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@omchantress
Relaxing Evening Yoga Practice
A simple evening yoga practice to relax. You can even do it in bed!
Need help figuring out the best way to do yoga postures for you? I offerĀ one on one instructionĀ in person in Catonsville, MD or via Skype.
Download my How to Draw Yoga Stick Figures Course
Black Friday Deals!
10% off all gift cards! Give the gift of yoga or belly dance (or keep it for yourself!)
BELLY DANCE:
2 for $25 drop-in through the end of the year (save $11) BUY NOW
Belly dance 1:1 package: 4 for $200 (save $55) BUY NOW
All you can belly dance through June*: $800 (save up to $150) BUY NOW
All you can belly dance 2019*: $1200 (save up to $300) BUY NOW
*includes all weekly belly dance classes and workshops up to two hours hosted by me, plus 50% off 1:1 instruction and any special events not included in weekly class sessions.
YOGA:
Ongoing Yoga Practice Package- 90 minute consult plus four 1 hour follow up sessions $400 (save $100) BUY NOW
Mentorship for yoga teachers 4 for $300 (save $50) BUY NOW
Yoga troubleshooting: $75 one-time (save $25) BUY NOW
Yoga for You Skype Standard $95 (save $30) BUY NOW
When you purchase your 1:1 sessions, I will email you within 48 hours to set up your appointments. I can wait to dance and practice yoga with you! Please email me with any questions!
Anti Sitting Yoga Practice
Been sitting all day? Try this anti-sitting yoga practice that includes stretches for your hip flexors and strengthens your back to reverse the effects of sitting.
Need help figuring out the best way to do yoga postures for you? I offerĀ one on one instructionĀ in person in Catonsville, MD or via Skype.
Download my How to Draw Yoga Stick Figures Course
Afternoon Pick-Me-Up Yoga Practice
Feeling sluggish? Try this simple practice that includes balance, back bends, and breathwork to reenergize you!
Need help figuring out the best way to do yoga postures for you? I offerĀ one on one instructionĀ in person in Catonsville, MD or via Skype.
Download my How to Draw Yoga Stick Figures Course
#homeiswheretheyogais Instagram Challenge
Join us November 5-10 for #homeiswheretheyogais challenge! Practice simple breath-centric yoga at home! All are welcome! Prizes include: Doll Gear, a 30-min Skype yoga private lesson, and a yoga sequence bundle!
All participants get discounts and free yoga videos at the end of the challenge!
To join #homeiswheretheyogais: Follow and tag @omchantress and @dollyogawear (your hosts AND sponsors) over at Instagram and share your yoga practices with us!
Simple Chair Yoga Sequence
Using a chair for a yoga prop is ideal for practitioners who have mobility or balance challenges and is also a convenient option for a yoga break if you're working at a desk! This video includes tips to get you started with a chair yoga practice! Get a sturdy chair and a be prepared to get creative with using a chair as a yoga prop. Weāll do a few standing poses for balance and backhanding, then sit down for some forward bends.
If you are a yoga teacher and need help incorporating chairs or other adaptations in your classes, or youāre a practitioner looking for a yoga practice to meet your needs, I offer one on one instruction for both!
Posture Analysis: Ustrasana Camel Pose
One thing thatās very helpful when working towards more complex yoga postures is to analyze the posture for points of stress so you can identify simpler postures to use for preparation, as well as select appropriate counterposes to compensate for the stress. In this video, I walkthrough posture analysis for Ustrasana (Camel).
Hereās the sequence I came up with based on the analysis!
Want to learn to draw yoga stick figures? Download my online course!
Default Viniyoga Breath and Breath Centric Yoga
The default Viniyoga breath begins with expanding the ribs and lifting the chest on inhale, and contracting the abs from the bottom up on exhale. You can use this breath to facilitate movement in and out of yoga postures to enhance their benefit.
Learn How to Draw Yoga Stick Figures
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Yoga Q&A: Child's Pose
I got a great question this week:
"In child's pose, should my abs be completely relaxed? If I try to completely disengage my abs I feel like I end up with a sway back"
Short answer: it depends!
Need help figuring out the best way to do yoga postures for you? I offer one on one instruction in person in Catonsville, MD or via Skype.
Download my How to Draw Yoga Stick Figures Course
My #1 Tip for Yoga Teachers
Connect with your "Why" to keep yourself inspired and to give your classes meaning.
I offer mentoring for yoga teachers in person in Catonsville, MD or via Skype! Details and booking.Ā
Updated 1:1 Offerings!
In the past year that I have been focused on offering one on one yoga instruction, I have learned a lot about what is most effective for my clients, and so Iāve updated my offerings to reflect what Iāve found works best.
My goal as a yoga teacher is to empower you to do your own yoga practice. I work with you to develop simple, effective yoga sequences that will fit in with your lifestyle, goals, and preferences.
So, I now offer these yoga practice packagesĀ to get you started! I can do this in person with you at Catonsville Counseling and Wellness or via Skype.
Check out all the available packages or Make an Appointment Online
Yoga Troubleshooting Sessions
I now also offer Yoga TroubleshootingĀ sessions! This option is ideal if you already have an established yoga practice or go to group classes regularly and you just need some questions answered! This is not a full guided practice, but rather an hour where you can get feedback on your alignment (āAm I doing this right?ā), get help adapting yoga postures for injury or other conditions, or have a discussion about yoga philosophy or other topics that arenāt covered in group yoga classes.
Cost:Ā $100/hr or $350/4 Make an Appointment Online I also offer mentoring for yoga teachers and one on one instruction in belly dance. All the details are on my website. Please let me know if you have any questions! Happy Practicing!
Do you ever go to yoga class and wonder "Am I doing this right?" I now offer 1:1 yoga troubleshooting sessions specifically for answering all your random yoga questions!
Yoga Stick Figures Key
Need help understanding my yoga stick figures and scribed sequences? Watch me live draw this key to understanding the notation and abbreviations! Want to learn how to draw yoga stick figures? Download my video course!
The Official Pigeon Rant
A few years ago, I retired pigeon pose from my yoga vocabulary. I donāt practice it or teach it anymore and Iāll tell you why. First, if you are someone who practices pigeon pose, why do you use it? And if youāre a teacher, why do you teach it? Take a moment to reflect on that and read on.
First, letās take a look at pigeon, AKA Eka Pada Rajakapotasana. Iām demonstrating the backbend version of this posture, with my back foot bound. This is also sometimes called āmermaid pose.ā Letās be real. It is pretty! Also, Iām a dancer and so in my world, sometimes we do things that are aesthetically pleasing that are not so great for our bodies, which I think is the case of this pose. For a long time I liked this posture a lot because I felt a stretch in the front of my back hip, and the outside of my front hip. The outer hip stretch was particularly satisfying to me (modeled by my stick figure below).
In my case, I definitely hit my end range of motion in the forward fold version of pigeon (AKA Sleeping Swan in yin yoga). My front hip crease would feel pinched no matter where my leg was positioned and my leg would fall asleep if I hung out there long enough. As you might imagine, it didn't feel good! I quickly learned that I could stretch my outer hip more effectively in other shapes without discomfort. Around this time, I also started studying Viniyoga more intensely and during our teacher training, Gary Krafstow explained that it is not part of Viniyoga tradition, primarily due to the risk of the joints.
Ā So letās take a look at those risks. First, the knee joint (1). This posture requires external rotation of the front hip, and if that degree of rotation is not available, itās going to travel down and borrow rotation from the knee. In a bent position, the knee can rotate slightly, but thatās not itās intended purpose. Due to gravity, your bodyās relationship to the floor forces that leg into deeper rotation and can torque the knee joint. As mentioned, the front hip is in external rotation (2), and of particular concern in the forward bend version, when you tilt forward, there is compression in the front leg hip socket. Some degree of compression is perfectly fine, and even healthy for the joints. Itās likely people who are regular practitioners of this posture are at the most risk of injury to the joint due to repeatedly squishing the head of the femur into the hip socket, potentially causing damage to the labrum. Honestly, I think this is where I was headed with my overuse of this pose. The other problem with the forward bend version of this pose is that it is often used to stretch the glutes passively, which over time can destabilize the SI joint (which I definitely did). Moving back down the front leg to the ankle (3), this is another place where body weight + gravity + floor can cause the ankle to āsickleā or for the outer side of the ankle joint to overstretch and cause soft tissue damage. Finally, letās address the back hip (4). In the back bend version of this posture, the head of the femur is moving forward and the pelvis is tilting back. This can happen in a lot of lunge shaped positions, honestly, but again, the leverage against the floor in this position is particularly problematic. This can cause over-stretching of the hip flexor at the attachment at the femur, as well as damage to the joint itself. In this image you can see how one side of my hip is forward of the other. This asymmetric position is what causes particular strain to the SI joint, especially in the forward bend version where there is more pull on one side of the glutes and low back.
There are lots of yoga postures that are risky, so why am I always giving pigeon such a hard time?
Itās so prevalent in yoga classes of all styles and levels, and itās lazy sequencing. Many teachers will use this to transition from active to passive, from standing to floor, without consideration to how to make this posture safer by proper preparation, sequencing and/or use of props or other modifications.
The risks of this posture so clearly outweigh the benefits. There are much more effective ways to stretch the outer hip, hip flexors and back with significantly reduced risk to the joints.
ItāsĀ a posture that lots of yoga practitioners are addicted to because āit feels good.ā I was in that camp myself until I realized I was literally pulling myself apart and started to experience pain and injury due to instability in my SI joint from going into my end range of motion repeatedly for long periods of time. Back to point number one, if you are a yoga teacher and you are using āit feels goodā to defend your sequencing, that really isnāt good enough. You need to consider the needs of your student. You cannot assume what will feel good to you will feel good or be appropriate for them.
That being said, if you do use pigeon in your classes, there are ways to reduce the risk and introduce muscle activation into the posture. There are plenty of of other yoga teachers who have written about modifications to pigeon, but for me, I donāt think itās necessary so I just donā teach it anymore. Probably this posture is actually safer for people who drop into yoga classes only occasionally, or for people who are very strong with stable joints (athletes) than it is for people who are flexible, avid practitioners and use it all the time.
Hereās a look at godhapitham which is a Viniyoga alternative to pigeon. It includes both the forward and backbend component, with much less risk, and if you incorporate some dynamic movement, you get all sorts of benefit for the glutes, back, quads, and hip flexors.
I think most people tend to use pigeon for the outer hip stretch and so if youāre looking for that, my favorite alternative is figure four AKA reclined pigeon. I'm lazy and don't even pick my foot off the ground, and if I rock side to side a little I can get a bonus massage of my glutes.
For further reading I recommend:
Are we addicted to the pigeon pose (and other āhip openersā) by Olga Kabel at Sequence Wiz
Yoga Injuries: Sleeping/Half Pigeon series at Mindful MVMNTĀ (bonus: many hilarious GIFs)
Do you practice or teach pigeon?Ā What do you think?
How to Draw Yoga Stick Figures Video
I'm so thrilled to announce my How to Draw Yoga Stick Figures Video Course!Ā Yoga stick figures are a simple way to quickly communicate complex information about yoga practice. No artistic skills or prior drawing experience needed! Watch the trailer below and read on for more details or buy your download now!
Why learn how to draw yoga stick figures?
Have an easy reference for practicing or teaching a sequence of postures
Efficiently journal about your personal practiceĀ
Record practices and gain understanding about them by observing the progression of the sequence
Give students a copy of the practice you taught
This online course includes 50 minutes of instruction and how-to:
Draw yoga stick figures step-by-step
Understand the system of drawing stick figures so you can draw ANY posture
Use individual stick figures to illustrate a complete yoga sequence
Indicate breath cues and transitions
PLUS:
A PDF copy of the sheets used in the video
Four worksheets to practice your stick figure drawing
Two additional complete yoga sequences
Links to purchase the tools mentioned in the video
Cost:Ā $45
BUY NOW
Email with link to download materials will be sent within 48 hours.
I am also available to teach this as a workshop for yoga teachers or as part of a sequencing module for yoga teacher training.Ā Contact me for booking.
2018 Belly Dance Practice BINGO
It's time to make practice FUN again!Ā Complete practice tasks every day and win prizes!
Belly Dance Practice BINGOĀ
Complete Details & Registration
The official game runs from August 1st ā 31st, 2018.Ā
You get:
BINGO card and Playbook (PDF)
A practice guide (PDF) full of tips and and inspiration
Invitation to Belly Dance Practice Bingo Facebook Group to exchange support with your peers]
Weekly emails with even more practice tips and inspiration
To play:Ā
Print out your Practice Bingo card. Each time you practice, stamp, highlight, put a sticker, or decorate however makes you the happiest on the square for the practice task you complete. Feel free to do more than one item per day when you practice, however,Ā you may only score one square per day.Ā Then, email me your progress to get your prizes! Confirmation will be sent within 48 hours.
Prizes:
30-day Datura Online Membership, private yoga or belly dance lesson with Flissy, discounts on private sessions. Prizes will be awarded by September 10th, 2018, and must be redeemed by December 31st, 2018.
Single Player & Teacher Packages Available
Register now!
Top 3 Yoga Postures for Every Day
Whether you need a super short yoga break or you need some ideas for what to include in your yoga practice, here are the top 3 yoga postures I recommend for every day.
A simple backbend:Ā Prone backbends, like this simple variation of salambhasanaĀ illustrated above, are great for strengthening the muscles of the low back,Ā improving posture, and even reducing low back pain. Backbends are also energizing, so if you need a pick-me-up, backbends are a great choice!
A simple forward bend: In Viniyoga, forward bends are considered "the hub of the wheel," a place to always return. In this short practice, the simple forward bend compensates for the backbend, stretching the low back gently after exercising it. Doing a simple backbend BEFORE a forward bend also make forward bends more accessible if your back is very tight. The little bit of contract and release in the backbend will help encourage the muscles to relax more.Ā Chakravakasana, moving in and out of child's pose or apanasana, bringing knees to chest while lying on the back,Ā are both great choices. Pick your favorite!
A supine twist:Ā Let's be real, this is on the list because it feels good! WHY does it feel good, though? It's an asymmetrical posture that stretches the muscles on the sides of the spine, as well as the outer hip, chest, shoulders, and neck. Because you're lying down, there's very little effort required and you can let gravity do most of the work.
After the twist, I recommend bringing your knees to your chest for a few breaths to stretch he low back symmetrically, then resting for a few breaths. Finally, sit up and notice the effects!
There are infinite variations on all the above postures! Need help figuring out exactly what's best for you? Book a private yoga session in person in Catonsville, MD or via Skype.
Yoga Video: Compensation for Belly Dance
This yoga practice will compensate for the wear and tear belly dance causes to the low back and hips.Ā Ā I specialize in teaching yoga to belly dancers. Book a session to develop a specialized yoga practice for your personal dance goals! Available in person or via Skype