Meet the Teacher Angie C

Have you ever taken Angie C’s class? If you love a great flow, powerful intentions, & amazing music; Angie is your JAM! She is a woman wise beyond her years & with a soft powerful delivery she brings you to a place in your practice that allows you to see yourself as whole. Plus her Instagram game is on point! (hehe) give her a follow & find yourself in her class soon! *She has a day job in surgery but subs often & you can always find her in Glen Ellyn Sundays (worth the trip if you are not in the neighborhood). 

1. When & how did you come to yoga yourself?

As vulnerable this answer is, I know many others resort to yoga for the same reason. I suffered from severe depression, anxiety and an eating disorder the majority of my life. I had only ever known the feeling of constant anxiety until I took my first yoga class with our loved Lara when I was 14 years old and was introduced in a new light the actual feeling of being present for once while in savasana. Later on when I was in treatment and was exploring  yoga, my doctors would have me sit down and list the 7 attitudes of mindfulness before every appointment. I saw how my treatment and what was talked about in yoga align in harmony and found it be the best prescription I have ever received!

2. What made you decide to start teaching (or take TT)? 

I became a regular practicing yoga at a health club where many teachers were surprised to see someone so young take the practice seriously. They suggested I become a teacher but it was not until I found a teacher who’s style I loved and saw how much my practice had helped me in all aspects that I wanted to share what I learned to those around me.

3. Favorite yoga pose: Horizon lunge, because who doesn’t love a good hip opener?! And it’s a great transition posture to another favorite, half moon.

 

4. Who inspires your teaching?

Without a doubt, Jenny T. She teaches in a style I love to practice in. Her classes are dance-like which I admire with my gymnastics background but her classes also leave you questioning and laughing at how you ended up in one posture to the next so effortlessly because she teaches so simply! My students as well inspire me, reminding me the purpose of why I teach. I love to see them get lost in their practice, hear their breath, see their expressions, periods of rest and of course their stories after class! It reminds me why so many of us prioritize our time on our mat.

 

5. Tips for beginners (or advanced yogis maybe):

Do what feels good! almost daily I hear people become attached to the idea that they can’t do yoga because they’re not “good at it”. There is no such thing as “being good” at yoga! Each time we come to our mats we will feel different physically, mentally, emotionally, energetically. Accept what is and move to what feels most healing to you in the moment. You will see if you take that on and off the mat, you will be much more content in life.

 

6. Favorite quote: 

“Seek to be whole, not perfect”

 

7. Instagram name:

@angelinanahata  <— Her car stories will make you laugh out loud & probably spit out your smoothie! Your jaw will drop when you see this lady lift! She is a Jill of all trades & funny funny funny! Give her a follow. 

 

8. Interesting fact about you:

I live the best of both worlds. During the day I am in the operating room, by night I’m in the yoga studio! I assist in a variety of surgery at a level 1 trauma hospital including neurosurgery and transplant!

 

9. When I am  not doing yoga I like to;

Weightlift but I’ll pass on the cardio and explore all the cutest coffee shops! My favorites are Brewpoint in Elmhurst, My Half of The Sky in Wheaton and Sip of Hope in Logan Square!

Wellness Wednesday: Honoring Yourself

I think we often come face to face with this idea that our best is never good enough. We may find the excuse that it is because “there’s always room for growth”. In all reality, however, we are always a student and we are exactly where we need to be.

We struggle to question who’s expectation of “good enough” we are truly attempting to fulfill. We may not fulfill someone else’s idea of the best, but the thankfully it is not our resposibility to satsify. It is important we detach ourselves from others and remain dedicated to attain our individual purpose.

Our mind has a tendency to flirt with the idea of being the best at everything aspect of our life. If we try to be the best, we run the risk of becoming lost to our originality because we are striving to fit into an idea of success that is not ours. In doing so, we lose out on the beauty of authenticity and diversity that inspires others.

When we give ourselves permission to release our perfectionist outlook, we learn to create a life free of regret when we choose to move to our own natural rhythm that is good enough for us. We experience a deep sense of gratitude despite what others perspectives have of our situation.

Namaste!

Angie

*Click HERE from your computer or open your YBD or Mindbody App for our Virtual Class Schedule*

*Studios and class schedules open 6/26/2020 with modifications. Please visit yogabydegrees.net for more information*

Meet the Teacher Jill Lu

Jill knows the importance of pushing yourself physically & giving your body time to rest. Both on & off the mat Jill is a leader who connects with her students on a real level. She has an attitude that will brighten your day & allow you to see how strong you really are – inside & out! Unroll your mat with Jill one Sunday morning (or in one of the MANY classes she subs throughout the week) & merge your workout with your workIN! 

1. When & how did you come to yoga yourself? I discovered my love for yoga about 6 years ago while I was going through a transitional period in my life. My friend, Nikki, suggested I take Loreta’s class with her and I fell in love with yoga.

2. What made you decide to start teaching (or take TT)? I am a Dean at a high school and wanted to implement yoga in some way. After teacher training at YBD I started an alternative to detention yoga program with our restorative justice team. I always loved taking HIIT/Pilates with Carole and trained for that as well and was really excited to teach it.

3. Favorite yoga pose: Savasana

4. Who inspires your teaching? There are so many instructors that inspire my teaching at YBD. I try to learn a little every time I take a class.

5. Tips for beginners (or advanced yogis maybe): Keep going! Some of it may seem difficult at first, but it is so exciting to see what you can accomplish if you continue your practice.

6. Favorite quote:🌈 “Try to be a rainbow in someone’s cloud” Maya Angelou 🌈

7. Instagram name: jilllupescu

8. When I am  not doing yoga I like to;  Spend time with my family and friends.  I enjoy running, biking, concerts, or anything that puts me outdoors.

Wellness Wednesday: Romanticizing Every Aspect

Our tendency to fall into the ordinary without recognition of subtle beauties may be a result of our distorted expectations. Perhaps we may be inspired to infuse our idealistic expectations with what is real in our life. In doing so, we begin to realize what can realistically be cultivated in our life. When we accept that the directions we take may be different than what we originially planned, the reality of our inner and outer world actually becomes a more captivating place.

Infusing our ideals with our reality may only saturate our lenses rose. While an ideal can be exciting to grasp, sometimes it may hinder us. Our ability to set too high of an expectation can leave us feeling discouraged if we do not reach our ideal outcome. We may become so hyperfocused that we lose sight of our realistic periphery. When we allow ourself to firmly ground into our current reality, we learn to truly experience the abundance that life has to offer which results in our growing gratitude to recognize the subtle beauties in our everyday life.

Namaste!

Angie

Click HERE from your computer or open your YBD or Mindbody App for our Virtual Class Schedule

*Important Note-ALL Virtual Classes are listed under our Elmhurst location

Pose of the Month: Reclining Bound Angle / Supta Baddha Konasana

Supta Baddha Konasana or Reclining Bound Angle Pose can be modified for every student’s resistance needs by adding props & adjusting distance.

1 Exhale & slowly lower your back torso toward the floor. Support your head & neck on a blanket roll or bolster if you would like. (In the picture Krista is supporting her head with a block & opening her heart space with another block.)

2 Bring the soles of your feet together & seperate your knees. Customize this pose by bringing your feet closer or further from your trunk.

***Here is the resistance part: Not only can you bring your feet closer or further from you, you can also place your knees on props like  blocks or blankets to bring the earth up to meet you.  For a deeper expression you could put a block or blanket under the pinky edge of your feet too!

3 With your hands grip the tops of your thighs and rotate externally (away from your center). Lay your arms on the floor, angled at about 45 degrees from the sides of your torso, palms up or down or like the image; one hand on your heart & one hand on your belly.

4 Avoid the natural tendency to push the knees toward the floor. Use props to customize the shape & remain there for a few minutes. After a bit you may find moving or adjusting the props will increase sensation. Remember to stay in the sensation realm & stay away from pain.

To come out, use your hands to press your knees together & place your feet firmly on the earth, roll over onto one side and push yourself away from the floor, head comes up last.

Benefits

• Stimulates abdominal organs, ovaries and prostate gland, bladder, and kidneys.
• Stimulates the heart and improves general circulation.
• Stretches the inner thighs, groins, and knees.
• Helps relieve mild depression, anxiety, and fatigue.
• Soothes menstrual discomfort and sciatica.
• Helps relieve the symptoms of menopause.

SOUP-tah BAH-dah cone-NAHS-anna)
supta = lying down, reclining
baddha = bound
kona = angle

Meet the Teacher Becca S

Becca has a way of making us all feel graceful & fun like dancers in her class. Her choreography background shines though & her ability to meet you on your mat & give you the direction & space you need is unbeatable. You won’t leave her class feeling like a different person, you will leave class feeling more like yourself than ever before!

1. When & how did you come to yoga yourself?

I dabbled in yoga during high school and college but I didn’t really find my consistent practice until 2013. I was 22, living with my parents in Wisconsin, totally lost, and anxious about the concept of being an adult. Yoga calmed me and gave me a space to release that anxiety, let go of the need to control, and open up to what the world had to offer outside “My Plan.” I moved to Illinois and found my way to YBD in early 2014 and I was instantly hooked! I started teacher training a few months later 🙂

2. What made you decide to start teaching (or take TT)?

I was previously a dancer and I did a lot of choreography for various dance and performing arts throughout high school and college. After I graduated, I missed having a creative outlet. I also didn’t know anyone in the Chicago suburbs and thought it would be a good way to meet some like-minded people. Teaching yoga has offered me not only a creative outlet but a chance to connect with people on a more personal level. It’s been a real gift!

3. Favorite yoga pose:

It changes often, but lately I’ve really been loving upavistha konasana (wide-angle seated forward fold) because it’s both grounding and opens up the hips, hamstrings and lower back really nicely!

4. Who inspires your teaching?

So many people – but especially other teachers at the studios. If I’m ever feeling blocked creatively, I take a yoga class. I also love Instagram as a resource for new ways to explain poses or as a resource for challenging transitions and variations to offer in my classes.

5. Tips for beginners (or advanced yogis maybe):

No matter what your skill level is, practice according to your current state of mind. The best way to get the most out of your practice is to be in your body. Listen to its messages and take them to heart. That’s when you really start to feel connected and you can start to see shifts in your body and your mind.

6. Favorite quote: 

All poems by Erin Hanson (@thepoeticunderground on Instagram)

Also, “Happiness is letting go of what you think your life is supposed to look like and celebrating it for everything that it is.” – Mandy Hale

7. Instagram name:

@bee.yoga

8. Interesting fact about you:

I have the goal of visiting every National Park in the U.S. So far, by boyfriend and I have hiked at 13 of them! <—Let Becca know your favorite park, maybe share some hiking trails & must see spots! 

9. When I am  not doing yoga I like to;

Spend time with my family and be outside! I also love to read, cook, and befriend every dog I meet.

Wellness Wednesday: Owning What’s Ours

Sometimes the pulsating stimulation we absorb from our outer and inner worlds can present itself as a challenging aspect of our life. We can experience such a great amount of intensity without precisely understanding why which leaves us to question why we feel the way we do.

We can retake control of our own power by becoming valiant enough to concisely analyze the foundation of our emotions. Our ability to confront our challenges with ownership may influence us to shift from one emotional state to another. During this shift we learn to detach, let go of what no longer serves us now that we have defined it, examine the effect it had on us, and then exert our dominance over it by making it our own.

However we may percieve our emotions, whether they be positive or negative, we must carefully define specifically the reaction taking place within us. While it may be easy to lessen our voices in times of anxiety of such intensity, the precision in which we express ourself suggests our overall willingness to confidently stare at our feelings in the face without flinching.

In doing so, we may surprise ourself with how liberated we feel. Our action to make a clear connection between our circumstances and our feelings unravels the hidden questions that previously kept us from being in complete control of our emotional state. To give voice to our feelings, we must detach from them. As we progress, we experience and feel emotional equilibrium.

Namaste!

Angie

Click HERE from your computer or open your YBD or Mindbody App for our Virtual Class Schedule
NOTE: ALL virtual classes are located under ELMHURST location

Meet the Teacher Todd C

Are you looking for a challenge? Do you like to learn the why & how? Find yourself in one of Todd’s classes & be prepared to walk out a whole different yogi! The way Todd sequences his classes is so intelligent you will amaze yourself at what you can do physically on your mat. But it wont stop there, his understanding of yoga philosophy will keep you coming back for more. Go ahead, ask him anything, Todd loves to learn & share his love for yoga.  

1. When & how did you come to yoga yourself? I came to yoga rather late in life. I was in my mid 40’s and a distance cyclist. I knew I needed to work of my flexibility and yoga seemed the best method.

2. What made you decide to start teaching (or take TT)? I kept hearing the logic messages in class and I wanted to deepen my practice and understanding of yogic philosophy. I never intended to teach.

3. Favorite yoga pose: On a good day, Urdva Kukatasana – upward facing cock pose. It requires flexibility, strength and the willingness to fail while learning!

4. Who inspires your teaching? Lately I have been inspired by Dylan Werner, an amazing yogi and super challenging teacher. I love his creative transitions and approach to arm balances.

5. Tips for beginners (or advanced yogis maybe): Practice for the sake of practicing, and let go of the outcome. “Practice, and all is coming.”

6. Favorite quote: Never give up, always let go.

7. Instagram name: YogiTodd <—There are so many female insta yogis, give Todd a follow for a great look into a male’s perspective of the yoga world…plus he takes great trips! 

8. Interesting fact about you: I started working when I was six years old. That is when I got my first paper route. And Alas, I have been working ever since!

9. Regular teaching schedule: 

Tuesdays in Elmhurst, YBD2 at 4:30 – buckle up for this one! <— Well now I am interested, whos joining me??

Wednesdays in Western Springs – Restorative at 4:30 and a YBD1 at 6.

Thursdays in Downers Grove, YBD2 at 6 pm.

10. When I am  not doing yoga I like to: TRAVEL! Hiking, cycling, seeing live music and spending time with my lovely wife, Monique.

Wellness Wednesday: Unity From Within

When our hearts are heavy from seemingly chaos, we feel the urge to transform the situation from one of turbulence into one of peace. Yet we feel discouraged when our best attempts do not feel enough. Perhaps we experience this because we feel we do not have to offer the extent to what the world truly needs. What we crave is peace, but peace simply begins in our own minds and hearts, not outside of ourselves. Until our peace becomes firmly rooted within, we cannot manifest it externally to all around us. We must be receptive and brutally honest towards ourself in order to grasp the sensation of genuine peace.

We may be inspired by those who manifest peace internally as we come to realize that they are not different from us. As humans we each have racing thoughts and saturated emotions. We can learn that these peacemakers avoid lending their energy to unprocessed thought and emotion to manifest in its current state. Instead, those thoughts and feelings can simply rise and fall just like the ebb and flow of the ocean. Luckily, we each have this ability to choose how we focus our energy. We begin to see our thoughts and feelings unattached where they no longer become a threat to the internal stillness we have cultivated.

When we are able to acknowledge a sense of grounding in the midst of chaos, we are reminded that we discovered a lasting relationship with peace that influences and inspires us each day, in various situations, that we can access at anytime. For the meantime in our attempt to discover such stillness, we can help the world most by observing our thought, action and decision to choose peace within.

Namaste!

Angie

Click HERE from your computer or open your YBD or Mindbody App for our Virtual Class Schedule

*Important Note-ALL Virtual Classes are listed under our Elmhurst location*