Posts In: change

guest post by Wendy Swanson

Yoga, for many of us, can feel particularly intimidating, especially if we follow any “famous” yogi on social media and see lots of pretzel poses done flawlessly, in full makeup and expensive clothing (by the way, this is not really what yoga is all about and most of us do not look like that).

The best tips for beginner yogis

To help ease beginner angst, below are some tips on starting a yoga practice outside of our own homes:

• Bring your humor to the mat and leave your perfectionism and self-critical parts at home. If I’m feeling particularly self-conscious I remind myself that people are usually more concerned with themselves than with me. I’m super important to my Mom but not the stranger on the mat next to me.
• Try at least 5 different classes and 2 or 3 different studios/communities before deciding whether yoga is or is not for you. There are lots of flavors of yoga these days. There is yoga that is slow and meditative and there is yoga that is fast and sweaty and everything in between. Find out what is best for YOU.
• Identify 2 or 3 of your personal goals around yoga and then talk with the teacher or desk staff. They can help steer you in a direction that matches your needs.
• Nitty Gritty Pro-tip: no shoes in the yoga room & wear comfortable clothing that stays put when you bend forward (ie you may not want your shirt coming up over your head)
• Let the teacher know if you are pregnant, have been injured, or have any health issues that they should know about to keep you safe. They are trained to give modifications and will do their utmost to make certain your class is an enjoyable experience.

Overcoming beginner’s resistance

Some other “fun” demons that sometimes rear their ugly head are resistance, doubt and second guessing. Think back to some of the bigger moments and decisions in your life and I bet you will find these guys hanging out. Recently I went on life changing retreat and for weeks leading up to the retreat I thought about backing out. My resistance to change and doing something new showed up in the form of: “I don’t have the money, so I should cancel”; “My family really needs me, so I should stay home”; “My business is super busy right now so this is really not a good time. I should cancel”. There are parts to me and to you that want us to stay small, play it safe and never ever change. These parts stem from aspects that have experienced hurt and pain in our past. They are valid parts of us AND we need to not have them running the show.

Living outside of fear

I find that when I allow these parts to have a voice and at the same time not run the show, I can make decisions from a grounded and centered place. I literally picture myself stepping into my higher/ spiritual self and asking that part, that truly has my best interest in mind, what I need to do. A vibrant, joyous and fulfilling life comes from paying closer attention to our higher self that promotes growth, self-love, connection and abundance. It was a game changer when I realized that my overly practical side was just resistance cleverly disguised. I encourage you to ask yourself “what part of me is talking right now?”

Connect to your higher self

The practices of yoga and meditation can help us know our higher self a bit better. Taking time to retreat can help us profoundly understand ourselves so that we can have the life we dream of. Our dreams can then move from imagination into reality.

I invite you to bravely stand up to the parts of you that hold you back and go take that yoga class or go on retreat. Your soul will thank you.

This piece originally published on The Art of Living Retreat Center

Wendy Swanson, L.Ac, E-RYT 200

Wendy is a healer, transformational leader, yoga teacher and licensed acupuncturist. She is the owner of Be Yoga & Wellness in Charlotte, NC; and is currently studying at Kripalu for her 500 hour yoga certification.

guest poem by Tiffany Brown

I realized sometime recently that I had lost this.
This ability to sit. Stand. Be. Still.
I am moving, texting, calling, playing.
Always.
I often put down the tech for the joy of real life activity but never for stillness.
Never to be bored.
Never to be unstimulated.
My free moments have been raided. Captured by the little blue f, the Clash of Clans, the internet.
My children will remember me in their childhood and it will often be the view of the top of my head as I look down at a lit screen.
I do not simply sit in the sun. Or on the porch. Or in the car.
I do not give myself time to ponder. To think.
I wonder now what we are losing when we lose this.
Because I am not alone. I am not unique.
We are all losing the art of stillness.
Of simply being.
And with this loss comes a new sense of stillness.
A new sense of connection.
And it is with our smart phone, our kindle, our tablet.
This is now our alone time.
Connected to millions.
I am not sure yet if it is better, or worse.
But I am very aware of it being different.

by Laura McCorry

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

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

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

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

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

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

Laura McCorry
Contributing Writer

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

Contact: laura@yogaonesandiego.com

by Laura McCorry

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Laura McCorry
Contributing Writer

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

Contact: laura@yogaonesandiego.com

School Field Trips. Summer Sleep-Away Camps. Honeymoon. Mission Trips. Pilgrimage. All of these are trips taken with other people for a specific purpose but more often than not, the participants experience greater benefits than they anticipated.

School trips and summer camps take students to museums or teach children a skill like riding a horse – but everyone remembers the friendships they formed.

A honeymoon cements the love and devotion of a newly married couple away from their family and everyday life.

Mission trips are designed to help the needy all over the world, but the volunteers learn the value of giving and empathizing with others. Pilgrimages may be about following the path to Santiago, but the journey truly happens within.

In order to witness true transformation, it is necessary to break with routine. Going away, creating a geographical space between you and your old life is one of the easiest ways to create the necessary conditions for change.

A favorite poem, “Ithaka” by C.P. Cavafy begins:

“As you set out for Ithaka
hope the voyage is a long one,
full of adventure, full of discovery.”

Through Odysseus’s travels, Ithaka was the one place he wanted to be: home. But it took him ten years and numerous battles and setbacks before he was able to complete his journey. It was those encounters that changed him and made his story into a legend.

This new year, invite change and transformation into your life not merely by planning a trip but by taking a journey. Go on a retreat. Meet new people. Try on a new way of being. Even if you can only get away for a few days, hope the journey is a long one.

“If you think adventure is dangerous, try routine: it is lethal.” – Paulo Coelho

Yoga One’s next teacher training starts January 27th. To find out more about the eight week, two hundred hour course, I sat down with Hillary Trevett, a 2010 alumna of the training. For more information on dates, times and pricing go here or email info@yogaonesandiego.com.

It’s impossible to put Hillary down in words, so from the start, this is a failed mission. She’s the kind of person you notice the instant they walk into a room, even if your back is turned, the energy of her presence is so bright. A young woman who radiates confidence, vitality and happiness. Her sense of self is so strong, it’s hard to believe there was a time when Hillary wasn’t a yoga teacher or a time when she wasn’t sure of her direction in life.

We met at City Pizzeria right next door to the studio. Unsurprisingly, Hillary knows the owner and does a little dance while asking about the last time he got out on the water to surf. She orders a slice of ranch chicken pizza. “Yes, I like ranch and I’m not a vegetarian,” she confides to me.

Hillary grew up in Phoenix, Arizona, the fifth of six children. Her family didn’t have much and she decided that if she made a lot of money, everything would work out for the best. At SDSU, she studied Business Finance, made the dean’s list, signed up for clubs and accepted invitations to honor societies. In May of 2009, she graduated summa cum laude, poised to launch into the business world and make her mark. But this isn’t where her story starts.

It really begins in 2005, when Hillary took her first yoga class. At the end of class, the instructor led them through a guided savasana, bringing attention to each part of the body and relaxing it in turn. “My first savasana changed my entire life,” she said. It was the first time Hillary felt totally present in the room. When she woke up, she thought, “what was that?” knowing something had changed. In that moment, she felt the first small tug on her heart that would lead her down a different path.

How did you get to Yoga One?

“This is where the magic happens,” she responds with a big smile. The summer after graduation, Hillary traveled to Australia and the Great Barrier Reef. While there, she felt a growing resistance towards the trajectory of her life. It felt like a role she was ready to take on, but her heart pulled away. “I just want to be happy,” was her realization as she stood on a beach halfway around the world with the sun shining in her eyes.

When she got back to the States, she pulled out a file of magazine clippings and photos she had saved for years as inspiration for the things she would do ‘one day.’ The kind of ‘one day’ everyone has in their minds that never gets pinned down to a date on the calendar. She found a clipping from four years before, a music review for Yoga One’s CD. In a series of events that now feel predestined, Hillary listened to the CD, found the studio and signed up for an inversion workshop. It was there that she heard about yoga teacher training and sat down with Michael and Amy Caldwell to learn more.

What changed for you over the course of Yoga Teacher Training?

“Midway through the course, I realized I can let of go of where I was going. That it’s okay to shift your course in life. Just by doing what makes me happy, I can really help other people. I began to trust that I could pay my bills and build a life for myself by teaching yoga.”

“Which I still struggle with sometimes,” she admits with a laugh. “In college, the world made me think that [business finance] was what I was supposed to be doing. After I signed up for yoga teacher training, I really grabbed my life by the balls and brought it into alignment.”

Now that she teaches yoga, she sees people with office jobs and loves helping them feel better in their bodies. She appreciates the people who choose to work in the business world even more now that she’s found her passion. “If I were working a corporate job, I think I would ask myself everyday, ‘okay, when does my real life get to start?’”

Hillary bounces on her chair, so excited to talk about the city she loves and the yoga she loves even more. “Open your heart,” she exclaims, spreading her arms out wide. “Breathe, smile, OPEN!” The last word comes out somewhere between a cry of joy and a commandment.

What would you say to people on the fence, who aren’t sure if Yoga Teacher Training is right for them?

“If you have some interest in yoga, you should do YTT because it’s the most powerful personal transformation – it affects your body, mind and spirit. Even if you never want to teach yoga, it will deepen your practice and your whole experience of life.”

“Follow the tugs on your heart,” she advises. If you’re even remotely interested in yoga teacher training, follow that spark, find out more, be open to kindling a new passion in life.