image courtesy of Karen Fuchs

Away for a week

I'm away relaxing on the beach with family for the next week, May 27th - June 1st.
Happy Memorial Day!

Shoulder Workshop in NYC


CHATA-WHAT!?

Ever wonder if you are doing Chaturanga correctly? Have you done so many Chata-whatevers that you are not even sure what’s happening anymore?  Back by popular demand is the teacher’s view on all those chaturangas…

Shoulder alignment is key in many poses of the yoga practice, yet we often overburden the wrong parts of the shoulder girdle and put strain on inappropriate joints, muscles, and even the heart. By isolating the anatomy and movements of the shoulder joint with props and preparations, you will learn the most efficient way to move and support weight in the upper body.  Through additional awareness of the breath and energetic system of the thoracic area, the shoulder girdle will begin to move with steadiness and ease allowing the heart to open.  Partner work of hands on adjustments will further teach how to objectively observe patterns, openings, and obstructions in other students to inform your own practice.  From downward facing dog to arm balances and inversions, your new chaturanga will have you feeling strong and stable, yet light and free.  

Saturday, June 16th 2-4pm at Om Factory www.omfactorynyc.com
Stay around after the workshop for a short info session to learn more about Om Factory’s Teacher Training program with lead instructor Amanda Wentworth.

About the Instructor:
Amanda Wentworth is the director and co-teacher of the Teacher Training program at Om Factory, a 200-hour Hatha Vinyasa registered school with Yoga Alliance.  She actively teaches classes, workshops, and retreats to students of all levels around the globe.  Recent personal training in therapeutic yoga applications supported by both Ayurveda and Traditional Chinese Medicine inform a practice that is both an efficient and mindful exploration of the present moment.

Om Factory Blog Post:
Guess what… Chata-What?! is back, my workshop for optimal shoulder alignment.

One of my trustiest teaching tools for the shoulders in chaturanga happens to be a pair of blocks.  In the past I have nicknamed them training wheels – the rickety old things that buttress the back wheel of a grown-up bike.  Now that the workshop is two years older I have started to think of the whole chaturanga process more as the training bra for the bigger, fancier poses of the practice.


Our shoulders need training, and lots of it... Read More 

Nashville Spring Schedule Starting 3/1


So I promised I'd be back to Nashville by the time the buttercups were in bloom, but I didn't expect spring to be so fully here. It is lovely. The fresh air through the curtained windows, the warm sun and yes, little things popping out of the earth all over. It seems as though in early spring everything loosens a bit, not just the earth, but my mind and body. Like a neck tie that has been loosened. There is ease and delight in being present with this arrival of new energy into the atmosphere. Everything seems a-ok, well actually quite good. Thank you Mother Nature. I promise to use your energy wisely.

Tuesday
9:45am  Steadfast & True Hatha Deepening-Open Level (2)
12:30pm  Studio Dakini Fire Keeper Vinyasa*-Open Level (3)
5:30pm  Yoga Country Deep & Stretchy-Foundation Level (1)

Wednesday
9:30am  Yoga Country Foundations of Alignment-Open Level (2) 
11:30am  Yoga Country Deep & Stretchy-Foundation Level (1)
4:30pm  The Pilates Place Align & Flow-Open Level (2) 
6:30pm  Kali Yuga Yoga Vata Vinyasa-Open Level (3)

Thursday 
7:30pm  Studio Dakini Fire Keeper Vinyasa*-Open Level (3)

Friday
2:30pm  Kali Yuga Yoga Kapha Restorative-Foundation Level (1)
6:00pm  Steadfast & True Fusion Fridays-Open Level (3) once monthly**

*NOT a hot yoga class
**see studio website (listed below) or studio facebook page for exact schedule
Level (1)= least aggressive, Level (2)=moderately aggressive, Level (3)=more aggressive
Foundation Level=beginner appropriate, Open Level=all welcome, modifications recommended
Yoga Country (Brentwood) www.yogacountry.com 
Steadfast & True (Edgehill Village) www.steadfastandtrueyoga.com
Studio Dakini (12 South) www.studiodakini.com
Kali Yuga Yoga (East Nashville) www.kaliyugayoga.com 
The Pilates Place (Bellevue)  www.thepilatesplace.us