Mermaids and cows

 

There's still time for you to join the challenge! Follow us on instagram!  @emilydoesnotloveu @greatdestroyerofcupcakes @jaiyogaarts #openyourheart #bekindtoyourjoints #theyogablockisyourfriend #septemberyogachallenge

September Yoga Challenge? YES!

I've been dabbling in some Instagram yoga challenges and they were insane. One was full of insane backbends! And the most recent was all about getting your feet behind your head -both of them. It was a challenge alright. A challenge to attempt the poses without going past my body's range of motion, understanding where my edge is, and not to feel like I was supposed to be able to do these poses with ease, looking perfect in them. It was a daily thought process to remember that my body is my body and being bendy is not yoga. With that said, at one point I got a little annoyed with the challenge because the entire last week was impossible, so I had to dig deep and let go that I couldn't "accomplish" the poses but also that I didn't need to. Overall I cannot deny that I love following those bendy ashtanga yogi's on IG and see how they get all bendy-gumby-pretzeled out! BUT I don't have to be that and I don't have to be annoyed that I"m not that :)

In conclusion, my friend and I are starting our own yoga challenge. All easy, every day poses and different options and variations for people to take. I am also having fun taking non-perfect, awkward yoga selfies!

Join the challenge!!!!

Yoga teacher training in Bushwick!

You don't have to want to become a teacher to do a teacher training in Yoga. I did mine just wanted to get more out of yoga. However, it does get addictive. I didn't intend to teach at all...and soon after completing the training...people were asking me to teach them! With that said...its the type of experience that will take you anywhere and everywhere. Jai has a really great teacher training coming up in Sept! I may not have done my 200 hr there but I may as well have -been studying with Ella for the last 3 years and have learned so much from her!

jaiyogaarts.com

Find the Earth beneath your feet....she holds you up so you can surrender!

http://www.earthwellnesscafe.com/  397 Graham Ave, Williamsburg

 

Talking about leap of faith...

It requires trust and surrender. I used to resist surrender. It sounds so weak and I'm someone who wants to work hard and push forward, accomplish. Surrender is the opposite of that! Well, that's what I thought. I can't control what's out of my hands. The universe is bigger than me. Small things...don't...matter. There is something greater out there. And no matter what...the earth is under my feet. Now...that's surrender.

My leap of faith is that I am going to try and actually BE a yoga teacher. I never thought of myself as one...but a few years ago I began hearing my friends refer to me as a "yoga teacher". At first I rejected it...that's not me! And then I got used to hearing it but not being it. I decided I am going to start doing it like its me. So I am now going to be teaching group classes 4x a week that are open to the public. I have resisted for so long giving up my time to do this...and why not? It always feels good to teach a class...its work that I can enjoy. So here I am...diving in. #leapoffaith

Donation based classes! Williamsburg

I am teaching donation based classes Monday night!
7:15pm all level Vinyasa classes

Earth Cafe in Williamsburg, Brooklyn
L Train to Graham Ave. Corner of Graham and Jackson.

Jai Yoga!

Happy Summer!

What did you do on the longest day of the year? Well I decided to fill it up with too many activities.
Start:
4:15 wake up, 4:30 train to Times Sq
5am put my mat down in Times Sq
5:30 am, practice yoga in Times Sq

The sun isn't up yet but the neon signs light up the sky, Times Square

The sun is just starting to peek awake! Solstice in Times Sq!

Set an intention. Let everything else go.

7am work
12pm treat someone's knee
1pm teach Yoga

Buddhist Center block party, 15th Street

2:30 pm Buddhist Center's block party
4pm treat someone else's knee
5:30pm nap -omg I needed it!
6:30pm head to South St Seaport
7pm meet long lost friend for food trucks dinner
8pm The Perks of Being a Wall Flower playing at the seaport
10:30pm home
11pm sleep.

Thank you, satsang

Today was one of those days...that when I was teaching my class I felt like I was  in my own skin and as I was teaching I was thinking...this is a dope class. Usually I'm thinking I hope they like this...I hope I'm not making this too boring/easy or too hard. But today I felt like I sat in my skin and gave them a class in which I felt good about. I wish I could do this every time! Not only that, but after class every student in class, legit, told me they had a great class! I think most of the time people say that to be nice but each person lingered when they said it and I felt like...geez they actually really liked it. Maybe it is the theme of satsang this month at Jai that is bringing people together and making me feel a little more held up in my class, by the people in it.  On average I usually teach anywhere from 3-5 classes a week which would make me more of a part-time yoga teacher and full time yogi. I definitely think full-time teachers have a different way about teaching that is way more skilled and confident. Maybe that'll come one day for me. In other news, satsang today was so much about separating out the microcosm of meditating within yourself to find balance and then taking that balance in the macrocosmic way to feel aligned with what's around us. Energetically and off the mat...what do we do with all this yoga? Hopefully we are happier and nicer people!

We want satsang!

We always talk about turning inward in yoga and coming into stillness, solitude and meditation. I think this can sometimes be mistaken for isolating ourselves. Although it is sometimes necessary to do that, its not our goal. The practice of yoga helps us to sit better in our own skin, align with nature and flow better with the environment around us. It teaches us how to move smoother through our relationships. The practice of yoga helps us to function better in our external world. Its a balancing act between our inward and outward worlds. Sitting in the company of truth, among friends and family is also an important part of the yoga practice. Sometimes we seek the mat to find our answers and other times we seek our friends for the answers. Our friends and people we love also help us to sit better in ourselves and walk better in our own shoes. We get to choose who we surround ourselves with and therefore our friends are a great reflection of ourselves. And being in the company of that truth is reassurance, its love and its support. Satsang is why we come to class most often to practice yoga, in a group setting, we connect with ourselves in order to connect with everyone and everything else.  It is important to put it back into perspective and always understand how our yoga works off the mat.