Saturday, September 21, 2013
weekly yoga nidra class at barefoot works!
**I know many of you will be super excited about this post from Sarah Bowker. This is gonna be great!**
Friends,
After Friday’s super fun free evening of yoga flow and yoga nidra, and also a very successful yoga nidra workshop last Spring, I have heard many of your comments about desiring a more frequent offering of yoga nidra at the studio.
I am excited to share that for four Sundays starting October 27th we will have a weekly Yoga Nidra at the studio from 5:15-6pm!
What a perfect time of year to explore meditation as the weather cools and we move into fall, and move our lives more indoors. Yoga nidra is an excellent way to “let go” or shift in some way. Sharon so eloquently describes this idea in a recent post on her blog. You check it out here.
I highly recommend coming out for Julie’s all level flow from 4-5pm and then sticking around for a chance to let go and deeply relax in yoga nidra with me!
Here is the class description:
Ever wished your yoga practice was just a long savasana? Well that is exactly what you will get in this class offering, Yoga Nidra. In short, it is a guided meditation. This meditation provides a systematic method of inducing complete mental, emotional, and physical relaxation. Yoga Nidra is also tool for examining, attending to, and eliminating our habitual patterns. You will leave feeling relaxed and energized. No prior yoga experience necessary.
Dates and Time: Sundays, 5:15pm-6pm October 27th-November 17th (Four Sundays in a row!)
Class cards and packages are valid. Drop in is $14.
No preregistration required.
So looking forward to this!
Thursday, September 12, 2013
strike a yoga pose
As part of our seven year yogaversary we've had daily photo prompts. This has been so much fun for me! Here are some of the photos shared on Facebook and Instagram. Today's prompt is "yoga play". Come play and use #barefootworks. Can't wait to see you getting your yoga play on!
Monday, September 09, 2013
Tuesday, September 03, 2013
yoga teachers:: we say the strangest things
A big thank you to Misty Pittman for bringing us this entertaining and enlightening blog post!
Us yoga teachers can say some really strange things during a yoga class. Swan dive, smile your collarbones, root and extend. Wha???
We love to use pretty imagery to help you get into the movement, pose, and flow, but sometimes our translations can get lost.
For newbies and experienced students alike, here’s a little guide to help you understand your teacher the next time you are in class.
Special thank you to the Barefoot Works teachers for your contribution.
Root/ground – whether you’re standing, sitting, or lying down, imagine that the part of you that is connected with your mat is feeling stable and supported. Consciously become aware of that connection and find steadiness there.
Extend/lengthen – allow the parts of your body that are lifted (spine, arms, legs) to grow long and spacious. Being mindful to stay active throughout fingers, toes, crown of head.
Breathe into the tightness, soften and release – I say this one over and over again and get asked the most questions about it. While this one is fairly simple, it is not always easy. Become aware of a part of your body that is holding tension and visualize your inhale moving into that body part. As you exhale, remain focused on that area and consciously work to let go. This is a beautiful standalone practice that you can do at home, systematically working your way through your entire body.
Julie’s favorites ::
Soften through the chest – relax, let go of tension/holding in the chest, breathe.
Draw your belly button towards your spine – engage your core.
Keep your spine long as you fold – fold from the hips, keep the shoulders pulled back, don’t cave the chest or let the head fall forward.
Meredith’s favorite ::
Smile your collarbones – pull the shoulders back and down to encourage the chest to open.
Connect to your core – engage your abdominal muscles to protect your lower back.
Meghan’s favorites ::
Squeeze your shoulders blades together behind your heart – lift the front side of your body, relax shoulders away from ears, lengthen neck.
Pull your heart through your shoulders – open the chest, take a mini backbend in the thoracic spine (mid back).
Make the pose dynamic – continue to breath deeply when holding a pose, allowing the body to flow in and out of ease and effort, lengthening and reaching, rather than becoming stagnant in your holding.
Move like you’re flowing through water – maintain grace and integrity through transitions.
Let something go – could be a physical release of tension, restless thoughts in the mind, or fear/emotional connection to a pose.
Flow – move in and out of poses using your breath to guide your timing
The next time you hear your teacher using their yoga phrases and you are not sure what they mean, don’t be afraid to ask.
Happy downward dogging!
 |
| Mexico yoga teacher trainees demonstrating "root and extend" beautifully. :) |
Us yoga teachers can say some really strange things during a yoga class. Swan dive, smile your collarbones, root and extend. Wha???
We love to use pretty imagery to help you get into the movement, pose, and flow, but sometimes our translations can get lost.
For newbies and experienced students alike, here’s a little guide to help you understand your teacher the next time you are in class.
Special thank you to the Barefoot Works teachers for your contribution.
Root/ground – whether you’re standing, sitting, or lying down, imagine that the part of you that is connected with your mat is feeling stable and supported. Consciously become aware of that connection and find steadiness there.
Extend/lengthen – allow the parts of your body that are lifted (spine, arms, legs) to grow long and spacious. Being mindful to stay active throughout fingers, toes, crown of head.
Breathe into the tightness, soften and release – I say this one over and over again and get asked the most questions about it. While this one is fairly simple, it is not always easy. Become aware of a part of your body that is holding tension and visualize your inhale moving into that body part. As you exhale, remain focused on that area and consciously work to let go. This is a beautiful standalone practice that you can do at home, systematically working your way through your entire body.
Julie’s favorites ::
Soften through the chest – relax, let go of tension/holding in the chest, breathe.
Draw your belly button towards your spine – engage your core.
Keep your spine long as you fold – fold from the hips, keep the shoulders pulled back, don’t cave the chest or let the head fall forward.
Meredith’s favorite ::
Smile your collarbones – pull the shoulders back and down to encourage the chest to open.
Connect to your core – engage your abdominal muscles to protect your lower back.
Meghan’s favorites ::
Squeeze your shoulders blades together behind your heart – lift the front side of your body, relax shoulders away from ears, lengthen neck.
Pull your heart through your shoulders – open the chest, take a mini backbend in the thoracic spine (mid back).
Make the pose dynamic – continue to breath deeply when holding a pose, allowing the body to flow in and out of ease and effort, lengthening and reaching, rather than becoming stagnant in your holding.
Move like you’re flowing through water – maintain grace and integrity through transitions.
Let something go – could be a physical release of tension, restless thoughts in the mind, or fear/emotional connection to a pose.
Flow – move in and out of poses using your breath to guide your timing
The next time you hear your teacher using their yoga phrases and you are not sure what they mean, don’t be afraid to ask.
Happy downward dogging!
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