By Drew Kellogg | Originally published at Buzzsaw How Yoga Helped Me Discover The Pleasure In Pain I’ll be upfront: though I’ve been called lazy all of my life, it’s not a title that I resent. From an early age, it was clear that I wasn’t interested in many activities, and having…(Read More)
I’ve always had a soft spot for the Charlie Brown kind of Christmas tree. I love the simple beauty, the frailty; the vulnerability. It melts my heart with it’s imperfections. It makes me feel sweet, open, tender and alive, much like a deep heart opening yoga class. It’s in that space I…(Read More)
As the semester draws to a close, I’ve found myself struggling to find stability and balance. The mountain of work that has been piling up has, despite my best efforts to wish it away, failed to magically disappear. Recent and impending travel has left me feeling frenzied, disoriented, and out of my routine. And…(Read More)
After being gone for most of the fall, I am extremely happy to be back in action at Blackbird. I missed the Blackbird community the most, but I also have to admit how much I missed all of the challenging classes. Jumping back into the heat of power yoga and the intense leg-shaking-pain…(Read More)
Love yourself. It’s a common quote. Type it into Pinterest and it’ll appear in a million flowery fonts with several thousand variations on the theme: Yeah, that’s nice, you’re thinking. It’s a cutesy dose of daily inspiration, and it may make you feel warm and fuzzy for a few minutes…(Read More)
If you’ve made your way around the studio in recent months you’ll notice a new and very exciting addition, a stall bar. This structure resembles a wide ladder and offers bars at various heights used for countless strength and flexibility exercises within moderation. Remember – never push your body into a stretch its resisting…(Read More)
The recent Halloween and Day of the Dead celebrations have me in a festive mood, yes, but yoga can offer some easy comparisons to what makes us cringe. Are you afraid of the Intermediate class? I’m here to tell you you don’t have to be scared. First, as the teacher of Thursday’s…(Read More)
As a dedicated yogi and yoga teacher, I’m often asked how I can relate to students new to yoga. Do I really understand their unease? Am I trustworthy? Am I experienced enough? I can understand that skepticism. I have clients come in from all walks of life – college students, retirees, trust funders and scholarships…(Read More)
Create space. In my own yoga practice in recent weeks, this simple, repeated instruction has resonated strongly. Each time I step upon my mat, I dedicate the next hour and fifteen minutes to trying to achieve more space in every way that I can. In my spine, by striving towards that one extra inch in…(Read More)
It’s my Thanksgiving today. I am crashed in bed with my two dogs at my side, snoring with bellies full of turkey from last night’s feast. Usually, I would have been down cleaning the kitchen, doing the laundry and rushing around the house like a mad woman getting irritated at dirt, hairballs, and…(Read More)