What does practicing yoga, indulging in spa treatments and tweeting all have in common? Presence. Being present means that you are focusing on what is happening in that exact moment – in the now. A connection between the three came to me yesterday as I pondered my love of them. Allow me to explain. (more…)
Have you ever had the feeling that your thoughts and surroundings take control over you? Sometimes when we are busy and life is moving quicker than we can keep up with, it is challenging to get grounded and bring ourselves back into the present moment. After all, “the now” is all we really have. With each yoga and meditation practice in my life, I am becoming more and more aware of the importance of getting grounded. Here are 5 ways I use to get grounded. (more…)
Did you know that yoga is the fastest growing sport in America? 14.5 million Americans practice yoga, the same size as Illinois, the fifth largest state in the nation. “The Business of Yoga” seminar was put on by Yoga Journal Magazine January 13-14 in San Francisco, California. Two days of inspiring and motivational sessions covered topics such as the staggering growth of yoga in America, ways to create a viable studio, hiring and managing teachers, marketing with mindfulness, green concepts, legal issues and money matters. The following tips were my biggest takeaways on how to run a successful yoga business. (more…)
After three weeks of travel, it’s magic to be back home in San Francisco. Today, the sun was shining as I rode my cherry red scooter to my favorite yoga class, feeling the crisp air and joy of being both physically and spiritually back home. The class was packed with students and I smelled a little BO. Not cool. I unrolled my mat, sat down in half lotus position with my hands in my lap and began breathing. This, I thought, is true mind over matter if I can meditate while smelling BO! Alas, people are people. The class began and my thoughts and worries quietly drifted to the back of my consciousness. Halfway through, we practiced one of my favorites: uddiyana bandha.
What is Uddiyana Bandha? (more…)
Yesterday I was a slave to my computer. Not in a bad way. In fact, my words and ideas were flowing as the rain poured down outside my hotel room window in downtown Los Angeles. It felt good to start the new year feeling motivated on a Sunday to get some things done. There was a mirror on the wall across from the desk and I made eye contact with myself. Wow, I thought, I need to stretch.
One of my New Year’s Affirmations is to stretch every single day. Some days I have the time and space to practice at home or a yoga studio, but on the days I don’t I often find myself seated with my silver laptop for ample periods of time. It had been five days since the bliss of stretching and lengthening my muscles during a proper yoga class and I could really feel my shoulders, neck and back tense and rigid. This hotel desk chair isn’t exactly ergonomic.
Desk Yoga: How to Take a 3 Minute Break
Stacy Conlon
