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Hi Subscriber First Name, Well, it’s a wrap !!! What is? My formal yoga therapy study/learning experience. 3+ years of study, 2+ years of driving to Los Angeles to Loyola Marymount each month - sometimes twice a month - for a weekend (2 days) FULL of lecture and experiential training. The final year was online due to Covid and practicum study. Somewhere between my second and third year, I had the pleasure of working in a 55-hour practicum with Julie Carmen, a Mental Health Professional as well as Certified Yoga Therapist. This gave me experience in working in a clinic setting with clients who may have physical and/or mental health issues. And, I have successfully applied for and received my Certification through the International Association of Yoga Therapists. Now what? Well, I plan to continue teaching my usual classes, continue offering private yoga sessions, and continue my work with yoga therapy clients. So — not much different except the sense of accomplishment that comes with completion of a task. YOGA TIP: This is a new addition to my newsletter, hopefully adding to your ‘toolbelt’ of yoga knowledge: When doing our standing poses (Warriors I & II; Side Angle Pose, Triangle Pose, Revolved Triangle Pose), it is important to remember the twist. ‘The twist’ took me by surprise 4-5 years ago, when it was brought to my attention by Christina Sell. ‘The twist’ happens in each of the above-mentioned poses, through our torso. For example, in Triangle Pose, as one turns the right leg open and brings torso over the right leg, resting right hand on leg or mat, now the twist happens — moving the right side of the ribs forward (yet staying over the right leg) and taking left side of ribs back. This helps to stack the shoulders and makes extending the left arm up a bit easier. If you already knew this ‘tip’, great; if not, think about the twist as you move into these poses. One more thing to think about: If we go to the full expression (i.e. taking hand to floor, say in triangle or side angle pose(s)), the twist will be more challenging. Better to do it with the hand on a block or elbow on your knee (side angle), so you can experience and get used to the twist before moving to a fuller expression. Leslie’s Blog - my most recent post talks about how valuable the little things - the pieces & parts - are to our practice. You can read it here. ON MY END TABLE Current reading material includes: Enlighten Up! Finding Clarity, Contentment and Resilience in a Complicated World by Beth Gibbs. I discovered Beth on the blog, Yoga for Healthy Aging (which I highly recommend) After reading her posts on the Chakras, I checked out her website (bethgibbs.com), entered the ‘rabbit hole’ and quickly ordered this book. It has not disappointed — a good journey through the Koshas, written with intelligence and a touch of humor. On my fiction pile is a re-read (I think) titled “The Last Boy”. I say ‘I think’ because a lot of it seems familiar; but, reading it anyway. Drop me a line with book recommendations — would love to hear what you are reading.
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