3 quick tips for mastering self dIscipline

1. Schedule your tasks in your physical or digital calendar: having a deadline will help keep you accountable.

2. Group boring things together with interesting things like doing the dishes and listening to an educational podcast like the one about being a bad ass yoga entrepreneur by @digitalyogaacademy

3. Do NOT negotiate with yourself. If something is on the schedule, the minute your brain starts to say, “but I don’t want to” immediately cut it off and reply with, “this isn’t up for discussion.” Don’t be afraid to take control of the narrative.

Welcome to the New Moon in Capricorn

The light in me sees and honors the light in you, Namaste. Happy Sunday! 

The First New Moon of the year has come at the perfect time. Not only is the Moon in Capricorn, but the Sun is as well. This combination of emotional and tangible structure lays the groundwork for some amazing things to come in the next week, month, and year.

While you might not be feeling the passionate energy of the New Year, you certainly will be feeling the deep seat of peace that this New Moon in Capricorn brings. 

Who is Capricorn?

Capricorn is a mythological creature who is half man from the waist up, half goat from the waist down. He is also known as the Greek God of Nature, Pan. He represents those born between December 22 and January 19. Capri focuses on preserving, planning, and understanding. Being the eldest Earth sign, the other two, Taurus and Virgo, Capricorn encourages us to be loyal, patient, and shift our awareness from the crazy gimmicks around the rat race called life to the things that are set deeper in our hearts, the things that matter most to us personally. 

Our family, friendships, and homefront are sure to come to mind as we begin to ask what we might really need right now. 

Capri knows how to prepare a solid foundation of peace for their family in a very natural way. Practicing the ancient traditions of their ancestors they preserve history in a way that makes mundane tasks sacred. Master conservationists, they conserve their energy and materials, not letting anything go to waste. 

What can I do?

Work with your hands today. Cook something from your family’s recipes at home today. Use stones, crystals, and earth in your meditation to channel the energy of the Capricorn New Moon today. 

Create a plan that is in alignment with structure, stability, and family tradition.

Get ready to receive many blessings as you slowly, thoughtfully, and respectfully climb the mountain in front of you. Stick to your plan, meditate on it, and listen to the wisdom that comes from within. You can do anything!

New Moon Affirmation

Repeat after me:

“I am capable!”

Affirm, “I am capable.”

Again! “I am capable!”

Yes you are! And I’m so thankful you are!

You got this.

We got this!

Lots of Love!

The light in me sees and honors the light in you, Namaste. 

Our Arms (Poem)

Our Arms

Hold

Push 

Open

Close

Embrace

Leg go

They create

Action

Full of

Power

Strength

Choice

Our shoulders

Carry our

Accomplishments

Weather the

Storms

Our hands

Touch reality

Feel

The connection

Between

Body and mind

Yin and yang

Left and right

Fibers between

Our arms

Meet

With your arms 

Around mine

We breathe together

We share

One breath

We secure

Our love

For each other

We create a

safe place in

Our arms

That lasts

Forever

You are

A gift

Wrapped in

Our arms

Grateful (Poem)

I am grateful

For my body

And she settles into her true nature

I am grateful 

For this breath

And these lungs give out a heavy sigh

I wake up

Grateful

And the sun shines through sparkling clouds

I am grateful

For my strength

And he rolls over to whisper “Good Morning”

I feel your stream of light pressed up against mine

And I am grateful

To feel

To have

Proprioception

To be

Proprioceptive 

Receptive

In pandiculation

Moving in all directions

Towards that love and light

You emit

With it

I sit

I am

Grateful

The way is within

And then without

Any doubt

You are 

Grateful

Because we will all come back to gratitude

You are yours

Your people that you love

And we can be

Grateful

For eternity 

3 Self-care Activities You Can Do in 5 Mins or Less

Hello! How are you? How have you been?

What self care activities are you practicing this weekend? 

Today, we’re talking about three self-care activities that you can do in five minutes or less

Aloha! Welcome. My name is Mae and I am so happy to be here with you now. 

I founded Kerrville Yoga in 2017 after being certified in vinyasa yoga through Dr Paul Gerard’s Aura Wellness Center and currently teach Thursday nights and some Saturday’s at the Kerrville Yoga space. I’m also in massage therapy school at Academy for Massage Therapy Training’s North Park campus in San Antonio. Expect to see massage services offered here in April of 2022! I will be super close to the yoga space just right across the street at the Zen and Alchemy spa on Earl Garrett operating as a contract laborer under my DBA Kerrville Yoga. I believe that massage and yoga are closely related, have amazing individual health benefits, and compliment each other well. 

The mission of Kerrville Yoga is to inspire those who lead busy lives to take a minute to unite themselves with their breath and body. At Kerrville Yoga, we value stability, safety, and peace. When applied, these basics have the power to transform the relationship you have with yourself and the way you carry your body through the day. 

It is important that all operations led by Kerrville Yoga follow a system of stability before action. I want you to be able to relax, knowing you have everything you need within you, regardless of what happens in your life.

You have the power to find stability amid chaos. 

You have the strength to get through tough times. 

You have the grace to surrender to Divine. 

Yoga unites us in all of these things: power, strength, and grace. 

Throughout your life, things will change over time. The one thing that won’t change is LOVE. 

Show yourself some love by practicing these 3 self care activities whenever you need five minutes to collect yourself. Don’t wait until you’re already in pieces! Start cultivating abundance now!

1. Morning Pause: what are your mornings like? Do you feel like you’re rushing to get out the door? Do you have a special routine you follow? As soon as you make the decision to slow down, everything stops. The attention you direct inward becomes irresistible to the energies around you. You might feel your loved ones suddenly need your help with something, you might notice your cat come and sit in your lap when they normally don’t cuddle, you might find fido laying beside you on your yoga mat, even if they are a high energy doge. When we take a little break for ourselves, everyone wants to do the same. So if we can do this before the day gets started, we set the tone for calmness, reverence, and respect. You can simply sip your coffee or tea and breathe for five minutes first thing when you wake up or right after you get ready. Ask yourself, “where is my energy level at today? What things do I need to get done? What things am I proud of myself for accomplishing?” You can journal or just take mental notes. Oftentimes, when I practice this, it turns into 30 minutes or more. And every time I don’t practice my morning pause, I can feel the difference in my mood during the day. My loved ones tell me they notice a difference, I even notice a difference in my animals when we skip our morning pause. And it’s not hard to do. It’s easy to forget about ourselves. But you can’t forget about number one, darling because that’s what you are! Decide to have a good day. Making a connection with the Divine first thing in the morning takes practice. Once we get the hang of it, though, that’s when the breakthroughs occur. Once we really nail down making our mindset work a priority, it’s a domino effect and everyone else will prioritize us, too, because we’re showing them how. Spend five minutes on yourself in the morning before you set off on your day and you will transform your good morning into a good day into a good life.

1. Afternoon stretch: do you sit for most of the day? Does your brain feel fried from staring at your screen? Are you constantly frowning down at your phone? Our body holds tension when our minds are overstimulated and stressed. By noon, we might already be worn out from constant information and stimulation. For those of us who have adulting to do, though, we can’t just tap out halfway through the day and go play outside. So the best way to access that internal reset button in limited space is to do something that gets your body out of the hunched over position and back into alignment. I invite you to incorporate these 4 basic spinal movements in three easy stretches. We will cover the first two spinal movements by flowing through the breath movement called om namaha which translates to create and destroy, simply inhale your arms up all the way, (extension) and exhale your body over your legs to touch your toes (flexion). To achieve a side bend (lateral flexion) we will do half moon. Inhale the arms overhead with the palms together, exhale and bend to one side. Inhale the palms up overhead, exhale to the other side. And for our twist (axil rotation) inhale your hands to your shoulders, exhale twist to the right. Inhale center, exhale twist to the left. Yeah. Let me know how that felt guys, let me know how you’re feeling. Any better than before you did those stretches? Five minutes. It only takes five minutes do do a few rounds of each of those and give your back some tender loving care.

1. Evening affirmations: if someone were to record your thoughts, what would they sound like? Before you get into bed, what loops are playing over and over again in your head? “I did my best today. I am checking in on myself. I am worthy of love. I make the world a better place. I am here, now. I got this. This too shall pass. I am strong. I am thankful. I am love.” When we shower ourselves with grace and compassion before bed, we paint a beautiful artistic masterpiece in our imagination for our subconscious to enjoy. We re-wire our brains to get out of restrictive self talk and into the abundance mindset needed to take quantum leaps towards our ideal future. Giving yourself a high five in the mirror, a thumbs up, even a smile after you brush your teeth is a nice gesture from you to you before you hit the hay. Even if nobody else likes you, you like you. That is enough. You are enough. I am enough! 

Say it with me! 

I AM ENOUGH!!!

T-Break Yoga: 3 Yoga Tricks to Fight Cravings

Give Yourself Grace

Do you feel like your head’s been in the clouds? Like you’ve been trying to numb the pain inside you and drown out the noise coming from all directions by smoking, drinking, eating, or maybe all of the above? With everything that’s going on in the world today, you might be feeling a little overwhelmed, like you need something to take the edge off just so you can relax.

If this sounds like you, you’re not alone.

According to the United Nations, about 158 million people around the globe use marijuana, 107 million people are estimated to have an alcohol use disorder, and 9% of the population admit to having eating disorders worldwide. That doesn’t include the people who suffer in silence.

Hello viewers, and welcome to my channel Kerrville Yoga, my name is Mae and today, we’re doing T-Break Yoga! Part one of two.

This is a free class for any of my friends who want to regain control of their physical, mental, and spiritual well-being without the use of any legal or illegal substances. 

Regardless of what addictions or attachments you have, no matter how small, taking a break from them is not an easy task. That’s why I’m here to help guide you through the motions when the going gets tough. 

When we take a tolerance or “T” break, the ego pulls out all the stops. The part of us that has cravings feels like it’s under attack, using every excuse, tantrum, and technique in the book to get what it wants. 

It’s up to us to STOP the monkey mind from jumping from desire to unfulfilled desire and feel whole and complete, exactly as we are. There is no substitute for settling into a comfortable seated position to observe the chaos from a calm and collected state.

This free, liberating yoga flow is a step by step practice that can compliment your 24hr, two day, or two week tolerance break. One of the secrets to having a successful break is to have something to replace the thing you’re trying to distance yourself from. 

Make a commitment to yourself to transform the fog into focus. 

Schedule a time to do this, to do the inner work, and get some exercise on the mat. Tell your friends. Get excited about taking control of your life! The insight and clarity you will gain from this time you take to be sober with yourself is invaluable. Trust me, you won’t regret it. 

Easy Pose

Let’s get started by setting an intention in a seated, upright, and comfortable position. You can begin in a chair or on the floor in a cross legged position. 

Bring your hands together at your heart center and set an intention to create space for yourself to feel whatever sensations pop up.

Notice if you feel uncomfortable, agitated, or like you want to throw in the towel already. 

Give yourself grace to feel these things and then let them go.

Imagine what it would feel like to let go of your addiction.

What would it feel like to be free, happy, and at peace?

Set an intention to pursue sobriety for your health and well-being.

On an inhale, offer your intention up to GOD, lifting your palms in the air.

As you exhale, bring your hands down and around back to your heart. 

Alternate Nostril Breath

Now for some controlled breathing or pranayama. Prana means life force energy, yama means restraint. If controlling your breathing makes you anxious at any time, return to your normal breath. Let it be your guide. Do not restrain your breathing if you’re not ready or if it isn’t right for you at this time. While alternate nostril breath is a great way to clear the mind of uncomfy thoughts and cravings, always be listening to your body.

Using the right ring finger, cover the left nostril and inhale through the right nostril for 4 seconds

1, 2, 3, 4

Alternate by covering the right nostril with the thumb as you exhale out the left nostril for the same amount of time

4, 3, 2, 1

Inhale through the same side

1, 2, 3, 4

Alternate, and exhale

4, 3, 2, 1

Inhale through the same side

1, 2, 3, 4

Alternate, and exhale

4, 3, 2, 1

Now change hands. 

Using the left ring finger to cover the right nostril and inhale for 4 seconds through the left nostril

1, 2, 3, 4

Alternate by covering the left nostril with the thumb as you exhale out the right nostril for the same amount of time

4, 3, 2, 1

Inhale through the same side

1, 2, 3, 4

Alternate, and exhale

4, 3, 2, 1

Inhale through the same side

1, 2, 3, 4

Alternate, and exhale

4, 3, 2, 1

Great job! If you are sitting cross legged, change whichever shin is in front as we tend to sit the same way every time.

It’s normal to feel light headed after giving your brain so much oxygen, so breathe normally in your easy pose to let everything settle down after our alternate nostril breathing.

Meditation Mantra

According to Merriam-Webster, a mantra is “a word or phrase that is repeated often or that expresses someone’s basic beliefs.” It originally comes from two Sanskrit words: “man,” meaning mind; and “tra,” meaning vehicle or instrument – a tool to transport the mind from a state of activity to one of stillness and silence. Mantras are often associated with praying or meditating so they’re best suited for positive self-talk.

Our Mantra Today: I am COMPLETE

I am COMPLETE

I am COMPLETE

I am COMPLETE

I am COMPLETE

I am COMPLETE

I am COMPLETE

I am COMPLETE

I am COMPLETE

I am COMPLETE

You can repeat this as many times as you need to banish any negative energy that’s trying to pull you under. Remind yourself that you are healing, you are whole, and you are perfect amidst the chaos . You have everything you need.

You are complete.

Say it one more time with me?

I AM COMPLETE!!!

Sending lots of love to you, dear!

Love,

Mae <3

The #1 Reason Why You Need Yoga

Good evening, Aloha, and Namaste!

Namaste means the light in me sees and honors the light in you. It’s a greeting and how we greet each other before and after yoga class.

Namaste.

My name’s Mae, and I’m the founder of Kerrville Yoga. Our goal is to bring peace to the community through yoga practice. 

Yoga means union and I’ve been united with yoga for over 11 years, gathering with me a group of beautiful souls who love tapping into their true nature. I recognize some of you but I also see some new faces so do say hello, give me some love and let me know how you’re doing. 

It’s Thursday, July 29th, 2021. The weather is hot but the plants outside are loving life because we’ve been getting so much random rain! I love it! I’m so glad that nature is looking alive around here. 

But how’s everyone doing?

How are we feeling in here? *points to heart*

No matter how lovely the weather is outside, if we’re not taking care of ourselves, it doesn’t matter. I’ve been hearing a lot of stories about transformation lately. I myself am constantly shedding old layers and uncovering who I truly am.

But change can be scary. Navigating chaos is a lot easier when you have a structure you can rely on. Natural rhythms can be extremely comforting when the going gets tough. 

The Number One Reason Why You Need Yoga

Is to unite yourself to LOVE! How can we enjoy our progress if we’re so busy diving into the next thing? How can we find joy in this moment now if we’re feeling scatterbrained?

“All things come together in yoga. With the help of yoga and meditation, one improves their physical efficiency, mental hygiene, and emotional state.”

Not only is yoga good for your body, it’s good for your brain, and the people around you. You might notice, after you start practicing yoga regularly, that little things that used to get under your skin don’t anymore. Speaking as an emotional person, I can tell you that if I skip my morning meditation, my wires are sure to get crossed at some point during the day. If I don’t do any movement on my mat, it’s like forgetting to brush my teeth but for my other bones.

“One who incorporates yoga into their daily rhythm provides an opportunity for their muscles and joints to get the attention they need in the areas that they need it most. Getting on the mat increases our body’s ability to fight stress. Students of any age can begin with a simple sun salute. By investing time in yoga daily, we improve our health across the board.”

I have students tell me that yoga changed their life. That’s why I teach because it changed mine. I want to make yoga available to anyone who needs it. No matter who you are, how old you are, what your career choice is, you can do yoga. I specialize in gentle yoga with a chair but there is a yoga class for just about anyone here in Kerrville. 

How we show up

“Getting to know your body through the movements of yoga may be a challenge. However, time spent practicing yoga equates to an understanding of how your system is doing today. How you are feeling, what you are eating, and your posture while you breathe now plays a role in how you will be doing those things ten years from now. In the grand scheme, dedicated yoga practice may cause metamorphosis.”

Climate change is changing our planet. It’s obviously not something that any one person can solve, but changing our world starts with changing our homes. How are we waking up? How are we going to bed? What are we doing with the time we have?

I want you to transform the negative self-talk into a positive narrative. It’s a daily struggle for me, too, but I’m dedicated to showing up for myself and for you. I’m here to tell you that you are a bad ass babe who deserves to be loved and celebrated for exactly who you are as you are!

The number one reason why we need yoga is to reconnect with LOVE! Slow down. Hit the pause button and just take a breath. We don’t need to buy anything. We don’t need to achieve anything. We’ve already got it, baby!

What’s our word?

Our word is LOVE! We are doing this because we LOVE each other! We are keeping each other accountable for our actions. We are keeping our side of the mat clean so that when the next generation comes they can have a space to practice on.

“Injuries to the spine of brawny journalist Brad Willis, made him think he would never be able to raise his son properly, let alone walk again. Inspired by his boy’s plea to “Get up, Daddy,” the man was determined to break free from that which imprisoned him. Introduced to minimalistic yoga poses, like legs up the wall, movement gently returned to his body. Now a healthy yoga advocate in California, Bhava Ram shares his story of heart opening, bodily transformation through the healing power of yoga.”

New Beginnings

If you’ve been thinking about trying yoga, there’s a new beginner series starting Wednesday, August 4th at 9am. 

Instead of feeling anxious, stressed out, or stretched too thin, you can feel calm, a deep sense of peace, and in alignment with your true nature. You will learn how to appreciate yourself more by staying in the present moment as we move through gentle and sustainable yoga poses.

With over 10 years of experience, I use gentle yoga as a healing therapy for myself and am eager to share what I’ve learned with you.

Focusing on proper alignment and full range of motion, this inclusive beginner series is designed to help anyone new to yoga learn the basics, is great for our friends recovering from injuries, and will leave even experienced students feeling confident in themselves and in their bodies after class. 

Treat your body to 6 weeks of Gentle Beginner Yoga with Me  

Wednesdays, 9am

Aug. 4th - Sept. 8th.

$85 for the entire series or $18 per class drop-in

I’ll drop a link to the yoga space’s website below

https://yogaspace-tx.com/events/wednesday-all-level-gentle-yoga-w-mae/?occurrence=2021-08-04

Announcements

Tonight, at the yoga space, we’re having a lovely vinyasa flow at 6pm. Our focus will be on fiery, fierce standing poses.

At humbling bloom, Kids yoga with Kathryn at 4:30 and Aerial Teen at 5:45pm is happening!

That’s all for today, I love you, I look forward to seeing you. Third Eye Kiss!

You Can - And Should - Learn a New Hobby: Guest Blog by Cheryl Conklin

When you think of a hobby, you may get an image of someone simply passing the time with an enjoyable activity. While hobbies are certainly fun, they are so much more than just a mindless way to spend a lazy afternoon. Hobbies can help relieve stress and may even be a great way to boost your income. Want to know more? Keep reading.

What Can You Do With Your Hobbies?

• Connect with friends. One of the greatest benefits of doing — or learning — a new hobby is that it allows you to connect with your friends and family. In an age where social-distancing has become the norm, we can use hobbies as a vehicle for human interaction. Even if you continue to keep yourself six feet from others, many hobbies are taught online, and you can even set up video calls with your friends so that you can engage together apart.

• Earn an income. Many people turn their hobbies into a source of income. If you are strapped for cash, consider selling the fruits of your leisurely labor. Before you go into business for yourself, first create an LLC, which can help you take advantage of certain tax breaks without a ridiculous amount of red tape or paperwork. Be cautious before moving forward as each state has different rules and regulations. A formation service, which will already have measures in place to ensure you are compliant, is a less expensive alternative to utilizing an attorney.

• Relieve stress. Hobbies are also an excellent stress reliever, especially for those with high-responsibility jobs and busy family life. Doing any activity that gives you pleasure promotes a sense of inner rejuvenation and can help you mentally and physically recharge.

Hobbies You Can Learn Today

If you don’t already have a hobby, that’s okay! There are many ways to learn something new, and you can almost always find classes online or in person. So grab a friend (or a group of friends) and get your creative juices flowing with these fun pastimes.

• Yoga. Yoga is more than just a form of exercise, it’s a way to create change from the inside out. Kerrville Yoga offers classes for beginners to help you uncover your inner Yogi or Yogini.

• Jewelry Making. Jewelry, like clothing or makeup, is one way that you can express your personal style. Learning how to make jewelry can help you take your individualism to the next level. Craft store Joann offers tons of tutorials online. Once you get good, you can schedule a craft swap with your friends and family.

• Birdwatching. Birdwatching is one of the safest activities you can do during the pandemic. You don’t even have to leave your own backyard. Birdwatching — or birding as the Audubon Center at Riverland calls it — requires little more than patience, a notebook, and binoculars.

• Cooking. Cooking is a hobby with a practical side. When you learn how to cook your favorite foods, you’ll be less tempted to dine out often, which can save you money. As an added benefit, you control your ingredients, portion sizes, and cooking methods — meaning you can eat better foods that are better for you.

• Photography. Just a few years ago, great photographs were reserved for those who could afford hefty cameras and an arsenal of lenses. No more! Now, you can use your phone to take stunning photographs and utilize editing software and filters to create amazing works of art.

Hobbies do so much more than relieve boredom. They can help squash stress while encouraging socialization, whether you choose to interact in person or online. The hobbies listed above are easy to get into and may even help you increase your income. The bottom line: Don’t be afraid to try something new because you never know what you’ll get out of it.

Kerrville Yoga offers classes seven days a week. Visit and see why yoga is a journey best taken with an open heart and the support of other like-minded individuals.

Image via Pexels

Beginner Breaths: Part 8: Love and Light

Meditating on self love by focusing on the good

FOCUS ON THE GOOD

As we reflect on the past eight weeks of yoga, imagine looking at the person you were when you first started your yoga journey. Why did you seek out the class? What did you want to gain from yoga practice? Is there anything you gained by showing up for yourself?

Remember our original thoughts and goals. Compare reality with expectation. 

Did you find the stretch you were looking for? Is there something you learned that you are excited to incorporate into your daily rhythm? What movements really made you feel alive?

In week two we talked about avoiding burnout. The best way to stay motivated is to stay disciplined because the truth is, motivation is situational. As your situations change so does your motivation. Doing yoga on a regular basis can help you maintain flexibility for longer periods of time. It’s better to do 15 minutes a day than 2 hours on the weekend.  

What’s Your Routine?

Having a system in place that serves as your routine in the morning or evening, your route back into yourself, allows you to perform at your highest level. Not only is your physical health changed by the poses of yoga, so is your mind.

When we make time to invest in ourselves by meeting our basic needs, we recharge our batteries and create a sense of stability amid the chaos of everyday life. 

Getting enough sleep, enough to eat, and enough movement while we breathe build a sustainable foundation for success. Practicing yoga can help you get to a good place if you’re feeling stuck. 

Your relationships thrive when you feel your best. You work better, create, and stay true to yourself better when you make time to do the things you love. Yoga makes a great hobby. But the tools it gives you prepare you to fight off negativity that tries to tell you you’re not good enough.

You are enough

Pain doesn’t have to be your normal. Yoga can change the way you feel inside out. 

Poses: Easy; Twist, Forward Fold, Bound Angle, Mermaid, Table, Cat Cow, Dog, Warrior One, Warrior Two, Forward Fold, Up Salute, Chair, Hug yourself. Yay! Tree, Warrior Three, Stick, Locust, Fetal Position, Twist, Aductor and Abductor lifts, Happy Baby, Rest with knees to chest.

Namaste.

Beginner Breaths: Part 7: Heart Openers

Opening up to a deeper understanding of your body. 

Open to Love

Today, the entire world is still experiencing life during a pandemic. Coming together and opening ourselves up to love is more important than ever. 

Good morning and welcome, thank you for joining me. My name’s Mae and today we are opening up to a deeper understanding of our bodies with Heart Openers part seven of eight of our journey through yoga. 

You may have noticed that I went a little MIA on the 27th and I don’t have an excuse for you. While my anxiety, work, and life may get in the way, this is my business and if I don’t show up for you, my customers, the truth is, nobody is going to get me in trouble. I’m not going to lose my job, I’m just going to have to accept the loss of trust with my students when I fail to show up. 

A little tough love can go a long way when we are being honest with ourselves. I didn’t show up for you because I didn’t schedule my week with the amount of mindfulness that I should have. So thank you for showing up this week and giving me another chance. 

Keeping our hearts open takes a lot of forgiveness. It means accepting what is happening around us without letting the negativity dampen our spirits. How have you felt recently? What emotions have you experienced. What do our hearts need?

Closed Off

The problem might not be the external world but perhaps our own internal one. Whatever childhood trauma we have in the back of our subconscious minds, whatever anger or resentment we feel towards people who may have hurt us may have created a wall between us and the ones we care about. It’s a lot of unlearning, but the time we spend working on healing is imperative to our success on the spiritual journey we share with one another.

The next time you are thinking a negative thought like, “What if they don’t like me?” I invite you to change that into, “What if they love me and we get along really well?”

The next time you are thinking, “What if I don’t get the job…” I invite you to change that into the most positive situation possible like, “What if I do get the job and they pay me more than I am asking for!”

The next time you are looking at yourself in the mirror and you think, “I wish I didn’t look like this,” I invited you to celebrate how far your body has taken you from birth to this moment, you have been fighting! You deserve a high five! Smack that mirror, up high!

When we don’t make enough time to analyze our inner dialogue, it will run us over. When we don’t slow down and focus on the things that spark joy in our hearts, we close ourselves off to the joy around us. We need to be happy alone in order to open up our hearts to happiness in our social lives. We need to be happy with who we are so that when we are alone with our thoughts, they do not bring us down but give us a break from the judgement of others. 

The Key to Unlocking Love

Opening up to love and joy means making a decided effort to check in with our wants and needs. The drama will always be there. We have to give ourselves a break from it by changing our perspective when we start to feel bogged down. 

How can we be happy, open, honest people if we don’t make time to sit still and quiet our thoughts? We can’t. It’s that simple. The people who are the worst off are the people who are completely disconnected from their bodies. When we don’t understand what our system needs, we are living in the past or the future. By checking in with ourselves, we live in the present. 

That’s why it’s so important to practice yoga. Take five minutes a day to simply focus on your breathing. If you don’t have five minutes, just take one breath each morning before the day gets away from you to simply enjoy the air you’re breathing. Focus your mind on the most important thing, your breath. Inhale. Exhale. You are at peace and you are open to new and exciting possibilities. 

In order to stay open to splendor, we have to tap into the divine energy that lives inside of all of us. When you’re stressed or anxious, your body will respond accordingly. Your shoulders tense, jaws, clench, and browns furrow. We lose sight of love when we lose sight of our connection to Spirit. Pray in darkness. Change this mantra:

“I seek love for my body.

I send love to the world.”

The subtle joy that curls your lips up towards your eyes after prayer or meditation is a gift that you can share with everyone you meet. 

It’s all Connected

Everything matters. The way we talk to ourselves, the way we talk to each other, has a vibration that can be felt on a physical level by anyone in the room. Some scientists say that vocal vibrations can even be felt from light years away and change the energy across the universe. This means that not only do people see your light, they also feel it. So shine bright!

If you can set the tone in the morning by creating a safe space for you to wiggle around and find the stillness again before going off on errands for your kids or getting yourself a coffee at Pax before work, you will change the energy for the rest of the day in the most positive way. 

We open our hearts by listening to the sound of silence. There is so much noise in our daily life coming at us from more directions that we can count and it makes it really hard for us to stay open and sensitive but I promise you it is worth it to soften your tone and change the way you respond to negative blows. 

Moving through the Door

So often, we are just going through the motions instead of tasting every bite and experiencing every breath that we take. How can we expect to open our hearts up if we don’t recharge our batteries with the things that feel good to us?

What activities can you think of that give you energy, that make your spirits soar?

Is there someone you love whose voice immediately calms your soul? 

Where do you go to replenish your spirit? Is there a cozy place that you slip into at the end of the day? Is there a nook or corner where you can find peace to pray or meditate alone? 

The next time you have a minute to pause, hold. Feel. Breathe.

Exhale out all the heaviness so that you can move outside of your pain and experience the calm emotions that the breath provides. 

On the Other Side

It kind of freaks me out how fast paced our lives are today. Everyday we get totally wrapped up in our social media accounts and there never seems to be an end to the streams coming at us, no break from the comparison game when we don’t make time for ourselves to put the phone down. 

What do we have to lose from letting go of that which drains our energy?

Nothing.

What do we have to lose from letting go of our self care routines?

Everything!

The people I've known who are the most unhappy are the people who just sit on the couch and watch TV during their free time. There’s not real connection there at all. There’s a huge lack of attention to the needs of the human body. You can’t be open to happiness if you’re not willing to give your body the proper care it deserves. We need silence. Our brains literally cannot function with constant noise. It’s not healthy. 

By investing in ourselves, we connect to the deepest truth: LOVE. And that is where God exists. How can we know God if we don’t know our toes?

Announcements:

February is the month of LOVE! For the entire month at The Yoga Space, if you bring a new friend, their cover charge is only $5!

Sara’s Tuesday night class is the perfect space for you to continue your yoga practice and introduce your friends to the union of mind, body, and soul.

Yoga Space is also excited to be offering Monday morning classes at 9am with new instructor Kelly.

I went to her class last week and she had me forget about all of my worries. Not only is her class relaxing, it also gives your body the workout it needs to get moving for the rest of the week. Start your Monday right at 9am with Kelly if it’s convenient.

The fun continues over at Humbling Bloom who is introducing a new event Thursday night at 7pm. Try their relaxing hammock sound bath meditation led by instructor Christina. Dress warm and get ready for a deep dive into your subconscious mind!

Couples Aerial Yoga will be happening so bring your sweetheart or gal pal to:

2/12 at 6pm - Teamwork Aerial Workshop

2/13 at 7pm - Couples Painting Class

2/14 at 4pm - Couples Aerial Workshop

I’ll see you at The Yoga Space Thursday nights at 6pm and Sunday mornings at 10am per usual this month! You can catch my Saturday class on Feb 20th if you’re a weekend warrior, maybe come that next Sunday as well!

I look forward to seeing you, thank you for joining me here today at KerrvilleYoga.com!

Namaste

Mae <3

Beginner Breaths: Part 6: Bound in Love

Bound in Love 

Embracing this body with love

Aloha! Welcome. I’m thankful you are here.

Do you believe in a higher power? If so, in what ways do you connect with Them? If no, do you feel the charge of energy you get when someone gives you a hug?

Good morning and welcome, My name’s Mae and today, we are sliding into week six of our eight week yoga program. Our theme this week is binds and how we use them in yoga to connect to a deeper stretch and a stronger grip on reality.

As the sun rises over the sleepy hills of Kerrville, its warmth charges the air with divine energy. The beams radiating from the center of our solar system travel almost 92 million miles to give us life and keep us from freezing. 

There is no deviation from the path we take around the sun. We are suspended in space, linked to a giant star that keeps us from spinning out into the abyss. Sunshine is the perfect example of how one majestic body can be bound to another in order to transcend any obstacles that darkness may hide and contain the joy we are meant to experience in this life.

Every time you hold something or someone, you are sharing your energy with them. Yoga means union with the Divine and we believe that when we bring the hands together at the heart center, we are connecting to the One who makes us glow. 

While we hold a bind, some movement is restricted so that we can get laser focused on what is happening energetically within the body. By holding our own limbs, we loop our energy from the mind back to the heart. This balance of force and grace teaches us that when we focus on the little details of our body, we are also focusing on the bigger picture instead of getting caught up in the distractions happening around us. 

What distractions do you find yourself bound to? What pulls you in this direction or that?

Just as we are bound to the sun so too is the moon bound to us. While the Moon directs the tides of Earth, it is not the one holding the balance. Earth’s gravitational pull keeps the Moon in orbit. 

We are just like Earth. We have a body that needs heat. We ride the waves of emotion created by the different phases of our mind. By practicing yoga, we unite the moon, stars, and planets together with the chaos that created them. The Spirit is who we are bound to. Whoever created hugs, that’s Who. 

We are hugging each other, bound in love, when we hug ourselves. So let’s practice giving ourselves a hug. 

GIVE YOURSELF A HUG

Deep breath in, open the arms out wide.

GIVE YOURSELF ANOTHER HUG

And change whichever arm is on top, give love to both sides of your body.

Yay! We just did our first bind! Do you feel the connection to yourself? That’s the power of a yoga bind.

What qualifies a yoga pose to be a bind? 

To understand binds you have to understand the different stretches you can achieve.

Ballistic stretch: We do not perform ballistic stretches in yoga because they can lead to injury. Ballistic stretching takes you out of your normal range of motion. Think of stretching a rubber band beyond its elasticity so that you briefly get a bigger band. If held for too long, the rubber band will snap! We want to avoid this. Nobody is going to press your shoulders down while you’re trying to get into splits.

Dynamic stretch: In a dynamic stretch, you are gently, but forcefully, swinging your limbs around. In Breath of Brahman, we practice dynamic stretching by using the momentum of gravity to work with us and against us to create a change in how our body responds to the movement. These kinds of movements can be practiced up to 10 times or until you get tired. 

Active stretch: An active stretch is a mentally guided movement where you can tell your leg to kick back or your arm to reach overhead and it does to its intelligent range of motion. This is predominantly how we stretch in yoga.

Before we practice the bind, we will explore the active variation of the pose to ensure that our body can go there safely. 

Passive stretch: A passive stretch is where you use your own force or some other force to assist you in the stretch so that you can relax. When we bring the legs up the wall, we are practicing a passive stretch. 

Static stretch: For a static stretch, you’ll need the help of a teacher or machine to take your joints through their full range of motion while you lie down, completely relaxed. 

Isometric Stretch: Finally, we come to the isometric stretch which involves using your own limbs or another object to help you achieve the stretch. Unlike passive stretching, isometric stretching requires you to stay active in your movement instead of relaxing into it. There is always a small amount of resistance involved in an isometric stretch. 

One more thing! There is a new kind of stretch in town called the PNF stretch. 

PNF stands for proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation. This involves doing an isometric stretch followed by some rest and then repeating the movement and was originally developed as a way to help stroke victims find ease in their bodies again. 

If you’ve ever taken a class with me, you’ve probably heard me say that proprioception is my favorite word! It means your body’s awareness of its relationship with space. That’s exactly what we’re talking about today, yall!!! It’s so important! Not only physically but mentally as well.

How does our body relate to itself in space? How are we connecting to ourselves and each other? What things are we doing to ensure we feel at ease in our bodies?

I’m so glad you’re joining me for YOGA! 

Smile at your body

May you be at peace

May your heart be always open

May you awaken to the light of your true nature

May you be healed

May you be a source of healing for others.

Namaste

<3 Mae

Beginner Breaths: Part 5: Happy Hamstrings

Beginner Breaths: Part 5: Happy Hamstrings

Stretching the legs safely

Flexibility

We all want to become more flexible. But what does being flexible really mean?

Hi, my name’s Mae, and today we are talking about the backs of the legs and what they need in order to keep you moving and healthy.

Being flexible means being able to simply bend over and pick up a penny off the floor with no problem. Anything beyond that really isn't necessary for us to function. A lot of people confuse hyper mobility with flexibility. The two are not the same.

Relieving back pain, improving posture, and moving better, yoga gives the backs of the legs much needed attention and improves flexibility. However, if we neglect to strengthen the muscles we are stretching, the fibers and tendons will become overstretched and may snap back to their inflexible state or worse. In order to keep the joints healthy and protected, we must be flexible and strong. Finding a happy medium between where we want to be and where we are now is the key to practicing yoga safely.

Let go of any idea you have about what being flexible looks like. It is all about how it feels to you.

Thoughts from mobility expert Diane Bruni:

“There seems to be a tipping point in one’s practice where flexibility morphs into instability. Either suddenly or gradually, the insidious signs of laxity in the joints can no longer be ignored. When the pain is bad enough we go to chiropractors, physiotherapists, and osteopaths, who tell us not to do yoga for a while and send us home with stabilizing corrective exercises.”

Balance is the Key

If you are sitting or hunched over, putting pressure on your low back and pelvis all day, stretching the backs of the legs can balance out the tension you may be feeling. Always be mindful of how the movement feels for your body. Where you can tell your body to go comfortably, where you can breathe easily, is the place to go to avoid falling over the intelligent edge of safe stretching. Find your intelligent edge by listening to the breath. It’s good to feel the stretch, but you don’t want to force the movement just to feel the pain. 

Yoga is about union with the divine energy that is loving and compassionate towards everyone, including yourself. 

Safety First

If you feel shortness of breath, stop what you’re doing and return to a recovery pose. Hamstring injury is among the most common injuries to happen during a yoga class because it is an area where many people experience tightness. We do a lot of sitting in the west. It’s not easy for us to access this area without making time for it.

Reality Check

You can't stretch yourself into perfection. Instead of comparing your body to other people, try focusing on how you feel in this moment. There are many good reasons to stretch and strengthen your body, but the most important one is for your own health and wellbeing. Flexibility and strength work together to protect your body against injury. If you are feeling something sharp and painful, stop! Breathe.

Listen to your body and honor what she can do in this moment. You will be happy!

Five Poses to Strengthen your Hamstrings:

Balancing Table

Warrior 1 Knee Dips

Modified Warrior 3 with a Block

Standing Splits (also a stretch)

Balancing Stick

Five Poses to Stretch Your Hamstrings:

Down Dog

Extended Leg Stretch

Triangle Pose

1/2 Pyramid or Full Pyramid Pose

Reclining Hand to Foot

Beginner Breaths: Part 4: Humble Warrior

Humble Warrior: Fighting for Peace

Friend or Foe

Throughout the day, we are being pulled in so many different directions that maintaining a peaceful state does not happen automatically. Do you feel bombarded by texts, notifications, and updates? Is your mind a victim of over stimulation?

Good morning and welcome, my name’s Mae! Thank you for joining me here LIVE from Kerrville, Texas. Please let me know where you’re from. How are you feeling? What emotions are really popping up today? 

All the emotions are asking for our attention. We’re being told to feel a certain way by so many different outlets who tell us we need to be happy, we need to be sad because of this or that, we need to be angry, we need to be disgusted with ourselves for gaining a few pounds over the holidays. But none of that’s true, right? The only thing we need is PEACE!

The only emotion that social media and news channels can not give us is peace. Peace is not going to be handed to us. We have to fight for it. We have to be strong in the face of apathy. 

We free our mind when we move our body, giving peace a chance. The warrior poses extend from our limbs into the emotions that get twisted up when we compare ourselves to others or listen to the commercial say, “don’t you wish you were someone else?” 

NO! 

Here, in your body, you are whole. You are safe. You are worthy. You don’t have to be a certain way or look a certain way, you are perfect just as you are. You are a reflection of the Divine and you deserve all the peace of mind that money can’t buy. 

Humble Beginnings

Bring your hands together at your heart center. Notice how priceless this moment is. You are here! Amazing! Feel your heart beating and your lungs breathing.

This is the breath of life that flows through you. The passion for your most beloved partner or friend is what beats in your chest. Whatever battles you are fighting, you will win! Whatever burdens you carry on this journey will be lifted off your shoulders soon!

Like the weather, our emotions do not stay the same for long. It is important to mentally check in with yourself when you get on the mat. Personal practice will sharpen your ability to stay dedicated to a healthier mind and body. Make it easier to try again tomorrow. Dedicate yourself to the poses without attaching yourself to any results. No goal can be achieved by wishing for it. Actual progress happens when you show up on the mat every day without a rigid expectation for how your flow will go. Even if your practice doesn’t entail more than a few seated postures, that is okay. If nice and easy is where your body is that day, take pride in the courage you mustered to show up. Our yoga mat will always be there as a foundation of peace in the battlefield of life. Our emotions go through a drastic, positive change after we practice yoga and meditation. 

Honoring your body in each moment means paying close attention to the breath. Your breath will guide you through each movement like a living prayer. As you breathe, so you move. Study where you are breathing. Notice how you expand and take up as much space as you need to so that when fear tries to knock you down you are cloaked in love. 

Unstoppable Force

The Warrior poses remind us to salute our commanders, aim for our targets, and glide over our enemies with grace and ease. By practicing standing balances on the mat, we strengthen the stability of our mind. Your peace is worth defending. 

“People try to get away from it all—to the country, to the beach, to the mountains. You always wish that you could too. Which is idiotic: you can get away from it anytime you like. By going within. Nowhere you can go is more peaceful—more free of interruptions—than your own soul.”

Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, 4-3

Peace is always in your corner. You just have to go to it and breathe.

Namaste

Beginner Breaths: Part 3: Core of Strength

Core of Strength

Invigorating movements that tone

During the full moon, we reflect on our achievements. What goals have you achieved? What steps have you taken to get you to where you are today?

What do you want most in this world? Did you know yoga can help you achieve it?

By uniting us with our true nature, yoga helps us see the possibilities for the future without losing sight of what we have here, now.

While breathing, meditating, and intentionally practicing yoga, we give ourselves a bit of grace. If an interruption occurs, we politely redirect our energy back to the breath. 

In this life, as householders, it’s completely normal to be out of touch with our body and especially our mind. But is it natural? It feels like our souls are trying to catch up with our bodies. Connecting the two together requires an amount of attention to detail that does not happen automatically. It takes time to learn how to let go of racing thoughts. We cannot expect to just plop down into meditation on our first time on the mat. 

Bringing our awareness back to the breath is a constant battle.

We have to find our core of strength and tap into its fiery energy.

United at the Core

Yoga translates to union, yoke. By doing yoga, we yoke ourselves to The Divine and unite their strength with ours. 

With our breath, we can access a state of peace that rests at our core and gives us the energy to accomplish whatever we set our mind to.

This core is made up of whatever your beliefs are. What do we believe in? Are we hopeful? Are we strong for our family when they are in need? What core values do we bring to the table in this life?

Where is the Core?

For this flow, we will be diving into some of my favorite poses to awaken the fire within you. The third chakra, located at the navel, has everything to do with status. Who you are, why you are that way, and how you maintain your body and mind all come together today.

Last week we talked about routine. This is very important to nail down if we expect our end of the deal to hold up. God can move in mysterious ways, but it helps if we are paying attention to Him. The route back into ourselves is not a ride we take so much as it is an exercise we must repeat. What little habits can we set up first thing to make the rest of the day easier, the weeks smoother, and our lives happier? Where is our core?

Physically speaking, your core actually starts with your legs, works its way up through your hips, and attaches at your lower rib cage.

The main purpose of the core is to support the weight of the arms and legs throughout the spine. We will explore how the core feels through these exercises which take us from seated, to our stomachs, standing, and down to our backs. Notice how the relationship of the arms and legs corresponds to the relationship between the core and back. When we work the core, we also work our back.

Core Poses 

Be mindful of your spine and at all times be listening to your body.

STAFF

Sit on the floor and extend the legs. Lengthen the spine. Plant the palms or knuckles down by your sides.

Be aware of: 

Tightness in the backs of the legs, do not lock the knees, back muscles getting tired

(Bonus) 

Try lifting one leg at a time to test the strength on top of your thigh.

BOAT

Start from STAFF, walk the heels in a little and bend the knees to your chest. Try lifting one heel off the floor at a time as you extend your arms out parallel to the floor in front of you. When you are ready, lift off of both heels, bend the knees to the chest, and balance on your haunches.

Be aware of: 

Compression of the lower back, do not lean back, keep heart lifted

(Bonus) 

Keeping your back straight, extend the legs up and reach the toes towards the sky

PLANK

Get down on all fours. Bring the hands directly beneath the shoulders. Extend your legs behind you without locking your knees, pressing to the balls of the feet.

Keep the back straight and head level with the spine.

Be aware of: 

Pressure on the wrists; use padding. Bring elbows towards each other instead of away.

KNEELING PLANK

Keep the knees on the ground for lumbar support.

(Bonus)

Lower your body all the way to the floor and press yourself back up again.

BABY SNAKE

Lay on your stomach, bring the hands under the shoulders and lift the palms off the floor. Press the toenails and pelvis down. Squeeze the shoulders together as you lift your chin as high as you can in the backbend.

Be aware of: 

Compression of the upper back and neck. Keep the head level. Don’t look up.

(Bonus) 

Use your arms to lift your torso up higher and give you a deeper backbend COBRA is in your practice

To exit BABY SNAKE, press to your hands, keep your elbows to your sides, and lift the torso up to KNEELING PLANK

FOREARM PLANK

On knees and forearms, hook the index fingers and middle fingers around the elbows to ensure that the elbows stay under the shoulders. Extend the hands or keep them clasped together as you lift off of your knees. The back is straight, the body is stiff as a board.

DOLPHIN

From FOREARM PLANK walk the feet close towards the face and bring the head between the arms. Reach the tailbone towards the sky and extend the legs. Press to the balls of your feet.

Be aware of: 

Compression of the upper back and neck, keep head level, press elbows down and shoulders away from each other.

(Bonus)

Lift one leg straight up into the air, toes towards the sky and switch legs. 

SIDE PLANK

From hands and knees, turn the right shin out 90 degrees, extend left leg behind right knee, press to the right hand and lift the left in the air

Switch sides

Again from hands and knees, turn the left shin out 90 degrees, extend right leg behind left knee, press to the left hand and lift the right in the air

Be aware of: 

Pressure on the wrist, shoulder relaxing, press into ground and bring elbow in.

(Bonus)

Lift off the knee and sweep the top hand beneath you and back up again

DOWN DOG

From PLANK shift your weight back from your hands to your feet. Lift the hips high and bring the head between the arms

Be aware of: 

Compression of the upper back and neck, keep head level with spine, pressure on the wrists, keep elbows towards each other, pad wrists, pressure at the head, be mindful of your breathing if you have high blood pressure, tightness in the backs of the legs, bend the knees, lift the heels off the floor

MOUNTAIN

Stand tall with hands together at the heart center, a neutral spine, and shoulders relaxed.

(Bonus)

Bring the hands to the sides and feel the peaceful energy

UP SALUTE

Reach both hands up overhead and press the palms together. Lengthen the spine.

FORWARD FOLD
Fold forward over bent knees and touch the floor. Slowly extend your legs for more stretch.

Be aware of: 

Tightness in the backs of the legs. Bend the knees.

CHAIR

Sit the hips back in an imaginary chair while you reach both arms up overhead as high as you can. The spine is long, the whole body is working.

Be aware of: 

Compression of the neck, bring hands together at the heart if shoulders are pinching the neck and upper back.

TWISTED CHAIR

Palms together at the heart center in CHAIR, reach right elbow towards left knee and come back to center.

Switch Sides

Palms together at the heart center from CHAIR, reach the left elbow towards the right knee and then come back to center.

Be aware of: 

Vulnerable tendons inside of the knee. Bring feet together or keep knees over ankles if feet are separated. Do not knock knees together while standing.

CAT COW

Press to the hands and knees. Wrists under shoulders, knees under hips. Inhale, feel the foundation beneath you in TABLE. Exhale arch the back and tuck the chin for CAT. Inhale drop the belly and lift the chin for COW.

RECLINING CHAIR

On your back, bring the knees up 90 degrees from the hips and ankles. You can use a block between the knees if you want more workout for the thighs. Otherwise, just squeeze the legs together and bring the arms behind your head. 

Be aware of: 

Compression of the neck and upper back. Try not to round but lift from the core instead of straining with the neck.

(Bonus)

Lift the head up off the floor no more than your body is comfortable with.

Core Stretches

JATHARA

Lay on your back, bring the feet behind the buttox and drop the knees to one side. Feel the twist throughout the core and spine.

BANANA

From your back, extend the legs out and cross the left ankle over right. Reach arms overhead and grab opposing elbows and forearms. As you push your hips to the left, reach your arms and legs to the right. 

Switch Sides

Extend the legs out and cross right ankle over left. Reach arms overhead and grab opposing elbows and forearms. As you push your hips to the right as you reach arms and legs to the left. 

Rest

CONSTRUCTED REST

Lay on your back and bring the feet wide behind the buttox, heels turned out, and knees resting together. 

Bring your hands to your abdomen and breathe.

THREE PART BREATH

Place the right hand over the heart and the left hand over your abs. Inhale a sip of air into the belly, another sip into the ribs, and a final sip of air into the tops of your lungs. Exhale release from the chest, to the ribs, and then squeeze the belly until no air is left. 

Inhale:

Belly, ribs, chest.

Exhale:

Chest, ribs, belly.

Namaste

Beginner Breaths: Part 2: Avoiding Burnout

AVOIDING BURNOUT

Greetings friends! How is everybody doing? Some of you have messaged me saying that you’re feeling the burnout. It’s the end of the year, we’ve all been through it, haven’t we?

If you’re feeling burned out, this message is for you! 

My name’s Mae and today we are journeying into week 2 of our 8 week yoga program here at Kerrville Yoga! 

Last week, we took it “EASY” and explored our “why.”

This week, we’re going to explore avoiding burnout while transitioning from point A to point B.

For most of us, 2020 has not been easy. This year has shaken us up so much that feeling burnout is going to be quite normal. Okay? It’s normal!

So having a deep understanding of your reasoning behind what it is that you’re doing, who it is that you’re doing it for, and how you plan to continue to move will help cut through the noise and give you a foundation that will allow you to move forward with clarity.

If you feel hopeless, anxious, or depressed, I have good news! You are a human! There’s nothing wrong with you! You are living, breathing, and feeling the world around you as it is. Feeling burnt out is just your body, mind, and soul telling you that it’s time to tap the breaks and get back to the basics. 

The best way to avoid burnout is to take care of yourself first.

One of the key elements of our discussion today is how we keep moving forward once we’ve gotten started. Well done for beginning with your breath! Just like breathing, avoiding burnout is a daily task.

Now, you might be thinking, it’s a little early to be addressing something like getting burnt out in just our second week of the program, but I happen to have a bit of a background in studying this sort of thing and it’s never too early to start preventing yourself from hustling into exhaustion.

My reason behind this script dates back to my days as an actress on the stage. 

During the run of a show, there is something known among the theater community as “second show slump.” 

The first show, we’re all hyped up, we’ve been preparing, we’ve been practicing, we’re ready for the audience. The second show, however, we’re all a little relaxed, yeah? On the second night, everyone feels confident enough in their abilities to perform that they stop keeping up with the little things like going over lines, rehearsing blocking, or warming up their voice that make a huge difference when it’s time for “places.” This energy among the group is almost never as explosive as it is on the first night, so there is an inevitable slump that the show will experience.

This doesn’t always happen. Sometimes, the second show is even better than the first. But for the most part, the second time around just isn’t as good as the first. 

In our yoga practice, we might feel a slump, so to speak, after we get going. So before we start to relax on our mats for more stretching, I encourage you to check in with your basic needs.

No matter how motivated you are by your “why,” if you do not take care of yourself, you won’t be able to show up.

How are you sitting right now? Your foundation anchors you to your breath. So notice how you are grounding yourself.

The diaphragm sits like a parachute, attached at the top to your sternum and at the bottom to your lower back. How you are sitting determines how well your breaths will go. Your seat is your breath foundation.

ROOTED IN PEACE

Yoga Journal submits, in a quote from this article that, “From the core to the floor, we root down. This creates total body integration, or the movement of all parts. With total integration, we start to move with more ease and purpose. When you build a solid structure from the ground up, stress, imbalance, and rigidity melt away, and you begin to expand in new directions.”

The importance of creating a strong foundation on the mat translates to your life off the mat. Instead of being pulled in many different directions, you learn to stabilize yourself. Steady gaze, steady mind, and stable foundation. Good rest. Plenty of nutrients. Frequent hydration.

GROUNDING DOWN

Have you rested? Have you eaten? Have you been drinking water? How are you maintaining your machine? Take care of the bare necessities so that you can connect to your body.

To transition from an EASY seat into a TABLE:

First, extend the legs to STAFF

Get the blood flowing to the backs of the legs. Pad the knees. Wiggle the toes. Curl and point the toes, push to the heels and bring the toes towards the face. Circle the ankles. 

Breathe.

From here, extend the legs out, maybe find a gentle forward bend, bringing the awareness from the back into the hips and legs. 

Pause. Feel the foundation.

Bring the knees in and up, feet wide to the sides of your mat, and carefully dip the knees to the right until your left knees are behind your right foot on a soft and flat surface.

MERMAID Bring the right hand down behind you, the left hand up, and push the hips forward.
Change Sides.

Feel your breath like the tides.

Slowly make your way from MERMAID to TABLE

With the shoulders over the wrists and the knees beneath the hips, we create a stable TABLE.

Your second pose is TABLE. 

Imagine your TABLE as your pilot light. You need to keep the fire burning in your belly at all times.

Get down on the ground, using a cushion if need be, and create a ninety degree angle with your knees, hips, and ankles. Your toes can be down or your toenails. Explore the movement in the arms as you reach the elbows towards each other. 

CAT COW

This movement stretches the back and abdominal muscles

Arch the Back - Exhale CAT

Lift the Heart - Inhale COW

Repeat the stretches

Breathe

Feel the spine

Notice the foundation beneath you.

PLANK to CHILD

This movement brings the energy to the crown of the head and back down to the base of the spine. 

Inhale PLANK

The idea is to find a space to activate and become rigid. Let the flames start to build.

Feel the energy at the top of the head, press to the hands, lift your knees off the floor. Notice the energy rise!

You can feel the core in PLANK and next week, we’ll really dive into more core goodness, but for today, our theme is channeling this energy not burning it out, so feel the stability beneath you, feel the burn, but don’t let the flame die out. Notice how you are supported. Let yourself release and refresh.

Exhale CHILD

Drop the knees, feel the energy move to the base of the spine.

Here, you notice that the world is calm. You can go into your shell. CHILD’S pose has a lot to offer, but it’s one of those that might also not be so easy for you. I advise stabilizing onto your elbows if you feel too much compression between the hips, legs, chest, or if the pressure at your head is too much.

The idea is to find a space to surrender and soften.

OM NAMAHA: Kneeling

Make sure the knees are padded accordingly. 

INHALE - Reach the arms up overhead, come standing on the knees

EXHALE - Bring the hands down to the ground, lower back down to CHILD

So how do we avoid burnout through the rest of our practice? By lifting our hearts and taking a breath! Don’t get overwhelmed. Don’t let your confidence blind you. Find balance between Inhale and Exhale.

Make your way back to seated.

From here, you can feel the stability beneath you, ready to support you in the future when you feel tired. You can plug in. You can practice mindfulness and recharge your batteries by breathing.

Confidence is high!

The crazy nature of today makes us long for an opportunity to rest and recuperate. Quieting the media and materialism, yoga is an effective way to give the mind a break and the body some love.

Yoga means union; balance thought with movement. Let go of stress in the mind by getting to know the body.

Focusing on strengthening, stretching, and relaxing, this beginner program helps us experience each breath with a graceful inhale and exhale.

Let’s journey together!

Meet me here next week for part 3: Core of Strength: Invigorating movements that tone. 

If you’re in Kerrville, I also have a few opportunities for you in the new year to do yoga with me:

Beginners are invited to join the

8 Week Beginner Series 

LIVE at The Yoga Space TX

Thursdays 6:00 - 7:15pm

January 7 - February 25

$100 for the series

To reserve your spot email 

kerrvilleyogaspace@gmail.com

Not ready to commit to a full $100 series?

Come to the brewery and try

Small Batch Yoga and Beer

January 23, 2021

11am-12:15pm

At Basement Brewers of Texas

The cost is $10 for the day

I only have 7 more spots available so email me today at

pose@kerrvilleyoga.com

to reserve your spot and FREE BEER!

You deserve it! Remember the key to avoiding burnout, take breaks often. Just be. Cheers! Merry Christmas! I’ll see you New Years Eve!

Namaste

Beginner Breaths: Part 1: Knowing your "Why"

Welcome to Kerrville Yoga. My name’s Mae, and today, we are beginning our journey together through 8 weeks on the yogic path.

This is the perfect place for you to start your if yoga is something you’ve been wanting to try but haven’t yet.

I’m here to lead you with loving compassion through the poses that have helped me feel good in my body. 

I want you to continue to show up so we can come together as part of the visible movement towards peace on earth that is taking place even here, now, in 2020.

What allows us to step off the hamster wheel we each are on so we can focus on the most important things in life? What gives us a place of community to explore our relationship to gravity in a safe and controlled environment? What gives us the opportunity to connect with Divine?

That’s right! Yoga!

Yoga gives us the tools and techniques we need to focus on the breathing, to get up and down off the floor, and to stay in a state of peace where we feel connected to our true nature even in the most stressful situations. 

But before we get into the deep breathing, poses, and sequencing of yoga, I have a very important question for you. 

Why are you here? Why are you showing up on your mat right now?

Addressing your current mindset will set the tone for your flow.

There is no wrong reason to do yoga but there are levels of your reasoning that will determine how effective your practice will be for you.

No two yogas look the same and no two people practicing yoga will have the same experience.

After 10 years of practicing and sharing yoga, one of the most common answers I get to the questions why are you here practicing with me is “to get more flexible.” While this is a perfectly good reason, and one that is similar to my own first reason, “why” which I’ll get into in a second, practicing yoga to become more flexible is a little shallow of a reason. I’m not trying to be rude, this is me giving you a little tough love. 

Because if you want to experience a transformation, you need to have a deeply rooted understanding of your reason for incorporating yoga into your daily rhythm to be effective.

Let’s say this is you, though, stiff, and just looking for some stretching, you’re here to get more flexible.

I wonder what happens when we run into a pose that you feel stuck in? What happens when your body tells you that it’s reached it’s physical limits in a pose? What are you going to do when you hit the inevitable plateau that all disciplined and dedicated yogis experience where they simply can’t go deeper into a pose without causing injury but it doesn’t “look” like their idea of how the pose should look?

Do you stop because yoga is not increasing your flexibility anymore? Do you come for the stretches and skip out on savasana, final relaxation!? 

I’m just curious because I was once trapped in this limited mindset that I could stretch myself into perfection.  

Back in 2009 when I first stepped foot into the Yoga Space, my reason why was to simply stay active after being told by my doctors that high impact sports were not good for my body’s delicate joints.

I begrudgingly showed up because I felt like it was my only option. My why at the time was very shallow indeed. 

However, after just one class, and at the end during savasana, my new and improved “why” made itself known to me in the form of an emotional breakdown.

Never before in my life had I experienced the stripping away of the ego, the control of the breath, or the ability to fully relax my physical body so that I could relax my mental one.

I left the class wanting more.

Why? Because I knew that I had just taken a bite out of enlightenment. I had tasted a life carefree and stress-less. I wanted to go back. Not only did I want to go back, I never wanted to look back at my idea of yoga being some boring exercise that was way too slow to be effective.

If we don’t slow down, how can our souls catch up with our bodies?

The subtraction of all distractions from the light within is why I practice yoga now and this reason runs so deep that I imagine I will never put my practice down.

With that being said, there are certainly days when I don’t have the motivation to unroll and tune in, but on those days, I know I need yoga the most because I’m so wrapped up in the distractions of the world, I am at risk of wanting to stay hidden from the light simply because darkness has been familiar to me for so long. 

I always feel better after yoga. But the joy comes from me making time for peace and not because every muscle in my body is more stretched out, even if that might be true. 

So without further adieu, the one thing you need to get started on your yoga journey is a comfortable seat!

Make room for yourself to breathe. 

Your first pose is EASY. 

Find an easy seat!

You can sit cross legged on the floor, or if that’s not so easy, you can use a chair. 

The seat is the first and the most important part of your health. Sit tall. Imagine your healthy spine lengthen as you meditate on your intention to connect with a divine healing breath.

From here you can begin to open up your chest, shoulders, and neck, freeing them from tension.

Relax your jaw. Un-furrow your brow. 

Notice how it feels to breathe.

Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies

Incorporating vegan food into your diet doesn’t have to be a fibrous, grass eating chore. You can have fun with the different substitutes for animal products like bananas instead of eggs! Your friends and family will be amazed by how tasty vegan treats can be.

PERFECT for party favors, holiday dessert, or late night snacking at 2am, these Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies are sure to please!

Blend

1 Banana

3 T Almond Milk

1 t Vanilla

1/2 C Vegan Butter 

1/2 C Brown Sugar 

Pour wet ingredients into a bowl 

In a separate bowl 

Sift

1/2 t Salt

1 t Baking Soda

1 1/2 C Flour

Mix together by slowly adding the dry to the wet.

Fold 

1 Cup Vegan Chocolate Chips 

Let dough chill for 20 minutes 

Warm up the cookie sheet 

Drop rounded spoonfuls of cookie dough onto your heated up nonstick surface 

Bake at 350 degrees for 15 mins 

Try not to eat all of them by yourself. 

Mindful Meal Planning: 7 Steps to Incorporate Vegan food into Your Diet

“And God said, “Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit. You shall have them for food. And to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the heavens and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food.” And it was so.”

Genesis 1:29-30

There is a word we use in Yoga called Ahimsa. It means non-harming. 

Do what you want as long as you aren’t hurting anyone. This includes what you eat. The principle may seem pretty basic, but putting it into practice takes careful consideration. In order for your body to function properly, there are a few things it requires. The special recipe of protein, vitamins, and fats may vary depending on your body’s unique needs. 

Eating right means practicing mindfulness. What does that look like for you?

One universal truth is that if we are mindful of the things we consume, this mindfulness will seep into the rest of our lives. Wanting to eat right is easy. It’s the self discipline and the ritualistic lifestyle that’s the hard part. 

That’s why these 7 steps are being made available to you, so that you can embark on your own health foods journey with a solid foundation of knowledge.

While eliminating meat from your diet allows you to feel the peace of ahimsa, non-harming, contributes to the happiness of innocent animals, and sends a message of sustainability to those who follow in your footsteps, it is also an incredibly personal decision. 

No matter how convincing the Netflix documentary may be, no matter how many glowing models use the hashtag #govegan, if you do not have it in your heart to commit to a vegan lifestyle, don’t force it. And if you want to try vegan food without feeling the pressure of committing yourself to it forever, that’s cool, too.

Let go of any and all expectations you have for yourself or for the people around you right now. You have to do what’s right for you. There are no shoulds and should nots. The only thing you should do is whatever you want. 

What is a vegan?

A person who does not use any animal products.

Being a vegan means you believe there is a better alternative to animal products.

Jesus and Paul were both open to vegetarianism but can be seen eating fish like in Luke 24. Even they knew that eating your vegetables was essential for healing faster.

While anyone can go vegan, it’s important to seek medical advice before making any changes. Always do what’s right for you.

Doing what’s right for you means paying attention to how you’re feeling after you eat. You have to really be mindful of the nutrients you are getting, how good you are absorbing them, and what effects vegan food might have on your body. 

You have to be mindful to be a vegan. However, you do not have to be vegan to practice eating mindfully.

Mindful eating allows you to create a positive relationship between food and your body. Being aware of the energy that is flowing through the food and into you.

“A yogi should practice moderation in their diet. Keep meals simplified and cook as little as possible. Eat raw and fresh foods. Take small bites. Chew mindfully and slowly. Savor the flavors on the tongue. Allow the saliva in the mouth to begin the digestive process before you swallow.”

Step 1: know why you eat

Why? - What kind of foods make you happy? Why do you want to cook? Why do you want to eat? Who is this for? Get excited about transformations in the air. Loving food is part of loving your body. You can take notes about how your body is feeling on a regular basis and gain clarity on your health goals by writing down your why. When you share your thoughts with others, you can use this as a reference. When someone asks you why you are doing this, you will know exactly why because you have written it down.

Knowing your why will give you the energy you need to move forward with your foundation of healing.

Step 2: Stability Precedes Action

Stabilize - Take inventory of healthy food you already have on hand that can be made into something delicious. One of the biggest mistakes you can make is to go out and buy a whole shopping cart full of fruits and vegetables thinking that having them in the house will encourage you to eat them. Let me save you the money right now. Use what you have and build off of your current inventory. Once you know what you already have, you can proceed to the next step. Do not plan a meal without first looking at what you have in the pantry.

Creating a stable foundation for your meal plan starts with using what you got.

Step 3: Mindful Meal Planning

Plan - Finding your own pace means making a map. Meal planning is the biggest step and it’s almost impossible to do if the first two steps aren’t completed. You have to get clear on your why, and you have to figure out what you have so that you don’t create unnecessary waste by buying more stuff.

The meal plan you create will depend on your pace if life. You can make a weekly meal plan, every other day, or just what’s on the menu tonight. Starting with tonight means taking 15 minutes in the morning before everyone parts ways to finalize dinner plans. This communication among family members can give you a headstart on mentally preparing supper for them and they can voice any objections before you’re already invested in something they won’t eat. Lead the conversation with your ideas and be ready for input.

After you understand everyone’s needs, you can even ask for help. The prep work of washing up, the shopping for missing ingredients, whatever you need can be a task for someone if they are feeling helpful. Planning for prep jobs is a part of planning the meal.

Another important part of planning your meal is factoring in the nutritional needs of you and your family.

Nobody’s meal plan is going to look the same. Just like nobody’s yoga looks the same, we all have different needs when we show up in our spaces.

It is important to educate yourself about what your specific body needs are. Including vital nutrients into your plan will allow you to figure out a completely balanced diet that your family will love. 

Vital Nutrients

Protein and Amino Acids

Nutritional Guidelines suggest a daily intake between .6 and 2.2 grams of protein per pound.

Once you figure out what the protein needs of you and your family are, there are a variety of ways you can get that protein. Easy to find, plant based protein is versatile,  When paired with the right vitamins, it is also a more efficient fuel for your body. 

Energy from plants comes directly from the sun, water, and earth. 

Why not go directly to the source?

Beans per ½ Cup

Grams of Protein

Black Beans

7.6

Garbanzo Beans 

7.5

Kidney Beans

8.1

Pinto Beans

7.7

Edamame

14.3

Nuts and Seeds per ¼ Cup

Grams of Protein

Almonds

7.3

Cashews

5.2

Peanuts

8.6

Pecans

2.5

Pistachios

6.4

Walnuts

4.4

Quinoa 

4

Hemp 

12

Vitamin B12

Vitamin B12 keeps your nerve and blood cells healthy, prevents anemia, and makes DNA. The only reliable vegan source of B12 is found in supplements. B12 also helps us metabolize food, build calcium and maintain strong bones.

Vitamin B12 supplements should be sublingual, made to dissolve under the tongue, to better absorb the whole amount. Take the vitamin at the same time everyday for the most effective results. 

You might ask yourself, is this natural to take a pill? 

Vitamin B12 can be found in dirt. It’s not even an animal product and animal eaters can also be B12 deficient. Instead of eating pigs who ate dirt, I would rather eat a pill.

Based on mindfulness and concern for the future and with the knowledge that our actions today will affect tomorrow, we can decide to take a pill and also be aligned with our goal to act natural.

In nature, we get B12 from the earth on our foods and the bits of sediment in our fresh river water.

We have always been provided this vital nutrient without harming anyone.

Calcium

As we age, our bones reach a peak bone mass. At about 45 and especially in women, we can expect bone loss to speed up. 

While genetics and age play a role in calcium absorption, it is important to get an adequate intake of calcium throughout all stages of life as well as take 10-15 minutes to go outside and get vitamin D on your skin. The natural sunlight will help you fight depression and the vitamin D will help you better absorb calcium.

We need to absorb 1,000mgs to 2,000mgs of Calcium everyday. How much calcium doesn’t matter if you’re not properly absorbing it. Getting Vitamin C from sources like oranges will aid in the absorption of Calcium in your body.

Unit

Grams of Calcium

1 Cup Broccoli

60

1 Cup Carrots

40

1 Cup Okra

120

2 Cups Spinach

300

1 Cup Soy Milk

290

1 Tbsp Tahini

120

1 Tofu Cube

100

1 Cup White Northern Beans

160

Iron

Iron deficiency is the most common deficiency in the world. The iron needs of a person range from 7-27 milligrams per day depending on how old you are, your gender, and if you are pregnant or breastfeeding. 

Most women need about 17miligrams per day to have healthy blood flow and oxygen in the lungs. The amount will very depending on if you are pregnant or breastfeeding.

Unit per Cup

Milligrams of Iron

Kale

1

Spinach

1

Lentils

6.6

Kidney Beans

15.1

Oats

3.4

1 Bar of Chocolate

13

Iron is abundant in dark chocolate. This is good news for us chocolate lovers! 

Omega-3 

There are many opinions on how much Omega-3 a person needs in order to have healthy blood and brain function, but the minimum is about one gram each day for healthy adults. 

The easiest way to get omega-3 on a plant based diet is through nuts and seeds. 

Unit per ¼ Cup

Grams of Omega-3 

Flaxseeds

13

Chia Seeds

10

Walnuts

5

Once you’ve established a healthy meal plan for the week, ensuring that it includes breaks so you don’t get burned out, you can move your ideas down the funnel and turn them into something concrete. 

Step 4: Meal Prep

Prep - This is arguably the most labor intensive and frustrating part. Remember your helpers if chopping is a job they can manage. If all the work is on you, the sooner you get started on things the better. If it’s possible, include doing the dishes and clearing your prep space into your morning routine. Get things out of the freezer that need to thaw. Let things marinate/ rest. It helps to label your prepped items so they don’t feel forgotten. In the morning, after your coffee or tea, review your meal plan and do what you can to help expedite the cooking process later on.

Bake muffins on your night off so you have easy breakfasts for the work week, chop some carrots and celery to dip in hummus when you’re feeling snacky, and throw the Wunderbars in the fridge for late night cravings. 

Avoid going out for instant gratification by preparing for a meal that will make you really happy.

Step 5: Kiss the Cook

Cook- Blow a kiss in the mirror, because YOU GOT THIS!!! Once you have everything prepped, fire up the grill! Have fun. Let your cooking be a form of meditation for you, not a burden you are a slave to. Enjoy the smell, color, and taste of the garden in your kitchen. Set timers if you need to. Keep landing pads ready for hot plates. Get everything exactly the way that you want it. This is your magnum opus! 

Step 6: Gather and Enjoy

Enjoy - You earned it! Savor the flavors. Laugh through the failures because they are just going to make you stronger. I always feel my best after my husband and I have sat down together for dinner.

Step 7: Reflect on the Good and the Bad

Reflect - What worked? What didn’t work? Is there anything you want to do differently? 

We can learn a lot from our mistakes. In moments of pause and reflection, we can do our best creative thinking. Remember to take it easy on yourself if things didn’t turn out exactly as you had planned. Having unrealistic expectations can be just as damaging to our long term health as not giving any effort at all. 

Don’t forget to journal! The only way you will know if something is working for you is if you record it in your own handwriting. It takes practice, but keeping a consistent diary will turn a sudden reflection into an eternal epiphany. Shoot for zero waste. Make happy plates or brainstorm ways to give your leftovers new life. If you have leftovers and meals planned for tomorrow, you might consider adjusting your meal plan so things don’t spoil. If your husband is like mine and he doesn’t like to eat the same thing twice in a row, schedule in the leftovers between lunches and dinners so things don’t go to waste and everyone is happy with the rotation.

Conclusion

No matter what diet you follow, educating yourself about what you’re eating is . Read the label. Look for fresh, unprocessed foods in the grocery store. Save a spot on your plate for greens every meal. Snack often. And have fun! Not all of us grew up with chefs for parents, so managing a kitchen can be a little stressful. It’s totally normal to want to give up, but the rewards for sticking with your ahimsa diet are priceless. 

salad in a jar:

1 T vinaigrette

1/8 C dried cranberries

1/8 C pumpkin seeds

1/2 of a pear

2 cups Spring Mix

Source: Vegan 4 Life, everything you need to know to be healthy and fit on a plant based diet. By Jack Norris and Virginia Messina. 2011 Da Capo Press Cambridge, MA

The Sivananda Companion to Yoga, a complete guide to the physical postures, breathing exercises, diet, relaxation, and meditation techniques of Yoga. By Lucy LIdell with Narayani and Giris Rabinovitch. 1983 Gaia Books Limited, London.

Be Still Retreat: Fall 2020

You are invited to the Fall Be Still Retreat

Oct 16, 5:00 PM – Oct 18, 10:00 AM

A Rule of Life, or Way of Life is a traditional monastic tool for shaping one's days around one's values. Changing the world starts at home, so we are going to be working together to create spiritual practices and practical routines that help your home run smoothly and feed your spiritual life. Session leaders will share practical tools for values driven home management alongside spiritual disciplines for following in the footsteps of Jesus. We will close with a workshop to collaboratively draft a Grassroots Abbey Rule of Life; one that is flexible enough to serve us all, but strong enough to support and unify us as a larger community. 

Enjoy this retreat and workshop from the comfort of your own home via Zoom.

March 28, 2020

Here is our schedule:

Friday

7pm - Welcome, Introduction, and Opening Prayer

9pm - Great Silence Devotional, Yoga, Night Watch Instructions

Saturday

8am - Awakening Hour, Guided Journaling

12pm - Hour of Illumination, Walking Meditation

4pm - Wisdom Hour, Mindful Meal Planning

7pm - Twilight Hour Devotional, Way of Life Workshop

9pm - The Great Silence, Yoga

Sunday

8am - Awakening Hour Meditation

9am - Worship and Closing

Back to School: trust your inner unicorn 🦄

Limited Space Available for Kids Yoga Workshop in Kerrville

By now, the many updates about when school will be starting may have caused panic in our homes. However, in the midst of chaos, it is our job as caregivers to set good examples of emotional health and physical wellbeing for our kiddos despite how hectic things get. Yoga is a tool that can strengthen our ability to provide patience, grace, and stability for our children.

Patience

When feelings of annoyance, pain, or misfortune arise, it is easy for the mind to get caught in violent, emotional vibrations. While it might not be so easy for the little ones to learn this lesson, incorporating patience into your daily rhythm will show your child how they might manage the fluctuations of the mind.

Have you ever felt stressed while waiting in line? Use your next doctor’s office visit or trip to HEB as an opportunity to practice vigilant waiting. Feel your body, breathe deep, don’t stress.

By being here, now, even when there is nothing more we can do about the situation, we show our children how patience works. From learning how to balance, to listening to the teacher at the end of class say, “Breathe deep and slow, like you’re filling up a balloon,” your child’s experience in a yoga class will increase their ability to practice patience.

Patience is a valuable skill that is important for kids to learn and adults to practice. Especially during times of instant gratification from our electronics and screens, we need to be showing our kids how to turn waiting into resting instead of stressing.

It’s okay! Good things are coming. Just you wait.

Grace

Things feel a little weird and uncomfortable right now. We all feel it. And we are all here for each other, no matter what. If you have noticed an uptick in bad behavior, lethargy, or irritability, you are not alone. We need to convey the message to our children that they are not alone, either. 

During our darkest hours and on our worst days, we are still worthy of love, and so are they.

Make it a point to encourage your child and love them hard next time they are acting out. Let them know that your love for them is unconditional. It’s tough, it’s scary, it’s boring, it’s life. And we are in it together, like it or not. 

In yoga, we manifest grace when we listen to our bodies. 

What is your body telling you at this moment? Pause, breathe, and listen without judgment. If you can practice this on yourself, you can teach it to your little ones. 

Yes. We all fall down. 

But why? What beautiful lesson can we learn from our mistakes? What is God trying to teach us?

Psalm 26:2-3

“Test me o Lord and try me, examine my heart and mind, 

For I have always been mindful of your unfailing love

And have lived in resilience on your faithfulness.”

Stability

It's our job to provide our children with safe spaces for them to express their wants, needs, and concerns. Maintaining a balance of creativity and structure 

Helping our children feel more stable and confident looks like actively listening to them when they speak, reaching out to them when we notice they are hurting, and letting go of our expectations for them when we notice feelings of disappointment arise. 

We are not meant to be controlled or pulled in so many different directions.

Learning how to balance on the mat with your child will translate to learning how to balance life off the mat at home, and back to school this fall.

Schedule time to connect with your kiddos.

August 9th I will be leading a back to school yoga workshop ideal for students ages 4-8, but all ages are welcome. ! Space is limited, so please email 

To reserve space for you and your brood, email

kerrvilleyogaspace@gmail.com

We’ll be doing yoga storytime, yoga games, and painted rocks. Goodiebags with treats from Kerrville Health Foods will be available to take home at the end of class.

I look forward to seeing you there!

Trust your inner unicorn 🦄