Being flexible doesn't make you a better person

Being flexible doesn't make you a better person? I heard this in a yoga class many years ago and I remember how it stopped me in my tracks.  You mean I don't have to strive to be more flexible than the person next to me?  This was a mind blowing concept because my whole life I worked extremely hard at becoming more flexible because it meant I WAS in some ways better.  If I can kick my leg higher and hold an extension chances are I would be chosen over the next dancer...that's what I told myself anyway.  Rewiring how I thought about flexibility took a long time and if I'm not careful my body can easily push past that intelligent edge just out of habitual patterns or samskaras which are deeply embedded in us all.

It takes a lot of effort for a bendy person to pull back.  For me I always felt like I wasn't working hard enough if I wasn't pushing to the limit. Little did I know I was only causing harm by overstretching my joints, muscles and ligaments.  When someone is hyper mobile in their joints they are extremely flexible.  In order to feel like they're getting something out of the pose the tendency is to push themselves to the edge of the stretch unaware of the potential damage this may cause to their knees, elbows, shoulders, neck and low back.  It always feels good in the moment but repetitive stress injuries (RSI) have a way of sneaking up on you when you least expect it.  Haven't you ever experienced waking up one more morning and out of the blue you're injured? Something hurts but you can't remember doing anything to yourself the day before?  This doesn't only happen in your yoga practice, just the way you move through your day can have a major impact of how you feel and can attribute to the imbalances in your body.  How you stand and hold your posture, how you sit in a chair, how you pick up heavy objects is all connected to how you feel on a daily basis.

Learning the importance of good posture throughout the day and practicing yoga from a place of integrity also comes with age.  Being 42 I feel the difference in my body and I'm experiencing how much longer an injury takes to heal as I get older.  We spend the earlier years of our life thinking we're invincible.  We train hard, work hard and for the most part beat the heck out of our bodies,  athletes, dancers, performers, gymnasts, etc.  It wasn't until I hit a point somewhere in my early thirties where I started desperately trying to put myself back together and I hear the same story with many of the amazing people I work with.

I often tell my students that you don't have to be flexible to do yoga.  For many people this seems to be the very first thing they become concerned with and immediately they write off the idea.  This fear that yoga is all about twisting your body into a pretzel while standing on your head is simply the farthest thing from the truth.  Yoga is for anyone at any stage of life and what happens on the outside means nothing.  It's not about touching your toes or about putting yourself into fancy shapes, it's about calming the fluctuations of the mind. We use the body as a way of getting us to a calmer state within but Yoga is all about the mind.

When it comes to flexibility I would much rather work with a stiff body over a bendy body.  It's much harder to pull someone out of pose because they will absolutely think you're ruining their pose.  In a class setting you can't really give a long explanation and this often causes confusion.  I clearly remember a time when I thought a teacher was crazy when they turned my arms "correctly" in down dog. It was much harder to do it their way and when they walked away I would just go back to my way... clueless about alignment at that time I ended up with a lot of wrist and elbow issues for many years. What a stiff body lacks in flexibility they make up for in stability. A bendy body has the flexibility but they lack the stability needed around the joints to prevent injury.  We teach all about this stuff in teacher training; how to modify, how to strengthen and how to prevent injuries.  

So the next time you look over at that person whose overly flexible and wish you looked like them I hope you keep all this in mind.  Just because you can go that deeply in a pose doesn't mean you necessarily should. 

"Your practice today should not affect your practice tomorrow."

Namaste' Sweet People

xoxo Dani

haha!

How Teacher Training Changed My Life

I had just been laid off from my job as an elementary school teacher due to tons of CA budget cuts and I was faced with the question, now what? I had been practicing yoga for about 9 years on and off and I knew I really enjoyed the practice, but could I really teach yoga for a living?  I was fairly new to living in California and was unaware of YogaWorks at the time.  I was practicing in a small studio and after class one day I built up the nerve to ask my teacher, Steve Walther, if he could recommend a teacher training. Without hesitation he said "YogaWorks, they're the best." So I went home, looked them up online and literally signed up that night for the upcoming.  Little did I know at the time my trainers would end up being the founders of YogaWorks, Chuck Miller and Maty Ezraty.  At the time the trainings were 8 weekends back to back.  I had no idea what I was signing up for and felt a bit lost most of the time.  I was constantly being adjusted and realized I had been practicing everything wrong for nearly a decade.  To say the least it was a very humbling experience.  But what I learned in that training truly changed my view of what I thought yoga was.  Having come from a dance background I was very drawn to yoga because of my love for movement though I never fully understood how the body worked until my yoga training.  Had I been introduced to yoga as a teenager I strongly feel my dance career would not have ended in so many injuries.  I learned the value of alignment, not only on a physical level but also how it affects the energetic and subtle body layers.  It didn't take me long to realize that yoga was much more than chaturangas and arm balances, and the more I learned the more I realized I didn't know.  My first training opened my eyes to the other 7 limbs of yoga and since then I've spent the past 11 years exploring all aspects of yoga.  

We're all drawn to the physicality of the practice at first.  I think it's safe to say that a majority of students have the desire to nail handstand in the middle of the room or aspire to do challenging arm balances. Some students just want to do as many chaturangas as humanly possible in a 75 min class. There's nothing wrong with setting asana goals but there's so much more to the practice that goes untaught in a group class simply because there's just not enough time.  What I valued most about being in a training was the time it gave to allow things to unfold.  I may not have understood a word of Chuck's philosophy lessons back then but it laid a foundation and I was able to revisit the material over the years.  I also cherished the time I got to spend with my peers.  As adults we don't get any opportunities to go away to camp and make friends.  Being in a training often felt like a mini vacation away from all the daily responsibilities of life and the bonds made in sacred space may possibly last you a lifetime. 

After completing my first 200hr training I started teaching in a gym, which lead to a country club, which lead to small studios and eventually I was able to open my own studio.  After completing 500+ hours of training I became YogaWorks certified and began down my path to becoming a trainer.  This training will be the 9th training I've taught over the past 6 years and sometimes I still feel like the more I know the more I don't know.  I'm always growing, always learning and I enjoy sharing my experiences.  I try not to take myself too seriously and I'm as open and honest as I could be with my students.  My goal as a trainer is to make the information as clear as possible so my students walk away feeling confident about sequencing the postures safely and there's an understanding of how the body mechanics work without making it overly anatomical. 

My first training opened doors for me that I didn't even realize at the time were a possibility.  I'm often reminded by this quote "When the student is ready the teacher will appear".  This has always been true in my own experience and I'm inspired by these amazing opportunities and grateful for all the students that have touched my heart along the way.  Whether or not you decide to take a teacher training I hope your yoga journey brings openness and healing to your heart, clarity to your mind and joy to your life.

Namaste' Sweet People
xoxo Dani

The Importance of Balancing Your Practice

For some people the thought of coming to a gentle or restorative class is just simply not part of their “workout plan”.  A large percentage of students want to come to yoga to get their sweat on and get a work out so they can either loose weight, get stronger, more flexible or attain a certain pose.  I hear these things all the time from students and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with wanting these things out of your practice.  The truth is you may sweat, lose weight, get stronger, more flexible and do fancy hard poses. The importance of finding balance is taught throughout all yoga texts and one of my favorite yoga sutras teach about the importance of finding balance in every pose. There needs to be an understanding that in order to be doing yoga correctly the practitioner must learn to balance the strength of the effort with the ease of the breath and each pose should feel comfortable.  This concept is know as  Sthira Sukha Asana and it applies to our entire yoga practice and eventually weaves into our all aspects of life.  This concept has been a game changer for me and I emphasize the importance of incorporating this into every class I have the privilege of teaching.


In every pose there must be repose.  When the practice is 100% physical are we really finding balance or are we just burning ourselves out.  If a student is only practicing upper level flow classes how much time is given for restoring and rest? Savasana is said to be the most important pose in the practice yet time after time I’ve witnessed only 1-3 minutes allotted.  Technically is takes 8-10 minutes for the body to even settle down let alone drop in for a deep relaxation. 

While training and mentoring aspiring teachers I make it a point to teach the value of giving students at the very least 5-7 minutes because we’re all basically exhausted most of the time. Our society is moving at a such fast pace and our nervous system is often working on overdrive just from the pressure of life and driving and having constant contact at your fingertips all day long with emails, texts and social media.  Everyone is typically overworked and most people don’t get enough sleep at night.  I know this to be true because I witness countless people fall asleep within the first 2 minutes of class if I start them on their backs.  We don’t need to do more postures at the end of class!  We need to rest longer so our nervous system has the chance to make the shifts needed to promote the healing process. Otherwise all we’re doing is adding more burnout to our already burnt out system.

Recently a student came to my restorative class and asked how she could make the poses more challenging.  I was very surprised by her request and as kindly as possible explained to her that we’re not trying to chase a stretch in a restorative practice, in fact we’re trying to do just the opposite by letting the body release and let go.  We all need to learn the importance of simply being instead of always constantly doing.  I believe this is a learned behavior and some of us need to reprogram that thought process.  Being soft doesn’t mean you’re being weak, it means you’ve advanced enough in your practice to know when to slow down and be kind to yourself.  The advanced practitioner is often the one seen in child's pose and unfortunately some students only see the significance of slowing down when an injury has finally occurred.

Typically it’s said that the way you approach and move through your practice is how you approach and move through your life.  If you’re being aggressive on your mat how are you in relationships?  If you’re pushing too hard in your postures how are you treating yourself off the mat? How are you treating others? It’s an interesting concept to contemplate and reflect upon. Incorporating a gentle or restorative class into your weekly routine will only enhance your practice, your energy and your life. So if you’re one of those people that has to keep going because you think you’ll fall apart if you stop, I’m here to tell you that you won’t fall apart.  Give yourself that time to connect and relax and value the idea of just simply “being”.  It might just bring a sense of peace to your life that you never intended or expected.  Thanks for taking the time to read this.  Feel free to leave me any comments or questions.

Namaste’ Sweet People

Xoxo Dani

Self Care Tips for Yoga Teachers

Yoga Teachers Need Nurturing, too! 

• When you're tired take a nap
• Try to sit first thing in the morning 5-20 min to clear your mind listen.  Insight Timer is a great app to use for guided meditations
• Daily restorative pose soothes the nervous system, pick your favorite and try it for 2 weeks /15 minutes a day.  Results are amazing!
• Essential oils can be used throughout the day to pick you up or calm you down.  In my purse I carry this wonderful little bag of chakra oils along with some of my favorite young living oils
• Don't place a ton of pressure on your self to have a strong flow practice every day, listen to your body and practice accordingly
• My home is my sanctuary, surround yourself with inspiring quotes, mantras, yummy soy candles and anything else that brings peace to your environment
• Depending on my mood, I will either end my shower with a sugar scrub, or self massage with Coconut Oil for the summer months and Sesame oil for the winter months.  Coconut oil is cooling, Sesame oil is warming and sugar scrubs are just down right awesome!
• Get a pedicure every once in a while so you don't have to worry about people always looking at your feet.  Gels last longer :)
• Create a list of things that fill you up spiritually, emotionally and mentally and be sure to do one of those things every day. Could be listening to music, painting, dancing, writing, reading, hiking, gardening, etc.  This keeps your soul happy
• Listen to your body, if you're having a rough day it's OK not to give a ton of adjustments, honor your energy and be aware of how much energy you're giving out, the worst is when you feel depleted
• It's OK to say no at times when asked to sub, especially if you're already teaching 15-17 classes per week
• Spend time in Nature breathing in fresh air 
• If you use music in your classes be sure to create playlists that inspire you
• Have a hobby that's not yoga related, we tend to wrap our entire world around yoga
• Don't forget, we can't take of our students if we don't properly take care of our selves 

"Self care is a divine responsibility.  It is not self indulgence, it's self respect"  

Namaste' sweet teachers, keep up the amazing work!

xoxo Dani

No Mirrors, Less Judgement

Understanding Prakritti can help us deal with change.

 Just imagine going through one whole day without seeing yourself in a mirror. How much more confident would you be? No added pressure, no worries about how you looked and no reminders of how quickly life is passing by. According to yogic philosophy we suffer because we cling to things that are constantly changing. Most everything in life falls into Prakritti translated to that which is always changing. Human beings, nature, our homes, cars, money, etc are all are part of Prakritti.  When we can accept that nothing ever stays the same we can reduce our suffering especially when we wake up and find a new wrinkle on our face. When we can accept that everyday our body is in a different state this may reduce some of the expectations we place on ourselves. Learning to accept the things we have no control over, accept the things we cannot change may help us overcome some of the fears that come along with change.  We won’t be surprised when the car breaks down or the house needs repairs or we find a new wrinkle if we remind ourselves that we’re all part of that which is always changing. 

On many occasions students have asked why there aren’t mirrors in most traditional yoga studios. Yoga is about creating a sacred space of moving more from the external toward developing a relationship with the internal place of non-judgment.  Mirrors take away a piece of that inner experience, I’ve lived this first hand during my years as a dancer.  When you’re in front of a mirror for long periods of time it’s very easy to slip into all sorts of self-judgment. You begin to compare yourself to everyone else in the room and very quickly develop insecurities that may not have been there before.  You become fixated on all the physical aspects of yourself that you don’t like or wish you could change which can lead to many negative and even harmful thoughts. 

Yoga is a 5,000-year-old practice designed to calm the fluctuating thoughts of the mind and bring inner peace, acceptance, compassion and healing to the practitioner. By not having mirrors in the asana room the individual is able to find alignment from an organic place rather than using their eyes to make adjustments and self-judge.  With the guided instruction from a knowledgeable teacher the student is able to deepen their practice from a place of non-judgment and non-competitiveness and move into a place of pure acceptance and eventually a deep sense of inner peace.  In my opinion this is one of the most priceless gifts you receive from a yoga practice, learning to accept our body for what it looks like and feels like on each given day can be life changing. Understanding Prakritti can help us deal with these changes and as a result this can reduce some of our suffering that naturally come with change.

Thank you for taking the time to read this.  Please leave any comments or questions below.

Namaste’ Sweet People

Xoxo Dani

How to use Essential Oils to Enhance Your Yoga Practice

Some of you have been asking me about how to incorporate essential oils into the practice so I'd like to offer some practical ways you can enhance your yoga experience and overall life.

Because there are so many amazing different oils to choose from you first need to take into consideration what you are using the oils for.   Do you or your students feel tired, stressed, anxious, nauseous? Is there pain from inflammation, tightness, sore muscles or trauma from an injury? Are you looking to bring the energy in the body up or are you trying to create more calmness.  Once you've recognized the projects you want to address you can then choose the oil that will best suite your needs and desire.

There are many different essential oil companies out there to choose from so I encourage you to explore your options.  I am currently in the Urban Zen Integrative Therapy Program and we only use Young Living Oils.  There are just a few of my personal favorites...

• Lavender, Peace and Calming and Stress Away will help facilitate a calm and serene atmosphere, great to use during savasana or when doing a restorative practice.  You can defuse these oils, rub them on your hands and inhale or rub some onto your neck, shoulders or around your temples.
• Peppermint will pick you up!  Also good for digestion and pain.  I use this on my hands right before I teach. I also offer it to my students to rub on their feet to address any pain in their body.
• Pan Away and Valor are great to rub on areas where your muscles are sore or tense. Pan Away provides relaxation to the muscles and Valor helps renew feelings of strength, courage and confidence.  Both help to combat negative emotions so the body can find balance.
• Joy is a nice oil to use when practicing heart openers.  Just place a few drops onto your chest, it helps you to overcome feelings of frustration or despair and brings joy to the heart, mind and soul. 
• Citrus scent just make me feel happy and can be used at the beginning of the practice. Just rub in hands and inhale 5-6 long breaths.
• Finding your favorite oil and adding a few drops to a water spritzer is a great way to liven up your environment.  I keep a peppermint spritzer in my purse and spray and use it in my car on hot days...its been amazing!

Thanks for taking the time to read.  Leave a comment if you have any question!!
Namaste' Sweet People
xoxo Dani

My Alter Ego...Yogini Storm Chaser

Anyone that knows me knows how much I love storms. Some of my best childhood memories are of me and Dad sitting on the front porch in NJ watching the storms come in. My mom would say that when the leaves would all flip over a storm was coming, of course I have no idea if that's really true but I believed it and still do! We would get so excited, we'd sit on the porch and often got soaked from the sideways rain hitting us. It was exhilarating to witness the sky as it turned to smokey grey as the energy of the thunderclouds began rolling above us.  I joke around a lot because sometimes I say I missed my calling to be a meteorologist/storm chaser. I’m not much of a TV watcher but if you asked my husband and even 5 yr old son they would both tell you that the first station I put on is the weather station.  Storm Stories and Tornado Alley are my personal favorites.   

It’s ironic that I teach yoga and hold space for people to calm the storms of the mind.  I'm able to give my students different breath work and relaxation techniques, visualizations, essential oils and yoga postures... but deep down I know I'm the girl that would hanging onto the pole reporting the bad weather and loving every second of it!

I'm currently in Kansas right now experiencing a series of mid west thunderstorms.  Last night I was listening to the rain hit the roof as the wind howled.  The night sky light up every few seconds and the house would literally shake from the thunder...exciting and terrifying all at the same time.  I'm now sitting on the back porch experiencing another thunder storm, breathing in the clean air, feeling so grateful for this beautiful life of mine. 

I get the amazing opportunity to spend the next few months flying back and forth to Wichita to lead my 9th 200hr YogaWorks Teacher Training to another group of Firefly Yogis.  I'm sure I will have lots of inspiration to share.  Thanks for reading.

"
Namaste' Sweet People

 

So, you’re thinking about taking Teacher Training are you?

Here’s just a sampling of what you can expect to gain from the experience.

There are several reasons why someone might consider spending their weekends in Teacher Training…

1. You really love yoga and want to deepen your understanding of the practice.

2. There’s a possibility you want to change careers and become a yoga teacher because you’ve seen the benefits first hand.

3. Your teacher told you that you were ready, and you also heard it would change your life.

4. You wake up one day with the realization that there has to be more to life, more to the practice, more than achieving handstand away from the wall, more than chaturanga, more to this body that you’re living in.  

But there is a lot of fear around this idea.  These are some of the things I’ve heard…

1.     I can’t do an arm balance

2.     I’m not able to get into handstand at the wall let alone in the middle of the room

3.     Don’t think I’m strong enough, young enough, etc

4.     Haven’t been practicing for years and years

5.     I have an injury or I’m pregnant

6.     Blah, blah, blah I could go on and on about this one

The reality is anyone could have this experience regardless of age, size, physical limitations, injuries or pregnancy.  When I took my first training I couldn’t even get up into handstand at the wall, the reality is that many students can’t and it’s still OK!

Here’s a little snap shot of some delicious things you get to experience during your time in TT.  I hope it peaks your interest a bit!

The Study of Anatomy and Subtle Body:

Teacher Training will will give you an in-depth study of the body, how it moves, how it functions and how things connect.  You will learn basic anatomy along with Subtle Body. Understanding the physical body is made up different layers, which we get to explore through movement, pranayama, meditation and the practice of mindfulness. 

The Art of Sequencing:

You will be taught how to sequence a class so your students leave feeling strong yet relaxed. Your ability to sequence will keep your students coming back time and time again.  This is one the most important aspects of becoming a good yoga teacher, if you can grasp the concept of sequencing you will be a successful teacher.

The Ability to See Body Structure:

Through a series of posture labs you have the opportunity to train you eye. In looking at different body types it helps you go beyond the clothes and skin and examine what the actual structure looks like on the inside so you understand what to adjust.  

The Art of Touch:

Hands on adjustments are a great way to help the tactile learners who understand better through touch.  You will different types of touch, when to adjust and how to properly assist a student in a post

Finding your Voice:

You will be asked to practice teach poses each week so you find your voice.  Once you learn the asana points for each asana you are encouraged to practice teach out loud to yourself in the car, in the shower, to your cat, your dog, your kids, your spouse and anyone else whose willing to listen to you.  In order to find your voice you must be willing to use it, and sometimes that means we need to be a little vulnerable.

The Physical Practice

Each day there will be 2.5hr practice that supports the theme of the day. The lectures and activities will reinforce what was taught in the practice and there will always be time for review and questions.  The asana practices will cover everything from standing poses, seated postures, sun salutations, backbends, forward bends, inversions, restoratives, injury management, arm balances and how to teach beginners.

Philosophy:

The philosophy is always a crowd pleaser and this is one of the most exciting topics. Students are typically unaware of all other aspects of Yoga and this really opens everyone up to explore the different limbs and how they relate to their life.  In my opinion the philosophy is a turning point for most students and it allows for this amazing opportunity to see beyond the physical practice and get a better sense of the whole picture.  After studying the yoga sutra’s your perspective is bound to change and these sutra’s have had a profound affect on many lives.

If you’ve been sitting on the edge of the diving board, contemplating year after year I encourage you to take a chance and dive in.  The water is not as cold and scary as you may anticipate.

I hope to see you on your mat or maybe even in my upcoming training: 

~August 2014, Wichita Kansas- extended 7 week format that meets every 3 weeks

~January 2015, Valencia YogaWorks, extended 6mo format that meets every other weekend…perfect if you have a full time job and a family to take care of.  

This is a wonderful opportunity to do something for yourself, something that will enhance every aspect of your life.  More info on my website www.daniibarra.com. 

Thanks for taking the time to read this. 

Namaste’ Sweet People