Meditation has been difficult for me.  The best time for me to do it is after a yoga practice as I lay in Shavasana and I find the more I do it, just like any muscle it is getting easier. Meditation is defined as "To focus one's thoughts on, reflect on or ponder over as to deepen undertanding."  This action of surrendering the thinking mind could describe yoga asana practice, pranayama practice, seated meditations or standing in the check out line at the grocery store.  The aim of most meditation is to come to a clearer truth of self. In Bodhi Yoga Teacher Training , we learn about several different types of meditations. 1. Seated Mediations where you sit with the intent for focus or release of the mind 2. Japa Meditations-Chanting where you chant the name of God as a communion or tool for manifesting your sincere desires, opening a grace channel for abundance 3. Guided imagery Meditations where you relax the mind and follow the directions of a verbal guide 4. T...

I found Yoga when my marriage was falling apart.  I was in emotional turmoil whenever he was around and often when he wasn't. Looking back I am surprised that I was able to keep it together.  I guess I'm like my Dad with eternal optimism in my genes even though all signs were pointing to my worst nightmare.  In any case, there was a beautiful smelling, warm Yoga studio at Lifetime fitness and I gravitated to it and found a place to find serenity, challenge, friends, strength and insight.  I grew up being very active, so moving my body and getting my heart rate us is essential for my emotional wellbeing, but previously I had done everything from Crossfit to running and going to gym classes.  They were great, but once I found Yoga I would watch people doing those things after an awesome workout - and having laid in Shavasana for the past 15 min. I would wonder if they had ever tried Yoga!  I was more fit, healthy and stable than ever and the class was so en...

I love lists. Here is my list of my favorite things from doing my Teacher Training through Bodhi Yoga 1. Breath.  OOh, the breath!  One of the coolest things I learned is when Syl had us get into a folded pose and then had us breath down into it.  She pointed out there is a point where the sound is no longer in your breath.  As you press out that last amount of breath, that is where you find your extra stretch.  As I have applied this in my practice, it has been so exciting!  I have realized that in Utkatasa or other more challenging poses, I focus on my breath and breath power and strength into my body and it totally works! 2. The Pose - Syl has probably been doing Yoga the most and longest of anyone in Utah County.  She knows her stuff and it has been so exciting to work with her in learning what each pose really can feel and look like when done with integrity!  We spent 15 minutes helping me get into the correct Triangle pose.  There...

Have you ever heard of Kundalini Yoga!?  I hadn't until I did my teacher training through Bodhi Yoga and it was awesome!  Bodhi Spin is the series that I have been trained in.  This is a Chakra Yoga class where you awaken each Chakra and find energetic healing!   Through a series of movements you awaken happy energy of the body up to the  Crown Chakra , where once refined, the healing energy is integrated back down through the  Root Chakra.  It is quite a ride of spinning and moving in amazing ways that anyone could do, thus opening and energizing your energy centers to find healing and clarity.  I have found that I find mental clarity and am able to see my chakras in my third eye more clearly when I do the Bodhi Spin and end in Shavasana.  The series of poses and movements creates this  energy healing class  and I have felt physical power in my thought afterwards.  This is a wonderful class is wonderful for working throu...

I have done my Yoga teacher training through Bodhi Yoga .  The studio is so peaceful and beautiful.  There is a fountain, all things Yoga and the energy there is amazing.  Sometimes I just can't get to a class though and I have loved having this resource: BodhiYoga Classes Online!  Check out  http://www.goyogaonline.com/

I love learning about Yoga philosophy and Prakriti and Gunas are some of the most fascinating parts, especially because understanding them helps me teach and practice with more effectivly.  In sandscrit, Prakrity means "Nature".  Pracrity has 3 ways of manifesting herself and can be seein in very thing we do.  These are the 3 Gunas -   Rajas, Tamas and Sattva.  Each Guna has a unique expression showing up in evrything we do, how we look, govern ourselves and our relationships.  Interestingly, each pose is dominantly one guna, just as all things in nature are.   R aja  is a dynamic, insistent, and passionate energy, that is distinguished by effort and pain.   Most gyms have a very Rajasic practice and the energy of it seeks strength, power and and catharsis sometimes becoming excessive.  Rajasic energy is a forward and backward movement. Downward facing and forward lunge are good examples of a Raja pose as well as th...

One of my biggest takaways from Yoga Teacher Training with Bodhi Yoga is the power and wisdom and incredible importance of the breath.  According to Yoga history, the inhale before that first OM set the journey of yoga motion over 5000 years ago.  I love this quote from our teacher training manual:  "The breath is the foundation of every movemnt extension, engagement and release of each asana.  The breath holds both the basis and the potential for your practice in the melody of movement through each inhale and exhale." As I have been able to utilize my breath more through breathing exercises, more presence and focus, my practice has deepened and strenthened and I have learned a fundamental fact that applies in all areas of my life:  'ALL I NEED IS IN MY BREATH.' We learned about Deergha Swasam breath, Nadi Sodhana breath, Kapalabhati and Surya Behedana breath as well as about 5 others.  I will only discuss the fundamental breath of Yoga, the Ujjayii b...

Integrity Today while teaching Yoga, I really focused on the integrity of poses because I am in an Integrity seminar with Landmark!  I've learned about how when something is broken, it has lost integrity and all you have to do is restore the integrity to make it work. Restoring integrity into the pose helps you get into a powerful place that is workable, no matter where you are in your practice. I have experienced Syl do this in our Yoga Teacher Training where we broke down a pose for 10-20 minutes and now every time I get into that pose it has more integrity. It was fun to work that into my class today.