Aug 10, 2016 |
“When the student is ready, the teacher will appear.” I love these words from Buddha, and they have rung true in my life and yoga journey.
When I needed yoga to heal my back pain caused by scoliosis, I found my teacher in Mary Pat Murphy. I had been told about yoga and its healing benefits for years, but didn’t feel I had enough time for it. When I finally stepped on my mat, it was magical. My body taught me that I needed yoga, and I can’t tell you how fortunate I feel to have found such an awesome first teacher.
A few years later I needed yoga again to heal from adrenal fatigue caused by the stress of my work. My burnt out body and mind was talking to me again, telling me it needed to slow down and to heal, so I purchased an unlimited monthly yoga class-pass. Oh yeah, I desperately needed to get back to a regimen of Daily Downward Dogs, so I dusted off my yoga mat, and took a deep immersion back into my yoga practice. That is what I love about yoga and meditation, you can keep coming back, and it is always there for you.
The day I decided to start researching potential 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training programs, I found one that fit my criteria, but alas, it started the very next day. I’m not kidding, this is a true story, and that little issue with the start date was not going to stop me, because I was ready! I picked up the phone, had a nice long conversation with the teacher, and managed to convince her to accept me into the program. The next day I showed up bright eyed and ready to start my 200-hour YTT journey.
Big Smiles at 200-hour YTT Graduation with Katie Buettner and Joni Howard
Some days I still can’t believe I took that leap of faith from corporate American to becoming a yoga teacher, but then I pinch myself and realize how blessed I am. I get to share yoga, have a job I love and am passionate about, and I never dread Mondays. I’ll forever be a student of yoga, and believe me, the yogis who come to my classes will always teach me more than I can ever teach them.
Teaching a Yoga Workshop in Aruba in 2015
After gaining the experience of teaching over a thousand hours of yoga classes and leading my first few yoga retreats, I decided I was ready to make the committment to learn and grow as a teacher and went in search of a 300-hour YTT program. I had been looking for nearly a year when a fellow yoga teacher friend told me that Mary Pat Murphy was offering a 300-hour program, and it started in just a few weeks. Coincidence? Absolutely not! I was ready, and when you are ready, the teacher will always appear. I got back in touch with Mary Pat Murphy, signed up, and had an incredible year and a half experience of yoga growth. I can’t recommend her 300-YTT program enough.
My teacher Mary Pat Murphy at 300-hour YTT Graduation
Are you ready to try yoga? If the answer is yes, this teacher is ready to help guide you. My next Beginners’ Yoga class series begins October 2 at Yoga Bliss Akron, so come learn the basics with me in a fun, non-threatening environment, with like-minded individuals. Click here for more info about Beginners’ Yoga classes.
Are you ready to learn how to meditate? Check out my FREE guided meditation videos and learn more about how to prepare to meditate on my Hang Ten Meditation page.
Are you ready to take a deeper dive in your yoga journey and share your passion for yoga with others? If the answer is yes, please consider my Healthy, Mind, Body, Soul 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training Program. This program will begin October 6, 2017 at Sequoia Wellness at the Northeast Ohio Medical University in Rootstown, Ohio. I’m also super excited to announce that I will co-teach another 200-hour YTT program with Mary Pat Murphy that will begin on November 10, 2017 at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center’s Health and Fitness Center in New Albany, Ohio (Columbus).
I’m really excited about these programs because when I was called to be a 200-YTT student, I couldn’t do all those handstands and super bendy poses you always see on social media. That didn’t stop me though, because I figured the world needed more teachers who want to reach people who may be intimidated by yoga but always wanted to give it a try, people with injuries or back issues like scoliosis, people who were leading stressful lives who were seeking a kinder, gentler approach to yoga, and people who want their yoga to be more than just a physical exercise, but a way to live their practice off the mat with more love, peace, compassion, and joy in their lives. It’s not so much about touching your toes, but touching your heart, and that is the kind of teaching I strive to share.
If you are ready, not only will one teacher appear, but several teachers! I am honored to say that Mary Pat Murphy E-RYT 500, Dr. Sharon Stills, and Master Reiki practitioner Sarah Greenawalt, will all be guest teachers during the Healthy Mind, Body, Soul 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training Program, so you will benefit from the incredible energy and knowledge of many teachers.
Graduates of the 2016-17 Healthy Mind, Body, Soul Yoga Teacher Training Program – I’m so proud of them!!
If you are interested, please head over to the Healthy Mind, Body, Soul 200-Yoga Teacher Training page here on the Daily Downward Dog for more information. Applications are now being accepted and you are welcome to call or email me to talk more about the program or with any questions.
When you are ready, the teacher will appear. Open your hearts yogis and be present, your calling, whatever it is, will speak to you when you are ready, and if your heart is truly open to it…the right teacher or yoga retreat will appear.
Feb 3, 2016 |
I haven’t written much about my 300-hour yoga teacher training, primarily because ever since it began in September of 2014 I have been so immersed in yoga study that there hasn’t been time left for writing. It was a 17-month spiritual journey that transformed the way that I live my life both on and off my yoga mat.
On occasion when we would get together for a weekend immersion, my teacher Mary Pat Murphy would put out a deck of intention cards and we each got to pick one. I always like this kind of exercise because it’s like reading a fortune cookie message. The cards are a lot like life, sometimes they give you the perfect affirmation, and sometimes it takes you a while to figure out what the universe is trying to tell you.
As I was looking back though my journal I kept during the program and the intention cards I picked, I realized that they tell the story of my journey and I’d like to share it with you.
One of the very first cards I selected was Ease, and it was exactly the message I needed. I was with a group of yoga teachers who I didn’t know and we were getting ready to dive into anatomy and that subject can be challenging for me. I was feeling a little intimidated in my new environment and when that happens I can let fear get the best of me. The message of EASE was exactly what I needed to remind me to approach the tough stuff with love in my heart, to slow down and move gently, with peace and ease in my mind. I can’t tell you how much this approach of ease has helped me this year to get though challenging times. When fear starts to bubble up, I remember to approach the situation with ease.
Next came Oneness. What an awesome affirmation to get during yoga teacher training. To me, this is the ultimate goal of yoga. To let go of the ego and the thought that we are different from others. To quiet the mind and realize a state of being that is united with all beings, with all that is in the universe. A state where one finds perfect harmony and peace.
“Peace comes within the souls of men when they realize their oneness with the Universe, when they realize it is really everywhere, it is within each of us.” – Black Elk
One of the messages I received while I was walking the Peace Labyrinth during my Aruba retreat last year was that I always need to remember that when I teach yoga, it is never about me, it is always about serving and loving my students. It is about ONENESS and this is an intention I will always practice.
Oh baby, did I need this affirmation! Each of us in the program got to pick a topic of yoga study to take a deep dive into. After our research was completed we pulled it all together into a formal presentation that was delivered to the group. My topic was yoga for menopause. I pulled this card when I was deep into the research stage, wondering how I was ever going to find the time to finish my research and pull together my presentation with all the other projects, workshops, and retreats I had on my plate last year. The affirmation of STEADFAST was my message from the universe to keep going, to be unwavering and fixed in my faith that I would accomplish the task, and I did!
I absolutely fell in love with the topic of yoga for women as they approach the stages of peri-menopause, menopause, and post menopause and have utilized all the research to create yoga workshops on this topic. I’m thrilled to be presenting a WOW Yoga (Women of Wisdom) workshop at the Sedona Yoga Festival in March and will be scheduling additional dates for the workshop this year.
Woo Hoo! I picked this card the weekend that I gave my special topic presentation, and it was the perfect little kick in the ass to remind me to let go of self-doubt, and to deliver my presentation with confidence and strength. This card also came near the end of 2015 and the word FEARLESSNESS resonated so deeply with me that I decided to make it my intention for the year to come. In 2016 I’m letting go of fear and approaching all that I do from a place of love. I have big plans in place and I know that I’ll never achieve my goals if I let fear get in the way. I am Fearless is my mantra!
WORTHINESS: having adequate or great merit, character, or value: a worthy successor. 2. of commendable excellence or merit; deserving: a book worthy of praise; a person worthy to lead.
This was the card I picked the very last weekend of training. It made me cry. Part of the reason I decided to go on the 300-hour YTT journey was to deepen my knowledge of yoga, but also so that I would feel confident and prepared to help and serve my students. I will never stop studying yoga, I will always be a student, but this card was a beautiful affirmation that I am a teacher worthy to lead others on their yoga journey.
With my teacher Mary Pat Murphy
I will always be grateful to my teacher Mary Pat Murphy and also Jolynn McFerren and Ruth Zito, who assisted in the program held at Namaste Yoga Studio (Namaste offers both a 200 and 300-hour YTT program). It was an incredible journey and I highly recommend this program to yoga teachers who want to take the next step on the path to ease, oneness, steadfastness, fearlessness, and worthiness.
To all my friends and family, thank you so much for being so patient with me. I missed out on some things this past year, but it was all worth it. I also missed sharing my inspiration on this blog, so stay tuned, I have a lot of catching up to do. To stay posted on my upcoming yoga classes, retreats, and workshops, please sign up for my newsletter (you’ll find the widget to sign up on my home page), and follow me on Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter for lots of fun pics and inspiration.
Click to find out more about upcoming Daily Downward Dog yoga retreats! Come join us!
Jan 21, 2015 |
Last month, a lovely young woman named Erin showed up for one of my classes at Yoga Bliss Akron. She came up to introduce herself since she was new to the yoga studio, and I was immediately impressed by this really incredible energy about her. She proceeded to tell me that she had just won a national contest sponsored by Robek’s, which involved her taking a photo of herself showing how she stays healthy. She took a picture of herself in a yoga pose holding one of their smoothies, posted it to Instagram with the hashtag #GetHealthyWithRobeks, and ended up winning the contest.
That in itself is pretty remarkable since this was a national contest with hundreds of entries. But, what is even more remarkable is that the prize she won was her choice of a year-long membership to the fitness facility of her choice, and she chose a year-long unlimited yoga pass to Yoga Bliss!
Erin was already active with ballet dancing and had always wanted to start a yoga practice, so she was really excited about winning (understandably so) and starting her year-long yoga journey. The year started out with a lot of zeal. I saw Erin one evening at the studio, and she had just attended her fourth yoga class for the day – and that my friends is the beauty of having an unlimited yoga pass, you can take four classes in one day if you want!
Maria, Erin, and her friend Natalie at Yoga Bliss Akron.
Now I’ve been thinking a lot about Erin and the journey she is going to have this year on her yoga mat. I encouraged her to journal about the experience, and I also wrote down a few hopes that I have for her, which I shared in a recent class she attended. These hopes were not just for Erin; they were for all of my students because they are applicable no matter how many times you have stepped on your yoga mat.
Have Fun
Yes, it is important to be safe and in alignment in yoga asanas, but it’s also important to have fun on your yoga mat. It is OK to laugh, dance, sway your hips in the air in downward facing dog, and show off your jazz hands from time to time. Patanjali in the Yoga Sutras talks about friendliness, compassion, gladness, and joy when practicing yoga. Without these, we are not experiencing the true yoga of Patanjali. So, each time you come to your yoga mat, I hope that you seek joy, be friendly and compassionate with those you practice with, and don’t be afraid to bust out a few dance moves on your yoga mat.
Close Your Eyes
I know this is hard to do, especially when new to yoga, but I hope that you are able to find a few spaces during your yoga practice when you can close your eyes. I say this not so you can’t see, but rather so you can truly see within. When you close the eyes, you can focus on your breath, your body, and your divine. It is how I block out my ego – not looking around, not comparing, not judging – and when I can do this, I become fully present. Try it out in short spurts for a while, and eventually you will be able to do it more throughout the class. When you can block out the ego mind, let it all go, release the struggle, and truly relax, you become truly present in your body, and that is when the good stuff starts to happen. This is when your practice really starts to blossom!
Always Be a Beginner
No matter how long you practice yoga, there are always new things to learn. B.K.S. Iyengar said that once you think you have mastered a pose that is when you stop practicing yoga. I hope that as you continue on your yoga journey you always stay full of wonder, willing to learn and grow. Come to your yoga mat each time thinking, “What am I going to discover today?”
No Worries When You Don’t Make It to the Mat
I told Erin that there are going to be times in this next year when she doesn’t make it to the mat when she plans to. We all get busy. Life happens, but I stressed that she should not beat herself up when something holds her up from attending yoga class. Even on the busiest of days, you can always find a way to practice yoga. Perhaps take a few moments to sit, close your eyes, and focus on your breath. Or, simply do a kind deed for someone. Your yoga mat will always be there for you when you are ready to come back!
Practice Makes Perfect
I see this a lot with new students: a drive to perfect the yoga asanas and a lot of judgment about their lack of strength and flexibility. I always remind them that they have a lifetime to refine the poses and that they should enjoy the journey. Yes, we are all inherently driven to achieve perfection, and it is that drive that inspires us to improve. My hope, however, is that you can let go of the struggle and instead enjoy the practice. I love this quote from B.K.S. Iyengar: “Let the goal be to reach perfection, but to be content with a little progress toward perfection every day.”
And this one too! “Success will come to the person who practices.” – B.K.S. Iyengar
Live Your Yoga off the Mat
We learn a lot on our yoga mats, like the power of our breath, patience, the ability to offer compassion to ourselves and others, and truth. My hope for Erin is that at some point this year when she is off her mat that she has an aha moment, realizing that an action she has just taken was driven by something she learned on her yoga mat. Perhaps she is more patient with her parents, is more present with her friends and teachers, or uses her breathing to help her through a stressful situation. Yoga on the mat is awesome, but when you start living it off the mat, your life just gets sweeter.
The One Yoga Asana I Hope You Master
If you only focus on one yoga pose this year, try focusing on savasana. I know a lot of you are probably thinking, well how hard could that be? Savasana, if done properly, is by far one of the most challenging yoga poses because it requires you to lie still yet be fully present. When you can do this, completely let go and surrender to savasana, that is when the magic of your yoga practice will happen. Do yourself a favor this year and really focus on mastering savasana. Let all the goodness of the time spent on your mat soak into every cell of your body.
Erin, congratulations on your contest win, on your year of unlimited yoga, and on this fantastic yoga journey you are about to embark on! I am looking forward to watching it unfold.
Click to find out more about upcoming Daily Downward Dog yoga retreats! Come join us!
Jan 15, 2013 |
If you want my short concise answer to this – absa-effing-lutly, YES!
I teach a lot of students who are brand new to yoga, including in beginners’ workshops, and I always stress that questions are welcome and encouraged. I let students know that if they have a question, it is 100 percent likely that the majority of the room is going to have the exact same question, so there’s no reason to be shy. And, I have to admit that their questions are always great! They prompt me to cover areas that I haven’t addressed yet and help me illustrate real-life scenarios for proper alignment and breathing.
Imagine my delight when a hand immediately darted up as I launched into my introduction and prompt for questions. This never happens, and I was excited about the enthusiasm and energy already bubbling up in the room. I was even more thrilled when I heard what the question was:
“Are we allowed to laugh in class?”
The question was posed in all sincerity and with a little bit of concern. I quickly put the student at ease by letting her know that not only is laughter allowed, it‘s highly encouraged! If you lose your balance in a pose, laugh at yourself. If you go to the left when cued to go to the right, laugh at yourself.
We take ourselves way too seriously all week long. Why not let the time on your yoga mat
be as stress-free and FUN as possible?
This question prompted me to go into an explanation that yoga is not a competition (and for that I am eternally grateful). Therefore, it’s best to leave the egos at the door, not worry if you can’t do everything right away, not judge yourself or anyone in the class, and instead focus on what is happening in your own body. I basically tell my students that the yoga studio is a “no-judgment zone,” that we are all here to support one another on our yoga journeys. This is my user-friendly way of letting them know that while laughing at themselves is encouraged, laughing at others – not so much.
I could immediately feel the anxiety levels drop in the room, shoulders got a little lighter, smiles drifted up on a few faces, and this same student later remarked, “This yoga stuff is so much better than aerobics!” And to that I say, “Amen, sister!”
Image Courtesy of: A. Feldmann
As a teacher, I can’t tell you how much joy it brings me to hear a student laugh during class. There is scientific proof that when we laugh it releases endorphins in our bodies that make us happier (and healthier), and who doesn’t want to be happy?!
No matter where you are in your yoga practice, remember to smile and laugh on your yoga mat. Don’t take it all so seriously. Let the shoulders drop, be open to being a little more playful in your practice, try new things, and explore how you feel when you let go of the ego and when you let go of fear. Open up to these opportunities, and if you lose your balance, don’t beat yourself up. Laugh and know that you gave it your best shot. Laugh because you have the opportunity to learn, grow, and have fun each time you come to your yoga mat.
Like laughing on your yoga mat? Like doing yoga on the beach? Join me for an inspirational week of beach yoga bliss in Aruba this coming April 6-13, 2013!
“Your body cannot heal without play. Your mind cannot heal without laughter. Your soul cannot heal without joy.” – Catherine Rippenger Fenwick
Time spent laughing is time spent with the Gods.
— Japanese Proverb
“When you realize how perfect everything is you will tilt your head back and laugh at the sky.” – Buddha
“Enjoy belly laughter without restraint, without inhibition and finding your buddha will be the easiest job because you will be free of all seriousness, tension, inhibition and suppression.” — Osho, Indian mystic
Thanks to the lovely Christa Scalies of Giggle On for sharing these awesome quotes about laughter!
Smiling Buddha Image: Tony Williams
New to yoga? Check out the Yoga 101 page on the Daily Downward Dog.
Oct 31, 2012 |
It’s book review week on The Daily Downward Dog, and this time I read the male version of Eat, Pray, Love. Although Brian Leaf didn’t get to eat his way through Italy or travel to the yoga meccas of Bali and India, he provides a funny, testosterone-fueled, gastronomical yoga journey in Misadventures of a Garden State Yogi.
I have to admit, it was a real treat to read about Brian’s early forays into yoga, especially his description of being the only (and probably first) man to sign up for yoga at Georgetown University back in 1989. He describes a time when yoga was practiced on a towel – before sticky mats were even invented – and he had a giant laminated poster of Dharma Mittra demonstrating 908 yoga postures on his dorm room wall (can you say yoga geek?). It made me yearn for a time when yoga wasn’t quite so commercialized.
After college, Brian took off with a friend for a cross-country spiritual quest to find the yoga of his dreams. Along the way, he has some very cool yoga experiences, including one time at a Grateful Dead concert where he channeled the blissful energy of Jerry Garcia and a powerful out-of-body experience during a sandstorm in the White Sands National Monument Park. The chapters that cover their road trip are fresh and funny, and Brian is not afraid to poke fun at himself in the quest to amuse his readers.
Check it out – this book has a trailer – how cool is that?!
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LcYFYjnU9Cw[/youtube]
Beyond the wit, Brian is also gifted at demystifying yoga with down-to-earth and to-the-point explanations of the yamas and the niyamas, ayurveda, and his distillation of the seven keys to happiness, some of which include:
Do yoga. And if you already do yoga, do more yoga. [Amen, Brian!]
Follow your heart.
Speak and act from your true self.
I’m a big fan of treating health issues with natural remedies and physical activities like yoga. The cool thing about this book is that Brian is living proof that yoga heals. He has successfully used the practice of yoga and ayurveda to help cure his colitis, ADD, and a host of other neurotic issues.
I was not as enamored with the second half of the book. It covers a ten-year period of Brian’s various yoga teacher and holistic healer trainings coupled with his quest to deal with his inability to express anger (that part just seemed a tad whiney to me). Quite frankly, I kept trying to figure out how the heck he funded all this training without ever holding down a full-time job. Brian, this useful information would be extremely enlightening for those of us hankering to continue our yoga education.
Despite this missing plot point, I still recommend Misadventures of a Garden State Yogi. Put down those yoga textbooks you’ve been reading and take a real American yoga road trip. It’s a refreshing departure to read about yoga from a male perspective, get an inside look at ’80s style yoga, and have a few laughs along the way!
Check out the official Misadventures of a Garden State Yogi website, they have a fun video contest going!
Beach Yoga Bliss – April 6-13, 2013 – Join Me in Aruba!
