Back to Basics: Real Yoga Doesn’t Hurt

OK, I confess.  I’ve created a sensational title for a simple blog about our January class focus, “Back to Basics.” “How Yoga Can Wreck Your Body” was the sensational headline for a recent New York Times article (link below) that tells a simple story.  That headline – and the article’s content – generated more media…

The Happy Heart Project: Days 1-31

I’ve read that we replace 1% of our cells daily. Every 100 days we have a new body. What that new body consists of is the food we eat, air we breathe, water we drink, exercise we take and thoughts we think.  – A friend Three-plus boxes of incense and 31 days ago, I launched…

Be A Yogi

When I graduated from my Yoga Teacher Training at the Integral Yoga Academy, I heard a lot of advice. Make a list of all the potential places you could teach – not just studios, but other spaces. Market your classes in this way or that way. Remember that not all yoga instructors can make a…

Falling Off The Yoga Wagon

Why does it take a sick day for me to realize I have totally abandoned my yoga practice? For the past two days, I’ve been battling a sinus infection.  This morning, after sleeping 11 hours, I woke up, chanted mantras, said prayers, wrote in my journal, practiced breathing exercises and sat to meditate.  All of…

Healing Kids’ Scars With Yoga

I grew up in the suburbs of Washington, DC – Potomac, MD to be exact. Potomac was once known as “The Beverly Hills of the East Coast.”  The town was quite wealthy and had its own brand of celebrities – diplomats, politicians, famous doctors.  Yet there were some plain-old middle class neighborhoods, as well.  That’s…

The Yoga of Being Mugged

Last weekend I was mugged. Sorry to alarm you.  Rest assured, I am fine – with the exception of some anxiety around the ‘hood, a maxed-out adrenal system from the stress, a sore shoulder from wrestling with the mugger, a cut and bruised finger (see photo of fingers) from my purse being yanked out of my…

Focus Wrap Up: The Eight Limbs – Yama

It was 10:38am on Sunday, April 3rd when I started writing this wrap up, and the New Moon hung invisibly above. In that Sunday’s classes we wrapped up our March focus on the 1st of the Eight Limbs of Yoga – Yama, or, abstinence. I extended the March focus through April 3rd so the New…

March Focus: The Eight Limbs of Yoga – Intro & Yama

As I’ve said before, I wouldn’t dare try teaching the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali to my classes.  First, my knowledge of this ancient text is based on my four-week Teacher Training, during which we primarily studied the 1st two books; since then, my study has been on my own.  Second, there are some great Raja…

Focus: The Yoga Sutras – Love & Murder

Each morning when I rise, I try to spend about 30 minutes praying, meditating and doing some Pranayama.  When I do, my soul feels infinitely more peaceful throughout whatever the day tosses my way. For me, this is the point of yoga. From what I’ve learned, this was also the point of yoga for the…

February Focus: The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali

From the title of this blog, one might think: “Wow, Holly’s really going for it this time.” “She’s taking on the ancient text of Yoga (with a capital “Y”)!” “How in the world will we cover four books of aphorisms in one month?” “Who does Holly think she is, teaching the Sutras?” Hahahahaha!  Believe me,…