Apr 20, 2016 |
Wow, since last April it has been a crazy awesOMe year full of many blessings, new yogi friends, spiritual growth, and incredible yoga trips and adventures around the world. All of this goodness has kept me blissfully busy, so much so that I have been remiss in providing post-yoga retreat recaps here on the DDD for my 2015 yoga retreats.
Photo credit for the awesome Sedona picture to the left goes to Lisa Dobrin who took this picture after we were both inspired by Robert Sturman at a workshop we attended with him at the Sedona Yoga Festival.
Before I can start sharing the pictures from paradise (and more stories and pictures are coming soon, I promise), I have to announce one more yoga retreat coming this year!
The Loving Kindness Retreat (Yogathon) is coming to the Mayan Riviera!
Casa Om – Puerto Morelos, Mexico – November 6–12, 2016
Check out this video with highlights from Casa OM and the incredible adventures that are included in the retreat, and then head over to the retreat page for all the details and registration info. It is going to be an incredible week full of beach yoga, snorkeling with sea turtles, eating delicious fresh food, enjoying laughter and adventure, nurturing loving kindness, and nourishing the soul with sunshine.
Oh yeah, it is going to be an incredible week full of beach yoga, snorkeling with sea turtles, eating delicious fresh food, enjoying laughter and adventure, nurturing loving kindness, and nourishing the soul with sunshine.
So, without further delay, here is a pictorial recap of the past few retreats. I have so many great photos and memories, it was really tough to narrow it down to these few.
Aruba I Am Love Yoga Retreat – April 2015
Beach yoga, SUP Yoga, Meditative Walks through the Labyrinth, Sharing the Yoga of Bob Marley, Snorkeling Adventures
Top Thrill Yoga at Cedar Point – August 2015
Beach yoga, Making new Friends, Banana Boats, Storytelling & Laughter by the Fire, Full Moonasana, the Coasters!
Santorini, Greece I Am Love Yoga Retreat – September 2015
OMazing sunsets, Forming Friendships that will last Forever, Incredible Greek Food, Sunset Dinners by the Sea, Hiking to Oia, Sailing, Goddesses Uniting, and a Truly Breathtaking Beach Yoga Studio!
Punta Cana – January 2016
Zumba + Beach Yoga + Punta Cana = Bliss, thank you Jeananne Siegferth for this OMazing opportunity!
Love & Nurture Yourself in Hocking Hills, Ohio – February 2016
Yoga, Hiking in Hocking Hills, Hot-tubbing, Yumalicious food, New friends!
Sedona Yoga Retreat & Festival – March 2016
Presenting workshops at the Sedona Yoga Festival, Practicing with Saul David Raye, Yoga in the Red Rocks, Hiking, and Hanging out with Goddesses!!
Wowza, it was an incredible year, and this coming year is already packed with lots of new adventures.
New Moon Rain Forest Renewal – Costa Rica – October 29 – November 4, 2016 – SOLD OUT!
SHANTI, SHANTI, BALI – March 2017
Hope you can join me for an upcoming yoga retreat in Paradise!
Want to know what it’s like to go on a yoga retreat with Maria? Here are a few testimonials:
“Aruba with Maria is a chance to:
Infuse every cell with fresh sea air,
Work out your tight spots with daily yoga,
Release the peripheral distractions of life, and focus on the center with meditation,
Forge beautiful friendships with strong women from around the world,
Jump into adventures, &
Experience the feeling of being invincible!
Best vacation ever!” – R. Esther Lutes, MD
“Maria is a crazy awesome yoga leader. Her Aruba beach yoga retreat was recommended to me by a friend in 2013 as one of the best, most relaxing vacations, and she wasn’t kidding! This was my first yoga retreat and will not be my last. The resort was perfect, and my fellow yogini goddesses were beautiful. There was a great balance of yoga, group outings, and personal time – so much fun. It was wonderful to totally unplug. I returned from vacation completely relaxed, at peace, and with a new commitment to my yoga. If you ever get the opportunity to practice yoga with Maria, whether in a class or on a retreat, I would highly recommend it. Maria is fun, energetic, compassionate, and exemplifies her manta: I Am Love.” – Debbie Cotts
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!
Dec 5, 2015 |
Woo hoo…the energy of the Red Rocks in Sedona, Arizona have long been calling my name, and I’m super excited to announce that this Redhead is heading to the Red Rocks and I hope you will join me!
Are you ready for a week of yoga, meditation, kirtan, mantra, healing, energy empowerment, ayurveda, and transformation in one of the most beautiful places on the earth?
If you answered yes, pack your yoga mat and head out to the gorgeous Red Rocks of Sedona, Arizona with Cynthia Mathis and me this March 6-13, 2016 for a yoga retreat that rolls right into the Sedona Yoga Festival. For the first four days you will start the morning with yoga and meditation with Maria in a gorgeous space with floor-to-ceiling windows that provide panoramic views of Sedona’s majestic Red Rocks.
This is the view out the windows of our yoga studio at Agave of Sedona.
Weather permitting we can practice outside on this patio!!
You will also participate in a two-hour workshop where Cynthia teaches you all about the 7 Levels of Energy and how to use them to empower yourself in all that you do. The afternoons are for exploring all that Sedona has to offer, and the retreat includes a group guided hiking tour and a Touch the Earth Vortex Tour with the popular Pink Jeep Tours. After a day of hiking and exploring we’ll end the day with relaxing yoga sessions that will include restorative yoga, yoga therapy balls, meditation, and yoga nidra.
The energy of Sedona’s famous vortices and the spectacular natural beauty of Sedona’s red rocks combine to make Sedona, Arizona one the “Top 100 Places to Visit in the World” according to Trip Advisor. Accommodations for the first four nights will be at the picturesque Best Western plus Inn of Sedona. The hotel’s award-winning terraced design takes full advantage of its hilltop location with promenade decks all around that allow guests to enjoy 360 degree red rock views without leaving the hotel. Take a stroll along the sunrise side as the day begins, and take in the views as you have your breakfast. In the evening, stroll over to the west side to watch a spectacular sunset right from the deck.
Are you interested in our famous Vortices? Well the Airport Mesa Vortex is just across the street, and the hotel’s shuttle can take you there and bring you back!
The view from one of the terraces at the Best Western Plus Inn of Sedona
On Thursday after the morning yoga session and breakfast, we’ll pack up and shuttle to the gorgeous Hilton Sedona Resort at Bell Rock the home base for the 2016 Sedona Yoga Festival! There you will enjoy three nights of accommodations and an all-access pass to enjoy all of the yoga teachers, presentations, workshops, and live kirtan concert events at the Festival.
There will be over 77 presenters and close to 200 workshops over 3 days and 4 nights. In addition to all of the yoga there will be a Heart Center Village with 33 conscious vendors, a dharma talk stage, open playshops, and a conscious cafe to spend time at between all your heart opening, mind bending, conscious expanding, soul awakening conference scheduled activities. I guarantee when you see the schedule of events, you will have a hard time selecting which ones to attend because the offerings will be so rich! I just hope that everyone who attends the retreats will find the time to attend my workshops that will be part of the Sedona Yoga festival lineup!
Hilton Sedona Resort and Spa Offers exquisite two room suites and deluxe guest rooms featuring their own fireplace, flat panel LCD televisions, private balcony or patio and high speed internet access. All accommodations feature small refrigerators, and microwave ovens. At the Hilton you can relax by one of their three sparkling pools and enjoy a sumptuous meal in the Grille at ShadowRock. The Hilton Sedona Resort and Spa is Sedona’s only spa and golf resort. Sports enthusiasts can take advantage of the onsite 18 hole championship golf course or enjoy a game of tennis. The resort’s Spa offers signature body treatments that will take you on one of three unique journeys. Included in your stay will be complimentary access to the spa’s fitness facility. Work out in the resorts 2,500 state of the art Precor fitness room or take advantage of the fitness classes. After the work out enjoy the facility’s gender specific steam rooms, saunas and Jacuzzis.
Daily Downward Dog | Sedona Yoga Retreat & Festival| March 6 – 13, 2016
What’s Included:
- 4 Nights at the Best Western Plus Inn of Sedona (Sedona Double Queen – 2 Queen Beds – 3rd Floor)
- 4 Hot Breakfasts at Best Western Plus Inn of Sedona
- Four Morning Yoga & Meditation Sessions with Maria at Agave of Sedona
- Three Sunset Restorative Yoga & Meditation Sessions with Maria at Agave of Sedona
- A 2-hour Energy Leadership Workshop exploring the 7 levels of energy and what they mean to you personally, based on your own energy assessment.
- Guided Sacred Sites Hiking Tour to the Chapel of the Holy Cross, the Labyrinth, and the Amitabha Stupa and Lunch
- Guided Touch the Earth Vortex Tour with Pink Jeep Tours of Sedona and Lunch
- Transportation from Best Western Plus to Hilton on March 10
- 3 Nights at the Hilton Sedona Resort at Bell Rock in either a 2-Queen Premium Suite or 1-King 1 Bedroom Suite (see additional details below)
- 1 All Access Pass to the Sedona Yoga Festival (March 10-13, 2016)
About Maria
Maria Santoferraro (E-RYT 200) spent the past 25 years ravaging her body in the crazy corporate world. Needing a detox from an unhealthy Blackberry addiction, boatloads of stress, and an aching back, she sought out a healthier lifestyle and is grateful to have found her physical and spiritual release through the practice of yoga.
Today she is living a balanced and blissful life, teaching yoga, leading international yoga retreats, sharing inspiration on the Daily Downward Dog, creating meditation videos for Hang 10 Meditation, and contributing her writing to Elephant Journal, Daily Cup of Yoga, and MindBodyGreen.
Her playful, heart-opening teaching combines meditation, breath, alignment, and asana in slow-flowing Hatha yoga classes that encourage students to reconnect to their bodies and breath as a means to fill up with joy. Maria incorporates uplifting class themes, music, poetry, laughter, and the spiritual teachings of yoga to create a peaceful environment where students can quiet their minds, let go, and experience a deep sense of calm and well-being.
In 2011 she was able to combine two of her greatest passions – yoga and the beach – to start her own beach yoga “studio” on the beautiful shores of Lake Erie, Ohio, where she has shared yoga with hundreds of students.
About Cynthia
As a Professional Coach and Certified Energy Leadership Master Practitioner, Cynthia helps women navigate their way through transition in their personal and professional lives. Cynthia’s insight will help you uncover your true values and beliefs. You will learn how to link your beliefs with your behaviors and actions to remove obstacles that may be holding you back. Tap into your personal power through this introduction to the unique Energy Leadership program and open up new avenues that empower you to thrive.
Prices:
Single Occupancy $3,250 & $3,350
Double Occupancy: $2,325 & $2,380 per person
Triple Occupancy: $1,975 & $2,000
Quad Occupancy: $1,850
Lower price includes a King, 1 Bedroom Suite at Hilton Sedona Resort
Higher price include a 2 Queen Premium Suite NS at Hilton Sedona Resort
The suites at the Hilton feature two room suites with two queen beds or one king bed and a pull out queen size sofa bed. Enjoy a little extra space with a private bedroom, separate living and dining area and private balcony or patio. Each suite includes a gas fireplace, microwave, wet bar and two flat panel TVs.
What’s Not Included:
- Airfare
- Transportation from airport to and from hotels in Sedona
- Meals not mentioned in What’s Included
- Optional excursions
- Gratuities
- Travel Insurance
Payments and Terms & Conditions
A $500 deposit per-person is required to reserve your retreat space and is non-refundable. Final payment is due on February 1, 2016. Prices include taxes and fees. Airfare and meals are not included, unless noted in the whats included section above. If you would like to attend the retreat portion only (March 6-10, 2016) please contact us for details.
Please review the Terms & Conditions before making your reservation.
If you are ready to make your reservation, please click the Buy Now button below to make your secure deposit via PayPal. You will be contacted in regards to your room type.
Questions, Additional Info & Contacts!
For more information or questions email maria @dailydownwarddog.com or call (330) 289-7026.
Nov 16, 2015 |
I’m proud to say that Akron, Ohio is my hood. Long known for where the rubber hits the road, it will soon be known as where the yoga raises the vibration of LOVE, after hundreds of yogis roll out their yoga mats and join together as a community on a huge university football field to practice yoga together at Elevate Akron.
I’m excited to announce that the city of Akron, local yoga studios (Yoga Bliss Akron is one of the sponsors), and organizations have partnered together to bring this event which will happen Sunday, November 22 at the University of Akron Field House from 4:30 – 8:00 PM.
Elevate Akron was founded in January 2014 by Lexi Carris and Tracy Rhinehart. In sharing their visions, they created a movement that celebrated and elevated Akron, the city they love, by bringing together the yoga community.
The first Elevate Akron event took place at Hardesty Park in May 2015 where nearly 1,000 yogis gathered on the grass to share in a powerful practice, food and fun. Elevate Akron’s mission is to provide free yoga events and bring together the high-vibration Akron yoga community!
Help spread the word and you could win an Elevate Akron tank top!
I’ve heard there are already over 300 yogis registered for the event and I want to keep spreading the word, so help me out and you could win a FREE Elevate Akron tank top or t-shirt. To enter to win please share this post or the link to the Elevate Akron Facebook page in the social media of your choice, and then leave a comment below with the deets about where you shared the news. I’ll pick one winner in a random drawing on Wednesday, November 18 at 5 pm.
To register for this free event or to purchase the event tank top or t-shirt, please visit http://elevate-akron.ticketleap.com/field-house-festival/
The Field House is located at 289 S Union St, Akron, OH 44304.
Event Schedule:
- 4:30 pm Registration and Check-in
- 5:00 pm Guest Speaker
- 5:15 pm All-levels vinyasa flow class led by Tracy Rhinehart
- Followed by food trucks, field games and live DJ till 8 pm
Woo Hoo this is going to be awesOMe!!
Jul 21, 2015 |
I am in the midst of my 300-hour Yoga Teacher Training, knee deep in yoga texts, self study, and special projects, and loving this incredible journey to becoming a certified 500-hour Yoga Teacher. One of my homework assignments this month comes straight from a book we are reading called Anatomy of the Spirit: The Seven Stages of Power and Healing, by Caroline Myss.
I’m digging this book for two reasons:
1) It provides a deeper understanding into the energy associated with each of the chakras.
2) Caroline Myss is an awesome storyteller and uses a ton of real life stories in the book to illustrate her points…and who doesn’t love a good story!
In the chapter that covers the fifth chakra (vishuddha – the throat chakra) and the power of our will, Caroline covers the challenges of surrendering our own willpower to divine guidance. She puts forth five rules to live by to open up our ability to let go and honor the divine. So, for the month of July my yoga teacher, Mary Pat Murphy, gave me the assignment of trying to live daily with these five rules:
1) Make no judgments.
2) Have no expectations.
3) Give up the need to know why things happen as they do.
4) Trust that the unscheduled events of our lives are a form of spiritual direction.
5) Have the courage to make the choices we need to make, accept what we cannot change, and have the wisdom to know the difference.
Wowza, that is a pretty challenging homework assignment!
In my yoga classes this week I’m inviting my students to try out these rules as well. If you want to try it out with us give it a go. If you think it might be too challenging, I would highly recommend trying out #1. I always knew I put a lot of judgment on myself, but I never realized how quick I am to judge others and putting this rule into practice has been an eye opening experience. As yogis if we want to practice yoga off our yoga mats, we must let go of judgment and open our hearts to love all beings.
This sign should be posted on the door of every yoga studio.
If you want to free up a huge amount of wasted energy, I highly suggest the practice of #2. I am the queen of putting too much expectation into activities like vacations and concerts. When you go into a trip or event with no expectations, the unexpected occurrences will hopefully be a delight (like when your car’s air conditioning goes out on a 90 degree day on a 3-hour road trip).
My life over the last seven years has given me the opportunity to put into practice rules #3-5, and this week I am sharing a real-life story in my classes of how a big unscheduled event in my life was truly a form of spiritual direction. In fact, when I look back I now realize that I have been the recipient of divine guidance many times and that is how I received the call to begin practicing yoga and to becoming a yoga teacher.
If you thought summer was a time when there’s no homework, here is a huge honking homework assignment, if you choose to accept it. I’ll write more about my experience of practicing these rules, and please feel free to share your experience as well in the comments.
