“There is an old Sanskrit word, LÎLA, which means PLAY. Richer than our word, it means divine play, the play of creation, destruction, and re-creation, the folding and unfolding of the cosmos. LÎLA, free and deep, is both the delight and enjoyment of this moment, and the play of God. It also means love.⁣ ⁣ LÎLA maybe the simplest thing there is— spontaneous, childish, disarming. But as we grow and experience the complexities of life, it may also be the most difficult and hard-won achievement imaginable, and it’s coming to fruition as a kind of homecoming to our true selves.” -Stephen Nachmanovitch, Free Play ⁣ ⁣ Join me Friday, July 24 at 4PM Central Time (Chicago) for a fun and playful practice. A 90 minute mixed levels class. Link in my bio for Zoom link and payment info. If you are experiencing financial hardship during this time, let me know. No one turned away for lack of funds. Hope to see you! 🙏🏾⁣ ⁣ 🎧 Music by @atropolis “Tudo Bem”⁣ ⁣ ⁣ #freeplay #stephennachmanovitch #carrieowerko #carrieowerkoinspired #permissiontoplay #stabilityandmobility #stabilityandstrength #yogizain #onlineyogaclass #zoomyoga #yogaonline #yogaathome #yogaduringquarantine #practiceyoga #practiceplay #tudobem⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ https://www.instagram.com/p/CDAp46FJSsp/?igshid=18yntabibbg5r

I think it was Einstein who said creativity is intelligence having fun. That’s how I feel practicing with @carrieowerko ✨ If you haven’t had the chance to check out her new online platform THE PLAYGROUND, I highly recommend you do. An awesome resource of material for all kinds of practice including mobility and stability, coordination and motor control, functional movement and all sorts of ways to build strength and resilience in the body and mind. 👊🔥 Plus free live online classes for members! ⁣ ⁣ 🌐 visit www.CarrieoOwerko.con⁣ ⁣ 🎧 Music by #AnotherBadCreation “Playground” ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ #carrieowerko #permissiontoplay #carrieowerkoyoga #playfulpractice #stabilityandmobility #coordinationdrills #motorcontrol #functionalmovement #mindbodymagic #yogizain #yogapractice #theplayground (at Gainesville, Florida) https://www.instagram.com/p/CAHNQrZpZ0R/?igshid=172kyu87pz5v1

Some teachers come along our path to help us see outside the box. And then there are those rare and exceptional teachers that come our way to show us there is no box! 😵 That’s how I feel after studying and practicing with @carrieowerko. This last intensive in LA left me with a lot of question and doubt about my approach to yoga. Not the kind of doubt that leads to despair, but the kind of doubt that brings delight. I am currently feeling a major shift in my teaching and how I go about sharing this mind-body practice with students. Am I really a teacher? Are they really even my students? What do I really know to help anyone any more than they can already help themselves. What really is pain? How do I really know to help anyone with their injuries? What defines an injury?! What’s a yoga pose and how did it originate?? What’s correct form and proper modification? What does it even mean to “correct” a student? 😲😳🤔 ⁣ ⁣ I am highly doubtful there are any “bad” movements or “wrong” postures. The human body is a complex creature of movement and it moves in all directions and it composes itself in infinite forms. ⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣ All I know is to keep life in balance one must keep moving. Balance is a dynamic experience. As Carrie teaches, movement is medicine and motion is best the lotion. Stability is mobility and vice versa. ⁣Thank you Carrie for helping me live the question 🌀⁣⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣ Music by @Prettylights “Finally Moving” ⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣ ______________________________________________________ ⁣⁣ Upcoming Workshops in So Cal: ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣ Vinyasa Krama⁣⁣⁣, the Iyengar Yoga way⁣⁣⁣ March 24th - Costa Mesa @yogaworks_oc ⁣⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣ Power of Practice with the Chair Prop ⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣ March 30th - Huntington Beach @kaya.yoga.remedy ⁣⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣ www.zain.yoga⁣/workshops⁣⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣⁣ #yogamovement #movementismedicine #motionisthelotion #carrieowerko #yogainspo #thinkoutsidethebox #thereisnoboxtothinkoutsideof #yogizain #yogatacher #questionyourself #prettylights #finallymoving #yogamoves #dynamicyoga #stabilityandmobility (at Los Angeles, California) https://www.instagram.com/p/Buc7_gCBzSA/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=s32p5st8ln4w

Some teachers come along our path to help us see outside the box. And then there are those rare and exceptional teacher’s that come along our way to show us there is NO BOX! That’s how I feel after studying and practicing with @carrieowerko. This last intensive in LA left me with a lot of question and doubt about my approach to yoga. Not the kind of doubt that leads to despair, but the kind of doubt that brings delight. I am currently feeling a major shift in my teaching and how I go about sharing this mind-body practice with students. Am I really a teacher? Are they really even my students? What do I really know to help anyone any more than they can already help themselves. What really is pain? How do I really know to help anyone with their injuries? What’s correct form and proper modification. What does it even mean to “correct” a student? I am highly doubtful there are any “bad” movements or “wrong” postures. The body is a complex creature of movement and it moves in all directions and it composes itself in infinite forms. ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ All I know is to keep life in balance one must keep moving. Balance is a dynamic experience. As Carrie teaches, movement is medicine and motion is best the lotion. Stability is mobility and vice versa. ⁣Thank you Carrie for helping me live the question 🌀⁣ ⁣⁣ Music by @Prettylights “Finally Moving” ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ Upcoming Workshops in So Cal: ⁣⁣ Vinyasa Krama⁣⁣⁣ March 24th - Costa Mesa @yogaworks_oc ⁣ ⁣⁣ Power of Practice with the Chair Prop ⁣⁣ March 30th - Hunting Beach @kaya.yoga.remedy ⁣ ⁣⁣⁣⁣ www.zain.yoga⁣/workshops⁣ ⁣ #yogamovement #movementismedicine #motionisthelotion #carrieowerko #yogainspo #thinkoutsidethebox #thereisnoboxtothinkoutsideof #yogizain #yogatacher #questionyourself #prettylights #finallymoving #yogamoves #dynamicyoga (at Los Angeles, California) https://www.instagram.com/p/Buc7_gCBzSA/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=apjgvt9jlbl1

When I first learned this intense plantar flexion of the feet and toes from Carrie Owerko last November at the Montreal workshops, I thought this is the devil’s pose! Not only did it feel like my toes were going to snap, but also the arch of my foot would keep cramping. I thought it would be impossible to hold this pointed toes malasana like squat. I know it may sound cliche like but Carrie told me it takes practice, just like anything else. Even though I didn’t enjoy it at first I knew my feet felt so much better after. Better in the sense of a kind of deep cleaning for all of the 26 bones and 33 joints in each foot alone! And a big ankle stretch. I felt a soberness in my knees and hips after when walking around. ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ For those who take interest in understanding the mind and body connection in the archetypes of asanas, this kind of plantar felxion / dorsi flexion practice would certainly help in flowing smoothly over both feet in the up and down dogs of surya namaskars. Also backbends like Bhekasana and Supta Bhekasana, among some other asana foot positions. For some others, like myself, the movements alone are something worthy of practice and examination. The effects are felt immediately. ⁣⁣(arm movements added as a bonus to distract the mind from the intensity of toe and foot sensation ;) ⁣⁣ Movement magic inspired by @carrieowerko✨ ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ Music “Oh Devil” by @electricguest 🎹⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ Practice space @namastdayyoga 🙏🏽⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ Upcoming Workshop: Vinyasa Krama⁣⁣ March 26th - Costa Mesa @yogaworks_oc ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ www.zain.yoga⁣ ⁣ #carrieowerko #movementmagic #pointedtoes⁣ #plantarflexion #dorsiflexion #toesandfeet #yogafortoes #yogaforfeet #footmovement #yogizain #yogavideo #ohdevil #electricguest #namastdayyoga #yogalosangeles (at Los Angeles, California) https://www.instagram.com/p/BuIrBZ0hUdo/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1e0uxmczlr35o

Someone asked from my last post where do I come up with such exercises ❔For the most part it kinda just happens as part of creative process of exploring mind-body awareness on any given day. And also depending on what other asanas I might be practicing. Usually, and maybe others can also relate, the experience of such practice comes from either a synthesis of what has been learned from teachers over time, or a deconstruction of (a breaking down piece by piece) of an interesting movement or progression.⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣ Rhythm, repetition, tempo, form, cadence, harmony, dynamics, are elements of music composition. Such ideas of music making applied to body movement I have experienced through all my Iyengar Yoga teachers, most notably @carrieowerko ✨💛💫⁣⁣⁣⁣ #permissiontoplay #carrieowerko #bodymovement #movementpatterns #stabilityandmobility #iyengaryoga #dynamicyoga #utkatasana #ekapadautkatasana #pistolsquat #yogizain #quadsonfire #iyengaryogi #yogavideo #yogaismusic #musicandyoga #mobymusic #bringsallyup #bringsallydown #homeyogapractice #caliyogi (at Wasco, California) https://www.instagram.com/p/BqjLMXThyTX/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=16f2efsp6vzz7