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Look inside yourself
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The sunset drenches the world in amazing colours, the birds grow unusually quiet, it is the time to silence the mind.
I balance myself on two stools overlooking a tiny valley, the sun is my goddess her beauty is mercerising.
I move my body into the ancient yoga pose called Trikonasana , I can feel the last rays of sun pierce my open heart, I am filled with gratitude and feel an enormous freedom travel through my spirit.
I make peace with myself, ” I may make mistakes and I am not perfect “, but my intentions are always geniune to do the best I can and treat people they way I would like to be treated.
Within a few precious seconds the greatness of the sun seems ,almost like it breaks through my physical form to release a feeling of lightness and self forgiveness.
As the last light is absorbed by the earthy hills, a smile grows in my heart and I am at peace ready to shine with the morning sun to be fresh with the first light to be enthusiastic with a new day! The sun is my healer!
Introducing Ruby the new addition to Yoga at Alex, she is just as enthusiastic about Yoga as I am. She is on the mat ready to go,without any encouragement.
Animals have a strong instinct to stretch and keep their bodies supple and strong. Animals will stretch each time they get up from lying down which is perhaps exactly what we humans need to do.
Downward dog pose is Ruby’s favourite stretch and I can easily see how beneficial it is to the spine, muscles and it shows a definite mental release.
She smiles while she stretches which is quite obvious and makes the pose contagious, as with any yoga pose there is a certain release and a smile will appear if not on the lips ,it is certainly in the heart.
Yoga helps us rejoice in the small things life has to offer, which in my opinion is the doorway to a happy life.
So Enjoy your downward dog and feel lucky to be able to feel the magic of yoga!
When I go to a yoga class I want to do yoga, but in order to feel good doing yoga I have to prepare my body.
Awaken my spine to a flowing breathe and open my hips so they don’t constrict my movements.
Unfortunately I’m not your super flexible yogi who can jump straight into a cross-legged position and start stretching with flowing arm movements.
When I go to a yoga class I want to feel good, enjoy my body, I like a challenge but I don’t like to feel constricted.
These are the steps I have put in place in my own yoga classes, so the benefits of yoga can seep deeply into our subconscious minds and physical memories.
I want everyone to walk away from one of my classes feeling in love with their bodies and passionate about their lives.
It is only through experience that I have discovered how adaptable we really are if given the right encouragement.
So I start my classes off slow and encourage the body to relax and open up, then 9 out of ten times our bodies will be way more responsive than rushing straight into a cross legged pose or straight into a sun salute.
I hope this will help you understand yoga and stick with this ancient art of healing ,particularly if you are struggling at this moment.
Yoga can help us through many physical and mental barriers, as it places us in a state of physical awareness the brain pathways start to feel a renewed light and energy and create a new connection or reconnection between our physical form and our energy form.
We recognise that it is our own power or energy that gives us our choices that will eventually direct our lives to a deeper understanding of ourselves which seems to lift a giant weight from our shoulders.
Yoga shows us a simpler path through life, we just have to practice the ancient art!
If you are a product of todays society, then you probably take good care of yourself. Drink the correct amount of water, eat clean, healthy food and organic food when possible. You probably spend the same amount of time exercising everyday as well as trying to get 8 hours of sleep every night.
If you are addicted to being healthy this can be an added stress, if at the end of each day you feel guilty because you have missed out on something from your routine because there was not enough hours in the day , it could be doing you more harm than good.
The body does like predictability, but instead of making your whole day a routine, my answer is keep the important things as the everyday routine like mostly 8 hours sleep, definitely drink enough water but when it comes to the same exercise daily here is where you can mix it up.
Use accidental exercise if you know you have something on after work , like walking to work or use the stairs all day. Stand up regularly if you have a desk job and stretch while breathing deeply.
Make sure you slot in a few things that you enjoy during the working week so you look forward to each day and make them simple things which don’t cost a lot and won’t harm your health.
Treat yourself to little things like a glass of wine on the weekends, read your favourite magazine in the supermarket for free. Spend at least 10mins when you get out of bed on your yoga mat, this will start your day positively, if you can spare more time sometimes, do yoga for longer. Swim in the ocean make time to be alone and enjoy your own company.
Be a little bit flexible and add variety to your week, you will find life a lot less serious and more to laugh about.
Laughter is probably the best medicine for you, and if your routine varies you will be a whole lot more relaxed about it and be more spontaneous and creative. Good luck with these changes and enjoy you because there is no one like you.