The Yoga of The New Year

This is going to be your best year yet!

As you begin this new year, I invite you to muster the courage to dream big. Really big. 

What is something you’ve always wanted to do, become, or complete? 

You have a Universe inside of you. You’re made of Source and as such, have the potential to accomplish and receive all things. 

Your spirit is indomitable. Your creativity, limitless. Don’t be afraid to imagine what is possible for you in 2024. 

This is the imaginative and spiritual part of growing into the next version of yourself but it doesn’t stop there. Just dreaming, hoping, and scheming won’t get you there. 

Next, since we aren’t ONLY spiritual beings, since we are spirit married to physical, practical beings—give your dreams some legs by mapping out in realistic terms how to accomplish those dreams. 

Remember to start small knowing it will grow into something big. 

If you want to run a marathon but haven’t been running in a while, have enough foresight to start by walking, then running/walking, then running. Commit to being in it for the long-term which means that there will be ups and downs. 

Don’t give up when things don’t work out the way you’d hoped. It’s just another chance for calibration and learning. 

Because at the end of the day, it’s not about accomplishing your goal. 

Not really. 

It’s about who you become in the process. 

Accomplishing your goal is just the happy byproduct. 

Whatever you dream up for 2024, having a regular meditation practice is of the first order. It clarifies, relaxes, and hones your body, mind, and spirit. It’s like the underlying framework for all other work to be done. 

White-Eyes—Seeing The Divine In Everything

Today, I want share one of my favorite winter poems, White-Eyes by Mary Oliver. 

First of all, if you haven’t already, ‘tis the season to sign up for my 31-Day Meditation Challenge. It starts January 1 and lasts all through the month. The challenge is simply to meditate any way you wish for 15 minutes a day, every day for the entire month. I’ll be supporting you every step of the way with daily emails, live group meditations sessions, and plenty of recordings, poetry, links, and stories to make the experience very rich. 

Give the world a gift by practicing drawing inward, getting quiet in heart and mind, so you can present a YOU that is more mindful, less reactive, and rooted in compassion. 

It costs only $31 and you can get your tuition back if you complete the challenge. Make a meditation posse and sign up!

Onto the poem!

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Mary Oliver

What I love so much about Mary Oliver's poetry is that so often in her poetry she is speaking to the eternal, the Everything, God, or the Universe by simply reflecting what she sees in nature.

And like in her poem “Bone” I love how she willingly admits that she doesn't fully know what God is but is "playing at the edges of knowing" and that perhaps it’s not about knowing at all, but rather it’s about “seeing, touching, and loving.”

It’s about being present with senses and heart.

Through her poetry, Mary Oliver helps us all to create a touchpoint to the Divine that is present both in our outer and inner worlds and opens us to seeing, touching, and loving as she steers us away from trying to make it all make sense. 

Her poem White-Eyes is about seeing the Divine in something as simple yet complex as the wind dancing through the tree tops and the snow silently drifting down from the heavens. It’s an exposé about how with the “right eyes” or with attuned sight, we might be able to see the loving Divine present in all things.

I hope you enjoy it. 

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White-Eyes

BY MARY OLIVER


In winter

all the singing is in

         the tops of the trees

          where the wind-bird


with its white eyes

shoves and pushes

         among the branches.

          Like any of us

he wants to go to sleep,

but he's restless—

         he has an idea,

          and slowly it unfolds

from under his beating wings

as long as he stays awake.

         But his big, round music, after all,

          is too breathy to last.

So, it's over.

In the pine-crown

         he makes his nest,

          he's done all he can.

I don't know the name of this bird,

I only imagine his glittering beak

         tucked in a white wing

          while the clouds—

which he has summoned

from the north—

         which he has taught

          to be mild, and silent—

thicken, and begin to fall

into the world below

         like stars, or the feathers

               of some unimaginable bird

that loves us,

that is asleep now, and silent—

         that has turned itself

          into snow.

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I’d love to hear your thoughts on what this poem says to you.

Drop me a line, I read every email I get. 

May we all be our best by remember those essential phrases:

• I love you.

• I’m sorry.

• How can I help?
  
  

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Live Classes, In-person and Online:

• Yoga For Stiffer Bodies on Saturdays at 7:30–8:30 am at Mosaic Yoga

• Live online Yoga Nidra class Sundays at 9 am. Access the live class or its replay from anywhere in the world.  

• Vinyasa Mondays at 12 pm at Mosaic Yoga

• I teach a Restore Yoga and Yoga Nidra workshop on the first Sunday of every month at Mosaic Yoga

• Plus, mark your calendar for January 1 because I’m hosting an in-person yoga class to begin the new year. Together we’ll plant our Sankalpa, the seed of our intentions, through ritual, movement, meditation, and breath. Mosaic Yoga.

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Yoga Retreats 2024

Gratitude, Gators, and Galavasana

It’s getting cold in Salt Lake City. 

It’s nice to come back to a place. 

It’s made me notice things I perhaps never did before or perhaps took for granted. 

I’m very aware of the quiet streets of our neighborhood. The closeness of the mountains. I’m aware of how much … space there is here. 

Being the week of Thanksgiving, I’d be remiss if I didn’t offer my cornucopia of gratitudes. Gratitude is perhaps one of the greatest practices we may ever do, one that I believe will enrich our lives immeasurably. 

Before I get to my gratitudes, if you’re near Salt Lake City, I’d be over the moon to see you in a live class. 

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My in-person teaching schedule THIS week:

I’ll be teaching 3 classes on November 24th, the Friday after Thanksgiving.

Mosaic Yoga 1991 South 1100 East, Salt Lake City, Utah.
By donation

• 6:00 am Power Hour

• 7:15 am Mindfulness

• 8:45 am Power 1

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My new regularly scheduled classes.

7:30–8:30 am Yoga For Stiffer Bodies
Saturdays beginning November 25th
Mosaic Yoga 1991 South 1100 East, Salt Lake City, Utah.
By donation

12–1 pm Vinyasa Flow
Mondays beginning December 4th
Mosaic Yoga 1991 South 1100 East, Salt Lake City, Utah.
By donation

Also, I’ll be offering a monthly Restore Yoga and Yoga Nidra Workshop on the first Sunday of each month. The next workshop will be December 3rd. 

12–2 pm Mosaic Yoga 1991 South 1100 East, Salt Lake City, Utah.

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I teach a weekly, live, online Yoga Nidra class each Sunday at 9 am MT

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Gratitudes

I’m grateful for many things, but in particular, I’m poignantly aware of my gratitude for family. 

Last Saturday, my step-dad passed away. He was a kind man—smart, reserved. He loved WWII airplanes and John Wayne movies. He had suffered with poor health for many years so his passing was both difficult and a relief. He adored my mom and sorely grieved her passing almost exactly 3 years prior to his death. 

It’s a beautiful thing for families to come together during the passing of a loved one. Our family was able to come together, siblings and step-siblings, to mourn together, to laugh together, and to eat fabuloso tacos. 

One memory of my step-dad …

When my mom and step-dad got married, my twin brother and I needed a car and my step-dad ponied up and GAVE us his sweet, sweet, cherry 1978 Ford Ranchero (V-8). 

We called it the Gator. 

Don’t ask me how but somehow my buddy, Al, figured out how to record ONTO 8-track tapes.

We were the only kids rolling around town like bosses in a vintage, 30-ft. long car-truck rocking out to The Cranberries recorded over a BTO 8-track. 

No joke. 

Eventually, the Gator took its last breath and when it expired (no more Cranberries on 8-track!), my grandparents gave us a little 400 cc Yamaha motorcycle to scoot around on. 

On my maiden voyage of that iron pony, having never ridden a motorcycle previously, I straddled the bike, flanked by my grandpa and step-dad. They instructed me about how to let out on the clutch while turning the throttle to make it go. 

Understanding nothing of the essential finesse required for a soft start in first gear on a motorcycle, I fully released the clutch which jolted the bike forward causing me to hammer down on the throttle. 

Suddenly I was speeding down the driveway and blasting across the street. 

It was happening too fast. I didn’t have time to think. 

But soon I realized something essential: we hadn't yet covered the lesson on how to stop. 

I had to improvise. 

I soon learned that at least one way to stop a motorcycle was to jump the curb of the neighbors yard, drive over their lawn, straight through a flower bed and blue spruce, and then crash the bike into a fence. 

That did the job. That stopped the bike. 

Fearing I’d just broken my neck, my grandpa and step-dad ran but luckily all that broke was the neighbors fence. After a few pounds with a hammer and some light gardening, everything was returned to normal and I could resume my lessons on my motorcycle. 

But this time, I understood to aim myself down the street. This time, I understood how sensitive the clutch was. This time, I understood the other lever opposite of the clutch was in fact a brake.

More Gratitudes

I’m grateful for my step-dad, especially for how he loved my mom. 

I’m grateful for my biological dad who is still alive and with whom I’m very close. 

I’m grateful for all of my family and for the chance to be close to them again after living far away for a few years. 

I’m grateful to be married to such a fantastic woman. She and I grow together in the best ways and it’s an honor to partner with her.

I’m grateful for my son Elio who explodes my heart with love and teaches me gentleness, wonder, and patience. 

I’m grateful for my other son, my step-son, Liam whom I’m very proud of, who is kind, wicked-smart, and sensitive.

I’m grateful for my siblings, Chris and Lucy and my step-siblings.

I’m grateful to be a teacher. I really love it. 

I’m grateful for you reading this. It truly means the world to me. 

What are YOUR gratitudes? Drop me a line or leave a few in the comments on my blog. 

If you celebrate Thanksgiving, have a wonderful holiday. If you don’t, I hope you find an opportunity to make every day special. 

Thanks for being on my team. I’m glad to be on yours. 

Let’s all make this world a more loving, peaceful place. 

Let’s start with gratitude. 

PS

If you haven’t already, you can join my free Gratitude Challenge here. 

Yoga for Runners

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I recently wrote a blog for Hugger Mugger about yoga and running. It was fun to write and I wanted to give you a snippet here with the option to check out the full article on their blog.

Yoga and Running

Forever, I’ve heard that yoga and running just don’t mix but I don’t believe that to be true. I’ve had runners tell me that doing yoga hurts their running and yogis tell me that running hurts their yoga.

Personally, I’ve been running and doing yoga most of my life and I understand how both practices complement each other. This article focuses on how yoga can help your running practice and perhaps I’ll write another article about how running helps your yoga practice.

Do you run and practice yoga? I’d love to hear from you about your experiences with both. Leave a comment below or reach out here.

Here is the article.

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INTRODUCTION

Growing up, I was never very athletic. I never really enjoyed team sports. I was average at baseball, soccer, and basketball—scrawny and uncoordinated. I didn’t even bother to try out for football. 

But early on, I discovered a love for running and have been running most of my life. I found joy in running, not in running the fastest or the longest but rather just in the running itself. For me, the joy comes from the solitude of a long run and from the full-body movement of running, especially when I manage a comfortable and sustainable pace. Running also clears my mind and often even feels spiritual to me. Growing up, I never felt better than during and after a long run, especially a trail run.

That is, until I discovered yoga. 

When I started practicing yoga in my early 20s I was excited to discover another activity that wasn’t a competitive sport and also left me feeling as good in body, mind, and spirit the way running did. But when I told my yoga friends that in addition to practicing yoga I also enjoyed running, they’d often raise their eyebrows above their bindi and matter-of-factly inform me that yoga and running just don’t mix. Yet as someone who does both I beg to differ. On the contrary, yoga has improved my running and has kept me running well and largely injury-free for decades. 

In many ways running has improved my yoga practice by giving me more stamina, focus, and breath capacity. However, in this article I want to explore some of the many ways that yoga can benefit runners and how incorporating yoga into your training routine can make a significant difference in your enjoyment, performance, and longevity of your running.

THE PHYSICAL BENEFITS OF YOGA FOR RUNNERS

1. BETTER FLEXIBILITY

One of the biggest benefits of yoga for runners is better flexibility. Running primarily involves repetitive movements in a forward direction which almost always leads to tight muscles. Tight muscles contribute to reduced range of motion which means that the tighter a runner’s muscles get, the more effort they have to use to make their body move. Yoga postures stretch and lengthen muscles and help runners enjoy greater flexibility and mobility, a benefit that feels like  finally, someone has released the parking brake on your running. 

Live Yoga Nidra & Worst-Case Scenario

Today, just a quick note and fun read. 

I hope you’re having an amazing week. I hope you’re opening your eyes to majesty which is around us all the time, the miraculous in the mundane, the beauty in the boring. 

I have been nursing an achilles heel injury for many months but finally was able to get out onto the trails above Salt Lake City today for an incredible run. It was like heaven!

Live Yoga Nidra Class Tonight, August 30th.  

When: 6–7:15 pm MDT 

Where: Integrative Health, 1174 East Graystone Way #15. 

No need to pre-register, just grab your bestie and head on over. 

Suggested donation is $15. I take cash or Venmo  or original, signed, and authenticated copies of John Coltrane’s 1957 album, Blue Train.

Bring a yoga mat, a blanket, and an eye mask. We’ll move a little, breath, talk a bit, but mostly get into our very relaxing Yoga Nidra practice. 

In-Person Asana Classes

When: Friday September 1st
Where: Mosaic Yoga 1991 South 1100 East, Salt Lake City (map).
All Mosaic classes are by donation. I accept cash, Venmo, (or John Coltrane records) 

Power Hour 6–7 am MDT:
An all-levels hour of wake-up yoga with an easy warm-up including Sun Salutations and full-body mobilizations, followed by standing, balance, and grounding poses.

Mindfulness 7:15–8:15 am MDT:
This is an opportunity to sit and meditate with a group of other mindfulness practitioners in a welcoming environment. It’s perfect whether you are a new or experienced meditator. 

Power 1 8:45–10 am MDT:
This 75-minute class weaves a spiritual or conscious theme into a Wanderlust format of poses which alternate between short flowing and static sequences to arrive at a therapeutic, cohesive, and well-rounded yoga experience. This class will feature warmups, sun salutations, standing poses, approachable standing and arm balances, core work, hips, and a solid cool down and savasana. I’ll be bringing the clarinet!

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Finally, the other day we were walking through the mall and as any self-respecting father would, I bought my 8-year-old a copy of The Worst-Case Scenario Survival handbook, cuz you know… you never know, and I was pleased to see him so enthralled by it. Here he is walking through the mall glued to the entry about how to deliver a baby in the back seat of a car. #proudparent. 

Well, come to find out that this book was actually written by our pediatrician’s son. Small world. Brilliant world, but small world. 

I was originally introduced to this book many years ago (so I’m happy that the family has an updated version) and as a throwback, today, I wanted to share with you a piece I wrote called The Yoga Worst-Case Scenario Survivors Handbook. Just like yoga, though it’s a little dated it’s still relevant. Also, I originally wrote it about surviving yoga in the arid climate of the Utah deserts so if you don’t understand the arid air reference, now you will. 

I hope you’ll enjoy the article and I hope to see you in class. I’ll be leaving  back for France early next week. 

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One of my favorite and most useful books in my library is one called The Complete Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook.

Its bright yellow hard-backed cover makes it durable so I can take it with me everywhere, and easy to find when I’m in a pinch. This Survival Handbook contains a lot of information; you know, practical and essential know-how for things like giving your cat the Heimlich Maneuver, how to escape your car when it has been completely submerged in water, and how to escape from killer bees.

Live Yoga Nidra, Live Yoga Classes, Yoga Retreat Tuscany, Mountain Biking

We’ve had a great time visiting the US and I’m heading home to Nice in only about 10 days!

I have a few more classes I’m teaching before I leave and I’d love to see you before I go. 

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In-Person Asana Classes
Friday, September 1, 2023
Mosaic Yoga 1991 South 1100 East, Salt Lake City (map).

All Mosaic classes are by donation. I accept cash, Venmo, or original, signed, and authenticated copies of John Coltrane’s 1957 album, Blue Train. Thank you.

Power Hour 6–7 am MDT:
An all-levels hour of wake-up yoga with an easy warm-up including Sun Salutations and full-body mobilizations, followed by standing, balance, and grounding poses.

Mindfulness 7:15–8:15 am MDT:
This is an opportunity to sit and meditate with a group of other mindfulness practitioners in a welcoming environment. It’s perfect whether you are a new or experienced meditator. 

Power 1 8:45–10 am MDT:
This 75-minute class weaves a spiritual or conscious theme into a Wanderlust format of poses which alternate between short flowing and static sequences to arrive at a therapeutic, cohesive, and well-rounded yoga experience. This class will feature warmups, sun salutations, standing poses, approachable standing and arm balances, core work, hips, and a solid cool down and savasana. I’ll be bringing the clarinet!

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Live, In-Person Yoga Nidra Class

Wednesday, August 30th 6–7:15 pm
Integrated Wellness 1174 East Graystone Way #15, Salt Lake City, Utah 84106

This class will feature opening to sacred space with some shared breath, a discussion about the benefits of Yoga Nidra, some pre-Nidra breathing & mindfulness practices, then a 30-minute Yoga Nidra practice, followed by some brief integration practices.

Bring a yoga mat, blanket, bolster (or extra blanket) and an eye mask or pillow.

Price $15 ($10 if you’re a subscribing member to Sunday’s class). No need to register or pay in advance. Just show up and you can pay in cash or with Venmo.

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Plus, I had the really, really cool opportunity to be interviewed by two amazing women, Danielle LeCourt and Jamie Bangerter, on their amazing podcast called The Art of Mountain Biking. 

We discussed how rest is an often underemphasized skill that supports, everything we do including sports such as mountain biking, but also the full-contact sport of every-day life. As with any skill, we need a systematized way of approaching it. I loved where our discussion went and I hope you’ll take a moment to enjoy it too. 

Listen by clicking here or click here to listen on Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts.

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Last but not least, I’ve been brushing up on my Renaissance history because in about 6 weeks, I’ll be in Tuscany offering a retreat with an optional pre-treat—walking tours through Florence, the birthplace of the Renaissance. We have a few spots left both in the retreat as well as the pre-treat (I say “we” because I’ll be hosting the retreat with Kim Dastrup). Please grab your bestie and join us for this incredible adventure. 

Yoga for Healthy Backs

Here’s my Favorite Poses for Yoga For Healthy Backs

What I want to say about yoga for healthy backs is. …

Become a Leader In Your Field: Teach Yoga Nidra

Who Should Teach Yoga Nidra?

Want to stand out as a yoga or meditation teacher? 
Teach Yoga Nidra.

Want to be an extraordinary therapist with a powerful resource that can access ANY client’s deepest needs? 
Teach Yoga Nidra. 

Want to be the kind of school teacher who can meet, welcome, then and neutralize stress and anxiety of your students? 
Teach Yoga Nidra. 

Want to learn how to guide a team to unheard of levels of performance? 
Teach Yoga Nidra.

Want to help yourself and others resource their next-level creativity?
Teach Yoga Nidra. 

Want to learn how to make lasting changes in relationships for yourself and others?
Teach Yoga Nidra.

Yoga Nidra is an efficient and effective catalyst for massive personal and group growth. 

Truly, anybody can do it. 

That said, learning to be a skillful facilitator, one who can speak from the power of their own voice to meet the individual needs of their clients, is rare indeed. 

My passion is not only to teach you about what Yoga Nidra is and why it’s so crucial for today’s world, but more importantly how to uncover the incredible facilitator that is already inside of you, the one who knows how to make a massive and positive impact on your audience in ONLY the way you know how. 

Yoga Nidra Teacher Training

My live, in-person Yoga Nidra training runs August 17–20, 2023 in Salt Lake City. Please, walk, run, fly, or teleport to Salt Lake City and join us. It will be such an honor to work with you.

If you’re not close to SLC (or your teleport machine is in the shop), now’s the time to join my pre-recorded online Yoga Nidra teacher training program. 

I’d love to have you join me in this conversation of understanding ourselves and making a powerful and positive impact on the world by learning to facilitate Yoga Nidra and learning to Wake Up with the Yoga of Sleep. 

Please reach out with any questions. 

Scott Moore (E-RYT 500, YACEP, RYS) is an American-born international yoga and Yoga Nidra teacher, mentor, and author. He’s been a career yoga teacher since 2003 and has logged over 25,000 teaching and training hours. He is the founder of Waking Up with the Yoga of Sleep, a method of Yoga Nidra instruction and teacher training which celebrates students and teachers in 43 countries. He is the author of three books, Practical Yoga Nidra, 5-Minute Manifesting Journal, and 20 Yoga Nidra Scripts Vol. 1. Scott teaches trainings, classes, and retreats in the US, Europe, and Asia and is currently living in Southern France. When he’s not practicing or teaching yoga, he loves to play the sax and clarinet, trail run, and travel with his family.