Julie Smerdon Yoga in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia | Tutor/teacher

Julie Smerdon Yoga

Locality: Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

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24.01.2022 LETTING DOWN This last year has been a pressure cooker for many of us. Anytime you experience long-term stress, it can lead to a state of physical and emotional exhaustion, and this year I know I’m not alone experiencing deep burnout. As a small business owner during COVID I’ve lain awake nights worrying about the people I employed, pondering our personal financial situation, thinking of ways to support Layne through his own pressures as a small bu...siness owner (yes, we ARE nuts). It all finally culminated with the scattering of the community I’ve spent the last 10 1/2 years of my life building, as we shut the doors to our physical space at the end of October. As sad as it was, in many ways it would relieve much of the pressure I was experiencing, and I was looking forward to some rest. And I have had some beautiful, restful time this last month. But I’ve also had a disc injury in my neck, some lower back pain, a full-blown panic attack (I’m not generally anxiety-prone), and now a wicked bout of gastro. Scientists call this ‘The Letdown Effect’. Your body’s magnificent mechanism for getting you through prolonged times of stress is to boost your immune response to ensure you have everything you need to get through the stressful time. Once the stressful period ends your overworked immune system pulls back its troops, leaving you more vulnerable. At the same time prostaglandins left over from the stress response can produce inflammation that can trigger problems like joint and muscle pain and migraines. I'm ever amazed at the brilliance of the human body, and resting in the wisdom of my body’s ability to slow down, come down, and come home. #attheofit See more

24.01.2022 I just feel like my brain wants my body to rush around and fix it!! But my heart is a bit broken by it all. So if we have little breaks and are kind it might help us solve all of the problems better. I just am scurrying at the moment. Its so nuts. Do any other small business owners feel this way? Every time I scroll through social media I think EEEEK Im behind! OMG I have to do this NOW! Everything seems urgent at the moment. The quote was from a chat today with ...my friend @nitachilds and it describes exactly how I feel. Both frantic and brokenhearted. Normally I can ground myself with my usual practices, but right now Im all over the place. In my craziness I made a careless error that very likely hurt someone I really care about. But Nita is right. We need to take breaks and be kind to each other and to ourselves. I realised today that is the ONLY way were going to solve the problems were facing. #atthefit #covid19sucks See more

24.01.2022 This popped up in my memories today - @noahmaze remember this? I think the outfits from the original pic would have been a great enhancement (scroll to see the original pic of BKS Iyengar from #lightonyoga) #yogaplaytime @ Shri Yoga Brisbane

23.01.2022 Lets get together tonight and practice! This will be 60 mins at 5:30 - grounding and reflecting in honour of yesterdays equinox and all that is shaping each of our lives at the moment. <3 Heres the zoom link: https://zoom.us/s/968050945

23.01.2022 I started the day with a massive cry today (I should know better than to open email first thing ) Most days I genuinely feel OK with whats happening, but every now and then then enormity of it all smacks me over the head with no warning. My daughter living in the UK and still out there in her job, which is an essential service. The very real possibility of not just my business, but Laynes too. Or worst of all, losing someone I love. I do have an overarching faith in the... intelligence behind the unfolding of events in life that has seen me through my share of trials. I also know this this time will end and we will move forward. But today I find myself feeling it all, and practicing exactly what we talked about in my class last night. Wait. Breathe. Get Curious. Listen. Let Go. Trust. #atthefit

22.01.2022 Yoga and I have been together for 36 years. Back in 1985 when I discovered it at the YMCA near where I was working, I saw it as a way to add in a bit of stretching to a pretty ambitious fitness routine. In 1999, it took on a whole new meaning for me when I nearly died. Through our years together, yoga and I have had honeymoon periods where I literally couldn’t get enough, and valleys where I’ve felt reluctant and even (*GASP*) resentful. ... Like any relationship that’s meaningful enough to be long-lasting, the key to staying inspired in practice learning to fall in love over and over again. The most solid relationships aren’t necessarily filled with endless hours of excitement, they’re the ones that have endured all that life has to offer, the ecstasy, the pain, and the boredom. One of the good things about closing the studio is that I get to teach at the studios of my friends! On 22 May at @sohoyogabne I’ll be teaching a workshop on Reconnecting with the Magic of Practice Save the date - more details very soon! : @mazana.abraham See more

21.01.2022 You’ll learn, as you get older, that rules are made to be broken. Be bold enough to live life on your terms, and never, ever apologize for it. Go against the grain, refuse to conform, take the road less traveled instead of the well-beaten path. Laugh in the face of adversity, and leap before you look. Dance as though EVERYBODY is watching. March to the beat of your own drummer. And stubbornly refuse to fit in. Mandy Hale

20.01.2022 #georgefloyd #blacklivesmatter #alllivesmatter

19.01.2022 On Monday, the anniversary of my heart surgery passed with barely a thought. Although this day I call my re-birth day occurred during one of the darkest periods of my life, its one I continue to be grateful for, and its lessons are at the heart of most everything I do. If youre feeling low today, if your body is unwell, or youre feeling like youve hit bottom, Im here to tell you that you can do this. You can come through to the other side and down the road this moment will feel like a a whisper in the passage of time. Thank you @spiritdaughter for reminding me. #attheofit

17.01.2022 Had a great chat with my friend and never-ending-ball-of-energy Sarah Mak for her podcast Qurious Folk. This woman makes waves wherever she dips her toes, and this podcast is no exception - enjoy! https://www.facebook.com/folktale.io/videos/545906572956450

16.01.2022 "The church says this body is a sin. Science says this body is a machine. Business says this body is a product. The body says I am a fiesta." ~ Eduardo Galean Thank you @scottlewicki for the inspiration : @petelongworth

15.01.2022 A day late in Australia, but standing with my fellow humans...always. #theshowmustbepaused #blackouttuesday #solidarity

15.01.2022 H/T: @blairimani: SAY HER NAME In honor of Breonna Taylors 27th birthday today, we are calling for justice to be served. Breonna was an essential worker murdered at the height of a pandemic in her HOME. She was killed by police with a barrage of bullets that struck her atleast 8 times. They were executing a no-knock warrant for another suspect that was already in their custody. The FBI finally opened an investigation into her shooting today, but no officers have been arr...ested, charged, or even disciplined yet. When we say #blacklivesmatter, that must include Black women & Black LGBTQ+ lives, too. Use your voice for them just like you did for #GeorgeFloyd. Donate, protest, petition and DEMAND #JusticeforBreonnaTaylor #allblacklivesmatter #breonnataylor #sayhername #birthdayforbreonna __________ QUEENS IN SLIDE 1: @essiegolden @curvenvy @glamazondiaries @amarachiukachu @tyalexander @colormecourtney @chardlinechanel @addieohh @stylishcurves @ontheqtrain @kurvykatie @lexiwiththecurls @iambeauticurve @simplygailg @styleandpoise @dressupwithjess QUEENS IN SLIDE 2: @gabifresh @kellyaugustineb @chanteburkett @alana_reina @simplycurvee @opalbyopal @audreypatriciaw @stylenbeautydoc @monroesteele @blairimani @fromheadtocurve @enigivensunday

13.01.2022 Only 15 mins till we start our community yoga class together! Join me for an hour to regroup, ground and connect inward. Cant wait to see your beautiful faces, miss you guys!! Link Bellow to join: https://zoom.us/j/968050945

13.01.2022 Sun-daze with Layne & Boo @ Australia

12.01.2022 Pausing during the pause. Over the last couple of months, even before all of this virus stuff began, my body has repeatedly been telling me that I need to take some time to recalibrate. And today, Ive finally decided to listen, as once again Im unwell (not with COVID!). Truth be told, I think Im a little bit addicted to being indispensable. It makes me feel good, important, needed. But after talking with a trusted friend and untangling the twisted mess of reasons Ive tol...d myself I cant do this right now, I decided to give myself permission to step away for a weeklong break. Ive no words to describe how grateful I am for the stellar team that allows me to do this, its a luxury in this industry, and one I know that not all studio owners have. So no Teacher Tuesday this week, its time to practice what I preach. But in the meantime Id love to hear stories of what youve learned from unplugging. Ill let you know what I learn from this on the other side. #attheofit lens: @petelongworth

11.01.2022 Have you ever noticed that after something amazing and expansive happens in your life that often you have a period of contraction afterward? Or that a period of unrest or agitation or feeling stuck is followed by a period of freedom and expansion? About 900 years ago a text called The Yoga Spandakarika was written by an Indian philosopher and scholar named Vasagupta. In Sanskrit the word ‘spanda’ can be translated as vibration or tremor and refers to the pu...lsation of life that exists within each of us. The Yoga Spandakarika teaches that everything in our world IS vibration, pulsing at different levels of frequency. Move forward a few centuries and science would echo this concept; Albert Einstein recognised that everything we see has a vibration, and today we learn in basic chemistry class that atoms, the basis of all forms of life, are in a constant state of motion. In yoga, the pose that you create changes both the reception and transmission of energy in your body (Prana). Movement and breath affect the energetic channels of the body (nadis) and their placement, which enables life force (Prana) to move and flow freely. By tuning in to and moving with the pulsation of this energy in our bodies, we get an embodied experience of the nature of life. There are times where we naturally feel expanded, literally ‘bursting with light’. There are other times when we feel dull or agitated, contracted. Both states are normal, and they’re natural elements of the ebb and flow of our lives. This up and down or ebb and flow is exactly what keeps life moving and evolving. Join me tomorrow on Zoom as we explore this concept through practice: Australia - 22 March 7am USA - 21 March 4pm Booking links for both in my bio #attheheartofit See more

11.01.2022 Im still pinching myself...we found a home for @shriyogabrisbane! Were starting our second decade in this stunning space Classes start next week- I cant wait to be together again!

11.01.2022 Stay strong One of the weird things about life is that you cant just do one thing. You also have to do the opposite. If you want to be strong, or get stronger, you cant just work out all the time. You also have to eat and rest, so that the body can rebuild itself after the workout.... When you work out, whether it is running long distance, hiking, dancing hard, going to the gym, you are "stressing" your muscle tissues, causing what scientists call "micro tears." Then when you eat, this provides the raw materials for healing, and when you sleep, this allows the body time to recover. The body "decides" to build up that tissue and make it stronger. Bodies are smart, and they are always deciding on every level, from the atomic to the molecular to the cellular to the metabolic, how to use energy and substance to adapt to the conditions of your life. Life is genius. So, by the play of opposites, working out weakens you, and sleeping makes you stronger. What? WTF, universe. So if you stay in bed all the time or become a couch potato, you will get weaker because you dont have enough rhythm of opposites. And if you work out all the time without enough recovery time you can create chronic injuries in your joints, tendons, and other tissues. Therefore to be STRONG in life, you need RHYTHM. You need many hours of deep sleep and dreaming. You need WORK that uses your talents, and "uses up" your emotional energy, mental energy, attention energy, so that you get good and tired and crave sleep. You need good nutrition and the skill of getting hungry, combining the food in a way that suits you, salivating in advance, really chewing and savouring the food, and then having digestion time when you are preferably laughing and talking story. You need times of joyous movement, like dancing, walking, exercising, playing, so your body can move freely. Strength does not come from any one of these things, it comes from finding a good rhythm in your body from all these. Find your rhythm. Play with your rhythm. Delight in the rhythms of life. wisdom: @lorinroche lens: @petelongworth #attheofit

10.01.2022 I love yoga. I love the movement, I love the philosophy. I live it and breathe it, and I have for more years than I care to mention The funny thing is that when you look at my insta grid, you dont see many pictures of poses, so if you didnt know me, you might not know that As Ive grown and my practice has grown, and as a studio owner for nearly 10 years now, the focus of my yoga has shifted. Its less about the poses themselves (although Im not gonna lie - its still ...fun to get a new pose!), and more about what my practice teaches me about myself and how I move in the world. One of my first philosophy teachers, Dr. Douglas Brooks, says that yoga means everything we engage in that empowers and informs our lives. So, everything. Right now my yoga practice is mostly engaging with and informing how I run my business. My days are spent at my desk researching, talking to people, trying to adapt the business so I can keep paying the 10 people who are depending on me for income, and serve the community thats supported us through the years at a time when they need us the most. Im in the same situation as so many business owners from all different walks of life. The feeling that were all in this together helps, somehow. How has your off the mat practice helped you cope with this new way of life? #attheofit

10.01.2022 I cant Wait to be back in the classroom this week! Im teaching to evening classes at the beautiful new home of @shriyogabrisbane - 5:30pm on Monday AND Tuesday, love to see you there! #shriyogaurbanoasis #shribees #welcomehome

09.01.2022 Todays Teacher Tuesday is all about being in flow. Back in my ancient Anusara days we used to call it Aligning with the Divine, and it means becoming receptive to the flow of life in and around you, so that you can move WITH it and be supported in your efforts, whatever they may be. In asana we use technique not as some sort of standard, but as a way of lining up the subtle body system to optimise the flow of Prana, or Life Force, Qi - whatever your word for it is. This ...can happen in ANY persons body, no matter how old, young, limited its perceived to be. When Laynes mum was in a nursing home we used to prop her up with pillows behind her heart, getting her chest open a bit. On those days, we had had clearer, more positive visits with her. THAT is yoga as far as Im concerned. This week theres also a free code for teachers to attend one of my classes - its a one off code you can any time its convenient for you! Free Code: TCHTUES #teachertuesday #attheofit #yogawithjulie #yogateacher #yogacommunity

09.01.2022 I’m not teaching any regular classes at the moment, but today I had the privilege of working with an intimate group of corporate execs on a leadership retreat. None of them had any yoga ‘experience’, yet every single one of them had a profound experience of yoga. You don’t have to make a perfect yoga ‘shape’ to get the benefits of the practice. In fact if you can do a rainbow-shaped backbend but you can’t be kind to the people in your life, I’d say your yoga isn’t working T...he poses in yoga are not the goal. Yoga is not something you ‘do’, yoga is a tool you use to connect with the part of yourself that’s eternal; the part of you that never changes, the part that holds your highest wisdom. I sometimes teach ‘masterclasses’ where we play with crazy poses, but I haven't seen many students who mastered the deepest essence of the practice as easily as these beginners I guided today.

08.01.2022 Room to breathe...last week in class I talked about spaciousness and how when life is feeling heavy and its hard to see past the current crisis, getting yourself into a wide open expanse nature has a way of putting everything in perspective. I had an experience of that this morning, walking through a huge local park, without Boo and without agenda. Like so many of us, I have some massive decisions to make as I navigate this new reality. And with so many unknowns, its a crap...shoot. Nothing is certain right now. EXCEPT...The sun will rise tomorrow. Gravity will continue to hold us, magnetising us to the golden heart of the earth. Even when we dont understand, even when theres no clear reason for whats happening theres an intelligence behind the way life unfolds, and then enfolds. The best we can do is continue to walk forward, arms and hearts open, minds curious and calm, preparing for what we think is next, but staying ready to surf the waves as they come. #attheofit #thisisyoga Lens: @petelongworth

07.01.2022 This was sent to me this morning by my friend @haitch Azimself, a crazy-talented musician (and apparently, videographer too!) Please take a couple of minutes to watch - it immediately took me to a beautiful, peaceful place. He sent it with these words: "Putting a track out today to celebrate people like you. Go-getters with a really nurturing streak Happy M-Day"... Sometimes the go-getter part is really tiring and I have days where I wonder if its all worth it. Thank you for this gift of feeling seen today

07.01.2022 Listen to people who disagree with you. Listen to what they want. Listen to what they are afraid of. You might find, they are not so different than you. They just want to be left alone to do their thing, to live freely, and to let other people do the same. This is a practice you can do as you go about your life. And you may have relatives that have very different views than you on politics. Its often painful to just listen, but if you can keep going, keep asking questions, y...ou may get somewhere. You might make a bridge. #wisdom from my meditation teacher @lorinroche #attheofit lens: @petelongworth

07.01.2022 Cant tell you how EXCITED I am to be teaching in person this weekend! Only 2 spots left - join me Clayfield - well be tapping elbows!

07.01.2022 Without a studio, its like my birthday every time I get to teach in person! Join me this Saturday in person OR live-streamed as we use the practice to reflect on where our steadiness comes from during these turbulent times. Booking link in the event

06.01.2022 Even Now.. All around you in every moment the world is offering a feast for your senses Songs are playing, tasty food on the table, fragrances in the air... You who long for the union Attend this banquet with loving focus. - The Radiance Sutras @lorinroche : @petelongworth #attheheartofit #bookwisdom

06.01.2022 Turbulence is life force. It is opportunity. Lets love turbulence and use it for change ~ Ramsay Clark I consider myself pretty open to change, but if Im being honest, it took me a full week to stop pacing like a caged animal, stop seeing every single thing as my top priority, and to relax into our changed reality in the world of COVID-19. Change is one thing when its of your choosing, but another thing entirely when circumstances force a change in your life. In yoga ...we teach that balance is actually the appearance of stability. Its not static, its dynamic - a series of tiny, imperceptible changes that create the appearance of stillness. In these turbulent times, what if we looked at stability as the ability to keep shifting, over and over again? What if we looked at the ways that change, even a forced change like the one we are experiencing now, can be good? Read more about it on my latest blog - link in my linktree #attheofit #covid-19 : @petelongworth

06.01.2022 I had the great privilege of sitting down with Being Yogas Michael Daly (from a safe distance) to talk yoga, and so much more. Michael, thank you for the opportunity - I really enjoyed our chat. Next time lets do it in person, over a cuppa

04.01.2022 2020 has been a harbinger of change - change of goals, of focus, of priorities. The pandemic has lots of people rethinking their career and skillsets - Id love to help you change the trajectory of your 2020 with some deep yoga study! In addition to the Teacher Training, there is a 100-hour Certificate of Yoga Studies option as well - PM me for more info, or check out the Shri website!

03.01.2022 One of the things I most enjoy doing in my life is melding my daily life as a teacher, mother, grandmother, friend, and human being living on Earth, with the practice of yoga. I am committed to the idea that my practice of yoga is something I can do all day long. I want it to be something I live, not just something reserved for my yoga mat and my meditation cushion. This is what gives the practice of Yoga its power. That power comes fro...m the choices of words and deeds we make every day, based on our growing understanding of what compassion and self-awareness actually mean in daily life. This from @judithlasater this morning hit the nail on the head for me, it’s the reason I practice, and the reason I teach teachers how to convey the fullness of the practice rather than just the poses. The poses are ALWAYS in service of what happens when you leave your mat, and when a yoga teacher can articulate how to practice yoga ‘all day long’, hearts open and heal, and lives grow and blossom. #attheofit See more

03.01.2022 The Art of Teaching starts this Friday, with our first module - The Art of Creating Life Changing Classes, which is all about how to use themes and sequences together to create an unforgettable experience for your students. There are still a few spots left - link to more info on the event page: https://www.facebook.com/events/742941053073709/?acontext=%7B%22event_action_history%22%3A[%7B%22mechanism%22%3A%22search_results%22%2C%22surface%22%3A%22search%22%7D]%7D

02.01.2022 From my sister @elenabrower Thank you @cleowade for creating this piece; all proceeds from this print go to the Antiracist Research and Policy Center. This organization was founded to understand, explain and heal racial inequity and injustice. Their work is to consider racist policies and ideas, not groups, as the racial problem to solve. The poster is 11x14, on museum-quality paper, and can be ordered at withlovecleo.com or at her link in profile, @cleowade

02.01.2022 Happy 10th birthday Shri! Oh and I was NEVER going to open a yoga studio....When I moved to Brisbane 11 years ago that kind of responsibility wasnt on my radar. But when the Universe lights a path and makes it clear that youre supposed to start walking, what else can you do? So, 10 years ago today Shri Yoga was born from a well-lit path and a desire to serve. The mission: To create an oasis; a hub for education, creativity and community that would make yoga accessible to ...all. Yoga can provide an indescribable moment of joy when you see yourself, warts and all, with clear eyes and compassion. Its a moment of deep realisation that you are worthy, good. And once you connect with this light inside yourself, you begin to see that it exists everywhere, and in everyone. Community is critical for this kind of growth. We need to be around other people who help us see the goodness and love at the very core of our being. When you have a group of people practicing together theres a bond that develops. You trust that youre there to help each other grow. In my early teaching years, I was blessed to be able to sit under the teaching of some extraordinary teachers. At our trainings there would be surprise guests, often a brilliant mind on philosophy or meditation. I learned from scholars like Paul Mueller Ortega, Douglas Brooks, and Carlos Pomeda. There would be Kirtan with artists like Krishna Das, Dave Stringer or Shantala. At the time we didnt understand the depth and value of the education we were receiving. Now I can see that this was an extraordinary moment in time in the remarkable era of the exploding growth of yoga in America in the early 2000s. Once I opened the studio, I wanted to create a hub for high-calibre education, so I started inviting my friends to come and teach. One of the first Noah Maze, who taught the first weekend workshop at Shri two weeks after we opened. Since then weve hosted an esteemed collection of Master teachers, and had a LOT of fun. Shri Yoga is for all of us who forget from time to time who we really are. May we see the light in ourselves, may we reflect it back to each other, and may we own this radiance as our true nature.

01.01.2022 Beautiful Lakshmi is home with me now after 10 years watching over Shri Lakshmi is the goddess of shri, that’s why I chose her to sit at the front of the studio Shri is the name we give to the abundant, radiant, energy that is the very nature of everything, including you and me. @lorinroche defines Shri as diffusing light or radiance, lustre, splendour, glory, beauty, grace or loveliness. Holiness is another meaning for Shri (or Sri) and it’s often added ...as a prefix to the name of someone held in high regard. So what does Shri mean in 2020? * Shri is the luminous sparkle that lights up the eyes of someone you love * Shri is the perfect fullness and ripeness of an apple, plump, juicy, and ready to fall from the tree * Shri is the rosiness in your cheeks after being outside in nature * Shri is the flash of light just as the sun sets over the ocean * Shri is the night sky in the middle of nowhere, bursting with starry light * Shri is the smell of grass, the first time it’s mowed in springtime Yoga philosophy teaches that we don’t walk around basking in our own Shri all the time, in fact we often forget. This forgetfulness is by design, to inspire us to cultivate practices that help us remember and reconnect with this part of ourselves, and to reflect it back to the people in our lives. Humanity’s fundamental injury seems to be a general sense of unworthiness. It’s a joy-filled moment when you can see yourself with clear eyes and compassion, and have a moment of deep connection to this essential part of your nature. I named my studio Shri for all of us who forget from time to time who we really are. May we see the Shri in ourselves, may we reflect it back to each other, and may we all dare to embrace, express, and fully own our true nature. #attheofit See more

01.01.2022 Years ago I had heart surgery. It was a terrifying time, I went in for tests for something completely unrelated and within a day my chest was being sawed open. When I woke up from that surgery, even before they had pulled the breathing tube out, I intuitively knew my life would never be the same. I was right. 5 weeks later I had my colon removed, all the result of an autoimmune disorder I diagnosed at age 13. The aftermath was when I learned the depth and breadth of what yog...a really is. On the yoga mat when we work with sensitivity and finesse rather than force, we can learn to practice presence and fullness even within the most contracted spaces. Off the mat, as we continue this practice of inner spaciousness, we find that the nectar in living comes from staying available, alive and connected, no matter whats happening. That way even during challenging times we can experience the fullness of whatever moment were in, all the while knowing that this too shall pass. My friend @petelongworth said to me, Lets capture your scar, its important. He was so right. Happy #internationalyogaday #attheofit