Tag Archives: yoga

Cycling the Seasons: Fall

Autumn – Early Winter (Vata):

The blustery winds of fall bring change. As nights grow longer it is important to prepared for the unexpected. Just as squirrels tuck away treats for Winter, cyclists need to start storing more “Just-in-case” gear in your bag.

On your bike: It is a good time to get a tune-up. Prepare your bike for winter with fenders, bike lights and pack extra layers as the evenings get chilly.  I am a OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAhuge fan of always having extra socks, gloves and sometimes, a change of clothes. Bike lights become essential. I am a terrible bike light owner, I lose them, I drop them or forget to charge the batteries, etc. So if you can afford it I highly recommend a Dynamo hub for the front wheel. The hub converts the energy of your wheel and powers your bike lights. I also like that the lights are bolted on.

It is also important to have enough food to energize you on bike rides. Nothing is worse than realizing your are totally exhausted, starving and five miles away from your destination. Bring snacks, even if you end up not eating it, there will be those moments when you are incredibly thankful for them.

On the mat: Fall is this great time to re-establish a routine. In my weekly classes I start to see the studio fill up with people returning back to the mat. Yoga is an incredibly grounding practice and can help you find a little bit more balanced in all elements of your life. In Fall, especially around the equinox I like to focus on balance. Balance is more like a dance with breath. We are always moving, always breathing, balance is not statue still. To have good balance is to dance with pose. Accept the shaking ankle muscles getting stronger as you hold Dancer. To have good balance means sometimes you fall down, but you get up and try again.

To learn about how to cycle through the rest of the seasons grab a copy of my book Pedal, Stretch, Breathe: The Yoga of Bicycling

Testing out Pedal, Stretch, Breathe…rider reviews!

I have been so grateful lately for all the feedback that has come about from Pedal, Stretch, Breathe. It has been a great vehicle for getting simple stretches off the mat and into bike lanes (or at least before people hit the bike lanes). I wanted to share with you posts that other bloggers, bikers and yogis have posted. If there is anything I have missed, please feel free to add it in the comments.

Any other reviews are always welcome!

Just a reminder that I will be hosting this very fun Healthy Hamstrings with the Help of Hanuman workshop at Home Yoga on Oct. 6th

 

 

 

Holiday Schedule

Wait…it is mid-December already and I am about to head home for the Holidays? No way!

Well I guess it is true, so some of my classes are canceled…but don’t worry we can all do core together in January to work off all those cookies.

Evening Yoga @ Garfield Community Center
Thursday Dec 22nd- No Class
Tuesday Dec 27th- No Class
Thursday Dec 29th- Class at 7:15 pm

Denali Fitness in Madison Park
Saturday 24rth – No Classes
Saturday 31st- No Class

Anytime Fitness in Fremont
Sunday Dec 25th- No Class
Sunday Jan 1st @6pm- Class is on! So start the New Year off right!

So many fun bike and yoga things this weekend!

The world of bikes and yoga are in full force this weekend. I am really excited to participated in all of these great events. Hopefully I will see you this weekend, either on the mat, riding or maybe even both!

Park(ing) Day, Friday Sept 17th

Park(ing)  Day is an international movement to reclaim the streets and parking lots by reclaiming space for cars and turning it into space for people. I am so excited about this project and am excited to announce that I will be hosting Yoga at the Central Park in Capitol Hill this Friday. Central park is on the corner of Belmont & Pine and festivities will run from 9am-8pm.

‘Triple Thread’ Fun-raiser for Yoga Behind Bars

A unique yoga event at Seattle’s Century Ballroom. Scheduled for Saturday, September 18th from 9:00 AM to 1:30 PM, incorporating three all-levels yoga classes led by the area’s top yoga instructors.

Attendees of the Triple Thread Event are invited to attend individual classes or stay for the entire event. Classes begin at 9:00, 10:30 and 12:00 and no registration is necessary.

The Century Ballroom is located at 915 E. Pine St. in Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood.

For more info: www.socializr.com/event/yogabehindbars/triplethread.

Yocycle Ride Sunday 11am


Here is the map of the ride. We will do yoga in both covered locations.

It may be fall weather outside, but that won’t stop us. Meet us at point C at 11am and we will start with a half-hour of yoga to warm us up. Then we will ride over I-90 and see a bit of Mercer Island and do a little more yoga. Bring your own mat and we will carry it for you in a bike trailer. Best of all, YoCycle Rides are Free so Bring a Friend!

For more info on YoCycle check out our website here!


Affordable Yoga

When money is tight it can be hard to justify spending money on yoga classes. Feeling broke or frustrated with job hunts increases the general amount of stress, and that stress manifests in the form of pain in the body. Yoga offers itself as a practice that can help you release that stress and give you mental clarity to help you better deal with all the stressful situations in your life.

As a yoga teacher, I want to provide yoga to all people who want it. It is important for me to teach at places that are affordable. For instance a drop in class at the Garfield community center is $9, compared to some studios where one class can be anywhere from $15-$18. Anytime Fitness in Fremont also ends up being a great deal too. Membership for the gym is $44 a month, offering 5 yoga classes a week, other classes and all the  gym stuff too. To check it out free for a week click here.

At the Fremont Abbey things are even more flexible.  I offer classes at a sliding scale around $10. If even those options are a little pricey, I love bartering and trading talents.

If you are interested in developing a daily practice I would love to help you come up with one that works for you. I would discuss what you need, for instance a thirty minute series in the morning or something like that, then I would lead you through the series. After the lesson I can write out and draw your series with a few notes so you are prepared to practice on your own. Please email me if interested mail to: yogaforbikers@gmail.com.

Also, in the next few weeks I am going to start free yoga at Fremont Peak Park…stay tuned!

Stretch out halfway up the hill

Yoga for cyclists is just the thing to help increase flexibility and balance your body after riding up big hills like Fremont. This engaging yoga class focuses on loosening up leg muscles and opening hips, while leaving your body balanced and open. We will incorporate aspects of several yoga traditions, blending vinyasas, static poses and breathing. All levels welcome.

$8 for drop-in

$30 for four-punch card

Yoga Instructor: Kelli Refer (e-mail her)

At the Fremont Abbey Arts Center (map)

Fridays 9:15 – 10:30 a.m.