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…
Why do we always roll over to the right after Savasana? Personally, I have always wondered this, and thought that it was just the teacher’s preference of side. But there is much more to it. There’s two reasons, one is simply because it takes pressure off your heart. The other, is a lot more interesting. It is connected to our Nadis. Wait, what are Nadis?! Well put simply, Nadis are a network of subtle energy channels which your prana or…
Release expectation. One of the best things about yoga is that there are no goals. I know, this might sound like a crazy concept, but it’s true! There is actually no need to ever have a goal in your yoga practice. You can, if you find it beneficial, but the whole point of yoga is to be aware. Being aware can happen at any level, on any day, during any kind of practice. Being aware and being compassionate with yourself,…
On the last day of 2017, I read that 2018 is the year of spiritual awakening and transformation for many people. It’s an exciting time and we want to help you through it, so below we have listed some of the most common signs that deep transformation and spiritual awakening is happening in your life. Your Belief Systems Have Evolved This has happened for me, especially through practicing yoga and meditation daily. Yoga and meditation can be huge stepping stones…
1 – Be Kind. In the yogic tradition, being kind (a.k.a. ahimsa) is the first of the cardinal virtues. Being kind is something that we often think we understand, but it can be easily missed in practice. For instance, being kind isn’t just about being nice to other people. It’s about being nice to ourselves. How often do we give ourselves a much harder time than we’d give others? This year, make a point to be loving and understanding in…
During this time of the year, I often have students asking me how they can keep up a practice over the holidays. Some might find it hard to get the motivation, while others might not have the time. Whatever your plans are for the holidays, there are a few helpful things to remember when keeping up your yoga. You don’t have to prepare. Sometimes “planning” for your own yoga practice means setting a space, getting a mat, putting on the…
Yin yoga is a unique style of yoga that works your body and mind in a totally different way from other classes. Find out why you should try it out! What exactly is Yin yoga? In a general flow yoga class, we target our muscles. Yin yoga goes deeper to target deep connective tissue in the body including ligaments, bones, and joints. As opposed to a more active flow class, yin yoga involves passive stretching – most of which happens…
We hear the word “mindfulness” all the time these days. For some people it’s a daily practice, and for others it’s on the to-do list. Here are a few beginner’s tips to remember when it comes to mindfulness: Start small. Sometimes all it takes to be mindful is to direct your attention from something big towards something small. The next time you’re consuming information, whether it be from a screen, or a tv, or anything else that feeds information to…
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…
