I did shed a lot of bad habits over the winter, but I was recently hit with what can only be described as a round of just really bad luck in several aspects of my life. When I was finally able to come up for air, I realized that I still had a little shedding to do — funny enough, the same week that Mother Nature decided winter wasn’t quite over yet.
Read moreGood Intentions, pt 2
I started my yoga practice at the age of 18 with a simple intention: to gain strength and flexibility for horseback riding. That was it. Nothing more. I didn’t enjoy working out, I wasn’t athletic, and no exercise practices had ever stuck.
Read moreGood Intentions, pt 1
We kicked off the year in my classes talking about intentions as we enter the new year; why, how, and when. I don’t love resolutions — I usually give up after a few days and end up feeling mildly bad about it but not bad enough to kick myself back into gear.
Read moreLokāḥ samastāḥ sukhino bhavantu
By chanting this mantra of Lokāḥ samastāḥ sukhino bhavantu we move from our personal self and radiate a prayer of love for the world around us. It releases us from our ego and our limited worldview and emits from us wellbeing for all, everywhere — those we know and love, those we know and don’t love, those we don’t know yet and those we won’t ever know. It is a reminder of our universal spirit.
Read moreFire Horse Yoga Class Clubs
Our 2024 Fire Horse Yoga Class Club Rewards have started, and we have a special treat included this year for you 100-class clubbers!
Read moreNew Year’s Resolutions - 3 tips to get started with a yoga practice
Happy (Gregorian) New Year, friends! For many of us, January signifies a new year, but for some, the new year truly doesn’t begin in earnest until the Spring Equinox on March 19. If you’re in the “New Year, New Me” camp - then welcome! Grab a warm mug of tea, coffee, or hot cocoa, and let’s chat.
Read moreSevā :: The Act of Selfless Giving
Sevā {say-vah} is a big part of what we do at Fire Horse Yoga -- in 2023, we donated over $1,500 of yoga, gift cards, yoga mats, and hygiene products to various organizations.
Read more2023 Round-Up at Fire Horse Yoga
Where and how do I even BEGIN to sum up 2023? My heart is bursting with gratitude as a write this — we have met so many goals and fulfilled so many dreams this past year.
Read moreWinter Solstice 2023
The holiday season is already so stressful, but when we add our regular lives (homework, jobs, housework, pets, cooking, grocery shopping, medical appointments, etc. etc.) into the mix ... well, it can feel nearly overwhelming and impossible. So, we ask: How are you holding space for yourself in the midst of this busy, at times stressful, season?
Read moreOnline Classes at Fire Horse Yoga
Did you know we offer EIGHT online classes every week? We have literally everything you could possibly need in-studio, but what do you need to practice at home?
Read moreNational Self Care Day :: Self Care is Not Selfish
Today is National Self Care Day! In the hustle and bustle of daily life, most of us often forget to prioritize our health and wellness.
Read moreA New Season :: Spring Renewal, Growth, and Our Truth
The freshness of the earth in spring inspires me to evaluate what needs renewal in my own life and to question: "Am I staying true to myself or has my truth changed and evolved over the winter months?"
Read moreSHOUTOUT ARIZONA - A Fire Horse Yoga Story
Several months ago, I was given the opportunity to be featured in Shoutout Arizona; an online publication that supports small business across the country.
Read moreMeditation :: The Practice of Metta or Lovingkindness
This month, we’ve been focusing on lovingkindness as a practical way of practicing Ahimsa — the first of the five Yamas (moral/ethical guidelines of yoga). Ahimsa means ‘non-harming’. The absence of violence. It goes beyond physical violence. It’s a principle of ‘first do no harm’ that we should all apply to our lives when thinking about ourselves and others. It can be as simple as not gossiping or meeting an unkind person with kindness and grace; knowing that their unkindness is probably more about them than it is about us.
Read morePrenatal Yoga :: Yoga During Pregnancy
Yogasana (the physical practice of yoga poses) during pregnancy can absolutely be practiced safely with precautions and modifications — especially if you’ve been practicing prior to pregnancy and have the ok from your medical team.
Here are a few tips that I’ve recently shared with our expecting students at Fire Horse Yoga:
Read moreThe 'Why' Behind My Practice
If you look at our BINGO cards hanging up in the studio, you’ll notice that you get a sticker for sharing your Yoga ‘WHY’ with Sam via email (or text or social media!). It’s only fair that I share mine with you.
I have been practicing with our little community for nearly 7 years, but I originally found yoga in high school. I practiced in my room without a mat as a way to stretch and get some exercise in by myself. I needed nothing for the practice and there was no judgement. A time/space for me to accept myself and my body. A rarity for a teenager to be honest — especially in the early 2000s.
Yoga loosely followed me through my 4 years at Purdue, but it wasn’t until my mid-to-late-20s that I got serious about it and really began to see a difference in myself.
The big WHY behind my yoga is multi-tiered and has some other stories behind it, but to put it simply: I want to keep moving — and maintain a healthy mind — as I age. I don’t want to lose the flexibility, strength, and stability (mentally and physically) that a consistent practice has given me.
Share your ‘WHY’ with me — and others! Sharing with others why we practice and what the practice has brought to our lives can help encourage others to take that step towards a healthier, more positive life AND is a nice reminder to ourselves about why we started practicing in the first place.
With love and light, always —
Sam
Turning Inward for Winter
As nature settles into stillness and hibernation, we may also feel a draw to turn inward — nurturing ourselves through self-care rituals and finding time in our daily lives to be still and quiet and reflective.
Read moreYoga and Kids
I got my girls, Kate and Isla, started with yoga as babies. My little Isla used to practice with me as an infant — getting her tummy time in and copying my seal pose. Kate started around 18 months old or so when we would tap into her ‘yoga breath’ to help tamp down the tantrums.
Read moreHabits for Seasonal Health
Being an average human on an average day is not an easy feat — ripe with its own set of challenges — but it can become especially difficult to take care of ourselves this time of year when we factor in the weather, sickness being passed around, lack of daylight, and the holiday season.
For me, it’s extra important to adjust and maintain healthy habits to keep me on track and feeling as well as I possibly can, all things considered. Below are the daily habits that help me get by and stay healthy — mentally and physically.
Read moreRituals for Welcoming Autumn
Carve out a little time today to honor this transition from summer to autumn and to set an intention for this next season to release anger, resentments, fear -- and to surrender fully into your divine intuition; trusting in yourself and your place in this big, beautiful world.
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