 This week in our yoga classes, we talked some about the Fall Equinox, which is today. I love the changing of the seasons, especially the transition from summer to fall. What the Fall Equinox means is that the amount of daylight is equal to the amount of darkness. Night and day are in balance.
I enjoy reading about this kind of stuff and how it relates to us. Similar to the effects that the moon cycles have on nature (and on people...ask any nurse or teacher you know!), the Fall Equinox has small shifts to pick up on as well. There is also a lot of symbolism that can you can connect to your own life. Here’s a summary of some really meaningful things that I’ve read over the last couple of years about the Fall Equinox. Maybe some of them will resonate with you as well.
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 This month, my local classes have been focusing on back extensions and I have enjoyed it so much I thought I’d pass along a few basic tips. I don’t know if they have noticed it, but just by giving our backbends more time and attention this month, they've gained a lot of mobility in their spines (shoutout to my local yoginis!). Seeing students improve is what makes yoga instructors happy.
Read on for some tips for your backbends...  My previous post on How To Set Up A Home Yoga Practice was a list of tips to help you thoughtfully plan out a space to practice in and how to implement it as a routine.
Consider this Starting a Home Practice, Part 2. As I wrote in my last post, the biggest obstacle I hear people mention to having a home yoga practice is simply: "I don’t know what to do." I also wrote that it’s best to attend a class with a trained instructor who can help you. Sometimes, though, life just gets busy and you’ll want to do your own thing. This list of poses is for those of you who are familiar with the basics of yoga. It's not an instructional piece on specific poses, or a how-to, but more of a guideline of poses that are done routinely in basic classes. I've put them together in a flowing format, meaning one pose naturally flows into the other for cohesiveness. Here’s a little gift to you… an easy, familiar sequence of poses that you can do on your own. But, seriously, don’t stop coming to class, ok?  Let's face it: even with the best of intentions, it’s hard to establish a home yoga practice. Making time for yourself in any form (like yoga or exercise) at home is tough. Life is busy, and many times exercising or practicing yoga gets bumped way down the priority list in the midst of never ending household to-dos. But making time for yourself is necessary to stay in balance.
Like anything else in life, it helps to make it as easy as possible. Eliminate hurdles that often pop up to make your practice more inviting and accessible. Read on for some tips to help you…  Summer Solstice means it’s International Day of Yoga! How beautiful to unite with yogis all over the world to celebrate... join in! You really have no excuse, it’s the longest day of the year...
 Scale Pose, also known as Tolasana, is a fantastic strength builder for the core, arms, and wrists. Yes you can do this pose! All it takes is a little practice... read on for some tips and modifications.
 If you had told me a few years ago I would be able to wrap my hands around the bottom of my feet, I wouldn't have believed you. (Thanks, Yoga, for improving my flexibility!) But this post is not about flexibility, it’s about preparing for Boat Pose. Here you’ll find a little help for getting into Boat and some counter poses for afterwards.
 Boat pose is awesome for building deep core strength. Read on for a quick reminder of proper form for boat and noting common misalignments.
 Boat Pose! A strength builder for the core, hip flexors and spine. Detailed how-to instructions in a minute, but first— three reasons why you should be doing Boat Pose.
Did you know that balance poses are grounding and calming? Lately, I’ve been feeling busy and scattered, so the classes I taught yesterday were mellow, slow flowing classes with lots of balance poses. We played in Warrior Three pose (Virabhadrasana III) some, which inspired this post.
If you practice balance poses often enough, they’ll increase your balance, coordination and strength. Plus, yogis have long believed that balance poses help with grounding, calming, and even relieve anxiety and nervousness. Here are a few reasons why... |