Bound Angle Pose is a hip and groin opener that radiates a beautiful release of energy throughout your body. This seated yoga posture is sometimes called “Cobbler’s Pose,” after the way cobblers in India sit on the ground to work on footwear. Regularly practicing hip-openers, such as Baddha Konasana, will counteract stiffness, reduce pain, and bring more ease and grace to your movements.

As human beings, we shine all of the time, some days not as bright as others; nevertheless, there is a light in all of us. Our December theme of the month is RADIATE. How will we direct our light this month in our practice and in our lives? There are lots of opportunities for this over the holiday season from celebrations with our loved ones to donating to a food pantry. Don’t forget to shine a light on your own needs, as well. Here are some questions to ponder.

Allow yourself to relax and feel the ease in your hips and the joy in your heart as you rock side to side in Happy Baby Pose. Babies move this way naturally to discover new ways to experience the world. You can use this pose to check in with your breath, your thoughts, and the way your hips feel, and realize how Happy Baby can bring joy to any moment.

Our theme for November, REALIZE, is such a powerful and life-changing word. When we realize something, when we have that “aha” moment, doors open all around us inviting us to enter a new level of understanding, appreciation, and very often, acceptance. We can look at it another way as in realizing our dreams, making what we desire come true after putting in the time and effort.

Monkey Pose, commonly known as “the split,” is an advanced leg stretch and hip-opener. The yoga version of this pose keeps the hips squared to the front, unlike the version practiced in dance where the hips are opened more to the side.

The Sanskrit name for this pose, “Hanumanasana” is named after the Hindu monkey god, Hanuman. In an ancient story, Hanuman took one giant leap all the way from India to Sri Lanka, and then one more leap to return to India. Hanumanasana mimics his leap! By practicing the pose on each side, you become like Hanuman, soaring to a new heights!

Bringing to mind something that happened in the past can lead to many feelings–joy, sorrow, excitement, longing, and even anger. This month’s theme of RECALL can start us on a journey of using what we remember to inform our current lives. The times and places may not always be accurate, but the emotions and impressions you experienced will be spot on. Let’s take some time throughout the month to RECALL events in our lives that have changed us, taught us, or freed us to be who we are. Here are some questions to think about.

For an ultimate hip opener, heart opener and back bend all in one, One Legged Pigeon King poses can offer many benefits for both the body and mind. Practice with ease and grace as you first get the hip opening qualities, then the heart opener as you reach back for your bent knee and then finally for the back bend as you continue to rise into the fullest expression.

The September theme of READ is bursting with possibilities, adventures, experiences, learning, growing, laughing, understanding. There’s seemingly no end. Of course, reading takes time.

Soooo, the challenge this month is to make that time to read a magazine, a book, half of a book, two books. Switch out one thing you can let go of this month and take some time to read.

Go to bed or get up a half hour earlier. Get an audio book for your commute. See what you can discover about the world and your own imagination.

Bridges are connectors taking us from one side to the other. The same is true in bridge pose. We create the arch within the body as you would see in a bridge, but it is within that we are truly connecting to our higher selves. We lift our hearts to the sky, building strength in the legs as we root down and flexibility in our back as we lift.

REST is essential to every aspect of our being – mind, body and spirit. Otherwise, we can’t function at our ideal level. So, why do we do so little of it? This month’s Spiraling to Wellness theme offers an opportunity for us to define what rest means in our lives, where and when we need to stop, shut down the power, unplug (yes, our phones), and tune in to the peace that exists if we look for it. Join on Sunday, August 16, 10 am, at swiig café for a restful gathering and idea-sharing session. Check out the following thoughtful questions for discussion.

Wild Thing is one of the most playful postures, one that invites expansion, positivity and joy. This happens by energetically rooting to the earth while at the same time opening your heart, throat and third eye as you continue to lift up, feeling into a complete sense of freedom and possibility. Tap into your inner wild as you dance your way through one legged dog or side plank to find your Wild Thing.

Are you ready to take a walk on YOUR wild side this month as Spiraling to Wellness dives into the theme of REWILDING? This can mean different things for different people. Maybe for you it means doing something physically, mentally, or emotionally uninhibited. In nature, it means to let processes happening naturally without intervention, something else that we humans can tap into. Rewilding can be a one-day thing or a plan for the near future.

Dancers have the ability to cultivate grace and ease while confidently spinning around and making leaps across the floor. They are able to do this as a result of practicing inner focus, while training their bodies to be flexible, strong and balanced. Lord of the Dance is a great pose for tapping into your most creative, strong, balanced self.

We all know when our “batteries” are running low; that drained feeling that keeps us from doing even the things we typically love. Maybe you overexerted yourself in one area or another and used up your reserves. So, how do we get re-energized? That’s going to take a lot of thought from a lot of thinkers. Join us and share your ideas and life lessons at our Spiraling to Wellness monthly gathering focusing on June’s theme of RE-ENERGIZE

Garuda is the mythic “king of the birds,” the vehicle of Vishnu. Eagle Pose takes strength, presence, and persistence, all of which are key character attributes of Power. Reconnecting to and standing in your power in this pose means being in your truest stance, one with purpose, passion and POWER. Own this pose, go in deep and, with your breath, explore your truest self from the eye of an eagle.

RECONNECT…there are so many journeys associated with May’s Spiraling to Wellness theme. The first idea that comes to mind is reconnecting with someone you’ve lost touch with. But what about reconnecting with yourself?

Dolphin pose incorporates many ways to rediscover the balance of effort vs ease, strength vs flexibility, spaciousness vs expansiveness and staying grounded vs taking flight. It offers the opportunity to stretch or strengthen your shoulders and is one of the best prep poses for an inversion. Come in gently and enjoy discovering all the benefits of practicing this playful posture.

As we move toward spring, what better theme to take us there than RE-EMERGE. Like butterflies, we have done the hard work to evolve into who we want to be and re-emerge more beautiful than ever.