Christmas Gifts for a Yogi

I totally hate shopping…I know, I know.  Freak of nature.  However, yoga stuff is the one thing I could shop for all day.  Here is my ultimate Christmas list for a yoga lover!

A yoga block.

I feel like people are always hesitant to use props in a class, but I swear to you, using a prop is an excellent way to practice a pose with proper alignment, which is the only way you will improve because you'll feel what the pose is actually supposed to feel like!  I use a block all the time and always encourage my students to do the same.  This is the block I have, I love that it feels really sturdy.

A good bolster.

In addition to a block, I find a good quality bolster to be absolutely essential!  Again, this is the one I have and I use it all. the. time.  It is super helpful in poses done on the ground and I use it in almost every single one of my yin poses.  Btw, a good yoga studio should have all of these props available for your use during classes, I just like to have them at home also.

 A cool and convenient yoga bag.

I prefer to carry my mat in a bag that can fit other stuff too.  I always have extra clothes, water, or yoga books in mine.

A yoga blanket

These are the most comfy & cozy blankets on the planet!  You will be in love!

Yoga Clothes

There can be a lot of controversy over this.  Some yogis love Lululemon everything and some hate the idea of wearing something so obscenely priced, some won't wear anything not made from organic/recycled/sustainable/local resources.  I'm somewhere in the middle. I think a lot of Lululemon stuff is cute, but I find that Athleta and Lucy brands fit me much better, plus they aren't quite as expensive.  I haven't had much success in the recycled/local…etc. department, probably because I don't care quite enough to go looking for stuff that is actually comfortable and flattering and fits all these requirements.  Here are some things that I do like:

I love These pants.   I live in mine.

All of Athleta's seamless tops are SUPER comfy.  I could wear them all day long…I have done that, now that I think of it. 

To-and-from studio clothes are a must.  I also live in this top.  You can wear it to lounge in, to your yoga class, out to dinner, and even to work.

A mala.

A mala is sort of like a rosary for yogis.  It has 108 beads and one center piece.  They are used for a variety of things, such as for counting 108 sun salutations or 108 mantras.  

A good yoga book.

If you're looking for a book on yoga, look no further than Judith Lasater.  Any teacher will likely tell you that she is completely awesome, and we all have secret girl-crushes on her.  I really love this book- it gives you just one short snippet to read every day. She is able to put so much wisdom into so few words.  This purchase is totally worth it- as are any of her books.

And there you have it.  Happy shopping, you last minute shoppers!

Boulder and Red Rocks

Mark and I were still on the road to vail on Sunday and had planned to drive through Estes Park and Rocky Mountain National Park on the way, but we decided that we'd rather get to  Vail earlier to catch the farmer's market.  So we drove through Boulder instead and looked around the University of Colorado campus a bit.

It was a pretty neat campus, I can definitely see why so many people I know have gone there (including my dad for 1 year before deciding it was "too fun").  My aunt and uncle used to live in Boulder, but I haven't been there for quite some time, so it was fun to see the town again.

We continued on our drive through Denver and stopped at Red Rocks to look around for about an hour.  It was gorgeous!  I would love to see a concert here someday, what a cool place!

There were SO MANY people working out there!  I didn't realize that it is basically like a huge outdoor gym for the locals.  As you can see, there was also a yoga class going on, so cool!

Obviously, I had to do some yoga of my own here!

After leaving Red Rocks, we continued on our way and finally made it to Vail!  Stay tuned :)

I need your input!

In order to be a legitimate yoga teacher, I need to make myself an LLC.  Yoga teachers are independent contractors at the studios they teach at, and most of them have their own websites that give information about their background and their teaching schedule, as well as options for individual lessons. I've been playing around with some possible names for my LLC and website, but I thought I would test them out on you guys first.  I thought about just calling it Katie Hall Yoga, which is one of the options, but people also don't know who I am and I want a name that will attract potential students. I want your honest feedback...if you were looking for a teacher or studio, which name/design would you be most drawn to?  These aren't "final" designs or anything...I just made them on my phone, I'd probably need an actual web designer to help me out for the real thing!



The word Santosha means acceptance and contentment in Sanskrit



Let me know which one you like the most!!

My BIG News!

I have 2 very exciting things to share with you too!  Some of you know this already, but I was hired to start teaching yoga at a studio in Minneapolis!  I'll be starting shortly at Yoga Sanctuary and I am so excited about it!  I took a class there a few weeks ago and loved the vibe, so I contacted the owner who invited me to come in for one of her classes and to chat.  Turns out, we have some crazy connections that go back to when I was in high school!  Yoga Sanctuary is a beautiful little studio located in the basement of Solomon's Porch, which is "A holistic, missional, Christian community" but Yoga Sanctuary is not affiliated with any religion and welcomes all people, though it does recognize that yoga is a spiritual practice for a lot of people.  It's so crazy, because I used to hang out at Solomon's Porch all the time when I was in high school.  Back then, it was located in a loft space in the Linden Hills neighborhood in Minneapolis.  It was this cool open room full of old couches with a drum set and stage set up.  I hung out with a pretty musical/artistic group and we used to all hang out there at night playing music...seems like so long ago now!

Anyway, I am now on their subbing list- so I will be filling in if a teacher can't make it to their class.  I am also going to be teaching at 9:15 on Sunday mornings for the Karma/Donation class. A few teachers rotate in this class, but I will let you know when I am teaching if you want to come!  Of course, I would love to see some of my lovely readers there!

I thought this little sentiment was appropriate for both pieces of news that I have for you.  I have decided to make a big change that will certainly add to my happiness.  Yesterday, around 1pm, I walked into my boss's office (at Hennepin County Medical Center) and gave my 2 weeks notice.  After spending 3 years in inpatient psychiatry here, my last day here will be August 5th.  I am going to miss some parts of this job, but I am really happy that I will be working only with eating disorders at Melrose and teaching yoga from now on. 

I am very grateful to be able to make these changes, I feel so luck that I get to do something I love for a living. What are you thankful for today?  Share with all of us by visiting Steph and linking up!

Reminder!

Hey everyone!  I just want to remind you to come to the MN Blogger yoga class that I am teaching this coming Sunday at 10am!  All of the info can be found here. 

Remember to bring water and a yoga mat!  If you don't have a yoga mat, let me know...I have a few extras.

I'll bring some tasty treats for after class...if you're lucky I'll even bake something myself! Probably muffins or something.

Don't worry if you have no experience.  There will be a lot of this:

And none of this:

See you on Sunday!!

Blogger Yoga Class!

Blogger Yoga!

When: July 21, 10:00 am

Where: Kenwood Park, Minneapolis (directions here.)

Who: You! Feel free to bring friends!

Other details:  I will meet you near the tennis courts and then we can find a good flat spot for our class.  They are easy to spot, if you are looking at Lake of the Isle Lutheran Church from the parkway, just keep looking to the right and you will see them :)  Make sure to bring some water with you as it will be hot!  I will bring some snacks for afterwards!

Hopefully we have good weather, check my blog if there is rain!

Please let me know in the comments if you plan to come!  

Gratitude and Blogger Yoga!

If you don't already read Steph's blog, you really ought to!  Not only is she funny, but she is really nice and has cute dogs...and that is all we really want, right?  Anywho, she started a linkup for people to write about what they are thankful for each week- genuis idea! I am happy to participate in the first ever weekly Gratitude!

So...drumroll please....what I am thankful for this week is...

SUMMER IN MINNESOTA!  Finally! 

Ok, so really it has felt like summer for a few weeks now, but you never know in MN when the summer is actually here, or if its just another false alarm.  It finally feels like outdoor baseball weather (which I enjoyed on Monday night as the Twinkies lost miserably to the Yankees), the is no greater place to be than on a patio with a cold beverage, and the people of Minnesota have literally come streaming outside in hoards to gather at the lake.  We earned it, afterall.

I am also thankful for the blogging community.  I said this before, but thank you so much to everyone who came to my defense and supported me after I posted about the nasty ex-vegan situation.  It means so much.  Speaking of awesome bloggers, I also want to take this chance to start planning another blogger yoga class!

Ever since the last MN Blogger Yoga class, I've had several sweet requests for more classes.  Ask, and you shall receive! I want to hear from you all though.  If you are interested in coming to a class, please leave a comment regarding the following questions:

What day of the week works best? I have a couple open Sundays in July, but a weekday evening would work too.

What time do you prefer? Obviously it would be in the evening if during the week, but I was thinking either of a Sunday morning yoga/brunch situation or mid to late afternoon.

Location preferences? I was thinking outdoor yoga sounds pretty awesome.  We could find a flat grassy area near a lake...let me know if you have somewhere in mind!  Lake Calhoun or Harriet are convenient for most people, but they also get busy.

What type of yoga do you want?  Vigorous? Relaxing? Any requests? 

Let me know, hope to see lots of you there!

Ultimate Summer Weekend!

I am SO sad this weekend is over!  I had such a fun weekend filled with all of my favorite things!  Let's start with Thursday night.  I taught free yoga at Redeemer Lutheran Church in the Harrison Neighborhood, you may remember me mentioning this project if you came to the MN Bloggers yoga class. My yoga classmates and I were able to put on a great 6-week series for people in this community and plan to continue these free classes on a monthly basis.  I only had 3 students in my class, and one of them was 4 years old!  Most weeks we had anywhere from 2-6 students, which is pretty good for a new class.

On  Friday, I had my yoga teacher training graduation!!  We had a potluck while we discussed general info and ethics for starting a yoga business.  The potluck was pretty hilarious because, in true yogi form, virtually everyone brought either fruits, veggies, or chocolate.  That was my kind of lunch!

We had a nice little ceremony when we were presented with our certificates and given some time to reflect on the past 9 months.  I am going to miss these ladies SO much, but I am sure that I will still be seeing a lot of them!  We've been with each other several times per week since September, so it will be weird to not be with each other all the time now!

On Saturday, I went for my long run, which was 8 miles.  I didn't have hip pain or I would have stopped, so thats good!  I spent most the day cleaning and working on projects around the house.  That night, my parents hosted a cocktail party on Lake Minnetonka.  We had a great time enjoying really delicious food and drinks!  The weather was really nice too so it was fun to be on the lake!

On Sunday, Mark and I drove down to Red Wing to bike the Cannon Valley Trail.  It was a fun and challening 40 miles!  I will post a full recap of that trip tomorrow, so make sure to stop back then to read about it! 

I can't believe it is already July!  Hooray for the 4th of July and a 4 day work week! And of course, link up your weekends with Sami!

Health & Fitness Friday: Yoga Graduation!

I am so excited to post today for Health & Fitness Friday because later this afternoon, I am graduating from yoga teacher training!!  It has been such a great experience and journey!  Not only have a learned so much about yoga and teaching, but I have also met some amazing friends that I know will be in my life for a long time to come!  I'm not sure exactly what our graduation will be like, so check back later to hear about it.

I am hoping to start teaching somewhere in the fall.  I will start looking for and visiting different studios around town this summer as I send out applications :)

This has been a wonderful but huge commitment for me for the past 9 months.  After spending each Friday in weekly yoga study meetings, 34 tech sessions, a 4-week intensive series, 5 workshops, one visiting instructor weekend, 1 karma yoga community project, and a 15 hr personal mentorship, I am finally earning my title as RYT or registered yoga teacher!

I am so excited to see my yoga friends today for our class and then head out for a happy hour in celebration of our graduation!

Namaste!

The Eight Limbs of Yoga

A lot of people think yoga is all about stretching and holding crazy poses that tighten up your booty, but there is actually so much more to it.  In reality, "practicing yoga" doesn't have to involve any of the physical poses (asana) at all.  Patanjali, who wrote the Yoga Sutras, outlined eight "limbs" of yoga. According to Yoga Journal,

"These eight steps basically act as guidelines on how to live a meaningful and purposeful life. They serve as a prescription for moral and ethical conduct and self-discipline; they direct attention toward one's health; and they help us to acknowledge the spiritual aspects of our nature."

These are the eight limbs: 

1. Yama (5 restraints)

2. Niyama (5 observances)

**The Yamas and Niyamas are a set of 10 principles that comprise a sort of moral code for living the path of yoga.**

3. Asana (physical poses)

4. Pranayama (breath control)

5. Pratyahara (withdrawal of the external senses)

6. Dharana (intense concentration)

7. Dhyana (meditation)

8. Samadhi (enlightenment)

I want to eventually write about each of the limbs, so come back and read more if this interests you.  I really want to make sure that I understand all of this before I start teaching students regularly, so this is really more for me, I just hope its interesting for some of you out there too!

The 5 types of Yogis.

I have so much to say about yoga so I think I'm going to write a weekly post on some yoga subject, would any of you read that?

Well to start it out, lets talk about something funny.  The 5 types of yogis.  Ok.  Really, there are 6.  The 6th being the category that includes all normal people.  Like me.  And hopefully you. Unless you are #3, in which case teach me your ways.

In one of my latest yoga classes, I got to thinking about the types of people who show up around the studio.  You could probably come up with a handful of your own stereoypes (feel free to share!) but here is what I've got for you.  (Please take this with a grain of salt.  I love all you crazy yogis out there.) 

1.  The Noisemaker.  This is the yogi who feels the need to breath so loudly that you'd think they were trying to give the teacher mouth-to-mouth.  From across the room.  This category also includes those who feel the need to sigh, moan, or use expletives in every posture. 

 

2.  The Extra-Cruntchy Granola.  You know this person.  They always show up to class with about one thousand mason jars full of unrecognizable liquid that they claim is "soo good!"  Is it kombucha?  A spirulina smoothie? Urine?  (idk, there could be anything in there!)  They also exclusively bike or walk to class.  They roll out their sustainable yoga mat, touched only by all-natural cleaners.  They don't wear anything sweat-wicking.  Or anything Lululemon. 

3.  The Freakishly Strong.  Ahh yes, the sneakiest of all yogis.  They act like regular people.  They look like regular people.  In fact, they sometimes even look like regular out-of-shape people.  This is the person you might strategically position yourself next to in order to make yourself look better.  But watch out.  They can probably seamlessly transition from crow to scorpian.  And they will put you to shame.

 

4.  The Overachiever.  Remember when I said that I "love" all the crazy yogis out there?  Well, I lied.  I do not love The Overachiever.  In fact, this person drives me nuts.  This is the yogi who has to set up their mat front and center in every single class.  They pretend to follow the teacher's sequence for the first couple of poses and then BAM.  They suddenly start breaking out every difficult and advanced pose they can think of, completely disregarding the teacher.  Ok, maybe it's not always quite like that- but still, it's pretty rude if you ask me.

 

5.  The Old Guy Wearing No Pants.  Do I even need to explain this one?  If you've seen him, you already know too much.

 

Which type of yogi are you?  Do I have any #5 readers out there??

Yin Yoga Teacher Training

Today for Health & Fitness Friday, I want to talk about the training I was at last weekend to become certified as a Yin yoga teacher.  I spent 15 hours last weekend with 40 yoga teachers in the Twin Cities learning all about this therapeutic style of yoga.  Yin yoga is different from other types of yoga because it shuts down your muscles and removes them from the equation.  Yin focuses on stressing your joints and making space within them.  The purpose of this is to alleviate unwanted tension in the fascia, connective tissues, ligaments, and even bones.  Yin yoga is done on the floor and uses multiple props like bolsters, blocks, blankets, and the wall.  To learn more about Yin Yoga, visit YinYoga.com which was created by Bernie Clark, expert Yin teacher who wrote one of our books for the weekend.

The teacher who put on this training is really amazing.  She is one of my favorite teachers at Yoga Center of Minneapolis and has extensive training in Yin Yoga and yoga therapy.  Visit her website, Om with Michelle, to learn more about her and check out her class schedule if you are in the area.

We started our weekend on Friday evening with a little introduction and a nice long Yin practice.  Saturday morning we discussed Taoist philosophy, which is essential to understanding the meaning of yin and how it exists with yang.  We also talked about the fascial lines and meridians in the body that Yin asanas target.  After that, we spent all Saturday afternoon and all day Sunday learning about the Yin poses.  We broke each of them down and practiced teaching them to each other.  We ended our weekend with another class led by our fabulous instructor.

At the end of the weekend, I was awarded with my certificate!  I am getting so close to finishing my 230 hr teacher training, which will allow me to register with Yoga Alliance.  Once I have that in place, I will be looking for a studio to teach at and I am hoping to be able to teach some Yin classes, as well as  the faster-paced Vinyasa that I like.

Email me if you have any questions about Yin Yoga or if you want to learn some of the poses to do on your own!

Suja Juice Cleanse Review + Health and Fitness Friday!

I made it through the juice cleanse!  I really loved it and am sort of eating my words (or drinking them?)  because I was totally skeptical of it!  I supplemented my Suja juice with a couple from Blue Print Cleanse yesterday because Whole Foods didn't have enough Suja for me.

I really did not care for the red juice.  That is the one of the Suja that I didn't like much either, I guess red juice just isn't my thing.  The Lime ginger lemon agave was super tasty though!

This one was really really fabulously delicious!  I could drink this all summer long!

Ok, so I know you are all dying to know how I felt doing this and what changes I've noticed!  Here you go:

PROS:

- I felt great, nota HUGE burst of energy or anything, but I felt like me energy was coming from a natural source, not at all like a caffeine high.

- I actually think my skin looks better, more glory.

- I don't think my stomach has ever been to un-bloated.  Due to my GI stuff, I'm pretty much bloated 24/7.  

- This did seem to help my digestion too, probably because it was all liquid, but I think it gave my body a much needed break from the amount of work it usually has to do to digest stuff (which is a big problem for me/people with my diagnosis.)

- I lost 4 pounds.  Again, I didn't do this for weight loss.  I don't think it was 4 real pounds of fat, probably mostly water weight and getting rid of excess waste/toxins in my body.

- Mostly I was just surprised that I really didn't crave anything, I never once thought about that box of wheat thins and bag of jellybeans in the pantry.  That is totally uncharacteristic of me and definitely a reason to do this again!

CONS:

- I had a bad headache on day 2.

- I was freezing the whole time....but then again I'm in Minnesota and theres still ice/snow on the ground.

- Working out was pretty tough.  I ran once, used the elliptical once, and walked my dog twice.  I had energy for the day, but maybe not enough for a good workout too.

I really hope to do this a few times per year.  Does anyone out there have thoughts about buying a juicer?  Or about the cost of a juicer + produce vs. bottled juices?  Is it realistic to find the time to make your own juice for a 3 day cleanse?  I am a newbie to this, so any advice is very appreciated!

Now, lets talk about fitness.  As I just mentioned, my workouts haven't been great.  I usually do my long run on Friday morning, since I don't work Fridays right now.  I doubt I have enough energy in me for my scheduled 9 milers this morning, so I am shooting for 5.  Hopefully I'll get the 9 miles in on Sunday.

This weekend is going to be PACKED full of yoga.  Seriously, I have 17 hours of scheduled yoga between now and Sunday night.  The reason is because I am getting certified as a Yin Yoga instructor this weekend, so we have an intensive 3 day course.  This is on top of my normal teacher training this afternoon and a 3.5 hour mentorship tomorrow morning.  I don't have to be there until 1 on Sunday though, so I am hoping to get my long run in then- but I am not going to beat myself up about it if I don't make it...I might just need to rest.  

As always, linking up with Jen for Health and Fitness Friday!

Weekend Review

And just like that- another weekend was gone.  I can't believe how fast time is flying by.  March is my least favorite month and it usually drags on and on, but this year is a different story.  Not sure why, maybe it's because I've been busier than usual.

This weekend was pretty nice, but I did absolutely nothing to do with St. Paddy's Day.  Oh well, I'm not too torn up over that one.  On Friday morning I was able to make it to the gym to get my 7 mile run hammered out on the treadmill.  It went SO much better than expected!  Getting back into running has been really tough for me, but the endurance and motivation is finally coming back.  I even had enough energy to go to yoga study early to practice teaching with some of my classmates.  My yogi friend Betsy taught us an awesome class that included some arm balances.  I wouldn't say I've "mastered" any of these yet, so I'm not ready to cross that off my 30 before 30 list, but maybe soon!

On Friday night, we hung out with our friends, Amanda and Brian.  We made some homemade pizzas and played a few boardgames.  It was a nice relaxing evening, just what a Friday night should be!

On Saturday morning, I checked out this cute little yoga studio- Invisible Bee Yoga.  I really enjoyed the class and hopefully will make it back over there to check out more of the classes!  That afternoon, Mark and I went to the taproom at Indeed Brewing Company and sampled a few brews.  We just relaxed and watched The Vow that night- I was pretty exhausted!

Sunday was filled with yoga mentorship, practice teaching, Bible study, and lots of cleaning!  

In addition to linking up with Sami, I am loving Rachel's Inspirational Monday link-up!  Go check it out and send some inspiration for the week!

Happy Monday, everyone!!

Fitness Friday!

Here we go, my 2nd week of Fitness Friday! I am still trying to decide if I am going to run a half marathon this spring, but either way I am going to start training for one.  I am on week 2 of my training program, which looks like this:

Monday- 3 miles
Tuesday- Rest
Wednesday- 1 hour cross
Thursday- 3 miles
Friday- 5 miles
Saturday- Rest
Sunday- 3 miles

I've always used a Hal Higdon training schedule, but I have to change around some of the days depending on my work schedule.  So far, I've stuck to everything.  I am hoping the 5 miler goes ok today!

In addition to that, I've been lifting weights and doing some core work at the gym, but I admit that I am never good at sticking to a good lifting plan!

I plan on doing a lot of yoga this weekend because I have a workshop and a yoga study tech session.  I will probably drop into at least one other class this weekend before or after my yoga study!

Stop over at Jen's adorable blog and enter your own Fitness Friday update!

One Year Ago...

One year ago at this time, I waking up from hip surgery.  Well, kind of.  My surgery was on February 29th (leap day) so I don't really have a one year anniversary.  It's been a loooong journey let me tell you.  Here is the story:

I had been having pain in my left hip for over 2 years and had been trying to get it diagnosed for about as long.  I thought it was a running injury because I was training for a marathon when it got really bad, but I started to get this pain shortly after running my first 5k, so I believe it was actually a yoga injury, since I was doing so much hot yoga during that time also.  I saw an orthopedic surgeon who thought it was inflammation, maybe tendonitis or just a tight muscle.  He put me on strong NSAIDs which did nothing.  Then he did an MRI and found nothing, but sent me to PT.   After that didn't work, he prescribed prednisone.  I had a reaction to the prednisone and ended up in urgent care with steroidal myopathy- basically extreme pain and weakness in my legs.  I literally woke up one morning, which happened to be Christmas day, and could not stand without holding onto the wall.  After that scare was over, I decided to get a 2nd opinion on my hip.

I went to an orthopedic surgery/rehab center and saw a doctor who suspected a labral tear.  He sent me for another MRI, but this time with contrast dye and a lidocaine injection into my hip socket- which would allow us to determine if the pain was coming from inside the joint capsule, or from the tissues around it.  The results were very clear-  definitely a labral tear, definitely would require surgery.  I scheduled the surgery right away and decided to get the show on the road.

This surgery can go one of two ways, either the surgeon performs a labral tear repair or a labral tear debridement, and they never know which it will be until they are inside the joint.  A repair has a more difficult recovery period, but a better prognosis in the long run.  A debridement isn't as hard to recover from, but the likelihood of ever being at 100% again isn't great.  I ended up with a large tear that couldn't be repaired, so I had a debridement.

The first couple weeks were hard.  I felt like I couldn't do anything on my own.  It scared me to not be able to lift my leg at all.  I worked really hard in PT just to get to the point where I could sit with my legs outstretched ahead of me and lift the left leg up even an inch.  It felt like a pretty long way to fall given that I had run my 2nd marathon just a few months earlier. (Yes, I ran 2 marathons with a significant tear in my hip socket- not smart and I don't recommend it.)

I was on crutches for about a month and in PT for 4 months! I know that even today my left leg is weaker than it used to be.  I've been struggling to get back into my running routine, but  I am finally starting to think about training for a race.  I did a 5k in August, which seemed like a huge amount of work, but now I'm running at least that far most days at the gym.  I might be setting my sights on the Fargo half marathon in May and MAYBE the Twin Cities Marathon in October- big maybe on that though.  I still have soreness in my left hip and my right hip has developed the exact same pain- so I know that I probably have a small tear on that side too.

If you're an athlete of any capacity, you know how devastating it is to be injured.  I am really proud of myself for getting back to it at all.  I just hope and pray that I can continue to train injury free for my next race.  It will require an adjustment to my training plan and goals, and a lot of self-discipline to not overdo it but to do enough.  Please send your good running vibes my way!

Fitness Friday- My YOGA Story

These days I am living and breathing yoga.  I've been enrolled in a yoga teacher training through Yoga Center of Minneapolis (YCM) since September, and I am set to graduate in June.  I am absolutely *LOVING* it!  In addition to meeting about 20 amazing yogi friends in my class, I am learning more and more about why I fell in love with yoga in the first place and how I want to use it in the future. 

My first introduction to yoga was actually as a child when my dad was really into power yoga.  He had a teacher from our athletic club who also taught out of her home, and took me to a class in her basement one evening.  I could not stand on my head (like many students in the class, including my dad) but nevertheless, I felt an overwhelming desire to incorporate this practice into my life.  I didn't do much yoga in my teen years, but started to dabble some in college when I found a yoga class offered through the fitness center on campus.  When I was in graduate school, I started to have some really intense back pain- mostly related to stress.  At the suggestion of an accupuncturist I was seeing, I tried out a hot yoga class at a studio close to my apartment.  I. WAS. HOOKED.  I attended hot yoga 3-4 times per week throughout grad school, and it was during this time that I started becoming interested in teaching yoga. 

Fast forward a few years and here I am in the midst of it.  I researched a lot of teacher training programs offered in my area, and decided that YCM had the most comprehensive program and would best fit into my schedule.  I almost enrolled in the program last spring, but ended up having hip surgery (trust me, I am 27- not 77) and had to put it on hold. I am so glad that I waited until September to start because I have met some amazing people in my class who I know will be lifelong friends.  I am thankful each day that I get to step onto my mat, and I hope to share even more of this journey as I go!

Favorite poses:
Natarajasana- Dancer's Pose
Vrksasana- Tree Pose
Salamba Sirsasana- Supported Headstand

Linking up with Jen!

Weekend Recap

I just love having a weekend at home with no big plans.  This weekend was relaxing, yet productive, and frankly I would like it to still be around.

I've always been a fan of Fridays, but even more so now that I don't work Fridays (except for this one, just a half day though!) and I get to spend the day in yoga teacher training.  This Friday afternoon started out with a coffee date with my yogi friend, Sara.  We walked to Starbucks across from our yoga studio and got a chance to catch up on life.  After I got home, Mark and I went out for dinner with my dad at one of our favorite local restaurants.  We capped the night off by watching TV on the couch, just the way a Friday should be.

Saturday was filled with going to the gym, errands, lounging, and cleaning.  I signed up for the Run or Dye 5k with a couple friends, and I am SO excited about it!  I saw a lot of pictures from The Color Run 5k, and it looked so cool!  This run is the same concept, so I expect it to be tons of fun!  On Saturday night, Mark and I took a Valentine's partner yoga workshop with Sara and her boyfriend.  I was SO happy that he was willing to put up with this for me, and it ended up being really fun.  It was taught by one of my favorite instructors, and she brought a few different red wines and chocolates for us to enjoy throughout the class.  I knew it was outside of Mark's comfort zone, but I think we actually did pretty well and got to try some cool acro-yoga poses....like this,

Ok, not quite.  But you get the point.

Sunday morning I got in a run and lifted some weights, but then spent most of the day being lazy.  I started going to a Monday night Bible study with some friends from church, so I spent a lot of the afternoon working on the Bible study homework.  We are doing a 10 week Beth Moore study on the Old Testament Tabernacle.  I hope to continue blogging about how this study is going as well, it is pretty interesting!

This was the last lazy weekend I'll get for awhile now, so I am extremely grateful for it!  Hope all of you reading this had a great weekend as well :)

Katie