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I teach strong yoga. No matter how gentle I speak or what classification I give it, it's strong. My Hatha students are probably building more heat in those standing poses than in the hot studios. And the Ashtangis--they're living for it. But it's internal heat, the good kind in my opinion.

Everybody's got a way, a vibe, a perspective, a place to look and teach from. Mine is strength. I guess I could get sappy and say in my life I've had to be strong. And that's true, but hell we all have to deal with life. No one wins the "get out of suffering" card. We're all in this messy place sloshing around trying to seek the light. Sometimes our skin and spirits are warmed with the sun and sometimes it's the memory that keeps us moving through. The faith is we can't always see the light, but we trust that it is still there.

I feel the sun lately and the fruits of a long summer. I've been blessed with work outside of yoga and I feel this wonderful freedom in my teaching. My students are growing in their practice and I love spending time with them. My family delights (and angers) me every day. I am thankful.

Part of me is afraid to relish in the goodness for fear that it will pass. The truth is, it will. But I'm enjoying this season and loving all that it brings. I'm standing in the strength of a Holy God who pursues me when I run from Him. A God that opens my eyes to the light that is always there.

I teach strong yoga. I hope that the strength I pull from isn't from muscle fibers, but from a deep love from above that rages against the sorrow of world so that one day we will have peace.

Peace, peace, eternal peace. 

Yoga for Runners and Athletes

My Monday 7:15 Hatha class is dedicated to runners and athletes--but it's also pretty sweet for beginners! This will be a great class to complement your training program. Focusing on form through core and spinal integrity, each class will touch on the trifecta of tough spots for athletes--hips, legs, and shoulders. We'll use a slow, heat-building, thoughtful flow to strengthen, stretch, breathe, and relax.

Is This Thing On?

Sheesh, I almost forgot how to log in. That was probably the longest blog break in the history of the Tula Flow. But, I'd rather stay quiet than to feign some smart and important essay simply for the sake of saying something. (Alliteration hello!) Lawdy there's enough of that already.

So when we last left Tula Flow, I was, ahem, running. I am training for a 1/2 marathon in September and incorporating yoga and other strength regimens into my schedule.  The thing is, I feel like I'm practicing yoga while running. Breath, awareness, form, connecting mind and body-- isn't that what it's all about? Oh yeah, symmetry, precision, introspection, inner change to outward action. I'm starting with the Man in the Mirror and I'm asking him to make a change.

I was recently asked if running was affecting my yoga practice. You betcha bottom dollars it is--my hamstrings and hips are tight and my growing calves are constantly confusing my baddha konasana and virasana.  But it's cool. I really don't mind and often get a laugh at the new-found sensations. It's giving me the mind of a beginner--poses that were once easily accessible now require more patience. I feel like that strengthens me as a teacher and I would like to apologize for all of the times I demoed a forward fold to a room full of beginners. Whatta showoff.

Running is doing something else to my teaching. It's giving me a fire that I lost. Maybe it's the full-on endorphin explosion and/or the diversity in my activities. Regardless, it suggests to me that how you move reflects what's going on inside. If you feel sluggish, you move sluggishly. But luckily you are more than your feelings-you can choose to move outside of your comfort zone. You can discern when to crush it and when to rest. You can choose to balance power with wisdom and move with skill and grace. Chances are you will begin to feel and act that way too.

Shamone!