yogajournal Verified Ever feel like your alignment in poses is *slightly* off? In this piece, Jenny Clise (@jennyclise_) explains why you should head to the wall (yes, really). If you’re a teacher, a wall can serve as a second teacher in the room, helping students understand the correct alignment of the pose. Even if you’re not a teacher, you can use a wall to work on mastering the sensations and positioning in each of these key postures. Click the link in our bio to read about how a wall can transform these 8 poses!
“I’ve learned that having sex and feeling sexy can and should come from the purest space.” — Rina Jakubowicz
Nir Livni
Feel like you’ve lost your sense of Self in the noise of social media or societal expectations? It’s time to get on the mat and reclaim who you are. Join author and yoga teacher Rina Jakubowicz for Empowered Vinyasa: Journey to Your Highest Self, a series of 10 yoga classes and companion dharma talks that zero in on principles of yoga philosophy—from The Bhagavad Gita and the Hindu spiritual tradition Vedanta—that are essential to self-exploration. Sign up today!
When I was going through a divorce 10 years ago, I used affirmation practices to try to shift my mindset during the healing process. One phrase I repeated often was “I am beautiful.”
As silly and simple as this may sound, it really helped me. Failing at a marriage is very painful and I carried a lot of judgments about myself, especially since I had been the first in the family to get a divorce. Walking around each day with this affirming thought, even if I didn’t believe it in the beginning, was life-changing. It helped me realize that my words and thoughts are powerful and that I’m in control of how I feel about myself. I began walking with confidence and maintaining a sense of calm in my communication and interactions. In addition to the affirmation practices, I started studying in the Bhagavad Gita and began to apply some of the teachings to my relationships, including in the bedroom. It took several years, but I began to develop a healthier relationship with myself and my sexuality. I learned how to break down my sexual walls and release judgment and fear to become my gorgeous, badass self from within.
I’ve learned that having sex and feeling sexy can and should come from the purest space. That will create the most euphoric and pleasurable experience for both you and your partner. I now teach “Sattvic and Sexy” workshops and courses because I want to help more women tap into this empowering space where they can stop harshly judging themselves or suppressing their sexuality.
Sattva is the highest of the three gunas (mental qualities) in Ayurveda. It means pure, poised, or objective. The lower two gunas are tamas and rajas. Tamas is a mental state of inertia, dullness, or laziness. Rajas is associated with mental agitation and hectic activity. We need rajas to move us away from tamas, but our ultimate goal is to move into sattva. If you’re passionate about something or someone but you’re overthinking, emotional, or getting caught in your head, then there’s an attachment and you’re in rajas. If you have passion from a pure place and it doesn’t control you, then you’re sattvic.
To start feeling more empowered, sexy, and content in your life and relationships, try this 8-pose sequence. Each posture is paired with an affirmation to inspire you to become the best version of yourself, both as a lady and a lover, so you can create the sex life and the spiritual life you deserve.
Then, join me for a free “Sattvic and Sexy” webinar on April 10 at 2:30 EST. I’ll share more tips for developing a healthier relationship with yourself, your sexuality, and your partner. Register today!
Samastithi (Mountain Pose)
Mountain Pose is one of the most important poses to help you gain confidence in yourself and feel sexy in your skin. It’s vital for your spiritual growth because this pose is the epitome of standing up for yourself. You are tall, grounded, and powerful without letting anything external influence you. This pose sets the stage for the mentality you need to have while doing the other poses: equal standing, steady breath, stable mind.
Flexible and strong, hamstrings are key to a healthy, happy yoga practice. Here’s what you need to know in order to lengthen and strengthen these muscles.
Heading out the door? Read this article on the new Outside+ app available now on iOS devices for members! Download the app.
Last Thursday night, I unrolled my yoga mat in my small New York City apartment, sunk my hips toward my heels in Child’s Pose, and heard it—the jangle of my poodle mix’s collar as she hopped off the sofa. It had been a long day, and I wanted to dim the city’s noise and find stillness in my practice. But my dog, Sukhi, had other plans.
Her paws hit the hardwood as she came at me from the other room while I took some slow breaths. By the time I was in Down Dog, there was a literal dog beneath me, rolling on her back in a blur of white fur. Sukhi always sparks joy in me, but tonight it was backlit with annoyance. I stepped over her to make my way to the top of the mat and she followed, romping near my toes. I moved through a Sun Salutation, trying to ignore her, but she was everywhere. I didn’t know how to find my balance or move my body with anything resembling grace when her furry body was intercepting all my intentions.
I finally gave in, thinking I’d incorporate Sukhi into my practice by dropping her a kiss on my way from Plank to Chaturanga. Instead she bounded at my face. If yoga was about connection to others, Sukhi was really going for it.
But what exactly is it about my yoga practice that draws her to me from whatever room she’s in?
Group Practice
Friends have also mentioned that as soon as they start to set up for yoga, their animal friends come running.
“My dog always comes over and tries to get belly rubs when I practice,” says Siri Newman, a Wyoming-based yoga teacher and practitioner.
“It’s mostly endearing,” says Lori Walker, a digital marketer and yoga practitioner, with a laugh. “Mostly.”
“My pets zoom underneath me at top speed if I’m in Down Dog!” says Kathryn Chaya Lubow, a Southern California therapist and yoga practitioner.
Many of us have seen videos on social media of pets inviting themselves onto the mat as their humans practice. One post of a cute Australian Shepard practicing alongside her human has had more than 90 thousand shares on Instagram. (Was that the key? Getting your dog their own mat?)
It’s almost uncanny. No matter where our pets are hiding, once yoga practice starts, they tend to wriggle themselves in our way. But why? And how do other practitioners handle the cute madness?
More Than Just Playtime
“I’m not aware of any specific studies to evaluate this pattern of behavior in a scientific context, but I think there are a few possible explanations,” says Christopher Pachel, a doctor of veterinary medicine and certified animal behavior consultant in Portland, Oregon, who also practices yoga.
“Many pets interpret their owner getting down on the floor as an invitation to play or to interact,” says Pachel. “And for humans who routinely practice yoga, it’s only going to take a few repetitions of ‘mat to yoga’ for most pets to figure out that the unrolling of the mat is a predictor of floor time activity.”
This helped me understand why setting up my mat and props brought Sukhi into the room from wherever she’d been hiding. It was almost as effective a way to get her to come to me as saying “treat!”
“Animals love to get involved with what you’re doing,” says Anthony Newman, dog behavior expert and founder of Calm Energy Dog Training. “They want to be included. And when you get on the ground, you’re getting on their ‘level,’ literally and figuratively. Being down low and moving in ways that are non-confrontational, inviting, and playful (including showing your belly) takes you out of a ‘leadership’ position. Around that, dogs feel more free.”
But it isn’t only the act of getting on the floor or unrolling a mat that draws animals to their person. Beyond the physicality of the practice of yoga, there seems to be something…more.
Adaptive yoga teacher and founder of online studio Auzho Audrey L practices on a chair, sofa or bed. Her pup, Ruby, still wants to be part of it. “The weirdest thing has to be when I’m on the sofa during meditation. She just sits at my feet and stares. And when I go to my practice chair she always finds me there,” says Audrey.
“Pets feel the shift in our energy,” says Olivia LaBarre, an animal communicator, Reiki practitioner, and pet loss bereavement specialist. “Our animal companions are very aware of our emotions, nervous system states, and overall energy, and they sense the shifts that happen when we begin a practice such as yoga.”
It seems a sense of ease and happiness in us is not only palpable to our pets but inviting. “I do suspect that some dogs and cats pick up on breathwork, calmer energy, a focused mindset that typically go along with a yoga practice,” says Pachel. “They then seek out interactions with their caregivers at those times based on the positive vibes.”
How interesting that the yoga practice—accessible and available to all—can be felt throughout the animal realm, not just by humans. Maybe I wasn’t imagining it when I had thought my happier yoga vibes could be drawing Sukhi to the mat.
An Invitation
If animals can sense our energy, maybe we can use the practice of yoga to connect in new ways with our animal friends. Just as they affect us, we affect them. We can use the breathing and gentle movements to help calm our pets as we calm ourselves.
I keep going back to that old adage: what you resist persists. Framed that way, I took a second look at my practices with Sukhi. Instead of trying to rigidly adhere to my routine or urge her off the mat, I started to expand what my idea of a home yoga practice could be and challenge myself to take in Sukhi’s presence in my practice, no matter how wildly she shows up. Rather than just step around the situation, I allow it to bring my focus back to me.
It’s a different experience than practicing in a quiet studio for sure, but it lights my heart now that I’ve opened to it. And it reminds me of aspects of the practice that I’d become disconnected from. Perhaps it’s a chance to be playful and to remind myself to take in the present moment and soften into it rather than hit a set number of Warrior poses. In the play is something profound.
When I adopted Sukhi from a Los Angeles shelter, she went without a name for two weeks. The staff had called her “Heidi,” but that didn’t seem to fit her. I wasn’t sure what name would until my favorite Sanskrit teacher suggested Sukhi, related to sukha, which translates to “happiness” and “ease.” Maybe that’s exactly what we’re intended to experience when we share our practice.
About Our Contributor
Sarah Herrington is a writer, poet, and teacher. She is the founder of OM Schooled kids yoga teacher trainings and Mindful Writing Workshops.
Sarah Herrington is a writer and teacher. She is the founder of OM Schooled kids yoga teacher trainings and the Mindful Writing Workshop. Her work has appeared in New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Poets & Writers Magazine, and more.
You Can Do This 15-Minute Yoga Flow Anytime, Anywhere
Ah the hour-long yoga class. It’s quite luxurious, isn’t it? But let’s be frank—some days, it seems impossible to carve out a large chunk of time for your practice. If you ever feel this way (and who hasn’t?) know this: even a few minutes of movement can make a huge difference in how you approach … Continued
The sweetness of the onion and the coconut milk complements the saltiness of the rice, so ensure you season this dish well. You can use red onion if you want a sweeter flavor and add a couple of finely diced fresh green chilies along with the onion, if you’d like more heat. The rice gets a beautiful pink color from the red kidney beans that looks pretty served with a mixed green salad, such as lettuce and sliced avocado.
1/2 x 14 oz. can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
a big handful of fresh cilantro, finely chopped (stems and all)
scant 1 cup coconut milk mixed with the same amount of cold water
Preparation
Heat 2 tablespoons of sunflower oil in a heavy-based saucepan and fry the onion and garlic on high heat for 3–4 minutes, then reduce the heat to medium and fry for a further 2 minutes, or until soft.
Add the rice and fry for 30 seconds, without stirring too much, then add the kidney beans, cilantro, and some salt and black pepper to taste.
Pour in the coconut milk and water mixture. Bring to a boil, then stir the rice once and cover. Reduce the heat to the lowest setting and simmer for 12 minutes without lifting the lid.
Remove from the heat and leave the pan, covered, for a further 5 minutes to allow the rice to finish cooking in the steam.
Remove the lid, fluff up the rice with a fork, and serve hot.
yogajournal.com Bridge Pose Bridge Pose (or Setu Bandha Sarvangasana) is a gentle yoga backbend that can be energizing, rejuvenating, or luxuriously restorative.
yogajournal.com Bridge Pose Bridge Pose (or Setu Bandha Sarvangasana) is a gentle yoga backbend that can be energizing, rejuvenating, or luxuriously restorative.
“Check in with yourself. Be kind to yourself “ #YJrepost Thank you for sharing your journey with us @brownyogigirl head over to Instagram to read the full caption.
Heading out the door? Read this article on the new Outside+ app available now on iOS devices for members! Download the app.
Last Thursday night, I unrolled my yoga mat in my small New York City apartment, sunk my hips toward my heels in Child’s Pose, and heard it—the jangle of my poodle mix’s collar as she hopped off the sofa. It had been a long day, and I wanted to dim the city’s noise and find stillness in my practice. But my dog, Sukhi, had other plans.
Her paws hit the hardwood as she came at me from the other room while I took some slow breaths. By the time I was in Down Dog, there was a literal dog beneath me, rolling on her back in a blur of white fur. Sukhi always sparks joy in me, but tonight it was backlit with annoyance. I stepped over her to make my way to the top of the mat and she followed, romping near my toes. I moved through a Sun Salutation, trying to ignore her, but she was everywhere. I didn’t know how to find my balance or move my body with anything resembling grace when her furry body was intercepting all my intentions.
I finally gave in, thinking I’d incorporate Sukhi into my practice by dropping her a kiss on my way from Plank to Chaturanga. Instead she bounded at my face. If yoga was about connection to others, Sukhi was really going for it.
But what exactly is it about my yoga practice that draws her to me from whatever room she’s in?
Group Practice
Friends have also mentioned that as soon as they start to set up for yoga, their animal friends come running.
“My dog always comes over and tries to get belly rubs when I practice,” says Siri Newman, a Wyoming-based yoga teacher and practitioner.
“It’s mostly endearing,” says Lori Walker, a digital marketer and yoga practitioner, with a laugh. “Mostly.”
“My pets zoom underneath me at top speed if I’m in Down Dog!” says Kathryn Chaya Lubow, a Southern California therapist and yoga practitioner.
Many of us have seen videos on social media of pets inviting themselves onto the mat as their humans practice. One post of a cute Australian Shepard practicing alongside her human has had more than 90 thousand shares on Instagram. (Was that the key? Getting your dog their own mat?)
It’s almost uncanny. No matter where our pets are hiding, once yoga practice starts, they tend to wriggle themselves in our way. But why? And how do other practitioners handle the cute madness?
More Than Just Playtime
“I’m not aware of any specific studies to evaluate this pattern of behavior in a scientific context, but I think there are a few possible explanations,” says Christopher Pachel, a doctor of veterinary medicine and certified animal behavior consultant in Portland, Oregon, who also practices yoga.
“Many pets interpret their owner getting down on the floor as an invitation to play or to interact,” says Pachel. “And for humans who routinely practice yoga, it’s only going to take a few repetitions of ‘mat to yoga’ for most pets to figure out that the unrolling of the mat is a predictor of floor time activity.”
This helped me understand why setting up my mat and props brought Sukhi into the room from wherever she’d been hiding. It was almost as effective a way to get her to come to me as saying “treat!”
“Animals love to get involved with what you’re doing,” says Anthony Newman, dog behavior expert and founder of Calm Energy Dog Training. “They want to be included. And when you get on the ground, you’re getting on their ‘level,’ literally and figuratively. Being down low and moving in ways that are non-confrontational, inviting, and playful (including showing your belly) takes you out of a ‘leadership’ position. Around that, dogs feel more free.”
But it isn’t only the act of getting on the floor or unrolling a mat that draws animals to their person. Beyond the physicality of the practice of yoga, there seems to be something…more.
Adaptive yoga teacher and founder of online studio Auzho Audrey L practices on a chair, sofa or bed. Her pup, Ruby, still wants to be part of it. “The weirdest thing has to be when I’m on the sofa during meditation. She just sits at my feet and stares. And when I go to my practice chair she always finds me there,” says Audrey.
“Pets feel the shift in our energy,” says Olivia LaBarre, an animal communicator, Reiki practitioner, and pet loss bereavement specialist. “Our animal companions are very aware of our emotions, nervous system states, and overall energy, and they sense the shifts that happen when we begin a practice such as yoga.”
It seems a sense of ease and happiness in us is not only palpable to our pets but inviting. “I do suspect that some dogs and cats pick up on breathwork, calmer energy, a focused mindset that typically go along with a yoga practice,” says Pachel. “They then seek out interactions with their caregivers at those times based on the positive vibes.”
How interesting that the yoga practice—accessible and available to all—can be felt throughout the animal realm, not just by humans. Maybe I wasn’t imagining it when I had thought my happier yoga vibes could be drawing Sukhi to the mat.
An Invitation
If animals can sense our energy, maybe we can use the practice of yoga to connect in new ways with our animal friends. Just as they affect us, we affect them. We can use the breathing and gentle movements to help calm our pets as we calm ourselves.
I keep going back to that old adage: what you resist persists. Framed that way, I took a second look at my practices with Sukhi. Instead of trying to rigidly adhere to my routine or urge her off the mat, I started to expand what my idea of a home yoga practice could be and challenge myself to take in Sukhi’s presence in my practice, no matter how wildly she shows up. Rather than just step around the situation, I allow it to bring my focus back to me.
It’s a different experience than practicing in a quiet studio for sure, but it lights my heart now that I’ve opened to it. And it reminds me of aspects of the practice that I’d become disconnected from. Perhaps it’s a chance to be playful and to remind myself to take in the present moment and soften into it rather than hit a set number of Warrior poses. In the play is something profound.
When I adopted Sukhi from a Los Angeles shelter, she went without a name for two weeks. The staff had called her “Heidi,” but that didn’t seem to fit her. I wasn’t sure what name would until my favorite Sanskrit teacher suggested Sukhi, related to sukha, which translates to “happiness” and “ease.” Maybe that’s exactly what we’re intended to experience when we share our practice.
About Our Contributor
Sarah Herrington is a writer, poet, and teacher. She is the founder of OM Schooled kids yoga teacher trainings and Mindful Writing Workshops.
Sarah Herrington is a writer and teacher. She is the founder of OM Schooled kids yoga teacher trainings and the Mindful Writing Workshop. Her work has appeared in New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Poets & Writers Magazine, and more.
You Can Do This 15-Minute Yoga Flow Anytime, Anywhere
Ah the hour-long yoga class. It’s quite luxurious, isn’t it? But let’s be frank—some days, it seems impossible to carve out a large chunk of time for your practice. If you ever feel this way (and who hasn’t?) know this: even a few minutes of movement can make a huge difference in how you approach … Continued
yogajournal.com Bridge Pose Bridge Pose (or Setu Bandha Sarvangasana) is a gentle yoga backbend that can be energizing, rejuvenating, or luxuriously restorative.
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Fitnessaware 