Early 20's Struggle, Money, and Karma

Life in my early 20's had me feeling like I was dragging my feet through mud. I graduated college with a degree in Environmental studies but did not find a career opportunity that ignited my passion for life.  After a year of trying to find work in the environmental field, taking a slough of odd jobs along the way, I decided to stop searching outside and follow the path in my heart. I took my first yoga training in 2010 which left the words of my teacher Marianne Wells echoing in my ear: "Follow the dream and the money will come."  This phrase has been my guiding light ever since.

For about five years I lived under the poverty level, struggling to support myself as a yoga teacher.  I lived in a town that was rich in yoga, which provided wonderful people to learn from, but when it came to finding studio space, there were few opportunities for new teachers.

Even though I was poor and barely scraping by, life felt thrilling and exhilarating. Each day I danced with the unknown.  Some months I could barely pay my rent, but I let the energy inside me carry me.  If I was short money, I would take to the streets with my guitar and sing my way to the rest of my rent.  I sold my car and began traveling anywhere I needed on bike or foot.  I started to grow greens and vegetables and learned the power of community how making food and sharing with others can stretch your resources.  My diet was simple and nutritious, much like you would see in a third world country: staples of rice and beans and oats, with vegetables and fruits interspersed.  I would not eat out or drink alcohol because those things were too expensive.

In that time, I came to find a whole new system of value.  There were few things I really need money for: rent, a cell phone bill, food here and there, a climbing gym membership, occasional clothing items, and laundry.   I have been able to live incredibly frugally while maintaining good relationships, nourishing my body and mind, and feeding my spirit with the things that make me come alive: organic food, friends, music, nature, and adventure. 

During that time I continued to make investments:  I invested in my education by taking courses at the community college to deepen my understanding of the physical body. 

I invested in my physical and mental health by eating only good foods (even if it meant biking an extra 2 miles to get it).  I only took jobs that served me in body, mind, and spirit. I invested in my family, taking time when necessary to help family members through hard times.  I invested in my community, volunteer teaching at the adaptive yoga project and bringing yoga to people with disabilities, trauma, and disease.  

Even though at times I struggled to survive, I remembered that no matter how hard you have it there is always someone else who has it harder.  Living in the bay area and witnessing incredible poverty and homelessness every day, I was reminded how good I had it and was grateful for all that I had.   

 When I least expected it, my actions were recognized and things started to take a turn.  I applied for a scholarship called "The Gift of Yoga" that Yoga Alliance and Prana were offering to someone who brought yoga to underserved populations.  Because of my work with the Adaptive Yoga Project and working with youth, I was awarded a scholarship to continue my yoga training.

Three years have gone by since completing that training which made a significant difference in my life.  I felt more marketable, I grew more confident in my teaching and found more ease in my body.  I began finding more opportunities and the financial stress began to lessen.  Even though I am no longer scraping by, I still remember how little I need to survive and enjoy the sweetness of living simply.

If you are following a dream and are coming to a place that is challenging, don't underestimate your power!  Keep going, get creative, tap into your inner resources and find a way to manifest that dream! If you have any questions or need guidance on your journey, don't hesitate to reach out!

namaste :) 

Semantics, Religion and Middle-schoolers

Before teaching yoga was my main job, I lead an after school program in an inner city middle school in San Francisco. On Friday afternoons, our leadership team chose activities to offer the students.  One week I thought I would try offering yoga.  Shouting over a cafeteria of noisy middle schoolers, my site coordinator announced "yoga in the park" and an eruption of groans, grumbles, and snickers bubbled across the cafeteria.  When the students were released to choose their activities, no one came my way. A group of girls lingered close to me, some looking like they wanted to join and some were not sure. "Do you want to come do yoga in the park?" I asked them. They made a series of excuses and reasons why they don't do yoga so I invited them to just come stretch and relax which they readily agreed to.

"Why are you so opposed to yoga?" I asked them when the time was right. One girl replied she was lazy, another girl because she was tired and didn't want to move, but the one that struck me the most was two girls said it was against their religion.  This caught me pretty off guard.  She continued to share that her step-mom used to do yoga and really liked it until her teacher gave her a pendant with a symbol and chant written on it and asked her class to perform the chant. When the step-mom found out what it meant, she was offended because it was not in line with her christian beliefs. The mom stopped going to the class and warned her daughter that yoga is "a religious practice that prays to false gods. " I took a deep breath.

To connect with these students I realized I needed to ditch the word yoga because it held a stigma. I needed to just teach the practice.  Instead of "doing yoga" I taught them "stretches" and "poses" and which they were all fine to try.  I taught them the three part breath and we talked about body awareness.  At the end of the afternoon, each person there moved their body, breathed deeply, and tried something new. As far as I was concerned, it was a success.  I realized that calling something "yoga" is not important- it is just a label and does not change the practice. The next time I attempted to teach yoga there, I called it "Stretch and Relax" and it was received far better by the students.

5 reasons why your teenager should try yoga

Over the last 4 years in teaching teen yoga, I have watched some amazing transformations happen in my students.  I have seen the shyest possible people emerge from their shells, have watched timid teens face fear and challenges, and observed tightly wound individuals learning to relax and find ease in their bodies.  There are countless reasons I think a yoga practice is valuable during teenage years, but here are my top 5:

1. Promotes self awareness
Students learn to see connections with themselves and the world around them.  Yoga puts teens in touch with their feelings, allows them to feel more comfortable in their body,  and experience all that they feel. Yoga has incredible benefits for the brain and nervous system and regular practice can produce endorphins to make teens feel mentally and emotionally stable and empower them to make decisions about what feel right for their bodies.

2. Stress Release
Let's face it: teen years are super stressful.  Balancing school, extracurricular activities, friends, and family can be a lot of pressure for teens.  In yoga teens learn healthy ways to manage stress and practice consciously relaxing their bodies.

.3. Advantage of Starting Young
Young bodies are naturally more flexible and adaptable. They typically do not have patterns of tension like adult bodies have. Teenagers have an advantage in starting a yoga practice while they are young because they can set the stage to have a conscious relationship with their bodies for the rest of their life.  There is less risk of injury and a quicker rate of muscle growth and repair.

4. Build Trust and Connection
The yoga studio is a place where we welcome the diversity of thoughts, opinions, appearances, and values of one another.  We practice respect for one another, respect for ourselves, and respect for the space around us.  We have check-ins at the beginning of every class to practice speaking to what is true for us and listening to what is true for others. We practice partner and group poses that build trust, connection, and forge friendships.  The skills students learn about how to work together can be applied in ever other area of their lives.

5. Discover Strength and Confidence
Our bones are dense and create a strong structural foundation for the body. Practicing consciously aligning the body can help teens tap into the strength that is intrinsically inside of them.  Attempting poses that are physically challenging can cultivate a sense of mastery and achievement and help to boost confidence. 

Partner and Group yoga good for kids and teens

If you are leading a teen or kids yoga class, group and partner poses can be a great way to build community, practice teamwork, and develop trust.  Here are some exercises I use frequently in my classes that present a fun challenge for students to work together and find balance and strength.

Group Dog Train:

One student who feels really strong in downward facing dog will be the first dog on the train.  They well take dog pose on their mat and breathe.  One by one students will form a train, placing their feet on the hips of the person before them, planting their hands firmly and lifting their hips.

Partner plank:

Partner 1 comes into plank position on their mat (or dolphin plank).  Partner 2 places their hands on partner 1’s ankles, engages their core muscles and places one foot at a time on partner 1’s shoulders, making sure to chick in with their partner as they go.  Encourage both students to keep their core muscles engaged and breathe together.  The partner on the bottom will call when the partner on the top needs to come down.

Three Person Pyramid :

Two students stand next to one another with a strong, wide stance.  Third group member places a hand on each shoulder of their team members and steps high onto the thighs of her group mates, coming into a standing pyramid shape.  Stay for about 5 breaths then rotate positions.

Three Person Dog Pyramid:

Divide students into groups of 4.  Two students will line up the fronts of their mats so they can come hand to hand in downward facing dog pose.  The third person will place their hands on the hips of one partner and their feet on the other partner.  The 4^th group member will act as a spotter ensuring the person on top is safe. Engaging their core, the student will stand up with the help of the spotter, lifting the hips to the sky, coming in to dog pose on the top of the pyramid.

Handstand helper:

Partner 1 plants comes into plank position on their mat.  Partner 2 stands at the back of the mat.  Partner 1 lifts one leg at a time for partner 2 to grab by the ankle, arriving in a supported plank.  Partner 1 spreads their hands, squeezes their core muscles and lifts their hips over their head.  Partner 2 steps forward as partner 1 lifts into a supported handstand and stays for 5-10 breaths.  If both partners feel strong, the pair can practice lifting from plank position to handstand and back repeating breath and movement 3-5 times.

Dancer Helper:

Partner 1 comes into dancer pose. Maintaining a steady gaze will help to stay balanced. Partner 2 will find the outside bony ridges of partner 1’s hips and encourage their hips to square toward center.  Partner 1 can spread their toes on their standing foot and lift the heart, keeping a firm hold of the back foot and taking 3-5 smooth breaths.

Partner shoulder stand:

Students lie head to head and lift both legs into the air, coming into a shoulder stand. They will walk their hands down the back ribs until they reach a place they can hold comfortably.  Working together, students will connect their shins and press the tops of their feet gently into their partners feet and hold for 5- 10 breaths.

Group Pyramid:

Choose three people who feel really strong and sturdy to be the bases and have them come into a table position, shoulder to shoulder with one another.  The middle row will assume a table position on top of the base row, communicating with the people underneath them to make sure they feel comfortable.  The final person willplace a hand on each of the hips of the middle row members and step on the hips of the bottom row member to stand and assume a table position on top of the people in the middle row.

"Eagle Learning to Fly" Pose

One of my favorite things to do in my yoga practice is to take commonly practiced asanas and give them a different orientation.  This is one I came up with while playing around on my mat with the Eagle Pose.  I call it the Eagle learning to fly as it is a balance challenger and will probably have you wobbling all over the mat.





Eagle Learning to Fly Pose (Garudasana Variation)



This is a fun variation of the eagle pose that is challenging for the balance and toning for the core. (Tip: Place blankets on either side of your mat so if you fall over you have something padded to land on)



Start in a table position.  Bring you right knee to the center of your mat and extend the left leg back.  cross the left leg over the right and if possible wrap your right foot around the back of the left calf. moving slowly, drop your left elbow onto the mat and thread your right arm behind your left.  If you can, wrap the hands together.  This is a point where many people fall over.  if you fall, don't get discouraged, come back to center and try again moving a little bit slower.  Repeat on the second side.