also has physical benefits for children. It enhances strength, coordination, body awareness, and flexibility.  In addition it can improve their ability to concentrate and relax. No wonder schools across the world are starting to incorporate yoga classes into their curriculums!

Yoga classes for children are very different than your traditional yoga classes. Yoga classes for kids integrate storytelling, games, music, language and other arts into each asana or pose.  It provides a creative environment and a way to learn and discover the world through a non-traditional way.

Stay tuned for some children’s yoga and “mommy and me” classes to be added to my schedule!

Namaste

www.gobodiyoga.com