Guru Purnima: Celebration of Teachers

Today is Guru Purnima! This day is always celebrated on a full moon in the Indian month of Ashadh (June/July). The word guru literally translates to "remover of the darkness" and Guru Purnima is a day to honor and thank all the teachers. In India the celebration honors both religious, spiritual, and academic teachers. 

Ardha Hanumanasana: Half Monkey Pose

When I first started practicing yoga my hamstrings were very tight and I had a great dislike for this pose. Over the years I've learned to love it and enjoy the stretch that comes from the pose. 

Anahatasana: Heart Pose

Anahatasana is a great pose for stretching that sweet spot right between the shoulder blades. Anahata is the sanskrit word for "heart." It tends to be a more relaxing pose used as a transition between more difficult poses in a powerful Vinyasa Flow class. 

Our Turn: Yoga Class Reading

Finding Yoga Classes Where Yoga Isn't Popular

Back in February I wrote about finding the perfect yoga class for you. If you live in a city or area where yoga is very popular there are more yoga studios and classes than you can imagine so the trick is to sort through them to figure out which style fits you best. In area of the country where yoga isn't as popular or things are just more spread out it can be challenging to find any yoga class.

Benefits of Yoga

Over the years I've heard and experiences many different benefits of yoga. It's not something I think about very often but last week I saw this image on facebook.

Whoever Told You You Can't Fly: Yoga Class Reading

"Whoever told you you can't fly was afraid of heights you'd reach if you tried"

New Growth: Yoga Class Reading

Blossoming: Yoga Class Reading

Have you ever fell in love with a book before you've even read it? I fell in love with The Poetry of Yoga and I don't own a copy of it and I haven't read it. But I know that once I do get it I will savor every part of it. I was fortunate enough to have found a poem from the book by Janet Arnold-Grych. I read it to my classes for 2 weeks and multiple students came up to me after and mentioned various parts that were their favorites. (I will be putting The Poetry of Yoga on my Christmas list for next year!)

Vasistha: Yoga Class Reading

Vasistha, whom the pose Vasisthasana was named for, was a great sage who took up the challenge of being a teacher to King Ram. While Vasistha was Ram’s teacher he told Ram many stories and one of the recurring metaphors was about the crow and the coconut. The story goes that a crow lands on a tree, and at the same moment, a coconut falls to the ground. Now, does the crow’s momentum cause the coconut to fall? Or, is it just the coconut’s time to fall, which coincides with the exact moment the crow lands on the tree? 

Vasisthasana: Side Plank

For a little over a month my students have been working on the pose Vasisthasana, also known as side plank. It's a great pose for building strength and balance. 

Virabhadrasana I: Warrior I

Of all the yoga poses probably the most famous are the Warrior poses. Warrior I is the easiest pose of the three variations, but there are still many aspects that make this pose challenging. This pose is called Virabhadrasana is named after Virabhadra, a famous warrior and hero.  

To come into Warrior I you can start standing at the front of your mat and step one leg back. In most Vinyasa Flow classes students come into Warrior I from downward facing dog and stepping one foot forward before coming up to standing in the pose.

Introduction to Ayurveda: Part II The Elements

After knowing what ayurveda is the next step is to understand the five elements that make up the universe. The five elements are ether (space), air, fire, water, and earth. These five elements are see on the macro and micro level. We all know how the elements evolve on the marco level because we can see them in our every day lives. These same elements also make up our bodies because humans are the microcosm of the universe.

Stained-glass Windows: Yoga Class Reading

One of my favorite memories of living in Spain when I was 16 is standing in La Sagrada Familia looking up at the stained-glass windows. For those of you who are not familiar with it La Sagrada Familia is a large Roman Catholic Church in Barcelona, Spain. It was designed by the spanish architect Antoni Gaudi in the late 1800s.  In November 2012 it was named a minor basilica due it its size and importance to Spain and the Church.  

Yoga Mat Review and Giveaway

Over the past few weeks I've been using a new yoga mat! It's the Extra Thick Deluxe Yoga Mat from Yoga Accessories! As a teacher I tend to use and know more about the high end yoga mats but I realize that students typically don't want to or need to spend as much money on a mat they only use a few times a week.  

Just for Now: Yoga Class Reading

Here is another poem I've been reading in class to add to the list. When I first read this poem it didn't really mean anything substantial to me.  But over the past two weeks I've found it growing on me and I find myself saying "just for now" when I am dealing with something unpleasant. 

To me the phrase "just for now" is about bringing myself back to the moment and looking at the situation differently.  There is something about the short timeframe of "now" that lets me give myself permission to relax or "sink into stillness."

Finding the Right Yoga Class

No one is born doing yoga. That is important to remember, if you want to find the class that is right for you. 

Finding the right yoga class may take time, patience, and a sense of adventure.

Paschimottanasana: Seated Forward Fold

Who doesn't love a great hamstring stretch? Up until a few years ago my hamstrings where so tight and full of knots that I would regularly get cramps.  This is one of the best hamstring openers I've found in yoga.

Paschimottanasana literally translates to Intense Stretch of the West. It implies that the whole back of the body, from the head to the heels in getting stretched.  The front of the body is considered the eastern side and the back of the body is the western side.  

Tips for First Time Yoga Students

Every few weeks I have a student come to class who is brand new to yoga! As a teacher it is such a great moment to watch someone's first experience with something I am so in love with. It's also very humbling because I am reminded that not everyone I'm teaching knows how to easily come into Ardha Chandrasana. 

Only a few years ago I was also a first time student to yoga (I still remember my first class) and it was an exciting and slightly nerve-racking. 

A Creed to Live By: Yoga Class Reading

As I mentioned in my post about savasana a few weeks ago I try to read or say something inspirational at the end of each of my classes. If the students are listening thats great; I hope they can take a little wisdom that I share with them into the rest of their life. If they aren't paying attention then I hope they are just relaxing and enjoying themselves.

This is what I've been reading for the past two weeks:

A Creed to Live By

Don't undermine your worth by comparing yourself with others. It is because we are different that each of us is special.