yoga

When my training buddies learn that I teach yoga, they almost always ask me to give them a reason that they should practice. They have heard that yoga could help them improve their sport specific performance, yet no one has actually explained why that should happen. There are many reasons but I'll cover the key elements I generally tell athletes. 1. Improved internal communication Yoga provides a controlled environment, allowing for…

As most of you have experienced, relationships change with time. When I first began practicing yoga I was focused on developing strength and concentration. Later it became very meditative for me; eventually this became a problem as I tackled thoughts that I preferred to push away rather than deal with. During this period my practice became dangerous; I sought pleasure from my practice so I would intentionally push past my edge,…

I would consider myself a risk averse thrill seeker. What this means to me is that I love the thrill of doing something new and apparently dangerous, but only once I am reasonably assured that I have taken some basic precautions. This has attracted me to pursuits such as roller coaster riding, free diving, and bike commuting. When I began practicing yoga, my adventurous side was drawn to inversions and arm…

I've noticed in both my personal practice and my teaching lately that I have shying away from chair pose (utkatasana).  This is a very common pose and part of the surya B sequence so I encounter it in every class I take and teach.  Utkatasana is sometimes referred to as "victory pose."  Lately, this pose has not been feeling very victorious.I first noticed my aversion to chair pose this summer.  In…

After taking a few weeks for vacation, my teaching schedule will be as follows (as of 25 July):Tuesday 6am Sunrise Yoga at Gold's in BallstonWednesday 645am All Levels Yoga at Tranquil Space ArlingtonSunday 6pm Restorative Yoga at Tranquil Space ArlingtonOne Monday a month (715pm) at BicycleSpace (check either @hiccupingyogi or @bicyclespace for info)I also sub regularly at Tranquil Space.

It's been almost four months since I last posted so I figured it's time for an update.I recently started teaching a lot more than I was in 2011.  I've been teaching a donation based class at BicycleSpace in DC.  It's a great local bike shop and they've been great about getting students to the classes.  I also teach an early morning (as in 6am early and it is still dark when…

The roof of the House of Sweden is one of the coolest views of DC around.  Plus, free yoga is always a good time :-)