Jill Lawson

Anniversary Week Photos and Announcements!

by Jill Lawson

April 23rd, 2014

A year goes by in a hurry, doesn’t it? Well, you know what they say. Time flies when you are having fun, and we have been having a great time!!! Thank you to all who made this past year special, and thank you to those who attended classes, and theme classes, during our one-year anniversary week. Congratulations to Lori Cooper who won the grand prize (a 12 class pass), Lisa Holz for winning the $50 gift certificate, and Carol Rhan for winning the $25 gift certificate. We look forward to another great year!

Below are photos from our one-year anniversary special theme classes. Enjoy!

1980’s Vintage Vinyasa with Eirin MacLaren

Headbands, legwarmers, a disco ball, and fancy leotards galore. Congratulations to Carol Percy who won the prize (a free class) for best costume. Check out that fabulous (and original) Ship Rock Cafe t-shirt! . Way to go Carol!

Candlelight Yoga with Dakota Hargett

It was a blissful Monday, with over 30 candles spread out across the floor lighting up our intentions for the evening. Beautiful music, beautiful instruction, and a beautiful room alit with gentle, flickering light. The glass votives allowed for some lovely light-patterns on the floor too. It was pleasing to the senses in so many ways.

Glow with the Flow with Jill Lawson

Oh my. While the overhead lights were dim, the glow sticks and other flashing accoutrements were all aglow. Nothing like doing yoga while your body is decorated with light. But, we didn’t just glow on the outside, we were lit up from within. It was a lot of fun, indeed.

Vinyasa Yoga and Pebble Meditation with Sharon Englehart

This vinyasa flow class concluded with a dynamic pebble meditation. Before class began Sharon asked us to choose four stones from a colorful array that she provided for us. Towards the end of class Sharon led us through a meditation that involved moving the stones from one side to another, with the intention of “placing” good thoughts for flowers, our water, the earth, and the vastness of space: all elements of what make life beautiful. Pictures wouldn’t have captured the moment, as it was an intrinsic experience celebrated by all who attended.

Yoga Happy Hour withDean Kottmann

Well, we pretty much incorporated the candles, glow sticks, disco ball, and glow in the dark balloons as a culmination of the whole week. Dean did a great job generating smiles and laughter, and we even got to celebrate with some treats and tastings at the after party! Thank you all, we had fun too!

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Happy Anniversary: Special Classes and Events April 6th-April 12th

by Jill Lawson

March 31st, 2014

Anniversary Week Events

April 6th-April 12th
Let us all celebrate one really awesome year in Cortez!

Win Prizes!
Every time you take a class during the week of April 6th, you can enter to win one of three prizes including a 12 pack of yoga classes, a $50 gift certificate, and a $25 gift certificate! The drawing will be held immediately after the Saturday 9am Vinyasa Flow class with Dakota April 12th, followed by hot chai and healthy snacks. (Need not be present to win.)

Special Theme Classes:

1980’s Vinyasa Yoga Sunday April 6th 5:15-6:30pm with Eirin
Break out your vintage 1980’s leggings, headbands, and neon accessories, and let’s hit the yoga mat in style! Ready to strike a pose? Best dressed gets a free class pass!

Candlelight Yoga Monday April 7th 6:30-7:45pm with Dakota
Enjoy your Blissful Monday alongside the sweet flicker of candlelight. Set your intentions aflame and reconnect with your inner fire.

Glow with the Flow Tuesday April 8th 5:30-6:45pm with Jill
Don your body with glow sticks galore and groove-out on the mat to downtempo beats and rhythms in this yoga rave inspired vinyasa class and get glowing.

Vinyasa Flow Yoga and ‘Pebble Meditation’: Thursday April 10th 5:30-6:45pm with Sharon
Just as pebbles send ripples through the water, your intentions send ripples into every aspect of your life. Enjoy an hour flow followed by a brief yet powerful meditation, then top it off with a delicious savasana.

Yoga Happy Hour followed by…eh hem…a familiar kind of happy hour Friday April 11th 5:15-6:30pm with Dean and Jill
Follow up your post-yoga shine with FREE wine tasting from Colorado vinyards…need we say more?

No need to preregister for theme classes. All other classes as scheduled. Every class you attend will enter you in the drawing to win one of three great prizes.

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Use Yoga to Help Detox Your Body This Spring

by Jill Lawson

March 18th, 2014

By Jill Lawson for DietsInReview.com

Toxins come in many forms, from harsh and deadly organisms such as snake venom, to man-made environmental agents like asbestos. While some toxins can be fatal, others do more than cause mild annoyances like headaches, nausea or irritability.

You can use yoga to detox, and help your body remove the non-life-threatening toxins, such as those consumed when eating chemical laden junk food, drinking alcohol, or being exposed to air pollution. While toxins are an often-unavoidable part of life, our bodies are, thankfully, equipped to deal with them, and yoga can help.

The liver is the primary organ responsible for filtering the blood for the processing and removal of toxins. When the liver is healthy, toxins are more readily released from your body in the form of sweat, urine, and excrement, via the liver’s metabolic functions.

There are yoga poses that massage and stimulate the liver by flushing it with fresh blood and oxygen, in an effort to support its task as the body’s housekeeper. The following is an explanation of how and why certain poses help liver function.

Twisting

All twisting poses affect the liver simply because of the liver’s anatomical position in relationship to the twisting motion. When the ribcage twists, a gentle force is exerted on the organs near it, thus creating a squeezing action to release stagnation and usher in fresh, nutrient laden blood through these organs. Since the liver is positioned below the lower ribs on the right side, intentional and accurate twisting of the ribs has a direct influence.

Forward Bending

Seated- or standing-forward bends will massage the liver. When the ribcage moves forward over the legs, the space around the liver is decreased, thus causing it to be pushed and kneaded. Just as it’s important to drink a lot of water after getting a massage to flush the toxins, it is just as important to do so after yoga for detoxification.

Breathing

In both twisting and forward bending poses, the key factor in stimulating and massaging toxins out of the liver is deep breathing. Once again, it’s due to the liver’s positioning in relationship to the diaphragm, the primary muscle of inspiration. When we take a deep inhalation, the diaphragm descends, applying gentle pressure on the liver. Combine this with twisting and bending poses and we have a very safe and effective combination to assist healthy liver function.

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5 Reasons to Start or Get Back into Your Yoga Practice

by Jill Lawson

February 18th, 2014

Beyond being tragically hip and in vogue, yoga is an incredibly beneficial activity for all ages and abilities. The health benefits of yoga are exponential, and many are much happier as a result of their practice. With all the great press yoga has received as a panacea for optimal health and wellness, it is surprising that there are still so many people who have yet to try yoga for the first time, or do not practice on a regular basis.

If you have never stepped onto a yoga mat, or if it has been a while since you’ve taken a yoga class, the following reasons why you should get with the program may inspire you to make it a priority.

You will gain inner peace and contentment.

This might be a huge turn-off to type A overachievers, but peace and contentment are two fundamental qualities that are necessary in completing complex tasks. Without them you might feel scattered, spread way too thin, or irritated with the to do list you’ve created for yourself. All types of yoga, from restorative to vinyasa flow, will leave you feeling calm, cool, and collected so you can get the job done. Most importantly, when you are at peace with yourself you will not only experience more success, you will also experience more happiness.

Your body will feel better.

After practicing yoga for several weeks or months, you will eventually say good-bye to general aches and pains, lethargy, and early morning body stiffness. If it takes you a couple of hours to get moving in the morning because your body is incredibly tight, go to yoga a couple of times a week and you will see a huge improvement in the way you feel.

Your body will look better.

This is really an afterthought compared with the psychological benefits of yoga, but it is an attractive side effect. Sculpted arms, toned legs, and the coveted yoga butt can all be yours if you make your yoga practice a part of your daily routine.

You will have more compassion for yourself and others.

I always tell my students to thank themselves for taking care of their mind and body with yoga, because when you take care of yourself, you have more energy to give to others. Yoga has a way of inviting us to look at the big picture of life and not take ourselves too seriously. When we let go of our own silly hang-ups or issues, we can clearly see how others might be suffering. This breeds compassion and a genuine desire to offer nothing short of loving kindness to those around us.

You will have better body awareness.

Having a keen sense of your body has a plethora of benefits. For starters, you will be less likely to overeat, you’ll know exactly which foods serve your body best, and you’ll respect your body’s need to get more rest if you need it.

Find a reason that resonates with you and hop on board. Be a part of the 15 million happy, fit, and healthy Americans who frequent yoga studios across the country.
By Jill Lawson for Diets in Review, published by Care2 Healthy Living July, 2012

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Compassionate Consumerism From the Heart and Core of Cortez

by Jill Lawson

January 29th, 2014

All across America, the demand for yoga is growing exponentially. In addition to yoga’s popularity, the commercial side of the business is also booming. Yoga pants, a mat, and other essentials can cost the consumer hundreds of dollars before he or she ever steps foot on the studio floor.

While it is true that the only thing you need to practice yoga is your mind and your body, the American public still enthusiastically pursues the latest and greatest yoga accouterments.

Yes, we love to keep up with the trends in the yoga industry. But, while we’re honored to serve your shopping needs, careful consideration of the merchandise featured in the yoga boutique ensures your benevolent, sustainable, and Earth-friendly purchase.

The following is a brief look at a few of the companies we retail, and an explanation of why they’ve earned a spot on our hangers and shelves.

Chewylou Designs

Named after the creator’s two dogs “Chewy,” and “Lexi Lou,” this company actively supports several non-profit organizations and charities such as The Lupus Foundation of America, Komen for the Cure, Planting Peace, Best Friends Animal Rescue, Faces of Hope Fund, and Chemo Companions. Printed by Arizona’s ‘greenest’ screen printer, Chewylou Designs inspire with words of peace and heart-centered acronyms such as HOPE, BREATHE, and LEAP.

Be Love Apparel

In care of the Alexandria House, a Los Angeles transitional shelter that rehabilitates victims of domestic abuse, sex trafficking, and homelessness, Be Love serves at-risk women and children. With a recent goal of giving $25,000 from the sales of their merchandise, Be Love is funding childcare and quality after-school programs to help educate and keep young girls out of harms way.

Yoga to the Rescue Books by Rescue Girl

Encouraging women to embrace their individual beauty with her fabulous instruction and one-of-a-kind illustrations, author Amy Luwis also cares for our favorite four-pawed furry friends. She is the co-founder of the nation’s largest nonprofit adoption website, AdoptAPet.com, and dedicates her time and resources to help stray pets find loving, ‘fur-ever’ homes.

I Love Yoga

Creating environments where the synergy of the whole is greater than the sum of the parts, I Love Yoga teaches and practices sustainability by building gardens in their local community and showing people how to grow their own food. Their company’s logo features a heart that is open to remind people to keep an open heart and see the big picture in life. They are soon to manufacture Heart and Core Yoga studio’s signature brand!

Synergy Organic Clothing

The organic cotton of Synergy Organic Clothing is grown using methods and materials that have a low impact on the environment. Organic production systems replenish and maintain soil fertility, reduce the use of toxic and persistent pesticides and fertilizers, and build biologically diverse agriculture. Growing organically takes more time, requires more knowledge and skill, and is more expensive than conventional growing. Purchasing organically grown products is safer for individuals and the planet as a whole.

Be Present

To this day, the majority of this company’s manufacturing is done within a twenty-mile radius of their headquarters in Denver, Colorado. Be Present uses sustainable and organic fabrics and employ environmentally friendly practices whenever possible. They don’t put their products in plastic bags for shipping, and shipping from Denver to Cortez equals less fuel and emissions.

Cozy Orange

Sustainability teams ensure continuous improvement and the installation of new standards of eco-friendly production in the evaluation of this company’s facilities. They feature tops and bottoms made from recycled plastic and poly fibers. Their hang tags are also made from recycled paper, and are shaped and designed as coasters for reuse after purchase.

Little Moon Essentials

Made in Colorado, this company’s environmental standards are high. They never test on animals or create products with known poisons. They also never include unnecessary chemicals just to save money. Using all natural ingredients, Little Moon Essentials values quality over quantity.

O Loves M

Did you notice the hip and stylish purses and bags made from yoga mats? Crafted in Colorado using over produced and/or up cycled materials made in the USA, O Loves M adheres to Earth-friendly procedures in creating fun and unique merchandise. Even the straps for these bags come from the webbing left over when a sandal company no longer has use for them. Reduce, reuse, and recycle. It is the right thing to do.

myInsens

The materials use to make these special all-natural incense sticks by myInsens are hand crafted by a well-supported workforce of local villagers in the Indian state of Gujarat. The company believes in social responsibility and fair trade and has partnered with Yoga Gives Back, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to raising awareness and money to alleviate poverty in India.

Manduka

It is essential that Manduka conducts business in toxic-free emission facilities. Using natural, recyclable, sustainable and/or biodegradable materials, this eco-friendly yoga mat and accessory company constantly searches for newer, greener, technologies. For example, they manufacture yoga mat bags from recycled polyester fabrics and make zippers made from recycled plastic bottles.

Designed to last a lifetime, the PRO Series mats we carry in the boutique minimize impact on the environment by ensuring years of superior practice. The Manduka blocks and bolsters we use in the studio are made from sustainable cork, and natural, unbleached cotton.

Heart and Core Yoga studio not only values doing business with companies who care for the environment and assist those in need around the world, we gratefully contribute to our regional atmosphere by supporting local organizations via selfless service and monetary donations.

We want to thank you too, in taking care of your mind and body through yoga, but also in doing your part to support a sustainable, eco-friendly, and life-loving existence for all beings on Earth.

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Yoga Nidra: A Panacea for Health in the Modern World

by Jill Lawson

January 27th, 2014

We all know get-rich-quick scams work about as well as weight loss from a pill. While these enticements are tempting for most people in this country, there is another camp of people who always seem to want to make things harder for themselves. Be it working, dieting, or exercising, the old adage “less is more” often takes a back seat to the preferred “no pain, no gain.”

For those of you who are tired of experiencing pain for your gain, an ancient yogic practice called Yoga Nidra may help loosen your fierce grip on your need to achieve your goals.

Yoga Nidra is essentially the yoga of sleep, but it is not the type of sleep we engage in while napping, or at night. It is a relaxation induced, conscious sleep.

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Yoga Classes vs. Yoga Workshops: What is the Difference?

by Jill Lawson

January 9th, 2014

Every month we strive to bring you a special kind of yoga or Pilates workshop for your learning pleasure. The last couple of months we’ve offered Restorative Yoga with Anne, Sun Salutations with Jill, and Moving the Stone with Sharon.

Great! But, if you are coming to classes on a regular basis, why are these workshops beneficial?

The following are three reasons why yoga workshops differ from regular classes.

Personal Attention

Regularly scheduled classes are usually designed around a general theme, emphasis, and intention to provide a safe and balanced yoga or Pilates experience for everyone. Instruction is largely given to the class as a whole. While this is adequate and many people gain benefits from taking classes, workshops provide the time and space for the instructor to give more personal attention to each participant.

Specified Intention

You will always enjoy well-balanced classes that give attention to the body as a whole, that’s a given. But what if you just wanted to focus on hips, low back, or learn how to do yoga throughout the different stages of pregnancy, for example? These are just a few examples of ways workshops can serve your specific needs.

Enhanced Understanding

Leaving classes feeling refreshed, realigned, and restored is a marvelous benefit. Most people know they feel good, but few actually know the reasons why they leave the studio in such a fabulously good mood.

When you attend workshops, it is likely you will gain knowledge beyond common understanding about how and why you are benefiting physically, energetically, and beyond.

The learning never ends. Even if you have been doing yoga or Pilates for years, there will always be some way to improve and advance in your practice.

Whether you want to learn relaxation techniques, or master crow pose, you will always be growing and evolving your practice. Workshops help expedite the process.

January workshops include Yoga for Athletes on 1/18, plus we’re offering a free Yoga for Beginners class 1/26. Click on the pictures for more formation.

Do you have a friend who might enjoy our classes and workshops? Our blog posts and more can be shared via email or Facebook.

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Heart and Core Yoga Studio Featured in the Cortez Journal

by Jill Lawson

January 6th, 2014

We are so thrilled to be featured in the Cortez Journal this month! What a blessing! Thank you for your continuous support and your motivation to take care of your mind and body. It is an honor to provide a space for all to unite in health.

“Stepping inside Heart and Core Yoga Studio, one is immediately struck by the power of the space. Soothing music cascades through the air, yoga mats spread over a smooth wooden floor and an ambiance unlike any other pervades the senses.

Owned by Jill Lawson, the studio feels different than a gym or recreation center…”

Read the article by Ian MacLaren in the Cortez Journal by clicking HERE

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I Say Tomato, You Say Tomahto

by Jill Lawson

December 22nd, 2013

Yoga teachers and yoga styles have their differences, but let’s not call the whole thing off. Yoga is on the rise, and while new types of yoga are popping up right and left, it is easy to get caught pitting one style of yoga against another. It is more important that we appreciate the reason for yoga and the many ways yoga can be practiced, no matter how different each style seems to be.

What is yoga?

The original reason for practicing yoga was to get out of the dark and plug in to the light. The word guru means to bring light to darkness. People practiced yoga with a guru as a way to stay connected with the divine influences that brought them from a place of suffering into a place of joy.

It is not much different today, as many flock to yoga due to back pain, insomnia, stress, and other states of discomfort. However, the recent wide-ranging variety of yoga classes and instructional differences can lead us into the darkness of confusion.

Which one is really yoga?

To question whether or not a class is actually yoga is to question your own motive for doing the class. Pay no fuss to the matter of this question because the answer can only be found in you. While one yoga student may feel spiritually inspired in a yoga-fitness type class, another might have the meaning of yoga totally lost on them while in deep meditation.

Whether or not we are really doing yoga is entirely up to the practitioner. Do we feel plugged in and happy as a result of our practice? That is a better question to ask.

Is there a right or a wrong way to practice yoga?

Remember, all yoga styles began with the same goal, and that goal was to eliminate suffering. How we choose to eliminate our suffering is entirely up to us. When we choose yoga, the type of yoga is neither right nor wrong because the experience of our practice is something in and of itself. The only thing that might suggest something is wrong is if our yoga practice is not making us feel better.

Why are the same poses at times taught and practiced differently?

As yoga styles vary, so will the look and feel of different poses associated with their particular styles. When instructed and practiced with integrity, all poses fall within general parameters that keep them from being injurious. Even so, slight variations often leave people questioning which ways are correct.

For example, one familiar rule is to always keep the knee over the ankle in a lunging type pose. However, when I first learned how to do a classic Hatha-inspired sun salutation, I was instructed to have my knee jut out over my toes in a low lunge for maximum stretch in my opposite hip.

So, which one is right? While having your knee over your ankle in a lunge is very sound advice to protect the knee joint from injury, it doesn’t have to apply in every situation. A lot of these variations depend on many, many factors.

How will you know what’s best for you?

Ashtanga yoga guru, Pattabhi Jois, said, “Yoga is 99% practice, and 1% theory,” meaning all of the information in all of the text books all across the globe pale in comparison to your own practice and experience. The original yoga pioneers of ancient times didn’t discover yoga by reading a book; their understanding of yoga came from their own exploratory practice.

Listen to your body and take the information you are hearing from teacher to teacher to enhance your own personal practice. It is okay to develop your own language, style, and yoga practice as long as it brings you joy. Whether you say tomato or tomahto, know that the meaning of the word is still the same.

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3 Ways to Overcome Holiday Stress

by Jill Lawson

December 16th, 2013

Despite the glimmering lights and the festive sights, the holiday season can be emotionally challenging. This time of year carries an anxious buzz in the air, and the collective sense of urgency can spin us into a frenzied state of disarray. However, with a little practice, we can align with the joyful spirit of the season, and skate into the New Year with the blessing of happiness.

The following tips will help you to find some inner peace during the celebratory chaos that happens during the year’s end.

Retreat

Take a hint from nature and turn your lights out early. Just as the sun settles in for the night in the late afternoon, set your internal clock to follow suit. There is a reason the grass, bushes, and trees shut down this time of year; they are conserving vital energy. Perhaps it would benefit you to do the same thing.

Log out from your computer after the sun sets. Refrain from watching television past dark. Plan to go to bed a little earlier. The extra hour or so of rest and sleep is a surefire way to feel refreshed and inspired when the morning bell rings.

Reflect

December is not just about stocking up on wrapping paper and standing in line at the Post Office, it is also a time to feel grateful for the passing year. Even if some things didn’t go as planned, reflecting upon whatever made you feel full of joy will give you hope for what’s to come. What you remember about the past will be carried with you into the New Year. Capture the good memories and let go of the not-so-good ones.

Realize

Take time to slow down long enough to hear the winter birds chirp. Notice the richness of the deep blue sky as the evening light fades. Feel the snow squeaking without protest under your boots on a sub-zero degree morning.

Paying attention to the subtleties of the season is a great way to get your mind off of the chaotic noise that captivates our culture during the busy holiday season. Take a pleasing look back on happy moments, and don’t feel guilty about turning in early. You owe it to yourself and others to eliminate stress and accentuate the true meaning of the season.

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Welcome to Our New Website

by Jill Lawson

December 3rd, 2013

We are all so excited to have our very own website and blog! We look forward to offering many, many interesting posts about yoga, Pilates, and more. Please stay linked with us via Facebook, or by joining our newsletter, so we can continue our practice Beyond the Mat.

Thank you once again for your time and effort in taking care of your mind and body. As it helps you, it certainly does help those around you. Just by practicing yoga, you are doing a wonderful service to our community! It is a win-win situation for all.

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Romancing the Om

by Jill Lawson

October 8th, 2013

In the days of old, yogis gave up their worldly possessions and adopted a system of ancient techniques and rituals, with the intention to unite with God. Today, Americans have a slightly different approach.

After reflecting on yoga’s history and purpose, it is surprising to me how yoga has become so popular in such a capitalistic society. Steeped in Hinduism, with an objective fueled by the renunciation of extravagant pleasures, yoga seems to be a very unlikely endeavor for Westerners who are known for buying, acquiring, and disposing of stuff.

But the image of yoga carries a subtle hint of romance at its core, and I think that is what makes it a huge success in America. Not unlike mesmerized cobras that sway in response to the seductive sounds of the snake charmer’s whispering flute, those flirting with the desire to learn more about yoga find themselves drunk with love in the wake of a $6 billion dollar industry.

While some admire and support how yoga has evolved to help so many, others would say we have taken it a bit too far. The picture of modern yoga often gets caught in between the covers of magazines, emblazoned with the same dazzle and panache of fashion models in the latest designer threads.

Organizations such as Take Back Yoga, a Hindu American establishment, see the true spiritual significance of yoga being cleaved out of modern yoga classes across the country. Wanting to see yoga return to its Hindu roots, groups such as these work hard at spreading the message that modern yoga is inauthentic and clearly missing the point.

That doesn’t seem to stop us from practicing. The mavens who currently lead the modern yoga movement and their devoted followers add just the right combination of ingredients to keep the industry growing. This dynamic relationship serves both the trade and the people who contribute to it, or so it would seem.

Those allured by the promise of happiness through yoga might be deceived. Chogyam Trungpa, author of Cutting Through Spiritual Materialism, wrote:

“Walking the spiritual path properly is a very subtle process; it is not something to jump into naively. There are numerous sidetracks, which lead to a distorted, ego-centered version of spirituality. We can deceive ourselves into thinking we are developing spiritually when instead we are strengthening our egocentricity through spiritual techniques. This fundamental distortion may be referred to as spiritual materialism.”

Is yoga making us happy?

We might spend years practicing a certain style, following our favorite teacher, or doing some yogic breathing when we’re stressed out, and those habits could be saving our lives. As a result of our light-hearted practice, depression may lift and we may feel great. The problem arises when the teacher moves, the class is canceled, or we let life get in the way. Happiness can’t be sustained if it is dependent on something outside us. We have to keep doing the work ourselves.

Is yoga making us better people?

Hope ensues when we think we’ve finally met some guru, found some practice, or read some book that will fix us. But just as a beautiful fall day can turn bitter cold overnight, so can our spiritual practice leave us once again in the dark. The darkness is where most of us will draw the line, give up, and search for a different method, guru, or book. Not unlike a toy that breaks and is doomed for the trash can, if we don’t push through the uncomfortable moments of facing our demons and start fixing what is broken, we will be of no service to the world.

Is yoga making us more self-aware?

All forms of yoga teach us to look within. The concept of looking within seems easy enough, but guess what? It isn’t. What do you hear when you sit quietly and listen to your own thoughts? The voice in your head sounds like an annoying infomercial that tries to sell you a mountain of crap.

With commitment and devotion, we can turn down the volume on our erratic thoughts, but we seem to seek distractions instead. Some might choose to shop, tweak their diets, or do yoga excessively, while others search for a different fix in the form of a hero, an age-old guru, or a traditional doctrine that will control our mind. Every distraction will eventually defeat our intention, unless we keep practicing.

Modern day yoga in America is an interesting phenomenon. In the traditional sense, what most of us do on the yoga mat is not yoga. Although the health benefits are greater than anything else we’ve ever tried, many still do not consider it yoga.

On the other hand, what we are doing on the mat is having a profound effect. Beyond the physical health benefits, Americans who spend time on their yoga mats are becoming more diet-conscious, environmentally-savvy, and genuinely interested in living a happy life.

Poised and self-assured, today’s yoga practitioners are leading a massive movement toward something the world has not yet experienced. The timing of yoga’s popularity in America might just be a saving grace.

Krishnamacharya, one of the most influential yoga teachers of the 20th century said, “Teach what is appropriate for an individual.” Perhaps the current picture of yoga in America is exactly as it needs to be.

If we stick with it and don’t fall victim to our old egocentric habits of finding happiness in stuff, or trashing instead of fixing what’s broken, and being easily distracted by whatever it is we think can solve all of our problems, we might just be able to sustain this ancient practice for centuries to come.

Article published by the Huffington Post

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Author Archive for Jill Lawson – Page 5

Anniversary Week Photos and Announcements!

Happy Anniversary: Special Classes and Events April 6th-April 12th

Anniversary Week Events

Use Yoga to Help Detox Your Body This Spring

5 Reasons to Start or Get Back into Your Yoga Practice

Compassionate Consumerism From the Heart and Core of Cortez

Yoga Nidra: A Panacea for Health in the Modern World

Yoga Classes vs. Yoga Workshops: What is the Difference?

Heart and Core Yoga Studio Featured in the Cortez Journal

I Say Tomato, You Say Tomahto

3 Ways to Overcome Holiday Stress

Welcome to Our New Website

Romancing the Om

Join Our Newsletter

Contact Heart and Core Yoga

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