We're all pretty familiar with, and convinced of the importance of our 5 senses: Sight Smell Hearing Taste Touch When someone loses or is born without one of these senses, their brain develops to compensate by heightening their skills of perception. Our bodies rule that way - they want us to survive and they're really good at adapting to make sure we can survive. Intuition isn't a new thing - it's been around as long as we have. Yet in our fast-paced technosociety, many people have lost their ability to feel clarity and ease in daily life, and struggle with making decisions that meet their highest good and goals. Doesn't it stink when you end up feeling like you failed yourself, yet again choosing something that left you feeling sluggish, heavy, disconnected instead of … [Read more...]
Leadership means Love (and sometimes offending others)
I used to try to not get political on my social media accounts, and lately it feels so wrong not to share when human rights are clearly on the line, especially here in the US. When we're embodied, it means we feel more. I realize this can be quite...hard. Especially at first. Our practice helps us sit with that discomfort, digest what's happening in the world and take right action. We can learn to be with more suffering, more muckiness and find our way back to our core truths and step forward. Embodied practice is my jam, and enables us to lead skillfully, wholly. If we're privileged, we have even more responsibility to act. Leadership is love in action. Using our voices and behavior to create a world the feel fair and free for everyone. I want my work to reach more … [Read more...]
3 Qualities of a Stellar Teacher
With so many 200 hour registered yoga teachers (RYT) in the US (and dare I say, globally) it may seem like everyone and their sister, brother, mother, cousin and neighbor is also a qualified 'teacher'. But what makes a teacher 'good'? What makes a stellar teacher? To me, an excellent teacher completes plenty of training as well as demonstrating evidence of personal experience - meaning, they have a well established personal practice, and they've been around the block in regard to hands on, contact hours of true teaching experience. Yet training and personal practice can, at times, be rote memorization and become mechanical or uninspired - or even dangerously unchecked when driven by one's ego or insta-famous ambitions, or lacking depth of understanding and context gained from time … [Read more...]
What is the Franklin Method?
Imagine being able to practice anywhere, anytime, no yoga mat required. What if you knew exactly how your body was designed to function, what you need moment to moment, and you could be your own trainer, teacher, best coach? What if you felt confident and felt exactly how you wanted to in your body? Although this is possible for any practitioner willing to embody their chosen modality - The Franklin Method is THE modality that teaches you to yourself. It enhances running, yoga, pilates, dance, daily chores, your drive to work - everything. When you change your mind, you change everything. Franklin Method is a self-generated, embodied, experiential practice - a movement modality to enliven and refine whatever else you practice. What I love about it is the … [Read more...]
PSA: Avoid this Common Lower Back Cue
Hello core training fans! Lower back lovers! Posture practicers! So many people want a 'strong core' and 'good posture' and a 'flat belly'. So they turn to core training, often assuming if they just work those ab muscles enough that it'll do the trick. Sometimes, that works. Many variables are in play when it comes to getting after these goals. The best results come from embodiment -intelligent, functional training with our body, mind and breath - and your overall lifestyle, which includes stress management, nutrition, digestion and more. We won't get to cover all of these aspects in today's post, because I want to focus in on the relationship between the pelvic floor, the lower back, and what NOT to do when you're on your mat if you want your body to last for you with … [Read more...]
Relational Wellbeing: The Yajna Model
Hey everyone! Today I'm going to quickly teach you about a model used in Yoga philosophy that helps an individual see where and how they are supported by aspects of life and a variety of relationships. What struck me is how different this view is from a western biopsychosocial model - often referred to as the Six Dimensions of Wellness. This model focuses on the individual's needs, with limited attention given to relationships (in the social and perhaps environmental pieces of the pie). The Yajna Model really looks at the individual functioning within an ongoing study and appreciation for relationships of different types, to meet different needs. If we think of either of these models like a table, each aspect is a leg on the table providing support to the individual. One leg … [Read more...]
Seasons of Business: Celebrating 10 Years!
For those of us just getting acquainted, or for a trip down memory lane, I present you the seasons of my business since inception, 2007. It is true that necessity is the mother of all inventions, and I look forward to more intentional planning as I move into a more mature phase of business and life. Many thanks in advance for reading, enjoy! phase 1: personal trainer makes house calls, 2007 When I started my business by necessity (see that story here) I knew there was only one thing I needed to do – continue to see clients directly. At that point, I couldn't wrap my brain around paying rent for a commercial space, so I made house calls. I especially enjoyed being known for doing so by bicycle, sometimes riding 10-15 miles one way. But... Not. Sustainable. phase 2: yoga found … [Read more...]
Restorative Yoga: The Head Wonton
Today I'm giving you one of my favorite restorative yoga propping techniques. I originally learned this from my mentor, Donna Farhi, and have enjoyed seeing students settle in with a sigh of relief when tucked in properly. If you experience neck and shoulder tension, or feel overstimulated by the outside world, this can bring a soothing, cradling quality to a standard savasana. To the left, one of my dear students agreed to model for this blog - really, she was so comfortable that she didn't mind the extra time to soak in this pose! We took her wonton corners and tucked in her shoulders with a fairly large amount of the blanket, leaving the center of the blanket roll's height right at the base of her skull. She had another blanket underneath her torso for softness and support, … [Read more...]