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Entries in joy yoga center (3)

Examine Your True Motivation

The Joy Yoga Center mascot Tiki the Dog is a very thoughtful little pup. We have posted the canine's musings here on the Health DISH before but this one was particularly thought provoking. Hope you enjoy and join us for a few Yoga classes at Joy Yoga Center soon. - DISH

Tiki, The Joy Yoga Center MascotGood morning from Tiki, your favorite Yoga-Dog! This week I had the opportunity to do a little exploring and learn about some really cool techniques for letting go of my limiting beliefs and raising my consciousness. What I'm learning has had a profound effect on a huge part of my physical experience, i.e. begging for treats!

As most of you know, I tend to spend a lot of time and energy at the studio dancing, spinning in circles, staring at you in a weird and creepy manner, whining, and whatever other tricks I can come up with to entice you to give me treats. And although this is a fun little drama to play out, it can get exhausting! Not only that, but the happiness I get from achieving the treat is fleeting - I find myself wanting another one pretty quickly.

I'm realizing that I had created an entire belief system about treats making me happy. But what happens when you are in yoga class and aren't there to give me treats, or even when (gasp!) I've run out of treats? How was I supposed to be happy then? Well, since I was exhausted from running and spinning around and using every trick in my book, I thought I might as well try this "changing my thoughts" thing!

And guess what? When I observed my thoughts, I noticed something interesting: I noticed that I have spent years perfecting ways to attain treats without ever examining why it was I wanted these treats so badly. What would happen if rather than trying to come up with bigger and better tricks to perform, if I just changed my thoughts about treats? What if I chose to believe that I don't need the treats to be happy?

Wow, what a relief this was! I felt my little Chihuahua body relax and an amazing peace wash over me as I realized that I didn't have to do or achieve anything in order to be blissfully happy! That joy and peace reside within me and are, in fact, what I am made up of.

I'm sure each of you have felt this way, too: that you have to rush around, fill your life with tasks and chores and general busy-ness in order to achieve certain goals. But when you really stop to notice your thoughts and beliefs, why is it that you feel compelled to accomplish these tasks at all? Is it because you think that in doing so, you'll arrive at a place that makes you happier or more worthy of love? And if so, is this belief system a fulfilling one? Well, probably not if you're waiting to achieve this, that, or the other thing before you feel happy and at peace.

So how about taking a lesson from this Yoga-Dog and changing your thoughts, rather than frantically running around after the treats? When we start to examine every belief we have and realize that these beliefs aren't "reality" but are merely thoughts we've created, we can begin to choose different thoughts. Rather than thinking something like "I need to have a certain job, relationship, or body type to be happy and to be loved," how about choosing a thought like "I am pure joy and pure love, just as I am!"

This is fantastically liberating! No longer do we have to rush around, trying to perfect ways to achieve the treats in our lives, we can relax and be joyful and perfectly at peace, just as we are!

Namaste,

Tiki

Posted on Monday, October 22, 2012 at 11:04AM by

DISHhouston in dish, dish-houston, dishhouston, examine your true motivation, health, houston, joy yoga center, yoga |

There is More to Yoga than Asanas

When I first started yoga it was for the tightness I felt in my back and hips. It would go untreated for a while then it would creep up my back and neck and cause tension migraines. Normally a good run could help alleviate this pain by the sheer movement of the muscles and increased blood flow. Sometimes I would break down and get a massage, it is one of my favorite treats with multi-leveled benefits but it gets expensive. As the summer heat rolled around I needed something that would help but not have to call my friends and family to call the police if I didn't call them back in an hour because I probably passed out from heat stroke.

With yoga, you get the streatching, the strength building...yes strength building! Yoga is not for sissies, the increased blood flow and after one class most of my pain is gone. Awesome. The more I practiced however, the more I noticed I was more calm in my everyday life, I had more confidence,I was more peaceful, slept better and didn't toddle in my 5 inch heals...an important talent. All of these extra added benefits made me want to learn more about this centuries old practice.

Turns out, there is more to Yoga than the asanas (poses)! Hosted by Loraine Frow at Joy Yoga Center we will be lead on a journey of over 4 thoudand years to find out more about the 8 limbs of Yoga.

The 2 hour bliss fest will be spent wallowing in words discussing the 8 limbs of yoga, followed by an infusion on the 8 limbs as we move through a 60 minute steady Vinyasa Flow. Topped off with a 15 minute Guided Meditation and Pranayama (Breathing). All supported by the amazing live melodies provided by Anthony Rodriguez.

Seriously Yogi Peeps, How Much Better Can It Possibly Get? "The greatest challenge in life is discovering who you are... The second greatest is being happy with what you find."

Date: Saturday, October 20th

Time: 2:00-4:00pm

Location: Joy Yoga Center

4500 Washington Ave., suite 900

Houston, TX. 77007

Investment:$35

www.JoyYogaCenter.com

Loraine was born in England and has lived in Houston, Texas for the last 10 years. Prior to that she traveled to various lands, practicing Midwifery and being a Childbirth Educator. Loraine opened her eyes and welcomed yoga into her life in 2007 and since then she has been playing and breathing on her mat. Loraine decided to "try the yoga thing" when she stopped smoking and since then she has been discovering and connecting with the breath, amazed and always delighted at what it supports. She is a great lover "Pranayama."

Loraine received her 200 hour certification with Joy Yoga Studio. Loraine's passion and driver as a Yoga Teacher is to provide a fun, supportive, safe environment, allowing students to seek an introspective practice. Loraine offers a strong, steady "Vinyasa" practice, with a focus on the breath being the foundation to the practice of the Asanas. Her classes are an opportunity for self discovery, they are trickled with Yoga Philosophy and infused love.

Posted on Saturday, September 29, 2012 at 08:30AM by

DISHhouston in anthony rodriguez, asana, dish, dish-houston, dishhouston, houston, joy yoga center, live music, loraine frow, yoga |

Tiki Says...

TikiTiki is the mascott of Joy Yoga Center. She also has her own blog that her mommy, Joy Winkler, owner of Joy Yoga Center, interprets for her. This weeks was especially thought provoking and cute so we thought we'd share!

Happy Labor Day to all my yogi and yogini friends! Well, if your week has been anything like mine, I bet you are exhausted and ready for some relaxation this holiday weekend!

This week was especially hectic for me. You see, I'm accustomed to staying busy, and I enjoy my full schedule of guarding the studio and greeting my yoga friends, but with the Labor Day weekend, I was even busier running all over town socializing with my doggie friends.

I'm a very social little yoga-dog, and I love to see my friends, but it does take time away from my usual napping schedule. And to top it off, when I got home from my hectic day of having fun, Mac, my kittie-cat little brother, was pestering me to run around and wrestle with him, but I was feeling tired and generally annoyed. All of a sudden I realized that I had been so busy all week, that I hadn't had the time to practice my own yoga poses, and I felt it! My little Chihuahua body felt stiff and sore, and even my mood was affected; I definitely was not my usual bubbly self.

It was too late to go to a yoga class, so I realized that if I was going to make myself feel better, I was going to have to practice some yoga at home, all by myself. This felt daunting at first - even if I did have the discipline to practice on my own, I didn't have a clue where to start. But now that my mommy has her website with her classes online (www.MyUniversalJoy.com), I felt that I had the support and guidance I needed to practice all by myself. After just a few minutes, I was feeling refreshed, decidedly less grouchy, and ready to play with Mac.

I hear my mommy say all the time that we should integrate yoga in our daily lives, and I had forgotten how important that truly is. Sometimes we all get so busy with our hectic schedules that we can't find the time to come to class. And not being able to do our yoga makes us feel even more cranky! But remember that yoga isn't just for the studio; practicing some yoga at home, even for just a few minutes, can make a big difference in improving your mood and making your body feel less tight and more energized. Or even if you can't find the time at home, just do a little yoga while you're stuck in traffic. Simply breathing and being aware of your posture while you're in your car is yoga.

So I hope you all enjoy your Labor Day weekend. Even if you're busy with your family and friends this weekend and can't make it to class, be sure to find a quiet corner where you can take some time all for yourself. You'll come out feeling refreshed, rejuvenated, and excited to jump back into your crazy schedule!

Namaste,

Tiki

Posted on Tuesday, September 4, 2012 at 09:18AM by

DISHhouston in dish, dish-houston, dishhouston, downward dog, houston, joy winkler, joy yoga center, my universal joy, tiki, yoga |