Here, in the thick of resolution season, the "shoulds" and "should nots" arise to constrict habits and behavior. By the end of the month many of those resolutions fail. We adhere to the "should", maybe even more strongly than our original standard, then we feel like we "should" stay there or "do better". Then, if we fail to meet the increasingly unsustainable standards, we punish ourselves with guilt. A build up of guilt often flips to defiance and we abandon the resolution completely. So how do we navigate this?
Autumnal Equinox: Transitioning with Curiosity and Joy
Everything moves to a rhythm. From the revolution of galaxies and stars to the vibration of atoms. The equinoxes and solstices offer us a chance to reflect on the rhythm of the seasons. You might have noticed that yoga instructors tend to bring up these seasonal events, as well as the monthly pulse of the …
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Valentine’s Day: Heart and Hips
Like many instructors, I've often drawn from holidays to inspire a yoga class. Valentine's Day naturally lends itself to heart-opening sequences. However, Valentine's Day is not all about heart chakras. The love celebrated on February 14th has a lot to do with sensuality (dark chocolate, red wine, sexy underwear) and that is sacral charka territory. …
Tapping into Gratitude
Since we are pretty much smack-dab between Canada's and America's Thanksgivings, I thought I'd put up a short gentle sequence of poses designed to bring out the gratitude. https://youtu.be/wfrFX6HPCS4 Gratitude gets us out from under the pressure of the ego. The ego is the eternal critic: you’re not good enough, fast enough, you’re not …