The Daily Downward Dog Blog
Inspiring Stories, Cool Yoga Playlists, and Yoga Tips!
Peace of Mind for the Long Haul
Peace of mind is great, but who wants it just for a short commute? Shouldn’t we all be striving to have it for the longer journey? Peace of mind to me is all about living in the present, and ultimately that’s what yoga is all about – letting go of the chatter, the...
Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow
With the temps cresting above 90 a week ago and beach yoga classes that felt like they may as well have been inside a heated Bikram yoga studio, I couldn’t help daydreaming about my upcoming Skiasana Yoga Retreat in Stowe, Vermont! Yes, me, Miss Beach Yoga, lover of...
Summer Weekend Beach Yoga Bliss Retreat
Who says summer has to be over on Labor Day? Not me! Please join me the weekend after Labor Day on the beautiful Firefly Beach in Huron, Ohio, for a weekend of beach yoga bliss. The fun begins on Friday, September 6, with a sunset yoga class and continues with a full...
Lilyasana
If you come to my yoga classes, you’ve probably learned a couple of new asanas that were inspired by my 4-year-old great-niece Lily. (Yes – I’ve graduated to the title of Great Aunt, which I lovingly cherish and also think is quite fitting since I am great at being an...
A Day in the Life of a Beach Yoga Instructor
The Daily Downward Dog is seeking a dependable and cheerful certified yoga instructor to lead weekly yoga classes on the beach. Please read the job description below and leave a comment if interested. Job Description: Beach Studio Maintenance. The beach is your...
The Magic Moment
Do you have trouble quieting your mind when you meditate? If so, no worries, each time your mind goes wandering off you have the perfect opportunity to experience a magic moment, and I will tell you how! I have been reading a lot about meditation lately to help deepen...
Super Full Moon Yoga
This Sunday there will be a full moon – but not just any full moon. This one is being touted as a SUPER full moon, aptly named because it is going to be the night of my inaugural Full Moon Yoga class! I’ve always wanted to teach yoga during the full moon, and this...
Summer Breeze Makes Me Feel Fine!
Sing with me… “Summer breeze makes me feel fine. Blowing through the jasmine in my mind.” You gotta love the feeling of a summer breeze, especially when it brushes across your face while flowing through yoga asanas at a beach yoga class on a hot, sunny morning. Just...
Ditch the Surfboard and Hang Ten on a Manduka Meditation Cushion
Hanging Ten is known as one of the most impressive and iconic stunts one can perform on a surfboard. Master this maneuver – letting a wave cover the back of the surfboard, then walking to the front of the board and hanging all ten toes over the nose of the board – and...
Got Ten Minutes? Hang Out with Me and Meditate!
Have you always wanted to try meditation but don't think you have the time or ability to sit still and quiet your mind? These are the two biggest factors that keep people away from the incredible benefits of meditation, and that was the impetus behind my development...
Close Your Eyes – Yoga Teacher Tales #2
Raise your hand if you are a yoga teacher and you’ve instructed your class to close their eyes so they can see within. Or, raise your hand if you are a yoga student and you’ve heard your yoga teacher ask you to close your eyes. I’m seeing a lot of raised hands out...
The Power of the Goddess
The power and worship of the goddesses of yoga has intrigued me ever since I learned about these kick-ass yoginis during my yoga teacher training. I’m a big fan of Lakshmi and an even bigger fan of all the mere mortal women who are truly goddesses in my life. I can’t...
Krishna Das – A True Yoga Rockstar Hits the Golden Screen
I got the biggest yoga geek-out smile this year when Krishna Das was nominated for and performed at the 2013 Grammy Awards, where he was hailed as “yoga’s rockstar.” But hey, me and the other 300,000 people who have bought his records, used his music in our yoga class...
Yoga Class Playlist – Love, Bliss, Amazing, It’s All Good!
Sometimes I put together a yoga class playlist that I just really love, so much so that I want to keep using it and I have to share it. I've used variations of this over the last few weeks in my yoga classes and it will definitely be one I continue to pull out...
Aaaaeeeyyy! The F-Onzie is Cool!
Whoaaa, for those of you over 40, I’m sure you remember how cool Arthur Herbert Fonzarelli, aka Fonzie, Fonzi, or just the Fonz was. I grew up watching Fonzie on Happy Days, and no matter what happened, this dude just oozed coolness. If you have no clue about what I’m...
Vinyasa, Meditation & Goddesses!
Woo Hoo - I'm super excited to announce new Daily Downward Dog yoga classes coming to a yoga studio near you! Well, that is if you live in northeast Ohio. Get ready to flow through some vinyasa, deepen your meditation practice, and embrace your inner yogini goddess!...
Top 10 Reasons Why Beach Yoga Bliss in Aruba Rocked!
I'm back from my Beach Yoga Bliss retreat in Aruba and full of stories, great memories, and a ton of pictures to sort through. I've still got some sleep to catch up on and way more to write about, but for now I'd like to share the top 10 reasons why I am so full of...
Skiasana – Rocky Mountain Yoga High
I’m a huge fan of the high I get after planting my feet on a cushy yoga mat for an invigorating Vinyasa yoga practice, but there’s nothing quite like the high I can get on a sunny day on top of the Rocky Mountains with my feet strapped to a pair of skis. I just took a...
No April Fooling! My Beach Yoga Classes Start This Week!
This is not an April Fools joke, my days of teaching on the beach start this very week, but not on Lake Erie! My first 2013 beach yoga classes will be held starting this Saturday on the gorgeous white sand Caribbean beaches of ARUBA. I'll be teaching three community...
Yoga Class Playlist Nirvana
I have to let you in on a favorite go-to album for my yoga class playlists. The music is a funky mash-up of East and West: traditional Indian instruments and drums fused with hip hop beats and beautiful mantras layered into the dub. No distracting lyrics, no...
YTT – Yoga Teacher Tales #1
The coolest things happen when I’m teaching yoga, so I decided to start sharing some of my yoga teacher tales here on the Daily Downward Dog. I can’t tell you how many times a student has told me how much better they feel after practicing yoga – their aches are gone,...
Random Acts of Kindness
I’ve always been a big fan of paying it forward. If someone does a good deed for me, I strive to carry that goodness forward. Last week I was reading Om the Moment, a lovely blog by Jeanette, a Miami-based yoga teacher who writes about this concept regularly. She...
Come on Baby Light My… Incense!
To be more exact, come on baby light myInsens! Some people get a whiff of incense, and it instantly transports them to a Catholic church and communion. Not me, though – every time I smell incense it takes me back to my youth and gives me a little chuckle. I grew up...
And the 3rd Annual YOGARS Go To…
In years past, I have publicly admitted my love for the Oscar Awards and, like so many things in my life these days, had to take that and morph it with my passion for yoga to create the YOGARS. To mix things up this time, rather than nominate my own picks for Best...
Sweet Yoga Treats
Last week I got to hear four blissful words that I never hear my husband say: Let’s Go Do Yoga! Just the sound of those precious words coming from his lips was enough to make my heart swell with delight. I love my husband and I love yoga, but my husband does not...
What’s Up With SUP – Stand Up Paddle Board Yoga
~~~A lot of people have been asking me what is up with the standup paddle board yoga (SUP Yoga) that will be offered on my upcoming Beach Yoga Bliss retreat in Aruba. I’ve written about my experience doing SUP Yoga on Lake Erie last summer, and I can’t even tell you...
Jamminasana
February 6 would have been the 68th birthday of the legendary reggae master Bob Marley. I didn’t realize this auspicious date until I saw all the posts about Bob on Facebook and Twitter, and I decided right then and there that I would do a special yoga class...
All-You-Can-Eat Yoga
I’m not a fan of all-you-can-eat buffets. Don’t get me wrong, I have a big appetite, but I just don’t like gorging myself on what is affectionately known as trough food, and for the most part, I have yet to find a buffet that is vegetarian friendly or reasonably...
Electrify Your Yoga Practice
I got chills – they’re multiplying And I'm losing control ‘Cause the power you’re supplying It’s ELECTRIFYING…. Come on, sing it with me the way Danny (John Travolta) sings to Sandy in Grease! [youtube]http://youtu.be/pYQltuvKCD4?t=34s[/youtube] I couldn’t get...
Bye-Bye Boring Black Yoga Pants
A while back the lovely Kristine Deer of K.Deer Haute Yoga Wear contacted me about trying out her yoga pants designed for hot yoga. Take a look at the photo below and you will see that these are not your typical hot yoga pants. Affectionately known as Bum Bums, there...