Category Archives: Mandy’s Yoga Blog

Diary of a Pregnant Yogini – 11 weeks

February 3rd, 2012

 

Dec. 6, 2011
11 weeks pregnant

Sometimes at the best of times we don’t feel like practicing yoga or any other exercise we normally enjoy; we can be tired, busy or just not in the mood.  It can be even more of a challenge to keep up a regular practice when you are pregnant. Pregnancy exhaustion, cramps and moodiness can be huge deterrents to making it to the mat the gym or the great outdoors.  Exercising…



New Project, new way of thinking. Exploring the 8 Limbs of Yoga

September 17th, 2011

lotus flower pictures 1 (1)
I have just started writing some educational articles about yoga for Anamaya’s website and I really think I am going to enjoy this project!  My first subject is Patanjali’s 8 limbed path of yoga, which is a structured breakdown of all of the practices of yoga that come together to create a well-rounded way of life for a yogi.  Today I…



Can I build you a castle? My venture into restorative yoga

September 13th, 2011

mandy
One of my favorite classes to teach, actually, my absolute favorite, is restorative yoga. I came upon teaching this style by chance and have never looked back! I was scheduled to teach a “light yoga” class here at Anamaya and remembered some of the training I had had in restorative yoga. At the same time, my love for building forts surfaced and I decided it…



What to Look for in a Great Yoga Teacher Training

August 9th, 2011

Teaching yoga is an extremely rewarding and fulfilling career. Once a decision is made to pursue this life-changing avenue there’s one big decision to be made: where to do your yoga teacher training.

A search online or in any yoga magazine will turn up a multitude of options for completing a yoga teacher training that meets the prerequisites to be hired at most yoga studios. The trick is sifting through all of these options to…



Anamaya Revelations

June 8th, 2011

homeIt may seem that what I’m about to write has nothing to do with yoga. It’s not about a pose or a style of practice or about the latest fabulous bra to come out at Lululemon (not that I would know about that these days). It is however, about noticing and noticing has EVERYTHING to do with yoga.

Today as I was working at my other…



You did WHAT at yoga?!

June 3rd, 2011

yoga pic Yoga is a way of life for many people, to others it is a once a week activity, for the masses though, yoga is something totally new and unknown. Even though yoga studios can be found on nearly every corner in many North American cities, it is still a world unfamiliar to many. It can be quite intimidating for a person new to yoga…



Savasana, No it’s not nap time!

May 30th, 2011

savasana-hillaryrubin2
“Do I have enough time to pick up the kids?”
“What am I going to make for dinner?”
“Do these pants make my butt look big?”
“Is the teacher looking at me… no really, is he?”

Does this sound your mind during the final pose of a yoga class? Savasana, also known as “corpse pose” is usually the final posture in hatha yoga and is meant for deep relaxation. However, as I…



Kirtan is not a fancy spelling of Curtain

May 23rd, 2011

230336_201889743188292_100001018032783_552475_3687783_nI remember visiting the home of a friend of mine in elementary school. She was of Indian descent and her home was decorated very ornately with pictures of various gods, goddesses and other colorful images. There was also music playing that I had never heard, it definitely was not the Bruce Springsteen or Bryan Adams that I was used to. I had never seen anything like this before,…



Appropriate Laughter – Get silly with laughter yoga

May 21st, 2011

laughing-baby-cropped

The first “official” yoga class I ever took was in 2001 at a gym that I was working at as a receptionist. I had done yoga before (we all have in one way or another), but never in a class setting. One of the other girls I worked with convinced me to try it with her so I thought I would give it a try. Now as…



Namaste, but why?

May 18th, 2011

namaste photoYoga can be extremely intimidating. It’s a whole world of body contortions, chanting, strange language and eclectic music, not to mention the seemingly “perfect” bodies scantily clad performing every pose just so. To a beginner, heck, even to a seasoned yoga pro, entering a new class or studio can be a will testing experience. Part of my goal with this blog is to make people more comfortable…