[URBAN ORGANIC] Find a Black-Owned Yoga Studio Near You - Wellness & Empowerment - EBONY

[URBAN ORGANIC] Find a Black-Owned Yoga Studio Near You - Wellness & Empowerment - EBONY

Have a Seat and Breathe -Chair Yoga

It's the first of the year and everyone is focused on health and fitness goals.  What I realize after many years in the yoga and wellness industry is that many of us will push ourselves way beyond our comfort zone and forget the importance of living a balanced healthy life.  We buy into the fact that there is something wrong with us that needs to be fixed and we have to be punished for being broken.  Many businesses like mine gear up for the first of the year as well.  It's not however, to simply capitalize on the resolutions people make year after year.  It is to help undo the pressure we place on ourselves to be something other than who we are.  Do I think it is great that so many people want to be healthier and more fit?  Absolutely!  However, do I think you have to sacrifice your current health and punish yourself to do so?  Absolutely not!

One of the main reasons I think yoga is so popular is because of mindfulness.  We start and end with breathing, meditation and intentions.  The goal is always to plant the seeds and to see how they grow throughout your practice.  You are the observer who is checking in to see what is REALLY happening with you.  You are NOT gripping and clinging to whatever attachments you walk around with in daily life and you are NOT hanging onto the laundry list of things that roll around in your mind everyday.  In yoga you are just being!

Benefits of Chair Yoga
One of the main reasons I chose to teach chair yoga is because there are no real limitations.  You don't have to change clothes, you don't have to have a yoga mat and you don't have to get on the floor if you have problems getting up and down.  However, you do get to experience the yoga postures in a supported form.  You can stretch, tone and strengthen right where you are.  You can focus on the breathing because often times our breathe reflects our state of mind.  You can focus on what your body is feeling while you are in the postures.  You can focus on your intention to BE whatever you choose.  You can slow down the process of thinking and attaching to every thought that comes into your mind.  You can simple choose to watch what unfolds while you are BEing.

Another reason I chose to offer a lunchtime Chair Yoga class is because of my intimate knowledge of the work environment.   I have worked in an environment where it was necessary to recalibrate in the middle of the day.  I know what it is like to need some breathing space between deadlines, co-workers and supervisors.  Sometimes, my own mid-day yoga and wellness practices made the difference in my ability to stay employed, support my staff,  and meet my requirements in a positive and balanced way.

What you should know when taking yoga?

• Please let the instructor know if you have any injuries or limitation that will restrict your movement.
• Yoga is typically a non-verbal practice so reserve your comments and questions for the beginning or end of class. 
• You want to be comfortable so remove your shoes and any restrictive clothing.  In chair yoga, you will be seated for most of the class but there is some standing and stretching.  
• Listen to your body.  You are your first teacher.  Yoga postures should not hurt you or restrict your breathing.  If you feel like you are in pain back off the pose and stay with your breathing.  Join in on the next posture or stay with the modified version of the pose until you are ready to move forward.  
• Your breathe is your guide.  You want to listen to your breathing and try not to hold your breath.  You should always worked towards balanced breathing in and out through the nose.  If you are experience congestion then it is fine to breath in and out through the mouth until the congestion clears.  
• Be patient.  Yoga is not about forcing yourself into looking like your instructor.  It is about your expression of the pose.  

Chair Yoga begins January 28th at 12pm.  Classes will be held at Iwi Fresh Garden Day Spa.  Class will last about 35 minutes.  Smoothies are available directly after class and are included in the class price.  Pre-registration is encouraged however, walk-ins are welcomed.  Space is limited.  

Interested?  Visit Temple Yoga & Wellness Center at www.ilovemytemple.com to sign up.   

Namaste, 

Tiffany 

HW420-Unit 10-Reflections

1. Review your unit 3 personal assessment of your psychological, physical, and spiritual well-being. Reflect on these areas. How did you score yourself on a scale from 1 to 10 in unit 3? How do you score yourself now? Has the score changed? Why or why not?

Week 3 Assessment

I would rate my physical wellbeing at an 8 of 10, with 10 being ideal.  The reason I choose an 8 is because I am just getting back on track with my physical fitness goals.  I found the first of the year quite a challenge because I was dealing with an increase in clientele in my yoga classes, my children’s schedules as well as a demanding workload in school and work.   In my yoga practice, I set a monthly goal to work on a pose until I am able to really feel balanced in that pose.  I also run a few times a week and am working on my next 10k.  To prepare, I am running 3 times a week and will increase my miles and frequency as I get closer to the race.  Since, I am only taking one class this term, I am back on track with my fitness goals. 

I would rate my spiritual wellbeing at an 8 as well.  During the first quarter of the year, when it seemed my schedule was bursting at the seams, my meditative practice is what helped me through.  I would take few minutes to breath and align myself before I proceeded with my daily demands.  I would like to improve my meditative practice, however, by increasing the amount of time I can sit in silence. 

I like to think that my psychological well-being is quite good.  I am not ready yet to say it is a 10 but I will give myself a 9.  The reason, I choose 9 is because there are not a lot of situations that take me out of my optimistic and positive view.  Typically, if my mental state is low its because I am tired.  I try to approach everything even obstacles with positivity.  I believe you get what you give so I want to make sure that I am always giving the goodness that I would like to see.  I think the reason I have a healthy mental state is because I do the work to maintain it.  I try to stay physically well and spiritual well so that translates to my mental health as well.  I surround myself with good people and have a great connection with my children and my family.  I also keep a journal, which helps me pour out anything that hinders my mental flow. 

Week 10 Assessment

Well, on week three I thought I was going to get back on track with my physical wellbeing.    However, I know that life happens.  I did start back running but so far am only halfway to my goal.  I am still only getting to run 3 days per week.  As for yoga, I have managed to get work on two new poses, one per month as planned.  However, I did make sure that I have increased my practice of each pose and have almost perfected one of the two I was working on.  And since I did meet my yoga goal and am still trying to carve out more time for my running goal, I would still rate myself at an 8. 

However, when it came to my spiritual goal, I will increase my score to a 9.  The reason I upped my spiritual wellness is because of my consistent practice and reading of the Dacher text.  I have so many corner pages folded down in the book and I consistently practice the meditations in the morning and at night.  I think this book and this course have both come into my life at the right time because this has been such a challenging time for me.  I am thankful that making more time to sit in silence has kept me still in the midst of the storm. 

My psychological wellbeing has been tested as well.  I think it is because I almost gave myself a 10.  I am still a 9.  Life decided to send some things my way to see if I could hold onto my sanity.  I am happy to say I did but I feel it is mainly do to my spiritual practices that I was able to work through all that has happened.  I will admit I did feel really emotional quite a few days.  But when it seemed I couldn’t carry on I relied mostly on the loving-kindness practice. 

2. Review the goals and activities you set for yourself in each area. Have you made progress toward the goals? Explain.

Week 3 Goals

                                 I.         My physical goal is to be able to run my 10k in less time than last year.  I would like to complete the race in 72 minutes this year. 

                               II.         My spiritual goal is to more time for my meditative practice.  I currently meditate 30 minutes per day.  I would like to meditate one hour daily. 

                             III.         My psychological goal is to make sure that I maintain my positive outlook at work.  I currently work in an environment with quite a few unhealthy people who keep a lot of negativity going. 

Week 10 Goals

                                 I.         My physical goal is being met due to my running every evening.  I am now up to 3.5 miles.  My timing is still off but I will work on increase my pace when I get to 4 miles by May 31^st.  I did say that I would be running 6.2 miles in 72 minutes, which is a big goal but I know that at my current pace I will improve my time this year. (The Peachtree Road Race is July 4^th)

                               II.         My spiritual goal at week three was 1 hour per day. I am currently meditating over 40 minutes per day.  I foresee that by the end of June I will be there. 

                III.  My psychological wellness was centered on maintaining a positive outlook throughout the day in my work environment.  Since setting this goal all hell has broken loose at work.  I have come home a quite a few days feeling overwhelmed but each day I rise with Dacher’s meditation exercise and yoga.  I go to work with the faith that I will be of service and I will not stop doing what I am here to do because there are some who crave drama.  I have been in positive work environments before and I know there is not anything that will not stop me from experiencing that again. 

3. Have you implemented the activities you chose for your well-being in each of the three areas? Explain.

I have implemented my physical goal activities.  I am practicing yoga 7 days per week and running 3 days per week. 

My spiritual goal is met by using the Dacher meditations in the morning and at night.  I also practice yoga daily. 

My psychological goal is met by practicing my deep breathing when things happen at work.   Lately it feels like I have been breathing quite a bit at work.  However,  it helps to practice when you I feel stressed so that I can stay centered through the chaos.  Instructions are below. 

Breathing Exercise- Ujjayi Breathing – Conquering Breath

(oo-jy [rhymes with "pie"]-ee) 
ujjayi = to conquer, to be victorious

 1.     Sit comfortably and allow the breath to flow at its pace. 

 2.     Then take a slow deep inhale in through the nose and exhale through your wide- open mouth. 

 3.     Take another deep inhale and exhaling through an open mouth drawing out the exhale and making the HA sound

 4.     Repeat this several times

 5.     Taking another slow deep inhale and then close your mouth still making the HA sound. 

 6.     Repeat this several time inhaling and exhaling through the nose directing your breathing through the back of the throat.  You should hear your breath making a soft hissing sound. 

 7.     Continue this breath practice for 5-8 minutes, increasing time of practice as you feel more comfortable allowing the breath to be slow and purposeful allowing keeping the mind focus on the movement of the breath.

 8.     When you are finished allow the breathing to return to normal and then lie down in a supine pose.

4. Summarize your personal experience throughout this course. Have you developed improved well-being? What has been rewarding? What has been difficult? How will this experience improve your ability to assist others?

I have thoroughly enjoyed this course.  It let me know that I am doing quite well in taking care of my own health and wellness.  It also let me know that it is important for me to have consistent practice with my own wellness techniques in order to share wellness with my clients.  We have to be consistent with our practice in order to affect the health and wellness of the people we serve.  I have started back looking at my weekly, monthly and yearly wellness goals to make sure that I stay on track.  I want to continue to embody the brand of wellness that I teach.  My reward has come from the amount of time I can now spend without my mind running all over the place.  The improvement in my meditative practice has been so needed at this time and I have set my goals to ensure that I continue. 

I haven’t had a lot of difficulty with this course other than when we began with the loving-kindness practice.  Initially, I found it difficult to send loving-kindness to those who do bad things but after continue practice the idea really grew on me and now it flows from an authentic place. 

I feel more excited about how I serve my clients and extremely excited about moving more into integrative medicine program design and implementation now.  I have tools that I know work outside of yoga and feel more knowledgeable about how I want to offer more comprehensive wellness programming.  

HW420- Unit 9- Just Me

1. 1. Introduction:
      Why is it important for health and wellness professionals to develop psychologically, spiritually and physically? What areas do you need to develop to achieve the goals you have for yourself?
   
   
   I have always been different.  People have commented on it all my life.  I always wanted to be me authentic and unapologetic about whether or not it rubs people the wrong way.  I didn’t want to ever live a life where I couldn’t actualize my dreams and purpose.  Now, growing up in the South, I’m from Atlanta, GA, that can be a quite challenging.  Here people want to you to be someone that carries their same values.  They don’t look too kindly upon those who step outside of the scope of what they believe life is about.  I’ve been fortunate to have a very supportive family and lifelong friends who just accept me for who I am.  As a wellness professional I feel that in the end everyone simple wants acceptance. 
   
   
   My psychological development has been a reflection of my own will.  I don’t believe there was anything with wrong with me being my own person.  There have been times in my younger life when I tried to “fit in” but each time it only made me feel unhappy.  I knew that I didn’t want to spend my life people pleasing just so they could feel more comfortable about their choices.  My parents say that I was a strong willed child and I think that has followed me throughout my life even through various life struggles.  I know that as a wellness professional many people come to me with this same struggle and feeling as if people perception of them is most important.  If I had not been through something similar I couldn’t say to my clients, “You are just fine the way you are.”  So often society make people feel they need to change the way they feel about themselves.  I take comfort in the fact that we are all here for a purpose and I feel it is our job as wellness pros to help people understand that they psychological wellness grows through self actualization. 
   
   
   My physical health has always been important to me.  I have always been active.  In high school, I ran track and was a cheerleader.  After college, I became a fitness instructor and then a yoga instructor.  I love running, gardening, hiking and of course practicing yoga.  I teach various styles of yoga and have gained quite a bit of physical well being from my practice.   I feel that it is important to get out of your head and into the body.  I think being active myself allows me to share with my clients the benefits of maintaining good physical health.  I have seen so many clients with weight issues who really don’t concern themselves with anything below their neckline.  They are unhappy with what they see so they began to ignore their body all together.  Though, I am quite physically active, I also find it important to focus on ways to restore that body to a balanced state.  I frequently visit a massage therapist for deep tissue massage.  I also utilize a reflexologist and acupuncturist when I feel out of balance in certain areas. 
   
   
   Spiritual wellness is of great importance as well.  For me, I am always mindful of how I reflect my spirituality in my daily life.  I understand for some it is religious practice and though I was raised in religion, I consider myself to be quite spiritual.  My spiritual practice is grounded in meditation.  I practice meditation most days.  I love practicing meditation on the breath as well as walking meditation.  Since taking this class, I have worked on other types of meditation, which I have also enjoyed.  I feel that our spiritual development as health and wellness professionals helps us to be accepting of all clients regardless of their walk of life.  It allows us to see them from a non-judgmental stance and get out of the way of our client needs to see how we can be most helpful to them. 
   2. Assessment:
      How have you assessed your health in each domain? How do you score your wellness spiritually, physically, and psychologically?
   
   
   Week 3 Assessment
   I would rate my physical wellbeing at an 8 of 10, with 10 being ideal.  The reason I choose an 8 is because I am just getting back on track with my physical fitness goals.  I found the first of the year quite a challenge because I was dealing with an increase in clientele in my yoga classes, my children’s schedules as well as a demanding workload in school and work.   In my yoga practice, I set a monthly goal to work on a pose until I am able to really feel balanced in that pose.  I also run a few times a week and am working on my next 10k.  To prepare, I am running 3 times a week and will increase my miles and frequency as I get closer to the race.  Since, I am only taking one class this term, I am back on track with my fitness goals. 
   I would rate my spiritual wellbeing at an 8 as well.  During the first quarter of the year, when it seemed my schedule was bursting at the seams, my meditative practice is what helped me through.  I would take few minutes to breath and align myself before I proceeded with my daily demands.  I would like to improve my meditative practice, however, by increasing the amount of time I can sit in silence. 
   I like to think that my psychological well-being is quite good.  I am not ready yet to say it is a 10 but I will give myself a 9.  The reason, I choose 9 is because there are not a lot of situations that take me out of my optimistic and positive view.  Typically, if my mental state is low its because I am tired.  I try to approach everything even obstacles with positivity.  I believe you get what you give so I want to make sure that I am always giving the goodness that I would like to see.  I think the reason I have a healthy mental state is because I do the work to maintain it.  I try to stay physically well and spiritual well so that translates to my mental health as well.  I surround myself with good people and have a great connection with my children and my family.  I also keep a journal, which helps me pour out anything that hinders my mental flow. 
   
   
   Week 9 Assessment
   Well, on week three I thought I was going to get back on track with my physical wellbeing.    However, I know that life happens.  I did start back running but so far am only halfway to my goal.  I am still only getting to run 3 days per week.  As for yoga, I have managed to get work on two new poses, one per month as planned.  However, I did make sure that I have increased my practice of each pose and have almost perfected one of the two I was working on.  And since I did meet my yoga goal and am still trying to carve out more time for my running goal, I would still rate myself at an 8. 
   However, when it came to my spiritual goal, I will increase my score to a 9.  The reason I upped my spiritual wellness is because of my consistent practice and reading of the Dacher text.  I have so many corner pages folded down in the book and I consistently practice the meditations in the morning and at night.  I think this book and this course have both come into my life at the right time because this has been such a challenging time for me.  I am thankful that making more time to sit in silence has kept me still in the midst of the storm. 
   My psychological wellbeing has been tested as well.  I think it is because I almost gave myself a 10.  I am still a 9.  Life decided to send some things my way to see if I could hold onto my sanity.  I am happy to say I did but I feel it is mainly do to my spiritual practices that I was able to work through all that has happened.  I will admit I did feel really emotional quite a few days.  But when it seemed I couldn’t carry on I relied mostly on the loving-kindness practice. 
   
   
   3. Goal development:
      List at least one goal you have for yourself in each area, Physical, Psychological (mental health) and Spiritual.
   
   
   Week 3 Goals
                           I.         My physical goal is to be able to run my 10k in less time than last year.  I would like to complete the race in 72 minutes this year. 
                         II.         My spiritual goal is to more time for my meditative practice.  I currently meditate 30 minutes per day.  I would like to meditate one hour daily. 
                       III.         My psychological goal is to make sure that I maintain my positive outlook at work.  I currently work in an environment with quite a few unhealthy people who keep a lot of negativity going. 
   
   
   Week 9 Goals
                           I.         My physical goal is being met due to my running every evening.  I am now up to 3.5 miles.  My timing is still off but I will work on increase my pace when I get to 4 miles by May 31^st.  I did say that I would be running 6.2 miles in 72 minutes, which is a big goal but I know that at my current pace I will improve my time this year. (The Peachtree Road Race is July 4^th)
                         II.         My spiritual goal at week three was 1 hour per day. I am currently meditating over 40 minutes per day.  I foresee that by the end of June I will be there. 
                       III.         My psychological wellness was centered on maintaining a positive outlook throughout the day in my work environment.  Since setting this goal all hell has broken loose at work.  I have come home a quite a few days feeling overwhelmed but each day I rise with Dacher’s meditation exercise and yoga.  I go to work with the faith that I will be of service and I will not stop doing what I am here to do because there are some who crave drama.  I have been in positive work environments before and I know there is not anything that will not stop me from experiencing that again. 
   
   
   4. Practices for personal health:
      What strategies can you implement to foster growth in each of the following domains; Physical, Psychological, and Spiritual. Provide at least two examples of exercises or practices in each domain. Explain how you will implement each example.
   1. Physical
   1. Running – I will continue to run at least 3 days per week. 
   2. Yoga- I will continue to practice yoga daily.  I practice 4 days of power yoga and 3 days of hot yoga. 
   2. Psychological
   1. Running – Running helps me clear my head and get away from constant mind chatter. 
   2. Yoga –Yoga allows me to be present in the moment.  I get to focus on this breath and this moment and let that moment be what it is without judgment. 
   3. Spiritual
   1. Meditation – My meditative practice has grown and become my lifeline for getting centered for my day’s beginning and decompressing from the day’s challenges. 
   2. Yoga –Yoga allows me to connect all the pieces of my integral healing.  I feel light after practice.  I see how all elements of my own wellness come together when I practice. 
   5. Commitment:
      How will you assess your progress or lack of progress in the next six months? What strategies can you use to assist in maintaining your long-term practices for health and wellness?
   I brought a dry ease board and put my monthly goals on them.  I have listed each month and listed my physical, psychological and spiritual goals on each board.  It is of the upmost importance to me to be well and I know that consistent practice is how I will get there. 
   
   
   Namaste.   
   
   
   
   

HW420-Unit 8- Optimal Wellbeing

A typical day for me will start around 5am.  I set my alarm for 5:15 am to practice my yoga before I get the kids up and get my day started.  Before taking this class, I would start out with a breathing meditation.  However, since we have done several different meditations in class, I have will begin my day now with the subtle mind exercise.  I really enjoy this one quite a bit.  Once complete, I will then start my yoga practice.  I find it quite enjoyable and it allows me to go into my yoga practice very centered.  Typically, I would save meditation until after I have done my yoga because my mind would wonder, especially in the evenings.  The subtle mind practice however, works best in the inverse order in the mornings. 

A few nights a week after dinner, I practice the “rainbow meditation” with my children, at least that’s what they call it.  It is the “Crime of the Century” exercise from week three.  They seem to prefer this exercise over all the meditations we have tried.  I find that on the evenings we practice this one they tend to be much more calm and civil towards one another, so I have continued working with them on this one.  It is great to have peace at home when you can get it with two boys who are about to be teenagers.

At night before bed, I practice either Meeting Aesclepius or Loving Kindness.  I truly enjoy Meeting Aesclepius, but I was challenged by the Loving Kindness practice and wanted to continue to work on it.  They both feel really good to me now and are a great way to end my day.  I have mention that in the past I have struggled with insomnia, so meditation before bed has been a steady practice for me for many years.  I realize that in hindsight, it was due to me not being able to disconnect my overactive mind. 

All in all, I plan to continue practicing these forms of mental fitness because I understand that continue practice really makes a difference.  I really like they way they each time seem to offer me a little more.  I just want to continue my journey and see how much more is revealed.  

HW420-Aesclepian Healing -Unit 7

Every since I was a little girl, I have always had this knowing without knowing.  I was and still am very connected to my intuition.  My baby sitter Mary used to call me Lucille because she said that Tiffany was a little girls name, and I needed the name of an old woman.  My family has always thought that was hilarious but it felt very natural to me.  She called me Lucille until I she passed away in the late 90s.  I was always comfortable around older people and was open to what they could teach me, which makes it no surprise that I work at a senior center.  When I listened to the Meeting Aesclepius mp3, my childhood and my connection to my grandmother came to my mind.  I always felt a kindred connection with her and even though she was deaf she had a way of communicating with me that was really special.  I always thought of how she was such a knowing and special person despite what many would consider a handicap.  I imagine the strength it took her to single handedly raise 9 children on the pennies she made working as a laborer in fields in Alabama.  I imagine if she were still here how my life would be far beyond anything she could imagine.  I don’t think she could’ve imagined me working as a writer, a filmmaker, a magazine editor, a yoga instructor, a business owner, a program coordinator at a senior center.  I remember once as a child I asked my grandmother if she was happy.  She thought for a second and simply replied, “Baby, I’m satisfied”.  I remember thinking at the time, I had to be about 8 years old, that that was sad to me.  I know now that that was all she could probably hope for being a black women in the south with very little education who had live through things that I could never imagine.  I always wanted to be more than just satisfied with my life.  I wanted to be happy.  I wanted and still want to be fully excited by and engaged in my life.  I didn’t want to just exist.  And now in hindsight, I guess that is what Mary saw, a little girl who was ready to take on life and be fully present.  And I have to say to this day it hasn’t changed.  I have always loved learning, which is why I am first and foremost a student of life.  I feel that my work abilities and my strength comes from all those who came before me.  Their lessons are my lessons and their hopes and dreams are the work for me to actualize in my life.  I always hope that I am honoring them in my choices to take risks and be me despite what some my think.  And honestly, I am truly happy with who I have become and who I am becoming.  I realize that this great responsibility is mine because I never shy away from the challenge.  I want to continue to live my purpose and help those who would like to do the same.  I think that is what is meant by the saying, “One cannot lead another where one has not gone himself”.  I think we all have a purpose here and when we are walking on that path we are happier, healthier beings.  I think what causes people sickness and misery is being trapped in a life they didn’t imagine for themselves.  Walking in a life that is simply an existence without connection.  People essentially want to come alive and be in a place where they are proud of the work they do and the life they lead.  I always imagine that if everyone could have this way of life and support themselves and their families we would be happier healthier people.  However, I know that my optimism can be a huge leap for those who think very practically about money, bills, obligations and the like, therefore, I have to be the example I want to see.  I believe in being well, therefore, I work on myself through my yoga practice physically, mentally and spiritually almost everyday.  I also study yoga a ton.  I am constantly reading and researching for myself and for my kids and clients.  I don’t teach a yoga pose that I haven’t felt in my own body.  I want to feel it for myself before I guide my clients through practicing it.  It also helps me find the words to lead them to their discovery of how the pose can unfold in their lives whether on the mat or in life.  I hope that what I offer as a wellness professional can somehow help those I encounter to lead happier healthier lives.