The missing piece to consistency in your meditation practice
I know that I'm not alone. In the last year, I went on retreat with Tuere Sala who is meditation teacher based in Seattle. She shared that she also went several years without meditating at home. To hear this from one of my teachers was life-changing. I want to do for you what she did for me...
There are a few things that I have put in place in my life that help me to be more consistent in the big picture and I thought I would share them with you.
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Hamstring stretch: finding relief and stretch
Ooh the hamstring stretch — the relief and the release that comes from a hamstring stretch.
It’s one of those moments in class when you can feel your whole nervous system exhale. The back of the legs begin to soften. The breath deepens. Something that felt held or restricted starts to let go.
In class we practice with a band. If you are thinking about hamstring exercises at home, it’s great to have a band (I buy mine from ??), or you can use a towel in exactly the same way. The purpose isn’t to force the stretch, but to support the leg so you can soften into the experience rather than brace against it.
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Things to do in Leavenworth: A Local’s Guide
I have lived in Leavenworth since 2005. Like many, what attracted me to live in this place was its natural beauty and the access to the outdoors. It is also just 2.5 hours from Seattle, where I grew up and where much of my family still lives.
I also moved to Leavenworth because, as a faux Bavarian Village, it is a tourist destination with over 3 million visitors per year. I felt certain that I could move to Leavenworth and readily find work in the hospitality industry — which I did for the first five years I lived here before transitioning to teaching yoga full time.
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Waiting-in-Line
I have a strong aversion to waiting in line. I know I'm not the only one who has this affliction. It's very common. I actually miss out on many things in life because I so dislike waiting in line. I see people lined up to get into a concert or to get into a highly desired restaurant and I am literally repulsed
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Introducing Sam Switzer – culinary wizard
In 2007, I started a new job at a retreat center just outside of Leavenworth as Event Coordinator. I was still relatively new to Leavenworth, having moved to town in the fall of 2005.
Looking back, although I only worked at this retreat center for about 8 months, there were several changes that were precipitated by my time there – for one, it was while I was there that I returned to teaching yoga at the invitation of the Executive Director of the Retreat Center. This kicked off my yoga career as we know it – even though I had taught previously in Massachusetts, I had made a career shift to hospitality when I moved to Leavenworth. The ED convinced me to teach a few classes for the community and that got me back into it.
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Yoga + Travel Experience vs. a Yoga Retreat: what to expect
Starting in 2024, I began offering trips further afield with my tour operator partner, Drishti Journeys. We ran a wonderful trip together in Bali, where Reinier and his wife live (when they’re not traveling the world running trips).
Just to explain our partnership: Reinier is a tour operator who specializes in running trips for yoga groups. These trips are a blend of a yoga retreat and a group tour. There are similarities to a yoga retreat. We start each day with meditation and yoga, and we end each day with another yoga practice. We also stay in a beautiful and scenic location, outside of the crazy energy that many tourist destinations have. We stay in the same location for the duration of our trip, whereas many group travel experiences might change location every day or every few days.
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