Have you heard your yoga teacher mention Ujjayi breath in class, but you haven’t been sure exactly what they’re talking about? Never fear – we’re here to break it down for you 🙂 What it is Ujjayi breath – which translates as Victorious Breath – is a specific way of breathing that warms your entire body and helps you to connect more deeply with your physical yoga practice. How to do it To utilise Ujjayi breath, you need to create a…
We all hear the teacher tell us to inhale, and to exhale, and we follow along. We then get to a standing posture, or a challenging posture – and what do we do? We stop breathing. Whether it’s holding our breath or going back to shallow breathing, we lose the rhythm of the breath that we had at the start of class. So what’s all the fuss about? What differentiates yoga asana from most other forms of physical activity is…
It’s all about the love this time of the year. Whether it’s for your partner, pet, best friend, or just yourself, it always feels good to sink in to that lovin’ feeling. There’s an amazing meditation that is a great way to tap into that open heart space. It’s called Metta Bhavana, and it translates to “loving kindness”. There are a couple of stages, but the great thing is that you can do it anywhere! Stage 1 : For Yourself….
Anxiety. We’ve all been there – sweaty palms, racing thoughts, quickened heartbeat. Anxiety can strike before a big presentation, an important meeting or a first date. Or sometimes it can creep up on you when you’re tired or under-slept. When it surfaces, anxiety can rob you of the joy of the moment, and it can zap your energy. So here’s one simple, discrete yoga pose to have in your ‘yoga tool belt’ when anxiety strikes, depending on where and when you…
Go for a tech-free walk. Spend some time in nature without any technology on your body. See how it feels to go even just 15 minutes without a phone to reach for! Enjoy daily tasks. Be aware when you’re doing things like brushing your teeth, making dinner, putting on the wash. Let yourself experience the task, rather than just hurrying to finish it. Have a long chat with a friend. Spend some time with someone and be present. Be a…
Not to sound too much like your mother…but good posture is so, so important! And a lot of us (myself included) spend too much time on autopilot – which usually involves slouching, hunching, and generally not being too kind to our spines. Good posture helps us feel confident, look taller and slimmer, and is way better for our bodies in the long run. Luckily, yoga’s an amazing tool to help you improve your posture, and we’ve compiled our top 5 poses…
We all – or a lot of us, anyway – love the idea of morning yoga. Starting your day off with a room full of like-minded yogis, flowing on your mat, and connecting body and breath. Heaven, right? Except sometimes – especially when it’s still dark when the alarm goes off and you can hear rain pouring outside – that idea just doesn’t become reality. Much as we might want it to! So here are our top 5 tips for…
Try out this breathing technique that can help you to relax and reduce stress and anxiety. You can do it anywhere, anytime. This technique can not only ease the mind and body, but it may even re-energise your system, helping you to feel refreshed and enlivened. It’s called the 4-7-8 breath. Sit, stand, or even lay on your back and maintain an upright spine. Close your mouth and breathe in through your nose for the count of 4. Hold your…
What comes to mind when you hear the word ‘yogi’? Maybe it’s someone wearing mala beads around their neck, permanently smelling of incense. Maybe it’s someone wearing very fancy yoga pants and drinking a green juice. Or maybe it’s someone who ends every social interaction with a very calm and serene ‘namaste‘. Okay, these stereotypes might exist for a reason – and there’s nothing wrong with them! But it’s important to know that yoga is for everyone, even if you…
Lots of us have a regular morning or evening yoga practice – but have you tried squeezing some into your afternoon, too? There are lots of reasons to try out practicing yoga on your lunchbreak – and here are our top 5 : The weather doesn’t matter! It’s always nice to stretch our legs and get some fresh air on our break, but in Ireland the weather doesn’t always make that too appealing. Luckily, yoga is an awesome way to…
