Do you remember when you were a child and you watched mom or dad rake all the orange, yellow, or brown leaves scattered on the lawn into a pile? I remember how that pile was as high as my waistline (now I can’t even see my waistline), and it was just waiting for me to fall into them. And I did. Nowadays, I think of fall as a great time to refocus on fitness.
Posts filed under excercise
Joyful Movement for Complex Healing
The Nia technique is a somatic movement practice that combines dance, martial arts, and healing arts to promote holistic fitness and well-being. Developed by Debbie Rosas and Carlos Aya Rosas in the 1980s, Nia is based on the belief that movement is medicine and that the body’s innate wisdom holds the key to healing and vitality.
Namaste, Katie: Our Spring 2023 Yoga Column
Whether you're a seasoned yogi or getting ready to roll out your mat for the first time,
here you'll find a variety of useful tips from local yoga instructor, Katie Hoener.
Pickleball Is Life-- Fun, Friends, and Finesse at Wolverine Pickleball
Pickleball, said to be the fastest-growing sport in America, has a signature sound: the hollow pop of a hard paddle striking a plastic, Wiffle-like ball. You can’t miss it as you approach a game in progress. You’ll also hear the squeak of sneakers, whoops of delight and amazement, laughter, the occasional groan of defeat, and a light clack as players head to center court at the end of a game to tap each other’s paddles and say, “Thank you.” Christy Howden and Leslie White, co-owners of Wolverine Pickleball, never tire of this soundscape. To them, it signals pure joy and is a siren call to come and play.
Namaste. Katie, Yoga Column Winter 2023
Dear Katie,
I’ve heard you talk about a “Word of the Year” before in classes and was curious if this is the same as a New Year’s Resolution, and how you use this in your yoga practice. I am hoping to incorporate something similar in 2023 for a little inspiration!
Namaste,
Toni, Ann Arbor
Dear Toni,
I am so glad that you noticed the “Word of the Year!” This is certainly not something exclusive to Verapose, though it is a practice we have incorporated for the majority of our seven years in business. We view our word of the year as more aligned with the word Sankalpa, or intention, then with a resolution.
Rod Stryker in his book The Four Desires, dives deep into this ancient concept of Sankalpa, tracing it back to the Rig Veda, one of the first yogic texts. He draws the distinction of a resolution often being more tied to our desires, and a Salkapa being connected to purpose. For example, I may have a resolution to meditate every day, something I struggle with, and when I chase this desire and fail (I am intentionally using strong language here), I am hard on myself. In 2022, I chose Reflection as my word of the year. This allowed and encouraged me to think of all the ways I am able to slow down, quiet down, and engage in more contemplative practices. Through my Sankalpa, I was able to expand my definition: some days this reflection was meditation, some days it was journaling, a walk in the woods, or other reflective practices.
Sankalpas move us closer to that intention through our resolve, and through our willingness to be creative and purposeful. Word of the Year is a broad Sankalpa, and there are times when we are going to want to sharpen our focus and our resolve; this may or may not be one of those times, depending on your vision for 2023. Much like all Sankalpas, yours isn’t set in stone. My amazing yoga partner Courtney loves a hyphenated word of the year, something like Reflective-Rest-Resolve, or something else fun. Try something out! You’ll know it when you have the right word choice.
Namaste Katie,
I am sitting more than usual, and my legs are tight. I feel like I need something that I can do for a few minutes between meetings. I would love to take props, but I am moving around a bit much between offices to have props everywhere. Any recommendations?
Beth, Manchester
Dear Beth,
Yes, the nature of our occupations and our day to day lives has changed the ways in which we engage with our bodies. Many of us have been working more hours in challenging spaces, and many converting spaces that we used for rest into work areas. This has caused cumulative stress on that movement, and release can be really beneficial. There are all sorts of seated releases for the body to engage in during virtual meetings. I highly recommend a few seated cat-cows each day to move the spine and keep us thinking about alignment.
For in-between spaces, take a moment to lie down! I know, some of us are looking at the ground/floor with a healthy dose of skepticism. Let’s give it a go. Releasing the back body into the floor is powerful. Take a few breaths here. Either with your feet planted near the glutes, or legs extended, draw one knee in toward the body. In this Apanasana, there are many choices. We’ve already checked in on the variations of the lower leg. We can also vary the degree to which the leg moves in toward the body. In the photo I have shared,my arms have some bend and are guiding my leg in the direction of the torso rather than pulling. We should strive for that Aparigraha, or non-clenching, in our postures. Take a few breaths in the space and explore where there are points of release, places to surrender. Perhaps there are spaces in the hips, in the shoulders, in the low back. When you are ready, switch sides. Allow yourself to return to a side that needs the attention or to stay longer in one space if needed. Enjoy the time to soften and relax.
Namaste Katie,
I have, over the last few years, developed a regular meditation practice. Of late, my mind has been very active and harder and harder to wrangle in my morning sessions. I continue to sit, yet I am becoming more and more frustrated. I know that moving into the space with a sense of frustration is likely not helping, so I am reaching out for some support!
Prithi, Ann Arbor
Dear Prithi,
Yes, moving from a place of frustration can cause us additional frustration, and lead us down that vicious cycle. Michael Singer, in The Untethered Soul talks about our Inner Roommate as the voice in our heads that is constantly narrating our experiences and provides us with a sense of control. The first step for any of us is noticing the movement and motions of our Inner Roommate, as you have begun to do. This awareness assists us with noticing patterns, and those likely distraction points for the active mind. Finding solace in our active minds, and that awareness, can be part of the process, and as you have been beautifully aware, a challenging one!
The Yoga Sutras recommend that we stick with the form of meditation that is working for us, noting that consistency is a big part of developing those quiet spaces. We also allow ourselves the space to notice when something isn’t clicking. When our Inner Roommate is taking over and dominating the time that we have set aside for our practice, we may ask ourselves if it is time to switch things up. This may be a time to try out some mantra meditation (which can be external or internal). You may need a guided meditation to draw your focus: this may also be the space for a walking meditation to engage the body and the mind together. Doing so, in a kind and caring way, can help to soften your frustrations--and if one of these clicks with you, stick with it for a while. Have this be your consistent and kind space for as long as you need.
Related content:
Featured
Go Outside! A How-To Guide for the Urban Family
As we shiver out of another Michigan winter and into warmer weather, I am building my usual short list of activities to keep myself sane. This list has become shorter than usual due to pandemic safety precautions. Ordinarily it would include more frequent visits with extended family and more friend get-togethers. My sticky note sanity plan has become heavier on more practical reminders like “Sleep more regular hours!” “Take Vitamin D!” and “GO OUTSIDE” which is written in all caps.
Namaste, Katie...Our Spring 2022 Yoga Column
Whether you're a seasoned yogi or getting ready to roll out your mat for the first time, here you'll find a variety of useful tips from local yoga instructor, Katie Hoener.
Moving Meditations and Comparative Prayer Forms: An Exploration of Altering One's Consciousness Through Movement
One day while teaching Tai Chi—somewhere between forms—I was no longer cognizant of my body, my students, the studio, not even time! There was suddenly nothing except delightful whiteness, bliss, and an ethereal consciousness. When I came back to the immediate physical surroundings, I admitted to my students, “Ummmm I lost count. Was that two or three Part the Horse’s Mane?” We all laughed. Later, I recalled having had other similar experiences during movement as well as sitting/lying inert.
Namaste, Katie... Our Yoga Column, Fall 2021
hether you're a seasoned yogi or getting ready to roll out your mat for the first time, here you'll find a variety of useful tips from local yoga instructor, Katie Hoener.
The Transformative Power of Raqs Sharqi – Belly Dancing with Sheila May
Raqs Sharqi, or in Westernized terms, “belly dance,” is a classical style of Egyptian dance utilizing complex movements of the torso, arms, and hips. It is widely known as a playful and sensual dance that celebrates the feminine form. Belly dance movements have been inspired by a long history of dances ranging from within Egypt to other cultures across Eurasia.
Hidden Gems: Green Spaces You Might Not Know About, but Need to Explore!
We’re fortunate to live in a city where nature is preserved. Over 200 parks continue to be open to the public during the pandemic in Ann Arbor, and studies have shown that being in nature makes us healthier, more creative, more empathetic, and more likely to pursue active engagement with the world around us. No wonder Gallup Park gets so crowded! If you’re looking for a quieter space to immerse yourself in nature, these three hidden gems are exceptional places to unplug.
Coffee with Chris Forte, Author of The Humble Warrior
Chris Forte is a Birmingham-based yogi, author, spiritual fitness coach, former Division I athlete, and creator of The Humble Warrior podcast and memoir. On Christmas Day, 2014, in the midst of his marriage dissolving, Chris hit his knees on the floor and heard, “Book, blog, podcast.” He spent two years doing yoga and meditation every day, attending Hay House writing and speaking conferences, and getting certified as a yoga teacher. His book, “The Humble Warrior: Spiritual tools for living a purposeful life” came out in June 2017.
Considering a New Year’s Resolution? Forget Weight Loss, Work on Posture!
Thanks to the combination of a month of eating holiday treats and the annual New Year resolution ritual, January is one of the busiest times of the year for fitness professionals. For the next few months, my fitness center will be bursting with people who have decided that this is the year they’re going to solve any number of things that they think are wrong with their bodies.
CWJ Kids — Music and Movement for the Very Young: Gari Stein Adds “Baby and You” Class to Her Offerings By Nieka Apell
Many Ann Arborites are familiar with the name Gari Stein and her acclaimed music classes and curricula for children. What families with young children may not be aware of, however, are her group classes for babies as young as three months old with their caregivers.
Christina Sears-Etter and People Dancing: Connecting Hearts Through the Arts
By Rachel Urist | Photos by Edda Pacifico
Ann Arbor’s People Dancing is one of two professional, nonprofit modern dance companies founded in Ann Arbor in 1985 still thriving today. Ann Arbor Dance Works was founded by members of the University of Michigan dance faculty. The company’s dancers are faculty members, guest artists, and select graduate and undergraduate dance students. People Dancing was founded by Whitley Setrakian Hill, who led the group until 1999, when she moved to Nashville and passed the baton to Christina Sears-Etter.
Whether you're a seasoned yogi or getting ready to roll out your mat for the first time, here you'll find a variety of useful tips from local yoga instructor, Katie Hoener.