Pür Joy Yoga

“There’s nothing like a little physical pain to keep your mind off your emotional problems.”

-Dr. John Sarno

Thoughts on this quote? He was a very controversial physician and professor during his time. He dismissed mainstream diagnostic findings. Sarno argued that things like herniated discs, spinal stenosis, and degenerative disc disease are often incidental findings. They’re present in plenty of pain-free people too — and that blaming them for pain leads patients down a path of unnecessary surgery, injections, and physical therapy. This put him directly at odds with orthopedists, neurosurgeons, and physiatrists whose practices are built around treating those structural findings.

Release what you hold! We begin September with slow, mindful exploration of the hands, fingers, wrists, and forearms. Discover how much sensation and tension can live in these small, often overlooked areas.

This Wednesday at Lila Yoga Studio we’re working the the often overlooked periphery of our body. The hand has 27 structural joints and we’re going to pay special attention to it.

Recommended for folks with stiff or arthritic joints and those who work with their hands or would like to bring more manual labor into their life.

Scientific research reveals that hand dexterity and grip strength act as a direct window into brain health and cognitive aging. Because the brain dedicates vast neural networks to managing hand control, changes in your hands often serve as early warning signs for how your brain is aging.

Marine layer? No problem. We welcomed the cool morning for our two mile hike up and down the hill.

Next one:
Autumnal Equinox
09/22
Sunrise: 6:41AM

Wednesday Night Restorative:
Sciatica & Low Back Relief (4-Week Series)

Join us for a four-week restorative yoga series this August designed to ease tension, improve mobility, and support the areas most commonly associated with sciatica and low back discomfort. Each class combines long-held supported postures, gentle mobility, breathwork, and nervous system regulation to help reduce muscular tension while creating space throughout the lower body and spine.

Week 1: Foundations – Feet, Calves & the Lower Nerve Pathway

We’ll begin by exploring the lowerportion of the sciatic nerve pathway, with specialattention to the tibial nerve, calves, ankles, and feet. Gentle restorative poses and myofascial release techniques will help improve circulation, reduce tension, and create a stable foundation for healthy movement.

Week 2: Glutes, Hamstrings & the Sciatic Pathway

This week shifts focus to the upper portion of the sciatic nerve pathway through the hamstrings, glutes, and hips. We’ll use supported stretches and mindful movement to release common areas of restriction while encouraging greater mobility and comfort throughout the legs and pelvis.

Week 3: Lumbar Decompression & Hip Release

Experience gentle spinal decompression designed to create space in the lumbar spine while reducing compression and stiffness. We’ll also begin opening the hips with restorative postures that target the piriformis and surrounding muscles that can contribute to sciatic discomfort.

Week 4: Integration – Spinal Length, Piriformis & Lasting Relief

Our final session brings everything together with a full-body restorative practice emphasizing lumbar decompression, deeper hip opening, piriformis release, and relaxation. You’ll leave with practical techniques and a restorative sequence you can continue using to support a healthier back and more comfortable movement in everyday life.

This series is appropriate for most experience levels and is ideal for anyone experiencing occasional sciatic discomfort, tight hips, low back tension, or anyone seeking greater ease, mobility, and relaxation. Modifications and props will be provided to help you practice comfortably and safely.

I asked my teacher friend in Barcelona to print the participant booklets for the retreat. They included a collection of quotes, a graphic of the chakras and their associated elements, a Mary Oliver poem, and a few reflective questions. It was her last day of teaching, yet she still did me the favor. When she handed them over, she apologized that some pages were wrinkled, assuring me she’d already placed them under heavy books to flatten them.

The next day, I spilled coffee over the entire stack in my hotel room.

There was no panic and no urgency to chase after perfection. Just an acceptance that things had become what they had become. A no big deal and an “all is good” attitude.

That was the story I opened the retreat with. An exploration of a coffee spillage and universal elements is where we began and what flourished was beyond what I could have ever imagined solo.

This week was special in more ways than I can count. The men who gathered brought their full selves. We rode whatever emerged—through yoga, mountain biking between vineyards, swims beneath waterfalls, day trips, long meals, and conversations with the backdrop of sunset and grapevines.

We let things be. And, we practiced slowing down and letting go. Being with what was and all imperfectly beautiful. And, amazing.

Beyond grateful to have shared this week at Soul Farm Mas els Igols with these incredible humans.

come play with us in Vilafranca del Penedes.

Don’t sleep on this. There’s a bed with your name on it .elsigols 🧘🏽‍♂️

It’s always a good time to prioritize rest and the Mediterranean sun☀️