Category: Z Featured

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Pincha Mayurasana

Pincha Mayurasana, or Forearmstand, is probably the scariest of all of the inversions. There is just something about being on the forearms that seems harder. I highly recommend having a block, a yoga strap and a wall nearby to practice.

Step 1: Downward Facing Dog

Start off in Downward Facing Dog, or Adho Mukha Svanasana. Hands are shoulder width apart, fingers are spread wide and grip the mat, weight is equally distributed through all four corners of your palms, biceps externally rotate out, upper arm bones plug into their sockets, shoulder blades roll down the back, lower ribs corset in, navel pulls in, core engages and inner thighs rotate in. It’s a long checklist, but a solid down dog will translate to a solid inversion practice. I like to start with my fingers and move down to my feet when mentally adjusting myself.

Step 2: Dolphin Pose

Keeping the external rotation in those arms, slowly make your way onto your forearms. Forearms should be shoulder width apart and parallel to each other. Let the head hang neutral. Push firmly into your hands and forearms, and keep the elbows and upper arms squeezing in. Stay here and breathe. This is a great preparatory pose, and it will build arm/shoulder strength. You will probably start to feel this about three breaths in. Try to stay here for five breaths and then take a Child’s Pose before continuing.

When you are ready, come back into Dolphin Pose and walk your feet in as much as your flexibility allows. Look down and focus on the space in between your forearms.

If you are having trouble keeping your elbows in, create a loop in your yoga strap. Measure the loop so that it is as wide as your shoulders. Place the strap just above your elbows. Additionally, you can also use a block in between your hands. The block should be placed longways. Using the corners of the block, set your hands up so the index fingers squeeze the sides while the thumbs squeeze the bottom.

Step 3: Lift a leg

Slowly lift one leg high into the air. Keep the hips square by flexing the foot of the lifted leg and pointing the toes down toward your mat. PLAY with lifting both legs up. Everyone usually has a more dominant side or one that just feels more comfortable. In the beginning, stay with the dominant leg. Once you get more comfortable, THEN practice using both!

Step 4: Baby kick ups

Bend the bottom leg and lightly push off of the foot – maybe only an inch or so off of your mat. Keep the top leg energized and extended toward the sky, while the bottom leg extends out. Both legs need to be active. Make sure not to let your face sink towards your mat. Push actively into your forearms and hands, keep the shoulders down and away from your ears. Try to keep the arms at 90 degrees.

Be patient. When you feel ready, you can start kicking up a bit harder to try to get the hips up over the shoulders and maybe gain more hang time.

Step 5: Full expression

Once you are comfortable kicking up into an “L” shape and holding it, you can start to play with bringing the bottom leg up to the top leg.

Keep your lower ribs pulled in and your core engaged to avoid banana back.

Don’t be frustrated if this pose does not come easily.

“Even if you fall on your face, you’re still moving forward.” – Victor Kiam

XOXO

February 9, 2014
Two-Ingredient Pancakes

Just when you thought it couldn’t get any easier than 5-ingredient banana-oat muffins, I am introducing you to two-ingredient banana pancakes. You know why I love these pancakes? I get the SAME amount of credit from my kids for making these pancakes as I do for making a more time intensive flour-based pancake batter from scratch—And you KNOW how annoying it is to pull out all of the ingredients to make real pancake batter with flour, sugar, baking powder, milk, eggs, etc. Who has time for all of that on a weekday? Or even on a weekend, for that matter. If the kids don’t even have a preference, I’m going with the two-ingredient version.

Another benefit of these pancakes is that they don’t need syrup. They are naturally sweet. Do they taste like “regular” pancakes? No, not exactly. The eggs certainly give these pancakes a little more of an omelette consistency, but they are passable, and my kids have never asked whether these are “real” pancakes. If you need more of a flour-y texture, add a third ingredient—2 tablespoons of brown rice flour or another flour of your choice! Enjoy.

Ingredients:
1 ripe banana (with brown spots is best!)
1 egg

Optional ingredients: Add 2 tablespoons of brown rice flour for a more typical pancake consistency. Feel free to top each pancake while cooking with mini chocolate chips, blueberries or nuts.

Directions:
Mash the banana and egg together. Mix ingredients into a smooth batter. Heat and grease a frying pan/griddle, and drop tablespoon-sized dollops of batter into the pan. Cook on medium heat, lifting the edges occasionally to check the underside of the pancakes for doneness and to avoid burning.

February 9, 2014
Bakasana: Time to Get Your Crow On!

Bakasana, or Crow Pose, is usually the first arm balance you will learn on your yoga journey. Hamstring flexibility and core strength are key elements to any arm balance. Make sure you have a block nearby if you have tight hamstrings and a pillow if this is your first time attempting this pose.

Step 1: Block or no block…

Start off by standing on your mat with feet and legs together. Slowly bend the legs, come up onto the balls of your feet, and squat down bringing your fingertips onto your mat. Separate your knees and plant your hands flat onto your mat so they are shoulder width apart. Your hands can be directly in front of your knees or knees can be slightly wider to the outside of your arms. Fingers are spread wide, index fingers parallel, biceps are externally rotating so that the elbows squeeze in. If any part of this is difficult for you, try standing on a block. The added height will help get your hands flat and knees up into your armpits. If this is your first time, you can also set a pillow up in front of your hands in case you fall forward.

Step 2: Lift the buttasana

Once you plant your hands firmly on your mat, slowly start to lift your bottom as you lean forward. Elbows begin to bend while continuing to hug in toward the midline. Knees also squeeze in…Think Thighmaster! Keep your gaze forward. Begin to round your upper back and engage your abs.

Step 3: Lift a foot

While continuing to round the upper back, try lifting up one foot. Squeeze the heel toward your bottom, then set it back down, and repeat with the other foot.

Step 4: Get your crow on!

If you feel ready to continue, lift one foot off your mat. Keep your gaze forward, and slowly try to pick up the second foot to meet the first. Really round the upper back and engage the abs to take some of the weight off of your arms. If you sag down, your body will feel extremely heavy. Your elbows and thighs should continue to squeeze in; pull your heels up toward your buttasana.

Be mindful of your movement, try not to kick or fling that second foot up. Be patient, and work your way up to being able to hold this for 5-10 breaths.

Advanced: Now straighten your arms!

If you can solidly hold your crow, you can start to work on straightening your arms. This can put pressure on your wrists, so please be careful and listen to your body.

From your bent-arm bakasana, slowly start to straighten the arms while simultaneously pulling the knees up even higher into your armpits. Squeeze your elbows and thighs in! Your upper back rounds even more to release some of the weight off of your arms. Your wrists will move past 90 degrees, so be careful!

Play around, have fun and be mindful!

XOXO

February 6, 2014
Banana-Oat Muffins

Let me tell you why I love these banana-oat muffins:

They are quick and easy to make.
You don’t need to drag your electric mixer out of the cabinet for this recipe. You just need a big bowl, a whisk, and a good masher—like what you’d use to smash your potatoes. Making the batter is quick, and 18 minutes in the oven is all it takes to have piping hot muffins on your table.

They are minimally processed.
Forget your highly processed pantry items! No need for white sugar, brown sugar, white flour or flour of any kind. These muffins are sweetened with just bananas.

They make use of old brown bananas.
I can’t handle seeing old brown bananas on my counter top, and there are only so many brown bananas that I can save in my freezer for smoothies. I love that this recipe makes great use of bananas that are no longer edible.

They are gluten-free.
This recipe is gluten-free, so it’s perfect to share with all of your friends. These days, we all know somebody with allergies, so it’s nice to have a few recipes for baked goods that work for everyone. If you have a gluten allergy/sensitivity, please make sure you are using gluten-free baking powder. Your oats should also be labeled as “gluten-free”. Although oats do not naturally contain gluten, they could have traces of gluten if the oats have been grown next to a wheat field or processed in mill that also processes wheat.

They are guilt-free.
All natural ingredients and no added sugar or flour? I would definitely say that this qualifies as a guilt-free recipe.

And, they are kid-approved.
My kids will actually eat these muffins. I usually sprinkle a few mini chocolate chips on the top of a few of the muffin tins before baking. It adds a little sweetness and feels like more of a treat. Feel free to add your own toppings like blueberries or coconut!

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Ingredients:

2 ½ cups old fashioned oats
2 eggs
3 brown bananas, mashed
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda

Mix all ingredients together, and divide into 12 muffin tins. Bake for 18 minutes.

February 5, 2014
Handstands 101: Part 2… The Kick Up

If you are comfortable walking your feet up the wall and being on your hands, you are ready for the next move (if not, check back to my last post here for a refresher). The next step on your journey to handstand is the “kick up.” As the name implies, it involves kicking your legs up into the air and placing all of your weight onto your hands. I highly encourage you to have a person, and a wall, nearby if this is your first time!

Let’s get started!

Step 1: For my newbies

If you are completely new to the handstand and nervous, please ask a friend, partner, spouse or family member to spot you. Sometimes just having someone there as an added safety measure reduces the fear. Also, I recommend positioning yourself 8″-12″ inches from the wall. This time, fingers will face the wall so that you are kicking up towards it.

Step 2: Get set in downward facing dog

Considered a mild inversion itself, Downward Facing Dog, or Adho Mukha Svanasana, offers the perfect starting position for your handstand practice. Many of the alignment cues for handstand should also be applied in this pose. Here is a quick rundown of what I discussed in my previous post.

– Fingers are spread wide and grip the mat
– Weight should be equally distributed through all 4 corners of your palms
– Biceps externally rotate out
– Arms remain straight!
– Upper arm bones plug into their sockets
– Shoulder blades roll down the back
– Lower ribs corset in
– Navel pulls in, core engages
– Inner thighs rotate in
– BREATHE, BREATHE, BREATHE!

Step 3: Stack the shoulders over your wrists

From Downward Facing Dog, slowly walk the feet in towards the hands so that the shoulders stack directly over your wrists and you come onto the balls of your feet. Keep your gaze down. I usually gaze slightly past my fingertips. Make a mental note – even though you have shifted slightly forward and put more weight into your hands, the above key alignment points have not changed.

Step 4: Lift a leg

Slowly lift one leg high into the air. The key is to avoid opening up your hip. A good way to keep the hips square is to flex the lifted foot and keep the toes pointing down toward the mat. PLAY with lifting both legs up. Everyone usually has a more dominant side or one that just feels more comfortable. In the beginning, stay with that leg. Once you get more comfortable, THEN practice using both!

Step 5: Get ready to spring!

Keeping the hips square, bend the bottom leg. DO NOT lower the top leg down towards the ground! Keep the lifted leg extending up towards the sky.

Step 6: Take flight!

Pushing off of the bottom leg, GENTLY… I repeat.. GENTLY kick off of the ground. The first few times you try, you may only get a few inches off of the ground. THAT IS TOTALLY FINE! You are building confidence and trust in yourself! Take your time and set yourself up in between attempts. Remember that checklist in the beginning of this tutorial? Keep going through it in your mind.

Remember, handstands are a full body posture… so claw your mat, engage your core, floint or point those feet!

Once you kick up, the bottom leg can extend out straight which is usually called an “L” handstand or you can bend it in towards your body (shown below). When learning, I preferred the “L” better for gaining hangtime but please try both. Everyone is different!

Whatever method you choose, ALWAYS remember to breathe. The traditional way is to inhale while kicking up. I like to exhale on the way up. I know, it’s weird. ..but I feel more connection to my core this way. When you are learning and trying to remember what to do, I think it’s more important to just REMEMBER to breathe. So play around with it, and try it both ways.

HAVE FUN and BE SAFE!

XOXO

February 3, 2014
Our Favorite Veggie Chili

The snow is falling here in Northern New Jersey. The kids are home from school, the fireplace is lit, and there is a delicious pot of veggie chili simmering on the stove. On a cold day like this, I look forward to warm, cozy, comforting foods. This particular recipe really hits the spot. I first had this chili at a friend’s house, and now it’s been passed down to me, slightly doctored, and now, passed on to you. Enjoy!

Serves 6

What’s great about this chili is that you can control the spice. I used half of a seeded jalapeño, but you can certainly use the whole pepper, plus seeds, if you like the heat. You can also add more or less chili powder and cumin depending on your liking. And, feel free to substitute veggies — make the recipe your own!

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large yellow onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
½ jalapeño pepper, finely diced
1 tablespoon of chili powder
½ teaspoon of dried cumin
1, 10 oz package of white button mushrooms, diced
1 zucchini, diced
1 large russet potato, diced
2 15-oz. cans of black beans, rinsed
2 15-oz. cans of kidney beans, rinsed
1 28-oz. can of crushed tomatoes
2 cups of water
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup of frozen organic corn
2 cups raw kale, chopped (garnish)

Add olive oil, onion, garlic and jalapeño to a pot under medium to low heat. Cook until the onion is translucent. Add the mushrooms, zucchini, potato, chili powder and cumin. Sauté the ingredients until the potatoes are tender. Add the beans, crushed tomatoes, 2 cups of water, maple syrup and salt. Cover the pot, reduce heat to low and cook for 30 minutes (or all day). Add the frozen corn and cook for another 5-10 minutes.

Serve the chili warm over chopped raw kale.

February 3, 2014
Headstands 101…Continued

Last week, I posted a tutorial for a basic tripod egg headstand. If you missed it and would like to join in on the inversion fun, please click HERE to get started.

If you’re still reading, I will assume that you’ve managed to get through the first Headstand 101 article and perform your first inversion. Congratulations! Getting yourself to this point is significant—I know many of you had to overcome fears and put aside a mountain of self-doubt, but here you are, experiencing success.

In this tutorial, I will guide you through the remaining steps to get yourself into a full, tripod headstand with extended legs. Let’s get started.

From your tripod egg pose (step 4 in the collage above), engage your abs and begin to shift your weight into your left knee. As you push your left knee firmly into your left tricep, your right knee should feel light on your right tricep.

Your first goal is to lift your right knee just 1 or 2 inches off of your tricep. If you can manage to do that, lower your right knee, and repeat the exercise on the other side (shifting weight onto the right knee and lifting the left knee a few inches instead). Most people will find this task to feel more natural on one side. Although we traditionally practice both sides in yoga, in these beginning stages of learning a new inversion, I advise you to just work on getting comfortable by practicing on the side that feels more natural.

Once you’ve determined which side feels more comfortable, practice lifting that one knee a few inches at a time into the air. Move slowly, and please resist the urge to throw both knees into the air simultaneously. Lifting both legs simultaneously adds much more core instability to the pose. For beginners, our strategy is to maintain as much stability as possible by keeping one knee planted on one tricep until the other leg is fully extended.

If you are unable to lift your knee at all, continue practicing the exercise of shifting your weight back and forth between triceps. You will build the strength and stability in due time. Please do not rush the process by deciding to kick up into a headstand. NEVER kick up into a headstand. Your head and neck are bearing your body weight, and the last thing you need to do is to add the instability and sharp movement of a kick-up.

If you DO manage to extend one leg into the air, notice whether your body is swaying. If so, make an effort to engage all of your muscles. Keep your core tight and energize your extended leg by pointing, flexing or “flointing” your foot. Flointing is essentially pointing with the ball of your foot—think of Barbie feet that look like they are perpetually in high-heeled shoes.

Keep practicing your headstand with one-leg extended until it feels stable. Do not move on to the next step until you are comfortable and stable with one leg fully extended.

Before you extend your second leg into the air, run through this checklist in your mind:

-Is your core engaged?

-Are you remembering to breathe?

-Are you flointing/flexing/pointing the foot of your extended leg?

-Are you making an effort to keep your elbows squeezing in rather than splaying out to the sides?

-Is your neck nice and long?

If you’ve answered yes to these questions, slowly begin lifting your second knee into the air. Again, you will feel most stable if you lift in small 2-inch increments.

Lift slowly and maintain an engaged, energized feeling through out your entire body to find stability. Once you find full extension of both legs, see if you can hold the pose for 5 full breaths. Congratulations. You did it!

February 2, 2014
Handstands 101: Building Your Foundation

Handstands have become an integral part of my practice. They can be fun and exhilarating, and can take your practice to a whole new level. For beginners, they can be scary and seem impossible. Here is how you can comfortably start a handstand practice.

Step 1: Get out of your head!

The phrase “I can’t” can no longer be in your vocabulary. Although the journey to a free-standing handstand may seem impossible for you, it isn’t! Handstands are not built in a single day… for most people it takes time, practice and patience. If you cannot do something today, that does not mean you will never do it. All of us START some where, and all of us were BEGINNERS at some point. So get it out of your head that you can’t do a handstand and get it into your head that you WILL!

Step 2: Your phalanges are your best-friend

Just as the name implies, the goal is to be able to balance on your HANDS. Your ten little fingers are the key to helping you balance and connect with the earth. The weight of your body should be equally distributed through all four corners of your palms. Too far toward the heel of your hand, you will come down immediately… too far toward your fingers, you will fall the other way and hurt your fingers.

GRIP your mat with your fingers! Keep your fingers active by clawing your mat. Those ten little digits can make or break your handstand. By actively using them, it will keep your weight centered and help you stay balanced.

Step 3: Building your foundation

Time to find a wall space! Begin at the wall and make your way into tabletop position with your heels going up the wall. Set yourself up so that your shoulders are directly over your wrists and your hips are over your knees. Hands are shoulder width distance apart. Remember what we just talked about? Spread your fingers wide, index fingers will be parallel to one another or close to that. Everyone is different, so play with this!

Roll the biceps out! You will hear this often and may think… What the hell does that mean? What this implies is an external rotation of your arms. Still lost? Try this little exercise… Sit up tall and extend both arms out in front of you so that hands are shoulder width apart, hands are flexed and index fingers are parallel to one another. Slowly rotate the hands so that the index fingers start to point towards one another… Feel the upper arm bones pull out of their socket and feel your upper back round? This is NOT what we want. Now, slowly start to rotate the hands back out and bring the index fingers back to parallel… Feel the arm bones plug back in, the upper back straighten and shoulder blades roll down the back. Bingo! You can exaggerate this feeling by actively rolling the shoulders away from your ears.

Now take that external rotation into your tabletop position against the wall!

Step 4: Lift those hips!

Time to add some more weight onto those hands and arms! From tabletop position, push into your hands and lift your hips up into a shortened downward facing dog. Your feet will press into the wall. Keeping your hands and arms exactly as is, slightly shift forward so that the shoulders line up directly over the wrists again. Keep your gaze focused on the ground and slightly beyond your fingers. Feel the weight distribute equally through your palms, feel your fingers claw at the earth.

Take a few breaths and come down if you need to rest!

Step 5: Walk the feet up the wall

Slowly bend one knee and bring the foot higher onto the wall. Push into the wall with that foot so the bent leg straightens and you can slowly bring the second foot up to meet the first.

Step 6: Congratulations on your first handstand!

When you straighten both legs, your hips will stack over your shoulders which should already be over your wrists. Suck your bottom ribs in by not dumping into your chest. This will help prevent the “banana back” or curve in your spine. Engage your core and bring your navel in. Masumi described it best… It’s similar to the feeling you get when someone throws a football to you to catch. Your ribs pull in, your core engages to prepare for the impact. Keep your legs engaged, feet pushing into the wall!

Congratulations! You’ve done your first handstand! Stay here and breath. Try to work your way up to ten deep, slow breaths in and out through your nose. Not only will this get you comfortable on your hands, this exercise will also start to build strength in your wrists, arms, shoulders, core and legs.

Step 7: Take it up a notch!

Only when you are ready, you can start to play with lifting one leg actively into the air. Keep the hips square towards the wall and the inner thigh rolling in. A great way to practice this is by keeping the lifted foot flexed. Are your toes still pointing toward the wall? Always keep one foot solidly pressing into the wall.

Step 8: Relax and do a happy dance!

Congratulations! You did it! Remember… everyone’s practice is unique and progresses at a different pace. Do not compare yourself to others. Your practice is YOUR own.

XOXO

January 31, 2014
My Yoga Bag Essentials

When I roll into class to teach yoga, I look like a pack mule. I’m not even kidding— I have my yoga mat slung over one shoulder, my portable sound dock hanging over the other shoulder, and my bag is splitting at the seams with all sorts of items that I’ve deemed necessary to carry into the studio: a notebook with yoga sequences and dharma talk themes, a stopwatch so that I can keep track of the time while I’m teaching, extra hair ties, headbands, chapstick, tissues, a hand towel, and a bottle of mat spray. And that’s not even half of it! While there are many things keeping my bag heavy, there are seven items in particular that keep my soul light and happy. Let me introduce you to my yoga bag essentials:

China Gel

The first necessary item in my bag is China Gel, which Laura and I affectionately call “Yoga Crack”. Yes, it’s really that addictive, and you need your own jar. We massage our students with it at the end of class, and we rub it onto our own sore, tired muscles. It feels hot. It feels cold. It’s many soothing sensations all at once, and we can’t get enough of it. You must give it a try yourself.

Taste Nirvana Coconut Water

The second necessary item is Taste Nirvana Coconut Water. I remember the first time my yoga teacher offered me a bottle. I just finished two back-to-back yoga classes, and I was hot and depleted. I was not a fan of coconut water, but my teacher assured me that it was not like any other coconut water that I had tasted. She was right. I took my first sip, and that was the beginning of my love affair with Taste Nirvana. It was refreshing and delicious, and surpassed all of my expectations. I wish I could adequately describe how much I love this stuff. If you’ve convinced yourself that you don’t like coconut water, try Taste Nirvana, and you will change your mind. If you love coconut water, you are in for an amazing treat.

Bobble BPA-Free Water Bottle with Built-In Filter

The Bobble is a reusable water bottle that filters contaminants from the water as you drink. The filter, which comes in lots of cool colors, is good to go for 40 gallons (or about two months of use). Forget about buying individual bottles of spring water at the supermarket and try a Bobble. I have multiple Bobbles that I keep in various bags and locations so that I always can drink tap water without stressing.

Yogitoes Skidless Mat Size Towel

I thought my yoga mat had a great non-slip grippy surface until I took my first hot yoga class. I was sweating like a beast, and my hands and feet were slipping in basic poses like downward facing dog. My teacher recommended that I use a non-slip yoga towel on top of my mat, and that suggestion made all the difference. Once you start sweating, this towel with rubberized grips on the underside makes all the difference. I stopped slipping! It was like a mini miracle.

Brown Rice Crackers

When I go to the gym, I lose my appetite. When I go to yoga class, I somehow end up ravenous. It’s a strange situation, and I don’t understand it, but I embrace it and stock my yoga bag with this particular flavor and brand of brown rice crackers. These little crackers are so good, and they are the perfect single-bite size to fit right into your mouth. No crumby mess in your car! I will warn you that you need to exercise a bit of self-control. It’s hard to eat just a few. In fact, I eat about half the package in one sitting. I love the very simple ingredient list, and the product is “Non-GMO project verified”. It’s also gluten-free, for all of you out there with sensitivities or allergies.

Women’s Health Big Book of Yoga

Does anybody else carry books in their yoga bag? Maybe it’s just me, but I carry books everywhere. This particular book is wonderful for beginners because EVERY page is covered with glossy photographs of poses, instructions and sequences. Use it as a reference guide, and use it for daily inspiration. I LOVE this book.

Havaianas Flip Flops

Ok, I will admit it—I am a germaphobe. Walking around barefoot in the yoga studio makes me cringe. I can’t handle thinking about the random hair, crumbs, dust and germs all over the floor. Of course, in order to preserve the sanctity of the room and to keep the floor relatively clean, I do not wear shoes in the studio. I just try very hard to keep my mind off of my feet. However, I DO keep a pair of Havaianas flip flops in my bag to slip on to go to the bathroom or to walk in the outer hallways of the studio. I love these flip flops because they are so thin and light in my yoga bag but sturdy and fashionable. I have them in all sorts of prints and colors. Check them out and add a pair to your yoga bag, too.

January 30, 2014
Taking the Leap, Having Faith: How a Bad Day Set Me on the Path to Change

Today was a crappy day. It was a bad work day. It was one of those days where you just want to throw in the towel. It made me realize that being happy is important and that the path to happiness lies within me. Today, I made the decision to make a change. Today, I’ve committed within myself to make yoga my full time job. Maybe this isn’t happening today, or tomorrow, or even a month from now, but I know it’s coming, and the right time for that change will be here soon.

I’m excited . . . I’m scared! Why did it take me so long to make this decision? Fear is really what has been holding me back. The fear of instability, the fear of failure – all very real concerns for anyone but especially for a mother and wife who has responsibilities beyond taking care of herself. That being said, the straw broke the camel’s back today, and it made me realize that I’m ready. I CAN do it.

I have to tell you though, I never would have guessed that yoga would make such a comeback in my life and that Instagram would transform the experience and help lead me to where I am today.

In March 2012, at the request of my niece, I joined Instagram. I had no idea what Instagram or Twitter was, or any of the other social media apps for that matter. What the hell was a hashtag? Why would someone follow me? It all sounded a bit creepy. My account remained dormant for a good four months. I honestly just didn’t know what to take pictures of, what to post or what to say.

Then one day, I had an epiphany… Why not take pictures of some of the yoga poses I’ve been working on? That’s when this journey for me all started.

I began practicing yoga 17 years ago, when I was 19, so that makes me… 29 today? LOL. Okay, okay… I am 36 now. I started doing yoga from a Baron Baptiste VHS tape of my sister’s. It was very basic, but it’s what I used to learn a Sun Salutation, Warrior I and Navasana. Up until that point, I had no experience with yoga. I practiced from this tape until I knew it inside out, and then I purchased a few more of his tapes. Eventually, I started taking classes at the local gym. This is where my knowledge of yoga started to grow and manifest. It was also the place where I did my first Bakasana (Crow Pose), and where I attempted my first headstand as an adult. I was hooked.

In 2005, I had my son and in 2009, I had my daughter. During these four years, yoga took a backseat to my other cardio/weight workouts. Although my pregnancies were quite uneventful and “easy,” I did not enjoy being pregnant. To be honest, gaining weight was the hardest for me. I was winded walking up a flight of stairs, I felt like a stuffed sausage in everything I wore, and, generally, I felt downright unattractive. Of course, I’d do it all again for my two lovebugs… but it was HARD.

I worked out like a crazed lunatic for most of my pregnancies so I could stay as fit as possible and lose the baby weight as soon as possible. Back then my mindset was still…cardio and weights… burn those calories… a workout isn’t great unless you SWEAT LIKE A PIG! Boy oh boy… I wish I had known then, what I know now.

After my mini was born in 2009, I went into a fitness craze and ordered every home workout system known to man… Insanity, P90X, Insanity Asylum, TurboJam, TurboFire and P90X2. I spent a good two years focusing on these workouts. Yoga for the most part, took a further backseat. I was only doing it once a week in the form of the yoga from P90X.

It wasn’t until early 2012 that I discovered online sites that streamed yoga classes. This, coupled with my start on Instagram, put yoga back into my fitness plan. Previously, I was drawn to yoga for its physical aspects, but more advanced classes opened up a whole new world for me. I instantly became addicted to learning more.

By October 2012, I made the decision to stop doing my other workouts in favor of yoga, which I practiced every day for a month. A month turned into two months… which then turned into a year, and the rest is history. I’ve never once regretted that decision. My asana practice has grown more in these past 16 months than it did in those first 17 years.

At some point, my Instagram started to inspire people. It inspired my partner-in-crime, Masumi, to start her yoga journey. My world was starting to shift.

“Are you a yoga teacher? Can you teach me?” Those questions started popping up like crazy. It was time to get certified and take that first leap of faith.

Yoga Teacher Training (YTT) was scary as shit for me. I had severe TMJ growing up which resulted in my slight lisp – something that I am extremely self-conscious of. It took every ounce of courage to go through with YTT. I sucked so badly in the beginning that I almost gave up in finishing. Thank goodness for Masumi and my teachers, Victoria and Anayra. They believed in me, and I will always be grateful for their support.

In August of 2013, I officially became a yoga teacher!

So, to bring it back full circle, the reason I wrote this post was because today sucked. It sucked enough to make me make a change. It made me realize that I need to have faith in myself, faith in my abilities, faith that I am meant to do something more than my “day job.” It also made me realize that I have the whole-hearted support of my family, which is most important to me.

“Courage is never to let your actions be influenced by your fears.” – Arthur Koestler

Change is not easy. It won’t happen overnight, but I’m on a clear path. Thanks for joining me on this path. I can’t wait to see where it takes me.

XOXO

January 28, 2014