What Helps You Stay Mindful?

What helps you stay mindful throughout your day?

I was recently asked to answer this question. What practices do I use to fight stress and boost productivity? My favorites are yoga, breathwork and writing.

Meditation, yoga, writing and breathing practices help me stay mindful.

On stressful days, I try to give myself permission to sit with what is, whether I'm tired or emotional or overwhelmed. I like to sit down or sometimes take 'legs up the wall' pose and just spend a few minutes noticing my body. 

Where do I feel tense? How am I breathing? What is the energy in my body like in this moment?

Rolling out my yoga mat and moving for 15-20 minutes allows me to release stagnant energy. Some days, I'll stay with one pose for an extended period of time. One minute in headstand, or two minutes in Pigeon on each side -- that can make a huge difference in how my day is going!

I also love to write in my journal. I think it's important to write from a place of authenticity. If I'm having a rough day, I might not write a gratitude list. I might write about why I'm upset, why I feel stuck, or what I'm fearful of. On happy days, a gratitude list or a blog post or a long post on Instagram might be more fitting. The important thing is to start with how I'm truly doing, instead of trying to pretend I'm in a different space.

Breathing is so important too. Lately I've been all about Nadi Shodhana, alternate nostril breathing. I feel so relaxed after just a few minutes of this Pranayama technique. I'm grateful that there are so many methods for staying mindful and for releasing stress, since different days I need different tools.

This post was inspired by a Q&A article I participated in. You can read the full article featuring other amazing yoga teachers and their ideas here.

Photos in this post by Ken Johnson of CKCImage.com.

Pranayama: Nadi Shodhana (Alternate Nostril Breathing)

Happy Monday, yogis! I hope you had a restful and fun weekend.

I'm curious: do you practice pranayama (breathing techniques) at your yoga studio, or at home?

It's interesting to me how the culture of every yoga studio varies, and it seems like these days you can find both traditional classes which feature ancient, yogic breathing practices, and you can also find studios where you'll only hear about Ujjayi breath while in class.

Recently I've been incorporating nadi shodhana, or alternate nostril breathing, into my daily routine. I find that it relaxes my entire body, calms my mind, and helps me feel balanced.

Would you like to try it?

Find a comfortable seated position, and close your eyes. (Note, if this is your first time trying a pranayama technique, please see my note below.*)

Take a few moments to ground yourself. Allow your thoughts to settle.

Notice your body, any sensation, any area that draws your attention.

Then, notice your breath.

Where in your body do you feel your breath?

Let your awareness settle on the breath alone. You can begin counting your inhales and exhales. Inhale to a count of four; exhale to a count of four.

After a few rounds like this, we'll begin nadi shodhana, alternate nostril breathing.

Bring your right hand just in front of your face.

Bend your index and middle fingers, creating a sort of "y" shape with your hand. During this breath technique, you'll use your thumb to cover your right nostril, and your ring finger to cover your left nostril.

Close your right nostril with your right thumb. Inhale through the left nostril slowly and steadily, filling up your lungs.

Close your left nostril with your ring finger so both nostrils are closed; retain your breath at the top for a brief moment. Then, open your right nostril and release the breath through the right side, exhaling fully.

Inhale slowly through the right side, filling up again. At the top of the breath, hold both nostrils closed and pause for a moment.

Then open your left nostril and breathe slowly out through the left side. Pause briefly at the bottom.

Repeat for two to five minutes (or longer). Work up to longer periods of practicing this breath.

Here's a simplified explanation, in case that above description got a little confusing or wordy for you ;)

• Exhale fully.
• Cover your right nostril as you inhale on the left.
• Pause at the top of the breath and close both nostrils.
• Cover your left nostril as you exhale on the right.
• (Keep your fingers as is as you) inhale on the right.
• Pause at the top of the breath and close both nostrils.
• Open your left nostril and exhale on the left.

Or, even more simply:

• Inhale left, exhale right.
• Inhale right, exhale left.

Once you get the hang of this breath technique, it's very relaxing.

Nadi Shodhana is a powerful yogic practice. This breath will allow you to: support your lung and respiratory system, balance the left and right hemispheres of your brain, clear your body's energetic channels, rejuvenate your nervous system and release stress.

*An important note: one of my favorite yoga teachers once explained to me that pranayama is a serious part of the yoga practice. It's important to establish a foundational yoga practice before you begin working on pranayama. Please practice with a teacher who is knowledgeable and can show you exactly how the breath technique works and who you can ask questions. 

Nadi Shodhana is a basic pranayama practice, so it would probably be OK for you to try it simply based on reading this post, but if you're getting into any other more complex breath practices, or any pranayama that involves holding (retaining) the breath, please do so with an experienced teacher in the room with you. As with anything in yoga, if any of these breath practices cause you any sort of anxiety, please skip them and go back to your normal breath in and out through the nose.

Namaste.

 All images in this post by Ken Johnson of CKCImage.com. Leggings by Ginger Orange Activewear.

Creativity

What helps you cultivate creativity?

I believe summer is a wonderful time of year to go on adventures, try new things, and meet new friends.

Here are a few of my favorite creative outlets. I hope they help you discover new, fun, exciting ways to spend your summer!

• Write. Even if you don't consider yourself a 'writer,' try putting a pen to paper. You never know where the ideas will lead you! Whether you're simply journaling about your experiences, making a list of things you want to accomplish, creating fictional characters and stories, or even doodling, let yourself try something new. Don't censor yourself or edit, just write! See where it leads you.

• Cook. Look up recipes on Pinterest, buy a cookbook at your local used bookstore, or consider asking a friend or family member for a new recipe. I often find that when I give myself time to be creative in the kitchen, it yields wonderfully delicious results! It's also fun to try making a fancy breakfast or special dessert, and surprising someone you love. Cooking dinner with a glass of wine (or two) is always fun, too! :)

• Spend time in nature. Being outdoors often feels like a 'reset' for your creativity. Try going for a hike, walking on the beach, watching the sunset, or even just taking a walk around your neighborhood. Being outside can offer the breath of fresh air you need to spark a new idea. I also love taking my yoga practice outside to mix things up!

• Chant, sing, or play an instrument. Music is a wonderful way to be creative. Personally I love to sing to the radio in my car, pull out my djembe and chant in the living room, or look up new artists and songs on Spotify. Someday it would be fun to take up piano again (I took lessons as a little kid) or try playing the guitar. Do you play any instruments?

• Clean and declutter your home. Does anyone else out there feel relieved and more open to creativity after catching up on dishes, laundry, and tidying the house? :) I can't tell you how many times I've prioritized cleaning and then given myself time to be creative, and what a difference that makes. If you're short on time, you can also choose to clean just one area of the house or just around your desk, and then go from there.

• Take a single static yoga pose for 3-5 minutes. Headstand is my favorite, since it brings fresh oxygenated blood to the brain, and is a literal way to shift my perspective. Backbends are also great postures for opening your creative energy channels, or if your body is feeling fatigued, try a yin pose such as pigeon (sleeping swan) or supta baddha konasana.

• Clear your schedule. This might be my favorite item on this list :) I find that when I create empty space in my schedule-- no plans, no to-do items, nowhere to be-- this is one of the best ways I can bring more creativity. By allowing space, I'm able to let my thoughts settle, and this often leads to new ideas. 

What are your go-to activities for cultivating creativity? I'd love to hear!

Namaste.

Photos by Jobi Otso.

Yoga is a Practice

Here are a few things that I know, in this moment.

Yoga is a practice.

And my practice is in a constant state of flux, just like me.

Postures will come and go.

Inversions? Fancy transitions? They do not define me.

Today I practiced yoga for the first time in a week, and my body felt stiff and tight. My joints ached. I tried for binds in Goddess pose and Extended Side Angle, and felt as though I was in a different body than my own.

I felt uncomfortable. I kept going. And in savasana, I felt relieved and a little proud of myself for sticking through the discomfort.

I've heard other teachers and students talk about 'taking a break' from their practice. It has been years since I've done that with mine, but in the last few months there have been moments when I'd rather do anything than yoga.

I know I've spent a lot of time comparing myself to other yogis, teachers and students, deciding who has a 'stronger' practice, who knows more, who is capable, who is worthy.

I'd love to let all of that go.

I journaled about it today, actually. How I'm tired of letting my practice define me, rather than support me.

I don't live to do yoga; I do yoga in order to live a more balanced, happy, peaceful life.

Let that be my mantra. Let the comparisons and judgments fall away.

I want to be remembered as a yogi who loved wholeheartedly.

I want to be remembered as someone who cared, who took care of herself with grace and kindness, and who refused to let fear get the best of her. If handstand is in that picture, OK. If not, OK.

How do you practice ahimsa in your yoga routine? How do you let go of a fear of failure, of not being good enough?

Yoga Poses for Releasing Anxiety

First up in the yoga for healing series:

yoga for anxiety!

This little series of poses is near and dear to my heart. I found yoga because of anxiety, and found that the practice was incredible for calming my nerves and letting go of stress.

On days when you are feeling anxious, nervous or worried, try these yoga postures to help you ground your energy and release fear.

If possible, do 3 rounds of sun salutations to warm up the body and link movement with breath.

Otherwise, simply begin in

Tadasana, mountain pose.

 Stand with your feet firmly planted on the ground, soften your knees a little bit, and reach up through the crown of your head. You can even tuck your chin just slightly to feel your spine get even taller.

Notice what it feels like when you are in this tall, confident standing posture.

Feel free to bring your hands together in front of your heart and close your eyes. Take five deep breaths, picturing the breath lighting up your entire body with vibrant energy and a sense of peace.

Each time you exhale, picture sending your worries or frustrations down through the soles of your feet, letting them go, right here and now.

Next, take a

mini backbend.

Reach your arms over head and look up. As you reach through your fingertips, picture inviting peaceful energy into your body.

Fill up. Maybe even smile for a moment :) 

Take five breaths here in this standing pose, lifting through the heart center and the crown of your head.

Next is

seated cat/cow

. Sit comfortably on your mat or on a blanket.

As you inhale, pull your heart forward and arch your spine.

As you exhale, round your spine, curling in, chin to chest.

You can have your hands up or your palms resting on your knees as you do this motion.

Keep the movement linked to the breath -- inhaling forward, exhaling back.

Do five to ten rounds.

As you inhale, invite peace. As you exhale, release fear and tension. You can even vibrate the mantra,

I am at peace

.

Come back to center. Sit up tall. Take a clearing breath, inhaling through your nose and then exhaling audibly through your mouth:

ahhhhhh

.

Next, do a few

side bends.

Let one arm slide down, elbow to the ground. Reach up and across with your other arm. Let your neck relax as you breathe into your side body.

Stretch each side, pausing for five to seven breaths on the right and the left.

As you return to center, notice new space you've created in the mid-body, the area around the heart and in the middle of the upper back, where the shoulder blades are.

Picture the energy there feeling calm and centered.

End your practice with a few moments in

lotus mudra

. Draw your thumbs and pinky fingers together to touch, and fan your other fingers out wide. Place your thumbs near your sternum.

Close your eyes and breathe.

Notice the sense of calm in your body.

You are this sense of calm. Your very nature is here, in a loving, nurturing, relaxed place. If at any time you need to remember this feeling in your body, you can bring your hands back into lotus mudra and take a few deep breaths.

Here's a summary of the

YOGA FOR ANXIETY

 practice:

• 3 sun salutations to warm up

• Mountain pose, tadasana

• Mountain pose with a baby backbend, arms overhead

• Seated cat/cow pose

• Clearing breath (audible exhale!)

• Seated side bends

• Lotus mudra at the heart

May your yoga practice be an act of kindness toward your body, and a key to finding healing and peace.

Sequencing a Yoga Class: Advice from Real Yoga Teachers on How to Create Your 'Flow'

Calling all yoga teachers, and teachers in training!

How do you sequence your yoga classes? What tips, tricks and tools have helped you learn to put together a class that 'flows' beautifully?

Sequencing can be a challenge for yoga teachers, especially in the beginning...I know for me it took a few years to feel totally comfortable creating new yoga sequences. When you're fresh out of teacher training, you may have one memorized sequence you're ready to use, but how do you branch out from there? What helps keep you creative and coming up with new ideas? 

Putting together a cohesive, intelligent, engaging yoga class is not easy. In an effort to encourage and inspire all of my fellow yoga teachers out there, I'd love to share some awesome advice from three of my favorite teachers on how they sequence a class, memorize a flow, and create an environment for students that is supportive and fun. Enjoy!

Tristina Kennedy:

The most authentic inspiration that I find for classes is to get on my mat and move. Some days I just allow myself to be led by my breath and intuition. Other days, I may have a specific intention/focus that I want to bring to class, so my movement is informed by this.

I’m visually minded, so once I have my game plan, I write/draw out the sequence for class. I like to use symbols, abbreviations, and little stick figure yogis. :) I keep a format that divides the various sections of class, so that it's easy to reference when teaching, if needed.

I love the way that this starts to build a catalog of classes. It is fun to look back at past classes; I will often revive, and sometimes refine, things that I've taught in the past.

Jany Slay:

In the beginning I would write almost every single transition or pose down in a linear list (took up half a page!) but now I focus on just one or two key poses or transitions that I really like and put in my basic flows around those pieces. I stop writing as much down too and just practice on my mat more WITH music. For me, music inspires my movements so getting on my mat with a great playlist is where I get inspired. From there, it's a random note-fest of transitions or poses that I must have in my class.

The biggest tip my teacher had for me in my classes she would take was "BREATHE

!" I try to never skip a breathe cue. I try to emphasize fuller breaths in the middle and end of class when that can sometimes be forgotten. When I feel lost or nervous, I breathe. I also remember that some of my favorite classes was more because of the vibe and energy of the teacher and less to do with the sequences or poses.

Aren't these tips super helpful? I can't wait to try some of them when I'm putting together my next class sequence.

I'm so grateful to each of you-- Tristina, Jany and Elizabeth-- for offering all these awesome ideas on how to sequence a yoga class.

To summarize, here are some ideas for how to create a class that flows effortlessly:

• Spend time during your own practice noticing the transitions between poses.

• Keep a journal of class sequences you've taught.

• Let music inspire you.

• Choose a peak pose and work up to it.

• When you arrive to teach, remember to breathe and adapt to who's in the room.

For all you Vinyasa yogis, I also recommend checking out my post on how I memorized the

Baron Baptiste sequence

during my 200 hour training.

Do you have tips or tricks for sequencing? I'd love to hear in the comments below!

Power Yoga Script with Sanskrit Posture Names

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Being Receptive

I made a discovery while teaching yoga today.

When I am able to be vulnerable, and sit with my students-- when I am willing to get up close, to be seen, and to share space with them -- I receive so much wisdom and healing.

During last few moments before Savasana, I knelt down on the floor, right in the middle of the room, and suddenly I could feel this profound sense of support and love and sacred energy in the room. What an incredible thing to witness-- yogis willing to be with themselves, stretching, taking care of their bodies, releasing.

It felt so simple and pure, in a way. Just being together in a room. I was sitting there watching yogis do a spinal twist and close their eyes and just be. Nothing to do. Nowhere to go. Just resting and receiving a much-deserved rest.

And I felt this urgent longing in me to be close to them -- not to be in the back of the room near the music or up in the front on my own mat. I just wanted to be near them. In it, with them.

So I sat down and placed my palms face up and asked that Reiki would move through me and into the room, and help facilitate healing. I asked that their burdens could be released. I asked that they might feel love and healing. I asked for this process of healing to be immediate and profound.

And I could feel the healing come to me, too. For as much as I give when I teach, I also receive. I realized today that the more receptive I can be to the moment, the more healing the moment brings.

One girl in class had been crying while we were doing hip openers. I brought a box of tissues and set it by her mat-- didn't need to say anything or call it out. I offered a simple gesture to show her that she was supported, and in that moment I remembered all the times on my own mat recently when I'd cried.

Her vulnerability offered me the opportunity to be vulnerable. To be more open today.

Student is teacher is student, I thought. We are each our own best teacher. 

Often I've had this perception that I need to 'hold' the room, or I've had the goal to create something incredible and breathtaking in a class... to bring in a theme or offer up a song that fits perfectly... but often it seems that the more I try to plan something, the less authentic it feels. 

I've realized how powerful it is simply to show up and to be receptive to what's going on in the moment. To teach from the space I'm in, whether that's a tired and grumpy space, or a joyful one. Even if I'm hesitant, fearful, depleted, overwhelmed... I can still teach.

And from this place of authenticity, my students feel permission to be authentic. To be vulnerable. This is what creates the powerful experience of yoga.

Being willing to sit with what is. Being willing to cry, or to lie there silently in a spinal twist and just feel everything that is sacred in the room, and how transformative this practice is.

Teaching yoga today was a gift.

May this practice continue to help me be receptive, and may it touch you to be more open, too.

Namaste.

January to February, and the Yamas and Niyamas

Photo by Jobi Otso.

Anyone else excited to be through January and into a new month? :)

I don't know about you guys, but so far this year is bringing many changes into my life, both personally and professionally. 

Photo by Lucid Reflections.

I feel a strong need to stay open and maintain a loving and compassionate attitude, even when things feel chaotic. Home life and work life balances are shifting and evolving. 

A yoga studio where I've been teaching announced that it will close at the end of the month. I cried on my mat and felt a sense of dread at having to share the news with my students. The experience has been a bittersweet lesson in aparigraha (non-attachment) and santosha (contentment with what is). Two important yogic principles that are not easy to practice!

Photo by Jobi Otso.

Despite the ups and downs, what I do know is that my yoga practice, with its back bending and heart opening, will continue to serve me and help me stay open and expressive even during this time of transition.

Much love to you, dear readers!

PS Another heartfelt post on contentment, and more about the ethical practices of yoga, called the yamas and niyamas.

Photo by Lucid Reflections.

The Yoga Pose You Hate

Photo by Felipe Silva of @the_lost_portraits.

What's your least favorite yoga pose?

Mine has varied over time: chair pose, headstand, handstand, pigeon, to name a few.

I believe it's normal to experience periods of time where you dislike certain poses, you resist them, and you want to run from the room when the teacher asks you to do them.

Photo by Felipe Silva of @the_lost_portraits.

I have an idea for you.

What if, the next time you encountered a pose that you absolutely don't want to do, instead of skipping the pose or ignoring your reaction to it, you spent a few minutes after class asking your teacher about the pose? 

Photo by Brynna Bryant of Respiro Photography.

You could choose to replace resistance with curiosity.

Find out more about this pose. What's happening in the body when you do this yoga pose? What are its benefits? What muscle groups are working, and what are their balancing actions? What happens to the breath in this pose?

Energetically, what is this pose causing to happen? Which chakra is this pose connected with? What emotions?

What about the pose makes you dislike it? Is it the way your physical body feels? The sounds that tend to be happening in the room when you are in the pose? The length of time you hold the pose? The thoughts that creep into your mind whenever you're in this pose? A memory that comes up? The way this pose makes you feel weak, incapable, inflexible, or 'bad?'

Photo by Jobi Otso. 

Ask questions. Do research. Talk to your teacher and to other yogis about this pose, its correct alignment, its modifications. Maybe even spend a few moments writing down your thoughts about this yoga pose, or meditating on it. See where this exploration leads you.

Perhaps there will always be a yoga pose you dislike.

Are you willing to explore the reasons surrounding why this is? Are you willing to practice detachment? Are you willing to surrender your ego?

Keep peeling back the layers. This is your yoga.

Today

Photos by Felipe Silva of @the_lost_portraits.

 If today's yoga practice was your very last, how would you want to practice?

How would you want to feel in the poses?

How would your breath be?

Your body is a precious well of energy, emotion, and love.

If today was your last day for moving in this body, how would you move? What would you give? What would you surrender?

When you step onto your mat to practice today, let it be about something beyond just this body, this breath, this one pose. Let it be a precious awakening.

An expression.

An offering of love.

Yoga Postures

Photos by Felipe Silva of @the_lost_coast.

Do all postures very slowly, without pain or straining. 

Be nice to all. 

-Sri Dharma Mittra (quote found via @alissayoga)

Meditation

Photo by @the_lost_coast.

Within the pose, there is space for meditation.

Find the pose.

Then, do your meditation.

The Real Yoga

The great yogis have always caught our attention with these exquisite and difficult positions they put their bodies. These positions spark our curiosity, "Could I do that?" "That's so cool!" What is really amazing is what is going on that we cannot see. We usually don't realize the breath control, the mental fortitude, and the strength being exerted in flexible positions. But, if we think Yoga=Cool Poses or Yoga=Hot Body then we are completely missing the purpose of the practice. 😱 Yoga grabs your attention with the physical postures and through practice turns your heart to God. You realize that every single person, including yourself is a spark of the Divine. The real yoga is when you begin to treat every being as if they are Divine even in tough situations. You see everything with love. This is true yoga. 💖🙏🏼 #bereceptive

A photo posted by Alissa Kepas (@alissayoga) on Oct 21, 2015 at 4:03pm PDT

I just found this most amazing post on Instagram by Alissa Kepas (pictured above). I wanted to re-post it here because it is such a beautiful, heartfelt reminder of what yoga is truly about-- loving others, surrendering to the moment, and being receptive. Thank you, Alissa, for sharing this and for the reminder to re-think the definition of yoga as something more than just a physical practice.

The great yogis have always caught our attention with these exquisite and difficult positions they put their bodies in. These positions spark our curiosity, and we think, "Could I do that?" or "That's so cool!"

What is really amazing is what is going on that we cannot see.

We don't usually realize the breath control, the mental fortitude, and the strength being exerted in flexible positions.

But, if we think Yoga = Cool Poses or Yoga = Hot Body then we are completely missing the purpose of the practice.

Yoga grabs your attention with the physical postures and through practice turns your heart to God.

You realize that every single person, including yourself, is a spark of the Divine. The real yoga is when you begin to treat every being as if they are Divine even in tough situations. You see everything with love. This is true yoga.

Be receptive.

Photo via Instagram.

You can find Alissa on Instagram as @alissayoga.

Tips for Crow Pose (Bakasana)

Lately I've been working on my crow pose :) Do you enjoy bakasana? Here are some tips.

Photo by Justin Kral.

1. Stretch the wrists first. As with any vinyasa practice, it's important to warm up your wrists before you spend a bunch of time with your hands on the mat. I recommend placing the palms face down with the fingers pointing back toward you, also flipping the hands over so the backs of the hands are flat on the floor. In both of these positions you can do a gentle micro-movement forward and back, or right and left. Afterward, make fists and release, maybe shake the hands a few times too. Deep breaths while you're stretching the wrists -- take it slow! Do stretches that feel good to you.

On that note, also consider that when you are in crow pose, you're using your fingers to grip the floor (think tips of the fingers turning white), not putting all the weight in the wrists. You can read more about having active hands with arm balances here.

Photo by Cait Loper.

2. CORE FUN! Crow pose is all about core strength. A few things I've been doing lately to build up core strength:

- 8 minute abs (hilarious video from the 1980s - watching it, you totally forget that you're working out because it's so funny)

- Ashley Galvin's 'BodyStrong' videos on the Cody app (seriously incredible workouts)

- Sadie Nardini's 'Ultimate Yoga Shred' videos on the Cody app (love her)

- pushups and long plank holds

Photo by Jobi Otso.

3. Consider mula bandha lift and be sure to use your gaze effectively. When you come into crow pose, lift UP from the pelvis, and lift IN with the navel. You can think of it as lifting up through the booty, the belly AND the heels. (In these photos, you can see I still have quite a bit of work to do to lift the feet up farther toward my bum.)

Also, place your gaze a bit in front of you to keep the chest lifted. Put your gaze about one foot in front of you, and lock it there. Gaze set, then begin to tune into the strength in your body-- deep core line. Placing the gaze strategically helps with balance and with weight transfer. (Added bonus step is to smile right here, before you shift forward :)

4. Prop it up! One of the best ways to start working on crow is to place a block under the feet first. This helps raise the hips a bit extra (note that it also raises the rest of the body a little, so if you fall, you fall a little farther!). You'll see in the photo above I've started using my Dharma Yoga Wheel for support while practicing straightening my arms. Another option for propping is to allow your head to touch a wall as you shift forward (usually you have to readjust a few times to see how far away from the wall you'll need to be). Finally, pillows in front of you are always an option, too!

5. Work on tripod headstand and lifting and lowering the legs. From the tripod headstand, start to lower the knees onto the arms, moving SLOWLY and using the core. You want to get the knees in the armpits as much as possible. From here, you can take the legs back up. Do 5-10 reps of up and down each day and pretty soon you'll be ready to lift up into crow right after. If traditional headstand with the forearms is your preferred version of the pose, play with lifting and lowering the legs just using the core. I'm definitely still working on this one but it's amazing how quickly the core strength builds :)

Do you have any other tips that have helped you master crow pose?

PS Love this article on tips for overcoming fear in crow pose.

Letting Go (Ishvara Pranidhana)

Today Sponsored Yogini Keyla shares a beautiful reflection on what it means to let go and how it is essential to the practice of Yoga.

Ishvara Pranidhana is a niyama related to letting go and surrendering to the universe.

This has been my theme lately. 

It can translate and mean so many things but for me it helps me with faith. For the past month or so, I've been training under someone who was taught by his uncle and grandfather in traditional/classical yoga, to him it's the correct and authentic form of yoga, all 8 limbs, not just asana which is what is mainly taught in most yoga studios. Yoga was something he grew up with the way I grew up with Salsa music and my grandmother teaching me my first steps of salsa in the kitchen. It was just my culture. Yoga is a way of life and his culture.

I’ve been looking for a teacher like him for some time now. I wanted to know what yoga was like for someone that grew up Indian. Something I would probably learn if I stepped into the country but let’s face it, I can’t make the trip right now. The timing fell right in place as it always does and I landed an awesome teacher that has helped my practice dramatically.
Every day I wake up at dawn and practice. I've never done this in my whole journey as a student and It's taught me so much! I remember in my 200 RYT thinking about being a “real yogini” and waking up at dawn like I was supposed to, to practice kriyas, pranayama and chant but I felt like it was so out of reach! I would never be able to do that. Well, I’m finally finding the consistent discipline in my self-practice and it’s been so effortless. It took me to shift a few things out of my life, but it happened gradually and almost magically.

I’ve always practiced but it was very spastic. I would practice at noon, or the evening, and sometimes would practice for 3 hrs. at 3 am. It was perfect for me at first because it worked with me but It was just all over the place. My free-spirited nature became somewhat of an issue though. It caused me to burn out; it lacked order and balance. My practice reflected it. It wasn’t a bad thing, it was just a mirror that I can look back at now and say oooooh, I was all over the place.

My schedule was extreme, and my classes burnt me out. Yoga wasn’t supposed to have that effect on me. 

It wasn’t the yoga that was the issue. It was me. My yoga practice revealed something very important. I needed balance and change. I needed more than just asana. From teaching 7 days a week for a whole year, I stopped. I dropped my classes, and sadly one class just ended up dropping me. After my favorite studio cutting me out of the schedule, It was time for me to center and work on my own practice. I re-defined my intention.

I'm not interested in having 500 students, and making a living out of teaching yoga. I'm also not interested in selling classes, or selling memberships. The reason why I teach is because I enjoy sharing my practice. 

I started teaching so that I could commit to my own practice, so that I could find more balance. The inspiration that comes from it is like nothing else. Watching people grow around me is what lights me up, and knowing that my light helped a seed sprout fills me up with joy. It is that very exchange that inspires me to move and teach.

It’s been months since I taught at a studio. I’ve come to a place where I was happily practicing on my own but my students have reached out to me. I missed them just as much as they missed me. Honestly speaking, I kept teaching like a mad woman for a whole year because I fell in love with my students and felt guilty for leaving them. Although I felt uncomfortable, and the vibe at a studio was conflicting with me, I stuck around. Then enough was enough. I put in notice and I left without letting my students know. I had no idea how to explain why I was leaving. It wasn’t until I left that students reached out and told me things that explained why I felt as uncomfortable as I did. In that particular situation, Another teacher was talking behind my back. Pure ugliness. What’s funny is that I stayed and thought it was me the whole time. I didn’t listen to my feelings and intuition. I wasn’t centered enough to have confidence in my feelings. I know now that I made the right choice in leaving.

As a teacher, the environment that you choose to hold space in is just as important as the class itself. A studio should feel like home. Like a sanctuary. A place for healing and reflection. When a yogic space is clouded by energies other than healing and comfort then it’s time to make some changes. Letting go of responsibility is a hard thing to do. It may be the right move, and it may not serve you anymore but as a teacher you start to feel like your students are your responsibility. 

Who will guide them if you don’t? What will they think about you if you gave up on your commitment to them and the studio? What if they follow you? Will the studio accuse you of stealing their “customers?"

After re-evaluating a bit and taking a lot of time, I picked out the perfect little meditation space and am ready to teach now. This time only one day a week, and not worried about numbers at all. 

Practicing Ishvara Pranidhana and letting go. 

If someone wants to show up, great, and if not, it’s OK. It’s on my own expense and it’s my own class. I have full faith that if it’s for me, things will flow and grow. I found an environment and a system that works for me and it was only until I let go of the fear of failing a studio and students that it fell into place. I re-defined the way that I wanted to teach and I plan to keep my practice as the number one priority. 

That’s the only way that I can continue to allow yoga to transform and balance out my life and mind. After all, that’s why I practice.

Thank you, Keyla, for this lovely post! Very inspiring for all of us who are teachers and students of yoga.

Note: In the photos above, Keyla is wearing a shirt from Twin Flame and a pair of leggings from Veda Sundara. Namaste.

Transformation

Photos by Brynna Bryant of Respiro Photography.

It's hard to remember what life was like before yoga.

Things were fundamentally different before I began my practice. I had more fear and anxiety. I felt ashamed of my body. I talked down to myself and doubted myself regularly. A lot of the time, I felt tense. I knew I was capable of being at peace, but didn't know how to let the little things go.

I practice new habits now. I regularly give thanks for the blessings in my life. I am used to the sound of my breath in the back of my throat, that careful wave of ujjayi a constant reminder to be present. I do not mind waiting in line at the post office or the grocery store for it provides me a few minutes to meditate.

I'm able to stand on my mat and let everything else that's going on in my life fade into the background of my awareness. A new focus, a way of letting go. Inviting balance, flexibility, strength. Allowing peace.

Sometimes I awake from savasana feeling like a wholly new person. I walk out of class, refreshed, light, wondering where the old me is, fine with the fact that I am new.