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!

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

Take Your Yoga Practice to the Next Level in 2012

Are you interested in developing a sustainable personal yoga practice? Do you want to explore the history of yoga and develop your skills with experienced and down-to-earth teachers right here in San Francisco? Are you looking for a practical and engaging teacher training that will give you the real knowledge you need to teach? Are you ready to transform your body and your mind?

If you answered yes to those questions, yoga mayu’s 200-Hour Yoga Alliance Certified Teacher Training Program might be exactly what you are looking for. Starting January 6 and running Friday through Sunday until April 22 (with a week-long break at the beginning of March), 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? Submit your application online today.

Teacher Profile: Sara Levine

If you've ever taken one of long-time yoga mayu teacher, Sara Levine's classes, you know she is fun and helpful and great at what she does. But did you know how she started teaching? Or what she loves about San Francisco? Keep reading to find out the answers to all your burning Sara-related questions:

Where are you from?
Bozeman, Montana

When and why did you start practicing yoga?
My first class was at the Estes Park Yoga Journal in 2000, but I didn't start practicing regularly until 2005 in San Francisco. I first began because a friend suggested it, and I fell in love almost instantly. It was scary, challenging, painful and totally amazing. I began a little backwards since I started in a Yin class and gradually made the move to vinyasa flow.

How long have you been teaching yoga and where were you trained?
I've been teaching for just over 3 years. I did my first 200 hour training at Yoga Tree in San Francisco. Since then I've trained another 300+ hours in prenatal, postnatal, anatomy, sequencing, mellow flow and restorative.

How long have you been teaching at yoga mayu?
Since they opened (almost 3 years ago). I took Gizella's first class to the public and asked her if I could teach at her studio. I assisted a class of hers and she gave me a job right there. I feel so blessed to have been in that place at that specific time. I can't imagine not teaching at yoga mayu.

Why do you teach?
Because it is the first thing that I have found which makes me feel alive in every moment that I am in it. I can actually say that I love my job, and I feel like I want to learn more every day. It is challenging, inspiring and profoundly simple. I also teach for my students, because they have become my closest friends. I love each of them and watching them realize their own potential is inspiring every time it happens.

Why should someone who has never tried yoga try it now?
Because they didn't try it yesterday. Have you heard the saying "try something new everyday"?

What pose do you find the most challenging?
At the moment - Twisted High Lunge. I have a hard time feeling expansive in the pose, and I am always resisting if I am asked to stay there for longer than I would like.

What are some of your non-asana interests?
Reading, anatomy, painting, food, vintage furniture shopping, things that smell good, my friends and family, brewery tours.

What is your favorite thing about San Francisco?
The food. My friends. And that I attribute my yogic story to this city.

What is your favorite thing about yoga mayu?
There is an energy in the space, that has been created by all of the past and current teachers and students. When I step into that room, I feel at home. I could be there all day.

What is you schedule at yoga mayu?
Sunday 11:15-12:45AM - Deep Flow
Monday, Wednesday 5-6:15PM - Vinyasa Flow 1-2
Monday 8:15-9:30PM - Deep Flow
Wednesday 8:15-9:30PM - Slow, Deep Flow

Want to keep up with all of Sara's classes and workshops? Check her out on Facebook or sign up for her newsletter on her website!

Late Fall Workshops from yoga mayu

Sometime an hour or an hour and a half isn’t long enough to get all the yoga you want. Luckily for you, yoga mayu has some awesome workshops coming up to help you go deeper with your practice and get all the personal attention you need.

THIS SUNDAY! Sign-up now for Complete Surrender: a Restorative Workshop with Sara Levine. Some times the hardest practice is the practice of totally letting go. Sara will make it easy with two hours of fully-supported deep heart, hip, and back openings, Treat yourself to this workshop full of hands-on massage and the best two-hour savasana you've ever experienced.

This workshop is limited to 13 people, online registration is strongly suggested!

Cost is $30. This workshop goes from 1:30pm to 3:30pm.

Reserve your spot for Hip Opening Workshop: Moving Beyond with Gizella Donald on Sunday, November 20. Did you know that daily habits such as sitting in office chairs, cars and sofas, combined with limited movement can lead to discomfort, tightness and even pain in our hips? And that this discomfort often spreads to other parts of the body such as the lower back or knees? Tightness in the hips and pelvis can also affect digestion causing you to feel sluggish and lacking in energy and it is also common to find that emotional tension and anxiety ends up stored in this area. Learn how to open your hips safely in this great workshop. Gizella will guide you through a selection of standing and seated hip opening poses along with some restorative hip openers, followed by yoga nidra (guided relaxation) for maximum benefits.

Cost is $30 but sign-up before November 15 and receive the early bird rate of $25. This workshop goes from 1:30pm to 3:30pm.

Do your joints need a little extra attention? Then plan ahead for Yin Yoga Workshop with Caroline Kelley on Sunday, December 4. Yin involves physically letting go into seated postures and exploring them for longer periods of time. The practice targets the deeper connective tissue of the body especially around the hips, pelvis and spine. Yin encourages healthy mobility in joints leaving you feeling physically lighter and mobile. Yin yoga also balances the energetic body and helps relieve physical, mental and emotional tension, so you leave feeling calm and collected. Caroline teaches Yin in a way that naturally invites meditation. Mudras and breathing techniques are included to enhance the student experience.

This workshop is limited to 20 people, online registration is strongly suggested!

Cost is $30 but sign-up before November 28 and receive the early bird rate of $25. This workshop goes from 1:30pm to 3:30pm.