City of Hope has a phenomenal event called Yoga for Hope this Saturday August 11 at the Bayfront Hilton, 8 am to 12 pm.
http://nationalevents.cityofhope.org/site/TR?fr_id=1580&pg=entry
I wish I could attend -if you go comment here and let me know how it was!!!
In celebration I'm pleased to promote that all community class donations at The Little Yoga Studio (http://thelittleyogastudiosd.com/)
this week will be routed to this amazing organization. Wonderfulness!!
Thursday, August 9, 2012
Rainy morning suburban gurus
Today was my first official teaching class at the Northbrook Yoga Center (NbYC) and I was presented with two terrific students: a woman and her 12-year old son.
I asked them about their yoga experience, and the sweet mom said, almost apologetically, that her practice had been erratic but she had been doing yoga for many years. When I presented the question to the boy, inquiring as to what he liked, or wanted to work on, and he shyly offered (and with zero flippancy) "whatever works today." The mom added that he had spent most of the previous summer practicing yoga to videos. This took me by joyful surprise.
I wanted to create a class that challenged the preteen, but not overwhelm him, and yet still be a class at a level that would (could) engage his mom. I wanted to open up the ideas of really noticing the intrinsic parts of your body doing yoga rather than just getting to any specific posture like a test of physical strength or acrobatics.
So on this rainy day, I found myself working with their positive, deliberate, and amazingly calm energy, and guided the three of us through grounding, heart-opening, calming, and core-strenghtening postures. The room was wonderfully warm and we were able to do long pose holds with controlled transitions, and generate ample heat for sweat while still keeping our breathing even.
The young man not only followed along gracefully, but had a focus and attention parallel to, equal with, and an honest mirror of his mother. It was again surprising, and motivating, and inspiring at all once. When someone speaks the adage "the apple doesn't fall far from the tree" it's often in negative context, but in this case, it is surely a compliment wide and sincere.
Their peace with the practice - as a male and a female, a mom and a son, a young person and an older -brought to me a sense of gratitude that I hope I was able to appropriately express to them both. Today Namaste is a thanking of these unexpected gurus...any of those that help you to shine your own light a little brighter.
(I look forward to another chance to practice with them!)
I asked them about their yoga experience, and the sweet mom said, almost apologetically, that her practice had been erratic but she had been doing yoga for many years. When I presented the question to the boy, inquiring as to what he liked, or wanted to work on, and he shyly offered (and with zero flippancy) "whatever works today." The mom added that he had spent most of the previous summer practicing yoga to videos. This took me by joyful surprise.
I wanted to create a class that challenged the preteen, but not overwhelm him, and yet still be a class at a level that would (could) engage his mom. I wanted to open up the ideas of really noticing the intrinsic parts of your body doing yoga rather than just getting to any specific posture like a test of physical strength or acrobatics.
So on this rainy day, I found myself working with their positive, deliberate, and amazingly calm energy, and guided the three of us through grounding, heart-opening, calming, and core-strenghtening postures. The room was wonderfully warm and we were able to do long pose holds with controlled transitions, and generate ample heat for sweat while still keeping our breathing even.
The young man not only followed along gracefully, but had a focus and attention parallel to, equal with, and an honest mirror of his mother. It was again surprising, and motivating, and inspiring at all once. When someone speaks the adage "the apple doesn't fall far from the tree" it's often in negative context, but in this case, it is surely a compliment wide and sincere.
Their peace with the practice - as a male and a female, a mom and a son, a young person and an older -brought to me a sense of gratitude that I hope I was able to appropriately express to them both. Today Namaste is a thanking of these unexpected gurus...any of those that help you to shine your own light a little brighter.
(I look forward to another chance to practice with them!)
Tuesday, August 7, 2012
8/9 Class at Northbrook Yoga Center (Northbrook. IL)
The Northbrook Yoga Center has invited me to teach this Thursday 8/9 in their 10:45 slot. I am SO EXCITED!
I first visited this studio in April when I came in town for 7 days and went in 5 times in that short week! I loved the variety of class, the quantity (a VERY full schedule...wow) and the locale (a bit over a mile walk from my parents' house). I'm back in my hometown (Chicago) this summer for three weeks and signed up for a 14-class series to continue my yogic journey. They have Hatha, Vinyasa, Yin, Kundalini and even Family yoga - a great variety for a small studio.
NBYC does a monthly donation based class and I asked them if they would be into the idea of having me come teach now that I'm nearing the end of my 200 hour taining, so that I could raise a little more money for MS.
The stars aligned and they said YES. I'm on for this Thursday morning and gratefully Nana and Papa will watch the little bunny Eli whilst I partake! I have my basic eclectic Hatha style in which I sprinkle pieces of pranayama, Vinyasa for warmup, some Kundalini for energy building, iyengar to bring consciousness to alignment, and even some Yin before savasana so I hope the NBYC regulars enjoy!
I first visited this studio in April when I came in town for 7 days and went in 5 times in that short week! I loved the variety of class, the quantity (a VERY full schedule...wow) and the locale (a bit over a mile walk from my parents' house). I'm back in my hometown (Chicago) this summer for three weeks and signed up for a 14-class series to continue my yogic journey. They have Hatha, Vinyasa, Yin, Kundalini and even Family yoga - a great variety for a small studio.
NBYC does a monthly donation based class and I asked them if they would be into the idea of having me come teach now that I'm nearing the end of my 200 hour taining, so that I could raise a little more money for MS.
The stars aligned and they said YES. I'm on for this Thursday morning and gratefully Nana and Papa will watch the little bunny Eli whilst I partake! I have my basic eclectic Hatha style in which I sprinkle pieces of pranayama, Vinyasa for warmup, some Kundalini for energy building, iyengar to bring consciousness to alignment, and even some Yin before savasana so I hope the NBYC regulars enjoy!
Sunday, August 5, 2012
Sacroiliac Joint - what to do when this hurts
Here are a couple of articles based on information from Judith Lasater (from whom I took a seminar at the most recent YJ Conference on just this issue).
It's not always intuitive on how to prevent or care for SI injuries or pain in yoga, In fact often we'll hear gross adjustment cues like "Tuck the Tailbone" but this isn't always the best instruction. Examine your own practice and explore this information - see if it assists in relieving (or preventing further exacerbation of) pain in this sensitive locale.
http://www.yogajournal.com/health/562
http://www.bayoga.org/2006/01/mysterious-sacroiliac-joint-judith.html
http://thejoyofyoga.blogspot.com/2010/03/yoga-for-sacroiliac-si-joint-pain.html
It's not always intuitive on how to prevent or care for SI injuries or pain in yoga, In fact often we'll hear gross adjustment cues like "Tuck the Tailbone" but this isn't always the best instruction. Examine your own practice and explore this information - see if it assists in relieving (or preventing further exacerbation of) pain in this sensitive locale.
http://www.yogajournal.com/health/562
http://www.bayoga.org/2006/01/mysterious-sacroiliac-joint-judith.html
http://thejoyofyoga.blogspot.com/2010/03/yoga-for-sacroiliac-si-joint-pain.html
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