health, spirituality, wellness, Yoga

Youth Resides In The Spine!

1/7 Hatha Yoga is based on keeping the spine strong, flexible, spacious and therefore young. When I did my 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training we learned a well-rounded class should include all six movements of the spine: One forward bend, one back bend, two side stretches and two twists.  As I started teaching I reflected on… Continue reading Youth Resides In The Spine!

health, spirituality, wellness, Yoga

Defining Hatha Yoga

The term yoga means 'to yoke' or 'unite'.  However there are many different types of yoga in our modern world.  There is a type of yoga for everyone, and it is amazing how yoga has blossomed around the world making it accessible to every body, for a realm of different needs. Hatha yoga is the… Continue reading Defining Hatha Yoga

health, wellness, Yoga

Guilt, Let It Go.

I have heard that of all the emotions we feel, guilt has the lowest vibration. I am the queen of 'feeling guilty.'  It is something I have been aware of, and worked with stopping, for years; but yesterday was a challenge.  My son had the flu all weekend, and I managed to pick it up… Continue reading Guilt, Let It Go.

community, family, health, spirituality, wellness, Yoga

Strive For Wholeness

A part of my journey through life has been to find wholeness.  Yoga has helped bring me to a place in my awareness where wholeness is accepting ourselves and our lives exactly as they are. Much of the work I have done, on myself and others, I would define as 'healing' work.  However as I… Continue reading Strive For Wholeness

health, spirituality, wellness, Yoga

The Final Step: Ultimate Bliss

Our final step on the eight fold path of yoga is called Samadhi.  This has been referred to as ultimate peace, bliss or oneness with the universe.  It is like meditation, but exists in every moment.  A place of enlightment, liberation and the place we come to after devoting our life to the other seven… Continue reading The Final Step: Ultimate Bliss

health, spirituality, wellness, Yoga

The Seventh Step: Meditate

As we come to the seventh step, I realize we have almost completed this journey through the eight-fold-path of yoga! The sixth step was concentration and focus, so our next step is when those efforts are no longer efforts, and you are just present in the ceaseless waves of pure experience and presence.  This is Dhyana, or… Continue reading The Seventh Step: Meditate

health, spirituality, wellness, Yoga

Step Six | Concentration

The sixth step on our yogic path is called dharana.  This is translated as concentration. In our fifth step, we withdrew the senses, and now we are able to focus inward fully.  This concentration sets up for our seventh step Dhyana, which is meditation. Although all the steps overlap and integrate, these three are so… Continue reading Step Six | Concentration

health, spirituality, wellness, Yoga

Step Five: Define Control

The fifth step on our yoga path is pratyahara, meaning control of our senses. In order to have control over anything we must be aware of what it is.  So with pratyahara, we begin to study the five senses and see how they control us.  Seeing, hearing, touching, tasting and smelling are all apart of… Continue reading Step Five: Define Control

health, spirituality, wellness, Yoga

Step Three: The Yoga Fad

The third step on our eight-fold path of yoga is asana.  I consider this the 'yoga fad' of the west.  Even though there are eight steps on this yogic path, as a culture we have got lost in this one step: the stretches. Now don't get me wrong- I am VERY glad we have this… Continue reading Step Three: The Yoga Fad

community, family, health, spirituality, wellness, Yoga

Life | Yoga | Philosophy

It is more clear then ever that I have a passion for writing, yoga, and helping others. I am a creative introvert who craves learning and growth, and sharing life with my community (which now includes this online community!). I am going to use this blog as an opportunity to share more about how yoga… Continue reading Life | Yoga | Philosophy