I’m content, and I still want to hit something!

Monday, I talked about santosha, or contentment. That was about arriving to enough and feeling satiated.

Tuesday, I released a 33-minute yoga nidra practice to help you with santosha.

Today, I'll be honest (satya is the yogic practice of truth). I'm pretty content in life. And I still want to hit things.

You knew yoga teachers were crazy, right?

I started in my teens in MMA and few things still comfort me more than hitting a bag. I even keep a cobra reflex bag in my living room. I'm love and light and a lotta ass whoopin', after all.

It's funny to me what people think I should be as a yoga teacher.

I apparently should be wearing flowing robes, wishing people "love & light," and hanging those "live, laugh, love" signs in my house. If you have a yoga practice, or maybe even a religion, people think you're never allowed to curse, experience road rage, be offended, or stand up for something you believe in. People assume I have a certain political persuasion (I don't, I detest all politicians equally). People assume I'm just peaceful and chill all the time, like a nun in a temple or something.

In reality, I DO the practices I do because I really want to hit things! I want to tell people what I think, completely uncensored. I would love to roll the window down on the 7th Street "suicide lane" during my commute and tell the drivers who misuse that lane what I truly think of them. Yes, I'd like to do it with my middle finger. (Here I come again with the satya).

Yoga doesn't make me some perfectly calm, spiritual poster girl. Yoga helps me navigate daily life with greater ease.

I experience less frustration because of yoga, or perhaps I built up my frustration tolerance. I practice more self-care, more often. But I do it in a way where I'm choosing the self-care tool that can do the most good. Some days, that's going to be hitting a punching bag. Other days, I can use something soft and nurturing like yoga nidra or Reiki. In other cases, I need to move and perhaps that means I go for a walk, weightlift, or practice some power yoga.

Yoga is a science that provides us with endless tools. I had a nasty cold a couple of weeks ago and DayQuil alone wasn't cutting it. I turned to ayurveda and found the treatment for a cold is ginger tea. It worked great for me! Now I'm hooked on ginger tea with one packet of stevia. It's becoming a habit.

Important contraindication: Ginger has mild blood-thinning properties and some people should use caution when combining it with aspirin. Please seek professional medical advice when partaking in any dietary regimen. This is not medical advice.

If you also enjoy practicing yoga in order to become a better person...or maybe just so you can tolerate this crazy world and the cast of characters in it, you're in the right place. I share here about recovery on Mondays, offer a yoga nidra practice every other Tuesday, and I share something about yoga along with a weekly events roundup (below!)

Coming soon!

My Crunch Arcadia teaching schedule is almost ready for the world! I'll begin teaching a variety of classes NEXT WEEK!

Around the Valley: yoga this week & next

The mornings have turned crisp and the parks are calling us back outside, with plenty of quiet ways to practice around the Valley these next two weeks. Free and donation-based options come first, so take what serves you and leave the rest.

Free & donation-based

• Ram Dass Phoenix Satsang · Sat Nov 7, 3:00–5:00 PM · Centered, 3375 E Shea Blvd, Ste K, Phoenix · Free · A monthly gathering around Ram Dass's teachings, led this month by Evon Hart. To prepare, listen to Ram Dass episode 172, "The Context of Reality" (around the 33-minute mark he talks about the Prison Project). As an act of seva, the group will write letters of encouragement to people in prison on notecards from Just Detention International (justdetention.org). All are welcome.
• Free Guided Meditation – Sahaja Yoga Phoenix · Saturdays, 2:00–3:00 PM (next: Sat Nov 7, Sat Nov 14) · Sahaja Yoga Meditation, 2434 E Osborn Rd, Phoenix · Free · A beginner-friendly sit where a chair or couch is welcome and no mat is needed. Details
• Awakening Sol: Yoga in the Park · Sat Nov 7, 11:00 AM–12:00 PM · Roadrunner Park, 3501 E Cactus Rd, Phoenix · Donation, $15 to $30 suggested, RSVP required · An all-levels outdoor flow benefiting Sky Sanctuary Animal Rescue; bring your own mat. Details
• One-Day Mindfulness Meditation Retreat · Sun Nov 8, 10:00 AM–5:30 PM · Salt River Mindfulness Meditation Community, private home near McClintock & Broadway, Tempe · Free, by donation, registration required · A secular-friendly day of guided and silent sitting, walking meditation, and gentle movement with Kai Newkirk, open to beginners. The group also meets Thursdays, 6:30–8:00 PM, at Tempe Community Christian Church, 1701 S College Ave. Retreat · Thursdays
• Sunday Morning Yoga in the Park · Sun Nov 8, 9:15–10:15 AM · Sahuaro Ranch Park, 9802 N 59th Ave, Glendale · Free · A gentle, beginner-level flow and short meditation hosted by a women's friendship group; bring a mat or beach towel and water. Details
• FitPHX Morning Yoga · Sat Nov 14, 9:00–10:00 AM · Encanto Park Clubhouse, 2499 N 15th Ave, Phoenix · Free · The City of Phoenix's all-levels class in the park, every second Saturday. Details
• Grounded and Grateful: A Free Yoga Event · Tue Nov 17, 5:00–7:00 PM (class at 5:30) · Fountain courtyard, San Marcos Crowne Plaza Resort, 1 N San Marcos Pl, Chandler · Free, reserve a spot · A City of Chandler community class; the first 30 people get a free mat. Details

Classes & specialty sessions

• Crunch Arcadia Grand Opening · Sat Nov 7, 10:00 AM–1:00 PM · Crunch Fitness Arcadia, 4533 E Thomas Rd, Phoenix · Check with the club on admission · My own gym is celebrating with group fitness demos, food, local vendors, and a ribbon cutting at 12:15 PM. Details
• Soundbath + Yoga Nidra with Julie Lemerond · Sat Nov 7, 7:00–8:30 PM · Shantiful, 16674 N 91st St, Suite 102, Scottsdale · $35 · A sleep-based guided rest with crystal bowls and gongs. Details
• Yoga Nidra Soundbath · Sat Nov 14 (time on the registration page) · Chandler Community Center, Dance Room 204, 125 E Commonwealth Ave, Chandler · $39 · Guided yoga nidra paired with sound healing for deep rest. Details
• Somatic Yoga Workshop · Mon Nov 16, 6:00–7:00 PM · Mind Body Healing Collective, 8686 E San Alberto Dr, Suite 100, Scottsdale · $40 · A gentle, trauma-sensitive class with Regan Mays, MSc, at your own pace with no hands-on adjustments and no experience needed. Details
• MC Yogi: Meditation Mondays · Mon Nov 16 and Mon Nov 30, 6:00 PM Arizona time (8 PM ET) · Online, live-streamed only on the MC Yogi app · Via the MC Yogi app · Chill yoga and meditation in real time with the yoga-inspired hip-hop artist. I've been a fan of his music for a long time, so this one's a personal pick. Details
• Save the date – Radically Rooted: A Yoga Workshop with Evon Hart · Sun Nov 22, 10:00 AM–12:00 PM · Centered, 3375 E Shea Blvd, Ste K, Phoenix · $40 · A two-hour, moderately challenging practice for the fall and winter, when the holidays and Arizona's good weather pull us outward and longer nights draw us inward, with sequencing, pranayama, and meditative reflection for steadiness, stability, and strength. Modifications offered; prior yoga experience required. Details
• Save the date – Soul Salve Sundays with Evon Hart · Next: Sun Dec 6, 10:00 AM–12:00 PM · Centered, 3375 E Shea Blvd, Ste K, Phoenix · $30 · A monthly Sunday ritual of dharma talk, mixed-level practice, meditation, and a closing restorative session. Details

Know of a class, workshop, or sound bath I missed? Is there an issue with any event listed? 

Hit reply and tell me — I read every one.

-Heather