Exhale To Evolve Yoga

12/23/2025

All through December, my yoga classes have been exploring camel pose (Ustrasana).

I wasn’t sure how this would go—teaching the same sequence all month long, across all my classes. But it turned out to be a really meaningful experiment.

With repetition came more ease. I noticed small refinements I could make in the sequence and in teaching, and students seemed to settle more comfortably into the poses as their bodies became familiar with them. Each week felt like we dropped a little deeper into the practice.

Over the course of the month, camel became:
• a way to warm the body and open the heart during the darker, colder season
• an exploration of strength in the back of the body and flexibility in the front of the body
• a chance to gently move beyond fear of the unknown
• an opportunity to take in the energy of our practice and carry it with us—building stamina, resilience, and adaptability both on and off the mat

This month was a reminder that we don’t always need to do more to go deeper. Sometimes staying with something—long enough to listen—does the work.

Grateful for everyone who practiced with me this month.

12/10/2025

Hi Merrill neighbors,

I’m exploring offering an in-person 6-week “Yoga for Absolute Beginners” series this winter at Athletic Club and would love your input.

This would be a gentle, therapeutic-style introduction — perfect if you’re brand new to yoga, feeling inflexible, or wanting a slower, more supportive pace. We’ll focus on simple movement, calming breath practices, and practical tools to ease tension and regulate your nervous system.

And just to name it: *you can start yoga at any age*.
Beginning later in life can be incredibly supportive for balance, mobility, strength, joint comfort, and overall wellbeing. No flexibility or experience required.

Winter naturally invites us to slow down and restore, so this series is designed to meet you right where you are and help you feel better in your body.

Each weekly class would be about an hour, with clear guidance and options for every body.

Before I finalize the schedule, I’d love your thoughts:
• Would this be of interest to you?
• What days/times work best for you? I’m open to daytime, late afternoon, or early evening depending on community interest.
• And if a group series doesn’t feel like the right fit, would you prefer individual 1:1 sessions instead?

Thanks so much for helping us shape offerings that support our community this season. 💛

12/05/2025

This month we can focus on nourishment, gentle heat, and comfort to support the body through this season of darkness + cold.

Winter invites us inward, but we don’t have to feel heavy or stagnant. Small, intentional choices help us stay balanced, energized, and emotionally steady.

✨ Move in the morning to uplift energy and shake off sluggishness.
✨ Bring in lightness + joy — music, dance, laughter, anything that sparks a little brightness.
✨ Seek variety and inspiration to keep the mind from getting stuck in the winter doldrums.
✨ Stay gently active every day, even if it’s just a short walk or a few mindful stretches.
✨ Nourish with warm, light foods like soups, steamed veggies, and legumes; minimize heavy, oily, or overly sweet foods that can slow digestion.
✨ Use stimulating spices such as black pepper, turmeric, ginger, or cinnamon to warm the system from within.

A little bit of warmth, rhythm, and mindful nourishment goes a long way during the winter season. Let’s support our bodies—and our spirits—with softness and steadiness.

11/17/2025

Seasonal shifts aren’t just about changing temperatures or fewer hours of sunlight — our bodies and minds feel the change too.
For many people, this time of year brings:

• Back or muscle aches
• Headaches or flu-like symptoms
• Fatigue and low motivation
• Increased craving for carbs or a little weight gain
• Disturbed sleep
• Lower libido
• Feeling less social
• Difficulty concentrating or processing
• Mood dips
• Overwhelm or anxiety
• Increased PMS or fibromyalgia symptoms

None of this means something is “wrong with you.” It’s simply your system adapting.

How yoga can help...

The beauty of yoga — especially slow, mindful Viniyoga — is that it meets you where you are and supports your whole system as it recalibrates.

Yoga can help you:

✨ Reduce aches and pains
✨ Lift energy gently
✨ Clear brain fog
✨ Focus your thoughts
✨ Reduce stress and anxiety
✨ Improve sleep
✨ Stabilize emotions
✨ Lift mood

Even a few focused minutes of movement + breath can help regulate your nervous system and ease the physical and emotional load that comes with seasonal changes.

Prefer something shorter or personalized?

If you’re not able to join live or online classes, or you want a shorter, very targeted practice, reach out.
I can help you build a simple 5–10 minute personal practice tailored to exactly what you’re experiencing.

11/10/2025

This month, I’m exploring a Viniyoga-inspired approach in my evening classes: one sequence, practiced over four weeks, with a gentle progression of awareness.

In Viniyoga, repetition isn’t about doing the same thing; it’s about refining, adapting, and noticing subtle shifts in body, breath, and mind.

Week 1 focuses on grounding and embodiment in the postures. Week 2 introduces breath adaptations, guiding and supporting movement.
Week 3 adds a short pranayama practice, inviting calm and subtle energy awareness.
Week 4 integrates body, breath, and mind, helping us carry a grounded presence off the mat.

By returning to the same sequence with these intentional layers, we create space to explore at our own pace, deepen awareness, and cultivate steadiness and ease — all key principles of Viniyoga.

This approach allows practice to meet each body where it is, while offering gentle opportunities for growth, discovery, and connection.

11/03/2025

Here’s how I teach forward fold (Uttanasana): with soft, bent knees!
When we release the idea of “perfect” alignment and focus on how it feels, the body opens more safely and naturally.

Yoga is about sensation and support, not shape 💛

How to actually do Uttanasana (Standing Forward Fold) the right way 🙆‍♀️✨
Small alignment changes = big difference for your spine and hamstrings!
✅ Bend your knees slightly to protect the lower back
✅ Bring your chest closer to your thighs
✅ Let your head and neck relax completely

Your yoga practice should feel like release, not strain 🌿

10/28/2025

I'm excited to partner with Riverside Athletic Club to teach this 6-week holiday season series - Relax & Renew.
A full hour yoga practice including yoga postures, breathwork, guided relaxation, and in-the-moment tools that can be used anytime as we are navigating the busy holiday season!

See comments for registration information.

10/27/2025

As we move deeper into autumn here in Wisconsin, the season itself reminds us of change - the trees let go, the wind picks up, and the earth begins to quiet. This shifting energy can sometimes leave us feeling unsteady or scattered.

This week's practice is about finding steadiness from the inside out - strengthening the hips, our foundation, and training our balance proactively. On the mat we practice sensing and responding before we lose our center.

Just as the trees root deeper to weather the wind, we can also ground ourselves - steady and supple, strong yet responsive.

10/12/2025

Just as the seasons continue to turn, our lives, too, are marked by transitions — both big and small.

Our yoga practice helps us meet those transitions with steadiness.

On the mat, we cultivate calm and presence in a space where we can control the environment and tune into the body. Over time, that same steadiness begins to move with us — off the mat and into our daily lives.

This week we’ll explore grounding and relaxation practices for this time of seasonal change

09/17/2025

For times such as these..

Read more: yungpueblo.substack.com

07/23/2025

Doing yoga homework on a rainy day... this is how we create sequences and provide a rationale for every pose, working up to a peak pose, preparing all the parts of the body and also compensating after more challenging poses to reset the body. This careful sequencing protects the body and also helps to prevent soreness after a practice.

This one will have 18 poses for a full 60-75 minute class. The peak pose is Maricyasana- Sage Twist.

06/30/2025

It's almost official! 😊
By the end of July I will be a RYT-500 yoga teacher! Just a few more teaching hours needed to be fully qualified!
Thanks to 5 Koshas Yoga & Wellness, Mary Hilliker and my amazing cohort! It's been a great experience, really deepening my knowledge and confidence in the depth and breadth of yoga!