BODYaSana

Alexa, play “Come Sail Away” by Styx.

Contrary to how it may seem, I’m not ALWAYS at . I spent today on a boat in Maryland.

And because you know I can’t resist an anecdote/lesson, I wasn’t going to post this pic, especially on my grid, because my made it not a “good picture.” But then I thought 1) was I having a fantastic time in the moment the pic was taken? Yes. 2) Is it a memory I want to have recorded? Yes. Ergo, it is a GREAT picture. Post the damn pic, y’all.

Alexa, play “Come Sail Away” by Styx.

Contrary to how it may seem, I’m not ALWAYS at . I spent today on a boat in Maryland.

And because you know I can’t resist an anecdote/lesson, I wasn’t going to post this pic, especially on my grid, because my made it not a “good picture.” But then I thought 1) Who determines what’s “good?” No one I care about. 2) Was I having a fantastic time in the moment the pic was taken? Yes. 3) Is it a memory I want to have recorded? Yes. Ergo, it is a GREAT picture. Post the damn pic, y’all.

Repost from with their original caption in the comments. And definitely read the related article by linked in their bio.

Yoga teachers are NOT therapists and yoga is NOT therapy.

Teachers can absolutely share yoga’s philosophy as well as their own personal experiences, but if they don’t also hold a relevant degree, that isn’t the same as having professional expertise in the field of mental health. Of course I am there with tissues if you cry during class or if you need to talk after, but I am doing so as a friend and fellow human, not as a therapist with answers.

When I do my mindful, trauma-informed yoga workshops, I always start by saying I am not a licensed mental health professional and that yoga does not replace therapy. I am sharing tools, backed by legitimate scientific studies, that can help support your work in therapy in your day-to-day life. I share my mental health journey to show you are not alone, not because I believe I have the knowledge or capacity to guide you on yours.

I love that the conversation around mental health is becoming more open and emphasized, but, as with most things in our society, that means people are figuring out how to make money off of it. Do not seek or take advice from people who do not have appropriate training.

There are lots of people with certificates that have no actual examination requirement or regulation. Or who are simply using their own life experience as a “credential.” [sidebar: This is also true for nutritionists (a title that is not regulated and can be used by pretty much anyone) and registered dietitians (which have required studies, degrees, exams, and licensures) but that’s a whole other post.]

When you get help, look for people with a lot of letters after their name, such as LCMHC, LMSW, LMFT, LCAS, LPC, PsyD, PhD, or MD.

Starting tomorrow (4/2), I will be teaching Melting Point’s Deep Stretch class every Saturday 11:15am-12:30pm! Balance the movement you do all day, every day (because society) with stillness and self-care.

In an effort to deepen our practice beyond asana, only one of the eight limbs of yoga, each week we will cover one of the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali to guide us through the philosophy of yoga beyond the physical.

I took 32 classes and taught 20 at
in the 31 days of March. I honestly did not think there was any way I would complete the whole 30-Day Yoga Challenge. I wanted to support the studio and students and figured I would give it a whirl, but I don’t think I’ve ever actually finished any challenge like this before. But I’ve never tried it in a community like this one. To the people doing the challenge, to the teachers leading us through, to the amazing hype people not participating but still showing up and being so supportive, you helped me succeed. Thank you.

To my partner-in-challenge and the block-throwing menace that is , I couldn’t have done it without you! Your smile and energy kept me going. , as the other teacher doing the challenge, you showed me it was possible! , thank you for essentially being the woman in my corner, boxing-style. , your mobility stuff for *insert vague hand motion here* kept things moving as they should. , somehow I never got a pic with you, but Joe-ga Nidra was everything I needed on Mondays. kept my energy right. and so many others - your faces in class gave me energy boost when I needed them most

I’d say let’s do it again soon, but maybe we should wait a bit 🤣

Have you been thinking about trying yoga but don’t know where to start? Or maybe you want to get back to basics to refine your practice? This class at is the one for you! We will work through sun salutations (the vinyasa “flow”) and the most common postures you will encounter in class.

No special registration necessary! Just use your normal class passes and come to any you can! Sign up at meltingpointhotyoga.com - registration starts 48 hours in advance.

Please pass this on to anyone you know who may be interested!

Still smiling from the surprise of my amazing friend and other half of our , , making a pilgrimage to come take my class at last night. AND she repped the brand with her tank top.

Hopefully me yelling “no f*cking way!!” in the doorway to the studio when I realized who she was properly expressed my shock and joy…

Today I invite you to take an inventory of the people who make your life brighter - from friends to family to that cashier at the grocery store who you always see and is so friendly. And maybe express some gratitude to them. We could all use a little more connection and appreciation these days.

Also how do I look redder and sweatier than she when she took the class and I just taught it?!?

Also also, we were alone in the studio, hence no masks.

Kabat-Zinn tells us that all we have to do is be mindful is:

1) Intentionally 2) Be present 3) Without judgment

That’s all it takes. You can do that in a yoga class, focusing on your breath and the feeling of the postures in your body. You can do that on a walk, being present and noticing the nature around you or the rhythm of your footsteps. You can do that while sitting on your couch, taking a moment to pause whatever you’re binge watching and checking in with how you are feeling physically and mentally. The key is to not judge yourself for whatever you find. Just acknowledge it and sit with it.

Jon Kabat-Zinn is a professor emeritus of medicine and the creator of the Stress Reduction Clinic and the Center for Mindfulness in Medicine, Health Care, and Society at the University of Massachusetts Medical School.

As promised, here is present Sana (technically 11/2), sweaty and gross but feeling good after taking a 75 minute hot yoga class and then teaching a 60 min one.

Doesn’t quite look the same as the last photo, but there is a lot that is different, as I mentioned in that last post. And I can still get much deeper into the posture than many people, so it’s all relative.

I want to take a moment to share what I am NOT going to do because I gained weight and my practice changed:

❌Avoid yoga because it doesn’t look like it used to

❌Not enjoy food and restrict or cut out foods or food groups - that’s a one-way ticket to disordered eating (not counting food allergies, obvs )

❌Use exercise as punishment or a way to “earn” food

❌Force myself into postures I have no business doing just because I used to be able to do them

❌Not do things I want to do because I will take up more space doing them

❌Avoid having my picture taken (this pic being a big step in that direction)

❌Force myself into clothes that don’t fit anymore and feel uncomfortable the whole time I am wearing them

Basically, I’m going to keep living my life knowing that I am still a good person with a lot to offer, regardless of how I am perceived externally.

The picture above was taken in July 2017. I don’t look like that anymore.

Since then I have gained weight and can’t do that posture quite so well anymore. And that has been hard for me. That’s why I don’t have any more recent yoga pictures. I don’t want to look like I do now- partly from my own vanity, but largely because of society’s vanity and a fear that people won’t take me seriously as a fitness professional because I don’t look “fit.”

I’m not of a size where I experience the fatphobia and stigma experienced by those in larger bodies, but I feel the pressure from society saying smaller bodies are “better.”

I am working on accepting that I am worth no less because I take up a little more space and am a little less flexible. In fact, I think I am worth more now. In the time since that picture, I have grown in other ways and gained more important things than weight, like perspective, confidence in who I am inside, and knowledge that I am on the right path.

I’m working on healthy habits:
🧘🏻‍♀️Daily mindfulness

🧹Keeping the space around me organized

💃🏻Moving my body every day- especially recommitting to my yoga practice as a student and not just a teacher. Or even just a 3.5 minute dance party to whatever song inspires me

📖Expanding my mind with subjects that interest me

🧠Focusing on my mental health

🤝Helping others but knowing my value isn’t determined by the value others place on me

These habits may lead to a change in my body back toward what you see above, but that’s not why I am committing to them.

And I promise you a picture soon of me as I am now, as I can do that posture now.

Also, less important but still sad, I lost that hat and I really liked it.

I realized I’ve never really introduced myself on here. Since one of the main things any student of mine knows is that I love fun facts, I figured I would share some about me!

My full name is actually Alessandra. Sana is a nickname (the bride pictured above) came up with when she was learning to talk and couldn’t say my full name. Little did she know she was giving me the perfect name for this career!

I was born in California but have lived in Charlotte for almost 25 years. I have also lived in Virginia, Idaho, and New York.

I was a dancer all the way through college, loving hip hop and jazz the most.

I was born with extra bones in my feet. That’s what kept me from my dream career as a professional ballerina. Definitely the only impediment…

Finding Nemo is my favorite movie. I can quote pretty much the whole thing.

I was an art history major at the College of William & Mary.

I have had 5 surgeries and 8 “items” removed from my body - 2 tonsils, 4 wisdom teeth, 1 extra bone in my left foot, and 1 gallbladder. The 5th surgery was on a ligament in my wrist after a car accident (not my fault!).

I name my cars - Christopher Camry, Paolo Prius (gave his life for mine in that accident), and now Rafe the Rogue.

I have sensory processing disorder - certain sounds and visual and tactile textures make me feel sick.

Warrior 1 is probably the hardest posture for me.

Blue is my favorite color. Red is probably my least favorite - hello anxiety and root chakra disconnect!

I am 32 years old. Capricorn sun, Virgo moon, Gemini rising.

Naps are my favorite thing.

The picture above is me telling all the guests at my sister’s wedding to shut up and get in child’s pose so I can give my toast. I didn’t actually make them get in child’s pose, but the rest is true.

If you know any other fun facts about me, share in the comments!!

Nope. Big ol’ myth. And societal norm based on capitalism with no actual scientific or moral basis.

Whenever you can find the time, energy, or motivation to exercise is the superior time. I myself am an evening exerciser and am objectively better at it then than in the morning.

And science is on my side with this. Your sleep-wake cycle is determined by your circadian rhythms - 24 hour cycles which are controlled by your brain and hormones and other things that can be completely out of your control. So minus a few adjustments here and there, you can’t really change them. There are actually four chronotypes, or sleep types, and no one type is morally superior or inferior to another. The brain only has a handful of hours of focused productivity per day- it doesn’t matter when they are. If I’m asleep at 6am when you’re working out, but you’re wound down for the day at 6pm when I’m working out, we break even. I recommend reading about chronotypes- it’s interesting stuff. You can learn words like suprachiasmatic nucleus. I’m generally a wolf with some dolphin insomnia sprinkled in. Mornings are not when I shine.

Peep the yoga instructor at the bottom of the Our Team list at restcharlotte.com 💁🏻‍♀️!! Stay tuned for more news over the coming weeks/months!!! So excited to be joining this endeavor that is doing important work!!

Repost from Jessie Ogienko:
My second practice opened with Kim Enicks is just around the corner and our website is live! Accepting referrals. We’re in a soft opening, counseling and mental health services only, for the next two months, more coming as soon as our build out is finished!! Check us out!! Stay tuned for the launch party 😘 🎉 🎊 🍷

REST Charlotte