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1/29/2019 0 Comments

Just a burst of gratitude

This is just a quick note.   Tonight during our Tuesday Night Class, I had the most amazing trip down memory lane.   Let me explain.

Part of the reason that I talk about the My Real Bodyoga classes being a community is exactly that, we really are.   More than a slogan, it is the way we are with each other. Though my classes are small, each member of the class brings and leaves something memorable in the session.  In the beginning, we start very differently than other yoga classes.  We know each others names. We know whose knees are sore, who is stressed from work, how many of use have pets and dread home owners association meetings.   

Tonight, as I was sharing with the class, the memory of all of the people that have been helped in the classes came to me.  People with anger and anxiety, cancer, death and divorce.  Marriages, births and job promotions.  Bodies that have gained strength and bodies who strength and beauty are growing more " real " , like the Velveteen Rabbit. 

Also tonight a former student stopped in to tell me that she would be back.  Just to check in and share a little more life together.  

The best part, is that my students know that I truly love them.   Each person I have ever shared the yoga mat with has given me a sense of love and self.  I look in their hearts and they show the beauty that is their life.  

The best part of my yoga practice is my students, every time. Moving together and finding joy together is the best that life can get. 

Just wanted to say thank you again, for allowing me to be your teacher.  Thank you for being mine!
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1/27/2019 0 Comments

Back to building our strength

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​Here is an example of what we are doing this week1/23/2019
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This was the Pintrest inspiration to our sequences this week.  ( of course you know me...I added more)

We have for the past couple of weeks really been working hard and prepping for more advanced poses, so it is perfect to slow down for a week and just be gentle and take care.

​Please enjoy!!

0 CommentsWeek three ( ish)- talking to the low back1/20/2019
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Nest Learning- Christian Music
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Full Circle Farms- save $40 on your order for fresh produce
Top View NYC double Decker bus tour
Yoga International
Gabriel and Company Fine Jewelry
SpaFinder Welness
This year my personal goal of exploration is " Yoga Teacher as educator" and my personal exploration is " I will allow myself to be taught".

As we learn and move together, we will be focusing on building our bodies in a meaningful manner with breath, love and dignity.

This week we will be working a lot with our legs.   The amazing part of this series and in our year long intensive is that we are both building to believing more in our strength and our bodies but also in allowing our bodies to change. 

 Example, if I continue to believe my knees are " bad", then I lose the opportunity for my knees to get stronger.   I am not talking about magic healing. What I am suggesting is that while  I may have some physical reasons that my knees are  painful, I may also be limiting the challenge to my knees that may make them stronger. 

As someone who has lived a lot in the body that I have, I do have those painful areas, scars, wear and tear.   Also having degenerative disc disease as well as fibromyalgia, I know that it can be challenging to try new poses. Sometimes for a few days, even up to a week, I may get my signals mixed  and "relapse" into the belief my body doesn't work.  Truth be told, sometimes it will take even up to a month for my body to allow me to move in a meaningful manner without pain.

Yet it does happen.   ( I am NOT talking about No Pain No Gain!!!)  I learn when to challenge myself by resetting my belief in my body, approaching it as a healthy mechanism that assists me in the goals of my life and heart.  Second, if my body sincerely gives me a "no", I will allow that and continue looking at the pose until I can find a yes.   Then I allow myself to  start there. 

Yes, this is our year to build, get strong and believe.  I wonder if learning to move through with loving my body through the work, I wonder if that will also work on my heart and spirit.

​Fun thought!
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1/23/2019 0 Comments

Here is an example of what we are doing this week

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This was the Pintrest inspiration to our sequences this week.  ( of course you know me...I added more)

We have for the past couple of weeks really been working hard and prepping for more advanced poses, so it is perfect to slow down for a week and just be gentle and take care.

​Please enjoy!!
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1/20/2019 0 Comments

Week three ( ish)- talking to the low back

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​​​I do receive a small compensation from these business that I am an affiliate with.  When you click on these links, you help to support the costs of this website.  Thank you

Target
Farm Fresh to You- delivered fresh organic food to you!
Hazelden Online Catalogs and Education for addiction treatment
Lingoda - Marathon Language Learning
Lillocup Gourmet Coffee and teas
Naked Zebra- women's active fashion
Nest Learning- Christian Music
Sure Trader
Full Circle Farms- save $40 on your order for fresh produce
Top View NYC double Decker bus tour
Yoga International
Gabriel and Company Fine Jewelry
SpaFinder Welness
Please click on the link below and find out more about Farm Fresh produce, delivered to you!
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I can't even begin to share this enough, take care of your low back, teach these poses to those you love.  

Low back pain can be so debilitating and just awful.  When I was in massage school, I was badly injured and my low back was " broken" by a fellow student doing a maneuver wrong. ( I know sounds crazy but I literally could not walk for over 3 weeks and was sore for almost 6! Who knew massage was dangerous! LOL)

With the massage injury, two major car accidents, 6 kids and lots of years of moving and house cleaning, my back has been worn out.   Yet , I have learned a few tricks that have helped a lot, yes, they all came from yoga. 

1) If you feel your low back in any movement, stop and think of a golden cord pulling out of the top of your head,  Being aware of how you are standing or witting will help you to stop "sinking " into your low back and putting stress on it. 

2) I no longer wear high heels, The stress on my back and knees was not worth looking that fantastic! ( I did and can walk well in heels, it was the toll that it tool on me that was no longer worth it!)

3) Making sure that when I feel my low back , I immediately stop and do a stretch that is the opposite of that. Whatever and wherever I am .  My low back health is worth more than anything else to me!

4) I use a reputable chiropractor when the tension has increased enough and a good acupuncturist. Both keep me moving.

5) Last, and never least, I do yoga at least 5 times a week, making sure that my low back gets attention every time. 

I hope these tips and tricks are helpful to you. To the left there is a downloadable flow sheet if you want to add these poses to your daily practice. 

See you on the mat.

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1/15/2019 0 Comments

Warriors- week two

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Tonight we continued on week two with strengthening within the Warrior series for the past two weeks has been more than amazing. 

Tonight's class was stunning.  We all challenged ourselves to love the parts of us that we believe work well, have compassion on the parts that we don't believe work well and to create balance in between.

​It is when we allow ourselves 
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1/14/2019 0 Comments

How to write an affirmation and why they are important

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​​I do receive a small compensation from these business that I am an affiliate with.  When you click on these links, you help to support the costs of this website.  Thank you

Target
Farm Fresh to You- delivered fresh organic food to you!
Hazelden Online Catalogs and Education for addiction treatment
Lingoda - Marathon Language Learning
Lillocup Gourmet Coffee and teas
Naked Zebra- women's active fashion
Nest Learning- Christian Music
Sure Trader
Full Circle Farms- save $40 on your order for fresh produce
Top View NYC double Decker bus tour
Yoga International
Gabriel and Company Fine Jewelry
SpaFinder Welness

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For more tips from Building Blocks of Recovery
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1/12/2019 0 Comments

I had no idea!!!!  Same poses!

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​​I do receive a small compensation from these business that I am an affiliate with.  When you click on these links, you help to support the costs of this website.  Thank you

Target
Farm Fresh to You- delivered fresh organic food to you!
Hazelden Online Catalogs and Education for addiction treatment
Lingoda - Marathon Language Learning
Lillocup Gourmet Coffee and teas
Naked Zebra- women's active fashion
Nest Learning- Christian Music
Sure Trader
Full Circle Farms- save $40 on your order for fresh produce
Top View NYC double Decker bus tour
Yoga International
Gabriel and Company Fine Jewelry
SpaFinder Welness
Shop Target!
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I had to laugh. Flying Warrior I said, easy I said!!! LOL

Just as true as yoga as is, my ego was humbled with joy!  As I worked to get into the poses , to move my body in joy, I found my sense of laughter, humor and strength.

No ,seriously!  I As I moved into the poses, I felt like a young girl again, experimenting.   Who knew that I could get into splits?  I found that Lizard was actually calling my name and that experimenting with different names for some of the Warrior poses brought me into a different level of present moment awareness. 

In my life " off the mat", I felt a sense of grounding that I hadn't felt in a long time. I was moving from a solid place in my heart and mind, drew hard boundaries in a soft way. As the muscles in my core and thighs were accessed and feeling strong, my mood lifted. 

While I have a section where we are moving forward, and we still are, sometimes forward is in pausing and looking deeper.   Since the gift is in the  movement and the community, we will continue our journey together into the warrior/lizard series both at the Tuesday Night 6 pm class and the Saturday morning 8 AM class! ( The 4:30 Tuesday class is a beautiful restorative yoga class!)

I can't wait to see what this week will teach!
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1/9/2019 0 Comments

My Arthritis pain....and my grateful new solution!

 LOL, no this isn't trying to sell you anything! Not a scam , nothing to sign up for, I just want to share some hope and experience that I received last night!

Let me first share my background.   I have arthritis in my neck, back and shoulders ( and a wonderful degenerative disc diagnosis).  In the winter, the pain gets over the top for me.  There have been days that I have laid in bed because literally the weight of my own head hurt so bad , I couldn't hold it up anymore. 

​Yesterday was a super high pain day.  As much as I was trying to have a happy face, it wasn't happening. Someone asked me what they could do to help and I said, " I just need to go to yoga".

How comforting. 

In the old days, I would either go to the ER with the pain ( by the way, that's an inappropriate use of an ER) or I would find narcotics to take and go to bed.   All both behaviors only got me weight gain, troubled relationships, depressed, more anxiety  and low self esteem.   That just didn't work.

So 14 years ago , I changed. 

I try my best to do what I need to do in the most natural ways first, and try to understand the concern I have. I don't have an issue with Western medicine, I just know it is limited.  Without an informed and invested consumer, the medicine won't work. 

So in my research, there is very little that can be done for degenerative disc disease. Fibromyalgia....forget it, no help ( Western medicine wise).  So my question is and was, do I let my body defeat me or do I define it?

Yesterday , I used the DEEP Blue lotion from my doTerra box.  Since Jason's discontinued the tee tree gel ( saddest day ever!), this is the next best thing!  Then I went to yoga and worked the hardest , most satisfying class that I have ever done. One hour before, I was practicing my own flow and yoga.  Two hours of yoga!   And I did the splits ( first time since my glut pull)!  My body felt amazing, I slept so well. ( First night in a while!) Pain was manageable.

Most importantly I feel empowered! Yesterday was a clear win for me. Those of us with chronic conditions understand how important those daily wins are. ( our challenge is to not minimize the 'small wins', they are all BIG!)

Today, you guessed it, the pain is back. BUT- my heart is happy and my muscles feel strong. I did yoga this morning and after work will do a little more. I will use essential oils to keep my mind focused and clear. 

It is when we become passionate about our healing , that healing begins. Just know that it is a daily thing.....a daily reprieve contingent on our spiritual condition.   Get passionate about you, then notice where healing takes place for you. Rejoice in that. Allow the muscles to feel strong ,the heart is happy, the sadness lifts a little, even if the bones still hurt!  Worthy work to help us to heal so we can  all be of service to each other!
( By the way, I also use Cayenne capsules on the really bad days.... I suggest you look it up!)

One day at a time, one movement at a time. You can get stronger, stay stronger.  You can message me on Facebook, Building Blocks of Recovery for ideas of yoga or essential oils that may be helpful to you! ( no charge, silly......your healing is worth my time to care!!!! I love you, remember?)

click here for an interesting link from the Arthritis Foundation of Western Austrailia
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​I do receive a small compensation from these business that I am an affiliate with.  When you click on these links, you help to support the costs of this website.  Thank you

Target
Farm Fresh to You- delivered fresh organic food to you!
Hazelden Online Catalogs and Education for addiction treatment
Lingoda - Marathon Language Learning
Lillocup Gourmet Coffee and teas
Naked Zebra- women's active fashion
Nest Learning- Christian Music
Sure Trader
Full Circle Farms- save $40 on your order for fresh produce
Top View NYC double Decker bus tour
Yoga International
Gabriel and Company Fine Jewelry
SpaFinder Welness
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1/7/2019 0 Comments

Humbled by Warrior!

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I do receive a small compensation from these business that I am an affiliate with.  When you click on these links, you help to support the costs of this website.  Thank you

Target
Farm Fresh to You- delivered fresh organic food to you!
Hazelden Online Catalogs and Education for addiction treatment
Lingoda - Marathon Language Learning
Lillocup Gourmet Coffee and teas
Naked Zebra- women's active fashion
Nest Learning- Christian Music
Sure Trader
Full Circle Farms- save $40 on your order for fresh produce
Top View NYC double Decker bus tour
Yoga International
Gabriel and Company Fine Jewelry
SpaFinder Welness
We are working on the Warrior series this week. WOW, oh just wow.  I had no idea.

Everyone does Warrior 2, every one. I have seen so many selfies in Warrior 2 pose, well, I could just gag.  I was getting so over Warrior.......and then.....

I was introduced to Flying Warrior.  This pose invades my dreams, I practice it on my breaks at work, before and after work. I concentrate on the intention and attention that this pose would take.  It has re-awoken the Warrior princess in me for sure!  I feel alive with the wonder of power now!

The meaning of Warrior is hero and friend in a  posture.  The darker meaning of the Warrior series has to do with learning to master the violence within us, to pause before acting and that our choices will have consequences. 

Think of how the Warrior pose is taken. then held. Much like a Warrior, feeling the power and not needing to act, gaining confidence in the power to not fight. 

Allow yourself to experiment with the power of Warrior, allow yourself to tap into your inner self and power.   I find that my power bubbles up in me......I kinda feel like an "energy bad-ass"!

Know that you are worthy of that gentle power in all of your life.  I hope you will have much fun as I have been having in finding a new sense of joy!

See you at #TuesdayNightClass or Saturday Morning Class to begin this amazing journey to flying warrior! 

( Check the firefly,net website or drop in!)
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1/6/2019 0 Comments

Week Two- new poses and a thank you!

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Building Blocks of Recovery on Amazon

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Singing Bowl CD on Amazon
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Thank you!  The posts that I shared last week were among the highest rated posts that I have ever done. Thank you for letting me be of service to your growth and your home practice!

When you scroll down on the left, week two schedule will be available for you to download and print. You can bring the copy to class and take notes!!! ( Tuesday nights and Saturday mornings at FireFly!)

While we are working on building a home practice, lets talk about life.  Yoga is not just a way to get more flexible, though it is amazing for that.  Out of the 8 limbs ( or teachings ) within yoga, only one is the poses, the others are about breath and meditation.  If you are ready for a challenge, let's start by breathing. ( I can hear one of my students laughing already!)  Make this a simple addition to your practice.  Pick one time, ( I prefer mornings)  Allow yourself to spend at least 2 minutes in a comfortable position to just focus on the breath. If thoughts begin to try to disrupt you, just breathe them away.   Notice in a week the difference in your life, work, relationships. And that is with just 2 minutes.   I can't wait until we build on this together!

( PS I am building my home practice with you. I have been doing each sequence one to two times a day  and I feel my body in a new way. This weekend, my fibromyalgia was woken up with the new work, yet I know that I can work through the body pain to shed off the old beliefs that I have with my body and move into a new experience.  Let me know if you are having the same kind of shedding! We are a community and in this together!)
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I do receive a small compensation from these business that I am an affiliate with.  When you click on these links, you help to support the costs of this website.  Thank you

Target
Farm Fresh to You- delivered fresh organic food to you!
Hazelden Online Catalogs and Education for addiction treatment
Lingoda - Marathon Language Learning
Lillocup Gourmet Coffee and teas
Naked Zebra- women's active fashion
Nest Learning- Christian Music
Sure Trader
Full Circle Farms- save $40 on your order for fresh produce
Top View NYC double Decker bus tour
Yoga International
Gabriel and Company Fine Jewelry
SpaFinder Welness



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    Author


    Sandra Kozlowski is the author of Building Blocks of Recovery  She is also a singing bowl musician with her CD , Singing for the Soul (  on Amazon.)
    Sandy is a chemical dependency counselor and a certified yoga instructor with additional certifications of Recovery Yoga, Curvy Yoga and Yoga for All.
    Her home yoga studio is at Firefly Yoga in Olympia , Washington. Sandy lives with two of her 6 children, one rescue dog, two cats and lots of fish!
    Sandy enjoys a life that is mosaic in nature and has begun creating products that will support a healthy and fun lifestyle. Please also check out the website 
    thehousethatsoapbuilt.com  to make your purchases of these beautiful handmade products!

    ​

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Sandra Kozlowski,
​Certified Recovery Coach, Certified Recovery Yoga Teacher
SUDP, CAAR, AAS, RHY 200
Curvy Yoga Certified, Y12SR Certified, Yoga for All Certified


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