Here at YogaHub we love the practice of yoga nidra, which is often called “yogic sleep.” Yoga nidra Is a state of consciousness between waking and sleeping, like the “going-to-sleep” stage. It is a state in which the body is completely relaxed, and the practitioner becomes systematically and increasingly aware of the inner world by following a set of verbal instructions. If you are able to stay awake, it can bring clarity of mind and deep insight. Yoga nidra is among the…
Ahh, the ego. We all have one, and every so often (or, um, every hour or so) it likes to come out and play. And one of the places we can notice it the most? Our yoga practice. All too often we can find ourselves starting to compare ourselves to others, berate ourselves, and generally feel not quite good enough. Which I think you’ll agree is a pretty icky feeling. So here are three ways that you can start to…
Whether you’re sitting down or on your feet all day for work, yoga is the perfect after work transition into the rest of your evening. Here are 5 of our favourite poses to include in an after work yoga sequence! Downward Facing Dog It’s the cliche yoga pose for a reason – it does it all! Downdog stretches the hamstrings calves, shoulders and hands, as it strengthens the arms and legs. It improves circulation, lengthens the spine, energises the body,…
When I say I am a yoga teacher, a really common response is “Wow, you must be really flexible.” At a wedding recently a girl I had just met went so far as to scream “You do yoga, DO THE SPLITS ON THE DANCE FLOOR!” When I laughed that off she started chanting “Do the WORM, do the WORM!”. I can do neither so I didn’t… much to her disappointment and everyone else’s relief. The screaming girl at the wedding…
Straps are a great way to go a bit deeper into your yoga practice, and can help you access new elements of certain postures without having to strain and sacrifice your breath. As well as that, a yoga strap can help you refine your alignment and provide extra support. And pssst – you don’t have to buy a fancy yoga strap for a lot of these suggestions. A belt or a scarf can often work just as well! Check out…
When I first started practicing yoga, I avoided blocks. I was determined to do everything by myself, even if that meant sacrificing integrity in a certain pose, or even risking injury (Oh hey ego how are you?). Now that I’m a few years in, I’ve gotten over that (thankfully!) and happily reach for blocks at multiple points in my yoga practice. Here are just a handful of ways to use blocks in yoga: To give support to tight hips For…
Our primary source of light is the sun. For thousands of years, Hindus have adored the sun, as both the physical and spiritual heart of our world and the creator of all life itself. One of the means of honouring the sun is through the asana sequence Surya Namaskar (better known as Sun Salutation). The Sanskrit word namaskarstems from namas, means “to bow to”, “to adore” or “to salute” and Surya is a Sanskrit word that means the Sun. There’s some disagreement over the origins…
As the work week goes on, it can be easy to go on autopilot and simply live by going through the motions. Sometimes all we need to snap out of that is a little yoga-inspired inspiration! So here are 5 of our favourite yoga quotes to beat the mid-week slump. We couldn’t agree more! See you on the mat 😉 So the next time crow pose seems too scary, that’s all the more reason to try. Ugh. Chair pose anyone???…
Get ready for a series of blog posts covering all of the different kinds of pranayama (basically – yogi breathing techniques) out there. Today we’re starting with Nadi Shodhana, also known as Alternate Nostril Breath. Sounds glamorous, no? Nadi Shodhana helps to calm the mind, keeping us focused on the present moment. Beyond that, it serves to cleanse the Nadis, which are the subtle energy channels of the body. When the Nadis are clear, we allow for a smooth, unobstructed flow…
I LOVE using props in my yoga practice. From using blocks to bring the ground up to you in a wide legged forward fold, to that bolster that feels so good under your legs in Savasana at the end of class, they have so much to offer. At a studio we’re spoiled for choice with blocks, bolsters, and blankets galore, but then our at home practice can start to feel like it’s missing something. If you don’t want to go…
