The voice mail that is played at the beginning of this episode is why I decided to do these episodes that I call Elsie's Yoga Kula. There is so much power to sharing your journey. This practice of yoga can take you to so many absolutely fabulous places, not only on the mat but off the mat. I know that my yoga practice opened up so much for me, in fact it was the catalyst for gigantic growth in my life, and I'm in no way talking about the poses. They are the icing on the cake :) They provided me with the first courageous steps towards something more! Thank you sooo much for sharing Jeanne (sp?) ! I am thrilled when I hear stories like yours, those that are all about stepping deeper into your self, to see the vast goodness that dwells within! NICE! Oh, and I would be honored to have you come to my class! Even though I only teach 1 public class a week...but more to come, promise! As you can hear, this message was actually sent 'quite' a while ago. I'm trying to go back and honor you guys that sent me messages long ago :) And if you haven't sent a message to share with me and the kula DO SO. I'd love to help all of us stay inspired and feel that we are truly part of a world wide community! So call me to share at 310 651 6238 Hello everybody and welcome to Elsie's Yoga Kula episode #3! Happy Autumn :) Oh man is Pittsburgh gorgeous when the leaves start to change! My most favorite changes, that of the ivy, it's like fire snakes climbing up trees and buildings. So beautiful! So much has happened this year it's unbelievable. truly. Last year right around this time I became a mother. Yep, my lovely Hunter is 1 year old as of October 2. Happy Happy birthday my baby girl! You have shifted me to become someone I honestly never knew was inside. I've gotten...sturdier, that's for sure :) I started to finally teach public classes, I was laid off of my job last November, man! and now I'm in the process of developing my own consulting business. As soon as I get all my stuff in gear I'll let you all know all about it. You can venture to YoGeek.Me, to see a gradual development of posts delving into the world of yoga and technology :) It has been an incredible fortifying year, full of everything you can imagine, calm, love, fear, angst, courage, meltdowns, you name it. I have LIVED! You guys have made this year for me a sort of life line. Your emails and messages and support have provided me with hope and strength. If you are listening to the podcast I now read an email from Maria Rose from Vermont :D and my response to her email! Listen to the Podcast! EYK News: Remember how I mentioned the cool personalized bottle from the company SIGG on EKY Episode 1? Well, I take that back. I used to love those bottles but the practices of their CEO has left me less than pleased. Here's the quick scoop: SIGG CEO Steve Wasik recently announced that SIGG water bottles did in fact contain the toxic chemical bisphenol A (BPA) in its liners until August 2008. That means that any bottle that you purchased before 10/08 contains BPA. They are allowing customers that purchased a bottle prior to this date (you would know by the bronze liner instead of the pale yellow liner that are the new ones) to exchange their bottles. But the Environmental Working Group is not satisfied with this. Here is letter sent by the President of EWG to SIGG: On behalf of the Environmental Working Group (EWG), I write to ask that you issue an unambiguous apology for misleading consumers and retailers about whether SIGG bottles contain the toxic chemical bisphenol-A (BPA). I further urge you to modify SIGG Switzerland CEO Steve Wasik's recent announcement of a SIGG voluntary bottle exchange program. Consumers should be able to take SIGG bottles that contain BPA to an authorized SIGG retailer and receive a refund for the full retail value of the product. The cost of the refund should be covered by SIGG. The announced exchange policy, which forces customers to accept a replacement SIGG bottle, puts them in the untenable position of having to trust Mr. Wasik and his team about the composition and safety of the replacement product. It is our view that SIGG's reputation will be difficult to restore while Mr. Wasik remains at the helm of the company. Sincerely, â Kenneth A. CookâPresidentâEnvironmental Working Group In case you want to exchange your product you can go to http://mysigg.com/bulletin/ to read all about it. I'll post a link in the shownotes. Just last week I was interviewed by David Spark about my new iPhone App! It was such a cool experience. He's a really great guy. What was crazy about the whole thing is that I scheduled it specifically so that Hunter was in an optimal mood and she could keep herself occupied. The interview was supposed to take 10 min. Of course none of it went as planned. As we signed on in Skype, my camera decided not to work...ggrrrrrr. I had to trouble shoot for about 10 minutes! I did have an opportunity to see my lovely friend Inge's face as I had my mini freak out. I asked her to help me but at that time she had no solutions for me. I figured it out FINALLY! then of course, the moment that David started recording the podcast Hunter fell down and conked her head. yep, of course she did. anyway, the whole thing ended up going really well. I'll put a link in the shownotes for ya'll. Here's the article on David's Blog: Elsie's Yoga Class: Making Money From Podcasting Here's the larger piece on Mashable! 9 Successful Techniques For Making Money From Podcasting And speaking of my iPhone/iPod Touch app...Have you gotten a chance to buy it yet? It's $3.99 and what you get is the ability to stream all of my content, all 70+ classes without downloading anything at all, at the push of a button! Plus, I'll be adding a PDF of the sequences of my classes a little bit a time, so you can have it with you as you practice! Occasionally I may add little videos here and there and some other bits and pieces of content. Now, I have to clarify that if you happen to have an iPod Touch, the only time that you can stream the content is when you are connected via Wifi. Thank you Lisa for helping me be clear about this :) Full disclosure, there have been some issues with the 1st version of the app (the classes not streaming and the app itself not opening). The new version HAS been released which fixes the majority of the bugs. If you have downloaded the app and still experience problems, please feel free to contact me via email so we can get the issues resolved! If you have wanted to support this podcast, this is a wonderful way to do it. I do get a teeny bit of money from the sale of each app. I'd like to take the opportunity to thank all of you that have already downloaded the app, from the bottom of my heart, and I'd also like to thank all those of you that have donated to Elsie's Yoga Kula. I'll share that last months donations allowed me to make our car payment. It was a blessing. I've been doing this podcast for 3 years and I have never put up a donate button, until now. At this moment, I feel that I can and I have had requests from you guys, so it's helped me make the decision. If you'd like to donate to the podcast please feel free to do so, if you'd like to donate to the podcast in another way other than in a monetary way, I have put up a page telling you of all sorts of ways in which you can 'donate' that don't include money. Check it out. Any little thing totally helps and like the page says, Support the Podcast, support the family! We have another voice mail from a listener! So listen up if you wanna hear :) Here's Vanessa Best's Web site: The Spinal Space Thank you Juli from Atlanta! I know it was a while ago, but she very kindly sent me an email and told me that I had inadvertedly tagged episode 69 with an 'explicit' tag, YIKES! Totally did not want to do that. I went in there and fixed it as soon as I could, although I know that a few of you got that episode with an explicit tag, and of course there was nothing explicit about it... It's all about listener emails! Carli from Kansas My 16 year old son talked me into trying Yoga with him. He plays football and his coach got them started on Yoga. I am a runner and lift weights, I took a yoga class once but it never stuck. So I started looking for yoga podcasts and came across yours. I loved it. It was very hard for me to follow at first because I am not familiar with the poses. So I went online and found your website! I flipped out when I realized I can look at the poses to the episodes online and follow that way. I'm so stuck on yoga now! I love your classes and how you describe things. You Rock! Thank you so much Carli :) You know, I totally keep forgetting to tell you guys to come check out this site! The pictures are there, there are a couple of times where there are corresponding videos and extra links at times, especially when I mention an article or something like that in my theme :) oh, and the EYK episodes will be transcribed as a blog post (hence this post ;) ), so if you wanna read, what I said, then all you have to do is go to the corresponding blog post! Marie from Ol Miss Hi Elsie!I hope you are well. I've just started listening to your podcasts, and they are so great! I have a random question for you. What kind or brand of mat would you recommend to someone who is just beginning yoga? I have a mat that I have had for a long time, (I've started and stopped yoga a few times), but it is starting to kind of thin and I've found a few holes. Also, do you have any other advice for a newbie like me? Thank you so much and have a great weekend! Marie Here's my answer to Marie Hello Marie :) Great questions! Regarding the yoga mat...I'm a very big fan of the Jade Yoga Mats. At times they can bunch up a little bit off the floor, as they are not as 'sticky' as the yoga mats that you would purchase almost anywhere. My fave from Jade is The Encore because I like my mats to have a bit more substance when I practice. The Encore is the one that I have (at least I have the prototype as they sent it to me before it was released. Also love Beinjoy yoga mats. They are soooooooooooooooooo pretty :) That gets some bonus points from me. They feel very good. Also I own 2 Manduka â mats, the purple PROlite and the Black Mat PRO. They have some eco friendly versions that are also available, which I've been meaning to try. My purple mat has lasted me for about 5 yrs! and it looks almost the same as when I bought it. The only thing thats wrong with it now is that my kitties got to it and scratched the tar out of it ;) They also have a mat that supports an organization called 'off the mat into the world' which I think is pretty darn fabulous organization. Another company that I love is Prana. They have a FANTASTIC mat that I want to purchase the is wider than most mats out there. When I practice in order to have my shoulders properly aligned I honestly have to widen them so much that my pinky fingers end up being off the mat. I don't mind, but their new Revolution mat takes care of that! Plus it's eco friendly :) A lot of the mats that I have mentioned are pretty pricey, $60+ and UP! It is a lot of $ I know. You can get some mats from Prana, or Jade or even Lululemon that are eco friendly for between $35 and 40. I know that I have not needed another mat after buying my purple mat so long ago. I just like to try out other mats, and share about them :) Let me know if I can help you with anything else! As a beginner practitioner, I would merely say to take your time, to listen to yourself, and to choose to always be honest and open with yourself every time you get on the mat. Choose to step in deeper and enjoy your own body, with all it's 'limitations'. They make you the unique beauty that you are. If you get through a class and you haven't smiled....I would make that my priority :) Smiling and laughing truly allows for a deeper moving into your heart to see what really matters! Marie's answer: I ended up getting a Manduka Black Mat Pro and I love it!!! I've been practicing for three weeks and it has been really awesome to see how my body is responding. I also wanted to let yo u know that I started a blog about my yoga journey, girlmeetsmat.blogspot.com. I am wide open to any comments or suggestion :) Thank you so much for everything!! NICE! I do love the Manduka Black mat. That thing is hardy, the thing for me is that I now tend to leave that one at home as trekking around with that puppy on a bike, or a bus, or any amount of walking that isn't just a block or so, is soooooooo hard on my back. That mat is HEAVY :) Just to let you all know, there is a fantastic article by one of my Twitter/Facebook buddies, the mighty Nancy Alder and it's all about this same exact subject. It really gets in to more detail about the mats and especially pricing and it's a great read! Nancy Alder's article: Ecologically Minded Yoga Mats Meaghan Message :D Hello! How are you on this beautiful day?! I am a fellow yoga teacher, brand new, and IN LOVE with your site. It is so inspirational and moving and every detail means so much. Thank you for keeping us involved with your journey. I wanted to take a moment to personally invite you to take a peek at my website. I am training to run a half marathon to raise money for research towards Crohns, a disease incredibly close to my heart, which my boyfriend has struggled with for more than 20 years. My website is : meaghansrun.net The first ten people to raise 500 dollars in the next week will be matched 500 from a local company! So, if you are thinking you may be able to donate (any amount, big or small) -- now would be a perfect time! And, it is tax deductible . Lots of love and thanks, Meaghanxo I saw the other day mighty Meaghan or Megan ) sorry if I mispronounced your name that you reached your goal! Congratulations, and if any of you would like to donate to the cause follow the link above! and thank you so much for sending this along! Kate in Italy! Hi Elsie, I am a Canadian living in Italy and have just started using your podcasts for my daily practice. Thank you! You say the phrase "scissor your legs asymmetrically together" quite a few times and I am very confused what this means...is it possible to get some clue about that? Thank you again for beaming your classes out for the world to access. In Italy classes are in Italian which makes English speaking me a little lost. Your classes are a big help. All the best. You know what I wanted to do to answer this question? I wanted to ask my students to tell me what that means to them, as often times I (I think all teachers) tend to relly on saying things one way, and you guys may just have 'better' ways of explaining this. OK, so here goes a bit of an explanation. Isometric movements according to wikipedia: Definition Isometric exercise is a form of exercise involving the static contraction of a muscle without any visible movement in the angle of the joint. This is reflected in the name; the term "isometric" combines the prefix "iso" (same) with "metric" (distance), meaning that in these exercises the length of the muscle does not change[edit] Isometric resistance Resistance in isometric exercises typically involve contractions of the muscle using: â the body's own muscle (e.g., pressing the palms together in front of the body) â structural items (e.g., pushing against a door frame). â free weights, weights machines or elastic equipment (e.g. holding a weight in a fixed position) â pressure plate type equipment that has a digital readout of maximal force. Depending on the goal of the exercise, the exertion can be maximal, or sub-maximal. Basically, you are engaging your muscles even though the poses are 'static'. There is an action that is involved always everytime that you are in a pose. In Anusara the principle that best describes isometric movement (or scissoring the legs together) is called Muscular Energy. Here's the definition according to the Anusara Teacher Training Manual....( you're just gonna have to listen as I'm NOT typing this whole thing out ;). One way that I teach these actions, I learned from one of my teachers Noah Maze, is by getting 2 folded blankets, placing them on a non carpeted floor, placing one foot on one blanket and the other foot on the other blanket. Once you're all set there, widen your feet apart and do a standing pose, like Warrior 2 for example. If you don't pull energy to the midline, I guarantee you that you will be doing the splits! It's a pretty cool exercise that teaches those actions, just for fun! Well, that was a bit of a long explanation! I hope that makes sense Kate! And reaching out to yoga teachers out there, how about you sending me some ways in which you teach pulling to the midline, or muscular energy? It would be awesome to share you wisdom with the Kula :) email me or send call me 310 651 6238 (put that number in your cellphone!!!) Ok, just 3 more things to address, as it looks like we're running a bit long! Ahhhhhh . I got an FB message from Isabella, she just wanted to say thank you to me, but she also mentioned that she was looking for a fan page for me. Well, I do have a Facebook Group! Search for Elsie's Yoga Kula, I haven't started a FB fan page....yet....I'm still figuring out what is best for me and for you guys. I know how crowded FB has gotten with soooooo many fan pages and groups and all sorts of other stuff, and I honestly don't want to add to all that. When I feel that creating a Page will add value, and I can honestly keep it up and have it be a place were you guys and myself can participate more fully I'll do it. I gotta really see how Fan Pages work. When and if I do that, I'll send y'all a little not in the FB Group, OR post something on my blog! This episode's art work is a class that a long time listener Tracee Sioux hosted at her Bookclub weekend getaway. How cool is that???? LOVED it! It was podcast #10 from El Salvador and it was all about authenticity. She said "We were touched and those of us out of practice or beginning were also a little sore. LOL" Thank you sooooo much Tracee for sharing that picture, and it really warms my heart to know that these classes are being used it such fantastic ways!!!! If you wanna know a bit more about Tracee, check out my blog post on my other blog YoGeek.Me. She's a pretty phenomenal woman with an incredible Web site calle The Girl Revolution, all about empowering girls, and I'm ALL FOR THAT!!! And lastly, I'm going to close by letting you know about an Affiliate that I'm working with. I will only work with people and organizations that I whole hearted believe in and whose products I absolutely USE AND LOVE. Floracopeia is one of the most incredible companies that I have had the gift of coming into contact with. I'll tell you more about the organization in a future episode, but right now I'd like to share with you 2 products that I use almost daily: Hormonal Essential Oil Blend Directly from the Floracopeia Website: For women who are interested in optimizing their endocrine health for long lasting vitality and radiance, the Hormonal Blend is a valuable addition to your every day pleasures. Two drops in the palms with a deep inhalation will deliver the healing benefit of this blend directly. In addition, the subtle floral perfume of this blend is a beautiful fragrance for any occasion. Its benefits include relaxant, aphrodisiac, anti-anxiety and mood enhancing effects. BUY THE HORMONAL ESSENTIAL OIL BLEND! Relax Essential Oil Blend Directly from the Floracopeia Website: Use the Relax Blend in times of stress or potentially stressful situations and environments. It is a lovely diffuser blend when you want to create a relaxing and pleasant environment in your home or elsewhere. It is a wonderful blend to diffuse around children, to apply on the car seat on long rides or the pillow before bedtime. Working people will gain great benefit from the Relax Blend and should consider it for use during the morning commute or before important meetings; there are rarely times when it is not useful. It has beautiful anti-axiety and mood enhancing effects that are subtle and intoxicating. BUY THE RELAX ESSENTIAL OIL BLEND! Do consider purchasing either or both of these products. They are amazing AND they go to support a MUCH larger vision. MUCH MUCH larger, so the purchase is not only supporting your health, me (a teeny bit) and also the world LITERALLY. I'll put links in the show notes so you can read a bit more about Floracopeia but do stay listening as I'll also have a special show sharing more about it myself! If you DO want to buy these products, please use the links provided in this post, as when you purchase via that link, I get a little support for the podcast :) Thank you guys for listening. I can't tell you how thrilled I am to have such a wonderful community!!!!! Please continue to give me feedback, questions, problems. I still have so many more questions to get to, I should do these more often...! phone number, email, FB (profile and Group) and Elsie's Yoga Kula!!!! It would be lovely if you'd consider leaving me a review in iTunes, those are deeply appreciated! Meet you on the mat later!

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Ready to delve into the depth of your Heart? Yikes! One of my all times favorite themes to teach is Sankalpa, or Intention. This isn't a general intention, or a teeny tiny intention but your heart's truest wish, your deepest heart's desire embedded in the richness of your Self. I know that when I was first offered the opportunity to meditate, truly ponder my sankalpa, it began to shift me very deeply. In fact it was the mere asking of 'what is my intention' that facilitated living a more fulfilled and truthful life. It informs my life every day, and now it becomes even more important as it helps guide me to be a better mother. I also must be honest. The power of one's own Sankalpa is very powerful, and at times requires a great shift from us if we are going to align with it fully. I felt my Sankalpa, I knew it in my cells and for many years I chose to 'ignore' it's fullness, for lack of better words. I was not ready to truly embrace what living in my truth would require of me. It took me years, plus the help of those around me who knew me and loved me enough to require me to be absolutely honest with myself :D I recorded this week's yoga class at Matrika Yoga, where I've had the opportunity to teach series classes, all with a connecting theme. This specific series was called "Yoga With Grace", just a very welcoming way in which to offer yoga classes that were beyond just the yoga poses, beyond the asana. I had the opportunity to teach more from the Heart, from a deeper place of basic Anusara philosophy, tapping deeper into the Source. Although this class is a very basic Level 1 yoga class, with a lot of basic alignment and instruction, the theme is always one that we can always step deeper into. If you are feeling a bit down, disconnected, lost, possibly need a tune up, do this yoga class :) Oh, and how about a piece of paper? and pen? Just to write down some thoughts, especially during the opening meditation. Let me know how it goes.... PS If you would like to support this podcast, how about buying the iPhone App? $3.99, not bad :D Also, like I mention in the show, Click here to find out a few other options to support the podcast

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A Level 2 Yoga class!!!!! How Do We Truly Know Anything? Man am I always a mess! Believe me, I do try to be neat...and tidy...and organized...but somehow I always end up with fantastic chaos all around me ;) The worst part about this is that I was like this BEFORE I welcomed my beloved baby, so now with her in the picture my chaos(mess) has escalated to new heights. The good thing is that as the mess escalates my need to find clarity also grows and thus came the theme for this week's yoga class :) My teacher John guided me to recognize how one truly begins to know something. How do we acquire knowledge? Deep knowledge? How do we align with anything? You soften, feel and attune. We attune to the Highest. We attune by getting close to that which we wish to know. This learning is not a head thing, but a heart thing as we truly begin to 'vibe' with and resonate with each other at a much deeper level :D Listen and practice to the class and see if you can begin to attune to something bigger! Finally something other than a Level 1 basic yoga class! This week's class is a Level 2 Yoga Class, not quite an 'advanced' yoga class, but a bit faster in pace and a warmer practice. You will find within this class preparations for more advanced postures such as Urdhva Prasarita Ekapadasana into Handstand (Standing Splits into Handstand) and Archback (maybe even a drop back *yikes*). If you are a seasoned asana practitioner and are acquainted with these poses, please feel free to rock it in the comfort of your own sacred practice space ;) Love the Feedback! email me- eyogaclass (at) gmail (dot) com leave me a message- 310 651 6238 (I'd love to play you guys on the episodes! Plus you can promote your stuff that way!) or comment on this blog! Other ways to connect with me: Connect with the Yoga Podcast Community Elsie's Yoga Kula on Facebook Join us! This week's Yoga Class Online is a Level 2 Yoga Class

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The Yoga of Everyday Life and Podcasting! I honestly have tried to post and episode for almost a month. Every day I think about it. Every day I decide THIS is the day to get it all done. Every day the day ends, I'm exhausted and focusing on editing, writing, encoding and uploading is the last thing that my brain is capable of doing :( 3 years ago I began to publish this podcast. 3 years ago Elsie's Yoga Class: Live and Unplugged Podcasts came to life! So much has changed, and so much has stayed the same :) A few things that have stayed the same: My love for podcasting My love for yoga My love for service My love for you guys! My love for legwarmers Although I am no longer the care free legwarmer wearing bicycling full time yoga teacher from Los Angeles and have morphed into the occasional legwarmer wearing full time Mommy/Wife part-part time yoga teacher from Pittsburgh the deepest part of my heart still wants to continue this podcast, PLUS add better content to all those of you who would like it. I may not be consistent. I may say things that I want to happen only to have my life block me in some way, but I never forget what I've said. I'm still with you and plan to be with you for as long as you will have me! :D This is Episode 2 of Elsie's Yoga Kula. I share a bit of an update and invite you to participate in a small mediation that helps us all that are dealing with financial challenge/stress. I know that finances are tight for a lot of people. I also know how economic matters may prove to be huge causes of stress, anxiety, fear, and even health problems. The short meditation in this podcast episode is just a simple way to reconnect with the abundance that we DO have, something we often forget. I tell you this from personal experience. I share this meditation with you because I know that I do this little meditation almost daily because it helps me to stay grounded, and I definitely need to keep my connection to the bigger Source. I share with you because it's a great way to connect with one another so that we may through our thoughts create support for each other in these financially challenging times. I love you all! :D YOU CAN LISTEN TO THE MEDITATION EPISODE BY CLICKING THE BUTTON BELOW! (it's really a short one! Less than 20 min!) [audio #] Love the Feedback! email me- eyogaclass (at) gmail (dot) com leave me a message- 310 651 6238 (I'd love to play you guys on the episodes! Plus you can promote your stuff that way!) or comment on this blog! Other ways to connect with me: Oh yea!!!! I have a FACEBOOK GROUP!!!! Come join the rest of the virtual kula :)

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This week's Yoga Class Online is a beginner yoga class Declare Your Freedom I had the opportunity to teach a yoga class at this year's Annual Mensa Gathering in Pittsburgh! It was quite an exciting experience. It's always such a treat to teach outside of the yoga studio, and it's also very exciting not knowing who is going to be showing up :) I was thrilled to see a pretty good outcome of between 20-25 people. The majority of them did not have yoga mats and quite a few of them weren't wearing what we would call 'yoga clothing'. You see, none of this matters. The practice can be done anywhere, no props nor specific attire needed! How Do Your Choices Reflect Optimal Freedom? This yoga class is what I would call a beginners class. Although one does not need to be a beginner to practice it. We as practitioners can bring complexity to any class as we choose to step deeper into it's nuances and continue to make more meaning with every breath and every movement. Something simple can be ever so fulfilling and can become a gift to all of us who choose to pull the meaning of our hearts into it :D Let me know your thoughts! Enjoy the practice! This week's Yoga Class Online is a beginner yoga class Leave me feedback 310 651 6238 email me eyogaclass(at)gmail(dot)com

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This is NOT a yoga class. This is episode 1 of a new facet of the podcast. More yoga classes comig up next week! Hello and welcome to the First episode of Elsie's Yoga Kula, where we share, cultivate relationship and deepen our yoga by entering the community of the heart, which is both your own heart, AND it's the heart manifesting as the company we keep. I've been talking a lot about getting new facet of the podcast up. And it's finally here! Some of you guys may have been listening for a while so you may be a bit more aware of my story, but some of you may just have started to listen so I'll just do a quick recap. I lived in Los Angeles and taught in yoga in Los Angeles until October 2007. While I was there I was blessed to have lots of fabulous classes and an incredible community of both students and teachers that I could delve into and cultivate. The LA yoga community is thriving and abundant. Now I live in Pittsburgh. I transported to the Burgh for LOVE. I'm very happy being here. I have the best family ever ever ever! with my soon to be husband and my 9 month old little daughter Hunter. The only thing that I'm lacking (other than Jamba Juice...but I digress) is the yoga community. Having started teaching again after my baby was born and being able to once again post my classes has given me a connection to you all, and I cannot tell you how much it means to me. The power of this medium and our ability to share together this incredible practice is one of the greatest blessings in my life, so I decided to share a little bit more! I want you guys, all of you that are part of this podcast and practice together, to get to know each other a little bit, plus it also gives me the opportunity to share a little bit more about other yoga related things :) You guys up for it? So to begin, here we go with our first voice mail, It's Nikki from DeMoines! Please listen to the Podcast to hear the Voice Mail :) You are so welcome! You know, I have to do another one of those deep savasana (Episode 61: Chill the Body Out, A 13 Minute Full Body Relaxation) and yoga nidra episodes (Episode 62: Yoga Nidra Yourself Out, a 65 Minute Deep Meditative Relaxation). Personally .... I LOVE those!!! I used to practice yoga nidra a lot more than I have an opportunity to now. One of these days I'm sure I'll be able to again...oh the Mommy life :) Thanks for the call! I'm a very big RSS lover. RSS is sorta like using a DVR to record the shows that you wanna watch. RSS stands for Real Simple Syndication, which means that you can syndicate or publish material 'simply'. Most websites now days, have a feed associated with them. If you subscribe to the feed, then whenever new content is published to that feed you receive it automatically. This brings me back to the DVR metaphor, so you can read, listen or watch that content whenever you want. The way that you are subscribing to this podcast is via it's RSS feed. When you are in iTunes (for the majority of you subscribe via iTunes) and you subscribe to any podcast, you are subscribing via RSS feed. Sorry for the long winded explanation, just doing it for those of you that may wanna clarify a bit :) In order to receive the content you need to have some sort of RSS reader, such as iTunes. iTunes deals primarily with audio and video feeds. My personal favorite RSS reader that deals with audio, video, but mainly text feeds is Google Reader. I subscribe to A LOT of feeds and love reading them on my cell phone. Google Reader has a really easy and simple mobile site that I check countless times a day. The reason for this huge discussion is that I'm going to share with you guys, blogs, posts, videos, etc. that I find inspiring from Google Reader! So, here we go! I'm not sure how I found this blog, but I'm loving every post. It's called Rose Garden Yoga by a yoga teacher named Elizabeth Goodman AND she's a certified Anusara Yoga teacher! I'm thrilled every time I see a new post. I'm inspired by her eloquence and her love of the garden. It is soooooo worth your time. Great insight into the yoga of every day :) Another blog that I'm diggin' is the Everything Yoga Blog at itsallaboutyoga.com. I enjoy this persons posts very much. I always end up with some new information, whether it be about a specific point of view, some sort of new product or website, whatever. I believe that I enjoy reading the posts so much because the author's voice is so natural and absolutely down to earth. Check those 2 blogs out, AND use Google Reader! You can read so many more blogs in one place! Kinda like having your own special magazine :) Here's a nifty little product that I LOVED! Found out about it via the Everything Yoga Blog I just mentioned. Ok, I'm sure y'all have come across SIGG water bottles, those really cool bottles from sweden? Well you can totally MAKE YOUR OWN PERSONALIZED ONES!!!!! O M G. I have 2 already, and I LOVE THEM! So if you go to http://www.cafepress.com/designer/sigg/ You can see how to do it! It really is the coolest thing ever, plus if you don't know about Cafe Press you'll get a chance to check out that site! It's a GREAT resource for creating your own stuff. And now for our next voice mail: Mary from Houston Dude, Mary, totally humbled. Thank you! You are way too sweet. I'm soooo glad that the podcasts are able to serve you, honestly. I'm very glad. I absolutely know how you feel. Totally get it, AND I'm working hard at this whole Mommy thing, doing my best at that and all the other stuff. I think at times the will to do it all comes from a desire to connect and to serve fully. Thanks again And now for our first email of the episode from Nora in North Carolina This is all about Prenatal Yoga!!! You can hear the email conversation and what I have to say if you listen to the episode Empowering your Prenatal Yoga Practice: Advise from Yogi Mama to New Yogi Mama Speaking of prenatal yoga, Sue Elkind is doing a prenatal yoga teacher training in Athens Greece!!!!! Sept 7-11 Athens, Greece Prenatal Teacher Training www.NYSYstudios.com Check it out at www.sueelkind.com If you decide to do this...please email sue and tell her that you heard it from me! snyoga (at) mac (dot) com Another email: Lina from Malasyia!!! how exciting is that???? Thank you so much Lina! Now I'm not going to answer this question here, I've (actually we, my dear friend Hillary Rubin and I) Have just answered this question and lots of other neat little teacher type discussion topics over at Mudra Moments. You can subscribe via RSS in iTunes or listen straight from the website at Mudramoments.com! I've already let Lina know that we addressed her question in Mudra Moments Episode 13, but I thought some of you guys may be interested in still hearing the question! One of the reasons that I'm doing this also is so that I can share with you the listeners stuff that you care about and would like to share yourself. I got an email from someone that I got to know in LA, although they lived in Las Vegas: Yoga Rants and Raves (http://www.yogarantsandraves.com) and they are on twitter! http://twitter.com/yogasanctuary) plus, this is their WEBSITE: http://www.lasvegasyoga.com And our last voice email of the day, Anne NC thank you sweetie, I think Hunter is FAMOUS!!! I still have a lot more of your emails, comments and phone calls to share! I contacted some of you to see if I could use your email, please know that I will, it's just that I didn't want to make this a REALLY long show...just enough to make it fun. If you want to be on the show, or share something about yourself or something you are doing that you would like me to check out and share with the Kula, send me an email eyogaclass@gmail.com, comment at elsiesyogakula.com or CALL ME!!!!!!!!! it's soooooo easy to do it, and how fun is it to hear yourself on the show!!!!! woo hoooo 310 651 6238 :) or you can record your own MP3 and send it to me! Please let me know if you enjoyed this. It's really another way that I can deepen our relationship and allow us all to get to know each other better! Hope to hear from you! Oh yea...one last thing :) The 3rd year anniversary of this podcast is coming up at the end of July. I hope to put up a special episode, plus some fun giveaways, so if you wanna be part of that episode, send me a voice mail sharing with me a special time that you practiced with it, or something along those lines so I can put it on the show! Much love and blessings

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The Power of Fire Hunter and I got the opportunity to see fire at it's most powerful, as it blazed across the street from our home. I was in awe of watching it burn. I had a visceral reaction to the flames, as I felt it's strength and felt it's power of destruction deep into my bones. As much as this fire was destroying the building across the street, I also new that it was transforming not only the building, but the entire neighborhood. In Ayurveda, fire or Agni, is incredibly important. It is this fire that maintains and sustains optimal vibrant health...when it's in alignment :) Listen to this week's yoga podcast and practice along to connect with your inner fire in body, mind and breath :) Love the Feedback! email me- eyogaclass (at) gmail (dot) com leave me a message- 310 651 6238 (I'd love to play you guys on the episodes! Plus you can promote your stuff that way!) or comment on www.elsiesyogakula.com :)

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The Path of the Yogi Within Social Networks Iâve been on Twitter since the Spring of 2007, way before it became so CRAZY mainstream. When I first got on Twitter, there were only a handful of people that I had actually met face to face. In fact, the people on twitter that I interacted with were basically all from the podcasting/new media community and 90% of them where out of state or out of the country. There was not one person from my yoga community. That has now all changed. I would say in 2009 the yoga community on Twitter has skyrocketed. Iâm in awe of the amazing amount of tweets about yoga, from yoga practitioners, teachers and studios. Itâs yoga yoga yoga all the time now! I love it because now I can literally feel my yoga kula around me here in Pittsburgh because many of my Anusara yoga friends in LA and from other parts of the country are now on Twitter, including John Friend (the founder of Anusara Yoga)! Needless to say, thatâs some serious growth! In the past 2.5 yrs that Iâve been on Twitter, I have not ONCE had a negative experience with anyone I followed or followed me. In fact Iâve developed some pretty special friendships with some folks on Twitter that I would have never come in contact with otherwise. Iâm a bit saddened to say that Iâve had my first ânegativeâ experience on Twitter, and it was with a fellow yogi. This episodeâs artwork is a snapshot of the initial dialogue. I think all of us have every right to have our own preferences and opinions about yoga and about what yoga system or philosophy we align with. In fact that goes for your spiritual and religious life. One of my fellow Anusara teachers referred to yoga philosophy as âresonant energyâ. resonance |ËrezÉnÉns| noun the quality in a sound of being deep, full, and reverberating : the resonance of his voice. â figurative the ability to evoke or suggest images, memories, and emotions : the concepts lose their emotional resonance. â Physics the reinforcement or prolongation of sound by reflection from a surface or by the synchronous vibration of a neighboring object. â Mechanics the condition in which an object or system is subjected to an oscillating force having a frequency close to its own natural frequency. â Physics the condition in which an electric circuit or device produces the largest possible response to an applied oscillating signal, esp. when its inductive and its capacitative reactances are balanced. â Physics a short-lived subatomic particle that is an excited state of a more stable particle. â Astronomy the occurrence of a simple ratio between the periods of revolution of two bodies about a single primary. â Chemistry the state attributed to certain molecules of having a structure that cannot adequately be represented by a single structural formula but is a composite of two or more structures of higher energy. ORIGIN late Middle English : from Old French, from Latin resonantia âecho,â from resonare âresoundâ (see resonant ). Which Yoga Philosophy Is Right? Which Yoga Philosophy is the Best? If a philosophy resonates with you, you will be more harmonious, more sensitive, more open both with yourself and with others around you. You will in fact be able to add more beauty, goodness, auspiciousness to the world through your thoughts, actions and unique presence. You will embed the philosophy so deeply inside of yourself that you will be able to serve those around you and yourself in ever deepening and refined ways. If whatever you choose opens you to recognize the blessing of your life, your wisdom, your auspiciousness, and in turn shows you that you are part of something much Greater, and of the Intrinsic Goodness of life, than you are in optimal alignment. Itâs not about which yoga is the best: Ashtanga, Iyengar, Power, Viniyoga, etc, nor what philosophy, Tantra, Advaita Vedanta, Classical, etc. but how do your actions, your thoughts, your words offer the most auspicious part of yourself AT EVERY MOMENT. How do you feel in your own authentic heart, and how well are you able to serve and uplift those around you? If you lock your fulfillment into how other people receive it you will never be fulfilled. We always have a choice. If we do disagree with a particular style of yogaâs philosophy, or teacher, or practice, in what way are you going to communicate that with those around you so that you show through your actions, interactions and WORDS the highest integrity, always aligning to the Highest most Auspicious part of ourselves? Bottom line, do the actions you take make you a better person. Are you being authentic? Itâs not easy, especially when confronted by someone that happens to get under your skin Be very mindful of what you put out into the world, especially when it is written down and sent out into the world. It holds power, and it speaks loudly. Love the Feedback! email me- eyogaclass (at) gmail (dot) com leave me a message- 310 651 6238 (Iâd love to play you guys on the episodes! Plus you can promote your stuff that way!) or comment on this blog! This weekâs class is a grounding Level 1-2 Yoga Class. The class can be modified to be more basic or more advanced by choosing to do the full poses instead of the modification. You are more than welcome to use as many yoga props as necessary to offer you the optimal alignment of your poses. Have your props near you so you can grab them as needed.

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Always doing SO many things at once.I know for myself it is very rare that I do just ONE thing at a time. Now being a Mom, it becomes even harder. The mind races from one place to the next, things become so cluttered and often times takes us away from our center. Practicing some asana and taking even just a few moments to pause quietly and feel can give us so much access to the vast wealth of steadiness that we all posses. When we see that steadiness, when we find the Center, we can make better and better choices regarding our lives, our health, our relationships and how we choose to step into the world. Let's practice together!Love the Feedback!email me- eyogaclass (at) gmail (dot) comleave me a message- 310 651 6238 (I'd love to play you guys on the episodes! Plus you can promote your stuff that way!)or comment at http://elsiesyogakula.com!Other ways to connect with me: Other ways to connect with me: By Free Marketing Directory This week's class is an uptempo Level 1-2 Yoga Class.You are more than welcome to use props, especially blocks for poses like Trikonasana. I also really love to have a blanket by so I can sit on it during the centering at the beginning of class :)

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Aligning and Re-Aligning My baby girl has recently started having solid food. She got constipated. One would imagine that the only thing that it would affect, would be her demeanor, as she was pretty uncomfortable. In fact, this constipation made other things come out of alignment. She was unable to process her food properly because nothing was really moving :( She threw up. A lot. This made me very worried, as she had never done that before! This is this week's yoga class theme. Listen to find out what my very wise Randy had to say and how it all turned out :) Oh yeah, the class was recorded on April 22 at the Pittsburgh Athletic Association Thank you all for your comments! Just to let you all know. I'm plan on supplementing the live yoga classes with little extra episodes sprinkled here and there. Since the yoga classes themselves are so long, I never want to make my intro more than 6 minutes, as you really need to be getting to practicing! Given this predicament, I've decided to address emails, questions and feedback that I get from you guys in another supplement of the podcast, this is going to be all about Elsie's Yoga Kula, meaning both YOU GUYS (your feedback, your questions, etc) and a little bit of extra sharing on my part, thoughts, focused classes, or practices, or even news about yoga products or any other online yoga tools that I have found helpful. What do you think about that? Let me know! To add just a bit more to my plate I have started a new website/business :) YoGeek.Me. I have posted my very first blog post there: Top 10 Ways That Technology Empowers Yoga Professionals. Check it out! I would love for you to leave your comments, especially if you are a yoga teacher or maybe someone that simply feels a bit awkward with technology! HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY TO ALL THE LOVELY MAMAS OUT THERE!!!!! You all know how to reach me: email me- eyogaclass (at) gmail (dot) com leave me a message- 310 651 6238 (I'd love to play you guys on the episodes! Plus you can promote your stuff that way!) or comment on this blog! Other ways to connect with me: By Free Marketing Directory

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I'm going to stop saying that I'm going to post more episodes more often. I absolutely don't know! Agh! Mind you, I'm now all set up technically, finally! I've been recording more consistently, so now it's just a about editing and posting :) I have recorded more than one class, and I'm refining my workflow so that I can TRULY post more episodes. I'm sure you all know by now, I'm a new Mom. My little baby is 7 months as I write this post. She has now settled into herself more, which is allowing me time to step into my own self. The only time that I have to upload, edit, post, etc. is when Hunter is sleeping. Those naps are the sacred time when I can do fun stuff like this podcast, PLUS all of the gazillion things that I have to catch up on: dishes, showers, general clean up, answering emails, paying bills, you get the picture. All I can say is that there aren't enough hours in the day to do ALL that I want to do. My life continues to ebb and flow and my biggest focus is on always remembering to constantly re-align....OH, that's the next episode! In this week's episode I talk about LISTENING. It was all brought about by my latest venture: teaching other yoga teachers/professionals to podcast. I actually did my first 'virtual' workshop! It was very cool. Anyway, within the workshop I explained why I'm partial to an AUDIO yoga class as opposed to VIDEO. Y'all can listen to my intro to find out why ;) And my new site! YoGeek.Me Thank you for continuing to listen. I so appreciate you guys very very much. Enjoy the yoga class! Here are all the places that you can find me! By Free Marketing Directory In this yoga podcast, we have a level 2 class! Can you believe it? It has been a while ;) The class was recorded at Yoga Matrika in Pittsburgh! Props needed: a yoga block THE SEQUENCE Hands and Knees Downward Facing Dog/Eka Pada Downward Facing Dog/Opening the Hip in Down Dog/High Lunge Plank chattarunga Downward Facing Dog Uttanasana/Ardha Uttanasana x 3 Tadasana Surya Namaskar x 3 Crescent Pose Vira II into Reverse Vira Trikonasana Uttanasana with arms interlaced behind the back Tadasana (with eyes closed) Vira II into Reverse Warrior (with eyes closed) Trikonasana (with eyes closed) Tree Pose Pincha Mayurasana Prep Pigeon Pigeon with Block on top of front thigh Pigeon with Thigh stretch Setubandha into Urdhva Dhanurasana x 3 Downward Facing Dog with knees bent into Straight legged Child's Pose Supine Twist Knees to Chest Savasana

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Wooo hoooo Finally got a new episode up :) Please feel free to follow me on Twitter By Free Marketing Directory and to add me as a friend on Facebook! Also, you can leave me voice feedback at 310 651 6238 I would so love it :) This is my personal blog, little teeny bits and pieces of me. No long posts ;) This is a leve 1 (Basics) Yoga Class. This is a great class for yoga newbies.

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1 hour video or prenatal yoga practice sharing!The majority of my pregnancy has not been about sharing too much. This is my first pregnancy so obviously everything was new to me. I felt a strong need to stay inside a bit more. I allowed my yoga podcast to take a bit of a back seat as my body, my heart, my mind slowly morphed into motherhood preparation :)I think God did some great thinking having us HAVE to allow the baby to grow for 9 MONTHS!!! It's the beginning of patience I tell you. I cannot tell you how many times I just wanted her out! Not out of discomfort or pregnancy aches and pains, but simply because I just wanted to hold her already!!! Big lesson for me, big lesson.I've gotten to a point where my pregnancy is a bigger part of my body. I had been blessed by having a pretty seamless pregnancy. She grew slowly. I haven't really gained that much weight. There have been changes, but as they happen so very slowly, I was able to align with the shifts and make choices that would support my weight gain. It's <strong>now</strong>, at the 8th month that I 'feel' absolutely PREGNANT :D I have to move slower, mind my steps, move around a lot more as being in one position for too long does not feel good, and I am getting all sort of achies and shifties all throughout my hips and belly. I particularly dislike getting in and out of cars. Oh lordy if the cars are short cars...Tough I tell you.So, I share with you now, <strong>my</strong> prenatal yoga practice. I speak with you as if you were with me, telling you the why of what I do. It all happens organically. I did not plan on a specific practice. I just followed my own instincts, focusing on my baby girl and what feels good in my body. I am not in any way saying that all pregnant women should feel good doing what I do, or that THIS is the way to practice. I'm sharing to have you be with me and perhaps share some of my insights with you that I have learned :) I would love to start a conversation, both with pregnant yoginis, wanna be pregnant yoginis, or just plain 'ol yoginis that want to deepen their understanding of their female body (possibly even having gone through this already)I had to compress the video A LOT, as it's a 1 hour video, please bear with the lack of resolution :( But, if you would like to receive this class in High Definition DVD, I would be happy to mail it out to you for a small donation of $5 + $1 shipping :D Come to my site for details www.elsiesyogakula.com

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LISTEN TO THE PODCAST TO FIND OUT WHO WON THE MIGHTY JADE YOGA MAT!!!!! The winner must email me with their snail mail address, and color choice so that they can get the mat delivered straight to them :D New Contest! This time win an iPod Touch! Facebook Please Review Me in iTunes :D In this Level 1 Free Yoga Class: Seated Side Arm Stretches Hands and Knees Cat/Cow Stretches Downward Facing Dog Hands and Knees Alternate Limb Core work Downward Facing Dog Lunge into Straightening Front Leg into Lunge Twist Uttanasana Tadasana Arm Salutations x3 Half Sunsalutations x 2 Lunge with Arms over head Plank Cobra Lunge with Arms over head Uttanasana Tadasana TO THE SIDE Warrior II Prasarita Padotanasana Parsvakonasana Tree Pose Deep Lunge with Forearms on the Floor and back knee down Child's Pose Setubandha x 3 Outer Hip Stretch on the Back Easy Twist Supta Padangustasana Savasana

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A Beginner's 1 hour Yoga Class. It's a whole new batch of students, and a whole new state I'm teaching in. Not my usual 'type' of class, but happy to be teaching again so much!!! I love it. Check out the full sequence, with new pictures (in the pics I'm 21 weeks pregnant) and follow along at www.elsiesyogakula.comAlso I'm giving a way a Jade Yoga Mat, just fill out a survey on my site :)Feedback 310 651 6238eyogaclass (at) gmail (dot) com

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Finally I posted a new episode!! This is a nice hip opener class so get to it! Episode 39: Spotlight Integrity You will need a yoga block for this or yoga blocks (towards the last quarter of the class) Wizzard.tv Jade Yoga Mat contest! There's a Jade Yoga mat just waiting for you! All you have to do is fill out the survey that you can access from my side bar or right below :) For all of you that happened to have filled out the survey before I announced the contest, please email me at eyogaclass (at) gmail (dot) com and give it to me so I can add you to the list of hopeful winners :D I will announce the email at the beginning of July Of course I gave the wrong contact number *sigh* it's 310 651 6238, call me! In this yoga class podcast: Hands and Knees Down dog high lunge right an left plank uttanasana ardha uttanasana tadasana half sun salutes x 2 Surya Namaskar C x 2 lunge with back knee on the earth and arms up  arms interlaced behind the back with legs bent behind you and flat back straighten legs with arms behind x2  Deep lunge with knee on the floor and arms inside leg R down dog Deep lunge with knee on the floor, etc L down dog Crescent Pose plank/chattarunga/cobra down dog twisting downward facing dog uttanasana/ardha uttanasana/tadasana surya namaskar x 2 Parsvakonasana Downdog Vira 2 downdog parsvokonasana child's pose downdog lunge twist (parvakonasana twisting) runner's lunge twist downdog with open hip leg up child's pose  get a block or two!!!!  pavrita trikonasana hanumanasana prep x 2 with a block happy baby chill on the back on the belly, ardha bhekasana dhanurasana x 3 easy supine twist supta padangustasana twist twist with legs crossed knees to chest savasana

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Not a class, simply a video catching my listeners up with what is going on with Elsie's Yoga Kula. And some pretty stupendous news!!! Hope you enjoy. I would love to hear from you guys!  eyogaclass@gmail.com

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Yeay! Salute the Sun Easily!Hmmmmm Where has Elsie gone to you ask? Well, getting swallowed up by the Pittsburgh winter, if you must know :( I have been unable to even have an opportunity to practice regularly let alone find somewhere to teach. It's been a very challenging for me now that I have a full time 9-5 job. I now spend all of that time infront of a computer! And it's been so cold and dreary that I have not wanted to step into anything other than my yummy home and sleep. I have become a bear that happens to work on the internet for a living ;) I will be back, fully at some point. I just cannot, in all honesty and integrity tell you when this will happen, and when I do I guarantee that it will be a much different Elsie! That's all I gotta say... I created this video to a fellow internet buddy, Nick Schmidt. We met randomly through online community and he asked me to teach him a little bit of yoga, and I did...with this little video. Simple, short and precise. A great way to get your yoga practice in even if you only have 5 minutes :) I usually add music and all that jazz, and I may in the future, but I just quickly edited this puppy and decided to publish. To get something out for y'all!!! Would love to hear your feedback! I would love to hear from you guys all the way around. You guys have now become my only connection to the Kula. How very ironic that Elsie's Yoga Kula is now fueled by you guys. I love it! This is what it's all about! Please leave me a review in iTunes! or tell a friend about this podcast :D eyogaclass@gmail.com

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A fun and inventive short vinayasa sequence, which is actually done in Episode 33 Happy Valentine's Day!!! I keep telling you guys this, but I'm still not teaching publicly, so I cannot post any new yoga classes for you guys :( But I do have one that I just found!!! I just have to take more pics for it, as there are some things that are new, and may be a bit confusing ;) but fun, fun, fun! I hope to get an actual class up next week! Yipee!!! So, my way of kinda dealing with this issue is providing you all with some of my prior content on the feed so that those of you who are subscribed can get these videos delivered right to your computer! I do hope that you enjoy these! You can listen to it's birth ;) in Episode 33. Enjoy!

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A short video demonstrating Handstand Splits at the wall. I originally made this video to supplement episode 33 :)I will be publishing the second video for this class next week!Hope you enjoyPlease leave me feedback at eyogaclass@gmail.comor call me 310 651 6238 and leave me a message. I love that stuffOf course reviews on iTunes are so greatly appreciated

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Wow! a 65 minute Yogic Sleep, of course relaxation. Yoga Nidra coming your way! I had such a great time recording this Yoga Nidra! Experience deep yogic sleep. It's a great practice for unwinding and truly diving into the depth of unconsciousness. So fun :D ALL MUSIC IN THE PODCAST BY VIC HENNEGAN intro song: Movin' from the Pure Creative Spirit CD yoga nidra music: Gaya from the Desert God CD I'm not a yoga nidra expert by any means. I had a experience during a Yoga Therapist teacher training to study with Richard Miller and experienced such bliss! I bought his yoga nidra tapes and practiced it at home that way. In case you are interested here are some more sources of Yoga Nidra studies and basic information: http://www.swamij.com/yoga-nidra.htm The Yoga Nidra CD that I have Yoga Nidra on Wikipidea Totally dug Anandmurti Gurumaa's beautiful voice in this CD. If I were to buy another Yoga Nidra CD I would get this one: http://www.yogawonders.com/ this site has a great introduction to yoga nidra narrated by Anandmurti Gurumaa, so worth it. Plus she's got a great website herself: Anandmurti Gurumaa With a fantastic Charity for girls...Shakti :) Richard Miller and his website Non-Dual.Com These are a couple of Richard Miller's books: Integrative Restoration: The ancient practice of yoga nidra, for easing stress, healing trauma, and awakening to your timeless Presence. Yoga Nidra: The Meditative Heart of Yoga Rod Stryker : and his CD Relax Into Greatness I based my yoga nidra on his CD. His stuff is also great. All right, So my birthday is coming up! Some of you have asked to give me something, as a thank you, and what I ask of you is to leave me a review in iTunes. I'd love to see if I can get 50 reviews by my birthday! also, Please LEAVE ME VOICE FEEDBACK! 310 651 6238 Elsie's Originals

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A supplement Video Podcast, focusing on a variation of Pincha Mayurasana (feather of a peacock) with a different foundation-Head Stand arms. this specific pose is done in Episode 31 of Elsie's Yoga Class Live and Unplugged PodcastI decided to release this on my feed given the fact that I don't really have a chance to teach publicly (as of now :( ) Would love feedback!Let me know310 621 6238

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A 13 minute Deep Yogic Body Relaxation with an 8 min intro with feedback ;) enjoy! Something new! Since I still don't have a public class and therefore no "live yoga class" I decided to do a sweet full body relaxation. Listen up and enjoy allowing the body to let go and release :) I would so enjoy any sort of feedback from you guys! Especially letting me know if you like this sort of thing, 'cause I tell you chillin' and the 'slow' is where it's at ;) FEEDBACK 310 651 6238

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emotionally charged Level 1 90 min Yoga class! This was my last class, that I taught in Los Angeles before moving permanently to Pittsburgh PA. So much beauty. So much love. Listen up and give me feedback :)310 651 6238eyogaclass@gmail.com

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From Pittsburgh! 1 hr, strong fast paced Level 2 class, recycled from last December (previously #20) Check it! It's a good one to do after or before xmas shopping.....down doguttanasana/ardha uttanasana x 3tadasana with parvatasana arms1/2 sun salutations x 3sun salutation X 3Crescent PoseParsvakonasanaOn right leg only!Monkey LungeVira I/Vira IICrescent Pose/Lunge twistArdha Chandrasana/TrikonasanaVashistasanaUttanasana/Utkatasana into twisting UtkatasanaOn the left side!Monkey LungeVira I/Vira IICrescent Pose/Lunge twistArdha Chandrasana/TrikonasanaVashistasanaChildâs PoseTwisted Childfun new pose (crazy twisting down dog variation)pigeon prepdeep lunge with thigh stretchdhanurasanacobra on ridgetops x2sukhasana twistdiamond pose

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Special Elsie news! Level 1-2, 85 min class. Very slow and methodical because there were a lot of injuries in class that needed to be addressed. Focused and very good. Give it a go when you feel you need time and patience :) Check out www.elsiesyogakula.com for the sequence and a corresponding knee therapeutics video! Tulsi Tea Link To Facebook Elsie Tired Video Dancing Yogini She Yogini

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1 hr strong Level 1-2 Class. Great for no time restrictions. Live in your heart. Step in there and work :) It's so worth it. Hillary's Yoga Practice Mudra Moments Facebook Group

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Great Level 1 80 min class for beginners. One of my favorite themes to teach :) Review me in iTunes if you have moment guys! Pretty please :)310 651 6238Come watch "Touch the Names" at: Follow me at: www.praptiyoga.com  Opening Night Pictures on:

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A level 2-3 class and it's 75 min :) move into letting all the old stuff die, let the harvest moon lead the way!  

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Level 1, 90 Min yoga class with no inversions and good for beginners.eyogaclass@gmail.com310 651 6238

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Level 2 50 min kinda flowy class ;) fun fun fun

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90 Min Level 1-2 Class. Up tempo and deeply powerful, with a couple of inversions!

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Level 1, 90 min Yoga Class.Deep and Steady.We do 1 inversion (L pose at the wall x 2)Every Person is Precious (This I Believe Essay) ONLINE YOGA CLASSES AND PODCASTS ROCK (Facebook Group! Join!!!) John in San Diego Portable and New media The Sequence: Hands and Knees/Downward Facing Dog High Lunge/straightening the front leg Uttanasana/Ardha Uttanasana x3 Half Sun Salutations x 3 Surya Namaskar Crescent Pose Surya Namaskar x 2 Lunge Twist Balasana Demo L Pose at the Wall with Daniel L Pose at the Wall x 2 Parvakonasana Prasarita Padotanasana Parvakonasana (yep, again) Parva Prasarita Padotanasana (torso to the side) Tree Deep Lunge (choose your variation) Pigeon Ardha Bhekasana Lunge with thigh stretch Setu Bandha x 2 Eka Pada Setu Bandha Ardha Matsyendrasana Sukhasana Forward Fold Breathing

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Give me some love! 310 651 6238 or email me eyogaclass@gmail.comlove you all!!!!  ELSIE'S SURVEY!!!!

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Feedback! Call me! 310 651 6238 and come join me at the Podcast and New Media Expo :)Podcast411 interview with Quincy Jones My brother Luis's Blog Ross's Rayburn Workshop at Yogaworks! Facebook me!

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I'm Back!!!!!! Hillary Rubin Mudra Moments YoGeek Workout (the Bike episode)

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Vic Hennegan Joe Shashaty Flickr pics of Yoga To Lift Your Spirits Follow me on Twitter Mudra Moments

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Fitness Rocks Weight Loss How They Did It! Audio Download or Amazon Link YoGeek Workout Mudra Moments Hillary's Yoga Practice Podcast Podcast411 My interview for Podcast411 (this one is coming all....not out yet, stay tuned...) Today in iPhone Vic Hennegan Joe Shashaty Luis Escobar Blog Follow me on Twitter

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Hip openers, and focused work to make you feel better :) Please come check out www.elsiesyogakula.com to see all the corresponding pics and links! In this yoga podcast:

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Celebrate your sovereignty by stepping places you haven't gone before. Move out of your comfort zone! A pretty uptempo class. Check out the pics on the site www.elsiesyogakula.comfollow me on Twitter Podcast Awards (this one is for you Mike and Inge, love you guys!)  Yoga to Lift your spirits with Elsie Yogeek Workout  verge of the fringe lance anderson PUM (podcast user magazine) Declaration of Independence 

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A good class to take on the road with you. A basic class for students with some knowledge of yoga. We do use a block at the end :)Check out pics to the episode and links to the theme at www.elsiesyogakula.comfeedback 206-666 4439eyogaclass@gmail.com

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This is a good one for beginners!!!!  Dive into it, there are lots of pics on my website www.elsiesyogakula.comPlus there's a very yummy deep relaxation towards the end :)Don't forget to send me feedback ;) 206 666 4439eyogaclass@gmail.com

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Pixelodeon (do check out he vids and you'll see how cool it all was!!!)  Ars Technica Article: consumers mistake familiarity with superiority Insight of the Day  Elsie's Yoga Class LIVE on uStream YoGeek Practice on uStream  follow me on Twitter  Newest YoGeek Workout Episode  please visit www.yogeekworkout.com 

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YoGeek Workout the Intro Typical Mac User Podcast ( a wanna be geek asking questions) Rosary Army Podcast ( a wannabe Catholic reporter/correspondent live at the Rosary Bowl!) The Run Podcast ( a wannabe runner teaching a yoga class, that's me :) ) Follow me on Twitter

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Sarah's Link to me Twitter (sign up! it's free) Follow me on Twitter Ustream Elsie's Yoga Class Live and Unplugged on 12:30 PST Fridays My Ustream Profile Page

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  This is the actual class that I taught while there was a camera crew right in class with us!  The camera man was there for 45 min of the class, and then they sweetly left.  Just thought I should post the class so that y'all could be part of the fun :)   Link to CBS2 video  uStream Live and Unplugged Friday Class uStream YoGeek Practice Broadcast   The Sequence: Adho Mukha Svanasana/Eka Pada Adho Mukha Svanasana/Straight Legged Lunge Uttanasana/Ardha Uttanasana x 3 Surya Namaskar x 2 Crescent Pose Parsvakonasana Vira II/Reverse Vira Vashistasana wide Uttanasana with arms interlaced behind the back Squat L Pose at the Wall Tree Pose Deep Lunge on the forearms Pigeon/Pigeon with slight twist Deep Lunge with thigh stretch Pigeon with Thigh stretch Dhanurasana Eka Pada Dhanurasana Upavishta Konasana/Parsva Upavishta Konasana Paschimottanasana Savasana       

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This was the 1st class that I streamed live!!!!! man that was kinda nutty ;) If you want to take my class, live wherever you are, I'm planning on streaming my class on Fridays, either my 7:30am class or my 12:30pm class, obviously PST. I need feedback about this, what works best for you guys?Here's the link to my actual LIVE YOGA CLASSIf you look at that link right now, nothing is there, but you will be able to see when the upcoming one is, and when.Show Links:John O'Donohue essayThe Sequence:Hands and KneesAdho Mukha Svanasana/Eka Pada Adho Mukha Svanasana/High lungeUttanasana/Parsva UttanasanaWide Legged Uttanasana with arms interlaced behind the backTadasana/Urdhva Hastasana shoulder alignmentSurya NamaskarCrescent PoseTwisting Downward Facing DogTadasanaTree Pose/Warrior I/ Humble Warrior/VashistasanaChild's PoseUrdhva Prasarita PadasanaCobra on FingertipsParsvakonasana/Trikonasana/Ardha Chandrasana/Urdhva Prasarita Eka PadasanaUttanasanaMalasanaUttanasana/Adho Mukha SvanasanaDeep lunge on ForearmsPigeonPavritta Parvakonasana/ Lunge twist with thigh stretchChild's posePigeon with thigh stretchUrdhva Dhanurasana x 3Sukhasana with arms over headSukhasana twistBaddha KonasanaEasy supine TwistSavasana

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"without courage we can never attain to true simplicity, cowardice keeps us double minded, hesitating between the world and God. In this hesitation there is no true faith. Faith remains an opinion. This hesitation is a death of hope. We never let go of those visible supports which we well know must one day surely fail us, and this hesitation makes true prayer impossible. It never quite dares to ask for anything, or if it asks it is so uncertain of being heard, that in the very act of asking it surreptitiously seeks by human prudence to construct a make shift answer. What is the use of praying if at the very moment of prayer we have so little confidence in God that we are busy planning our own kind of answer to our prayer?" Thomas Merton Check out YoGeek Workout  The Sequence: All Fours/Downward Facing Dog/One Legged Downward Facing Dog Short Down Dog into a Long Downdog (listen and know!) Surya Namakar x 3 (with small variations) Tadasana (meditation, focusing on the left side of the body) THE FOLLOWING SEQUENCE IS ALL DONE ONLY ON THE LEFT SIDE Urdhva Hastasana, clasping right wrist and opening the body to the right Crescent Pose  Lunge Twist Parsvakonasana Trikonasana Vashistasana Pavritta Parsvakonasana Downward Facing Dog Twist Utkatasana Twist Tadasana (meditation, focusing on the right side of the body) FOLLOW SAME SEQUENCE ABOVE EXCEPT THIS TIME ALL IS DONE ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE BODY Uttanasana Child's Pose Deep lunge on Forearms/Hamstring Stretch/Pigeon Prep Ardha Bhekasana Janu Sirsasana/Pavritta Janu Sirsasana Paschimottanasana Easy Twist SAVASANA (yoga nidra like meditation, fantastic 7 min relaxation :) )

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I have just released a new podcast!  This is the announcement.  Sorry, no live yoga class this week but definately next week!  Hope you enjoy YoGeek Workout.  Subscribe to this new podcast, as I will incorporate both audio and video ;)  Should be fun!www.elsiesyogakula.comwww.yogeekworkout.com206 666 4439

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No theme for this class, a perfect class when you don't have much time :) Please remember this is not the best for a beginner, a bit faster paced than usual and I don't teach as much as usual! Review me on itunes Follow me on Twitter

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My little niece Elizabeth. She is Truth and Goodness, look at that face!  NPR Essay "To Thine Own Self Be True" This I Believe Podcast Twitter Jaiku

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Time to turn inside...to celebrate feedback: 210 666 4439 eyogaclass@gmai.com Pray as You Go Link to My Post about Healthy Catholic and the Accidental Yogist

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This is not a class for beginners. We do bunch of stuff that I haven't done before! Check out the corresponding videos once you do do it! A bit of rock and roll for those of you who are up for it ;) Lynn's site Lynn's posting on me :) go to my website for the Sequence and the links to the videos!!!!

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Thank you for your reviews in iTunes, keep it up ;) I'm in the depths of creation, renewal and expansion....stay tuned!!! or subscribed or listening...whatever This class is perfect for those beginning yoga, enough sweetness, sprinkled with a bit of spice, of course :D HAPPY SPRING TIME!!!! you are more than welcome to send me feedback: 206 666 4439 eyogaclass@gmail.com www.elsiesyogakula.com come check out all the pics!

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there's a video supplement to this class, go the my website to check it out!!!! St. Patrick's Playlist! I found them all on iTunes! Morrison's Jig/Dublin Street-Amy Kortuem Walls of Liscarroll Medley- the Irish Experience She Moved Through the Fair- Green Man When Love is Gone- Green Man Roving Galway Boy- Amy Kortuem Plaxty McGowan- Amy Kortuem St. Patrick's Breastplate- Amy Kortuem Danny Boy- Tommy Flemming Danny Boy- Amy Kortuem The Deer's Cry (Breastplate of St. Patrick)- Angelina (this is the song that I spoke about and played at the beginning of class)

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I have ventured in unchartered waters and I'm thrilled!!!! So this is my 1st attempt at playing with video.  Bad video quality (HD Camara on it's way), iffy editing, but hey, I did it all myself!  Yeay for iMovie.  I kid you not, it's a fantastic little program for newbies like me ;) Anyway, so the stuff that's in the podcast is some feedback that I sent to a fellow podcaster that I admire very much, Father Roderick of the Daily Breakfast, for he just started his own first video podcast called Healthy Catholic, and it inspired me to get my behind going on this stuff.  I sent this info to him 'cause he's been getting back into running, so this little video is just a couple of ways that you can stretch out tired feet :)  Please let me know what you think!!!!!!

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Hanging out with my niece this weekend! Such a blast, she can certainly cast light! write me a review in itunes! my Flickr yoga poses The Sequence: Downward Facing Dog Uttanasana with arms interlaced behind the back Uttanasana/Ardha Uttanasana x 2 1/2 Sun Salutes x 3 Straight Legged Lunge/Down Dog/Straight Legged Lunge Plank/Cobra Surya Namaskar x 2 Wrist Stretch on hands and knees Downward Facing dog wrist stretch Parvakonasana Crescent Pose (with side stretch) Utkatasana Twist Parsvakonasana with arms interlaced behind the back into Deep Lunge with shoulder behind the calf Utkatasana (upper back more arched) Parsvotanasana (slight variation) Urdhva Prasarita Ekapadasana Uttanasana Demo Pincha Mayurasana with Susan Pincha Mayurasana Demo Pincha Mayurasana Palms up with Huck Pincha Mayurasana with palms up Demo Pincha Mayurasana hands flat against the wall with Huck Pincha Mayurasana with palms flat against the wall Squat on tippy toes, legs together into a twist Parsva Bakasana Pigeon Prep Pigeon Prep with thigh stretch Setu Banda Sarvangasana and/or Urdhva Dhanurasana x 5!!! Easy supine twist Downward Facing Dog Parva Uttanasana Savasana

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Donate to Corazon de Vida, just until February 27th Typical Mac User Podcast Live! go to this link on Sunday February 25th at 5pm PST/ 8pm EST chat with me! Douglas Brooks's article on applied yogis Hillary's Yoga Practice Podcast Coconuts and Legwarmers Flickr Pics Vic Hennegan Workshop

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Authentic love is not a vague sentiment or a blind passion. It is an inner attitude that involves the whole human being. It is looking at others not to use them but to serve them. It is the ability to rejoice with those who are rejoicing and to suffer with those that are suffering. It is sharing what one possesses so that no one may continue to be deprived of what he needs. Love, in a word, is the gift of self. -Pope John Paul II YOU CAN STILL DONATE TO CORAZON DE VIDA! Join Victor and I for the Typical Mac User Live show on February 25th! You so don't need to watch the Oscars! The best moments will be replayed over and over and over for the week following Talkcast information: Talkcast Name: Typical Mac User Podcast Live (Talk MAC)Host: Victor Cajiao - typicalmacuser@gmail.comPhone number: (724) 444-7444Talkcast ID: 3097PIN: The phone number or 10-digit PIN you signed up with (you gotta sign up with Talkshoe!) Vic's Healing Through Dance Workshop THE SEQUENCE Hands and knees Downward Facing Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana) One legged Downward Facing Dog with hip squared (Eka Pada Adho Mukha Svanasana) Child's Pose (Balasana) One legged Downward Facing Dog opening the hip into a high lunge into straightening out the front leg Uttanasana Uttanasana into Ardha Uttanasana x 3 Surya Namaskar C x 2 Tadasana with Parvatasana arms (arms interlaced above the head) Surya Namaskar A Lunge Twist Uttanasana with arms interlaced behind the back Parsvakonasana Prasarita Padotanasana Parsvakonasana (yes..AGAIN ;) ) Prasarita Padotanasana Hasta Padangustasana Prep some discussion about alignment in this pose Hasta Padangustasana Prep II (possibly straightening leg into full pose) Squat (with arms overhead!) urdhva prasarita padasana half navasana with feet on the floor marichyasana III cobra on fingertips salabasana with arms and legs up gomukhasana down dog with hip opening and leg bent! deep lunge on forearms child's pose salabasana variations dhanurasana twisted child's pose happy baby Savasana

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John Friend founder of Anusara Yoga John's Rockin' with Shakti Tour Heart Study Fantastic Organization which focuses on The Heart!!! The Dana on Mission Bay Yes...I totally spoiled myself. I figured, why not celebrate my 35th birthday a little more! Mind you, for whatever reason I got a great deal on the rooms and if any of you are ever around San Diego, maybe taking a little trip to Sea World, hey come on over here. They have been incredible. Really. Donate to Corazon de Vida! here's a link to my Evite for the Coconuts Legwarmers Charity Birthday Bash The Sequence: Downward Facing Dog High Lunge Downward Facing Dog Twist Uttanasana/Tadasana/Parvatasana Arms (arms interlaced above the head) Surya Namaskar x 3 Parsvakonasana Vira I Deep Lunge with Chattarunga Arms or Deep Lunge working head behind the knee Vashistasana Uttanasana with arms interlaced behind the back Handstands Tadasana into Standing Arch Back Downward Facing Dog Shoulder Alignment work Monkey Lunge Pigeon Prep Parsvotanasana Uttanasana Lunge with thigh stretch (eka pada rajakapotasana II thigh stretch) Bridge Pose and/or Urdhva Dhanurasana x 4 Upavistha Konasana into Parsva Upavishta Konasana Paschimottanasana Supine Easy Twist Tadasana

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Sianna Sherman Hillary's Yoga Practice Episode 13 Coconuts and Legwarmers: February 18th 9:30am at Lululemon Athletica North Beverly please please please donate! www.elsiecharity.chipin.com it's for the kids!!!!! The Sequence: Adho Mukha Svanasana into Eka Pada Adho Mukha Svanasana opening the hip Uttanasana/Ardha Uttanasana 1/2 Sunsalutes x 3 Surya Namaskar x 3 Crescent Pose Parsvakonasana Deep Lunge working head behind the knee Eka Pada Adho Mukha Svanasana opening the hip Trikonasana Twisting Downward Facing Dog Handstand Handstand Demo with Lucy Bivins Handstands again (on ridgetops, maybe???) Tree Pose/Urdhva Prasarita Ekapadasana/Pigeon/Twisting Pigeon Vashistasana with Backbend Pigeon with Thigh Stretch Lunge with Thigh Stretch Child's pose Dhanurasana Ardha Bhekasana Setu Bandha Sarvangasana and/or Urdhva Dhanurasana x 3 Downward Facing Dog Parsvotanasana Uttanasana Easy Supine Twist Knees to Chest Savasana

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This is all about my teacher Douglas Brooks, although I don't really speak about him in the class. I only try as best as I can to explain what this incredible philosophy is about. As I say during the class, and as Douglas has said many, many times before, "this is a practice that is learned from ear to ear, not from mouth to ear," so my explanation of it, is what I've 'heard.' I do my best to honor him through my words. As always I only hope to become clearer and more precise in the teachings. If you want to hear him, in his own voice, explain the philosophy check out this link where you can buy his Philosphy CD's: http://anusara.com/?pagerequested=subcategories&cat=10&page_number=1 and of course Douglas's actual site, so you can go to one of his philosophy workshops, he is not to be missed! http://rajanaka.com Hillary's Yoga Practice! subscribe to her podcast through itunes here The Sequence: Sukhasana with Parvatasana arms (arms interlaced above the head) Sukhasana with side stretch Downward Facing Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana) Child's Pose (Balasana) Downward Facing Dog Straight Legged Lunge into straightening the front leg Uttanasana Half Sun Salutation Sun Salutations x 2 Crescent Pose Demo of Pincha Mayurasana (me jabbering for a while, then you guys get to go at it for quite a while, try to do the full pose 3x) Pincha Mayurasana Tree pose with Eagle arms (Vrksanana with Garundasana arms) Tadasana into a lateral side stretches (sometimes referred to as Crescent Moon) Vashistasana Prep (with front leg forward) Lunge Twist Child's pose Twisting Side Angle Pose Prep (Pavrita Parvakonasana Prep) Deep Lunge with elbows on the ground Uttanasana with arms interlaced behind the back Parsvotanasana Malasana Uttanasana Seated Baby Craddle (check out Stage 1 and the Stage 2, choose accordingly) Oh yeah, how bizarre do I look in the stage 1 pic, geez :) Easy seated twist (Sukhasana Twist) Krounchasana Variation into a Krounchasana variation Twist On the back! yeay!!! Pranayama, Natural Breath Savasana

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Exactly 28 days till the Coconuts and Legwarmers Bash benefiting Corazon de Vida! Mark it on you new calendars! Sunday February 18 from 9:30-11:30am at the Beverly Hills Lululemon Store. bolsters blankets The Sequence Table Top Pose Downward Facing Dog/One legged Downward Facing Dog/High Lunge/High lunge with front leg straight Plank Downward Facing Dog/Uttanasana Tadasana Arm Salutes x 3 1/2 Sun Salutations x 2 Surya Namaskar C x 3 Crescent Balasana Table Top Pose/ One Leg, One Arm Table Top One Leg, One Arm Downward Facing Dog (listen to the podcast and follow what I say! ;) ) Lunge Twist Uttanasana with arms interlaced behind the back Deep Lunge with forearms on the ground Supine Hip Stretch or Figure Four Hip Stretch on the back/ Supine baby craddle Lunge with thigh stretch at the wall or Eka Pada Rajakapotasana 2 with a thigh stretch at the wall Supported Legs Up on the Wall or Supported Viparita Karani Pranayama (3 part breath) dirgha pranayama Savasana

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My Coconut Legwarmer bash is on February 18th from 9:30- 11:30 am!!!!  At the Lululemon Store, come participate! The Charity that I have chosen is:   You need a blanket, or thick towel for this one Sequence: Table Top Pose Downward Facing Dog/ Plank Pose/ Downward Facing Dog Uttanasana into Ardha Uttanasana x 3 Tadasana Surya Namaskar x 2 High Lunge (jump switch sides) Crescent Pose Parsvakonasana into Trikonasana Ardha Chandrasana into Trikonasana Balasana Handstands Hasta Padangustasana Prep Standing Hip Stretch Navasana Prep (core work) Urdha Prasarita Padasana, upward extended feet pose (more core work) Downward Facing Dog Pigeon Prep Vajrasana with blanket behind the knees (knee, hamstring and calf opener) Virasana, possibly into Supta Virasana Setu Bandha Sarvangasana x 3 (or Urdhva Dhanurasana) Baddha Konasana Ardha Matsyendrasana Paschimotanasana Seated Meditation Savasana

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How cute is Ganesh? I totally think this is the cutest picture ever! you can check out how incredible this guy's work is at ghee happy. I got his book and it's just fantastic. He has a wonderful was of drawing the hindu gods and also giving their individual myths. I believe this is a must have for any yogi who wants to know more and also any yoga teachers! cute as can be! links: my intro music 'movin' by Vic Hennegan  write a review in itunes digg (now you have to be a member of digg to digg me, so if you are not check out the site. it's a great community site where 'we' digg the stories that we believe are worth looking at, love the concept! you can dig my podcast in the podcast section, which is where you have to be a member of digg to do, as it's a very new addition to the site itself) the sequence: Downward Facing Dog Straight legged lunge Chattarunga pushups x 3 Downward Facing Dog Uttanasana/Ardha Uttanasana  x 3 Half Sun Salutes x 3 Surya Namaskar x 3 Crescent Pose (jump switch) Parsvakonasana Trikonasana Vira II Uttanasana Urdhva Prasarita Ekapadasana with hips squared (standing splits with hips squared) I use this as a prep for handstand Wide stance Uttanasana with arms interlaced behind the back Malasana Uttanasana Handstand Pigeon Pavrita Parsvotanasana Salabasana with arms interlaced behind the back Pigeon with thigh stretch Lunge with thigh stretch Cobra on fingertips x 2 Urdhva Dhanurasana x 3 Marychiasana III into Eka Pada Gomukha Paschimottanasana Baddha Konasana Ardha Matsyendrasana Supine twist savasana!   

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Merry Christmas!!!!! Honestly a crazy little class! Please, you will need 2 blocks for this class. If you do not have blocks you can use a thick bath towel or blanket, rolled up. Yeah, I go a little crazy about one of my most favorite Christmas stories (actually the tv show story, rudolph the red nosed reindeer and the island of the misfit toys). I was kinda surprised at how many people had no idea what I was talking about. You guys have to watch the show!!!! Rent it, buy it. You gotta have it for the holiday season! Plus, according to my wacky self, it has a pretty fun soundtrack ;) The Sequence: Hands and knees Downward Facing Dog One legged D0wn dog into a straight legged lunge Plank into Down Dog Uttanasana/Ardha Uttanasana x 3 Tadasana Arm Salutes x 3 Half sun salutes x 2 Surya Namaskar x 4 Parsvakonasana Parsvakonasana prep/variation Crescent Pose into Twisting high lunge Child's Pose Table Top Sequence: involves extending one leg back and opposite arm forward, from there moving into a back bend Twisted Child Pose L Pose at the Wall Deep lunge on the forearms Pigeon Prep Eka Pada Bhekasana Dhanurasana EXPLANATION AND DEMO: shoulder alignment discussion, plugging in the armbones for urdhva dhanurasana demo with John Urdhva Dhanurasana with blocks x 3 Uttanasana Sukhasana twist Easy supine twist Supta Padangustasana

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My first attempt at an Enhanced Podcast! For those of you who don't know what that is, it's an podcast that as you listen to it on itunes (sorry those of you who have a different podcatcher! itunes is free though, if you don't have it!) you can see pictures and even access the links that I talk about on the podcast straight from itunes! Check it out! What all this means is that as you listen to this specific podcast, there will be chapter markers within the podcast, kinda like the markers that you have on a CD when you move from song to song. If you don't have time to listen to the whole thing or maybe want to skip a specific charity you can just press the forward button and you will move straight to the next chapter. Kinda nifty! I tried it last night and it totally worked! Another cool thing is that if any of the charities reach out to you and you just have to go find out about the charity the moment that you are listening to me talk about it, there is a link already there for you to link to! You can go to the website as you listen! Oh, technology. I hope it works :) Enjoy CHARITIES Breast Cancer Research American Red Cross Boys and Girls Club of America ALS Corazon de Vida One World Family Fund The Youth Leadership Training Program: You can contact Satatma directly, radiantfire@riseup.net Mother Om Mission American Lung Association The Amanda Foundation other stuff: Ayurveda, my dear friend and teacher Arun, what is ayurvedic medicine fun Pink Buys

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I turned it up a notch. This specific class on the schedule at the studio says a level 1-2 class, but I went a little bit more ;) The pace of this class is a bit faster than I usually teach. I also didn't do too many alignment principles through the vinyasa sequences, it was much more about moving with the breath and just opening up the body. I was inspired by a class that I had taken earlier in the week taught by one of my yogi friends, William Duprey. Y'all have to check out his website, he's just great! Still taking requests for charities! So click here, and let me know what you think! or call me at 206 666 4439 down dog uttanasana/ardha uttanasana x 3 tadasana with parvatasana arms 1/2 sun salutations x 3 sun salutation X 3 Crescent Pose Parsvakonasana On right leg only! Monkey Lunge Vira I/Vira II Crescent Pose/Lunge twist Ardha Chandrasana/Trikonasana Vashistasana Uttanasana/Utkatasana into twisting Utkatasana On the left side! Monkey Lunge Vira I/Vira II Crescent Pose/Lunge twist Ardha Chandrasana/Trikonasana Vashistasana Child's Pose Twisted Child fun new pose (crazy twisting down dog variation) Pic is on it's way pigeon prep deep lunge with thigh stretch dhanurasana cobra on ridgetops x2 sukhasana twist diamond pose

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My fantastic intro music Vic Hennegan 'Movin' Charity post link, please go there and write down your passions, what do you believe in?  Take action!  Write a post there or you can send me a voice feedback at 206 666 4439 Chris Arcucci's mighty blog link to the post I spoke about in class The Sequence: hands and knees Downward Facing Dog Eka Pada Downward Facing Dog high lunge Downward Facing Dog Uttanasana Tadasana Arm Salutations x 4 More warm ups! Sun Salutations x 2 Crescent Pose L Pose at the wall on forearms x 2 child's pose Parsvakonasana Prasarita Padotanasana Vira II Prasarita Padotanasana Tadasana Tree Pose Uttanasana deep lunge pigeon Balasana Ardha Bhekasana Dhanurasana x 3 Balasana Supta Padangustasana sequence Savasana

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Happy December! my intro music, 'Movin' by Vic Hennegan. The link to the charity post so you can post your charity passion: http://elsieyogakula.wordpress.com/2006/11/30/looking-for-a-charity/ Lululemon Athletica Lululemon Ambassador program Sequence: Downward Facing Dog Eka Pada Downward Facing Dog into high lunge into a hamstring stretch Uttanasana into Ardha Uttanasana x 3 Surya Namaskar x 3 Parsvakonasana Trikonasana Crescent Pose into Lunge Twist Down Dog Twist Ardha Chandrasana Anjane Asana (shoulder alignment work) Salabasana with arms interlaced behind the back Uttanasana with arms interlaced behind the back Pincha Mayurasana Prep (L pose at the wall on the forearms with a block in between the hands) Pincha Mayurasana Standing Hip Stretch (shrub pose) x 2 Hasta Padangustasana with both hands Deep Hip Stretch on Forearms Vashistasana Eka Pada Rajakapotasana prep Lunge with thigh Stretch Eka Pada Rajakapotasana Prep with thigh stretch (mermaid variation if you want) Setu Bandha Sarvangasana Urdhva Dhanurasana x 2 Downward Facing Dog Parsvotanasana Uttanasana Downward Facing Dog Supine Twist Savasana

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Update! I had to rerecord my intro cause of some technical dificulties, so if you happen to have gotten the old file, obviously there are no markers (if you don't know what I'm talking about, no worries, not important)My intro music: Vic Hennegan the picture in the file, the dish that I made for Thanksgiving.  I just thought it looked sooooo pretty :)    This is the first episode that i edited in Garage Band and I was able to put in markers/chapters, so for those of you who have an ipod (honestly, i don't know if it works on other mp3 players) or you play the file on your computer you will be able to see the poses marked on the file!  I'm hoping to insert photos along with the markers also, very very soon!  Let me know how this new format works for you guys :) Now you can skip the intro all together and just go straight to the class!   The Sequence warm ups Crescent Pose vinyasa X 3 Parsvakonasana Parsvakonasana with arms interlaced behind the back (I've heard this called humble warrior, as your head is bowed forward toward your ankle) Trikonasana Downward Facing Dog twist Upward Facing Dog on Ridgetops  Parsvakonasana Bound preparation, working shoulders behind the knee Hanstand Preparation and demo with Melissa Handstands Uttanasana into Ardha Chandrasana into Trikonasana with top arm behind the back Parsvakonasana Bound Malasana and some yummy variations Baby Bakasana (on forearms) prep and Bakasana Bakasana with a block Pigeon Prep Pigeon Prep with thigh stretch Vashistasana variations (hanes commercial) Setu Bandha or urdhva dhanurasana x3 Easy Supine Twist Agnistambasana Marychiasana III Baddha Konasana Savasana      

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I got a new Macbook!  I am so excited!  I didn't edit my podcast on my new Macbook, I'll try to figure it out next week, but I'm certainly so very happy!!! Just to let you all know, especially for those who will be in Los Angeles for the Thanksgiving Holiday weekend, I'm going to be teaching one class on Thanksgiving day, 10:30am- 12pm (all levels)  at Bala Yoga and on Friday, my usual class at 12-1:30pm (all levels) at Bala Yoga and at 2:30-4pm (Level 1) at Yoga Works the Center for YogaIf you are around I would love to see you!The Sequence:Downward Facing Doghigh lungePlank Vinyasa (moving 3" to the ground) x 3UttanasanaSun Salutations x 3Crescent PoseParsvakonasanaVira IITrikonasana/Ardha Chandrasana/Standing Splits with hips squared variationUttanasanaL-Pose at the wall or HandstandTree Pose/Vira III/Standing Splits with hips squared variation/deep lunge with forearms on the groundDownward Facing dogPigeon Lunge with thigh stretchUrdhva Dhanurasana or Setu Bandha Sarvangasana x 3Ardha MatsyendrasanaBaddha KonasanaSupine Easy TwistSavasana

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Just a short little notice telling y'all that I don't have a computer!  She is in the hospital with a 50/50 chance to live.  I do hope to be able to get a class out by next weekend, with my sweet old computer or maybe a fancy new one, who knows!  Much gratitude to all of you who are listening out there! Just to share:  My friend Victor Cajiao, from the typical pc user, typical mac user and immigration tales podcast is truly and angel.  He has been helping me diagnose the problem with my computer.  He talked me through all the steps that I needed to take to make sure that all my info was backed up.  He gave me hints as to what software to buy and also what kind of external hardrive.  After giving him an update of what was going on with me he offered to record me on skype telling you all what's up (which is what you hear on this weeks update).  He added the music and edited it for me!  Tell me that's not the sweetest thing ever!  I have thanked him so much already and I guess I just ask for some of you to check out some of his podcasts.  He does some incredible work.  I'm an avid listener to his Typical PC User Podcast.  I've learned so much from him.   I often write in to comment and to ask questions.  I never feel like a 'dummy'.  He always takes the time to explain things so that they do make sense to me, and to all out there that may be a bit 'typical' in our computer world.  He also has a truly phenomenal podcast called Immigration Tales, which I refer to in my update.  I find it so informative and truly inspirational as I get to hear stories from people migrating.  It's a subject that deserves to be addressed.  The way Victor has addressed the subject makes it so very human and personal.  It really is worth a listen.  Check out some of Victor's stuff, as a thank you to him.  He really is an angel!

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It's the first time that I've done a class like this one, especially for Level 1, it's a bit harder, as seated postures tend to be a bit more difficult for beginners, and yet they do give you just another opportunity to experience the depth of this practice.  Please have a bolster, blanket, towel, hard cushion, or meditation bench, close by while you practice to sit on while practicing pranayama and meditation!  Lots of focusing on the breath and a sweet meditation at the end.  Please guys, let me know what you think! Links:  to buy Douglas's CD about the yoga sutras! http://www.matrikayoga.com/Results.cfm?category=4 Have fun :)  THE SEQUENCE: table top pose downward facing dog into one legged down dog into a high lunge plank into baby chattarunga dandasana (only bending the elbows 3") X 3 surya namaskar x 2 Parsavakonasana with vinyasa (plank, chattarunga dandasana, cobra) Balasana Downward Facing Dog Vira 2 with vinyasa Crescent Pose with vinyasa Balasana Sitting to breathe Downward Facing Dog Straight legged hamstring stretch into Deep lunge on the elbows Trikonasana with vinyasa Pigeon Sitting to breathe (Ujjayi Pranayama) Deep lunge on the elbows (again) into runner's hamstring stretch Uttanasana Janu Sirsasana Baddha Konasana Upavishta Konasana Parsva Upavishta Konasana Paschimottanasana Sukhasana twist Sitting to breathe (Ujjayi Pranayama) Savasana

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  Very excited to hear from some of you guys, and looking forward to more :) The theme is all about the kula, whoooopeeee! Links: fitness rocks (y'all must listen to the interview I did with Dr. Monte, it was a blast to do) Victor's Podcasts: typical pc user, typical mac user, immigration tales My student Kim's blog feedback! 206 666 4439 please write me a review in itunes, I would oh so appreciate it! The Sequence: Adho Mukha Svanasana into Eka Pada Adho Mukha Svanasana/Downward Facing Dog into one legged Downward Facing Dog Uttanasana into Ardha Uttanasana x 3 Half Sun Salutations x 2 Sun Salutations x 2 Straight legged lunge then straightening the leg Sun Salutation Parsvakonasana Vira II Demo of Pincha Mayurasana Prep Pincha Mayurasana or Pincha Mayurasana Prep Tree Pose Trikonasana into Ardha Chandrasana into twisting lunge pose Vashistasana Pigeon Prep Hanumanasana Pigeon with a thigh stretch Plank on the fronts of the toes into Chattarunga on the fronts of the toes High cobra on fingertips Raja Kapotasana Downward Facing Dog Uttanasana easy twist savasana

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My great intro and outro music, 'Movin' by Vic Hennegan Links: Joshua Yuchasz 'This I Believe' Essay About 'This I Believe' Asperger Syndrome links (so we can be more educated, i think) http://www.aspergers.com/ , http://www.udel.edu/bkirby/asperger/aswhatisit.html Blocks: http://www.yoga.com/store/Subcategory.asp?Category_ID=246, http://www.yogaaccessories.com/YogaBlock4.asp?gclid=CLLIkOCmjYgCFQvlYAodCDAeBg My Space Page! THE SEQUENCE: Downward facing dog Straight legged lunge uttanasana into ardha uttanasana Parvatasana arms/arms interlaced above the head 1/2 Sun Salutations Vinyasa working on lunges and plank Tadasana (inner body bright) Sun Salutation working on plank shoulder alignment Tadasana (shoulder alignment discussion) Sun Salutation working on shoulder principles Downward facing dog working on shoulder principles Crescent Pose Child's pose Demo: (shoulder alignment work from all fours into downward facing dog) Uttanasana with arms interlaced behind the back Deep lunge (forearms to the floor) Pigeon Prep Ardha Bhekasana Dhanurasana Setu Bandha Sarvangasana Demo: (at the wall, learning how to plug into the heart) Demo: (using the blocks, and moving into Urdhva Dhanurasana in stages) PLEASE CLICK ON THE PICS TO SEE THEM MORE FULLY :) Urdhva Dhanurasana with blocks x 2 Downward facing dog Uttanasana Twist Savasana

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I'm back in Los Angeles! Happy to be back and at the same time wanting just as much to be back with my family. I came back to my incredible students whose faces and passion make it all worth it :) My theme this week had to do with one of my favorite podcasts, "The Bitterest Pill." If you want to hear the whole thing, which I truly suggest you do, you must go to thebitterestpill.com and check out episode #85, it's amazing. Another podcast that I mention is Fitness Rocks. This podcast is by Dr. Monte, who is sooooo passionate about health and wellness it's really worth listening to. He gives you the facts about physiology, nutrition, studies that are being conducted or have been conducted about fat, food, diseases, you name it. Be informed! Fitness truly rocks. Oh yes, the yoga blankets, check out some of these sites: http://www.yogaaccessories.com/YogaBlankets.asp http://www.yogaprops.net/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=yp&Category_Code=1_3_blankets The Sequence hands and knees Adho Mukha Svanasana/Downward Facing Dog Eka Pada Adho Mukha Svanasana into lunge/one legged down dog into lunge Uttanasana Ardha Uttanasana into Uttanasana x 3/ Lengthening forward and bowing back into forward bend Arm Salutations x 3 Half Sun Salutes x 3 Sun Salutation with lunge Sun Salutation with Crescent Pose Child's Pose Downward Facing Dog exercise with the blanket x 2 Sun Salutation with muscular energy focus Tree Pose x 2 (the 2nd time is with eyes closed) Malasana/Squat Pigeon Prep Ardha Bhekasana Setu Bandha Sarvangasana x 2 /Bridge Pose Eka Pada Setu Bandha Sarvangasana/One legged Bridge Pose Supta Padangustasana easy twist Savasana

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I'm still in El Salvador so this is a class that I had recorded on August 25. A basic Level 1-2 class which runs about 50 min, with the theme of Faith, in sanskrit Shraddha :) Links: http://www.lululemon.com/beverlyhills/northbeverly northbeverly-store@lululemon.com (the email address to rsvp to for the Lululemon Opening Party on October 12th from 6-10pm) Also the living Sun Salutation Project on Santa Monica Blvd: Gather at the North Beverly Store, 334 N. Beverly Dr. Beverly Hills, 90211, at 4:30pm. We will do the Salutations from about 5-6pm. Please wear black clothes, top and bottom! Sequence: Warm ups 1/2 sunsalutes x 3 Sun Salutations x 3 Crescent Pose, jump switch Vira II into Reverse Vira Vira I Trikonasana/Ardha Chandrasana/Urdhva Prasarita Ekapadasana with squared hips/Deep lunge on forearms Pigeon Ardha Bhekasana Lunge with thigh stretch Cobra on fingertips x 2 Child's Pose Ardha Matsyendrasana Hasta Padangustasana easy twist

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A bittersweet episode posted to you from San Salvador, El Salvador.  The theme for this week's class is authenticity, in sanskrit, aucitya (I certainly hope that I spelled that correctly.)  I used Steve Irwin, the Crocodile Hunter and his sudden death as a jumping off point for my theme.  What's so strange is that I recorded this class on September 28th and September 29th my grandpa passed away.   I listened to what I said about Steve and thought, I could have used my grandfather instead.     If there is a word to describe my Grandfather it's authentic.  He was all that he could be all the time, and he continued to grow and become more until the very end.  LINKS: the Lululemon party: email, northbeverly-store@lululemon.com, all you need to say is that you are rsvping for the party, give your 1st and last name to be put on the list!  yeay!!!  Get there early as the first 300 folks get a free gift bag :)  The party is October 12th from 6-10pm check out the Lululemon Beverly Hills Store and my ambassador page of course :) the Sun Salutation Project:   that's on Wednesday, October 11th, meeting at the store at 4:30, to walk up to Santa Monica Blvd.  We will salute the sun from about 5-6pm.  Please email me so we can know how many are showing up!!!!  eyogaclass@gmail.com THE SEQUENCE: hands and knees downward facing dog Uttanasana, Ardha Uttanasana x 3 Half Sun Salutes x 3 Sun Salutations x 3 Crescent Pose Vira II Trikonasana into Ardha Chandrasana Parsvakonasana Vashistasana Wide legged Uttanasana with shoulder stretch Pincha Mayurasana Modified Hasta Padangustasana Pigeon Lunge with thigh stretch, into a curvy twisting lunge with thigh stretch Ardha Matsyendrasana Happy Baby and finally the translation for the prayer: O My God, this sick one that is here before You, has come here to ask you what he desires, and that which he thinks is the most important for himself.  You, O God, help to have these words enter his heart: 'It is more important to be of a healthy soul.' Lord, may your blessed will be done in every way!  If you want me to heal, then heal me, but if your will is different than that, may I continue to carry my cross.  We ask you also for all of those that pray.  Somehow I feel I didn't do the prayer justice, for some of the juice was lost in translation.  Oh well. 

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Yeay!  Sorry about last week all.  Got a little overwhelmed with my life ;) Here's some stuff I talk about in this week's episode, please you must check out some of this stuff: Vic Hennegan (the music behind my intro)  Rachel Kann- www.inspirachel.com, http://www.myspace.com/rachelkann, itunes page to buy 'I know this' I Know This [ poets be slammin ] - 12.03.01 - by: Rachel Kann I know this, This, I know: all that I have, all that is me, resides inside my poetry, and every time I write a rhyme it might be the line that sets minds free. And also I know that I donât know shit! And the more I know, the more I realize it. I know that for all the pain Iâve cried there is the exact same balance of joy on the other side of that coin joined with the thinnest slip of membrane same goes for crazy and sane truth and lie answer and why because I know this: this universe operates with a divine tug of war teeter-totter, bringing order and balance like the tide does to water, like I know that each wave rolls back to the sea retreating from me into deep green eternity, and I know that I am free! (...well, at least in my mind if I wanna be...) I know that some things sound good to me in theory but in point of fact, suck ass in actual practice, like communism and pornography. I know that its impossible to really know where anyone is coming from so who are we to judge âem? I know that some things are so dope they transcend their category and its important to see the glory in the ordinary. Like, I know thereâs Nag Champa, and then thereâs all other incense. I canât see putting Earl Grey up against any other tea, Lash Out isnât even on the same plane as other mascaras comparatively, and I know thereâs R&B, and then thereâs Otis Redding. I know that most things are much greater than the sum of their parts, and that thatâs the real definition of art. Like, brownies are good, and so is whipped cream, but you put âem together and its this whole other chemical fucking thing, like John Lennon and Paul McCartney singing harmony, like masturbating as compared to an orgy... I know that everything within this surface glimpse of reality is infinitely simple and perfectly complicated, and I know that being jaded and over it is way overrated and I know that the colors of this world only seem faded in direct relation to the darkness with which your mindâs eye is shaded, and you made it that way. And you can choose to change your visionâs prismic range. Today. And I know you got to help a friend whoâs down. And I know that no matter where you end up, youâre still from your hometown. And I know you got to know how to listen to the sound of your own heartbeat in the dead quiet of night sometimes, and I know that can be so frightening... ...but I also know that the deepest darkness is always the most enlightening, and I know that fresh cold cantaloupe tastes like the perfect first kiss, and I know that Lao-Tzu, and Moses, and Mohammed, and Buddha, and Allah, and Jesus, and all those dudes knew some deep ass shit, But I also know that we all hold the same eternal truths in our hearts deepest pit. Itâs because I know that we are made of the same stuff as the sun and moon and farthest star and that all that we are is manifest energy and that we already have everything we could ever need if we could just begin to see clearly, and I know that the world will continue to spin, and I know that one day... you will let me in and we will begin to love in a fashion I couldnât fathom existed and we will laugh at the fact that we ever resisted this blissful togetherness, and the sex will be off the charts! âCause weâll both be super freaky, but weâll be fucking from the heart âcause our loving will be a something where the whole is much greater than the sum of its parts, (we are artists, after all, so what would fate have as make besides art?) And I know that outside of this space time frame, we are one and the same weâre a part, not apart, so I know I can wait patiently for it to start, and far out, I may seem to be, and maybe you so me as wacky, but baby, the fact be, that I am a poet, and as all true poets do, Iâm mainlining the spiraling spherical truth of the universe turning it out and into lyrical wholeness. And I know this. This, I know. LA Podcasters  Portable Media Expo  Sundown Lounge  Here's the Class sequence: Warm ups half sun salutations x 2 sun salutations x 2 Crescent x 2 Deep Lunge with Chattarunga Arms Twisting Downward Facing Dog Parsvakonasana/Side Angle Pose Trikonasana/ Triangle Pose Ardha Chandrasana (half moon pose) into standing splits variation with hips squared into a twisting lunge into Vashistasana (side plank pose) Handstand Standing Hip Stretch Wide Uttanasana Twist Eka Pada Rajakapotasana/Pigeon Pigeon twist variations Parsva Bakasana Standing hip stretch with twist (optional arm balance) Lunge thigh stretch with twist Dhanurasana/Bow pose Urdhva Dhanurasana/Upward facing bow x 3 Marichyasana A Ardha Matsyendrasana Supta Padangustasana easy twist 

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To remember and honor, that's why I chose to participate. I read another blog, the happy catholic and was intrigued about this project to honor 911 victims. I went onto the website and clicked on the button to take me to the victims that still needed bloggers. What I received was a cry of the heart, names, scrolling down, as if looking up at me, longing for expression. I looked at all the names and travelled down the list, my eyes still, my heart taking in the people behind the names. As I looked upon the names I began to recognize the importance and the deep commitment that it took to give these names a face, a story, a remembrance. I debated whether or not I could be a part of this process. To be honest, I didn't think that I wanted to make the commitment, too much responsibility, too much stepping out of my comfort zone. One name struck at me. It was a woman's name, long, latino in origin, (if I remember the name, I will write it), it struck me because it was such a long name. I clicked on it. She was a mother, and her country of origin was El Salvador. I broke down and cried. I'm from El Salvador. I had no idea that there was someone from my country who had died in this tragedy. I felt at that moment that I needed to do this, I took it as a sign from this name to participate. Everyone needs a voice, and even when we are gone, our hearts still beat in the world. They give us power, desire and a dense need to express love and community. I wanted to get her. This woman who seemed to have reached out to me, she was like me, we already had something in common. I wanted a commonality. I found difference and what a gift that was. I was blessed with the opportunity to honor Michael Morgan Taylor (Mike or otherwise known as Mouse). He was different than I. I worried, as I felt no commonality. He was a man, number one, a bond trader at Cantor Fitzgerald (please forgive me all bond traders, but I have no idea what that is). He's from Western Pennsylvania. I've never been there. For a moment I thought, what am I going to do? I have no point of reference from which to begin. Then I softened. I allowed myself to see Michael M Taylor. I looked at the picture on the site, letting go of preconceived notions of who, how or why. I let myself open to know him. As I gazed on his face and his huge smile (this was the picture I saw first) I found comfort. I committed myself to knowing. I followed all the links that I could for Mike. I read, quickly, as an overview. I knew that there was much more to Mike than what I read. Would I be able to say enough? And then, the angels began to appear. John Davies, Mike's friend from 2nd grade reached out to me. He was kind enough to share some stories of Mike (Mouse, his nickname), and he began to come alive to me. Then Mike's sister Mary Kaye contacted me. Just the fact that she did helped me settle. I am a sister. I have two brothers. I know. So, from my heart, here goes... Honoring Mouse From the get go it seemed to me from what I have read about Mike, he knew his preferences, his values, his loves, his interests and most definitely who he wanted to be, not what he wanted to be, but who he wanted to be. Little things made him happy, the simplicity of one liners ("One of his golfing buddies asked him 'Mike, where you been all summer?' and he replied 'IÃïïve been in love.' *), the desire to refine a golf game ("He scored the best round of his life over the Labor Day weekend, shooting a 73." *That was the last weekend his parents got to see their first-born child.), the thrill of computers ("for Mouse, not being technical was a hanging offense" ***), the loyalty to a basketball team ("Boy, did he love Duke basketball. He rarely missed a televised game" *), and ahhh, the exquisite taste of fine wine ("One way to know Michael M. Taylor is to consider the eight-inch stack of index cards he dutifully prepared after deciding to get serious about wine. On the cards he recorded his impression of every bottle he tasted. As his pursuit of fine wines advanced, Mr. Taylor started his own collection. It now numbers more than 600 bottles." **). Even when he was little there was an inner depth, a desire that sprung out of him like a burst of light, longing to express and to share, in mischievous ways ("The first real memory I have of Mike was in sixth grade. We were sitting in Mrs. Fleck's science class. Mrs. Fleck was a tall skinny older woman a few years from retirement. On the page of the science book that we were looking at, there was a picture of algae through a microscope. Mike pointed at it and said in his high squeaky voice, 'looks like Fleck.' We were both almost thrown out of the class because we were laughing uncontrollably." ***) His mind always moved quickly, from one thing to the next, sharp, often it seemed that as those around him were still on step one, Mouse, was already nearing the end of the journey. He had found his own way of getting there. It wasn't a serious inquiry into things for the sake of things, it was a desire to know more. He recognized that there was always more, from a very young age. When Mouse took on a new 'obsession' whether it be golf, wine, computers, or love, he did it fully, one hundred percent, no more, no less. As much as he loved mastering these 'obsessions' the part most savored was when things were just a little bit off, the slight bitterness behind a sweet wine, an almost perfect game of golf, lost only in the last putt, due to the unseen angle on the green, getting a Porsche and not knowing how to drive a stick. ("I can still see him at lunch salting his Fritos. I don't know why I remember that, but it always struck me as funny that Fritos weren't salty enough for him. He'd pour in some salt and then shake the bag until they were coated." ***) Yep, these things make life so much more juicy. Mike strived for perfection, his mind clear and sharp, yet his heart soft and yielding. It seems to me that he took in people, really took them in. He saw what was possible within them and helped them to also be more ("In a highly competitive business, he helped others get established. 'People in the business tend to chase after people who are already good,' said Jerry Bias, a friend. 'I was just getting started and he encouraged me.' " **) From what I have gleaned of what I have read about Mike, he didn't hold back. I may be wrong, but I don't think that on September 11th he had many regrets, if any. His heart was full. He had found love, his work was fulfilling and he was embarking on tasting more of the world around him. Michael's heart beats each time a young boy cracks his friends up with a smart remark at a teacher, when good friends delve into the subtleties of a glass of wine, when the crowd cheers as the Duke basketball team scores the winning basket. These everyday moments, the simple, hold the most sacred memories of those who love him. Through the love, alive in those still here, Mike shines bright. His life was unexpectedly cut short. I wish Mike would have had the opportunity to continue to delve into the sensations and experiences of this world, to continue to live as brightly as he did, and yet, even though it seems so unfair that he is no longer here, I have to say that his presence is tangible. He lived, and he lived fully, that is perfection. Here are some links to the full articles that i quote from: *Duke Magazine: In Memoriam ** New York Times Article *** "Stories of Mouse" by John Davies, sorry y'all no link to these. (John, if you want to share these stories, maybe we can find a way to put them up) september11victims.com Here are more very important links: the incredible D.C. Roe (the one who started this incredible project) 2996 Tribute to the Victims of September 11 (please come check out the site!) A direct link to the list of Victims and Bloggers (read about all the other victims and their inspiring lives) So here's the info about the class: It's a level 1 class, great for beginners. If you have never done yoga it would be so great to just attempt to practice this class, either as a way to honor Mike or maybe someone else that you choose to remember, even if you have no idea what's going on ;) Why not? We use a block, for a supported backbend (supported bridge pose) If you don't have a block, you can either just do bridge or even just chill out on your back. the Sequence cat/cow warm ups Arm Salutations x 5 Surya Namaskar x 3 Crescent Pose Salabasana with arms interlaced behind the back Tree Pose L Pose at the wall (inversion) Warrior 2 Wide Legged Forward Fold/Prasarita Padotanasana Squat/Malasana Deep Lunge Pigeon Ardha Bhekasana/Half Frog pose Dhanurasana/bow pose Salabasana Variation Supported Bridge Pose with block Easy twist on the back Happy Baby Savasana Hope you enjoy celebrating Life! Micheal, I hope you smile at all of us doing these crazy things ;) Hope you get a kick out of it! I wish that I could have met you. My love goes out to all those who loved and cared for him, may his light always shine within your hearts. As we remember Mike, we remember all those who perished. 2,996 is a tribute to the victims of 9/11. On September 11, 2006, 2,996 volunteer bloggers are joined together in a tribute to the victims of 9/11. Each person is paying tribute to a single victim. We honor them by remembering their lives, and not by remembering their murderers.

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  I'm part of an amazing project called: 2,996: A Tribute to the Victims of 9/11 Bloggers honor the innocent victims of that awful day... Each participant (blogger) clicks on a little button and recieves the name of the person which we are to honor. It's incredibly challenging as we really have no prior knowledge of this person. My tributee is Michael M. Taylor. I decided, since I have a podcast to use it as another way to honor and remember Mike. Today I post my usual weekly class, with my theme dedicated to Michael. It's a level 2-3 class, a bit on the challenging side for those who are beginners, but remember, you can always listen to the 1st 10 min of the podcast to hear that which pertains to Mike. I will post another class tomorrow, a special class, on September 11th, also dedicated to Michael. Tomorrow's class will be a level 1 class, perfect for most everyone, so we can all honor Mike together, in a new way :) Tomorrow's post will include more about Michael, so please, stay tuned! Also, if y'all want to read about the rest of the amazing people that we lost on September 11th, here's a link to the other bloggers: http://www.dcroe.com/2996/?page_id=2 The Sequence: warm up poses, Surya Namaskar x3/Sun Salutations x 3 Parsvakonasana/Side Angle Pose Virabhidrasana II into Reverse Warrior/ Warrior 2 into Reverse Warrior Trikonasana to Ardha Chandrasana to Trikonasana/Triangle to Half Moon to Triangle Uttanasana/ Forward Bend Handstand/Adho Mukha Vrksasana Vrksasana to Vira III to Crescent Pose, to Pavrita Parsvakonasana, to Urdhva Prasarita Ekapadasana to Uttanasana/ Tree Pose to Warrior 3 to Crescent Pose to Twisting Lunge, to Standing Splits to forward bend Malasana/Squat Parsva Bakasana/Twisting Crane eka pada rajakapotasana prep/Pigeon prep Monkey Lunge Ardha Ustrasana/Half Ustrasana Urdhva Dhanurasana/Upward Facing Bow x3 Agni Stambasana/Fire log pose Ardha Matsyendrasana/Lord of the fishes twist Supta Padangustasana/Hamstrings stretch on back Happy Baby Savasana Stayed Tuned for tomorrow everyone, more about Michael Morgan Taylor :)

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We use a couple of yoga props in this class!  a block and a blanket!  St. Anthony Yoga blocks Yoga blankets Douglas Brooks Anusara Yoga Immigration Tales Podcast The class is a level 1 class (good for beginners) an hour and 15 min, you can skip the first 11 min to get straight to the class itself. The first 11min are my intro, setting the theme and meditation, so those of you who only want that, go ahead and listen! The sequence: Table Top Pose/Hands and knees Adho Mukha Svanasana/Downward Facing Dog High Lunge/Straight Legged Lunge Uttanasana/straight legged forward bend Uttanasana into Ardha Uttanasana x3 Tadasana Half Sun Salutations x 3 Surya Namaskar C variation x 2 Downward Facing Dog Balasana/Child's Pose AT THE WALL Pincha Mayurasana Prep/Forearm Balance Prep TO THE SIDE Parsvakonasana/side angle pose Prasarita Padotanasana/Wide legged standing forward bend Vira II/Warrior 2 Uttanasana/Straight legged Forward bend TOP OF THE MAT Tadasana Standing Knee to chest Modified Hasta Padangustasana sequence (with leg bent)/ standing knee to chest sequence Squat Deep Lunge Agni Stambasana/firelog pose or double pigeon Downward facing dog Ardha Bhekasana/half frog pose thigh stretch Balasana/Child's pose Restorative backbend, with rolled up towel underneath shoulderblades Sukhasana Twist/Easy seated twist Nadi shodhana/alternate nostril breathing Savasana

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Whopeee!  a level 2-3 class!  Alright, it's  a bit more challenging!  If you want to only listen to my intro, theme and meditation, listen for the first 10 min.  If you want to get to the class straight away, skip the first 10 min.  The yoga journal that I refer to: matrika yogaMy beloved teacher: Douglas BrooksThe Sequence:Warm Up1/2 Sun SalutationsSurya Namaskar x 2ParsvakonasanaTrikonasanaCrescent Pose into Urdhva Prasarita Ekapadasana with hips squared into Lunge twistTwisting Adho Mukha SvanasanaVira II into Reverse ViraEka Pada Rajakapotasana prep(at the wall)L pose at the wall/ One handed L pose at the wallStanding hip stretchStanding Baby CraddleSquatBakasana on forearmsBakasanaEka Pada Rajakapotasana with thigh stretchArdha BhekasanaLunge with thigh stretchArdha UstrasanaUstrasana x 2Urdhva Dhanurasana x 3Supta PadangustasanaJathara Parivartanasanaeasy twistApanasanaSavasanaHave fun!

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The class runs about 1:15. Basic level 1 class, warm ups, sun salutations, standing poses, hip openers and thigh stretch, backbends and cool down.  After my intro, if you only want to hear my opening and the mediation, it's the 1st 7 min,  if you only want to do the class itself, skip the first 7 min!

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The class itself runs about 1:15.  2 new things are introduced, an inversion (L pose at the wall) and Urdhva Dhanurasana (a deep backbend with arms and legs straight).  The class includes, a warm up, sun salutes, standing poses, inversion, hip openers, backbends, cool down and savasana.

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The 2nd Episode!!!!  This time just an hour class.  It's a level 1-2.  It includes sun salutes, standing poses, hip openers, twists and a backbend.

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My first try at getting a class out there!  Pretty raw, unedited. It's a level 1 class which includes sun salutations, standing poses, hip openers, twists, a supported back bend, and plenty of child's pose!  It was a hot day  during class, with about 24 peeps rockin' it out!

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