Wednesday, October 10, 2012
Too tired for a long workout? Need to stretch after a long run, working
outside or long day at the office? Try using some simple floor postures in that
will create relaxation and balance.
Get flexible, help with back pain, stimulate your prostate gland, improve digestion, and create healthy feet with one of the safest and most accessible postures that almost anyone can do using props. Reclined big toe is several postures in one. As with all of our 101 postures, be sure to check with your physician before you begin a new exercise or wellness program. Regular practice of Supta Padangustasana can balance your body and mind and create flexibility, help alleviate back pain, improve your digestion, and help with flat feet. Find a space and take time to add the posture to your busy day. Namaste. Yoga Happenings This week the long-awaited grand opening of Bella Prana opens on Saturday, April 21, at 1000 Kennedy Blvd. Along with …
Saturday, September 8, 2012
Columnist Erin Wheeler shares the inspiring story of Michelle Smith and her journey into yoga.
I wanted to share one women’s story, her relationship with her dying brother and how it connects on and off the mat. So I asked Michelle Smith if she would share her journey into the world of yoga. The path to yoga is never a straight line. Our experiences before we step on our mat and the healing process usually involves a lot of change in order to move ahead with our path. Smith and three others are starting a six week series on Attaining Peace (Movement Breath work and Healing Techniques for Coping with Life’s Changes). Erin Wheeler: Could you tell me a little about yourself? (Where you grew up, and what led you to this work?) Smith: I’m originally from Washington D.C., and moved to Tampa in the late 80’s with my parents. I grew up in…
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
Annie Okerlin of Yogani Studios is helping RNC attendees find an "Oasis" in Tampa, but her bigger passion is helping injured veterans heal through yoga.
A few blocks away from the hustle and bustle and nonstop noise of politicians, journalists, protesters and law enforcement colliding at the Republican National Convention, Annie Okerlin is providing a bit of serenity. Okerlin, who owns Yogani Studios in South Tampa, is one of several yoga instructors pitching in at the "Oasis," a posh yoga and massage station and spa set up inside Aja Channelside and sponsored by The Huffington Post. The scent of grapefruit candles wafts through the air of the second-floor sanctuary, which features a squishy, padded floor, dim lighting and a juice bar serving coconut water. Politicians, journalists and celebrities have been invited to the Oasis, intended to be a respite from the stresses that come with …
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Tuesday, August 14, 2012
Maybe you were slouching at the dinner table, drooping at the desk in school or hunching during roll call in the military, when you were told to “sit up straight” or “stand up straight.”
In our youth we tend to take our posture for granted. As we age, reluctantly, we have to admit that Mom was right, having bad posture takes a toll on our bodies, returning us toward a fetal position. Our pelvis begins to tilt forward, our chest moves inward and our shoulders move forward, creating a “C” shape in our posture. However, the good news is that yoga can help delay and reverses part of this inward journey. The camel posture can improve mobility in the shoulders, flexibility in the spine, lengthen hip flexors, stimulate organs in abdomen and neck, as well as strengthen the legs and abdomen. Also doing backbends can be invigorating. Structurally, they open up the chest, shoulders and spine, and energetically lead with the …
Tuesday, August 7, 2012
Finding time to let the body rejuvenate and relax, with legs up the wall.
Navigating traffic along I-275’s malfunction junction, recovering from storm damage from a tropical storm, shuttling kids back and forth to summer camp, and just working outside can be stressful. Trying to keep calm and cool through the long summer months in Tampa Bay can be challenging to say the least. We also spend a lot of time in cold air-conditioning, sitting upright with knees bent and hips in a neutral position at our jobs, at restaurants, at sporting events, and at the movies allowing our circulation to decrease. Yoga can help relieve circulatory problems and release excess stress. Lying down on the earth in savasana, yogic breathing and legs up the wall posture are some of the simplistic ways to add yoga to a busy stressful …
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
There are fun events in Ybor City, St. Petersburg and downtown Tampa that take the energy of a tribal dance and night clubbing and fuse them together within a fun healthy yoga atmosphere.
As the yoga world continues to evolve and incorporate other sports and activities, Tampa Bay will see more events that include, art, dance, music, bootcamps, paddleboarding, kayaking, and many other hybrids making their way into the community. This month, yoga, dance and live music are putting Tampa Bay on the map and catching it up with the yogic world around it. There are a number of fun events in Ybor City, St. Petersburg and downtown Tampa that take the energy of a tribal dance and night clubbing and fuse them together within a fun healthy yoga atmosphere. Although some styles of yoga may seem like a static practice, many styles incorporate body vinyasa, movements between postures and elements of sahaja (fluid) postures. In fact, …
Tuesday, July 3, 2012
The power of touch is an amazing gift. A touch on the hand, shoulder or full body hug starts by touching our bodies together on a cellular level and can lead to a spiritual level.
I was reading Personal Growth - Have You Hugged Anyone? by Parveen Chopra. The last line in this very informative article is “It only takes a hug, a heartfelt and warm embrace, to change the lives of others.” A hug may seem simple, but it has such great power. When you allow your heart to be pressed against someone else you connect the heart chakra anahata, which is associated with compassion, love, charity and the sense of touch. The Latin word for heart is cor. Cor eventually became the word courage, which originally meant to speak your mind from the heart. Although I am not a psychologist and I do respect people’s personal space, I have the courage to be vulnerable. If you are uncomfortable receiving and giving hugs, try this for a …
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
The 60-Day Yoga Challenge can help you find inner peace and change your life forever.
Nathan Bangs, founder of Yoga Tampa Bay and the Rasa-Lila Fest, created the community event on Facebook that has over 100 people across Tampa Bay committing to practice yoga five days a week, for nine weeks. “Building the yoga community in Tampa Bay has always been a passion of mine. I started the 60-Day Yoga Tampa Bay Challenge to pull the community together with one goal in mind: Unity." This challenge is a perfect opportunity to give you the gift of yoga. You can take a class at a studio or you can practice at home. Yoga is an ancient art form that melds with all races and religions. It helps us understand ourselves better and then it helps us live in the world with more peace for ourselves and each other. The yoga community in Tampa …
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
Did you used to want to be an artist, a musician, dancer, singer, writer, a yogi? So why don’t you any longer?
If it comes from a place of fear, that’s resistance. I recently attended a workshop with West Coast Yogini Kathryn Budig. Budig urged her class to “move from a place of love not fear.” For example, she spoke of the first time she went skydiving and realized that the fear she felt wasn’t about dropping 14,000 at 150mph, it was the fear of the unknown that scared her. Now she skydives all the time and loves it. When we replace love with fear we can live life to the fullest. When I started to practice Yoga, I was always in a state of fear and resistance. I had anxiety that I was going to hurt myself, that I was going to do it all wrong, that I was going to pass gas, or that I was going to fall on my face. Since I lived most of my life …
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
Let’s get outside in the warm tropical air and take our practice to the beach, park, pool or on vacation. Yoga can be done almost anywhere with very little equipment, so you can take yoga with you this summer.
Depending on your mood, you can do yoga under a fan in a quiet sunrise class or at sunset in the cooler evenings, using a gentle practice with: Like it hot? Stay hydrated and create a challenging midday fire practice using the warm tropical air. I recommend that if you intend to practice longer than 20 minutes, find a screened-in porch or shady spot to avoid getting overheated or sunburned. For a strong fire practice, try incorporating: Want to work on your tan and warm up before you jump in the Gulf or pool? Experience the warm sunshine, outdoor sounds, fresh air and glow on your skin. Put a towel down and do a short practice with some basic postures like: Downdog, Plank, Paschimottanasana, Janu Sirsasana, and Baddha Konasana. After …
Erin Wheeler
7:09 pm on Wednesday, September 5, 2012
So happy you enjoyed it Maggie and Lee!! xoxo Thank you Michele! more ›