Student Spotlight

Diane Coughlin

"I began my yoga practice a little over a year ago to try something different in a hot studio. I've always been active, participating in recreational sports like softball, volleyball, racketball and tennis as well as jogging and biking but injuries and accidents have curtailed my abilities and involvement. I was looking for something I could do without getting hurt and could break a sweat! My daughter Zoe, was also looking for an activity as well, so it made for a togetherness we could share. I had no idea what has been missing in my life since practicing yoga which can be described as life changing.

I work full time as a Mobility Specialist for the visually impaired, and as much as I love my work it can be emotionally demanding. I have been always one of those people that worry about how things are going to work out and what is in my control or not. I have in the past reacted to the bad stuff with worry and anger. I've especially experienced angst when life doesn't go the way I want it tol Well, it's taken me awhile to understand that we really can't control much except how we interact with it all. Yoga practice is like a therapy for me. I listen to the words of the instructors sharing a positive attitude, and sense an understanding that we practice as a community to support each other in all that life brings us. When I attend yoga class I am always welcomed and have found others with similar pursuits.

It has been an especially interesting ride these past few years with having loved ones die, placing my mom in a nursing home, raising daughters, and working in a demanding job. I think yoga is helping me begin to transform my life, especially my attitude. I go to yoga class to clear my head, to feel better, to see friends, and to detox. I have been attending classes at least 5 times a week for over a year now and found a community of all ages, that share a passion for finding an inner peace with warm physical movement. My husband has certainly seen an improvement with how I am taking on life. I hope that little by little (one by one) we can share our insight with those around us to have a healthier more reasonable society."

Community Spotlight

Adam Senatori - Photographer and Creative

I have been fortunate to work with Inner Fire Yoga on number of occasions shooting both flow and hot yoga classes as well as poses in a studio-style setting. Marit and her staff bring loads of positive energy and inspiration to the business, classes and photo shoots! My wife Megan began practicing yoga at Inner Fire a few of years ago following a running injury. She started going once or twice a week and now practices 4,5 or 6 times a week recently passing the 400 class mark. She loves the convenience of the studio and it's proximity to the downtown area, enabling her to make a class, before or after work, even on a lunch break.

Based in Madison, Adam is a multi-disciplined creative working and collaborating directly with local brands, ad agencies and traditional print media. His work has been used in advertising, newspapers, magazines, printed pieces, collateral, broadcast television, online and electronic media. He specializes in commercial imagery, photo-editing, post production, visual identities, fonts, branding, logo marks, front-end web design and development, including intrasites, microsites, facebook and twitter page customization. Through hard work, creative execution and design, he will create relevant, visual experiences for you, your clients, customers, products and ideas. Visit www.adamsenatori.com

Tapas is the third of the Niyamas or observances in Patanjali's eightfold path of Yoga

2.43 As intense discipline burns up impurities, the body and its senses become supremely refined. -- Yoga Sutra of Patanjali

In his book Meditations from the Mat, Rolf Gates describes Tapas, as "burning zeal in practice, the will to attain spiritual health and apply spiritual principles to our lives." Literally translated from Sanskrit, Tapas means "heat." A Niyama that is perfect for Inner Fire Yoga!

In the asana practice the physical removal of impurities occurs through both the exhale and the sweat glands . The mental purification happens through the intense focus on the inner self, symbolized as our breath. On the 8 limb path of Yoga every branch contains the seeds of mind-purification, as this is the ultimate goal of yoga. From the firm ethical ground of Yamas and Niyamas to the stillness of Meditation, Tapas embodies the will to begin this process, the perseverance to continue, and the surrender of the results.

Tapas is the desire to practice yoga and the action that accompanies that desire. It is thinking about an asana after practice and your refinement of that asana at the next practice. Tapas is developing the discipline to practice consistently. Tapas is the momentum we create when we step into the studio and onto the yoga mat, again.

You see Tapas each day at Inner Fire Yoga, but you may not notice it. Walk toward the studios and look at the names of those who have completed hundreds of classes; look at the names on the personal revolution list; look up high at the posters with the names of those who have completed a personal revolution. Tapas is your Inner Fire! You can find it here.

Yoga Medical News

Yoga Improves Quality Of Life And Regulates Stress Hormones In Women With Breast Cancer Undergoing Radiation Therapy


Excerpt:

"While simple stretching exercises improved fatigue, patients who participated in yoga that incorporated yogic breathing, postures, meditation and relaxation techniques into their treatment plan experienced improved physical functioning, better general health and lower cortisol (stress hormone) levels. They also were better able to find meaning in their cancer experience."

1. Come to your hands and knees with the wrists underneath the shoulders and the knees underneath the hips.
2. Curl the toes under and push back raising the hips and straightening the legs.
3. Spread the fingers and ground down from the forearms into the fingertips.
4. Outwardly rotate the upper arms broadening the collarbones.
5. Let the head hang, move the shoulder blades away from the ears towards the hips.
6. Engage the quadriceps strongly to take the weight off the arms, making this a resting pose.
7. Rotate the thighs inward, keep the tail high and sink your heels towards the floor.
8. Check that the distance between your hands and feet is correct by coming forward to a plank position. The distance between the hands and feet should be the same in these two poses. Do not step the feet toward the hands in Down Dog in order the get the heels to the floor. This will happen eventually as the muscles lengthen.