Tag Archive for: 2017

Axis Yoga Trainings of Denver, Colorado - Yoga Teacher Training 200-Hour Program

Shout it from the rooftops!

Yoga Resolution #9: Share Your Practice

 

Welcome to a new beginning!

Congratulations on making it to the final installment of our nine part series on setting our intentions for the new year!  I hope the series has been enlightening for you and has helped to propel you into a powerful new direction in 2017.  Living into your resolve is an ongoing process that can extend well beyond the length of this series.  Living out your soul’s purpose can be the journey of a lifetime!

9 yoga resolutions for 2017 to ring in the New Year - Axis Yoga Teacher Trainings of Denver

Most if not everyone participating in this series has some sort of yoga practice.  I encourage you to maintain the momentum you have started, and continue your yoga practice as we take the next bold steps into 2017!  What aspirations or dreams are you living into?  What sort of support are you receiving?

As we wrap things up, I invite you to plot out your next bold step in the coming year and put some stakes in the ground.  What can you commit to now that will continue to propel you into the rest of the year?  What can you aspire towards that will give you inspiration as you navigate your everyday responsibilities?

Perhaps it is a trip.  Perhaps it is some shift in a significant relationship, or adjusting your diet or developing new associations, or even deepening your yoga practice.  

Yoga is the eternal wellspring of peace and clarity amid the myriad fluctuations of life. It has been my own experience and the experience of many, many students.  If deepening your yoga practice has been on your list, I invite you to take you to take the next courageous leap into our upcoming spring yoga teacher training!

People take the training for a variety of reasons ranging from personal enrichment to becoming full time yoga teachers.  Perhaps your 2017 resolve could benefit from a richly supportive environment that will take your yoga practice to the next level!  If so, I invite you to apply for our upcoming program, just click here for more details.

Wishing You the Best in 2017!

Derik
720-934-6934

 

Axis Yoga Trainings of Denver, Colorado - Yoga Teacher Training 200-Hour Program

Live and grow in a state of appreciate.

Yoga Resolution #8: Let Gratitude Be Your Guide

Let’s begin with a word of appreciation for all of your dedicated effort to live into your 2017 resolve!  Now, in this moment, reflect upon your three greatest victories in the new year and then softly smile to yourself for 15 seconds :)

9 yoga resolutions for 2017 to ring in the New Year - Axis Yoga Teacher Trainings of Denver

How did that feel?  We are almost three weeks into the new year and I hope you are seeing progress; that your resolve is actually coming to life!  When we live in alignment with our soul’s deeper purpose, as expressed through our resolve, happiness and fulfillment occur naturally.  What a beautiful gift!

I invite you to celebrate your victories, whether small or large, with the spirit of gratitude.  Living in gratitude lightens the load of doubt, worry and anxiety and frees us up to live life with an awake sense of curiosity and wonder in the face of all sorts of circumstances.

As you plot the course of your new year’s resolve, what have you discovered, what can you be most grateful for?  I would encourage you to continue with your yoga practice to help generate a wellspring of support, insights and, well…. Gratitude.

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As an exercise, keep a gratitude journal for the next 21 days to help maintain the momentum you have accumulated thus far.  Write down 5-10 things you are most grateful everyday.  I can promise you, it will shift the way that you see the world!

 

 

200-hr. Yoga Teacher Training Open House – Sun. Jan. 22 at 9:30am

Come find out more about Axis Yoga’s ongoing yoga teacher trainings. This will be a great opportunity to experience a class, meet graduates, get your questions answered and get a taste of what Axis is all about! Click here to learn more.

Axis Yoga Trainings of Denver, Colorado - Yoga Teacher Training 200-Hour Program

High-five yourself! You deserve it!

Yoga Resolution #7: Give Yourself An “A” for Effort

It comes easier for some than for others…  Some have a natural propensity to take their shortcomings in stride.  Thankfully, a positive outlook and the ability to genuinely acknowledge your successes is something we can cultivated.

9 yoga resolutions for 2017 to ring in the New Year - Axis Yoga Teacher Trainings of Denver

We began this series by formulating a resolve for the new year.  How is it going?  I’m sure that for many of you the results may have been mixed.  I’m sure you can think of examples of when you took action in support of your resolve and other times when you may have convinced yourself to do otherwise.

Living in alignment with your resolve is its own reward, it speaks for itself, and can fill us with inspiration to continue upon the path (even if it is hard).  But what to do if we are not living in alignment?

Rather than assuming you are a failure or incapable, see your shortcomings simple as feedback.  When we deviate from our resolve, or circumstances blow us in a different direction than we intended, welcome the input you are receiving with acceptance and curiosity; take this even one step further and find something to appreciate about the situation.

Recognize and acknowledge your efforts, learn from the situation, and simple take the next courageous step in the direction of your resolve.  Our resolve really describes who we are when we are in harmony with ourselves.

Here is a simple exercise to help you see where you are on the path of living into your resolve:

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At the end of the day, begin by writing down your resolve.  In the spirit of genuine curiosity and objectivity, reflect on when you may have come up short in your resolve.

  • What was the situation? What thoughts went along with it? How did it feel?
  • What did you say and do in response? How did that feel?
  • Is this a familiar thought or feeling in your life?
  • How can you respond differently to this occurrence in the future? Do you change how you are perceiving the situation and or how you respond/act?

Conducting this exercise will help to reshape your relationship to your resolve, take off any negative charge and plot you in the direction of living into your deepest intention with maximum intentionally, self awareness, and acceptance.

 

 

200-hr. Yoga Teacher Training Open House – Sun. Jan. 22 at 9:30am

Come find out more about Axis Yoga’s ongoing yoga teacher trainings. This will be a great opportunity to experience a class, meet graduates, get your questions answered and get a taste of what Axis is all about! Click here to learn more.

Axis Yoga Trainings of Denver, Colorado - Yoga Teacher Training 200-Hour Program

Get out of your comfort zone in 2017!

Yoga Resolution #6: Try Something New

These three words are an invitation to awaken fresh insights and experiences into your life.  They sound simple enough, however it can be challenging to break the mold of our familiar patterns and activities.  Your brain is literally wired to feel safe with familiar circumstances, for many good reasons.

Happy new year card 2017. Silhouette of A girl doing Yoga vriksh

However, our brain is also possesses the capacity to rewire itself, to let go of past associations and find new meaning. The technical work for this is “neuroplasticity”.  Yoga has been clinically proven to break up old, stuck neurological patterns within the brain, and create new pathways of perception.  Yoga has the power to move someone from addiction to liberation.  You are your own best neurosurgeon!

Trying something new is a powerful way to exercise your brain, and develop appreciation for the wondrous world that we live in.  It does not have to be overly complicated. You do not have wait for skydiving season, or until you get your permit to climb mount everest to get started.

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The important thing is to begin your process of exploration.  Often times, the gateway to new vitalizing experiences, is just a few degrees outside of our normal routine.

Here are a few suggestions to get you started:

  • Make yoga a priority in your life! Start a home practice.  Even go as far as signing up for yoga teacher training (whether to decide to teach or not). Practicing yoga is a way of sewing positive, benevolent seeds in your heart and mind, that will continue to spout; so long as you continue to water them.
  • Change your environment.  Clearing out any clutter is a great way to invite new energy into your life.  Consider creating a dedicated space for yoga practice.
  • Create time for meditation, to clear your mind of noisy static and open it to new possibilities.  Meditation will stimulate direct insights as well as gradually condition your mind to see life in a new light.
  • Go Dancing :)
  • Find support.  Changing habits in isolation can be unnecessarily challenging.  Is there some circle, even a virtual circle, you can tap into guide you more gracefully into whatever change you are wishing to make.  Or start your own circle!
  • Have honest talks.  Make a (new) habit of making time for meaningful connections with your fellow humans.  This could look as simple as an honest talk in a coffee shop or going for a hike.

Go Big.  What is your resolve for ‘17?  Continue to feed your resolve on a daily basis with incremental decisions, create time for bonus adventures, and put some stakes in the ground to express your resolve in a big way (even if you do not know how you will get there, yet). Is a trip on the horizon? Will you meet the love of your life?  Is it time to make yoga teacher training a priority?

Carpe Diem.  Even if our adventure into a new decision turns out to be so-so, we are that much wiser for having made the effort and can pat ourselves on the back for trying something new. Keep the flame of your resolve alive, accept the challenges as they come, and continue to take the next meaningful step.

 

 

200-hr. Yoga Teacher Training Open House – Sun. Jan. 22 at 9:30am

Come find out more about Axis Yoga’s ongoing yoga teacher trainings. This will be a great opportunity to experience a class, meet graduates, get your questions answered and get a taste of what Axis is all about! Click here to learn more.

Axis Yoga Trainings of Denver, Colorado - Yoga Teacher Training 200-Hour Program

Daily incremental choices create big changes!

Yoga Resolution #5: Create Momentum

Before we dive into yoga resolution #5, let’s do a quick check in with ourselves. How are you feeling in this New Year? Do you feel good about the resolutions you’ve set thus far? Are you keeping your energy high?

Since we are still at the very beginning, it’s important to create momentum around our resolutions by reframing the choices we make. It’s so important that creating momentum is a resolution in and of itself!

Watch this short video to hear more about how to check in with yourself and build momentum around your resolves.

Happy new year card 2017. Silhouette of A girl doing Yoga vriksh    

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200-hr. Yoga Teacher Training Open House – Sun. Jan. 22 at 9:30am

Come find out more about Axis Yoga’s ongoing yoga teacher trainings. This will be a great opportunity to experience a class, meet graduates, get your questions answered and get a taste of what Axis is all about! Click here to learn more.

Axis Yoga Trainings of Denver, Colorado - Yoga Teacher Training 200-Hour Program

The true test of any resolution is to live it!

Yoga Resolution #4: Live Life Authentically

Namaste ‘17!

Welcome to installment number four of our ongoing new year’s resolve series (woot! woot!). The last time we conversed, I introduced the concept of sankalpa. A sankalpa is a deeply held vow or conviction, designed to orient one towards their highest self.

A well developed  sankalpa will weave its way into our daily thoughts and interactions.  It is more than a nice idea, it is a reflection of our deepest and most earnest heart felt desire. More often than not, a sankalpa has a spiritual tone to it such as the desire to live a life of peace or integrity, though it could be more superficial in nature as well.

9 yoga resolutions for 2017 to ring in the New Year - Axis Yoga Teacher Trainings of Denver

The assignment was to craft a sankalpa through self reflection, conversation, journaling, artistic expression, and so forth.  Come up with one pithy statement or affirmation that is a reflection of your deepest potential and purpose.  (I know, sounds big, as is Life).  Here is my personal affirmation for 2017, as an example:

“My Will, Mind and Actions Align with Truth.”

The most important thing is that your sankalpa resonates with you.  If you approach it sincerely, a sankalpa becomes a sounding board for all of your thoughts, actions and decisions, gradually it becomes an organic extension of who you are.

Drawing upon one’s sankalpa turns “I will go to the gym three times a week” into “I take loving care of my mind, body and spirit”.  A sankalpa has the power to mold and shape our character, and help orient ourselves towards our higher inner and outer potentials.  It brings out the best that is already inside of you.

How to Live into Your Resolve?

Once we set the compass of our sankalpa, the true test will be to apply your affirmation to the actual terrain of your life; how you respond to stress, how you adapt to change, how you relate to others.  How do we best embody our heartfelt resolve?    

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  • Commit your sankalpa to memory.  Say it as a tonic to prevent distress.  Say it in the midst of distress.
  • Don’t be shy.  Boldly place reminders of your 2017 intention in your environment!  Clear any clutter from the fridge and turn it into a shrine in homage to your intent!
  • Enter reminders in your ‘wisdome phone’ to prompt you to tune in.  Are there apps or outside message (such as this blog:) to remind you to stay centered amidst the vacillating currents of life?
  • Go Big!  Put some stakes in the ground!  What challenging yet manageable steps can you commit to that will bring your sankalpa to life.  Trips? Adventures?  Dates/pacts with friends? Mend or let go of broken relationships? Yoga training?  Find a stretch that will breath life into you and your sankalpa.
  • Whisper a silent, personalized prayer at the end of meditation asking for guidance and support.

A sankalpa is designed to bring forth, and help us overcome our limitations.  Invariably there will be setbacks.  Like a scout traversing uncharted territory, you will encounter unexpected challenges and surprises.  Maintain a broad perspective as you hone in on the details of living into the gift of your sankalpa.

 

 

200-hr. Yoga Teacher Training Open House – Sun. Jan. 22 at 9:30am

Come find out more about Axis Yoga’s ongoing yoga teacher trainings. This will be a great opportunity to experience a class, meet graduates, get your questions answered and get a taste of what Axis is all about! Click here to learn more.

9 yoga resolutions for 2017 to ring in the New Year - Axis Yoga Teacher Trainings of Denver

Axis Yoga Trainings of Denver, Colorado - Yoga Teacher Training 200-Hour Program

Settle, still and focus your mind

Yoga Resolution #3: Make Meditation A Priority

Welcome to the New Year! Mediation is one of the keys to successful resolutions or resolves. During this video I talk about the importance of meditation, how to incorporate it into your daily life and at the end, we’ll walk through a 3-step process to meditating. – Derik

9 yoga resolutions for 2017 to ring in the New Year - Axis Yoga Teacher Trainings of Denver

 

9 yoga resolutions for 2017 to ring in the New Year - Axis Yoga Teacher Trainings of Denver

Axis Yoga Trainings of Denver, Colorado - Yoga Teacher Training 200-Hour Program

Start by practicing deep, internal listening

Yoga Resolution #2: Listen to Your Inner Voice

Congratulations!  You’ve made it to installment number two of our nine part series on new year’s resolutions or, in the language of yoga our sankalpa, our devout resolve.  If you are just joining the conversation, welcome, you are just in time to get started with formulating our actual intent for the new year.  Let’s begin!

Each of us has an important role to play within the creation and a sankalpa helps us to orient and participate in life more fully.  When we are playing our part, the creation is glorified as are we. So how do we go about picking a sankalpa that will support us in the coming journey?  Here are some things to consider and practice.

9 yoga resolutions for 2017 to ring in the New Year - Axis Yoga Teacher Trainings of Denver

 

Self Reflection – Developing the skill of self reflection seems to be a natural evolutionary byproduct of yoga practice.  The more conscious attention we bring to yoga, the better we understand ourselves.  Understanding yourself, including understanding your intentions, is also something you can actively cultivate.

According to Vedic wisdom, this is a threefold process:

  • The first exercise is sravana or a willingness towards deep, internal listening.
  • Second, is manana, or turning towards or welcoming the message.
  • And finally, nididhyasana or the willingness to take action on the message.

Begin with sravana, deep internal listening.  Ask yourself what it is that you are urning for in the most fundamental way.  Answers will vary depending upon your unique purpose.  For some it may be more material longing such as physical health or vitality.  For others it may be a more internal desire, such as a feeling of peace or connection to the Source.

As you inquire and listen, try to drill down into the most pithy essence of your desire.  You can discover this essential impulse in a lot of different ways:

  • At the tail end of meditation, when the mind is most still, plant a seed question or prayer around guidance.
  • Do a kind of mind map brainstorm of what you want to let go of and what you want to invite into your life.
  • If you are fond of writing, do free associative journal entry.
  • Consider using any art medium to express the question, and unlock the boundaries of your unconscious mind.
  • Enroll friends in the conversation.  Collectively ask, “What is most essential to me is ____________.”  Remember, peal back the layers of this essential value to expose the core desire.

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Spend some time refining this unique and compelling impulse.  Once you have a working understanding of your desire, distill it down to one succinct sentence that encapsulates this desire.

State this affirmation in positive and affirmative language.  Come from a place of inner conviction as though this desire was already made manifest.  As a quick example, one might begin with “I want to quit smoking” and graduate into “I taking loving care of my body”.

Now that we have spent some time on, and and honed into on our root desire, we can approach it in a lot of different ways.  Using this beacon of insight, we can find lots of way to “take loving care of my body.”  Your desire will also be empowered by the heart felt process of self reflection.

We will talk more about how to begin to actualize your intention in our next installment.  For now, the most important thing is to just get started.

In Peace,
Derik

 

 

 

New Years Day Mantra for Inner-Illumination & Peace
– Jan. 1 at 9:30am

Start the new year on a sacred note. It will look very different than a conventional asana class, as we welcome the new year with meditation, individual and collective discussion (always inspiring!), and chanting the Gayatri Mantra 108 times. Create peace, within and without. Click here for more information.

3250 E. Sixth Ave. UCC
Suggested Donation ($15-20)

 

9 yoga resolutions for 2017 to ring in the New Year - Axis Yoga Teacher Trainings of Denver

Axis Yoga Trainings of Denver, Colorado - Yoga Teacher Training 200-Hour Program

Ironically, the first resolution is get rid of resolutions!

Yoga Resolution #1: Break the Mold of “Resolutions”

Welcome to the beginning of our series 9 Yoga Resolutions for 2017! To begin, let’s loose the word “resolution”.  Many people equate “resolution” with trying to change some behavior for a while, only to be met with inevitable egoic disappointment.  The whole notion behind “resolutions” is that there is something wrong with us, that we are defective, and need to make some kind of change to become complete.

9 yoga resolutions for 2017 to ring in the New Year - Axis Yoga Teacher Trainings of Denver

 

I’d like you to consider, or at least hold the possibility, that you are enough.  Yogic teachings tell us that there is an aspect of our being that is already complete, already whole and inherently perfect.  Rather than getting down about all of our seeming shortcomings, begin by acknowledging your inborn radiance and divinity.  Your Soul.

The tradition goes on to tell us that the soul has both a higher and lower nature, the paratman and jivatman, respectively.  The journey of life is the journey of aligning our higher and lower natures.  There are many yogic methods for uniting our higher our lower aspects, one of which is  the notion of sankalpa.

A sankalpa is a vow or commitment we make in support of our highest truth.  A sankalpa can also be an expression of either the paratman or the jivatman so long as it resonates with the deep quality of truth.  One is not necessarily better than the other, though the general path of yoga is to draw closer and closer towards the paratman.

As we navigate our way through life we will inevitably encounter material and intra-personal obstacles that will force us to act on behalf of our lower or higher natures.

 

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How will you approach these obstacles?  Who and what will you reference?  

A sankalpa is like a compass, it tells us which direction to move in as we face the terrain of our lives.

As we face the terrain of the coming year, I invite you to reflect upon who you are becoming.  Is there some dormant, higher aspect of yourself that you are willing to cultivate, even in seemingly small ways?

If your resolve is more material, start there, the voice of the jivatman has a legitimate place on the path of yoga, just be mindful of where that voice is coming from.

Be inspired by new possibilities rather than egoic, fear based feelings of inadequacy.  

Stay tuned for our next installment as we talk more about how to pick a resolve for the coming year. – Derik

 

 

New Years Day Mantra for Inner-Illumination & Peace
– Jan. 1 at 9:30am

Start the new year on a sacred note. It will look very different than a conventional asana class, as we welcome the new year with meditation, individual and collective discussion (always inspiring!), and chanting the Gayatri Mantra 108 times. Create peace, within and without. Click here for more information.

3250 E. Sixth Ave. UCC
Suggested Donation ($15-20)

 

9 yoga resolutions for 2017 to ring in the New Year - Axis Yoga Teacher Trainings of Denver

Axis Yoga Trainings of Denver, Colorado - Yoga Teacher Training 200-Hour Program

The top resolutions that every yogi should bring into the New Year!

Greetings Yogi!

Welcome to our ongoing series to help you get your new year resolve started on the right note.  In this series we will be going over how to develop a mindset for success and various practical tips for shaping your aspirations into reality. Stay tuned as I walk through each resolution!

9 yoga resolutions for 2017 to ring in the New Year - Axis Yoga Teacher Trainings of Denver

 

Here we go!

Yoga Resolution 1: Break the Mold of “Resolutions”

Yoga Resolution 2: Listen to Your Inner Voice

Yoga Resolution 3: Make Meditation A Priority

Yoga Resolution 4: Live Life Authentically

Yoga Resolution 5: Create Momentum

Yoga Resolution 6: Try Something New

Yoga Resolution 7: Give Yourself An “A” for Effort

Yoga Resolution 8: Let Gratitude Be Your Guide

Yoga Resolution 9: Share Your Practice

 

 

Axis Yoga Trainings of Denver, Colorado - Yoga Teacher Training 200-Hour Program