Today, I'd like to introduce you to Peg Mulqueen, the go-to teacher in the DC area for Ashtanga Yoga. In the past, she was all about Rocket Yoga, and as of late, she's all about Mysore, but one thing's for certain--Peg is a total yogic rockstar (she's also a writer! Yay!). 

Peg has an inspiring blog all about her yogic journey over on her website, and I find that I can often totally relate to what she's talking about when she shares the recent lessons that she's learned on the mat. After hearing about her from numerous students over the years and reading her blog for quite a while, I realized that I wanted to know more about Peg, so I asked her to Tell Me All About It. She obviously agreed to do so, and thus, today's post!

You can read below for the inside scoop on all things Madame Mulqueen (prepare to be inspired!):

What's your yoga story? What made you want to start teaching?
I've never hidden the fact that it was Madonna's chiseled arms that got me into my first yoga class.  I had recently come out of a very unhealthy relationship and needed to tap into the strength and vitality I'd lost along the way.  As my body grew strong, my mind and spirit came along for the ride.

Before teaching yoga, I was a counselor.  But yoga is the most powerful form of therapy I've experienced.  Every day, we practice.  Yoga is an exercise of awareness and change.   And the courage, compassion, endurance, and strength we develop through practice does not stay on our mat - it creeps into our lives and makes us better human beings.  

So I guess you could say, I traded my couch for a mat.  :)

What inspires you?
Everything!  Haha! But mostly people inspire me.  I'm inspired by people who are not afraid to look foolish by trying something new ... by those whose hearts remain open despite having suffered ... and by those who are bold and care enough to put themselves out there to make this world better.  They remind me falling is not failing, vulnerability is a strength, and no kindness is ever wasted.

What's your writing/creative process like?
The creative process mostly begins when I'm NOT in front of my computer.  And I'm sure it won't surprise you to know, it's often during or after practice when my mind is most open and receptive.  Then I rush home and try to do a quick brain dump onto my computer before I forget!  

But my writing process can appear rather chaotic as I often have multiple documents and windows open (embarassingly enough, this includes Facebook), and a desk cluttered with papers and books. Partly becuase I'm usually working on 3 or 4 pieces of copy at the same time.  I do have a method that I won't bore you with here nor will I pretend it's the most efficient.  But I meet my deadlines and keep my editors both busy and happy.  

If you had to give one piece of advice to women (or men!) who want to take the plunge and pursue their dreams of working for themselves or starting their own business or blog, what would it be?
First - you must be able to answer this one question:  why?  And if to make a viable living is not one part of that answer, then make it part of your answer.  Because it's that piece that will make the other pieces work.  I know that sounds terribly unyogic of me, but I've found too many incredibly well-intentioned, creative and beautiful souls burn out because they forgot that to change the world, make a difference, follow your dreams, whatever - you first have to eat.  

So be bold.  Take risks.  Have courage.  And find a way to make sure you can still buy your groceries.

What's your favorite yoga pose?
Right now, my favorite yoga pose is a standing forward fold.  My life is so fckn crazy wonderful busy right now and my practice is SO crazy wonderful hard right now (and yes, I see the whole life-reflects-practice or vice versa, thing going on here), I really value allowing my upper body to just drape it's weight over my legs.  To let my shoulders relax, my head hang heavy, and my arms go limp.  It's quiet and comforting - and while it lasts but a a few moments, it's all the break I often need to get back at it again.  

If you could do nothing but study under one teacher for a year, who would it be and why?
David Garrigues is my teacher.  His passion and love for the Asthanga practice sparks and fuels my own.  The depth of his knowledge and his care is something that I'm am deeply thankful for as his student.  It's not possible for me to do "nothing" but study under one teacher - but I wouldn't want to either.  I study under one teacher, but I bring back something to the everything I do in life and get to watch this yoga in action where it matters most.  


What's your biggest guilty pleasure?
Breyer's mint chocolate chip ice cream.  That's an easy one!

What's your favorite book and why?
I don't finish books.  It's a problem.  Do facebook statuses count?

How do you stay balanced? How do you unwind? 
My husband and kids keep me balanced.  They remind me of what is most important in life - not my latest blog post, or Yoga Journal article, or next third series posture.  What's most important are the people I love.  And any time I can spend with them, being myself, is how I unwind from the many roles and demands of life to be just me.

What's your biggest dream for 2013?
I live a dream life - there's more?

What's your favorite part of your job?
Which job?  Doesn't matter, I'll always say the same thing:  people.  Relationships are what matter to me most, no matter what I am doing.  It's always going to be about people to me.

If you were exiled to a desert island and could only bring 3 things, what would they be (have to ask it because I love this question!)?
My husband.
My daughter.
My son.

(Good thing I don't have more kids, eh?)

What's your favorite type of music to practice to? Favorite yoga song?
You are going to get me into SO much trouble because everyone knows Ashtangi's don't practice to music ... but IF I were to play music (and I'm not saying I do or anything, but IF ... it would probably be something I stole from my daughter's spotify playlist because as a college student, she has the coolest music all the time).

Words (or quote) you live by? 
"Dreams" By xkcd:

The infinite possibilities each day holds should stagger the mind. The sheer number of experiences I could have is uncountable, breathtaking, and I'm sitting here refreshing my inbox. We lived trapped in loops, reliving a few days over and over, and we envision only a handful of paths laid out ahead of us. We see the same things each day, we respond the same way, we think the same thoughts, each day a slight variation on the last, every moment smoothly following the gentle curves of societal norms. We act like if we just get through today, tomorrow our dreams will come back to us.

And no, I don't have all the answers. I don't know how to jolt myself into seeing what each moment could become. But I do know one thing: the solution doesn't involve watering down my every little idea and creative impulse for the sake of some day easing my fit into a mold. It doesn't involve tempering my life to better fit someone's expectations. It doesn't involve constantly holding back for fear of shaking things up.

This is very important, so I want to say it as clearly as I can: FUCK. THAT. SHIT.

And if you don't believe this is what I live by, see here!  :)

Want to learn more about Peg? Here are a few quick links:

Website/Blog: pegmulqueen.com
Twitter: twitter.com/pegmulqueen
Facebook: facebook.com/pegmulqueenyoga
Instagram: instagram.com/pegmulqueen

Thanks for taking the time to tell me all about it, Peg! 

Have any requests for other inspiring people that you'd like me to feature in this series? If so, let me know!

Upon waking this morning, I felt 90-years old. I went straight to the floor to do my lower back release routine, and then hit the wall for some legs-up-the-wall. 

Wow, my body. 

I hesitate to say that one could ever do *too* much yoga, but I'm going to say it: I've done too much yoga this week. 

We're doing new teacher auditions, something that I really enjoy and something that is very exciting for the studio, but something that also involves a 30-minute class taught by each teacher auditioning. We've done a total of 15 mini-classes over the past couple of days (on top of my own classes that I teach/take), and I. Am. SORE. 

However, as I've spent the last few days practicing, observing new (and seasoned) teachers teach, and thinking about what it means to be a teacher, I've been overwhelmed with gratitude. I feel SO lucky that my job means practicing yoga all day (I'm paid to practice yoga! What!?!?), and that I get to spend my time in such an amazing environment. 

When I think back on the many hours spent sitting in a cubicle with no windows, tons of stress, and an aching back, I feel extremely grateful that my body now aches from hours of yoga, instead. 

Isn't life funny? I complain about doing too much yoga this week, but honestly, I don't think I'll ever max out on yoga. #Grateful. Ommmmmmmmmm.

As anyone who practices yoga knows, we teachers talk a lot about listening to the body, paying attention to the body,  and taking care of the body.  In almost every class, I urge my students to pay attention, to notice their energy levels, to notice where they're tight, sore, fatigued, energized. I ask them to check-in with their shoulders (are you crunching them up to your ears?), to their jaws (is it clenched?), to what's happening in the neck (are you putting it in a stressful position?), and I watch as people work to consciously and purposefully relax their bodies.

Here's the thing: everything that you do with your physical body has an impact on your state of being. If you crunch your shoulders up to your ears, your mind receives a message that you're tense. If you clench your jaw, typically the rest of the body follows, closing up, tightening. If you force your body to keep going when it needs rest, it will find a way to make you slow down (eventually). Ultimately, the body is in charge. 

Therefore, I believe that the body knows best. The thing is, you actually have to listen to it--and listening to the messages from the body takes some practice, some skill, some attention. 

For instance, here's a recent example from my own life: I've basically been told that running = not a good fit for my body, my injuries, my skeleton. And yet, I miss running, especially when the seasons change in the spring and I want to be outside. So I've gone on a few short little jogs lately, hoping that as long as I don't run for too long, and intersperse my running with walking, I'll be okay. But my body doesn't like it. My injured hamstring flares up. My hips start to ache. I can feel everything tightening, trying to protect me, urging me to stop. My body is trying to tell me that if I continue to run, I'll probably injure myself. So, I have a choice--listen or not?

In the past, I didn't listen to these messages. That's why I got severely hurt from running many years ago (and why I discovered yoga--yay!). But this time around, I'd like to think that I've learned to listen, and therefore, I need to stop. I will stop. Because my body truly knows best, and it's telling me NO. 

If you learn to listen to your body, you'll start to be amazed at what it tells you. It knows when you're really tired and need to sleep. It will tell you when you've been sitting too long, or when you have bad posture and need to fix it. It will crave the nutrients that you forget to eat, it will tell you when you must slow down (usually by getting sick), and it will tell you when you have energy and can push it a little bit. It's incredible--once you truly start listening.

But listening is only half of the equation. What you do with what your body tells you is what makes a difference. If you're practicing yoga and your body tells you that you need a break (it wants you to come into Child's Pose), you have the choice to do what it wants, or to push through. This is often the hard part, as it usually involves a power struggle with the mind (which often doesn't want to listen to what the body has to say); but despite this inner dispute, I urge you to try and listen to the body. Then see how it rewards you for doing so. Usually, it does.

As a side note, if you want to learn more about the amazing mind-body connection, listen to this TED Talk by Amy Cuddy, "Your Body Launguage Shapes Who You Are." It's definitely worth a listen [aka mind-blowing]!

My challenge to you today: listen to your body, pay attention, and do at least one thing that it tells you to do. See what happens.

Namaste!
Mary Catherine

As you all probably know by now, music is a BIG part of yoga for me. Yes, this is a somewhat "controversial" topic in the yoga world, and is a totally personal preference, but for me, music is a wonderful part of both teaching and taking class (to read more about this topic, check out this post). So, for those who feel the same way, I wanted to delve a little deeper into the playlist-making topic today. 

Last week, when working with a group of Teacher Training students, one of the students asked, "How do you make a class playlist? Where do you find the music? How do you put it all together?" and it got me thinking. Similarly, I recently got an email from a reader in Portugal (yay!) who asked something similar--she explained that she'd never taken a class with music, and wasn't sure how it would work--"There are no such yoga classes where I live, so I never understood if you link the movements with the music or the music is just for the background."

Since I assume that these two teachers aren't alone in their questioning, I hope to help out by answering these inquiries for my fellow yogis. Obviously, I'm no DJ or music professional, but I do like to think that in my almost 3 years of teaching (wow!?), during which I've made a new playlist on at least a monthly basis, I've learned a thing or two...

1.  Before tackling a playlist, you need a clear picture of your class structure, as the way that you put together your playlist should have a lot to do with your class plan. Here's an example of a class plan (this is a very rough outline of the structure that I use for a 1 hr class):

• 0-5 minutes: Centering
• 5-15 minutes: Warm-up and step-backs
• 15-20 minutes: Surya A
• 20-23/25 minutes: Surya B variations
• 25-40 minutes: Standing flow + balancing poses
• 40-45 minutes: Varies depending on class, usually arm balance or other peak pose + pigeon
• 45-50 minutes: Seated poses and/or backbends
• 50-55 minutes: Backbends and/or inversions, finishing poses
• 55-60 minutes: Savasana + closing

2.  Once you have a class plan (with a general idea of the timing), you can begin to build your playlist around that class plan. What do I mean by this? Think about what type of energy/mood/music you want during each class segment, and try to find songs that create that energy. For instance:

• For centering, I usually go for a very calming song, preferably without words (so that it doesn't distract people). Instrumentals or yoga music with words in sanskrit can be great for this. 
• For Surya A & Surya B, the part of class where we're working to build heat, I almost always opt for really energetic music--something faster, or with a good, strong beat. I find that this helps people get lost in the flow and stay invigorated.
• After Surya A & B, I tend to keep things pretty upbeat for a while, so that people stay energized throughout the standing flow. 
• As class begins to wind down (think seated poses on), I like to begin to slow things back down with softer, more relaxing music.
• For savasana, I always search for a song that is helps people completely let go. This can be a song with or without words, but if it has words, you want to be sure they aren't too distracting or inappropriate for savasana. It's best if you just use one song for all of savasana, as it helps people to relax. 

3.  How do you find good songs/appropriate music? This is the part that takes some time. If you're new to making class playlists, this can be a little more time-consuming, but over time, I promise it gets easier. Here are some tips on how to find good music:

• Start paying attention to the music around you. If you're in another teacher's class and hear a song that moves you, ask them what it was after class and write it down.
• Listen to Pandora (or Spotify) and choose stations or playlists based on artists that you like. When you hear a song that you think would be great for class, write it down.
• Think outside the box: think about artists that you like and listen to their albums with an ear for yoga. Are any of their songs appropriate for class?
• Get on iTunes and search artists that you've heard in class before. If you're stuck, start with common "yoga" music: MC Yogi, Bhagavan Das, Krishna Das, Wah!, Deva Premal, Donna de Lory, Wade Imre Morrissette, etc. Listen to snippets of their songs and download the ones that speak to you.
• Check out other teacher's playlists! Lots of yoga teachers post them on their blogs/websites/facebook pages, etc., so this is a great way to learn about fun music. 
• Download Shazam. When you hear a song you like in a movie, a show, a coffee shop, the car, shazam it and find out what it is. Write it down and put it on your next playlist.
• *Personal method: I have a "note" in my phone where I keep a running list of all songs I've come across that I want to use in my next playlist. By the time I sit down to make the playlist, I'm usually halfway done. It's been very helpful to do it this way and has made the process of actually making a list a lot less daunting.

4.  Over time, I've learned to avoid certain types of music, because you want the music to add to the class, not distract or take away from it. Here are some tips (this is a personal preference, of course, but this is my opinion):

• Avoid Top 40 songs. They're too recognizable and when people start singing along in their heads or thinking about the band/group/singer/pop culture, it can take them out of the practice.
• Avoid overly romantic songs or songs that are obviously about a broken heart, being cheated on, finding "the one," etc. Obviously, this is hard, since SO much music is about romantic love, but if you can, try to find songs that don't spell it out in a way that will bring up romantic emotions for students. Sometimes this can't be helped, as emotions always come up in yoga and it's often not because of the music, but if you play a song about being cheated on and someone in class has been cheated on, it could be pretty upsetting for that student. 
• Avoid songs with curse words, explicit language, lines about death or killing someone, drugs, sex, etc. Try to keep things a little more uplifting and inspiring for your students.
• Include a mix of genres, male/female singers, world music, instrumentals, and Eastern/yoga music. Again, this is a personal preference, but it's really refreshing to mix it up and makes the music just as eclectic and diverse as your students.  

5.  Once you've made a playlist, listen to it the entire way through. If you hear anything that sounds jarring/not quite right, remove the song and replace it with another. Then, once you test it out in class, feel free to make a few more tweaks if it still isn't right. Remember, the music shouldn't be distracting to you as a teacher, either!

Does this help? I hope so. If you need more music ideas or examples of playlists, you can check out my playlists page and the following resources/posts:

• 10 Must-Have Savasana Songs
• Shake Your Asana: Top 10 Yoga Songs 
  
• Shake Your Asana, Volume 2: 10 More Amazing Yoga Songs
  
• The Sound of Music (in Yoga)

Now get to making those playlists! And as always, if you come across a great new artist that you think would be perfect for yoga, please send them my way ;)

Namaste!
Mary Catherine

PS. Happy April!!!

Nothing says Easter like a bunny doing yoga, am I right? 

I'm obsessed with these images--especially the one of the bunny in savasana ;)

All if these amazing drawings were created by the artist Brian Russo. You can check out more of his work on his website, here. 

Happy Easter!

Namaste,
Mary Catherine

Yesterday, I spent the afternoon teaching Teacher Training at Tranquil Space. As always, it was a fabulous experience and I left feeling exhilarated, exhausted and inspired.  To me, there's nothing like a group of students who are hungry for more--who have chosen to study what they're studying because they truly love it-- and who have so much knowledge, experience, and wisdom to share with one another. 

Working with this group of women yesterday (it was all women, which was also very powerful!) got me thinking about a question that I recently received from a reader. So today, I thought we would chat a bit about yoga teacher training, and specifically, some pointers for figuring out whether or not you're ready to dive in. 

Here's the question I received via email a few weeks ago: 

I had a question about the decision to start yoga teacher training. I have been thinking about doing it for probably five years now, but have yet to take the plunge. I practice regularly, but due to time (and money) constraints I mostly practice at home. I know that teacher training would be a great thing for me, but I am having trouble figuring out if I am advanced enough for it...I wanted to see if you had any words of wisdom on knowing when it is right. 

What a wonderful question, right!? How do you know when the time is right to enroll in a teacher training (TT) program? Although I think the answer definitely is a very individualized one, here are some things that I've learned about TT, both from working with teachers and being a teacher over the past couple of years...

Practice "level:" Although I've already shared my thoughts on what it means to be an "Advanced" Yogi, and this label, "advanced," is definitely controversial in the yoga world, I do think that in order to enroll in teacher training you should have some level of comfort with the asanas, or feel comfortable in an intermediate or Level 2 class. This doesn't mean that you need to know how to do every arm balance, inversion, or "advanced pose," as I definitely didn't know these things when I did TT (and still cannot do many, many advanced poses and transitions!), but you should feel comfortable playing with some of the more advanced asanas, or at least pushing your edge and trying them. 

Desire to learn: More important than an "advanced" practice, in my mind, is the true hunger and desire to learn more about yoga. You have to want to try, to push, to learn, to experiment, to study, to devote your time and energy to practicing and teaching yoga. I think this makes one much better prepared to jump into such an intensive study of the subject, and eventually, makes one a much better teacher. When I enrolled in TT I couldn't do a headstand, most arm balances, or many of the more advanced inversions, but I had a hunger to learn everything, and that desire led to my learning how to teach and eventually do these poses over time (many of which I learned how to do during TT!). But to be clear, this desire to learn should be broader than just the asanas--it should also include other aspects of the practice, such as pranayama (breathwork), meditation, anatomy, philosophy, etc. 

Life situation: If you know that you want to do TT and have the time/finances/space in your life to do it now, do it NOW. I know lots of people who had been wanting to do TT for years, but kept putting it off because of one thing or another; then, when they finally do it, it's life changing and they wish they'd done it years ago. If it's something that you know you want to do eventually, but you can do it now, just do it, so that you don't end up feeling like you've wasted many years not following your dreams. I know this sounds cheesy, but if your life opens up a bit and you have space--just enough space to take the plunge and make it work--then do it. 

Studio/training program choice: Most importantly, you should find a program that is the perfect fit for you. If you have a studio or a teacher who teaches the way that you want to teach, try to take TT with them or at that studio. Every studio is different, every teacher is different, and every training program is different, so I strongly suggest finding out which teachers teach the bulk of the training that you're planning on taking, and then, if you haven't already, take their classes to be sure that they teach in a style that resonates with you. I know quite a few people who did their training somewhere without doing a lot of research into the program, and later, had to either take TT over again or augment their training with many other trainings in order to hone the skills needed to teach in the style in which they wanted to teach. Best to figure this out before you fork over a large sum of money and an even larger chunk of your life. 

Test the waters: If you're not 100% sure that teaching yoga is right for you, but really want to try it, enroll in a smaller TT first. This may mean doing a Level 1 training first (for example, at Tranquil Space we have a 33-hour Level 1 that is a pre-req for our Level 2), or a smaller training, like a Prenatal or Karma Kids training, to dip your toe in the water and see if you like teaching. Some people who think they'll love it take a Level 1 first, only to realize that teaching takes the enjoyment out of yoga for them. Doing a smaller training first allows you to check out the experience before making the huge commitment. 

Overall, I guess what I'm saying is TT = a big decision. But also, TT = amazing. 

As you know, it changed the entire course of my life and I am so thankful and happy that I did it. I know this isn't the case for everyone, but I think that if you have a true urge to do it and it doesn't go away, you should do it as soon as you have the space, energy, and schedule for it.

 I hope this is helpful! Makes me want to look into what training I'm going to do next... ;)

Namaste,
Mary Catherine

Hello from the ski slopes! Since I'm off frolicking around in the snow today (I may be enjoying my first skiing lesson as you read this!?), I thought I'd just share a fun video that I recently helped create, breaking down Tranquil Space's March "Asana of the Month," Warrior 3/Virabhadrasana III.

I really love this pose (as I say, rather awkwardly, in the video), because there is just SO much going on in it. Even if it looks somewhat simple or straightforward at first--it's not. You can learn more about the alignment basics of this pose in the following video; just try to ignore my nervous eye-rolling and tippy-toe fidgeting... ;)
 

Happy balancing! I hope you enjoy working on this pose as much as I do.

I promise I'll post some images from my trip soon...but let me just tell you, it is AMAZING here and I am full of awe, gratitude, and excitement. More coming very soon! For now, I'm just trying to live in the present and soak up every moment :)

Namaste,
Mary Catherine

Today, I'd like to introduce you to Mary Beth LaRue. She's a yoga teacher, writer, and "blisscrafter" living and teaching in Venice Beach, CA--and she's totally inspiring. She teaches group classes, travels the world working with professional athletes and creating sustainable, rehabilitative yoga programs, teaches in rehabilitation centers and mental health facilities, and her classes + retreats have been featured in the Huffington Post, National Geographic Traveler and LA Yoga. She's also an ambassador for Lululemon, Manduka, and Yogaearth. 

I 've been reading her blog for a while now, and I can't get enough of her honesty, sense of humor, and straightforward, down-to-earth writing style. So, of course I wanted to learn more. And yes, I have to admit that I LOVE the fact that Mary Beth has a double-name that starts with Mary ;) Also, once we connected, I found out that she used to live in DC and practiced at Tranquil Space (!!!).  Small world, isn't it!?**

Read on for the inside scoop and all things Mary Beth LaRue + yoga...

What's your writing/creative process like?
mmmm, honestly my favorite time of day is morning when i have nowhere to be and i can hang in my jammies for a couple of hours. i make a big cup of coffee or tea, light a candle and sit at my computer and just write. i write best in short bursts, and love incorporating photography, music, art, whatever i can to express how i am feeling.

What's your favorite yoga pose?
anahatasana - love the feeling of opening my upper back and shoulders and grounding my heart. it calms and centers me. i hold it for a few minutes every single day then slide forward into sphinx pose for some big, juicy head circles.

If you could study under anyone for a year, who would it be?
danielle laporte. i am seriously SO inspired by this amazing woman. if you haven't picked up "desire map" or "firestarter sessions" i HIGHLY encourage it. she lights me up.

What's your biggest guilty pleasure?
bubble bath + red wine + chocolate + rainy day soundin' jazz music. i don't even feel slightly guilty about it.

What's your biggest dream for 2013?
a compassionate/loving/healing/sexy/vibrant marriage. (i'm marrying my fiance, matt, in april.)

What's your favorite type of music to practice to? Favorite yoga song?
electronica, soul, killer female vocals. my fave today (this changes often): "wildest moments" by jessie ware.

What's one item that you think every woman should have?
a crew of the best flippin' girlfriends ever. 

How do you try to live a mindful life?
love bravely and honestly. truthful (and even hard) conversations need to be happening constantly in order to do this.
disconnect. walks with my pup and my fiance sans cell phone.
practice daily. whether it's during a meditation or a hike or yoga i practically mindfulness with breath. so important and healing.

Want to learn more about Mary Beth? 
Here are a few quick links:
 
Website: mblarue.com 
Blog: mblarue.com/musings
Facebook: facebook.com/mblarueyoga
Twitter: @mblarueyoga

Thanks for taking the time to tell me all about it, Mary Beth! 

Have any requests for other inspiring people that you'd like me to feature in this series? If so, let me know!

Namaste,
Mary Catherine

One of my favorite parts of every yoga class--whether I'm teaching or taking the class--is at the very end, when we all bow to one another and say "Namaste." This ritual, this very special part of the practice, feels like a total gift, a very connected, personal moment that we all share together.

I am always filled with great gratitude for my students and their energy when I say "Namaste" to them after teaching, and am filled with a similar, yet different, blissed-out type of gratitude for my teachers when I take a class and say it at the end. This greeting or this expression is a meaningful one that has grown to hold great power for me over the years, as I'm sure it has for many of my fellow yogis. 

One of my favorite "Namaste" stories that I heard recently was right after we started selling these gorgeous "Namaste" sweatshirts at Tranquil Space (see the above pic!). The TSA Assistant Manager bought one, wore it home, and her husband looked at her and said, "What's nuh-maiste?" I LOVE this story because it both cracked me up AND reminded me that many people don't run into this word multiple times on a daily basis--for a non-yogi in the West, it's not a typical greeting.

So what does it mean? I actually get this question a lot, and realized yesterday that I'd never actually answered it here--which is ridiculous, seeing as though I use it to sign off from every blog post! The literal translation of the word is "I bow to you," but the etymology and the spiritual translation of the word goes a lot deeper. I've heard a couple of different meanings, but my favorite--by far--is this one:

The light inside of me acknowledges (or bows to) the light inside of you. 

Beautiful, isn't it? I think if we all acknowledged the light, the good, the beauty, the strength inside of each other on a more regular basis (and not just after a yummy yoga class), our daily interactions would be filled with a lot more meaning. 

So with that said...

Namaste,
Mary Catherine

Yoga makes me feel __________________.

How would you finish this sentence? What does your practice give you? If you had to pick one word that describes how you feel when practicing, or after practicing, what would it be? 

What I love so much about  the practice of yoga is that it teaches each of us something completely different--it makes each of us feel something completely different--yet it also connects us all.  

So think about it. Maybe your sentence starts in another way. Maybe it starts with a different activity or practice:

Meditation makes me feel ___________. 
Creating makes me feel ___________. 
Dancing makes me feel _____________. 

Whatever it is that feeds your soul...why do you do it? 
What does it feel like? 

If you'd like to share (And please do! I'd love to hear why you practice!), post your sentence or the word that finishes your sentence to comments. 

Here's what I came up with (I have two!):

Yoga makes me feel EXPANSIVE. 
Yoga makes me feel like the picture above. 

Feeling so thankful for this powerful practice and the many gifts it has brought into my life :)

Namaste!
Mary Catherine