vitalityoga

18/10/2025

Deepening Profound Rest: The Magic of Pranayama in Salamba Savasana ✨

What if we told you there’s a form of rest even more rejuvenating than a full night’s sleep? Let's delve into the world of Pranayama Savasana, a supported lying posture that, when practiced with the right mental focus, can transform your energy and well-being.

Here’s how this ancient technique works its profound magic:
1️⃣ A Shortcut to Rejuvenation: It’s said that just five minutes of focused Pranayama Savasana can be more restorative than eight hours of conventional sleep. Imagine reclaiming that time with deeper, more intentional rest!
2️⃣ The Art of Conscious Alertness: The key to gaining these benefits lies in staying alert and conscious throughout the practice. This isn't about dozing off; it's about a unique state of 'awake rest' where your body deeply relaxes while your mind remains gently aware.
3️⃣ Preventing the Drift to Sleep: The goal is restorative rest, not sleep. This can feel like a delightful contradiction: you aim to be fully rested, yet alert and aware. If you find yourself drifting, gently bring your attention back to your breath.
4️⃣ The Practice: Lie still and allow your entire body to completely yield to the support beneath you. Once the body is fully relaxed, gently bring your attention to your breath. This focused, intentional breathing is what elevates Savasana to 'Pranayama Savasana'.

🧘 The Lesson: Pranayama Savasana teaches us that true rest isn't always about unconsciousness. It's about consciously disengaging from external stimuli and deeply relaxing the body, all while keeping the mind gently tethered to the present moment through breath. It's a powerful tool for profound rejuvenation in a busy world.

Share your insights below: How does conscious rest rejuvenate you?



🌍 https://www.bksiyengaryogashala.com/

14/10/2025

Toes Spreading for Yoga Alignment and Balance
In yoga, every posture begins from the ground up — and that means your feet play a crucial role.

👉 One of the most overlooked yet transformative actions is spreading the toes.
Here’s why this small adjustment matters so much:
1. 🌿 Creating the Arch
By lifting and spreading your toes before placing them back down, you awaken the inner muscles of the feet. This creates or enhances the foot’s arch, which is especially beneficial for practitioners with flat feet or low arches.
2. ⚖️ Balancing and Stability
Spreading the toes makes you more aware of how your weight distributes between the inner and outer edges of the foot. A well-formed arch supports even pressure through the legs and feet, giving your posture natural balance and strength.
3. 🧘 Correcting Misalignment
Some students respond to “spread your toes” with unnecessary tension elsewhere — opening eyes, jaw, or fingers. The key is mindful spreading: energize the toes without gripping or forcing.

✨ In summary: Conscious toe spreading = stable base → balanced posture → aligned body.
Master this subtle art, and your entire practice will feel more grounded and expansive.

👉 Pause your scroll, lift your toes right now… Feel that?
📌 Save this post for your next practice session 🧘‍♀️



🌍 https://www.bksiyengaryogashala.com/

30/09/2025

Love Tadasana.

Power Starts at Feet

In yoga, every pose begins from the ground up — and nowhere is this more evident than in Tāḍāsana (Mountain Pose), the “foundation āsana.”

🔸 Feet as Your Foundation:
Your feet are your roots. In Tāḍāsana, the part of the body that connects to the floor is the foundation.
When you stand, aim for maximum contact of your soles with the mat.

🔸 How to Establish a Steady Base:
1️⃣ Balance the Weight: Evenly distribute weight between right & left foot, inner & outer edges, front & back.

2️⃣ Press Down Firmly: Press the feet down to awaken your legs—watch your kneecaps lift as the thighs engage.
3️⃣ Specific Foot Actions: Lift all 10 toes, spread them wide, then place them back down creating visible space between them.
4️⃣ Leg Engagement: As you press the feet down, move the upper leg (knee to hip) back to activate support and stability.

🔸 Why the Foot’s Structure Matters:
Think of your foot like a dome—the arch distributes weight from heel to toe mounds. Standing correctly allows this arch to function; when it collapses, weight and alignment are thrown off.
What you learn in Tāḍāsana translates directly into other standing poses, like Vīrabhadrāsana II, making your entire practice stronger and safer.
When you master your foundation, you build steadiness, confidence, and alignment for every pose to come.

🌍 https://www.bksiyengaryogashala.com/

29/09/2025

✨ This past weekend, I had the privilege of attending a yoga retreat in Vancouver led by Father Joe Pereira.

For those who may not know him, Father Joe is a Roman Catholic priest from Mumbai, a devoted student of both B.K.S. Iyengar and Mother Teresa, and the founder of the Kripa Foundation—the largest nonprofit in India supporting people affected by substance abuse, addictions, and HIV/AIDS. At 83, he still practices yoga daily and teaches worldwide.

Father Joe often says: “Every asana is a prayer.” He reminds us that calming the body is the pathway to calming the mind. In his opening talk, he shared: “Life is love, and the fruit of Iyengar Yoga is love.” Simple. Profound. Transformative.

One of his reflections that touched me deeply is the idea that through yoga we discover the spirituality of the body—coming to know ourselves, realizing that deep down we are whole, and finding what he called a “remembered wellness.”

It had been many years since I attended such an intimate workshop. The weekend gave me space to reflect, absorb, and reconnect with the roots of practice. I left filled with gratitude—for the teachings, for the quiet moments in between, and for the chance to return to the studio inspired to share.

Father Joe left us with this gem: “Do your own sadhana (practice), and whatever is inappropriate will drop away.”

As I carry this forward, I warmly invite you to join our community on the mat. Yoga is not just movement—it’s a journey of self-discovery, compassion, and love. Let’s walk that path together. 🪔

www.yogajourney.ca

28/09/2025

Prāṇāyāma is not something to pick up and drop when convenient—it’s a discipline rooted in consistency. Even 5 minutes a day is enough to call yourself a practitioner, but missing days breaks the rhythm.

Why daily?
✅ It balances your energy.
✅ It aligns you with natural rhythms—your body, your breath, and even the Earth itself.
✅ A morning practice "sets your day," bringing clarity and balance as you transition from night into day.

Just like the sun rises without fail, your practice too must be unwavering. Whether at home, traveling, or waking at 1 AM for a shortened session—daily pranayama becomes a lifelong anchor.

🔑 Tip: Choose one consistent time each day (morning, noon, or evening) and stay loyal to it. Your body’s rhythms, even your hormones, will begin to respond.

🌞 Morning helps you rise with the Earth’s energy.
🌿 Afternoon may connect you to a calmer inner flow.
🌙 Evening may prepare you for rest.

✨ Daily practice = daily balance. That’s the true discipline of pranayama.



🌍 https://www.bksiyengaryogashala.com/

24/09/2025

Twists in yoga are not just about “turning the spine.” They carry deep physiological, therapeutic, and structural benefits that impact the whole torso.

🔹 Promote Spinal Health & Circulation
By bringing circulation to the spine and nourishing the organs, twists make the ribs more pliable—preparing the body for both forward and backward bends.

🔹 Increase Rotation & Create Space
The essence of a twist is rotation of the spine. The key is to grow tall on inhalation and then turn on exhalation. This upward extension creates space, allowing the vertebrae to rotate more freely and safely. Remember: turn from the tailbone up the spine—not just the hips.

🔹 Engage the Abdominal Organs
Twists create a squeezing and soaking action for the abdominal viscera. Sharper exhalations—like turning the navel and waist—enhance this internal massage effect, stimulating digestion and organ health.

🔹 Relieve Neck & Shoulder Issues
Postures like Ardha Matsyendrasana help release neck and shoulder tension while aligning the elbow joint. Pro tip: look opposite to the turn to deepen the twist and avoid compressing the neck.

🌿 In essence: Twists rejuvenate the spine, invigorate circulation, massage the organs, and restore balance to the torso—keeping the body supple, strong, and aligned.

In your next practice, turn not just the body—turn awareness inward.



🌍 https://www.bksiyengaryogashala.com/

21/09/2025

17/09/2025

In yoga, adjusting the spine is not about “straightening the back.”

It’s a living, integrated process—a dialogue between the pelvis, trunk, ribs, limbs, breath, and awareness.

Here’s how the spine finds true balance in asana:
1️⃣ Pelvic Foundation – A steady pelvis aligns the whole spine. Outer thighs lift, hips descend, and energy moves both downward and upward.
2️⃣ Length Through the Trunk – From feet to fingertips, every action extends the spine upward and outward.
3️⃣ Rib & Chest Space – Broadening the ribs and lifting the sternum opens the upper spine, supported by the arms.
4️⃣ Breath Coordination – Inhalation creates extension. Exhalation deepens rotation and softens space within the pelvis and abdomen.
5️⃣ Props as Teachers – Blocks and blankets reveal misalignments and guide length without strain.
6️⃣ Inner Awareness – The most important adjustment is inward: the mind stays centered with the breath, sensing subtle movements.

🌀 The spine is not adjusted in isolation—it’s a symphony of body, breath, and awareness working together.
Next time you practice, notice how your pelvis and ribs influence your spine.

🌍 https://www.bksiyengaryogashala.com/

05/09/2025

03/09/2025

“In each asana, if the contact between the body and the floor-the foundation-is good, the asana will be performed well. Always watch your base: Be attentive to the portion nearest the ground. Correct first from the root. The standing poses are meant to begin providing this foundation for life. They strengthen the ankles and the knees. When a person is mentally disturbed or dejected, you'll notice he can't stand firmly on his feet. These postures teach one how to stand straight so that the brain can float in its position. Feet are like the root of a tree.
If one can't stand properly on one's feet, one develops a negative attitude toward life, and one's yoga too becomes unsteady. These postures help one to maintain stability in times of difficulty and even when catastrophes occur. When stability becomes a habit, maturity and clarity follow. Stability requires balance.”

BKS Iyengar
Light on Life

29/08/2025

14/03/2025