The Pure Light Yoga

Mountain Mantra Meditation ✨
I am courageous. I am creative.
I am open. I receive.

Calling all young yogis to join me for some fun movement, energizing and calming breathing, games, crafts and more !!! No yoga experience needed!

It’s never too early to get kids into practicing mindfulness and learning how to self regulate their emotions . These are practices that they can carry with them throughout their entire lifetime. Please share this with any parents you know who would like their kids to reduce anxiety, feel more confident in who they are, learn how to balance emotions and increase their capacity for self love and compassion for others .
I am so looking forward to leading this Bodhi Yoga and Massage✨💜✨

Don't forget to register those kiddos ☺️🤩
Benefits of mindful yoga:
1. Develops mind-body awareness
2. Develops discipline and improves self-regulation
3. Cultivates physical fitness
4. Enhances student behavior, mental clarity, health and performance in school
5. Reduces stress and anxiety
6. Improves self-esteem and body image
7. Encourages creativity

The intent of this kid’s yoga camp is to give youth the tools to help them learn calming breathwork exercises , build a personal yoga and mindfulness practice that they can do at home, and provide guidelines on how to live a positive life with love and acceptance of self and others. Students will learn self regulating techniques through relaxing breathing practices and fun summer yoga postures . Kids will interact through games, crafts and mindful activities, all while learning new ways to calm and quiet the mind and body.

Grounding , releasing, and receiving with a yummy full moon nature Thai massage with the amazing Megan Leach❤️ I have never had such an incredible massage experience with such a beautiful view !!
I am feeling totally aligned, open , energized and rejuvenated in my body and my soul is completely at peace . I highly recommend indulging in some self care with a Thai massage from my sister Yoga and Massage!! It’s a fantastic way to experience a natural total body high ✨☺️✌️✨

I am so excited to be assisting with this training in New York and teaching kids YTT with my incredible teacher, the amazing Lara Hocheiser✨💕🙏🧘‍♀️

training alert!

Come meet your people while you up skill!

Enjoy the gorgeous spiritual home away from home in Saratoga Springs, NY, Yoga Mandali!

Lara Hocheiser will lead, assisted by the incredible talent and soul Teresa Tesh Jackson!!

We hope to see you there this fall!

GOAT YOGA at The Cottages 🐐
No matter how old, flexible,strong or mobile you are , practicing yoga postures with a baby goat always brings joy, connection (to self , others and nature), along with uplifting energy. It also also helps with reducing stress , anxiety and blood pressure , whether done on the floor or in a chair.
And if you don’t have a goat around?? Practicing yoga with your family pet can also calm mind, body and soul 🐶🐱🧘‍♀️

Why do I keep asking “WHY YOGA?????”……….

The reason is because my answer is always expanding every time I ask myself that question ! Therefore, I will continue to ask questions …… to learn, to grow, to expand, to deepen from all of my answers. I will keep asking “why?” instead of numbingly living life. I will feel each and every answer. I will continue to look into my soul and find my reasons why.

During this time of rest and recovery , along with grounding and surrendering I have been nurturing my Yoga Body and expanding my Yoga Mind. The third component in the trio of what yoga unites is the soul.

A Yoga Soul is the result of allowing our Yoga Body to reconnect and ground whenever we become disconnected and off-balance AND bringing our awareness back to the breath, letting go of anxious and obsessive thoughts, which calms the Yoga Mind. The Yoga Soul is another answer to “Why Yoga?”. It also asks the question of “Why a Yoga Soul ?”.

A Yoga Soul is open to expansion, creating, nurturing, and evolving. It is also innovative and committed to physical, mental and emotional healing ( the healing of body , mind and soul). A Yoga Soul continually asks why. Our individual answers to our personal “why?” can help promote introspection, as well as raise our levels of self-awareness. It encourages mindfulness and a deeper connection to our purpose in this life.

What is your answer to “Why ?” It doesn’t even have to be “Why yoga?” …….. You can fill in the blank with anything you think, feel or do? The most important thing is to continue to ask the why ? The second most important thing is to listen to the answer from your soul .

During the past several months, I have spent a lot of time reflecting on my “why’s”. I have connected with my Yoga Soul when asking myself why I choose to do the things in my life and also why I choose to not engage other things. My Yoga Soul gives me the deepest and most truthful answers.

I was reminded of this just a few days ago. My physical body is slowly getting back into more activity and exercise after my recent surgery and my progress is good. My non-yoga mind tells my body that it needs to get back into pre-surgery activity schedule and routine, NOW!!! It is getting impatient and wants to jump back in right where I left off. My body thinks it wants to comply and begin to move at top speed again but then my Yoga Soul joins in and asks “why?”.
Why rush the process? Why try to push the river? Why force my body into something it may not be ready for yet? These answers remind me that my Yoga Body is carrying me through this rehabilitation with my physical body . My Yoga Soul invites my Yoga Mind to join my Yoga Body(there’s the “Union” of yoga) to heal completely, and gain back my full strength. My Yoga Soul quietly speaks the words trust, surrender, and allow, which bring my entire being into a peaceful calm.

I invite you to take some time to cultivate and connect with your Yoga Soul. Ask your “Why?”
Bring your body into stillness, your awareness to the breath, and begin to calm and quiet your mind. Now, listen to the whispers of your soul. The answers will become louder the deeper you connect.

Still the body, quiet the mind, and the soul will speak with truth and love. Can you hear it? ✨✨✨

I ask this question again……..WHY YOGA ?????

In reply, I offer another answer that unites with my first “Why Yoga?” post , which describes a Yoga Body. When we cultivate a Yoga Body , we are then able to develop a YOGA MIND.

Yoga means “to join” or “unite”. Once we ground and connect our body to the Earth, and are able to fully listen with our heart, we can respond to our body with stillness and a gentle quiet which calms the overactive mind. This is a union of body , mind and soul.

We can let go of disruptive, anxious and obsessive thoughts in the mind by bringing our awareness to the breath. When we focus on our breathing, thoughts come and go but we don’t hold onto them. We can acknowledge their presence, then release them like a leaf floating down a river stream.

I invite you to give it a try ! Wherever you are in this moment, connect and ground your feet, or sitz bones into the Earth. Visualize sending your roots deep into the ground beneath you, and then lengthen from the base of the spine up through the crown of your head. Close your eyes if comfortable, if not , soften and lower your gaze.

Bring your awareness to your breath and feel yourself inhaling and exhaling, as you take two full deep breaths. On your next inhale, breathe in to the count of four and then exhale to the count of four . Inhale 1 2 3 4 , exhale 4 3 2 1 . Keep your breath slow, even and easy. Repeat 6 to 10 times. When a thought arises, acknowledge that it is just your mind thinking (which is what it wants to do) and then let the thought pass. Return your focus to your breathing. When you complete your rounds, return your breathing to normal, and just notice how you feel. Can you feel a calm and quiet Yoga Mind? 

During my time of surgery recovery, I have practiced this breathing exercise many times daily. It has helped me tremendously when I have needed to surrender into the discomfort of my body. Just like we cannot push a river, we also cannot push away suffering, of any kind. We have to learn to breathe into it, focusing on each inhale and exhale, while letting go of the thoughts that trap us in our discomfort. Slowing down the activity in the brain, and surrendering into the present moment, can give us the result of a quiet, calm, and peaceful Yoga Mind. And no matter where we are or what we are doing, we can always connect with our Yoga Mind whenever chaos, discomfort, or suffering arise.

Still the body, quiet the mind, calm the soul ✨✨✨

Peace✌️ Peace ✌️ Peace ✌️


WHY YOGA ???????

During the past six weeks I have been recovering from my second foot surgery in twelve months. The lessons that I learned from my first recovery a year ago have made a tremendous difference in my current recovery. So have the lessons that I have learned from continuing to deepen my yoga and meditation practices. I thought I’d share some of these insights to help answer the question “Why yoga?” And also offer real life situations where practicing yoga, and living the teachings, can be very beneficial.

First, we have to understand what the word “yoga” means. The Sanskrit definition is “to unite” or “to join” and yoga is the union of body, mind, and soul.

This post is about what a lot of newcomers think yoga is all about and that is the YOGA BODY.
But wait……..the yoga body that I’m talking about has absolutely nothing to do with a person’s physical shape, size, age, flexibility, or how many difficult postures their body can contort into.
ANY body can be a YOGA body!!!!!! It’s all about being connected and grounded with the Earth (our foundation), being aware of our body and how it feels (our mindfulness), and listening to what it tells us (our meditation). The result when we honor what we hear is our Yoga Body.

Here’s an example of how my yoga body served me well during my foot surgery recovery. Before I got my stitches removed, I had to shower with my foot wrapped up in a plastic bag, and extended outside of the shower curtain. I also had to sit on a shower stool as to not slip and fall. My yoga body insight came to me the first time I sat on the stool in the shower, water going strong, and realized I had not gotten my bath gel, shampoo, or conditioner down from the shower shelf. I knew I could not stand up to get them so I grounded down with my one foot in the shower and my sitz bones on the stool. I visualized sending my roots down deep into the Earth for foundation, stability and balance. I extended and lengthened from the base of my spine up to the crown of my head, took a deep inhale, lifted my right arm over my head ( left hand holding tightly on to the stool), exhaled and lengthened again, while extending my fingers to reach my bath gel. I repeated this practice two more times for shampoo and conditioner. That is when I realized I was utilizing my yoga body. Needless to say, I was extremely grateful in that moment for how I was able to incorporate my yoga practice into this situation. It also reminded me of why I teach yoga to my 90 year old mother and her friends at her assisted living cottage. These types of functional movements are needed even more as we age!

I invite you to take a deep breath in , feel your feet firmly planted on the ground, lift your arms above your head . EXHALE and fold your body down allowing your hands to touch the Earth. Rise up slowly and stand with your hands over your heart. Celebrate and honor your yoga body with compassion, kindness, and gratitude ✨🫶

Have you ever practiced a sunset meditation ? Here’s an invitation to try it !

Sunsets are perfect for connecting with nature and calming the mind at the end of the day. It’s also a perfect time to practice meditation with your eyes open !!

Just find a quiet , comfortable seat on the Earth , or stand with your feet firmly planted on the ground. Feel the Earth holding you as you look up in the sky . Maybe you see a bird flying into the colorful rays of the setting sun …… the moon rising …… the sun casting its light over the water on its way down. Perhaps you see trees or clouds or mountains or roof tops…… It doesn’t really matter what your eyes are gazing upon, the meditation happens when you really SEE what is in front of your eyes . Study every detail…. Color, shape, size, patterns, bright light or absence of light . Make this meditation all about focus and concentration on what you see. Let all other thoughts and distractions float away like the clouds . Keep bringing your attention back to your focal points and also your breath. Become aware of how your breathing may begin to slow and deepen as your mind lets go of excess thoughts . Embrace the feeling of being totally immersed in the present moment……

Wherever you are and whatever you see is the beauty of this moment. All you have to do is breathe and enjoy the stillness of the sun setting below the horizon . And if you miss it today , that’s ok, you can catch it again tomorrow.

Peace Peace Peace ✨✌️✨

Sometimes it’s harder to let go of the good things in life that we have outgrown in comparison to the heavier stuff that we can’t wait to get rid of. The beauty in life can rush in more abundantly when we can allow ourselves to completely become an empty vessel. …..Full of space and ready to receive all the good that is just waiting for room to come in…… No matter what our life has been up to this present moment , some of our most precious moments have yet to be ! RELEASE 2023 with love and gratitude and RECEIVE 2024 with an open heart full of peace , joy, trust and hope for the magic that awaits ✨✨❤️✌️✨✨

Tis the season of peace, love and joy …… Pass it on and share it all through the year ✨✌️❤️🎄✨

Honoring the Earth below me, the sky above me, the ocean and mountains within me ✨🙏✨

Giving thanks today for the love of family ❤️🙏❤️
I am full of GRATITUDE for my incredible daughter who teamed up with her amazing hubby to host a yummy full spread Thanksgiving dinner ! The only thing missing was my boy and I am always grateful for being able to connect with him through the technology of FaceTime calls 💕
Sending love, light and peace to all on this beautiful Thanksgiving Day 💜✨✌️

Baby Goat Gratitude 🙏🐐❤️

Yep, goat gratitude !!!! I am so thankful that I got to meet the newest member of Weeks Farm goat family today !
Introducing ……. the adorable Paulie !!!! He is already stretching , hopping and practicing his postures , getting ready for his first goat yoga debut. Paulie is definitely going to steal lots of yogi hearts …… he took mine today 💕🧘‍♀️🐐

I am forever GRATEFUL for having been a member of the BBBSCP staff for almost 20 years 🙏❤️🙏 I loved my job and every child, parent, volunteer and teacher that I had the privilege to work with during my career will always have a special
place in my heart 💕 And my fellow coworkers will always be like family to me 🫶 I send out a huge THANK YOU to all of the Big Brothers and Big Sisters that I matched with a child in the program. I was honored to witness every day the difference it makes when someone commits to be a mentor to a child who just needs a little extra love, guidance support and friendship ✨❤️✨❤️✨

Behind every successful person is a mentor who empowers them. Who’s your mentor? Share your story and tag them in the comments below!

Grateful Warrior in the woods 🏹
I am powerful. I am courageous . I rise up with my strength .
My heart is full of GRATITUDE today for being concussion clear🙏❤️🙏❤️🙏❤️🙏

I tag my yoga sister Stephanie Antonia Yoga in support of her Infinite Gratitude challenge . While I’m not posting each daily pose for prizes , I share the gratitude and appreciate her beautiful posts🙏💕🧘‍♀️