âYoga is the perfect opportunity to be curious about who you are.â Â ~ Jason Crandell âYoga takes you into the present moment, the only place where life exists.â ~ Unknown ââBe at least as interested in what goes on inside you as what happens outside. If you get the inside right, the outside will fall into place.â ~ Eckhart Tolle “Yoga is not just repetition of a few postures — it is more about the exploration and discovery of the…
On the last day of 2017, I read that 2018 is the year of spiritual awakening and transformation for many people. Itâs 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…
Whether the end of the year for you means planning and preparing for celebrations, or if it’s simply a time to wind things down, it’s always good to check your to-do list and see where you can add mindful practices. Be present. If a lot of your energy is focused on purchasing presents, take time to Be Present too. Reach out. Whichever way you spend your winter months, it’s always a good time at the turning of the year to…
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…
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 youâre going to make for dinner when you get home. Hey, weâve 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…
