Posts In: well-being

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

An interview by Yoga One student Stacey Ebert with Yoga One owner and co-founder, Amy Caldwell. 

As a practicing yogi, I’ve seen and felt the benefits of sharper awareness, greater strength and flexibility, better posture, and overall improved health firsthand. The more than 5,000-year old philosophy encourages a practice of health, wellbeing, and attention. No, you don’t have to flexible. No, it’s not super expensive. Yes, you can practice anywhere. Yes, it offers something for everyone. Never once have I regretted a moment spent on my mat.

To see what someone with more detailed knowledge had to say, I chatted with Amy Caldwell, who along with her husband, Michael, owns Yoga One in San Diego, California. In addition to practicing, studying, and teaching yoga for two decades, Amy has collaborated on the best-selling iYoga Premium for iPad and iPhone. She also leads the annual yoga class aboard the historic USS Midway, is the head teacher for the acclaimed Yoga One Teacher Training, and has twice been featured on the cover of Yoga Journal. Here’s what she has to say about yoga and its benefits.

SE: How does the idea of ‘getting out of your own way’ merge with the practice of yoga?

AC: Yoga, an ongoing practice of inner listening, works to find a balance between being grounded and remaining open. These tools help us “get out of our own way” by deeply connecting to our Self (“Self” with a capital S indicates big energy and spirit, a higher self). By the time the student makes it to a yoga class, she has already taken the first pro-active step towards self-care.

SE: How do you encourage students to “take their first steps and then leap?” 

AC: Life happens during our present moments, and the practice of yoga teaches people to consciously participate in those present moments. Students are invited to notice with increasing attention what is happening here and now. The next step is to balance that awareness with relaxing into what is: meeting yourself where you are each and every day, and moving forward from there.

The intentions and tools experienced and developed in a yoga practice carry off the mat into daily life.

SE: What are some beginning, advanced, and intermediate actionable steps women can take to lessen fear and add more joy to their life?

AC: Practice self-care. Take a few minutes every day to simply “be” rather than to “do.” This can be going for a walk, a few yoga poses, five minutes of meditation, or really, doing anything at all with the intention of being fully present.

Schedule something weekly that strengthens the muscles of careful listening and being present. This can be as simple as listening to whomever is speaking to you without interruption and with full attention, a yoga or meditation class, or any art form that encourages mindfulness.

Make time for things that bring you joy (for me it can be spending quality time with my family, being in nature or taking a fun dance class). Pay attention to whatever it is that helps you connect to a deep sense of vibrant aliveness and make time to do it! We can all carve out an hour or two a week for our well-being and healthy enjoyment.

Yoga One is more than just a yoga studio – it’s a family, built from years of dreaming, hard work, and daily presence from co-founders Amy and Michael Caldwell. If you’re looking for a top-notch yoga studio to improve your physical and mental well-being, Yoga One is the place to go. You’ll also find a community of welcoming individuals who are passionate about creating peace within themselves and without.

We read that whenever Benjamin Franklin had to make an important decision he would draw a line down the center of a piece of paper and create two columns. On one side he would list the positive reasons why he should do something and on the other the negatives why he shouldn’t do it. He would then compare the lists – if the positives outweighed the negatives, he would make that decision and vice versa.

We’ve taken the liberty (pun intended) of starting your columns for you:

Attend the Yoga One Teacher Training

 

Yoga One Teacher Training: January 17 – March 16, 2014: 8 Weekend Yoga Teacher Training Course (with a hiatus for President’s day weekend: February 15-1

For more information and to register, call 619-294-7461 or send an email to info@yogaonesandiego.com

We are excited to get to know you and looking forward to sharing the upcoming yoga adventure together!

 

 

 

Dear readers, I’m excited to share with you today our very first guest post from the lovely and multi-talented, Sharyn Greenberg! To find out more about Ayurveda, living with the seasons and how your personal dosha impacts your health, come to Sharyn’s workshop, The Basics of Ayurveda: The Elements and Your Dosha, this Sunday (11/18) from 4-6pm. You can read more and register here. 

If you’ve ever felt frazzled and blown about during these autumn months, then you already know that seasonal changes have a profound effect on the body, mind and spirit! Ayurveda, the sister science of yoga, advocates living in tune with the seasons: eating seasonal food, engaging in appropriate exercise and reflecting on the energies that are most abundant during a specific time of year. With this wisdom, we are able to take a profound and active role in staying healthy and happy despite the winds of change.

Autumn is ruled by the air and space elements, a combination Ayurveda refers to as vata, which has cold, light, dry, rough, and moving qualities. Vata is responsible for all the mobility within the body such as elimination, respiration, nerve impulses, thoughts and even speech. Vata is one of three doshas (your physical and mental constitution) and it’s the one that goes out of balance the easiest, leaving you vulnerable to discomfort, scattered thoughts and at a greater risk of getting sick.

Consider the following scenario:

You wake up feeling sore and achy, as though you tossed and turned all night. Before your eyes even open, a laundry list of things to do floods your mind. You think about going to a morning yoga class, but instead go to make coffee and do some light cleaning and before you know it, you’ve missed the class. Sit down for breakfast? Who has time for that?! You contemplate the quickly approaching holiday season… the mind jumps nervously from one idea to the next. Eventually, you make your way outside, feel the cool air against your skin as brown and orange leaves swirl around your feet. Your skin feels dry and you wish you’d remembered to throw the hand lotion in your bag. Good thing you brought a jacket, it’s chilly!

If this sounds like your typical morning, it’s time to reign in your aggravated vata dosha! Below are a few tips to help pacify the seasonal uproar:

1. Eat warm, nourishing meals. Good breakfast ideas are warm grain cereals (oats or quinoa) cooked with an apple and cinnamon and topped with ghee. Soups are great for later in the day, as well as lightly steamed seasonal vegetables. Autumn brings all sorts of delicious produce: leafy greens, squash, persimmons and leeks, to name a few. Visit your local farmer’s market and explore new ways of cooking. If you like raw food, try adding spices to warm you up and activate digestion. Avoid foods and beverages that are ice cold. Some herbs to keep on hand and use throughout the season include: pepper, ginger, nutmeg, chili pepper, cinnamon and clove.

2. Take time to rest. As mentioned earlier, vata controls movement and too much movement (physical or mental) can aggravate the dosha, causing you to feel worn out and depleted. Set aside a few minutes every day to sit in stillness and take deep, full breaths. Get enough sleep at night so you wake up feeling rested. Remember, rest is key to avoiding sickness.

3. Practice self-massage. In India, the practice of abhiyanga (self-massage) is performed daily or even twice a day. It’s a great way to nourish the skin and protect it from dryness while allowing toxins to slide off rather than penetrate the body. Massage also stimulates the lymphatic system which boosts immunity. Use sesame oil (not toasted!) Apply generously over the entire body, even the head, scalp, and especially the feet. Let the oils settle into the skin for a few minutes before taking a warm shower or bath.

4. Move! Vata is calmed by heat. Engage in physical activity to create internal heat. Take a brisk walk around your neighborhood, choose the stairs over the elevator, head to the studio for a yoga class. Just be careful not to over-do it! In your yoga practice, flowing through vinyasas is great but also try holding poses longer as a way to ground the body and mind.