new year | new schedule

New Year ||| New Schedule

i hope you all have a lovely and happy new years eve, and are enjoying this beautiful first day of the year! it's' a new year, and i'm now teaching some new classes! here's my schedule starting on this Saturday going forward! would love to see you all! let's start this year off right.

Saturday

8:30 - 9:45am Open Flow, The Yoga Loft, The Bedford Post Inn

2pm Open Level, Kaia Yoga, Westport

Sunday

9:30 - 10:30am Vinyasa Flow, Oxygen Fitness, New Canaan

Monday

12:15 - 1:15pm Open Flow, Intensity Fitness, Norwalk

6:15 - 7:30pm Vinyasa, The Yoga Loft, The Bedford Post Inn

Tuesday

7:30 - 8:30am Hot Vinyasa Flow, Chelsea Piers, Stamford

Wednesday

5:45 - 6:45pm Vinyasa Level 2, Equinox, Darien

Thursday

7:30 - 8:30am Hot Vinyasa Flow, Chelsea Piers, Stamford

Friday

4:30 - 5:30pm Sweet Release Restorative, Intensity Fitness, Norwalk

xx

nance 

Fall Schedule!

Fall is creeping in on us, you can feel it in the air. It's a period of transitions, of change. And with that, my schedule has changed! Here it is, please come join me on the mat! 

Monday

12:15 - 1:15pm Vinyasa @ Intensity Gym, Norwalk, CT

6:15 - 7:30pm Vinyasa @ Bedford Post Inn, Bedford, NY (Begins 9/8)

Wednesday

5:45 - 6:45pm Power Vinyasa @ Equinox, Darien, CT

Friday

11am - 12pm Yoga Stretch @ Intensity Gym, Norwalk CT (Subbing for a beautiful friend on maternity leave, beginning on 9/5) 
4:30 - 5:30pm Sweet Release @ Intensity Gym, Norwalk CT 

Saturday

8:30 - 9:45am Open Flow @ Bedford Post Inn, Bedford, NY 

Sunday

9:30 - 10:30am Vinyasa @ Oxygen Fitness, New Canaan, CT

*Privates upon request*

Hope to see you all on the mat!! 

xx

nance

self-exploration

“I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up where I intended to be” – Douglas Adams

The mindful practice of yoga is one of revelation….of exploration. We explore in order to revel ourselves, to ourself. To truly get to know whom we are. It is an on-going journey of self-exploration. Yoga is the original mind-body workout….it is meditation in action.

I came to yoga originally for the physical aspects, to sweat and stretch, to work my body. But once I began, I realized the mental clarity I felt after each practice. I wanted more. I wanted to explore, and keep exploring. I wanted to reach within, get to know myself. Yoga became a process of self exploration for me, a process of healing. My body felt balanced, inside and out. My energy was up, yet I was relaxed. Yoga gave me patience and resilience. It has taught me how to cope with the stresses of life. Yoga has given me a more balanced state of mind. And don’t get me wrong, I’m not a master at any of those feelings or tapping into them. It’s an ongoing process of self relazation. I practice and continue on my journey of yoga to explore. To know more.

It’s easy to get lost, confused, feel uncertain, resistant. It’s in those times that we are lost we can really get to know ourselves. We learn how to cope, how to move forward. We turn inward. When we are in places that feel foreign, even when we travel somewhere new, our outer world changes. It forces us to go inside to what we know. We sit there and explore. We see who we are.

I urge you to keep asking questions, keep excavating, inquiring, learning. When you feel something, get to know it even better. Explore that feeling. Know what sensations arise within, how your body physically reacts. Life is crazy, it’s a whirlwind everyday with all that we have to do. Make sure you take a little time each day to slow down.

Make sure you explore. And then explore some more.

yoga schedule

Come out and flow with me in the beautiful dance and art that is yoga! 

Monday

4:15 Kids Program @ Darien YMCA

Tuesday

4pm @ Be Shri Yoga in Greenwich

6:30pm @ Yoga Vie in Port Chester 

Wednesday

10:30am @ Carozza Fitness in Stamford

12pm @ M3Yoga in Westport

4:15pm @ Yoga Vie in Port Chester

Thursday

7:30pm @ Carozza Fitness in Stamford

Friday

4:30pm @ Intensity Fitness in Norwalk

*live gloriously in the power of love*

Where you are now...

Where you are now...is exactly where you are meant to be. 

About 6 years ago in San Diego, when I began practicing yoga, a teacher of mine once said during class, 'where you are now is exactly where you are meant to be.' And boy did that stick with me. That phrase rings through my ears and mind every single day. Every day when I wake up, even when I am feeling down...I know this is where I am meant to be. I am at a certain place in my journey of life that is just simply right for me. And my practice teaches me that.

Yoga teaches us a way of seeing that creates beautiful opportunies for us to recognize ourselves better. It ties the strands of the mind together - uniting our mental state with our physical being. Enabling us to attain what was previously unattainable. Yoga lets us know that this moment is our moment, every moment is one to take full grasp of. 

Every moment is a moment of love, creation, beauty, and growth. 

All of our attention is directed toward the activity in which we are currently engaged. Being this attentive lets us perform each task better - we become conscious of our actions - we are pulled into the here and now. 

I may be struggling in some poses during my practice, waiting for the next instruction, the next asana, but I stay, I stay with it....I stay in the pose and stay with my breath. I am in the here and now, and can find some peace in what may be a challenging pose by focusing on my breath and letting go of fear or discomfort. Know that this moment will pass, so why not stick with it? See what it can do for you? This pose is where I am meant to be. It is challenging for a reason. It is teaching me how to be in challenging situations off of the mat. How can I handle those? 

Am I present even in the most uncomfortable of postures? Of situations? Yes. Just do it. Let it be easy. Be here, right now. For right here is the safest place to be. This moment is the perfect moment - it's as if it was created just for you, it's your moment - take it, breath it in, live in it, and learn. 

Where you are now...is exactly where you are meant to be. Enjoy the moment lovelies. 

Drop The Control?

Let go of control. Let go of expectation. Let go of that to do list. 

Just let go. 

&

Simply be.

Live in the flow of life. Let things happen, and adapt when they do. If that is hard for you, take this as a challenge, and overcome it (New Years resolution anyone?). Do not try to control every situation. Do not expect a certain outcome. The things in our life happen for a reason and we must learn to accept that. We must learn how to see each situation for what it is. To be present in the moment. Work with what we are given. 

If you do this, you live life more freely, more full of love. 

You understand that life just is, and it will happen whether we try to control it or not....so why add the stress of assumption? 

Let life flow through you, let love come in. 

Let go, let go, let go. This world is filled with light and happiness - if you are to control anything, make it the conscious decision to be happy. Your soul is stronger than you think and you have the power within you to choose happiness. To choose to make the best of every situation. 

I invite you to go out and do just that. Let go of control. Simply let life be, live in the flow of it, and accept all that is. See the beauty all around you. 

Relish in the happiness of this unconditionally loving universe.

A Single Step

Begin with a single step.

Treat your yoga practice this way. The first step in mastering an advanced pose is simply giving it a try. And knowing that there is no such thing as failure. If you fall, that's great...you're one step closer already because you tried, you gave it your all. And you can try again. Don't let fear stop you. 

Start right now, take the step - take a leap of faith. Trust in your body, for your body can do amazing things. 

Drop expectation, drop judgement, drop your ideals, drop jealousy. Don't look at anyone else's practice.  Pick up strength, pick up determination, pick up faith, pick up trust. Look at your practice and your own journey in yoga. 

What can you work on to help you achieve the advanced pose? Never ever give up. Be patient. 

Feel good in your practice. Trust your body and listen to it. What does it need right now? Don't push yourself, with each day and each step you take, you are inching closer to your goals.  Yoga teaches us to love our bodies, to love where we are, right here, right now. 

Take the step....hell, take a leap. Jump in. Enjoy the ride. 

happy holidays!

Give the gift of yoga this holiday season! 

1 hour: $75

3 hour long sessions: $185

5 hour long sessions: $320

Holiday Yoga Party? I'm all in! Parties of 10 + people will receive a 20% discount! 

Happy Thanksgiving, Merry Christmas, and Happy Holidays! 

Namaste for the Holiday! 

(be) graceful

I’ve always loved the word Grace, and the meaning behind it. First off, my name, Nancy, means grace(ful). I chose it to be my confirmation name as well. But the meaning of grace is so powerful, so beautiful.

In the dictionary grace is defined as: (n) simple elegance or refinement of movement. (v) do honor or credit to (someone or something) by one’s presence.

It’s so beautiful. And grace directly relates to our yoga practice. We open to grace when we practice our asanas. We lead with our hearts opened and an attitude of infinite possibility and support. Marianne Williamson says it perfectly...."To open to Grace is to ask that only loving, helpful thoughts remain in our minds, and all the rest be let go.”

Grace & gratitude come from the same latin root, meaning “free.” Grace is an unmerited favor, you do not need to earn it, it is simply there. Just open up and be able to receive. When we receive Grace, we offer our gratitude. Thank you thank you thank you becomes a mantra.

Practicing yoga removes obstructions. We are gifted with free will, the freedom of life. We open ourselves up to Grace. We fill ourselves with the love of gratitude. We realize we are not alone. 

yoga sculpt

Come join me for a strong powerful yoga sculpt practice every Tuesday & Thursday at 8am, and Wednesdays at 12pm at M3Yoga Studio in Westport. It's a perfect compliment to your regular vinyasa practice! 

Let's face it….most of us don't want to go to the gym and lift weights or run on that sweaty treadmill. So, let's bring that to the yoga mat instead! Yoga Sculpt is a total body workout. It gives us strength and stability by the combination of our power flow and weight training. The light weights create resistance and intensify each pose. With mindful movement we work the smaller muscle groups, as well as the main ones. Exercises such as squats and lunges help build lean muscle mass. But we always remember, it is yoga at the core of each pose. 

For me, Sculpt always leaves me surprised at how strong my body is. It's an invigorating challenge with many rewards. Yoga resonates with each of us differently - I encourage you to try Sculpt - to find how the practice ignites you, what it does for you. How does yoga motivate you? How does your practice serve you? 

Come join me! I promise a light loving laughter filled studio where you can work to better yourselves and leave feeling refreshed and energized with your strong beautiful body! 

(be) open hearted

(Personal photo taken at Torrey Pines, La Jolla CA in 2009)

Mantra: I am a being of light & love. My heart is open - I experience life freely, playfully, and fully. I experience life with no hesitation. I celebrate love by giving it all I have. I let it manifest in all ways possible. I let it from through me as the loving being that I am. Love is not yours, love is not mine, love just is. In love & with my open heart - I am free. 

Instead of visioning what love is, let's envision what love feels like - all day long. In yoga - it's in every asana, in the meditation, in savasana. Our hearts often become so closed and guarded due to a variety of things such as a break up, a fight with a friend, losing someone close. It happens, shit happens. But we must work to keep our hearts balanced. 

Our deepest wounds are opportunities for growth and transformation. 

Keeping the heart balanced requires a deep ongoing commitment - seek freedom in the heart and remain open by connecting with those around you. In yoga - it's the asana, breath work, and healthy living that will support the functioning of the physical heart. Stretch it, balance it. Open the heart chakra. Elevate your conciousness to heal imbalances in the system. Help heal yourself. 

The worst prison would be a closed heart. Surrender, and love where you are at right this moment. Open your heart and experience more love and joy. 

(be) a fighter

I recently woke up with sharp pains in my chest....one of the most terrifying feelings. After a trip to the ER, and multiple doctor consultations, I was at a loss, and so were they. No one could figure out why I felt such sharp pains to the left side of my chest. I couldn't take a deep breath, I couldn't lay on my back, I couldn't open a window, couldn't reach down to put my shoes on...it was all too painful. I was scared. 

After two days of resting, and no results, I really began to think about what stresses I had put on my body this past week. I began to reflect, and to listen to my body. Then I remembered I did take a fall out of handstand last week, twisting my shoulder. It hurt a little, but then nothing came of it. Reflecting back, that type of rotation though? Something must have popped. 

So off to the chiropractor I went. 6 of my ribs were unaligned, my shoulder had slightly popped out, as well as my bicep. He worked on them, and the sharp pains lifted. I felt a sense of relief.

Later that evening, the pain returned. I couldn't breathe deeply, and even my regular shorter breaths hurt. Blood work came back showing I have some type of infection....Another restless night of sleep, interrupted by shooting pains. Fear took over. 

But I woke up this morning with a new outlook, despite the ongoing pain. I had to let go of my fear. I am going to be ok. I am going to fight whatever this is. I can get through whatever life throws my way. I have an incredible support system, I am a healthy 23 year old, and combined with positive thinking, I will fight whatever is hurting me, and come out stronger. 

I have learned to listen to my body. I have learned rest is one of the most important things we can do for ourselves. I have learned to never give up. I have learned it's ok to rely on others for help and support. 

I am a fighter.