Blogs

Last March we opened our 61st studio in Honolulu, Hawaii. Something special has been building ever since! In this blog post, studio manager, Zoe Pappas, tells us about eight things that make the Honolulu studio a Laule‘a (happy) place to work and practice. If you’re lucky enough to be in Honolulu, we invite you to stop in and see for yourself!

• The “Aloha Spirit” lives in our community--With only one room and one studio on this island, we are definitely an ohana (family).
• The state flower in Hawaii is the hibiscus. You can find them all over our walls and front desk at the studio.
• We are having a ‘30 Classes in 30 Days – DownDog Challenge’ in June,  which challenges our students and teachers to commit 30 days to their body, breath and meditation!
• Our managers and teaching staff are a melting pot of CorePower Yoga-trained teachers from Minnesota, Chicago, Colorado, San Diego and Hawaii!
• Wanderlust came to Oahu in February 2013! CorePower Yoga Honolulu teacher, Marissa, and I represented by teaching eight classes during the four-day weekend alongside the likes of Shiva Rea and Baron Baptiste. What a dream come true!
• At the end of every class, our students show their appreciation by applauding. Our teachers applaud back. Our gratitude resonates beyond “Namaste” – it is truly special.
• CPY Honolulu has made a splash on our little island. There is nothing like it out here! After being open for a year, Honolulu Magazine named us Best Yoga of 2012.
• In Hawaii, it’s custom to leave your “slippahs” by the door. At CPY, we invite our students to make themselves at home!

We’ve been talking a lot about the hips lately, and one posture that everyone seems to either hate or love is Half Pigeon. No matter what your relationship is with this hip opening pose, it can bring many benefits to your hips and body. It can also be a meditative posture. Watch this video to learn more about Half Pigeon, as well as a modification for the posture!

And remember, if you have any questions about Half Pigeon or any other yoga posture, visit our Facebook page at noon every Wednesday for Ask-a-Yogi!

As yogis, we oftentimes struggle to balance a dedicated practice and a healthy lifestyle, with the temptations of living a normal life. Here at CorePower Yoga, we believe that sometimes it just feels right to say yes to a sweet craving (which we tend to get every day after lunch). What better way to indulge then with all your favorite goodies in one mixable, shareable snack?

Our favorite place to come up with new creations is in the bulk foods section of a local natural grocery store. Here’s what we treated ourselves to today:

• Dried Banana Chips
• Yogurt-covered Raisins
• Almonds
• Dark Chocolate-covered Cashews

Mix equal parts of all ingredients and enjoy!

Caution: Avoid sharing your mixes with “miners” and “sifters” who pick all of the good stuff out!

About the blogger: Allison Tonini

Allison is from Kentucky, where they train the horses and let the women run wild. Upon graduating from the University of Georgia, she began her search for a place to accommodate her passion for an unforgettable life.  She now calls Colorful Colorado home.  

Allison’s journey with CPY began as a student and evolved into a position in the Corporate Marketing Department. She enjoys the outdoors, anything chocolate, live music, hats that her mom knits (pictured here) and Yoga Sculpt. When two roads diverge, she always takes the one less traveled.

It is finally time to pull out our sunglasses and shorts and embrace the beautiful, spring weather that is arriving all over the country! We can even begin to think about going outside for a nice hike, walk or run. While it can be difficult to make time to get inside the studio right now, yoga—especially hip opening postures—can be a very important complement to other physical activities. Those of us who are active and spend a lot of time outside can hugely benefit from keeping our hips open and supple.

Yesterday’s blog discussed how to modify hip opening postures, so today, we’re going to dive deeper into hip opening postures to provide you with some new ideas.

Figure Four

To move into figure four, begin in chair pose. With your hands at hearts center, draw your weight into your left foot, and draw your right ankle on top of your left thigh. Melt your weight back into your left heel, and ease your right hip open while maintaining level hips. Squeeze your shoulder blades together to maintain a flat back in this posture. Hold this posture for about five breaths, and then switch sides. This pose gently helps open your hips, and it can help stretch you out after a long run. 

Cow Face

To move into cow face, come to a seated position on your mat and gently press equal weight into both sits bones. Cross your right knee over your left and make sure your knees are stacked one on top of the other. Press into your feet to deepen the stretch. Breathe here for 7 – 10 breaths and then switch sides. This posture will help loosen your hips, and feels great after a tough workout.

Half Splits/Full Split

From down dog, inhale your right leg high and step through into a low lunge. Sink your hips back until they stack over your left heel. Flex your right foot so that your weight is in your right heel and your toes are pointing toward your right knee. Feel the stretch all along the backside of your right leg and into your hip. If you want to move into full splits, it can be helpful to have a block handy. Begin to slide your right heel forward, and straighten your back leg out behind you. The block can slide under the upper part of your right hamstring. There is no need to push full splits! Just work to find a place where you can feel a good stretch without any pain! Switch sides, and let your hips begin to open more and more.

Runner’s Lunge

From down dog, inhale to lift your right leg high and step through to a low lunge on your exhale. Begin to step your right foot out to the top right corner of your mat with your ankle extending past your knee. You can come down to your forearms if it’s comfortable, or you can stay on your palms. Stay balanced on the ball of your left foot for a more active posture, or you can come down to the top of your back foot to surrender more deeply into the posture. Let your head hang and breathe here for 5 – 10 breaths and switch sidesThis posture helps open your hips and feels great after a long hike, bike or run.

We hope these tips work for you! And remember, if you have any questions about these postures or any others, visit our Facebook page at 12:00pm MST every Wednesday for Ask-a-Yogi!

Ever find yourself cringing in class when the instructor cues half pigeon, cow face, or any other deep hip opening pose? You’re not alone. Those of us who are active in repetitive motion activities like running, hiking and cycling often have tight hips, which makes these yoga poses challenging – but 100% necessary and very beneficial. Take a peek below for suggestions on how to modify these poses so that you still get the benefits without the pain!

Frog pose
If this pose has you wanting to hop out of the studio doors, try this modification: place a block underneath your hips so you can firmly root your sits bones into the block. This should allow your hips to open a bit further, and it should also allow your feet to root down into your mat if your heels are normally lifted. Press your hands together at heart center and breathe. If this is painful at all, sit down on your mat, and move into baddha konasana pose, with the soles of your feet together and knees open wide.

Half Pigeon
When your instructor cues half pigeon pose, set up the posture so that your front ankle is a bit closer to your opposite hip. Make sure you’re still flexing the foot of your front leg to protect your knee, and then place a block under the glut or hip of your back leg. You can either keep your shoulders stacked over your hips, or you can stretch your arms forward for sleeping pigeon. If you’re feeling any pain in this posture, back out and take the following modification. Breathe here for 30 seconds to a minute, and then switch sides.

Supine Figure Four
To move into this pose, lie down on your back, and bend your knees. Stack your right ankle on your left thigh, and open your right knee toward the front of the room. From here, interlace your hands behind your left hamstring and using your right elbow as leverage, gently pull your left leg toward your face. You can either keep your left knee bent, or you can extend your left leg for a gentle hamstring stretch. Keep your spine long from your tailbone to your neck. Breathe here for 30 seconds to a minute, and then switch sides.

Firelogs pose (Double Pigeon)
This is an intense hip opener, but is a bit gentler on your knees than half pigeon. To move into this pose, begin in a seated position with the soles of your feet together and your knees open wide. Leaving your legs exactly as they are, slide your right ankle on top of your left knee, which should then stack your right knee over your left ankle. Your legs should be stacked – just like actual fire logs! Flex both feet to protect your knees, and if both sits bones are firmly rooted into your mat, you can shift your torso forward for a deeper hip stretch. Breathe here for 30 seconds to a minute, and then switch sides.
 

Runner’s Lunge Runner’s Lunge isn’t just for runners; it can help everyone open and stretch their hips. While this posture can sometimes be a little uncomfortable, it should never be painful. Watch this video to learn more about the proper alignment for Runner’s Lunge!

And remember, if you have any questions about Runner’s Lunge or any other yoga posture, visit our Facebook page at noon every Wednesday for Ask-a-Yogi!

If you live in Minnesota, winter probably felt especially cold and frigid this year. It looks like the snowstorms are finally behind us and we’re looking forward to the warm weather ahead! We asked CPY Midwest Regional Retail Manager Robyn Murray to select an outfit to celebrate spring’s long-awaited arrival. Here’s her expert pick:

Dhara Long Maxi Dress by Soybu

Modeled by CPY Instructor Becka O.

"This full length Maxi dress is incredibly versatile; this dress will work perfectly for that afternoon brunch after your hot yoga class. You can also pack this dress for your next warm weather vacation! The bright color palette of the Dhara dress is a perfect addition to your spring wardrobe. Pair this dress with your favorite pair of sandals and you are set for a day of fun! Don’t miss out! You can find the Dhara dress in our CorePower Yoga retail boutiques at an incredible price point of $62.”

About Robyn Murray:

Robyn has been a part of the CorePower Yoga community since the first Minneapolis studio opened in 2003. She was one of CorePower Yoga’s first students. Robyn joined the CorePower Yoga retail management team in 2008. Robyn has over 10 years of retail management and sales experience, including owning a high-end consignment shop for 5 years.

Robyn is originally from Arizona and moved to the Twin Cities in 1991. Robyn split her time between Minneapolis and New Jersey from 1997-2000 where she found her passion for group fitness and became a group fitness instructor. She currently teaches Yoga Sculpt and CorePower Ryder for CorePower Yoga and loves to inspire and motivate.
 

“Close your eyes and come to a comfortable seated position."

Have you ever heard your teacher say this at the beginning of class and wonder why it is necessary?

We asked the Colorado Boulevard Studio Manager and Teacher Training Lead Brooke McManus to explain to us why this is so important in class.

Why might a teacher ask you to close your eyes and come into a comfortable seated position at the beginning of class? They may ask you to do so in order to ground yourself and bring yourself into the present moment. Additionally, connecting to your breath brings you to the present moment. When you sit still, you let go of distractions and anything that interrupts your time to be in union with your breath, body and mind.

Why is this important in your yoga practice? It brings awareness to your breath, body and mind. Our minds are usually busy and distract us from what is present. If you are not present or if your mind is wandering, you are susceptible to injury and/or not gaining the benefits of the practice.

What benefits can this bring you? It can help reduce stress and calm you. It can help bring peace to your mind and body, consciousness, awareness to unlimited possibilities, and an overall amazing feeling yourself.

Brooke has been practicing yoga for about 7 years and became 200-hour certified in 2007.  She is always learning and exploring new ways of teaching by attending trainings, workshops and utilizing other yoga resources. Her style of teaching is playful yet challenging and it incorporates the importance of alignment, mindfulness and building strength from the inside out. Brooke will be leading several different CorePower Yoga Teacher Trainings this spring and summer in Denver.

Read more about Yoga Teacher Training in Denver!
 

Meet Catherine Adam - one of our loyal students at the Bucktown Studio in Chicago.

Who do you enjoy practicing with during classes?
I never miss Kari’s Monday night class. I love her style, and the pace of her class fits me perfectly. Kari shares about herself and her love of yoga. You feel like a true friend when attending her classes. It’s always a wonderful way to start out the week! I also regularly go to Monika's Yoga Sculpt class on Thursday nights. Her strength is astonishing—she will kick your butt in this class and do the work right along with you! I always leave class amazed and feeling proud that I made it through. It’s a tough workout but so worth it!

How often do you practice?
I go to class 3-4 times a week. Yoga has been a great way for me to remove stress in my life. If I have some free time, I’m usually thinking about how I can fit in a class!

How do you decide what class to take?
There are classes I always go to—Hot Power Fusion or Hot Yoga on Mondays with Kari and Yoga Sculpt on Thursdays with Monika—so I kind of revolve the rest of my yoga schedule around those classes and the instructor teaching. I have recently revisited taking C1.5 classes and I'm really loving learning new poses and strengthening the ones I know. If you haven't taken a C1.5 class in a while, I recommend it! You will always surprise yourself in what you can do.

If you could be on any game show on TV, which would you choose and why?
I would have to say Jeopardy. I love going to Tuesday trivia nights at my local bar, Cleo's on Chicago Avenue.

Imagine yourself in a spectacular historic cathedral surrounded by 600 yogis, concert-worthy laser lights, tribal body art, live electronic dance music, thousands of glow sticks, and a dance party in the midst of your yoga practice. This yogi dreamland was brought to life this past Thursday by CorePower Yoga’s Erica Austin and Anthony Chavez. The intention behind this event was two-fold: to raise funds and awareness for Erica’s non-profit organization, and to unite the yoga community in a powerful and transformative way. The event was a great success as UPlifted yogis celebrated together to benefit Keep Friendship Alive and its new middle school program called UP, which brings yoga and inspiration to young teens.

Anthony, along with 24 CorePower Yoga instructors led this inspiring ‘yoga rave for a cause.’ The yoga rave began with Anthony describing the theme for UPLIFT LA. “The night of the Full Pink Moon is all about manifesting our hopes and dreams. Tonight we will raise the vibration of the planet.” Highlights of the evening included a yoga dance flow with choreographed lighting, a full-blown dance party with glow-in-the-dark beach balls, yogi intentions projected onto the ceiling during Savasana, and an awe-inspiring OM circle led by CorePower Yoga’s Heather Peterson which closed the event.

Erica and Anthony believe in the power of intention. Numerous instructors have already approached them about being involved with UP - growth is bound to happen!

Check out the UPLIFT LA photo album on Facebook and hopefully UPLIFT will visit your city soon!