Holding Space

Why You Aren’t Good At “Holding Space”

Blog, Ethics, Life and Yoga, Philosophy, Stress Management, Teacher Training, Yoga TrainingLeave a comment

The only space we can truly hold is our own. Our own bodies, our own breath, our own thoughts… When we facilitate another person’s process, we can practice being an impeccable host. Hosting space is very different than holding space. Knowing the difference lessens the burden and takes the weight off our shoulders. It’s much less exhausting. But to be a host of space is a great responsibility. To be done well, it must be done actively and consciously. To play the role of host requires the upmost care and consideration…

Regulating Negative Emotion Through Mindful Movement

Philosophy, Wellness1 Comment

What we repress saps our vitality and thus our ability to feel alive in the present. To heal those parts of you damaged by suppressed emotions, simply let them flow. Maybe you don’t have to yell and scream at your partner. Maybe you just need to move! When you move as an open embrace of all the parts of yourself; your emotions, your deepest desires, your needs, and you attempt to live in alignment with these aspects of yourself, there will be movement and your life will change!

Are Generalists Healthier Than Specialists?

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There’s a movement system within us, that was built in and that our body craves. It doesn’t result in resistance and shut down. The code is already hidden deep within the molecular structure of our human body – our primal memory. We just need to remember and reawaken it. Finally something refreshing that makes sense, the fitness trend of natural movement (which includes Primal Vinyasa and other primal movement methods) takes the emphasis back to the very thing that we are best at doing: being human. “Movement” is really just the brand of the “unbranded”. We can’t truly call it a brand if it always existed – it’s just what humans are supposed to do.

Teen Yoga, Body Image, Self-worth, with Ivy Katz

Philosophy, Teacher Profile, Wellness, Yoga tips and hitsLeave a comment

“… we explore what comes up mentally and emotionally. With the use of themes, education about the mind/body relationship and yoga philosophy, I aim to help them understand how a mindfulness practice can be a useful tool for them throughout their lives. Classes involve movement/asana, breathing exercises/pranayama, meditation and at times, partner discussions and reflective writing exercises. I ask students to choose the variation of movement that honors their physical body and mental state in the present moment.”

Portland Yoga Studio

Yoga and The Study of One’s Self

Blog, Community, Life and Yoga, Philosophy1 Comment

So … here we are, midway through the challenge and the nourishment program. Now we are in the depths. This is the hardest part, the middle. Not close enough to the end to see the light and far enough from the start to quit at this point. Relearning our bodies, minds, and spirits. Cleansing is actually a difficult process. We have to go through the hard part to get to the good part.

What Is The Ideal Yoga Community?

Community, Ethics, Life and Yoga, Philosophy, Uncategorized, Wellness3 Comments

We meet on mutual ground. In a center of beauty and inspiration. We come to inquire within. To seek our own answers. We come because we care. We come to remember who we are and what what life is for. Everyone is allowed to be themselves. They are seen, accepted, approved, and appreciated for their uniqueness. They work to see, accept, approve, and appreciate themselves.

Why I stopped going to Yoga – And Why I’m going back

Blog, Ethics, Life and Yoga, Philosophy, Teacher Training, Wellness, Yoga Training3 Comments

The problem with yoga and all this self awakening shit is that you are aware of your own mental tricks. The things your brain used to do to get you out of bad situations and make you feel ok with yourself and justify that the way you are is perfect and needs to alternation, they don’t work anymore cause you’re “enlightened” or whatever buzzword is popular this week. Really, it’s because you’re being honest and relatively aware of your own consciousness. Enlightened sounds entirely too graceful for what is really happening.

Crossroads to the LBC

Breathe Building, Ethics, green building, Living Building Challenge, New Building, News, Philosophy, Uncategorized5 Comments

After employing a full time LBC coordinator, making substantial investments in non-toxic, sustainable, LBC-approved materials, and heroic efforts on the part of my design & construction team, I found myself at a crossroads. Should I press on to the high peaks of LBC compliance, risking financial ruin and vast timelines, or should I turn toward practicality, building not with the LBC standard but in their likeness instead.

Kileen Swenson on Yoga and Chinese Medicine

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Yoga teacher and Chinese medicine practitioner, Kileen Swenson, sat down with Jenna Lynne Roberts to talk about these ancient healing medicines. How did you become a Chinese medicine practitioner? My interest in Chinese medicine came from teaching yoga and seeing how yoga affected people so profoundly, including myself. Being an introvert, teaching didn’t feel like I…

Living Yoga – Living Building

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Each time the yogi gets a taste of union with all things, she is rewired with greater sensitivity to the joys and the suffering of the world, and her compassion grows deeper. The effect over time is cumulative. Each experience is a little more real and results in a greater appreciation for the intricacy and preciousness of life, a desire to live it with higher regard, and a passionate lifestyle better aligned with the understanding that all things are connected.