tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-68927710185770628062011-12-13T04:05:09.239-08:00Welcome to my blog. This blog is intended to put some thoughts out there for teachers (and students of yoga) to add new ideas and inspiration to your teaching. I look forward to reading your comments and ideas and learning from you as well.@MuseLaurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18242543025805548527noreply@blogger.comBlogger681100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6892771018577062806.post-65599132461428774692009-02-25T18:52:00.001-08:002009-02-25T18:52:25.102-08:00

I have been creating a new blog (actually 2)...leading my first retreat in Costa Rica...preparing for a new radio show...signing a contract to publish a book...designing a new, dynamic program called "Ignite Your Life"...and continuing to expand my new company musélan.My apologies for my lack of attention here! I have now combined my blogs to be in ONE place at StudiesWithLaura.com. Please join

@MuseLaurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18242543025805548527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6892771018577062806.post-42308792664718437912009-01-02T19:44:00.000-08:002009-01-02T19:48:41.684-08:00

Continuing my series on grounding yourself physically. You already learned about what it means to be grounded and how to loosen up your feet more to allow for more spring in your step so you can receive and send out energy more effectively. Now, let’s look at placing the foot so you can feel more grounded.If you haven’t already, I recommend beginning with the work from the previous post. The

@MuseLaurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18242543025805548527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6892771018577062806.post-91836316122301991282008-12-28T19:02:00.000-08:002009-01-02T19:51:23.613-08:00

Our feet are the most powerful part of our body for creating groundedness. If you aren’t using your feet well, you can’t be truly grounded. Or, said in a more positive way, the more effectively you use your feet, the more grounded you will feel in life! The more grounded you are, the more energetic and vibrant you will be, the more authentically you will show up in your life.The foot has 26

@MuseLaurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18242543025805548527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6892771018577062806.post-84443114538313844862008-12-28T18:32:00.000-08:002009-01-02T19:49:59.167-08:00

Help your students become more grounded this year. Remember, what you do on the mat is reflected in your life and vice versa. I am going to write a series of posts on becoming more grounded in the body, from the feet up. When we engage our body well, it will align and energy will flow more fluidly through it. When energy flows more fluidly, we feel more energetic and vibrant. We also feel

@MuseLaurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18242543025805548527noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6892771018577062806.post-86663910949579429192008-12-05T18:20:00.000-08:002008-12-05T18:28:10.560-08:00

I had a very interesting session in my Master Class recently. We spent an hour and a half comparing and contrasting easy, cross-legged poses. The three we studied were: Siddhasana, and Swastikasana.Swastikhasana:SukhasanaSiddhasanaWe came up with some questions to further investigate these poses in our bodies. They are fun to take to class as well. Let me know what you discover:• We tend

@MuseLaurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18242543025805548527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6892771018577062806.post-79494074839404973542008-11-05T14:45:00.000-08:002008-11-05T18:21:30.952-08:00

So, in my last post I mentioned that my yoga community (musasana) and I are studying Parsvottanasana this month. I decided to teach it in every class this month. I may use it as part of a flow series or teach a part of the pose. Last night in class I focused on the work of the legs, especially the back one. I find that back leg begins to "relax" as we move into the pose and then hold it.

@MuseLaurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18242543025805548527noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6892771018577062806.post-24067871888765306652008-11-04T11:29:00.000-08:002008-11-04T11:33:43.093-08:00

The pose of the month is Parsvottanasana (Stretch of the West). I am going to teach it in every class this month to challenge me to learn more of this pose!

@MuseLaurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18242543025805548527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6892771018577062806.post-257370864076463972008-11-01T11:25:00.000-07:002008-11-01T11:26:10.830-07:00

In Marya and my Awaken to Joy Program, we are exploring our Spiritual Practice for the month of November. How do you define Spiritual Practice? And what do you do for your practice? We would love to hear from you! Here is the blog to go to.

@MuseLaurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18242543025805548527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6892771018577062806.post-52172033120781762832008-11-01T11:12:00.000-07:002008-11-01T11:18:10.311-07:00

Welcome to November! We are studying a new pose on ...musasana.... This month we are studying Parsvottanasana. Want to join us? Use the month to practice it, think about it, see what it has to teach you this month. There are also ideas on the blog for studying it more deeply if you aren't sure what to do. Then let us know what comes up for you!.

@MuseLaurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18242543025805548527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6892771018577062806.post-52719893053534464132008-10-23T12:23:00.000-07:002008-10-23T12:24:44.669-07:00

This weekend I am off to my spiritual renewal weekend. My spiritual path has a huge gathering two times a year for a weekend. My family and I go every time. My time is focused on my connection to my Higher Self and what I will do when I leave to maintain that connection. I take the weekend very seriously because I am still learning how to take time for that connection the rest of the year.

@MuseLaurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18242543025805548527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6892771018577062806.post-75395961081029503802008-10-18T12:40:00.000-07:002008-10-18T12:44:45.950-07:00

Do you have any students who simply cannot relax in Savasana? In our culture, it is simply not unusual to find those who cannot surrender in that position. Savasana is actually stimulating to our nervous system! Now I don’t mean stimulating like backbends or headstands, but a bit. The back body is about stimulating (hence the effect of backbends) and the front body relaxing and surrendering (

@MuseLaurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18242543025805548527noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6892771018577062806.post-68833398223749807042008-10-18T12:21:00.000-07:002008-10-18T12:22:13.758-07:00

Thank you X-Ray Technician Schools! They compiled the 100 best yoga and meditation sites for us. They have a brief description of each so you can find what fits you. Enjoy!

@MuseLaurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18242543025805548527noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6892771018577062806.post-77742405841485802692008-09-11T11:01:00.000-07:002008-09-11T12:43:57.017-07:00

So, in my yoga group: "The Muses", we are studying Savasana for the month. Ever have a hard time convincing your students Savasana is necessary and not a waste of time? Here are a few "Did You Knows" about Savasana to help you.

@MuseLaurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18242543025805548527noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6892771018577062806.post-69606060664971460002008-09-04T12:07:00.000-07:002008-09-04T12:25:17.529-07:00

Want to join me in Costa Rica for a fabulous yoga retreat? I will be at Samasati Yoga and Nature Retreat Center January 24-31st. You will enjoy 3 daily yoga sessions with me (a early morning wake up, a before dinner stretch, and an evening relaxation.) You will also be able to enjoy eco-tours such as a waterfall trek:A zipline ride through the canopy of the jungle:Or spend an afternoon

@MuseLaurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18242543025805548527noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6892771018577062806.post-86895393444243213572008-08-28T06:45:00.000-07:002008-08-28T06:47:57.297-07:00

Last night I taught a class outside by the lake. The weather was perfect, not too hot and not too cold. Ahhh.... And did I mention I taught a silent class? It was transformative for all of us...

@MuseLaurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18242543025805548527noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6892771018577062806.post-48711799243764112892008-08-25T11:59:00.001-07:002008-08-25T12:02:08.538-07:00

As I have discussed previously on my blogs, I have created a new company whose premise is we should all be working from a place if inspiration, fulfilling our purpose in life. Next Saturday I am taking them through the process of creating our vision. To prepare, I am having them answer for themselves these questions. Please do do yourself! What is your dream business? Are you already doing

@MuseLaurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18242543025805548527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6892771018577062806.post-82967157164856437352008-08-10T09:45:00.001-07:002008-08-10T10:05:40.440-07:00

(Sorry I haven't posted for awhile. Frankly, I have been enjoying the summer with my children!)I recently met with my Master Class (a group of teachers who gather together to talk yoga.) We discussed helping our students get movement into their upper backs. I thought you might enjoy a few of the gems we came up with!Getting movement into the upper back is tricky for a few reasons:1. It is

@MuseLaurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18242543025805548527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6892771018577062806.post-80887720244567835132008-07-21T19:01:00.000-07:002008-07-21T19:02:18.594-07:00

One of the best messages I ever received from a yoga teacher came from Barbara Benagh about a dozen years ago. She said whatever a teacher teaches you is only her opinion about a pose based on how it feels in her body. I love to remind myself of this observation whenever my “control” button gets pushed when one of my students has the audacity to do something other than what I have taught her (

@MuseLaurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18242543025805548527noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6892771018577062806.post-25329086752910842292008-07-09T07:21:00.001-07:002008-07-10T08:40:22.698-07:00

Check this out! What a fabulous, and thorough, list! It should keep you doing your yoga for years to come...77 Surprising Health Benefits of Yoga. Plus, some fun facts to share with your students to keep them coming back...

@MuseLaurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18242543025805548527noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6892771018577062806.post-10333712217314711882008-07-08T10:54:00.000-07:002008-07-08T10:56:08.124-07:00

We all have beliefs about our bodies. (And beliefs, by the way, are just an opinion, a thought, that we have held for a very long time. Read more about them here.) We may see ourselves as flexible, tight, injured, weak, strong, unable to go upside down, unable to balance, etc. My guess is if you sit for a moment you will come up with half a dozen beliefs you have about your own body. What is

@MuseLaurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18242543025805548527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6892771018577062806.post-76671647058872222012008-05-29T18:59:00.001-07:002008-05-29T18:59:45.375-07:00

When we have injuries or even really tight areas in our body, we feel differently in them, we don’t allow the energy to flow through them effortlessly either from years of holding or habit.When our students have an injured place in their body, especially if they have had it for some time, they hold their body in an imbalanced way as a result. An easy and very powerful way you can begin to affect

@MuseLaurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18242543025805548527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6892771018577062806.post-5696893876587126762008-05-20T20:31:00.000-07:002008-05-20T20:34:17.305-07:00

In Part I, I discussed the benefits of adjusting. In Part II, the disadvantages. So what is the balance? It is what I call the “Conscious Adjuster”. In conscious adjusting, we don’t just mindlessly walk around the class adjusting every student as we teach. We take a moment (and it only takes a moment the better you get at it) and assess whether the adjustment is necessary and whether it will

@MuseLaurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18242543025805548527noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6892771018577062806.post-23897785229033304272008-05-15T19:10:00.000-07:002008-05-15T19:12:06.638-07:00

In my last post, I discussed the benefits of adjusting. So, here is the downside of adjusting: the change is yours and not your student’s. What I mean is, when you make an adjustment, it is something you have done to the student, the student has not done it for herself. Then often times the student cannot replicate what you did. The newer your student is to yoga, the truer this idea is. I

@MuseLaurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18242543025805548527noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6892771018577062806.post-55411844093517346122008-05-08T18:53:00.001-07:002008-05-08T18:54:55.127-07:00

Assisting refers to whenever we suggest an adjustment, by words, touch or physical manipulation. Of course we tend to view an adjustment merely in terms of physical manipulation, but whenever we suggest to a student to change their position with words or a light touch, we are also adjusting them. Over the years I have heard many arguments for and against adjusting students (especially with

@MuseLaurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18242543025805548527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6892771018577062806.post-68904045899868968372008-05-05T19:18:00.000-07:002008-12-09T04:16:48.083-08:00

In the final installation of this series, we look at aligning energetically in Paschimottanasana. Aligning energetically begins with being precise in your physical alignment, fully engaging the body and, well, getting the bones aligned well. Once you are there, you can feel your energy more fully.Once you have found the alignment and physical work I discussed in Part III, have a yoga partner

@MuseLaurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18242543025805548527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6892771018577062806.post-27425655162529113632008-04-29T19:20:00.000-07:002008-04-29T19:24:55.832-07:00

As I mentioned in my previous post, Paschimottanasana (Stretch of the West) is a challenging pose for many people. When the legs are used well, the torso can become lighter and the fold easier. Learning how to use the legs well both physically and energetically will help you be in a stronger pose. In this pose I will discuss a few ways to learn how to use the legs well. Using the legs well

@MuseLaurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18242543025805548527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6892771018577062806.post-76065792570524805252008-04-23T11:26:00.000-07:002008-04-23T11:29:06.711-07:00

This pose challenged me for years. It wasn’t until I realized that it was my lack of stability in my legs (from first chakra issues) and my discomfort with my present, that I found the root of the issue. Interestingly, I always assumed it was my hamstrings that were the issue. Of course, once I worked with the first chakra issue and the fear of the present, the hamstring issue dissipated!

@MuseLaurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18242543025805548527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6892771018577062806.post-41012745574925297332008-04-22T20:47:00.000-07:002008-04-22T20:50:46.614-07:00

I know I have written about this idea before. It is a thought that seems to frequently come up in class. One of the benefits of yoga is we become aware of our bodies, more conscious of what is going on in our bodies (shoulders are tight, stomach is off, back feels great today) and what we are doing with our bodies (I hold tension in my jaw, sit so my back is tight, stand with more weight in one

@MuseLaurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18242543025805548527noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6892771018577062806.post-41749913250992223202008-04-21T19:03:00.000-07:002008-04-21T19:05:55.979-07:00

In tonight’s class I taught, I had an interesting thought I shared with my students. Do you often go into a pose assuming it will look exactly as you did it last time? I am guessing there are a few poses in which you do. Personally, basic standing poses such as Warrior II and Triangle Poses are my weak spot. I just plop myself into my usual position and hang out there until I think it is time

@MuseLaurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18242543025805548527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6892771018577062806.post-62131005945622634022008-04-11T11:05:00.000-07:002008-04-11T12:00:50.872-07:00

I am reading A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle with Oprah and over two million people. With my study around surrender this year, this quote struck a chord.“Resistance is an inner contraction, a hardening of the shell of the ego. You are closed. Whatever action you take in a state of inner resistance (which we could also call negativity) will create more outer resistance, and the universe will not

@MuseLaurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18242543025805548527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6892771018577062806.post-82723906173121415862008-04-11T08:45:00.000-07:002008-04-11T08:49:28.870-07:00

I have been reading and fully enjoying, along with Oprah and well over 2 million others, A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle. What a powerful book!“The past has no power to stop you from being present now. Only your grievance about the past can do that. And what is a grievance? The baggage of old thought and emotion.” (A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle)I read this quote this morning and it struck a chord

@MuseLaurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18242543025805548527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6892771018577062806.post-61094689698610358022008-03-13T10:47:00.001-07:002008-03-13T10:47:47.138-07:00

Ever struggle with reading the asana column in Yoga Journal while trying to perform the actions? Or get your spouse to read it to you? Me too! I finally recorded reading it for myself and thought you might enjoy it as well. This recording is Charles Matkin's article on Parivrtta Janu Sirsasana. I talk you through the entire process, repeating for the other side. Let me know if you enjoy the

@MuseLaurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18242543025805548527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6892771018577062806.post-24729695820857280362008-03-10T10:37:00.000-07:002008-03-10T10:38:50.402-07:00

Hi, Everyone. Sorry I haven't posted in awhile -- I have been very sick! I am better now and am preparing a few new posts. I will put them up soon. Peace, Laura

@MuseLaurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18242543025805548527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6892771018577062806.post-85746027513550408602008-02-27T08:58:00.000-08:002008-02-27T09:05:32.510-08:00

“Sitting down to meditate, our posture talks to us. It makes its own statement. You might say the posture itself is the meditation. If we slump, it reflects low energy, passivity, a lack of clarity. If we sit ramrod-straight, we are tense, making too much of an effort, trying too hard. When I use the word ‘dignity’ in teaching situations, as in ‘Sit in a way that embodies dignity,’ everybody

@MuseLaurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18242543025805548527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6892771018577062806.post-56767791715211767102008-02-16T11:20:00.000-08:002008-02-16T11:21:57.744-08:00

The last of the niyamas is Ishvara Pranidhana or surrender to the Divine. It is said that if you practice the first yama, ahimsa or nonviolence, and surrender you needn’t practice anything else. They cover the range of spiritual practice. Do you practice surrender with your class? Our culture is centered on control, being on time, eating what you should, exercising, being organized, making

@MuseLaurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18242543025805548527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6892771018577062806.post-21429379542115339422008-02-02T12:14:00.000-08:002008-02-02T12:22:48.036-08:00

I have been having this discussion with Nadine over at Just Breathe and she recommended we blog it since it might help you as well. It began with my blog entry on Dandasana on a block and then it went on from there…The best part is I started that blog with saying how I finally decided in September that I was ready to completely move beyond my injury and was open to the lesson it had to teach me.

@MuseLaurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18242543025805548527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6892771018577062806.post-63150491198458188622008-01-31T11:35:00.000-08:002008-01-31T11:36:08.063-08:00

Do you set intentions for the classes you teach? Setting an intention – a theme or thread that runs throughout the class, can bring more cohesion to your classes. Intentions can be physical (e.g. stretching hamstrings, strengthening the core), mental/energetic (e.g., calming with forward folds, stimulating energy with back bends). Intentions can also be broader, teaching a lesson the student

@MuseLaurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18242543025805548527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6892771018577062806.post-16830569987539473022008-01-16T19:54:00.000-08:002008-01-16T19:55:35.312-08:00

Tonight I taught a really fun yoga class to my advanced class. We worked up to Kapotasana and it was fabulous! What was most poignant for the evening was a discussion we had. Now this group of students has been with me for about 7-9 years so we are very close. We have lovely, deep philosophical discussions and sometimes we just get downright, joyously silly. Recently a new student has joined

@MuseLaurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18242543025805548527noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6892771018577062806.post-80176108074070729852008-01-12T10:14:00.001-08:002008-12-09T04:16:48.394-08:00

About 14 years ago I pulled a hamstring doing Hanumanasana (Full splits). I did a really good job (the person next to me hear the popping noise!) I was on crutches for a week and have been working with the scar tissue ever since. You can imagine that I am always looking for insights into how to work more effectively with my hamstring. This fall, I decided it was time to move beyond it

@MuseLaurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18242543025805548527noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6892771018577062806.post-36729317891542990272008-01-12T10:10:00.000-08:002008-01-12T10:11:22.282-08:00

I have been “playing the edge” in my own practice and with my students lately. We all have an “edge” in our poses, the place where we go and feel we cannot go any further. The edge usually feels like a wall, an impenetrable brick wall, in fact, that keeps us from going farther. I often find that I get to “that point” in the pose and just sit. I can distract myself with a myriad of things at

@MuseLaurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18242543025805548527noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6892771018577062806.post-20826266975603558132008-01-06T18:23:00.000-08:002008-01-12T08:52:37.326-08:00

Katica (Oops! I had the link wrong. It is fixed now!)Here is a great yoga clothing site I want to recommend. They are beautiful and produced responsibly using environmentally sound materials. Thank you, Katherine, for bringing in such wonderful products into our world!

@MuseLaurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18242543025805548527noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6892771018577062806.post-55293792092457379092008-01-03T19:29:00.000-08:002008-01-03T19:32:52.932-08:00

I taught a fun workshop on New Year’s Day. I had people take their new year’s resolutions to the mat. The workshop had three parts: Letting go of what you don’t want; getting excited about what you do want; and finally, surrendering into the present with gratitude for what you have and who you are right now. I had them begin with in a basic breathing position, on their backs with knees bent,

@MuseLaurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18242543025805548527noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6892771018577062806.post-22631321469895085752007-12-15T11:41:00.000-08:002007-12-15T11:43:56.289-08:00

Rodney Yee has this wonderful quote in his book Yoga: Poetry of the Body. I can’t remember the precise quote so this is paraphrased, “There is no such thing as perfect alignment. But there is always a more intimate conversation you can have.” I love that quote! I share it all the time with my classes, especially in Tadasana. That pose has changed more for me over the years from that quote

@MuseLaurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18242543025805548527noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6892771018577062806.post-82895305036892056232007-11-30T10:18:00.000-08:002007-11-30T10:21:40.850-08:00

Do you have an “auto pilot” setting for your teaching? I know there are times when I find I have taught a portion of a class without even thinking about what I taught (like driving to the store without consciously driving to the store!) There are certain poses in which we have a tendency to say the same thing each time we teach it, sometimes we even say the directions in the same order as well!

@MuseLaurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18242543025805548527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6892771018577062806.post-11580978949385657062007-11-30T09:57:00.000-08:002008-12-09T04:16:49.096-08:00

I recently had the privilege of studying with Jo Zucovitch at Mind Body Solutions. She is an amazing, open-hearted teacher that gave me many great gems. I have a few I want to share with you over the next few posts. This post is for Ustrasana. These variations are incredible for opening the heart and really getting a lift in your chest. In the two weeks since I learned them, I have felt a

@MuseLaurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18242543025805548527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6892771018577062806.post-21907861559384267992007-11-20T19:57:00.001-08:002007-11-20T19:57:45.260-08:00

Awhile ago I wrote about teaching silent classes. As silent class is one in which I do not speak for the entire class. I demonstrate the pose, then they do them. It is an incredibly power class. I taught silent classes tonight as a gift to my students before the holiday. I don’t teach them very often (it is hard for me to be silent! ☺ ) so I sometimes forget just how powerful the classes are.

@MuseLaurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18242543025805548527noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6892771018577062806.post-7445700778280959932007-11-12T19:04:00.000-08:002007-11-12T19:12:49.464-08:00

Want a fun exercise for helping your students go more deeply into twists? Have a partner run her finger up the student’s spine. We have a tendency to twist in the same part of our spine every time we twist. (It is usually around your lower ribs at T11 and T12 and L1.) We can twist in other parts of the spine, though, it just takes finding them. When someone takes her finger up your spine,

@MuseLaurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18242543025805548527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6892771018577062806.post-69112139321138881542007-11-07T19:00:00.000-08:002007-11-12T19:12:39.936-08:00

According to Patanjali and the Yoga Sutras, the last of the yoga precepts is Ishvara Pranidhana. Translated many ways, the one I use the most is “surrender” or “letting go”. Here is a great way to help students understand the concept. Using partners, have one student move into Maricyasana III. Maricyasana III is a twist in which one leg is straight out and the other is bent with the foot next

@MuseLaurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18242543025805548527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6892771018577062806.post-17804006365342334112007-11-01T20:02:00.000-07:002007-11-01T20:03:28.764-07:00

In yesterday’s post, I talked about encouraging students who hyper-extend their knees or elbows to feel both sides of their joint equally to sense correct alignment. This idea can be used in sensing alignment of the body as well in seated poses and in Tadasana. Sitting where you are now, extend from the sit bones up and out the top of your head. Now, if you exaggerate the ribs coming forward (

@MuseLaurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18242543025805548527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6892771018577062806.post-11294597536176586772007-10-31T20:32:00.000-07:002007-10-31T20:33:24.159-07:00

Here is a tough one – how can you help students who hyper-extend knees and elbows to feel alignment? Here is an idea that works for those who are already quite aware of their bodies (and sometimes beginners too). Tell your students they should be able to feel both sides of their joint equally. Try it. Fully straighten your leg right now and then press back on the knee. Even if you don’t

@MuseLaurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18242543025805548527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6892771018577062806.post-23282690318567997012007-10-27T19:07:00.000-07:002007-10-27T19:08:26.054-07:00

I had a student years ago who, still to this day, holds the record for being the tightest student I have ever worked with. She had tension everywhere. She studied with me for around seven years until I moved away and in those seven years I never saw a visible improvement in her flexibility. Yet she was one of my most dedicated students. She only missed classes when she was out of town, even

@MuseLaurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18242543025805548527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6892771018577062806.post-19321764430981311402007-09-19T15:12:00.000-07:002008-12-09T04:16:49.497-08:00

Mudras are ways of placing your body, specifically your hands, to direct the energy flow to a particular area. The Anjali Mudra we use at the end of class (palms together in front of your heart) increases the energy flow to your heart center – a lovely way to greet others and express gratitude.Here is a mudra I use to increase the energy flow to my fifth chakra – the throat chakra – to help make

@MuseLaurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18242543025805548527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6892771018577062806.post-37640713788024632632007-09-19T15:10:00.000-07:002007-09-19T15:12:00.370-07:00

“Breathing happens to us when we remove the obstacles we have erected to its free movement.” Donna FarhiI love this quote. I read it in Donna Farhi’s Breathing Book when it was first released years ago (a fabulous book, by the way!) and it still touches me today. Such a simple, and completely accurate way of looking at our breath. It just happens when you remove all the obstacles, it isn’t

@MuseLaurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18242543025805548527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6892771018577062806.post-78898806613385163392007-08-23T19:33:00.000-07:002007-08-23T19:39:10.218-07:00

“I’ve been in the final pose. There is nothing there. There is no hurry.” My very favorite quote by Ramanand Patel. If you have ever had an opportunity to study with him you know about his dry humor. It comes at you when you least expect it and when you need it most. My class received this quote when we were all struggling, and I mean struggling, into a hard pose. As I recall, it was a pose

@MuseLaurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18242543025805548527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6892771018577062806.post-4024037067438265202007-08-13T19:25:00.000-07:002007-08-13T19:27:15.557-07:00

Here is a quickie adjustment you can make in Savasana to help some of your students find a more comfortable position and a more relaxing Savasana. Have you noticed that when you lie down flat to move into Savasana your pelvis wants to tip anteriorly, creating a stronger lower back arch? In Savasana you need to consciously tuck the tail a bit to be in the neutral position the lower back needs to

@MuseLaurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18242543025805548527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6892771018577062806.post-66148443000044298572007-07-23T19:14:00.001-07:002007-07-23T19:14:58.136-07:00

One of the philosophical precepts in yogic philosophy is aparigraha,or non-grasping. It is also translated as not reaching for things or non-greed. I want to share a thought with you. I think “non-grasping” is a much harder concept to grasp (interesting choice of words! :-) ) than people first realize. I notice how often spiritual writings speak of not wanting anything, detaching completely

@MuseLaurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18242543025805548527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6892771018577062806.post-13258597550364121932007-06-23T10:11:00.001-07:002007-06-23T10:11:58.657-07:00

Each pose we do should leave us feeling complete and wonderful. If we come out of a pose craving another pose, then something was amiss in the first pose. If you need a Balasana (Child’s Pose) after Ustrasana (Camel Pose) to release your lower back, there is something that needs fixing in your Ustrasana. If you need to lie flat on your back after Salambha Sarvangasana (Shoulder Balance Pose)

@MuseLaurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18242543025805548527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6892771018577062806.post-10109623223679976972007-06-23T10:05:00.000-07:002007-06-23T10:22:59.324-07:00

At the center of your being you have the answer; you know who you are and you know what you want. - Lao TzuAs Lao Tzu says in this month’s quote, we all have the answer to what we want at the center of our being. Our challenge is quieting our outer being enough to hear what the center has to say! We have become so disconnected with our center, though, that voice inside of us, that we can’t hear

@MuseLaurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18242543025805548527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6892771018577062806.post-41272202029018775172007-05-09T21:00:00.000-07:002007-05-09T21:04:47.029-07:00

Many students, especially beginners, don’t realize they are feeling their energy when they are. They confuse the feeling of their energy with the feeling of their physical body. Here is a great series of poses that will help your students get the sense of their energy versus their physical body. In fact, some of my very beginner students who are not yet even connected to their bodies well have

@MuseLaurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18242543025805548527noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6892771018577062806.post-21762909845297793872007-05-03T14:52:00.000-07:002007-06-07T20:56:48.982-07:00

Here is a wonderful exercise for letting go. I often use it as a visualization for Savasana in my classes. I find it especially helpful in a restorative class. In our culture, we view the cycle of the breath as beginning with an inhalation and ending with an exhalation. There are cultures in which they view it going the other way, beginning with an exhalation and ending with an inhalation.

@MuseLaurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18242543025805548527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6892771018577062806.post-44920015383213356402007-04-21T19:09:00.000-07:002007-04-21T19:12:40.510-07:00

I think we have a tendency to say the same thing each time we teach a pose. The same words come out for getting students into Tadasana, Downdog, etc. so students may begin to stop hearing us. They can be thinking about their grocery list in Trikonsana and their taxes in downdog since what you are saying is so familiar.And yet, sometimes repeating the same things can be helpful. I bet you have

@MuseLaurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18242543025805548527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6892771018577062806.post-22161867326064980312007-04-20T08:02:00.001-07:002007-05-09T21:04:47.029-07:00

I have been working quite actively in the world of manifesting and the Law of Attraction for several years now. The premise of the law is you get what you think about, whether you want it or not. So if you are feeling negative, you get more negative in your life. (The main theme in the entire Year of Living Compassionately was learning how to consciously do things to bring more positive in

@MuseLaurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18242543025805548527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6892771018577062806.post-38396368545515764162007-04-20T08:01:00.000-07:002007-05-09T21:07:19.865-07:00

“We fail when we steal from ourselves – by neglecting a talent,or by letting a lack of commitment keep us from practicing yoga.” - Judith LasaterHow about this quote for a thought? In my Advanced Study group we spent the past two months considering the yama, Asteya, or non-stealing. The yamas are part of Ashtanga, or the eight-fold path to a yogic state. The yamas are the first rung and refer

@MuseLaurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18242543025805548527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6892771018577062806.post-55016318157799972232007-02-16T13:19:00.000-08:002007-05-09T21:04:20.125-07:00

Did you know there are only two positions for the human body in which the pelvis is completely free and not being tugged on by a muscle? The two positions are vajrasana/virasana (sitting on or between your heals) and table position (being on all fours.) In any other position, sitting, standing, or laying down (whether on your back or front), the pelvis is being pulled by muscles off its neutral

@MuseLaurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18242543025805548527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6892771018577062806.post-60356458209727217482007-02-15T12:52:00.000-08:002007-05-09T21:04:20.126-07:00

Here's an idea for a class for you. Do a silent class (or perhaps for part of your class.) I do an entire silent class for my advanced class about three times each year and they love it. The benefits are two-fold. First, they get to do yoga with the wonderful energy of the room and a class (I know I experience a deeper practice when I am in a class) and be listening to their own body, not the

@MuseLaurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18242543025805548527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6892771018577062806.post-29909839749509233782007-02-08T12:33:00.001-08:002007-05-09T21:07:19.866-07:00

Last time I discussed Donna Farhi’s concept of yielding as it relates to daily living. Now let’s bring it to the mat. It is particularly useful to learn how to do it on the mat since what we do there is reflected in our daily lives. If you find your energy is either collapsed or propped in your life, practice yielding on the mat to help you bring yielding into your life.The concept of yielding

@MuseLaurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18242543025805548527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6892771018577062806.post-50861420961661814532007-02-08T12:32:00.001-08:002007-05-09T21:07:19.867-07:00

Something I have been considering lately is what it means to be fully present. In her book, Yoga Mind Body Spirit, Donna Farhi discusses the concept of "yielding". She describes it as a way of being that is perfectly balanced.The concept is easier to understand when you consider the extremes. On one side you are collapsed, that is the student who is new and doesn't yet understand lengthening. On

@MuseLaurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18242543025805548527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6892771018577062806.post-12279013439198230952007-02-08T12:30:00.000-08:002007-05-09T21:07:19.868-07:00

I had an interesting experience this spring I would like to share with all of you. I had been considering the topic of detachment and curious about what it really means. I understood it in an academic way, but I was yearning for a deeper experience and understanding. Leave it to the universe to provide!I had planned many things for the spring, for expanding the website, activities with the

@MuseLaurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18242543025805548527noreply@blogger.com0