Before I made a conscious decision to venture into the unknown and debunk my uneducated misconceptions of yoga by making the journey down to one of the remotest little corners of the Costa Rican jungle, I knew as much about yoga as Donald Trump knows about self-censoring.
Throwing myself headlong into the deep end, I found myself at the gates of the majestic Blue Osa Yoga Retreat and Spa that sits like a treasure amongst the leaves, to live and work under their roof for an entire 5 weeks. At this point my knowledge of yoga amounted to this; I knew it was good for flexibility and on a vaguer level, I was pretty sure I’d read it could really help people suffering with sciatica, of which I was one of the unfortunates.
Gradually though, as I spent time amongst the people who had paid good money to find their way to this peaceful little haven, I heard their stories and quickly came to realise that it wasn’t all just the hippy BS that I had ignorantly dismissed it as before. Some of these people had used yoga to change their lives for the better, as part of their rehabilitation after an injury or as a restorative crutch to aid in recovery from substance or alcohol abuse.
After immersing myself in yoga for an entire month I could clearly see the positive changes in myself. It made me curious about what other benefits yoga might hold. So I decided to do some research.
Here are just 7 of an ever-expanding long list of proven benefits yoga has for our bodies:
1. CIRCULATION: LET IT FLOW!
One of yoga’s biggest benefits is an increased metabolism. Yes, you heard right…yoga keeps you thin! When we eat, our bodies break down the food into nutrients which provide the body with energy. The speed in which our body does this is called our metabolic rate (of which everybody’s is different). Our metabolic rates can differ depending on many different variables such as age, size, or gender but having good circulation is key. Good circulation provides our organs and muscles with oxygen and a constant supply of nutrients which we use as energy. Yoga helps improve the circulatory system through the deep breathing techniques we use. This opens up the arteries, releasing pressure and allowing blood to flow quicker. The advanced technique called Bellows Breath is especially effective for achieving this
2. DIGESTIVE: BURN BABY BURN!
A poor digestive system affects the whole body, including the metabolism. Since the majority of the digestive tract is in the abdomen, strengthening your core muscles can help to improve functionality. Stomach exercises are perfect for this although twists can also help massage and wring out toxins blocked in the intestines. For the abdomen think Plank, or Boat pose. For twists try Eagle, Twisted Chair, Supine Twist or the aptly named Half Gas Release pose!
3. MUSCLES: LEAN, MEAN, YOGA MACHINE!
Anyone that has ever attended a power flow yoga class can attest that it is a proper work out. A lot of the asanas we practice on our mats require us to hold our own body weight. Here, the body automatically targets large muscle groups and uses the smaller muscles to help achieve each position. Yoga tests strength, balance, and flexibility – challenging the body in a multitude of ways so it’s working as one unit. When multiple muscle groups work in conjunction, muscle starts to increase in size and density. The more muscle we build; the more calories we burn, the faster our metabolic rate.
4. REDUCED STRESS AND ANXIETY: JUST BREATH!
Take it from someone who has been there. Stress and Anxiety disorders are no fun. Yoga has been accredited as a great way to relieve the symptoms related not only with these disorders but also the day to day stress we pick up at work and in our social lives. Meditation and seated poses are often recommended for the best results. Deep breathing techniques are regularly used to counter feelings of anxiety or panic. Sitting on a chair, Sun Pose, has been proven to calm the amygdala, the brain structure that can be hyper alert to threats, while it’s cousin Sun Breath pose or Sun Breath twist, helps by lifting the ribcage to promote a deeper calming breath while at the same time twisting to relieve abdominal stress.
5. FLEXIBILITY: FLEXIBLE FRIENDS!
The obvious one! Everybody knows that yogi’s increase their flexibility by gradually practicing yoga. Though form and breathing are incredibly important for proper results, even I myself have experienced noticeable improvements in this department. Especially those troublesome short hamstrings! Using aids such as straps and blocks can help beginners in the early days.
6. BRAIN FUNCTION: ALL IN YOUR HEAD!
The old adage tells us ‘Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise’. Although unfortunately, I can’t tell you that yoga has increased my wallet size, I can report that falling into a routine of an early morning yoga class with a restorative class at the end of the day has not only left me energized and creatively charged (remember I’m a writer) but also left me nicely relaxed and ready to roll in for an early night. A 20 minute Hatha yoga routine has been proven to improve cognitive functions such as focus and information retention. The stress relief it brings can improve our moods which makes us more receptive to learning.
7. POSTURE: HEARD IT ON THE STRAIGHT SPINE!
Many of the yoga poses we find ourselves practicing on our mats are designed to improve suppleness and flexibility in our bodies. We also pay a lot of attention to the alignment of our pelvis, spine, head and shoulders, making sure our bones are stacked correctly. Making sure we do this relieves tension, strengthens our muscles, and promotes the natural curvature of the spine.
Chris Barkess is a blogger and aspiring author in his thirties. He also drives trains in his hometown of Newcastle, England. His love of travelling brought him together with his fiancé, Holly, another like-minded travel nut, and the love of his life. Together they embarked on an adventure in 2015 to explore Latin America where they fell in love with the culture. Aside from writing – his undisputable first love, Chris enjoys reading, running, football, and being fully immersed in nature. He is a self-proclaimed Stephen King fanatic.
Chris admits to having been initially sceptical and openly dismissive of Yoga until he realised the benefits it had to offer him; physically, mentally and spiritually. He now recognises the depths to his ignorance.
“The ultimate ignorance is rejecting something you know nothing about, yet refuse to investigate” – Dr. Wayne Dyer
Follow Chris and Holly as they continue on their adventures!
The potential for Yoga happens every second of every day, whether you realize it or not.
As I examine my path, I realize I’ve always been practicing.
You see, my practice is to examine and to analyze and to experience and to contemplate and to synthesize. That’s what I’m uniquely predisposed to do naturally in this lifetime. However, this creates a near-constant inner tension between my highest self yearning for freedom and my ego yearning for certainty. I can choose the path that will give me the most satisfaction but will pit me against every fear and doubt I can imagine or I can choose the path that will give me the most money and I’ll still be good at it and get lots of praise and appear to be “doing really well.”
I’ve come to believe we all have these two competing Selves battling for survival. Our practice is about figuring out which one is truly right for us and then being content with that choice.
The first reason I came to yoga
I don’t really remember my first yoga class ever. I rented DVD’s from the library in high school and maybe dilly dallied here and there with some yoga. In college I took a yoga class because I was feeling really stressed out and I needed to figure out how to self-regulate and calm myself down.
In the beginning, I came to yoga because I was seeking self-control. I was trying to find a way to help me calm myself down so I could stop having panic attacks.
Somewhere along the way, I started to become interested in DVD exercise programs. I started practicing a more physical form of yoga from the P90X DVD and knew that I wanted to continue taking yoga classes to help me maintain the level of fitness I had achieved during the DVD program. This is when I started going to a yoga studio.
Now, I was taking yoga to stay in shape, with the added benefit of it helping me calm down.
Secretly, and only apparent to me in hindsight, yoga was also introducing me to a sense of community I didn’t have at the time. I got involved in the studio and took programs that allowed me to develop closer relationships with teachers and fellow students.
Going all in and then retreating
Then, I got an internship at a yoga company. My panic attacks were getting better, I was in the best shape of my life and I got excited, so the yoga industry became my career. I was still using my English, marketing, PR, journalism, and writing skills that I worked so hard to hone but now I was applying those skills for a cause I really believed in. Plus, I was continuing to feel safe and supported in an incredible community.
I was getting closer to yoga as a way of life but at some point, I got disenchanted with the whole yoga industry career thing and I quit. I started my own business continuing to use my marketing skills to help others in all sorts of small businesses. I had also just finished my yoga teacher training. At the same time my professional corporate yoga career was dying my teaching career was being born.
Yoga became a hobby. I continued to work away at my business while teaching a couple classes on the side. It was during this time that teaching yoga became my passion. It was also during this time that I was overwhelmed and exhausted and I started to explore more gentle and therapeutic practices. Yoga became nourishing and not just about the physical fitness.
Yoga off the mat
Then I moved. Yoga became my lifesaver. The practice reminded me how to thrive in a place I didn’t think I could live in and be happy. Yoga, again, created community in a place I didn’t feel I belonged. I got excited (again) and chose teaching yoga as my career. But it was unsustainable at the time where I lived so I picked up more marketing work and split my time.
I moved again. Yoga allowed me to find a community, but it quickly became a job. I lacked inspiration as I continued to be distracted by other opportunities.
I moved a third time. This time I had a lot more opportunity to teach yoga based on where I am living. The possibility of teaching yoga as a career re-appeared and I pounced. Yoga was/is again my career.
But some of that disenchantment started to creep back in. I could see myself easily being tempted by paths that I knew in my heart didn’t fit what I really want to do. This time I stood strong, turned down opportunities, and quit gigs that no longer fit. I kept refining and learning and teaching as I figured out who I wanted to be as a yoga teacher. Yoga became my lab.
Somewhere along the way, yoga became my life.
Yoga as a way of life
That doesn’t mean that I practice postures all the time. That doesn’t mean that I spend my days in studios, although I do spend a lot of time in studios because I enjoy being there.
Yoga, as a system, has become the structure that I’ve needed in my life — the container — from which I’ve gained the confidence, inspiration, and conviction to show up fully as me.
And let me tell you, it’s been a journey getting here.
Also, I’m only here for this moment. Tomorrow is another day and yoga will continue to evolve for me as my life continues to unfold. It’s supposed to be that way.
I don’t know why you need yoga, which is why I don’t particularly like telling people exactly what to do. But I do know that if you feel like you’re floundering around in your life and you’re looking for some type of structure that will still give you freedom, yoga can be that framework that gives you permission to thrive, to live, to heal, to nourish, to explore, to be.
Yoga won’t fix you
Yoga is complex because our lives are complex. At the same time it’s a simple system that we make complex because we try to make yoga be more then it is. We try to make yoga be the thing that will fix us. It won’t.
We try to make yoga be the thing that will save us. Ultimately, only you can save yourself. Yoga can help you get there, but yoga itself won’t save you. You showing up to do the work will save you. You being open to new possibilities will save you. You having faith and hope will save you. Yoga gives you the structure and permission to show up, to become open and stay open, to find faith and hope, and to believe in yourself as a divine being. You save you.
The original intent
Yoga, traditionally, was a practice derived to help us transcend consciousness.
Truthfully, that’s not why I practice yoga. I believe that if you practice yoga devoutly you can transcend consciousness. But I’m not sure in this moment that this is what I’m after.
Yoga has certainly evolved my consciousness and will continue to do so. If my path towards transcended consciousness is a gradual slope of evolution, I’m okay with that. I’m not trying to transcend. I’m only hoping to evolve.
Just like in the beginning, I wasn’t trying to transcend, I just wanted to relax. I just wanted to be fit. I just wanted to fit in and connect with people who get me and accept me for who I am. I just wanted a job. I just wanted to help others. I just wanted to teach. I just wanted to learn.
I just want to live.
Yoga let’s me live.
It’s my hope that yoga lets you live too.
So why did you come to yoga? And how, if at all, has this practice changed for you over time?
Namaste.
By Ashley Josephine
I started practicing yoga to stay in shape and release stress. What I learned was how to love my life. How to have faith. How to find your community of people who support you and love you unconditionally. How to get back control. Today, it is my mission to help busy Type-A overachiever women like me gain back control of their lives, live pain-free, and love the life they want to live through yoga lifestyle practices. Visit www.ashleyjosephine.com to get free yoga lifestyle tips to help live healthier, happier, and pain-free.
Click here to download or stream one of our Office YogaDownload classes!
Ask a teacher. Starting your home practice can seem overwhelming at first. There are so many different poses to choose from and even more videos and online programs. Unless you're familiar with the poses or teacher already, it will nearly be impossible to navigate through all these resources. My suggestion is to ask your favorite local yoga teacher, who already knows you well, to help you develop a short home practice. Make sure you are clear that it has to be accessible and no longer than 10 to 15 minutes, or about 15 poses. Even if your instructor simply writes the poses for you via email, that's a great way to get started.
Make space. Have a spot designated in your house or apartment for yoga. It doesn’t have to be anything glamorous or “zen,” but it should be able to fit your mat and allow you the freedom to move around comfortably. Have a free wall nearby to help with balance, inversions and other modifications. Reserving a spot for yoga makes it easier to practice at home regularly. Mentally, a yoga space helps you commit to sticking with it.
[Read: 7 Benefits of Yoga for Men.]
Have a routine. Pick a time during the day to set aside for yoga. Make it a priority for yourself. Just like brushing your teeth, it’s not negotiable. It is your health, after all. The best time for a home practice is in the morning, before anything else comes up and derails you. Have a core sequence of poses that you practice every time. A sequence that you repeat is a great way to keep you focused, strong and flexible. If you’ve been practicing and making progress, you don’t want to lose it. Stick with a regimen, and it will make you feel more at home and yourself when you practice it.
Keep it short and simple. Have a home practice that you can complete in 10 to 15 minutes. While practicing for an hour is preferable, the idea is that you get what you need in your session, even when you’re short on time. A few poses I suggest: down dog, hip-opener, thigh stretch, hamstring stretch, back-bend, twist, seated forward-fold and standing poses, such as side-angle and triangle. They are infinitely deep and powerful when opening and strengthening your body.
[Read: Yoga for People Who Are Overweight or Obese.]
Mix it up. Always have a core set of poses you practice. However, if you find yourself getting bored with your sequence, include different poses and variations. Keep it fun and light-hearted. Just be sure to know your limitations and when to practice humility and patience.
Challenge yourself. When you work hard on something that you love to do, it's rewarding, and that's the key to keep your mind clear and happy. There is no limit to the ways to challenge your yoga practice. Work toward a new pose. Start a timer, and hold poses for a minute or two. If you work at your physical edge without crossing it, then you’re making progress. The payoff is worth the sweat and effort you put in. (Note, however, that if you’re short of breath, clenching your jaw or in pain, you’ve gone too far.)
Gather the proper supplies. Safety is key. For healthy alignment, have these props: a yoga mat, two yoga blocks, a blanket and a strap to allow for modifications in the poses. Every pose can be adjusted with or without props. The props make the postures accessible and offer more options to continue to advance while staying safe. As you become knowledgeable on how to carefully place more injury-prone parts of your body in the postures, like lowering your knees to the ground, you only need the mat beneath you and the space to move freely.
[Read: Save Money on Yoga by Making Your Own Props.]
Get inspired. A great resource for all levels of yoga practitioners is the "Yoga Resource Practice Manual" e-book by Darren Rhodes. Darren is an excellent teacher and yogi. His e-book is thorough yet concise, and it provides pictures of each posture. The pictures alone are inspirational. If you’re in it for the long haul, this is a great home-practice tool.
Have no shame. Own it. Get your practice in anytime and anywhere. Bust out a down-dog or forward-fold in the airport, the office or in the hotel room.Take care of yourself first, and everyone around you will benefit from you being more grounded and happy.
Make it work for you. No matter what technique you use to continue your practice, stay with it. Do more of what works and less of what doesn't. Believe in yourself and believe you are worth it!
[Read: 5 Yoga Poses You Can Do on an Airplane.]
By Jake Panasevich
ERYT-200
Drawing from over seven intensive trainings, Jake Panasevich threads the most beneficial practices from different modalities into a unique yoga experience for inflexible, stressed, over-worked regular Americans. Jake is a yoga and wellness mentor and teacher to a large, committed group of beginners and advanced students alike. With a strong wrestling, coaching and writing background, Jake inspires students to get committed, get stronger and learn to love life and flourish in it.
Jake works with:
Guys who want to live healthy and pain-free Former athletes who are tight and injured Those who want to avoid surgery and expensive alternatives to yoga Those who love to be challenged in a way that supports them
Visit www.yogawithjake.com to get motivated, feel great and get committed!
Ingredients:
(and this is what I had on tap this morning. It changes, so feel free to use what's available in your kitchen)
3 cups rolled oats
1 cup almonds
1 cup pecans
1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
1 cup coconut flakes (I added a bit more because I love the texture of coconut flakes)
2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 cup coconut oil
1/3 cup maple syrup (this time I added about 2 more tablespoons as I'm feeling sweet this morning)
1 tsp. vanilla (sometimes I pour a little over)
Directions:
Mix first 7 ingredients together in a bowl (oats, nuts, seeds, coconut, vanilla and salt). Set aside.
In a small saucepan, heat up 1/4 cup coconut oil. Once it has melted, add the maple syrup and vanilla. Stir into bowl that was set aside with granola mixture. I use a rubber spatula to really get in there and make sure everything is mixed nicely.
Next step is not necessary, but makes for a great texture: Get out your high speed blender or food processor. Transfer about 2/3 of the granola mixture to the blender/processor and pulse. Just make sure you don't turn this into dust. You still want some chunks. The purpose of this is to break down the mixture a little bit.
Once you are satisfied with what your blended/pulsed mixture looks like, transfer that back to the bowl with the other 1/3. Mix well.
Spread mixture onto a cookie sheet that has been oiled with coconut oil (today I used a deeper set pan). Use a rubber spatula to push down the mixture firmly.
Place in oven for 20-25 minutes on 325 F. Do continually check on your granola -- as it can easily burn.
Enjoy in your favorite way. I love to add it to a bowl of yogurt, with blackberries and line the outside of my bowl with honey.
By Meredith Cameron
Learning that she and we are more capable than we give ourselves credit for, Meredith Cameron creates space for students to reach out, dig deeper, and not take themselves too seriously. Yoga and traveling are two life loves that seem to go hand and hand. Follow Meredith around the world with her workshops and retreats - 500+ hour CYT. To find out more about Meredith visit www.mcameronyoga.com
Shakti is the creative energy of the universe and exists both inside and outside of us. In Hindu philosophy, Shakti means divine female energy. We all have a combination of the feminine Shakti and Shiva, or masculine energy.
The goddess Shakti is constantly moving, changing, transforming and is often referred to as Prakriti. Her counterpart, Shiva, often referred to as Purusha, represents stability or the unmoving.
By tapping into your own Shakti, you empower yourself to be your most creative self, and to make changes that help you become the best version of yourself. Magnifying the power of change within unifies us with the universe around us. When we’re in tune with nature and the natural flow of the world, we feel more vital, energetic and spiritually in tune. Deb Rubin’s Shakti Flow: Yoga & Dance will get you moving!
A Shakti-focused yoga practice emphasizes flowing, almost dance-like movements. Digging into the core and creating heat in our navel chakra or center builds heat to encourage change. Try Nothing But Core by Claire Petretti Marti to see what we mean.
Focus on fluidity, grace, and power not just in the asana, but also with pranayama or controlling one’s breath. Choosing a mantra or mantras dedicated to manifesting the change we wish to see in our lives is another important element of a Shakti yoga practice. Mark Morford’s Firestarter will shake up your routine and maybe even your life!
Courage comes when we act despite any fear. Move your personal blocks with Kristen Gibowicz’s Courageous Flow.
Try one of this week’s classes to see how luminous and alive you can feel. If you don’t have time for a full class, try dancing around your living room and let your inner glow shine!
Yogic binds involve trying to bring hands together by opening the shoulders and rotating the torso. There are many different types of binds, and as with all things yoga—different levels appropriate for anyone, no matter how bendy they are or how fit they are.
Binding is great for increasing mental focus and deepening postures. There are also lots of variations of binds. There are sitting binds and standing binds, binds that may remind you of such twists as a pretzel. If you want to learn more about yogic binds and perhaps add some to your practice, this graphic can help.
Be sure to warm up the body with easier postures BEFORE moving into the deeper openings. It is extremely important to stay tuned into your body and know if binding is not for you. Pushing yourself and your body isn't worth injury-- so if you're going to try it, stay present with the breath and mindful of your body.
Health Perch is a digital health magazine focusing on physical and mental wellness, as well as ways to fight signs of aging. They aim to make health and wellness easy to understand and fun to read. With Health Perch, keep up to date with the latest health articles, tips & advice. Catch them on Twitter (@HealthPerch) for even more health news, and continue learning how to become the healthiest version of YOU.
While I’ve never shopped at Nastygal and don’t have a career in fashion, I completely relate to this book’s practical advice. Sophia’s writing style is blunt, contagious and she definitely keeps it real. As a #GIRLBOSS in training, I feel totally motivated.Here are my 5 takeaways from the book:
1. A #GIRLBOSS Works Hard
No matter what you do, you have to put your heart and soul into it. No half-assing. Whether you’re vacuuming your living room floor, or teaching a yoga private, making soup for your neighbor, giving legal advice or managing a pharmaceutical company, you have to mean it and do it well with 100% of your effort. And effort doesn’t go unnoticed. You may feel as if it does sometimes when you don’t get immediate gratification, but people who matter will eventually notice. And you will be rewarded. The golden rule is: if you put effort into something, it will show results. Maybe not in the way you expected, and maybe you still don’t feel that you succeeded, but if you do the best you can, you won’t have any regrets.
2. A #GIRLBOSS Values Every Experience
For as much as we all love to hear about our cousin Laura who knew in kindergarten she wanted to be an eye doctor, and goes and does exactly that, we have to realize that not everyone has the same path. And although it seems easier for Laura the eye doctor to have it all figured out while we are to struggling talking to college advisors and taking the Myers-Briggs 5 times, it doesn’t mean that she’s not busting ass in med school and having to sacrifice years of her life to study rounded over her desk in the library so that she can one day fix our eyes. So maybe we didn’t have an epiphany in kindergarten and we still don’t know what we want to be in life, but the good news is there’s other people like us out there. In fact the majority of people are confused on what to do. The key lays in appreciating every single job and every single experience that comes across. IF anything, it will teach you what you DON”T like, and that’s start.
For example, that job you had in high school standing outside Whole Foods getting people to donate for Greenpeace? And you hated it because everyone took the long route to get in the store even at the cost of stumbling in the grocery carts just so they wouldn’t have to talk to you? You can probably thank that job because it motivated you to find a different job that you enjoyed more.
Did you know I had a lot random jobs? I picked lavender, worked in a cheese factory, worked in a costume shop, fed elderly in a nursing home and taught Italian to drooling pre-schoolers all before I even finished college undergrad in Legal Studies, which has nothing to do with yoga.
Earning my college degree was a struggle but I wouldn’t change it for anything. I didn’t like having to sit through classes, the all-nighters before finals, and being permanently broke. But at the same time I really thrived from being in an educated environment which forced me to think critically and learn to write properly. At the end of the day, I can look at that piece of paper that constitutes my BA and say: ”I did it. And if I did that (and it was hard), I can do anything else I put my mind to.” Right now I’ve been teaching yoga and barre for two years and have successfully been leading yoga retreats in Costa Rica.
3. A #GIRLBOSS Has a Vision
Having a vision is so important. Don’t be afraid to vocalize what it is that you want in the future. It is by saying it out loud that you begin the build momentum and create energy around it. And if you don’t talk about it, or write it, or dream it, or think about it, how will you ever start? Although Sophia Amoroso speaks of this concept in depth and vividly, I have to give credit to Yogi Aaron of Blue Osa for first introducing me to this idea. :) So have a vision, hold onto it, but don’t make it too narrow that you can’t take a detour and jump on the bandwagon of opportunity when the chances arise.
4. A #GIRLBOSS Owns Her Style
I live by this rule. Wear what you want and own it. Create your own style. Please don’t ever let the latest edition of Cosmopolitan dictate which color you should wear this summer. You can get anyway with anything so long as you do it with confidence. You could wear a Moschino dress, but if you feel uncomfortable in your own skin you’ll look awkward and everyone else will know it too. Or you can wear a Target tank top along with your mom’s vintage shorts and own it and look amazing. And everyone will stop you on the street to ask where you got your outfit.
5. A #GIRLBOSS Charges Ahead
If there’s one thing that social media can bring, along with tons of inspiration and worldwide connections, is discouragement and isolation. When you’re having a bad day and you look at Instagram, you will become even more depressed because so-and-so can do handstands better than you, and so-and-so has more followers than you, and so-and-so is is frolicking on a tropical beach and you’re not, and so-and-so has a good looking boyfriend and instead you’re sitting on your couch eating muffins like a lonely fatty and even the mailman won’t say hi to you. That’s when you shake it off, say “enough”, and wipe all that crap off your mind entirely.
A #GIRLBOSS charges ahead and doesn’t let anybody stop her. You are on your own mission, which will be different than any on else’s. And you should not wish to be someone else, because, well, then you wouldn’t be you. And you don’t really know what is going on in people’s lives behind one amazing photo on Instagram. They could be struggling with depression but you would never know it from their cheery blog posts.
Also, you have got to ignore your competition and the debby-downers. Don’t let them take energy that you should instead devote to carrying on your projects. Remember that people who criticize are either afraid of you, ignorant or down right envious.
By: Valentina Rose
Born and raised in Italy, Valentina is a full time yoga instructor who divides her time between Marin County, California and Matapalo, Costa Rica. When she isn’t hosting yoga retreats or blogging Valentina can be found trail running and baking quiche.
Valentinarose.me
Instagram: @valentinarose1111
INGREDIENTS makes a 12 ounce serving
Juice of 1/2 a lemon 1 teaspoon finely grated ginger 2 tablespoons of honey turmeric paste (recipe below)
Turmeric Honey Paste
1 cup honey 2 1/2 tablespoons powdered turmeric Stir honey and turmeric together until fully blended. Store in a jar at room temperature to use as desired.
1. Juice your lemon and grate your ginger into a mug. 2. Add the turmeric honey paste. 3. Add hot water. 4. Stir, stir, stir and savor.
PS: If you like this recipe, you might like our Yogaland podcast with self care ideas for balancing the vata dosha.
I was extremely stressed out, working non-stop, traveling non-stop, and I just needed a break. Once I decided to take the break, it was easy. I didn't struggle with guilt, or feeling like I was missing out on anything. I read, I hiked, I spent time with family, I took long baths, I went out for runs. I just did me, and it was so what I needed. I came back to work feeling so much better.
Quote above from The Untethered Soul
Sometimes, when you come back to work and real life feeling refreshed and ready to rock and roll, it's easy to fall back into your old ways. So last summer, when I got back to work, I created some resolutions to stick to:
1) Social media shut down - With the majority of my business being social media related (we're now up to 229,000 social media followers across a few platforms including instagram (and don't forget to follow the BTS account!), facebook, youtube and twitter), it's hard not to want to check posts and answer comments. But for the sake of my sanity and the people around me (who wants to be around that one person who is always checking their phone?!) it's important that I stick to only checking my phone during work hours.
What's interesting is that a few weeks ago I was out to breakfast with my friend Kat. I broke my rule of checking my phone and she said, "Do you realize that every time you check your phone, you sigh?"
I had no idea! I think of yawing as either a silent scream for coffee, a sign of sleepiness or a sign of stress. I think in this case, stress would be the culprit.
2) Be more thankful - According to this book, manifesting a sense of gratitude can physically change what's going on chemically inside your body. It lowers stress levels, which helps you to sleep better, digest your food better, and so much more. It seems kind of ridiculous that just being thankful can impact your health so much, but it does, so I've focused on being thankful for the little things every day.
3) Stop negative self talk - This is a huge one for me because I am admittedly really hard on myself, but I really needed to change. Life is hard enough without us being our own worst enemies, you know? So whenever I catch myself taking a turn to negative town, I try to shut it down right away.
Now, being alone and hitting the reset button has never been difficult for me, but I know it is something that many people struggle with. I definitely have friends and family who don't really know what to do with themselves when they're alone, or they can't relax. If you're one of those people, here are my suggestions:
1) Develop a deeper yoga practice: We all know that yoga is not just about the handstands and backbends. If I were to define it, I would say that yoga is truly knowing who you are, what you need, and honoring that. This can be tricky because there is a fine line between knowing what you need, knowing what you want, and then making the right decision. In my own personal practice, I used to be in love with very athletic practices. I wanted to do power vinyasa exclusively. But I knew myself - I am a little ball of stress half the time, so I what I needed was more yin, more restorative, and more calming practices.
2) Make silence a part of your day: One of the most transformative changes I've implemented into my life has been taking a moment every morning and evening to just sit in silence. Sometimes, if my brain won't shut off, I will just silently count my breaths for ten full breaths. Other times, I'll just sit and breathe, and think nothing. I find it so relaxing, and such a great way to start and end each day.
3) Make laughter a part of your day: I actively seek out laughter. I know that might sound like a weird thing to say, but oh my goodness, how good does it feel to laugh?! And laughter is crazy good for your health, too. I'll do stupid things like stoplight karaoke or practice my accents on snapchat with a ridiculous filter, or I'll watch funny clips on youtube (this is always a good one) - really, I'll do whatever it takes to get in a good laugh.
4) Reflect: I really believe that everyone you meet has something to teach you. Even the most idiotic of encounters can teach you something (patience?). I always like to take a minute to be reflective about my day, the interactions I had, the things I said and did, and just take a little mental inventory of what's going on, how I'm feeling, and if I'm not feeling great, what I can do to improve my mood. I think this goes hand in hand with yoga (it's actually called svadhyaya, or self-study) because the more you get in touch with what's going on internally, the better you know yourself and can make the best decisions for your life.
5) Do what you love: If you're taking an active role in finding ways to eliminate stress and bring more joy to yourself, I love the idea of finding something that you love, and dedicating time to doing that said thing. For me, I've realized that what I loved (yoga, working out) has become part of my job, so they are less enjoyable for me, for the most part. (Womp, womp.) These days, I'm trying to find other things I enjoy doing and then actively looking to incorporate them into my life. I used to dance as a kid, and in LA a few summers back, I started taking hip hop dance classes again and absolutely loved it. That has nothing to do with my job, so I'd love to start taking them again.
Put Yourself First
I can't stress how important this is. Regardless of what responsibilities you may have as a parent, spouse, whatever - it's so important that you get some YOU time to recharge and take care of yourself. There's a saying that goes something like, "You can't pour from an empty cup," so it's vital to put things on hold and take a minute or two for yourself daily. When you're feeling your best, you're better able to be the kind of parent/spouse/friend/employee/whatever you want to be.
I'd love to know what you do to reset, recharge, how you spend time being alone, and ultimately how you take charge of your life. Let me know down in the comments below.
Candace Cabrera Moore is an entrepreneur who believes nothing is impossible. She is an international yoga instructor who runs luxury yoga retreats, healthy living blogger, and author of Namaslay. She is passionate about modern yoga, delicious food, and living your absolute best life. After a very long battle with Lyme disease, she is so grateful to have her health back, and that was the inspiration behind founding YogaByCandace, a modern yoga lifestyle company that creates weekly yoga and hiit workouts, and curates Mantra Box, a seasonal discovery box program that supports small business.
Derived from Sanskrit word natar-rajan, meaning “dance king”, Natarajasana is a gesture of Shiva’s dance. The Hindu god, Lord Shiva is commonly seen in a circle of flame, with his four arms engaged in a dynamic dance representing the eternal cycle of life, death and rebirth.
In the same way Shiva embodies power through movement, we can learn to embrace the process of growth between different stages of life. It's the perfect time of the year to reflect upon and honor the changes that largely guide us in our paths. We celebrate the dance of life-- with its ups and downs, challenges and rewards, cycles of day and night, and turning of the seasons.
Channel your inner Shiva and his cosmic dance of creation and elimination. Practice Dancer's Pose to cultivate grace, improve focus, increase energy and remain open-hearted.
- Stand with your feet together. Shift your weight into your left foot. Bend your right knee behind you, and bring your right heal towards your right glute. Reach your right hand behind you (with the eye of your right elbow facing out) and take hold of the inside arch of your right foot. - Continue to balance on your left foot and reach your left arm overhead. Lift your chest as you kick your right foot upward, until your thigh is parallel to the floor or higher. Keep your hips square, and draw your right knee inward towards midline. - Look up and stretch your left arm forward and upward. Keep your eyes steady on one point of focus and breathe deeply as you hold. - Hold for 30 seconds or more. To release, gently release your grip on your right foot and return to standing. Repeat on the other side. - For a more intense variation you can reach your right hand back to take hold of the top or your right foot or toes, and rotate your shoulder so your elbow swivels outward and then points toward the ceiling. From there you can reach your left arm over your head, and then behind you to grab ahold of your lifted foot. You can also use a strap for this variation, and climb your hands up the strap until you are able to grab your toes. This variation requires a lot of shoulder mobility and spinal flexibility.
As we balance between reaching and letting go, there is beauty in embracing the polarities of life. We can find lessons to be learned even in what seems like the smallest of moments-- and remember to always breathe through each of them.
As the days are getting shorter and darker, it’s the perfect time to do as nature does and turn inward. Let go of seasons of the past and make peace. We never see trees holding on to their old leaves, or complaining as they fall to the ground, because that’s the only way to make room for growth. So what will you allow to fall away?
We have four classes to get you free of the past and reset for the present:
Dave Farmar - Empower Your Potential, Part 4: Ready for Launch
Throw on your superhero pants and break through those self-imposed limitations as you get ready for flight in this power vinyasa class. No cape necessary.
Kylie Larson - Flow and Let Go
Do as the trees do, and let go in this power yoga class designed to get you out of your head and into your body, leaving you open, grounded and relaxed.
Cicily Carter - Classic Hot Series
Sweat out what is no longer serving you in this 90 minute hot series. Get to know yourself all over again by staying in one place through 26 postures.
Dana Damara - Be Still and Reflect: Evening Yoga
No nightmares after this class– you’ll unwind with a calming sequence where you wrap your mind around nothing and experience the freedom of long deep breathing and gentle restorative poses.
The lesson of Scorpio is that what we try to hide away and leave in the dark rarely remains there for long. Either we bring it forth ourselves with our own depth work, or it comes forward on its own as our struggles, triggers, and negative patterns. What we leave in the darkness destroys us, but what we bring into the light ultimately saves us. The darkness of the new moon in Scorpio means that we cannot hide anymore, we must make friends with the darkness—our darkness—if we yearn for personal freedom.
A tight relationship to Mercury at this times suggests that we must speak our truth as clearly as possible. This may cause offense to some that need to hear it. Our best bet is to speak in such a way that serves the highest good of all involved. Make sure that what you move toward at this time is in alignment with your soul’s purpose, as this is a new beginning for you that signals a great step toward it.
Chiron (the wounded healer) is also in the mix with this new moon, further encouraging us to do our shadow work as it may result not only in personal transformation, but also in change that inspires others to walk the shadow path. If you are destined to be a mentor, you can only lead people as far as you have gone yourself…make sure you do the work required to dig through your own darkness in order to bring to light the gold that is so valuable to you, and those around you. Alchemical Ritual for the Scorpio New Moon
As a water sign, Scorpio often soaks in the watery depth of emotion. On the high side,Scorpio revels in deep transformation and shadow work and loves blending energy—whether through intimate partnerships, sacred sexuality or joint finances or business ventures. On the low side, Scorpio’s energy turns to moodiness, brooding, and a tendency to play the victim and lash out with others. This new moon ritual for Scorpiohelps to accentuate the high side of Scorpio which transfigures our shadow into powerful healing energy.
Scorpio’s modern ruler is Pluto, the king of the underworld, who also respects those who can escape the darkness. Our work here is to get to know our own underworld so we can undergo a resurrection and once again see the light. Scorpio is not afraid of the challenge, so our challenge is to move toward what is uncomfortable in the ritual, in the hope of shedding some light on it.
Gather a black stone (onyx, lava, kyanite) or a red stone (malachite, red hematite, rhodochrosite) and place it in the center of your ritual space. If you have some ginger, you can place it in a bowl nearby, or sprinkle it around your space. Ginger essential oil also works, and you might anoint your solar plexus with it before and after your ceremony. Use sage, sweet grass or palo santo to cleanse yourself and the space by casting the smoke over yourself and encircling your own body three times. Light a few candles and dim the lights. Place a pen and paper nearby and come to sit quietly inside the circle. Close the eyes and contemplate a current challenge in your life. What is the belief system that this triggers? What negative thought patterns swirl around? Finally, what do you feel? Do not immerse yourself in the emotion, simply observe and witness it like a silent bystander. Locate it in your body. Place your hands on the part of the body that you feel activated and simply watch. Breathe into that space, the emotion, and the body. Stay here, silently witnessing, until the emotion transforms, dissipates, changes shape, or shifts quality. Once it does, say the following invocation out loud:
Scorpio and Pluto, please allow me to feel what is necessary in order to invoke the source of empowerment and healing.
Spend a few moments in quiet contemplation. Clear the mind of thoughts completely. Feel the sensation of healing in the body. Allow a new thought or belief to arise that replaced the old one that you started the ceremony with. When it arises, write it down on your piece of paper.
When complete, chant Om three times, and snuff the candles. Place the piece of paper in prominent view and whenever you see it, feel the sense of empowerment in the body you discovered in this ritual. This ritual catalyzes the unconscious into deep shift and transformation. In doing so, a part of you is resurrected and brought into the light where you shine for all to see.
By Alanna Kaivalya
Alanna believes Yoga is for everyone and each student can develop the self-empowerment needed to embark on a personal journey to meaningful transformation. On this principle she founded The Kaivalya Yoga Method, a fresh take on yoga emphasizing the individual path while honoring tradition. Teaching students since 2001, teachers since 2003, Alanna has written and developed teacher trainings worldwide for top studios and independently. In January she debuted a comprehensive 200hr-online teacher training with YogaDownload. She holds a Ph.D. in Mythological Studies with an Emphasis in Depth Psychology from Pacifica Graduate Institute, has authored numerous articles and two books: Myths of the Asanas, an accessible practitioner’s guide to stories behind beloved poses; Sacred Sound, a yoga “hymnal,” illustrating the role of chant and mantra in modern practice. Look for her third book, Yoga Beyond the Mat, in Autumn 2016.She lives in New York City with Roxy the Wonderdog.
Click Here to learn more about Alanna's 200hr Online Teacher Training with YogaDownload.com
We’re just wrapping up another live cleanse and know that many people (ourselves included!) will be looking for healthy alternatives to their old standbys. Well friends, today’s recipe is a superfood homerun.
Try it out for yourself and be sure to leave us a comment below. Are you a chocolate lover? Have you been able to replace your chemical-laden Hershey kisses with a superfood alternative?
With love and chocolate bites,
Raw Cacao Bites
Yield: 16 bites
½ cup of raw cacao butter 2 TB. olive oil ¼ cup + 1 TB. raw cacao powder 2 TB. raw honey 2 TB. – ¼ cup each of toppings of choice (goji berries, dried blueberries, bee pollen, or cashews pieces)
Instructions: In a double boiler over low heat place a medium sized bowl, careful not to get any water inside the bowl. Add the cacao butter, olive oil, and raw honey to the bowl and whisk to melt, being careful not to over-heat it and destroy some of the nutrients. Ideally you want to keep this mixture at below 110 degrees F. Once these ingredients are melted, whisk in the raw cacao powder. Whisk until no lumps remain and mixture is smooth.
Set the bowl with the cacao mixture over a separate bowl of cold water, being careful to not get any water inside the bowl, and continue to whisk this constantly until the mixture starts to thicken. The raw honey and the oil tend to separate so keep mixing them until the mixture has cooled off a little bit.
When the mixture is thick enough to hold a little shape, spoon it onto a piece of parchment paper in small circles. Place topping of your choice on top of the cacao rounds while they are still slightly soft.
If the cacao mixture starts to harden too much put the bowl over hot water again and melt to the correct consistency.
When finished place the raw cacao bites in the freezer for a couple of minutes and enjoy! The bites can be stored in the freezer or refrigerator for 1 week.
Jo Schaalman and Julie Peláez are co-authors of the book The Conscious Cleanse: Lose Weight, Heal Your Body, and Transform Your Life in 14 Days, a best-selling, step-by-step guide to help you live your most vibrant life. Together they've lead thousands of people through their online supported cleanse through their accessible and light-hearted approach. They've been dubbed “the real deal” by founder and chief creative director Bobbi Brown, of Bobbi Brown Cosmetics, beauty editor of the TODAY show.
To learn more about “Jo and Jules” and to download a free e-cookbook for a sampling of the delicious food served up on the Conscious Cleanse, please visit their website.
Conscious Cleanse Detox Flow - Jo Schaalman
Heart Opening Forrest Yoga Flow - Jo Schaalman
Traditional Hot Yoga - Julie Peláez
A user-friendly dashboard tool to help you make it to yoga class, our NEW ROKU channel lets you conveniently access our entire library right on your TV.
What is ROKU? It's the most popular streaming television device available today. You can stream free and paid channels, including your YogaDownload.com subscription to your television, computer, and phone. It’s simple, easy to use and affordable. There are different types of streaming players and devices as well as ROKU TV.
Consider it one more tool in your arsenal to create more energy and space. ROKU helps to simplify your repertoire, easily choose and save your favorite classes, as well as constantly access new content. We can use the technology boom to our advantage to create the daily life we want. With a few simple tools, you can find more time in your day to focus on what makes you happy.
At YogaDownload.com, we offer a wide variety of embodiment practices like yoga, meditation, and pranayama so you can make sure you get in your mindfulness every day, even with a busy schedule.
Self-care is vital. Yoga and meditation are two tools that will help keep you at the top of your game physically, emotionally and mentally. Moreover, creating routines or rituals can empower you to fill your days with more of what you love and less of what you don’t. Make time for yourself to find your strongest most centered self and the life you desire.
Consider trying these new class releases on ROKU:
1. Dave Farmar - Empower Your Potential, part 3: (subtitle: Float to a Higher Level)
Take on this opportunity to take your practice to a higher level as you learn to float your poses and your transitions. More importantly, the journey this practice provides will teach you the lessons needed to approach all you do at that higher level as well!
2. Guru Jagat - Kundalini Yoga for Everybody: Quick Tune Up
Preparing for a big day, or in need of a little something to center yourself? Try this short, effective, and to the point sequence of exercises and meditation for a well-rounded quick practice to tone your body, deepen your breath, and center your mind.
3. Dia Draper - From Frustration to Focus (Feeling Argghhh!)
This short practice is designed as a resource for when you're feeling frustrated or just need to focus at work. The practice is releasing and calming and will, in just 5 short minutes, get you centered and ready to get back at it!
Location Suggestions: visual privacy recommended (office, cubicle, conference room)
Clothing Suggestions: any work clothes, shoes off recommended for grounding (not required for movement)
4. Alex Cordoba - Enter the Stillness
Movement -- quick movement at that -- is often thought to be synonymous with yoga in that it can be months, even years before we finally recognize not just the importance of, but the true gift that cultivating and sitting in stillness can be. It is in the sacred equation of yoga and amidst the busyness of our lives. Let this class be just that for you: a gift. To slow down. To enter the stillness so that you can reenter the world feeling refreshed and renewed.
Continue getting your yoga in daily and don’t allow the frenetic pace of our modern, highly technologized world, overwhelm you. Choose to harness the power of technology and make it work for you!
Simply maintaining a steady and consistent pattern of teaching 12-15 classes per week brought with it many a boon.
For the first decade, I taught under the auspices of others. I got in just before the craze of the nineties and rode the wave of independent centers that paved the path for yoga in the west. Initially, it was either the YMCA or the hip studios that started popping up everywhere. There were no classes at the gym yet. You earned your cred on the mat. People saw you there every day. They saw your practice. Eventually, you got asked to teach. And you took every opportunity you were offered for whatever money they would give you. At least I did. I was hungry and fueled by an unexplainable drive to practice and learn.
Eventually, I developed a bit of skill and a following. It became a logical next choice to open my own place; to expand upon what I had established in practice. It led to my finding the resources and freedom to do things my own way. The forces that be put me in just the right place at just the right time to actually make that happen. I opened a yoga center over eight years ago and it has been a thriving venture, enabling me not only to codify my teaching in ways I never could have otherwise, but also to provide a modicum of stability that has enabled me to develop as a writer and, more recently, a podcaster.
But the scene that I came up in no longer exists. When I look around outside of the bubble I created for myself, I face a crucial impasse.
I have eighteen months left on my current lease for the yoga center. Since the lease started, my neighborhood has seen a quick shift from a network of local bodegas and art-inspired businesses to La Quinta, Starbucks, Whole Foods, Levi’s, G-Starr, and an Apple store. I plan to negotiate with my landlord in six months and I know that he likes us and will probably do his best to give us a good deal. But when commercial real estate in the neighborhood is being valued according to the budgets of corporate chains, even a good deal might be too much for the humble offerings of the sole-proprietor yoga center.
Inquiring into where the next enclave of artists may have migrated to, I can find no discernible pattern. It’s as if there has been a mass exodus and everyone just took off in all directions. Detroit, Germany, Maplewood NJ, Philadelphia, who the f*** knows? Not me. And my apartment around the corner from the center, which I secured on a rent-stabilized handshake back when, was transferred to a management company two years ago and now goes up every year so I definitely have to move my family, even if I keep the center.
Where corporate models successfully take hold of increased market share, it’s not clear whether the old-school model can compete and survive.
I followed those who came before me. I observed how they opened their own spaces, developed their teaching, and built niche platforms for themselves. Some ended up being embraced by the “mainstream” and others did not. Regardless, it was possible to make a way for yourself. But this model was contingent on having a place to settle where people desired an eclectic place smelling of Nag Champa more than the quaffed amenities of a highly designed spa. Yoga centers were places of counter culture where people came more to learn than to purchase a service.
Sometimes I wonder if such places exist anymore. I’m betting they do. Perhaps not in the cities, but in micro-communities who are happy to maintain a low profile? Or has yoga become so mainstream now that the yoga center with old-school charm that I hold so reminiscently dear, just looks like a dump without shower rooms to the new-school yoga connoisseur? And it is undeniable that the internet has changed the way people come to yoga. The income I receive from online offerings, and traveling to meet people who only know me from those offerings, has become almost equivalent to the profits I see from the center, which was always my bread and butter up until only a few years ago.
Things have changed. Now that the environment which inspired and fueled my little niche has transformed and no longer resembles the same place I originally settled, I face the prospect of either attempting to hold out and stay my ground against a stemming tide, or venture out and see if i can find the remnants of what I once knew. I can only trust that the place of knowing in myself, that which my practice has fostered, will not fail me when I need it most.
By J. Brown
J. Brown is a yoga teacher, writer and founder of Abhyasa Yoga Center in Brooklyn, NY. His writing has been featured in Yoga Therapy Today, the International Journal of Yoga Therapy, and across the yoga blogosphere. Visit his website at jbrownyoga.com
Controlling your energy can be taught through breathing practices but is hard to convince people to do because it involves the unknown element of energy and people will always argue they already breathe every second of every day anyway.
Here’s a little secret about the steps on the path, though. It’s not linear AND as you strengthen your abilities in one step, your abilities in all the other steps gets stronger too. In other words, practicing ONLY posture isn’t good enough to get you to the end of the path.
Expanding Pranayama
I’m going to teach you how to breathe today, because it’s time to bring pranayama out of the closet and elevate it to the same status as posture and meditation in today’s mainstream trends.
Yes, I know you already know how to breathe. But I’ll wager with you that you don’t actually KNOW how to breathe. You just do it automatically without thinking about what you’re actually doing. You don’t have to control any muscles consciously to breathe. But you can. And when you do, your entire experience changes.
First, let’s break down the word Pranayama. Prana means energy or life force. Yama means to control. But ayama means to expand. So you can define pranayama as controlling the life force or you can define it as expanding the life force. I’ll let you decide which one you like better🙂
Physicists would agree that everything in this world can be broken down into molecules of energy – thus we are all energy. When the molecules combine in such a way that they create life as we know it, this is considered the life force – prana.
Prana is sometimes mistakenly defined as the breath. The breath is the action by which we bring energy into our body and expel waste out of our body. Thus, the act of living is to acquire energy and release the byproducts that we no longer need to sustain life. The act of breathing then is really the act of managing our life force.
If we don’t consciously pay attention to this process we won’t necessarily die but if we do consciously pay attention to this process we have the ability to expand our opportunity to live optimally.
Of course, it’s hard work.
The warning
In front of every pranayama exercise is always a warning: This is potentially dangerous. You must not practice pranayama without the guidance of an experienced teacher or guru. This always frustrated me because 1.) how do you know if your teacher or guru is experienced enough? and 2.) what did they have to do to become experienced enough? and 3.) how can breathing practices be so dangerous!?
But you know what? I respect the process. The fact is, controlling the very energy that sustains our life is risky business and therefore it’s important to proceed with caution, start slow, be patient, and don’t try the really advanced stuff at home without the guidance of someone who is far more experienced then me.
So what I am going to teach you today is the simplest of the simple yoga breathing techniques. The foundation of pranayama. The non-dangerous way to breathe at the same time that you’ll still experience expansion.
This breath technique is referred to as Dirga Breath, the Three Part Breath, or Abdominal Thoracic Breathing.
You have probably been taught this technique before, but I’m going to add in a few pieces here and there with some more explanation then you might get in a yoga class.
Understanding Bandhas and Chakras
Before we start, a few words on bandhas and chakras.
Since we’re in the land of energy, I’m going to introduce some energetic concepts to you. In yogic anatomy (non-Western anatomy) there are three main energy channels (nadis) in the body. These are the Shushumna, Ida, and Pingala channel. Think of the Shushumna nadi as the main superhighway that all energy needs to pass through to get where it wants to go. The Ida nadi is the main channel for all the energy that lives on the left side of the body and the Pinagla nadi is the main channel for all the energy that lives on the right side of the body. Where the Ida and Pingala nadis intersect in the main superhighway of energy travel, you have Chakras.
Bandhas are considered energetic locks, or specific actions you can take to hold energy in a certain place (if you want to be all technical, bandhas actually fall under the category of mudra, but don’t worry about it for now). For the purposes of teaching Dirga breath, I’ll be referencing Mulabandha (Root Lock) and Jalandhara Bandha (Throat Lock).
The Three Part Breath
Now for the practice.
- Sit in a comfortable position, a place where you’ll be able to sit up tall for a few minutes without slouching. If you need the support of the wall to help you at first, you can use it.
- Practice engaging Mulabandha, or the Root Lock. Anatomically, this bandha is located at the perineum and is an engagement of the pelvic floor muscles. Imagine you really have to pee and you’re trying to hold it in until you can get home to a clean bathroom🙂. That’s your Mulabandha. Practice engaging and disengaging this muscle a few times. When you’re comfortable with this, move on to the next step.
- Begin to bring some awareness to your breath. Start by noticing your natural breath. Then, gently engaging Mulabandha, begin to inhale and successively feel the abdomen above the belly button expand, the rib cage expand, and the region around the heart expand. As you exhale, follow the same pattern, releasing the breath from the abdomen, rib cage, and then the chest.
This step might feel weird because 1) you are actively engaging the pelvic floor muscles as you breathe and 2) you are exhaling at the belly first and not the heart, which may seem more intuitive.
Using the bandhas helps concentrate the energy in between the 1st chakra and the 5th chakra (if you’re also engaging Jalandhara Bandha (throat lock – draw your chin back so that your neck is in alignment with the rest of your spine)). The 1st chakra happens to be right at the base of the spine where you are engaging Mulabandha. The 5th chakra is in the throat. Using the bandhas is a way for the energy to be more concentrated. When the energy is more concentrated, we are better able to control where it’s going.
Here’s why you want to exhale from the abdomen first. I read this description from Marion Mugs McConnell’s book Letters from the Yoga Masters and really loved the explanation. When you inhale and expand the abdomen, rib cage, and chest, you are filling up and stimulating different chakras. You start with the 3rd chakra, your seat of power, then breathe into your 4th chakra, your seat of love and compassion, and then into your 5th and higher chakras, your seat of communication and spirituality. If you exhale starting with the chest, you are depleting energy from the 5th and higher chakras first, leading this area of the body to get the least amount of energy and your third chakra, the abdomen, the most amount of time to absorb energy. This can lead to an imbalance. When you exhale from the abdomen first, all of the chakra centers get equal amounts of energy. This leads to a more balanced effect. As Pranayama is a practice meant to help us bring our energy into more balance, it doesn’t make sense to create imbalances while practicing.
- If you enjoy visualizations, visualize the breath moving down as you inhale and the breath moving upward as you exhale, mimicking the actual movement of the diaphragm when we breathe. You can also imagine that you are reaching down to to gently awaken Shiva, the name of the energy that resides at the base of the spine, and as you exhale you are gently guiding Shiva to meet Shakti, the name of the energy that resides at the third-eye in between the eyebrows. When these two energies meet, that is when we experience union, liberation, and bliss. If that visualization doesn’t work for you because you don’t like Shiva and Shakti, forget about it 🙂
- Practice this breath technique for a few minutes and then return to a natural breath without the engagement of the bandhas before moving on to your next task. Take some time to notice how your body feels and how your energy has shifted. If you’re ajournaler, I highly recommend writing down your experience so you can keep track of your pranayama progress.
Spend a few minutes each day practicing this breath. Pranayama is meant to be a practice in and of itself, so don’t worry about trying to combine this with your asana practice. This is a special way to breathe specifically to manage and balance your personal energy.
This is technical, subtle, and difficult, so don’t worry if you are confused or feel like you’re still not understanding the very first step. Typically Pranayama is not practiced or introduced to students until they’ve already experienced and started to master some of the previous steps on the path.
Here’s my Facebook Live video demonstration for a closer look at how all this works:
My recommendation is to do this sequence several days a week. It’s only going to take 10-15 minutes and it will be worth every moment. If you have a regular yoga practice, sneak this in at the end of your sequence. If you train, run, workout, or ride a desk all-day long, do this sequence in the evening before you go to bed. Just figure out a way to put this into your routine.
POSES 1-3
Child’s Pose and Cat Pose gently round the upper-back and release tension in the muscles that lay between the shoulder-blades. Since the head hangs freely in these postures, the muscles in the neck don’t have to work to support the weight of the head. This creates a nice, much needed rest for these often over-worked muscles.
POSES 3-6
If you practice with me live, online or with these illustrated sequences, you’ll recognize this straightforward, 4-pose shoulder-opening combination. I use this mini-sequence all the time. In fact, you can think about these 4 poses as a “mini shoulder-opening sequence” within a sequence. If you don’t have time to do this entire practice, these 4 poses will knock plenty of the rust off of your shoulders by themselves. These postures will help create mobility in your shoulders by taking them through a significant range of motion. If sitting in virasana is difficult for you—or, you want a little more movement in your practice—you can do this combination of shoulder openers in Tadasana, Warrior 1 or Warrior 2.
POSES 7-10
Poses 7 – 10 are included to get you moving a little bit more. Even though this sequence mellow, it’s nice to have a few poses where you can feel your body work. If you externally rotate your upper-arms and broaden your shoulder-blades properly, you will release the weight of your head and neck in down dog. This will help stretch the space between your shoulder-blades. Low lunge with your fingers interlaced behind your back will stretch your the front of your shoulders and chest. The two wide-legged standing forward bends will stretch your entire back-body and release tension in your upper-body by letting the weight of your head and neck to drop.
POSES 11
Down Dog with the elbows on the floor and the hands on the wall is one of my favorite shoulder openers. It creates the same effect as Down Dog, but it increases the amount of leverage that you can stretch your shoulders with. To do this posture effectively, place your hands on the wall with your fingers pointing away from each other (your thumbs will face the ceiling). Keep your elbows shoulder-width apart. The most common mistake that people make when they’re practicing this pose is to lean their shoulders toward the wall. Instead—just like you do in Down Dog—press your shoulders toward your legs.
POSES 12
Legs Up The Wall. Need I say more?
Want to practice this sequence at home? When you sign up for our newsletter, we’ll send you free printer-friendly PDF of the sequence above!
AND, if you want to feel more confident and knowledgeable about your sequencing skills, check out my e-course, The Art of Yoga Sequencing. It’s great for yoga teachers and students who want to better understand how the body works and how to stretch and strengthen effectively.
{illustration by MCKIBILLO}
By Jason Crandell
Jason Crandell and Andrea Ferretti are a husband and wife team who have been teaching, writing about, and living their yoga for nearly two decades. Andrea is the former executive editor of Yoga Journal and is now creative director for Jason Crandell Yoga Method. Jason is an internationally recognized teacher known for his precise, empowering, down-to-earth approach to vinyasa yoga. They live together in San Francisco with their full-time boss, Sofia-Rose Crandell, age 3. To read their blog or to learn more about Jason's upcoming teacher trainings, please visit their web site www.jasonyoga.com
Our yoga practice on the mat mirrors how we live our life off of the mat. Applying #GoYourOMWay to yoga means that we all come to the mat for different reasons, but we all stay for the same one. Despite why we initially discovered yoga, we are united by our search to fully connect with our highest self, to be courageous enough to live our truth and to live a life with purpose. It’s not for the faint of heart!
The yogic path is a journey to live up to our full potential and to be brave enough to buck convention. Seeking our truth means being willing to fail. Being willing to try on different hats and to remain dedicated despite huge obstacles. In the Yoga Sutras, Patanjali stated that the path is simple, but not easy. He couldn’t be more correct.
When I fell in love with yoga back in 1999, I had no clue. I’m not going to pretend that my first few years practicing Ashtanga yoga were about anything but the physical benefits. I was a recovering attorney seeking a life with meaning outside of the corporate rat race that I despised. Practicing yoga helped tame my Type-A personality. Without consciously trying, I became a little softer, kinder, and happier. The light of connection between body, mind and spirit began to dawn on me.
Understanding this connection on the mat helped me acknowledge some of my own behavior patterns personally and professionally. Recognition led to acceptance. My people pleasing tendencies started young. So, despite loving writing and health and fitness, I jumped into a career that was practical. Or, so I mistakenly believed.
If you could find the opposite of following your bliss, you’ve got practicing law for me. Every aspect of it chafed against my heart and soul. So, after three years of litigation, I quit.
People thought I was insane after investing three years and $100,000 in school. I wasn’t willing to sacrifice my identity. I had a pattern of switching gears anytime something wasn’t working for me. In those days, I didn’t understand what I was seeking.
Leaving law led to a flurry of careers over the next decade: outside corporate software sales, running an animal rescue charity for a Hollywood actress, pet-sitting, personal trainer, you name it. Again, I was searching for my true self that I’d buried along the way. Despite external pressures to conform, I never gave up and believe me I was tempted.
Finally, teaching yoga clicked. Gradually, I shed the layers I’d accumulated over the years to please people. I committed to listening to my heart, to the wisdom within. When I was my truest self, other people with whom I truly resonated began to appear.
I realized yoga is about uncovering your authentic self. About polishing off all the layers obscuring your true beauty and once again shining as brightly as you did the moment you were born. We’ve all got different life stories, different families and communities in which we were raised, different obstacles to overcome.
Today I’m proud to say I stuck to my heart’s desires and am living a life that is true to me. It’s been a long, winding path with lots of twists, turns, failures and joys. I wouldn’t change a thing.
Photo Credit: Micaela Malmi
Claire Petretti-Marti has been practicing, studying, and teaching yoga since 1999. Like many fitness enthusiasts, she was initially drawn to yoga for its physical benefits of strength, balance, and flexibility. Once Claire realized that serenity, peace of mind, and a general sense of happiness were predominant results of the practice, she was hooked. A RYT-500 Yoga Alliance instructor, Claire teaches a dynamic vinyasa flow with the intention of creating a moving meditation. She encourages students to find the lightness and the joy in their own practice, both on and off the mat. She is a certified Pilates instructor, a Reiki Level 2 Practitioner and also holds a NASM-certification for personal training. She has significant experience with spinal injuries and frequently works with students recuperating from injuries. She leads international yoga retreats every year. Mind-body fitness is her passion.
Check out Claire's YogaDownload classes as well as our Yoga for Runners classes and packages!
B.K.S. Iyengar: Light on Yoga
Not a surprise choice as this is the book on yoga posture practice. Although it is hard to sit down and read for pleasure, it is a handy resource I go to time and time again when I’m trying to understand a complicated pose or just trying to bring a bit more clarity and precision into the poses that have become habitual. Or, in a broader view, I go to this book when I wonder why on earth I’m bending myself into these shapes. In contrast to other books and teachers that can be non-committal and wishy-washy, Iyengar is unapologetically confident and clear. For example: “Practice of asanas without the backing of yama and niyama is mere acrobatics.” My favourite passage however comes in his hopeful advice to those facing obstacles along the path:
“The attitude of the aspirant is like that of a lover ever yearning to meet the beloved but never giving way to despair. Hope should be his shield and courage his sword. He should be free from hate and sorrow. With faith and enthusiasm he should overcome the inertia of body and mind.”
Erich Schiffmann: Yoga: the Spirit & Practice of Moving into Stillness
Schiffmann’s prose makes me feel alive and want to go out give out free hugs. I can’t think of more moving descriptions of how poses feel and what they can awaken inside of you. Time and time again I go to the gorgeous opening chapters of this asana guide to address the questions of why we need to move and breathe to get to our spiritual heart and why we need to push our edges to continue to grow. My copy is dog-eared and highlighted with many passages, like this one, that get to the heart of the matter:
“Each breath you take can remind you to be here now, to treat this moment as important, and repeatedly to affirm the fact that right now you are exactly where you want to be, doing exactly what you want to be doing. You will probably be amazed at how much energy is suddenly at your disposal the moment you realize this. When you are no longer wishing you were somewhere else, doing something different, you will discover that energy is the given and that energy is abundant. What would you expect but the fullest enthusiasm and response when your body, mind, heart, attention, and interest are all in one place? “
Donna Farhi: The Breathing Book
If you read this book, you’ll never think about breathing in the same way. Farhi has filled this text with anatomical detail, poetic inspiration, and loads of practical inquiries to experience rather than simply think about it. My first yoga teacher training assigned this book along with a homework assignment to watch our breath throughout the day and notice when, why, and how it changes and how that affects us (for example: “On a tense conference call. Not breathing. Pissed off.”). As Farhi gets to in my favourite passage, the breath is not just breath:
“Our breath is constantly rising and falling, ebbing and flowing, entering and leaving our bodies. Full body breathing is an extraordinary symphony of both powerful and subtle movements that massage our internal organs, oscillate our joints, and alternately tone and release all the muscles in the body. It is a full participation with life.”
Judith Lasater: Relax and Renew
I like to seek solutions. I like to know what to do and do it. My vinyasa flow practice is strong, and deliberate, and very much about finding equilibrium through challenge. I use the rhythm I create in that practice to work out my neuroses and begin the process of stabilising my nervous system. But the fine-tuning and balance comes largely from my restorative practice. Judith Lasater’s teachings have taught me to trust in the natural rhythm of my body and brought me to understand that sometimes slowing right down and accepting comfort and support can be the most radical practice of all. My favourite passage summarises it neatly:
“Restorative poses are poses of being rather than doing.”
H.H. The Dalai Lama and Howard C. Cutler, M.D.: The Art of Happiness
Like many people, some of my first exposure to Buddhist thought was through the popular writings of H.H. The Dalai Lama. The first time I saw him speak in person was at Rutgers Stadium (!) in New Jersey and even though I was up in the rafters, his words and his heart cut straight into me. I’ve always struggled a bit with the Buddhist viewpoint that our underlying nature is good. Perhaps I read too many history books, or lived in New York City too long, but I can often veer into pessimism. The Dalai Lama’s unflinching optimism and belief in our goodness always jolts me back, and this precise analysis of the seeming disconnect with our inherent nature and our actions throughout history helps me stay positive and committed to practice. Beyond the more obvious passages about our fundamental quest for happiness, I hold on to this favourite passage:
“Although I personally believe that our human nature is fundamentally gentle and compassionate, I feel it is not enough that this is our underlying nature; we must also develop an appreciation and awareness of that fact. And changing how we perceive ourselves, through learning and understanding, can have a very real impact on how we interact with others and how we conduct our daily lives.”
By Adam Hocke
Adam has been practicing vinyasa flow yoga since 1999 and has trained extensively with Jason Crandell. He offers precise, strong, and accessible classes to physically awaken the body and develop mindfulness both on and off the mat. His teaching is down-to-earth and direct, exploring traditional practices from a modern perspective. A native of South Florida, Adam spent ten years in New York City before becoming a Londoner. He teaches studio classes, workshops and courses throughout London, and retreats across the globe. As a writer, Adam contributes regularly to magazines and web publications on yoga. Visit Adam at www.adamhocke.com
I love a great protein-packed smoothie for after a yoga practice or workout. This is not one of those — this is more of an, “I’ve been playing with my daughter for 5 hours and it’s 10am,” or, “I have to dive into this Excel spreadsheet for four hours and I need an energy boost,” type of smoothie.
I have a Nespresso machine, so it’s easy for me to take a quick shot of espresso. If you don’t have espresso at your fingertips, you can substitute with a small amount of French-press, Aeropress, or whatever type of regular coffee you brew. Just start with a little bit and add more to taste so it’s not too strong!
Pick-Me-Up Smoothie Recipe Makes 1 serving
INGREDIENTS 1 cup of unsweetened almond milk 1 banana 1 shot of espresso 1 1/2 teaspoons raw cacao or unsweetened cocoa powder 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon 1/2 cup of ice optional: 1/2-1 teaspoon maple syrup
DIRECTIONS
Blend everything together in a blender and enjoy.
By Andrea Ferretti
Andrea Ferretti and Jason Crandell are a husband and wife team who have been teaching, writing about, and living their yoga for nearly two decades. Andrea is the former executive editor of Yoga Journal and is now creative director for Jason Crandell Yoga Method. Jason is an internationally recognized teacher known for his precise, empowering, down-to-earth approach to vinyasa yoga. They live together in San Francisco with their full-time boss, Sofia-Rose Crandell, age 3. To read their blog or to learn more about Jason's upcoming teacher trainings, please visit their web site www.jasonyoga.com
According to Yogi Bhajan who is credited for bringing Kundalini to the West in the 1960’s:
"Kundalini Yoga consists of active and passive asana-based kriyas, pranayama, and meditations which target the whole body system (nervous system, glands, mental faculties, chakras) to develop awareness, consciousness and spiritual strength".
Traditionally, known as the “yoga of awareness,” Kundalini Yoga is also known as Laya yoga. Kundalini is a Sanskrit word that translates to mean, “coiled snake.” In this ancient philosophy, it is believed we each have a fountain of energy symbolized by a coiled female serpent at the base of our spine. Through various yogic techniques including asana, pranayama, meditation and chanting of mantras, this energy can be freed. Kundalini Yoga is a healing practice that aims to awaken our Higher Self and turn potential energy into kinetic energy.
In Eastern religions like Buddhism and Hinduism, this energy is considered divine and to awaken it is to awaken one’s Higher Self, or the divine that exists within each individual.
Often misunderstood because of the ties to ancient religions, and the powerful impact of intense breathing practices and rhythmic movements to create dramatic energy shifts,
Kundalini Yoga was a secret practice and only shared between teacher and student in private.
Yogi Bhajan worked to change all that by bringing the teachings to the West as a tool to apply to modern life. Today, Guru Jagat has become a modern face for Kundalini yoga, with the desire to bring this often misunderstood practice to the public and not just the elite few. Kundalini seeks to detox, refresh and reboot not just your physical and emotional body, but also the glandular system, muscular and nervous systems as well.
We’ve got some great Kundalini classes. Check out one or all!
1. Guru Jagat / Kundalini Yoga for Everybody: Kriya for Elevation (FREE CLASS)
In this FREE classic Kundalini Yoga set you will experience- Kriya for Elevation- you will receive a vitalizing physical workout and energizing and refreshing breath work that will leave you feeling easy, elevated, calm, and clear.
2. Tana Pittman / Kundalini: Strengthen Your Aura
Kundalini Yoga is a unique and traditional style of yoga that combines posture, movement, breath, mantra, and meditation to help elevate the spirit.
In this Kundalini class we practice deep and dynamic postures, meditation, and sound therapy (gong) to expand the Aura, which projects your true angelic personality. The Aura is the energy field around you. When the Aura is strong it protects you, keeps you healthy, and allows you to glow with inner beauty.
Tana begins with warming postures and then plays the gong during a healing Savasana. Gong Baths are a form of sound therapy and can be very therapeutic, restorative, and relaxing. After Savasana, Tana guides you through a short meditation for prosperity.
To receive the ongoing benefits of this class and create positive shifts in your life, try a 40 day practice.
3. Tana Pittman / Kundalini Yoga: Wake Up, Be Strong, Full of Light
This is known as the "Wake Up Series," as taught by Yogi Bhajan. This set of postures is meant to be practiced daily before you start your day, to set your navel, your center of inner and outer strength. You will learn Breath of Fire, which nourishes your power center and provides abundant energy for your day. The class will conclude with a beautiful short meditation on the light within and around you. You can practice this anytime of day to create energy and a sense of well being.
4. Teal Marie Chimblo Fyrberg / Liberate and Activate Yoga
This 1 hour audio class combines deep energetic breath work and movements inspired by Kripalu and Kundalini yoga with traditional yoga asanas (postures) designed to liberate and activate your body, mind and spirit. Fear, worry, sadness and rage are acknowledged and allowed to flow and transform into courage, self-confidence, joy and contentment.
This class is a complete practice which ends with a restorative sivasana (relaxation/integration) and contains a gentle background music track designed to take you to deeper levels of consciousness.
A close relationship with Uranus gives this moon a special quirky flavor, suggesting that the way you express yourself at this time may be unexpected and stray from the norm. That’s good! Use this energy to magnify your independence and stretch your comfort zone past its limits and see what you create that plays with the edges of your reality. If you want to challenge your preconceived notions of what you “should” be doing, do it now! Take this opportunity to tap into your authentic self and follow your intuitive flashes. This is a good time to hone in on your unique talents and serve others in ways that encourages them to awaken, be inspired and thrive from your gifts.
Along with the challenge to power up what you offer to the world, is the energy to communicate honestly and perhaps do a little research into what is most alive within you at this time. Deep within us are seeds that lie in wait for the right time to germinate. Ideally, we nourish them at their point of readiness. We don’t want to miss this opportunity to bring forth what is asking to be birthed at this time. Use your voice, start talking about it, saying yes to it, and feed it with your positive energy. By speaking about it, you bring it to life.
We want to avoid missing this opportunity. There is a powerful pattern of planets in the sky involving this moon suggesting that radical transformation is the key to overcoming your resistance to growth, and avoiding success. We thrive when we bring forth what is within us. We suffer when we try to ignore it. Not utilizing this energy may result in anger, repression and anxiety. Your best choice is to work with the energy signatures of the planets urging you to step up and bring your great idea or work to life. It is time to shine on, you crazy diamond.
Alchemical Ritual for the Aries Full Moon:
As a cardinal fire sign, Aries is capable of lighting passions and starting the charge toward obstacles that would seem insurmountable to anyone else. At this time, consider what lies ahead of you that the brazenness of Aries can help you develop the willpower to achieve.
Gather crystals (fire agate, aventurine, clear quartz are good choices), sage or sweet grass and find a symbol that represents what you would like to achieve under the energy of this full moon. Create your space with these items and light a candle. On a sheet of paper, write down your goal, and also a list of things that seem to stand in your way. Sit quietly in meditation on what you have written and say the following invocation:
Mars & the Moon, light the path of the spiritual warrior so that I may manifest my greatest achievement.
Take some time for quiet reflection. Finally, burn the paper with your goal and obstacles as you commit to letting go of what is holding you back. Cleanse yourself with sage or sweetgrass. Snuff the candle. Close the ritual with three chants of Om and a moment of gratitude.
Embark On a Nature Hike
The dynamic combination of brisk movement and fresh oxygen have been shown to stimulate brainwaves. Unplug from distractions and reconnect with your own introspection while admiring the “great outdoors” on a fall nature walk or hike.
Exposure to natural environments can also decrease anxiety, allowing you to clear out the cobwebs and stress, and reach a place of mental clarity. Either way, the characteristic autumn vibrancy offers an ideal hiking backdrop to improve focus and get in tune with your body.
Venture Into a Corn Maze
This seasonal pastime is both entertaining and conducive for increasing awareness, rapid recall, and attention to fine detail. Honing these traits can promote mindfulness for extended periods thanks to navigating a labyrinth of crooked bends, roundabout turns and dead-end barricades.
This fun fall activity engages your thorough concentration and memory, which is an important practice to bring to your mat.
Get Crafty
Research has found that crafting can produce the same effects on the nervous system as meditation does. The repetitive motions of knitting, for example, activate the parasympathetic nervous system, which quiets that "fight or flight" response. Becoming engrossed in artistic endeavors will trigger a space of heightened association to your role in both the process and outcome.
Put your craft skills to the test and make an autumn wreath for your door or a to hold candles on your kitchen table.
Plant a Vegetable Garden
This temperate, invigorating weather provides the optimum conditions for growing cruciferous vegetables like spinach, cabbage, lettuce and other robust varieties. Not to mention, the hands-on productivity of gardening keeps your focus rooted—pun intended—in the moment, rather than wandering to disjointed thoughts, unnecessary concerns or unresolved tensions. Contact with plants can even reinforce sensory consciousness.
If you don’t have space outside, start a small window garden with a few herbs to reap similar benefits.
Learn How to Knit
This art form, which was voted the top-rated indoor hobbies of 2016, requires you to make rhythmic and repetitive motions, allowing the labor itself to be both relaxing and challenging at the same time. With each pull of yarn, you have to be focused and intentional, an important skill to bring to your mat.
It’s also the perfect way to make awesome DIY holiday gifts for friends and family. Hone your skills with scarves, blankets, hats and more.
Take the intentions you’ve learned from yoga off the mat and use them in other areas of your life, while improving focus for your next practice. Upon returning to the mat, you might just discover a renewed sense of passion and purpose for this ancient discipline.
Jessica Thiefels has been writing for more than ten years and is currently a full-time blogger. She is also an ACE Certified Personal Trainer, NASM Certified Fitness Nutrition specialist, and the owner of her own personal training business, Honest Body Fitness. She’s also a part-time yogi and loves to bring yoga breathing and principals into training with clients. Follow her on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram for health articles, new workouts and more.
Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our light, not our darkness
That most frightens us.
We ask ourselves
Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?
Actually, who are you not to be?
- Excerpt from Marianne Williamson’s "Return to Love".
For many of us, we lose that strong sense of self along the journey. Either we forget our personal power or allow it to be subdued by the rules in our family, in school, in jobs, and in society. Suddenly, we realize we aren’t living the life we’ve dreamt of and often haven’t a clue how to recover our essence and live life to the fullest.
The concept of dharma suggests we all have a true path, one where we can experience life to the fullest, discover our highest selves, be able to share our own gifts with the world without sacrificing an ounce of our personal power. In fact, it’s almost considered a duty to discover what our true gift or gifts are and to pursue them. If we are operating at this higher vibration, we’re doing our part to influence our world for the better.
The practice of yoga is an incredible launching point to discover what it is that’s holding us back. First, we need to dig in and understand what our gifts are, what our deepest desires are. Then, we need to uncover why we aren’t manifesting them. Only then can we work to fulfill our dreams.
By practicing yoga, we can begin to change our patterns and break old habits and behaviors that restrain us. Often, we are restricted by old patterns or beliefs known as vikalpas that we’ve carried with us most of our lives. Identifying our own vikalpas and working to release our own self-sabotaging behaviors can assist in releasing self-doubt and soaring to our fullest potential.
Yogis recognize the Manipura or navel chakra as the source of our identity and the center of our power and personality. Self-confidence, willpower, self-discipline, and fire are all qualities associated with the third of seven main chakras or energy centers. Excessive Manipura manifests as arrogance or ego and insufficient navel chakra energy comes out as insecurity and self-doubt. Finding balance and cultivating a sense of confidence in oneself is vital to achieving a life fulfilled. If you’ve got too much ego, cool it down. If you’re plagued by insecurity, fire it up!
In addition to self-study, yogic techniques like stimulating the fire in your belly through asana, pranayama, mantras and guided meditation will help you burn through the layers of self-doubt and trust in your self. An efficient technique for cultivating our innate knowledge and power is the practice of repeating simple mantras like:
* I honor the power within me
* I can achieve anything I set my mind to
* I am focused and productive
* I act on my desires and motivations
Remember the principle that what we focus upon expands and what we take our attention away from diminishes. Focus on your dreams, your desires, the positive impact you’re meant to share with the world. Trust you have the power within you and practice to release it!
We’ve got some great classes this week to assist you on your journey:
1. Dave Farmar - Empower Your Potential: Part 1 (Make the Most of THIS Moment)
This class is specially designed for Advanced Beginners and Up who need a quick practice. It takes the highlights of a standard power sequence and works them into a fun half hour that focuses on the expansiveness of “externally rotated” standing poses. Throughout the practice, Dave gives options for the newer and the more experienced with detailed descriptions of possible modifications or variations for many of the poses.
Take on this opportunity to bravely let go of what you must, and learn to make the most of THIS moment and EVERY moment!
2. Michelle Marchildon - Split Leg Poses: Krazy Koundinyasanas
Embrace your wild side and engage your edge during this fun and challenging yoga practice. This class features arm balances with split legs and quite a bit of flow to work up a sweat. We play with Hurdlers and Scissored Side Crow (Eka Pada Koundinyasana I and II).
3. Kristin Gibowicz - Advanced Mojo Flow
If you like chaturangas, this class is for you! Get your blood flowing, your heart pumping, twist & backbend your way to getting your Mojo back!
4. Jack Cuneo - Align & Flow: Less is Enough
More isn’t always better, and less isn’t always more. Sometimes less is just fine the way it is. Sometimes less is enough. In this FREE class, you’ll create length, space, and awareness in your muscles and joints through a slow, balanced, methodical flow emphasizing standing poses, twists, and side-bending postures. It’s a great opportunity to come back to your center after taking something else to the extreme - whether that something is running, lifting, or even sitting for several hours. Receive detailed alignment instructions and practice exploring your body with grace and ease.
If you want to take your practice to the next level and grow beyond the physical benefits, here are a few things to try:
1. Let yoga be more than your workout. Yoga will help you stay fit, but if you approach your practice with only fitness in mind, you might miss all the rest. So, when you come to your yoga mat, open yourself up to all that the practice can reveal about your mental patterns, emotions and even your weaknesses. That way, you can transform them.
2. Focus less on how you look in each posture and more on how you feel. Feel your way through your yoga practice. Leave no room for ego or perfectionism. Do your best to achieve your optimum alignment and depth, but also give yourself space to be, breathe and accept where you are. Align your mind with the moment, let go of vanity and work to find mind, body and spiritual freedom in each posture, rather than seeking perfection.
3. Let your practice be more of a surrender, and less of a struggle. All too often we push and pull ourselves into a posture. We fight for the pose. Instead of pushing your way into a posture or even thinking your way through it, step back into your breath and your softness so that you can feel balanced. Give to the asana (posture), but receive from it as well.
4. Hold an intention. Donna Farhi wrote, “In truth, it matters less what we do in practice than how we do it and why. The same posture, the same sequence, the same meditation with a different intention takes on an entirely new meaning and will have entirely different outcomes.” Before you begin your practice, set an intention or devote your practice to something (anything). If you have trouble coming up with something, simply ask yourself, “What do I want from my practice today?” Know that no intention is too big or too small.
5. Find a new level of awareness. Use the asanas and the practice of yoga as a tool to see yourself (and your patterns) more clearly. Pay attention to any repetitive thoughts or emotions that come up during your practice. This will lead to awareness, and awareness leads to change.
6. Don’t give up. As the saying goes, don’t give up just before the miracle. If you feel like you want to give up for any reason—don’t. You might just be a few breaths, practices, moments or steps away from transformation. Change and epiphanies are about to happen, so devote yourself to your practice and you will get to the other side.
Best of luck my friends! Namaste.
This article has also been published in Elephant Journal.
By Jackie Casal Mahrou
For the past 10 years, Jackie has been passionately teaching and practicing yoga in Denver, CO. Believing that yoga can awaken us to the vast capacity of our hearts, minds and spirits, her intention is to empower her students to live boldly and authentically. Jackie’s classes are a combination of enlightening inspiration, graceful movement, alignment and encouragement. Through her flowing sequences and heart centered intention she creates an environment for each student to blossom into his or her greatest expression of each yoga posture, and brightest self.