"Everything is Guru. But not every student listens." - unknown  A yoga guru is a knowledgeable spiritual mentor or teacher, derived from Sanskrit terms meaning "remover of darkness" [(gu) = darkness, (ru) = that which dispels)]. A guru guides students to shift from naïveté to enlightenment, often acting as a bridge between ancient yogic philosophy and modern daily life applications. Finding a yoga guru and/or teacher who resonates with you involves identifying your personal goals, trying out various classes, and observing if the instructor provides a safe, knowledgeable, and supportive environment. First, determine your needs and goals:
A true guru exhibits compassion, patience, and unwavering commitment to the student's welfare, without requiring blind submission. Moreover, everything around us can be a "guru": our experiences, life, happenings, the decisions we make and don't make. How often do we truly listen and recognize our own ability to be our own guru? A PEEK INTO MENTORSHIP WITH VICYASA™... Many prospective teachers, graduates of teacher training(s) and a handful of you that have a desire just to dive deeper into the many aspects of a yoga practice and teaching yoga regularly have been greatly impacted by our bespoke mentoring program. Mentorship sessions can include sharing the exact experience lived, the practical wisdom I and other teachers have gained from our journey in their domain. We are highly skilled at directing strategies and processes that can sometimes transfer across different contexts. Yoga is a journey as much as a practice. In fact, it's a journey that should never end. Those of us on that journey should be open to learning new things. We should be open to new experiences. That is what mentorship offers. It's an opportunity for a more experienced yoga teacher to share their experiences with you. I am willing to work with anyone on a 1:1 basis or mini-group. There will be suggestions for your practice/teachings, you get a catered-to-you manual with loads of vital information and you can take notes and record your questions or concerns. I will curate a personalized practice for you, based on your interest, needs, questions and situation. You then take this practice into your own life. What you discover, feel, experience, or learn via the lens of our personal practice will then create the context for potential offerings or paths you take whether in your personal or business life. The practices may be adapted, changed, modified, or added to. This relationship is important for professional yoga teachers. It’s important because as we dive into the industry we often muddy the waters between ‘teaching’ and ‘personal path.' Furthermore the environment of the yoga industry can be difficult to navigate. No one should try to do it on their own. What if you're not a teacher and would like to prepare for training or enhance your ever-hungry-desire to absorb all things yoga? Holla' at me. Feel like your 200 hour training ended with you needing more questions answered? Want to expand on those teachings? Do you feel like there are areas of your teaching repertoire that need enhancing? Contact me for more info and enrollment. PRIVATES: ONE-TO-ONE WORK! If you want to set up any private sessions or events, please contact me through email. You can learn more about privates: CLICK HERE! SINGLE CLASSES We've added single class purchases to our on-demand offerings. How does it work? A $17 payment will give you access to a single pre-recorded class with Victor or anyone on his staff. The private link with a unique access code will give you entry to that class, which you can load anytime you want. You'll have 24-hours of unlimited access to that class. No refunds, returns and you must use that class within 24-hours of receiving it before it expires. You can request a teacher on our on-demand options... featuring Demetra Kentrotas (@d_meetch), Leanne McDermott (@leannerays), Elinor Cohen (@elinorraerigby) and others. REGULAR RATES:
PAYMENT: VENMO -- @Vicyasa Paypal -- [email protected] NAMASTE, Victor Cotto www.YogaWithVictor.com Instagram: CottoVic Facebook: Yoga With Victor - Vicyasa™
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"The only way that we can live, is if we grow. The only way that we can grow is if we change." ― C. JoyBell C.  My yoga practice during the springtime always takes on a whole new energy. I find myself playing with long standing sequences, opening my hips and exploring balance poses.
In addition, deeper more vigorous breathing techniques that help me remember my own expansion into this new season to pair with holding the asanas longer. All this to awaken at the end of my savasana after being completely splayed out with arms and legs wide as if to say with my whole body, “I’m ready to move and grow again!” Practicing Sama Vritti, the name given to many variations of breathing exercises that cultivate even, steady breath patterns. For example, inhale for a count, and then exhale for the same count. If you inhale for 5 seconds, exhale for 5 seconds. The next round of breath might be an 8-second inhalation and an 8-second exhalation. The number is not important and need not stay the same for each round of breath, just balance the inhalation length to the exhalation length. The result is a certain steadiness – neither totally relaxed nor stressed out but somewhere at the equilibrium point. In class, we'll be in standing poses and rooting a lil' longer as physical mediums for grounded energy. They help you connect with your feet, your legs and how the ground feels underneath you. Consider adding longer counts of simple standing poses like Warrior 1, Lunge, Warrior 2 and Triangle to your home practice. Take your time to really feel the alignment of your feet and the strength of your legs. Put your energy into your legs – feel them as your root system. Get a sense of how you can grow up and out of your legs and hips when you are more grounded through your feet. Slower practices and standing poses also help you face the chaos that Spring and its rapid changes can bring to the world around you. The Spring season can be exciting, beautiful growth rather than angst over warmth not arriving fast enough for you, especially if you're in the East Coast and we still live with erratic cold and hot phases. One person sees growth and another destruction – you get to choose what you see and what you connect with in this season. I hope these ideas give you some guidance toward a fresh view this Spring. A PEEK INTO MENTORSHIP WITH VICYASA™... Many prospective teachers, graduates of teacher training(s) and a handful of you that have a desire just to dive deeper into the many aspects of a yoga practice and teaching yoga regularly have been impacted greatly by our bespoke mentoring program. Mentorship sessions can include sharing the exact experience lived, the practical wisdom I and other teachers have gained from our journey in their domain. We are highly skilled at directing strategies and processes that can sometimes transfer across different contexts. Yoga is a journey as much as a practice. In fact, it's a journey that should never end. Those of us on that journey should be open to learning new things. We should be open to new experiences. That is what mentorship offers. It's an opportunity for a more experienced yoga teacher to share their experiences with you. I am willing to work with anyone on a 1:1 basis or mini-group. There will be suggestions for your practice/teachings, you get a catered to you manual with loads of vital information and to take notes and record your questions or concerns. I will curate a personalized practice for you, based on your interest, needs, questions and situation. You then take this practice into your own life. What you discovered, felt, experienced, or learned via the lens of our personal practice will then create the context for potential offerings or paths you take whether in your personal or business life. The practices may be adapted, changed, modified, or added to. This relationship is important for professionalized yoga teachers. It’s important because as we dive into the industry we often muddy the waters between ‘teaching’ and ‘personal path.' Furthermore the environment of the yoga industry can be difficult to navigate. No one should try to do it on their own. What if you're not a teacher and would like to prepare for training or enhance your ever-hungry-desire to absorb all things yoga? Holla' at me. Feel like your 200 hour training ended with you needing more questions answered? Want to expand on those teachings? Do you feel like there are areas of your teaching repertoire that need enhancing? Contact me for more info and enrollment. PRIVATES: ONE-TO-ONE WORK! If you want to set up any private sessions or events, please contact me through email. You can learn more about privates: CLICK HERE! SINGLE CLASSES We've added single class purchases to our on-demand offerings. How does it work? A $17 payment will give you access to a single pre-recorded class with Victor or anyone on his staff. The private link with unique access code will give you entry to that class, which you can load anytime you want. You'll have 24-hours of unlimited access to that class. No refunds, returns and you must use that class within 24-hours of receiving it before it expires. You can request a teacher on our on-demand options... featuring Demetra Kentrotas (@d_meetch), Leanne McDermott (@leannerays), Elinor Cohen (@elinorraerigby) and others. REGULAR RATES:
PAYMENT: VENMO -- @Vicyasa Paypal -- [email protected] NAMASTE, Victor Cotto www.YogaWithVictor.com Instagram: CottoVic Facebook: Yoga With Victor - Vicyasa™ “We don’t ask a flower any special reason for its existence. We just look at it and are able to accept it as being something different for ourselves.” — Gendolyn Brooks  Development and growth -- blossoming -- in Yoga terms is a holistic transformation, moving beyond a checklist of physical poses [asanas] to fostering increased mental awareness, emotional resilience, and spiritual connection.
It manifests as consistency & stability on and off the mat, profound breathing, daily self-acceptance, and bringing the peace found on the mat into everyday happenings. It is characterized by awareness, not perfection. Key Dimensions of Growth in Yoga
Developing these qualities takes time, and you have to be active in your practice & adopt the teachings onto our day-to-day. Patanjali calls it “Abhyasa” (practice)—repeatedly returning to the practice of staying deeply rooted in the permanence of your being yet blossoming on the outside and inside. MENTORSHIP WITH VICYASA™ Yoga with Victor's mentorship program... for teachers looking to sharpen their tools and hone in on varying skills that will make you more proficient at sequencing, teaching anatomy, or widening their skill set to become a successful instructor and craft your own business model. What if you're not a teacher and would like to prepare for training or enhance your ever-hungry-desire to absorb all things yoga? Holla' at me. Feel like your 200 hour training ended with you needing more questions answered? Want to expand on those teachings? Do you feel like there are areas of your teaching repertoire that need enhancing? Contact me for more info and enrollment. PRIVATES: ONE-TO-ONE WORK! If you want to set up any private sessions or events, please contact me through email. You can learn more about privates: CLICK HERE! SINGLE CLASSES We've added single class purchases to our on-demand offerings. How does it work? A $17 payment will give you access to a single pre-recorded class with Victor or anyone on his staff. The private link with unique access code will give you entry to that class, which you can load anytime you want. You'll have 24-hours of unlimited access to that class. No refunds, returns and you must use that class within 24-hours of receiving it before it expires. You can request a teacher on our on-demand options... featuring Demetra Kentrotas, Leanne McDermott, Elinor Cohen and others. REGULAR RATES:
PAYMENT: VENMO -- @Vicyasa Paypal -- [email protected] NAMASTE, Victor Cotto www.YogaWithVictor.com Instagram: CottoVic Facebook: Yoga With Victor - Vicyasa™ “Those who contemplate the beauty of the earth find reserves of strength that will endure as long as life lasts. There is something infinitely healing in the repeated refrains of nature — the assurance that dawn comes after night, and spring after winter.” — Rachel Carson  Earth Day is not considered a national holiday, but it is a special day that asks us to give pause to our daily rituals and recognize all the ways that we can make a difference for our planet. The belief is that if we all do our individual part to care for our beautiful planet Earth, together we can make a difference. In the spirit, union... to yolk, to come together -- Yoga.
Issues that are often addressed on Earth Day include:
Earth Day is the ideal time to practice ahimsa [non violence] on and off the mat. If you're looking for creative ways to express your gratitude for our planet earth on the mat, here are some creative ideas:
There are many ways you can celebrate Earth Day. Some of the most common ways that people work to keep the earth healthy include:
MENTORSHIP WITH VICYASA™ Yoga with Victor's mentorship program... for teachers looking to sharpen their tools and hone in on varying skills that will make you more proficient at sequencing, teaching anatomy, or widening their skill set to become a successful instructor and craft your own business model. What if you're not a teacher and would like to prepare for training or enhance your ever-hungry-desire to absorb all things yoga? Holla' at me. Feel like your 200 hour training ended with you needing more questions answered? Want to expand on those teachings? Do you feel like there are areas of your teaching repertoire that need enhancing? Contact me for more info and enrollment. PRIVATES: ONE-TO-ONE WORK! If you want to set up any private sessions or events, please contact me through email. You can learn more about privates: CLICK HERE! SINGLE CLASSES We've added single class purchases to our on-demand offerings. How does it work? A $17 payment will give you access to a single pre-recorded class with Victor or anyone on his staff. The private link with unique access code will give you entry to that class, which you can load anytime you want. You'll have 24-hours of unlimited access to that class. No refunds, returns and you must use that class within 24-hours of receiving it before it expires. You can request a teacher on our on-demand options... featuring Demetra Kentrotas, Leanne McDermott, Elinor Cohen and others. REGULAR RATES:
PAYMENT: VENMO -- @Vicyasa Paypal -- [email protected] NAMASTE, Victor Cotto www.YogaWithVictor.com Instagram: CottoVic Facebook: Yoga With Victor - Vicyasa™ “As we embrace our passions and delve into the mystery of life, we unite with the majestic complexity of nature; and if we follow the signs, this can help us understand who we really are.”  Stepping into the realm of the Spring season... it's a time that breathes life into every corner of our life. This chapter of 2026 is marked by new beginnings, vibrant blossoming and the promise of growth.
Through our yoga practice, we can immerse ourselves in the energy of Spring, aligning our intentions and sequences with the spirit of renewal that vibrates through the air. Spring is nature’s invitation to cleanse and rejuvenate, and our yoga practice can become a channel for this time. Lets integrate practices that stimulate the lymphatic system, invigorate circulation, and encourage gentle twists, we can support the body’s natural ‘detoxification’ processes. Here are some vital Spring time shapes:
In the philosophy of yoga, the metaphor of blooming flowers and sprouting seeds echoes the journey of self-discovery and growth. With each breath, each posture, and each intention, we channel the energy of renewal that defines this season... lets dive into these practices that cleanse the body, open the heart, celebrate growth, and foster adaptability. MENTORSHIP WITH VICYASA™ Yoga with Victor's mentorship program... for teachers looking to sharpen their tools and hone in on varying skills that will make you more proficient at sequencing, teaching anatomy, or widening their skill set to become a successful instructor and craft your own business model. What if you're not a teacher and would like to prepare for training or enhance your ever-hungry-desire to absorb all things yoga? Holla' at me. Feel like your 200 hour training ended with you needing more questions answered? Want to expand on those teachings? Do you feel like there are areas of your teaching repertoire that need enhancing? Contact me for more info and enrollment. PRIVATES: ONE-TO-ONE WORK! If you want to set up any private sessions or events, please contact me through email. You can learn more about privates: CLICK HERE! SINGLE CLASSES We've added single class purchases to our on-demand offerings. How does it work? A $17 payment will give you access to a single pre-recorded class with Victor or anyone on his staff. The private link with unique access code will give you entry to that class, which you can load anytime you want. You'll have 24-hours of unlimited access to that class. No refunds, returns and you must use that class within 24-hours of receiving it before it expires. You can request a teacher on our on-demand options... featuring Demetra Kentrotas, Leanne McDermott, Elinor Cohen and others. REGULAR RATES:
PAYMENT: VENMO -- @Vicyasa Paypal -- [email protected] NAMASTE, Victor Cotto www.YogaWithVictor.com Instagram: CottoVic Facebook: Yoga With Victor - Vicyasa™ "Both tears and sweat are salty, but they render a different result. Tears will get you sympathy; sweat will get you change." -- Jesse Jackson  Sweating is essential for the human body to regulate itself. And during this transition to a warmer season, you'll be sweating more during yoga and throughout the day. But when is the best time to drink water so it complements your yoga?
Your best strategy to prepare for a yoga class on hotter days is to drink plenty of fluids the day before a class and if on the same day, you should intake hydrating fluids 3-4 hours before. Make it water, nutrient-rich clear drinks or juice blends even sports drinks. Add to your day plenty of fruits and vegetables. And most of all, with any class, make sure to drink plenty of water to rehydrate after. If possible, avoid drinking water immediately before or during class. In addition to making our physical bodies feel inflated, consuming large amounts of water before or during a practice also interferes with our energy bodies; one theory says that sipping during yoga practice is akin to pouring water over our inner fire as we try to build it. In Yoga and Ayurveda, it is thought that a sip of water during practice disrupts the body’s energy and concentration. Hydration before will make you perform better, increasing strength and flexibility. A lack of water can damage the cardiovascular system & your body will have difficulties regulating itself. This makes yoga a strain and limits your performance. Hydration ensures that your immune system functions properly so that you do not get sick or feel stomach pains by flushing out toxins. Muscle weakness, muscle cramping, fatigue, irritability, and headaches are just some of the symptoms of electrolyte imbalance. Ultimately, a yoga practice can be used to reduce compulsions and become more comfortable with discomforts. When we lean into resisting the urge to drink water, or go to the bathroom, we become better at dealing with the discomforts of life such as hunger, thirst, or the weather. After yoga, feel free to drink your favorite tea, water, or electrolyte-enhanced water to replenish the body and get ready for your next practice. MENTORSHIP WITH VICYASA™ Yoga with Victor's mentorship program... for teachers looking to sharpen their tools and hone in on varying skills that will make you more proficient at sequencing, teaching anatomy, or widening their skill set to become a successful instructor and craft your own business model. What if you're not a teacher and would like to prepare for training or enhance your ever-hungry-desire to absorb all things yoga? Holla' at me. Feel like your 200 hour training ended with you needing more questions answered? Want to expand on those teachings? Do you feel like there are areas of your teaching repertoire that need enhancing? Contact me for more info and enrollment. PRIVATES: ONE-TO-ONE WORK! If you want to set up any private sessions or events, please contact me through email. You can learn more about privates: CLICK HERE! SINGLE CLASSES We've added single class purchases to our on-demand offerings. How does it work? A $17 payment will give you access to a single pre-recorded class with Victor or anyone on his staff. The private link with unique access code will give you entry to that class, which you can load anytime you want. You'll have 24-hours of unlimited access to that class. No refunds, returns and you must use that class within 24-hours of receiving it before it expires. You can request a teacher on our on-demand options... featuring Demetra Kentrotas, Leanne McDermott, Elinor Cohen and others. REGULAR RATES:
PAYMENT: VENMO -- @Vicyasa Paypal -- [email protected] NAMASTE, Victor Cotto www.YogaWithVictor.com Instagram: CottoVic Facebook: Yoga With Victor - Vicyasa™ APRIL AWARENESS  (This week's newsletter was composed by our dynamic on-demand teacher and full time writer Elinor Cohen. Check out her Instagram HERE and her amazingly empowering advanced & intermediate sessions on our on-demand archives.) It’s time to take a breath of fresh air (literally) and smell the damn roses!
Finally, warmer weather is here. New life is here. We are here. What do we notice?
This time of year is an opportunity to become aware anew. Instead of staring at the same four walls and rotating between turning your radiator on medium to high and back again, how can you open your eyes and open your window to something new? This newness doesn’t require you to make any dramatic changes in your life or routine. It could simply come from a heightened sense of awareness of yourself and your surroundings. Perhaps life got stale this winter. The brutal cold forced most of us indoors and kept us there for quite a while. It induced boredom and maybe complacency. It’s possible that nothing technically changed but life started to feel mundane. Going through the same motions every day got old fast and we started to wonder if it would ever end. Well it has. That cold, icy time has come and gone, as it always does. Maybe it felt extra harsh this year or maybe we just forgot how tough it always is. Either way, we can now approach this new season with a fresh set of eyes and an optimistic outlook. As we crack open our windows and let the fresh air in, we can be like sponges and absorb everything. Let’s soak it up. Let’s take extra time to appreciate the 60-70 degree days. Let’s spend an extra 10 minutes walking in the park because we’re not running to escape the cold. And maybe in yoga, let’s plant ourselves on the mat and pay attention to everything:
These questions are not judgments. They’re simply meant to heighten our level of awareness and get us out of the autopilot mode we’ve been in for the past several months. Let’s become aware of ourselves, our actions, our habits, and our tendencies. Let’s become aware of how fortunate we are to have the physical, mental, and emotional space to practice yoga. Let’s open our eyes and welcome something new. COMING SOON... Weekend intensives!!! Want to practice sequence building? Want to learn functional anatomy and how to apply it to your yoga practice? Want a small intimate group to get feedback on how to teach clearly, concisely and with command? I'll be hosting small groups of 2-3 students for weekend intensives with lectures, and workshop style exercises for you to sharpen your practice and teachings. EMAIL or contact me directly for involvement and tuition/enrollment info. MENTORSHIP WITH VICYASA™ Yoga with Victor's mentorship program... for teachers looking to sharpen their tools and hone in on varying skills that will make you more proficient at sequencing, teaching anatomy, or widening their skill set to become a successful instructor and craft your own business model. What if you're not a teacher and would like to prepare for training or enhance your ever-hungry-desire to absorb all things yoga? Holla' at me. Feel like your 200 hour training ended with you needing more questions answered? Want to expand on those teachings? Do you feel like there are areas of your teaching repertoire that need enhancing? Contact me for more info and enrollment. PRIVATES: ONE-TO-ONE WORK! If you want to set up any private sessions or events, please contact me through email. You can learn more about privates: CLICK HERE! SINGLE CLASSES We've added single class purchases to our on-demand offerings. How does it work? A $17 payment will give you access to a single pre-recorded class with Victor or anyone on his staff. The private link with unique access code will give you entry to that class, which you can load anytime you want. You'll have 24-hours of unlimited access to that class. No refunds, returns and you must use that class within 24-hours of receiving it before it expires. You can request a teacher on our on-demand options... featuring Demetra Kentrotas, Leanne McDermott, Elinor Cohen and others. REGULAR RATES:
PAYMENT: VENMO -- @Vicyasa Paypal -- [email protected] NAMASTE, Victor Cotto www.YogaWithVictor.com Instagram: CottoVic Facebook: Yoga With Victor - Vicyasa™ “Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.”  Indriya Pratyahara is the yogic practice of withdrawing the five senses (sight, sound, smell, taste, touch) from external stimuli to reduce mental distractions and sensory overload. As the fifth limb of Ashtanga yoga, it is crucial for directing attention inward, calming the mind, and creating the necessary environment for meditation.
How does it manifest in our asana (poses) and daily yoga practice on the mat? We can find Drishti (Gaze Points) ... locking in our gaze on a specific, non-distracting point (e.g., tip of the nose, navel, or the space between the eyebrows) reducing our mental wandering and eye "bouncing" to many points in the room, students or any other potential distractions. For many practitioners, closing their eyes, shutting out visual stimuli, can better focus on internal sensations, turning attention away from the outer world. Cultivating stillness (Sthiram) during Asana practice itself acts as a foundation for Pratyahara by training the body to remain still and creating a quiet internal environment. In our modern yoga world, practitioners often avoid stability and stillness, preferring to flow from shape to shape instead of building strength and sustaining the pose to develop higher thresholds for focus and mental acuity. Releasing distraction during poses instead of focusing on pain or difficulty-level, consciously withdrawing energy from thoughts about the pose and focus on the sensation within the body is a vital way to achieve a state of withdrawal. Many students focus on what's next, dwell on what happened in a prior pose, or constantly seek more stimulus, more strength building, more stretch, more "feeling" ... as I like to say in class, "torture." The perpetual state of being engaged and overly stimulated. Just the opposite of the practice of Indriya Pratyahara. Key Principles:
By applying these, asana moves from a mere physical exercise to a profound practice of internal awareness, serving as a bridge to meditation & peace within. For modern life, this aspect allows practitioners to break the habit of constantly reacting to external sensations. How many times in life; at work, during meetings, in relationships, or as we go about our day do we allow external happenings effect how we can go about our day? MENTORSHIP WITH VICYASA™ Yoga with Victor's mentorship program... for teachers looking to sharpen their tools and hone in on varying skills that will make you more proficient at sequencing, teaching anatomy, or widening your skill set to become a successful instructor and craft your own business model. What if you're not a teacher and would like to prepare for training or enhance your ever-hungry-desire to absorb all things yoga? Holla' at me. Feel like your 200 hour training ended with you needing more questions answered? Want to expand on those teachings? Do you feel like there are areas of your teaching repertoire that need enhancing? Contact me for more info and enrollment. PRIVATES: ONE-TO-ONE WORK! If you want to set up any private sessions or events, please contact me through email. You can learn more about privates: CLICK HERE! SINGLE CLASSES We've added single class purchases to our on-demand offerings. How does it work? A $17 payment will give you access to a single pre-recorded class with Victor or anyone on his staff. The private link with unique access code will give you entry to that class, which you can load anytime you want. You'll have 24-hours of unlimited access to that class. No refunds, returns and you must use that class within 24-hours of receiving it before it expires. You can request a teacher on our on-demand options... featuring Demetra Kentrotas, Leanne McDermott, Elinor Cohen and others. REGULAR RATES:
PAYMENT: VENMO -- @Vicyasa Paypal -- [email protected] NAMASTE, Victor Cotto www.YogaWithVictor.com Instagram: CottoVic Facebook: Yoga With Victor - Vicyasa™ CREATING YOUR OWN LUCK  (This week's newsletter was composed by our dynamic on-demand teacher and full time writer Elinor Cohen. Check out her Instagram HERE and her amazingly empowering advanced & intermediate sessions on our on-demand archives.) It’s a lucky time of year, or so they say. After all, with St. Patrick’s Day in our midst, who wouldn’t want to indulge in a little lucky energy. But how does that work? Do lucky situations just happen upon us… or is there something more to it?
Let’s explore. Have you ever been in a yoga class, looked at another practitioner and thought, Wow, she’s so lucky she can do handstand! Or maybe He’s so lucky to be that flexible. I’ve been that person more times than I’d like to admit. Comparison is the thief of joy, but we all do it. Oftentimes, when we compare, there’s at least a hint of jealousy baked into it. But there’s something else too. There’s a feeling of insecurity and maybe a sense of injustice. It’s not fair! We might say. I want to be able to float up effortlessly into handstand, too! I want to be able to get through a class without huffing and puffing. I want my lotus pose to look like a lotus and not a cracked pretzel. Here’s the thing: luck is just one piece of the very complicated, intricate puzzle that is life…and that is yoga. We can’t pretend luck has nothing to do with good things happening. In fact, it plays a significant role in how things shake out in the world. To be in the right place at the right time is luck, and there’s validity to that. But that’s not where it ends. You have to set your life up so you can be in the right place at the right time. Doing that requires effort, strategy, commitment, and perseverance. Let’s use an example unrelated to yoga, but one that many New Yorkers can probably appreciate: apartment hunting. Every New Yorker knows the agony that goes into finding a new apartment. It’s stressful and often very last minute. But when we visit a friend and see the seemingly fantastic apartment they somehow managed to snag, we immediately exclaim, You’re so lucky to live here! And they are. But… Here’s what we’re not considering. We’re not thinking about the hours they probably spent scouring Streeteasy, or the hundreds of emails they may have sent to set up apartment viewings. We’re not factoring in the money they may have spent on a broker to do that work for them, or the extra two months’ rent they had to pay for both places because they’d lose the apartment if they waited. We’re not thinking about the fact that yes, this apartment went for $500/month less than expected but it’s a 5th floor walkup. We’re only looking at the present moment instead of considering the bigger picture. Yoga teaches us to live in the present moment but not at the exclusion of the rest of life. Zooming out gives us perspective and helps us humble ourselves when the comparison monster starts to rear its ugly head. Now let’s go back to yoga. In our previous scenario, you see a student float up into a handstand two rows ahead of you. As you gaze on with admiration, perhaps you’re inspired, but maybe you’re also thinking about how lucky they are that they can do that. Are you considering…
Probably not. We see the end result but seldom do we see the underpinnings of what it takes to get there. Yes, that student is “lucky” that today, gravity was on their side; that their hand, wrist, core, and leg strength were up to the task; that they didn’t drink too much water in the seconds before handstand was cued. But their skill, ability, and attitude are not luck. We are all very lucky – and we are all not. We are lucky to be able to practice yoga with healthy, strong, capable bodies. And we are not lucky because those bodies didn’t just happen to be the way they are, and we didn’t just happen to find ourselves seated on a yoga mat. We had to make intentional choices for those things to happen. We had to commit to treating ourselves well. We had to seek out a yoga studio or an instructor and then we had to get ourselves to the class. The handstanders, the lotus posers, and the 5th floor walkup tenants are all as lucky as they set themselves up to be. Yes, some of it is chance but more of it is in our control than we know. Never underestimate the power of creating the luck and the life you want. MENTORSHIP WITH VICYASA™ Yoga with Victor's mentorship program... for teachers looking to sharpen their tools and hone in on varying skills that will make you more proficient at sequencing, teaching anatomy, or widening their skill set to become a successful instructor and craft your own business model. What if you're not a teacher and would like to prepare for training or enhance your ever-hungry-desire to absorb all things yoga? Holla' at me. Feel like your 200 hour training ended with you needing more questions answered? Want to expand on those teachings? Do you feel like there are areas of your teaching repertoire that need enhancing? Contact me for more info and enrollment. PRIVATES: ONE-TO-ONE WORK! If you want to set up any private sessions or events, please contact me through email. You can learn more about privates: CLICK HERE! SINGLE CLASSES We've added single class purchases to our on-demand offerings. How does it work? A $17 payment will give you access to a single pre-recorded class with Victor or anyone on his staff. The private link with unique access code will give you entry to that class, which you can load anytime you want. You'll have 24-hours of unlimited access to that class. No refunds, returns and you must use that class within 24-hours of receiving it before it expires. You can request a teacher on our on-demand options... featuring Demetra Kentrotas, Leanne McDermott, Elinor Cohen and others. REGULAR RATES:
PAYMENT: VENMO -- @Vicyasa Paypal -- [email protected] NAMASTE, Victor Cotto www.YogaWithVictor.com Instagram: CottoVic Facebook: Yoga With Victor - Vicyasa™ “Though I do not believe that a plant will spring up where no seed has been, I have great faith in a seed… Convince me that you have a seed there, and I am prepared to expect wonders.” — Henry David Thoreau  We all look forward to Daylight Savings, with its promise of long summer evenings and basking in the sun. But does the “spring forward” leave you feeling tired, groggy, and out of sorts? While a one hour shift might seem benign, it actually has quite an impact on the human system.
Yoga, from mid-March to mid-May, is the time for cleansing, throwing, flushing, detoxifying, clearing the body waste and so on, in order to feel new, fresh, energetic, beautiful, healthy and light. Spring is all about working on the Agni (Manipura Chakra) to induce the fire in the belly to keep the digestive tract active and healthy. To reawaken and re-energize your body and mind in Spring, try more twisting postures such as Ardha Matsyendrasana (Half Lord of the Fishes pose), reclined twists, and Parivritta Anjaneyasana (Twisted lunge). Core-focused asanas like Navasana (Boat pose) can boost circulation to the digestive system, and a few rounds of Surya Namaskar (sun salutations) each morning, is a great way to stimulate physical and subtle channels, raising your mood and energy. If the beginning of Spring is also the beginning of allergy season for you, then Kapalabhati breath is a great way to cleanse the sinus passages, as well as giving a boost of energy and clarity. If these tips have inspired you to start reconnecting with yourself and thus nature, the simplest way to begin to expand your warm months horizon is by heading outside. Which plants are growing around you? How does the sun feel on your skin? Which scents can you smell? Which colors can you see? How does Spring make you feel? MENTORSHIP WITH VICYASA™ Yoga with Victor's mentorship program... for teachers looking to sharpen their tools and hone in on varying skills that will make you more proficient at sequencing, teaching anatomy, or widening their skill set to become a successful instructor and craft your own business model. What if you're not a teacher and would like to prepare for training or enhance your ever-hungry-desire to absorb all things yoga? Holla' at me. Feel like your 200 hour training ended with you needing more questions answered? Want to expand on those teachings? Do you feel like there are areas of your teaching repertoire that need enhancing? Contact me for more info and enrollment. PRIVATES: ONE-TO-ONE WORK! If you want to set up any private sessions or events, please contact me through email. You can learn more about privates: CLICK HERE! SINGLE CLASSES We've added single class purchases to our on-demand offerings. How does it work? A $17 payment will give you access to a single pre-recorded class with Victor or anyone on his staff. The private link with unique access code will give you entry to that class, which you can load anytime you want. You'll have 24-hours of unlimited access to that class. No refunds, returns and you must use that class within 24-hours of receiving it before it expires. You can request a teacher on our on-demand options... featuring Demetra Kentrotas, Leanne McDermott, Elinor Cohen and others. REGULAR RATES:
PAYMENT: VENMO -- @Vicyasa Paypal -- [email protected] NAMASTE, Victor Cotto www.YogaWithVictor.com Instagram: CottoVic Facebook: Yoga With Victor - Vicyasa™ |
AuthorVicyasa™, your full-time dopamine dealer ... don't allow my confidence to offend your insecurity. Archives
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