Daily Greens from The Green Yogi

Meet Pam our Green Yogi of the Month!We are so excited to honor her as our Manduka Sponsored Yogi of the month for July! Since April Pam has taken over 60+ classes and has been killing it during our Summer Detox Yoga Challenge. Congratulations Pam!  We are honored to have you in our yoga family! Read on to Be Inspired, Kelly

OCCUPATION:  Business Management Consultant/Mostly Retired (lucky me)

NICKNAME: Pam

FUN FACT ABOUT YOU:  I am an inveterate traveler.  If ever I go missing you will likely find me in Turkey, Greece, Spain or somewhere else on the Mediterranean

WHO IS YOUR FAVORITE INSTRUCTOR AND WHY? I became an avid fan of the studio beginning in January 2014 so was mainly exposed to Amy and Chelsea.  Every instructor I have had at The Green Yogi has been exceptional, but Amy and Chelsea are the ones who inspired me with their constant smiles, warmth, solid instruction, spirituality and encouragement.

WHAT IS YOUR INTENTION FOR YOUR YOGA PRACTICE?  To make it a lifelong habit.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE YOGA POSE?  Headstand, especially because I am still working on it.

WHEN YOU AREN’T ON THE MAT, WHERE CAN WE FIND YOU? Riding my bike, running, at the beach, hiking in Sun Valley, Idaho, or enjoying a live music event somewhere in LA.  I could turn up just about anywhere =-).

WHAT SONG SHOULD BE ON EVERY YOGA PLAYLIST?  This is tough, don’t make me pick just one…I like selections from Moby and Buddha Bar music.  Breathe is a great one, though I don’t know if I’ve ever heard it played in class. =-)

WHAT INSPIRES YOU?  The sound and sight of the ocean, the abundant sunshine, and energetic people who are focused on goals but are living every moment to its fullest.

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN PRACTICING AND HOW HAS YOGA IMPROVED YOUR LIFE?I have dabbled off and on – mostly off for probably 5 years, until finding The Green Yogi.  The day I walked in to learn more about the studio, I was immediately impressed with Rachel’s inclusive, friendly and warm welcome; I knew I had found the place for me.  Every day I attend a class I feel refreshed, energized, emboldened, confident and happy.

Why do yogis go upside down? Because it’s fun and also really good for you too! The practice of yoga is great because it helps to challenge our preconceptions and open ourselves to new experiences. Going upside down definitely qualifies as a new experience plus there are tons of health benefits to boot!

The Green Yogi will be hosting an Intro To Inversions with Tamal Dodge this Saturday May 31st from 12:30-2:30! click here to sign up now!

Here are some of the extraordinary health benefits you’ll experience when you introduce and increase inversions in your practice!

Inversions reverse the blood flow in the body and improve circulation:
Work smarter, not harder! Use gravity to provide the brain with more oxygen and blood thus increasing mental functioning, and improving concentration, memory, and processing abilities.

Increase immunity and prevent illness:
The lymphatic system is a key player in keeping the body healthy. As lymph moves through the body they picks up toxins and bacteria to be eliminated by the lymph nodes. Because lymph moves as a result of muscle contractions and gravity, getting upside down allows lymph to more easily travel into the respiratory system where much of the toxins enter the body.

Energize:
Feeling that 4pm slump coming on? Get upside down! Heating inversions such as handstand and forearm balance get more blood moving to the brain, which results not only in physical invigoration but mental revitalization as well.

Relax:
While the heating inversions (handstand and forearm balance) energize, inversions of the cooling type (shoulder stand & legs up the wall) work to calm the nervous system, thereby activating the parasympathetic nervous system and producing feelings of balance and calm.

Improve balance:
Once balancing on one or two legs has been mastered, the obvious next step is finding equanimity on hands and head.

Increase core strength:
Shoulders and arms—especially for women who tend to be stronger in the lower body, inversions create body balance by developing upper body strength.

Build confidence:
While that first kick up into handstand might induce varying levels of trepidation, once we “get it”, that upcoming job interview suddenly doesn’t seem so daunting.

Stay humble:
And before we “get it”, those many attempts remind us of how much more we have to learn, and how truly it is about the said “journey” not simply the destination.

Literally give us a new perspective on life:
As we become accustomed to reacting to our world in a predictable way, inversions teach us through metaphor that there is always another way to approach the situation/person/problem.

Inversions are fun:
Inversions reintroduce us to our inner child and remind us that while yoga is a contemplative endeavor in many ways, the asana practice is also a time to be playful and light hearted!

If you made it to the end of this post on why inversions rock we hope to see you at The Green Yogi in Manhattan Beach this Saturday at Tamal’s Workshop!

Be Inspired,

Kelly

Meet Scott Briggs, our manduka sponsored Green Yogi of the Month for June! Scott is relatively new to yoga but has really dedicated himself recently to give it his best effort and learn. He wanted to get a better range of motion and correct the imbalances that have built up in his body over time as well as set aside time to meditate, and yoga really helps him do just that. Congratulations Scott!  We are honored to have you in our yoga family!

OCCUPATION:  Attorney in solo practice.

NICKNAME:  I have always been Scott.

FUN FACT ABOUT YOU:  I play a lot of paddle tennis, and I recently got back from an amazing trip to Argentina and Uruguay.

WHO IS YOUR FAVORITE INSTRUCTOR AND WHY?  I have taken great classes from a lot of the instructors, but I really enjoy Tamal’s classes.  I have been going to his Monday class, and it is the perfect way to start the week and really challenge myself.   I do end up in child’s pose a lot, but that’s cool.

WHAT IS YOUR INTENTION FOR YOUR YOGA PRACTICE?  Calming my mind and letting go of the mental chattering.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE YOGA POSE?  Pigeon pose is my favorite because it is a challenge to keep my mind calm, breathe, and stay in the pose.  I also have really tight hips from sitting all the time, so I get a lot out of it.

WHAT INSPIRES YOU?  My younger brother is a big inspiration to me.  He has done a lot of hard to work to make a positive change in his life.

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN PRACTICING AND HOW HAS YOGA IMPROVED YOUR LIFE?  I am pretty new to yoga.  I have taken a few classes over the years, but for the past two months I decided to really give it my best effort and learn.  I wanted to get a better range of motion and correct a lot of the imbalances that have built up over time.  I have also been trying to set aside time to meditate, and yoga really helps me do that.

Mother’s Day is this Sunday, how are you celebrating?

At The Green Yogi we’ll be celebrating all mommas with Power Vinyasa Flow and Yin classes all weekend long and instant gift certificates! Pick one up for all the moms in your life online or at the studio and let us honor the important ladies in your life!

Be Inspired,

Kelly

image via manduka