All About Vinyasa at the Front YogaLoft
Vinyasa. Oh, how we love you! You’re fun to say out loud (go ahead… rhymes with Mufasa) and you’re fun to do. And… sometimes you’re challenging… sometimes you’re hot and sweaty and REALLY challenging… sometimes you make our brains work: sequencing, adding postures in, taking postures out, finding your rhythm, moving intuitively… And, sometimes (here […]
Benefits of Yoga for Climbing
Ever wonder why there are always yoga classes in climbing gyms? It’s because the two go together like cake and ice cream. Yoga can elevate your climbing game to the next level. Here are 5 reasons to fit a consistent yoga practice into your schedule: 1. A regular yoga program will make the entire body […]
Namaste in Nepal & in the YogaLoft
-Namaste- The light in me honors the light in you. My soul honors your soul. The divine in me bows to the divine in you. In 2014, I hopped on a plane to Nepal to have myself a walkabout. This particular adventure had been sitting heavy on my bucket list for a minute, and it […]
What is Vinyasa?
Vinyasa is a breathing and movement system. For each movement, there is one breath. For example, in the Ashtanga version of Surya Namskara A (Sun Salutation), there are nine vinyasas. The first vinyasa is inhaling while raising your arms over your head, and putting your hands together; the second is exhaling while bending forward, placing […]
Celebration of Love – Bhakti Yoga & Heart Openers
As we close in on Valentine’s day, the holiday for the celebration of love, let us look into the yoga of love and devotion; Bhakti Yoga and also a common heart opening family of asanas; backbends. Bhakti Yoga The Sanskrit word bhakti comes from the root bhaj, which means “divide, share, partake, participate, to belong […]
A Lifelong Pursuit
The more you learn, the more you realize how much more there is to learn. A couple of us are in Boulder, Colorado this week studying with Richard Freeman and Mary Taylor (pictured below) in a 5-day yoga intensive. There are around 40 other Ashtanga practitioners from all around the world here with us, packing […]
A Saving Grace for Tight Hamstrings
Tight hamstrings? Read on. A balanced asana practice includes moving the body in a number of ways including stretching lengthwise, forward folding, back bending, twisting, balancing and inverting. Let’s talk about forward folding this week! Most of us are plagued with tight hamstrings; forward folding can be a saving grace for this issue. We find […]
Sanskrit, The Language of Yoga
Sanskrit is the language of yoga. Also the language of Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism and Sikhism, this amazing and beautiful tongue shares some very old common roots with English. Sanskrit literally means polished or perfected. The prefix “sam” indicates “entirely” and “krit” indicates “done.” The more we are exposed to yoga, the more we are exposed […]
A Deeper Look Into Ashtanga Yoga
Ashtanga Yoga is a Method Ashtanga Yoga is an 8-limbed system which, when properly used, helps the individual attain a state of absorption into Samadhi (enlightenment) in which one’s true self joyfully shines without any armor, all conditioning dissolved. In the ancient Indian language Sanskrit, ashtau means 8 and anga means limb. In the Western […]
Seriously, What is Mysore Yoga?
A Brief History The Ashtanga Yoga method is built around Mysore style practice named after Mysore, India, where the method became popularized by Sri K. Pattabhi Jois. Jois was an Indian yoga master and Sanskrit scholar (pictured). Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga continues to be taught this way in traditional Ashtanga Yoga schools around the world. Class […]
