LYT

Category: Friday with Friends

  • 64 | How A Good College Can Help You Pick A Good Yoga Class

    64 | How A Good College Can Help You Pick A Good Yoga Class

    Today’s episode is inspired by my daughter searching for what college she’ll be attending! We’re looking at what each school has to offer beyond the education, and it made me think of what I recommend as a yoga teacher. There are a lot of similarities between what you may be looking for in a yoga class, and what you may be looking for in a college setting, and today I’m going to share my thoughts!

     

    Here are a few things to ponder when searching for a new movement class, instructor, or even a college:

     

    1. When looking for a movement class (or college), don’t be seduced by the advertising.
    2. The strong sense of knowledge and curiosity is important.
    3. Do you sense that the people in the class (or college) are happy to be there?
    4. Do you feel like you are being seen?

     

    Resources:

    Today’s episode is sponsored my LYT Daily online yoga classes. This is an exclusive pass into my personal practice and program that I created from my experience as a physical therapist and 20 years developing my LYT yoga methodology. There is a different class with me everyday – including special monthly live streams – so you can feel your most LYT up – anytime and anywhere. Get a 3 day free trial today by going to movementbylara.com and clicking “daily classes.” Let’s get moving!

  • 63 | Progress Not Perfect

    63 | Progress Not Perfect

    We all have experienced the strive for perfection, and how it can actually get in the way of real progress. I see this a lot in yoga practice, where people have a perfectionist mindset for their practice, and I believe that can be really limiting. Today we are going to talk through the importance of releasing the illusion of perfection, and replacing it with the strive of progress.

     

    Applying progress practice to your movement practice:

     

    1. Focus on the effort
    2. Recognize the shifts that have happened
    3. Start simple + start soon
    4. Be okay with mistakes

     

    Applying these steps in your life, career, and even in your children’s lives, can really help you grow and have a better mindset (and more fun) while on the road to whatever your goals may be.

     

    Resources:

    Today’s episode is sponsored my LYT Daily online yoga classes. This is an exclusive pass into my personal practice and program that I created from my experience as a physical therapist and 20 years developing my LYT yoga methodology. There is a different class with me everyday – including special monthly live streams – so you can feel your most LYT up – anytime and anywhere. Get a 3 day free trial today by going to movementbylara.com and clicking “daily classes.” Let’s get moving!

  • 61 | A Useful Instrument

    61 | A Useful Instrument

    Today’s podcast is all about one of my favorite quotes! I even centered an entire yoga class around it, because our body’s are useful instruments, and we need to remember that. Are we neglecting our body, or are we making it a useful instrument? Today, that is just what we are going to talk about.

     

    Our body is our transporter for our spirit and soul, and how we feel in our body in connected to how we feel in our mind. Our body is not here only for aesthetics, they are here to carry us with integrity and curiourisity, and as calibrators of energy.

     

    How are our bodies comparable to instruments?

     

    Our body is like a tuning fork for our inner vibration.

    By playing our body well, we receive great feedback.

    Musical instruments vibrate, we too are instruments of vibration. When we feel low and dull, that is a lack of high vibration; when we feel bright is when our vibration is high.

     

    Questions to ask yourself:

     

    How are you eating? Drinking? Are you sleeping enough? Are you moving with joy?

     

    Resources:

    Today’s episode is sponsored my LYT Daily online yoga classes. This is an exclusive pass into my personal practice and program that I created from my experience as a physical therapist and 20 years developing my LYT yoga methodology. There is a different class with me everyday – including special monthly live streams – so you can feel your most LYT up – anytime and anywhere. Get a 3 day free trial today by going to movementbylara.com and clicking “daily classes.” Let’s get moving!

  • 57 | What Is The Deal With The Moon?

    57 | What Is The Deal With The Moon?

    Today’s topic is all about the moon! In terms of movement, the moon is such a great example of movement and change. The moon is shifting, and it allows us to track our days by each shift that it makes in its alignment. I thought that today would be a great opportunity to speak about the beautiful movement of the moon and her phases, and what we can take away from it all.

     

    The moon’s phases are a reflection of how much of the surface is being illuminated by the sun. Many of us are aware of the different phases of the moon, but not a lot know what these phases mean energetically.

     

    The new moon is the time where the moon is completely dark, and this is energetically a time of rebirth and starting over. Many people set intentions, write out goals, and start projects around this phase.

     

    The waxing crescent moon phase is next, which indicates forward and aspiring motion. At this time, people begin to identify more where they need to focus in their new goals and intentions.

     

    The first quarter phase, or half moon, is a symbolic time of both rooting down and expanding. I like to remember one of my favorite yoga poses, half moon, here because it holds similar energetic meaning.

     

    In the waxing gibbous moon phase, we are able to really see and feel our intentions comes to fruition. This is a great time to journal about attaining what you want, and going out to get it.

     

    Now we reach the full moon, where the earth, moon, and sun are aligned. This is a great time to transform and welcome in abundance. After this phase, the moon begins to diminish, which is why people recommend to energetically release things that are no longer of service to you.

     

    The waning gibbous is known to bring energy for better communications and revelations.

     

    After this, we reach another half moon phase, but this time it is decreasing in its illumination. This is a time where we begin to reflect on what the full moon phase brought us, and reevaluate for the future.

     

    Resources:

    Today’s episode is sponsored my LYT Daily online yoga classes. This is an exclusive pass into my personal practice and program that I created from my experience as a physical therapist and 20 years developing my LYT yoga methodology. There is a different class with me everyday – including special monthly live streams – so you can feel your most LYT up – anytime and anywhere. Get a 3 day free trial today by going to movementbylara.com and clicking “daily classes.” Let’s get moving!

  • 55 | Traveling As A Vegan

    55 | Traveling As A Vegan

    Today’s podcast is all about traveling while vegan! This episode was inspired by my love of travel, but also my trip to Costa Rica, and how I eat when I am not home. For those of us who do have different lifestyle choices– vegan, gluten-free, vegetarian, etc– it can be a little more trying when you aren’t in your own home, cooking your own meals! My hope is that with this episode, I can help provide insight to how I travel as a vegan, and hopefully make your future trips that much easier.

     

    I have been vegan for almost 18 years now, and the technology that we have today does make being vegan while on the road and traveling, much more simple. There are many apps that help! I use Happy Cow to help me know what places have vegan options nearby my location.

     

    When traveling, we often stay at Bed and Breakfasts, and in other countries where the hosts may not know what veganism is– kindly let them know what you can and can’t consume. Be open to offering suggestions. Sometimes we do have to bring our own staples, depending on where we travel.

     

    I don’t agree when people say that being adaptable when traveling means eating as the culture eats, out of respect. I don’t think that it’s disrespectful at all to maintain your ethical beliefs. Being adaptable, to me, means being open to the fact that your options may look different than you expected.

     

    Resources:

    Today’s episode is sponsored my LYT Daily online yoga classes. This is an exclusive pass into my personal practice and program that I created from my experience as a physical therapist and 20 years developing my LYT yoga methodology. There is a different class with me everyday – including special monthly live streams – so you can feel your most LYT up – anytime and anywhere. Get a 3 day free trial today by going to movementbylara.com and clicking “daily classes.” Let’s get moving!

  • 54 | Functional Stretching & Why It’s Important

    54 | Functional Stretching & Why It’s Important

    Today I am going to discuss stretching! I’ll be talking about why stretching is so important, and I share my physical therapist hacks for stretching as well. This episode is for everyone from the runner, to the yogi, and all other active and non-active realms.

     

    What is stretching? What are the misconceptions?

     

    Stretching is helping your body get longer, more free, and to reduce muscular tension. There are so many different things that people think of when they hear “stretch”– that it will make them stronger, give them deeper ranges in yoga, and so on.

     

    What are the benefits of stretching?

     

    Stretching improves flexibility, when we stretch well. This could lead to improving our range of motion, which leads to a decrease risk of harming or injuring other joints. Stretching also enables the muscles to work more effectively.

     

    Why is core strength important?

     

    Core strength is going to help provide better protection for your lower back, while giving more strength and power in your legs, and more stability throughout your entire trunk. This will also improve your posture, which has an extremely positive ripple effect throughout your entire body.

     

    When you look at your own practice, or classes you teach and/or take, ask yourself:

    • Am I changing the way I’m feeling in my life?
    • Am I feeling less pull in my low back?

     

    Resources:

    Today’s episode is sponsored my LYT Daily online yoga classes. This is an exclusive pass into my personal practice and program that I created from my experience as a physical therapist and 20 years developing my LYT yoga methodology. There is a different class with me everyday – including special monthly live streams – so you can feel your most LYT up – anytime and anywhere. Get a 3 day free trial today by going to movementbylara.com and clicking “daily classes.” Let’s get moving!

  • 53 | Truth On And Off The Mat

    53 | Truth On And Off The Mat

    Today we are talking about truth! Truth is actually one of the tenants in yoga, and it really is such a loaded word. When you think of truth as a topic, one could have a lot of things come to mind: telling the truth, finding your truth, being true to yourself. Today, however, we are going to focus on being in accord with facts or reality, really placing strength on finding the truth within ourselves.

     

    Where are you avoiding things? Where are you not addressing things? There takes a lot of courage to see the truth, feel it, and speak it without fear. I encourage you to explore these questions while in your movement practice.

     

    Maybe your truth is that you are impatient; you are a doer; you like checklists and crossing things off. This isn’t wrong, but you can’t bring that into a practice. The truth is, it’s going to be harder than checking stuff off, but it’s going to be so much more fulfilling.

     

    Resources:

    Today’s episode is sponsored my LYT Daily online yoga classes. This is an exclusive pass into my personal practice and program that I created from my experience as a physical therapist and 20 years developing my LYT yoga methodology. There is a different class with me everyday – including special monthly live streams – so you can feel your most LYT up – anytime and anywhere. Get a 3 day free trial today by going to movementbylara.com and clicking “daily classes.” Let’s get moving!

  • 50 | Clarity in Cues and Conversation

    We hear it all the time, communication is key! In today’s episode I’m talking about communication and cueing, more specific to yoga teachers, but could absolutely benefit anyone using communication in their profession. When it comes to cueing, a more abbreviated form of communication, it’s really important how you do this because you are trying to get a lot of information across quickly.

     

    Not everyone has been taught or raised with proper communication, leaving it to be a learned skill. Communication is fundamental, especially when teaching others.

     

    Yoga teachers:

     

    Be yourself! Communicate from your own languaging, heart, and inspiration. It’s easy to tell when you are communicating from an inauthentic place, and that’s not what we want to portray.

     

    Write down what the movement practice feels like for you, what it has given you, and what you feel like when you’re connected to it. This will give you a baseline from which your communication can flow.

     

    When teaching and using cues, be more direct and clear on what you are trying to say. It doesn’t need to be emergent, but it has to be heard so that those listening know exactly what you want, and feel safe as knowing where they are going next.

     

    Resources:

    Today’s episode is sponsored my LYT Daily online yoga classes. This is an exclusive pass into my personal practice and program that I created from my experience as a physical therapist and 20 years developing my LYT yoga methodology. There is a different class with me everyday – including special monthly live streams – so you can feel your most LYT up – anytime and anywhere. Get a 3 day free trial today by going to movementbylara.com and clicking “daily classes.” Let’s get moving!