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 on mindful ways to say goodnight. Try out these tips for mindfully ending your day. Put your devices to bed. 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…
We all want to start the morning right, but not all of us have time to do a full hour-long yoga practice. Luckily, there are other simple and mindful ways we can incorporate yoga into our morning. 1 – Give yourself time. This is a difficult one. Most of us know what it’s like to hit the snooze button more than a couple of times. And no matter now many times a wake up is delayed, there never seems to be…
This week we get to talk to the lovely Emer about what Kundalini yoga is, how it can change your life, and what she’ll be offering at her summer-inspired YogaHub workshop this weekend. Hello Emer! So, what is Kundalini Yoga? Kundalini Yoga was brought to the West by Yogi Bhajan. It is considered to be one of the most comprehensive of all of the yoga traditions as it combines many practices such as meditation, mantra, physical postures and breathing techniques. It…
When it comes to balance in yoga, a big key is the drishti. You may have heard this word before in class, but it’s likely that you heard it while trying not to fall over, which is why we’ll be going a bit more in-depth in this post. Drishti is the Sanskrit word for “focused gaze”. It’s when you focus intently on one spot, finding peace and strength in your physical and mental awareness. It’s so small of a movement that…
Step 1: Close your eyes and take 3 natural breaths in and out of your nose, counting to 3 seconds on every inhale and every exhale. Step 2: Place both of your feet on the floor. Draw your attention to the soles of your feet connected to the earth. Take 30 seconds (about 5 long breaths) to notice how this feels. Step 3: Place one hand over your belly button. Close your eyes and take 3 natural breaths. Notice the…
A few students have asked recently about one of the amazing scents that some of our teachers use. Although there are a number of different things teachers can to bring to class, Palo Santo is a favourite these days. Palo Santo is a piece of wood from a wild tree that grows in Central and South America. A small piece of the Palo Santo wood is burned to let off a medicinal smoke. Its naturally sweet smoke is light, compared…
