Yogadenada

Post-Valentine's Day Blues

2012-02-15T14:43:00.000-08:00

It can happen, you know, after all that sugar and love in the air. Then, sadly, we fall back into our regular routine. But....what.....if.....we didn't.....What if every day was Valentine's Day. What if every day you did something small for someone you love. It doesn't have to be your husband or wife (that should happen no matter what), it could be your mom, or your child, or your pet, or someone you work with or maybe someone walking down the street. Simply by setting aside your own personal misery for just a moment and take a breath and...and...and....wait for it....S-M-I-L-E. Engage. Say hello and go one step further and say, "how are you today?". One of my favorite things to do when I go into any business establishment is to say "have a nice day" before the employee has a chance to. Because they ought to do it, but I always beat them. I love it because it makes me feel good.

Sweet Utoka Red!

Spring is slowly coming. Slowly, slowly, slowly. We keep having to cancel classes because of weather but it will come, I know, like I know that tomorrow is Thursday. It will warm up, you can believe that. Spring is a time of renewal and rebirth but today, as I walked my little dogs on my sittings, I pondered for a moment why I was a little sad, why I'd been having pangs of emotion, like something lost. I tracked back over time.....trying to note why Spring would affect me and there is was, that thorn, a broken heart. It was Spring that I lost my best friend, Red. She was a beautiful, loyal, love of a dog and she was my companion at one of the loneliest times of my life. A year before I lost her, I lost my daughter Sophia. I was eight months pregnant when she slipped away from our lives, we hadn't even had a chance to know her. That loss is a deep hollowness in our lives as Jake would have been an amazing brother and though sometimes we laughingly imagine what it would be like for me to have a child at 47, each month a little part of me wishes I would get pregnant. But, it won't happen. So, this is when I pull out a few words of wisdom that were sewn into a fun apron my mother-in-law gave me one Christmas, "Put your big girl panties on and deal". And, deal I will.

And so, I start my afterschool yoga program next week and for 90 minutes or so every Wednesday I am surrounded by girls and I get to see a little of what Sophia might have been in each one of them. So, if you happen to notice me looking a little distant or not always smiling, remember that my heart is a little heavy, but I always bounce back.

So, with loss in mind, a friend ours lost his mother recently. We will be headed out to the Pedernales to hang with him and give him our love. NO CLASS ON SUNDAY, 2/19. Please forgive and know that we will get steady very soon.

Namaste my beautiful friends. Happy Every Day is Love Day!

SELF-DEFENSE CLASS CANCELLED/MOVED TO MARCH 25th

2012-02-11T13:17:00.000-08:00

I made the call that the self-defense class would be moved to March 25th. That was the first open weekend that I have that I feel confident the weather would comply. (whisper)...Word on the street is that it may snow. WOW. I apologize for even considering planning it now. I got caught up in the attacks and thought it would be a good idea. By March it will be lovely and we will have a good time. I am hoping classes will resume soon, though we won't have class next week because I'll be out of town so hang in there and keep on practicing. Remember Yogaglo, it's amazing. www.yogaglo.com. Meanwhile, let's all visualize snow.

Rainy Sunday

2012-02-05T06:19:00.001-08:00

There will be no class today, Sunday, February 5th. Don't forget next weekend is the self-defense course starting at 10am at the covered slab at Brentwood. I'll teach a short yoga class afterwards. You know what to do today. Yogaglo.com or a video, or a few sweet sun salutations on your own. Find a quiet spot, turn on some tunes and let your body tell you what it needs. Enjoy the rain. The heat will be here soon enough.

Namaste.

Sunday, January 29!

2012-01-28T08:27:00.000-08:00

I think we are on for a nice class at the covered slab tomorrow, Sunday. I am planning a slow, slow, gentle hip opening sequence. My hips are making me crazy and if you do any sort of training at all outside of yoga, you are most likely suffering as well. Mine is a product of ludicrous amounts of squats. I have never been tight in my hips, ever, until now. I am fine, I have muscles, so it's worth it, but we got to open it up. So, I have planned class and am perusing Yoga Journal for more poses to infuse. I can't say enough about Yoga Journal, it is an endless supply of yoga information, and in case you have been living under a rock, it's a good time to find out that yoga and life are becoming intertwined. You should practice some form of it every day for a long, healthy, happy life. Whether it's sitting in lotus and calming your mind or pushing yourself through 108 Sun Salutations.

Tomorrow, please bring water, 2 blankets and lots of layers. It could be cold to start and that cement is taxing. So, extra padding around your mat is nice. Bring your blocks and belts and such if necessary.

Namaste and see you in the manana.

Yogadenada, (yoga, it ain't no big thang)

People's of the World

2012-01-20T07:39:00.000-08:00

Last night I got to go to Brentwood Elementary and do crazy yoga with all the kids and grownups there. There is something super fun about doing free form yoga with kids and adults. When you are invited to do something like this, originally, in your silly mind, you visualize this quiet space where you talk to everyone (who is seated on yoga mats properly) about how you, as a family, can perform yoga together. You imagine, quietly and calmly tuning in, saying namaste, maybe a cool "om" and then proceeding to go through a fun, yet organized, mini-yoga class mixing adult and child yoga poses and names. Ending with Shavasana. Doesn't that sound nice?


Love me some Jakey!

Yes, I thought it did. Yeah, um, no, that's not really how it went down. First...it was hilarious...you should know. There were kids coming around at all different times, I don't think I was on a mat much, random parents joined in and we just played around doing different poses. Kids love certain poses. They love wheel, warrior 3, tree and candle (shoulder stand). So, what happens in a situation like this is I do all kinds of crazy poses over and over till I'm sweating and I'm yelling a lot. Hoping everyone can hear me. No tuning in. No shavasana. Just yoga insanity. Just the way I like it!

But, I'll say, it was hugely successful and parents jumped in and did different poses. It was adorable. I loved it. Next year I'll bring yoga cards. I DON'T KNOW WHY I DIDN'T THINK OF IT.


The Luminarium, a sensory experience!

I need a yoga poster.

Anyway, if you made it out, hooray. And if you didn't, maybe next year will happen. Meanwhile, Brentwood's Afterschool Yoga program is ramping up. We have full classes which rocks. I love my Brentwood Yoga Kids. I am continuing to do my Sunday morning class but I am cancelling this Sunday. Even though the weather is perfect and I should, I have too much going on to plan and facilitate it.

Yesterday, I let Jake skip school so we could go to the Luminarium at Long Center which ends TODAY. It was a beautiful bath of colors and sounds and a wonderful sensory experience we will never forget. If you ever have a chance to experience anything that will stay in your mind forever, don't let the drudgery of everyday life stop you from doing it. We will never, ever, ever remember the regular everyday things we do EVERYDAY, but we will always remember that special day when we blew off all of our responsibilities and ran away for a few hours to experience something amazing!

I'll be back next Sunday, January 29th.

So, NO CLASS ON JANUARY 22ND. GET YOU YOGA VIDEO OUT OR VISIT www.yogaglo.com.

Namaste People.

Let's Do This.....

2012-01-15T06:57:00.001-08:00

11am, at the slab. Today.

Yoga 1/15

2012-01-14T20:55:00.000-08:00

Hellooooo everyone.

I am waiting until tomorrow to make a call on yoga. I'll post around 10am. I am just not sure. It's supposed to be around 57 at 11am in the morning which concerns me. I'll let you know. If it happens, it will be at 11am at the covered basketball courts, or the platform, or the grass by the portable buildings of Brentwood. If it doesn't happen, get out your yoga videos, log onto yogaglo.com or just do some sun salutations. You can do it.

Namaste!

Yoga Returns 1/8/12

2012-01-07T14:30:00.000-08:00

Hello Everyone. I'll be holding class at the Brentwood Elementary Covered Slab off Yates and Brentwood. Come tomorrow, Sunday, January 8, 2012 at 11am. Class will be slow and easy and focus on unlocking our tired, sore muscles after the holidays. Yoga seven days a week is awesome, but yoga tomorrow is a good start.

Bring your mat, a blanket and water.

Namaste!

Yoga Break till 2012

2011-12-18T07:19:00.000-08:00

I just wanted to make sure that you all knew that I was taking a break from the outdoor class until 2012. I hope classes can resume on the 8th. I am looking into a warehouse where I workout and another possibility and am playing with the idea of adding an evening class for a while. Mostly, this is just a quick shoutout that instead of yoga, I'll be baking and wrapping and candlestick making. Haha.

I miss everyone and look forward to getting back on track and I really apologize for bad weather and my need to Christmas nest. I love teaching yoga but I enjoy the breaks and Joel and I have thoroughly enjoyed our Sunday morning yoga sessions at home.

I hope everyone enjoys the holiday season and may we all gain some inner peace and happiness.

Namaste.

Winter Yoga

2011-12-14T06:42:00.000-08:00

It has been a tough ride with cold and rainy weather but I wouldn't have it any other way. It has definitely put a drag on possibilities for yoga but hang in there. Soon enough, we will be back to our Sunday mornings. I would imagine that most of December is a wash. I'll post here and facebook if this Sunday, the 17th is doable. The 25th is an obvious no go and we will be at Port Aransas for the 31st. So, looking towards January with the possibility of going back to noon classes for a bit to allow the day to warm up. I've mentioned before, but I do have a line on a warehouse space that I could use on Sundays for January-February so if there is any interest please contact me at yogadenada@gmail.com. It would involve driving up Burnet road to 183. A very short drive.

Over the next month, strive to find 15 minutes or more to infuse some yoga into your life. I am always happy to lead you to a good yoga video and I can't say enough about yogaglo.com. It's worth the membership during busy months when it is impossible to make it to a studio. I've heard great things about Black Swan South and as always, Castlehill offers $6.00 community classes. I love yoga and my body truly enjoys it. I've been developing a home workout of building strength and yoga is such a wonderful contribution to any and all workouts.

Please take time during this holiday season to think about what you are grateful for and give appreciation to them or it. A wise person once told me, "you can't be great until you are greatful".

Namaste.

Gratitude and Cold

2011-12-02T09:35:00.001-08:00

Facts first, unless we have a radical weather change, class on Sunday, 12/4 is cancelled. I promise to continue classes no matter what, but cold and rain do not mix well with yoga outside. I would love a large space or warehouse to practice and teach. I am not good in small contained spaces so, you can see my dilemma. Let me know of any suggestions or ideas.

We are two days into December and I am enjoying the suggested idea of 31 days of gratitude. To be honest, I think I'll just go 365 days. Every day is an opportunity to look around and see how bountiful our lives are. If you are sitting in front of a computer, than odds are, you are doing o.k. and even if you are in a time of struggle, thinking positively can at least get you through the day.

I am always astounded by how fortunate I am and I'm certainly not in any sort of financial boom nor do I fit into the perfect size pants or have any degree of success in what I had hoped to do in my life. I am what I am and I am happy. I try everyday.

As the years have passed I have slowly, very slowly, begun to downsize the days of despair and doom. I no longer have days when I have to pull out that dark book and sketch out another poem on sadness, see here. A tortured soul I have been.

Take a moment to sit quietly, lifting your spine tall, take a breath in and with eyes closed take stock in your life and see the bounty of love you have around you. If you are feeling alone, call me, I'll reassure you that you are not alone.

Now, go get your yoga mat and sign on to yogaglo! Do a class in small, private place in your home that you can call your own. I'll help you find it if you are scratching your head. You can always find a little, peaceful spot. The only thing stopping you...is you!

Here are my gratitudes:

Day 1: I am grateful for my husband, Joel, who I fondly call Hole. Why? No reason, but, he is a benevolent hole of love and generosity. He has made me feel beautiful and given me every single thing I have ever asked for, most importantly, Jake. I am so grateful to have found him that night at Stubb's, hefting cases of beer and so glad he chased me to the Hole in the Wall. The rest is most definitely history in the making!

Day 2: Simple. I am grateful for the rain.

Namaste.

11/27 Class Canceled

2011-11-26T19:19:00.001-08:00

No class on Sunday, 11/27 due to inclement weather and worn out teacher. We will see you in December. Have a restful Sunday.

Sunday, November 13th.......

2011-11-12T08:55:00.001-08:00

Come out to Brentwood Elementary's covered slab for an awesome 1 hour and fifteen minute class filled with sun salutations, core work and twists. Can't wait to see you. 10am.

Yoga this week!

2011-11-01T07:57:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone and namaste! I will be teaching class this Sunday, 10am at the Slab at Brentwood Elementary. Please join me for a nice chill class and let's hope it stays cool.

I hope everyone has been keeping up their practice. Never forget that their are lots of ways to practice yoga in the comfort of your home and I am always happy to come to visit you, show you some videos, look around your home and help you create a space and even go through some poses with you to help you feel comfortable with your practice. I love home practice.

This will be a short post. I hope everyone is nice and relaxed after the hectic aftershocks of costumes and candy.

Namaste.

Halloween Week!

2011-10-25T09:59:00.000-07:00

Namaste Folks. How are you? Yoga and Halloween don't typically have much in common unless you run into a bunch of yoga zombies or zombie yogis......like this......

Then you will see how awesome yoga is for you, even when you are a zombie. Some days I feel like a zombie, even when I'm teaching. I'm guessing that Sunday morning, October 30th, I'll be feeling that way, which is why I decided to cancel class. I really want to have some fun this weekend and sleep in and just generally hang out, so please forgive me for canceling.

Sunday Class canceled October 30th. Class will resume on November 6th.

Meanwhile, the really awesome yogi's from Brentwood Elementary continue to come out for fun every Wednesday. We have been having so much fun playing yoga and I bought an awesome ipod player so that we can boogie down as well as chill to nice music.

So, not much to report in terms of classes. I continue to teach my adorable 2nd graders at Wooten and absolutely love it. They are darlings and really appreciate the opportunity to have something like yoga to brighten up their Fridays.

I keep working on the idea of letting things go. How about you? What an easy concept to impart, preach and generally talk about but completely impossible to actually do. I work everyday on shaking off self-imposed responsibilities, words spoken to me (both from myself and from others) and just the general interactions of the day. As we embark on the holiday season, try to keep the concept of letting things go close to heart. I know that everyone out there is already plotting all the things that must occur for the holiday season. I'm sure a few of you are even plotting your verbal exchanges with family members. The holidays put so much stress on us through responsibilities to our family, ourselves and our community. Remember to take time to give yourself something relaxing whether it's a moment alone or maybe a yoga class. And remember that there is no more valuable present than your presence. So, stop for a moment, breath and listen to what you need. Namaste.

Class Changes

2011-10-13T07:56:00.000-07:00

Namaste all. I'm hoping to squeeze in some me time on the mat before I head out to do sittings but I wanted to let you know of a few changes. I realized last weekend that I needed to restructure my offerings so that I could work on getting yoga myself and also work out a way to avoid having to cancel Sunday's class when I'm petsitting heavy.

I decided to go ahead and cancel the Thursday mama/teacher class which had a low attendance (but two extremely awesome ladies, thank you AC and Jess) but was fun. I also have decided not to attempt to throw the 3rd Friday evening classes. It just so happened that my first one coincided with a very busy Saturday. I need to cook homemade dog treats that night. I'm hosting a table at an awesome event called Walk For Life, a fundraiser for dogs with cancer.

I will be teaching the following classes:

I continue my afterschool program sharing the love of yoga with the awesome kiddos of Brentwood.

I will continue to teach Sundays, 10am at the Covered Slab of Brentwood Elementary. Please bring dogs and children. It's an open fun class.

Weekly I go to Wooten Elementary to share yoga with six amazing 2nd graders. This is my seva project and it makes me so very happy and filled with grace.

O.K. So, this is a time in our lives when we have to look around us and decide what it is we want. What will bring us peace and serenity and hope and a lust to live life to it's fullest. Every moment of your day should have validity. And if you don't feel like you are getting the most from it, then there are two options.....change or accept and embrace wholly that which you cannot change. Certainly every moment of your day cannot resonate with absolute acceptance that this is the best that it can be, but most definitely, you can change your attitude to it and you can make subtle changes that make it more digestible.

I am trying to find some balance between have to's, want to's and the ultimate dream. What is your dream. On your final hour what do you need to accomplish in order to rest easy. Do you want to leave your mark on this world or is living your life the most precious thing you can accomplish. Either sounds good to me.

I'll close with the quote I have printed and hung up blazingly on our fridge:

IF IT IS IMPORTANT TO YOU, YOU WILL FIND A WAY. IF NOT, YOU'LL FIND AN EXCUSE.

and my all-time favorite.....

WHETHER YOU CAN OR CAN'T, YOU ARE RIGHT!

This is not a challenge, it's a proposal, that I'm making with myself. Just thought I'd share.

Namaste friends.

Overcommiting Eeeeeek!

2011-10-08T09:15:00.000-07:00

Notice:

No class on Sunday 10/9, due to too many petsittings.
No class on Thursday 10/13, due to dr. appt.

Wednesday, 2nd-5th graders start Brentwood Yoga Club.

I can't do the 3rd Friday this month because I've now committed to Bark for Life and serving Tacos at Brentwood Elementary Carnival. I apologize.

As this fall has come upon us, I've been feeling a little taxed and I wanted to share my feelings with the few of you who read this blog. I am notorious for giving away my time and though I know, deep down, that this is what I want and what makes me feel good, at some point I begin to realize that I'm not taking care of myself. I've been reading about willpower and heard an awesome report on NPR about it as well. Basically, we all start our mornings with a full cup of willpower. Our intentions are good and we have plans of accomplishing many great things from writing, exercising, eating properly and acting with good will. We all have our own list. With each test of your willpower or each effort executed against your own personal desire (I'm lazy) you pour a bit from your willpower cup. Getting up at 5am instead of sleeping in till 6:30am is your first test. And it goes on from there, your job, your home, your children, etc. All day is a test of how you will perform and how balanced you are willing and capable of keeping your life. Willing...willpower. The report mentioned that sometimes you have tapped all your resources by midday and that's when everything plummets. You start making poor dietary decisions and blowing off exercise. Well, for me, recently, I feel like I wake up with an empty cup. I have lost balance in my life. I have lost touch with my practice completely. My house is a wreck and I'm exhausted. I have to start looking at what I want to keep and what I am willing to let go of for now. Your job is your job and it's non-negotiable. So, I am starting to look at what I've obligated myself to. I am currently sharing my Friday mornings with an awesome group of kiddos playing yoga and I love that. Recently, I've said yes to so many things from volunteering at Brentwood (a lot), writing articles, scheduling yoga classes, etc. that I just need to shave back on my weekly committments some. When weekends like this one happen, I have to say no to everything except my awesome job of petsitting. Mostly, teaching yoga really has to stay in a category of something I do for fun not have to do because I think I should. I'll be letting everyone know, but I'm thinking of cancelling the Thursday afterschool Mama class, it's had a small but honorable attendance. I thought doing 3rd Fridays would be fun, but it is just one more thing I have to do right now. Sundays will stay, but I think we may want to move to 10am. I'll let you all know. Meanwhile, I'm going to go squeeze in a quick class right now. My back is wracked. I apologize for the whiney post. Namaste.

This Week in Yoga

2011-10-03T08:15:00.000-07:00

This is yet another quick post. I apologize. It seems things have been so crazy with the world of volunteering at Brentwood Elementary. Last week I kept thinking "just make it through the week Joanna"...then I would forget that this week I am chaperoning the Outdoor School filled with 4th and 5th graders. 2 days, 1 night in Marble Falls. I am super excited about doing something totally different.

So, with that said, there is NO AFTERCARE program this week. We start the 2nd-5th graders next week on October 12, Wednesday. I'll be back for a sweet mama/teacher yoga from 3-4pm on Thursday the 6th and I'm expecting that the weather will be lovely.

Sunday, October 9th I'll be at the slab for a nice yoga class that will hopefully have a little more energy than yesterday. I was suffering from lack of yoga and we moved so incredibly slow. Thanks to those who came out. It was a very intimate class and I LOVED it.

You guys, this week is the Austin Yoga Festival. Check out the link. It's $40.00 for two days or $25.00 for one day. I'll be headed out there on Saturday afternoon to check out the scene. Should be interesting. It's non-stop classes.

With that, I'll say namaste. I'll check in after the fest.

Sunday 10/2

2011-10-01T07:34:00.001-07:00

I'll be at the Brentwood Slab on Sunday, 9am. Be there to join in a nice, slow and easy class. Namaste.

Thursday Class Cancellation!

2011-09-28T15:59:00.000-07:00

The reports say that it will be 102 on Thursday so I'm cancelling the class after school on Thursday. I know the temps are dropping and I'm willing to wait for it. Check back to see if I reschedule for Friday afterschool. It turns out that it could be a good time for me since Jake is taking tennis from 3-4pm.

Sorry for the indecision. I have reached the age where heat isn't cute or funny anymore. It's just miserable.

This Week!

2011-09-27T09:15:00.000-07:00

I'm racing out the door but just wanted to update this week:

Kinder-1st with a couple of 2nd graders (you know who you are)...will start Wednesday, 9/28. I'll be picking up the kiddos and playing yoga till 4:15pm. Emails have been sent.

Thursday 9/29 at 3pm we continue my free-for-all, off the top of my head class at Brentwood Elementary Slab under the covered tarp. Come join in on the fun.

Sunday 10/2 at 9am we will enjoy our morning with yoga at the Covered Slab at BW Elementary. Don't miss it. You will be guaranteed to feel good!

Toodleooooooooo!

Amendment for Sunday 9/25

2011-09-21T09:57:00.000-07:00

Class will be cancelled this Sunday as I'll be at the CASA Superhero Run. Please join us.

SUPERHERO'S RUN FOR KIDS!

2011-09-21T08:37:00.000-07:00

Ola to everyone in yoga land. I'm excited about the cooling weather and ready to shed the sluggish behavior of Summer and invite Autumn into our lives with more opportunity for yoga. So, with that, let's talk about what is coming up.

First off, the Brentwood Yoga Club aftercare program is proving to be very popular and we will have nice chunky chock full classes this year. The kinder/1st and some 2nd will start next week, September 28th. Emails will be sent to participating parents. Then there will be a little gap as many 4th and 5th graders will be headed to the Outdoor School, then regrouping October 12th, the 2nd-5th graders will get started. This is going to be a fun season filled with meditation, asanas, breathing techniques, games, art and more.

Thursday, September 22nd, we will begin the Brentwood Mama/Teacher Yoga Social Hour, gathering at the slab at 3pm. This class will last approximately 1 hour or slightly shorter. It will be a practice in relaxing movement. Most participants are coming from hectic days so we will enjoy a slow moving, gentle class. This class will be every Thursday until it gets too cold to enjoy it. We can meet in the Art Cottage on bad days, but most of us have kids that we need to attend to while participating so I don't know how that will work. And that reminds me, children and dogs are welcome to participate.

Friday, September 23rd, we will gather at Brentwood Park proper near the pool and flow through 108 Sun Salutations. This is a spiritual, emotional and physical cleansing for the new season, celebrating the Fall Equinox. I'll admit that we do not delve too deeply into the spiritual aspects, but I might say a few things that strike a cord, and I welcome anyone to give their offerings in word or meditation. Please bring a sheet to place under your mat, water and a beverage of your choice to celebrate with afterwards. No one is expected to actually go through all 108, but your presence would be so welcome. The lovely Ashley of Acupuncture Together will be counting the salutations, thank you Ashley. Be prepared to sleep well and be sore Saturday.

To sum things up, we are all slowly getting back into the grind of the school year. It's never easy to transition and the heat, the fires and the severe lack of rain have made it difficult. But, slowly, it's happening. I heard an interesting report on willpower the other day. I found it enlightening because everyday for me is an extreme practice in willpower. If I had it my way, I'd putter all morning, drinking coffee, do 90 minutes of fun yoga, write in my journal, then maybe take a bike ride, come home and do a little housework, head to pick up Jake and socialize, then come home, order dinner out and go to bed. But, that is not the case, there are chores, and my own yoga classes, pets to be visited, yoga classes to be organized and planned, dinner to be made, homework to be enforced. For me, willpower starts with exercise. With each passing year, your body has a harder time staying in shape, so each year requires more effort to muster up the strength and energy to get to a workout, hop on the bike instead of jump in the car and choos a healthy alternative to the yummy sandwich or burger. Every morning you wake up with a full cup of willpower and slowly, as the day goes by, you pour from that cup until you have none left. By the end of the day, you have very little willpower to workout, eat proper, or turn down that 3rd glass of wine. With that said, I think it's important to practice a balanced life. This isn't just day to day, but week to week. If you can get in a workout in the morning, do it, as it will only be tougher the longer you wait. And, yes, it's important to take care of your family, but you are important too and I can't express enough how imperative it is to get your body moving. Regular exercise changes everything that you are from your attitude to your ability to stay alert and accomplish daily tasks. Remember, that during the course of your day, to give yourself little moments to refill and refuel your willpower cup. And, give yourself time during the week to spend doing what you love, just not what you are supposed to do. Don't be jealous of other people doing their "thing". Do your "thing". Get a hobby, find an obsession, grab a freakin' happiness pill. Buy tickets to fun events, INDULGE YOURSELF, go go go. Stop punishing yourself. Life is meant to be L-I-V-E-D. Live your life NOW.

Namaste.

Quick Reminder

2011-09-17T13:37:00.000-07:00

Class is on Sunday, September 18, 2011, 9am at the Covered Slab at Brentwood Elementary. Be there for fun stretches and some nice simple sun salutations.

Don't forget the afterschool mama/teacher yoga social hour starts Thursday, September 22nd at 3pm on the slab.

Yoga Mala, Friday, September 23rd, 7pm on the grass by Brentwood Pool. Bring a sheet to put under your mat.

All this is goodness and will hopefully bring you back to your center as we enter into the insanity of the fall season with all it's events and responsibilities.

Namaste and Love to all.

Just the facts Mam!

2011-09-07T08:16:00.000-07:00

Please take a moment to send healing energy to those who have suffered during this sad time in Texas History. Do what you can to help. Be grateful for what you have.


Visiting Lolly, enjoying some yoga with me.

Namaste.

This is a purely information post.
If you are thinking of giving your child the opportunity the experience of yoga afterschool at Brentwood Elementary, I am ready to start the official sign-up process. I'll be sending out forms to those parents who have expressed interest. Please contact me if your child is interested at yogadenada@gmail.com.

Classes will begin on September 28th with kinder/1st (and some 2nd graders). We will alternate with the 2nd-5th graders. Classes this year will only be 5 weeks for each age group but class will go on an extra 15 minutes allowing for art time. When you email me expressing interest I'll send you an info packet with the dates.

Brentwood Elementary Yoga Club is $60.00 for 5 weeks. This includes the practice, snack and art supplies. In addition, I CAN TAKE CREDIT CARDS...woohoo. Credit card payments have a $5.00 fee and the processing name is Reddogbetty Petcare.

Class offerings are as follows:
*please bring canned goods on Sunday to donate to the Girl Scout drive for victims of local fires.
**always check the calendar tab as I try to update that frequently.

Sunday, 9-10:15am. Yoga at the Covered Basketball Courts at Brentwood Elementary. This class is a bit more strenuous and we pop our Vinyasas in regularly. Lots of hip-opening and body strengthening. Please bring a blanket, a yoga mat and water (and a block if you are particularly tight). By-donation only.

The following class will begin on September 22nd.
Thursday, 3-4pm. Brentwood's Mama and Teacher Yoga Social Hour. This is an afterschool class for moms and teachers. It's a free-form class based on how I'm feeling that day. Some classes will be more strenuous, others move slow. It's the Yoga Gamble. Please bring a blanket, a yoga mat and water (and a block if you are particularly tight). By-donation only.

YOGA MALA, September 23rd, 7pm till finished. Come join us for a celebration of the Fall Equinox, welcoming the change of season by performing 108 Sun Salutations. We will gather at Brentwood Park near the pool area. Please bring a blanket and/or sheet, a yoga mat and water. It is not necessary that you perform all sun salutations. You can simply sit and meditate. We will have some social time afterwards. No donation, just community spirit.

The following class will begin on October 21st.
3rd Friday Evening Social Yoga Gathering, 7pm (time may change depending on sunset). Come on out to enjoy some yoga in the evening and hang out with your neighbors afterwards. The intention is to enjoy the seasonal changes and maybe have the opportunity to bundle up and do some yoga in cooler temperatures. This will be a smooth and easy enjoyable class, just lengthening and stretching through a mildly intermediate class. We may have visiting teachers too. Then after, hanging on out blankets, we can enjoy some wine, chai, hot chocolate, your preference. Please bring a blanket, a yoga mat and water (and a block if you are particularly tight). By-donation only.

Thank you for your interest in Yogadenada. Blessings to you and your family.

Labor Day, Aftercare, On-line Yoga Classes, OH MY!

2011-08-30T11:01:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone. I'm really trying to build a steady stream of posts and encourage everyone to sign up to receive emails when I post. I'm trying to stay away from sending out emails so that those who don't want to get them, won't. If you sign up to receive emails from blogger when I post, then you have made a conscious decision to be harassed with my yogic annoyisms. Just look to the right of the page and sign up.


Me being silly!

Things are going great here at the Fried Yoga Studio. I have been doing some yoga at home and making an effort to make it to Castle Hill on 12th and Lamar to attend Mandy Eubanks Anusara classes. She will be teaching Monday's, Tuesday's and Thursday's in September and she's only around till Christmas then she moves away. Mandy has such grace in her teaching. I had truly become burned out by the Yoga CULTure in Austin and being around her and her students made me realize that there are real people out there taking yoga classes like me and you. So, I'll do my best to share what I learn, but she uses lots of props and we don't have them at the Yoga Studio of the Fresh Air and Sunshine.

O.K. on to business. I am canceling the class on Sunday before Labor Day. I have my cousin coming into town and lots of pet-sittings and it seems a good idea to not tax myself on the situation. I will be back and ready to go Sunday, September 11th. In addition, I am gearing up to start the Brentwood Mama & Teacher Yoga Social Hour on Thursdays from 3-4pm. We will watch to see if this Tropical Depression may bring us lower temps. I'll let you know next week. Please mark September 23rd, evening Yoga Mala for the Fall Equinox. Details to come.

For those of you interested in the Brentwood Elementary Aftercare Program, otherwise known as the Brentwood Elementary Yoga Club, please know that I am patiently waiting for administration to let me know when the aftercare clubs will begin. At this point, I am safely approximating that I will run a 10 week program. This will consist of 5 weeks for K-1st grades alternating with 5 weeks of 2-5th grades. Second graders tend to get split based on their maturity levels so I do have some 2nd graders who like to hang with the kinder/first. It's more fun there sometimes. Classes will still be on Wednesdays and Mrs. Anderson has been gracious to offer her Blue Portable. The new and exciting news is since it's only 5 weeks for each group, I'm adding approximately 15 minutes to each class to make time for a small, simple art project....coloring, jewelry beading, meditation owls are some of the ideas. If you are interested in your child participating in this program, please contact me at yogadenada@gmail.com. I am most likely going to have up to 12 children in each class. Rates will continue to be $60.00 per child and please provide your child with a yoga mat.

Finally, if you are finding it difficult to get out to enjoy yoga classes between my one class weekly, I'd like to encourage you to check out a few websites. I just recently signed up for YogaGlo.com and there is another one called Yogis Anonymous. You can set up your mat and drag your laptop over or set up in front of your computer and get an awesome class. And like always, I have TONS of suggestions for yoga videos. No reason to not practice everyday! Yea!

In closing, remember to take small moments in your day to just simply breath. Readjust. Realign. Check in and see what your back is doing, are you slumping, have you stopped breathing completely. Oxygen does a world of good. Haha. Open your ribcage with breath. Breathe into your heart and release. Forgive one person a day. Namaste.

Sunday Morning, lala, lalalala......

2011-08-27T20:36:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow morning, Sunday, August 28th, I'll be down at the Brentwood Elementary slab, 9am-10am, teaching my own special brand of comedy yoga. Check out how I can touch my chin to my shin and make fun of myself at the same time. Please come on out. You'll be glad you did. I guarantee you will be way more loose than when you arrived and you will enjoy the rest of your day knowing that you took an hour for yourself. Namaste!

Special Request

2011-08-22T09:09:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite teachers and also the supplier of my afterschool yoga room has requested that I change the day that I offer afterschool yoga to mothers and teachers. I will officially be canceling my Thursday evening class and moving my afterschool yoga for ADULTS to Thursdays, 3-4pm.

Brentwood Elementary Yoga Club for kinder-5th will continue on Wednesdays. We are waiting on a start date from the office.

I absolutely loved and enjoyed my Thursday class, but I need to cancel something and that class had a lot of interruptions from afterschool programs occurring on campus, etc.

Hope this is all good.

Sunday, AUGUST 28TH, 9am. We will enjoy our asanas at the Slab again. See you there!

Back to School, Back to School Daze!

2011-08-17T07:33:00.000-07:00

I cannot believe it but though the dog days of summer drag on, our kids must load up their backpacks and head to school Monday morning. As another school year revs it's engines, I begin to map out what I will do with yoga over the following months. The path for me is not your typical one, it's rarely reported of yoga teachers who start up and then fizzle, but more those who embrace and embody yoga and go on to be a personal guru for someone in this culture of yoga. For me personally, I have become a little disillusioned the more I immerse myself into the business of yoga. The underbelly of the yoga market is not nearly as pretty as the beautiful yogini teaching you. I have often felt like I walked up to a beautiful home only to stroll in and realize that I can't breath and I must crawl to get into the rooms. I actually found myself slowly backing away from my personal practice the more I taught. Then, I realized that it would be most beneficial for me to back away from that aspect of yoga that didn't work for me. My biggest mistake was teaching upwards to 12 classes a week and affiliating with other yoga teachers. I've never been a joiner and it didn't work for me. For some reason, the more I interacted with other teachers, the more of an outsider and hack I began to feel. So, I've slowly retreated, hiding in the bushes, catching my breath. I've enjoyed going to classes and not being a teacher, sworn off trainings (can't afford them anyway) and got back to what I love the most, practicing yoga in my home studio. I will admit, that I have truly enjoyed not teaching. But, I also do enjoy it and I love encouraging people to create a lifelong habit that can be affordable and helpful towards the daily pains of aging. Yoga is compatible with EVERYTHING, whether you kickbox, bike, run, bootcamp, etc. Yoga is like an ingredient that becomes one with whatever you are doing, pliable, like tofu. So, don't leave it out of the recipe, it will give you life longevity and truly, with the practice of good breath, bring you a sense of peace and equanimity in your mind and soul.

You choose your practice. I can't suggest enough the importance of going to studios and practicing with a well-educated teacher, even if it is only once a week. Walk in, pay a fee (Black Swan and Castle Hill are very reasonable), lay down your mat and be educated in the poses. Meanwhile, come to me for a no-nonsense, cheap and easy class. I cannot tell you whether you are always doing the right pose, where your hand should be, or why your back hurts a certain way, I don't know anatomy that well and my training is a decade old. But, I can put you through a series of poses that will make you feel better than you did when you arrived. Come play yoga with me, while I take you through my personal practice. Let's do yoga TOGETHER. I won't teach you, but rather, I'll lead and you follow.

With that said, before mapping out this year, you should know that all things are subject to change. My pet-sitting business is growing and it is a priority for me, so I'll keep everyone up to date with what we can keep doing. I appreciate everyone's support, you guys are a dream.

I'll be starting up my Donation Yoga classes again this week. Sunday classes will begin August 21st at 9am. For now that class is the only one I'm offering until it cools off. Once I get into a groove with school and it cools down just a smidge, I'll work up to Thursday nights. I'm planning on doing the Tuesday afterschool offering, but it has to cool off for that one, dramatically.

I will be offering the afterschool program at Brentwood, pending schedule changes. I'm waiting to hear how they are formalizing their offerings, you will hear from me via email on that one. As it stands, it will continue with K-1 alternating weeks with 2-5.

My Seva (donation) for the year will come in two packages that I'm very excited about doing. I am volunteering through Communities in Schools at Wooten Elementary. I will be working with my fave CIS rep, Rachel, teaching to a small group of high needs children. I will also offer to teach 20 minute segments routinely at Brentwood to classrooms with teacher interest at Brentwood Elementary. I'm hoping to teach breathing, mediation and a few awesome asanas to the children of Brentwood and hope to enlighten them to a lifelong practice.

I will not be returning to Community Yoga Austin. It's an amazing program but I just don't have the time any longer. I wanted to get that out there as I am still being introduced as a teacher for CYA. CYA does amazing things for the community. I'm so happy that they exist.

Please stay tuned for the Fall Equinox 108 "Experience". Because I have the joy of practicing outside, I enjoy celebrating the seasonal changes with Yoga Mala's. The Equinox falls on September 23rd, so I'll start working on what we can do, possibly an evening one at the park as that is a Friday, yummy.

Namaste to all, continue to practice yoga in your own way and I'll see some of you Sunday!

Summer Break

2011-07-17T12:54:00.000-07:00

After some reflection and hand-wringing and hair-pulling...I've decided to take a little summer break from teaching yoga. I will not be having any classes the rest of July through the 2nd or 3rd week of August. When I get back from Hawaii I'll post the date of classes resuming. I absolutely love teaching but I need to get out and take a lot of classes. It really helps me with my comfort level teaching.

Look forward to the Mamayoga at Brentwood continuing on Tuesdays once school starts and I'll be resuming my aftercare program for kids plus I intend to get into the classrooms (Mrs. Carter permitting) to see if I can share some yoga and meditation love in large groups.

I hope everyone has fun over the next few weeks. Try some studio yoga at Black Swan or Yoga Yoga or head out to the park for Violet Crown Yoga.

Namaste to all of you guys and I'll post pics from my Hawaii trip soon.

Class Canceled

2011-07-14T14:16:00.000-07:00

Hello. Due to the extreme heat and lack of interest and grumpy yoga teacher, we will be canceling tonite's class (Thursday, 7/14). I apologize for any inconvenience. Sunday, 9am will proceed as usual. Thanks everyone!

HELLLOOOOOOOOOO

2011-07-12T10:01:00.000-07:00

It's been awhile. I apologize. I have been busy running around acting like a socialite mom who drops her kid off at camp and then works out for hours. And, it's been fun! I have been working out at a bootcamp in the mornings and working on building my running skills. Yesterday, I did something really fun, I went to a YOGA CLASS. Yes. It's true. The anti-yoga-studio yoga teacher loaded up her mat and strutted (after getting lost a few times) into Black Swan Yoga Studio and I had a really nice hour long chill Power Yoga class. It was strenous, I sweat, I stretched, I listened to someone else talk, I zoned out, I judged, I stretched, I shavasanaed and tomorrow, I'm headed to another studio. I plan to definitely go back to Black Swan as it is a donation studio and that is right up my alley. I'm using up some passes I have to another local studio that I bid for and my 3 passes at Yoga Yoga as well. I decided it was time to shake it up and get out of my yoga room for awhile.

Meanwhile, I'm still thinking about classes at the park, building them while I walk and I have a nice Slowga planned for Thursday night. All this working out is really making me appreciate yoga and more importantly, helping me understand my tight hamstring compatriots. I'll be way more careful in the future.

As a lot of you know, I'll be leaving for Hawaii soon. I know, it's tough, but I feel it's important to do yoga on the beach there so I can share the experience with you. Call it "taking one for the team". Listed below are dates and classes I'll be around for and the dates I'll be gone....and finally, when I'll be back in the game.

While I'm gone, explore your practice by taking yoga from other teachers, maybe checking out Violet Crown Yoga on Saturdays at Brentwood Park or trot over to Black Swan yourself. Word on the street is you want to try to make it there during the day as classes are packed in the evening. There are tons of yoga studios in town, explore.

Don't forget to reach out and find the joy in life everyday. Don't wait for it to come to you. Don't wait for life to start to happen when you are done with your chores. It won't. Live life fully everyday and take a risk. Explore that hobby that you have been putting off, jump on your bike, learn how to play the guitar, skydive, skateboard, smile at a stranger and call someone you haven't seen in a while that you miss. Life is precious. Don't let another second dissipate without fully experiencing the moment. Namaskar (in honor of the beautiful Sloan). May Shanti live in your mind, your words, your heart, your soul.

Washin' out the yoga mats!

Class Schedule:
Thursday, 7.14, Slowga at the Platform
Sunday, 7.17, Hatha Vinyasa Love at the Slab
Thursday, 7.21, Slowga at the Platform
Sunday, 7.24, Hatha Vinyasa Love at the Slab
No Classes: 7.28, 7.31, 8.4, 8.7
Thursday, 8.11, Back on track with Slowga

Summer Solstice Yoga Mala

2011-06-18T09:59:00.000-07:00

Sunday morning, June 19th at 8am. A small group of us will meet at the Brentwood Elementary Covered Slab for a session of 108 Sun Salutations to celebrate the Summer Solstice which occurs on Tuesday, June 21st. This is very fitting for this group of ladies as we continue to do yoga outside through all the seasons Thursday evenings and Sunday mornings. We have been wonderfully comfortable, rained on (I know, not in awhile), blown away, covered from head to toe in hoodies, skull caps and fingerless gloves and finally, but most prevalent, sweating our bohineys off. I think I can comfortably say we have loved it and relished in it. It's only fitting that we would persevere and introduce each season with the required 108 Sun Salutations drawn from the process of a counting beds for a mantra or chant. There are numerous reasons why we do 108 which I'll expound on during the Mala on Sunday. I'm excited to do this as last Spring we had a blast, giggled, complained, moaned, whined, laughed and went home sore and beat up. But with a sense of accomplishment and community in our hearts.

I'd like to take this moment to apologize to all the Father's out there and all the awesome wives out there who chose not to come out because of the mala. We had this set and were surprised when we realized it was on Father's Day, but to be honest, I would have had the class anyway, so we are actually getting done earlier.

What do you need for the mala? Comfortable clothing that moves with your body. Water. A blanket to pad under your mat. Your yoga mat. A health bar maybe. A sense of humor. Flexibility. Happiness in your heart. Hope. The guts to say, "I need to lay here in child's pose for a bit". And the stamina to get out of bed and get your butt down to the park. NO MONEY. This is for fun, not profit.

If you can't make it, we will do one in the Fall too, so no worries.

Classes will be as scheduled this week:
Sunday, June 20th, 8am, Yoga Mala at Brentwood Covered Slab
Thursday, June 23rd, 7pm, Slowga at the wooden platform of Brentwood Elementary
Sunday, June 26th, 9am, Vinyasa Mama Fun at the Brentwood Covered Slab
NO CLASSES ON JULY 3RD. I'M GONE BABY GONE.

Namaste.

Understanding your limits!

2011-06-06T07:27:00.000-07:00

I'd like to get started by saying right off the bat that I have decided TO CANCEL THE Children's Yoga Camp at my house this summer. I think that can kickstart the whole concept of what this post will encompass.

Also, a few announcements:

SLOWGA, THURSDAY, at the PLATFORM: 7-8PM. I am doing my taxes that day so watch facebook incase I have to push a little later.

VINYASA FUN in the natural heat of the morning, SUNDAY, at the BRENTWOOD ELEMENTARY SLAB. LOVE IT.

SUMMER SOLSTICE YOGA MALA, June 19th, 6:30am at Brentwood Park. Breakfast afterwards at a local diner to be decided.

Thank you to everyone who continues to come out and play during these classes. The fun I have at these is not something I can put a value on. It's important that you all understand that it is fun, and if it's not, we shouldn't be doing it.

And to get started.............
Over the last few months I have been slowly backing away from a career in yoga and embracing the hobby of yoga. During the last year I jumped head first (without the dive arms) into yoga with truly nothing more than a decade old certification, a curiosity about poses, sanskrit and anatomy and a lot of time on my hands. Simultaneously, I also started a pet-sitting business. Slowly, I watched the two develop and what I discovered was interesting. First, even though there are a multitude of yoga teachers in this town, there are tons of specialties in the world of yoga and so there is always a need. I also found that my particular brand of yoga could be fun for the alternative types of yoga needs. In the last year I have had the pleasure, the distinct pleasure I might add, of teaching autistic children, ADHD children, troubled teens, high-risk elementary children, geriatric yoga, Safeplace counselors, adults who are extremely tight (ie. Stiffman Yoga), adults who are uptight (hah), and really amazing mothers and women in my neighborhood (notice they aren't bunched with the uptights, who were a completely different crowd...). Wow. How lucky am I?

Meanwhile, on the other side of my life, my pet-sitting business had grown and bumbled along. Literally, the forgotten stepchild, I have not done any advertising and have hardly done anything to sustain the business. Primarily, I took my heart 500% to every single house I visited and word-of-mouth is a powerful marketing tool.

Over time, my ego grew with the yoga, my soul was a little drained, and I was exhausted hauling myself from place to place, going through asanas and meditations. But, my bank account was padded with the pet-sitting business. I found myself rushing pets so I could get to yoga classes. It was on one of those busy days when I began to realize that things needed to be put into perspective. I loved yoga, but I was starting to feel it was a "have-to" not a "get-to" and what I truly wanted to do was build the pet-sitting business. Because, it was regenerative. My heart was full when I walked away from a sitting. Sometimes, my ego was devastated after a class.

So, I started stripping layers. My dear friend Jyl, owner of Community Yoga Austin, was so patient as I would approach her with a request to drop one class, then another. I finally ended with my focus on children and my neighborhood yogi's.

I thought that it would be good for me to keep up my yoga with children over the summer holding the summer camp at my house, but I now realize that it will be a lot of pressure and once again, I'll be forsaking my own son's happiness to make other children happy. So, I've decided to take the summer off from children's yoga. I'll continue with my fun neighborhood yoga on Thursdays and Sundays but the rest is going on a shelf.

Next fall, I'll start back up the afterschool program at Brentwood. I'm slowly realizing that just because you love something and you might be good enough at it to do it for money, doesn't necessarily mean you have to do it.

So. With all that said, understand that when I'm out there teaching, I'm doing it because I really love yoga, I just like doing it and I've had enough life experience that hopefully, something I say, from time to time, might strike a cord of harmony in your soul and you might just get something out of it. But, also, sometimes, I may be able to do a pose, but I many know nothing about what it does for you or how to even properly get you into it. Primarily, I will always make sure that you take it easy and explore the space that your body can comfortably move through asanas.

I have so many passions and so many things I want to do and I really don't want to feel drained all the time and that is why I'm slowly stepping back and trying to enjoy life a bit. Thank you so much for taking this trip with me and I hope that we are all still gathering outside to stretch our limbs 40 years from now. And maybe, just maybe, I'll have a yoga studio or platform in my backyard by then.

Namaste, love and peace, to all of you wonderful people who read this blog and come to my classes. May you be filled with joy.

Summer is Here!

2011-06-02T11:09:00.000-07:00

Congratulations. You have just discovered the cheapest hot yoga class on the market. Come on out to my class and you will be guaranteed to sweat and you don't even have to move...yea.

My in-home yoga library.

School is out for the first day of summer and I'm gathering my wits about me and trying to adjust to summer life of less yoga teaching and more dog-sitting. But, I do intend to do LOTS of yoga and read LOTS of yoga lit. This is what I call the home-schooling method of yoga training. I wonder if I can get some credit for this. I am hoping that over the summer I will be able to bring more to my classes. Students, please keep me in check. Inquire. When you ask me a question, it makes me do research and I learn.

CLASS SCHEDULE

Donation class schedule has changed slightly, but not much.

Please note: June 2nd, Thursday, class is cancelled. I'll be back on Sunday.

Sunday's class now starts at 9am and runs approximately 1.5 hours. It's a vinyasa class and I'm working on making it a class that you basically sweat through and feel the next day. Don't forget your water.

Thursday's class will continue to go from 7-8pm sharp and I attempt to make it a class that is the opposite of Sunday. I call it Slowga and it's awesome for beginners. I encourage you to get your swim on at the Brentwood pool and slop on over to the platform with a mixture of wet/hot yoga. Ho, now that is interesting. No, seriously, I'll be at the pool at 6pm to get nice and cool before class. Come join me.

SUMMER SOLSTICE YOGA MALA
We will be conducting another yoga mala for the summer solstice and it will be just for fun's sake. We will be meeting at Brentwood Park at 6:30am on Sunday, June 19th. We will laughingly, lovingly and very goofily perform 108 Sun Salutations and then toddle off to have coffee, eggs and bacon. Yes, it's Father's Day. We will grab breakfast for dad and have it home for him by 9am. Nonetheless, start doing your sun salutations now and remember..........you will love the feeling of accomplishing it, enjoy my goofy banter and most importantly, you will be so freakin' sore the next week.

YOGA CAMP
I'll be having yoga camp at my house for six weeks, Wednesday mornings, 9:30-noon. Starting June 15th through July 20th. We will start with chatting about yoga subjects interpreted to fit a child's life, then we will do some yoga and meditation/reading. The last hour will be yoga art and snacks. I'll be able to fit 6 children into Camp Yogadenada.

The price is as follows:
*Drop-in class $25.00
*6 class commitment $120.00
*Yoga and meditation from 9:30-11am only, $15.00 (for any commitment)

Please reserve 5 days in advance for any class so I can be prepared for the number of children. Contact me at yogadenada@gmail.com.

May you find joy in the small things this summer. Embrace every day with your child (which is ironic, since I'm ignoring mine right now, whew.). Breath, swim, walk, hug, smile. And finally, explore your backyard for fun new things. See what's going on around you.

Namaste.

.

Yoga Life

2011-05-23T10:52:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone!
Today, I'm taking a break from yoga because I did something so hard yesterday and my body is needing a little time off. We had the Women's Self Defense Seminar and it was all Krav Maga. If you don't know what Krav Maga is, check out this link.

We met at the park for 2 hours of butt-kicking then transitioned into an awesome slow yoga class. I really enjoyed the morning and felt like I had earned my popcorn when we went to see THOR. We will most likely do it again in the next few months so stay tuned and don't miss it. If you are interested in trying out Krav Maga for self-defense, head over to Fit and Fearless. Parker teaches a class on the first Saturday of the month for free. Can't beat that.

Ok. This week, on Wednesday, the 2nd-5th graders will be having their LAST class for the Spring. Please remember to send yoga mats and water bottles and we will be having CUPCAKES and just playing around with yoga centers, or letting the girls teach me some yoga. It's casual and fun.

As I mentioned last week, I will be holding a yoga camp this summer. It will be Wednesday mornings from 9:30-noon at my house on Redlands. It will start June 15th and run every Wednesday for 6 weeks. Last class will be July 20th. I'll be offering yoga, meditations, reading, snack and clean yoga arts & crafts. My age group is 6-11ish, based on maturity level and desire and I can't have more than 6. Jake will be here, so that should make it highly entertaining. My rate will be $25.00 per class on a drop-in (please reserve a week in advance) or $120.00 for the whole 6 weeks.
****LET ME KNOW IF YOU ARE INTERESTED****, so I can get a read on how busy it will be.

Ok. So, I've been dawdling all morning, as I'm starting to shed a lot of responsibilities and allowing myself to breath a bit. So, let me wrap this up real quick.

Thursday's Class, 5/26, 7-8pm is ON. Please come out and stretch, breath and renew.

Sunday's Class, 5/29, is ON, ***TIME HAS CHANGED***. Class is officially 9-10:15am all summer. We can get in, get hot, get stretched and get on with our day. Yea!

Next Thursday, 6/2 is cancelled because to be honest, I want to lay around and be lazy with my kiddo. It's the first day of summer break. That's right.

So, after that, we should keep a nice beat for awhile.
Note: These classes are all donation based from $5.00-$10.00 and please bring yoga mat, water bottle, your kids, your dogs, your happiness, your husband, your wife, your mom, whatever makes it work for you!

And, to wrap up with a few notes:

If you are feeling steamy this summer and thinking you just can't take another moment....go to Barton Springs. It will cure what ails you.

If you are feeling cramped and cornered.....take a bike ride. You would be surprised how quickly you rediscover your youth on two wheels.

If you are feeling insane in the head, monkey mind has taken over.....B-R-E-A-T-H-E. When I talk about breathing I don't mean that shallow quick breathing. Challenge yourself to inhale for 10 seconds, then exhale 10 seconds. Feel it in your belly and the lower part of your spine. Let the breath explore you. Go slow. Go with the flow. Release. Revive. Renew. Come back to center. Lift your arms wide, then flow down to the ground and let your head hang.

Look around you and appreciate the life you have. And if you can't, then make an effort to change that which is holding you back.

And remember to FORGIVE. Holding on to anger is the greatest weight you can bear. Releasing and forgiving with allow you to feel light and free and happy and at peace.

Namaste.

Updates

2011-05-11T09:54:00.000-07:00

THURSDAY NIGHT (5/12) IS CANCELED AS JOEL IS OUT OF TOWN.

I wanted to shoot out a quick recap of my email for those who aren't getting them.

I want to thank everyone for all of your support over this school year. I am not sure why, but I've been feeling a little exhausted so I'm just making a concerted effort to pull back a bit and hit the reset button. It's important in our lives to keep our obligations and our passions in check and realize what constitutes "have to's" versus "want to's". In my life I have been that ornery person who didn't care what other people think and some how I've swung the pendulum all the way over to the type of person who over cares, cares to deeply. I'm trying to find some center here. So, bear with me as I work out a schedule that fills me with joy when I hit the mat.

During my recent time with the lovely Ashley at Acupuncture Together she reminded me of the importance of aligning with myself. I totally and completely love yoga and love sharing it but at points this school year I was up to 11 classes in a week and that is truly more than I want. I have slowly started shedding classes and with each class there was a true sigh of relief. Finally, I'm looking at 3 classes this summer with some drop-in's for Community Yoga and I can feel like breathing again and enjoying a personal practice. I can't bring anything to anyone when I'm not practicing on my own.

Meanwhile, I'm able to build my pet-sitting business which is a perfect match for my business head and professional need. Plus, it's a service I'm happy to offer and I can give a bit more on the yoga end. With that said, below are how things will flow over the summer. I plan to change class times in June on Thursday and Sunday and from time to time I will offer a free class near or at the pool.

Don't forget to mark your calendars for June 12th, early morning Yoga Mala and breakfast afterwards, though it's a little sketchy being Father's Day. We will figure it out.

TUESDAY AFTERNOON FREE YOGA is canceled until next fall.

THURSDAY NIGHT (5/12) IS CANCELED AS JOEL IS OUT OF TOWN.

The kid's summer camp is shaping up as follows:
Wednesday mornings, 9:30-noon. Fun chatter, yoga, meditation, story-telling and clean art (haha). At my home. 2.5 hours for $25.00 dollars. Ages 6-10 (with some understanding of ages, I'm not that strict). But I am on the number of kids. I think 6 is my max. I'll be starting it up around June 15th-July 20th. Please email me with questions. I realize this is for the kiddos who have a really flexible schedule.

Over the course of the early part of June you may see some cancellations of classes as I regroup for the summer and prepare to have a busy pet-sitting time, which I hope grows into a busy fall. I'll be sure to post that early. In the meantime, I look forward to continuing with my classes as follows:

Thursdays will most likely move to 8-9pm at some point after the end of May.
For now: THURSDAYS AT THE PLANK, 7-8PM.

Sundays will most likely move to 9-10:15pm.
For now: SUNDAYS AT THE BRENTWOOD SLAB, 11-12:15PM.

SUNDAY, MAY 22ND, 9-11AM
Womens Self Defense Seminar focusing on KRAV MAGA. Come join us for some self defense maneuvers that will make you feel a bit more self confident when roaming the neighborhood or local Wal-Mart.
We will have a chill yoga class afterwards, 11-NOON.
Donations of $5.00-$10.00 for the trainer.
If this appeals to you, let me know by commenting on this blog. We are trying to get a head count.

Namaste all.

Yoga Today

2011-05-03T10:46:00.000-07:00

Will not be at Northwest Pool. It's a little chilly. Please meet us at Brentwood Elementary covered basketball courts (the slab) for class at 3pm. Fun.

Bodhichitta

2011-04-26T07:50:00.000-07:00

Bodhichitta is a sanskrit word that means open, noble or awakened heart. We all need it to survive. I've been very.....slowly.....reading Pema Chodron's "Comfortable with Uncertainty". I got it at Brentwood Elementary's Used Book Sell (Thanks Andrea). I've been alternating between this book and another one called "A Million Little Pieces" by James Frey. The 2nd book is about the author's six week trip through rehab. It's so intense and you might think that there is no correlation, but you would be wrong. I've been fortunate in my life to combine books like this and from time to time little miracles happen. In this case, James disregards the whole 12-step theory and jumps on the Tao Te Ching as a process of rehabilitation from his extremely heavy use of drugs and alcohol. I've learned so much during this book from his experience with both the Tao Te Ching and his experience in rehab.

Back to Pema, she talks about bodhichitta and a few things that really struck me were the sense that during your trip down yoga lane, your path to enlightenment, you have to remember that enlightenment doesn't necessarily mean rising above all that is dark, all those places of suffering. Becoming enlightened does not mean transcending that which brings you pain and makes your heart suffer but instead your journey should descend into turbulence, experiencing reality, insecurity and pain. As a teacher of yoga, it would do none of us any good if I were to be someone who doesn't experience life because I've transcended to a place of no worries or no pain. Instead, I can be better for you, relating to those who suffer at whatever level, whether it's poverty or heartache. I was moved by her passage in her book on this topic because it really struck home. And I hope to dedicate myself to the passage below as a way of life.

"Wherever we are, we can train as a warrior. Our tools are sitting meditation, tonglen, slogan practice, and cultivating the four limitless qualities of loving-kindness, compassion, joy, and equanimity. With the help of these practices, we will fin the tenderness of bodhichitta in sorrow and in gratitude, behind the hardness of rage and in the shakiness of fear".
--Pema Chodron

And on with the Way of Yogadenada. Classes are ever changing around here so please see below for updates:

Tuesday's FREE class at Brentwood Elementary Basketball Courts at 3pm will be ending today..if we can survive the heat. We will be proceeding with a 30 minute class during the month of May at Northwest Pool. Should be fun. This class will end for the summer and start back up next fall.

Thursday's evening class at the Brentwood Platform continues at 7pm. Slow and Easy.

My lovelies at the Park. Thursday Evening.

Sunday's class, this week only, May 1st, will be at 9am. We will see what kind of showing we get that early. I have a brunch to go to so I needed to get it going early. We will continue at 11am for Sunday's after this. **watch for news on Mother's Day Yoga...

Remember folks. You don't need me, you don't need a studio, you just need you and a mat. Simple sun salutation flow with some floor hugging for 20 minutes a day can change your life. If you need a video, check this blog on some back posts for good videos. Plenty of amazing ones out there. But if you love being entertained, come out to my classes. Thursday and Sunday's are donation only...which means 5-15 bucks depending on your generosity. Namaste and I love you all.

Loka Smasta Sukhino Bhavantu, Om Shan'ti.
May peace and happiness be unto the world.

YoGa IN your LIFE!

2011-04-17T07:23:00.000-07:00

Yoga. It's everywhere. Everyone is a yoga teacher these days or maybe considering a certification. Then, out of nowhere, you will meet someone who has NEVER done yoga. Amazing. As a teacher, it's easy to struggle with identity when all around you are people who are studying, taking classes, learning and doing more and more. It's easy to spin yourself into a flurry of "what I need to do's". There are tons of training opportunities...children's yoga, yoga therapy, yoga for athletes, laughter yoga, everything you can dream of yoga. Finding a niche is beneficial. Identifying with what you do well and what you love is important. I've been spending time thinking about these things and really embracing my love of children's yoga and how I can spread that love. If you work with children, do you want to know how to integrate yoga into your classroom, at whatever format. Sharing the methods of yoga, whether it be in the asana mode of activity or the more peaceful mode of meditation, can be truly beneficial for children in their everyday activities. I've learned that teaching them how to be active and how to slow down can help them in their everyday lives. And, kids are fun! Stay tuned for more opportunities to give your children yoga and, if you are interested, to teach your children yoga....meanwhile, classes are below.

TODAY. Sunday, April 17th. I'll be at the Brentwood Covered Basketball Courts doing some wonderful vinyasa from 11am-12:30pm...please come....Donations are welcome.

We will continue this week with our Tuesday 3pm class that is free in the same location. This class is 45 minutes long and is usually a nice mix of slow flow and vinyasa. This class is often a surprise to even me.

Thursday nights continue at the wooden platform between the 100 and 200 wing of the west side of Brentwood Elementary. This class tends to go slow and is a wonderful class for beginners. Classes are currently 7-8pm. Donations are welcome.

Namaste and Peace out!

Thursday Night Yoga

2011-04-14T08:00:00.001-07:00

Tonite, Thursday 4/14, 7-8pm, at the platform between 100 & 200 wings of Brentwood Elementary, we will go through very simple, slow yoga....to accommodate for having not done yoga for awhile and my soreness....good chance to come out if you are a beginner.......bring blanket, mat and water....slow and groovy. I might even bring some tunes....maybe.....

Classes Canceled

2011-04-05T19:29:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone. I've canceled the following classes:
Thursday, April 7th
Sunday, April 10th.

Will see you at Tuesday's class, 3pm.

Please note that Thursday classes have changed to 7pm and Sunday is currently starting at 11am till further notice....

Namaste.

Exhale....Inhale......!

2011-03-28T11:54:00.000-07:00

Hello. One of the things I'll be saying during the course of this class is B-R-E-A-T-H! And that suggestion is welcome. "Oh, I forget, thanks so much for reminding me." participants will say. But, when I am asking you to breathe, I'm not just talking about the simple act of bringing in a bit of oxygen and letting it out quickly. I'm talking about a deep exhalation of stale air, carrying with it the bits of stress and unpleasantness of a bad day or a low moment. I'm talking about a refreshing, lung-expanding, chest broadening inhalation of brand new oxygen filled with hope and possibility. So, the next time you are in your home practicing to a video or your own well-thought out personal practice.... the next time you are at a studio or maybe with me at the park, please remember to inhale slowly and deeply, brimming your belly and the chest with an unfulfilled dream that could just become a reality. Stop for a moment and cherish the breath. Then, slowly release, letting go of not only that carbon dioxide that feeds the trees and plants in our garden, but also go ahead and let go of self-doubt and hopelessness. Revive. Renew.


Just a pretty picture to gaze at....breath.

This weeks classes are a little different, so just wanted to make sure you know....

Tuesday afternoon, March 29th: As always, anyone who can or wants to, meet us at the covered basketball courts at Brentwood Elementary at 3pm for 45 minutes of frivolous laughter and silliness while we move our bodies into different asanas.

Wednesday evening, March 30: At 7pm we will meet at the Platform on the Yates side of Brentwood Elementary between the 100 and 200 wings for a little sunset yoga. One hour of slow moving asanas combined with some fun talk on love, life and children.

NO CLASS THURSDAY, March 31: My son is reluctantly participating in the school choir performance and I must attend so I can heckle him and watch him scowl from the stands.

Sunday, lovely Sunday, April 3rd: I have two offerings for you crazy yoga addicts who can't get enough of it. Haha...or for some of you who like to practice in the evening.
11a-12:30p, at the covered basketball courts, we will move our bodies in an invigorating vinyasa fun and slow it down in a relaxing yin.
6-7p, at Rain Lilly Farm, class fundraiser for Community Yoga. Sleepy Hatha Flow, enabling you to slither home and relax with a glass of wine and a hot bath afterwards.

Come out and join, enjoy, participate and experience.

Namaste.

Wow, that was fun.

2011-03-21T07:43:00.000-07:00

Getting ready, we can do it!

We had so much fun on Sunday during the Community Yoga Mala. We laughed, sweat and groaned our way through 108 Sun Salutations, some modified, ending with a few nice asanas (counting them as Sun Salutations). We were able to scrounge up $135.00 for CYA and are all the more sore and Spring happy for it. It's a good time for all!

Yummy Shavasana


Thanks to Sondra, we got a good pic of the moon...


Wow! Full Moon Saturday, March 19th.


With the wicked Hipstomatic App.

We are back up and moving with classes this week. Tuesday's Free class at Brentwood starts at 3, for a nice 45 minute tone-up. Thursday's class has moved to 6:30 for a nice one hour vinyasa easy flow. This class ends promptly at 7:30. I will be going to a family reunion on Sunday so there will be no class this Sunday.

As I sit here today, I feel sore all over from the many Sun Salutations but I also feel a strong sense of happiness to be surrounded by so many wonderful people. A true sense of well-being engulfs me and I am so aware of the truly beneficial aspects that yoga brings to your life, physical, spiritual and emotional. I look forward to another opportunity to practice a mala with my friends and hope to attend one as well.

Namaste to you all and enjoy the pics of the SUPER MOON and our Mala. And, click on my Title to get to CYA's website and donate if you so wish. Thanks.

It's upon US!

2011-03-19T08:29:00.000-07:00

The Community Yoga Austin benefit Yoga Mala is upon us. We will be starting a noon sharp at the Brentwood Neighborhood Park just North of Brentwood Elementary between Arroyo Seco and Yates. We will practice 108 Sun Salutations and if you can't do that, just come on out and lay around on your mat and do your best. There will be a multitude of modifications and variations. We plan to have a community potluck afterwards so please bring a picnic offering and drinks, plates, etc for you and yours. We would love to see kids and dogs doing Sun Salutations as well. The more energy the better as we hope to invoke Peaceful Energy on this wonderous Full Moon and Spring Solstice. There will be a dog fair starting at 2pm so lots of fun to be had. Join us!

Sun Salutations...all day!

2011-03-11T15:53:00.000-08:00

Hey all. Don't forget that we will be gathering together to practice 108 Sun Salutations on Sunday, March 20th, 12 noon at Brentwood Park. We will take about 2 hours of fun, laughter, groans, and silliness to get through it. We will celebrate the Spring Solstice and express intentions for hope and then proceed to fold, hold, lift up and stretch, 108 times. A potluck picnic will ensue afterwards, so bring something yummy.

Word is that there will be a Dog Fair in Brentwood Proper so I'll post that day as to where we will be. Most likely we will move over to the Arroyo Seco/Brentwood side of the Brentwood Elementary Playground field (East of the Blue Portable). Look for the red wagon and yoga mats.

Please donate $10.00 (if you can) to Community Yoga Austin that day or online. If you can't, then please join us and send good thoughts of prosperity to a wonderful cause...teaching children and adults to bring peace and harmony to the world one breath at a time.

Questions...email yogadenada@gmail.com.

Don't forget that there are no classes on the following dates:
Sunday, March 13th
Tuesday, March 15th
Thursday, March 17th

So, now is the time to challenge yourself and continue to practice your Uttanasana, your Plank Asana, your Chaturanga, your Cobra, your Down Dog, Adho Mukha Svanasana....Keep it up. You can do it.

Namaste....off to ride horses and breath some fresh panhandle air!

Yogadenada Yoga!

2011-03-07T09:32:00.000-08:00

It was awesome meeting so many new people yesterday at Community Yoga's First Sunday event at Brentwood. I was so lucky to teach so many wonderful people and really enjoyed myself. If you find yourself here at this blog and are wondering when my next class is...please check the Calendar tab. I try to keep that calendar up-to-date. And don't hesitate to fan or like me on Facebook as that is quick and up to the minute.

Namaste Folks.

Don't Hesitate

2011-02-28T09:33:00.000-08:00

If you have ever thought about yoga, now is the time. The weather is beautiful and there are a number of classes I teach at the local park in Brentwood/Crestview. Please see the calendar tab for a list of times and locations. All classes are outside, free or small donation so nothing is stopping you. And, I'm happy to go on and on about yoga videos and creating a space in your home and I'd love to come to your home and help you find a space and make it yours. I've done yoga in hotel rooms, 400 sq. ft apartments and smaller rooms, all with child and dogs and husband crawling all over me. Don't let ANYTHING stop you from your daily practice.

Well, it's that time again. I'll be teaching a yoga class from noon to
1:30pm on Sunday at the Covered Basketball Courts in the Brentwood Elementary
School Playground (NOT the smaller courts in the Brentwood Park proper). We
call this First Sunday and its purpose is to benefit an organization called
COMMUNITY YOGA AUSTIN.

Community Yoga provides yoga to children and adults who do not have the means
financially or otherwise to access it and often don't know what it entails.
It's an opportunity to teach everyone how to de-stress, come back to center and
gain a more meaningful and comfortable way of getting their body fit. I
personally teach groups as close as Wooten and North Loop for CYA.

Please come out with your yoga mat, a blanket and some water and get yourself
some yoga. All proceeds go to CYA and if you don't have any jingle, please
don't hesitate to come out. YOU DESERVE YOGA TOO.

Sample of a Sun Salutation...borrowed from the WWW.

AND WHILE YOU ARE HERE......MARK THE DATE. Sunday, March 20th, noon-3pmish.
Community Yoga Mala.......
I would like to invite you and your nearest and dearest friends to an event at
Brentwood Park. It's a celebration of the Spring Equinox. We will be
practicing or attempting to practice 108 Sun Salutations. This is not a
challenge but more of a spirited effort. We will gather our mats in a circle,
throw out an intention of hope for the Spring and proceed to go through 108 Sun
Salutations, then wrap it up with a nice shavasana (restful nap state). If you
don't know what a Sun Salutation is, have never done one, etc. all is good. If
you need to lay on your mat and watch us, that's fine...join when you can. I'm
hoping to get 108 people out there in an effort to drive awareness and donations
towards Community Yoga Austin. So, bring some jingle, help out a cause, get some
peaceful breathing and movement and celebrate Spring.

Please bring a picnic basket and we will have a nice gathering afterwards.
Kids, family, all is welcome. Let's celebrate..

Namaste Folks!

Outdoor Classes Starting Up

2011-02-18T10:17:00.000-08:00

Namaste everyone! I just wanted to send out a quick note letting all of you know that the weather is warming up and we are on our way to really picking up the outdoor classes. This week, barring no unforseen circumstances, I will be offering the following:

2/20, Sunday: Noon to 1:30pm at the Brentwood Elementary Covered Basketball Courts. DONATION. Nice long class filled with lots of Sun Salutation Variations, circulating and twisting and lengthy holds. You might be sore after this one.

2/22, Tuesday: Afterschool yoga from 3-3:45pm to all parents, teachers, community members and children (chaperoned) at the Brentwood Elementary Covered Basketball Courts. FREE. We will surf through sun salutations, nice lengthening asanas and tons of interruptions, laughter, bitching and mamahoodness.

2/24, Thursday: 6-7pm at the wooden platform on the Yates side of Brentwood Elementary between the 100 and 200 wing. DONATION. This is a nice flow of sun salutations with plenty of upper body warm-ups and lots of seated forward folds. This class ends with candlelit shavasana and it is truly beautiful.

I'll be out of town on the 27th, so no class that day.

Lot's of opportunity to get your yoga on and I hope that you come out and enjoy our time together. I love to share what I get out of yoga and I hope that you always keep in mind that your body is the wisest teacher, I'm simply leading you. And more importantly, it's not where you are going or where you have been, whether in life or yoga, but where you are RIGHT NOW. Live the moment as passionately as possible.

Yoga Videos I Love

2011-02-04T10:53:00.000-08:00

Hello Everyone. Welcome Back. It's been awhile since I posted. Christmas and my son's birthday have kept me swamped and there is not much outdoor yoga going on currently, so it was easy to get lazy. This can happen during a yoga practice as well if you are the type of person who leans towards decadence and indulgence.....no finger pointing. Most people know that I enjoy having a good time and I'm a bit lazy. I do try to get in atleast a 40 minute practice everyday (outside of the numerous classes I teach) and studies have shown that 30 minutes of yoga everyday is much more beneficial than 2 hours twice a week. It's literally impossible to find a studio that would charge you half-price for a 30 minute class and who wants to trek out of their home for a short bit of exercise anyway. Believe me when I tell you that if you have space for a yoga mat anywhere in your home and access to a dvd player or computer in any format (such as a traveling dvd player) you can pop out some yoga. The following are 3 yoga videos I love for their short classes and awesome style:

Shiva Rea, Daily Energy, Vinyasa Flow Yoga. This video is a classic Shiva with lots of flow and creative movement. The segments are designated earth, water, fire, chakra and others. You can literally do a quickie 20-minute earth, water, fire, etc. class or you can combine it with a warm-up and forward folds and then shavasana for a 35 minute class. You can also stack the 20 minute classes and get an hour or longer class. The matrix allows you to build your classes anyway you like. There is an awesome ab section as well. This video is not for beginners, so you definitely want to check it out before you practice with it. Shiva does things differently and I've found that my hub doesn't enjoy doing her videos as much since they have a goddess feel to them. Oooops, did I say Joel does yoga. He does not do yoga...sorry. If you want to warm up, get a good workout, tune in, and have some flexibility with your time, this is a great video to have around the house.

Pure and Simple Yoga with Eoin Finn. Eonn Finn is a quiet kind of yoga superstar. Most people I speak to have never heard of him, though last time I was at Lululemon, I noticed they had his videos there. He's super cool, very yoga talented and he has a gift with words. He really knows how to motivate you and inspire you to chill out. This video has a beginners option that I have never tried but the intermediate gets you warm and strong. Surya Namaskar A and B, then some twisting, ab work and back bends. It's a solid 40 minute workout. This is Joel's favorite yoga video. Wait, I'm sorry, Joel doesn't do yoga. And it's in his rotation on a regular basis. It's a must have and if you like longer workouts, try his other Yoga for Happiness videos. They run up to 1.5 hours. Eoin is pure goodness.

The way cool Bryan Kest.

Bryan Kest's Power Yoga. So, I'm a little late in the game on this one. This one came out in the mid 90's which is funny because when I put it in I thought "who the hell is this guy with the long rocker hair and blue jean shorts". As it turns out, his look has changed a lot since then (see pic). Bryan Kest is amazing. He is truly the people's yoga guru. He constantly says "it's not about whether you are doing the pose right but whether if feels good"...something I truly believe. He has 3 segments, Energize, Tone and Sweat. Each one is approximately 45 minutes, I haven't timed it. I've only done the Energize so far but I loved it and this is something a beginner could definitely groove on doing and learning. Be prepared. There are a lot of dudes and duddess's with interesting attire. Just close your eyes and move with his voice. He's so righteous and if you go to his website you will learn how connected he is to the real aspects of yoga, not the glamour side of yoga. He talks a lot about how it's not necessary to wrap your calf around your ear and stand on one arm while chanting (my words) but more necessary to simply do some nice, easy poses while breathing and focusing. Once again, this is all my interpretation, but I must admit, that I am infatuated. The most interesting thing about this video is that there is a young Seane Corn, yet another yoga superstar, partaking in the class as a student. Attached is a pic of the current Bryan Kest, did I mention yummy. Sorry, I meant to.

I would like to let you know, if you don't already, about the Yoga Mala I am planning for 12 noon, Sunday, March 20th, 2011, the Spring Equinox. We will be meeting at Brentwood Park to do an intention circle for the Spring and 108 Sun Salutations. Modifications will be suggested for those who aren't up for full Sun Salutations. We are going to have some fun and please don't hesitate to come out, even if you aren't ready for 108 Sun Salutations. We would love your energy. I'm hoping to get 108 people, atleast. Donations of $5.00 per person to Community Yoga Austin are encouraged. Community Yoga will have representatives around Austin celebrating the Yoga Mala in their own style, so watch for information. We hope to have some fun and get some FUNding for CYA.

FINALLY. Don't forget to come out on Sunday, February 6th for First Sunday classes. Classes are listed HERE. I will be at the Bettysport class at 11am. Donations go to Community Yoga Austin. Don't just talk about it. Do some YOGA!

Namaste Folks.

An update and a laugh!

2010-12-18T14:21:00.000-08:00

Today I got to teach a yoga class at Lululemon for the cause of Community Yoga awareness. If you haven't heard what Community Yoga is, please hit the title link for more information, or to make a donation or buy a bag. T-shirts are on the way. Community Yoga is an amazing non-profit organization that brings yoga to people who are very removed from the simple concept of breathing and stretching as a healthy form of exercise. I am so lucky to be a part of it and am very passionate about it's cause. Now that yoga has truly reached it's pinnacle of capitalistic enterprise, it can finally return to it's roots giving back in practice what it has gained in popularity and monetary value. I have to admit that I find it so much easier to teach yoga to my Com Yoga students. I always feel so much pressure to perform in a class filled with regular yoga types. I truly struggle with it and always find a tremendous amount of stress relief in humor. So, if you are someone who enjoys having a comedian as a yoga teacher, you should seriously consider coming to my classes.

I just wanted to take a moment to remind everyone that until after the New Year, all classes will be tentatively scheduled based on a temperature of 60 and above. I want to teach but yoga is hard on your muscles in the cold weather. So, we will put our best foot forward and don't forget that the Sunday class has been moved to 12 noon.

In closing I would like to share again a saying I recently heard during my lessons from the teachings of Abraham. Really interesting stuff, regardless of whether the concept is real or not, the messages can be profound.

The fastest way to get to where you want to be is to make peace with the place that you are now. Make peace with who you are and where you are. Dig up some deep peace.

Namaste.

In this time of NEED.

2010-12-13T11:01:00.000-08:00

As anyone who knows me will attest, I have an eight-year-old in my home. That guy is actually pretty cool about the upcoming season of greed, need, obligations and the classic financial suck that occurs for most people celebrating Christmas, not asking for too much. In our world much of our responsibility is to make sure to see as many smiles and hear as many laughs as possible through our own fun gift-giving. Nevertheless, this holiday does bring to mind the idea of self-reflection. What do I NEED and what do I WANT and more importantly, what do I already have that I can't buy, sell or trade. I was born with it and no one can take it from me and I can rely on it every day to get me through to the next day, week, month, year, life. So, take some time during your meditation or take some moments in your day to gaze softly out a window, sit quietly in your car, wherever, and reflect. What is it that you have that makes you strong, resilient and grounded. I have humor, love and happiness. I don't have willpower and that is o.k. I can laugh at that. I'm not necessarily that dedicated to much of anything and I'm a tad flaky. I over-commit myself then drop those same commitments like petals from a flower. Then again, I show up religiously to share my passion for yoga to every class I teach. I laugh my way through class and enjoy soaking in every moment of a person's life as they spill their story to me. I'm lucky in love, my well is full and I am so blessed. One incredible son, an amazing husband, 3 beautiful dogs and an extended family I am so fortunate to have. So, for a brief moment, look around and inside you and see what you already have. Discipline? Strength? Self-Confidence? It's all there. And then, do one downward dog, open that hip, pull your leg forward, rainbow those arms overhead and land in a strong Warrior, drawing on inner strength, deep breath and hold yourself there for a count of 5. Namaste.

Sunday, 2pm

2010-12-12T11:28:00.001-08:00

It's a little cold but I'm headed to the park at 2pm to teach my 1.5 hour hatha class. Join me if you dare. We may move around to find some sun and less wind, so follow the sun.

Thursday Night, 12/9, 6pm

2010-12-09T15:34:00.001-08:00

We are doing yoga tonite at the platform, bundle-up!

Frio Yoga

2010-11-15T07:06:00.000-08:00

We did yoga yesterday at the park and it was a bit chilly and everyone chatted about the varying degrees of how much we liked it or didn't like it. I noticed that my warmest point was during the salutation. Mine was a "Sun" Salutation, but the linked salutation to this title is much like it and they are calling it a "Moon" Salutation. No matter, yoga comes in all sizes and names and in the end it's all good. If you are chilly and you need to warm-up, whether it's inside or outside while you are waiting at the park, etc. Pop out a quick salutation. Sure, people may notice, but they will only wish they had thought of first.
I'm reading an amazing book called Punk Rock Yoga Manifesto. The best part about this book is that it's so clear and easy to read. Maybe my mind is just on the same wavelength as the author's, I love the simplicity of the words. She breaks it down into my kind of English. Kimberlee Jensen Stedl created Punk Rock Yoga in 2003 in Seattle. I discoved it pretty quickly while perusing the internet and mentioned it in my old blog about being a mama. They take yoga to public places and yes, they do listen to alternative music, not your mama's yoga, haha. I linked to her site and she emailed me to thank me. Very cool. Very Real. I've been trying to squeeze in a few pages of reading daily, not always easy. Focusing on each section and trying to relate it to my own life. In yoga there is an eight-fold path for liberation, which basically means liberation from your own personal struggles as a human (my personal interpretation). We are all seeking enlightenment, a release from inner struggle and peace in our hearts and mind. This path can help, if you are interested. The first limb is the yamas which are efforts in controlling yourself. Basically, making an effort to weave these concepts into our daily life can actually help you to conduct yourself in a way that brings less pain to you. The first yama, ahimsa which translates as non-violence or kindness in a sweeter translation, is one you can stick to and come around and around, translating in so many ways. You could focus on ahimsa towards yourself, veering away from your daily trash talking as in "my hair looks like shit", "I'm not as pretty as I used to be", "I'm fat", "I'm stupid", etc. etc. Then there is the simple act of looking the other way when someone needs something from you (I'm guilty), or saying harsh words, or even more difficult, eating meat or dairy. Reflect on kindness and your interpretation of it. Maybe smile at someone and wish them a good day. Hug someone instead of waving. Compliment instead of criticize. And, pick the bug up and release it instead of stepping on it.
I've got a busy day ahead of me, but check out the schedule at the current calendar tab. And wish me luck on my new Community Yoga class working with teenage girls. I'm excited. And, straight from Punk Rock Yoga......"Yoga is not something that you DO once a week at a studio, but rather a way of who you can BE when dealing with the world". Hold this true to your heart. Don't do yoga, BE YOGA. Namaste.

Time of Grace

2010-11-09T07:29:00.000-08:00

Claire the lovely, in namaste. Deep Meditation!

During the early Fall, I had the opportunity to spend some time doing Yoga with a couple of my favorite kiddos. My son, Jake, and his number one girl and god-sister, Claire. You can see who was taking it seriously. That Jakester likes to have a good time, but someday he will be a good Yogi, he has it in him....and he's limber, as you can see below. Teaching children yoga at this age is actually quite fun, though I'll admit, one rowdy boy can really steal the show. I'm so grateful to have discovered or realized the idea that kids would be fun to teach, because it has given me the opportunity to spend time with children in a much more informal atmosphere than the regular school day classroom, with all it's behavioral rules, learning, etc. It's fun to just hang out and get to know them. I've dabbled in the idea of becoming a teacher for years, but I keep putting it off, one....more....year.

Just call him "Meeester Limber".

Smokin' and Meditatin! (it's a straw)

Being grateful for moments of inspiration, for moments of clarity, for tangible things, for those humans in our life that give so much has been forefront in my mind. As the beautiful month of November roles into our reality, the concept of "thanks" becomes more paramount and I realized when I pondered this concept that there was a lot for me to be thankful for, but I began to see a link between so many words. Grateful, gracious, grace, thankful, thanks, all these words started rolling around in my mind. Moving and acting with grace, feeling grateful, being gracious, think about what to be thankful for in this life. Give thanks to those who give and those who can't and that which we have no true understanding, that greater essence, whatever it may be in your life, spiritual or otherwise. We all have our own sense of what is out there that is affecting our life. I believe that I'm watched over by my grandparents (past away, Beulah, Raymond, Foy and Oma) who are constantly moving things in my life out of the way, placing other things in my path, so that I can make the right decisions. Whatever you believe, take time, during this space in our year, to stop, seriously stop! Look around you, absorb your life. Reach out and touch that which is in your life, be aware. Be grateful for what you have, not hyper-conscious of what you don't have, or what you think you need. I'm so grateful for my family, for my husband and my son, and my wonderful dogs, and my home and my health. It's as simple as how the down comforter on my bed protects me from the cold, when so many sleep with so much less. So grateful for Jake's sweet hand in mine as we walk to school. So grateful for the running water and the thermostat that I flick up or down, according to my needs, the never ending flow of fruits, vegetables and grains in my kitchen. Thankful. Give thanks. Be gracious. Move with grace. Shanti. Namaste.

Evil Pumpkin with your Yummy Candy......

2010-11-01T09:35:00.000-07:00

As I walk by my son's halloween bucket, I reach into it, grabbing onto the first piece of chocolate I can find. Yes, I eat chocolate and meat and refined sugar and I drink, as most of you know. I am not a saint by any means of the word, and I don't really strive to be either. My goal is to be a good person and accept things as they are, but I struggle with that daily. This brought to mind the most current yama I have been studying. The Yamas are wise characteristics, the first 5 in the ten living principles of yoga and I've been sharing what I've been learning with my children of Brentwood. The most recent is Aparigraha, not grasping....it's lead in sentence, holding on to things and being free are two mutally exclusive states. It teaches us that as hard as we try to constantly categorize both the outside world, our friends, our acquaintances and ourselves, things are ever changing and the world is not certain. This life is not so homogeneous, that we are able to put everything and everyone in a labeled box and wash our hands of it. Can we try to consistently let go of our own preconceptions of the outside world, and more importantly of ourselves? You can spend so much time reaching and grasping for your own identity (and Dog knows I have...yes, I said Dog, it's my own personal joke), that you forget to live LIFE. Letting go of that effort, letting go of your need to hold on to who you have been or were or what you expect of your partner, or child, and most importantly, letting go of that comment or action that you can rework over and over in your head is healing, release the grasp. Look around you at what do you need to identify who you are, external or internal....then take a deep breath once and let go of some of it, and take another deep breath and let go of a bit more. Then finally, one last cleansing breath, release all that you've created to make your identity and FINALLY become that which you are with nothing. Be free.

So much of my practice is going to those with so little and sharing a bit of this that I have, this yoga. I'm so fortunate to have stumbled upon Jyl years ago and re-found her through Community Yoga. Please come out and take a nice smooth class with me at Brentwood Elementary Basketball Courts, the covered ones. Sunday, November 7th, 2pm, bring your blanket and your mat and a few dollars. Check out the website where you can donate online. Namaste Ya'll!

Breathe deeply, Exhale...........

2010-10-25T07:07:00.000-07:00

I recently read an awesome article in Elephant Journal about the benefits of yoga. Oh, this is, for me, inarguable. Why would you not do yoga? I'm know time is a leading culprit, for me as well. I'll admit I've chosen a bike ride over yoga. I wanted to sweat, I wanted to burn, I wanted to breathe in fresh air, I wanted to daydream. So it goes, you don't have to do yoga everyday, though a 20 minute daily practice can be just as good for you as a 1.5 hour class done once a week or once a month because that is the only time you can squeeze it into your schedule. If you are ever interested in a 20-minute series, don't hesitate to contact me at yogadenada@gmail.com and I'll shoot you over a written schedule or pop in to give you a quick instructional. I would love to do some teaching at people's homes and I promise that my rate is affordable.

When practicing your asanas (stretches) with me, in a class, or on your own, it's important to breathe deeply and relax into the asana, letting go of any stresses that might hinder the full potential of the pose. Take the time to truly realize each asana by releasing all distracting energy that you might have brought to the class or your time spent practicing yoga. "Letting Go" is a primary mantra that is said over and over again in most of the videos I practice at home, so make that your mantra. "Let go...let go....let go...." While inhaling deeply and setting your pose, take time to adjust yourself into what feels right, dropping shoulders, lifting the naval center, straightening your spine and breathing deeply. Smile. Release. Let go. Absorb the moment. Open your heart to the full potential of your practice. Become one with the universe.

Namaste.

P.S. check out the class schedule at the calendar tab. It's so cool!

Changes in the Season

2010-10-14T11:34:00.000-07:00

I'm currently changing some of my schedule to fit the flow of attendance coming to classes. I am continuing with my 6:30pm Thursday class. We are having a blast. Next week, October 21, is a big PTA meeting and Halloween Carnival at the school so we will cancel but will be back the week after. I'll most likely offer a Sunday class to make up for it.

I will no longer be offering classes at Sacred Streams on Saturdays but I do hope to offer a sporadically scheduled Sunday afternoon class at Brentwood Park. My Mama Hatha Flow on Tuesday mornings is waning so I'm giving it a break. It may return on another day.

The Monday Free Class at Brentwood, 3pm, is rockin', please come out for it.

Community Yoga classes are a wonderful gift to our community. Please continue to support this organization by attending my First Sunday class in November. I'll be teaching at the park again. Stay tuned.

Cool Weather

2010-10-04T10:41:00.000-07:00

As we head into the cooler months my teaching practice will be challenged by the cool weather. I invite you to bundle up and continue to come out and practice in the open air. My goal in yoga is multi-fold, not only do I want to get yoga to everyone, I want it to be experienced in a very natural state. I believe like running and biking, which I wouldn't do in a gym, there is no reason for yoga to be trapped in a studio only. Certainly, the studio is a wonderful, peaceful, blissful place to be.....but the sounds of the birds, the flow of the clouds and the laughter of children are so much more real. Stay with me as we transition our practice into warmer clothes.

Please check out my schedule on the Calendar tab to see where you can jump in and get your asana on over the next week!

Thanks to all of those peeps who came out and joined me for Sunday's Community Yoga practice. I was able to drum up a little cash to forward on to a wonderful cause. Next 1st Sunday will be at Sacred Streams. Put it on your calendar, November 7th, 3pm.

Namaste!

The Power of Yoga

2010-09-27T10:00:00.000-07:00

There is so much going on in this big life thing called yoga and I've been so fortunate to have the experiences that are happening in my big life right now. Since back at the end of the Spring I've been involved with a group called Community Yoga. I've been teaching a group of lovely ladies from all walks of life in a form of Senior Yoga and I'm about to embark on a journey of amazing children at a local elementary school. This is all funded through Community Yoga and it's purpose is to share the benefits of yoga with humans who would not otherwise have the opportunity to access it. I'm loving this concept and wanted to explode the idea wide open by freely sharing yoga with people any way possible. My primary push is through park yoga, but I'm looking for people who want to open rooms in their home, or patios in their backyard or community centers, church classrooms, nightclub spaces in the day time, wherever. I just want to make yoga accessible. These simple acts: slowing down, breathing, self-massage, stretching, meditating on a moment, innerspace travel, good tunes and most importantly, integrating the basic life principals of yoga.....all of these things, can bring you back to your center and help you hesitate, for just one moment, before you respond to anyone in a way that is not kind, gracious, humble, loving. Yoga is the answer to peace. Come join me in my classes at the park, or come to Sacred Streams for my Gentle Hatha otherwise known as Stiff Man. This Sunday, October 3rd is a fundraiser for Community Yoga. Mark your calendar for 4:30pm at Brentwood Elementary covered basketball courts off Yates. Let's make this big and say to the world that yoga should be an activity that is not only available to everyone, but accessible to all levels of the socioeconomic system of Austin, Texas. Bring your yoga mat and a couple of dollars and lets do some asanas. Sat Nam!

Falling into Fall

2010-09-20T07:28:00.000-07:00

It's been an interesting segway into Fall. As I sweat, burned and toasted, somewhere deep in my heart I knew the holidays were coming. Instead of the typical excitement that usually comes with this time of year, my heart has felt hollow, a deep sadness setting up in the rooms of my heart. This was hugely discouraging because I should be happy living my dream. I'm teaching yoga and working with animals, two of my favorite things in the world, beside Jake and Joel. Teaching yoga, at face value, sounds like a blast, but it's hard. I feel a deep passion for yoga and I hope to never to turn anyone off from it's amazing values, so every class is a crap shoot that you might say or do something that will make someone think "why am I doing this". Anytime you don't get a return customer you question yourself. I knew that this life experience of teaching yoga was affecting me, but looming larger is the growth of my one and only child, and the impending doom of another birthday. As I creep towards another year, I can reconcile that this is life and I knew it was coming, but my own son's similar aging is only ripping very methodically at each fiber of my heart. The fact that someday he won't need me to attend to his every need is sinking even deeper into the hollow sadness of my heart. But, to no avail, once again, I'm learning to identify and save myself from that place, take a deep breath, spread my arms open wide and embrace life. I know that I have much to give to this world and that I'll be able to fill those open hours that were devoted to him with yoga, meditation, love, movies, animals and eccentric hobbies I've overlooked for some time now.....baking bread, banjo playing and sewing.

If you too are feeling a little low, as another year sweeps upon you, know that you are not alone and that you can find peace in your heart and reconcile sadness. Sometimes you just need a friend to talk to you. I got my "best friend" fix yesterday, thanks Shanno. If your closest friend it too far away, come out to one of my Mama classes or Slowga at the park. We do a ton of yoga, but we talk our way through it and I welcome you to come share your feelings during this change in the season. I look forward to time spent with friends at the park and gatherings at homes and evening bike rides. Thanks to all of you out there allowing me to grow my practice by guiding you into your flow of asanas. It's a dream come true.

**I've added a page to my blog describing my weekly schedule of classes. There is also a link to the right of this post that allows you to print up a schedule and print.

Ahimsa

2010-09-12T12:06:00.000-07:00

Monday, 8am, Brentwood Park, Mama's get your yoga on with some Hatha Flow........we will be saluting the sun in many fashions. Tuesday, 9:30, Brentwood Park, Mama's flow in and out of yoga while tending to your young ones. This week is all about Ahimsa, compassion for all living things. We will feel acceptance and forgiveness for our bodies and our children and the many distractions this world tosses in our way. We will ebb and flow with the tides of life in our yoga asanas, breathing our way through our time together and (with hope) the rest of the day. Check out the link on the title of this post for a deeper and thorough description of this living principal of yoga. Namaste and Sat Nam!

Today's Yoga

2010-09-09T07:35:00.000-07:00

Come to my Young Yogi class at Sacred Streams, 10-10:45pm and for all of you who need to slow down, put a little brake on life, come out to Brentwood's Wooden Platform on the Yates side of school. I'll be doing Slowga from 6:30-7:30pm.

Labor Day Week

2010-09-06T18:18:00.000-07:00

Hellloooooo everyone! This weekend was filled with festivities up in Ft. Worth. Lots of fun, not much yoga. Not to say that there isn't lots of cool yoga there. If you find yourself in Ft. Worth, Indigo Yoga has gotten lots of good words and everything I see about Urban Yoga sounds amazing. We stayed with our good friends and I spent the whole weekend coming up with stretching ideas for my friend, Mike, who is the stiffest guy I know. Unfortunately, I was having issues with inspiration because I got slammed with some funky cold that's got me laying in bed as I type this. I'm excited about my new schedule but I want to let everyone know that TUESDAY MORNING YOGA AT THE PARK IS CANCELED TOMORROW. Word is that the weather won't cooperate, but I also think my cold is going to make me a foul guide for yoga.

A few exciting announcements are that I will soon be teaching a group of fun kids at Wooten Elementary through Community Yoga. Wednesday mornings will be filled with the giggles of kids that don't normally have the opportunity to see or experience the wonder of yoga. Also, Sacred Streams yoga has changed mine and their schedule for Saturdays. I am officially teaching the following classes in succession on Saturdays:
2-2:45pm, Little Yogis for 2-5 year olds
3-3:45pm, Children's Yoga for 6-12 year olds
4-5:15pm, Stiff Man Yoga

The weather is really crazy this week but if it's at all reasonable, please come out to Slowga at the wooden stage/platform at Brentwood Elementary, 6:30pm on Thursday. It sets between the 100 and 200 wings. And, Sacred Streams is offering some awesome specials so please come visit me on Saturdays for Stiff Man.

I'm so lucky to be teaching such a vast audience of yoga types. I am taking classes as often as possible to develop my own knowledge and capacity, so please come out and let me share what I'm learning. O.K. now, I'm going to do something very un-yogi and take some Theraflu and pass out. Whew. Namaste all.

Learning and Letting Go

2010-08-29T14:45:00.000-07:00

It's been awhile but I'm trying to get back to a regular blog. I'm brimming with wonderful and informative yoga information and I need to express it somewhere as my husband had recently requested that I consider talking to a mirror. I'm so obsessed with yoga lately. I was crazy busy over the summer with my other business of pet-sitting and never had time to do much yoga other than what I was teaching. Last week and this week, I've devoted my spare time to taking as many studio classes as possible. I'm fortunate to be teaching at Sacred Streams (linked in the title) and have been able to take free classes. I have learned so much in one week and continue to read and absorb every detail of every class. I finished last week with a vinyasa class with Keith at Dharma Yoga and felt like a puppy in a room full of big tough mutts. I was schooled the whole 1.5 hours and can still barely laugh from the pain in my belly muscles. Wow. I think going from Crow into a headstand was what did me in. I'm still working on Crow Pose, other wise known as Bakasana. It takes tremendous arm strength and as with all poses, durable core strength. Yoga is not for weak bellies. My downfall. So, instead of licking my wounds and crawling into the corner, I'm taking it head-on. I will be able to do Crow and Headstand without a wall by the end of the week. I hope. I let my ego drip out of my forehead, slithering down my neck and rolling off my fingertips, gently falling to the mat and finding it's way deep into the crevices of the beautiful hardwood floors of Dharma Yoga. I want to be good at this and when you find your passion, there is no use weakening at it's door step.

With that said, in addition to taking as many classes as possible, I want to enrich my capacity to feel comfortable in front of students of yoga, sharing what I'm learning. Below is my new schedule. Please join me in traveling along this rich, soulful journey called Yoga. I believe that everyone should experience yoga, at their own pace, in the right space. I am teaching 3-5 year olds at Sacred Streams and working on building a class of 7-12 years olds on Saturdays from 2-3:30pm. Please share this with your friends. I want to build these classes and I promise your child will slowly but surely take something home with them that will help develop them into deep, meditative, flexible little souls.

Below is my schedule:

**Please bring blanket, yoga mat and any tools you may need for class (blocks, straps). Donation Classes at Brentwood Park only (donation enjoyed but not required, No more than $5.00 please). Please sign up for classes at Sacred Streams, see website for prices.

Mondays at Brentwood Park near the playscape. 8-9am. Mama Hatha Flow. A basic hatha class with lots of enlightened instruction. This class was developed for mamas dropping kiddos off at Brentwood Elementary. Let your smaller ones play while we expand. Interruptions are welcome. *donation

Tuesdays at Brentwood Park near the playscape. 9:30-10:30a. Mama Hatha Flow. A basic hatha class with lots of enlightened instruction. This class was developed for mamas who have smaller children and don't need to wake up so early. Breastfeeding and total distraction are expected. Interruptions are welcome.*donation

Wednesdays, starting Sept. 22 classes start at Brentwood Elementary for k-5th. If you are interested please contact me at yogadenada@gmail.com. (We are also considering a free yoga club on Monday for parents, teachers, and children...though all kiddos must be accompanied by parent, still working on it.) *contact me for price and details

Thursdays, Sacred Streams, 10am, Yoga for 3-5 year olds. *see website for price

and later

Slowga, Yoga in the Slow Lane, Brentwood Platform between 100 and 200 wings. 6:30-7:30pm. *donation

Saturdays at Sacred Streams: *see website for prices

Yoga Camp for Kids 7-12, 2-3:30pm, drop your child off and run some errands, you will return to a peaceful, relaxed child.

Stiff Man Yoga, 4-5:15pm. Yoga for extreme beginners.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me at yogadenada@gmail.com. Thank you so much for being a part of this.

Community Yoga

2010-08-02T09:52:00.000-07:00

I've been participating in an amazing opportunity with Community Yoga. I have observed crazy cool kids doing yoga for the first time, doing yoga on their classroom floors, no yoga mat required, listening to Tibetan Bowls, experiencing the scent of lavender and doing Crow. These kids don't have first hand access to yoga and most likely their parents work 2 to 3 jobs and do not have the opportunity to do physical exercise. I've gone to a Senior Citizen home and watched elderly folk do yoga for the first time, and like it! I'll keep posting more about these experiences but hit the link in the title of this post and donate a few dollars to the cause.

I'm excited to announce this week's schedule of classes and looking forward to the future growth of Yogadenada:

Tuesday, 8/3, Brentwood Park, North side of pool, Mama Hatha Flow, bring your mat, donation only.
Thursday, 8/5, Brentwood Elementary Wooden Pavillion on West side of school, Slow Lane/Stiff Man Yoga, for the inexperienced and tight muscled WOMEN & MEN...., bring your mat, donation only.
and...............
Thursday, 8/5, Yoga for Children 3-5, Sacred Streams.
Sign up online!

Look for afterschool Yoga Club at Brentwood Elementary starting in the fall and the Hatha Mama Flow Yoga will be 8am starting August 31st and should move to Mondays. Good way to start the week!

I'll be starting 2 classes at Sacred Streams August 21st. Children's Yoga for 5-12 yr. olds 2-3:30 and Stiff Man Yoga for the highly inexperienced and unusually tight in the muscle types, 3-5:15pm.

If you are ever looking for an amazing Vinyasa Flow dvd that can accommodate your busy schedule, check out Shiva Rea's Daily Energy dvd. It is seven 20 minute practices that can be pieced together for a really long practice or pop just one out and accomplish your daily recommended amount of yoga. Based on the elements of Fire, Air, Earth and Water, each one of these is guaranteed to unlock your body and strengthen you Mind....Body....Spirit......Namaste.

Classes of the Week of July 18th.......

2010-07-19T08:34:00.000-07:00

My plan is to post my updated class schedules here so people are not bombarded by me in other areas.

Tuesdays, 9:15-10:15am, Brentwood Park by the pool, Hatha Mama Flow, Kids  play at the park while you get your Hatha moving.

Wednesdays, 9:15-10:15am, Brentwood Park by the pool, Yoga for your Child, all ages, mama/papas join us.

Thursdays, 6-7pm, Wooden platform on the West side of Brentwood  Elementary. Stiff Guy Yoga, Yoga in the Slow Lane, however you see it...We  go slow and download stress and tension....  

NO CLASSES JUNE 25TH-31ST

I'll also be participating in Community Yoga's Senior Series teaching a group of very delightful Senior Citizens. So exciting to be a part of this wonderful offering.

My Latest Flyer for the Summer!

2010-06-22T09:21:00.000-07:00

Below is my recent flyer and the title is linked to Sacred Streams....please get your yoga on!

The Program
Yoga is a wonderful, alternative form of fitness for children and adults that allows us all to comfortably tune-up our bodies in a non-competitive environment. Through breathing exercises we slow down and listen to our breath, relaxing into the sounds around us. Those who learn to mentally and physically relax are offered the chance to develop the valuable tools we all need to deal with the natural stresses that daily life can force upon us. Yoga is a wholesome and playful way to learn kindness, acceptance, neutrality and gentleness. Classes consist of a mix of Hatha Yoga with some Kundalini influence. Yoga centered games will be applied for fun, including adult classes.

For all classes bring yoga mat and blanket.
*Donation classes at park. *See pricing for Sacred Streamsat www.sacredstreamsyoga.com.
Children, pets, siblings and parents are welcome at the park, this is a relaxed atmosphere.
Email yogadenada@gmail.com to get on the mailing list for class information.

Yogadenada Classes at Brentwood Park
Wednesdays, June 16-August 18, 9-9:50am, YOGA FOR CHILDREN ages 5-11.
Brentwood Park under the tree just SOUTH of the Pool.

Wednesdays, June 23-July 14, 10-10:50am. MAMA’S LIQUID FLOW YOGA for the beginner. A lovely fluid yoga class with slow stretches that naturally reach for those tight areas not normally tapped in day to day activities. It will feel as if you are floating in water, without the water.

Thursdays, June 24-August 19, 6-7pm. STIFF MAN YOGA classes for the highly inflexible as well as a pedestrian guide to yoga. Brentwood Park under the tree just NORTH of the pool. Can't touch your toes? Have annoying injuries. No worries, guys and gals are all welcome. This is Yoga Light! We will focus on basic movements with an infusion of yoga terms to loosen your muscles and enlighten you for a future in yoga. This class is meant to be fun and relaxed. Yoga practice followed by a quick dip in the pool. That's living!

Yogadenada Classes at Sacred Streams
Saturdays, 2-3:30pm, CHILDREN'S YOGA CAMP for 7-11 year olds. Starts August 21st, ongoing.
Please see www.sacredstreamsyoga.com for details and date confirmation.

Saturdays, 4pm-5:15pm, STIFF MAN YOGA. Starts August 21st, ongoing. Make the transition or BEGIN your practice in a yoga studio at www.sacredstreamsyoga.com. Check website for details and date confirmation.

Yoga classes can be offered in your home, your local park, a willing activity center, or with permission, at your child's school or camp. Options for regularly occuring classes, workshops, private instruction and family yoga are available. Yogadenada also offers full-service yoga birthday parties including healthy snacks and cake.

The Teacher
Joanna Fried is the mother of an awesome 8-year-old boy and a very relaxed yogi. She has been practicing yoga for almost 15 years and been certified to teach for 9 years. Her interest in teaching was fueled by a deep desire to not only share her love of yoga but to learn from her students and the world, the best way to deal with the chaos of daily life. She wants to work with the people of Brentwood/Crestview in a natural environment to stimulate and fine tune her teaching practice. She looks forward to practicing yoga with her young friends and adults alike, starting everyone on a journey of yoga love. Come Play Yoga!

If interested please contact Joanna Fried, 913-5523, yogadenada@gmail.com. Namaste!

Shakta Kaur Khalsa

2010-04-13T09:01:00.000-07:00

It's finally happening. This Friday, at 1pm, after teaching 5 classes of children's yoga over the course of 3 days, I will be entering the Children's Yoga workshop for the weekend. I'm really beside myself that it is finally here and I'm realizing the truth that if you believe in something, you can make it happen. Today, I've had the opportunity to find many sources for children's yoga and I'm going to do my best to link as much as possible. I've been spending so much time trying to absorb as much information as possible, relearning, learning anew. It's a good time now. Please join me in finding your life passion and immersing yourself in it's potential. Share your dream with the world....make it happen.

I dropped by Yoga Yoga yesterday to pickup more material for my workshop. While there I signed up for the 40 day challenge. Join me, I'm going to do yoga for 40 days straight. You can do yoga, or you can do something else. If you want to write, write for 40 days straight. If you want to draw, draw for 40 days straight, or drum, or dance, or jog, or sing. Join me.

I'm starting a beautiful relationship with Sacred Streams Yoga. I am subbing this week in the Tots Yoga class, Thursday at 11am. Come join me if you have a tot. This is all because of a connection with Harimandir, a beautiful kundalini yoga teacher who has given me her faith and given me inspiration. Such a cool lady with a very special way with the gong.

May the long time sun shine upon you, all love surround you, and the pure light within you guide your way on.

Namaste all.

Am I yoga?

2010-04-07T10:45:00.000-07:00

For so many years I can't remember I have fought recklessly with my own personal demons of jealousy, pettiness, irreverent behavior and most common, hatred. At these moments of my deepest despair, I question do I have the right to have the joy of yoga in my life when I can feel such emotions so intensely? Yes, I do think that even the most pure of all people still have thick emotions that course through their inner being, but how you deal with those feelings is what matters. Recently, Joel has taken to putting me in the yoga room when I'm reacting in a way that isn't who I want to be. He hands me the I Ching and says "stay in here for 10 minutes and come back to your center" and it works. I read some passages, inhale the smell of nag champa, stare wonderingly at my beautiful curtains that Sondra sewed for me and think about how lucky I am to have this time, and sometimes I think about how to teach a sun salutation without using the same leg twice.....(a problem I've been having). So, when I came across this passage in Yoga Mind, Body & Spirit by Donna Farhi, discussing the Yamas or Wise Characteristics, I felt better about acknowledging that this does happen. She is discussing Ahimsa, a compassion for all living things, otherwise known as nonviolence.

"Cultivating an attitude and mode of behavior of harmlessness does not mean that we no longer feel strong emotions such as anger, jealousy, or hatred. Learning to see everything through the eyes of compassion demands that we look at even these aspects of our self with acceptance. Paradoxically, when we welcome our feelings of anger, jealousy, or rage rather than see them as signs of our spiritual failure, we can begin to understand the root causes of these feelings and move beyond them. By getting close enough to our own violent tendencies we can begin to understand the root causes of them and learn to contain these energies for our own well-being and for the protection of others. Underneath these feelings we discover a much stronger desire that we all share--to be loved. It is impossible to come to this deeper understanding if we bypass the tough work of facing our inner demons."

Contemplate on your next meditation session. Namaste.

Taking Flight

2010-03-30T11:23:00.000-07:00

It has been an incredibly long time since I have posted here. What started out as literally a flicker of a dream two years ago has blossomed into something I never dreamed could happen. From the time I was 17 years old I asked anyone that could get close enough to me..."What should I do with my life?" I drove my mom, my high school counselor, my closest friends and 2 husbands crazy. I think I even started to annoy Jake (my son). When I started yoga, it was purely to get in shape, but after 14 years, this is no longer a hobby, but more of an obsession. The realization was clear when we finally moved into a house with 3 bedrooms and I laid claim to one of them specifically to practice yoga. My husband did not disagree. The last 5 years of my life I toyed with the idea of becoming a teacher, special education to be specific, but something held me back. The truth is that I love children, their energy is infectious. So, finally, I am here, teaching children yoga at Brentwood Elementary and I am taking the Radiant Child Yoga Instruction in April. These are all dreams that I never thought would actually come true. I plan to blog here as much as possible to keep you up to date on what's happening. I've got birthday parties, summer camps and more after-school programs in mind. I'm hoping to find my way into some schools during the day if possible. I'm also subbing at Sacred Streams and hope to start teaching a class there someday. I would love to give the home-school community an opportunity to have yoga as part of their daytime activities. Please spread the word. I want to share my love for yoga and make it fun for everyone. My programs can include not only yoga, but environmental art activities, story telling puppets and dancing. Thanks for coming back to Yogadenada after the long break. I plan to be around for a very long time.

Forgive

2008-07-30T07:28:00.000-07:00

One of the biggest lessons I've learned this summer is to forgive. I have forgiven myself so many times this summer it's hard to imagine there is anything left. I have forgiven my husband and my son and my dogs and my body and my heart and I am trying very hard to forgive my father, the hardest task yet. That's a whole novel, so we won't get into it here. Shannon taught me another lesson, a little too late into the summer but still well-intentioned. There are times in your life when you simply need to LOWER YOUR EXPECTATIONS of yourself. And that is exactly what I'm going to do. Next week is the very last week of summer and I am going to wholeheartedly lower my expectations of myself. I am instead going to play, swim, run, get dirty, bake and write with Jake and I'm going to remember this last week forever and I hope he does too. I forgive all those moms scrambling to find daycare this last week of the summer and I hope they forgive me since I don't have to scramble. I forgive myself for the belly that I'm pretty sure is never going away and I forgive myself for the dirty floor in my kitchen and the lawn left unwatered and unmowed. I forgive myself for spending wasted money on magazines and I forgive myself for not mopping the floor but blogging instead. This last week of summer, even if it doesn't mean anything because you don't have kiddos going back to school, go indulge yourself and then forgive your actions and forgive one person you have been begrudging, pissed or angry at about something you know is entirely out-of-line. Then when all that's done, go forgive the earth for not being able to withstand the weight of our horribly unforgiving manner of treating it, and do something good for it . . .the earth that is.

A Pattern

2008-07-03T06:44:00.000-07:00

I've just returned from a decadent and wonderful visit to the town my son was born in, Ft. Worth. Ft. Worth is a lovely little place with some nice yoga opportunities plus tons of fine museums. We were there to honor and memorialize my father-in-law, a man who has left a wealthy legacy of love and respect through his sons and daughter. This is a wonderful bunch of people, full of love and laughter and most important, a deep dedication to family. While there, we went out to my father-in-law's grave site. Tradition grants that we bring stones from my mother-in-law's garden to place around the gravestone. Each member of the family places a stone while a brother reads the Kaddish, a Jewish prayer. While standing there, our nephew pointed out a small rainbow in the sky. This was not a normal rainbow that spans the horizon, just a square blot of rainbow peaking out of the heavens. I immediately felt that Jay, my father-in-law, was watching us, proud of his family gathering to honor him. Later, our nephew told the story of how he had asked his grandfather to just show us a sign that he was there with us and when he looked up, there was the sign, that spot of rainbow. Incredible. It truly resonates of "ask and you shall receive". I think it's nice to imagine that those we have loved and lost are there with us always, watching over us, showing us signs that they are here with us, in our hearts, leading the way through good times and bad. Namaste.

Focus

2008-06-26T05:56:00.001-07:00

In the last weeks of school there were many events planned to occupy the children and also fingerprint memories on their sweet little brains that would never be forgotten. All the innocence of Kindergarten captured before heading straight into the hammer of 1st grade. I was just about to leave after watching the children smear shaving cream all over themselves and each other when the local fire truck pulled up to the school. They proceeded to hookup to the nearby fire hydrant and shoot a gargantuan stream of water all over the play area nearby. The children ran in one massive throng of movement. I've never seen anything like it. My special little one was incredibly focused. He would watch and run right with the water. I was in a state of rapture, my heart bursting, wishing I wasn't the grownup holding the camera, wanting so much to run with them through the water. What does this have to do with yoga? Everything. It should be the essence of our existence. Focus on Now. On that day, at that moment, everything was about where will the fireman point the hose next and what do I need to do to stay at the place where the water continues to hit me directly and only me. Focus on the now, live in the moment, appreciate the experience that is happening here . . .the textures, the smells, the colors, the people. Meditate on a bird perched on a post as you sit at a stoplight. Find the beauty in traffic, the silent mysteries of our cement wonderland. Ponder this life, this world as it is right Now. Namaste.

Pray

2008-06-24T10:42:00.000-07:00

I'm currently, finally, reading "Eat, Pray, Love". Thank you Elizabeth Gilbert for sharing your depths and your heights and everything surrounding it. She's an ordinary woman who had the opportunity to do something extraordinary and then write about. It would be very unyogi to say, "I'm jealous" but I'm a little jealous. I've made it through Italy with her and she's most hilarious during her time at an Ashram in India. It is warming to know that we are not alone in our desperate attempts at meditation as she reminisces explaining to an Indian Monk that she is incapable of tackling her mind to hold still . . .the Indian Monk says, "It's a pity you're the only person in the history of the world who ever had this problem." Every time I settle down to meditate I find my own mind wandering to last night, last week, tomorrow, next week, and horrifyingly, to next Christmas. Why is it so difficult to stay right here, right now, in the present. This wonderful present called "today". So, today, with Elizabeth Gilbert in mind and all those who are trying now and have tried before and succeeded or failed, I will try right now to settle my monkey mind and focus on the NOW. I would like to share a thought from this book that shook me to the core, something that the writer's Guru said--"you should never give yourself a chance to fall apart because, when you do, it becomes a tendency and it happens over and over again. You must practice staying strong instead." Amen and Namaste.

Hello

2008-06-22T16:01:00.000-07:00

It's been awhile, but I guess the first step to this is to just say "hello". I've had a lot of random thoughts recently and I'm working my way back to a yogic state of mind. I went through some stress in my life dealing with major surgery in the family but we are slowly finding our way back to a peaceful state of mind and it starts . . .right . . .here. In brief, I wanted to take a moment to share with you a thought I had while pondering our involvement in Iraq. Our very long involvement with Iraq. During the time you take everyday to center your thoughts before or after your physical yoga practice, please consider for a few minutes the concept of "peace". Imagine a world where there is no war. Thank you John! Picture a world where we no longer fight for oil, our own earth's blood. Imagine a time when this world was so primitive that there was nothing. I was fortunate to come upon a documentary about how Earth began last night. It was amazing. Our world is a hot ball of fire covered by a crust and it all started with a simple microorganism. The history of how it all started is so much more interesting than anything that came after those first moments in time. We live an existence based on the sheer luck of all things being perfectly aligned in the universe. And our very existence, mankind's existence, has created so much turmoil on this beautiful planet. Let's just stop. Literally. Today, reverse the massive movement of destruction by mankind. You . . .make. . .a difference with everything you do. And, it isn't just about recycling and reusing. It's about a thought process. Replace fear with love, replace judgement with appreciation, and replace hate with grace. Take a moment, today, and realize the power of your thoughts and then THINK PEACE. PEACE. PEACE. PEACE. IMAGINE PEACE. CREATE PEACE. Let's start a revolution against war, today, with a simple thought. PEACE. namaste.

Recycling Day

2008-03-06T09:42:00.000-08:00

Today is recycling day in our neighborhood. It wasn't but a few days ago that my son came home and announced that we "had to start recycling". I explained to him that I had been recycling for some time, actually much longer than his sweet presence existed in this world. He was so excited and wanted to know when the truck came and if he could stay home to watch it. These conversations always lead me to wonder about what will happen to this beautiful accident of a planet we call Earth in the years to come. What will life be like for our children? What will be so different in their lives? We certainly weren't being taught about recycling when I was in school. It's baffling and wondrous and so sci-fi to imagine what secrets the world is conspiring for these kids who are being brought up so much more aware and really, so much more handy. What do you think?

I'm back up and running with my yoga practice, doing Kundalini this morning. I've decided that I have to work some running and abdominal exercises into the program. Yoga is perfect for me, but it cannot always give my body everything it needs. I recently checked out an article in Yoga Journal that interviewed different well-known yogis and consistently, many said that adding an aerobic workout was essential. Working on a good vinyasa flow or kundalini routine can get your heart rate up, but never for a long enough period of time. Speaking of vinyasa flow, I found out today that there are some new videos out by some of my old favorite yogis. My pocketbook is already wincing, but like cookbooks for my husband, and chocolates for my son, I can never have too many yoga videos. I'll keep you updated on my new acquisitions.

The way that will relieve your woes on the physical plane will also take you to the highest spiritual realizations. And the way is simple. No resistance.

Thaddeus Golas
The Lazy Man's Guide to Enlightenment

Blessings

2008-03-03T11:28:00.000-08:00

I've been busy getting my life back under control and getting my practice back underway and getting my vice in check. It's slow, but good. I was able to do some kundalini with Gurmukh this morning and have committed to doing 3 days of 1.5 hour yoga sessions this week. This is huge. When I'm able to invest that amount of time towards a slow warm-up, a lengthy, strong set of sun salutations and finally a nice long set of floor asanas, backbends and finally savasana, laying on my back, completely relaxed, at peace, mind empty, (nearly falling asleep), life is good. When I make this commitment I am excited to say that I spend my time with Shiva Rea. Her spiritual wisdom and steady, calm voice keep me coming back for more every time. My favorite is Upavistha Konasana. Sitting on the floor, legs spread wide, stretched long, backs of legs pressed to the floor, leaning forward, catching the big toes and bringing your head, then chin, then chest to the floor, breathe and relax. Then, inhaling and raising your body up, you can reach to either side, ribs against your thighs, resting your chin on each knee (or try to). This is an awesome forward and side stretch (asana) and is very relaxing. It's important to breath into every stretch and maintain deep, slow breathing, relax, check yourself, ensure that no part of your body is clinched tight, (holding on to that bad moment you had earlier in the day). This asana is said to stimulate the ovaries and keep the blood flowing in the pelvic region, so we should all love it.

On a more spiritual note, I was ending my evening last night reading my nightly dose of The Blessing of a Skinned Knee by Wendy Mogel, Ph.D. In a nutshell, this book combines jewish teachings with directions on how to raise self-reliant, compassionate, ethical children. According to this book, Jewish tradition encourages adults to say 100 blessings of gratitude a day. Observant Jews start from the moment they awaken and they do not overlook the bad things. They see these as a test of thier spiritual elevation. I immediately set forth counting my blessings and believe me, I have many. As simple as the squirrel that was right outside my door this morning, looking in at us, to the wondrous creation of my beautiful child, to the food and warmth that is so easily attainable in my world. What are you thankful for? Let it be Thanksgiving every day.

Time and Time Again

2008-02-21T20:47:00.001-08:00

It seems to be the time for illness and as I gradually came out of mine, which lasted much longer than my post expected, my husband is now ill. In this time of sickness it is evident that our life is demanding a healthy style of living and I embrace it. I believe with the power of healthy foods, yoga, cardio and, most important, meditation, our family can find it's way to a healthier, longer living existence. So, forgive my extended absence. I have so much to blog about and share with you guys. For now, I'll just leave you with one of the many "eye-opening" quotes from my wonderful "Journey of Awakening". At first I misunderstood this quote, then I fully embraced it's meaning to be that we must truly believe our own bodies to be a shrine and that is what it will become.
Namaste.

I have visited in my wanderings shrines and other places of pilgrimage. But I have not seen another shrine blissful like my own body.

--Saraha
Buddist Texts

Happy Valentine's Day

2008-02-14T07:33:00.000-08:00

This year, for the first time, my sweet son and I handmade our cards. We avoided the commercial disaster that is Valentine's Day and individually made cards for all of his classmates. It gave him an opportunity to really think about each child's specific tastes. He didn't have to express his feelings towards them through words, but through colors and textures. I think this is awesome. Valentine's Day doesn't have to be about gifts and cards and candy and diamond rings. It can be about changing someone's life by simply smiling. Think about how much your life has been changed by a simple smile, or a hug on a bad day. Or how every bad thought in your life can float away in the simple moment of a kiss from your child. How about getting lost in a moment of sweet kisses from your husband, wife, lover, boyfriend, girlfriend, etc. Today, go touch someone's life. Smile instead of frown when your child misbehaves. Laugh at a broken coffee cup. Let go of your recent argument, really let it go, it's so much easier. Instead of spending a bunch of money on corny cards and chocolates, take 30 minutes and sit next to that special someone in your life and remember why it is you are together anyway. Instead of shaking hands with a stranger, hug them. Hug the dog. Hug your Grandma. Hug your neighbor. Spread the love. A touch will make you and them live longer. And, do it again tomorrow and the next day.
Namaste.

Goodness Nugget #1

2008-02-09T08:00:00.000-08:00

Carrie Contey and Bernadette Noll are conspiring to enrich our life with goodness. Carrie Contey is a local prenatal and perinatal psychologist and Bernadette Noll is a mother of four and gifted writer and artist. They belong to a wonderful group of artistic, business-minded women called "Goodness". Carrie and Bernadette have collaborated to create 52 "Nuggets of Goodness" which Carrie is sending out in her newsletters. With permission, I wanted to post them here, at Yogadenada, as my goal is to inspire hope, positivity, faith and balance in all those who read this blog. And, of course, I too am learning.

Goodness Nugget #1.

You have the power to shift your perception and reception of any given situation or person or experience. If someone comes at you negatively, your internal shift towards goodness can not only transform your own experience but possibly theirs as well. Receive it. Shift it. Give it away.
And the snowball effect is at play.
Namaste!

Sleeping Time Away

2008-02-07T10:45:00.000-08:00

Please forgive. I have been ill the last week and haven't been inspired to blog. But, I will persevere. The worst part is that I haven't been able to practice yoga. I attempted to do my tried and true Ali Macgraw DVD and my body couldn't take it. I knew I was in trouble then and crawled back under my sheets where I have been for the last three days. Hopefully, tomorrow, I'll awaken strong and renewed and the first thing I'll do is reach for Shiva Rea's "Yoga Shakti" DVD. Shiva Rea is a wonderful, strong, experienced and wise instructor. I discovered her video perusing Amazon for vinyasa yoga. After ordering it and loving it, I later found that she was a very popular yoga instructor with a clothing line, a writer for Yoga Journal and a teacher trainer. One blog entry does not do this amazing woman justice and I plan to highlight her often. In this video she travelled to Cocoa Island in the Maldives, at the tip of India. She brought a small film crew and used natural light for her filming. It is beautiful and breathtaking and the musical accompaniment combined with her deep wisdom is the very essence of bringing the best yoga experience to your living room.
This video is not for the inexperienced, but if you watch it a few times and have taken a few classes, I believe that you can strengthen your practice by taking it one day at a time. It offers four vinyasa flow practices and a yoga matrix. The yoga matrix allows you to develop your own practices by choosing your sequences in the order that you would like. I started right off, developing my own practice, but now I have the urge to go back and follow her set flows. There are a series of different sun salutations, backbends, counterposes and a wonderful shavasana sequence with an inspiring voiceover of a poetic nature. The focus varies from Solar Core Strength, Solar Backbends and Lunar Hip Openings. For those of you with a practical nature, there is an awesome abdominal sequence. I can assure you that you will benefit physically from this video and more than anything, you will grow spiritually.
In closing, I would like to request that you continue with me through these entries. During my brief time of writing Yogadenada, I have learned so much and I hope you have to. Namaste.

Ego

2008-01-31T06:09:00.001-08:00

"Your duty is to be; and not to be this or that."

-Sri Ramana Maharshi

Ramana Maharshi

More teachings from Ram Dass and his book Journey of Awakening. He talks of how your ego is a set of thoughts that define your universe. Your ego is a familiar room that you are secure in and that some are afraid to venture outside of this room. Because of this fear of the unknown, it becomes a prison, controlling your perspective on the world around you. This book is about meditation, and through meditation you are able to acknowledge your ego, but step outside of it to see the world as neutral. You stop judging everything based on your previous experiences, built upon and logged in as the book that is your ego. Through meditation, you can learn the process of releasing. In this way, your day to day interactions with family, friends and strangers can be more open. You don't need to hang on to a moment, acknowledge it and let it pass. Keep your ego in check and allow experiences to happen, flow, and travel. Namaste.

"Wherever there is attachment, Association with it, Brings endless misery."

-Gampopa, The Jewel Ornament of Liberation

Reach

2008-01-30T12:18:00.000-08:00

First, thank you Liz for my first ever link. I cannot think of a better site to get linked. Your poetry is breathtaking. AND speaking of breath. I cannot think of anything more important than a deep breath. I am always suggesting it to Jake's friends at school. I'll be helping out in the class, spending my favorite hours in any week, canoodling and teasing, prying words out of 5 and 6 year old's. Oh, if they would just pay to be a Class Mom. Often, one girl or boy will come to me to tell how they have been hurt by another child. Usually, because someone has said something mean. These types of things can be a barrage. 5 kids in one hour telling you their problems. I'll say . . ."hey, let's all close our eyes and take a deep breath". It's so funny watching a bunch of kindergartners closing their eyes, practicing deep breathing. BUT, they do it. Children are way more likely to take this sort of thing seriously and benefit from it. They will even tell each other to do it. Daily, I find myself in a situation where instead of running to some parent to tell on another one's hurtful words, I run right into myself, screaming at ME that I have done something wrong. You know, that awful inner dialogue you can have with yourself. "Why did you say that?" "That was stupid." "You will never be good at this." It's easy to let this kind of dialogue become a runaway train, ramming its way into every pore of your skin, every cell in your blood. In this way you become a walking mass of negativity. So, at that moment, BREATH. Take a deep wholesome breath. Don't do it inside. Go outside, lift your arms open wide, reach them back, hands in the air, stretch your chest, let your heart free. Rip the tangled webs of self-doubt off of your soul and breath and start fresh and new. I'm going outside right now. Namaste.

Crazy Mouse

2008-01-26T07:46:00.000-08:00

Do you ever feel like a Crazy Mouse? Do you feel like life is like a carnival, lot's of rides, hot dogs, cotton candy, spending money and walking away at the end of the day exhausted and sick to your stomach. Body aching from all the in and out, walking and eating. The other day I was feeling terrible, I'd spent 4 days vacationing and arguing with my son, an interesting combination of stress and decadence. I mentioned this to my husband and he said, "You should do some relaxing yoga". I realized that, too often, I do yoga that will push me, strengthen me and make me sweat. Every once in a while it's nice to just relax through the poses. A great video to try is Hemalaya Behl's, Yoga for Urban Living. This video is not considered beginners. There are some difficult poses but I believe you can build up to them. She starts with a relaxing meditation, then moves into a series of neck stretches and sun salutations. There are some reverse poses that you should use caution doing. I have always gone back to this video when I wanted to surf through my yoga practice without moving to quickly. It is meant to destress. You have three class choices with this video. You can do the "morning quickie" (30 minutes) which is invigorating and a much better choice than dehydrating coffee (don't worry, I still love my coffee). There is a great evening option called the "evening bath" (30 minutes) that is extremely relaxing and meant to do before going to bed. Do not expect to get in shape doing this last one. Finally, there is the "daily connection" (1 hour) which provides you with an allover revitalizing work out. If you find that Hemalaya has a style you like, check out her other videos. I'm interested in the Kama Sutra dance. Yogic Trance Dancing is a wonderful way to loosen up and stimulate your nervous system. But, that is another post. Namaste!

Kundalini

2008-01-16T06:04:00.000-08:00

No home yoga practice should ever leave out Kundalini. A home practice is not only meant to be done regularly, but to be diverse as well. I practiced hatha yoga for years and had no idea kundalini existed. During my certification program, my bunk mate and I would rise every morning at 4:30am and practice our individual yoga forms, mine was Hatha, hers was Kundalini. This was the first time I had ever heard "breath of fire". She would sit next to me, breath pumping, hair flinging and I was mesmerized. "Breath of Fire" is a rapid breath movement where you inhale and exhale involuntarily by literally pumping breath in and out through intensive abdominal pushes. I'll admit my description is not perfect. Check out the link. My dream is to pursue additional kundalini training as it is known to be the original yoga and wonderful for mental health. If you wake up disjointed, out-of-sorts, grumpy, sore, tired, depressed, etc., then you need Kundalini. I have been practicing with the dvd, Kundalini Yoga with Gurmukh at home for 6 years. Gurmukh is admittedly the kundalini teacher of the stars, and that's fine. She's real and she understands life. She's also an amazing and inspiring teacher. This is not a video that you need special training to do. It's not easy either. If you want to lose weight, do this video, if you want to develop cardio and strengthen your arms and legs, do this video. If you want to be happy, strong and invincible 45 minutes after waking up grumpy, disheartened and tired, do this video. I promise you won't regret it. You only have to do what she says, there is no special training to kundalini yoga. Be prepared to do some silly things that will make your partner or kiddo laugh. This morning I had my 5-year-old practicing with me and giggling. It started our day off wonderfully. Check it out.

Journey of Awakening

2008-01-15T09:20:00.000-08:00

I'm reading Ram Dass, Journey of Awakening, a meditator's guidebook. One of the 1st quotes I came upon . . .

"All that we are is a result of what we have thought. "

The Dhammapada

I hope that this thought can serve to inspire you to a new way of thinking through your yoga. Find a pleasant place in your home, warm and satisfied, sit. Close your eyes or leave them open. Let the thoughts ramble along like cars on an open road. Check out the thoughts and let them go by. Empty your mind and quiet. Start from nothing. Sit for 10 minutes in peace. Let whatever has rattled you today flee from your heart, mind and soul. Start fresh from this moment. Namaste.

An Open Thought

2008-01-14T18:16:00.000-08:00

Grace
Inside, the strength of simplicity and self-knowledge.
Outside, the beauty of acceptance and gentleness.

The I Ching, A Guide to Life's Turning Points

It's simple.

2008-01-11T06:33:00.000-08:00

Starting a yoga practice is easy! You don't have to join a gym, sign up for a year membership, purchase a pair of running shoes or buy a bike. You need cool comfortable clothing, a 5 x 8 space, a yoga mat and an awesome dvd. I suggest purchasing an inexpensive yoga mat from a local sports store. Wear that mat out and get into the groove of yoga, then find a mat that suits you. I'll build a set of links over time that provides you with tons of possibilities. I have lived in a 460 square foot apartment, every inch filled with furniture and my boyfriend and I were still able to practice yoga, so space should not be an issue. With this thought, I will remind you that you must truly practice the art of letting things go in a small space. . every time you hit the kitchen table with your foot, let it go. Let . . .it . . .go. Get on with the practice. Visualize a larger space and it will come. Finally, the awesome dvd. I have suggested Ali MacGraw as a beginning yoga dvd. I felt this fit me perfectly as I was fairly flexible and had an active background. If you feel this it too difficult, stay tuned. I'll highlight a box set of wonderful videos that will introduce you to yoga in an easy fashion. Though I adhere to the belief that you can practice at home, I strongly suggest you combine this practice with some class time. You need an instructor to show you how to do the poses properly. Every time I take a class, I learn something monumental. So, take a few classes here and there. My aspirations are to head back to Bikram for a stint. In the winter, I crave the 104 degree yoga space and the push of an hour and a half workout. We all do what we can do. Now, today, go find a space in your house to do some yoga, sit cross-legged, close your eyes and breath. Make it your own.

The Beginning, Again.

2008-01-10T07:06:00.000-08:00

Though I spent much time with my other blog, redtruckbetty.blogspot.com, I have chosen to focus my efforts on this blog. I'll start today with a simple entry. My friend Shannon, whose blog is linked to this title, is my inspiration. Yogadenada (Yoga, no problem!) is here to inspire you to find yoga in your life. It can be at home, in your backyard, at the park, in your child's classroom while helping the teacher, and even at a yoga class. Crazy. Yoga isn't always about the asanas, the stretches. Yoga can be in your mind, in the breath you take, in the beauty you see everyday, in the sweet breath of a kiss, in a random hello from a stranger, in a "Thank You". Practical yoga, for me, is every morning in my living room, 5am, lights low, before my other world starts, a random dvd popped in the player. I'll feed you commentaries on all kinds of yoga dvd's and practitioners over the next few months. For now, know that yoga is peace and peace is a place you go to be yourself, completely and wholly. Whether it's lying at the park watching the clouds float by, baking a beautiful pie, or sharing your time with no expectations. It's the deep breath you take, refreshing your mind and heart before you exhale anger and judgement. For today, that's all. Just know this blog isn't just about the the physical, it's about beauty and art and heart and faith and love. Take a trip with me and let's see what we can find.

Get this video.

2005-06-27T13:36:00.000-07:00

Before you even think of starting a home practice you must have this amazing video. I have been practicing with it for over 13 years and it still blows my mind. Ali McGraw teams with her spiritual guru, Erich Schiffmann, who is a master of yoga. The video was shot in White Sands, New Mexico and has a timeless quality that shows the years of film experience that Ali McGraw attained during her time in movies, hob-knobbing with Hollywood's elite film production talent. She pulled together all her resources for this one. Finally, the soundtrack is "Dead Can Dance" and it fits wonderfully, reflecting the essence of Yoga. Everyone should own this video. For the record, I have bought 3 vhs tapes and 3 dvd's and bought many more for my friends. I am a pusher of this video. Just sit and watch it a couple of times before you try to attempt to do it. I will highlight another one by Rainbow Mars that is easier to start, but you should set your sites on this one as a daily practice. It will reshape your body, make you strong both mentally and physically and actually improve your sex life. I turned my husband on to it 6 years ago and he's an addict. It's about $10 bucks and worth every cent.