You gotta LOVE her!

Meet Stephanie Tice…fabulous SDY teacher! In addition to being a yoga lover, Stephanie (or Stephy) loves to hike, go to the beach, travel, read and play board/card games! She is originally from San Jose, CA and has been married to her husband, Ryan, for 18 years this June! Stephy knew she was going to marry Ryan the night they met! They have two daughters, Lauren (15) who is finishing her freshman year at Vista and Camryn (13) who is finishing 7th grade at Folsom Middle. The Tice family also has a one-eyed dog named Ohso. He is a chocolate brown cocker spaniel and is “oh so” cute!!! Stephy is a total neat freak (it calms her), loves Las Vegas and playing blackjack, secretly wishes she was a CIA agent and her favorite meal is a burger with fries and a cold beer.

Stephy has been practicing at SDY for 21 months and teaching with us since January. She is also a school teacher so during the school year she prefers to practice in the evening. During the summer, however, she enjoys the 5:45am classes…call her crazy but she doesn’t sleep in! In order to stay consistent in her yoga practice, Stephy tries to practice at the same times and days each week to stay committed. Being consistent in her practice keeps her in a good mindset and she is more productive in her everyday life. When she doesn’t practice she can easily slip back into her old way of being/thinking.

Stephy never thought she was going to become a yoga teacher, but after developing her practice and becoming a part of the community she knew she wanted MORE! She is inspired by the possibilities of growth for herself while being able to give back to others. Stephy has discovered a lot about herself through her yoga practice. She has found an ease about being on her mat which has carried over into life off her mat. She has discovered what it means to be present and let go of expectations of what she thinks things should be and accept what is. She has also realized that she is the source of what is in her life.

From the very first time Stephy walked into Spotted Dog Yoga the community feeling has been a huge inspiration to her. She loves the camaraderie, the support and encouragement and the friendships she has made!

We are SO lucky to have such an amazing teacher and friend in Stephanie! Thank you for all you do!

Fruit Feast or Fruit Fast? By Emily Kendall

Fruit Feast or Fruit Fast?

The Fruit Feast is this week! Even as a vegetarian I have an initial negative reaction, “You want me to limit my diet!” But I love vegetables: carrots, cauliflower, kale, spinach and broccoli. I have heard over and over, that your body smells according to what you put in it. Google it and you’ll get 2.6 M sites discussing this. I am sure each of has had an experience of eating something and our body not liking it and moving it out FAST! Occasionally calling in sick the next day due to last’s dinner exploration. We intuitively know what we put into our bodies has a huge impact and not just how we smell.

How do you define fruit?
Another form of resistance for me is to get technical and challenge the restrictions. Now, this is not your produce man’s definition – which is usually based on fruit bearing tree; avocado, apple, banana, orange, or berries. But fruit defined by the botanical definition:

• In botany, a fruit is the seed-bearing structure in flowering plants (also known as angiosperms) formed from the ovary after flowering. Fruits are the means by which angiosperms disseminate seeds.

More simply, a fruit is the part of the plant that starts as a flower and disperses seeds. A good rule of thumb if it has seeds its likely a fruit. Some of my favorite fruits often categorized as a vegetable at the grocery store are:

• Tomato
• Peppers (hot and sweet)
• Zucchini – any squash
• Eggplant
• Olives
• Artichoke

Reality
Usually with a little planning and a fully stocked pantry my first day goes ok. The challenge of eating only fruit – inspires me to try new recipes and the idea of WINNING keeps me highly motivated. Then I hit the wall. Cravings, resistance to being told what to do…. This is where my plan and fully stocked pantry become key in my success.

Yes, I usually get a little cranky, especially when someone eats French fries around me but I stick to my plan and suddenly 3 days is over in second. At the end of the feast I am re-inspired to try new recipes and my perspective is altered in how I define “What’s for dinner”.

The first time I did the fruit feast I had a daily rule that I would have 1 piece of fruit a day. After the fruit feast, I realized my rule was limiting, and rewrote it – I can have all the fruit I want in a day!

Good luck on your fruit adventure. Here are some recipes that have been collected by our community. I hope they inspire you on your feast.

I am always looking for new ones so please share with us ☺

Resources – recipes I’ve collected and explored

• Sweet
  • Medjool dates
  • Oranges
  • Recipes
    • Baked Apples – On cold mornings I love a warm breakfast but these can also be enjoyed any time of day and put more dates on it for a sweet dessert. When I make these for breakfast, I’ll bake a 3-4 apples in the evening or on the weekend and keep them in the fridge and heat them up each morning.
    • Poached Pears
    • Fruit salad
• Savory (SALT)
  • Artichokes hearts
  • Olives
  • Roasted eggplant
  • Recipes and ideas:
    • Eggplant “parmesan”
• http://allrecipes.com/recipe/236311/baked-eggplant/
  • I omit the cheese
  • Tomato soup
    • Rachel Pond contributed this recipe during the last 40 Day program and I give it 5 out of 5 stars – simple, fast and easy – oh and YUMMY!
      • Sautéed half a yellow onion (diced) with 3 cloves crushed garlic cloves in olive oil.
      • Pour 2 large cans of organic diced tomatoes into the vitamix.
      • Throw in a handful of basil leaves. Two handfuls of raw cashews. Toss in the sauté. Blend until hot… about ten min. So good!
  • Gazpacho
    • Jennifer Cox turned me onto this recipe during my first 40 Day fruit feast. It’s a great recipe that needs almost no modification ☺ You can adjust the coarseness of the vegies – I mean fruits to your preference.
• http://healthyblenderrecipes.com/recipes/raw_vegan_tomato_gazpacho_soup
  • Apple Slaw
    • Shredded apple, pomegranate seeds, dash of vinegar, chopped red bell pepper, cilantro
  • NO TIME
    • Frozen Zucchini and eggplant in tomato sauce
      • Trader Joes has frozen eggplant and zucchini, place in microwave safe dish and defrost (1-2 minutes depending on the power of your microwave) top with tomato sauce (or puree diced tomatoes) and heat 30-45 seconds until warm
    • Wash and cut up fruit in advance so you have a quick and fast go to snack, especially if you are going to be away from home. Set yourself up for success.
• PLAY! Play with textures, cutting fruits in different ways can dramatically change the mouth feel. A spiralizer or mandolin are great tools for this.
• Ask – have a craving – want tips or help modifying a recipe – just ask together we are an amazing recourse.
  • Online community:
• http://www.becomingformless.com/the-cleansing-diet/
• http://butterflygirljackie.blogspot.com/2012/05/40-days-fruit-fast-day-1.html

“WORKING ON YES!” By Rachel Camero

Being a YES takes work.  It’s not easy to embrace the opportunities that life offers us.  In fact, it’s not even easy to recognize them when they are in front of us. Opportunities can arrive disguised as challenges or adversity.  Other opportunities show up as things we determine to be out of reach.

Last week I was presented with such an opportunity.  A friend mentioned that she’d like to go to Kona Hawaii and stay at her parents’ house before it is being sold at the end of March.  Immediately, I thought, “yah, that would be awesome” and then shrugged it off as an out of reach concept and let it go.  Two days later I received a text, “Kona?”.

Suddenly the realization that my friend was serious and that I was not sunk in.  While I continued to write it off as impossible, the feeling that I wasn’t open to being a YES nagged at me.   Still, I focused on all of the reasons it was unrealistic.

• Short notice
• It will cost money I wasn’t planning to spend
• I have too much going on a work
• I’d be away from my family (and on my Birthday)
• My husband is traveling for work, who will care for the kids?

 I had made up my mind that it was just not good timing.  But still I felt unsettled by my own unwillingness.  I started to explore the deeper reasons behind my resistance.  Thoughts and feelings about being outside of my comfort zone showed up.  I might start to feel awkward with my friend and her family (believe it or not, I’m an introvert and need time alone or with my family to recharge)?  What if don’t look good in a bathing suit?  What if I can’t keep up with my friend in the surf?  In other words, feelings of self-doubt and insecurity with leaving my comfort zone were my largest obstacle.

As I came to this realization, I knew deep down that I had to find my way to YES!  A few more days passed, but I began to check off my logistical obstacles one by one.  I began to evaluate my blessings.  A loving husband who absolutely supports me having independent lady fun.  Parents and in-laws who love spending time with my kids and have helped me raise them with love.  A great job with flexibility and an income that supports this type of spontaneity.

With no logistical obstacles remaining, I was forced to face my deeper insecurities.  I want to continue to challenge the boundaries of my comfort zone.  Every time I do this, my comfort zone gets larger and more inclusive of amazing experiences.  When it comes to a new challenge at work, or at home, I know how to embrace it.  But, for some reason, simply taking a personal trip without my family put me on edge.

I’m writing this now to say I am a YES!  My flight is booked and I’ll have subs for my classes this week.  I can’t wait to share my experiences with you in class when I get back.  Now that I’ve written this, it feels so silly to think it was difficult for me to arrive at YES for something like this.  I mean, how blessed am I that this is what I struggle with?  But the truth is, we all have areas where we need to work on YES.  Today I am a YES!

Rachel Camero

Spotted Dog Yoga Teacher

I would do anything for love…..

“Work, love and play are the great balance wheels of man’s being.”

-Orison Swett Marden

Nick and I enjoy putting on “LOVE: Yoga Date Night” each year because we first met at a yoga studio! From our first date combo of a yoga class and dinner almost 6 years ago to where we are now, yoga has been integral part of our life together. We enjoy simply practicing side by side but also acknowledge that our dedication to the tools we have gained from this practice have allowed us to grow as individuals and stronger together as a couple.

We invite you to join us for this special event on February 11th to explore a combination of yoga, fun, play, and connection with your partner!

We have a lot of wonderful couples who are a part of this community! Check out what a few of our favorites have to say about practicing yoga together at Spotted Dog Yoga!

-Nick and Katie

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Price And Bonnie Walker 

“We practice yoga because it brings us close; makes us smile and literally allows us to slow down and breathe together. On Sundays we plan our week according to which classes we can share, and then each of us does what they need outside of that. Together is always better.”

 

Rick and Laura Fergerson

“Practicing yoga together as a couple is fun! Rick gets to make gorilla noises and Laura gets to laugh at Rick! On the serious side, practicing yoga together brings our relationship to another level. As a couple, yoga helps us build a solid foundation, practice patience and understanding, work through the fire, actively listen, and find balance. What more could you ask for as a couple!”

 

Jen and Ed Cox

“I will confidently state that practicing yoga with Jen has improved our communication as a couple by increasing our confidence, our trust in each other and strengthening our connection between each other.  Personally it’s helped me reduce stress and anxiety which allows me to focus on being a more compassionate partner.  Got to let that shit go!!”

Beyond the Noise

In the world today it isn’t that often that we find the time to slow down, unplug, and connect.  As a society, we are constantly overstimulated by external noise, leaving little time to actually hear what’s going on inside. Your yoga practice is meant to provide you the space to connect and listen, not to be just another form of distraction.

Spotted Dog Yoga was created as a special space for you to re-connect to yourself and to build relationships with other people in this amazing community. The culture here reflects the experiences that Katie and I have had on our yoga mats and in our lives over the last 6 years. When we first started our journey with yoga, we only taught and practiced with music. After years of playing music in all of my classes, I had a breakthrough and observed that I was using the noise of the music as a way to hide from my students. My biggest concern was my music, not connecting with others, and I was spending more time putting together playlists than working on myself. Yoga teachers and practitioners alike can easily use the practice of yoga as just another way to distract themselves and disconnect. Sometimes we do this without awareness as a result of an internal fear that we might feel or discover something about ourselves that we’ve been trying to hide.

Through our training with the Baptiste Institute and our commitment to this practice at Spotted Dog Yoga, Katie and I discovered where we had previously been hiding as teachers and have taken on a new way of teaching and being. It was a big shift for me personally to stop playing music in my classes and simply hold space for myself and others. Since we made this shift, however, I have found more peace within myself, gained confidence in who I am, and developed real connections with others. I am no longer hiding behind the noise and I invite you to do the same. It is possible for all of us to gain insight into who we are simply by giving ourselves the space to listen.

When you roll out your yoga mat at Spotted Dog Yoga, you invite the possibility of big breakthroughs simply by creating the time to be present and listen. Below, discover three reasons why the majority of classes at Spotted Dog Yoga are taught without music.

1. Your Practice is a Moving Meditation.  Gaining access to the present moment can be as simple as listening to your breath and focusing your eyes. However, simple doesn’t mean easy. Your yoga practice will constantly push you to your limits and test your ability to remain present and calm throughout a class. Practicing in a noise free space allows us to actually hear our breath, which also helps with our practice of drishti (focused gaze). Your breath and drishti throughout a practice will help you build mental fortitude and create awareness around the distractions you create for yourself on the mat.
2. Observe Your Thoughts. When we take out external noise and distraction, we are able to notice our internal dialogue. Once you have created awareness around your thoughts and reactions, YOU have the ability to choose whether they are serving you or not. This new-found awareness creates the possibility of shift in your thoughts and in your life! How you do anything is how you do everything…your yoga practice will give you direct insight into how you are being and where you can grow.
3. Cultivate Connection. When music is played during a yoga practice, it can very easily be an “out” for us so that we don’t have to feel what is coming up. Our style of teaching  at Spotted Dog Yoga causes us, both as teacher and practitioner, to do the work necessary to create shift on and off the mat because there is nowhere to hide. Through this practice, you will gain a deeper understanding of who you are and what you stand for so that you can share yourself more powerfully with others. Your ability to create authentic connections with others requires that you first understand yourself in a real way.

Looking forward to seeing you at “The Dog!”

Nick

 

 

Spotted Dog Yoga has a lot of great workshops coming up this summer! Click Here to learn more about what is going on at SDY! 

Want to stay more connected with your community? Join our Spotted Dog Yoga community Facebook page by clicking here!

 

 

 

 

 

Yoga Myth #2: I’m too old for yoga

There’s a lovely quote that reads, “We are always the same age inside.” It’s attributed to Gertrude Stein. As for me, I think I will be eternally 11 years old.

But as I age there are definitely changes going on in my body. I don’t recover from intense workouts as easily as I used to. I worked a Sober Grad Night a few years ago, and stayed up until 4:30 am. In my 20’s that would have been no problem. In my late 40’s, I felt like a bus had hit me the day after.

But here’s the thing. I believe you’re never too old to do yoga. Because what our bodies need is movement. The “use it or lose it” principle applies both to strength and flexibility. And if you’ve seen someone who moves like an old person (no matter what their age), what you’re usually seeing is a limited range of motion in his or her joints.

I love many things about Spotted Dog Yoga, and one of them is the Power Soft classes. Let’s say you’re someone who doesn’t feel ready to jump right in to a Power Flow class. The Power Soft classes, with the reduced heat, and combination of flow and yin poses is a perfect place to start, or to stay if it’s what works for you.

To sum it up, I think there’s a yoga truth. And here it is: You are NEVER too old to do yoga.

Please let me know your thoughts and SHARE this post if you agree!

See you on your mat,

Leslie

Here is a little extra inspiration for you.

Mid-February Spotted Dog Newsletter

Click here to check out what is going on at Spotted Dog Yoga in the coming months!  We are grateful for the constant support that we are receiving from this amazing community! Let’s keep up the good work! SPOTTED DOG NEWSLETTER.