Experience of a Yogaion Yogi

To be greeted with a smile once stepping into an unfamiliar airport, automatically calmed all potential questions. This week was unknown to me, I knew it could potentially answer questions I didn’t realise I had. An hour’s drive through the picturesque landscape of Portugal allowed me to customise myself with the surroundings; Then as the cool ocean breeze air-conditioned our transport, I knew we were getting close.

Driving up a dusty track through large wooden gates ... to reveal a traditional white building, pool, tennis court and breath taking views …

Each room is individual and personal for each guest. Beautiful Art, Balcony, Amazing bathroom and shower.  The first day we were free to explore as we wished before our journey commenced. 

Walking down to the very Local Set-up (Tiny Village).  With the Glistening Portuguese sun beaming down on our White British skin. ‘Friendly’ might not be the word I would use to describe the Locals, they are set in their way; But with a little effort you could get a smile. Be friendly, and it will come; Snuck in one last cheeky coffee… recommended!!!

Day one: Awareness...

Meditation, which was not new to me, but the feeling of utter freedom was. This was possible here. As you meditate in a room with large windows which look out over mountainous landscape, you can think of nothing else but freedom; 7:15 the sun rises, illuminating the beauty which surrounds us all; the journeys of becoming ‘Shaini’s Yogis’ begins. Shaini had us bending in ways I didn’t know I could; you should see my back bend go into a full wheel!

Breakfast was worth waiting for, a vast  array of nuts, seeds, porridge, fruit, yoghurt, honey, fruit spreads and endless amounts of tea (detox tea of course). We immediately began to feel part of a little yogi family.

The times between yoga and meals, allowed us to roam the land. The chance to hire bicycles, to walk down to the beach filled with Surfers riding the waves, cliff top walks, breath-taking views and all in a 35 minute radius, (by car it’s 5mins).

If walking and cycling is not for you, then the ‘fresh’ swimming pool receives the sun all throughout the day (it just forgets to heat it) allowing you to read whilst sipping on your bottomless cup of tea, we were not ‘starved’ food and drink was freely available throughout the day if we wanted. 

 It’s then ready to Meditate and more yoga. Because of the family and homely feel, you bond so fast with your group. Each person has their own reason for being there, and Shaini somehow achieves individuality throughout each stage of the week.

Later sitting down to an amazing feast for dinner, where I felt I could not fault one tiny bug. Maybe just the one or two of the unnecessary mosquitoes.

 Coming from London my day is surrounded with people; lots of people. I was taken away to experience utter silence; need I say more…

But this silence truly does allow you to take in each scent, each sound, each view; to be aware down to the change in sunlight, this is all topped off with the echoing sound of bells from the local cows.   

Day Three: ‘Become aware of the magical flow of life’

Practicing silence; to some it did seem to be more of a challenge, but to have the opportunity to just to be…

Not needing to speak, to give yourself time to slow down and actually feel no need to make polite conversation amongst our group, this was a revelation and for me a joy. This experience would never have been possible at the beginning of the week, in a mere three days we, as a group were given a priceless opportunity to learn ‘the sound of silence’.  This experience will take you as far as you want to within yourself.

If, so far, it is still not enough, add the opportunity to learn to surf, being used to the North Sea, the Atlantic was pleasant, and more importantly perfect for all levels of surfers.  This is encouraged by Shaini who is a cool surfer herself.                After a mere two lessons, which was fitted between yoga and lunch, I achieved the challenge of two feet on the board, standing and to a degree ‘ Riding the waves’  swiftly on to a  well deserved lunch, then the afternoon spent relaxing by the pool, which gets you ready for ‘Yoga by sun set’ .

After all these stressful activities, my week had been finished off with well-deserved Massages. Having studied massage, I often find myself judging practitioners, all I can say is, ‘Angela You are amazing’, when can we kidnap you to England? Thank you.

And so the week has almost come to an end. We spend the last morning of meditation being given the chance to take in all which has surrounded us this week.  To witness one of the most stunning sunsets I have seen, to feel the fresh gentle breeze, and to have answers to the weeks questions, without being given answers.

To quote Yogi Tea – ‘ The one who walks in a gentle way comes far’. 

This was my experience …

Thank you

Charlotte Mundy October 2011

Yoga & Detox Retreat

16 November 2011

In our day to day life were everything is going faster, food is getting worse and exercise a minimum, our bodies natural detox system can not do it’s optimal work. During the Yoga & Detox retreat we take a break and give our bodies the chance to start working optimal again!  At Yogaion we do not believe in a strong detox, we rather be gentle to the body and mind, so that the detox actually becomes a pleasure instead of a regime. It will be a week of detoxifying the body, mind and being. This through the food we eat, the thoughts we think, the beautiful daily intentions we set and the delightful Yoga classes that incorporate Detox poses. 

Light on Yoga

'YOGA IS A LIGHT, THAT ONCE LIT, WILL NEVER DIM. THE BETTER YOU PRACTICE, THE BRIGHTER THE FLAME.'

B.K.S. Iyengar

Waves Within November!!

Second Waves Within Retreat starting today!!!!!

 

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.197949780281600.50006.100001997375808&type=1

Wednesday's Yoga Intention:

19th October 2011

Flow Into Life

"Becoming aware of the Magical Flow of Life"

 

Tuesday's Yoga Intention:

18th October 2011
 
Joy N Happiness

Happiness and joy are states of mind to be enjoyed any time you want.

Monday's Yoga Intention

17th October 2011

Love N Light
"When You Straighten The Heart The Mind Follows"

Sunday's Yoga Intention

16th October 2011

Slow Down.

Slow down, take a few breaths and feel the sensations in your body. Yoga is a process towards looking inward to finding our inner self. 

Saturday's Yoga Intention:

 15th October, 2011

Awareness and Present Moment “The best I can ever do is the present moment"

Yogaion's Yoga&Detox starting today!!!

14th October 2011

Yoga pose explained: Natarajasana

13 October, 2011

Natarajasana
Lord Of The Dance Pose

1.Stand in Tadasana (Mountain Pose). Inhale, shift your weight onto your right foot, and lift your left heel toward your left buttock as you bend the knee. Press the head of your right thigh bone back, deep into the hip joint, and pull the knee cap up to keep the standing leg straight and strong.

2.There are two variations you might try here with your arms and hands. In either case, try to keep your torso relatively upright. The first is to reach back with your left hand and grasp the outside of your left foot or ankle. To avoid compression in your lower back, actively lift your pubis toward your navel, and at the same time, press your tailbone toward the floor.

3.Begin to lift your left foot up, away from the floor, and back, away from your torso. Extend the left thigh behind you and parallel to the floor. Stretch your right arm forward, in front of your torso, parallel to the floor.

4.The second option with the hands is to sweep your right hand around behind your back and catch hold of the inner left foot. Then sweep the left hand back and grab the outside of the left foot. This variation will challenge your balance even more. Then raise the thigh as described in step 3. This second variation will increase the lift of your chest and the stretch of your shoulders.

5.Stay in the pose for 20 to 30 seconds. Then release the grasp on the foot, place the left foot back onto the floor, and repeat for the same length of time on the other side.

Namaste,
Om Shanti

Equanimity (Upeksha)

October 12th, 2011


For quiet some time now I have been struggling with the fact of the state our world is in. I find it hard to read  or listen to the news  and can get very sad when I hear the injustice that is done by people.  Today I read a piece about this by Frank Jude Boccio in the Yoga Journal and would love to share it with you as it talks about just this and how the philosophy of Yoga can teach you how  to deal with it through equanimity.

"A lot of people I know avoid reading the paper first thing in the morning—being confronted with all of the injustices and bad deeds in the world is an unsettling way to start the day. It's difficult to read about the latest corporate finance scam or the obscenity of human trafficking and keep your peace of mind, and it's even harder to know how to respond. The conflict feels even more immediate when you witness an unjust act firsthand, or are yourself the recipient of one, whether it's having your wallet stolen, your car broken into, or any sort of hurtful behavior directed your way. The answer to this problem is upeksha, the fourth of the brahmaviharas.

This state of mind, taught in both yoga and Buddhism, allows us to respond to the nonvirtuous deeds of others, and indeed, to all of life's fluctuations, in such a way that we are, as Buddhist scholar Peter Harvey describes it, the opposite of the way James Bond likes his martini: stirred but not shaken. When we cultivate equanimity, we're moved by injustice in the world and motivated to make things better, but our deep inner serenity is not disturbed. Sometimes translated by commentators on the Yoga Sutra as "indifference" in the face of the nonvirtuous, immoral, or harmful deeds of others, upeksha is better understood as "equanimity," a state of even-minded openness that allows for a balanced, clear response to all situations, rather than a response borne of reactivity or emotion. Upeksha is not indifference to the suffering of others, nor is it a bland state of neutrality. In fact, it means we care, and care deeply, about all beings evenly!

This understanding of upeksha as equanimity stresses the importance of balance. A balanced heart is not an unfeeling heart. The balanced heart feels pleasure without grasping and clinging at it, it feels pain without condemning or hating, and it stays open to neutral experiences with presence. Insight meditation teacher Sharon Salzberg speaks of equanimity as a "spacious stillness of mind," within which we can remain connected to others and all that happens around us, while remaining free of our conditioned habit of grasping at the pleasant and pushing away the unpleasant.

Still Mind

One way to experience equanimity is to experiment with mindfulness meditation. Rather than fixing attention on a single object such as the breath or a mantra, mindfulness meditation involves the moment-to-moment awareness of changing objects of perception. Mindfulness is like a floodlight, shining awareness on the whole field of experience, including sensations, emotions, and thoughts as they arise and pass away in the dynamic, ever-changing flux that characterizes the human experience of body and mind. Mindfulness allows you to see the nature of the unfolding process without getting caught in reactivity, without identifying with your sensations, emotions, and thoughts. This insight changes your relationship to the mind-body. The waves keep coming, but you don't get swept away by them. Or as Swami Satchidananda often said, "You can't stop the waves, but you can learn to surf!" This ability to remain balanced amidst ever-changing conditions is the balance of equanimity.

There's an old story that illustrates the wisdom of this state of mind. A farmer's most valuable asset is the one horse he owns. One day it runs away. All the townspeople commiserate with him, "Oh, what terrible luck! You've fallen into poverty now, with no way to pull the plow or move your goods!" The farmer merely responds, "I don't know if it's unfortunate or not; all I know is that my horse is gone."

A few days later, the horse returns, and following it are six more horses, both stallions and mares. The townspeople say "Oh! You've struck it rich! Now you have seven horses to your name!" Again, the farmer says, "I don't know if I'm fortunate or not; all that I can say is that I now have seven horses in my stable."

A few days later, while the farmer's son is trying to break in one of the wild stallions, he's thrown from the horse and breaks his leg and shoulder. All the townspeople bemoan his fate: "Oh, how terrible! Your son has been so badly injured, he'll not be able to help you with the harvest. What a misfortune!" The farmer responds, "I don't know if it's a misfortune or not; what I know is that my son has been injured."

Less than a week later, the army sweeps through town, conscripting all the young men to fight in a war...all except for the farmer's son, who is unable to fight because of his injury.

The fact is, you can't know what changes your life will bring or what the ultimate consequences will be. Equanimity allows for the mystery of things: the unknowable, uncontrollable nature of things to be just as they are. In this radical acceptance lies peace and freedom—right there in the midst of whatever pleasant or unpleasant circumstances we find ourselves in. When we open to the truth that there is actually very little we can control other than our own reactions to circumstances, we learn to let go. Cultivating the qualities of kindness, compassion, and joy opens your heart to others. Equanimity balances the giving of your heart's love with the recognition and acceptance that things are the way they are. However much you may care for someone, however much you may do for others, however much you would like to control things or you wish that they were other than they are, equanimity reminds you that all beings everywhere are responsible for their own actions, and for the consequences of their actions.

Without this recognition, it's easy to fall into compassion fatigue, helper-burnout, and even despair. Equanimity allows you to open your heart and offer love, kindness, compassion, and rejoicing, while letting go of your expectations and attachment to results. Equanimity endows the other three brahmaviharas with kshanti: patience, persistence, and forbearance. So, you can keep your heart open, even if the kindness, compassion and appreciative joy you offer to others is not returned. And when you are confronted with the nonvirtuous deeds of others, equanimity allows you to feel compassion for the suffering that underlies their actions as well as for the suffering their actions cause others. It is equanimity that brings immeasurability or boundlessness to the other three brahmaviharas.

Comfort With What Is

Your asana practice offers a good opportunity to become better at recognizing where, when, and how you get caught in or swept away by reactivity, and to observe your attachment to results. You might even observe an attachment to results in your motivation to practice in the first place! The desire to feel good and avoid the unpleasant might very well condition your whole experience of practice. But fixating on the results can cause you to miss key aspects of the process. As you continue in your asana practice, at some point it's likely that factors outside your control—anatomical realities, injury, aging, or illness—will affect your practice. When they do, you have a chance to practice equanimity by letting go of your attachment to the results you had been seeking. Equanimity gives you the energy to persist, regardless of the outcome, because you are connected to the integrity of the effort itself. In the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna tells Arjuna that this attitude of focusing on the action without attachment to the outcome is yoga: "Self-possessed, resolute, act without any thought of results, open to success or failure. This equanimity is yoga." Similarly, Patanjali tells us in chapter 1 of the Yoga Sutra, verses 12 through 16, that abhyasa, continuous applied effort, coupled with vairagya, the willingness to observe experience without getting caught in reactivity to it, will lead to freedom from suffering".

Yoga pose explained: Paschimottanasana

September, 2011

Monthly Yoga Pose September:
Paschimottanasana (Seated Forward Bend)

STEP BY STEP

1. Sit on the floor with your buttocks supported on a folded blanket and your legs straight in front of you. Press actively through your heels. Rock slightly onto your left buttock, and pull your right sitting bone away from the heel with your right hand. Repeat on the other side. Turn the top thighs in slightly and press them down into the floor. Press through your palms or finger tips on the floor beside your hips and lift the top of the sternum toward the ceiling as the top thighs descend.

2.Draw the inner groins deep into the pelvis. Inhale, and keeping the front torso long, lean forward from the hip joints, not the waist. Lengthen the tailbone away from the back of your pelvis. If possible take the sides of the feet with your hands, thumbs on the soles, elbows fully extended; if this isn't possible, loop a strap around the foot soles, and hold the strap firmly. Be sure your elbows are straight, not bent.

3.When you are ready to go further, don't forcefully pull yourself into the forward bend, whether your hands are on the feet or holding the strap. Always lengthen the front torso into the pose, keeping your head raised. If you are holding the feet, bend the elbows out to the sides and lift them away from the floor; if holding the strap, lighten your grip and walk the hands forward, keeping the arms long. The lower belly should touch the thighs first, then the upper belly, then the ribs, and the head last.

4.With each inhalation, lift and lengthen the front torso just slightly; with each exhalation release a little more fully into the forward bend. In this way the torso oscillates and lengthens almost imperceptibly with the breath. Eventually you may be able to stretch the arms out beyond the feet on the floor.

5.Stay in the pose anywhere from 1 to 3 minutes. To come up, first lift the torso away from the thighs and straighten the elbows again if they are bent. Then inhale and lift the torso up by pulling the tailbone down and into the pelvis.

End of the Summer Groove

September 18th, 2011


It was a truly lovely summer again this year! The months of July and August were wonderful! They are always very busy and hectic, so also the perfect time to reflect on your Yoga Practice and to see if what you have practiced on the Yoga mat, can be taking with you in your day to day life, especially when it is busy, hectic and you do not know where to get the time from to do anyhting.. It is does times that you have to go  by "Om Tat Sat", It is what it is! Letting go, doing what you can do and enjoy. Going a  long with the magical flow of life! I survived :-) and now it is time to again to do all those things that I felt so wrong about not doing, all those little forgotten things, like writing in this blog, not posting the monthly poses or writing newsletters..I have time again and maybe  in the end I actually don't feel so bad for not doing all those things, because maybe it is really true, life is like a river sometimes it is smooth and some times very turbulent, but the only way to travel it is to go with the flow, sit on that boat and just enjoy the ride!! Om Tat Sat

monthly pose coming soon :-)

Find Focus

July 20th, 2011


Yoga is the perfect preparation for developing focus. During yoga class, you may focus on anything from your to-do list to your growling stomach, but until you focus on the breath and the details of the poses, establishing the link between the body and mind, your practice will not improve.

Consciously inhaling and exhaling will not only let you root each asana deeper, but if you can control the breath, you can control the mind. Even if you're able to keep your mind focused, be careful to fill it with positive, self-affirming thoughts. Any definitive statement that contains the words "I" followed by "must," "have to," or "never" should be eliminated immediately. Regular yoga practice can encourage this kind of self-acceptance and confidence.

Physical Versus Enlightenment

June 30th, 2011


In any given yoga session, it's easy to get caught up in the physical practice, and to totally forget that yoga's physical component is just part of the preparation for enlightenment. We go through the physical body as a doorway, but the effects on the physical body are secondary. We may be in class to work out that part of ourselves that wants to look great in any pose, but the real point of yoga practice is to shape up that part of our being that allows our truest nature to be experienced and expressed in the external world. (Yoga Journal)

Yoga pose explained: Surya Namaskara

June 28th, 2011

This Month's Yoga Pose: Surya Namaskara
How To Salute the Sun & Giving an offering for this year's Summer Solstice

Sun Salutations, or Surya Namaskara, are traditionally performed in the morning to greet the new day. The sequence of 8 postures can be a complete practice in itself, or can prepare you for a longer asana routine. Sun Salutes are often performed in sets of 6, but if you are new to the practice it's wise to begin with 2 or 4. Each time you flow through this sequence, synchronize your breath with the movements of your body.

1. To begin, stand in Tadasana (Mountain Pose). Distribute your weight evenly over both feet. Establish a slow, steady rhythm for your breath. Find your center.

2. Next, inhale and stretch your arms out to the side and overhead into Urdhva Hastasana (Upward Hand Pose). Reach your heart and arms to the heavens, sending your greeting to the sun.

3. As you exhale, hollow out your belly and fold into Uttanasana (Standing Forward Bend), connecting down into the earth. Keep your legs firmly engaged.

4. Inhale and lengthen your spine forward into Ardha Uttanasana (Half Standing Forward Bend). In this pose, the gaze is lifted, the spine is extended, and the fingertips can stay on the floor or rise to the shins.

5. Exhale and step your right foot back into a High Lunge. Stand on your finger tips, your left knee and ankle should be in a straight line. Engage your right leg.

6. Inhale step your left foot back into a Plank Pose. Your wrists should be flat on the floor, shoulder-distance apart, and your feet should be at hip distance. Don't hang into your lower back. Take a full breath in as you lengthen through your spine.

7. Exhale and lower into Chaturanga Dandasana (Four-Limbed Staff Pose), keeping your legs straight and pushing back into your heels or bringing your knees to the floor. Build heat in the center of your body as you hold this challenging posture.

8. Inhale and carve your chest forward into Urdhva Mukha Svanasana (Upward-Facing Dog), directing that energy out from your heart. Pull your shoulders back and open your collarbones. Engage your legs but relax your gluteal muscles.

9. Exhale back onto your knees and from coming into Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward-Facing Dog Pose). Ground down through your hands and feet as you lengthen your spine. Remain here for five breaths.

10. On your fifth exhale, bend your knees and look between your hands. Then inhale and step  your right foot in between your hands, returning to a High Lunge.

11. Exhale back to Uttanasana, surrendering into the fold.

12. Inhale, reaching your arms out wide to your sides and coming to stand through a flat back. Feel a renewed sense of energy as you draw your arms overhead into Urdhva Hastasana.

13. Exhale and return to Tadasana, your home base. Remain here for a few breaths, feeling the movement of energy through your body, or continue on to your next salute this time starting with your left leg.

Namaste Shaini

Yoga is Union:

June 11th, 2011

Yoga literally means Union. It is the union of individual beings with the One. Yoga reunites all polarities, reconciles opposites and resolves contrary complements. Yoga recreates a state of oneness and non-differentiation from whence we originated.

Karma Yoga: The Selfless Path

June 7th, 2011

(Yoga Journal)


Karma yoga is the path of service. Based on the idea that your current experiences are created by your past actions, and that future experiences will be influenced by the choices you make today, karma yoga inspires practitioners to selflessly dedicate their energies to serving others, thereby creating a future, and a future life, with more freedom, choices, and love. As explored by writer Alan Reder, most major religions emphasize the importance of service to others. However, he writes, "In yoga, service is not just a spiritual obligation or the righteous thing to do. It is also a path to self-realization."

Yoga Pose Explained: Setu Bandha Sarvangasana

May  18th, 2011

Monthly Yoga Pose May:
Setu Bandha Sarvangasana (Bridge Pose)

Great beginning, versatile backbend.

STEP BY STEP

1. Lie supine on the floor, and if necessary, place a thickly folded blanket under your shoulders to protect your neck. Bend your knees and set your feet on the floor, heels as close to the sitting bones as possible.

2. Exhale and, pressing your inner feet and arms actively into the floor, push your tailbone upward toward the pubis, firming (but not hardening) the buttocks, and lift the buttocks off the floor. Keep your thighs and inner feet parallel. Clasp the hands below your pelvis and extend through the arms to help you stay on the tops of your shoulders.

3. Lift your buttocks until the thighs are about parallel to the floor. Keep your knees directly over the heels, but push them forward, away from the hips, and lengthen the tailbone toward the backs of the knees. Lift the pubis toward the navel.

4. Lift your chin slightly away from the sternum and, firming the shoulder blades against your back, press the top of the sternum toward the chin. Firm the outer arms, broaden the shoulder blades, and try to lift the space between them at the base of the neck (where it's resting on the blanket) up into the torso.

5. Stay in the pose anywhere from 30 seconds to 1 minute. Release with an exhalation, rolling the spine slowly down onto the floor.

Namaste

Anusara Immersion

April 25th, 2011

I have just come back from a 5 day intense Anusara Immersion training. It was the first one of a 1 year Immersion and after that another year of teacher training. I was not sure what to expect and not even certain if I would follow the whole 2 years, but I am hooked, Anusara is a lovely, amazing practice based on a Tantric philosophy of Intrinsic goodness and working with the Universal Principles of Alignment. The Universal principal of alignment are (to quote the founder John Friend):
 "An elegant, concise set of alignment principles called the "Universal Principles of Alignment™" is applied to each asana. A central idea within the Universal Principles of Alignment is the 3 A's: Attitude, Alignment, and Action. This refers to a foundational concept within Anusara yoga in which every pose is infused with a meaningful intention connected to the grand purposes of yoga, awareness of specific postural alignment, and balanced action between stability and freedom. The specific principles include Muscular Energy and Organic Energy, which are the two complementary forces that provide each pose with a balanced action. Other alignment principles include Spirals and Loops, which help to bring refinement and precision to each pose." www.anusara.com
What I found is that combining a beautiful spiritual philosophy and a practice that is very precise in alignment (John Friend's bases is that of Iyengar) creates an amazing Yoga practice with a very strong foundation that can be practiced by everyone! I can not wait to learn more about Anusara and sharing it with all you lovely Yogi's.
Lastely I would like to share this article that I read in the Yoga Journal, I found it a very good explanation about Tantric philosophy:
"Tantra is not a philosophy that requires a modern-day householder to renounce the world by giving up family, job, possessions, and pleasures. Instead, it emphasizes personal experimentation and experience as a way to move forward on the path to self-realization.
One common philosophical thread runs through the intricately woven tapestry of Tantra lineages, schools, and streams: The belief that everything is divine. Tantra believes that there is literally no particle of reality that isn't capable of revealing ecstasy and that everything that exists is full of light and awareness. This idea is radically different from those of the other two schools of Indian philosophy that you might hear about in yoga class: Patanjali's classical yoga (also known as ashtanga yoga, or the eight limbs of yoga), and Advaita Vedanta. Most scholars agree that Patanjali was dualist and therefore believed that the divine, spiritual realm was separate from the everyday world. Vedantists, like Tantrikas, are nondualist, but they perceive the world as an illusion.
Another difference between Tantra and classical yoga is Tantra's body-positive view. Since the body exists in the material world, the classical yoga viewpoint is that it is inferior to the transcendental Self or spirit. Tantra views the body as a manifestation of spirit. By making the body pure and strong through asana and by uniting the universe of opposites within your body, it can become a vehicle for ending suffering and attaining liberation."
Namaste
Love n Light,
Shaini

Yogaion's First Retreat Finished with a Big Smile

April 18th, 2011

It really is amazing how time flies.... One of the Yoga intentions during the retreat was slowing down, but seems like none of it lasted.
It was an amazing first Retreat, the most lovely, beautiful guests one can imagine attended the retreat and from the first day on everybody had a wonderful time together. Neelam the macrobiotic chef amazed us all every day with the delicious tastes she prepared for us, breakfast, lunch and dinner, all were equally lush. It was such a lovely thing to see everybody opening up more and more during each Yoga Class, not only physically, but also Spiritually. For all of you beautiful people that attended this retreat it was an honour meeting&teaching you and yes I will keep next year's spaces in April for you :-) Now getting ready for the May retreat, can't wait to slow it down again. Namaste Shaini

Monthly Yoga Pose April

April 4th, 2011

Monthly Yogapose April:
Detoxify with Ardha Matsyendrasana (Half-Lord-of-the-Fishes Pose)
(Click here to see the pose)

This pose gives a powerful squeeze to your stomach, squeezing the body’s most important detox player – the liver, which is involved with over 500 functions, including detoxification of any junk we consume, like coffee, alcohol, etc. It is said to heighten spiritual detox too, since the entire spine and thereby all the major seven chakras are invoked in this pose. It also improves postural misalignments that come from emotional slackness and helps de-stress.

STEP BY STEP

1. Sit on the floor with your legs straight out in front of you, if you want with your buttocks supported on a folded blanket. Bend your right knee and step the right foot over your left leg and place the right foot on the floor at the outside of the left knee. The right knee will point directly up at the ceiling. To make the pose a little more challenging you can bend the left leg and place the left foot beside the right buttocks, making sure that both sitting bones remain on the floor, if this is not the case then straigthen out the left leg again.

2. Exhale and twist toward the inside of the right thigh. Press the right hand against the floor just behind your right buttock, and set your left upper arm on the outside of your right thigh near the knee. Pull your front torso and inner right thigh snugly together.

3. Press the inner right foot very actively into the floor, release the right groin, and lengthen the front torso. Lean the upper torso back slightly, against the shoulder blades, and continue to lengthen the tailbone into the floor.

4. You can turn your head in one of two directions: Continue the twist of the torso by turning it to the right; or counter the twist of the torso by turning it left and looking over the left shoulder at the right foot.

5. With every inhalation lift a little more through the sternum, pushing the fingers against the floor to help. Twist a little more with every exhalation, feeling as if the spine is a wet cloth and with every exhalation you are squeezing more of the water out of it. Be sure to distribute the twist evenly throughout the entire length of the spine; don't concentrate it in the lower back. Stay for 30 seconds to 1 minute, then release with an exhalation, return to the starting position, and repeat to the left for the same length of time.

Always be aware of your body, mind and being, never pushing to far in any of the poses. Be gentle to yourself.

Namaste

Benefits of warm water with Lemon Juice in the morning

March 21th, 2011

Warm water with lemon in the morning is the perfect start of the day. By drinking it people feel energized.Lemon juice is extensively known for its medicinal properties. It contains large amounts of nutrients such as Vitamin C, magnesium, potassium and calcium. Warm lemon water acts as a tonic to the liver and stimulates the bowel to eliminate accumulated waste if it is taken before anything in the morning. It helps to lower blood sugar and can lower the glycemic impact of any meal.It is a natural antihistamine and will reduce congestion. By drinking warm lemon juice the body can be shifted in to a better state of health and prevent many future illness.
Detox:
Lemon juice washes toxins out from the body. By drinking a cup of warm water and lemon in the morning, improvement in the skin can be seen.

Where ever you go, There You are.

March 21th, 2011

Slowing Down

March 13th, 2011

Slow down, take a few breaths and feel the sensations in your body. Yoga is a process towards looking inward to finding our inner self. Only by slowing down can we achieve this, the slowing down between impulse and reaction. Slowing down in your Yoga Practice gives you the chance to really feel what the pose is doing to you, the chance to listen to your breath: is it still calm and deep. Feeling your body, the sensations, feeling if you are not causing any pain, being gentle to yourself. Adjusting your pose to not cause any injuries. As we bring this process into our Yoga practice, we can also start doing it in our day to day lives. Slowing down, letting our senses develop: hearing, smelling, touching, feeling, seeing.. what is really there. This naturally brings on mindfulness and awareness and gives us the choice how to respond rather than impulsively reacting to situations and events. Take some small steps to slow it down, one day at a time. Don’t rush it, just slow it down….

Innerself

March 10th, 2011


Let Yoga guide you to your Innerself

Magic Flow

March 8th, 2011


Following the flow of magic energy...

Beginning with Awareness

March 6th, 2011

Beginning with Awareness

one must be in the moment, for life to ever come true
touch the ground and be grounded,
find comfort here living, being, breathing,
now this is where it will all happen. (Benjamin Dean)

What way to better start a blog than with the topic Awareness. It is the basis of everyhing and a very important aspect of our Yoga practice.
With awareness in our Yoga practice, we can really make it our own practice, as we start feeling and becoming aware of what our body, mind and being are really saying to us. With awareness we do not have to look at our neighbour or teacher to tell us what to do, but instead we can look inside ourself and become our own guide, our own spiritual leader.

Namaste,
Om shanti

Monthly Yoga Pose March

March 5th, 2011

Monthly Yogapose March:
Rejuvenate in Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward-Facing  Dog)
(Click here to see the pose)


One of the most widely recognized Yoga poses.. an all-over rejuvenating stretch.

STEP BY STEP

1. Come onto the floor on your hands and knees. Set your knees directly below your hips and your hands slightly forward of your shoulders. Spread your palms, index fingers parallel or slightly turned out, and turn your toes under.

2. Exhale and lift your knees away from the floor. At first keep the knees slightly bent and the heels lifted away from the floor. Lengthen your tailbone away from the back of your pelvis and press it lightly toward the pubis. Against this resistance, lift the sitting bones toward the ceiling, and from your inner ankles draw the inner legs up into the groins.

3. Then with an exhalation, push your top thighs back and stretch your heels onto or down toward the floor. Straighten your knees but be sure not to lock them. Firm the outer thighs and roll the upper thighs inward slightly. Narrow the front of the pelvis.

4. Firm the outer arms and press the bases of the index fingers actively into the floor. From these two points lift along your inner arms from the wrists to the tops of the shoulders. Firm your shoulder blades against your back, then widen them and draw them toward the tailbone. Keep the head between the upper arms; don't let it hang.

5. Adho Mukha Svanasana is one of the poses in the traditional Sun Salutation sequence. It's also an excellent yoga asana all on its own. Stay in this pose anywhere from 1 to 3 minutes. Then bend your knees to the floor with an exhalation and rest in Child's Pose.

Always be aware of your body, mind and being, never pushing to far in any of the poses. Be gentle to yourself.

Namaste