Teacher Training!

Core Power Teacher Training is coming to Vibe Yoga Studio in May. 17 days until our Teacher Training begins with 17 awesome yogis excited to expand and deepen their yoga experience! The buzz is kickin here at Vibe and YOU should be a part of it! Is this a committment? Yep. A risk? You bet. Will you be supported by the community aroun you? For sure. Will you find life long benefits from this life changing experience? No doubt!

Sustainability

Yesterday was Earth Day.  In our current situation, much of what we hear regarding the Earth is negative. It is in danger, it is deteriorating, it cannot withstand our consumption. All of these things are true, but on days like Earth Day, it is good to remember how good and bountiful the earth is, how resiliant it continues to be despite generations of human carelessness.

I went to a cookout on a farm last night where we used compostable products and did a few chores to prepare for spring planting. It was a good reminder that the Earth does not require us to disappear in order to regenerate itself. Instead, the earth and humanity can partner together in restoring the health of nature.

As people interested in yoga, we are invested in the idea of health and wholeness. This is not only an idea we keep for ourselves, but one we share with our communities and one that we can also extend toward the earth. The idea of sustainability can be woven into our yoga practice in a number of ways. Of course we want our devotion to be sustainable, not burning ourselves out by practicing too hard or by performing the same sequence over and over again. We need to replenish our bodies with food and water after we sweat and burn calories in our practice. Here are a few ideas you can implement  that will sustain both your practice and the earth!

1. Find a (cool) water bottle– reduce the amount of plastic you use, but don’t reduce the amount of water you drink! Invest in a bottle you like so you are more likely to carry it around, bring it to class and hydrate!

2. Consider an eco-friendly mat– next time you wear out your mat or are ready to invest in a new one, check out the eco friendly brands. Not only are they earth friendly, but often times they smell better and have better grip. Good brands to check out are Jade, Manduka and Huggermugger.

3. Carpool to class– take community and consciousness to the next level by driving to the studio with a class buddy. Or you can ride your bike and get extra warmed up before class!

4. Practice seasonally– as great as hot classes feel in winter, consider the amount of energy used to heat up a classroom. Maybe you can practice at room temperature and trust your body to create its own natural heat. Then when summer hits, use that humidity for all its worth!

5. Eat intentionally– commit to eating a vegetarian, homecooked or local meal after every practice. This is a good way to introduce a healthy and sustainable diet to your lifestyle. This is a great way to bring yoga into other areas of your life without the intimidation of reworking your entire lifestyle. Remember, we’re all on a journey.

6. Wear what you love– the next time you buy workout clothes, consider buying items that are made from organic materials or purchase froma  company that has earth friendly values. Caring for the earth can be cute and comfortable thanks to companies like Prana and Greenloop.

Even these simple steps can being to make a difference not only with the health of the Earth, but with your relationship to the Earth. If you have any other ideas of how to integrate yoga and eco-consciousness, join the conversation and share your ideas!

Diversify

Do you remember the first time you walked into a yoga class? Maybe you had practiced with videos at home, or maybe you decided to try it with a friend, but your first step into a yoga studio was probably a bit intimidating and uncomfortable. You don’t know what to expect, you are afraid of being inexperienced, unknowledgable and somehow think that everyone will be staring at you. However, you soon experienced something else that pushed you beyond your fear and inexperience. Maybe you felt emotionally supported by your teacher and classmates. Maybe you were surprised to find yourself catching on naturally. Perhaps the rest you felt afterwards was enough to motivate you through the challenge of the asanas. That first discomfort is sometimes difficult to overcome, but soon you find your rhythm and settle into the routine of your practice until it becomes a natural part of you life.

As important as rythm is to your yoga practice, those moments of challenge, discomfort and fear can be just as important to encounter; because in pushing through them, you find empowerment and energy. It is exciting to finally find that class and teacher that you absolutely love, the sequence and practice that invigorates and calms you. But your yoga journey is not based on a destination and there will never be just one class or even one style that sustains you over life. It is important to continue placing yourself in different situations so that you can understanding and discover your mind and body’s capabilities. You may feel best when a class makes you sweat, but you may find that a slower class leaves you feeling more open and cleansed. This doesn’t mean that having a favorite or consistent class is bad, but sometimes trying something new can enhance that favorite even more.

As spring comes upon us, I encourage everyone to consider trying something new. Maybe it is a restorative class, maybe a non-heated class, or perhaps a different teacher or style. Even if your experiment doesn’t leave you feeling buzzed, you can use it as a means of relfection, asking yourself what it is specifically about a practice that makes you feel best, and what dynamics have the potential to deflate your energy. Doing this will allow you to navigate your way through a yogic lifestyle without depending on a specific teacher, studio or environment. You will learn that yoga can go with you everywhere. So, don’t let intimidation, fear or routine get in the way of deepening your practice; allow the practice of diversiying to promote a more open and accepting spirit inside you. Go in peace and with an open heart!

Day by Day

If you have ever trained for another sport you know the confusion that can arise when all of sudden you feel your body has been set back ten steps from where it was the day before. But whereas in many training programs the object is to push through the lag and weakness, in your yoga practice it is good to practice mindfulness in accepting where your body is at any given moment.

Mindfulness is different than problem solving. Don’t allow yourself to be distracted by expectations you have of yourself during your practice like why you are sweating more today or why your legs are more shaky or why your hips feel tighter. While I am in yoga class I like to think of my thoughts as big puffy clouds that pass through the sky. I acknowledge them and then they float away.

In a world that is full of competition, it is likely that the person you are most competitive with is yourself. But don’t allow your inner critic to become your enemy. If your inner critic is reminding you that you held Warrior 3 for five breathes last week, remember that past success with joy and return to your current pose with that encouragement instead of the competition and expectation. This is a good way to practice ahimsa, or non-violence, which is a core philosophy of yoga. The more you practice non harm toward yourself, the more easily it will flow to the rest of the world.

This month at Vibe we have level 1 and 2 classes in nearly every style. As you choose what classes to go to, don’t be afraid to go to a level 1 class, even if you usually go to level 2. You may be surprised at learning something you would not have otherwise been able to because you were rushing through a pose. You may even find a slower pace more challenging! Honor yourself by giving yourself new experiences and accepting the present moment that your mind, body and spirit are inhabiting.

Mind your Mat

It is likely that your first and primary experience of yoga happens in a class. And so, while yoga is foundationally a union of the self (mind, body, spirit), it is also a union of community. One of the things we love here at Vibe is seeing the variety of people that come through our door and the different parts of the community that they represent. We realize that every person coming to a class has a different intention for their practice, but one thing we should all realize is that beneath your individual intention is an intention for communal unity and respect for the people around you (even when you are smelling the foot of the person in front of you doing Warrior 3). So here are a few practical things to consider as you come to class!

1. Be on time. Consider that your practice starts before you enter the studio. Even putting your coat away can indicate to your body that it is time to relax. So give yourself time to do this. It will benefit yourself, the teacher and your classmates. Of course, we all have our days and there are times when late is better than never, but if you sense a pattern of tardiness, consider reevaluating your mindset.
2. Be quiet. There is no doubt that if you are talking with your neighbor then not only are you disturbing people around you, but you are disturbing your own peace. Save chit chat for after class, even if you’re really proud of your headstand. You might make someone else fall over. And not only in the studio, but in the common area as well. There are often many classes happening at once. You want the other class to get the same rockin Savasana that you just had.
3. Be clean. You know those nice sweeping breaths you take throughout practice? No one wants them full of perfume or a stenchy body. Try to refrain from wearing fragrance to class in order to respect those who are senstive to it. And we love au natural, but a good armpit scrub is never a bad idea before mountain pose.
4. Be mindful. Yoga mats are not just for cushioning. They define our physical and conscious space throughout our pratice. Consider your positioning before class begins and where your arms will sweep. Try to think ahead in certain poses so you can staggar with your neighbor. Before and after class, don’t walk on another person’s mat. Also, if you have concerns or question for the teacher make sure you save time before or after class, or set up an appointment. The teacher wants to be equally present to everyone.
5. Be present. Now is not the time to multitask. Unless breathing and moving counts as multitasking. And we know that to many people texting is just as natural as breathing, but please, leave your cell phone outside of the studio. If there is a potential for an emergency, let someone at the front desk know and they can work something out with you. The teacher has a play list prepared even if your ring tone is awesome.
6. Be still. Savasana is in many ways the goal of a yoga class. You want to awaken your body and breath to the point at which you can then allow it to relax. We know how tempting it is to skip out of class early, but this may be the only time you or your neighbor gets quiet all week and no matter how quiet you may be, sweaty feet do make noise on a hardwood floor. We encourage you to trust yourself and the teacher to bring you back out of Savasana when the time is right and to enjoy the release in the meantime.

Some of these may seem obvious, but some of them you may not realize can be a distraction to someone else or even to yourself. Establishing a yoga practice is about awareness and consciousness. As a yoga community we want to help one another become more aware of ourselves and the way we effect one another.

Shanti!

*some content sourced from February issue of Yoga Journal. yogajournal.com

Welcome to our Blog!

There is a lot to yoga that cannot be achieved by a ninety minute class once or twice a week. That is why we would like to expand our reach beyond the mat and bring you helpful knowledge that will inform your practice. We don’t want your yoga experience to stop once you leave our studio. Here at our blog we will explore what yoga is beyond the mat, beyond the studio and beyond fitness. In an effort to practice the most fundamental aspect of yoga–unity of mind, body and spirit–this blog will offer helpful hints, interesting facts and simple philosophies that combine to create the experience you have in class.

Yoga has been practiced for centuries as a technology to achieve peace and wholeness with the self and the universe. Although for a long time yoga had a very isolated context, recent decades have proved that yoga can be applied to all walks of life no matter a person’s religion, gender, race, age or ethnicity. Unfortunately, the separation of yoga from its roots has caused a certain loss of some of its most essential parts. We want to offer you the opportunity to find those parts in simple and accessible ways. Whether you are a beginner yoga practitioner, or have been practicing for a long time but want to take your knowledge a little deeper, stay connected to our blog. And feel free to make any comments a long the way!