Massage therapy is proven to improve circulation, decrease chronic pain and generally help you feel like a million bucks! Catch up with Yoga One Wellness Team Member, Emily Gaspar and schedule your massage today.

1. Why did you decide to become a massage therapist?

In 2007 I moved out west with the intention of studying massage therapy in Hawaii. What a great excuse to live on a tropical island, I thought! I landed in Portland, Oregon and fell in in love with the city. There was an open house one day at East West College of the Healing Arts and I was so impressed by their program that I decided to stay in Portland and pursue my massage studies there.

I really decided to become a massage therapist because, outside of the normal bumps and bruises, I personally know the joy of living a pain-free life. The tools of massage education have enabled me to go forth and help others, which is an invaluable experience.

2. What benefits have you or your clients received from regular massage therapy?

It is always amazing to see the transformation in my clients before and after a massage. So many of us wait too long to get a massage and once we lay down on the table we ask ourselves why we waited this long! It is important not to beat ourselves up about this, but rather to use the time we have set aside to make some positive changes. Regular massage therapy gives our bodies the break they need to heal, restore and move forward with ease and productivity.

3. Do you have a favorite type of massage?

I love Thai Massage. One of my favorite instructors in college, Allison Lurie, specialized in Thai Massage and took groups of students to Thailand each year. She inspired me to take my own journey abroad to study and explore. What a beautiful country! The colors, smells, architecture, culture, people, and the incorporation of massage into every day life really made an impression on me. While traditional Thai Massage (think acupressure and assisted Yoga) is something special and unique, there are so many ways to incorporate Thai Massage into Deep Tissue Massage and other massage modalities.

That brings me to my second favorite type of massage, Deep Tissue. I hope that it is okay to have more than one? I’m not good at picking favorites! Another incredible instructor in college, Jonathan Primack, who drilled Kinesiology (the study of human movement) into all of his students taught me to use movement therapy in my own practice and explore areas on the body outside of the direct area of pain or tension. Everything in the body is connected and often times there are other structures impairing or affecting the area of focus.

4. Something interesting your clients might not know about you is: I ride a Vespa and have been playing alto saxophone for over 20 years!

5. What’s the best advice you give for how to really enjoy a massage?

Take deep breaths. Trust. Allow yourself to relax and let go. Ask questions! Oh, and I am also not noticing your body hair or anything else that might make you feel self conscious. 🙂 Thank you for taking the time to love and appreciate your body. Every body is beautiful and deserves a moment of respect.

by Olivia Cecchettini

“Yoga and Long Life” 

by Yogi Gupta

Summary: Books often have a way of coming into your life at just the right time, but I wish this book had found me sooner on my yoga journey!

“Yoga and Long Life” is best described as a “manual” but it covers a wide range of topics including the philosophy of yoga, food, health, and spirituality. My favorite quote is, “Through Yoga, a Hindu becomes a better Hindu, a Christian a better Christian, a Mohammedan a better Mohammedan, and a Jew a better Jew!”

As a yoga teacher, I’ve encountered a lot of people who fear trying yoga because they misunderstand it to be a religion. To me, yoga is a personal practice that creates more balance and compassion in my life – which I feel is compatible with every religion and culture.

I also resonated with Yogi Gupta’s knowledge of food and its effect on the mind, body, and spirit. He ate raw foods for twenty years and writes about the connection between a food’s color and its vibration. “[The color green] influences the heart, blood pressure and the emotions, and vitalizes the nerves. It also imparts wisdom, peace, harmony, sympathy and generosity.” No wonder green juice is so popular these days!

Why I love It: After twelve years of practicing yoga, I became a vegetarian. My friends and family couldn’t believe it (I am Italian and was raised on salami and parmesan cheese!). But yoga has helped me connect to my body and that has heightened my awareness about food choices. The transformation happened naturally and slowly. Reading “Yoga and Long Life” helped me more deeply understand why these transitions were happening in my life.

There are so many tips and tools I want to apply in my daily life, I highlighted passages I’d like to go back and read again. Sometimes I find yoga texts to be dense and I need to read them several times to fully grasp their meaning but this book flowed nicely and was very accessible – which I love.

Recommended For: Individuals who have been practicing yoga for awhile and are curious about why they like it so much!

Disconnection has become such a dangerous norm these days. It takes more discipline and compassion than ever to come back and live from our heart space. I recommend this book to those who are interested in self-study and truly connecting with the world around them.

I find most people connect with the physical yoga practice first and then want to know more about the how and why and what. For example, the yamas and niyamas. And if you have no idea what those are yet, then this book is perfect for you. I hope you enjoy it!

Olivia Cecchettini
Contributing Writer

Olivia’s yoga journey began in 2003. She is certified in Vinyasa, Hatha, and Aerial Yoga and holds a Masters degree in Spiritual Psychology. She believes the mind, body, soul connection is sacred and encourages her students explore and expand within their own bodies and consciousnesses.

guest post by Arati Lane

Om
Yoga was back then, in my youth, the stuff you did with the body
Bending, stretching and breathing
And I knew how to do that and shine and be happy
So easy, like playing

And the depths and wisdom yoga has to offer,
The philosophy and psychology of it and how to apply all that…
Came very slowly. With maturity, with time.
With the need of it.

The longing and struggle that turns oneself inward
Away from the illusions of the world.
Yoga for the feeling, yoga for the thinking…
I need it to go through life.

Transformation into motherhood without yoga would have been so
isolating.
I learned relationships can have a foundation in yoga.
My yoga teachers support me in every way even though they have no
physical body anymore.

It’s very profound to have my life immersed in yoga on every level:

When I am sick or hurt, yoga heals me
When I am afraid, yoga soothes me
When I am lost, yoga is my guide
When it is dark, yoga gives light
Where there is ignorance, yoga gives love.

by Laura McCorry

Anti-resolutions for the modern yogi

It’s good to reflect on where you’ve been and where you’d like to go – to identify the areas of your life where you’d like to see change. But too strong a focus on these things draws us into regret/shame about the past or anxiety/pressure about the future. 

Here are five things I don’t want to do in the coming year. The only way I can avoid them is by not doing them this very moment. There is only here. There is only now. The stroke of midnight will come and go, but the present moment is always with us and always extends the promise of change and of living life more abundantly. 

May you find balance and harmony, right where you are, right now.

1. Dream about things I want instead of doing them.

If you never take the risk, you can never be disappointed. It’s easy to talk or think about the big, incredible things you want to do or experience in life but not take steps towards accomplishing them. Almost any goal can be broken down into concrete small steps that will set you on the course to accomplishing it. Even if your goal is an experience like traveling, you can consciously save a little bit of money each week to work towards this goal.

2. Put off until tomorrow something that can be accomplished today.

On a related note – there’s almost no task more onerous than the repeated experience of thinking about and dreading it. The more you practice embracing the present moment for action, you practice cutting off anxiety at its source. Do your chores. Have the hard conversation. Make an appointment with the dentist. There’s no time like the present moment – in fact, yogis know that’s all there is.

3. Blame someone else for not doing the thing I expect or would like them to do. 

This one sounds ridiculous when you put it in words but it’s very common. Your partner didn’t do something the way you would have done it. Your friend hasn’t called to check on you and you’re feeling lonely. The weight of all these hidden disappointments is too much to carry around embittering your own heart. In the now-immortal words of Elsa, Let it go, let it goooo…

4. Try to adhere to a strict new schedule of eating/exercising/meditation/reading/etc. 

There’s a reason most people fail to keep up with their New Years resolutions by February – it’s because habits are so very strong. Do I want to eat healthy, delicious food, do more yoga and make a bigger dent in my reading list? Hell yeah! But trying to use January to force myself into compliance just isn’t going to work. There are other ways to bring about positive change in your life and all of them require attention throughout the year and not just on January 1st. Marianne Williamson captured the yogic philosophy by stating, “You must learn a new way to think before you can master a new way to be.”

5. Continue to think and operate on the scarcity mindset. 

All too often, we confuse abundance with scarcity. For example, scarcity thinks: I won’t invite my friend over because my house is messy. But focusing on abundance thinks: I have friends, a house, and everything I need and want for daily living. Each day you’re presented with the opportunity to view your life as a scarce commodity or an abundant one. You can guard, protect, and parcel out the best moments or you can celebrate, share, and be fully present for them. I know which one I need more of in this new year.

Laura McCorry
Contributing Writer

Yoga and Laura had an on-again-off-again relationship from 2004 until 2009 when they decided to move in together and there’s been no looking back since. Passionate about both yoga and writing, Laura loves to introduce others to the joys and benefits of yoga and healthy living.

Contact: laura@yogaonesandiego.com

by Olivia Cecchettini

“The Complete Guide to Yin Yoga”

by Bernie Clark

Summary: The Complete Guide to Yin Yoga provides a great in-depth look at the practice and benefits of Yin Yoga. All forms of yoga provide benefits on the physical, emotional, mental and spiritual levels but Yin Yoga is practiced at a reduced pace. Poses are held for up to five minutes at a time, which allows deep access to the body’s connective tissues, ligaments, fascia, joints, bones, energetic channels, meridians, nerves and even the blood system. Now that’s some serious body work!

The Complete Guide to Yin Yoga includes break downs of over 30 yin poses, making this book the perfect tool to help you slow down and bring your home practice to life.

Why I Love It: This book helps me slow down, a lesson that has never been easy. Over the past year and especially in the past six months, my life has become very full as I take on more classes and responsibilities. I couldn’t be more excited about all of this growth, but it can feel overwhelming at times. A Yin Yoga practice helps me stay grounded, balanced and clear. 

Recommended For: Anyone who needs some time for themselves (and isn’t that everyone during the holiday season?)

I remember taking a Yin Yoga class with a friend a few years ago. I thought it was so wonderful to finally slow down and be in my own energy. She, on the other hand, said the hour long class had felt like five hours! She found it so challenging to stay still and focus on her breath.

Whether you can relate to me or my friend, the benefits of Yin Yoga are still the same: improved range of motion, ease from chronic pain and an excellent opening guide to seated meditation. My suggestion is to try different styles of yoga and be open to new experiences. Welcome the ebbs and flows in everything you practice and remember, “life is a journey, not a destination.” Hope you enjoy taking some time to connect with yourself this month!

Olivia Cecchettini
Contributing Writer

Olivia’s yoga journey began in 2003. She is certified in Vinyasa, Hatha, and Aerial Yoga and holds a Masters degree in Spiritual Psychology. She believes the mind, body, soul connection is sacred and encourages her students explore and expand within their own bodies and consciousnesses.

by Monique Minahan

Where is your sacred space? How does it receive you from the world? How does it release you back into the world?

I’ve come to understand sacred space as anywhere we offer or receive love, listening, beauty or life. Sometimes that space has walls that hold us and sometimes it has arms.

The word sacred shares the same root as the word sacrifice. Sacrifice, as in making an offering, not as in being a martyr. In our sacred spaces sometimes we offer up and sometimes we receive.

Sacred space is wherever I feel held; by the earth, by another human, by the walls, by the trees, by open sky, by open minds.

It’s wherever I hold; the earth in my hands, my baby in my arms, the polarities of life in my heart.

It’s wherever I feel listened to, validated, encouraged, seen.

It’s where reality is respected, fear is faced and the impossible becomes possible.

It’s where grief is practiced, vulnerability is nourished and love is planted.

It’s bigger than a church, a mosque, a synagogue, a yoga class or a cluster of crystals and talismans.

It receives me however I am, wherever I am. It releases me back to the world equal parts human and being, with my own unique offering alive and beating in my heart.

This piece originally published on The Huffington Post.

Monique Minahan
Contributing Writer

Mo is a writer and yoga teacher who believes in peace over happiness and love over fear. She likes to set her sights high and then take small steps to get there. You’ll find her walking the dirt path behind her house with her little fluffy dog, practicing walking her talk by keeping her head high and her heart open. Contact: moniqueminahan.com

Ever find yourself at the end of the work day wishing the yoga studio was just a little bit closer to your office? What about having yoga classes available in your office?

Yoga One proudly offers high-quality yoga instruction on-site for local businesses. We’ve helped establish corporate yoga programs since 2002 for companies such as SDG&E, SEMPRA, and Cox Communications.

Establishing an onsite class is easier than you might think! There are many different models of cost sharing available between employee and employer. All you need is an open space (often a conference room!) and you and your team can experience the joys and benefits of yoga:

Benefits to Employee

• Decreased stress
• Promotes a healthy lifestyle
• Improved strength and flexibility
• Sense of peace and relaxation
• Improved listening and communication skills
• Increased energy
• Better emotional balance
• Leave class feeling refreshed and renewed!

Benefits to Employer

• Increased productivity
• Increased workplace satisfaction
• Fewer employee sick days
• Promotes a positive office environment
• Excellent team-building experience
• Your office will love it!

Contact Michael Caldwell to set up yoga at your workplace today! Phone: 619-544-0587 or email: info@yogaonesandiego.com

guest post by Missy DiDonato

During this month of November, we’re reminded to give thanks. I count myself lucky that I’m grateful for my family, friends, my body and breath. These things are so important, but also obvious in a way.

I was taught to look for the good in everything. This year, I’m trying to find the positives in the unpleasant and downright annoying experiences of life. Here’s my top three unexpected situations I’m grateful for this season:

TRAFFIC: The sound of the word alone probably sparks an ugly feeling inside you, as it does me. Like many other San Diegans, I drive a lot, so being stuck in traffic happens often. I use traffic and driving in general to practice patience and compassion. I’ve come to the realization that no one wants to be in traffic – we all have destinations and other places we’d rather be. So instead of complaining and yelling (which is my first instinct) I simply put on some mood music and try to enjoy just being. I am grateful for the time to relax and listen to good music.

JERKS ON YELP: We recently got a yelp review that rocked my world! The guy was a pretentious asshole who didn’t have any traction for his opinion of the teacher whose class he almost attended. My first response was to be defensive, angry and sad. After I calmed down, I asked myself why a rude comment on the internet upset me so much. I realized it was because I have created a life filled with people who are supportive and non-judgmental. I am grateful for my family, friends and colleagues who show me their love on a daily basis.

DIVORCE: Now this one is pretty unique to my experience. Divorce may have had a different impact on your life. The divorce in my life happened to both of my parents before I was born. They were both married and divorced before they met each other, so I wouldn’t be here without it! They both had children with their previous partners, which helped create the large family that I have today. I embraced their exes as parents, so I got double the love. My second mom has taken me around the world which has been a huge influence on who I am today. My dad’s ex-wife remarried a man who was also divorced and had two sons whom I now consider my brothers. We are lucky because there is a mutual respect for all the ex and current spouses. As hard as it can be for families to separate and recombine, I am grateful for divorce because it has given me the loving family that I have today.

Missy DiDonato
Guest Writer

Missy began practicing yoga at home when she was fourteen, following along to a DVD in her living room. She has since completed two separate 200 hour Yoga Teacher Trainings with UCSD and Yoga One. Missy loves helping others find their own yogic path and students of all levels appreciate her warm and friendly teaching style.

by Laura McCorry

As a new yoga teacher, I was in love with everything yoga. I wanted to soak it all in and learn as much as I possibly could so that when my training was over, I could go out into the world and help people move and feel better in their bodies.

I diligently memorized all the Sanskrit names and their English translations. I practiced saying both names whenever I taught a class (and I’m a bit embarrassed to think how many Sanskrit names I’ve now forgotten). But there was one pose, one name, for which I always used the Sanskrit: savasana.

After yoga and namaste, it’s probably the most-recognized Sanskrit word, so you can get away with not saying its translation. I’ve used “final relaxation” to explain savasana in many classes. But here are the words I’ve avoided saying for so many years:

Corpse Pose.

I was reminded of the proper translation this week. I had just finished leading a restorative yoga class and everyone in the room was lying down on their mats, not moving. This is the most relaxing part of yoga, the culmination of the previous hour and the time when the body receives the greatest benefit from the practice.

And I remembered that savasana meant corpse pose and I felt a chill go up my spine to see a room full of people, essentially “practicing” death. In that moment, I realized how much easier it was for me to be the teacher, to sit on my mat and stay “awake” so I could guide them out of savasana when the time was right.

My level of comfort with death ranges from “not very” to “nope, this is not even a little bit okay.” And I know I’m not alone. Our culture pushes death outside the realm of public discourse. We cover it up in medical jargon and leave death in the hands of hospice and the funeral home – anything to create some distance between us, the living, and the-thing-we-fear-above-all- fears.

So there’s something profoundly radical about the practice of yoga ending each session with the practice of death.

It flies in the face of popular culture which would rather pay attention to the youngest, newest, brightest thing under the sun. Which helps explain why savasana at some of the trendier, more corporate-feeling yoga studios can be so short – sometimes no more than two minutes.

How long savasana should last is a matter of debate in the yoga world, but the goal is long enough for you (your essence/spirit/soul) to surrender you (the body/mind). To truly practice corpse pose, you must recognize your Self as separate from your body. This acknowledgement can take years to manifest because we are very attached to our bodies in both a literal and psychological sense.

One of yoga’s primary tenets is the yama of non-attachment, aparigraha. It is natural for us to cling to things, to hold on tight to the people we love and the experiences of our body. But yoga teaches that You are not your body. In order to be free, to experience samadhi, or union with the divine, you must let go. Surrender. And yes, even practice death.

I believe that fear and discomfort can only ever hold us back from the fullness of life. We are meant to be alive. We are meant to fully enjoy this beautiful world and to live abundantly. I hope that over time, this practice of yoga continues to mold me, body, mind and spirit until I can one day acknowledge death without fear. Until the practices of living and dying can peacefully coexist that I might move with greater ease through this experience of life. And I wish the same for you.

**This post was partly inspired by Contributing Writer, Monique Minahan’s piece When I’m Gone Please Don’t Have a Funeral on Huffington Post. Thank you Monique for always writing from your heart!

Laura McCorry
Contributing Writer

Yoga and Laura had an on-again-off-again relationship from 2004 until 2009 when they decided to move in together and there’s been no looking back since. Passionate about both yoga and writing, Laura loves to introduce others to the joys and benefits of yoga and healthy living.

Contact: laura@yogaonesandiego.com

Sparkling, shiny, sensitive, steely, steadfast, seaworthy, smiling, super…and these are just the adjectives that begin with “s” that can be used to describe the sensational and interesting, Robin Doten. She loves to explore and experience life and brings those receptive and friendly qualities to her teaching. You’ll have to wake up early for her 6:30am Flow class on Tuesdays, but you’ll be glad you did! Check out our full class schedule here.

1. What is your favorite style of yoga?

I really enjoy Vinyasa Flow. I love the heat and energy it creates in my body and I find the linking of my breath with the movements helps me to focus my mind, de-stress and feel balanced. Vinyasa feels like a smooth flowing dance which guides me through a moving meditation.

2. What first attracted you to yoga when you began your practice?

I was invited by a close friend to attend some of her yoga classes she was taking regularly and I loved how I felt after class. My fascination with yoga really grew as I was seeking an activity that could strengthen my body yet not cause damage to my joints. I realized yoga was a low impact exercise that I could do for the rest of my life.

As I started doing more yoga, I heard about Yoga One’s Teacher Training and decided to learn all I could by attending the training! Soon I was diving into a much deeper practice and a better understanding of Yogic teachings and principles. Yoga became an all-encompassing life perspective and I was hooked on its ability to bring me peace and happiness.

3. What is your favorite yoga pose right now?

Savasana (corpse pose) or final relaxation, is my favorite pose right now. It may sound like a joke, because I didn’t take it seriously or see its full benefits before, but now it means so much to me. I find it to be my reset button. After practicing yoga or taking a class, savasana is my time to fully surrender and be still. I feel the support of the Earth and an immense gratitude for my body and its ability to carry me through my yoga practice! While in corpse pose I am completely at ease and feel balanced, this makes me feel so clear, connected and open to the present moment.

4. What pose is still the most challenging?

Bakasana or crow pose is the most challenging for me. I can do it, but it doesn’t feel good in my body. It bruises the back of my arms and I tend to avoid it. I have been telling myself that if I practice crow pose it will start to feel better and in time I will be doing a jump back to chaturanga dandasana (which looks so cool!) but for now, it’s just a goal.

5. If you were an animal, you would be:

There are so many animals that I identify with but the characteristics of a dog seem the most suitable. They are loyal, intelligent companions, who can offer assistance, and are always excited to see the people they love. Dogs are easy to please and happiness moves through their entire body from the tip of their nose to their wagging tail. I love how dogs make people so happy, too!

6. Describe what yoga means in your life using just 6 words: Peacefulness, Openness, Balance, Connection, Unity and Joy

7. What might your students be surprised to learn about you?

That I’ve been bitten by the travel bug and have visited over 30 countries. I once wanted to live abroad and travel so much, I went to Europe in search of work. The only job I could get as a foreigner that would allow me to see more of the world was as a “yachtie” and crew on mega yachts all over the Mediterranean.

The Med was so beautiful, but soon the yachting season ended in that region, so I followed it over to the Bahamas where I continued to crew. Once, I was hired for a two week stay on a private island called Indigo Island with Johnny Depp, Vanessa Paradis and their children! Of all the people I encountered while on this adventure, they were the most gracious.

8. Do you have any words of wisdom or advice for new students?

The best advice I can give is something I remind myself of daily – to create a habit or practice of my own. Be open to learning and trying new poses. Let go of your ego, it will always hold you back and creates judgment of yourself and others. Be a positive influence for yourself and those around you and most of all, just have fun!

From the bottom of our hearts, we want to say thank you to all of our readers and supporters both online and at Yoga One’s studio!

We couldn’t offer this weekly blog without the entire community behind us. You inspire us with your dedication to this life-changing practice of yoga and healthy-living. Thank you for showing up, for reading, for living out your yoga both on and off the mat and sharing your experiences.

Let us know what you’d like to see more of and where you think we’re doing a good job or need to improve! We welcome all comments, questions and submissions.

We look forward to continuing to publish engaging interviews, book reviews, top quality yoga instruction, meditations for your everyday life and stories of personal transformation.

To celebrate, here’s a look back at some of our Top Posts this past year:

1. Yogi Reads: Yoga Girl
2. Top 10 Yoga Myths – Part One
3. Top 10 Yoga Myths – Part Two
4. Yoga Keeps Me Sane: My Post-Baby Practice
5. The Power of Intention
6. Are You Holding Yourself Back From Greatness?
7. Eight Limbs of Yoga for a Whole Being
8. 2015 Yoga One Teacher Training Perspectives
9. Yes to You: A Yoga Teacher’s Poem
10. Mantra Monday: Let the Light In

Namaste,

All of Us at Yoga One

by Olivia Cecchettini

“Yoga & Ayurveda: Self-Healing and Self-Realization” 

by David Frawley

Summary: Yoga & Ayurveda is an excellent primer for those new to either topic. Known as the “sister sciences,” Yoga and Ayurveda have been practiced together for centuries to bring the whole person into a state of health and wellbeing. This book summarizes the most important tenets of each practice and gives intelligent ways to implement its teachings into your everyday life. It also contains enough pictures of yoga poses to support a beginning home practice.

Why I Love It: With the rising popularity of Yoga in the western world, I believe it’s important to show how Ayurveda is a necessary and hugely beneficial complementary practice. From the seasoned practitioner to the brand new beginner, both disciplines are relevant to contemporary spiritual practice and healthy living.

I especially enjoyed the chapter on chanting – finding my voice as a teacher has been a journey of constantly going deeper and accessing that true connection within. Using the techniques from Yoga & Ayurveda, I’ve learned so much more about my unique constitution and how I can best support this body from my diet to my skin care routine.

As they say, knowledge is power. Empower yourself to heal yourself.

Recommended For: Anyone wanting to know more about the harmonious interplay between Yoga and Ayurveda and their healing magic for the human body and experience. Even though the two practices are different and unique, it is their combination that will catapult growth and change into your life.

These practices may come and go or may become part of your routine – either way, this book is a good reminder to keep coming back to self-love and self-care. This “coming home” into our own hearts ripples out through our environment and the practice of healing oneself becomes the practice of healing the world. 

 

Olivia Cecchettini
Contributing Writer

Olivia’s yoga journey began in 2003. She is certified in Vinyasa, Hatha, and Aerial Yoga and holds a Masters degree in Spiritual Psychology. She believes the mind, body, soul connection is sacred and encourages her students explore and expand within their own bodies and consciousnesses.

by Laura McCorry

One of my teachers used to begin class with two simple questions: Where are you?

At work, at home, at the grocery store. At yoga, waiting for class to begin. So many thoughts and plans running through my head. My body carried me to class, through the motions of walking, driving, talking, sitting, without any special notice or conscious direction.

Where are you?

His voice was clear and strong. The entire class answers back with one voice:

Here.

Then the next question: What time is it?

Morning, afternoon, after work. I’m in the middle of something, still working it out, making plans. Thinking about someone, wishing, worrying. Early with nothing to do then running late and feeling anxious. The day slips away hour by hour until I rush to make it before they close the door and hastily sit down on my mat.

What time is it?

The room has grown quiet and still. I’m aware of everyone in the room and how our disparate thoughts and experiences have all been submerged into this one experience, together. We answer:

Now.

Laura McCorry
Contributing Writer

Yoga and Laura had an on-again-off-again relationship from 2004 until 2009 when they decided to move in together and there’s been no looking back since. Passionate about both yoga and writing, Laura loves to introduce others to the joys and benefits of yoga and healthy living.

Contact: laura@yogaonesandiego.com

by Laura McCorry

Have you always admired that person with the clutter-free, minimalist home but assumed it was a mythical ideal you’d never achieve? Minimalism doesn’t have to be a complete lifestyle change that has you throwing out all your stuff!

Increasing your awareness of how you interact with objects in everyday life can be hugely beneficial to your yoga practice, too. Minimalism is essentially the practice of Aparigraha – the yogic principle of non-hoarding, or non-possesiveness, and one of the five Yamas which describe a code of moral behavior.

Here are five easy steps you can take to make a minimalist impact on your day to day:

1. Identify everyday chores and do them everyday. Make the bed. Do the dishes. These will be different for everyone, but choose no more than five chores that you consider essential to enjoying your time at home. Take the time to accomplish these tasks first and then allow yourself to enjoy their completion. Learning to appreciate the everyday maintenance work you do is an important step towards feeling content with what you already have.

2. Take note of your shopping and buying habits. When do you accumulate more items in your home? Write down or think about everything new to cross your threshold in the last two weeks and decide if these items were things that you needed or things that you wanted. Becoming aware of the accumulation process will help you reduce the number of new things you bring into your home in the first place, which goes a long way towards eliminating the need to sort and downsize.

3. Start a give-away box and actually give it away. One of the major tenets of minimalism is actually down-sizing and living with less (surprise!). Pick a room or a closet or even just a shelf and get rid of any object you haven’t used in the last year. You can even start this task by mentally sorting ahead of time and then moving quickly through the manual sorting into keep and giveaway. Anything you couldn’t remember being in that location should automatically be considered for giveaway.

Another technique is to take everything out of the space, clean it thoroughly and then only put back what you want to keep. At the end of the day, take the box to your local thrift store. Take the time to enjoy your newly refreshed space.

4. Identify and eliminate redundancies. It’s natural to desire change and to update items in your home with the newest or trendiest version. If this is important to you, it doesn’t mean you can’t be a minimalist! The trick is to let go of the older version or the excess of what you already have.

Pick a category of items and decide how many of those items you need for your household to function well. Some categories to consider: cleaning supplies, linens, clothing, mugs or dish ware, and entertainment items like books, CDs and DVDs. When you change your focus from trying to carefully re-organize a closet to fit all the things to identifying the function of each thing, it becomes easy to see duplicates (or even triplicates) that can be let go.

5. Use sorting as an opportunity to give a gift to a friend. Sometimes just giving away items can feel overwhelming, especially if they were a gift or have sentimental value. For example, I recently decided to significantly downsize my jewelry and only keep what I regularly wear. There were many pieces with meaning from an earlier time in my life which I didn’t wear anymore and a surprising number of pieces I’d never liked in the first place. Some went straight to giveaway but others I chose to send to close friends who might enjoy them, writing a short note to say hello at the same time. It was a great way to pass on the jewelry I didn’t want to give away as well as reaffirm old friendships.

If you’re just getting started on your minimalist journey, start small and feel proud when you attempt even one of these suggestions. It takes time and dedication to see all the ways our mainstream “more is better” culture influences daily life. If you get stuck along the way, repeat this minimalist mantra: have nothing in your home that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful.

Laura McCorry
Contributing Writer

Yoga and Laura had an on-again-off-again relationship from 2004 until 2009 when they decided to move in together and there’s been no looking back since. Passionate about both yoga and writing, Laura loves to introduce others to the joys and benefits of yoga and healthy living.

Contact: laura@yogaonesandiego.com

From the first time you meet Kathi Diamant (or see her on KPBS TV) her sparkling eyes alert you to her intelligence and vibrant energy. That energy further manifests in an apparent and tangible eternal youthfulness. As Franz Kafka stated, “Youth is happy because it has the ability to see beauty. Anyone who keeps the ability to see beauty never grows old.”

Come to her Qigong class on Wednesdays at 9am to try this wonderfully vibrant practice. Check out our full class schedule here.

1. Let’s start with the basics, what is Qigong?

Qigong translates as “energy” (qi or chi) and “work” (gong), but I prefer to think of it as “energy play.” It has been used for centuries as an integral part of Traditional Chinese Medicine, prescribed both for the prevention and cure of chronic illnesses. Comprised of flowing movements designed to balance both hemispheres of the brain, Qigong is exercise that works from the inside out.

It truly is a practice available for everyone, at any age. It can be practiced sitting or standing, and no prior experience is required. We learn three things in Qigong: balance, letting go, and feeling our own energy. Through Qigong, we learn to differentiate between the Yin and Yang energy flowing in the body, and to integrate mind and body in a moving meditation.

2. What first attracted you to Qigong when you began your practice?

I took a Qigong class through the YMCA and I loved the experience of relaxation and focus at the same time. It was a perfect complement to my yoga practice, but also a different sort of workout. In Qigong, there is no effort, no force, you build strength and balance through letting go.

My real practice began in January 2000 when I started lessons in Tai Chi with Henry Cheng, a Fifth Generation Master in Wu-Style Tai Chi Chu’an at the YMCA Mind-Body Center. Master Henry specializes in developing, cultivating and increasing one’s own energy. Qigong is the concept, or idea, behind Tai Chi which is known as a form of Qigong.

3. What is your favorite place or time of day to practice?

My favorite places are outside, especially near old trees, which intensify the feeling of energy. But my absolute favorite is on the beach, at sunset. Sunrise is good, too, but it happens far less often!

4. What’s the most challenging aspect for you?

Focusing my mind. While my body has gotten much stronger and healthier, focusing my mind on my breath and movement is the real trick. New studies have shown that thinking about what you intend to think about produces higher levels of happiness, satisfaction and peacefulness. So the mind aspect of this mind/body exercise is the most challenging.

5. If you were an animal, you would be: a dolphin, definitely.

6. Describe what Qi Gong means in your life using just 6 words: playing with energy keeps me healthy.

7. What might your students be surprised to learn about you?

I have written a biography entitled “Kafka’s Last Love” which has been translated and published in ten countries, and since 1998 I have been the director of the Kafka Project at SDSU, where I lead the international search for Franz Kafka’s literary treasure, stolen by the Gestapo in 1933.

8. Do you have any words of wisdom or advice for new students?

By practicing Qigong, you can improve your health, your happiness, and the quality of your longevity. Without effort, without force, and without any special equipment!

There are so many messages that our society sends women about their bodies and how they should look and perhaps one of the most vulnerable times to hear these messages is when you’ve just had a baby. Case in point, just recently a reviewer on Yoga One’s yelp page wrote about leaving class because the teacher was out of shape and therefore couldn’t be an experienced teacher. The reviewer had never been to the studio before. That teacher happens to have over a decade of experience and a beautiful six month old.

Help us share real stories like this one and support all individuals in their journey to lead happier and healthier lives. We want to hear your experiences with body image and/or postpartum recovery in the comments or by email (info@yogaonesandiego.com). If you’ve taken class at Yoga One, please consider posting your feedback online, Facebook, Yelp, Google, etc., we’d love to hear your thoughts! 

Part three in a series of reflections on pregnancy, childbirth and yoga from Missy DiDonato. Be sure to read her prenatal article and a just-after postpartum article.

guest post by Missy DiDonato

One year later (damn, already?!) I can say this about postpartum recovery and overall wellness – it’s not for sissies! 

Before giving birth, I had expected that my body would go back to what I still considered “normal.” I wouldn’t have the aches and pains I’d experienced during pregnancy and I assumed that with some time and effort, I would eventually be the same size and weight as before. But I was naïve to how long it would actually take and I had to adjust my expectations.

I had a cesarean and they cut my stomach muscles to deliver my baby. Abrupt, I know, but I needed to say those words to myself in order to process the experience. The initial weeks of recovery and healing from the c-section were easier than I anticipated and I was able to get back on my mat practicing yoga after just six weeks. I took it slow and thought that by allowing myself enough time to heal, my body would go back to the way it was pre-baby. But a year later, I’m still struggling with both the expectation and physical experience of “getting my body back.”

My biggest setback physically is the ongoing work of mending and strengthening my abdominal muscles. Their lack of stability often causes acute low back pain. I’m constantly reminding myself to get up after sitting for too long (an epidemic really, among anyone who sits too long at their desk or in a car.) I’ve had a couple of debilitating moments where I had to seek medical treatment with acupuncture and massage. This, coupled with proper yoga asanas to strengthen my ab muscles and stretch my hips and hamstrings, has kept the pain at bay. But sometimes I feel as though this pain will be a consistent reminder of what my body miraculously performed.

Don’t get me wrong, I don’t feel bad about my body. It’s given me a healthy baby girl and for that, I am forever grateful. I do get bummed when I realize my belly is no longer the adorable object of affection.

Just as my body had to make space for the experience of carrying a life, my postprtum body needed time to adjust to a new version of life with different activities, patterns and eating habits. It’s been a challenge to fit healthy eating into a much busier day to day life. Making time for workouts and time for me often falls by the wayside simply because I miss her. So we take more walks and do yoga in the park. 

My priority is Olive and I remind myself that I have to be physically and spiritually strong to care for her like she deserves. My physical appearance is no longer my top concern, but the health of my body matters.

If I could say one thing to new moms, it’s that adjusting to your new schedule will be difficult, but remember that you gave birth, and that’s not for sissies! You got this!

 

Missy DiDonato
Guest Writer

Missy began practicing yoga at home when she was fourteen, following along to a DVD in her living room. She has since completed two separate 200 hour Yoga Teacher Trainings with UCSD and Yoga One. Missy loves helping others find their own yogic path and students of all levels appreciate her warm and friendly teaching style.

by Olivia Cecchettini

“Light on Life: The Yoga Journey to Wellness, Inner Peace, and Ultimate Freedom” 

by B. K. S. Iyengar

Summary: Known throughout the world as one of the great yoga teachers, B. K. S. Iyengar touched many lives through his teachings and writings. In Light on Life, Iyengar shares his insight into the body, mind and spirit connection acquired throughout his lifetime of practice and teaching yoga. Exploring the spiritual and mental aspects of yoga, this book is the perfect counterpoint to Iyengar’s Light on Yoga, which focused on the physical practice. Written in a conversational tone, I felt as though I were sitting in one of his classes, enjoying each anecdote as they were revealed in his mind and heart.

Why I Love It: Timing is everything! They say that “when the student is ready, the teacher will appear.” I had tried to read this book many times but it didn’t hold my attention. It sat next to my bed for months until the day I decided to give it another try. Suddenly, I couldn’t put it down. I soaked up every word like a sponge. I had been feeling a lull in my teaching at the time and this book re-sparked my passion and sense of purpose. That connection made me love this book – you never know just when you’re ready to receive the message intended for you.

Recommended For: I recommend this book for anyone who is looking to discover yoga beyond asana (the physical poses.) Oftentimes, it is the physical practice that draws people in, but the sense of connection to a wider community, the deep sense of wellbeing and peace obtained from the mental and spiritual side of yoga is what keeps me coming back. This month I invite you to go deeper with your practice and your life!

Olivia Cecchettini
Contributing Writer

Olivia’s yoga journey began in 2003. She is certified in Vinyasa, Hatha, and Aerial Yoga and holds a Masters degree in Spiritual Psychology. She believes the mind, body, soul connection is sacred and encourages her students explore and expand within their own bodies and consciousnesses.

by Laura McCorry

What’s weighing you down? That idea pushed to the back of your mind that hasn’t left. Maybe it’s been days or months. Maybe you’ve been thinking about this thing you’d like to change for years.

Sometimes we let ourselves be defined by conditions and labels that have grown up over the years like weeds. They come from family, co-workers or friends – sometimes they have even been planted by our own hand in the night. The weeds grow up around the bloom of your true self and cut off the light.

You are the gardener of your soul. Approach your inner landscape fearlessly and take stock of everything growing there.

Keep the healthy growth: the relationships still in bloom that bring you joy, those habits and ideas that feed your passions with their abundant produce.

Prune back anything that doesn’t fit your true self, the person you’d like to be. Clear away doubt, anger, resentment and guilt. Let go of old sorrows that have ripened and fallen to the ground. Dig down into the earth of your being and rake away the last remnants of any bad seed.

These things weigh on your heart because they are not rightfully a part of you. A gardener’s work is never done. Each day you must go out and pull up small intrusions. Each day you must show up and begin again.

Laura McCorry
Contributing Writer

Yoga and Laura had an on-again-off-again relationship from 2004 until 2009 when they decided to move in together and there’s been no looking back since. Passionate about both yoga and writing, Laura loves to introduce others to the joys and benefits of yoga and healthy living.

Contact: laura@yogaonesandiego.com

by Monique Minahan

We all wear our stories in some way or another, don’t we? They make us who we are (and sometimes keep us from becoming who we can be if we let them define us too narrowly.)

I started making what I call “Life Malas” because each marker is placed for a life event. I used yellow jade for manipura chakra (solar plexus), green jade for anahata chakra (heart), green ruby zoisite for sahasrara chakra (crown), and a spiral shell I found on the beach because it feels like home.

I made this one for me, so I placed the green jade marker beads at the times when my life and heart were busted open. Marker 1 is at 25, the age I was when Nathan died. Marker 2 is at 37, when my baby was born. Marker 3 is at 98, the age of my great-grandmother, born in 1917, who is breathing her last breaths this year.

Stringing the beads under the darkness of a new moon, it occurred to me that at one of these beads I will pass away myself (and that this life is not a dress rehearsal, so I’ve got to live it right the first time.)

There are 108 beads in a mala, and if I get to see bead 98 like my grandma, I’ll count myself very lucky. I’ll still count myself lucky to see 39 this month.

I made this mala necklace to remind me that both loss and life are part of the same cycle. They coexist beautifully if I let them, and if I practice embracing both rather than inviting one and rejecting the other, I get to experience the full depth of being human instead of just skimming the surface.

My life mala is an outward representation of the integrity, cohesiveness and beauty that emerges when I allow every experience to support the next one. Broken or fragmented as they appear at times, when I view them all together they form this fragile but beautiful thing called life.

Monique Minahan
Contributing Writer

Mo is a writer and yoga teacher who believes in peace over happiness and love over fear. She likes to set her sights high and then take small steps to get there. You’ll find her walking the dirt path behind her house with her little fluffy dog, practicing walking her talk by keeping her head high and her heart open. 

Read more from Monique on her blog, mindfulmo.com

 

by Michael Caldwell

It’s no secret that San Diego is practically paradise. Boasting beautiful beaches stretching over 70 miles and a temperate year-round climate that sees the sun shine approximately 146 days a year, there are worse places to be. Over 30 million visitors flock to San Diego each year with attractions like Sea World, Lego Land, the San Diego Zoo, Wild Animal Park and the annual mega-event Comic Con pulling in large crowds.

But which San Diego spots do the locals savor? Check out these five area attractions that promise a glimpse into what could be your everyday life when you live in America’s Finest City.

1. Yoga One (of course!) 

This award-winning studio offers a variety of top-quality yoga classes located in the heart of downtown. You can chill in a beginner-friendly Gentle or Restorative class held on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. Get your mantra motoring in one of the Flow or Vinyasa classes held daily. Want to see the sun as you perform your sun salutations? Take the Rooftop Yoga Class, held Sundays at 9am at the Hotel Solamar. Stay and use the pool afterwards and enjoy a beverage from the bar. Yin and Yang, baby! Yoga One has been helping San Diego residents and visitors live healthier and happier lives since 2002. Their bi-annual Yoga One Teacher Training draws students from all over the world, including Spain, Ireland and Japan! Watch out Comic Con!

2. Tide Pools at Cabrillo National Monument

There are so many choices when it comes to beaches in San Diego, you might not know where to start: La Jolla Shores, Pacific Beach, Ocean Beach and of course, the iconic Coronado Beach boasting the Hotel Del Coronado, just to name a few! But venture out to Cabrillo National Monument on Point Loma and you’re in for a real treat. At the top of the bluff, you’ll witness a stunning view of San Diego and North Island and you can tour the historic lighthouse. Venture down to the water (you can hike or bike or drive) and you’ll encounter beautiful cliffside rock formations and tide pools filled with marine life. During the winter season, you might even catch a glimpse of migrating grey whales!

3. Julian and Cuyamaca Rancho State Park

A short 60 mile drive northeast of San Diego and the entire landscape changes. First time visitors could be forgiven for not realizing they are still in San Diego County. With a population of less than 2,000 and trees, mountains and apple pies a-plenty, prepare to be befuddled and bewildered. This charming, one-time gold mining town also has a colorful history featuring African American founders such as Albert and Margaret Robinson who built and operated one of the town’s first hotels. Hike, bike, eat apple pies and baked goods. What’s not to like?

4. San Diego Craft Breweries and Beer

There are over 100 breweries from which to booze, err… um… choose and more on the way. San Diego has become an international hot spot for craft beer. International people! Take that Belgium! Check out the SDSU based documentary “Kings of the Craft” featuring some San Diego based hoppy-weights (hee-hee, get it?) Stone, Ballast Pointe, Modern Times and Karl Strauss, etc.

If you love craft beer, (and don’t say you don’t while in San Diego city limits) then please don’t go alone into some of the more well-stocked liquor stores. Many carry over 1,000 beer options. You could very well get lost, likely stunned and possibly frozen by the possibilities. Use the buddy system. Set a time to leave. Leave a trail of bread crumbs to find your way out. Every year hundreds of visitors to San Diego never leave because they are lost in a craft beer o-plenty liquor store (it might happen). You’ve been warned.

P.S. San Diego is becoming a distilling upstart as well, oh and we have wine! Can you say Temecula?

5. Balboa Park 

On any given day, you will find San Diego locals and visitors outside and just enjoying the fresh air, blue skies and plenitude of recreational activities in Balboa Park. The Balboa Park Fact Sheet says it’s “the nation’s largest urban cultural park in the nation.” A gorgeous green space set aside downtown, Balboa Park offers a wide variety of activities to pursue including hiking, gardens, fountains, sports, play grounds, velodrome, frisbee golf, drum circles, people watching, bocce ball, volleyball, etc. That doesn’t even do it justice. There are 15 museums for Pete’s sake and much more, in fact, too much to list so visit the fact sheet, playa and have yourself a ball.

Michael Caldwell
Contributing Writer

Yoga teacher and Co-Founder of Yoga One, Michael has been practicing yoga and incorporating its philosophy into his life since 1997. His kind and gentle manner is well suited to leading students of all levels. Michael has published numerous articles on a variety of subjects including yoga, meditation and rock n roll.

MC Hammer may have said it best, and perhaps could have been referring to Dina Weldin when he rapped, “too legit to quit.” Dina is legit. She is a warm, caring, positive and authentic individual. She is beautiful inside and out and is far too legit to quit being wonderful. Step onto your mat with Dina Weldin this month on Wednesdays at 7pm for a mixed level Flow class. Check out our full class schedule here.

1. What is your favorite style of yoga?

Right now my favorite style of yoga is Vinyasa. I began with Iyengar and thoroughly appreciate that style but I enjoy the constant flow and movement with my breath during a Vinyasa practice. It is more of a challenge for me to control my breath when in constant movement so I appreciate that aspect of Vinyasa as well.

2. What first attracted you to yoga when you began your practice?

My mom was a yogi for most of my teenage life and I grew up watching her practice and hearing all about how much she enjoyed this thing called “yoga.” My mom convinced me to go to a class with her when I was home on a college break and just like that, I was moved. It wasn’t about the physical aspect for me. I felt the connection of mind, body, and breath in yoga and it was unlike anything I had experienced in any other physical exercise. I also left the class feeling more sore than every before – talk about using muscles you never knew you had!

3. What is your favorite yoga pose right now?

This changes with any given day! I love a good headstand and being upside down on most days. On this very day in my practice, I would say blossoming lotus pose. It is a perfect mix of balance, hip opening, and the beauty a lotus flower represents in general is inspiring to me. Not to mention, every time I teach this pose, I can’t help but smile at all my students that really look like little lotus flowers blooming! It makes me so happy to see.

4. What pose is still the most challenging?

Handstand! It gets me every time! You can find me in a handstand for no longer than 10 seconds before I lose my balance (and that’s on a good day!) Practice, practice, practice. This is what I keep repeating to myself when I try my handstands. It will come when it’s time.

5. If you were an animal, you would be: a DOG! Cliche, I know. But when I look at my dog and she looks back at me, I know she can understand what I’m saying. Dogs are on another level, far wiser than us humans at times I’m sure!

6. Describe what yoga means in your life using just 6 words: Unity with our mind, body, & breath

7. What might your students be surprised to learn about you?

I have been to Egypt every other year since I was born and I can speak Arabic! I have ten piercings (all in my ears!) but I rarely wear earrings in all of them. Oh, and me and forward folds are not friends! We are learning to get along though, slowly but surely.

8. Do you have any words of wisdom or advice for new students?

Practice every moment you can – at home, without a mat, in a park, in a studio, in the airport, wherever – just practice! Without practice it is difficult to achieve that sense of true connection. Never feel the need to push your body any further than it wants to go. Really listen to your body.

Most importantly, take a minute each and every day to listen to yourself breathe. That is the true indicator of what your body is feeling. If your breath is labored, speeding up, or interrupted, take a moment to sit in child’s pose and reconnect. Always remember:

“Breath is the bridge which connects life to consciousness, which unites your body to your thoughts. Whenever your mind becomes scattered, use your breath as the means to take hold of your mind again.” – Thích Nh?t H?nh

by Olivia Cecchettini

“Yoga for Life: A Journey to Inner Peace and Freedom” 

by Colleen Saidman Yee

Summary: Yoga for Life is an amazing memoir written with such searing honesty, it touched me deep within my soul. Colleen Saidman Yee shares both her shadows and her light with vulnerability as she chronicles both her life and her yoga journey. Saidman Yee emphasizes the message “you are enough” and while reading, I felt as though she was writing as my friend, mother, sister, teacher, woman, light worker, but most of all, a real person. She knows the practice and the body inside and out. It’s a book about her life and she shares her story out of a calling to support healing and community.

Why I Love It: Colleen shares her personal journey from rebellious teen with a heroin habit to a supermodel traveling the world to now being called “The First Lady of Yoga” by the New York Times. She’s lived such an interesting life! Most importantly to me, she didn’t hold back from sharing the unedited, un-airbrushed side of her life. We all have sides of ourselves of which we’re not proud, but the path to both Inner Peace and Freedom means bringing those experiences into the light of acceptance.

B.K.S. Iyengar said, “If you don’t want your life to change, don’t get on your yoga mat.” Every time I step on my mat, I come into greater acceptance of myself. Over time, I breathed into the hard, tight places I had stuffed away deep down in my muscles and they began to open up. My chaturangas got stronger and my confidence grew. I took time in savasana to be still and connect to my heart. These simple (though not easy) rituals changed they way I saw things, and the things I saw began to change.

It’s a beautiful, unique process how yoga touches each individual person but it always comes back to the heart. I truly believe that compassion, kindness and love can heal the world and Yee’s book is a reminder of this truth.

Recommend For: Anyone who enjoys yoga and inspirational life stories. Especially in this digital age, it’s easy to compare your day-to-day life with everyone else’s highlight reel. We compare ourselves and feel less-than and unworthy. That’s why the mantra “you are enough” is so powerful because it’s true! We need to be reminded of this over and over again. Without changing one single thing, I believe you are enough, exactly the way you are. Not in a year, not after you get married, and definitely not after you have lost ten pounds. Right this second, you are whole and you are enough.

Sharon Gannon of Jivamukti Yoga sums up Saidman Yee well, stating –

“Like Gandhi, Colleen is stayagraha—meaning possessed by the truth. She tells her story honestly, without pretense, no makeup—totally fearless while at the same time gracefully imbuing every word with infectious joy, gratitude and compassion. You will find no blaming or complaining in this memoir for this is the story of a remarkable woman who approaches life as an adventure, armed with a bewitching ability to transform obstacles into opportunities and the ordinary into something magical. She is living proof that yoga is for life.”

Olivia Cecchettini
Contributing Writer

Olivia’s yoga journey began in 2003. She is certified in Vinyasa, Hatha, and Aerial Yoga and holds a Masters degree in Spiritual Psychology. She believes the mind, body, soul connection is sacred and encourages her students explore and expand within their own bodies and consciousnesses.

8 Yoga Poses to Enliven Your Hands and Your Practice

by Amy Caldwell

Thanks for the feature, Yoga Digest! Go here to read the full article which includes a guided yoga practice focused on enlivening the fingers and hands.

Knowing Your Body Like the Back of Your Hand Can Begin with Your Fingers

The Practice: The feet often get a lot of attention in yoga class. You may be familiar with the term “yogi toes” and teachers advising students to, “lift and spread the toes,” or “root down through all four corners of the feet.” Yet aside from a few mudras (gestures) the fingers often play second fiddle to the toes. The following practice will enliven your fingers. It will also increase your attention to detail, foster optimal alignment through the wrists, arms and shoulders and ultimately, empower your entire practice.

Body-Mind Benefits: Our fingers are dexterous, strong and acute sensory receptors. Bringing focus to what your hands are doing during practice will enhance the flow of energy, help prevent injury and improve concentration. Whether touching the mat, the earth, held in mudras or placed on your heart, our fingers initiate a connection and often tell a story. Learn to recognize and enjoy the nuanced sensations present at your fingertips.

Enjoy gratitude for your hands. They are an extension of your heart in their ability to feel, serve and connect compassionately to your self, others and the world around you.

Thanks for the feature! Click on the image below to read the whole article.
To find out more about our Yoga One Teacher Training with these incredible instructors, go here!

 

Cool. Jimi Hendrix, the Fonz and Nam Chantepie. The type of guy that upon first impression oozes a style, a charm, a persona… and the best part? The more you get to know him, the cooler you realize he is. Come take his Level 2 Vinyasa Flow on Thursday evenings at 6pm. Check out our full class schedule here.

1. What is your favorite style of yoga? 

Hatha Yoga. I like taking the time to really get into the pose and experience the alignment, muscular engagement and extension. Although I do enjoy flowing through a fun and interesting sequence, my home practice is more about exploring individual poses and the slow, deliberate transitions between them.

2. What first attracted you to yoga when you began your practice? 

I was living a rather sedentary life, and had just ended a toxic six year relationship. Never having taken a single class before, I looked to yoga to help me transition back into the gym and get back into shape. What I actually got out of my first three months was a clearer head, a lighter heart, a freer spirit and a 30-pound lighter body, and I forgot all about the gym. Yoga lifted me up and showed me so many things I never expected or knew I could find on and off my mat.

3. What is your favorite yoga pose right now? 

Handstand. I’ve been committed to a daily handstand practice for almost a year. Only within the last 2 months have I finally found a sense of weightlessness and engagement in my handstands.

4. What pose is still the most challenging? 

Ustrasana (or camel pose) has always been a challenge for me. I have a nagging shoulder impingement that keeps me from fully drawing my shoulders back, so it is difficult for me to feel ease or opening in this pose. I almost always modify with my hands on my hips and squeezing a block between my thighs.

5. If you were an animal, you would be: Probably a monkey. Mostly because I’m a goofball and love inverting!

6. Describe what yoga means in your life using just 6 words: peaceful centered space to grow from

7. What might your students be surprised to learn about you? 

When I was three years old, my mom and I tried to escape from Vietnam. We were caught three times and sent to prison each time. So technically, my students are being taught by a multiple offending ex-con. 🙂

8. Do you have any words of wisdom or advice for new students? 

My first week of yoga, I had the honor of taking a class with Yoga One instructor Amy Freeman. Towards the end, I was really struggling and almost gave up on yoga altogether while unsuccessfully trying urdhva dhanurasana (full wheel pose).

Amy came up to me, gave me blocks to modify my pose and said, “It’s ok, you’re doing great. Think of where you’ll be a year from now.” Those words have stuck with me. Those are the words I think about every time I move into camel pose.

Yoga is not about achieving the perfect expression of the poses, it’s about incremental improvements and the humility to take a step back whenever your body needs it.

Yoga One is excited to host a series of Kids Yoga and Art Summer Classes led by recent Yoga One Teacher Training graduate, Hannah Faulkner. Her passion for teaching yoga to kids is apparent in every creatively-themed class. Keep reading for her perspective on teaching little yogis!

There are several remaining classes this summer and registration is still available ($25/class) with 24-hour pre-registration to ensure available art supplies for each participant. Classes are held on Tuesdays from 2-4pm at Yoga One. Updated information can be found at www.halfmoonyogaandart.com/kids-summer-camp.html

Yoga One: How is teaching yoga to kids different from teaching adults?

Hannah: Kids need to be active and have fun while doing yoga! Teaching kids means you are constantly innovating and finding new ways to engage their senses and minds while incorporating traditional (or nontraditional!) yoga postures.

I teach themed lessons in which we use our imaginations to travel to a new place each week. When we visited Ancient Egypt, they learned how to do pyramid pose and while practicing yoga, I shared stories and interesting facts about the culture. We played games like Crocodile Crossing, where everyone is a crocodile holding plank pose and we each take turns trying to cross the Nile River without getting tagged. For the end of class, we closed our yoga practice with three minutes in mummy pose (savasana for adults) and they loved being wrapped up in their mats!

Yoga One: You’re both an art teacher and a yoga instructor – have you always wanted to combine these two passions?

Hannah: I’ve just stumbled upon this amazing combination within the last nine months. I’ve been teaching art to all ages for the past few years and just started teaching kids yoga last September. They were learning about gardens and vegetables, so we did a garden-themed yoga class and created figures through stamping cut fruit dipped in paint. It’s amazing the connections kids can make when they involve their whole body and mind!

Yoga One: Can kids who have no experience with yoga or particular skills in art participate?

Hannah: Yes, of course! Many of my young students have no prior yoga experience. In every class, I demonstrate the pose and carefully explain how to get into and out of the pose. I give verbal instructions on how to adjust into the fullest and safest version as well as modifications for kids who are still building strength and working on balance.

Through artwork creation, we are focused more on the process than the product. Kids have the opportunity to sketch a map of the place that we visited in the provided journals along with a quick drawing of their favorite poses (i.e. a camel, pyramid, sphinx, cobra, pharaoh, crocodile, etc.). Then we create an artwork as I guide them through step by step instructions.

I have templates and stencils for those who do not feel as comfortable drawing with their free hand. This week we made Egyptian profiles and I provided a template for the outline of a face and Egyptian style eye. The kids added their own decorations for the head band, necklace, and lips. I love providing the opportunity for each student to access the heart of the lesson as well as demonstrate their own creative expression.

by Laura McCorry

The body positive movement means finding ways to respect, honor and love your own body as a daily practice. Feeling positively about your body has nothing to do with your health, fitness or size. (Can we repeat that about a thousand times across the twitterverse?)

The culture we live in is always ready to tell us that we’re not good enough. Sometimes all we see in the media are airbrushed and photoshopped images of women and men that misrepresent the natural body of the model. Not only have we elevated one type of body to an ideal, but often the thin/fit/flawless body is a complete illusion.

So what does it mean to step out of this culture and onto your mat to practice yoga?

Every belief you have about your body will follow you onto your mat. If your thoughts are predominantly negative, this can have disastrous consequences for how you feel about yoga and your likelihood of maintaining a regular practice.

But yoga teaches present moment awareness – which means paying attention and honoring how your body moves that day, without comparison to how it moved in the past or how you’d like it to move in the future. The more you practice this mental shift into the present, the more you can circumvent negative self-talk.

Body positivity doesn’t mean complacency in the face of health risks. It means rejecting the “not good enough” mantra and replacing it with affirmations of love, acceptance and encouragement.

When we feel positively about our bodies, we create an atmosphere of nurturing protection for the body and prompt the desire for more positive change. Sometimes the biggest physical challenge you encounter in life is not the super hard workout or the discipline to stay active – the bigger challenge is the radical acceptance of your body. All of it, without exception.

You are only given this one vessel with which to experience the world. Treat it kindly. Allow it to feel the warmth of the sun and the caress of the breeze. Take it on adventures and let your body carry you through a world of new experiences.

Know that all change starts within. If you can change one thought, you can begin to change your way of thinking. If you change your thinking, you can influence others to do the same. Maybe one day the cultural legacy we leave behind will be one that affirms the value of all bodies and contributes to the health and happiness of all.

(Here’s a great place to start, 10 Ways to Practice Self-Love.)

Laura McCorry
Contributing Writer

Yoga and Laura had an on-again-off-again relationship from 2004 until 2009 when they decided to move in together and there’s been no looking back since. Passionate about both yoga and writing, Laura loves to introduce others to the joys and benefits of yoga and healthy living.

Contact: laura@yogaonesandiego.com

It’s happening again! Join Amy Caldwell this Saturday June 20th aboard the USS Midway aircraft carrier for a FREE yoga class from 8am-9:30am.

We’ve partnered with the Downtown San Diego Partnership and Scripps Health to offer an all levels, family-friendly yoga class to support Healthy Living in the City.

Last year we had about 400 participants and this year the event is already completely booked with 1000 people expected! We can’t wait to unite our intentions for healthy living with so many and practice yoga together.

San Diego Jumble interviewed Amy Caldwell about this Saturday’s class – listen here and find out about other upcoming free yoga classes in San Diego!

by Olivia Cecchettini

“Be Love Now: The Path of the Heart”

by Ram Dass

Summary: Part memoir and part spiritual guide to simple living, Be Love Now offers a fascinating glimpse into Ram Dass’s path following his personal Guru, Marahaji-ji. Guru, in the West, is a word laden with many connotations. In the East, the word still carries an energy of devotion and service. Be Love Now is the third book in a three part series, beginning with Be Here Now (written 30 years before this book) and Still Here, written after Dass suffered a stroke.

Ram Dass’s message remains the same: just BE. Be without judgment, be without attachment, but most of all, just be.

Dass reflects on his journey through India and the deep, profound effects it had on his life. Dass describes the power that can be cultivated from surrendering the ego and following one’s heart. Be Love Now challenges the reader to dig through his or her layers of consciousness and find deeper truth, meaning, and purpose in their life.

Why I love It: I especially enjoyed reading about Ram Dass’s spiritual journey, his words felt more relatable and human than in his previous books. He writes in detail about a six month period when he lived in an ashram and learned to completely surrender to his Guru’s guidance. I found it easy to connect with his true humanness as he shared private opinions and stories about Marahaji-ji and their time together.

Marahaji-ji is a guru in the tradition of Bhakti Yoga, the yoga of devotion and love. I attended the yoga festival Shaktifest in Joshua Tree, California, and though I’d been in years past, I noticed for the first time the images of Marahaji-ji everywhere as a way to stay connected to his energy and message. It was so powerful to make that connection through yoga lineages.

Olivia Cecchettini
Contributing Writer

Olivia’s yoga journey began in 2003. She is certified in Vinyasa, Hatha, and Aerial Yoga and holds a Masters degree in Spiritual Psychology. She believes the mind, body, soul connection is sacred and encourages her students explore and expand within their own bodies and consciousnesses.

Sherri is one of the first teachers Yoga One owners Amy & Michael Caldwell practiced with when they arrived in San Diego back in 2001. She is also one of the best teachers they have had the fortune of knowing. What she teaches in the classroom is fantastic, but what she teachers through her living example is the real lesson. Vibrant, positive, active, athletic, spiritual, fun, humorous, beautiful, intelligent…you get the picture!

Sign up for her upcoming class and workshop June 6th and 7th at Yoga One here!

1. What is your favorite style of yoga? 

I love pose-by-pose practice, as in the Iyengar style. There’s so much refinement for the physical body that can happen in the depth and precision of that method, and the mind has specific points to concentrate on, which brings a natural calm. Really, I’m very grateful for having Iyengar as my beginning in yoga.

Over the years I’ve woven into my personal practice a more dance-like, fluid approach, mixing spontaneous movements with asana (yoga poses) to create a daily practice that changes and evolves along with me as my body and heart transform on this journey of life.

2. What first attracted you to yoga when you began your practice?

The physicality of Hatha Yoga drew me in – as a child cartwheels and splits and walking down the hall in a backbend were all part of a normal day for me.

But more significantly, yoga slowed me down. I was limited to the area of a mat, instead of the whole wide world that I’d been moving through, and in that confinement my soul came to the surface. I was captivated by the pain, the tenderness, and the vitality that poured out from my heart, within the stillness of practicing yoga. I’ve been following that inner thread every since, discovering more and more of my true qualities as my journey through life’s challenges and joys continues.

3. What is your favorite yoga pose right now?

That’s a difficult question for me! None of my students or friends would be surprised to hear me say downward dog! Someone quoted me as exclaiming in class one day, “You can never do enough downward dog!” or something to that effect, which is probably not at all the case, right?!

But I love practicing a simple inversion sequence like downward dog, arm balance, forearm balance, and shoulder stand to energize me and to build the internal muscles of perseverance and determination, two spiritual qualities I constantly seek.

4. What pose is still the most challenging?

Headstand for sure! I’ve had a lot of whiplash throughout my life, and then I’ve got a L-O-N-G neck – yikes. A number of years back a chiropractor friend told me my neck is giraffe-like! So it’s a challenging combination. Still, I am once again pursuing this pose with the help of some of my incredible yoga teacher friends here in town. So stay tuned for an update in this area.

5. If you were an animal, you would be: Not a giraffe – although I used to daydream as a child growing up in Cheyenne, Wyoming, of constructing a special saddle to be able to ride my imaginary pet giraffe. May we all find our way back to that level of innocence and creativity!

I feel very deeply that I would be a horse. Noble, wild, high-strung, courageous in the face of fear.

6. Describe what yoga means in your life using just 6 words: Yoga: strength for soul’s journey Home.

7. What might your students be surprised to learn about you?

My first teaching career was in Russian language, and I’m blessed to have a son-in-law and two-year-old grandson in my life to help me deepen my love affair with that phenomenal language. Thank you to Kolya and Misha for being part of my life path, and of course thank you to my daughter, Rhea, who made it all happen. She is one of my biggest teachers of all.

8. Do you have any words of wisdom or advice for new students?

Listen to your heart! Find the rhythm of your unique soul’s journey and expression in this life and on this material plane. Manifest your destiny, and don’t let anything stop you. This world needs our love, our care, our passion, our compassion. Give your heart and soul to what really matters to you. Show others how that’s done –  and stoke the fire of change and growth and transformation. Don’t lead a shallow life! As my wise sister Pat says, the Nike slogan pretty much sums it up: Just do it.

When Mantra Mag asked Yoga One studio owners Amy and Michael Caldwell to define love, they didn’t disappoint!

“Love is cheering for and chaperoning a newly hatched sea turtle along its perilous journey to the sea, swatting away the horde of predatory birds while conscious that I am depriving them of breakfast. Love is doing what feels right in the moment with an awareness and appreciation that there are other equally valid, often opposing, viewpoints.” – Michael Caldwell

“A friend said, ‘Love is an action of deeply paying attention to your life.’ For me, conscientious love also means continually opening our hearts when life is easily flowing and amidst challenging circumstances. Love in the context of close personal relationships allows us to practice. Through our experiences of connection, hopefully we remember love is our true nature.” – Amy Caldwell
Thank you Mantra Mag for the feature!

 

by Monique Minahan

I don’t teach you yoga.
You are yoga.

You are that sweet exhale,
that expansive inhale
that pause in between.

You are that unified breath,
that connected mind and body,
the observer and the observed.

What I teach you is how to remember
because we forget.

I forget.

So I invite you back to your breath
back to your body
back to you.

You accept my invitation
but it’s not me you are saying yes to.

It’s you.

You say yes to you.

Yes to your inhale,
Yes to your exhale,
Yes to your tight hamstrings,
Yes to your aching heart.

Yes to your wobbles,
Yes to your strength,
Yes to your past,
Yes to your Now.

Yes to your failures,
Yes to your triumphs,
Yes to your hopes,
Yes to your dreams.

Yes to your anger,
Yes to your peace,
Yes to your fear,
Yes to your courage.

Yes to you.

You say yes to you. I see that happen before my eyes and that is why I bow to you.

It is my privilege to witness your return every time

to your mat
to your heart
to you.

Namaste.

Monique Minahan
Contributing Writer

Mo is a writer and yoga teacher who believes in peace over happiness and love over fear. She likes to set her sights high and then take small steps to get there. You’ll find her walking the dirt path behind her house with her little fluffy dog, practicing walking her talk by keeping her head high and her heart open. 

Read more from Monique on her blog, mindfulmo.com

This month we’re featuring Shadow Van Houten who leads a Level 1 and 2 Yoga Flow class on Friday mornings at 9am. Shadow is large of heart, strong of spirit and looms like a super nova of positive vibrations – we’re lucky to have her! Check out our full class schedule here.

1. What is your favorite style of yoga?

I typically prefer a Prana Flow-inspired Vinyasa, with balanced aspects of humor, playfulnessss, pranayama, and a connection to yoga philosophy. Any class that brings a smile and a deep savasana makes my day.

2. What first attracted you to yoga when you began your practice?

Ten years ago, I was initially drawn to Bikram yoga. My active mind found an unintentional mantra; ”It’s so hot. Why are we here agin? Just stay calm. It’s so hot. Why are we here agin? Just stay calm.” I unconsciously began tapping into what would form the basis of a present mindfulness. It did feel very good for reasons I couldn’t fully explain.

A few years later though, at the yurt in Encinitas, I truly connected with what I consider my yoga practice. I found a teacher who brought to light the deeper, mind-body-spirit connection in a playful, supportive space. The concept of yoga became fun, freeing, holistic, and a constant practice off the mat.

3. What is your favorite yoga pose right now?

Right now, since it’s early in the morning, I love finding spontaneous, or ‘sahaja,’ movement in seated chakravakasana (cat-cow). I think of it akin to grinding coffee in the morning, some days I find a subtle, lumbar isolated movement, a basic coarse-ground roast, and some mornings I find myself exploring deep bends and fluid movements, like an oh-so-fine espresso.

4. What pose is still the most challenging?

I find shoulderstand, sarvangasana, to be quite challenging, especially to find comfort and its intended cooling effect. In full disclosure, I tend to conveniently leave it out of my home practice, but appreciate when it is included in a class. I’m sure it’s a pose I need, but I can’t say it is one I currently enjoy.

5. If you were an animal, you would be: a humpback whale, traveling the world’s oceans with those closest to me, eating copious amounts of fresh seafood and singing our hearts out. Yes, please!

6. Describe what yoga means in your life using just 6 words: compassion and connection within and without.

7. What might your students be surprised to learn about you?

My right forearm is mostly metal, so I actually cannot come close to touching my right shoulder with my right fingertips. Fortunately, this is not a motion that’s commonly required in life or asana. However, I discovered this while my toes dangled over the edge of an airplane door, as the dive instructor behind me called out “just grab on to your shoulder straps and jump.” Now that was a stark moment of realization!

8. Do you have any words of wisdom or advice for new students?

The greatest and most challenging work often lies in acceptance, especially self-acceptance. (tweet that) Exactly how you feel and where you are in your practice is ok, in every moment.

It takes time and commitment to detach from judgement and to be present, but these are the aspects of a very advanced practice. The most advanced yogis are not necessarily the ones in very difficult or malleable poses, but they’re the ones listening to and honoring themselves, perhaps by simply finding stillness.

Also, there are so many different ways to access and practice yoga. Explore different styles and teachers, until you discover what you truly enjoy and connect with. Have fun!

Twice a year, Yoga One is proud to host our interdisciplinary Yoga One Teacher Training to educate, empower and transform a diverse group of individuals into more dedicated yogis and new yoga teachers. Here are some reflections from our recent graduates on what the course is really like:

1. How did your experience of yoga or personal practice evolve over the course of Yoga One Teacher Training?

My relationship to yoga became more intimate. I think of yoga all the time now. I constantly recognize relationships between contrasts such as inhale/exhale, backbend/forward-bend, warming/cooling, energizing/relaxing, busy/reflective, light/dark, sun/moon, new/old, and past/present to find the balance in each. – Hannah F.

I learned to be more aware of my alignment to avoid injury. I also learned that everything is core work in yoga! – Courtney B.

While I had attended yoga classes at Yoga One four or five times each week, prior to teacher training, I had not started a personal practice. Now I practice at home as well as at the studio. I enjoyed learning about the history of yoga, both in class and from the readings. The teachers’ manual that Yoga One put together is a wonderful resource. – Laurie A.

My relationship with yoga had refined by the end of the course. Yoga is being present and giving enthusiastic attention to your journey on and off the mat. It is connecting to your spirituality (whatever that may be) through a deeper exploration and understanding of your own body and breath. – Kristin S.

2. What was the most valuable piece of information you learned?

I learned how to keep my shoulders integrated in every pose. I realized I had previously had improper shoulder alignment and was constantly sore from it. Now I experience very little soreness keeping my shoulders aligned properly. – Courtney B.

The most fun aspect of this course was the friendships that I developed with the other trainees. We all had an element of vulnerability as we practice-taught on each other and shared the challenge of the breakdown and rebuilding of a new understanding of yoga as a complete body/mind experience. – Hannah F.

Just learning the basics of alignment. I can finally find my balance in Vrksasana (Tree)!(Well, not always, but I’m a lot better.) – Laurie A.

That the journey is what matters most, not the destination. I find so much peace in that. – Kristin S.

The specifics of asana, yoga philosophy, and anatomy were thoroughly taught by incredibly competent, patient, and generous teachers. The content was beautifully organized and taught in large yet manageable chunks. The sense of community between trainees and the nurturing learning environment facilitated by the teachers created a really rewarding and fun experience. – Sarah S.

3. How Yoga One Teacher Training impacted my life:

It made me more aware of my own body while doing yoga! I am constantly adjusting myself during my practice, whereas before I didn’t really put much effort into my alignment. – Courtney B.

There is more to yoga than asanas (poses). And I learned that I don’t have to do the asanas perfectly. In fact, I have all the time in the world to improve! Yoga One Teacher Training also impacted my life by introducing me to some wonderful people. I was one of the older participants and I enjoyed the diversity of participants and instructors. We came from all over the globe. We had different past experiences in yoga and brought different hopes, dreams and plans to our yoga mats. – Laurie A.

I find more harmony in my practice and the little universe on my yoga mat. By incorporating yoga daily I find that harmony in all aspects of my life more and more. It is a constant effort and learning exercise but practicing yoga with intention on and off the mat is what it is all about! – Kristin S.

by Monique Minahan

Early on in my yoga practice I would often experience an emotional reaction during corpse pose (savasana). Lying still, I would get a lump in my throat and suddenly find tears quietly rolling down my cheeks. I didn’t know it at the time, but my yoga practice was releasing long-held grief from my body.

When grief and recovery from trauma have been processed by the mind, life may begin to seem approachable again and many people feel they can move forward; but the same processes of recovery and healing are essential to the body as well.

Feeling a strong emotional release in a yoga pose or during final relaxation is far from uncommon. One of yoga’s most powerful side effects is its ability to release and heal the BodyMind. Not just the body. Not just the mind. The combined, interconnected, undivided BodyMind.

BodyMind is a term coined by Dr. Candace Pert, a neuropharmacologist who pioneered scientific research into the field of Mind-Body Medicine, advancing our understanding of what are called neuropeptides, or messenger molecules that carry information from the mind to the body and back again through body fluids. These neuropeptides are found throughout our bodies in the heart, sexual organs, and the limbic system, to name a few.

Dr. Pert breaks this concept down with an example of the gut. The entire lining of our intestines is lined with these particular transmitters. She posits, “It seems entirely possible to me that the richness of the receptors may be why a lot of people feel their emotions in their gut – why they have a ‘gut feeling.’”

She further comments: “I think unexpressed emotions are literally lodged in the body. The real true emotions that need to be expressed are in the body, trying to move up and be expressed and thereby integrated, made whole, and healed.”

When we move our bodies through yoga, our BodyMind is allowed expression. It can begin to release emotion and tension that’s been stuck in our bodies for a long period of time, perhaps even years after we think we’ve mentally processed the event.

Exploring these heavy emotions in our yoga practice, whether intentionally or accidentally, might feel intimidating. Resourcing is a technique that helps us stay present during uncomfortable or overwhelming sensations by finding and connecting to a resource, such as the breath or one of the five senses. This connection works like an anchor for a boat and we can begin to observe sensations safely, without fear of getting lost in the sea of our experience.

Join me this Mother’s Day at Yoga One for a special commemorative practice where we will explore three ways to use resourcing with yoga, as well as learn how to identify where emotions reside in our individual bodies. We will focus specifically on how to apply these tools when dealing with loss and grief.

This practice is for anyone interested in learning how to use yoga as a supportive healing modality, but especially for anyone who has lost their mother and would welcome a supportive, safe, non-judgemental environment to honor their mother on Mother’s Day.

Loss is something we will all experience in our lifetime. It’s not a matter of if, but a matter of when. Our yoga practice will not show us a way out of grief, but it can show us a way through and support us through every stage of healing.

Note: If this is something you’re interested in, but find the cost prohibitive or cannot attend for some other reason, please contact Yoga One to arrange a way for you to receive the information: 619-294-7461 or email info@yogaonesandiego.com

Monique Minahan
Contributing Writer

Mo is a writer and yoga teacher who believes in peace over happiness and love over fear. She likes to set her sights high and then take small steps to get there. You’ll find her walking the dirt path behind her house with her little fluffy dog, practicing walking her talk by keeping her head high and her heart open. 

Read more from Monique on her blog, mindfulmo.com

by Sarah Clark

I’ve come to think of my eight-limbed yoga practice a lot like the image of the bodhisattva Avalokite?vara from the Buddhist tradition. This figure, said to embody compassion, is often depicted with many, sometimes innumerable arms. Each one of these arms and subsequent hands holds a different kind of tool – the tool that will be just right for the task; and that right tool depends on the circumstance.

Like many westerners, I was introduced to yoga through asana, or the practice of yoga postures. Asana is the third limb of yoga in the eight-limbed path. For a long while, my practice was characterized solely by the time I spent on my yoga mat, sweating, moving and breathing (working with the energy of breathing is the fourth limb, by the way: pranayama). It was glorious.

But after awhile, I felt other seeds starting to grow. My posture and breathing practices were effecting other aspects of my life. I couldn’t quite put my finger on it, but I felt as though I was becoming more patient and calm. I could feel these seeds sprouting tendrils that were reaching down into deeper parts of me that earnestly valued compassion, kindness and peace. I was hungry to understand more about what was happening.

I found teachers, or maybe they found me, that were eager to foster my deeper growth. I started learning about the eight-limbed path and I started to ask myself hard questions and take on new practices. I wanted to know: what is this practice for? Why bother? Why, exactly, am I dedicating all this time in my life to practice? Where is it leading? What are my truest, deepest values?

The beauty of the eight-limbed path is that it dealt with the whole of me. The first limb, the yamas, profoundly changed my life. The yamas are comprised of five ethical practices that help us navigate the sticky world of relationships. We activate these yamas in our actions and speech, in how we listen, and how we work with our thoughts. We wrestle with the intention to cause no harm (ahimsa), to be honest (satya), and to let go of our tendencies for greed (aparigraha).

I discovered that the other limbs were equally potent. I learned how to cultivate patience when yoga postures and everyday life was high in intensity (practice of tapas) and how to find contentment in my being regardless of circumstance (santo?a). These are part of the second limb, called the niyamas.

I learned to harness the subtly of my breath, and how to savor its energetic effects with more nuance as I dove deeper into the fourth limb of pranayama.

I learned how to work with my sensory experiences and to let go of them through the fifth limb of pratyahara so that I was able to psychologically settle down. This paved the way to being able to mentally stop running around and running away in my mind: that’s the sixth limb, dharana.

I began a quiet, seated meditation practice, limb number seven, dhyana. I took a deeper look at how I constructed my reality. Now, I sit every day. And samadhi, the eighth limb, opens up in moments. This is the limb of being fully integrated in my life, just how it is. It circles me back around to the first limb again, begging that I use these deeper insights and growing wisdom in the actions I take in my life.

The eight-limbed path has not led me to some constant state of bliss or ended world hunger. But its richness is a scaffolding through which I stay more steadily connected with what is most meaningful in my life. It keeps my eye on the target of living a life of kindness, compassion, steadiness, and love. And it is whole. It addresses my entire, interwoven body-energy-mind-heart.

As a practitioner, and especially as a yoga teacher, I owe it to myself and to the world to take on a more whole practice; it’s critical I encourage my practice to mature. We live in a complex, interconnected world, and so we need a wide range of tools in our tool belt! I hope to see us as a wider yoga community embrace the fullness of yoga through all eight limbs, so that this path can more meaningfully address the real needs of this particular culture at this particular time. The way that actually shows up in our life is entirely dependent on each of our unique circumstances! And, allowing a whole practice to shake up our world honors the precious opportunity that is being alive.

If you want to learn more about the eight limbs of yoga and how they can enhance your life and your practice, join me on Sunday, May 3rd at noon at Yoga One for an in-depth workshop, 8 Limbs for a Whole Being. For more details and to register, go here.

Sarah Clark has been teaching yoga since 2006. She currently offers Teacher Training, workshops, private instruction, and group classes throughout San Diego, CA. Her primary teachers include Michael Stone, Joe Miller, Christie Clark, Judith Lasater & Cyndi Lee. 

by Laura McCorry

What does it mean to practice yoga when your physical practice is greatly diminished or taken away entirely from illness or injury? 

Yoga grew out of a tradition that includes eight limbs (or tenets) for a complete practice. Asana, or the physical postures of yoga, is just one of those eight limbs. The others show up during yoga practice as well and contain the philosophical groundwork of the ancient practice. (You can do your own search to learn more or come to our upcoming 8 Limbs for a Whole Being workshop on May 3rd.)

I’ve experienced long withdrawals from my physical practice due to long-term injury and more recently, a period of several weeks wherein I’ve caught one virus after another. Neither condition is any fun because you’d much rather be well and able to move your body freely.

So what does it mean to be a yogi who cannot practice asana?

I started out feeling very sorry for myself and disconnected from most forms of yoga displayed on the internet. I didn’t want to see photos of handstands on the beach or “inspirational” videos of complicated pose transitions. But this is the showy side of yoga and if you dig deeper, there’s so much more.

Physical limitations give you many opportunities to practice non-attachment, or aparigraha. You must let go of what you used to be able to do. You learn to guard your heart against jealousy when others do what you cannot. There is always a choice in how and whether you respond to any given circumstance. Non-attachment means letting go of feeling bitter and lost and broken.

Yoga becomes a more internal experience. During asana practice, teachers often tell you to listen to your body. Without asana, you must listen to your state of mind. (tweet that) The lessons learned on your mat become even more important when you cannot use the gross tool of your body to process them. The mind is slipperier and harder to control.

I found new ways to measure my yoga practice. I could no longer count the number of sun salutations I did in class, but I could ask myself if I spent some time sitting in silence. Did I make the most loving decisions I could make? How long was I able to forget about myself while being present for another? Sometimes yoga meant doing something just because it brought joy into the world.

If you really practice yoga outside the studio and off your mat, you realize that you always have your breath. I learned to make time just to breathe consciously. This was my practice – to be aware of my breath moving in and out of the body, sustaining my life. To allow myself to be carried away by the sensation of breath until the mind gives up listing its grievances and to-do lists. Then you move beyond the awareness of breathing and for an unknowable space of time, you simply are. This is the good stuff. This is samadhi, or oneness with the universe, that all yoga practice seeks to achieve.

Asana is wonderful. It can help transform both body and mind. But it’s not the only path. If you must take a break from asana, do not mourn it for too long. The real work of becoming who you are meant to be is internal and the other limbs of yoga can reveal the process. Stay connected to yourself and to the experience of each moment. This is how yoga moves with you and carries you through times of adversity.

Laura McCorry
Contributing Writer

Yoga and Laura had an on-again-off-again relationship from 2004 until 2009 when they decided to move in together and there’s been no looking back since. Passionate about both yoga and writing, Laura loves to introduce others to the joys and benefits of yoga and healthy living.

Contact: laura@yogaonesandiego.com

by Olivia Cecchettini

“Yoga Girl”

by Rachel Brathen

Summary: Rachel Brathen, also know as Yoga Girl, is spreading love across the globe one hug at a time. If you’re not already following her on social media, you most likely will be soon, as her US book tour, also know as, The Happiness Tour, is going on at this very moment. Rachel is a woman who loves yoga, her man, her dogs, and practicing handstands on the beach but there is more to her than meets the eye. This book introduces the reader to Rachel’s childhood in Sweden and how she has worked to transform her life into the life of her dreams.

Yoga Girl is light-hearted, fun and beautiful, but it also connects on a deeper level to the heartache and joy of Rachel’s real personal life. Weaving through each of the seven chapters are easy to do yoga sequences as well as recipes to inspire a nutritious, plant-based diet. The entire book is sprinkled with beautiful photos that will make you want to venture to the nearest beach, get upside down and enjoy life to the fullest.

Why I Love It: I love how Yoga Girl focuses on the positive and recognizes that this is a choice. Everything can be taken away from you, absolutely everything – except your attitude. Rachel Brathen has experienced firsthand how yoga heals and transforms lives and reading her story is a breath of fresh air.

This book reminds me to choose happiness and to acknowledge when I’m hurting. I was reminded of my own grief over losing my grandmother and how yoga helped me breathe and eventually heal. Rachel’s heartfelt reflections made me feel that life is truly a process of remembering what our hearts and souls already know.

Recommended For: Anyone new to yoga will find a great introduction to yoga and its philosophy in Yoga Girl. The more experienced yogi will enjoy the depth and wisdom in Rachel’s personal testimony.

This book invites readers to go past the surface and love others, but more importantly, to love themselves. Yes, there are a lot of bikini pictures which may spark insecurities, but I encourage you to receive it’s overarching message: that you are a true co-creator of your life. If that includes bikinis, great! If not, great!

This month I invite you to slow down and check in with yourself. Are you living in a way that is in alignment with who you are and with your dreams? Let go of people pleasing. Let go of control. Pick up this book or recapture anything that inspires you to move forward with your authentic life.

Ciao, Olivia

“For me, the book was like a perfect yoga class—it left me inspired, relaxed and at the same time gave me tons of ideas.” – Katarina Tav?ar, Elephant Journal

Olivia Cecchettini
Contributing Writer

Olivia’s yoga journey began in 2003. She is certified in Vinyasa, Hatha, and Aerial Yoga and holds a Masters degree in Spiritual Psychology. She believes the mind, body, soul connection is sacred and encourages her students explore and expand within their own bodies and consciousnesses.

by Laura McCorry

It’s easy to get caught up in living a moment to moment existence (which is not the same as existence in the present moment). You do the things that must be done to move from one day into the next – putting off until tomorrow everything but the essential. Until there is only enough space in the crowded shuffle of your brain to process the next step.

This is when life is hard. When a deep feeling of unease settles around your heart. If you could step back, you might see the problem, but you feel stuck. The body will tell you something is wrong and its strongest language is pain. 

Yoga helps. Get on your mat and start to move with your body. Listen. Find your alignment by what feels good and not how it looks. A hot cup of tea can do wonders. So can a phone call to a friend. Breathe in. Breathe out.

Do whatever it is you need to do to let the light back in. 

Open your hands and release everything you’ve been grasping and clenching tight. Turn your face to the sun, which can be the actual sun or your closed eyes summoning up all the loves in your life –

Your romantic partner. Your mother. Your dog. Anyone who has ever shown you kindness.

Think of them and feel the corners of your eyes crinkle. Let the light shine deep and illuminate the furthest reaches of your heart.

Laura McCorry
Contributing Writer

Yoga and Laura had an on-again-off-again relationship from 2004 until 2009 when they decided to move in together and there’s been no looking back since. Passionate about both yoga and writing, Laura loves to introduce others to the joys and benefits of yoga and healthy living.

Contact: laura@yogaonesandiego.com

Massage therapy is proven to improve circulation, decrease chronic pain and generally help you feel like a million bucks! Meet the newest addition to our wellness team and schedule your massage today.

1. Why did you decide to become a massage therapist?

I have an active lifestyle, which often meant sore muscles and an aching body. I wanted to learn ways to alleviate and even prevent this discomfort. Now I love being in a position to help others achieve their health goals.

2. What benefits have you or your clients received from regular
massage therapy?

Giving a massage makes me feel like I’m enjoying a nutritional, superfood smoothie. It allows me to stay present and aware of how I’m moving during and after a session, which is very energizing.

Receiving massage gives you the opportunity to focus on yourself, re-discovering areas of the body that may have been neglected. Massage can help you feel better aligned and improve your natural range of motion. Moving through your life without pain or discomfort is a joy that every body should experience.

3. Do you have a favorite type of massage?

My favorite types of massage are Acupressure and Deep Tissue. I enjoy using a blend of modalities to achieve the best experience and result for the client, often including Swedish and Sports Massage techniques as well.

4. Something interesting your clients might not know about you is:

 In my spare time I enjoy making music and performing to get the creative juices flowing. I beat-box through a loop-pedal and create funny freestyle-raps about my immediate surroundings or whatever strikes me at the moment.

5. What’s the best advice you give for how to really enjoy a
massage?

Communicate with your therapist! Let them know what feels good and what areas of your body need the most attention. A great massage is not just something you receive, but something you help create through good feedback.

Checking in with Yoga One Teacher Trainee, Courtney Barrow

What’s one thing you’ve learned already that’s changed your perspective on yoga/life?

I’ve learned how to be patient. Be patient with your body in yoga and enjoy where you are at the moment, not where you wish to be. That same thing applies in life. Be stuck in traffic. Wait in the one long line at the grocery store. Be patient and just enjoy the moment.

If you could describe Yoga One Teacher Training in three words, they would be: Knowledge, Strength, and Love.

Erin is such a delight! Her smile begins with her eyes. In addition to being a super yogi, she is also (spoiler alert, see question #7) the designer/creator of the Yoga One website. We’ve know Erin a long time and are better off for having her in our lives. Come to her relaxing Thursday evening Candlelight Flow at 7:30pm. See our full schedule here.

1. What is your favorite style of yoga?

A Vinyasa alignment-based flow is the style I practice most often, but I also really enjoy Restorative Yoga.

2. What first attracted you to yoga when you began your practice?

I remember doing animal yoga poses with my brothers growing up that we learned from a big orange kids yoga book. About 10 years ago, I was working in an office all day and looking for a way to live a more active lifestyle. I started taking yoga classes at Yoga One and immediately fell in love with the practice.

3. What is your favorite yoga pose right now?

Adho Mukha Vrksasana or Handstand, I love the feeling of strength and power, as well as the change in perspective 🙂

4. What pose is still the most challenging?

Recently, I have been focusing on the transition between poses, specifically developing the strength and control to jump back/forward or through from one pose to the next.

5. If you were an animal, you would be: my first reaction would be a cat, but it would be pretty fun to be a monkey too… tough choice!

6. Describe what yoga means in your life using just 6 words: helps me discover my truest self.

7. What might your students be surprised to learn about you?

I am also a web designer.

8. Do you have any words of wisdom or advice for new students?

Stay with your practice. You may not notice any change from day to day, but over time yoga will make amazing transformations in both your body and mind!

by Olivia Cecchettini

“The Alchemist”

by Paulo Coelho

Summary: Slow down and be present while reading this book. Just like the cover, there are signs, messages, and hidden treasures throughout.

This is the story of a shepherd boy named Santiago who leaves his home in search of buried treasure in a far away land. Along the way, he encounters signs and clues that help him in his search. An old king tells Santiago, “when you really want something to happen, the whole universe conspires so that your wish comes true.”

In the end, he realizes that playing it safe is often more threatening to his freedom than taking a risk. This book is a reminder that we as human beings want the same things and no matter where we are on this planet, we are more alike than we are different.

Why I LOVE It: Six months after graduating college I had planned on taking a big trip. This was something I had always dreamed of and I was in the process of making it a reality. During this time, I ran into an old friend who mentioned she was attending the University of Santa Monica studying for a Masters in Spiritual Psychology. Hearing about her studies, I felt a spark ignite. I knew I was meant to be there. The only problem was classes started the same month I had planned to leave on my trip. I decided to enroll in the program.

During my two years there, I longed for that trip and sometimes resented my school for it. But the patience and insight I learned throughout that time is priceless. I learned to let go of control and attachment to my plan. Huge for me!! I also realized that when we surrender to the greater plan of the universe and trust our intuition, magic begins to unfold.

The Alchemist teaches us that life is about the journey, not the destination. Whether that journey is inward or outward it is all the same. We are all One. We each have our own inner calling which is always transforming and growing.

Recommended For: Everyone!!! This is a book you can read over and over again. It will speak to you in different ways and spark new insights at different times in your life. My hope is that if there’s something your heart has been whispering for you to do, DO IT! Don’t wait for the perfect time, or when you have more training, or after you pay off a credit card. Find a way to do it now – even if it’s just the baby step of writing your goal down on paper. There is so much power in bringing your dreams out of your head and into the physical world. Be BOLD with your heart! We are all in this together.

Olivia Cecchettini
Contributing Writer

Olivia’s yoga journey began in 2003. She is certified in Vinyasa, Hatha, and Aerial Yoga and holds a Masters degree in Spiritual Psychology. She believes the mind, body, soul connection is sacred and encourages her students explore and expand within their own bodies and consciousnesses.

interview with Yoga One Teacher Trainee, Hannah Faulkner

What do you hope to gain from Yoga One Teacher Training?

Personally and in my teaching, I hope to improve on being in the moment and making mindful, compassionate decisions. Likewise, I would like to improve my knowledge of preventing injuries for my students in yoga. Physically, I’d like to improve my alignment and strength to successfully balance in handstand and forearm stand.

What’s one thing you’ve learned already that’s changed your perspective on yoga and/or life?

As a woman who is constantly busy and in a hurry, I am learning to stay in the moment and be present. As humans, we have the freedom to decide how to react in any situation, I can react according to my emotions and thoughts or be mindful of everyone and everything around me as well as being conscious of the effects of my choices.

Physically, I have learned that my body needs to be aligned in five ways (foundation, muscle energy, inner rotation, outer rotation, and finding length in my torso and limbs), not only in each pose, but in my daily life: standing, sitting, and sleeping. Since I’ve been working on these adjustments, I’ve been able to sleep on my back in comfort throughout the night. This is something that I haven’t been able to do for years.

If you could describe Yoga One Teacher Training in three words, they would be: Mindfulness, Balance, Alignment

by Laura McCorry

How are you doing with your New Year’s Resolutions? If you’re breezing through them, chances are you didn’t aim high enough and if you’ve already stumbled, it’s okay. Pick yourself up, dust yourself off and begin again.

Motivation isn’t a delicate butterfly on a clear spring day that either rests on your shoulder or flits away out of reach. Motivation is a skill and like every other skill, it’s something you can practice and improve upon. Here are some tips to increase motivation and productivity, maybe one will give you the extra oomph you need to meet your goals:

• Honestly assess your goals to make sure they’re challenging but not unrealistic.
• Write down concrete steps along the way to achieving your goal rather than vague aspirations. For example, walk the dog four times a week, eat a new vegetable weekly, do yoga for at least 10 minutes a day.
• Make a list (not too long) and cross off items as you accomplish them.
• Pick an activity and a corresponding reward for the end of the day so you can increase your stamina for delayed gratification
• Choose rewards that support your well-being and are in line with your goals (make plans to see a friend or indulge in a leisure activity you enjoy but for which you don’t usually make time.)
• Tell a friend about your goals. Have them call you at a certain time and ask if you were successful that day/week/month.
• Set a timer and see what you can accomplish before it goes off (try the pomodoro technique for increased productivity.)
• Limit distractions. Put your phone down in another room. Block your internet. Hire a babysitter for an hour. Whatever you need to do to work on a goal with focus. 
• Keep a journal and reflect on everything you accomplished that day, you’ll feel productive and be more inspired to pursue your goals. 
• Give yourself a pep talk in the mirror!
• If you miss a day, call it a day off and let it go. Get right back to your goals the next day.
• Encourage someone else to keep striving towards their goals.
• When the going gets tough, take a two minute break to dance wildly in your kitchen.
• Practice gratitude daily. When you write down or say out loud specific things in your life for which you’re grateful, you increase your overall level of gratitude and happiness.
• Have compassion for yourself if you don’t make your goal. Tomorrow is a new day, take a deep breath and begin again.
• Celebrate when you reach a milestone (a goal that takes less than a year but longer than two weeks to accomplish)

---

Laura McCorry
Contributing Writer

Yoga and Laura had an on-again-off-again relationship from 2004 until 2009 when they decided to move in together and there’s been no looking back since. Passionate about both yoga and writing, Laura loves to introduce others to the joys and benefits of yoga and healthy living.

Contact: laura@yogaonesandiego.com

by Monique Minahan

If walking down the street was a yoga pose, how would we do it? Would we walk more mindfully, consciously, and with attention to how our breath informs our every step?

guest post by Yoga One student, Jill Zubec

Trying to maintain control in this life is a bit like trying to maintain control on a roller coaster. The ride has its own logic and is going to go its own way, regardless of how tightly you grip the bar. There is a thrill and a power in simply surrendering to the ride and fully feeling the ups and downs of it, letting the curves take you rather than fighting them.

When you fight the ride, resisting what’s happening at every turn, your whole being becomes tense and anxiety is your close companion. When you go with the ride, accepting what you cannot control, freedom and joy will inevitably arise.

As with so many seemingly simple things in life, it is not always easy to let go, even of the things we know we can’t control. Most of us feel a great discomfort with the givens of this life, one of which is the fact that much of the time we have no control over what happens. Sometimes this awareness comes only when we have a stark encounter with this fact, and all our attempts to be in control are revealed to be unnecessary burdens.

We can also cultivate this awareness in ourselves gently, by simply making surrender a daily practice. At the end of our meditation, we might bow, saying, “I surrender to this life.” This simple mantra can be repeated as necessary throughout the day, when we find ourselves metaphorically gripping the safety bar.

We can give in to our fear and anxiety, or we can surrender to this great mystery with courage. When we see people on a roller coaster, we see that there are those with their faces tight with fear and then there are those that smile broadly, with their hands in the air, carried through the ride on a wave of freedom and joy. This powerful image reminds us that often the only control we have is choosing how we are going to respond to the ride.

This month we’re featuring Lori Miller who leads a donation based 1 and 2 level flow on Mondays at 6:30am. In addition to your yoga mat and an open and curious mind, yoga students are encouraged to bring sunglasses to Lori’s class. Her radiant personality and smile will warm you heart. See our full schedule here.

1. What is your favorite style of yoga?

I love so many styles, it’s hard to choose! I love Anusara, Vinyasa, Iyengar, Hatha, Aerial, Laughter, and Restorative. If I had to choose one, I would probably choose a slow Vinyasa. I feel most connected to my soul when I connect breath and movement in a slow, conscious flow.

2. What first attracted you to yoga when you began your practice?

I was first attracted to the physical aspect of yoga. I like to challenge my body and yoga allowed me to do this. I viewed yoga as a form of exercise and at first, I didn’t fully get it. I kept going back because the teacher was funny and taught from a place of love and grace. After I learned to connect my breath and movement, I connected with my essential self – that place where I felt whole and complete, abundant and strong, full of love and grace.

3. What is your favorite yoga pose right now? 

My favorite pose right now is pigeon, eka pada rajakapotasana. I have very tight hips; the external rotation of the hip joint and the lengthening of the psoas muscle that pigeon provides is very relieving!

4. What pose is still the most challenging?

My most challenging pose is also pigeon. Because my hips are tight, I work very hard to get the proper alignment. It can be very challenging to stay present and at ease in this pose. Some days are better than others, but it’s always challenging.

5. If you were an animal, you would be: a wolf on the ground, an eagle in the air and a dolphin in the sea.

6. Describe what yoga means in your life using just 6 words: Connecting with essential self again & again

7. What might your students be surprised to learn about you? 

That I’ve had my pet parrot Clara for 33 years. I got her when I was 9 years old. As a kid, I used to ride her around on my bicycle handlebars and we would sing together as we rode down the street. She’s been through a lot of life changes with me. College, marriage, kids. She managed to bite every one of my boyfriends, but LOVED my now husband the moment she met him.

8. Do you have any words of wisdom or advice for new students?

Approach yoga as a long term relationship with yourself. Be interested in the feelings and sensations that arise. There may be many things that you can’t do right away, that’s okay! Try not to go into judgement or be hard on yourself.

by Monique Minahan

We are the space that holds the light
   however bright it may be.
We are the space that holds the darkness
   however dark it may get.
We are the space that holds the energy
   however charged and wild.
We are the space that holds the silence
   however long and still.

We are the space that holds the laughter
   giggles, belly laughs and laugh/cry combos.
We are the space that holds the grief
   heartbreaks, heartaches and heart roars.
We are the space that holds the beginning
   the wondering, the exploring, the innocence.
We are the space that holds the ending
   the fragility, the no mores and the emptiness.

We are the space that holds life
   in our bellies, in our hearts and in our eyes.
We are the space that holds death
   of our partners, of our children and of our dreams.
We are the space that holds the question
   who am I?
We are the space that holds the answer
   when it comes, in its own time, when we least expect.

We are the space all our experiences flow through, the space our being rests in, grows in, lives and dies in.

Honor that space. Hold that space. Enter that space daily through your breath or through yoga or through a hug, a cry, a laugh, a word or a pause. Create the doorway into yourself and then walk through it and witness the magnificence that is called being human.

Monique Minahan
Contributing Writer

Mo is a writer and yoga teacher who believes in peace over happiness and love over fear. She likes to set her sights high and then take small steps to get there. You’ll find her walking the dirt path behind her house with her little fluffy dog, practicing walking her talk by keeping her head high and her heart open. 

Read more from Monique on her blog, mindfulmo.com

by Olivia Cecchettini

Recently my mom gave me a stack of O Magazines she had finished reading. They sat in a pile on my floor until one day I picked them up and started flipping through them for inspiration. Oprah interviewed some of the world’s most powerful and influential women, yet I noticed that they all admitted to a common struggle: not owning their own strength and accomplishments.

Women who were doing great, important work in the world were shying away from praise and recognition by choosing to remain small. Worried about how they would be received. Feeling embarrassed. Or afraid of shouting their voice into the world.

I used to be like that. In college, I changed majors from Communications to Psychology because I was scared to give a speech in front of my class. The feeling of getting up in front of people made me tremble inside. I was literally sweating, nervous with stomach ache – I just couldn’t do it.

I thought maybe I wouldn’t have to face that particular fear of mine, but life keeps bringing you the same lesson until you face it head on. If I wanted to become a yoga teacher (and I very much wanted to share my love of yoga!), I needed to be able to speak in front of a group of people.

Everything that makes life worth living happens outside the comfortable little space you’ve carved out for yourself, so I chose to step outside.

I was terrified during the first “practice” yoga class I taught. As I practiced more and taught more classes, I came to see that yoga is about co-creation. Knowing I wasn’t alone, that everyone present contributes their own energy, brought me peace. It was incredibly hard to allow myself to be seen, but I believe it’s the only way to show my authentic self and create connection.

There are many messages the world sends out every day. Messages designed to put us in our place, to make us feel less than capable, or to silence our voices. Those challenges are real, but I also know that we all have a little whisper of guidance inside. As we open our bodies, minds and hearts through yoga, the connection to that whisper is strengthened. We begin to strengthen the muscle of confidence and trust within as well.

What challenges are facing you this new year? My hope is that whatever they are, you look for the lesson, a way forward, the path which leads to growth. Get to know yourself and accept what you find. Be gentle. Be bold. Who knows what we can co-create when we own our power? I’m excited to find out.

Olivia Cecchettini
Contributing Writer

Olivia’s yoga journey began in 2003. She is certified in Vinyasa, Hatha, and Aerial Yoga and holds a Masters degree in Spiritual Psychology. She believes the mind, body, soul connection is sacred and encourages her students explore and expand within their own bodies and consciousnesses.

guest post by Missy DiDonato

Remember this beautiful prenatal yoga reflection written by Missy back in June? Well her baby, Olive, is now five months old. Missy shares how her practice has evolved yet again after the birth of her daughter!

by Olivia Cecchettini

“The Anatomy of the Spirit: The Seven Stages of Power and Healing”

by Carolyn Myss

Summary: Caroline Myss is an acclaimed medical intuitive and motivational speaker. In this book she presents her findings on fifteen years of research into energy medicine as a pathway to spontaneous physical, emotional and spiritual healing. In her discussion of the relation of spirituality to energy medicine, she states: “As spiritual adults we accept responsibility for co-creating our lives and our health.”

Anatomy of the Spirit offers a unique model in which she combines the ancient wisdom of three spiritual traditions – the Hindu Chakras, the Christian sacraments, and the Kabbalah’s Tree of Life, to demonstrate the seven stages of development towards higher consciousness and spiritual maturity. With this model, Dr. Myss shows how you can develop and deepen your intuition, as well as cultivate your own personal power and spiritual growth.

Why I Love It: I love this book because it taught me so much. I strongly believe in the mind, body, spirit connection. In my eyes, we are made up of energy and are all sensitive to it. Our mental, physical, emotional and spiritual health is all inter-connected. To stay in harmony and balance we need to look at all four aspects of health equally. This means seeking connection through self-inquiry, which is the goal of Yoga – union, harmony, balance.

Keep an open mind and an open heart when reading this book. It’s filled with interesting facts and information that may be unfamiliar to you, see what you connect with the most and leave the rest behind. Personally, this book taught me how to slow down to connect to myself, others, and all the energy that is abundantly surrounding me all the time. Take your time reading and let it digest.

Recommended For:  I recommend this book for anyone wanting to discover or go deeper into learning about their own energy. Caroline states that everything pulsates with energy and this energy contains information. If you have been feeling more sensitive to energy lately or maybe just curious about energy work in general, this book may be just the thing. It will let you know you’re not alone, expand your knowledge and also give you tools to grow and protect yourself. I hope you enjoy it!

“This book is both an important revelation and a major call to awakening.” – Christiane Northrup

Lots of love this holiday season!
Ciao, Olivia

Olivia Cecchettini
Contributing Writer

Olivia is a yoga teacher based out of San Diego. With a love for people, life, spirituality, reading, and, of course, yoga she spends her days connecting with students and nature. Getting outside whenever she can to enjoy all the beauty this life has to offer.

This month we’re showcasing Kimberly Mackesy who leads an all levels Iyengar practice Saturdays at 9am. Kimberly brings a deep understanding of alignment principles to both her practice and teaching. Her conscientious instruction is clear and effective, expertly distilling the essence of each asana (pose). See our full schedule here.

What is your favorite style of yoga?

Iyengar Yoga. It gives me everything I need. There’s a Sanskrit word, ?raddh?, that means “trust which comes from revelation.” (Sutra I.20.) As its benefits have revealed themselves over the years, my trust in the Iyengar method has deepened. I’ve committed to teaching within the lineage. That said, I also know that every person’s yoga journey is unique. Yoga in the modern day comes in so many forms that I truly believe there is yoga for everyone. As B.K.S. Iyengar himself repeatedly expressed, “yoga is one.”

What first attracted you to yoga when you began your practice?

I was a stressed out college student. I was searching for answers to life’s big questions, and frankly I was depressed at what I was finding so far. Meanwhile, my dad convinced me to try yoga because he thought it would benefit me physically. I had no idea then that the physical health benefits are just one (albeit important) piece of the puzzle.

I started out with a 10-week gentle Hatha Yoga course at UCLA. The teacher was this radiant elder lady who brought her own tape deck. She taught the same poses to the same tape week after week…and I loved it. Simple, simple poses. Like clockwork, the yoga gave me a break from my stress. It gave me peace, breathing room, if only for an hour. I was hooked right away.

About a year after my first yoga class, I enrolled in the interdisciplinary teacher training program at the Center for Yoga in Los Angeles (co-taught Diana Beardsley, who now co-leads Teacher Trainings at Yoga One). I found my first Iyengar Yoga teacher, the beginnings of my own teaching voice, even the seeds of my career during that first teacher training.

What is your favorite yoga pose right now?

Padmasana, lotus pose. I find it deeply soothing structurally, organically and spiritually (that’s after lots of practice, of course). I love working with my students on the poses that prepare padmasana. With practice and sequential preparation, padmasana comes when the student is ready just like its namesake, the lotus flower, blooms in its own time. Mr. Iyengar actually compared the 8 limbs of yoga to the petals of a lotus flower: they all unfold at once to reveal the brilliance within.

What pose is still the most challenging?

Savasana, or corpse pose. The urge comes to adjust, to move, to try to balance the body. The mind wants to wander too because that’s its nature. It’s a tremendous challenge to surrender and be still, but that is exactly what savasana asks us to do. Paradoxically, that’s one of the reasons it’s so effective.

If you were an animal, you would be: a dragon! It’s my birth year in the Chinese Zodiac. And I’m a redhead, so it suits me.

Describe what yoga means in your life using just 6 words: Profound healing on all levels. AUM.

What might your students be surprised to learn about you?

That I’m looking for a husband! I don’t date my students, but I do take referrals. 😉

Do you have any words of wisdom or advice for new students?

You’ll feel something from the very first class, but the subtle benefits of a yoga practice take time to accrue. Consistency is key. Come to class twice a week or more and practice at home whenever you can, even for a few minutes a day. Yoga’s benefits show up in proportion to your efforts. Yoga can bring you more than you ever imagined, but only if you stick with it.

by Rachel Krentzman, PT, E-RYT

Backbends are an integral part of any Yoga practice. The intention for backbends is to open the chest and rib cage in preparation for pranayama (breathwork). For some, backbends are exhilarating and freeing while for others, they can be somewhat daunting and anxiety-producing. For the first few years of my yoga practice, I would experience back pain in most back bending postures and assumed that it was a ‘normal sensation.’ The truth is, if done correctly, backbends should be challenging but comfortable. If you are not experiencing freedom in your backbends, it is a sign that you may be compressing your lumbar spine instead of increasing your range of motion.

Is it safe for my spine?

When done correctly, back bends help increase extension of the spine, a normal movement that is available to us based on the anatomical structure of the lumbar vertebrae. There are approximately 55 degrees of extension available in the lumbar spine in most humans. As we move up the spine, extension is more limited due to the shape of the thoracic vertebrae.  In optimal alignment, the lumbar spine should rest in a slight arch (lumbar lordosis), to properly carry the body weight and prevent low back issues. When we lose the normal curve due to poor posture or frequent forward bending, there is an increased risk of low back pain, disc injuries and muscle spasm.

With all this in mind, it is important to increase the extension in our spine in order to maintain back health and mobility and combat the constant effect of gravity that pulls us forward. In addition, back bends help increase lung capacity, prevent arthritis, alleviate depression, build stamina and energy as well as improve circulation, digestion and immune function. Backbends are said to help us move from the past into the present, and to help us open our hearts and let go of fear.

Backbends are safe for most individuals (contraindicated for those with spinal stenosis or spondylolisthesis) as long as the body is warmed up appropriately and there is close attention paid to proper alignment and actions in each pose. The beauty of yoga is that detailed instructions can be given to help one attain ideal alignment so a greater sense of opening is experienced. When we have pain in backbends, it is because something is breaking down in our execution of the pose. Discomfort is an opportunity for us to practice more awareness and find a new, pain free way to work in the posture.

Common limitations

Individuals who have difficulty in backbends can be categorized into two main groups: those with tight muscles and ligaments and those who are naturally loose and highly flexible. In every body, there is a dance between the qualities of stability and flexibility in the musculoskeletal system. There is a myth that being more flexible is a sign of better physical health, however, the more flexible a person is, the more prone their ligaments are to injury in yoga because they lack stability. Conversely, those who are stiff are less likely to suffer an injury due to over-stretching, but these individuals need to increase their flexibility so the pelvis and spine can move freely and avoid compression during activities of daily living.

Common restrictions for tight individuals include decreased range of motion in the chest, shoulders and hips (primarily in the hip flexors and external rotators). These areas become restricted from prolonged sitting at a desk, driving, frequent forward bending and lifting and can even occur from overtraining the anterior chest musculature. Runners, cyclists and avid athletes are prone to tightness in the hip flexors and external rotators as well. These individuals need to focus on increasing flexibility in the chest and hips to prepare for backbends.

Hyper flexible people experience different difficulties in back bending postures. They often have tight hip flexors but compensate with over-extension in the low back. Core strength is usually lacking in these individuals, so they tend to ‘hinge’ at one segment in their spine over and over again instead of dividing the extension throughout the length of the spine. In this case, the hyper mobile segment becomes more mobile while the tighter segments in the spine stay tight. Years of ‘dumping’ into the low back without awareness can lead to injury as the segment bears all the work. These individuals need to focus on stability and strength in their backbends, which may mean backing off a little to maintain the integrity of the pose and length throughout the entire spine.

How to practice correctly 

Here are some important tips to help you achieve success in your back bending poses:

• Warm up! In order to be ready for back bends, you must practice poses that open the chest, hip flexors, quadriceps and external rotators of the hip. It is also important to practice a couple of poses that encourage strength in the arms and legs to prepare for certain backbends.
• Keep the front body long. “Back bends should really be called front body lengtheners,” says Jo Zukovich, a well known Iyengar Yoga teacher from San Diego. While we are extending our lumbar spine, it is important to maintain length at the same time so there is more space and equal movement between each spinal segment. The common mistake that leads to pain and injury is collapsing in the spine at one segment while in the backbend.
• Internally rotate your hips. Internal rotation in the hips is essential in all backbends to avoid compression in the spine. If we allow our hips to externally rotate (which will cause the knees to splay out), our stronger muscles, namely the gluteus maximus and external hip rotators, will contract. By internally rotating the thighs, we turn off those stronger hip muscles and activate the deeper gluteal muscles which help to create more space.
• Avoid gripping! The tendency in backbends is to contract the buttocks strongly which creates more compression and less freedom in the spine. In addition, ‘tucking of the tailbone’ creates shortening instead of increased length in the spine.  Instead, think about lifting the lower belly to help the tailbone descend. This creates length while maintaining the integrity of the spine and core strength in back bends.
• Don’t fight the backbend, GO FOR IT. Most people try to resist the back bend while they are doing it. It is safest to work on helping your lumbar spine move into extension at every level. Focus on moving each vertebrae into the body as if it were sinking into quicksand in order to safely increase extension in the lumbar spine. Remember that we are lengthening as we are extending to maintain a full lumbar curve free from compression.

Rachel Krentzman PT, ERYT 500 combines 18 years of Physical Therapy experience with more than 15 years of Yoga studies. Her treatment methods involve a highly effective approach to healing the whole person. Rachel received her 2000-hour certification from the College of Purna Yoga™ with Aadil Palkhivala and has studied Yoga therapeutics. She is the founder and director of Embody Physical Therapy and Yoga in San Diego, CA. For more details and/or questions contact: 619-261-6049 or rachel@embodyphysicaltherapy.com

by Laura McCorry

Everyone knows the holidays can be a stressful time of year. Combining multiple social engagements, the expectation of gift giving, and seeing your relatives is enough to set most people’s nerves on edge. But it doesn’t have to be that way!

Yoga encourages us to continually check in with the present moment. “What is happening right now?” Yoga One head teacher Amy Caldwell likes to ask. It’s easy to become unsatisfied thinking about the past or anxious thinking about the future. Present moment awareness uses meditation and pranayama (breath control) to bring our emotional selves back into balance.

To encourage balance in all things, even our giving, here’s a non-traditional holiday gift guide for the yogi in all of us:

1. Spend quality time with the ones you love. It doesn’t get any simpler or better than this. Love can’t be bought or wrapped – it can only be shared. Sit down to a meal, play on the floor with the kids or the dog, go for a long walk. In this age of increasing digital connection, it’s good to remember the joy of being present in person. Your presence is the gift.

2. Create or purchase an experience gift. After basic needs are met, more material things do not necessarily increase happiness. When you provide an experience, you can still have the pleasure of gift giving without adding to your loved one’s possessions. This can be anything from tickets to a play or concert, a good old fashioned coupon book, or the even the gift of yoga (our favorite!)

3. Encourage minimalism, give chocolate. Consumable gifts are enjoyable but won’t take up space on a closet shelf for years to come (though eaten in excess, they may land on the thighs). Good examples include a gift certificate for dinner at a favorite restaurant, a subscription to a CSA or DIY meal service like Blue Apron, a bottle of wine or a favorite beer, the list goes on! (You can find award-winning Beardsman Brewery local beer at Yoga One on December 12th)

4. Write a letter of support. It’s important to tell someone how you feel, yet writing it down can sometimes be even more powerful. Thank them for taking the time to listen. Congratulate them on achieving a goal, having a baby, being an awesome person. Support their personal development. Encourage the yogis you know to deepen their practice by participating in the Yoga One Teacher Training.

5. Give Back. Many charitable organizations rely on end of year donations to fund their services and programs throughout the year. Seva Yoga is the practice of selfless service without the expectation of reward. You can volunteer your time, add a charity to your wish list, buy some extra groceries for your local food pantry, or donate yourself. You can even select a charity to benefit from your web browsing and shopping through Amazon Smile or Goodsearch.

It’s the thought, grounded in present moment awareness which is then consciously acted upon, that counts! Whatever you decide to give this holiday season, let it spring from a place of balance and love. From all of us at Yoga One, to all of you, wishing you good health and much happiness!

Laura McCorry
Contributing Writer

Yoga and Laura had an on-again-off-again relationship from 2004 until 2009 when they decided to move in together and there’s been no looking back since. Passionate about both yoga and writing, Laura loves to introduce others to the joys and benefits of yoga and healthy living.

Contact: laura@yogaonesandiego.com

JAN 16th – MAR 15th, 2015

(Special Offer Below!)

Let Yoga One help you to be your best Self so that you can share your gifts more fully with others. 

Join us for the Winter Yoga One Teacher Training and benefit from 8 weekends of doing what you love, deepen your practice and knowledge of yoga while developing the tools and skills to share it with others…on and off the yoga mat.

Reserve your space soon, space is limited. To help you get started, we’d like to offer you a complimentary Jade Yoga Mat when you turn in your deposit by December 15th (online via this link or by calling 619.972.8185) Email Michael to register or if you have any questions.

We are also offering a Summer 17 Day Intensive: August 5th – 23rd 2015

by Olivia Cecchettini

“The Book of Awakening:  Having the Life You Want by Being Present to the Life You Have”

by Mark Nepo

Summary: Mark Nepo is a writer, poet, and spiritual pioneer of our time. In The Book of Awakening, he shares insight from his own journey after being diagnosed with cancer and provides daily inspiration for being present to and grateful for the life you have. This book is a daily ritual that has given me direction in times of struggle, grounded me in times of flight and brings me joy everyday. I believe that only by staying connected to our spirits and to the things that truly matter can we begin to live the lives we have always wanted. It takes less than 5 minutes a day to read a small section and this book can make a lasting impact on your life.

Why I love It: I love this book because it speaks to my soul. That is my true answer. My hope is that it touches you in some way as well. I read it (almost) every morning, and I’m not a morning person! Having something real and grounding that I connect with to engage my mind and heart first thing is so important to me.

Recommended For: Everyone. What I’m realizing as I type this is that what’s most important here is the ritual. Yes, this book does it for me (and I really hope you check it out!) but more importantly, I want you to find something YOU connect with. Make time to check in with your guide and with yourself as often as possible. Maybe everyday, maybe not, pick it up when you need it and it will speak to you. Xo, Ciao!

“A year’s supply of inspiration every day and the perfect gift for your friends.” – Oprah Winfrey “Mark Nepo has written a beautiful book about life, informed by the shadows of death.” – Marianne Williamson

Olivia Cecchettini
Contributing Writer

Olivia is a yoga teacher based out of San Diego. With a love for people, life, spirituality, reading, and, of course, yoga she spends her days connecting with students and nature. Getting outside whenever she can to enjoy all the beauty this life has to offer.

by Monique Minahan

At yoga recently the teacher suggested this intention for our practice:

I will not take things personally.

This didn’t really resonate with me, so I chose an intention that rang more true to me:

I will take things personally.

As in, I will get up close and personal with my dreams, my loves, my life and my fears. I will smell their sweat and place their sticky cheek next to mine and breathe in their outbreath. I will inhabit every ounce of this human body as I rest in the hammock of being and awareness that holds it up.

I sometimes get the sense in the yoga world we’re all trying to detach and be perfectly balanced, enlightened beings. I’m all for enlightenment, but in striving for that perfect state we can miss a lot of wonderful imperfection along the way because we consider it “in the way.”

For a long time I approached my practice and my life as if it were in the way of where I was going. I wanted to get “there” because getting there seemed to mean I wouldn’t have to suffer anymore. I envisioned a state of being where stress wouldn’t sway me, family wouldn’t bother me, loss wouldn’t shake me, and life wouldn’t hurt me.

What I was doing was detaching from my reality and skipping out on my own life. I was missing the point Peter Rhodes makes when he says:

“We make a mistake when we wait for heaven, wait for enlightenment, wait for change. It is not going to happen in the future. It is happening. It is within our experience. Now is the time.”

Yoga and meditation are tools that help us distinguish the two and bring a quality of awareness to our lives so that we don’t suffer unnecessarily. It is just so easy to use these valuable tools to bypass what’s happening right now, what’s living and thriving in our bones and bodies and lives right now; the good, the bad, and the ugly. Life is not always love and light. Sometimes it’s pain and darkness. They are the two poles of life that together light up our lives as the full experience it is.

It’s easy to fall into a practice of seeking enlightenment on a mountain top while the everyday enlightenment passes us by. Lorin Roche reminds us of this in The Radiance Sutras:

Wherever, whenever you feel carried away,
Rejoicing in every breath,
There, there is your meditation hall.
Cherish those times of absorption—
Rocking the baby in the silence of the night
Pouring water into a crystal glass
Tending the logs in the crackling fire
Sharing a meal with a circle of friends.
Embrace these pleasures and know,
This is my true body.
Nowhere is more holy than this.
Right here is the sacred pilgrimage.

I’m so grateful to that yoga teacher for her offering and for sharing an intention that was relevant in her life. It helped shed light on my own process and revealed to me an intention that has been marinating in me all year.

I will take things personally. I will live life fully. I will love more than ever before.

Monique Minahan
Contributing Writer

Mo is a writer and yoga teacher who believes in peace over happiness and love over fear. She likes to set her sights high and then take small steps to get there. You’ll find her walking the dirt path behind her house with her little fluffy dog, practicing walking her talk by keeping her head high and her heart open. 

Read more from Monique on her blog, mindfulmo.com

Looking for your next set of yoga tunes? Check out the newest musical offering from Jennifer Tipton, I Have Finally Seen the Light, available on iTunes, at the Yoga One studio, as well as in our online store.

Running just over an hour in length, I Have Finally Seen the Light is a yoga-inspired collection of songs and beautiful Sanskrit chanting. The tracks combine to provide an enhancing complement to your yoga practice. The last song is even appropriately titled “Savasana.”

The relaxing nature of the tracks is also ideal for grooving and lounging around the house.

I Have Finally Seen the Light would be a great stocking stuffer for the yogi in your life. Get started early on your holiday shopping and support local San Diego artist and yoga teacher, Jennifer Tipton. Order a few copies today!

guest post by Dina Weldin

“Your husband is in the military?!”

I hear this question all the time. I get it. You think, yoga teacher and military man, how does that work?

The truth is that yoga and the military go together quite serendipitously.

I’d been practicing yoga for about five years when I met my husband. We met, we dated, he went off to training, we got married, and before I knew it, he was leaving for deployment. Along with the pride, love, and honor I feel being a military spouse, there is also the worry, uncertainty, and fear.

Is he alright? When will I hear from him again? How long will it take the mail to deliver his package this time?

As month three of deployment arrived, I took a giant leap of faith and did something I’d always wanted to do but had never “found the time or the money” before – I enrolled in Yoga Teacher Training at Yoga One.

I learned so many things during the weeks of teacher training but what I didn’t expect to learn was something I will treasure beyond time. I learned I am so much stronger than I knew. Not a physical strength, but an emotional, mental, and spiritual strength I didn’t know I possessed. The challenges of deployment, though always looming, were not insurmountable. My yoga practice and the beautiful community of yogis in teacher training were always there to support me.

Here is what I found to be true:

Breath is life and life is breath. We don’t often get a chance to just listen to ourselves breathe. When was the last time you stopped, felt your heart beat, and actually listened to yourself inhale and exhale? This is such a powerful tool when going through worry and stress of any kind, especially in the military world. On the days I felt my world was collapsing, all I had to do was stop and listen to my breath. It was always there for me, every single time. Calm your breath to calm your mind.

Life is about right now. I felt victim to living in a constant state of “what if?” What if I can’t do this alone? What if something happens to him? Instead of “what if?” try “what is?” What is happening right now? What is true is what is in front of us in this very moment. Yoga teaches us present moment awareness which creates gratitude for what is right now: Life, Breath, Connection.

Community is everything. The last five letters in that word – unity – this is the literal definition of the word yoga. To be united with our breath, with our community, with our friends, and with our family, whomever you choose to call your family, this is truly what yoga is all about at its very core. Whether I am alone on my mat in my home, or in a class full of 100 yogis I have never met, we are united. And having my fellow trainees, Yoga One family, my amazing sets of parents, my beautiful friends, military community—that is where I find strength as a military spouse.

When I think about the military-yogi connection, it all makes perfect sense. Feel present in your life. Live it for what it is, not what it should have been or what it could be. Draw energy from your community on days you don’t have any of your own. And finally, find your breath every single day. It can be as simple as that, just breathe. You are exactly where you need to be. 

Are you a service member or military spouse interested in yoga? 

Yoga for Vets offers a listing of classes around the country for free or reduced rates for current service members. 

MyCAA is an excellent resource for military spouses looking to gain portable career training, one option is to become a yoga teacher! Yoga One Teacher Training proudly accepts MyCAA candidates.

Dina Weldin
Guest Writer

Dina fell in love with yoga ten years ago on the east coast and currently teaches all over San Diego in many unique environments. She has a diverse yoga background and incorporates attention to mindfulness, breath and alignment in her teachings. When not practicing yoga, she can be found on doggie beach with her husband Will and dog Mar.

Yoga One Family Member, Frank Richardson, has been sharing his practice with our community since October of 2011. We love his positive energy, easy smile and kindness. He writes about how his yoga practice has supported him while traveling in Italy.

For me, Yoga is closely linked with meditation. One has more movement than the other, though both come from the physical mechanics underlying the act of breathing.

Being still in meditation causes us to open up from the rhythm and flow of breath, the expansion and contraction of the diaphragm and lungs starting at the root and progressing up through all the chakras, pausing at the crown, then flowing down again.

Focusing on this flow and letting thoughts go without locking on to them allows us to be aware of the continuing presence underlying the static paths of thoughts.

Yoga builds on this breathing practice by extending the movements created by breathing into practiced cycles that bring the flow throughout the body. Yoga brings Prana, or breath, wherever there is constriction or “stuck-ness” or even pain.

Flow, I am coming to realize, is essential to joy. Yoga opens my body and mind to being joyful by connecting to the flow of life that is happening from moment to moment.

The yoga I am doing now while traveling is not formal. There are no classes defining “practice.” I watch my breathing and my quality of alertness or presence.

How I am standing or sitting? Am I leading with my heart? Is my head up or am I looking down? What’s the level of anxiety I am experiencing right now? Can I breathe through it to get to the other side?

I most likely won’t be able to practice either yoga or meditation formally again until I get home; but the moment to moment check-ins keep me in balance and moving with the flow while traveling through this wonderful and sometimes daunting place called Italy.

by Laura McCorry

You are not fixed. 

Sometimes change is so slow as to be imperceptible. Your cells are always dying and new ones are born to take their place. Every day your hair grows a bit longer. Every day some small new part is incorporated into the whole of you.

All it takes to change your direction in life is one new thought. One different action. One word of love. All that came before brought you to this moment, right now. But the past shouldn’t be given a seat at the table of today.

Have the small acts and thoughts of this hour brought you into alignment with what you know to be true about yourself? If you have strayed from your path, this is when you need to have the most compassion for yourself and the most courage to forget what came before and begin again.

Never be afraid to speak your truth. People will try to hold onto the old idea of you because it is familiar. Don’t be tempted to go along with them.

Listen to the voice inside that speaks your dreams. Give yourself permission to shout who you are to the world. Consistent acts in the same direction add up over time. Small steps matter. You are not fixed – you are free.

Laura McCorry
Contributing Writer

Yoga and Laura had an on-again-off-again relationship from 2004 until 2009 when they decided to move in together and there’s been no looking back since. Passionate about both yoga and writing, Laura loves to introduce others to the joys and benefits of yoga and healthy living.

Contact: laura@yogaonesandiego.com

by Olivia Cecchettini

 “Start Where You Are: A Guide to Compassionate Living”

by Pema Chodron

Summary: Start Where You Are is a handbook for awakening a compassionate heart and choosing love over fear. Beginning the healing process from the inside out, Pema Chodron offers an easily accessible shift in perspective. By starting where we are right now, we can begin accepting rather than denying the painful aspects of our lives. Chodron frames her teachings with traditional Buddhist slogans, such as: “always meditate on whatever provokes resentment,” and “always apply only a joyful state of mind.” Using these slogans as mental mantras, combined with meditation, we can all develop the courage to sit and work with our inner pain and discover the joy and confidence that already lies within.

Why I love It: I love this book because the teachings are simple and Chodron’s writing reflects her light-hearted and humorous approach to life. As I read, I became more aware of my mental patterns, and within that awareness healing began to occur as I shifted from negative self talk to kind and supportive ways of thinking. I found a new way of being within myself and in the world. I love this book because its practices brought more joy, fearlessness, and self love into my life and that’s what inspired me to share it with you!

Recommended For: Everyone – I believe we can ALL use more compassion in our lives. Whether things are great at the moment or you’re going through something that feels too big to handle, compassion helps us find ease within ourselves and as we move through the world. It begins within. Start where you are. Choose love over fear. Simple. Wise. True. This book is all of these things and more. I invite you to explore its teachings and see how they resonate with you. Begin with an open heart and see where it takes you. Enjoy!

“Start Where You Are is a short book, but one worth taking your time with and chewing on. It’s also worth re-reading. It’s a great introduction to traditional Buddhist slogans or lojong, yet accessible and relevant whatever your other beliefs may be.”

– Elephant Journal

Olivia Cecchettini
Contributing Writer

Olivia is a yoga teacher based out of San Diego. With a love for people, life, spirituality, reading, and, of course, yoga she spends her days connecting with students and nature. Getting outside whenever she can to enjoy all the beauty this life has to offer.

Whether you want to practice yoga with your little ones at home or teach yoga to kids at a studio or school, Rainbow Kids Yoga Training can give you the tools you need to begin sharing the love. It’s not too late to sign up for their upcoming training at Yoga One! Go here to register.

Yoga for Kids and Families Teacher Training
October 31st – November 2nd
held at Yoga One 1150 7th Avenue San Diego, CA

Rainbow Kids Yoga is an international yoga teacher training company, specializing in 3-day kids and family yoga teacher trainings where you’ll learn everything you need to know to teach yoga to kids in a fun and safe environment!

The course is for anyone who loves working with kids and loves yoga. It is for yoga teachers wanting to specialize, and educators wanting to bring the benefits of yoga to their classrooms. It’s also great for parents to find new ways to connect with their children and family, and share a healthy, fun, and non-competitive movement-based activity. You do not need to be a yoga teacher to take the course.

“I would highly recommend the Rainbow Kids Yoga class to anyway thinking of teaching yoga to kids. The course was high energy and fast moving. Not only did I gain heaps of skills to use for kids yoga but also personally my soul was lifted, and I left feeling lighter and more energised, ready to inspire kids with yoga and FUN. My kids and I now try and do yoga together everyday! Thank you.” – Mish Chelkowski, Tasmania – February 2014

Bonus: Check out this article from Gopala Amir-Yaffe, the founder of Rainbow Kids Yoga, for a mini class you can practice at home with the whole family.

Join teacher Cayetana Rodenas at Yoga One in downtown San Diego, CA for this special 3-day training held by Rainbow Kids Yoga. October 31st – November 2nd.

Save $100 when you register before October 10th. Go here to register.

“Almost immediately we set up in an intimate and warm circle. Excited eyes darted from smiling face to open and curious face. We were instructed to put our arms around each other.

“Soon individuals had become a united group, swaying in unison, laughing and ultimately giving each other back and head massages. There were partner poses, human pyramids, costume changes, obstacle courses, games, feathers, straws, great music, dancing and dinner breaks at local restaurants!

“It felt like a party. It felt like a family. And best of all, we were accessing that open, curious, fun-filled aspect of ourselves that consumed us as kids. We were behaving like children in the best possible sense.

“We made life long friends and memories. Of course we learned and developed new skills, techniques and confidence to teach yoga to children… nay, to share the joys and benefits of yoga with children, because in many ways, children are natural yogis and the Rainbow Kids Yoga Teacher Training taught us to remember that and to embody it ourselves.”

– Michael Caldwell

How many hours do you spend typing in front of a computer screen? If you’re like many Americans, you’re spending a significant amount of time every day with your fingers on a keyboard. Over time, repetitive movements like typing or clicking on a mouse can cause wrist pain or even carpal tunnel syndrome.

Our friends at Embody Physical Therapy and Yoga (who lead the anatomy portion of Yoga One Teacher Training) have created a short video showing three poses to reduce and eradicate wrist pain and carpal tunnel symptoms. To find out more about Yoga One’s award-winning studio and yoga teacher training, go here or send us an email: info@yogaonesandiego.com

by Michael Caldwell

If you grew up on the East Coast or in the Midwest, there was one day a year that when it came (if it came) was better than Christmas, Hanukah, Kwanza, New Year’s, summer vacation and often, even your own birthday. That day was the elusive and magical Snow Day.

Most of the kids I knew dreaded getting up for school every morning five days a week. It was always too early, often dark, sometimes cold, you had to get dressed, you had to eat, wash, brush, dress… ugh! Laborious, uninteresting, mundane, routine, boring, painful!

My mother, so sweet, would have to come into the room and “rise and shine” me. “Good morning, son, rise and shine. It’s a great day, time to get up for school!”

To which I responded by burrowing deep within the sheets and shrouding my head under my pillow. Then there were a few minutes of glorious sleep, only to be reawakened a second time with a less sweet verbal prompt and finally, with all the lights turned on and the covers pulled off – you get the picture.

But the night before a suspected snow day, the speculation would begin via the nightly news. The anchorman would announce, “Areas of (such and such location) are advised that the storm may increase over night bringing high winds and heavy snowfall. The counties of (such and such) are on alert for possible school closings…”

Something jubilant like Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy” would sound in my mind. All of the usual nightly stalling and subsequent sneaking out of my room were abandoned. A snow day required focus, rest, intention setting, and full present moment awareness.

In the morning, at least two hours BEFORE my mother’s rise and shine notice, I was Awake. I would be listening to the radio, tingling, vibrating, a transparent eyeball, all senses on high alert, waiting and hoping that our school would be mentioned.

Then the disembodied voice floating out of the box read the list, “such and such schools, closed, such and such schools closed, such and such schools open (oh snap!), such and such schools closed…” What, wait, that one was mine! And I shot off like a rocket to experience glorious adventures, character building activities, life enhancing and affirming interactions, special, rare and wonderful sensations that only a snow day could bring.

This is the joy and immense sense of freedom and possibility that you feel during Yoga One Teacher Training. You are immersed in an open-minded and supportive community, daring to explore your own yoga practice and learning how to effectively share that practice with others.

We hope you will join us for the upcoming course. We trust you will find the experience to be fun, educational, special, informative and life-enhancing.

Save $600 on your investment in yourself when you registered and pay in full by September 30th, 2014. Send us an email at info@yogaonesandiego.com or give us a call, 619-294-7461

Michael Caldwell
Contributing Writer

Yoga teacher and Co-Founder of Yoga One, Michael has been practicing yoga and incorporating its philosophy into his life since 1997. His kind and gentle manner is well suited to leading students of all levels. Michael has published numerous articles on a variety of subjects including yoga, meditation and rock n roll.

Yoga One teacher Jennifer Tipton wrote a beautiful reflection on the life and practice of one of her yoga mentors, B.K.S. Iyengar for YogiTimes. Read the whole article here.

Jennifer teaches Yoga for Backs on Tuesdays at 7:30pm and Rooftop Mixed Level Flow at Hotel Solamar on Sundays at 9am. See our full schedule here.

The Iyengar style of yoga is known for its extensive use of props (blocks, blankets, straps, and more) and a focus on precise physical alignment.

Jennifer writes, “Through the longer holds in our yoga postures we can learn how to experience a calmer mental state and therefore allow energy to effectively channel throughout the entire body. Yoga practice has evolved through the years and as a society we have come to enjoy faster paced and more rigorous styles to match our fast-paced and hectic lives.

“Iyengar yoga teaches us to slow down and live in the present moment. Even if we only incorporate a few poses with longer holds and perhaps the use of props we can go deeper and experience the benefits that are so present in Iyengar’s teachings.

“Every Tuesday night I teach my “Yoga for Backs” class and more often than not I will incorporate a restorative bridge posture into the practice. It really is one of my favorite yoga poses and always has been.”

by Laura McCorry

On the surface, yoga and the military may not seem to have much in common. Yoga is sometimes stereotyped as the domain of liberal, vegan, nouveau hippies and the military as gun-toting, meat-eating conservatives.

But the truth of any community lies beneath the surface.

As a yogi and military spouse, I feel like I’m always discovering new ways these two communities have similar perspectives on life.

• You must live in the present moment.

The military lifestyle is inherently full of uncertainty and change. Schedules are outlines at best and your service member could leave for training or deployment at any time. Depending on the service member’s job, the time of day they go to work and come home could change on a daily basis. There is often no such thing as routine.

One of my favorite yoga teachers would start class by asking, “Where are you?” The entire class would answer in chorus, “Here.” Then the teacher would ask, “What time is it?” The answer: “Now.” Here and now. It was a revelation.

Living in the present moment doesn’t happen over night, just like you can’t walk into your first ever yoga class and pop up into headstand. “Be here now” is a mindfulness skill you can practice over the course of a lifetime, but you get to enjoy the benefits of peacefulness the same moment you begin.

• True alignment demands honest communication.

Separation is a fact of life for military families and deployments can range from four months to over a year depending on the branch of service. This can be one of the hardest trials for the military family and one the civilian world understands so little, mostly through lack of exposure and not a want of sympathy. If you want your relationship to survive thrive during a long separation with limited communication opportunities, you need to make sure the communication you do have is honest and of high quality.

Alignment in yoga can have both a physical and a spiritual or emotional meaning. You are aligned physically when muscle groups and joints are positioned to provide a strong structural support for a posture. In order to experience this in class, you must be very honest when asking your body whether it is working hard and knowing when you are tired and should rest.

Beyond the physical, alignment is experienced when what you think, what you say and what you do are the same. The communication you have with yourself must be honest and of high quality, checking in frequently. This kind of deep alignment with the core of yourself brings serenity to chaotic or stressful life circumstances.

• Deep roots grow in communities.

Military families move more frequently than most civilians, often to a city or town they’ve never been to before. They know what it’s like to be the new kid, to start over with a new job and to go through the awkward stage of friend-dating. Consequently, the military community is usually very welcoming and helpful to new-to-the-area families because they know how important it is to build ties and feel connected.

Yoga practitioners know that you can’t “fly” in an inversion until your core and support system is fully grounded. And yoga is all about connection, not just to the inner self but to a wider community. Both yoga studios and military communities are known for their hospitality and welcoming spirit – because they understand that families and individuals in strong communities are happier and healthier.

Are you a service member or military spouse interested in yoga?

Yoga for Vets offers a listing of classes around the country for free or reduced rates for current service members.

MyCAA is an excellent resource for military spouses looking to gain portable career training, one option is to become a yoga teacher! Yoga One Teacher Training proudly accepts MyCAA candidates.

Laura McCorry
Contributing Writer

Yoga and Laura had an on-again-off-again relationship from 2004 until 2009 when they decided to move in together and there’s been no looking back since. Passionate about both yoga and writing, Laura loves to introduce others to the joys and benefits of yoga and healthy living.

Contact: laura@yogaonesandiego.com

by Olivia Cecchettini

Meditations from the Mat: Daily Reflections on the Path of Yoga

by Rolf Gates and Katrina Kenison

Summary: The 365 meditations in this book integrate the mindfulness that yoga teaches into our everyday lives. Each day the meditation begins with a quote from a wide range of beautiful souls that will touch your heart followed by more wise words from the authors to inspire self inquiry, self love, and service. Read it daily or a few entries at a time, whatever feels right in the moment, but take time to digest and let the words settle in deep.

Why I love it: I love this book for many reasons. First, I love quotes! The meaning of profound words changes daily based on my perspective, how I’m feeling and what I relate to in that moment. I love this because you can re-read the same quote everyday for a week and it will continuously have many layers to uncover and take in. Secondly, having something tangible like a book to connect me to body, mind and soul while I meditate is a powerful tool that keeps me feeling balanced and happy.

Recommended for: Anyone who wants to bring more meditation into their lives. Whether it is two deep breaths with your eyes closed or 20 minutes in a seated position, you have to start where you are without judgment. Meditation is a place to stop, breathe and reconnect inward. As we begin to live our lives from the inside out, we create space for peace and healing to come forward creating more compassion and joy within.

I had this book for three years before I finished reading it all the way through, so take your time! Meditations From the Mat can be a great addition to your everyday ritual but it’s okay if that doesn’t happen. The book will always be waiting for you whenever you’re ready, and so will your cushion. Practice and all is coming. Light and love.

“In this free-spirited journey to the heart of yoga, Rolf guides us, through daily meditations,to finding the appropriate balance between standing firm and surrendering to flow—the key to peace of mind.”

– Beryl Bender Birch

Olivia Cecchettini
Contributing Writer

Olivia is a yoga teacher based out of San Diego. With a love for people, life, spirituality, reading, and, of course, yoga she spends her days connecting with students and nature. Getting outside whenever she can to enjoy all the beauty this life has to offer.

by Laura McCorry

Comparison is the Thief of Joy 

I recently moved across the country from San Diego, California to a not-so-big town in Virginia. Whenever I think about my old life (as I’m starting to call it) I’m sad that I can’t take yoga classes at Yoga One and see all my old friends or go out to eat at my favorite restaurants.

The problem with moving is that you don’t have a network or favorite places right away, that takes time. And it would be unrealistic to expect one city to provide the same opportunities and experiences as the other. They are totally different beasts and the better I get at not comparing them, the happier I am.

Yoga teaches us to be present with what is. Who you were yesterday and who you want to be tomorrow don’t matter as much as the present moment and who you are today.

If You Want Something, Ask.

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve sat at home feeling sorry for myself because I didn’t have plans to meet friends. Or how I’ve looked at my phone wanting to talk to someone but not wanting to bother them when they might be busy. These feelings come from a place of fear and breed inaction. It’s good to remember there are no prizes for toughing it out alone. When the going gets tough, ask for help and support from your friends and family.

Being present in yoga means examining your physical and mental alignment, making small adjustments as you encounter anything out of place. That ability to take stock and respond is key to emotional health off the mat. When you put fear aside and take responsibility for your own happiness and well-being, you become empowered to recognize and ask for what you need.

Look Up and Out 

When I’m struggling with something, really struggling, it’s easy to self-implode and only see the world from my own perspective. I always know this is happening when every time I talk to a friend, I launch into a Litany of Woes, a.k.a. everything that’s going wrong in my life.

You can break the cycle by seeking connection and community. Expand your awareness to the person in front of you (or on the phone, or at the other end of an email, etc.) Talk about your joys. Take a yoga class. Call your mom. Ask a stranger how they’re doing and wait for a response.

The reason more people don’t practice yoga in their living rooms is because we often crave community more than we crave the mental and physical benefits of yoga. Taking a yoga class unites our breath with the group and tells us that we are not alone. Finding a studio where they know your name and welcome you with a smile or a hug is priceless.

What life lessons have you learned from your yoga practice? Share with us in the comments!

Laura McCorry
Contributing Writer

Yoga and Laura had an on-again-off-again relationship from 2004 until 2009 when they decided to move in together and there’s been no looking back since. Passionate about both yoga and writing, Laura loves to introduce others to the joys and benefits of yoga and healthy living.

Contact: laura@yogaonesandiego.com

Those of you who practice yoga regularly can probably think of 50+ reasons why you go to class but it never hurts to have some extra motivation handy. What would you add to this list?

10. You just can’t answer that email from your boss right now. You just can’t. 

9. You get to cross something off your to-do list that makes the rest of your list feel more manageable.

8. You secretly worry what your mat would say about you if it could talk. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WhVSCkxhVWI

7. You’ll leave the house and see other adult humans. They might even hug you.

6. The yoga DVD you bought is currently serving as a coaster on your coffee table.

5. You had a terrible day and yoga is the light at the end of the tunnel making you feel like it’s all going to be ok.

4. You had an amazing day and you know that post-class bliss will put you over the top in the best way imaginable.

3. Because you promised yourself and those are the most important promises to keep.

2. You believe yoga pants should be worn to yoga class more often than lounging on your couch.

1. Because yoga brings out the more loving and understanding superhero version of you!

by Christina Bird Ward

Physical fitness through exercise is an important part of every health routine. Whether you choose yoga, strength or cardiovascular training, sports, or other indoor or outdoor exercise activity, acupuncture can help you improve your wellness and encourage a healthy lifestyle. Here are five ways that acupuncture can benefit athletes in particular:

2. Better Sleep: Not only will better sleep give you more energy throughout the day, it also allows your body to properly repair itself during your slumbering hours. Insomniac patterns, including interrupted sleep and shortened sleep time, don’t allow your body to complete its restorative process. Acupuncture helps regulate your Autonomic Nervous System, allowing you to relax out of fight or flight mode. This will calm both your body and your mind, helping you fall asleep and stay asleep.

3. Muscle Relaxation: After physical exertion, our muscles can become tight, restricting proper body movement and alignment. Acupuncture needles connect with the muscle fibers which allows relaxation along the entire muscle itself, extending beyond the area immediately surrounding the inserted needle.

4. Improved Blood Flow: Using ultrasound color doppler imaging, researchers have shown that Acupuncture increases peripheral blood flow in the body. Better circulation allows your body to receive the nutrients it needs to heal and also benefits muscle relaxation.

5. Pain Relief: One of the biggest detractors to regular exercise is pain. Whether it’s back pain, headaches, osteoarthritis, or other acute or chronic injuries, pain can get in the way of your exercise routine. Acupuncture treatments can help alleviate these pains and allow you to get back on track with your exercise routine.

Book a private session or come to our Community Acupuncture sessions on Wednesday afternoons from 3-5pm. (Last appointment available is 4:30pm, treatments last 30-45 minutes, cost: $20.)

Have a question about acupuncture, massage or bodywork you want answered by an expert? Submit it to info@yogaonesandiego.com with “Blog Question” in the subject line.

Christina Bird Ward
Guest Writer

Christina Bird Ward is an Acupuncturist in San Diego, CA. She believes that a healthful life begins with loving yourself completely, mind and body. Connect with Christina on Facebook at Christina Bird Acupuncture.

by Olivia Cecchittini

The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom

by Don Miguel Ruiz

Summary: Based on ancient Toltec wisdom, “The Four Agreements” is a book that connects the reader to simple yet powerful tools that can transform their consciousness. Using everyday life concepts combined with a compassionate heart, Ruiz connects the reader to their own inner light. Each agreement moves out of the mind and into the heart space, taking readers from needless suffering to creating more joy, inner peace and freedom within their own lives. Here are the Four Agreements: 1. Be impeccable with your word 2. Don’t take anything personally. 3. Don’t make assumptions. 4. Always do your best. They are simple but if practiced with intention they can truly transform your life.

Why I love it:  I love this book because it is easy to read and simple to process but the affects of Don Miguel Ruiz’s words run deep. They continuously stay with me and bring me back into alignment time and time again even years later.

Recommended For: Anyone and everyone! We are all connected – as we deepen our understanding of ourselves, we create space for others to do the same. Our relationship with others is an outer reflection of our relationship with ourselves. As we surrender to the lifelong lesson of  healing, learning, and growing these simple agreements create mindfulness to live with integrity and joy.

Don Miguel Ruiz’s book is a roadmap to enlightenment and freedom.” — Deepak Chopra, Author, The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success

Olivia Cecchettini
Contributing Writer

Olivia is a yoga teacher based out of San Diego. With a love for people, life, spirituality, reading, and, of course, yoga she spends her days connecting with students and nature. Getting outside whenever she can to enjoy all the beauty this life has to offer.

Don’t get your yoga pants in a bunch!

It doesn’t matter where you practice, east coast or west, we all know that people who practice yoga are happier and healthier (and dare we say it?) cooler than the general population. Namaste, yo!

We’re excited to have Elka Haeckel share her experiences and passion at Yoga One. She is both a knowledgeable yoga teacher and a perpetual student (like most great yoga teachers).  Elka infuses her classes  with a fresh perspective and a contagious enthusiasm. See our full schedule here.

 

“You’re missing out on LIFE!” the woman next to me sharply stated as I finished typing a text message into my phone. We were standing at La Jolla Cove where I went for my morning walk before class. 

It was a rude awakening, but she was right. What I missed while staring at my iPhone was a baby whale emerging for a brief moment right in front of where I was standing. I have been swimming in those waters for over 5 years and have never seen whales in the cove! Luckily, he resurfaced and I got a second chance. It was a beautiful moment.

I turned my phone off and continued looking around as I walked. This time I noticed a group of seals huddled together on a rock basking in the morning sun, a family of pelicans cleaning their wings and a hummingbird pausing in mid air as if to say “hello.”

With all our attention being pulled in many directions, it has become more and more difficult to just be present and notice what is happening NOW. Yoga and meditation help bring us back to all we really have: this moment, this life. Staying in the past and worrying about the future only creates stress and dis-ease. The way to peace is PRESENCE and the path to presence is by SLOWING DOWN, one breath at a time.

Join me for my upcoming Advanced Yoga Anatomy Course at Yoga One where we will explore the true healing power of Yoga.

In the meantime, turn off your ringer, check email one less time a day and take a yoga class!

To your well being,

Rachel Krentzman

We are one month away from our Yoga One Teacher Training Summer Intensive!! Wohoo!! There are still spots available, call 619-294-7461 to reserve yours today. The course dates are August 13-30, 2014, more information at Yoga One

Our teachers are getting ready to welcome the new class of aspiring yoga teachers and yogis who simply want to deepen their understanding of this amazing practice –

will YOU join them?

by Laura McCorry

I wasn’t exactly friendly and outgoing when I was a kid. That was my sister. I was the kid who would rather sit in a corner and read a book than socialize with people, even people I liked. So it took me a long time to figure out how to make good friends and how to resolve conflict in relationships.

When faced with a difficult problem, I would go to Mom and she would ask me one question: “What’s the most loving decision you could make?”

There’s almost always a clear answer to that question. It could be apologize for being rude to an uncle. Or forgive your sister for breaking your toy. Sometimes it meant stick up for a friend at school even though it won’t score you points with the popular kids.

My mother is the type of woman who does everything. She worked a full time job, helped us with homework and made dinner every night, plus a bajillion other things I was too young to pay attention to. She takes care of her dogs and kids and husband – sometimes everyone except herself.

And I know she’s not alone. Our culture tells us that being busy is the highest measure of success. People brag about how little free time they have to show how well their job is going or how much they’re involved in their children’s lives. And these are good things!

But having a full schedule isn’t the same thing as being fulfilled.

Emily Dickinson wrote, “Forever is composed of Nows.” In other words, we are what we habitually do and feel. Yoga teaches us to be present with what is. Not what we want our lives to be like or how we think they should be. Stress begets stress and love begets love.

I didn’t realize until I was an adult and had been practicing yoga for several years that sometimes, the most loving decision is to take care of yourself first. 

When we learn to habitually create inner peace, then all of our outward efforts will be filled with peace as well. Go to yoga. Have a cup of tea. Dance in the kitchen. Take a deep breath. Take five deep breaths. Repeat one of my favorite mantras:

I have enough.
I do enough.
I am enough.

Laura McCorry
Contributing Writer

Yoga and Laura had an on-again-off-again relationship from 2004 until 2009 when they decided to move in together and there’s been no looking back since. Passionate about both yoga and writing, Laura loves to introduce others to the joys and benefits of yoga and healthy living.

Contact: laura@yogaonesandiego.com

To me, the meaning of Yoga is the meaning of Love!

It can take a lifetime of practice and I will still have so much to learn.

I am continually drawn to Yoga and all the yogic principals, striving to gain more openness, strength and stability, purpose, knowledge, acceptance and awareness.

With a focus on what is really important in life I can calm my entire being.

This is what matters: love, inner peace, being present, non-attachment, non-judgement, the ability to still the mind to relieve stress and anxiety.

With Yoga I open my heart to grace as I also strengthen my Spirit, Mind and Body, preparing me for the world and filling me with love and gratitude for all life has to offer, good and bad.

Bringing balance to my life, yoga helps me flow through all that comes my way.

Yoga’s true definition is “union” and it helps me feel more united with all I do and everyone I meet.

Yoga helps me spread the Love!

Take Robin’s class on Tuesday mornings at 6:30am, see our full schedule here.

guest post by Christina Bird Ward

Like too many women, I’ve spent a large part of my life struggling with body image issues. It took me a long time to learn how to like (much less love) what I saw in the mirror. The good news is that loving yourself is a skill you can practice and learn over time. 

Here are a few things I do to feel amazing in my own skin, which is pretty much the definition of sexy:

1. Smile at yourself in the mirror before leaving the house in the morning. I felt ridiculous when I first started doing it, but eventually, I began to feel like I was smiling at a friend and that she was smiling back. Now, I never leave the house without sharing that smile.

2. Find something you like about your body every day. It took me months before I could find one thing that I liked: my nose. My nose was the first thing that I could look at and think, “Yeah, I like the way that looks. I wouldn’t change a thing about it.” As time passed, the list of things I found tolerable about my body grew, then the things that I liked, then the things that I loved.

3. Recite mantras or affirmations to your reflection. Here are a few of my favorites:

“I love what I see in my reflection.”

“I am beautiful.”

“I am powerful.”

“I am love/loving/lovable/loved.”

“Because I accept and love myself, others will accept and love me.”

“Smile as a cause, not as an effect.”

4. Choose what you eat wisely. This doesn’t mean I don’t splurge. Don’t get me wrong, I love pizza… and Nutella… and all sorts of other junk foods. But I try to be intentional with what and how I eat. I know that when I eat better, I feel better. And when I feel better, I look better, which makes me feel better, and so goes the cycle.

5. Wear sexy, flattering panties. Always. Got that? Always. Now this doesn’t mean that you have to wear some uncomfortable black lacy thing. Some of my most comfortable underoos are also my sexiest little numbers. Underwear is the first thing you put on. Let the first thought you have about your body be “I look damn sexy” and see how your day week life changes.

6. Exercise because it feels good. If your body isn’t healthy, it doesn’t matter what size your pants are, you won’t feel your best. Stop exercising because you want to look good (although, that is an unavoidable side effect) and start working out because you want to take care of your beautiful, imperfect body.

7. Get rid of “fat/skinny pants.” They only remind you of how you used to be compared to now. The hardest struggle is learning to love your body right now. Throw out anything that you don’t feel good wearing.

8. Learn how to walk in heels and own at least one pair. I’m a heels girl, I can’t lie. There is a feeling I get when I’m confidently strutting in my sleek, black stiletto boots that just can’t compare with any other footwear. Your heels might be a little black dress or sea kayaking or ordering whiskey at a bar. The point is to do or wear something that makes you feel confident and daring.

9. Choose a partner who says nice things about you. I’ve been in a relationship with someone who criticized my body and pointed out my “flaws,” which only reinforced the negative messages I gave myself. Ain’t nobody got time for that! Be with someone who loves you exactly the way you are but who will challenge you to grow and work towards a healthy life together.

10. Say only positive things about your body, even when joking. In fifth grade, a girl in my class made fun of my “big butt.” She wasn’t far off, I was a skinny ten-year-old with a booty that was well before my time – but I held onto that statement for years. That was the moment I started worrying about my body and began to have an altered and inaccurate view of how I looked. Discard words that bring up negative emotions like “big” and “fat” and replace them with positive words like “voluptuous” and “full.”

Remember that loving others sometimes sneaks up on you and surprises you. Loving yourself is more deliberate. Take the first step: embrace yourself. You’re worth the love you have to give.

Christina Bird Ward
Guest Writer

Christina Bird Ward is an Acupuncturist in San Diego, CA. She believes that a healthful life begins with loving yourself completely, mind and body. 

We are excited to welcome Jeanne (pronounced like “sun” with a J) to the Yoga One family! Jeanne brings an attentive practice and years of teaching experience along with a sweet yet professional personality. Her classes are filled with a variety of pose options to help her students feel both comfortable and challenged. Come to her Saturday morning Level 2 and up Flow at 10:30am and check out the rest of our schedule here.

1. What is your favorite style of yoga?

My practice is always evolving. I practice many styles and really attend classes to connect with all sorts of instructors who are teaching from their heart and journey. I do love Sri Dharma Mittra and his journey. My favorite practice though is when I get up in the morning and spend time in my own practice, connecting.

2. What first attracted you to yoga when you began your practice?

It’s as if yoga came to me and fell in my lap. It’s an interesting story that points to my belief that it’s part of what I’m meant to practice and share in this lifetime like it was written out for me. I feel lucky that I listened to the voice that was telling me I need to divert my career path. It wasn’t easy to listen – there were social pressures and a lot of adventures with sacrifices.

3. What is your favorite yoga pose right now?

I’m one of those people who never has a favorite of anything at any given time, not even a favorite color or piece of clothing.

4. What pose is still the most challenging?

I find any pose challenging if I’m in a heated class with no air flow. Extensive heat (with no air flow) drains my energy and strength. I was grateful when I learned (through yoga texts) that heated classes drains your Prana, or life force. I knew it didn’t make sense for me. One time I practiced yoga in 112 degree heat outside in Austin, TX and it wasn’t a problem because there was fresh air and I was connected to the elements.

5. If you were an animal, you would be: I’d love to experience being all animals, but if I could only pick one, I’d choose to be a dolphin.

6. Describe what yoga means in your life using just 6 words: connecting to truth and knowledge.

7. What might your students be surprised to learn about you?

Apparently my age, haha! Also, people are surprised to learn that I can fly a plane.

8. Do you have any words of wisdom or advice for new students?

Hug yourself, and me too please!

guest post by Missy DiDonato

Yoga has always been a source of connection for me. I feel connected to the earth when I practice in nature. I am better connected to my family, friends and strangers through the shared experience of group asana. Most of all, yoga connects me to my body and this has been never been more true or important now that I’m pregnant.

Pregnancy has brought dramatic changes to my body in a relatively short period of time. During the first trimester (1-3 months), I barely practiced yoga. My body was working over-time to grow my baby and prepare for the rest of pregnancy and I was physically exhausted. I honored this natural process and kept my practice really mellow. Some days all I did was legs up the wall!

The second trimester (3-6 months) I was able to get back to my regular practice with modifications. I kept my feet hip-distance apart for better balance and to allow space for baby to grow. I omitted any deep twists and began to use blocks under my hands in uttanasana (forward fold.) I began to get light-headed more easily, so I rarely came into a full fold and often used a block underneath my forehead in down dog which eased the sensation of blood rushing to my head.

Now into my third trimester (6-9 months), I’m using these modifications along with lying on my left side for savasana. I never thought this would be as comfortable or relaxing as traditional savasana but IT IS! The most unexpected and wonderful part has been discovering how comfortable pregnancy modifications are simply because they were designed for my new body.

I’ve discovered how much I enjoy having my little buddy with me wherever I go. She hears my voice when I teach and is soothed by my yoga playlists. More importantly, she is encircled by the peace, calm and focus from the class as a whole. I feel great in my body, but it’s no longer mine completely. This is a wonderful part of being pregnant, but it’s also taken some adjustment.

Practicing yoga a few times a week has kept me in shape physically and eased the aches and pains of stretching ligaments and muscles – but it has also sealed the bond between us. I’m not only practicing for myself, I’m practicing for her. We are two bodies contained within my own and I try to tune in to how my position feels to her. I move through asanas to strengthen and restore my body, but also to create space for her to be comfortable and to grow.

* Please consult your doctor before beginning yoga or any other exercise program. If you are pregnant and new to yoga, we recommend you attend dedicated Prenatal Yoga classes.

Missy DiDonato
Guest Writer

Missy began practicing yoga at home when she was fourteen, following along to a DVD in her living room. She has since completed two separate 200 hour Yoga Teacher Trainings with UCSD and Yoga One. Missy loves helping others find their own yogic path and students of all levels appreciate her warm and friendly teaching style.

That first stretch of the day sitting on the edge of my bed

Our very own Amy Caldwell will be co-teaching the Yoga for Hope class at Petco Park this year on Saturday, June 7th. We are happy to support such a great cause! Amy toured City of Hope with her mom and was so impressed with the amazing work they are doing on behalf of cancer, diabetes and HIV/AIDS research, treatment and education. City of Hope’s holistic approach helps save lives every day.

There are many ways you can be a supporter! Here are 3 easy options:

1. Join our Yoga One for Hope team and make a donation or just show your support  – Click here to view the team page for Yoga One for Hope

2. Come to the Yoga for Hope class – Saturday, June 7th,2014 at Petco Park in San Diego, CA – on the outfield!  Have fun and feel great practicing yoga on the outfield of the Padres’ major league baseball field for a great cause with approximately 1,000 like minded yogis.

3. Come to a special Yoga One donation class – where 100% of proceeds will go the cause: Saturday, May 31st, 10am at Shelter Island Shoreline Park South (Friendship Bell – see map below) – Donate what you feel. ALL proceeds go to City of Hope.

We appreciate your support!!!

 

I can’t imagine what my life would be like without yoga.

Yoga has become such an integral part of my day to day life, I sometimes feel like I eat, sleep and dream yoga (if that is even possible). Imagining my life without yoga would be like living without sunlight. How would you survive?

But I didn’t always feel that way. In 2008, I was living in the East Bay of San Francisco. My new husband, Joe, and I thought it would be good to try new things together. Considering we had dated for less than four months before getting married, this goal was easy to accomplish. Joe picked a Yoga class to improve his flexibility and I chose a Latin Dance class because I love to move!

Joe wasn’t crazy about Latin Dance but we never had a problem practicing yoga together. At night our 500 square foot cottage became a makeshift studio, both of us trying to recall the flow from last week’s class. At the end of the semester, it was clear we would never be the couple that owned the dance floor but we were more flexible, better connected to our bodies and our relationship had blossomed to a deeper love and respect.

Then we moved to Germany for three years. I found myself wishing I could go to a yoga class but couldn’t find one. I settled for countless miles on the treadmill, shooting hoops and the occasional Zumba class.

Like any married couple, our relationship had its highs and lows in the those three years. We traveled. We laughed. We fought. We made up. We lived. We loved.

Joe got out of the military in 2011 and we entered a whole new stage of our lives. I would go to work 40 hours a week to pay the bills and Joe would go to school full time to earn his degree.

I tried to balance work and play. I wanted to make enough time for family and our many friends now that we were back in my hometown, San Diego. But I never seemed to have any time for me. I felt like I was letting people down if I chose to go to the gym instead of spending time with them.

Joe and I struggled with our new roles, both of us a little lost and unhappy. Our relationship began to suffer. The love, respect and connection we once had got lost somewhere along the way. We had fooled our friends and family into thinking the pictures we posted on Facebook were real, all smiles and good times.

I felt miserable, unhappy, empty and certain that my marriage was destined to end.

Joe went to yoga. I went to therapy. Joe asked me to go a yoga class. I declined and went to Zumba instead. Joe asked me to go to yoga class again. I was too tired. Joe asked me a third time to go to Yoga class, so I humored him and went.

I walked into a 24 Hour Fitness on Feb 18, 2013 not knowing what to expect. Some of the poses looked and felt familiar, but I struggled to maintain any sort of controlled breath. I remember waking up the next day and everything hurt! I later learned that I had taken a Power Flow class and boy, what a way to get reacquainted with yoga!

The next time there was a class, I opted to go with Joe. The second time I didn’t feel nearly as awkward, but I was still sore the next day for sure.

What kept me going back to my mat that first month was observing Joe. He was so content after going to yoga, even when our relationship was on the verge of crumbling. I wanted to feel that contentment, even if it was short-lived. I wanted to feel anything, if it meant continuing to practice yoga, so be it.

Yoga became part of my weekly routine, once during the week and once on the weekend. I felt myself become stronger. I felt myself becoming more flexible.

Finally it happened, one evening in just as I was coming out of Savasana. As I lay in fetal position, my palm touching the earth, the teacher’s words seemed to resonate deep inside of me:

“Lay here with gratitude in your heart. Gratitude for the earth underneath you as it supports you, feel connected to it.” I felt the topsy-turvy feeling of butterflies in my stomach.

“Gratitude towards yourself, you have made the choice to honor yourself and your practice.” I felt my throat constrict  and it felt hard to breath.

“Remember that you are perfect as you are now, at this very moment.”

I felt a rush run through me, as warm, salty tears slid down my cheeks. I was silently weeping. These were not tears of frustration or tears of sadness. They were tears of gratitude and joy and love.

My relationship with Joe started to transform, we went to classes and workshops together. We planned our weekly schedules, meals and outings around our yoga classes. In June, I told Joe I wanted to take a Yoga Teacher Training. He was very supportive and told me to do what made me happy.

Working downtown, I had seen the Yoga One sign when I went to lunch or a coffee run for the office but I had never been to class. On July 25th, I went to Angela’s Thursday 6pm Vinyasa Flow and it was one of the most challenging classes I had experienced outside a workshop, everything was so alignment-based. I went home physically exhausted but filled with so much energy and love I couldn’t wait to share it all with Joe.

Yoga One’s monthly newsletter included information about their upcoming Yoga Teacher Training starting in January 2014 and the next day I signed up. Looking back now, it might seem crazy that I was ready to commit after just one class – but Yoga One immediately felt like home to me.

I am very grateful for how supportive Joe was during the eight weeks of teacher training. We hardly saw each other yet it felt like we were closer. We learned how to communicate effectively, to be considerate of each other’s feelings and how to truly love. Joe was not just my partner to practice teaching, he became my best friend and the partner I needed in our marriage. I truly believe yoga healed my heart.

Yoga will continue to be an intricate part of our lives as individuals and a married couple. Whether we attend classes together or practice separately, we are yogis and damn proud of it! I am thankful for every experience I’ve had so far and I can’t wait to see where this journey takes me.

 

Lorena’s desire for movement and deeper connection to her body has kept the flames of a fiery passion for yoga alive. Lorena hopes to blend her love for teaching yoga with the creativity of her freelance make up artistry. Lorena’s greatest joy is to be a witness for the ah-ha moment to those who allow her to enhance their lives.

 

 

Meet Olivia, a yogi with a gorgeous smile and infectious energy! She teaches the Level 2 Flow on Thursday nights at 6pm, be sure to drop by for a challenging workout and the perfect savasana to end the day. Go here for our complete schedule.

1. What is your favorite style of yoga?

My favorite kind of yoga is Vinyasa but throwing in a weekly Restorative class is a must as well!

2. What first attracted you to yoga when you began your practice?

I immediately loved corpse pose (savasana) at the end of class! I was exhausted after my first class. The fact that lying on my mat for three minutes doing absolutely nothing except letting my body restore and relax was part of the class, I was sold. It felt different then anything I had ever done before and I loved it.

3. What is your favorite yoga pose right now?

My favorite yoga pose right now is navasana, or boat pose. I practice finding my center and tapping into that inner fire. Boat pose reminds me of that and keeps me feeling strong and connected to my core.

4. What pose is still the most challenging?

Many poses are still challenging for me but one that I am working on right now is bird of paradise. Straightening the lifted leg takes time and practice – and that’s half the fun of it, every try feels different.

5. If you were an animal, you would be: a deer. I once had a dream I was a deer and surprisingly it resonated with me. It was the first and last animal dream I’ve ever had but experiencing that kind of freedom was amazing.

6. Describe what yoga means in your life using just 6 words: Yoga is peace, love, breath, connection.

7. What might your students be surprised to learn about you?

I had the mouth of a sailor before I started teaching but yoga keeps me aware and conscious of what I say and I appreciate that.

8. Do you have any words of wisdom or advice for new students?

“Enjoy the ride, it’s the journey not the destination.” I love that quote for all aspects of life but with yoga especially. I believe that if you could master every pose on the first try you would miss out on the good stuff, the things you can’t see, like learning to be humble, having patience, and letting go.

Hope to see you in class! Come introduce yourself and say hello, or grab a hug, I love connecting with students and sharing the journey.

~ Olivia

Book a private session or come to our Community Acupuncture sessions on Wednesday afternoons from 3-5pm. (Last appointment available is 4:30pm, treatments last 30-45 minutes, cost: $20.) Check out our Acupuncture FAQ for more information on this incredible healing modality.

1. Why did you decide to become an acupuncturist?

My undergraduate major was Athletic Training, which dealt with injuries and their related examination, assessment, and physical interventions – basically, injury rehabilitation. After I graduated, I worked as a personal trainer for three years while I was figuring out what my next step was and that’s when acupuncture found me, in a way.

In the span of three months, I met over a dozen people who were graduates or current students at the Pacific College of Oriental Medicine. One was the mother of a close friend; a girl from a weekend workshop; three students in a Mandarin class I was taking at a Buddhist temple (because “why not?”) and several other friends of friends.

As soon as I enrolled in the 11 semester master’s program, I knew that I was in the right place. Through my education and beginning my practice, I have been able to see the beautiful and profound way that acupuncture can change lives. I get to help people, day in and day out, and that’s why I became an acupuncturist.

2. What benefits have you or your clients received from regular acupuncture treatments?

Every patient has a different treatment plan and set of goals, but there are several things that most patients will experience with regular acupuncture treatments. There is an overall sense of calm, relaxation, and de-stress that comes from acupuncture – it is felt during and after a session, and can carry on into the rest of the week.

Whether it is headaches, back pain, muscle soreness, or menstrual cramps, most patients notice an alleviation of pain in their body. Acupuncture can improve digestion and establish greater regularity of bowel movements, especially the morning after a treatment.

Many patients experience improved sleep patterns: falling asleep easier, staying asleep longer, and waking feeling more refreshed. Better sleep often leads to more energy and a greater ability to “get everything accomplished” on a day-to-day basis. There is often a more clear sense of mental clarity and ability to focus at work and at home.

Overall, every patient gets up off the table and walks out, “feeling really, really good right now.”

3. Describe what acupuncture means in your life using just 6 words: My purpose in helping other people.

4. Something interesting your clients might not know about you is:

I have been an athlete all my life, through several sports and many different acute and chronic injuries. I’m grateful to combine my personal experience with an acupuncturist’s extensive, detailed knowledge of the body in order to better treat patients experiencing pain, injuries or other physical ailments.

5. What would you say to encourage someone who has never tried acupuncture?

For starters, acupuncture is safe. The FDA approved acupuncture needles for use by licensed practitioners in 1996, and requires that sterile, single-use needles be used only by qualified practitioners. To become an acupuncturist, one must attend an accredited Acupuncture college (3000-4000 hours of study – approximately 4 years, full time study) and pass a licensing exam which includes standards of hygiene, clean needle technique, and anatomical knowledge.

Acupuncture doesn’t hurt. Receiving an acupuncture treatment is nothing like getting a shot or having blood taken. An acupuncture needle varies in diameter from 0.16 mm to 0.46 mm, which is just a fraction of the thickness of a typical hypodermic needle. You may feel a slight prick as the needle enters the skin, but there shouldn’t be an residual discomfort.

You can be a skeptic! In fact, I more than welcome hearing your questions and doubts – acupuncture doesn’t require belief for efficacy. The modern study and practice of acupuncture combines thousands of years of empirical knowledge about how to treat the body with western medicine’s current understanding of how the body works and functions. And acupuncture does work!

Paper towels are everywhere you go. Have you ever stopped to think about how many you’ve used over the past month alone?

As yogis, we’re always trying to expand our awareness and make subtle changes to benefit ourselves and the world around us. Check out this short four minute video on how to use just 1 paper towel. Every. Single. Time.

Trust us, it really works! This one small change can make a difference.

by Laura McCorry

“As for the complex ways of living, I love them not, however much I practice them. In as many places as possible, I will get my feet down to the earth.” – Henry David Thoreau

Minimalist living has been a guiding light of mine for many years but I don’t consider myself a minimalist. More like an aspiring minimalist – my goal is to shed excess consumerism and live in closer harmony with life’s basic necessities.

I recently came across the story of a man living in the wilds of Canada in my facebook newsfeed. It’s fascinating to think about a person completely renouncing civilization and thriving, not just surviving, in the wild. Like a true regression to primitive man and perhaps the ultimate conclusion if we were to follow the paleo diet adherents down the rabbit hole.

Is it good to get away? Definitely. Go on a retreat, take a walk barefoot in the park, practice yoga outside. For most of us, going off the grid permanently isn’t an option or even a goal. The more time I spend in communion with my yoga practice, the more I desire simplicity.

There was the first great plunge into a regular, established practice. I saw how much more I had to learn and often pushed myself to try the hardest variation offered by the instructor. Many poses that had eluded me suddenly became possible in my body and there was the rush of what some call “collecting poses.” It was exciting and great for parties and certainly has its own place for celebration.

Then there was a subtle shift. I still pursued those complicated poses – like mountaintops I aspired to climb their peaks but I also wanted to linger on the slopes. The grounding postures, the simplest poses you first learn in yoga – these became new and difficult in their own right. It was enough to hold warrior two and breathe, appreciating the challenge that presented itself not right away but with the joint forces of time and staying present.

If you’re ready to really explore your yoga practice: Simplify. Feel your feet (and hands) on the ground. Linger in the transitions. Go back to basics and see what changes.

Namaste!

Laura McCorry
Contributing Writer

Yoga and Laura had an on-again-off-again relationship from 2004 until 2009 when they decided to move in together and there’s been no looking back since. Passionate about both yoga and writing, Laura loves to introduce others to the joys and benefits of yoga and healthy living.

Contact: laura@yogaonesandiego.com

by Monique Minahan

The initial weeks and months postpartum are a unique time in a woman’s life. Although new moms often feel a lot of pressure to “get their body back,” the reality is that having a baby changes your body radically from the inside out and there’s no need to push yourself. Even with a healthy pregnancy and delivery, the impact of childbirth and the physical demands of taking care of a newborn can be surprising to new mothers.

My yoga practice has changed dramatically since having my baby. With no extra energy and little free time I’m learning to make my yoga count. Gone are the days of 5-minute warm-ups and 10-minute savasanas. I’m happy to get in a 15-minute practice on any given day and am learning that life after baby requires a different kind of flexibility, strength, and patience than the kind I practice on my mat.

Here are 5 poses I’ve found healing, energizing, and supportive on my postpartum path. In all poses bring awareness to your breath and the back side of the body, two areas that tend to get neglected in new moms. Step into your new body slowly and with awareness, letting it open up when ready and heal at its own pace.

1. Cat/Cow: This was the first pose I did after having baby and it never felt so good. It’s a wonderful way to gently begin to reconnect to your new body and massage your spine at the beginning or end of your day.

Find how to do cat/cow here.

2. Supported Twist: Back pain is a common complaint among new moms. Twists are rejuvenating for the spine and can provide a much-needed release to the back after a day of carrying baby. This restorative version is gentle enough for your recovering body and the support allows you to deeply relax.

Use blankets or a pillow wrapped in a towel. Line up your hip with the middle of your prop. Twist to face the prop and lengthen your torso as you place yourself on it. Rest on each side 5 to 15 minutes.

3. Back Bend Over a Bolster: The hunched shoulders that come from carrying and picking up baby all day compromise our posture and can leave us feeling exhausted energetically as well as physically. This gentle heart-opener expands your lungs and frees up your breath.

Roll up a blanket and place your upper back over it until it rests under your nipple line. For extra support use a blanket under the knees and neck. Rest here 5 to 15 minutes.

4. Shoulder Clock: Carrying and rocking baby contracts the biceps as well as the forearm muscles, creating tension in the upper chest and neck over time. Gently opening the shoulders when possible helps to relieve tightness in the arms.

Find how to do shoulder clock here.

5. Constructive Rest Pose: Hours spent sitting while nursing, rocking, and playing with baby fatigue the psoas, a core muscle connected to our central nervous system and a major player in keeping the hips happy and balanced. The psoas connects the spine to the leg, and this pose helped me learn to relax it without pushing my body into deeper poses too early.

Lie on your back, bend your knees and place your feet on the floor in line with your hips. Rest the knees against each other. Keep your spine in its natural position with a curve under the low back and neck. Rest here for 10 to 15 minutes and let gravity do the work.

Monique Minahan
Contributing Writer

Mo is a writer and yoga teacher who believes in peace over happiness and love over fear. She likes to set her sights high and then take small steps to get there. You’ll find her walking the dirt path behind her house with her little fluffy dog, practicing walking her talk by keeping her head high and her heart open. 

Read more from Monique on her blog, mindfulmo.com

Ever try convincing your friends to come to yoga only to hear one of these myths? Check out Part One of the list here.

5. MYTH: Yoga is not for men.

FACT: Yoga in the western hemisphere may be dominated by women, but historically, yoga was only practiced by men. Both men and women can benefit from strength-building, flexibility, balance, mindfulness, stress-reduction and all the other benefits of yoga. Take a buddy or go to a class led by a male instructor if you’re feeling hesitant about being the only dude.

4. MYTH: Yoga is too expensive.

FACT: Yoga One has many competitive membership and class package options that reduce the price per class. For example, the 10 class package breaks down to $12/class. Compare that to $14 at the movies or $15-20 for lunch downtown. Come to class more often with our unlimited membership and save even more! An investment in your health and wellbeing is never something you should put off for later.

3. MYTH: A $100 mat is better than a $20 mat (a close relative of #4).

FACT: You don’t need expensive equipment or clothes to do yoga – that’s part of its charm! Ask yourself this simple question: do your hands slip in downward facing dog? If the answer is no, chances are your mat is working just fine. The best yoga accessory is the willingness to come to class and give it your best effort.

2. MYTH: A true yogi eats a vegetarian/vegan diet, drinks kombucha, won’t eat processed sugar, etc.

FACT: Practicing yoga will increase your awareness. You become more conscious of how the body and mind interact and react to each other. Don’t be surprised if you find yourself approaching other areas of your life with more mindfulness and compassion. Yoga doesn’t tell you what to do but it might change your mind!

1. MYTH: You must be calm and relaxed all the time because you do yoga.

FACT: Life can be hectic – many people do yoga because it helps them relax. Yoga can help you gain perspective by encouraging you to slow down and pay attention to the present moment. A regular meditation practice has been proven to reduce stress and feelings of anxiety.

BONUS: Watch this awesome instructional video – how to meditate in a minute!

Here’s a list of our favorite yoga myths. Do you ever hear these “reasons” not to do yoga from your friends? Let us know in the comments!

10. MYTH: You have to be flexible to practice yoga.

FACT: Over time, practicing yoga safely helps increase your flexibility. Maintaining a supple spine and full range of motion in the joints helps prevent injury and may even improve your game if you play a sport.

9. MYTH: My grandmother does yoga so you can’t get a really kick-ass workout from it.

FACT: Yoga is not just about stretching and relaxation! Building muscle strength and endurance through yoga is the key to safely exploring flexibility. There are many different types of yoga for all different body types and abilities and there’s definitely a style to fit your needs!

8. MYTH: My Crossfit-crazy boyfriend does yoga and it sounds too intense for me.

FACT: Some styles of yoga are intense (think: Ashtanga or Power Vinyasa) but other styles, like Restorative Yoga, focus on deep relaxation and breathing techniques to manage stress. If you’re a beginner, start with a beginner class and feel free to explore different styles until you find the ones you like best.

7. MYTH: Yoga is the same as physical therapy.

FACT: Some of the exercises might be the same and yoga does have a reputation for healing – but don’t confuse these two. While yoga is an excellent addition to a healthy lifestyle, if you’re recovering from an injury please listen to your doctor and physical therapist.

6. MYTH: If you practice yoga, then you’re not a real Christian, Muslim, Jew, [insert any other religion or spiritual tradition.]

FACT: For many people, yoga is spiritual, but it is not in and of itself a religion. Yogis of many different religious backgrounds enjoy allowing their beliefs to color and enhance their practice. And many yogis prefer to practice just for the physical and mental benefits.

Check back next week for Part Two!

What feels indulgent, satisfying, relaxing and is really good for you all at the same time? A massage at Yoga One! Rebekah’s calm demeanor and soothing touch will help you relax and restore. Book a massage today.

1. Why did you decide to become a massage therapist?

I wanted to help people find relief through holistic methods.

2. What benefits have you or your clients received from regular massage therapy?

I personally have received relief from back pain, headaches and stress reduction. My clients have found relief and relaxation from the same issues and many more!

3. Do you have a favorite type of massage?

I don’t have a favorite type of massage, I believe it is more important to mix it up depending on what is going on with the body.

4. Something interesting your clients might not know about you is:

I enjoy teaching and practicing yoga and spending time outdoors.

5. What’s the best advice you give for how to really enjoy a massage?

Clear your mind, and in that moment, let go of all the stresses in your life. 🙂

Meet Heather Fenwick, a yogini who embodies her practice on and off the mat. Heather’s classes are well thought out and peppered with illuminating nuggets of wisdom. Come check out her Monday night mixed level, Flow class at 7pm. You can find the rest of our schedule here.

1. What is your favorite style of yoga? 

I don’t have one favorite style of yoga. This ancient practice is so constantly evolving and recreating, just like humans do! I have enjoyed dabbling in Iyengar and Anusara, but my favorite style is the day-to-day off-the-mat practice style.

2. What first attracted you to yoga when you began your practice?

After my first yoga class in 2002, I felt a serenity that I’d never felt before. It was lasting and deep. I first loved the “yoga buzz”, but noticed that I was becoming more agile, balanced, strong, and graceful – that’s what keeps me coming back.

3. What is your favorite yoga pose right now?

Supta Baddha Konasana (lying down bound angle pose) with props. This pose is a gentle restorative space, where a backbend is effortless. It literally lifts the heart and opens the body to the breath, and to the present moment. I feel that balance between upliftment and ease so naturally here.

4. What pose is still the most challenging?

I have an injured hamstring and wrist that have prevented me from enjoying some more advanced postures like hanumanasana (splits) and adho mukha vrksasana (handstand). I would love to get into these poses one day, but injuries are “patience testers”, and I remember over and over again that being attached to the form of a pose is as un-yogic as it can get.

5. If you were an animal, you would be:

I would be a stray dog in Costa Rica. Those dogs have the best life, just running up and down the beach all day and all night, napping in the shade, swimming in the ocean, playing with other dogs, and they have enough to eat. They are freedom and joy.

6. Describe what yoga means in your life using just 6 words: a shedding, a letting go, to let light shine

7. What might your students be surprised to learn about you?

I actually come from a family of staunch republicans.

8. Do you have any words of wisdom or advice for new students?

I think that new students are ultimately the best teacher for everyone else because they approach yoga without any expectations: an empty cup.

I let all my students know that yoga is a non-competitive venture, and to go no further than a deep breath allows you to. No pushing, no forcing, and in fact a cultivation of “what is” and trusting that that’s enough, and even perfect.

by Laura McCorry

Nothing will ever replace a teacher’s guiding hand when it comes to yoga, but it can be very rewarding for students to do some solo work on their mat.

A home yoga practice allows you to:

• listen to your body more closely
• establish a healthy routine capable of diffusing anger and managing stress
• more fully integrate the poses and modifications learned in class into your practice.

Use these tips to set yourself up for success! And remember, it doesn’t matter how many times you fall down, as long as you get back up at least one more time. Do your practice and all is coming.

1. Start with a sequence. Learn the sun salutations from your favorite teacher, write down a sequence of poses in order, use a book, magazine or video for guidance. Check out the iYoga Premium App developed by Yoga One in collaboration with 3D4Medical! If you have a set sequence planned in advance, you’ll be more likely to stick with it.
2. Set a specific time aside. The beginning of the day and the end of the day are wise choices because you don’t have to cut anything out from your schedule. Pick a time, set an alarm (if you need it) and commit to being present for the allotted time. Even just 10-15 minutes – don’t bite off more than you can chew. Increase as desired.
3. Isolate yourself from distractions. Turn off your cell phone and ask others not to disturb you while you are practicing. Life happens and distractions will come, but do your best to stay focused and you’ll increase your chances of success.
4. Create a ritual. After practice, make yourself a cup of tea as a treat. Set up a special place in your home with a candle, incense or an icon. Allowing yourself a healthy treat and practicing in the same location each time activates the reward center of the brain and helps reinforce your new habit.
5. Choose an affirmation. It can be as simple as internally repeating “peace” on your inhale and “love” on your exhale or as specific as “I am healthy because I choose to take care of myself.” Over time, affirmations and mantras become part of our internal dialogue and create shifts in long-established ways of thinking.
6. Allow time for reflection. A brief period of journaling or silence (while making breakfast, brushing your teeth before bed) will ease your transition back into the world of activity and relationships. This pause gives you time to integrate the benefits of your practice into your body, life and mind.

Yoga and Laura had an on-again-off-again relationship from 2004 until 2009 when they decided to move in together and there’s been no looking back since. Passionate about both yoga and writing, Laura loves to introduce others to the joys and benefits of yoga and healthy living.

Contact: laura@yogaonesandiego.com

School Field Trips. Summer Sleep-Away Camps. Honeymoon. Mission Trips. Pilgrimage. All of these are trips taken with other people for a specific purpose but more often than not, the participants experience greater benefits than they anticipated.

School trips and summer camps take students to museums or teach children a skill like riding a horse – but everyone remembers the friendships they formed.

A honeymoon cements the love and devotion of a newly married couple away from their family and everyday life.

Mission trips are designed to help the needy all over the world, but the volunteers learn the value of giving and empathizing with others. Pilgrimages may be about following the path to Santiago, but the journey truly happens within.

In order to witness true transformation, it is necessary to break with routine. Going away, creating a geographical space between you and your old life is one of the easiest ways to create the necessary conditions for change.

A favorite poem, “Ithaka” by C.P. Cavafy begins:

“As you set out for Ithaka
hope the voyage is a long one,
full of adventure, full of discovery.”

Through Odysseus’s travels, Ithaka was the one place he wanted to be: home. But it took him ten years and numerous battles and setbacks before he was able to complete his journey. It was those encounters that changed him and made his story into a legend.

This new year, invite change and transformation into your life not merely by planning a trip but by taking a journey. Go on a retreat. Meet new people. Try on a new way of being. Even if you can only get away for a few days, hope the journey is a long one.

“If you think adventure is dangerous, try routine: it is lethal.” – Paulo Coelho

Get off the mat this month with Amy Caldwell, Yoga One co-founder, co-owner and head instructor. She also co-teaches the annual Yoga One Teacher Training.

Amy’s classes distill years of teaching experience and yogic knowledge into a light-hearted, often playful flow. Her personal warmth and clear, concise guidance will keep you coming back for more. Catch up with her on Mondays at noon and Fridays at 5:45pm (starting 1/24). You can find our full schedule here.

1. What is your favorite style of yoga?

“Quality” yoga 🙂 and by that I mean a well-balanced practice that emphasizes present moment awareness through equal parts conscious participation and peaceful abiding. I love alignment-based practices, slow flow and challenging vinyasa depending on the day.

2. What first attracted you to yoga when you began your practice?

With my second exposure to yoga, like so many practitioners, I experienced a deep feeling of contentment. Having exercised regularly throughout my life, I also enjoyed the weaving together of philosophical inquiry along with the physical practice.

The first time I took an 8-week yoga class in college, however, I fell asleep in savasana and didn’t return to the practice until 5 or so years later. Just like so many things in life, there is an element of timing. I still often tell students not to give up if they don’t resonate with their first yoga class or teacher or studio. We are blessed with many choices that sometimes it’s hard to narrow them down and find your niche.

3. What is your favorite yoga pose right now?

I’ve recently been going back to the basics of plain old backbends, handstands and splits. If I had to pick one this month, I guess I would say backbend. I’ve been contemplating doing 44 on my next birthday in August in honor of my age. I feel that urdhva dhanurasana (upward facing bow) beautifully counterbalances our lives which are filled with so much forward bending like sitting and so much visual stimulation! Accessing the back body helps connect us with the other facets of our being beyond what we see on a day to day basis. Plus, it’s energizing and empowering.

4. What pose is still the most challenging?

I practiced pigeon in Sarah’s class yesterday and she reminded us to allow the exhale to be complete and to let the tongue fall off the roof of the mouth at the end of the inhale. It amazes me how challenging it is to truly stay in a place of conscious participation and peaceful abiding in this pose – even after so many years. Some days are easier than others!

5. If you were an animal, you would be:

A dolphin – although I recently heard sometimes they aren’t so nice to porpoises, so I may have to rethink that. I grew up swimming and love the water (although San Diego ocean water is a bit cold for me!!) I believe my dosha tends toward pitta and recently read that being in nature and in or near the water helps balance my energy – I feel that to be true every time I’m at the beach!

6. Describe what yoga means in your life using just 6 words: Tools for learning, loving and being.

7. What might your students be surprised to learn about you?

Well, the secret came out a few months ago at Rachel Krenztman’s going away party, but I truly love dancing and take cardio hip hop classes whenever I can (: Other than that, I am a pretty open book.

8. Do you have any words of wisdom or advice for new students?

As I mentioned in question #2 above, know that there are MANY styles, approaches and teachers of yoga – so the first, most important step is to find a studio and teacher where you feel comfortable, safe and taken care of.

The next thing I would remind new students is that yoga isn’t about being “good” or “flexible” or “strong” – it’s about meeting yourself where you are at this time in the present, being non-competitive and non-judgmental. Our 9 year old daughter explained to our 5 year old son last week, “you can see that glass as half empty, but just as easily you can see it as half full.”

Let’s all keep on practicing how to see the good in ourselves and each other. And when we forget, no judgement!, simply begin again. Happy practicing 🙂

Ever thought about becoming a yoga teacher? Want to deepen your yoga practice beyond the reach of group classes? There’s still space available in our upcoming Yoga One Teacher Training course this January!

January 17 – March 16, 2014: 8 Weekend Yoga Teacher Training Course (with a hiatus for President’s day weekend: February 15-17)

Yoga One offers a 200 hour Yoga Alliance registered course in Flow Yoga (Interdisciplinary, breath and alignment based practice.) Co-led by Amy Caldwell and Diana Beardsley, our highly experienced teachers are professional, inspiring and embody a full range of yogic knowledge: posture practice (asana), breathing (pranayama), history, philosophy and applications in daily living.

We offer tools and building blocks so each student can grow and evolve in their own unique way both as teachers and as individuals. In addition to helping students deepen their practice, we will teach how to lead safe, effective and well-balanced classes – much more than memorizing scripts and following a set format.

Read more about the course and find student testimonials on our website.

Teaching yoga is a highly portable career in a field that is growing across the nation by leaps and bounds – but our greatest reward as teachers is helping others live healthier and happier lives. Yoga One is proud to work with MyCAA to support qualifying military spouses receive financial aid for our teacher training course.

For more information, call 619-294-7461 or send an email to info@yogaonesandiego.com

We are excited to get to know you and grateful to share the joys and benefits of yoga!

We read that whenever Benjamin Franklin had to make an important decision he would draw a line down the center of a piece of paper and create two columns. On one side he would list the positive reasons why he should do something and on the other the negatives why he shouldn’t do it. He would then compare the lists – if the positives outweighed the negatives, he would make that decision and vice versa.

We’ve taken the liberty (pun intended) of starting your columns for you:

Attend the Yoga One Teacher Training

 

Yoga One Teacher Training: January 17 – March 16, 2014: 8 Weekend Yoga Teacher Training Course (with a hiatus for President’s day weekend: February 15-1

For more information and to register, call 619-294-7461 or send an email to info@yogaonesandiego.com

We are excited to get to know you and looking forward to sharing the upcoming yoga adventure together!