I enjoy getting my feet dirty as I play in the dirt and pretend to garden. I plant seeds, water them and let them grow wild. I enjoy the connection I have when I go out into the yard. And occasionally, I tend to the plants. After being on a vacation for two weeks in June, I was surprised that my overgrown garden turned into a garden of weeds. Why was I surprised that the weeds returned? I knew I wasn’t going to be able to clear all the weeds in one day, but I could clear a little section each week. So I put on my crocs and started to pull weeds. As the sweat poured down my face, the yoga analogies of thoughts being seeds made so much sense.
Disrupt the Cycle of Pain and Enjoy the Things You Love
Pain is a signal from the nervous system that something is wrong. The uncomfortable sensations that you associate negatively, such as tingling, sharp, or throbbing. For many people chronic pain is an everyday phenomena. The body might not be in danger, but the nervous system keeps sending the pain message. Chronic pain can interrupt daily functioning, including social activities.
Join us for the next Osteoporosis and Yoga Workshop August 20th!
A Warm Welcome to Dogwood’s Summer Intern: Amanda
What is Freedom?
This June, Choose to Celebrate Identity
Ground yourself for summer travel
Summer is here with heat on full blast. This summer many are finding themselves in a comfortable position to travel again. Whether you hope to get a quick road trip to a beach or are finally able to take the long trip you planned two years ago, traveling can be stressful. As we prepare to travel we have to remind ourselves to be in the present moment and enjoy the process of travel. Yoga offers many tools to keep you grounded and in the present moment.
Lead with Compassion using G.R.A.C.E.
The news lately has been filled with tragic stories describing marginalized groups facing himsa (violence or harm). When we see injustice we might be compelled to react. However, when we react rather than respond, we might not act with ahimsa, non-harm in thought, word and deed towards all. Joan Halifax, PhD from Upaya Zen Center suggests we have G.R.A.C.E. Roshi Joan created this model for bringing compassion into interactions with others.
Slow Breathing with Extended Exhalation Can Reduce Intense Negative Emotions
We need tools to reduce the intense negative emotions and return to a state of calm to promote clarity of what is true. What’s an easy tool to use? Slow Breathing with an Extended Exhale. For the month of June, you can practice slow extended exhalation using this Guided Extended Exhalation in our video library for free
Counteract the negative tendency of tech neck with yoga
Technology is changing our lives. We have the world at our fingertips. But the tool that helps keep us connected has a profound effect on our spine. Maybe you have images of humans evolving to slouch over a computer or perhaps you notice that you are looking down more often. Our beloved technology is affecting how we hold our neck and in response our spine health. The new norm of checking phones and tablets promotes us to spend more time with our shoulders hunched, neck flexed, head forward and chest withdrawn, a position that is sometimes called tech neck.