In 2018 and 2019, I went to see Amma, the hugging mother. She is a cherished woman from India, who has such a high vibration, people like me wait in line to receive a hug from her. I love her and hope to see her again the next time she tours North America. Both times, there were vendors at this event selling Indian goods, like clothing, jewelry, candles and meditation cushions. One vendor sold an eye exercise...
When stretching the quadriceps, I not-so-jokingly say, “This stretch is not a crowd pleaser.” Over the years, I’ve learned that nobody really enjoys opening up this muscle. As a trainer, I am tempted to skip it and avoid the grumpy looks, but our quadriceps are really tight – begging for a good stretch! The more we sit, the more we need to stretch our quadriceps, and even when we don’t sit all day we still spend most of our lives...
I teach regular classes at a hotel called Troutbeck. It has a wellness spa that includes a nice little yoga program with a gorgeous yoga barn. Locals are members and attend classes, and classes are also open to guests of the hotel. I bring this up because I’ve been very inspired by the guests. Many guests have never done yoga before, or they haven’t been in an in-person exercise class setting before, yet somehow, they sign up and make it to...
All I wanna do is go the distance.” – Rocky Balboa Rocky, the self-help guru? I think so! My family and I watched one of the Rocky movies over the weekend and there was one scene where Adrien is trying to talk Rocky out of fighting Creed. His response is, “All I wanna do is go the distance.” I immediately felt a ping upon hearing it. I thought, “That’s what I want to do too, Rocky…just not...
“Where the eyes go, the body follows” is (sort of) a famous yoga saying and it’s actually really profound, and layered. It’s about one’s drishti, which is Sanskrit for gaze AND focus. It begs the question, “Where are you putting your attention?” In pure movement terms, where your eyes are IS where the body goes. Think Cobra pose – a big part of the pose is looking up. That upward gaze helps the body “snake” upwards into a more robust position,...
Whether you’re sleep deprived or not, there are moments when one needs more energy. It’s easy to fall into a coffee habit when experiencing a lull, and I certainly went through that phase, but there are way better techniques for bringing energy in. Here are my top five instant (and free and painless!) energizers: Do Five Minutes of Meditation – often we feel fatigue because our minds are on overdrive. Mediation helps slow the mental chatter which in turn settles our nerves. I love an open-eyed mediation,...
Kids sit cross-legged with ease, but something happens along this road called life, where what was once easy, becomes difficult. For the record, it’s not “old age.” There are millions of examples of elders sitting cross-legged with no problem. What it is is an example of “use it or lose it.” You know those fit tests that see how fast you can run a mile or calculate how many pushups you can do in a minute?...
I’ve watched many people give up too soon. They feel as though they’ve run out of steam when it comes to getting in shape, or they’ve hit a seemingly insurmountable roadblock and believe it’s a sign from the universe to throw in the towel. I can’t emphasis enough that this thinking is complete and utter hogwash. Not only does it stop you in your tracks, it can also do a number on your self-esteem. There comes a...
We step out of bed, walk to the kitchen where the countertop height provides total ease, and where we don’t have to stretch or strain in the slightest to pour ourselves a glass of water. We then position ourselves in a car or a bus or train where we find another comfortable sitting position, then many of us find a desk next where we sit some more. We walk between locations, but leisurely walking is still...
Pilates Mix is a 20minute series of standing and traditional mat Pilates. It is slow paced for a workout, but is actually pretty fast paced for Pilates. The routine requires focus and body awareness, especially awareness of what’s not moving. We’ve had lots of requests for more Pilates workouts, and I really love blending standing stuff with mat work. Pilates Mix is not a huge calorie burner and it’s not going to “wipe you out” so to speak. It’s subtle, mindful and concentrated. It promotes symmetry and...
