Posts In: awareness

Flashbacks from Yoga One founders Amy and Michael Caldwell on how they nurtured a family-owned business and a thriving yoga community.

Some of the dates and details have dimmed, it was likely late 2002 or early 2003, Amy and I were at Twigg’s Coffee shop in University Heights with some fellow yoga teachers and a few representatives from City of Hope.

We were brainstorming ideas for how the yoga community could raise awareness and support for City of Hope’s mission to research and treat cancer.

It was exciting to be a part of something that could facilitate serious health advancement and relief not just locally, but worldwide. We were honored to be included. 

There were a few more meetings and then the City of Hope team went off to figure out their next step.

Towards the end of summer, it was agreed that Yoga One and other studios would host yoga classes and donate the proceeds to the organization. Here is a snippet from our press release: 

“September 12, 2003, Yoga One will be offering an expanded schedule and donating all fees collected that day to the City of Hope, a world-renowned biomedical research and treatment facility dedicated to the prevention, treatment and cure for cancer, HIV/AIDS, diabetes and other life-threatening diseases.

“”In addition to the strength, flexibility, increased concentration, balance and coordination the practice of yoga provides, it is first and foremost a healing activity. Raising awareness and support for the kind of work the City of Hope is doing is a natural step for us. We want to extend the well-being our students receive in class to the community at large,” stated Amy Caldwell, Owner/Director and Head Instructor at Yoga One.”

With the increased popularity of yoga and lots of good work, City of Hope’s yoga collaboration blossomed into Yoga for Hope, a multi-city phenomenon with events held in such locations as Phoenix, Seattle, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. 

For the 2014 San Diego iteration, Amy was invited to co-teach over 800 students during the Yoga for Hope class in the outfield of the Padres’ Petco Park. In addition, Yoga One put together a donation team and offered classes with the proceeds supporting City of Hope. That year, the event raised over $80,000 to fund the research and treatment of cancer. 

It was heart-warming and hug-inducing to practice yoga in the lush, green outfield with so many fellow yoga lovers. It was especially poignant to have Amy’s mother Sally, a cancer survivor, practicing with the Yoga One group alongside her grandkids, Raya and Myles. Three generations together. 

Over the years, many wonderful yoga teachers led the Yoga for Hope classes, some who did so in San Diego included: Stacy McCarthy, Michael Fukumura, Claire Petretti Marti, Sean Corne and Dominic Mineo. Thanks to all the teachers, students, and organizers for sharing their time and energy to help others!

Please have yourself and your loved ones regularly checked for cancer. Some cancers can be found early, before they have had a chance to grow and spread.

guest post by Irene Jones

How does your meditation practice look and feel? We’re highlighting stories of meditation in everyday life to help de-mystify this life-changing practice and share simple meditation techniques with those just getting started. Share your experience in the comments or by email, info@yogaonesandiego.com

These days, my meditation practice is me waking, taking my time, checking in with my emotions, my physical self, and my breath (when I remember, because there is a tendency for the cogs in my brain to start gaining momentum pretty quickly.) I do a little yoga in bed. Nothing strenuous, a few yummy stretches, cat cows and twists and neck attendance to loosen up any stiffness.

I brush my teeth, drink some water, and soon enough I sit comfortably on a cushion facing my window that opens out towards spaciousness and the natural elements. Just before this, I light some incense. I sit nice and tall, roll my shoulders back and lift my heart, starting with a good posture. Of course, it relaxes as I meditate and from time to time, I gently reset the weight in my sitting bones and lift the crown of my head.

Grounding first, I encourage my lower body to be heavy and my pelvic floor to relax. I check in with the Manomaya Kosha, the mind sheath, or how we process our thoughts and emotions. I rest here for a while scanning my entire body head to toe.

I check in with my breath and follow it with my awareness until I get distracted and then I gently bring my awareness back to my breath again.

Most importantly, for me these days, in my meditation practice is opening to my emotional self, so I feel-in. I ask myself, “How am I feeling?” “How am I?” and I patiently wait and open to my experience as it unfolds. I meet myself with kindness and permission for whatever is there and for whatever wants to come to my attention. I hold the sensations of my inner experience in a very sacred and tender embrace. This is my practice.

I rest here for as long as I like. I can then move on to my mental space, check in, honor my mind and all that it does for me and for all its potential. I ask myself, “What would peace feel like in this moment?” I rest in patience for a sense, if it comes to me; if I can cultivate it this morning, if not, no judgement. I rest in the light of my own awareness. Every day is different. 

I especially love when I can get outside early in the morning, when it’s quiet so I can meditate in nature; I’m not sure if there is anything more lovely. Maybe I’ll do some yoga or qigong too. I am blessed to have gained these skills over the years, practicing on and off, making a gradual home for my expanding awareness and my inner peace.

Meditation in itself is not a difficult thing to do – however, to commit to a daily practice, even if just for a few weeks or months can be challenging. Though the rewards are worth it. Meditation can make a huge difference to how we approach ourselves and others; gifting us with opportunities to experience space and patience and self-acceptance while in relationship, it is a fantastic teacher.

Ultimately, we are listening to our own inner teachings and wisdom. I recently heard, that if we can think of it like brushing our teeth, then it will be an easy habit to begin. Five minutes every day is all you need. For me, it depends on how I feel, 20 minutes, sometimes longer, sometimes less, and sometimes I incorporate meditation into my daily activities themselves. Just being present and mindful in each moment is a practice in itself.

by Laura McCorry

When I think about meditation, I think about sitting down someplace like this: quiet, peaceful, with yellow butterflies (the Eastern Tiger Swallowtail) flitting from blossom to blossom.

But being Mama to two little ones, I don’t always get to sit down when I meditate.

Sometimes meditation is simply the awareness of my own breath, breathing in, breathing out. Answering a question about turtles. Bringing my focus to the warmth of the sun on my back. Feeling a small fist close in a vise around my index finger as we walk further along the path. Breath in, breath out.

Even if I had arrived to this spot without the children, who both pull me away and bring me back to the present moment, the world interposes itself.

I can hear the rumble of a backhoe across the street, and the rush of traffic on a major road just on the other side of the park. I stay focused on the butterflies, and the dragonflies, but then come the bees, and the mosquitoes, and the ticks.

It’s hard to welcome it all in, to simply brush away the undesirable (and sometimes it’s scary). But this is the practice – of both meditation and life.

It’s not just quiet and butterflies. Life is also noise and chaos and the wide kaleidoscope of living things all sharing the same living earth and life-giving sun. Breath in, breath out. Can you see that we are all one?

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

 

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

1. Ring a bell. Bells, gongs, and chimes have been used the world over for centuries as a call to attention. They precede religious gatherings, call out the time of day and still sometimes announce the start of school. The tone of a bell reminds you to pay attention, and to set aside this time for something different. Ring your own bell, find the space and quiet you need, then sit down with yourself.
2. Start with yourself. Want to experience more love, peace and health in the new year? Start this moment by modeling those behaviors with yourself. Do one activity today that will enhance your wellbeing. Choose one part of your body that you love and repeat that affirmation aloud in front a mirror. (We’re huge supporters of body positivity – here’s more! How Do You Feel Sexy and Yoga and Body Positivity.)
3. Cultivate Gratitude. Instead of asking for what you need and what you want from this new year, ask yourself what you have and what you can give. This means changing your perspective from one of scarcity to abundance. (Read more about that here.) Acknowledging the gifts and joys we already have creates gratitude and from gratitude flows generosity towards others.
4. Say yes more often. One of the first principles of Anusara Yoga is “open to grace,” it means expanding your awareness and establishing a connection to something bigger than yourself. Choose to participate in your community. Say yes to new experiences. Say yes to new friends. Say yes to new ways to love yourself.
5. Let tomorrow take care of itself. Life-changing habits are notoriously difficult to put into action long-term. Rather than thinking about the future and how many days or months you’d like to do something – start with today. Do one thing that will positively impact your life today. After all, the present moment is the only one we really have.
6. Bonus tip: spend some time engaging with a child – they are masters of the present moment!

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 Amy Caldwell

This piece originally published on Yoga Digest

Dance

We’ve moved four times in the past year.  I’ve packed and unpacked, made hundreds of lists, sorted and simplified.  At times, amidst the chaos, I’ve wanted to drown myself in a good bottle of red wine (and done so).  Yet I’ve also danced, joyfully and lovingly, with each family member; a slow sweet dance with our eleven year old daughter to Sean Hayes in the kitchen of our tiniest rental, merengue to “Suavemente” with my husband, and our seven year old son learned to waltz near the Christmas tree at our final move, our new (very old) home.

At these times particularly, I remember that which we seek is already at hand. Feeling at “home” wherever we are is our true nature. No matter where we are or what we are doing, that which we seek is already inside each and every one of us…and all around us. However, it seems as humans we often forget this essential truth. That’s where suffering enters. Dancing can help us embrace the present moment.

Find Your Space

Special people, places, situations or activities may help facilitate easier remembrance. Some meditation teachers recommend looking at the sky to reconnect to the big energy. Often being in nature or resting in Savasana (corpse pose a.k.a. final resting posture) after a balanced yoga practice can open the doors of perception to the deep peace of what being “home” feels like.

For me, as strange as it may seem, Coachella music festival is one of those places where deeper connection happens. A sea of diverse peoples, sights, smells, and of course sounds – Coachella can be akin to world traveling. Although it’s not far in terms of actual distance from my San Diego home, it is worlds away from my day-to-day experience (caring for a family and owning / operating a yoga studio).

Get Out of the Rut

While perhaps one might think, “Ah, yoga teacher, her life must be fancy free…” I encounter the same responsibilities as many adults. I pay bills, aim to conscientiously raise my children and maintain a healthy relationship with my husband of 20 years while managing teachers and staff, growing our business and making it a priority to maintain my own yoga practice and self-care.

In our day-to-day lives, there is often a routine, a rhythm that becomes like a groove on a vinyl record (“samskara” or “samsara” aka conditioned existence or stored mental and physical aversions).  When we step out into a new or different situation or environment, there is no blueprint. This phenomenon can provide an opportunity to be connected to our child-like, open presence. So for me, an out of the ordinary experience such as Coachella is like a reset button, reminding me to wake up and truly embrace the moment.

Listen to What Speaks to You

One of my first yoga teachers advised, pay attention to that which speaks to you. I agree it is essential question to ask our selves, “Where do I feel connected to the ‘big energy’? What helps me feel at ‘home’?” Then equally important, is to really listen for your unique personal answer.  Another technique to arrive in the present (where, of course, we already are) is to close your eyes, take a few deep breaths and fully pay attention to the complete inhale and complete exhale – why not give it a try and notice how you feel (so simple but effective!).

Yoga practice is a useful tool to help us recognize our connectedness to each other, all living things and ourselves.  It isn’t about changing anything or adding anything. And, we definitely don’t need to constantly try new things to feel enlivened. But we can fully enjoy the many journeys of our life while remembering the comfort of our inner “home”.

So whether at Coachella with your best friends immersed in a sea of 90,000 plus pulsating, dancing, smiling fellow humans, on your yoga mat, or even driving your car, as my favorite teacher Diana Beardsley says, how wonderful “that every moment is an opportunity for ecstatic reunion.”

– Originally published at: http://yogadigest.com/ecstatic-reunion-tips-remembering-connectedness-present-moment/#sthash.oIfcgqjc.dpuf

 

Head Yoga Teacher and Co-Founder of Yoga One, Amy Caldwell has dedicated herself to the practice, study and teaching of yoga since discovering its joys and benefits in 1997.

Celebrate Earth Day by embracing Saucha (cleanliness and purity) in your thoughts, your home and the whole world.

by Laura McCorry

Spring is a time fo new beginnings and for cleaning out the old cobwebbed spaces to bring in fresh air and light. Sometimes these spaces are in the depths of closets and sometimes they can be found in the depths of our thoughts and habits.

Saucha is one of the five moral observances, or Niyamas, of yoga and it refers to cleanliness and purity of body, thoughts and deeds. At first glance, saucha seems rather straight-forward. It’s easy to remember to bathe and to cut your finger nails. Your body won’t feel comfortable or function properly if you stop doing these items of daily maintenance.

But widen the perspective just a bit and you can see how saucha applies to your home as well. If you were to allow trash, papers and other items to accumulate in your home, it would soon be uninhabitable. A clean living space is good for both your health and your mental clarity.

One of the many benefits of yoga is that over time, your awareness will expand in every direction. If you stick with the practice, you’ll find what is good for the body, is also good for the mind and soul. The lessons learned on your mat will follow you into every corner of your experience.

So my hope is that one day, as a species, we will all recognize that the earth, too, needs to be cleaned and maintained.

We learned disposable habits of living from the adults who came before us. It’s easy to fall into the habits of convenience and sticking with the status quo. But there was a time not so long ago before plastics. When things worth having cost a bit more, or took a bit longer, or we knew how to do without them.

You don’t have to revolutionize your life overnight, but I invite you to take a first step. Here are some of the changes I’ve made in my personal life and some that are on my list of what to do next:

• Consider the “end of life” of each object and avoid the use of all plastics wherever possible
• Choose reusable grocery bags and produce bags
• Shop grocery products sold in cardboard boxes or glass jars
• Refuse single use to-go cutlery
• Use cloth placemats and napkins at home
• Extensive use of kitchen towels to avoid using paper towels
• Bring my own tumbler to the coffee shop
• Replace my toothbrush with a bamboo alternative
• Use a glass water bottle for travel
• Cook my own food and eat the leftovers
• Buy less – bring fewer new items into my home
• Invest in a small space/balcony composter

What’s on your list? Share with us in the comments. Here is a great resource with tons of ideas to go even further: plastic free guide

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 womb. Love is made here. Life is made here.

Swadhisthana is the seat of our right to feel and represents the duality (and sometimes dueling nature) of separation versus attachment, two concepts I became intimately familiar with while carrying and birthing my son.

A chakra often characterized for its sexuality, I find its watery dimensions to be layered with both humanity and divinity. Growing up in a society that exploits sex and a religion that denied it, I observed it too often reduced to one or the other. The sexual energy this chakra represents spans desire, sensation, pleasure, need and emotion. Much like water changes form to become ice or snow, this chakra’s energy can shrink or expand commensurate to our awareness of it.

As the life inside me grew from hiranyagarbha, the universal womb where all is in its potential state, into my baby, I began to tune in to this chakra on a physical level like never before. The process of creating and carrying life plunged me down into my fears, opened up new depths of emotion, and baptized me more fully into my humanity. It didn’t wash away the ugly or the shameful or the unacceptable – but they were revealed to me without the lens of judgement. I could feel it all, be it all, allow it all.

The space of the womb expands greatly in weight and size during pregnancy. Once baby is born the energetic space is still expansive, but the weight is gone. For weeks I stacked heavy blankets on top of my pelvis to physically weight down swadisthana chakra. The sudden weightlessness felt ungrounding to me, as if the watery energy was struggling to find its boundaries after the enormous experience of childbirth.

I choose a simple mantra for my practice today, the beeja mantra vam.

Pressing on the chakra’s front-body location with one finger, the pubic symphysis, and with another on its back-body mirror image, at the level of the sacrum, I recall that during labor the downward pressure in this space was enormous, an oceanic surge of power I didn’t know I possessed. I release the memory but keep the feeling of intensity in my body as I repeat the mantra.

I free my hands but not my attention. Emotions, memories and judgments surface and I practice allowing them instead of trying to repress them. Some days my mind is as wild as the ocean and all I can do is cling to the anchor of the breath while it swirls me around and around. Today my thoughts feel peacefully contained, like a river flowing downstream content within its banks.

As I end my meditation I return to hiranyagarbha. Some call it god, others universal consciousness. While I cannot grasp its mystery, I can understand it on a level that does not require words. Just presence.

Part 3 of a 7 part series. You can find part 2 here: Mooladhara, The Root.

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

by Olivia Cecchettini

“Living Your Yoga: Finding the Spiritual in Everyday Life”

by Judith Hanson Lasater

Summary: You don’t have to go to a mountaintop in order to have a spiritual experience. Living Your Yoga makes it clear that spirituality can be encountered anywhere, at any time. I appreciate that this is the biggest lesson Judith Lasater wants to share because it is simple and profound.

Lasater provides examples of everyday situations that become the basis of lessons, learning and growth. Honoring the wisdom of the Yoga Sutras and the Bhagavad Gita, Lasater shares off-the-mat practices to guide you into deeper relationships with yourself, your family, friends, and the world.

Why I Love It: Living Your Yoga is a beautiful reminder to slow down, stay present and practice gratitude. In our fast-paced world, life can so easily feel overwhelming. It is more important than ever to meditate and discover the place of wisdom within. This book reminds the reader that there is nowhere you can physically go to find that place. Instead, you can use the tools of meditation and present-moment awareness to rediscover what is already within you.

Recommended For: This book is a great foundation for individuals starting the yogic path; someone ready to cross the bridge from the mind of yoga into its heart.

Living Your Yoga was given to be by a friend during my first Vinyasa 200 hour teacher training and I absolutely loved it. It opened my eyes to new ways of being compassionate with myself and taught me how to access a place of spirituality more readily in my everyday life.

I hope you enjoy it and I invite you to pass it along when you’ve finished. Just the same way it came into my life, let’s keep the spirit of giving going. Ciao!

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

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

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

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

 

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

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

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 Amy Caldwell

Yoga teaches us that it’s not just what you do but how you do it that matters. This process will help you release stress – which is often a result of fretting over anticipated events or those that have already transpired. Here are a few easy ways to obtain present moment awareness and feel better:

1. Sit or stand up straight. Take a deep breath in through your nose and let it out slowly through your mouth with a soft ‘ahhhh’ sound. Continue for two more breaths, letting go of thoughts and physical tension. Feel and enjoy your breath.

2. Ask yourself the question, “What problem is there RIGHT NOW?” Frequently there IS NO crisis in the present moment. Shift your mindset from finding problems to accepting the situation or make a conscious choice to respond rather than react.

3. Focus on someone or something you are thankful for. This can be done anywhere, anytime – or regularly upon waking, before meals or before bedtime.

4. If you are feeling completely overwhelmed, take a few deep breaths into your belly, exhaling slowly and completely. If possible, lie on the floor with your lower legs resting on a chair or sofa (make sure your buttocks are resting fully on the floor with a small natural curve under your low back). Close your eyes. When they open, let it be with a new and positive perspective.

Amy Caldwell is the co-founder, co-owner and head instructor of the award-winning interdisciplinary Hatha yoga studio, Yoga One. She also co-teaches the annual Yoga One Teacher Training. Amy collaborated with 3D4Medical to create the top-selling, iYoga Premium app. She has been featured in numerous media outlets including two covers of Yoga Journal, NBC News, Union Tribune and others.

 

Jennifer writes: This progression gets me into the zone and ready for flow! The songs are not typical ones that I would listen to in my car or while hanging out at home so they don’t bring forth specific thoughts or memories outside of my yoga practice. The flow starts slow for breath and spatial awareness. Then the music becomes faster and increases in rhythm for more movement. Towards the end, the playlist winds down to allow for deeper stretching and longer holds on the floor. The slow tunes on the end allow everyone to relax in a nice savasana.

707 Delight (Kirtan Mix) – Rara Avis
Ohm (Transfix Mix) – Shaikh
Mustt Mustt – Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan
Akwaba – Tya
The Love Supreme – from Buddha Sounds Vol. 2
Supreme Illusion – Thievery Corporation
Snow Desert – from Buddha Sounds Vol. 2
Bolo Hari (Instant Pudding Mix) – Dharma Dogz
Sangit Dub – PFL & Sangit Family
Tibet´s Sun – from Buddha Sounds
?-Nagi – Ubud
Kaja Come From – Jalan Jalan

Check out Amy’s interview on Shanti Green, a website dedicated to providing quality, eco-friendly clothing for yogis. Read the full interview here or scroll down for a teaser!

What change has yoga made in your life?

Yoga feels so integral to my well-being. I can hardly remember life without it! I have been practicing since 1996 and am totally grateful for the tools it has provided, such as the principles of right action, self-study and openness. When I practice and teach yoga, I experience peace. I am reminded the present moment is a gift. So I guess rather than “changing me,” yoga helps me be my best self. When I forget, in life and practice, I begin again.

What sets Yoga One apart from other yoga studios?

Our mission is to help people live healthier, happier lives. We strive to offer a safe, loving, non-competitive environment for individuals to learn and grow. One of the things that may set us apart is that we have a fantastic community of students who we consider family. Yoga One is definitely a family affair. We also have wonderful teachers who teach optimal alignment and are inspiring examples of individuals being the change they want to see in the world. We attempt to always treat people the way we would want to be treated. We hope to inspire others to take care of themselves and each other with loving kindness.

How do you incorporate Vipassana teachings into your yoga lessons?

Present moment-to-moment awareness is integral to the teachings of Vipassana and yoga. Perhaps not all of our instructors have studied Vipassana, but each teacher at our studio embodies yogic awareness on and off the mat.

What do you think is the one thing most people could do to improve their lives?

The entire practice of yoga is so powerful, but if you have to distill it into one smaller part, perhaps considering all thoughts, speech and actions from the perspective of loving kindness (ahimsa) would be a good start! A teacher of mine taught us the simple phrase “Is it true? Is it nice? Is it necessary?” Living with this awareness is changing my life.

This month’s Instructor Spotlight is on Missy DiDonato. Not only does she teach the super relaxing Friday restorative class at 4pm, you can flow with her on Tuesday mornings at 9am. Missy is also our much beloved Office Manager (or OM) whose friendly smile lights up the Nook. Pencil in one of her classes on your schedule in the next week and you’re sure to feel the mama bear love! Check out our full schedule here.

1. What is your favorite style of yoga?

I love vinyasa, anusara and restorative. I really try to honor how I’m feeling: some days I prefer one over the others, it just depends on my mood and energy level at that moment. The most important thing for me is to stay connected to my breath and use it to enhance the poses. If I stay grounded and breathing, then all yoga is my favorite.

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

I started practicing yoga when I was 14 years old and like most 14 year olds, I had low self-esteem and body image issues. Yoga made me feel good in my own skin when adolescence was making that difficult. I didn’t know it at the time, but yoga helped me find my place in life.

3. What is your favorite yoga pose right now?

Supported supta baddha konosana. It opens my lower back, shoulders, chest, hips, inner thighs and IT’S RELAXING!

4. What pose is still the most challenging?

Savasana – I’m usually really good at it, but lately I can’t seem to stop my thoughts and completely let go. When I finally do, it’s time to come out!

5. If you were an animal, you would be: a mama brown bear. I’m soft, cuddly and playful but if you mess with me or any of my cubs (a.k.a. friends, family, yoga students) then I get angry 🙂

6. Describe what yoga means in your life using just 6 words: uplifting, freedom, alignment, contentment, breath, light

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

I’m mildly addicted to video and computer games. I play probably once a day, whether it’s Mario Brothers or a puzzle game on the computer. I don’t play “shoot ’em up” games though, my favorites are the ones with cute animals and plants that come to life.

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

Don’t be afraid to try yoga and don’t feel guilty if you don’t like it at first! Just try a different teacher or style and find what works for you. There are so many different variations out there in the yoga world, it’s going to take some trial and error. Take note of how a class made you feel and move on.

Becoming aware of your body and mind is the most important skill yoga can offer. If you can remain aware of how you feel on the mat, then you can take that awareness off the mat. In time it spreads from you to others around you to nature. Being conscious and aware is what this world needs! Be part of THAT movement. Do YOGA! Namaste!

This weekend, the one and only Diana Beardsley will be down from Los Angeles for a special workshop: Backbends, Hips & Shoulders, Explore and Celebrate Embodiment. You may have heard her name around the studio before because she co-leads the Yoga One Teacher Training. Diana has trained with Ganga White, Anna Forrest, Shandor and John Friend and she’s taught thousands of students herself during a teaching career that spans three decades. We think Diana ROCKS and trust you will, too. Keep reading for a sneak peek into the thematic elements of her workshop this Sunday, May 27th from 3:30-5:30pm and be sure to register online to reserve your spot!

When asked to define “embodiment,” Diana Beardsley wrote, “embodiment is when spirit and matter are recognized as One.” She took the time to share with us her thoughts on embodiment, yoga and how the two practices will work together in her workshop to create one incredible experience.

“Being a body is such a gift! That’s something we often forget as we deal with the challenges of living. Our responses to difficulty, disappointment and pain can lead to the belief that we are alone, that life is hard and that our bodies are alien and a source of suffering. Through Yoga, we realize our wholeness and our connectedness. Our bodies become an expression of nature and a connection to spirit. Through them we experience our connection to all of life and the energy that flows through the body is essentially joyful. When we lose touch with our bodies and our breath, we lose touch with our connection to all of nature and to the present moment.

“During the workshop, we will reclaim and enhance our connection to who we truly are, with what is already present, which is an expression of all existence. Yoga is a “what” but also a “how.” The “what” are the poses that help us open to the bigger flow of energy. The “how” is the culmination of the attitudes we hold and the way we receive our experience moment to moment, which ultimately defines our experience. The workshop on Sunday afternoon will be a full spectrum class designed to open up the entire body to pranic flow, with an emphasis on the shoulders and hips in preparation for backbends. We will examine the breath, moment to moment awareness and the ways in which our habitual attitudes may diminish our daily experience. Through our yoga practice, we will release those negative attitudes and restore the natural joy of embodiment to fully experience being alive.”

Diana is a true inspiration, please join us for this special treat. $35 in advance, $45 at the door.

If you’re an experienced yogi, chances are you already know the value of using props to enhance your yoga practice. Yoga teachers are the ones who grab several blankets, a bolster, a strap and at least two blocks, creating a veritable fort of props surrounding their mat. But if you’re a beginner or still new to the practice, knowing why and how to use the different props can be a mystery unless a teacher explicitly includes them in a class. While there are many types of props in the yoga world, we’ll focus on the basics here: blocks, straps and blankets.

Myth-busting time! Just one more thing before we get into the breakdown of each prop. It’s a common misconception that using props means you aren’t capable of doing the pose as it’s meant to be practiced. Here’s the truth: the ONLY way to do yoga correctly is to do it in a way that honors your body. Honoring your body doesn’t mean powering through or pushing beyond your limits but it also doesn’t mean going easy and not trying. Using props effectively will help deepen your practice, increase your awareness and create space to better experience the benefits of the poses.

Blocks = Your Best Friend

Blocks are your best friend on your yoga mat. They offer solid support when it’s most needed (for example, underneath your front hand in triangle or half moon) and they reassure you when you feel really far away from the ground (like in standing forward bend or forearm stand). Blocks create space in the body to better target the key muscle groups in a pose. Sitting on a block with crossed legs or in virasana will create space in the hips and low back so you can experience ease while focusing on the breath or meditation. When you hold a block between your thighs in chair pose or flow through a sun salutation jumping between forward fold and plank, blocks push you to work harder and test your limits. Held between the thighs in bridge pose, they focus your attention on the quad muscles instead of the glutes but when placed beneath the sacrum in the same pose, they comfort you and help you relax.

Try keeping a block or two next to your mat throughout an entire class. Whenever the floor is just out of reach of your hands, place the block on any of its three sides (three different heights) to help support you. Usually, putting the blocks beside your mat but near the top will be the easiest place to access them during class.

Straps = Your Co-Worker

Not the annoying one who leaves a mess in the microwave; the co-worker you admire and with whom you have a good-natured rivalry. Sometimes straps remind you of how far away your goals are but most of the time, they challenge you to do the best you can that day. Straps provide that extra reach when you can’t quite make it on your own (holding a strap between your hands instead of clasping them behind your back in standing wide-legged fold, prasarita padottanasana). Sure, it would be great if your shoulders were flexible enough that your fingers interlace and touch the floor behind you, but everyone has to work with the body they have. It’s better to use a prop and still experience that deep shoulder stretch than to try and fake it or worse, injure yourself. Straps can also bring attention to where its most needed as in extended hand to big toe pose, utthita hasta padangusthasana. With a strap around the ball of your foot, not only can you keep the lower back extended and free from pain by grasping the strap instead of your foot, the pressure of the strap on your foot reminds you to keep muscular energy in the lifted leg with the toes flexed, which makes it easier to keep the leg raised.

You probably won’t need to use a strap in every class. If you know you have tight shoulders or hamstrings (straps are great for seated forward fold, paschimottanasana) then it’s a good idea to grab one at the start of class, unroll it and leave it gently folded beside your mat. If you need it that day, it’s nearby and if you don’t, it’s easy to roll up at the end of class.

Blankets = Your Mother

Blankets offer support and unconditional love. Blankets always have your best interests at heart, like when they protect your knee joint from the hard floor in a kneeling lunge. When the padding of your mat isn’t enough and you feel pain or discomfort, a blanket is a welcome aide. After all, yoga is about taking pain away, not creating it! In plow and shoulder stand, several blankets stacked underneath the shoulders will decrease the angle of flexion in your neck, creating a safer alignment. Like a good mother, blankets offer only as much support as you need and allow you to do the yoga on your own. Maybe sitting on a block with the legs crossed is more than you need but sitting on the ground would be uncomfortable – grab a folded blanket instead. Lastly, a mother’s job is to cradle you no matter how old you are: during savasana, use a folded blanket as a pillow, a rolled blanket underneath the knees to release tension in the lower back or an unfolded blanket as a cover to keep you warm. Savasana without props is wonderful, savasana with props can be glorious.

Put one or two folded blankets at the back of your mat. Use them to flatten down the pesky rolling up edge of your sticky mat and as support underneath your hips for the first seated meditation. When you start moving into other poses, gently push the blankets off the back of your mat so they’re out of your way but nearby if you need them later.

Remember, props are your friends! Using props during class is a sign of conscientiousness and respect for your body, not a sign of need or inexperience. Surround yourself with abundant support and feel the difference it will make in your practice!

Ever wondered how yoga teachers feel about their own yoga practice? Want some advice for beginners from an experienced practitioner? This month we’re showcasing the fabulous Carolina Moreira! She teaches a mixed level vinyasa flow class at Yoga One on Tuesdays at noon. Click here to see the online schedule, no reservations required for class.

1. What is your favorite style of yoga?

I love all the styles I’ve explored so far: Vinyasa Flow, Hatha, Ashtanga, Anusara and Forrest Yoga. Vinyasa Flow is still my favorite due to its beautiful synchronized dance between breath and movement.

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

I discovered yoga in 2008 with the intention to improve my physical fitness, strength and flexibility. However, I quickly found a powerful transformative effect through a daily practice, which brought me mental and emotional benefits beyond the physical aspects.

3. What is your favorite yoga pose right now?

I don’t have a favorite pose, however my body and mind feel stronger during and after heart openers, balancing poses and inversions. I do really enjoy urdhva dhanurasana, or full wheel.

4. What pose is still the most challenging?

Hip openers like pigeon are usually challenging postures for my body and mind due to my tight hips.

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

Although I wish I could fly like a bird, I believe dogs are the kind of animal I relate to the most. They are loving, caring, playful and loyal to their family, just like me!

6. Describe what yoga means in your life using just 6 words:

Transformational journey to your higher potential

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

Perhaps the fact that I am a very “normal” average person: I love to party, I do sometimes eat red meat, sugar and drink coffee, and I can be very lazy with my yoga practice. The way I perceive my life is the way I see Yoga, an endless journey, which happens slowly, day by day, and requires practice, patience and discipline. It doesn’t happen overnight. This transformative path requires nothing more than awareness.

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

Follow the words of wisdom from Patanjali! The Yoga Sutras from Patanjali are a collection of the eightfold path of Yoga, which acts as guidelines on how to live a meaningful and purposeful life. These limbs serve as a prescription for moral and ethical conduct and self-discipline; they direct attention toward one’s health; and they help us to acknowledge the spiritual aspects of our nature.

Here’s a new segment we hope you’ll really enjoy! Ever wondered how yoga teachers feel about their own yoga practice? Want some advice for beginners from an experienced practitioner? We’ll be showcasing a different instructor every month, so be sure to check in and get to know your Yoga One instructors off the mat.

Instructor Spotlight: Interview with Sarah Clark

1. What is your favorite style of yoga?

I lean towards a vinyasa-style practice with lots of dharma (yoga’s philosophical and psychological teachings) sprinkled in, with bonus points for incorporating pranayama (breathing practices) and meditation. My preference for this style is influenced by OM Yoga Center in NYC, where I studied a lot, so that type of practice just feels like home to me. But really, I love any ‘style’ presented by a high-quality teacher. I’m a sucker for an amazing teacher, of anything.

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

I’ve always been a person who enjoys embodied movement; moving in a way where you feel from the inside out. I’m also a total philosophy geek, a person who’s endlessly captivated by the ‘big’ questions like “what is the point of this existence anyway?” and “how am I to make the most of it?” When I realized that yoga incorporated all of this, that was it. I was smitten.

3. What is your favorite yoga pose right now?

Ug, this is such a hard question! The truth is that my favorite and least favorite change all the time and the same pose often begins on one list only to shortly move to the other. I have a chronic right shoulder/neck injury that is in a flare up phase right now, so finding a deep, supported fish pose on blocks is one of the few things I can do that offers me relief.

4. What is your least favorite?

In honor of full disclosure, I must say that it’s true: I even love the poses that I totally cannot stand because I know they’re good for me and I’m always better off having done them. That being said, as of today, I’d have to go with kapotasana (pigeon), folded forward. It’s very difficult for me to choose this pose because usually I love it! But for right now, it tops my least favorite list because I’m dealing with a knee/hip issue as well and it’s very difficult for me to abide calmly in this posture. I have to concentrate on my breathing and make peace with the fact that this pose looks, feels and IS very different than it has been in the past. But THAT is totally the practice of yoga: being honest about the present moment, modifying your practice and meeting that experience calmly. Being in pigeon is not a pleasant situation for me right now! But it’s a great chance to work with my mind in my practice.

5. If you were an animal, you would be: a hummingbird, my mother adores them 🙂

6. Describe what yoga means in your life using just 6 words: Calm, Steady, Wakeful Awareness Manifesting Interconnectedness

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

I have scoliosis and lots of old dance injuries. I danced professionally in NYC for 6 years and yoga has always been my therapy. My practice looks different every day because I’m one of those practitioners who requires constant adaptation. On some level, we’re all that way. Also, I love the NFL. Yes, Yogis can love the NFL too!

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

When I started this practice, it was rather unpleasant and I think that’s typical! So if you are new to the practice and that’s your experience, you’re normal. Lastly, I would just say, in this practice, an inch is a mile.

Sarah Clark teaches a mixed level flow class at Yoga One on Wednesdays at 5:30pm.
Go here, then click on “workshops” to check out her upcoming workshop: Balanced and Calm Holiday on Sunday, December 11th.