Much of my work is in bridging yoga, or what yoga is at its core, with fitness and coaching clients. Ultimately, Yoga is about paying attention. Do you pay attention to what you’re doing when you dance? Then, how much do you notice? Do you notice the subtle differences from hip to hip, from twisting left to twisting right? Do you notice elation and frustration, sensation, pain, and lightness?

Yoga is not about the asana. To paraphrase David Nelson of Yoga Garden San Francisco: asana is one part of hatha yoga, which is but one part of a full and integral system of yoga. Do not try to categorize yoga.

And please, do not try to turn off your mind.

Turning off the mind, as an act, simply does not work all that well. Instead, consider your experience of those moments of awe and beauty when someone you love catches your eye. That’s yoga. Feeling. Connecting. Yoga on the mat is a small, small part of the bigger practice of paying attention and loving all of life. For many, it is the gateway into an experiential understanding of connectedness. A yogic practice, or process, can start by being service-oriented, people-oriented, or body-oriented as in a modern yoga class or a class based on Yogic Conditioning or Yogic Warrior Conditioning.  (see www.epicworkout.com).

Regarding your physical practice, consider this: I help people stop trying to fit their minds and bodies into classes and fitness routines, and rather, to take ownership of your body, your practice (and in many ways, your life) by starting with you, your intentions and attentions, and design your program from the inside out. What that depends on, depends on you.

@ The Sports Club/LA San Francisco

The Sports Club/LA San Francisco, the city’s premier club, is offing three specialty classes in April. All are open to SCLA members and non-members. Take one, two, or all three!
747 Market Street, San Francisco, CA 94043 (google map)

Tune In/Tune Up: Set yourself up for the most success.

Discover and use an effective process for preparing your joints and musculature to reap the most benefit from your exercise and yoga practice. We’ll use familiar techniques in new and fascinating ways to get more out of exercise. This class includes an active and mindful workout for all yogis and fitness enthusiasts.

Monday, April 13
5:30-6:30pm
Studio 2

Genius in Action: Place yourself at the center of your transformation.

Harness the energy of the group plus your own internal focus and learning to get more out of your training, practice, and life. We’ll use familiar techniques in new and fascinating ways to get more out of exercise. This class includes an active and mindful workout for all yogis and fitness enthusiasts.

Monday, April 20
5:30-6:30pm
Studio 2

Edge into Action: Create effortlessness and efficiency in challenging exercise.

Learn to ride the balance between effort and ease to recover more fully while you make faster progress in strength, flexibility and cardiovascular endurance. We’ll use familiar techniques in new and fascinating ways to get more out of exercise. This class includes an active and mindful workout for all yogis and fitness enthusiasts.

Monday, April 27
5:30-6:30pm
Studio 2

Yogic Warrior Conditioning: Expanding the Heart of Yogic Movement

with Alex Iglecia

Sunday, April 19, 2009
2:00 - 3:30pm

Yogic Warrior Conditioning® is a comprehensive health and fitness system that combines Yoga, Functional Training, Conditioning and Restorative Techniques to create strength, effortless movement, and deeper awareness of body, mind and spirit.

Mindful, natural movement and creativity transform our tissues and nervous system for better health and fitness, reduced stress, and enhanced coordination and clarity.

Yogic Warrior Conditioning® makes exercise more than exercise, and helps launch one’s yoga practice off the mat.

Yoga Garden San Francisco
286 Divisadero St, SF, CA 94117  (google maps)
(415) 552-9644

Sign up online today

Original examples of Conscious Movement include Feldenkrais, Alexander Technique, Tai Chi, and Yoga. Today’s clubs and fitness industry are moving in the direction of conscious movement, but are they going to get it right? For example, should a class with yoga postures + boxing + loud music be considered conscious movement? What is the difference, ultimately, between the vertical inclusion of meaning and the horizontal inclusion of body techniques? I want to offer four distinctions, or criteria I believe are necessary to help frame the conversation about what makes a session or class, Conscious. These points are found in all the great mind-body programs. Does yours meet the standard?

• Intention: intention to transform and explore what meaning might be found in meeting the upcoming challenges.
• Learning: expanding one’s repertoire, nervous system, brain wiring (and however else you put it) creates new connections. Transformation and consciousness are interested in new connections.
• Inquiry: You, the you that inquires, must make deep and meaningful connections with the observed (your body, your relationships, your thoughts and emotions)
• Awareness: What you are capable of being aware of, or your ability to ware, must expand.

With these points in place, you can be assured that the exercise you are sharing with others or practicing yourself is indeed more than just exercise.

Epic Workout and Yogic Warrior Conditioning is but one expression of Conscious Movement, one that happens to explore the relationship between yoga, functional training and transformation. Now go move, learn, heal, and transform!

Yogic Warrior Conditioning® is category of conscious movement or mind-body/body-mind practices that starts with you. Flipping a class experience on its head, you are the center and your health, fitness, meditation, movement goals are the tools we use. It’s about power and strength both internally and externally. It’s about making exercise more than exercise, and taking yoga off the mat.

Yogic Warrior Conditioning® is a comprehensive health and fitness system combining Yoga, Functional Training, Conditioning and Restorative Techniques in a way that creates usable strength, develops effortless movement, and deepens awareness of body, mind and spirit.

It’s mindful approach to natural movement and strong focus on awareness and creativity transform our tissues and nervous system to create a balance between improved health & fitness, reduced stress, and enhanced coordination & clarity.

Yogic Warrior Conditioning® makes exercise more than exercise, and helps launch one’s yoga practice off the mat.