Headed to Asheville

Tomorrow I head to Asheville!

I embark upon my 230 hour- 9 month long- teacher training.

I am very excited and looking forward to a nice road trip and being completly open to the experience. I will be staying at the cutest little home in Asheville with other teacher trainees as well. Looking forward to what awaits!!!!

Yoga stuff....

Today was my first day at my new job. I am getting used to the software. I will be traveling to North Georgia tomorrow to meet the underwriters and the team members and to get a little more insight on the software.
All in all I think I can handle this pretty well!

It was nice to be at home, practice, shower on my lunch break. Make lunch, and I put in over 8 hours :)
Then I made chili and headed to meet with Anne about the Studio. I hope things work out for her studio!!
We went over a few things and I hope she is okay with taking on some classes. Because there is no way I can teach everyday.
I am getting very excited about my training!!!

Anyway, here are a few photos from today. I think they will be putting them up on the website





Yin/Yang - Me backbending/Anne Meditating

Work & Yoga

So much is going on! Many good things and tryign to get my head around them all.
Friday was my last day at the office. It was a ghost town. It was very hard to tell my close friends and co-workers bye. But we will all cross paths again.
I received many sweet hugs, some yummy cookies from my boss' wife and we went to lunch.

What else. I went to Ashtanga class on Friday night after work. It was wonderful. My practice was rusty but being back at Balance was lovely and seeing my teacher just gave me the extra energy and inspiration I needed. I am so lucky to have an amazing teacher. I am also lucky to have my BFFL Nicole.
I've been going through some rough times and my teacher is helping me through practice and Listening. Nicole is helping me by being there and talking with me and just being my amazing friend.

I am just filled with love.

OH yes....teacher training next week! NEXT WEEK! I will be traveling to Asheville and loving the fall weather and new beginnings and learning soo much!

Also, I am set up and ready to roll on my new job. I am doing some online training and have to go up to North Georgia later this week to meet the team.

I am also helping out a fellow friend as she begins to open Newnan's very first and only Yoga & Meditation Studio!!
I was very blessed because she has asked me to teach a few classes at the studio. The studio is lovely and has wonderful charm. It is in the perfect part of Newnan and she is giving the place a wonderful feel.
The grand opening of Lotus Yoga & Meditation is October 29th! The first classes begin November 1st. We are trying to iron out the schedule. But please if you are in the area come by for the opening or a class!
It is less than 15 min. from my home and I am so happy for her. She is going to make it a wonderful place to practice yoga and meditation!!


Anyway! Here are a few photos from the studio. More to come!
It is a very old building on the Square in Downtown Historic Newnan.

Looking towards the front of the Yoga/Meditation Room


Corner of the front of the room (where you would be teaching from)


One of the alters

A Challenge

So..I thought I would participate in this 31 day yoga challenge via Cyndi Lee's Blog
Considering I start my teacher training in less than 2 weeks I figured why not join in. I am trying to get on my mat daily and with the recent changes with my job now is the best time to start new healthy habits.

Over the last 3 weeks with the stress from work and the unstable feelings I've had; well it took a toll on me physcially, emotionally and affected my practice. Pretty much...I haven't practiced. I've fit in maybe 1 practice a week.
I needed yoga these last few weeks but just couldn't seem to get on my mat. So many other things were pressing and unsure and just left my mind numb.

So. New job, Teacher Training, New perspective on a lot of things.

So here is the recap of my last fews days on my mat.

Using some of the sequences from the back of Yoga Body/Buddha Mind and incorporating the fundamental poses reviewed in Erich Schfifmans Book Yoga: the Spirit and Practice of Moving into Stillness

Thursday October 1st:
I arrived to the gym about 20 min. prior to teaching my class. I turned on one of my relaxing playlists and flowed. I did a very basic beginners sequence. At the end I added in some hip openers for good measure.

Friday October 2nd:
I was pressed for time really. I was able to fit in just 15 min. I did 3 sun salutes, Warrior I & II and headstand.

Saturday October 3rd:
I slept in on Saturday so I opted for an evening practice. I went with Erich's book going over some of his fundamental poses: Standing Forward Fold, Standing Side Stretch, Down Dog, Bridge and Sage Twist.

Today--I haven't practice yet. I spent the morning cleaning my house which really needed it. Remember I was super stressed these past few weeks...the house suffered during that time. But the house is spick and span and I am showered and feeling okay. Feeling like things are falling into place.
So tonight I intend to get on my mat in full gratitude for what has unfolded these past few days. I intend to do the fundamental poses from Erich's book (since his book is part of my teacher training I want to focus on that)

I will do my best to post my daily practice. But if you are joining in on this challenge best of luck!

I hope everyone is having a wonderful weekened.
I am off to eat home made salsa and chips while reading.

Asana--Flowing with the practice.

I got the house clean today, gave Chai a bath and actually got on my mat for over an hour! Much much needed.
I went to my mat with the intention to do Primary Series...however once I got started it took a different turn working with the "flow" I really enjoyed my practice.

Handstanding (Took from a video I was taking) I can hold the handstand for all of 2 seconds :)
But hey it is the courage I am working on--on trusting myself to hold myself up!


Reverse Warrior


Utthita Hasta Padangustasana


Ustrasana- Camel Pose

Ashtangi's Post

"As much as you give to your practice; it gives to you as well"- Kino MacGregor

Are you looking for some yoga inspiration or perhaps guided mediations?
Kino MacGregor has revamped her personal website and has added a Free Podcast page. They are very interesting and require now downloading; which I like. The Podcast on the very bottom of the page: Yoga Talk Q&A and Chanting Ireland Sept 2009 by Kino MacGregor- is really a good one to start with :) Kino is an amazing Ashtanga Yoga Teacher. I've taken a workshop from her and mysore classes as well.

Some Ashtangi events coming up in Atlanta (thanks to the Amazing Ashtanga & Vinyasa School-Balance Yoga)

Paul Dallaghan is conducting an Ashtanga Workshop
Kino is coming to Atlanta in 2010 to Balance Yoga. Plan ahead Ashtangi's!





Utthita Trikonasana (Old photo of my Ashtanga Practice)

Imperfect Yoga= I'm Perfect

Below is a video by Cora Wen of Yogabloom
I've yet to practice with Cora. However, she is inspiring to me. She teaches workshop at AYC for the 500 hour training
I really enjoyed the video. The concept "Imperfect Yoga"
Nicole and I were just talking about this last night on the phone. That Yoga Journal (although a good source of yoga resources and some interesting articles) the yoga they depict in their photos and such is not what I personally consider the everyday yogi.

I would love to see a Yoga magazine/publication that emobidies curvy women/men, tattooed women/men, every shape size color and gender.
But for now all we can do is bring this to our mats, classrooms and communities. That it doesn't matter what you look like, or if you will ever touch your toes.



In other Yoga related materials, I am still reading away in Erich Schiffmann's "Yoga- The Spirit and practice of Moving into Stillness"
Part of our teacher training reading assignments.
I started a chapter called "The Wind through the Instrument" I thought to myself "this is going to be a dull chapter"
However it ended up being one of the most interesting ones yet. I highlighted pretty much the entire thing.
Here are some bits and pieces that really stuck out to me and gave me a few "Ah-ha" moments:

• Pushing is an active force that moves the body further and deeper into the posture, gently exploring areas of tightness. Yielding is a passive force with which you wait and listen to that moment-to-moment feedback from your body; it's a letting go of resistance that allows the active force to be successful without being aggressive.
  The pushing & yielding elements occur simultaneously, as in a dance. Done propery, therefore, yoga is a matter of pushing and yielding, of "doing" and "not doing" at the same time.
  Skill in yoga invovles orchestrating these two forces with the breath.
• Merging the pose with the breath will also increase your sensitivity. You'll feel what's happening with more clarity. You'll notice how holding the breath dulls your feeling- sensitivity; and how letting the breath flow freely and deeply increases it.
  The idea is to increase your sensitivity to the inner feeling of your body and let it guide you into appropriate action for that patricular moment.
• If your mind is elsewhere while your body is doing the pose, you are not actually doing yoga. You are not in "union" with what is happening.
  The practice here is that merging & becoming one with what you are doing. You're practicing yoga, yoking "or joining with"
  You're learning to merge, to yoke your conciousness/awareness with your now- experience.
  You're training yourself to keep your attention immersed in what's happening.
  You're learning to stay with the flow of the breath in order to stay with the feeling of the pose. The inner feeling will then guide you and tell you what to do.
  You will have learned to do yoga when you've become willing to be guided from within.
• What it means to live a yogic life, the idea is to continue this awareness all day long- not just in poses.
  During the day, practice this same kind of listening to your inner guidance by paying attention to how you feel then allow yourself to do and be as you are prompted.
  Asana and meditation practice make it easier to listen and follow your inner voice during the rest of your life.
  They strengthen your ability to meditate constantly, always to be listening inwardly for guidance.

These quotes all mean something to me. Either they are reminders of what I am missing in my personal practice or they great tips that I want to share with those around me.
This book seems to be a great starting point for new Yogi's as well. The Asana and meditation practices are great building blocks for people new to yoga and meditation.

The Asana practice has 14 fundamental poses for you to build upon as you learn them inside and out you will being to build upon them with more and more poses.

Well enough yoga talk for now.