Author Archives: Barbie

7 Yogic Practices That Support Graceful Aging

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Yesterday was Grandparents’ Day, and in honor of grandparents everywhere I wrote a post for Inner Fire about supporting graceful aging through yoga. I’ve been teaching various forms of movement to seniors for over ten years. When I first started (with aquatic fitness), I encouraged students to keep chatter to a minimum so they could focus on their exercise. Through experience, I came to recognize that forming a kula, community, is part of the practice, not a distraction from it:

5. Community. We don’t always think of the group dynamic of a yoga class as a part of our practice, but the social aspect of yoga may profoundly affect health. Studies show that strong social ties improve immunity and increase longevity. Start a conversation with another student before or after your next class!

Now, as a teacher, I try to foster connection, conversation, and community in my seniors’ class even if it means starting the structured part of class a couple minutes late (i.e. softening my type A personality) or allowing other voices to be part of the yoga class experience rather than expecting to be the star of the show (i.e. letting go of my ego).

Read the rest of the article over at Inner Fire>>

Please visit my public classes page to see my current schedule of seniors-friendly classes or contact me about private sessions for a personalized class tailored to your specific needs.

6 Steps For Success Every New Yoga Teacher Should Know

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Inner Fire asked me to write a post to guide new yoga teachers after their first training. After I wrote it, I realized that most of the tips apply to seasoned yoga teachers as well—as we develop and gain experience we often need to recommit to an authentic personal practice, reevaluate our dharma (purpose), and reaffirm ourselves after injuries or other road bumps.

The number one principle that helped me get started when I was a newer teacher was:

Have the courage to say yes. Hang in there; if you’re diligent eventually opportunities will arise. Some of them will scare you. Unless you’re legitimately underqualified, say yes anyway.

Years ago, I got a last-minute call to sub for Les Leventhal, one of my mentors, I was cycling home at the end of my day. I wasn’t on the shortlist of teachers authorized to sub for him at the time, but the studio was desperate. I was sunburned as heck, I had already taught a class or two that day, and I was wearing the type of ridiculous outfit I only get to when I’ve procrastinated on laundry as long as I possibly can. I had every excuse to let my insecurities get the better of me and say no to this intimidating opportunity. But, I turned my bike around, swallowed my nervousness as best I could, and stepped up on stage in front of his packed mat-to-mat prime-time class. That opportunity lead to more subbing, which eventually lead to teaching regular class at this popular studio.

As I’ve become more experienced, the most relevant principle has been:

Have the courage to say no: […] Have the courage to say no to opportunities that are inconsistent with your intention […] Trust that turning down incompatible opportunities will free up the time, energy, and space needed for your vision to come alive.

As I’ve taught various styles to different bodies and minds I’ve formed opinions about what I believe to be safe, effective, and ethical. The scope of what I can teach authentically has become smaller, not larger, with experience. I now recognize that many opportunities are immediately alluring, but are ultimately just distractions that suck time and energy away from manifesting my intentions as a teacher (and as a human). It takes courage to turn down offers that immediately feed my ego or fill my pockets, but I trust that saying “no” to the wrong opportunities makes space for the right ones to come about.

Read the full Inner Fire post here.

Seven Essential Strategies For Fighting Compassionately

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If you read my Fourth Trimester blog post, you know my baby’s newborn phase was peppered with some intense moments:

A friend of mine had a baby after she’d been with her partner for ten years, and she reported that it hadn’t shaken their relationship because after all those years together they were totally in sync. Richard and I have been together for seven years, and I thought we’d be the same. Nope. Babies are warm, soft, squishy wedges that drive themselves between partners, and we had some pretty brutal fights in the first six weeks.

As we’ve grown into our new roles as parents, my husband and I have been getting more graceful about our disagreements, and although we still fight sometimes, we do our best to do so compassionately. Inner Fire Apparel recently published a post I wrote inspired by this experience. Here’s an excerpt:

6. Press pause. The old adage is, “Never go to bed mad,” but sometimes fatigue, hunger, or other external factors can push an argument into ugly territory. It’s okay to take a break from the discussion and come back when all parties are rested, fed, and comfortable. Instead of completely dismissing the topic, which can feel disrespectful if it’s important to your partner, set a specific time to return to it.

Read the rest of the article here.

One Essential Prerequisite For Profound Transformation

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This week’s blog post over at Inner Fire is about starting where you are. An excerpt:

Just as we have to enter both a destination and a starting point into Google maps for directions, the first step to personal or global transformation is to sit still long enough for our figurative GPS to lock onto its current coordinates. To know how to get somewhere, we have to know where we are.

Read the rest of the post here.

5 Self-Defeating Workout Excuses That Will Crush Your Motivation

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I’ve started blogging over at Inner Fire, a quirky yoga clothing company founded by a good friend of mine. Here’s a excerpt from my latest article, 5 Self-Defeating Workout Excuses That Will Crush Your Motivation:

1, You don’t have enough time. Try entering everything you have to do this week into your calendar app. See those blank spaces? Schedule in an exercise session. Yes, actually enter it into your calendar. No, not next week, this week.

Read the rest here.