Today the studio was exceptionally warm and my poor students were sweating away.  The sun was beating in through all the windows creating such wonderful natural light but, it was also baking us in the room.  I was so proud of my students, none of them complained and continued to stay focused on their practice. 



After class, we managed to have quite a few laughs though.  We joked about how our mats became “slip and slides” and that our sweat was dripping in places it usually does not.  We ended up going to get tea and continue joking about “yogi problems.”  It was fun to laugh with them and see how much they really love yoga.

There was no way I wasn’t going to share our “yogi problems” with you.  For you yoga lovers out there, I am sure you can relate to the majority of them.

• Dripping so much sweat during a power yoga or hot class that your mat turns into a slip and slide
• Trying to do crow pose the first time and falling on your face
• Being so sweaty when the instructor, me, comes to adjust you, I leave with wet hands
• Running late to class, getting there and having nowhere to put your mat
• Falling asleep during savasana, I used to do this all the time
• Nothing to be ashamed of but, shaking during Ardha Chandrasana
• Not remembering the Sanskrit names for the asanas
• How distracting it is when the person practicing next to you has awful BO
• The exciting feeling when you master handstands away from the wall
• The pain after focusing on hip openers during a practice
• Always having to remind yourself to square your hips during warrior one
• Having to carry your mat the rest of the day after a morning practice
• Being in downward facing dog and getting a foot cramp
• And the best yogi problem I heard, wanting to do yoga at all times of the day because it is truly a blessing.

My students are so focused and solemn during the practice, I often forget that they are such entertaining and fun loving people.  Being able to listen to their “yogi problems” made me laugh and remember how light-hearted and funny I used to be when first starting yoga.

I am sure you have your own “yogi problems” and I would love to hear them.  Happy practicing!

Namaste.

Anita

Today was a great day.  My partner and I made a healthy lunch together with food we got from the farmers market and spent the rest of the day sitting outside enjoying the weather.  We had a conversation that made me feel extremely happy about our favorite places we have practiced yoga around the states.  I never thought about how many places we have been fortunate to practice at.

Here is our list of places we have been and two that we are planning to go to.

Hopefully, these make you want to take your yoga to the next level and travel with yoga.

• Grace Cathedral in San Francisco is one of the best places I have practiced yoga at.  The spiritual environment of the French Gothic-style cathedral is second to none.  There are weekly yoga classes offered as well as a 75-minute class on Tuesday nights.  It was a little chilly there so I suggest wearing layers and of course, don’t forget your mat.

• After my paddleboard yoga experience I am eager to go back to the Mirage Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas.  You can do yoga with the dolphins swimming around you, obviously through the window.  You practice in the underwater viewing area at the Dolphin Habitat.  It was fun having these playful animals swimming around, although it was a little distracting.

• Traveling to Banff National Park in the Canadian Rockies was one of the highlights in outdoor yoga practices.  You can sign up to get transported to a remote place in the Rockies to practice and really connect in solitude with nature.  The wild landscape and serenity made this one of my favorite experiences.

• The natural attitude of Hawaii makes it one of the most relaxing and peaceful places in the US and makes it a perfect place to practice yoga.  When my partner and I were there we did our own practice on our private beach.  The sun rising and hitting the water at dawn was an unforgettable time.

• A few years ago I traveled to New York and found free yoga classes in Bryant Park.  It was great to get away and spend time with a group of people with my same passion.  They also offer free tai chi lessons that I stuck around for after.

• I haven’t been to Chicago but it is definitely on my list.  One of my good friends used to live there and said there were free yoga classes on Saturday s in Millennium Park.  Although I love practicing in nature, it is a different feeling being so small amongst the giant sky scrapers that makes your problems disappear.

• Another place on my list is to go to Alaska and practice in the natural beauty.  I have read reviews about the Tutka Bay Lodge on Kachemak Bay that make me want to plan my next trip there.  The photographs of the rough wilderness and peacefulness of the water are breathtaking.


What is your favorite place to practice yoga?

Namaste

This morning I was invited to a friend’s studio for an acroyoga practice.  I had done acroyoga a few times before but it had been quite some time since I practiced.  I am not going to lie, I was a little nervous going this morning.  I forgot how much trust you have to put into a stranger that they won’t drop you on your head.  5 minutes into the practice and my nerves had subsided and I was really having fun.  AcroYoga is a fun, creative, and self-building practice.



In case you are not sure what acroyoga is, here is the 411.  AcroYoga is a partner yoga with a “base” and a “flyer” to execute a series of aerial postures.  It creates a therapeutic release from the combination of acrobatics and yoga.  It is essential to have good alignment and posture so that no body falls and gets hurt.  There are a few established poses in acroyoga but many classes encourage improvisation and free acrobatic play.  Simply put, it is a practice that combines yoga and acrobatics to create therapeutic postures and stretches.

I remember a while ago when I tried it my first time…I did not love it.  After a few classes and different partners it started to grow on me.  The class really depends on your partner and how well your bodies and minds can click.  This morning my partner was wonderful.  He had been doing acroyoga for many years and made me feel really comfortable while I was in the air.

AcroYoga is not very relaxing to me, but I still enjoy it.  The use of gravity and inversions is very therapeutic and used an entirely different set of muscles than a mainstream yoga practice.  It is a good change in pace from solo yoga sessions and meditation.  It creates a personal connection between the partners that has to have trust and solidarity almost instantly after starting.


If you are thinking about trying acroyoga, here are something’s you should know about the practice.
•    You do not need a partner when you attend classes, you find them there.
•    Acroyoga is for everyone, you don’t have to be a gymnast, acrobat, or yoga pro.
•    Size does not matter.  Don’t be self-conscious and let acroyoga take you on a gravitational journey.
•    Taking turns and talking is the best way to get what you want out of the practice
•    Build trust and communication quickly and you won’t have any problems having a great acroyoga class.





I say, give acroyoga a try, what do you have to lose?

Namaste,

Anita

My two week vacation is over and I am back to reality.  It was such an incredible trip that really helped me find myself on an even deeper level.  I am so lucky to have a friend that is so similar to me that loves to do the same things I do.  She had a great time as well.  It was the perfect little vacation before the holidays start kicking in.

We spent 10 straight days hiking and practicing yoga just the two of us.  I am lucky that she knew where she was going because I think I would have gotten lost.  She had hiked the same mountain range before, but we took a bit of a different route this time.  Practicing yoga in remote areas where it is just you and nature is unexplainable.  There is something so magical that focuses you into your practice and places you in the exact present moment.


We spent the other days exploring around the park and discovering the natural beauty of the world around us.  I was sad leaving my friend and my vacation, but I was excited to come home to see my partner.  The 10 days we spent hiking I didn’t have any means of communication so I wasn’t able to talk to him for a while.  It was so great coming home and seeing him!

I was starving by the time I got home and as excited I was to see my partner I went straight to the pantry to get a snack.   To my surprise, my partner hadn’t gotten any groceries since I left.  He ate nearly everything in the house.  I could only laugh because I had a gut feeling that this would happen.

Instead of unpacking and getting my laundry started we went out to get some food and stop at the store to hold us over until we can go to the markets tomorrow. 

I think my partner felt a little bad there wasn’t any food for me when I got home so he took me to one of my favorite restaurants and treated me like a queen.  It was so great to sit down and tell him all about the trip and find out how his weeks were.  After dinner we stopped at the store and picked up just a few snacks and breakfasts foods.

As much as I loved hiking and camping I am really excited to sleep in my own comfy bed.  It was such a great trip, I think I am going to have to plan a longer trip with my partner so we can have some time to connect with each other and nature.  I am wiped out from the trip, off to bed I go.

Namaste.

Anita

I have written about fun facts of yoga many times before, but today my friend and student got me thinking about some facts that are not so widely known.  She has been practicing yoga with me for almost 2 years and is one of my good friends now.  We were chatting after class about the yoga certification course because she is thinking about getting certified.  She really had done her research about yoga and made me dig in the back of memory to everything I have learned.


After I got home I thought it would be good to share the fun facts of yoga you probably haven’t heard of, so here you go.

1. There are 19 different types of yoga, hatha is the most common practice in the US.  Hatha focuses on breathing, postures, and meditation. 
2. Yoga has been around for 5,000 years but because it was passed on orally from generation to generation, many researchers believe it has been around for more than 10,000 years. 
3. There are 4 periods in the history of yoga.  Pre-classical, classical, post-classical, and modern yoga.  Throughout these periods traditions have been passed on and new types of yoga formed to better suit the times, but always keeping the traditions. 

OM

4. The yoga eight-fold path to a better life is described in The Yoga Sutra.  The yama, niyana, asana, pratyahara, dharana, dhyana, and samadhi, or Patanjali’s eight-fold path is described thoroughly in The Yoga Sutra
5. The language of yoga is Sanskrit, it is also the oldest literally language of India. 
6. A yoga practice will never be exacting the same.  Intensions, thoughts, feelings, auras, and your environment is constantly changing creating a new practice every time.
7. The number of yoga poses has always been disputed.  The Complete illustrated Book of Yoga describes and outlines 66 official poses and 136 different modifications and variations.  Over time many yogis have suggested the possibility of more poses and postures, with countless variations.

There are so many more fun facts that are so widely known, but I cant think of them right now.  Yoga has so much history and variation that it is constant journey of discovery, learning, and growing.

Yoga has endless opportunities for spiritual, mental, and physical growth.

Namaste.

Anita

It’s been a couple months since my sister started taking yoga classes.  The first couple months she would call me right after class and be so amazed at the things she was able to achieve.  But, the calls of excitement have turned into calls of frustration.  “Why am I not getting any better? I don’t think I can do I can get better? Maybe yoga isn’t for me?”  I hear these questions of frustration all the time. 

I stressed to her that yoga is a journey and not something that happens overnight.  It is important not to focus on the destination, but embrace every moment of the journey.




Yoga is a journey towards increased awareness and acceptance of the way things are around you.  Learning to free yourself from usual pressures of society is a big step in yoga growth. 

When starting yoga it is common to see great developments quickly, and then have it followed by a plateau where it feels like you’re not gaining anything more.  It is important to remember how far you have come.

Yoga strengthens your mind, body, and spirit are key components in the journey.




I had a difficult time in the beginning of my journey with letting go of a future-focused mindset and being results oriented.  When I finally tapped into the collective spirit and energy of yoga, I learned how to release all social responsibility while I am on my mat.

If you are like my sister and feeling discouraged about yoga, or if there is something else you are having trouble achieving, know that everything in life is a journey and that’s what makes getting there that much more worth it.  There is a destination upon arriving in each moment along the journey.  Every moment is a step towards a greater destination.

Namaste.