Welcome to Good Morning Yoga

(waves lapping) Welcome to Good Morning Yoga. I'm really delighted to be together. Thank you for joining me. So this practice is designed to inspire morning movement, first thing in the morning. So the sequences are roughly around 30 minutes just to help us move into our day.

So I find that it's not about how long I practice each day, but it's about showing up and practicing so that I'm more available, and feel more spacious, as I move through my day. My practice over the years, so I discovered yoga at the age of 15, and my practice has really varied. So when I first discovered yoga, it was with elderly, so it was actually an Iyengar class, and at the time I thought well yoga was for elderly and for seniors, so I was, I have a foundation in Iyengar and that was my first experience, and then as I went though college it was like Vinyasa flow, exploring that, and then upon moving to Ohi, there was the invitation towards the more subtle realms. So I've spent, spent the last 10 or so years really in the interior towards meditation, slower practices, and it's just been recently that I've been inspired to move a bit more. And I fell in love with an Ashtangi, and so that inspired a bit more movement within the last year, and invigorated my practice.

So I find that I have much more strength, and I incorporate a whole blend of styles. So from that Iyengar foundation, Vinyasa flow, the interior work, and then recently more Ashtanga inspired practices and sequences. So it's really a blend, and I encourage you to really find what works for you, and there's variations that we'll explore together, though Surya Namaskar A and B, and standing Asanas. One thing I encourage is to really create a space for yourself, and set an intention. So this morning I have with me an altar and a few friends.

The Buddha, Ganesha, a hippopotamus that was a gift, and a heart. So creating a space, and whether it's at home, or you're in a hotel room, or you're in a dorm, or an office, or a, you know, a studio, but create a space. And I was under the impression that, you know, my space had to be clean in order to practice, and over time that became an excuse. Like oh, my floor is too dirty to practice. It helps to have a clean space, but it's not necessary, and it just becomes a practice, showing up to your mat, and you just begin to notice that there's dog hair, or cat hair, or cobwebs, and it becomes a part of the practice.

Again notice that the temptation is to want to stop what you're doing and start sweeping, and cleaning, but come back to your practice, your breath, and I've found that, that, that's the way to go, is just to notice what's around you and to drop into your practice, and create a space that's meaningful. Perhaps lighting a candle, or having an altar, to support you in your day. So, again thank you for joining me, and see you soon. Namaste.