Yoga
Asana, meditation and philosophy.
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5 Tips For Your Meditation Practice
Lets face it, meditation can be an intimidating and illusive practice. One of the largest misconceptions about meditation is that it is an act of clearing your mind. The truth is, meditation will not prevent you from having thoughts. In fact, the harder you try to rid yourself of thoughts, the more challenging the practice of meditation becomes. Instead of approaching your meditation practice with the goal being a clear mind, let your intention be a focused mind. Whether you’re a daily meditator or totally new to the practice, here are five tips that will revolutionize the way you meditate! Before you start, I highly recommend investing in a meditation journal. This journal…
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The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali: Understanding the Fundamentals of the Yoga Practice
The yoga sutras are some of the first written record we have of the yoga practice. They are ancient philosophies passed down from guru to student, and describe the purpose, intention, and major aspects of yoga. Initially these texts were strictly verbally taught until Sage Patanjali wrote physical copies in the sanskrit language. The sutras were then translated and expanded upon by Sri Swami Satchidananda, which is the most common translation seen today in studios and teacher trainings across the nation. The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali is my favorite book to recommend to students looking to deepen their awareness and yoga practice. The physical book is broken down into four main parts; the…
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How to Prep for Backbends
In yoga, backbends are by far one of the trickier postures to grasp. There’s lots of engagement occurring in the body and not just in the back, but in the hips and shoulders as well. This is why it’s incredibly important to properly prep for backbending postures. Basic spinal movements Before starting any yoga practice, especially one where back bending is involved, it’s important to move the spine in all six directions. This means twists, lateral bends, spinal flexion, and extension. Not only does this help warm up your spine, creating space between your vertebrae, but it also helps move your bodies natural energy or prana. Traditionally, the yogis believed the spine was…
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Understanding the Mechanics of Yoga Backbends: Your Hips and Lumbar Spine
I’m going to be honest, I absolutely hate backbending postures. That’s why I never have any expectations when entering backbending poses. It wasn’t until I fully understood the mechanics of backbending, that I started to find a little more ease with it. Don’t get me wrong, I still despise backbends, but you have to practices the poses you hate too. What Does Backbending require? In yoga, back bending and spinal extension are one and the same. In every backbending posture, the intention is to stabilize your low back and work with your natural lumbar curve. The same goes for your neck or cervical spine. You want to stabilize and utilize these natural curves,…
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Yoga Exercises For Better Sleep
With quarantine leaving most of us cooped up at home, and the uncertainty of it all adding to our list of anxieties proper sleep is probably the last thing on our minds. Not to mention the fact that our everyday routines have been completely out of whack and we’re full of pent up energy. Still, getting a full night’s sleep is vital to staying both healthy and sane during this pandemic. Luckily, there are some simple breathing techniques and gentle movements we can do that will calm our body and mind. When practiced before bed these techniques can aid us in both falling and staying asleep. Sleep and the Brain When we sleep…
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How to Practice Dirga Pranayama; Three-Part Breathing
This post contains affiliate links, for more information read disclaimer Dirga Pranayama translates to three-part breathing and is often one of the first breath techniques taught to yoga practitioners. This breath helps focus our mind and invites us to tune into the sensations of our bodies. By intentionally manipulating breath into three separate parts of our body, dirga pranayama takes us into the present moment and out of worries or fears in our minds. The three areas we focus on while practicing this breath are our belly, ribs, and chest. On a daily basis, we perform very shallow breathing patterns. Predominantly, we stick to surface level chest breathing. By training ourselves in three-part…
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Benefits of Viparita Karani – Legs up the Wall
Viparita Karani or legs up the wall is by far one of my all-time favorite yoga poses! If I don’t make it to my mat one day, for whatever reason, as long as I practice this pose I feel grounded and accomplished. Legs up the wall is incredibly rejuvenating and relaxing. This pose is extremely accessible, so whether you’re a seasoned practitioner, or you’re just starting out, this pose is for you! Physical Benefits of Viparita Karani physically, this pose gently works our hamstrings and creates space in our low back. By elevating our legs, it increases circulation and drains any excess fluid. People who suffer from edema or sciatica can benefit greatly…
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Gentle Evening Yoga Flow
Practicing a gentle yoga flow in the evenings is a habit I’m trying to get back into. Since a lot of us have been gifted with some quiet time alone during this self-quarantine, it’s nice to turn inward and maintain good habits and routines. Since sleep plays a large role in our overall health, it’s important that we allow ourselves ample rest. If you have a hard time trying to quiet your mind before bed, or you often feel it’s difficult to get a full night’s rest, practicing yoga before you sleep can help! Taking time to calm your mind and release tension through your body, can ease you to a better night’s…
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Yoga Poses for Anxiety and Stress.
With the coronavirus resulting in a pandemic, and a serious lack of accurate information there is a lot of stress floating around in the air. While I’m no expert on the virus, I do know that stress is not good for anyone’s health. Stress can actually reduce the strength of our immune system making us more susceptible to sickness. Throughout times of uncertainty like this, it’s important to take care of ourselves. This means making our physical and mental health top priority. Luckily we’re all self-quarantined so we’ve got some time to relax and unwind. In general, yoga can be a very relaxing, stress-reducing practice. Still, certain styles, postures, and exercises will affect…
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The 5 Yoga Yamas: Yoga Philosophy and the Eight-Limbed Path
This post contains affiliate links, reash disclaimer for more info. I recently wrote a post about the eight-limbed path and the yoga philosophy. Traditionally the first limb taught to students is the yamas. In today’s day and age, yoga has become more of a mainstream exercise than a truly spiritual practice. This means philosophies such as the yamas and eight-limbed path often get overlooked. While I’m not here to get into the debate of “what is yoga,” I do want to share the philosophies of the practice so we can have a deeper understanding of its purpose in our lives. If you haven’t checked out my post about the eight-limbed path I recommend…
