Embrace the Chills and Thrills: Spooky Season 🎃🍂

It's the first throes of Spooky season, the weather is fickle and changing, and fall is all around us as we pass further into the year. We're diving deeper into October this week and we find ourselves moving through the start of our Flowtober Yoga Challenge! All month long, students will have the opportunity to earn stars by attending classes, or interacting with the community in various ways, and place it on our StickerBoard next to their names. At the end of the month, we will tally up the stickers, and those who tally 21 stars will be entered into a raffle for some great prizes, as a cherry on top! 

 

    This Challenge is a personal one, allowing us to try and make our practice a little more robust or consistent, and to interact with our community in new ways. We may also discover classes that we really enjoy that otherwise we could have missed. While it IS mostly a personal challenge, everyone who gets 21 stars will be entered into a raffle for prizes at the end of the month, with the ability to win some great things! 

 

    For some of us, the introduction of a community challenge can really inspire a competitive nature within, however it's important to note that the only one we are "competing" with is ourselves.  While it may be tempting to look at the list of names and think "I want/need to out-do this person!", or "I want to have the most stars!".  It's important to remember that the purpose of this challenge is to help us build and maintain a little more consistency and depth in our yoga practice and routine, while getting us to engage with our community in a healthy and supportive way! 

 

There are other ways for you to earn stars too!:

 

 

 

     We here at home yoga really love engaging with our members and students within the community. We want to get to know you more, and create a space where you feel welcomed, safe, and comfortable. We also want you to have fun! So come join us this month for a little playful engagement, and maybe get to know new members in your community!   

Unveiling October: Sticker Board Challenge & Exciting Workshops Await!

October is coming up fast, and we're officially moving into Spooky season, Libra season, and the start of our Flowtober Yoga Challenge! 

 

    All throughout the month of October, members and teachers will be able to participate in our Stickerboard challenge! Students will get to challenge themselves to try and attend classes daily, or as often as they can with their schedule. You'll be able to keep track of your progress on the board, and place a sticker on for each class you take.  There'// also be activities and opportunities to earn more stickers outside of class, so those of us with busy schedules need not worry! At the end of the month we will have a raffle with prizes!

 

    The last few weeks we've been talking about ways in which we can incorporate healthy practices and routines into our days, so that we have a more stable, consistent foundation to lean on in difficult times. This week we expand on that by adding another layer! As some of us may know, when starting a new practice or routine that we want to keep, we can keep ourselves accountable in general, by relying on 3 different parties: 

 

              1. Ourselves

              2. A Partner or Friend

              3. A Community 

 

     WIth Ourselves, we have the ability to decide the boundaries and parameters, and we can give ourselves grace when we fall short or need encouragement. This helps if we are more introverted, or self-reliant. 

 

     A Partner or Friend: or an Accountabili-buddy as I like to put it, can lighten the mental load of starting new practices, and can gently help you along the way as you both work towards your goals. They can also help by just being something you look forward to in your day. 

 

    With Our Community, we have the potential to expand the benefits of the Accountabili-buddy, by adding more people! In a positive engagement with community we can find inspiration from our peers and others, that can give us energy to do more, that we wouldn't have had otherwise. This is one reason why we at Home Yoga love doing these stickerboard challenges. 

 

    Even just seeing a visual representation of your progress can be inspiring. You get to choose how you interact with the challenge, and whether or not you participate, and with all competitive things, we are offered the chance to let our ego step aside and not distract us from our goal of a more consistent practice. 

 

    So let's dive into this new Flowtober Yoga Challenge ready to grow, and see how many times you can make it in! 

 

    We've got some wonderful offerings at the studio these coming weeks. Dr. Gardner, will be offering Accupuncture services and workshops soon, we also have Maricel offering Lomi Lomi Massage, Reiki, and other services.  This Sunday we have our monthly Reiki Share with Liana Soria, where she'll be incorporating Shamanic energies. Check out our workshop schedule online or on our social media for more info! We hope to see you in class! 

Navigating the Path of Consistency

Just like recent weather, there are times in our lives when things become sporadic, inconsistent, and we may find ourselves navigating new changes in our schedules, and social circles. During times like these when we feel as if nothing is stable, we can find ourselves gravitating towards the immense comfort that can be found from the things that are constant in our life, like our yoga practice. As we work towards maintaining consistency in our practice (whatever that looks like for you) , we also build a sort of bouey for ourselves that can keep us afloat.

 

     While we focus on our yoga practice in general, it's also important to state that consistency can be found and benefited from in any healthy practice! You can even  find comfort in things previously seen as benign or mundane, like doing laundry, or taking out the trash. It's all in the way we perceive the things we interact with regularly. 

 

     Coming back to our practice, consistency can also increase the speed at which you feel the benefits of a yoga practice! Not that everything is about speed, but the repetitive nature of a consistent practice is what gives it most of its umph. The repetition of vinyasas in some practices, the general structure of a class, and the pacing and flow all contribute to exposing your mind and body to something new, and making it familiar. From that familiarity, comfort grows when watered with consistency.  

 

So what are some ways that we can bolster our consistency through repetition? 

 

     1. We recommend practicing 2-3 times a week to optimal benefits!

 

     2. Create space and time for yourself outside of activities!

 

     3. Get intentional with your time!

 

    During this time of year when everything is changing, we are going through different transitions, and we may find ourselves leaning on the comfort of familiar routines and practices we have built up in our lives. In these, we are offered an opportunity to dive deeper into our practices, and with a little guided intention, we can navigate things a lot smoother. 

 

     We have some great things going on in the studio this month including a Reiki 1-2 Certification on the  23rd with Liana Soria! Check out all our offerings on our website and social media. We look forward to seeing you in class this week! 

Building Consistency


     As we continue down the path of building consistency in our yoga practice, It's important to check in from time to time to understand WHY we strive for consistency in the first place! for some of us it's for the physical and mental benefits, and for others it may be something more. We may find that our practice can be a powerful anchor and stabilizing force in our lives. When the world feels rocky and unstable, its times like these when we can lean into the power and support of our consistent yoga practice to navigate the challenges we face. 

 

   In times of turmoil and uncertainty, the steadiness of a consistent yoga practice can be a valuable life line, empowering us with the ability to adapt to difficult changes we may face in our daily lives, and helping us move towards inner balance. There have been very real times for me as a yogi where just getting to Ashley's Tuesday morning class, or Melissa's Viniyoga class was the most important thing I could do for myself. It's truly amazing the effects of consistency and the power of familiarity to soothe and calm the mind. 

 

      When the world feels unfamiliar or like it’s going a thousand miles a minute, our yoga mat can become our refuge, our place of renewal where we can ground ourselves and find peace in the midst of chaos. If we lean into the supportive and reassuring aspects of our practice, we can more calmly navigate the difficulties that may arrive, and find peace in chaos. 

 

 SO HOW CAN WE LEAN MORE INTO THAT PEACE? 

 

 

1. Make Your Mat Your Sanctuary

      Mentally create an island or peace and let your mat be your sanctuary, "just for this practice" where your efforts supports you. 

 

2. Prioritize Your Practice as Self Care

     Let yourself know that you are worth the time and effort, and remind yourself of your WHY. Remember that you can't pour from an empty cup. Set time for yourself, you're worth it! 

 

  1. Lean into the discomfort

     There is always an adjustment period when making changes or holding boundaries. Stick with it and you will not regret it! I always say, you will find freedom in discipline! 

 

     Most of all, Keep at It!!! Our yoga journey is unending, and that means we constantly have opportunities for growth and renewal.  Please feel free to reach out if you need anything at all, we are here to support you.

Master Your Practice ~ Consistency is Key

We hope your practice with consistency has been bearing fruit!

Last week we started exploring the many benefits that we can experience as we build and maintain a consistent practice. This week we will look a little deeper at some more things that make themselves available to us as we move through our practice, like our connections within our yoga community, and our connection to our environment.  

 

    We were graced with the storm of a century this past week and once again we are reminded of the strength and unpredictability of mother nature. Some of us may have only had to deal with a little more wind and rain than we're used to, and some of us may have had to fight back a little bit of flooding, but either way when nature decides to shake things up, all we can do as yogis and humans is to prepare and respond. 

 

    Although this storm came strong off season, just like with our yoga practice, if we become more in touch with our environment, we can adapt and work with our environment so that we can have more situational awareness, and see things that we may have otherwise missed. These are all things that improve with consistent interaction with our environment and community. 

 

    As we practice more and more, we get to know our community a lot better than we did before. You may find you take some classes with the same people, and maybe one day you make a new friend over coffee or lunch after class. We can also find our fellow yogis help us keep ourselves accountable in reaching our goals and staying consistent. One of my favorite things about our community at Home Yoga Studio are all of the generous members who will sometimes bring in fresh produce from their gardens and properties to share with everyone else.  There's a warm communal feeling that overcomes me when I see students enjoying fresh produce together with smiles on their faces. All these things can be experienced and enhanced through a consistent practice, and they can also help strengthen your consistency! 

 

SO LET'S PUT THINGS INTO ACTION!

 

   Here's a few small things that we can do this week to challenge ourselves to be proactive in reaping the rewards of a consistent practice, from connecting more with our community, or working more closely with our environment. 

 

 

1.  Go to lunch or coffee with a friend from class!

 

2.  Take a Walk through Old Town and find something new!

 

3. Spend 30 mins being present in a familiar environment! 

 

 

    These simple goals should help us with expanding our connection with our community and environment, and help us enjoy the little things a bit more, ultimately leading to a more consistent practice. We've got some fantastic things going on at the studio, including Health and Wellness Shots with Nurse Summer, and a Spirit Guide Connection Workshop with Liana!  

 

For more information check out homeyogatemecula.com .

We look forward to seeing you in class!

 

With Love, 

 

 

Adriane and the Home Yoga Team

The Power of Consistent Practice 💪

These past few weeks we've been diligently working on building consistency in our yoga practice, and as we get into the thick of things we can start to notice some of the secondary effects of our efforts, offering us opportunities to reap some deeper benefits of our practice.

 

   We first started by making time for our practice at work and throughout the day, even if it was just to breathe. Then we expanded on things by incorporating a simple 3 step method to find better success in building consistent practices, focusing on clear intentions, realistic schedules, and finding motivation through Joy. This week we will look at some of the wonderful things that can make themselves available to us when we dive deeper into our consistent yoga practice! 

 

    Having consistency as the foundation of our practice, can bring pearls of growth and opportunities that were otherwise invisible to light. As we become more familiar with our practice, the nuances become things of interest, and we can find ourselves learning more about our interactions with the environment. 

 


It's similar to some of the benefits of an Ashtanga practice, where the sequence is more rigid and familiar, and we are able to notice the differences in how our bodies show up for us more keenly from class to class.  In that same way, as we practice with more consistency, we can find ways of working more in tune with our environment, as we notice more about the places we frequent. If I regularly attend Jordan's Saturday morning class, and I decide I want to eat more local fresh foods, I might decide to do my grocery shopping regularly at the farmer's market across the street before or after class, and make my day move smoother, while also helping towards future goals as well (FYI, parking is easy peasy behind the studio before class). The benefits we experience from a consistent practice are ever-expanding if we allow them to be.

 

SO HOW ABOUT WE START SIMPLE?

 

    With all these great things waiting for us with just a little bit of work with consistency, how about we start by setting some small goals for ourselves? To help us out we can start with a few basic options that will help us tune into and work with our environment. 

 

  

  Try to take at least 2 classes this week!

  

  Go to the Saturday Farmer's Market!

 

 

    These small goals should help us with building and maintaining a little more consistency in our practice!

 

We've got some fantastic things going on at the studio, including a new Lomi Lomi Hawaiian Massage/ Reiki therapist, Maricel,  Vitamin Shots with Summer, and a  Spirit Guide Connection Workshop with Liana!

You probably also noticed we a couple of new Front Desk employees. 

Welcome Ciera and Alex!

 Ciera Arroyo, who I'm sure you recognized from being a long time member, we love that she agreed to spend even more time with us!  

And Alex Bedolla, they are a newer member, but we instantly fell in love with them!  If you havent had a chance, introduce yourselves, They are both there to help you with any questions and make your experience our studio even better! 

Consistency: The Magical Ingredient

This July was one of the hottest months on the planet in a great many years, and one thing I've found tends to happen during extremely hot times, is my practice can begin to dip or slip.  With all the extra heat and energy in the atmosphere, it can make simple activities more difficult, make us more sluggish,  and one thing that can often be compromised is our consistency! 

This week we're focusing on ways in which we can combat that difficulty, and foster a more consistent Yoga Practice! 

Consistency is one of the  fundamental aspects of our yoga practice that has a profound effect on the quality and benefits that we may receive from the practice, and it often gets overlooked. Whether you're a seasoned yogi, or a newcomer on this wonderful personal path, understanding the significance of consistency can transform your practice and enrich your life with the full benefits of your practice.  

Consistency is the thread that weaves together progress and growth in our yoga practice, and  can look a lot of different ways depending on the person. Finding ways to engage with your practice on a regular or semi-regular basis can not only increase your immediate benefits, (Flexibility, Strength, Balance, and Clarity), but it also makes it easier to keep up and solidify the good habits you're creating.  When you show up for yourself on the mat consistently you establish a profound connection between the mind and body, and your practice becomes a more integral part of your lifestyle, as opposed to a temporary interest.

 So How can we Practice our Consistency? 

The best way to start is to keep it simple, so lets break it down into 3 steps. 

 1. Set Clear Intentions: Clearly defining our goals provides us with a sense of purpose and motivation to stay committed, and making those goals attainable in the beginning can help build our momentum with consistency. Reflect on what brought you to the mat, and what you want to achieve with your practice. Start Small. 

 2. Create a Realistic Schedule:  One thing we've been working on in recent weeks is building a complimentary schedule that allows us to engage in our practice in a realistic, and regular way. Whether that's through incorporating breathwork into our work days, or setting aside time to practice even just a little. We at Home always recommend our students to come to the studio at least 2 times a week. We find that the people who have a dedicated time and day for going to yoga every week have the most success for creating a long term practice. We've even added new early morning classes to make it easier for you to get to class. Download the Walla app for the easiest ways to book your classes. The power of consistency can be expressed by our ability to make the time for ourselves, no matter how little. 

 3. Find Joy in the Journey:  One of the most important drivers of consistency is motivation, so we cannot forget to find joy in all the little victories along the way and throughout our days. Our path is seldom every about the destination, and more about the journey, so embracing the milestones and victories we experience is absolutely vital! When we can find joy in the process, our practice becomes a more delightful and rewarding experience, making consistency an enjoyable part of your daily life. 

 Being consistent can be one of the biggest things we can do to support ourselves in anything we do. Though I too find myself struggling with consistency at times,  showing up with self-compassion, and forgiving yourself when you fall short can make STAYING consistent possible, and all the more rewarding. Try to find a few small ways in which you can bring consistency and regularity into your weekly routine, and see how that enhances your practice! 

We have some wonderful workshops and things going on at the studio including our Monthly Reiki Share with Liana Soria on 8/6. We will be having an Intro to Yoga Class this month as well, for anyone who's itching to start a new practice and dive in. We also have a Women's Health Practice at the end of the month, led by Ashley Llano! There's more to check out online or on our social media! We hope to see you in class this week! 

 With Love, 

Adriane and the Home Yoga Team