From the very beginning, I could see that aerial yoga would “take off” in popularity.
Not only is it a novel idea, but it also feels good, and it’s fun. Plus, it looks great in
photos, so the media was eager and willing to cover the activity in its nascence,
fueling its popularity.

Along the way, there’s one aerial yoga position that has become the most common
image to represent the practice. It is an upside-down position, with the legs split,
and the spine in a heart-opening shape. We call it “aerial pigeon.” Most aerialists call
it “giselle,” but there are likely many names for it. It looks graceful, complex and
exciting. And despite how difficult the position may look, it is relatively easy to
achieve for beginners, so naturally it’s everyone’s instagram-fave to post of
themselves doing aerial yoga.

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…or Humble Lessons From a Previous Humbug (including the secret formula for manifesting what you want from the Universe!)

Holiday Cookie Pose
The holidays are a time when many of us revisit long-held family and personal traditions. We eat the same food, partake in the same activities and music, visit with the same family and friends each year. We look to these familiar traditions for comfort, but soon realize that while the external shell of our traditions may look the same from year to year, our inner experience is always different. We return to the same point on the calendar expecting a circle, but instead experience a spiral – each year drifting a bit from the person and circumstances of the previous year.

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Have you ever thought about the influence that dance has on the chakras; the centers that rule our energetic body, and the impact this can have on our life experience? Well, I have! Ever since I started swing dancing a few years ago.

First of all, I must say that I am not an anthropologist and what you are about to read is the result of my reflection and experience. Nor am I an experienced dancer, just an amateur who enjoys dancing a lot. But, I have completed years of study and yoga practice and these experiences have helped me come to the conclusion that it was dance, specifically swing, twist, boogie-woogie, rock & roll … which influenced the great sexual revolution and creative explosion of the late 50s and 60s. This way of moving the body, especially the hips, unlocked stuck energy and released it, allowing both, men and women to enjoy a freedom that had not been allowed until then.

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Do you know the feeling, when you give a class, and suddenly a unique word pops out of your mouth without you ever planning or intending to use it? It could be a metaphor, an image, or even just a surprising verb that sneaks into the sentence from the back door of your consciousness?

For our students, those words create moments when students are awakened, they pay close attention, and remember what they have experienced even more. A teachers’ language is a powerful tool to make a student open up and learn. As teachers, we should appreciate and nurture this tool with intention; our language matters. The more accurate it is, and the more fresh with presence, the more effective our classes will be.

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