Peace Among the Pieces

It’s easy to feel good when the sun is shining, you have no obligations, and you know where your car keys are.  Add a rain storm, sleeping through your alarm, and being late for work, and you can go from zero to insanity in mere seconds.  Yoga is a practice in finding peace among chaos.  We

You Got This

One big challenge I’ve always had in my life is the inability to ask for help.  I don’t like to admit I don’t know something.  I certainly won’t admit I can’t do something.  My pattern would usually go something like this: 1.  Someone asks me to do something. 2.  I immediately panic because I don’t

Just Noticing

Yoga is not the cure for everything.  Although, it is amazing that with regular practice you just start noticing.  Noticing things like, “Woah, I eat really fast and always in front of the tv.”; “Oh, I don’t really like my job. I was just telling myself I did.”; “I think I do things I don’t

Your Humble Warrior

Last week, I had the great honor to teach a class at my yoga home, YogaGypsy in Springdale.  This was the class required to complete my yoga teacher training program, and I actually felt pretty prepared.  I had a few delusions of grandeur beforehand, and I was pretty sure everyone’s minds would be blown by some

Yoga Is For Every Body

My first yoga teacher was Suzanne Deason.  She doesn’t know that.  We’ve never met.  About 10 years ago, I ordered Yoga for Weight Loss on a whim because I heard yoga was great for stretching.  Several times a week I would do yoga in my home with a leotard clad Suzanne bending in the desert to delicate

So, What Did You Say?

I’ve recently cut ties with some Facebook groups that were at one point motivational.  Anytime, I would feel down on myself or my weight loss I could look at pictures of fit women maintaining difficult postures, a picture of someone’s fridge (to see how a healthy person eats), or an inspirational quote.  For a time,

You have the perfect body.

You have the perfect body. Pay attention to what thoughts come up when you hear someone say that about you.  Here’s a common list: “Shut up.” “Yeah…right.” “Me?” “You haven’t seen me naked!” “You can’t be serious.” “Nobody’s perfect!” “It would be perfect, if it were:  thinner, younger, taller, shorter, thicker, curvier, not as curvy,

Does Energy Work Have a Place in the Modern Massage Therapist’s Practice?

The massage industry is changing, and mostly for the better.  The field is moving towards a more empirical, science based approach and, in my opinion, this can help solidify massage therapy as a necessary part of health care in this country.  Patchouli wearing, sage burning, layer-on-of-hands, massage therapists of yesteryear are becoming the exception instead

What Do You Use Your Body For?

I am an aspiring yogini.  I have wanted to take a yoga teacher training for years, but I never have.  I was too scared to ask off work.  I didn’t think I was fit enough.  I didn’t think I was thin enough.  I was afraid people would think I was crazy, a hippie, unrealistic, or

Face Massage for Younger, Healthier Looking Skin

One of the most frequently skipped parts of the massage routine is the face.  Most people have things to do after their appointment, and they don’t want to contend with reapplying makeup or they have fears of looking greasy due to oil.  If you’ve previously asked your massage therapist to exclude massaging the face, I