Category: Latest News

6 Poses to Reduce Bloating

After a long weekend of overindulgence and rich foods, you may be feeling sluggish and bloated. Let us help you re-energize and reduce that bloated feeling with these six twisty yoga poses that will gently squeeze and massage your digestive organs.

As with all twists, be mindful to lift and lengthen on each inhale, and twist deeper with each exhale. Hold each pose for a minimum of five breaths, and remember to practice the poses on both sides of your body.

Revolved Downward Facing Dog
From Downward Facing Dog, begin to shift your weight into your left hand. Twist your torso to the left as your reach for the outside of your left thigh, calf or ankle with your right hand. Gaze up under your left armpit.

Revolved Side Angle Pose
From Downward Facing Dog, step your left foot forward between your hands as you lift onto the ball of your right foot. Bring your hands together in prayer in front of your heart, and twist your torso to the left. Hook your right elbow on the outside of your left thigh. Press the back of your right arm firmly into your left thigh as you twist deeper with each breath.

Half Lord of the Fishes Pose
Sit on your mat with your legs extended straight in front of you. Bend your right knee so that the sole of your right foot is flat against the floor. Step your right foot over your left thigh. Bend your left knee and slide your leg to the right so that your left foot rests next to your right hip. Place your right hand on the floor behind you. Hook your left elbow on the outside of the right thigh, and twist to the right.

Revolved Chair Pose
Stand tall with your feet together and your arms extended overhead. Bend your knees, bringing your thighs parallel to the floor. Roll your shoulders down and away from your ears. Sink your weight back onto your heels—try lifting your toes from the mat to confirm that your weight is shifted properly. You are now in Chair pose. In order to revolve the pose, lower your arms and bring your hands to prayer in front of your heart. Twist your torso to the left, and hook your right elbow on the outside of the left thigh. Press into your hands for extra leverage to twist further. Glance down at your knees. If your right knee is protruding forward more than your left knee, make an effort to pull the right hip back in space.

Revolved Wide-Legged Forward Fold
Place your hands on your hips, and step your feet apart about four feet. Turn your feet so that your second toes are parallel to one another. (You may feel slightly pigeon-toed in this stance.) Hinge forward from the hips, as you keep your torso long and extended. Lightly place your fingertips onto the mat. Place your right hand on the ground, equidistant from your feet. Twist your torso to the left, and extend your left arm toward the sky. Try to make a straight line from fingertip to fingertip.

Supine Spinal Twist
Lie on your back, and draw your knees into your chest. Extend your arms out to either side. Shift your hips to the left by two to three inches, and gently drop your knees to the right. Keep both shoulders flat on the mat as you twist, and feel free to place your right hand on top of your thighs to intensify the stretch.

November 29, 2014
8 Poses to Energize Your Morning

You may be wondering how to develop a morning yoga practice if you aren’t a morning person. We’ve mentioned it in the past, and we will say it again—baby steps are the answer! Rather than setting your alarm clock 90 minutes earlier than usual, start by taking baby steps. Set yourself up for success by setting attainable goals. Perhaps a 5:30 am wake-up time will never fit your lifestyle, but a 6:30 am wake-up time may be palatable and sustainable. Even thirty minutes is enough time to set a daily intention, take a few deep breaths, stretch the body, raise the heart rate, and start each morning feeling peaceful and accomplished.

A few rounds of sun salutations, a series of core-strengthening exercises, and a number of warrior poses that fire up the leg muscles are a great way to stretch the body and break a sweat in a short period of time. Try each of the strengthening poses below, and once you are familiar with each of the poses and can hold each pose for five full breaths, repeat the sequence at a faster pace. Remember to practice the sequence on both sides of the body.

Down dog
Although it’s often called a “resting pose”, the entire body remains active in downward facing dog—Fingers grip the mat, biceps roll forward, shoulder blades move down the back, quadriceps pull up and away from the knees, and the core is engaged.

3-legged dog
For the most effective hamstring stretch, flex your top foot, and make an effort to keep all five toes of your lifted leg pointing down toward the ground. If you find your toes pointing to the side, lower your raised leg, and focus on keeping both hips equidistant from the mat.

Core Exercise
This effective exercise will strengthen the core without the need for a single sit-up or crunch. From 3-legged dog, bring the right knee to the right tricep, and round the upper back. Return to 3-legged dog. Repeat this exercise by bringing the knee to the nose, back up to 3-legged dog, and then across the body to the left tricep. Complete the core sequence by ending in 3-legged dog.

Warrior 1
From 3-legged dog, step your right foot forward between your hands. Rise up to Warrior 1. This fundamental yoga pose is accessible to yogis of all levels. Adjust the level of difficulty to suit your needs. Build up the strength to be able to hold this pose with a 90-degree angle in the front leg. And build up the flexibility so that both hip points are turned to face the front of the mat.

Warrior 2
With the hips facing the side of the yoga mat (rather than the front), most students find the alignment of Warrior 2 to be a bit easier than Warrior 1. Remember to breathe deeply, keep the core engaged, and resist the urge to lean toward the front of the mat. Keep your shoulders stacked right over the hips.

Reverse Warrior
Continue to strengthen your legs in a warrior pose, but add a side stretch to loosen up the intercostal muscles that run between the ribs.

Modified Side Angle Pose
Enjoy the benefits of a feel-good side stretch in this modified version of side angle pose. While the full expression of the pose bring the fingertips to the floor, this less intense modification allows the forearm to rest on the front thigh.

Triangle Pose
Triangle pose will feel like a welcome relief after holding so many poses that require a 90-degree angle in the front leg. Enjoy the stretch.

If you would like to practice with us and try our full 20-minute Good Morning Flow, CLICK HERE!

November 14, 2014
Balanced Body, Balanced Mind

As busy mothers, yoga instructors and business owners, we are on the constant quest to live balanced lives. With young children to care for and multiple schedules to juggle, there’s hardly a moment in the day that isn’t pre-scheduled with children’s activities, meal preparation or work obligations.

At first glance, it seems counterintuitive to add a yoga practice to a seemingly never-ending list of daily tasks, but we realize that the intense focus required to maintain balance and alignment on the yoga mat is the same focus necessary to navigate life’s many challenges and obligations. Whether you have a pending deadline at work, an hour of traffic during your commute, or a house full of kids, your ability to manage stress and face the day will seem that much easier after an intense yoga class.

Practicing on the mat is perfect training for managing a stressful, busy schedule off the mat. Each balance pose requires an even breath and a commitment to focus solely on the current posture. A balance practice gives no thought to the poses that come before the present moment. Each balance pose, just like each life task, can be successfully performed with this strategy of focusing and dedicating one’s undivided attention to the effort. Test your own strength and hone your balance skills by practicing the seven poses below. Remember to breathe deeply, find a focal point in each posture to help maintain your balance, and practice on both sides of your body.

If you would like a complete yoga practice, the postures shown below are featured in our Downloadable Balance Practice class.

Tabletop Variation: Begin in tabletop position with shoulders stacked over wrists and hips stacked over knees. Slowly extend your left arm and your right leg. Engage your core, find your balance, and remember to breathe. Return to tabletop position.

Modified Side Plank: From tabletop position, begin to shift your weight into your left hand and left shin. Bring your right foot in line with your left foot. Once you feel stable, slowly lift your right leg so that it is parallel to the mat. Extend your right arm toward the sky, and remember to keep your hips lifted.

Tiger Pose: From Modified Side Plank, return to tabletop position, and test your balance with tiger pose. In Tiger pose, opposite hand and opposite foot connect for a feel-good backbend. If your flexibility allows, try an overhand grip!

Hand-to-Big-Toe Pose: After testing your balance on the floor, come to a standing position with your hands on your hips. Begin to shift your weight into your right foot. Bend your left knee, and lift it so that your left hip is inline with your left knee. Wrap your “peace fingers” (index and middle fingers) around your left big toe, and seal the grip with your thumb. Feel free to balance with a bent knee. If you feel stable, begin to extend your left leg. Roll your shoulders back, pull your left hip back in space, and breathe deeply.

Half Moon Pose: It’s not easy to stack the shoulders and hips while balancing on one foot. Be patient, move slowly, and keep your gaze downward until you are able to balance with ease. If you feel stable, challenge yourself by gazing out to the side or up toward your extended arm.

Sugar Cane Pose: This is a challenging balance pose that happens to also be a great chest-opener and hip flexor stretch. From Half Moon pose, bend your top leg, and catch the pinky side edge of your foot with your hand. Kick your foot firmly into your hand to create resistance to maintain your balance. Enjoy the stretch, and then slowly transition back into Half Moon pose before lowering your leg to the mat.

Crow Pose: Most yoga students begin their arm balance journeys with this pose. For a step-by-step tutorial, click here.

November 7, 2014
Yoga Lifestyle: Remove Mental Clutter with a To-Do List

The longer I practice physical yoga poses, the more I come to the realization that yoga is a state of mind. It’s not just the Warrior 1 pose or the High Lunge or the Headstand that you can hold all day. It’s the stillness of spirit and peace in your soul that you can feel whether you are standing on a yoga mat or waiting on line at a department store. Yes, the physical yoga practice will train your ability to focus and find peace in uncomfortable situations, but don’t leave this valuable training on your mat. Begin to live your yoga by finding and creating peace in all aspects of your life. Create a yoga lifestyle.

The To-Do List
This week, build your yoga lifestyle by getting into the habit of creating a daily to-do list. In a previous article, I mentioned how important it is in my own life to create a to-do list before bed each night. By committing my list of tasks to paper, I remove the mental clutter and liberate my mind. This simple task of creating a list helps me sleep more restfully, and I close my eyes each night feeling organized for the coming day. Remember—If you are going to bother spending time on your yoga mat to clear your mind, it’s probably in your best interest to develop a few habits that will help you carry that peace and focus to other areas of your life.

Tips
Here are a few tips that I keep in mind when creating my list each night. See if you feel more organized, focused and productive as a result of creating a daily list!

–E-mail your to-do list to yourself. I used to be a big fan of paper lists—until I started forgetting my list at home. These days, I create my to-do list on my iphone’s notepad each night, and I e-mail it to myself as soon as the list is created. By doing this, I know that my list cannot be misplaced, and I can access it from my phone or my computer when I need it.

–Break down large projects. Do NOT write a task on your list that will take days to complete. Larger projects can be approached as a series of smaller tasks. If you need to re-organize your entire house, don’t write “re-organize house”. Instead, write line items like “sort and donate kids’ clothing” or “discard expired condiments/food from fridge”.

–Keep it short. Be sure that each item on your to-do list is a task that can be completed within 1 to 2 hours. Short, manageable tasks are most likely to get done. Don’t discourage yourself by listing a 5-hour task on your list.

–Include easy tasks. Include a few items on your list that you are sure that you can complete. These can be very simple tasks such as “make the bed”, “pack lunches for school” or “chop vegetables for dinner”. List those items first, and get them done immediately. It’s a great feeling to cross items off of your to-do list early in the day. It will give you a sense of accomplishment and motivate you to continue tackling items on your list.

-Prioritize. Get through a few of your easy tasks, and immediately tackle an important task on your list while you are feeling fresh and motivated. If you need to create a marketing presentation for tomorrow, do it early in the day. Don’t wait for your mid-afternoon slump to kick in.

-Start fresh each day. Even if you only get through a couple of items on your list during the day, take the time to create a new to-do list each night. The act of creating a new list is like a mental reset button. Tomorrow is a new day, and you will have another opportunity to get it all done.

November 4, 2014
#YogaWithTFM November Challenge!

Our November yoga challenge has not yet been announced on Instagram, but we wanted to give our @TwoFitMoms followers a sneak peak of what’s to come next month. Here are the 10 poses we will be covering starting on November 1.

Welcome to our #YogaWithTFM November Challenge, sponsored by Gaiam! This month’s focus will be on backbends. As always, this challenge will be open to all levels, and modifications will be given each day on our website.

Be sure to follow @TwoFitMoms, @laurasykora, @masumi_g and @gaiam on Instagram, and remember to always use the #YogaWithTFM hashtag when posting challenge photos.

Need help preparing for this challenge? Check out our Backbends practice available for purchase here.

October 23, 2014
7 Tips for Eating Well…On the Road

Although it may seem like a daunting task to choose healthy meals while traveling, eating well on the road isn’t impossible. If you are away from the comforts of home, don’t throw in the towel. With a little bit of planning, you can hold it together and find healthy solutions. For the past month, I have been away from home, tending to my daughter and husband in the hospital. My meals have been limited to the cafeteria and nearby restaurants and delis. I know I haven’t been eating nearly as well as I do at home, but it hasn’t been a complete disaster. Here are some suggestions for you, based on my experience over the course of this past month. Take a look at these tips before you travel, and have a game plan so you can continue to eat well wherever you are!

Download the free AroundMe app. As soon as you arrive at your destination, check this app to see all of the establishments in your surrounding area. In addition to listing all of the nearby banks, gas stations and parking garages, the app lists all of the local restaurants, supermarkets and coffee shops. I think it’s very important to know what resources are available before you are ravenous.

Don’t Limit Your Search! Meals and snacks aren’t only sold at restaurants. Keep your eyes open to different possibilities. I stopped into a bookstore to buy a notebook, and I was shocked to find a vast assortment of healthy snacks at the café counter—hummus, fresh fruit, nuts, sunflower butter, unsweetened iced tea and all sorts of other options that I was not expecting to find in a book store. Not only did I buy the notebook, but I also stocked up on healthy snacks for the coming days.

Always buy unsweetened drinks. In the hospital cafeteria, the walls are lined with refrigerated cases filled with bottled beverages. Most of these drinks, unfortunately, are full of sugar. My advice to you is to skip the juice, soda and lemonade altogether. Find an option without sugar. I happen to love unsweetened iced tea. If you cannot find unsweetened iced tea, go ahead and brew a cup of hot tea. Any place that sells coffee will also have tea. If it’s an option, feel free to grab a cup of ice from the soda fountain and make your own iced tea by pouring your hot tea into the cup. Because I expected to be away from home for an extended period of time, I actually carried my own tea bags (and cold brew tea bags) in my backpack. Every day, I just needed to buy a few bottles of water for my tea bags.

Look for Unprocessed Foods. The guidelines for healthy eating don’t change because you are away from home. When you are shopping for your groceries in the supermarket, you may already be in the healthy habit of buying foods in their most natural form. The same rules apply when you are away from home. Don’t look for veggie chips. Look for veggies. Don’t look for fruit juice — look for fruit.

In the hospital cafeteria, there was always a roasted vegetable of the day. Even in airport convenience stores, you can usually find whole fruits, pre-packaged hummus (which is actually quite natural for a packaged product), nuts, and even vegetable crudité.

Try to create a well-balanced meal. Set yourself up for some sort of success. Don’t go to the deli counter every day if you are inclined to get a ham sandwich on white bread with a bag of cheese curls. You can do better! Trust me, I know what it feels like to be away from home and under tremendous stress with very little time for meals. You can still do pretty well if you stop for a minute and think before buying. Try to create your own balanced meal by piecing together a variety of food groups. Will it be perfect? Probably not. That’s not the goal. The goal is just to do our best while we are away from home. Start out by looking for some vegetables. Pick up a piece of fruit for later. Include some protein and fat so you don’t get hungry—this can be in the form of nut butter or lean meat. If you have the option between white rice and brown rice, always choose the brown. If you have the choice between grilled chicken and fried chicken, go with the grilled. If you are lucky enough to find a make-your-own salad counter, ask for your dressing on the side. Add some beans, chicken or nuts to the top of your salad to make it a heartier meal. You can do this!

Avoid the Kids’ Menu. If you are traveling with your children, avoid the kids’ menus at chain restaurants. Most of the items on these menus are devoid of nutrition (pancakes with fake syrup, macaroni and cheese, grilled cheese on white bread, etc.) Instead of ordering from the kids’ menu, try the regular adult menu. Ask for lunch-sized portions or look at appetizers that may have vegetables. Your kids will surprise you if you give them the chance.

Look for Chinese Restaurants. This is such a great tip, and I have been using it since I moved out of my parents’ house to go to college. I still remember heading to the mall food court to find a Chinese food counter because I knew I would be able to find vegetables. If you are craving vegetables, and all you can find in the nearby stores are sandwiches and burgers, pick up the phone and order Chinese food. It’s the one kind of take-out restaurant where you can be sure to find assorted steamed vegetables. Most places prepare your food to order, so make sure to ask for simply prepared foods with sauce on the side.

This is by no means an exhaustive list of the efforts you can take to stay healthy while traveling. It’s just a place to start! With your own ideas and routines, I am sure you will be well on your way to eating well-balanced meals, whether you are away from home for a day or a month. Good luck, and please feel free to share some of your own tips in the comments section below.

October 9, 2014
Welcome to the #YogawithTFM 10-Day Challenge!

Welcome to the #YogawithTFM 10-day challenge! This challenge is hosted by @twofitmoms @laurasykora @masumi_g and is sponsored by @gaiam.

Please visit our website daily for a tutorial on the pose of the day.

Day one’s pose is Uttanasana, or Forward Fold. Before taking your photo for the challenge, warm up with five rounds of Surya Namaskar A and don’t forget to stretch your hamstrings with either a strap, or try our four must-do hamstring stretches.

Here is a video with some variations. And, please check out our three tips, below, to help you get started!

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– Use a block to rest your hands on if you are just beginning your journey!

– Try to keep length in your torso as you fold.

– Shift your weight slightly towards your toes to bring your hips in line with your heels.

Let us know if you have any questions! We can’t wait to see your photos!

September 30, 2014
My Morning Routine

Just like other moms out there, I always feel like there is never enough time in the day to get everything done! It’s hard enough to get yourself ready, but throw two kids into the mix, and the mornings are chaotic, to say the least. I have never been a morning person. If I had my way, I would stay up late and roll out of bed around 11am! Once you become a mother though, that plan quickly exits the building. So here is a glimpse into my morning routine and how I get my day going!

5:30 am: Wake on up!

No…I do not jump out of bed for joy when my alarm goes off. There is usually some grumbling and moaning involved, and maybe a snooze button or two. But for the most part, my day starts around 5:30-5:45am.

6 am: Get my yoga on!

I do yoga everyday…EVERYDAY. Some days it’s for 30 minutes, other days I spend nearly two hours throughout the day. My main practice though happens in the wee hours of the morning before my minis get up. It’s just easier that way, and I don’t feel like a bad mommy for not paying attention to them later on in the day.

As for my yoga practice itself? Some days I wing it, some days I make up my own flows (such as the Two Fit Moms Good Morning Flow!). Other days, I take classes online so I don’t have to think too much. Unlike what most people think, my practice is done in the middle of my living room in peace and quiet. I do not practice out on my deck with a camera clicking away.

7 am: Make myself presentable!

I can’t lie, I love makeup! I will not leave my house without it! I know that probably sounds ridiculous to some people, but I feel completely naked without makeup. I do not pack on tons, but it’s a staple in my daily morning routine…foundation, powder, blush, eyeshadow, eyeliner and lip gloss!

After my face is on? It’s time to quickly curl my hair with a 2″ curling iron. I get a lot of questions about my hair…I do not do anything special to it at all. I wash it every other night, and I never blow dry it because it takes like 30 minutes to do that.

7:30 am: Picture time!

It’s usually about this time that I’ll sneak out onto my deck and snap some pictures or videos for Instagram. Contrary to popular belief, I do not spend all day taking pictures of myself out on my deck. I usually have a list of what I want to shoot to make it easier and quicker. I use my trusty iPhone to take videos and my Nikon D5000 for the pics.

7:45 am: Coffee Break!

I like to save about 10-15 minutes in the morning to sit down and have my coffee and breakfast. I drink one cup everyday with agave and Vanilla Coffeemate. Yes, I know the creamer is not healthy…but it’s the only way I’ll drink my coffee. 🙂 Breakfast is usually in the form of a muffin and fruit.

8 am: Wake the minis up!

I’m pretty lucky right now. In my town, my kids do not start school until 9 am. My kids are sleepers too…so I usually have to wake them up around this time. This is where my rushing begins! I drag them out of bed, feed them, get them dressed and ready, and then get myself dressed and ready.

8:40 am: Out the door!

I leave my house, drop the minis off at school and head to the office on the days I work. Things will shift a bit once I am done with my office job, but for now, this is how my day begins.

XOXO

September 22, 2014
Practice Yoga with Two Fit Moms!

We have some exciting news to share! Our new digital series is available today! It’s called, It’s Never Too Late, and it is part of Gaiam’s Yoga Rising series.

Now we can share our teaching with all of you!

All you need is a computer or mobile device and you can take our classes wherever and whenever it is convenient for you — whether you are on the road or at home!

Included in the series are five practices which we designed for ALL yoga levels. They include a Good Morning Flow, Balance Practice, Backbends Practice, Inversions Tutorial and a Good Evening Flow.

You can purchase them exclusively on iTunes now.

Thank you to Gaiam for giving us this amazing opportunity! We hope you download our yoga practices, and, if you do, please let us know what you think!

September 16, 2014
Q&A with Laura: Part 2

Continuing on! Here are some more questions that you asked me to answer!

@dana_nicole11: What steps did you take to become a yoga instructor?

It took a long time for me to finally have the balls to do my teacher training. I am a very shy person when it comes to public speaking. Suffering from TMJ (Temporomandibular joint dysfunction) for most of my life, I am very self conscious of the way I speak. It really was the inspiration from Instagram and my followers that finally pushed me to get certified to teach last year. As far as steps? Grow your yoga practice and seek out a teacher/school that fits your style. YTT is expensive but it’s totally worth it if that is the path you want to take. Good luck!

@ewer_rosalind: How do you get balance when doing a handstand? Would you please post a basic pose to do a handstand?

Check out my articles on this subject HERE.

@lesleyacooper: How do you balance being a wife, a mommy, a job, a yoga practice, yoga classes, plus all the other things you do?

I would love to say that this is easy…but it is not! I either wake up early to get my yoga practice in or do it with the hubby after the kids go to bed. I am a very laid back person, so honestly…I usually just go with the flow.

@itiajones: How long did it take you to become a certified teacher?

My YTT was a bit different than most…My teachers were very flexible when it came to working around my schedule. All in all though, it took about five months to complete my 200 hour certification.

@stephaniejnsn: I want to self teach, where should I start?

When I wanted to grow my at home practice, I bought some DVDs. Nowadays there are some awesome online websites for classes. We will also be releasing classes soon…so stay tuned!

@theyogaichef: I would like to know about your diet…

Already answered this in my last post…but in short, I am not vegetarian or vegan. I eat everything in moderation.

@julieannnie: Did you still practice yoga when you were pregnant?

I did prenatal yoga once or twice a week. I did not have the practice I have now when I was pregnant.

@yogafanatic: When are you practicing yoga? Evening or morning? What type of yoga do you practice? Do you have another job or are you a full time yoga teacher?

I prefer to practice in the morning…sometimes it doesn’t happen, so then I will do it at night. I mainly practice Vinyasa flow. Currently, I work part time for a software company, but I am slowly transitioning to a full time yoga career.

@franziiiii001: Do you dance ballet?

No. Never danced. I only practiced gymnastics.

@vianagels: When are you coming to Amsterdam, Holland?

Um…Whenever you’ll have me!

@malgiac: What other forms of exercise do you regularly do? Is most of your strength training done through yoga? Or do you do other forms of exercise to help with your yoga poses?

For more than two years, I have been strictly yoga. I used to lift weights and do crazy cardio which made me a different kind of strong. However, since making the leap to only do yoga…I feel like I am the strongest I have ever been.

@amandadolanyoga: Do you feel that with your increase in followers it’s put pressure on you or your practice?

Absolutely. In the early stages of my Instagram, I felt a ton of pressure to do crazy shit that I probably wasn’t ready to do yet. Nowadays, the pressure actually just helps to inspire me…to be a better yogi on the mat and off. I don’t force poses anymore…I just practice harder!

@yogalu123: Have we seen the last of your office yoga?

No, I’m still in the office part time…but we hired more people so I haven’t busted any out yet in front of them!

@breadpuddin: Best advice for yogis teaching themselves at home?

Take pics/videos to check your alignment. Be patient and mindful because you do not want to injure yourself. Make it a point to seek out an actual class a few times too to get some hands on experience!

@dat_panoramic_dude: What’s your horoscope?

I’m a Gemini…on the cusp with Taurus. So I’m a stubborn psycho! LOL

@trinitysantosha: How do you incorporate your mini into your regular practice?

Usually I just start playing around, and she joins me in a few things. She’s four so her attention span is still…um…short. LOL

@jezreelfaith: I’m 24. Is it late to start making a goal of flexibility through yoga?

UM…You’re a young buck compared to me! So nope! It’s never too late!!

@jooleeeah: What do all the terms mean? (Ashtanga, Vinyasa, Bikram, etc.) As a beginner, how can I choose the right yoga path for me? What apps do you use to edit your photos/speed up your videos?

The terms you mentioned are just different types of yoga. Traditional Ashtanga and Bikram are set sequences you practice…Vinyasa is more flexible in terms of flows. The only way you can choose which one works for you is to try them all out!

For photos, I use Snapseed and PS Express. For videos, I use iMovie.

@alfreulicesto: How did your little one start doing yoga with you? Did she want to do it or did you include her?

She started because she saw me doing it everyday! Kids are very receptive and learn quickly… so it wasn’t a huge leap for her to start trying to “be like mommy”. Kids copy what they see…

@lydiamakokha: What has been a recent difficult experience you’ve had to face and how did you get through it?

A recent difficult experience…hmm…probably filming yoga classes. I’m extremely shy in front of a camera. I got through it by just being brave and doing it. LOL

@queenjanette: Have you ever taught in the San Jose/ San Fran area? Would you come if I can organize a group?

I’ve never been to Cali yet…It’s on my list for next year!

@yogadaisuki04: What would you recommend a complete beginner to do in order to improve their flexibility and strength?

Practice every day! You will only get more flexible with a consistent practice. Of course genetics plays a part with how your body may be built…but you will definitely see progress no matter how much you think genetics is against you.

@minnich29: Any suggestions on overcoming the fear of headstands after having upper cervical spine issues?

I would definitely recommend seeking out a really good yoga teacher to guide you in your attempts. Someone you can trust and who knows the correct alignment for headstands. In supported headstand, most of the pressure should be in your forearms, not your head… keep that in mind when you practice them!

@mumblesofabumble: How do I break from following videos to building my own flows?

Honestly? It just takes experience and taking A LOT of different classes. Eventually it’s just second nature to the different poses you can build on from a posture.

@arielle_fischer: What motivated you (before IG) to practice daily?

I decided to start working out daily in 2003 when I got engaged…So having a daily fitness routine has been something I’ve been doing for over a decade now. It’s become such an integral part of my day that I’m just used to doing it daily.

@mamomalley: What is the most challenging thing you have found with parenting and if you could go back in time, what would you tell your 20 year old self now that you are older and wiser and more worldly?

The most challenging thing I have found with parenting is having patience sometimes. LOL. I definitely have some days where I need to stop myself from yelling my head off at the minis when they are misbehaving!

I would tell my 20 year old self to have more confidence…I lacked that when I was younger.

@nekokai: How do you get into the no hands headstand?

It’s simply a pop up or clap. I don’t recommend even trying this until you have a very solid headstand practice. Even then…be very careful.

@chelseakyann: How often do you work on flexibility and how often do you work on strength?

To me…they are one in the same. During my daily yoga practice, I include both.

@luvdoggies: Do tight hips, groin and spine ever improve with regular practice? What type of mattress do you use?

Yes…flexibility will improve with a daily practice. And not sure what kind of mattress… It’s nothing special!

@choclat_beautee720: What are the best yoga moves to do to help lengthen and loosen up my hamstrings?

My faves are HERE.

@msfischh: Do you not have body hair or do you shave everywhere everyday?

LOL…UM, I shave pretty much every other day. Even if it’s longer, it wouldn’t show up in a pic from that far away!

@chapis_nbp: Is there any chance that you would make a YouTube channel to teach yoga? How many years have you practiced yoga? If I want to start yoga, what is the best advice you could give me?

I do not use YouTube but we will have classes available soon to download!

I’ve practiced yoga for about 18 years now.

My advice to you…Be patient! Try not to get frustrated…and STAY WITH IT!

XOXO

September 4, 2014