The problem with free yoga
And then I thought there is something really wrong with our ‘everything needs to be for free culture’, which I started to observe more and more. And this is not about the people who really do not have the money to afford things, it is about this culture that we can afford something, but we do not want to spend money on it.
Practice Vulnerability
I am sitting on the floor. My back towards the bed. My body curled into a little ball. Tears are running down my cheeks. I am sobbing. My boyfriend comes in to comfort me. He says: “this is a great teaching. Learn to live with the chaos around you. You are a great teacher, and now you need to be your own teacher.”
Do you speak the truth?
But it may not be as simple, as not lying someone in their face. It is to strive to avoid even the smallest misimpression in the mind of the person listening to you. So their picture in their mind needs to match the picture we have in our mind about what we speak. Any difference created on purpose is lying.
Manage and reduce stress with yoga
Most of my stress clients tell me how they’ve experienced not being able to realize whether they were tired, hungry, thirsty or whether their bodies were hurting when they were stressed. They were so busy with their lives, doing “what was needed to be done”, that they lost their ability to feel how they felt. As a result of long years with stress, some even experienced that their bodies were not answering their demands any-longer, and ended-up not being able to get out of their bed one morning.
winter bathing and yoga
Today my breath was calm. I floated in 3 degrees warm water. My mind was calm and I felt at peace. All the times I have been in there with my pure willpower prepared me for this moment, all the pranayama (breath work to control lifeforce energy) I did prepared me for this moment, where my breath knew exactly what to do.
Yoga and sustainability
The concept of sustainable living has been growing over the past decade. Its application relates to
lifestyle choices and decisions we are making daily. When we talk about yoga it is more than just a
regular physical exercise, controlling your breathing, proper diet, relaxation, and positive thinking. It
also includes meditation which helps in developing harmony in your mind, body, and environment.
Minimalism and Yoga
The next thing is that we get attached to these things and start worrying about losing them. We pay even more money for insurance and we sometimes do not use the precious things so they do not get broken and buy something else instead to use, while we wait for that special day to take the other thing out of the closet again… I think you can see the vicious cycle here. Enjoy it while it lasts.
What changed
I am walking barefoot over warm stones, I can hear the birds singing and behind me the panorama of three volcanoes immerse in the light of the setting sun. The lake in front of them lays calm. Far from civilization, I am finishing my advanced yoga teacher training at one of the world’s most beautiful lakes as named by National Geographic. It is here where I first hear about the virus. First I am exploring my options to stay longer in paradise, as knowing coming home now, would mean no work.
The body’s wisdom
Wisdom and intelligence is something we often times associate with our mind. Our head, our brain, our ratio. But did you know your body also holds a great deal of wisdom? It has so much to tell you. Your feelings, wants, desires, values, limits, and your intuition; these great treasures all live within you.
Breathe right, now.
Another great thing that happens when we breath through the nose is the production of NO, which also plays part in the absorption process. NO is further important to keep your blood vessels healthy and regulates blood pressure. It is also important for the immune system and nervous system including a healthy brain. NO has antiviral, antibacterial and antifungal properties. New studies suggest that it could also reduce the viral load of SARS-COV2. Lesser load has been shown as correlating with milder symptoms and lower risk of transmission.
Why we should still practice together. Yoga during the lockdown.
“It is not about individuality or certain sections of society. It is all about recognizing that we are all connected and part of one universal being. We all are governed by vibrations. A happy person can make us happy and an unhappy person spreads unhappiness. When glaciers melt due to global warming the water levels rise around the planet. Global warming is such a glaring reminder that we cannot isolate ourselves.” Bhanu Narasimhan
How Yoga can change your life
If 2020 taught us something then it is that we need to be more flexible – in our minds too. Yoga can help you with this as its original meaning is: the cessation of the fluctuation of the mind. Change is all around us, and it is our ability to respond to it that decides if we thrive and look for new opportunities or if we let it control us and suffer.
Benefits of Yoga Nidra
People that want to transform their minds and their lives need to implement this beautiful sacred healing practice into their lives to see the change they wish to see.
Close your mouth and breath
The mouth is there for talking, eating and kissing. Physiological it is the nose’s job to provide you with oxygen. It prepares the air for optimal oxygen absorption. It is connected to the diaphragm and an inhale through the nose has hence the potential for more volume.
Yoga for Cyclists
Did you know that yoga can improve your cycling performance? Efficient oxygen intake! Good breathing is vital, especially when you request endurance performance from your body. Yoga helps you to optimize the ratio between muscles used for a single breath and...
Why is yoga so spiritual?
Let’s put this in simple words.
What differentiate practicing asanas (set of physical exercise) in yoga from gymnastics?
Connecting your breath to the movement or the static retention of the poses (and a few more things, but let’s stay with the breath for now).
Continuousness is Key
Why this post? Yesterday I saw 2 new girls in the studio. Struggling to keep up with the pace, mixing up left and right arms etc. I remember, that I was the same. I still fall every now and then because I loose my balance. But I didn’t give up. If the first session sucks, don’t say yoga isn’t for you. Find the right studio and teacher. You will grow together and after maybe 82 or more logs you will understand the beauty and make it a habit that will change your life.
Short Yoga Routine for Everyday
Do you spend a lot of time sitting on a chair? Do you regularly feel stiff in your back, shoulders and neck? Or do you simply want to stretch a bit in the morning or before going to bed?
These 4 Asanas (poses) are easy and achievable by anyone. Just use 10 minutes of your day to get down on the floor, on your yoga mat or on your living room mat.
Find your Inner Warrior Goddess
What do tsunamis, snowstorms, earthquakes, and wildfires have in common? Power.
Raw, fierce, and uncontrollable. None of your actions could stop it. This same energy can be found in a mother protecting her kid or in an activist standing up for its rights. This bravery and the inner force that we all have in us is represented in Hinduism by the goddess Durga.
Free Guided Meditation
Getting started with meditation? A guided meditation can be a great way to get started. Julia met Doug in Guatemala. He is a talented Yoga, Kirtan and Meditation teacher and is sharing a beautiful guided meditation with us. Sit back, close your eyes and relax. Let his soft voice carry you away from the earthly worries for 25 minutes.
“What are you willing to commit to… and let go off?”
I can spend days ruminating the thought that “I” need to figure it all (including the “right” thing to do). But in truth, so much is just out of my hands. If and when I open to that truth, I immediately feel a sense of support, like someone is holding my back, and my breath becomes deeper.
Keeping Up with A Home Practice
I woke up six days a week before the sunrise to practice the centuries old teachings from the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. I spent many days awash in contentment while living mindfully in an ashram on a mountainside overlooking the awe-inspiring Lake Atitlan. In retrospect, working for the teaching credential was the easy part.
Awareness, a traveler’s perspective
I thought after a month there was never some danger in front of my bed, I should be less paranoid and mistaken fearless for unawareness. So first step that morning was on to a scorpion and it got me. It is hard to be so aware in the morning, especially as we often just stumble out of bed into the day.
Boundaries in a Yoga Class
I am sure that all of you have had moments of irritation in a Yoga class. But there was one moment in class, that really irritated me. The Yoga teacher assistant of my Ashtanga Yoga Led class, who I saw for the first time in my life, touched my breast during an assist.
How to handle exam fear with yoga
Probably, as economic students they are not used to breathing exercise and certainly even less when their teacher invites them to do it. I told them that this should help them release some unwanted stress and improve their concentrate on the exam questions.