Posts In: balance

We love our community! This week, we’re shining a spotlight on Yoga One student Heather 

Q: Who are you in 10 words or less?

I’m a public interest attorney who loves yoga and hiking.

Q: What’s the biggest benefit of yoga in your life?

The biggest benefit of yoga in my life is that it teaches me balance and focus, both on and off the mat. I’m also very grateful for the sense of community Yoga One fosters.

Q: Do you have a favorite class or style of yoga?

Whatever Yoga One class I’m in at the moment feels like my favorite! I love how fun Missy’s Saturday morning class is – it helps me remember to not take everything too seriously and just enjoy the moment. 

Thank you for sharing Heather and thanks for practicing with us!!

This monthly workshop led by Missy DiDonato fills up fast! While you’re supported in restorative yoga poses, you’ll receive Reiki and a concert of vibrations from crystal bowls, Koshi chimes, rain sticks and more. This meditative experience will leave you feeling centered, balanced and focused.

Join us Monday, November 15th at 7pm

But don’t take our word for it, here’s what past participants have to say –

“The first Reiki & Sound session I went to was amazing. I left feeling rested, peaceful, and full of positive energy.” – Lydia B.

“As a busy mom of two young kids, Reiki & Sound has given me the time and space to truly relax, unwind, and take care of myself. I look forward to having the dedicated time to connect with myself.” – Dain M.

“A few weeks ago at Yoga One, I attended the Reiki & Sound Bath workshop. It was a completely new experience for me and I had no idea what to expect. After settling in and quieting my mind, I was able to completely relax. The sensations I felt during the session were both warm and calming. For me though, it wasn’t until I went to sleep that night and woke up the next morning that complete inner peace ran through me. It was magical.”- Dana H.

 “My Reiki & Sound Bath experience at Yoga One was both relaxing and transforming. My body released all tension as my heart/mind was transported by the cosmic sound vibrations! Awesome!” – Dawn F.

“Basking in the Reiki & Sound Bath is like absorbing the warmth of the sun in winter or the divine cool of the moon in summer. I leave serene, as if I’ve just had a beautiful massage!” – Chris F.

Brittany teaches a Level 2, Flow class on Thursdays at 5:30pm. Join us in person at our Mission Hills studio or online via Zoom. Visit www.yogaonesandiego.com to register or for more information.

1. How does yoga show up in your life right now?  

I find yoga showing up almost everywhere. I channel my yoga practice to keep me balanced in both life and work. Sometimes I’ll enjoy a strong tadasana (mountain pose), while standing in line at the grocery store or even try a fun balancing pose! 

While working through a challenge at work, the practice of intentional, deep breathing allows me to stay present. Yoga also shows up as yoga whenever I teach and/or take an online or in-person class with my favorite peeps at my all-time favorite studio, Yoga One 🙂 

2. Where are you experiencing growth as a yoga teacher and/or practitioner? 

Amy Caldwell once said: the quality of your foundation relies on presence. This really hit home for me. Although I am not focused on this as often as I would like, I find that when I am present, soaking in all that is around me (the good and bad), I can work through challenges with a little more ease or enjoy those heartburst moments with a little more gratitude.  

3. What’s your favorite kind of burrito and why? This is a tough one!  I cannot choose… so instead, here are my go-to’s in San Diego:

Best Cali Burrito and Pollo Asada Quesadilla: La Perla

Best Taquitos: Don Carlos

Best Carnitas Plate and Plain Quesadilla: Los Dos Pedros

And Why??? They all just taste so great, or bring some wonderful memories; which are usually connected to a good surf session and a tasty brew.

Jackie leads a Levels 1 & 2 Sunrise Flow class on Mondays and Wednesdays at 7:30am Pacific. Join us in person at our Mission Hills studio or online via Zoom. Visit www.yogaonesandiego.com to register or for more information.

1. How does yoga show up in your life right now?

Yoga provides balance in my life. I live with generalized anxiety disorder, so when it feels impossible to settle my mind and like my chest is going to explode, I’ll do a quick flow of half sun salutations. Even a 5-minute practice helps me regroup, focus on my breath, and connect with the present moment.

In this past year, yoga has given me a sense of community in a time of isolation. With so much violence and hate in our world, yoga continues to teach and to remind me that love, compassion, and empathy still exist. 

2. Where are you experiencing growth as a yoga teacher and/or practitioner?

As a practitioner, I’m learning how to enjoy lying in savasana. Yoga teaches us to connect our internal and external experiences together. Lingering in an external experience (like a physically restful pose) can be challenging for me because of what happens internally – heavy thoughts and feelings often ruminate in my mind and heart. When I’m able to connect to these feelings through an asana practice followed by the stillness of savasana, the flood gates open and I start crying. However, I’m growing and learning to find joy in this experience rather than constantly fighting it out of fear.

3. What’s your favorite kind of burrito and why?

All burritos are my favorite because I love food! I just love eating, especially anything that can be nicely wrapped inside of a giant tortilla. If I’m feeling like a homebody, the one thing that’ll get me to put on my shoes and leave the house is if someone says, “hey, wanna get a burrito?” Doesn’t matter what kind, I’m there. 

Do you know about the incredible practice of mudras? Better yet, do you know how mudras can lift your energy and deepen your yoga practice?

At one point or another you’ve probably heard a yoga teacher say during class, “now bring your hands to a prayer position.” You were doing Anjali Mudra and you might not have even known it! ?

This beautiful mudra means “to salute” or “to offer” in Sanskrit and is often associated with gratitude, humility, and a reunification of the right and left sides of the body. Whether you practice Anjali Mudra in front of your heart or try it behind your back (like this awesome picture of Olivia!) we hope it adds a grounding element to your flow ???

??To practice: Bring both hands to touch so your fingers are pressed against each other and your fingertips are pointed up to the sky. Try not to press too hard into your palms so that you can allow a little space between your lower knuckles. Think of it as a flower getting ready to bloom.

by Amy Caldwell

One morning, while I was practicing in my usual spot outside on our back deck, I took a photo to see if the backbend looked like it felt. In the photo, I see strength and openness, I feel presence and persistence. I also see and feel a place adjacent to my heart that is challenging to bend.

I’ve been focused on the physiological theme of back-bending and its alignment: long torso on all sides with balanced core engagement. The corresponding mindfulness theme I am exploring is conscious participation:

How can we arrive in the present, allow ourselves to be OK with what we are feeling, then to engage in the next moment with openness, curiosity, presence, and kindness?

As I physically and energetically explore opening my heart, there is intense love intermingled with fear. Not fear of my own death or harm, but fear that the safety of my beloveds is out of my control. We continually seek to be equally grounded and spacious, strong and open, balanced with present moment awareness and love. As we age, we have to work harder at both – not to become set in our ways, closed and rigid.

“Every movement toward flexibility, there must be an equivalent movement toward strength.”

– Diana Beardsley

What is it that you need more of in your practice? In your life?

How can we metaphorically open our hearts while remaining strong and grounded in the present?

How can we stand up for what we believe is true and right, while simultaneously loving our adversary as a fellow human who is also doing what they believe is true and right?

As Pema Chödrön advises, we can let go of fear and control… even while embracing the groundlessness of being human. Sometimes the way forward is not without, but within.

Amy Caldwell
Contributing Writer

Amy (E-RYT 500) has dedicated herself to the practice, study and teaching of yoga since discovering its joys and benefits in 1997 while backpacking throughout Asia, Australia, and parts of Europe. Amy is a Co-Founder of Yoga One and lead teacher for their yoga teacher training program.

fiction by Laura McCorry

Marcia had just eased her car into a parking spot when she looked out the passenger window and saw the sign which read “one-hour parking.” A few raindrops hit her windshield and Marcia, resisting the temptation to curse, let out a disgruntled sigh. One hour parking would not be long enough. Her brow furrowed deeper and her shoulders were rigid with tension.

Reluctantly, she turned the key in the ignition and circled the block again, then she circled one block north and found another spot in two-hour parking. Marcia was grateful she had intended to arrive well before the start of the Classic Yoga, level 1 and 2 class that afternoon.

If there had been a level zero class, Marcia would have signed up for that. It had been many years and two children ago that Marcia had last taken a yoga class. Her eyes were the same color, but since then, pretty much everything else about her body had seemed to change. She felt like she might as well be trying yoga for the very first time.

Marcia had called ahead yesterday and spoken to the Office Manager Missy, whose upbeat voice had assured her the class was absolutely beginner-friendly.

Marcia turned off her car a second time and took in a deep breath, but it came out in a ragged rush. The skies were grey and turbulent, and it looked like real rain was on the way. She hurried down the street and ducked under the awning when she saw the sign for Yoga One.

Inside there was a curious little opening in the wall (formally a dumbwaiter shaft) which revealed a closet-sized office. Within, a young woman with long, blonde-ish hair greeted her. Marcia recognized her voice right away.

“You must be Missy,” she said, feeling relieved.

“Yes, I am!” said Missy. “I’m glad to meet you, Marcia. I’ll be leading our class today.”

Missy welcomed Marcia into the studio and asked if she had any questions or concerns before closing the door. Then, Missy greeted the class and instructed everyone to take a comfortable seat on top of a folded blanket.

Marcia sat up as tall as she could, noticing immediately how much more effort it took to sit straight than to slouch. Even with the blanket lifting her a bit off the ground, Marcia could feel the tightness in her hips that kept her knees slightly higher than most of the other students.

They weren’t seated for long, just two or three minutes, yet when Missy’s voice guided the class to come to their hands and knees, Marcia sighed with relief. She worried the whole class was going to feel that hard.

“The most important part of yoga is your breath,” Marcia heard Missy’s calm and steady voice intone as she walked slowly around the room. “If you can’t breathe slowly, evenly, then you’re trying too hard. Try to find a balance between effort and ease.”

Trying too hard. Those words repeated in Marcia’s mind. She couldn’t remember the last time anyone had said those words to her. Most of the time Marcia felt as though she weren’t trying hard enough.

Her boss was always expecting the completion of some project or another. Her two children always seemed to need supplies for an assignment they were supposed to turn in the next day. Her to-do list was never finished.

If her husband asked her for anything at the end of the day, even something as simple as getting him a glass of water from the kitchen, she sometimes felt herself bristle. Not at him, but at the feeling of being constantly needed. Marcia tried her best to satisfy all of their needs, but it was an impossible task because they always asked for more.

A balance between effort and ease. Did such a thing exist? Where in her life could she do less? This thought tumbled over and over in Marcia’s mind throughout the class. It made her feel intrigued, hopeful, and a little bit afraid. What if something didn’t get done? What if she wasn’t as needed as she thought?

Before Marcia knew it, one hour and fifteen minutes had gone by. The class was over. The students were seated again on the blankets with all eyes closed and hands pressed together before their hearts.

“Take a deep breath in, and a deep breath out,” said Missy. “Thank yourself for making this time to connect mind, body, and spirit. Namaste.”

Marcia breathed in deeply and this time her breath flowed out long and smooth. Thank yourself. Another novel idea.

“Yes,” thought Marcia. “Thank you. Thank me?”

While everyone was putting away the props and rolling up their mats, Missy came over to ask Marcia how she felt. Marcia told her how she often held tension in her shoulders and that the class had been challenging, but that she did feel more relaxed than before.

Missy took the time to show Marcia a few simple poses she could do at work to ease strain in her neck and shoulders. Trying a yoga class after so long hadn’t been easy, but Missy’s friendliness, knowledge, and warmth had put Marcia at ease. As she gathered her belongings, Marcia thanked Missy again for the class and for her suggestions.

As Marcia walked back to her car, her heart felt lighter than it had in a long time. She would gladly leave a little extra time for parking if it meant she could feel this way once a week. Maybe next time she would take the trolley, or a ride-share. Maybe she could go to yoga more than once a week.

Turning the key in the ignition, Marcia nodded her head. It had absolutely been the right decision to take a yoga class that afternoon. It felt like the first step towards the kind of life she wanted to live.

As Marcia thought that perhaps a regular yoga practice could help balance effort and ease in her life, a smile spread across her face.

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

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

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 Zoe Freedman.

1. Why do you practice yoga?

I practice for so many reasons! Firstly, because it feels delicious in my body. I love to cultivate more space, shift stagnation, and allow each part of my physical being to stretch and strengthen.

I also love finding a meditative flow with my breath, clearing my mind, and creating mental space for genius ideas to sprout. It’s time away from technology as well, which is an added bonus!

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

I spent two years convinced I didn’t have anything unique to offer my students, and that took a lot of patience and commitment to break through.

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

First and foremost, connecting with incredible humans. Secondly, assisting my students in feeling more comfortable in their bodies. We only get one… life is too short to stay stiff and uncomfortable!

4. If yoga were a food, car, smell, planet, song, artist, flavor, etc… it would be: Lavender.

5. What’s your yoga inspiration?

My yoga inspiration is anyone who shows up for themselves again and again, no matter what life throws their way. Those who commit to seeking enlightenment and inner peace, through all eight limbs of yoga. There are too many incredible yogis doing this to name! Many of my students are such yogis, who inspire me every day.

6. What classes do you teach at Yoga One?

I teach Vinyasa Flow levels 1 & 2 on Tuesdays at 4:30 pm!

You can find our full class schedule here. Om!

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 Terri Hobbs, who is leaving Yoga One after 8 years of teaching with us in search of new adventures. All the best, Terri! You’ll be missed.

1. Why do you practice yoga? 

I practice for strength, balance, mindfulness, serenity, and because yoga is a creative outlet for me.

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

Remembering the difference between right and left! Also I used to worry that I would run out of poses to teach before class was over. 🙂

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

Whenever a yogi tells me a chronic pain of theirs has disappeared, or the first time a student really “masters” a pose.

4. If yoga were a food, car, smell, planet, song, artist, flavor, etc…it would be: the ocean.

5. What’s your yoga inspiration?

I find a lot of inspiration from my co-instructors at Yoga One, especially Amy Caldwell and Mara Harris! I look to the internet and classes I take when I travel to help freshen up both my practice and my teaching.

6. Usually we ask what classes you teach at Yoga One – but you’re saying au revoir. What will you carry with you from your time at Yoga One?

Words may fail me in describing the Yoga One family. I’ve never felt so supported, valued, and loved as an employee and as a person. Why leave nirvana? Upcoming opportunities to travel and a desire for new challenges.

7. Anything else you’d like to add, share, suggest?

Be love.
Appreciate grace.
Make connections.

You can find our full class schedule here. Om!

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 Dickson.

1. Why do you practice yoga? 

I practice yoga for so many reasons – from self-exploration to stress management in my daily life. I love that yoga increases my mindfulness and awareness of myself and the world around me.

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

Not always being able to offer one “right” or “best” way to practice when a student had a specific problem. It was hard to balance the organic and natural openness I feel a good teacher should have, while still being okay with being a student myself.

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

Seeing students find moments of ease and peace within their practice!

4. If yoga were a food, car, smell, planet, song, artist, flavor, etc…it would be: Annie Leibovitz, a portrait photographer. I love that she captures the present moment exactly as it is and celebrates it for what it is.

5. What’s your yoga inspiration?

Working (and practicing) towards living a balanced life, mentally and physically.

6. What classes do you teach at Yoga One?

You can find me in the Nook and subbing at our downtown location, plus I teach offsite corporate classes. 🙂

You can find our full class schedule here. Om!

Do you take your yoga with you when you travel? 

Our Yoga One family has spread to all corners of the globe and we’re excited to share some of their adventures.

An Original Yoga One Yogi, Arati Lane has been teaching at Yoga One from day one. Yoga One began enhancing the well-being of San Diego residents and visitors in 2002 and Arati has been with us every step of the way. When she’s not teaching you can sometimes find her riding on her high horse. But her yoga keeps her humble. 🙂

Arati has been teaching Yoga since 1989, completing her first training with Sivananda. Arati currently teaches yoga classes and workshops for fertility, pre- and postnatal, infant massage, couples yoga, healthy backs, flow and hatha. She counsels in AYURVEDA and loves sharing these amazing life-enhancing methods to heal and maintain balanced health in all forms! She teaches at Yoga One Sundays at 10am. You can find our full class schedule here. Om!

No matter where you go, you can Keep OM Trucking with Yoga One! Visit Yoga One at 1150 7th Avenue to get your own hat and while you’re there, join us for class. 

SaveSave

by Olivia Hughes

Crystal Muse: Everyday Rituals to Tune In to the Real You 

by Heather Askinosie and Timmi Jandro

Summary: I believe an ancient, inner wisdom resides within each of us. We feel it, we know it, but how do we stay connected to it in a fast-paced world that is filled with distractions and responsibilities? The answer is different for everyone. I’ve found that crystal rituals, continual practices like yoga, healthy boundaries, and a certain amount of discipline are necessary for me to feel balanced and fulfilled in life.

Crystal Muse is potent with wisdom and filled with practices that were learned, shared, or experienced through over 25 years of research, world travel, and spiritual quests. Heather and Timmi also chronicle their journey to create the website Energy Muse to share this passion, despite how challenging it was to start their business well before crystals became more mainstream. From creating more abundance in your life, to calling on your soulmate, this book will give you step by step tools to use crystals and intention to manifest anything you desire.

Why I Love It: Crystal Muse really is one of my favorite books, I absolutely LOVE it! I have a lot of crystals and have been working with them for years, but I learned so much more from this book. You can feel how the wisdom and rituals from Heather and Timmi are the kind of resource you can’t Google. They impart a knowledge that only comes after years of experience and from diving headfirst into your true calling and passion.

Suggested For: All my crystal-loving, Palo Santo-burning, entrepreneur hippie friends out there – you will love this book!

There’s something of value for both the newbie just getting started working with crystals to the experienced veteran. It’s simultaneously light-hearted but deeply serious, healing yet playful, filled with knowledge but easy to read. Crystal Muse can be read cover to cover or picked up at random to discover a new ritual practice.

There can be a lot of stigma around crystals, the effect of their impact, whether you’re doing it “right” or not. My suggestion is simply to find a crystal you feel drawn towards and hold it in your hand during meditation. Get curious about it then sit there and wait, observe what comes forward and let that be enough. Less is more sometimes. If this resonates, try it, and let me know how it goes! And happy reading!

“Finally! A crystal book that explains how to use your crystals in the now age. With simple, crystallized rituals that can be done in under 11 minutes, Crystal Muse will take you on a journey within to transform your life from the inside out.” – Jason Wachob, founder and CEO of mindbodygreen and author of Wellth

Olivia Hughes
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.

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 Heather Fenwick.

 

1. Why do you practice yoga?

I practice yoga these days more for the mental and emotional benefits. I love combining the idea of sthira and sukha (effort and ease) while sitting in a traffic jam, or during a difficult conversation.

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

My first teacher training didn’t include any actual practice teaching, so putting together the words and phrases was a great challenge for me. It wasn’t until later that I was even able to observe a classroom properly so that I could give appropriate feedback! (I can’t blame my teacher trainers though, as that program was jam-packed with useful information!)

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

Teaching yoga is often the best part of my day! I spend a lot of time thinking about how we can make the world a better place, and while I would love to wave a magic wand so that every single person is driven primarily by empathy and compassion, I realize that teaching yoga takes a close second. When we feel good, when we can observe our strengths and our faults, when we can approach pleasure and suffering with equanimity, then we can spread joy, acceptance, and altruism out into the world around us.

4. If yoga were a food, car, smell, planet, song, artist, flavor, etc… it would be: Jim James’s voice of My Morning Jacket. I melt into bliss as my heart cracks open and spills forth.

5. What’s your yoga inspiration?

Every single moment is my yoga inspiration. We are here to perfect the art of living, but not necessarily to live “perfectly.” When I’m in line at the grocery store and catch myself planning out my next 8 steps in my list of things to do – I try to take a single conscious breath, look around me and notice what is true in the Here and Now.

For me, living my yoga is when I can hold my head high in times of disappointment or “failure,” and if I can take success with humility and acknowledge that we are all interconnected.

6. What classes do you teach at Yoga One?

I teach Wednesdays Level 1-2 Flow at noon, as well as offsite corporate classes.

You can find our full class schedule here. Om!

by Hannah Faulkner

This article was originally published on Half Moon Yoga and Art Blog.

As I was walking out of Yoga One studio on a lovely July day in San Diego, a posted flyer caught my eye. “Summer Challenge- Complete 20 classes in 30 days- Ends August 30th.”

The following are the lessons that I learned in August from Yoga One’s amazing instructors:

Never Stop Learning
-Amy Caldwell

Amy Caldwell, co-owner of Yoga One and twice featured on the cover of Yoga Journal, is a beacon of light.  She emanates joy from every angle as she is never seen without a smile.  After over 20 years of yoga practice, she is able to bend her body in ways that I didn’t know was possible.  As a teacher, she emphasizes “playing” around with difficult poses.  She offers options with blocks and straps to begin to open up each body to the possibility of getting the pose someday, but mostly it’s all about the journey.

“They might not be your favorite poses, but they are good for you!” – Michael Caldwell

Husband to Amy and also the co-owner of Yoga One, Michael offers an everyday approach to yoga.  Through jokes and references to popular culture, he leads the class through alignment-based intense stretches that he likes to call “Brussel Sprouts.”  These essential postures might not always “taste” the best while we are doing them, but they offer the ease that we need in our everyday life and more challenging yoga poses.  Through deep breathing, we stretch our wrists, feet arches, and shoulders as well as building core and arm strength. My favorite postures in his class were the subtle airport stretches for our shoulders, using the wall, as he imitated waiting around in an airport and joked about the individuals who make a scene doing Downward Facing Dog in the center of the waiting area.  I laughed because I love doing subtle yoga in the airport.

Amy Freeman has been teaching yoga for almost 15 years. Amy’s goal is to help her students find and maintain a peaceful mind and body through effort and ease and she leads as a beautiful example. She starts each class with a slow meditation and develops in to a powerful alignment flow. One of the most unique prompts that Amy gives during Savasana (final resting pose), is reminding us to relax each part of our body individually. “Feet, knees, legs…relax. Hips, back, shoulders…relax. Ears, nose, tongue…relax. Eyelids, eyebrows, space between your eyebrows…relax. Forehead, scalp, chin…relax. Everything relax.”

I’ve been going to Sarah’s class for years. There’s a familiarity and sense of home in the setting that she offers. Her playlist is always the same, but sets just the right mood for connecting your mind and body through sounds. Every week she sets a different inner focus on non-reaction, compassion, or contentment. She has guided me through detailed alignment adjustments as well as encouraging me to pause at the end of every exhale, or squeeze my glutes. During every class at some point she will remind us to soften our tongue and not hold tension in our face, but instead to breathe deeply through any slight discomfort.

Kairou is an enthusiastic and energetic instructor.  I attended her class after hearing students say that they got their butt kicked in her class.  They were not kidding.  Her classes are filled with intense arm strengthening repetitions and core poses.  She creates an interesting flow with side plank and tiger variations that will build your sweat quickly.  One day she started class with explaining how sometimes we struggle through a yoga class because we forget to eat or drink enough water.  She said that she came to this realization this morning when she was light-headed after practicing this sequence.  Then, about halfway through teaching the class she corrected herself and admitted, “or maybe this sequence is just really that hard!” However, because of these intense sequences, I have been able to use my new core strength lift into tripod from the center of a room.  Also, as a Licensed Massage Therapist, she surprised me with a totally relaxing Savasana massage!

Dina has a strong voice of a leader that reminds you to breathe. In her class, I feel that we hold poses a bit longer than in some of the other classes that I attend. However, she challenges me to find the ease in this stillness, after I’ve found my expression of the pose with some tension. This inner concentration is the key part of yoga called Dharana that leads to peace and oneness.

Inspired by an extensive background in the movement arts (Acro-Yoga, Tai Chi, Contact Improv Dance, African Dance, and Rhythmic Gymnastics), Mara creates new poses as we constantly flow with our breath. I feel like a dancer in her class as she radiates the beauty of being one with your body. In Legs-Up-The-Wall Pose with the variation in wide leg stretch, she instructed us to reach up and feel that our knees are facing the same direction and protruding for the same amount. Mara highlights the importance of being balanced and equally stretched on both sides.

I admire Zaquia for her intricate choice of words throughout her class. She has a detailed understanding of human anatomy and she strongly underlines the concept of the greater your effort, the greater your reward. She teaches a power flow, connecting breath with movement, in the early morning that quickly awakens my heart and concentration. From her I’ve learned Fallen Tree and seen that it is possible to rise from Low Squat, Malasana, to Bird of Paradise, Svarga Dvijasana, using a strong balanced core. She has inspired me to take the extra chaturanga.

I only went to one of Terri’s classes during this month, but I enjoyed her emphasis on stretching with the blocks and straps. Instead of giving us the option to use block or not, she gave solid instructions to use the block even if you think you don’t need it. The flow was slow and she accentuated the importance of closing your eyes and focusing on your steady breath in each pose. She used a variety of interesting transitions to slide from one pose to another. I ended up feeling lengthened and spacious throughout my day.

by Gopala Amir Yaffa,
Rainbow Kids Yoga Founder

The 3-Day Rainbow Kids Yoga Teacher Training is well rounded and intensive, with practical theory, discussions and TONS OF FUN! Most importantly, you will come out with immediate tangible knowledge and tons of fabulous ideas to create original, captivating and fun yoga experiences for kids of all ages, anywhere in the world.

Their next training will be held at Yoga One, April 29th – May 1st, 2016
FRI: 9am – 11:45am then 2:45pm – 8:45pm
SAT 10:30am – 7:30pm
SUN 11:30am – 8:30pm
Go here to register and reserve your space today!

To be able to balance is not just impressive; it is also an essential skill that young children need to gain as part of their development. You might think that they will obtain this skill on their own, but there is a direct relation between children’s activity and their level of development: kids who are physically active will develop faster than sedentary kids.

Young children under the age of 3 cannot balance on one foot on their own… But they definitely can with a friend, teacher or a parent!

It is amazing how much more we can do when we do it TOGETHER!

Holding hands or supporting each other with arms over shoulders or waist, we can balance in poses while facing each other, standing side by side, back to back or one behind the other. It’s easy!

And it is not cheating… Our balance does improve immensely when doing yoga together. All while we learn many other important skills such as working together, communication and safe gentle supportive touch.

One of the leading principles we use in our classes is “success builds success.” If children feel successful in one achievement, it gives them the self-confidence they need to be more successful in their next endeavor.

Balancing with a friend or with mom and dad builds self-confidence and so it gives children the assurance they need to try even more daring yoga feats. It also helps children develop trust in their friends or parents, and it is an engaging way to deepen our connections without even needing to talk much.

But most importantly, balancing together makes yoga FUN!

Kids learn best through fun. And when yoga is engaging, interactive and fun, they want to do much more of it. And yes, it is always more fun to do yoga together!

Even older children might find it challenging to balance on their own in a pose like the Tree Pose, Dancer or Airplane for more than a few seconds. But if we start from where they are and build their confidence gradually, there is no limit to the incredible yoga tricks we can perform.

You might think that tricks and performance has no part in yoga, but for older children many times yoga is not interesting enough on its own, and making the class fun is just not enough… it has to be COOL!

So when standing in Tree Pose gets way to easy, we start balancing on top of each other spicing up the yoga class with some Acro-Balance and Human Pyramids. This is uber-cool!

And it is yoga. It increases our balance and flexibility, our coordination… and of course our balancing skills!

Yes, it is a bit risky… But it is not as dangerous as you might think. In the circus they say “no risk, no trick”, and beside, do you know what is the greatest risk in life? It is to take no risk. If we don’t take any risks, we stay stuck where we are.

When doing more acrobatic yoga in pairs or groups, we always assign an additional person to be the Mini Teacher. The Mini Teacher’s job is to make sure that everyone is safe. They are there with their hands ready to assist and to slow down the fall if anyone loses their balance. There is a lot to be learnt about caring for others and being present while being the Mini Teacher.

Kids fall all the time, even when they don’t do yoga. So it is a very small risk to try some more challenging balances and partner and group balances during a class while learning in a supportive environment.

Falling down has its benefits too… it teaches us to get up and try again. If we over protect our children, hover over them and scaffold their development so much that they never fall; they simply don’t learn how to get up. Then every little tumble becomes a big emotional tragedy that they find hard to rise from.

I always try to pass on my very wise grandfather in-law’s motto “you fall, you get up.”

As parents, teachers, and as Mini Teachers, we don’t want to over protect our yoga friends while they balance. If we hold on to them tightly while they are in a Headstand or a Handstand for example, they will never be able to find their own balance.

Keeping everyone safe is always our priority, and there is a wonderful technique we use to strike the right balance between safety and over helping… we call it Hot Potato.

In Hot Potato we never actually hold our friends when they balance, because again it will inhibit them from finding their own balance. They are a “hot potato,” so they are too hot to hold on to. Instead we just touch here and there, touching with our fingertips for a moment and letting go, without ever holding our friends. Try it, and you’ll be amazed how fast your children or classmates will improve with their yoga balance!

Here is another awesome method you can try at home or in your classroom. It is the Protective Circle. We do it in a group of three and it can be done with most balancing poses, as an example lets try the Headstand.

As one friend prepares to come up into the Headstand the two others stand on either side of her and form a “wall” behind her by reaching toward each other and holding each other wrists.  They can than hold onto the head-stander ankles and lift her up, or she can jump up into the Headstand Pose. The two standing partners now form the ‘Protective Circle’ around the head-stander legs by joining each others hands at the wrists. The head-stander stays safe from falling inside the Protective Circle while their legs bounce off her friends’ arms until she finds her own balance. It works!

The communication skills we can learn by balancing in yoga together with our parents or friends in the relaxed atmosphere of a yoga class can go a long way in helping us keep our cool and our connection to each other as we try to find balance also off our yoga mats and into our everyday beautiful lives.

Hold on to each other, it’s going to be soooooooooooooooooooooooooo much FUN!

by Laura McCorry

Anti-resolutions for the modern yogi

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Laura McCorry
Contributing Writer

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

Contact: laura@yogaonesandiego.com

by Olivia Cecchettini

“The Complete Guide to Yin Yoga”

by Bernie Clark

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

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

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

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

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

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

Olivia Cecchettini
Contributing Writer

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

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

1. What is your favorite style of yoga?

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

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

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

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

3. What is your favorite yoga pose right now?

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

4. What pose is still the most challenging?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

1. What is your favorite style of yoga?

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

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

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

3. What is your favorite yoga pose right now?

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

4. What pose is still the most challenging?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

interview with Yoga One Teacher Trainee, Hannah Faulkner

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

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

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

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

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

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

by Olivia Cecchettini

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

by Carolyn Myss

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

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

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

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

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

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

Lots of love this holiday season!
Ciao, Olivia

Olivia Cecchettini
Contributing Writer

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

by Laura McCorry

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Laura McCorry
Contributing Writer

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

Contact: laura@yogaonesandiego.com

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Yoga helps me spread the Love!

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

Meet Heather Fenwick, a yogini who embodies her practice on and off the mat. Heather’s classes are well thought out and peppered with illuminating nuggets of wisdom. Come check out her Monday night mixed level, Flow class at 7pm. You can find the rest of our schedule here.

1. What is your favorite style of yoga? 

I don’t have one favorite style of yoga. This ancient practice is so constantly evolving and recreating, just like humans do! I have enjoyed dabbling in Iyengar and Anusara, but my favorite style is the day-to-day off-the-mat practice style.

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

After my first yoga class in 2002, I felt a serenity that I’d never felt before. It was lasting and deep. I first loved the “yoga buzz”, but noticed that I was becoming more agile, balanced, strong, and graceful – that’s what keeps me coming back.

3. What is your favorite yoga pose right now?

Supta Baddha Konasana (lying down bound angle pose) with props. This pose is a gentle restorative space, where a backbend is effortless. It literally lifts the heart and opens the body to the breath, and to the present moment. I feel that balance between upliftment and ease so naturally here.

4. What pose is still the most challenging?

I have an injured hamstring and wrist that have prevented me from enjoying some more advanced postures like hanumanasana (splits) and adho mukha vrksasana (handstand). I would love to get into these poses one day, but injuries are “patience testers”, and I remember over and over again that being attached to the form of a pose is as un-yogic as it can get.

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

I would be a stray dog in Costa Rica. Those dogs have the best life, just running up and down the beach all day and all night, napping in the shade, swimming in the ocean, playing with other dogs, and they have enough to eat. They are freedom and joy.

6. Describe what yoga means in your life using just 6 words: a shedding, a letting go, to let light shine

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

I actually come from a family of staunch republicans.

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

I think that new students are ultimately the best teacher for everyone else because they approach yoga without any expectations: an empty cup.

I let all my students know that yoga is a non-competitive venture, and to go no further than a deep breath allows you to. No pushing, no forcing, and in fact a cultivation of “what is” and trusting that that’s enough, and even perfect.

Yoga One offers acupuncture! Award-winning Yoga One has been honored to enhance the well-being of individuals since 2002. Our goal is to help as many people as possible live happier and healthier lives. To this end, Yoga One provides traditional group yoga classes, semi-private yoga experiences, corporate yoga classes, private instruction, meditation, massage therapy and acupuncture all in a positive, non-competitive environment. Click here to schedule an appointment.

Acupuncture: Frequently Asked Questions, will be answered by expert acupuncturist Jacintha “Jaz” Roemer. Check back next week for part 2 of this 4 part series.

Q: How does acupuncture work?

Acupuncture is a holistic form of medicine that began about 3,500 years ago in China. Acupuncture as it is taught today is a conglomeration of knowledge from ancient texts to modern techniques. This is known as Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). Treatments include techniques such as gua sha, cupping and moxibustion and Chinese herbal prescription.

Acupuncture itself is the insertion of very fine needles into the body at specific points. Qi (roughly translated as ‘energy’) circulates through channels and meridians within the body. If there is an imbalance of Yin and/or Yang by a pathogen, trauma, or injury, it will disrupt this circulation. There are approximately 360 acupuncture points located along these meridians; these points are where Qi rises to the surface and can be accessed for the purpose of healing.

The insertion and manipulation of the needle restores the flow of Qi in the body. Physical relief from acupuncture treatment is thought to be due to the body’s histamine reaction (an immune response) around the area of insertion, which diffuses accumulations in the tissue that cause stiffness and stagnation of blood flow.

Q: Is acupuncture safe?

Generally, acupuncture treatments are safe if a licensed and well-trained practitioner performs them. Unlike conventional drug therapies, it is relatively non-toxic with minimal side effects. Laws require that the needles used for acupuncture be sterile, disposable and used only once.

The acupuncture needles do penetrate the skin and therefore it is an invasive procedure. The risk of injury to vital nerves and structures are RARE among patients treated by trained practitioners. There may be nausea, paresthesia or altered sensation over the site of application, or increased pain. Other risks include minor adverse events including bleeding, bruising, dizziness, and fainting.

Q: How should I prepare for an acupuncture treatment?

Please eat within a few hours of your appointment. If possible, wear loose, comfortable clothing and avoid wearing heavy scents. For your first visit please allow 20 minutes ahead of your scheduled appointment to fill out the medical history paperwork OR request the forms to fill out in advance.

If your practitioner feels it is necessary to have access to a clothed area, you will either wear a paper gown, like at a Doctor’s office or a towel will be provided to keep you draped and appropriately covered so you feel comfortable and safe.

Q: How long does each session last?

Your first session is usually an hour and a half. This is to allow time for the practitioner to review your health history and ask follow-up questions that will allow them to provide the best treatment specifically for you.

Follow up treatments are typically one hour long. At this point, the practitioner is familiar with your health concerns and is able to spend more time treating you on the table.

 

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

Jacintha ‘Jaz’ Roemer L.Ac. is a Licensed Acupuncturist and Licensed Massage Therapist. She is a graduate of the Master of Science and Oriental Medicine (MSTOM) program from Pacific College of Oriental Medicine. Jaz is the Head Coordinator for the Yoga One Wellness Center. She has been a bodyworker since 2005 and has traveled to both Thailand and China to further her studies in Asian medicine.

Nicole Perrin’s classes are rooted in optimal alignment principles that anchor the challenging postures she often presents. She encourages each student to blossom with her light-hearted and non-competitive approach. Nicole teaches Yoga One’s Marina and Poolside Flow at the Sheraton on Saturday mornings at 10am as well as Yoga One’s corporate yoga classes at Hotel Solamar and San Diego Gas and Electric.

Click here to see our full schedule.

To learn more about offering yoga classes at your place of business, contact Michael at michael@yogaonesandiego.com

1. What is your favorite style of yoga?

Primarily Vinyasa because I love the connection between breath and movement. When consciously brought together, it becomes a dance of self-expression – it’s what makes each person’s practice so beautiful and unique.

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

With a background in gymnastics and dance, I initially connected to the physicality of yoga because it challenged my flexibility and balance. I realized I had lost a lot of my flexibility as the years passed and, I”ll admit, my residual Type A came out and it was sort of a competition with myself to be able to maneuver my body into these crazy positions.

Little did I know that this competitiveness would eventually (and thankfully) transform into spiritual growth and a life-long journey of self-inquiry and discovery. Through yoga, I’ve found greater equanimity, self-love, and the ability to walk through life with greater appreciation. This is what attracts me to yoga now and keeps me coming back for more!

3. What is your favorite yoga pose right now?

Right now, handstand! So much fun to play with and even more fun learning the most graceful way to fall out of it!

4. What pose is still the most challenging?

Prone frog pose (mandukasana) because of the intense sensations this pose brings into the hip joints, my mind responds by sending me negative messages about how much it knows I don’t like this pose! For me, that’s even more reason to keep practicing 🙂

5. If you were an animal, you would be: a capuchin monkey (you know, the one on Friends)! I love the rainforest and most of all, I love to climb everywhere and do tricks!

6. Describe what yoga means in your life using just 6 words: perspective, self-inquiry, transformation, self-love, mindfulness, joy

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

I backpacked in South America where I hiked Machu Picchu in Peru, and I think snakes, rats, and (most) bugs are cool. I’ve caught wild tarantulas and snakes (the non-poisonous ones) with my bare hands and owned three beloved rats when I was a teenager.  🙂

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

Yoga is not about being able to touch your toes or looking like the image in the picture: it’s about what you learn on the way there. The journey is never-ending and the opportunities for self-growth are bountiful. Make a point to be present and true, and most of all, be loving towards yourself so that you can share that love with the world.

This month we’re introducing you to Trevor Dye who leads Wednesday night’s 7pm Flow. We’re very happy to have Trevor sharing his creativity, humor, insight, knowledge, positive spirit and expansive beliefs regarding gravity and space with us at Yoga One. Read on for more insight into the man who could live upside-down! You can find our full class schedule here.

1. What is your favorite style of yoga?

Is it fair to say my style? My practice has developed over the years as an amalgamation of all the teachers and styles I’ve experienced – from a really rigid Ashtanga sequence to a borderline break dance style of Vinyasa – and when I step on my mat I draw inspiration from them all. I also have an aversion to putting things in tidy packages or applying boundaries, so I can’t say there’s a single “style” to satiate my craving for movement.

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

A magazine article. I was working as a freelance journalist for a men’s lifestyle publication in New York and we had an upcoming issue focused on fitness. This was around the time Bikram Choudhury was making noise over copyright nonsense and I saw an opportunity for a great article: what would it be like for a novice to try Bikram Yoga for 30 days? I didn’t fall in love with Bikram, but I did eventually fall in love with yoga.

3. What is your favorite yoga pose right now?

Adho mukha vrksasana a.k.a. handstand! It will be my favorite now and probably forever.

4. What pose is still the most challenging?

Anything involving single leg balance. Put me upside down and I can stay there for days, put me on one leg and my mind goes crazy. But it’s good to have challenges (even if they make you want to shout profanities at times), right?

5. If you were an animal, you would be: on the endangered species list.

6. Describe what yoga means in your life using just 6 words: Unsubscribe to limits of gravity & space

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

I was born legally blind – meaning I can see, just not nearly as well as most people and glasses/contacts don’t help. My retinas never fully developed in the womb, so it’s a disability I’ve faced my entire life. As such, I’ve adjusted quite well and feel grateful that I see the world in my own unique way.

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

Have fun with it. Otherwise, why bother? If you can’t find joy in it, it won’t stick, and you won’t want to dedicate the time, money and energy required to fully experience the practice of yoga. Also, if you’re trying to be yoga chic, pick Prana over Lululemon. Prana sources in the U.S., Lulu sources in China – go green!

We asked our Yoga One Teacher Trainees for their reflections from week four of the course.

Janssen: What I love the most about teacher training is how immersed I feel in all of it – it’s like my whole life starts on Fridays!

Lynne: What I like most about TT is getting to spend hours and hours and hours with inspirational people in an inspirational space for eight weeks without losing my inspiration for it.

Amy: Being a student!  I love all the information I am learning.

Kim: I love the group support by all the trainees. Everyone gets along well. After a weekend together and what seems like a short four days in between, everyone is happy to be back together the next weekend, focused on the asana, meditation, anatomy and philosophy teachings.

Anna: As a beginner yogini, Teacher Training has commenced my yoga life in right posture, with all the information I need to maintain health and balance!

Romy: The awareness it has brought to my own practice, my life, myself, that everything is BALANCE. Love and Balance!

Dina: The best thing I have loved about training is what kind of person it is shaping me to be. Of course, learning so much about yoga, alignment, philosophy, and anatomy has been an incredible and vital part of the program but truthfully, I am better for having taken part in this journey. I think about everyday items differently and am becoming a more understanding person.

I leave each weekend feeling more inspired than the last to teach with even half as much love as my teachers and it always amazes me how beautiful and thoughtful our world can really be.

Amy, Michael and Diana have put together a program unlike any other and I feel blessed just to be able to learn from such gifted, gracious yogis. Oh, and the beautiful yogis, fellow trainees, are incredible people too!

Did you know we have a model in our midst? Read on for the Union Tribune‘s Q and A with the beautiful and talented Amy Caldwell, co-founder and head instructor at Yoga One!

Amy Caldwell is a champion of multi-tasking, in warrior pose. The 42-year-old mother of two is a national fitness model and the owner of Yoga One, an interdisciplinary studio in downtown San Diego.

After many years working in the music industry in Los Angeles, she and husband Michael dared to leave it all behind. They packed a backpack and embarked on a worldwide adventure through 14 countries. In Australia they began practicing yoga, but it was in India where they committed to the yoga lifestyle.

Q: What brought you to San Diego?

A: Graduating from UCLA with a bachelor’s degree in communications and business, I worked in the music industry for about five years coordinating soundtracks for films such as “Natural Born Killers” and “Twister.”

Seeking a lifestyle change, Michael (who also worked in the music business) and I left the country to spend time backpacking abroad. Our travels took us to Australia where we picked apples to earn money, and first began our practice of yoga. Over the next three and a half years, we visited 14 more countries, ultimately arriving in India where we completely immersed ourselves into the philosophy and practice of yoga while studying with amazing teachers. Upon our return to the States in 2001, we sought a slower pace than Los Angeles. San Diego was the perfect choice because we love the outdoor Southern California lifestyle.

Q: How did you begin modeling

A: When I began practicing and teaching yoga over 15 years ago, modeling was not something I would have imagined ever doing!

About 10 years ago, I attended a Yoga Journal conference in San Francisco where I was approached by the Yoga Journal editorial staff. Ten months after our first child was born I did a photo shoot for an inside spread, then subsequently did two magazine covers with the amazing dance photographer Louis Greenfield.

Q: What would surprise us about fitness modeling?

A: The national organizations are very professional and thorough regarding hair and make-up, whereas some of the local, San Diego publications tend to be very casual, fostering a do it yourself approach.

Q: How do you define health and beauty?

A: Yoga teaches us that change is the only constant, so it seems to me that health, too, is a dynamic process of returning to balance. Health is not just the physical body, but the integration and equilibrium of mind, body, breath and spirit. Beauty is the outer manifestation of that balance. We’ve all been inspired by true inner beauty — people who radiate a joy to be alive as well as a deep sense of contentment, connection or peace.

Q: What is your vision for Yoga One?

A: Since opening our doors in May of 2002, we are honored to have helped facilitate the well-being of thousands of San Diego residents and visitors. Our vision is to continue growing a community that is welcoming and noncompetitive. I recently collaborated with the Scottish company 3D4Medical to create the iYoga Premium app that reached the No.?1 spot in the Health and Fitness category on Apple’s App Store. We hope to continue expanding our reach so that we can share the joys and benefits of yoga with as many people as possible.

 The rest of the interview can be found at Union Tribune San Diego.

This month we’re checking in with the talented and oh-so-sweet Sharyn Greenberg! Sharyn is not only an awesome yoga instructor, she’s also one of Yoga One’s wonderful massage therapists. Whether you schedule a massage with her or drop in on her Wednesday night class at 7pm, you’re sure to enjoy every moment. Check out our full class schedule here, no reservations required.

1. What is your favorite style of yoga?

I like all kinds of yoga, it’s hard to narrow it down to just one style! On my own I practice Hatha/Vinyasa, but the classes I take range from Power Flow to Kundalini. I enjoy a class that challenges me physically and then puts me to rest.

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

I enjoyed the peaceful feelings that I got after practice, as well as the deepening sense of self-acceptance that began to develop. It was a way for me to connect with my body that is kind and forgiving, challenging and healthy. Yoga helped me realize that we are all exactly where we need to be at any given moment; and this discovery allowed me to release a lot of anxiety in my life.

3. What is your favorite yoga pose right now?

I’m really into twists right now. I like Parivrtta Trikonasana (Revolved Triangle Pose) because there is so much going on! The subtle sensations are kind of overwhelming at times but I enjoy breathing through all that, experiencing it, and letting it go after a few deep breaths.

4. What pose is still the most challenging?

Hanumanasana, also known as the splits. I’m a runner, so this pose is a challenge! It scares the shit out of me when teachers announce that we will be working on this in class…

5. If you were an animal, you would be: a hummingbird. They represent healers, messengers, and warriors and their wings move in the pattern of infinity! They are vivacious, present, and they get to spend all day smelling flowers. I think I’d enjoy flying through the sky as my main source of transportation.

6. Describe what yoga means in your life using just 6 words: Connection. Experience. Expression. Peace. Balance. Acceptance.

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

I’m a Scrabble fanatic and love to play board games.

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

Don’t be scared to take a risk every now and then, even if you are uncertain of the outcome. Be kind to yourself and others and do your best to embrace all the ups and downs that you encounter. Don’t take life so seriously… it’s okay to smile, laugh, and dance multiple times throughout the day (even in yoga class).