Black Cat Blog

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ONE SMALL POSITIVE THOUGHT CAN CHANGE YOUR WHOLE DAY

There is a vast universe of information, philosophy, ideas, methodologies, history, and insights available to us when it comes to yoga. We created this blog to explore, discuss, and delve into some of these rich layers and concepts which weave together to make up the intricate and diverse tapestry of this sacred and transformational practice of yoga.

YOGA

AND MEDITATION

SOUND

ENERGY AND HEALING

OFF THE MAT

AND INTO YOUR LIFE

Lisa McCormack, eRYT-200

Feb 2, 2022
2 min

WHAT IS KIRTAN?

“Kirtan is the glue that bonds our hearts together.” ~ David Newman WHAT IS KIRTAN? Kirtan is very simple and powerful way to meditate. It is part of an ancient form of Yoga known as Bhakti - the Yoga of Devotion. The word "kirtan" or "kirtana" translates into "telling, narrating, enumerating, or describing." Kirtan chants are usually sung in call-and-response style where the wallah (leader) sings the mantra, and the group sings it back. There may be several instruments or

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Lisa McCormack, eRYT-200

Apr 23, 2021
2 min

BEAUTIFUL MYSTERY

“Life is a mystery of beauty, bliss and divinity. Meditation is the art of unfolding that mystery.” The great wizard in the movie "Wizard of Oz" may have said "Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain!" But in our #yogapractice, and ultimately in our life, that is EXACTLY what we want to do: Peer behind the curtain. In our quest to become fully aware of our True Self, we must see through and beyond the illusory veil of perceptions, thoughts, ideas, attachments, emotions

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Lisa McCormack, eRYT-200

Apr 15, 2021
2 min

SEASONS OF LOVE

We are celebrating our 3rd revolution around the sun this month! But how can we possibly measure all of the immeasurable moments that have unfolded over the past 1,095 days? WE MEASURE IN LOVE. Three years of being present for countless sacred breaths, even through the moments of greatest uncertainty. Three years of showing up and being open to what the deepest learnings of the practice are. Three years of being human and standing in solidarity as we faced uncharted territory

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Lisa McCormack, eRYT-200

Mar 22, 2021
1 min

MONKEY MIND

Yogas-citta-vritti-nirodhah Yoga is the cessation of the fluctuations of the mind. Patanjali's Yoga Sutras I.2 Monkeys sure are cute and certainly entertaining to watch as they frolic about, swinging from branch to branch, chattering incessantly, never staying in one place for too long. But experiencing "monkey mind," as the Buddha describes it, doesn’t ordinarily produce the same level of amusement or gratification. Monkey mind can be a very real deterrent to prolonged inner

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Lisa McCormack, eRYT-200

Feb 18, 2020
2 min

ASANA: THE 3rd LIMB OF YOGA

The body is the bow. The asana is the arrow. The soul is the target.

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Lisa McCormack, eRYT-200

Jan 23, 2020
2 min

YOGA IS FREEDOM.

🌿 Alignment as a broad concept in yoga is complicated, as there is no one anatomical positioning that serves every body in a way that is beneficial. Our bodies are remarkably extraordinary and unique to each individual, which makes forcing bodies into "cookie cutter" yoga postures an exercise in frustration and futility. And often this kind of frustration, unfortunately, is a big reason why many people give up on their yoga practice. WHERE THERE IS YOGA, THERE IS PROSPERITY,

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Lisa McCormack, eRYT-200

Jan 17, 2020
2 min

Ungrip the grip

Your yoga practice is the perfect arena to explore "ungripping the grip" on static thinking.

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5 Ways to Stay Balanced and Grounded During the Holidays

Lisa McCormack, eRYT-200

Dec 12, 2019
2 min

5 Ways to Stay Balanced and Grounded During the Holidays

The holidays do not have to live up to their reputation of being stressful. Here are our favorite 5 ways to stay balanced and grounded.

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Lisa McCormack, eRYT-200

Nov 6, 2019
2 min

Feeling Disconnected?

It is our desire to build a community and hold a space where you can feel supported and connect with real live compassionate human beings.

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Lisa McCormack, eRYT-200

Sep 20, 2019
2 min

A Beginner's Mind

Allowing ourselves to "not know," when years of conditioned thinking has convinced us we "do know," takes trust, courage, and vulnerability.

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Lisa McCormack, eRYT-200

Aug 21, 2019
2 min

Yes, you can.

Is it time to take a personal inventory and begin rewriting your story in a much grander and more authentic way?

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Lisa McCormack, eRYT-200

Jul 12, 2019
2 min

FALLING IN LOVE WITH SAVASANA

"Stillness is not about focusing on nothingness; it’s about creating a clearing. It’s opening up an emotionally clutter-free space and allowing ourselves to feel and think and dream and question.” From outward appearances, it may appear as though not much is happening in savasana; but this posture of stillness is one of the most revealing, transformative, and oftentimes most challenging aspects of a yoga practice. The Sanskrit word "savasana" translates into "corpse pose," as

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Lisa McCormack, eRYT-200

Jul 2, 2019
3 min

WHERE IS MY CORE?

"Your inner strength is your outer foundation." ~Alan Rufus Many people consider their “core” to be their abdominal muscles. And oftentimes, the term "core" is even more narrowly associated with the superficial musculature system which runs vertical along the anterior (front) portion of the abdomen. While this is not incorrect, it is only partially accurate. The physical make-up of your core is comprised of a sophisticated system of stabilizing and adaptable muscles that sp

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Yin yoga. Restorative yoga. What is the Difference?

Lisa McCormack, eRYT-200

May 31, 2019
4 min

Yin yoga. Restorative yoga. What is the Difference?

A frequent question we receive in our yoga studio here in Jacksonville is, "What is the difference between Yin Yoga and Restorative Yoga?" It's a great question; because even though there are many striking similarities in these two styles of yoga, there are important distinctions. While both of these practices are inward and contemplative practices, the intentions are very different and the experiences are quite unique. WHAT IS YIN YOGA? Yin yoga is based on the Taoist conc

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Lisa McCormack, eRYT-200

May 24, 2019
3 min

satya: living your truth

There is no truth except the truth that exists within you. Everything else is what someone is telling you.” ~ Neale Donald Walsch What does it mean to "live your truth?" What if you haven't made the connection to identify and express what your truth is? How can you then "live into it"? The very first offering of Patañjali’s eight-fold path of yoga introduces us to the Yamas. These five concepts are reflections of our true nature, guidelines which involve the way we interact

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Black Cat Yoga: Not just another yoga studio

Lisa McCormack, eRYT-200

May 8, 2019
4 min

Black Cat Yoga: Not just another yoga studio

Just as there are multiple choices when it comes to hairstylists, restaurants, accountants, and dentists, there are also many options when it comes to selecting a yoga studio to explore and grow your yoga practice with. Finding a space that feels energetically harmonious and teachers that you trust is a vital step in the decision-making process. At Black Cat Yoga in Jacksonville, the consistency and excellence of our teachings, coupled with our wholehearted commitment to main

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Lisa McCormack, eRYT-200

Apr 29, 2019
3 min

The whole world is your yoga mat

"Change the world by changing yourself. Heal the world by healing yourself. Find a need and fulfill it. Service is the greatest form of spiritual practice. Everybody can be great because everybody can serve. You don’t have to have a college degree to serve, You don’t have to make your subject and verb agree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love." ~ Martin Luther King Jr. Seva comes from the Sanskrit words saha, which means “with that,” and ev

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Lisa McCormack, eRYT-200

Apr 15, 2019
2 min

experience the healing power of sound

"There’s no organ system in the body that’s not affected by sound and music vibration.” ~ Mitchell Gaynor, M.D. "EVERYTHING IN LIFE IS VIBRATION" ~ ALBERT EINSTEIN Modern science is now recognizing what ancient sages, mystics, and yogis have been saying all along: At the most basic and fundamental level, every single thing in our universe is made up of energy. This understanding is compelling when it comes to understanding how energy, sound, and vibration can be used to p

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Lisa McCormack, eRYT-200

Apr 5, 2019
2 min

DON'T BE AFRAID TO rewrite your story

If you are stuck on the same page, remember that at any given moment you have the power to write a new chapter. MY OLD STORY... I am a yoga teacher who helps people find freedom in their bodies. But this hasn’t always been my story. My “old story” was committed to memory, which was relatively easy to do because it was quite short. It went something like this: “I can’t because…” I had a number of alternate endings from which to choose in order to create different versions of m

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Lisa McCormack, eRYT-200

Mar 29, 2019
3 min

Benefits of a Daily Practice

“If you practice yoga once a week you will change your mind. If you practice yoga twice a week you will change your body. If you practice yoga every day you will change your life.” DISCOVERY... There is a well-known quote by Martin Luther King, Jr., which says, "Take the first step in faith. You don't have to see the whole staircase; just take the first step." This quote comes to mind every single time we step on our yoga mats, as we feel it captures the essence of what a y

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Black Cat Blog

ONE SMALL POSITIVE THOUGHT CAN CHANGE YOUR WHOLE DAY

YOGA

SOUND

OFF THE MAT

BE THE FIRST TO KNOW

Subscribe to our e-mails and stay up-to-date about special events and workshops, exclusive offers, discounts, and changes to our schedule and classes:

VINYASA YOGA - YIN YOGA - RESTORATIVE YOGA - JACKSONVILLE YOGA STUDIO - YOGA RETREATS - YOGA NIDRA - SOUND HEALING - KIRTAN - MEDITATION - TEACHER TRAINING

Black Cat Blog

ONE SMALL POSITIVE THOUGHT CAN CHANGE YOUR WHOLE DAY

YOGA

SOUND

OFF THE MAT

BE THE FIRST TO KNOW Subscribe to our e-mails and stay up-to-date about special events and workshops, exclusive offers, discounts, and changes to our schedule and classes:

BE THE FIRST TO KNOW

Subscribe to our e-mails and stay up-to-date about special events and workshops, exclusive offers, discounts, and changes to our schedule and classes: