Posts In: the power of now

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

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

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

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

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

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

To your well being,

Rachel Krentzman

by Amy Caldwell

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

It’s the moment you’ve all been waiting for – an up close and personal interview with Yoga One co-founder and teacher extraordinaire, Michael Caldwell! 

From picking apples in Australia to starting a yoga studio in San Diego, Michael embodies the yogic journey both on and off the mat. Come to his Tuesday night Vinyasa Flow at 6pm or Friday noon Flow class to see what all the hype is about! You can find our full schedule here.

1. What is your favorite style of yoga?

Flow yoga is my favorite style. I enjoy and benefit from the linking of breath with movement combined with the power of now.

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

The connection to my body. Prior to my practice, my body was just a means to an end, a vessel to get me where I was going or a tool to help me accomplish a task. I learned my first few poses from the book Fit for Life during the months Amy and I were in Australia picking apples ten days at a time, ten hours a day in order to make extra money for our backpacking adventures around the world. It was physically demanding work and the sensation, relief and awareness fostered from the few poses ignited a cartoon light bulb above my head that still shines.

3. What is your favorite yoga pose right now?

Always has been karnapidasana (ear pressure pose). I had a slight scoliosis which made it painful to buckle my belt among other things. This pose and yoga in general cured me. Plus when I’m in this position, I feel like I’m underwater, which I love.

4. What pose is still the most challenging?

Any pose where I wander from the present moment.

5. If you were an animal, you would be: Animal the drummer from the muppets!

6. Describe what yoga means in your life using just 6 words: Friends, Fun, Family, Flexibility, Freedom, Feeling

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

I’m probably a little too open with my students. They might prefer to know less. But if they really want to be surprised, they can read my (as yet unpublished) coming-of-age travel memoir tentatively titled Big in Japan (…not so much in South East Asia). The adventures of a 23 year old American male finding his edge in Asia.

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

I would advise new students (of every age) to read Dr Seuss’s Oh the Places You’ll Go! Yoga is an adventure that involves the mind, body and spirit, just like life. I feel the wisdom in this book can help people to be happier and healthier during their yoga practice and in their every day lives.

“Congratulations!
Today is your day.
You’re off to Great Places!
You’re off and away!”