This course is an introduction to yoga and is designed for the beginner, And advanced, yoga practitioner. Once you complete this course you will have the option to advance your practice and join Andrea in Miracle Yoga Body, 21 days of yoga and meditation. Because yoga grows as you grow, there may be some teachings or concepts that you think you do, and know, and are putting into your yoga practice. Often times I think Iam squeezing into my center, then Iuse my block throughout my entire asana practice and my body tells me (usually the next day through sore muscles) that over time, I have gotten “lazy” in my attention to this aspect of my practice. In short, we can always learn more, at a deeper, more intrinsic level. Hello and welcome, my name is Andrea B. Riggs. I am originally from Bountiful Utah. In 2005 my husband and I moved to Southern Utah, where we raised our children. We have also lived in South Carolina, Arlington Virginia and currently live in Puerto Rico. I have three children Lucy, and my twins Evan and Ava. We also have a golden doodle, Vega. I am the author of Gypsy Living. I love movement, breath, heat, the ocean, music, plants, my cherished relationships and clearly yoga. Yoga has the ability to transform our lives, it has and continues to transform mine. Yet because of the fast paced world we live in, transformation has become something we think we can purchase online. People tend to think that the depth of change comes easily and without work. I assure you, nothing good comes without work, deep tear jerking kind of work. A physically fit looking body on the outside may be unhealthy on the inside. A beautiful body in our youth, as we age, shows the choices of our past years. In many cases aging is not an easy process, or kind. We can not run from our past choices, on all levels spiritually, emotionally, financially, physically, and mentally. In yoga we seek to show our insides, on our outsides. Because of the true nature of yoga, it is important for me to share my knowledge of movement, of breath, of mediation, of yoga. For yoga after all is not just asana, a physical yoga practice. Meditation is as much yoga, as asana. Being able to step out of your own physical experience and dissociate with the energy around you, is as much yoga - as doing a yoga headstand. Therefore, this is an introduction to asana, and meditation. Transformation is awareness, and to it there are many paths. This How To Yoga with Andrea is a foundation of knowledge for those interested in deepening their yoga experience. In this Course students will begin with 2 short introductory videos, one for yoga and one for meditation. Students will be given 7 lectures on imperative yoga practices that will create a deeper, more visceral understanding of the terms. The problems with doing yoga online is that the teacher and student are not together in the same room. I promise, this is more of a challenge for me than it is for you. Ilove nothing more than to be in a room filled with humans, mat to mat, a symphony of powerful ujjayi breath moves my soul, lights me up and gives me an Energy I find hard to put into words. It is pure magic. The awareness of body movement, assisted by a powerful teacher, transforms the asana practice. A powerful teacher is powerful, because of the students. In this truth, I honor you as my student and cherish the energy you bring to this online course, and to those we collectively share it with. As a little girl I loved gymnastics and dancing. I liked many formats, except ballet, I detested ballet. And still it was good for me to do. Some will say this about yoga, " I don’t like it, and though I know it is good for me." Truth! Somehow as a child, they let me into The Salt Lake City Ballet West, Nutcracker, as a Buffoon. I am fairly certain it was only because Icould do 5 back handsprings in a row, without thinking about it. I would go on to dance competitively, then Ithought was I was suppose to grow up, so I let dancing go for many many years. It was in my formative years, however that movement became not just natural, imperative. As a talented dancer I adored the expression it allowed me, I feel the same way today, on the dance floor, or on my yoga mat. It is sacred, freeing and allows me the deep visceral allowance for me to be me. This is my intention for you and your yoga practice as well. That with this introductory course you too can learn how to connect to yourself in the deepest ways possible, by learning a few key fundamental practices and techniques. To find a haven, a sacred space away from your worries and cares where you can learn to observe your own self, so you can then allow those worries and cares to be your teacher. It is in full allowance and acceptance that we find relief of our pains and deepest fears. Allow all, resist nothing. That which you resist persists. Reciprocal behavior aka rebellion is a real thing and keeps the habits we do not want, the addictive issues rampant in todays culture, alive and thriving. There is no key to your troubles, for
