“It” can be defined as travel, yoga, life, etc. Here at The Road Les Traveled, we couldn’t agree more. I could write for an entire lifetime trying to define yoga and there will always be more to learn. Maybe this is why yoga can feel like an impossible or intimidating feat. I find beauty and comfort knowing that I don’t need to run full speed ahead because there is no finish line to cross. I hope this read inspires you to roll out a mat, move in a new way, or begin your very own yoga journey. Let’s treat this introductory course as an appetizer to a bottomless buffet where any and everyone is welcome. 🙂

Wherever you are, find a comfortable seat or stance. Focus on the physical connection to the ground below your feet or your sit bones. Allow the energy from the earth to transmit to and tingle at your feet.  As you inhale, envision the energy traveling through your body…up your spine, vertebrae by vertebrae. Hold at the top.

Exhale… soften your belly.

Drop your shoulders from your ears. Release your tongue from the roof of your mouth. Soften the space between your eyebrows. Begin to deepen your breath. With every inhale, imagine your breath filling you up from the bottom to top like a glass of water…starting at your feet bubbling all the way through the center of your body to the top of your head. As you exhale, follow the air flow as it trickles down your center line. Allow your thoughts and physical tension to waterfall away with your breath that empties all the way down to your toes. Inhale….. fill up fully. Exhale….. let it go.

Welcome back. Let’s swan dive in. 

Who can practice yoga?

YOU! Congrats. You just connected your mind, body, and breath and therefore completed a moment of yoga. Yoga is both a universal and personal practice. Every single human being is capable of practicing yoga. It is as accessible as air. The use of props (magical little tools in the form of blocks, straps, blankets) are equally beneficial for seasoned yogis who want to deepen a pose and beginners who want to modify a pose to create more space.

Similarly, it doesn’t matter what inspires you to roll out a mat. If a 30-minute savasana is the name of your game or if you want to get upside down because you saw a picture of a pretty blonde in a handstand on a tropical island…POWER TO YA! I firmly believe this practice will give you what you need, even if it’s not what you were looking for. Yoga and life. Quote me.

What is yoga?

Yoga is the union of physical, mental and spiritual practices originating in India 5,000-10,000 years ago. It’s not a religion, and it has little to do with looking better in a bikini, although sure, that’s a perk I suppose. In its purest form, yoga is raising consciousness on all levels.

There are many styles of yoga with Hatha yoga being the umbrella term for any type of yoga that teaches physical poses. Other styles include (from less physically demanding to more physically demanding) Restorative, Yin, Ashtanga, Bikram, Iyengar, Vinyasa, Hot Yoga, the list goes on….

Where to begin?

Without being too open-ended, you can begin anywhere. Seriously. Yoga can look like laying on the floor with your eyes closed listening to your breath for 5 minutes. Roll up your mat and call it a day. It can look like a 90-minute sweaty, dark room with intense breathing and chanting. The most common places to practice yoga are a studio, an online platform, or at home without guidance. The only way yoga will stick is if it feels good in your body, so it’s important to find your practice. 

I heard your requests and will soon be sharing some yoga classes on my YouTube Channel. Until then, here are online platforms from my yoga teachers – Rachel Brathen & Lara Heimann. Ode to the 2 warrior women with very different styles, but similar and contagious love for movement. They carved me into the yoga teacher I am, and I will be forever grateful for my t2 teachers, 23 days, 52 sisters… and endless amounts of chickpeas my Island Yoga YTT gifted me.

When should you practice yoga?

You do not need to roll out your mat at 5 AM every day to be a ‘good’ yogi. I like to practice on an empty stomach or a few hours after a meal. First thing in the morning or pre-dinner. But, you can also catch me with my legs up the wall in an airport or shoulder rolling through an airplane aisle. To each their own, but if you’re going to a studio spacem, the most packed classes will probably be between the hours of 7AM- 11AM & 5PM-7PM.

Find the WHY

If I haven’t yet convinced you to give down dog a go, below are the black and white (and pink) facts of how yoga can benefit your mental and physical health:

Yoga Improves  ⊕ Flexibility ⊕ Muscle strength & tone ⊕ Sleep quality ⊕ Respiration ⊕ Energy ⊕ Vitality ⊕ Cardio & Circulatory health

Yoga Reduces – Risk of injury – Stress – High blood pressure – Symptoms of depression – Symptoms of asthma – Hangover symptoms

How to quiet your mind

*Spoiler alert* The mind does not shut off. Mine doesn’t at least! If you’ve cracked that code, please feel free to share with the class. Even if I don’t remember my dreams, that sucker was running through the night! The goal of yoga is not to shut off your mind, but instead to turn the volume down.

In my own practice, I like to imagine my thoughts like clouds… stay with me. When I was little, I would watch the clouds with my grandma for hours. First I bring my awareness to my breath, then I imagine watching my thoughts come and go like clouds in the sky. Become the viewer of your passing thoughts without running with and/or holding onto any thought for too long. Store the ones that serve you and let go of those that do not. Allow them, for a moment, to occupy your sky. Name the shape, then wish it well on its journey out of your head.

6 Tips to Inspire a Positive Yoga Practice

1. Arrive early. Hi, I’m Lesley and I am perpetually 5 minutes late to everything EXCEPT yoga. You know that look you get from the lady at the airport gate when you’re the very last one to board the plane with sweat dripping down your body and one too many personal items? Well, that does NOT compare to the guilt you feel tiptoeing through the intro of a yoga class and asking a very peaceful yogi to scooch over. Learn from my mistakes… arrive fifteen minutes early, get a good spot, introduce yourself to the teacher, and be the peaceful yogi for the class intro, not the panicked one 🙂
2. Practice around. Try multiple studios, different teachers and varying styles until you find a teacher you resonate with. It took me not one, not two, but three classes to actually enjoy a 60-minute flow.
3. Dress comfortably. There is nothing worse than wearing a shirt that falls over your head every time the teacher cues ‘down dog.’ Wear comfortable clothes that hug your body enough to let you flow freely without worry.
4. Leave your phone far away from the mat. Most yoga studios have cubbies or lockers to leave your belongings. Be sure to turn the sound off and tuck your phone away. The only thing more awkward than arriving late to class is having your phone ring VERY loud during savasana. If you’re practicing at home the temptation is very real, but all the distractions will still be there 60 minutes later, I promise.
5. Leave expectation in the cubby with your phone. The teacher, the flow, the speed, the music, your neighbor’s practice, your own ability…. the list goes on. This one is easier said than done. To be honest, I’d like to say the more you practice, the easier this becomes…but that simply isn’t true.
6. Listen to your body. Allow a teacher’s words to guide you, but your body is the best teacher. A good yogi is one that listens to their body…even if some days look very different than others. My absolute favorite yoga pose involves closed eyes, nature, and 2 blocks supporting me and a lot of relaxing. If something hurts, take it easy. If something feels good, go further. If you like the song, DANCE. Your mat, your practice, your body. The reason we turn the mind’s volume down is so you can hear what your body has to say.

FREE YOGA ALERT! In addition to the guided meditation at the beginning of this post, I’m breaking down Sun Salutation A a.k.a Surya Namaskara (SOOR-yuh nah-muh-SKAR-uh)  + 6 easy poses to ease you into yoga or just inspire you to move 🙂 

Tadasana: Inhale, raising your arms overhead with a neutral pelvis. Reminder not to flare your ribs here and allow your shoulders to come away from your ears. Greet the sun!

Swan Dive: Exhale, hollowing our your belly and connecting down into the earth.

Forward fold: Allow gravity to take over. Note that a slight bend (or even deep bend) in the knee here is welcome.

Halfway lift: Inhale and lengthen your spine with a lifted gaze and a flat back. 

High plank: Exhale, planting your palms at the front of the mat, shoulder width distance apart while stepping your feet into plank pose at hip width distance behind you.

Chaturanga: Keeping your legs straight and pushing into your toes, lower down 1/4 of the way towards the floor similar to a low push-up.

Cobra/Up Dog: With an engaged core, flip your toes and keep your thighs off the mat while pushing the ground away beneath you with straight arms. Carve your chest forward. Note to keep your shoulders away from your ears and open your collarbones. Relax your glutes. Option to also put your knees on the mat here.

Down dog: With an engaged core, lift your tailbone towards the sky, press into the palms of your hands while pressing your thighs back. Create lots of space here. Note that a healthy bend in the knees is very acceptable, and nobody ever said your feet must touch the mat. 

Walk to front of the mat 🙂

Halfway lift: Inhale and lengthen your spine with a lifted gaze and a flat back.

Forward fold: Allow gravity to take over. Note that a slight bend (or even deep bend) in the knee here is welcome.

Reverse swan dive: Ground through your feet, engage your belly and move from your core. Reverse swan dive all the way to stand keeping the integrity of your spine. 

Tadasana: Raise your arms overhead with a neutral pelvis. Reminder not to flare your ribs here and allow your shoulders to come away from your ears. Hello, again sun!

Some Favorite Poses

Child’s Pose: Touch your toes together and option to bring your knees mat width apart. Put weight in the tops of your hands to keep this pose active and forehead reaches towards the mat. If you’re forehead doesn’t touch, don’t fret! Grab a block to bring the floor up to you. 

Cat: Actively pull your belly button towards your spine, tuck your tail, round your back, and curl your chin into your chest. 

Cow: Drop your belly to the floor, create space between your collar bones, arch your spine and keep a comfortable gaze. 

Bridge: Lay on the ground with soles of the feet close enough to your bottom that you can tickle your heels. Wiggle your shoulders under your body and to ensure you stay grounded in your shoulders and back of your head. First, engage your belly and glutes to protect your back. Place the weight in your feet to and push into bridge. Option to interlace your fingers under your sacrum. 

Heart opener:Take this one at your own pace and know that you do not need to get into the fullest expression of a pose to feel the benefits! Camel pose: Starting on your knees, find a neutral pelvis and neutral neck. Keep your gaze forward. First interlace your fingers behind your back finding a gentle heart opener. With shoulder blades together, option to transition your hands onto your lower back pushing your pelvis forward. From here, option to bring one hand to your heel then the other. Head falls back if comfortable. Transition out of this pose as mindfully as you entered to protect your body.

Savasana: LET THAT SHIT GO! Take up a lot of space, allow your feet to splay to either side of your mat, palms facing the sun (receiving) or the earth (grounding), soften every part of your body, let go of any breath patterns, and soak up the benefits of your yoga practice. Suggested lenght of time for this pose is 5 minutes for every 30 minutes of practice.  

Your Turn! Tell me about your yoga practice below!

To read more about yoga, check out My Yoga Teacher Training at Island Yoga and Favorite Yoga Mats!