#mettayoga

I just wrote this trying to sell a friend on coming with me Sunday morning. Maybe you'll get a laugh out of it and want to join me too. @metta_yoga: feel free to use this as the official description: I'm doing a pretty dang righteous yoga combo on Sunday morning. This little fairy of a teacher leads two back to back classes. The first one is a yin/yang so it's like a combo of restorative poses with a few active poses mixed in. The second class is yoga nidra. It's the best ever to be in the final pose of the first class knowing that you don't even have to move for the second class -- yoga nidra is basically a guided meditation. So you're just super chill and starting the yoga nidra so very relaxed and centered after having done the first class. The teacher's name is Jen and she's just one of those tiny cute moms that look perfect like they really have their shit together, but actually she's a real, genuine human showing up for class just like you are. And she opens the first class usually with a monologue about not being perfect and listening to your body, which I know sounds cliche and cheese dicky, but somehow when she does it -- it's not and it's like she's talking directly to you and you just want to crawl into her lap and take a nap. Anyway. I'm doing that on Sunday. The first class is at 10, the second class immediately follows starting at 11:30 if you feel like joining for either/both. #yoga #yogaeverydamnday #Phoenix #mettamoment2017 #mettayoga #health #happiness #sanity #yinyang #yoganidra #Sunday # (at Metta Yoga)

The theme of yesterday's Sunday morning yoga. Fitting on so many levels. #resist #resistance #yoga #Sunday #mettayoga #mettamoment2017 (at Metta Yoga)

Allow me to introduce: Zuzana "spread your legs wide" Kolinkova. · · We did a demo aerial yoga class with her yesterday and it was AWESOME. My first time playing in the silks. We heard "spread your legs wide" a lot and - laugh all you want - but it really was a necessary detail to do a proper inversion in the silks. · · Aerial classes start next month at Metta Yoga! · · #yoga #mettayoga #mettamoment2017 #summer #summerofyoga #aerialsilks #aerialyoga (at Metta Yoga)

In all my years of practicing yoga, I've never come across a teacher that can cultivate an environment quite like Vanessa @ Metta Yoga. · · There's so many different layers to the experience of being in her class beyond the physical movements. · · For one thing, she turns the lights very low - even turning them off for the last 15 minutes and having the room only lit by candles during shavasana + sound healing. · · This creates a sort of sensory deprivation - in a great way. It's the same reason people love floating in the salt water tank. · · She also so thoughtfully chooses the soundtrack to the class - it is never music with words, only soothing nature sounds, ocean waves, slow paced jazz, drumming, etc. · · In addition to the music tracks, she brings her own sound in the form of singing bowls, her gong, and all of the other sound healing treats that she doses you with throughout class. · · Her voice is soft and rhythmic, the poses are gentle, and the pace is slow. · · All of these things allow your nervous system to actually relax. I really feel like profound healing can happen in spaces like this. · · Science has already "proven" it, but I was even more moved when I was researching the effects of prolonged childhood stress on adult health & well being (something I'm personally exploring as of literally today). · · To reset and heal from this, they recommend yoga saying that it, "decreases blood flow to the brain’s alarm center, and increases blood flow to the frontal lobe and prefrontal cortex, which help us to react to stressors with a greater sense of equanimity." · · I think this explains my recent obsessing with restorative yoga - it's intuitive. · · So you guys. Do yoga. Do more gentle yoga. Do it with me on Tuesday's at 5:45 or Wednesday's at 12:30 when I go to Vanessa's class. · · #mettamoment2017 #mettayoga #yoga #summer #summerofyoga #restorativeyoga #psychology #soundhealing #stress (at Metta Yoga)

Please enjoy this photo of the light shining on my boyfriend like an angel. · · You guys. we have been doing so much restorative yoga. Like - 5 classes in the last 48 hours. For reals. · · It's changing the way I do yoga. I did my first flow class the other night after about a dozen restorative classes in a row. And I had no tolerance for the hard floor. I used blocks, I put a blanket under my knees, I was much more gentle with my body in a way that I simply did not have the awareness to do before. · · When we won these summer passes to Metta Yoga I was thinking, oh heck yeah! We're going to go every day and be in such great shape by the end of the summer! · · But so far, we've mostly been doing yin/restorative classes. With the most amazing instructors of all time. They're all so unique and special. · · I used to think I'd only get the "high" in yoga after working really hard and then collapsing on the floor in shavasana. · · But that's not true at all. I can throw myself onto a mat, put a bolster under my knees and immediately feel that right out of the gate. · · And I feel amazing, I don't feel guilty or like I "should" be doing more physical classes, sweating, etc. · · It really is true the whole, "all you have to do is show up on your mat" thing, because there's so much more to yoga than just the physical postures. · · In doing "less", we're really truly doing so much more. · · #summerofyoga #totesphilosophical #thoughtsdeepAF #mettayoga #yoga #mettamoment2017 #doless #lessismore #slowdown #summer #restorativeyoga #alltheyoga #yogaeveryday (at Metta Yoga)

Okay, just take a look at this magical scene. This is what the teacher, Vanessa, sets up for every single one of her restorative yoga classes. . Tonight was my third time. When I first went, I knew immediately I liked her because she instructed us to start class in "delicious pose". . But then she really won me over when she said "oppo-shit" instead of "opposite". And then she giggled at her mistake. And repeated opposhit. . I really appreciate human moments in yoga because I like taking classes from real humans. It bothers me when teacher's voices are mechanical and it's like taking a class from a robot. . Vanessa is also very touch-y as a teacher and gives the most light, tender touches to all of her students in most of the poses. . She also always brings a treat - some kind of essential oil or mist or something. Tonight it was a lavender mist that she came around and shared with everyone. . The music chosen for her classes is divine - there's never any words, which is super relaxing. It's either water/nature sounds, or really warm, soft jazz, or some other soothing instrumental track. . Vanessa has a deep, rhythmic voice that is totally hypnotic and is so juicy to listen to throughout class. She always keeps the lights low and has some candles lit. . Best of all though - she basically does a mini sound healing session at the end of each class. She gets you set up in shavasana and then proceeds to play her gong, her drum, her sound bowls, and her chimes (among other things). It just totally transports you and she is a sound angel. . She offers this Restorative Yoga class every Tuesday evening @ 5:45 at Metta Yoga, and also teaches a Deep Yin class Wednesday's @ 12:30. #yoga #mettayoga #soundhealing #mettamoment2017 #restorativeyoga (at Metta Yoga)

"Look, man - it's ALL ABOUT proper alignment". Spreading the gospel learned after being in Sarah's Thursday night class for many months. #mettamoment2017 #mettayoga (at Metta Yoga)