by Monica Voss In Chinese medicine, eating pears helps clear the thorax and lungs of heat and excess moisture. Many of us experience dryness and tightness as we endeavour to breathe deeply or slowly in a yoga class. The air in Canada in December is almost always cold. How do we mitigate the effects of […]
by Tama Soble We begin moving from the spine in utero. Once born, we progress through a series of developmental movements that support our journey toward the complex act of walking. During this period in our lives we utilize and perfect the four basic movements of the spine: flexion, extension, side bending and rotation. We
Remembering What the Body Knows View Post ➚
by Monica Voss Getting into the body is exactly what Monica Voss intends to do. She does it deliberately, repetitively, as she chooses her words, observant of her students’ abilities, the tenor of the – room and the pacing of her exercises. But moreover, Monica’s class enables a deliberate blurring of the categories that we
Work, Play and a Certain Come – What – May View Post ➚
by Monica Voss One question I have in this predicament called human life is how to thrive in the environment we find ourselves inhabiting. Some people struggle to feel any degree of peace within a “concrete and clay” world dominated by traffic, noise and news of violence. Some live in a quieter, more natural place,
Love Where You Are View Post ➚
by Monica Voss It seems these days in Toronto, and possibly elsewhere (although I have not heard it expressed when I teach in Canada, in the US or in the UK) that the study of Patanjali is being elevated and Hatha Yoga, unless accompanied by some recognition of the Yoga Sutras, denigrated. This hierarchical attitude
Follow your own lead View Post ➚
by Monica Voss I am often asked what style of yoga I teach. Since there is no short answer to this question, and I have the forum and opportunity here, I will attempt to tell the story of my longtime involvement with yoga. Primarily, I was and still am inspired by the teaching of Vanda
Yoga for the Thinking Body View Post ➚
by Monica Voss During teacher training and development workshops teachers often ask how to present a philosophy of autonomy and encourage students to take on and ultimately take over their own yoga practice. These are exciting positive questions especially in the yoga world today where there seems to be a dependence on the teacher for
Teaching Creative Engagement View Post ➚
Monica Voss, who lives and teaches in Toronto, recently conducted a weekend workshop at White Iris Yoga in Evanston. Three principles sum up the essence of Monica’s hatha yoga philosophy: 1) ground yourself, 2) breathe deeply, and 3) lengthen your spine. The rest of the posture will fall into place. However, most of us don’t
Grounding, Breathing, Lengthening with Monica Voss View Post ➚