Bright Heart Yoga Studio

2020 was a very long and short year some how. We love connecting with each of you in our virtual classes. And we miss seeing you in person. We know virtual can be really taxing. And there were so many lessons that have been learned being at home. Here is what Annie has to say about what she learned in 2020, "The physical and emotional connection from gathering together in physical spaces in our physical bodies should be cherished and not be taken for granted." We can’t wait to be able to practice together in person. Hang in there friends.

Wheel can be really easy for some (cheers to you ). Jaime demonstrates how to take it up a few notches in your practice by dropping back into wheel. The biggest secret to dropping back into wheel is using your legs. The more weight you can put into your legs and trust your legs can hold yourself up, you may surprise yourself when you start dropping back.

Boat pose can be a tricky pose to land. It requires a lot of core control (not just strength) and hamstring flexibility. In this video, Jackie reviews how to get the most out of your Boat Pose.

Rie will be holding a Chair Yoga Workshop on January 24th. Learn more about Chair Yoga and the benefits of implementing this practice throughout your day.

Your shoulders may feel stiff after a long day of sitting. Watch this video to learn what pose can help you get better shoulder mobility.

2020 - what a strange year of challenged one would have never expected. At Bright Heart, we thank you for rolling with the punches with us and learning the virtual space. We hope to be together in person doing yoga and celebrating in the future. For now, we will keep seeing you on Zoom. And we look forward to sharing some things we have coming up in 2021. We miss and love you all!

Learn two tricks to get your foot to not hurt during balance poses!

Generally, in upward facing dog you want to completely point your feet. However, this may be difficult if you don't have the full range of motion. Watch this Tip Tuesday on ways to work on getting your feet to point in Upward Facing Dog.

We asked our teachers what books they loved. Here are some words from our teacher Alison: The Art of Communicating by Thich Nhat Hanh and Eager to Love by Richard Rohr. Both books gave words to intuitions that I had about how to listen and love in such a way that lessens the suffering of those around me. They are non-hierarchical, radically compassionate, and presence-ing books. What are you reading or planning to read?

Most people don’t follow through with their New Year’s Resolutions - about 80%. Most fall by the way side by mid February. At Bright Heart, we believe steps towards are big goals take small steps. And we also love setting intentions for the New Year. When you have an intention chosen, it helps you get more focused on your goals. Jackie will lead an intention setting class on New Year’s Day at 10:30am. Class will start with a meditation, followed by journaling on your intention and then a yoga practice. Join us for a practice that will leave you feeling empowered rather than caught up in needing to change yourself - you are perfectly you already. Sign up workshops on our website!

What @annieintheback is working on in her yoga practice: Camel drop back to Wheel. It encourages me to practice self acceptance and embrace body limitations. Keep engaging the core and leg muscles. Hug in the shoulder blades and press the chest forward. Allow the collarbones to spread and open thy heart people! Draw in to express out . . . What are you working on in your yoga practice? Share below!

Casey will be leading an hour long power yoga class tomorrow at 3pm followed by meditation at 5:30pm. Be sure to move and breathe tomorrow if you need it - even if you don’t think you need it.

If you aren't sure what to get for your friends or family this season, give the gift of yoga. Or you practice with us and your loved ones are asking what you to get you, ask them to gift you with yoga! Click the link in our bio to get access to our gift cards this holidays season.

Meditation can feel really challenging if you have never tried it before. And if you have tried it, it can be hard to stick to it. One of the most challenging things to do is nothing. Sitting for 10 minutes can feel like a million hours. One of the common questions we hear our students share with us is I always have thoughts when I sit to meditate, how do I stop them? And to that we say, you can't stop your thoughts. You will always have thoughts. The idea behind meditation i...s to be an observer of your thoughts rather than a participant. For example, if you have the thought pop into your head you need to go to the grocery store, you observe that thought rather than participate and start creating a list of everything you need to get at the store. Now, this is no easy feat and definitely takes practice. Some meditations you will be an observer and some you will be a participant. There is nothing wrong about this, you aren't doing meditation wrong. Just remind yourself it is a practice (just like our physical practice of yoga) and some days will be easier than others. Join Casey on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 5:30pm to meditate! See more

Some thoughts on gratitude during the pandemic from Rie and some cool podcasts she listens to! I’m grateful for many things and people which I took for granted in the past when I was rushing through every day. Besides family, friends, yoga and others, I’m thankful for very funny Podcasts. Every episode of Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend and Smartless made me laugh out loud. They helped me manage stressful time and laughter has been the best medicine especially this year.

Finding your focus in class helps to keep you present in your body and in the yoga practice. Drishti, also known as gaze/focus, helps you to create a point of focus in each yoga pose.