THANK YOU to all who attended the January 23 Partner Yoga Workshop!  A great time was had by all!

View more pictures from the workshop HERE.

THIS IS 40….ON YOGA….

ANY QUESTIONS????????

Today I celebrate safe travels and a homecoming, and I’m sure this smile will continue all day long.

On days when I feel tired, or if my body is feeling the effects of teaching, I take a step back.  I remember that sometimes what I need to do is just to sit – to breathe, to calm, to restore, to meditate.  That practice is just as beneficial, and just as necessary, as moving through asanas (postures).  So that’s what I did tonight – I sat, I breathed, I meditated on a mantra – I enjoyed stillness.

Working one-on-one with people is such an amazing experience, as any teacher (or friend, for that matter) can attest to.  It gives you insight, and allows you to really focus on the specific needs of an individual.  I found that, while working one-on-one tonight, both of us were able to do some self-exploration.  We talked about physical challenges, and chakras, and how blocks in energy can manifest themselves physically.  And it led us both to some truth.  Truth that we are all working, on a daily basis, to reconcile old “stuff.”  Truth that this is a lifelong journey – this thing we call Yoga.  Truth that, no matter where you are on the path, there is always something to learn.

Thank you, to my student… for becoming a teacher and reminding me that I’m a student, too.

Namaste

I recalled part of a conversation I had with two great friends Sunday afternoon (Thanks, Theresa & Loretta!), and decided this morning I would “mix up” my practice.  I took out my Sivananda Companion to Yoga and moved through an entirely new practice.  While the postures themselves are the same, the sequencing of the poses is  much different than what I normally teach or practice.  For example, Headstand and Shoulderstand are the first poses you practice - I usually do Inversions at the end of practice.  Extended Triangle is the final pose – I would typically practice this standing pose right after Sun Salutations. 

Regardless of the sequencing, it was a wonderful practice.  I smiled the whole time, my awareness was on the inside – it was fabulous.

If you find that your practice is calling for a little variety, honor that call.  Try a new class, or buy a new dvd to practice along with at home, or follow along with a new book.  Every time you do this, your practice evolves and grows.

Yoga practice can be a great time to release the past.  It’s a great place for forgiveness.  If something troubling comes up, and you know it’s time to let it go, try to do it on the mat.  Say the words out loud – “I forgive you for….” or “I forgive myself for…”  Even if you need to do it every day until you feel it’s gone.  The time is now to let go of the past.

In addition to leading the practice, everyone at Sunrise Yoga practiced Karma Yoga, too!  As part of Global Mala Day, donations were accepted for the Yoga Health Foundation – an organization dedicated to providing mind/body fitness and wellness programs to at-risk youth.  In total, we raised $324!  That just happens to be 108 x 3 – no coincidence there.

A special thanks to all who attended.  Your dedication to your practice, your incredible energy, and your giving spirit made today a day of Karma Yoga.

Namaste.

If you’ve never practiced in/on sand, I highly recommend it!  Sand between your toes, the sound of the waves, the sun shining down upon you.  It’s a beautiful place to find connection with the earth, the sky, your TRUE self.