The Beauty and the Beast /Confession of a yoga teacher

 This morning as I finished my shower and begin to apply lotion on my body I looked at myself naked in a full length mirror and an overwhelming emotion hit me. I realized that for years and years, actually all my life, I have fallen into this trap like millions of women of judging my image and feeling bad about myself.  I stood front of the mirror and took a picture of my body for the first time ever. I found myself vulnerable and felt this strange compassion towards myself. 

I spent my whole life trying to fit into the “skinny and fit” image.  I am no different from any other women who spends their life trying to fit a certain body image in order to feel sexy and wanted. The constant pressure of staying fit and young, the false need to compete with younger, skinnier girls just finally came to an end.  I begin to cry very intensely and felt resentment, sadness and guilt for all the years of beating myself up and for being judgmental of other people because of my poor self esteem….

Yes. I have always managed to stay in shape and “watch what I eat” but inside I have struggled immensely. This is not an easy confession, considering that I come across super confident and self assured most of the time. This morning I knew that I have to change my whole outlook on this subject and realized that I have been living sort of a lie.  I have a 19 year old daughter and the idea of her having to live with these social pressures just terrifies me and feel an urgency to change the way I think.  I wish we as women would  STOP competing for men’s approval! We end up not liking each other as women and as a result we end up feeling threatened by each other.

As cliché as it sounds, you are beautiful just the way you are !  I mean it! This is such an old story, I know that I am not talking about anything groundbreaking, this is just a very personal experience that’s now fully blown surfaced.

We look at the images of skinny supermodels, strippers, and even porn stars and compare ourselves to them on this very superficial level. We feel less, we feel ugly and fat. We dislike ourselves. We do not realize that on a spiritual level, on the pure soul level how damaging this can be. We ignore our true inner beauty, we forget to smile and see how beautiful the shine in our eyes can be. 

Even in the yoga industry which is extremely commercialized these days, one can feel insecure and out of place. If you look around we as yoga teachers, mostly female yoga teachers are obsessed with our image on a very materialistic and superficial way. I myself have fallen into that, and concerned what would my students think of me, would they question my credibility as a teacher if I was overweight. These are such unrealistic (yet not unfounded) but true concerns for a lot of women. I am sure we all heard things like this: Wow you look great, you look skinny!  I could go on and on about this for days, but I just wanted to share this pretty strong personal experience that hit me out of nowhere this morning. 

I want to change how I think, I want to be more compassionate and understanding towards people who struggle about their image, and I want this realization to stay with me forever.  And for all the men out there, remind your ladies how beautiful they are and how much you love them just the way they are! 

Trust me, there is no better reward then when you make someone shine! 

Namaste!

Gizella

Yoga For Urbanites: Desk Chair Rx

By Barbie Levasseur

Sitting in a desk chair all day can leave the low back feeling sore and tight. Stretching out the low back muscles feels amazing in the short term, but it may actually be counterproductive in the long run. Think about how your posture gets after sitting in a desk chair all day; many of us begin to slouch forward and round into the low back. This happens because the low back and other core muscles are weak and get tired of holding us upright. Instead of muscle strength holding us up in this position, the muscles and connective tissue of the spine stretch until they are taut enough to support us. Or course, this puts strain on the structures of the low back. Now, think about how you stretch the low back muscles in a yoga class: you round the spine (think cat pose)--this is what you've already been doing all day. Most likely, your low back muscles are already overstretched, and what they need most of all is strengthening. Dancing cat is a great way to strengthen the low back muscles and teach them how to move the spine from a rounded to an extend position.

To compound low back soreness, tight hip muscles can make it hard to break posture habits that put excessive strain on the low back. Tight hamstrings (muscles in the back of the thighs) encourage us to round the spine when we sit, and tight hip flexors (muslces in the front of the hips) encourage us to over-arch the low back when we stand. Some of the hip muscles attach directly into the spine, so, needless to say, if they're tight, they affect your low back health. It is important to stretch tight muscles around the hips to prevent and address low back pain.

Some yoga classes use only on traditional sequences that fail to target muscular imbalances that arise from the modern lifestyle. In Yoga For Urbanites: Desk Chair Rx (This Saturday, June 2, 1:30-3:30pm at Yoga Mayu), we will address this problem head on. We will spend time limbering and lengthening tight muscles in the hips and thighs. We will move through poses that provide relief for the low back and build awareness and strength in the core to promote healthy seated posture. This workshop will also include office-friendly poses that you can take to work with you to sustain these benefits! All levels are absolutely welcome.

yoga mayu's Teacher Training is Back This Fall!

yoga mayu Teacher Training grads!

There are a lot of reason you might want to apply to yoga mayu's 200-Hour Yoga Alliance Certified Teacher Training Program. Maybe you want to develop a sustainable personal yoga practice. Maybe you want to deepen your study of the history of yoga or develop your skills with experienced and down-to-earth teachers. Maybe you want to stay right here in San Francisco to do all those things. But if you are looking for a practical and engaging teacher training that will give you the real knowledge you need to teach and if you are you ready to transform your body and your mind, yoga mayu’s 200-Hour Yoga Alliance Certified Teacher Training Program is exactly what you are looking for.

Starting August 31 and running Friday through Sunday until December 16 (with a week-long break in November), this program is about giving you the practical tools you need to teach yoga to students of all backgrounds and skill levels. According to Gizella Donald, studio director and founder of yoga mayu, the goal of this training is to “empower students to be their own teachers, learning from their own experiences and struggles and growth.”

How will this training be different than others you might be considering? At yoga mayu, you can expect personal attention, a lot of physical asana practice and more than anything, a profound change in your body and how you see the world. As a student, you will be partnered with one of the teacher training instructors, who will teach and mentor you during the training. You will spend a total of 11 hours per week training plus 3 hours per week participating in class observation and practice. And you will come away from this training as a progressive yoga teacher with extensive knowledge and skills that will distinguish you as an accomplished instructor among the many teachers entering this growing profession.

It won’t be easy but it will be an amazing journey. Interested? Apply now!

Yesterday afternoon, a group of yoga mayu teachers and students got together for a short film shoot for Yelp. Want to see how it went? Check out pictures of the fun over on our Facebook page! And stay tuned for the actual video!

Jody's Quote of the Week

"Any fool can criticize, condemn and complain but it takes character and self control to be understanding and forgiving." Dale Carnegie

Criticizing, condemning and complaining are easy. Just stayin' in the muck of the negative, not trying to find a solution is the status quo. Rise above that--find solutions. Try to understand people and why they do what they do and then you may have more sympathy or empathy. Maybe then you can at least relate and possibly forgive.

Change Your Perspective with a Workshop!

Now that spring is here, why not shake-up your practice with one of yoga mayu's upcoming workshops?

If you want to unwind, try Sara Levine's Complete Surrender restorative workshop. The group is small and the experience is effortless. Expect a lot of hands-on massage and deep openings.

This 2 hour workshop is on Friday, April 27 at 6:30pm.

Want something a little more active? Try Jody Hahn's Lift the Weight of the World workshop. Ease the tightness and restriction in your shoulders, neck, upper back and chest with Jody as she helps you open and unwind.

This 2 hour workshop is on Saturday, April 28 at 1:30pm.

Looking for an even more vigorous experience? Gizella Donald's Ashtanga Detox might be right up your alley! Expect to work hard, be sweaty, and leave rejuvenated and energized in mind and spirit!

This 2 and a half hour workshop is on Sunday, April 29 at 1:30pm.

And don't forget to look ahead to May 15 when Jody Hahn will help you get Hot and Loose with an hour and 15 minutes of vigorous flow followed by 45 minutes of long, opening stretches.

Sound fun? Sign-up now!

Transform! 8 Weeks Bootcamp

Do you feel like you've lost focus and motivation and fallen out of shape? Transform! might be exactly what you need to jump start your fitness and get you back on track.

This 6 day a week, 8 week program unites 4 training disciplines (fitness, yoga, pilates and circuit arts) with the intention of transforming your body and your attitude.

Here's the training schedule:
Method Training with Reed Taylor: Mon/Wed/Fri
Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga with Gizella Donald: Tue/Thu/Sat

Yoga - Ashtanga Yoga Based on the Primary Series. Learn to deepen your practice effectively and safely. Receive correct and deep adjustments to achieve maximum benefit of the asanas. Learn and build on poses in each session to gain stamina, endurance and flexibility. Develop the strong and fluid yoga practice you have always dreamed of!

The cost of the program is $495 for 8 weeks (48 classes).

Ready to transform? Sign up now!

Yoga For Urbanites: Get to the Root of Upper Back Tension

Barbie Levasseur is a new (and awesome) teacher at yoga mayu. Here's her advice on dealing with upper back tension! Sign-up for one of her classes to learn more!

"You may be surprised to know that tight chest muscles are often the culprit behind aching shoulder, upper back, and neck muscles. Writing e-mails, texting friends or driving to work, we spend most of the day in one position: seated with our shoulders slumped and our arms out front. With our body in this shape, our chest muscles are at their shortest, and over time they tighten to stay this way. In turn, when the chest muscles are shorter, the we tend to slouch even more—it's a vicious cycle. In response, the muscles in the upper back, shoulders, and neck compensate, becoming tired, sore, tense, and overstretched.

Want some proof in your own body? Take a moment to get up from your computer and find a doorway. With a 'cactus arm' (your upper arm parallel to the floor at shoulder height, and your elbow bent at 90 degrees so your finger tips point up toward the ceiling), press your palm and forearm against the door frame then shuffle forward until you feel a stretch across the front of the shoulder and chest. Hold this for 20-30 seconds. When you release the stretch, notice the relief you feel in your upper back, shoulders, and neck. Next time you feel like stretching your upper back at work, try this instead!

For lasting results, become a regular at my 8:15pm Mellow Flow classes on Monday and Thursday evenings, in which we take the time to stretch deeply into the chest muscles and to strengthen the upper back muscles that support healthy posture. As you bring the body back into balance, you'll put the kibosh on that vicious cycle of slumping shoulders and shortening chest muscles, you'll notice yourself sitting taller, and you'll enjoy more ease around the shoulders, upper back and neck."

Practice Supta Baddha Konasana at Home

Feeling a little out of sorts today? Let Caroline Kelley walk you through Supta Baddha Konasana, a gentle pose you can try at home:

"This pose has numerous benefits and can be practiced with all the props demonstrated here, or if your back and knees feel happy without support you can simple practice without support.

Physically, this pose can help relieve lower back pain, tense abductor muscles on the inside of the highs can distort the pelvic in such way that causes lower back pain. This pose also helps relieve menstrual cramps and indigestion. Another wonderful benefit is that this posture is a great way to relieve stress and anxiousness. If you are feeling anxious, I recommend laying blankets over you to reduce any feeling of vulnerability.

Practice this in a quiet place, where you can rest for ten or so minutes. Make sure that the cushions behind the ribs are positioned so that you can tuck the tail bone gently towards the heels and therefore relieve any discomfort in the lower back.

Once here take a deep breath into your belly, filling it up like a balloon, as if taking the breath deep down into the lungs, and then relax completely as you exhale. Do this exaggerated practice until you are able to find an easy, relaxed and soothing motion of breath.

Let your eyes and tongue relax, you will notice that the whole body relaxes even more with just those two simple things. Feel the motion of the breath and let it soothe you into deep surrender.

If you feel on the verge of an anxiety attack child's pose will be more suitable, bringing the head and heart down to earth along with abdominal breathing helps calm the nervous system."

Come try it out with Caroline at Yoga Mayu, Tuesdays and Thursdays from 7:30am to 8:30am.

Dhanurasana: Caroline Kelley's Pose of the Month

If you head to one of Caroline Kelley's vinyasa classes this month, you can expect to get a little extra emphasis on her asana of the month: Dhanurasana.

Here's what Caroline has to say about this heart opening pose:

"This month we will explore Bow Pose in varying forms and of course suitable modifications for Beginning level and Yin practice

Benefits and effects of this asana:
Strengthens and balances the spinal muscles. Relieves hypertension in the hip flexors. Opens the chest and encourages an upright posture, as well as healthy breathing patterns."

Come try it out with Caroline at Yoga Mayu, Tuesdays and Thursdays from 7:30am to 8:30am.

What's in a Word?

Here's what yoga mayu teacher Sara Levine has to say about the importance of words:

"I have spent the first month of 2012 trying to be more clear and concise with my language. You could say that it is my New Years Resolution. I find that there are a lot of words being thrown around carelessly these days and it seems to me that the more we speak, the less weight our words hold. This concept also holds true in my teaching. When I am clear and direct in my speech, rather than meandering along with flowery imagery, it allows my students the room to create their own perspective of their practice. There is a great deal of depth in silence.

One word in particular, that I have been robotically repeating for many years, is beginning to sound less and less clear each time I say it. Have you ever repeated a word so many times that it begins to sound unlike a word at all? This word, INTENTION, was beginning to have that effect. And so, of course, I decided to google it.

This is what I found:

Intention:
The healing process of a wound. 
An aim or plan.
Plan that something function in a particular way.
Plan that speech should have a particular meaning.
ORIGIN Middle English entend (in the sense [direct the attention to]), from Old French entendre, from Latin intendere ‘intend, extend, direct,’ from in- ‘toward’ + tendere ‘stretch, tend.’

I have to say, I am very pleased with this new definition I have found. It feels as though there is fresh life in the intentions that I set on my mat every day. The healing of a wound, the clarity of speech, the reaching toward - it all seems so appropriate. My hope is that you will find some gem in this definition so that you might bring it with you onto your mat the next time you set up to practice."

Want to find out more about intentions? Sign-up for one of Sara's classes at yoga mayu, Mondays and Wednesdays at 5pm and Sundays at 11:15am

Jody's Quote of the Week

"Our anger and annoyance are more detrimental to us than the things themselves that anger and annoy us." Marcus Aurelius

I want to point out that he uses the word "our" which to me is a reminder that it's "our anger" and "our annoyance" not the world's. The world is not in charge of how we feel or how we react to things. We have to own our actions and reaction. There is no "He/she made me_______." That make us victims of the world because we believe everything happens and we have no power to do anything about it. But that's not so. We are interactive with the world and we choose our actions and reactions especially as we become more aware.

I also want to point out that he says that it's "detrimental." Chemically speaking the body takes on the emotion we are feeling. So angry emotions have a different chemical composition in the body than happiness emotions do. Anger and annoyance chemistry is the chemistry of stress and fight or flight. Happiness chemistry is stay and play.

Here is a blogpost about the effects of anger on the body: Enjoy.

Jody Quotes Are Back!

Every week Jody Hahn starts and ends her classes with a thought-provoking quote. Here is one of her recent quotes:

"We tend to think that being unhappy leads people to complain, but it's truer to say that complaining leads to people becoming unhappy." Dennis Prager

Jody says:

"We always get to choose our viewpoint. By complaining we are choosing to focus and bring into view those things that we don't like. When we are constantly thinking of things or people or situations that are unhappy then it stands to reason that we are feeling unhappy. Try to notice when you complain or when those around you complain. How do you feel? You can think unhappy thoughts and the emotion will follow so do the opposite, think happy thoughts so that emotion will follow."

Release Tension with Malasana

If you head to one of Caroline Kelley's vinyasa classes this month, you can expect to get a little extra emphasis on her asana of the month: Malasana.

Here's what Caroline has to say about this beneficial pose:

"This asana is a great way to release tension in the lumbar spine, you may also know from experience that tight achilles tendons limit ones ability to get the heals down to the floor.

This pose has many benefits. As usual there will be variations so that this pose can be used therapeutically and also as a stepping stone into more advanced postures such as Bakasana."

Come try it out with Caroline at Yoga Mayu, Tuesdays and Thursdays from 7:30am to 8:30am.

Everybody Should Do Yoga!

If you are wondering if you should give yoga a try but aren't sure, or maybe you are sure, you are just nervous that you won't know what to do and people will all give you funny looks, it's probably time to sign up for a class at yoga mayu. The space is inviting and the teachers will help you have a safe and energizing experience without any judgement at all. If you want a second opinion, check out these awesome Yelp reviews. Want a sneak preview of what you can expect? Well here you go! As Gizella says, "Everybody should do yoga!"

Welcome Our New Teacher, Roy Gan

Meet yoga mayu's newest teacher!

Drawing from the disciplines of qigong, martial arts and 20 years of ballet experience, his invigorating and engaging yoga flow is about taking the blinders off and honestly exploring what your mind and body are capable off. His class is a dynamic-sequenced flow that encourages a holistic awareness of breath and proper alignment; strength and flexibility; functionality in movement and conscious co-ordination.

Wake-up with one of Roy's morning classes: Mondays and Wednesdays 7:30-8:30am

Practicing Mindful Yoga: a Response to "How Yoga Can Wreck Your Body"

Recently The New York Times published a piece called "How Yoga Can Wreck Your Body" about the possibility of injury when doing yoga. On her Facebook page, yoga mayu instructor Caroline Kelley had this to day about that piece:

"In response to the recent The New York Times article about yoga, I encourage yoga students to read this with an open mind. Choose a teacher and practice that serves the health of your mind and body equally. A good teacher offers modifications and clear instruction, and to the best of their ability they bring a yogic ego to the class. A fruitful yoga practice comes from patience and intelligence. An advanced practice means avoiding postures that may be detrimental to your body type. It is sad to read, but a reality that even well-known teachers disrespect their own body. We all struggle with ego, so choose your teachers wisely. And remember that we can hurt ourselves doing the simplest of things. My friend hurt her back tying her shoe laces. Does this mean she should never wear shoes again? More sensibly, there is another way for her to tie her shoes."