by Tara Stiles | Jan 20, 2018 | Blog, Be, Move
We're having a conversation about movement, tension, and softness in our online training group. It comes up quite a lot. I think there's a belief that we have to flex our muscles to be strong. Lock our joints to be safe. Push ourselves into alignment to be aligned. There's so much we have to do! But, maybe we could do a bit less. Maybe how we do what we do is something we could practice, a bit more. It's maybe pretty common for us to try to think our way into everything. Even our own bodies. In this way we… 
by Tara Stiles | Jan 20, 2018 | Blog, Be, Move
There are so many reasons we find our way to practices like yoga, qi gong, tai chi. Maybe it's to get more flexible, more mobile, or just more feeling good. Maybe it's to let go of stress, and make a positive connection with our bodies, our selves. Maybe we create harmony this way, some ease in our lives. So how do we get these things we want? Let's talk about flexibility, but it's a little bit the same for everything. So a good start might be somewhere in shifting focus a bit. It's possible that to get flexible, you don't… 
by Tara Stiles | Jan 19, 2018 | Blog, Be
Tara and I have watched a few movies lately. Frozen. Pocahontas. Ice Age. Our 11-month-old Daisy even watches with us sometimes. And of course hands down, Moana is my favorite. Competing even with Love Actually. So one of them has me thinking now about the phrase "I've got your back." I think it was one of those nice weasels in Ice Age, asking "Why can't anyone ever get your front?" Isn't that where all the action is? It's really up front that we need the help, isn't it?? It's funny. But there's also something there. I think these old phrases… 
by Tara Stiles | Jan 4, 2018 | Blog, Be, Move, Healing
Bruises, strains and sprains come up a lot. Could be from a fall, over-stretching, or just regular everyday life. So what's the best way to heal when these injuries keep sticking around? What's the best thing to do when you're trying everything - therapies, exercises, treatments, specialists, yoga, the whole kitchen sink - and it kind of helps. But it kind of doesn't. The injury is still there, making a home in you. This is so common. And we might have a way out that's common to all of us. I've been hearing about sacrum injuries quite a lot lately,… 
by Tara Stiles | Dec 26, 2017 | Blog, Be, Move
This question just came up with our online training group - something about the intertwining of fun and progress, whether it's really possible to have both. So my thought is, maybe this is possible. Which is good news, because we all want more. This need to expand and grow is part of being human. When it goes in the right direction, it's how we make things better, for all of us. But what if this progress feels so much like school, or work, all heavy? Maybe then it's not so possible. And maybe it's not even progress. As a start, if…