Meditation 101

To give meditation a try, sit comfortably, set a timer for 10 minutes, and explore one of the following strategies. And consider yourself forewarned: Meditation is a delightfully simple practice, but that doesn't mean it's easy!

Just Sit: Commit to doing nothing more than sitting quietly and watching what happens. Don't pick up the phone, don't answer the doorbell, don't add another item to your to-do list. Just sit and observe the thoughts that arise and pass through your mind. You will likely be surprised by how difficult it is to sit quietly for 10 minutes. In the process, though, you may learn something important about the qualities of the restless mind and the ever-changing nature of life.

Listen to the Sounds of Life: Close your eyes and tune in to the sounds percolating both within and around you. Open your ears and adopt a receptive attitude. At first, you'll likely hear only the most obvious noises, but over time, you'll discover new layers of sounds that you had previously tuned out. Challenge yourself to observe what you hear without clinging to it or resisting it. Notice how the world feels more alive as your awareness of the present deepens.

Practice Bare Attention: Notice the raw sensations of the present moment—feelings of warmth and coolness, hardness and softness, pressure and ease. Which parts of your body are in contact with the earth? How does the shape of the body shift with each inhalation and exhalation? How does your experience change over time? Cultivating an awareness of the present moment will foster a more serene and attentive mind, one that is able to settle into the here and now.

Follow the Breath: Attach your mind to the breath. While you're breathing in, note that you're breathing in, and while you're breathing out, focus on the exhalation. Don't manipulate the breath in any way; simply watch it with your mind's eye, just as you would follow a tennis ball bouncing from one side of the court to the other during a particularly engrossing match. When you find that your mind has strayed, as it inevitably will, gently refocus it on the breath and begin again.

Use a Mantra: Choose a favorite word, phrase, prayer, or fragment of a poem, and repeat it slowly and softly. Let its rhythm and meaning lull you into a quiet, contemplative state of ease. When you notice that your mind has wandered off to other thoughts, simply redirect it back toward the words you've chosen as your touchstone and rededicate your awareness to them.

Practice Kindness: As you sit quietly, focus your inner attention on someone you know who might benefit from an extra dose of kindness and care. In your mind's eye, send this person love, happiness, and well-being. Soften your skin, open the floodgates of your heart, and let gentle goodwill pour forth.

Yoga Journal

Open Your Heart

If you work in an office most of the day, your body is probably very familiar with the action it takes to hover over a keyboard or notebook. This rounded, shoulders-forward pose might allow you to get closer to your work, but it's imperative to take a break every now and then and stretch your chest so that your work slump doesn't become an all-the-time slump.

Try this simple chest opener:

From a standing position, roll your shoulders back. Clasp your elbows with your hands behind your back. If you have more flexibility, you may join your palms behind your back, with the fingers pointing upward. On the exhalation, roll the upper arms back toward the wall, opening the chest between the sternum and shoulder. As you open, keep the ribs relaxed; make sure they don't jut forward. Remember to stay grounded in your feet and center the movement below the navel. Relax the eyes, jaw, and tongue. Release on the exhalation. Change the arm on top, if you are clasping your elbows, and repeat.

Do this once every hour, and before you know it you'll stand up straighter and feel more balanced.

Namaste

Eating Seasonally

Eating in Season

Seasons form the natural backdrop for eating. All of the World's Healthiest Foods are seasonal. Imagine a vegetable garden in the dead of winter. Now imagine this same garden on a sunny, summer day. How different things are during these two seasons of the year! For ecologists, seasons are considered a source of natural diversity. Changes in growing conditions from spring to summer or fall to winter are considered essential for balancing the earth's resources and its life forms. But today it's so easy for us to forget about seasons when we eat! Modern food processing and worldwide distribution of food make foods available year-round, and grocery stores shelves look much the same in December as they do in July.

Guides for Eating Seasonally

What does this mean for you? Eat seasonally! To enjoy the full nourishment of food, you must make your menu a seasonal one. In different parts of the world, and even in different regions of one country, seasonal menus can vary. But here are some overriding principles you can follow to ensure optimal nourishment in every season:

• In spring, focus on tender, leafy vegetables that represent the fresh new growth of this season. The greening that occurs in springtime should be represented by greens on your plate, including Swiss chard, spinach, Romaine lettuce, fresh parsley, and basil.
• In summer, stick with light, cooling foods in the tradition of traditional Chinese medicine. These foods include fruits like strawberries, apple, pear, and plum; vegetables like summer squash, broccoli, cauliflower, and corn; and spices and seasonings like peppermint and cilantro.
• In fall, turn toward the more warming, autumn harvest foods, including carrot, sweet potato, onions, and garlic. Also emphasize the more warming spices and seasonings including ginger, peppercorns, and mustard seeds.
• In winter, turn even more exclusively toward warming foods. Remember the principle that foods taking longer to grow are generally more warming than foods that grow quickly. All of the animal foods fall into the warming category including fish, chicken, beef, lamb, and venison. So do most of the root vegetables, including carrot, potato, onions and garlic. Eggs also fit in here, as do corn and nuts.

In all seasons, be creative! Let the natural backdrop of spring, summer, fall and winter be your guide.

Live right now!

THE LONGER YOU WAIT FOR THE FUTURE THE SHORTER IT WILL BE…

Just Breathe

Breath

It is incredible how a few deep breaths can shift your state, bringing ease to your body and spaciousness to the situation at hand. Breath diffuses tension. Breath creates space. Space to feel. Breath invites us to pause. Breath invites us to settle. Breath is energizing. Breath is here all the time...until it's not. Breath is nourishing. Breath is a gift. Take it in fully. Padma Gordon.

The only change is in ourselves

Part of the philosophy of yoga is that we can't always change the world around us. No matter what we do, bad things will happen and stressful situations will arise. The only thing we have control over—the only thing we can change—is ourselves. We can decide how to react to situations that challenge us. Will we allow them to throw us off center, or will we calmly deal with something unpleasant and not let it have a bad effect on us, taking it in stride.

Yoga teaches us how to respond to stress patiently. We must experience the physical challenge of the postures without fear, and use deep, calm breaths to move through them. If we can take that lesson off the mat and into our daily lives, we will move closer to the goal of responding to stress and bad things in a careful and considered way.

Yoga Journal 

Namaste,

Shaini

Take a Stress Test

Make a fist and squeeze it tight. Keep squeezing—as hard as you can—while you count to 10.

What happened to your breath while you did this? Most people find that they completely stop breathing, which is what typically happens when we're under stress. If you think about it, this response makes sense. The body seizes up in a mild form of shock.

But this response is exactly the opposite of what is healthy for the body. Instead of seizing up, we must learn to relax during times of stress, for only when we're relaxed can we find a solution.

Yoga can help you practice this principle in action. In yoga, the "stress" is the physical challenge of the posture. Although our first response to it may be tension, over time we can learn to deepen our breath and expand into the pose.

Yoga Journal

Namaste, Shaini

Be Present All meals a day

We've all heard that "we are what we eat." A more specific way to translate that axiom is to say that what we eat, to a great extent, determines our health. More complex is the idea that how we eat affects our health. When we appreciate and are conscious of our food, we derive incredible benefits from eating, in part because such awareness makes it difficult for us to eat food that is bad for us.

Discover food anew every time you eat. What you will find is that every apple, slice of toast, or meal in your favorite restaurant has its own unique, subtle qualities that often slip by, unnoticed, when you eat habitually or in a distracted state of mind.

If you can bring yourself back to the present moment for just an instant and pause to see how your food aligns with you deep in your core, you'll find you have an unfailing tool for knowing what is truly healthy and satisfying for you.

Yoga Journal

Namaste, Shaini

The benefits of Yoga,Walking&Detox

 Yoga is a training of the body and mind to become fully aware of every part of ourselves physically and mentally, connecting us to our inner self. If we us this in our walking then the walking  also becomes a meditative state, where one walks with full awareness and mindfulness.

So during the walk all the senses are active. Seeing the beauty around us. Hearing the sounds of nature, smelling what the season has to over us from scented flowers, to an ocean breeze to autumn leaves. Feeling the energy around us, in us and how it is all interconnected. Focusing on our breath, bringing the awareness of breathing into our walking, focusing on our senses, our breath, calming the mind, body and the being.

During the detox we do not only detoxify the body, but also the mind. Yoga aids in this as it teaches us how to connect with our breath, calming us, focusing, concentrating, thus letting go of the worries of the mind. 

The physical part of both Yoga & Walking are great attributes to detoxify the body further, as Yoga twists, upends and squeezes every part of our body releasing any toxins. Walking is a great aid in losing any excess weight, so the body can feel in optimum form again.

Walking in nature brings us peace of mind, connecting us with the beauty around us, feeling the energy flow between us. Connecting back to our roots and inner self.

Namaste Shaini

YOGA & SURFING

“What’s the difference between yoga and stretching?”

At first glance, it may seem that yoga is simply a form of stretching, and in fact, a lot of yoga poses do stretch the body in various ways.
But just as surfing is more than mere exercise, yoga is more than just stretching.
You see, yoga is not just about flexibility.

Yes, you definitely WILL become more flexible when you do yoga, but it’s almost like a side-benefit.
Just like surfing, yoga is a way of living, a way of being. Yoga becomes a part of you — sometimes developing slowly; other times happening dramatically — and you learn to draw on your yoga reserves right when you need them.

You might find that you start to focus on your breath during a stressful situation, or you might surprise yourself by staying calm and centered instead of being overrun by your emotions.
You might notice that you’re sleeping better, experiencing more energy and better moods.
You might more naturally and effortlessly begin to eat more healthfully and take better care of yourself, and feel good about doing so.
And of course, you likely will experience greater energy and endurance on the waves and more pure stoke in your everyday life!

That’s because when you practice Yoga, you learn to breathe consciously and stay aware of what you’re feeling in each pose.
You learn to remain open to what you’re feeling, without opinion or judgment — and instead, to embrace the experience at hand.
And then you translate that sense of calm energy and focused awareness to your everyday life so that each moment comes into razor-sharp view.

That means no more sleep-walking through life!

Instead, no matter what comes up — from the rides to the wipe-outs — you learn to stay balanced and centered, open and free.

If you haven’t done so already, I invite you begin to live in that state of yoga, which is a sense of oneness, of wholeness, of well-being.

Yogaforsurfers

Speaking Your Truth

Satya, one of the five yamas (restraints) in Patanjali's Yoga Sutra, means "truthfulness." Just because something is true, however, does not mean that it needs to be said! Being thoughtful with your words and avoiding harsh language and hurtful gossip is just as important as speaking the truth when practicing satya.

Ask yourself these three questions to help determine whether something should be said: Is it true? Is it kind? Is it necessary?

Through practicing satya you can not only sweeten your own life, but also "contribute to the well-being of the whole world."

(from Yoga Journal)

Namaste,
Shaini

Surf & Yoga Retreat

Waves Within April Coming Soon!!! For more info check www.waveswithin.com

Namaste,
Shaini

Gentle nighttime routine

Whether it's breathing to slow the heart rate or massage to calm the mind, a simple yogic routine can be effective for a better night's sleep. The next time you have trouble sleeping, follow these simple steps, and observe their soothing wonders:

Know your timing. Institute a regular bedtime; maintaining consistency will help keep your circadian rhythms—the biological changes that happen every 24 hours—steady. Eventually, your body will naturally understand and crave sleep during these hours.

Create a wind-down period. Create space between your busy day and sleep time. Honor your time at home and play relaxing music, or light candles. Think of the yoga precept of pratyahara: Withdraw your senses in order to turn inward.

Strike a pose. Notice how you feel before doing a nighttime yoga routine. Are you wired or tired? If you're amped up, do poses like twists or standing poses to burn off excess energy. If you're tired, do some restorative poses or breathing until you feel more refreshed.

Get warm. Remember to stay toasty while practicing your nighttime poses—have a blanket, socks, and a sweater nearby. Drink a warm cup of herbal tea or take a bath based on your dosha.

Freedom

Yoga is a way to freedom. By its constant practice, we can free ourselves from fear, anguish and loneliness.

Yoga pose explained: Baddha Konasana

Badhha Konasana:
Bound Angle Pose

First Chakra opening pose, groin opener. Be gentle with this area, it's a place where we tend to hold a lot of emotions and stress, so like a beautiful flower, let it slowly come to bloom, without forcing it and breaking it.
It is very common for people to feel tears arise with this pose, let them flow and feel the sadness flow out of your body, making room for happiness and joy!!


Step by Step

1
 Sit with your legs straight out in front of you, raising your pelvis on a blanket if your hips or groins are tight. Exhale, bend your knees, pull your heels toward your pelvis, then drop your knees out to the sides and press the soles of your feet together.

2
Bring your heels as close to your pelvis as you comfortably can. With the first and second finger and thumb, grasp the big toe of each foot. Always keep the outer edges of the feet firmly on the floor. If it isn't possible to hold the toes, clasp each hand around the same-side ankle or shin.

3
Sit so that the pubis in front and the tailbone in back are equidistant from the floor. The perineum then will be approximately parallel to the floor and the pelvis in a neutral position. Firm the sacrum and shoulder blades against the back and lengthen the front torso through the top of the sternum.

4
Never force your knees down. Instead release the heads of the thigh bones toward the floor. When this action leads, the knees follow.

5
Stay in this pose anywhere from 1 to 5 minutes. Then inhale, lift your knees away from the floor, and extend the legs back to their original position.

Go with the magical flow of life.

Namaste

Magical India

Since the beginning of the New Year we have been travelling this fast country, the birthplace of Yoga. Infused fully with spirituality, religion and ... dirt. In the short time that we have been here we have already intertwined with Swamis, smelling the sweet fragrance of incensed air during temple rituals, seen different hospitals and drips after multiple food poisoning, surfed the small, gentle waves of the Indian ocean, had amazing, energetic Yoga sessions on the beach and enjoyed the beautiful sceneries during an amazing 15hour train trip.

Religion and spirituality is everywhere, spread through India, with a multitude of temples, holy men and cows, shrines in the form of rickshaws and offerings everywhere ( unfortunately not all bio degradable..). With all this practice of becoming totally aware and in the present moment, on which this whole country is brought up, I am totally surprised and a little bit let down, that there is so much dirt everywhere.. and I am not talking about the poor areas of India, no this dirt is everywhere, there is not a river flowing without the obstruction of some kind of plastic or other unspecified object, no place to be found where you can smell the sweet air of freshness for longer then 5 minutes, before some waft of whatever ruins the moment..

I am delighted to be able to see this amazing country, this birthplace of Yoga, which I love so much, but I have also deeply realized that spirituality is not a country and for me especially not one where there are so many environmental issues. Spirituality is in your heart, your soul and living in a beautiful place like the westcoast of Portugal, with it's beautiful clean oceans and nature makes it a lot easier for me to calm my mind, awaken my kundalini and have a deep connection with everything around me. But for now it is what it is, Om Tat Sat, and being here is an amazing learning experience, because if I can find my peace of mind here in India with it's population of 1.170.938.000, I can find it anywhere :-)

Namaste,
Love n Light,
Shaini