Beginner
New to yoga? Start here with beginner yoga sequences, foundational poses and basic modifications for your practice.
MANTRA MEDITATION
Use this mantra meditation to bring peace to your mind and a sense of knowing in your Soul, that you are capable of anything! Allow yourself to get comfortable and settle into the natural rhythm of your breath. Close or soften your eyes and listen to my voice. This mantra is guiding you home to yourSelf. Remember who you are. You are a limitless conscious creator!
10 MINUTE OBSERVATION MEDITATION
This 10 minute meditation specifically focuses on training the observing mind, known as the witness. Instead of allowing the mind to ramble and "think", we allow ourselves to pause and observe. We end with the words "I am" as a way of simply being and surrendering to the present moment.
PROPER SHOULDER ALIGNMENT IN YOGA
Hearing anatomical terminology like "internal" and "external" rotation can feel daunting to a new and even experienced yoga practitioner. In this quick tip, Jamie describes the different rotations of the shoulder socket, the movement of the shoulder blades in conjunction with the arms and how this crucial information can help keep your shoulders and surrounding joints safe while you practice yoga. This quick tip will help you properly align your shoulders, specifically in downward facing dog and anytime the arms are alongside the ears.
A SIMPLY 10 MINUTE MEDITATION FOR CENTERING
This is a simple 10 minute centering meditation that will help quiet your mind and experience your center. It incorporates diaphragmatic breathing, also known as deep belly breathing, which is one of the fastest ways to instill relaxation. Diaphragmatic breathing fills your body with healing oxygen, stimulates the body’s natural relaxation response and soothes muscle tension. Take a 10 minute break from your busy life to breath and get centered, so you can step back into your life with a sense of calm, peace and clarity.
THE PERFECT 10 MINUTE MORNING YOGA PRACTICE
Do you need a quick morning yoga practice that slowly eases you into your day? This short, sweet, all-levels practice is designed to wake everything up with ease. Before you make your coffee or tackle your to do list, roll out your mat and spend 10 minutes with your body, your breath, and yourself. Our practice ends with a minute of conscious, intentional breathwork to start your day right.
BEST BREATHING TECHNIQUE TO REDUCE STRESS
This is a short and mindful guided breath awareness practice for any time you need to reduce stress and anxiety. We use a pranaymana technique called sama vrtti (also known as box breathing) to slow down and even out the breath, which is one of the most effective breath techniques to calm the nervous system. Enjoy!
RESTORATIVE YOGA
Zen out during this restorative practice to bring your mind and body into a state of calm and equanimity. We will open up the hamstrings to release the lower back before moving into gentle hip stretches and a restorative inversion. Restorative yoga enables deep relaxation as you hold poses for longer periods of time with the help of props to completely support you. This allows you to lengthen your muscles on the deepest level. Our parasympathetic nervous system is stimulated when we relax into poses, which promotes a relaxation response and reduces stress in our bodies. The parasympathetic nervous system is responsible for slowing your heart rate and breath and increasing blood flow to your vital organs, among other things. Props: Blanket, strap, 2 blocks, bolster/pillow
HOW TO ALIGN YOUR HIPS IN YOGA AND WHY IT’S SO IMPORTANT
Something we often hear in yoga is "square off your hips" or "find neutral hips." We are typically asked to do this in standing poses like crescent, warrior one and standing splits. In this quick tip, Jamie breaks down the different anatomical movements of the pelvis to help you better understand how to find a more neutral (square) pelvis in standing postures. It might not seem like it does much besides adding to your discomfort in a pose, but aligning your hips works wonders in increasing balance, muscle engagement and much more.
WIND DOWN YOGA
This 15 minute relaxing yoga session was created to help you wind down, love and honor your body. A perfect practice for after work, a long day or after a big project. Give the thinking mind a break and relax the body. This practice focuses on stretching out the lower back, side body, hips and hamstrings. Notice what it feels like to take time for yourself and recenter.
YOGA RECESS FOR PARENTS: STRAP STRETCH
Who’s ready for recess? Explore the yummy diagonal stretches between shoulders and hips during this recess session for parents busy at home working and supervising distance learning. Using the diagonal helps to release tight hip and shoulder tension from sitting. By incorporating the strap, we help engage the muscles as they stretch, thus improving shoulder mobility and strength. Props: Yoga Strap or equivalent
YOGA AT YOUR DESK
Even if you're excited about the work you're doing and happy to be there, staring at a screen and typing for hours on end can be pretty darn exhausting, not to mention bad for your posture. If you are looking for a quick yoga flow to do at your desk to reverse the effects of sitting, we've got you covered! This quick chair yoga flow is perfect for a lunch break or any-time-of-day break to unwind, reset, and stretch out!
YOGA RECESS FOR PARENTS: SHOULDER OPENING
This video is part of our "Yoga Recess for Parents" series, specifically designed to be a quick break for parents during distance learning. This practice focuses on the shoulders. In most cases, tight shoulders are the result of tight trapezius muscles. The trapezius runs from the back of the head to the lower thoracic spine and also attaches to the shoulder blade. What usually happens when you spend too much time sitting is that the muscles in the front body shorten and those in the back body become weak. Yoga can help you to lengthen the front body and tone the back body so that you can find a more upright posture. This 15-minute sequence will stretch out your shoulders, strengthen your back body and release your hips. Props: 2 Blocks