Yoga Holiday Season Tips

The holiday season  is inching closer and closer which could easily mean that anxiety, pressure and panic is gripping at your inner self. This year, don’t fall victim to a case of the Grinches – apply yoga to this season’s activities. .

You can’t take care of anyone else, until you can take care of yourself first

A fundamental teaching of yoga is to be good to yourself. With all the holiday hustle and bustle around you, it’s easy to get lost in thought about others. Before getting consumed in all the shopping, parties and cooking, choose to take care of yourself first ..then you will be able to enjoy taking care of others.
Do not forget your yoga practice,your practice will help you stay calm, focused and relaxed during any stress points , helping you foster your senses of harmony and happiness so you can truly enjoy each and every moment .

Amp up on the meaning of the season

Share the love and the meaning of gratitude by exploring the wondrous ways you are infinitely blessed.
 Keep these blessings in mind  if there are any moments that begin to negatively impact your mood. You’ll feel truly joyous and content each moment..

Happy Holidays
Love ,Joy and Peace
Diane

Live From What Makes Sense

What Doesn't Make Sense:

1. Trying to rewrite the past and solve it

2.  Getting consumed with worry about what's going to happen

3.  Having to get things perfect, especially only giving yourself only one chance to get things right.

4.  Living your life based on what other people want you to do .

5.  Making the opinion of other people more important than your own.

6. Getting stuck in habits (mentally, physically, emotionally.)

7. Playing the victim.

8. Giving up.

9. Limiting yourself.
10.Taking everything so seriously

What Makes Sense:

1.  Be grateful for what you have right now. Give up all hope for a better past.

2.  Be present.

3.  Give yourself a million chances and embracing the messiness of life. Just do your best.

4.  Live your life based on what brings you the most peace and happiness. 

5.  Listen to yourself the most. 

6.  Keep learning new things, make the ordinary things extraordinary, stop replaying the same thoughts.

7. Yoga is the anti-victim mentality. You are not what has happened to you, or what has been done to you. You are so much more than that "label" so don't label yourself victim.

8.  Keep trying. Begin again.

9. The best things in life cannot be measured. Instead of thinking so much, feel more with your heart.

  

10Live.  Laugh more.

From Fear To Love

        

Do you sometimes  wish you could feel as empowered, as strong and as free from fear off your yoga mat as you do on it?

 

I taught a class tonight to over 20 people -a completely bizarre sensation hit me in the middle of class- It was total  peace. When I left tonight I was in such a state of flow and grace—aware of the feeling of my feet connecting to the  ground and the breath in my chest. 

It was peace; it was a state of no-fear. But it was more than that. It was love. And I don’t mean the romantic kind. I mean the big love, the deeper love, the all-encompassing love that goes far beyond our physical self and exists in and around all of us. I mean that love. I mean the kind of love that lifts you up from within, that soothes your mind and your cells and your soul.

Om Mani Padme Hum is a beautiful mantra, and one I absolutely love. “In the Tibetan tradition, it’s used more than any other mantra. It means: The jewel of consciousness has reached the heart’s lotus. When heart and mind are united, anything is possible.”

From fear to love—anything is possible!

Sometimes The Road Gets Rough

Sometimes the Road Gets Rough
“Feel your fear and frustration about slowing down, then settle in for the ride. You may not be going as fast as you’d like, but the journey hasn’t stopped. You’re not doing anything wrong. You are going slower, but you’re still moving forward.” 

- Melody Beattie

Whatever challenge you might be facing right now, realize that you’re exactly where you need to be. You don’t have to rush. You don’t have to force. Get present and remember that no matter how slow, you are always moving forward.

Does Energy Flow Through You?

Why do children they have so much energy? Because energy flows through them easily. 

They don’t have any worries. They are not weighed down by all their angst, fear and anger. They are free of limitations of the mind or blocks to their energy. And they are amazing creators because they have not had their creativity judged or quashed. 

They do not criticize themselves yet. 

They have not learned to compare themselves to others, to think themselves unworthy. 

They are just in the flow of energy. 

It moves through them and they say what they think, feel what they feel, create what they like and don’t filter as adults do with a bunch of shoulds and shoudn’ts and harsh self judgments.

How do we get in the flow of energy as we become adults?

  Get clear about what you control and what you don’t.

  Identify what you're still carrying. Then forgive and release old hurts.

  Strengthen your self-love.

  Release yourself and others from ego-control.

  Become the embodiment of compassion.

  Open your heart and learn to express love to people other than your family and friends.

                                                Be vigilant about negative self-talk.

   Work through your fears.

   Fully accept compliments. Let them really sink in.

   Un-intended thoughts just rise and fall and you do not have to follow them where they go.

 Learn to meditate.

 Work on seeing/thinking the positive aspects of every situation.

 Be aware of what you are feeding into your mind. It is just like a computer: Junk In, Junk out.

               Let the energy flow, rid yourself of limiting beliefs and emotions .

Being Human

As a yoga teacher I have, at times, placed the expectation upon myself to be a certain kind of person. I have held the misconception that I needed to live in very specific ways in order to be worthy of inspiring others on there path. Like many moments on my yoga mat, as in my role as a teacher I have sometimes felt weak, unstable, insecure, unworthy, stuck, bored, and unmotivated.
 I have  come to see that like our practice on the mat, this is all okay. I  believe that the very best teachers are the ones who dive deeply into their own experience and lean in to each and every sweet, messy moment, willing to let there teaching be an extension of there own practice, which is in essence, there entire life.

I openly embrace being fully human. Being human means we will sometimes fail, we will sometimes react, we will sometimes disconnect, disengage, get defensive, get angry, hurt, be self righteous, self-centered and narrow-minded…yes, even when we’re yoga teachers! Opening to the possibility that we are not perfect allows us to soften, to feel lighter, to forgive our selves and others when we stumble. 

With Gratitude and Love,

Diane

Embracing Imperfection

Our yoga practice is meant to create obstacles on our yoga mat that mirror obstacles off of our mat- and in this way, we use our “on mat” struggles as tools to learn about ourselves and our mind body connection.   

Accepting our imperfect practice as an invitation to learn compassion and love for ourselves is key. Practicing Yoga is not about becoming something better than who we are today but rather loving ourselves just as we are and then doing the same for those around us.

I believe the most important thing we can do on our mat is practice Love . In our culture today it is crucial to teach ourselves to love all that we are and understand that we are perfectly imperfect so we may embrace the imperfection of others.

“These days, my practice is teaching me to embrace imperfection: to have compassion for all the ways things haven’t turned out as I planned, in my body and in my life – for the ways things keep falling apart, and failing, and breaking down. It’s less about fixing things, and more about learning to be present for exactly what is.” Ann Cushman

Postnatal Mommy And Me At Charlotte Family Yoga Center

Postnatal - Mommy and Me Begins July 7th

This  class is for both Parent and Infant! Classes will include postures (asana), breathwork (pranayama), and bonding exercises. You will spend time nuturing your baby while caring for yourself. At the end of class you will feel relaxed and restored.

Benefits of Postnatal Yoga for You
In Postnatal Yoga, you will regain strength, energy and stamina that was lost during your pregnancy and birth. All exercises are safe and geared toward the postnatal body, focusing on rebuilding strength within the abdominal area, pelvic muscles and back. You will learn how to release tension in the neck and shoulders as well as bring balance back to the spine after experiencing the stresses of pregnancy and labor. Your infant will enjoy spending quality one on one time with you.

Benefits of Postnatal Yoga for Your Baby
Tactile, auditory and visual contact is important for your child's brain development and emotional well-being and can help assimilate trust and security. Trust and security lead to development of self confidence, the foundation of a balanced body, mind and spirit. By practicing certain postural sequences you can help establish routine, which builds on your babies knowledge of anticipation which can help develop language. Your baby may also sleep better and longer as a result of the physical and mental stimulation gained during postnatal yoga.

When Can you start?
It is important to check with your doctor or midwife before starting any exercise.

• Mothers recovering from Cesarean delivery should wait at least 6-10 weeks then get the "green light" from their care provider before enrollment in yoga
• Mothers that are recovering from vaginal birth should wait 4-6 weeks and also get the "green light" from their care provider
• If you are an Adoptive caregiver or Partner you can begin at anytime.

Blankets, Blocks, Bolsters and Straps will  be provided. You will need to provide your own baby!

Shake Your Asana Sunday Morning Playlist

Shake Your Asana Sunday Morning 6/24 Play List

CFYC's Shake your Asana is a fun Baptiste Power Vinyasa  Yoga class to uplifting music!

1. Narayana/For Your Love Krishna Das
2. Desert Rose                          Sting
3. Moves Like Jagger               Maroon 5
4. The Climb                          Miley Cyrus
5. Whenever, Wherever           Shakira
6. Use Somebody                   Kings Of Leon
7. All Around the World         Justin Bieber
8. Just the Way You Are        Bruno Mars
9. We Found Love                   Rihanna
10. Somebody That I Used to Know      Gotye
11. Dynamite                                 Taio Cruz
12. The Edge of Glory             Lady GaGa
13. Return To Innocence           Enigma
14. Better In Time                      Leona Lewis
15. By Your Side                        Sade
16. Destiny                                Zero 7   

Enjoy The Journey Of Life!

Have you ever criticized yourself for not doing something perfectly? Perhaps you’ve become frustrated with those things you might not be or might not have (yet)? Or compared yourself, and your assumed ‘short fallings’, to the successes of others?

Now (and really think here), do you regularly take the time to sit down and acknowledge all of your triumphs? Really taken the time to celebrate what you do and who you are? From the smallest everyday moments, to the big breakthroughs, that YOU create for yourself?

Which shows up for you in your life? If ‘column A’ shows up for you more often than ‘column B’ things can change and you can do it by celebrating the triumphs as they come your way, one at a time!

Take the time to enjoy what you are up to everyday; some might call it ‘the ride’, ‘the journey’ and some might just call it ‘life’. This isn’t a race to the finish line so slow down, take the time to soak it all in and celebrate every single triumph in your life.

There are days when simply getting out of bed can be a triumph. Sometimes the triumphs can be found in smiling when you are feeling down, taking a breath when you want to scream , in the moments where you choose activity over being still, or even when you choose stillness over activity. You can truly find triumph in anything you do and it is a conscious choice.

My Teaching Schedule

My Schedule

Monday

9:30am -10:45am Power Flow

THURSDAY

9:30am -10:30am Power Hour

5:30pm -6:30pm  Slow Flow

6:45pm -8:00pm Prenatal Yoga

FRIDAY

12:15pm -1:15pm Power Lunch

SATURDAY

10:00am -11:15am Prenatal Yoga

Sunday

8:30am -9:30am Slow Flow

10:00am -11:00am Shake Your Asana

2:30pm -3:45pm -Prenatal Yoga

4:00pm -5:15pm 90 Min Power Flow

The Gift Of Teaching Yoga

People come to yoga class for endless amounts of reasons.  I’m here to tell you that as the one privy to knowing some of these reasons, there are times where I am simply in shock as I listen to testimonials of how Yoga has met students right where they are!

Yoga is not the answer to everyone’s problems, nor does it claim to have all the solutions.  It simply offers a practice that calls us to engage with all that we have, no more, no less.  We come to class, young to old, male and female, all races, religions, financial statuses, etc. etc. etc.  Each one of us arrives to practice with our particular requisite and expectation of how yoga might enrich our lives.

Well, as one who feels honored to lead a class to the various participants, I do often get to hear feedback.  The insight into the parts that you shed light on, bring about bountiful reward.  In fact, it increases my passion to teach and stirs me toward really encouraging those interested in bringing about changes to individuals and communities to be a yoga teacher as well 

Following are a few testimonials of students with various backgrounds, in a variety of settings, finding themselves amazed at what they found resulting within them after practicing.

“I have suffered from exhaustion, and have been told that it is fibromyalgia.  Yoga has been challenging for me, but with great results.  My posture has improved so dramatically that it has gotten me compliments, which in turn encourage me and I think all of that combined increases my confidence.  People see me smiling and I feel more productive.”

"Eight months ago I felt I needed something, I just didn't feel like I had energy. Today I try to make it to the mat twice a week. I have Increased my Energy; my knee's don't hurt like last winter & when I do get a kink, Sandy knows how to unlock those joints and stretch those muscles.If you’re on the edge get on the mat, watch yourself unfold. "

"Yoga  is a gift that appeared when I needed it-although I didn't realize that I needed it until I found it. 

Can you imagine how delightful this is?   This is about being a vessel that imparts the tools that help this healing process take place.  I cannot believe how blessed I am to do this for a living.  Thank you to all of those who went before me, who have instructed and enriched my practice, making me who I am today. Thank you to the many amazing teachers I have learned under.

Become a YOGA teacher; it will leave you with an immense sense of fulfillment.

Our 200 Hour Power Yoga Teacher Training Begins August 31st..Registration Closes August 1st

Satya

It's a spiritual truth that true happiness requires honest self-reflection. The more honest you are with yourself, the greater happiness you will experience. 

Being truthful brings about an inner ease and happiness flourishes when as John O’Donohue writes, “We feel at home in our life.”

In yogic terms Truth, known as Satya, can be defined on three levels: (1) that we speak the truth about what we think, (2) what we feel and (3) what we do. When we feel out of alignment it is usually where there is a conflict between what we think and what we feel. When we aren’t honest we feel unsteady, anxious, and uprooted - everything that happiness is not. 

In the Yoga Sutras Chapter 2.36 it is presented that if we are “dedicated to the truth and integrity, our thoughts, words and actions gain the power to manifest.”

Read More 

http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-4984/5-Ways-Honesty-Can-Make-You-Happy.html

How are you limiting yourself?

Do you often go into a pose assuming it will look exactly as you did it last time? I am guessing there are a few poses in which you do.

Personally,  standing poses such as Warrior II and Triangle Poses are my weak spot. I just plop myself into my usual position and hang out there until I think it is time to go to the other side. I don’t even try to take myself more deeply. I just assume my pose will look the same today as it did yesterday and it will tomorrow.

When I realized what I was doing, it made me think. Where else in my life do I just plunk myself down and assume I have gone as far as I can go? There are so many places we can limit ourselves in what we have – happiness, love, money, career, health, even the number of vacations or where we go on our vacations (or whether we go on vacation)! Where in your life do you feel a bit stale? Is it time to blow past a self-imposed limitation?

You see, the irony of physical limitations is they are often merely  perceived. What I mean is you can move beyond your “wall”, which is, in fact, merely a speed bump. Our flexibility is tied mostly to our consciousness. If you think you are tight, guess what? You are right! If you think you can loosen up and move past your inflexibility or weakness, guess what? You are right, too. If you think you can go a little deeper in Warriors and Crescent then you will.Maybe it is time to blow past a few of those limitations and experience the joy on the other side…

One Of My Favorite Quotes

Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do.

So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbour. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.~Mark Twain

Forgiveness and Gratitude

Two monks encounter each other years after being released from prison where they had been tortured by their captors.

Have you forgiven them? asks the first. I will never forgive them! Never! replies the second. Well, I guess they still have you in prison, don’t they? 

Being willing to forgive is one of the most courageous things you and do...and it's also one of the SMARTEST things you can do because forgiveness sets YOU FREE.Take time to be grateful for the hard stuff.  Those situations are the ones that make us grow and propel us forward on our spiritual path. 
You cannot change the past. You cannot change what someone did or didn't do. You cannot change what did or didn't happen. You cannot change anyone else. But you CAN set yourself free and find gratitude  for the opportunity  to learn and grow.. 

Looking Inward

                  

Have you ever considered how much time you spend looking inward at yourself versus looking outward at all the stuff around you?  Think about it for a moment.  We have TVs, movies, books, magazines, computers, smart phones, the internet.  We have developed countless tools to improve our senses and further their reach. We have microscopes and telescopes to improve our vision so we can look deeper.  We have devices that allow us to hear better and speakers of all sorts, including surround sound, to enhance sound and cocoon us in an ever-present hum of noise.   We have computers to help us think and we are bombarded constantly by messages from the media, on the sides of vehicles, on billboards telling us what we should do and how we should think and how we should act.

But when was the last time you looked inward - not to criticize or judge yourself or engage in a  review of your past, but to ask yourself :  Who am I? 

Yoga teaches us how to look deeply inward so that we can learn about ourselves.  You may think you know yourself, but do you really?  Have you looked deep inside to discover the You that is dependent on no one and nothing outside of you?  Because if you do look deep within and begin to discover your true Self, suffering will disappear and you will experience a laslting bliss.  

 Sometimes looking deep within brings us many more questions and reveals many more curiosities before we reach some clarity.   Often we have to penetrate many layers of thought patterns, habits, and beliefs and looking inward might feel more like trying to peel the layers of an onion.  If we don’t allow ourselves to peel away our protective layer, we can’t expand to our full potential.