Stephanie's Studio

In Yoga, it was one of few places, you hear talk about the “back body.” Yesterday at Yoga, I became quite fixated on that topic. How could I soothe and heal my back body? What does back body want and what does it know? We do mention people talking behind our backs and we talk of people with eyes in the back of their heads. Also a very high percent of adults have back problems, so maybe it would be good if we all spent more time reflecting on the back and on making it stronger. Apparently, as a culture, we are in agreement that we gain a lot of our overall strength from our back and our legs which are rooted in the earth. Saying someone has “a lot of backbone” is an indication that they are strong and courageous. But why have our backs become so weak these days? Computers and screens, as much as I love them, play an important part in this weakening of the back and spine. We sit hunched over for hours on end. Just sitting all day to do our work is a part of the p...

The only word I can use for restorative yoga yesterday is phenomenal! I was drawn to this new studio for two reasons, my old one closed and this new studio has an open hand as its logo. It seemed welcoming and it was. It is called Ahimsa, meaning do no harm—especially to yourself. I was drawn to the particular class I went to because in its description it mentioned that it helps quiet down the monkey (busy) mind. Good grief! Don’t we all, living in these times, have monkey mind? Couldn’t we all stand to be kinder and gentler to ourselves? We are our own worse critics about everything including our looks, talents, skills and abilities. I don’t know what had gotten into me, except that it must have been monkey mind. I have not been in a class to do restorative yoga in years! And, the years just keep sailing by. There are only so many that the Goddess grants us.  Why? I ask myself, do I deny myself the simplest and purest pleasures in life? Why become some wrapped u...