Ever since I was a child Ive always wanted to contribute and make the world a better place. From helping the poor to conserving the earths resources. But how? I was always stuck and paralyzed by the vastness and enormity of the needs of the world. How can my small insignificant penny help the world?? Like yoga, altruism is a practice and a process. I have learned that yoga is a process. A spiritual, mental and physical process that takes time and patience. This Earth Day I am convicted to rededicate my resources to helping the earth. And the way that I will approach this is the way I approach my yoga practice, with small steps. Learning more about your environment and how to protect it is a good place to start.

Here are some other ways to take yoga off the mat and celebrate Earth Day this week and everyday:

1. Many studios around the world are offering classes and fundraisers to worthy global causes. Check out your local listings or studios in your area for Earth Day events.

2. Dedicate your practice to a cause. Set an intention for your practice and send it out into the World.

3. Plant a Tree. Do a search on the internet and you will find many organizations that are planting trees on Earth Day. Join in on the fun.

4. Recycle. Go through your house and see if there are things you can recycle like plastic bags and containers. Gently used clothing can be donate or old toys can be give away to be reused.

5. Reduce water consumption, reduce your shower by 5 minutes and check for leaking faucets and fixtures.

6. Do yoga outside and enjoy the earth beneath you.

Eileen Filomeno, RYT, is a Yoga Teacher in Berkeley, California. She is inspired to share her love of yoga and is committed to sustainable, organic living and wellbeing.

I love yoga and I love running. Truth be told, I am not very disciplined when it comes to stretching after a run. I started running 10 years ago and have participated in plenty of running events ranging from 5ks to Marathons. Marathon training is especially brutal on the body. And thats when I started experiencing lots of aches and pains such as lower back pain, burnout, fatigue. However, that all started to change when I found yoga. Yoga has helped me both mentally and physically endure the rigors of marathon training. Now I will not run without incorporating a little yoga into my routine. Here are my favorite yoga poses post run:

Butterfly (Bound Angle) Pose

Butterfly (Bound Angle Pose) – This is an excellent groin and hip opener. Also, relieves inner thigh muscle tension. Sit down on the ground and press the soles of your feet together. Keep the spine and neck straight. Do not allow the heels to be raised. Breath and gently press down on your thighs with your hands or elbows. Practice this with rhythmic and natural breathing. Hold for 8 breaths. Contraindications: Sciatica patients.

Standing Forward Fold

Standing Forward Fold – This is a great pose that stretches the hamstrings, calves and hips. It also strengthens the thighs and knees. From a standing position (mountain pose), exhale and fold forward hinging at your hips not your waist. Bring your hands down to your shins, your ankles or the floor. Or you can grab for opposite elbows. Press your heels firmly into the ground and lift your sit bones up to the sky. Stay in the pose for 30 seconds. To come up out of it, bring your hands to your hips and inhale as you lengthen through your spine and press the tailbone down as you come up. Contraindications: Back injury, do this pose on bent knees.

Chair Pose

Chair Pose – This pose stretches your shoulders and chest, while also strengthening your ankles, thighs, calves and spine. From a Standing forward fold, inhale, bend your knees and sink your hips low so that your thighs come close to parallel with the floor as you raise your arms over head (biceps by your ears). Relax your shoulder blades back and down. Tuck your tailbone down and lift through your chest. Hold for 5 to 8 breaths then come to a forward fold. Contraindications: High blood pressure.

Twist (Half Lord) Pose

Twist (Half Lord) – This pose is great for stretching the shoulders, hips and neck. Also, energizing for the spine! From seated crossed leg position, raise your right leg and bring your right food over to the outside of your left thigh (your right leg is bent with your knee pointed to the ceiling). Inhale, lengthen your spine with your arms over head and bring your left elbow to the outside of your right knee. Your right hand is on the floor behind you. Continue breathing. As you inhale continue to lengthen your spine and as you exhale twist a little deeper. Hold for about 30 seconds to 1 minute then gently release and do the opposite side. Contraindications: Back or spine injury.

Half Pigeon Pose

Half Pigeon – This pose is excellent for stretching your thighs, groin, psoas, abdomen, and neck. It is also a great way to open up your chest and shoulders. To get into the pose, come to all fours, shoulders underneath your wrists and hips directly over your knees. Slide your right knee towards the back of your right wrist and bring your right shin onto the floor in front of you. Your left knee comes down to the floor be sure to straighten your left leg and point your toes directly behind you. Level off your hips, and square them to the front of the room. Inhale, lift through your chest and exhale fold over your right shin. You can stay up on your palms or continue to come down onto your forearms, maybe even your forehead. You should feel the stretch in your right hip. Hold for 1 min or more. Use rhythmic and natural breathing. Plant your palms onto the mat and come up slowly, come up to all fours and shake out your right leg before moving on the other side. Contraindications: Sacroiliac, ankle or knee injury.

Try incorporating these poses into your routine after you run to help you stay strong and feel good!

Eileen Filomeno, RYT, is a Yoga Teacher in Berkeley, California. She is inspired to share her love of yoga and is committed to sustainable, organic living and wellbeing.

Flying Yoga with Laura Camp

I met Laura Camp during my first yoga teacher training. She is so warm and authentic you cant help but love her. The most important thing that she has inspired in me is a love for yoga and a desire to deepen my own personal development. Laura is the Director and Founder of Flying Yoga Shala in Oakland. She teaches public classes and advance yoga trainings in her studio. Her studio was voted best of the bay in 2010 for Best Airborne Ashtanga.

What was your first introduction to yoga?

I was a dancer performing in a show; I tore my calf muscle while on stage. I had never had an injury that bad. I was looking around for things to rehab my leg. I belonged to a health club and I wandered into this yoga class and I always thought yoga was really boring and for old people. It was 1998 so yoga was not as popular. There was this man in there, this really small man who said come in, come in, you will like this class and it was amazing. It shocked me at how hard it was after being a dancer and a fitness person I thought I was in top shape. That was my start. I became so enthralled by it and I started following my teacher everywhere. At first I was hooked by the physicality of it. I quickly realized it would help me balance the body. Then I realized I was very unhappy and resisted Shavasana or anything that wasnt exercise related for a long time. Then eventually I just got really tired and did Shavasana and relaxed and started crying. Yoga slowly penetrated my life.

When did you decide to become a yoga teacher?

I was already teaching dance and literally after a few months after taking yoga my yoga teacher says I want you to sub for me and I said I dont know what Im doing and he said youll be fine. I was terrified so I memorized everything he said verbatim and I just did it and everybody said that was great and I learned so many new things. It was 1998 so there were not many teacher training programs and it was a different world. I apprentice with my teacher for a few years. I really didnt want to teach. I felt that if I taught I would lose my own practice so I resisted. Teaching kept coming up. I had a corporate job and I got laid off from my job so I said okay Ill try teaching full time. I really feel like I was pushed into it. And now that I look back I feel like oh, its the perfect job for me.

What is your style of yoga?

I call it Camp yoga because its so eclectic and its based on Ashtanga and its fast paced and lots of variety. I am always trying to vary the pace and the poses to try and trick the students brains especially the ones who have been with me a long time so that we are not doing the same things the same way all the time. My classes do have a cardiovascular endurance and flexibility component. I also like acrobatics and inversions especially for women, it helps develop upper body strength and something amazing happens to their psyche they become empowered.

Any advice you would give to someone new to yoga?

I think before you walk into a class you should do some research and learn a little bit about the background of yoga. Also, choosing the right class helps. Try to find a class that suits your personality so that you are not turned off by the whole thing. I would love a new person to know that there are a lot of styles out there and if you dont like one just keep trying different ones because yoga is so wonderful.

Do you have any advice on how to avoid injury?

Bend your knees. Especially in forward bends, people should always bend their knees unless they really know what they are doing. Secondly, learn how to pull shoulder blades down your back (learn to activate your lat muscles) so that when you are on your hands and arms you are not tiring out your neck muscles. I think if people learn how to do these two things you can avoid a lot of common injuries.

To learn more about Laura please visit: flyingyogashala.com

Eileen Filomeno, RYT, is a Yoga Teacher in Berkeley, California. She is inspired to share her love of yoga and is committed to sustainable, organic living and wellbeing.

Flying Yoga with Laura Camp

I met Laura Camp during my first yoga teacher training. She is so warm and authentic you cant help but love her. The most important thing that she has inspired in me is a love for yoga and a desire to deepen my own personal development. Laura is the Director and Founder of Flying Yoga Shala in Oakland. She teaches public classes and advance yoga trainings in her studio. Her studio was voted best of the bay in 2010 for Best Airborne Ashtanga.

What was your first introduction to yoga?

I was a dancer performing in a show; I tore my calf muscle while on stage. I had never had an injury that bad. I was looking around for things to rehab my leg. I belonged to a health club and I wandered into this yoga class and I always thought yoga was really boring and for old people. It was 1998 so yoga was not as popular. There was this man in there, this really small man who said come in, come in, you will like this class and it was amazing. It shocked me at how hard it was after being a dancer and a fitness person I thought I was in top shape. That was my start. I became so enthralled by it and I started following my teacher everywhere. At first I was hooked by the physicality of it. I quickly realized it would help me balance the body. Then I realized I was very unhappy and resisted Shavasana or anything that wasnt exercise related for a long time. Then eventually I just got really tired and did Shavasana and relaxed and started crying. Yoga slowly penetrated my life.

When did you decide to become a yoga teacher?

I was already teaching dance and literally after a few months after taking yoga my yoga teacher says I want you to sub for me and I said I dont know what Im doing and he said youll be fine. I was terrified so I memorized everything he said verbatim and I just did it and everybody said that was great and I learned so many new things. It was 1998 so there were not many teacher training programs and it was a different world. I apprentice with my teacher for a few years. I really didnt want to teach. I felt that if I taught I would lose my own practice so I resisted. Teaching kept coming up. I had a corporate job and I got laid off from my job so I said okay Ill try teaching full time. I really feel like I was pushed into it. And now that I look back I feel like oh, its the perfect job for me.

What is your style of yoga?

I call it Camp yoga because its so eclectic and its based on Ashtanga and its fast paced and lots of variety. I am always trying to vary the pace and the poses to try and trick the students brains especially the ones who have been with me a long time so that we are not doing the same things the same way all the time. My classes do have a cardiovascular endurance and flexibility component. I also like acrobatics and inversions especially for women, it helps develop upper body strength and something amazing happens to their psyche they become empowered.

Any advice you would give to someone new to yoga?

I think before you walk into a class you should do some research and learn a little bit about the background of yoga. Also, choosing the right class helps. Try to find a class that suits your personality so that you are not turned off by the whole thing. I would love a new person to know that there are a lot of styles out there and if you dont like one just keep trying different ones because yoga is so wonderful.

Do you have any advice on how to avoid injury?

Bend your knees. Especially in forward bends, people should always bend their knees unless they really know what they are doing. Secondly, learn how to pull shoulder blades down your back (learn to activate your lat muscles) so that when you are on your hands and arms you are not tiring out your neck muscles. I think if people learn how to do these two things you can avoid a lot of common injuries.

To learn more about Laura please visit: flyingyogashala.com

Eileen Filomeno, RYT, is a Yoga Teacher in Berkeley, California. She is inspired to share her love of yoga and is committed to sustainable, organic living and wellbeing.