https://nikkiestradayoga.com/newsletters/

Nikki Estrada Yoga, Novato, CA (2025)

08/29/2024

A Simple Thank You

Each week in this newsletter I try to share something helpful, interesting, informative or inspiring from yoga or Ayurveda. Both are vast fields of knowledge that aim to contribute to the overall wellness of human existence.

I discovered yoga more than 30 years ago as a student in college and have never stopped practicing. It instantly touched me and kept me coming back regularly. Just a few years later I was pulled into teaching when my home studio invited me to take their first ever teacher training (led by the incomparable Erich Schiffman and assisted by Sarah Powers).

It’s a journey that continues for me each and everyday both personally and professionally.

Much to my surprise i remain as motivated and inspired by these powerful practices that hold the keys to living a more vibrant, healthy, present and authentic life.

Arriving to teach my classes both online and in person are a consistent source of joy and gratitude for me personally. I feel your energy and appreciate your presence and attendance to my yoga and ayurveda related offerings. And to those of you who read these newsletters and stay connected with me here, I feel and appreciate you too!

Thank you for allowing me to share yoga with YOU. It’s a privilege I never take for granted.

06/11/2024

Untouched Italy Yoga Retreat Info Session

Join me Tuesday June 18th at 630pm PT for a zoom info session! Come hear about this retreat, join fellow attendees and ask your retreat questions.

Since I have been to this INSANELY INCREDIBLE LOCATION, I can tell you why it's my gold standard retreat location. This info session is for people already registered and those interested. Find out about potential excursions, the easiest way to get there, what the food will be like and what a typical day consists of. Meet fellow yoga travelers and take the leap on a trip to Italy of a lifetime!

send me a DM for the zoom link!

06/04/2024

Self Awareness (Part 2)

Last week’s newsletter covered self awareness starting from
the yoga mat. Then in terms of developing our ability to pay attention to our thoughts, words and actions and applying that knowledge to daily life. It’s a more superficial application of self awareness but it’s very important to living more awake and intentional. It helps us navigate life and reduce our suffering.

There’s a deeper aspect of self awareness that’s at the heart of yoga. It’s connecting to SELF.

Not the thinking mind, not our bodies, not our emotions or likes and
dislikes. The SELF within that’s unchanging, that’s pure awareness which experiences everything.

That SELF awareness is what yoga is guiding us towards. It’s called purusha in Sanskrit.

Ultimately self awareness is knowledge of the inner SELF and that comes with meditation. We access it through stillness. When we know the inner SELF we are established in who we truly are and it gives us strength and confidence.

Carve out some time today to sit, be still and know who you are. ❤️

05/30/2024

Self Awareness (part one)

Cultivating self awareness is at the center of yoga and Ayurveda.

We practice paying attention to the breath and to the body when we’re on the yoga mat. It might seem like it’s about getting flexible or strong or mastering a pose. But it’s actually about training the mind to be present with what is.

We get interested in how we’re moving the body, the quality of our breath and the alignment of the poses. Distraction and mental busyness diminish over time. We become more focused, present and aware.

Then the real work begins when we practice this in our day to day activities. We are present with our interactions, our thoughts, behaviors, and words.

This improves the quality of our lives because we’re more intentional and present in everything we do and everyone we’re with.

A successful yoga practice isn’t about achieving a posture. It’s about increasing self awareness!

-philosophy

04/09/2024

Save the date! May 3-5 Kitchari Cleanse

Many of you have let me know you are interested in doing a spring kitchari cleanse. I finally have the dates: May 3-5 or if you wish to go longer, until the 6th.

This will be a guided online experience where you can join me live in real time for Q & A preparation sessions, gentle practices, check ins and more. Everything will be recorded if the timing doesnt work for you and everything will be stored in a private portal for you to access 24/7 and forever! I will be doing this cleanse right along with you.

This guided cleanse will include the following:

👉How to prepare
👉Recipes
👉What kind of beans
👉Shopping lists
👉Best supplemental herbs and teas
👉How to make ghee
👉Live Q & As before and during the cleanse
👉Live gentle practices
👉Journaling prompts
👉Cleansing support before and during
👉Group support with fellow students

The Ayurvedic approach is gentle and one can even cleanse while working or going about regular life. Here are some of the reasons why you want to cleanse and the benefits:
👉Remove cravings
👉Reset your taste buds for simple whole foods
👉Clear mucus and spring allergies
👉Release excess weight
👉Reset your gut
👉Eliminate sugar and processed foods
👉Increase your energy
👉Sleep better
👉Connect with yourself
👉Understand your emotional connection to food
👉Get mentally and emotionally clear
👉Simplify your diet

More info to come once registration opens. In the meantime, save the date and plan on doing this gentle Ayurvedic cleanse with me!

04/02/2024

The Only Thing That Never Changes

While it may be hard, we all know things are constantly changing. The Greek philosopher Heraclitus coined the phrase “the only constant in life is change”. Both yoga and Ayurveda agree. It’s true and life is always changing. But they take it one step further and define the one thing that isn’t changing.

It’s called Purusha or consciousness. The inner awareness that resides within each of us is unchanging. Another way to say it is that our spirit or soul on the inside is always there. It’s there when we are born, it’s there as we grow from children to adults and it’s there when the body dies.

This is why all spiritual or mindfulness practices guide us towards awareness. For stability, we must look towards the inner awareness and not towards that which is always changing. It makes no sense that we seek stability in everything that’s guaranteed to change, but we do. And boy do we suffer and struggle with change.

If you want to find strength and stability, you must go within. This is the heart of yoga. The practices guide us towards the one thing that isn’t changing, consciousness.

03/27/2024

How Much Water Does Your Body Need?

We’ve all heard the hydration advice that you need at least 8 glasses of water per day, and probably more. Someone popularized the idea that if you find yourself thirsty, you’re already dehydrated.

Personally, Ive always struggled with drinking that much water. It not only never felt natural to me, it also meant I was peeing A LOT!

I was so delighted to learn a very different approach in my Ayurvedic studies. If you are eating whole foods like grains, vegetables, fruits, proteins, legumes etc, those foods naturally contain a lot of water. In the case of grains and beans, they are cooked in water. Those foods are naturally hydrating unlike processed foods such as crackers, pasta, protein bars, pizza etc.

If your diet is hydrating you, you don’t need 8 glasses of water a day on top of it. In fact, drinking too much water actually flushes vitamins and minerals out of the body and taxes the kidneys. You don’t have to carry a huge water bottle around and push yourself to drink a large amount of water.

If you are not working a strenuous physical job or working out intensely, 4 glasses of water a day is enough for most people eating a diet of fresh whole foods! Surprising right?

03/12/2024

It’s Time To Get Moving

We’re right in the middle of major change. We just moved the clock forward an hour and spring is around the corner but not actually here yet. Change is in the air and that can be hard! Ayurveda’s lifestyle tips (vihar) help us navigate change.

In this in between time when we are feeling the weight of winter and hoping for spring it can be hard to motivate- easy to stagnate. The remedy is movement.

If you practice with me online or in person, you will have noticed the practices include a lot of dynamic movements and sun salutations right now. Moving, breathing and expanding your energy is so helpful this time of year.

If you’re feeling stuck, unmotivated and even a little down, get moving. Don’t think too much about it- just get on your mat and start moving and breathing- or head outside and take a brisk walk. It will uplift you and help you during the seasonal shift.

Often the simplistic of things have the biggest impact.

03/06/2024

Join me this Saturday for an Ayurvedic workshop: Diet & Digestion 🔥

In this 90 minute workshop we dive into the Ayurvedic approach to diet. Diet trends are constantly changing and it can be confusing as to what’s truly the best way to eat.

Ayurveda offers a time tested approach to eating and good digestion that is centered around balanced Agni (digestive fire) and nourishment for body and mind. You’ll be surprised by some common “wellness trends” that are wrecking your digestive system.

Saturday March 9, 3-430pm at The Studio Mill Valley. link to register in the comments 🔥

03/05/2024

I Can’t Believe This Isn’t Common Knowledge

I’m so immersed in my yoga/Ayurveda world I forget sometimes that not everyone knows what the absolute BEST dietary fat is.

Hands down it’s ghee. What is ghee? it’s clarified butter. That’s butter that’s been cooked down and the milk solids have been burned off. It’s purified.

Ghee is so good for you it’s called liquid gold in Ayurveda. It’s high in butyric acid and helps support the lining of your intestines (meaning it’s really good for the digestive tract). It nourishes the tissues. It helps take nutrients to deeper layers within the body. It combats dryness and supports the doshas. It helps your joints. It has a high smoke point and can be used in EVERYTHING.

It’s one of “the good fats” and yet I’m so surprised that still so many people are unfamiliar with ghee!

Make it at home and it’s half the cost. Get it into all three of your daily meals and you will feel the difference!

02/28/2024

Favorite Mindfulness Tool

Becoming more self aware and present is essential as you develop your yoga practice and grow spiritually. In fact one definition of yoga is to “make the unconscious, conscious."

It’s a catch 22. How do you become conscious when you’re unconscious or have a blind spot?

One excellent tool to use in your everyday life is to practice “being the witness."
Whatever it is you’re doing or feeling, or thinking or experiencing, can you observe as a neutral witness? Sounds easy but practicing being neutral often isn't so easy.

This practice separates you from whatever is happening and gives you space to notice and observe yourself in action. It breaks up unconscious habits and requires you to notice what you normally experience on auto pilot.
We can practice this all day long. We notice when we’re anxious, we notice when we’re complaining, we notice when we’re tired, we notice when we’re joyful. It makes us present and it makes us self-aware.

Over time the unconscious becomes conscious and then we can choose how we want live.

02/26/2024

Well this is a first. After teaching yoga solely in Marin for 27 years I’m trying something different and I’m really excited about it…

Beginning this Sunday March 3rd I’ll be teaching a new class in Petaluma at The Yoga Post! This gorgeous new studio popped up in the midst of the pandemic and has been building and growing ever since. It’s owned by four dedicated yoga teachers who wanted a beautiful space to share yoga and create community.

It’s large light filled yoga room over looks the Petaluma river and is filled with great energy and dedicated yogis. There's plenty of parking and it's walkable from the train station.

Come see me Sundays at 4pm for an hour of Slow Flow All Levels Yoga!

Nikki Estrada Yoga

08/29/2024

06/11/2024

06/04/2024

05/30/2024

04/09/2024

04/02/2024

03/27/2024

03/12/2024

03/06/2024

03/05/2024

02/28/2024

02/26/2024

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