An advanced yoga teacher training program (such as a 300-hour or 500-hour yoga teacher training) can be an exciting decision - assuming you're ready for it. Maybe you "think" you are ready for it since you just completed your 200-hour in the last year, but is that enough of a prerequisite to take the leap to doing a 500-hour yoga teacher training? My recent observation is people are treating yoga teacher trainings like college degrees: you graduate with a Bachelor's degree and then … [Read more...]
No Expectations, No Coincidences
In the last few weeks I received emails from a few publishing houses & PR firms asking if I'd be interested in reviewing some of their clients' yoga books. Though my reading list for the new year is already full, I figured maybe (just maybe) one of these books might inspire me to hop back onto my blog which I've clearly neglected the last couple months. So I graciously accepted the offers stating I would add each book to my 2014 reading list. Well here it is - and the best part is the … [Read more...]
The Real Deal: Sri Dharma Mittra
A little over two weeks ago I had just returned from NYC after spending 8 solid days there immersed in an 800-hour yoga teacher training with Sri Dharma Mittra. Yes, even though I'm a professional yoga teacher I still continue to study yoga and attend yoga teacher trainings...another blog post, at another time. Anyway, many knew this was my "big training" for the year so immediately upon reconnecting to life, friends, family, teaching, etc. several people naturally asked "so how was it?!?" … [Read more...]
Karma Yarma Smarma
No, the title of this post is not Sanskrit for something particular or grand. It's simply me being frustrated with myself for not fully understanding karma. I realized today (after pondering this topic the entire month of September & not posting a single thought about it) that maybe that's the point of karma. As with many of the yoga sutras & other yoga philosophy, they're often easier to read about and get vs. live. Further try to apply them in full-blown action and whoa! life wakes … [Read more...]
Santosha – Discovered in a Bad Yoga Class
"By contentment, supreme joy is gained." sutra 2.42 "Niyama consists of purity, contentment, accepting but not causing pain, study, and self-surrender. sutra 2.32 Santosha is Sanskrit for contentment. The word contentment/santosha is first mentioned in The Yoga Sutras among the list of five niyamas (sutra 2.32). Side note: My take on the niyamas is they guide our internal compass. They're ethical principles (or observances) that strengthen our character and guide us to live life in the … [Read more...]
Are You a REAL Yoga Teacher?
As part of the 2012 Arts Festival Day at an elementary school in Alexandria, VA, my yoga teacher-friend Brittanie DeChino and I volunteered to do a few yoga demonstrations to third, fourth and fifth-graders. We taught them sound breathing (a breathing technique we learned from our teacher Sri Dharma Mittra), sun salutations, balancing poses, partner yoga and a few other fun things. It was a nice change from my daily office yoga gigs. At the end of each 20-minute presentation, we opened it up … [Read more...]