Posts In: asana

by Laura McCorry

by Laura McCorry

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(AT)yogaonesandiego(DOT)com

guest post by Stacey Ebert

Well over a decade ago, my friend Julie and I took a networking yoga class in NYC. We walked in, borrowed a mat, giggled at the ridiculous of it all, managed to stay for about 10 minutes, then ditched to get dinner.

It was a few years later until I took my second, ‘first’ yoga class on the beach in Long Beach, NY and whether I knew it then or not, I was hooked. Fast forward 8 years (after countless mat, hammock and wall classes around the globe) and here we are – I’ve officially survived the first week of yoga teacher training. If you asked me if I ever thought I’d be here – I’d definitely tell you you’re crazy.

Before I stepped through the door on Day 1 of Yoga One Teacher Training, I was petrified, nervous, excited, hesitant, and consumed with more emotions I can’t describe. Even though I had taught both high school and swimming for over two decades, even though Yoga One is my home studio and I adore the owners, Amy and Michael Caldwell – still, I felt that apprehension and angst. I came home from my first day sweaty, happy, exhausted, and not knowing if I could hack it.

By Day 2, I was achy, still happy, and managed to say two words to the husband before passing out by six o’clock for the night. Day 4, I taught for twenty minutes and all participants (including myself) walked away alive and unbroken – I call that a win! By day 5, I began experiencing change and feeling like the universe was literally cracking me open from the inside and never wanting this to end and by Day 6, I found myself dreaming of how to sequence a yoga class – what on earth is happening?

It was almost four years ago that we moved to San Diego and over a year that I’ve called Yoga One, home. These fabulous humans were there for me when my Dad passed away in December, gave me hugs when I needed it (and when I didn’t know I did), supported me through moves, the husband’s broken leg and dried my tears in many a savasana. Teacher training, for me, has taken that all to the next level – something like yoga, unplugged.

For the past week, Amy, Michael, Missy and Nam have taken fourteen strangers and brought them into the Yoga One community. We’ve learned to listen consciously, share our experiences, learn purpose and priorities we didn’t before know, trust and support each other in asanas and adjustments, breathe and be guided through practice by a kind, curious, experienced teacher. Through the medium of the yoga practice, Amy has helped us believe in ourselves.

For over a year now, Amy and the other instructors at Yoga One have been working with my wonky lungs and back on alignment and modifications that work for me. They’ve answered questions, pointed me in directions, guided me through practice, given me knowledge and shared their favorite books with me. Phrases like neutral/anteverted pelvis, natural spinal curve, breathe into the left back body, anchor the ribs and energetically move the thighs to the back plane of the body have been bantered around, improved slightly, yet often seemed unattainable – until this week.

This week, there’s been change. This week I woke up without back pain, actually felt what it means to get my thighs on the floor in full supta tadasana (reclined mountain pose) and even managed a full (supported) backbend. There have been tears of joy shed and magic felt – I can’t explain it, but it’s happening and that’s what matters.

Sure, I’m still nervous to sequence a class, figure out those transitions from standing to sitting and remember to mirror those tricky left and right directions – but I’m here. Fourteen people keep showing up each day with their eco-friendly bottles of water, snacks, desire to learn, and interest in the practice. Led by a patient, knowledgeable leader, we’ve watched each other grow, learn, share, and do. We’ve learned the difference between Yamas and Niyamas, that rooting to rise is helpful to all beings, that being present matters, that we can all benefit from a balance between steadiness and ease, that the practice of yoga is an artful, meditative dance and that all are always welcome on the mat.

I’m not sure what’s coming next, but I know I want to be a part of it all. None of us truly knows where it will all lead, but there’s magic happening in this training and on the mat and I’m already looking forward to experiencing more of it.

Stacey Ebert
Guest Writer

Stacey Ebert is a freelance writer, educator, event planner, and volunteer coordinator who has traveled to over 50 of the world’s countries. Writing about adventure, journey and perspective changing life shifts, she encourages travelers to take the leap, use the world as their classroom and get outside their comfort zones. She has lived in Long Beach (New York), Melbourne (Australia) and is presently based in San Diego (California). Connect with her on her blog, The Gift of Travel, Facebook, Pinterest, or LinkedIn.

How do yoga teachers feel about their practice? What inspires them to keep teaching and keep practicing yoga? Get to know your Yoga One teachers outside the studio and off the mat. This month’s interview is with Lauren Christie.

1. Why do you practice yoga?

I practice yoga to cultivate presence, to sense myself more clearly, and to shift my perspective. I practice so I can take what I learn out into the world. And I practice asana (the physical movements of yoga) so I can delight in having a moving, breathing body!

2. What was the most intimidating aspect of teaching when you first started?

Getting out of my head, and accepting that I won’t always get it right.

3. What gives you the most joy as a yoga instructor?

Seeing when things “click” for people. I like seeing people get excited about moving in a new way, and sensing that people are building self-confidence within the practice.

4. If yoga were a food, car, smell, planet, song, artist, flavor, etc… it would be: This is so hard! Yoga is so many things. For me right now, yoga would be like the flavor “umami.” It’s difficult to grasp and define, yet deeply satisfying when you experience it, and necessary for a well-rounded palate.

5. What’s your yoga inspiration?

My yoga inspiration is the world around me. I learn a lot from witnessing the qualities of trees, grass, sky, birds, ocean, etc. The people in my life inspire me too: my students, my fellow teachers, my partner, my family, my friends, the person in front of me in line at the grocery store…

6. What classes do you teach at Yoga One?

I teach Flow 1&2 on Thursdays at 7:30pm. 🙂

You can find our full class schedule here. Om!

Nicole Mullins PT/E-RYT is a physical therapist and yoga teacher with over 20 years experience working in orthopedics and seven years in therapeutic yoga. Currently, Nicole is the clinical director at Embody Physical Therapy and Yoga. She will be leading an Intermediate Anatomy Workshop for yoga teachers and experienced students at Yoga One on June 10-11. For more information and to register, go here. 

Yoga One: Which practice were you introduced to first in your life, physical therapy or yoga? And how long have you been practicing each?

Nicole Mullins: I was introduced to physical therapy long before I was introduced to yoga. Of course I knew yoga existed, I just didn’t have any experience with it or anyone who practiced yoga. I have been a physical therapist for 22 years and have always actively sought out additional training to stay current.

I took my first yoga class 17 years ago, but didn’t really start practicing until about 8 years ago when I jumped into a 200-hour teacher training. From there, I took workshop after workshop to really hone my skills and understanding of yoga.

Yoga made so much biomechanical sense that it soon replaced most of the therapeutic exercise I did with my patients.

YO: How has yoga informed your clinical work in physical therapy?

Nicole: I think the combination of yoga and physical therapy is both revolutionary and uncommon. It is a brilliant marriage that allows me to offer so much more to my patients than I was ever able to before. Yoga is so much more than just asana (the physical exercises). Yoga recognizes the undeniable mind-body connection and how we must address the whole person to affect positive change.

YO: Good alignment is something every yoga student wants to have, but it can be difficult to learn without years of practice or private instruction. If you could teach every yoga teacher and student the biomechanics of one pose, which would it be?

Nicole: There are actually two poses that I think are vital and necessary for everyone! From a purely biomechanical standpoint, I would teach tadasana, or mountain pose. Tadasana is the foundation of all standing poses and so many other yoga poses. Knowing how to find a neutral posture is necessary to be able to safely move into and out of poses and minimize risk of injury or overuse.

From the standpoint of overall well-being, I would choose savasana, or corpse pose. Most of us are unable to truly shut down and let our minds and bodies relax. The purpose of savasana at the end of a yoga practice is to let the nervous system integrate the experience of the physical practice. Learning how to do this properly can be extraordinarily beneficial and healing.

YO: What have you learned recently that really interests you?

Nicole: In addition to studying manual physical therapy and yoga, learning about essential oils and natural healing, I have also been studying osteopathic techniques, including visceral manipulation. “Viscera” refers to our organs. This technique has been around for many years and embodies the concept of treating the whole person. We cannot just address the muscles and joints without considering every other system and structure in the body.

The viscera and their orientation in our body is a crucial component in our ability to move and function with ease. Scar tissue and adhesions from surgery, injury, illness and infection can change an organ’s ability to move naturally. These adhesions are frequently manifested as musculoskeletal injuries, including back and neck pain. Adding this technique to my practice along with yoga and has been truly pivotal.

Learning new techniques and knowledge about the body is what makes me so excited to be a yoga teacher and physical therapist. It’s what makes me even more excited to share what I have learned through teaching so others can grow in their practice as well.

YO: We’re excited you’re offering an Intermediate Anatomy Workshop at Yoga One, can you share one topic you’ll be covering in depth?

Nicole: The workshop will touch on many topics, but one I consider to be the most important is what constitutes a neutral spinal and pelvic alignment. We will explore the biomechanical relationship between the spine, pelvis, shoulders, and hips. You will learn why the shoulders and hips are cornerstones of a healthy spine and you will experience this in your own body via asana in the training.

YO: That sounds amazing! Who would benefit the most from this type of workshop?

Nicole: This workshop will benefit any yoga teacher or student who wants to understand more about how and why the body moves as it does. This workshop is for anyone who wants a deeper, fuller knowledge of biomechanics and how it applies to yoga in particular.

If you want to be inspired to teach yoga more confidently, excited to share what you will have learned, and ready to see the benefits in your students, please join us.

Intermediate Anatomy Workshop

led by Nicole Mullins at Yoga One
10-hour course, eligible for Yoga Alliance continuing education credits

Saturday June 10th 12:30-6:30pm
Sunday June 11th 12:00-6:00pm

Pre-registeration required: $175 by June 1st / $225 by June 8th (last day to register. No refunds.)

 

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 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 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

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 Monique Minahan

“Yoga is the only thing that makes sense right now,” a student commented to the teacher before class.

It was a simple yet powerful statement that most of us can relate to. We’ve all been there at some time in our lives. Life becomes so busy, overwhelming, crazy, problematic, or stressful, and yoga provides a kind of virtual sanctuary that allows us to rest, recharge, and refuel on a deep internal level.

Physiologically, when we experience stress, anxiety, frustration, or other negative emotional states our breathing is impacted. Our breathing rate increases as our depth of breath decreases. This change in our respiration has a direct impact on our heart rhythm, which in turn affects our entire body.

When we go to yoga we are asked to do something very simple. We’re asked to turn our attention to our breath.

When we consciously lengthen and deepen our breath, such as through ujjayi pranayama, we are actually changing our heart rhythm and thus the neural patterns that are sent to the areas of our brains that regulate our emotional and mental functioning.

Effectuating positive change on the level of the breath, the fourth of Patanjali’s eight limbs of yoga, we find ourselves better equipped to face our inner and outer worlds after an hour of yoga.

On top of this breath awareness we layer asana, the postures we practice and the third limb of yoga. Asana has been shown to raise our brain’s GABA levels. GABA is a neurotransmitter in our brains that has a calming effect on our central nervous system.

It makes me wonder what would happen if we practiced all eight limbs of yoga instead of just the two most common ones, breath and posture.

The phenomenal thing about yoga is that it never changes. We change.

The poses don’t change, the breathing doesn’t change, the process doesn’t change. Where we are in our lives changes, where our body is at changes, what we’re experiencing on emotional, physical, and spiritual levels changes.

Your first down dog at the beginning of class doesn’t feel like your last one. Tomorrow’s hip or heart openers may be easier or harder than today’s. Each movement and each breath is a doorway into your present moment, your present body, and your present state of being.

Yoga brings us home to our bodies, although I find it’s sometimes more like a vacation home than a real home. I visit it when I do yoga and sometimes leave it uninhabited when I head back (literally head back) out into my “real” world.

B.K.S. Iyengar says, “It is through your body that you realize you are a spark of divinity.”

Through our body and through our breath we tap into deeper, freer levels of being that get buried under the stress or busyness of our lives.

This is unmapped and uncharted territory that requires vulnerability, compassion, courage, and a willingness to meet ourselves where we are on any given day.

Our yoga practice brings us to the doorway of our body and welcomes us home. How long we choose to stay is up to us.

 

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

Interview with Paisley Close On Backbends, Pranayama and Her Upcoming Workshops at Yoga One

by Monique Minahan

I first noticed the transformative quality of yoga while practicing backbends. The steadiness and strength they demand revealed to me both the power and the past housed in my back body. The vulnerability and expansion they require in the front body revealed to me my full capacity for open-heartedness.

The more I practiced this opening process physically, the more I found myself able to open more fully to the people in my life.

While I love backbends now, I didn’t always feel this way. Initially they brought up a lot of fear and disorientation for me. As one of my teachers puts it, “backbends are like strong medicine.”

One of the first teachers to guide me along this road of discovery was Paisley Close. In the years I practiced with Paisley my yoga practice deepened on many levels, both internally and externally, thanks to her expansive knowledge base, precise alignment cues, and unique approach to yoga. Many of the “refinements” she’s offered over the years allowed me to settle deeper into yoga, whether through asana, pranayama, or taking my yoga off the mat.

While Paisley doesn’t teach locally anymore, she offers up inspiration, insight, and all things yoga through her blog and will be paying Yoga One a visit August 18th to teach two workshops: Intermediate Backbends and Seated Poses & Pranayama.

She shares some of her insights with us in the interview below:

*****

Mo: Paisley, how long have you been teaching yoga and what do you love about it the most?

Paisley: I began teaching yoga in 2000. When I teach, I love witnessing the moment a student breaks through and does something he or she didn’t think they could.

Sometimes it’s physical, like recently when two students balanced in headstand for the first time, in the same class. Other times it’s the more emotional moment, when I can see and feel that students are connecting with themselves and finding peace and quiet internally. I also love that teaching creates the opportunity to live my practice.

Mo: Pranayama practices are often overlooked in modern yoga classes. What are some benefits of including pranayama in your personal practice?

The major benefit of including pranayama in your practice is that it calms and clears your mind. When your mind is agitated, your breath is usually short and shallow. When you deepen and elongate your breathing with pranayama, it pacifies your mind, which makes it easier to connect with your inner awareness.

Prana, or life force energy, is latent in your breath. By increasing your breath, you increase your body’s ability to hold prana and, therefore, vitality. The prana is like an electrical current and yoga asana, or poses, clear the blocks for the currents to flow freely. Asana also builds the necessary insulation, just like you’d have on an actual electric current or wire. It keeps you from short-circuiting, so it’s important to have an asana practice before developing a pranayama practice.

Mo: What made you choose these two topics for workshops: backbends and pranayama? Is there a connection between the two?

Paisley: I like teaching what’s not already being offered or elaborating on what is. I see very little emphasis on breathing these days, and so much more push to just flow through yoga classes. So I wanted to teach about this vital limb of the practice and thought they deserved a workshop all their own. Pranayama and meditation are such great ways to slow down and unplug from our busy lives.

As for backbends, I chose intermediate backbends to offer a chance for the more practiced student to try new and challenging poses with guidance and in a fun, community atmosphere.

One key to pain-free backbends is to keep a lot of lift and length in your spine. Pranayama can give you that. Also, the backbends open your chest and lungs and make it easier to take in more breath.

Mo: You’re a climber as well as a yogini. How does climbing in Mother Nature influence your yoga practice and vice versa?

Paisley: Oh my gosh, I don’t even know where to start! Both climbing and yoga push me out of my comfort zone and require me to be present. Climbing has a much bigger fear factor, so the stakes are higher. I need to be more aware of how I’m directing my attention and what I’m thinking. Yoga has given me the tools to do that, but climbing makes me practice harder.

In both cases, when challenge and fear arise, I go back to the breath and use my senses to increase awareness. With climbing, my senses are often on overload: the wind is howling, the sun is blazing, my feet are standing on dime-sized edges, my hands are gripping rough rock and the gear is clinking on my harness. Combine that with the heights and exposure and it’s really easy to revert to old patterns of thinking and operate out of the past; i.e. fear.

When I’m on my mat, I allow those fears to come up completely, and see what they’re really about, because they’re never really about the heights or the falling. I practice breathing deeply and watching how my mental patterns weave through my movements and either distract me or help me be more present. I also use my yoga practice to unravel all the tight muscles I get from hiking on uneven, rolling terrain with a 30-pound pack and using my fingertips to cling to the edge of a cliff.

I find a lot of freedom and inspiration in nature. We go to stunning places to climb and I try to fit a practice in when we’re there. It’s much easier for me to feel connected with the world around me when I’m in the wild.

guest post by Monique Minahan 

In yoga we often hear teachers suggest we create an intention for our practice. As opposed to a goal, I like to think of making an intention as an alignment. Just like we align our bodies in a certain way to safely move into Warrior II, we can align our minds and our hearts to optimally move in the direction we choose.

Sometimes my intentions are a whole sentence and other times single words; for example, presence or gratitude. I find it helpful to choose intentions I can apply on my mat and also off my mat. Instead of having an intention to finally nail bakasana, or crow pose, I’ll choose an intention of tapping into my inner strength, giving my intention bigger potential.

I’ve used the same intention for months until I feel I’ve outgrown it, and other times I use a different one every practice.

This year I’ve been applying a concept I discovered in the yoga workbook Art of Attention. The question posed is this:

Are you trying to prove something or are you trying to emerge?

While this question can be applied to anything, I primarily apply it to my yoga practice because that’s where I get up close and personal with my ego, my willpower, and my true self.

Reflecting on this question I realized that in asana, the physical practice of yoga, the effort we put into a pose may appear the same regardless of which mental or emotional approach we choose. The external appearance of our pose won’t necessarily look any different.

It’s the intention that changes.

Whether you are trying to prove something (e.g., I’m going to muscle through this practice no matter what) or you are trying to emerge (e.g., the fire of tapas [discipline] I create by staying with the intensity is burning away blockages), someone looking at you from the outside might not know what’s going on inside.

But you do. You know what’s going on inside. Over time what’s going on inside starts to be reflected on the outside.

Applying this question to my current practice, I’ve noticed both happening. Sometimes I try to prove I’m strong enough. Other times I’m trying to create an opening for my inner light to shine through. Bringing a quality of nonjudgement to both gives me the opportunity for svadhyaya (self-study). Applying compassion to myself and my practice (ahimsa) allows me to love, accept, and honor both the striving human and the soulful being living in the same body.

The beauty of yoga is that it creates a safe space for us to practice, grow, and heal. It’s called a yoga practice because our mat is not where we truly prove ourselves or emerge. It’s when we get off our mats that our practice turns into the real thing.

Having felt our true self emerge through the process of yoga, perhaps we step out into the world with increased courage and allow our true self to be shared with the people we meet.

If my intention is gratitude, I often weave that intention into my entire day and find something to be grateful for in every situation, however challenging.

The power of intention is the power of choice. By tapping into this power I’ve found I can effectuate positive change, not only in my body and mind, but in my life as well.

 

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 checking in with Wren Polansky who leads Classic Yoga on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 4:30pm. Wren gently guides students to explore their inner sensations, creating a deep connection to self which enhances their physical practice. Beginners and advanced practitioners alike will find increased mindfulness in this slower-paced class.

Wren will be hosting the Wild Mind, Wild Heart Meditation Workshop on Sunday, March 24th from 2-4pm, be sure to sign up in advance! You can find our weekly class schedule here.

1. What is your favorite style of yoga?

I enjoy a variety of styles and my practice is determined by my current interest or need. For example, if I feel lethargic and need to sweat, I may do Vinyasa; if I need teaching/practice enrichment, I may attend an Iyengar class. I mainly practice good ol’ Hatha yoga at home alone.

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

I grew up dancing and doing a lot of creative movement (Mom’s a professional modern dancer/choreographer) and I was introduced to yoga when I was 15 years old. Yoga felt like home. Yoga didn’t have the performance aspect of dance – I loved the privacy of the practice, the internal exploration. Yoga challenged my body in ways that left me feeling healed rather than hurt. Yoga also appealed to my love of learning – as a vast and dynamic physical and spiritual tradition, learning about yoga seemed inexhaustible. After all these years, I still feel like a beginner!

3. What is your favorite yoga pose right now?

In this moment I most want to do utthita parsvakonasana, extended side angle. So that is my favorite right now. If you asked again in ten minutes, the answer would likely be different. 🙂

4. What pose is still the most challenging?

Many, if not all, poses remain challenging! Virabhadrasana III is the first asana that comes to mind. 

5. If you were an animal, you would be: a human being, all of my animal nature resides in this body.

6. Describe what yoga means in your life using just 6 words: Work. Relief. Homecoming. Concentration. Learning. Beauty.

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

In my mind, I identify as an artist perhaps more than I do as a yogi. These two practices, while complementary, are often in conflict with one another in my daily life. There is only so much time to indulge in what I love to do (especially being the Mama of a very active 15 month old!)

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

Be awkward! There is nothing ultimately worthwhile to be gained by straining or self-consciously performing.

Yoga One Celebrates the Release of iYoga Premium, Tops the Best-Selling Health and Fitness Applications Worldwide

iYoga Premium is the exciting new application released by 3D4Medical in collaboration with Yoga One, an award-winning yoga studio located in downtown San Diego. Over a year in development, iYoga Premium combines technical anatomic information with precise alignment in over 190 yoga poses. In less than a month, the iYoga Premium application reached the number one spot for best-selling health and fitness applications worldwide on Apple’s app store.

Amy Caldwell, co-founder and head instructor at Yoga One, worked closely with the Scotland-based company 3D4Medical to bring yoga postures (asanas) to life under a detailed anatomical gaze. Using 3D motion capture technology, Caldwell’s movements were recorded as she moved into and out of yoga poses then technicians animated the movements to create a life-like muscular-skeletal avatar.

The journey began with Caldwell donning a motion capture suit covered with electrodes. She was then filmed in 360 degrees on Pendulum’s 2,500 sq/ft optical motion capture stage over a 3-day period where she performed nearly 200 yoga poses. Caldwell who has twice appeared on the cover of Yoga Journal (the number one yoga publication in America) was tasked with executing the poses with optimal anatomical alignment for up to 8 hours a day.

“It was surreal to see my movements in real time displayed on a huge screen,” Caldwell said. “The whole process really reinforced for me that yoga is as much a moving meditation as it is a physical activity. The stage was freezing and the motion capture suit a little constricting. The conditions where challenging to practice yoga, but I quickly got into a rhythm and focused on my breath to stay centered.” Caldwell admits that by the third day she was exhausted but exuberant about the project’s future. “It was such a unique experience and the technicians at Pendulum were very professional and helpful.”

The next step for Caldwell was to identify the muscles as they contracted and stretched in each and every pose. 3D4Medical is a leading medical visualization and education software developer and a longstanding contributor to AppleStore’s medical application market. They wanted the app to give the user a more in-depth look into the major muscle groups that are exercised during a yoga routine.

Caldwell and anatomy expert Rachel Krentzman of Embody Physical Therapy and Yoga meticulously reviewed the footage and notated when each muscle turned on and off. Caldwell says “It was a pleasure teaming up again with someone as knowledgeable as Rachel. She leads the anatomy portion of Yoga One’s annual teacher training course. Rachel and I agreed, the process reaffirmed how much we love this practice!”

The voice over instruction that accompanies each pose was recorded at Studio West. Caldwell re-visited each posture and the pre-set sequences of poses recording anatomical notes as well as alignment-based instruction. “I have a pretty deep voice and really got to hone my enunciation and tone. I think I might have a career in the voice over field,” Caldwell joked.

More info on the process:

San Diego based Pendulum created 884 high-definition videos for the iYoga Premium application, featuring Caldwell’s 3D anatomical model performing over 190 yoga poses from multiple viewing angles.  This was made possible thanks to Pendulum’s incredibly accurate active-LED PhaseSpace motion capture system. Ultimately, Pendulum processed over 340,000 frames of motion capture, rendered over 50 MILLION frames (yes, you read that correctly), and delivered 8.7 hours of final video to bring the virtual yoga teacher to life!

As any nine year old will tell you, turning double digits is a pretty big deal! This year marks Yoga One’s 10 year anniversary and we are so grateful to all of our students, instructors and everyone who has helped make Yoga One into what it is today. THANK YOU for supporting us! Please join us for a complimentary yoga class this Sunday at 9am on the rooftop of the Porto Vista Hotel. After class there will be a short awards ceremony for the summer challenge winners followed by brunch at The Glass Door downstairs. Check out our event page on facebook or go to our website for more information about our regularly scheduled 9am rooftop class. We look forward to celebrating with you!

In the early 2000’s, Yoga One was nothing more than a dream shared by Amy and Michael Caldwell. They followed their common interest in healthy eating to a passion for healthy living and along the way established a community of like-minded yogis to share in Yoga One’s ever-growing outreach to help others live happier and healthier lives. Keep reading for an inside look from co-founders Michael and Amy at how Yoga One came to be and where it’s headed in the next ten years!

What sparked the leap from being a student of yoga into being a business owner?

We got into yoga über-organically, initially from making a dietary change. We became vegetarians then vegans and were reading Fit For Life by Harvey and Marilyn Bergman. At the time, we were living in Stanthorpe, Australia, picking apples to make extra money for back packing around the world. The book suggested we do yoga and there were 5 super simple poses listed. After picking apples for ten hours a day, ten days at a time, a few stretches felt phenomenal and that was how we started practicing yoga. But in retrospect, we had already begun our practice by becoming conscious of our diet and lifestyle; asana was just a further physical manifestation.

Once you turn on to something you often see it all around you. As we traveled from country to country, we found yoga “instructors” who expanded our knowledge and appreciation of the practice. We say “instructors” because we doubt many of them would have considered themselves teachers – they were practitioners who knew more than we did and joyfully shared their passion with us. By the time we got to India, we knew yoga was something we wanted to embrace more fully and we began an earnest practice, study and discipline.

When we moved to San Diego, Amy started offering donation classes in the park and around town. She built up a following and the rest, as they say, is history.

What excites you the most about watching Yoga One grow throughout the years?

We’ve often said that Yoga One is the eldest of our three children. There is no separation between Yoga One and our family or between Amy and Michael as spouse and business partner. When Yoga One needs our love and attention, we respond accordingly. There are times we wish we could separate and compartmentalize the “business” and our life but it doesn’t really happen and we’ve kind of made a tentative peace with that reality. In the end, we’re doing something we love so why would we want to separate it? It is who we are.

Time and time again we come back to the wonderful people that are part and parcel of the Yoga One family. Yoga One exists because of the amazing students that share their practice at the studio, period. If the students weren’t wonderful people we would have gotten into another field a long time ago. We have and continue to make dear friends. Though we don’t know everyone equally well, we do know that the students who are attracted to Yoga One are the kind of people we want to be with and that’s a great feeling!

What’s next? Dedicated, charismatic people like the two of you always look ahead for the next step – where do you see Yoga One 10 years from now?

We have so many projects in the works and we’re excited to see Yoga One grow even more! We’re working on a new website to seamlessly connect everything Yoga One under one virtual roof: studio and offsite classes, massage therapy, workshops, our retail store and more. Our longtime student, Yoga One Teacher Training alumni and webmaster, Erin Ferguson has been working with us on the new website for a long time and she is so patient and skilled.

We’ve collaborated in creating a super cool iPad/iPhone app tentatively title I-Yoga with a Scottish company called 3D4 Medical that Apple seems to like, so hopefully this will make a splash in the market. The app will show which muscles are engaged in each pose. Amy was a super star and did about 150 poses in a suit with electrodes attached and they motion captured her movements from 360 degrees. We’ll keep you posted on the app’s development and when you’ll be able to hit “download” and literally take yoga off the mat!

Our upcoming Yoga One Teacher Training starts this January and we can’t wait to lead such a fulfilling and transformational experience for the 7th year. It gets better every year and we truly feel we’re enhancing people’s lives. We hope one day to expand our training to an international location and student population.

We are really adept at bringing the joys and benefits of yoga to corporate environments. We continue to expand our off-site classes and hope to have Yoga One at every business and school in San Diego by 2022. If you work somewhere, let the Powers That Be know they should contact Yoga One about offering classes in the workplace. Our corporate students are happier, healthier and more productive and their employers reap the benefits, all from the convenience of a lunch-time or after-work class on location. Everyone wins.

We also look forward to expanding our online offerings. We may open up another location and offer unique specialties. We want to be leading seminars and workshops around the country and abroad. We want to offer music, art and community events weekly. The big question is: where do you want to see Yoga One in 10 years? After all, it’s you, the students and staff, that make the magic happen.

We’re in the downward dog days of summer and it’s the perfect time to embrace the heat by sweating it out in Katie’s new Power Flow class on Tuesday and Thursday at 1:30pm! Check out her interview below. Then come to class and see for yourself that Katie is every bit as sweet as she is a powerful instructor. Click here for our full schedule, no reservations required.

1. What is your favorite style of yoga?

My favorite style changes with my mood and body that week. If I had to pick, my favorite to practice is a hot, Bikram-based series, but with music. I love the way I feel after a good hot series. My favorite style to teach though is vinyasa for its creativity and organic nature. It’s like a dance between all aspects of your body and mind.

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

I loved how I felt completely renewed after just an hour long experience. I loved the individuality of the instructors and the adventure of finding the ones I liked. The first time I “released” and cried in half pigeon, I had a turning point. Yoga was not just physical; it was full body, mind and spirit.

3. What is your favorite yoga pose right now?

Ashtavakrasana, or eight limb pose, I feel like a monkey hanging from my own tree. It makes me feel silly and I love that about inversions!

4. What pose is still the most challenging?

Savasana – it’s my favorite and my least favorite. I call myself the Savasana Expert as a joke because it’s completely different every time you arrive – sometimes you’re grateful and humbled, something the hardest thing to do is to truly rest.

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

A kangaroo because I would get to jump around with my kids in my belly, kick people who get in my way and then give tiny hugs with my tiny arms to the other kangas in my pack.

6. Describe what yoga means in your life using just 6 words: balance, love, home, happiness, courage, connection.

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

I speak Mandarin Chinese! Many people are surprised when I start speaking it, plus I have a funny American accent but I get my point across ;-). I lived in China in 2008 for a poverty alleviation project working in underfunded schools in the actual mandarin orange capital of China, Jiangxi. Then again in 2009 I lived in Beijing for six months teaching, wandering and attending Tsinghua University.

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

Keep venturing outside the four corners of you mat. Try new teachers, new styles, keep growing within your practice. Continue to come back to that place of comfort in your heart and in your practice, but never stop being uncomfortable. Yoga is EVERYTHING. Not just asana, the postures, but how you bring life, patience and love into everything you are and do.

As many of you already know, master teacher Sherri Montgomery has returned to Yoga One with not one, but two fantastic workshops. The first, An Exploration into Asana, was this past Saturday evening but there’s still time to register for this Saturday’s workshop, Devotional Movement from 4-7pm on April 14th. Go here and click on the “workshops” tab to register and pay in advance, note that pre-registration is required for this event.

Coming back to visit San Diego has been a big homecoming for Sherri who started teaching yoga in the 1980’s and taught at Yoga One from 2004 until 2009. With strong roots in the Iyengar style, Sherri credits Michael and Amy Caldwell for helping her find her own teaching style and expression. “I felt like my style really matured,” Sherri said about her time at Yoga One, “I could break out of the rigidity of classical yoga into ‘how does my body want to move?’” Sherri’s teaching style today is definitely about movement!

On Saturday evening, Sherri greeted each of us individually and started out the workshop by instructing the class to lie down in savasana, quieting the body so that we could be wholly present. When we started to move, she guided us through child’s pose, cat and cow, and downward facing dog, breathing within and in between each posture and cycling back to the beginning several times over. It was the first signal that this was different, that Sherri was different. How many instructors return to child’s pose after coming to downward facing dog? Throughout the class she would lead us through a series of poses only to bring us back to the beginning then return, exploring further, trying something new.

She led us through the class as though leading an expedition up the Amazon. When the waters of her playlist grew calm, she led us into gentle, restful postures and when the music became more energetic, we moved with the flow. There was even a spontaneous dance party when Big and Rich’s song “Save a Horse Ride a Cowboy” came on. Sherri started swaying her hips, waving her long, expressive arms overhead, “Can’t you feel the ecstasy rising?” she called out excitedly. From dancing and calisthenics to the peaceful surrender of legs up the wall pose, she was our fearless leader, champion, guide and inspiration.

This Saturday, Sherri will be leading a workshop that’s even more personal and intimate in nature. She’ll be teaching what she calls Devotional Movement, a meditative flow to connect mind, body and spirit. Pre-registration is required because she wants to connect with each participant before the workshop and have them reflect on an area of their life in which they’d like to experience change. The process of her moving meditation will uncover the deep experiences of the heart and allow the participants to move through any limitations they feel are holding them back from expressing true devotion, love, joy and ecstasy. Don’t miss out on this transformative and inspirational journey!

What exactly is savasana or shavasana? One translation for this posture is corpse pose, but I prefer the more technical that-lying-down-thing-we-do-at-the-end-of-class.

At first glance, it seems pretty straightforward: at the end of an hour spent stretching and moving (strenuously or not) through different poses, lie down for a final pose of relaxation. But the one pose found in every yoga class is cause for all manner of contentions among teachers: how long one should stay in savasana, when to practice savasana during class, whether or not the teacher may leave the room, how students are instructed to practice savasana, even the reasons given for why savasana should be practiced are all matters of debate.

To the uninitiated, savasana often seems like time for a glorified group nap. Like kindergartners, we grab our blankets, lie down on our sticky mat cots and close our eyes in the middle of the day while the teacher keeps watch. But that’s where the similarities end. During savasana, we’re instructed to relax the body and the mind, to let go of the constant stream of thoughts in search of a quiet place within, and to resist falling asleep.

For a pose purported to bring rest to your body and deep peace to your mind, there’s something fundamentally uncomfortable about savasana. Even from a linguistic standpoint, there’s no simple approach. Most teachers prefer the foreign Sanskrit word over the English translation, corpse pose, which feels macabre amongst all the animal poses. However, for those who delve beyond the initial discomfort of trying to still the body and mind, there are great benefits to enjoy.

According to Sri K. Pattabhi Jois, savasana occupies the middle ground of consciousness, “not waking, not sleeping.” That middle ground, between waking and sleeping, is a place of mystery for most people. Through the practice of asana, the physical movements of yoga, we move beyond the demands of the body to better explore savasana’s largely uncharted territory of passive, heightened consciousness. The purpose of savasana can be anything from deep relaxation to meditation to a spiritual experience. People have used savasana to relieve stress, reduce headaches and fatigue, lower blood pressure, and even probe the limits of consciousness to connect to the spiritual world. Often used as an introductory guide to meditation, savasana is not so much a pose of the body but rather of the mind. The goal is to quiet the thoughts until there are none, not even the thought of having no thoughts.

If you’re anything like me, though, the minute you lie down and close your eyes is the same minute everything on your to-do list flickers through your mind like a movie reel!

Practicing savasana in class with a teacher makes all the difference in the world. Their presence allows you to fully relax, confident that they will guide you out of your meditation after a certain period of time. Without having to worry about how much time has gone by, you can delve more deeply into your awareness of the present moment and remind yourself again and again to let go of intrusive thoughts or worries. As adults, there are very few things that we must rely on others to do for us, such as cutting our hair. Sure, you could do it yourself, but it’s better to trust a professional. The same goes for savasana. By all means, take the time at home to relax and seek out your inner peace, but the voyage is easier when you have a guide you trust lead you there and back, without having to worry about how long it’s been or getting lost along the way.

Whether savasana is just another yoga word you’re not quite sure how to pronounce or an old friend whose company you relish, time spent in this pose is often powerful and transformative. When so many good things in life offer only delayed gratification, savasana is a shining beacon of immediacy that continues to unravel benefits for those who return time and time again. That lying down thing we do? It’s pretty awesome. Come to class and let us guide you today.