Holistic Yoga

08/10/2023

Sometimes we loose ourselves. We think we have a plan, a routine and something unexpected disrupts that and we are left anxious, lost, without direction. But we have to find ourselves again and get back on track.
When the chaos subsides we have to pause, focus and reclaim ourselves again or otherwise we risk loosing what we worked so hard for. We risk loosing ourselves again. It’s useless reminiscing on what could have been if we didn’t have that setback or that problem. It’s a waste of time and energy. Instead build yourself up again.

Be patient with yourself
Be gentle with yourself. Acknowledge the fact that you had to prioritize.
Be forgiving and loving with yourself.
Each time you have a setback take it as a learning curve.
Take time on the mat again. 🧘🏼‍♀️ You may find that you forgot how to breathe again because of the anxiety. You may observe that your breaths are shallow that your body is stiff and tense, or that you’re irritable, your thoughts are racing and you’re clenching your jaw. It’s okay. You love yourself enough to find your way back again.
Put some calming music, light up some candles and find a comfortable sitting position. Close your eyes and take a moment to ground yourself no matter how much your body fights to move. Even if just for a minute try to stand still. Unclench your jaw and start increasing the length and depth of your breath. Try to focus your mind on your breathing, the sounds and smells around you. Be present as much as you can and when your mind starts to wonder again, focus on your breath.
This is my first step to finding myself again after the chaos.
Accept your setbacks and turn them into comebacks

19/09/2023

02/09/2023

Take some time for yourself especially on your off days to wake up slowly and gently in the morning. Rise early and enjoy the stillness and slow pace of a world that is still asleep.

Close your eyes, listen to your body and set an intention for the rest of the day. My intention for today is that
“I am grateful for the small things even while I wait for the big things to fall in place.”

It’s very important to focus on your breathing while doing yoga so as to become more aware of yourself and present in the moment. Inhale deeply as you open the chest and exhale slowly as you bend or twist.

Enjoy this gentle and short wake up sequence as you give your body a nudge to slowly awaken for the day ahead. 🙏🌅

26/08/2023

Ether element 🪐

The Ether or space element is neither visible nor audible, yet it permeates and connects everything together. It is the most subtle of the elements and is associated with the vishuddhi or fifth chakra located in the throat. It is represented by the shape of a black oval.

The Ether element is expansive, calming, soothing, receptive, intuitive, spiritual, universal, timeless, infinite, and boundless. It represents pure consciousness, intuition, creativity, imagination, inspiration, faith, love, compassion, empathy, peace, joy, bliss, truth, purity, wisdom, and transcendence. This element governs communication, speech, hearing, intuition, dreams, clairvoyance, and spiritual awareness.

Since it is motionless, this element is best balanced and strengthened through meditation, awareness, and mindfulness. Any type of meditation practice will strongly cultivate Ether.

In a hatha yoga practice, you can cultivate the qualities of Ether by holding poses longer while focusing on the stillness between the breaths and the awareness of the space around your body. The best asanas to focus on Ether are Shavasana, Child, Seated Forward Bend, Belly Twist, Bound Angle, Crocodile, and Mountain pose.

25/08/2023

Air element 💨

The hatha yoga tradition describes five Vayus subtle energetic winds or airs in the human body that represent different types of prana energy. The Air element is associated with the anahata or fourth chakra, located at the center of the heart. It is represented by a blue circle.

The Air element is gentle, uplifting, nurturing, healing, freeing and balancing. This aspect of nature governs all types of movement in the body, kinetic movements, breathing, thinking, and circulation.

You can harmonize and connect with the Air element by practicing asanas that open the heart and lungs like the chest-opening backbends of Cobra, Upward Dog, Camel, Fish, Dancer, and Wheel. Practice these poses with deep yogic diaphragmatic breathing and a sense of lightness, calm, and ease. All types of yogic breath work will activate the air element, yet Ujjayi and Sama Vritti Pranayama will have the strongest effects.

24/08/2023

Fire element 🔥

While we have an inherent fear of fire, woking with this element in our yoga practice can promote powerful states of transformation.

The Fire element is associated with the manipura or third chakra located at the solar plexus, and it is represented by an upward pointing red triangle.

The Fire element is hot, bright, active, dynamic, strengthening, and stimulating. This element governs passion, anger, ambition, desire, willpower, courage, confidence, self-expression, creative thinking, and leadership. It regulates our metabolism, energy, and body temperature.

You can harmonize and connect with Fire by practicing asanas that stimulate circulation, activate the core and build heat, such as Warrior 3, Eagle, Bow, Bridge, Chair, Camel, Plank, Prayer Twist, and Boat. Also, incorporating warming pranayama breathing exercises like kapalabhati will activate your inner fire. To reduce signs of excessive fire, use the cooling pranayamas of Sit Cari and Sh*tali.

When working with the Fire element, focus on being present, clear minded, focused, confident, assertive, strong and courageous. Use your experience of this element to burn up negative thoughts and emotions to purify the mind.

22/08/2023

Using yoga to harmonize and balance the elements

Water element💦

We usually think of Water in its many forms, including rivers, oceans, lakes, ponds, streams, and raindrops. Yet, inside our bodies, water plays a vital role in our health.

The Water element is associated with the 2nd chakra, the sacral chakra or Svadhisthana, located between the belly button and p***c bone. Its symbol is a white crescent moon. This element governs fluidity, purification, nourishment, and controls the movement of energy, fluids and the physical body. The water element is soothing and sensual, and helps connect us to our feelings and emotions. It manifests in the body as blood, lymph, tears, saliva, sweat, urine, semen, and breast milk.

You can harmonize and connect with the Water aspect of nature by practicing asanas with a sense of playfulness, fluidity, and easeful motion. Focus on the pulse of the breath and vinyasa type movements in poses like Cat/Cow, Sun Salutations, Crescent Lunge, Pigeon, Bound Angle, Plow, Cobra, Locust, Crescent Moon, Fish, and Down Dog.

Notice how each pose brings about different sensations within your body. As you hold these poses, allow yourself to move and flow in them without resistance or judgment. Feel free to experiment with new ways of moving and breathing.

Also, incorporating pranayama breathing in your practice can calm your mind and relax your nervous system to activate the Water element. Practice breathing techniques like the diaphragmatic breath, 3-part abdominal breath, and the equal breath.

20/08/2023

Using yoga to harmonize and balance the elements described before

Earth element (Prithvi)🌍

The journey to consciousness begins with the Earth element. This foundational element is represented by a yellow square and it corresponds to muladhara chakra, the root or 1st chakra. ☸️

This aspect of nature governs groundedness, stability, strength, permanence, patience, fertility, and security. It manifests in the body in the solid structures of our bones, muscles, nails, hair, and teeth. Earth is related to the sense of smell.

You can harmonize and connect with the earth by regularly practicing standing and balanced yoga poses that promote stability, strength, and groundedness.
These include asanas such as Mountain, Tree, Chair, Warrior 2, and Seated Forward Bend. They also help improve posture and stability and strengthen the leg muscles, which will help you in all standing poses.

While safely practicing these asanas focus on their calming, anchoring, stabilizing and strengthening actions.
As you move through these poses, notice your connection with the earth, and how the ground supports you as you activate your feet and leg muscles. Focus on feeling your feet pressing into the earth, providing a stable, safe and centred foundation. 🌳

19/08/2023

The realization of our universal nature is the goal of movement in yoga. Our work is to connect with inner Presence. Through our yoga practice we develop the inner vision that comprehends and ‘sees’ that we are much more than the boundary of our skin reveals.

Overcoming body and mind through will is not the practice of yoga. All ambition, all determination, all self-effort has to be dropped. Yoga has to be approached empty handed. It has to be an engagement of the individual in self-exploration and self-discovery- not an exercise in power and control.

To do this we need to start seeing ourselves reflected in nature. Nature is the core of our existence. According to the tradition of yoga, the whole creation consists of and is governed by five elements known as pancha bhutas – earth, water, fire, air, and space. Each element is the manifestation of primal cosmic energy and form the basic building blocks of the universe, every person, animal, plant, and thing.

First is space🪐 (Akasha), the initial vibration, the intention of creation- both universally and individually. We are ‘intended’ by the universe long before we appear in our mother’s womb.

Next comes air💨 (Vayu), the atmosphere and even the wind. This is the string into activity- the intention giving rise to movement.

Then comes fire🔥(Agni), the spark is lit by the wind, and as the fire burns it transforms intention and potential into form.

Next comes water💦(Apas). It is said that the clouds formed by the smoke of the fire release rain, bringing the sacred life-fluids into being.

Finally, there is Earth 🌍(Prithvi). The body, fully formed, emerges into the world: it is.

Through the sacred ritual of this creative universe, we come into being and our coming into being isn’t an isolated event but one in which the whole universe has participated. But our physical birth hides our reality. Through it we find ourselves on a merry-go-round of waking, dreaming and deep sleep in which all purpose seems lost. These are the 3 states that physicality confines us to- until we choose to turn our vision from the material expanse before us to that inner consciousness.

16/08/2023

You can still love yourself even when you mess up, make a mistake, or aren’t doing as well as you wish! Love and praise is not just reserved for when you’re perfect and doing well. YOU are allowed to LOVE YOURSELF through it all. Grant yourself permission. It’s not easy but it’s possible 🙏🤗

13/08/2023

Morning meditation 🧘🏼‍♀️

I may not be where I want to be physically but this is me prioritizing my mental health. This is me surrendering to my thoughts and listening to my inner self, my voice, my intuition.

Stop waiting to turn into some perfect version of yourself and consciously enjoy being who you are in the present moment.🌺

💭💭💭
I am enough and I have enough.
I am doing the best I can.
I accept myself.
I love my body because it carries my soul and allows me to enjoy life.

Take a moment to sit down with yourself. Become aware of your breathing and your thoughts. Surrender as you watch your thoughts floating above like clouds. Do not get attached but simply observe as if you’re a visitor in your own mind.

What does your inner voice tell you?

13/08/2023

Morning meditation 🧘🏼‍♀️

I may not be where I want to be physically but this is me prioritizing my mental health. This is me surrendering to my thoughts and listening to my inner self, my voice, my intuition.

Stop waiting to turn into some perfect version of yourself and consciously enjoy being who you are in the present moment. 🌺

💭 💭 💭

I am enough and I have enough.
I am doing the best I can.
I accept myself.
I love my body because it carries my soul and allows me to enjoy life.
🙏

Take a moment to sit down with yourself. Become aware of your breathing and your thoughts. Surrender as you watch your thoughts floating above like clouds. Do not get attached but simply observe as if you’re a visitor in your own mind.

What does your inner voice tell you?