Category: From the Blog

8 Brand New Poses to Liven up Your Practice and Advance your skills.

(This is for everyone… whether you want to simply up your game casually or seriously improve your practice). 

And if you’ve ever considered teaching… this is a fun sneak peak at our training approach!

Okay, so let’s dive in and play around with some fun postures, deepen our practice and creatively challenge our limiting perceptions of mind and body!
I literally watched this exact thing unfold in class last week… someone overcoming their own limiting beliefs about their abilities… (you know who you are 😉 – thank you).  

And we all agreed, this is definitely worth doing!

I’m adding a cosmic twist to some traditional postures so we can have a little fun while exploring more expansive options.

So here’s what we’ll practice:

1. Astral Plank – (ESP-Extended Side Plank (Vasisthasana)
2. Shooting Star – UHPG (Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana)
3. Prancer – Dancer with a Twist (Natarajasana)
4. Happier Moons – Half, Revoved & Poets (the Chandrasanas)
4. A Murder of Crows – Up, Side & Down (The Bakasanas)
5. Sassy Scorpion – Forearm Stand with Flair (Vrschikasana/Pincha)
6. Wildthings – Easing into backbends (Urdhva Dhanurasana/ Camatkarasana)
7. Twisted Angels – (Parivrtta Trikonasana and Parsvakonasana – ‘The Angles – Tri and Side’)
8. Self Reflection – Svadhyaya. The most advanced posture ever.

These postures will challenge your strength, your mindset and your practice.

Please Be open to falling and wobbling… that’s how we build focus and resilience.

See you on the mat!

BUT NOW I HAVE ACHIEVED PERFECT BALANCE IN MY LIFE.

It’s a bold statement, I know, but it’s true.

See, I almost quit the LoveStrong45 challenge because I didn’t think anyone was that interested.

A few of you were participating and then I lost track of the dates… and also forgot to award the gifts each week.

But then something cool happened.

Now before you feel down about signing up and then letting it go… Let me tell you what actually happened:

I got off to a strong start… as did many of you. And then we lost track of the dots. (Card design malfunction). 🙄
That alone is telling about the way our brains work (see below) and why challenges actually do work.

Challenges kickstart something in us. But the real challenge… is getting the end result. 

Even if you pivot part way through. As all the sages say… Just keep your eye on the prize. Or… Begin with the End in mind.

I actually did keep up with all of my challenges. Still today. I’m still drinking all the water, meditating, getting my steps outside, getting to sleep earlier and limiting my scrolling significantly (I’m only connected to tech during the hours 9am-9pm at most). The only part I didn’t keep up… was the dots.

So how did this create perfect balance in my life? Well the challenge combined with a new puppy inspired me (forced me) to get super organized. And Charlie joined right in!  He sleeps 10 hours a night, lounges while I meditate and LOVES getting his steps outside with me, rain or shine. He naps while I work and again when I teach.

I think this challenge gives us both the structure and attention we thrive in.

So now with a new morning routine plus a puppy to keep me on task and sleeping well…. I feel more balanced and creative today than ever. (for now anyways 😉)

Our brains appreciate lists, targets, focus and rewards. But our minds thrive in creativity, joy and freedom. We need both.  And I’ll refer back to my not-so-secret crush, Dr. Andrew Huberman, for all things dopamine to back me up on this:  A little structure for the brain, gives our minds the freedom to pivot in order to reach our goals.

Bottom line:
Even if you didn’t dot your cards, BUT you walk more, drink more, sleep better, stress less, worry less, enjoy pockets of peace or feel more balanced…. you win! Congrats!

Thank you to those who let me know that it made a difference for you. If you kept up with the challenge, or it helped in some, please let me know!

And if you don’t feel great… start your own challenge right now. Tell me about it, maybe I’ll join you.
The whole point was to feel better throughout the holidays. I’m well on my way, I hope you are too.

p.s. Sunday will be 45 days! ; )

How exactly is that you might ask? 

Well.. if you practice and I’m assuming if you’re reading this you have practiced at least once somewhere, if not with me.
And teaching yoga essentially evolves through this three part journey.

1. Practice Yoga for yourself.
2. Learn the foundational concepts.
3. Share with anyone who asks.

1. Most of us came to this practice for our own practice. A journey of self discovery, healing, fitness, curiosity, relaxation, spirituality, etc.

2. Many of us found that as we learned more, we felt extraordinary results like a deeper sense of calm, a strong physical form, less anxiety, or an overall satisfaction with exploring this life. And others began to notice. Spouses encouraged each other to go to yoga. Coworkers asked to come along. Families saw a new braver side of us.

3. Some of us then felt called to immerse ourselves and create a lifestyle around moving, breathing, stillness, awareness, and energetic flow.  In doing this, it naturally inspires questions from friends like:  Why meditate? Why Plank? How to Relax? What are Chakras? When to skip Savasana? (never). And in sharing those answers… you inevitably sparked a little curiosity. You may have inspired someone to try.

Medical communities are now, not only validating these practices… they’re stealing them! 😉

In her new book ‘Peak Mind’ by Amishi Jha, Phd, she introduces her 12 minute practice designed to help focus your mind so you can make better choices.

Guess what the practice is??? It’s Breathing, Body Scan, Stillness and Metta Meditation, which has been around forever! What??!!  I thought I invented this practice. ; ).

(This is however, where I never miss a chance to remind you that I did invent crouching warrior 3 and warrior 1.5).

So if the ancients and the modern medical world both agree on the powerful effects these practices have on every being… shouldn’t we ALL be practicing, learning and sharing it? Just Imagine having learned cool focus techniques as a child, how to truly LET GO as a teen or how to deeply relax as a young adult? Game changers!

The outline below is a very broad view of the yoga training I’ve created from decades of study and practice, I have surpassed the 10k hour mark in this practice and continually expand so that our training is never outdated or irrelevant. It also exceeds the Yoga Alliance requirements in all areas and has produced some of the best teachers on the planet!

Together, We can change the landscape of how human beings learn to handle stress and build resilience.

And it doesn’t have to be upside down on a mat.

ARE YOU MORE OF A SCROOGE/GRINCH?
OR DO YOU JINGLE BELL ROCK AROUND THE CHRISTMAS TREE ALL MONTH LONG?

And either way…. What’s your holiday strategy?

We have a few that might help. Check our Holiday Calendar below.

My strategy is to shop as little as possible except for myself and Charlie.

Eat as little as sugar as possible except for Mom’s Wreath Cookies. And Walk as often as humanly possible!

But Meditation is my absolute secret weapon for any and all kinds of hustle and bustle.

Did you know that Meditation has been or is being studied in almost every corner of the world?

Why? Because the medical and science industries love evidence and research… and the research they are uncovering is phenomenal!

The powerful impact of meditation is subtle and difficult to explain… but the MAGIC speaks for itself. Once you try it.

Elite Athletes, Neurosurgeons, and most Performers… practice some type of mindfulness in order to disengage their mind and let their body take over.

Nobody wants a Neurosurgeon getting distracted by his doubts mid surgery. We want those hands to flow with precision and ease.

Here are a few simple techniques to try it yourself and see….

1. Just stare at something and breathe. Seriously that’s it. For 60 seconds. Now you might not feel the magic right away… but do you feel your hair growing? No, you don’t. But little by little… every moment of every day… it’s growing and changing and before you know it… your bangs are out of control! That’s what meditation is like. Even a tiny bit every day will eventually change how you see yourself… and everything else. And every 60 seconds you add… adds more power!

(Meditators with decades of experience. consider themselves successful if they can keep their mind from wandering for 4 breaths… that’s almost 60 seconds).
You can do this too.

2. Close your eyes, but stay upright so you don’t drift off. Now this is more of a challenge because your mind is going to want you to do 1000 things immediately. Get a drink, use the bathroom, change the laundry, pull the car over… kidding… don’t try this in the car. But do see if you can challenge yourself to sit still with your eyes closed for 60 seconds at a time. The added benefit of staying upright and slightly alert is that your neurons will wander and that’s when brilliant ideas drop in.

3. Listen to a Guided Meditation. This is the easiest way to get started… and I might add the most enjoyable. Because it’s like having someone tell you a story. And as your mind wanders… it relaxes. And as it relaxes, it lets go of worries, fears and doubts and creates space for ideas, dreams and adventures. And who doesn’t want more of those??

So … If you don’t have a strategy, it’s possible that you’ll get caught up in the usual holiday traps.

But with a little meditation and a lot of LOVE Yoga… you can keep that peaceful, easy feeling all the way to Valentine’s Day! ; )

Come visit us and start creating the peace of mind you deserve.

We’ve heard that old adage forever… but rarely do the things we do, have, love, use, give… happen in moderation. Which is why many of us have embraced the yogic lifestyle of
creating balance.

And how we do that is through all the tiny transformations that come from this practice. Hundreds, if not thousands of them… but I boil it down to about 16.

For the first time in my life… I feel the pressure of this constant barrage of imbalances. (It’s making me miss my blissfully unaware 70s).

I mean, Aren’t we all asking ourselves how much more of this we can take??

These Big life transformations have a way of altering our perceptions and leading us to re-evaluate our life choices. (I think it’s called Growth?). Big things like turning 40 or 50, (heck maybe even some of you turning 30 get this), losing a parent, empty nesting, moving, divorcing, marrying, losing or finding a dog, losing Tom Petty, a world wide catastrophe, and small business challenges during said catastrophe, etc.

And I realize this pales in comparison to my grandmother’s big life transformations – being born in the 20s. You know… things like War. Multiple wars, her husband dying of polio, being left with two small children, starting her own business, family fallout, the invention of the TV, the microwave, the internet… she loved playing scrabble on the internet. She went from drawing a line up the back of her leg with eyeliner (to look like she could afford nylons), to having a big screen, her own computer and facebook account.

So… regardless of how frustrating the world is right now, regardless of how many days we have left in this LOVESTRONG45 challenge (26!)… I continually encourage myself to keep going. Because challenging myself to keep going makes me stronger, smarter, braver and… healthier.

Everyone knows that being super healthy right now gives us better odds of feeling great and thriving in the midst of this chaos.
And it doesn’t have to be this LoveStrong challenge that does it.

You could make any of these TinyTransformations  anytime, to feel a huge impact on your health and wellness.

Everything from low energy and your mood to back pain, anxiety or sleep struggles.

I may not get all 7 dots, every single day in this challenge.. but as Michelle said… she ended up sticking with her Top 3 most important goals and to her and that’s been even more successful!  I love that.

So, I’ll keep going – I’ll draw lines on the back of my legs if I have to… because I LOVE this practice and feeling healthy enough to thrive in whatever chaos come our way.

Yoga for Anxiety
Tuesday, 9/14 @ 7:00pm

The only reason I teach this class is because Six years ago in the span of two weeks, 5 people came to the studio and told me they were there because of anxiety. I would have preferred to leave my experience with anxiety firmly in my past.

But since I had spent almost a decade in my 20s struggling with severe anxiety attacks, I knew how this practice could make a difference.  (And by the way, I was told this would be something I’d have to ‘manage’ for the rest of my life).

I haven’t had even an inkling of anxiety in over 23 years.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This year, I put everything I’ve learned online in a way that makes sense, is easy to access, simple to practice. And Fun!

Start with The LIVE workshop next Tuesday night!
In studio and/or on Zoom
Click here to Register or to see the Outline
16 spots available

Things you’ll discover for yourself:

If you practice what’s covered in the workshop, that will be enough to feel significant relief. But if, like me, you want to learn more with 4 weekly practice sessions, personal training and more specific techniques, you can join the 4 week Anxiety Relief Training to really make an impact and retrain your system so you don’t have to think about this day to day.

Over 40 million people in the US struggle with severe anxiety. And that’s only counting those over 18. (I don’t know why but that’s the stats). Sadly, Only 30% will ever even seek treatment due to mental health stigmas. Let’s change that.

One breath at a time.

p.s.

I was given the most precious gift. An early birthday gift.

And in honor of National Dog’s Day, I’d like to introduce you to him today…

Meet Charlie Karma. (and a few of his sweet siblings!)

He has a puppy breath message for you. 

He’s going to be at the studio next week when we Re-Open on Wednesday, September 1st.

But you can’t just drop in.

You MUST sign up ahead of time because we only have 10 spots per class. (Click above on WALLA to sign in)

WHY?  State mandates. 

Charlie has a more URGENT message though….

Without you…. we can’t re-open.

Listen, Charlie, here…. I hope I’m not barking up the wrong tree here… but Suzanne’s chasing her tail a bit. I think she might be a little wound up. I suggested deep breathing.

But she offered to take all my siblings! I’ve been cooped up with 9 brothers and sisters and I was really hoping for a place of my own. But if she’s not able to teach yoga… she’s going to build little Air BnB units for dogs in her backyard!!! Do you KNOW how many puppies I’ll have to deal with? I heard her say each unit would have its own skylights? (seriously, I’m concerned).

Look here’s the bare bones: We all know that yoga has been proven to lower stress responses like barking, blood pressure, itching, inflammation and jumping anxiety.

We all also know that Suzanne was a slight germaphobe to begin with and that the studio is one of the cleanest places on the planet. (also why she hasn’t had a dog for 7 years).

Remember there is 2000 sq ft of tail waggin’ space, 3 doors – wide open escape routes, new air filters, air conditioning and fans.

And while I’m fairly small, there will be free PUPPY Therapy for the next few months!

There will also be shorter classes, potty breaks, limited spaces, fancy masks and lots of treats. I can’t wait to show off my savasana! I’ve got that doooowwwwnnn.

Plus they’re filming new classes every week for the online library. I hope I get my own Instagram! #charliekarma #LoveCharlie. Don’t steal that… I chewed up my phone and haven’t got a new one yet.

And please for the Love of God, Please take one of my siblings before she does!

Easy boy… okay, Suzanne here. Charlie’s right. We need you if this is going to work this time. I know we’ve been at this for a while. But it’s not sustainable without you. So please click above and sign into Walla. Sign up for classes and let us know you’re coming back. Or that you’re onboard online.

And if you’re really good, and don’t bitch about the masks I’ll bring treats for you too. ; )

As always, let me know if I can help with anything. Tech? Passes? Purchases?

(Click above on WALLA to sign in or message me for a personal phone tutorial)

LOOOOOOOK at these faces! I can’t even….