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# The Opener

Yoga and Healing with Domonick Wegesin

## Sitemaps

- [XML Sitemap](https://theopener.com/sitemap.xml): Contains all public & indexable URLs for this website.

## Posts

- [Blog](https://theopener.com/blog/) - This will redirect to the blog posts.
- [Tribute to Thich Nhat Hahn](https://theopener.com/blog/tribute-to-thich-nhat-hahn/) - This month, we lost one of the world’s greatest teachers of peace and non-violence, the Vietnamese Buddhist monk, author and activist, Thich Nhat Hanh. He came onto our Western radar during the Vietnam War, when he traveled here to make the case for peace. During his trip he met Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., who
- [Lowering Your Expectations Might Be the Trick to a More Mindful New Year](https://theopener.com/blog/lowering-your-expectations-might-be-the-trick-to-a-more-mindful-new-year/) - What is it that makes 2022 sound impossibly futuristic? Could it be the timeless fog of pandemic fatigue or our Omicron-induced fear that 2022 won’t be any different than 2021? Whatever the reason, I’m finding it hard to drum up much excitement for the New Year. You may be feeling the same. So… As you
- [How to Manage the Anxiety  of Holiday Gatherings](https://theopener.com/blog/how-to-manage-the-anxiety-of-holiday-gatherings/) - With Thanksgiving just around the corner, many people are feeling anxious about family gatherings. This year, it’s not just dealing with Uncle Joe’s casual racism, encountering siblings with whom grudges linger, or worrying about serving a dry turkey. We’re at a place in the pandemic where we are gathering more, but COVID and the fear
- [Finding Your Flow](https://theopener.com/blog/finding-your-flow/) - I just returned from a lovely week on the Big Island. It took me some time to shift gears and settle into a non-rushed, non-goal-oriented approach to my days. In fact, it wasn’t until the third day that I made it to the beach for my morning yoga practice. That changed everything. I love to
- [A Revelation in Back Care](https://theopener.com/blog/a-revelation-in-back-care/) - For years, I learned (and taught) abdominal hollowing techniques to create a supportive core. With abdominal hollowing, you contract your front belly muscles (rectus abdominus and transverse abdominus) to draw the belly in towards the spine. I first got a hint of there being another option while I was on a cruise a few years
- [Minding Your Emotions](https://theopener.com/blog/minding-your-emotions/) - The trial and verdict of the murder of George Floyd has stirred up our collective emotions around racism and fairness. For too long, we white folks have taken the more comfortable road of avoidance, which has allowed the perpetuation of violence and discrimination against our friends of color. I understand. It’s uncomfortable facing the truth
- [The Risk of  COVID Cognitive Distortions](https://theopener.com/blog/the-risk-of-covid-cognitive-distortions/) - I have been struck in several recent conversations by how clever our minds are at deceiving us, warping reality to fit our preconceived notions of what kind of people we believe ourselves to be. These cognitive distortions are dangerous when it comes to the spread of COVID. On one hand, people feel they are behaving
- [Breathe in Calm](https://theopener.com/blog/breathe-in-calm/) - Every fall one of my students, Ashley, always dreads having to give a presentation to the parents of her incoming elementary school students. Leading up to the presentations she feels her chest tighten and her breath shorten. Sometimes it feels like she can't take a breath, and that makes her even more anxious. She worries
- [Coping with Emotions You'd Rather Not Feel](https://theopener.com/blog/coping-with-emotions-youd-rather-not-feel/) - The trial and verdict of the murder of George Floyd has stirred up our collective emotions around racism and fairness. For too long, we white folks have taken the more comfortable road of avoidance, which has allowed the perpetuation of violence and discrimination against our friends of color. I understand. It’s uncomfortable facing the truth
- [Why not me?](https://theopener.com/blog/why-not-me/) - I was listening to a dharma talk by Sylvia Boorstein a couple of weeks ago, and she was telling the story of a friend who had been diagnosed with cancer; it was pancreatic cancer. And her friend was asking Sylvia’s advice about how to handle what she was going through. Sylvia was reviewing the mindful
- [The Gift of Yoga](https://theopener.com/blog/the-gift-of-yoga/) - It is not surprising to hear yoga teachers espouse the benefits of the practice. Sometimes, it feels like I’m a PR machine for yoga, reporting the latest research that shows how it helps eliminate stress or reduce bad habits, or deal with anxious thinking. Or, reminding students in class that this particular pose helps with
- [Friendliness Amidst Fear](https://theopener.com/blog/friendliness-amidst-fear/) - I am just back from a wonderful adventure through parts of New Zealand and Australia. Throughout or trip, my husband and I kept noticing how friendly everyone seemed. Granted, much of our exposure was to folks working in the service industry, as we interacted mostly with waiters, shop-keepers, and the like. However, even the people
- [Namaste Yoga Closing](https://theopener.com/blog/namaste-yoga-closing/) - Those of you who are students at Namaste Yoga have already heard the news of the studio’s closing. I interviewed with Kimberly, the owner, shortly after moving to Oakland from New York City fifteen years ago. We met and chatted on the sidewalk outside the Rockridge studio and hit it off right away. The studio
- [Coping with COVID](https://theopener.com/blog/coping-with-covid/) - What an interesting time we are living through now. Fraught with extra doses of stress and anxiety, no doubt. But, also ripe with the possibility of living a simpler and more easeful life. I, for one, have been faring well, thanks in part to my mindful toolbox. It is okay that you are feeling more
- [Let Me Be the Change](https://theopener.com/blog/let-me-be-the-change/) - All of our diatribes against Donald Trump, against his racism, homophobia, mysogyny, xenophobia, greed, ego, etc., all reveal aspects of our common consciousness. Growing up in America, we are all trained in these beliefs to various degrees: that Blacks are inferior to Whites, that gays are aberrations of nature, that men should be the heads
- [Cultivating Kindness in the midst of Conflict and Chaos](https://theopener.com/blog/cultivating-kindness-in-the-midst-of-conflict-and-chaos/) - The news this morning of the ISIS terrorist attack in Brussels claiming over 30 lives and injuring 200 more reflects the hate stemming from us vs. them thinking. The concept that me and mine are right and thus it follows that you and yours are wrong derives naturally from our egos. This dichotomy presents itself in
- [Post-Election Tips for Sanity](https://theopener.com/blog/post-election-tips-for-sanity/) - Abiding Difficult EmotionsIt has been a turbulent week for most of us. And we may not know the best way to hold the feelings of fear, anger, resentment, and despair evoked by this Trump win. These difficult emotions can easily propel us into unskillful actions, where we are more likely to cause further harm to
- [From Scarcity to Sufficiency - attitude adjustment](https://theopener.com/blog/from-scarcity-to-sufficiency-attitude-adjustment/) - The dialogue of scarcity is prevalent for most of us. We might wake up with the thought, “I didn’t get enough sleep”. We look at our To Do list and feel we don’t have enough time to get everything done. We check our calendars and think there is not enough space to take a breath.
- [Human Connection in a Digital Age](https://theopener.com/blog/human-connection-in-a-digital-age/) - It seems ironic that though yoga is about connection (yoga means “to yolk”), it is such a solo practice. Though we may practice in groups, yoga invites us to focus on ourselves: my sensations, my thoughts, my habits, my abilities, etc. Where is the yolking? Where is the connecting?Our digital culture also fuels more isolated
- [Righteousness vs. Kindness:  A dialogue of the ego and the heart](https://theopener.com/blog/righteousness-vs-kindness-a-dialogue-of-the-ego-and-the-heart/) - Last month, I wrote about the development of the ego and how it creates dichotomous, us vs. them thinking, categorizing everything we do as right, and consequently often making others wrong. This month, I share a moment of my own practice navigating the ego and kindness.I was recently having breakfast at a downtown diner, and had
- [How to Relax Immediately - Just Breathe.](https://theopener.com/blog/how-to-relax-immediately-just-breathe/) - One of the most useful techniques to apply to calm down when you are feeling anxious and stressed is focused deep breathing. The breath pattern you will learn this week helps to turn up the body’s parasympathetic nervous system, that branch of the autonomic nervous system known as the ‘rest and digest’ system. Generally, it
- [Leg Love Thai Massage Series](https://theopener.com/blog/leg-love-thai-massage-series/) - Here are the links to the two You Tube videos for the Thai massage sequence. Hope you continue to enjoy sharing these techniques with one another. We are all in need of more human touch. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vjRNez1yHeA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TjzWlQqZOsU
- [Freedom!](https://theopener.com/blog/freedom/) - I found myself crying over my chicken pot pie breakfast this morning, as the marriage equality news from the Supreme Court came in. In part, the tears were of joy, celebrating the evolution of marriage to embrace a greater swath of our community. Opponents of marriage equality have argued that changing the definition of marriage

## Pages

- [Home](https://theopener.com/) - Breathe in Calm: Yogic Tools for Anxiety Anxiety affects all aspects of life—including career, family, and relationships. And if you have anxiety, you may feel helpless against your symptoms. But nothing could be further from the truth. You are stronger than your anxiety, and you have all the resources you need to manage
- [Bio](https://theopener.com/bio/) - Domonick Wegesin, PhD, E-RYT 500, LMT I grew up on a farm in Indiana and am a real Nature boy at heart. I love my daily hikes in the redwoods here in the East Bay. I completed undergraduate and graduate training in psychology and cognitive neuroscience, and worked for ten years at Columbia University in
- [Mindfulness](https://theopener.com/work-with-me/mindfulness/) - What is Mindfulness? Mindfulness involves becoming aware of what is happening in the present moment without judgement. Usually, then you have an experience, your mind jumps to judging the experience, e.g., good or bad, pleasant or unpleasant, expected or unexpected. Mindful awareness is simply noticing what is here without elaborating on it or going into
- [Yoga](https://theopener.com/work-with-me/yoga/) - Domonick's Yoga Library Below you will find a list of class titles for various yoga themes so that you can pick a class that fits what you need today. Each item denotes a clickable link that will download the class from my DropBox. Once downloaded, you can replay the class as many times as you
- [Breathe in Calm](https://theopener.com/breathe-in-calm/) - In times of intense stress and anxiety, you need instant relief. Breathe In Calm offers powerful neuroscience-based strategies grounded in mindfulness and yogic breathing to help you find the peace you deserve. Anxiety affects all aspects of life—including career, family, and relationships. And if you have anxiety, you may feel helpless against your symptoms, and
- [Cancellation Policy](https://theopener.com/cancellation-policy/) - My intention is to be of service to you in cultivating your well-being. To help meet that goal experience has proven that I need to establish some guidelines for honoring our time together. I thank you for your understanding the need for these cancellation policies. Private and Semi-Private Sessions Your appointments and well-being are
- [Stress and Anxiety](https://theopener.com/work-with-me/stress-and-anxiety/) - Yoga for Anxiety Workshop Coping in the days of COVID Dealing with a global pandemic is stressful. Dealing with the uncertainty of the present time further contributes to being more anxious. When your anxiety gets turned on by circumstances like these, it can get stuck in overdrive, and you feel more emotionally volatile. Little
- [Home - Revised](https://theopener.com/home-revised/) - “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy" Martin Luther King, Jr. Live-Streaming Yoga from The Opener: Strength amidst the Struggle We need our peace-making tools now more than ever. Living amidst social unrest, managing a
- [Work With Me](https://theopener.com/work-with-me/) - Read about the following ways we can work together to bring you closer to your goals. email: domonick@theopener.com Studio location: 12 Shetland Ct., Oakland, CA 94605
- [Contact](https://theopener.com/contact/) - Email: domonick@theopener.com Studio Location: 12 Shetland Ct., Oakland, CA 94605
- [Online Classes](https://theopener.com/online-classes/) - With Namaste Yoga's closing, I will continue my online classes through Lemon From Heaven. You can sign up and pay for these sliding scale classes ($10-$20) through the Lemon from Heaven website or jump to the section below by clicking here text SCHEDULE Mondays, 4:00-5:00pm Mindful Yoga Flow Tuesdays, 10:00-11:00am Mindful Yoga Flow
- [Hawai'i Yoga Retreat](https://theopener.com/hawaii-yoga-retreat/) - Come experience Hawai'i like you have never experienced it before! Explore the wonders of land and sea through the lens of mindfulness: a nonjudgmental, present-moment awareness.Rejuvenate your mind, body and spirit the Aloha way.Makalawena Beach Come breathe some of the freshest air on the planet, slow down, feel the sun on your face, and open your heart to
- [Hawaii Rooms](https://theopener.com/hawaii-rooms/) - Hale Kai (House of the Ocean)Hale Kai is a beautiful, off-the-grid retreat center situated in a traditional Hawaiian village next to Ho'Okena Beach, about 30 miles south of the busy tourist area of Kona. It consists of traditional Balinese-style huts constructed of hardwoods and bamboo. You feel as if you've flown half-way around world and
- [Hawaii Registration](https://theopener.com/hawaii-registration/)
- [Dana](https://theopener.com/work-with-me/dana/) - In both the yoga and mindfulness traditions, Dana is the practice of cultivating generosity. The practice of generous giving can directly support an individual, a family or society, as well as benefit the giver. In Buddhist thought, Dana transforms the mind of the giver and is a trait associated with the development of happiness in
- [Thank You For Your Donation](https://theopener.com/thank-you-for-your-donation/) - Thank you for your donation.
- [Corporate Wellness](https://theopener.com/work-with-me/corporate-wellness/) - Healthy and happy employees make the best employees. They take fewer sick days, are more productive with their time, get along better with their workmates and report greater job satisfaction.MindfulnessDomonick offers corporate wellness training that uses the tools of mindfulness to reduce employee stress and anxiety and enhance employee satisfaction.Mindfulness involves paying attention to what
- [Checkout](https://theopener.com/checkout/) - [show_wp_shopping_cart]
- [Thank You](https://theopener.com/thank-you/) - Thank you for contacting me. I will reach out to you as soon as I can.In the meantime please enjoy this guided meditation. It is intended to help you cultivate kindness towards yourself and others. We all face challenges in life, and we often are hard on ourselves when we experience challenges. Self-compassion allows us to
- [Thank You For Your Purchase](https://theopener.com/thank-you-for-your-purchase/) - Thank you for your purchase. I look forward to working with you.If you purchased a downloadable product, please check your email.

## Categories

- [Blog](https://theopener.com/category/blog/)
- [Yoga](https://theopener.com/category/yoga/)