Toni Kuhn

This pose, Wild Thing is an great  heart opening pose that evokes a sense a freedom and playfulness. I enjoy this pose pose very much and I find myself gravitating to it over and over again. I feel a sense of  liberation and joy when I do this pose. Sometimes we need to open ourselves up to our wild side to find joy. Take time this week to pause and find your playful side.

What do you do for fun?

Ardha Chandrasana ( Half Moon Pose) improves coordination and concentration. It relieves pressure in the abdominal area and helps reduce sciatic discomfort. For me,  this pose is very healing. Not only does my back feel better, but I feel more in tune with myself, less tense, and more stable in my emotions. If you struggle with balance, position your body against a wall for support, or use a chair to help you feel more stable.

Here are some tips o get in the pose:

• Begin in triangle pose with your front heel in line with the arch of the back foot.
• Bend your front knee a little and hop your back foot a little closer to the front foot.
• Shift your torso and arm forward and reach your finger tips about a foot in front of your foot and to the outside of your pinky toe.
• Float your back leg up as you press down with your front foot.
• Flex your foot of the raised leg and bring your arm up.
• Soften your front ribs down and firm your hips in.

• Hold for a few breaths and then repeat on other side.

• Finish with Uttanasana ( forward fold) to calm the heart rate and relax the back.

This is one of the pictures from my photo shoot on the beach in Malibu. Stay tuned for more pictures to be posted!

Thank you Amber for an amazing day and these fantastic pictures!

Namaste!

For many of us, the holiday season can be very stressful. This is what inspired me to give a a workshop at Yoga Works on November 2. In this workshop I will give you yoga poses to help ease your stress during the holiday season. I will provide you with a handout of the poses and explain the psychological and physical benefits of each of the poses. Additionally, I will help you create your own personalized mini- yoga sequence that you can take with you when you travel.

The workshop is open to the public and is $45.00. It is on Saturday, November 2 from 1:45-3:45pm. You can sign up today. Bring a friend.  : )

Please contact me if you have any questions.

After a week of visiting my dear friend Kirsti, I find myself feeling inspired about life. My friend has a rare form of cancer called “clear cell” and she is undergoing chemo. She had chemo and radiation about a year ago,  so this is her second round of chemo. She is a fitness teacher and is incredibly strong. In between her chemo treatments, she teaches her fitness classes at the gym! As soon as she feels better, which is about week after her treatment, she is off to the gym! I find this absolutely amazing! It’s like she is giving cancer the finger as saying, “I will not surrender!” In this picture she still has her hair 3 treatments in. However, she just told me she is starting to lose it. This upsets her deeply, and I can’t blame her! I mean look at her hair, it’s gorgeous!!

My friend inspires me to understand that some things are out of our control and we just have to flow with the journey. She lost her son 2-1/2 years ago and then 8 months later she found out she had cancer. And yet, she can still smile and joke with me.  Of course she still deeply mourns her son, but she is managing to push forward, chugging along the path she has been given. It reminds me that all of us have incredible  inner strength and faith, you just have to let go of the need to control every aspect of your life. Sometimes, we just need to ride the wave and see where we end up.

What inspires you?

I have noticed that many of my students have been having neck pain. Many times neck pain is a result of stress. Breath work  is one way of releasing this nagging tension.

“You can run, but you can’t hide. No matter how careful you are to avoid putting yourself in taxing situations, as long as you’re living on this earth, stress will hunt you down and wreak havoc on your day. More often than not, it will set up camp in your neck and shoulders, causing even more tension and discomfort”. – Yoga Journal

If you’re stressed out today, breathe deeply as you try this easy neck release:

Neck Blanket Stretch – By Barbara Benagh

Roll a blanket into a firm, even cylinder large enough to wedge between the base of your skull and the tops of your shoulder blades. Lie back over the roll so it gently stretches your neck; the roll should wedge just under the occipital ridge at the back of your skull and support your neck and your first few upper back vertebrae. Keeping your knees bent, place both palms on your forehead, fingers pointing toward the crown of your head, and bring your elbows close to each other. Close your eyes and tune in to your breath, feeling how its rhythm creates subtle movement. Notice areas in your neck, shoulders, and upper back that seem dense, dull, and resistant to the breath’s wavelike action, and invite them to relax against the blanket roll. As your muscles begin to release, slide your shoulder blades away from your skull; you may want to repeat this movement several times as your muscles continue to relax. Remain on the roll for up to five minutes, then remove it and continue to lie on your back for a few breaths, tuning in to the sensations in your neck, shoulders, and upper back.