Sep 12, 2013 |
Guest Post (woo-hoo) from Dominique Chatterjee
Yoga means a lot of things to a lot of different people, both traditionally and personally. But there’s one very powerful aspect that has helped yoga spread throughout first India and now the world: community. Every practitioner is a student of yoga, and for that, we all need teachers. Sure, we’re our own teachers, the experience itself is a teacher, and our injuries are our teachers, too. But we also learn from each other and, more importantly, inspire one another in our practice.
There is no better place for me to explore the idea of community in yoga than Daily Downward Dog because I consider Maria to be my very first yoga teacher. Maria and I first met online about two years ago when I was a brand new freelance editor and she needed a wordsmith. The universe was definitely looking out for me with that match-up because getting the chance to edit this amazing blog inarguably changed my life.
Before DDD, I was an at-home yoga practitioner, letting my anxiety keep me out of classes. I thought I could get as much as I needed out of yoga by practicing solo. From the time I was introduced to hatha yoga in physical therapy in 2008, I fell in and out of doing it at home, but I did not understand the sequencing of flows, let alone the different styles of yoga. I knew maybe 10 or 15 asanas! But that was enough for a while; it was all I was ready for. In spring of 2011, I started practicing yoga almost every day with iPod apps, got addicted to fast-moving vinyasa flows, and started to phase out my inflatable exercise ball routine. I saw that yoga was making me both stronger and more flexible than any other fitness method I’d tried. But by trying to teach myself difficult poses like chaturanga, I was doing myself a major disservice (hello, rotator cuff injury). By the time I joined the DDD team, I was on my way to becoming a practiced yogi – but all alone.
Reading about Maria’s personal journey as a yoga teacher helped me gain awareness of everything I was missing out on by not having a yoga community. Her blog posts and yogalicious stories started to fill the community role for me, inspiring me, teaching me to explore myself in practice, and helping me learn more about different asanas. Then the best thing ever happened: Maria came to visit Phoenix, where I was living at the time, and invited me to my first ever aerial yoga class. I was so nervous! But as my yoga teacher in spirit, Maria with her easygoing nature and friendly smile helped me learn to let go in a yoga class for the first time. My life has never been the same.
Maria is still a big part of my yoga family, and she continuously shows me through her writing how yoga is not just something you practice on the mat but that positively affects all aspects of life. By letting go of my anxiety and opening my heart and mind to the community of yoga, my practice grew, I gained lifelong friendships with a diverse bunch of individuals, and I even got to better know people who were already in my social circle. I was instantly addicted to aerial yoga, which continued to push my at-home practice, and when I moved to Brooklyn last December, it helped me immediately find a studio to call home.
OM Factory teachers showing off how much fun they have in the studio
Now I’m an active part of the OM Factory community, volunteering at the desk and helping with the studio blog, and I couldn’t be happier. OM Factory offers unique opportunities by inviting in cool hybrids like aerial yoga, AcroYoga, yoga fight club, and hoop vinyasa, but what makes it so special is the community. The teachers are endlessly supportive and able to express their personalities and perspectives, something I truly value, and the students are enthusiastic and open-minded, a joy to practice with side-by-side.
Early this summer when I went one month without going to OM Factory, I was surprised that it had a negative impact on my at-home yoga practice. Without my yoga community around to inspire me to try new things, reach new milestones, and love even the most difficult parts of yoga (like pigeon – thanks, Kevin!), I lost motivation to keep up a daily practice. And that’s when it hit me: community is a crucial ingredient in yoga. It fosters development, but beyond that, having an amazing class to go to with a one-of-a-kind teacher and smiling students gives us one more reason to show up on the mat.
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve read a Daily Downward Dog post and immediately rolled out my mat for some sun salutations. And I can’t count how many classes I had to drag myself to but then, once there, began to dread savasana because it means class is over. Thanks to Maria and OM Factory, I am no longer just an aerial yogi but an aerial acrobat, stronger and more flexible than I ever imagined possible. And, besides that, I have the coolest teachers and friends.
Community offers a means of sharing lessons learned and broadening one another’s perspectives. So, now it’s your turn! How has your yoga community impacted your life on and off the mat? How did you find your most motivational teachers (including, of course, Maria!), and how do they help you to push your practice?
Dominique Chatterjee is The Logical Editor, a freelance wordsmith and writing coach. When she’s not at the computer obsessing for one reason of another about language, you can find her hanging out with other acrobats (quite literally) or practicing aerial yoga at OM Factory.
Aug 24, 2013 |
Doing something for the first time can be really magical and memorable. Who can forget their first kiss, first visit to the ocean, or very first time in downward dog?
I’ve made a lot of first-time memories on my yoga mat, like the first time I ever did a tripod headstand, the first time I blogged about yoga **, the first time I cried on my yoga mat, the first yoga class I taught, and this year, I’ve been fortunate to add a few more…
Hosting my first beach yoga retreat in Aruba!
Having close to 60 yogis show up to practice yoga with me on a gorgeous evening underneath the super full moon at Firefly Beach.
Teaching my first beach yoga birthday party class!
Salamba Sirsasana on a stand-up paddle board.
And, next week, another big first: I’m going to teach my very first yoga class with live music! Yep, it is going to be like my own mini yoga festival with a sunset beach yoga class and the musical stylings of Sid Jordan and his acoustic guitar. I’m a huge fan of what happens when yoga and music come together and write about it a lot here on the DDD, so I’m more than just a little geeked out about this!
Sid Jordan performing LIVE at Main Street Beach in Vermilion this Summer
This is going to be one of my last summer beach yoga classes of the 2013 season, so come on out and join me for this special evening. Practicing yoga on the sand right in front of Lake Erie with the sunset lighting up the sky, and the wind and waves is already pretty special, but adding in live music will make for a truly memorable night! If you have never attended a yoga class with music, do yourself a favor and check it out next Thursday, August 29, at Firefly Beach in Huron, Ohio at 7:30 PM.
The Firefly Beach Resort is located behind the Erie Kai Tavern at 4903 Cleveland Road East (Route 6) in Huron, Ohio, just minutes away from Vermilion and Sandusky. All levels are welcome for this Hatha style yoga class.
How cool would it be if this is your first yoga class, or first beach yoga class, or first yoga class with live music?!
** Happy Birthday Daily Downward Dog – three years old on August 20, 2013!!
Aug 6, 2013 |
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 worry, the stress, any fretting about the past and the future, and being fully present and full of gratitude and peace in the here and now. It’s not the easiest of tasks, especially if we think about sustaining this state for the long haul.
The folks over at the Robinson Trucking Company totally get it, and may have found one of the most awesome marketing taglines I’ve seen in a while – the title of this very post! As a former advertising executive, I have a fondness in my heart for clever and well-thought out taglines. Who knew a trucking company based in Grand Rapids, Michigan, could be so Zen? I can’t even tell you how much it made me smile when I was driving on the Ohio Turnpike last week and saw ”Peace of Mind for the Long Haul” emblazoned on the side of one of their trucks!
This isn’t the first time I’ve commended a company for sharing yogic lessons. I gave Liberty Mutual a shout-out last year for “Slow down – there’s plenty of fast out there.”
Peace of mind is such a beautiful gift. Why not set an intention to strive to practice it, not just for little trips around the corner, but truly for the long-distance journey of your life? You can start by focusing on peace of mind on your yoga mat, especially during savasana, and by developing a meditation practice, even if only for ten minutes a day with Hang Ten Meditation. Take this peaceful practice out for test drives until you become a seasoned long-haul peace of mind trucker.
After all, if you are always worrying about the past or the future, what happens to the moment you are in?
Jul 16, 2013 |
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 aunt.)
Any time I get to be around Lily, we always get down on the floor to play and eventually do a little yoga together. I love the sense of joy and freedom that she brings to the asanas, and she always teaches me to not take myself so seriously on my yoga mat. In fact, we should all follow this cue and bring a little more playfulness into our yoga practice.
Three-year-young Fiona, another great-niece has taught me more about the fine art of hugasana, with her ability to dive bomb into my arms and share her love with the HUGEST hugs.
I was recently blessed with another great-niece named Salem, and at 4 months old, she is a natural when it comes to honoring her body. This girl knows how to move herself around to positions that feel good and just naturally flows into these beautiful backbends to strengthen her back.
Humm, I think my great nieces are onto something!
Over the 4th of July weekend I got to visit both of them and spent time observing and picking up a few new yoga asanas that I’d like to share with you.
Swimasana
Inspired by Lily, come into dekasana (airplane pose), and then instead of leaving the arms at your sides, begin taking your arms forward and back like you are doing the breaststroke. The leg that is back behind you follows along with the arms, like you are kicking the legs back and then forward to support the breaststroke. This actually makes dekasana a little more challenging, but a helluva a lot more fun because you can’t do it without smiling and ultimately laughing at yourself.
Salemasana
Start by lying flat on your belly, legs together and straight behind you. Take your knees out to the sides of your yoga mat, and then lift your feet up to press the soles of the feet together.
Set your elbows under your shoulders and your forearms on the floor parallel to each other (similar to Sphinx pose). As you inhale, start to lift your head, neck, and upper torso off of the ground and into a backbend.
I don’t know if Salem had this in mind, but I directed my classes to bring awareness to their belly button, lightly drawing it away from the floor. This belly lift supports the backbend and soothes the lower back.
The final step in the pose is to plaster a big smile on your face and just look cute – after all, that is what 4-month-olds naturally do.
Hold salemasana for 5 to 10 complete rounds of breath.
To come out of the pose, exhale as you slowly release the belly and lower your torso and head to the floor. Relax and, if you like, take your head to one side and bend the knees, letting them float from left to right like a windshield wiper for a few breaths. Take a moment to pause here and deepen your breath and then repeat salemasana one or two more times.
I’m sending out a huge hug and lots of gratitude to Salem, Lily, and Fiona for teaching me about yoga and inspiring these awesome new poses. To my beautiful great nieces, I can’t wait to see you again and to continue to learn and grow my practice through your youthful energy, joy, hugs, and wisdom.
Jul 3, 2013 |
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 yoga studio, so you will be responsible for keeping it maintained. This duty includes raking the beach to prepare your beach studio floor, and may also include removal of debris, the occasional dead fish, and at times large sandcastles built right in the middle of your beach studio. Basically, you will need to arrive early and be prepared for just about anything; you never know what unexpected delights a storm, heavy wind, or beachgoers might have left the day before.
Meteorologist. Knowledge of weather patterns and a degree in meteorology or experience as a storm chaser is preferred. You will need these skills to determine if a class should take place or be cancelled due to inclement weather. This is Lake Erie, Ohio, so you have to go with the flow and at times teach a class when it is a bit chilly, or when the heat feels more like a Bikram yoga studio, or there is a slight drizzle of rain, or huge gusts of wind threaten to blow your mat away. Sometimes when there is heavy rain class will wind up under the cover of a pavilion. No matter what, always keep the safety of your students as a number one priority! Your students are dedicated yogis, so even if you think the weather is not going to cooperate, they will be there ready to practice yoga come rain, snow, or sizzling hot temperatures.
Strong Voice. You will need a voice that can project over soaring winds and crashing waves. Some days you can deliver your cues in a whisper, and other days you will need your voice to carry like you are delivering a speech in a huge auditorium.
Adaptability. The ability to stay calm, be in the present, and think on your feet is a necessity. You will encounter many distractions: eagles soaring through the sky, dogs running into your practice area, fish jumping out of the water, rainbows, small kids that pull up their beach chairs to watch the class, and at times noisy boats or beach tractors. But none of this will bother you, of course. You’ll teach through the distractions with the sheer focus of guiding your students to a place of bliss.
Expandable Heart. At times you will be so full of joy from the sun shining down on you, the smiles on your students’ faces, and nature’s playlist of wind and waves that your heart will feel like it is going to burst wide open. At these precise moments, your expandable heart will need to kick into full gear so you can share this incredible joy with the entire class.
Benefits: We provide a benefits package that includes sunscreen to keep your skin protected, lots of water to keep you hydrated, plenty of sunshine, and smiling faces. If you are lucky you will also get to pick up a few pieces of sea glass and make many new friends!
Ok, truth time: I’m not really looking for instructors. I just thought it would be fun to share my summer beach yoga job description with all of you. Even on those days when I show up at the beach and have to bury a dead fish, I still pinch myself that I get to do what I love and that I get to do it in such a beautiful place – with such awesome yogis!
I’m sending out a big thanks to everyone who has come to a beach yoga classes this summer! We still have two months to go, so if you have not made it out for a class, please check the schedule and join me soon for a little beach yoga bliss.
