Albuquerque Yoga Studio Blog: Yoga Art Space

Kapalbhati and Springtime in Albuquerque

It’s that time of year again—springtime. In lovely Albuquerque that means the time of year when a cool, fresh 60 degree day is immediately followed by several lovely, sunny days of 80 degrees. And on the heels of that, the temperature drops back down to 70 degrees. That doesn’t sound so bad, until the onslaught of 25 to 50 plus mile per hour winds accosts the city with the accompanying dust, sand, tumbleweeds, and litter. This is a scenario with which Burquenos are all too familiar. These drastic changes in weather, and dry, dusty winds, combined with rising levels of pollen can wreak havoc with our sinuses and lungs. One way to combat this is to practice kapalbhati pranayama. This tran

It is Yogic to Forgive

The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong. Gandhi This past month, I have been working on forgiveness, which yoga philosophy embraces. Yet forgiveness is hard work, so much so that we sometimes carry a grudge for a long long time. Yet, we ourselves are most hurt by a failure to forgive. In the wonderful book, After the Ecstasy, the Laundry: How the Heart Grows Wise on the Spiritual Path, meditation teacher Jack Kornfield describes a story in which soldiers rescue a man who was held in captivity during a war for decades by war criminals. The rescuers asked him “have you forgiven your captors?” and he said “no, never.” The rescuers then said to him “so they still

What is the Goal of Yoga?

Living in the West, we see so many yoga pictures on magazine covers and on Instagram with people holding ridiculously amazing looking yoga poses. For instance, the picture below is one of the free photos available on this web hosting site when you search under the term "yoga." This is called Scorpion Pose and it is one of the poses that may scare any potential beginner yogi away from ever starting yoga. The aforementioned beginner may have the thought, "In this lifetime, I will never be able to do that with my body. If that is what yoga is about, then no thank you!" Is this what yoga is all about? What is the goal of yoga? Yoga is thought to be a tradition dating back to India possibly even

Chair Yoga

Yoga is for everyone! I love discussing the practice of yoga with my friends, family, and acquaintances. I've met people who see yoga as a practice that only super bendy, athletic people can do. They think it's unattainable and simply too difficult to attempt. But I'm here to tell you peeps that yoga is for everyone! It has become a popular practice and the results are amazing. Incredible yogis have introduced different styles of yoga giving people the opportunity to choose what best suits them. I was introduced to chair yoga a few years ago when I became a part of the Christina Phipps Foundation. I was given the opportunity to learn ways of incorporating yoga poses and sequences in a chair