Yesterday morning I woke up, and I drove downtown Kansas City to Maya Yoga for the Sunday morning community yoga class. Maya Yoga holds a special place in my heart as this studio, community, and teachers have healed my heart many times since my first class in this studio in 2008.

From losing jobs to losing friends to changing jobs to leaving jobs and starting new adventures in my personal and professional life. Maya Yoga is also the studio where I completed my Ashtanga teacher training in 2015.

I love Ashtanga yoga as it is a set sequence. Once you learn the sequence, you can really drop into your body and just breathe.

If you’ve been to one of my Namaste All Day retreats, the style of yoga I teach is Ashtanga based. I focus on the breath to movement. I love to queue poses that allow you to lead with your heart.

Forward fold – Deep inhale, long exhale, and lead with your heart.

Dive forward – lead with your heart.

Seated forward fold – imagine I have a string attached to your heart, and I’m pulling you forward.

Seated tree pose – Deep inhale, long exhale, and fold forward to lead with your heart.

Seated butterfly pose – lead with your heart.

Bridge pose – imagine there is a string on your heart pulling you up to the sky.

All of these poses are heart-openers. There is power in physically connecting with opening your body to open your heart emotionally.

When our heart is open, we are more loving, kinder, and more compassionate.

How can you lead with your heart this week?

In your relationships?

In your work?

In your Self Care?