Writings
Root and Nourish: Practices to Calm and Soothe Vata
Here we are… there are no shortage of challenging circumstances to navigate and process right now. Vata season has arrived (for my northern hemisphere friends), and even in a non-pandemic, election, crazy-town year, this seasonal shift can result in feelings of anxiety, anger, insomnia and overwhelm.
Vata is one of the three Ayurvedic constitutional types/doshas, with pitta and kapha making up the other two. We all have a unique mix of these three doshas.
Vayu Yoga and Elemental Yoga
You have already experienced what I've outlined in this article. You know what it feels like to root down into the ground, or to lift up toward the sky. You know how it feels to get really big and expansive, and how it feels to get really small and contracted. Your body knows what it feels like to receive and take in, and what it feels like to release and let go.
My intention here is to offer some guidance on ways to attune to that which is already occurring within you. When we build awareness of how our bodies and minds move, we have a greater capacity to utilize our yoga tools therapeutically. With a heightened sensitivity of these movements and actions, we're able to refine our practices to best support our needs, and our needs as they change.
Excess Pitta
How to Summer Wisely
Revolved Head to Knee pose / Parivritta Janu Sirsana - This is a great pose for pitta season!
Standing Hand to Big Toe Pose / Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana
In yoga there are many balancing postures where we’re standing on one leg with the other lifted in a variety of positions. And, off the mat, we’re in a one-legged balance posture for a moment in time every step we take. Having good balance is an important part of our health, and one that becomes even more so as the years go by.
Energize in Kapha Season
Kapha season is upon us. The fertile mud gives rise to the buds, flowers and foliage of Mother Nature. Similarly, the earth and water elements in us provide a stable and rich foundation from which we can spring forth. Kapha is the season of growth and upward movement. We emerge from our cold weather introversion, stillness and hibernation, toward manifesting that which we've dreamt of over the dark months.In all of my classes this month, I'll be explaining the Kapha dosha and how to practice in a way that aligns with the current season: late winter through spring. We'll focus on postures, breathing exercises, mindfulness tools, and inner teachings which compliment, celebrate and balance what's happening outside in nature, because what's happening outside is happening inside as well.Join me and learn how to engage with your practice skillfully and intentionally for the Kapha season.
Ayurveda - Tools to Cool
In class, we’ve been exploring how the wisdom of Ayurveda can help us to tailor our yoga practice to suit the "energy" of the summer. Ayurveda, as the sister science of yoga, offers guidance to maintain physical and emotional health. It is based on three constitutions, or doshas, namely vata, pitta and kapha. Each of us has all three doshas, but usually one or two dominate.It’s thought that our dosha make up is determined at conception. However, many lifestyle-related factors influence our dosha balance, such as our diet, schedule, and our sleep and play habits. In addition, the time of day, the time of year, and the phase of life we are experiencing all alter our dosha cocktail.
How To Rock a Handstand
Happy October! In all of my classes this month, I'll be teaching a series focused on strength and conditioning exercises to prepare for Handstand. Handstand! One of the most elusive and enticing postures I've come across. There's something so, so sweet about balancing on my hands, and feeling all my muscles in precise orchestration. Handstand requires strength, balance, mobility, theright breath, state of mind and gaze point.