Category Archives: 2019 TOUR STOPS

How One Traveling Jacket Brought Two Missions Together in the Yoga Community

Read about two organizations that are working to create more equality, empathy and understanding among people across all social structures.

James Orione at One Yoga in Minneapolis, MN

Live Be Yoga ambassadors Lauren Cohen and Brandon Spratt are on a road trip across the country to sit down with master teachers, host free local classes, and so much more—all to illuminate the conversations pulsing through the yoga community today. Follow the tour and get the latest stories @livebeyoga on Instagram and Facebook.

Before I left for the Live Be Yoga tour, a student named Sophia Kokores in San Francisco gifted me a black Levi’s jacket with white lettering printed on the back which read: “OTHER PEOPLE MATTER.” Kokores explained the concept to me – that a jacket could spark conversation and inspire an #otherpeoplematter mindset. She asked me to be an ambassador, in honor of the six-month journey I was about to take.

“Taken from the field of positive psychology, the phrase ‘Other People Matter’ means that our relationships with others are fundamental to a life well lived,” said Kokores. “In our current climate, though, we see the word ‘other’ and we automatically go to that which makes us different, that which separates us and divides us.” Kokores, the visionary and founder of OPM Collective, believes that a jacket can change the world. As a new ambassador for OPM, I was given the assignment to pass on pass on the jacket to someone I felt embodied the essence of this vision of connection and community.

A Minneapolis Man with a Vision

When I sat down with James Orione at One Yoga in Minneapolis, I sensed I had found the perfect recipient for the jacket. During our conversation, we talked about diversity and inclusion, how to make yoga more …

Illuminating Darkness through Yoga and Self-Care

Salt + Light Coalition in Chicago helps victims of human trafficking heal and rebuild their lives through a tested program that includes yoga and other forms of self-care.

Lauren Cohen sits down with Izabel Olson, the founder of Salt + Light Coalition – a Chicago-based non-profit that helps a forgotten community rebuild their lives after unspeakable trauma.

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Preserving the Essence of Ashtanga Yoga: Separating the Guru from the Practice

Kino Macgregor opens up about her relationship with the “father of Ashtanga” Pattabhi Jois and why it’s necessary to update the guru-student relationship.

Kino Macgregor at her studio in Miami, FL.

While in Miami, Live Be Yoga ambassadors, Lauren Cohen and Brandon Spratt, sit down with international yoga teacher, author, entrepreneur and inspirational speaker, Kino MacGregor to discuss the teacher/student relationship, the tradition of Ashtanga yoga and how to preserve its true essence.

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It’s been years since I took an Ashtanga Yoga class, and even then, I can’t say it was traditional. I had certainly never done the full primary series or memorized the order of the poses enough to practice mysore style. That’s why it was particularly refreshing and humbling to practice Ashtanga at Miami Life Center, home of world-renowned Ashtanga teacher, Kino Macgregor.

I teach and practice primarily Vinyasa Yoga, which is what, on the tour, we’ve been mostly exposed to. However, as modern yoga continues to evolve, it feels important to honor the roots of the practice – to recognize the importance of tradition and lineage. The foundation of Vinyasa Yoga as we know it today stems from the Ashtanga system and what we have come to know and understand about yoga (any style) comes from years of teachings graciously passed down from generation to generation. I could feel this sweet reminder as I stumbled through the primary series – where I was instantly transported back in time to my first yoga class, over a decade ago – humbled by my sore muscles and grateful to once again, find myself in the seat of the beginner, feeling the purity of practice.

Watch video interview with Kino MacGregor.

Ashtanga Yoga and #MeToo

In light of the recent reports of sexual assault by Ashtanga leader, …

Find Your Glow

Get your yoga glow on with our Live Be Ambassadors’ favorite poses for healthy, radiant skin.

Yoga has multiple health benefits, one of those benefits includes helping to transform our skin through detoxifying movements, increased circulation and reduced stress. Inspired by a specialized class for glowing skin at a local Denver studio, Kindness Yoga, Brandon Spratt and Lauren Cohen share their three favorite yoga poses for glowing skin.

Spend time to nurture your glow through yoga and use beauty products from companies that have a passion for environmental sustainability, like our partner DERMA E. Their products are formulated with the most potent natural antioxidants, giving us glowing skin without the use of harmful chemicals.

Learn more about DERMA E’s products by visiting dermae.com.

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Come Explore a Secret Herb Garden

Our Live Be Yoga ambassadors wrap up their six-month tour at a Secret Herb Garden event at the Denver Botanic Gardens with supplement sponsor Nature’s Way.

The Live Be Yoga tour wrapped up in Denver with a Secret Herb Garden event with our supplement sponsor, Nature’s Way at the Denver Botanic Gardens. Brandon and Lauren spent the day with other attendees immersing themselves in mind & body wellness with a yoga glow, learning about beneficial botanicals, and other self-discovery activities like aura readings. The day ended with a custom, herb-infused plant-based brunch that was mouthwatering! Happy 50th birthday, Nature’s Way!

To learn more about Nature’s Way, please visit NaturesWay.com.

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Reset with a 5-Minute Yoga Break

Reset in just five minutes with this sequence that features rejuvenating side bends, heart-openers, and twists.

Live Be Yoga ambassadors Lauren Cohen and Brandon Spratt are on a road trip across the country to sit down with master teachers, host free local classes, and so much more—all to illuminate the conversations pulsing through the yoga community today

This simple 5-minute sequence can be done anytime during the day and focuses on mindful movement and steady breath. Composed of a series side bends, heart-opening postures, and gentle twists, it will help you feel more connected to yourself, while clearing tension from the body and mind.

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"You Can't Be What You Can't See"

James Orione, a yoga teacher at One Yoga in Minneapolis, MN, explains why it’s important for people of color to be visible in the yoga space.

Meet James Orione. Through his classes at One Yoga in Minneapolis and his non-profit Bridges Through Yoga, Orione aims to create safe spaces for people of color and traditionally underserved populations to experience the healing power of yoga.

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Finding Healing and Empowerment After Human Trafficking

Salt + Light Coalition is a non-profit organization using yoga and wellness to help rebuild the lives of women and youth who have endured human trafficking.

Dr. Izabel Olson, founder of Salt + Light Coalition.

While in Chicago, Live Be Yoga ambassador, Lauren Cohen visited Salt + Light Coalition, a non-profit organization that aims to help heal, educate and empower youth and women in the fight against slavery. Lauren sat down with founder and CEO, Dr. Izabel Olson, to hear about her personal journey, what led her to start the organization and why yoga is such an important component of the year-long program offered to victims of sex trafficking.

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As I walked into the studio space, I was met by a group of women in black and yellow shirts. They were sitting around waiting to begin their weekly yoga class, a vital part of their year-long healing curriculum and job training program as participants of Salt + Light Coalition. Salt + Light is a non-profit organization that incorporates yoga, wellness and spirituality into its programming to carry out its mission to educate, heal and empower women and youth in the fight against slavery.

A Founder with a Mission to Help Those Living in Darkness

As someone who had a difficult upbringing and faced many challenges, Izabel Olson, founder and CEO of Salt + Light Coalition, turned to spirituality, health, and wellness as tools to help her heal from her traumas and build a life and career for herself. Her experience growing up with a father who was a political prisoner in Brazil lead Olson to reach out to a local Chicago jail to begin teaching healing yoga to female inmates. She soon realized that 70% of the women she encountered were incarcerated for charges related to having …