Strength and Softness

The other day in class many of the poses we were doing required both strength and softness. While we were required to slowly soften into a pose in order to get optimal benefit, we also had to maintain our strength in order to hold the poses. This idea of combining strength and softness, two things that seem to be direct opposites, is a learning experience. It was not easy to practice these two ideals together, but once I accepted that I could embrace both at the same time, they worked harmoniously together. Sometimes in life we are required to utilize multiple practices, emotions, feelings, ideas, morals, etc. at one time. This is not always easy, but with practice it can be rewarding, almost peaceful. Once I was able to wrap my head around the idea that I had to slowly soften into an uncomfortable position, using my strength to keep me there, I immediately felt all the tension in my body melt away, and over time the poses actually started to feel good!

Moral of today’s class: Next time you are in an uncomfortable circumstance, physically, emotionally or spiritually, try to combine strength and softness to get through it

-A

“Nothing is so strong as gentleness, nothing so gentle as real strength”

                                               -Saint Francis de Sales

Vinyasa to Vino Tote

For my birthday I got this amazing Lululemon bag. Random strangers have literally been stopping me on the street to compliment me on it. The color I got is similar to the one above but has a black leather side pocket and lime green straps (It is no longer on the website). I have not gone a day since I got it without using it. I use it as a gym bag, an overnight bag, a purse, a yoga bag, everything. There are enough pockets to keep me organized but not overwhelmed like some of the other lulu bags I have. Also, it is so comfortable to carry and does not slip off my shoulder. It also is super easy to clean because of the material (the only way I can think to describe the material is like a wet suit), and all I do to get spots out is dab with some water. The first day someone actually spilled red wine on it (coincidence with the name??), and it came right off.  Go get one before they are gone!

-Ali

Yogathon Outfit

So for the Yogathon our team decided to wear blue and yellow in honor of the Boston Marathon. I was in need of a new yoga top anyways so I headed over to Lululemon to see if I could find anything. I ended up with the “cool racerback” tank in blue (a different blue than in the picture) and the  “free to be” sports bra in yellow. I already had a few of the cool racerback tanks in other colors so I didn’t even need to try this on. These tanks are awesome because they don’t move around during your workout whether it to be yoga, running, crossfit, spinning, etc. The only downside is there is no built in bra. I don’t have any lulu sports bras so I was interested to see how they would fit. This “free to be” bra was very comfortable and supportive. I went up a size, which made it a little more comfortable (I hate things that are super tight). After wearing it though I think I could have stuck with my normal size. I really like this bra, the only negative is, for yoga it can be a little revealing in some poses because it is low cut. Overall though I was happy with both purchases, and have worn them both many times since the Yogathon!

-Ali

2013 Yoga Reaches Out New England Yogathon

On Sunday April 28th Jen and I are both participating on Stil Studio’s team for Yoga Reaches Out’s 2013 New England Yogathon. This day long event features classes taught by well known instructors all around Boston including some of my favorites; Goldie Kaufenberg and Jaqui Bonwell, and all the money raised goes to Children’s Hospital Boston and the Children’s Tumor Foundation. This year I am participating in honor of Scarlett Rohnke, an amazing little girl who is battling cancer. Check out both of our pages below to find out more about the event or to donate. If you want to join the Stil Studio team there is still time!

Ali’s Page:

http://yogareachesout.kintera.org/faf/donorReg/donorPledge.asp?ievent=1052450&supid=378502996

Jen’s Page:

http://yogareachesout.kintera.org/faf/donorReg/donorPledge.asp?ievent=1052450&lis=1&kntae1052450=C74B47B8095049CC9A8F260D3F1AEFBE&supId=378487335

-A

“Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better”

-Dr. Seuss

Yogi Tea Today

 

Message on my Yogi Tea Today 🙂

-A

Deck of Cards

This morning I had about 30 minutes for a workout. Not enough time to get to the gym and back, definitely not enough time for a yoga class, and I wasn’t really in the mood to get dressed to go outside for a run. I thought for a second about what I had in my apartment that I could utilize for a quick and efficient workout. Then I remembered my first ever November Project workout, Destination Deck. If you haven’t heard of November Project you NEED to go on the website to really get the gist of it, actually you really have to go to a workout to fully understand it, but for now the website will give you all the info you need. Anyways for this first workout we used a Deck of Cards as our “trainer”. In this particular workout we did sit-ups and pushups based on the corresponding color of the card (red or black). For my workout today I decided I needed to throw in some cardio, so I made a quick list for each suit.

Diamonds=Burpees

Spade=Mountain Climbers

Hearts=Sit-ups

Clubs= Pushups

For each suit I did the designated exercise for the amount of repetitions as stated on the card (ex. 7 of spades= 7 mountain climbers). Once you finish one card you throw it to the side and pick up the next.

By the end of the deck I was covered in sweat, was out of breath, and had completed a super efficient 25 minute workout!

This workout is great because you can change up the exercises every time and can do it when you are on vacation or somewhere/sometime when you might not have any other resources for working out because, let’s be honest, who doesn’t have a deck of cards? If you don’t have one, find a friend who does, or let me know and I will send you one 🙂

-A

“The greatest achievement of the human spirit is to live up to one’s opportunities and make the most of one’s resources”

-Vauvenargues, Marquis

 

rock in the new year

Yesterday I attended a yoga class put on by Stil Studio and sponsored by vitacoco.  It took place at the Langham Hotel in a ballroom!  There was live music performed by The Grass Gypsys and DJ. F. Fotch was spinning.  I had been looking forward to going for weeks.  As a mother of four these kinds of things are few and far between for me. As I made my way into the city to attend I felt invigorated, excited, and alive!  I love doing something for the first time.  There’s nothing quite like doing something new to stoke your senses into awakening.

What I noticed as I parked my car was that people were arriving in pairs or groups of 3, others like myself were meeting someone there.  I love this about yoga.  Yes it’s excercise, but it’s so much more than that.  There is such a bigger piece happening.  Yoga brings us together.

The class itself was unique in structure, because it was co-taught by 4 different teachers, two of which I’ve never had the pleasure of meeting before (Amy Leydon & Todd Skoglund).  Kevan Gale said something at the beginning of class that went like this.  “I simply cannot understand why we as people are not more compassionate with each other”.  That thought really resonated with me.  He then went on to say that the class itself was not free (although in fact, it thankfully was).  He asked us all to think of someone we know that is suffering.  He also asked us to think of some way we might help that person.  I reached into my own head and was surprised to find that two names came quickly to mind.  I kept these people in my thoughts throughout the rest of practice.  I had known these two people in my life were in need of something extra, but if I hadn’t come to class, I’m not sure I would have created space for them in my heart.  O.K. wait, that sounds awful, they already exist in my heart and I was concerned about them, but I wasn’t making space to try and help them.  I didn’t know where to begin.  This class turned that all around for me.

Later in class, Betty Riaz asked us each to “pick one thing that you like about yourself”… tension began to build as I waited for the critic in my head to respond.  I waited some more and then I knew.  My smile, I like my smile.  I like to smile.  She asked us to think about that quality and then to meditate on sharing that quality with those around us.  But I never thought about this smile as a gift I’m sharing with the world.  It never occurred to me that it could turn someone’s day around or actually make a difference.  When I left class I made sure to hug my friend Ali goodbye.  Why are we so stingy about giving our hugs away anyway?  I left to return to my family and hockey practice and dunkin’ runs and homework, and I noticed the moments that I exchanged with others and thought about the smile I shared with them as I thanked them or helped them and it felt powerful.

In preparing to write this article I read some very moving pieces on the responsibility project blog check it out if you have time.  I recommend reading resolution road, and 26 acts of kindness.  One article explains how Ann Curry, following the recent tragedy in Newtown, CT asked people to imagine what it would be like if we could all commit to doing one act of kindness for every life lost that day.  1.3 million followers committed.  After taking the yoga class at Langham this weekend and upon finishing the article i read on 26 acts of kindness i was inspired…

So today my 2 sons and I fed the meter of a car parked next to us, both before and after a dr.’s visit we had in the city.  The car had 0 minutes left on the meter when we found it and it had a handicapped tag hanging from the rearview mirror.  We all had big smiles on our faces as we fed the meter with quarters.  The boys felt confused as we pulled away and said, “wait!  How will they know it was us?”  I told them “they won’t guys, they won’t know it was us, but maybe, just maybe we turned someone’s day around”.

Think about it…and pay it forward.

Thank you Kevan, Betty and stil studio for putting on such a supercool event!

-J

The Power of Simplicity

Normally Sundays are my workout day off. This Sunday though, I had planned to attend a very cool event at the Langham Hotel hosted by Stil Studio. I am not going to lie, I did wake up slightly hung-over, and initially the thought of being in a yoga class was not that appealing. I had made a commitment to meet Jen at this class though, so I sucked it up, grabbed a vitamin water and a banana, and headed out the door, hours before any of my roommates were even close to awake. When I arrived at the Langham Ballroom it was buzzing with positive and exciting energy. Not only was there a live band and DJ, but there was also as much free Vita Coco as one could want, as well as a raffle. Almost 150 people had come out early on a Sunday morning because we all wanted to be a part of this class, and we all knew what an honor it was to have so many amazing teachers under one roof. I was psyched to get to finally practice with Kevan Gale and Betty Riaz. I have heard nothing but great things about both of them! With our mats aligned under giant crystal chandeliers, everyone eagerly awaited instruction. Kevan began by telling us that the class was in fact not free. For a second my heart stopped. I told Jen the class was free and not to bring any money. Was someone going to come around and collect money from us? Was I going to have to leave, or fill out an IOU or something? I quickly realized that monetary compensation was not what Kevan was referring to. Rather, he wanted us all to leave this class and pay it forward to someone or something else today. What a simple yet refreshing idea. Kevan, and everyone else involved in this event, offered up their time and teachings. In return all they asked of us was to do something nice for someone else, a very feasible request. Throughout the next 75 minutes the practice transitioned seamlessly from one teacher to the next. I have never been to a yoga class taught by more than one teacher, and let me tell you, it was cool. I kept thinking about whether or not they had rehearsed the flow that they were instructing. I pictured all the teachers in a conference room with a giant white board mapping out how they were going to transition from one person to the next. For some reason though, I doubt this is how it went down (yoga teachers don’t get stressed, right?)

When we had concluded our last “om” I looked around at everyone surrounding me and thought about how much we had all accomplished. It is so funny that we often feel we need so much in order to achieve a lot. We belong to expensive gyms, have fancy workout clothes, and assume we need props and equipment in order to get the best workout ever. Trust me I am a victim of this. I belong to an expensive gym, I want to be buried in lululemon, and I am drawn to the group classes where everyone sets up and puts away equipment for the first and last five minutes of class. Don’t get me wrong, I am NOT saying these are bad things. I am just observing the realization that with yoga all you really need is your body and a few feet of space in order to accomplish something great.Yoga utilizes the simplicity of space amidst a culture of complexity.

I spent six years at a Sacred Heart School where we preached 5 goals. Goal three promotes the idea of a social awareness which impels to action. Kevan and his team from Stil Studio definitely embodied goal 3 on Sunday. They were aware of the lack of compassion that has become obvious in our culture, especially with all the recent tragedies that have occurred, and they utilized their resources in an effort to get a community to spread compassion to those around them. I think we have all probably seen the Liberty Mutual “Responsibility Project” commercials where one person does something nice for another, resulting in a domino effect. This idea of the power of simplicity has a direct correlation with our actions as well, so really, holding the door for that person behind us, or smiling to a passerby, can make a difference

 Moral of today’s class: Simplicity is a powerful tool.

-A

 Simplicity is the state or quality of being simple. It usually relates to the burden which a thing puts on someone trying to explain or understand it. Something which is easy to understand or explain is simple, in contrast to something complicated. In some uses, simplicity can be used to imply beauty, purity, or clarity. -Wikipedia

 “That’s been on of my mantra- focus and simplicity. Simple can be harder than complex: You have to work hard to get your thinking clean to make it simple. But it’s worth it in the end because once you get there, you can move mountains.”

-Steve Jobs

Get your butt to Hip Hop Yoga!

Thursday night was another night of Hip Hop Yoga w/ Goldie at Back Bay Yoga. Once again, this class was AMAZING. On my walk home I started thinking. I can honestly say that every time I leave this class, or any of Goldie’s classes for that matter, I am on a complete high. I was not in the best mood prior to class, and was worried that this bad mindset might disrupt my practice. It didn’t. The second I laid down my mat everything that had been bothering me dissipated,  and I actually found myself more in tune with each pose, movement, and breath. The realization I have to come to about Goldie’s classes, specifically Hip Hop Yoga, is that this is not just a regular yoga class. This is something that everyone HAS to do at some point. Whether you live in Boston or are visiting, whether you practice yoga frequently or are a first timer, it doesn’t matter. I am not kidding, next time a friend or family member visits from out of town I will not be taking them to the Aquarium or the Museum of Science, I am taking them to one of Goldie’s Hip Hop Yoga classes. I swear, pretty soon this class is going to be one of Boston’s biggest tourist attractions!

 -A

 Moral of Today’s class: Get to Goldie’s Hip Hop Yoga class ASAP!

“True happiness is…to enjoy the present, without anxious dependence upon the future”

-Lucius Annaeus Seneca

Check out Goldie’s website for a list of class times and locations!

http://goldieyoga.com

Changing things up

(awesome photo by Jessica Jenkins)

Last night I went to yoga at my gym. In an attempt to save some money I have decided I am going to take advantage of the yoga classes that they offer at Equinox since I am already paying a fee to be a member there. My normal “go to” classes at Equinox are generally the cardio and spin classes, and I tend to overlook the yoga classes they offer. There is something about gym yoga verses studio yoga that causes me to disregard it. I just like the atmosphere of a studio better, and for me a yoga class is about the entire experience. If something is off, the energy, the people, the noise, I get annoyed and frustrated (I know this is something I need to work on). Last night was different though. I have been DYING to get to one of Sarah Sturge’s classes. She teaches at Back Bay Yoga frequently, but unfortunately because of my work schedule these classes never fit in with my schedule. Last night I decided to opt out of my normal Equinox Monday night class, “whipped”, and attend Sarah’s class. My decision was further influenced by the fact that my roommate Teresa, who never comes to yoga with me, was going to attend this class as well. Yoga with friends is always fun. When we arrived to class I was pleasantly surprised by the calmness of the studio. Yes, there were definitely a few more distractions that normal; I could hear the treadmills running and weights dropping, but this just allowed me to focus more on my breathing. When I think about it now, these distractions are not much different than the fire trucks sounding or car’s beeping that I hear when I am at at any other studio.

Sarah’s class was invigorating yet calm, and the flow was familiar yet unique. During the “12 Days of Yoga” posts I talked a few times about awesome teachers, and how, for me, my opinion of a class is influenced largely by this factor. Sarah is a great teacher. She is one of those people that you feel like you know even if you have never met her. Her energy was genuine and her spirit was uplifting for everyone. I think if we had just sat cross legged on our mat for the entire class I still would have walked out and been like “wow, what an awesome class.”

-A

Funny side note: I texted Jen after class to tell her I went. She goes to Sarah all the time and loves her. Obviously I told her how much I loved her now as well, but she didn’t get the text right away and frantically called me because she was panicked that I hated the class (I didn’t).

Sarah is hosting an amazing yoga retreat in Vermont in a few weekends and there are few more spots available. If you like yoga, food, and snow I would recommend checking it out!

http://www.sarahsturgesyoga.com/sarahsturgesyoga.com/retreats.html

Moral of today’s class: Sometimes you need to change up your routine

“The less routine the more life”

-Amos Bronson Alcott