Rebecca Childress Yoga & Ayurveda

22/07/2025

20/07/2025

Today marks 16 years that I’ve been practicing yoga.

In every class we take or teach we hear “set your intention”. A sankalpa is a heartfelt intention. It’s something more than just a word or phrase, or prayer or affirmation. It’s something that at the end of the class we try to put into action.

I try to work towards letting my intention show up in the way I interact with others - my friends, my family, my coworkers, the community…and most of all myself. Just like you - far from perfect. But also just like you - I’m trying. And, damn, sometimes it’s hard isn’t it? When someone misreads our intent, or a family member acts more like a stranger than a friend, or a friend doesn’t show up in the way we expected. Or that certain coworker that knows just how to push all your buttons does just that - pushes every last button. How does our yoga look then?

That’s when the integration of what happens on our mats really has the opportunity to show up and help us out. That’s when we pause and remember our breath. That’s when we pause and remember that in class we heard that WE are often the cause of our own suffering. And yoga teaches us that we have the power to change that.

My wish for us is that our intentions that we set on our mats show up for us in the most amazing ways and when we need them the most. 🙏

Song You Found Me by The Fray from 2009 - the year that yoga found me.

Photo by Aaron Spicer for Dragonfly Yoga Studio.

16/07/2025

There’s room for everyone. And there’s especially room for you! Don’t shrink or dim your light just because it may have caused someone to be uncomfortable. If it made someone uncomfortable - good…because that’s where growth resides…in the stuff that makes us feel a little uncomfortable. Your light is a gift. Shine on. Keep growing. Even when it makes others feel a little uncomfortable. Especially when it makes others feel a little uncomfortable.

13/07/2025

Balance.

Passed this amazing tree yesterday in on the yesterday. To grow so strong and with so many branches this tree must not only have an amazing root system but also the balance needed to bend yet not break with the changes of the season and life.

Yoga is the journey back to balance—and balance looks different for everyone. Because balance looks different on everyone not every yoga class or style will bring balance. If you’re leaving a class depleted versus balanced consider what your needs may be for your mind-body type.

If you’re super intense and have lots of fire maybe you need yin or relax and unwind. If you’re feeling a little “too” grounded and earthy and struggling for energy, maybe a hot flow class will be exactly what you need.

Rooted in Ayurveda, yoga recognizes that each of us has a unique mind-body type.

Some need grounding stillness, others thrive in energizing flow.

The key? Practice the style that brings you into harmony. And that may even change with the seasons of nature and of life. 😉

Yoga is not a workout. It’s a “workin”. The goal? Balance, harmony, and a peaceful mind.

13/07/2025

We still have a couple of rooms if you’d like to join us in July for the couple’s retreat. Hope to see you there!

11/07/2025

Affirmations for yoga sutra 1.33:

“I greet happiness with friendliness.”
“I meet suffering with compassion.”
“I honor goodness with joy.”
“I meet challenge with calm.”

Last night at the Cental Park location for the Thursday night class. See you on Caroline Street soon! ✌️

06/07/2025

Last Sunday at the temporary Central Park location. We can’t wait to get back to our home on Caroline Street! I’ve really missed some of the Thursday and Sunday regulars since the move! Grateful for the space to practice but can’t wait to get back downtown. ✌️ Keep an eye on the schedule. The move is anticipated July 12.

05/07/2025

One of my favorite things about our recent vacation to Ireland was staying in an Air B&B and intentionally working towards a more immersive experience. I walked to yoga, we caught the public bus, walked to pick up food & stop by the convenience store and grocery store, and on a couple of mornings I got to sit quietly in our little garden reading and sipping my morning coffee. (The book is a best seller in the UK all about slowing down & nature.) We had a few busy days but we also had some balance. We rush so much in life. Slowing down shouldn’t feel like such a guilty pleasure but it often does.

Speaking of slowing down, I hope you’ll choose to end your weekend with me at for yin & restorative on Sunday night. The perfect balance of cool for these hot summer days.

🔥

03/07/2025

We have three rooms left for our couples retreat July 31-Aug 3! World class whitewater rafting, Bridge Walk, and SUP at Kanawha Falls is included! Amazing food, amazing views, and time to bond as a couple. I hope you’ll join us. My co-facilitator will be Mary Vance, a clinical counselor with a lifetime of experience teaching couples how to thrive.

25/06/2025

The messaging around aging for women can be very toxic, but research shows that the way we look at our own aging predicts how well we age. If you think of it as a time of exploration and exhilaration, science suggests you will be happier, healthier, and live longer. Outdoor adventures can help with that mindset shift. Find out more: https://on.natgeo.com/3HSZ5jD

22/06/2025

Both the Sunday 5pm yin and Thur 7pm class this week at will focus on the summer solstice ☀️ and that ancient message of balancing effort and ease. We’ll recognize the balance of fire (agni) 🔥 with the coolness of surrender. Hope to see you there.