Yoga Vignette | Way of the Spiritual Yogi

Post #89: Swimming in Triangle Pose

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]This "swimming triangle" vinyasa flow is one of my favorites. It really helps to strengthen the core and subsequently increases your ability to balance through this flow. While moving through this series I want you to really focus on your core strength. The more you can hone in on using your core the better you will find your balance as you move from triangle to reverse triangle and back again. Anyone with knee, hip or shoulder issues needs to modify as necessary or wait this one out. As you move through the swimming...

March 13, 2023

ginger

in Spiritual Guidance, Yoga Vignette

Post #88: Get Back Into the Flow

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] Get Back Into the Flow Last week we went over the 3 components of yoga. One you might remember is "discipline". This might initially have a negative connotation. But it's necessary since our ego's are so engrained and veer us off track again and again. The instant you feel stressed or overwhelmed that's a sign that your ego is in charge. Stop, take a deep breath, and recognize that you have a choice to get back into the flow of life. Abraham-Hicks says, "There is only a stream of well-being that flows. You...

March 2, 2023

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in Spiritual Guidance, Yoga Vignette

Post #85: 15-Minute Advanced Chakra Cleanse & Kapalabhati Breath-Work Practice

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]This is one of my favorite mini-practices which combines engaging mula bhanda (the root lock; think kegel exercise) while alternating between kapalabhati breath-work (skull-polishing breath) and deep core engagement. This helps to open up any blocks in the lower chakras which prevent us from sensing our connection with God. Mula bhanda is one of the 3 bhandas used in yoga to redirect energy and open up chakras, in this case the first chakra called the root chakra or muladhara chakra. Mula bhanda on a physical level is great because it helps strengthen...

February 3, 2023

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in Spiritual Guidance, Yoga Vignette

Post #84: 3-Daily Poses for Hip & Low Back Health

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Want to know what 3 poses I think you should be doing every single day for hip and low-back health? These 3 poses are always a part of my daily practice. After I had my second child, I had so much low back pain that I could not even think about getting in my car without going through these poses first. Luckily that pain finally abated, but I still find these poses a necessity. If you have serious hip, low back, or knee issues then you will want to check with your doctor...

January 28, 2023

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in Spiritual Guidance, Yoga Vignette

Post #83: Vinyasa Flow Complete Sacred Practice

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]I miss my Friday noon class that I used to teach. The class was challenging yet it always had a sacred feel to it. As I'm making my yoga videos for you, I imagine I'm teaching that same class years ago. I sense the same "energy of the 3rd" that teachers talk about.There is the teacher, the students, and then, if you're lucky, a third presence emerges. It's as if teacher and student have joined and brought forth exactly what all of us needs in that moment from the practice. You...

January 21, 2023

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in Spiritual Guidance, Yoga Vignette

Post #82: Building Back Knee & Core Strength 17-min Practice

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Have you noticed that you cannot do everything you used to do physically? Have you noticed yourself feeling a little less balanced than you used to be? I still remember walking on my rocky driveway in heels one day and all of a sudden I could tell that my ankles were not as strong as they used to be and I felt like I might roll one. All of a sudden I felt less balanced and unsure of myself as I walked the same path I had been walking for the past 9 years...

January 14, 2023

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in Spiritual Guidance, Yoga Vignette

Post #75: 21 minute yoga vignette on Reverse Triangle: a pose full of wonderful surprises

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]This week's yoga vignette piggy backs on last weeks and is centered around reverse triangle: sanskrit name: Parivrtta Trikonasana This pose is easier for moderate practitioners but even beginners need to start somewhere and this pose is full of wonderful surprises. Reverse triangle is an intense standing twist, but the rewards from practicing it will keep you coming back for more. This pose helps strengthen the knee, hip and ankle joints and various leg muscles are getting stretched while simultaneously being used for strength and balance to keep you in the pose. The leg muscles are...

July 20, 2022

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in Spiritual Guidance, Yoga Vignette

Post #74: God is in the details: 28 minute yoga vignette- expansion in triangle pose.

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Do you remember that expression "God is in the details"? This also relates to how much we can sink into the details of the yoga poses. The more we tune into the details of the poses, the more we shift our mind out of "monkey mind" and draw our awareness totally and completely into the details of the body postures. When we do this, we shift our mind out of its "stress state" and the body begins to let go of the stress it's been holding onto. The more we...

July 10, 2022

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in Spiritual Guidance, Yoga Vignette

Post #73: something haunting you that you did or said? 11 minute yoga vignette to curb cravings and release guilt and shame

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Have you ever had something that you "said" or "did" haunt you deep inside and you want to cover it up so that you don't have to face the guilt, shame or other uneasy emotions? Most of us have something that we feel guilty or shameful about and would like to bury it in the ground. But not facing these behaviors in ourselves and admitting (at least to ourselves) that we were wrong, will wreak havoc on us until we can face the music. The cravings we reach for when this...

June 24, 2022

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in Spiritual Guidance, Yoga Vignette

Post #69: Yoga is like a mini-vacay for body, mind, & soul

[vc_row][vc_column][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_empty_space][vc_column_text]Do you enjoy planning your next vacation? I sure do! But have you noticed that most vacations are spent running after kids or running around trying to take in as many sites as quickly as possible? Have you ever heard yourself mutter, "I need a vacation from my vacation"? Unless you’re 20 with no kids and heading to the Bahamas, vacations usually don't leave us feeling refreshed and recharged. Yoga is like a mini-vacay without having to leave your mat. It gives us something we don't normally get with vacation, a chance to check in with...

May 20, 2022

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in Spiritual Guidance, Yoga Vignette