Urdhva Dhanurasana (Upward Bow, also known as “Wheel”) is one of the most delicious and expansive of yoga asana, inviting a full opening of the “Eastern,” or front, side of the body. As in all yoga asana, the stability (sthira) of the back body is essential for supporting the full expansion and sweetness (sukha) of […]
Headstand: a lesson in patience
Headstand is like the grandpappy of inversions. Unlike the 5-year old exuberance of handstand, or the slightly more moderated enthusiasm of forearm stand, headstand evokes a deep seated patience and – dare I say – necessary dignity in the practitioner. Kicking up into headstand is a big ol’ no-no, primarily because the head is rooted […]
Why everyone should do a yoga teacher training
By Rachel Scott From YYoga’s blog You catch sight of it out of the corner of your eye. There’s a perky little splash of red on one of the YYoga Events Boards. You look closer. It’s the announcement for an information session for the upcoming 200-hour teacher training. Something inside of you starts buzzing. Teacher […]
Sutra II.i chants by Rachel
This chant is inspired by my intrepid teacher trainees up here in Whistler, who asked me to figure out a chant to the first sutra of the second pada of Patanjali’s yoga sutras. (For those unfamiliar, the Yoga Sutras are a 2,000 year old text with tons of good tidbit on how to make your […]
Feel more. Do less.
A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of taking a therapeutics training with Susi Hately Aldous. On the basis of that training, I want to propose a crazy idea. Work less. Rather than working our way into poses that “look right,” how about we invite your bodies into pure movement…and leave it at that? […]
Vinyasa Krama – bring the present into practice
“Vi” = in a special way “nyasa” = to place “krama” = step by step Change is challenging. When confronted with change, it’s easy to get swept up in anxiety, discomfort, depression, or panic. We distract ourselves, or seethe as we create a million contingency plans. We cling to our “creature comforts” – those small […]
The Hard Work of Letting Go – call out to Kali!
Why is it so hard to let go? Of habits, relationships (healthy or toxic), of expectations, of dreams? Even when we know we’re hurting ourselves by hanging on, what drives the compulsion to keep gripping? What do we do when old behavioral patterns no longer serve our life? First of all, don’t beat yourself up. […]
Why Bell Mobility is good for my Yoga
I got disconnected three times. Three times. In a row. “Just hold one moment while we transfer you to confirm,” they’d say sweetly, just before I heard a strange sound. The sound of silence. The vacuum of a disconnected phone line. The sound of my impotent, mediocre frustration growing to a boiling point of irrational, […]
“Eka pada Koundin-What?”
Eka Pada Koundinyasana. It’s one of those poses that you see on the cover of yoga journal, performed by someone smiling peacefully (and seemingly in no state of stress or panic) that makes you go, “Huh? Riiiiiiiiiight.” As my boyfriend said with alarm upon seeing this picture to the left, “Jesus! That is not good!” […]
Getting Quiet in Practice: Halasana
During the holidays, it’s more important than ever to have some quiet time. With all of the distractions – parties, relatives, drama, presents, planning, joy, baggage – it’s easy to get swept away on a holiday rollercoaster! This week’s pose is halasana (plow). By turning ourselves upside down and folding over, we are literally looking […]
Chakras – the practical side for the dubious
The chakras can seem a little…well, out there. Whirling wheels of energy? Rainbow light? Huh? But if we think about the body and its functions, the chakras do seem to match up pretty well to how we work. The root chakra – muladhara – is at our pelvic floor and deals with earth, downward energy, […]
Bakasana – stoking the inner fire
Bakasana is one of those asani that looks impossible until you actually do it. “You want me to put my knees where and balance on my what?” we think with dismay. But with just a few steps, you two can begin to find the effortless flight that characterizes this arm balance. And the key lies […]
The King of the Asanas – Headstand
Moving with our fear. Headstand is an elegant inversion, insisting on patience, presence, and control to be done properly. For many of us, headstand is an opportunity to brush against our fear. Fear of the unknown, of falling, of not being in control. As such, the practice of headstand become an opportunity to practice intimacy […]
Clearing the Windshield
Our ego is like a sheet of glass that exists between the world and our mind. As information from the world filters through our senses, it passes through our ego on its way to our conscious thought. We screen though everything we perceive: “I like this because I did something like it before and that […]
Aum Shanti Meditation – from Alan Finger
Shanti, of course, is the Sanksrit word for peace. (The tradition of reciting “shanti, shanti, shanti” 3 times reflects the trinary nature of existence – – the relationship of peace within yourself, peace between you and others, and peace throughout the universe. Buddhists also refer to the Threefold peace of the body, mind and speech). […]
Hum-Sa Kriya – Alan Finger
This meditation was one of the first that I learned from my teacher Alan Finger. It is a beautiful way to calm and still the mind and connect to the energy of your body. The Hum-Sa Kriya is part of the “Ishta Diksha.” Diksha, meaning “initiation,” is the physical transference of divine energy directly into […]
Natarajasana
Natarajasana, Pose of the Lord of the Dance, is a complex pose that is deep backbend with the added fun of balance. As with any backbend, is it essential to fully warm up the thoracic spine and hip flexors as well as integrate core stability for the safety of the lower back. A myriad of […]
Giving Gratitude Legs – Ustrasana
Frequently when we leave yoga class, we’re feeling pretty good. We’re stretched, we’re stronger, our minds are a bit more settled. After all, feeling good in our own bodies is a crucial first step on our hatha yoga path. And if that’s what gets us to the mat, so much the better. But at some […]
Mark Whitwell – What is yoga?
What is yoga? In this ten-minute segment, Mark – with his typical directness and humor – clarifies the purpose of yoga and exhorts us to participate with authenticity and intimacy in our own lives. I have studied with Mark on several occasions in New York and in Vancouver and always find his clarity and inclusiveness […]
YogaFLIGHT – an unexpected journey
My session at the Vancouver Yoga Conference had taken a pause. An hour-break, then we’d all come back for four more hours of chakra realization. So far, I’d been banging my hips and sacrum on the ground, trying to tune into my pelvis and the first three chakras. Now I was fantasizing about tuna […]