Vibrate with its radiance, and share it.

We have the greatest power through love that can be known. It overcomes everything with its fierce and steady truth, if you can continue to stand in it.

You can call love to you, directly from the original stream of consciousness, anytime you feel weak or fearful, and you will be given strength and courage.

You can call love to you, directly from the original stream of consciousness, anytime you feel sad or alone, and you will feel embraced and comforted.

Call love to you if you feel vulnerable. Feel its purity come to you from the universe and flow round you like a miraculous mother cradling its innocent child.

Breathe love in. Say to yourself as you breathe deeply “I love. I am loved.” Say it over and over as you breathe it into yourself and out to the universe, until you really feel and believe that you ARE LOVE.

Feel love pour into your lungs as you breathe. Feel it circulate round your body to fill every organ, every limb, and every cell. Vibrate with its radiance, and share it.”
― Jay Woodman

Foods Mood and Emotion

There is no doubt about it, our mood and emotions affect what we eat, and what we eat affects our mood and emotions. Our relationship with food...how we eat, what we eat, how we treat ourselves when we eat, how we cope through eating and/or not eating...is all about our relationship with ourselves and whether or not we want to be alive. Food is a root chakra need, we all get that we MUST eat in order to  live; But what we often forget is that if we approach food with negativity, fear and/or guilt, we are setting a foundation for ourselves that annihilates the essence of who we are and prevents us from living...not just living physically but emotionally and spiritually as well. Because in eating we have forgotten to nourish ourselves.

What we can strive for is non-attachment to food, unconditional love to oneself (and in turn, to all others), requiring the ability to forgive and learn regardless of whether we ate apple pie or salad for lunch. For many of us, the FIRST step to becoming our radiant selves is in healing ourselves of the stories we tell ourselves about food that are really just an indication of us not wanting to BE here. Not wanting to show who we are because of fear. We are sad or angry so we eat or deprive ourselves of eating so we feel more sad and angry rather than expressing. This is human, this is natural, BUT we can learn to eat and treat eating as NOURISHMENT, as a way to be, learn, grow, love, heal and live.

Smiling Yogis Enjoy Beach Yoga Retreat!

"Beach Yoga Retreat is awesome! A friend and I did the 3-day retreat from Friday-Sunday and had a blast! Once you arrive at the studio to check-in you are greated by smiling faces who explain everything to you in great detail. At that point you are welcome to attend any and all classes of your liking up until your departure date. Everything is up to you so this retreat can be as easy or as challenging as you choose - you can do one class a day or six classes a day, your choice! With our package we received gift cards to a healthfood store for lunch/snacks and a gift card to a habachi grill for dinner - both of which were very yummy!

The hotel accomodations were absolutely wonderful with a fully stocked kitchen for all of your breakfast needs and all the amenities you would hope for. The location of the studio was great and within walking distance of the hotel. There are a lot of restaurants, bars, shopping places, spas, etc. within just a few minutes of the studio to help round-out your retreat experience. As far as the yoga studio is concerned they are literally one happy yoga family! Hugs are expected, smiles are mandatory and gratitude is a must! We were so sad to leave our new family and just hope to find something remotely comparable back at home. Carolina Power Yoga is the best!"

Kelsey Bachman

Myrtle Beach Yoga Retreat

Simplicity

Glorious beauty that can't be made nor bought,
Splendid galore that isn't pressured nor taught,
The most amazing things in life, are always highly sought,
Ironically they are free, simple - forever hot
Of course I am talking about nature,
A contagious bug I caught.

A walk through the woods,
A stroll on the beach,
Climb a mountain,
It really isn't outta reach.

Open your eyes to the splendor that is all around,
Let it enthrall you, enlighten you,
Embodying joy abound,
You don't have to look further, it is easily found
Just put one foot in front of the other, on this solid ground
Invigorating all your senses,
Your whole being resonates peaceful sound.

By Tara A. Gurry  2003

Henry David Thoreau "...Simplify, Simplify"

"Our life is frittered away by detail. Simplify, simplify.” 

“I learned this, at least, by my experiment: that if one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours.” 

“Never look back unless you are planning to go that way.”

“What lies behind us and what lies ahead of us are tiny matters compared to what lives within us.”

“Books are the treasured wealth of the world and the fit inheritance of generations and nations.”

“If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music he hears, however measured or far away.”

“be yourself- not your idea of what you think somebody else's idea of yourself should be.” 

"As you simplify your life, the laws of the universe will be simpler; solitude will not be solitude, poverty will not be poverty, nor weakness weakness." 

Carolina Power Yoga's 200 Hour Teacher Training

Meet Monica, a recent YTT Graduate that took her first yoga class at CPY and will soon be teaching as a RYT. 

I fell in love with yoga after the very first time I did a full class at Carolina Power Yoga. Prior, I had done a little bit of yoga here and there with the help of online videos and books. Yet, doing classes at CPY allowed me to really understand Vinyasa yoga and it really called out to me. I soon knew I wanted to become a yoga teacher and when the opportunity presented  itself, I registered for the yoga teacher training program and I am very glad that I did! 

The first week of my training was the hardest, by far. I was not used to doing up to four classes a day yet this was a yoga immersion and it truly was. My body was feeling sorer than ever, but I took it as a positive change that my body needed and continued on with my training. I remember telling myself you are strong, you are healthy, you can do this, and I did! 

Trainees we encouraged to maintain a vegetarian diet throughout our teacher training experience. I figured I would try it since I had been vegetarian for 6 months when I was a teenager without a problem and it seemed like a good time to clean up my diet. It has been 2 and half months since then and I am still a happy vegetarian and I am so thankful that the opportunity was presented to me and I took it. I love having a clean diet and understanding what I am putting in my body so that I can deepen that connection with my body, especially while I am practicing yoga. 

We also watched great informative movies during the teacher training on the yogic lifestyle, different styles of yoga, anatomy and yoga. I really enjoyed watching the movies especially after doing 3 classes a day. However, after the first week we stopped watching movies and dug into the books and the manual. 

One of the books we read was called “The Four Agreements” and it is an amazing read! The agreements are: Be impeccable with your word, don’t take anything personally, don’t make any assumptions, and always do your best. We followed these agreements as best as we could throughout our training and it allowed us to be happier, more compassionate and loving with ourselves and with each other. I still apply these four agreements to my everyday life even today, and I am grateful to have been introduced to them during my teacher training!

During the second week we made a visit to the animal shelter to pet the kitties and walk the dogs to gain good karma. This was one of my favorite things we did during our training. We shared love and compassion with the animals and it made us feel great to give them attention and love. I am going to start volunteering at my local animal center soon to give back to the animals because of this experience! 

The last two weeks of my training I felt my body becoming the strongest it has ever been before.  I noticed my skin started looking healthier and that it had a natural glow to it, even my hair looked shinier. I had gained a lot of strength in my legs, upper body, torso, arms, shoulders, and many other places. I started feeling stronger, more confident, and all around happier with myself and my body. It is amazing how yoga changes your body and your life.  

I did a few practice classes with my friends before my final and it allowed me to feel confident when I did my teaching demo. My friends are very happy for me and proud of me for finishing this teacher training program. They support me and are inspired by me and want to attend my classes. This makes me feel amazing because that is why I wanted to teach yoga in the first place; so that I could inspire others to become healthier, stronger, more energetic, and so that they could connect with their body mind and spirit, in the same way that I have by practicing yoga. 

Carolina Power Yoga's 200 Hour Teacher Training

CPY's 200 Hour Yoga Teacher Trainees have blossomed into certified yoga teachers. Here is Michele's experience.

I had wanted to participate in a Yoga Teacher Training for years, but working 7 days per week this was not possible. When I retired and moved to NC I started taking yoga classes at Carolina Power Yoga and the stars must have been aligned because an intense YTT immersion was offered in January of 2013 four months after I retired.

The first few days were exhausting. I left home at 8:30 am and didn't get home until 8:00 pm, then I had journaling and reading to do. On many days we took four yoga classes, I had never even taken 4 in a week before! I was physically exhausted and achy yet exhilarated. I felt strong, alive, powerful, and in touch with my feelings. After the first few days I seemed to have an abundance of energy and getting through the day become so much easier that I thought the teachers had changed all the classes to gentle yoga (they hadn't, I was just that much stronger.)

In the morning we meditated before starting the day. Although I had meditated before I had never followed a regular practice. Regular meditation made me feel mentally and physically strong, I also developed a tremendous sense of joy, peace, contentment, and equanimity. I seemed to need less sleep despite the extensive physical energy I expended each day and I felt great. I became more introspective and gained a spiritual awareness. In addition to the mediation and regular asana practice, we studied Sanskrit, anatomy, philosophy and history of yoga. The history and yoga believe system were fascinating. We read several books and discussed them. We were exposed to movies of various yogis, different styles and philosophies of yoga. I was fascinated and hooked. I started eating healthier and as I became stronger, more physically fit, more aware, more present, more grounded and more spiritual all of these characteristics grew exponentially.

The program was well structured, creative, and all inclusive. It was physically and intellectually challenging and always stimulating and diverse. Some days we did our four poses of the day outside in a gazebo at the park. A beautiful tranquil environment. One day we went to an animal shelter to “give back to the community and practice an act of kindness which is the yogi way. Most of our time was spent in the lovely studio that Tara Gurry created. Sometimes we went outside for a lecture or a discussion, taking advantage of the beautiful Carolina weather. My journey was incredible and my transformation remarkable.

Tara Gurry the studio owner was our primary guide. She is talented, caring, joyous yogini, who possesses an abundance of energy and creativity which she brings to all that she does. Her Power Yoga made us stronger. Her program challenged us yet allowed us to grow. Joanne Ducey recently joined CPY as a primary teacher. Jo introduced us to Forrest Yoga, a deeper more intense style of yoga. This helped further sculpt our bodies and brought a greater spirituality to our practice. Jo also introduced us to Ayurveda and several other topics with inspiring lectures. Page was just starting her journey as a teacher and it was great to see her blossom as time progressed. It gave our group insight into some of the challenges we might face as first time teachers.

My fellow trainees became my best friends. Our joyful journey was our bond. Our connection was unbelievable and the positive energy we emitted when we were together was in fact noticed by a new student who came to CPY and remarked on it. We supported each other and cheered each other on both on and off the mat.

I truly believe that this experience change me forever in an extremely positive manner, I learned so much, deepened my yoga practice, and learned that my breath is my best friend and can not only take me deeper into my asana practice, but also helps me in life in many unexpected ways. I am practicing the Four Agreements and the yogi lifestyle. I feel a greater sense of gratitude for life all my life's blessings, including for Carolina Power Yoga who offered me this amazing opportunity.

Thank you and Namaste

Sincerely,

Michele Dorland YTT200