flissy's blog

Guided Meditations

flissy — Wed, 29 Aug 2012 16:35:53 +0000

Last summer I created a series of guided meditations to get you started on a meditation practice. Here they are again! Free to download:

Follow the link!

Yin Yoga Workshop at Awaken Wellness

flissy — Thu, 16 Aug 2012 18:00:53 +0000

Saturday, September 1st
12:15-2:15 PM
Awaken Wellness
7130 Minstrel Way Suite 160, Columbia, MD 21045
410-312-9922

Are you stressed out? Tight all over? Low back pain? Bellydancer with overworked hips? This is a great practice for YOU! I'll present loads of easy-to-understand anatomical information and guide you through adjustments for you to get the most out of every pose. Knowledge that you can take home and to every yoga class!

Yin Yoga is a passive practice that deeply affects muscles and connective tissue by holding poses for several minutes at a time. Learn how to improve and maintain range of motion in the spine and hips and refresh and rejuvenate the entire body through this restorative practice.

Verve Tribal at Gemini

flissy — Mon, 09 Jul 2012 18:30:50 +0000

Verve Tribal (Sihaya and I) will be performing at Gemini: A Showcase of Bellydance Duets, a fundraiser for House of Ruth

Saturday, July 28, 2012
2:00pm until 4:00pm
Christian Temple, 5820 Edmondson Ave at Academy Rd, Catonsville, MD
More details at the Facebook Event

Show sponsors, Baba Ghanoush and Cypress, feel that the soulful art of belly dance has given each of us a gift of self awareness and autonomy over our bodies. House of Ruth helps women and children who are or have been victims of domestic abuse find or regain the same things.

“The House Of Ruth Maryland is one of the nation's leading domestic violence centers, helping thousands of battered women and their children find the safety and security that so many of us take for granted.” Please visit their website to learn more: http://www.hruth.org/

Admission: $15, or $10 with a donation item from the wish list. Kids ages 10 and under are free.

Yin Yoga Workshop at The Still Point Yoga in Highland, MD

flissy — Mon, 25 Jun 2012 13:49:43 +0000

Yin Yoga Workshop at The Still Point Yoga
13380 Clarksville Pike, Highland, MD
Saturday, June 30, 2012
From: 12:30 pm - 2:30 pm Cost: $25 if purchased by 6/28; $30 as of 6/29 and beyond
Register Online!

Yin Yoga is a practice where we hold poses passively for several minutes at a time (two to five minutes) to gently stress the connective tissue (joints, ligaments, fascia) to create and maintain range of motion in the joints, especially in the spine and hips.

In this workshop, experience the many benefits of Yin Yoga, including:

stress relief and stillness of the mind

refreshment and rejuvenation of the entire body through a restorative practice

a balance to “yang” activities like vinyasa yoga, cardio, or weight training

Leave with a practice that will be easy to recreate and enjoy at home.
This workshop is open to all levels!

What I learned from Physical Therapy

flissy — Thu, 07 Jun 2012 21:18:59 +0000

If you’ve followed my blog for some time, you might be aware that I have a history of SI issues. Today, I was released from a month-long adventure in physical therapy treating misalignment in my sacrum. Yay!

Here is what I have gathered, between talking to my physical therapist, a yoga therapist, and observing my own movement patterns:

I have the same problem as everyone else. My core is weak. My outside muscles are strong and gripping and attempting to take over. My theory is that because they are different types of muscles, and way deeper indeed, it's hard to feel exactly what is going on. When my PT had me isolate right from left and intentionally work on firing my core FIRST before recruiting external muscles... what a difference. If I am dealing with these issues, I'm sure my students are too, which gives me a lot to think about.

I'm also participating in a challenge to go through all the practices in Gary Kraftstow's Yoga For Wellness. Doing the PT along with the viniyoga sequences are reminding me how wonderful a simple practice is. It’s all about focusing on the breath and observing the details of every movement to bring everything into alignment. I think I had gotten away from this in my own practice because I felt like I was always preparing for something: teaching classes or training my body for performances. I was doing yoga, but not really, you know ... doing yoga. Yikes. I was talking to Erich at the end of last weekend's workshop and was reflecting to him that I hadn't realized how much I had closed in on myself until I took the time to seriously sit over the weekend. The good news, he says, is that it's an upward spiral, not a roller coaster. When you notice yourself getting off track, each time you get back on, it gets easier and you're further along than when you started. I can feel already that (as usual) he’s right. I’ve learned so much in just a few weeks. I’m loving my practice again. it’s not particularly thrilling, but it's my own and I’m keeping it real.