Introducing Yoga Teacher Prep!

An Intentional Resource Hub for Future Yoga Teachers

The last few months I've been collecting data (so official sounding, right?) to launch a website to support future yoga teachers.  This past year heralded some big changes in my teaching, namely the development of my skills as a teacher of teachers.  Through the studio I've taught at since inception here in Kelowna, Oranj Fitness, I've begun co-leading yoga teacher training programs.  Not gonna lie, I was super nervous to start this venture and had all the classic concerns like, Am I good enough?  Will they like me?  Do I have enough to offer?  Nevertheless, the first training went swimmingly and I am now on the second.

With these teacher trainings came a slew of concerns front the students involved (ironically, their concerns were similar to mine: Am I good enough?  Is teacher training right for me?).  A lightbulb went off and Yoga Teacher Prep was born.  Nowhere online could I find resources for people about to embark on a yoga teacher training program.  So I made one.  Now let me be clear; this baby is brand new, a butt-load of work, and still evolving.  But this project lights me up and I am stoked to share the resources I've found and developed.

At the moment, we're in the middle of our #108YTT Tips for future yoga teachers.  Instead of watching Narcos on Netflix (and oh how this pains me so), I've been contacting dozens of rockstar yoga teachers (literally over 100 now) to ask them for their top tips for students thinking about taking their YTT.  All kinds of yoga celebrities and international teacher training gurus have gotten back to me and we are now on week two of sharing these tips on our website and social media feeds.

So thank you for listening, I mean reading.  And thank you for the support with this new venture.  And can I ask you a favour?  If you know anyone thinking of doing their yoga teacher training, or anyone who has signed up to do one in the future, can you please share this with them?  Thank you again.

Cheers and Namaste,

l.e. martini

Fish Pose (Matsyasana): The best posture to relieve athsma and chest congestion

So it's the dead of winter and like so many other people at this time of year, you're sick.  Runny nose, congested lungs, sore throat, and hoarse cough…ugh.  Should you still be practicing yoga?  The answer is ABSOLUTELY.  Should you be practicing yoga at a studio?  Well it depends...

For the sake of everyone at the studio, please stay away if you are contagious!  Keep sipping your hot tea at home with your wad of Kleenex and get better before you come back to class.  If you're not contagious, well, it depends.  If you're sneezy and you've still got a cough, please be mindful of being potentially disruptive to the students and the teacher in the class.  That being said, if you're only a little bit sick and you cough maybe only a few times per hour, than getting out of your house and taking some yoga time in at a studio could be exactly what you need.

Here's a tip: If you've got a bit of a cough still, it's most likely to come up for you when you lie down in Savasana (corpse pose at the end of a yoga class).  Sometimes just sitting upright can prevent this tickly throat cough and your teacher will be grateful you're trying to be quiet!

If you're too sick or you just simply can't make it to the studio, here's a great posture to try at home to help clear up any congestion!

In the advanced version of the posture, bring your palms together in front of your body and lift the legs.

Matsyasana or Fish Pose

Lie on your back and walk your arms underneath your body keeping the arms straight and palms facing down.  The tips of your thumbs should touch.  Now flex your feet, engage your legs, and press into your elbows to lift your chest into the air and roll to the top of your head.  If you have a lot of flexibility in your spine, you can lift your head right off the floor.  Imagine someone has a fishing line attached to your sternum and is pulling you straight up towards the ceiling.  Hold for 5 breaths and use the support of your elbows to slowly lower yourself back down.

Enjoy the freedom of breathing fully into your chest!

Cheers and Namaste,

l.e. martini 

2015 Yoga Retreat Playlists (including Savasana Songs)

Yogis!  Here are more of my class playlists:)  You can also find me and all my current playlists on Spotify as martiniyoga.

Feel Good Flow/Partner Yoga Playlist

• Sweet Thing by Van Morrison
• Flowers in Your Hair by The Lumineers
• (Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay by Otis Redding
• Tiny Dancer by Elton John
• Gold on the Ceiling by The Black Keys
• Sweet Emotion by Aerosmith
• Short Change Hero by The Heavy
• Sweet Caroline by Neil Diamond
• On Top of the World by Imagine Dragons
• How You Like me Now by The Heavy
• Runaways by The Killers
• Time to Run by Lord Huron
• Rolling in the Deep by Adele

Indie Flow Yoga Playlist

• Another Day on the Terrace by Sunlounger
• Mess Is Mine by Vance Joy
• One Day by Matisyahu
• Cheerleader by Omi (Felix Jaehn Remix)
• Midnight City by M83
• All Eyes on You by St. Lucia
• Ohio by Damien Jurado (Filous Remix)
• Coastal Brake by Tycho
• Blue Moon by Beck
• Georgia by Vance Joy

Ambient Savasana Songs

• Codex by Radiohead
• An Ending (Ascent) by Brian Eno
• Sea of Silence by Deep Divers

Rock on and see you on the mat!

l.e. martini

Okanagan Kelowna Yoga Retreats

Just released!  2015's line up of Vino & Vinyasa Yoga Retreats are here!  Please join me this year in a sumptuous Okanagan getaway in the heart of wine country!  Retreats are being held at Predator Ridge in Vernon, and Summerland Waterfront Resort.  Prices range from $649-$679 based on double occupancy, and an additional $200 if you would like single occupancy.  All retreats include 2 nights' accommodation, 5 meals, a chauffeured wine tour, and 3 All Levels yoga classes with Laura Martini.  Please check the gallery to view pictures of past retreats!

If I see one more photo of Kelowna's sunny winter...

I've been in Mexico and Costa Rica for 3 weeks now.  When I left my Canadian hometown of Kelowna, it was cold and there was snow.  Since that time, every moment I've logged on to Facebook I've been inundated with exclamations about how lovely the weather in Kelowna is.  Here's an example:

"OMG!  Another beautiful morning in Kelowna.  So grateful for the sunshine!! :) :)" (Insert photo of blue sky and bright sun here)

I have seriously seen you all post this; don't try to deny it.  Every one of you Kelownians.  You all seem so thrilled.  So happy to live in such a beautiful place while your cousins out east are suffocating in snowdrifts as tall as their tractors.  Here's my beef: Doesn't this weather seem wrong to you?  Isn't there supposed to be snow in February?  Aren't people normally skiing?  IS NOBODY CONCERNED THAT THE TULIPS ARE ALREADY GROWING OUT OF THE EARTH?  

One night two weeks ago while on retreat in Mexico, we had a thunderstorm.  One of the locals told me the next day that it NEVER rains in February and in that month, they had 5 days of rain.  This unusual weather was worrisome because it was threatening to destroy the year's entire crop of beans!  In other news, a few of my Mexican retreaters missed flights back home because the east coast was not prepared to deal with the amount of snow it was receiving as the weather was NOT NORMAL.

Mother Nature (or Pachamama as they call her down here) is angry.  I get that in Kelowna sunshine is a rare commodity in the winter so it is exciting to see it, but, someone please educate me…what is the current state of Global Warming?  Where is Al Gore when you need him?  

This has nothing to do with yoga, but I plead for you to have mindfulness.  Especially with who you vote for.  Canada is not leading the way in environmentalism.  We have the power to change this if we are mindful of who we select to be our leaders.  Something has to change and it has to change soon.  Rant over.  Love you.  Peace out.

l.e. martini