Mandi Garrison

Flow with grace

Breathe deeply and immerse yourself in graceful, mindful movement. When you are able to embody the energies of peace and grace, you can be in the flow of life and shift the frequency of any space you’re in. Begin with flowy side bends, child’s pose, hip circles, cat curls, and a lunge sequence. Move into tree and warriors for strength and steadiness, then stretch deeply in seated tree and straddle folds. Close with a brief shavasana and a meditation to receive the gifts of grace.   2022-01-07 18:29:50 +0000 UTC View Post

Awakening the Cosmos playlist for healing and activation in 2022

Here’s another playlist that is quickly becoming my favorite for 2022. All of these mantras and affirmations will help you activate your capacity to heal and connect with your higher self. If you’re currently experiencing any sort of healing process, I highly recommend playing the “Healing Song” by Alexia Chellun on repeat. Hearing, listening, and receiving these affirmations will allow them to settle into your aura and shift your vibration.

Note: This was also ...

Inner Temple playlist for grace and an open heart

Hi everyone! This is the playlist I’ll be using in classes this week, with mantras that invoke peacefulness, acceptance, attraction, understanding, deep relaxation, and an open heart. The direct link for Spotify users is https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0KhkQZL11JGuzlyPhDMhN4?si=DDkCib_9RMCEtknSzHum8g. 

Gifts of grace

This quick meditation/kriya will activate heart center and shift your energy to peacefulness and grace. Spend a few moments in softness and inner awareness before transitioning into specific hand postures and optional breathwork through the O-shaped mouth.

Note: the Zoom recording is slightly choppy, but the audio is all in sync to follow along.

Reminder: no class tomorrow morning

Happy New Year, everyone! I just wanted to send a quick reminder that there will be no Sunday Stretch & Restore class tomorrow, since I’m doing a special pop-up class at Tower Hill. We will be back to normal next week. ❤️

Clear the air

Move your body and say farewell to 2021! This vinyasa practice has a little bit of everything — designed to get the blood flowing, heart gently racing, and the body open and recalibrated for the new year. We pay special attention to the throat chakra with deep breaths, optional chanting of the seed sound OM, and our intentions to align with what feels authentically YOU. The practice includes vinyasas (always optional), low lunge, half splits, warrior II, triangle, pigeon, core exercises, an...

Twisting cleanse and detox

This sequence of intense twists and leg muscle activation will unblock stagnant energy and clear physical tension. There is a lot of strong work in particular with the urinary bladder and gall bladder meridians, which can tighten due to frustration, impatience, anger, and irritation. The opposite emotions that we’re creating space for are peace, presence, acceptance, and compassion. Postures include simple twists, hamstring stretches, one-legged twists, twisted roots, and sphinx. In each po...

Winter self-care

Join me and Grif for a healing restorative class that utilizes pranayam (breathwork) practices and restorative postures that activate both solar and lunar frequencies. You’ll find balance, peace, warmth, and the time and space to fill your cup. This practice includes gentle spinal movements, supported shavasana, dirgha pranayam (3-part breath), solar (surya) breath, lunar (chandra) breath, and supported twists. Gather extra blankets if you want to be warm and cozy.  

Props: bolst...

Fill your cup

Go on a releasing journey to let go of the old stories you’ve been carrying that are no longer needed. Then breathe in the growing Solstice sun to fill your cup and heal. Create a new vibration for new beginnings.

Realign and release discomfort

This yin practice focuses on hip and pelvis stabilization, as well as chest and side openers. This is a great tune-up practice when you are feeling constricted, tight, or experiencing mild discomfort. Postures include sphinx, pigeon, hammock pose, half moon, and spinal twists. Begin and end with a meditation to relieve anxiety and clear the mind.

Props: 2 blocks and an optional cushion or bolster

Benefits: heart, side body, hips, low back, pelvis, realignment, anxiety-relief, rele...

Core activation and stabilization (20 mins)

Gently strengthen your stabilizing core muscles while resetting hips and pelvis. This is a good practice for a quick lower-body tuneup — especially if you will be sitting for long periods of time. 

**NOTE: this is a segment of a longer class and goes right into the practice.**  

Props: optional block  Benefits: lower core, pelvis, hips, low back

Yoga nidra for oneness and expansion (15 mins)

Relax on your back, breathe deep, and let your energy expand with the all-pervading current. Close your practice with a Jupiter mudra to feel abundant.

Balance your energy (30 mins)

This 30-minute practice explores all of the prana vayus to create energetic balance. Postures and practices include cat/cow, sphinx, child’s pose, alternate nostril breathing, and seated forward fold. End with a meditation on your back in constructive rest. 

**NOTE: this is a segment of a longer class and the video ends in constructive rest. Stay in this posture for as long as you’d like or finish with supported bridge.**  

Props: 2 blocks  

Benefits: pran...

Lakshmi meditation to align with abundance

Using the mantra SHREEM (typically associated with the goddess Lakshmi), this meditation connects to the frequency of abundance and prosperity — which is alignment with your highest expression. It’s also a great practice for anxiety relief and remembering what lights you up.

January’s full moon in Cancer is a perfect time to restore 🌕

Early access!

I scheduled the next moon event for Friday, Jan. 14, leading up to the full moon in Cancer. This will be a one-hour restorative event (6-7 p.m.) that will be recorded for Tiers 2&3 for continued practice throughout the moon cycle and beyond. However, I do recommend attending live if you can, as Jan. 14 is also the beginning of Mercury retrograde (and we’ll probably want some restorative yoga that day).

Register via 2021-12-14 21:28:31 +0000 UTC View Post

Sunday Stretch recording, gift certificates, and signing up for recurring classes

Hi everyone!

First (as those of you in our live class will remember), the winds on Sunday knocked out my power briefly and disrupted the recording of Sunday Yin. While we were able to finish our live class with some last-minute device change-ups and the power of cellular data, it was recorded via Zoom in multiple segments with big gaps, so I haven’t been able to piece it together for upload. So sorry about this! As an apology, I’m offering a link to one of the guided relaxations rec...

Vyana flow to expand into the infinite

Recharge and feel your vibration expand through this yoga flow that taps into the frequency of vyana vayu. Begin with a seated meditation to work with Jupiter energy (the planet of expansion and abundance). Then you’ll practice a flow with dynamic cat balance, low lunge with heart-opening arm movements, dancing warrior, five-pointed star and forward fold twists. You’ll cool down with reclined stretching, nabhi butterfly, and a brief yoga nidra to have an experience beyond time.  

Vyana meditation to merge with the infinite

This expansive meditation activates Jupiter energy and the vyana vayu to experience yourself as all that is.

Udana yin for a clear mind

Clear the channels and experience a deeply relaxing sequence of yin and restorative. The focus is on healing and creating space in the upper body and mind. We begin on the back with some gentle neck stretching and self healing. A sequence of supported bridge and supported shoulderstand will help move energy upwards. We also practice some seated exercise and meditations, child’s pose variations, supported backbend, and supported side-lying posture. You’ll have plenty of time at the end to ...

Udana flow to clear the past for a bright future

Tap into the higher planes of consciousness with this kundalini/tantric-inspired flow. You’ll begin with some self-healing and an energy adjustment sequence on your back, followed by cat/cow warm-ups, vinyasas and strength-building exercises, standing forward fold sequences, and seated kundalini exercises to attune your energy, clear the throat chakra, and brighten the arc line.  

Level: 1/2 kundalini & hatha  

Props: optional blanket or cushion to sit on   2021-12-04 14:13:50 +0000 UTC View Post

Udana meditation to open the subtle channels

This meditation guides the upward movement of udana vayu to elevate your consciousness and clear the senses. Begin with a self-healing of the throat chakra before practicing a mudra meditation. Visualize blue light energy opening up the subtle channels and clearing the mind.

Special offerings for New Year’s weekend!

It’s hard to believe I’m talking about 2022 already…

I’ve been using this space between Samhain and the Solstice to listen to nature’s call to rest, which is why I’ve been a bit quieter. This is such a potent time to go within, incubate, discover, and heal — and I know many of you have been doing the same. It has been a beautiful healing experience to work with the vayus during this time and become attentive to these energetic currents within us. I hope you’ve been enjoy...

Samana yin to awaken new possibilities

Use your growing radiance and vitality to step through a new portal of possibility in this activating and relaxing practice. Begin with a seated centering and warmups, and then “plug in” to the healing energy of the earth in crocodile pose. Then you’ll move into cat/cow, caterpillar, mudra exercises, seated twists, shoelace pose, and a series of spinal realignment on your back. When shavasana comes around, you’ll be ready to let go completely and awaken to new possibilities.   2021-11-28 22:03:07 +0000 UTC View Post

Samana power practice for inner strength and outer radiance

A meditative and strengthening sequence that activates the samana vayu — the vital energy that flows from the naval center. You’ll practice dynamic flows, breath and movement, fun core exercises, yin-style holds, lots of twisting, and Qigong meditations to expand your energy field.  

Level: 1/2 power practice  

Props: optional cushion or blanket  

Benefits: energy, vitality, core strength, spine, stress-relief, breath, cleansing and detox

Samana meditation for vitality

This meditation brings awareness to your vital energy at naval center (samana vayu). Using arm movements, mudra, and visualization, this is a great practice for increased energy, radiance, improved digestion, and physical vitality.

Birthright by Danna Faulds

Hi everyone! Just wanted to share the poem I read during Sunday Yin. It’s from her book “Go In and In.” Enjoy. 😘

Who you are is whole

Clear out all of the eclipse and shadow season heaviness to reconnect to your true nature. As Danna Faulds says: “Undying, untouched by fire or the storms of life, there is a place inside where stillness and abiding peace reside.” We begin with a brief centering and seated butterfly before moving into gentle kidney massage, pigeon, seated tree, twisted roots, and supported bridge. Time to feel loose and free again!  

Props: 2 blocks  

Benefits: hips, hamstrings, kidn...

From scorpion to eagle

The highest expression of Scorpio is represented by the eagle, who has the ability to ascend and connect with the soul self. This loose and freeing practice will have you soaring above current challenges to connect with healing, protection, and love. Begin with some reclined hamstring and hip stretches to release tension in the lower triangle. Then practice some seated spinal exercises before moving into a sequence of aura cleanse and charge, Warrior 1 with arm movements, low lunge, kneeling ...

Soul star meditation

This quick meditation will help you connect to your soul star, a place of healing and love.

Prana yin

Discover the bliss of the uplifting current of prana in this mindful and breathful yin practice. You’ll begin with some time in breath awareness before moving through a bridge and spinal twist series to realign the central channel. Other postures include seated movements for circulation, melting heart, child’s pose, supported fish, and a mudra meditation.  

Props: 2 blocks (can also use a firm cushion or blanket for bridge)  

Benefits: prana vayu, breath, spine, hear...