InsightsfromtheMat

While it may not be exciting, it is the reality I spent Day 1 packing and prepping for my trip. Luckily, we could start the day with Satsang. At the Ashram, we wake at 5:30am for Satsang. Satsang is a gathering of light-minded people seeking additional spiritual knowledge. From a practical perspective, we meditate, chant, and listen to a lecture/teaching from Guruji. If you want a little more information on Satsang check out this website . Then my traveling companion was off to a school trip to New York ( which has been canceled ). Anytime there is a trip there is a significant amount of prep work. Living out of a van for the better part of 20 days is no different. What is also funny, interesting, real, about my current life is that I will be wearing about 4 different hats on my trip. My Roles Speaker , my first official stop will be in Atlanta for the ACSM Health & Fitness Summit where I will be delivering a talk on Technology and EIMOC with my Partner in Crime. I wil...

Some would say that I have a gypsy soul, others might look at me as a hippy or gypsy. Honestly, I am comfortable with all of those labels as they do speak to a portion of my soul that always seems to be moving. I am about to embark on another adventure and I am inviting, those who are interested, to join me. I will be blogging and posting about my daily yoga & meditation practice, how it works when it fails, and all of the other experiences that come along the way. Let's start at the beginning. I will be traveling in an Escape Camper Van . We may end up calling her Thumper or Baa Baa we haven't decided yet. I will be doing part of my trip with my traveling companion, looking at colleges and planning for the future. Part of the time I will be traveling solo, although there are some who plan to drop in on the adventure, and some I plan on dropping in on.  Here are a few pictures from our first partial day in the Van. Day 0 - We feel blessed to be able to spend our f...

What is Pilates? Pilates is a style of exercise designed by Joseph Pilates in the early 20th century. His goal was to develop exercises that would help rehabilitate immobilized World War I soldiers. The focus of the exercises is primarily around core strengthening and flexibility. In a Pilates mat class, you can see that Joseph Pilates based a lot of the movements on yoga and martial arts. Commonly, Pilates is performed on the floor, letting the body act as resistance. This is the style of Pilates we offer at the FMB Yoga Project. Other Pilates studios offer classes on machines, such as the Reformer. Have questions about that style of Pilates, ask Marti next time you are in class. Differences between Yoga & Pilates? There are a couple of differences to expect if you are an FMB Yoga Project Yogi and you decide to try a Pilates class.       1.      The mats are much softer. 2.      The lights are on. 3.  ...

If you have been following our blog, you know that I love spending time at Yogi Hari's Ashram . Recently, a group of us headed over for a weekend retreat . For me personally, there is something very calming and rejuvenating about the place.  Weekend Retreat 1.2020 On the weekend of Feb 21-22, I will be returning for an  Ayurveda for Daily Living Retreat .    If you are new to Ayurveda, according to the National Institutes of Health, Center for Complementary and Integrative Health , it is one of the oldest known medicines. Ayurveda uses  products (mainly derived from plants, but may also include animal, metal, and mineral), diet, exercise, and lifestyle to treat disease. P reliminary scientific studies show it to be just as effective at treating arthritis as drugs and shows promise for treatments of type 2 diabetes.  As a research scientist, I know that it will take a long time to prove that it is effective, that is the way research works. Ho...

Most Yoga classes include some version of a Sun Salutation ( Surya Namaskar). These linked poses are a powerful warm-up but also serve another purpose. Surya Namaskar is a salute to the sun or a way to create a new and fresh beginning, hence why it is done at the beginning of a yoga class. Read on to learn why many yogis, including us at Island Movement , practice this tradition on the first of the New Year. Why 108 Sun Salutations? In Yoga, the number 108 is significant for many reasons. 108 is a common number in many sacred yogic texts, and added together, 1+0+8 = 9, which symbolizes universal love, eternity, and awakening. According to Ayurveda, there are 108 sacred points on the body. Traditionally, Sun Salutations honor the Winter & Summer Solstice and the Spring & Fall Equinox. Many Western Yogi's also use 108 Sun Salutations to mark the beginning of the New Year. The practice harnesses the power of rebirth and new beginnings to detoxify and shed the unw...

A Perfect Sunset from the Ashram As you may know, I spent 2-Weeks at the b eginning of September at Yogi Hari's Ashram in Miramar Florida. It was an amazing experience where I had an opportunity to grow both emotionally and spiritually. I joined the Ashram and plan to make regular return trips.  I am returning on  January 25-27 2020  and invite you to join me.  The full itinerary is below. The Ashram prepares our meals which are primarily Vegan. They can accommodate gluten allergies. Meat and alcohol are not allowed at the Ashram. We will stay on the Ashram grounds, in rooms that sleep 4 - 6 people, with shared bathrooms. The cost is $200 and you pay through the FMB Yoga Project website. I will provide a packing list for anyone that signs up for the trip. Saturday                                              ...

Guruji by C. Morgan I was taken aback on class on Wednesday. A seasonal visitor and a local resident both spoke to me about my time at the Ashram. I write this blog to share my experiences, but the conversation on Wednesday brought home the power of words. So, although later than I intended, I feel called to share my thoughts on Guruji. In Yoga Philosophy, a Guru is simply a teacher. Someone who has traveled a spiritual path and is offering instruction to you to as you walk the same path. Just as an Ashram is simply a place to learn. It is that simple. When I entered the Ashram, I felt that I knew about the physical practice of yoga, but I wanted to increase my knowledge about the spiritual side. At the end of my 2 week training, I learned A LOT about the physical practice and the spiritual practice of Yoga. I also learned A LOT about myself. The later was a bit of an eye opener. At the Ashram we spent about 4 hours a day in the presence of Yogi Hari. We chanted and ...