I Enrolled in Ayurveda School! ….Ayur-whaat?

October 22, 2014 1:41 pm

What is Ayurveda? I get asked that question a lot. Some people are vaguely familiar with it – if you practice yoga you may have heard something about “doshas” or drinking tepid water with a squeeze of lemon on an empty stomach after waking in the morning. Yoga and Ayurveda are sister sciences. Deepak Chopra’s books on health and wellness take an ayurvedic approach and the Chopra Center in Carlsbad California offers consultations and services. If you watch Dr. Oz he occasionally recommends ayurvedic remedies. However, more often than not, people I talk to are like ayur-whaat? Read More →

Should I Eat Vegan or Paleo?

September 25, 2014 12:28 pm

Here is a short clip from Dr. Mark Hyman, holistic nutrition and functional medicine guru extraordinaire, offering an excellent summation on Paleo vs Vegan. It’s interesting to point out that these two diets have more in common than they have different. What it really comes down to is what is best for YOU. Your own individual mind/body constitution and taking into consideration whatever health issues you may have should inform how to best nourish your body. Variety of vegetables and fruits, no processed crap is a given, but beyond that, even in the realm of whole foods there are choices to make. Decide by listening to your body. Read More →

Yoga 101

September 11, 2014 10:05 am

I have really been enjoying teaching Yoga 101 workshops at Purple Yoga. I have a heart for beginners. I love going back to basics; I love getting into details, a strong foundation on which to build is so important. I do a lot of talking when I teach the workshop – there is so much information! However here is what I think are five key pieces of information for the new yoga practitioner. Read More →

Beyond the Ice Water

August 27, 2014 12:34 pm

I’ve been fascinated by the phenomenon that is the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge, and thanks to my best friend Casey for nominating me to give my two cents – literally and figuratively.

Ok, so you poured ice water on your head…. Now what? Over the past few weeks of seeing this all over social media I found myself wondering what is going on here and why are so many participating. I’ll admit, I didn’t really know what ALS was. I now know that it is a neurological disease that slowly causes nerve cells to break down and die. It is a painful condition, it weakens muscles, causes them to atrophy. ALS severely, negatively impacts quality of life. What causes ALS is not particularly known, however research has uncovered some information I thought was very interesting. Read More →

Playlist: Feel

August 21, 2014 9:10 am

Here is a more recent compilation I’ve really been enjoying using in class lately. Each one of these songs is just cool – deep beats, emotive, inspires feeling.

I love drama in songs, for example track 2, “Bloodflood” has a long pause, a break in the music near the end of the song, that pause carries tension for a good three seconds and then the music comes pouring back in – so good. I also like the recurring lyric, “breathe in” with an audible inhale, “exhale” with an audible exhale, very yoga, I dig it.

More drama in savasana with Imogen Heap’s “Hide and Seek.” Auto-tune. A cappella. Awesome. Read More →

Meditation Challenge

August 13, 2014 12:30 pm

I have recently got back into my meditation practice. My new apartment is very conducive to the morning routine I’ve found best sets me up for my day. Every morning I wake up, roll out of bed, drink a glass of lemon water, and head out the door to go for a walk. I’ve only been living at my new place two and a half months but I already love it! I love the neighborhood – quiet, with beautiful older homes and nice landscaping, close to the beach. I leave my cell phone and wallet at home. I walk however long I feel like it, maybe 20 minutes, maybe an hour. When I come home I light some incense and roll out my yoga mat. I love that my apartment has wood floors and the perfect little space for my mat. I do a bit of yoga, free form, whatever I’m feeling, however my body wants to be moved, and then I meditate. I don’t have a fancy meditation pillow, I just grab a pillow from my couch, set it on the edge of my mat and settle in. When I start my day like this, I feel good the entire day. Read More →

Road to Teacher Training 2011

August 4, 2014 8:00 am

It was three years ago today (3years!) that I submitted an essay to Purple Yoga to be considered for their work/study scholarship for the fall semester of Yoga Teacher Training. I love that I had a a chance to write down my experiences on my yoga journey, at that point I had been practicing for just a year and a half, it’s amazing to see where I was and how far I’ve come. Now I am a teacher, I love teaching yoga, and I think being aware of where I came from really helps me be a better teacher. My hope is to be able to connect with each of my students wherever they are in their practice – helping a beginner build a foundation, just as I had to do. Or encouraging a more experienced practitioner in their challenges and adding new layers and depth to their practice, just as my teachers did for me – especially during teacher training. Just as a personal yoga practice is always evolving, so it is with teaching yoga as well. I’m so glad I found my way to this path, I am so grateful to Purple Yoga and my teachers. Even as I write this they are gearing up for this fall’s Yoga Teacher Training to begin in just one month, and other yogis (perhaps even students of mine!) are preparing for this wonderful experience, and even writing essays of their own, just as I did.

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