It was Valentine’s Day this past Tuesday. And while it lends itself to being a romantic holiday, it can be celebrated for all types of love. Valentine’s Day–or any day, really–is a day to celebrate love in all its forms. Love for our friends, love for our family, love for ourselves, love for life! The word “yoga” means “union”, the union of all things, the interconnectedness of us all. It encourages us to love one another, as well as ourselves,…
When I first started Meditating I could hardly sit still for 3 minutes let alone 5. I’d manage to go through the motions for 5 days or so and then something would happen and I’d fall out of it. Then I’d beat myself up about not doing it. Then I’d do it again. Maybe for a little bit longer. Maybe not. Erratic. Unpredictable. All over the place. My practice was an analogy for my mind……………..and me. It’s now a year…
It’s happened to all of us at some point or another. You’ve done 6 downward dogs in half an hour. Your body is saying,”No,” but your mind is looking around the room, making sure not to fall behind. Everyone in class is going into a 7th downward dog. You know that your shoulders have had enough. You know that you’ll be carrying a backpack for about 20 minutes on the way home. But you feel like you need to get…
I’m a Shiny New Yoga Teacher – Here’s 5 Things I Know (And More Importantly Some Things I Don’t Know) The first thing you will realise at the beginning of any yoga teacher training course, no matter how many years you’ve been practicing yoga or in how many different countries you’ve travelled, classes you’ve attended or new styles you’ve tried, is how little you actually know about it. Don’t get me wrong here; I simply mean that there is just…
8 Ways to Cultivate a Home Yoga Practice You asked – and we have provided! Last week we asked what topics you Yogahubbers would like to see more of on the blog, and a surprising amount of you expressed an interest in learning more about how to more effectively cultivate a home yoga practice. While there’s nothing that can quite replicate attending your favourite class or a certain teacher’s weekly flow, sometimes we simply cannot make it into the studio…
We are always told to come back to the breath. It’s the go-to of meditation. It is the yogic prana, a.k.a. our life force. So, sure, we can slow down the breath. We can count to 4,5, or even 8 on our inhale, and count to the same number on our exhale. We can feel the movement in our lungs, in our ribs, even in our bellies. But what about when a thought comes in anyway? What about that wrinkle between…
Where it is: Top of the head and a few inches above, Pituitary Gland Colour: Purple Element: No element Mantra: Om Qualities: Universal Consciousness, One-ness, Feeling Whole, Peace, Unity This is the seventh chakra. Physically, it is at the crown of the head and also a few inches above. It is associated with the pituitary gland, or the master gland. It is where we connect with the universe and everything–where we see no difference between ourselves, and others, or places,…
Where it is: Throat, Thyroid, Ears, Mouth Colour: Light Blue Element: Aether Mantra: Ham Qualities: Communication, Expression, Listening, Clarity, Truth This is the fifth chakra. It is centred around the throat, ears, mouth, and thyroid gland. This is the seat of our communication, our self-expression, and our ability to listen. This chakra is about the balance of listening and expression. When we listen to ourselves and to others, and then express ourselves mindfully, it indicates a balanced Vishuddha chakra. Physically,…
Where it is: Mid-Spine, Heart, Thymus Gland, Lungs, Arms Colour: Green Element: Air Mantra: Yam Qualities: Love, Compassion, Giving and Receiving, Understanding, Forgiveness This is the fourth chakra. It is centred around the heart and surrounds the mid-spine, lungs, arms, and thymus gland. This is our heart centre, where we love from. This chakra is all about compassion and understanding. When we feel supported and open in our heart, free to love, open to understanding ourselves and others, open to…
Where it is: Lumbar Spine, Digestive System, Pancreas Colour: Yellow Element: Fire Mantra: Ram Qualities: Sense of Self, Will, Ego Centre, Gut Instinct, The Sense of “I”, Enthusiasm, Digestion This is the third chakra. It is located around the lumbar spine, digestive system, and, specifically, the pancreas. The manipura chakra is the seat of the “self”, the ego, will power, and the place where we digest and integrate knowledge and nutrients. When we have a balanced sense of self, a healthy…
