'It's going to be a good year'- that's what everyone keeps saying! So lets keep the good vibes going and see what we can achieve. One inspiration is my Yoga studio, we have a lot of new offerings this year and I am proud to be a part of the Satya Life Yoga team!
Check out our latest Newsletter and feel free to share why 2012 will be prosperous!
Namaste
Whitney
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Teaching in a New City
Lakeland, FL has started to feel like home. Breaking in to the city as a new Yoga instructor with a Canadian passport was not easy at first, but it has been a heart opening experience.
Finding a gorgeous studio to study, grow and teach at was a huge blessing. Satya Life Yoga has been a perfect place for me to connect with like-minded friends and find a way to continue my Yoga journey.
The biggest lesson that I have learned is how to open your heart. Since studying at Satya my practice has veered toward an alignment focus and a million and one ways to open your heart. My confidence, upper body awareness and strength has awakened. Finding upper back strength has really helped with low back tension, too. My favourite heart opening class has been Aerial Yoga. We fly very, very high in this class! It gives amazing traction for the whole spine and the anti-gravity feeling is phenomenal. So grateful to have such a unique class offered at the studio. The combination of classes I take on a weekly basis have strengthened my wings;)
So thankful for everything Lakeland, FL has shown me.
Peace, Love & an Open Heart!
Let me know if you have ever done Aerial?
Finding a gorgeous studio to study, grow and teach at was a huge blessing. Satya Life Yoga has been a perfect place for me to connect with like-minded friends and find a way to continue my Yoga journey.
The biggest lesson that I have learned is how to open your heart. Since studying at Satya my practice has veered toward an alignment focus and a million and one ways to open your heart. My confidence, upper body awareness and strength has awakened. Finding upper back strength has really helped with low back tension, too. My favourite heart opening class has been Aerial Yoga. We fly very, very high in this class! It gives amazing traction for the whole spine and the anti-gravity feeling is phenomenal. So grateful to have such a unique class offered at the studio. The combination of classes I take on a weekly basis have strengthened my wings;)
So thankful for everything Lakeland, FL has shown me.
Peace, Love & an Open Heart!
Let me know if you have ever done Aerial?
Thursday, March 31, 2011
YOGA JOURNAL HAS A TALENT SEARCH
Hello blog readers-- that is if you still exist! I am having a wonderful time teaching Yoga in LAKELAND, FL at Satya Life Yoga Studio. The studio offers everything from Therapeutic Yoga to Aerial Yoga, my new found love!
The classes are great because of my teacher FRANKIE HART. Tuesday, March 29th she entered the Yoga Journal Talent Search competition and I am trying hard to make sure people vote! She has a beautiful practice which is truly depicted in her photograph!
We are up against BIG competition so please go to the site below & give her the unlimited amount of FIVE STARS that she deserves!!!
Talent Search Website: http://talentsearch.yogajournal.com/view/2899
Please, Love & Asanas!
The classes are great because of my teacher FRANKIE HART. Tuesday, March 29th she entered the Yoga Journal Talent Search competition and I am trying hard to make sure people vote! She has a beautiful practice which is truly depicted in her photograph!
We are up against BIG competition so please go to the site below & give her the unlimited amount of FIVE STARS that she deserves!!!
Talent Search Website: http://talentsearch.yogajournal.com/view/2899
Please, Love & Asanas!
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Day Two
Two students showed up for Yoga Basics last night!
It was not my best work because I was sincerely prepared to have no students. I prepared the class well in advance. For some reason, I did not mentally register the idea of teaching it. I took the two students through the class but my nerves were ever so present. Speech nightmares from grade 7 and 8 always linger when I teach in a new space.
When my first student arrived I was overwhelmed with joy! I helped her pay for the class, after successfully swiping her card! Afterwards, I made sure she had all of the props and was ready to start. My mind was racing to remember how I wanted to start the class and all of a sudden my husband knocked on the door. He was barely on-time but I managed to find a starting point for my two students. While in the opening moment of silence, I realized that I had positioned the class different from my class plan. Quick thinking was needed because the class was supposed to start on the wall. Hopefully, my facial expressions did not indicate my panicked thought! Somehow my chi found balance and class begin to flow. I improvised by bringing the ballet bar to them.
Both students had very tight hamstrings. They made a great pair for teaching. The time flew by surprisingly and I did not get to all of the planned poses.
I will let you know if my student returns because I will be surprised.
First week down- I look forward to the weeks to come!
peace & joy
It was not my best work because I was sincerely prepared to have no students. I prepared the class well in advance. For some reason, I did not mentally register the idea of teaching it. I took the two students through the class but my nerves were ever so present. Speech nightmares from grade 7 and 8 always linger when I teach in a new space.
When my first student arrived I was overwhelmed with joy! I helped her pay for the class, after successfully swiping her card! Afterwards, I made sure she had all of the props and was ready to start. My mind was racing to remember how I wanted to start the class and all of a sudden my husband knocked on the door. He was barely on-time but I managed to find a starting point for my two students. While in the opening moment of silence, I realized that I had positioned the class different from my class plan. Quick thinking was needed because the class was supposed to start on the wall. Hopefully, my facial expressions did not indicate my panicked thought! Somehow my chi found balance and class begin to flow. I improvised by bringing the ballet bar to them.
Both students had very tight hamstrings. They made a great pair for teaching. The time flew by surprisingly and I did not get to all of the planned poses.
I will let you know if my student returns because I will be surprised.
First week down- I look forward to the weeks to come!
peace & joy
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Day One
Like trees, new yoga classes take time to grow : )
My class had no participants Monday night. Satya studio anticipated a very small turnout. The holidays know how to fill someone's schedule and Monday night's New to Yoga is a new class. In a small city like Lakeland, FL, yogis must be gathered and informed. Lakeland is not NYC where 'everyone' is seeking Yoga. It is easier to get a yoga job than it is to get a yoga student. My night turned around quickly once I joined another yoga class at the studio, Core Yoga!
Tuesday night is my second scheduled class- I have one guaranteed participant, my husband ; )
Time to start recruiting because I am looking forward to teaching more classes and people!
namaste
My class had no participants Monday night. Satya studio anticipated a very small turnout. The holidays know how to fill someone's schedule and Monday night's New to Yoga is a new class. In a small city like Lakeland, FL, yogis must be gathered and informed. Lakeland is not NYC where 'everyone' is seeking Yoga. It is easier to get a yoga job than it is to get a yoga student. My night turned around quickly once I joined another yoga class at the studio, Core Yoga!
Tuesday night is my second scheduled class- I have one guaranteed participant, my husband ; )
Time to start recruiting because I am looking forward to teaching more classes and people!
namaste
Monday, December 13, 2010
My First New To Yoga Class
Focus: Downward facing dog
Props/ Person: 1 Strap, 2 blocks, 2 blankets, 1 chair, 2 mats
Room Format: Mats lined-up on walls
Warm-up (10-15 mins)
- Mountain Pose w/ 1 min of silence
- Posture awareness, weight placement, elongation of legs to crown of head
- Upward facing hands w/ gentle side stretch
- Swinging chair pose w/ arms (flowing from bent to straight knees, breath & arms flow together)
- Standing forward fold w/ bent knees (or using support of chairs)
Stretch (12-18 mins)
- Chair/wall down dog, depending on students in class
- Using wall calf stretch w/ straight & bent knees
- Lunges w/ blankets & blocks (focus on hip alignment & stretch)
- Childs Pose
- Hero Pose: Rolled-up mat between calves & hamstrings to release quad & hamstring tightness (knee injury: might refrain from pose or have everyone use a blanket and blocks for those who need them).
- Small down dog with bent knees (use props if class is trying down dog for first time
Strength/balance (4 mins)
- Tree using wall
Core (8-10 mins)
- Cat/cow & finding neutral spine.
- Boat Pose (Feet/toes on ground and working on feeling the core work through lift)
Cool-down (7-10 mins)
- Reclined on back using straps to open hamstrings (a one-legged twist)
- On back w/ bent knees: 2 part in-hale with 2 part ex-hale
Final Relaxation (5-10 mins)
Friday, December 10, 2010
A little celebration : )
The meeting was a success and it looks like I will be joining the Satya Life Yoga studio as a faculty member. The night classes are New To Yoga on Monday and Yoga Basics on Tuesday. The yoga space has two-story high ceilings and spring flooring. Satya also offers massage therapy and Tai Chi.
In preparation for my first week of classes my mentor has encouraged me to buy a new Yoga book, '30 Essential Yoga Poses For Beginning Students and Their Teachers' by Judith Lasater, Ph.D., P.T. The book arrived yesterday and I look forward to reading it today! I also wrote the yoga class proposal in advance so that I could get feedback before presenting it to students.
Now I can only hope to have a student in each class next week!
namaste : )
In preparation for my first week of classes my mentor has encouraged me to buy a new Yoga book, '30 Essential Yoga Poses For Beginning Students and Their Teachers' by Judith Lasater, Ph.D., P.T. The book arrived yesterday and I look forward to reading it today! I also wrote the yoga class proposal in advance so that I could get feedback before presenting it to students.
Now I can only hope to have a student in each class next week!
namaste : )
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