Detour

Sometimes you have to change plans!

When I started my journey to becoming a yoga instructor, it was last June and Justin and I were training for a marathon! We traveled a lot and really packed in a full summer before Justin went back to school in the fall. It was awesome. I fit yoga in here and there but it did not get my full attention.

Well I'm still working on my certification hours, and wouldn't you know it, we're going to have a baby!!! This halts my yoga progress in some ways but enhances it in others. One of my main goals in becoming a yoga teacher is to teach prenatal yoga, and what better way to get experience in that than going through it yourself??

I am a little sad thinking about all the beautiful twists, inversions, and savasanas I will miss out on from now until July, not to mention how badly I want to push myself in a good flow or enjoy some hot yoga during the cold winter months, BUT I am really excited to see how it affects my mind, body, and spirit as I embark on this amazing journey of becoming a mom. I'm taking it as an opportunity. My whole life I have thought about what it might feel like to be pregnant and now it's here. Holy cow!! It's such a blessing to have a healthy pregnancy, and I want to do my part in making sure the ideal conditions are met to grow a little person. Isn't the human body incredible??

www.gobodhiyoga.com

Grace

Today in my personal practice I thought a lot about moving into each pose with grace. I love the idea of grace in yoga. Most often I think about the word grace in terms of being a princess. I have two nieces right now who are learning how exciting it is to be a princess and act the part. A dictionary definition helps us see that while this is a correct use of the word, there is something so much deeper:

    grace (grās)

    noun

    1.

 simple elegance or refinement of movement.

I have also been thinking about receiving poses instead of doing them. To invite your body through breath and gesture to explore a pose and settle into what it has to teach you--flexibility, strength, enlightenment, balance, or stability. I learned this from my teacher Syl, and have revisited the idea again and again. Yoga injuries have been on my mind as well, and it is a good reminder to me to receive a pose with grace instead of forcing it. And grace still accurately describes princesses so it's all good!

www.gobodhiyoga.com

The Science of Yoga

I have been looking for a scientific look at what yoga can and can't do for the body. Compared to the science degree I finished last year, yoga has been a little more 'anything goes'. I have enjoyed this but it can be a little confusing at times. Is there ever a right answer in yoga? Has anyone ever actually tried to use yoga to improve fitness, depression, anxiety, creativity, or general mood? Compared to the world of public health where there are constantly studies done to find causes, treatment, and prevention of illness, I haven't had many 'facts' to rely on. They are not the end all source of truth, but I like to be up on the latest research when it comes to my health. Science has its limitations, but what we learn along the way is so valuable!

I knew I needed to read this book as soon as I saw the title. This is what I've been looking for! William Broad had the same questions I do: he loved yoga but wondered what the literature had to say about the subject. I have sort of gotten the impression that it caused a lot of waves when it was published a few years ago, but I really enjoyed the stories, people, and research I was introduced to. It deals with facts and myths surrounding the common reasons people love yoga: health, fitness, mood, muse, intimacy, and more. It was exciting to see what  actually been a lot of studies done trying to pinpoint the benefits of yoga, and sadly there many examples of people who have seriously hurt themselves. As the title suggests, the "risks and rewards" are worth surveying. As a teacher, I strive to be informed!

This book was an excellent starting point and I hope to use what I have learned from it, expand and improve upon it as science continues to advance, and of course add the wisdom of my own experience.

www.gobodhiyoga.com

Exhibit A

The number one comment I hear when I tell people I am working towards my yoga teacher certification is something like,

"Oh that's awesome! ..."

{wait for it}

"... I could never do yoga because I'm not flexible!"

{and most times followed by}

"..I can't even touch my toes!"

Time and time again this happens. Why toe-touching is the golden standard for flexibility, I'm not really sure. As if it is the final benchmark to tell you that you've made it to being flexible. For me, yoga isn't really about flexibility but I guess it has helped me a lot. Certain poses do require a certain amount of bendy-ness, but it is so much more! It's listening to your body, connecting through movement, increasing range of motion through breath,etc. etc. I can't help but think how much some people miss out because they see that as a barrier!

BUT. I have a little something to say on the matter.

My husband Justin has been so awesome at supporting me in becoming a yoga instructor. He has been excited as I've told him what I've learned, asks me to lead him in some poses after a run, he bought me Om earrings for my birthday, and has really been my first student. With all the running we did all summer, it has been one of the simplest ways to incorporate yoga into our week! Justin started out as many people do, "not being able to touch his toes." He's tall with long arms and legs so I don't really blame him--that's a lot to work with! He's athletic, having played lacrosse in high school and now enjoying long distance running. We joke that flexibility is the one thing I've got on him!

Well. Last month we were enjoying a soak in the hot tub, chatting about how a friend had made this exact comment earlier in the day, when Justin proceeded to hop out of the hot tub and show me that he could absolutely touch his toes and then some.

My jaw literally dropped. This was AMAZING! I have known Justin for eight years and have been married to him for more than 18 months now, so the fact that he had improved his flexibility enough since March to be able to touch his toes was incredibly encouraging! THAT is something to be said to all those who say they can't reach their toes! I'm so proud of him, and extremely thankful that he's willing to be my student and in turn teach me about progress.

Just because you are temporarily incapable of doing something in life does not mean you never will. Consistent, focused efforts go a long way. This applies to way more than your fingers and toes being able to hang out on the ground together, although that is pretty cool, too!

In fact, let's just give it a stamp of approval while we're here. Yoga can help you become flexible enough to touch your toes!

Now if only I had been paying attention to who I heard that from so I could track them down and get them going with some yoga...

 

www.gobodhiyoga.com

Yoga at the Y

My husband is a pre-med student and I don't know why I didn't know this until now, but his university offers free yoga classes to students and their spouses. Wow! I decided to see what it was like, and even though I've been to many classes, it still amazed me how jittery I felt walking to a new class in a new location with a teacher I don't know. Even with my training as an instructor I was a little nervous walking in! How many other people would be there? Was I supposed to bring my own mat? What room was it in on the fifth floor? Were they doing a series of classes that I would be barging in on? Of course as soon as I got there and rolled a mat out (which they did provide!) I was immediately comfortable and so glad I went! It was a great reminder of that 'new student' feeling that it is important to be sensitive of as a teacher. A perfect lesson in compassion.

The morning sun was pleasantly shining through the east windows and we did a sun salutation that was just as welcoming. I love trying new classes and getting to experience another teacher's style!

www.gobodhiyoga.com

Stamp of Approval: Running

Along this yoga journey of mine, I have been a bit overwhelmed by all the yoga information out in the world. Yoga is EVERYWHERE! There is a huge amount of merchandise, ideas, styles, equipment, studios, health claims, etc. etc. etc. and it can be crazy trying to sort through all of it.

I had the greatest idea during my marathon last Saturday: instead of working through all the information out there about what yoga can or can't do for you, I can put it to the test in certain areas myself. I love and sincerely appreciate what other sources have to say about certain benefits, but the best advice or wisdom I can give will come through my own experiences.

I have had the most rewarding experience training for a marathon with the use yoga to relax and restore. I touched on this in a previous post, but I wanted to give the update! I was blessed to run 26.2 miles last weekend and only have typical muscle soreness afterwards. I saw people whose bodies were so tired they were forced sit down and rest, hobble across the finish line, and I believe a few were even rushed away in ambulances! Of course our training was the number 1 thing that helped us get to the finish line, but my husband and I are confident that yoga was a big contributing factor. I am happy to say that I can confidently (and strongly!) recommend yoga for anyone who runs! The marathon is sort of the race to do for most runners, having maybe done shorter runs but really looking for a challenge. And let's be honest, I was a little excited to finish it just for the bucket list's sake. It was the most physically, mentally, and emotionally tough thing I have ever done in my life. It took everything I had to complete that race. It was crazy and exhausting but to have trained and raced injury free? Totally worth it, and definitely an attainable goal for anyone who just knows that a 26.2 mile race waits for them in the future. You need to pair the training with yoga, though! I don't know when my next marathon will be, but I know there will be another and there will be plenty of yoga to go along with it.

So there's my first stamp of approval. Yoga is great for marathon training. But one thing marathon training has distracted from is my strength training. I love lifting weights and feeling myself get stronger, and this unfortunately has taken a backseat to the hours of running our training has required. We have literally been training since April! Now I would like to see what yoga can do for strength. This should be exciting!

www.gobodhiyoga.com

Start Where You Are

As part of my yoga teacher certification, I have been reading Start Where You Are by Pema Chodron. Subtitled "A Guide to Compassionate Living," I really wasn't sure to expect but it is such a gold mine of wisdom! I had to renew it from the library because I wasn't finished by the time it was due, and even now that I have finished it I think I could have taken a whole year to get through it, slowly underlining and meditating on these concepts. I will need to read it again in years to come as I teach and practice yoga, but for now, here are some of the thoughts I enjoyed:

• Ego is a fat person going through a small door. Be willing to drop the story line.
• Confusion and obstacles are part of the path.
• Difficult people in our lives show us our blind spots. They get through to us.
• Be familiar, open and honest. Understand humanness.
• Lean into the pain, give away the pleasure.
• "To be fearless isn't really to overcome fear, it's to come to know its nature." I am capable.
• "You should never have expectations for other people. Just be kind to them."
• "The next moment is always fresh and open. You don't have to get frozen in an identity of any kind."
• "The key to compassionate action is this: everyone needs someone to be there for them, simply to be there."
• Gloriousness and wretchedness need each other. One inspires, one softens.
• "Feeling irritated, restless, afraid, or hopeless is a reminder to listen more carefully. It's a reminder to stop talking; watch and listen." Resentment is not an obstacle, it is a reminder.
• And one of my favorite quotes on being happy: "The underlying point of all our study and practice is that the happiness we seek is here to connect with at any time. They happiness we seek is our birthright. To discover it we need to be more gentle with ourselves, more compassionate toward ourselves and the universe. The happiness we seek cannot be found through grasping, trying to hold on to things. It cannot be found through getting serious and uptight about wanting things to go in the direction that we think will bring happiness. We are always taking hold of the wrong end of the stick. The point is that the happiness we seek is already here and it will be found through relaxation and letting go rather than through struggle."

These are such deep, inspiring thoughts and I need a lot of time to think about their meaning and how they apply to me, my practice, and my role as a teacher. I consider myself a pretty compassionate person, but reading this book would convince anyone they can do much better. Everyone should try to add some more compassion to their life! You can relate your pain to that of others, you can think about how you affect the world around you, you can deal graciously with that person you have a hard time with, and you can enjoy a much fuller experience on this Earth through increased compassion! So deep. So awesome.

www.gobodhiyoga.com

Wo shi yige laoshi

我是一個老師

As a volunteer English teacher in China a few years ago, one of the first phrases I learned to say in Mandarin was "I am a teacher."

Once again I find myself hearing this phrase in my head!

It was a stressful experience to teach my first class. I felt like a yoga baby in that I had only personally been practicing yoga for a couple of months, and the thought of teaching terrified me. I decided to start where I knew: running. I had come to love how good it felt to follow a run with yoga, and learned some techniques from this site my sister-in-law referred me to. Since a lot of my yoga experience was based on running, I started with a routine to follow a run. I ran through my plan several times before, and when I actually got to teach my teacher training friends I felt very comfortable and had a good time. I was so grateful for their positive, helpful feedback! I was surprised at how well they felt I did, and was very happy I had conveyed such a sattvic vibe, according to Syl. That was great to hear.

If my first teaching experience was building from what I knew, my second teaching experience was a step into the unknown. I really want to teach prenatal yoga at some point, so using our teacher manual and the same online site, I came up with a gentle routine for expectant mothers. I got a lot of feedback from moms in the room about what they felt would work in their experience, and I was grateful for that insight since I have never been pregnant before! This will be an exciting area for me to venture into.

My teacher Syl took this photo during my prenatal class during a modified tree pose. My favorite  thing about this picture is that I am totally on fire with the glow of the evening sun reflecting off the floor. I wasn't aware of this at the time!

me and my mat

As I did my personal practice of yoga today, it occurred to me how important it is for me to be exploring yoga for myself, in order to teach others. Think of the classic librarian, one who you could ask for a recommendation on a book and she would be able to walk past shelves, pause at one, continue on and carefully select the one she is thinking of, knowing exactly what it is you want and what the pages hold. She has had experiences with many books and from that can recommend them to you. My personal practice is helping me develop the skills that will give me the confidence with asanas to say 'Here, try this!' as well as helping me to continually be a student of yoga. I earned a bachelor's degree last year but I am quite certain I will always be a student at heart, and this opportunity to never stop learning is exciting.

Today I stood on my mat without a plan and just went with it, based on how I was feeling and what naturally should go next. It liked that I was able to come up with the routine and not have to follow anyone or a routine that I am familiar with. The other day I had to laugh at myself when I started a sentence to my husband with the words, "I think I feel..." because it was just so me! Well, which is it, thinking or feeling?? I have that inward battle sometimes and I like that a personal practice gets me into the 'feel' zone. Don't worry about doing the exact same asanas on each side. You will feel it as you switch sides. Don't worry too much about what comes next. You will feel it come! Often, on the yoga mat and off, my brain is maybe a little too much involved and things get muddled, so I love this chance to just mute the thoughts and feel.

For more information, visit http://www.gobodhiyoga.com/

Shiva and Shakti

Justin and I took this picture while visiting a Buddhist temple in Chiang Rai, Thailand while we lived there last summer. I've always loved yin and yang but they are becoming even more significant as I study Shiva and Shakti in yoga!

Yang is represented here as the white side of the design, the masculine Shiva. Shiva is solid, rigid, reliable, full of order, and is timeless, like Father Time.

Yin is the black side of the design, the feminine Shakti. Full of movement, richness, unpredictability, and vitality, like Mother Nature.

Both are important and unique, but balance each other out so nicely.

It has been interesting to see how gender follows these ideas. The cycle a woman's body goes through every month that is a little chaotic. A man's logical mind that sees problems so clearly. The connections are everywhere and it always makes me smile when I recognize a new one!

What a great chance to say thanks to my awesome husband for being so helpful throughout my teacher training! He has been really encouraging, helpful, and curious about what I've been learning. He has been my first student and #1 fan. He has always been interested in health and wellness and I'm glad we are so compatible in that way! Justin asks me about poses and reminds me to make time for yoga after a run even when we're busy. He is even willing to try being a vegetarian with me for a month at some point! That is a serious commitment for someone who loves buffalo wings and steak so much. I have had so much fun doing yoga with Justin and I know it will just get more exciting as we both get more experienced.

www.gobodhiyoga.com

Baby bumps & yoga

I don't know if it's having four younger siblings or eleven nieces and nephews, but right from the beginning of my training as a yoga instructor I have been interested in prenatal yoga. I have yet to have a baby myself, but as a woman, so much of my life is centered on eventually using this gift! Literally every month I am reminded of it..

Because I haven't had the first-hand experience, I am looking forward to teaching classes and seeing how moms will benefit. Will the best benefits be in body, spirit, mind, emotion, or a combination of all these areas? Will the chance to connect to the present be meaningful in a time that pulls women in so many directions? What will the limitations be on poses? I am so excited to dive more into this!

With my background in public health, I found that prenatal yoga is a great balance between the two areas I love, and I hope to be able to find some expectant mothers looking for a great way to feel good during their pregnancy. What an awesome time to enjoy the benefits of yoga!!

www.gobodhiyoga.com

Asanas for Runners

As I am completing my teacher training, there has been one activity (besides traveling) that has taken major priority: I'm training for a marathon!

It has been an exciting experience to combine yoga with long distance training. I was talking with a neighbor who competes in Ironmans, and when I told her I hadn't had any injuries while training for the marathon she was completely surprised and said she bets it's because of yoga! My husband and I have recently gotten up to 16 and 18 mile long runs on the weekends, running for almost three and a half hours at once, and have found it makes a huge difference for us, and we feel a noticeable difference following a run if we didn't get a chance to do yoga afterward. The restorative yet powerful practice of yoga helps to renew and strengthen what was just used during a run!

Here are some of my favorite asanas for after a run:

Forward Fold--After an hour of so of being upright and having my legs engaged during a run, it feels amazing to stand still, upright, and slowly bend at the hips and feel an amazing opening in the back of the legs, which tend to get tight on runners. My lower back often gets tight after a run, and this is a great way to start that opening. Guaranteed to get you to "ahhhh" after an exhausting run, and I like to begin with it.

Downward Dog--This is probably a given, but seriously a couple of downwards do the trick! Again, it helps to open the back of the legs and provide relief for the backside, hamstrings, lower back, and calves, and I absolutely love pumping the heels and alternating bending the legs. It feels amazing.

Revolved triangle-- Hands down my favorite post-run pose! For me, I feel like I am using and saying thanks to every muscle that just worked so hard for me. Sometimes it makes people say 'Ow' but really they mean 'Woohoo! I just used all these muscles on a run and they are all the better for it!' I think that's what they mean, at least..

Warrior 2-- Sometimes I get spanked by a run. It just completely beats me up. It was hot, I was tired, my socks kept falling down, I was still sore from the last run, or whatever. It happens! But that's alright because this asana is a great way to remind my body and spirit that I am powerful, capable, and will always be reaching for those horizons. Some pain and discomfort are necessary but I can and will always be stronger because of it. Also feels really nice on the quadriceps!

Pigeon-- Feeling warm from a run, pigeon helps to relax tight muscles and remind them that they can and should move more directions than just the up, down, back, and repeat of a running stride. Great for quads, rump and IT band.

Janu sirshasana-- Similar to why a forward fold is so helpful, I love to use janu to give some tender attention my legs individually. Training for a marathon has been interesting as I've found that although I have two legs that look a lot alike, they are so different! I have had pains in one that don't exist in the other, and janu gives me a chance to be gentle on a small strain in my left leg without feeling like I need to go into the pose any further.

Cobbler-- This pose makes a run all worth it! I have always loved doing a similar stretch after exercising so when I found out it was a yoga pose I'm pretty sure I did a fist pump. Again, with the legs being engaged and taking in the impact from the run, it feels wonderful to be able to separate them, open up and feel such a difference sensation that the one experienced in a run. I also like to open my feet like a book and even get a little foot rub in. Those brave little tootsies deserve some TLC!

Savasana--I owe it to myself! Without a little bit of rest to end my experience out on the road, track, or trail, the day can continue feeling hurried and too intense. A three to five minute savasana is the punctuation to say I have finished my workout and am ready to take on the rest of the day, not feeling 'spent' at all from the morning exercise. There is still a big day out there that needs to be conquered!

See what it can do for your running performance! As with all poses, they should be done gently and with care, ideally with an instructor for beginners.

Know your limits

As I started doing yoga, I soon learned there were a lot of poses that did not come naturally to me: I was going to have to work on them. All my running has made me a lot less flexible in the last couple of years, and I have a few tender spots that I need to be more cautious about. In my training to become a teacher, we talked about knowing your own limits and the limits of your students. How will I know where my limits are? As we continued learning asanas and I worked with my own limits, a quote came to mind, one that I first saw in my grandparents' home as I was growing up.

It became very clear how I can approach a new aspect of yoga! Serenity to accept a limit that I have, courage to challenge those limits, and the kratu (or intelligence in action) to know how to proceed. When we were learning the stacked log pose, I was very sensitive to the fact that I had been recovering from some knee injuries from running, and gratefully kept my pose in a safe position; I would like to continue doing the active things I love pain-free! But at the same time, I would love to challenge my limits further and be able to hold a headstand, and that requires some courage.

Be creative and open to improvement, but be smart about it.

Thank you, summer evening

Last week during the teacher training, I was feeling a bit overwhelmed with all of the new information I was getting in a very short period of time. It was awesome to be so immersed in yoga, in study and in practice but I had no time to digest and sort through what I had learned before I was presented with many more deep principles. One evening as I drove home, the sun was setting but Utah valley was still very light. I was hurrying, whether from hunger or fatigue, and changed lanes quickly to get ahead of slow cars, just absorbed in myself and where I was going. Wanting to make good use of the summer temperatures, I instinctively reached over and rolled my window down. Right then, the feeling in my car changed. The warm breeze brushed my hair across my face and refreshed me more than any AC could have. The hum of the traffic reminded me that there was more going on at this moment than me thinking about what I had just learned, how long I had left to drive, or what was in the fridge at home waiting for me to eat. All of my senses perked up and suddenly I was not on a burdensome commute anymore. I was on a leisurely drive that connected me to my surroundings and made me a happier person because of it.

In that moment, I realized what yoga can be for me, for now, as I am still learning what it can become: it is helping me to increase my awareness of myself, both in body and spirit, and how what my place is in the world around me. I am finding the beauty of breath, movement, stillness, power, and relaxation, and it has been an awesome journey so far. It can keep me from feeling stuffy and wrapped up in myself, connecting me to others and something outside of me, but improving physical, mental, and emotional capabilities. Yoga will mean a lot more to me as I continue to practice and teach, but that I am content with this for now! Increased awareness of self and surroundings. Who wouldn't want that?

My Story

Hi there!

My name is Andrea.

I am a soon-to-be 23 year old. I have blonde hair and blue eyes.

I love running, sewing, bargain shopping, cooking, and being in the sun.

I'm a Mormon. I believe in life after death, forgiveness, humility, service, and inspiration.

I love to laugh. I am always up for an adventure.

I am married to the most amazing guy on earth, Justin. I'm so lucky to have him as my best friend. He has green eyes, speaks Farsi, and runs really fast.

We have already started, but will continue to see the world together.

We run long distance races together, and will hopefully complete a marathon this August.

I take pictures of my feet. I'm not sure why, but it happens a lot.

I have lived in China and Thailand and owe a lot of who I am now to experiences I had in these wonderful places.

I love health. I graduated from BYU in 2012 with a Bachelor's degree in public health, with an emphasis on health promotion. I love my degree but it hasn't opened the doors I hoped it would as far as helping others be healthy and love the skin they're in.

I have not been able to find the perfect job yet, but the process of looking has gotten me here.

I am becoming a yoga teacher!

In trying to find health educator jobs, I found that many clinics offered either a prenatal or diabetes yoga course for patrons. Knowing the importance of physical activity and emotional support for these two groups, I was drawn to the idea of this area of health. I also found a job listing for a wellness coordinator that needed to be certified in yoga. Somehow this seemed to be my calling! A way for me to use my degree in a specific way and keep me learning. As excited as I was to graduate from college, it became very apparent my education was not over. A trail of bread crumbs brought me here, and here my journey begins. The interesting thing is that when it came down to it, the training at one studio fell through, I luckily saw a Bodhi Yoga booth at a birth conference I almost didn't make it to, I realized I had a friend featured on the website who I could run some questions by, and the timing worked out to take the teacher training exactly when I wanted to,

I realized I already owned a yoga mat. A bright pink one my mom had given me for Christmas too many years ago. Just beckoning me to jump on and start yoga!

So here I am. A student to yoga myself. Fairly inflexible due to many years of long distance training. Not a lot of upper body strength. Easily distracted. Scientific. Likely to fall over if I tried to balance in a dark room.

Patient. Insightful. Curious. Ready to learn.

This is how my story begins.