The heart is known as our seat of compassion. It’s where we love from. It’s what floods us with joy when our heart beams. Physiologically, the heart is connected to our central immune system. Just at the centre of the chest is the Thymus Gland. This gland is our immune regulator. Additionally, the area of the heart is connected to the lungs and our breath. So when we do heart openers, we are working with expanding and clarifying the breath,…
Muladhara The root chakra, or Muladhara, is located at your tailbone, and extends to include your legs and feet. Representing the beginning of your spiritual development, the root chakra is literally your root, your base, there to ground you. Representing who you are at your core, who and what you trust, and your sense of belonging and tradition, the root chakraās desire is survival, self-sufficiency, and stability. It governs how we deal with things like family, money, basic needs, and…
Do you remember your first yoga class? Do you ever remember trying a new pose or a sequence and laughing to yourself about what-on-earth it was that you were doing? I think we’ve all had these moments at one point or another. It’s that little thought of being silly or moving your body in a way you’ve never tried before. Yoga is FULL of poses and practices that may, at first, make you feel a little strange. But the beauty…
1 – Wake up every morning thinking of all the people and things you love in your life. 2 – Journal about ways you want to create and express yourself. 3 – Enjoy a good breakfast–even if it’s just a favourite morning drink or smoothie! 4 – Give yourself time to do tasks at a comfortable pace. 5 – Breathe slowly. Breathe fully. Breathe for your well being. 6 – Smile at people on the street. 7 – Ask the…
Find out more about Barbara and her upcoming Restorative Yoga workshop through our Q and A below! Hello Barbara! So, what is Restorative Yoga? Thereās a quote from the renowned Restorative Yoga teacher, Judit Lasater that I like āWe work very hard in our lives, and while we may sleep, we rarely take time to relax. Restorative yoga poses help us learn to rest deeply and completely.” And that, in a nutshell is was restorative yoga is: a slow, gentle…
Have you ever been in the park, or on the beach, or just in your kitchen waiting for the kettle to boil, and thought, “hmm, I’d like to do about 1 minute of yoga now.” Here are a few yoga poses that you can do almost anywhere, without any props or a mat: Arms Overhead, with Slight Back Bend This one is great for expanding the breath, and getting a wonderful stretch along the back, spine and torso. Remain with…
During these summer days, nearly every yoga class feels like a hot yoga class! Whether you’re a hot yoga junkie, or you’re simply curious, here are some benefits to know about adding a bit of hot to your yoga. 1 – The heat can aid in flexibility. The heat in a hot yoga class helps to relax and rejuvenate muscles, similar to the feeling you’d get after taking a bath or being in a sauna. Of course, hot yoga is…
Have you ever wondered why your yoga teacher asks you to place your palms together in front of your heart? This gesture is one of many called a mudra. A mudra is a symbolic seal or gesture that we use in our physical practice to focus intention. Mudras can help to facilitate flow of movement, tune awareness, and relieve stress. One of the most common mudras in a yoga practice is Anjali Mudra. This is the positioning of the palms…
With the warm weather we’ve had in Dublin recently, it’s a great time to invite the energy of Summer into our practices. Summer is all about Yang energy. Energy that is full of vitality, movement, light, and freedom. It’s connected to the energy of the sun, which we have all graciously welcomed. When we tap into this summer-time energy, we can use it to guide our practice and support our bodies through the changing seasons. Keep the following practices in…
Last week we spoke about mindful ways to start your day, and this week we’re focusing onĀ mindful ways to say goodnight. Try out these tips for mindfully ending your day. Put your devices to bed.Ā Take at least 30 minutes to 1 hour before bed without using a phone, computer, television, or any other electronic device. When you use electronic devices at nighttime, the light from the screen affects your waking and sleeping hormones. There are apps you can use to…