Sid Yoga http://www.sidyoga.com Fri, 24 May 2013 14:45:07 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3 Sunday Sundown Playlist: 4/28/2013 http://www.sidyoga.com/sunday-sundown-playlist-4282013/ http://www.sidyoga.com/sunday-sundown-playlist-4282013/#comments Tue, 07 May 2013 00:01:01 +0000 LifeLine http://www.sidyoga.com/?p=9823 Read More >>>]]> On Sunday evening, April 28th, we came together once more for Boston…our FAMILY. Thank you to Sid McNairy for lighting it up with us and bringing the Power and the Peace. Below is the playlist that went with our flow:

  • “Awake”  by Kento Masuda
  • “Gone, Gone, Gone” by Philip Phillips
  • ” Always Been About You” by Fellowship Creative
  • “Gangsta” by Kat Dahlia
  • “300 Violin Orchestra” by Jorge Quintero
  • “Let the Groove Get In” by Justin Timberlake
  • ” The Fall” by Rhye
  • ” Stoned on Shiva” by Steve Gold
  • ” For What It’s Worth” (India Dub) by Dj Drez
  • “One Thing Remains” by Jesus Culture
  • “Higher Than the Clouds” by Anuhea
  • “Open” by Rhye
  • “Give Me Your Eyes” by Brandon Heath
  • “Radioactive” by Imagine Dragons
  • “Lullaby” by Trevor Hall
]]> http://www.sidyoga.com/sunday-sundown-playlist-4282013/feed/ 0 Sunday Sundown Playlist: 4/21/2013 http://www.sidyoga.com/sunday-sundown-playlist-421/ http://www.sidyoga.com/sunday-sundown-playlist-421/#comments Mon, 06 May 2013 23:14:06 +0000 LifeLine http://www.sidyoga.com/?p=9818 Read More >>>]]> On Sunday evening, April 21st, we raised it up and rocked out as a FAMILY. Sid McNairy led us through an inspiring flow in honor of those affected by the bombings at the Boston Marathon. Check out this playlist that went along with it:
  • “Cherokee Indian Drumming” by American Indian Music
  • “If I Lose Myself”  by One Republic
  • “Let the Groove Get In” by Justin Timberlake
  • “I See Ya” by B.oB.
  • “For What It’s Worth”  (India Dub) by Dj Drez
  • “#thatPOWER” (Feat. Justin Bieber) by will.i.am
  • “Kingdom of the Heart” by Rahasya
  • “Gangsta” by Kat Dahlia
  • “Always Been About You” by Fellowship Creative
  • “Gone, Gone, Gone”  by Philip Phillips
  • “Mountains O’ Things” by Tracy Chapman
  • “300 Violin Orchestra”  by Jorge Quintero
  • ” Stoned on Shiva”  by Steve Gold
  • “Awakening of the Beauty Within”  by Kelvin Mockingbird
]]> http://www.sidyoga.com/sunday-sundown-playlist-421/feed/ 0 Teacher Spotlight: Erica Collins http://www.sidyoga.com/teacher-spotlight-erica-collins/ http://www.sidyoga.com/teacher-spotlight-erica-collins/#comments Wed, 01 May 2013 21:05:27 +0000 LifeLine http://www.sidyoga.com/?p=9790 Read More >>>]]>
You know Erica as a stellar studio teacher and the Director of Programs here at Sid Yoga. Erica believes that backbends open your heart, inversions create new beginnings, and your first crow pose feels as though you’re flying. Read on to find out more about our Teacher of the Month:
 Sid Yoga (SY): How did yoga find you? 
  Erica Collins (EC): Yoga found me when I was in college, but I didn’t begin practicing regularly until 2009 when one of my best friend’s brought me to Sid’s class. Ever since I was a little girl, I’ve always looked for ways to challenge my mind, body, and spirit. Growing up with 13 boy cousins infused my competitive spirit and challenged my smaller stature; I always wanted to run, climb, and throw everything and anything that they did. On the contrary, I also grew up knowing I have a lot of depth to my character and desired more than just physical challenges. So, when I first took Sid’s class I was in awe of the way he seamlessly wove all three elements (mind, body and spirit) together in a challenging but lighthearted way. I was hooked.
SY: What does being a yoga teacher mean for you?
EC: Being accountable and living passionately. As yoga instructors we ask a lot of our students and to authentically engage, encourage, and inspire them I know I must be accountable for the work I do on myself. It also means living from my heart in a passionate pursuit of my goals.
SY: Why do you teach, more specifically, why do you teach at Sid Yoga?
EC: I teach for community, which I’ve been lucky enough to genuinely experience here at Sid Yoga. Lindsay, Sid, the staff, and our students have become a real family of mine that I know will last for a lifetime. The connections I’ve made here as well as the lessons I’ve learned from the community are incredible. Every time I walk up the stairs to the studio I feel home. In sanskrit the word “Kula” means “community of the heart; family; an intentional community”, and that’s what I believe is alive at Sid Yoga.
SY: What have you learned about yourself through your yoga practice (specifically on the mat) that is applicable to life off the mat?
EC: I’ve learned how to love myself in every moment, which has also taught me how to truly love and accept those closest to me in my life.
SY: What inspires you?
EC: Watching others pursue their passions and overcome adversity.
SY: Any advice for someone looking to dive further into their yoga practice?
EC: Take it one day at a time, and set realistic but challenging goals for yourself, which can be as simple as committing to stay in the room for a full 90 minute class. Keep it simple, enjoy the journey, and smile :)
SY: If you could have dinner with any three people, dead or alive, who would they be and what would you ask them?
EC:  Briohny Kate Smyth – What has your journey as a yogi been like on your best days and on your worst days?
Will Ferrell – I think I’d ask him to do a live impersonation of all the characters he’s played in the past ten years
My mom – “What would you like for dinner?” :)
If you’ve yet to join Erica for one of her weekly classes, come roll out your mat to enjoy the sincere, powerful, and playful journey within!
]]> http://www.sidyoga.com/teacher-spotlight-erica-collins/feed/ 0 @Towson_MBB Offseason Blog #2: Yoga http://www.sidyoga.com/towson_mbb-offseason-blog-2-yoga/ http://www.sidyoga.com/towson_mbb-offseason-blog-2-yoga/#comments Fri, 26 Apr 2013 21:33:13 +0000 admin http://www.sidyoga.com/?p=9763 Read More >>>]]> Every Tuesday and Thursday my teammates and I have the same workout schedule. We have team agilities at 1 p.m. on the court for 30 minutes with Adam Fletcher, our strength coach. Afterwards we spend the next hour with Sid McNairy, our yoga instructor.

At first my teammates and I were a little bit skeptical about doing yoga. How was that going to help us become better basketball players? It didn’t make sense. However, after just a few sessions we now know.

Yoga is one of the main things we look forward to every week now. It is one of the most relaxing things I have ever done. Sid always talks about letting go of whatever is happening around us. No matter what is going on with school or family, yoga gives you a chance to relax and forget about everything. It takes a great deal of concentration and focus.

It also helps to improve our flexibility and mobility. We’ve only had four classes so far but I can already tell that I am becoming more flexible.

And of course, it is also a great team building activity. Yoga gives us a time when my teammates and I can be together in a setting that is not basketball related. There’s no talking during the hour, but you can feel everyone’s commitment to the same thing.

It has also been cool to see some of our coaches go through the class with us. It shows that we are in this together. Coach Skerry has talked a lot about “honoring the process” in the offseason. This is now part of our process.

For more information on Sid and his yoga techniques, click here.

Until next time, Go Tigers!

-Marcus DamasEvery Tuesday and Thursday my teammates and I have the same workout schedule. We have team agilities at 1 p.m. on the court for 30 minutes with Adam Fletcher, our strength coach. Afterwards we spend the next hour with Sid McNairy, our yoga instructor.

At first my teammates and I were a little bit skeptical about doing yoga. How was that going to help us become better basketball players? It didn’t make sense. However, after just a few sessions we now know.

Yoga is one of the main things we look forward to every week now. It is one of the most relaxing things I have ever done. Sid always talks about letting go of whatever is happening around us. No matter what is going on with school or family, yoga gives you a chance to relax and forget about everything. It takes a great deal of concentration and focus.

It also helps to improve our flexibility and mobility. We’ve only had four classes so far but I can already tell that I am becoming more flexible.

And of course, it is also a great team building activity. Yoga gives us a time when my teammates and I can be together in a setting that is not basketball related. There’s no talking during the hour, but you can feel everyone’s commitment to the same thing.

It has also been cool to see some of our coaches go through the class with us. It shows that we are in this together. Coach Skerry has talked a lot about “honoring the process” in the offseason. This is now part of our process.

For more information on Sid and his yoga techniques, click here.

Until next time, Go Tigers!

-Marcus Damas

 

Source:  TowsonTigers.com

]]> http://www.sidyoga.com/towson_mbb-offseason-blog-2-yoga/feed/ 0 The Practice of Setting an Intention and How it Can Transform your Life http://www.sidyoga.com/the-practice-of-setting-an-intention-and-how-it-can-transform-your-life/ http://www.sidyoga.com/the-practice-of-setting-an-intention-and-how-it-can-transform-your-life/#comments Fri, 26 Apr 2013 20:39:27 +0000 LifeLine http://www.sidyoga.com/?p=9754 Read More >>>]]>

“Intention” (n.)- an aim that guides action


The first step in the practice of setting an intention is to become aware.  Jon Kabat-Zinn PH.D.,  founding Executive Director of the Center for Mindfulness in Medicine, Health Care, and Society at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, says, “If we hope to go anywhere or develop ourselves in any way, we can only step from where we are standing. If we don’t really know where we are standing… We may only go in circles…” Essentially, it would be useless to set an intention without knowledge of who and where we are in this very moment. So, begin with the development of this awareness. Awaken to your patterns: patterns of negative self-talk, irritability, cycles of sadness and despair. Let these patterns transpire without getting down on yourself, rather, become aware of the triggers that set you off into these patterns and begin to think about how these could change . Align your intention with the thought of moving past these patterns and transforming into a new way of being.


Let’s say, for instance, you become aware of a propensity towards negative self-talk: constantly de-valuing and shaming yourself due to a preconceived belief of how you ought to be. Is this the reality you want to live in? A world where you are never good enough? Or do you want to empower yourself to create positive neural pathways and live in harmony with your True self- confident and fearless?


In order to move past this habit of negative thinking, a valuable intention to set would be non-violence: non-violence towards yourself and non-violence towards others. “Non-violence” signifies more than the idea of physical harm inherent in the word; it is a word that also embodies the concept of causing no emotional harm to yourself or others. It is a word so profound in its meaning that it even addresses the way in which you walk on the earth- do you tread lightly?


Now that the intention is set, think about how you could practice non-violence. If you find yourself in an altercation with another person, pause, realign with your intention of non-violence, and react appropriately by honoring your commitment to this intention. On a personal level, if you find that you have spiraled into a hole of mental self-abuse, take a breath, return to your intention, and replace those negative voices with the voices coming from this place of non-violence.


The most important thing to remember is that setting an intention is a practice. It is a practice that will continually ask you to ground into the present moment.  One that demands constant awareness of your thoughts, words, and actions so that they may be brought into harmony with your deepest value- your intention.


In this practice you must go beyond the simplicity of setting an intention for the day, shouting it out to the universe, and hoping for the best. First you must do the groundwork by opening up to your self-awareness. Then you must take the insight gained from this new-found awareness and set an intention that aligns with your deepest value. Once your intention is set, you must actively commit to transforming your way of being so that everything you think, everything you say, and everything you do, comes from this intention. If your intention is non-violence, live non-violence, every.single. day. You will walk in non-violence. You will think non-violence. You will speak non-violence. You will embody non-violence. Your intention will define your actions; your intention will define at your very core how you are going to be. This is where the transformation happens.


Whatever intention you set, practice this intention for an entire month. Wholeheartedly commit to this practice and watch as things start to open up and shift in your life. Practice this intention for yourself, practice it in relation to other people, practice it in relation to the earth, practice it on your mat. Live this intention with a fervor, a fervor that deems this intention as essential to your life as oxygen, because, in fact, it just may be.

]]> http://www.sidyoga.com/the-practice-of-setting-an-intention-and-how-it-can-transform-your-life/feed/ 0 Yogi Spotlight of the Month: Brett Shields http://www.sidyoga.com/yogi-spotlight-of-the-month-brett-shields/ http://www.sidyoga.com/yogi-spotlight-of-the-month-brett-shields/#comments Fri, 19 Apr 2013 20:10:34 +0000 LifeLine http://www.sidyoga.com/?p=9727 Read More >>>]]> Our Yogi Spotlight of the Month is Brett Shields! Brett has displayed a true commitment to his practice of yoga, on and off the mat. Thank you, Brett for your presence at our studio. Continue to light it up with us and share your way of being with the world!

 

Sid Yoga (SY): How did Yoga find you?

Brett Shields (BDS): Yoga found me because my life needed a reboot.  I had completely burnt out after finishing law school and taking the New York state bar examination, and I had taken a part-time job doing legal work that I didn’t enjoy.  One day I was walking back from lunch, stopped at a red light, and saw Sid Yoga across the street.  I took my first class that Friday; the rest, as they say, is history.

SY: What have you learned about yourself through your yoga practice (specifically on the mat) that is applicable to life off the mat?

BDS: Deep breathing and a smile can get you through the toughest situations.  Whether gasping through one of Robin’s boot camp-like classes, drafting and filing a motion on miserably short notice, or sorting out your thoughts, a few deep breaths and a smile foreshadows a shift in perspective that lightens the heaviest of burdens.  Give it a try the next time your teacher instructs you into your eighth wheel pose of the night.

SY: What has your practice and involvement with Sid Yoga brought to your life and how has it positively affected you? 

BDS: My practice at Sid Yoga has helped me cultivate a healthier approach to living and introduced me to a community of people whose perspectives enrich my life.  Physical fitness has always been important to me, but training at Sid Yoga helps me reconcile my perceptions and emotions with what happens in the world around me.  The result is a more balanced way of living in which I understand how to nurture not only my body, by my mind and my heart as well.

SY: What is your favorite yoga pose and why?

BDS: My favorite yoga pose is Vrksasana (tree pose) because it allows me to check in with myself more than any other posture.  Weak foundation? Unsteady mind? Lacking in expression? All of these things will show up in Vrksasana and remind me of where I am.  It’s the perfect opportunity to refocus myself.  Yet when I’m rooted and balanced, the pose grows in whichever direction I’d like, almost effortlessly.  It’s a good metaphor for the rest of my life.

SY: What inspires you?

BDS: This may sound silly, but tall buildings inspire me.  A building is both an expression of creativity and an illustration of humankind’s limitless potential.  Seeing tall buildings reaching toward the sky reminds me that we can achieve what we set out to achieve, and that there are others who have gone before us and done exactly that.

SY: Any advice for someone looking to dive further into their yoga practice?

BDS: If you’re looking to dive further into your practice, consider two things:

First, get on your mat.  Your potential is limitless, but only you can actualize it.

Second, acknowledge that a deeper understanding of your yoga practice takes time.  Consider a sunrise.  While you watch it, you’ll have a hard time defining where it begins and ends. Later, when you reflect on what you saw, your reflection provides a clear picture of the entire event.  Diving further into your yoga practice is no different.  Your body will sweat, your mind may rage, and progress can seem elusive.  But months later you’ll look back and smile at how far you’ve come.

SY: If you could have dinner with any three people, dead or alive, who would they be and what would you ask them?

BDS: If I could have dinner with any three people, dead or alive, I would pick three random people from different periods of history.  I’d want to hear about their worlds from their perspectives.  I would ask them about their lives and prompt them to narrate the smallest details, hopes, and fears.  As each person spoke, I would encourage the others to interject and comment on what they hear.  By the time I leave that dinner, I’d have lived three extra lives.

SY: Any fun facts you can share with us?

 BDS: I’ve graduated law school, walked on hot coals, jumped out of airplanes, tried to climb a mountain, completed a GORUCK Challenge, and almost drowned while rafting. And for anyone reading this, I’d love to hear about your life, too– no detail is insignificant. First cup of coffee is on me.

 


]]> http://www.sidyoga.com/yogi-spotlight-of-the-month-brett-shields/feed/ 0 Sunday Sundown Playlist: 4/14/2013 http://www.sidyoga.com/sunday-sundown-playlist-4142013/ http://www.sidyoga.com/sunday-sundown-playlist-4142013/#comments Tue, 16 Apr 2013 15:25:42 +0000 LifeLine http://www.sidyoga.com/?p=9722 Read More >>>]]>
Sunday Sundown April 14th- We rocked it out with Lindsay Lusignea! Check out the playlist from class:

  •   “Just Keep Breathing”   by We The Kings
  •   “Born to Fly”   by MC Yogi
  •   “Parashakti”   by Wah!
  •   “Sun Light”   by MC Yogi
  •   “Get up Get Down”   by Phillip Phillips
  •   “Feet Keep Moving”   by Natural Self
  •   “Daylight”   by Maroon 5
  •   “L.I.F.E.G.O.E.S.O.N.”   by Noah & The Whale
  •   “The Unfallen Kingdom”   by Gramatik
  •   “Good Rain”   by Trevor Hall
  •   “Swept Away”   by The xx
  •   “Stars”   by The xx
  •   “I Am Who I Am”   by Chris Boomer
  •   “Heart Skipped a Beat”   by The xx
  •   “Sunset”   by The xx
  •   “Sunshine”   by Matisyahu
  • “The Sound of Sunshine ”   by Michael Franti & Spearhead
  •   “Hazel”   by Phillip Phillips
  •   “Angels”   by The xx
  •   “Ma Durga”   by Krishna Das
  •   “All I Ever Know”  by Trevor Hall
]]> http://www.sidyoga.com/sunday-sundown-playlist-4142013/feed/ 0 Sunday Sundown Playlist: 4/6/2013 http://www.sidyoga.com/sunday-sundown-playlist-462013/ http://www.sidyoga.com/sunday-sundown-playlist-462013/#comments Tue, 09 Apr 2013 01:21:18 +0000 LifeLine http://www.sidyoga.com/?p=9713 Read More >>>]]>   The much awaited Sunday Sundown playlist for April 6th is here! Check it out and them jam out. Peace.

  • “Let the Groove Get In”  by Justin Timberlake
  • “Lonely & Cold”  by Gramatik
  • “Oh Yeah” (Rarities & B-Sides) featuring Snoop Dogg & 2 Chainz  by Chris Brown
  • “# thatPOWER” (feat. Justin Bieber)  by will.i.am
  • “Gangsta”  by Kat Dahlia
  • “Mirrors”  by Justin Timberlake
  • “L.I.F.E.G.O.E.S.O.N.”  by Noah & The Whale
  • “What It’s Like”  by Everlast
  • “Black River Killer”  by Blitzen Trapper
  • “Just a Dream”  by Nelly
  • “All Night” (feat. David Rush)  by Pitbull
  • “Always Been About You”  by Fellowship Creative
  • “Radioactive”  by Imagine Dragons
  • “Stoned on Shiva”  by Steve Gold
  • “Kingdom of the Heart”  by Rahasya
]]> http://www.sidyoga.com/sunday-sundown-playlist-462013/feed/ 0 Sunday Sundown Playlist: 3/31/13 http://www.sidyoga.com/sunday-sundown-playlist-33113/ http://www.sidyoga.com/sunday-sundown-playlist-33113/#comments Wed, 03 Apr 2013 17:33:17 +0000 LifeLine http://www.sidyoga.com/?p=9691 Read More >>>]]> Sunday Sundown is the place to be! Sid IV rocked the house! Here’s his playlist:

  • Sky to Ground – Xavier Rudd
  • The Promise – Ryan Farish
  • Thank You – Eat, Pray, Love
  • Promontory – The Last of the Mohicans
  • Young Forever – Jay-Z
  • Sunshine – Matisyahu
  • Diamonds in the Sun – Girish
  • Sunset – The Xx
  • Let it Go – Wiz Khalifa
  • Lights – Ellie Goulding
  • Numb – Usher
  • Dfw – Citizen Cope
  • Angels – The Xx
  • The Lime Tree – Trevor Hall
  • One Lovely Day – Citizen Cope
  • Lullaby – Trevor Hall
  • God is Real/ Hare Ram – Krishna Das

 

]]> http://www.sidyoga.com/sunday-sundown-playlist-33113/feed/ 0 Teacher Spotlight: Lindsay Lusignea http://www.sidyoga.com/teacher-spotlight-lindsay-lusignea/ http://www.sidyoga.com/teacher-spotlight-lindsay-lusignea/#comments Thu, 28 Mar 2013 14:53:24 +0000 LifeLine http://www.sidyoga.com/?p=9666 Read More >>>]]> Lindsay began yoga as means to enhance her flexibility and focus in athletics, and now continues yoga as a way of living and as a vehicle to empower the world. You know her as an amazing teacher here at Sid Yoga Center. What you may not know is Lindsay is also the Director of Teacher Development as well as Director of Operations; an integral part of the studio. Here’s a few things you also may not know:

1. Why do you teach?
I teach for others. Yes, when I teach I feel free, present and go deeper in my own practice by learning from those in my classes. Everyone is so inspiring in their own ways! Even more so, I teach so others access the same power, grace, freedom, and awakening that can be reached on the mat. When we grow on our mat in our practice, we grow off out mat and in our life. 

2. What does being a yoga teacher mean for you?
To teach yoga means that you are living your yoga.  We can only teach what we know, what we live and what we experience. Otherwise, we are teaching from knowledge. To teach from the heart is where the true power of yoga comes in to play.  We are all teachers, teaching others all the time through our example.  To be a teacher particularly of yoga is something I am grateful for every day.  Because as more and more people find their way to the mat, then more and more people are reaching out for a life of health and positivity. We are more than a body, more than a mind and more than a spirit. We are all three, and yoga brings them together effortlessly and with power.

3. What have you learned, on your mat and through your practice, about yourself?
I have learned I can be my best friend or my worst critic. And because of that, I have also learned the ability to change my perspective and experience of myself and the world around me at any time.

4. What other aspects of Sid Yoga are you a part of?
The Director of Teacher Development and Director of Operations. Teacher development covers SY teacher trainings and all teachers at current/future SYC’s. Operations covers the Sid Yoga business as a whole, both studio and non-studio growth.


5. What inspires you?
Seeing and hearing of people being selfless for others. And energy! Lots of vibrant, uplifting energy, laughing and people enjoying one another’s presence.


6. Any advice for someone looking to dive further into their yoga practice?
Take it one step at a time. At one point I was practicing as if it was “now or never.” Doing deep postures, going for deep variations. But after some back pressure, I realized I was just pushing myself too much. Be willing to let the process unfold naturally, with effort and also with ease.


Join Lindsay at Sid Yoga Center!
Mondays: 9:30am
Tuesdays: 5:30pm
Wednesdays: 8:15am
Fridays: 12pm
Saturday: 9:30am and 12pm
Sunday: 10:15am Restore & renew
You can reach her by email: lindsay@sidyoga.com
Want to see a teacher in the spotlight? Recommend them! And keep checking back for more inspiration!

Don’t forget to “Like” us on Facebook, and “Follow” us on Twitter and Instagram @SidYoga!

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