New Schedule

Hey y'all,

With BecomeFit closing Dec. 31st, I am proud to announce that I will now be teaching at the following locations. This info is also listed under schedule tab of this site.


New!
Beginning Jan 7th I will be leading classes at Pivotal Wellness

Monday Jan 7th, 14th, 21st, and 28th. (More dates possible in February) 6-7pm

Join me for 1hr long all-level Vinyasa flow classes.

Prices are $12 for drop in and $40 for 4 class punch card (expires one month from date of purchase)


Also,
Thursday nights I will be leading Level 1-2 Vinyasa Yoga classes @ Loveland Yoga and Core Fittness
    $12 drop in  $10 for students

Kiddos-
I am still loving teaching for KidsCrave Yoga. Visit the site for more information.
Have preschoolers? I teach a 45min preschool yoga class Fridays at Pivotal Wellness as well.

a reflection of your hearts desire

We hear the word "intention" quite often in yoga, and most likely you are being invited to set an intention for your practice. It wasn't until I was going through teacher training that I started to look deeply into what this meant to me. I have come up with my own definition  and I encourage you to look within to define it for yourself.

Setting intentions, like yoga, like life,  is a practice. There is no right or wrong, there is only you and your understanding and viewpoint.

I am pure soul.... I am human. I am divine....I am imperfect.

There exists within me these entities, separate at times, but continually yearning to join as one. I am striving to experience the world, and life, as my true and highest self. I have an idea of the kind of person I want to be, and  there are times when I do not live up to that ideal. It is not that I am asking too much of myself, or judging myself for my mistakes, I am simply striving to continually self reflect.

My intentions, are vows to my highest self about how I want to live in each and every moment.  When setting an intention for my practice, I first listen intently inward for the answer to this question : How can I be a better reflection of my highest self?

Offering up an intention for our practice is what allows us to take our yoga off our mat and into our daily lives.  Every day we choose to  practice with intention we empower and illuminate ourselves from within. In choosing to practice yoga with intention, and therefore live within that intention, we are not binding ourselves to being morally perfect. Instead we are connecting to our own sense of kindness and divinity.  Being clear about our intentions will allow us to see them actualize in our lives.

During my practice, I plant my intention like a seed in my heart and let it shine out from within. Bring awareness to your actions, be willing to lead from your heart. Only though carrying our intentions with us in this way can we reconnect with ourselves during those emotional storms that cause us to lose touch with our highest self.

Every intention is a choice. By holding an intention  throughout our practice we align ourselves with the body of the universe.  If we accept, or as we begin to accept that our personal bodies are not separate from the body of the universe, then by releasing and surrendering our intentions, nature rallies to help us fulfill them. We open ourselves to the limitless possibilities life offers. It doesn't matter how many times our focus wanders, or how many times we stray from our intention or our practice. What matters is how many times we return. 
Inhale, invite your intention into your heart.  Exhale, surrender. 






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I

 

Stillness

Inhale to find stillness, Exhale to release tensions from mind, body and soul. Today, I asked for stillness on my mat and I found it; even though it was only for moments at a time, I was able to step back and find a quiet acceptance of my practice even when I was frustrated. After I got out of class, I hit every red light on the way home. I wasn't happy about this. Then, it sunk in, I laughed at myself for almost missing it. At the third red light, I was still, calm, quiet, thankful for the opportunity to take my yoga off of my mat.

We learn lessons everyday and sometimes we can't even see them.
 

Inhale to find stillness, Exhale to release tension from mind, body, and soul. Our lives are busy, frustrating, and moving too fast.  Breathe in. It happens automatically, I know, but really make yourself take a breath in, then hold it. Take the time to bask in this stillness. Exhale, let go of what happens next, wait and just be.

Holding this space for yourself will revitalize you. It will enable you to listen to, and honor your body. It will enable you to hear your heart when it speaks to you, or ask for direction when it doesn't. When you are here miracles happen, life opens, and we can absorb life's lessons.

"Your center is a place you can trust. It connects the body, mind, heart, and soul. It connects truth, your inner voice, and the Divine. Your best work comes from there. Your most loving times come from there. Your insights, awareness, and guidance come from being there, at that place. Your best decisions and finest moments come from that place."

                                                                                             

Inches of Progress

I love Packer Football. It was a slow shift in my life. I grew up with the game and can remember going to a Packer Superbowl party as a kid, but then I didn't really care much about it again until I was bar tending at a Packer bar in Wisconsin. About the same time I was really working hard on my yoga practice and came across this wonderful quote:

"You find that life is this game of inches...so is football. Because in either game, life or football, the margin for error is so small. I mean, one half a step too late or too early and you don't quite make it. One half a second too slow or too fast and you don't quite catch the ball. The inches we need are everywhere around us. They are in every break of the game, every minute, every second. On this team, we fight for that inch."

Last time I posted, I said we often need to slow down and listen to our bodies. Be present to avoid injury. But when we are healthy and feeling well, there is often this pull inside of ourselves to have a "better" practice.

I came across this quote during a time when I was striving to get better everyday. I was searching for the full depth of each posture and was frustrated because I didn't feel I was making any progress. This quote told me to look deeper. When we progress it may be only an inch. Often times, we don't even notice. Look deeper, maybe the progress is that we stand taller, or breathe deeper. Maybe we can hold standing bow just a second longer, or press our heels just a little closer to the mat in downward facing dog. The beauty of Yoga is that it does its job without us ever having to work for it.

Just as in football through, we can fight if we choose. We all have our wish list, those postures in the distance that ask us to fight for them.

For me, it's scorpion pose.

Scorpion has been calling to me for a long time and it is just now that I can see it coming.  I am fighting for inches, not miles. This is another instance when I am searching for depth, but this time I can better appreciate the progress my mind and body are making.

At the end of the day, football is just a game. At the end of the day scorpion is just one posture. It doesn't matter that I am able to obtain it,  what matters is that I roll out my mat every day.   You win, but you don't stop there, you lose, but your back again tomorrow.

At first, yoga and football are completely different. Football is rough, fast and competitive, which is why I think I am such a fan. I love the athleticism and the muscle, the speed and the Lambeau Leap.  Yoga is serene. Or, it is when we watch someone practice, or look at a beautiful picture of someone doing tree pose in the middle of a field during fall.


But we all fight for an inch. We practice, day after day for an inch. That is determination. It's that fight, that drive, that makes yoga like football; perseverance, continued focus, and presence of mind to reach our goals.

Injured

"Sometimes I hurt because I do yoga,  Other times I do yoga because I hurt, Either way yoga fixes me."


Today, the first is true for me, as I am sure many of you have experienced. My sacrum is locked on the left side because I have overstretched my left psoas. Well, well,  hurt doing yoga?

Yes.  I  believe that we get hurt in yoga because we are not fully present, or because our competitive nature rears its ugly head. There are certain poses that I want to attain, however this is not the goal of yoga. Yoga is a healing practice and when we forget that, and use yoga to compete with ourselves we end up hurt.

An injury, especially a minor one like mine, is a learning tool. A blessing. An opportunity to relearn how to listen to your body, slow down, and practice non attachment.

5 Modifications for Sacral Ouchiness:

Twists: when practicing twists allow the hips and pelvis to rotate slightly with the twist instead of keeping the hips square.By allowing the pelvis to move with the spine we prevent the separation of pelvis and sacroiliac joint. This will help promote motion in the area of the sacrum instead of allowing it to become tighter.

Seated Folds : bend the knee or knees, and be sure to move the pelvis forward with the spine.
As you are seated, imagine that the pelvis is a bowl full of water. To move the pelvis forward with the spine think about tipping the bowl and spilling water out of the front. If doing a double leg forward fold, move both sides of pelvis equally forward. If doing a single leg forward fold, tip the bent knee side of the pelvis slightly more forward. To reduce twisting, bring the foot closer to the opposite knee rather than the inner thigh. During a wide legged forward fold bring the legs closer together and rest the arms and forehead on a chair.

Pigeon: Avoid full king pigeon because this can increase instability. However, 1/2 pigeon, one of my favorites, is perfectly fine, however be sure to keep your hips square, this will help avoid overstretching the psoas, as I have, which also leads to instability. This would also be a great time to add a block to you pigeon. I specifically like the block, lengthwise  underneath my back quadricep. Doing this will also keep the pelvis level which relieves putting extra pressure on one side.

Back bends:  Standing back bend, or bow poses strengthens the low back and hips, which help to move the sacrum correctly and then hold it place.

Triangle: Helps to strengthen the hip rotator muscles which also stabilize the sacrum.


(View sacrum, pelvis, and sacroiliac joint here.)


Also, as shown here, injuries are an opportunity to learn more about my teaching practice. Now I will be better able to help those who have the same injury.

Much love and many blessings.

Today

I hear all over that it is impossible to teach yoga full time. I refuse to believe this.
This is my journey, my calling and my documentation of how I am going to make my living teaching yoga.

I graduated TT training after quitting a full time bar job and surrundered to the unknown. I got a job soon after teaching at BecomeFit  - Fort Collins, CO. I love it there. I see athletes of all shapes and sizes, ages and abilities which encourages adaptability.

I now also teach for KidsCrave Yoga in Fort Collins and Loveland, CO. I am very happy with this as well. I love how excited the kids are about the homework I give them, and how I get to connect with that youthfulness in my self.

This Friday I will be taking a YogaFit KidsYoga certification course. It just keeps getting better.

I have recently been looking to get into Yoga Therapeutics and an working towards volunteering at places like Retirement Communities, VA Hospitals, and advocate centers. I am also ready and hoping to take on personal clients. So here is the plan. I encourage everyone who (I am hoping reads this) will help keep me accountable and to also create a community where all the young yoga teachers who inspire to make yoga their career can come for ideas, support, and inspiration.

Much Love and Many Blessings,
Namaste