December Finds - Yoga Edition

Here's a few things that I've been enjoying this month

Each month I’m sharing products, books, podcasts, and anything else that has been helpful to me!

I’m reading Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras translated by Edwin F. Bryant.

I read the Yoga Sutras about once a year, but this summer I wanted to switch it up and bought this more scholarly translation. I have been absolutely blown away by the level of detail, history, and context that is in this edition. If you are someone who wants to dive deeper into Sanskrit and the yoga sutras, I highly recommend this book. I am still reading, but really enjoying the time I spend reading and contemplating this translation.

I have been practicing legs up a wall every day.

This is one of the most restorative practices for the nervous system. It’s so easy to do, simply find a wall and lie down on the ground, with sit bones on or close to the wall, and legs resting up the wall. When I find myself scrolling on my phone or trying to find something to distract me, I’ll do legs up a wall for just 15 minutes and it allows me to relax and feel so much more calm. Ashton August recently made a post about this on Instagram where she challenges everyone to try this practice for 30 days, and as this blog post publishes I will be on day 4. 🙌

I might be doing this yoga challenge that includes over a month of free online classes.

I am *finally* starting to work on some continuing education to keep my RYT500 status, and signed up for a Yin certification through Yoga Medicine. Their content is incredible, offering ancient knowledge through the lens of modern-day science. If you are new to yoga or looking to deepen your yoga practice with more anatomical knowledge, I feel like free access to this recorded class library could be really helpful!

I’ve been taking lots of amazing classes at Yoga Pod in Tucson.

I love practicing yoga in a studio that is also a fun, supportive, uplifting community and that is exactly what Yoga Pod has been for me since I started attending classes in October. I love the wide variety of heated and unheated classes that they offer, they have wonderful teachers, and I feel so safe and supported every time I practice there. It’s located in a super cute square with other shops and a weekend market featuring local artisans. One of my favorite things is going with a friend for a morning class and then walking to Ren Coffeehouse for brunch.

I’ve been using my yoga wheel more frequently.

There’s a saying in the yoga world that the asana (yoga pose) that you’re avoiding is the one you need to practice the most. For me, it’s backbends. There was a 26&2 yoga workshop I attended about 7 or 8 years ago, and when we went into the first backbend to hold for a while I started crying. Later when I did my 200hr training we also had to do backbends and I remember it being challenging then too. Because I’m a string player (but also someone who uses a laptop and looks down at a phone), I tend to have tight muscles around my shoulders so bringing the arms overhead in a standing position and leaning back into an arch is an intense feeling. There’s so much more I could say here about heart openers, but despite their challenging nature for me and many others, they are wonderful for counteracting the effects of long hours of practicing. Using a yoga wheel, for me, makes this practice much more enjoyable and accessible. It’s been such a treat to spend a few minutes stretching with this after a Nutcracker or practice session, and whenever I use this consistently I notice a big difference in my yoga practice.

Want more musicians wellness suggestions? Check out this post from November.

Is there anything you’ve been enjoying this month that’s related to musicians or musicians’ wellness? Please let us know in the comments!

*My statements have not been influenced by sponsorship of any kind. Full disclosure, I will begin teaching at Yoga Pod as a substitute this week, but I would be writing this post even if I wasn’t because I love this place so much.