Author name: Kyra

Yoga

A Different Perspective – Shoulder Stand

By /

Ok. This is a ROCKSTAR pose. Salamba Sarvangasanal. Supported Shoulder Stand. This pose comes with a plethera of health benefits. See below. But lets chat about this pose for a bit,for like with everything, light to dark, good to evil, sugar to salt, this pose comes with a disclaimer.

salambaThis picture is of the PERFECT pose. So…picture a long line. At the left end being a pose “really out of alignment” and on the right “perfect”, we try to find our place someplace on the line. Hopefully not at “really out…”, and we should probably accept not at perfect. So some place in the middle with the idea of maybe progressing towards “more in alignment”. But this pose/place on the line is where you find EASE, OPENNESS, ENPOWERING. NO PAIN. So, a couple of things to know.

SAFETY FIRST. Couple of thoughts on this. You have heard the teacher say, keep your attention on your mat, etc. Well, part of this is because of the inescapable truth, everyone is built differently. Check out these pictures of different people, how far they can bend their neck. And with that in mind, think about all YOUR weight, being above your heart and heading towards vertical. Meaning most of your weight bearing down in the shoulder/neck region. If your body simply DOES NOT bend in such a way to facilitate opening, and definitely no damage…heed caution in this pose.

neck-bend

Why? The cervical vertebrae are crazy small and shaped differently, compared to the thoracic or lumbar. And of course, their function is to give range of motion to the head/eyes and to protect the nerves and blood vessels. Think of the neck as the bridge from the control center to the machine. A lot of stuff going on in there. Check out this picture of the neck.

Don’t be freaked out. Don’t think this pose is off limits…there are ways to have your cake and eat it too. Moderation. What does moderation in a pose mean? First, don’t be so connected to a final look of what the pose “should” be. Alignment is important, to a point. Finding EASE and OPENNESS where you’re at today is important too. Practice slowly, in stages. Use props. Notice in the “perfect” pose picture, she is on blankets to give her cervical vertebrae room to bend and to take a bit of pressure off the delicate parts. There are other modifications to do as well. Use a wall for support. Use a chair. Lots of cool things to do. So WHY??? Why go through all the trouble. Well, check out this list of what shoulder stand does for you. TONS OF STUFF.

Benefits

[tie_list type=”checklist”]

  • Calms the brain and helps relieve stress and mild depression
  • Stimulates the lymphatic system
  • Stimulates the thyroid and prostate glands and abdominal organs
  • Stretches the shoulders and neck
  • Tones the legs and buttocks
  • Improves digestion
  • Helps relieve the symptoms of menopause
  • Reduces fatigue and alleviates insomnia
  • Therapeutic for asthma, infertility, and sinusitis

[/tie_list]

I wanted to chat about the 2nd one for just a second. RUNNERS CHECK THIS OUT!!!! So, when muscles get tired and deprived of oxygen, they build up lactic acid. That’s one of the reasons why the IT band hurts to touch. So, this inversion stimulates the lymphatic system to drain. The lymph system doesn’t have fluid regulation like the blood (a.k.a the heart) it relies on gravity. So getting upside down changes things up. And for this discussion, this action helps the lactic acid drain out of those muscles. Cool uh.

So the point? This is an awesome pose to be practiced. Find a good yoga teacher that can help you find your pose of EASE and OPENNESS. Put what they say in your backpack and as you travel around sampling other yoga classes do your pose. Use props if you need to. If no props are available, do a modified version of the pose. Or skip for that time. Keep your neck safe. Remember, it’s the connection from the master controller to the machine.

Eating, Education

Glutathione – Understanding a Whole Food Diet

By /

antioxidant-004

What the heck is Glutathione?

(gloota-thigh-own)

Glutathione is a POWERFUL antioxidant. Why haven’t you heard about it. Because it’s not jazzy sounding like some. Not behind some product. Lots more could be said here, but we will skip for another day.

We hear the word antioxidant ALL THE TIME. We throw that term around like we really understand it. But do we? If we did, I bet we’d try to get more of them. And hear this. Not all antioxidants are created equal.

If you’re breathing right now, moving your eyes to read, holding your breath… blinking, WHATEVER, you have the process going on in your body. Metabolism. Fact of life. We like to breathe, so the process is a great thing. But just like we like our cars, because walking to Starbucks everyday would not be all that pleasant, there are downsides to this process of living and breathing. Think of your car. You put gas in, the engine burns the gas for fuel, things go zoom to starbucks…but we totally forget the negative stuff, because in our car, unless your muffler goes out, you don’t know that the exhaust of the engine burning fuel is a fact of life. We don’t see it. It’s behind us. Unless we are sitting behind the city bus, waiting for it to move the heck out of the way so we could get to starbucks.

antioxidant-002Ok. So back to the body. You blink, press the gas pedal, your body needs fuel to do that. Zoom. Inside you, the process’s exhaust is called a free radical. And he’s just plain crazy. Actually, a free radical is an unstable oxygen molecule, missing an electron. And left unchecked, causes lots of problems. What the free radical does is take an electron from whatever neighbor happens to be walkhing by, and GUESS WHAT, turns that perfectly innocent, and maybe functionally totally fine cell into a free radical itself. SEE?????? So think of on down the road…some dirt in the tank is ok. Fuel filter takes care. A bit more…replace the fuel filter…but there is wear and tear. And eventually…So maybe you get the picture. What it’s really called is oxidative stress. Forward thinking doctors will say that this is the foundation of just about all disease and sickness. So whats a person to do? Stop breathing? Stop blinking?

antioxidant-0011Introduce A N T I O X I D A N T. Simply put, this wonderful thing of nature, The Antioxidant, neutralizes the free radical. The antioxidant has an electron to donate without going crazy itself. And PRESTO. All is well in love and war. The key with antioxidants. You really don’t know when you’ll be behind the bus…literally breathing in toxins (free radicals and who knows what else), do your body needs to have lots of antioxidants on hand. IN the bloodstream. In the body.

So…for more information, for those you like this kind of stuff, “G” or glutathione, is a triple threat to toxins. It neutralizes free radicals, enhances the immune system and detoxifies the liver.

And here’s a kicker, even if you’re doing everything right, just by aging, antioxidants like G start to slip. The levels just go down. So, what about this one. There are literally thousands of antioxidants. What’s so special about this one. Well, its found in every cell of the body, protecting the cell’s engine from bacteria, viruses and toxins. Did you know that antioxidants have a very short life span. Once they neutralize a free radical. Bye bye birdie. HOWEVER!!! G has enough zip to revitalize spent antioxidants like C and E, and recharging itself as well. SUPERMAN!!!!

So where does this G come from. Amino acids, particularly in foods such as asparagus, spinach, avocado and squash. Your body takes the plant version can CONVERTS it to replenish the body’s supply.

antioxidant-003So your body’s primary detox organ is the liver. Ever thought about that? The liver is seriously important. Though aren’t they all. Check out the blog on the facial smoothie. What a clear face. Detox the liver because if the liver is not working all that great, those toxins gooooooo…ON THE SKIN, ON THE FACE. Waste products/toxins on the face is what that is really saying. A whole slew of skin things can be cleared up by loving on the liver. What the liver does is determine if an item is a nutrient to be absorb or gotten rid of. And when there isn’t enough G around, there’s a traffic jam. Toxins pile up, and they got to go somewhere.

G owes much of it’s fame to a sulfur-rich amino acid found in eggs, garlic and whey protein. Broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage help to restock the body’s G supply. Green tea, fish oil and resveratrol also aid in making G. And CHECK THIS OUT, aerobic exercise and yoga boost G levels as well.

So understand, your body makes this. Or converts it from plant form. No simple pill. So a more whole food diet is needed. And less stress, less toxins. Here is a list of foods. And know that if you eat more fruits and veggies, your body will rely less on G, and thus you’ll have a stock pile, for when you’re sitting behind the bus, your body is equipped to deal. Or if you boss really lays it on you. Or you go run a 26 mile race.  🙂  Nourish the body, so when stress comes, it’s LESS STRESSFUL.

G- foods: asparagus, spinach, avocado, squash, melons, grapefruit – EATEN RAW

Building Blocks for G: eggs, garlic, whey protein (bio active and undenatured or nondenatured proteins).

Yoga

Slow Down to Speed Up

By /

I’ll tell you in the beginning, perhaps to give you the motivation to try it. Why it works. When we are super busy, our to-do list gets LONG. And we get in a frenzy and just the mere fact that the list is long and never ending makes us…perhaps a bit constricted. Ask yourself, does your to-do list make you smile or make you frown.

We can lose the clarity to know what we really need to focus on, the ability to let the not so vital things go, or delegate. It’s ok, if somethings aren’t done perfectly and all that. Perhaps we over commit because we aren’t in a great space. Trying to prove something, pushing so hard for a certain end result. And the story can go on and on.

Well, lets shift thinking for just a second. Take a deep breath, hold and FULLY exhale.

What does slowing down do for us. It gives us the time and space to center ourselves. To get to what powers us. Prayer or meditation. A walk or run. Whatever gets you to that space. Exercise it. Think of it like a muscle. Strengthen it. Feed it. Watch it grow. Feel its power.

And step back, after your “slow down time”, to see how things work a TON better, like they’ve been greased and oiled. And you totally feel better.

So here is the practice.

  1. Sit comfortable. Shake out your hands. Like flinging water off the fingertips. Bring your awareness to your breath. Place energized hands in your lap, palms up. Focus on the hands, how they feel, find your pulse in your fingertips.
  2. Nice deep breathing. Not forced.
  3. Imagine a light at the core of your being. As you inhale, let the light be brighter, exhaling a bit dimmer.
  4. Let this energy fill the chest and shoulders. Down to your hands.
  5. Focus on the hands. How they feel, the air, temperature…With relaxed arms and shoulders, lift the hands into the air.
  6. Move SLOWLY. VERY SLOWLY, almost like you can’t see it. Feel the air moving over your hands. Can you feel as if the hands are moving by themselves?
  7. Turn palms towards each other. As the hands come together, pulse them slowly. Can you feel the energy between your hands, as if you are holding a ball of energy.
  8. For a minute or two or three, let your hands move naturally. Notice the smallest sensations. At some point, let the hands come to the body, naturally, organically, perhaps a place needing healing, love.
  9. Naturally let the hands come to the lap. Sit in silence for a minute or two.

First time might be uncomfortable. Second, third, fourth. But maybe give it a week, learn the habit, and perhaps find some fantastic juiciness in there!

If you try it, love to hear what you think.

cheers.

Eating, Education, Prevention

Power Food, A Green Smoothie for a Vibrant Face, kick sugar, detox liver

By /

Your Face – Your Health meets the Green Smoothie

Everyone would love love love to have the Vogue model’s skin. Did you know that your skin is a direct reflection of your health status. Your skin and your mouth. Interesting. Toxins and what not, not filtered by the filtration systems in the body try to come out the skin. And sometimes get stuck. Acne. Eczema. Etc. And winkles. Wrinkles are not just caused by the sun. Free radicals, a natural bio-product of living and breathing and blinking and all the other mundane stuff that we do; those bad boys hurt our skin cells and cause wrinkles. And a whole plethora of other things that generally cause us to be ill, unhappy and die. What about those brown spots on your skin. Age spots. Those aren’t just a normal thing to happen to the skin, but an indication that perhaps your liver isn’t filtering out all the toxins and the body and needing to put it somewhere, puts the toxins in the skin. OUCH!

All of this information is from a great book, Do You Have the Guts to Be Beautiful. Written by Jennifer Daniels, MD and Mitra Ray, PH.D. Check them out at www.fromheretolongevity.com. Wonderful stuff. It’s simple stuff that they suggest, down to earth, holistic and generally very accessible for all.

So lets chat about this green smoothie. YUM YUM YUM. My experience with it is that it has taken away my sugar cravings. And that’s a MIRACLE. It will do a ton of good things for you. Get rid of wrinkles, age spots and sags under the eyes. The kale that you use in the smoothie is one of the most nutrient dense veggies around and we generally only find it on our plate as a garnish at the restaurants. And we probably don’t eat it. It’s great great great for you. And in the smoothie, you won’t taste it. 2 out of three of my kids will DOWN the smoothie. Ha ha ha. Mom wins one!!! Or I could probably call that two or three with all the nutrition in it. Not to mention how healthy flax seed is for you. Fiber and a natural source of omega-3.  Good stuff for the heart. Freshly ground is best, from the bag is better than nothing.

More from the book, because it’s so very interesting. Get a mirror and see what you see.

[tie_list type=”checklist”]

  • Horizontal Lines above eyebrows – waster accumulation in your intestines
  • Vertical lines between eyebrows – liver is not removing poisons
  • Bags under the eyes – Eating bread, sugars, processed juices, pastas
  • Blue circles under eyes – Bread and diary
  • Big ears/ nose getting a bulb with age – hormones in animal products

[/tie_list]

And the list goes on.

Check the book out. Or look for one of our Facial/Smoothie parties.  Fascinating.

Back to the smoothie

[amd-zlrecipe-recipe:22]

Kale: A Power Food

Kale is absolutely rich and abundant in calcium, lutein, iron, and Vitamins A, C, and K. Kale has seven times the beta-carotene of broccoli and ten times more lutein. Kale is rich in Vitamin C not to mention the much needed fiber in the daily diet. The “Icing on the Kale” are the natural occurring all important phytochemicals sulforaphane and indoles which research suggests may protect against cancer. Let’s not forget the all important antioxidant Vitamin E. The naturally rich sulfur content of kale deserves a bit more discussion. Science has discovered that sulforaphane, helps boost the body’s detoxification enzymes, possibly by altering gene expression. This is turn is purported to help clear carcinogenic substances in a timely manner. Sulforaphane is formed when cruciferous vegetables like kale are chopped or chewed. This somehow triggers the liver to produce enzymes that detoxify cancer causing chemicals, of which we all are exposed on daily basis. A recently new study in the Journal of Nutrition (2004) demonstrates that sulforaphane helps stop breast cancer cell proliferation.

So, check this thought out!!! There is a SUPER easy way to get your kids to eat kale. Fantastic! Don’t worry about working too hard on this smoothly. I start with putting some water or good juice in, or a bit of both, turning on the blender and then start adding stuff in while it’s running. Of course I tend to make a big mess so…Point is, just rinse off the kale and then rip off the leafy parts off the big thick stalk. When you leave the blender running long enough, it gets chopped up just fine.

IMG_1620You can play around with what you put in for liquid. Plain water, 1/2 juice. Maybe think about something with less sugar. For the kids, you might be more successful when you add some juice. Motts Light Apple Juice is a great choice.

Flax seed: Another Power Food

Although flaxseed contains all sorts of healthy components, it owes its healthy reputation primarily to three ingredients:

[tie_list type=”starlist”]

  • Omega-3 essential fatty acids, “good” fats that have been shown to have heart-healthy effects. Each tablespoon of ground flaxseed contains about 1.8 grams of plant omega-3s.
  • Lignans, which have both plant estrogen and antioxidant qualities. Flaxseed contains 75- 800 times more lignans than other plant foods
  • Fiber. Flaxseed contains both the soluble and insoluble types.

[/tie_list]

IMG_1622Recent studies have suggested that flaxseed may have a protective effect against cancer, particularly breast cancer, prostate cancer, and colon cancer. At least two of the components in flaxseed seem to contribute, says Kelley C. Fitzpatrick, M.Sc., director of health and nutrition with the Flax Council of Canada.  In animal studies, the plant omega-3 fatty acid found in flaxseed, called ALA, inhibited tumor incidence and growth.  Further, the lignans in flaxseed may provide some protection against cancers that are sensitive to hormones. Some studies have suggested that exposure to lignans during adolescence helps reduce the risk of breast cancer, Thompson says.

Lignans may help protect against cancer by:

[tie_list type=”checklist”]

  • Blocking enzymes that are involved in hormone metabolism.
  • Interfering with the growth and spread of tumor cells.

[/tie_list]

IMG_1623Some of the other components in flaxseed also have antioxidant properties, which may contribute to protection against cancer and heart disease.

Concerning getting the flax seed into the smoothie. I bought a cheap walmart coffee bean grinder for a $10 bill and that’s all that I use it for. You can get flaxseed very cheaply at Whole Foods or Green Acres out of the bins, put it in a plastic pour container and presto, ready to go. Flaxseed is nutritionally best when freshly ground, so take a minute, pour some in the grinder, squeeze, release, squeeze, release, turn the grinder upside down, tap tap tap and pour into blender.

milk-thistleMilk Thistle: DON’T SKIP. Powder, pill or liquid. I like the liquid.

Perhaps the most important milk thistle benefits are its effects on the liver. The liver is one of the most important organs in the body, breaking down nutrients and cleaning the body out. Milk thistle detoxifies the liver as well as protects it against damage from toxins, alcohol and other negative effects. Milk thistle benefits the liver in other ways as well: it promotes regeneration and repair of liver cells, reverses liver damage and is very helpful in the treatment of hepatitis and cirrhosis. Some milk thistle clinical trials show that milk thistle benefits may include reducing inflammation, decreasing excessive skin cell growth and helping treat endometriosis. You can buy milk thistle from whole foods or amazon.

IMG_1624Today I’m in need of more fiber, iron and protein, so I’m adding in the most awesome meal/powder stuff around. Totally my opinion. The stuff has nice blend of plant protein, not just soy and an assortment of yummy stuff like wheat grass and spirulina…the list goes on and on. And NO ADDED SUGAR. So for a blender, which is generally two servings, I add a scope or two, depending on if you want a full serving a goodness or not. Two scopes might make it a bit powdery in texture though. More information on this product can be found on the nutrition link of this website. Or you can connect with me.

Ok. Here is the ONLY RULE for making this smoothie. HAVE FUN WITH IT. If you don’t like the taste at first, 1/2 the kale. You might ask what a “fleshy fruit” is. When in doubt, just add something in there. Frozen mix is great. Then you don’t need ice if you like your smoothies cold. Pineapple, mango, strawberries are all great choices.  Experiment. Worst thing that can happen is you either pucker when you drink it or you throw it out for the dogs. No biggie. Have fun. Have your kids help you. Do it everyday.

If you try and like, leave a comment on my blog. Or share what you really like in your smoothie. Just another thought…what you eat can have a big big big impact on your face. Think about this, there are a ton of people when they eat chocolate, they break out. So the reverse logic…it’s totally true. And know that when your skin becomes more vibrant, it’s reflecting a body that is more healthy, inside to out!!! Happy drinking!

green-smoothie-3

Event, Running, Triathlon, Yoga

Runners Love Yoga

By /

Running is passion. The freedom of the it. The drive. The zone.

I use to run a lot. I played soccer. EVERYDAY. Twice a day. None stop. I was in love. That’s where I felt free, where I belonged. And then injury brought it all to a SCREECHING halt. That was a hard one to stomach. And now, looking back, it didn’t have to end that way. There were options, though being young and inexperienced without a good mentor, coach, etc… well, water under the bridge…pick your fav cliche…Here I am. I learned a lot. And my passion has shifted a bit. I can’t run anymore but I have found this thing called yoga.

And just let me say this: It’s not just stretching folks. There is a ton more to yoga than stretching. You haven’t made it to the right class or teacher if you’re bored, if your runner’s heart hasn’t been challenged.

knee-painYoga is about balance. Balanced action. On the physical level, joints that are SUPPORTED and ALIGNED. Strong hips muscles and loose hip muscles. Long hamstrings and strong quads. Strong back and strong abs. Injury comes when something gets out of balance, then a joint experiences too much wear and tear. Yoga is about warming up the body and muscles, then stretching and strengthening, a big key in injury prevention. Warm muscles stretch and work better. Yoga is about consistent activity leading to consistent results. Muscles have memory, so that short hamstring will want to stay short for a while. Consistent and nurturing stretching will encourage the hamstring to remember longer, not feel like it’s being abused which can lead to rebellion and injury.

bk-triangle-2For example, in your triangle pose you’ll learn to respect the limitations of your inner thighs and hamstrings, use your quads to help the hamstrings loosen. You’ll find the back stretch and the upper body strength and mobility to align the body in a wonderful expression of strength and freedom. Then when you have that down, you could progress to really deepening your core strength by using your own power to align. What does that mean…barely touch the floor or block with that bottom hand. Lengthen that bottom side. There will always be room to grow. Each yoga pose will have it’s challenges. It’s a super cool thing to find the openings and the strength which leads to a new level of body and mind awareness.

Bonnie-001On other levels, yoga will help with mental focus and breathe awareness. This is where a deeper, more steel like ability comes into play. And wisdom. Remember balance. We learn how to stick with it and when to pull back. We learn more about our bodies, where we are in space and how to be solid in some of those crazy poses. It can get real juicy. It’s always a dance, but when you learn to dance well, your performance goes up and your injuries go down. And you feel like a ROCKSTAR!

Bottom line. Here’s what yoga will do for the runner. With consistent and teachable effort.

Injury Prevention, Better Performance, Flexibility/ Range of Motion, Lung capacity, Mental Focus, Longevity, Endurance and Strength

It doesn’t matter what you know about yoga, how flexible you are, what clothes you wear, how old you are, how young you are, if you are man or woman. Yoga is so flexible in how it’s taught. Find yourself a GOOD teacher. And stick with them awhile. You’ll learn some really cool things, get stronger. Calmer. More grounded. Might learn things that will totally blow your socks off if you want. It’s not just about mastering a certain pose, it’s about the fun that you’ll have getting there!

headstand-balance-1

Eating, Education

Start Roughing it …. a bit on fiber

By /

Confused by fiber? Well, you’re not alone. Most people are. But you don’t have to know all the ins and outs of fiber to get benefit from it. When you eat a healthy diet rich in whole grains, vegetables, and fruits, you usually get most of the fiber you’ll need, which means you’ll also be lowering your risk of diabetes, heart disease, diverticulitis, and constipation. Not a bad package deal.

Officially, fiber is a type of carbohydrate that the body can’t digest. Most adult women should shoot for over 20 grams of fiber a day; men should shoot for over 30 grams. Great sources are whole fruits and vegetables, whole grain breads and breakfast cereals, and all manner of beans.

The benefits of fiber are PROFOUND. Listen to this audio, it’s worth the beginning transitions.

Dr Watson – What is fiber

Happy chewing.

Eating, Education

How many times have you EVACUATED today?

By /

Ok, nice question…I know. But what if you were wanting to involve your health or simply how you feel on a day to day basis. You could focus on this question and do simple things to change it, and feel like a NEW PERSON. And maybe lose weight and this and that along the way…

IT’S SOOOOO IMPORTANT. And we don’t talk about it. So…I wanted to share a small bit of audio with you that will have you laughing and maybe at the same time, inspire you to ask yourself honestly…do I need to make a change. And if so, inspire you to make a change, or encourage you to find help in making a change. Just a side note, because it has to be said, one of the biggest side affects of eating more fruits and veggies experienced by most is that you EVACUATE more regularly. Check out the nutrition page if you need help.

VERY IMPORTANT!!! So check out the short audio, listen through if you would…Dr Watson Bowel health

Yoga

Relax at Work

By /

Here is a little write up for relaxing at work. Simple things that we can do. Download below. Connect with me if you have questions.

Relax at Work

Yoga

Is it hot yoga, power yoga, vinyasa…

By /

…bikram, Iyengar…what kind of yoga to do you teach?

What an interesting question. On the surface there seems to be as many flavors of yoga as there are flavors of cereal. You’ve got the latest and most popular, traditional, highly spiritual and healthy, all these neat words. It can be confusing. I thought that exact thing when I started yoga though I also had this thought…”I don’t exactly know what kind of yoga I’m doing, but I do know that what I’m doing is making me feel like a million bucks”.

So, fast forward a bit, after completing training, I feel like I have a better idea of what yoga is. Webster says that “yoga” means “union”. Ok…so how does that relate to the cereal aisle. Because there is a metaphorical cereal aisle when you google “yoga class”. You’re going on vacation in San Jose and you want to go to a yoga class. The descriptions, or lack of, can be…interesting.

Is there some fundamental common thread that links all these words like power, vinyasa, hot together? Like for the general public, the common thread in the cereal aisle is that maybe we all eat cereal in the morning or with milk. Or in a bowl. Or not. 😉 Beneath all the uniqueness and variety…is there some common thread?

You can start by scratching the surface of yoga by going to classes for stretching and exercise. With a regular practice you start to feel stronger, better, calmer. Outside of the yoga class. So that is that????? This leads us to “union”. Union of what? The word yoga is a Sanskrit word “yuj” meaning “unite or join”. Unite or join the mind and body. There are seven words in that sentence. Those seven words could mean a lot of different things, just depending on you. Uniqueness. Thus the cereal aisle.

There are a plethora of paths to this union, this “mind and body” connection. Just like there are a couple of ways to eat breakfast. It’s about what floats your boat. Yoga is about what feels good to you, what resonates with you. Everyone is unique. It’s a cool thing. Keeps everyone on their toes. Keeps in fun, fresh and alive.

So back to the question, what kind of yoga do I teach? I’m a fan of accepting today for what it is. How I feel today. What condition my body is in TODAY. And I meet myself on the mat and ask myself “SELF, what do you need today? To have as much balance today as possible.” Physical balance, mental balance, emotional balance. Hopefully I can achieve a nice combination of all three for the day. For me it’s not about doing the perfect pose on the cover of Yoga Journal, though wouldn’t that be cool and fun. It’s about reaching towards doing the pose. Maybe you’ll never get there, but the journey sure is fun. So you look on the map, figure out where the heck you are today and what roads you’re going to take to get where you want to go. Step by step.

I teach hatha yoga, yoga that follows the traditions of the Shambhava School of Yoga. Yoga that comes from the heart. In my Foundations class, through the “common poses”, I teach students the basics of practicing yoga with the intention of helping students learn to find the “You Are Here” spot on the map. The athletes’ class is about strength, balance and restoration. The other classes…for the folks that find themselves in the middle. My hope is that I can help students learn to connect more with their body. With their mind. Find strength and balance there. Learn some new things. Then find more strength and balance in that new spot.

Strength and Balance = injury prevention. Be it torn up knee, stiff shoulders, achy back, poor sleep, stress related baggage, pain and suffering…all of this I like to refer to as road rash.

Everyone has somewhere they want to go. Yoga is an aide to help us get there. Like a compass that works with the map. Hopefully with less road rash than we have experienced in the past.

Scroll to Top