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When a wise farmer is considering buying a horse, they always know to examine the horse's mouth. Because the condition of the horse’s mouth reflects the health of its entire body. No farmer will fork over top dollar for a horse with missing choppers or sore gums. In horses, like humans, dental problems signal other health problems.

Poor oral health has been linked to diabetes and ulcers, but the most striking correlation is with cardiovascular diseases (heart disease, stroke, and atherosclerosis). Several studies have reported that heart disease patients have higher rates of tooth decay and gum disease.

Roberts J. Genco of the University of Buffalo studied 1,372 people over 10 years and reported that heart disease was three times more prevalent for those with gum disease. Another study, published in the Brittish Medical Journal, reported that people with inflammation of the gums had a 25% increased risk of heart disease.

Researchers believe that the oral bacteria that cause dental disease, enter the bloodstream through small tears in the gums. These bacteria cause inflammation in the circulatory system. It seems that if you have good dental health you are likely to have good cardiovascular health too!

How Does Oil Pulling Work?

Oil pulling is 3,000 year old Ayurvedic Medicine practice that is used as an oral therapy. Turns out research supports this practice, oil pulling is believed to help in the excretion of toxic heavy metals, and works to “pull” bacteria, viruses and protozoa from the oral cavity. Oil pulling has been found to be effective in fighting gingivitis, plaque, tooth decay and microorganisms that cause bad breath (bacteria).

How does this work? Well most microorganisms inhabiting the mouth are single-celled. Cells are covered with a lipid (fatty membrane) that serves as the cell’s skin. When these cells come into contact with oil (fat), they adhere to each other.

According to Ayurveda the tongue is connected to various organs (kidneys, heart, lungs, small intestine, and spine). Oil pulling is believed to activate salivary enzymes which absorb toxins (chemical, bacterial, environmental) from the blood and are removed from the body through the tongue. Which is why this practice is said to detoxify and purify the entire human body. One counter argument is that since the oral mucosa is not a semipermeable membrane, toxins of the body from the blood cannot pass through it.

Here are the steps:

First thing in the morning, put one tablespoon of organic cold pressed coconut oil (this is what I use - thank you Costco and Amazon) in your mouth and swish it around. You can start with 5 minutes. And work your way up to 10, then 15, and ultimately reach the goal of 20 minutes of swishing. All you need is a gentle swish, move the oil all around and between your teeth. Do not swallow any of the liquid. Remember this process is “pulling” bacteria and toxins from your mouth. When you are done, this is very important, spit it out in the trash can. If you spit it in the sink, the oil can clog the pipes! Next, thoroughly wash your mouth with clean warm saline water or tap water and clean your teeth with your finger or use routine tooth brushing (use a different toothbrush than your normal one).

I personally jumped right to the 20 minutes per day of oil pulling. I did not have any jaw soreness or tightness, and I thought why not try to extract (pun intended) the full benefit? Admittedly on some days I swish for 15 minutes or 18 minutes. I use coconut oil, because I like the taste and also it has the added benefit of lauric acid which has anti-microbial agents and anti-inflammatory properties.

Benefits:

Your gums should become pinker and healthier. The practice is said to resolve dry mouth/throat and chapped lips. Really there are endless purported benefits, your teeth should become whiter, breath fresher, oral cavity muscles and jaws stronger. I am just going to keep going, but trust me this list isn’t exhaustive.

  • Prevention of dental caries, gingivitis, oral candidias and periodontitis
  • Tooth pain reduction
  • Fixes mobile teeth
  • Improves  oral hygiene.

When practiced regularly it will freshen and stimulate the mind and strengthen your senses. It is beneficial for sore throats, dry face, impaired vision, taste loss and anorexia.

Need I say more?

Get swishing,

LM

P.S. please comment below or reach out to me if you have tried this method. I would love to know how it has worked for you. Also, if you try the method after reading this post, please let me know how it goes! Email [email protected], mahalo!

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Aloha Everyone,

I wanted to share with you this Summer offering of mine. I announced the release of this Goal Chaser Series two weeks ago, before the world changed. The BLM Movement has rocked the world for the better, including my own (world). Nonetheless, I went silent on sharing this since the day I mentioned it. As last week I was immersed in reading about race and all matters related to BLM.

As a PhD student, I generally crawl out of my academic hibernation each Summer and say hello to all of my yoga students and jump back into my life mission work. Given my own shift in focus over the last week, I went back and forth on whether or not I should postpone all of my Summer offerings, or whether I shall proceed as scheduled.

With everything I’ve learned in the last week, silence is deadly. I am choosing to share this offering with you all, and I feel now is as important a time as ever before to take a new look at our goals. It’s as good a time as ever to question how we show up in the world. And no time like the present, we start a week from tomorrow (June 15th)!

Please consider joining me for this 4-week adventure online via Zoom. The weekly lectures are 60-minutes long. There is a bit of homework each week. There is some yoga practice included in the series as well. All lectures will be recorded, in case you live in Germany and don't wish to wake up at 5AM to join the lecture live.

Please email me at [email protected] if you are interested.

So much love to you all,

LML

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Art and Poem by Morgan Harper Nichols.

Aloha Everyone,

As much as I would like to write a heartfelt reflection for you, I am struggling. I’ve had endless thoughts over the last week on George Floyd and the Black Lives Matter movement. And though I have felt compelled to share my two cents, I am going to try to keep it very brief.

In my first draft of this email to you, I wrote, "Now is not the time to amplify my own voice. I truly believe that message. Now is the time to shine the lights on black voices." I am noticing my own speech patterns and have been hyperaware of my words, and as such, I sent this email to a black yoga student and friend of mine, Leana.

Her only feedback to me was this:

"Your message is lovely and very clear.

The only thing I would say is that you shouldn’t be silent. (Not saying that you are), but Your voice needs to be amplified. And you are amplifying you’re voice, especially since you are talking about systemic racism and giving your readers suggestions on material they can read to learn to do better. That’s amplification right there!

Black voices are being heard right now but we also need allies, like you, who have a voice in the community ?. I keep telling people that silence is so loud and people notice."

As for the reading material I advise, keep reading. I asked my friend if I should delete the originally stated line, and she responded, "No, no, no. Not at all."

She recommended the correction to write, “Now is the time to amplify my voice.” 

And she finished with, "Because now is the time ??‍♀️." - Thank you, Leana!


 So, here I go. I want to acknowledge this important moment in our lives. First came the pandemic and months of fear and chaos. And now the entire world has galvanized around creating lifelong change. We are living in a pivotal moment in history, to say the least. The year 2020 will be in the history books, with a loud message. 

Behind the scenes, I have been reading, learning, and talking to family about race. On the one hand, I have never really had these conversations with my family. But on the other, the discussions on ideologies, equality, complicit behaviors and silence, is quite familiar to me. As a liberal arts educated psychology (cognition) major, I took courses in history, sociology, and psychology. Including those on colonization, race, gender, and sexuality. These courses expanded my mind to explore and see life through a broader scope, thank you Skidmore College.

At times, I questioned my own involvement in systemic racism, but never to this current degree. This is the power of the current movement. It is so important, so overdue, it has been silenced, but now it is here. These discussions are difficult and uncomfortable, but ultimately, these conversations will help evolve the world to be a better place for all beings. Before we get there, to that future scenario, Black Lives Matter. Right here, right now, and urgently.

It is not my intention to delve into all of my thoughts here, believe me, this is my attempt at brevity. The systemic racism and injustice strongholds in America are deeply connected to education. I know that is not by any means an all-encompassing explanation, but it is a factor.

How can one begin to question their own involvement in racism if they deny its very existence? Education will help decompose the false conceptualization of a racist as that of a violent outlier. For starters, I can recommend the book White Fragility by Robin DiAngelo. It is an uncomfortable but powerful read.

Aside from reading, I have used the resource of social media, but at times it has felt overwhelming.

I’ve stepped back, logged off, and checked in mentally and physically. I’ve gone for long runs, and practiced yoga. I considered canceling both last week’s yoga class and this week’s class, because I am questioning everything. Second guessing whether or not now is the time for yoga.

I concluded that yes, it is. In fact, I can’t think of a better time to practice than right now. We need to stay fit, mentally and physically. We need to show up, and do better, for ourselves, our family, and the world. If you have a million thoughts circulating right now, as I do, let’s clear space and make sense of them on the mat tomorrow.

In lieu of donating to Aloha United Way tomorrow, 50% of the proceeds from tomorrow’s class will go towards Black Lives Matter to help fund the movement. 

Respond to this email if you would like to take class tomorrow from 8-9:15am. I will respond to you with the link and password.

Love always,

LML

•
Photography by Lululemon, Chelsea Abril.

HAPPY ALOHA FRIDAY,

You guys, I did a thing. Actually two. My mind has been percolating on goal setting over the last few weeks. While it is most definitely one thing to set the goals, it is quite another to go after them. We’ve heard this phrase again and again, but today, I asked myself the question: why am I playing small?

This question alone is a provocative one. Am I afraid of my own success? Do I feel undeserving of success? Why should I withhold my skills and knowledge? Don’t others deserve to live this beautiful practice? These questions were a transparent wake up call for me. Like a splash of cold water to your face in the morning, I feel READY. Because the answer to all of these questions was ‘oh my goodness, LM get started! And do not wait another moment.’

I realized, I have all of this knowledge to share! So much to share, and I want to share it! I am not quite sure what sparked this re-ignition to my goal setting and my lifestyle company as a whole, but it has already happened. All things in due time, right? This week, I have been churning out content for you.

The first announcement is that I will be hosting an online offering of my Goal Chaser Series. If you have completed the Goal Chaser Series once, twice, or three times before, I am still here for you! I would love for you to join again.

If you have never been through my Goal Chaser Series, it would be an honor to have you join. I think now, more than ever, as we navigate through this precarious time our goals become that much more important. As we strive to stay on our path of living our most authentic life, it is important to lean on each other while also holding each other accountable.

As I enter the fourth year of my PhD program, the uncertainty of my future come May 2021 has me all kinds of stressed out. For the first time in my three decades of life, the path forward is an unknown. It is simultaneously beautiful and terrifying. I think I have been carrying around subconscious stress related to this CHOICE. Goal setting and living authentically is all about choice.

Only recently, with a toothache of all things, has this question mark in my life become conscious. Do I have a toothache because of this stress? Is that a thing? Turns out, the stress didn’t cause my toothache, but it certainly did not help the situation. Nonetheless, this among other recent events have catapulted me back into this important life work, and I want to share it with you.

The choices we make now, dictate what follows. I am putting in the work now, to assuage my worries about my upcoming graduation. And there is some serious work to do. I want you onboard with me!

Two weeks ago at my Sunday morning yoga class, I shared the smallest piece of this goals work. It ignited my own fire. Since then, I have been on a personal mission to achieve and live in total alignment with my goals. From getting the right amount of R&R, to proper amounts of daily exercise, to work goals (I am getting published!), and beyond.

Goal setting and vision work is about structuring your life, and truly implementing the work moment to moment. Not by May 2021, but right now.

Every single time I share the goal chasers program, I learn something new. I learn about the world, the people around me, life, and most importantly myself. I realize how much it fills me up to see others reach their goals and live their purpose. And ironically, helping you is a part of my ever evolving purpose.

Because here is the thing about our goals, they change! Life is organic. We can’t predict every change in the tides, we need to live moment to moment. Which is why the majority of the goals work is about the present moment. It is about how you show up and live, right now. Hint hint, it might not be the same way you showed up two years ago.

I recently read a phrase in a book that deeply resonated with me, I will paraphrase: “if you’ve got it, share it.” What a wonderful life philosophy. I thought, how cool, my Sunday yoga class is doing this right now. We’ve got a sweet crew of students who show up to their mat and donate, and we’ve raised over $500 to benefit Aloha United Way’s COVID-19 community response and recovery fund.

Then I asked myself, what else do I have to share? I thought, I need to share my goal chaser series again. And as I mentioned, I got the sharing started at my Sunday yoga class two weeks ago. My next thought was, well I am scientist becoming an expert in anatomy and biomechanics, maybe I ought to share this knowledge with the world? And I will be.

I am thrilled to announce the upcoming Anatomy of Movement Training Series. This week, I have been recording lectures and content. The Anatomy of Movement Training Series is a hefty one, I will be covering A LOT in this training. It has been in the works for years, to be honest. Finally, the Summer 2020 timing is perfect to release this to the world.

I will be sending out a separate announcement for each of these offerings. This email is simply to announce these two happenings: I am hosting both an online Goal Chasers Series and an online Anatomy of Movement Training Series. ALL HAPPENING THIS SUMMER (double trouble)!

Yes, it might feel like an LM Summer Camp, but there will be plenty of other people to connect with and grow and learn alongside.

Here are the dates you need to know:
 
Goal Chasers Series (online):
 
Monday, June 15th, 5PM (HST)
Monday, June 22nd, 5PM (HST)
Monday, June 29th, 5PM (HST)
Monday, July 6th, 5PM (HST)

Anatomy of Movement Series (online):
 
Monday, July 13th, 5PM (HST)
Monday, July 20th, 5PM (HST)
Monday, July 27th, 5PM (HST)
Monday, August 3rd, 5PM (HST)

If you are interested in either of these offerings, please email me at [email protected]!

I seriously cannot wait!
 
Goals, goals, goals,
LML

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I know many of my yoga students are athletes, runners, avid walkers, soccer players, swimmers, tennis players, surfers, you name it! And others are non-athletes, but active people. All come to the yoga mat to find balance in their body and mind. This blog post is specifically about the former, balance in the body, which in my opinion, indirectly effects the balance of our mind.
 
Let’s entertain the example of a runner. You can run and run, but if you don’t cross-train, and work on your dynamic mobility, you will ‘run’ into some problems – pun intended. This piece to training is crucial. If you don’t work to maintain proper mobility, you won’t perform as well, you won’t feel as good, and ultimately you are at risk of an injury, if not already injured.
 
Adding in yoga to your weekly run workout regimen, is one way to restore balance to these muscles that have become imbalanced. The type of yoga that is particularly helpful for runners and athletes is vinyasa yoga. Vinyasa yoga is inherently dynamic, we are moving, breath-to-movement, aka breath to posture. The practice will help strengthen and lengthen muscles appropriately, in order to maintain or restore healthy range of motion (ROM).

If you’ve practiced vinyasa yoga before, you know that it can be challenging. One way we are often challenged on the mat is by holding postures (not for terribly long), but it does the job of effectively improving endurance of these muscles. Often times, the muscles that fatigue as we attempt to hold a pose, are those muscles that we need to target and improve strength and in some cases also length. Yes, a muscle can be both tight and weak.
 
The pose that comes to mind immediately for me, is half moon (ardha chandrasana) pictured at the very top. In this pose, we have to hold one leg and arm up in the air (against the force of gravity). The strength it takes to keep our leg lifted, falls to a gluteal muscle known as gluteus medius. When we contract the whole of this muscle, it will abduct the thigh (move it away from the ground, where it is being forced down by gravity).

How does this muscle impact a runner? Or even a walker for that matter?

Well when we have weakness in the gluteus medius, we can develop pelvic drop in the frontal plane, either ipsilaterally (on one side) or bilaterally (on both sides). Visualize the way a model walks down the runway. The model sasses her hips from side to side, this is what pelvic drop (pelvic tilt) in the frontal plane looks like!

One might say that models have weakness in their gluteus medius muscle. Although, I realize they do this walk intentionally, it is no good for functional movement. Particularly, if you are running, and thus adding more force to the movement. Depending on your running foot strike pattern, the vertical ground reaction forces experienced when running are roughly two to three times your body weight.

To a lesser degree, gluteus minimus (a muscle deep to gluteus medius) helps with keeping the pelvis level during movements. Often times as running duration or speed increase, any imbalances we have become more apparent. When gluteus medius and minimus are faced with the need to function under the demands of running, the runner might begin to have continual hip drop. This occurrence might be fine a few times. However, in all likelihood, they won’t be fine if this is felt for every step, over 30 minutes, five times a week, for a year - you get the point. Ultimately, this will stress the sacroiliac joint and the low back. A weak gluteus medius is oftentimes partly to blame for knee and ankle injuries too.

What I am saying is that, though these imbalances are often very subtle, they can become more pronounced and apparent with our athletic activity, and especially so with fatigue.

Yoga is a beautiful practice to maintain proper length and strength of various muscles, including gluteus medius. I have seen many a jock in class, who finds lifting their leg in half moon to be a significant challenge. What's neat about yoga, is that the practice quietly, and humbly, alerts and informs us of such imbalances. Yoga is a way of checking in with our body, like getting your oil changed. We need to check in a tune up car regularly, think of yoga as a weekly, or even daily, system tune up. 

There is one more thing. Yoga is not therapy. It is a practice of repetition. In physical therapy, for example, you might do three sets of 30 seconds of a particular stretch. You will then do this ‘exercise’ three times a day. Conversely, yoga is a neuromuscular training practice for life. So long as you show up to your mat, with dedication, these shifts are possible. It is not therapeutic. Though, mentally it feels this way, in the clinical meaning of the word, it is not. As yoga teachers, we should not be using the word therapy in a literal sense. 

As a yoga teacher, I am not prescribing, holding a stretch for 30 seconds, for three sets, three times a day. Leave that to the professionals who are targeting an imbalance for therapeutic intervention. In yoga, you are holistically, strengthening and lengthening, and neuromuscularly training the whole of your body. You need not worry about overdoing it on pose or stretch, because you are in and out rather quickly.

Here is the catch, one chaturanga with poor form won’t hurt you, but 1,000 may. You know your body best, so long as you are aligned well in your postures, and you can breathe fully, and there is no pain, you can trust in your practice.

The next time you show up to your mat, be an observer. What feels tight or restricted? What feels weak? Notice if one side of the body is significantly stronger and or tighter. If you have a mirror to practice in front of, pay attention to the subtleties of your postural alignment.

Here are some of my fave exercises to strengthen gluteus medius and minimus. You can work these into your yoga practice. 

1) Lie on one side, and abduct the top thigh, bringing your ankle up to about hip height, slowly lower it back down (Repeats x5-10)
2) Side Plank (vashistasana) with the option to abduct the top leg (3-5 breaths)
3) Half Moon (3-5 breaths)
4) Bridge Pose (3-5 breaths)
5) Personal fave add-in to yoga practice – lateral band walks. Place the stretch band just above your ankles or just above your knees. Come into a squat with feet hips width distance apart, maintain the distance between your feet, and laterally side step in your squat (down the length of your mat), then return to back to the top of the mat (Repeats x5-10).

Love and Gratitude,

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Happy Aloha Friday Yogis,

My little brother has informed me that 'Yogis' should be capitalized and I quite agree. Well, here we are again at another Friday. The days do seem to truly blend together. Where now, in most cases, a weekday afternoon run is perfectly acceptable, as is a full work weekend. Because Saturday and Sunday, feel a whole lot like Monday through Friday. At least for me!

If you feel me on this, how about we make Sunday a bit extra special? Join me for Sunday yoga! Here is what we are going to get into on Sunday.

In addition to our regular/sweaty/soulful flow, we are going to switch things up (just a bit). Let's do a little bit of quarantine goal-setting, and a vision meditation, so that we can position ourselves to stay on track together as we work towards our goals. I've said it before, but how amazing would it be if we could emerge from this quarantine, evolved, better, more whole. Depending on what your goals are, you might be wanting to emerge from this period of life with the satisfaction of having been your child's Mom, teacher, therapist, best friend, their everything. Quite simply, your goal might be to read all of Jane Austen's novels (this is one of mine!).

Please bring a pen and paper to class on Sunday. If you want to write in a journal, that works too!

I felt a spark of inspiration today, to 'just do it.' Take a step towards that goal that is within reach, and you know it, but for whatever reason you keep putting it off. Go start it, the hard one, that somehow makes it to the end of the to-do list! It's hard to get started, but you got this. Once it's begun, the momentum will help carry you through. Take the step, and get going!

Join me for the Sunday Yoga Flow, (every week from 8-9:15am). Please email me for the link and password.

We have already donated $500 to Aloha United Way, let's keep it going! Make this your cannot miss weekly appointment, you deserve this time, to process the week, to connect and feel all the feels. And on Sunday, we are going to set some goals!

I hope to see you Sunday on the mat!

Big love,
LML

P.S. The 'Just Do It' theme of today's email, is totally separate from the fact that I would love to work at a company like Nike. However, as the theme emerged, it has now reinforced my connection to this company's mission and beliefs.

•
Photography by Aaron Mizushima.
“The world as we have created it is a process of our thinking. It cannot be changed without changing our thinking.”-Albert Einstein
 
Aloha yogis,

I would say this quote sums up why I’ve chosen the career of professional student,  I love learning. When it comes to changing our thinking though, there is no magic snap of the fingers to facilitate this and at times it’s not easy.

Like most things in life, it’s work and dedication, and checking ourselves, moment to moment, to see if we are living with intention. The other morning I wrote in my journal that I simply wanted to be intentional with my time. What a different type of day I had, by ironically, setting an intention to be intentional. It felt like I was being true to myself, in all ways. From getting work done, to doing the dishes, to running, and yoga - I chose these activities. I also chose my words and interactions with others and myself. I think this is piece that makes the challenging work doable, we won't resist it as much mentally and physically, if we check in on our own intentions, our why. 

 Why am I studying inverse dynamics and fluid dynamics? And why am I writing a paper on how software processing variation yields wildly different outcomes in knee adduction moment? Oh yes, because this fits my bigger why. And so, while a lot of my day to day work is ‘hard’ and might not come easy, no it’s plain tedious, by incrementally challenging my brain and self to think differently I am getting one step closer to my bigger goals. And in the process, through the grind, albeit with intention, expanding my mind and changing my thinking. Thus, changing the way I interact with and see the world. And by checking in and seeing the work for what it is, it is less intimidating.

I am no psychologist, but I did work in a psychiatric hospital, many moons ago. I also was an undergraduate psych major and I did research in cognition and neuroscience for my undergraduate thesis. Plus I read, a lot. And I've learned, and the research supports, that to name these feelings in our mind, 'that's fear, that's anger, that's anxiety' is to demystify them and render them less threatening. I think this concept of identification, holds true when it comes to components of our work and patterns in our thinking. We don't need to love the moment to moment, but it is important to connect the things we do with our time to a larger purpose, even if indirectly.

 Yoga has been the key to unlock a lot of these connections for me lately. It has been an absolute constant these days. Quarantine life lends itself very well to academic pursuits, less the data collections themselves. And I am finding this need to stop the brain grind work and let go, through yoga. There is a need as well to break the cycle of inactivity with a few yoga poses throughout the day. To connect mind and body, with soul and purpose, I find myself on the mat daily. Truthfully, I have not practiced yoga to this extent in a long time. Now, this daily connection is currently a must, I simply must schedule in a yoga practice. It has been a godsend.

Living with intention is a breath of fresh air and clarity, in a world that currently feels a mess and at times even scary. 

I feel I am expanding my mind and body over these strange months. Together on the yoga mat, we are all building mental and physical sweat equity, and I am excited to see what comes next, for all of us. It is one thing to be in quarantine bummed, sad, scared, or all of the above, but it is quite another to feel you are growing and learning from these moments in your life.

We are witnessing the once linear thinking patterns of the world as they are being stretched and pulled, torqued, and well you name it, it is happening. We have all been forced to expand our thinking to accommodate the odd circumstances at play, and we are doing it! We are making the most of it, but I think we should be really intentional with this time and try to grow and learn. If not about the world, certainly we can learn about ourselves.

It is tough in many ways. Even more reason, to take the time to connect, to hit pause, to step away from the laptop, and simply sit with yourself and breathe deeply. How do you feel? Meditate on it. Write it down. Be purposeful. Be intentional. 

 Join me tomorrow morning for the Sunday Yoga Flow, (every week from 8-9:15am) via the same link as every other week. Email me for the link and password. 

We have already donated $500 to Aloha United Way, let's keep it going! Make this a cannot miss weekly appointment, you deserve this time, to process the week, to connect and feel all the feels. 

I hope to see you tomorrow (Sunday) on the mat!

Big love,
LML

•

Aloha yogis,

I wanted to drop you a quick hello, share some positive news, and say mahalo!

I hope you find that week x (I have lost count) of quarantine is going well for you! I am so happy to share with you that with the donations from my Sunday morning zoom yoga class, I was able to donate $500 to Aloha United Way.

Aloha United Way is a nonprofit organization that has launched a COVID-19 Community Response and Recovery Fund. The donation will help assist in the overwhelming requests for rent and utility assistance, housing, food, healthcare, and more. It will also help answer calls for help and provide referrals to resources, ensuring that our community is taken care of in terms of support for critical human services during these challenging times.

It is incredible that we can come together during a crisis and help raise money. I don't take my position as a yoga instructor for granted. I know that with the help of my students and community, we hold a lot of power to improve the world around us. We hold this potential for good on a daily, moment to moment basis, where smiling to a stranger might radically improve their day, or expressing gratitude to a bank teller, might remind them of the value they to bring to the community. My thinking is that when we feel better, we do better. And yoga makes us feel better! 

And right now, we are doing better! In this case, with COVID-19 and the emergent need for help, worldwide, we galvanized around one specific cause. I have seen this ability of the yoga community to rally around a cause many times; I have taught fundraising classes for breast cancer before and "Downdogs for Diabetes" and many others, and each time I am left amazed and inspired.

Where simply by downdog-ing and chaturanga-ing, we made a tangible difference. It is not the ethereal ripple effect of your yoga practice. No, trust that, we can see the impact here.

Mahalo, to each of you who took the time to show up on your yoga mat. Thank you for practicing and sharing your energy with me and everyone else in class - virtually! Teaching online, has been a really special experience so far. I have seen so many of my students, many of you have moved off island, others have never lived on island, and we even have international yogis joining class! Some of you I haven't seen in 11 years! And yet, here you all are, practicing online with me! It warms my heart. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

I am committed to continuing to donate 50% of all proceeds from my Sunday yoga class to COVID-19 community needs. 

Join me for the Sunday Yoga Flow, every week, from 8-9:15am via the same link as every other week. If you haven't joined yet, email me at [email protected] for the link and password if you plan to attend class this Sunday. Let's keep this going!!

I hope to see you Sunday on the mat!

Big love,

•

Aloha yogis,

I have been eagerly waiting, all day, to sit down and write you all this email. It has been quite the day! I know, whenever you hear that, you instinctively think uh-oh. And you are not wrong there. After one quick morning meeting and teaching my structural kinesiology course via Zoom this morning, I decided I would follow up on the gentleman from AAA's recommendation to get a new car battery. Seems easy enough, right?

Well AAA comes and again confirm (as they did last weekend) that I need a new battery, but advised I take it a mechanic to be sure. So after a jump start, and with my empty tank from my last jump start on Sunday where I drove around for 45 minutes, I decided to brave the roads. I live in Honolulu and I am very loyal to the Honda Windward, as I approached the Likelike tunnel (tunnel through the Ko‘olau Range) I was literally praying to myself - please don't stall. After emerging from the tunnel, I then was sitting at the final intersection with the service shop in sight at the longest red light, it was very suspenseful. Alas, I made it! And you just might be thinking okay, so what? Good question.

I was thinking, gosh, I am drained and have nothing to offer in an email of any sorts today. After I got back home, I made a big batch of tofu scramble. Truthfully, I had started it this morning and left it out when AAA arrived and I had to leave immediately post-jump start. While consuming a second brunch was delicious, it still didn't do the trick. I was still feeling something to the effect of 'ughhhh, today is horrible' - dramatic, yes, but this is how I felt. 

I did what any good millennial would do, I googled "what to do when you are having a bad day." I took from the google search what seemed likely to work and boost my energy, spirits, and vibe of the day. I incorporated some of my own strategies too, here is what I tried today, maybe it will work for you too!

1) Pour yourself a "seltzer" as we say on the east coast - modern day translation - La Croix.

2) Read a light book, such as Harry Potter.

3) My Google search told me to pet a cat, but I recommend petting a dog. I hope you cat lovers understand. 

4) Walk your dog.

5) Listen to some above-the-line music, I chose Justin Bieber. 

6) Go grocery shopping! I know this is a tricky one right now. I will say that Whole Foods has the store very organized. It honestly felt like a little vacation to go into the AC and pick out all of these yummy snacks, foods, and drinks for the weekend. If you had asked me last week if this would make the list, I would have said "oh, heck no." With the store cleanliness and the small number of shoppers allowed in, I am telling you, today it was a vacation. 

7) When you get home with said groceries, start by eating something super healthy, such as a smoothie. I had to clear out freezer space, and made Derek and I a huge kale/fruit smoothie. I also opened up the Veggie Sticks while making the smoothie, to hold me over!

8) My little brother challenged me to a virtual game of beirut. I have NEVER played mobile phone games, ever, so I downloaded it and let's just say it's not my forte, but it is fun! And brothers are awesome.

9) Shower! Getting clean, lets you just leave the day behind, and start fresh.

10) Make any apologies that need to be made. Husband? Not sure who else I could have offended today. I even had the thought of picking up the phone to call the Honda Windward just to say "thank you" - because, goodness, I have no idea what kind of vibe I was giving off today while I was there. And driving home with my car battery replaced, I was feeling very grateful for all of the essential workers, particularly those that just helped me.

I guess, even though today wasn't rainbows and butterflies, I still feel I can share with you how I went about this annoyance. Yes, the perspective that my problems are nothing compared to many others right now, was not lost on me. I thanked a gentleman at Whole Foods today, just for working (does anyone else do this?). He replied, with surprise, "Oh you are welcome. I am just happy to have a job right now." Truth.

Despite car trouble, and possibly being hangry, my life is fully blessed. I was speaking mantras to myself as I was approaching the Likelike tunnel 'you will be okay' - and many more - and I was okay. While the picture of anjali mudra above doesn't exactly match my current mood, things are looking very good for the weekend ahead. Maybe you understand where I am coming from here? Long week, a bit of stress, and did anyone else have car trouble? My husband said, "wow, you have been really unlucky with your car lately." Don't worry, I won't go into another long car saga.

What was interesting for me today, was the methods I chose to boost my mood. I didn't use any of the traditional methods of lifting my mood and spirits (ie. deep breaths, yoga, meditation, running), because again, nothing was terribly wrong. I was just annoyed and I think hungry. They say, if you feel tired, before jumping to the conclusion that you need sleep, you might just need water. In my case, you just need some good food and the reminder that you are okay and all will be okay. And sometimes that message translates in the form of mantras, and other times it is through reading Harry Potter and playing Justin Bieber music.

If you are saying to yourself, TGIF-TGIF-TGIF, you are not alone! We made it through the week. And unscathed. Blessed to just be here. Blessed to be healthy, thriving, and to have such mundane problems as needing a bleeping car battery. And if your problems are bigger than this, you are also not alone. We are all there with you. Here to support you. Smile to strangers. Thank tellers. Be kind.

I would love you to join me on Sunday morning at 8am for yoga. Let's begin the week together with a fresh and healthy start. Let's forget these silly annoyances from our days, and practice, seeing the bigger picture. We are here, together, even though virtually, and we can get through this very strange time. It is a tough time, for some more than others, but everyone's feelings are valid. Offer others the same patience you would want, god forbid they catch you in a moment like I was in today, hungry at the car dealership. 

Join me for Sunday Yoga Flow at 8am via the same link as every other week, if you haven't joined yet, email me at [email protected] for the link and password.

I hope to see you Sunday on the mat!

Big love,

•

Aloha yogis,

I wanted to give you three quick updates and ask you a few questions about my upcoming Anatomy of Movement Training Series.

1) Join me tomorrow morning for a Sunday Yoga Flow at 8am via the same link as every other week, if you haven't joined yet, here is the link. Please respond to this email to let me know you are joining and I will give you the password and the details!

2) I filmed a foundations yoga class today for you! I feel the integrity of these asanas can sometimes get lost, when we are always striving to achieve that next pose. It is hugely beneficial to every now and then (or often), hit pause and go back to the basics. Always practice with a beginners mind, be a sponge! I have some editing to do on the video, but it will be available soon. Email me here if you are interested in practicing the foundations yoga practice.

3) With all of the new yogis checking in to the online yoga class, I feel compelled more than ever, to add a foundations yoga class to my schedule. Historically speaking, I taught more advanced yoga classes, but as I get older and my own need for yoga shifts, so too does my teaching. Honestly, while I practice "advanced" asanas such as handstand and forearm-stand, the bulk of my own practice is foundations. This involves a lot of breath work, a good balance between balancing/strengthening/dynamic movements, and a whole lot of slow easy stretching towards the end of practice. I am also very intentional about the way I 'train' my nervous system on the mat in this mind-body practice. If you are interested in joining a live Foundations Yoga Flow, please email me here and let me know what days/times work for you!

I hope to see you tomorrow on the mat!

Big love,
LML