Twice a month we get the perfect chance as teachers to inspire in our students an appreciation for the introspective side of their nature. The days of the full and new moons are great opportunities to draw attention to our feminine side and give permission to honor it. These are some of my favorite times […] The post Inner balance eluding you? This will help. appeared first on Blissful Yogini: Yoga Teacher Resources and Inspiration ..read more

Here’s an idea you can build on…plan your class with three types of poses in mind: forward folds, backbends and twists. Folds, backbends and twists are complimentary—your body will begin to crave them as you move through class. Basically you’ll follow the pattern Rupali suggests in this Vinyasa Short on Folds/Backbends/Twists. She shows three repetitions […] The post Build a fun, well-rounded class of folds, backbends and twists appeared first on Blissful Yogini: Yoga Teacher Resources and Inspiration ..read more

Agni sara dhauti (aka, uddiyana bandha agni sara, or just agni sara), is a bit of a head-scratcher at first. Like…“Huh? How do I DO that?” and more importantly, “Why would I want to do THAT?! ” Rupali and I learned this kriya many, many years ago…at Kripalu, so we’ve long moved past the normal […] The post Agni sara dhauti: A powerful lifeforce builder appeared first on Blissful Yogini: Yoga Teacher Resources and Inspiration ..read more

I called this pose “Crazy Pose” long before I heard it had a name. Others (Seane Corn, Shiva Rea, etc.) call it “Wild Thing.” Both names hint at its unconventional nature. Wild Thing can be a deceptively challenging back-bending pose, for a number of reasons. First, some ways of entering it make it a whole […] The post Is this crazy pose really that wild? appeared first on Blissful Yogini: Yoga Teacher Resources and Inspiration ..read more

I’m a big fan of arm balancing poses like parshva bakasana (side crow or crane) because they REALLY require that one-pointed focus that yoga is known to cultivate. For example, if there’s a wobble in parshva bakasana, it might not be about the pose itself but perhaps the mind wandered even just a tiny bit. […] The post Parshva bakasana the fun and easy way appeared first on Blissful Yogini: Yoga Teacher Resources and Inspiration ..read more

In a previous post I went over my journey with the five Tibetan Rites…and the benefits I received from practicing them daily. [Missed it? Check out “My Journey with the Five Tibetan Rites“ here.] But what if you or a student aren’t able to do the full five tibetan rites? Modify, modify, modify!!! Typically we […] The post How to modify the five Tibetan Rites appeared first on Blissful Yogini: Yoga Teacher Resources and Inspiration ..read more

In one of my previous posts, I talked about how an awareness of and the subsequent despair about our common human suffering (saṃvega) can cause the awakening of a desire (pasada) to pursue Dharma, the path to Truth. I believe that many of us teach yoga because this pasada has been awakened within us. It […] The post Sankalpa: An awareness that guides your way home appeared first on Blissful Yogini: Yoga Teacher Resources and Inspiration ..read more

As a teacher, you’ve undoubtedly heard a student ask more than once about how to open up those %#&*! hamstrings. Hamstrings are one of the most resistant muscle groups to lengthen, and even when it feels like they are beginning to open up, miss a few days of practice and twang! They snapped back as […] The post How to open up those %#&*! hamstrings appeared first on Blissful Yogini: Yoga Teacher Resources and Inspiration ..read more

When you’re teaching dozens of classes each week, it’s easy to run out of inspiring themes to talk about at the beginning of class. Both Tania and I had enormously full schedules during the tine we were running our yoga studio. We were teaching private sessions outside of the studio as well as carrying a […] The post Saṃvega and the beginning of yoga appeared first on Blissful Yogini: Yoga Teacher Resources and Inspiration ..read more

This final installment covers the little-known concept of karmic pushback when engaging in deeper practices such as Gāyatrī Mantra. It presents perhaps one of the most important (and interesting!) concepts in spiritual endeavors. Further reading…   The post Gāyatrī Mantra: A mini-course, pt. 4 appeared first on Blissful Yogini: Yoga Teacher Resources and Inspiration ..read more