Thinking about bringing Phyzz to your office (or should that be your “O-Phyzz”)? Wondering how it would all work and what you need to do to get started? Well geez, this is the post for you!

The first thing to know is that your first office yoga class with Phyzz is FREE. Always. Every time. Seriously. We believe strongly in taking test drives. We’ll come by, bring the mats if you need ‘em, and guide your group through an hour of practice. If you love it and can’t live without it, great! Here’s what you do next:

1. Decide who’s paying.

   Company Sponsors: If your company wants to foot the bill for their employees to provide yoga, great! We love you and them already! Choose a flat rate in the table below and get movin’ right away.
   Self-sponsored: If instead the company wants individual yogis to pay for the classes they attend, that works too. Students can pay per class, and even pay ahead for several classes if they choose. (5 student minimum)
   Jointly Subsidized: We’ve seen beautiful arrangements where employees and employer sing in subsidized package harmony. The company pays our flat rate up front, then implements a payroll deduction system for those who attend. Simple as pie.Whatever your method, we can work with you to arrange payment.

2. Tell us what to pack.

   Want Phyzz to bring all the yoga supplies you might need for your classes? No prob!  We’ve got a stash of mats, blocks, and straps and the biggest rolling duffels you ever did see* at the ready. Students want to bring their own things instead? Great!  We’ll hop on the bike and come to teach you, just bringing…well, us. Either way is fine, but it’ll impact how we get to and from your office, so let us know in advance.

3. Set the schedule.

   Want Phyzz to come weekly? Twice per week? Once per month? You can set the schedule as long as we know ahead of time. Let us know what your ideal time would be and we can easily work with you to set a practice schedule that works. Our menu page might explain a little more about this.

So, what does it cost?

Well, first thing first, determine what you want to do per #1 and #2 above.  That’ll determine what you’re paying.  Decide those things with the prices in mind below:

**Companies outside of Seattle proper are subject to a $10 travel fee.

Class Options

• Yoga 101: Is yoga for you? A lecture and short class to inform both body and mind.
• Gentle: Unwind with this relaxing and restorative class. Smooth the edges of your day. Suitable for students of all levels.
• Vigorous: This flow-based class will recharge and illuminate. For students seeking a physical challenge.
• Chair Yoga: Bring your chair to class. Learn tricks and tips to turn your seat into a therapeutic prop.
• Rescube: Bring yoga straight to your desk. Customized alignment and yoga postures at your workspace.
• Meditation Workshop: Unbind your mind with the simple practice of breath awareness. A brief history of meditation and its benefits, followed by a short sit.
• Phyzz “Quickie” Stretch Break: Perfect for those short on space and/or time, and also a great choice for absolute beginners. Focus on standing poses that strengthen lower body and core, as well as breathing and balancing.

Contact us today to set up your free first class and we can take the conversation from there!

*they’re hockey bags, actually. Hockey + Yoga: together at last! We know you’ve been waiting.

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Welcome to the first installation of Phantabulous Phyzz Client Profiles! Here we’ll feature some rockstar clients of ours to tell you their story, and to hear straight from them as to why yoga in the workplace is important to them.

We are hopping into the wayback machine to recount when we first heard from Karen in April of 2009, when she reached out to Phyzz for a free intro class (did you know that your first class is always on us?) to a group of yogis at the Intiman Theatre.

Karen’s instincts were great – she knew that yoga would be a great addition not only to her own work life at the theatre, but to others’ as well…and the numbers showed!  Karen really put in the effort to keep yoga affordable for her fellow coworkers. First, she worked with us to keep daily class prices lower and manageable by having yogis bring their own mats to class. Even better yet, she negotiated with the theatre to partially subsidize classes and have the difference simply deducted from each participants paycheck.  Simple as pie!

Intiman is a great example of a jointly sponsored yoga program. Intiman employees get the benefit of having yoga at work (Karen’ll talk about that below), and the theatre itself gets workers who are more balanced and happy in the workplace.  Double-win!

We are incredibly proud to still be working with Karen and her coworkers after nearly a year! Check out what Karen had to say below…

Phyzz: What do you see as the value of having yoga be part of your weekly work routine?
Karen: Workplace yoga was an exciting idea for me. I work full-time and have a 3 year old child. Knowing that one day a week I could have a breather, and help prepare me for the rest of the week without the stress of getting to work on time, was ideal. Eliminating the stress of travel, having the class at convenient time for my schedule and getting to know my colleagues a bit more has been wonderful.

P: Have you noticed any changes in your work life since you started doing yoga at work?
K: Absolutely. I feel more energized, peaceful, happy and more productive. My work day is greatly improved after every yoga class.

P: That sounds awesome! So, if you had all the time in the world, how often would yoga be a part of your routine?
K: Everyday!

Thanks to Karen for championing workplace yoga at the Intiman. Interested in bringing a similar program to your office?  Contact us today for a free trial class!

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I’ve always wanted to make this shirt. For years now, actually.

Phyzz Anahata Red Tee by phyzzyoga
View other Phyzzyoga T-Shirts

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You may have read that I’m planning on climbing Mt. Rainier this summer. Yup, signed up, forked over some dough (eeks), and so the only thing that’s stopping me is, well…myself. Barring inclement weather, that is.

As my August climb date approaches, my focus on preparation and training increases. When I asked around my apparently-large circle of crunchy outdoorsy friends who have actually summited this peak, the first question nearly everyone asked was, “So, how many times have you done  thosestairs?”

You know, those stairs. I knew exactly the ones to which they were referring.

Howe Street Stairs. Perfect place to train to climb a mountain.

So as I was huffing and puffing up my first round of scaling the steps, I thought, “I’m gonna count these suckers. That’ll keep my mind busy. Yeah. Like a mantra.” Guess what? Thanks to my monkey mind, it took me several times to actually remember to count, and a heck of a lot of effort to stay focused enough to make it through the whole set of counting without mentally straying.

At any rate, I counted and double-counted, and so now I have a number. Two, actually.

But more importantly, an idea for a contest!

Contest! Wha? What do I have to do? Here’s the skinny:

1. Sign up for our email list. (Current subscribers won’t have to, yay!)
2. In the comments below, tell us your guesses of the following (make sure we can contact you):
   1) number of stairs in the chain of staircases pictured above (for Seattleites that want to get really technical, only the bit between Lakeview and 10th, not counting the under-the-freeway stairs)
   2) number of cycles (that’s up and down) I ran these on first attempt
3. That’s it! Winners will be announced in the comments Friday, February 12th.

What’ll I get if I win, Phyzz?

One of my earliest blog posts pays tribute to my geeky nature and penchant for portable audio, especially since not every office around town here has the luxury of an ipod speaker dock. I have two mini “hamburger” speakers to give away to two lucky peeps. Here’s what they look like:

Image shout out to Chubby Hubby http://chubbyhubby.net/blog/?p=504

So what are you waiting for? Comment away! Yay for our first contest!

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Yogis at Office Nomads practice once per week. We call them "ONOYOgis".

Many people who are considering taking up yoga have asked: “How often do I need to practice yoga to see results?”

We decided to take this question to the streets. Well, to the streets of our clients’ brains, that is. After a bit of research, we have come upon the answer.  And that is…[drumroll please]

It depends!

In the same way that no asana pose or pranayama breath exercise can be done “perfectly”, we submit that there is not one perfect recipe for determining the results you’ll see from practicing yoga. This is simply because success is defined differently for each person, and each body responds differently to yoga.

Ask around and you’ll hear a wide variety of answers, representing thousands of voices recommending what they find to be the best solution. Even Googling the question comes up with a myriad of results: “10 times a month!” “at least three times per week!” “twice per day should do it!”

So why all the different answers? Well, as Justin, one of our clients over at Seattle coworking space Office Nomads recently told us, “It depends on what you mean by results.” For Justin, a new dad and intense athlete, he saw results beginning with the first time he practiced. When describing what it takes for him to see results, he said “To see physical changes in your body? 3 – 4 times a week.  To be more comfortable, confident with the movements? 1 – 2 times a week.  Just to be more mentally adjusted/focused/present? It helps any time you can do it.” This is what Justin’s scale sounds like. Yours might be quite different.

The great news here is that there are results, benefits, and improvements to be had at any level of yoga practice, at any level of frequency. Ideally, practicing yoga becomes a regular part of your routine. But even if you can only settle into your practice once per month, you are sure to see effects in your mindset, your mood, and your body.

So what is the right answer for you?  How often do you need to practice to see results that you enjoy? Let us know in the comments!

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I have this photo hanging in my home office, taken on a trip to India in 2007.  What do you think of the message?

Delhi, India 2007 Photo Copyright Phyzz Yoga

Which got me to reminiscing about that trip. Literally hundreds of photos were taken, but here are a few that still give me pause. If you’re interested in seeing the whole album, holler, and I’ll get you a linky.

Ganges, Rishikesh, Photo Copyright Phyzz Yoga

Street Scene, Rishikesh, Photo Copyright Phyzz Yoga

The Himalayas as your Backyard, Dharamsala, Photo Copyright Phyzz Yoga

Women in Varanasi, Photo Copyright Phyzz Yoga

The Ganges in Varanasi, Photo Copyright Phyzz Yoga

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We’re going to Mexico!

Space still available! Read the information below, check out the full event invite on our Facebook Page for more information, or register today!

Dates: March 15-22, 2010

About this trip:

The theme and destination of our second retreat share a common name: peace.

Join us for 7 nights and days of serenity and practice at La Duna (“The Dune”) Ecological Center for Creative Renewal. La Duna is a unique place set amidst a majestic cardon cacti desert against the open blue horizon of the Sea of Cortes. It is a place to visualize positive ideas outside the routine of everyday life.

Check out their website or view the video slideshow below to get a feel of the place:

Located just 40 minutes north of the city of La Paz, it is close enough to the city but secluded enough to enjoy a star-laced night sky, the undisturbed view of whale dwelling islands, and multicolored ancient mountains.

Our group will enjoy tranquil and comfortable accommodations, daily yoga and meditation practice, healthy cuisine, and excursions designed to showcase the local ecology and culture.

Join us! Click here to register now.

More notes about the trip:

Conservation and Seclusion: Our host venue, La Duna is a quiet, secluded place that is about 30 minutes from the city of La Paz, along a dirt road. It is a nature reserve that runs on solar energy, although the kitchen, dining room and bathrooms all have electricity. The rooms do not have electricity, just candlelight at night. La Duna asks that we save water, but provides regular (hot) showers and sinks. Also, because of its secluded location, driving at night will not be recommended due to the preponderance of free-roaming cattle on the roads after dark!

Schedule: In general, our days will look like this:

• Optional (but recommended) Meditation at 7:30
• Yoga practice 8-9:30
• Breakfast
• Free Time or excursion/daytrip
• Lunch (either onsite or while on excursion)
• Afternoon/Evening yoga practice (1.5 hours)
• Dinner and socializing
• Some days we will have structured nighttime meditation and/or observed silence
• Retire

Accommodations: There are 8 huts and several campsites in the property for camping. All stays include the use of hot showers, table and beach games. The huts are made as the local ranchers used to make them, built with local renewable wood “palo de arco” and palapa roofs. Each room has two single comfortable beds with linens, and candle night light to make these personal spaces unique and cozy.

Food: La Duna’s kitchen focuses on foods good for the soul besides being nutritious and delicious. They feature regional food and vegetarian delights. We will need to know of any dietary restrictions ahead of time.

Trips: There will be 3 trips covered in the retreat price:

• Island boat ride: World Heritage Site Espiritu Santo Island is a grand island across from La Duna with many coves and sandy beaches as well as a sea lion rookery. The pleasant boat ride takes you to the beautiful experience of swimming and snorkeling with sea lions, and then an unforgettable lunch on a white sand beach overlooking the turquoise changing sea.
• Las Posas nature hike: We drive deep into an ancient canyon for a walk along the carved seasonal sandstone pools up to the place where the fresh water spring is born. We have lunch there. The excursion takes about 4-5 hrs
• We will probably have at least a couple of rental cars, so we will most likely arrange a group trip into La Paz, which is known for its swimming-pool water desert beaches.

Transport: We can coordinate rental cars, but if you do not wish to pay for a rental car, La Duna can provide round-trip airport transfers from La Paz airport for USD50.

Surfing: La Duna is located on the Sea of Cortez, which is tranquil sea with no surf. We will most likely organize a surf daytrip to Todos Santos, which is about 1.5 hours away. We will have at least one rental car at our disposal. This trip would be at added cost to everyone, (although lunch will be provided).

Click here to register now.

About Your Instructor:

Once upon a time, Karen organized a yoga class at her office for herself and her colleagues while working in the tech sector. She realized that she, along with those around her at work, were too busy to go out to lunch, much less even make it to the gym across the street to stay fit. So why not just bring the teacher to us, she thought? It was then that the seed for Phyzz Yoga was planted. Karen has been teaching corporate yoga classes in the Seattle area for over 5 years, and still loves helping people see “yoga at work” by transforming their everyday workspaces into beautiful places for yoga and wellness.

Decades after her mother first introduced her to yoga through Raquel Welch’s video workout series, Karen continues to enjoy sharing with others the peace she finds through teaching yoga. As a lifelong musician, Karen appreciates and enjoys sharing the physical and energetic potency of chanting and mantra as tools to prepare the body and mind for meditation. She has been practicing yoga for 12 years and teaching for 6, having completed the her RYT 200-hour Yoga Alliance Certification in 2003 at Samadhi Yoga in Seattle.

Karen holds a B.A. in Geological Sciences from Princeton University, and has worked as a high school math instructor, dot.com startup geek, IT Desktop Technician, and most recently as a Program Manager for early-adopter software marketing programs, until she realized that bringing yoga into the world required her full and undivided attention.

Click here to join us for this beautiful retreat and register now.

Pricing Deets:

$1295 single (your own room)
$1085 shared (with one other)
$885 tent site (on sand!)

Inclusions:
• Food and lodging for 7 days
• All yoga and meditation classes
• 3 excursions in the local area

Excursions:

• a boat ride to World Heritage site Espiritu Santo Island to snorkel with sea lions and swim in pristine beaches
• a nature hike in an ancient canyon along carved seasonal sandstone pools; a horseback ride to a high mesa from where one can admire the blue horizon of the sea and the magnificent desert
• a trip to the nearby city of La Paz to satisfy our urban cravings

If you’re here because you already know you want to come, GREAT! Let us know by dropping us an email, RSVPing at the Facebook event page, or heck, click the paypal button below to reserve or purchase your spot instantly.

Select an option from the drop-down menu then click “Buy Now”

Deposit ONLY $300.00 FULL Payment – Single $1,295.00 FULL Payment – Shared $1,085.00 FULL payment – Camp $885.00

We’ve also included some relevant info below the images (each of which you can click for enlarged PDF versions).

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Jessica Vaughan of Get Lifestyled looks like she's moving through my wardrobe at warp speed!

I’m starting this decade off holding myself a little more upright. And no, it’s not because I stretch my spine for a living.

Not in this instance, anyway.

It’s because I received a style consultation from Jessica Vaughan of Get Lifestyled. What’s a style consultation, you ask?It’s a process that involves reviewing every single piece of clothing in your closet, literally holding up each piece, figuring out if you like it, love it, or need to let it go.

Please indulge me, gentle readers who might be thinking to themselves, “Great Phyzz, why am I reading about a style consultation on your blog,” as I outline a few reasons why I felt this experience warranted some online real estate:

1. After we took stock of my clothing inventory, Jessica spent the rest of the time created upwards of 30 outfits for me using just the clothes that I had. This is where the magic really started kicking in for me, because the phrase “style consultation” might typically evoke images of indulgent consumerism and buying gobs of expensive things to fit into the latest trends. Instead, all it took was some creativity and a shift in perspective to discover that I already had what I needed. I really appreciated this eco-friendly approach; Jessica is an environmentalist and just celebrated an entire of year of shopping in her own closet. You can check out some of the outfits she produced on the Get Lifestyled Facebook page.
2. The clothes we wear spend all their time against our skin, in our energy field. As our most visible outer layer, really, clothing should ideally reflect who we are inside. Now, being in the business of helping people feel as good as they possibly can on the inside, just as they are, this was a bit of a breakthrough realization for me. While Get Lifestyled and Phyzz work in very different ways, the desired outcome is very similar: making a solid and true connection connection between who you are within and who you are in the world. Sound familiar?
3. The process of letting go – at any level – is not an easy one. Luckily,I have historically been pretty consistent about saying sayonara to things in my wardrobe that I no longer use, so there really wasn’t much to throw out (toot toot goes my horn). In fact, Jessica said that mine was probably the smallest purge she had ever done! I also discovered that I actually love most of the pieces of clothing that I had, and I can’t tell you how affirming this was, and how grateful this made me feel.

Just as you can utilize exactly what you have in your closet to feel good, you can feel good in your body with exactly what you have right now.

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A great man once said,

Whether it’s increasing your proclivity towards your meditation or yoga practice, eating healthier, getting more organized or cleaning up after yourself, even the most dedicated of us need a little boost once in a while.

There are lots of recommended ways to start a habit, and everyone has their own system. Today I just happened upon habitforge.com and am excited to try it for a few things I want to maintain in the new year (heck, decade!). Like blogging regularly Sorry for a long absence!

What habits are you going to start for yourself in 2010? Share some with me in the comments!

Image from Creative Commons Search / Wikimedia Commons

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