Definition: Vinyasa (a.k.a. flow)
A “collection” or “arrangement” which links poses together to create an active class. For the most part this yoga style is derived from Ashtanga yoga with a more freeform and creative format.

IO Yoga is intended to be a Grounded Vinyasa Practice that offers students the ability to sweat, enjoy, challenge themselves and begin to explore their inner life on the mat with echoes into life off the mat. Our emphasis on the grounding is very intentional. Many, many yoga studios and healing techniques in general, especially in the New Age arena, lose sight of grounding. Big no-no. Grounding is of the utmost importance. At IO, we balance out our flowing Vinyasa yoga classes with some quiet Restorative yoga class options, which make an ideal compliment to a more active practice.

What we attempt with our IO Yoga is that though it may be flowing, we intend it to be stabilizing and rooted at the same time. Becoming flexible in the body but scattered, air-headed and all-over-the-place in the mind is not the goal. Yoga by design was intended to help us come into our bodies and the experience of the body and as a preparation for sitting in silence and stillness more comfortably and presently.

Let’s get grounded,
Amy

At IO, we do our best to offer an authentic variation on the theme. In keeping with tradition, our Thai massage sessions take place on a mat on the floor so more body mobility is possible for both giver and receiver.

Thai massage is a very powerful, therapeutic form of treatment that incorporates breath and bodywork with movement and stretch. It’s a sort of hybrid of yoga and massage. In fact, it’s often called “lazy-man’s yoga”.

Technically, Thai massage works by releasing and manipulating energy along a system of meridians and channels of breath within the body. For this reason, breathing through the treatment is essential to experiencing the full therapeutic effects of the work.

If you’ve never tried Thai massage, you might be surprised at the deep level of relaxation and balancing that it imparts.

If you have an existing yoga practice, this style of bodywork can act as a wonderful bridge between your more active asana routine and the lazy bliss of getting a massage. If you have never done yoga in your life, it can be a nice introduction to the releasing sensation of yogic stretching.

Either way, Thai massage is just one of the many ways that we strive to offer you a full range of balancing, relaxing and health-imparting options at IO.

Keep stretching,
Amy

The chakra system is a perfect example of this.

A lot of us are into yoga. We love the physical practice, the calming effect, and even some of the more exotic rituals like chanting and breathing practices. But when teachers start talking about chakras, many of us glaze over.

As Western thinkers, it’s easy to write off the idea of chakras as a hocus-pocus new age idea with no tangible link to our physical beings. But within this ancient Sanskrit belief system, I believe there is a lot to be learned about our present-day relationship to physical, mental and spiritual balance.

In the most basic terms, chakras are energy centers in the body. We have seven of them:

1. Muladhara (the root chakra)
   
2. Swadhisthana (the sacral chakra)
   
3. Manipura (the solar plexus chakra)
   
4. Anahata (the heart chakra)
   
5. Vishuddha (the throat chakra)
   
6. Ajna (the third eye chakra)
   
7. Sahasrara (the crown chakra)
   

Working with our chakras – even as symbols of how we treat ourselves – gives us an opportunity to create real transformation within us. Visualize the connection between your chakras, and you take a step toward Building a Bridge between what may seem like disconnected parts of yourself, but are actually intrinsically linked.

For instance, when the link between your heart and throat chakras is blocked, you will have trouble communicating your feelings and intentions clearly. Yoga asanas or breathing exercises that serve to open up the chakras and connect them together can help you bring attention and awareness to your lines of communication.

The fact that this energy system is typically illustrated with beautiful drawings and vivid colors and symbols shows how the chakras are integral to your own creative nature (and you do have one).

Chakra-love,
Amy

As a longtime yogi myself, my philosophy is that yoga should enhance your life in more than just a physical fitness sense. Or, to put it another way, soothing your nervous system and learning how to breath is just as healthy for your body as building muscle tone and stamina.

We look for “real Mccoy” yoga teachers (mostly of the vinyasa style) who can provide a strong asana flow with substance and rhythm. We look for and find, teachers who really get the soul of using yoga to build a healthier body, mind and spirit.

I like to think it’s because they “get it”. They come from a grounded place with authenticity, personal practice, and spiritual awareness – despite their varying backgrounds and levels of experience – and to me, that je ne sais quoi is crucial in carrying a class and encouraging a transcendent yogic experience.

So to you, my favorite IO yoga teachers (which means all of you, because we wouldn’t have you here if we didn’t love you), a paean of gratitude for your heartfelt service.

See you in class,
Amy

Just as I suspected. When you’re new to yoga, it’s tempting to go to class every day, if not more. Our type-A culture has us convinced that if something is good for us, we should do it all the time, even if it’s difficult.

“Wow,” I said, “How do you find the time to go to class that often?”

“Well,” he confided, “Sometimes I go to a yoga class. Sometimes I go surfing. And sometimes I just hang out at home and meditate. It’s all yoga to me.”

Meaning, I suppose, that it’s not the activity that makes it “ahimsa yoga”, but the intention and the sense of presence while you are doing it.

This was an early and profound yogic lesson that has slowly shaped and shifted my attitude toward how I practice yoga. In the beginning, I did find that going to a regimented asana class was helpful in that it gave me a sense of focus and self-discipline. It instilled a strong foundation for a physical and breath practice that I have never abandoned.

As the years have passed, I’ve learned for myself that sometimes foregoing the “workout” to stay home and read a book in bed does indeed feel more yogic and definitely more ahimsa. The concept of ahimsa, which is a concept often brought up in yoga classes, means the avoidance of violence or non-harming. I practice ahimsa starting with myself. In my personal life it often means, for instance, not forcing myself to do something that doesn’t feel right.

There is a compassion that accompanies truly “listening to your body” or your mind or emotions. Sure, sometimes I still push too hard and do things that don’t serve my body and mind, but I am getting better, more aware and skilled at bringing myself back to center and practicing ahimsa, starting with myself.

That said, it’s important for me to recognize the different between ahimsa and sheer laziness. Not engaging in the world can also be a concern. So I try to participate in at least one or two group yoga classes a week.

The other days, my ahimsa yoga practice consists of meditation in the morning, a little bit of asana practice at home, a brisk morning city hike, and yes, the delicious peace and coziness of reading in bed in the evening.

Practice ahimsa,
Amy

Our western culture particularly tends to drive us more heavily toward the Yang – ambitious careers, workaholic addictions, the whole concept of “working out”. So it stands to reason that we have to try a little harder to integrate the Yin into our lives.

That’s where restorative yoga comes in. Although any style of yoga is popularly considered to be a relaxing, mellow activity in the first place, the types of yoga that many of us practice (power, vinyasa, flow, ashtanga) are about as far to the Yang side of the spectrum as asana can get. We hope to relax and unwind, but also to build strength, stamina, discipline and focus.

Restorative yoga, on the other hand, is absent of ambitious western ideals. It’s truly just about letting go. When you step into a restorative class, you abandon any aggressive, goal-oriented tendencies and surrender to the opportunity to, quite simply put, laze about.

In that inert state, there is the potential for our Yin energy to come back into balance. Liken it to bodywork, or to taking a nice hot bath. The truly soulful effects of an hour spent in simple, unengaged yoga poses contribute to greater health and relaxation. I often find myself strangely energized after taking a restorative yoga class.

Committing to cultivate your Yin side is anything but a waste of time. It’s a vital component of becoming a whole, healthy, happy person.

Relax into it from time to time,
Amy

Recently back from a year traveling the world exploring yoga, Ayurveda and one another, Caro and Vinnie will bring the intimate act of eating into alignment with the beloved practice of yoga through these beautiful, age-old wellness tools:

1. Asana & self-acupressure for digestion
2. Ayurvedic theory of food combining & doshas
3. Sanskrit food blessings & meditations

Yoga and her sister science, Ayurveda, offer a great deal of wisdom regarding our relationship to food. What, when, how, and most importantly, why we eat are all valuable questions. In this mini-retreat, these two offer up their seasoned expertise in the realms of vegetarian cooking, yoga and Eastern holistic medicine to infuse your meals with yogic ritual and creativity.

All levels welcome. Workshop cost is $40 per individual.
Please call (415) 563-5000 ×1 or see the front desk to pre-register for IO Workshops.

Need I say more?

A happy belly is a happy being,
Amy

Upon returning home from Mexico, I followed my urge to revisit Virginia Woolf’s famous women’s lib essay, A Room of One’s Own, where she instructs that every woman with creative and intellectual potential, in order to give her genius a fighting chance to shine, needs 1) a room of her own and 2) a stable passive income. Sure, sounds nice and tough to come by. Some disagree that those things aren’t necessary to expressing genius, but what I can say for sure is that we all need a little time and space to reconnect to our true selves, our heart’s deepest desires, and our uniquely beautiful talents.

The time spent on our own with no particular goal other than to explore ourselves can be spent almost anywhere, in a candlelit bedroom, in a bathtub with music lulling us, on a mountainside trail, or (and I’m currently partial to this option) in a tropical hut with a modest but comfy bed, mosquito net, outdoor shower, and old-fashioned oil lamp to read and write by. (Okay, 4 hours of yoga a day on retreat helps too, but I’m not going to suggest that’s possible for everyone.)

Whatever you do, find some time and space for yourself. At all costs. I promise that the most amazing things will happen.

Time to retreat,
Amy

With ten years of yoga practice under my belt, I’m in a place where a shorter, more concentrated class packs a vital punch, especially in the middle of my workday. Most standard yoga classes range from 90 minutes to two hours, but that time commitment doesn’t always work for me. A solid hour of no-nonsense physical yoga serves a couple of purposes.

First, it resets my day. I often find that when I step away from the tasks at hand, I get a clarified view of the bigger picture that lets me come back to work creatively re-energized. Like I mentioned in my last blog about yoga, the simple act of hanging upside down and breathing is a great way to “drop my brain” and get rid of all the clutter. Then, the solutions to my daily problems can shine through.

Metabolically speaking, throwing some physicality into my afternoon keeps me on track to eat healthier and sleep soundly that night. Yoga reminds me to take better care of myself.

And, when I can’t rationalize spending an hour outside in the sunshine in the middle of my day, I can at least lounge in the sunny yoga studio at IO. Not that our somewhat rigorous Power Lunch classes necessarily constitute “lounging”. But if I’m lucky, I’ll chance upon one of those golden moments where I feel calm and at peace with my universe. I love those moments.

Whether that sense of peace comes from the relaxing exhaustion of physical exertion, the joy and harmony of chanting “OM”, or simply the time spent focused on me, it feels awfully good.

Now that’s my idea of a Power Lunch.

Food for thought,
Amy

Since 2002, we’ve offered exceptional yoga and movement-based workshops at IO, but this year we move beyond our old paradigm and expand our offering to bring you new meaningful experiences. All of these workshops aim to supplement your health and well being by introducing you to new tools and practices that have worked for me, and the IO Team, first hand.

The first workshop is just around the corner on Saturday, January 24: Rejuvenation with Indigo Stray.
If you love yoga but think of it as a way to work out and get in shape, this is a great opportunity to experience the other side of yoga – the one where you simply let go, relax, and reap the benefits in a passive way. This is the exact opposite of the “no pain no gain” mindset a lot of us get trapped in when it comes to our physical practices.

Restorative yoga is the asana equivalent of a hot bath or a good massage, and it’s appropriate for a wide range of experience levels. This can be your first yoga experience or your one thousandth. Either way, I highly recommend indulging in a Saturday afternoon of peace, quiet, and lounging about (in a beneficial way) in our tranquil, warm IO movement studio. I love Indigo’s teaching and I L-O-V-E restorative yoga.

On Saturday, February 7, Dance Your Bliss with creator Rachel Fleischman as we roll up the yoga mats and dance. Rachel has the credentials to guide us in a truly transformative afternoon of dancing, intention setting and just plain fun. She is a successful psychotherapist as well as a pioneer in the art of healing-based movement. But don’t worry; she won’t be analyzing you, just empowering you to let go for a few hours. Think of it as a mini-retreat for body and soul.

And here’s one very close to my heart: on Saturday, February 28, I will co-lead an Urban Wellness Retreat with Dr. Brenda Wade, a renowned psychologist and motivational speaker known for her “love centered approach to transformation” (and yes, she has even been on Oprah). This afternoon will be a rich collaboration of yoga, spa treatments and wellness guidance. It’s a perfect opportunity to experience what IO is truly all about.

Early this year we’ll also be hosting a Yoga Inversions workshop, a class on energizing Ayurvedic Food and watch out, we’re just getting warmed up… Stay tuned to our workshop schedule.

See you there,
Amy

As an antidote for these times, we introduce our new cost-friendly IO Memberships available during January 2009. Just in time for all those resolutions you’ll be making. Here’s one resolution we can help you commit to… the commitment to your own body, to balance and to regular stress-relief.

Introducing three new memberships with superior wellness benefits including consistent and exceptional care of your body and mind. We offer Spa and Yoga, Spa-Only and Yoga-Only Membership options with exceptional pricing and including some very special perks:

Savings of Over 30% – deeper than our weekly offers stretch

Ease of Booking via Email – with your dedicated Membership Coordinator

10% Retail Savings – on all products purchased at IO

Share Your Membership – share 4 treatments per year with the guest of your choice

All of us at IO are dedicated to your wellness transformation. Now all you have to do is dedicate yourself.

Stretch your Mind. Move your Body. Feel your Skin.
Amy

These gift-giving guidelines were a good and worthy challenge. Needless to say, I’m still working on a photo collage for my brother (oops, don’t tell). So, if you’re like me and you’re still getting the whole gift thing together, no panicking.

For great finds in the edible and homemade category, if you live in San Francisco, the Ferry Building offers stellar last minute options. Yesterday I bought some truffle salt and acacia honey that will warm the bellies of my nearest and dearest. In addition, here are some simple but thoughtful IO gift ideas that speak to tranquility, health and natural beauty – qualities we aim to exemplify with all of our offerings at IO.

Spa Treatments at International Orange
We have some superior IO Holiday Spa Specials. And, there’s nothing more nurturing than gifting a friend the time to dedicate to their own wellness. We all have someone in our life who could use a good excuse to slow down, even if just for an hour or two.

Our Very Own IO Handcrafted, Organic Products
A great choice if you are committed to supporting fair trade and organic farming. Beyond that, our products are made with love and are cultivated with absolute attention to detail. I can personally attest that there is nothing synthetic about our aptly named products, Cleanse, Enrich, Restore, Nourish, Balance, Anoint and Bathe. They smell pretty amazing too. Year after year, my family and friends yearn for these homemade and good-for-your-body gifts.

A Bath with Candle Light
Well, you can’t actually give someone a bath wrapped up in a box, but you can set them up for success with our IO Bathe – a sea salt-based detoxifying bath treatment that’s designed to encourage circulation while calming the nervous system. Toss in a Kai Skylight Candle and you can rest comfortably knowing you’ve given a loved one an evening of blissed-out alone time. What a gift.

The Gift of Pampered Skin
My soul-sister, Julie Elliott, serves up amazing gifts with her geniously handcrafted products from In Fiore. Her luscious balms make bodies supple and well-scented. Some even pay special and seductive attention to specific and important parts of the body, like Peppermint Pedicurie for feet and toes, Decollete Balm for chest and neck and Bikini Balm for you know where. Always on my gifting list are the equally irresistible all-over body balms like Kashmir (rich, woody and great for guys), Tiagi (lavender, lemongrass and my mom’s favorite) and Dayala (great for exotic flower lovers, like me). For even more variety, IO also carries a bevy of creams, lotions, scrubs and cleanses for you to browse online or in our shop on Fillmore Street.

Yoga
I’ve talked a lot about the healing power of yoga in recent blogs. Spread the gospel by giving a gift certificate to yoga classes at IO. Like our products, we handpick our yoga teachers based on their level of expertise and their nurturing presence. For beginners, a private yoga session with one of our experienced staff can be a great way to encourage them to jump in.

That’s about it for my holiday gift pitch. I wouldn’t be promoting IO products and services if I didn’t feel personally invested in all of them. That’s how we do it over here at IO. We founded IO with the vision of creating an urban destination of calm, healing and transformation. The products we sell are a direct representation of our core values. It’s my gift to you to offer them up this holiday season… and beyond.

Happy, happy, merry, merry,
Amy

What happens when I get on my mat and practice yoga, is that the stress energy starts to dissipate. I reconnect to my physical self. I remember again that the breath moving in and out of my lungs is a constant, soothing rhythm that connects every moment of my day. It’s a welcome reminder that there’s more to me than what’s going on in my head. Thank goodness.

On a physiological level, there’s something to be said for hanging upside down. It’s calming. So much of yoga involves dropping your head below your heart. The simple inversion – whether it be in downward dog, shoulder stand, or a simple hanging forward bend – recalibrates my perception of my head being in charge. For me, it’s an opportunity to let all the clutter flow out of my brain for just a little while. What I’ve found is the monkey-mind chatter tends to quiet. Suddenly, in that more relaxed state brought on, oddly enough, by physical exertion, I find myself solving problems and creating solutions to all those little nagging issues that have been bogging down my day: how to draft that difficult email; what to get my mom for her birthday; how to handle a situation that’s been vexing me.

From a more esoteric perspective, my experience has proven again and again that the breath and focus required to practice yoga creates a circulatory healing energy that pushes out mental and physical blocks. The movement and breath combine to create a dynamic flow in my body and mind that keeps my enemy – stress – from getting a foothold. With a moment of mental space, I come back to things that really matter the most: taking care of my body, my mind and my heart. It’s a gift I give myself so that I can be the best “me” for all the people in my life.

Yoga helps. Sometimes it’s just that simple.

Say YES to Yoga,
Amy

The truth is, somewhere inside myself, I was holding out for a big game – pressuring myself to get to class every day, pushing myself to work hard in every session, silently comparing myself to my fellow yoga practitioners. Working towards that nebulous future moment when I would be really, really good at the asanas, perfectly sedate in my emotions, my ultimate enlightened yogic self. It got to the point where the pressure I put on myself was sucking the life out of my yoga practice.

Now, ten years later, I am finally “enlightened”.

Not really. But, in a sense, my yoga practice has matured to the point where I think I do get what it’s all about. The original yogis in the motherland of India practiced yoga postures as a way to prepare themselves to sit and meditate for long hours. All the stretching and moving the spine and joints was meant to tone the body so sitting would be less uncomfortable.

I am proud to say that I can also finally call myself a diligent meditator. I used to dabble, but the daily commitment just never stuck, until a year ago on November 1, 2007. It hasn’t been a breeze so I am patting myself on the back at this one year anniversary. But, for those of you who aren’t into regular meditation, I highly recommend yoga as it does really allow me to clear my mind, at least for a few precious, savored moments. I come to my mat, and I drop my brain, if you will. I shake off my day, and I connect back to me.

Like so many of us in the Western world, I live in my head most of the time. Hardly aware that I am even breathing… unless something challenges that breath. When I come to my mat, that moment in my day becomes a simple ritual of breathing in and out. Hanging upside down, I can finally drop my brain, let all those worrisome thoughts drip out, confident in the knowledge that the important stuff will stick around.

It may not be Buddhic enlightenment, but with all humility and gratitude, it’s the closest thing I’ve got in my clutter-filled Western life. Let’s call it peace.

Wishing you peace in tumultuous times,
Amy

Here’s the kicker: what makes us better in the face of challenge is the ability to stay calm, keep perspective and lighten up.

When our battery is well charged, we’re far better problem-solvers. We can give more fully to life, to family, friends and work. It’s not selfish to take care of ourselves, especially when the going gets tough. It’s actually wise. It just takes some prioritizing.

The best news is that you are the best person on the planet to clarify and meet your needs. So go ahead. Rise to the occasion. Below are some of my tools for doing just that.

Relaxed Under Pressure
In her recent New York Times article about what makes the best Olympic athletes, Gina Kolata points out that staying relaxed is crucial to peak performance under pressure. She puts it like this:

“Relaxation. It is a trait that is often underappreciated, coaches and athletic trainers say. Yet it can make the difference between doing your best and not doing well, between feeling dragged down or soaring…An ability to relax while pushing hard, exercise researchers say, is one reason why winners win.”

Lighten Up & Have Fun
Give yourself permission to have fun. Joy breeds more joy, just like negativity breeds negativity. During stressful periods there’s usually not as much time to blow off steam, but try to keep at least a thing or two that you love in your daily ritual.

Simplify
What’s weighing you down? Look at your To Do list. If it’s not helping you feel balanced, make real progress or bringing you joy then take it off the to do list for now.

Be Efficient
All of us have to do things we don’t love (pay bills, put away laundry, clean up messes). With those items make sure you are efficient. Find a schedule or system that allows you to do these tasks with maximum ease. Ask for help. Delegate. Most importantly, realize that no matter what, you can’t do it all. Shrink your To Do list to the critical items. You’ll have more time to do each item well and more free time to do what you love.

Move Your Body
Exercise = stress relief. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recommends that Americans should get about 150 minutes of moderately intense activity per week. That doesn’t sound so difficult if we loosen our modern definition of what “exercise” is. A brisk walk, push ups, raking leaves or doing household chores, anything that activates the body works. It doesn’t require a gym. Although I do recommend a good yoga studio. And yes, I am biased.

Quiet Your Mind
In this performance driven country of ours, the mind get a lot of “exercise”. Have you noticed that we have a tendency to stress out? Allow fear and worry to dominate our mental hum? Me too. Try meditation, yoga, tai chi, deep breathing, a bath or a nap. These practices help quiet the mind. When the mind is quiet, creative solutions bubble up without effort. Calm replaces stress. Ease replaces burden.

These wellness tips are simple, low or no cost, effective, healthy ways do well in the face of challenge. I hope they help you. They work for me. It is an art to be well in hard times, but I believe we can do it.

Be well,
Amy