Category Archives: Alignment-based

January 2012 – Intro to Yoga at Taj Yoga

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I’m teaching an Introduction to Yoga series at Taj Yoga on Tuesday nights starting this coming week. Here are all the deets… eh… details.

Elevator pitch

This five-week introduction series will cover the fundamentals of yoga including alignment, breathing, and relaxation techniques.

When

Date: Tuesdays January 10-February 7, 2012
Time: 7:30 p.m. to 8:45 p.m.

Where

Location: 9250 14th Ave NW,
Seattle, WA 98117. [Google Maps link]
Studio: Taj Yoga Room 1

How much

Cost: $70 for all 5 classes. $130 for two if you sign up together.

Is this class for me?

I’ve designed the syllabus primarily for someone brand new to yoga, or has dabbled in a class or two at a local gym, where the pace is fast and there are a lot of students.

I will focus on techniques–the whys and hows–of the types of yoga poses such as Standing Poses, Back Bends, Forward Bends, Twist, Seated, and Supine (everyone’s favorites).

Because yoga is multi-faceted, I will be introducing some foundational aspects of the 8 limbs of yoga, and so this class would also be appropriate for anyone interested in deepening their knowledge of the techniques and tenets of yoga.

The classes build on each other from week to week, and the goal is prepare you to take ongoing hatha yoga classes with lots of confidence.

What if I can’t make it to all five classes?

If you know you won’t be able to make it to a class, I will prorate the cost of the series and work out a plan to catch you up. Class notes will be sent to everyone about what we covered in class.

Who are you? Why should I take yoga from you?

I’m Nikki. I started yoga via asana at 15, developed a Vipassana (Insight) meditation practice when I was 25, and received my 500-hour certificate to teach yoga in in May of 2010.

My training and practice is heavily influenced by the Iyengar lineage. Techniques, Safety, and Alignment (TSA without the lines) are my main emphasis.

With the proliferation of yoga, there has come the rise of yoga injuries. My classes are small to ensure the techniques and modification are personal and appropriate for you.

And while yoga is more popular than ever, its message still appears to be elusive and esoteric. I have been lucky to catch a glimpse of yoga beyond the bendiness. My goal is to make what seems to be mystical practical to you.

Is this hot yoga?

No.

What other students have said

I just finished a 6 week alignment series with Nikki, and I can’t wait for the next opportunity to take a class with her.

Nikki keeps the class fun, while making sure everyone is working within their capabilities. I especially appreciate that she makes sure to be aware of what injuries or impediments everyone brings to the class in order to best suit the class to the individuals.

And as a bit of a geek myself, I love that Nikki spends the time to explain the whys of each posture, and even each adjustment, rather than just running students through a prescribed series with little or no thought involved.

The class is a great balance of physical postures, breath work, and inner work, leading to a terrifically revitalizing experience. – David Tolmie

I’m in! What do I do?

Hooray! Please RSVP by writing or calling me:

  • Email: nikki @ nikkiyoga dot com
  • Voice/text: 206 . 992 . 0139
  • Twitter: @yogageekgirl

How do I pay you?

You can pay me at the door on the first day of class. I take cash, check, and credit card via a Square reader. I’m not receiving payment through PayPal at this time.

How do I get there?

Taj Yoga is housed inside the old Crown Hill Elementary building, which opened in 1919 with six rooms. Today, it’s home to Seattle Gilbert and Sullivan Society, Arc Ballet School of Dance, Small Faces Child Development Center, and many great movement art programs.

The building is on 14 Ave NW and NW 95th St. There is ample parking. It’s also accessible by bus #75 on Holman Road NW, bus #15 on 15th Ave NW, and bus #48 on NW 85th St.

Here are all the gory detailed directions on how to find Taj studio, including photos.

What if I’m hungry before or after yoga?

The class is 7:30 -8:45 p.m. The general guideline for doing yoga is to not eat about two hours prior to class. However, I’d much rather you have a steady blood sugar level than be so hungry in class you can’t wait for it to end. So, if it’s close to class time and you haven’t eaten all day, please eat. Almonds, bananas, soups, a small peanut butter sandwich are typically good options.

We do also have the distinction of being within walking distance from Holman Road Dick’s, one of six Seattle famous Dick’s Drive-In, which makes for a fine choice after yoga, but probably not before.

If you have any additional questions, please let me know, and I hope to see you soon.

 

 

Yoga News Alert: New Yoga Studio Coming Soon to Richmond Beach

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Yesterday evening, my mom and I went to Richmond Beach for a walk after dinner. As I closed my car door in the upper parking lot of the Saltwater Park, ready to take the wooden stairs down to the beach, I saw, sitting off to the side of the sidewalk, by a tall shrub, a guy sitting on a rock staring off into the Olympic Mountains.

Immediately, I was drawn to the composition of this image; all the elements are there: blood-orange sun setting, mystical-looking mountain peaks, glistening blue ocean, contemplating man. You get the idea. It was one of those pictures you might see on calendars at Barnes and Noble, or on inspirational posters corporate HR people hang up to compensate for the decidedly non-inspiring ubiquitous gray cubicles.

I approached the guy, blurting out, “Do you want a picture taken?” He turned around, studying my mom and me for a moment. “No thank you,” he said, and then followed up, “Do you live around here?” “Just up the hill,” said I.

As if it was the answer he wanted to hear, right on cue, he handed us a flyer, “I’m opening a yoga studio here. You should check it out.” I scanned the yellow flyer in my hand, and thought out loud, “This is really weird. I teach yoga.”

And that’s how I met Glenn Tousignant, who’s opening a new studio in Richmond Beach, a neighborhood in the city of Shoreline, aptly named Richmond Beach Yoga.

My mom taking a picture of the sunset at Richmond Beach Park

This morning I met up with Glenn at the Richmond Beach Park again. We threw a frisbee around and talked about things, mostly yoga and meditation things (shocking, I know). Then after Glenn had had enough of running after my left-handed, embarrassing excuses for frisbee throws, we headed about a mile up the hill, where he showed me the studio space.

I always get a kick out of seeing when things are being built. It’s some sort of egotistical satisfaction of having an insider look at something that’s still coming into existence–unknown to the world–like a reporter getting the first scoop.

I looked at the floor covered in butcher paper and blue painter’s tape, imagining the bamboo hardwood floor underneath. I looked at the ceiling with wires running across, thinking of the decorative light fixtures that will shine down.

Glenn’s business partner is Angeline Johnston, whom I’ve actually met at LakeView Yoga in Bothell, and am happy to find out that she’s currently going through the 500-hour teacher training at Pacific Yoga with Theresa Elliott and Kathryn Payne, where I graduated from.

I have a feeling that these two will put together a great schedule for the Shoreline, North Seattle, and Richmond Beach community. Glenn’s already talking about having daily sits, Restorative Yoga, and he did not kick me out when I mentioned Alignment, so hooray!

“You know what’s crazy, we haven’t even known each other for even 24 hours,” I said to Glenn after he told me about his journey to here, a quaint beach town suburb (he’s from the East Coast, a city boy, etc.). However, he said something that makes me feel confident that Richmond Beach is in good hands.

While we were running around on the buff of the Beach Park, throwing a circular piece of white plastic in the air, talking about yoga styles and all their idiosyncrasy (or syncrazy), Glenn said, “You do yoga to ultimately sit, right. So eventually you just do enough for maintenance [to sit]. Yoga as an addiction is valid.” To that I say, hallelujah, brother.

So, if you live, work, go to school in this part of town, or just passing by, do check out Richmond Beach Yoga when it opens at the end of this month. It’s on 8th NW & Richmond Beach Road, and buses 301, 304, and 348 stop right in front of the parking lot.

I live less than a mile away from the studio, and if Glenn is cool with me not talking about the “English Bulldog determination and Bengal Tiger strength”, but rather stuff like, “Drawing up the inner corner of the outer eyes of the armpit chest”, you might see me show up as a sub from time to time as well.

I’m reminded that just last week, Bizeebee founder Poornima Vijayashanker tweeted about this Wall Street Journal article: Study: Yoga and Pilates Studios Poised for More Growth

If you’re looking to stretch your entrepreneurial muscles, starting up a yoga or Pilates studio may still be a safe bet, despite a profusion of them around the country.

Revenue for this niche is expected to increase over the next five years in the U.S. by an average annual rate of 5.0% to $8.3 billion, according to a report released Tuesday from consumer-research firm IBISWorld.

With that, I wish Glenn, Angeline, and Richmond Beach Yoga lots of success.

Richmond Beach Yoga under construction

Janet MacLeod Workshop Recap

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I live really close to Tree House Yoga, an Iyengar yoga studio in Shoreline, a suburb adjacent to Seattle on I-5 North. This past weekend, Senior teacher Janet MacLeod came up from San Francisco for a workshop, and though I had never worked with her before, I came to see what I could learn from her.

Janet immediately put me at ease with her smile and Scottish humor. She told us stories from classes she’s taught, like when Mr. Universe came to her class all oiled up, and classes she’s taken, like the time she was in a really small class with Geeta Iyengar, and Ms. Geeta “seemed to be everywhere I turned to”, which kept people on their toes (and heels) because, as Janet put it, “usually you’re in class with 800 other people, and you can get away with a thing or two.”

Her jokes made me temporarily forget that I was working really hard. We were in variations of Upavistha Konasana for what seemed like eternity, her instructions for Salamba Sarvangasana put me in the most hardest shoulderstand I’d done yet, and I could barely maintain a seat with Jalandhara Bandha for Pranayama for any respectable length of time.

One thing Janet said that’s stuck with me is about the asana and our resistance: “When you’re doing an asana, there’s always a part of you that resists, that doesn’t want to do it, so you have to work with that.” She said that this is a theme that Prashant, Mr. Iyengar’s son, works with a lot.

This reminds me of an article I recently read about some truths and myths of being fit, in which the author, Daniel Duane, learned from rehab specialist Kevin Brown that: “Somewhere inside every man’s body, there’s a weak link, a weak muscle waiting to fail.” Kevin Brown’s job, working with world-class athletes, was to find the weak muscle, and of course, make it strong.

How true is that for some other things in life too. Sometimes the resistance is more, sometimes less, but it’s always there. For me, waking up at 5 to go to the gym is a daily negotiation. Meditating at least 15 minutes every day? Another struggle. Creating? Designing? Writing in my blog, or writing anything? Pulling teeth. Wisdom teeth.

This is like, some sort of sign for me, who’s constantly working with things like writer’s block and designer’s block and yoga blocks (ha!). The work is clear, in Asana, Pranayama, and in matters off the mat: there’s always something resisting, how can we figure out what it is? How do we work with it?

Gettin’ Waggy With It – A Downward Dog Mini Series

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If you know me in person or have been following my blog, you know I have a thing for Downward Facing Dog. It’s nothing I need to get therapy for (yet), but I *can* talk about the fine details of this pose from sunrise to sunset.

So, this week and next, I’ll be teaching a Mini Dog Series at Village Green Yoga in Issaquah. We’ll be talkin’ techniques, wagging, and inverting for fun and profit.

When: Thursday nights, 7:00 p.m – 8:30 p.m. February 25 and March 4, 2010.
Cost: $15 for drop-in, $27 for both classes.
Where: Village Green Yoga. Google Maps.
Contact: (425) 657-0411. info@villagegreenyoga.com

Yes, savasana will be included

Yes, savasana will be included

Mirror, Mirror On The Wall – Using Mirrors in Yoga

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Lately, I’ve been out and about with the Christmas and New Years Festivities, catching up with friends, reflecting on the old days, planning, hoping, dreaming for the days ahead.

One thing that would undoubtedly come up in the conversation is yoga. “How’s yoga going?”, is a popular question. “Do you teach hot yoga?”, is another popular question. When I emphatically answer no, I would almost always get the follow up question, “What do you think about it?”. Those who’ve heard my stance on hot yoga would even introduce me to a friend, “Meet Lisa, she does a lot of hot yoga.”, “Meet Nikki, she hates hot yoga.”

Um… nice to meet you? (There’s no better way to start a relationship on the right foot than for someone to be told that you “hate” what they spend a lot of time doing.)

Last night at a New Year’s Eve party, I found myself in a conversation with a friend’s fiancée and another friend’s girlfriend about hot yoga, and specifically the use of mirrors. Talking to a friend’s Significant Other whom you do not know very well is actually not that different from being on a first date. You don’t want to talk about anything too confrontational unless you want to make the conversation really short and create some bad blood.

Clearly, I did not observe this rule. Lucky for me, they offered me different perspectives but were also open-minded and nice enough to hear me out on mine, because they both did Tae Kwon Do and could have easily taken me out, and no amount of advanced Pranayama training could have saved me. :)

(As a note of clarity I’m using Hot Yoga and Bikram Yoga interchangeably but always referring to the Bikram style hot yoga where the mirror is in the front of the class.)

A Mirror is A Pneumatic Tool

I’ll start by regurgitating something of a mantra at Taj Yoga, where I study with teacher Theresa Elliott and teach intro to yoga. From the About Us page of the Taj Yoga site:

“Yoga is a pneumatic tool”, states yoga master BKS Iyengar. “It can be used for good, it can be used to harm.” The benefits of yoga for people of all walks of life are innumerable. However, as yoga has proliferated, yoga-related injuries have risen at an alarming rate.

And mister Iyengar said in his book, Light on Yoga:

“Pneumatic tools can cut through the hardest rock. In Pranayama the yogi uses his lungs as pneumatic tools. If they are not used properly, they destroy both the tool and the person using it.”

A mirror is such a pneumatic tool.

The Eye of the Beholder

“What’s wrong with mirrors?”, my new girl friends asked quizzically. It is not that there’s anything “wrong” with mirrors. From my experience, here’s what I’ve seen with mirrors (cheap jokes are the only kinds I’ve got :) ):

A mirror can be used to adjust for alignment. This is a Good Thing for practicing yoga asana. The mirror is a powerful tool to give us feedback on our postures. However, we can very easily slip into self-criticism mode and use the mirror to find flaws, real or imagined ones. In an image-driven and competitive world like ours, it’s a lucky person who has managed to avoid any and all insecurity stemmed from messages of popular culture.

If we were to use the mirror for alignment, that would assume that we know what to check for, which a long-time practitioner would be qualified to do. However, a person brand spankin’ new to yoga does not have the luxury of knowing where the arms and legs go. In this case, the only thing they can do is to imitate others in class and do things that may or may not be appropriate for their body at that specific time.

In addition, experienced practitioners over time will cultivate a certain sense of proprioception and bodysense so that their practice brings them *in* their bodies, and the need to continuously stare in a mirror for the whole duration of the practice would diminish, similar to dancing. A dancer may practice in front of a mirror, but does not need, or use one when the piece is learned.

Naked as We Come – On Self Acceptance

In a hot yoga class, most people are not wearing very much clothes (and the guys are going, woohoo!). You could say that this is the first step towards self acceptance, to see ourselves as exactly who we are without any covering (this is what practitioners of Naked Yoga are motivated by). I am totally open to the possibility that someone somewhere out there is so rock solidly sure of themselves that they could stare at themselves for 90 minutes in the mirror in their bikinis, embracing every inch of their body and all their imperfections.

It is also just as likely that seeing their own body, and then other, perhaps skinnier, younger, more limber bodies in that same mirror will push someone to an even less healthy relationship with themselves. I’ve lost count of the amount of times in a Bikram yoga class that I sized up the class to see who was better or worse than me. I could not wait until my favorite poses were called, so I could show everyone how “good” I was. Of course, I may have looked impressive, but I was merely creating potential injuries in the weak parts of my body.

I can’t remember during the times I did hot yoga (and it was a loong time) if I ever came to any kind of self-acceptance and peace of mind, but I definitely did have more of an urge to be the best, rather than becoming one with anything or anybody.

The Softer Side of Sears… I Mean, Mirrors

Having said all that, I will point out that I’m only speaking from my own personal experience, and my opinion is inevitably flawed and skewed and biased. I will stress this again and again and again. I believe that there’s always a time and a place for everything in life. There is not one prescription, no matter how potent.

Mirrors are just mirrors, it is what we choose to see that can serve us or harm us. They can be an awesome tool for alignment work. But to see, to really see into ourselves, like, in the Avatar movie sense of *see*, to me, they have every bit of potential to hinder as much as they help.

In the spirit of the New Year, here’s to more “I See You”, Avatar style. If you haven’t seen it, it’s a greeting that acknowledges more than just our face and outer appearance. It’s a greeting to something bigger and deeper inside, perhaps not unlike Namaste.

funny-pictures-cat-sees-himself-in-mirror

Nikki Yoga News – Intro Series Starting at Taj Yoga

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Taj Yoga in the Crown Hill neighborhood of Seattle is where I completed my 200-hour teacher training, where I’m currently doing my 500-hour training, and where I have spent many, many more hours studying and refining the craft with senior teacher Theresa Elliott. So, it was a defining moment of my teaching career when Theresa asked if I’d like to teach at Taj.

You know when those cartoon characters get excited and go bonkers with their eyes popping 10 feet out of their skull? Yeah, that’s how I felt.

So, heeere we go! I hereby announce my Intro to Yoga series at Taj Yoga!

Description

This seven-week introduction series will cover the fundamentals of yoga, including alignment, breathing, and relaxation techniques. These classes are progressive and will help prepare you to take ongoing yoga classes with confidence.

Classes are for anyone brand new to yoga and those who may have dabbled in a class or two and would like to start on the right foot (it is ok if you’re left-footed too). They are also appropriate for anyone who has been doing yoga for some time and looking to gain a more solid understanding and foundation.

Dates

Wednesday evenings, 6-7:15pm
7 weeks starting January 13 – February 24
(You can think of it as 113-224 if it makes it easy to remember)

Cost

The normal drop-in rate at Taj is $15
$85 for the whole series for one person ($12.14 per class)
$150 for two ($10.71 per class)

Location

Taj Yoga
9250 14th Avenue Northwest, Seattle, WA
In the old Crown Hill Elementary School building
When you enter the building, take a right and walk down the hall, past the gym. Taj is the first room on your left.

Accessible by bus #75 on Holman Road NW, bus #15 on 15th Ave NW, and bus #48 on NW 85th St. There is also a ton of easy parking around.
View Larger Map

What some students who have taken the series said

“I love that Nikki spends the time to explain the whys of each posture, and even each adjustment, rather than just running students through a prescribed series with little or no thought involved” – David Tolmie

“She is a very technical teacher. Aways fine tuning your poses to make them just right for you. Never in a hurry and always willing to let you try it out on your own pace. Always asking how your body is doing and what it feels to you. She will push you to your limits, but never farther than your body will allow or is unsafe. Plus, she is overall a fun person to be around.” – Chad Adair

Taj Yogo in the Crown Hill neighborhood of Seattle

Taj Yogo in the Crown Hill neighborhood of Seattle

Why We Need Yoga Teachers

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My boyfriend sometimes asks me why I go to yoga class when I’m a yoga teacher myself. The easy answer is that I’m a student first, and there is *always* something more to learn in yoga, it’s a lifetime’s work. Another reason is I cannot see myself when I practice, and the brain sometimes has a funny way of getting confused when it comes to the body. How many of us have turned right when told to turn left?

I’ve been reading Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen by Christopher McDougall, and this quote reminded me of how running is similar to yoga, where in some yoga classes, new students are told to watch someone else and follow along.

It’s a misconception that you can effectively learn yoga this way, and it’s a great disservice to the learning process.

“Everyone thinks they know how to run, but it’s really as nuanced as any other activity,” Eric told me. “Ask most people, and they’ll say, people just run the way they run, that’s ridiculous, does everyone just swim the way they swim?

For every other sport, lessons are fundamental. You don’t just go out and start slashing away with a golf club or sliding down a mountain on skis until someone takes you through the steps and teaches you proper form. If not, inefficiency is guaranteed and injury is inevitable. Running is the same way, learn it wrong, and you’ll never know how good it can feel.” - Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen, Christopher McDougall

Alignment-based Yoga

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I’ve had my car for over four years. After countless rock climbing road trips up and down the West coast, and crossing quite a few state and county lines this past August, my odometer is racking up some major mileage. I started noticing my car wanting to drift towards one side, and my brother pointed out that my right headlight isn’t pointing straight forward, but down, “That’s not very safe, you know” (My little brother, all grown up!)

It’s clear my car needs some TLC after all the hard work I put it through, some wheel alignment, probably, and readjusting the headlight, for sure.

Not knowing much (read: zero) about car maintenance, I did some reading up before bringing my car in the shop. According to this site: wheel alignment improves your handling, makes it safer to drive, increases fuel mileage, and reduces cost. “With all the system components aligned properly, road shock is more efficiently absorbed for a smoother ride.” Hmm… makes sense to me.

Then it occured to me, we are not so different from our cars! We, too, need our tune ups. We need to get ourselves properly aligned for an efficient and smooth ride as well.

When people ask me what style of Yoga Asana I teach, I often say, “Alignment-based yoga”. In actuality, it’s a redundant description. No matter what style we follow, the whole purpose of Yoga Asana is to put our bodies in alignment. You wouldn’t take your car to the shop for any reason other than making it more efficient to drive.