Meghan Foley Yoga, Minneapolis, MN (2025)

10/31/2024

On this day and all days, celebrate the witches and all things witchy ✨✨🧙🧙

09/21/2024

“Tempusur-an elusive nostalgia for the current moment, so precious in its ephemerality that the second you notice it, it’s already slipped away.”

On the eve of the Fall Equinox, I find myself in a reflective place. This happens every year as the warm, bright, loud summer transitions to a quieter, cooler autumn that encourages introspection, more time for thinking and slowing down.

As the seasons change, so too do our bodies. What worked in the summer most likely will not work in the next season. The Ayurvedic yogis realized this, and eased the seasonal transitions by matching the right foods, spices, and daily practices to complement the new season.

I also find that a seasonal change in mindset is necessary to ease into a new season more gracefully. Suffering comes from trying to keep things the same and fighting change. I always feel a tug of grief as we approach autumn. Grief is natural. Attachment is not.

Can we feel our feelings, let the seasons change around us and within us, and greet the new season from a place of deep curiosity and gentleness, not fighting this new season, but rather welcoming in change and letting ourselves be changed?

09/10/2024

“Creative work needs solitude. It needs concentration, without interruptions…a place apart-to pace, to chew pencils, to scribble and erase and scribble again...Be what you are, of the earth, but a dreamer too.”
~Mary Oliver

I bore myself and am bored by others when I hear how “busy” we all are. Some wear it as a badge of honor, others as an excuse, some as an identity, others as a perpetual state of unease.

When I hear how busy someone is, it tells me nothing about them. Nothing about their passions, their dreams, their past, what makes them tick.

There is a sense of urgency in all that we do.. the simple reminder phone calls for upcoming appointments can be a stressor. But why.. where are we all hurrying to and from?

My other favorite poet, , writes that there is freedom in living a life of “radical, courageous simplicity.” To slow down is a radical act, that takes courage indeed.

No one will tell you to slow down (unless you come to Yin Yoga haha), and few people will tell you to do less.

In our attempt to once and for all eradicate the neverending to-do list, we are squandering our lives and our creativity. It can’t all get done today. Take one small tiny step in the right direction.

Trust that you are doing enough, and most of all that you are enough.

08/04/2024

We saw this quote outside a coffee shop in Portree on the Isle of Skye and it really resonated with what we’ve felt and experienced on this magical trip.

“I’m learning not to ask too much
It pulls the spring sooner
It slackens my neck
not to worry about the plans made mince
or some glimpsed magic
I couldn’t do more with.

Maybe I should trust that the wind knows best
for my flailing hair

Maybe I shouldn’t operate on a phrase
that was dropped like a coin down the sofa
but landed like a catastrophe

How come the water never shows its age?

The whole week is in my knees
but its every bend is ballet.

What’s a mingin morning to something ancient?

I’m learning how to take a bath in this feeling—
unimportance.

To leave unnoticed.
The rain will get rid of my footprints,
and my noise is nothing
not to the earliest years
nor veteran shoulders.

How come the rock holds is posture like a simple yes or no?

An easy choice?
I’m learning how to make those.

The fix won’t be over the next hill
flask in hand.
I can’t tease it out a cloud.

Maybe I should trust its coming like I do a train or change in temper.

I’m learning to be a the sky’s mercy
and call it only that.

Maybe I’ll manage.
Maybe I’ll turn back.”

-Ellen Renton

07/31/2024

“Did not strong connections draw me elsewhere, I believe Scotland would be the country I would choose to end my days in.”- Benjamin Franklin

It’s easy to believe in fairies and magic in this ruggedly beautiful country. I had a trip planned to the Isle of Skye in March 2020 that was obviously postponed with the global shutdown. I’ve been pulled to this country since I was young and declared my favorite movie was Braveheart.

Feeling immensely grateful to be here now, on my dad’s majestic boat The Midnight Voyageur with Andrew and his dad. We’ve been port hoping in the Hebrides, anchoring in Europe’s “most beautiful anchorage” (we agreed), and climbed to the top of truly the most stunning peak I’ve ever been on (not for the faint of heart though, it was named the “peak of strife”).

Not pictured: puking off the side of the boat with seasickness. As my dad says, you’ve got to day yes to it all. 🤣

07/11/2024

What’s Ayurveda’s deal with coffee?

Every Ayurvedic practitioner I have worked with has without fail, said, “you gotta quit the coffee.” But why? Let’s unpack it.

My constitution is Pitta Vata, mostly fire and air element, prone to imbalances in both. Coffee’s qualities are heating, drying, bitter, acidic, mobile, penetrating and stimulating.

Since like increases like in Ayurveda, and opposites bring balance, if you are already a fiery and airy person, coffee can often lead to imbalances in digestion, increased anxiety, excess sweating and tapped out adrenals.

When I lived in Spain, upon arriving, a new friend said, “if you want to have friends here, you need to drink coffee or smoke.” I chose coffee.

I love the ritual and the culture around coffee and I’m not ready to break up yet, and with the following Ayurvedic tips, I’ve been able to greatly reduce the negative effects and create more awareness and presence around my intake.

1. Always sip a cup of warm water before coffee
2. Take your coffee with food vs. on an empty stomach
3. Add cream/milk/ghee and/or cinnamon/cardamom to offset the acidic qualities
4. Drink coffee in the am (stable Kapha time) and avoid in the afternoon (Vata time)
5. Favor cold brew (less acidic)
6. Go easy on coffee during the summery fiery Pitta months
7. Already exhausted? One of my favorite teachers says she only has a cup of coffee when she feels her best. Try not to use coffee as a mask for true exhaustion.

06/13/2024

I’ve felt a decrease in my attention span over the years. I used to be able to read/study for hours uninterrupted. I 100% attribute it to the phones.

When I witnessed the total solar eclipse in April, I had a few profound thoughts bubble to the surface, along with one that felt silly to me at the time: “unsubscribe from all your emails.”

Upon returning home, I felt inspired to not only unsubscribe from all unnecessary email blasts (including my beloved Anthropologie), but also,

-remove email from my phone
-get an old school alarm clock in order to keep my phone out of my room
-delete all apps that didn’t have a defined additive purpose
-make one room in my home my designated “phone use” room and refrain from using it anywhere else
-create a 15 min max per day usage setting for Instagram-
-practice not pulling my phone out in moments of awkwardness/boredom. Just feel the feelings instead. They always pass. -
-put phone on silent with no notifications (not even vibrating)

These are just a few ideas that I share, in the hope that if you too are trying to declutter your frantic mind, some tips may resonate with you. And if none sound appealing to you, at the very least, use your phone less to improve your posture 🤣

The result: I feel less burdened, less anxious, more present. My mind feels less cluttered and more focused. And guess what, you don’t miss out by using your phone less. You actually miss out on life by constantly being on it. I’m noticing more, creating more, and resting more.

Want more guidance on how you can do a tech declutter?

These are my favorite books on the subject: Stolen Focus, How to Break Up with Your Phone, The Anxious Generation.

05/30/2024

According to Ayurveda, one of the main causes for illness and imbalance is disconnection from nature’s seasonal rhythms. As we move into the summer season, the elements that prevail are water and fire. To create balance in your body, mind and spirit, take into consideration the following suggestions to stay cool, grounded and calm.

🍃 Favor foods and herbs that are cooling and drying in nature, such as cucumbers, watermelon, leafy greens, coconut, cilantro, aloe, dill, fennel, cardamom, cinnamon, mint

❌Avoid foods and drinks that are heating or oily, such as spicy foods, alcohol, caffeine, chili pepper, garlic, onions

🚶Go easy on physical activity, taking ample rest in the summer months. This is a great time of year to practice yin/restorative yoga, to go swimming, to practice slower movement practices like Tai Chi or gentle walks

😴Leave time in your schedule just to be. Pitta people (those with excess fire element) can get particularly aggravated in the warmer months, and overscheduling only adds to the imbalance.

☀️Get outside and wear your sunscreen (mineral is best)

🌞 Practice waking up with the sun and trying to get to bed by 10pm. This is one of the best things you can do to reset your natural rhythms

🤸Give yourself ample time to play. Meaning...doing something for the sheer joy of it, without any agenda or extra benefits. Just to have fun and let yourself be creative

Want to learn more about your particular constitution and tailored tips to your lifestyle? Book an Ayurvedic health consultation with me.

05/21/2024

Most people don’t think about their pelvic floor until something goes wrong. Here at , we are on a mission to change that.

While it may be common to hear new moms joke about their newfound peeing when they sneeze or jump, it does not have to be normal!

The combination of learning about your own anatomy and how it works, as well as incorporating thoughtful yoga poses that improve the pelvic floor, is both empowering and can lead to more ease in other areas of your life.

Read the full blog on the blog to learn more about which postures will support optimal pelvic floor health. https://blooma.com/blog/best-yoga-poses-for-pelvic-floor

Also, take a free pelvic floor themed yoga class on our YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ALwZc2z4jPw&t=1194s

Want individualized support? Schedule a yoga therapy session with me to address any postural imbalances that may be affecting pelvic floor optimal functioning.

05/17/2024

Why & How to Oil Pull

Heard of oil pulling, but don’t know why and how it’s done? Like anything in the ancient healing practice of Ayurveda, it is important to understand the intention behind the daily practices, as well as the precise way to practice them.

Oil is the answer for many maladies in Ayurveda, because of its deeply soothing, nurturing and grounding effect on both the body and the nervous system. The Sanskrit name for oil is “sneha,” which also means “to love.” The application of oil is meant to be an act of self-love and care.

Gandush, the swishing or holding of oil in the mouth for 5-20 minutes, is a practice prescribed for a morning routine, that balances excess air/space elements in the head and mind, as well as nourishes the gum tissue. It also cleans the mouth of unhelpful bacteria, helping prevent tooth decay, bad breath and dry mouth. Unlike modern mouthwashes that are often extremely drying, oil pulling is a gentle way to wash and nurture the mouth and throat, without drying it out.

How to Oil Pull
-Take 1-2 tsp of warm sesame oil into the mouth after first tongue scraping (see prior post) and brushing your teeth. There are great oil blends that can make getting used to the texture of oil much more tolerable, like Mint Daily Swish by . Use my promo code MEGHAN15 for 15% off.
-Swish the oil gently. Saliva will add to the oil to create more liquid over time, lessening the oily consistency. Do not feel like you have to swish the whole time! Simply holding the oil in your mouth will benefit you.
-Start with small, working up to 5-20 mins.
-Spit in the trash, not your drain, as the oil can clog the drain if done daily.
-Sip warm water afterwards to awaken digestion and to ease into your day gently.

Just like anything new that you incorporate into your daily routine, it can take time to adjust to a new practice, so, give yourself time and patience. Ayurveda is described as the “quest for longevity.” It is through gentle, intentional, thoughtful practices that we can reverse the effects of a fast-paced, distracted, ungrounded lifestyle that has become too common.

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04/23/2024

“When presented with a problem, most people naturally think the cause must be that something is missing, rather than that something is gratuitous or out of place”
~Elizabeth Lesser

On this sacred Earth Day, I reflect not on what is missing, but what is out of place.
We value efficiency and productivity over presence and contemplation.
We have forgotten that we are animals that are most in sync with ourselves and each other when we are in sync with the natural world around us.
We have forgotten that the world is not ours for the taking, but ours for the caring.
We have forgotten that simplicity and gentleness can yield the results that force and rigidity cannot.
We have forgotten that by caring for the earth, it cares for us. One of the main causes of disease, according to Ayurveda, is resisting the natural world around us, believing we are not connected.
We have the tools to reconnect, they are just out of place.

“It is compassion that moves us beyond numbness toward healing.”
~Anton Chekhov

04/10/2024

“Unbounded freedom permeates everything and yet we continue to live our lives as prisoners of fragmented values-prey to disease, unhappiness, and caught in the web of time.”-Deepak Chopra

Witnessing the total solar eclipse will go down as one of my most exquisite, precious life experiences. It was simultaneously sacred, transformative, deeply moving and awe-inspiring. To pause collectively and look up, in a world that has increasingly forced us to look down and away from the natural cycles of life, was a powerful reset of what really matters. Many of us witnessing the eclipse became emotional, tearing up, without really knowing why. My mind was clear and calm, and I didn’t have any desire to be anywhere else at that moment.

I am inspired to move more slowly, take more time with the people I love, put up strong boundaries around my phone usage, unsubscribe from the daily barrage of emails, spend more time thinking and reflecting vs. reacting, and most importantly, to trust that I am not alone, that we really do all seek connection, and that there is nothing more important than loving each other deeply and profoundly.
adventuring and I are officially umbraphiles now and are already planning how to witness another eclipse. It truly is life-affirming.

03/19/2024

Love may not be blind, but it was a blind date for .adventuring and I four years ago today. A date that just kept going…taking us to music festivals around the world, sailing, mountain climbing and endless dancing.

As a self–proclaimed introvert, I’m grateful for the steadiness, quiet calm and incredible listening skills that Andrew provides.

Cheers to making it so easy to love you Andrew!

📸

03/08/2024

The Women I Know by

I call them: my sisters, goddesses and the moon.
I tell them they glow more radiant
with each passing spring and monsoon.

We have loved each other through the pain,
through the forests of crueller hearts
and refused to tear each other apart,

even though we were all taught in subtle ways
from an early age
to hate one another.

We defy it by naming each other holy.
Defend one another with a primal fury.
Tell ourselves, our daughters and our mothers,

together we will write better
stories to tell. Oceans to love.
Skies to fly.

So deeply grateful for the magical women in my life on this International Day of Women and every day 🙏

02/24/2024

“I am grateful for brilliant art that moves me beyond the emotional walls I build around myself.”

I recently read this quote and then was asked at a dinner party, what art do you have in your home? What a cool question. would be so proud. A much better question than the quotidian “how are you?”

It got me pondering about what I define as art. I resonate so much with Roxane Gay’s notion that brilliant art moves us beyond ourselves.

I feel this in artful conversations with present people who listen with their whole bodies.

I see art in my piles of books ready to unveil their magic at any moment.

I see art in the way my plants bask in the sun.

I feel art in the lyrics of my favorite musicians that can bring me to tears every time, with just a few chords.

I see art in the photography of around our home that has preserved forever moments of true love, vulnerability, connection…

I feel art in the well worn postures of yoga that continue to reveal more and more mysteries and lessons.

Where is your art? What does it do for you? What emotional walls get torn down in the presence of brilliant art for you?

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02/23/2024

“I am grateful for brilliant art that moves me beyond the emotional walls I build around myself.”

I recently read this quote and then was asked at a dinner party, what art do you have in your home? What a cool question. would be so proud. A much better question than the quotidian “how are you?”

It got me pondering about what I define as art. I resonate so much with Roxane Gay’s notion that brilliant art moves us beyond ourselves.

I feel this in artful conversations with present people who listen with their whole bodies.

I see art in my piles of books ready to unveil their magic at any moment.

I see art in the way my plants bask in the sun.

I feel art in the lyrics of my favorite musicians that can bring me to tears every time, with just a few chords.

I see art in the photography of around our home that has preserved forever moments of true love, vulnerability, connection…

I feel art in the well worn postures of yoga that continue to reveal more and more mysteries and lessons.

Where is your art? What does it do for you? What emotional walls get torn down in the presence of brilliant art for you?

02/10/2024

“Each person is a mystery. And when you are surrounded by mysteries, as the saying goes, it’s best to live life in the form of a question.”
~David Brooks

When I feel stressed, the first thing to go is my ability to dream, to create, to innovate, to be curious. When even a little bit of space opens back up in my life, even if it’s temporary, my creativity comes rushing back in.

There are 5 elements described in Ayurveda that make up the world, including us!
Earth, Water, Fire, Air and Ether/Space

The first 4 are pretty self-explanatory, but Ether/Space can be a little less easy to understand, since it can’t be seen and has no physical form.

However, you can feel in your cells when you don’t have space in your life, your body, or your mind. There can be a stagnant, cluttered, or heavy feeling physically, mentally, or emotionally when there is no space.

Space can be challenging to bring into your life, because it loves to be filled. For example, when you have a day off, do you let it just stay open, or do you rush to fill it with tasks, to-dos, events...

I know I have space when I’m coming up with new ideas and feel an insatiable curiosity about the world. I know space is lacking when I feel close-minded and stuck in my ways.

Reflect on where and how space shows up for you, and what comes rushing in when you have physical, mental, emotional or spiritual space to explore. ✨✨

01/25/2024

“Strength that has effort in it is not the strength you need; you need the strength that is the result of ease.”
~Ida P. Rolf

I’ve noticed that it takes me at minimum 24 hours to unwind when I take a few days off. I think of the law of motion that a body in motion stays in motion. Hence why it can be common that on days off, perhaps you don’t feel rested, the mind may still be racing, you may find yourself completing tasks even when you don’t have to.

I had a brilliant teacher years ago who said we should not wait to rest until savasana, but rather learn how to take “sips of savasana” throughout our practice.

The same can be said for life. Do not wait for vacation to rest. Do not wait for retirement to rest. Do not wait for sleep to rest.

Incorporate simple, small, yet profound “sips of rest” throughout your life: 5 conscious breaths before starting a task, hourly reminders to stand up and stretch, meals eaten in silence, morning and evening routines that are nourishing, tech-free days or certain hours in your day…

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Meghan Foley Yoga