Tag Archives: awareness

Finding the Reset Button

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Ah, the holidaze. Torqued schedules, buffets of indulgence, and hunting for the ideal sparkly accessories. As a Leo lady, I relish the full social calendar but need my reset workout more than ever. Beyond the din of festivities, the superego insists on punishing cardiovascular atonement. Yet as I settle into practice, a calm emerges. I submerge into down dog and crawl through standing poses. Squat. Vinyasa. Lunge. Handstand for an upside down. Backbend for an inside out. Lay down. Breathe. � Continue reading →

Yogis: Let’s Get Loaded

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After over a decade of yoga and traditional fitness training, the kettlebell rocked me. It literally threw me off balance. I immediately realized how this training could improve my core and endurance. If you have never heard of kettlebells, they look like a cannonball with a handle and range from 4 to over 100lbs. The rigorous Russian Kettlebell Challenge offered an experience as profound as my yoga trainings. The advanced techniques of the RKC have reshaped my practice, my teaching, and � Continue reading →

How to Train Oakland Style

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As I walking into my neighborhood coffee shop on Sunday morning I summon writing stamina. The vegan barista massages her repetitive strain injury while describing the gluten-free options. A heavy-set, disheveled woman limps in with a cane, interrupts, and rants about the injustice of $3.00 coffee. The commotion distracts everyone from the sleep-deprived mom attempting to maneuver a stroller through the door. The croissants sing their buttery siren song as I read the elaborate coffee menu. I opt for the � Continue reading →

The Dark Side of Detoxing

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Last week my Facebook newsfeed flooded with updates about detoxing. “Cleanse day three, lost 2 lbs., drinking a kale smoothie, and feeling great!” I admit it: The detox stuff makes me cringe. What makes us feel so filthy that we need to be cleansing? Are we packaging traditional, restrictive, and short-term dieting in New Age jargon? In my graduate studies in Holistic Health Education I once tried a detox program during  a nutrition course. I juiced vegetables twice a day, � Continue reading →

Spiritual vs. Physical Yoga

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I have been asked, “Why don’t you teach the more ‘spiritual’ kind of yoga?” It’s true that I don’t talk about God and one of my students recently commented that I wasn’t an “Om’er”. That question puzzles me because it assumes a fundamental separation between body and spirit. It implies that we could attend to our physical health or transcend to a higher pursuit. With clear and erudite teaching, I enjoy classes with more mystical language, Sanskrit chanting, and spiritual � Continue reading →