Yoga with Dr. Melissa West

27/08/2023

What about the spaces in between?

TRANSITIONS

Earth governs smooth transitions.

It rotates on its axis each day and orbits around the sun each year. These transitions happen smoothly.

What about the transitions between our yoga poses? And the transitions between one thing to another in our day?

Are these transitions as smooth?

Earth Element is Late Summer, August and September

Join Our Membership in September for a deeper dive into 5 Element Theory and Earth Element.

Week 1: Ground

Week 2: Transitions

Week 3: Digestion

Week 4: Strength

www.melissawest.com

12/12/2022

Canadians! Many of you tell me how much you enjoy the poetry I read in my classes. Today I discovered this collection of poetry. It is absolutely gorgeous. I mention it to Canadians because it is on sale on kindle for $3.99 for a limited time. I just thought I would pass on the savings and this gem!

05/12/2022

Today I celebrate the 16 year anniversary of defending my dissertation.

I like to honour this day each year because I tend to be a “slow burn.” It took me 9 years to complete my doctorate degree.

In a culture that celebrates overnight success and quick fixes, I remind myself things that are worthwhile often take time.

This was true of writing (and re-writing) my dissertation. This has been true of writing my book, Five Element Yin Yoga.

I share this with you in case it feels like things are taking too long. The things that are worth doing, may take longer than you expect. However, in my experience they have been worth it.

11/10/2022

5 Tips To Optimize Your Yoga Practice for Autumn

1. Slow Down

2. Support Your Lungs

3. Support Digestive Elimination

4. Acknowledge Your Preciousness

5. Prepare for Winter

28/06/2022

16/04/2022

OCEANSIDE YOGA NIDRA

To film this oceanside yoga nidra we 🏕camped at GreenPoint in Tofino in July 2021.

But in order to do that we had to book a 🏕campsite six months earlier in January. We got up at 😴6 am, and we were in an online que of over 1,000 people. We didn't think we were going to get a campsite.

In fact, when we tried to book a 🏕campsite this year so that we could do some filming in Tofino for our 2022 season, we weren't as lucky. We weren't able to book a site at Greenpoint this year and had to book at a private campground that will cost us twice as much.

Tofino is located in a temperate rainforest 🌳which gets 126 inches of the ☔️rain on 203 days a year. When you go, you most likely will get rain. 🌧

Everything Stephanie says in this testimonial is true and yet, Tofino is one of the most beautiful places in the world. I hope you enjoy this ocean yoga nidra. Filming while camping 🏕 is hard work, but it is one of the most affordable ways to be able to capture the beauty of Tofino for all of you.

21/03/2022

Mahatrika Mudra

Palms of hands face each other
Join the tips of the ring fingers
Touch the tips of the thumbs and little fingers to form two rings
Your mudra should resemble a pelvis as if you are looking down into your pelvic bowl
Hold in front of public bone
Soften pelvic floor, belly and chest
Place the tip of tongue lightly against upper palate
Breathe naturally

Benefits: Provides healing energy to the pelvic area
Works with the elements of water (little finger) fire (thumb) and earth (ring finger) and brings those organ systems into balance in your body
Relieves pelvic congestion and constipation

I love incorporating mudras into my yoga classes and this one is such a great addition to the 30 minute Daily Hatha Yoga for Digestion Class in our membership community.

20/03/2022

What would it be like to meet our own primal need to feel valued and loved, calm, nurtured, cared for and listened to?

Can we affirm our own worth and commit to our own lives?

Can we listen deeply to our own internal feelings, know what is important to us, and truly value our own beliefs?

When we listen deeply to our feelings and needs, do we brush them aside or do we take what we hear as the wisdom of our body, our wisest teacher and take action as our own advocate in our lives? Do we protect our hearts and emotional space?

Do we recognize our inherent value, not based on productivity or external appearances, and connect with our True Self and Basic goodness.

Do we take the time to take care of our bodies in ways that align with our beliefs? Mothers do not neglect their babies or children. Bathe yourself, brush your hair, oil your body, feed yourself, dress yourself in beautiful clothes. You are not low maintenance, you care too much to neglect your own caregiving. You are worthy of your time. There is nothing more important than caring for yourself. This is part of recognizing your worth and value.

Nurture and encourage yourself. Mothering yourself means being your best cheerleader. Be compassionate with yourself when you fail. When you disappoint yourself or another, when you mother yourself, you believe that you will do better next time. This is the grace of mothering yourself.

This video is from our Membership Video Library
💕Join Our Membership Community 💕http://bit.ly/ywmmembership

19/03/2022

A few weeks ago, I was struggling with depression (not diagnosed) just that is how it felt in my body. I guess I don't need to describe it for those of you who know what it feels like.

Sometimes I felt like crying a lot. Sometimes I just felt like staying in bed. I would feel my mind getting pulled under and then I try so hard to pull it out, which is like shooting the second arrow.

Anyway, this class was just so perfect. It allowed me to be still and not do anything other than what my body feels like doing - which was pretty much nothing.

It brought a lot of acceptance and even dare I say celebration of the transformative journey of depression. I'm glad I have this class to come back to and I definitely will come back to it again.

https://youtu.be/OHqIdGiL-Bw )

17/03/2022

Lesser Known Benefits of Eye Yoga:

This yoga exercise is so effective for relieving anxiety and insomnia.

This yoga exercise will reduce your anger, irritation, resentment, headaches and menstrual issues.

This yoga exercise is also one of the most effective ways to self regulate by stimulating your vagus nerve.

Save this video to remind yourself to do it later!

https://youtu.be/Nvk4YUg8_hw

16/03/2022

“I joyfully embrace this new day”

What will you embrace today? How do you want to feel today?

https://youtu.be/eyWSmywEAWs