In honor of the International Day of Yoga—celebrating the spiritual, mental and physical benefits of yoga—5 Koshas teachers share how to set intentions for a practice and how yoga can improve mental health. How do you set intentions for your teaching? Sherry Oakes, RYT-200: I plan according to the time of day and class subject […]
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By Mary Hilliker, E-RYT 500, C-IAYT “Each cakra represents an essential chamber in the temple of the Self. Each one houses an aspect of the sacred and is necessary for wholeness. The more we clean and properly decorate the temple, the more we court the presence of the divine.” – Anodea Judith in Eastern Body, […]
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by Sally Konkol, RN, BSN, RYT-200 “Can you reach that bowl on the top shelf?” We have all been there. Up on our tip toes, arm stretched as much as possible. Needing just another half inch. “There, I got it!” It is times like that when I continue to appreciate the functional benefits of yoga […]
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Autumn brings a distraction, more so this year as we navigate the change along with the pandemic and all its twists, turns and complexities. Have you noticed how your mind and thoughts run around like squirrels gathering and burying acorns? Squirrel! It is the season of the squirrel. Summer has said its last goodbye for […]
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How can you bring your yoga practice into the New Year? How can you set the intention of a regular mind-body practice while creating the habit of practice? Practicing yoga is one way to enlist the wisdom of our minds AND bodies, to generate a lasting shift – if we stick with it. A lasting […]
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Summer has said it’s last goodbye for the year. The crispness and color of fall is upon us. With the season change comes the very real problem of fatigue for many who live in northern climes. It’s one of the more overwhelming symptoms of seasonal affective disorder and a troubling symptom for many as the […]
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“When sleep escapes you and drowsiness and fuzzy thinking are your daytime companions, it’s time to evaluate what action you can take to improve sleep. Mind-body practices, including yoga, can improve sleep and daytime energy.” The roots of sleeplessness may be related to age, stress, hormonal changes, pain, digestive distress, anxiety, depression, sleep disorders, other […]
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Tame the Anxiety & Worry Monkeys Mental and emotional ease are states of being that we can all appreciate. We put our best selves forward when we are peaceful, calm and focused. We need fast, easy and accessible tools to bring us back to order and calm when fear, anxiety, stress or worry monkeys knock […]
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Grief is a unique combination of sadness, memories, fog, strong emotions, bodily experiences and occasional moments of peace and clarity. This simple quote reveals so much about what we are just beginning to understand about the science of chronic stress and the effects of grief. Dr. van der Kolk, a researcher who studies the effect […]
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“Nature’s peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you and the storms their energy, while cares will drop off like autumn leaves.” -John Muir Free yourself from winter hibernation + Free yourself from cold weather tension and stagnancy + Free time to be outside, breathe, […]
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The deliciousness of a sweet heirloom tomato, the snap of fresh green beans, the tangy sweetness of a fresh strawberry, the heady scent of a blossoming peony…it’s within reach now that the sun graces the sky for long days. Gardening has approximately equal parts science, weather, faith and hard work. The hard work can lead […]
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Resolve – settle or find a solution; decide firmly on a new course of action Revolution – to overthrow a social order in favor of a new system (Google.com) Could ‘New Year Resolutions’ be overthrown? What if they were erased from our culture? How would we react? What would we talk about? Would we still […]
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We are light. Within us is a light, very much like the Sun, that is unchanging and brilliant. This is one of the fundamental teachings in yoga philosophy. The darkness of the winter creates an inward movement of our attention that creates opportunities to experience our inner life and radiance. As we move into this […]
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3 Quick and Easy Yoga Tips for Energy, Calm and Clarity for the Holiday Season Tis the season to get really stressed out! We tend to compress a year’s worth of entertaining, professional networking, cooking, baking, connecting with family and friends, extra school activities for kids, family traditions, shopping, and decorating all in one month. […]
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“Art washes from the soul the dust of everyday life.” — Pablo Picasso Most of us are aware when we are stressed: the shortness of breath, tension in areas of the body, stomach twinges and mental meltdowns indicate how much stress we are dealing with. It also invites us to slow down, breathe and acknowledge what […]
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Change in our life comes in many different ways. Sometimes we plan for the change. A retirement, career change, moving, or getting married are examples of things that we often consciously choose. Other changes blow in like a strong wind that destroys any sense of order and stability.
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Did you grow up in a family where there was little time for boredom or do you remember days of announcing to anyone that would listen, ‘I’m bored!’ As an adult trying to stay physically active and mentally sharp, boredom can be a challenge. Muscles get bored with repetitive activity while the multi-tasking mind needs […]
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Conscious Eating, Active Living, Habit Change Can the tools of yoga help us change our habits? Yoga is a powerful practice for transformation and change. The tools of yoga can be applied in specific ways to help us strengthen will and change habits around food, exercise and body image.
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The skeleton is an amazing chassis, the support structure for movement and a protector of our internal organs and glands. Just like a car chassis, we may start out with our own unique skeletal attributes and over the years add wear and tear. Upper back pain can occur due to our work or lifestyle, our […]
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Many people who have practiced other styles of yoga say that Viniyoga is different. You have to pay attention. You have to be aware. It’s not the same sequence of postures every time or one size fits all yoga. There is active participation of attention in the process of awakening to who you are.
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