HeidiSpear.jpg

Hello, I’m
Heidi Spear

Meditation teacher, author, and podcast host

Heidi Spear, MA, is an author, workshop presenter, podcast host, and Kripalu-trained yoga and meditation teacher on Kripalu faculty since 2008.

Heidi leads meditation programs online and across the country, including for Fortune 500 companies, The UltraWellness Center founded by Dr. Mark Hyman, and past programs led by best-selling authors Elizabeth Gilbert and Cheryl Strayed.

Her latest books published by Simon & Schuster are My Pocket Chakra Healing and Ayurveda Made Easy; she has been featured online on Chopra.com, Yoga Journal, MindBodyGreen, The UltraWellness Center, and other sites; and her popular meditation CD, Universe, is available for download anywhere you purchase music.

She holds master’s degrees in comparative literature and performing arts from New York University and Washington University in St. Louis, and she has supported the country’s top wellness centers as a writer in their marketing departments.

When not teaching or writing, Heidi enjoys cozy tea breaks and catching up with loved ones. For more information, including additional free resources, visit www.heidispear.com.

Articles

Woman doing yoga by the lake on a misty morning
Yoga

Three Yoga Postures to Build Confidence While Pursuing Your Unique Purpose

Following our own dharma takes courage. On the one hand it is deeply fulfilling and meaningful, and on the other hand it challenges us to overcome our limiting beliefs. Self-awareness and growth, again and again, are an essential part of the path. Obstacles appear, and we must figure out new ways to overcome them. Yoga gives us tools to find our inner strength and gain self-trust as we walk life’s path. Through the eight limbs of yoga, including asana (postures), we can continue to cultivate hope, inner peace, and resilience. Here are three postures that help us reconnect to our everlasting reservoir of inner strength.

Heidi Spear
Smiling yogi practicing at home
Yoga

The Surprising Reason for Adding Playfulness to Your Yoga Practice

From the ancient Yoga Sutras by Patañjali, the sutra sthira sukham asanam can be translated into English as “may the posture be steady and full of ease (or joy).” For anyone new to yoga, it might seem obvious to aim for steadiness and strength. Therefore, it is the prominence of sukham — signifying the eternal sense of joy, bliss, or ease within us — that may come as a surprise.

Heidi Spear
Person stretching at beach during sunset
Mind-Body Health

Why Companies Are Considering Shorter Workweeks to Support Mental Health

For people with full-time jobs, working four days a week rather than five days could have lasting positive effects for individuals and for society as a whole. Bold companies in the United States and abroad who want to offer their employees better opportunities for work-life balance are testing the 32-hour workweek and finding positive results. Here are some benefits to consider, ways to move forward, and legislators working on the issue.

Heidi Spear
Savasana or corpse pose
Yoga

Why Savasana Is the Most Important Yoga Pose

Savasana can be thought of as the most important pose in yoga, yet some people skip it or shorten its duration. If you practice asana (postures), then this last pose of the sequence is very significant and bolsters the effects of all the postures that come before it. Savasana allows you to be in a deep and profound state of awareness, as the body relaxes and integrates your practice and your life.

Heidi Spear
silhouette of person standing on a wooden pier at a lake during sunset
Meditation

Meditation on the Koshas for the Multidimensional Self

One of the incomplete views of the self that many of us have grown up with comes from an interpretation of the Cartesian maxim “I think; therefore I am.” Descartes shared that statement not to define what it means to be human but rather as a discovery of a statement that could not be refuted. Nevertheless, as a culture we seem to have adopted that statement as a definition of who we are: that our ability to think is synonymous with being sentient.

Heidi Spear
Portrait of laughing person with eyes closed indoors
Yoga

How Yoga Helps You Develop Self-Compassion When Starting Something New

Throughout life as we come up against challenges, we begin to seek more knowledge about how to take care of ourselves, how to understand who we truly are, and how to live a life aligned with what lights us up. We know that to feel well and fulfilled, we need access to tools, skills, and experiences that are going to support our body, mind, and spirit. We are drawn to yoga --- not only the postures, but all eight limbs of yoga --- knowing it can improve our health, help us navigate the challenges we face, and support our awakening.

Heidi Spear