Redwoods Yoga

Redwoods are named for the soft color of their bark and heartwood. But names can be misleading. On my first trip to California, I thought redwoods would be the color of strawberries. Instead, they stood tall and proud emanating strength and wisdom instead of the prominent shades of red I had hoped to see.

I got introduced to yoga in the same way. Drawn to vinyasa for body strength and muscle tone, I eventually dove deeper, discovering a “heartwood” inside that needed more work than tight hamstrings. Surely, one doesn’t exist without the other, but it takes time to cultivate that understanding. After 10 years in journalism, I gratefully plucked myself out of news and into teaching yoga. Following an inspirational yoga teacher training in San Francisco, CA, I designed my own yoga practice with cyclists, hikers and adventurers of all kinds in mind.

Redwood trees inspired the name for my practice. They are some of the tallest and longest-living organisms in the world. Their heartwood qualities give them a remarkable resistance to many diseases and forest fires. Redwood seedlings grow fast in the right conditions and so do many yogis. First drawn to the external image of yoga, many discover and learn to nurture peace and strength within. There’s a redwood in everyone. You just need to nurture it.