A 10-minute, seated practice that combines MFR with gentle stretches and breath work to help you wake up and expand your lung capacity before paddling out for a surf.
Another September has come and gone, and for the 2nd year, I participated in the SurfAid September #MakeAWave Challenge of surfing 30 days to raise funding and awareness for the SurfAid Programs.
My current, go-to, Pre-Surf Stretch for when my body is feeling stiff and a bit surfed-out. This sequence could also be nice for a brief Active Recovery practice post-training or post-surf/sport
It was an honor to have the opportunity to write a piece for the Manduka Blog as a part of the Manduka x Gerry Lopez collection launch. In this article, I share my personal experiences with surfing and yoga and how I view the two as similar spiritual paths that reconnect us to life.
Now don't get me wrong, sometimes simple can be easy. And that's great. And sometimes there is a place for complexity as well. But the simple, the simple is available. Accessible. And when noticed and practiced regularly, the simple can support us in coming back to center. Back to what's true.
Traveling, for me, always tends to bring with it bursts of inspiration and creativity and a heightened sense of connection to myself & the world around me. The challenge tends to be carrying this inspiration and connectivity with me as I begin treading down those familiar roads of routine that make up the map of regular, everyday living.
I think that one of the most common, modern-day misconceptions of yoga is that it’s only about the poses we practice on the mat, when really, well at least the way I see it is, yoga is more so a practice of choosing to show up for life. Yoga is a practice that reaches far beyond these four corners with the capacity to stretch into each + every corner of our lives.
Regular burnout has become all-too-common. And it shouldn’t be that way. So instead of running on E, what would shift if we took the time to pause + refill whenever we notice that we happen to be running low?? If you’re teetering on the edges of burnout or currently in its grasp, allow this Restorative Yoga sequence to support you! Grab a few pillows, relax, and recharge!
As a part of the Healthy Living Challenge that I’m co-hosting with RAD, we’re encouraging everyone (myself included) to drink 80oz. of water each day. The other two parts of the challenge, mobility + exercise, are both already solid pillars of my daily routine. But the drinking enough water part?? Well, that’s the area I struggle in. So here are my 3 tips to help you drink more.
A quick (like under-10-minute quick) sequence for those days, or those seasons of life, when you just don’t have a whole lot of time. I consider this to be more of an ‘active mobility’ flow, so it’s nice to do in the mornings or during a midday slump — It could also serve as a warmup before surfing or a workout! Check it out and enjoy!
Proprioception is a big word that refers to our ability to sense our body as it moves through space. Essentially, it’s body awareness, and it’s mostly subconscious as it’s happening all the time. And while there are many factors that can influence our proprioception, I find it helpful to also think of it as a skill that can be consciously strengthened…
Like many, I’ve found myself working at a desk and over a computer more than I ever have in the past. And, although I really love what I’m doing — so much so that I can get lost in it for hours without taking a break — I also know that my body + my brain don’t really dig all the sitting… And I’ve got to really remind myself to stop and take some movement breaks! Enter Yoga for Humans that work at desks…
The sun is always shining… This Buddhist teaching is one that I’ve been familiar with for a while now, but it never really landed until a few months ago when I was listening to a meditation on joy… Ever since my mom had been diagnosed with breast cancer, I had felt like I was in a dark cloud — dull, depressed, and really worried about the future. Joy seemed like something that was so far away…
Are your vinyasa flows getting a little too repetitive?? In this Practice Notes I share 5 alternatives for chaturanga to help you bring a little more variety into those vinyasa flows! While our bodies learn through repetition, our bodies also crave variety, and training the shoulders in different ways will only make them stronger and more resilient.
Do you practice some kind of Vinyasa Yoga? If so, then there’s a chance that you probably move through, or at least hear the teacher call for, a chaturanga or two (or 20!) each time you flow. And whether you love it or could leave it, it’s a pose that can help build strength + confidence, but it’s also a pose that’s all too often rushed through and, sometimes, even feared!
I grew up reading surf magazines - they were almost like a Bible to me - with pages tagged and tear-out posters plastered on every wall. As a grom, my dream was to be featured in the pages of those magazines. When I realized that pro surfing was not in the cards for me, my dream shifted to seeing my writing featured on those pages.
