yoga Archives | Page 3 of 8 | Essential You Yoga

Meditate More

I feel so blessed to be living in this time and age when science and the medical field are confirming what Yogis have been telling us for centuries – the practices of Yoga and Meditation have tangible and measurable benefits that can resonate in your life and the lives of the people you love.

In an article published today, neuroscientist Sara Lazar conducted an experiment on experienced and new meditators and found that meditating as little as 15-27 minutes daily created some pretty amazing results: brain scans showed that the Hippocampus and the TPJ thickened, creating better capacity for learning, memory, emotional regulations, and seeing things from other perspectives. The amygdala, associated with fear, anxiety and aggression, reduced, giving participants real results after just a short period of time. (8 weeks for some study participants.)

Dr. Lazar isn’t the only one studying mediation. The National Center for Complimentary and Integrative Health tells us that “meditation may reduce blood pressure, symptoms of IBS, anxiety, depression, and insomnia.”

Further, a study by Central Michigan University showed that introducing a Mindfulness Meditation practice reduces unconsciously held bias based on age and race, and a Harvard study suggests that regular Meditation can increase focus and reduce the brain’s propensity for distraction.

In my own life, Meditation is a tool that I use to feel more calm, focused, and centered. It always helps me return to my true self when the world around me is feeling chaotic.

Join me on the last Friday of the month for donation-based Reiki Circles that include a group meditation component. We meet next at 6 pm at Jai Dee Massage & Yoga on April 26th.

The Faces of Yoga

When I first began practicing yoga, most yoga teachers fit a stereotype. I bet I don’t even have to tell you what that stereotype is because you’re probably already picturing that yoga teacher: young, white, thin, North American, and super flexible.

Since that time, I’ve been lucky enough to teach, learn, and practice from teachers of all stripes.  I truly believe that diversity in yoga is critical.

Why is that? Because that stereotypical yoga teacher often dissuades people who don’t look like her from coming to the mat.

Yoga is a practice that benefits all people: all shapes, all sizes, and all cultures.  Because the practice gives us a toolkit to use in our most human moments to help us shine our most authentic, bravest selves, it’s a practice that speaks to each one of us by making us comfortable in our own skin.

Because of that, I am committed to bringing yoga out of the studio and into the community so that more people can overcome the misconception that yoga is not for them and can discover this practice and it’s profound impact on their bodies and on their minds.

It is with this hope in mind that I open up my Yoga Teacher Training to everybody. The more different sizes, ages, and cultures represented in yoga teachers, the better off this world will be.

It is important that people understand that nailing a handstand is not a pre-requisite to being good at yoga.

What is important is cultivating a connection to breath and movement, learning to slow down and embody an asana, or yoga posture, and embracing your body and Spirit as it is in this moment.

The Veil of Illusion

Yogic philosophy tells us that Maya is the name of the veil that sits between perception and reality. When we’re peering through this veil, we see things as we are, not as as they really are.

This happens because the human memory is a funny thing. When we encounter a person, place, or situation that reminds us of a traumatic event of our past, our Spirit naturally tries to resolve this trauma. It’s kind of like trying to retake a test that you failed, except, in reality, we aren’t resolving a past trauma, we’re simply confronting a new situation with a veil, and behaving as if that situation were the past.

For example, when I first moved to Tampa, I reached out to many different yoga studios, hoping to find the perfect space to offer my classes and workshops. One studio owner kept me waiting for almost two hours, which put a bad taste in my mouth for waiting for anybody. The next day, I had an appointment with another space, and when that person was 10 minutes late, I felt myself begin to get bristley. I had to remind myself that it wasn’t this person who kept me waiting so long the day prior, and that being 10 minutes late really isn’t a big deal, nor would it have normally irritated me to the level it did, because I was still feeling sensitive over having waited so long the day prior.

This is a small example, and the consequences were minimal, but you can extrapolate how this can become a larger issue if your Spirit is trying to resolve a big trauma over and over again at the subconscious level.

This is what we call shadow work, and it is possible to move through it with many different modalities. What I love about yoga is that we get a simple tool to shake stagnant energy off of our physical and mental bodies and allow ourselves to meet the world with clear eyes and an open heart.

The philosophy of yoga goes more in depth about how to peel away these layers of Maya, in part by naming the different layers of illusion and giving us very specific tools to see through each of them, such as using Mantra to break through psycho-social layers of illusion or Pranayama to release old emotions.

I’ll be digging deeper into this philosophy and more in the upcoming Essential You Yoga 200 hour Teacher Training, set to begin in just two weeks. You’ll also see elements of this in upcoming workshops and retreats!

The Many Paths of Yoga

Each person is put on this earth to fulfill a destiny. How can you overcome distraction and be more fully present on your path?

I think the first step of this is finding an activity that pulls you out of your monkey mind and helps you become embodied. This could be dance, walking, running, or my favorite – yoga.

I was reminded this weekend of the many paths of yoga.

For some, yoga is an exercise regiment, helping them lose weight and tone up. For others, yoga helps pull them out of the rut of everyday life and enter the present moment. Others practice yoga to maintain their health, while still others seek more consciousness and awareness.

Each of these reasons to practice are valid, and there is a practice of yoga that will meet you exactly where you are and guide you towards your own personal goal.

For me, the magic happens when you find yourself linking breath to movement, with your thoughts centered on how your body feels in this asana, this moment, and how your breath is moving in and out, in and out.
One of the reasons I make it a priority to offer yoga in different settings is because I think it’s important to bring the practice to you exactly where you are.

That’s the beauty of this practice, and what keeps me coming back to the mat. There is always something to explore!

That’s also why I’m so excited to offer a Yoga Teacher Training, starting April 12, so that as you step into that magical space within, you have the tools you need to safely guide others there.

I hope you can join me in class, or at the upcoming Essential You Yoga Teacher Training in Tampa this April.

Combating Stress

As Americans, we tend to lead lives that create an environment of high stress. Many of of us, or the people we love, are walking around in a constant state of stress. This has the potential to wreak havoc on your body.

Leading research shows us that too much stress in a body can lead to:

Anxiety
Headaches
Muscle Tension or Pain
Increased Depression
Heart Issues
Low Energy
Digestive Issues

Reiki is a Japanese stress-reduction technique that activates the parasympathetic nervous system and promotes deep relaxation for participants and practitioners. According to the Journal of Evidence-Based Integrative Medicine, Reiki is

“a complementary therapy that can be implemented alongside all other medical and therapeutic techniques. A gentle technique that is suitable for even very fragile patients, it is accepted in hospitals and hospices around the world. The profound relaxation produced by Reiki has been anecdotally reported to alleviate anxiety and stress, the perception of pain, and to promote a feeling of psychospiritual well-being”

Reiki has been gaining more acceptance in the medical community, with Reiki practitioners being invited into Hospices to help patients ease pain, and hospitals to help patients before or after surgery. The Endometriosis Foundation published this article recently about Reiki’s use in easing chronic symptoms.

The wonderful thing about being given a tool like Reiki is that you have a simple way to solve the problem of stress both for yourself, and for others. Know that the work you do to release tension and feel better reverberates to all the people in your life. By calming yourself, you act as a beacon of calm to everyone you come into contact with.

I’m now hosting monthly Reiki Circles at Jai Dee Massage and Yoga, on the last Friday of each month (except May 2019) from 6-8 pm. Join me for a chance to decrease your stress and practice or experience Reiki.

If you are interested in learning how to use this tool, then you’ll want to join us for Reiki 1. In that class, we’ll focus on opening your chakras and atuning to the energy of Reiki. Participants leave with the tools they need to perform self-Reiki, including a Reiki 1 workbook explaining specific hand positions to perform self healing.

Honouring the Mother

Mother’s Day is an excellent time to appreciate and connect with the Divine Feminine.

You’ll find this archetype throughout popular culture and in different religions.
The Goddess, the Queen, Wise Woman.
Mother Mary, Durga, Laksmi, Saraswati. Asherah, Astarte, Isis, Athena.

Each of these anthropomorphized archetypes offers an opportunity to connect with one aspect of the Divine Feminine: The Powerful, The Wise, The Strong, The Nurturing, The Compassionate, The Creative, and The Mother.

This Mother’s Day weekend, I encourage you to connect with the wisdom of the nurturer. Here are some ideas:

Self-Care

This has become so much of a buzz-word lately it’s almost lost it’s meaning. However, it bears repeating: with all of your responsibilities and all the ways that you serve others, it is necessary and important to make time to meet your own needs.

This means scheduling time just for you, and honouring that time as much as everything else on your calendar!

Reiki

Massage

Private Yoga Class

Facial

Acupuncture

Epsom Salt & Essential Oil Bath

Quiet Time

In this always-on world, it’s easy to stop hearing the sound of your quiet inner voice. Carve some space out to turn off your phone and unplug.

Meditate

Walk Barefoot

Go to the Beach

Hike in the Forest

Swim

Connect with Community

If you have been feeling isolated, you might need some unstructured time with somebody you love, your family, friends, or even strangers united over a common interest!

Call a Friend

Group Yoga Class

A Night of Dancing/Music

Learn Something New!

Keep YOU at the Top of Your List

The amazing thing about self-care is the ripple-effect it has! When you implement these practices and begin to feel better, you find that you are more patient and kind with the people around you.

As you shed the hard layers of stress and soften the brittle fascia of your body, you’re better able to connect with your sacred self. When you shine from that space, you give others permission to live from their truth.

What more powerful gift can you offer the world than your conscious presence?

7 Benefits of a Consistent Practice

When I completed my 200 hour yoga training, my lead teachers kept talking about having a home practice. I would go home and roll my yoga mat out and try to recreate a sequence I learned in class. Often, I would get a few poses in and and just get stuck. I’d be hanging out in a high lunge trying to think of what comes next.

Or I would “forget” to roll my mat out at all. Living in Austin in my 20’s meant that there was always a farmer’s market, new band, or food truck to explore. It wasn’t rare that I would be too tired to come to my mat between social time, work, and all the yoga I was doing in my training and regular classes.

Once I received my certification and began teaching, I still struggled with creating time for a regular personal practice, despite one of my favorite teachers telling me that real teaching starts at home. It wasn’t until I signed up for an Anusara Immersion that required a regular home practice as a pre-requisite that I finally began to settle into a steady practice. Continue reading “7 Benefits of a Consistent Practice”

All the Yoga

I first came to yoga in 1998, and I remain just as entranced with the practice today as I did twenty years ago. What keeps me coming back to my mat over and over again is the fact that the word yoga encompasses so much!

The sanskrit word yoga, or yuj, literally translates to the word yoke. Many interpret this to mean yoga is the yoking, or controlling, of the mind. It is also the yoking, or uniting, of breath and movement. You could say that yoga is the yoking, or union of yin and yang, of masculine and feminine, of strength and suppleness, of this and that…I could go on, but we’re all busy.

Suffice it to say that this balance of opposites is enough to intrigue, and the exploration that followed intrigue is still afoot.

Another aspect of yoga that keeps me hooked is the myriad forms and styles, kriyas and asanas, breath, mantra, mudra, and meditation that combine in endless forms to make up the physical and metaphysical practice of body and mind.

Whether it’s a new kriya from kundalini yoga, a favorite mantra I’m chanting, or the familiar Sivananda sequence of poses, there’s always a practice at my fingertips to challenge my mind and my body.

2009, taking a break from a hike to make a pigeon

Continue reading “All the Yoga”

A Vivir en el Momento

I am still shaking off the sleep from a 2 am flight out of Managua Nicaragua as I sit snuggling my daughter and reflecting on the past week in this surprisingly cool Florida afternoon.

When I was invited to participate in Yoga Fest Nicaragua, I was excited to contribute to an event dedicated to showcasing yoga from a variety of international teachers. I had few expectations, which gave me the freedom to experience and enjoy each moment fully. The impromptu dinners with new and old friends, the Reiki treatments and card readings Paty la Mariposa and I shared, and the many moments of free form dancing that overtook us all were moments of joy sin expectativas.

https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fyogafestnica%2Fvideos%2F1653073058064387%2F&show_text=0&width=560

Some of the plans I set in motion for the week came to fruition and others didn’t, which allowed me the opportunity to open to grace and allow the universe to surprise me with a week that turned out far better than what I could have imagined!

I’m grateful to have lived long enough to have this perspective – rather than get frustrated if something I desire doesn’t come to pass, I trust that it is only to make space for something bigger.

For example, our Reiki Course at the Laguna de Apoyo was an incredible mix of women, both local to Nicaragua and long-term turistas, all visionaries offering something unique and brave to the world.

The trip was a healthy mix of work and play, which allowed us to serve people from all over the world with mini private yoga sessions, meditations and mantra offerings, chakra balancing, Reiki practice, and card readings.

And so the week turned out exactly as it was supposed to all along! I’m overtaken by gratitude for this practice that allows me to learn again and again, each time deeper, how to fully step into the present moment and enjoy the beauty that surrounds me.

Thank you for being a part of the journey.

Peel Away the Layers – Modern Life and the 5 Koshas

As the holiday season rapidly approaches, it’s easy to see how hectic our lives are.

Even without the chaos of preparing for the perfect day, modern life tends to have a frenetic layer of haste. We find ourselves multi-tasking throughout the day. Add to that the layer of noise – from our children, friends, families, the news, your podcast, your playlist, the classic rock station playing while you shop.

With all of this hustle and bustle, it’s difficult to find the time to tune in to yourself. Each layer of distraction pulls you away from the present moment, from that constant serenity and peace, the infinite space and possibility imbued with Isha, the divine presence, that dwells within each of us.

It is with that in mind that my friend Paty and I set about creating a Retreat to Reconnect. We want to help you peel away the layers that are stopping you from connecting to your sacred self, so that when you step back into the beautiful whirr of your life, you step from a space of power and truth.

When we lose our connection to self, we might find ourselves reacting to small things with annoyance or frustration. Perhaps you’ve gone all day today without taking a full breath, or had a full conversation with somebody without really hearing a word.

If we spend weeks, months, or years in this state, it’s easy to lose track of your Dharma, the goal that is your life’s destiny.

Modern life is a constant distraction, and we all get sucked into the mundane. Continue reading “Peel Away the Layers – Modern Life and the 5 Koshas”