The Daily Downward Dog Blog
Inspiring Stories, Cool Yoga Playlists, and Yoga Tips!How Maria Got Her Groove Back
On January 10, I got on the soapbox and proclaimed to the blogosphere that my goal for the year was to dive into the wonderful world of meditation. I didn’t come right out and say it, but my hope was to log a few minutes every day and slowly build up to marathon...
Symptoms of Inner Peace
If someone asked you point-blank if you have inner peace, would you be able to answer yes? Do you even have a clue as to what inner peace is all about? Would anyone mind if I break out in a spontaneous modified version of Chicago’s, “Does Anybody Really Know What Time...
Ganesha Blessings
If you live in northeast Ohio and are a fan of hot yoga, pinch yourself, because a brand-new yoga studio, Yoga Bliss, has just recently opened in Akron, Ohio. I have been pinching myself for the past few weeks, because I am lucky to be one of the yoga instructors at...
2010 YOGAR Winners
Thanks to everyone who rolled out their red yoga mats, put on their finest black stretchy pants, and cast a vote for the 2010 YOGAR nominees! Unlike the actual Oscar telecast, I'll keep these announcements short and sweet. Best Asana Salamba Sirsasana (Supported...
The Yoga Easy-Bake Oven
As I was getting into savasana today, the instructor said something about letting our practice bake in, and, for some reason, it conjured up a really funny image in my mind of putting a cake in the oven. I immediately thought about the Easy-Bake Oven I had as a kid...
I Bow to the Yoga Dog Masters
I love my work! I love it even more when publishers contact me to write a review about a book. So, you can imagine how happy I was (You know how a dog gets when she’s excited to see you? It was that kind of happy.) when Abrams Image asked me to take a look at one of...
I Am
Not quite sure what the issue is, but I'm feeling a little bit of writer's block this week. Must be from all the excitement of YTT graduation and beginning my new yoga teaching schedule. So, for a little treat I thought I would share one of my favorite yoga playlist...
Serendipity
Serendipity. This may just be my new favorite word. If you are unfamiliar with the concept, serendipity is the ability to find coolness or bliss in everyday occurrences. Serendipity is random and only rears its lovely head when you are not expecting it. One of my yoga...
Yoga…You Had Me at Hello
Can I just tell you how much I am digging the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali? I am reading the version that was translated and has commentary by Sri Swami Satchidananda, and it rocks! I was browsing through some of the many passages that I’ve highlighted over the past few...
Hugasana for Stress Reduction
I’m in the down stretch, just two more weeks of yoga-teacher training, and I feel like a college student cramming for final exams. I’ve even pulled a few late nighters (no, not all-nighters; when you’re over 40 the body just shuts down at a certain point, even with...
Get Your Giggle On
Last week I got the opportunity to attend a laughter yoga class sponsored by the Akron Public Library System. I walked into the class of about 30 students and noticed that it was a slice of Americana, with many races and all age groups ranging from college kids to...
And the Nominees for the 2010 YOGARS Are…
Very early this morning (5:30 a.m. PT) a handful of talented (and lucky) people will get an extremely cool call from their publicist, letting them know they have been nominated for an Oscar. I’m sure for most of them, it will be a dream come true. As vapid and...
Embrace Your Inner Goddess
I recently taught a goddess-themed yoga class. I like the idea of occasionally having special themes for class, and the opportunity to explore and learn more about goddesses seemed like a great idea. Plus, the playlist would have to feature only music performed by...
Cool Yoga Tunes
I’m a lover, not a fighter, and I especially love to share my yoga-class playlists. Here is a playlist I used a few times in December and for a class I taught on January 8. I got a few requests to share it, so here goes. I started out my class by reading this...
Meditation Rocks
I forgot how much I love being a student and have really enjoyed these past few weeks, as I’ve been taking a deep dive into my yoga-teacher training. I’ve got less than a month to go before graduation and lots of studying and assignments to complete. This focus on...
Somewhere Over the Rainbow
On New Year’s Day the weather-beaten residents of northeast Ohio received a few special gifts from Mother Nature: sunny skies and temperatures reaching a balmy 61 degrees! That is downright tropical for a January day in Ohio, especially after the frozen tundra of a...
A New Year’s Eve Monologue
It’s New Year’s Eve, a time to reflect on the past year—maybe with happiness, maybe with regret, or maybe with gratitude for all we received. It is also a day to look forward to the New Year, maybe fearful of what is to come or perhaps hoping for a fresh start. That’s...
New Year’s Rockin’ Eve Yoga
Spoiler alert: If you are coming to my New Year’s Eve yoga class and don’t want to know the ending yet, please don’t read this until after Friday. I’ve had a few requests to share my playlist for my New Year’s Eve yoga class, so here it is. I am really enjoying...
I’m Dreaming of a Green Christmas
Here in Ohio, we've had the white thing covered for quite a few weeks, with more snow in the forecast for Christmas Eve (woo hoo!). So, with that in mind, I'll be taking my dreams the green Christmas route. One without conspicuous consumption and recycle bins full of...
What Are You Doin’ New Year’s Eve?
What are you doin' New Year's Eve and Christmas Eve? I’m going to be teaching yoga! I have to admit that has a nice ring to it. I think one of the coolest yoga classes I took in 2009 was on New Year’s Eve. The class was at 10 a.m. and the only one my studio...
Taking Yoga Off the Mat…and Into the Ice-Skating Rink
I had a minor seasonal attitude disorder last week. It was December 10 and I was not the slightest bit in the holiday mood. In fact, I was dreading all the extra holiday commitments and hoping for a quiet, peaceful celebration with my family sans gifts (yoga-teacher...
Featured Yoga Playlist Artist: Chrissie Hynde
Looking for a cool tune for your yoga-class playlist that will get your students in the holiday mood without being cheesy? I have to give a shout out for fellow Akron gal Chrissie Hynde. Take a minute to listen to her holiday anthem “2000 Miles” with the Pretenders,...
Getaway Giveaway
So, I started teaching yoga classes for my friends and family recently and went out and bought a bunch of yoga mats so the newbies could practice in style on the comfort of their own mats. I thought this would be a nice thing to do, but the problem was schlepping all...
A Toast to First Times
Last week I was a yoga-teacher virgin, still learning the ways of the yoga sutras, memorizing and practicing the various positions, double-checking my anatomy books, nervous about first-time performance, and hoping others would show up to take part in my passion for...
Om for the Holidays
I just had to share these awesome holiday gift cards from the cool peeps over at Yoga Dudes. If you are a yoga devotee and want to spread your yoga swagger to all your friends and family this holiday season, then you have to check out these yoga-inspired cards. These...
Yogalicious!
Don’t you just love when you learn a new word? I recently heard someone use the term yogalicious, and I knew immediately that it would become a part of my yoga lexicon. With every new word I learn, I typically go to the urban dictionary to make sure I really...
Attaining Serenity During the Holiday Season
A few weeks ago I wrote a blog about the Messages of Light cards from Mario Duguay. We pass these cards out occasionally at the beginning of my yoga-teacher training classes as a grounding exercise and I look forward to them the way a kid looks forward to the treat in...
Expert Yoga Class Advertising
My big bro was cool enough to open his house up for a yoga class I taught today for friends and family. I just had to share this awesome sign my niece made and put up on the front door of their house to greet my students. What a fun welcome, and, seriously, you can't...
Feeling Radiant and Giving Away the Shirt Off My Back
It is getting cold in Ohio, and I’m a big, wimpy, cold baby. My hands and feet are always cold, and I amuse myself in the morning sometimes by rolling over next to my husband and putting my ice-cold feet on his legs to give him an arctic jolt right before the alarm...
Bliss Out!
We all have catch phrases we use to help us through difficult situations, or to capture a moment of happiness. Over the years I've accumulated quite a few favorites: No worries Don't worry, be happy Hakuna matata Life is good Now, through my practice of yoga, I've...