Yoga with Karel : February 2015

Today's list was once a list that I put on a blank pendulum chart so my little trusty pendulum can help me decide. If you know me, you know that I have a difficult time deciding. I learned about pendulums during my teacher training and I really connected with it. I found out about them prior to the training but I really got to work with them deeply during it. Basically you ask it a question and it helps you decide. (There's more that goes into it but that is pretty much it!)
Anyway, today's list is called Pointlessly On The Internet?

journal
yoga
read for fun
internet time
craft
Netflix
relax
paint
read yoga book
eat
CMP
play/train with baby Ziggy
meditate
Duolingo

Basically, whenever I am pointlessly scrolling on Facebook, or liking every picture on Tumblr, or finding things to pin on Pinterest, I go through my little list or have my pendulum decide for me. I still have internet time on there so if I was meant to just pointlessly be on the Internet, I can. Lately I have been working more with my pendulum because whenever it picks for me, I somehow knew that it would pick it. Maybe I will write more about pendulum work but that is all for now.

I hope you enjoy this week's list! I write so many lists throughout the week, I thought it would be fun to feature one every now and then. Thanks for visiting Yoga with Karel.

Comment below on what other fun activities you can do instead of being sucked into the black hole called the internet. :P

Q: I recently wanted to start committing to doing yoga everyday to help cleanse my mind and relax my body. Any tips or advice on staying on track or what got you into yoga? Thank you ❤️ [Alison]

Yay! That is so awesome. Yoga is great for relaxing and cleansing. My advice to you for staying track is to keep a Yoga Diary. I just used a journal I had laying around and I jot down notes on what I did during practice and if there is anything I noticed. You can see more when you click that link!
There is not really one specific thing that got me into yoga. I was introduced to it in high school instead of a typical P.E. class which I loved. Then I got back into it a few years after and I just liked it because it was a movement that I enjoyed that did not hurt my body or make my asthmatic heart feel like it is going to stop. Over time, it truly became a more inward and spiritual practice. I have learned more about myself through my yoga practice. And, my yoga practice is one that I practice on and off the mat. (:

Q: What brands are the best for yoga clothes? What is your favorite brand of yoga mats? [Anon.]
There are so so many yoga brands out there! My top three brands for clothes are: Inner Fire, Lululemon, and Prana. My favorite brand of yoga mat is Manduka. I love a lot of the brands that I try out and just be cause I mentioned a brand doesn't mean it's the only amazing brand. There are a lot of awesome ones out there!!

Q: Do you have anything for beginners? I've been trying to get into the new 2k15 lessons but some of them are too advanced. I'm a little embarrassed about my inabilities so this would help a lot. xo
Yes! Check out all of my Yoga 101 posts and my first Q&A. I talk about beginning yoga and the different ways to start.

Thank you everyone who asked questions! I hope they helped you out. If you have a question, feel free to email or comment on any social media. Make sure you tag yogawithkarel so I can see it!

Courtesy of Tumblr ask for all the questions I received.

One of my goals this year is to post more but without sacrificing quality. That being said, I also wanted to do some fun posts and also some that I have fun writing! One thing I thought of is writing a post every now and then on some of my favorite links of the web. So here you go, the second ever Link Lovin' ❤. (I posted the first one in August - check it out.)

If you are looking for more inspiration, you have to give Chelsea John at bewellyogagr a follow on Instagram. I love all the things she posts everyday. They are always inspiring and she gives you a challenge everyday. I know Chelsea through yoga teacher training and she is one of the most loving and caring people I know. Check her out!
Article: Yoga Teacher Training Need-To-Know. Want to learn more about yoga teacher trainings? Thought about going but something is still holding you back? Curious to what program to pic? Yoga Journal put together and incredible collection of blog posts about yoga teacher trainings that I found really useful. I actually read them right before I left for my trip to Costa Rica and it has definitely helped me realize that I was on the right path and teacher training is an adventure I truly needed in my life.
Alright, this article/video was posted a while ago (back in October) so if you haven't seen it yet, you definitely should. So in this video, a bunch of second-graders were treated to a $220 seven course meal. I love their reactions!! It brought a smile to my face and makes me wonder... is it worth it to pay for an expensive meal? Hmm...
I read an article about millennials and our generation's work ethic. It is interesting to me because a lot of these things are true about me and a lot of my friends. For example, I'm not afraid to quit if I don't like what I'm doing. People older than me think I am quitting, I simply want to live my life happy and there is no point in wasting my time. Another point I agreed with is #48 "We have passion." I can see the passion in what people are doing in my generation. It makes me so incredibly excited that people are chasing their dreams. It is such an exciting time for all of us right now!
Meet Ashley from AshleyForrerWellness. I actually worked with Ashley when were both in university and I am so happy to read about her life journey. We both actually went to our yoga teacher trainings in Costa Rica at different times and have a passion for healthy living. You have to check out Ashley's website. I love it because she posts a lot of inspiration, motivation, and some fun, yummy, and healthy recipes. I am really enjoying reading her blog and you should definitely check her out.

Credit: Links are embedded within the post.

Happy New Moon, friends!

It is funny that I am writing this post today because this happened on the past New Moon. Crazy! So I actually journalled about what happened that day. So am going to copy what I wrote that day. This was written on January 20th, unedited. Please keep in mind that this is taken from my personal journal, so I wrote like I am casually talking. Anything that are in [brackets] are my commentary to explain the situation further. Also, this is probably the longest post in ywk.com history.

Evening Sadhana - new moon ceremony. practiced our own sequence then we would walk to the fire and offer our intentions. I put in the rough draft of my sequence, my intentions paper & a feather.

THEN when we got to savasana & I got up to sit, I felt & heard something in my ear. It's definitely something that has wings because I could feel it flying. Basically, the second class was over I knew I needed to tell someone. I felt like all my senses were going crazy because my hearing and feeling in my right ear were heightened. So I basically had tunnel vision thought I saw Suzanne [one of the assistant teachers] but it was actually Mandy. I told her & I don't know what happened, I think she went to go find Indira [our teacher] or someone who knows.

I went to go clean up my things, again, tunnel vision to my mat. I tried to get my things together but it kept trying to fly out of my ear and it was so uncomfortable. I put my bolster on the side and magically found Gabi [my roommate] & told her to take my stuff to bring to the room.

I went back out and Jane [another assistant teacher] had me lay down & she put oil in my ear. It would help get the bugger out when I flip over. Well that didn't work. Then Gabi came & stayed with me. We tried a couple times with the oil. Then we tried water. And that didn't work. Then we tried to suck it out with the syringe and OH.MY.GOSH. that hurt so freaking much. That was made me so upset and cry. So many people (the staff and Gabi) were trying to comfort me. Suzanne even gave me a food massage!

Anyway, we tried water one more time & blood started coming out (pink, not red). That was when Indira said that I have to go to the hospital. I started crying cuz I really didn't want to go. I'm glad Gabi was there to tell me that we needed to go.

So we started to gather our things, like money, passport, snacks & staying warm. We got into a taxi into another city because we needed to switch taxis since Alex [a taxi driver] drives faster. We got into Golfito after an hour and a half. We got admitted inside, then we needed to talk to the office people outside. Then we finally got admitted inside & Jane couldn't come in but Gabi stayed with me. The nurse or doctor was really nice. He was joking around with us. When he looked inside my ear, it was definitely a moth. He took a syringe that looked like

He dropped a numbing thing into my ear first although I still felt a lot of pain. He cleaned out my ear first and there was a lot of blood. I couldn't really see but I knew it was blood water. The second time really hurt but that was when the nasty moth came out along with a blood clot. Gabi got a picture of it. Then he washed out my ear again to get the extra nasties out. He told Gabby that the moth was exasperated and trying to get out of my ear. When the moth was fluttering, it scratched up my ear pretty badly. He told me that I am okay. My hearing and ear drum isn't badly affected. I just need to put antibiotic drops into my right ear 3xs a day.

So I finally got out and I was going to get my papers and ready to pay. They told us that since I am traveling & am under 25, it was free! How crazy is that?! Even my antibiotics was free! When we were waiting for my drops, Gabi asked a nurse if he knew a number for a cab because our original cab driver didn't answer the phone. Apparently the cab driver is the nurse's dad! and he said it will be $100. It is usually $80 but since it was basically 1am it made sense. Then Gabi asked if I could still go into the ocean since my ear is still healing. He (the nurse) went and got us materials to use for my ears when I go to the ocean and when I shower. How helpful!

So we get into the cab & it took almost 2 hours to get back to the studio & we had to climb up the hill We made it safely to our room at around 3:30am. Our roommates were awake - one was feeling sick and the other was really worried about us.

Side note: When I was in the first cab, I was thinking how I am going to think positive and only spend $20. It was true! Because the hospital was free and Jane would only take $20 from me for the cab. ALSO, I am so grateful that Gabi went with us because she was the only one that speaks Spanish and she translated the entire time!

Well there you have it, my crazy unedited and uncut story of what happened the day a moth decided to make my ear its home.

What is the craziest thing that happened to you when you were traveling?

Come join me in Yoga in the Park on Saturday, February 21st at 11am at Twin Creeks Elementary School.

I started and completed my 200-hour teacher training in Pavones Yoga Center in Costa Rica this past January and am now starting to teach. My training is nature-based and is a multidimensional study that includes asana, pranayama, meditation & philosophy. It only makes sense for me to start teaching outside, embracing nature!

I have decided to start teaching in the park. Right now, I will plan one week in advance due to the inconsistent weather. All classes are donation based unless specified. Your donations will help me go to future teacher trainings, purchase props & mats for you to use, and further extended education (workshops, books, materials, etc).

All yoga classes are open to the public and is open to all levels. Class is an hour and a half.

Please bring a yoga mat, water, and props if you have them. Also, dress for the cold but I promise to bring the heat!

If you plan on coming, please RSVP on Facebook so I can get a count of how many people do come.

So I wrote a post during Blogmas last year on How to Be A Great Yoga Teacher (My Pre-YTT Perspective) and now I am writing my POST YTT perspective! While I agree with most of them, I wanted to create a new list on what I think makes a great yoga teacher after going to teacher training in January.

If you are going to assist or touch students during class, ask first. I like to ask during a child's pose so it is private. It also gives the student the power.
Acknowledge that every body is different. Give the students the power. Let them know that if something hurts, modify the pose. A teacher cannot possibly keep track of each and every injury and ailment. Giving the students the power to modify poses as needed helps you as a teacher and also helps students be more in tune with their own bodies.
Honor your own time. Chat with students after class but do not be afraid to stop them if you have somewhere to be. Also, start class on time. Honor your time.
Know your body parts - say knee when you mean the knee. (I still have to work on this one. It's a lot harder than you think!)
Be clear on where the front of the mat is. Have obvious cues on which direction like the entrance side.

A lot of these tips are things I personally need to work on or have observed in classes that I liked or even the ones I did not like. But in all honestly, these are things that I already do in my classes that my students like or ones that I need to work on (see 3 to 5). Ha!

Hope you are all having a wonderful week so far. Happy Tuesday!

Image courtesy of Sven Schlager.

I hosted my first ever yoga class today since being certified! I had a small turn out but it was perfect because I was able to truly focus on my students and focus on my teaching and cues. I had a really good time. I created a flow based on LOVE and the heart chakra. During the ending meditation, I read this blog post from Pavones Yoga Center's blog called Being Love. It was so fitting for today and people seem to really enjoy it.

Here is today's playlist of songs. I played them on shuffle just as background music. Hope you enjoy!

Only Love is Real - MC Yogi
Valentine - Pentatonix
It's Love - Kina Grannis
Falling In Love At A Coffee Shop
Love to Love - Lady Danville
Make You Feel My Love - Adele
This Love - Taylor Swift
In Love We Trust - MC Yogi
Valentine - Kina Grannis
Forward to Love - Ziggy Marley
Cosmic Love - Florence and the Machines
Origin of Love - Mika
Lucky - Jason Mraz
Summer Love - The Workday Release
Be My Valentine - Tim McMorris
I Love You Too Much from the Book of Life Soundtrack
Love in a Box - The Workday Release
This Will Be An Everlasting Love - Natalie Cole
Love is an Open Door from Frozen (ha!)
Love is on the Radio - McFly

If Valentine's Day and Earth day had a child, I would be its child. I LOVE love, and glitter, and pink, and hearts, and nature, and the Earth. Yeah. That's all. (: Happy Love Day everybody!

How/why/when did you started with yoga? What's your favourite pose? How often do you practice yoga? Do your friends and family support you? Do you know anybody who does yoga as well? (personal) What countries have you been to? What countries would you like to visit? Are you vegan/vegetarian?
[From Alexandra Avera]

So many questions! I'm so excited. I have so so many questions in my inbox that I need to answer so here is the first one.

How/why/when did you started with yoga?
I started yoga when I was in high school. It was offered as an option instead of P.E. I originally signed up for a semester but extended to a full year. So I guess that answered all parts of that question! (:

What's your favourite pose?
I have many! I love all pigeon variations - king pigeon, mermaid (my logo!), and surrendering down to the ground. I think it's because I used to really really hate it in high school. And I just learned to love it. They say that "the pose you hate the most is the pose you need the most."

I also strangely love hip openers because they hurt so good. Pigeon is included in that, and also lizard, hanumanasana (splits), runner's stretch, etc.

And savasana. Who doesn't like savasana.

How often do you practice yoga?
#EveryDamnDay

Do your friends and family support you? Do you know anybody who does yoga as well?
Yes! They are so amazing! A lot of my friends and family are so interested in yoga. A lot of my friends do yoga with me which is such a blessing. I was able to practice teaching even before I went to yoga teacher training. My family doesn't really do yoga but they will soon. (;

What countries have you been to?
I've been to the Philippines a few times. I live in the States. And I just came back from teacher training in Costa Rica. Yeah... that's all.

What countries would you like to visit?
So many! I am definitely going back to my happy place - Costa Rica. And I am planning on going to Carnival in Brazil because my yoga sister lives there.

Other than those planned trips, I would love to visit my yoga tribe in Canada and Norway. I would also love to explore the world. Specifically, Morocco, the UK, Australia, Africa, Scotland, France. So many places. With the money that I am making now, I think I can only afford to go to stay in this hemisphere (the Americas). So, Costa Rica and Brazil is def in that list. OH! And I wanna see Machu Picchu

Are you vegan/vegetarian?
I was vegan for nearly 2 years and pescatarian the year before that. I have come to terms with my eating habits. I used to get down on myself for eating eggs and shrimp and cheese. Now, I eat consciously. Dairy really upsets my stomach so I try not to have it too much. I've been eating eggs but I can only have it scrambled. Any other way kind of freaks me out. I feel really healthy right now but I need to incorporate more fruit in my eating habits.

Alright, I know it is a little to late for this but I have an excuse! I was at Costa Rica for a month and well... it has been quite the adventure to get back in the swing of things. So today, I have my favorites from this previous month. This is a little different since I was in Costa Rica. Things to keep in mind: 1. I was in the tropics, so lots of bugs and lots of heat. 2. I was traveling. So these were my travel essentials.

Loose flowy tops - I did not pack enough of this! I only had three which was enough for me to cycle through them throughout the weeks (washing and drying took quite a long time though). I loved these because in Costa Rica, you are always sticky and sweaty. These tops just felt so good to the skin.

Essential oils - I brought a few but my two essentials were lavender and peppermint. Peppermint has been a long time favorite. I use it mostly for headaches and if I need to cool down. I found two new ways to use it during my stay. 1. my asthma. I would have to walk up a giant hill to get from town to the studio. I rubbed a drop of peppermint on my chest and it eased my breathing! I have pretty mild asthma but going up this hill made it unbearable. I forgot my EO one day and that was when I realized that peppermint worked for me! 2. stomache aches. I only used this for that a few times.

Lavender essential oil was such a surprise to me and is definitely my new favorite. I used nearly half my bottle! I would use it for soothing my muscles, bruises, sun screen, and as a bug repellant. I brought some coconut oil with me and I would put it in a little condiment dipping dish with 4-5 drops of lavender. I would just rub this all over myself. The few days I didn't put this on, my muscles ached and I got an unusual amount of bug bites. I always used it for bruises and it makes them disappear faster or if I know something is gonna bruise, it makes it not bruise at all! When I went surfing, the board hit my left temple and I knew for sure it would bruise. It already had a giant bump and started getting pink. I put lavender on it as soon as I got the the studio (again, a good 20 min walk up the hil and a 1 hr lunch). I was happy to see that it never even got redder and the bump went down by dinnertime! I now swear by this stuff.

Manduka eKO SuperLite Travel Yoga Mat in Seaglass - I ended up getting a travel yoga mat because my other mats were much too bulky. This was perfect because I could fold it up pretty small (like laptop size). I just put it over another yoga mat from the studio whenever I used it. It is pretty grippy and it didn't really move too much. I am very happy with this purchase. The only thing I didn't like is how fast it got dirty. But then again, I used it nearly 4 hours a day for 28 days in the tropics. It was bound to happen.

Osprey Women's Tempest 20 Backpack - I got this as a Christmas present from my dad and I am in love! I never thought I could be in love with a backpack but this one is so amazing! At first, I wasn't too thrilled about the lack of pockets and compartments but this was easily fixed with little cosmetic bags to stay organized. I love love love how light it is! Perfect for going up and down that giant hill full of food and a beach towel and a few journals everyday. One feature I love about this backpack is the back part. It has lots of ventilation so I never feel like I am sweating too crazy (even though I totally was). It keeps your back cool and dry.

Moleskin - I bought this at Target and love it! I journaled and kept track of everything everyday. I would keep track of my day to day activities, expenses, homework and thoughts. I would also flip it, so I write in it the other way for other things I wanted to jot down various lists like my yoga sequences, favorite products, things to research, pictures I need to take, people I met, etc. I was never much a journaler but I definitely am now.

SteriPEN Classic 3 - Luckily, the water where we stayed at in Costa Rica is from a spring. I got this because I didn't know and I still used it. I am convinced that it made my water yummier. It is basically just this stick looking thing with a light bulb at the end. I don't really understand how it works but I still used it everyday!

Sleepmask - what a lifesaver this little thing is! I used it during all my plane rides. It just let the people around me and the stewards and stewardesses know that I am asleep and I don't particularly want to be bothered. I am also pretty sensitive to light and this helped me at night. I used it pretty much everyday. I would always rip it off in the middle of the night because I felt too hot but it helped me fall asleep.

This post contains affiliate links.
I am not sponsored or getting to paid to endorse any of the items mentioned above. I bought and used all these items myself and they are truly my favorites for this month. Thank you!

Hello! Guess what?! I am officially a certified yoga teacher! Whoohoo!!! I have been putting off writing an update about my yoga teacher training but I can only hold it off for so long. Some reasons for me not wanting to write this is because 1) it makes it real that training is over and 2) how can I put my experiences in words that has completely changed my life?! So I am going to try my hardest. I will probably do a series of posts about my experiences or things relating to yoga teacher training.

I was initially scared to leave home but I knew that going to Costa Rica would force me to face my fears and grow. The second I arrived at Pavones Yoga Center, I knew I was going to be okay. I dropped my luggage in my room, which was the hardest thing ever to go up and down a huge hill with two rolly luggage and a backpack. I decided to join a few girls to explore the little town of Pavones before we had dinner. Boy, what a wake up call. Majority of the locals spoke Spanish, all the roads were dirt roads, and I had to climb up the giant hill. I cannot even explain to you how difficult it was to climb the hills. It's one of those you-had-to-be-there situations. And then that night, we had our opening ceremony and introductions!

Training was definitely intensive but I learned more about myself and yoga in such a deep way. I was able to connect with each and every person in my class. I thought of training as life training. It was way more than just learning on how to teach a yoga class. We learned about life, our inner fires, our goals, communication, colistening, breathing, meditation, chanting... gosh, so much! I was never much a journaler but this experience definitely turned me into one. I took so much notes in class and even more about my day.

We had a full schedule, something like this: 5:45am - wake up. 6:15am - morning sadhana (morning practice). 8:30 - breakfast. break. 11am - class (usually philosophy or chanting or meditation). 1pm - lunch. 2pm - class (technique, sequencing, cueing). break. 5:30pm - dinner. 7pm - evening sadhana (usually an asana class but sometimes it was different).

This is our weekday schedule. Our weekends are a bit more free. BUT we had morning sadhana every. single. day. at 6:15am. And I loved it! I had no problems waking up. Some day's were harder than others but I really enjoyed having practice before breakfast.

Speaking of food... Chef Alex cooked our all our meals (except parts of the weekend - he gets the day of to go surfing!). We had the most delicious vegetarian food in the world. Breakfast was always eggs and fruit. Sometimes we will get a rice mix, or beans and tortillas (my fave), or banana pancakes. But lunch and dinner were always different. I am pretty sure he never repeated a single recipe. Each one was always so good. We always kept saying "oh this one is my favorite!". But really, they were all our favorite. He made the most delicious food ever.

Only some of the food we ate! So yummy. Chef Alex is the best!

The people I met are some of the most incredible, genuine, loving, and beautiful people I have ever met in my life. I know that I have made some lifelong friends. Together, we created some positive energy and loving kindness. I feel so honored and humbled to be part of such a strong group. I love them all so much. They say that you fall in love with everyone during teacher training and, gosh, that is so true! I am so grateful for these amazing people in my life. I miss you PYC yoga tribe! Thank you for being the light to my moth (;

Leaving behind the jungles of Costa Rica and its amazing people is one of the hardest things I have done. But I will definitely back sooner or later... but probably sooner. (; Again, this is just little snippets of what I experience during my blissful time in Costa Rica. I could never put into words how I felt during this time. It is something I definitely will hold in my heart.

And now for some pictures!