Tag: Motivation

Let’s Talk About Yoga Bullies

Have you ever had a bad experience in a public yoga class? If you said yes you’re not the only one. More than 50% of clients that come to me (I specialize in private coaching sessions) state their reason for pursuing private sessions as having bad experiences in public yoga classes. So today I want to talk about yoga bullying & peer pressure.⁠

⁠Don’t get me wrong there are PLENTY of amazing yoga teachers & studios out there, I have a few favorites of my my own, but even I’ve had some bad experiences.⁠

⁠I started doing yoga many years ago as I was told it was a great way to get exercise without hurting my joints or causing inflammation since I have Lupus. First of all, yoga is not one-size-fits-all. There are several styles that caused my body distress, but after years of trying things out I found Iyengar yoga & it became my happy place, but on my journey to this happy place I experienced a lot of pressure! It was so confusing. Wasn’t yoga supposed to be about my inner journey, no ego, pride, competition or judgement? That was not my experience, it is now, as I’ve found my people & practice that work for me, but over the years I’ve been pushed extremely hard by yoga teachers, told to preserve through the pain. I’ve been adjusted aggressively in class & called out publicly for using modifications when a pose didn’t feel safe for me. Once a teacher even told me there was no reason I shouldn’t be doing Handstand without modifications. I call bullshit! I was proud of myself! I was proud of not being in a hospital bed, or on a ton of medication. Doctors told me I was going to die, but I was in a yoga studio moving my body, that’s all that mattered to me. It’s MY practice, it’s YOUR practice! Do what feels safe for YOU! Pick a style that feels good in your body. Modify if you need to. Close your eyes, breath & listen to YOURSELF! Find a teacher that makes you feel empowered & challenged in a way that feels safe for you, your body & whatever ailments you might be dealing with. This practice is about self-inquiry & growth, not just on a physical level but also mentally. Move your body in a way that feels good & trust yourself. Feel safe! Feel empowered ❤️

For the entire month of May I am offering new clients the opportunity to pay what you can for virtual coaching sessions in meditation, mindfulness, breathwork & yoga. Now more than ever we need to make sure we’re taking care of ourselves both physically & mentally. I’d love to help you through this incredibly hard time. You can sign up for your FREE consultation below. Be well & take care of each other.

Book a session today! You may fill out our contact form, call us at 323-849-0039 or shoot us an email jenna@yoginest.com

Photo @jessicaczarneckiphoto

What’s Your Self-Care Routine?

Happy Tuesday! I want to know what you’re doing to take care of yourself right now. What’s your self-care routine when you’re stressed & anxious? First, I’d like to define self-care, because I’m the biggest nerd & I want to clarify that even though this can include a hot bath, it’s much more than that:⠀
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“the practice of taking action to preserve or improve one’s own health.”⠀
“the practice of taking an active role in protecting one’s own well-being & happiness, in particular during periods of stress.”⠀
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See, it’s not just some foofoo word, it’s much more; and I currently can’t think of a period of time that’s more stressful than mandatory social distancing due to a global pandemic!⠀
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I break self-care routines, for myself & my clients, into 3 main categories: mental, emotional & physical. A lot of the techniques overlap; getting outside can improve your mental & emotional wellbeing as well as your physical wellbeing; exercise can improve your physical well being & your emotional & mental wellbeing; so I’ve grouped them all together below 👇🏽 ⠀
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😊Meditation ⠀
😊Breathwork ⠀
😊Talk it out – You can do this w/ a licensed therapist, a registered coach like myself, or a friend/family member⠀
😊Stream of conscious writing ⠀
😊Get outside⠀
😊Exercise⠀
😊Get enough sleep⠀
😊Hydrate⠀
😊Nutritious, healthy diet⠀
😊Socialize – This is hard right now, you have to be creative! Use FaceTime, Houseparty or Zoom. There are so many tools available to help us keep in touch with loved ones. We need to social distance, NOT social isolate ❤️⠀
😊Rest/unwind – This is a must! You have to find time to hit the reset button & unwind⠀
😊Treat yourself – This is where the bath, face mask & pampering come in. ⠀
😊 Miscellaneous activity – Paint, bake, cook, play a game, watch a movie, beach, picnic, vacation, etc.⠀
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Obviously you can’t do all of these in one day, but it’s my go-to list to pick from. Ideally, some of these should be part of your daily routine, like hydrating, getting enough sleep & eating healthy. Pepper in a few of the other things each day to have a balanced mental, emotional & physical self-care routine. ⠀
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Your turn, what’s your go-to self-care routine 🤗❤️

PS: For the entire month of April I am offering new clients the opportunity to pay what you can for virtual coaching sessions in meditation, mindfulness, breathwork & yoga. Now more than ever we need to make sure we’re taking care of ourselves both physically & mentally. I’d love to help you through this incredibly hard time. You can sign up for your FREE consultation below. Be well & take care of each other ❤️

Book a session today! You may fill out our contact form, call us at 323-849-0039 or shoot us an email jenna@yoginest.com

Photo by: @jessicaczarneckiphoto


Make Fear Your Ally

How are you managing fear during ever-changing global events?⠀
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A long time ago I received great advice about fear. It went something like this:⠀
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Fear is part of the human condition. It will never go away. So what if instead of allowing fear to control you, you invited it to join your life experience?⠀
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What I gathered from this advice is that fear could become your ally!

Add that advice to what mindfulness teaches you about fear & you get something that looks like this: ⠀
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We need fear, it keeps us safe when we’re in physical danger, but more often than not our experience with fear is self-created. You may fear public speaking, showing your true feelings, failure, etc., but these feelings don’t put your life in danger, so how can we manage them? Fear breeds insecurity & self-doubt, which can lead to stress, which can lead to lower immunity & more, so it’s imperative that we learn how to live with fear in a more harmonious way. What if we could turn fear into an ally that would allow us to become more courageous & fearless. When we become more mindful about our fears we also become more centered, focused & relaxed, no matter what stands before us. So how can we do this? Let me walk you through my process: ⠀
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Fear arises 👀
I notice it, see it, name it; “I’m afraid I’ll get sick.”⠀
I take a moment to think about how realistic this fear is. Do I have a high probability of getting sick? After considering the variables the answer is no. I haven’t left the house in weeks or come into contact with anyone that could be sick. As long as I stay home & keep social distancing my chances of getting sick are very low.⠀
I’ve taken control back. ⠀
I’m thankful that fear tries to keep me safe, but know that in this situation that sense of fear was brought on by an overwhelming amount of negative news that creates fear that doesn’t serve me.

You can apply this same process to any fear that comes up for you, fill in the blank & repeat🙌🏽 ⠀
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Mindfulness allows you to see fear as a passing experience that you actually have a great amount of control over. Acknowledge your fear, name it, take it by the hand & allow it to become your ally. Give it a try this week ❤️

For the entire month of April I am offering new clients the opportunity to pay what you can for virtual coaching sessions in meditation, mindfulness, breathwork & yoga. Now more than ever we need to make sure we’re taking care of ourselves both physically & mentally. I’d love to help you through this incredibly hard time. You can sign up for your FREE consultation below. Be well & take care of each other ❤️

Book a session today! You may fill out our contact form, call us at 323-849-0039 or shoot us an email jenna@yoginest.com

Photo by: @heidizumbrun

Gratitude Journal Writing Prompt

This week at YogiNest is all about gratitude, so I created this writing prompt to help you, during this mandatory pause, to do just that…to pause and think about what makes you tick, what makes you most happy and fulfilled, and what you’re most grateful for even when the world around you feels like it’s falling apart. Take a moment to ask yourself the following 5 questions 👇🏽Spend some time on this and write your answers down in your journal or on a scratch piece of paper. It doesn’t matter where you write it, what matters is that you’re taking a moment, for yourself, to think about the people in your life that make you feel loved, to think about what makes you happy & what you’re most looking forward to when this is all over. There is a light at the end of the tunnel, and even though things might be lost or look different at the end of this chapter, there will still be glimmers of hope…what are your glimmers of hope👇🏽   ⁠

1. List 3 things you’re grateful for⁠

2. Name 3 people that make you feel loved. Why? Can you take a few minutes out of your day to reach out to them and let them know?⁠

3. List 3 things that make you happy⁠

4. What are 3 self-care things you can do today that could help you find relief from stress?⁠

5. What 3 things are you most looking forward to after quarantines have been lifted?

For the entire month of April I am offering new clients the opportunity to pay what you can for virtual coaching sessions in meditation, mindfulness, breathwork & yoga. Now more than ever we need to make sure we’re taking care of ourselves both physically & mentally. I’d love to help you through this incredibly hard time. You can sign up for your FREE consultation below. Be well & take care of each other ❤️

Book a session today! You may fill out our contact form, call us at 323-849-0039 or shoot us an email jenna@yoginest.com

Attention New Students! 20% off in the month of February!

ATTENTION NEW STUDENTS!!!

February is new student appreciation month at YogiNest! When you book your FIRST session between 2/1/20-2/29/20 you’ll receive 20% off a single session or one of the many package options we offer.

Curious why we chose February 1st instead of January 1st? Well I’ll tell you. Approximately 80% of all New Year’s resolutions are abandoned before January even ends! YogiNest knows how hard it can be to stick to your goals & commitments without an accountability partner, so let us help you pick up where you left off. We’re here to help you with tricky schedules & to inspire motivation and commitment to achieve all your yoga & mindfulness goals.

Let 2020 be the year you finally commit to yourself! We’ve got you!

Book a session today! You may fill out our contact form, call us at 323-849-0039 or shoot us an email jenna@yoginest.com

Photo by: @jessicaczarneckiphoto

You Are NOT Your “Disease”

When living with a chronic or terminal disease you have to talk about it a lot! I lived at the doctor’s office, I lived in hospitals, the dialogue was always about my disease. That eventually bled into all of my conversations with family, friends, people I had just met, etc. Two things happen, in my opinion, you get so used to talking about your disease that it just becomes natural to talk about it, and you become addicted. Just as someone gets addicted to a drug, or trauma, you become addicted to your “disease.” My disease, Lupus, became my crutch and excuse for everything, for all my problems. It was the reason I couldn’t do this or that, it was the reason I was a certain way, or acted a certain way…but it wasn’t. I was swimming in my own sorrow. Of course my disease is limiting, there truly were and are certain things I cannot do, but where did I draw the line… I didn’t.

Continue reading “You Are NOT Your “Disease””