Blog Archives - One Down Dog

ODDlight Teacher Feature: Nate Apuna

jessica — Sat, 18 Apr 2026 04:58:21 +0000

If you haven’t tried Nate’s class yet, it’s time to change that! Nate came to yoga out of pure necessity (tight runner’s legs will do that), and somewhere between loosening up and deepening his mental focus, he got so hooked he had to share it. His FLOW+ and FLOW classes offer challenging sequences that will leave you feeling stronger and more capable. When Nate’s not guiding you through something intentional and restorative, he’s chasing sunlight, dreaming of the seaside, and geeking out on anatomy. Catch Nate teaching FLOW+, FLOW, and YIN at Echo Park and East Hollywood — Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday — and find out what it feels like to be at home in your body. Check his schedule out here.

Get to know Nate:

What are your “Big 3?" Aries sun Libra moon Sagittarius rising

Five words to describe your teaching style? Fun, grounded, expansive, intentional, restorative

What’s an ODD fact about you? I was a missionary and almost became a pastor!

What led you to yoga/fitness? I found yoga out of necessity. My body was tight from running!

Why do you teach? I felt so good from moving in my body and deepening my mental focus, I couldn’t not share.

My class is for you if… You’re willing to explore and challenge yourself.

How do you hope people feel after they leave your class? After class, I hope you feel at home in your body.

How would a regular describe your class to a friend who’s never been? “Oh it’s fun, it’ll be challenging obviously, but like, stay with it and I think you’ll be glad you did."

What do you geek out on as a teacher? Anatomy always perks my ears — and I realize that is not an anatomically correct phrase because I’m not a dog.

What are you working on in your own movement practice right now? Right now, movement for me is about getting stronger. How can I improve a strong foundation to set up for future unfolding?

What song/playlist is on repeat for you lately? Superestrella by Aitana

One affirmation you always come back to? “I am held by a universe that loves me."

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The Benefits of Yoga for Stress Relief (According to Science)

jessica — Wed, 01 Apr 2026 19:40:34 +0000

Your Body Already Knows How to Handle Stress.

It just needs a little help. That’s where yoga comes in. April is Stress Awareness Month, which, if you’re a person living in the world right now, probably feels less like a calendar event and more like a personal attack. We’re not going to tell you to breathe more or download a meditation app. We’re going to tell you what the research actually says: yoga and movement are among the most effective, accessible, and underused tools for stress relief we have. And not just one kind of movement, all of it.

What Stress Is Actually Doing to Your Body

When you’re stressed, your body releases cortisol, which is your primary stress hormone. It’s not the villain it’s been made out to be. Cortisol evolved to keep you alive: it sharpens focus, mobilizes energy, and gets you through hard moments. The problem only starts when levels stay elevated long after the stressor is gone. Chronically elevated, it’s linked to poor sleep, inflammation, anxiety, weight changes, and burnout. The goal isn’t to never feel stress. The goal is to keep your system from getting stuck in it, building resilience, and finding more ease. That’s where the benefits of yoga for stress relief come in.

Why Yoga Is One of the Best Tools for Stress Relief

A 2024 systematic review published in Stress & Health found that 71% of studies measuring physiological stress markers showed significant reductions after a single yoga session. A 2025 network meta-analysis comparing exercise modalities confirmed what practitioners have long suspected: yoga produces some of the largest measurable reductions in cortisol of any form of movement studied – and it works even after just one class. The mechanisms differ depending on what you’re doing: Slow yoga practices like RESTORE, YIN, and SLOW FLOW activate the parasympathetic nervous system, your body’s rest-and-digest state, through breathwork, stillness, and sustained holds. YIN yoga in particular targets the fascia, the connective tissue that physically tightens in response to emotional stress – ever heard the saying we hold our issues in our tissues? That’s what this is about. A 2024 clinical study found that a 10-week YIN yoga intervention reduced anxiety after every single session and lowered baseline anxiety levels over time. More vigorous yoga and fitness classes like FLOW+, FIT, and MAT PILATES work differently, but just as effectively. High-effort movement triggers endorphins and endocannabinoids, your brain’s natural mood regulators, with mood-lifting effects lasting up to 24 hours post-workout. Regular intense training also retrains your HPA axis to respond to everyday stress more efficiently over time. You’re not just burning it off. You’re building long-term resilience to it.

The Benefits of a Consistent Yoga Practice for Stress

There’s no one right class for stress relief. Some days you need stillness. Some days you need sweat. Sometimes it’s important to treat with opposites, sometimes you need to meet yourself where you are. What matters is showing up consistently, because the biggest benefits of yoga on stress aren’t acute. They’re cumulative. Your nervous system changes over time. Your baseline shifts. Things that used to knock you flat start to feel more manageable. Research backs this up: studies show that regular yoga practice increases heart rate variability (HRV), the gold-standard marker of stress resilience, and raises levels of BDNF – a brain-growth factor inversely linked to anxiety. All this to say (as my yoga teacher used to always tell me), yoga – this sh*t works!

Yoga for Stress Relief in Los Angeles

At One Down Dog, we offer eight class formats across our three eastside LA locations – Echo Park, Eagle Rock, and East Hollywood, plus online and on-demand. RESTORE, SOMATIC, YIN, SLOW FLOW, FLOW, FLOW+, FIT, MAT PILATES. Slow or sweaty, still or strong, there’s a class for every version of overwhelmed. Making yoga a consistent part of how you manage stress is easier with our UNLIMITED+ membership – unlimited classes across all three locations, online, and on-demand, plus perks like 20% off workshops and retail, free mat rentals, and more, for one monthly rate. $209/month. Use code $15offUL+ for $15 off per month!

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Yoga Is Not a Passive Practice

caitlin — Mon, 02 Feb 2026 19:27:43 +0000

What Can You Do About What’s Happening With ICE?

We’ll keep the yoga pep talk short and get to business. Move your body. Do something within your community. It doesn’t matter if you’re getting your rage out in a FIT class or soothing your nervous system in YIN. It doesn’t matter if your social connection happens in the studio, at brunch, or at a protest. Movement and connection both speak directly to your ventral vagal nervous system—the part responsible for feelings of safety, regulation, and calm. The version of you that feels calmer and more resourced (or as close to that as you can get) is the version of you that can actually take action. That’s the version of you that gets things done. We all have a role to play. Below are some ways to engage. Please share additional resources or ideas—we learn better together.

Use Your Voice With Elected Officials

Contact your Senators and Representatives. Yes—even if you live in a Democrat-represented area. There is currently a Senate vote that includes increased funding for ICE. This funding bill has already passed in the House. If the Senate changes the bill, it goes back to the House. We’re big fans of the 5calls app – it gives you access to contact all of your reps and scripts to use to make things easier. If you have a Republican Senator: Appeal to constitutional values—freedom of speech, due process, and limits on federal overreach. This is not a partisan issue. It is a humanitarian and constitutional one. If your Democratic Senator is voting in alignment with the values you elected them for: Say thank you—and ask for more. Suggestions include:

Calling for impeachment of corrupt administration members
Encourage they communicate with Republicans to encourage bipartisan resistance
Showing up publicly—not just as an office with a vote, but as a person with a body and a microphone
Writing legislation that protects people from ICE overreach and demands transparency around how tax dollars are being spent

Our representatives have power. It matters how fully they use it.

Show Up — In the Ways You Can

Show up physically. This might mean protesting, striking, sitting in, legal observing, volunteering with larger organizations, or running errands for neighbors who are scared to be in public. Different comfort levels are valid. All of it matters. Standwithminnesota.com is a great resource for finding ways to support. LAtaco created a list of organizations to support that work with immigrants. Here’s a list of Social Justice organizations in California. Show up emotionally. Check in on people you know who are undocumented or have family members with various immigration status. A simple message can mean everything: “I’ve been thinking about you and hope you and your loved ones are okay. I’m here if you need support.” Check in on people doing nervous-system-shattering work—protestors, journalists, parents, organizers. Your regulated presence is not small. It’s a resource. Your yoga practice gives you access to steadiness. That steadiness can be the calm someone else needs.

Manage Your Information Intake

This is a marathon, not a sprint. Be intentional about when and how you consume information. Give yourself windows to engage deeply—and then step back to nourish yourself so you can return tomorrow. We love what Jeff the Therapist has to say “Your body wasn’t made for this.” and provides us with tips to move stress THROUGH the body, get the energy out. Look across perspectives so you can meet people where they are. Check facts and sources. Resist spreading misinformation, even when emotions are high. If you notice yourself spiraling on your phone:

FaceTime a friend
Move your body
Play Tetris (yes, really—there’s evidence it helps regulate the nervous system after stress)

If your phone has a grip on you, it’s okay to transition within the phone to something more supportive.

Take the Next Available Action

Anxiety loves to convince us there’s nothing we can do. There is always one action available. You are not failing by taking an hour on your mat. Sometimes rest is the next action. When you pull farther back on the bow, the arrow flies farther. Be gentle with yourself. We love what Niki Saccareccia had to say here and the quote she shared. Yoga teaches us a cycle for sustainable change:

Svadhyaya — reflection
Tamas (or tapas) — effort, heat, willful action
Ishvara Pranidhana — be witness to the work

Then we repeat. We dont want to burn out. We need you well, steady, and resilient. We don’t practice yoga to create a pocket of peace so we can ignore the world. We practice yoga to become more functional humans—so we can show up in the world. Right now, we need you regulated, connected, and clear. We need your presence, your voice, and your care

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Winter Wisdom: A Capricorn Approach to What Lasts

oddfam — Tue, 23 Dec 2025 22:33:57 +0000

A More Thoughtful Way Forward

It’s no surprise that Capricorn season invites both ambition and reflection. There’s a natural pull to look ahead, but also to look inward. Not in the all-or-nothing, runaway-train way most resolutions unfold, but from a deeper, steadier foundation.

January 1 marks the start of the Gregorian calendar, a civil system shaped around human-made timelines and productivity. It places the “New Year” in the middle of winter, when goal-oriented behavior can feel oddly misaligned with the rest of the natural world.

Astrologically speaking, the year truly begins when the sun enters Aries on the Spring Equinox. Day and night are nearly equal, and there’s a palpable sense of momentum, growth, and forward motion. That’s when action makes sense.

Right now, we’re in a different phase.

This season asks us to reflect. To assess what actually fits our natural rhythm and what doesn’t. To take stock of how we’ve been living, moving, and caring for ourselves, so we can realign with what genuinely serves us before we push forward again.

To some, the idea of deciding what’s “in” and “out” for the coming year might feel like an internet trend. To us, it’s a grounded and soulful practice. One that creates a sustainable foundation for growth, and for becoming more fully ourselves rather than a “new” version that doesn’t quite stick.

So instead of a long blog about poses, playlists, or philosophy, we’re offering something simpler.

Take a Seat

Sit in a way that feels comfortable right now. Sukasana, a chair, the couch. Wherever you are.

Maybe your hips feel tight from holiday errands. Maybe your body feels a little heavier from dense, nourishing winter meals. Let that be okay. Listen to what your body needs in this moment.

From here, begin to look back.

Not with judgment, but with curiosity.

Ask yourself:

What supported me this year?
What quietly drained me?
What felt sustainable?
What didn’t?

What We’re Carrying Forward

Strength- and mobility-focused movement
Kindness, especially toward ourselves
Meeting ourselves where we are
Showing up for our community and ourselves
Softness alongside discipline
listening to how yoga asana feels

These are lessons we’ve returned to again and again this year through our study of the Yoga Sutras, particularly the Yamas and Niyamas. They’re a practical toolkit for living that helps us notice when past experiences start to cloud how we show up in the present. They bring us back to gratitude, presence, and care.

OUT

Comparing ourselves to others
“Crash” anything
The pressure to “start over”
Community or self-care that feels performative or out of balance
Practices that are inconsistent, impractical, or simply don’t fit real life
thinking we need to adhere to how yoga asana “should" look

Your Turn

As you move toward 2026, what are you leaving behind?

And what’s worth not just keeping, but refining?

There’s no need to rush. This season isn’t about reinvention. It’s about steady alignment, so when the time comes to move forward, you’re doing it from a place that actually lasts.

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Deep Blue Sea-son | Scorpio Waters (& Emotions) Run Deep

oddfam — Thu, 23 Oct 2025 02:29:26 +0000

“Like the gargantuan iceberg beneath its polar cap, Jupiter in Scorpio holds endless mysteries in its depths.” — Chani Nicholas

Libra season asked us to find freedom in the moments we fall off balance — to wobble, sway, and still trust the beauty in the in-between. Scorpio season takes us somewhere deeper. This one finds freedom not by floating on the surface, but by diving below it — where truth lives, where we can’t fake the calm, and where transformation begins. Welcome to the deep blue sea-son: a time to feel it all, dive beneath the surface, and let movement, breath, and presence guide the hidden parts of ourselves into the light.

In yoga (and in life), that means turning toward what we’ve avoided — the sensations, emotions, and stories we’ve kept buried — and letting movement, breath, and presence do their quiet magic. When we dig deep, not dark, we discover that what feels heavy is often what’s ready to rise. So go ahead — be the Scorpio you wish to see in the world: passionate, present, and brave enough to bring your depths to the surface without sinking an unsinkable ship, turning ‘I’ll never let go’ into ‘it’s definitely time to let go.’

3 Ways to Ride the Scorpio Waves

1. Feel It Fully — Don’t Flinch

Scorpio energy calls for radical presence. Notice the clench, the wobble, the held breath — lean in, let sensations speak, and maybe grunt a little while you’re at it.

2. Burn to Transform

Scorpio heat isn’t just emotional — it’s alchemy. Sweat, breathe, move, and turn effort into ritual. It may get messy, and that’s exactly the point.

3. Surrender to the Depth

Every dive needs floating. Savasana, Yoga Nidra, or just lying there — surrender isn’t defeat, it’s integration. Surface lighter, clearer, and ready to ride the next wave.

Playlist of the Season:

To accompany this journey through Scorpio’s depths, the Deep Blue Sea-son playlist blends introspective, passionate, and transformative tracks — from soulful reflection to fiery intensity. Each song mirrors the themes of emotional honesty, surrender, and rebirth we explore on the mat: the early tracks help you lean into feelings and resistance, the midsection fuels movement and intensity, and the closing pieces invite rest, reflection, and renewal. Put it on during your practice, meditation, or even a quiet evening, and let the music guide you through your own deep dive.

Asana of the Season:

Surrender in Savasana: The Death of Practice on the Mat

Scorpio season is all about release, transformation, and diving into what lies beneath the surface. What better pose to honor that energy than savasana — the ultimate surrender on the mat? It’s the corpse pose that asks us to let go of control, float in stillness, and integrate all the emotional, physical, and spiritual work we’ve done in practice. Think of it as a mini burial for old patterns — with the promise of rebirth when you rise.

How to Get There (Scorpio Style)

Lie Down Like a Rebel of the Deep
- Stretch out comfortably on your back. Let your arms fall open like tentacles reaching for transformation.
Close the Eyes, Open the Depths
- Gently close your eyes and imagine diving beneath your personal iceberg. Feel the currents of emotion, thought, and sensation moving freely.
Release the Grip
- Let your shoulders, jaw, and belly soften. Surrender to gravity. Pretend the drama of Scorpio intensity can’t touch you here — because it can’t.
Breathe Into the Mystery
- Inhale deeply, exhale slowly. Each breath is an invitation to release, each exhale a tiny little plunge into the depths.
Optional Fetal Pose Transition
- When ready, roll gently to one side and curl into a fetal-like shape — honoring rebirth, transformation, and the flow of Scorpio’s emotional tides.

Benefits of Savasana (The Scorpio Way)

Emotional:

Encourages deep emotional release and integration
Calms the nervous system after intense physical or emotional work
Cultivates radical presence with your own feelings

Physical:

Reduces muscle tension and fatigue
Lowers blood pressure and heart rate
Promotes recovery after a vigorous practice

Spiritual / Energetic:

Supports insight, reflection, and clarity
Helps integrate the lessons of the practice into daily life
Connects you to the cycle of death and rebirth — release and renewal

Class of the Season: YOGA NIDRA

If savasana is the death of practice, Yoga Nidra is the consciously unconscious exploration of that depth — a guided treasure hunt under your own emotional iceberg. It invites you to uncover buried gems, process emotions, spark creativity, and reignite that signature Scorpio intensity. Yoga Nidra lets us visit these places safely, with curiosity instead of judgment, turning our attention inward to release, integrate, and transform.

How It Works:
Through guided visualization, body scanning, and intentional breathwork, Yoga Nidra allows the subconscious mind to surface emotions, memories, and creative impulses that may have been buried or ignored. This aligns perfectly with Scorpio’s energy: it encourages emotional honesty, energetic purification, and the rebirth of creative fire.

Why It Feels Like Magic in Scorpio Season:

Emotional Processing: Helps you move through and integrate intense emotions without becoming overwhelmed.
Creativity Boost: By quieting the conscious mind, you give space for new ideas, intuition, and inspiration to rise.
Scorpio Spark: Amplifies your inner power and passion, helping you connect with your desires and purpose with clarity and intensity.

Think of Yoga Nidra as a sonic, energetic, and emotional deep dive — a chance to meet yourself beneath the waves, process what arises, and resurface renewed, aligned, and ready to channel your Scorpio fire in the world.

Sutra of the Season: 1.12

Scorpio Season: A Meditation on Depth

In Scorpio Season, we move from floating on the surface to diving deep — exploring the hidden currents of our emotions, desires, and shadows. Freedom isn’t found in perfection or avoidance; it’s discovered in curiosity, surrender, and the courage to meet what’s buried beneath.

Sutra 1.12 reminds us that steady practice and conscious letting-go quiet the mind’s waves. In Scorpio season, that’s your blueprint: turn toward the depths, feel it fully, and let transformation rise — no whistle or big wooden door required.

So give Scorpio Season a soundtrack that mirrors your depths, then take it to the mat: explore hip openers, heart-opening flows, and deep savasana or Yoga Nidra. Lean into the currents, feel the intensity, surrender, and let the alchemy of release guide you. Rinse, repeat, and rise renewed — ready to channel your passion, creativity, and inner power in the world.

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Libra-ate Yourself | Finding Freedom in the Falling

oddfam — Tue, 23 Sep 2025 15:29:17 +0000

In Virgo Season, we dared ourselves to flirt with order and perfection—without rules. Instead of chasing flawlessness, we leaned into patience, clarity, and the art of letting go when imperfections surfaced. Now, in Libra Season, that exploration evolves: from striving for perfection to striving for balance. “Balance” is one of those wellness buzzwords we hear everywhere, but with so many interpretations, it can also feel heavy. We picture ourselves holding scales on our shoulders, expecting them to stay steady while life relentlessly nudges us off course—through phones, schedules, traffic, or as One Down Dog founder Jessica Rosen says, the bugs on the windshield. Our culture tends to frame balance through hustle-driven sayings: when you fall off the horse, get back on. No shade (okay, maybe some) to the cowboys who coined that one, but yoga offers us something deeper and more poetic. Instead of a “walk it off” mentality, yogic wisdom invites us to embrace the wobble. To laugh when we stumble, to learn from the moment, and to keep practicing—whether in a tricky pose or a tough conversation. That’s how we turn the fall into something fabulous.

3 Key Takeaways on Balance in Libra Season

Humor softens the wobble. Laughter turns frustration into perspective, helping us lighten the load of imperfection. Information builds clarity. When we notice patterns—on and off the mat—we transform missteps into opportunities for learning. Cultivation creates resilience. Each fall is feedback. With practice, we grow steadier, stronger, and more compassionate toward ourselves.

Playlist of the Season:

Every season deserves a soundtrack. Our Libra-themed playlist is curated to sway with the scales—songs that teeter between light and deep, calm and energetic, playful and soulful. It’s music for finding balance in the wobble, whether you’re flowing through poses, navigating traffic, or just dancing it out in your living room. Let these tracks remind you that harmony isn’t about standing still, but about learning to move gracefully through the shifts. Press play, find your rhythm, and let balance sound as good as it feels.

Asana of the Season:

Sirsasana (Headstand)

Every season deserves a new perspective. In Libra Season, balance isn’t just about standing tall—it’s about flipping the script. Headstand (Śīrṣāsana) is the ultimate teacher in this practice: equal parts strength and surrender, focus and play. It reminds us that wobbling, tipping, or even falling are all part of the dance toward steadiness.

How to Step Into Headstand (Śīrṣāsana)

Foundation first. Interlace your fingers, set your forearms on the ground, and cradle the back of your head in your hands.
Root down. Press firmly through your forearms and lift your shoulders away from your ears.
Lift lightly. Tuck your toes, straighten your legs, and walk your feet closer until your hips stack over your shoulders.
Float up. Bend your knees into your chest, then slowly extend your legs toward the sky.
Find balance. Engage your core, breathe steadily, and remember—falling is part of the practice.

Ready to play with balance, flip your perspective, and enjoy the art of falling? Join Meghan Lastra in Echo Park for our upcoming Headstand Workshop—where strength meets curiosity and every wobble is welcome.

The Benefits of Headstand (Śīrṣāsana)

Mind

Builds focus and concentration by requiring presence and attention
Trains patience through gradual progress and practice
Cultivates mental clarity by reversing perspective and shifting energy
Encourages confidence and courage in facing challenges
Helps release fear of falling, fostering resilience and adaptability

Body

Strengthens shoulders, arms, and core muscles
Improves circulation by inverting the body and assisting blood flow
Stimulates the lymphatic system, supporting detoxification
Can relieve tension in the lower back by decompressing the spine
Enhances balance and proprioception (awareness of body in space)

Overall Wellbeing

Offers an energizing, uplifting effect on mood
Balances the nervous system, supporting stress relief
Symbolically flips perspective, inviting new ways of seeing challenges
Builds trust in the body and practice, deepening the mind-body connection
Creates a playful, joyful relationship with movement and imperfection

Class of the Season: FIT: full-body

Balance isn’t just about stillness—it’s about finding strength in motion. FIT: Full-Body is a high-energy, total-body HIIT that invites you to play with your limits while staying grounded in your center. Through bodyweight conditioning, strength training, core work, and all-levels cardio, you’ll feel the push and pull of challenge and recovery, effort and ease—just like navigating the scales of daily life. Sweat, wobble, and laugh through it, and discover that balance isn’t about perfection—it’s about showing up, moving through, and finding joy along the way.

Book FIT: full-body >>

Ready to find your flow, test your limits, and embrace a little wobble? Join our October Attendance Challenge and try a variety of classes designed to balance out your practice—because the best way to master balance is to mix it up, move your body, and have fun doing it! Plus stickers. Never forget the stickers.

Sutra of the Season: 2.26

Libra Season: A Meditation on Balance

In Libra Season, we move from perfection to balance—an ever-shifting, playful dance between effort and ease. The scales we carry aren’t meant to stay perfectly level; life nudges us off course with phones, traffic, schedules, and “the bugs on the windshield.” Balance is less about standing still and more about learning to wobble with grace.

Yoga Sutra 2.46 reminds us that the practice of yoga is about finding steadiness through steady effort: sthira sukham asanam — the posture should be steady and comfortable. It’s a meditation in motion, teaching us that effort without ease becomes rigid, and ease without effort becomes sloppy. True balance lives in the middle, where we engage, stretch, breathe, and allow ourselves to wobble.

So give Libra Season and your practice a soundtrack that sways with the scales, then take it to the mat and play around with arm balances like headstand, then sweat it all out with FIT: full-body. Rinse, repeat, and get to 21 classes in October to meet our Practice Feeling Balanced Challenge. Show up, show more, and let the wobble guide us.

The post Libra-ate Yourself | Finding Freedom in the Falling appeared first on One Down Dog.

Sustainable Serenity: reclaim time and using yoga philosophy

jessica — Tue, 09 Sep 2025 21:56:41 +0000

Part 1: time

“I don’t have enough time” – me 200 times a day. “You have time for what you make time for.” – me trying to finish writing this post. Other fun things I tell myself on the regular: “I’m so behind.” “I have so much to do.” “I want to do X (something fulfilling), but I have to do Y (some kind of obligation).” Maybe like me, you wonder whether you’re living to work or working to live? So, let’s talk about time. Time is weird. It flies, it drags, it slips through your fingers, and somehow there’s never enough of it. That feeling, that low-key panic of “there’s so much to do and I’ll never catch up” has become so normal, we forget to question it anymore… but maybe we should.

The Gunas and the nature of time

In my last blog, I discussed Samkhya philosophy, specifically prakriti and purusha. As a reminder, Prakriti = matter/nature, Purusa = the (S)elf. Prakriti, the material world, is ever changing and is made up of the three gunas:

Tamas: heavy, slow to change
Rajas: hot, active, fast-moving
Sattva: balanced, stable, sustainable

The nature of nature is change. We’re constantly cycling through these energies. Some days we feel bored, lazy, stuck (tamas). Others are full of action, overstimulation, and chaos (rajas). And then there are moments when we experience sattva, those rare, calm spaces where we feel present and in flow. The way our culture interacts with time tends to overemphasize rajas. Go. Achieve. Hustle. Optimize. Be productive. But here’s the thing about rajas:

It’s addictive
It is not sustainable
It always leads to tamas

Too much rajas without sattva leads to burnout. Too much tamas without sattva leads to stagnation. Yoga gives us tools to navigate all three so we can start living with intention rather than getting caught up in the rat race.

Time Famine: why doing nothing is so hard and SO necessary

From the moment we’re born, we’re trained to race time. We learn to measure it, track it, and maximize it. Time becomes currency. Productivity becomes identity. We’re living through what some call a “time famine” – a deep, collective feeling that there’s never enough time. We run on alarms, meetings, time sheets, and calendar pings. We measure our worth in productivity. We pack our days, rush through meals, scroll through breaks, and optimize our downtime. This hyper-focus on productivity can lead to burnout, anxiety, and even physical health problems – super rajasic! We’re so conditioned to do that sitting still for even 30 minutes doing absolutely nothing can feel impossible and tremendously uncomfortable. But doing nothing is deeply healing. I always tell my kid that boredom leads to creativity, and being bored can change the world! A bit dramatic, sure, but it is also true. In stillness, we integrate, imagine, and restore. We desperately need that space!

Bending Time: creating space for what matters

We say we’ll take that trip “someday.” We’ll rest “after this deadline.” We’ll play, sleep, breathe… later. But what if later never comes? What if time itself is just a construct we’ve agreed to without realizing it? What if we can reshape it to serve our well-being, not just our schedules? What if we make joy a non-negotiable? What if we could bend time? Here’s how I’m learning to bend time back into something that feels like mine:

get present: constantly thinking about the future = anxiety. Constantly ruminating on the past = depression. The only place peace exists is in the present.

In Sutra 1.2 (Yogaś citta-vṛtti-nirodhaḥ), Patanjali says that Yoga is the stilling of the fluctuations of the mind. Tools to still the mind:

Breath Awareness: lengthen your exhale – it signals to your nervous system that you are safe. Check out our blog on pranayama for more breath tips.
Movement: yoga, dancing in your kitchen, long walks – when you move with intention time slows down.
Journal: brain dump all of the things – writing creates separation between you and your thoughts.

When you’re in the present, time expands.

add novelty: have you ever noticed how, when you travel, it feels like every day is 10 days long? I was just in Italy and I ended every day feeling this way. That’s because new experiences snap us out of autopilot and make time feel longer.

1. - Take a different route home
  - Add a random activity into your day that you rarely do: paint a picture, jump rope, walk a route you’ve never walked
  - Work from a new space – a coffee shop, a park, the floor

set boundaries: say yes to what fills you. Say no to what drains you. We forget how much choice we actually have. Boundaries = freedom!

1. - Add things fill your cup to your calendar and treat them with the same respect you do your work/family responsibilities
  - Say “not right now” or “I’ll get back to you” instead of defaulting to “yes” pause before you commit, and check in with your energy first.

find your flow: what makes you lose track of time in the best way? Cooking? Painting? Writing? Movement? Flow States are time-benders – add more of them into your week.

Live fluid: In our culture, time often feels rigid, linear, and scheduled. But not everyone lives that way, in many cultures (Latin America, Africa, South Asian, Indigenous), time is seen as fluid, relational, and intuitive. Instead of living by the clock, let yourself:

Be spontaneous
Pause to talk to the person next to you instead of rushing past them
Make spending time with your people just for funsies a priority

reclaim Your Relationship with Rest: Rest isn’t something you earn – it’s something you deserve and it’s essential! Rest isn’t wasted time. It’s what makes your life livable. True rest (not just zoning out) resets your nervous system and shifts how you experience time. Sleep, nap, daydream… slow down before your body forces you to.
define “enough” for yourself: productivity culture teaches us that we’re not doing enough, or worse, that we’re not enough. When “more” is the only measure, we’ll always feel behind.

Ask yourself: “what does enough look like today?” When you define enough, you give yourself permission to stop.
Remember: done is better than perfect
You are a human being not a human doing

Time isn’t just hours on a clock, it’s how we live our lives. And maybe the first step to reclaiming it is remembering that we can. We can choose presence over pressure. We can define “enough” for ourselves. We can move through our day with intention instead of exhaustion. In a world that’s constantly pulling us toward doing more, faster, sooner, it’s an act of resistance to pause, to soften, and to ask: What truly matters? This is just Part 1 of Sustainable Serenity. There’s more to explore – more ways to reclaim your joy, your energy, your space. But for now, take a breath. You have time. And you’re allowed to use it differently.
Jessica Rosen

The post Sustainable Serenity: reclaim time and using yoga philosophy appeared first on One Down Dog.

Hard Times, Soft Signs | How Cancer Season’s Kindness is Power

oddfam — Wed, 18 Jun 2025 23:22:58 +0000

Tenderness is a Tool for Tough Times

Much like a challenging asana, difficult moments call for us to meet them not with force, but with tenderness. When we soften toward ourselves—offering care instead of critique—we strengthen not only our relationship with the challenge, but with our own resilience, and with one another.

It may feel counterintuitive, but compassion is a kind of courage. As Patanjali reminds us in Sutra 1.33, cultivating loving-kindness toward those who suffer isn’t a detour from strength—it’s the very path to sturdy peace. Or as June Jordan so beautifully put it:

...Or maybe the purpose of being here, wherever we are, is to increase the durability and the occasions of love among and between peoples. Love, as the concentration of tender caring and tender excitement, or love as the reasons for joy. I believe that love is the single, true prosperity of any moment and that whatever and whoever impedes, diminishes, ridicules, opposes the development of loving spirit is “wrong" / hateful.

This Cancer season invites us inward, toward feeling, toward care. When we practice tenderness—in the face of difficulty, in the direction of ourselves and others—we help build the kind of community that endures. One breath, one soft sign, one pose at a time. Just like Ardha Chandrasana, our Asana of the Season: steady, strong, and open to the light.

You Got Me Feeling Emotions, Deeper Than I’ve Ever Dreamed of (aka Cancer Season Workshops & Community Events)

A warrior-like Aries, Mariah Carey reminds us that there is depth and power in tapping into the emotional side of Cancer season. Join us for a “sweet, sweet fantasy" at a variety of donation-based classes designed for community care, info sessions to take the next step toward deepening your practice and connection, sound events to tune inward and align, and so much more:

ODDGIVES | Co-Led Pride Donation Classes: We’re celebrating Pride with three co-led, donation-based classes across two studios! Flow it out, celebrate unity and harmony with dynamic teaching duos, and support AwareHaus in their mission to expand access to resources, spaces and relationships that support healing, creativity, and personal transformation in the queer community.
- Fri, June 20th | 8:15-9:30am: FLOW + SOUND for PRIDE w/ Hallie Anoff and Tamara “Mars" Beck in Eagle Rock
  - SIGN UP >>
- Sat, June 28th | 11am-12pm: SWEAT for PRIDE with Asia Martin and Emmett Patton in East Hollywood
  - SIGN UP >>
- Sun, June 29th | 11:30am-12:30pm: SLOW FLOW for PRIDE with Emmett Patton and Asia Martin in East Hollywood
  - SIGN UP >>
Sips & Staircases | Community Hike + Coffee Break: Celebrate the Summer Solstice with a soul-nourishing community hike through Silver Lake and Echo Park’s secret stairs, blending movement, mindfulness, and connection—plus a cozy coffee stop at Cafe Nido! Sun, June 22 | 11am-1pm w/ Lani Engstrom. Save My Spot >>
- Reminders and meetup details will be emailed Sat, June 21, so be sure to pre-register by Friday!
ODDGIVES | Juneteenth FLOW: Join Asia Martin for a Juneteenth FLOW class honoring Black freedom, culture, and community, with proceeds supporting the Los Angeles Black Worker Center’s fight for equity and justice. Sun, June 22 | 3-4pm in Echo Park. Save My Spot >>
Fall 200-Hour Yoga Teacher Training Info Session: Deepen your yoga practice and share your passion with others. Join our informative Q&A session for our immersive 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training starting in September. Spots are limited, so reserve yours today! Attendants of this info session will be eligible to save $500 with early-bird registration and an extra $100 sign-up bonus! Wed, June 25 | 7-8pm w/ Cindy Godell in Echo Park. Save My Spot >>
Cancer Season Sound Bath: Immerse yourself in a transformative 75-minute sound bath led by Dylan Wallace – fresh from a retreat in Tuscany – using crystal bowls, chimes, and a gong tuned to the vibrations of Venus to achieve deep relaxation and stress reduction. Sun, June 29 | 7:30-8:45pm w/ Dylan Wallace in East Hollywood. Save My Spot >>
Yoga Talk: ODD’s Lead teacher and 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training architect, Cindy Godell, takes over our weekly open-hearted, philosophy-driven discussion in July and the first half of August. It’s like a little taste of her upcoming retreat in Costa Rica! Wednesdays | 7:30-8:30pm in Echo Park. Save My Spot >>

Details coming soon for more exciting community events and workshops in July, like an info session to learn more about August’s Yin Yoga Teacher Training, an all-new Somatic Voice Workshop, and a neighborhood Sound Bath in partnership with our friends at Creature’s Plants & Coffee. Stay tuned to our newsletter and socials!

Move over Brat Summer, this year it’s MAT Summer (aka Summer Specials)

Seeking clarity amidst the chaos but can’t commit to a membership because you’re only in LA for the summer? These specials are for you, grads, and anyone else summering in the city. Tuesday, June 24 is your last chance to give or get the gift of a Mat Summer Save $108 on a flexible-use 12-class pack and practice once a week or save $50 on 2 months of unlimited yoga, fitness, and membership perks without the commitment! Shop The Specials >>

Playlist of the Season: Dancing on My Own

A yoga playlist for a cathartic solo dance party or a gentle class that refills your cup and reminds you that tender is the new tough. We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again: can you be soft and kind with yourself and to others when things feel especially hard and uncomfortable? You can’t dance well with others until you can dance on your own

Asana of the Season: Ardha Chandrasana (Half Moon)

Here’s a Quick Guide to Getting into Half Moon:

Build your foundation: Begin by standing with your feet wide apart, front foot facing forward and back foot at a 45° angle pressing into the knife edge, similar to a triangle pose.
Launch: With weight on your front leg, lift your back leg and place your hand on the ground or a block in line with your front shoulder. Keep your back foot flexed and parallel to the floor.
Open your heart: Open your chest towards the ceiling and reach your top arm up, creating a long line of energy from your standing leg to your top arm.
Hold on: Hold the pose for a few breaths, focusing on balance and alignment.
Exit the pose: Gently lower your raised leg and return to extended triangle pose.

And the benefits of this nurturing and balancing pose:

Strengthens legs, core, ankles, and feet
Improves balance
Enhances flexibility
Opens hips and chest
Improves focus, concentration, determination, and digestion
Reduces stress, anxiety, and depression
Enhances body awareness

Class of the Season: YIN

Tenderness begins within ourselves, so we’re encouraging our students, especially those who lean toward high-intensity classes, like FIT and MAT PILATES, to find a tender sweetness and awareness in the deeply grounding and connected YIN classes we offer.

Yin is a slow paced class that works deeply into the connective tissue (fascia) mainly through non-standing poses that are held for 2-5 minutes. In this class props are used for supportive and sustainable holds to ease into sensation and patiently let the body work, soften and create space.

If you’re interested in teaching YIN or deepening your experience, Sarah Helt will lead a Yin Yoga Teacher Training in August that’s filling up fast!

Sutra of the Season: 1.33

Yoga Sutra 1.33 reminds us that compassion (karuṇā) toward those who are suffering is a key to cultivating peace of mind. This aligns beautifully with the energy of Cancer season—a time of emotional sensitivity, deep care, and nurturing connection. When we soften toward others and ourselves, we create space for healing, understanding, and a stronger sense of community. Just like Cancer’s protective shell guards a tender heart, we too can build resilience through kindness. Extra Credit: this week, reach out to a neighbor, friend, or fellow student with a small act of care—a kind word, a thoughtful check-in, or a shared moment of presence.

The post Hard Times, Soft Signs | How Cancer Season’s Kindness is Power appeared first on One Down Dog.

Bugs on the Windshield: An Exploration of Samkhya Philosophy

jessica — Tue, 03 Jun 2025 01:09:24 +0000

A few weeks ago, my therapist asked, “How have things been lately?” The same question that kicks off pretty much every session. I started sharing how hard life’s been – personally, yes, but also collectively (because… the world). She asked what I was doing to navigate the ups, the downs, and all the stress in between. As a small business owner and mom to a 9-year-old, there’s a lot to hold. And then I remembered something I teach in every round of teacher training: Bugs on the windshield. Sounds gross, I know, but stick with me.

Here’s the gist…

The philosophy of yoga includes many darshanas (lenses) – or ways of seeing. One of the foundational darshanas we explore in our 200-hour teacher training is Samkhya philosophy. Samkhya philosophy views reality as made up of two independent principles (it’s a dualistic philosophy) Prakriti = matter. The stuff of the world – thoughts, emotions, bodies, circumstances. Always changing. Purusha = Self with a capital S. Not your mood, your resume, or even your “best self.” This is your pure consciousness. Steady, unchanging, always witnessing. So What Do Bugs Have to Do With It? My yoga teacher explained samkhya philosophy like this: Imagine you’re moving through the world (prakriti) in your car; you’re on a long road trip, and the destination is the Self (purusha). Just like any road trip, your windshield starts to get covered in bugs… Bugs = Life As humans in this wild, ever-changing world, we deal with a lot: Insomnia? bugs Money stress? bugs Career stress, family tension, getting cut off on the way to class? Yep – bugs! They cloud your vision. They distort what’s real. They pile up so fast, you can’t even see where you’re headed anymore.

But You’ve Got Wipers!

But here’s the thing: you’ve got a strong set of windshield wipers. And top-tier wiper fluid. That’s yoga. The practice of Yoga doesn’t stop the bugs… you’re still a human living in a bug filled world. But it does help you see through the mess. It clears your vision and it reminds you: You are not the bug. You are not the windshield. You are not the chaos of the road. You’re the one inside the car: calm, witnessing, present. That’s Purusha.

The Practice = The Clarity

Every time you roll out your mat – every breath, every (one) down dog, every pause… you’re flipping on those wipers. You’re remembering who you are underneath the mess. You’re letting the bugs be bugs, without letting them take over your identity like in some sort of horror movie. And it’s not just during your asana practice, it’s the lengthening of your exhale when someone walks too slow in front of you at Costco, it’s turning off your phone for a few hours of peace, it’s filling your gas tank before the light comes on, it’s connecting with friends – it’s all of the little things that reconnect you to yourself and allow for moments of ease in the effort of being a human in this world. So, what did I commit to doing after my therapy session? Here’s my list:

Move my body every day in some way – whether that’s a long walk with my dog, a class at ODD, lifting weights, or a solo dance party in my room
Spend more time outside
No more doom scrolling; in fact, maybe no scrolling at all!
Set myself up for restful sleep (and no, I’m definitely not writing this at 1am… more on this in another post)

There are more tools that I know help clear the bugs, but I have to start somewhere – and this list feels doable! What About You? What works for you? Make a list. Take action. Form a new habit that fills your cup. We’re in this together! So the next time life splats a bug on your windshield (because it will), remember: You’ve got the tools. You’ve got the clarity. And you’ve always, always been the driver. I love you, keep going. Jessica Rosen

The post Bugs on the Windshield: An Exploration of Samkhya Philosophy appeared first on One Down Dog.

Double Vision | Seeing Clearly in Gemini Season

oddfam — Wed, 21 May 2025 00:08:35 +0000

Dualism vs. Non-dualism: The Lost Art of Nuance

Embracing the dual nature of Gemini, we explore two profound philosophical perspectives: dualism—the distinction between Purusha (pure awareness) and Prakriti (Nature)—and non-dualism, which points to a singular, unified reality. At first glance, this contrast may seem like just another binary, but it invites a deeper realization: two truths can coexist.

Through our “Gemin-eyes,” our double vision offers clarity. The ability to see both sides and move between them may appear inconsistent, unreliable, or even two-faced. But just beneath that surface lies the wisdom of nuance—the beauty found in life’s gray areas.

Like a pendulum that swings from one side to the other before settling in the center, our understanding deepens when we move beyond black-and-white thinking. In a world dominated by clickbait headlines and the reductive either/or mentality of social media, it is in this center—in the space of both/and—that true clarity and lasting stability reside.

The Social Season (aka Gemini Season Workshops & Community Events)

Because Geminis so smoothly adapt to a variety of situations, they’re one of the most social signs of the zodiac. Like Geminis, this season’s workshops and community events are lively, witty, adventurous, and outgoing:

200-Hour Yoga Teacher Training Info Session: Dive deeper into philosophical concepts like dualism and non-dualism, expand your community of like-minded yoga lovers, and build your toolkit for adapting to change like a true Gemini! Join the program‘s manager, Cindy Godell, for a free Q&A and get $500 off with early bird registration on Thursday, May 22 at 6pm in Echo Park. Save My Spot >>
AFFINITY | AAPI Heritage Month FLOW: ODD Affinity is a program created to elevate diverse voices and provide a safe space for students from historically marginalized communities to connect, reflect, and grow together. Not only was yoga philosophy born from the minds of this community, but their experience in the world often depends on the ability to adapt and thrive through adversity and change. Join Mel Mah for this pay-what-you-can class on Thursday, May 29 at 7:15pm in Eagle Rock. Save My Spot >>
Gemini Season Sound Bath: Tune into the duality of Gemini with a sound bath that harmonizes mind and body, inviting clarity, curiosity, and cosmic connection through vibration and breath. Join Dylan Wallace on Sunday, June 1 at 7:30pm in East Hollywood. Save My Spot >>
Kids Yoga, Family Style: Embracing the playful and adventurous side of Geminis, we’re inviting the whole family to Kids Yoga for a bring-your-family-to-class day! Join Caroline Codd on Sunday, June 8 at 1:30pm in Eagle Rock for 75 minutes of mixing and mingling with other families, and instruction through music, games, visualization, breathing, meditation, and accessible yoga postures designed to give kiddos mindful tools as they develop and to bond with loved ones through the playful foundation of yoga. Save My Spot >>
Donation-Based, Co-Led Pride Classes: Coming Soon!

Move over Brat Summer, this year it’s MAT Summer (aka Summer Specials)

Seeking clarity amidst the chaos but can’t commit to a membership because you’re only in LA for the summer? These specials are for you, grads, and anyone else summering in the city. Give or get the gift of a Mat Summer Save $108 on a flexible-use 12-class pack and practice once a week or save $50 on 2 months of unlimited yoga, fitness, and membership perks without the commitment! Shop The Specials >>

Playlist of the Season: Double Vision

A playlist for the social butterfly, whether or not you’re a Gemini, Double Vision will have you bouncing around the room with a bestie and shouting “twinsies" as you strike the perfect complimentary poses. All vibes, no filter. Find a Gem in our Gemini Playlist

Asana of the Season: Camatkarasana (Wild Thing)

Here’s a Quick Guide to Getting into Wild Thing:

Start in Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward-Facing Dog).
Bring your weight into your right hand and roll onto the outer edge of your right foot like Vasisthasana (Side Plank Pose).
Inhale and lift your hips with buoyancy. Stay strong in your right hand, making a clawing action with the fingers. Keep the head of the right arm bone back. Exhale and step your left foot back and place your toes on the floor with your knee partially bent.
Curl back through your upper back to create a sweeping action of the shoulder blades into the back of the rib cage.
Inhale and lift your hips higher until you curl more into a backbend with your right foot solid on the ground.
Keep breathing and curl your head back, extending your left arm from your heart, expressing your power and freedom.
Hold for 5-10 breaths, return to Down Dog and repeat on the other side.

And the benefits of this liberating posture:

Increases flexibility, mobility, and circulation.
Increases strength, especially in the shoulders, upper back, and wrists.
Opens the chest and lungs, promoting respiratory health and potentially relieving stress, anxiety, and tension.
May help release pent-up emotions, supporting mental wellbeing.
Focuses the mind and body to enhance clarity and concentration.

Class of the Season: Co-Led

What better way to explore the dance of duality—and the harmony that can arise between seemingly opposing forces—than by attending a co-led yoga class? For special events, like our donation-based Pride classes, we love pairing up teachers to represent unity, collaboration, and the beauty of balance. These co-teach experiences celebrate the richness of perspective: one teacher might bring the heat with a high-energy sequence and a bumping playlist, while the other offers grounding calm with soothing music and a slower, more introspective flow. Rather than clashing, these contrasting styles complement one another, creating a multidimensional practice that reflects the full spectrum of yoga—and of us.

Stay tuned for a dynamic duo takeover this Pride Month, where duality meets unity on the mat.

Sutra of the Season

Yoga Sutra 2.23 speaks to the profound relationship between the subject (Purusha, the seer) and the object (Prakriti, the seen), suggesting that it’s through their interaction that we come to know the true nature of both. This mirrors the essence of Gemini season—a time marked by curiosity, conversation, and the interplay of dual perspectives. Like the twins of the zodiac, we’re invited to explore both sides of any experience: light and shadow, movement and stillness, intellect and intuition. But does this dual perspective offer the whole truth, or simply two halves of a greater whole? Sutra 2.23 nudges us to look deeper—beyond contrast—toward the unity that underlies all relationships. In the space between knower and known, thinker and thought, twin and twin, something more expansive is revealed: the awareness that holds them both.

The post Double Vision | Seeing Clearly in Gemini Season appeared first on One Down Dog.