Sunday, September 18, 2016

Releasing with the Harvest Moon





Last night I gathered for my monthly full moon dance. Normally this dance happens in a small temple and only women gather together to move in our uniqueness, with intention, silently to rhythmic music as we connect with the current moon. This month for the celebration of the harvest moon we invited our brothers and we danced outside on the salt flats by the Great Salt Lake. When I first saw this invitation I instantly knew in my gut I was going. I told/asked my husband and he said yes and actually asked if he could come. I said no women only, confused that men were also invited this month. Once I realized men were invited I invited him and we lined up my dad to baby sit our two children. 

Tyler and I arrived at the beach early. Watched the sun set, talked and played around with some yoga poses. When the sun set and the moon rose we gathered with our group and howled at the moon which appeared red. The love and excitement we all felt for the moon was palpable. I thought of all the women in all the times in all the lands who have looked to the moon and sought guidance. I felt grounded in my blood, in my bones, with my feet in the sand.

My bare feet stood on cold dry salt sand. It cracked as I moved on it and we gathered into our circle. Our guides welcomed us, talked about the moon briefly, and the "rules" for our movement and then let us dance. Music played over generators as we danced, jumped, hopped, swayed, rolled, skipped, spun, pulsated, smiled, cried, yelled, laughed, crawled, ran, sat... It was beautiful to witness the black silhouettes of these human beings connecting with themselves, moving and breathing in their authenticity and how lucky I was to share that experience with them. 

We moved at different speeds within our circle outlined in the sand. As we repetitively touched the earth the sand that started our dry became wet and muddy.  It was such a magnificent experience to feel the change under my feet. I felt grounded and connected to my Mother... Earth.

The full moon represents abundance and she is about to move into waning, into releasing. As I gazed up at the moon with my hands over my heart I thought about what I want to release. I want to release my self judgment, and my self criticism so that I can stand in my power with self love and self confidence! With this intention I walk through the threshold leaving my old ways, thoughts and habits behind me. I move forward in a new way as a strong women who loves and cares for herself. A women who knows she can accomplish so much if she directs her energy into other things instead of the size of her love handles. How many hours, days, years I have wasted of my life caring about my size? and what you think of it? I have been working on this for 10 years but recently I have felt a lot of manifestation of forward momentum. Of letting go of that past identity so I can stand in my power fully. 

When we were dancing I also though of how we are all spiritual beings. About how lucky we are to share this human experience with each other. I caught myself finding my husbands silhouette watching him dance to his own beat and think how lucky I am
to share my life with this being! We get so caught up in life with children, bills, work, plans that I can forget this human experience and take it to seriously that I miss connecting with him as a Being. Dancing with him last night sometimes together but often apart was so amazing. Being able to do our own thing, feed our soul, be authentic, come together and connect, kiss, smile and then spin off again was a gift from Grace and one I will never forget. 

As we left we talked about our intentions. I shared with him about my self love and being ready to move past this threshold. He told me about his (I won't share it). He kept saying how much he enjoyed the dance and needed it. He also acknowledged how important these dances are for me and how much he supports me making time for them and will continue to encourage me to go to them in the future. This mad me so happy because I haven't been to a moon dance in a few months because I always assume he would rather me stay home and help with the kids. So hearing him say. "Yes! Do this!I will help you make this happen" made me heart soar. 

We talks again this morning about the transformative experience we had under the moon. Both so grateful that we can share these experiences. Tyler grew up Mormon and pointed out that there are many people who would be to uncomfortable with free movement under the moon and others would assume we were all on drugs and wouldn't want to participate. I am so grateful I can have these experiences. I am BLISSED out and am already counting down the days until I can dance with the moon again.

Monday, August 1, 2016

Anusara Shoulder Loop Workshop for Aerialists

One of my long time students who is a professional aerial artists asked me to come to her aerial studio to teach a workshop for her flying students about Anusara Yoga's Alignment Principle, Shoulder Loop. I broke down shoulder loop: why it is important, how to do it, what it feels like when your doing it, what it feels like when your not doing it and putting it in to practice. In between my teaching Elizabeth Stich guided the students in different apparatuses (trapeze, silks, lira, and rope) going over basic skills (they did not look basic!) while adding in this alignment principle.


Elizabeth demonstrating Side bodies long and inner body bright.

I am so grateful to have been apart of this experience. It was amazing to watch these strong women take in this new information, digest it and put it into practice in the air. They are so strong and graceful. It was so clear to see when they were and were not doing shoulder loop and how much more ease it looked like it added to their movement.

Before we started class we went around and everyone introduced themselves and shared their current or past history with shoulder injuries. Almost every student had or has a shoulder issue! That is one thing I love about Anusara Alignment! It brings the body into "optimal alignment' which heals past injuries and helps prevent future injuries. This alignment can be practiced in class and also during daily activities like driving, holding children, cooking...After the class some students commented that they didn't understand the whole concept of shoulder loop. I reassured them "That is totally normal! I have been studying this for 8 years and I am still discovering more and more!" I said as long as you leave learning something that is a success and more will be reveled if you continue to practice.

The Shoulder Loop: What It 
Shoulder loop is one of the seven loops on Anusara yoga. It starts in the upper palate, flowing backward to the base of your skull, draws down to the bottom of your shoulder blades and then the shoulder blades go in and up to the heart and ends where it started at your palate, lifting your chest and opening your throat.

Functions

Releases the tension in the neck, stretches the chest, strengthens the back and makes room for more breath. Shoulder loop also aligns your arms with your shoulder joints, stabilizing the collarbones and shoulder blades. The loop gives your shoulders the widest range of motion without risking injury to your neck or shoulders. The aerial students were very excited about this last function.

Actions of shoulder loop. 

By integrating these movements of your shoulders, the loop aligns and opens your shoulder girdle and chest. These combined actions result in opening the space of your heart. Before doing these steps Open to Grace by lengthening the Side bodies and expanding the inner body bright which will broaden the collar bones. This will bring the body into a natural place to take shoulder loop.  Now... draw the head of the arm bones back, slide your shoulder blades down your back, press the lower tips of your shoulder blades forward into the bottom of your heart and lift your chest, slide your throat back so that your head and neck are aligned with the central axis of your body. Feel how magical optimal alignment is!

Sequence: 
Open to grace/ come into neutral with side bodies long (sbl) and inner body bright (ibb) 
Shoulder loop: starts in palate of mouth draws back and down skull, draws shoulder blades down and forward to lift heart and then comes back up to meet in the palate of the mouth. 

Repetition it's the same alignment in every pose. Optimal alignment in Tadasana and in real life is what we are building in every pose. 

30 minute warm up: 
Interlace hands in front of chest- over head sbl IBB - half moon stretch 
Uttanasana- ardha utt.- high runners lunge twist 
Interlace hands in front of chest- over head sbl IBB shoulder blade tips down and back - half moon stretch  
Uttanasana- ardha utt- hrl twist 
Pec stretch at wall 
Prone pec stretch - Prone quad stretch - Bridge 3x 
Pincha prep in table 
Dolphin 
lunge clasp hands behind back
Thread needle 
AMS 
Prone pec stretch
thread needle

To learn more about Aerial Arts of Utah visit http://www.aerialartsofutah.com/

Monday, July 25, 2016

Meditation for more kindness and ease

A short meditation I recorded in Jackson Hole. This meditation focused on the four aspects of your natural breath while cultivating kindness, love and ease. I hope you enjoy this short meditation.

Keep GROWING and PROGRESSING on and off the mat!

this is a 40 minute practice speed up that I narrate some of my alignment focus and my heart focus. My hope is seeing me practice might inspire or deepen your own practice. Today I focused on growing and progressing in my life on and off the mat.
"Let the goal be to reach perfection, but be content with a little progress toward perfection each day" BKS Iyengar.
I used to torture myself trying to be perfect. Now I don't want to be perfect but I do want to keep growing every day for the rest of my life! The dream of moving toward perfection ignites the fire inside me, the effort needed for transformation. That requires perseverance, continued effort over a period of time despite difficulties, failures or opposition.
Sequence:
Plank- Down Dog
Side plank
Lunge - twist- reverse lunge- high runners lunge twist, low lunge twist with quad stretch
Warrior 2- Reverse warrior- parsvakonasana- reverse warrior
half moon- standing pigeon- uttitha pada B- scandasana
Down Dog- wild thing- side arm balance variation- seated wide leg forward told- twist- briggets twist
forearm plank- dolphin
pigeon quad- twist quad- hanumanasana
headstand with windmill leg variation
handstand with windmill leg variation
forearm balance
full back bend at wall
dwi pada backbend- urdhva danurasana at wall
root fumer bone- supta pada B- mantra missile
Pranayama: alternate nostril breathwork
Mantra

About Anusara yoga... I LOVE, teach and practice Anusara Yoga which is a style of hatha yoga that emphasis aligning the physical body in a way that cultivates health for the body, mind and heart. Some unique aspects of Anusara include the principles of alignment, a non-dual philosophy that looks for the good in life! and a friendly community.
To learn more about Anusara visit: http://www.anusarayoga.com/

Baby and Me Yoga

A short practice to strengthen and stretch your body. Motherhood is a constant invitation to practice cultivating more patience, for your child/ children and yourself. When we are patient we are present and more compassionate. As you move through this practice I invite you to stretch your body and your ability to be more patient. This class has some standing poses and hip openers. Please let me know if you have any questions.
The Sequence:
Sun salutation A 1x
Lunge holding baby in arms or taking a pec stretch
low lunge with a twist and quad stretch
half splits
active pigeon stretch arms up
double pigeon
reclined twist
shavasana
seated meditation
About Anusara yoga... I LOVE, teach and practice Anusara Yoga which is a style of hatha yoga that emphasis aligning the physical body in a way that cultivates health for the body, mind and heart. Some unique aspects of Anusara include the principles of alignment, a non-dual philosophy that looks for the good in life! and a friendly community.
To learn more about Anusara visit: http://www.anusarayoga.com/

Quick tips and tricks to open your HEART


Intention and Testimonials

Testimonials & My Intention

My Intention It is my intention as a yoga teacher to help you bring more health and vibrancy to your body, ease and alertness to your mind...