Upward-Facing Dog Pose - Up Dog - Urdhva Mukha Svanasana

Upward-Facing Dog Pose - Up Dog

Urdhva Mukha Svanasana

• INHALE - Keep your hands directly under the shoulders.  Press your hands firmly into the mat as if you're pulling yourself forward. Straighten your arms, lifting your torso up, hips and legs will be slightly off of the floor.
• Keep your elbow crease facing forward, with the slightest bend in the elbow.
• Keep quads engaged, and the tops of the feet pressing into the mat.
• Slightly tuck the tailbone in and up.  Keep the buttocks firm but not super engaged.
• Roll the shoulder heads back, flattening the shoulder blades flat against your back.
• Open your heart space forward, creating a wide space along the collarbone from shoulder head to shoulder head...continue to focus on opening this space. 
• To keep the neck long and shoulders away from ears, keep your gaze forward and NEVER throw the head backward.  In time, you may look slightly upward, but must maintain a long neck.

Use of Props: Placing a block between the upper thighs, help to keep engagement more in the quads and not in the buttocks. 

***This is a deep back bend.  If you feel sharp pain in the low back, or the shoulders tend to roll forward, or if the hips are raised to high, please modify by taking Cobra Pose.

Benefits:

This is a heart opening posture.  All back bends are heart opening postures.  Take back bends on an inhale.  Heart Openers are heating to the body and may cause shortness of breath. They may make us feel vulnerable.  They creates feelings of joy, however, it may cause increased anxiety if you are suffering from this already.  Gentle heart openers such as Cobra Pose, will be less intense and is a great modification to Up Dog.  Heart Openers can be very rejuvenating and creates great flexibility in the spine.  A wonderful counterpose is DownDog, or Childs Pose.

Cobra Pose - Bhujangasana

Cobra Pose - Bhujangasana

• Lie on your abdomen, with your forehead on the floor and legs back.  Bring your hands directly underneath your shoulders with your fingers spread wide, thumb pointing inward directly under your breast.
• Hug your triceps and elbows in toward your body.
• SLIGHTLY tuck tailbone in and upward, stretch toes back, engaging the quads (knees will be slightly off the floor)
• INHALE - Roll your shoulders back, squeezing your shoulder blades together.  Open the heart space forward.
• For added bonus - lift your hands slightly, to tune into the strength of the back.

*** Keep the buttocks soft. You may lift higher, however, keep the hip bones rooted to the mat.

Benefits:

This is a heart opening posture.  All back bends are heart opening postures.  Take back bends on an inhale.  Heart Openers are heating to the body and may cause shortness of breath. They may make us feel vulnerable.  They creates feelings of joy, however, it may cause increased anxiety if you are suffering from this already.  Gentle heart openers such as Cobra Pose, will be less intense and is a great modification to Up Dog.  Heart Openers can be very rejuvenating and creates great flexibility in the spine.  A wonderful counterpose is DownDog, or Childs Pose.

Sun Salutation A - In Detail!

Sun Salutations emphasize the main components of Ashtanga Yoga.  Sun Salutations focus on Vinyasa or breath linked movement.  Breathing and moving through postures creates heat, and is very cleansing.  As you move through these Sun Salutations, begin to lengthen your inhales and exhales, eventually moving through them fluidly.  This takes time and practice.  In the beginning, take extra breath, if needed.  Engaging the Bandhas (I will add details in time about these), works wonders when practicing Sun Salutations.  Mula and Uddiyana Bandas are two bandhas found in the anal and lower abdominals that act as an internal lock, sealing in energy, bringing lightness, strength and health to your body.  

Sun Salutations require the use of the entire body, working the balance between strength and flexibility.  

"As we perform Sun Salutations to celebrate the sun, we also celebrate life in general as well as our inner life and our connection with the universe. We celebrate life because the poses in the Sun Salutation series represent the full experience of life, with all its highs and lows, and beginnings and endings. We celebrate our inner life because we are ultimately beings of light, like the sun, and performing Sun Salutations rejoices in this aspect of our being. We celebrate our connection with the universe because the sun is the source of all life on this planet." - See more at on Deepak Chopras Website

Sun Salutation A - Surya Namaskar A

Stand in Tadasana or Mountain Pose.

Prayer or Namaste Mudra hands to heart center.  Take a few breaths to prepare.

EXHALE

INHALE

reaching arms out to the sides and over head

EXHALE

arms reaching wide as you bring them to the mat, a block or rest them on your chins in Forward Fold or Uttanasana

INHALE

Half Lift, or Flat Back (lift and lengthen through the chest, pull in the core), hands on chins for support.

Hold breath in - Press hands firmly into the mat, bend the knees a lot. Press back, by lifting the feet as gently as possible, back to High Plank.  ***You may also modify by stepping back one foot at a time.

EXHALE

High plank - Lower (see next pic)

*ideal - a straight line from heel to shoulder heads.  However, keep hips slightly higher, to prevent low back from sagging, or take your knees. Hands directly under shoulders.

Continue on your EXHALE from high plank to Chaturanga, lowering to the height of the elbows and not below.  Again, hips may be slightly high, or take your knees.

INHALE

Up Dog

*Only the hands and shoelaces of your feet should be on the mat

*Hands directly under shoulders, thighs engaged, shoulder heads rolled back with shoulder blades press flat against the back.  Gaze forward.

OR

Cobra Pose

Take this pose if you cannot take the deep backbend found in Up Dog.

*Hands directly under shoulders, thumb out pointing directly under breast.

Triceps and elbows right against your upper body.

Roll the shoulders back and squeeze the upper back or shoulder blades together

Quads engaged, tops of feet on the mat.

EXHALE

Hips leading, not the upper body, begin to press back into Down Dog

***Added bonus, taking a YOGA pushup before moving into Down Dog (difference between regular and Yoga pushups, is elbows close to the side body, lowering only to the height of elbows, not below).

Down Dog

Click on Down Dog, for more instructions.

INHALE

Come high up on your toes, slightly bend knees

Bring your gaze right in between your hands.

Hips stay high

EXHALE COMPLETELY!

Press into your hands firmly, lifting the hips high over the shoulders, bringing your feet as gently as possible to your hands. 

***You may also modify by stepping your feet to your hands.

INHALE

Half Lift - or Flat Back

EXHALE

Forward Fold - Uttanasana

Keep the length in the low spine, and use support by using a bock or support hands on shins as you relax the top of the head down toward your mat.

INHALE

Reaching your arms wide, to the sides of you

Engage the core, keep hips in line with ankles, flat back as you come back to Tadasana

EXHALE

Hands to heart center.

See my video for more visuals.

Surya Namaskar A - Sun Salutation A - Video

Adho Mukha Svanasana - Downward Facing Dog Pose

Downward Facing Dog Pose, or Down Dog, or Adho Mukha Svanasana Pose is one of those easy looking, yet deceivingly difficult poses that we visit quite often in Yoga.  I've offered a couple of visual pics below. As you read through the benefits and instructions, take a look at these pics for more help, if needed.

Benefits of Downward-Facing Dog:

• All over strengthener
• Lowers your heart rate
• Calming
• Stretches Spine
• Energizer
• Increases Blood Flow, especially to the brain
• Improves digestion

Risks: Be mindful of wrists, shoulders and hamstrings

How To:  From your hands and knees, align your shoulders over wrists and knees below the hips. Spread your fingers wide, with the middle finger pointing toward the top of your mat. Tuck your toes, engage your core, and draw your hips upward.  Root your heels into your mat, engaging your toes in toward your shins.  Bring your biceps in line with the ear.  Lengthen the spine, and release any held tension in the shoulders by drawing the arm into the sockets.  Modifications:  heels do not need to be on the earth, and knees may be bent.  Rest the head on a bolster or stacked blocks, if needed.  If your wrists are suffering, fingers may point outward slightly, but do not get into this habit. A great modification when necessary. **Pay close attention to the spine, that it isn't overly rounded.  Be mindful of shrugged shoulders or deep collapsing of the armpit.

Reclining Twist

Twists bring amazing benefits to our spine and internal organs.  They relax the nervous system.  Twists have amazing detoxifying benefits not only to our physical self, but also to our emotional well-being.

Usually when we think about flexibility of the spine, we think of heart-openers and back bends.  One of the most vital parts of spine flexibility happens in our twists.

It's very important to take gentle twists at the beginning of our practice and as we move into our practice warming the body, we may then find more space and may move deeper. By then end of our practice, our bodies are craving the sweet blissful feeling of a reclined twist.  I enjoy taking these twists right before my final pose - Savasana.  Also, any seated forward fold also feels lovely after a reclined twist as this resets the spine and brings some relief to the low back right before Savasana.

Yin Yoga - A note about practicing twists at the end of your Yin Yoga practice...please don't go too deep.  As you move into a reclined twist as shown in these pictures, keeping knees together isn't super important. Go in as deep as you feel you need. Move very slowly into this twist and move extra slow as you come out of it.  *click on Yin Yoga for more details.

Moving into a Reclined Twist:

• Lying on your back, bring your knees into your chest and give them a gentle hug.  Allow the low back to release and relax before slowly bringing your knees right or left.
• Lay your arms out to the sides of you, or bring opposite hand to gently rest over opposite top knee.
• After a warm yang practice, keep your knees together (unless pregnant) as you slowly allow the knees to gently twist to the right or left.  Your opposite shoulder may come off of the ground, if this puts stress on the shoulder, don't worry about knees being together until you feel release in the spine and may move deeper, then bring the knees closer together, allowing a deep twist in the waist.
• If your knees are twisting to the right, your right shoulder may get bunched up underneath you.  Bring right hand to your knees and gently untuck that shoulder, helping you to find more space in your midsection for this twist.

*Variations - There are many variations to a reclined twist - 

Crossed Leg Twist - keep your feet on the ground and cross one knee over the other, as if you were sitting cross legged, and then slowly recline in the direction of the leg underneath you, for instance, if your right knee is crossed over your left, you would then twist to the left, bringing left hand over right knee, if you so desire. (Pic below)

Crossed leg over straight leg
- Draw one knee into chest, lets say the left knee, keep the right leg long and straight. Opening your arms out to the sides of you but not above your shoulders, bring your left toes to the inside of your right knee and gently touch them there as you roll twist over to the right, onto the outer right hip.  Allow that top left knee to gently come down to touch the mat or floor, and relax the legs here.  Try not to hold stress in any part of your body as you twist.  Allow the left shoulder to open and bring your gaze over to the left, if that feels good to you.  All of the same suggestions for explanations on twist above apply.  

*A note if you're pregnant.  Deep twists can be harmful during pregnancy.  Listen to your body as you move into twist.  It doesn't have to be a deep twist for it to have some of the same benefits.  Keep the twist more in the mid to upper spine versus the low back.  Avoid twisting from the waist or low back deeply.

Swan & Sleeping Swan

Swan & Sleeping Swan

*** Do not practice this if you have bad knees, especially the inner meniscus.  Watch how much pressure is put on the knee, using props like bolsters or blocks to help.  Practice when cleared by your physician. - If your hips are too tight, that is where the pressure goes - to your knees.  Bring the front foot in more toward your thigh, if not bringing the front foot under your hip or front thigh.

To come into the pose: From hands and knees or Down Dog, bring one knee forward in between your hands and allow that front foot to slightly move in toward the other hip, extending the leg behind you.  Keep your hips square, aware that one hip isn't raised or opening out to the side.

Swan Pose

This posture is a hip opener, hip flexor stretch and a moderate back bend, compressing the low back.  

* Make sure your back foot isn't turned in and that your back foot is a straight extension of the leg.

* Walk hands or finger tips back toward the hips.

** As this is a back bend, pay close attention to your low back and any pain that may be there, walk the hands forward again.

Spend 1-3 minutes here, then move to Sleeping Swan

 Sleeping Swan

(shown below)

Alternatives & Options:

* To protect the front knee, keep the foot flexed before coming forward.

* Use a block under the hips or right under the buttock of the front leg, if you are not as deep into this posture as shown in my pic.  You could also lay on a bolster or pillow under chest.

* If you are flexible, bring the front foot forward, laying your chest on your front shin.

Spend 1-3 minutes in Sleeping Swan

Coming out of the pose:  Use your hands to push the floor away and come out as gently as you entered.  Move into a gentle Down Dog. After Down Dog, feel free to spend some time in Child's Pose or Windshield Wipers (seated or lying down) before moving to the other side.

*** Some info taken from "The Complete Guide To Yin Yoga" by Bernie Clark

What is Yin Yoga?

Yin Yoga involves stretching joints, ligaments, & Fascia.  Most forms of yoga today are active and sweaty, they involve fluid movement or held postures, that create heat within the body.  This is a "yang" form of yoga and works primarily with the muscles of our bodies.  The whole idea behind yoga in the first place is to create balance.  In every aspect we are working on balancing the mind, the body, & the spirit. So, even as we practice in a "yang" way, we adopt a yin awareness, allowing us to bring balance as we practice in any setting. Breath is one way to find yin amongst a vigorous yang practice. "Within our bodies, if we use the context of position or density, the yang tissues can be seen as our muscles, blood, and skin compared to the yin tissues of ligaments, bones and joints.  The contexts of flexibility or heat could also be used: muscles are elastic, but bones are plastic.  Muscles love to get warm, while ligaments generally remain cool." - The Complete Guide to Yin Yoga - "This is why braces must be worn for a long time with a reasonable (but not always comfortable) amount of pressure, in order to reshape the bones of the jaw."

"Generally, one of the muscles' jobs is to protect the joint; if there is too much stress on the joint, the muscle will tear first, then the ligaments, and hen finally the joint itself may become damaged.  Yang yoga is designed to not stress the joint.  This is why there is so much care taken to align the body and engage the muscles correctly before coming into asanas in the yang practice. However, Yin Yoga is specifically designed to exercise the ligaments and to regain space and strength in the joints.

30 percent of what we call our muscle is actually fascia.  Fascia within our muscles that govern the muscles' range of movement while it is our muscle cells that govern their strength.  Yang creates the strength within the muscle, the yin part of our practice, the holding of the pose, that provides length."

It is so important to stress the importance of gently holding these postures, moving SUPER SLOW, in and out of them.  Do not bring a yang aspect to your yin practice, meaning: fluid, faster movement or holding a muscle in a contracted state for a long period of time.  We tighten our muscles to protect our joints.  We relax our muscles so we can exercise our joints."

As with any exercise, it is so important to --- REST!  Take time to work different parts of the body in different ways.  Adopting a Yin day, resting the Yang aspect of your practice is important.  I also have found great benefit in taking at least a day or two "off" of exercise in general.

One of the greatest points to our yoga practice is to remain as much as possible in a meditative state in order to decipher what arise as we practice.  What do you feel?  What are you thinking?  Is there a particular part of your body that you are holding stress and tension?  Why?  As we allow the mind to be clear and focused, we are more adapt to quickly identify these aspects as we practice.

One aspect of yin yoga is to meditate. To sit for long periods of time, undisturbed, requires a body that is open and strong.  This opening in the hips and back, comes from an aspect of practicing yin.  So, if you plan on reading a book, or doing some study, or even just to meditate in calming the mind and focusing on breath, sit in easy pose (Indian style), lengthen your spine, and bring breath and discipline to body and mind and your practice stillness.

When to practice Yin Yoga? 

• When our muscles are cool
• Early in the morning
• Later in the evening before bed
• Before an active yang practice
• In the Spring or Summer (which are yang times of the year)
• When life is crazy and hectic
• After a long trip (traveling is very yang, even if we are sitting)
• During a woman's menstrual cycle

Do not's:

• If you are pregnant (pregnancy loosens the joints naturally, and could cause harm to the joint)
• High blood pressure, diabetes or other cardiovascular diseases
• Recent surgery
• Epilepsy
• Don't wear perfume or cologne.  Essential oils are AWESOME to use for practice! (Deep breath is important, make sure what you breathe in is wholesome and natural)
• Do not eat anything for at least one hour before and no big meals for a couple of hours after.
• If you are physically exhausted, refrain from from practice or keep it short and gentle.
• Prolonged exposure to sun before practice (again, we are avoided warmth to the body)
• Remove jewelry
• Shut everything off, and practice in a quiet and calm atmosphere.  Create this for yourself :)
• Avoid drafts and cold flowing air.

Do:

• Shower beforehand, if you'd like
• Empty bowels
• Wear loose, comfy clothes
• Wear extra layers of clothes or socks, if you are cold or tend to get cold.  You will not be heating the body.  You will be holding postures, WITHOUT contracting the muscles.
• Breathe - Soft Ujjayi breath or complete breath

3 Important things to remember when practicing Yin:

1. Come into the pose to an appropriate depth.  It will be unique for you.  One part of your body may be more open while another may be tight.  Come to YOUR edge. Remember your edge day to day is different.  It's so important to feel your edge...and then INVITE your body to go deeper when it allows. You don't need to go any further if you are already feeling a significant stretch, compression, or twist.  Going further is a sign of ego; staying where you are is embracing yin.
2. Remain still.  Try not to fidget.
3. Hold the pose for time.  Have a timer near you and use it :)

"We don't use our body to get into a pose,

we use the pose to get into our body."

THREE KINDS OF STILLNESS

Of the body, like a majestic mountain
Of the breath, like a calm mountain lake
Of the mind, like the deep blue of the sky

Dragon Pose - Yin Yoga

This is a posture used in both Yin & Yang practice.  The idea behind Yin is to exercise the joints.  It is very important when practicing Yin Yoga, to focus on correct alignment.  This is true for any form of exercise, right?!  More on Yin to come.

This pose is called Dragon.  This is a deep hip and groin opener and gets right into the hip joint.  It stretches the back leg's hip flexors and quadriceps.  This can be very uncomfortable on the knee, so feel free to place something soft under the knee that will be on the mat.  It's VERY IMPORTANT to keep the front knee aligned with the ankle!

To get into this pose, you will begin on hands and knees or in Down Dog.  Step one foot forward between your hands.  Walk the front foot forward to align the knee over the back heel or ankle.  Slide the back knee as far as you comfortable are able.  There are many options for holding this posture. Be sure to work on holding this posture for 1 minute.  The idea is to bring calm or soft Ujjayi breath.  As with any Yoga practice, empty the mind with focus on the breath, attaching a color to your breath, or inhaling a favorite smell that brings you peace.  As you do so, allow the body to relax as much as possible.  Avoid fidgeting.  As you hold this posture, you will feel a little release and may be able to move deeper.  "Play the edges of your body & mind" in Yin postures.  If you feel sharp pain, or pain that begins to radiate or if you feel your legs or any part of your body begin to get tingly, like it is falling asleep, gently move out of the posture.  

Hold ONE version of Dragon for at least one minute, working up to more...3-5 minutes.  You may hold each option of this pose as you move deeper for 1-2 minutes, cycling through them all, if you wish.  Make sure you take a counter posture (listed at the end) before moving to the other side.

Options for this posture:

1. You may keep the hands on either side of the foot, pressing the top of the back foot down firmly.  Keep that back foot straight, pressing through the second little toe. Allow the hips to soften, as you reach the "edge" of your stretch.
2. Low-Lunge or Baby Dragon - (shown in picture): Bring your hands to the inside of that front foot.  As you begin to go deeper, you may move to your forearms, placing them on a block.  You may also place another block lengthwise, so it is higher than the block you're resting your forearms on and rest your head.  Keep your front knee in close to your armpit.
3. In Baby Dragon - allow that front knee to fall out to the side, even allowing the front foot to roll outward onto the outside of that foot.  

There are other options for this posture that go quite deep.  In time I will be adding these with pictures.

Coming out of this pose: Move slowly out of the pose the way you came in.

Counterpose: Down Dog or Child Pose feel wonderful for a minute before moving to the other side.

***Some info taken from "The Complete Guide to Yin Yoga" by Bernie Clark

My Journey With Yoga

My journey with Yoga began years ago, when I first popped in a DVD from the library.  I would say my earliest memory would have been about 14 years ago when I began having children.  I thought yoga would be a great supplement to running.  I had gained a lot of weight having my first two kids and thought I'd give yoga a try.  I didn't like it. I fell over a lot.  It didn't work me out or get my heart rate up like running.  I was very tight and frustrated with the postures. I didn't do it again for a long time.

Fast forward to after my 4th baby, 8 years ago and again, thought I'd give yoga a try. Tried several DVD's and didn't like it.  Again, not hard enough for me.  All during this time I had been running and had begun to lift weights.  I was always dieting.  Didn't continue yoga...

Fast forward again to March 2013.  Having made the decision in Feb of 2012 to eat a more plant based diet. I had lost a considerable amount of weight...slowly.  I didn't ever weigh myself as during this year I had made myself some promises.  My beauty and worth didn't come from the number on that scale.  Also, my body was my temple and an instrument given to me to accomplish great things!  I had worked hard on my thought processes over this year.  However, when it came to exercise, any exercise that took my heart rate above 165 beats per minute, gave me severe anxiety and heart arrhythmia began to happen for me quite frequently.  I took these frustrations to the Lord in prayer, as I am very Christian and believe from the bottom of my heart that I am not here on earth to figure things out by myself.  I am here to learn, grow, fail, succeed and grow with God by my side.  My answer was to work out less and keep my heart rate down.  In years past, anything under an hour for exercise was unacceptable.  I would often work out for 2+ hours a day in an effort to lose weight and become stronger.  My answer was to work out for about 15 minutes every day.  In my constant study regarding health, I read from several sources that the body doesn't need extensive daily exercise in order to be healthy.  It's a balance of many things that bring good health.  I also began to see many references to the significance of Yoga and how it had changed them.  My curiosity was piqued.

I pulled out P90X and determined to take that workout DVD 15 minutes at a time and put my all into it.  I did this for a few weeks, and memorized it.  I began to do it on my own.  Out of curiosity, I also began to follow some Yogis on Instagram.  I was astounded at what some people could do with their bodies!  I wanted to try it!  I looked up Sun Salutations many other harder poses, like headstand and Crow.  For me, I had to have a goal of something to work toward, something that drove me to keep coming back and those two postures were what kept me coming back.  So, I would do Sun Salutations, Warriors, Triangle, Boat Pose, Dancer and Pigeon Pose.  After that I would work on my Headstand and Crow.  It took me about 2 months to find balance in these postures.  I was thrilled!  I was hooked!  I felt great and began to look forward to practicing each day.

My very first Headstand, April 2013. Held this for about 15 seconds without the wall!  Big success!

Ruth trying with me.  She's my youngest and is 3 at the time.

Throughout the year of 2013, my practice deepened as I worked on new goals and my involvement in Instagram evolved.  I began participating in Yoga Challenges.  Certain Yogis would group together and give a month long challenge, where they would post daily pictures of  poses with explanations and advice.  We were then encouraged to post a picture and tag our pictures with their names and the name of the challenge.  I participated in many challenges, sometimes as many as 5 or 6 per month.  I'm sure my friends and family thought I was a little crazy.  Why post so many selfies doing yoga?  As the months passed, I would look back at these pictures astounded at my progress!  I was so excited!

Above: One of my first held Crow's or Bakasana.  Could hold this for about 15-20 seconds.

Recent Crow/Bakasana

I had a few friends and family that wanted me to teach them some things I'd learned and because I loved Yoga so much and felt so great, I wondered if teaching Yoga would be something I would enjoy doing.  In October of 2013, I began teaching a few close friends and my Mom.  I had many voices that would creep in...things like: "who would take yoga from you?" "You're not very good at this" "You aren't pretty" "You look fat in leggings" "what if you fall and lose your balance?" .  I wrote all these voices in a black book and wrote in my beautiful colorful journal, all of the things that I AM. I made them my mantras, and daily,
I would make these mantras part of my practice.  "I am beautiful, amazing, capable of achieving anything, important, loved, appreciated...".  I took these experiences with me as I taught each week.  I had a few close friends who stayed with me, gave me great advice and were very supportive.

Above: A couple of months into my practice working on Pigeon Pose (Spring 2013).  

Above: Working on King Pigeon with the strap (Summer 2013).

Below: In the last few months Bound King Pigeon (Summer 2014)

During this time of teaching, I began to make some phone calls and do research as to where I would get Yoga training.  What kinds of certificates were available?  Where? When? How long? Cost? What to do with it when I was done?  As I began to research this possibility, I found road blocks.  I have 5 kids!  I needed something that fit in with my life as a Mom.  Most places were intense with hours of training each day and other places were every weekend, and I needed Sundays with my family and to worship.  I was discouraged and prayed that if this was something for me, it would work out.  I met a woman through Instagram who was teaching at Infusion Yoga & Pilates Studio in Bountiful Utah and I went to her class and met her. This class was the first yoga class I had ever attended!  It was amazing! She stayed after her class and visited with me for about an hour. She informed me that the training at that studio would begin the next day!! I'm so grateful to her for her time and that she answered my questions.  I felt excitement and peace about our discussion.  I called the owner Corena Hammer the next day.  She answered all my questions.  I felt peace and comfort in my discussion.  I knew that I needed to take my Yoga Teacher Training from her at her studio.  I signed up for this that day, with the training beginning that first weekend in January.  Her classes would run month for one weekend - Thursday, Fridays and all day Saturdays.  That was doable.  I was so excited!  As this first post is August. I have been on this glorious journey deepening my practice finding an amazing connection between what was happening in my body as well as my spirit, and mind.  It is all connected and Yoga connects the mind, body, spirit.

2013 Yoga Progress - 1st  & 3rd rows are in the beginning months as I met these milestones. 2nd & 4th rows were all taken in December of 2013.

 I LOOOOVE teaching and feel that a very special gift has been entrusted to me.  It is a sacred thing to teach others.  I don't take it lightly.  I have a ever growing number of friends who come to my classes each week, that I'm currently offering for free, as I am "in training".  I also have had the wonderful opportunity to teach at Infusion Yoga & Pilates Studio where I'm taking my teacher training for this Summer. I have learned so much about myself and I fully believe that "unless we poses something, we can never really give it".

If you're still with me, I share my journey with you in hopes that it sparks something in you.  We all relate to each other in some way.  We all have something in this journey called "life", that links us together.  We all experience emotions like anger, hurt, jealousy, love, fear, peace, etc.  We all experience similar things with our bodies like sickness, injury, fatigue, etc.  We all have a desire to learn and grow as our minds take in something new.  In this, we all relate with each other as we share our unique experiences with each other.  This is my unique experience and maybe it will help you in your journey.  I share this blog with you in hopes that it helps you.  If anything I hope it will be a reference for you, to use as you learn how to "plant yourself", "root yourself" and produce beautiful branches, flowers and fruits that you will enjoy.  I will be posting postures with explanations, all of which I've learned from my amazing teacher and from my own practice.  In time I'd like to post video and classes online.  Let's get planted in Yoga!