Last week was a really difficult one for me – and when I have a bad week, I look for inspiration. I found it in a really honest and raw episode of Rachel Brathen’s ‘From the Heart: Conversations With Yoga Girl’ podcast. In the podcast, Rachel discusses how Yoga Teacher Training became a really emotional experience as they delved into each trainee’s relationship to themselves and how yoga has impacted that relationship. Rachel discusses how each trainee was working with…
I recently started running – and I absolutely love it. I already feel I can breathe more deeply after a run, and I’m full of lots of feel-good endorphins, helping me to stay motivated and strong. I know I’m a little late to the party – lots of yogis are runners and lots of runners are yogis. For good reason – there are many ways these two practices can be complementary. Here are my four highlights so far. Muscular endurance…
I got on the bus on Friday evening for what would be a 45 minute journey – and my phone battery was nearly out. I got this minor sense of panic – what would I do with 45 minutes without podcasts, WhatsApp, email and all the other entertainments I could fill the time with? Was there a charging port on the bus? Why didn’t I charge it earlier? What would I do for the time? My brain was lit up…
The sunshine over the last few weeks has been amazing and has left many of us with proud tan lines and rosy faces. The sunshine can help us to boost our vitamin D levels, change our sleep patterns, and enhance our immune system as well as our mood. Not to mention all the summer events popping up everywhere to keep us out and active. What’s not to love about the sunshine? If you’re like me and you’ve been trying to…
A lot of beginners and experienced yogis alike can find it uncomfortable and a little bit strange when they are invited by their teacher to chant ‘om’ at the beginning or end of a yoga class. For many people who go to yoga for the more physical benefits, it might be tempting to completely dismiss this aspect of yoga. But when you understand the meaning behind it, you might find a whole new depth in the practice of saying ‘om’…
More and more people are turning to yoga to help prevent and recover from injuries as doctors, physiotherapists and trainers are increasingly aware of the positive benefits of a long-term yoga practice. As yoga enters the sports arena (so to speak) it is becoming another key tool for athletes and those who are looking to maintain their fitness in a way that will complement their injury prevention or recovery plan. In terms of injury prevention, yoga is an excellent way…
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…
Many people keep coming back to yoga is for the physical benefits – you can get a whole lot healthier, fitter and more flexible in yoga. But for many many more, the mental impact of yoga is the best (and sometimes unexpected) benefit of yoga. If you are working on feeling calmer and happier and want to know how yoga can support you, practice yoga with these things in mind. Yoga is a place to explore your breath. The breath…
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,…
