Student Spotlight

Teri Parris Ford

I'm born and raised a Southern California girl. I love the heat, so it didn't surprise me when I fell in love with hot yoga. I did a two week trial in the summer of 2009 and started attending classes whenever I could-once a month or so-- until the summer of 2010. Achilles tendonitis stopped me from running and playing soccer which worsened my cholesterol problems and I was suffering from hypothyroidism. But what made my life really stressful were the three teen-aged daughters and a busy husband I lived with. I felt like I needed an activity that would not stress my body more than it was feeling already, so I signed up for the summer personal revolution.

I know yoga at Inner Fire has changed me. My thyroid is now completely and miraculously, normal. While I had hoped to lose more weight, I feel firmer and stronger. More importantly, I have learned how to breathe again. While I still need meds to lower my bad cholesterol, my good cholesterol, which was never high, now is great and I know it's the yoga. After reaching my summer goal, I was not sure how I could fit yoga into my busy teaching and family schedule but I did it and now I am seeing a change not only in my body, but my mind and my spirit.

I started yoga for the physical benefits, but I am finding that it is teaching me to be more aware of my environment; how I treat my physical self with the air I breathe and the food I eat. I am hearing some of the emotional and psychological teachings in little bits here and there. I am beginning to understand that Yoga is about uniting the body with the spirit and the mind. The other day at the end of a yoga class, the guide asked us to accept forgiveness in our lives--it was really meaningful to me. I offered up a prayer right then and felt a wonderful wave of forgiveness. It made me better understand how the spirit, mind and body come together and need to be in balance. After only 6 months of practicing yoga regularly (4-6 times a week), I know my journey has only begun.

Teri Parris Ford
Artist and Art Teacher (Memorial High School) 

Community Spotlight

Matt D'Amour - Inside Out Wellness

Marit Sathrum introduced me to yoga seven years ago when I took my first Bikram class. At that time, the primary way I moved my body was by "working out". I had always been very active, but I had never paid attention to restoring and recovering through stretching, meditation, and energy building exercises. A chronic hip injury forced me to slow down and look at what I needed to do differently in my life, which I now see was a special gift. After that, I began "working in". Practicing yoga on a regular basis was physically restorative. I knew when I saw the benefits from my practice that yoga would become a regular and habitual part of my life. Consistent practice eventually led me to a source of true healing. Yoga developed beyond a physical practice for me; it became very holistic serving me physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. Inner fire Yoga provides a safe and supportive environment for me to evolve my yoga practice and my physical and spiritual well-being. I'm am grateful for such a beautiful space in which to practice, and I appreciate everyone involved in making the studio what it is today.

Since establishing Inside Out Wellness, a premier Holistic health and wellness resource, Matt D'Amour has been transforming the lives of his clients through his unique approach to health and exercise. By treating the body as a whole system and finding the root cause of a problem, Matt has successfully coached his clients towards resolution of their health and performance challenges, where traditional approaches might have failed. To find out more visit Matt's website: www.myinsideoutwellness.com.

Spring Cleaning Detox
A Two-Phase Naturopathic Springtime Cleanse for Yogis
Developed by Dr. Ruddy, ND exclusively for Inner Fire Yoga

Saturday, April 30 · 2-3:30pm · $15

Improve your mood and focus · Sleep deeper · Get that new 'glow' just in time for Spring and Summer! · Reduce susceptibility to, and duration of, acute ailments · Polish your Body, Mind and Spirit

Yin Aroma Yoga
Be prepared to bliss out!
with Darlene Vander Hoop and Joan Bliefernicht

The practice of Yin Yoga facilitates understanding the value of acceptance at a deep cellular level. By holding postures without trying to change things one travels to the present moment, allowing joy and authenticity to arise. Combining yoga postures with the absorption of pure therapeutic grade essential oils enhances the process and renders it magical. Be prepared to bliss out with senior teachers Dar and Joan, listening to ambient world music, stretching deeply, yin poses, experiencing the profound scents of life. Beginners welcome. Must bring your own strap and blanket.

Friday, May 20 · 6:30-9:30pm · $35 by May 17 · $40 May 18-20

This comes back to energy. When the body is dirty, it is holding onto past energy. When clothes or your dwelling are dirty, they hold onto past energy. After a healthy dose of spring cleaning, typically your dwelling and you feel lighter, brighter and more alive. That is because you've removed a layer of the past, and it's now easier to enjoy the present moment.

To cultivate sauca, yogis develop habits to cleanse body and mind. These include the basics of bathing and brushing and flossing teeth, as well as asana and pranayama. "The practice of asanas tones the entire body and removes the toxins and impurities caused by over-indulgence. Pranayama cleanses and aerates the lungs, oxygenates the blood and purifies the nerves." (BKS Iyengar, Light on Yoga.) When our physical bodies are clean, distractions, disease, and discomfort are less likely to arise, as we feel more relaxed and more readily able to focus on the path of yoga.

Purifying the mind is another of the intentions behind sauca. During the course of the day, most of us experience a constant, random inner dialogue. When our senses are pulled in one direction or another, the mind follows, as does our attention and energy. Self-study, breath control and concentration are cited as the methods to bring this random mental activity under control. As the practitioner develops increasing discipline and control over their own mental activity, unconscious habits will be more easily identified and broken (if desired). This process helps us to more accurately perceive the source of our actions and intentions.

Yoga Medical News

This is an inspiring video/story of yoga, teaching and overcoming addiction.

Excerpt:

"My journey is not easy to explain: from young aspiring actress to the depths of addiction, and then from junkie to yogi. I grew up in a small western Pennsylvania coal town with big dreams. I was the junior high homecoming queen and the lead actress in every high school play."

1. Come to lie on the back
2. Bend the knees, bringing the soles of the feet parallel on the mat close to the buttocks.
3. Bend the elbows and bring the palms of your hands underneath your shoulders with the fingertips pointing towards your feet.
4. Inhale and press down into the palms as you lift the hips up off the floor.
5. Bring the crown of your head to the mat. Pause here for a moment as you make sure that the elbows are staying parallel and not splaying out to the sides.
6. Straighten the arms as you lift the head off the floor.
7. Make sure to keep the legs parallel.
8. Reach the chest towards to wall behind you.
9. Begin to straighten the legs.
10. To come down, tuck the chin into the chest and lower down slowly.
11. Rest, allowing the knees to knock together.