Root 2 Rise Yoga

Here are some benefits of walking barefoot on earth, aka earthing or grounding, shared by The Earthing Institute: Reduces stress + pain Decreases chronic inflammation Improves sleep ... Reduces fatigue Improves vitality Accelerates recovery from trauma + injury Improves blood flow When you’re grounded, your body absorbs Earth’s electrons like a sponge. They then move throughout your body, impacting it from the bottom up. THIS SUNDAY, 7/11 at 10am-12pm, join us for Earthing + Yoga by the Ocean in Manhattan Beach! Refresh your with ocean air, ground into earth with your bare feet, splash in the cool Pacific and let yoga help free your mind, breath, body and spirit for pure connection + joyful wellbeing! Sign up at Root2RiseYoga.org/Community-Events

I tend to have quite a bit of fire element. I feel enlivened by adding vigor and challenge to my physical practice. I can sometimes overdo it though, so it’s important to tune into those times when I need to take a step back, cool off and reinvigorate by not doing so much. Do you know which elements tend to be predominant in your mind-body How do you balance their effects on your well being... This week in yoga we’ve been playing with ways to be aware of how nature’s elements affect our mind, body and emotions and how to balance these elements within us. Tonight on Zoom, we play with air and how we use it for connection. Tomorrow’s Yoga in Nature explores the vastness of ether. RSVP to join in Studio City, Sat @11:30! Come use these yoga practices of self-discovery to help harmonize your inner and outer dance: Root2RiseYoga.org/Weekly-Classes If you’re subscribed to Root 2 Rise Yoga’s eNews, check your email! You’ve got some gifts + invites awaiting you!

Happy Wednesday Here’s my most updated Weekly Yoga Class Schedule, in case you haven’t visited Root2RiseYoga.org/Weekly-Classes (Root 2 Rise Yoga’s site) recently. And, today’s Vinyasa Flow moves into the 3rd natural element: . See you at 6pm! Note: Classes at YMCA, NOHO and RLY (Rising Lotus Yoga) must be booked at their studios at their rates.

Saluting the setting sun and meditating together as a community felt magical at yesterday’s Sunset Hike + Yoga! Thank you to our diverse community that came to connect through your practice Definitely more HIKE + YOGA to come! Stay tuned for July’s events here: Root2RiseYoga.org/Community-Events See comments below for our summer weekly yoga class schedule. All classes I offer through Root 2 Rise Yoga (*R2RY) are by donation, welcoming all levels of yoga experience. To ...join, visit Root2RiseYoga.org/Weekly-Classes Classes at *NOHO Y and Rising Lotus Yoga (*RLY) must be booked with the studio at their prices. Subscribe to our eNews to get the latest updates on events, offerings + free wellness resources: Root2RiseYoga.org/Join-eNews PS!! 2021 retreat planning in progress Thank you @justinspov for the beautiful footage!

Cosmo joined in for a quick minute of Dr. Alexander’s teaching on emergency ways to restabilize the nervous system through somatic experiencing. I’m feeling reflective about this last live weekend training of a 6-month Yoga Psychology journey. The collective and individual traumas brought to surface in 2020 urged me to dive deeper into personal shadow work, that is, bringing awareness to what lies hidden in the unconscious mind for the purpose of integration and personal gro...wth. Synchronicity landed me in this yoga teacher training with Ashley Turner to better understand the ways the unconscious mind drives our daily thoughts and actions, like when I’m emotionally triggered as an adult and am suddenly time-warped into a childhood trauma, driven by my deepest insecurities in a flight or fight response. I think the pandemic triggered a global fight or flight response that manifested in each of us in different ways. This fear for our lives may have brought up other deep insecurities that lie hidden from our awareness. And as Baba Hari Dass said to Dr. Alexander: What you run away from will chase after you. Besides simply healing the physical symptoms, like my 3 sprained ankles in less than a year, (all while literally running, by the way!), we can see our body as a wise communicator of what in our psyche may need healing. I’m thankful for the ways that yoga offers us healing both from the outside in, like yoga poses and breathwork, and from the inside out, like through meditation and applying an understanding of yoga‘s teachings of the common mental habits that cause us suffering. As I continue to study and learn on this lifelong path, I hope to be of service in sharing such valuable tools for inner and outer well being. The global healing starts with us, inside.

To help relieve tension in your lower back, hips and glutes, like from sciatica pain, try this 1-hour Gentle Cooling Yin Yoga practice: https://youtu.be/kYVXjuLOnm4

Here’s a simple mantra to root into satya (yogic practice of truthfulness) by recognizing what is real, your true nature. Chant mentally and feel the truth of your words, set to the pace of natural breaths for 5 or more minutes in sitting meditation. Yoga teachings identify 5 Kleshas (root causes of human suffering), and they boil down to forgetting the truth of this mantra, that is, forgetting we are infinite consciousness and not the finite body, thoughts or emotions. Today... ends a weeklong exploration of this Yama (ethical principle) in our 6-days weekly Zoom yoga community classes. To read more about it and how it can apply to your yoga practice both on and off the mat, visit our live weekly-updated blog article about the 8 Limbs of Yoga at: https://www.root2riseyoga.org//the-8-limbs-of-yoga-a-live- May we be happy. May we be free. May we remember our true nature. Sat nam (true self).

TODAY @2pm (after 11am Zoom Yoga): Open floor for anyone that just wants to dance with 2 ladies who LOOOVE to. 3rd song request is still up for grabs! Msg me for passcode.

Still feeling so energized from last night’s Integrative Yoga gathering focused on ALIGNING TO JOY, a topic very dear to me, as for many people I’d think. I could feel such uplifting warmth as our friends recalled a joyful memory during our meditation, even though they weren’t shared aloud, and to listen and share in insightful conversations. I hope you (who’s reading this now) give yourself moments throughout each day to truly remember that we are never alone and that there... are constantly so many elements at work rooting for us to thrive, even when we’re in pain or suffering or can’t physically see those elements. Trust that you (we) are deeply loved and ARE love, and are instruments of love, especially when we allow ourselves to authentically align to pure joy. Just notice your energetic presence when you are in a pure state of joy, like the kind that makes a newborn baby just spontaneously and infectiously belly laugh. In your moments of utter joy, you too are a powerful conduit of Love. If joy were like a dear friend that was coming to visit your home at any moment, you might choose to de-clutter your place and create an inviting space. As we journaled and chatted about last night, How do you allow yourself to be available for joy daily and throughout each day? This is not to be confused with faking it or resisting any non-joyful emotions. Rather, what are your practiced tools, rituals and strategies to consciously empathize with any inner hurts, nurture your needs and renew the Love that wants to flow through you? Or, what do you do everyday to intentionally activate joy? May your joy and love of Life be contagious! Our next Integrative Yoga Night is 1/28, and we’ll focus on Living in Balance. Come connect with us! RSVP at: Root2RiseYoga.org/Community-Events Mista President - Souljazz Orchestra

6 DAYS 'TIL 2021! Today's 10-Min. Morning Yoga with Michelle is "Core & Balance," available at: https://youtu.be/KUv4xSMS1NQ Here's a prompt for self-inquiry meditation or journaling: What are my strengths, passions and loves that I feel confident about?... Comment about your practice today below, and receive a free entry in our New Year's Day Raffle! #yogamorningritual #morning10

Hola, amigos! Neck and shoulder tension is a common physical area we addressed in this deeply relaxing Yin class on Zoom. If you could use some relief there and other aspects, like your mind, here’s a free hour session for you to practice at home with. And if you found it helpful, please share your support for this continued free online yoga offering by subscribing to our YouTube channel, where you’ll get first access to our recordings of 6-days weekly yoga classes. Thank you, and I hope your body and being do too. https://youtu.be/pAeV508av1I

Wishing you all peace and a heart full of belly laughs #yogacommunity #communitylove #santashelpers #yogatribe #sillydogs #letlovelead #smilefromyourheart #happyholidays2020 #innerpeace #veganfriendly #soulfulliving #peaceandlove #laughterismedicine #heartfulness #livingyoga #pradipakshabhavanam #seeclearly #spreadlove #holidaycheer #mayyoubehappy #choosejoy #happyhealthyholidays

7 DAYS "TIL 2021! Today's 10-Min. Yoga with Michelle is "Energizing Flow." Click to view at: https://youtu.be/bo4FfmFh3E0 A self-inquiry you might meditate on or journal about is, "If I had access to unlimited resourcestime, energy, money, support, etc.-- I needed, what would I not hesitate to do? How would this experience feel?"... #yogamorningritual #morning10

NEW CLASS ALERT January 14 & 28 at 6-7pm Pacific Time My intention for facilitating Integrative Yoga Nights is to cultivate the habit of deeply listening to wisdom within and integrating the various limbs of yoga to awaken insight and inspiration and empower ourselves with heart-centered conversation for clarity and inspired action in our daily lives. Each night addresses a different topic, which informs our mind-body practice, such as specific energy centers to focus on ...rebalancing. 1/14 is about aligning to joy. 1/28 focuses on living in balance. Your unique perspective and experience enrich the conversation and contribute to our expanded consciousness as a community. Have ready pillows, blanket, yoga props (ie. Slumber party toys), a journal, pen and willingness to connect. Anyone interested is welcome. Simply RSVP to receive Zoom access at Root2RiseYoga.org/Community-Events Got any topics you’d like addressed in February? PM me or comment below.

8 DAYS 'TIL 2021! Here's today's Morning 10-Minute Yoga Practice with Michelle Chua, "Wring it Out": https://youtu.be/PbhZmcwr71g Here's a question for your self-inquiry meditation or journaling: Into what aspects of my life would I like to welcome flow, clarity and ease?... If you'd like a free raffle entry to our New Year's Day Raffle, comment about today's practice below.

Need to Relax and Feel Inner Peace? Yin Yoga is based on ancient Chinese philosophies and Taoist principles that pathways of life energy (call it Qi or prana) run throughout our bodies. Through sustained deep-stretch postures, we open any blockages of energy and allow it to flow freely, affecting our vitality. Yin poses target deep connective tissues, like fascia. Restorative Yoga focuses on completely relaxing the body in prop-supported physically opening postures for a few ...minutes at a time in stillness. It’s a practice of surrendering the mind, body and spirit to rest. Pairing these two physical yoga practices with yogic breathing techniques that relax your nervous system, we set the tone for slowing the thought patterns to follow suit. In silence and stillness through meditation, we reconnect with our true nature, the ever-loving core of who we are, or the deep presence within us that’s beneath the talking mind or physical body. This is our practice every Tuesday 6-7:05 PT and Thursdays, 1/14 & 1/28, 6-7pm PT on Zoom offered by donation. Anyone (including beginners) is welcome to join us by visiting Root2RiseYoga.org/Weekly-Classes Please request passcode at least an hour prior.

So beautiful! Parents, have fun moving with your kids