This Blog Has Moved...

We are making some wonderful changes to the website, this is one of the first! We have made it easier to view our blogs, etc. so we are in the process of moving EVERYTHING over to this site!

http://blog.simplicity-yoga.com/

Please sign-up and follow us there!

Thank you!

Finding Myself and Confidence, On and Off the Mat

all my life have battled with self esteem and confidence issues. for years i had been put down and made fun of by just about everyone, even some family members (my mother included), so i knew it wasn't going to be a quick fix.

i worked through most of the pain through some books and with the help of my amazing husband. and if you ask those who knew me during my dark period they can tell you that by the end of the book stage i had come worlds from where i was. but i still wasn't 100%.

it was soon after this that i really got into yoga. i did it then to help ease my pain and past injuries, little did i know all it would do for me. as you all know i was able to reverse all the pain issues (i no longer needed to take pain killers, use heating pads or icy hot, or beg my poor husband for back rubs, and was able to make my knee like a knee again, which in itself is a miracle. i also lost 50 pounds. it's funny how it all starts with something right? little do we know that how the journey starts or what caused it to begin would be the main reason for it.

once the physical pain was gone it began healing the emotional and mental pains. i was able to leave my ego out of the equation and just have fun on the mat. if i fell, no worries; if i flew, then great! it also became a source of therapy for me, an outlet. bad day at work, take it out on the mat. get in a fight with my mom, take it out on the mat. feeling insecure, take it out on the mat. it didn't matter what life threw at me, i could handle it, i could work through it.

i noticed once i started to gain more confidence i was able to do more challenging poses, poses i had on the "will never be able to do" list. now it seems like i am crossing another one off that list all the time!

i am also becoming more comfortable in my skin. i'm no afraid to wear what i want or do my hair how i want. if someone doesn't like it, that's fine. it's their opinion and they are entitled to it. i am also not shying away from wearing something that may show a little leg or is form fitting. recently my husband told me that i am walking and holding myself with more confidence. this came up after i said that it seems wherever i go lately, people are so nice to me, and i'm still not use to that. i was use to people not seeing me, feeling invisible. and i believe this is because at the time, subconsciously, i wanted to be invisible. now i feel like i have hidden from the world for too long, so i am putting myself out there. already i have had some amazing opportunities happen: first a tv spot on a local channel for a big name company, then my photo in yoga journal, and soon a modeling shoot with a local clothing company. i still can't believe all this has happened. i keep telling myself that this is God's way of letting me know that i have chosen the right path in life. even it meant basically losing my mother and sister.

i am also making things happen, i wanted to learn belly dancing and i had a feeling others would, so i went about setting up a workshop at the studio. same with acro yoga.

29 has been a life changing year for me; from opening up my own yoga studio (a dream come true), to getting a tattoo (thank you again cyber mom), to being ok with who i am and loving myself just the way i am, to going out there and trying fun and exciting things, like acro yoga.

as a child my childhood was taken away from me, i had to basically raise my little sister from 9 until i got thrown out of the house. so i never knew it was ok to do things that made me happy, to live life and enjoy doing so... and now i am!

so here's to living life to it's fullest, on and off the mat!

namaste!!!!!!

Lifting Off...

so years ago when i started yoga my practice was very basic. at the time even triangle pose was too much for my body. now i can look back and laugh, for i have come so far.i remember picking up issues of yoga journal and looking through the pictures wishes i could do those poses. everything from a full seated forward fold to a beautiful wheel, or a strong handstand or graceful pigeon variation (the one were your foot is in the nook of your arm). i would spend months, sometimes years working on mastering said poses, while relishing in the journey the entire time. now i say mastering loosely as i believe no one can ever truly master any pose, for the body is always changing...as the years have past i still will pick a pose i believe is beyond my means and work on it, only to surprise myself, and sometimes my husband, when i am able to do it LOL. most recently i have been on an arm balance kick, with a dash of wheel pose LOL.

i will explain. so as you all know i "mastered" wheel pose, but of course that wasn't enough for this little yogi, oh no, after that she wanted to learn and achieve a one legged wheel! so after conquering my fear.... being inverted in a back bend with head and back in compromising position then adding in a bit of balance and strength but making it so only 3 limbs and not 4 were holding me in place... i was able to raise that leg high and proud! now it's a personal favorite!

now onto the arm balance fun... arm balances were always a pipe dream for me. when i began to say i had no upper body strength or core strength was a major understatement LOL. even downdog was tough for me and going from plank to chaturanga to either cobra or updog? not even on the map. i would belly flop like shamu through those. but i never gave up. i kept at it and slowly but surely i started to grow my little bean sprouts, this is the name i have coined for my biceps LOL. then it was conquering side plank, showing that chaturanga how it's done, and then i began to take flight with my first ever arm balance pose, scale pose. overtime i began working on crow, and you all know the story of my handstand. lately it's been side crow, astavakrasana, and firefly.
then the other day i saw an article the lovely and talented kathryn budig did on coming into elephant's trunk pose. i was intrigued to say the least. so today i set about attempting this one. i hadn't had time to practice or attempt during my personal time and ended up incorporating it into one of my classes LOL. we have messed with arm balances before in that class and they were game! so we prepared for flight and some of us even lifted off, i was one of them! it was such a great energy in the room after we all attempted this pose. and no one cared if they could or couldn't do it, just trying it was more than enough for us all!

i guess that's part of what i love about yoga so much, the never ending journey...

*** special thank you's go out to my hubby and michele for taking the photos! <3 ***

Setting Boundaries...

We all struggle with this at some point in time in our lives... for me this truly hit home this past week.

I am a people pleaser. I will please others before myself, even if that means that I have to give up something, etc. I am also a businesswoman and studio owner... put these two things together and what do you get? A pushed to her limits yogi that can snap at any moment... And the other day I did.

It's funny what the final straw turns out to be. A funny look, a misunderstood comment... for me it was a minor argument about a song with my husband that ended with me in tears in his arms and a very strong curling iron... I won't get into the specifics of the argument because they are trivial, and no I didn't throw the curling iron at my husband, just the mirror LOL and don't worry both are fine.

The point of this is that I shouldn't have let myself get pushed that far. No one should.

I am teaching an insane amount of classes, all by myself, and running my studio (for the most part) all by myself, and to have clients tell me how I should do things, why I have a downtime between classes, etc. really got to me last week.

I mean here I am putting my heart and soul into my studio and you are giving me a hard time because I am taking an hour break before classes to eat a banana and recharge a little? Seriously?

I felt so unappreciated last week it wasn't funny. I had days where I just wanted to disappear and not deal with anyone. Not good when all I do all day long is deal with people LOL. But I bit my tongue and kept my mean thoughts to myself. And come Sunday I took 90% of the day for myself. No phone, no texting, no email... I cut myself off from the business world (and my personal world aside from my husband). This had to be one of the hardest things I have had to do, aside from not putting some overbearing customers in their place LOL.

By the end of the day I was relishing in my me time and wishing I had more. I have now decided to make this a Sunday ritual and to do this in the evenings after I am done instructing for the day.

This also got me thinking... in my goal to please everyone I lost myself. I took away my me time, my hubby and me time, my errand time, my sleep in past 5am time... It has also made me consider cutting back on classes, maybe taking another day off, so I would only be going strong 5 days a week instead of 6.

I am struggling to make this last part work because I know it's going to tick some people off. But in the long run it will make for a much happier me, which means classes that will kick your butt when they are suppose to and relax you when you need it.

So as of right now I am assessing my schedule and seeing which day I can eliminate some work time to make room for some April time.

The moral of all this rambling is, in the midst of making everyone happy, PLEASE don't forget about yourself, your wants, your needs, your YOU time. Because no one can do it for you...

My History with Wheel Pose...

Wheel pose and I have not always been the best of friends. For years Bridge pose was as close as I could come to this pose, and I had accepted the fact that it might always be this way.

I wasn't blessed with the best back, I have a very deep arch (if I lay down flat on my back I can place my whole arm underneath me without moving my spine one bit), I also use to suffer from many back issues as many of you already know. So whenever I would attempt this pose I felt like a twig about to snap in two. So being the good yogi that I am, I listened to my body and quite trying to do this pose. I focused on other poses and aspects of my practice.A year or so later we needed a photo of this pose and didn't know of anyone who could do it, so it fell on to me. So, keeping a sense of humor and a lot of compassion for myself, I attempted it.

Let's just say it certainly wasn't the prettiest Wheel pose you have ever seen, but it was the best I had ever done. The big thing was I wasn't in pain. Which surprised me, I had clearly had it in my head that this would just be one of those poses that I was never meant to do.
During that year I had gained a ton of flexibility and strength, I just hadn't realized how much of both! In the past when I would try this pose my arms would shake and my back would ache.But this time, this time I was strong enough to hold it up for about 10 seconds, and thanks to my mentor, Sadie Nardini, I learned the neat little trick of lifting up my heels to take the pressure off my low back.
Needless to say, this first photo op of my Wheel pose wasn't used, LOL. But it did allow me to add it back into my life and my practice. After a few weeks/months we tried the pose again for a shoot and this time we had lift off! I actually resembled a wheel and not a broken, fallen down an elevator shaft, and then was hit by a bus wheel LOL.
Recently when I did an important photo shoot (I had no idea how important it would end up becoming) for some pictures for the studio I rose up to the challenge of doing Wheel. It was a warm summer day and the sun was setting, I brushed away as many twigs as I could and laid down to prepare for the pose. I lifted up and away into it! Here's where all that practice came in handy... I love the two people who photographed me, I love them with all of my heart and then some, but something happens to people when they use a camera... they forget that time doesn't stand still for the person doing the pose, LOL. I must have held that Wheel (strong and solid, i might add too!) for at least 1-2 minutes LOL. They had to get images from different angles, etc. I was amazed when I finally came down from it how far I have come.


It's amazing what happens when we accept our bodies for what they are, know are limits, believe in ourselves, and sometimes just toss all worry out the window and just have fun with it!

Which leads me to the very exciting part of this post...From that shoot came some amazing photos, one which was just picked by Yoga Journal (yes THE Yoga Journal) to be used in a web slide show AND in the Table of Contents section in their magazine! Who would have thought my sad little broken wheel would become a shiny one in the pages of Yoga Journal! (And I could care less if my photo is the size of a dime, it's still in the magazine! hehe)


So as you can see, never give up, never stop dreaming, because you never know what the future will hold!

Namaste!

Photo Credits: Troy, Jennifer Martin, & Brendan Cantrell

Partner Yoga Class July 3, 2010

Better late then never right? Sorry for the delay, life has been keeping me very busy lately.

We had an amazing time at our first partner yoga class! The turnout was pretty good considering it was a holiday weekend.

We would love to get another one going so let us know when you would like to see the next one!

To view all the photos, please click here.

Quote: June 30, 2010

The sun never says to the earth, "you owe me"... Look what happens with a love like that, it lights up the whole sky.
Hafiz

Quote for June 28, 2010

Kind words can be short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless.
Mother Teresa

Quote: June 22 & 23, 2010

The aim of life is to live and to live means to be aware. Joyously, drunkenly, serenely, divinely, aware.
Henry James

Quote: June 21, 2010

Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending.
Maria Robinson

Quote: June 17, 2010

To the world you may be just one person, but to one person you may be the world.
Brandi Snyder

Quote: June 16, 2010

Life is too important to be taken seriously.
Oscar Wilde

Quote: June 14 & 15, 2010

Rise above the storm and you will find the sunshine.
Mario Fernandez

Quote: June 11, 2010

Life shows you the doorways to your dreams, but it's up to you to reach out and open them.

Quote: June 10, 2010

live life with your eyes wide open…. let your heart lead you…. let love heal you…. let compassion guide you...

Quote: June 9, 2010

breathe, just breathe, take the world off your shoulders...
breathe, just breathe, let the life that you lead be all that you need...
- ryan star (from the song "breathe")

Quote: June 8, 2010

The only place where dreams are impossible is in your mind.

-Emalie

My Journey into Handstand

Months ago I began my journey into a Handstand. Sounds easy enough right? Well it certainly can be. However along the road to achieving this pose I learned a lot about myself, I also learned how to trust and believe in myself. I know what you're thinking, how can doing a handstand have anything to do with anything other than standing on your hands, well you would be surprised.

In my own practice I like to work on a pose, whether this means taking it a step further or just mastering the basic form of it. A few months ago I decided on Handstand. I had just mastered my Headstand and didn't think it would be that difficult. Boy was I in for a surprise! I would come into the prep pose, be ready for lift off…. then I would freak out. As soon as my standing leg would lift my heart would begin a rapid pace and I would have to come back to all 4 limbs. I couldn't believe how scared I was. Yes, having your head be the lowest point of your body is scary, but this went beyond that. This was me not trusting myself enough to do this pose. I was scared my wrists or elbows would buckle and I would fall on my head, even though they didn't give any hints that they would.

So, for the first month I kept it simple. I did my little prep kicks every day, and after a few weeks I began to keep my heart safely in my chest, rather than my throat. This was a big accomplishment for me. Then I began to kick a little higher, which again, brought me back to square one, heart in throat and sweaty palms. I had to just sit back and laugh at myself. I was my only hindrance in this scenario. I knew I had the muscle strength, but for some reason I didn't have the mental or courage strength. So I put my kicks on hold. I decided to get out of my head and just have fun.

What this lead to was doing cartwheels. Who knew a single cartwheel could have such a profound effect on me. So I would just take breaks from what I was doing and just did cartwheels around the studio. I am pretty sure anyone walking by thought I had lost my marbles! I didn't worry about doing any handstands, just cartwheels. Not only was it a blast to do, but… dun, dun, dunnnn!!!!! It also put my head as the lowest part of my body. Here I was cart wheeling around the room not realizing I had placed my head in the same jeopardizing position. That's when it hit me, and it hit me hard. I COULD DO THIS!

So I began to toss in a handstand in between cartwheels. From there my progression into the pose was quite fast. I would alternate between doing them (handstands) at the wall and in the center of the room. When I began at the wall I scared myself the first time my foot landed against it, but I took a deep breath, told myself I could do this, and pushed through. I also began to visualize myself doing a full handstand. I would imagine would it would feel and look like.

Each day I would improve a little bit more. Then one day I turned to my 4lb Chihuahua, Mojito, who found this whole ordeal very interesting, and told him, "today I will do a full handstand," to which he replied with a comforting kiss. So I took my mat over to the wall and began to kick up, suddenly it wasn't just one leg touching the wall, it was two! (Who cares if that was only for a second, it happened!) So during my next break I went back over to the wall and did it again, this time it was a full handstand! I wish I could describe the rush I felt! It was incredible! It wasn't that I was able to do this pose it was that I did this pose. I trusted myself to do it.

I am still working on being able to hold this pose up away from the wall, but for now that's just a moot point. I achieved my main goal in this pose, for me I have already mastered this one. I have found the ability to truly trust myself, and that in itself is a pretty amazing pose!

I will leave you all with a quote that resonates strongly within me right now…

"The turning point in the process of growing up is when you discover the core of strength within you that survives all hurt.”
- Max Lerner

Namaste,

april

Quote for June 7, 2010

Knowing others is intelligence. Knowing yourself is true wisdom.
Lao Tse

Tips for Preventing Muscle Cramps

Keep well hydrated, drink a few sips f water whenever you feel it's necessary. For 60+ minute workouts, drink water or sports drinks with electrolytes in them.

Make sure you are getting enough potassium in your diet. Bananas can be a quick and easy way to do this!

Also make sure you are getting enough calcium and magnesium, adding small amounts of mineral salt (Celtic or sea salt) to your food can help.

Quote for June 4, 2010

Strive to enjoy the harmony that comes with aligning what you do with who you really are, not who you wish you were.
-Sadie Nardini

Quote for June 3, 2010

There are many things in life that will catch your eye, but only a few will catch your heart. Pursue those.

-Michael Nolan

Quote for June 2, 2010

Change your thoughts and you change your world.

-Vincent Peale

Quote for June 1, 2010

We are never given more than we can handle...

Tips for Preventing Dehydration

Drink at least 8-10 glasses of water a day (more during the summertime or when exercising)

Don't wait till you are thirsty to drink. Thirst is one of the first signs of dehydration

Remember alcohol, caffeine, and sodas can increase dehydration

Make sure to not only replace fluids lost when sweating but also electrolytes. Try adding mixes like Electro Mix (by the Emergen-C company).

Prepare for vigorous sports but drinking about a pint of water 2 hours before and then 6-12 ounces every 15-20 minutes during.

Signs of Dehydration
Thirst, Loss of appetite, Dry skin, Dry mouth, Fatigue/weakness, Chills, Head rushes
Increased heart rate, Increased respiration, Muscle cramps, Headaches, Nausea, Tingling of limbs

Quote for May 31, 2010

If you can't see the bright side of life, polish the dull side.

Quote for May 28, 2010

"A smile happens in a flash, but it's memory can last a lifetime."

Quote for May 27, 2010

"Let the Beauty we Love be what we do"

-Rumi

Can you really lose weight doing yoga?

I get asked this question all the time and the answer really is yes!

I personally have lost 40 lbs and completely toned and transformed my body. I am now in the best shape of my life as well.

Now yoga isn't for everyone, but if it's something you are interested in then the possibilities are endless! You can lose weight, tone, burn calories, gain stamina, strength, and flexibility.

Many people don't do the right kind of classes for weight loss and end up seeing fewer results. When it comes to yoga, not all styles are created equal. Classes that focus on restoring the body, for example won't help with weight loss.

Styles like Vinyasa, Power Yoga Baptiste, Ashtanga, and the style I teach in my classes, Core Strength Vinyasa are all perfect styles for losing weight and remaining strong and toned. Because these styles get your heart rate up they also amp up your metabolism for the entire day!

Here are some tips for losing weight with yoga:

Eat Healthy (Watch those carbs*, especially after 6pm when they get turned straight into fat.)

Do 60 minutes 4-5 times a week

Look for classes that work your larger muscle groups (arms legs, abs, chest, back, etc.). Your muscles should feel fatigued but not useless, and you should be working up a good sweat without being overwhelmed.

As my mentor Sadie Nardini says, "If you can breathe and stay in alignment, you're good…and bonus: you'll look good too!"

*Carbs (Carbohydrates) are foods that are low in nutrient value. Some examples of these are: sweetened cereal, doughnuts, French fries, potato chips, dried fruit, cabbage, green beans, celery, sweetened fruit juice, iceberg lettuce, chocolate covered raisins, chocolate milk, whole milk, regular cheese, eggs, fatty meats, sausage, bacon, fried meats, poultry, & fish, hard margarine, butter, shortening, lard, chocolates, cakes, cookies, pieces, honey, jam, licorice, and sweetened beverages.

www.simplicity-yoga.com

Yoga for Weight Loss!

this is an amazing and inspiring video!!!

i know for me it has changed my life, my self esteem, confidence, and of course being 40 lbs lighter!

for more information feel free to contact me at: classes@simplicity-yoga.com or visit our DVD section on the site!

* our purely dynamic classes are a great class if you are looking to loose, maintain, or just have a great time and work up a sweat!

GRAND OPENING OF OUR STUDIO

On May 1, 2010 we will be having the grand opening of our own studio!!!
Stop by from 11:30-12:30pm for our first class in the new location! (Class is discounted to $10)
For more information, please go to: www.simplicity-yoga.com

Nutrition Program

Sign-up today to take part in our Nutrition Program!!!



You will Receive:

* A Daily Email Containing Helpful Nutrition, Diet, and Lifestyle Information
(These emails will contain:food logs, tips on dealing with triggers, understanding food labels, understanding what foods contain what so you can live (and eat) to the best of your ability, and more!

* Daily Email and/or Text Support (your emails are usually replied to within 24 hours or less!)

* At the End of the 30 Days You will Receive a Monthly Email for 3-6 Months to Check Your Progress!

* In Addition You will Receive a Coupon Good for 1/2 Off ANY of our DVD's!!!

This goes way beyond just a diet, this is a whole new eating style!


Loose/Maintain Weight, Feel Better, and Be a Healthier, Happier YOU!!!
www.simplicity-yoga.com

Yoga at the Park March 20, 2010

Join us at Tumbleweed Park on March 20, 2010 from 11:30am- 12:30pm for a fun yoga class! All supplies can be provided if needed.

If you have any questions, please feel free to send us an email at: classes@simplicity-yoga.com

Donation Sunday's

I am thinking of starting a special class on Sundays (let me know what time works for you) where all the
proceeds, yes 100%, will go to a chosen charity each month! These charities can be local or international, etc.
Let me know what times would work for you, what parks sound good, and what charities you want to donate to!

Simplicity Yoga comes to Heat Wave!

Simplicity Yoga is moving to Heat Wave Dance & Cheer Studio starting March 6th, 2010. We are thrilled to have a new home since Boston Street Pilates will be officially closed as of March 5th.

Thank you all for bearing with us during this chaotic time, it means the world to us.

For more information please visit: http://www.simplicity-yoga.com/index.html

Namaste!

30 Day Challenge Has it's Own Blog!

Click here to view it now!

Yoga Alliance Launches Survey Assessing America's Yoga Insight -- ARLINGTON, Va., Jan. 13 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ --

Yoga Alliance Launches Survey Assessing America's Yoga Insight -- ARLINGTON, Va., Jan. 13 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ --

Your Real Yoga Begins Now...

Great article by Sadie Nardini

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/sadie-nardini/your-real-yoga-begins-now_b_423503.html

We now have a referral program!!!

Earn $5 per referral!!!

For more information please click here.

Yoga Mind & Body 30 Day Challenge!!!

Looking for a great way to help you keep your new years weight loss resolution? Well look no further than our Yoga Mind & Body 30 Day Challenge!

Here is a preview of it:



So what are you waiting for?

You're just 30 days away from a healthier, happier YOU!!!

For more information, please click here.

Happy New Year!

A new year also brings schedule changes...

Here is the new schedule!

Monday- Open for private sessions

Tuesday- Open for private sessions

Wednesday- Open for private sessions

Thursday- 5:30-6:30pm, Tumbleweed Rec. Center, Choice Yoga
Open for private sessions between 9am-3pm

Friday- 1:00-2:00pm, Boston St. Pilates, Choice Yoga
4:30-5:30pm, Boston St. Pilates, Purely Dynamic Yoga
5:30-6:30pm, Boston St. Pilates, Purely Dynamic Yoga

Saturday- 11:30-12:30pm, Boston St. Pilates, Simply Restorative Yoga
Open for private sessions after 2pm

Sunday- Open for private sessions

Once the weather has officially warmed-up I will be offering Rise & Shine Yoga (style is Choice Yoga), Sunset Yoga (style is Choice Yoga), afternoon classes (style is Choice Yoga), and even Meditation classes at local parks. Class times can be between 30-60min.
If you have any times or locations you would like, please let me know!

Also, if you are a new mom and are worried about how to incorporate a yoga class into your life.... well stop your worrying, i can come to your home where you can have your new bundle of joy by you at all times! I understand if you need to pause the session for a few moments or need to have your baby on the mat with you.
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Also, the Yoga Mind & Body 30 Day Challenge is now up and live! Click the link below to learn more, or simply go to: www.simplicity-yoga.com

Remember, you are just 30 days away from a healthier, happier you!