Goal Setting 101 with Marissa Rose

I've always a been a passionate believer in the power goal setting and manifesting your own life. I remember myself  2 years ago doing this exact mediation - visualizing myself in 5 years from that date. I saw myself living in a beach house with an ocean view. I woke up in the morning, went for a morning paddle, came back to my balcony for meditation and yoga session and then started my day with my loved one & set off to accomplish a day of work in the yoga industry.

Today, just 2 years later - I am living in this exact dream space I created for myself and now it's time to think even bigger!

I stand behind this Goal Setting formula because it truly works! If goal setting typically sends you running the opposite way, take a breath. Recognize, you are not attached to your goals, you are simply motivated by your goals. Every 6 months I come back to what I've written for myself. I reflect on what I've accomplished, and what's yet to be conquered - then I revise & revamp accordingly. You can do the same!

Grab a pen & paper. Give yourself the gift of 20 minutes of solitude & gratitude - this is it!

Part 1: Get Present
Ask yourself: How do I feel in my life write now?
For example: Happy, Alone, Free, Dependent, Confused, Ambitious
Make a list of all of these feelings as they come up.

Choose your top 3 feelings right now & make a list:
1.
2.
3.

Part 2: What are you searching for?

Ask yourself: How do I want to feel?
For example: Happy, Free, Loved, Supported, Independent, Grounded
Make a list of all of these feelings as they come up.

Choose your top 3 ultimate feelings & make a list:
1.
2.
3.

Part 3: Meditate
Find yourself in a seated position or lying on the floor. Allow your palms to face up to receive.
Take 5 minutes for yourself. Imagine yourself in 1 year from this very moment. Allow yourself to really feel those top 3 feelings you want for yourself. Then reflect & meditate on the following:

Where am I?
Who am I with?
What is the weather like?
How do I feel?
What do I smell?
What do I taste?
What sounds do I hear?
Am I alone?
Am I by the beach? The mountains? The forest? In a city?
Am I content?
Am I happy?
What do I see around me?
What am I wearing?
How did I get here?
How long will I stay?
Is this a new place?
Have I been here before?
What have I accomplished?
Am I truly where I want to be?

Part 4: Manifest on paper!

Begin with "I am" statements & be specific.
For example: "I am living in a beach house in San Clemente, CA"

Set a "by when" date of when you wish to accomplish your goals. Think 1 year from this exact day!

Break up your goals by:
(1) Career
(2) Health
(3) Personal

Then choose 3 goals within in category of your life.

See below for outline:

Career
1. I am ...
2.
3.

Health
1. I am ...
2.
3.

Personal
1. I am ...
2.
3.

Now take a full breath in. And a loving breath out. You did it!

Keep your goals in a safe space that you can reach for when your needing a boost of energy and self love. Know that anything to set to achieve will unfold for you in exactly the right way. Let go of attachment & live in a space of freedom to receive.

Yoga for Surfers 3 Minute Warm Up

Since moving to California one year ago, I began living an extremely active life. The constant sunshine allows me to venture outdoors more than I could ever have imagined. In living an active lifestyle, always on the go, I've had to learn how to stay fueled and hydrated to keep energized! Recently, I've discovered whey protein by Designer Whey which was designed specifically for females who live an active lifestyle. Before I get on my mat for yoga I snack on a Designer Whey protein bar and after I've been in the water paddling, I love the taste of a protein shake!

My hydration and energy inspire my life - stay fueled to inspire yours too!

www.designerwhey.com

 

  I love sharing my passion of yoga, especially with those that I know will benefit specifically from the practice. For those of you that surf, you know where you are tight, sore, and banged up after a few hours in the water.

 

This 3 minute yoga session will improve your strength, flexibility, and endurance while you surf as well as prevent injury.   

 

You don't even need a yoga  mat for this quick practice, just move and stretch in your wetsuit or board shorts before you paddle out & I promise you will feel refreshed, rejuvenated, and energized!

 

             

Standing Forward Bend

Uttanasana

 

 Benefits:

Stretches the hamstrings, calves, and hips

Strengthens the thighs, and knees

Opens & strengthens shoulders 

Surf Benefits:

Provides shoulder strength for paddling

Try it out:

1. Separate your feet hip distance apart

2. Interlace your fingertips behind your low spine

3. Hinge at your hips bringing the top of your head towards the ground

4. Lift your interlaced palms off of your low spine as much as your shoulders allow

5. Breathe and hold for 30 seconds

 

              

Chair Pose

Utkatasana

 

Benefits:

Strengthens ankles, calves, thighs, and spine

Stretches shoulders and chest

Surf Benefits:

Builds strength in your feet & toes providing a firm foundation & added agility on your board

 

Try it out:

1. Stand with toes touching and heels one inch apart

2. Bend your knees so that your thighs come as close to parallel to the ground as possible

3. Squeeze claves, knees, thighs into the midline

4. Reach fingertips high and draw your shoulders away from your ears

5. Hold and breathe for 30 seconds

 

             

 

           High Plank to Low Plank

 

               

 

Chaturanga Dandasana

 

Benefits:

Tones the abdomen

Strengthens arms, shoulders & wrists

Surf Benefits:

Improves paddle technique for bigger days

 

Try it out:

1. Stack your shoulders over your wrists & your heels over your toes

2. From straight arm plank, lower halfway to low plank with shoulders in line with elbows

3. Squeeze your elbows in towards your ribs

4. Engage your abdomen and gaze at the top of your mat

5. Hold and breathe in high plank for 10 seconds & low plank for 10 seconds

 

              

 

Updog

Urdhva Mukha Svanasana 

 

Benefits:

Strengthens spine, arms, and wrists

Stretches chest, shoulders, and abdominals

Surf Benefits:

Injury prevention in wrist, necks, shoulders, and back

 

Try it out:

1. From chaturanga, uncurl your toes so the tops of your feet are on the mat

        2. Straighten your arms

               3. Squeeze your shoulderblades towards your spine

              4. Open your chest & gaze forward

              5. Hold and breathe for 10 seconds

 

               

 

Downdog

Adho Mukha Svanasana

Benefits:

Stretches shoulders, hamstrings, calves, arches, and hands

Energizes the body & relieves stress

Surf Benefits:

Allows you to pop up quick & light on your feet

 

How to:

1. Start in a tabletop, on your hands and knees with fingertips spread wide

      2.Tuck your toes and lift your hips to the sky

  3.Straighten your legs & lengthen your heels down to the ground

4. Engage your shoulderblades while drawing your chest closer towards your thighs

         5. Hold and breathe for 30 seconds

             

 

                 Warrior II

Virabhadrasana

Benefits:

Stretches groins, chest, lungs, shoulders

Strengthens quads, ankles, calves

Increases stamina

Surf Benefits:

Improves strength and endurance in your lower body for longer waves

 

Try it out:

1.       From your downdog, step your right left forward to a low lunge

2.       Turn your back foot out 45 degrees and press down through the pinky edge of your foot

3.       Bend your front knee to stack right over top of your front ankle

4.       Lift your arms in line with your shoulders and gaze over your front fingertips

5.       Hold and breathe for 30 seconds

Repeat on left side

 

 

5 Reasons to Incorporate SUP Yoga into your Workout

 

SUP Yoga has been recognized as "the coolest new yoga trend" by Women's Health Magazine and proves to be a great workout balancing between ease and strength! The physical, mental and health benefits of incorporating SUP Yoga into your lifestyle are insurmountable. As you move and flow on your board on the ocean you will experience pure bliss fill your entire being. Here's why you should take your yoga practice off your mat and onto the water!

1.    There is no better way to get out if your head and into the present moment than to step off land and allow yourself to be supported by a new foundation, the vast wide open ocean. Leaving the comfort of what you know and breaking into a foreign space is where change happens. This is where freedom erupts and inspiration is found.

2.    The physical benefits outweigh any land workout. You will undoubtedly strengthen and tone your abdominals, obliques, biceps, triceps, shoulders, and even your feet. In order to stabilize and balance in the water, your muscles must engage and work hard giving you a fit physique you'll want to show off!

3.    You can tan while you workout! Imagine svasana while floating on the oceans surface as the waves roll beneath you and the sunbeams down on your peaceful body. Who's wouldn't want to experience this bliss?

4.    You will challenge yourself on a whole new level. SUP Yoga is a perfect way to cross train whether you are an experienced yogi, a fit athlete, runner, or a pro paddler. The board is constantly moving, the water is never predictable, and each class incorporates unique postures and breath work that will leave you craving more!

5.    Your endorphins will reach an all time high! The water and all of its magnificence has the ability to create shifts in thoughts, moods, and perspectives. Taking time to appreciate Mother Nature brings awareness back to your purpose of living on this beautiful Earth. Your body and mind will experience a natural high as you flow through yoga asanas with consciousness.

 

 

Take an epic chance! Get on a board, paddle out into the open sea and expand your active lifestyle to greater depths than you knew possible. Surrender your mind, body, and soul as you allow the waves of the ocean to support you fully.

Want your own SUP yoga board!?
Find the perfect board at BOGA boards - www.bogaboards.com

 

*Womens Health Mag Credentials: http://blog.womenshealthmag.com/whexperts/sup-yoga/

8 Ways to be a Successful Yoga Professional

Teach what you preach and all else will fall into place.

The yoga industry is growing at rapid speed, we can all feel it. This means a career as a yoga instructor is more competitive than ever before. It's time to take your yoga business seriously in order to be the most successful and inspiring teacher, making you stand out from the rest!

I've gathered the below tips through research, workshops, and interactions with other yogis and yoga instructors to develop a list of the top essential tools to help you increase your student following and class sizes - ultimately bringing your career as a yoga instructor to the next level.

1. Recognize that your students are paying clients, you are technically a walking business
Every class you teach should benefit your students in some form because they are expecting to be satisfied with their purchase just as in any other business industry.

2. Be genuine and authentic inside and outside of the classroom
You are a role model for your students and whether you realize it or not, they will continually look to you in this way. You act as a guide for every individual in your class as they embark on a very transformational and personal journey. Be your true self and people will undoubtedly want more of what you have to offer.

3. Stay educated and knowledgeable in every class you teach
Ensure that your students are always moving from each asana safely and intentionally. This requires being in tune with any students that may need special attention or assists due to injuries or physical limitations. Your students will gain trust and respect for you if you're putting their physical needs at the forefront.

4. Get involved in your yoga community
Take classes at different studios, enroll yourself in workshops, and participate in fundraising and charity yoga events. Make a presence for yourself, this will allow you to make connections with other yogis and yoga instructors

5. Keep your class sequence and themes inspiring
If you're feeling uninspired, take a class with your favorite instructor or look for new material in your favorite yoga book or podcast. Your students will notice and appreciate when you take the extra effort to continually make their experience fresh, new, and exciting!

6. Brand yourself
Create a Facebook Business Page and Instagram account. As soon as you take on the new role of a Yoga Instructor as a career, you should be promoting yourself as such. Stay true to who you are in your posts and share the knowledge that you have of the yoga industry.

7. Know your students
Scan the room before class, if there is a new student that you don't recognize - introduce yourself. Make them feel welcome and comfortable. Always teach to the level expected to be sure that your students feel supported and energized by your class.

8. Exude confidence as you speak
If you make a "mistake", own it and move on. We are all human and nobody is perfect. Teach what you preach and all else will fall into place.

The 48 Hour Adventure

 

“The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes.” —Marcel Proust.
 
One day it hit me: Adventures are the best way to learn. There’s a belief in our society that in order to travel, to explore, to see new sights, you must quit your job and give up all sense of responsibility. I highly disagree and have found a way to always experience a sense of exploration in my life while still maintaining a 40-hour work week. If you can learn to make the most out of your two days, just 48 hours off of work each week, I promise you will find happiness and a newfound freedom as you enjoy nature through discovering new sights.
 
 
As someone who has lived in three beautiful cities in less than one year, I know what it’s like to live with my eyes wide open in a constant state of newness. I’ve learned that when I cultivate awareness around my fear and my hesitations towards change, I actually find myself living in freedom as opposed to resisting what is meant to be.
 

Even if you are living in the same home that you were born and raised in, you can still shake your life up right now for the better. There are always new experiences waiting to unfold that are meant just for you. Be willing to feel change, to let your guard down, to create relationships with new people, and to get uncomfortable. One of my favorite ways to explore is to do it all alone. When was the last time you were truly alone? In silence? Reflection? Imagine what you’ll learn about yourself and the world you have created if you take just 10 minutes to reflect on your dreams, your aspirations, and even your fears that are holding you back.
 
 
So here it is. If you want to be an adventurist, an explorer, a creator of change in your own life, follow the steps below and enjoy every moment:

 

 

1. Ask the locals. Find out where those hidden spots are. Trust me, they’re out there—it’s up to you to discover them.

2. Grab a backpack and load it up for the day with water, snacks, a journal and an inspiring book.
 
3. Have NO expectations. Leg go of the awareness of time—stay present. When you feel fear, grab your journal and write it out. You’ll realize how silly your fear sounds and let it go.
4. Be open to meeting new people. Go completely off course, get lost and trust that you’ll find your way back home.

5. Unplug by turning off your electronics. Airplane mode is my favorite—I can still take epic photos as I wander, yet stay present by tuning out what the rest of the world is up to. This is your time, keep it sacred and pure.

 
Here are a few books that have changed my life:
 
 
1. The Power of Now, Eckhart Tolle
2. The Alchemist, Paolo Coehlo
3. You Can Heal Your Life, Louise Hay
4. May Cause Miracles, Gabby Bernstein
5. Journey Into Power, Baron Baptiste
6. The Four Agreements, Don Miguel Ruiz

SUP 101: Learn the Lingo for your First SUP Yoga Class

Featured on DirtbagDarling.com

I know a few women who swear up and down they love the ocean…until they get in it. After getting tousled around for a few waves, they sulk with sand in their biknis until we can hit the showers again. Not so with Marissa Rose. As a SUP yoga instructor in beautiful Laguna Beach, she not only really loves the ocean—she finds peace in it. The Philadelphia native was discovered on Instagram by SUP Company in California, who brought her out to the West Coast where she’s been schooling yoga lovers on the water ever since. “My lifestyle is yoga. I’ve been a totally yogi since the moment I stepped on my mat my junior year of college,” she says. “I love sharing and spreading the powerful benefits of yoga and inspiring others to follow their dreams.”

So if hitting the water for some Crow Poses sounds like what you’ve been dreaming of but you’re nervous about messing up and getting soaked during your first class, fear not. I got Marissa to give us the low-down on some common terms you’ll hear in your first lesson:

1) HANDLE
This is the center point of all boards. You will use the handle to carry the board into and out of the water. For proper alignment, the center of your body (belly button) will be over the handle of the board.

2) PADDLE
The paddle will be used to enhance your core work, engaging and further lengthening muscles in the body. It’s also used for extra strengthening. You’ll use your paddle for core strength exercises such as boat pose, scissor kicks, sit-ups and crunches.

3) NOSE
The nose is the top of your board. When the paddle is not being used, it will remain at the nose of the board. Don’t worry if the paddle floats away, as it will sometimes. All paddles float and your instructor can retrieve your paddle for you.

4) RAIL
The rails are the sides of the board. These are used for balance and stability. They will provide additional support and are great to balance your body in poses that involve twisting.

5) WIDE STANCE
By taking a wider stance, hip distances apart, you’ll create a supported foundation and find more strength in your legs. Especially your first few classes, where you’ll tend to shake as your muscles work in these new postures.

6) CHAIR POSE
It’s just what it sounds like, but it’s important to keep tabs on your breathing. I can’t express enough the importance of breath on your board. I start all of my classes in a seated posture with three to five deep, conscious inhales and exhales focusing on calming the mind, soothing the body, and energetically finding stabilization on your board.

7) VINYASA
In vinyasa, you will link every movement with your breath. Vinyasa flow is essential—if you stay with your breath, you’ll be more aware of your body and this alone will prevent you from falling in the water!

8) SVASANA
Allow yourself to let go of your breath and make peace with the ocean, knowing that you are fully supported and loved by the vast body of water beneath you.