For most of us, wanted or not, this time of year is ripe with potential triggers and presents ample opportunities to deepen our healing work.

Encounters with family, painful memories, grief and loss, horrifying world events, and end-of-year reflections (or perhaps a nauseating “life review,” as the case may be) can all contribute to feeling especially tense and tenderized in our hearts and minds.

If or when you feel triggered this holiday season (and beyond), I hope this roadmap is helpful!

DISMANTLING ‘NO PAIN, NO GAIN’

In this interview we are joined by Chelsey Kapuscinski, Founder of BMC, Certified Rolfer®, Adv. Yoga Instructor and Thai Bodyworker, who shares with us how the "No Pain No Gain" mentality Fuels Dissociation and how to foster true healing with a gentler, subtler approach that works holistically with your nervous system, not against it.

To perform a pin-and-stretch technique, I place a “pin” in the belly of a muscle using a part of my body, such as my thumb, fist, or forearm, and I stretch the muscle by moving one of the muscle attachments away from the pin.

The ancient Yogis recognized that developing an exploratory relationship with our bodies was a keystone on the spiritual path. Therefore, we can reframe the idea of enlightenment, heaven, or spiritual attainment not as a practice of transcending (going beyond) the body, but by getting down into the flesh and exploring the almost unfathomable intelligence that we've evolved since life came together in the first cell.

Starting a new yoga practice can be transformative, but for many beginners, the first classes can be daunting.

I have taught many beginner students, and over the years, I have identified some of the principles that beginners can start to implement early in their practice to ease their transition into open level classes. These are quick fixes for just five of the many trouble spots that trip up beginners in their first few classes. Some of these tips are based on solutions to issues I recall from the early days of my practice.