Surprised I'm not a chill person?A couple weeks ago we had some new friends over, friends we met through one of the yoga studios I work at, one of whom is familiar with the De(Stress) class series curriculum I'm bringing to the studio later this...
If you've wondered what is Restorative Yoga, here are some details.In a NutshellRestorative Yoga as a style is like a guided full relaxation through body, breath, and mind.For the BodyBody, because you set yourself up on the ground, comfy with pillows and blankets, in a...
Nonjudgmental AwarenessNonjudgmental awareness, noticing what you notice without calling it good or bad, right or wrong, helpful or hurtful.For example: three of my neighbors are using powered lawn equipment at eight in the morning. There's a prop airplane overhead. I'm experiencing irritation. I'm breathing.As opposed to:...
Raise your hand if you prefer novelty to familiarity. ::raises hand:: I do! Not in all things. I really like my home and studios to be familiar. But generally speaking, I have a tendency toward new things. New experiences, new projects, new books, new practices, new...
A clear and wonderful truthIf you read last week's blog post you know I've been reviewing my various notes from the past couple years and diving deeper into my study of the interconnected body. Through it all I've come to realize a very clear and...
First, a storyA couple Fridays ago I was talking to a friend and fellow yoga teacher about integration. You know, bringing the pieces together, making them talk. Finding the connection points. As our conversation unfolded, I recognized something in myself. I had been keeping my...
Breath, by James NestorI just finished reading a book called Breath by James Nestor, which tells the informative story of one man's years long process of understanding breathing. Let me tell you, if you're a mouth breather the book will feel shockingly grim. Nestor's well researched main ideas...
Stress and RelaxationWhen teaching people about their stress and relaxation responses I try to be careful not to demonize the stress side of things. It seems to me that in the "wellness world," we overemphasize the rest/digest response without touching into the importance of activating....
As I was watching the constantly changing shape of waves and weather at the central Oregon coast this past weekend, the word "form" popped into my head. As in: taking form, the form of things. The obvious: forms in yogaWe play with form a lot when...