Sep 28, 2016 |
Breathe In: May I Exhale Out: Be Happy
Breathe In: May I Exhale Out: Be Healthy
Breathe In: May I Exhale Out: Be Safe
Breathe In: May I Exhale Out: Live in Peace
Ready to change your mood with a tried and true meditation? Find a comfortable seated position, close your eyes, settle into a calm and steady breath, with your inhale breathe in, “May I,” and then exhale out, “Be happy.” Continue that breath pattern with each part of the Loving Kindness mantra – Be Happy, Be Healthy, Be Safe, and Live in Peace. Repeat the mantras for a few minutes, then change the wording on the inhale to, “May They,” and offer the four part blessing to someone you know needs some extra loving kindness. After a while change the words on the inhale to, “May all beings,” and WOW you have taken the blessing from you, to those you love, to spreading Loving Kindness to the whole universe. It feels OMazing.
Don’t you just love the meaning behind these words and the intention and blessing they infuse into your heart and soul as you repeat them? We all just want to be happy and feel loved, but how often do you offer yourself such a blessing? How often do you offer the same blessing to others? There are so many benefits to spreading loving kindness and compassion,
Wouldn’t it be cool to meditate to the Loving Kindness mantra every day? To spend time learning how to nurture and love yourself and then spread that kindness and compassion to others? How about spending a whole week doing just that in a warm tropical beach location in the Caribbean?
Come spend a week with me in the beautiful Mayan Riviera of Mexico this November 6–12, 2016, and immerse yourself in a journey that is all about cultivating loving kindness for yourself. A gift of a week to travel to another part of the world for new adventures, for inward reflection, setting dreams and intentions, enjoying the warmth of sunshine on your face, relaxing on the beach, and practicing inspirational asana flows that will nurture your spirit and feed your soul.
The retreat will be held at the lovely Casa Om that sits across from the beach yet delivers top-deck ocean views and beach-bum relaxation. It is located above the hustle and bustle of Playa del Carmen and Tulum, while retaining the fun and energy of both. Set yourself up in the chilled out rooms, sun-kissed yoga studio and beach deck for a week of vitamin D yoga-it-all-out beach bliss. Watch this video to get a glimpse into the adventures and yoga that await!
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2-0cxIS6luM [/youtube]
The week’s yoga practices, suitable for all levels, will be infused with my joyous and uplifting teachings, allowing you time for reflection, healing, and transformation. The morning yoga session will be held in either Casa Om’s beautiful yoga room or on the beach deck overlooking the crystal clear blue waters of the Caribbean Sea, practicing to a soundtrack of the soothing sounds of the surf. The afternoons are full of adventures that will immerse you in the Mayan culture, swimming and exploring cenotes, snorkeling with sea turtles, or to just take time to rest, relax, and recharge at the pool or beach. Your day will end with relaxing yoga sessions that include restorative yoga, myofascial release, reiki, meditation, and yoga nidra.
Ready to get your Loving Kindness on? Contact The Travel Yogi to make your reservation, and then grab your passport and pack up your yoga mat and join us for a week of bliss!
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.
Jun 10, 2016 |
It’s been a few months since I returned from my yoga retreat in Sedona and the experience of sharing two yoga workshops at the Sedona Yoga Festival. I feel really blessed to have visited such a beautiful place and to have these opportunities and I wanted to share a story about how I lived my yoga while visiting the Red Rocks of Sedona.
If you have not been to a yoga festival, it can be a little overwhelming, but in a good way. There are way too many choices of classes to take, and the ones I do take are full of rich experiences that I should let soak in for hours, but instead I jump right into the next yogalicious session. I should take more breaks, but there is always a bit of FOMO (fear of missing out) that creeps into my mind.
Sharing my Embrace Your Inner Goddess Workshop at the Sedona Yoga Festival.
This year at the festival I had a lot on my mind. I was still on my yoga retreat and wanted to spend time with the retreat participants, I was preparing to teach my own workshops, and checking my phone as much as possible for updates on my mother who was ill and recovering back at home.
When my mind gets full, my ability to hold onto things diminishes, and while I was at the festival I lost three things – my mala necklace, an aluminum water bottle, and my eyeglasses.
I lost the mala necklace the very first morning. At a Alchemy of Soul: Bhakti Vinyasa (Chill Happiness Flow) class with Silvia Mordini and musical accompaniment from the awesome Jim Beckwith (you’ll be hearing more from him in my future yoga class playlists). Now that is one dynamic yoga duo!
I placed the mala at the top of my yoga mat as I always do, to remind me of the intentions I take into my practice and set off on Silvia’s happiness flow. After class I was so excited to meet Silvia in person (we’ve been social media friends for a long time), that I jumped up, grabbed my mat, and off I went sans mala.
I didn’t realize I had lost my precious mala until about 15 minutes into the next festival class I attended, and there went my mindfulness. My thoughts started racing to where the mala could be, should I get up and go in search of it instead of waiting for class to be over, and who might have picked it up.
I was able to push the thoughts aside and really enjoyed my next session, but right after class I went in search of the mala. It wasn’t where I left it and hadn’t turned up in lost and found, and as I walked back to my hotel room, I made a conscious decision to let go of my attachment to the mala. I decided that whoever picked it up must need its special powers more than me, and perhaps I didn’t need the mala anymore. As soon as I let go, I felt a shift, a feeling of lightness, the freedom that comes when letting go of attachments. By choosing to let go of my attachment to this material possession, I became free.
Feeling FREE at Courthouse Rock in Sedona. High waisted yoga capris by Onzie.
The practice of non-attachment in yoga is called aparigraha. Attachments are tricky things, and attachment isn’t just to material objects, it can be to a thought, a story, or a person.
The water bottle was a lot easier to let go of. It was a really cool water bottle though, that I had been given at Manchebo Beach Resort and Spa, when I led my last yoga retreat there. I figured there was no way I was going to find that again and embraced my inner Elsa (from Frozen) and let out a big, “Let it go!”
[youtube]https://youtu.be/L0MK7qz13bU[/youtube]
The eyeglasses, were a different story. I was in no mood to let those go, and beat myself up pretty silly about being so absent-minded to leave them behind. Again, I retraced my steps and went back to the room where I thought I left them, to the lost and found (and by then, I had become very intimate with the people who worked this desk). I let the beat up session go on for a few hours, but again, made the conscious decision to let my attachment to my glasses go. They had gotten a bit scratched up and I would just have to get another pair when I got home.
On the last morning of the festival I went to an amazing kundalini yoga class led by Ana Brett and Ravi Singh. After the session I walked out completely blissed out, experiencing an OMazing yoga high. As I was nearing the exit, I was drawn to a table that was littered with flyers and empty coffee cups, and walked up to see what was there. Sedona is known for its energy vortexes, so when I felt a pull, I went to it. I noticed a gold shiny object, registered that it was a pair of eyeglasses, and my focus went right to them. I picked them up. They looked like my glasses, and then I put them on, and they were my glasses! I have no idea how my glasses found their way back to me, but I was grateful they did.
I’m not saying that if you let go of your attachment to something that it will magically come back to you, but I will tell you that the freedom that comes to letting go is a beautiful thing.
Sharing WOWYoga: Yoga for Menopause at the Sedona Yoga Festival
If you found my mala in Sedona, please keep it. It served its purpose and I have let it go. I have since purchased a new mala that is made of aventurine, black onyx, African turquoise, and jade and blessed with love, mantra, sound healing, and Reiki by Kathy Koziol of Yoga Momma’s Magical Malas, and I’ve set an intention to let its energy bring me creativity, imagination, calmness, balance, and prosperity.
What are you holding on to? Is it a story you keep telling yourself, a fear, a relationship? Try out the practice of aparigraha, and let yourself go. Buddha had to say that attachment is what causes suffering. Let go my yogi friends, stop the suffering, and feel the lightness and freedom that comes when you practice letting go.
May 12, 2016 |
Are you familiar with the acronym FOMO? This terms was introduced to me recently, and it describes a mental state that most of us are familiar with, the Fear of Missing Out. Let’s face it, there are just too many channels begging for our attention these days, so it is easy for the mind to get agitated to a point where we fear that we don’t have enough time to do everything we want to. I personally believe that Facebook and Instagram may be the root cause of much of my personal FOMO, because each time I log-in I see another yoga festival or workshop I want to attend, and all the great things my friends are doing, and it just makes the angst inside me start to bubble up. Do you know that feeling?
I would much rather replace the word FEAR with the word JOY, and focus instead on the Joy of Missing Out! There is a blissful freedom that comes when I shut off my phone, turn off my Facebook alerts, and just enjoy some quiet time. In essence, each time I step on my yoga mat it is a time to practice JOMO. When I come to the mat and leave behind my to-do list and stress, quiet my mind, and practice breath with movement, I get to experience the joy of missing out, and missing out has never felt so good.
If you think about it, the practice of yoga and meditation are the ultimate forms of JOMO. In meditation we seek to find a quiet place for the mind, to turn off the noise, to settle into a place of peace, and in that peace there is joy. Spending quiet time alone is a beautiful gift you can and should give yourself every day.
I’m dedicating myself to more fully practice the joy of missing out over the next month. All those times I’m sitting with my family or friends and I feel the urge to reach for my cell phone to check for messages, I’m going to remind myself of how good it feels to miss out on the chatter and be fully present for the people I’m with. Or, when I’m meditating and a pesky thought keeps coming up, I’ll get a smile on my face as I silently say to myself, “Jomo, jomo, jomo,” just like a mantra.
Take the challenge and let go of the fear, and embrace JOY, the joy of missing out.
Jul 13, 2015 |
It’s official and I’m extremely happy to report that I have reached the point in my life where I own more yoga pants than I do grown up dress pants. The staple in my closet used to be black power pant suits, now my power pants are a plethora of colorful and unique yoga pants along with the classic black style.
Yoga pants have become so popular, I bet I’m not the only one who is seeing this emerging trend in their closet. Everywhere I look yoga pants are creeping into mainstream culture, there are even songs written about their special powers:
[youtube]https://youtu.be/GYv4Fs7nzIY[/youtube]
…And cartoons extolling their magical ability to relieve stress:
All this hype got me wondering, do yoga pants really do have super powers? So, I decided to do a test, and I put on my favorite new pair of yoga pants from Liquido and took them out for a spin to see if they could bring me extra special super powers.
This particular design shown above was from their line of yoga pants designed by yogini goddess Tiffany Cruikshank, and I wore them to attend a Richard Freeman yoga workshop in Columbus, hosted by Yoga on High. Looking spiffy in these awesome yoga pants, I mustered up the courage to take my copy of Richard’s book The Mirror of Yoga and sauntered up to meet him and ask for his autograph.
The yoga pant super powers worked like a charm and Richard was super cool about signing my book. It may not look like it in this picture, but he really was.
Richard and his wife Mary Taylor took us through a challenging Ashtanga yoga practice that day and I can tell you that my Liquido yoga pants were super comfortable to practice in. The waistband stays put, the fabric breathes, and they have stood the test of several washes with no fading.
But the best part about Liquido yoga pants are all the awesome colors and patterns in their yoga leggings and capris, sure to bring super power energy to anything you do. Check out their latest designs at liquidoactive.com and start believing in the power of yoga pants!
If you get the chance to attend one of Richard and Mary’s workshops I highly recommend it. They are so knowledgeable and it was a true delight to listen to their eloquent cueing and I absolutely loved how Richard infused his sense of humor into the practice.
Thank you Mary Taylor and Richard Freeman for visiting us in Ohio! We are so blessed to have so many great teachers come here to share their yoga wisdom.
*****
Click to find out more about upcoming Daily Downward Dog yoga retreats! Come join us!
