Tag: Yoga

S1E3 – The Customer Isn’t Always Right
All Things Yoga · Creature Comforts · Fireside.fm · Karma San Diego Podcast · Music and Sound Healing · Not Your Nonna's Sauce · podcasting · San Diego · San Diego eat & drink · spotify · Youtube

S1E3 – The Customer Isn’t Always Right

Corder CollectiveGalleryLeave a comment

S1E3 – The Customer Isn’t Always Right

Customer Service makes the world go ’round, so why not cut us some slack? K n’ A process the history of restaurant culture, experiences working retail, server woes and, well, manicotti.

Adrianna and Kelli make a pressing argument as to why all humans of this earth should work in customer service for a well-rounded experience in life. Dark humor and plumes of smoke help us process the best and worst working experiences we had when we were younger, alongside our classic commentary. Become introduced with BLUNT HISTORY, a bit we integrate when we storykeller our way through facts. Hint: it’s worse than drunk history, but we’re working on it.

Small businesses mentioned: US! 🙂

Not Your Nonna’s – Sauce Company – you can now shop online! Place your order today for some pesto, marinara, and Adrianna’s upcoming SEASONAL sauce, limited quantities and one-time only! Shop NYN t-shirts:

Yoga Teacher- Kelli Corder is a local San Diego yoga teacher that would love to bring more accessible yoga to your community. Large public events, mic-savvy, playlist queen and sequencing magician, Kelli loves all things yoga and serves classes to private families, corporate offices, apartment complexes, high schools and studios. You can click here to read more about the services Kelli offers.

Kelli Corder YouTube Channel

Kelli works on a sliding scale for class pricing; if you or your school cannot afford yoga classes, yoga mats, or props, please reach out. I have a deep love and network of yoga teachers that will always work together to make sure your community has access.

This episode’s creature comfort- Pure Beauty

We love feedback! You can find more information about our podcast by visiting our website or email, karmasdpodcast.com, karmasdpodcast@gmail.com @karmasdpodcast

Phone Dump- #MuseMonday
Animal Medicine · Muse Monday · Photo Dump · Writing Prompts

Phone Dump- #MuseMonday

Corder CollectiveGalleryLeave a comment
  • Pepper- my first ever roommate CAT, lil chunker
  • Some of my favorite yoga texts that I reference often
  • Remember these bins? For the high school ZEN DEN
  • On my way from visiting my Yoga Therapist in Little Italy, the building next door had some eerie light
  • Spoiled brat
  • Aww that was a good christmas
  • Our first XMAS tree has grown so much since then!
  • Josh and Cone at the betch
  • Squirrel at AOLP talking to me
  • Lovely plant inherited from Jamaica
  • I think the ceiling at the Belly Up
  • Nanny house- loved the mirror
  • Chris and Captain!
  • Pinecone helping Josh paint
  • My yoga cube at CYOGA in UC
  • Palm tree outside our house that our landlord always hacks to death
  • Kokopeli switch plate from Kendra! That houseplant died 😦

You know I love a Phone Dump! Click here to read about one of my favorite Writing Prompts I have deemed, Phone Dump. Select 10-15 random photos in your camera roll, and choose a friend/loved one to ‘write’ to. Describe to them what you see!

You took pictures of these things for a reason- why not breathe some life into them, practice memory, and start writing?! 🙂

Today’s ritual: Describe this phone dump to me mum. Take a scroll through my camera roll, ma, and let the conversations begin!

Thanks for reading! Need some chair yoga? Free content on YOUTUBE for all levels. Young, old, able bodied, foreseen limitations- I am up to the challenge 🙂

An Ego-Free Svadhyaya Study – #TeacherTuesday
All Things Yoga · Chair Yoga · Seva · Svadhyaya · Teacher Tuesday · Youtube

An Ego-Free Svadhyaya Study – #TeacherTuesday

Corder CollectiveGalleryLeave a comment
  • Clean your dirty windshield with some yoga!
  • Gentle Flow Yoga in the Desert
  • Cute cover for a video, right?

Featured images have coinciding YouTube videos:

Yin Yang Yoga for Back Relief- 55 Minutes

All Levels Gentle Flow- Strong Core for Post Partum

Chair Yoga in the Desert with my Pupper

Greetings, OMies! What a time to be alive. Quarantined for over 2 weeks, and another 4 weeks tacked on a la president, and I am so incredibly grateful for the gift of social media! Because I am a full time yoga teacher, I have been drastically affected by this shift. While at first, this shift seems negative, I am realizing the beauty that is unfolding before me!

This has been such an excellent catalyst for me to step up my game with a Youtube Channel. I have fantasized about having a channel for sooooo long, I can’t even begin to tell you. Like, Jenna Marbles and Kandee Johnson days. I remember when I first started watching YouTube videos, around the summer of 2009 when I was working at a clothing boutique in San Diego. I wanted to learn how to cut my Tshirts just like Kat Von D does in her television shows. I was elated to find a video of Kat teaching the audience on how she does it! I loved the intimate interaction that happens with what we now call vlogging. Needless to say, I have been recording a lot of yoga content for my current student base. I teach over 12 yoga classes a week, in studios, privates, corporate clients and with family. That’s a lot of YOGA! A lot of faces, a lot of Namastes, and a sacred ritual that seemingly was taken from me…

Until I shifted my drishti.

In our Yoga practice, philosophy, and lifestyle, we turn to the Yamas and Niyamas for inspiration on how to act, handle, and access the self. One of the Niyamas is called Svadhyaya and, long story short, we are learning to self-study, as a collective, in REALTIME. We are in a collective shift of awareness during this pandemic. We are studying ourselves, taking notes and research, and modifying as needed to keep our vessels at a steady ease. Self study can be deep, it can be lighthearted, and it can demand all your attention. Some chapters in life, we get to pick what we self study, and let’s just say we will never take this privilege for granted again! As you might be feeling forced into deep self-study in close quarters, I wanted to provide some of my favorite definitions of SVADHYAYA.

I believe that most Westerners that practice Yoga are familiar with a very privileged form of self-study. We get to choose when we want to self study- applying for grad school, taking on knowledge in forms of hobbies, leisure reading, and on our own time. However, this pandemic has forced self-study. Whether you like it or not, everything about your life has completely changed and we need to adapt and grow accordingly. The first step in adapting? Observation! How have you treated yourself and others during this trying time? Some excel, some drown, and some lose themselves before finding themselves. We accept all forms of expression as we are in this together, as one. How will you look back on your time of self-study?

Here are some of my favorite definitions of self study:

What self-study are you working on? For me, I am working on my confidence and camera presence, as well as how I react to my loved ones, and self, that are riddled with Fear. I am also weaving dream catchers a little differently, 8 weeks strong VEGAN today, and trying how the hell to cook tofu.

As you can see by the hysterical still-frame from my youtube, I have a long way to go. Right now, I have needed to upload content quickly and efficiently, so there are no bells and whistles to my videos.

I really look forward to continue my self study has I take this huge leap of faith and put my MUG all over the internet! All feedback, love, support, and special requests go a long way for me. Cough cough, my love language involves words of affirmation.

Namaste OMies,

K

Desert Dwellings and Feathered Friends- a Guided Meditation- Well Read Wednesday
All Things Yoga · Animal Medicine · Curb Your Anxiety · Desert Travels · Healing Modalities · Meditation Scripts · San Diego · Well Read Wednesday

Desert Dwellings and Feathered Friends- a Guided Meditation- Well Read Wednesday

Corder CollectiveGallery1 Comment
The porch that inspires me everytime we meet

For this week’s guided meditation, we will be visiting Ocotillo Wells. Let’s get ready to find peace in the Southern California desert!


Estimated practice time: 15 minutes


Start practice in: Savasana, Sukhasana, or in a supported Chair


As we get started, begin to close your eyes and scan the body. We must scan ourselves head to toe, removing any future distractions. Feet and toes are unclenched as you start to ground down in your comfortable pose. Let your belly relax, and start to tap into the rhythm of your breath, perhaps for the first time today. If you are able, start to breathe in and out through the nose with steady and even inhales, exhales. You are always welcome to breathe in and out through the mouth, especially if the nose is not an option for you today. Strive to breathe in and out through the nose, as you activate ujayii pranayama.

Face is at peace, as you relax your forehead, unfurrow your brow, and open and close the jaw a few times. You are welcome to yawn…

Swish back and forth your spiritual mouthwash as your relax the cheeks…

Imagine wiggling your ears and choosing clear and conscious communication for the rest of the day. We are ready to begin our visualization. As you keep your eyes closed, take note of any colors or sensations that you start to notice through the eyelids. Bright bursts of color and shapes tend to shine through the eyes as we travel to the sunny deserts of eastern San Diego.

A panoramic view of desert colors unfolds in front of you- soft tans and creams, light yellow flowers, dark brown rocks, and bright blue skies. Soft, fluffy white clouds pass freely in front of you, as you feel the desert breeze brush against your face. You take in more of the colors that surround you- hints of subdued green from cactus and ocotillo branches, light purple flowers dance in the wind, and deep dark black ravens fly overhead. At peace, you start to match your breath the ebb and flow of the wind that surrounds you on this warm, sunny day.


The sun shines down on your face as you feel the warmth of the sun give you a bath. Like a lizard baking in the sunshine atop a rock, you continue to feel sun on your shoulders, your arms, and watch as chills and goosebumps run all down your skin. Enjoy your sunbath. As you slip off your flip flops, set the bare soles of your feet on top of the hot sand. Not too hot, not too cold, you feel its radiating warmth underneath your grounded feet. Sparkles and glimmers of gold specks wink and dance in front of you, as you keep looking down to your toes. A bright Orange butterfly gracefully flutters past you, dancing and bobbing with the wind across the sky.

Up ahead, you see a brown, inviting, primitive and quaint desert dwelling. The porch is old and sagging, the roof is discolored and bare, but the heart of the home calls you closer. As you take a closer look at the porch of this desert house, you notice a large wooden rocking chair, available and waiting for you to take a seat. Underneath the shade of the porch, you hear the creak of your footsteps as you walk across the wooden deck, making your way to this noble, knowing chair.


You find a rhythmic rock back and forth, as you slowly sink into the chair and align your breath to movement. As you slowly rock forward, you inhale through the nose. As you rock backwards, you exhale. Find your rhythm, find your prana flow, and guide yourself through 10 rounds of breath as you sit in your rocking chair.

Inhale- rock

Exhale- roll

Inhale- rock

Exhale- roll x5

Still in your rocking chair, still meditating on your desert porch, you feel and hear the wind start to pick up. As you look out over the desert horizon, you see an eagle, a hawk, and a raven surfing with the winds of change. You watch these three massive birds of prey effortlessly float with the wind. Not fighting the wind, not swimming upstream, these birds are one with the earth. The birds continue to dance and caw, teasing with one another in the desert’s playground in the sky.

One of the birds makes its descent, slowly, to your desert dwelling. Knowing he is safe and welcome, he stops and perches on the stoop of your porch, appreciating the divine connection that you are having with one another.Which bird came to visit you? Of the three birds that danced in the sky, one has chosen to visit you and send you blessings. A message of peace and intuition, this magnificent bird reminds you of how truly knowing and wise you are and have always been.

You spend a moment, at one with the bird and the shade of the porch, listening to the gentle creak of your rocking chair. Finally, you find stillness, and close your eyes as you firmly press the soles of your feet down onto the ground. As you lightly bow and tuck your chin in towards the chest, the bird knows that our ritual is complete. Slowly crouching, ready to take flight, the bird lifts off the porch, gives you a gentle CAW, and leaves you in solitude on your desert porch.

You are welcome to stay here, as your desert house is always available to you. At any time, you can close your eyes, settle into the body and mind, and take yourself on a creative vision quest to your dilapidated house out in Ocotillo wells, where the wind whistles gently through your hair and the birds always notice lifeform. As you prepare yourself to leave your house, for now, you thank it and wish it well. Bless your home, and remind yourself how grateful you are to have this house to rely on. To protect you from wind, from prey, from sun, and from dark thoughts. A safe space tucked away in the desert, farewell abode and thank you for your offerings.

Begin to slowly wiggle your fingers and toes, as you start to find consciousness. If you feel naturally guided towards further meditation, I would continue to stay in your restful place. Fall asleep, take savasana, or continue to walk around the inside of your desert home.

If you are feeling invigorated, alive, and reset, it is time to open your eyes and find consciousness. Bring your hands to hearts center, and take a deep breath in. Hold. Take a deep, open mouth exhale.

The light and the teacher in me is honored to guide the teacher and light in you- NAMASTE! -Xo Kelli

Long Overdue Chair Yoga for my OMies – #MuseMondays
All Things Yoga · Chair Yoga · Curb Your Anxiety · Desert Travels · Muse Monday · Trailer Time · Youtube

Long Overdue Chair Yoga for my OMies – #MuseMondays

Corder CollectiveGallery1 Comment

And all of a sudden, I started living the life I always dreamed of…

Welcome to chair yoga! 🙂

Greetings, OMies! It’s Kelli here, surviving the pandemic like the rest of us, in quarantine. I am loving that I have a routine to rely on. As a full-time yoga teacher, I drastically made a shift in the way that I work only one week ago. Last Monday, I had finished teaching two classes, in person, and had to assist my beloved yoga studio close down, for now, for the next few weeks. Wow, what a week in the collective consciousness and in myself!

I always planned on uploading my yoga content to youtube, but sometimes, it takes life-crisis, a pandemic, or the true NEED to be the catalyst. I am a fire sign, and when I have a fire lit under me, I will not stop! I am currently engrossed and invigorated by the practice that virtual yoga is bringing me.

As you can imagine, I am used to teaching dozens a classes a week, and taking a few weeks off of this is not great for my mental health. I have a community to serve!

Many of my Yoga videos are accessible through Hapa Yoga Ohana Online, which is a Facebook group that is designed for our clients and members.

I have also been recording content for my private clients! My office yogis still need their yoga, and my family has been requesting tons of different styles of yoga. It is amazing that despite how tragic this situation can be with COVID-19, we are able to rise together as a community and I have been able to create this avenue.

If you would like to watch my YouTube videos, Click this link here.

Sitting on a Bench Meditation Script- #WellReadWednesdays
Ahimsa · All Things Yoga · Aparigraha · Gift Giving · Healing Modalities · Meditation Scripts · Well Read Wednesday

Sitting on a Bench Meditation Script- #WellReadWednesdays

Corder CollectiveGallery2 Comments

What can I say? In times of pandemic, I have a little more time than usual to reflect on what’s most important to me.

I wanted to start off my post by saying that my husband, dog and I are doing well during this trying time. We do not have symptoms of this epidemic, we are fully stocked and prepared, and we have one another to depend on.

Financially, we are certainly taking a hit. My computer changed this to ‘taking a shit’, and I find this timely and true! I am used to teaching 12-15 yoga classes a week, in person, with the community that I serve in San Diego. After my predominant employer had to shut down during Corona Virus mandated shut-downs, we have shifted to uploading our content virtually!

Today, I taught our set-sequenced class, Hot as a Mutha, on Instagram live. I have never done this before! It was thrilling and felt similar to teaching on the mat. I can’t even begin to tell you how much the regular students hold us ‘teachers’ accountable to the practice. Can I sustain a 2 week quarantine without 30 NAMASTES of service and gratitude? Quite frankly, no, and so I will continue to upload content for my friends and family to enjoy.

Really, this is an archive and a diary entry for one of the most trying times that I have survived on this planet so far. In my lifetime, I have endured 911, a Type 1 diabetic diagnosis, the San Diego wildfires, and so far, this pandemic, and they all feel similar. Earth shattering, strangely calm, and luckily, we have the rest of our lifetime to process this trauma that has been inflicted on our people. And also, a great healing has been bestowed upon us. I see the beauty in this wake-up call.

May we see this as a time to heal and to love when we need it post! I have been divinely guided to share this meditative script, of which I have written and shared with the past few yoga classes I have taught.

Read this meditative script slowly to yourself, your friends, and your loved ones. Allow 5 minutes.

Begin in a seated posture. I suggest something with back support, such as a chair. Savasana/aying down is always an option.

May you begin to awaken your sense of creativity and you third eye, as you join me on a journey of the breath.

As you inhale, start to close your eyes and ground down. As you exhale, let your eyes gently roll into the back of the head and take yourself to a simple, unclenched, unfurrowed meditatite state.

Before you lies a bench. First thing that comes to mind…imagine sitting down on a bench of solitude that overlooks an infinite body of water.

Ocean, lake, river…you happily sit on your bench and look over the cascading horizon, feeling grounded and at peace in your seat.

Feel the bench beneath you, as your imagination starts to paint a picture of the horizon.

Blue waters, gentle setting sun, and the salty breeze that sways you further into your meditative state.

At peace, you look down and notice a folded piece of paper. As you bend over, you pick it up, slowly unfolding the message that lies before you.

At the top of the page, you slowly read to yourself:

I am rational

I am level-headed

I choose to lead with compassion for the rest of the day.

This resonates with you. You take a deep inhale, exhale, and read this mantra to yourself once more.

I am rational

I am level-headed

I choose to lead with compassion for the rest of the day.

You take this piece of paper, fold it back into its familiar creases, and tuck it into your pocket. knowing that you have infinite access to this bench for the rest of the day, you slowly stand, leaving your bench.

Mantra in hand, you are able to take your moving meditation with you  for the rest of the day.

Namaste, OMies! I truly miss all of you on the mat and am joining you in solidarity as we quarantine and connect on a spiritual level.

XO

Kelli

Bookmarks n’ Business Tools- #MuseMondays
Dream Catchers · Etsy Shop Owner · Handmade · Muse Monday · My Business Tools · San Diego

Bookmarks n’ Business Tools- #MuseMondays

Corder CollectiveGallery2 Comments
I love a good bookmark! I vividly remember my favorites that motivated me to read. Who doesn’t love a Lizzy McGuire accessory 🙂
Wow- custom ordered bookmarks are expensive! I dream of having my own book mark, but I needed to supplement in the meantime with a smaller order.
My goal is to put a bookmark inside of each donated book at our local Little Libraries. Yes, this is a great marketing tool, but I speak from my heart when I say I want to connect. I want to be approachable, and I want people to always know where to find me. As jack and janes of all trades, Josh and I have a lot to offer. The best way to showcase our work is to get them to our website!

Perhaps you found me here at cordercollective.com because of this bookmark! If you did, will you send a little lovebeam and leave a comment below?

As a stewardess- I am always collecting and accepting book donations. Please contact me if your local free libraries need a REFILL.

For 500 bookmarks, or business cards, I paid less than $33 with shipping! Vista print is an amazing Business tool that we have accessed for more than 5 years. Take a journey with me as I reflect on our previous business cards:

Our first business card from 2015! We predominately used them as price tags (as shown) for dream catchers that we were selling at various retailers and booths. I still love this business card and I love randomly finding them in our home office!img_8425img_8426Last year, I switched to a Yoga Teacher-dominant business card. I wanted something custom; I am always getting asked about my Spotify playlists. I needed a large gap where I can write a prescription for whatever I am talking about with a student/teacher/friend. This particular card has a link to the palindrome themed class playlist that I taught on Febrary 2nd, hence the title ‘02022020’.

I ordered all 3 of these business cards on Vista print and paid less than $35 each time. I love them! Not everyone loves a business card, but it is still one of my favorite business tools that I use regularly.

 

#TeenYoga and the Positive Affects of Moving Meditation- Teacher Tuesday
All Things Yoga · Card Reading · San Diego · Teacher Tuesday · Teen Yoga · Upcycle

#TeenYoga and the Positive Affects of Moving Meditation- Teacher Tuesday

Corder CollectiveGalleryLeave a comment

I love teaching teen yoga! Some days, we practice asana. Some days, we practice meditation and breathing. And some days, we color!

I have ample coloring books at home, and took the time to photocopy the pages that had powerful words of affirmation. Faith, love, and smiles accompanied the coloring pages and pencils that I brought for 90+ teen girls to play with!After a few rounds of breath, intention setting, and card pulling, we had an hour to color. Students were able to decorate the halls with their mandalas, or take them home to gift to loved ones.

Strips of colored (and recycled) construction paper were provided to write letters of gratitude and leave them on windshields, lockers, and purses of loved ones. No one regrets a handwritten note attached to an act of kindness. Moving meditation is powerful. Coloring and connecting with OMies is a great way to team-build, as well as practicing Saucha etiquette of cleanliness and shared tools/space.

I loved coloring with the teens, as well as pulling cards from Thich Nhat Hanh’s EVERYDAY PEACE CARDS. I found this deck at a funky bookstore in Oakland, CA. May you find bliss in the ritual, share it with others, and take time to reflect on why it really matters. This is a great itinerary for a group of 12-18 year olds, lasting us about 65-70 minutes of play. 

Create Your Own Gratitude Station- #ThankfulThursdays
Gift Giving · Healing Modalities · Thankful Thursday · Upcycle

Create Your Own Gratitude Station- #ThankfulThursdays

Corder CollectiveGallery1 Comment

I have always loved greeting cards! An avid collector, my mother always knows to fill my Christmas stocking with blank stationary and writing utensils. Ah, the lovely feeling of crisp and clean office supplies!

The love language of the written word is a dying art, and I love sending personalized snail mail to my loved ones. There is ALWAYS something to be grateful for! For this edition of Thankful Thursdays, I wanted to revisit one of my favorite rituals and moving meditations- writing thank you letters!You will need- a small box or storage crate to keep all of your gratitude belongings in. I suggest repurposing something  you already have! Ideas: a basket, galvanized bucket, suitcase, hat box, purse, crate, shoe box, empty drawer or shelf. It really depends on how many materials you have!

All envelopes, stamps and cards that we own are in this milk crate, featured in the photos above and below. Thanks Jamaica for giving this metal wonder to us! It is an excellent idea to store all of your items in one place, Marie Kondo style. Always have stamps that bring you joy handy.When I am feeling anxious for long periods of time, I need rituals to activate a mental reboot. Disconnecting from my phone, staying home to clean the house, chopping vegetables, and writing are some of my favorite moving rituals that help me get out of a lull. My gratitude station is also one of these healing modalities I turn to.

There are days where I will be ridden with guilt. Guilt that my loved ones don’t know how much I care, guilt from overanalyzing, guilt from being a recovering people pleaser. Guilt for feeling guilty! Enough. I need to transfer this energy and refuel my soul. I need a DRISHTI shift, a perspective overhaul. I stop, drop, and reflect on who I am really grateful for. I truly shift my guilt to gratitude.

I reflect on who I appreciate most in that present moment. I write their names on an envelope FIRST, get out my favorite colored markers, and thank them. Sometimes words and poems, sometimes drawings and stick figures, I always have a warm and fuzzy feeling in my heart after I send mail.This week, I sent a special thank you to my parents, my best friend and our weekly coffee dates that I will never take for granted, and to everyone that has donated items to our collective. I received so many lovely books to use as refills for Free Little Libraries across San Diego. Click here to read more about my endeavors!

Set yourself up for success! I have always lived by the principle that the medium is the message. If the pen pisses you off, keep hunting til you find a pen that brings you joy. Don’t like the greeting cards you have? Donate them! Make your own with computer paper and creativity. Order cards that you love from local artists that bring you joy. Farmers markets, Trader Joe’s, and local book stores are great places to find inexpensive stationary to make your grateful dreams come true!

Pro tip- buy the card you would want to receive 🙂 Pick out what you want for yourself, and send it to others. Live a little, love a lot!

That 70’s Yoga – This Week’s #WellReadWednesdays
All Things Yoga · Upcycle · Well Read Wednesday

That 70’s Yoga – This Week’s #WellReadWednesdays

Corder CollectiveGalleryLeave a comment

Welcome to our hOMe! I am an eternal decorator. Pieces of furniture find US, and I am happy to swallow them whole, turn them into pearls and spit out a new environment for us to occupy.

 

I have many sacred yoga texts that I reference regularly, and Josh properly showcased them in our new cube set up. I wanted to share 🙂Many of the books were required materials for various trainings, but there are a few gems that fell into my path.

The Inner Tradition of Yoga was gifted to me by a dear friend, thanks Jamaica, and I have loved my journey with it so far! I only need  to sip on a few pages, and I have food for thought for the day. I have read a few resonating quotes in asana class and would include this book in my own teacher training, if I had one!

The second book, retro and glorious, was a lovely used bookstore find in Oakland, CA. I was visiting my very best friend, and we have a newfound tradition of ordering lattes, eating chocolate, and shopping at bookstores. That’s a ritual I can easily adapt to! Love you Lydia. I cherish this $6 funky find and have rarely used it as reference. The asanas are advanced, to put it lightly. Cute!