You hear it after every yoga class. You might even say it. But do you know what it means? Namaste is a Sanskrit word which literally translates to “Salutation To You,” or an elaborated version, “The Divine In Me Bows To The Divine In You.” In its essence, it is a salutation. An acknowledgement of another. But it goes even deeper than that. Namaste is more than just saying “hello”. When someone says Namaste, the word itself carries the vibration of…
Savasanahhhh. Or the slightly more creepy English translation, Corpse Pose. That 5 or so minutes at the end of a yoga practice where you just let go. Lying down long on the mat, covered and cosy, arms and legs spread out, eyes closed, totally relaxed. Or sometimes maybe thinking about what you’re going to make for dinner when you get home. Hey, we’ve all been there. Sometimes Savasana is the pose in which we experience the most impatience or frustration….
The heart chakra is the space of love. This is where you nurture, where you practice compassion, where you give and receive. While there are many physical ways to open the heart chakra in a yoga class, there are many other ways you can nurture and treat your heart off the mat. Practice heart-centred breathing. Be aware of the breath in your chest. Imagine that every breath you take is massaging the space around your heart. Take 5 full breaths…
Have you ever had a particularly crazy day when yoga saved your sanity? Here are a couple of examples we can remember and relate to when things get a bit wild. Those days when your balance is off. Even standing on your own two feet feels a bit strange and curious. You might find that yoga saves the day by bringing you back into balance… or even better, you might find a space to laugh with yourself as your poise…
They might seem worlds apart, but I think that running and yoga have a really special connection. They both help us move our body in a healthy way, connect deeply to our breath, and find that elusive state of flow. And there are some ways that yoga can make your performance as a runner even better! Let’s check ‘em out. You breathe better As a species, humans have kind of…forgotten how to breathe. It’s sad but it’s true! Notice…
I love simple daily tasks. Those small rituals that sometimes go unnoticed. The process of making coffee. The feeling of a shower. Looking out the window before leaving my home to see what the sky looks like. Putting exactly enough laundry detergent in the washer. Eating just the right amount for lunch. Putting one foot in front of the other as I walk down the street. Putting on the most comfortable clothes when I come home at the end of the…
The throat chakra The throat chakra – or Vishuddha – is home to our communication – both speaking and listening – and self-expression. It extends from our throat to include our neck, jaw muscles, and thyroid, and physical ailments in these areas can be the result of a blocked throat chakra. When our throat chakra is blocked, we find it difficult to speak our truth, maybe out of fear. We also have a harder time actually realising what our truth even is….
Whether you’re on one foot, one hand, or just standing in a Warrior pose, balance is an element that we should all incorporate in our practice. Below are a few tips for maintaining strength and ease as you balance in your asanas. 1 – Drishti, or in English, the “focused gaze”. We spoke more about this in our past Drishti post which you can see in our blog archives. Put simply, it means focusing your eyes on one point. It’s very easy…
Whether you have your own personal practice, or you only do yoga in a group, there are a few ways you can find grounding in any type of practice, on any kind of day. Slow your breath. Take slower, deeper, longer breaths. Take care not to exaggerate the breath, but deepen it by breathing in for just 1 or 2 seconds longer, and breathing out for 1 or 2 seconds longer. Keep this deep breathing awareness when you’re still and…
As the weather sets in for autumn, you may notice your body and your mind being swept up with the change. After an active summer, it may be hard to slow down to the pace of autumn. As the late sunny nights of summer die off, the feeling in the air is more of introspection and getting cosy and snug indoors. Check out the following poses for helping to stay grounded and joyful through the transition: Cow Face Pose –…
