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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 So what is Sanskrit ?
Sanskrit is the ancient language the first yogis spoke and the language in which many historic yoga texts are written ("Sanskrit" is itself an English word -- how Sanskrit of "Sanskrit" looks like saṃskṛta). Originating in ancient India and considered to be one of the oldest languages on Earth, Sanskrit is, quite literally, the language of yoga. Many of the mantras you may silently repeat in meditation, and the terms you hear in yoga class are ancient Sanskrit words. Why are yoga students trainee teachers taught the use of this language (as minimal or in depth as that may be) is it to give us a feeling of connecting with the ancient practice of yoga? Using Sanskrit in yoga is essential for honoring the practice's ancient Indian roots, maintaining cultural authenticity, and accessing the precise, vibrational energy of the language. It provides a universal vocabulary for postures (asanas) and philosophy, deepening the connection between mind, body, and tradition beyond physical exercise. Key reasons for using Sanskrit in yoga include:
While some may consider the use of Sanskrit to be a form of cultural appropriation, for many it is an essential part of maintaining the authenticity of the practice - Sanskrit does connect to the heart chakra of this ancient practice and can enrich your yoga journey. 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™ 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™ "Breathe deeply, until sweet air extinguishes the burn of fear in your lungs and every breath is a beautiful refusal to become anything less than infinite."  Want to build heat in your practice? I got'yah! The practice of yoga, when given true care and awareness can help you build heat and it ignites a rise in heat to the body, invigorates your internal organs, activates muscles and gets your cardiovascular system excited. Step 1: True attention to the Breath: keep the breathing consistent, control your prana (upward rising energy) and apana (outward flow). Are you really focused on your breathing or are you more worried about the posture, aesthetic of the pose and the next pose rather than staying in tune with the inhale and exhale? When we don’t connect with our breathing, the joints and muscles will be rigid and then you cannot align physically on the mat to meet your needs. Step 2: Focus on your alignment: It is imperative for muscular development and advancement into structured poses to practice proper alignment that serves your body's needs. Instead of over-stretching, practicing the same variations without taking note of your spatial positioning and not being self-aware of mechanics, allow the muscles to engage around our skeletal structure and allow your alignment to help you create heat through fitting positioning in poses. Step 3: What are we eating or drinking pre-class, doing pre-class? Select your foods carefully, drink hot drinks, warm foods and avoid inflammatory foods and alcohol. A hot shower or warm bath prior to the practice is also recommended. When we don’t build enough heat, the joints and muscles will be rigid, and the progression of poses will seem disconnected. Internal heat is essential for preventing injuries and it helps create more ease in the deeper poses. Getting some of the cardio component with repetitions and standing flows also targets our most important muscle... the heart. As teachers & students we have to remember that in order for us to get into the middle and end postures safely, it requires effectively warming up the spine, shoulders, hips, and hamstrings from various angles. 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, 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™ “My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor, and some style.” — Maya Angelou  Certain core teachings of Yoga can forever shift the way you see the world in an acute way. “Joy is within you” is one of them. In the Yoga Sutra’s Chapter 1.33, Pantanjali gives us a 4-part process to help us clear our hearts of negative energies as a means for quieting our minds.
Four keys to nurture joy within... Maitri [friendliness]: Kindness and friendliness to those who are happy, instead of being jealous and resentful of their mode. Rather than living with mental scarcity thinking one person’s happiness will cause us to run out of happiness we must appreciate their joy, realizing the potential for all of us to be happy at the same time. Karuna [compassion]: Compassion for those who are in pain, those that are suffering including yourself. The practice means no longer self-sabotaging oneself nor catastrophizing but instead learning how to self-comfort. It implies you see yourself as deserving of compassion. This applies outwardly as well, that we cannot choose towards whom we have compassion but it is universal and unconditional. Mudita [joy]: Respect, admiration and honor for those who embody noble qualities. In practice this means eliminating envy towards those that are living honorable lives. We must genuinely celebrate achievements. This reminds us that we can be inspired by others' greatness to then be inspiring. We all have innate greatness. Upeksanam [equanimity]: towards those who hurt us. Peacefulness towards those whose actions oppose our values. Instead of choosing the “like” button or even the “dislike” button choosing neutral. There will be some people that purposefully will try to harm you or people you love. Your choice is not to engage them in a fight. You can simply stop struggling. This is where the idea of “would you rather be right or be happy” comes from. We encounter many people in life; Happy people (sukha), Unhappy people (dukha), Honorable people (punya), Malicious people (apunya)... Our approach, the way we cultivate and navigate through relationships, choosing to constitute a path that leads us to happiness cannot be shaken if we nurture ourselves with the above four keys. 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™ “Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it.” — Unknown  Why with the holiday season do we often compete with ourselves and others to make each year better than the last? Whether it’s gift-giving, making a grander meal, or planning the perfect day, this season can cause way more stress than is needed when we’re trying to make things more extravagant, special or better than ever. The Niyamas teach us that Santosha or ‘contentment’ is one of the most valuable states we can cultivate within ourselves. Practicing contentment invites us to stop pursuing the “I’ll be happy when...” narrative, and instead turn our attention to “what do I have to be grateful about right now?”
Yoga philosophy teaches us that much of our pain and unrest in life comes from our constant pursuit of what we want, instead of simply being where we are. Practicing Santosha throughout the holiday season gives us an opportunity to look at what we already have in life, instead of falling prey to the temptation to fill our stockings with stuff that simply brings fleeting pleasure. Whether it's Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Bodhi Day or any other festival that honors this season, they all recognize the importance of LIGHT and the divinity within all of us and how we all can spread the light of love, joy and inspiration. Supporters, subscribers and friends... you've been the luminosity in my life - I am grateful. May we all continue to radiate and manifest what's in our hearts into the new year. #Namaste 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 (@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™ “Your beliefs become your thoughts,  Who is ready to manifest their best life? Let's do everything the heart desires in 2026 -- being present and savoring our moments, basking in our glory & illuminating and uplifting others with our state of being. Whatever your goals and desires to live your best life are, a consistent yoga and meditation practice will help you set clear intentions and help you identify your personal life vision.
Give yourself time and space to contemplate your desires. Connect with your heart. Get into a state of flow with heart-brain coherence. Allow yourself to think big. And most importantly … Set an intention! The power of your intention and your consistent diligence cannot be underestimated. Setting an intention for yourself each day as a part of your morning routine will raise your vibrations to attract more love and positivity and inspire you to channel that positive energy into action. Intention setting is a loving commitment to oneself that joins the heart and mind on a journey to one’s highest calling. Simply put, it is to clearly state what you want to experience and achieve through your actions. Setting an intention can be done in all aspects of your life, from relationships and personal life to your work life. Spend some quiet time and reflect on the experiences, relationships, the feelings, the things that you wish to experience in your life. Take some time to feel the emotions you may feel when you experience your intentions in your life. From there, write down the intentions you want to set. Then, spend time thinking about how having these intentions come into your reality will feel, what does it look like, feel like, what will you be doing? Get as vivid and clear as you can in these steps as feeling the emotions will activate the intentions and allow for them to flow easily to you. Your thoughts that turn into emotions, which inspire actions, are all used to manifest your intentions. Intention Setting Examples:
At Vicyasa™, we support our community in harnessing the power of intention to infuse the mind, body, and spirit with confidence, positivity, and a boost of well-being. 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 (@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™ "Slowing down is the precursor to Yoga practice because this simple act allows us to consider our thoughts, feelings and actions more carefully in the light of our desire to live peacefully." -- Donna Farhi  Slowing down is easier said than done. Our holiday schedule is filled to the brim with activities; work, school, cooking, cleaning, organizing and preparing to make the season a joyful experience for others… Most days are planned in advance and are busy. So when the pace changes, we have a natural hesitance to shift down a gear.
Taking a step back just for a moment, pausing to practice... can help you enjoy every minute of the holiday. Find a quiet space in the house where you can reset. Remind yourself of the things that are blessings for you on and off the yoga mat. Then remind yourself it doesn’t matter if things aren’t done perfectly; embrace falling out of a pose, be ok with where you meet your true self on the mat for that moment and bask in your yoga. There are many studies that show that gratitude itself is extremely effective in combating depression. The holidays have the potential to deliver; the love and joy experienced with cherished family and friends, and the crushing seasonal depression that many fall prey to. Take the time, before you are caught up in your own holiday hustle and bustle, to simply identify what you can be grateful for, to reflect upon it, feel it, and maybe even express it. Then we can remember to take a step back, slow down, enjoy the pace of gathering with friends and family, and be right there, in the moment, together. 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 (@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™ “Your mind is a garden. Your thoughts are the seeds. The harvest can either be flowers or weeds.” — William Wordsworth  I love talking about planting seeds when we practice. Often, we do so with fierce intention and clarity. We cultivate a plan and things work out. The harvest is bountiful and all is coming.
But because it is life... regardless of how many crops are planted, there are obstacles to fertilizing those seeds. We’re still open to the process and looking optimistically to the harvest but we know our methods need to change or be refined. We can avoid harvest failure with the right inputs. Other times, we are just stuck in a muck, unsure of either what to plant, where to plant it or how to take care of it. These times are often precipitated by big transitions that may be planned or unanticipated. Leaving home, getting married, starting a family, a job change, starting a business, closing a business, moving, divorce, retiring, the death of a loved one or friend are just some examples of things that get us stuck in a "rut.". There may be a sense of indecision, a torment, an inner discomfort, a disconnection from what feels like an inner alignment. These times of uncertainty will always be part of the journey. When we are in the muck, uncertain of our direction, but knowing that we need to do something different or make a change, the ancients guided us in a few ideas about what to do. The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali are an influential philosophical text of yoga that lay out teachings on the mind and how to cultivate mental clarity and discernment. They had ideas about how to dig our way out of the mire. Yoga Sutra 1.32: Commit to the practice of a single principle/discipline Give yourself 5-10 minutes just to meditate; committing to daily journaling to gain clarity when things are not clear. Yoga Sutra 1.34: Practicing pranayama that involves forceful exhalation or retention of breath, one acquires a pristine state of mind We gain mental clarity by working with our breath to reduce the stress responses and quiet the mind and emotions so that we have clear discernment in making decisions. Yoga Sutra 1.39: Meditate on something that is meaningful to you What resonates for us will be something very deeply personal. We have to do the work. Once new habits are built and ingrained into our neural pathways and routines, less focus needs to be put on sustaining the desired result. Keeping 10lbs off is easy with good habits because we essentially reap what we sow. Physically and mentally. If you don’t have a crop harvest right now, it is only because you didn’t plant seeds and nurture them. Yoga helps us to create the harvest we want by cultivating a healthy mind-body-spirit connection. Mind your thoughts, as they can and will create the life and harvest you have. 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 (@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™ 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™ |
AuthorVicyasa™, your full-time dopamine dealer ... don't allow my confidence to offend your insecurity. Archives
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