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Thoughts on Generosity


In this season, we spend countless hours being generous with those we love. It’s easy to get wrapped up in the frenzy of it all. Don’t forget to be generous with yourself as well as others. As flight attendants remind us every time we board a plane, you must adjust your own oxygen mask before assisting others. In order for you to be able to genuinely be generous with your time, talents, and treasure this season, you must care for yourself as well. Take a break from the cooking, the cleaning, and the gift shopping and treat yourself to an hour of quiet at Studio South. I bet you’ll leave feeling more in tune with the true spirit of the holiday season.


Namaste y’all!


Kelly Hall

Studio South Social Media Guru
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You is what you is.....and that is beautiful!


I'm often asked what the pre-qualifications for Yoga Teacher Training are and my answer is this.....the only thing necessary to start the journey as a yoga teacher is the desire to help others by doing your very best from a place of love.  Do you need to know the difference between upward facing dog and downward?  No.  You see that is what I am here to provide.  That's what the training will facilitate.  The only requirement is the desire to do good, spread good, and love.  

I included this quote from the movie, The Help, because it resonates with me.  If I'm feeling a little down on my own abilities these words wrap around me like Grama's blueberry waffles (even if they were Aunt Jamima).  You see we all need the encouragement to know that we are worthy, that our story is worthy, and that what we have to teach is worthy to be learned.  

The secret sauce to a great yoga teacher can not be taught.  It is your own unique story and your ability to share yourself with others that makes you a great teacher.  If you are reading this blog, you already have the desire, and I'm here to tell you that you are absolutely worthy....so what are you waiting for???
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Give Thanks

This week, everyone will be talking about giving thanks. Tis the season after all, but what if giving thanks lasted longer than this week? What if every week, you said little thank yous to the people in your life? To your instructors as you exit the studio. To your fellow Studio South members who showed up to share their practice with you. To your family for allowing you to take the time out of your day to take care of yourself. Giving thanks is easy, but we don't always focus on the things we are thankful for.


My challenge to you: begin to list the things you are grateful for in your head as you go to sleep. The next day, give thanks to those you were thinking about.



Happy Thanksgiving from your Studio South family. We are thankful for you.


Namaste y'all!


Kelly Hall

Studio South Social Media Guru
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No Matter Your Love Language, Yoga Is For You

Have you heard of the 5 Love Languages? They are five ways that people express and experience love.  If not, it’s worth taking a look at what love language you identify with, as well as which love language those around you do. Check out this website and discover your love language: https://www.5lovelanguages.com .  Once you’ve figured out your love language, keep reading for a reminder of why yoga is you showing that love language to yourself.



Words of Affirmation

During a yoga class, the instructor will give encouraging feedback, as well as sometimes saying mantras like “You are strong.” If your love language is words of affirmation, actually listen when the instructor says, say a thank you to yourself for getting yourself to your mat today. For you, those words affirming that what you’re doing is right are important.


Acts of Service

For those whose love language is acts of service, actions are what is important. The action of bringing yourself to the studio and the physical action of improving your mind and body through yoga are an act of service showing love to yourself.


Receiving Gifts

The mental and physical benefits from your practice are a gift you are giving yourself. If that’s not enough, Studio South is also a member of Perkville, so the more times you practice, the closer you get to receiving gifts from the studio :)


Quality Time

People who express and experience love through quality time relish undivided attention. A yoga practice is an hour (or longer) a day that you dedicate exclusively to yourself.


Physical Touch

Some people value physical touch most of all. This one may be the most obvious for yoga, but your practice improves your body from toning to flexibility through physical touch.


No matter which love language you identify with most, yoga can play a part in you expressing love for yourself.


Namaste y’all!


Kelly Hall

Studio South Social Media Guru
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Never Miss a Monday

Got a case of the Mondays? You’re not alone. Getting yourself up and ready for the first workout of the week can be a challenge, but it’s the essential first step to beginning your week on the right foot. Here’s why:


Mondays set the tone for the rest of the week.

If you make it to the studio on Monday, the rest of the week you’ll think, if I did it on Monday, I can do it today. Monday workouts get your momentum going for the week.


Mondays are a fresh start.

Every time you step on your mat, the instructor reminds you to leave everything outside of the studio behind. Let’s be honest, though, we all have baggage we bring to our workout. Mondays are a new beginning. Take this opportunity to intentionally focus on leaving the last week behind you.


And remember, just getting there is a success.


We have a new Monday class: 7:15 pm Flow & Sculpt. Meet us at your mat for a total body workout that will get your blood pumping!


Namaste y’all!


Kelly Hall

Studio South Social Media Guru


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How intentional is your intention?


It's that time of year again....the cool air begins to settle in....time for fires, warm coats, and toy catalogs!  Do you remember the old Sears Catalog?  I loved it's arrival...with it's heavy weight and smell of fresh paper.  I would circle every thing that I thought I remotely would like to see Santa deliver come Christmas morning.

Yesterday the Target Toy Catalog arrived and my children descended on it in similar fashion.  My daughter in very similar fashion to my own technique circled everything that did not move.  Anything pink, purple, or girlie!  My son on the other hand crossed out a ton, narrowed the field of toys down to a few, and then finally concluded that he just wanted this one particular robot.  I bet you know how this story goes....he'll get the robot.  He was precise.

Intentions are very similar to the toy lists.  When we are specific about our intention we are much more likely to see it come to fruition.  For instance....one intention may be that we want our focus to be contentment.  That's great and can come in lots of forms but we could be more precise by saying which areas of our lives we would like to see contentment.  Perhaps we would like to be content with our yoga practice or content with our relationship with food or another individual.  

What is your intention?  Are you circling it with a big red magic marker or flagging the entire catalog?
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The Importance Of Setting An Intention For Your Practice

If you’re like me, you attend yoga as much for the mental benefits as the physical ones. I’m a busy bee by nature. I spend most of the day devoting my time to someone or something other than myself. Yoga is my hour of freedom. One hour a day where I can truly relax.

Many yoga classes begin with the instructor giving you an invitation to set an intention for your practice. An intention can be anything you want. It can be a quote, to get yourself through the next sixty minutes, to send your positive energy to a loved one who needs it, to focus on stretch, strength, balance or your breathing, or even something like intentionally letting go of a situation that is worrying you. There is no “right” intention. Your intention is for you, and you alone.

When I first started doing yoga, I honestly wrote this part of class off. As I grew in my practice, however, I realized how rewarding setting an intention could be. Because I’m a worrier by nature, the hardest part of my practice is often shutting off my inner dialogue. Most often, my intention is to let go of all my worries for that hour. To “be a warrior, not a worrier.”


During my practice, every time the instructor says “return to your breath”, I repeat my intention. When it’s the toughest moment of the class, I repeat my intention. When my mind begins to stray from the task at hand, I repeat my intention. My intention keeps me in the present moment. It helps me hone in on what exactly it is I want to focus on during that hour.


Try setting a thoughtful intention and returning to it throughout your practice today. I promise, you’ll leave class feeling truly at peace.


Namaste y’all!


Kelly Hall

Studio South Social Media Guru
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Why consistency counts....



Why does it feel like I am living Ground Hog's Day with Bill Murray over and over again when I take Hot Yoga ???  Good news you are on the right path!  Our Studio South Hot Yoga sequence is therapeutically designed to take your body through it's full range of motion in a safe and extremely effective manner.  When students first come to practice on a regular basis they may begin to notice how similar the structure of Hot Yoga class is from one to teacher to the next .....

That's great news!  By keeping it consistent you can focus on the true intent of yoga which is to move inward, not outward.  If the poses are the same you are able to listen to your body, noticing the differences that each new day brings.  Are you tighter or more open on one side than the other.  You begin to bring a new awareness to each movement and before you know it that "same" pose begins to evolve and feel totally different.  This leads to growth both on the mat and off.

A consistent format can also help to avoid injury.  Think about your yoga practice like a science experiment....let me take you back to your grade school days of hypothesis, and variable, and constant....the physical postures are your constant.  By keeping your practice regular and steady you are able to form hypothesis about your body.

Take this little experiment for example:

Scenario:  You practice Hot Yoga on a regular basis (3 or more times a week).  You also enjoying gardening.  

Hypothesis:  Gardening causes my shoulders to tighten and decreases my range of motion.  By practicing Hot Yoga I can maintain my range of motion and avoid injury.

Constant:  Hot Yoga Practice.

Variable:  A day spent gardening

Result:  Since you practice yoga on a regular basis you know your body and it's full range of motion.  You also notice that the days following a gardening session, your right shoulder is tighter than normal.  Rather than continue to tighten the shoulder during yoga practice you focus on loosening it up, perhaps by adjusting your normal poses.  But you are able to work on your range of motion and prevent a tight shoulder from becoming an injured shoulder.  All because you were able to compare how you typically feel in a pose versus how you feel after gardening.   


Clearly....I am not a scientist...and Mr. Davis, my high school science teacher, may demand a retest, but you get the point, right?  Keeping your practice steady allows you to go deeper inward listening to your body....afterall isn't that the goal????

Namaste Y'all,
Katy
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Exploring the Root Chakra Quiz

Curious about the chakras? Starting THIS Sunday we will begin our series Journey through the Chakra System with Jennifer White.

We will meet at Studio South from 2-5pm and learn and discover through lecture, asana practice and meditation all about encouraging balance within our root chakra. Want to get you journey started?
                                      

Take this quiz below and reflect on how your root chakra is functioning:


Please rate the following questions on a scale of 1-4

1=No/Never/Poor 2=Seldom/Fair 3=Often/Good 4=Yes/Always/Excellent

Do you consider yourself well grounded?

How often do you walk in nature?

How often do you exercise?

How would you rate your self-confidence?

Are you comfortable in your physical body?

How often are you sick?

Do you feel a sense of belonging?

How would you rate your financial stability?

How would you rate your drive or ambition?

Do you achieve the goals you set for yourself?

Total your score:

Scores of 30-40 indicate a strong root chakra.
Scores of 15-30 indicate a stable root chakra with an average balance.
Scores of 1-15 indicate a weaker root chakra.

*These scores are here to give light to your reflection on this chakra and are in no way meant to "diagnose" an individual or their chakras.

Have these questions peaked your interest? Want to learn more? Join Jennifer White over at Studio South and register for the Root Chakra Workshop today! Discounts are available to members and for a limited time coupons are located on the front desk.
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