Jeri Krieg Yoga

16/12/2023

Once again, thanking my beach yoga crew….we just donated to the Abuelos of Bucerias to help make Christmas special for these seniors in need.

19/04/2023

Thank you to my awesome beach yoga crew here at Ocean Terrace….I was able to donate $7,000 pesos from our yoga classes to my friend who works with Abuelos de Bucerias, a group that provides necessities to seniors in need.

25/09/2022

Sunday morning coffee and meditation in nature.

10/02/2022

This!!!!

10 THINGS TIME HAS TAUGHT ME~~
1. Most of our life is spent chasing false goals and worshipping false ideals. The day you realise that is the day you really start to live.
2. You really, truly cannot please all of the people all of the time. Please yourself first and your loved ones second, everyone else is busy pleasing themselves anyway, trust me.
3. Fighting the ageing process is like trying to catch the wind. Go with it, enjoy it. Your body is changing, but it always has been. Don’t waste time trying to reverse that, instead change your mindset to see the beauty in the new.
4. Nobody is perfect and nobody is truly happy with their lot. When that sinks in you are free of comparison and free of judgement. It’s truly liberating.
5. No one really sees what you do right, everyone sees what you do wrong. When that becomes clear to you, you will start doing things for the right reason and you will start having so much more fun.
6. You will regret the years you spent berating your looks, the sooner you can make peace with the vessel your soul lives in, the better. Your body is amazing and important but it does not define you.
7. Your health is obviously important but stress, fear and worry are far more damaging than any delicious food or drink you may deny yourself. Happiness and peace are the best medicine.
8. Who will remember you and for what, become important factors as you age. Your love and your wisdom will live on far longer than any material thing you can pass down. Tell your stories, they can travel farther than you can imagine.
9. We are not here for long but if you are living against the wind it can feel like a life-sentence. Life should not feel like a chore, it should feel like an adventure.
10. Always, always, drink the good champagne and use the things you keep for ‘best’. Tomorrow is guaranteed to no one. Today is a gift that’s why we call it the present. Eat, Drink & Be Merry.

~Donna Ashworth, From ‘to the women’

06/02/2022

Perfect for a Sunday!

22/11/2021

Small but mighty beach yoga warriors!

21/10/2021

Excited to be offering several classes at Mindful Yoga and Barre Studio in Bucerias starting in November! Come join me for restorative on Tuesdays or Foundations of Yoga on Saturdays!

20/07/2021

My Yoga Teacher Training class from 2015!

2015 - the year of lots of fun yogis in our teacher training program - and my co-teacher Nora Plonsky - who kept me on track and has the patience of a saint. This was our second biggest group. We usually have less than 10 in our YTT! The energy was sweet and high.

16/07/2021

July 15…today’s post relates to sleep. I will share some tips for a good night’s sleep as a helpful reminder. If you are like me, I have heard many of these típs before, but always appreciate reminders because maybe I’m ready to implement a new one.

Here’s some info maybe you haven’t heard before (from Alzheimer’s - The Science of Prevention) “So how does sleep actually affect our brains? It turns out that sleep may play a unique role in the development of Alzheimer’s disease. The quality of your daily sleep may in fact increase or decrease your risk for Alzheimer’s. And so important these days, we know that quality sleep is fundamentally important for a healthy immune system. So, it’s certainly clear why it’s so important to prioritize shuteye each day!
Of course, sleep does a whole lot more than influence your risk for Alzheimer’s disease. It appears to affect your hunger, your metabolic rate, your weight, your immune system and even the compassion you feel for others! These effects involve our thinking, choices, and emotional state. This means that sleep influences many aspects of our brain function.”

Continuing from the same article:
1. Maintain a sleep schedule that allows for 7-9 hours.
2. Stop caffeine by 2 pm.
3. Stop alcohol within 3 hours of bedtime.
4. Exercise regularly, but at least 4 hours before bedtime.
5. Get sunlight in the morning, especially right after you arise as the sunlight stops the production of melatonin and helps your body and brain wake up.
6. Cool your room to between 65 and 75 degrees at night.
7. Avoid blue light before bedtime. That includes tv and computers!
8. Do a meditation practice before bed.
9. Get tested for sleep apnea.
10. Ask your doctor about nutritional supplements for better sleep.

14/07/2021

Hello finally! I know it’s a day in July, and I also know I set a goal to post every day sharing how yoga can help us move towards improved well-being, which I have not met so far. The truth is, I am not a social media expert, which I now believe you must be to keep up. Navigating the recording of videos and then understanding how to get them posted has been a challenge. But here I am, finally seeing my latest video up on YouTube.

Here is a short and sweet warm up or morning time or anytime floor flow for you. https://youtu.be/2wOb2nfcoTA

08/07/2021

July 7, Day 7….How about some restorative yoga? Sometimes, at the end of the day, I am tired but realize I haven’t practiced yoga. Or maybe I want to slow things down before I go to bed. Restorative poses are a great way to relax and at the same time get some easy stretching in.

Here is a time-lapse video of a quick restorative practice. You need a couple pillows and a couple blankets, you can substitute them in for the props I am using.
Pose 1: Lying side bend - place a pillow or bolster under one side, and I need support under my head so my neck doesn’t hurt. You can hold this anywhere from 3-5 minutes, then change to the other side.
Pose 2: Reclining twist - I place the pillow between my knees so that I can fully relax my legs. Done on each side, holding again for 3-5 minutes or whatever feels good to you.
Pose 3: Mountain Brook - Reclining on your back, with a pillow under your knees, a towel/blanket under the shoulder blades, and something to support your head. Your arms should come out to the side above the blanket that is under your shoulder blades. Hold this one for 3-5 minutes.
Pose 4: Savasana. You could also do legs up the wall here for 5-10 minutes.

So, put on some soft music, maybe some nice incensed, breathe slow and even, and enjoy the practice.

08/07/2021

July 6, Day 6….Well, technical difficulties with FaceBook prevented me from posting the lovely yoga class I recorded for you….the video is lost somewhere out in FaceBook space and I am not sure when or if I will get it back! So, this is an opportunity for me to take a deep breath and accept what is and move on.

05/07/2021

July 5, Day 5 on our journey to well-being. Today we begin our exploration of the fourth pillar of wellness, food. As with any of the pillars, there are many directions we can go in….with food, we can talk about nutrition, weight, diets, among other topics. As I am exploring how we can use yoga to improve our wellness, I am approaching the concept of food as our relationship to it and to our bodies. I have been working through this lovely book, “Body Mindful Yoga, Create a Powerful and Affirming Relationship with Your Body”. I want to share from the book what I feel is a great introduction to yoga and the food pillar of wellness.

First of all, some of you may wonder how is this yoga? It is a common idea that yoga is just a form of exercise, stretching, and flexibility. In fact, yoga is a lifestyle, a way of being, defining ourselves from the inside, knowing that everything we need is already within us, that all living beings are connected. One of my hopes with my yoga teaching is that I provide you an opportunity to begin to create awareness within yourself, to put you in touch with all aspects of your being, at the same time as building strong and adaptable bodies.

From Body Mindful Yoga:
“TO EAT IT OR NOT TO EAT IT? THAT IS THE QUESTION
How many times a day do you bump up against this question (or one like it) in your mind as you navigate what, how, and when to eat? You are not alone if you experience moments of confusion or turmoil about nutrition, for we find ourselves embedded in a culture that complicates the definition of food and connects what we eat with our moral identity. Morality, by definition, is concerned with the principles of right and wrong behaviors and the goodness or badness of human character. Right and wrong, good and bad, and the many-layered meanings of these words have been applied to food, turning the act of nourishing our bodies into an issue of morality.”

This really spoke to me today as I read it and thought about how this is true in my relationship with food. So much right or wrong, good or bad and the guilt that is associated with what I eat or think about eating. I am personally working on recognizing these thoughts and practicing instead listening to my body, what it needs, and how I can best nourish it.

Please feel free to add your thoughts or comments if this speaks to you. If you would rather not do that here, please ask to join my private group where we can discuss in privacy and you will find additional information and practices. https://www.facebook.com/groups/183146549993387

05/07/2021

July 4…Happy Independence Day! I hope your day has been fun! Today’s post is about one of our 4 pillars (Exercise, Food, Sleep, Mental Health) and it is exercise. I am reposting a fun practice to help improve your balance.

Balance is the ability to maintain a stable position. Our brain takes in information from various body systems to determine how to move us back into balance. These systems include our inner ears, our vision, our touch, and our proprioception (how our brain feels where our body is in space). Some of these systems break down or decline with age, affecting our balance. The good news is that with practice, we can maintain and improve our balance over time.

Remember…..balance is not about being able to stand still like a statue, it is about teaching our bodies how to keep us stable in various situations we come across in daily life. So wobbling is a good thing! We need to keep challenging ourselves with balance….if you can be still like a statue when standing on one leg, take the pose to the next level by changing where you are looking, moving different body parts, or closing your eyes. Experiment, discover, and most of all, have fun and be curious!

Improve your balance with this fun, informative class!

02/07/2021

July 2, Day 2 on our journey to well-being. Yesterday we talked about a bedtime routine. Today is about a morning routine. Beginning our day with gratitude and breathing sets us up for a positive, optimistic outlook.

Watch the video below for some ideas to get started.

I talked about a quick journaling idea as well…it is called The Five Minute Journal if you’d like to check it out.

01/07/2021

July 1, Day One is all about the wellness pillar of sleep. I know personally, that if I don’t get enough sleep, the other three pillars of Exercise, Food, and Mental Health probably aren’t going to fall into place.

The National Institute on Aging suggests developing a bedtime routine is one place to start if you have trouble falling asleep. Shutting down TV and electronics 30 minutes before bedtime, drinking some chamomile tea, taking a warm bath, reading a book are all great sleep inducers. Another great bedtime routine is to do some relaxing yoga. Put on some soft music, put some lavendar in the diffuser, and let yourself relax and slow down.

The following video shows you how to get started on a new before bed routine. As you relax into the two poses I show, put your attention on your breath and without trying to change it, notice how your breath changes over the next 20 minutes. Where does the breath go in your body? With each exhale, let your shoulders relax a bit more, let your jaw soften, and scan your body for areas that might be tight or clenched and relax those parts. If your mind starts wandering or racing off, notice that, then bring your attention back to your breathing.