Ahhhhh, February.  The month of love. Where little kids make homemade cards decked out with glitter and hearts to pass out to all of their friends and crushes.  Where heart-shaped candies are found everywhere exclaiming “be mine” or “true love”.  Where single people avoid all restaurants because the risk of gagging over googly eyes, hand-holding or even the “surprise engagement” popping up at the table next to them is just not helpful. Where some couples agonize over where to go or what grand romantic gesture will capture the heart of their loved one on February 14th.   And of course, the time when cheesy love ballads are playing, yoga teachers are talking about all the heart openers and you are just trying to breathe through it all.
So in the spirit of Love Ballads and Heart Openers, here is not only a cheesy playlist, but some extra special heart openers from Container Collective Yoga Studio in Lakewood, Colorado to YOU:

"Wild Thing, you make my heart sing, You make EVERYTHING Groovy. Wild Thing, I think I love you."​
Talk about a JUICY heart-opener that not only evokes a sense of freedom, levity and even a touch of ecstasy.  I don't know about you, but every time I enter into this heart opener, I find my chest opening, my head dropping and a lightness enter into my soul.  It not only provides the heat to encourage our hearts and chest to open, but gives us the courage to be vulnerable and to release.  A strong base is certainly the key to lifting your heart toward the sky, pulling your shoulder blades onto your back and providing freedom in your expression and emotion.

"You're the meaning in my life, you're the inspiration.  You bring feeling to my life."​
Of all poses that we could call absolutely stunning, this heart opener certainly takes beauty to another level.  Dancer works on strengthening your back, legs, and ankles.  Not only does this open your chest and shoulders, it stretches your thighs, groin and abdomen.  Want to work on improving your balance and focus? Dance your way into this pose with our Baptiste Power Yoga Community!

"Once more, you open the door and you're here in my heart and my heart will go on and on."
Talk about feeling like you are pulling your heart open over and over again (how many up dogs do we really do each class?? No, really, how many, because it is a lot!) And that is the beauty of it, we open our hearts more times than we know during a 60 min Container Collective Yoga class in this pose.  The key to this gem of a pose is to breathe.  By entering up dog on an inhalation your heart lifts, collar bones spread and energy flows right to the source of it all.  Bringing your shoulder blades down on your back automatically spreads your chest wide to receive all of the breath and energy needed to guide you through a power yoga class.

"I can see it in your eyes, I can see it on your smile, you're all I've ever wanted my arms are open wide."
Fish pose...ahhh wait, supported Fish pose (even better).  Through rooting down and lifting up Fish Pose makes you feel energized, free, in full surrender and open to new possibilities.  Not only does it strengthen your upper back muscles and the back of your neck, but allows for strengthening of your upper back muscles which can improve the flexibility in your spine and your posture.  All of that hunching over while working on your computer or collapsing into your phone can be reversed in this heart lifting and mood lightening pose.

Happy February Collective Community 
XOXO,
Courtney Boland (Social Media Yogi here at CCYOGA)

“Similarly to the concept of “home,” I often think of community as more of a feeling than a specific place.  When I’m in community, I feel accepted, safe, and seen.  While humans are beautifully unique, we are all wired for connection.  Coming together is not only fun and entertaining, but is a strong reminder that we’re indeed not alone, and are perhaps way more similar than we might think.” -Laura Saracho
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“Community is everyone just making it onto their mat and doing what they can.  A common ground or love is what brings us together.  At the studio, there is an eclectic group of people and we all share commonalities other than just yoga.  I’ve gotten to know this through teaching and sharing that I wouldn’t have gotten otherwise.  It feels like a safe haven from issues and troubles outside of the studio.  For the time that we are there we are all working on the same things, physical strength, flexibility, presence and breath.” - Meghan Trujillo

“Community is a group of people I share a common interest with.  People that I enjoy seeing and spending time with as well as care deeply about.  We are all brought together by common interests, kindness, love, passion and the desire to belong and be accepted.” -Anita Ritchie

“Community is family.  The kind you get to choose.  A group of people from all walks of life, connected through experiences who make a stand for one another.  Everyone has an interesting story and a drive to be a better person.  Sharing this space with everyone is what gives me a sense of community.” -Heidi Schumacher

CommUNITY brings out the best in each of us.  It supports us, regardless of job, age, sex, political affiliation.  It is a place where you can go to just be you, with your all of your amazingly positive attributes as well as your flaws.
Thank YOU you for being such a huge contribution in all of our lives. 
XOXO,
The CCYOGA Team

I am open to the possibility of anything and everything!

I've been trying to find health and balance in my life, unsuccessfully, for almost two years now. Burnt out on exercise regimens and fad diets, I signed up for 40 Days of Yoga with Container Collective, just to reset before jumping into the next workout plan and diet. My only goal was to improve my yoga practice. At the Welcome Meeting, I realized there was going to be a lot more to the 40 Days than just yoga. This was the best possible surprise. The meditation, reading, and journaling gave me perspective and tools I need to deal with the stressful and contentious situations that occur day-to-day in life. I found that being "mindful" of what I was eating, finding the balance between fueling my body and fueling my soul, produced better results than any of the restrictive diets I had tried before. The yoga made me stronger and I expanded my practice... six wheels don't get the best of me anymore!  And I found a community! Showing up to the studio almost every day, I built relationships with the teachers, my fellow 40 Day yogis, and everyone else who came to their mat. I never felt alone in my journey. Without the accountability and encouragement, the results of my 40 Days would be very different. For that, I will always be grateful to CCYOGA.

Before the 40 Days with CCYOGA my experience with yoga/meditation/mindful eating was intermittent.
During the program I found empowerment to change my habits and my life, but with ease.
Weight loss wasn't ever a focus of my journey, but I lost 7lbs and 3 inches off my waist during the 40 days. While the number on the scale is exciting, I also just felt really good. I finally understood what people mean when they say their body feels awesome. My body feels stronger from the yoga.  The meditation has helped me move past a focus on petty weight loss, and mindful eating has cleansed my body and given me the light and lean feeling.
I'm not sure that I thanked you, so THANK YOU for facilitating this 40 Days. It was a life-changing experience. I hear people say things like "life-changing" and often roll my eyes, but this time I feel like I get it. 
there is so much more I could say but if I said everything I'd never shut up.
XOXO,
​Melanie 

If you don’t grocery shop each week, you won’t have food to eat...not good, right?
Well, if you don’t regularly get on your mat  then you won’t see any progress in your practice or change in your growth.  Coming to your mat on a consistent basis doesn’t mean going hard core every second of the hour, but rather meeting yourself where you are at that day.  Maybe one day you take a power yoga class and are a complete yogic rock-star and the next you take a restorative class (probably because you overdid it the day before).  Regardless of if you modify your practice or not, the key is in your consistency. Creating any type of routine for your mind and body is the beginning step in creating new patterns for yourself.   

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If only we had more of this…
We take the time to plan out when we will head to the Grocery so it is in our schedule and gets done. So why not schedule in time for YOU and your MAT?  Scheduling your week ahead and putting in your yoga plan can take a lot of pressure off of the “we never have enough time in the day” feeling. The key here is remembering that you are taking the time so TAKE YOUR TIME.  Don’t rush your practice. Listen for cues, focus on your flow, your breath, you, and how your body and mind are feeling. Once you make the time TO TAKE THE TIME you will see your mind start to settle and your practice start to unwind and develop into something maybe you weren’t even expecting.

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You know that friend (or maybe it was even you at one point) you know, the one who you invited to join you for a yoga class and the first words out of their mouth were, "I'm not flexible enough for yoga" or "I'm just not bendy enough"?
Well, guess what?  That was me and I felt that exact same way.  I wasn’t a dancer or gymnast or even someone who could remotely touch their toes.  I wasn’t that person who could bend like Gumby and make amazing shapes on their mat.  I started this practice because I hurt my back probably from over doing it with running, boot camp and boxing.  I was told that yoga was supposed to be good not only for recovery and stability, but for my mind as well.  Since I couldn’t go full on with what wasn’t working anymore, I decided to give it a shot.
Here is how my first Baptiste yoga practice went:

• I was sure to set up far away and in the back of the class.
• I was wildly self-conscious because I had absolutely no clue what I was doing.
• I certainly fell over 2x (possibly more than that)
• I was in my head the entire time.
• I kept thinking about how I was sweating from places I didn’t even know could sweat!
• And certainly walked out confused about what just happened and wondering where names like crow, pigeon, tree pose and eagle came from.

BUT it also went this way:

• I met the most wonderful community and one friend who I am still close with and we even went to a Baptiste yoga teacher training together!
• I found myself smiling through the confusion of the entire class.
• I took deep breaths - like I was actually breathing for the first time in a long time.
• I layed in savasana feeling so proud for doing something way out of my comfort zone and enjoying it.

For my first few classes I was convinced- ABSOLUTELY convinced that everyone was looking at me wondering what this not-so-bendy person was doing taking up space in the room.  But I then came to realize that NO ONE CARED!  It really didn’t matter!  We were all in the same boat...pushing ourselves, meeting ourselves where we were at in the moment, breathing together and trying not to lose our shit on the mat or in daily life.

Baron Baptiste stated it perfectly, you had to “show up and suck until you can show up and shine”.  
So what if you can’t touch your toes.  So what if you think you’re not flexible.  
Just show up.  Suck, shine, smile, breathe, whatever.  We are all in this together one yoga pose at a time.  And hey, who knows,  maybe your hands wind up reaching just a little closer to your toes in the process!
XOXO, Courtney
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In our modern society we are conditioned to always be "doing." We fill our schedules to always be busy and even during lulls we grab for our phone, turn on music or television, or worry about what just happened or is next to come. Sitting still in complete silence can be quite a challenge. One of the ways meditation is so rewarding is that you train your ability to slow down, turn off devices, disengage from the busy world, and just breathe. The simple act of sitting still for 5 minutes in a quiet room can be daunting when we live our lives constantly "doing", but with practice it gets easier. After practicing meditation regularly you may even find that your ability to be still and present is showing up in other areas of your life.

On your yoga mat you have tools to help you be present with the given moment and pose. Use your drishti (gaze) to focus on a single spot of the room or mat and really see what you are looking at. Breathe actively with your ujayi breath to remain focused. Begin with your foundation, your feet, on your mat and travel up each part of your body engaging your muscles along the way, all the way to the crown of your head. Do this purposefully with each pose. If you notice your mind wandering to events that happened before your practice or your to-do list, recognize them non-judgmentally, then return your attention to your mat. 

Try this on during child's pose. Press your forehead down into your mat and set your gaze to one point. If your eyes are closed, focus through the center of your forehead. Breathe slowly and fully. Ground your hands into your mat and press your hips down toward your heels. Remain here for 10 breaths. If you find your mind wandering, notice it, then return to your pose.

As Baron Baptiste states in 40 Days to a Personal Revolution, "Our culture leads us to believe that our problem is with food, or our boss, or our relationships, but really, these things are not the problem. The problem is that we have disconnected from consciousness and gone to sleep." This week off your mat, try on being present. In conversations with your friends, family, coworkers set down technology and engage fully. Presence is a practice; for both on and off your mat.

As the book explains, a holistic yoga practice requires rewiring the mind, a healthy diet, regular yoga practice, meditation, and the journey must translate back into real life. This blueprint for practice requires us to reset our daily habits and routines. As Baron states “yoga practice is an unlearning process. We have to unlearn all that we’ve believed and been told about ourselves.” This requires breaking down old habits of dealing with stress, sedentary habits, and negative coping strategies. By spending time breaking down those habits and beginning new ones of regular power yoga practice and learning to “let go” those things we don't have control over; we can see a change in our daily routine and our overall perspectives of our inner self. ​​

Upward facing dog is considered a heart-opener. Heart openers allow us to be open to possibilities and let positive energy flow in. To enhance this effect, expand through your chest and upper back while you press your thoracic spine toward your chest.

This pose is often the first backbend performed in each class. This makes it especially important to protect your low back. Pull the front of your pelvis up toward your belly button and pull your belly button into your spine. ​

Continuing our exploration of the Yamas and Niyamas we are exploring the fourth Yama, Brahmacharya. As Deborah Adele explores in "The Yamas and Niyamas," Nonexcess is an opportunity for moderation in many areas of life which can include food, sleep, work, and pleasure. Striking balance among these areas of life is a practice; one which can be practiced on and off the yoga mat.

In yoga striking a balance of effort and ease, or "Stirrha Sukkha", can help prevent injury. Finding too much effort in a pose by stretching further than our body is ready can lead to injury. But finding "excess" of ease and not pushing to our edge we won't find growth. Try to find this balance in your next Warrior 2 pose. Bring your front thigh parallel to your mat and stack your knee directly above your ankle. From here where can you find ease, and where can you find effort without excess?

With Thanksgiving this week it is a great time to consider applying Brahmacharya off the mat. By avoiding overindulgence can we find greater balance in mind, body, and spirit? These indulgences can take form in food, but also in monetary form with Black Friday coming soon. In a compassionate and truthful way we can learn when to say yes and when to say no and stay on track this holiday season.

In classes you may hear your teacher say things like "lift your 10 toes" or "pull the front of your pelvis up to your belly button," but what do these cues mean? The intent of these cues is to empower you to find your "true north" on your mat. True North is both a physical and a spiritual concept. By aligning our bodies physically we bring integrity into our poses and protect ourselves from injury. But this process of facing True North also brings focus and intention to our lives when we walk off of our mats.

Tadasana, or mountain pose, is the full expression of True North alignment. As Baron Baptiste states in Being of Power you are "putting into action the physical and energetic practices that create the foundation of all asana practice, because every pose begins with that sense of inner alignment - it empowers students to move and breathe from their center." From here we move pose to pose still applying these same foundational principles. This is a constant process: begin a pose, find true north, express yourself further into the pose, repeat. 

"Standing in Tadasana is immediately grounding and gives you access to a solid foundation. Consider that whenever anything upsets you, you're in your thoughts and not present, and when that's the case, outside forces can get to you and knock you off balance," Baron Baptiste. Being committed to something bigger requires committing, then recommitting, repeat. ​Where in your life can you bring your True North?