Tag: practice
-
Practice: Garudasana (Eagle Pose)
As I’ve said before – balancing is brilliant for bringing us into the present moment. It’s surprising how many millions of thoughts we can have running through our mind, and how none of them are actually related to what’s happening right now. When we balance, our focus is pulled deeper into ourselves physically and energetically, and…
-
Practice: Prasarita Padottanasana C
The shoulders and chest are another place along with the hips that store a large amount of tension. Long hours spent at desks, carrying heavy bags, and generally holding emotional tension within and around the shoulders and neck is common for most of us, and often shows itself in the form of headaches and…
-
‘Breathe Into It’…. Just one way the breath can help you through difficult Yoga Postures
The breath is our most important teacher. Shallow, short breaths that reside up in the chest often imply we’re under a bit of stress, or that we’ve got a lot on our minds – whereas slow, deep conscious breaths indicate a more relaxed, balanced mind, and help us to switch on the parasympathetic nervous system…
-
Practice: Virabhadrasana 2
Accessible to most of us; Virabhadrasana 2 is one of the most widely used standing postures in many yoga sequences. The name of this asana is derived from ‘Virabhadra’, a mythical warrior created from a lock of the God, Shiva’s hair. (In Indian philosophy, Shiva represents the ‘higher self’ / ‘the true universal energy’.) Shiva…
-
A New Published Article for Ekhart Yoga: Tapas
This month, Ekhart Yoga have a special series of online classes all about some of my favourite asanas to practice – arm balances! Physically, these postures both require and build upper body and core strength, plus a lot of inner heat! But the biggest benefits along the path to arm balances occur on a much…
-
Practice: Baby Bakasana (Baby Crow Pose)
Possibly the smallest arm balance ever; baby Bakasana builds strength in the upper body and core, without that fear of face-planting that the traditional Bakasana carries. Oh yes…. And it’s fun! (No, this isn’t the most traditional of poses – you probably won’t find this particular asana in Iyengar’s ‘Light On Yoga’, but it’s always…
-
Practice: Ardha Chandrasana (Half Moon Pose)
Ardha= ’half’ Chandra= ’shining’ often translated as ‘moon’ We may notice that most asanas are linked to nature and the natural cycles of the world around us. The opposites of day and night, calmness and activity, and heat and cool are also elements infused throughout yogic traditions, and the Sun and Moon are big themes often worked…
-
Practice: Eka Pada Raj Kapotasana
Eka = One Pada = foot Raja = King or ‘royal’ Kapota = Pigeon Asana = Pose or ‘seat’ A pretty deep hip-opener; pigeon pose can feel like a great stretch for some, but torture for others…. The hips are usually linked to a place in which we store a lot of emotional tension…
-
Paschima = ‘west’ Tan = ‘To extend’ Asana = ‘Pose’ or ‘seat’ So what’s this pose about? Well, in order to learn that – let’s have a think about what it’s not…. It’s not about touching your toes It’s not about having your head on your knees It’s not just about getting super long hamstrings…
-
Good Morning! The benefits of an every-day practice
So why oh why do lots of us get up in the early hours of the morning, maybe only a few hours after some people have even gone to bed, to practice yoga? It takes commitment, and when the mornings are dark you’ll need a dose of willpower too – but it’s all worth it….…