It is very common to use props in a yoga practice. Yoga Props help with alignment and do the pose that is right for your body. There is no stronger prop than the wall. It is there like a steadfast friend, always at your back, or wherever you need it most. Use the wall with you legs straight up the wall for sivasana or to help you square your hips in warrior 3. There are so too many poses you can do at the wall to mention here but it will certainly help with your practice.

Posted under Styles of Yoga, Yoga Supplies

Our teacher of the month for August is Anne Phyfe Palmer. Anne Phyfe is the founder of 8 Limbs Yoga Studios in Seattle, Washington. She opened 8 Limbs in Oct of 1996. Since then, 8 Limbs has been at the center of a bustling yoga community in Seattle. Currently there are 4 locations.

Over the last 17 years, 8 Limbs has become more than a business and a yoga school. It is an urban community for people looking for connection in our busy city. Anne Phyfe puts out a monthly newsletter that is insightful and inspirational. Not only is Anne Phyfe a shaper of our Seattle yoga community, but she is a dynamic yoga teacher whose classes explore a wide variety of disciplines. In addition to acting as Education Director of 8 Limbs, Anne Phyfe teaches yoga classes and trains other teachers through the 8 Limbs Yoga 200 and 500-hour Teacher Trainings and Pre/Postnatal Yoga Teacher Training. She collaborates with and supports her fellow teachers to maintain high standards of teaching and content and to offer 8 Limbs students many paths to travel on in their yoga practice.

Anne Phyfe’s main yoga teachers include Rod Stryker and Sarah Powers – two of the many teachers she brings in to her studio regularly. I have always enjoyed her creative classes, and look forward to future ones. And, the 8 Limbs boutique has always been a great showcase of Barefoot Yoga products. When you come to Seattle (hopefully in the summer) – take a class with Anne Phyfe at 8 Limbs.

Posted under Styles of Yoga, Yoga Studios

In India, the Gotu Kola herb is considered the premier herb. Yogis use it to aid in meditation. It is said to develop the crown chakra, which is the energy center at the top of the head. It was noted that elephants like to munch on its leaves, thus the association with memory and longevity. This creeping tropical plant grows in Madagascar, India, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, the Himalayas and many parts of South Africa. Mentioned in the Ayurvedic texts, it’s been used for thousands of years in India and China for treating open wounds, improving mental clarity and treating skin ailments.

Check out www.barefootyoga.com to browse our selection of enlightening and inspiring yoga books, including Ayurveda: Life, Health and Longevity.

Posted under Styles of Yoga