Aim True - Day 16

Yoga Postures to Remain Calm
Vinyasa Flow
Level 2
Kathryn Budig

Explore postures that teach us how to find comfort in the uncomfortable on and off of the mat. Venture into expansive postures such as Bird of Paradise, Visvamitrasana prep, Upavishta Konasana and Ustrasana variations. Step into the fire of transformation expanding your edge and ability to remain calm. 

• Posted on YogaGlo on October 25, 2010, I took the class for the first time on January 12, 2011.
• 16/87 classes complete.
• 9/16 I had taken at least once before.
• Favorite Aim True practices so far: 
• Calm Your Monkey Mind and Master Hanumanasana
• Find the Connection to Your Core
• Morning Yoga Flow with Kathryn Budig
• Yoga to Change Your Perspective with Kathryn Budig 

I think this may have been the class that made me fall in love with Kathryn about a year ago. I had always admired her beautiful photos in the ToeSox advertisements in Yoga Journal, but to be honest, I sort of thought she was the actress from All My Children who played Greenlee and later married (and divorced, I think?) that dude from the Bachelor. Her name is Rebecca Budig, I think. I don't remember exactly how I discovered YogaGlo - I had graduated from Kripalu in August, 2010 and was doing a lot of Kripalu practices and my own practices September - November of that year, and I was teaching one or two classes a week at the  YMCA. There may have been something in an issue of Yoga Journal about online classes, podcasts, etc. that led me to YogaGlo, and I immediately recognized Kathryn Budig's name, both from the ToeSox ads, and also because I used to be a big AMC fan. ;)

In any event, I very specifically remember this class (and a few other classes) having a big impact on me. I really liked the idea of using yoga postures to remain calm - especially yoga postures that could be REALLY challenging and require a lot of focus and strength. 


I had a good practice today. I'm excited to write a more lengthy week wrap-up after I practice tomorrow. I'll be three classes behind my goal for the Aim True Challenge, but one class ahead in my overall practice goal, and this week I have started to see and feel a lot of transformation stemming from my commitment to showing up on my mat, both personally and in my career as a yoga teacher. It's all very exciting.

In other news, I posted about this as a Facebook status, but I want to get the message out there, so I'll post it here, too, in case any of my students or potential students read my blog but aren't on Facebook:

Please make sure you take yoga classes with a Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT) - this means that your teacher graduated from a (minimum) 200 hour training program that is certified by the Yoga Alliance and has the proper training in anatomy & physiology, techniques and practice, yoga philosophy, and teaching methodology to keep you SAFE as you practice yoga. As the Yoga Alliance explains: "Training as a yoga teacher takes time and effort. Find out how your teacher obtained his or her training. Ask about training schools or programs completed and who their primary teachers have been. A Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT®) designation is a symbol of experience, dedication and commitment on the part of your yoga teacher."


As a professional yoga teacher and a Kripalu-certified RYT, it really disturbs and insults me that people with absolutely no training, education or certification in yoga will teach yoga classes. Yoga is not the same as Pilates. Yoga is not the same as Zumba. Yoga is not spinning, step aerobics or jazzercise. My dad is Dr. Lowbridge because he has a Ph.D - but that doesn't mean he can deliver babies or prescribe meditation. In the same way, the 5000 year old science of yoga shouldn't be taught by someone who has another type of fitness training. After all the drama about the NYT article at the beginning of the year, it's horrifying to me to hear about yoga classes being taught by people with absolutely no training or certification. Don't trust the health and well-being of your body to someone who doesn't have the proper training to teach you.


Om, shanti, shanti, shanti!!!!