Indian Summer

According to the forecasts, we can look forward to some warm, sunnier weather this week.  I’m thinking it’s a good time to indulge in a flowing Sun Salutation sequence over the next few days, opening up to receive revitalizing energy from the sun, making the most of it and easing into the week after a busy Saturday and a lazy Sunday…

Safia x

Back to school..back to the yoga mat!

Namaste friends! Well, summer has been and gone and busy,  happy, sunshiny days for all of us at the studio have meant some time away from the blog.   We have had a great summer and hope you have too. We’re now turning our thoughts to settling in to new routines and making the most of the autumn sunshine….when it chooses to appear!  After the slower pace of laid-back summer days, my daughter’s eagerly anticipated start at school has been a bit of a shock to the system – much as she’s keen to be a ‘big girl’,  all the newness has been overwhelming, which is tiring for all of us. I’ve instinctively been making use of some of the pranayama techniques we practice in class – it’s so important to stay centred, both for her and my own benefit, and yoga provides an anchor in amongst all of the tiredness and the new challenges.  Simply remembering to indulge in slowing down and deepening my breathing makes me feel instantly calmer. I have made a mental note to myself for whenever it all gets too much to drop my shoulders and feel tension melting with each exhalation. Also,  to help her switch off at bedtime, we have added some breathing practice to our bedtime routine on school nights – she’s only 4 but she already knows how to bring her focus to her breathing, and enjoys being guided through relaxing each part of her little self in preparation for sleep. Here’s hoping it will help to make the rest of the term easier… watch this space! And meanwhile, with a bit more time freed up, I am looking forward to diving back into my yoga and claiming some time back just to be me,  separate from my role as a mother.

So, school uniform ready, pencils sharpened, yoga mat unrolled, and perhaps socks and a cardy added to the yoga bag..  roll on Autumn Equinox…

Safia x

Asana of the month – August – Squat

Using this posture for just a few minutes every day can be very beneficial for your whole body. Squatting is a basic natural posture for the human body, but owing to the fact that we sit on chairs  for much of our daily lives, most of us find it difficult at first. This posture is good for your digestion and internal organs, it will help you to focus and keep you mentally centred.

Move from a standing position into a deep squat with your knees and feet turned out. Rest your elbows inside your knees and bring your hands together in front of your chest. If this is difficult give yourself some help by placing a couple of books or yoga blocks underneath your heels. When you are in the pose try gently rocking forward and backward and side to side, which will help you relax into the position. When you can hold the position no more gently drop your head forward, lift your hips and roll your spine to come back to standing.

Asana of the month – July – Bridge Pose

This gentle backbend helps to open your chest, enabling you to breathe more fully. It also releases your shoulders, which can become hunched and tight in the stresses and strains of daily life. Bridge pose creates strength and stability in your pelvic floor, and legs and lower abdomen. Make sure that you continue to breathe evenly throughout the movements, so that you feel no sense of strain.

1. Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet planted firmly on the floor, hip-width apart. Check that your feet are parallel. Place your hands on the floor beside your hips with your palms facing down.

2. As you breathe in, press your feet and hands firmly into the floor. You’ll feel your hips lift – take them as far up as yopu can without straining. Clasp your hands behind your back, and push your knuckles toward your heels. Rock slightly from side to side in order to get your shoulder blades tucked right in beneath you.  Hold the pose for three to six breaths, then come down gently. Repeat two to three times.

Heart Mudra – Asana of the Month – May

Heart Mudra has a positive influence on your emotions. This mudra is said to take the current prana directly to the centre of your chest, which is the seat of an energy centre called anahata chakra. According to yoga tradition we gather, store and give out resources of love and compassion from this energy point. Practicing heart mudra is an excellent way to keep your heart centre open, vibrant and free!

 

You can practice heart mudra anywhere and at any time and it can also be combined with a breathing, meditation or visualisation. Rest your hands, palms facing up on your thighs whilst sitting. On each hand curl your index fingers so that the tips touch the tips of your thumbs. Let your fingers open out softly away from your palms. Bring your attention to your heart centre in the middle of your chest. Allow the energy there to open your chest and free your breath. Allow your hands to relax and rest when you feel them tire or strain.

Gildredge Park Green Fayre this Saturday

The Yoga-Life Studio will be attending Gildredge Park Green Fayre, Eastbourne on May 7th from 12 noon to 6pm, offering Family Yoga and Yoga for all…come meet the Yoga Life team at our stand!

Yoga For Mental, Physical and Spiritual Health

Cheryl Hersey

Tuesday, January 1st, 2008

If you spent most of last year rushing around from commitment to commitment, feeling stressed and permanently tired, then this could be the most beneficial article you ever read. It’s very easy to get caught up in a world that moves at a million miles an hour and it’s commendable that you manage to achieve so much each day, but it’s not good for your health – mental or physical. If you want to avoid traveling through this year in a frenzy, it’s time for a new approach.

New Year’s resolutions often fail because we set ourselves unachievable targets. Whilst it’s great to have grand ideas, we actually benefit far more from small changes that we can fit easily into our lifestyles. It might seem like a bold statement, but committing to just one hour of yoga a week can make all the difference to your health and wellbeing.

A brighter, clearer outlook

Committing to one class a week means committing to time for yourself – something which many of us find hard to do. This hour will allow you to create some space in your busy life, to relax and to breathe. “On average we only breathe into one third of our lungs” says Yoga Teacher Wenche Beard. “Shallow breathing is one of the reasons we hold so much tension in our neck and shoulders. Deep breathing brings lots of fresh oxygen into the body, cleansing the blood and feeding the organs.” It helps with mental clarity too. Working with the breath allows us to let go of the stress that we hold onto throughout our lives and once we let go of it we can learn to live without it. Reducing our stress levels has a positive impact on our blood pressure and the health of our heart.

Renewed energy

It is very easy for our bodies to become ‘out of balance.’ Prolonged periods of sitting, carrying children and driving are just a few day to day activities that can cause tension in the body. Tension causes blockages and the energy that is used to flowing around our body gets stuck. “Yoga poses and breathing techniques are designed to free up the energy within us,” says Wenche “Our bodies are approximately 70% water, yoga opens the dams allowing the energy to flow again.”

Living without aches and pains

Yoga helps restore mobility in the body. It can ease backache, a tense neck and shoulders and even help after hip replacements. “We get used to the tension we carry in our body,” says Wenche, “It becomes part of us and we forget how to relax.” It might not happen immediately, in fact it’s likely to be a gradual process over several weeks, but as you attend regular yoga sessions, you will notice your body moving into a more relaxed state. You’ll realise that this tension is something that you don’t need to carry with you. “This is one of the reasons that yoga is so addictive,” says Wenche. “It teaches you things about your body that you didn’t know but once you learn them, you don’t want to go back to your old state of being.”

A whole body workout

Yoga is also very physically beneficial, building strength and flexibility that is unrivalled by any other form of exercise. It improves posture and body alignment, helping us to sit, stand and walk taller. It’s an addictive workout for the mind as well as the body, that’s useful and accessible to absolutely everyone from professional athletes to 80 year olds. It doesn’t matter if you can’t touch your toes as it’s not about being the most flexible. It’s not important if you can’t stand on one leg as it’s not about having the best balance. In yoga, everyone starts from their own unique starting point. It’s about working with your own body and your own intentions.

If you only make one resolution this year, promise yourself an hour a week to breathe and relax.