Courtney Sunshine - yoga, and overall feel good vibes!

Yoga Tools and Equipment…#5 Changed My Life!

30Jun

By Courtney Sunshine12 Comments

Yoga Tools and Equipment…#5 Changed My Life!

1. Mat A yoga mat is probably the first tool many people think of. Yoga mats are sticky, and help your hands and feet grip, so they are not slipping everywhere. If you already have a yoga mat, and you find yourself slipping all over the place, there is a tool for that as well! See #5. Yoga mats also act as a guide with positioning your body within a pose. For example, you may hear a yoga teacher say something like 'turn your back foot your toes are facing the front right corner of your mat' for Warrior I. Yoga mats provide cushion, especially for your knees and ankles. If you need more, #5 is super helpful! Yoga mats create a sacred space for your practice. Your mat holds all of the energy you put into it, so you may find that you really build a relationship with yo...

8 Best Pranayama Techniques – Yoga Breathing Videos

19Jun

By Courtney Sunshine8 Comments

8 Best Pranayama Techniques – Yoga Breathing Videos

Pranayama is yogic breathing techniques. These techniques can deliver calming or energizing effects when preformed. I've complied 8 of my favorites and am excited to share them with you today! Nadi Shodhana - Alternate Nostril Breathing Nadi Shodhana is the first of the Four Purification's - which are teachings and techniques from Baba Hari Dass of the Mount Madonna Institute. Nadi is something tubular-like within the body that prana (energy) can pass through, like a vein or artery. Shodhana means cleansing, or purifying. While practicing Nadi Shodhana, we are cleansing our nerves to prevent blockages, so that prana (energy) can move through the body. In this technique, you are breathing strictly through your nostrils. If your nasal passages are obscured in any way ...

Most Common Yoga Asanas (Poses) And Their Benefits

14Jun

By Courtney Sunshine10 Comments

Most Common Yoga Asanas (Poses) And Their Benefits

When the average person hears 'yoga', they usually think of the postures. Although there is a lot more to yoga, the postures, also known as asanas (Sanskrit), are a major part of the practice. Moving your body in certain ways helps you let go of tension, by releasing gases built up in the body such as oxygen, nitrogen, and carbon dioxide. You can literally feel the release happen within your body throughout a yoga class, and often times that what keeps you wanting to come back for more! Today I am going to go through some common yoga asana benefits. ***I do not mention stress and anxiety, because ALL of these poses can and will help with those things two things over time. Mountain Pose - Tadasana Tadasana is a grounding posture that allows your to feel how your body is aligned. B...

What To Expect In A Yoga Teacher Training?

10Jun

By Courtney Sunshine6 Comments

What To Expect In A Yoga Teacher Training?

Ahhhh, a question I never asked myself before doing my first training, because I most definitely did it on a whim. Let's just say...it was calling me. I'm sure if you are here, it's calling you too! Plus, having a little time to think about it is a GREAT idea. What should you expect in a yoga teacher training? There are a lot of questions that come with that. Will I strictly be doing 200 hours of straight up yoga? 200 hours? That sounds like a lot. What will I learn? Will anatomy be involved? Do I have to learn Sanskrit? Is there book work? What if I'm a total newbie? Do I need to teach afterwards? What if I'm not ready? And I'm sure you've come up with many other questions as well. 200 hours? To be certified to teach, you must complete a 200 hour yoga teacher training. You can fi...

4Jun

By Courtney Sunshine14 Comments

3 Benefits of Vinyasa Yoga

Vinyasa Yoga is a the most flowy type of yoga that connects breath with movement, and is commonly taught one breath = one movement. You hear Vinyasa Yoga referred to as Flow Yoga, or sometimes just simply 'flow.' If you have ever followed along with Adriene in any of her many YouTube videos, you will find that she mostly teaches Vinyasa. Click here for an example. Today I am going to go over 3 major benefits of a Vinyasa Yoga practice. Encourages Weight Loss Just taking 5 minutes to move through a few rounds of Sun Salutations will certainly get your heart pumping! Different from a traditional run, you can use a Vinyasa flow to target every part of your body, making it as strengthening and softening as you need during that moment. You are always focused on posture, where...

31May

By Courtney Sunshine12 Comments

The Best Yoga For Anxiety

As we all know, everybody's body is different. We all have certain limits physically, and also emotionally. Some people can handle more depth than others, and that's perfectly fine! Your uniqueness is what makes you...you. :) Some people can touch their toes without any effort at all, while others feel really tight in their hamstrings or lower back. Some people need a slight bends in their knees, while others need a larger one. No worries! Some people never cry, and some can't help but to not. And you know what? You guessed it! Either way is perfectly fine. My biggest thing is intention and awareness. You find intention from within, and awareness then follows. Your breath is your guide. Yoga can help uncover some deep realizations both on and off the mat. That's right, you can imple...

28May

By Courtney Sunshine4 Comments

Kramas – Baby Steps To Yoga Poses

Have you ever seen someone do something that takes balance, strength, and perseverance and you just straight up thought to yourself "wow, that looks soooo cool, but I could NEVER do that!" Yeah, me too. And I still do a lot of the time. But, I have come so far in just a few 6 months! It's all about krama, or as I like to refer to it, baby steps. Krama is way different from Karma, and very important to have in the back of your mind during your yoga practice! Especially during a Vinyasa Flow. If you're stressed out from watching YouTube videos and seeing glamorous insta shots of these gorgeous woman or men in crazy poses, listen up! They didn't start there boo, I promise! Shut it off, and focus your energy inward on where you are today. Accept it, and make a commitment to progress. That ...

26May

By Courtney Sunshine4 Comments

About

Welcome to Courtney Sunshine Yoga. I am so grateful that you have landed here today. :) I am a new yoga teacher, eager to help spread the word! In my opinion, yoga is the key to well being. Yoga can not only help transform your life physically, but mentally, emotionally, and spiritually as well. Before I did my yoga teacher training at the Breathing Room in South Portland, ME, I had a completely different outlook than I do now (my first teacher training at least, there are MANY more to come!) Yoga is more than just stretching and getting fit, as depicted in the general world today. Yoga is truly about paying attention to all of the layers within you and weeding out the things that don't serve you - in order to connect with your higher consciousness. I hope you're still with me. S...