Living Free: Yoga for Stress, Anxiety, and Other Pesky Realities

Living Free: Yoga for Stress, Anxiety, and Other Pesky Realities

Life can toss all kinds of things in our direction, nothing we cannot handle, but sometimes we could use a little help. Join us as we discover yoga’s ability to create freedom from stress & anxiety, depression, addictions and the tensions of daily living. Learn gentle ways to access your mind-body’s ability to soothe chronic stress, ease anxiety & depression, 

and help overcome addictions.

This 5 week series begins with the simplest of skills for breathing, moving the body & paying attention to the ‘here & now.’ We’ll explore how these and other yoga methods can encourage a healthy rebalancing of the mind-body-brain system. We’ll learn to confidently make use of these tools & begin to find freedom in our everyday lives.

Join us for gentle yoga practice with discussion
Thursdays
February 18 - March 17
6:30-7:30pm  Small Yoga Studio
led by Susannah Cecil, M.Ed., LPC, RYT200

$15 for Single Class or $60 for 5 Weeks

for YW and YMofNWNC Members

$20 for Single Class or $80 for 5 Weeks for Non-Members

Registration is required, stop by the

Gateway YWCA at 1300 S Main St. Winston Salem, NC

For questions email kristenywca@gmail.com

An inhale. An exhale. A tear

Throughout the month of November teacher trainees have had the chance to teach a karma class on gratitude. Each Wednesday night friends, family and fellow yogis show up to support these amazing women as they begin teaching their first solo yoga classes.
Last night in class, I had a moment as I looked up to my hands and exhaled to anjali mudra, a moment that she a single tear down my face.
That moment you realize how blessed you are to actually be making yoga a career.
That moment you are being taught a beautiful asana practice by students who learned, in part, by you.
That moment you know another round of yoga teacher trainees are eager to begin in the new year. That moment you recap all the places you have traveled to and the brilliant people you have met.
That moment you find thanks in the people who have been there along the way.
That moment you realize the people who have recently entered your life are here for a reason.
That moment you begin to let your walls down and give love a chance again.
That moment you realize the broken water pump on your car is nothing...
...Nothing compared to the blessings that filled that one single tear of joy and thanksgiving that welled up during a single movement. So much gratitude held in one inhale and one exhale.

A huge Thank You, to the worlds latest yoga teacher training graduates!! May you continue to bless everyone who crosses your path and continue to yolk your life with those around you, looking at life through eyes of gratitude each and every day.

www.k10yoga.com

Vegan Veggie Pasta "Alfredo"

Holy deliciousness!!
Made this on a whim for dinner tonight and it surprised the hell out of me!

What you will need:
-Whole Wheat Penne Pasta
-Shallot
-Garlic
-Olive Oil
-2.5c Unsweetened Almond Milk
-3-4 Tbsp All Purpose Flour
-Cherry Tomatoes
-Broccoli
-Salt and Pepper





Slice tomatoes in half , drizzle olive oil and a pinch of salt on top and get them started baking on 400 (they need a good 20-25 minutes baking)

Boil water and start cooking the pasta

In the meantime... Saute the shallots and garlic in a dash of olive oil for 4-5 minutes. Turn the heat down to medium and gradually start adding a tablespoon at a time of flour to 1/2 cup of almond milk in pan. Whisk it to try and keep it from getting clumpy. Turn down to low and let it simmer and thicken.

Start to spoon out penne noodles and add to the "alfredo" Continue stirring sauce and noodles together simmering.

Steam broccoli (2-4 minutes) until they turn brighter green.

Add broccoli to noodles and sauce.
Add tomatoes to noodles and sauce.

Season with salt and pepper to taste and enjoy!

www.k10yoga.com 

XRay Glasses

This past weekend in Teacher Training my students had an opportunity to take a really intense hot yoga class... and by intense I mean, hot with a 10 minute malasana thrown in there. These guys were challenged not only by the heat, but with holding long hip openers, and then the frustration that comes from a 10 minute squat!
The next day, we learned about Chakras. What an eye opening experience for them to not only learn about chakras but be able to experience what can happen when you tap into them through asana... it's a game changer!
Understanding that every day we have choices that we make. Society has taught us that there are things we have to do. But in real life, we always have a choice. We can choose to sit in malasana for 10 minutes and be miserable, or we can choose to stand up and honor ourselves. We can choose to sit in malasana for 10 minutes and wear our xray glasses to observe what we start to feel, not just physically, but mentally and emotionally.
When we stand back and observe our own behavior, that is when the yoga magic happens!

www.k10yoga.com

You ARE Worthy!

This topic just seems to be popping up everywhere I look, its in my yoga practice, in my life, with my friends and loved ones, it just seems to be everywhere. So, why not share my thoughts on the subject with you!

You ARE Worthy, you are worthy of love, happiness, joy, grace, any positive affirmation that you can come up with, you are worthy of each one. In addition to that, you are also worthy to give those things. I've have a few moments lately where I tell myself that I am not worthy of these things. I remind myself that not only am I worthy to receive them, but to give them, and that is part of the process... Life is not always selfish, it doesn't work like that universally. Life is composed of vast examples of dualism. We give we take, the sun rises, the sun sets, the tide ebbs and flows, the breathe in and we breathe out and so on.

I'm reminded of this in my yoga practice as we INHALE the affirmations we want to receive, we EXHALE what we want to give back. When we give back, we have created space to bring in another. Every breath is a place to taste our own soul, even for just a moment, and when we nourish our soul with giving and receiving, the wheels turn much more freely.

Live a life of worth 

be strong, give love, receive love, be free, be brave

Live.

www.k10yoga.com

Eternal Lavender-For Carol

One of my students recently left this world to see what else is out in the great vast universe and to explore the possibilities of life after death. Carol was a beauty! Her soul shines as she has moved on. Every Monday I could look forward to her kind smile, her blessing on a good day and a gentle hug and thank you after class. Carol was one of those who you know genuinely did hope you had a blessed day. I cannot express how kind hearted she was and she will be greatly missed.


Carol, I wish you only the best on your journey through the universe and beyond, with your husband by your side once again, and all of the lavender you want! Thank you for your kind heart and gentle spirit. You were and will continue to be a positive influence in my life and I'm thankful I had a few short years with you in class.

In love, light, and eternal lavender~shine on!

~k10yoga.com~

Fall Yoga Teacher Training!

I can not wait for Friday! Not because I'm going off to some foreign land, but because its the start of a bigger adventure. Not just an adventure for me, but also for 8 aspiring yoga teachers!

Yoga Teacher Training starts Friday!!

As I look back on my notes and prepare myself for this journey, I can't help but feel excited to share what I have learned over the past 8 years. To share with new students who gaze upon this experience with a wondering eye, a curious mind, and a loving heart.

As yoga teachers, we often learn the most from our students. They always think its the other way around, but in real life, we are taught daily, in some capacity, about life, love, patience, boundaries, and what it is to live life.

Can't wait to see where this journey takes my students and in turn takes me. Keep your head high, open your heart, speak your truth and let the sun shine on your soul.

www.k10yoga.com