Creatures of Habit

My dog, Manta Ray, accompanies me on my twice-daily walk taking the girls to and from the elementary school down the street. Morning departure is hectic and broadly telegraphed, with increasingly insistent instructions about the packing of snacks and donning of coats...

Thank You, Wellness Center

It’s Wednesday evening and getting dark, and I’m feeling nostalgic for the class I’ve just retired from: a Yoga for Athletes class at the UNC Wellness Center. I taught the class for the last six years (and also taught indoor cycling there for four)....

Reverse Vinyasa

This is a follow-up to my variations on vinyasa post, as well as the story of a lightbulb moment. During my fantastically fun intensive on teaching yoga to athletes (there’s still room for a few more in New York next month), I was bemoaning the monotony of the...

Variations on Vinyasa

In my class this week (join me for a repeat Thursday night at 5:45), there are a lot of opportunities for the vinyasa from plank through chaturanga to cobra or upward-facing dog to downward-facing dog. This opportunity happens about forty times in the sequence, which...

Samskaras and Safari 4

In my classes this week, we’ve been discussing the concept of samskaras, our habitual actions, and experimenting first with becoming aware of them and second with the idea of moving out of them, to live more mindfully. (If you’d like to read more about...

Wall Folds and Twists

I’ve just put up a new episode of Sage Yoga Training—my podcast of short yoga routines for athletes and everyone—this one with some very relaxing, gentle folds and twists using a wall for support. You can download it in iTunes, watch it on YouTube, or simply...