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™
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MARCHING FORWARD WITH OPTIMISM  (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.) March is a tricky time of year. It’s not quite spring but it’s no longer fully winter either. It’s a muddy in-between area that’s often riddled with anticipation. This can leave even the most settled and secure yogis in a state of flux. Where do we land? Where are we in space? Are we sinking into the mud? How can we find solid ground?
If all of these metaphors sound familiar to themes you’ve heard before, that’s because March is smack dab in the middle of Kapha season. This Ayurvedic time of year is characterized by moisture, humidity, and heaviness. It’s the transition time between the dry, windy winter and the sunny new beginnings of spring. There’s dampness and sluggishness but that’s temporary; it’s all in preparation for positive changes that are set to take place in the near future. There may be some anxiety around this season as well as some anxiousness. Perhaps you’re feeling antsy and starting to go stir crazy at home. After months of being bundled up in coats and scarves, the suggestion of warmer weather being right around the corner seems too good to be true. The promise of relief feels like a tease but it’s okay to believe that it’s coming because… it is! Days will become longer again, the sun will linger in the sky longer, and you’ll soon be able to drop your shoulders and breathe in the freshness of new blooms. Channel that optimistic energy. We may not be to the other side quite yet but it’s not far off. It’s within reach. This month, see if you can adopt a forward-thinking mindset. While yoga teaches us to learn to live in the present moment, it’s also acceptable to look ahead to all the positivity that’s waiting for us. Excited anticipation is a good thing so let yourself live in that! Interested in bringing this onto the mat? Several poses that may help you embody this mentality include:
There are tons of other poses that can help you embody the positivity that awaits. Perhaps there are also some poses you’re interested in bringing into your asana repertoire. Whether you’ve been itching to get deeper into your full split (hanumanasana) or have a goal to learn to love chair pose (utkatasana), now is the time to start thinking about how to put those ambitions into action. 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™ LOOKING FOR LOVE IN ALL THE YOGIC PLACES: AN EXPLORATION OF KARMA YOGA  (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.) Have you ever heard of Karma Yoga? If not, chances are you’ve at least heard of karma. In its simplest term, karma connotes reciprocity: what you put out comes back to you. Karma Yoga is similar in that sense but slightly different.
One of the 8 limbs of yoga, Karma Yoga is defined as selflessness. To go down this path is to do whatever you do 1) selflessly 2) to the best of your ability 3) without attachment to results or outcomes and 4) with dedication to the supreme consciousness (aka the Universe). When we live by the principles of Karma Yoga, we live through an expression of love. How fitting for this time of year and specifically this month, given that it’s February and Valentine’s Day is upon us. There are so many ways to celebrate love, both for oneself and outwardly toward others. This season, consider the exploration of Karma Yoga as an invitation to express love both on and off the mat. As a practitioner of yoga, you probably know that the asanas are only a small part of the journey. They are, in fact, another of the 8 limbs, but they’re just one piece of the heart-shaped pie. How we act off the mat is just as important (if not more so) than the poses we move through. In keeping with the theme of Karma Yoga, the following are suggestions of how to incorporate this practice into your daily life. Karma yoga could look like:
Essentially, Karma Yoga comes down to having respect for the practice, the flow, and the community. It’s about behaving in conscious, loving, mindful ways and acting as selflessly as possible without expecting anything in return. The mindset you adopt both in and out of the studio is a sign that your love is pure and genuine. Karma Yoga encourages us to think beyond the traditional concept of romantic love. When we do so, we find that love really is everywhere as long as we remain open to it. Much love to all! 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™ THE GIFT OF YOGA: WHO’S GIVING, WHO’S GETTING, AND HOW TO TAKE IT BEYOND THE MAT  (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.) Every year around the holidays, the topic of gift giving creeps up. While the holidays are about so much more than presents, it would be remiss to say that gifts don’t play a role in the festivities. After all, look around you. The endless supply of ads and promotions for sales, discounts, deals, and specials all promote the same message: BUY, GIVE, GET! That’s consumerism for you. Alas, it doesn’t all have to be so material.
Let’s introduce yoga into the equation and explore the idea of yoga being a gift. First things first, can yoga be a gift? Of course it can. In the literal sense, you could buy or receive a class pack or membership to a studio, but the actual yoga practice could also be a gift in and of itself. The yoga practice is special. It teaches us to reorganize and reframe our thoughts, principles, and priorities. It emphasizes a connection between body, mind, and breath. It encourages us to slow down and appreciate the present that is presence. It allows us to get lost in the flow of movement and connection; to do the dance of simply existing and to witness that beauty. Yoga is a gift for the students as well as for the instructors. Both are simultaneously gift givers and recipients. The teachers and studios give students space, grace, and guidance. The students reciprocate by giving teachers the opportunity to express their creativity and share their wisdom with hungry, earnest, appreciative minds. In that sense, it is a beautiful symbiotic relationship and one that poses the question who is giving and who is giving? Can it be both at the same time? Can all gifts work that way? Absolutely. Think about it - while it’s fun to get a new sweater, isn’t it just as fun and fulfilling to present that new sweater to your friend who you know has been eyeing it for months? Doesn’t the act of giving it to them fill you with a warm sensation inside? No, that’s not the Mongolian cashmere nor is it the external heat of the 105 degree yoga room. It’s the knowledge that you’ve given someone something they wouldn’t otherwise have. It feels fantastic to receive something from someone who you know put time, energy, thought, care, and effort into it; it feels just as amazing to give that to someone who you can see appreciates and values it. When you think about gifts in this way, you see that they always go both ways as long as the manner in which they come about is done with integrity and non attachment, or a lack of expectation to receive in return. This holiday season, I invite you to rethink how you experience gifts. Focus on the feelings, both the ones that come from receiving gifts as well as those that come from delivering them. 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! RATES:
PAYMENT: VENMO -- @Vicyasa Paypal -- [email protected] NAMASTE, Victor Cotto www.YogaWithVictor.com Instagram: CottoVic Facebook: Yoga With Victor - Vicyasa™ YOUR BASELINE IS ENOUGH  (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.) Oftentimes we think we need to do something extraordinary to be deemed worthy of existence. We believe the (untrue) narrative that we must win an award, accomplish a feat, or be the best, but that simply isn’t true. The truth is that just being is enough. Your baseline of simply existing is more than enough. Anything extra is truly that: extra. We’ve been taught that ordinary, average, mediocre, good, and even acceptable are unacceptable. What a shame that is. Society has taught us that middle of the road won’t get you anywhere; no, you need to be excellent. Coasting is a curse. Status quo equates to stagnation, which equates to a dying off of creativity. The world pushes these competitive lies all the time and it would be silly to think we should be above believing them. Still, we don’t need to succumb to them. It’s fun to be excellent. It’s exciting to win. It’s rewarding to accomplish a feat for which you’ve worked hard. At the same time, there’s value in having a solid baseline. Owning your place in life means knowing who you are. It means having a strong foundation off of which you can build and expand but always come back to. It’s a home base. When you have a strong baseline, you establish consistency. You become reliable, dependable, and the kind of person people know they can trust. The rare times in which you deviate from that norm may cause others to take a second look before they settle back in; that’s not a bad thing, but neither is your steady state. There’s something to be said for having a steady state. After all, a little up and down is fun every once in a while, but we wouldn’t want the boat ride to be full of rocky waters the whole way through. That would be simply exhausting and nauseating. Calm waters with the occasional breeze are generally preferred. The idea of coming back to your baseline rings true especially during this time of year. Vata season, the transition from fall into early winter, is characterized by erratic, windy energy. If lots of change seems to be happening right now, that’s normal. The wind isn’t something to fight but still, we must find balance in the midst of it so we don’t get swept away. The way to do that is to find grounding. In your yoga practice, look for opportunities where you can ground down and get steady. Perhaps you use the times when you’re low to the mat (malasana, child’s pose (balasana), humble warrior, etc.) to pay extra attention to your foundation. Perhaps you take an extra breath in between transitions to make sure you’re solid before you advance forward. For instance, before reversing your warrior two, make sure both your front foot and your back foot are firmly rooted and your quads are fired up enough so when you flip your palm and reach back, you don’t have to compensate by straining the lower back or straightening the front leg. Once you have an understanding of your baseline, you can do anything. A solid foundation frees you up to get expressive, playful, and experimental. There’s a saying that rules are meant to be broken, and while that’s not always the case, those words are valuable. You have to know what the rules are and have mastered them in order to deviate from them. As kids, we’re told to color within the lines. As adults, we’re told to draw free form. We learn the guidelines, we establish a baseline, we identify our sense of selves so later on, we’re free to create even more than we knew was possible. This season, be solid and grounded in your foundation. Establish your baseline. Own your mediocrity. From there, you can do anything. 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! RATES:
PAYMENT: VENMO -- @Vicyasa Paypal -- [email protected] NAMASTE, Victor Cotto www.YogaWithVictor.com Instagram: CottoVic Facebook: Yoga With Victor - Vicyasa™ "Do not measure success by today's harvest. Measure success by the seeds you plant today." - Robert Louis Stevenson  Abundance... This time of year is the time of first harvest; apples are ripening and corn is being brought in from the field. During the season of gathering, we take time to enjoy the cornucopian feast that nature has laid out before us. Whether we live in a concrete jungle or the country, we can mindfully redirect our senses to appreciate the bountifulness and abundance of the season. During this period it is imperative we remember to say thank you to Mother Earth for providing and not just with consumption of the goods we have received, but giving unto others who may know what the environment has to offer... acts of kindness. Our yoga practice during this transition can focus on cultivating contentment, gratitude, and happiness. Yoga Sutra 2.42 can translate to, “Happiness is attained through contentment.” When we cultivate gratitude as a spiritual practice, contentment [Santosha] naturally follows, and from contentment happiness blooms. Whereas happiness can be elusive, the path of gratitude and contentment is always available to us. Ask yourself this season:
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. Here are some of the key topics I have programmed into varying syllabuses:
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™ “The reason I talk to myself is because I’m the only one whose answers I accept.”  We all know all those hot-yoga psychos; they show up wearing a fleece vest, three layers of leggings, thermal socks, long sleeves and when they get to the studio they ask, "is the heat on today?" or, "how hot is the studio?"
The Yoga practice becomes one of extremes, unhealthy and more about the addiction to the temporary endorphins their bodies produce in response to being pushed further than they want to go. Is that healthy? NO. Is it yogic? No. Are there cardiovascular benefits? Absolutely. Do people fool themselves about the actual benefits? All the time. Myth #1: "I'm soooo detoxing right now." Most of what you are sweating is water. The substances in sweat that you are secreting include salt, potassium, ammonia and urea. True toxin elimination comes from the kidneys and liver, and some from the colon. Doing a 75-minute hot yoga session and sweating to death is not releasing toxins -- you're just dehydrating yourself and losing only water weight. If you really want to eliminate toxins from the body,you are better off seeing a physician or purchasing an over-the-counter liver, kidney, or colon cleanse made out of natural ingredients. Myth #2: "OMG... my stretches are soooooo much deeper in the hot room." There is a difference between muscular flexibility and joint flexibility. When you are in a heated environment, your blood flow increases making you feel like you are more flexible then you really are. The sweat produced gives you a false sense many times of "work" you are doing and how "my stretching can be more intense." You can still injure yourself in yoga. Many yoga instructors do not receive enough training in kinesiology or anatomy and physiology to keep practitioners safe, and if you add the heated element into the mix, it does have the potential to be disastrous. When you dehydrate yourself and over-work your tendons, ligaments and connective tissue in a hot room, your potential for injury increases and many students who come in with the intention to dive deep into a practice without proper awareness will be seeing an orthopedist surely. Dehydrated muscles are more susceptible to strains and tears. Reduced blood flow to the muscles can also increase the risk of muscle damage, especially during intense exercise. Myth #3: "The hotter the better... and let's move fast for the real work." If you ever hear a teacher say this, or a community that encourages this... run away. Like, fast! The extremes that really bad yoga teachers produce and the inferno-like approach to yoga leads to unhealthy stress into the lungs and heart. If you're constantly in fight or flight, huffing and puffing and driving into paramount situations... then you're not practicing yoga. You are actively engaging in stressing your central nervous system and getting a false sense of a "workout." If you’re practicing hot yoga five or six times per week and are becoming chronically dehydrated, there are real potential risks; not only is it unhealthy for your body, but your mental state. Don't get me wrong, an invigorating, strong (ohh... how many yoga teachers have that one in their profiles) yoga practice is amazing. If that is escalated and your moving in class led by a teacher who is not versed in proper mechanics, adept at handling the many needs that arise as limitations, range of motion needs are varied and clients are not all cookie cutter, the risk of injury in a fast paced session, where you are exhausted and moving fatigued is a recipe for disaster. 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 through 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. YOGA AT OHHHMMM LIVE VIRTUAL SCHEDULE: MONDAY: 7/21/2025 NO CLASSES TUESDAY: 7/22/2025 NO CLASSES WEDNESDAY: 7/23/2025 NO CLASSES THURSDAY: 7/24/2025 NO CLASSES FRIDAY: 7/25/2025 NO CLASSES SATURDAY: 7/26/2025 NO CLASSES SUNDAY: 7/27/2025 NO CLASSES *ALL CLASSES EST *SESSIONS 45/60 MINUTES *WAIVER STATEMENT: I understand that I must be in good physical health to participate in these classes, that my participation may cause an injury and that I should consult with my physician before I take a class. I am taking these classes at my own risk. I waive any claim for personal injury and any other damages that I may have against the school, studio and/or the teachers who are offering these classes. REGULAR RATES:
PAYMENT: VENMO -- @Vicyasa Paypal -- [email protected] NAMASTE, Victor Cotto www.YogaWithVictor.com Instagram: CottoVic Facebook: Yoga With Victor - Vicyasa™ Yoga at OHM Newsletter Victor Cotto Vicyasa™ 6/9 - 6/15/2025: CALMING THE FIRE IN PITTA SEASON6/6/2025 CALMING THE FIRE IN PITTA SEASON  (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.) Seasons, Equinoxes, Solstices… whatever you want to call them, the times of the year come and go. Weather changes, days become longer and shorter, and energies shift. This happens in all elements of life, yoga included.
Yoga’s sister science, Ayurveda, is broken up into doshas. Doshas explain energies and bio-energies. As such, they live within us and around us. We all have a unique constitution, a combination of the three doshas: Vata, Pitta, and Kapha. We tend to be dominant in one dosha with a secondary dosha trailing closely behind. There are still elements of the third within us, but they tend to be less prominent. Doshas aren’t just associated with the body and mind; they’re also interlinked with the seasons. Late fall/ winter is known as Vata Season; late winter into spring is Kapha Season; late spring into summer is Pitta Season, which brings us to the here and now. What is Pitta Season? This time of late spring into summer is characterized by heat. As we welcome the warmer weather and the sunnier days, there’s a tendency to spend more time outside. The Pitta dosha consists of Fire and Water elements. The hottest and longest days of the year occur during this time. It’s energetic and fiery, which can be fun and lively but also draining if you overdo it. What is the Pitta Dosha? People who are Pitta dominant tend to be quick and sharp. They may have tendencies toward aggravation, which could manifest in a hot temper. These people also generally enjoy cardio intensive, muscle building, heart pumping routines. If you’re not sure of your constitution, there are several online quizzes you can take to determine yours. Pro tip: take a few so you can cross-reference the results. What to Do if You’re Pitta Dominant If you’re Pitta dominant, this is your season, baby! You may feel like you’re high on life during this time; however, you may also feel a little extra testy. The hot, humid weather could be getting to you. If you love fast-paced vinyasa flows, you may find yourself going to them multiple times a week but never feeling satisfied; when is it enough? In Ayurveda, just like in all elements of life, there can be too much of a good thing. You like these spicy flows but overdoing them could be just that – overkill. There needs to be balance or you’ll burn yourself out, quite literally, in this season of fire. Some tips for finding balance:
For you, it ‘s even more important to be intentional about taming the fiery spice. As for the energetic vinyasa flows, you don’t have to take them out entirely. Just keep an eye on how they make you feel and notice if they tend to cause aggravation. That could be your sign to back off for a little while. What if You’re Not a Pitta? These tips still matter even if you’re not Pitta dominant. We’re all living in this world and the changing of the seasons affects us, whether a little or a lot. As we enter this energetic shift, use it as an opportunity to become more inquisitive about how you can calm your fire without dampening your flame. 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 through 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. YOGA AT OHHHMMM LIVE VIRTUAL SCHEDULE: MONDAY: 6/9/2025 NO CLASSES TUESDAY: 6/10/2025 NO CLASSES WEDNESDAY: 6/11/2025 NO CLASSES THURSDAY: 6/12/2025 NO CLASSES FRIDAY: 6/13/2025 NO CLASSES SATURDAY: 6/14/2025 NO CLASSES SUNDAY: 6/15/2025 NO CLASSES *ALL CLASSES EST *SESSIONS 45/60 MINUTES *WAIVER STATEMENT: I understand that I must be in good physical health to participate in these classes, that my participation may cause an injury and that I should consult with my physician before I take a class. I am taking these classes at my own risk. I waive any claim for personal injury and any other damages that I may have against the school, studio and/or the teachers who are offering these classes. REGULAR RATES:
PAYMENT: VENMO -- @Vicyasa Paypal -- [email protected] NAMASTE, Victor Cotto www.YogaWithVictor.com Instagram: CottoVic Facebook: Yoga With Victor - Vicyasa™ WHERE IS THE FOLLOW THROUGH?  (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.) I had a conversation with a good friend recently about honoring commitments. We were casually chatting about this and that but we didn’t have enough time to dig into the nitty gritty of a new idea that had been bubbling up. We agreed that we should set aside some time to discuss it further, so I followed up with him later on in the day and we nailed down a date to have a “walk and talk” to iron out the details.
After a few back and forths about scheduling, we found a time that worked for both of us. We put it in our calendars, followed up the day before, and made it happen. As we chatted, my friend mentioned how much he valued my follow through. He said, “You know, one of the things about you is that when you say you’re going to do something, you do it.” I thanked him for that compliment because I appreciated it wholeheartedly and I know how rare it is for that to be the case nowadays. So many people have great intentions but where is the follow through? It’s often the very thing that’s lacking. “We should get coffee!” “We have to catch up!” “We should take a trip together!” “We should totally start that business!” These are great ideas and while the people who have them likely mean well, they’re not all that substantive without the follow through. Without follow through, lovely ideas like these linger in the air for eternity, only to be picked up (or not) by someone else who takes advantage of them and ends up having the time of their lives with what could have been your reality. Follow through isn’t just about taking advantage of opportunities though. It’s also about honoring commitments to friends and important people in your life. One of those important people should be yourself. When you prioritize follow through, you show yourself that you are a person of your word. You build integrity and that becomes a characteristic of who you are at your core. There are many ways to follow through in yoga. In the physical asana practice, you can practice follow through by showing up to your mat on a regular basis. You can also see it on the mat in the poses. Start in down dog. Inhale and lift your right leg high for a three legged dog. Exhale to low lunge. Inhale to look up. Exhale to step your left foot forward to a forward fold. There you have it: you’ve practiced following through. 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 through 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. YOGA AT OHHHMMM LIVE VIRTUAL SCHEDULE: MONDAY: 6/2/2025 NO CLASSES TUESDAY: 6/3/2025 NO CLASSES WEDNESDAY: 6/4/2025 NO CLASSES THURSDAY: 6/5/2025 NO CLASSES FRIDAY: 6/6/2025 NO CLASSES SATURDAY: 6/7/2025 NO CLASSES SUNDAY: 6/8/2025 NO CLASSES *ALL CLASSES EST *SESSIONS 45/60 MINUTES *WAIVER STATEMENT: I understand that I must be in good physical health to participate in these classes, that my participation may cause an injury and that I should consult with my physician before I take a class. I am taking these classes at my own risk. I waive any claim for personal injury and any other damages that I may have against the school, studio and/or the teachers who are offering these classes. REGULAR RATES:
PAYMENT: VENMO -- @Vicyasa Paypal -- [email protected] NAMASTE, Victor Cotto www.YogaWithVictor.com Instagram: CottoVic Facebook: Yoga With Victor - Vicyasa™ Yoga at OHM Newsletter Victor Cotto Vicyasa™ 5/12-5/18/2025: YOU DON'T OWE YOUR PRACTICE TO ANYONE5/9/2025 WHEN REDDIT YOGA GETS REAL: YOU DON'T OWE YOUR PRACTICE TO ANYONE  (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.) Recently I was on Reddit, one of the grittier social media forums, and I came across a thread on the /yoga subreddit. The topic was Class Energy and the OP (original poster) was asking if it would be acceptable for her to go to yoga classes even when she was in a bad mood. She said was in a “fitness burnout” and was dreading doing physical movement. Still, she felt like going to yoga could help her find some bliss. The issue was that she was worried “if it will disturb the vibe of the class too much if I go and smile even though I want to flip out internally.” She acknowledged that the yoga room is meant to be a sacred space and she didn’t want to disrupt the energy of the studio and of the other practitioners by bringing her less than yogic aura into the mix. On the other hand, she had paid for an unlimited membership and wanted to get what she could out of the classes. So she felt torn: to go or not to go?
I don’t often reply to people on Reddit because a) I’m not typically in search of an argument and b) I’m not sure my contributions would be all that helpful. In this instance, however, I felt like I had something valuable to say. Here was my response: "Hi OP. Here's my take: you don't owe your practice to anyone. Your yoga practice is your own. You're allowed to show up in a bad mood, speak to no one, not do half the class, and leave without ever having interacted with anyone. And honestly, that's not rude. You're also allowed to come in with a happy demeanor, be cheery and say hi to everyone, remain chipper and optimistic, and smile the whole way through. But the thing is that no matter how you are, you don't owe your practice to anyone; not to the teacher, not to the other students, not to the front desk...as long as you're respectful of the space and getting what YOU need, you're good. Yoga isn't meant to be performative. It's not a show; it's not about who can be the most "into it" or spiritual. Take the pressure off yourself. If you want to go to a class and see what shows up for you, go for it. If you think that will end up making you more frustrated, maybe opt out. It's totally up to you. Hope this helped!" I thought about that Reddit thread for a while, a long while, and it inspired me to expand upon my initial response a bit further. You don't owe your yoga practice to anyone. There's no need to force a smile because the teacher is looking at you or "perform" because you think it'll impress the other yogis in the room. Here’s a secret: it won't. You also don't need to be in a good mood or a spiritual state to go to yoga. Come as you are; bad mood, good mood, heck, let your mood ring decide for you. Your job is to show up for your practice, not for anyone else's. As a student, your job is to get what YOU need out of the practice. Yes, be respectful of the others in the room and the sacred space that is the yoga room, but don't feel pressure to act, move, or breathe a certain way. Feeling like being a little extra and really going for it? Good, do that. Feeling like dialing it back and being low key, doing the absolute minimum? Or even lying in savasana for 45 out of the 60 minutes? Go for it. You don't owe the teacher or the other practitioners exuberance, smiles, or praise. You owe them respect and consideration and as long as you're giving that, you're doing exactly what you're supposed to. 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 through 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. YOGA AT OHHHMMM LIVE VIRTUAL SCHEDULE: MONDAY: 5/12/2025 NO CLASSES TUESDAY: 5/13/2025 NO CLASSES WEDNESDAY: 5/14/2025 NO CLASSES THURSDAY: 5/15/2025 NO CLASSES FRIDAY: 5/16/2025 NO CLASSES SATURDAY: 5/17/2025 NO CLASSES SUNDAY: 5/18/2025 NO CLASSES *ALL CLASSES EST *SESSIONS 45/60 MINUTES *WAIVER STATEMENT: I understand that I must be in good physical health to participate in these classes, that my participation may cause an injury and that I should consult with my physician before I take a class. I am taking these classes at my own risk. I waive any claim for personal injury and any other damages that I may have against the school, studio and/or the teachers who are offering these classes. 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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