Do you get on your yoga mat daily? Lately, I’ve been thinking about the yoga mat as a magic carpet. I know that sounds funny but stick with me. Not a magic carpet that literally flies away, but a magic carpet that helps you create a ritual that can become magical. In this ritual, you roll out yourContinue reading “The Magic Carpet”
Category Archives: Meditation
This too shall pass.
Things have been heavy for me lately, not gonna lie. My mom passed in December. Grief is thick for me right now, but there’s more going on . . . There’s a kind of spiritual maturation that happens as a result of living through a crisis. We sometimes call these life chapters the dark nights of theContinue reading “This too shall pass.”
For Troubling Times . . .
Taking in the news can be perilous. When we hear of tragic events – bombings, earthquakes, shootings – it’s easy to become overwhelmed with difficult emotions like sadness, grief, fear, rage. Feeling powerless in the face of these heartbreaking disasters, we often don’t know what to do. What CAN we do? Firstly, taking any actionContinue reading “For Troubling Times . . .”
You can choose.
I went on a meditation retreat a couple of weekends ago and it was great! On a silent meditation retreat, we can step out of our normal routines and slow way, waaaaay down. We’re invited to sit in stillness and to settle the mind into a quiet state of awareness. This can be quite a process, this stilling.Continue reading “You can choose.”
Stressed Out?
I’ve been moving – as in, I moved my home – so I’ve been a bit of a stress monkey (yes, me, the yoga therapist—I get stressed too). What does a yoga therapist do with stress? Here are a few of my coping strategies: Even when the stress gets kicked up a few more notches .Continue reading “Stressed Out?”
Your Home Yoga Practice
Think of your home yoga practice as basic self-care. Self-care is taking care of yourself physically, emotionally and mentally. As well as attending to the body, mind, and emotions, regular yoga practice creates a container for developing interoception – your ability to hear your body’s signals, messages and intuitions. Remember that yoga means the unionContinue reading “Your Home Yoga Practice”
Breath-Centered Meditation
Using Your Breath as the Focus of Your Meditation Breath-centered meditation is one of the most common forms of meditation. In this sequence below, I point out aspects of the breath to pay attention to. Focusing on these subtle sensations will pull your attention inward and help to keep you from wandering off. Notice theContinue reading “Breath-Centered Meditation”
Sleep is a Beautiful Thing
Sleep is like the secret sauce. It affects everything – mood, focus, mental clarity and your general sense of well-being. So why are so many of us not sleeping well? For many, the culprit is the dreaded BUSY MIND! How do we fix that? It might help to understand some brain science: when your mindContinue reading “Sleep is a Beautiful Thing”
Can You Feel Your Feet? Thinking vs. Feeling
Many people have difficulty quieting the mind when they settle into meditation or savasana, the resting period at the end of yoga class. What do you mean, “watch the breath?” Really the intention is to feel the breath. If you have a mind that is constantly in overdrive, try noticing the difference betweenContinue reading “Can You Feel Your Feet? Thinking vs. Feeling”
How is Yoga for Cancer Different Than Other Types of Yoga?
I’m often asked this question: “How is yoga for cancer patients different than other types of yoga? “ There are many ways we’ve adapted yoga to serve cancer patients. Here are the main points . . . Physical Ability. The first issue to address is the participant’s physical abilities and limitations. Through a pre-class interviewContinue reading “How is Yoga for Cancer Different Than Other Types of Yoga?”
Michelle Stortz 