Dreaming about swaying on this very hammock, listening to the waves, watching the birds, dozing off... Come retreat with Melissa McKay and I in March. It'll be sweet and spacious. More info here: www.ketchumyoga/retreats/ (at Xinalani Resort, Mexico)
Please watch this video with the wise and inclusive Maty Ezraty. She's able to navigate the complex world of yoga without shutting anyone out regardless of age, athletic ability, gender, etc. This is a must watch for all yoga teachers regardless of their style.
Another "thumb to hip crease" video for the series. In a high lunge twist, hook the thumb into the hip crease of the leg that is forward. Pull the hip crease back as you draw the chest forward. Keep the back leg straight and hug the thighs towards your midline. Stack your front knee over the front ankle. Twist at the waist not your hips. For those of you jonesing for a dose of @chrisroberti, his beautiful posture is an exciting feature of this clip. #thumbstohipsseries #yoga #twist
This feels oh so good. Another variation on the "thumb to hip crease" theme. Many people fold forward at the waist which leads to compression & back pain. Instead, on an inhale, place the thumbs in the hip creases and vigorously pull them back. In opposition, reach the lungs forward to elongate the spine. Exhale, fold over your legs from the hip creases. Give another tug of the hip creases up to the ceiling once you're in the fold to help lift the ASIS (fronts of hip points) off the thighs. Flexy people, don't dump the belly towards the floor on your way into the fold. Keep weight evenly distributed in fronts & backs of feet rather than loading the weight in the heels. If you can't fold with out hunching your back, bend your knees. Prioritize length in the spine NOT your hamstrings. Also, try not to be distracted by my gorgeous husband in the background. @chrisroberti #thumbstohipsseries #donthunchuseblocks #uttanasana #yoga
Thumb to Hip Crease Heaven - Tutorial
A student asked me what I meant by "thumb to hip crease" to help draw the front hip back in parsvottonasana (pyramid). Here's a quick tutorial video. it's one of the best feelings in the world. It helps bring traction and length to the spine to free up the lungs. With the left leg forward, inhale draw the left hip back as you elongate the spine by moving the heart and lungs forward. Keep the spine long as you bring right kidney toward the left shin and fold toward your left leg. I hope this video helps more than the sometimes insane "yoga speak" that we teachers assume everyone understands. #donthunchuseblocks #parsvottonasana
Emotions – Back Pain – Yoga: How are they all connected?
This video by Leslie Kaminoff is quite beautiful. I wonder if we will ever live in a world in which we are capable of understanding how and why our emotions manifest themselves physically in our bodies.
Louis C.K. and why we have back pain...
Why do we experience so much back pain? Which emotions are tied to specific back pain? I was randomly watching an episode of Louie, and was stunned (and pleasantly surprised) to see an enlightening scene about our spine.
In said episode, Louie hurts his back and goes to the doctor who says something like the following: "There's nothing we can do. The spine was designed for horizontal movement but humans made it vertical. However, it's not designed to be vertical and hold all of that weight. So, the discs bulge and slip and swell. It'll take another 20,000 years for it to adapt to being upright. It's an engineering mis-design. We were given a clothesline and we're using it as a flagpole."
Karma: It's Not About what we Do.
If you've ever struggled with the meaning of karma, this article makes it clear from a buddhist perspective. "The Buddha’s focus on intention rather than actions and external circumstances allows us to fully acknowledge that the wicked can prosper, and that selfish behavior can bring a person great fortune and power. However, the mental state of such a person surrounded by luxury is a whole different matter. This also means that acting with compassionate intentions won’t magically prevent us from confronting the slings and arrows of life’s misfortune. But acting out of wholesome intentions opens up the possibility of becoming a person who encounters these challenges with less grumpiness and greater ease."
Stop bullying and judging others for being different. TMZ and other media outlets contribute to the climate of hate, judgement and cruelty when they sit around and bash celebrities. They are encouraging a violence of its own nature. I particularly like what he says around the 5:00 mark. It's something like, "Like ripples in a lake, like when you can see heat disrupting the air on a hot day, there are connections between all of us and if we fill these waves with hatred it's not good for anybody."
This mesmerizing film is a portrait into the life of Frances Wessells by Jason Akira Somma. A former Hanya Holm and Martha Graham dancer with two new knees and two new hips she is still dancing today at the age of 92. Her movements are contagious. I found it hard to sit still while watching this. She says important things about movement influencing healthy minds and healthy emotions.
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I think the reward for conformity is that everyone likes you except yourself.
Rita Mae Brown (via fuckyeahyoga)
Read this if you do/teach yoga. This reconfirms for me that I do not want to teach "what sells" or post hot photos of myself in fancy poses to get people in the door. I want to teach from my truth to help others find their truths and serve my students with humility and dedication as best I can. These are the kinds of teachers I look up to and what I am working towards.
This line sums it up well - "We have people who have innovated the practices, not for the sake of a unique selling proposition, but because they really care about their students’ well-being, and they really care about being of service." This is the kind of yoga I'm in which I'm interested.
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bohemiangentlemen
the original Sukshma Vyayama shown by Dhirendra Brahmachari
Source: youtube.com
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Though the human body is born complete in one moment, the birth of the human heart is an ongoing process. It is being birthed in every experience of your life. Everything that happens to you has the potential to deepen you. It brings to birth within you new territories of the heart.
John O’Donohue (via lazyyogi)