Welcome to the Honor Yoga Blog

By: Maria Assunta

The Upanishads (philisophical text) philosophicalteach us: “The goal of life can be attained by following a balanced path of discipline and compassion.”

I didn’t take my yoga teacher training until I was in my 30s, and I wish I had started sooner.

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Yes, I owned several fitness clubs, was one of the nation’s leading turnaround specialists, appeared on the cover of two magazines, turned down a reality show, and grew Honor Yoga into the second largest franchise in the United States. But none of that really matters, because the single greatest transformation I ever experienced was through yoga teacher training. 

It changed not only my career, but also my spiritual life and daily practice.

I have even told my children that one of my deepest wishes is for them to complete yoga teacher training. That is how strongly I believe in it.

Because this is not just about learning how to touch your toes, it is about what you learn about yourself on the way down.

Teacher training begins this Saturday September 27 and we have just two spaces available. 

It also begins in the Spring and it’s never too early to explore.

Classes meet only two weekends a month for six months, a schedule that works for full-time professionals, parents, and students alike. Scholarships are still available. I will be teaching in this program along with renowned teachers Julie Mellk, Amy Tazza, Amanda Calisti, Dena Gillespie, Matt Hall, Carolyn Chaiko and more.

This is your chance to step into a program that renews both body and spirit, awakens clarity, and helps you live with greater purpose.

Whether you are in your 20s or your 60s, it is never too late to jump into this life changing program.

Click here to apply for Yoga Teacher Training and Scholarships or simply email us for more information as we believe each student is unique and deserves unique attention.

Love, Maria

by Darci Hammer, 200-hour YTT student

My journey took a turn off the “expected path” when I took an improv class.  It was completely out of character for me, but it’s where I learned a simple yet powerful idea:  “yes, and.”   The concept is simple:  you take a “gift” someone gives you and you add to it.  This slight change in perspective has opened countless doors for me.

Yoga is one of those doors.  While the physical practice of yoga (asana) has been part of my life for years, a simple question one day at Honor Yoga -  “Would you ever want to get your teacher certification?” - became their gift to me.  It inspired me to go beyond the physical and embrace yoga’s core philosophy.  

I discovered that yoga has a simple, yet powerful, code of ethics and way of being.  Many religions and cultures share similar principles, but this personal path spoke to me deeply, helping me reduce my own judgement of myself and others.

The Strength in Curiosity and Compassion

This journey of discovery began with curiosity.  By seeing new ideas not as a burden, but as an interesting perspective, I learned to let go of judgment and seek to understand rather than to be right.  I found real strength in being humble and vulnerable, which opened me up to authentic connections.  

I now see compassion as the energy that moves us to act and connect.  It’s the ability to see our shared humanity, acknowledging our differences while focusing on the common threads that can build a more positive world.

A Practice of Grounding

The “yes, and” mindset has taught me to pause before I respond to people.  In that moment of silence, I ask myself 3 questions:

Is my response going to be helpful?

Will it change the outcome?

Is this truly what I think, or what I think others want to hear?

This practice has helped me find a more calm and grounded state of mind.  It allows me to let go of self-judgement so I can respond to others with kindness and integrity.  By cultivating this peaceful energy, I can connect with others in a more genuine and considerate way.

By bringing this grounded and compassionate mindset to my world, I hope that I can help others cultivate peace and gratitude in their own interactions.

With gratitude and grounding,  Darci

By Maria Assunta Parrella

Chief Yogi & Founder, Honor Yoga | Chairwoman, Honor Yoga Foundation

Over the years, yoga has taught me that healing doesn’t always happen on a mat. Sometimes it happens in a chair, in stillness, or in a single breath. Chair yoga honors that truth — it invites us to return to ourselves in a way that’s gentle, grounded, and deeply effective.

And yet, so many people still believe chair yoga is only for seniors. That couldn’t be further from the truth.

Chair yoga is for every body and every season of life. Whether you’re navigating injury, sitting at a desk all day, easing back into movement, or simply craving a softer, more supportive practice — this is a path back to presence and vitality.

It’s the practice you didn’t know you needed — until now.

What Is Chair Yoga?

Chair yoga is a form of yoga that uses a chair for support — either seated, standing, or both. It adapts traditional postures into something more accessible, without sacrificing depth or intention.

This is not a “lesser” version of yoga. It’s a wiser one. It’s for people who are listening to their bodies and honoring what they truly need.

Who Is It For?

Anyone who wants to move more mindfully and with greater ease.

Chair yoga is especially helpful for:

• Those recovering from injury or managing chronic conditions

• Office workers with limited time or space to stretch

• Beginners looking for an inviting way in

• Aging adults who want strength, stability, and energy

• Longtime yogis seeking softness, restoration, and nervous system support

• Chair yoga reminds us that yoga is not about poses — it’s about presence.

Real Benefits, Real Results

This practice helps you:

• Build strength and improve mobility

• Deepen your breath and calm your mind

• Cultivate better posture and body awareness

• Reconnect with yourself in a way that feels safe, sacred, and sustainable

And the best part? You can do it anywhere. No mat, no fancy clothes, no pressure.

Meet the Teachers Who Will Guide You

At Honor Yoga, our Chair Yoga classes are held with warmth, wisdom, and joy — thanks to two very special guides:

Jackie George teaches on Tuesdays at 10:30 AM. She brings an infectious passion for Chair Yoga, Barre, and other mindful modalities. Jackie has a heart for helping children and active aging adults, and her classes are rooted in both strength and compassion.

On Thursdays at 10:30 AM, you’ll meet Gioia Fumo-Miranda — I’ve known Gioia for over 30 years. I still remember us teaching at LivingWell Lady Fitness in our leotards and legwarmers. From those energetic beginnings, Gioia has evolved into a grounded, grace-filled teacher whose love for movement and connection radiates in every class.

They are more than instructors — they are heart-centered women devoted to guiding others home to themselves.

Take Your Seat

If you’ve been waiting for the “right” time to return to your body… this is it.

Join us for 2 weeks unlimited yoga for just $61 - CLICK HERE https://pennington.honoryoga.com/specials-pricing

Come as you are. Leave feeling whole.

by Andy Cinque, 200-hour Honor Yoga Teacher Training Grad

When I began my yoga teacher training at Honor Yoga Pennington, I walked in with no specific expectations—just a deep curiosity and an openness to see where the journey would take me. 

What unfolded was more enriching than I could have imagined.

As we near the end of this certification, I’ve come to realize that this is not a conclusion, but the beginning of our journeys. 

My perspective has shifted greatly. 

I am learning to embrace the unknown with a sense of openness, grounded in the tools, insights, and inner strength this training has helped me cultivate.

Throughout this experience, I’ve been surrounded by a community of passionate, supportive, and diverse individuals. 

We all arrived with different reasons—healing, transformation, growth, exploration—but found common ground in our shared love of yoga and our desire to learn. That shared value of community has been one of the most meaningful parts of the journey.

What’s been especially beautiful is how much we’ve learned from each other. 

Each person brought a different voice, a different story, and a different lens—but together, we created a space where all of it belonged. 

We listened, reflected, challenged, supported, and inspired one another in ways that have deepened not just our practices, but our understanding of ourselves.

This training has helped me begin to uncover my own voice—not just as a teacher, but as a student of life. 

It’s taught me to be more present, more compassionate, and more trusting of the process, even when I don’t know exactly where it’s leading. That, in itself, has been a profound gift.

So while this chapter of teacher training may be coming to a close, the journey ahead is wide open—and I’m stepping into it with gratitude, curiosity, and a sense of grounded possibility.

To anyone thinking about starting this path: you don’t need to have all the answers. Just bring your breath, your heart, and your willingness to grow.

Because sometimes, the most powerful journeys begin with simply showing up.

By: Julie Mellk

I’ve never been the type to gravitate toward group activities. Social gatherings exhaust me. And you'll absolutely never find me on a cruise (I know "watch your always and your nevers"). 

I find pure joy in solitude. Quiet is my dearest friend. I can sit in a room and work for hours without a single sound or interaction. 

And yet, I thrive as the owner operater of a yoga studio. 

What continues to surprise me most about yoga isn’t the way it strengthens my body or calms my mind (though it does both beautifully), but the way it’s quietly and steadily built a community around me, and,  within me.

11 years ago I moved from NYC to central NJ and left what I now call my sisterhood. For nearly 15 years I had spent hours upon hours in NYC yoga studios. Yes, on the surface I was there to teach and practice yoga, but once removed from it, I painfully discovered that is was my that heart needed to be there. I spent over a decade walking into a place where people didn't just know my name, they knew much of my life! Why? Because they genuinely cared to. 

Yoga, it turns out, is not a solitary practice. 

Even when practiced in silence, even when your mat is set up quietly in the back of the room, yoga has a way of binding people together. Not in a forced, performative way, but in a deeply human way. 

Over time, yoga cultivates what researchers are only now starting to measure: the healing power of authentic, consistent relationships.

The word yoga itself means union. While many interpret that as the union of body, mind, and spirit, there’s another layer I’ve come to understand over time: it’s also about the union between people. When we move and breathe together, when we show up to the same underlying desire- inner peace- something subtle happens. We regulate to one another. Our nervous systems respond. We feel safer. Seen. Known.

Yoga doesn’t ask for performative interaction. It doesn’t demand smiles or chit-chat. It simply offers the choice to build presence. And presence, when shared over time, creates trust.

More and more, science is confirming what yogic philosophy has long held: we thrive in connection. One of the most famous longitudinal studies on health, the Harvard Study of Adult Development, has tracked participants for over 80 years. Their finding?

The clearest predictor of longevity and life satisfaction wasn’t wealth, fame, or even exercise. It was the quality of their relationships.

Not the number of friends. Not social status. 

Just simple, consistent, nourishing connection. The kind that reminds you that you matter.

Strong, regular social ties lower the risk of chronic disease, boost immunity, and even increase lifespan. 

In other words, we’re wired to be together. Even (and maybe especially) those of us who prefer quiet.

What makes yoga different from other group activities is that it creates space for individual experience within collective energy. No one’s asking you to perform. You don’t need to compete, impress, or even talk. 

You show up, breathe, move, and somehow, without trying, you start to feel part of something larger.

In a yoga community, connection builds slowly and sincerely. It might begin with recognizing a familiar face in class, a shared smile in an awkward pose, a brief exchange about tight shoulders or busy mornings. 

Over time, those small interactions root into something deeper...a sense of belonging.

And for those of us who crave connection but feel drained by the traditional ways it’s offered, this is a lifeline.

What yoga offers is a chosen family of supportive people in your week that nourishes more than your muscles. It’s a place where you can simply be, and in doing so, become more connected to yourself and others.

I will forever love silence. Alone time will always fill my cup. But now I know this: the path to a long, healthy, meaningful life isn’t just paved in self-care, it’s walked alongside others.

With love, Julie

by Maria Assunta

I have accomplished a lot in my life. I climbed the ladder of “success,” built the brands, and filled my days with the endless hum and brouhaha of the 3-D world. But deep inside, something was calling me to stop juggling, to stop managing, and to start remembering.

I realized that the real purpose of my work, and my life, wasn’t to keep all the balls in the air. They’ll stay in the air anyway. The real purpose was to become aware, to return home to my own inner union, the vibration that connects me to everything.

That’s why every human deserves to experience teacher training.

Teacher training isn’t about learning to cue a pose or memorize Sanskrit. It’s an initiation into the art of being awake, into releasing my unique awareness into the world. When I guide students through this process, I watch them light up from the inside out. Something shifts. They stop trying to “perform” yoga and begin to live yoga. They begin to see that yoga isn’t a practice to perfect the body. It’s a pathway to remember the Self.

In those moments, I see people fall in love with themselves, sometimes for the first time. They soften. They forgive. They start to hear the sound of their own inner guidance. And as they align with their truth, their vibration changes. They begin to radiate differently, not through what they say or do, but through the frequency they hold.

That’s what this journey is about: vibration. Not words. Not poses. Not achievements. But it IS about authenticity.

We live in a world that teaches us to filter ourselves. To calculate what to say, how to say it, what might be gained or lost. We’ve been conditioned to speak in ways that protect the fragile image of who we think we’re supposed to be. Our minds become strategists, deciding which truths to hide, how to soften our edges, how to say things “the right way” so that others will accept us.

We measure our words through layers of fear and performance, forgetting that truth doesn’t need managing. When the mind becomes both the inner and outer authority, it cannot help but distort what is real, because it’s constantly protecting itself. It edits. It censors. It calculates. And in doing so, it keeps us trapped in the illusion of control, when all that’s ever being asked of us is to simply be.

But awakening calls us beyond that. It calls us to release our awareness freely, to stop protecting ourselves from our own truth.

When my students discover that their worth isn’t tied to doing or achieving, but to being, that’s when the real yoga begins. That’s when I see them step into the beauty of their own consciousness, when they stop reaching for external validation and instead become a vessel of awareness, compassion, and presence.

This is the magic of teacher training. It’s not a course, it’s an awakening.

It’s a space where we remember that love isn’t something to chase or perform. It’s what we already are when we stop pretending to be anything else.

And when we find that union within, the whole world feels it. Because every time one of us returns to authenticity, the vibration of the whole planet rises.

About the Author

Maria Assunta Parrella is clairvoyant into it and spiritual healer. She is the founder of Honor Yoga and chair woman of the Honor Yoga Foundation. Through her private sessions,retreats, trainings, and teachings, she helps others awaken to their souls path and authentic vibration to remember who they truly are. Work with Maria here.